cease to be God when hee was made Man Ans No Christ did not cease to be God when he was made man but was from that time forth is now Heb. 13. 8. and ever shall be both God and Man Ioh. 11. 14. Rom. 9. 5. in one person 1 Cor. 8. 6. Qu. Why was Christ both God and Man Ans Christ was both God and Man that he might be a fit Mediator betwixt God and men and bee able both to doe and suffer all things that were to be done and suffered on our behalf Gal. 4. 4 5. Heb. 2. 11 14. 4. 15 16. Qu. Is there any other Mediator between God and men besides Jesus Christ Ans No there is but one Mediator betwixt God and men namely the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. who having died upon the crosse Phil. 2. 8. to save his people from their sinnes rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven where he now fits at Gods right hand and makes continuall intercession for them Acts 1. 9 10 11. Rom. 8. 34. Qu. What hath Christ done for such of us as belong to Gods election Ans First Christ hath fulfilled the Law Mat. 5. 17 18. which we ought to have exactly kept Rom. 10. 5. Secondly he hath merited a crown of righteousnesse for us by fulfilling that Law Phil. 2. 8 9. Heb. 2. 9. 12. 2. Qu. What benefit have we by Christs doings Ans We have this benefit by Christs doings First God will impute Christs righteousnesse to us in his fulfilling the Law Rom. 5. 10. Rom. 10. 5. Secondly he will give us the crown of glory which his Son Christ hath merited by his righteousnesse John 17. 22. Col. 3. 4. Heb. 9. 24. John 1. 23. Qu. What hath Christ suffered for us Ans Christ Jesus hath suffered for us thus First he hath born our sins 1 Pet. 2. 24. Heb. 9. 28. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Secondly he hath suffered the wrath of God due to us for sin 1 Pet. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 15. 3. Qu. What benefit have we by Christs sufferings for us Ans If we be indeed the people of God our benefit by Christs sufferings is very great For first God will not impute those sins to us which Christ hath born 2 Cor. 5. 19. And secondly God will not lay that wrath and vengeance upon us which Christ hath suffered and undergone Rom. 5. 9. 1 Thess 1. 10. but on the contrary he will give us through Christ all things good for us both here and hereafter Mat. 7. 10. Psal 84. 11. Qu. Seeing Christ hath both fulfilled the Law for us and satisfied Gods wrath we may cast away care because there 's nothing left for us to doe or suffer is there Ans In a way of merit or so as to rest upon our doings or sufferings for justification or salvation wee neither can nor may doe or suffer any thing Esay 64. 6. Phil. 3. 7 8 9. Luke 17. 10. But in a way of obedience we are bound both to doe and suffer whatsoever the will of God in his Word requires of us as a token of our submissivenesse and thankfulnesse to God 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Phil. 1. 20. Qu. How can wee doe any thing that is good seeing we have no power naturally of our selves Ans First even unbeleevers have so much naturall power of themselves as to use such outward meanes both in publick and private as are appointed of God through the assistance of his Spirit to work a power in them to please God and therefore they must not be idle and say they have no power of themselves but up and bee doing in the use of meanes Acts 9. 6. Luk. 13. 24. Phil. 2. 12. Secondly unfeigned beleevers who have some supernaturall power derived upon them from Christ Joh. 1. 16. must improve 2 Tim. 1. 6. Rev. 3. 2. that power also in the practise of duties of holiness towards God and duties of righteousnesse toward men all the dayes of their life Luke 1. 74 75. Acts 24. 16. For though wee shall not bee saved for our good works yet wee shall never bee saved without good works Heb. 12. 14. Jam. 2. 14 26. Qu. How are Christians made partakers of Christ and his benefits Ans Christians are made partakers of Christ and his benefits onely by faith apprehending and applying them Ephes 3. 17. Mat. 21. 22. Qu. What is Faith Ans Faith is a perswasion of the heart Rom. 10. 10. grounded upon the promises Psal 119. 49 50. of God rightly understood and applyed a Pet. 3. 16. Mat. 4. 6. comp with Psalm 91. 11. whereby I beleeve that Jesus Christ died for me Gal. 2. 20. as well as for any other Qu. Is this saving Faith in our own power or can we beleeve when we will Ans No we have not faith of our selves Ephes 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. neither is it in our own power to beleeve when we will but faith is the gift of God wrought in the heart of Gods elect by the Word Rom. 10. 17. and by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 3. 6 7. and therefore we must use the meanes to get it Qu. Cannot we be saved without Faith Ans No wee cannot bee saved without faith for he that believeth not on the Son of God shall not see life but shall perish eternally Joh. 3. 36. Mar. 16. 16. Gal. 3. 11. Qu. Is there any true faith in that soule that doth not unfeignedly repent Ans There is no true faith in that soule that doth not often act forth unfained repentance for his sins because every one that beleeves in Christ hath the spirit of Christ Gal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 9. but now true repentance is a saving grace issuing from Christs spirit 2 Tim. 2. 25. Zech. 12. 10. as well as faith Qu. What is true repentance Ans True repentance is an inward dislike hatred and sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 9 10. for all sinne Psal 119. 104. and a turning from it to God Jer. 3. 13. Jam. 4. 9 10. 1 Pet. 5. 6. Esay 1. 16 17. 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Prov. 8. 13. Psal â—7 10. Prov. 13. 5. chiefly upon this ground because every sin as it is sin is contrary to the holy nature Gen. 6. 6. Gen. 39. 9. and sacred will of God 1 Thess 4. 7. Q. What becomes of the souls of men after death Ans The soules of all that die in the true and unfeigned faith of Christ immediately goe to live with Christ in blessednesse Luk. 23. 43. Phil. 1. 23. and the soules of the wicked Luke 16. 23. goe immediately into hell torments Qu. Whether shall mens bodies rise again at the â—ast day or no Ans Yes the bodies both of the godly and ungodly shall rise again at the last day of â—udgment and at that time all shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive according to what they have done in the body whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 5. 10. and the righteous
scandalous persons unto it Because the rarity of such instances would sufficiently shew that it is but meerly accidentall to the Sacrament to be a means to convert people from Sin and Satan to God and Christ and we must not gather ordinary and standing Practicall rules from accidentall providences and rare events Besides the very nature of the outward elements do plainly discover the nature of this Sacrament to be nourishing and not begetting And lastly if any were ever converted by this Sacrament their conversion surely was either by beholding the outward elements which are a visible word or by hearing the words of institution read or opened and prayer joyned therewith both which wee call the consecration of the Elements and not by actuall receiving the outward signes which will onely prove that unworthy persons ought to be suffered to see and heare but not prove that they ought actually to receive and partake of the Sacramentall elements Qu. But at least doe you not think that the by-past sins of a true beleever are pardoned in and by his meet partaking of the Lords-supper Ans No for if he be a true beleever his sins past especially if confessed to God and seriously repented of are pardoned Ezek. 18. 21 22. with God before he comes to eate and drink at the Lords Table Qu. If his sins committed bee pardoned before he comes to the Lords Table then what good can a beleever get by receiving that Sacrament Ans Though the sins past be pardoned to a Christian before hee comes to the Lords Table yet being a beleever and a worthy receiver he is by the Sacrament strengthened in a more firm belief of the pardon of his sins and also he is strengthened in a greater confidence that God will increase all saving graces in him Jud. 6. 36 37. c. Qu. How can the eating of a morsell of bread and the drinking of a little wine at the Lords Table strengthen the faith and make you more confident that God will increase all saving graces in you Ans In this respect the eating of the bread and drinking of the wine at the Lords Table doe strengthen and increase my faith and confidence Because I know that Christ did set apart bread and wine as tokens and pledges to assure me that as surely as a weak body is made stronger grows greater and is preserved alive by receiving meat and drink so surely shall my soul be made stronger in faith grow more and more in all saving graces and bee nourished up unto eternall life through my eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ by faith Joh. 6. 54. c. Qu. But doe worthy Communicants eat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ in the Sacrament Ans Yes worthy Communicants do eat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ at the Lords supper Joh. 6. 53 56. Q. How can we eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ seeing Christ is in heaven and we are on earth Ans Though Christ be in heaven and we on earth yet by faith we can reach him and by faith we doe spiritually eate his flesh and drink his blood Joh. 6. 35 47 48. Qu. But what is it to eat and drink Christs flesh and blood spiritually by faith Ans To eat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ spiritually by faith is to beleeve unfeignedly that as Jesus Christ doth spiritually unite himself to the outward signs of bread and wine so this spirituall presence of Christ in the outward signs doth bring along with it the merits and benefits of Christs active and passive obedience for the comforting strengthening and nourishing of my soul Qu. Is not Iesus Christ bodily present in the Sacrament Ans No Christ is not bodily present in the Sacrament for the Scriptures affirm that the heaven must receive him untill the times of restitution of all things Act. 3. 21. Qu. But are not the bread and wine changed into the very flesh and blood of Christ after the Minister has consecrated them that is after he hath read the words of Institution given thanks and prayed Ans The bread and wine after the words of consecration do receive a Sacramentall change in their use and effects because the worthy receiver by faith takes them as sacred and holy pledges and seals of Christs body and blood which before consecration were but common and ordinary creatures But in regard of their substance and materiality they remaine still the same as they were before without any change at all Qu. But does not Christ himself say of the Bread This is my body and of the Wine This is my blood and does not Christ speak true in so saying Ans Christs words in calling the bread and wine his Body and Blood are most certainly true in his own sacramentall and spirituall sense Joh. 6. 63. but not in a literall and carnall sense For if Christ had given his disciples his very flesh and blood to be eaten by their bodily mouths as they sate at the Table then he could not the next day have suffered upon the crosse which yet hee did Mat. 26. 26 34. comp with Mat. 27. 1. 46 50. Again if Christs body were materially present upon the Communion Table after the words of Consecration then he should bee in a hundred places at once for the Sacrament may bee and is many times administred in a hundred severall Congregations at one very time and so also we should make Christ to have a hundred bodies we still conclude therefore that Christ is not bodily but onely Sacramentally and spiritually present in the Sacrament Qu. But to return to our former matters Do all those that partake outwardly of this Sacrament of the Lords-supper receive the forenamed spirituall benefits thereby Ans No all those that partake of the outward signs do not receive the spirituall benefits for many come to this Sacrament of the Lords-supper not for the better but for the worse 1 Cor. 11. 17. 34. Qu. In what respect doe many come to the Lords Table for the worse Ans Many come to the Lords Table for the worse because by unworthy receiving thereat they become guilty of the body and blood of Christ and eat and drink their own damnation 1 Cor. 11. 27 29. Qu. How may unworthy partakers at the Lords table be said to be guilty of the body and blood of Christ Ans Unworthy partakers at the Lords Table are guilty of the body and blood of Christ because they are guilty of casting a sleight and contempt upon the body and blood of Christ which in that ordinance are represented unto them 1 Cor. 11. 20 21 22 29. Qu. How are unworthy partakers said to eate and drink their own damnation or judgment Ans Unworthy partakers at the Lords Table are said to eat and drink their own damnation or judgment because by that sin of unworthy receiving they do as certainly draw damnation or judgment upon themselves if they should
shall goe into life eternall and the wicked into everlasting punishment Mat. 25. 34 41. Of the Sacraments Qu. HOw many Sacraments have we under the New Testament Ans Under the New Testament wee have onely two Sacraments namely Baptism and the Lords-supper Qu. What mean you by the word Sacrament Ans Every Sacrament is an ordinance of God wherein by externall visible and ordinary creatures and acts God doth signifie and seal Rom. 4. 11. unto us the reall and spirituall conveyance of heavenly graces and doth likewise receive a mutuall seale from us of our new and better obedience according to the mutuall Covenant between him and us Qu. What is that mutuall covenant between God and us Ans The mutuall Covenant between God and us is expressed in these words I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people Jer. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. Qu. What is the meaning of this Covenant Ans In this Covenant God promiseth that he will be al-sufficient unto us both in respect of our soules and bodies but yet so as that he covenanteth for himself that we must fear serve and endeavour to obey his whole will In a word if we take him to be our God wee must give up our selves to be his people Qu. How many things are requisite to the making of a Sacrament Ans Three ingredients are necessary to make a Sacrament namely 1 Words of institution from the Lord. 2 An outward sign 3 An inward grace signified by that outward sign Qu. How often must we take the Sacraments Ans It is enough to be baptized once onely Acts 7. 8. because Baptisme is a pledge of our new-birth Tit. 3. 5. But we must receive the Lords-supper often Acts 2. 42. 20. 7. because the Lords-supper is the seale and pledge of our continuance and growth in Christ 1 Cor. 10. 16. Qu. What is Baptism Ans Baptism is the first Sacrament of the New Testament wherein God doth seale and assure to his elect their regeneration or new-birth Ephes 5. 26. 1 Pet. 3. 21. Tit. 3. 5. Acts 22. 16. and all the benefits of Christ which are entayled upon that new-birth Qu. What is the word of Institution in the Sacrament of Baptism Ans The word of Institution in the Sacrament of Baptism runs thus Goe ye and disciple all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Mat. 28. 19. Qu. What is the outward signe in Baptism Ans The outward signe in Baptism is water John 3. 23. Acts 8. 38. wherewith the party baptized is to be sprinkled washed or dipped in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost Qu. What is the inward grace signified and sealed to us by the water of Baptism Ans The inward grace signified and sealed to us by the water of Baptism is principally the grace of regeneration yet there be divers other graces also As for instance 1 By outward Baptism we are made members of the visible Church of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Acts 2. 41. 2 To them that beleeve Baptism signifies and seales their reall and firme union to Jesus Christ Rom. 6. 3. Gal. 3. 27. Ephes 4. 5. 3 Baptism signifies and seales the spirituall washing of our souls from the guilt of sin and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto justification and salvation Acts 2. 38. Rom. 4. 11. Qu. What sort of persons ought to bee admitted to the Sacrament of Baptism Ans Those that professe their faith repentance and obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ Mat. 3 6. Acts 8. 12 13 37 38. 2. 41. they and their children Acts 2. 39. 2 Cor. 7. 14. Acts 16. 15 33. 1 Cor. 1. 16. Mat. 28. 19. ought to be admitted to Baptisme Qu. Can you give me any one good ground why the Infants of professors must be baptized Ans If the infants of Professors under the new Testament might not be baptized we might then conclude that the Law was more glorious and more full of grace then the Gospel and the Infants of the Jewes more happy before Christs Incarnation then the children of Christians since Christs Incarnation and ascension but the Scripture teacheth the contrary 2 Cor. 3. 8 9 10 11. therefore the Infants of Christians ought not to be kept from Baptism seeing the Jews Infants were not kept from Circumcision Qu. Is every elected Infant inwardly regenerated at the very time of its being washed with Baptismall water Ans Every elected Infant is not so regenerated at the very time of its being washed with Baptismall water For these Reasons 1 Because we doe not find that God hath so tyed and limited himself to any ordinance and therefore we must not dare to limit him to such a particular time in this ordinance Psal 78. 41. 2 Regeneration doth not alwayes accompany outward Baptism because many elected persons baptized with water in their infancy live twenty or thirty yeares together in open prophanenesse and impiety before they reform their wayes and shall we think that these were regenerated or inwardly renewed by the holy Ghost at their infant-baptisme Sure the tree would have been known by its fruits and had the seed of God been in them it would have put forth its blade and ear before this time Mat. 12. 33. 1 Joh. 3. 9. Qu. WHat is the Sacrament of the Lords-supper Ans The Sacrament of the Lords-supper is the sign seale and pledge Rom. 4. 11. 1 Cor. 10. 16. of our continuance and growth in that saving faith and all other saving graces which God hath already wrought in our soules Qu. What sort of persons ought to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords-supper Ans Those that have a competent measure of knowledge in the mysteries of godlinesse and are sound in the faith and cannot bee justly accused of any vilenesse or impiety in their walking before God or men such the Church must receive into her communion and fellowship here but all others shee ought to refuse Tit. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 11. 17 18 19. Rev. 2. 14 15 16. Rev. 2. 20. Tit. 3. 10 11. Mat. 18. 15 16 17 18. 1 Cor. 5. 2 5 7 12 13. 2 Thess 3. 6. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6. ver Qu. How shall the Church come to know the state and condition of her members Ans Every particular member ought to watch over his fellow-members Matth. 18. 15 16 c. 1 Cor. 12. 25 c. but especially the Church-Officers are bound by vertue of their Office also to be very carefull over the Flock and to look after their knowledge faith and manners as the Scriptures doe abundantly witnesse Acts 20. 17 28 29 30 31. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Mat. 7. 6. Phil. 2. 19. Col. 4. 8. 1 Thess 3. 2 5 6. Tit. 1. 7. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. Qu. But may every one that the Church doth admit of come boldly to the Lords Table without any danger Ans Every