effect of this prayer In the first petition the Lord commandeth vs to desire the true knowledge and worship of God In the second That God woulde gouerne vs with his spirite and so continually preserue and confirme vs in this knowledge In the thirde That euery of vs by the helpe of his holy spirite and gouernment may doe and fulfill our duetie in our vocation that we may doe nothing against his will In the fourth That God would giue vs corporall blessings whereby euery of vs may doe his duetie In the fift That he would giue vs spirituall blessings in forgiuing vs our sinnes In the sixt and last That wee may bee vpholden by his grace that thereby we may bee deliuered from all euill And that so wee may bee able to hallow prayse and glorifie his name through Christ our Lord and Sauiour Before hath bene declared three parts of Religion fayth the lawe and praier nowe followeth the last part which is Sacraments Of Sacraments THe Sacraments which Mat. 28. 19. 20. Mark 16 16. Luk. 22. 19. 20. are to be vsed of vs Christians are onely those which our sauiour Christ did institute and command vs to vse Which are only twoo Baptisme and the Lords Supper which we commonly call the holy Communion These two Sacraments Baptisme and the holy Communion are holy signes ordeyned Gen. 17. 11. Rom. 4. 11. Exod. 12. 14. to be assured tokens and testimonies to me and all the faythfull of the mercie of God and forgiuenesse of sinnes for the merits death and passion of Christ Iesus my sauiour And with those holy Sacraments I receyue such grace and vertue from Christ the which my tongue cannot expresse And the holy Ghost by them doeth moue my heart to beleeue A Sacrament is a testimonie of Gods A Sacrament what it is fauour towardes vs confirmed by an outward signe Or a visible signe of inuisible grace There are three thinges in a Sacrament The first is the visible signe as in Baptisme water and in the holy Communion bread and wine The seconde is the wordes of the Lords ordinance And the third is The thing signified by them The thing signified is Christ for he is the substance of all Sacraments and they doe promise nothing without him For by Christ is the mercie of God and saluation giuen vnto vs. Our Sauiour Christ for the strengthening of our fayth hath ordeyned the preaching of the Gospell And for the further encreasing and confirming of our fayth hath instituted and left to be vsed of vs for euer so long as wee are in this world the twoo Sacraments aforesayde Baptisme and the holy Communion to be testimonies of his grace and saluation These are called the Sacraments of the newe Testament because Christ did institute them and left them to be vsed of all Christians And none other are to be vsed of vs as Sacraments but those onely The vse of our Sacraments are to be Why the Sacraments were ordeyned signes and testimonies of the eternal couenant of remission of sinnes or promise of saluation which God hath made to the faythfull in Christ And also serue to confirme our fayth for that they set before our eyes the good will of our heauenly father and leade vs vnto Christ to seeke our saluation onely in and by him And further by receyuing them wee testifie our profession before men that wee are Christians not Infidels Acts 10 47. And by them wee binde our selues to God to followe godlinesse in fayth and Rom. 6 3 4. Ephe 4 3 to 7. charitie and yeelde vnto God obedience prayse and thankes for our redemprion And in giuing vs these visible signes God testifyeth his benefites towardes vs. The Sacramentes before Christ Gen. 17 4 7 10 21. 1 Cor. 10 1 2 3 4. testified that Christ shoulde come for without Christ none was nor neuer shall be saued And the Sacraments which Christ hath left vs testifie that Christ is Mat. 28 19 20 1 Cor. â—1 26. come and are to vs signes of the couenant of saluation as aforesaid Christ teacheth and instructeth vs with his worde then strengtheneth our fayth with sacraments and by his holy spirite he openeth our hearts to receyue the word and sacraments which otherwise would nothing moue our inwarde parts So without the worke of the holy Ghost the sacraments doe nothing at all profite vs. It is the spirite of God which is the authour of the encrease of our fayth The office of the sacraments The office of the SacrameÌ„ts is to set forth Christ vnto vs and in him the treasures of heauenly grace And to confirme our fayth in setting before our eyes the good will of our heauenly father And by the healthfull working of the holy Ghost the faythfull do receyue with the sacraments such grace and vertue from Christ our sauiour the which we are not able to expresse And so that Note most learned man master Caluin writeth in his booke of institutions If any man aske me saith M Caluin what maner of presence of Christ is in the Lords supper I wil not be ashamed to confesse that it is a higher secret then that it can be either comprehended with my wit or vttered with my wordes And to speake it more plainly I rather feele it then I can vnderstand it Therefore I do here embrace the truth of God wherein I may safely rest With the holy sacraments Christ with his spirit discendeth to the faithful that he may truely quicken their soules Gal. 2. 20. Ephe. 3. 17. 2. Cor. 13. 5. 1. Cor. 6. 15 17. 19. 12. 13. Rom 8 9. 12 5. 1. Cor. 10. 17. Ephe. 5. 30. and dwell in them and they in him and they vnited to him and made members of his bodie he being their head and also members one of another by the wonderfull working of the holy Ghost This secret vniting of Christ with the godly is by nature impossible to bee comprehended For our instruction herein beholde Note the Sùnne shining forth his beames on the earth how it is one thing in the firmament yet all the worlde and euery thing is nourished and comforted with the light and heate thereof Much more and more then may bee expressed with our tongues or coÌ„ceyued in our minds doth the extending beames of the spirite of Christ discende to the faythfull to quicken comfort and defend them with the grace vertue and power that commeth from the bodie of our sauiour Christ Iesus whereby they hate the deuill and sinne and ouercome them Albeit the faythfull receyue the benefites Iohn 3. 18. 1. Pet. 3. 21. Acts 8. 13. 18. 20. 21. Ioh. 1 33 Rom 2. 29. 1. Cor. 10. 4 5. aforesayde with the holy Sacraments yet there is no such secret power knit and fastned to the Sacraments that they may of themselues giue vs the graces of the holy ghost The Sacraments doe not profite vs vnlesse the holy ghost ioyne with them
Iesus Christ is that A sauiour which God promised frō the beginning of the world and is also B my sauiour And I beleeue that God will be mercifull vnto me and c forgiue me my sinnes for his sake Christ Iesus hath reconciled all the faithfull vnto God by the sacrifice of his death And is the ransome for our redemption for it pleased almighty God to haue his iustice so satisfied Christ hath D wrought and done for me all that is needfull for my saluation if I beleeue in him and trust in his death and merites Whatsoeuer Christ hath wrought for mans saluation perteineth also vnto vnto me and I shall be pertaker thereof We must not E any where else seeke saluation but onely in Christ That as by the offence of our father Adam who was the first man in this world condemnation came on all men and therfore he and his posteritie from whence we are all descended accursed So theris no meanes to bring vs from this curse and eternall damnation but only by Iesus Christ our Lord for by him God promised saluation from the beginning of the world Wherby the holy fathers before Christs 1. Cor. 10 1 to 5. Iohn 8 56. comming in the flesh were saued by beleeuing that the sauiour Christ shoulde come to redeeme them and obteine of God forgiuenes of their sins wee are saued by beleeuing Christ is come and hath wrought all that is needefull for our saluation So by F our true faith Christ his righteousnes Faith is made ours by beleuing that the once offering of his body and bloud is a full satisfaction for our sins to God the father And that by his obedience and fulfilling of the law of God we shal be made righteous iust before God For as by the disobedience of our first father Adam wee are all made sinners So Se more at large for faith after in the 10. article and at the end of the Creede by the obedience of Christ Iesus all the faithful are made righteous Al those are made righteous by Christ which do beleeue and trust in his death merits do repent and amend their wicked liues a Christ promised from the beginning is that sauiour promised Gen 3. 15. 22. 18. Gal 3. 16. Ge. 26. 4. 28. 14. Deut 18. 18. 19. Esay 7. 14. 15. 16. 9. 6. 7. 11. 42. 53. Ier. 23. 3 to 9. 33. 14. to 19. Mic 3. 5. 2 5 Zach 9. 9. to 16. 11. 12. 13. 16. 12 10. Mala 3. 1. 2. Math 1. 21. 1. Pet 1. 19. 20. Iohn 1. b Christ is my sauiour Math 1. 21. Iohn 1. 1. 2. 3. 4. 19. 1. Cor 1. 30. Eph 1. 5. 7. 2. 16. Col 1. Act. 5. 31. Rom 5. 10. 8. 2. Tim 1. 9. 10. 1. 10. 2 2 Ioh 20. 31. 3. 36. c God wil for giue me my sinnes for Christ his sake Esay 53. Ioh 20. 31. Acts 4. 12. 5. 31. 13. 38. 39. Rom 3. 24. 25. 26. 4. 25 5. 1. Cor 1. 30. 2. Cor. 5. 18. 19. 21. Gal. 3. 13. 14. 4. 4. 5. 6. 7. Eph 2. Col 1. 13 c. 1. Thes 5. 9. 10. 1. Tim 2. 5. 6. 2. Tim. 1. 9. 10. Tit 2. 11 c. 3. 4. to 8. Hebr. 9. 10. 1. Pet. 1. 18. 19. 2. 24. Reuel 5. 10. Phil 3. 20. 21. 1. Ioh 2. 2. 1. 2. Rom 8. 1. 26. 27. d Christ hat done all that is needfull fo◠my saluation Ioh. 19. 30. Luke 22. 37. Ioh 20. 31. 14. 11. to 16. 1. Ioh. 3. 22. 23. 24. E Acts 4. 12 5. 31. 13 38 39. Col. There is no saluation but onely by Christ 1. 14. 1. Thes 5 9 10. Hebr 9. Gal 3. 4. Ioh. 3 18. 2. Thes 1 8 9 Ioh 14 6. f By faith christ his righteousnes is ours Hebr 3 14 7. 9 10. Gal 3. 14 16. 1 Cor 1 30. Rom 5 19 21. Acts 3 17. 2 Tim 2 19. Christ Iesus is the onely sonne of God because his manhoode was begotten of the His only son holy Virgin Saint Mary by the holy spirite of God by that onely power without any acte of man Albeit we are the children of God by grace and adoption by Christ and that God created vs yet hee begatte none in that order with his holy spirite but only Christ Iesus our Sauiour A Christ is the naturall and onely sonne of God Therefore he is the onely naturall sonne of God A Io 1. Mat 1 3 17. Lu 2. 1. Rom 1 3 4. Christ Iesus is our Lord. For God is wel Our Lord. pleased in him A hath giuen ouer to him all power in heauen and earth that he shold giue eternal life to al those y◠beleue in him The B fulnes of the godhead and almighty power dwelleth and a abideth in Christ bodily as my soule dwelleth in my body And he hath redeemed vs doth rule and gouerne the whole world C And by his almighty power and working of the holy Ghost hee maketh all the faithfull to be his members and to be one with God as God is in him and he in God And so the faithfull haue Christ dwelling in thē and are his members and owe to him honour and reuerence as they honour the father therefore he is our Lord. a God hath giuen all power to Christ Math 28 18 Ioh 17 Ioh 1 Ma 17 5 3 17 Ioh 3 35 13 3 17 2. b The fulnes of the almighty power and godhead is in Christ and he is our lord and ruleth althings Io 1 Co 1 15 Io 3 13 35 Ma 28 18 Io 13 3 1 Ro 15 24 25 Ac 10 36 Ro 14 9 c The faithful haue Christ dwelling in them and are his members and he is their heade Ioh 17 21 22 23 1 Cor 12 27 6 15 17 19. Eph 5 23 30 1 22 Rom 12 5 8 9 10. WHich was conceiued by the holye ghost borne of the Virgin Mary This Iesus my sauiour in whom I beleeue Which was conceiued by the holy ghost was conceiued in the wombe of the holy Virgin Saint Mary A by the onelie power of the holy ghost And was borne and formed of her substance Although the holy Virgin was betrothed to Ioseph to take him for her husband and therfore acknowledged hym as her husband Neuerthelesse Iosephe knew not her body at any time before this Iesus our sauiour was borne Christ Iesus conceiued of the holy Virgin without sin by the power and vertue of the holy ghost This Iesus our sauiour B is the seede of the woman and of Abraham In whom all the nations of the earth shal be blessed And hee was borne very man of the holy Virgin formed and framed of her substaunce Beeing borne first a younge babe and after grewe vnto mans state as we doe and
The Principles of the true Christian religion breifelie selected out of manie good Bookes First reade and then iudge Ioh 17 2 3 3 16. The Godly ioye of a true Christian is to knowe the onely God in Christ So shall hee obtaine the eternall ioyfull life 1. Tim 4 8. Godlinesse is good vnto all thinges As a thing which hath promises in the life that is now And in the life to come 1590. ⧠To the Christian Reader EVery Christian ought to haue great care to ground him selfe in the principles of christian religion a 2. Tim 3. 16. 17. Acts 17. 11. 19. 28. Ioh 5. 39 Reue 3. 15. 16. Iam 1. 6. 7. 1. Pet 3. 15. 16. Vpon the sure rocke of the holie Scriptures that he bee not caried awaie with euery winde to a newe religion nor vnto hereticall opinions nor wauering in his faith b Mar 16. 16. Ioh 3. 18. 36. 12. 48. For except a man beleeue the Catholicke faith vndoubtedlie with an assured beleefe he cannot be saued c Act 17. 11. The consideration hereof maie stirre vppe euerie Christian to search the holie Scriptures to learne to knowe Christ and howe to attaine vnto saluation These thinges caused me to select and write this little booke for mine owne instruction Reade diligentlie this little booke â—â—d I doubte not you will acknowledge to haue receiued profite worth your paines Thus wishing the encrease of the knowledge of God to al people I commend you to his gratious protection Thine in the Lord. Swithunc Butterfeild Aprill 1590. The Principles of Christian Religion EVery Christian which desireth to attaine eternall life in heauen must knowe howe condemnation Rom 5. 18. 19. and sinne came on all men by the offence of our first father Adam from whom wee are all discended And therefore hee and his posteritie accursed And how that condemnation and curse Ioh 17. 2. 3. Rom 5. 18. 19. is put from vs and the ioyfull eternall life attained Onely by the mercye of God through faith in Iesus Christ our sauiour Mar 16. 16. Mat 16. 26. 27. Ephe 1. 4. 1. Pet 1. 15. 9. Ioh 3. 18. Therefore euerie Christian must know what hee must beleeue and howe to serue God Thereby to obtaine forgiuenes of all his sinnes in this life that hee may attaine vnto eternall life in heauen The faith in Iesus Christ which wee Ioh 17. 2. 3. Mat 22. 37. to 40. Gal 5. 14. must beleeue and the true seruing of God according to his holy will Is breifely comprised in the Creede The tenne commaundementes of almightie God the Lo 〈…〉 s prayer and the right vse of the holy Sacramentes so Religion consistes in faith and obedience The Creede teacheth what we must beleeue The tenne commaundementes sheweth vs our dutie towardes God and our dutie towardes our neighbour The Lordes prayer teacheth vs how we must praâ— and for what we must pray The holy Sacramentes are ordeined to be holy signes and assured tokens to vs of the mercy of God and forgiuenes of sinnes For the merites death and passion of Christ Iesus our sauiour These foure parts containeth faith which is the beleeuing of the Gospell The Law Praier and Sacramentes Or more shorter The Lawe and the Gospell Those articles of faith which wee must beleeue are these that followe Commonlie called the Apostles Creede The Creede I Beleeue in God the father almightye maker of heauen and earth All my hope trust and beleefe for al things I beleeue in God I shall neede either heauenly or earthly is in the same A onely very God that made the heauens and the earth B The father of our Lord Iesus Christ C and my father for Christ his sake For hee hath chosen all the faithful in Christ to bee his children And loueth them Who is so D almightie that hee made Almighty maker of heauen and earth the heauens and the earth and all thinges therein with his word And doth still so preserue rule and gouerne them that nothing happeneth in this world but by his determination will and foreknowledge It is God onely that giueth faire weather and foule weather plentye and all things else as pleaseth him There is not any thing that happeneth to me in blessings or punishments but by the appointment and foreknowledge of almightie God Whereby I knowe that the deuill is not able to doe any hurt to me vntill God suffer him for my punishment and that only so farre as he giueth the deuell leaue The wicked spirites the wicked people and the wilde beasts are the messengers of God to execute his iudgementes and punishmentes C This almighty God is so wonderfull mighty and incomprehensible that my minde nor any man whatsoeuer is not able to conceiue what hee is But Christ hath taught vs that this our good God and father is a spirite a Of God Gen 1. Ioh 1 17 3. 1 Tim 2 5. 1. Cor 8 6. Eph 4 5 6. Deu 6 4. Ier 10 10 11 1 Tim 1 17. Ier 23 24. Ioh 4 24. b The father of Christ Iesus Math 1 18 20 3 17. Luk 1 32 35. Ioh 1 14. Rom 15 6. c And my father Rom 8 15 Gen 1 27 2 7 Ioh 1 12. Gal 4 6. Eph 1 5 6. Ioh 20 17 1 Ioh 3 1. Rom 5 8. D Ephe 1. Leui 26. Psal 89. 10. 91 His almighty prouidence so that nothing happeneth but by his appointment Heb 1. 3. Math 6. 31. c. Luke 21. 15. 1. Pet 5. 18. Pro 8. 15. Esay 3. 2. 1. Cor 2. 7. Ro 9. 20. Deu 11. 14. 15. 25. 32. 39. Ma. 10. 29. 30. 31. Psal 34. 7. Math 18 10. Gen 19. 22. 2. Sam 24. 1. Kings 22. 22. Math 8. 31. Iob 1. 7. 8. 12. Psal 104. 14. Acts 17. 25. c Iob 37. 5 38. 27. Exo. 21. 13. 2. Sam 17. Gen 45. 7. 8. Exod 3. 21. 4. 23. 20. Iudg 6. 7. 1 King 17 20. 22. 2. Kings 6. 7. Psal 34. 37. 127. 1. Cro 29. 11. 12. Dan 6. 22. Act. 12 Eze 14 9 Amos 3. 6. Psal 76. 2. Esay 3. 47. 5. Zach 8. 10. Esay 44. 24. 25. 45. 6. 7. Leui 19. 31. Deut 18. 10. 11. 12. Ier. 10. 2. 23. Pro 16. Eccle 11. 4. Deut 32. 39 Pro 20. 24. Act 17. 26. 27. 28. Exod 21. 13. Deut 19. 5. Iosua 11. 20. Ionas 1. 4. 1. King 12. 15. Iud 9. 23. 24. 1. Sam. 16. 14. 1. King 22. 21. 22. 2. Kin 17 26. 24. 3 2. Cor 4. 4. 1 Sam 2. 25. 2. King 7. Ier 43 11. 2. Thes 2. 9. 10. 11. Iob 1. 10. 12. Ro. 8 27. Esay 57. 1. 54. 16. Pro. 16. 3. 7. Iere. 42. 11. 12. â— Iere 23. 24. Acts 7. 48. 50. Ioh. 4. 24. What God iâ— 2 ANd in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde And I beleeue in Iesus Christ that hee And in