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A95360 An abridgement of Christian doctrine: with proofs of Scripture for points controverted. : Catechistically explained by way of question and answer. Turberville, Henry, d. 1678. 1648 (1648) Wing T3252B; ESTC R185778 84,943 340

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AN ABRIDGMENT OF Christian Doctrine WITH Proofs of SCRIPTURE for Points controverted Catechistically explained by way of Question and Answer Esa ch 30. v. 21. This is the way walk ye in it 1 Cor. ch 14. v. 38. If any man know not he shall not be known Permissu Superiorum Printed at DOVVAY M. DC XLVIII To the truly vertuous and no lesse honourable Lady the Lady E. B. Wife to Sir W. B. Baronet THe deep sense as well of my own proper as of the common obligations of my poore friends unto your Ladiships charitable Bounty hath moved me to addresse this little Treatise of Christian Doctrine to your perusall and Patronage partly for a Pledge of our respectfull gratitude and partly for a testimony of your exemplar excelling vertues which never have appeared more conspicuous then in this dark and ftormy time of Persecution in which they alwayes yeelded to your selfe a plentifull light to see and discerne the Vta Lactea or white way of Heaven and the revealed verities of Christ from the black way which leadeth unto Hell and the fictirious Novelties of Antichrist shining like a bright and stedfast land-mark to all your wavering and weather-beaten Neighbours to guide them to the haven of Security Nor can I doubt of your acceptance of it who have so chearfully exhibited your selfe not onely a religious Professor but also an indefatigable Sufferer for all the Articles conteined in it Witnesse the many Robberies and plunders acted against you under that onely notion since the late unnatur all war Witnesse your own captivity at Cannon-Froome a cruelty not usuall to your sexe Witnesse the arbitrary and most illegall Sequestration of your whole estate Witnesse your long deprivement and separation from your beloved Husband and deare Children whose sole Malignity is Christianity whose delinquency is nothing else but loyalty All which notwithstanding have beene by you imbraced and susteined with such a Masculine Courage and Christian confidence that you have caused much confusion to your enemies and singular consolation to your friends by turning that which was intended for your temporall depression into the greatest improvement of your Soule and highest pitch of spirituall advancement both to your Name and Family What shall I say of these your gallant trialls of these your stigma's received for the Faith I will say onely what S. Paul said in a like case That in the same measure you are partaker of the passions you shall be also of the consolations of Christ 2 Cor ch 1. v. 7. I will give onely this Elogium to the whole catalogue of your pressures perfections That you are now truly a Christian one that may worthily say with the Apostle I am fastened with Christ unto the crosse One who have written on your life and actions in lively characters of self-denying patience that holy Doctrine which I here present you impressed in characters of ink and paper Accept it therefore as your owne Epitome that as the world hath seen your sufferings so it may see in this for what you suffer Do but deigne it the protection of your Piety and it will yeeld you the protection of its Sanctity Doe but persevere in the practice of it unto the end in the same measure that you have begun and it will bring you safe to the fruition of the first Master and Teacher of it JESUS which is the constant wish and daily Prayer of Madam Your Ladiships humble Beadsman and devoted Servant H. T. Aprill 1. 1648. An Addresse to the Reader Courteous Reader HAving lately compiled this little Catechisme of Christian Doctrine for the use and instruction of some ignorant friends I have been much pressed and importuned by some whose age and judgement is of more maturity to expose it to publike view from whose request though I found at first some motives to dissent as well by reason of the multiplicity of bookes already printed on this subject by grave and learned Authours as also for the slender apprehension I had framed of this draught of mine Yet I was at length induced to acquiesse thereunto for these reasons First to give check to certaine Pamphlets lately published in our Countrey under the same though falsly pretended Title that so the verity and Antiquity of the Catholike Faith according to the Rule of contraries being compared with the falshood and novelties of Heretikes might seem the more illustrious and refulgent Secondly to encrease a new supply of bookes for such as have been plundered of the old stock Thirdly to revive the memory of that which never ought to be forgotten nor can be learnt too often the Law and Doctrine of Christ And finally which was indeed my principal designe to furnish the unlearned with certaine proofes of Scripture for points controverted together with the Rudiments of Christianity A thing already copiously done in many of our Books of Controversie But in regard the purses of some and the capacities of others cannot reach such Books I deem'd it a worke well worth the labour to make them also some provision out of that store in this Edition of a lower Key and lesser cost Wonder not at the plainenesse of the stile for I purposely affected it minding rather the profit of the ignorant then the pleasure of word-affecting Criticks Peruse it therefore with such Charity as I have penn'd it If thou art ignorant accept it for thy benefit if thou art knowing in the Law already at least commend it to thy ignorant friends and by so doing thou shalt oblige him who is ever to remaine Thy Friend and Servant H. T. ✚ IHS AN ABRIDGMENT OF Christian Doctrine Catechistically explained by way of Question and Answer CAP. 1. What a Christian is And of the Blessed Trinity Question CHild what Religion are you of Answer Sir by the benefit and Grace of God I am a Christian Q. Whom understand you by z Christian A. Him that believeth and professeth the Faith and Law of Christ Q. When are we obliged to make an externall profession of it A. As often as Gods Honour our own or our neighbours good requireth it Q. How prove you that A. Out of S. Matth. Ch. 10. Ver. 32. where Christ saith Every one therefore that shall confesse me before Men I will confesse him also before my Father which is in Heaven But he that shall deny me before Men I also will deny him before my Father which is in Heaven Q. Are we bound also to venture the ruine of our estates the losse of our friends and to lay down our very lives for the profession and defence thereof A. Doubtlesse we are seeing the reward which we expect in Heaven doth infinitely exceed all the pleasures and punishments of this life Q. What other reasons have you for it A. Because Christ the Sonne of the living God hath suffered farre greater things for us even to a disgracefull death upon the Crosse and therefore it were base ingratitude in us not to be ready to
Hebr. ch 11. v. 6. Q. What other reason have you for it A. Because as in a naturall body that part which hath not a due connection to the heart or root presently dieth for want of continuity so in the Church the mysticall body of Christ that member which hath not a due subordination and connection unto the head and Common Counsells thereof that is the Pope and Generall Counsells from whence under Christ we have our spirituall life and motion as wee are Christians must needs be dead and not a living member of that body Q. Who I beseech you are those dead members which you speak of A. All such as are not in the unity of the Church by a most firme beliefe of her Doctrine and due obedience to her Pastors Q. What if a Protestant should tell you that the differences betwixt them and us are not differences in fundamentalls or in faith but in opinion only and therefore do not exclude them out of the unitie of the Catholique Church A. I would answer That he contradicted his owne Tenets for they accuse us of Sacriledge of robbing God of his honour and committing Idolatry because we believe Priestly absolution from sinnes adore the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist and pray to Saints which are no matters of indifferency but high Fundamentalls of the Catholike Faith Q. How doe you prove all obstinate Novellists to be Heretikes A. Because they appeale from Masters to Schollers and from the Pastors and Generall Counsells of the Church unto the Layetie for the decision of points controverted which is the proper nature of Schisme and Heresie Q. What other reason have you A. Because they wilfully stand out against the definitive sentence of the Church of God and will not submit to any Judgement or Tribunall which Christ hath left on earth for the deciding of such doubts as they themselves are pleased to move but will be tried onely by their own idle braine and the dead letter of the Scripture Q. Why may not the letter of the Scripture be a decisive Judge of Controversies A. Because it never hath as yet been able from the first writing of it to decide any one as the whole world doth experience all Heretikes pretending equally unto it for the defence of their Novelties and Heresies and no one of them ever yeelding to another Q. What other reason have you A. Because resting in the dead letter onely we can have no assurance or morall certainty of any one Text or Chapter of the whole Bible that it hath come to us uncorrupted or what the meaning of it is or that it is the very word of Christ so great are the corruptions which have crept into it and so innumerable are the Languages Translations and Copies through which the Bible hath passed since the first writing of it Q. How then are we assured of these things A. By the infallible authority definition and proposition of the Catholike Church Q. What other reason have you yet for this A. Because the Scripture was never ordained for that purpose all the Books thereof being either Poeticall as the Psalmes Historicall as the Gospels Epistolarie as the Epistles or Allegoricall as the Apocalyps and Prophets and therefore as appeareth by their very names are no way fitting for the deciding of Controversies Q. For what end then was the Scripture written A. The writing or committing of it to dead letters was onely for superabundant consolations and that by a sensible and common reading of it without any criticall or controversiall libration of words we might be able to know that God is and what he is as also that there is a heaven and a hell rewards for virtue and punishments for vice with examples of both all which we find in the Letter of the Scripture by a plain and ordinary reading of it Q. How declare you the Churches visibility at all times A. Because it consisteth essentially of a visible Hierarchy which can never faile Q. How prove you that A. Out of Ephes ch 4. v. 11 12. where we read that Christ gave some Apostles some Evangelists some Doctors some Pastors to the consummation of the Saints to the edifying of the body of Christ and to the worke of the Ministerie untill we all meet in the unity of faith Q. What other proof have you A. Out of S. Mat. ch 5. v. 14. 15. where Christ saith of his Church you are the light of the world a City seated on a Mountaine cannot bee hid Q. Why then would Protestants have the Church to be invisible A. Because we have convinced them that there were no Protestants to be seen or heard of in the world before Martin Luther Q. Why is it said the holy Church A. Because she hath a holy faith a holy Law holy Sacraments and is guided by the Holy Ghost to all truth and holinesse Q. How else prove you her Sanctity A. Because Christ gave himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie it cleansing it by the laver of water in the Word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle but that it might be holy and unspotted Ephes ch 5. v. 26. 27. Q. Why are we bound to believe the Church A. Because she is the Pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. ch 3. v. 15. Q. What other proofe have you for her Infallibility A. Out of S. Matth. ch 16. v. 18. where Christ saith upon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against her Q. What other yet A. Out of S. Joh. ch 14. v. 16. But the Paraclete saith he the Holy Ghost he shall teach you all things whatsoever I shall say unto you and ch 13. v. 16. But when the Spirit of Truth cometh he shall teach you all Truth Q. How declare you that the definitions of a Councell perfectly Oecumenicall that is a Generall Councell approved by the Pope be infallible in matters of Faith A. Because such a Councell is the Church Representative and hath the same Infallibility that the Church diffused or spread over the world hath Q. What other reason have you A. Because the Definitions of such a Councell are the Dictates of the Holy Ghost according to that of the Apostles defineing in Councell it hath seemed good unto the Holy Ghost and to us c. Act. ch 15. v. 28. Q. What thinke you then of such as accuse the Church of Errours in Faith and Idolatrie A. Truly I thinke them to be Hereticks or Infidells for our Lord saith He that will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen or a Publican S. Mat. ch 18. v. 18. Q. What understand you by the word Catholique A. I understand that the Church is Universall both for time and place Q. How for time A. Because it hath been from Christ unto this time and shall be from hence unto the end of the world Q. How prove you that A.