Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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B23108
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The catechism of the Church of England, poetically paraphrased. By James Fowler
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Fowler, James, verse-writer.; Church of England. aut
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1678
(1678)
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Wing F1729A
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21,745
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62
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THE CATECHISM OF THE Church of England POETICALLY PARAPHRASED BY JAMES FOWLER LONDON Printed by Tho. Hodgkin 1678. Imprimatur Guil. Jane Jan. 4. 1677. TO My Worthy and much HONORED FRIEND EPHRAIM SKINNER Esq SOMETIMES His MAJESTIES CONSUL IN LEGORN SIR AS I know you have a natural aversness to being passive so I find in my self no temptation to be active in those lofty Praises that commonly stuff up Dedications Let your works themselves not my Encomium's praise you in the Gates Enjoy your self in that Noble and Christian principle of sparing the Trumpet for securing the Reward Only thus much I must say in Apology for this boldness That the Catechism of the Church knows not better where to seek for Patronage than at those hands that have been exemplarily liberal in beautifying the Temple May you go on and Prosper in so pious a Design and since it cannot be accounted a Digression to your Progress with your favourable acceptance encourage these Papers which are written for their Instruction that ought to be the Polished Corners of it that when nothing of you shall remain but the memory of your actions they may rise up and call you Blessed Which blessedness as you plenteously sow it in this life that you may reap abundantly in a better is the hearty Prayer of Your most Obliged and humble Servant JAMES FOWLER TO THE READER READER THat indifferency in Poetry which one that was a Stranger to it thought unattainable hath here been aimed at This Paraphrase was intended for the benefit of Youth and as near as I could Calculated for that Meridian I have studied to approve my self a Divine that may Delight and a Poet that may be Understood If by tying my self to Scripture-phrase and the expressions of the Church I come short of that Poetick strain that may be expected I desire it may be remembred that it was design'd for Children and not for Criticks If it be read with that simplicity of heart that it was written I hope though it was fitted to the Capacities of the Younger yet it will not so nauseate the more Intelligent and Judicious but the performance may be accepted for the honesty of the Design THE CATECHISM OF THE CHURCH of ENGLAND Poetically Paraphrased Question OF all the gifts that serve delight or grace The humane nature knowledge first takes place Knowledge which to the mind at once supply's Enlightning beams and light-discerning eyes That heav'n-born faculty which man invest With God-like nature differs man from beasts That blessed object of the souls desire That does at once content yet skrew it higher Of which a maxime it hath always stood That Souls to be without it is not good Now since of Knowledge that that is divine Does that that 's meerly humane far out-shine Since knowing of our selves was always found In this great Science the Foundation ground Since what does this Self-knowledge first proclaim Is that the busie tatling Child can frame It s yet unpractised tongue to tell its Name To give some proof how well thou hast begun To get this knowledge What 's thy Name my Son Answer The name first given me when I became A Christian and thence call'd my Christian Name Which aided by that Epithete gives check To sinful deeds crys sinful thoughts stand back And bids the soul walk worthy of the honour And grandeur of that name that 's call'd upon her Live a true Christian or renounce that name Lest that which honors her she basely shame And that profession that she should adorn Expose to censure obloquy and scorn This glorious name the mark and badge of him Whose Service makes me free is N. or M. Question Who gave it you Answer My sureties who because When I submitted to the Christian Laws They answ'ring for me did my soul beget Into the faith my self not able yet To make confession on 't are therefore styl'd Parents in God to me their Christian Child The scene of my receiving thus from them This Christian favour was my Baptism That mystick Military Sacrament In which by Covenant I did indent The great Captain of my souls salvation Fighting his battle to maintain my station Thus at my first enrolement into grace I wretched I till then whose woful case Angels condol'd God piti'd Christ bemoan'd For whose lost state the whole creation groan'd While devils did with spiteful joy and pride Gods image so transform'd to theirs deride I from the body erst lopt off and dead My soul a Bastard and disherited I thus to misery by sin betray'd By this blest means Oh blessed means was made A noble member of the noblest high'st And wisest head my Lord my Saviour Christ A Child of God the most august or rather The onely great and honourable Father And an inheritor undoubted heir To an estate as truly rich as fair No soil so fruitful nor the purest air So wholesom for the sp'rits no prospect is So ravishing no title safe as this So safe the heir can never be bereaven For 't is a Kingdom and that plac't in Heaven Question What did your undertakers then for you Answer Thrée things they did engage for me by vow First that I should forsake abhor detest That Enemy to mans eternal rest That Serpent-hypocrite who though he can Transform himself about to ruin man Into an Angel of most glorious light Is prince of darkness king of blackest night That roaring Lyon whose Apostate power Ranges the world to seek souls to devour That Crest-fal'n King of pride that pride-fal'n star And metamorphos'd Angel Lucifer Who for his tempting first and then accusing For his ungodlike property in chusing What-ever's evil and what 's good refusing And in a word his aptness to do evil Fitly obtains his proper name the Devil This is that Lord whom they did undertake I should together with his works forsake Nor should it strange appear that he which lurks And rules in sloathful bosoms only works Slack rains in duty is the Devils bridle 'T is work enough for him to make men idle Whom he can wean from God himself has won Let men their work omit and his work 's done Sin then 's his work and fitly titled his Who is not Gods the Devils servants is And does his work nor does he serve for nought Vengeance his wages is that sin hath wrought Poor wages for hard service let that Lord Do his own work and take his own reward With him I must forsake what by his care Is of a blessing made a curse and snare The painted gewgaws of this cheating prize This wicked world it's pomps and vanities So perfect from the Makers hands it came That from its beauty it deriv'd the name And he which good exactly understood Approv'd of it when made as very good But all-inverting sin which could it dwell In Heav'n would make ev'n Heaven it self be Hell This from its purity the world estrang'd And perfect good to perfect wicked chang'd 'T was this that set