The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

A CONFESSION OF FAITH. 407
thou hadst reviewed the works which thy hands partakers of thy vision and thy Sabbath. We
had made, beheldest that every thing was very humbly beg that this mind may be steadfastly in
good, and thou didst rest with complacency in us; and that thou, by our hands, and also by the
them. But man, reflecting on the works which hands of others, on whom thou shalt bestow the
he had made, saw that all was vanity and vexa- same spirit, wilt please to convey a largess of
tion of spirit, and could by no means acquiesce in new alms to thy family of mankind. These
them. Wherefore, if we labour in thy works things we commend to thy everlasting love, by
with the sweat of our brows, thou wilt make us our Jesus, thy Christ, God with us. almen.
A CONFESSION OF FAITH,
WRITTEN BY
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE FRANCIS BACON, BARON OF VERULAM, &c.
I BELIEVE that nothing is without beginning, but tery and perfect centre of all God's ways with his
God; no nature, no matter, no spirit, but one, creatures, and unto which all his other works and
only, and the same God. That God, as he is wonders do but serve and refer.
eternally almighty, only wise, only good, in his That he chose, according to his good pleasure,
nature; so he is eternally Father, Son, and Spirit, man to be that creature, to whose nature the perin persons. son of the eternal Son of God should be united;
I believe that God is so holy, pure, and jealous, and amongst the generations of men, elected a
as it is impossible for him to be pleased in any small flock, in whom, by the participation of himcreature, though the work of his own hands; so self, he purposed to express the riches of his glory;
that neither angel, man, nor world, could stand, all the ministration of angels, damnation of devils
or can stand, one moment in his eyes, without and reprobates, and universal administration of
beholding the same in the face of a Mediator; and, all creatures, and dispensation of all times, having
therefore, that before him, with whom all things no other end, but as the ways and ambages of
are present, the Lamb of God was slain before all God, to be further glorified in his saints, who are
worlds: without which eternal counsel of his, it one with their head the Mediator, who is one with
was impossible for him to have descended to any God.
work of creation; but he should have enjoyed the That by the virtue of this his eternal counsel
blessed and individual society of three persons in he condescended of his own good pleasure, and
Godhead forever. according to the times and seasons to himself
But that, out of his eternal and infinite good- known, to become a Creator; and by his eternal
ness and love purposing to become a Creator, and Word created all things; and by his eternal Spirit
to communicate to his creatures, he ordained in doth comfort and preserve them.
his eternal counsel, that one person of the God- That he made all things in their first estate
head should be united to one nature, and to one good, and removed from himself the beginning of
particular of his creatures: that so, in the person all evil and vanity into the liberty of the creature;
of the Mediator, the true ladder might be fixed, hut reserved in himself the beginning of all restiwhereby God might descend to his creatures, and tution to the liberty of his grace; using, neverthehis creatures might ascend to God: so that God, less, and turning the falling and defection of the
by the reconcilement of the Mediator, turning his creature, which to his prescience was eternally
countenance towards his creatures, though not in known, to make way to his eternal counsel,
equal light and degree, made way unto the dis- touching a Mediator, and the work he purposed
pensation of his most holy and secret will: to accomplish in him.
whereby some of his creatures might stand, and That God created spirits, whereof some kept
keep their state, others might possibly fall, and their standing, and others fell: he created heaven
be restored; and others might fall, and not be and earth, and all their armies and generations;
restored to their estate, but yet remain in being, and gave unto them constant and everlasting laws,
though under wrath and corruption: all with which we call nature; which is nothing but the
respect to the Mediator; which is the great mys- laws of the creation; which laws, nevertheless