A NEW Creed. Consisting of XII. ARTICLES for every true Protestant and loyal Subject within the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland to make Profession of. In manner and form following. Printed 1648. A NEW CREED. ARTICLE. I. I do be●eeve King CHARLES to be my undoubted sovereign, and that by hereditary succession, the three Crownes of England, Scotland, and Ireland are by proper right entailed on y upon him and his Posterity, and that no sub●unary Power, by what law, pretence, interest, claim or title soever can divest him of any part of that right power, authority, and honour naturally annexed to his royal Person, without violation of the laws of Nature, Reason, conscience & Religion; without the extirpation of the national and sundamentall laws( an act of highest treason) being the onely ligaments, and sinews of this kingdom; and the most horrid breach of Protestations, Oaths and Covenants; and that no person or persons, of what degree or quality soever, m●y encroach upon him, or any thing duly appertaining to him, without incurring for every ●uch act or acts, a just censure and conv●ction of Theft, Treason, and Rebellion. Second y, I do be●eeve K●ng CHARLES to have more grace in his hear, and more Wit in his litt●e fing●r, then the●e is in all the hearts, and the whole body of the parliament now sitting at Westminster; and though just J●alousies and Fe●t● made him to desert his Parliament, yet I believe they could never make him decline his Principles; and I do confidently presume that that Dagon to which the Goliahs and philistines of this Kingdom have these seven yeers fallen down and worshipped, will ere long do homage to that royal ark( Mercy-seat, and our Israels glory, canopi'd with Cherubims wings) in a headless tribute, too slight a recompense for treason and Idolatry. Thirdly I do believe, that King CHARLES hath suffered more then any Prince since the land was first a Monarchy, and though his enemies have conquered his Person, yet his Spirit is invincible; so that though over-com'd, he still remaines a conqueror. I believe he needed no other honour to his combats, but the equity of his quarrel, and the goodness of his cause; which though the dull-ey'd Multitude could not then behold; yet now they have got Spectacles, they discern him( though at a distance yet) triumphing in a bloodlesse victory. ART. II. I do beleeue, That those whom God hath joined together, no man ought to separate, and that Queen MARY the lawful Spouse of our dread sovereign, being unlawfully banished & disserted from the comfortable fruition of her royal Consort, is flat opposition to the laws of God, and consequently rebellion against God himself, & that the Parliament have endeavoured as much as in them lieth, of an honest and virtuous woman, to make her an arrant whore; who but Parliament men would do such things? moreover I believe that to expel Papacy, which is but one faction, and entertain, and encourage many, to drive out episcopacy, and bring in liberty, to pu●l down Monarchy, and set up aristocracy, is the evidence of self-ends, hypocritical, diabolical. ART. III. I believe, That the Parliament convened by royal authority. Anno 1640. was a lawful and con●ciencious Parliament; and I do believe that when the whole body thereof is aptly and completely unite together in the Members, without any forcible dislocation, or false election, it is then the highest Judicatory in this kingdom; but to say that the Parliament( statu quo nunc.) being disjointed, severed and mangled in its members,( scarce one third part appearing) and acting by a self-seeking gladiatory and tyrannicall Power, is a lawful and an equal Parliament; J confess J have not so much faith as to believe it; much less to think that they have any power obligatory to bind the Conscience of any Subject to yield either active or passive obedience, to any Act or Ordinance from them proceeding, being a mere compound of usurpation, illegally sitting, and as illegally acting, conerary to Parliamentary power, and not as the visible Representatives of the body po●itiqe. Secondly J believe, That illegal Conventicle of men in the Parliament House, to be the onely Authors and fomentors of these unnatural and civill Warres and divisions; and guilty of all the innocent blood that hath been shed within this kingdom; and that they strive to hold up their most intolerable tyranny, though with the loss of Three kingdoms, as appears by their disrespects of poor death-sick Jreland, their ●lownesse in answering the Demands of Scotland, and their unconscionable and refractory Propositions to his majesty, ●ending as much to the public Peace, as Edge-hill fight, or the murder of his royal Person. Thirdly J believe, That if this Parliament were once off of the hooks or thrown out of the Kingdoms saddle,( who have so long rid Hackney, till they have broken the backs of the whole tribe of Issachar, and the Manie-asses of this Nation) and another Parliament chosen, of men whose fingers never d●opt with blood, certain●y our Peace ●iess before us, and all our grievances were at a period;( for it is impossib●e th●t the sweet sounds of Peace and joy should be heard within out walls, so long as the●e men of b ood sit pearch't abo●e us with the sword in one hand, and the sceptre in another:) provided that his Majesties Power and Rega●l privilege be no ways infringed; but that he with them may ●ettle a l things into order,( the whee●es o● the S●ate being broken by these Egyptian Charetors) so sha●l thi● poo● languish●ng kingdom yet live to be the envy and the glory of the world. ART. IV. I belee●e, that thing which they call a Synod to be a thing of nothing; a company of slow paced Dromedaries, not good for any thing except the ●are name of an Assembly, who have so long been b●under●ng upon the Artic●es of Faith, that they have qui●e lost their credit; and I be●eeve, if their buttocks did not grow by the●r tedious junctu●es to the benches whereon they sit; that shane or good manners had long since roused them from their ●quat, who now are grown a● shameless as they came brain●esse, having evacuated their profound witt● into their deeper pockets, made a●gally-maufrey of Religion, which before was pure and sound( not needing any of their compounded antidotes) and turned the Hou●e of God quiter out of the Windowe●. ART. V. I believe, That his Exce●lency hath yet some ●ee●● of grace remain●ng in him, and that as he did well when h● was the King Subject, so he may now do better to be the K●ngs servant; what though hither●o ●ittle obedience is ob●e●●b●e? yet I wou●d have him know, that whi●st he g●●●s on hi● M●st●rs for remuneration of de●●rt, whi●st he acts fide●ity, to satisfy their ends, if he glance but on one side▪ t●●n he hath whet a sword to pr●me his own head; and before his wings are too much entangled in these Parliament lime-twiggs, let him beware, least too late repentance( with many or his so exalted brethren) make him cry, Had-I-wist. ART, VI. I believe, the Army will now grow honest, the tares( the Agitators) being weeded up; and that there is no way for them to recover their Arears, but to join with his majesty, who hath a●ready made a royal Promise( beseeming such a King) whose Thought is his Word, his Word a Law, that Law unalterab●e; that he will perform the same. Secondly I believe, That the Souldiers have more wit then to come into the City to exact or leavy their pay, their head-pieces scaped a scouring at their first being there, it is a strong temptation to presume the second time. ART. VII. I believe, That the head of Anarchy is crushed into the very brains by the unanimity of the Army, and that though Consciences may be countenanced, yet Heresy, schism and profanes shall not be continued and authorised. ART. VIII. I believe, that the public faith which lies now in Lavenddr for the Parliaments debts, is not worth a louse, and all those that have lent out coin upon such usury, shall ere long have it return'd to 'em by Tom Long the Carrier. ART. IX. I believe, and am verily persuaded, That the time is at hand, when the Three kingdoms shall be linck't together in one love-knot that his majesty shall be set again upon his Royal Throne( if a blow prevent not) and sway the sceptre of his kingdom in Peace; that Satans Synagogue at Westminster shall be turned into a holy Senate, and the devil voted out of the Parliament-Hou●e, and then shall plenteousness walk in our streets, and our houses be filled with rejoicings; then shall Cheap-side conduit run with wine, and both rich and poor drink a health, and cry, GOD save King CHARLES. ART. X. I believe, That if Peters and del, those infernal Regiclde●, that Rainsborow, Martyn, and Scot, the Agents and Agitators that have conspired against the Lords anointed, and the Peace and happiness of the kingdom; be not hanged according to their deserts, that those Foxes with their fire-brands, will set the whole kingdom on a fresh flamme; and then none shall beat me off from this belief, That the Parliament sits to no other end and purpose, but to protect murder, and to council Treason. ART. XI. I do believe, That before 12. Suns surround the earth● globe, that there will be such a clashing in the Army, that the noise of it will give occasion either of the weal or woe of the whole kingdom; in the mean space( to let England see her complexion in the glass of time.) I am afraid( not making it an Article of my belief) that though the King is at( a supposed) liberty, yet there is room enough in that little Le to be guilty of royal murder; which heavens forbid. ART. XII. I do believe, That every true Subject, faithful to his principles, loyal to his sovereign, and obedient to the laws, with a willing heart and cheerful spirit, may make this free and full profession, without breach of Charity or hurt to Conscience, still praying for the return of his majesty, with safety, freedom, and honor, the continuation of Parliaments( but not for Seven yeers) the purity of Religion, the establishing and exercise of wholesome laws, and the settling of Peace, love and Unity both amongst ourselves, and all others our Christian brethren. FINIS.