❧ A Paraphrase upon the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed.  

IF any be distressed, and feign would gather  
Some comfort, let him hasten to Our Father,  
For we of help and hope are all bereaven,  
Unless thou secure us,   

— which art in Heaven,  
Thou showest mercy there, and for the same  
We praise thee, singing — hallowed be thy Name:  
Of our distresses, Lord, cast up the sum,  
Show us thy joys, and let   

— thy kingdom come:  
We mortal are, and alter from our birth,  
Thou constant art; — thy will be done on earth,  
Thou mad'st the Earth, Skies, Stars, and Planets seven,  
Thy Name be blessed here,   

— as 'tis in heaven:  
Nothing we have wherewith our debts to pay,  
Unless thou give to us, — give us this day  
Wherewith to  us, wherewith to be fed,  
For without thee we want   

— our daily bread:  
We want, but want no sin, for no day passes  
But we do sin: — forgive us our trespasses,  
No man from sin that ever free did live;  
Forgive us, Lord, our sins,   

— as we forgive  
If we repent our sins thou ne'er disdainest us;  
We pardon — them their trespasses against us:  
Forgive us that is past, and new path tread us;  
Direct us always in thy truth,   

— and lead us  
As thine own people, and thy chosen Nation,  
Into all truth, but — not into temptation:  
Thou that of all good grace's art the giver,  
Permit us not to wander,   

— but deliver  
Us from th'assaults of World, of Flesh, of Devil,  
So shall thy mercies free — us from all evil.  
To these Petitions let both Church and Laymen  
With one consent of voice and heart, say   

— Amen.  
SInce it be fit that I account should give,  
What way unto Salvation I Believe  
Of my profession here the sum I gather,  
First I confess a faith   

— in God the Father  
In God who without helper or partaker,  
Was of himself the Worlds — Almighty maker  
And first gave time his being, who gave breath,  
To all the creatures   

— both of heaven and earth:  
Our everlasting welfare doth consist,  
In his great mercies, — and in jesus Christ  
The second person of that three in one,  
The Fathers elect, and   

— his only Son,  
That ever blessed and incarnate Word,  
Which our Redeemer is, our life, — our Lord,  
For why? by Satan's guile we were deceived,  
Christ was that means of help,   

— which was conceived  
Yea when we were in danger to be lost,  
Conceived for us — by the Holy Ghost,  
And that we might not ever be forlorn,  
For our eternal safety he was   

— borne  
Borne as a man, that man might not miscarry,  
Even of the substance — of the Virgin Mary,  
And lo a greater mercy and a wonder,  
He that can make all suffer   

— suffered under  
The Jewish spite, which all the world reviled at,  
〈◊〉 Romish tyrannies of — Pontius Pilate,  
〈◊〉 him I do believe who was envied,  
Who with extremest hate   

— was crucified,  
Who being life itself, to make assured  
Our souls of safety, was both — dead and buried,  
And that no servile fear in us might dwell,  
To conquer   

— he descended into hell,  
Where no infernal power had power to lay  
Command upon him, but on — the third day  
The force of death and hell he did constrain,  
And so in Triumph   

— he arose again  
Yea the Almighty power advanced his head,  
As well above all things as — from the dead,  
Then that from thence gifts might to men be given,  
With glory   

— he ascended into heaven,  
Where that supreme and everlasting Throne,  
Which was prepared, he climbed — and sitteth on,  
That blessed seat where he shall make abode,  
To plead for us at   

— the right hand of God,  
And no where should he be enthroned rather,  
Then there, for he is God as is — the Father,  
And therefore with an equal love delight I,  
To praise and serve them both as one   

— Almighty:  
Yet in their office there's a difference,  
And I believe that Jesus Christ — from thence  
Shall in that great and universal doom,  
Return, and that with Angels   

— he shall come  
To question such as at his Empire grudge,  
Even those that have presumed him — to judge  
And that black day shall be so Catholic,  
As I believe not only that — the quick   

Shall to that grand Assize be summoned,  
But he will both adjudge them — ●d the dead:  
Moreover in the Godhead I conceive,  
Another Person in whom — I do believe   

For all my hope and blessednsse were lost,  
If I beeleeve not — in the Holy Ghost,  
Although vain Schismatics through pride and folly  
Contemn her power, I do believe — the holy   

Chaste Spouse of Christ, for whom so many search,  
By marks uncertain, the true — Catholic Church,  
I do believe, God keep us in this Union,  
That there shall be for ever — the Communion   

Of Gods elect, and that he still acquaints  
His children in the fellowship — of Saints,  
Though damned be men's natural condition,  
By grace in Christ I look for — the remission   

Of all my foul misdeeds, for there gins  
Death's end, which is the punishment — of sins,  
Moreover I the Sadducees infection  
Abhor, and do believe — the resurrection   

Yea though I turn to dust, yet through God I,  
Expect a glorious rising — of the body,  
And that exempted from the cares here rife,  
I shall enjoy perfection, — and the life   

That is not subject unto change or wasting,  
But ever blessed, and for — everlasting.  
This is my joy, which that it fail not when  
It most should speed me, let God say — Amen.   
To whom, that he so much vouchsafe me may,  
Thus as a member of the Church I pray.  
FINIS.   

R. B.  
LONDON, Printed in the year, 1641.