The safegard of the soule Declaring sundry soueraigne salues tending to the comfort and saluation of the same: very necessarie to bee learned and obserued of all men, and at all times, but chiefely in the extremitie of sicknes, and grieuous pangs of death. Composed by Lawrence Bankes, preacher of the word of God: and parson of Staunton, in the county of Glocester.

The summe of this Beliefe confessed.

I Am fully perswaded, and vndoubtedly I doe confesse and acknowledge

before God, and all you heere present, that euery point and Article of this my beliefe, is true and ne∣cessarie vnto saluation: for without Faith wee cannot please God, or bee saued. And therefore I stedfastly beleeue in my heart, that this in very deede is the true, ancient, Catholike and Apostolike faith, which all good Christians ought to hold, to the hazard both of liuing and life, if cause require.

Of this our be∣liefe there be 4. prin∣cipall parts.

• ...The first concer∣neth GOD the Father.
• ...The second, God the Sonne.
• ...The third, God the holy Ghost.
• ...The fourth, the holy Church, or congregation of God.

Of which faith, I make protestation, as followeth.

I constantly beleeue in heart, that which I now out∣wardly confesse with my mouth: (viz.) That there is but one true, almightie, euerlasting, liuing, iust and mercifull God; of incom∣prehensible

glory, maiestie and might, inuisible, infi∣nite and immortall. And yet in this Godhead are in∣cluded three distinct per∣sons; the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost, vnited together in Deitie and sub∣stance inseparably: of like equalitie in will, might, and glory: without beginning, without ending: frō whom (as from a most cleere foun∣taine) all vertue and good∣nes proceedeth to man, and euery liuing creature: By whom we liue, mooue, and are. In whom alone we are blessed, and without whom we are accursed, miserable,

and wretched. Which in∣comprehensible, and inuisi∣ble God hath reueiled him∣selfe vnto man many waies:

1. Miraculously by his workes.

2. Outwardly by his Word: And

3. Inwardly by his holy Spirit.

First, I will confesse my beliefe touching the Fa∣ther; Then I will proceede to the Sonne; and finally to the Holy Ghost: not that I preferre one person be∣fore another; but because naturally man doth best ap∣prehend and conceiue this order: namely, that the Fa∣ther

should bee set before the Sonne, and the Father and the Sonne together, before him that procee∣deth from them both. And yet, neuerthelesse, all the three persons bee but one God, equall and co∣eternall.

First, therefore, I doe be∣leeue [unspec 1] in God the Father, the first Person in Trini∣tie; who by his vnsearch∣able wisedome, and infi∣nite power, hath mightily made me and all mankind; yea, heauen, earth, the Sea, and all things therein con∣tained: as the light of the Firmament, the Sunne,

Moone, and Starres, the Fowles of the Ayre, the Beasts of the Field, the fruits of the Earth, and the fishes of the Sea. All these of his great goodnes hee hath made, blessed, and increased for man to doe him seruice, and that in most wonderfull and plen∣tifull manner. Yea, they were all created before man was made, to the end that Man at his first entry into the world, should come (as it were) into a house ready furnished, and so take full and quiet pos∣session of all Gods crea∣tures, and become Lord

and Ruler ouer them: and they all from time to time to be seruiceable vnto him as to their King. Onely he would that man should be obedient, and shew him∣selfe thankefull vnto his God for these his bles∣sings. In performing w^ch dutie, I for mine own part haue too often failed; God graunt that I may hereafter both know his will, and by the fruits of Faith shew my selfe more dutifull towards his Ma∣iestie, euen to my liues end.

Secondly, I beleeue in God the Son, the second

Person in Trinitie, who of his great goodnes hath mercifully redeemed mee and all mankinde, from the thraldome of Satan, Death, and Sinne, and from the torment of Hell fire due to the same, being of my selfe condemned thereunto by Gods iust iudgement, through diso∣bedience and transgressi∣on. Yet I firmely beleeue that I am acquitted, dis∣charged, and fully ranso∣med from the same, by my sweet Sauior Iesus Christ, that did sweat water and bloud for my sinne; who willingly of his owne ac∣cord

came down from the seate of his Maiesty in the highest heauens, into the vile and stinking bowels of the earth, where he for my sake, and all his elect, did not abhorre to take flesh of the pure Virgin Mary, and became man, and in the same flesh, suffered most bitter paine and tor∣ment, being condemned by an earthly iudge, to the most shamefull death of the Crosse, and so was buried, and descended in∣to Hell, rising againe for our iustification, and as∣cending into heauen, for our glorification, and to

open vs the gate of salua∣tion, which before was barred, and fast shut vp a∣gainst vs. And my be∣liefe is, that as before hee came as a Lambe in humi∣litie and mercie to seeke and saue sinners: So hee shall come againe as a Ly∣on in the end of the world, in great glory & Maiesty, accompanied with An∣gels and heauenly Souldi∣ers, as a righteous Iudge of the quicke and dead; separating the Sheep from the Goates, adiudging the one as hirelings of Hell, and the other as inheritors of Heauen. And this (a∣mong

many others) is a singular comfort to me, to know assuredly that no o∣ther shall bee my iudge, but he that is the Sauiour of my soule, and suffered for my sinnes. So that in all my perplexitie, perill, and danger, I set this Iesus a Sauiour before mine eyes, as a shield, a buckler, and sure wall between me and my spirituall soe the Diuel, and all his tyranny, assuring my selfe by this confidence, that neither he by his cruelty, nor all the Armie of hell can euer hurt or harme me, or any of Gods Elect.

Thirdly, I beleeue in [unspec 3] God the holy Ghost, the third Person in Trini∣tie; who by his grace lo∣uingly preserueth and sanctifieth mee and all the Elect people of God, who dayly gouerneth and di∣recteth mee in all my wayes and godly actions, who sealeth vp my saluati∣on, by the stedfast hope that I haue in Christ Iesus, assuring me inwardly, that all his benefits are mine, and by that meanes ma∣keth me apply the same to the comfort of my soule, who also mortifieth sinne in me, who openeth and

expoundeth vnto mee the diuine mysteries of God, and moueth me to leade a godly life.

This is that blessed wind which bloweth where it listeth, euen the Spirit of God, which of carnall, ma∣keth vs spirituall; of cruell, meeke; of malicious, cha∣ritable; of couetous, libe∣rall; of dissolute, tempe∣rate; of foolish, wise; of earthly, heauenly; of the bondslaues of Satan, the deare sonnes of GOD, whereby wee may boldly cry, Abba Father. I be∣leeue that this holy Ghost is the earnest penny here

on earth, of my saluation in heauen, and that hee will neuer forsake mee, no not in the houre of death and my greatest danger: but that hee will comfort me continually in all woe and temptations: so that although I bee tryed by the touchstone of afflicti∣on, grieued with extreme paine of bodie, or torinen∣ted with inward vexation of minde; yet I shall not be ouercome, neither shall my crosse be greater then I shal be able to beare and endure. For I know assu∣redly, that this holy Ghost wil mercifully preserue me

both in body and soule vn∣to the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to iudgment, at the dreadfull day of doome, and there present me holy and without blame, before his Throne of grace, (al∣though of my selfe vnwor∣thy,) yet this sweet Com∣forter doth, of his especiall grace, beare witnes with my spirit and conscience, and that in most comfor∣table manner, that I am of the number of those which shall be saued, and that I shall stand in the last day on the right hand of Christ, and heare that

cheerefull sentence to my great ioy and comfort▪ Come, ye blessed of my Fa∣ther, possesse the Kingdome prepared for you from the be∣ginning of the world. You haue beene long Pilgrims on earth, but now you shal bee Citizens in heauen: you haue mourned a long time, but now you shall laugh for euer. I will wipe away all teares from your eyes. Enter at last (now that the heate of the day is past) into your Masters ioy.

All these three persons before rehearsed, I be∣leeue to bee one God in

essence, whose seate is in the heauens aboue, and whose footstoole is the earth beneath. Vnto whom all the Powers, Angels, and Saints in heauen are subiect, and doe their day∣ly seruice in setting forth his praises, casting downe their crownes at his foote, and ascribing all honour and glory to the crowned King that sitteth vpon the Throne, and reigneth for euermore; and also to the Lambe his beloued sonne and our Sauiour. God grant that wee may doe him like seruice here on earth.

Fourthly, and finally, I [unspec 4] doe beleeue the holy Ca∣tholike Church, which is Gods Elect people, or the Congregation of the faithfull, and is called the Kingdome of Christ Iesus. Of this Kingdome, Christ onely is Prince; of this bo∣dy, Christ onely is Head; and of this Spouse, Christ onely is the Bridegroome. This Church is called the Temple of the Holy Ghost, a spirituall House, a holy Nation, a Royall Priesthood, the Citizens of Heauen, the Pillar of Truth, the Arke of Noah, the Cōmunion of Saints:

Agreeing at this day in all points of Scripture, Faith and Religion, with the Primitiue Church of God: Firmely holding, and boldly confessing one God, one Faith, one Bap∣tisme, one Lord and Saui∣our of all, Iesus Christ: being the sheepe of Gods pasture, to whom belong∣eth one fould, and one Shepheard, which here on earth is called the militant Church, and in Heauen the triumphant Church of God. Out of which Arke all perish, and out of which Church there is no salua∣tion: but whosoeuer is not

found therein, he is, with∣out all doubt, damned. Of this Catholike Church of God, I beleeue, and am fully resolued that I am a member, and that GOD hath a care of me, and will preserue mee safe, vntill I haue the fruition of his heauenly Ierusalem.

This Church is knit to∣gether, and vnited by faith, through the operati∣on of the Holy Ghost, as members of one bodie.

This Church hath the pure Word of God truely and sincerely preached, and the Sacraments duely and faithfully administred

among them: These sheep heare the voice of the true Shepheard Christ Iesus, and hee knoweth them, and they follow him, and hee will giue vnto them eter∣nall life, and they shall ne∣uer perish, neither shall a∣ny plucke them out of his hand; nay, the gates of hell shall not preuaile nor ouercome this Church. They which bee of this Church, shall haue remis∣sion of their sinnes, conti∣nuall peace and ioy: They shall shine and glister as the Stars of Heauen: they shall bee clad with white garments, and follow the

Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth: they shall haue gol∣den crownes clapped on their heads, and shall see God face to face, and haue fellowship with his Saints who continually sing prai∣fes to the eternall King, which was, and is, and is to come. And I beleeue, that they which continue in this Church on earth, shall after the Resurrecti∣on & general Iudgement, obtaine euerlasting life, and rest from their labors; which life and perpetuall peace God grant mee and all his children. And from this Church I pray God

I neuer at any time swarue or decline, either in faith, doctrine, life, or Religion; but that I may dye & liue therin. And I humbly be∣seech God, euen w^th al my heart, to kindle & increase this Faith in me; that this hope being stedfastly fixed in my heart, I may to∣wards mine end cry and call with the Saints of God, and with a good conscience, Come, Lord Ie∣su, come quickly, and hasten thy Kingdome, that wee may raigne with thee in perpetuall ioy in the life euerlasting.

Amen.

Notes

• Heb. 11. 6.
• Act. 17. 28.
• Gal. 3. 13. Tit. 2. 14. Apoc. 5. 9.
• Mat. 25. 31
• Rom. 8. 15, 16.
• Mat. 25. 34
• Apoc. 21.
• Ioh. 10. 3.
• Mat. 16. 18
• Apoc. 22. 20.