he and not easie to be gulled out of their liberrty and the more simple are rather apt to suspect than believe all that Politicians commend unto them Lastly Did he pretend the universal good of all mankind and rationally convince men that the belief of a God that governeth and shall judge the world is the onely thing that preserves good order in the world if so then tell me did he say the truth or did he lie in saying there is a God If he said truly then is it a truth and to be believed If it was a lie then is it for the good of the whole world and therefore a duty to believe a lie rather than a truth For if it be a lie to say there is a God then is a lie the Foundation and Pillar of all goodness and virtue peace and order faithfulness and honesty among men And if it be true to say there is no God then is a truth the Foundation of all wickedness disorder and mischief And who but the Atheist who can believe any thing but a God will be perswaded to believe this 2. The very works of Nature give the world great reason to believe â—s it doth that there is a God Let a man thus again reason with himself 1. Suppose I were in some unknown Island and there saw goodly Fields and Meadows of Corn and Grass Pastures full of all kind of Cattel stately Houses and the Rooms in them adorned with rich Furniture Tables furnished with variety of Victuals neat Gardens fruitful Orchards and Fishponds with many other curious works of Art and Skill though all this while I saw no man in that place yet surely I should think that these things were not thus of themselves or by chance but that some skilful and provident person had thus ordered them How can I then look upon this world and the numerous parts of it above and below the wonderful splendor and beauty the great variety the rare contrivance the comely and constant order of things the ample provision made for every thing the mutual service ableness and usefulness of them all and the like but I must needs believe that there is some infinitely powerful wise and good Maker and Governour of the world whom men call God 2. When I look upon my self and consider how wounderâ—â—lly I am made how I am furnished with all useful Instruments of Life and Sense and Motion how fitly every part and member of my body is placed and how wisely contrived and fashioned â—oth for the beauty of the whole and for the particular use and office to what it serves what strange powers and faculties of Soul I have and how wonderful are the workings of imagination phancy and reason within me and the like I must needs think whence I should have these things I am sure I did not thus order them my self and there was a time when I had none of them and when I was not what now I am and therefore I must needs have both my being and all that is in me from some others Who should this other be My Parents and theirs before them might say the very same of themselves that I now do and they could not make me what I am they could not certainly promise themselves a Child they knew not how I was formed in the Womb how my parts or members were set together nor took they any care to order them when I was conceived they could not tell whether I should be a Man or a Woman or Monster perfect or imperfect a Wise man or a Fool â—nor yet whether I should be born or live when born No Man understandeth half the wonders of himself how he is nourished and groweth and seeth and heareth and thinketh and dreameth no not so much as how his hairs and nails came to be what they are What then can I think but that I am the work of one who is wonderful in power and wisdom and goodness who made both me and all Men even God Thirdly Now that I am I find that I am not in my own power I cannot bring about all my own designs and purposes as I would I cannot supply my own wants and imperfections nor continue to my self all my enjoyments and comforts I cannot make my food nourish my Body nor keep my Body from Sickness or pain nor make that part straight which is crooked or beautiful which is deformed I cannot keep out fears nor rule my thoughts nor hinder casualties nor prolong my Life nor prevent my Death and Corruption I am therefore in the power at the disposal and under the Providence of another by whom I am preserved and governed that is God Fourthly For ought that I can perceive and we must reaâ—â—n from what we can perceive and not from what we cannot Man is the most perfect and Noble of all things here below Man hath Life and motion and sense and choice and understanding and reason and discourse whereas of other things some want all and all want some of these yea in all appearance all these things were designed for the use and benefit of Man for they are fitted for his use and he can and doth upon occasion use them and we see no other use of many of them I cannot therefore believe that Man was made by any of them and I am sure Man did not make them but both they and Man were made by some other for if Man be not of himself nor in his own power but governed by another much less are those things which appear subject and inferior to Man of themselves or in their own power but rather are all governed by God the Maker of all Lastly All things are and work for some end and purpose even things without understanding or sense or life work as it were by a certain Rule and that visibly for the preservation of themselves and the common good of the World and especially of Man The Heavenly Bodies orderly and duly shed abroad their influence of Light and heat to make the Earth fruitful and direct and cherish man and beast the Earth yields her Fruits in due season for the nourishment of her Inhabitants and without the Orderly motion either of the Earth or Heavenly bodies that Light and warmth would not be equally distributed to the several parts of the Earth and Summer and Winter and Spring and Harvest and day and night would not keep their right course If the Waters did not contentedly keep within their own banks and Channels the Earth would be drowned and except Vapours did go up and gather into Clouds and come down in seasonable showers the Earth would be barren and Man and Beast would perish We see how all living Creatures do propagate for the upholding of their kind and how Plants bring Seed to the same end and that Seed scattered in the Earth furnisheth us with a new stock of Plants We see how living Creatures are Armed with Natural weapons for their
what could be more worthy of God to reveal or necessary for man to know than the things contained in these books Seeing now that the World hath ever believed that there is a God and that the very Being Order Beauty variety use and working of all things make it highly reasonable so to believe Seeing there have been Prophesies and Miracles such as cannot be conceived possible without a God Seeing that we have Books which pretend to make known God and his Will unto us and that it is most reasonable if there be a God to believe he should some way make this known unto us and seeing that the men whose names these books do bear cannot reasonably be denyed oncâ— to have been and to have written them neither can be suspected either of Ignorance or falshood Seeing they write of one Jesus Christ their Master and Teacher and it cannot be denyed that such an one there was and that he said he came from God and confirmed what he said by many wonderful Works and Miracles which none can imagine that any power less than Gods could do And seeing that the Doctrine which he taught was spread over a great part of the World in a very short time by men of vulgar Rank mean Occupations and little Learning and less Authority without all outward force or compulsion without all pomp of seculiar Learning but with all plainness and simplicity of speech and that against the Religion then in possession and highly magnified against the Learning then in great esteem against all the beloved Lusts and worldly Interests of men and the violent endeavours of powerful and Learned Adversaries And seeing these men had nothing to bear them out against all this but the Miracles which they wrought and the purity of their Lives and Doctrines Seeing the Doctrines of these Books are so evidently much for the glory of God so full of all Holiness so much conducing to the good of mankind so satisfactory to the minds of men in things not otherwise to be known by man and finally such as being once received makes the professors thereof a most comfortable and chearful being here by giving them hopes of an eternal happy being hereafter I cannot chuse but be fully perswaded both that there is a God and that the Scriptures are the Word of God and a standing Rule of believing and honouring and serving God in such a way as he will graciously accept and eternally reward The chief Heads of the Christian Faith expressed in an Homely and familiar Verse for the easier committing them to memory THere is a God the world did always own it Nature declares it and God's Word hath shewn it The Scriptures giv'n of God by inspiration Are the great Rule of Faith and Conversation There 's but one God in Persons three The Father the eternal Son And Holy Ghost and all these be In Person three in Essence one God is a Spirit infinite In Wisdome Pow'r and Purity Most just most good and to whose sight Our very thoughts all open lie God made the World and every thing God preserves all things is their Lord And Rules all as the Sov'raign King All things obey his Mighty Word God in 's own Image Man did frame With knowledge and a pow'r to do God's Will without both sin and shame And made him Lord of all below To Adam God a Law did give Which if he kept not he should die But if he kept it he should live And so should his Posterity Man brake God's Law and all Mankind By that first breach are much the worse All born in sin and sin doth bind All under a most heavy Curse All are by Nature ignorant A verse from good inclin'd to evil Title to happiness all want And all made subject to the Devil God's wrath upon us all doth lie No strength to help our selves we have We perish all eternally Except God's mercy do us save God did on us compassion take When by our selves we were undone God meerly for his mercy's sake Resolv'd to save us by his Son The Son did down from Heaven come To save us who by sin were lost Was conceiv'd in a Virgin 's Womb By vertue of the Holy Ghost Thus God the Son the eternal Word Man's Nature took and Man became Even Jesus Christ our onely Lord We have Salvation in his Name Jesus in whom no sin was seen Did thus become the Mediator Of a new Covenant between Us Sinners and our just Creator God did Anoint his Christ to be A Priest a Prophet and a King And by these Offices all thâ—â—e He doth to us Salvation bring Christ as a Prophet hath made known His Father's will to men that they In him might find Salvation If they his Gospel would obey As Priest Christ offen'd Sacrifice Himself upon the Cross did die His blood was of our souls the price Which did God's Justice satisfie Christ bury'd was and rose again The third day and to Heav'n is gone He doth at God's right hand remain For us makes intercession As King Christ gives us Laws and all His Enemies he shall subdue Sin Sathan Death destroy and shall Judge all men and give all their due A Crown of Glory he will give To them that serve him faithfully And in his Kingdom they shall live Triumphing after victory Upon the day of Pentecost Th' Apostles met with one accord Christ sent on them the Holy Ghost T' enable them to Preach his Word Th' Apostles did to all men Preach Pardon of Sins through Christ alone Who did receive what they did teach Them they Baptized every one Baptism's the Sacrament whereby Men own the Covenant of Grace And God doth Seal who cannot lie Pardon to them who Christ embrace Baptismal washing signifies Our cleansing by the Holy Spirit And whom the Spirit Sanctifies They are God's Sons and shall inherit Believers and none else but they In this new Covenant have part They who believe learn to obey For Faith doth purifie the heart Faith works by Love and Love constrains To hate all sin to bear Christ's Cross To keep Christ's Laws t' endure all pains And count all things for Christ but loss Christ's Spirit doth by his Word beget This saving Faith and woen 't is bred It by the same word farther yet To strength and growth is nourished To strengthen Faith yet more the Lord Hath giv'n unto us Heav'nly Food He hath commanded in his Word To eat his Body drink his Blood By Bread and Wine blest and recived With true Repentance Faith and Pray'r God Seals all Benefits believed Which by Christ's death once purchas'd werâ— We by this Feast and joynt Communion Our selves one Body testifie Members knit in a sacred Union By the blest Spirit of Unitie Believers all one Church do make One Faith one Baptism and one Bread One God one Spirit one Lord we take Christ of this Body th' only Head Whoso in this Communion die For ever happy are and blest Their Souls return to God on high In Earth their Bodies sleep and rest At the last day Christ shall appear In Glory to be Judge of all All who are dead or then live here He to his Judgment-Seat shall call Then shall all Bodies rise again And with their Souls receive their doom Well-doers shall in joy remain Who have done ill to Woe shall come The Righteous with God shall rest From Labors Sins all Evils free With everlasting Glories blest Such as cannot expressed be The Wicked shall be sent to Hell From God and Comfort banished With Devils in Flames unquenchable There roaring in a Firy Bed Thou who to fear an Hell would'st have no cause Fear God hate Sin Love Christ keep his Laws FINIS
gave also to her Husband with her and he did eat Gen. 3.6 So by one man sin entred into the world Rom. 5.12 Q. What mean you by Sin A. Sin is the transgression of the Law 1 Iohn 3.4 Q. What doth every sin deserve A. The wages of sin is Death Rom. 6.23 Gen. 2.17 Q. Should not man have dyed if he had not sinned A. Death entred into the World by sin Rom. 5.12 Q. Did Adam's sin do us any hurt A. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. 5.19 Q How could we become sinners by Adam's disobedience A. Adam begat Children after his own likeness Gen. 5.3 and who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Iob 14.4 that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh Iohn 3.6 we are shapen in Iniâ—uity and in sin do our Mothers conceive us Psal. 51.5 Q. What evils of Body came upon us by Adam's sin A. Man that is born of a Woman is of few dayes and full of trouble Iob 14.1 in sorrows and in the sweat of our face must we eat our bread till we return to our dust Gen. 3.17 18. Q. Did Adam's sin bring death upon us all A. In Adam all dye 1 Cor. 15.22 by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.18 and death passed upon all men for that all have sinned v. 12. Q. What evils of Soul became we subject to by Adam's sin A. The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 our carnal mind is enmity to God not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be Rom. 8.7 we are in Captivity to the Law of sin in our Members Rom. 7.23 we cannot please God Rom. 8.8 but walk according to the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 Q. What are we then by Nature A. Wâ— are by Nature the Children of Wrath Eph. 2.3 Q. VVhat can we expect from God as we are by Nature A. As we are by Nature we can expect nothing but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes. 1.9 Q. VVhat hope then can we have to be saved A. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound that as sin hath reigned unto Death even so Grace might reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.20.21 Q. VVhen did this grace first appear to Man A. When God said to the Serpent The Womans Seed shall bruise thy Head Gen. 3.15 And afterwards when he said to Abraham in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Gen. 22.18 Q. VVho is this promised seed A. This seed is Christ Gal. 3.16 Q. Is Dhrist the seed of a woman A. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman Gal. 4 4. Q. How was Christ the Son of God made of a Woman A. The Holy Ghost came upon a Virgin called Mary Luke 1.35 and she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost Mat. 1.18 and she brought forth her First born Son Luke 2.7 and his Name was called Jesus Luke 2.21 Q. Why was he called â—esus or Saviour A. He was so named of the Angâ—l before he was conceived in the Womb Luke 2.21 because he was to â—ave his People from their sins Mat. 1.21.18 11. and deliver us from the wrath to come 1 Thes. 1.10 Q. Can we be saved no other way but by Iesus onely A. Jesus is the way the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by him Iohn 14.6 neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 Q. How is Iesus our Saviour A. Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 between God and Men 1 Tim. 2.5 Q. How came Iesus to be the Mediator of a New Covenant A. Jesus was fore ordained 1 Pâ—t â— 20. and tâ—is grace was given us 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.9 and Eternal Life Proâ—â— by God that cannot lye before the world began Tit. 1.2 Q. VVhat could move God to take this course to save us A. God the Father according to his foreknowledge 1 Pet. 1.2 and Eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3.11 chose us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1.4 5 6. Q. Vnto what did God chusâ— us A. Unto Obedienâ—â— and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 and to Salvation through sanctifâ—cation of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes. 2.13 Q. VVhat was Christ first to do as Mediatâ—r A. Forasmuch as the Children are partakeâ—s of Flesh and Blood he also himself took part of the same Heb. 2.14 so â—ecame he the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 God manifested in the Flâ—â—h 1 Tim. 3.16 and the Word made Flesh dwelt among us full of grace and Truth Iohn 1.14 Q. Why must Iesus be made man A. Jesus was made Man that he might be made under the Law Gal. 4.4 and fulfill all Righteousness Mat. 3.15 and through Death destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 Q. Why was Iesus called Christ or anointed A. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with Power Acts 10.38 Q. To what Office in the first place was Iesus anointed A. Jesus was a Prophet mighty in deed and word Luke 24.19 Q. How did Christ Exercise the Office of a Prophet A. God anointed Christ to Preach the Gospel to the Poor Luke 4.18 he came to call Sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 all things that he had heard of the Father he made known unto us Iohn 15.5.8.26 and brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 Q. Which is the second Office to which Christ was anointed A. Christ was called of God an High-Priest Heb. 5.10 for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Heb. 6.10 Q. Did Christ as High-Priest Offer any Sacrifice for Sins A. This he did once when he Offered up himself Heb. 7.27 without spot to God Heb 9.14 an Offering and a Sacrifice for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 to put away sin Heb. 9.26 Q. Did Christ Offer Sacrifice for his own sins A. Christ did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 he was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin Heb. 4.15 for such an High-Priest became us who is Holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners Heb. 7.26 Q. For what sins then did Christ Offer himself A. Christ was delivered for our Offences Rom. 4.25 the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 God making him to be sin for us who knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 and laying on him the Iniquities of