Holy rules and helps to devotion both in prayer and practice In two parts. The fourth edition. Written by the right reverend father in God, Bryan Duppa, late Lord Bishop of Winton, in the time of his sequestration.

The Examination by way of Articles upon the Moral Law, to every particular of which the Soul is to answer it self, whether guilty or not guilty.

The Examnation upon the first Commandment.

I.

DOst thou really believe, O my Soul, that there is a God, or hast thou set some secret touches of Athe∣ism within thee?

II.

Hast thou doubted at any time of his Providence, or of his Power, of his Justice, Mercy, or any other of his Attributes?

III.

Hast thou been willing to entertain scruples of this na∣ture, and to listen to their discourses, who turn the rea∣son that God hath given, as a weapon against himself.

IV.

Hast thou proudly ascribed the good that thou hast done unto thy own strength, or imputed thy sins and follies

to the necessitating and ine∣vitable Decrees of God.

V.

Dost thou think thy self obliged to obey God, as well as to believe in him, to love him as thy Father, to fear him as thy Judge, to praise him as thy Maker, with dai∣ly, and most humble Thanks for all his Mercies to thee? Hast thou done this, or wherein hast thou failed?

VI.

Hast thou really in thy Thoughts no other Gods but him? Hast thou set up no∣thing in Competition with him, no Pride, no Pleasure,

no Ptofit, no Self-Love, no Self-Interest of thine own?

VII.

Hast thou given credit to vain Predictions of men, to Dreams or Fortune-tellers, or gone about to know any secret thing by lot?

VIII.

Hast thou in thy Prosperi∣ty forgot thy God, or in thy Adversity hast thou put thy confidence more in worldly helps than in him?

The Examination upon the Se∣cond Commandment.

I.

DOst thou apprehend God as an infinite, incomprehensible Essence, without framing to thy self any bodily shape or form of him that is invisible?

II.

Dost thou worship God in or by an image, or any other way which either he hath forbidden, or not command∣ed?

III.

Dost thou give the wor∣ship

that is due unto the Creat or, to any of his Crea∣tures, either Saint or An∣gel? Or dost thou consider that he is a jealous God, who will have nothing lov'd, no∣thing honour'd by thee like himself.

IV.

Dost thou in all thy Ad∣dresses to him, either of Pub∣lick Prayers or Private, come into his presence with reve∣rence, kneeling, and religi∣ously bowing thy self be∣fore him, and before him alone?

The Examination upon the third Commandment.

I.

HAst thou used vain, impertinent customary Swearing?

II.

Hast thou sworn any thing false, knowing it to be so, making the Name of God a Broker to thy Lies?

III.

Hast thou been perjur'd by violating any publick Oath made to thy lawful Superi∣ors; or failed in any private engagement which hath been in thy power to perform?

IV.

Hast thou broken any vo∣luntary, religious, deliberate Vow, made purposely to God and his glory?

V.

How far hast thou kept that great and solemn Vow which was made for thee in Baptism? or hast thou seri∣ously considered thy fre∣quent and dangerous viola∣tions of it?

VI.

Hast thou given God, up∣on all occasions offered, the honour due unto his Name? or hast thou any ways spoken

of him without fear or reve∣rence?

VII.

Hast thou abused either God's Name, or any of his Creatures in Curses or bit∣ter Execrations?

The Examination upon the fourth Commandment.

I.

HAst thou kept the Lord's day holy, or hath it been as a common day unto thee?

II.

Hast thou constantly san∣ctified

this day, either by be∣ing present at the Publick Service of the Church, or (being hindred of this) by private Prayer, and reading of holy Books.

III.

Dost thou shew forth thy Charity this day in works of mercy to them that stand in need of thee?

The Examination upon the fifth Commandment.

I. HAst thou loved, honour∣ed and obeyed thy Pa∣rents, thy King and Sove∣reign, and all that have a lawful authority over thee?

II. Hast thou upon all oc∣casions assisted them to thy power, and offered up daily Prayers to God for them?

III. Hast thou respected thy spiritual Guides, such as la∣bour for thy Soul; or hast thou grieved or despised any of those whom thou art bound to honour?

The Examination upon the sixth Commandment.

I. DOst thou endeavour as much as in thee lies, to preserve the lives of all men, as bearing the same Image of thy Maker with thee.

II. Art thou a lover, a fol∣lower, a procurer of Peace

among those with whom thy conversation is?

III. Hast thou been either causelesly or sinfully angry? Hast thou born Malice, Ha∣tred or Revenge in thine heart? Hast thou forgiven, hast thou loved thy Ene∣my for Christ's sake, who loved thee when thou wert yet his Enemy?

IV. Hast thou compassio∣nate bowels? Hast thou, to thy power fed and clothed them whom thou hast known to be ready to perish with cold and hunger?

V. Hast thou been careful of thine own life, or hast thou any way hastened thine own end by wilful Intemperance or Disorder?

The Examination on the se∣venth Commandment.

DOst thou consider that thy body was made to be a Temple of the Holy Ghost, that whosoever there∣fore shall presume to pollute this Temple, him shall God destroy?

II. Hast thou preserved it in that purity which is requi∣red of thee, or hast thou defi∣led it by Fornication, Adul∣tery, Lasciviousness or any other Uncleanness, of which the Apostle pronounceth, that they who do such things shall not enter into the King∣dom of Heaven?

III. Hast thou deliberately pleased thy self with any

foul lascivious thoughts, or continued in them, to a de∣light? Hast thou consented to them, or hast thou rejected them?

IV. Hast thou been careless in avoiding the occasions and approaches that lead in∣to those sins, or hast thou ex∣posed thy self either unwari∣ly or wilfully to temptation.

V. Hast thou delighted in wanton company, in unchaste songs, or unclean discourses?

The Examination on the eighth Commandment.

I. HAst thou taken away from others by deceit or violence, that which be∣longs not to thee? Hast thou

injured no man in his rights?

II. Hast thou defrauded Servants of their wages, La∣bourers of their hire, or Cre∣ditors of such debts as thou art able to satisfie?

The Examination upon the ninth Commandment.

I. HAst thou upon all oc∣casions been witness to the truth, without fear or flattery?

II. Hast thou said any thing falsly that hath been injuri∣ous to the good name and re∣putation of another? Or hast thou pleased thy self either in inventing or spreading ru∣mors of that kind?

III. Dost thou willingly give

ear to Slanderers, and to such as go about with lies; or dost thou abhor them both in thy self and others?

The Examination upon the tenth Commandment.

I. DOst thou rest content∣ed in that condition or state of life wherein God hath placed thee, or hast thou at any time inordinate∣ly lusted after that which belongs to others?

II. Hast thou entertain∣ed secret covetings in thy thoughts, with any delight or complacency? Or hast thou labour'd to restrain them and quench them in their first beginnings?

When you have consider'd

seriously, and answered your self in these particulars one by one; sum up the Ac∣count you have made, where you find your self innocent, give the glory to God, whose Grace hath kept you from falling into those sins; but where you find your self guil∣ty, humble your self before God in Prayer, confessing sadly the evil you have done, and imploring mercy in these or such other words as the devotion of your heart shall suggest to you.