Of Fundamentals, Prayer
A Prayer.
A Prayer.O Moſt gracious Lord God, the Creator of all things, but of men and all mankinde a tender compaſſionate father in Jeſus Chriſt, thou that haſt enlarged thy deſignes and purpoſes of grace and mercy, as the bowels and blood-ſhedding of thy Son with an earneſt deſire that every weak or ſinfull man ſhould partake of that abyſſe, that infinite treaſure of thy bounty, Thou that haſt bequeathed to us that Legacie and example of a ſacred inviolate Peace, a large diffuſive charity, We meekly beſeech thee to overſhadow with thy heavenly grace the ſouls of all men over all the world, O Lord, thou lover of ſouls, to bring home to the acknowledgment and embraces of thy Son all that are yet ſtrangers to that profeſſion, and in whatſoever any of us, who have already received that mercy from thee, may be any way uſeful or inſtrumental to that ſo glorious end, to direct and incline our hearts toward it, to work in us all an holy zeal to thy name, and tender bowels to all thoſe whoſe eternity is concerned in it. O give us a true ſerious full comprehenſion and value of that one great intereſt of others, as well as our ſelves, ſhew us, the meaneſt of us, ſome way to contribute toward it, if it be but our daily affectionate prayers for the enlarging of thy kingdome, and the care of approving all our actions ſo, as may moſt effectually attract all to this profeſſion. And for all thoſe that have already that glorious name of thy Son called upon them, bleſſed Lord, that they may at length, according to the many engagements of their profeſſion, depart from iniquity, that that holy city, that new Jeruſalem may at length according to thy promiſe deſcend from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for the husband Chriſt, that that tabernacle of God with men may be illuſtriouſly viſible among us, that we may be a peculiar people, and thou our God inhabiting in power among us, that we which have ſo long profeſſed thee, and been inſtructed by thee, may no longer content our ſelves with that form of knowledge, which ſo often engenders ſtrife, contentions, animoſities, ſeparating, and condemning one another, and that moſt unchriſtian deteſtable guilt of blood, but endevour and earneſtly contend for the uniform effectual practiſe of all the precepts of thy Son, the fruits and power of all Godlineſs, that all the Princes and people of Chriſtendome, the Paſtors and ſheep of thy fold may at length in ſome degree walk worthy of that light and that warmth, that knowledge and thoſe graces, that the ſun of righteouſneſs with healing in his wings hath ſo long poured out upon us. Lord purge & powerfully work out of all hearts that profaneneſs and Atheiſticalneſs, thoſe ſacrilegious thirſts and enormous violations of all that is holy, thoſe unpeaceable, rebellious, mutinous, and withall tyrannizing cruell ſpirits, thoſe prides and haughtineſſes, judging and condemning, defaming and deſpiſing of others, thoſe unlimited ambitions and covetings, joyned with the invaſion and violation of others rights, thoſe moſt reproachful exceſſes and abominable impurities, which to the ſhame of our unreformed obdurate hearts, doe ſtill remain unmortified unſubdued among us, but above all, thoſe infamous hypocriſies of ſuborning religion to be the engine of advancing our ſecular deſignes, or the diſguiſe to conceal the fouleſt intentions, of bringing down that moſt ſacred name whereby we ſhould be ſaved, to be the vileſt inſtrument of all carnality, and by the power of thy convincing Spirit, Lord humble and ſubdue all that exalts it ſelf againſt the obedience of Chriſt. And when thou haſt caſt out ſo many evil ſpirits, be pleaſed thy ſelf to poſſeſſe and inrich our ſouls, to plant and root and confirm and ſecure in us all thoſe pretious fruits of piety, and faith, and obedience, and zeal toward thee; of purity, and meekneſs, and ſimplicity, and contentedneſs, and ſobriety, in our ſelves; of juſtice, and charity, and peaceableneſs, and bowels of mercy, and compaſſion toward all others; that having ſeriouſly, and induſtriouſly, as our holy vocation ingages us, uſed all diligence to adde unto our faith, virtue; and to virtue, patience, and perſeverance in all Chriſtian practiſe, we may adorn that profeſſion, which we have ſo long depraved, and having had our fruit unto holineſs, we may obtain our end everlaſting life, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.
The Contents.
CHAP. I. THe Notation of the word Fundamental. Page 1
CHAP. II. The Diviſion of the diſcourſe into four parts, What are Fundamental in general. Page 15
CHAP. III. A particular view of Fundamentals, Jeſus Chriſt indefinitely. Page 24
CHAP. IV. Jeſus Chriſt Crucified. Page 35
CHAP. V. Jeſus Chriſt raiſed &c. Page 38
CHAP. VI. Other Articles of Belief in Chriſt. Page 42
CHAP. VII. The Faith in Baptiſme. Page 56
CHAP. VIII. Of the Creeds in general, and firſt of the Apoſtles Creed. Page 58
CHAP. IX. Of the Nicene and Athanaſian Creeds together; and ſeverally of the Nicene. Page 82
CHAP. X. Of the Athanaſian Creed. Page 91
CHAP. XI. Of the Superſtructure, and the particular branches thereof. Page 94
CHAP. XII. Of the Doctrines that hinder the ſuperſtructing of good life on the Chriſtian belief, firſt among the Romaniſts, a Catalogue of them, eſpecially that of the Infallibility of the Church, 2. Among others, 1. that of the Solifidian. Page 108
CHAP. XIII. Of the Fiduciarie. Page 120
CHAP. XIV. Of Chriſt's dying for none but the Elect. Page 130
CHAP. XV. Of the irreſpective decrees of Election and Reprobation. Page 145
CHAP. XVI. Of the Predetermination of all things. Page 156
CHAP. XVII. Of the Spirits acting all things within the man. Page 192
CHAP. XVIII. Of the Miſtakes concerning Repentance. Page 202
CHAP. XIX. Of the neceſſaries to the ſuperſtructing of good life on this Foundation. Page 211
A Prayer. Page 240
THE END.
ERRATA.
PAge 51. line 12. re: Chriſt
p. 60. §. 4 l. 9. re: Eutychen
p. 77. l. 1. after omitted adde)
p. 90. l. 25. after practiſe adde,
p. 95. l. 17. after the adde moſt
p. 110. marg: the note ſubditos-with that next following it, Valdi— belong to p. 111. l. 7. and the word guilt
p. 111. the note Summorum— belongs to lin. 19. and the word deviabilis
p. 111. the note foreign belongs to p. 112. l. 16. and the word ſecure
p. 114. l. 19. after principle for (put, l. 20. after falſhoods for) put, l. 21. after practiſes adde (l. 23. after bread, adde of l. 24. after God adde)
p. 128. l. 4. after not re: but be reaſonable
p. 172. l. 19. after nature adde and
p. 178. l. 10. dele was
p. 189. l. 20. re: foreign
p. 198. l. 17. re: §. 11.
p. 200. l. 5. for if re: of
p. 204. l. 27. after being adde (l. 30. after God adde)
p. 206. lin. 9. after Repentance adde which is not repentance
p. 213. l. 17. after §. 6. re: Firſt
p. 219. l. 3. for in re: of
p. 223. l. 7. for ſervice re: ſacrifice
p. 229. l. 26. re: diffuſed
End of the text · Henry Hammond, Of Fundamentals (1654)