persons and but one God 2. Of the Church of God we are now next to explaine that next unto God the Father of blessings ought we to fix our Faith on the Church of God as being the fruitfull Mother that brings forth Children unto God When now in this Part are to be considered first the Church it selfe secondly the blessings God bestowes upon it That Church as in the first clause of the ninth Article those blessings as in the latâ—er clause and the three following Articles Two of those blessings to wit first the Communion of Saints in the latter clause of the ninth Article and secondly the forgivenesse of sins in the tenth being blessings of God to his Church in this life and the other two to wit first the Resurrection of the Body in the eleventh Article and secondly the life everlasting in the twelfth and last blessins in the life to come Of all which next in their order and first of the IX Ninth Article The holy Catholicke Church the Communion of Saints and thereof first the Church it selfe both that triumphant in heaven h Heb. 12 22 and this militant on earth i 1 Tim 6 12 this as a doore or entrance into that this of Grace here that of Glory hereafter where we are to consider our Creed as to the Church 1. What to beleeve of it then 2. What it is beleeve we must and that againe 1. Not in this or that other particular Church as this sect or that faction or the like in this or that Country or the like but that God hath a Church in generall and that is the whole company of the godly wherever in the whole world that this Church hath beene from the beginning in all the world whence it is called Catholique Then 2. That this Church as partly we have said is the whole Company of the godly of all Gods faithfull ones wherever and every where called out of or from among the faithlesse k 1 Cor 1 16 1 Tim 1 12 13 that of Children of wrath by nature l Ep 2 3 are by grace m verse 5 8 made heires of God in Christ n Rom 8 17 and beating downe the reigning contagion of sinne study and practice holinesse of life o Ep 1 4 1 Pet 1 15 2 Pet 1 5 6 7 whence it is called holy Secondly as the first blessing God bestowes on his Church is that as said in the latter clause of this Article the Communion of Saints which is the blessed company of the godly wherever that have holy fellowship and communion both with God and among themselves with God of enemies and them afar off made friends and nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ p Rom 5 6 7 8 Ep. 2 12 13 19 then with and among themselves by holy exhortation q Heb 3 13 to well-doing r Heb 10 24 by wise Counsels and admonition s Gal 6 1 Col 3 16 by comfortable discourses of God and godlinesse t 1 Thes 4 18 chap 5 11. 14. by frequent u 1 Thes 5. 17. anâ— mutuall w Jam. 5. 16. prayer And as fruits of all these not onely thus well toword it but also to shew this communion by good works not only to speak well to foâ— one another but to do wel also to for one another x Mat. 23. 3. Act. 2. 44. Heb. 13. 16. 1 Jo. 3. 17 Applic. That as to that latter division of the Creed as in the first part considered there are three persons y 1 Io 1 7 in the Trinity in unity but one God why so should we labour though many persons we be yet to be all of one mind z Jo. 17 21 Act. 4 32 Ro. 15 6. Eph 4 5 That unity in God pointing as 't were to the unity should be among the people of God As to this second part the Church of God she being the faithfull Mother that brings forth Children unto God how should we labour that we may become the Children of God to become her children Consider the Appellations in Scripture given to the Church as the house of God a Psal 84 10 the spouse of Christ b Cant 4 8 9 the City of God c Ps 87 3 the Body of Christ d 1 Cor 12 27 the Pillar and ground of truth e 1 Tim 3 15 and the like And what is all this for but that they that will be saved by Christ and be members of that body whereof he is the head must also be members of his Church which is his body and which he is the Saviour of f Act 2 47 Eph 5 23 and therefore confers on it blessings both here and hereafter here the Communion of Saints the Remission of sins hereafter a glorious Reâ—urrection and an eternall life of glory As to this ninth Article and thereof as to the first part or clause of it that first we are to beleeve not in â—his or that particular Church but that God hath this Church in generall the whole company of the godly wherever and therefore called Catholique may teach where to resort to to heare and have the glad tidings of salvation not by adhering to any particular sect or conventicle but to the whole Church of God in generall by that Militant here to have accesse to that Triumphant hereafter That secondly this Church as Catholique so is holy too as consisting of the whole company wherever of the faithfull may teach our care to become faithfull holy g 1 Pet 1 16 by whatever debosherie not to defile it h 1 Cor 5 1 13 nor by whatever wicked meanes to annoy it i Psa 105 15 in as much as the injâ—ry offer'd unto it is as offered unto God k Zech 2 8. and that he that shall any wise injure it deserves not the Name of a Christian l 1 Cor. 1â— 9. Then as to the second clause that the Communion of Saints which is the first blessing God here bestowes on his Church is only the where-ever Company of the godly may hint unto us of what Company we ought to be of this faithfull society if in Christ we meane to attaine Salvation these onely faithfull being that little Flock on which Christ hath promised to bestow a Kingdome m Luk. 12. 32. Which Flock are they that are of this Fold the Church of which Christ himselfe is the Shepâ—erd he the one Shepherd and this Church the one Fold he speakes of n Jo. 10. 16. The Unity wheâ—e of as it was his worke so should it be our endeavour we to unite us to him and to unite us among our selvâ—s Thus of the first blessing here in this Article the second have you in the next which is the X. Tenth Article and that this The forgivenesse of sins Though other blessings there are as appertaining to this life yet these two are the
goodnesse As out of the Old Testament g Gen. 18. 18 19. where greatnes seems to be consequent of goodnesse and godlinesse and that God will blesse them whose children and houshold by living uprightly blesse God Also h Pr. 22. 6. where that men in their old age depart not from godlinesse and goodnesse is that in their youth they were trained up in it Againe i Ecc. 12. 1 where the wise Preacher wishes as we say to take time by the fore-lock and betimes to informe in golinesse And then that k V. 13. 14 to be godly and goe by the rule of Gods Commandments is mans whole endeavours Then out of the New Testament l Mat. 6. 33. that our first care Christ would have to be to be godly and no doubt the endeavours of our first yeares as who secking first to be godly should not misse any good according to that of David m Psa 8 4. 11. who assures all good to the godly as Christ makes goods the additions to godlinesse Also n Jo. 14. 15 Christ would have us to testifie our love of him and to shew it by keeping his Commandements which is by having faith and workes of faith hope charity and what other Christian vertues commanded by him Againe o 1 Jo. 2. 1. as if to prepare us for all these vertues the Apostle warnes against all vice and under the salute or title or appellation of Children as if to shew we could not be too timely in a contest with them the spirit of God p Rev. 22. 14. assuring heaven to the godly blessednesse as the right of their inheritance These and the like Expositions over and these like more plaine instructions instilled into youth for their further growth in godlinesse may you next doe well by yet larger expositions to explain unto them the meaning of the Creed the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer with here and there some hints to some usefull Applications And first of the Creed A breif Exposition of the Creed THe Creed though as some will have it the immediate dictates of the twelve Apostles however it be uncertain who were the first compilers of it is the most ancient summe of Christian faith received by the Primitive Church and fathers and though containing in it the pith and marrow of Gods promises in in the Gospell yet because no Canonical Scripture in the exposition thereof it behoves us out of the Scriptures to prove every article thereof and to produce still such places of Canonical writ as shall infallably set forth the substance and sum of it And first for the Creed in generall thus the sum of our faith it behoves first to prove the necessity of faith And that doe these Scriptures as Habac. 2. 4. the last clause of the verse recited Rom. 1. 17. and Gal. 3. 11. and further explained or exemplified Jo. 3. 36. and 1 Jo. 5. 10. By collation of all which places there 's no living without it no living as to please God a Heb. 11. 6. without pleasing whom even better were it not to be b Mat. 18 6. No but this faith is it that justifies uâ— before God c Rom 5 1 Gal 1 15 sanctifies us before men d Act 15 9 Gal 5 6 is that by which we must live in which we must dye live we must by faith and that is when all we doe we doe in faith and when all we suffer we suffer in faith And then dye we must in faith and that first by weaning our selves from an immoderate love of this world secondly by depending on the promises of God thirdly by adhering to all helpes may bring us to heaven and fourthly in the pursuit of this adherence by no means to fall backe or faulter but though perhaps at present seeing little or no good come to hope and goe on still as faithfully assured of its coming e Job 13 15 Ps 30 5 These and the like places prove the necessity of faith And being that faith comes by hearing of the word f Ro 10 17 of God see we now next the symboll of faith it selfe the Creed and come we by the test of that word to prove every the Articles thereof and first of the First Article I beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth which is also the first Part of it wherein is to be proved 1. That there is a God 2. that he is a Father 3. that he is Almighty 4. that he is Maker of Heaven and Earth 5. that this must be our faith and 6. that this must be every particular mans faith 1. For the first that there is a God though none but fooles a Ps 14 1 will deny his being these like Scriptures prove and as if the better to worke upon our capacities prove it by evident reasons As by his works of Creation b Ro 1 20 and Providence c Heb 1 3 where by the one we are to told he made e all things by the other that he preserves all things which none bâ—t God can doe Where might be added the Nature of the Creatures Whose motion points at some still first mover their multitudes at some Vnite which againe must needs be God yea our owne dayly experience that see his wrath emergent against the wicked and goodnesse and mercy eminent to the good and the godly Vse Which may teach the foolish and dull Atheist to lay by his stupid infidelity and confesse with his mouth what he durst but deny in his heart that there is a God may teach men to live so as if there were a God godly and serve him as they ought both dutifully and duly Besides that these like Scriptures and Reasons may prove not onely that there is a God but also that there is out one God However to backe this assertion have we also Gods owne Testimony in these other like Scriptures as Deut. 4. 39. Isa 45. 5. 1 Cor. 8. 4. and the like Vse Which again may instruct us against all filthy Idolatry and them that count ought else a. God beside him may teach unity among our selves d Act 4 32 and our onely sole salvation by him e Is 43 11 Ro 3 30 When proving him thus to be but one we need not presse further or be driven to prove that he is true or good all these like terms being convertible this one being every of those two and they all three but as all one 2 That he is a Father con we that Scripture f Isa 9. 6. where though speaking of Christ the Son of God the Prophet cals him Son as the second person in the Trinity Father as the first person both Father and son together with the holy Ghost though being but one entire substance God yet thus are three distinct subsistences one God three Persons g Mat. 28. 19. 1 Joh. 5. 7. That he is called Father shewes
the one of Morning the other of Evening Prayer for a Family COL 4. 2. Continue in Prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving The Appendix A brief Discourse of Prayer WHereas the Apolste tels us 1 Tim. 4. 5. that even every thing is to be sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer and that before we have out of that word given some briefe Instructions for the information of Children and therein together with others yet especially that Masters and Mistresses of Families that otherwise have not that more exquisite of their own may have a Method how to informe their children and servants in those their Families in the Grounds and Principles of Religion that now nothing may be wanting to helpe us to forward that information it may be expedient we by this Appendix of Prayer leave them not onely in generall a set forme of Prayer to be used at all times and even on all occasions and for all but also in speciall a forme how to open the Day and another how to shut in the Night both in this and all their whatever other holy endeavours to have though but those mean formes of Prayer for both Wherein I would not fain be mistaken or that any one should thinke that I one of the meanest of Gods servants should be thought in any thing overmasterly and bind the devotions of others to any my formes or impale â—â—em within this my ruder Method whose perhaps more excellent gifts and graces administer to them that far better of their own No but them thus expert and everywise accomplished for this so holy an exercise I leave to follow the bent of their owne endeavours according to the flowing measure of Gods word and spirit to expedite themselves in it and apply my sâ—â—â—ie to the information of my Children that have not yet attained those like 〈◊〉 eminent gifts or graces and may bâ— Gods blessing upon these like formes bâ—â— somâ—â—hat helped on to Godwards And 〈◊〉 not only Children in years but i◠〈◊〉 â—â—â—etion too that though men grown thâ—â— heretofore wanted for better educacation may be somewhat helped on by this to better both themselves and theirs that either the one or the other as their abilities willingnesse may give way to it as they see good performe this duty by these Formes not onely thus in generall at all convenient occasions but in speciall too in the Morning to begin their whatever oâ—her Workes of their owne and in the Evening to end those workes they both to begin and end with this godly worke of Prayer as by the one craving a blessing on what ever they shall so do and by the other as giving thankes for that and what ever blessings they shall want or desire I am not ignorant that set formes of prayer is a thing much controverted however by none that I ever yet could speake with or read of soundly argued as either unlawfull or inexpedient but rather a pious practise warrantable from Gods word Though in these latter times much heaved at and as it were to be cast out by them Extemporary which Extemporary votes though usefull I confesse in a mans private closet and for himselfe who himselfe best knowes his one Exigencies yet how warrantable in the publique I am yet I also confesse to learne For other discourses as divine Orations Homilies Sermons or the like which few yet are loth rawlie to vent but by first some kind of premeditation I grant yet may be at a mans pleasure and as his abilities are either premeditated or Extemporary he being therein but as a Messenger from God to his people to propose things to their Consideration but for prayers where he is as the mouth of the people to God and is to propose not onely his owne but also their requests and resolutions it might be much expedient they pin not their positions wholy upon his extemporary verdict but know also in some measure before hand what they in that his form should pray for in as much as otherwise they may be tied to an implicite Creede and pray for they know not what Is it not the mind of Gods spirit that as well as be zealous for God we be knowing also how to manage that zeale in as much as even that zeale without this knowledge is by the Apostle himselfe Rom. 10. 2. counted scarce commendable When surely by the word ought we to trie both and even before hand see not onely in discourse but even in Prayer to what we meane to produce that we be sure it be according to the mind of Gods spirit in that word That to the Apostles Mat. 10. when vers 18. to be led before Governours Kings for the name of Christ it should vers 19. in that houre be given them what they should speake warants not now our whatever Extemporary speaking That gift was but contemporary with them the Spirit of God that then spake by them was yet in his worke of the Word the Scriptures and had not yet by them set a period to that worke as afterwards he did Rev. 22. 18 19. with a Curse to whosoever should or add to or diminish from them Whennow he speaks to us but in and by those Scriptures Were every Extemporary discourse theron now to be accounted his it is easie to gues into what absurdities we might ruÌ„ when of Sermons and Commentaries and Expositions on them pretended as true are yet we know many heterodox and false and not according to the mind of that Gods Spirit in the scriptures Yea may I not doubt to say that al the Apostles said no nor yet before them all that the Prophets said was not of Equall Authority with the Scriptures they by the Dictate of Gods holy Spirit left us upon record as a rule to guide our faith by For what saith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 7 some things he commended as the commands of God vers 10. the Spirit of God speaking by him some things againe he counsels of himselfe vers 12. and as no expresse command of God And beside that marke that before cited assertion where it is said it should in that houre be given to the Apostles what they should speake what was it but only that what on their owne behalfe they should answer their persecutours not what should be the rule of our faith That was not to be committed to the airie puffes of an extemporary answer or promulgation of their successours but to the written word they should leave them The mind of the Spirit must now be made manifest by the word of the spirit which only is in and by the scriptures No no they truly to me seeming do but weakely provide for their safeguard that from the sounder pillars of premeditation will flie to or leane on that extemporarie But I am not now to argue the point Nor though thus declaring my opinon doe I argue or accuse any their practise that knowingly use or are affected to that