when we present our selves to God having received Christs body within us we are sure to be accepted and all the good prayers we make to God for our selves others are sure to be heard Quest Who are fit to receive this Sacrament Ans. None but baptized Christians and such as repent of their sins and heartily purpose to lead a good life Quest What other Ministeries hath Christ ordained in his Church to help us and to bring so many great purposes to pass Ans. Jesus Christ hath appointed Ministers and Embassadors of his own to preach his Word to us to pray for us to exhort and to reprove to comfort and instruct to restore and reconcile us if we be overtaken in a fault to visit the sick to separate the vile from the precious to administer the Sacraments and to watch for the good of our souls Quest What are we tied to perform towards them Ans. To pay them honour and maintenance to obey them in all things according to the Gospel and to order our selves so that they may give account of our souls with chearfulness and joy Quest Which are the Commandments and Laws of Jesus Christ Ans. They are many but easie holy but very pleasant to all good â—…indes to such as desire to live well 〈◊〉 this world and in the world to â—…ome and they are set down in â—…he Sermons of our blessed Lord â—…nd of his Apostles but especially â—…n the 5. 6. 7. Chapters of S. Matâ—…hew AN EXPOSITION OF The Apostles CREED I believe in God I Believe that there is a God who is one true supreme and alone infinitely wise just good free eternal immense and blessed and in him alone we are to put our trust The Father Almighty I believe that he is 1. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and 2. of all that believe in him whom he hath begotten by his Word and adopted to the inheritance of Sons and because he is our Father he will do us all that good to which we are created and designed by grace and because he is Almighty he is able to perform it all and therefore we may safely believe in him and relie upon him Maker of Heaven and Earth He made the Sun and the Moon the Stars and all the regions of glory he made the Air the Earth and the Water and all that live in them he made Angels and Men and he who made them does and he onely can preserve them in the same beeing and thrust them forwards to a better he that preserves them does also govern them and intends they should minister to his glory and therefore we are to do worship and obedience to him in all that we can and that he hath commanded And in Jesus Christ I also believe in Jesus Christ who is and is called a Saviour and the Anointed Anointed of the Lord promised to the Patriarchs whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power to become the Great Propheâ—… and declarer of his Fathers Will to all the world telling us how God will be worshipped and served he is anointed to be the Mediator of the New Covenant and our High-Priest reconciling us to his Father by the Sacrifice of himself and to be the Great King of all the world and by this Article we are Christians who serve and worship God the Father through Jesus Christ His onely Son Jesus Christ is the Son of God he alone of him alone for God by his holy Spirit caused him to be born of a Virgin by his power he â—…ised him from the Dead and gave â—…im a new birth or beeing in the boâ—…y he gave him all power and all â—…xcellency and beyond all this he 〈◊〉 the express Image of his person â—…he brightness of his glory equal to God beloved before the beginning of â—…he world of a nature perfectly Diâ—…ine very God by essence and very Man by assumption as God all one â—…n nature with the Father and as Man one Person in Himself Our Lord Jesus Christ Gods onely Son is the Heir of all things and persons in his Fathers house All Angels and Men are his servants and all the Creatures obey him we are to believe in him and by Faith in him onely and in his Name we shall be saved Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost I believe that Jesus Christ was not begotten of a Man nor born by natural means but that a Divine Power from God Gods Holy Spirit did overshadow the Virgin-Mother of Christ and made her in a wonderful manner to conceive Jesus in her womb and by this his admirable manner of being conceived he was the Son of God alone and no man was his Father Born of the Virgin Mary Though God was his Father and he begat him by the power of the Holy Ghost and caused him miraculously to begin in the womb of his Mother yet from her he also derived his humane Nature and by his Mother he was of the Family of King David and called the Son of Man his Mother being a holy person not chosen to this great honour for her wealth or beauty but by the good will of God and because she was of a rare exemplar modesty and humility and she received the honour of being a Mother to the Son of God and ever a Virgin and all generations shall call her blessed Suffered under Pontius Pilate After that Jesus passed through â—…he state of Infancy and Childhood â—…eing subject to his Parents and working in an humble Trade to serve â—…is own and his Mothers needs he â—…rew to the state of a man he began to preach at the age of Thirty years and having for about three years and a half preached the â—…pel and taught us his Fathers will having spoken the Gospel of his Kingdome and revealed to us the secrets of Eternal life and Resurrection of the Dead Regeneration and Renewing by the Holy Spirit Perfect Remission of sins and Eternal Judgement at last that he might â—…cile the world to his Father he became a Sacrifice for all our sins and suffered himself to be taken by the malicious Jews and put to a painful and shameful death they being envious at him for the number of his Disciples and the reputation of his person the innocence of his life the mightiness of his Miracles and the power of his Doctrine and this death he suffered when Pontius Pilate was Governour of Judea Was Crucified Jesus Christ being taken by the Rulers of the Jews bound and derided buffeted and spit upon accused weakly and persecuted violently at last wanting matter and pretences to condemn him they asked him of his Person and Office and because he affirmed that great Truth which all the world of good men long'd for that he was the Messias and designed to sit at the right hand of the Majesty on high they resolved to call it Blasphemy
he that hath given the following Assistances to thee desires to be even a door-keeper in Gods House and to be a servant of the meanest of Gods servants and thinks it a worthy imployment to teach the most ignorant and make them to know Christâ—… though but in the first rudiments of a holy Institution This onely he affirms That there is more solid comfort and material support to a Christian spirit in one Article of Faith in one period of the Lords Prayer in one holy Lesson then in all the disputes of impertinent people who take more pains to prove there is a Purgatory then to perswade men to avoid Hell And that a plain Catechism can more instruct a soul then the whole dayes prate which some daily spit forth to bid men get Christ and persecute his Servants Christian Religion is admirable for its wisdome for its simplicity and he that presents the following papers to thee designs to teach thee as the Church was taught in the early dayes of the Apostles To believe the Christian Faith and to understand it to represent plain Rules of Good Life to describe easie Formes of Prayer to bring into your Assemblies Hymnes of Glorification and Thanksgiving and Psalms of Prayer By these easie paths they lead Christs little ones into the Fold of their great Bishop and if by this any service be done to God any ministery to the Soul of a Childe or an ignorant Woman it is hoped that God will accept it and it is reward enough if by my Ministery GOD will bring it to passe that any Soul shall be instructed and brought into that state of good things that it shall rejoyce for ever But do thou pray for him that desires this to thee and endevours it ERRATA Page 87. 1.2 for me r. us ibid. f. me r. us ibid. 1.3 f. me r. us ib. 1.5 f. me r. us ibid. f. me r. us ibid 1.6 f. my r. our CREDENDA OR What is to be Believed O {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Plato de legibus Let this Truth be confessed and remain for ever That they who are well instructed easily become good men A. SHORT CATECHISM FOR The institution of young persons IN THE Christian Religion QUESTION IN what does true Religion consist ANSWER In the knowledge of the one true â—…od and whom he hath sent Jesus â—…hrist and in the worshipping and â—…rving them Quest What dost thou believe conâ—…rning God Answ. That there is a God 〈◊〉 That he is one 3. Eternal 4. Alâ—…ighty 5. That he hath made all â—…he world 6. That he knows all things 7. That he is a Spirit not of any shape or figure or parts or body 8. That he is present is all places 9. That his seat is in Heaven and he governs all the world so that nothing happens without his order and leave 10. That he is the Fountain of Justice 11. of Mercy 12. of Bounty or Goodness 13. That he is unalterably happy and infinitely perfect 14. That no evil can come near him 15. And he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Quest What other Mystery is revealed concerning God Ans. That God being one in nature is also three in Person expressed in Scripture by the names of Father Son and Holy Spirit The first Person being known to us by the name of The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The second Person is called The Son and the Word of the Father The third is The Spirit and Promise of the Father and these are Three and One after a secret manner which we must believe but cannot understand Quest What is this God to us Ans. He is our Creator and Father and therefore he is our Lord and we are his Creatures his Sons and his Servants Quest Wherefore did God create and make us Ans. That we might do him honour and service and receive from him infinite felicities Quest How did God make man Ans. By the power of his Word out of the slime of the earth and he breathed into him the breath of life Quest Was man good or bad when God made him Ans. Man was made pure and innocent Quest How then did man become sinful and miserable Ans. By listening to the whispers of a tempting spirit and breaking an easie Commandment which God gave him as the first tryal of his obedience Quest What evils and change followed this sin Ans. Adam who was the first man and the first sinner did both for himself and his posterity fall into the state of death of sickness and misfortunes disorder both of body and soul we were thrown out of Paradise and lost our Immortality Quest Was man left in these evill without remedy Ans. No But God pitying his creature promised That of the seed of the woman he would raise up a Saviour and Redeemer who should restore us to Gods favour and to the felicity which we lost Quest How did God perform the promise Ans. By sending Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature to dye for our sins to become our Lord and the Author of holiness and life and salvation to mankinde Quest Who is Jesus Christ Ans. He is the Son of God the second Person of the holy Trinity equal with the Father true God without beginning of life or end of days Quest How then could he be our Redeemer and the promised seed of the woman Ans. The Son of God in the fulness of time by the miracles of his Mercy took upon him humane Nature and united it after a wonderful manner to his Godhead so that he was both God and Man He was born of a Virgin who conceived him not by any natural means but by the power of the Holy Ghost and was called Jesus Christ and his Mothers name was Mary of the seed of Abraham of the family of King David and all these things came to passe when Augustus Caesar was Lord of the Roman Empire Quest How did Jesus Christ work this promised Redemption for us Ans. By his holy and humble life and his obedient dying a painful death for us upon the Cross Quest What benefits do we receive by the life and death of Jesus Christ Ans. We are instructed by his Doctrine encouraged by his excellent Example we are reconciled to God by his Death He hath given us an excellent Law and glorious Promises and himself hath received power to make good all those Promises to his servants and fearfully to destroy them that will not have him to reign over them Quest What Promises hath Jesus Christ made us in the Gospel Ans. He hath promised to give us all that we need in this life That every thing shall work together for our good That he will be with us in tribulation and persecution He hath promised his Graces and his holy Spirit to enable us to do our duty and if we make use of these
graces he hath promised to give us more He hath promised to forgive us our sins to hear our prayers to take the sting of death from us to keep our souls in safe custody after death and in his due time to raise our bodies from the grave and to joyn them to our souls and to give us eternal life and joyes that shall never â—…ease Quest How is Jesus Christ able to do all this for us Ans. When he had suffered death and was buried three dayes God raised him up again and gave him all power in heaven and earth made him Head of the Church Lord of Men and Angels and the Judge of the Quick and Dead Quest By what means doth Jesus Christ our Lord convey all these blessings to us Ans. Jesus Christ had three Offices and in all he was Mediator between God and Man He is our Prophet our Priest and our King Quest What was his Office as he was a Prophet Ans. This Office he finished on earth beginning when he was thirty years old to preach the Gospel of the Kingdome Faith and Repentance Quest When began his Priestly Office and wherein does it consist Ans. It began at his death for he was himself the Priest and the Sacrifice offering himself upon the Altar of the Cross for the sins of all the world Quest Did his Priestly Office theâ—… cease Ans. No he is a Priest for ever that is unto the end of the world and represents the same Sacrifice to God in heaven interceding and praying continually for us in the virtue of that Sacrifice by which he obtains relief of all our necessities Quest What doth Christ in heaven pray for on our behalf Ans. That our sins may be pardoned our infirmities pitied our necessities relieved our persons defended our temptations overcome that we may be reconciled to God and be saved Quest How is Jesus Christ also our King Ans. When he arose from his grave and had for forty dayes together conversed with his Disciples shewing himself alive by many infallible tokens he ascended into heaven and there sits at the right hand of God all things being made subject to him Angels and Men and Devils Heaven and Earth the Elements and all the Creatures and â—…ver all he reigns comforting and â—…efending his Elect subduing the â—…ower of the Devil taking out the â—…ting of death and making all to â—…erve the glory of God and to turn to the good of his Elect. Quest How long must his Kingdome last Ans. Till Christ hath brought all his enemies under his feet that is till the day of Judgement in which day shall be performed the greatest acts of his Kingly power for then he shall quite conquer Death triumph over the Devils throw his enemies into Hell-fire and carry all his Elect to never-ceasing glories and then he shall deliver up the Kingdome to his Father that God may be all in all Quest How is Christ a Mediator in all these Offices Ans. A Mediator signifies one that stands between God and us As Christ is a Prophet so he taught us his Fathers will and tyes us to obedience As he is a Priest he is our Redeemer having paid a price for us even his most precious blood and our Advocate pleading for us and mediating our Pardon and Salvation As he is a King so he is our Lord our Patron and our Judge yet it is the Kingdome of a Mediator that is in order to the world to come but then to determine and end And in all these he hath made a Covenant between God and us of an everlasting interest Quest What is the Covenant which Jesus Christ our Mediator hath made between God and us Ans. That God will write his Laws in our hearts and will pardon us and defend us and raise us up again at the last day and give us an inheritance in his Kingdome Quest To what Conditions hath he bound us on our part Ans. Faith and Repentance Quest When do we enter into this Covenant Ans. In our Baptism and at our ripe years when we understand the secrets of the Kingdome of Christ and undertake willingly what in our names was undertaken for us in our infancy Quest What is the Covenant of Faith which we enter into in Baptism Ans. We promise to believe that Jesus Christ is the Messias or he that was to come into the world That he is the Anointed of the Lord or the Lords Christ That he is the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary That he is God incarnate or God manifested in the flesh That he is the Mediator between God and Man That he died for us upon the Cross and rose again the third day and ascended into heaven and shall be there till the day of Judgement that then he shall be our Judge In the mean time he is the King of the World and Head of the Church Quest What is the Covenant of Repentance Ans. We promise to leave all our sins and with a hearty and sincere endevour to give up our will and affections to Christ and do what he hath commanded according to our power and weakness Quest How if we fail of this Promise through infirmity and commit sins Ans. Still we are within the Covenant of Repentance that is within the promise of pardon and possibility of returning from dead works and mortifying our lusts and though this be done after the manner of men that is in weakness and with some failings yet our endevour must be hearty and constant and diligent and our watchfulness and prayers for pardon must be lasting and persevering Quest What Ministeries hath Christ appointed to help us in this duty Ans. The Ministery of the Word Sacraments which he will accompany with his Grace and his Spirit Quest What is a Sacrament Ans. An outward Ceremony ordained by Christ to be a sign and a means of conveying his grace unto us Quest How many Sacraments are ordained by Christ Ans. Two Baptism and the Supper of our Lord Quest What is Baptism Ans. An outward washing of the body in water in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost in which we are buried with Christ in his death after a Sacramental manner and are made partakers of Christs death and of his Resurrection teaching us That we should rise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness Quest What is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Ans. A Ceremony of eating bread and drinking Wine being blessed or consecrated by Gods Minister in publick Assemblies in remembrance of Christs death and Passion Quest What benefits are done unto us by this Sacrament Ans. Our souls are nourished by the body and blood of Christ our bodies are sealed to a blessed Resurrection and to Immortality our infirmities are strengthned our graces increased our pardon made more certain and
and delivered him over to Pilate and by importunity and threats forced him against his Conscience to give him up to be scourged and then to be Crucified The Souldiers therefore mocking him with a robe and a reed and pressing a Crown of Thorns upon his head led him to the place of his death compelling him to bear his Cross to which they presently â—…il'd him on which for three â—…urs he hang'd in extreme torture â—…ing a sad spectacle of the most afâ—…cted and the most innocent pern of the whole world Dead When the Holy Jesus was weariâ—… with tortures and he knew all â—…ings were now fulfilled and his â—…thers wrath appeased towards â—…ankinde His Father pitying his â—…nocent Son groaning under such â—…tolerable miseries hastened his â—…ath and Jesus commending his â—…irit into the hands of his Father â—…ied with a loud voice bowed his â—…ad and died and by his death â—…aled all the Doctrines and Revelaâ—…ons which he first taught the â—…orld and then confirmed by his â—…ood he was consecrated our merâ—…ful High-Priest and by a feeling â—…f our miseries and temptations beâ—…me able to help them that are temptâ—… and for these his sufferings was â—…alted to the highest Throne and â—…eat of the right hand of God â—…nd hath shewn that to heaven there is no surer way then suffering for his name and hath taught us willingly to suffer for his sake what himself hath already suffered for ours He reconciled us to God by his death led us to God drew us to himself redeemed us from all iniquity purchased us for his Father and for ever made us his servants and redeemed ones that we being dead unto sin might live unto God And this death being so highly beneficial to us he hath appointed means to apply to us and to represent to God for us in the Holy Sacrament of his last Supper And upon all these considerations that Cross which was a smart and shame to our Lord is honour to us and as it turned to his glory so also to our spiritual advantages And Buried That he might suffer every thing of humane nature he was by the care of his friends and disciples by the leave of Pilate taken from the Cross and embalmed as the manner of the Jews was to bury and wrapt in linnen and buried in a â—…ew grave hewn out of a Rock â—…nd this was the last and lowest step of his humiliation He descended into Hell That is He went down into the â—…ower parts of the earth or as himself called it into the heart of the â—…arth by which phrase the â—…ture understands the state of sepaâ—…ation or of souls severed from their â—…odies by this his descending to the land of darkness where all things â—…re forgotten he sanctified the state of death and separation that none of his servants might ever after fear the jawes of Death and Hell whither he went not to suffer torment because he finished all that upon the Cross but to triumph over the gates of hell to verifie his death and the event of his sufferings and to break the iron barres of those lower Prisons that they may open and shut hereafter onely at his command The third day he rose again from the Dead After our Lord Jesus had abode in the grave the remaining part of the day of his Passion and all the next day early in the morning upon the third day by the power of God he was raised from death and hell to light and life never to return to death any more and is become the first-born from the dead the first-fruits of them that slept and although he was put to death in the flesh yet now being quickned in the Spirit he lives for ever and as we all die in Adam so in Christ we all shall be made alive but every man in his own order Christ is the first and we if we follow him in the Regeneration shall also follow him in the Resurrection He ascended into Heaven When our dearest Lord was risen from the grave he conversed with his disciples for forty days together often shewing himself alive by infallible proofs and once to five hundred of his disciples at one appearing having spoken to them fully concerning the affairs of the Kingdome and the Promise of the Father leaving them some few things in charge for the present he solemnly gave them his blessing and in the prefence of his Apostles was taken up into heaven by a bright Cloud and the ministery of Angels being gone before us to prepare a place for us above all heavens in the presence of his Father and at the foot of the Throne of God from which glorious presence we cannot be kept by the change of death and the powers of the grave nor the depth of hell nor the height of heaven but Christ being lifted up shall draw all his servants unto him And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty I believe that Jesus Christ sitteth in Heaven above all Principalities and powers being exalted above every Name that is named in heaven and earth that is above every creature above and below all things being put under his feet he is alwayes in the presence of his Father interceding for us and governs all things in heaven and earth that he may defend his Church and adorn her with his Spirit and procure and effect her eternal salvation There he sits and reigns as King and intercedes as our High-Priest He is a minister of the Sanctuary and of the true Tabernacle which God made and not man the Author anâ—… Finisher of our Faith the captain of our Confession the great Apostle of our Religion the great Bishop of our souls the Head of the Church and the Lord of heaven and earth and therefore to him we are to pay Divine Worship Service and Obedience and we must believe in him and in God by him and relie entirely on the mercies of God through Jesus Christ From thence he shall come In the Clouds shining and adorned with the glory of his Father attended by millions of bright Angels with the voyce of an Archangel and a shout of all the heavenly Army the Trump of God and every eye shall see him and they that pierced his hands and his feet shall behold his Majesty his Terror and his Glory and all the families of the earth shall tremble at his presence and the powers of heaven shall be shaken and the whole earth and sea shall be broken in pieces and and confusion for then he shall come to put an end to this world and To judge the Quick and Dead For the Father judgeth no man but hath given all judgement to the Son and at this day of Judgement the Lord Jesus shall sit in the Aire in a glorious
Throne and the Angels having gathered together Gods Elect from the four Corners of the world and all the kindreds of the earth being brought before the Judgement-feat shall have the Records of their Conscience laid open that is all that ever they thought or spake or did shall be brought to their memory to convince the wicked of the Justice of the Judge in passing the fearful Sentence upon them and to glorifie the mercies of God towards his Redeemed ones and then the righteous Judge shall condemn the wicked to the portion of Devils for ever to a state of torments the second and eternal and intolerable death and the godly being placed on his right hand shall hear the blessed Sentence of Absolution and shall be led by Christ to the participation of the glories of his Fathers Kingdome for ever and ever Amen I believe in the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit Who is the third person of the holy â—…ndivided everblessed Trinity which 〈◊〉 worship and adore and admire â—…ut look upon with wonder and am â—…ot in a capacity to understand I â—…elieve that the Holy Spirit into whose name as of the Father and the â—…on I was baptized is the heavenly Author the Captain the Teacher and the Witness of all the Truths of the Gospel That as the Father sent the Son so the Son from heaven sent the Holy Spirit to lead the Church into all Truth to assist us in all Temptations and to help us in the purchase of all Vertue This Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and our Lord Jesus received him from his Father and sent him into the world who receiving the things of Christ and declaring the same excellent doctrines speaks whatsoever he hath heard from him and instructed the Apostles and builds the Church and produces Faith and confirms our Hope and increases Charity and this Holy Spirit our blessed Lord hath left with his Church for ever by which all the servants of God are enabled to do all things necessary tâ—… Salvation which by the force of Nature they cannot do and we speaâ—… by the Spirit and work by the Spirit when by his assistances any waâ—… imparted to us we speak or do anâ—… thing of our duty He it is whâ—… inlightens our Understandings 〈◊〉 our Will orders and commands our Affections he comfoâ—… our sorrows supports our spirits iâ—… trouble and enables us by Promisâ—… and Confidences and Gifts to â—…suff for the Lord Jesus and the Gospelâ—… and all these things God the Fathâ—… does for us by his Son and the Soâ—… by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit by all means within and without which are operative upon and proportionable to the nature of reasonable creatures This is he whâ—… works Miracles gives the gifts ofâ—… Prophesie and of interpretation that teaches us what and how tâ—… pray that gives us Zeal and holy Desires who sanctifies children iâ—… Baptism and confirms them with his grace in Confirmation and reproves the world and consecrates Bishops and all the Ministers of the Gospel and absolves the penitent blesses â—…he obedient and comforts the sick and excommunicates the refractary and makes intercession for the Saints that is the Church and those whom he hath blessed appointed and sanctified to these purposes do all these Ministeries by his Authority and his Commandment and his Aids This is he that testifies to our Spirits that we are the sons of God and that makes us to cry Abba Father that is who inspires into us such humble confidences of our being accepted in our hearty and constant endevours to please God that we can with chearfulness and joy call God our Father and expect and hope for the portion of sons both here and hereafter and in the certainty of this hope to work out our salvation with fear and reverence with trembling and joy with distrust of our selves and mighty confidence in God By this holy and ever-blessed Spirit several persons in the Church and every man in his proportion receives the gifts of Wisdome and utterance and Knowledge and Interpretation and Prophecy and Healing and Government and discerning of Spirits and Faith and Tongues and whatsoever can be necessary for the Church in several ages and periods for her beginning for her continuance for her in prosperity and for her in persecution This is the great Promise of the Father and it is the gift of God which he will give to all them that ask him and who live piously and chastely and are persons fit to entertain so Divine a Grace This Holy Spirit God gives to some more to some less according as they are capable They who obey his Motions and love his Presence and improve his Gifts shall have him yet more abundantly but they that grieve the holy Spirit shall lose that which they have and they that extinguish him belong not to Christ but are in the state of reprobation and they that blaspheme this holy Spirit and call him the Spirit of the Devil or the Spirit of Error or folly or do malicious despites to him that is they who on purpose considering and choosing do him hurt by word or by deed so far as iesâ—… in them shall for ever be separated from the presence of God and of Christ and shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Lastly this holy Spirit seals us to the day of Redemption that is God gives us his Holy Spirit as a testimony that he will raise us again at the last day and give us a portion in the glories of his Kingdome in the inheritance of our Lord Jesus The holy Catholick Church I believe that there is and ought to be a visible Company of men professing the service and discipline that is the Religion of the Gospel who agree together in the belief of all the Truths of God revealed by Jesus Christ and in confession of the Articles of this Creed and agree together in praying and praising God through Jesus Christ to reade and hear the Scriptures read and expounded to provoke each other to love and to good works to advance the honour of Christ and to propagate his Faith and Worship I believe this to be a Holy Church Spirituall and not Civill and Secular but sanctified by their Profession and the solemn Rites of it professing holiness and separating from the evil manners of heathens and wicked persons by their Laws and Institutions And this Church is Catholick that is it is not confin'd to the Nation of the Jews as was the old Religion but it is gathered out of all Nations and is not of a differing Faith in differing places but alwayes did doth and ever shall profess the Faith which the Apostles preached and which is contained in this Creed which whosoever believes is a Catholick and a Christian and he that believes not is
one think it an eâ—… cuse to lie in bed because he hath nothing to do when he is up for whoever hathâ—… Soul and hopes to save that Soul hatâ—… work enough to do to make his calling and election sure to serve God and to pray to reade and to meditate to repent and to amend to do good to others and to keep evil from themselves And if thou hast little to do thou ought'st to imploy the more time in laying up forâ—… greater Crown of Glory 4. At your opening your eyes enter upon the day with some act of piety 1. Of thanksgiving for the preservation of you the night past 2. Of the glorification of God for the works of the Creation or any thing for the honour of God 5. When you first go off from your bed solemnly and devoutly bow your head and worship the holy Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost 6. When you are making ready be as silent as you can and spend that time in holy thoughts there being no way left to redeem that time from loss but by meditation and short mental prayers If you choose to speak speak something of Gods praises of his goodness his mercies or his greatness Ever resolving â—…at the first fruits of thy reason and of â—…l thy faculties shall be presented to God 〈◊〉 sanctifie the whole harvest of thy conersation 7. Be not curious nor careless in your â—…abit but alwayes keep these measures 1. Be not troublesome to thy self or to others by unhandsomeness or uncleanness 2. Let it be according to your state and quality 3. Make Religion to be the difference of your habit so as to be best attired upon Holy or Festival dayes 8. In your dressing let there be ejaculations fitted to the severall actions of dressing as at washing your hands and face pray God to cleanse your Soul from sin In putting on your clothes pray him to clothe your Soul with the righteousness of your Saviour and so in all the rest For Religion must not onely be the garment of your Soul to invest it all over but it must be also as the fringes to every of your actions that something of Religion appear in every one of them besides the innocence of all of them 9. As soon as you are dressed with the first preparation of your clothes that you can decently do it kneel and say the Lords Prayer then rise from your knees and do what is necessary for you in order to your further dressing or affairs of the house which is speedily to be done and then finish your dressing according to the foregoing Rules 10. When you are dressed retire your self to your Closet and go to your usuall devotions which it is good that at the first prayers they divided were into seven actions of piety 1. An act of Adoration 2. Of Thanksgiving 3. Of Oblation 4. Of Confession 5. Of Petition 6. Of Intercession 7. Of Meditation or serious deliberate useful reading of the holy Scriptures 11. I advise that your reading should be governed by these measures 1. Let it be not of the whole Bible in order but for your devotion use the New Testament and such portions of the Old as contain the Precepts of holy life 2. The Historical and less useful part let it be read at such other times which you have of leisure from your domestick imployments 3. Those portions of Scripture which you use in your Prayers let them not be long A Chapter at once no more but then what time you can afford spend it in thinking and meditating upon the holy Precepts which you read 4. Be sure to meditate so long till you make some act of piety upon the occasion of what you meditate either that you get some new arguments against a sin or some new incouragements to vertue some spiritual strength and advantage or else some act of Prayer to God or glorification of him 5. I advise that you would reade your Chapter in the midst of your Prayers in the Morning if they be divided according to the number of the former actions because little interruptions will bâ—… apt to make your Prayers less tedious and your self more atteâ—… upon them But if you finde any other way more agreeing to yoâ—… spirit and disposition use your liberty without scruple 12. Before you go forth of your Closet after your Prayers are done set you self down a little while and consider whâ—… you are to do that day what matter 〈◊〉 business is like to imploy you or to temâ—… you and take particular resolution against that whether it be matter of wrangling or anger or covetousness or vaiâ—… courtship or feasting and when you enter upon it remember upon what you resolved in your Closet If you are likely to have nothing extraordinary that day a general recommendation of the affaiâ—… of that day to God in your Prayers wiâ—… be sufficient but if there be any thiâ—… foreseen that is not usual be sure to be armed for it by a hearty though a shoâ—… Prayer and an earnest prudent resolutioâ—… before-hand and then watch when thâ—… thing comes 13. Whosoever hath Children or Servants let him or her take care that aâ—… the Children and Servants of the family â—…y their Prayers before they begin their â—…ork The Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandments with the short verse at â—…he end of every Commandment which â—…he Church uses and the Creed is a very good office for them if they be not fitted â—…or more regular offies And to these alâ—…o it were good that some proper Prayer were apportioned and they taught it It were well if they would serve themselves of this form set down at the end of this Diary 14. Then go about the affairs of your house and proper imployment ever avoiding idlenes or too much earnestness of affection upon the things of the world Do your business prudently temperately diligently humbly charitably 15. Let there be no idle person in or about your family of beggers or unimployed Servants but finde them all work and meat call upon them carefully reprove them without reproaches or fierce railings Be a master or a mistress and a friend to them and exact of them to be faithful and diligent 16. In your Servants suffer any offence against your self rather then against God endure not that they should swear or lie or steal or be wanton or curse each other or be railers or slanderers or tell-tales and sowers of dissension in the family or amongst neighbors 17. In all your entercourse with your neighbors in the day let your affairs be wholly matter of business or civility and alwayes managed with Justice and Charity never let it be matter of curiosity or inquiry into the actions of others alwayes without censuring or rash judgement without backbiting slandering or detraction Do it not your self neither converse with them that do He or she that loves tale-bearers shall never be beloved or be innocent 18. Before dinner and supper
perfeâ—… knowledge my weaknesses and disâ—… 〈◊〉 the strength and beauties of the Sons â—…f God V. â—…N the mean time use what means thou 〈◊〉 pleasest to conform me to the image of â—…hy holy Son that I may be gentle to â—…thers and severe to my self that I may â—…t down in the lowest place striving to â—…o before my brother in nothing but in â—…oing him and thee honour staying for â—…ny glory till thou shalt please in the day â—…f recompences to reflect light from thy â—…ace and admit me to behold thy glories Grant this for Jesus Christs sake who â—…umbled himself to the death and shame of the Cross and is now exalted unto glory Unto him with thee O Father be glory and praise for ever and ever Amen For MUNDAY A Prayer against Covetousness I. O Almighty God eternal Treasure of all good things thou fillest all things with plenteousness Thou clothest the lillies of the field and feedest the young ravens that call upon thee Thou art all-sufficient in thy self and all-sufficient to us let thy Providence be my store-house thy dispensation of temporal things the limit of my labour my own necessity the measures of my desire but never let my desires of this world be greedy nor my labourimmoderate nor my care vexatious and distracting but prudent moderate holy subordinae to thy Will the measure thou hast appointed for me II. TEach me O God to despise the world to labour for the true riches â—…o seek the Kingdome of heaven and its â—…ighteousness to be content with what â—…hou providest to be in this world like a â—…tranger with affections set upon heaven â—…abouring for and longing after the posâ—…estions of thy Kingdomes but never â—…uffer my affectious to dwell below but â—…ive me a heart compassionate to the â—…oor liberal to the needy open and free â—…n all my communications without base â—…nds or greedy designes or unworthy â—…rts of gain but let my strife be to gain â—…hy favour to obtain the blessedness of doâ—…ng good to others and giving to them â—…hat want and the blessedness of receivingâ—…rom thee pardon and support grace and â—…oliness perseverance and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord For TUESDAY A Prayer against Lust I. O Eternal Purity thou art brighter then the Sun purer then the Angels and the Heavens are not clean in thy sight with mercy behold thy servant apt to be tempted with every object and to be overcome by every enemy I cannot O God stand in the day of battel and danger unless thou coverest me with thy shield and hidest me under thy wings The fiery darts of the Devil are ready to consume me unless the dew of thy grace for ever descend upon me Thou didst make me after thy image be pleased to preserve me so pure and spotless chaste and clean that my body may be a holy Temple and my soul a sanctuary to entertain thy divinest Spirit the Spirit of love and holiness the Prince of Purities II. REprove in me the spirit of Fornication and Uncleanness and fill my soul with holy fires that no strange fire may come into the Temple of my body where thou hast chosen to dwell O cast out all those unclean spirits which have unhallowed the place where thy holy feet have trod Pardon all my hurtfull thoughts all my impurities that I who am a member of Christ may not become the member of a harlot nor the slave of 〈◊〉 Devil nor a servant of lust and 〈◊〉 desires But do thou purifie my 〈◊〉 and let me seek the things that are 〈◊〉 hating the garments spotted with the 〈◊〉 never any more grieving thy holy 〈◊〉 by filthy inclinations with impure 〈◊〉 phantastick thoughts but let my 〈◊〉 be holy my soul pure my body 〈◊〉 and healthful my spirit severe 〈◊〉 and religious every day more and more that at the day of our appearing 〈◊〉 may be presented to God washed and cleansed pure and spotless by the blood of the holy Lamb through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen For WEDNESDAY A Prayer against Gluttony and Drunkenness I. O Almighty Father of Men and Angels who hast of thy great bounty provided plentifully for all mankinde to support his state to relieve his necessities to refresh his sorrows to recreate his labours that he may praise thee and rejoyce in thy mercies and bounty Be thou gracious unto thy servant yet more and suffer me not by my folly to change thy bounty into sin thy grace into wantonness Give me the spirit of temperance and sobriety that I may use thy creatures in the same measures and to the same purposes which thou hast designed so as may best enable me to serve thee but not to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof Let me not as Esau prefer meat before a blessing but subdue my appetite subjecting it to reason and the grace of God being content with what is moderate and useful and easie to be obtained taking it in due time receiving it thankfully making it to minister to my body that my body may be a good instrument of the soul and the soul a servant of thy Divine Majesty for ever and ever 11. PArdon O God in whatsoever I have offended thee by meat and drink and pleasures and never let my body any more be oppressed with loads of sloth and delicacies or my soul drowned in seas of â—…ine or strong drink but let my appeâ—…ites be changed into spiritual desires that 〈◊〉 may hunger after the food of Angels and thirst for the wine of elect souls and may account it meat and drink and pleasure to do thy will O God Lord let me â—…eat and drink so that my food may not become a temptation or a sin or a â—…ease but grant that with so much caution and prudence I may watch over my apâ—…petite that I may in the strength of thy â—…mercies and refreshmnets in the light of thy countenance and in the paths of thy Commandments walk before thee all the dayes of my life acceptable to thee in Jesus Christ ever advancing his honour and being filled with his Spirit that I may at last partake of his glory through the same Jesus Christ our Lord Amen For THURSDAY A Prayer against Envy I. O Most gracious Father thou Spring of an Eternal Charity who hast so loved mankinde that thou didst open thy bosome and send thy holy Son to convey thy mercies to us and thou didst create Angels and Men that thou mightest have objects to whom thou mightest communicate thy goodness Give me grace to follow so glorious a precedent that I may never envy the prosperity of any one but rejoyce to honour him whom thou honourest to love him whom thou lovest to commend the vertuous to discern the precious from the vile giving honour to whom honour belongs that I may go to heaven in the noblest way of rejoycing in the good of others II. O Dear God never suffer the Devil to rub his vilest Leprosie of Envy
THE GOLDEN GROVE OR A MANUALL OF Daily Prayers and Letanies Fitted to the dayes of the Week Containing a short Summary of What is to be Believed Practised Desired ALSO FESTIVAL HYMNS According to the manner of The Ancient Church Composed for the Use of the Devont especially of Younger Persons By the Author of The Great Exemplar London Printed by J. F. for R. Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1655. TO The Pious and Devout READER IN this sad declension of Religion the Seers who are appointed to be the Watchmen of the Church cannot but observe that the Supplanters and Underminers are gone out and are digging down the Foundations and having destroy'd all publick Forms of Ecclesiastical Government discountenanc'd an excellent Liturgie taken off the hinges of Unity disgrac'd the Articles of Religion polluted publick Assemblies taken away all cognisance of Schism by mingling all Sects and giving countenance to that against which all Power ought to stand upon their guard There is now nothing left but that we take care that men be Christians For concerning the Ornament and Advantages of Religion we cannot make that provision we desire Incertis de salute de gloriâ minimè certandum For since they who have seen Jerusalem in prosperity and have forgotten the order of the Morning and Evening Sacrifice and the beauty of the Temple will be tempted to neglect so excellent a ministration their assembling themselves together for peace and holy Offices and be content with any thing that is brought to them though it be but the husks and acorns of Prodigals and Swine so they may enjoy their Lands and their Money with it we must now take care that the young men who were born in the Captivity may be taught how to worship the God of Israel after the manner of their fore-fathers till it shall please God that Religion shall return into the Land and dwell safely and grow prâ—…sperously But never did the excellency of Episcopall Government appeare so demonstratively and conspicuously as now Under their conduct and order we had a Church so united so orderly so govern'd a Religion so setled Articles so true sufficient and confess'd Canons so prudent and so obey'd Devotions so regular and constant Sacraments so adorn'd and ministred Churches so beauteous and religious Circumstances of Religion so grave and prudent so useful and apt for edification that the enemies of our Church who serve the Pope in all things and Jesus Christ in some who dare transgress an Institution and Ordinance of Christ but dare not break a Canon of the Pope did despair of prevailing against Us and Truth and knew no hopes but by setting their faces against us to destroy this Government and then they knew they should triumph without any enemy So Balaam the son of Bosor was sent for to curse the people of the Lord in hope that the son of Zippor might prevail against them that had long prospered under the conduct of Moses and Aaron But now in stead of this excellency of Condition and Constitution of Religion the people are fallen under the harrows and saws of impertinent and ignorant Preachers who think all Religion is a Sermon and all Sermons ought to be libels against Truth and old Governours and expound Chapters that the meaning may never be understood and pray that they may be thought able to talk but not to hold their peace they casting not to obtain any thing but Wealth and Victory Power and Plunder and the people have reap'd the fruits apt to grow upon such Crabstocks they grow idle and false hypccrites and careless they deny themselves nothing that is pleasant they despise Religion forget Government and some never think of Heaven and they that do think to go thither in such paths which all the ages of the Church did give men warning of lest they fhould that way go to the Devil But when men have try'd all that they can it is to be suppos'd they will return to the excellency and advantages of the Christian Religion as it is taught by the Church of England for by destroying it no end can be serv'd but of Sin and Folly Faction and Death eternal For besides that no Church that is enemy to this does worship God in that truth of Propositions in that unblameable and pious Liturgie and in preaching the necessities of holy life so much as the Church of England does besides this I say it cannot be persecuted by any Governour that understands his own interest unless he be first abus'd by false Preachers and then prefers his secret opinion before his publick Advantage For no Church in the World is so great a friend to Loyalty and Obedience as she and her Sisters of the same perswasion They that hate Bishops have destroy'd Monarchy and they that would erect an Ecclesiastical Monarchy must consequently subject the Temporal to it And both one and the other would be Supreme in Consciences and they that govern there with an opinion that in all things they ought to be attended to will let their Prince govern others so long as he will be rul'd by them And certainly for a Prince to persecute the Protestant Religion is as if a Physician should endevour to destroy all Medicaments and Fathers kill their Sons and the Master of Ceremonies destroy all Formalities and Courtships and as if the Pope should root out all the Ecclesiastick State Nothing so combines with Government if it be of Gods appointment as the Religion of the Church of England because nothing does more adhere to the Word of God and disregard the crafty advantages of the world If any man shall not decline to try his Title by the Word of God it is certain there is not in the world a better guard for it then the true Protestant Religion as it is taught in our Church But let things be as it please God it is certain that in that day when Truth gets her Victory in that day we shall prevail against all Gods enemies and ours not in the purchases and perquisites of the world but in the rewards and returns of Holiness and Patience and Faith and Charity for by these we worship God and against this interest we cannot serve any thing else In the mean time we must by all means secure the foundation and take care that Religion may be convey'd in all its material parts the same as it was but by new and permitted instruments For let us secure that our young men be good Christians it is easie to make them good Protestants unless they be abus'd with prejudice and suck venome with their milk they cannot leave our Communion till they have reason to reprove our Doctrine There is therefore in the following pages a Compendium of what we are to Believe what to Do and what to Desire It is indeed very little but it is enough to begin with and will serve all persons so long as they need milk and not strong meat And
enemy nor that all is well because every thing is according to his minde nor that he is a holy person because he prayes with great sweetness and comfort But he is at peace who is reconciled to God and God loves him â—…hen he hath overcome himself and â—…ll is well when nothing pleases him but God being thankful in the midst of his â—…fflictions and he is holy who when â—…e hath lost his comfort loses nothing of his duty but is still the same when God changes his face towards him POSTVLANDA OR Things to be prayed for Jubet Deus ut petus si non petis displicet non negabit quod petis tu non Petes S. August A FORM of PRAYER By way of Paraphrase Expounding The Lords Prayer Our Father MErciful and Gracious thou gavest me beeing raising me from nothing to be an excellent creation efforming me after thy own Image tenderly feeding me and conducting and strengthning me all my dayes Thou art our Father by a more excellent Mercy adopting us in a new birth to become partakers of the inheritance of Jesus Thou hast given us the portion and the food of Sons O make us to do the duty of Sons that we may never lose our title to so glorious an inheritance Let this excellent Name and Title by which thou hast vouchsafed to relate to us be our Glory and our Confidence our Defence and Guard our Ornament and Strength our Dignity and the endearment of Obedience the Principle of a holy Fear to thee our Father and of Love to thee and to our Brethren partakers of the same Hope and Dignity Unite every member of the Church to thee in holy bands Let there be no more names of Division nor Titles and Ensigns of Error and Partiality Let not us who are Brethren contend but in giving honour to each other and glory to thee contending earnestly for the Faith but not to the breach of Charity nor the denying each others Hope but grant that we may all joyn in the promotion of the honour of thee our Father in celebrating the Name and spreading the Family and propagating the Laws and Institutions the Promises and Dignities of our Elder Brother that despising the transitory entertainments of this world we may labour for and long after the inheritance to which thou hast given us title by adopting us into the dignity of Sons For ever â—…et thy Spirit witness to our Spirit that we â—…re thy children and enable us to cry Abba Father Which art in Heaven Heaven is thy Throne the Earth is thy Footstool From thy Throne thou beholdest all the dwellers upon earth and triest out the hearts of men and nothing is hid from thy sight And as thy Knowledge is infinite so is thy Power uncircumscribed as the utmost Orb of Heaven and thou sittest in thy own Essential Happiness and Tranquillity immoveable and eternal That is our Countrey and thither thy Servants are travelling there is our Father and that is our inheritance there our hearts are for there our treasure is laid up till the day of Recompence Hallowed be thy Name Thy Name O God is glorious and in thy Name is our hope and confidence According to thy Name so is thy praise unto the worlds end They that love thy Name shall be joyfull in thee for thy Name which thou madest to be proclaimed unto thy people is The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty In this glorious Name we worship thee O Lord and all they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee The desire of our soul is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee Thou art worthy O Lord of honour and praise and glory for ever and ever we confess thy glories we rejoyce in thy mercies we hope in thy Name and thy Saints like it well for thy Name is praised unto the ends of the world it is believed by Faith relied upon by a holy Hope and loved by a great Charity All thy Church celebrates thee with praises and offers to thy Name the Sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving Thou O God didst frame our Nature by thy own Image and now thou hast imprinted thy Name upon us we are thy Servants the relatives and domesticks of thy family and thou hast honoured us with the gracious appellative of Christians O let us never dishonour so excellent a Title nor by unworthy usages profane thy holy Name but for ever glorifie it Let our life be answerable to our dignity that our body may be chaste our thoughts clean our words gracious our manners holy and our life useful and iunocent that men seeing our good works may glorifie thee our Father which art in Heaven Thy Kingdome come Thou reignest in Heaven and Earth O do thou rule also in our hearts advance the interest of Religion let thy Gospel be placed in all the regions of the earth and let all Nations come and worship thee laying their proud wills at thy feet submitting their understandings to the obedience of Jesus conforming their affections to thy holy Laws Let thy Kingdome be set up gloriously over us and do thou reign in our spirits by thy Spirit of Grace subdue every lust and inordinate appetite trample upon our pride mortifie all rebellion within us and let all thine and our enemies be brought into captivity that sin may never reign in our mortal bodies but that Christ may reign in our Understanding by Faith in the Will by Charity in the Passions by Mortification in all the members by a right and a chaste use of them And when thy Kingdome that is within us hath flourished and is advanced to that height whither thou hast designed it grant thy Kingdome of Glory may speedily succeed and we thy Servants be admitted to the peace and purity the holiness and glories of that state where thou reignest alone and art all in all Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Thy will O God is the measure of holiness and peace thy Providence the great disposer of all things tying all events together in order to thy glory and the good of thy Servants by a wonderful mysterious Chain of Wisdome Let thy Will also be the measure of our desires for we know that whatsoever thou sayest is true and whatsoever thou doest is good Grant we may submit our wills to thine being patient of evils which thou inflictest lovers of the good which thou commandest haters of all evil which thou forbiddest pleased with all the accidents thou sendest that though our nature is weaker then Angels yet our obedience may be as humble our conformity to thy will may arise up to the degrees of Unity and theirs cannot be more that as they in Heaven so we in Earth may obey thy will promptly chearfully zealously and with