like himself Immaculate By th' Holy Ghost whose over-shadow'd power Being graciously vouchsaf't unto her Impregnated Oh Heavenly bridal-groom A chast unspotted Virgins womb Born of the Virgin Mary mother she To him that gave her first to be Happy to be his Mother happier far That he his Daughter counted her Whose sinless chast conception did bring forth A Sin-Curse-Free a painless birth Fourth Article S. James the Great Suffer'd not for his own but for the Sin Of hopeless helpless wretchless men Vnder a Governor a Zealous pleaser Of the Ambitious jealous Caesar Pentius Pilate who his death Commands And washes then his guilty hands Was Crucified Condemned and forc't to be Hang'd on the Cross the Cursed tree Where while nails pierc'd his sacred plants and palms his wounded side dropt healing balms Blood that might pay the score to justice then Water to wash and make us clean To evidence redemption finished Water from 's heart to prove him dead Dead truly dead the Lord of life and breath Fast-fetter'd in the Chains of death And buried buried in a Tomb obscure And guarded too to make him sure Yet was the Guest not common and the grave No common entertainment gave A Rock receiv'd him and the Scriptures say A Rock where never man yet lay Fifth Article S. Thomas He whom the heav'n and heav'n of heav'ns in vain Might have endeavour'd to contain Descended into Hell Content to have His lodgings in a six-foot grave Thence to th' infernal pit where Satan lurks To triumph over him and 's works The third day ere his sacred body saw Or yielded to corruptions law He the first fruits of life which he in spight Of Death and Hell would bring to light Rose again from the dead and shew'd it plain That man being dead can live again Sixth Article S. James the Less He then his work being done redemption wrought Hells works destroy'd and man rebought Ascended into Heaven his first abode The only proper place for God And sitteth not till now his labour ceas't And not till now he sits to rest At the right hand of God to signifiâ— As well his pow'r as dignity Where now in our behalf he dayly pleads And with the Father intercedes For such continual and benign supplies As suits our wants and miseries The Fath'r Almighty who can all things do But to his dearest Son say no Who as Almighty can his sute fulfill And as a gracious Father will Seventh Article S. Philip. From thence when judgments Trump shall sound a Call And to the Barr shall summon all And not before to raign as some mean dream A thousand years on earth with them He but not such as formerly was he Cloath'd with disgrace and poverty But he such as he is eye-dazling bright With Majesty and heav'nly light Shall come attended as he truly merits With Legions of Scraphick Spirits To Iudge impartially according to The works that in this life they do The quick who though in death they sleep not shall Be changed in a moment all And the dead too whose perish'd bodies then Shall by his pow'r be rais'd again And re-united with the soul together With that shall live and live for ever Eighth Article S. Bartholomew I Believe in him who proceeds as third Both from the Father and the Word Proceeding as the Godheads Emanation Yet coeternal in duration The third yet equal person in the One Both with the Father and the Son The Holy Ghost the blessed Lord and giver Of life whose lease bear's date for ever Who by his various gifts dispenc'd abroad So edifies the Church of God And by his works upon the hearts of men So lively influences them That they who thus the seeds of grace inherit Brings forth the gracious fruits o' th' Spirit This is the sum of what my faith doth gather Of God my gracious heav'nly Father Ninth Article S. Matthew Another part of my belief remains And that the Church my Mother Claims And here I do believe not in nor on Such faith respecteth God alone But with a faith Historically meant Which does to truth reveal'd assent The holy Cath'lick Church that lovely spouse For which her Lord his life did lose Holy as builded up and founded on Christ the most holy corner stone Whose Constitutions Principles Profession Teach us her Sons this holy Lesson That holy as he is holy we must be Or never hope his face to see Catholick as all those it comprehends Whom our dear Lord accounts his friends Whether they Militate for him below Or having conquer'd triumph now A Church truth's rocky pillar and firm ground ' Gainst which Hell-gates no force have found Tenth Article S. Simon The sweet communion of the Saints that high And most Angelick harmony Which they have first with God Christs father and theirs As his beloved sons and heirs With God the Son as branches with the vine As members with the head combine With God the Spirit who in them as God Within his Temple keeps abode This bond of Charity does kindly move Their hearts and souls in mutual love And keeps the Church of God by this Communion A City in it self at Vnion Not tainting her nor truth perverting by Blind and erroneous heresie Nor yet with Schisms Rents dividing one And making many so make none The full and abs'lute free and gracious No way deserv'd or earn'd by us Forgiveness Pardon plenary remission Indempnity and abolition Of Sins of whatsoever kind degree Whether in thought word deed they be Granted to such as having faith that 's true Are by repentance born a-new Eleventh Article S. Judas Thaddeus The Resurrection of the fleshly part To share the spirits joy or smart The body to corruption now inclin'd But then more purer and more refin'd Whose scatter'd ashes erst base earth and clay And bones with drought consum'd away New-fram'd and reunited shall restore The self-same man that was before So though those crawling Cannibals the worn Destroy these bodies in their urns Yet in the flesh with these not other eyes We shall to see the Lord arise Twelfth Article S. Matthias And as the end the Crown and recompence Of this my faith and patience The Life not frail as this whose every breath Brings the man one step nearer death But everlasting such a life as when Thousands of years and after them Miriads are spent by millions multiply'd Though each brought forth an Age beside Shall have when this is spent and ten times morâ— As long to last as 't had before And so shall still roll on without conclusion In an Eternal revolution In which all Souls Eternally shall dwell As Kings in Heav'n or Fiends in Hell Ravish'd with Musick in the Angels Quire Or Brands of Everlasting Fire Amen this was is will be true till when My Faith and Expectation say Amen Question I 've gladly heard you word by word explain This sacred Symbol great might be the pain To learn this young but greater sure the
gain Add yet to this a more concise and brief Account of what you learn from hence in chief Answer Then as three persons in the God-head be The parts of Faith are like it's objects three First I believe in God the great Creator Who when there was as yet nor form nor matter Did by his word make men and all the World Of empty substance in Confusion hurl'd First from a Vacúum from a darksome mist He bids a goodly beauteous world exist Then of the dust the baser part of that Did man the glorious Lord thereof create And then t'enlighten and adorn the whole Stamps a Divine impression on his Soul Making in 's mind his better part to dwell The chief perfections that in God excel Creates him his own image in a Will Perfectly free to chuse or good or ill Gives him a pow'r of Standing but withal To make it truely free a pow'r to fall And this was Paradise but envious Hell Ne're ceas'd till glorious man from glory fell He shews him beauty richly guilded o're That fruit where God had show'd him death before The look gives God the lye and man believes And tast's the tast the man of bliss bereaves He plucks the fairest fruit yet eates but leaves He ate t'tain to knowledg and thereby Deep knowledg gain'd but 't was of misery Whence to redeem t' a second life and bliss The Son of God for ransome paid down his So next I do believe in God the Son Who God of God is God with God but one Stand here my Soul admire the matchless love Which Strong as death it self the Lord could move To leave th' Eternal seats of bliss above To cloath himself with shame and misery To court infirmities and poverty To live inglorious and inglorious dy And all to rescue from the worst of dangers Poor us no more than men no more than strangers Unless 't were more his goodness to despise And spight of favours turn his Enemies Lord what attractive What could win thine eye Is there magnetick pow'r in misery To drawn down mercy What dear God had woo'd The Suff'rers grace t'espouse th' offenders good And write his love in characters of blood Thanks to thy Image and thy mercy Lord One crav'd the help which t'other did afford Thy Image suff'ring in us cry'd to Heav'n For pity pity by thy grace was given Where Heav'n is once ally'd it never can Like unrelenting like unnat'ral man Forget Relation though deserts bespeak His anger he can love for Kindred sake Unfathom'd love that claims abus'd relation And further to endear that obligation First takes mens nature makes himself like them Then gives his Spirit to make them like him That Spirit which the third but equal place In my belief as in the Godhead has God in creating did a Father prove Christ in redeeming shew'd a Brother's love But both these God-like works would be defeated By Nature's counter-works unless repeated Which God the Spirit day by day effects By frequent iterated gracious acts 'T is he preserves us and that preservation May well be call'd continual Creation He daily Sanctifies what daily sin Profanes and so as oft redeems agen This does the Spirit for all that chosen be And in that number as I hope for me May he go on to do it till this State Of humane frailty shall be out of date When this our mortal shall be cloath'd upon With immortality this corrupt put on Such incorruption that like Angels we Shall live from need of all such succours free Question Did you not tell me that your Sureties vow'd That you their charge with pious conscience shou'd When thus instructed in the Christian faith Observe God's Laws and tread an even path In all his holy Precepts bind your hands To execute sincerely his Commands Of these divine Commandments therefore say How many are there Answer Ten. Question And what be they Answer The same which God the great and wise Law-giver Sole Judge of fit and just God blest for ever That Israel rescu'd from Egyptian traps Spake in a dreadful voice of Thunder-claps When his shrill Trumpet Heavens great Axel shook His fiery presence made all round him smoke And at his word the very Mount did quake Then to his ransom'd people thus he spake The Preface I am the Lord thy God O Israel That with a mighty hand Freed thee from that tyrannick Law Of making bricks and seeking straw In cruel Egypts Land Between the Sacred Cherubims I dwell Thine Christian Israelite thy God am I For when thou wast a slave Condemn'd lust sin and Hell to serve And for thy wages only starve My helping hand I gave And set thy slavish Soul at liberty The first Table First Commandment Thou shalt not worship other Gods before me Nor others shalt thou have Worship religious and divine I challenge rightfully as mine No hand but mine can save Let him that would be safe alone adore me Comply not with vain Mortals fond Opinions With them to deify Departed Saints that are at rest Or sue for help to Angels blest Which Creatures are like thee Nor have such Garden-gods as Leeks and Onions Thou shalt not in thy treacherous heart create Temples to serve thy lust Nor set up Honor Ease or Pleasure Belly-delights or Eye-bright Treasure In them as Gods to trust My jealous eye such Idols will detect Second Commandment Thou shalt no image nor resemblance fashion In carv'd or graven matter Of ought that is in Heav'n above Or in the Earth below doth move Or subterraneous Water Nor bow to them nor give them veneration For I th' Eternal God thy Lord Supreme I am a God most jealous I who my glory never gave To others will not yield to have Worship-dividing fellows Nor count that honor mine that 's done to them Vpon the Sons I visit Fathers sins To third and fourth degree Such is my justice to the Creature But so much is my mercy greater To them that honor me I shew 't on thousands of succeeding kins Third Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of God in vain Nor in discourses idle Usurp it in thy mouth when yet Thy heart perhaps ne're thinks of it Learn well thy tongue to bridle And not that Great and Holy Name profane If by the dreadful Name of God thou swear To honor me thereby For by my Name to swear it shall Be lawful at a lawful call Beware of Perjury Remember whom thou call'st upon to hear The God of Truth who never promise brake Will not for guiltless hold The man that promises by vow Or takes an Oath the truth to show Yet false in heart makes hold God's venerable Name in vain to take Fourth Commandment Remember kéep the Sabbath consecrate For rest 't is only fit Six days thou hast to work beside The seventh is God's and sanctified Thou shalt not work in it Thy servant child nor guest within thy gate For in six days God made the glorious Heav'n And
contiguous joyn Not only friends or brothers nor alone Those that with me the same Religion own Though chiefly these But generally all Whom by the glorious name of Man we call All whom the great Creator hath endu'd With Souls made in his own Similitude All Jews Turks Hereticks and Infidels And ev'n my Enemy where e're he dwells To these my duty is like love to bear As to my self and hold them equal dear To do to every man as I would be Content and willing he should do to me To both my Parents who my being gave And then from death my infant-Infant-life did save Such honor and such filial love to shew As to the Author 's of my life is due If need require to succour and relieve them In all distresses that in age may grieve them The King and all his Ministers which he Hath vested with a just Authority In all Commands in every thing where they Cross not God's Laws to honor and obey To be submissïve to my spiritual Pastors Governors Teachers and instructing Masters To bear me low and reverend in my deeds To all whose place or fortune mine exceeds They are to God who made them differ debters But I must count them diff'ring thus my betters No bodies injury or hurt to act Either with tongue in word or hand in fact To be as Conscience cries aloud I must To all in all my dealings true and just Not off'ring to deceive with sly evasions Mysterious sence or mental reservations No private grudge malicious wounding dart Nor envious peek to lodge within my heart To kéep my hands from picking and from stealing That when I 've pow'r to falsifie in dealing And none sees what I do but God alone His eye may teach me then to know my own My tongue to bridle that it never may In vain superfluous speaking go astray Always to set a careful watch before My mouth that lying never scape the door My Lips to keep that they may speak no guile Nor with false sland'rous tales my Soul defile To kéep my body fit for the abode Of that great Guest the holy Spirit of God In temp'rate eating which a proof may give That I live not to eat but eat to live In sober drinking not with Swine to swill To drink to quench my thirst but not to fill And chastity Christ's Members not to take And them the Members of an Harlot make Not to desire or cover goods that be Not mine but other men's by property But well to learn and labor hard to get My living truly by my own brow-sweat And in that state of life in which I stand Lawfully call'd thereto by God's Command Whether my place be great mean high or low Whether the Gown the Sword the Pen or Plough Whate're my duty be God calls me to it Something he bids me do and I must do it Of these two parts consists a Christian's duty In these and only these is perfect beauty No wealth or pow'r the world affords that can So much as these adorn the Christian man Question 'T is very true But this my good Child know In nature's Garden no such fruit will grow Unless the Lord the Husbandman prepare The ground with Grace 't will no obedience bear He that hath that walks upright in the ways That God directs but he that wants it strays Nor comes this Grace unsought for no man gains it But he that by true fervent pray'r obtains it The method of supplying what we want Is first for man to ask then God to grant And for this grace to him thou must repair By humble diligent and fervent prayer Let me hear therefore if thou canst repeat That brief but full succinct but most compleat And comprehensive form our Saviour's words Prescrib'd by him and therefore call'd the Lord's Who pitying to see the humane mind In heavenly matters ignorant and blind Directed us when we prepare to pray Those words or such-like words as those to say Answer PREFACE Our common Father now not mine alone But all men's that are born of thee Though no man's faith can save me but my own Yet Prayers may excepted be That I for others make or they for me Which art in Heaven most eminently there As that thy glorious might declares Who yet though they be made on Earth can'st hear With gracious and paternal ears And hearing grant thy needy Almes-mens pray'rs First Petition Hallowed reverenc'd by all that fear thee Magnifi'd honor'd and ador'd And sanctified in us that now draw neer thee Prais'd for the grace thou dost afford And for the mercy's that we want implor'd Thus hallow'd be thy Name that Name Divine Which does indeed deserve it solely Does all the names of Heathen Gods out-shine And when they speak no more than folly Thine is majestick wonderful and holy Second Petition Thy Kingdom that of grace whereby as King Thou in thy Children's hearts dost reign And into such subjection lusts canst bring That they shall but attempt in vain To dispossess their lawful Soveraign And that of glory which shall recompence All present shame and miseries When glorious Angels shall come fetch us hence And mounting us above the Skies Shall wipe away all tears from off our eyes This twofold Kingdom come the one to make Our hearts thy Spirit 's Temple-room The other us from Pilgrimage to take To our Eternal heavenly home So come Lord Jesus quickly let it come Third Petition Thy will which only has power to command At whose bare nod the Creatures run Which whatsoe're it says for Law must stand Curb'd question'd and controul'd by none This sacred godly will on earth be done On us in cheerfully submitting to All methods of thy Providence Who as our Maker what thou wilt mayst do And good or ill to us dispence As seems most fitting in thy own wise sence And by us in a dutiful compliance To thy Commands without demurring For aid so placing on thee our affiance That our endeavours joynt concurring May keep us never from our duty stirring Thus be it done by us on earth as 't is In Heav'n where 't is the Angels choice Their only pleasure glory joy and bliss Who in obeying thee rejoyce To execute the dictates of thy voice Fourth Petition Give us we cannot purchase Boons from Heav'n Nor fee th' Almighty to be kind All favours we receive from thee are given Should we be left our selves to find We soon should starve and perish hunger-pin'd This day we ask not Lord to be secur'd For years to come from being poor We are not of to morrows life assur'd From hand to hand supply our store This Lord we want indeed and ask no more Our daily bread plain wholsom homely food Not Kickshaws and Conserves but bread Not what delights the eye but what is good Not what may please but what may feed Not what we long for Lord but what we need Bread for the body meat and drink and cloathing A good name
liberty health peace And for the Soul or t'other comes to nothing Thy Spirit which our Souls may ease And Faith and Hope and Love in them encrease Fifth Petition Forgive us for we cannot satisfie Neither discharge the whole nor part Dear God forgive us though the score be high An able Creditor thou art We debtors neither can compound nor start Our trespasses for which the least of which Thou might'st Command us down to hell Where Scorpions rods should lay our lustful itch That bottomless Infernal cell Where none but Fiends and flames in darkness dwell This our ten thousand Talents Lord and more Forgive as we the hundred pence To them that ow't us and to clear the score Of our weak Brother's small offence Do thou with Grace our spirits Influence Sixth Petition And lead us not nor let the Tempter lead us So far into temptations field As underfoot to let that Lion tread us And throwing down our sword and shield Like Dastards to th' insulting foe to yield But by thy power deliver us from evil All that leads to or lies in sin From all the wiles and cunnings of the Devil From every snare and secret gin That he hath laid to trap and catch us in And from the ev'l of punishment that 's due To sin thy servants Lord deliver Thou might'st pay torments death and hell 't is true But thou art God blest for ever Of Grace and Pardon art a franker giver Conclusion For thine the Kingdom is thou canst reprieve And dost with acts of Grace abound And if thy power will as 't can forgive That power shall with praise be crown'd And all the glory shall to thee redound To thee be all for ever and for ever By all ascrib'd as 't is most meet Let this our prayer be deny'd us never Granted we wish and hope to see 't And therefore say to it Amen So be it Question Oh heavenly Prayer and such as did befit The blessed lips that first did dictate it But he that would as God's Petitioner His wishes at the Throne of Grace prefer In an acceptable and prospr'ous way Must with the understanding also pray Not he that to an unknown God addresses And rudely in an unknown tongue expresses He knows not what that in a frantick notion Makes ignorance the mother of devotion That thinks the wisdom and the pow'r immense Of Heav'ns great Ruler bound to pick out sence From senceless Pray'rs which they themselves that sâ—â— Are ignorant what they deprecate or pray Not such a man must hope his Sute will thrive Or think he shall prevail with God to give Till he knows what he asks 't is only he That prays with knowledge can accepted be Nor can nor dare I bid you hope to speed Unless you first know rightly what you need Then how to ask Now give me leave t' enquire What do you in this Prayer of God desire Answer I beg of God my Lord and Father who As Lord hath pow'r as Father will to do What I request whose hand with bounty flows And on his Creatures all good things bestows To send to me and all of humane race His sanctifying and preventing Grace That with a hearty Zeal sincere and true That Reverence that to his Name is due That depth of love and thankfulness for all His love which for his answ'ring deep doth call That thus with his coelestial Grace endu'd We may in part express our gratitude In pious worship undefil'd and pure With faith not wavering but stedfast sure In civil service making still the end Of worldly bus'ness to his glory tend And in obedience such as shall submit To his Command ' cause he commanded it And I desire his heav'nly Providence Both to our Souls and Bodies to dispence All things that he sees needful to asswage Our grief and care in this our Pilgrimage And that he will on us his Servants though We merit wrath and vengeance mercy show That he will pardon us for Christ his sake As well the lesser faults and slips we make As our presumptuous those more daring high And impious Darts ' gainst Heav'n it self let fly That he 'l vouchsafe in mercy to defend us From all the num'rous dangers that attend us Ghostly to stifle and extirpate Grace And God's own Image in the Soul efface And send that glorious Heav'n-born Particle To Eternal Lodgings in the shades of Hell And bodily which wait us day by day Upon our lives and dearest joys to prey Diseases dolorous pains distracting cares Oppressing sorrows and dismaying fears Misfortunes pinching poverty and losses Despairing thoughts and over-burd'ning crosses That Israel's Shepherd he whose Eyes no sleep Nor slumber know would always guard and kéep Poor us his easily seduced Sheep From sin and wickedness and from the Foe That seeks to involve us in eternal woe That though with Satans fiery Darts surrounded We be not in eternal Death confounded That dying life that death which never dies Where dismal yellings frightful shriekes and cries Eccho'd with mournful accents of despair With throbs and curses beat the flaming air And this I humbly trust and hope he 'll do By his good mercy prompted thereunto For his dear sake who of his own accord Dy'd to redeem us Iesus Christ our Lord. And this my trust to evidence I say Amen say he Amen to what I pray Question Departing Friends their mem'ry to endear To those they part with make their love appear In absence strong and vigorous and maintain Constant affections till they meet again Some one request or two are wont to leave The doing which their sorrows may relieve And separations tediousness deceive And thus our ever dear but parting Lord Was pleas'd some pledges of his love t' afford Which given to his Spouse the Church in charge From over-pressing sorrows might enlarge Her fainting spirits exercise her graces And move th' affections in their proper places He institutes his blessed Sacraments Whereby each party mutually indents He to his people to remember them They thankfully to love and honor him But now How many hath the Lord 's Anointed For that great end to 's holy Church appointed Answer Two only which we properly so call As they respect the common needs of all And as they 're useful sutable supplies To Christians general necessities That is to say first that which enters them And makes them freemen Christians Baptism And that which feeds them at his holy Board The food of Souls the Supper of the Lord. First he gives milk for Babes in Christ and then Corroborating meat for stronger men Those others which obtruders introduce Are not of gen'ral Sacramental use And either want the parts in Constitution Or good Authority for Institution If holy Orders rightfully they call A Sacrament why not dispenc'd to all Since all are Souldiers why are all not bound By like engagements to maintain their ground This therefore in its proper definition Is but the Leading-Officer's Commission If Marriage were