A TRIED METHOD OF Catechising BEING An ABSTRACT of the Bishop of CORKE's Shorter Notes on the Church-Catechism With the Scripture-Proofs of them as far as Necessary And DIRECTIONS for the Use of the Abstract to Advantage Feed my Lambs John XXI 15. LONDON Printed for Benj. Tooke at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet-street 1698. The Use of this Abstract is as follows LET Children or like Persons when they are perfect in rehearsing the Catechism be set to learn without Book the several Explanatory Propositions here drawn out of the Notes on each Question and Answer as many Propositions at a time as may be a Task suitable to their Capacity When they are able to repeat such a Portion readily let them in their Examination at Church or elsewhere after any Question or Answer in the Catechism have the Question contained in each Proposition belonging thereto put to them and they will scarce fail to give it the proper Answer For that each Question is repeated almost expresly in the Answer Then let them be asked How they prove that Answer And they will be ready to give the Words of Scripture set down which prove it By the next Lord's Day or next Holy-day let them have another like Portion of the Propositions ready and let them then as before be examined in them together with their Catechism and so till the whole be dispatched For Example Quest What is it to Catechise Ans To Catechise is to instruct in Religion by often repeating the first certain and most necessary Points of it Quest How prove you that Ans By Luke 1.3 4. It seemed good to me to write that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed Greek Catechised And here will be the chief need for the Catechist to exercise his Skill in shewing how the proof belongs to and explains or concludes the Proposition or sometimes to what part of the Proposition such or such a Proof belongs so that the Hearers generally may understand the whole Proposition and that it is sufficiently proved As in the foreinstanced Proof It is plain from St. Luke may the Catechist say That in the Primitive Church there were several ways or kinds of Instruction according to the different Capacities of those who were to receive Instruction Now it is said That Theophilus to whom St. Luke writes had been already instructed in some things And St. Luke writes and sends to him this Book that he might further and more fully know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed or as in the Original wherein he had been Catechised Therefore Catechising is to instruct in Religion by often plain going over again or repeating the first and most necessary Points of it Thus again in Prop. VIII under Answ 6. without some gloss it will not at first sight appear how the Text cited proves the Proposition The Proposition or Definition is To Create is to make a thing at first out of nothing The proof is Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth Let it be supposed as is usual both in Scripture and in the first Article of our Creeds by Heaven and Earth is meant the Sum of all Created Beings visible and invisible Now it is said by the Holy Ghost In the beginning that is of things and time when there were yet no Created Beings existent or nothing made God made Heaven and Earth that is all things But there was then existent no Created Being out of which he might make them For then it could not have been truly said In the beginning or at First For that Matter or whatsover we will call it out of which Heaven and Earth might be pleaded to be made must have been or have a Being before Heaven and Earth could be made out of it And then I say it could not truly have been said In the beginning or at first forasmuch as there was Matter before that Therefore it appears hence That when God is said to have created Heaven and Earth he made them out of nothing which is the pretended Notion or Meaning of Creation This Course is only for the Weaker or Younger Sort and to begin with But when such Persons are a little exercised in this Method and have gone through the whole Catechism let the Notes either the shorter or the larger be put into their Hands and if they be in any tolerable way industrious they will be able to understand and give a fuller Account as well of what is contained in this Abstract as of what is omitted here but contained in the Notes particularly touching their Christian Name touching Godfathers and Godmothers c. which things it is not so necessary to trouble them with till they understand the Matters which are more Essential to Religion But though any should miss of the Notes if the Propositions and their Proofs be used as is directed and the Persons so Catechised taught to Read and turn their Bibles it may be hoped by these means through God's Blessing on a little use they will understand by degrees the Body of Plain Christianity and how to prove it out of the Holy Scripture so as not to be easily shaken in it afterwards This is enough to explain the Use of the Abstract And so God bless my poor Endeavours and together all who use them E. Corke Rosse A Paraphrase on the Apostles Creed Article I THere is from ever was and for ever shall be an All-Wise and All-Powerful Mind of most Infinite Perfection and Goodness depending on none but all things both seen and unseen made subsisting and governed by him called therefore generally the Father of all but in a peculiar Sense the Father of his only begotten Son Article II Which Son because the Internal Word or the Wisdom of God the Father and so being of him as to have been one with him before the World was is therefore necessarily of the same Substance with his Father Yet that he might become unto Mankind Jesus Christ an anointed Saviour a Prophet Priest and King and in that quality for the good of Mankind receive all Power in Heaven and in Earth Article III He the same Son of God had a Body such as ours framed him by the Holy Spirit of the Substance of the Virgin Mary which together with a Soul such as ours but without Sin he took upon him and became truly Man being born as an Infant into the World Article IV When he was grown up after a most Holy Life he was notwithstanding accused and first secretly condemned to Death by the Jews then solemnly arraigned and condemned by a Roman Governor called Pontius Pilate most abominably mocked and abused by the Rabble and Roman Soldiers scourged crowned with Thorns and in the end nailed to a Cross and set up hanging thereon till his Soul really departed from his Body And after some time he was laid in a Grave as the manner of the Jews was and continued
under the state of a dead and buried Person Article V On the third day early in the Morning his Soul returned into his Body which being thereby again enlivened he came forth of the Grave and openly shewed himself alive conversing with his Disciples and other chosen Witnesses for the space of forty Days Article VI At which time in the sight of his Disciples and those who used to keep with them he went up through the Air into that place far above the Stars where the Glory of the Infinite God more immediately dwells and appears and there received Glory Power and Blessedness unconceivably above the highest Angels or any created Beings all which bow to and worship him Article VII From thence at a time appointed by God and known only to him shall this Christ Jesus come again not as first he came but with Power and great Glory accompanied by numberless Holy Angels and Saints to judge all that shall be then alive and all who have deceased from first to last Article VIII Together with the Father and the Son the Holy Spirit also really is and is God all three one God He is called Holy and Spirit not because more Holy or more a Spirit than God the Father but because he is that Spirit which peculiarly does inspire that is secretly work Holiness in us Article IX Through this Holy Spirit working Faith and Holiness in mens hearts by the Word Sacraments and Prayer God hath gathered to himself a multitude of faithful People called out of all the World named therefore the Catholick Church for Church originally signifies an Assembly or Multitude called out and Catholick signifies out of all the World These faithful People are all of them united to Christ their Head and to one another in one Covenant by Baptism and being so united do partake of the Benefits procured by one and the same Saviour of the Influences of one and the same Spirit and reap Advantages by each others Prayers Love and good Offices By which means they are truly all but one Body Article X To all the Members of this Body upon their observing the Conditions of their Common Christianity that is of the Covenant of Grace full Pardon of Sins and Righteousness before God is graciously vouchsafed by God Article XI The Bodies of all People both Just and Unjust shall at the end of the World be by God wonderfully framed again out of their Dust and their Souls returning into them and enlivening them they shall all again become living Men and Women But those who are then alive shall have their Bodies changed into a condition like to theirs who rise again Article XII After this there shall be no more Death But all Faithful and Holy Persons shall live without end enjoying God in unspeakable unconceivable Blessedness And all Unbelieving Impenitent Wicked People shall be punished with the Devil and his Angels for evermore All this I stedfastly believe that is I am persuaded it is true and I resolve to live as one who is so persuaded A Paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer The Invocation or Adoration O Most merciful and bounteous yet Almighty most Glorious and All-seeing Lord God who hast made redeemed and evermore providest for me and all Mankind Petition I From my heart do I pray that thou mayest be ever acknowledged worshipped feared and glorified both by my self and all Creatures whatsoever capable of knowing and fearing thee Petition II And that thy Grace may bring into Subjection my Heart and the Hearts of all People so that the time may soon come when all thy Saints shall reign with thee in Glory everlasting Petition III And in the mean while that both I and all People may most chearfully faithfully speedily and diligently do and submit to thy Will in all things as thy Holy Angels do in Heaven Petition IV As to this World give us good God day by day as long as thou shalt continue us here what may conveniently suffice us Petition V And free us from the Punishments both present and to come due unto all our Sins Even as we desire all People may be freed from the Vengeance due to them for any wrong done us Petition VI And never O Lord withdraw thy Grace from us when we fall under any allurements to Sin or terrors from Duty so as to leave us to be overcome by Sin but preserve us from the Mischief of the Temptation and Power of the Tempter Glorification For thou alone O Heavenly Father both art ever hast been and ever shall be King and Lord most high over all Almighty and Sufficient From thee comes every good and every perfect Gift and to thee be the Glory of all to all Eternity With all my heart I desire it An ABSTRACT of the Bishop of CORK's Shorter Notes on the Church-Catechism with the Scripture Proofs of them as far as necessary On the Title Proposition I TO Catechise is to instruct in Religion by often repeating the first certain and most necessary Points of it Luke 1.3 4. It seemed good to me to write all in order that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed In the Original Catechised Proposition II Religion is the Worship or Service of God Jam. 1.27 Pure Religion Originally pure Worship Proposition III God is a most infinitely perfect Mind Maker Lord and Judge of all Proved under Answer 6. Proposition IV Those plain Truths or Doctrines which bring us to believe love fear and serve God we commonly call the Principles that is beginnings chief Points Fundamentals or Grounds of Religion Heb. 6.1 Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation Proposition V The first and great Principle of all Religion is That there is a God Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is Another That God hath revealed himself in Holy Scripture ready to receive Sinners to Repentance and enter into Covenant with them Luk. 24 47. It behoved that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in the name of Jesus among all nations On Answ 2. The Covenant of Grace to which God now-a-days calls all of us and into a state of which we are baptised consisteth on God's part of the Benefits which he makes over to us And on our part of the Vow which we make to him commonly in Baptism Jer. 31.33 This is the Covenant I will be their God and they shall be my people The Benefits God makes over to us flowing from that new Estate into which by Baptism we enter are chiefly three 1. Grace by being made Members of Christ our Head Joh. 1.16 Of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace 2. Pardon of Sin and God's favour being made Children of God Acts 22.16 Be baptised and wash away thy sins 3. A Right and Title to Everlasting Happiness being made Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven
either of ripe Years as Jews Turks Heathens when converted to the Christian Faith together with all unbaptised Persons who have lived in the Church or else the Infants of Chistian Parents at least by one side 1 Cor. 7.14 The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband Else were your children unclean but now they are holy On Ans 19. Proposi ∣ tion I Repentance is the forsaking all kinds of Sin Ezek 18.21 If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes See an Example of such Repentance Judges 10.13 and 16. compared Ye have forsaken me and served other gods And they put away the strange gods from amongst them Proposi ∣ tion II Acts of Sin are forsaken by sorrowing for them and doing so no more Matth. 26.75 Peter went out and wept bitterly John 5.14 Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee Habits or a use of any Sin by breaking our selves of that ill Use or Custom and of all love and inclination to it Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Proposi ∣ tion III Only that Belief is stedfast which sets us on performing the Condition of God's Promises namely good Works or doing our duty Jam. 2.17 18. Faith if it hath not works is dead being alone Shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works Proposi ∣ tion IV A dependance on God in a way of well-doing with due regard to God's Promises in Christ Jesus is most certainly a saving Faith Proved from Heb. 11. the whole Chapter especially verses 8 10 11 17 18 19. On Ans 20. Proposition Christian Infants are within the Covenant and therefore may not be denied Baptism which is only the first Seal of the Covenant Deut. 29.10 11 12. Ye stand here this day all of you before the Lord all ye men of Israel your little ones and your wives that you should enter into covenant with the Lord your God and into his Oath which he maketh with thee this day On Ans 21. Proposi ∣ tion I A Sacrifice strictly is a Religious Offering made to God commonly of some living Creature slain by the hands of a Priest according to God's appointment as an Act of outward Worship and an acknowledgment that we our selves have deserved to die Levit. 1.25 Ye shall bring your offering of the cattle even of the herd and of the flock And he that is the Priest shall kill the bullock before the Lord c. Proposi ∣ tion II Christ Jesus by his death became a true Sacrifice or Offering for Sin to make peace for us Isa 53.10 Thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin Heb. 9.26 Now once in the end of the world hath he Christ appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Ephes 2.14 He is our peace On Ans 23. Proposi ∣ tion I By the Body and Blood of Christ we mean only Christ's Sacrifice of himself for Remission of Sin Matth. 26.28 This is my blood which is shed for the remission of sin Proposi ∣ tion II The Faithful verily and indeed in the Lord's Supper by Faith partake of the Sacrifice of Christ's Death that is All the Benefits of his Death and Sufferings are truly from God conveyed and sealed to them 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ On Ans 24. Proposi ∣ tion I Our Souls in the Sacrament are strengthned by the Spirit of God conveyed to us as a fruit of Christ's Death 1 Cor. 12.13 We have been all made to drink into one spirit Namely into that Spirit of which our Lord spake John 6.63 It is the spirit which quickneth And which he promised John 15.26 to send from his Father after his departure Proposi ∣ tion II Our Souls are refreshed in the Sacrament by the apprehension and assurance hereby raised both of our pardon of Sin and right to Heaven through the Sufferings of Christ for us 2 Cor. 1.22 He hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts On Ans 25. Proposi ∣ tion I The chief Steps of truly repenting our selves of our former Sins are 1. Examination of our selves what Sins we have been guilty of 2. Confession of them before God and 3. Resolution against them or stedfast Purposes of a New Life 1. Hag. 1.5 Consider your ways Psal 119.59 I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 2. Levit. 5.5 When he shall be guilty in one of these things he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing 3. Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols Psal 101.2 3. I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way I will walk with a perfect heart I will set no wicked thing before my eyes Proposi ∣ tion II In repenting of Sins against our Neighbours we are to make due amends for the wrong done and reconcile our selves to them Matt. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be thou reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Proposi ∣ tion III A lively Faith here is The actual casting our selves after all our Repentance on God's Mercy through the Sacrifice of Christ or acting such a dependance on God through Christ as before described Proposi ∣ tion IV We can only approve our thankful remembrance of Christ's death by endeavouring a constant sense of his Infinite Love in dying to redeem us and of the infinite Benefits we receive thereby And therefore by giving our selves up to obey him who has thus bought us Soul and Body to himself 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's Proposi ∣ tion V To be in charity with all men is to bear good will to all People whether Friends Enemies or Strangers forgiving all who have wronged us and being ready to do all good Offices in our power to any Persons living Matth. 5.44 45. Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven For he maketh his Sun to rise upon the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Levit. 19.18 Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self I am the Lord. Luke 10.29 Who is my