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-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
the Decalogue with this reason to perswade it That by composing Sermons on these I should be at once provided with whatever should be useful in a Congregation in the Afternoons and be likewise thereby enabled for this great work of Catechizing profitably by but extracting the Quintessence of such Composures by way of Questions and Answers as I went along and also lastly have a constant storehouse to repair to serviceable upon all Occasions and upon all sorts of Subjects I heartily thank God that I had this Counsel given me and that I followed it Catechizing one way or other either by a continued plain and homely discourse or by teaching Questions and Answers and then using these short Descants upon them hath been my constant course in that place whither Divine Providence cast me In taking which having found it all along a great drudgery to Transcribe I was forc'd when I had gone thorough the Catechism to be at the charge of an Impression of so many Copies as might serve my Parish which proving very faulty and defective to my great dissatisfaction I thought it not amiss to make a new Edition thereof and to make it more profitable to all that would make any Vse thereof I have added the Catechist's Enlargement upon each Question and Answer throughout the whole For the Questions and Answers upon the Apostles Creed I acknowledge some considerable part of them and the most material upon which the rest are grounded to be those Composures of the aforesaid excellent Person and them he gave to the Youth in his Parish to learn and constantly examined them therein to their great profit and Edification And now I beg it may not be thought either presumption or vain glory in me to add thereto as I saw cause to make it as easie as I could to the weakest Capacities I have well weighed every word in the Creed and every clause and almost every word in the whole Church-Catechism from the beginning to the end proving every Observation therein by very plain Scriptures which Course and Method as it sets the most Notable Texts before the younger peoples Eyes and may to their great profit serve to imprint them in their Memories so doth it mightily conduce to settle and establish them in a firm belief of sound Doctrine And if Parents and Masters of Families would be perswaded thus to exercise their Youth I am morally certain it would make them good Christians Good Protestants or which is I think the same thing Good and firm Members of the Church of England For as here They may be instructed in the Truth and Certainty of the Christian Religion in Opposition to the Jews and Pagans so are all just Occasions taken to arm them against Fanaticism and Separation And if such sound Principles of Faith and Obedience be timely instilled into tender Minds If Men would thus teach and bring up their Children in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord it will be very hard to think how they can fail of a competent understanding of their Religion and whatever is necessary to be known or believed to their Salvation or turn Apostates from it without an extreme Oscitancy and carelessness in remembring and considering what they have been taught or an incurable wanton itch after Novelties which latter if indulged it may be expected they will through Gods just judgment fall into damnable Errors and all the innumerable snares of the Devil which he shall think fit to lay for them and being once bewildred in them it is rare and in the Nature of the thing very difficult for any to recover themselves being taken Captive by him at his Will Yours in the Lord J. B. Catechetical Exercises PREFACE TO CATECHISM THE great end of Catechising being to instruct little children and the younger people all that are ignorant and capable of learning the Fundamental principles of their Râ—ligion It is therefore very proper to ask the Catechized what Religion they are of in the first place and therefore it is no trivial or frivolous Question with which our Catechisme begins What is your name for how this leads to the other may appear by these following Inquiries Q. What did you receive the same time when you received your name A. My Religion Q. What Religion are you of A. The Christian and therefore the name I then received is called my Christian name Q. When received you both these A. When I was Baptized The Catechist's Enlargement upon the Questions and Answers Every person is Considerable two ways As a man and as a Christian As a Man He hath the Name of his Family called his Sirname As a Christian He hath another name given him to wit when he was baptized and by being baptized entred into the Profession of the Christian Religion which is therefore called his Christian name Q. Who gave you this name A. My Godfathers and Godmothers c. Q. By whose means or help did you receive them A. By means of my Godfathers and Godmothers Q. Why are they called Godfathers and Godmothers A. Because they were instrumental in begetting me again unto God and bringing me into Covenant with God and still stand engaged as Spiritual parents for my Godly Education Q. Why doth the Church require the Vse of Godfathers and Godmothers in Baptism A. Because the Jews had such in Circumcising their Children so hath Christs Church in all ages secured the Godly Education of her Members Catechist Buxtorf Syned jud l. 1. c. â— gives it as a certainty That the Jews had Godfathers and Godmothers at Circumcision and some hint of this Custom we have Isaiah 8.24 Where we read of the Prophets calling for faithful Witnesses when he called the Prophetesses Son Maher Shalal Hashbaz and in Luk. 1.59 we read that Elizabeths Neighbours and Cousins came together the Eight day to Circumcise her child and would have called him after the name of his Father Zecharias So that by this account the Use of Godfathers and Godmothers seems to be derived like the many other Usages in Christianity from the Jewish Church But whether so or no it is manifest it was always practiced in the Christian Church And that for those great ends of propagating Religion and preserving them from falling from it who was already initiated into it For if parents natural parents proved ignorant and could not or wicked and would not teach and Educate their Children aright or if they chanced to die or to turn Apostates Hereby the Church took care for the godly Education of their Children And this saith Mr Perkins was a laudable Custom above 1400 years True will some say this was no more than what was Necessary in those Times of Persecution but not so now in these times of the Churches Peace Yes I answer it is yet as necessary as then Because We know not how soon Persecutions may come and however the present Age we live in abounds with many damnable Errours and Heresies and the Prophaness and
now Q. What is that Faith that you also promised A. To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith that is All that Christ taught did and suffered for our Salvation as they are recorded in the Gospel and summed up in the Creed Q. Is it enough to assent to the Truth of those Articles or what farther is required to make my Faith acceptable to God A. I must so believe every Article as to live answerably to what it teaches us for Faith is nothing worth without good works of obedience Catechist Concerning the former Answer I shall only remark to you that Definition St. Luke gives of his Gospel Acts 1.1 It is a Treatise he saith of all that Jesus began to do and to teach and adding only what he suffered for the Salvation of sinners you have then the true object of a Christians faith and belief Now them must we believe that is assent to them from our hearts profess them with our lips and walk suitably to them in our lives And this is that Faith S. James teaches us Chap. 2.17 He affirms That the Faith which hath no works is dead being alone For ver 21. Was not Abraham the great pattern of Faith the Father of the Faithful justified by works when he offered up Isaac thereby shewing the truth of his Faith by ready obedience to Gods Commandments Ver. 26. By works was his Faith made perfect and he instanceth there in Rahabs faith also ver 25. and requires this therefore of all that pretend to believe Shew me thy Faith by thy works v. 18. For they it is that must shew it to be true or nothing can shew it Every evil worker is a real Unbeliever Good works are Faiths witnesses as the tree is known by its fruits Q. What then is that Obedience you promised in Baptism A. To keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life Catechist It is therefore a constant effect of true faith in whomsoever it is it produceth an Universal Obedience of the whole man to all Gods Commandments and that so constant as to continue and persevere therein to our lives end Church Catechism the fourth Question Q. Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and do as they promised for thee A. Yes verily c. Explanatory Questions and Answers Q. How can Godfathers and Godmothers promise such great things as these for Children whom they bring to Baptism A. They only promise them in the Childrens names till they be of age to take it upon themselves so the duty promised belongs to the Children and Godfathers and Godmothers engage only to see they be taught what they promised for them and to excite them to perform it by instructions reproofs exhortations and prayers Catechist The scope of this Answer is to state the matter how far Sureties stand engaged by what is done at Baptism But to this are children chiefly to take heed that the things promised do chiefly lye on them to perform though not themselves but others engaged it only in their names For they are in equity bound thereby For Parents usually oblige their Children in civil contracts and Bargains and why not much more then to what is their Bounden duty before as Creatures to their Lord their Maker and Redeemer Or who will say but that it is in the Parents power to devote their Children to Gods special service as Hannah did Samuel 1 Sam. 1.18 or as Timothy's parents may well be supposed to have done Him in that they taught Him the Scriptures of a child and without doubt whatsoever children they be that renounce or do not perform this their Baptismal Vow though but made by others in their name they incur the Guilt of Perjuty and forfeit all the promises of God made to them in his Covenant To prevent this therefore and to make children when grown up sensible of their having entred such a vow and that they may now voluntarily take it upon themselves and that before the Congregation and thenceforth look upon themselves as engaged by their own Act and deed To this end is this Question intended whose answer hath divers excellent parts all remarkable agreeable to sound and Orthodox Doctrine and to the H. Scriptures I shall reduce them to these Questions Q. Art thou then willing now to take this vow and promise upon thy self A. Yes verily Catechist Mark here good child what thou professest even to stand to the vow made in thy name and remember the Text Eccles. 5.4 Better never vow than not perform what thou hast vowed Q. How shalt thou ever be able to do those things being by nature so prone to all evil and averse to all Good A. I shall be able to do them through Christ strengthning me therefore I say and by Gods help so I will Catechist Thus is every child taught modestly to declare his Resolution in the words of St. Paul Phil. 4.13 and it much concerns you and all men to be humbly sensible of what the same Apostle saith Rom. 7.18 In me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing And that our Saviour saith expresly John 15.5 I am the Vine ye are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing And because this help shall not be wanting to any that will sincerely endeavour it therefore doth the Apostle Phil. 2.12 13. hereby enforce his exhortation work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and do of his good pleasure As if he had said take heed to yourselves that you make use of Gods help while you may have it work yourselves while God worketh with and in you Q. What art thou better for being baptized more than those that never were baptized A. This being Gods own Ordinance for washing away Original sin and admitting men into Covenant with God I am thereby called into a state of Salvation through Christ for which therefore I heartily thank God my heavenly father Catechist By this Answer a child is well taught to be deeply sensible and to declare himself to be so that he is in a much better Condition then he was before or than they are who never were Baptized For who can deny that Baptism is Christs own ordinance for washing away sin and admitting him into Covenant with God And what is this but a state of Salvation by Christ there being as S. Peter saith Act. 4.12 No salvation to be had by any other no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ For this therefore their being brought thus into a state of Salvation Holy Church very laudably teaches her children to give publick thanks according to that in Psal 8.2 Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings God hath ordained praise Q But what if you should fall off from
many eye witnesses assure us He rese again according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15.4 Q. When did he rise again A. The third day according to the Prophecy Catechist Himself had expressly foretold his enemies the Jews that after three days he would rise again Mark 14.12 and they were sensible of it that their malice would be apparent if he should do so and his cause would be glorious before all the world The latter errour they said would be worse than the first Matth. 27.64 Therefore they set a watch and did all they could to procure it But maugre the policy of Earth and Hell of men and Devils Christ rose again indeed and that at the precise time which he foretold The third day No sooner to shew that he was really dead No later lest his Body should corrupt should see corruption Q. Who raised him up A. Himself and this his rising by his own power proved him to be God and that he had fully satisfied for our sins Catechist He told them beforehand that he both could and would do it John 10.18 I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it again John 2.19 Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up Speaking of the temple of his body Now hereby he manifestly proved himself to be the Son of God and God Rom. 1.4 He was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of Holiness by the Resurrection from the dead And it was an infallible token of Gods justice being fully satisfied for our sins Rom. 4.25 He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our Justification Q. How long stayed he on Earth after his Resurrection A. Forty days Q. What to do A. To teach his disciples the things of his Kingdome that is to Commission and instruct them how to gather and fettle his Church throughout the World Catechist Act. 1.3 He shewed himself to his Apostles alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them Fourty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God which is his Church And for the gathering thereof we find Matth. 28.19 20. He gave them this Commission Go Teach all Nations or disciple all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And for the instructing and governing the Church so gathered He then gave them this General direction teaching them to do whatsoever I have commanded you And loe I am with you always to the end of the world is the gracious promise wherewith he then encouraged them in this work And during this time it was that he called upon Peter in special but doubtless therein requiring it of all the other Apostles Peter lovest thou me seed my sheep Lovest thou me feed my lambs John 21.15 16 17. Q. Whither went he after these Fourty days A. He ascended into Heaven Q. What to do there A. To prepare a place for us and continually to make intercession for us Catechist Heb. 9.11 12. Our High Priest entred into the most Holy place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us Act. 1.19 While they were speaking with him Luk. 24.50 While he blessed them the Disciples beheld and loe he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight Now of this speaks St. Ambrose's Song called Te Deum He opened the Kingdom of heaven to all believers For see what he himself said John 14.2 In my fathers house are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am ye may be also Wherefore as the Apostle Heb. 7.25 inferreth hence He is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by Him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us Q. What place hath Christ now in Heaven A. He in our nature sits at the right hand of God Catechist So himself foretold his enemies Luk. 22.69 Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power And hereof many Texts assure us 1 Cor. 3.1 2. If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the Right hand of God Q Hath God any hands either right hand or left A. No God is a Spirit and hath neither bodily parts nor passions Catechist So doth Christ himself define God Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit And Luk. 24.19 He thus describes a Spirit that it hath no bodily parts Handle me and see for a Spirit hath neither flesh nor bones as ye see me have Q. What mean you then by Christs sitting at Gods right hand A. I mean his fulness of Glory and Majesty as God-man with infinite power to destroy his and his Churches enemies Catechist So he told his Disciples Matth. 28.18 All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Such power that Psal 110.1 His enemies are his footstool Eph. 1.20 He is far above all principalities and powers and might and Dominion and every name that is named both in this world and the world to come For Act. 2.34 35. Him whom they crucified hath God thus made both Lord and Christ Q. Will Christ ever come again from Heaven A. Yes with Holy Angels in great glory at the last day Q. What to do A. To judge all men both them that are alive at his coming and all them that died from the beginning of the World Catechist Hereof Enoch the Seventh from Adam Prophecied Jude 14. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgment And so the Angels told his Disciples at his Ascension into Heaven Act. 1.11 Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into Heaven This same Jesus whom ye have seen go up into Heaven shall so come as ye have seen him go into Heaven 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God And then 2 Cor. 5.10 we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ For Act. 17.31 God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance to all men in that he raised him up from the dead And see the reason why he hath ordained him to this great office in the next Answer Q. Why will God commit this judgment unto Christ A. To glorifie his Son who was so much vilified upon Earth and it is the Comfort of true Believers that their Saviour shall be their Judge Q. What manner of judgment shall it be A. A most strict Account must be given of all mens thoughts words and actions how they have agreed with or been contrary to his word and none can escape nor hide their sins from his Knowledge Catechist Read often I pray you what description the Apostle
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