By John Bradford
Upon the Twelve Articles of the Christian Faith
I Believe in God the Father, &c.
O Lord God, the Father of our Saviour Jesus Christ, thy people in saying this article, I believe in God the Father Almighty, &c., by faith know that thou, together with Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, did create all things that are in heaven and in earth, for by heaven and earth are understood all things therein. And as they know this, so they by the same faith do see thee the same God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, governing all things after thy great wisdom, power, righteousness, and mercy, and using every creature they see as means to put them in remembrance of fearing, reverencing, trusting, and loving thee; for in every creature they behold thy presence, power, wisdom, and mercy.
Again, by this word Father, they declare their belief that they are not only thy creatures, and that all they have is thy gracious gift and blessing; but also that they are thy children, dearly beloved, and cared for of thee through Jesus Christ; whereby, (notwithstanding their unworthiness,) as they conceive a sure hope of thy goodness and fatherly love towards them, in soul and body for ever so they are thankful for their creation, and also that thou hast made them thy excellent creatures, lords of all. They are thankful for the creation of all creatures, and use them with thankfulness, as visible tokens of thy invisible love. They are thankful for thy preserving and keeping them, and for thy governing them and all the world, lamenting that they are no more thankful, that they believe no deeper; and that reason (human reasoning, unbelief, editor) has so great power with them in these matters.
But, most gracious good Lord and Father, though I say, I believe in thee, my father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, yet thou knows that I am full of much doubting, not only whether thou art my good, Almighty, and most loving dear Father in Christ, because I feel in myself such a consciousness of unworthiness, and such great want of the things which thou requires of thy children, (and so I transfer the cause of my being thy child in part to myself, whereas it is due only and wholly always to thy mercy anal grace in Christ,)obut also thou knows my doubting of my creation and governance, and of the creation and governance of all this world, as I declare by my unthankfulness for my creation, for mine adoption, for my gubernation (being governed or guided, editor), for thy providence for me. Or else, dear Father, I could not but heartily with thy children rejoice and praise thy holy name, and that continually; being henceforth anxious for nothing but how to please thee, and profit thy people, and that they might praise thy name in all things for evermore, desiring the sanctification of thy name, the coming of thy kingdom, the doing of thy will upon earth as it is in heaven.
Thou might have made me a dog. but of thy goodness hast made me a creature after thine image. Thou might have made me a Turk, a Jew, a Saracen, but thou hast made me a Christian, a member of thy church. Thou, after my birth, might have left me, and in all need have made no provision for me, as we sometimes see has happened unto others; but yet thou never did so with me, and yet I am of all others most unthankful.
Thy creatures I use not thankfully; I consider not thy invisible love by thy manifold visible tokens, as I now should by this apparel of my body, by this bodily health, by this light, by this my hearing, seeing, feeling, memory, understanding, time, place, company, creatures. and benefits; as well in keeping innumerable evils from me, both in soul and body, which else could not but come to me; as also in giving to me now so many things, which without thy especial grace and working I never could have had, or could keep. In thy creatures I see not thy power, for I fear thee not; I see not thy presence, for I reverence thee not; I see not thy wisdom, for I adore thee not; I see not thy mercy, for I love thee not; I praise thee not but in lips and tongue. Therefore in all that thy creatures do teach me, they cry out upon me to be thankful to thee, to love, fear, serve thee, and trust in thee, and that continually; and since I do not so, they cannot but cry out upon me and against me in thy sight, and in the day of judgment they will arm themselves against me.
Oh that I now considered this! Oh that my blind eyes and my deaf ears were opened! Oh that my miserable and foolish heart were made wise and converted! This thou alone can do who hast all men's hearts in thy hands, to bow than as pleases thee. Bow my heart, good Lord, into thy testimonies. Open my eyes. Make me to hear, for thy mercy's sake, that I may believe and so love thee, be thankful to thee, amend in all things and serve thee, though not as thy dear servants do, yet at the least as brute creatures do; that is, to obey thee and to be profitable to others.
Now forasmuch as my sins hinder this, and all good things from me, I beseech thee to pardon me all my sins according to thy gracious promise, for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
