Declaration and Confession
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A87704.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
THE Declaration and Profession OF THE REVEREND Mr. John Kettlewell, (Who Departed this Life, April 12. 1695.) Made by him at the Receiving the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. March 23, 1694-95.
LOoking upon myself under my present Weakness, as having but little time to continue in this World, and waiting patiently for my Change sooner or later, as it shall please Almighty God, in whose hands my times are, and I desire they should be, to send it; I think fit to make, and leave behind me, this DECLARATION and PROFESSION following.
I profess firmly and steadfastly, to Believe the Creed whereinto I was Baptized, the Holy Catholic Faith, in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. In which Blessed Godhead, I humbly believe, and Religiously adore, both the Unity in Trinity, and also the Trinity in Unity.
I Profess to Continue Firm and steadfast, in the Unity and Communion of Christ's Holy Catholic Church. Being freely and heartily ready, to join with all sound Members in the Communion thereof, in all Holy and Divine Offices, as the Providence of God should bring them to me, or me to them; to demean myself towards them in all things as my Brethren; and to be affected with what befalls them, as one Member ought to be with the Joy or Grief of another. And as for those who are broken off from the True and Saving Faith, Worship or Unity of this Body; I heartily pity them, and Pray for their Recovery and Re-Union.
And having been not only made a Member, but, by my Blessed Master Jesus Christ's inestimable Vouchsafement, called to be a Minister of His in the Church of England; I do Profess and Declare, That as I have Lived and Ministred hitherto, So I do still Continue Firm, in its Faith, Worship, and Communion.
And as for my Deprivation of my Living since this late Revolution, in Company with many other Excellent and Pious Persons, for not taking the New Oath of Allegiance to those who Claim'd the same; As I did, so I still do firmly believe, That it was on many Great and dreadful Acounts, my Bonnden Duty absolutely to refuse the same: And that such Refusal was, and is, a most righteous and rewardable Cause of Suffering I bless my God, who was pleased to Call me, and Enable me thereby to give a Proof of the Sincerity of my Love, and Preference of him before this World, by Willingly, and Gladly Quitting a worldly Livelihood for his sake. And as upon this Righteous Account, I parted with my Living, with much more Satisfaction and Pleasure of Mind, than I at first received it with; So, Blessed be God's Holy Name, I take the same Comfort and Satisfaction therein still.
And as for the most unhappy and lamentable Breach of Church-Unity and Communion among Us, By setting up Bishop against Bishop on account of this New-Oath of Allegiance, and for the Continuance and Confirmation of the matter thereof in the Public and Daily Offices and Ministrations of Religion; making both Oaths, and Holy Offices, as much as may be in all Points subservient to this New-Allegiance: In this most sorrowful Breach of Church-Society; I profess, That as I have done hitherto, so I do still heartily and firmly Embrace and Continue in the Communion of those Orthodox and Rightful Bishops, and the Clergy and People Adhereing unto them, who have Suffered, as I belleve for their Steadfastness to the Rules of Righteousness in the Refusal of this New-Oath, and who keep their Divine Offices and Ministrations Free from all those things, which my Conscience sticks at in the same; being now about to Receive the Benefit of Absolution, and the Blessed Eucharist, from the hands of One of them. I heartily and earnestly Pray for the Cure, of this most Great and Grievous Breach. And whensoever the time of Healing shall come, The Lord, who purchased his Church with his own Blood, put the work of Healing and Re-Union into wise and good Hands, who, without Passion, or Personal Prejudices, or any regard to past Wrongs, or private Interests, shall faithfully, and unbyassedly pursue the Blessed work of Christian-Union, and be willing and Glad to see those Truths which make for Unity, and will have nothing else in their Eyes, but how to Re-Settle this poor Broken Church in Truth, Purity, Unity, and Peace.
As for the Books which I have writ since this Revolution, to keep up among my Christian Brethren, a Sense of truly Apostolical and Primitive Morals at a time when most seemed bent to Start, or take up with any Shifts or Salvo's to set the same aside; for their worldly Safety: Or, to direct them about their Civil Obedience, and Comfort, and Support them under any worldly Dangers or Sufferings for the same; Or to guide them in their way of Worship, that they may perform the same with Purity, and in the Unity and Communion of Christ's Holy Church: I bless God, my sincere design in Writing, and Publishing them, was with much Pains, and some Hazard, to serve my Blessed Master; and as I thought, the Great and Pressing Needs of his Church and People amongst us. And as I truly, and sincerely believed all the Points I have Taught, and Delivered therein, when I Wrote and Published them: So I do now Profess, That after all the time I have had to Consider them since; and after all that I have heard or met with in opposition to any Matters contained therein, which I think I have duly weighed and looked through, I do truly and sincerely believe them all to be true still.
And all this, I have here Solemnly Professed and Declared, for the Benefit and Satisfaction of those, who shall be desirous to know, whether I continued in the Belief and Practice of the same things at my Death, which I Professed, Taught, and Practised in my Life.
JOHN KETTLEWELL.
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