in the sight of them all carried him through the Air into Heaven where he now sits to prepare a place for us and intercedes to God for all faithful penitent Sinners I believe he sits at God's right hand that is that he is there exalted to the greatest Power and Glory Not that God has Hands as we have for God is a Spirit and a Spirit has no Hands as we have But as with us the right Hand is a Place of Honour so I am fully perswaded that Jesus Christ is exalted in Heaven to the greatest Honour Power and Glory and there pleads and mediates with God for all those that believe in him repent of their Disobediences and live a New and Christian Life And thus I believe that he ascended in Heaven and sitteth at the right Hand of God VII ARTICLE From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead THE meaning is I do freely and fully assent to this as an undoubted Truth That Jesus Christ who is both God and Man at the End of the World shall certainly come again with Power and great Glory from the same Heaven into which he ascended attended by his Holy Angels to Judge all Mankind according as they have lived here That every Eye shall see him and they that pierced his Hands and Feet shall behold his Majesty his Terror and his Glory I believe that the World being dissolved and the Earth and all things thereon being burnt up the Lord Jesus shall sit in the Air in a Glorious Throne and shall judge the quick that is all those that shall be alive at his Coming and the dead that is all those that were dead before since the World began That the Records of their Conscience shall be laid open that is all that ever they thought or spake or did shall be brought to their Memory I believe firmly That he will judge them Righteously and them that have lived unholily irreligiously and died impenitently he shall sentence to eternal Darkness But them that have believed in him repented of and reformed their Sins and lived holy and good lives he shall adjudge to dwell with him in Heaven and Happiness for ever And thus I believe he shall come to judge the quick and the dead VIII ARTICLE I believe in the Holy Ghost THE meaning is I firmly believe That the Third Person in the adorable Trinity the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is God as well as the Father and the Son I believe him to be a Person distinct from both the Father and the Son eternally proceeding from both and equally sent by both and joint Author with both of our Salvation That though these are Three Persons yet are they but One God and though this cannot be fully understood in this World yet I believe it firmly I believe That as God the Father created me and God the Son redeemed me so this God the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit sanctifies me offers me his Grace and Assistance to do the Will of God is my Comforter and always 't is he that puts into my Mind good Desires and pious Purposes So that I believe intirely that he is not only of perfect Holiness in himself but also that he is the immediate Cause of all Holiness in us that by him all the Servants of God are enabled to do all things necessary to Salvation which by the force of Nature they cannot do That 't is he who enlightens our Understandings sanctifies our Will orders and commands our Affections that 't is by his Assistances imparted to us that we speak or do any thing of our Duty Thus I believe God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost not to be Three Gods but Three Persons and but One God And though I shall never in this Life fully comprehend this Mystery of the Trinity yet I firmly believe it And thus I believe in the Holy Ghost IX ARTICLE I believe in the Holy Catholick Church The Communion of Saints THE meaning is I do freely profess to believe That Jesus Christ did by the Preaching of the Apostles gather unto himself a Church consisting of Thousands of beliving Persons to which he daily added such as should be saved and will successively and daily add to the same to the End of the World That this Catholick that is Universal Church is the Corporation or general Family of all true Believers Or that Body or Society of Persons that profess Christ and his Gospel and is governed and continued under Bishops and Pastors lawfully called to that Office by whom the Word and Sacraments are duly Preached and administer'd under Christ their Head I firmly believe this Church of Christ to be One Holy and Catholick One in respect of our Faith One in respect of the Sacraments One in respect of being guided and directed by the same Spirit One in respect of One and the same Head Christ Jesus and One in respect of the same Hope of Glory and Immortality Holy in respect of its Head the Holy Jesus Holy by baptismal Dedication Holy in respect of its Design and End Holy in respect of the Holy Offices performed in it all which tend to produce Holiness and Holy in respect of its Calling Profession and Hope Catholick in respect of that Catholick Faith Truth and Doctrine which it teaches Catholick or Universal in respect of that Universal Obedience which it obligeth all Men to Catholick in respect of time that is it shall universally be continued to all Ages to the End of the World Catholick or Universal because 't is made up of all the particular Churches in the World Catholick in respect of that universal War which it always is to hold against all its Ghostly Enemies Catholick or Universal in this Sense that it is not limitted or confined to one Nation as the Church of the Jews was but by the Command and Appointment of Christ to be spread abroad and gathered from all Nations under Heaven I believe That of this Catholick Church part is on Earth and part in Heaven that is the Saints departed are the triumphant part of the Church and all true Believers Lovers and Obeyers of Jesus are the Church Militant And as I ever desire to be a Member of this Holy Catholick Church so I believe there is and ought to be a Communion of the Saints in it that is a Society or Fellowship one with another in all Holy Things As all Saints on Earth or all true Believers have in common One God One Christ One Holy Spirit One Lord One Faith One Baptism So I believe they ever did and ought to keep up a Holy Fellowship or Society with each other in all the common Christian offices and duties in Faith in professing the Gospel in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacraments in Charity and doing good to each other and in all common Christian offices of Piety and Devotion And I fully am perswaded that while the Saints or true Believers on Earth
do thus stedfastly keep up this Communion with each other in all holy things in Faith and Worship Love and Obedience they all have a Communion or Fellowship with the Blessed Trinity with the holy Angels and with the Saints departed So that as I am a member of Christ's Catholick or Universal Church so I ever desire to keep Communion or Fellowship with them in all Holy Things and that as Christ is our Common Head and we his Members and I never withdrawing my self from this Communion so my Faith may be accepted with theirs my Prayers offered up with theirs my profession of the Gospel may appear with theirs my Duty Love and Obedience may be accepted with theirs in the Day of the Lord Jesus And thus I believe the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints X. ARTICLE The forgiveness of Sins THE meaning is I believe that whereas every Sin whether of Thought Word or Action is a transgression of the Law of God and for every transgression the Sinner is liable to Eternal Punishment by the infinite Justice of God Yet that God in his unspeakable Mercy gave his Son Jesus and the Son gave himself to become a Surety for this Debt of ours and did offer up himself a Sacrifice by his Death to God's Justice and a satisfaction for us Thus reconciling God's punishing Justice with his pardoning Mercy Provided that the Sinner who had chosen amiss chosen the ways of Sin and Death would in Faith and with Repentance and new Obedience turn seasonably to God and chuse better I firmly believe the first remission is obtained by the Holy Sacrament of Baptism All original and actual Sin being there washed away to every one that duly partakes of that Sacrament But whereas alas 't is too true we have some way or other stained the white Robes which we had put on when we came from the waters of Baptism and because every disobedience since is a recession or going back from our Baptismal Purity for all such Sins God in much Mercy through the death of Jesus hath given us the Covenant of Repentance Which being but this a turning from Sin to God a lasting durable state of new Life and Reformation he has promised through the Merits and the Death of Jesus that if I have but this to offer up to him from a sincere and contrite Heart it shall be accepted to my Pardon and Forgiveness and he will be reconciled to me And thus I believe the forgiveness of Sins XI ARTICLE The Resurrection of the Body THE meaning is I do profess solemnly that I am fully perswaded of this infallible truth That as 't is appointed for all Men once to die so 't is determined that all Men shall arise from death That the Souls separated or parted from our Bodies are in the Hand of God and live That the Bodies of the Dead although turned to dust mouldered into ashes consum'd in flames or swallowed up of the waters devoured by beasts or fishes or any way scattered shall be gathered together again all the scattered dust pack'd together and in an instant be revived and come alive by the Soul 's being united to it again The same Flesh which died shall live the same Body which fell shall rise the same Soul infallibly be united to the same Body So that the Soul and Body are parted asunder by Death yet at the last day they shall be joined together at the Resurrection and shall no more be parted And this Resurrection I firmly believe shall be Universal of all Mankind no Man shall be left in the Grave or Dead That this shall be at the end of the World when Christ shall come to Judgment when the Trump shall sound or when the Arch-Angel shall lift up his Voice like a Trumpet the just and unjust shall both arise out of their Graves and live The Just shall arise to the Resurrection of Life and the Unjust to the Resurrection of Damnation And thus I believe the Resurrection of the Body XII ARTICLE And the Life Everlasting Amen THE meaning is I do freely declare that I believe this to be an undoubted truth That besides this Life here in this World which is but for a short time there shall be another Life in the other World which shall last for ever I firmly believe that after this finite Life here is over and the Soul departed and the Body dead that the Soul still lives and shall live for ever and after the Resurrection the Body shall live also and both shall live together for Eternity The Soul and Body of the unbelievers disobedient and impenitent shall live for ever and be Partners with the Devil and his accursed Spirits in Hell And that the Souls and Bodies of the Righteous after the Resurrection and after their Sentence shall enter into the fullness of their Master's Joy beyond all possibility of Sin and Sorrow suffering and temptation doubts or scruples fears or dangers where they shall have their Understandings clarified and enriched where the Will shall be satisfied where the Affections shall be all Love and all Joy where they shall securely and peacefully possess all that they breathed after panted sighed and languish'd for here and enjoy it not for Years or Ages but for all Eternity Amen THE meaning of that Word at the end of the Creed is I do declare that I do stedfastly believe all this and desire to live accordingly Question What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles c. Answer First I learn to believe in God the Father c. THE meaning is I do according to this my confession of Faith firmly and as I hope to see the Face of God believe in God the Father who is the first Person of the adorable Trinity who created me and all Men who made the whole World and all Things therein out of nothing Secondly I do likewise firmly believe in God the Son Jesus Christ my Saviour who is the second Person of the Adorable Trinity Perfect God and perfect Man equal to the Father as touching his Godhead but inferiour to the Father as touching his Manhood who redeemed me and all Men by his Death and who has satisfied God's Justice for my Sins upon my Faith and my Repentance my future Love and Obedience Thirdly I do also firmly believe in God the Holy Ghost or holy Spirit who is the third Person of the adorable Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Son and is co-equal and co-eternal with them It is he who is my Guide my Sanctifier my Comforter who puts into my Mind good desires pious purposes and devout resolutions who offers me his Grace and Assistance to do God's Will so truly that he is said to be grieved when I refuse it And although I cannot fully understand in this Life how these three Persons can be but one God yet I do fully and firmly assent to it as an undoubted truth that it is so without which Belief I cannot
with a lively Faith in God's Mercy through Christ Heb. 10.21 22. And having an High-Priest over the House of God Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Prove that we are to receive it with a thankful remembrance of Christ's Death 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come Prove that we are to receive the Sacrament being in Charity with all Men. Matth. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy ways First be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift 1 Cor. 13.2 Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have no Charity I am nothing Verse 13. And now abideth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity The whole Duty of Man Reduced into QUESTIONS To be answered by a Single YES or NO PART IV. Sunday I. Duties to God Of God DO you believe in God Yes Are there any more God's than one No. Do you believe that God is an infinite glorious Spirit Yes Is not God distinguished into three Persons Father Son and Holy-Ghost Yes Of the Trinity Are these three Persons any more than one God No. Is not God the Father our Creator Yes Is not God the Son our Redeemer Yes Is not God the Holy-Ghost our Sanctifier Yes Though you cannot fully understand how these three Persons can be but one God are you bound to believe it Yes May we doubt of the truth of any thing which God reveals to us No. Of the Attriâ—utes of God â—r his Divine Excellencies Is not God a Spirit a good a gracious a holy a merciful a wife and just Spirit Yes Can we see God with our mortal Eyes No. Does he not govern and order all things here by his Providence Yes Is God every where present and does he know all things even the thoughts of every Man's Heart Yes Is not your Soul a thing of the greatest value in the World Yes Are you willing to have it saved and to pass to Heaven when you die Yes Of a future State Do you think that your Body shall alway lie in the Grave No. Do you believe your Body shall arise again out of it and be joined with your Soul and live together for ever in Happiness or Misery Yes If you should be damned and go to Hell is there any hope of ever coming out again No. Must you not believe in God and his Son Jesus Christ and love him and sincerely obey his Commands if you will be saved from Hell and obtain Heaven Of the Commands Yes Are you willing to know what these Commands are that so you may obey them Yes Were all Men liable to Damnation because Adam did eat the forbidden Fruit Yes Did Jesus Christ afterwards die for all Men that so they might be saved Yes But must we not believe in Christ and repent of our Sins and conscionably obey him if we will be saved by him Yes Is there any other name under Heaven by which we must be saved but the Lord Jesus Christ No. Seeing we must be saved by Faith in Christ are you desirous to know what true Faith is Of Faith Yes Is not Faith such a belief of the Gospel of Christ as makes us ready and willing to obey his Commands Yes Do you believe the Scripture to be the Word of God Yes Do you doubt of the truth of any thing contained in it No. Are you willing to perform those things which Christ would have you perform to the utmost of your Power Yes If you should at any time sin against him by not performing them will you confess it to God and sorrow for it and strive to do so no more Yes Of the threatnings Shall the threatnings of the Scripture come upon every one that does not repent of his Sins and amend his Life Yes Of the Promises Does not God promise in the Gospel great and glorious things to them that love and obey him Yes Shall you enjoy these Promises unless you perform the Conditions No. Are not these the Conditions That you are to believe in him The conditions of enjoying them Of Hope repent of your Sins love him and obey him Yes Do you hope to partake of the good things which God has promised Yes But can you hope for them aright unless you leave your Sins and heartily endeavour to do what God has commanded No. Can you hope for the Promises at all while you resolve to continue in your Sins No. Should you not instantly endeavour to get out of them and to please God that so you may hope aright Yes Though you have been a very great Sinner yet if you change your course repent of your Sins and believe in Christ is there not a very good Hope of your Salvation Yes Do you love God Yes Of the Love of God and the motives to it Have you not great reason to love him because he is good and great and kind and merciful and willing to have you saved Yes Seeing you love God can you do less than truly to labour to please him No. If you love him should you not desire to enjoy him Fruits of that Love Yes Are there not two ways of enjoying God in his Ordinances here and in Heaven hereafter Yes Is it not a blessed thing to enjoy God here in Praying meditating and in hearing his Word and receiving the Sacrament Yes And will it not be a blessed thing always to enjoy him in the glories and happiness of Heaven Yes Would we have Heaven at a cheaper Rate than one short life of Love and Obedience No. Of the Fear of God As you love God so do you fear him too Yes Do you fear him so as to be afraid to offend him or displease him Yes Do we not displease and offend him when we sin against him Yes Of fearing Men more more than God Is it fit we should fear Man more than God No. Must we not rather displease any Man than God Yes Must we not trust in God in all Temptations Needs and Dangers Yes But though we trust in God must not we our selves resist the Temptation Yes And must we not pray for God's Grace to assist us to overcome it Yes Do we trust in him aright if we do not resist it and beg his Grace to help us No. Not to deliver our selves from any danger by Sin When we beg in any danger or Trouble may we try to get out of it by any Sin No. When we are sick or have lost any thing may we go to a Witch or Conjurer No. In all needs and troubles must we not