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A55565 Quadriga salutis, or, The four general heads of Christian religion surveyed and explained ... with some few annotations annexed at the latter end. Powell, Thomas, 1608-1660. 1657 (1657) Wing P3073; ESTC R13515 58,465 158

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Articles that are contained in the Apostles Creed Which Creed is the Key to all other doctrinal points of Religion VI THe Patriarchs and Servants of God in old time were saved by the faith contained in this Creed every Article thereof being revealed unto them and to be sound dispersedly in the writings of Moses (a) and the Prophets For as there was but one (b) Church from the beginning of the World so there was but one (c) faith which is common to us and them and to all that shall come after us VII OF those twelve Articles some do concern God the Father as the first Article some concern God the Son as the six Articles immediately following and some do concern God the Holy Ghost as the eighth Article The four last do set forth the state of the Church both in this World and in the nex● VIII THe Article of Christ's descent into Hell may safely be understood and believed either of these two waies 1. That the soul of Christ descended locally among the Infernal Spirits not to suffer but to manifest the power of his Godhead which is the interpretation of the Fathers and divers eminent Writers * of later age 2. By descending into Hell no more is to be understood than that Christ descended into the state of the Dead and was there continued for the space of three daies which is more generally received of the later Writers IX TO believe the Holy Catholick Church is to believe that among all the Tribes (a) and Nations of the World God hath some chosen servants a peculiar people whom he hath taken (b) out for his name sanctified with his Spirit (c) called unto the state of grace (d) and ordained unto eternal Glory X. TO believe the Communion of Saints is to believe that the Saints and Servants of God are knit by an invisible tye of faith and love to Christ their head (a) and to each other by common participation and mutual communication of all good things both spiritual and temporal as if they were but one body and were acted by one soul and spirit (b) XI TO believe forgiveness of sins is to believe that God doth freely pardon sin to penitent (a) sinners thtough faith in Christ (b) without any other merit or satisfaction And that he hath given power to his Church (d) to declare and pr●nounce this pardon in his name upon just and lawfull occasions XII THe Nicene Creed and the Creed of Athanasius are but Paraphrases and Explanations of the Apostles Creed upon occasion of Heresies that sprung up in the Church about those times touching the holy Trin●ty and the Incarnation of Christ But they contain nothing material or substantial that is not couched in the short symbol of the Apostles XIII THat little Hymn of glory called Gloria Patri c. is as it were a little Creed and an Abridgement of the Apostolical brought into the Church about the time that Arrianism prevailed for to be a badge to distinguish the Orthodox Believers from the Heterodox or mis-believers For by giving glory to God in this form they confessed the Trinity in Unity which the Arrians opposed A PRAYER BLessed be thy holy name O Lord for all the holy Scripture which thou hast given us for a light unto our feet (a) and a lantern unto our paths And particularly for that part of it which thy holy Apostles have delivered for a Summary of Faith and a Rule of right belief to teach us to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ (b) whom thou hast sent Lord strengthen and confirm this faith in us more and more that we being built upon the Rock (c) and the firm foundation of the Prophets (d) and Apostles may stand up stedfast unshaken and unmovable against all the temptations of Satan both against the strong blasts of persecution when any shall arise and against the breath of seducers which do daily lie in wait to deceive and to beguile unstable souls That so holding fast this (f) pledge which was once delivered unto the Saints we may at last obtain the end (g) of our faith even the salvation of our souls through him who is the Author (h) and finisher of our faith Jesus Christ the Righteous Vnto whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit all glory be rendred by all the Church as in the beginning so now and to all ages of the World Amen OF THE COMMANDMENTS I. THe second general H●ad of Christian Religion are the Commandments which are the Breviate of the Law Moral and of all the practical duties of humane life It is the Rule of our obedienc● the Tree (a) of knowledge of good and evil shewing what is good (b) and what is bad what is to be followed and (c) what to be eschewed II. OUr Saviour Christ did not abolish the Ten Commandments for it is a law founded in Nature (a) and natural equity and therefore is unmovable and unchangable It is the eternal Rule of Justice to all persons to the end of the World for the Gospel doth not exempt any persons from natural or moral obligations at any time III. CHrist freed us from the Ceremonial Law which was grown to be (a) unsupportable but not from the law of good manners (b) which was promulgated upon Mount Sinai He hath freed us also from the rigor and punctuality of this Law but not from the regiment of it And lastly he hath freed us from the curse (c) of this law or the curse annexed to the breach of it when he was himself made ● curse by suffering an accursed death for our sins (d) IV. THis Law called Moral is a holy (a) and perfect (b) Law having a spiritual (c) as well as a literal sense being made to regulate the whole man both outwardly in his members and inwardly for the thoughts and intentions of the heart (d) Christ did fullfill this Law by doing it not by filling up the vacuities of it for there was no defect or imperfection in it (e) V. GOd summed all moral duties in ten general Precepts or Ten (a) Words as Moses calls them Our Saviour Christ reduced these ten into two and St. Paul into one even Love Love (c) is the fullfilling of the Law and the end and complement (d) of it (b) that is Love towards God and Love towards our Neighbour this is the total sum of the Moral Law VI THough the Law be so nice and exact (a) in it self that we cannot perform it so fully as we ought or as it requires (b) nevertheless we may Gods grace assisting us perform it so far as to find a gracious acceptance with him through Christ (c) The doing the uttermost of what we can (d)
of later age 2. Secondly by descending into Hell no more is to be understood than that Christ descended into the state of the Dead and was continued under the power of Death for the space of three daies which is more generally received of the later Writers What is meant by this article I believe the Holy Catholic Church To believe the Holy Catholic Church is to believe that among all the Tribes and Nations of the World God hath some chosen Servants and a peculiar people whom he hath t●ken out for his name sanctified with his Spirit called unto the state of grace and ordained unto eternal glory What do you understand in the same article by the Communion of Saints To believe the Communion of Saints is to believe that the Saints and Servants of God are knit by an invisible tye of faith and love to Christ their Head and unto each other by common participation and mutual communication of all good things both spiritual and temporal as if they were but one Body and were acted by one soul and the same spirit What do you understand by this article I believe the forgiveness of sins We believe that God doth freely pardon sin to penitent sinners through faith in Christ without any other merit or satisfaction and pronounce this pardon in his name upon just and lawfull occasions Are there not some other Creeds besides that of the Apostles Yea the Nicen Creed and that of Athanasius yet these are but Paraphrases and Explanations of the Apostolical Creed upon occasion of Heresies that sprung up in the Church in those times especially touching the Trinity and the Incarnation of Christ but they contain nothing material or substantial that is not couched in the short symbol of the Apostles What is the use of that little Hymn called Gloria patri It is as it were a little Creed and an Abbridgment of the Apostolical brought into the Church about the time that Arrianism prevailed for to be a badge to distinguish the Orthodox Believers from the Heterodox or mis-believers For by giving glory to God in this form they confessed the Trinity in Unity which the Arrians opposed OF THE COMMANDMENTS WHich is the second general part of Christian Religion The Commandments which are a Breviate of the Moral Law and of all the practical duties of humane life the Rule of our obedience the Tree of knowledge of good and evil shewing what is good and what is bad what is to be followed and what to be eschewed Did not Christ abolish these Commandments No for this is a Law founded in Nature and natural equity and therefore is unmovable and unchangable It is the eternal Rule of Justice to all persons to the end of World The Gospel doth not exempt any persons from natural and moral obligations at any time But it is said that we are not under the Law but under Grace therefore we are freed from the Law Indeed Christ hath wholly freed us from the Ritual or Ceremonial Law which was grown to be unsupportable but he hath not discharged us from the law of good manner● promulgated on Mount Sinai yet he hath freed us in part from this Law freed us from the rigor and severity of it filed the teeth of it as it were he hath freed us from the curse annexed to the breach of it when he was made himself a curse by suffering an accursed death for our sins Was this Law a perfect Rule of obedience and such as needed no amendment Yea it was a holy and a perfect Law having a Spiritual as well as a literal sense being made to regulate the whole man both outwardly in his members and inwardly for the thoughts and intentions of the heart Christ did fullfil this Law by doing it not by filling up the vacuities of it for there was no defect or imperfection in it Are not the duties of man very numerous in this life Yea s●●e but God in his wisdom hath summed them all up in Ten general precepts or Ten words as Moses calls them Our Saviour Christ reduced these 10. into two Mat. 22.40 and St. Paul into one Rom. 13 10. namely Love Love is the fullfilling of the Law the end and complement of it that is Love towards God and Love towards our neighbour This is the total sum of the Moral Law Is it possible for any to perform or fullfil this Law Though it be so nice and exact in it self that we cannot perform it so fully as we ought or as it requires nevertheless we may Gods grace assisting us perform it so far as to find a gracious acceptance with him through Christ The doing the uttermost of what we can and the bewailing of what we cannot do is all that the merciful God requires at our hands in this point What do the precepts of the first Table contain They do contain the duty of man towards God being given to direct him in the service of his Maker and in performing the internal and external worship that is due unto him ●or he that made both soul and body expects the service of both and to be glorifi●d in both What do the precepts of the second Table concern They do concern and contain the duty of man towards his Neighbour obliging him to love him as himself and that as his fellow-creature hewn out of the same rock made by the same hand and bearing the same ●●amp image and super scription with him ev●n the image of him that made both the one and the other The Commandments are but few in number and short in words have they not s●me farther latitude in sense than in words Yea surely and there are certain Rules to shew what latitude they bear that is how far they may be amplified and extended as First where any virtue is commanded all virtues of the same kinde are under that name commanded and where any vice is forbidden all vices of that kind or race are forbidden likewise What other Rules have you to measure the latitude of these Commandments Take these two more where any virtue is commanded there the opposite vice is forbidden and where any vice is forbidden there the opposite virtue is commanded by the Rule of Contraries As where stealing is forbidden there honest labour industry and frugality is commanded that men need not be forced to steal What is the other Rule Where any duty is commanded there all lawfull mean● conducing to that duty are tacitly commanded And where any vice is forbidden there all the means and occasions as also the allurements and provocations that do any way tend or induce thereunto are likewise forbidden OF THE LORDS PRAYER WHat is the use of prayer Since there is no man in the world so full and self-sufficient but doth want something and must seek out of himself for a supply of that want Nature dictates and suggests that prayer and supplication is an effectual means to obtain this supply and that humble address must