and perdition of soule and bodie Minister Then by euery breaking of the Lawe you dayly deserue death and procure Gods curse Answer It is verie true Minister How shall you be freed from this curse Aunswere Ga 3 13 By Iesus Christ my Sauiour and redeemer Minister VVhat did he for you Aunswer He was both (a) Ro 9 5 Col 2 9 He 1 3 perfit God that he might be able (b) He 2 14 to ouercome death for me and also he was perfect (c) Mat 1 25 Ga 4 4 man that he might (d) Heb 2 11 Col 1 22 suffer death and Gods wrath for my sinnes and so in bothe these natures together he fully satisfied the iustice of God for me and purchased my saluation Minister VVhat moued God thus to saue you Aunswer His owne meere loue fauoure and mercie without any respect of my worthines Minister How are you assured of this mercy of GOD. Aunswere By a true faith in Christ Minister Rehearse the summe of your fayth Aunswer I beleeue in God the father almightie c. Minister VVhat breefely doo you gather out of these articles Aunswer My faith is assured heerein that God the father (a) Ioh. 3.1 of his owne good will (b) Rom 8 3 Eph. 5 2 Tit 2 14 gaue his sonne Iesus Christ very God and man to redeeme mee from sinne by hys death and passion (c) Rom. 8 9 2 Cor 5 5 1 Ioh. 4 13 sending out his holie spirite into mee to cause Christ his (d) Rom 8 10. death life to be effectuall to renue me (e) et 6 4. into a new life he hath made me of his Church and companie of beleeuers sanctifyed to doo hys will here to glorifie him in euerlasting life in the world to come Minister VVherefore dyd Christ thus suffer and dye Answere Ro. 4 25 For my sinnes Minister vvhat profite haue you by his death Answere I haue (a) Ephesi 1.7 forgiuenes of sinnes (b) Ro. 6 6 the mortification of my flesh and the (c) Col 1 20 appeasing of Gods wrath Minister vvhat meane you by his descending into hell Aunswer Not that Christ went into the place of torments with his soule or bodie but that for a time he (a) Esa 53 4 5 felt his Fathers wrath and the (b) Act 2 24. dolers of eternall death in his (c) Mat 26 38 42 Luke 22 43 Hebr 5 7 soule and conscience heere on earth for vs that hee might bee a redeemer as well of the soule as of the body Minister vvhat profit haue you by his resurrection Aunswer I haue (a) Ro. 4 15 righteousnes a gage (b) 1 Cor 15 20. of my immortality and (c) Rom 6 4 newnes of life Minister vvhat vse make you of the article concerning the holy Ghost Aunswer I learne therein that it is God the holy (a) Ioh 6 63 et 14 26 ghost only which maketh Christ his death and life profitable to me (b) Ioh 3 6 by renuing my hart to the obedience of Gods wil and working faith in me to apply the merits of Christ to my selfe and by the same spirite God gathereth a Churche to himselfe in all (c) Ioh 10.16 the world by his worde Minister How doth Gods spirite worke fayth in you Aunswer By the word of God preached Ro 10 14 Minister vvhat are the meanes to increase nourish and vphold your fayth Answere Rom. 10 17 The hearing of the word of God preached the vse of the Sacraments and of prayer Minister vvyll you then bee dilligent to heare the word to vse the Sacraments and to frequent prayer that your fayth may be increased Aunswer Yea by Gods grace Minister vvhat is a Sacrament Answere A Sacrament is an outward (a) Gen 17.11 Rom 4 11. seale ioyned vnto the word which visibly representeth vnto vs spirituall thinges and assureth our faith of Gods promises declared in his word Minister Howe many Sacraments hath God ordeyned Answere Two Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Minister How doth Baptisme profit your fayth Answere Fyrst by assuring mee that I am (a) Rom 6 3 5. 1 Cor 12 13 one with Christ Secondlye that I am (b) Iohn 3 3.5 begotten againe (c) Col 2 11 from sinne into a newe lyfe Thirdlie by being a pledge of d the forgiuenes of my sinnes (b) Mat 3 6 Act 2 38 for as the water clenseth the body so our soules by (e) Heb. 9 12. 1. Pet. 3 22 1. Ioh. 1.7 Apo. 1.5 the bloode of Christ are purged from sinne Minister vvhat profit hath your fayth by the Lordes Supper Answer Euen this that as outwardly I receiue the breade and wine to nourish my bodie so (a) 1 Col. 10 16 12 13 inwardlie I receiue Christ by faith euen as mine owne whose bodye (b) Cor 1 14.22 and bloode clenseth mee from sin and nourisheth mee to eternall life Minister Doo you receiue the very body blood of Christ really in the bread Answere Ioh 6 63 Nothinglesse but onelie spirituallie by faith Minister Howe shall you come worthely to the Lords supper Answere When I come with faith and repentance Minister How shall you knowe when you come to the communion with fayth Answere First if I acknowledge mine owne pouertie and wants confesse the mercies of God (a) Ps 103 1 2 1 Cor 11 24 with thanksgiuing Secondlie when I assure my selfe of the (b) Mat 26 28 forgiuenes of my sins by the death and sacrifice of Christ onely Minister How shall you know when you come with repentance Answere First if I (a) 1. Cor 11 28 examine and proue my heart and am truely (b) 2. Cor 7 10 greeued for my sinnes (c) Pro 28. 13 Mat 3 6 confessing them before God and forsaking them Secondlie if I vnfainedlie purpose to walke (d) Mat 3 8 in a newe life that is in holines to GOD and true loue to my neighbour (e) Mat 5 23 24. reconciling my selfe to them that I offende and (f) Mat 6 14 15 Col 3 13 forgiuing others that I may be forgiuen Minister vvhat doth the bread broken signifie Answere It signifieth the bodie of Christe broken for my sinnes Minister vvhat doth the wine signifie Answere The blood of Christe shed for my sinnes Minister vvhat differeth baptisme from the Lords supper sith they both betoken the remyssion of sinnes Answere Baptisme grafteth vs into Christ by regeneration in hope of remission of sinnes The Supper nourisheth vs being grafted to feele the power of death 1 Cor 22 13 and resurrectiō of Christ dailie strengthening our Faith into a newe life Minister vvhy receiue you Baptisme but once in all your life and the supper of the Lord often times Aunswer Because that as we neede but once to be borne so we neede but once to be baptised but as wee neede often to be fedde to nourish our
bodies in life 1 Cor 11 24 25 so must wee often receiue the Lordes supper to confirme our faith and to testify our thankfull remembraunce of Christes death Minister It seemeth then that you must needes haue your hart touched for your sinnes when you come to the communion repenting your former life and you must come with hope of forgiuenes Aunswer It is very true els can I haue no comfort or benefite by it therfore I pray God to touch my hart aright for my sinnes and to pardon them that I may come worthelie therevnto Minister Doo you take this Sacrament then as a pledge of Gods loue in forgiuing your sinnes doo you purpose and professe vnfeynedly amendment of life and to liue with your brethren in christian loue Aunswere Yea indeede and I make thys an vtter renouncing of my former life that by Gods grace I maye heereafter lead a new life which grace God grant me Amen Minister So doing I as the minister of God receiue you to the comunity of the saints of God and seale vnto you the mercies of God by the authority of his worde to your euerlasting comfort in Christe Iesus Aunswere The Lord giue me grace to walk woorthy of his calling in his feare all my life that I may bee acceptable to him in Iesus Christ Amen Minister vvyll you exercise your fayth in praying for these things daily Aunswer Yea by Gods grace Minister vvhat is prayer Aunswer It is to aske all good thinges at the hand of God and to giue him thanks for all things receiued Minister To whom wyll you make your prayers Aunswere To God alone Minister vvho directeth your affections in prayer Aunswer Rom 8 27 The spirite of God which maketh a request according to the wyll of God in his Saints Minister Howe are your prayers acceptable Heb 15 15 1 Pet 2 5. Aunswer By Iesus Christ Minister By what rule wyll you frame your prayers Aunswere By that order of Christ Mat. 6 9. set down to his Disciples which wee call the Lords prayer Minister Repeate it Aunswer Our Father which art in heauen c. Minister vvhat is the summe of this prayer Aunswere Firste wee pray heere for all thinges that may make to the glory of God and aduauncing of hys name for the enlarging of his kingdome and the performance of his wyl in all thinges Secondly we pray for al thinges needefull for our selues bothe for our bodies and soules that so by the direction of his grace and spirite we beeing freed from sinne may serue him freelie in righteousnes and holines all our lyfe which grace God graunt me and all hys people Amen Finis quod B. Andrewes ⧠A forme of confessyon O Lord our God moste louing gracious and mercifull Father to whom belongeth righteousnes and mercie compassyon and forgiuenes to vs belongeth shame and confusion of faces because we haue transgressed in not obeying thy voice and in breaking all thy holy commaundementes for wee acknowledge O Lord that euen in our conception we were enfolden in the gylt of condemnation beeing conceiued in sin and borne the children of wrath and from thencefoorth haue wandred in vngodly pathes and in the wayes of destruction sin hauing entred vppon all the partes of our whole man hath wholie corrupted both our wyll and vnderstanding our thoughtes are prophane our imaginations worldlie our desyres carnall and vncleane our iudgments corrupt whereby wee haue beene disobedient to thy heauenlye wyll ignoraunt stubborne malicious impacient enuious full of selfe-loue full of hypocrisie finallye fraught with all euill concupiscences and voyde of grace till thou dyddest touch our hartes by thy Spyrite and worde and calledst vs to sanctification Yea and since thou haste called vs by the preaching of thy Gospell O Lorde what sinnes and corruptions haue clouen vnto vs stil so as the workes of thy grace begunne in vs doo so scarcelie appeare as that thou mayst iustlie withdrawe from vs those graces which thou hast trusted vs with For we confesse we haue abused thy grace receiued neglecting the meanes of our saluation Our zeale is colde our fayth is weake our hope languisheth our repentaunce is maymed and barren not yeelding such fruite as may plainely approue our sanctification VVee are forgetful of thy goodnes and vnthankfull for thy mercies Alas LORD all the coste that thou haste bestowed and charge that thou haste beene at in gyuinge thy sonne Christe Iesus to shed hys deere heart bloode for our synnes hath not gaged our bowelles wyth godlie sorrowe vnto repentaunce nor affected vs wyth loue of thee againe Euen thys Lorde is enough to condemne vs if wee hadde nothinge els to wytnesse againste vs that we so slenderlie account of the death of thy Sonne and so retchleslye and forgetfullye thinke of it Yf thou shouldest forget all our sinnes past the vanities of our former daies and frailtie of our youth that none of these shold be thought vppon yet our present sinnes and slippings sithens our calling would condemne vs downe to hell Yea if our present sinnes should bee passed ouer yet our readines to slide and transgresse in time to come would argue vs guilty of death Yea and more then this Lorde in that wee haue not rightlie sorrowed nor repented vs vnfeynedlie of these euils we stand guiltie before thee as also in that the sinnes of our forefathers wherevnto wee stand intiteled remaine vnsorrowed for by vs the staine whereof hath set a purple â—â—e vpon vs so deepe as wee can neuer wash off except thy free pardoÌ„ all these things call for iudgements not onelie vppon vs but also vppon our posterity Oh how haue we despised thy Lawes howe haue wee neglected the preachinge of thy worde the instrument of our saluation how haue we wayted on our owne lustes seruing as apprentices vnto sinne Howe haue we refused thy counsell and sette instruction at naught we haue set more by the world then by thy word wee haue spent as prodigall children the strength of our young yeeres in vanitie and haue drunke in iniquitie as water our cares haue beene for the world and our owne pleasures and profits not for thy glorie vvee haue murmured grudged when thou hast crossed vs with any affliction or trouble we haue forgotten thee in our prosperitie and growen wanton and vnthankfull Our conscience in trayning vp our families and children in thy feare O Lorde how small hath it beene our selues haue beene ill presidents to them in loosenes of behauiour in idle talkes and iestes that are not comelie VVe haue beene impacient and vnequall in our gouernment to austere in smaller offences against our selues and sometime to remisse in slender passyng ouer of greater offences concerning thy glorie wee haue sought our selues our own commodities not thee wee haue disobeyed our parents and betters so haue left our selues small hope of obedience at the handes of those that are vnder vs. And as for our brethren and neighbours
perswade his brethren to iustice and loue Act. 10. Remember how Cornelius and his houshold feared God Nowe then beloued as you loue the Lorde as you tender your owne soules and your charges as you beare naturall affection to your common safetie and happines I beseeche you in the bowels of Iesus Christ indeuour to these thinges both small and great that you may profite in the worke of your saluation so shall you be famous in the church of God common weale you shal glad the soules of vs that labor amongst you in the word you shal bring glory to God eternal happines to your selus in the day of Christ Iesus Let Gods boke be orderlie read with reuerēce daily in your families let prayer be exercised in your housholdes and vouchsafe to helpe them in this small Catechisme that they may be fitte for further instruction Giue dilligence to harken to the word of lyfe and to put in vre these fewe prayers in this little booke or other with humilitie reuerence a liuelie sence and feeling of your miserie faith thankfulnes hope and with vnfained desire of profiting in all dueties of fayth and loue towards God your brethren For I liue if you stande in the fayth and sith God hath vouchsafed the blessed tidinges of saluation vppon you in the ministrie of hys word embrace it with thankfulnes and studie for all christian peace and vnitie among your selues fearing God furthering his holye religion and all dueties of loue among men that so our Towne may flourishe and prosper in all thinges otherwise wee can hope of no blessing at the hand of God There is great cause why care should bee hadde heerein Your Towne bordering vppon the sea is in perrill to forraine inuasions and to be steyned with the corrupt manners of other Countries to drinke in iniquitie euen as water therefore the more care to be hadde ouer it Christ sawe such Townes bordering on the Seas to be in most daunger sundrie wayes and therefore frequēted them most vouchsafed his presence doctrine chiefliest amongst them This is my sute to your worshippes this is my sute to the whole company to the whole congregation yea to euery soule amongst you Phil 2 1 If ye euer receiued comfort in Christ if euer you had loue to the brethren if euer any felowship of the spirit if any compassion mercy that you fulfyll my ioy Euen in this to be of one minde in doctrine of one consent in a godly and christian life to apply all dueties of Gods worship to haue care of your families instructing teaching and calling vpon them to be catechised to reade heare the word bee your selues forward therein exercisyng prayer reading and hearing of the word in faith good conscience that so by christian exercises your faith and obedience may be increased your families reformed your Towne happily gouerned that others may take example by you God may be glorified all spirituall blessings may be heaped vpon you and continued to your posterity after you vnto many generations your selues may in the ende receiue the possession of euerlasting life with Christ Iesus in the kingdome of God to whose blessed tuition I commend you and yours praying the Lorde to multiplye all hys graces and mercies vppon you and the whole people to keepe you in safetie from the daunger of enemies to sanctify you in his trueth to blesse you in your gouernment the people in obeying and to make you perfitte in all good workes to doo his wyll working in you that which is pleasant in his sight thorough Iesus Christe To whome with the Father and the holy spirit be all prayse and honor for euer and euer Amen Your worships to vse in in the Lord hartely desirous of your good and saluation in Christ Iesus B. Andrewes An order of prayer or a preparation to the reading of the word in your families Let vs prepare and stirre vppe our mindes by prayer that we may reade the word of God with profite O Lord our God who in thy wisedome and mercy hast appointed thy holie worde as the wholesome nourishment of our soules that by reading hearing and musing thereon we might growe vppe vnto saluation Wee beseeche thee to pardon all our sinnes for Iesus Christe his sake take away the corruption of our nature purge and sanctify our harts that we may read thy word at all times with reuerent mindes so as we may daily be borne againe confyrmed in faith reformed in our manners furthered in knowledge and obedience strengthened against all temptations furnished with patience against all tryals and fynally be made fruitfull in al good workes resembling thy Image and growing vppe into full holines righteousnes in thy sight til we are perfited in the heauens with Christ Iesus our Lord. Amen Let vs harken with reuerence to the holie word of the Lord our God written in such or such a Chapiter and Booke c. A breefe and short Catechisme made for the vse of housholdes and to be learned of all those that vvill be admitted to the Lords Supper By B. A. Minister TO what ende did God make you Aunswere That I might serue him according to his worde Lu 1 74 Eph 4 24 by dooing his wil in righteousnes and true holines all my life Minister VVhere shall you learne what is thys wyll of God Answere In his word and Lawe Minister Rehearse that Law of God Aunswere God spake and said Exo. 20 I am the Lord thy God c. Aunswere VVhat cheefely doth thys lawe require of you Answere First that I shoulde acknowledge (a) Deut 6 4 one onely God serue him in all purenes (b) De. 6.5 et 10 12 Luk 10 27 Ma 22 37 with all my hart soule minde strength will and thoughts in all thinges according to his worde Secondlie that I shoulde walke in (c) Mat 22 39 Ro. 13 8 7 10 loue faithfulnes and trueth with all men dooing dueties of conscience in my calling and (d) Le. 19 8 louing my neighbour as my selfe Minister Are you able of your selfe to doo hys wyll and keepe this his Lawe Aunswer Nothing lesse Minister VVhy so Aunswere Because of my corrupt nature which (a) Ro. 5 18 with Adam is fallen from the state of innocencie (b) Ro 8 7 and so is not obedient to the law of GOD. Minister VVhat are you by nature then Aunswer The (a) Eph 2 3 childe of wrath and (b) Ro 6 20 a sinner Minister VVhat is sinne Answere Euerie (a) 1 Ioh. 3 4 breaking or (b) Neh 9 34 Heb 2 3 neglecting of anie commandement of God and (c) Neh 1 7 Gal 3.10 the not dooing of euerie duetie commanded is sin Minister VVhat is the rewarde of sinne Answere The (a) Gal. 3 10 curse of God (b) Ro. 6 23 death with (c) Mar 9 48 Mat 25 46 2 Thes 1 9 Eze 18 20 euerlasting woe