And what was our part of the Covenant was it not that we would believe in Jesus Christ repent of our Sins and sincerely obey him all our Days Yes The Vow of Baptism in renouncing the Devil Seeing we renounced the Devil in our Baptism may we any way deal with him as by Conjuration or Witcheraft No. When Men go to Conjurers and Witches for any help do they not in some degree forsake God Yes Are the Works of the Devil all Sin particularly Pride Lying Malice Envy Murder and tempting others to Sin Yes Must not a Christian forsake all the Pomps of the World the World Yes Are not the Pomps of the World all Excess in Diet Sports or Apparel or what 's above our Degree and Quality Yes Are we not to forsake all Temptations of the World Yes All the vain and sinful Customs of the World Yes All things of the World that may be an occasion of sin to us Yes All that friendship of the World that is enmity with God Yes All things of the World that may take off my heart from God Yes Should a Christian either covet or greedily and inordinately seek the Riches Honours and Pleasures of the World No. Must we so forsake the World as to get or keep no part of it by unlawful means nor set our heart on it Yes Must we forsake all wicked Companies and all wicked Customs of the World Yes Should a Christian be led by the sinful Lusts the Plesh or the unclean desires of the Flesh No. Are we not to forsake all those Lusts of the Flesh which St. Paul mentions Gal. 5.19 c. Yes Promise of Faith in Baptism and Obedience Do you believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith which your Godfathers and Godmothers promised you should believe Yes Will you labour to keep God's holy Will and Commands as they promised in your name Yes Are we not highly concerned to keep this Covenant with God which we made at our Baptism Yes Can we reasonably expect that God should make good his part of this Covenant if we do not sincerely make good our part No. ¶ Sunday III. ¶ Lord's Supper ARE not all Christians to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as often as conveniently they can Yes meaning of it Do we not come to the Sacrament thankfully to remember Christ's Death for us and to renew that Covenant with God which we made at our Baptism Yes Can any good Christian desire to be excused from doing this No. Renewing of the Covenant of Grace Does not the Covenant which we renew contain Mercies on God's part and Duties on ours Yes Are not the Mercies on God's part as was said before Pardon of Sin Grace here and Glory hereafter Yes And are not the Duties on our part Faith or a stedfast belief in Christ Repentance for all known sin and future sincere Obedience Yes Should we neglect to examine our seives before Examination wherein we have broken our Covenant by sinning against God No. Should we not examine how wilful how great how frequent our sins against God have been Yes Humiliation and Contrition Ought not this sight of them to bring us to Humiliation and Contrition Yes Is not the true Contrition a sorrow out of Love to God Yes That is should we not sorrow because we have offended so good a Father so tender a Saviour and grieved his Holy Spirit Yes Should we not privately in Prayer Confesion confess our Sins to God and mention in particular the chiefest of them Yes Must we not beg God to cleanse us from secret Sins those which we have forgot by saying with David Cleanse thou me from my secret faults Yes Resolutions of Obedience When we have sorrowed for them and confessed them may we still keep them and live in them No. Must we not renounce them and resolve to obey God better for the future Yes When we have examined our selves Faith and confessed our Sins to God and sorrowed for love of him and purposed sincerely to obey him for the future are we to believe that our sins shall be pardoned through Christ Yes Must we not bring with us to the Sacrament Charity Charity and Love to our Brethren Yes May we come with malice and hatred in our hearts No. Must we not labour to reconcile them to us whom we have injured and seek forgiveness and make our peace with them before we come Yes And must we not be ready to forgive them that have injured us Yes Must we not bring with us Devotion Devotion and put off all thoughts of the World Yes Vsefulness of a Spiritual Guide If we doubt of any thing before should we not do well to ask the advice of a Minister Yes Should we be ashamed or afraid to discover the griefs or doubts of our Soul to him No. Would a good Man like us much the better for so doing Yes Meditation when receiving When we are at the Lord's Table should we not humbly meditate on our own Unworthiness Yes And should we not thankfully meditate on Christ's sufferings for us Yes Was not Christ the Sacrifice which was offered up for our Sins Yes Could there be a greater instance of Love than for Christ to die for us and our Salvation No. For this Love of Christ's can we return him less than Love and Obedience No. Thankfulness afterward After the Sacrament should we not thank God for the benefits and mercies there received Yes Mindfulness of our good Purposes Should we forget any of our good Resolutions there made No. Is it not very dangerous willfully to break them Yes Should we not often renew our Covenant with God in the Sacrament Yes ¶ Sunday IV. ¶ Honouring God's name SHould we not honour God in his name Yes May a Christian dishonour it by swearing No. May we dishonour him by speaking any evil or thinking any evil of God No. Of Perjury and Oaths Is not Perjury or false-swearing a dreadful sin against God Yes Should not a Christian be very careful never to swear vainly rashly or falsly Yes Should he ever swear at all unless he be lawfully called to it No. Ought not every Christian to lay to heart the great sin and danger of swearing vainly rashly and falsly Yes ¶ Sunday V. ¶ MUST not a Christian Worship God in his Soul and Body Yes Worship Must not a Christian pray frequently and constantly Yes Prayer When we pray to God should we not confess our Sins to him and beg his Pardon Confession and his Grace to amend our lives Yes Should not a Christian pray in private as well as publick Yes Should not a Christian in Prayer beg of God for those Graces which he most wants Yes Should not the Lyar beg of God the Grace to speak Truth the Lustful Man for Chastity the Proud Man for Humility and the like
our Souls are thus strengthened so are they refreshed too by the comfortable Apprehensions of having renewed the Covenant of Grace with our God and Saviour to the Conditions of which if we sincerely stand on our part we are certainly intituled to Heaven and Glory and Immortality We are refreshed as we before intimated by the comfortable Hopes of Pardon of Sin and of being restored to the Divine Favour which we certainly then are if we fail not of our part These are strengthenings and refreshings of the Soul as great as any that can be given to the Body by bread and wine Question What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper Answer To examine themselves whether they repent them c. THE meaning is All that come to this Sacrament if they hope to feast comfortably on the body and blood of their Saviour and to partake of all the benefits of his Death and Sufferings are to come daily prepared And to that end are as the Apostle advises 1 Cor. 11.28 to examine themselves Now this Examination is chiefly to be touching these Five things which are here summed up together in this Answer 1. touching their Repentance 2. Touching their Resolutions of a new Life or Obedience 3. Touching their Faeith 4. Touching their Charity 5. Touching their Thankfulness and Devotion 1. Touching their Repentance Repentance in short is this A change of Life a turning from Sin to God with Confession and Contrition a lasting durable State of new Life and Reformation 2. Touching resolutions of a new Life and Obedience That is a future sincere universal constant and persevering discharge of all known Duty to our God our Selves and Neighbours and where at any time we fail of perfection through Infirmity there instantly to rise again by Repentance a greater diligence and watchfulness 3. Touching our Faith Faith in short is this Such a belief of Jesus Christ and his Gospel as makes us sincerely obedient to his Laws and to live accordingly We are to come with Faith in God's Mercy that is stedfastly believing that for the sake of our Saviour our God will not fail to be reconciled to us upon Repentance Reformation and a persevering future Obedience 4. Touching our Charity Charity in brief is this A sincere Love of God and of our Neighbour for God's sake Now this Charity is to shew its self to our Neighbour in a readiness to Give and Forgive To forgive Injuries that is all lesser and more inconsiderable Injuries so as to seek no satisfaction In greater instances or in considerable and insupportable matters though we may seek for legal Reparation from the injurious Person yet we are so far to forgive as not to seek it with spite and rigour and malice and hatred and with designs of gratifying our revengeful Humour But still to carry a treatable and friendly a Christian and charitable Disposition toward the Person And to be ready to make satisfaction to and to seek a reconciliation with them whom we have injured In giving to them of need and in this holy Sacrament never to appear before the Lord empty In short to be charitably inclined to all Men not only our Friends but even our bitterest Enemies and not to be hindred from it by the difficulty of the Duty considering the Example of our Master and the Crown before us 5. Touching our Thankfulness and Devotion That is to come to these holy Mysteries with a thankful remembrance of Christ's astonishing and most endearing Love in dying for us with a Heart and Soul and Mouth full of Thanks and Praises and Zeal and Devotion Divine Love and purposes of Obedience full of the most affectionate admiration that our God and Saviour should do so much more for us fallen Men than he did for the fallen Angels As for that unworthiness the Apostle speaks of in not discerning the Lord's body that consists in these Four Things 1. In not discerning it by Faith from a common meal or from common food Not discerning Christ's body in the consecrated bread and Christ's blood in the consecrated wine 2. In not by Faith discerning this holy Sacrament from the Jewish Passover as some of the half converted Jews did not 3. In not discerning Christ's body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine so as to come to it irreverently 4. Not so to discern Christ's body as to come to it with a remaining affection to sin with a known willful sin unrepented of unresolved against particularly hatred and malice These are the chief parts of unworthiness So that if we examine our selves touching the Five things mentioned 1. Repentance 2. Faith in the Holy Jesus 3. Resolutions of a Christian Life and a new Obedience 4. Our Charity 5. Our Thankfulness and Devotion and find them in the Soul though in lower degrees and measures yet if we find there withal desires of having them greater let us not then fear of eating and drinking our own Damnation but ever come with a holy chearful humble and devout heart to this most heavenly Duty Thus have I briefly explained the Nature and the meaning and the benefits of the Two Sacraments which are necessary for all men in general to Salvation and which our blessed Saviour a little before he left this lower World appointed and ordered to be continued by us in his Church to the Worlds end to be dispensed by the Ministers of the Gospel to all believers as the ordinary way and means to keep us in Covenant with him and to convey Grace to his People Accordingly he has appointed and set apart a whole Order of Men in succession down from the Apostles to administer the Word and both these Sacraments to all faithful People till his second coming to judge the World The First of these I mean Baptism is the Sacrament by which we are admitted into his Church the Second of these the Lord's Supper is the Sacrament by which we solemnly and thankfully own our having been so The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted to the Favour of our God and Saviour the Second is that Sacrament by which we are to continue our selves in that Favour Again The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted and received into the Covenant of Grace before we knew it the Second of these is the Sacrament by which we renew and confirm this gracious Covenant with our God and Saviour The First of these the Sacrament by which we have a Title given us to a Kingdom of Glory the Second is the Sacrament to which God mercifully invites us to ratifie confirm and renew that Title of ours to a Crown of Life The First of these the Sacrament by which we are new-born to Righteousness the Second of them is the Sacrament by which we are nourished up in it The First of these the Sacrament by which we are made Christians or Disciples of the Holy Jesus the other the Sacrament by which we solemnly
they come Yes Are we not undone for ever if he be not merciful to us and forgive us our Sins Yes Should we therefore forget earnestly to beg forgiveness daily No. Should not our expectation of God's forgiveness make us incline to forgive our Brethren Yes Are we not liable to Dangers ghostly and bodily every Day of our lives Yes Is it not God's Protection and Grace that secures us from any of them Yes And have we not reason to beg him daily to save us from all dangers ghostly and bodily i. e. of Soul and Body Yes Is it not by his restraining Grace that we are kept from all sin and wickedness Yes Is it not by his Power and Providence that we are kept from our ghostly Enemy the Devil Yes Is it not by his Mercy that we are kept one day more from everlasting death Yes Can we desire any thing better than to be kept by his Grace from Sin the Devil and Hell No. Are not Sin Hell the Devil and Everlasting Death the most dreadful things imaginable Yes And have we not reason to beg God daily to deliver us from them Yes Are we not to trust that our loving Father for Christ's sake will do these things for us Yes SECT V. Of the Sacraments Question HOW many Sacraments hath Christ ordained c. Answer Two only as generally necessary to Salvation c. Question What meanest thou by this Word Sacrament Answer I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward c. Question How many Parts are there in a Sacrament Answer Two the outward visible sign and the inward spiritual Grace HATH not God besides Prayer appointed the Word and Sacraments as the ordinary means of Salvation Yes Are there any more than Two which are necessary for all Men to whom Christianity is revealed No. But are not these Two necessary for all men in general Yes Are not these the Two Sacraments Baptism and the Lord's Supper Yes Will not the willful neglect of either of these Sacraments highly offend God Yes Can any wilfully neglect them without endangering their Salvation No. Are not the Sacraments Signs or Tokens of God's Favour to us Yes And that we shall partake of all the Benefits of Christ's Death if we are not wanting to our selves Yes Are they not means to convey Grace to the Soul Yes Can there be a more dangerous folly than to refuse the Pledges of our Master's Love and the Conveyances of his Grace No. Is there not in every Sacrament an outward part to be seen by the Eye Yes And is there not in every Sacrament an inward part to be received by Faith Yes Of Baptism Question WHat is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism Answer Water wherein the Person is baptized In the Name of c. Question What is the inward and spiritual Grace Answer A Death unto Sin and a new Birth unto c. Question What is required of Persons to be baptized Answer Repentance whereby they forsake sin and Faith c. Question Why then are Infants baptized c. Answer Because they promise them both by their Sureties c. IS not Baptism a Sacrament or sacred Rite Yes Are we not admitted into the Covenant of Grace by the Sacrament of Baptism Yes Was not this the Covenant which your Godfathers and Godmothers promised you should stand to Yes Should we cease to be thankful to God for calling us to this Grace and Favour No. Well then in this Covenant of Grace did not God promise Pardon of Sin Grace and Glory to us Yes But must we expect these unless we perform something on our part No. Is it not our part to believe in Jesus Christ to repent of our Sins and to obey him Yes Was not this the happy Covenant we were received into at our Baptism Yes You said but now that in every Sacrament there was an outward part to be seen by the Eye and an inward part to be discerned by Faith did you not Yes Is not Water the outward part of the Sacrament of Baptism Yes And is not this the inward and spiritual part that our Sins are pardoned and we made God's Children Yes Is not this washing by Water in Baptism to be In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Yes Are we not by this Sacrament of Baptism admitted to God's Favour Yes And received into his Church Yes And made his Children by Adoption as we were before by Creation Yes Should this Mercy and Favour ever be forgotten by us No. Suppose any Person be not Baptized till he come to be a Man or Woman must he not declare his belief in Christ and his Repentance before he be baptized Yes Can Infants declare their Faith and Repentance themselves No. Seeing they cannot is it not fit that others should promise them for them Yes But must not they themselves stand to this Covenant of Faith Repentance and Obedience when they grow up if they hope to be saved Yes If they will not stand to these things in sincerity do they not forfeit the Benefits of their Baptism Yes Well then do you your self firmly believe the Christian Religion as was promised for you Yes Do you repent of and renounce all Sin as was promised for you Yes Will you sincerely Love and Obey your God and Saviour as was promised for you Yes Should we ever forget these our Promises in Baptism No. Should we be ever faithful to our baptismal Vow Yes Of the Lord's Supper Question WHY was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ordained Answer For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice c. Question What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper Answer Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded c. Question What is the inward part or thing signified Answer The Body and Blood of Christ which are verily c. Question What are the Benefits whereof we are made partakers thereby Answer The strengthening and refreshing of our Souls by c. Question What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper Answer To examine themselves whether they repent c. IS not the Lord's Supper the other Sacrament Yes Was not this ordained for a remembrance of Christ's dying for us Yes And do we not in this Sacrament renew the Covenant of our Baptism Yes Well then are not these two things the meaning and end of this Sacrament that is a remembrance of Christ's Death and a renewing of the Covenant of Baptism Yes And have we not need to renew it often Yes Does it shew our Love of Christ to come to the Sacrament but seldom No. Do we in this Sacrament profess our selves solemnly to be Christians or Christ's Disciples Yes If it be in remembrance of Christ's Death and be a renewing of the Covenant of Baptism can we do it too often if we come prepared No. Can we too frequently commemorate the Sufferings and the Love of the Lord that bought us No. Is not Bread and
do thus stedfastly keep up this Communion with each other in all holy things in Faith and Worship Love and Obedience they all have a Communion or Fellowship with the Blessed Trinity with the holy Angels and with the Saints departed So that as I am a member of Christ's Catholick or Universal Church so I ever desire to keep Communion or Fellowship with them in all Holy Things and that as Christ is our Common Head and we his Members and I never withdrawing my self from this Communion so my Faith may be accepted with theirs my Prayers offered up with theirs my profession of the Gospel may appear with theirs my Duty Love and Obedience may be accepted with theirs in the Day of the Lord Jesus And thus I believe the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints X. ARTICLE The forgiveness of Sins THE meaning is I believe that whereas every Sin whether of Thought Word or Action is a transgression of the Law of God and for every transgression the Sinner is liable to Eternal Punishment by the infinite Justice of God Yet that God in his unspeakable Mercy gave his Son Jesus and the Son gave himself to become a Surety for this Debt of ours and did offer up himself a Sacrifice by his Death to God's Justice and a satisfaction for us Thus reconciling God's punishing Justice with his pardoning Mercy Provided that the Sinner who had chosen amiss chosen the ways of Sin and Death would in Faith and with Repentance and new Obedience turn seasonably to God and chuse better I firmly believe the first remission is obtained by the Holy Sacrament of Baptism All original and actual Sin being there washed away to every one that duly partakes of that Sacrament But whereas alas 't is too true we have some way or other stained the white Robes which we had put on when we came from the waters of Baptism and because every disobedience since is a recession or going back from our Baptismal Purity for all such Sins God in much Mercy through the death of Jesus hath given us the Covenant of Repentance Which being but this a turning from Sin to God a lasting durable state of new Life and Reformation he has promised through the Merits and the Death of Jesus that if I have but this to offer up to him from a sincere and contrite Heart it shall be accepted to my Pardon and Forgiveness and he will be reconciled to me And thus I believe the forgiveness of Sins XI ARTICLE The Resurrection of the Body THE meaning is I do profess solemnly that I am fully perswaded of this infallible truth That as 't is appointed for all Men once to die so 't is determined that all Men shall arise from death That the Souls separated or parted from our Bodies are in the Hand of God and live That the Bodies of the Dead although turned to dust mouldered into ashes consum'd in flames or swallowed up of the waters devoured by beasts or fishes or any way scattered shall be gathered together again all the scattered dust pack'd together and in an instant be revived and come alive by the Soul 's being united to it again The same Flesh which died shall live the same Body which fell shall rise the same Soul infallibly be united to the same Body So that the Soul and Body are parted asunder by Death yet at the last day they shall be joined together at the Resurrection and shall no more be parted And this Resurrection I firmly believe shall be Universal of all Mankind no Man shall be left in the Grave or Dead That this shall be at the end of the World when Christ shall come to Judgment when the Trump shall sound or when the Arch-Angel shall lift up his Voice like a Trumpet the just and unjust shall both arise out of their Graves and live The Just shall arise to the Resurrection of Life and the Unjust to the Resurrection of Damnation And thus I believe the Resurrection of the Body XII ARTICLE And the Life Everlasting Amen THE meaning is I do freely declare that I believe this to be an undoubted truth That besides this Life here in this World which is but for a short time there shall be another Life in the other World which shall last for ever I firmly believe that after this finite Life here is over and the Soul departed and the Body dead that the Soul still lives and shall live for ever and after the Resurrection the Body shall live also and both shall live together for Eternity The Soul and Body of the unbelievers disobedient and impenitent shall live for ever and be Partners with the Devil and his accursed Spirits in Hell And that the Souls and Bodies of the Righteous after the Resurrection and after their Sentence shall enter into the fullness of their Master's Joy beyond all possibility of Sin and Sorrow suffering and temptation doubts or scruples fears or dangers where they shall have their Understandings clarified and enriched where the Will shall be satisfied where the Affections shall be all Love and all Joy where they shall securely and peacefully possess all that they breathed after panted sighed and languish'd for here and enjoy it not for Years or Ages but for all Eternity Amen THE meaning of that Word at the end of the Creed is I do declare that I do stedfastly believe all this and desire to live accordingly Question What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles c. Answer First I learn to believe in God the Father c. THE meaning is I do according to this my confession of Faith firmly and as I hope to see the Face of God believe in God the Father who is the first Person of the adorable Trinity who created me and all Men who made the whole World and all Things therein out of nothing Secondly I do likewise firmly believe in God the Son Jesus Christ my Saviour who is the second Person of the Adorable Trinity Perfect God and perfect Man equal to the Father as touching his Godhead but inferiour to the Father as touching his Manhood who redeemed me and all Men by his Death and who has satisfied God's Justice for my Sins upon my Faith and my Repentance my future Love and Obedience Thirdly I do also firmly believe in God the Holy Ghost or holy Spirit who is the third Person of the adorable Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Son and is co-equal and co-eternal with them It is he who is my Guide my Sanctifier my Comforter who puts into my Mind good desires pious purposes and devout resolutions who offers me his Grace and Assistance to do God's Will so truly that he is said to be grieved when I refuse it And although I cannot fully understand in this Life how these three Persons can be but one God yet I do fully and firmly assent to it as an undoubted truth that it is so without which Belief I cannot
28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them Prove it to be necessary to Salvation where it can be had Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Joh. 3.5 Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Prove the Institution of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. The Lord Jesus the same Night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you This do in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying This Cup is the New-Testament in my Blood This do as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me Prove the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper necessary to Salvation up from the Dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of Life Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Prove that we were by Nature born in sin Psalm 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Prove that we are by nature Children of Wrath. Eph. 2.3 And were by nature Children of wrath even as others Prove that by Baptism we are made the Children of Grace Gal. 3.26 27. For ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Question What is required of Persons to be baptized Answer Repentance whereby they forsake sin and Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the Promises of God made to them in that Sacrament Prove that Repentance is required of persons to be baptized Acts 2.38 Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost Prove that Faith whereby they believe the Promises of God is required of Persons to be baptized Acts 8.36 37. And the Eunuch said See here is Water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said if thou believest with all thy heart thou mayest Acts 18.8 And many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized Question Why then are Infants baptized when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them Answer Because they promise them both by by their Sureties which promise when they come to age themselves are bound to perform Prove that children of believing Parents are to be baptized Acts 2.38 39. And Peter said Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ For the promise is unto you and to your Children Mark 10.14 Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God Matth. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them Acts 16.15 And she was baptized and her Houshold 1 Cor. 1.16 I baptized the Houshold of Stephanus not only them but their Houshold in which 't is very probable were Children 1 Cor. 7.14 For the unbelieving Husband is sanctified by the Wife and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the Husband else were your Children unclean but now are they holy Prove that though our Sureties promised Faith and Repentance in our name yet we our selves are to perform them when we come to age Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Question Why was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ordained Answer For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ and of the Benefits which we receive thereby Prove that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was for a continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the death of Christ 1 Cor. 11.24 This do in remembrance of me Verse 26. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come Question What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's Supper Answer Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded to be received Prove that the outward part of the Lord's Supper is to be Bread and Wine Matth. 26.26 27 28 29. Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples and said Take eat this is my Body And he took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it For this is my Blood of the New Testament But I say unto you I will not henceforth drink of this fruit of the Vine until the day when I drink it new with you c. Question What is the inward part or thing signified Answer The Body and Blood of Christ which are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper Prove that the inward part or thing signified is the Body and Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion or Communication of the blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion or Communication of the body of Christ Question What are the Benefits whereof we are made partakers thereby Answer The strengthening and refreshing of our Souls by the Body and Blood of Christ as our Bodies are by the Bread and Wine Prove that our Souls are strengthened and refreshed by the Body and Blood of Christ John 6.54 55 56. Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day For my Flesh is meat indeed and my Blood is drink indeed He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him Question What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper Answer To examine themselves whether they repent them truly of their former sins stedfastly purposing to lead a new life have a lively Faith in God's mercy through Christ with a thankful remembrance of his death and be in Charity with all Men. Prove that they who come to the Lord's Supper are to examine themselves whether they truly repent 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Verse 31. For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged Prove that they who come to this Sacrament must stedfastly purpose to lead a new Life 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us Therefore let us keep the Feast not with the old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth Prove that we are to come to this Sacrament
with a lively Faith in God's Mercy through Christ Heb. 10.21 22. And having an High-Priest over the House of God Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Prove that we are to receive it with a thankful remembrance of Christ's Death 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come Prove that we are to receive the Sacrament being in Charity with all Men. Matth. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy ways First be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift 1 Cor. 13.2 Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have no Charity I am nothing Verse 13. And now abideth Faith Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity The whole Duty of Man Reduced into QUESTIONS To be answered by a Single YES or NO PART IV. Sunday I. Duties to God Of God DO you believe in God Yes Are there any more God's than one No. Do you believe that God is an infinite glorious Spirit Yes Is not God distinguished into three Persons Father Son and Holy-Ghost Yes Of the Trinity Are these three Persons any more than one God No. Is not God the Father our Creator Yes Is not God the Son our Redeemer Yes Is not God the Holy-Ghost our Sanctifier Yes Though you cannot fully understand how these three Persons can be but one God are you bound to believe it Yes May we doubt of the truth of any thing which God reveals to us No. Of the Attriâ—utes of God â—r his Divine Excellencies Is not God a Spirit a good a gracious a holy a merciful a wife and just Spirit Yes Can we see God with our mortal Eyes No. Does he not govern and order all things here by his Providence Yes Is God every where present and does he know all things even the thoughts of every Man's Heart Yes Is not your Soul a thing of the greatest value in the World Yes Are you willing to have it saved and to pass to Heaven when you die Yes Of a future State Do you think that your Body shall alway lie in the Grave No. Do you believe your Body shall arise again out of it and be joined with your Soul and live together for ever in Happiness or Misery Yes If you should be damned and go to Hell is there any hope of ever coming out again No. Must you not believe in God and his Son Jesus Christ and love him and sincerely obey his Commands if you will be saved from Hell and obtain Heaven Of the Commands Yes Are you willing to know what these Commands are that so you may obey them Yes Were all Men liable to Damnation because Adam did eat the forbidden Fruit Yes Did Jesus Christ afterwards die for all Men that so they might be saved Yes But must we not believe in Christ and repent of our Sins and conscionably obey him if we will be saved by him Yes Is there any other name under Heaven by which we must be saved but the Lord Jesus Christ No. Seeing we must be saved by Faith in Christ are you desirous to know what true Faith is Of Faith Yes Is not Faith such a belief of the Gospel of Christ as makes us ready and willing to obey his Commands Yes Do you believe the Scripture to be the Word of God Yes Do you doubt of the truth of any thing contained in it No. Are you willing to perform those things which Christ would have you perform to the utmost of your Power Yes If you should at any time sin against him by not performing them will you confess it to God and sorrow for it and strive to do so no more Yes Of the threatnings Shall the threatnings of the Scripture come upon every one that does not repent of his Sins and amend his Life Yes Of the Promises Does not God promise in the Gospel great and glorious things to them that love and obey him Yes Shall you enjoy these Promises unless you perform the Conditions No. Are not these the Conditions That you are to believe in him The conditions of enjoying them Of Hope repent of your Sins love him and obey him Yes Do you hope to partake of the good things which God has promised Yes But can you hope for them aright unless you leave your Sins and heartily endeavour to do what God has commanded No. Can you hope for the Promises at all while you resolve to continue in your Sins No. Should you not instantly endeavour to get out of them and to please God that so you may hope aright Yes Though you have been a very great Sinner yet if you change your course repent of your Sins and believe in Christ is there not a very good Hope of your Salvation Yes Do you love God Yes Of the Love of God and the motives to it Have you not great reason to love him because he is good and great and kind and merciful and willing to have you saved Yes Seeing you love God can you do less than truly to labour to please him No. If you love him should you not desire to enjoy him Fruits of that Love Yes Are there not two ways of enjoying God in his Ordinances here and in Heaven hereafter Yes Is it not a blessed thing to enjoy God here in Praying meditating and in hearing his Word and receiving the Sacrament Yes And will it not be a blessed thing always to enjoy him in the glories and happiness of Heaven Yes Would we have Heaven at a cheaper Rate than one short life of Love and Obedience No. Of the Fear of God As you love God so do you fear him too Yes Do you fear him so as to be afraid to offend him or displease him Yes Do we not displease and offend him when we sin against him Yes Of fearing Men more more than God Is it fit we should fear Man more than God No. Must we not rather displease any Man than God Yes Must we not trust in God in all Temptations Needs and Dangers Yes But though we trust in God must not we our selves resist the Temptation Yes And must we not pray for God's Grace to assist us to overcome it Yes Do we trust in him aright if we do not resist it and beg his Grace to help us No. Not to deliver our selves from any danger by Sin When we beg in any danger or Trouble may we try to get out of it by any Sin No. When we are sick or have lost any thing may we go to a Witch or Conjurer No. In all needs and troubles must we not