• Believe in God, the Father Almighty: That he was from all Eternity to 〈◊〉 all Eternity, God blessed for ever; •…inite in Wisdom, Holiness, Justice, •…odness and Truth; also in Power and 〈◊〉 Glory; and that he was the *Maker 〈◊〉 Heaven and Earth, and all things •…rein contained, whether visible or in∣•…ble; and that out of the *dust of the •…und God created Man, and breathed in∣•… him the breath of life: and thereby •…n became a *living Soul, and was plac'd 〈◊〉 God in *Eden, the Garden of God, in •…oly, happy, blessed State; and God •…ve them Power over the Fish of the 〈◊〉, the Fowl of the Air, and the Beast 〈◊〉 the Field, and over all the Earth, andPage  34over every thing that creepeth on the Earth: And Man should have so conti∣nued in this blessed and happy State,* ne∣ver to have known decay, sickness, for∣row, or death,had he not there sinned against his great Creator, and his most liberal Benefactor;* in that they did ad∣here to the Enemy of God, which is the Devil; and believed what he said, and did not believe the God of Truth; for which they were turn'd out of Paradise,* and became more vile and miserable than all Creatures that have their Being upon Earth, and so 'twould have succeeded to his unborn Posterity;* for now their Na∣tures became corrupt, so as Righteous∣ness, and Holiness, and Wisdom, which was the Image of God stampt upon them, now had left th•m, and was quite de∣faced in them; and they became 〈◊〉 like the Prince of Darkness, which is •…e Devil; who for his Pride and Rebel• •n against God, he and his Adherents were cast out of Heaven, and from glorious Angels became Devils in Hell, and are kept in Chains of Darkness, unto the Judgment of the Great Day of God, who are to be punished eternally in Hell∣fire:* But God looking on Mankind in their forlorn and miserable Condition, with an eye of pity and compassion gave them a word of Comfort; which was, Page  35That the *Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's head, which is the Devil; and God said, that he would put enmity be∣tween the seed of the Woman, and the seed of the Serpent: And in that God had compassion on Mankind, rather than up∣on the fallen Angels, so as to send them a Saviour:* There was this reason, the fallen Angels were the principal and alone Causes of their own Rebellion; but Man∣kind was stirr'd up to it through the subtil Insinuations and Lyes of the Devil;* and therefore Mankind had a Tender of Grace offered them, if we receive it, ac∣cording to the condition as it is offered us; which is with Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, with Love and Obedience to him; to whom all the Prophets bear witness, •…aring he should be born of a Virgin, 〈◊〉 speaking of his Sufferings, and of his Death, and of his Rising again.*

I believe in this Lord Jesus Christ, •hat he is the onely begotten Son of God, who gave himself to satisfie Divine Ju∣stice, and to make Reconciliation for poor, •ost and undone Creatures, which were dead in Trespasses and Sins, through that •f Adam's Transgression;* whereby our Nature became so corrupt, that we have •est us neither Strength to stand 〈◊〉 Page  36Will•… stri•…, nor 〈…〉 〈…〉, in which woful condition we should have spent some few Days here, and after which been plunged into Hell it self for ever, and there to have been tormented, with the Devil, and damned Spirits,* without any redress, had not the Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity, who to fulfil his Fathers promise, and for the wonderful Love he bare to his Creatures, he left the Throne of his Fathers Glory, where he had been from all Eternity, and did vouchsafe to take upon him the means of our Flesh, and therein was conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost, in the Womb of the Virgin Mary;* but born of her without sin, and when he came into the World, he then suffered the Miseries of this Life, the Wrath of God and the cursed Death of the Cross, that through Death, he might destroy him that had the Power of Death which is the Devil, and deliver them who through the fear of Death, were all their Life-time subject to bondage;* and the Lord of Life was buried, descended into Hell, and continued under the Power of Death till the third Day;* in which he rose again from the Dead, as a trium∣phant Victor over Sin, Death and Hell and after his Resurrection he was seen o• all his Apostles,* and of above 500 Brethre• Page  37at once, and remained upon the Earth for the space of forty Days, and then he went to Mount Olivet, with his Dis∣ciples, and more Witnesses;* and from thence he ascended up into Heaven, and now sitteth at the Right-hand of God the Father, and there maketh intercession for the Saints, according to the Mind of God.* I believe also, that assuredly there is Life and Salvation to be had, through our Lord Jesus Christ, if we come to him by faith, and repentance, so as to confess, and forsake our sins, and believe in him, and his word; so that we unfeignedly love, and fear to offend him; we shall be be∣loved of him, and made eternally blessed by him, through his perfect Righteous∣ness, which shall be imputed to us, who is able to preserve us in time, and in E∣ternity. I believe in the Holy Ghost, that he is the Sanctifier of our Natures, where∣by our Wills are renewed, so as to desire to serve the living God, in truth, and in sincerity, and also in time of trouble, he doth often administer comfort, and con∣solation to the Saints.* I believe there is a Holy Catholick Church, a member of which is every sincere hearted Christian throughout the World; that worships the Lord in spirit, and truth, for our blessed Lord saith, *that the Father seeketh such to worship him. I believe there will be the Re∣surrectionPage  38of the Body, and Life everlasting for the Righteous, and eternal Damna∣tion for them that go on in their wicked Ways. I believe also that the Lord will come in the last Day, in the Clouds of Heaven, to render vengeance to his Ad∣versaries, and those that know not God, and will not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ;* but unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation; and so come Lord Jesus. Amen.