The daily office of a Christian being the devotions of the most Reverend Father in God Dr. William Laud, late archbishop of Canterbury : wherein several catechetical paraphrases ...

The Apostles Creed paraphras'd.

* OLord, I believe (help thou my unbelief). [I believe] that thou the Father, Son and Holy Ghost art one God.

I believe,

• That of thy unlimited goodness and power thou didst create the Heavens and the Earth.
• That of thy unbounded love thou hast gathered together in one, all things in Christ:
  • Who was made Flesh, and [was] conceived.
  • Was born, suffered, was crucified,
  • Dead, buried, descended,
  • Rose again, ascended, sitteth,
  • Shall return, shall reward.

I believe,

• That by the power and operation of thy holy Spirit, thou hast

• called thy Church out of all the world unto Holiness.
• That in it we are made partakers of all good things, and of forgive∣ness of sins.
• That in it we expect the Resurre∣ction of the Flesh, and life ever∣lasting.

* LOrd, I believe, (O supply thou my want of Faith.)

I believe

• The affectionate kindness of the Fa∣ther.
• The saving power of the Almigh∣tie.
• The wisdom of the Creator, in the preservation, government, and consummation of the world.
• The great mysterie of Godliness, that for us men, and for our sal∣vation, God was manifested in the flesh, [even] the Lord Jesus, the Son of the Father, the Anoin∣ted of the Spirit.
• ...

• That he was conceived and born to cleanse us from the filthiness of our Conception and Birth.
• That he suffered, what we ought [to have suffered], most unspeak∣able torments, that we might e∣scape them.
• That he was crucified, dead, and buried, that we may not be a∣fraid to undergo the same things for his sake.
• That he descended to [that (dismal) place] whither we must have gone, that he might wholly ex∣cuse us from it.
• That he rose again, ascended, and sitteth [in that place] where we had no portion, that even we also might inherit it.
• That he shall come to judge the World, that he may take us up [into his glorie.]

I believe [that] he is come,

• By his Conception and Birth, the Purifier of our Nature.
• ...

• By his Suffering on the Cross, Death, and Burial, the Redeemer of our Bodies.
• By his Descent, a [triumphant] Conqueror over Hell and Death.
• By his Resurrection, the first Fruits of them that sleep.
• By his Ascension, our Forerunner [gone to prepare a place for us.]
• By his Session [at the right hand of God] the Intercessor, or our Ad∣vocate.
• By his second coming to Judgment, the Finisher of our Faith. Thus

  Instead of the	I behold
  Destroyer,	Jesus [a Saviour.]
  Tormenter,	A Mediator.
  Accuser,	An Advocate.
  Slanderer,	An Intercessor.
  Enslaver,	A Redeemer.
  Sting [of the Serpent]	Christ [the A∣nointed.]

But I believe also the Quickning and Sanctifying Power of the Holy Ghost.

[A Power that works]

• [Inwardly and] invisibly, [openly and] outwardly, effectually, as the Wind [that bloweth where it listeth.]
• By Reproof, by Compunction [of the heart], by Doctrine, by Ad∣monition; as an Advocate, as the Comforter, as a Witness; by Dif∣fusion of Charitie, by Illumina∣tion of Knowledge.

I believe also

• The mystical Bodie of this Holy Spirit, [consisting of] those that are called out of the whole world unto belief of the Truth and Ho∣liness of life.
• The mutual fellowship of the mem∣bers of that Bodie.
• The remission of sins in this present time, and the hope of a future Resurrection, and of our transla∣tion to the life eternal.

* O Lord, give me Faith, not such Faith as would make the Law of none effect:

• But such Faith as
  • Works by Love.
  • Is powerful in working.
  • Overcomes the World.
• [And besides] a most holy Faith,
  • That I may love thee as a Father, and fear thee [as] the Almigh∣tie.
  • That I may commit my soul unto thee in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
  • That Christ may be formed in me, and that I may be confor∣med unto his Image.
  • That I may give [him] thanks for those things which he has suffer∣ed for me, [that I may] suffer [together] with him; [that I may] suffer for him, whatsoever he shall see good.
  • That for his Cross, Death, [and] Burial, I may revenge, crucifie,

• ...
  • kill, burie my sins, which caused [all] these.
  • That for his descent into Hell, I may descend thither whilst I live [here], by frequent meditations [upon it].
  • That I may be [made] conforma∣ble to his Resurrection, by [my] rising again to newness of life.
  • And to his Ascension, by medita∣ting upon and seeking [after] those things that are above.
  • That I may be also mindful of his Session [at Gods right hand] whensoever I want any gift of heavenly consolation, and as of∣ten as I am cold in my Devo∣tions.
  • And that I may never forget his second coming at the day of Judgment, [O] that I may al∣waies think I hear the noise of the last Trumpet sounding, and that I may pray without ceasing till I am placed at the right hand.

Amen.