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A58134 An explication of the Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer with the addition of some forms of prayer / by John Rawlet ... Rawlet, John, 1642-1686. 1672 (1672) Wing R356; ESTC R4882 40,637 120

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AN EXPLICATION OF THE CREED THE Ten Commandments AND THE LORDS PRAYER WITH The Addition of some Forms of Prayer By Iohn Rawlet Minister of t●● Gospel at Wiggin in Lancashire London Printed for Iohn Sims at the Ki●●● Head at Sweeting's Alley End in Cornhill next house to the Royal Exchange 1672. TO THE READER IT might justly appear ridiculous to make a large Preface to this little paper The design of it is easily known at the first sight to render the chief Heads of our Religion plain and easie to the young and ignorant And this I hope is an attempt of that nature as needs no great Apologie except on this account that it comes after there hath been so much done to the same purpose already and that so sufficiently as might seem to render all future undertakings of this nature wholly needless But to this let it suffice to answer that what I have here drawn up was intended for my own private use for which I could not find any of those Expositions I light on though otherwise in their kinds very excellent and to some of which I have been much beholden in all circumstances so suited as I desired And they moreover for whose sake this was chiefly designed had not those other helps of this nature at hand nor could I so easily procure the same for them as I can this What is here done is in subserviency to that Catechisme which our Church recommends to the younger sort that by a plain and fuller explication of the principles contained in it the use thereof might be rendred more profitable to the learners And for this I had the judgment and authority of the Right Reverend my Diocesan encouraging me hereto that none may accuse me of boldness in this undertaking Some perhaps may wonder that I observe no more proportion in explicating the Articles of the Creed whilst I am so large on some and on others very brief But for this I thought I had sufficient reason when I considered that about some of them as particularly that of Believing in Jesus Christ there have been many hot disputes and some dangerous mistakes of which there are still some popular Books and Sermons too full notwithstanding all the endeavours of many excellent Divines for their removal That which I have herein sincerely aimed at is onely to represent the Gospel in its native plainness and simplicity that the Text might not be spoiled by a dark Comment as too oft it is whilst easie and obvious truths are obscur'd with hard words and with such subtil notions and distinctions that if the Salvation of Common people lay upon the understanding of them their case were hard In the explication of some other Articles as especially that of the Catholick Church I have consulted the particular necessity and danger of that people amongst whom at present the providence of God hath cast my lot And to this I was the rather inclined as finding not long since in some of their hands an exposition of the Creed by a Popish Author wherein he endeavours though with miserable success to shelter some of the prime novelties and falshoods of Popery under the Articles of the common Christian Faith And under that head of the Catholick Church would fain perswade us that the Roman Church and the Catholick are of equal signification and extent In order whereto with their usual cunning he jumbles I can't tell how many things together and asks his Scholar how he can prove that St. Peter was Head of the Church and the Bishops of Rome his Successors in this power and dignity And the Proof is only from those two Texts which they so commonly press to this purpose Joh. the last 15 16 17. Mat. 16. 18. The insufficiencie of which Allegations for that end they produce them hath an hundred times over been shewn them whilst from Christs command in the former place to St. Peter to feed his flock that is to be diligent in preaching to them the Gospel they would infer his power over the whole Church because forsooth thereis mention made both of Lambs and Sheep And the title given him in the latter place supposing it to be spoke rather of his person than consession is no more than what we find bestowed on the other Apostles Eph. 2. 20. Rev. 21. 14. But all this while here 's not a syllable of his establishment in the Bishoprick of Rome nor of any power over the universal Church to be derived from him to his successours in that Sex nor yet will they ever be able to shew why this power if any such there had been should not rather be confer'd upon the Sex of Antioch whereof they grant him to have been Bishop before he was at Rome On such meer uncertainties do depend the great Articles of the Romish faith But these things 't is needless here to repeat only I shall desire any man that is impartial to let his own conscience judge whether the definition I have afterward given of atrue Catholick Christian That he is one who sincerely believes the doctrines and obeys the precepts of Jesus Christ be not far more agreeable to Scripture and reason than that which Popish Authors give whilst they would have it essential to a Christian to be subctej to the Bishop of Rome And Ineed not suggest to the judicious how considerably the Popish Cause is weakned by this single conclusion That a man may be a true Catholick Christian as I have before defined him and so be saved without being subject to the Pope For if this once be granted as needs it must if Scripture and Reason may be of any force in the dispute then it plainly appears that all their loud talk about the Infallibility of the Church the Authority of the Church no salvation is to be had out of the Church c. is nothing else but empty noise And a company of Quakers or any other Sectaries if they were got but good store of them together might talk just at the same rate and with much-what the same reason whilst they arrogate all those things to their own party which are spoke of the Universal Church of Christ if not more than we find ascribed even to this Yea and grant that the Church of Rome were a sound part of this universal Church yet still'tis but a part and therefore could not with any pretence of reason lay claim to those promises and priviledges which pertain to the whole Church any more than any other part equally sound might do But this is not a place to discourse these matters at large One thing more I cannot but mention which I observed in the forenamed Popish Treatise viz. the Authors endeavour to prove the lawfuless of praying to Saints and that from Gen. 48. 16. Where Iacob blessing Iosephs children saith Let my name be named on them and the name of my Fathers Abraham and Isaac Here for named he renders it invocated which makes nothing for