this Word it is because there is no light in them Isa. 8. 20. Q. Is the Scripture plain enough to be understood even by the simple A. Yes Psal. 19. 7. and 119. 130. Q. Is the Word of God a dead letter of it self A. No Heb. 4. 12. Joh. 6. 63. Q. But do the things recorded in the Word of God concern us all A. Yes Rom. 15. 1 5. Matth. 7. 24. Q. Is there any other Rule besides the holy Scriptures to direct us how we may glorifie God and enjoy him A. No. Q. How prove you that A. 1. Because God never gave any other Rev. 22. 18. For I testifie unto every man that heareth the words of the Prophecy of this Book if any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book Q. What is the Form of speech here used to conclude this Book A. It is 1. A Symbolical and Prophetical Form of expressing the certainty and immutability of this Prophecie and secondly an expression of the Absoluteness and perfection of it is order to publick use that it should be the only Prophecie given to the Christian Church which should bring divine authority along with it sent with a Commission from Heaven and not only proceeding from a publick Spirit but sent out with a publick Charge Q. What is that publick Charge A. As for all those to whom this Prophecy shall come I adjure them all that they neither add nor diminish nor change a tittle of it upon pain of Gods bringing on them the Iudgements that are here denounâ—ed against Gods greatest enemies and withal that they look upon it as the last Authoritative Prophâ—cie that is likely to come from Heaven to be a Rule of Faith to the Church Q. What other reason have you to prove that the holy Scriptures are the only Rule to direct us how we may glorifie God and enjoy him A. Because they are only able perfectly and without errour to direct us how we ought so to do Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what Duty God requires of man Explica Q. What are the principal Heads of the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures A. The Doctrines that the holy Scriptures teach may be ranked into two Heads Q. What is the first principal Doctrine taught therein A. What man is to believe concerning God Q What is it â—o belieâ—e A. To assent or give credit to truths upon Authority of another Q. What is the second A. What duty God requires of man Q. What is meant by the duty which God requireth of man A. That which is Gods due or that which we owe to God and are bound to do as we are his Creatures Subjects and Children Q Dâ— the Scriptures teach us all matters of Faith or all that we are bound to believe A. Yes Q. And all matters of practice or whatsoever we are bound to do A. Yes Q. Is not a Christian then bound to believe any thing as a point of Faith but what is taught in the holy Scriptures A. No Q Nor bound to do any thing as necessary to Salvation but what is taught in them A. No Q. 4. What is God A. God is a Spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his Being Wisdom Power holiness justice goodness and Truth Explic. Q What are we to believe concerning God A. We are to believe concerning his Being and nature that he is a Substance and a Spirit or that he is a spiritual Substance Q. Why is God called a Spirit A. 1. Negatively because he hath no bodily Substance 2. Affirmatively and positively because he is a pure active life intelligence and will Q. Are not Angels and the Souls of men Spirits A. Yes Q. How then is God distinguished from Angels and the souls of men A. God is an infinite eternal and unchangeable Spirit Angels and the Souls of men are finite Spirits buâ— of yesterday and changeable Q. But since Angels as well as the Souls of men are finite how are they to be distinguished A. Angels are pure Spirits and have no commerce or society with Bodies which the Souls of men have being in the most intimate conjunction with them And though in the separate state they do subsist and live without them yet because their happiness or misery is not compleat without them the souls of the Iust already made perfect in holiness will be carried out with strong inclinations unto and earnest expectation of re-union with their Bodies to be together made perfect in happiness in good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over And in the souls of the unjust there shall be a fearful expectation of reunion with their Bodies as of a certain approaching unavoidable and utterly undoing evil to fill up the measure of their misery suffering together the vengeance of eternal fire Or more briefly God Angels and the souls of men may be thus distinguished Angels are created Spirits compleat As Angels are created Spirits they are distinguished from God who is a Spirit uncreate or the Creator of all or the God of the Spirits of all flesh As Spirits compleat they are distinguished from the souls of men which in their compleat subsistence require Bodies which Angels do not and may therefore be called Persons or compleat subsistences Q. What else are we to believe concerning God A. We are to believe concerning his attributes that they are of two sorts 1. Incommunicable 2. Communicable Q. What and which are his Incommunicable attributes A. His Incommunicable attributes are such as are not partaken of by the Creatures or that cannot be communicated to them such are these his Infiniteness Eternity and Vnchangeableness Q. What is it to be Infinite A. To be without end bounds or limits Q. What is it to be Eternal A. To be without beginning or succession or end of time Q. What is it to be unchangeable A. To be alwaies the same without any alteration Q. What and which are the Communicable attributes of God A. His Communicable attributes are such as in a measure are partaken of by the creatures or may be communicated to them such are these his Wisdom Power Holiness Iustice Goodness and Truth Q. But are they in the same manner in the Creatures as in God A. No. Q. After what manner are they in the Creatures and how are they in God A. God is Inâ—inite Eternal and unchangeable in them and the Creatures are not Q. May then Gods Incommunicable Attributes be applied to and spoken of the Communicable A. Yes they may Q. How is God said to be Infinite Eternal and Unchangeable A. 1. In his Wisdom Q. What is the Wisdom of God A. The Wisdom of God is his Essential property whereby by one simple and eternal Act he knoweth both himself and whatsoever is
than ordinary If you expected the Scriptures at large the numerosity of them gives you the reason against that I had once some thoughts of illustrating the mysterie of the Trinity of Persons by some apt Figure or Resemblance and of placing it in the Catechism but for the avoiding of all occasion of offence to the weak I have affixed it here And of all Figures Keplers Circle seems most artificial and correspondent with this glorious mystery IN this Scheme or Figure you have a Center and a Circumference and an Inter space and yet but one Circle So that there are three Persons and yet but one God These three are not divided For it is not a Center or Interspace separate from the Circumference But these are distinguished in their incommunicable properties in their order and in their operation upon a supposition of motion The Center is the beginning as is easie to be observed in drawing the Circle the Circumference is a resultance from the Center alone the Interspace from the Center and the Circumference These are Co-equal the Center and the Circumference and the Interspace are equidistant every where each one from other And the Center is no more a Circle without a Circumference than the Circumference and Interspace without a Center Consubstantial The Center is constituent of the Circle not a part from but together with the Circumference and the Interspace Co-eternal It is no Center without a Circumference and no sooner is the Circumference drawn but you find the Interspace Doubtless there is Vnity in Trinity in all things had we but light and eyes to espy it You will find annexed to the Explication a Discauâ—se out of Acts 8 30. where you will meet with some Rules which have obtained in Divinity for your better understanding and more profitable reading the holy Scriptures If you be of that select numbâ—r that cannot content your selves with bare reading but labour to understand what you read they are chiefly and more especially designed for you And that you may understand what you read and remark in your course of reading the Sacred Scriptures those truths more distinctly which will make you wise to Salvation is the main purpâ—rt and intent of this little piece and intense desire of its Compâ—ser Your Friend for Eternity A Short and Plain EXPLICATION OF THE ASSEMBLIES SHORTER Catechism Quest. 1. WHat is the chief end of Man Answ. Mans chief end is to glorifie God and to enjoy him for ever Explicat Q. What do you mean by Mans chief end A. That which God did chiefly intend or aim at in making Man and which Man is chiefly to intend Q. Is Mans chief end to seek himself A. No Q. Is it to enjoy the pleasures profits and preferments of this World A. No Q. Is it to glorifie God and to enjoy him â—or ever A. Yes Q. What is Mans chief Duty A. To glorifie God Q. What is it to glorifie God A. To order all our actions to that end that God might have the Glory Q. What is Mans chief happiness A. To enjoy God for ever Q. How doth Man enjoy God A. Two waies 1. Here in this life by an holy Communion with him in the Duties of his Worship and in an upright Conversation 2. Hereafter in the life to come in a glorious and immediate Communion with him in his Kingdom Q. May a man have another subordinate or less principal end besides the glorifying of God and enjoying him for ever A. Yes Q. What do you mean by a subordinate end A. That which a man intends or aims at in order to another end or for some further end Q. May a man make any thing else his ultimate or principal end besides glorifying and enjoying God A. No Q. Is the glorifying of God and enjoying him for ever mans subordinate end or else his ultimate and chief end A. Mans chief end Q. Why are the glorifying of God and the enjoying him for ever joyned as one chief end of man A. Because God hath inseparably joyned them together so that men cannot truly design or seek the one without the other Q. What Rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorifie and enjoy him A. The Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is the only way to direct us how we may glorifie and enjoy him Explic. Q. What direction must we follow that we may aright glorifie God and enjoy him for ever A. We must follow the Rule God hath given us Q. What Rule is that A. The Word of God Q Why is the Word of God called our Rule A. Because all Doctrines which we are bound to believe must be measured or judged of and all duties which we are bound to practise must be squared or conformed unto this Rule Q. Where is the Word of God contained A. It is contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament Q. How are these Books called A. They are called the holy Scriptures Q. Why are these Books so called A. Because they were written by Pen-men inspired by God infallibly to that end Q. How do you know that the Books of the Old and New Testament are the Word A. The Papists grant the Protestants that all the Books which they receive are the certain Word of God Q. But how will you convince an Infidel that the Doctrine taught in these Books is the certain Word of God A. The Testimony of the Church is of great weight and importance in this matter By the Church we understand the whole company of Believers who have professed the true Faith whether those who received the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures from the Prophets and Apostles or those who lived after whose Testimony 1. Is profitable to prepare the heart and to move it to believe 2. And of all humane Testimonies whereby the Author of any Book that hath is or shall be extant can be proved the greatest both in respect of the multitude wisdom honesty faithfulness of the witnesses and the likeness constancy and continuance of the Testimony it self 3. But this Testimony is only humane 4. Not the only nor the chief whereby the Truth and Divinity of this Doctrine is confirmed 5. Neither can it be the ground of Divine Faith and Assurance And therefore besides this Testimony There are four other several infallible Testimonies of Gods Spirit which though each of them alone is convincing yet all together make up that full evidence that will be Ground of Divine Faith and Assurance to an Infidel Q. Which are those four witnesses A. They are 1. Antecedently The Spirit of Prophecie foretelling things to come so long before 2. Constitutively or inherently The Image of God that unimitable character of Divinity which animates this Doctrine 3. Concomitantly The multitude of evident and uncontrolled Miracles wrought for this very end to confirm it And 4. Subsequently The
natural here meant which is the separation of Body and Soul 3. The pains of Hell for ever Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery A. God having out of his meer good pleasure from all Eternity elected some to Eternal life did enter into a Covenant of Grace to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery and to bring them into an estate of Salvation by a Redeemer Explic. Q. Must all mankind unavoidably perish in their sins and misery A. No not the elect of God Q. Whom do you mean by Gods Elect A. Those whom God hath chosen to everlasting life Q. What moved God to Elect any A. His meer good pleasure Q. What mean you by that A. The most free absolute or undetermined Will of God Q. When did God Elect them A. From all Eternity Q. What mean you by that A. Before time began or before any thing was created Q. What did God do for his Elect to accomplish his decree touching their Salvation A. He entred into a Covenant of Grace with them Q. Why is the second Covenant called the Covenant of Grace A. Because Free-grace was the only motive God had to make and perform the Promises contained in it Q. By what other name is this Covenant called A. It is also called the New Covenant because it never decayeth nor waxeth old but remaineth in full force effect and vertue to the end of the world Q. But what is become of the Law of that first Covenant made with Adam in Paradise that old Covenant the Covenant of Life or Works repeated to the Iews The sum of which we have fully express'd Ezek. 18. 4. The Soul that sinneth it shall die A. It is neither executed nor abrogated but released or dispensed with Q. Is it not fully executed A. No Q. Nor abrogated A. No. Q. How prove you that A. By these two Reasons 1. It is in part executed upon Believers themselves they are liable to the miseries of this life and to Death it self viz. to the first or natural Death which is the wages of sin although the second Death hath no power over them 2. It is totally executed upon finally impenitent unbelievers who are liable to the pains of Hell for ever over whom not the first only but the second Dâ—ath also hath power Q. But seeing Iesus tasted Death for every man doth not the Gospel relieve impenitent unbelievers A The Gospel finds them and every one in a state of Condemnation Those who believe it proclaims deliverance unto and relieves them but those who through unbelief reject it and put it from them and judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life it leaves such as it found them viz. under the Condemnation of the Old Covenant since they refuse the pardoning mercy of the New Q. You have now satisfied us that the first Covenant is neither fully executed nor abrogated But how is it released or dispenced with A. By super-inducing a New Covenant of Grace over it that whosoever closeth with and comes into the terms of the new shall be exempted from the rigour and extremity i. e. from the eternal condemnation of the old although he may be liable to the miseries of this life and to the first Death Q Is the Covenant of works as to its execution upon such as are in the Covenant of Grace in the chief part restrained although in some part inflicted A. Yes Q. In the chief part restrained and in some part inflicted what do you mean by that A. We mean that Believers shall never complain under the eternal and destructive although they do bear the temporal and corrective punishment of their fins Q. But because generals are obscure tell us particularly for the clearer understanding of this Mysterie what obligation the first Covenant laies on sinful man A. A double obligation first in reference to what is past And secondly in reference to the future Q What obligation doth it lay on him in reference to what is past A. It requires satisfaction and reparation from him for his sin in breaking it Q What in reference to the future A. It requires perfect conformity still as at the first and absolute obedience to all Gods commands being the eternal debt of the reasonable creature to that God that made it in his own Image Q. Is it possible for us to satisfie Gods injured Law for our first breach A. No. Q But if we could might not the Law come upon us for future exact conformity to pay the residue of that eternal Debt due to God as our Creator A. Yes it might Q. Doth the Covenant of Grace relieve us as to both these cases and dispence with the rigour of the Law A. Yes Q. How doth it relieve us as to the first obligation A. It comforts us with the good news that the Son of God hath satisfied his Fathers Justice and if we believe but in him God will accept of us as if we had satisfied in our own persons The case the Law leaves us in is well expressed Isa. 33. 14. and Heb. 10. 31. But the relief the Gospel brings us in St. Paul's language Rom. 8. 33 34. you have both together excellently Ezek. 33. 10 11. Q. How as to the second A. The New Covenant dispenceth with the rigour of that too and justified and pardoned persons shall not lose all again upon the least defailance therefore the Gospel proclaims pardon of sin upon Repentance and acceptance of sincere endeavours to obey him Q God gave the Law from Mount Sinai and the voice of words was so dreadful there that they which heard it intreated that the Word should not be spoken to them â—ny more But we are come to Mount Sion what is Gods language to us now A. Sinners be but in good earnest do but love me heartily and my waies let me but see a child-like ingenuity in you and I will put down your upright though imperfect performances in the Book of my remembrance Q. How is it possible our performances should be recorded in the Book of Gods remembrance since the best of them are imperfect and we do daily break the Commandments of God in thought word and deed A. If there be a willing mind it is well accepted according to that we have and not according to that we have not And the Commandments of God may be reputed as done when whatsoever is not done is pardoned Thus doth the candour of the Gospel dispence with the rigour of the Law Q. But how doth it stand with Gods veracity and immutability having once declared that the soul that sinneth shall die to contradict it by declaring That he that believeth shall never die but have Eternal Life A. We must look upon threatenings as a part of the Law declaring the dueness of the punishment what the offender hath deserved