days of our life anâ— that we may be to him a peculiar people zeaâ—lous of good Works Luke 1. Titus 2. Q. Of what use are good works A. To glorifie God and edifie our neighbouâ— let your lights so shine before men that theâ— may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5. Q. Are they of no other use A. They are also the marks and livery of God Children and the seal of our Adoption and 〈◊〉 our union with Jesus Christ wherefore thâ— Apostle St Peter exhorteth us to make our caâ—ling and election sure by good works 2 Pet. Q. Can man do good works in the state of 〈◊〉 corrupted nature A. No for all the imagination of the thoughâ— of Man's heart are nothing but evil continually and of our selves we are not able to think a gooâ— thought Gen. 6.8 1 Cor 3. Q. By what means then do we good works A. By the efficacy of the grace of God anâ— by the virtue of his spirit of adoption For as the Apostle saith in the second to the Phillip It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Q. After God hath made us partake of his grace and of his spirit of Regeneration and our good Works is there nothing more wanting is my Sanctification wholly perfect A. Who is he who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from sins Prov. 20. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Epistle of St John c. 1. Therefore the most forward in sanctification beg of God every day that he will forgive them their sins Q. But is it not to speak evil of the holy spirit to say the works that we do by his grace are full of defect and imperfection A. By no means for we give him all the praise and all the glory of what 's good in our works and we acknowledge these defects and imperfections came from the residue of our Corruption the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to the other so that we cannot do the things that we wou'd Gal. 5. Q. But if God wou'd cou'd he not sanctifie us perfectly in this life A. There is no doubt that he might make us as holy and as perfect as we shall be in Heaven but he will make us know more and more the greatness of our natural Corruption he will put some difference between the place of Combats and Victories and the place of Triumphs he will that we may work incessantly to put off the body of sin and that we may sigh after the glorious estate wherein we shall be undefiled and without spot saying with the Apostle Iâ— have not yet obtained and I am not yet perfect but this one thing I do forgetting thâ—se things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press forward the mark for the price of Heaven calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3. Q. Since our best works bear always the mark of our infirmities are they agreeable to God A. Very agreeable because he holds them in his great mercy and that as a good Father he bears with their defects and our Lord Jesus Christ covers them with his infinite merit wherefore St Peter says that we offer up in spiritual Sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ iâ— his first Epistle Chap. 2. Q. Since our good works are agreeable to God can it be said that they are meritorious of everlasting life A. By no means for when we shall have done all that is commanded us we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Luke 17. and the wages of sin is Death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. we are saved bâ— grace through Faith and that nor oâ— our selves it is the gift of God not through works that none may glory in himself Eph. 1. Q. Whence comes then that it is often spoken of reward and that the Apostle says That Piety hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. A. Because in effect God rewards our good works both in this and in the eternal life but â—t is not with a deserved reward nor with the â—allary of a Servant but a reward from his free will and of such a sallary as a good Father gives â—is Children to encourage them to do well wherefore God speaks of shewing mercy even â—o those who obey his Commandments â—â—x 20. Q. May we not then trust upon our good works â—nd pray to God that in vertue of those works he â—ill receive us into his glory A. Contrarily we ought to say with the Proâ—het David Enter not into judgment with thy â—ervant for in thy sight shall no man living be â—ustified if thou Lord shouldst mark our iniâ—uities O Lord who shall stand but there is â—orgiveness with thee that thou mayest be â—eared Ps 143 and 130. Q. How do we dare then to approach the Throne â—f God and to appear before his face A. We approach with assurance thereunto â—ecause it is a Throne of grace and mercy and â—at the face of God is pacified towards us â—rough our Lord Jesus Christ who of God is â—ade unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and â—nctification and Redemption Heb. 4. and Cor. 1. Q. Which are the good works A. It is not those that men invent of themâ—lves what good intention soever they may â—ve in it but only those which God comâ—ands and which one conforms to his holy â—ord wherefore our Lord Jesus Christ saith â—hat in vain they worship God who teacheth â—r Doctrines the Commandments of men â—at 15. Q. And which are the bad Works A. All those that are not conformable to his Divine Commandments therefore the Prophet sends us to the Law and the Testimony Isaiah 8. Of the Law of God Quest BY what rule then must we examine our good and our bad Works A. By the Law of God Q. How many sorts of Laws are there A. There are three the political or judiciary Law the ceremonial Law and the moral Law Q. What is Political Law A. It is that which contains all the Ordinances that God had made for the civil Government of the people of Israel Q. What is the ceremonial Law A. It is that which God hath given to rule the external works of his Worship Q. What is the Moral Law A. It is that which directs our Manners and which ought to be the pattern of our life Q. Ought we to keep the Political Law A. No not as to the particular Ordinances and several Circumstances that were concerning the state of the Commonwealth of Israel but as to the bottom and essence it teaches alâ— Lawgivers of the World wherein consists the true justice and true equity Q. Ought we to observe the ceremonial Law A. By
any Idol or graven Image in fine the Latin Bible which was declared Canonical in the Councel of Trent bears formally thou shalt not make any sculptory work Q. Have we great Interest that it be said thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image or else thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Idol A. We have no other interest in it than that of the Truth for let it be Image or Idol it is no matter since the Law of God adds nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the Water under the Earth and the Images of the Church of Rome are the likeness of the things that are in Heaven and in Earth and consequently they are forbidden by the Law of God Q. But doth God forbid generally all sorts of Images A. There are two sorts of Images some are made to represent the Creator and the others to be the Effigies of the Creatures these to Represent the Creator are absolutely forbidden Q. What proof have you thereof A. It is impossible to have a clearer one or more convincing than that of the 4. Chapt. of Deut. Take you therefore good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire Lest you corrupt your self and make you a graven Image the similitude of any figure the likeness of Male or Female and in Isaiah the 40. To whom then will you liken God or what likeness will ye compare unto him wherefore God puts amongst the greatest sins of the Antient Heathens that of having changed the glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to Corruptible Man and to Birds and four-footed Beasts and creeping things Rom 1. Q. What do you say of the Imagâ—s which are made to represent the Creatures A. The Images of the Creatures are of two uses the one Political and Civil and the other Sacred and Religious The civil use of Images is not forbidden and there may be some to serve for Ornament and for Memorial but God will not have them be employed for his worship and in regard of that he saith Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. Q But did not God command Moses to make gold Cherubims and to set them on the mercy seat A. He who makes the Law is above the Law God doth not say I who am your Lord and your God will never make any graven Image but he saith thou shalt not make to thy self that is to say of thine head and of thine Invention besides those Cherubims were only symbolical figures of the vertue and offices of Angels and were not exposed to the peoples view so that there was no danger of Idolatry thereby Q. Did not Moses make a Brazen Serpent which he did set up in the Wilderness Numb 21. A. Yes but he did not make it of himself God expresly commanded it he did not set up that Serpent to be worshipped but only to be seen and when afterward the Children of Israel committed Idolatry and burnt Incense unto it the King Ezechias did break it in pieces and said it was but a piece of brass 2 Kings 18. Q But if we did meet with those who have veneration for Images should we do ill if to have peace with them we did accommodate our selves to their Worship A. Yes most assuredly for God doth not only forbid to make Images to employ them to his Worship but in case that there be some made he forbids us to prostrate our selves before them â—nd to worship them Q. Those of the Church of Rome do they sin against this Divine Ordinance A. Yes most visibly for they set in their Temples all sorts of Images they put them upon their Altars and render them the honour which God forbids they pull off their Hats to them they bow to them they kiss them and kneel before them that is directly against the formal words of this Law thou shalt not bow down to them besides they dress them up they crown them with Flowers they light Candles to them they burn Incense to them they carry them upon their Shoulders in processions and they go unto them in Pilgrimages all which is against what is said thou shalt not worship them Q. Why is that God calls himself jealous A. To speak properly it is not that God has the passion of jealousy which troubles men but by that he will reach us first that he loves us ardently secondly that he cannot bear a comparison nor his Glory to be given to another thirdly that he will punish rigorously all Idolaters Q Why is it that in the threatning of his punishments he mentions but three or four Generations but that he stretches his promise of Graces and Mercy unto thousands A. To shew us that he is more inclined to be merciful than to exercise vengeance so that the saying of St. James may be applied to him that Mercy rejoyceth over Judgment Jer. 2. Q But doth God punish all the Children of the wicked A. If the Children of the wicked follow the way of their Father God will punish them twofold because of the criminal life of their predecessors but if they repent and live in the fear of God the sins of their Fathers shall not be imputed to them for the Father shall not bear the iniquity of the Son and the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father but the Soul of him that sineth is that which shall dye Ezek. 18. Q. And doth God pour down his Graces upon all the Children of the faithful A. Yes upon all those who imitate the Piety of their Fathers nay have a twofold blessing of all sorts of blessings but as to those who turn aside from it and who give themselves to do evil they bring upon them the wrath of God and his just vengeance Q. Can you tell what is the design of this second Commandment and what God demands of us therein A. The same which our Lord Jesus Chirst teaches us in John 4. that the Father will have true worshippers who worship him in spirit and truth God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Of the third Commandment Q. SAY the third Commandment A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain Q. What do you mean by the name of God A. By the name of God I mean God himself and his holy word as also all the names which describes his essence or his qualities and generally all other things concerning his worship Q. What is it to take the name of God in vain A. It is to abuse it in things of no worth to speak thereof without respect to use it in blaspheming or in vain or rash swearing Q. Is swearing taking the name
thou sluggard consider her ways and be wise He commands the Fathers to make provision for their Children if any provides not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the Faith and he is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 5. but he condemns the care of mistrust such as that of the Heathens who say what shall we eat what shall we drink or what shall we put on Mat. 6. Q. But rich men who have riches ready heaped for many years ought they to beg that of God A. Yes for it is not enough to have riches in abundance if God gives us not the use thereof and man liveth not of bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Mat. 4. Of the Fifth Petition Q. SAY the Fifth Petition A. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Q. Are all the faithful obliged to beg that A. Yes during their abode in this vale of tears for there is not a just man upon Earth that doth good and sinneth not and if we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Eccles 7. 1 John 1. Q. Is there none but God that can forgive sins A. Who can forgive sins but God only Mark 2. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake and will not remember thy sins Isa 45. Q. How is it then that the Pastors of the Chruch forgive sins A. They forgive them not as Judges and by form of Jurisdiction but as Ministers and Ambassadours who declare the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ we are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5. Q. How is it that God forgiveth us our sins A. He forgives us all our offences * Of his free will is in the French version tho not in the English of his free grace Col. 2. Q. But can he show mercy without wronging his Justice A. Yes For Jesus Christ bore our sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. we have redemption through his blood for the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Ephes 1. Q. Do you mean that those to whom God hath forgiven their sins for Jesus Christ's sake have no more need to satisfie his Justice A Yes For there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. he that believeth on him shall not come unto condemnation but is passed from death to life John 5. Q. From whence comes then that the most regenerated and the best of people are subject to so many afflictions A As Christ ought to have suffered and so to enter into his glory Luke 24. likewise we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14. but all those afflictions are ended with our life Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord yea saith the spirit â—or from this time forward they rest from their â—abours and their works do follow them Rev. 14 Q. When you add forgive us our trespasses as â—e forgive them that trespass a ainst us do you â—ean that in forgiving men their offences you deâ—erve that God forgive you yours A. By no means it is as of similitude and not of equality for when we forgive our Neighbours we do nothing but what we ought to do and there is no proportion between the trespasses we forgive and those that God forgives us O Lord righteousness belongs unto thee but unto us confusion of face Dan. 9. Q. What do you think of those who say this Prayer every day and notwithstanding are possessed with a spirit of revenge A. To speak properly they don't pray to God but they make an imprecation against themselves For if we forgive not them their trespasses our heavenly Father shall not forgive us ours and there shall be judgment without mercy on him that hath shewed us mercy Mat. 6. Jam. 2. Of the sixth Petition Q. HOW may sorts of temptations are there A. Two sorts one which is nothing else but a profitable tryal and of that it is spoken Gen. 22. where it is said that God did tempt or tried Abraham the other is a solicitation to Evil of which St James speaks in the first Chapter of his Epistle let no man say wheâ— he is tempted I am tempted of God for Goâ— cannot be tempted with Evil neither temptetâ— he any man but every man is tempted wheâ— he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed then when lust hath conceived it bringeth fort sin and sin when it is finished bringeth fort Death Q. Of what temptation do we speak here whâ— we say to God lead us not into temptation but dâ—liver us from Evil A. Of both but with very great diversity Q. â—ow do you understand it of the first A. That we pray to God not to afflict us beyond what we can bear and that our temptation be but such as is common to man and that he will with the temptation also make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10. Q. How can this be understood of the second sort of temptation since God never leads and induces men to do evil A. It is that we pray to God not to leave us to our selves nor permit that sin overcome us but to arm us with the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Ephes 6. Q. Who is that wicked one you pray God to deliver you from A. It is the Devil that is so called because of his deep wickedness thus the Apostle St Paul calls him in the second to the Thessalonians ch 3. the Lord is fatihful who shall establish you and keep you from * The wicked one so theâ—e is in the Fr. Version and not from evil as the English but in Dr. Hammonds Paraphrase on this ch there is noted in the margin the evil one the wicked one Of the Conclusion Q. WHAT contains the Conclusion of this admirable Prayer A. As many arguments as there be words to incite our good God to grant us our requests for since that to him belongs the kingdom the power and glory it is just and reasonable that he be worshipped served and obeyed all over the Universe and consequently that his name be hallowed that his kingdom come and that his will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Q. What signifies this word Amen A. It signifies so be it or it shall be so so that it is aâ— vow that we make to God with assurance that he shall hear it from his heavenly sanctuary End of the third Part. PART IV. Of Recognition or Acknowledgment Q. WHAT is the Recognition that we owe to God A. It is to acknowledge with our heart and to confess with our mouth that we enjoy no good but what proceeds
in his Body A. Because he was to redeem our Bodies and our Souls it was also needful that he should suffer in his Body and his Soul from thence comes what he said in the place that was called â—ethsemane My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death Matth. 26. and on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27 Of Jesus Christ's Death Quest HOW did Jesus Christ die A. He did not die as God for the Godhead is Immortal but he died as Man his Soul having been separated from his Body Q. Why did he die A. Because he had made himself our security and that the wages of Sin is Death Heb. 7. Rom. 6. Q. What is Sin A. Sin is the Transgression of the Law Joh. 3. Q. What fruit have we of the Death of Christ A. First by his Death he hath fully satisfied unto the Justice of God for our Sins and hath obtained for us Eternal Redemption Heb. 9. Secondly he hath swallowed up Death in victory and destroyed him who had the Empire of Death that is the Devil and delivered them who through force of Death were all their life-time subject to Bondage 1 Cor. 15. Heb. 2. Q. Since Jesus Christ underwent the pain that was due to our sins whence comes it that we are still subject to afflictions A. The afflictions wherewith God visits us are not the punishments of a Judge but the Chastisements of a Father and salutary Tryals and signs of his Love For whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Heb. 12. Q. Why do we die since Jesus Christ died for us A. The Death that God sends us is not a satisfaction to his Justice and we ought not to have it in horror it is not so much a Death as a passage to the Blessful life according to the saying of our Lord St. John 5. he that believes oâ— me shall not come into Condemnation but to pass from death to life Q. But how do we hope in dying to go to Heaven since no impure thing can enter into the heavenly Jerusalem A. Our hope is grounded upon the Blood of Jesus Christ who cleansed us from all Sin as St. John teaches us in the first Chapt. of his 1. Epistle Q. After our Soul is separated from the Body is it not to suffer in a Purgatory before it enters into Eternal glory and felicity A. By no means for there is no Condemnation for them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. The Blood of Jesus Christ washes us from all Sins 1 John c. 1. Blessed are those which die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Revel 14. Therefore our Souls desire to leave this Body to be with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5. Q. Were all the Sufferings of Jesus Christ ended at his Death A. Yes Wherefore before he gave up the Ghost he cried out with aloud voice all is finished John 19. Of the Burial of Jesus Christ Quest WHY was Jesus Christ buried A. First to shew that he was really Dead Secondly to teach us not to have an horror of our Graves Thirdly to make us die unto Sin and to bury all Carnal Lusts Rom. 6. Of Descending into Hell Quest WHAT do you mean by Jesus Christs descending into Hell A. This Article doth not differ much from the preceeding and signifies nothing else but that Jesus having been laid in his Sepulchre he remained there for a time in the state and condition of the Dead wherefore in some antient Creeds where mention is made of the Burial of Jesus Christ they speak not of his Descent into Hell Q. But can the word Hell signifie the Sepulchre A. It is the ordinary stile of Scripture and namely Ps 141. Our Bones are scattered at the mouth of Hell that is to say at the Graves mouth Q. And may descending into Hell be taken for descending into the Sepulchre and to be laid in the state and condition of the Dead A. It is also the stile of the holy Languages as in Gen. 37. where Jacob crying for his Son Joseph said to his other Children I will go down into Hell unto my Son mourning chap. 42. you shall bring down my Grey-hairs with sorrow into Hell Q. How do you prove that this Article of the Creed must be thus understood A. By St. Peter who makes appear visibly in Acts the 2. That the words of the Kingly Prophet David Ps 16. Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see Corruption cannot properly be applied to David whose Body remained in the Sepulchre but belongs to our Saviour Jesus Christ who did not see Corruption and who did not remain in the Sepulchre Q. What became of our Lord Jesus Christs Soul when he died A. He commended it into his Fathers hands as he said himself Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit and it was received into Paradice according to what he said untâ—â—he converted Thief Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luke Chap. 23. Q. But went he not into the Limboes of the Faâ—hers A. In all the Scripture it is not spoken of this pretended Limboes and it is a meer Invention of Man's Of the Resurrection of Christ Quest HOW long was the Body of Christ in the Sepulchre A. He was buried on Friday Night and Sunday Morning next he rose from the Dead Q. Why did he rise again from the Dead A. Because he had fully satisfied the Justice of God his Father and that being the Prince of his Life he could not be detained by the bonds of Death Acts. 2. Q. Did the Body of our Saviour Jesus Christ receive any change by his Resurrection A. The Resurrection gave it a glory that it had not before but did not take away the Truth of his Nature wherefore he said to his Apostles Behold my Hands and my Feet handle me and see me for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as you see me to have Luke 24. Q. What Fruit have we of our Lord Jesus Christ's Resurrection A. First God having opened to him the Gates of Death hath made known that he was absolved from all the Sins for which he passed thro them and that we were absolved in him as the Apostle says That he was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our Justification Rom. 4. Secondly the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is to us an assurance that one day we shall rise again in Glory as the Apostle teaches 1 Cor. 15. Lastly by Jesus Christ's Resurrection we rise again in Newness of Life Rom. 6. which makes us say with St. Peter in the first Chapt. of his first Epistle Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead Of the Ascension of Jesus Christ
Quest WHERE is our Lord Jesus Christ A. As God he is every where as he says himself in St. Matthew cap. 18. where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them and Chapt. 28. I am with you always even to the end of the World Q. And as Man where is he A. He left the World and is gone unto the Father and the Heavens must contain him until the time of Restitution of all things St John 16. and â—cts 3. Q. How did he ascend into Heaven A. He ascended visibly a Cloud received him out of the sight of the Apostles to whom two Angels said Ye men of Galilee Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven the same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Acts. 1. Q. What doth the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ profit us A. First he ascended into Heaven to appear for us in the presence of God and to make intercession for us Heb. 7. And secondly he is gone to prepare a place for us John 14. Lastly his ascension into Heaven is a pledge and assurance of our own John 17. and Heb. 6. Of Jesus Christ sitting on the Right Hand of God Q. WHat signifies the word to be sitting A. It signifies sometimes to Reign as in the 20th of Prov. A King that sitteth in the Throne of Judgment scattereth away all evil with his Eyes and Revel 18. I sit a Queen and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow Q. What signifies the right hand of God A. To speak properly God being a Spirit hath no right hand but by his right hand is understood his power and his vertue and it is said Psalms 44. our Fathers got not the Land in possession by their own Sword neither did their own Arm save them but thy right Hand and thy Arm and the light of thy Countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them Q What is then the sense of this article that Jesus Christ is sitting on the right hand of God A. St. Paul gives us the explanation thereof Eph. 1. when he saith that God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his Feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church which is his body The fulness of him that fill all in all and Phillip 2. he humbled himselâ— and became obedient unto Death even thâ— Death of the Cross wherefore God also hatâ— highly exalted him and given him a namâ— which is above every name That at the namâ— of Jesus every Knee shall bow â—f things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under thâ— Earth that every Tongue should confess thaâ— Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God thâ— Father Q. What fruits have we of Jesus Christ's sitting oâ— the right hand of God A. He being our Saviour and loving us witâ— an eternal love we are assured that he will usâ— his omnipotency to preserve us and to do uâ— good and to repress all the endeavours and thâ— violence of his Enemies and ours till he have laid them all under his feet and utterly destroy them Of the last Judgment Q. WHo are the Quick and the Dead whom Jesus Christ shall judge at the last day A. The Quick are those who shall then bâ— living on the Earth when Jesus Christ shalâ— come from Heaven and the Dead are thosâ— whose Souls shall have been separated froâ— their Bodies before that glorious coming Q. How must this be understood that Jesuâ— Christ shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead A. The meaning is That at the end of thâ— World Jesus Christ shall come with the Angelâ— of his power and that we shall all appear beforâ— his judgment Seat to receive in our Bodies according to what we shall have done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5. Q. What difference shall be then between the good and the bad man A. Our Lord Jesus Christ shall set all the bad on his left hand and shall say to them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels but unto the Elect and Faithful who walk here in his fear and have exercised themselves in works of mercy he shall set them at his right hand and shall say to them Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Matt. 25. Of the third part of the Apostles Creed Q. WHy after having spoken of the Father and the Son do you make mention of the Holy Ghost A. Because it would be in vain and that the Father hath procured us Salvation and that the Son merited it for us if the Holy Ghost did not apply it unto us wherefore it is said that we are sealed with the spirit of promise Eph 1. Q. Why is it said I believe in the Holâ— Ghost A. To teach us to put our trust in him and to render him the same honours and the same adoration that we render the Father and the Son Q. Who is the Holy Ghost A. It is the third person of the most holy and most glorious Trinity who from all Eteâ—nity proceeds from the Father and the Son Q How do you prove that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father A. By the formal words of our Lord Jesus Christ in the 15th of St. John The Spirit of Truth which proceeds from the Father shall testifie of me Q. How do you prove that he proceeds from the Son A. Because 't is said in the 15th of the same Gospel I will send you the Comforter from the Father and in the 16th All things that the Father hath are mine and therefore said I that ye shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you from whence come that in Rom. 8. he is called the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ and that in Revel 22. he is represented by a River proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Q. Is the Holy Ghost God A. Yes for to lye to the Holy Ghost is to lye to God Acts 5. And we are called the Temple of God because the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us 1 Cor. 3. Q. Why is the Spirit called holy A. It is not only because he is holy in himself for in that regard holiness belongs also to the Father and the Son but it is because he sanctifies us immediately and that he reforms in us the Image of God in Righteousness and Sanctity Q. Are the gifts of the Holy Ghost common to all men of the world or do they belong to the only Children of God A. There are some which he imparts indifferently as the Arts and Sciences and
of God in vain A. Not always but only when we swear without just occasion Q. Is it ther lawful to swear A. Yes when we are lawfully called to it for so God himself teaches us and we have the example of Jesus Christ our Lord and of his Blessed Apostles Q. By whose name must we swear A. By Gods name according to what he himself teaches us Deut. 6. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and shall swear by his name Q. Is it not lawful to swear by the Creatures as those of the Church of Rome who swear by the Saints by the word of the Cross and by Relicks A. No for that is putting the Creatures instead of the Creator as if they knew our heart and the truth of our Words and as if it belong d to them to take vengeance of our lies Q. How do you prove that it is not lawful to swear by any Creature A. By the formal words of God himself Jer. 5. How shall I pardon thee for this their Children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are not Gods Q For what is it lawful to swear A. For things grave and serious and which concern the glory of God and the edification of our Neighbour Q. When it it necessary to swear A. When it is commanded us by the Magistrate or when it is requisit to set peace and concord between our Neighbours according to that saying of the Apostles Heb. 6. That an oath for confirmation is an end to all strife Q Is it not lawful in swearing to use equivocation or mental reservation A. By no means for God hates the double of Heart and false Lips and for all Lyers is set apart the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 21. Q. What signifies these words that God will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain A. The meaning is that he will rigorously punish him in this world by exemplary chastisements and in that which is to come by eternal punishments Q. But since there is a general threatning against all the transgressors of Gods Law why is there a particular one here A. It is to teach us how much God hath in horror the prophanation of his holy name and that he punishes none more rigorously than thâ— prophaners and blasphemers Q. What is then the design of this Commandment A. It is to direct our Tongue in the service of God and to teach us never to speak of God of his Justice of his Mercy of his Wisdom and of the effects of his Omnipotency without our heart be struck to the quick with the respect we owe to so high and so glorious a Divinity Of the fourth Commandment Q. SAy the fourth Commandment A. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant thy Cattle and the Stranger that is within thy Gates for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it Q. Why is it that God makes use of this way of speaking remember thou A. It is to teach us that this Commandment is of great importance and that there is nothing more ordinary to man than to forget what God commands him Of the Law Quest OF what day is it here spoken A. Of the seventh day of the week that we call Saturday Q. Why is it that God calls it a day of rest A. Because in that day he would that every one shou'd leave the work of his ordinary caling to attend his worship Q. How do we keep holy the Sabbath day A. In calling upon the name of God in readling and meditating upon his word in being present with Devotion in the assembly of Saints and in exercising the works of charity and beneficence Q. Is the Commandment of keeping holy the Sabbath day Political Ceremonial or Moral A. There is in it something Political something Ceremonial and something Moral Q. What is Political therein A. Gods commanding Masters to let their Man Servant and their Maid Servant to rest that day and even their Beasts Q. What is Ceremonial therein A. First the precise keeping holy the seventh day of the week Secondly the strict observation of not doing any corporal work that day Thirdly that this corporal rest is the figure and Image of the spiritual rest of our Souls and of the Celestial rest wherein we shall for ever rest from all our labours Q. What is Moral in it A That there may be a certain day consecrated for the publick worship of the Divinity Q. Doth this Commandment belong to Christians A. Yes in what it is Moral there must be then Pastors and an holy order established in the Church and that the faithful meet together to glorifie God with one accord to hear the preaching of his Word to participate of his Sacraments and to do Works of Mercy and therefore we are forbidden to forsake our mutual assemblies Heb. 10. Q. What day is now appointed for those publick exercises of Devotion and Piety A. It is the first day of the week that we call Sunday or the Lords day Q. Why was the day of rest changed from Saturday to Sunday A. To distinguish the Christians from the Jews and principally it is because in that day our Lord Jesus Christ rose again from the dead and ended the work of our Redemption Q. Who made that alteration A. The blessed Apostles of the Lord Jesus or rather the holy Ghost who inspired them Q. Where is it spoken of the abolishing of the Sabbath A. In the second Chapter of St. Paul's Epistles to the Colos Let no man judge in Meat or in Drink or in respect of a holy day or of the Sabbath day Q. Where is mention made of Sunday A. In the 20th Chapt. of the Book of Acts in the 16. of the first Epistle to the Corinth it is spoken of the first day of the week in which the faithful meet to participate of the exercises of Piety and twice that day Jesus Christ appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection as it is written in his Gospel according to St John c. 20. Q. But even the word Sunday is it found in Scripture A. It is found in Rev. c. 1. where St John saith I was in the Spirit * So it is in the French Version on Sunday Q. Why is it that God gives himself for an example here A. To render the Commandments more venerable and to oblige us to obey thereunto so much more religiously Q. Will God be imitated in all things A. No but in those only wherein he gives himself for an example for there are things which he
Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. Q. Are there no other Mediators between God and Man than Jesus Christ A. There is one only God and one only Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2. wherefore St. John telleth us in tâ— second of his first Epistle My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not but iâ— any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world And that glorious Saviour saith himself John 14. I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me Q. But is it not too great a boldness for we poor sinners to apply our selves to our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ to present to him our requests and our supplications A. No for it is not audaciousness for a Subject to go to his King when the King himself calls him much less for a Child to go to his Father or to his elder Brother who opens his Arms to him and commands him to come near And Jesus Christ calls us himself and commands us to go directly to him come ye unto me saith he all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Mat. 11. Q. Must one pray to God with heart and inward affections A. Yes for God is Spirit and will that we worship him in spirit and truth John 4. Wherefore he rejects those who draw nearer to him with their mouth and honour him with their lips whilst their heart is from him Matth. 15. Q. Ought we to have an assurance in praying God that our supplications shall be agreeable to him A. If any of you want wisdom let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him but let him ask in Faith nothing wavering Jam. 1. let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. Q. Is it sufficiant to pray to God in our hearts A. Besides mental Prayers the sighings and the groanings that the holy Ghost formeth in our hearts there are times and occasions wherein it is necessary to pray with our tongue to edify our Neighbour to excite our selves and to influence our zeal to which add that the tongue was particularly formed to glorifie God Q. Is it no matter what tongue one prays to God in A. No provided it be understood by him who prayeth and of those who pray with him otherwise it is praying without zeal without judgment and without edification as St Paul expresly teacheth it in the 1 Cor. 14. Q. Why do you not call upon the Saints A. Because God hath not commanded it And that he hath not promised to hear those who shall call upon them or who shall come to him by their intercession and that in all the word of God there 's not any example thereof Contrarily St Paul saith Rom. 10. how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and we do not believe but in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and consequently we ought not to call upon any other but God Q. Have the Saints some knowledge of our particular wants A. The dead know nothing of what is done on Earth their love and their hatred perished long ago neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the Sunâ— Eccles 9. Q. Do they know our hearts to be able to discâ—â— the prayers of the true and faithful from those oâ— the hâ—pocrites A. God alone knows the heart of all the Children of men 1 King 8. Q Must we worship Angels and call upon them in our troubles A. No For St Paul expresly forbiddeth it Coll. 2. let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worship of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind Q. When Angels appear to men will they be worshipt and adored by them A. Contrarily when St Joâ— fell at the Angels feet to worship him â—â—e Angel said to him see thou do it not 〈◊〉 thy fellow Servant and of thy brethren â—hat have the testimony of Jesus worship God Rev. 19.22 Q. Have we any model and form of a perfect Prayer A. Yes the Lord s Prayer Q. Why do you call it so A. Because our Lord Jesus Christ dictated it himself from his own sacred mouth as it is written in St Luke c. 11. his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray and he answered them when ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Q. Is it not lawful to make other Prayers A. It is lawful to make Prayers in other terms as it appears by those that are shewed every where in Scripture but we ought not to make any which as to the things we beg of God be not wholly conform to that model of perfection Q. How many parts are there in the Lords Prayer A. Three principal the Preface the Body of thâ— Petitions and the Conclusion Q. How many Petitions are there A. Six three which concern immediately the glory of God and three for our particular use The Preface Q. WHy at the very beginning of this Prayer do you call God your Father A. First it is as it were to move him with pity and compassion for there is nothing more tender than Fatherly affection Secondly it is to incite us to put our trust in his bounty and to call upoâ— him with a true and lively Faith Q. How is it that God is our Father A In that he adopted us in Jesus Christ and that he hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us Eph. 1. 1 Pet. 1. Q. Why is it that you say our Father and not my Father A. It is not that each of the faithful in particular may not say my Father and with Saint Thomas my Lord and my God but our Lord would teach us to put on the bowels of charity and to pray not only for us but also for our Brethren Q. Why do you add which art in Heaven A. To the end that with the filial liberty we may join the respect which is due to so glorious a Divinity and that we may rely on his power and that in praying we may raise our minds above all things which are earthly and perishable Q. How many Heavens are there A. According to holy Writ there are three First the Air and all the great space between the Earth and the globe of the Moon Thus it is spoken of the Fowls of the air Gen. 1. The second includes all the
confession thereof as I will now do before thee saying with thy Church I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the Right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the holy Ghost the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the forâ—â—veness of Sins the Resurrection of the body and the life everlasting Amen Lord who didst write thy Law on tables of Stone be pleased to engrave it in my heart with the finger of thy Spirit and give me grace to conform the course of my life thereunto The ten Commandmets of Gods Law Preface I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage The first Table I. THou shalt have none other God but me II. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the water under the earth thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Jealous God and visit the sins of the Father upon the Children â—â—to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my Commandments III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy Son and thy Daughter thy Man Servant and thy Maid Servant thy Cattle and the Stranger that is within thy Gates for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee VI. Thou shalt do no Murther VII Thou shalt not commit Adultery VIII Thou shalt not Steal IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour X. Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Servant nor his Maid nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is his The Summary of all the Law Matt. 22. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind This is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets Psalm 143. V. 8. Lord cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning for in thee do I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my Soul unto thee 9. Deliver me O Lord from my Enemies I fly unto thee to hide me 10. Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of uprightness 1 John 5.21 Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen Epitome of the Catechism for the Little Children First Section First Question Q. WHY do you name your self a Christian A. Because through the grace of God I believe in Jesus Christ and I profess his truth Q. 2. Who is Jesus Christ A. He is the only Son of God Q. 3. Is he God or Man A. He is true God aâ—d true Man Q. 4. Why was it needful that he should be God and Man A. It was needful for him to be Man to die and God to overcome death Q. 5. How many Gods are there A. There is but one and it is he who made Heaven and Earth Q. 6. How many persons are there in that only Essence A. Three the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and these three are one Q. 7. How is it that this great God makes himself known A. By his works his word and his spirit Section 2. Q 1. WHat must one know in the Christian Religion A. Three things principally what we are of our nature what God makes us to be by his grace and what we ought to render him for all his benefits Q. 2. What were you of your nature A. I was a poor sinful Creature and Child of wrath as others Q. 3. And what did you deserve 〈◊〉 Eternal death and condemnation 〈◊〉 4. What hath God done for you A. He redeemed me from my Sins and adopted me for his Child Q 5. How did he redeem you A. Through the death and passion of his own Son our Lord Jesus Christ Q. 6. And by what means did he adopt you A. By his spirit who with assurance makes me cry Abba Father Q. 7. What is the mark of that adoption A. Regeneration and holiness of Life Section 3. Q. 1. WHat could oblige God to deliver you out of your misery and to give you the freedom of his Children A. Nothing but his great Mercy and his incomparable Charity Q. 2. What is it he promises you for his Sons sake and in the communion of his spirit A. He promises me his grace and protection here on Earth and the glory of his Paradice and his eternal felicity in Heaven Q. 3. And what do you owe to God for so many benefits as he bestowed on you and for so much glory that he prepares for you A. I owe my self to him with all the power of my body and soul Q. 4. But what doth he principally desire of you A. Love and Obedience Q. 5. How ought you to love God A. Above all things Q. 6. And how must you love your Neighâ—our A. As my self Q. 7. What Obedience doth God demand of you A. A filial Obedience Section 4. Q. 1. WHat is it principally that God will have us exercise our selves in during the the course of this life A. In good Works Q. 2. Which are the good Works A. Those that God commands Q. 3. And which are the evil ones A. Those that God forbids Q. 4. Is it necessary to do good Works A. Yes for God commands it and it is the way to Heaven Q. 5. Are the good Works that we do during this life so perfect that there is no fault in them A. No for if we say that there is no sin in us we lye wherefore we pray to God every day that he will forgive us our sins Q. 6. From whence comes all the good there is in our Works A. From the grace of God Q.
true repentance A. It is God himself who converts us and begetteth in our hearts the hatred of vice and the love of virtue Q. 4. Which are the principal virtues of Christians A. Faith Hope and Charity Q. 5. Which of those Virtues is the greatest A. It is Charity Q. 6. VVhy A. Because it endures for ever Q. 7. My Child do you desire to live and to die in that true Piety A. I desire it with all my heart The Lord confirm you in his love and in his grace the Lord replenish you with the gifts of his holy Spirit and form you unto his Image the Lord cause you to grow in all sorts of Virtues and enable you for ever to persevere in his holy Covenant So be it Pray to God with all your heart to give you the grace thereof The Childs Prayer MY God and my heavenly father since it pleases thee to be praised by Childrens mouths bear with my faults and make thy strength perfect in my great weakness thou hast given me the grace of being born in thy Church and to suck Piety with Milk Give me grace to grow in the holy knowledge of thee and above all in thy fear and love let me bear fruits worthy of my birth and of the education thou hast honoured me with that therein thy holy name may be glorified that thy Church be edified thereby and that I be the joy and the comfort of those whom thou hast made use of to bring me into the World and to instruct me in thy word Let me during all the days of my life serve and adore thee in the company of thy Children till I go to glorifie thee in Heaven with the Saints and Angels who contemplate thy face Hear me O Lord since thou art my God and my Father and that I call upon thee in the name and through the infinite merit of Jesus Christ my Saviour who commanded me thus to pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Lord my God thou hast put in my heart the seed of true faith increase and fortify it in me and grant that all the days of my life I make Confession thereof saying with thy Church I believe in God the father Almighty maker 〈◊〉 Heaven and Earth c. My God give me thy good Spirit and give me grace to fulfil thy Holy and Divine Commandments The tenor whereof follows I 〈◊〉 the Lord thy God c. Addition to the Catechism For Children more advanced in Age and in Knowledge Q. WHY do you profess Religion A. It is not only because I have had the happiness to be born educated and brought up in it but also because through the grace of God I know that it is the true Christian Religion that our Lord Jesus Christ brought from Heaven that his holy Apostles have preached and his happy Martyrs have signed with their blood Q. How do you know that A. I know it by the reading of holy Scripture for we believe nothing at all of what is necessary to Salvation that is not clearly and expresly found in that Scripture divinely inspired or cannot be drawn therefrom by evident and necessary consequences Q. Hath Christian Religion had or can it have need of Reformation A. Not in considering it such as 't is in it self for in that regard it is wholly divine Q. Why then is it called the Reformed Religion A. Properly speaking it is not the Religion but the Church which was Reformed that is to say that was purged from the errors and abuses that through Ignorance and Malice of men it had been defiled with Q. What signifie then these words Reformed Religion A. That it is true and pure Christianity such as is taught in the Gospel and which is separated from all human traditions and inventions For our Lord absolutely condemns them in matter of his worship in vain saith he do you worship me teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men Matt. 15. Q. Would you not enter into the communion of the Church of Rome if you did find your worldly advantages therein A. No for I do not believe I could save my self therein and it would profit me nothing if I should gain all the World and should lose my Soul Q. Why do you believe you could not save your self in the communion of the Church of Rome A. Because it adores the Sacrament and renders to a simple Creature the Honour and the Glory that belongs only to God It pretends to Sacrifice Jesus Christ in Propitiatory Sacrifice for the remission of the sins of the quick and of the dead although that great God and Saviour did not command it and that his Apostles have done nothing like it it bereaves the faithful of the blessed Cup that our Lord commanded us to drink in remembrance of him It teaches another Purgatory than the precious blood of that glorious Redeemer which cleanses us from all Sin and hath the Divine Service in a tongue that the People understand not against what the Apostles orders in the first to the Cor. c. 14. Q. Is there nothing else that hinders you from entring into the Roman Communion A. There are several other reasons which hinders me for ever to participate of its Communion for it adheres to and obeys the Pope who usurped an authority and power which belongs to God only It believes that we are saved through the merit and dignity of our works though the Gospel teaches quite contrary It invokes the Saints although in all the word of God there is neither Commandment or Example thereof It adores material Crosses and Relicks and renders to Angels a Religious worship against what is commanded to adore and worship God alone They bow to Images and worship them Religiously against what God expresly forbids in his Law It hath invented an infinite number of holy days that are dedicated and Consecrated unto Creatures instead of which God permits us to work six days of the week * Agnus Dei a thing amongst those of the Roman Church which they wear about their Necks and that he will not have us give his glory to another It condemns Ecclesiastical persons Marriage instead of what the Apostles teach that Marriage and the undefiled bed is honourable among all It commands at some certain times to abstain from meats that God permits provided one use them with sobriety and thanksgiving Finally it hath veneration for the Jubilees Indulgences Agnus Dei the holy Beads and Chaplets and numbers of other things which are vain and superstitious Q. But could not you save your self in believing in your heart what we believe and living however in the outward profession of the Church of Rome A. By no means for with the heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10. God will be glorified in our bodies and in our spirits because they belong to him and that he equally redeems them 1 Cor. 6. Our Lord will deny before God his Father and his Angels whomsoever shall deny him before men one must be cold or hot for the luke-warm he spues out of his mouth Rev. 3. Mat. 18. in fine it is an infalliable truth that all those shall not inherit the kingdom of Heaven who render to the Creatures the honour and glory that belongs but to the Creator 1 Cor. 6. Q. But do you not well see that in persevering in Religion you shall be hated and persecuted by the World A. Our Lord foretold it If the World hateth you saith he you know that it hated me before it hated you if ye were of the World the world would love his own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World wherefore the World hateth you John 15. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven Matt. 5. Q. Do you promise then before God and his holy Angels to live and die in that true and holy Religion whereof through the grace and mercy of God ye make profession A. I promise it with all my heart and I hope that God will give me the assistance of his Spirit with so much efficacy that all the Worlds promises and threatning shall never make me turn aside from so Christian and so necessary a Resolution EXHORTATION REmember that it is to God that you make this promise and that one day you must give him an account when you shall appear before his Throne My Child do not hearken to the Seducers who make traffick of Souls do not keep evil Companies who corrupt good manners do not follow ill Examples and though it should be an Angel from Heaven that should preach to you beyond what is in the Gospel let him be accursed Consecrate your self wholly unto the Service of him who gave himself for you and who redeemed you by his own blood Lastly pray to God with holy fervency that he encrease your Faith fortify your Hope inflame your Charity and your zeal for his Glory Pray to him to sanctify you through his Spirit to form you unto his Image and to give you grace constantly to persevere in his holy Covenant For he who to the end shall persevere shall be saved and shall possess and inherit the Kingdom prepared us from the foundation of the World Unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory for Ever and Ever Amen 1 Tim 1.17 FINIS