A Manual for True Catholics, Payers
An Orthodoxall Confeſsion of God the Father.
FIrſt and laſt one God diuine,
All mens God as well as mine.
In thy vertue all things framing,
In thy knowledge all containing.
In thine eſſence chiefeſt good,
Working all what e're is good.
All ſupporting, all excelling,
Without all, yet in all dwelling.
All ſupporting vndeiected,
All excelling vnaffected.
Without all, yet not excluded,
In all, neuer yet included.
Ouer all in Domination,
VnderUnder all in ſuſtentation.
Comprehending all without thee,
Filling all things round about thee.
Nothing vnderunder thee can raiſe thee,
Nought aboue thee can debaſe thee.
Nought without giues thee dimenſion,
Nought within giues thee extenſion.
Mouing all, thy ſelfe abiding,
Placed without circumſcribing.
Changing time, thy ſelfe moſt ſtable,
Varying all, Inuariable.
Force, neceſſity, nor art,
Alter thee in any part.
Time paſt, preſent, and to come,
Are one with thee, both all and ſome.
All the glory now thou haſt.
Vndiminiſht aye muſt laſt.
OnelyOnly thou art all foreſeeing,
OnelyOnly giuing all their being.
As thy wiſedome did foreſhow,
Thou framd'ſt the elements below.
A holy and orthodoxall Confeſſion of God the Son, Ieſus Chriſt the Sauiour of Mankind.
SOnne, thy Fathers peere in all,
with him Conſubſtantiall.
His figure and his ſplendor pure,
Creator, made a creature.
Thou our humane fleſh putſt on,
Thou our cauſe haſt vndergon.
Temporall, yet time defying,
Euer liuing, yet once dying.
God and man without illuſion,
Both in one without confuſion.
Thy Fathers like in Deity,
But not in fleſhlie verity.
God humanity aſſuming,
The ſame preſeruing, not conſuming
The Godhead in this vnion yet,
Of his Godhead loſt no whit.
God to God, and not to'th other▪
Was Father, but Mary to both was mother
Thus both natures kept their ſtation,
In this wonderous Combination.
Preſeruing in the Eſſence true
What was, and thence producing new.
This our Mediator is,
Our leader to the land of bliſſe.
Circumciſ'd babtiſ'd by Iohn,
Suffered, buried, and vponupon,
The third day: whence he had deſcended,
He roſe, and ſo to heauen aſcended.
Whence he ſhall come, when time doth cal
(Tho Iudg'd himſelfe) to iudge vsus all.
Of Chriſt againe.
HE whom Gods power for mankind would hauehave borne,
whom borne his miracles proclaimed hauehave,
Who thus proclaim'd vponupon a croſſe was torne,
To whom thus torne, the godly buriall gaue:
This borne, proclaimed, torne Entombed King,
God power againe, to heauenly bliſſe did bring:
A true and orthodoxall Confeſsion of the holy Ghoſt.
SPirit vncreated euer,
Neuer made, begotten neuer.
From the perſons two proceeding,
Full their equall, not exceeding.
Not preferring them in Deity,
Nor ſeuerall from them in quality.
In quantity all three combine,
In quality alike Diuine.
With the Father and the Sunne,
Neuer ending nor begun.
One is Father, for he begot,
The Sonne one borne, all men wot
From theſe the ſpirit proceeds alone,
Thus one is three, and three are one.
Each of theſe is God truly,
Yet ſtill but one, and not Gods three
But in this Deity, I aſſeuer,
A Trinity vnited euer.
In the ſubſtance is full vnity,
In the perſons perfect Trinity:
But, in theſe that I hauehave reckoned,
None in power is firſt or ſecond.
But allas one we muſt adore,
Fixed and firme for euermore.
Nor in ſelfe for euer changed,
Nor from it ſelfe at all eſtranged.
The concluſion with a deuour and holy prayer.
THis is Chriſtian faith vnfained,
Orthodoxall, true, vnſtained:
As I teach all vnderſtand;
Yeelding vntounto neither hand.
And in this my ſoules defence,
Reiect me not for mine offence:
Though deaths ſlaue, yet deſperation
I fly, in death, to ſeeke ſaluation
I hauehave no meane, thy louelove to gaine,
But this faith which I maintaine
This thou ſeeſt, nor will I ceaſe,
By this to beg for a releaſe.
Let this ſacred ſalue be bound,
Vppon my ſores to make them ſound.
Though man be carried forth, and lying
In his graue, and putrifying:
Bound and hid from mortall eyes,
Yet if thou bid, he muſt ariſe:
At thy will the graue will open
At thy will his bounds are broken.
And forth he comes, without delay;
If thou but once bid come away:
In this ſea of dread and doubt,
My poore barke is toſt about;
With ſtormes and pirates farre and wide,
Death and woes on eueryevery ſide.
Come thou ſteereſman euer bleſt,
Calme theſe winds, that me moleſt:
Chaſe theſe ruthleſſe Pyrates hence,
And ſhew me ſome ſafe reſidence.
My tree is fruitleſſe, dry and dead,
All the bowes are withered.
Downe it muſt, and to the fire
If deſert hauehave his due hire.
But ſpare it (Lord) another yeare,
With manuring it may beare.
If it then, be dead and dry,
Burne it, alas, what remedy.
Mine old foe aſſaults me ſore,
With fire and water, more and more.
Poore I, of all my ſtrength bereft,
OnelyOnly vntounto thee am left.
That my foe may hence be chaſed,
And I from ruines clawes releaſed.
Lord vouchſafe me eueryevery day,
Strength to faſt, and faith to pray.
Theſe two meanes thy ſelfe haſt taught,
To bring temptations force to nought.
Lord free my ſoule from ſinnes infection,
By repentances direction.
Be thy feare in me abiding
My ſoule to true ſaluation guiding
Grant me faith (Lord) hope and louelove
Zeale of heauen and things aboue
Tcach me prize the world at nought,
On thy bliſſe be all my thought.
All my hopes on thee I found,
In whom all good things abound.
Thou art all my dignity,
All I hauehave I hauehave from thee.
Thou art my comfort in diſtreſſe,
Thou art my cure, in heauineſſe
Thou art my muſicke in my ſadneſſe,
Thou art my medicine in my madneſſe
Thou my freedome from my thrall,
Thou my rayſer from my fall.
In my labour thou releiues me,
Thou reformes what euer grieues me.
All my wrongs thy hand reuengeth,
And from hurt my ſoule defendeth
Thou my deepeſt doubts reuealeſt,
Thou my ſecret faults concealeſt.
Oh doe thou ſtay my feete from treading
In paths to hell and horror leading:
Where eternall torment dwels,
With feares, & teares & loathſome ſmels.
Where mans deepeſt ſhame is ſounded,
And the guilty ſtill confounded.
Where the ſcourge for euer beateth,
And the worme that alwaies eateth.
Where all thoſe endleſſe do remaine,
Lord preſerue vsus from this paine.
In Syon lodge me (Lord) for pitty
Syon Dauids kingly Cittie.
Built by him that's only good,
Whoſe gates are of the croſſes wood.
Whoſe keies are Chriſts vndoubted word,
Whoſe dwellers feare none but the Lord.
Whoſe wals are ſtone, ſtrong, quicke and bright,
Whoſe keeper is the Lord of light.
Here the light doth neuer ceaſe
Endleſſe ſpring and endleſſe peace
Here is muſicke, heauen filling,
Swetneſſe euermore diſtilling.
Here is neither ſpot nor taint,
No defect, nor no complaint.
No man crooked, great nor ſmall,
But to Chriſt conformed all.
Bleſſed towne, diuinely graced,
On a rocke ſo ſtrongly placed.
Seated ſure from feare of warre:
I ſalute thy wals from farre.
Thee I ſee, and thee I long for,
Thee I ſeeke, and thee I groane for.
O what ioy thy dwellers taſt,
All in pleaſures firſt and laſt?
What full enioying bliſſe Diuine?
What Iewels on thy wals do ſhine?
Rubie, Iacincth, Chalcedon,
Knowne to them within alone.
In this glorious Company
In the ſtreetes of Syon, I
With Iob, Moſes, and Eliah,
Will ſing the heauenly Alleluiah
Amen.
A holy meditation of mans mi ſery, and Gods mercy, together with a deuout prayer.
VVIth longing cheere,
The thirſty Deere.
do ſeeke the brooke:
In ſuch a kind,
The faithful minde,
For God doth looke.
And as the ſprings,
Refreſhment brings,
in drought and ſweat,
So God doth coole,
The thirſty ſoule
in all her heate.
O Lord what floods
of glorious goods,
doſt thou beſtow,
On thoſe that be
thine, bleſt is he
that well doth know
Eternall bliſſe,
His guerdon is
that Ieſus maketh
His reſt, but he
Reapes myſery
that him forſaketh.
Thou makeſt them glorious
And victorious,
Who ſerue thee well
In endleſſe ioy
From all annoy
with thee they dwell.
But oh Humanity,
With how great vanity,
art thou betoſt?
To dote in care,
On things that are,
ſo quickly loſt?
Why doſt thou yeeld,
And leaue the field,
to ſinnes inuaſions?
Not well reſpecting,
But ill reiecting,
thy Gods perſwaſions?
Open thine eies,
And well aduiſe,
of whence thou art:
Thy life, thy birth,
Thy ſtate, thy worth,
obſerue each part.
From careleſneſſe
Thy ſelfe ſtill bleſſe,
O man Gods Iewell:
How he placed thee,
And graced thee
obſerue and view well.
To what intent,
Hath God thee ſent,
obſerue with care:
To whom (but pride
Drew thee aſide)
thou hadſt bene heyre.
O mortall ſonne,
Affliction
is thy due hire:
That broke the band
Of Gods commande,
through vaine deſire.
But oh take heed,
Thoſe paines exceed,
that rule in hell:
Whoſe fire ſo cruell,
Hath thoſe for fuell,
that liue not well.
The man that ioyes
In worldly toyes,
his ſoule orethrowes:
Reſpecting nought,
What Chriſt hath bought
full deere God knowes.
Then neuer grudge,
If God thee iudge,
his yoke to beare:
Let not luſt draw,
Thee from his law,
But hold it deere.
And ſoone apply
His remedy,
vntounto thy ſore:
Leaſt it increaſe,
To worſe diſeaſe,
and plague thee more.
Doe not diſpaire,
Thou maiſt be heire,
with Chriſt in ioy:
By caſting out,
Corruptions roote,
thy ſoules annoy.
Still feare thou muſt,
But not diſtruſt,
and beg thy cure:
For errours weepe,
Thy body keepe
lowly and pure:
If to thy feare,
Thy iudge appeare
with angry face:
Know he will looſe,
Not one of thoſe,
that beg his grace.
Pray without reſt,
And knock thy breſt,
humble thy minde:
All that bewaile,
Their errours fraile,
hauehave pardon ſign'd.
And do not ſpare,
In hymme and prayer,
Ieſus to praiſe:
For mercy ſtill,
Is at his will,
at all aſſayes.
And when the diuell,
The Prince of euill,
attempteth thee,
Then if thou pray
Chriſt will not ſtay
to ſet thee free.
All be thou were,
To death moſt neere,
yet ſtill be ſure:
And vnderſtand
That his high hand,
containes thy cure.
Be he thy queſt,
That giues all reſt,
from reſtleſſe woes:
Who ſo adore,
And him implore,
ſhall come to thoſe,
For many an one,
Dead long agon,
hath he reuiued:
And ſaued more
That were before
of grace depriued,
Be all thy louelove,
On God aboue,
Lift vp thy ſpirit:
That thou maiſt taſt
The Saints repaſt,
through his ſole merit.
And honour him,
That he from ſinne,
may thee deliuer,
That ſinnes increaſe
In thee may ceaſe,
in prayer perſeuer.
On him I call,
That all in all
hath in his power:
Againſt all harme,
Be he myne arme
my ſhield my towre.
And this liues length
Vouchſafe vsus ſtrength
to keepe his heſt:
That at our end
Wee may aſcend,
To endleſſe reſt.
Amen.