shew the greatest Reverence not only to his Names but also his Titles Attributes Ordinances Houses Revenues Words and Works For unto them all hath the Apostles exhottation Heb. 12.28 relation Let us have grace whereby to serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear And the particular Duties respecting all these you have in the next Questions and their Answers Q. How doth your Catechism express this A. To give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his Holy Name and his Word Q. What then are the sins forbidden in this Commandment A. Unthankfullness Distrustfullness not praying to God or praying to any other but God all Abuses of or irreverent use of or medling with His Word Sacraments House Titles or Ministers and especially rash and vain Swearing Cursing and Blasphemy Q. What doth God threaten them that thus transgress his Commandment A. That he will not hold them Guiltless that is they shall be held guilty and by no means escape his Vengeance Catechist It cannot be expected that all duties and sins herein required and forbidden should be particularly named in so short an Abstract as a Catechism is and should be but these are the chief We must give God thanks for all his Works and Benefits Temporal and Spiritual 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks Psal 50.14 Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most High We must call upon God by Solemn Religious prayer and Invocation as alone able and willing to hear and help us and upon no other Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And these two are closely joyned together by the Apostle in one precept Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing let your requests be made known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving We must put our whole trust in God Psal 62.8 Trust in the Lord at all times ye people pour out your hearts before Him for God is our hope And on the contrary ingratitude and unfaithfulness was the sin of the Israelites Deut. 32.15 18. Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God that made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his Salvation Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten him that formed thee Isaiah 1.2 3. I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Luk. 17.18 Of the ten Lepers that were cleansed but one returned to give thanks And as prayer is Our duty so it is branded as Atheistical and shews that a man saith in his heart there is no God that he calls not upon the Lord Psal 14.4 And we are not to call upon any other but Him Not Angels for so the Angel forbad S. John Rev. 22.9 See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant Not Saints for Isaiah 63.16 Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledges us not And as we are to put our whole trust in God so distrustfulness was the Israelites sin Psal 78.19 Can God prepare a table in the wilderness Behold He smote the rock indeed that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed but can he give bread also Can He provide flesh And therefore Our Saviour cautions us against this Matth. 6.25 Take no thought no distrustful thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or wherewithall ye shall be clothed ver 32. your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things And so are we forbidden trusting in any other things whether in wants or dangers Not in horses or chariots Psal 20.7 Not in Princes Psal 118.8 Not in any Son of man Psal 146.3 Not in bow or shield Psal 44.6 Not in our riches Prov. 11.28 Not in ourselves Prov. 18.26 We are also warned to take heed of all irreverent use of Gods word Luk. 8 18. Take heed how you hear Prov. 13.13 Whoso despiseth Gods word shall be destroyed And of his Sacraments â— Cor. 11.27 Whoso eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to Himself not discerning the Lords Body And his House the Church For 1 Cor. 11.22 What have ye not houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God And of his Titles and Revenues what is set apart for Holy Uses and for the maintenance of his Ministers For the Prophet Malachi saith chap. 3.8 that to defraud or alienate them is to rob God or to abuse his Ministers or not to hearken to and obey them Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And then for taking Gods Name in vain by vain or false Swearing Cursing or Blaspheming the letter of the Commandment is express and innumerable Texts speak terribly to all that are guilty thereof To name but one or two I will bring the Curse saith the Lord of hosts by his Prophet Zechariah 5.4 and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and shall remain in the midst thereof and consume it with the Timber thereof and with the stones thereof And one Text in Deut. 28.58 59. may serve instead of all other Texts If thou wilt not observe to fear this great and glorious Name The Lord thy God Then will the Lord make thy plagues great and wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long Continuance In short our Saviour explains this Commandment to forbid not only perjury or false swearing but also swearing vainly and in our ordinary talk and Communication and swearing by any other but God For an Oath is a Divine Honour Mat. 5.33 34 37. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self But I say unto you swear not at all neither by heaven nor by the Earth c. But let your Communications be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil and so much also of the third Commandment Q. What are the duties required by the fourth Commandment A. To serve him truly as in his Solemn days of Worship so all the days of my life Q. Which are those Solemn days of Worship wherein we are especially to serve God A. The Lords day and days set apart for Humiliation and Thanksgiving the Feasts and Fasts of the Church Q. Which is the Lords day A. The First day of the week observed by Christians because of Christs Resurrection upon it as the Seventh day was by the Jews in memory of the Creation Catechist We are assured both by Scripture and the Churches Histories that the First day of the week was after Christs Resurrection and in memory thereof observed by the Christians for all the Holy Offices as the Seventh day Sabbath was by them under
the old Testament in memory of Gods Rest from his works of Creation and thence was it called the Lords day Rev. 1.10 John in the Isle of Patmos was in the spirit on the Lords day Act. 20.7 Vpon the first day of the week when the Disciples were together to eat bread Paul preached unto them 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him As for the Churches Holy days or Days appointed by Authority for solemn publick prayers and thanksgivings upon occasion of some great Calamities or Deliverances though they be appointed by man only yet have they as good Authority as the Feast of Purim and Dedication among the Jews for they had no other but Humane Appointment Q. How must God be served on those days A. By resting from all bodily labours except them of Necessity and Mercy to the end we may wholly attend the publick and private exercises of Religion and Godliness Q. What sins then are forbidden by this Commandment A. Mispending these days either in sin or idleness or the servile works of our callings or in vain sports or whatsoever may hinder our keeping them Holy Catechist The Commandment expressly forbids all servile works on the Sabbath day and so do divers Texts as Exod. 31.13 14. and 35.2 and Jer. 17.21 much more idleness vain sports and pastimes and all sinful spending it in gluttony drunkenness filthy Communications and all manner of Licentiousness We are to rest from our worldly labours but mark for what end not that bodily ease can of it self please God but it is that being free from all encombrances of this world and all earthly cares and distractions we may sanctifie the day keep it holy or hallow it Only as our Saviour clears the matter in Confutation of the Pharisees Matth. 12.11 12 13. Works of Necessity Mercy and Charity are allowed and lawful for What man of you saith he having an Ox or an Ass fallen into a pit on the sabbath day will not lift it up It is lawfull therefore to do good on the Sabbath day And therefore he Himself scrupled not to heal the sick cleanse the lepers restore the blind and lame c. and thus he justifieth himself in so doing against their cavills Q. What must parents and Masters do in obedience to this Commandment A. They must exercise their children and Servants in all Religious duties publick and private and restrain them from all contrary sins Catechist The Tenour of the Commandment runs thus Thou and thy Son and thy daughter thy man servant thy maid servant c. And for an example to all Householders as well as Kings and Princes Joshua said chap. 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. So let all of us say Let other persons be careless how their families observe the Lords day whether they come to the Church or be absent how they mispend it in vain sports or prophaness I and mine will do otherwise we will serve the Lord publickly and privately with all good care and Conscience Ps 42.4 We will go up together unto the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that keep holy day Psal 101.4 6. A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful that they may dwell with me He that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me Q. What Motives doth God use to engage our obedience to his Commandments A. His allowing us six days for our own labours and his own special property in the Seventh His own Example and His having Sanctified the Sabbath day to Holy Uses Catechist Every one is able of himself to discern all these in the words of the Commandment Let me then leave that to you and ask you in the next place Q. Is it sufficient to serve God in his Solemn days only A. No We must set apart some Competent part of our time every day and serve him truly all the days of our lives Catechist We are injoyned in Gods word to pray always Luk. 18.1 and to pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 that is keep a constant daily course of prayer And in all things to give thanks 1 Thes 5.18 and to have God always before us Ps 16.8 So is every day to be so a Sabbath unto us as therein to rest from sin and to allot some competent time for Gods immediate service from our worldly business as well as to serve him by all diligence in labour and by faithful and righteous dealing in our Callings and Vocations Luk. 1.74 Being delivered from the hands of our enemies it is that we may serve him without fear in Holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives Q. Doth this fourth Commandment then oblige us Christians A. Yes though not the Ceremonial part as it requires the seventh-seventh-day Sabbath and the strict Jewish Rest yet what is of Moral equity in it to wit that a Competent part of our time be thus devoted to Gods Worship and Service Catechist It concerns us even us Christians to remember often Gods fearful judgements on divers prophaning of the Sabbath as him that gathered sticks on it Num. 15.32 and them that bare burdens on the Sabbath day in Jerusalem Jer. 17.27 And Nehemiahs zeal to restrain from buying and selling wares on the Sabbath day chap. 10.31 against those that trode the winepresses and brought in sheaves and asses laden with wine grapes and figs c. on the Sabbath day chap. 13. from ver 15. to 23. For as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 10 11. These examples are written for our learning or admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come And as God gave Ten Commandments so had this in special the same Author and Lawgiver as the other had even the Eternal God the Creator of all things who as the very light of nature prompts if he be God must be worshipped and glorified as God which cannot be unless some competent portion of time suppose one in seven be set apart for it And therefore although the Ceremonial part of the Commandment be abrogated yet is the Moral still Obligatory to us Christians And so our Holy Church believes or else we should not be taught by it to pray after the reading of this as well as every other Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law I may now hope you pretty well understand your duty towards God taught you in the first Table of the Decalogue the four first Commandments Let us go on then to the second Q. How many Commandments are there in the second Table A. The Six last Commandments Q. What sort of duties doth the second Table teach you A. My duties towards my Neighbour Q. What is
Prayers and Thanksgivings are parts of Divine Worship Unquestionedly commanded by God is evident by S. Pauls direction to Timothy as Provincial Bishop of Ephesus 1 Ep. 2.1 2. Which was to take order that prayers supplications and thanksgivings be made for all men for Kings and all in Authority c. And how God ordained the publick reading of Scriptures you may see Deut. 31.11 12. When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord in the place which he shall choose Then shalt thou read the Law before all Israel in their hearing c. And accordingly S. James Bishop of Jerusalem spake it in the Councel held there Act. 15.21 That Moses had in every city them that preacht him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day And if God appoints his word to be Read it must needs be the peoples duty to hear the Reading and Luk. 16.31 If they will not hear Moses and the Prophets neither would they repent though one should rife from the dead And to what purpose is it either to Read or Hear if they do not Meditate on it for as it is in the Parable of the Sower of the seed Matth. 13.8 By this it is that the good seed takes root and bringeth forth fruit And therefore Ps 1.2 Blessed is the man that Meditates on Gods law day and night As for the Holy Sacraments Baptism and the Supper of the Lord you may see their Institution at large Matth. 28.19 and 1 Cor. 11.23 Q. What are the sins forbidden in this Commandment A. Corrupting neglecting or hindring any Ordinance of Right Worship Idolatry or Worshipping Saints Angels or Images or God by Images or Worshipping God in any way contrary to or not directed in his word Catechist If the Commandment require us to worship God then must they necessarily be transgressors thereof that come not to Church to joyn in Gods worship or are negligent in attending any Ordinance of Divine worship as many do apparently seldom coming to Church at all or coming after the prayers and the reading of the Scriptures as if it did not at all concern them or that being here behave themselves most slovenly and irreverently in Gods Service and then we must be sure that we avoid all idolatry and false worship For as it was charged upon Gods people the Jews Lev. 19.4 Not to turn to Idols nor to make any graven Images nor to bow down to them for this reason I am the Lord thy God so is it also upon us of the Christian Church 1 Cor. 10.14 Dearly beloved flee from Idolatry 1 John 5.21 Little Children take heed of idols Q. Whom do you think guilty of such Idolatry A. The Papists as much as Heathens or Jews in worshipping the Molten Calf and Brazen Serpent for they worship Saints Angels and Images and adore the Cross and the Host and have no better plea for so doing but what might serve to excuse both Heathens and Jews from being Idolaters Catechist In short let me tell you that Popish Idols or Images having the like matter and shapes and figures they do the same service to them and use the like pleas and pretences as the Heathens did and as the Idolatrous Jews did and therefore are as truly Idolaters as they and they that would see this fully proved let them read the Churches Homilies of the peril of Idolatry Q. How doth the Lord threaten all Idolaters and Image worshippers and all Transgressors of this Commandment A. Being jealous of his own glory He will punish them as Haters of himself nay them and their seed after them Catechist How jealous God is of his Glory you may read Isaiah 42.8 I am the Lord That is my name My Glory will I not give to another neither my praise to graven Images And hence Idolatry is often in Scripture called a spiritual whoredom and adultery which you know provokes any Husband to jealousy and rage against his Wife And here in this Commandment it is express that God looks on them as them that hate Him who give his Worship to Images or any others besides Him and he threatens to visit their children after them for this sin to many generations Q. Are the Protestants and particularly we of the Church of England clear from all Idolatry in observing Ceremonies in Gods Worship not expresly required in Gods Word A. Yes because God hath left it in charge to Church Rulers to appoint such Ceremonies in his Worship as conduce to Order and Decency and Edification and being once appointed by our lawful Governors We ought to observe them in Obedience to God who requires us to obey our Governors Catechist It may suffice to tell you thus much upon this head and you can by no means turn Dissenters upon this account if you remember this That it is the Apostles direction that all things in Gods Worship be done decently and in order and so as may conduce to Edification 1 Cor. 14.26 40. Which being the Duty and Province of the Churches Governours to take care of as they do at this day in all the Reformed Churches and as they apparently did in the Primitive Churches it is very plain that all private Christians are to yield a ready Conformity Submission and Obedience to their Orders and Canons by a strict Commandment 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit yourselves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit yourselves c. And what saith our Apostle upon the matter 1 Cor. 11.16 He brands them for contentiousness that dissent and Conform not saying If any man be Contentious nay seem to be Contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God Thus much for the second Commandment Q. What doth the third Commandment require A. It requires us to perform every part of Worship Devoutly to Gods Glory and Reverently to use every thing relating to God as his Name Titles Ordinances House Revenues Word and Works Catechist Will you hear the General Rule 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God If all our actions much more then what we do in the Worship and Service of God must be directed to His Glory and therefore must be performed with the greatest Reverence and Devotion both of body and mind to which purpose is that in the 29. Psal 1 2. very memorable Give unto the Lord O ye mighty Give unto the Lord Glory and Strength Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name How It follows Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness in the Margent it is in his Glorious Sanctuary As for the Name of God To which the Glory is Due thereby by a Figure is to be understood not only God Himself but also all that whereby God is Known to us or which hath a peculiar Relation to God or which hath Gods Name upon it or that is Gods to all which we must in using them