up gold a God to vie For Soveraign honour with the Deity 'T was this gave pleasure an envenom'd sting Made honor death in glorious titles bring This licens'd fraud for wise and force for just And tipt loves-shafts with poison'd heads of lust So that her blessings now infected thus Good in themselves but deadly ill to us Are all but baits to catch the soul in sin Sugar without but poyson 's hid within There yet remains another dang'rous elf Which I must quit I mean my treacherous self With all my Carnal lusts though they as dear And useful as right hands or eyes appear Not one though ne're so small but out it must God never yet kept house with any lust They 'r bred of flesh corrupt that sink of evil That pimp to sin and strumpet to the Devil Like Vermin gendred in the filth and mire Of her corruption by that hellish fire Sinfully sinful in themselves as they Prompt all the powers o' th soul to disobey Make war against the soul and in her manners Advance against the Lord Rebellious banners From these the homebred foes with friendly faces Which kill with kindness murder with embraces From these and their allurements under pain Of death and hell I must resolve t' abstain That all these enemies should be forsook My sureties vow'd then further undertook I should what-ever purblind reason saith Believe all th' Articles o' th' Christian Faith Her scanty line in things divine will fail To fathom truth here she and wit must vail Thus far she may and will if manag'd duely To all faiths mysteries subscribe and truely Assent instructed thus to exercise In way of argument her faculties This Sacred Doctrine is attested by The God of truth who will not cannot lie His word 's the word of truth which does aver it Dictated by the Holy Ghost the Spirit Of saving truth my own dim sight adieu God says it and it is it must be true What though I cannot apprehend it well Though not with me with God 't is possible And where my unfledg'd wings can soar no higher I must not stand disputing but admire Lastly They vow'd I should with watchful care With awful reverence and holy fear Ev'n to the utmost of my pow'r and skill Inviolably kéep Gods holy will Compleat unsinning righteousness 't is true Though to the purity of God 't is due Yet by the frailties of our sinful nature Is ne're arriv'd at in its perfect stature But though no foot uprightly walk no hand Uprightly do the heart may upright stand And if obedience be well practic'd there It will be thought imperfect yet sincere And this sincerity will so supply All the defects of legal purity That God whose eyes could never once endure To see pollution shall account me pure Sincerely I must aim at what is best Do what I can and will to do the rest Where flesh and blood shall slip or stumble grace Must take advantage by 't and mend her pace Thus did my sureties vow I should fulfill And keep my holy Gods most holy will And that his just commands should be the ways My soul should chuse to walk in all my days Question Are you perswaded you are bound to do And to believe as they engag'd for you Answer Yes truely when they promis'd in my name I by their act oblig'd and bound became The Cov'nant betwixt God and me was made And what I could not say my self they said But I the party was i' th Covenant To whom since th' other party God did grant That grace on his part which my soul did want 'T is just I should perform with thankful heart What he requireth in the Counterpart And by Gods help I will for that must be The strengthning ayd that must enable me Without him of my self I can do nought Not think so much at best as one good thought 'T is his good Spirit and he only who Works in me both the pow'r and will to do And all unfeigned hearty thanks I give To God who thus hath given me pow'r to live My heav'nly father who vouchsafed t' enroll Into heav'ns liberty my Hell-bound soul That he hath call'd me to it doth afford Me power to be sav'd through Christ our Lord. And him I pray his pow'rful grace to send To keep me in it to my lives last end Question Faith and obedience then to Christ's commands Are the two props on which Religion stands Faith goes before as that that does beget Obedience in the heart and nourish it Perfumes and seasons it and makes it pass Accepted at the glorious throne of grace Faithless obedience is but fruitless fruit Sprung from a tree that wants both sap and root And he that works it does but build on sand An unfoundation'd house that cannot stand Let your first care be then to see the ground Whereon you build your hopes be firm and sound And this to shew be 't now your Christian lesson Of th' Articles of faith to make confession First Article S. Peter I Not another for me no mans Creed Besides my own stands me in steed Nor boots it any man that he receives And holds the faith the Church believes Unless his reason giving her assent He chose it as most excellent Believe confess rely upon and trust As holy gracious true and just In God the best the greatest first and last That being infinitely vast That great I AM first cause first mover he That was and is and is to be That God that from Eternal ages stood The highest greatest chiefest good The Fath'r of all things living by creation And by continual preservation And by Adoption father of his Sons The new-born Holy chosen ones Almighty whose unbounded pow'rful hand Did all create does all command Maker who all created beings brought Out of a Chaos out of nought Of Heaven his starrie seat that upper story Where earthly grace turns heavenly glory And Earth his footstool yet mans Royalty Mans head at Gods foot plac't stands high Second Article S. Andrew And in not any other God than he No more there are no more can be But in the second of the Vni-trine Persons transcendently divine The true God-man in whom both natures joyn'd Union but not confusion find Iesus the Saviour of the souls of men Ransom'd by him but lost till then Which name in heav'n above and earth below Calls upon every knee to bow Christ the Anointed with that oyl of gladness Which chears his fellows press'ed with sadness As King to rule us Priest in priestly guise T' attone for sin by sacrifice And Prophet to instruct and teach us how To chuse the good and evil eschew His onely Son begot by him and yet Equal to him that did beget Our Lord who bought us and the purchase stood The Purchaser his dearest blood Who are not being bought with such a price Our own by property but his Third Article S. John Who was conceiv'd not in a sinful state But
like himself Immaculate By th' Holy Ghost whose over-shadow'd power Being graciously vouchsaf't unto her Impregnated Oh Heavenly bridal-groom A chast unspotted Virgins womb Born of the Virgin Mary mother she To him that gave her first to be Happy to be his Mother happier far That he his Daughter counted her Whose sinless chast conception did bring forth A Sin-Curse-Free a painless birth Fourth Article S. James the Great Suffer'd not for his own but for the Sin Of hopeless helpless wretchless men Vnder a Governor a Zealous pleaser Of the Ambitious jealous Caesar Pentius Pilate who his death Commands And washes then his guilty hands Was Crucified Condemned and forc't to be Hang'd on the Cross the Cursed tree Where while nails pierc'd his sacred plants and palms his wounded side dropt healing balms Blood that might pay the score to justice then Water to wash and make us clean To evidence redemption finished Water from 's heart to prove him dead Dead truly dead the Lord of life and breath Fast-fetter'd in the Chains of death And buried buried in a Tomb obscure And guarded too to make him sure Yet was the Guest not common and the grave No common entertainment gave A Rock receiv'd him and the Scriptures say A Rock where never man yet lay Fifth Article S. Thomas He whom the heav'n and heav'n of heav'ns in vain Might have endeavour'd to contain Descended into Hell Content to have His lodgings in a six-foot grave Thence to th' infernal pit where Satan lurks To triumph over him and 's works The third day ere his sacred body saw Or yielded to corruptions law He the first fruits of life which he in spight Of Death and Hell would bring to light Rose again from the dead and shew'd it plain That man being dead can live again Sixth Article S. James the Less He then his work being done redemption wrought Hells works destroy'd and man rebought Ascended into Heaven his first abode The only proper place for God And sitteth not till now his labour ceas't And not till now he sits to rest At the right hand of God to signifiâ— As well his pow'r as dignity Where now in our behalf he dayly pleads And with the Father intercedes For such continual and benign supplies As suits our wants and miseries The Fath'r Almighty who can all things do But to his dearest Son say no Who as Almighty can his sute fulfill And as a gracious Father will Seventh Article S. Philip. From thence when judgments Trump shall sound a Call And to the Barr shall summon all And not before to raign as some mean dream A thousand years on earth with them He but not such as formerly was he Cloath'd with disgrace and poverty But he such as he is eye-dazling bright With Majesty and heav'nly light Shall come attended as he truly merits With Legions of Scraphick Spirits To Iudge impartially according to The works that in this life they do The quick who though in death they sleep not shall Be changed in a moment all And the dead too whose perish'd bodies then Shall by his pow'r be rais'd again And re-united with the soul together With that shall live and live for ever Eighth Article S. Bartholomew I Believe in him who proceeds as third Both from the Father and the Word Proceeding as the Godheads Emanation Yet coeternal in duration The third yet equal person in the One Both with the Father and the Son The Holy Ghost the blessed Lord and giver Of life whose lease bear's date for ever Who by his various gifts dispenc'd abroad So edifies the Church of God And by his works upon the hearts of men So lively influences them That they who thus the seeds of grace inherit Brings forth the gracious fruits o' th' Spirit This is the sum of what my faith doth gather Of God my gracious heav'nly Father Ninth Article S. Matthew Another part of my belief remains And that the Church my Mother Claims And here I do believe not in nor on Such faith respecteth God alone But with a faith Historically meant Which does to truth reveal'd assent The holy Cath'lick Church that lovely spouse For which her Lord his life did lose Holy as builded up and founded on Christ the most holy corner stone Whose Constitutions Principles Profession Teach us her Sons this holy Lesson That holy as he is holy we must be Or never hope his face to see Catholick as all those it comprehends Whom our dear Lord accounts his friends Whether they Militate for him below Or having conquer'd triumph now A Church truth's rocky pillar and firm ground ' Gainst which Hell-gates no force have found Tenth Article S. Simon The sweet communion of the Saints that high And most Angelick harmony Which they have first with God Christs father and theirs As his beloved sons and heirs With God the Son as branches with the vine As members with the head combine With God the Spirit who in them as God Within his Temple keeps abode This bond of Charity does kindly move Their hearts and souls in mutual love And keeps the Church of God by this Communion A City in it self at Vnion Not tainting her nor truth perverting by Blind and erroneous heresie Nor yet with Schisms Rents dividing one And making many so make none The full and abs'lute free and gracious No way deserv'd or earn'd by us Forgiveness Pardon plenary remission Indempnity and abolition Of Sins of whatsoever kind degree Whether in thought word deed they be Granted to such as having faith that 's true Are by repentance born a-new Eleventh Article S. Judas Thaddeus The Resurrection of the fleshly part To share the spirits joy or smart The body to corruption now inclin'd But then more purer and more refin'd Whose scatter'd ashes erst base earth and clay And bones with drought consum'd away New-fram'd and reunited shall restore The self-same man that was before So though those crawling Cannibals the worn Destroy these bodies in their urns Yet in the flesh with these not other eyes We shall to see the Lord arise Twelfth Article S. Matthias And as the end the Crown and recompence Of this my faith and patience The Life not frail as this whose every breath Brings the man one step nearer death But everlasting such a life as when Thousands of years and after them Miriads are spent by millions multiply'd Though each brought forth an Age beside Shall have when this is spent and ten times morâ— As long to last as 't had before And so shall still roll on without conclusion In an Eternal revolution In which all Souls Eternally shall dwell As Kings in Heav'n or Fiends in Hell Ravish'd with Musick in the Angels Quire Or Brands of Everlasting Fire Amen this was is will be true till when My Faith and Expectation say Amen Question I 've gladly heard you word by word explain This sacred Symbol great might be the pain To learn this young but greater sure the
the self-poising Earth And Sea with all their several Guests Angels Men Fishes Birds and Beasts And when the Seventh took birth He took his rest and hallow'd one of sev'n Remember Christian that thou holy keep Thy Christian Sabbath-day In which the Lord of rest arose To give thee rest as also those On which the Church doth paâ— Commemorating praise for Saints that sleep Second Table Fifth Commandment Unto thy Father and thy Mother give Honor and Reverence That in the Land which God hath given To be thy Lot be 't Earth or Heav'n Thou may'st an age commence In which thou may'st long days and happy live Art thou a Subject Learn thy lawful King To honor and obey Or if thou art a Christian Sheep A Rev'rence for thy Pastor keep Or if a Servant pay Obedience to thy Lord in every thing Art thou a Wife the Churches footsteps tread Let thy Lord govern thee If poor thou be God made thee so Disdain not to the Rich to bow If a young man thou be Rise up and Reverence the hoary head Sixth Commandment Thou shalt not any kind of murther do Avoid contentious strife All fightings quarrels and upbraidings Mookings reproaches and deridings These oft endanger life And though they be not murther tend thereto Quit all revengeful thoughts those cords are strong To draw thy hand to blood And if thou hast revenge design'd Thou art a murd'rer in thy mind Vengeance in none is good But God to whom alone it doth belong Be thou to all a friend make all men thine Love to be merciful Study ambitiously for peace Let meekness love and gentleness The edge of fury dull And make thy good thy Brother's ev'l out-shine Seventh Commandment From all adultery thou shalt abstain Let Beasts do beastly deeds When men by Grace once planted flowers And water'd with Celestial showrs Degen'rate into weeds Heav'n shall on them like Sodom vengeance rain Avoid whatever tends to lust all glances From unchast wanton eyes Intemp'rate loose and idle courses Profane immodest vain discourses In which obsceneness lies And Songs that tickle with their am'rous fancies If being single thou art apt to burn Thy God gives leave to marry If marri'd then possess in honor Thy vessel fix thy love upon her Else thou wilt sure miscarry And all thy present sweets to gall shall turn Eighth Commandment Thou shalt not steal no kind of theft commit Upon thy Neighbours right Whether thou do his goods purloyn By means on which no Sun can shine Or open force and might 'T is theft and God shall punish thee for it Deceive not Customers in way of Trade Nor take extorting use All fraud deceit and unjust dealing Is but a finer kind of stealing And every such abuse With the reward of theft shall be repaid Use all industrious diligence in thy Calling 'T were sin to wrong thy self Give Alms to whom it does belong Where ought is due do no men wrong Thus use the worldly pelf And thou art sure to be preserv'd from falling Ninth Commandment Against thy neighbour no false witness bear By any feigned tale By base or sinister suspitions By nice or curious inquisitions Nor slily on him rail Nor false reports when rais'd against him hear If thou art call'd to swear let truth take place That ne're with blush was stain'd If ask'd a question scorn a Lye 'T is all but loss that 's got thereby What commonly is gain'd Is loss of Credit with the worst disgrace Be wisely tender of thy neighbours fame 'T is that by which he lives Which he that wounds does all he can With stabs of breath to kill the man And every stroke he gives Le ts out his life-Blood through his wounded Name Tenth Commandment Thy neighbours house thou shalt in no wise covet Nor for his wife shalt wish Nor for his servant man or maid Nor ox nor ass for which he paid What e're by right is his However lovely let thy Soul not love it Shun envy which by seeing others sound Will make thy bowels bleed An envious eye seeing other men Grow fat and plump it self grows lean On thy own heart it feeds And aim'd at others gives thy self the wound Where're it comes it poysons and bewitches Makes crowded bags sit scant Get thou the Jewel of Content That will be still thy complement And while Rich misers want Shall make thy narrow'st fortunes seem great Riches Question I see young Plant thou dost not only stand In Christian ground but hast by some good hand Been water'd too but 't is not both of these Can make thee thrive unless God give th' encrease 'T is easie to have learn'd these great Commands But happy he that learns and understands 'T is not enough the Tongue can do her part Unless they be engraven on the Heart If you learn only as a nat'rl man You neither know the things of God nor can Because they must be spiritually discern'd What hast thou therefore by these Precepts learn'd Answer Two gen'ral Duties one that hath regard To God the other looks my Neighbour-ward The first the former four Commandments fix The latter is compriz'd in th' other six All in two Tables written and were reckon'd Those the first Table Duties these the Second Question But will the Lord so dwell on Earth indeed As when his Greatness cannot stand in need Of Angels Service to accept the praise And honor that poor dust and ashes pays What service is it can with glory sort And yet with man's infirmity comport And what 's the Duty thou poor sorry clod Of helpless Earth art bound in toward God Answer My Duty towards God is first to place My faith and trust and hope upon his Grace Towards his Name and Majesty to bear An awful holy reverend dread and fear And to my utmost power to reflect Some beams of love on him whose every act Whose every gift and blessing from above To me bespeaks him in the abstract Love And this to do with all my heart which still Must frame th' affections to a pious will With all my mind with all its powers to learn By faith the unseen Godhead to discern With all my soul whose every motion ought To seek his Glory in each word and thought With all my strength and pow'r in which I can Dispose the inward or the outward man To worship him in Spirit whose Truth hath said He will in Spirit and Truth be worshipped To give him thanks for all good things which he Without respect of merit heaps on me To call upon him who alone can grant A plentiful supply of all I want All reverence and honor to afford Both to his holy Name and to his Word And all my days as well in age as youth To serve him in Sincerity and Truth Question Say now What duty does thy neighbour claim And who is he thou meanest by that name Answer I mean not only him whose house and mine Stand in a Street or do