mine and other mens vnder an earthly Iudge I shall be discharged by the heauenly Iudge vvhat is meant by this that he was crucified That he died not only a common death but such an one as was accursed both of God and man. vvhat comfort haue you by this This That I am deliuered from the curse which I haue deserued by the breath of the law and shall obtaine the blessing ▪ due vnto him ▪ for keeping the same ▪ vvhat meaneth this that he died That his soule was separated from his bodie so that he died a corporall death VVhy was it requisite that he should die Because by sinne came death into the world so that the iustice of God could not be satisfied for our sinnes vnlesse death had béene ioyned with his suffrings VVhy is it further sayd that He was buried To assure vs more truly that he was surely dead VVhat comfort haue you by his death and buriall 1 This is my first comfort that my sinnes are fréely discharged in his death and so buried that they shall neuer come in remembrance 2 Besides my comfort is the more because by the virtue of his death and buriall sinne shall be killed in mée and buried so that henceforth it shall haue no power to raigne in me 3 I néede not feare death séeing that sinne which is the sting of death is taken away by the death of Christ and that death is now made to me an entrance into life What meanes this He descended into hell That my Sauiour Christ did not onely suffer in bodie but also in soule did abide most miserable vexations griefes and painefull troubles and feare of minde into which both before and most of all when he hanged vpon the crosse he was cast VVhat comfort haue you heereby That in all my grieuous temptations and assaults I may stay and make sure my selfe by this that Christ hath deliuered me from the sorrowfull paines and griefes of hel What beleeuest thou in this article He rose againe I beleeue that Christ which in his manhood had suffered for me did on the third day rise by his owne power from the dead Wherin doth this article minister comfort vnto thee 1 In thrée things 1 His resurrection assureth me that his righteousnes shall be imputed to me for my perfect iustification 2 Because it rayseth me vp from day to day to righteousnes and newnes of life in this world 3 It ministreth vnto me a comfortable hope that I shall rise againe in the last day from bodily death What beleeuest thou in this article He ascended into heauen I beléeue that Christ in mans nature the Apostles looking on ascended into heauen What comfort haue you thereby 1 I am comforted in this that Christ hath prepared a place for me in the heauens which now I féele by faith and héereafter I shall fully inioy 2 I am comforted by his intercession to the father for me What fruit haue you thereby 1 It doth reconcile me to the Father for those sins which I daily commit 2 Being reconciled to him I can pray to God with boldnes and cal him father What meaneth that Hee sitteth at the right hand of God c. That Christ in his mans nature was aduanced by the father vnto that hie authoritie whereby he ruleth all things in heauen and earth What comfort reape you heereby 1 Because I shall receiue from him all things néedfull for me vnder his gracious gouernment 2 By his power all mine enemies shal be subdued and troden vnder my feet What beleeue you in this article From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead That Christ shal come in his maiestie to pronounce sentence vpon all those that were dead before and that shall be found aliue What comfort haue you by this 1 I am comforted in my greatest miserie knowing that Christ will come one day to rid me out of all 2 I am sure he will giue sentence on my side and take me to glory with him VVhy say you I beleeue in the holy Ghost Because he is God equal with the Father and the Sonne Why call you him holy Because he is the author and worker of all holines What fruit haue you by this 1 He doth assure me that I am that child of god by making me cal him Abba Father 2 He assureth me that by the death and resurrection of Christ sinne dieth in me and I am raised vp to holines of life 3 He leadeth me into all truth needfull to Gods glory and my saluation 4 He comforteth me in all troubles and in death assureth me of a better life in this same bodie and soule What meaneth this article I beleeue the holy Catholike Church That there is a Church of God though it cannot alwaies be seene with the eyes of men Why call you the Church holy For that although in this life in it selfe it is sinfull yet in Christ the head it is holy and in the life to come shall be brought to the true perfection of holines Why doe you call it Catholike Because God at all times and in all places and of all sorts of men hath an holy Church What meaneth this article The communion of Saints That the whole Church communicate with Christ euery member one with another VVhat comfort haue you by this 1 I am comforted for that I am iustified by that faith whereby Adam and Abraham were iustified which is tyed to no time nor place and excludeth no person 2 Because I am made pertaker of Christ and all his merits by faith and all the blessings of the Church by loue VVhat beleeuest thou by this article I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes That God for Christs sake doth fréely forgiue not onely my sinnes but also the punishment which I haue thereby deserued vvhy say you I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes Because no reason can perswade mee but the holy Ghost must worke the assurance thereof in my hart onely vvhat comfort haue you thereby 1 Because all the sinnes I daily commit shall neuer be laid to my charge 2 Because the weaknes and wants of all my duties are couered and supplied in Christ. 3 For that God will heare me praying for other that they may haue faith to féele the forgiuenes of sinnes vvhat meane you by this article The resurrection of the bodie into life euerlasting That this bodie after it shall be dissolued into dust shall be raised vp againe at the last day and my soule shall liue in euerlasting glory VVhat comfort reape you thereby 1 I am made cheerefull in well doing séeing my labour is not in vaine 2 I am made to dispise the pleasures and glory of this word and with patience to suffer all the troubles of this life 3 It comforteth me ouer the death of my friends and maketh me to be chéerefull in death knowing I shal haue a part in the resurrection of the iust What fruit haue
haue in Christ all that the Law requireth But yet they remayne transgressors of the Law. They are transgressors in themselues and yet righteous in Christ and in their inner man they loue righteousnesse and hate sinne VVhat then is the state of the faithfull in this life They are sure in Christ and yet fight against sinne VVhat fight haue they 1 Within they haue the battaile of the flesh against the spirit 2 Without the temptations of sathan and of the world How shall they ouercome By a liuely faith in Iesus Christ. VVhat call you the flesh The corruption of our nature wherein we were borne and conceiued Doth that remaine after regeneration Yea it dwelleth in vs and cleaueth fast vnto vs so long as we carry the outward flesh about vs. How doth the flesh fight against the spirit By continuall lusting against it and that is two waies 1 By hindering or corrupting vs in the good motions works deeds of the spirit 2 By continuall moouing vs to euill motions words and déeds What call you the spirit The holy spirit which God in Christ hath giuen vs wherby we are begottē againe Doe wee not receiue the spirit in full measure and in perfection at the first No But first wee receiue the first fruits afterward daily increases of the same vnto the end if that fault be not in vs. How doth the spirit fight in vs. By lusting against the flesh and that is also two waies 1 Partly by rebuking and partly by restrayning in vs the euill motions and déeds of the flesh 2 By continuall inlightening vs affecting vs with thoughts words déeds agreeable to Gods will. What call you the world The corrupt state condition of men and the rest of the creatures How doth the world fight against vs. By alluring and drawing vs to the corruptions thereof and the meanes it vseth héerein are two 1 Oft times by false pleasures profit and glory of this world from our obedience to God. 2 Oft times it draweth vs by paines and losses and reproches to distrust Gods promises How shall we ouercome the pleasures profit and glory of this world 1 By a true faith in Iesus Christ who desposed all these things to work our saluation and to make vs able to ouercome them 2 By a faith in Gods word that feareth vs from doing any thing that is against his will. How shall we ouercome the paines losses and reproches of this world 1 By a liuely faith in Iesus Christ who suffered all these things to worke our saluation and inableth vs to suffer them 2 By a stedfast faith in Gods prouidence that we shall want no good thing and that all things soeming hurtful shall be turned to the furtherance of our saluation What call you sathan The aduersarie and enemie of God and his people How doth he fight against vs 1 By subtilty alluring vs to sinne and therefore he is called a tempter and a Serpent 2 By laying fearfully to our charge our sinnes committed and therefore he is called the deuill that is an accuser 3 By séeking by manifold inward terrors and outward troubles to swallow vs vp and therefore hee is called a roaring Lyon. How shall we fight against him and his temptations 1 By faith in Iesus Christ who ouercame all his temptations in his owne person to the end we might ouerthrow him 2 By resisting the inward motiens and outward occasions of sinne How shall we doe that By beleeuing that we are baptised into the death and resurrection of Christ. How shall we ouercome sathan and his accusations 1 By faith in Iesus Christ who hath iustified vs for all the sinne for the which he can accuse vs. 2 By all those comfortable promises of the forgiuenes of sins which in Christs name is made vnto vs. How shall we ouercome him in our terrors and troubles 1 By faith in Iesus Christ who was heard in all his terrors and troubles to giue vs an assurance that we shall not be ouercome by them 2 By faith in Gods prouidence wherby we knowe that he can doe no more vnto vs then the Lord doth direct for our good VVe haue hard that the word is the first chiefe means not only to beget but also to strengthen and increase faith in vs what is the next principall meanes That is Prayer chiefly seruing for the strengthning and increasing of faith vvhat is Prayer Prayer is a lifting vp of the minde and a powring out of the hart before God. Is there any prescript rule of Prayer left vs in the Scriptures Yea euen that which our Sauiour Christ taught his disciples called the Lords Prayer Is it lawfull to vse no other manner of words Yea we may vse an other forme but we must pray for the same things and with like affection as are prescribed ther. How is that Prayer deuided Into three parts 1 The preface or enterance thereto 2 The prayer it selfe 3 The cōclusion or shutting vp of that same vvhich is the Preface Our Father which art in heauen vvhat doth this put vs in minde of 1 Of him to whom we pray 2 Of our owne estate in prayer To whom doe we pray To God the Father the Sonne and the the holy Ghost vvhy doe you heare name the father Because discerning the persons wee pray vnto the father secretly vnderstanding that wee doe so in the mediation of his sonne by the working of the holy Ghost vvhy must we pray to the father in the mediation of Christ his Sonne Because God beeing displeased for sinne we can haue no dealing with him but only by the meanes of his sonne in whom he is well pleased vvhy must we pray by the working of the holy Ghost Because the holy ghost assureth vs that God is our Father whereas we know not what to pray nor how he teacheth vs. vvhat must we be perswaded of our owne estate in prayer Partly concerning our selues and partlie concerning others VVhat perswasion must wee haue touching our selues We must be truly humbled and withall haue a certaine confidence that wee shall be hard How shall we be truly humbled 1 With a perswasion of our sinfull miserie and vnworthines to be holpen 2 With a most certaine perswasion of the most glorious Maiestie of God in heauen that must helpe vs. How shal we be assured that we shall be heard 1 By being perswaded that God loueth vs as his own children in our Lord Iesus Christ. 2 By faith being perswaded that God our Father is able to doe whatsoeuer he will in heauen and earth What must wee be perswaded concerning other 1 That all Gods people pray for vs. 2 We must be perswaded that it is our bounded dutie to pray for other as well as for our selues How are the petitions duided 1 We make our requests for those things which concerne Gods Maiestie 2 For those things which concerne our owne welfare Which be those that concerne Gods Maiestie The thrée first 1 Hallowed be thy name 2 Thy kingdome come 3 Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen What is meant by the name of God. 1 The names and titles of God as Iehoua the Lord of Lords c. 2 The wisedome power mercy goodnes truth righteousnes and the eternitie of God. Why be these called the names of God. Because as names serue to discerne things by so by these things GOD is knowne to be God. What is meant by this word sanctified We pray that God as he is glorious in himselfe so he may be declared and made knowne to men How shall Gods name be declared to be holy and glorious 1 We pray that his wisedome power mercy c. may more and more be imparted into vs and other of Gods people 2 We pray that according as wee know these things so the fruits of them may appeare in ours all Gods peoples liues that so Gods name may be honoured and praised What doe we pray against in his petion 1 Against all ignorance of the holy things we should know and want of good workes whereby God wants of his glory 2 Against all false religion wickednes and vngodlines by which Gods name is dishonoured FINIS Com. 1. Com. 2. Com. 3. Com. 4. Com. 6. Com. 7. Com. 8. Com. 9. Com. 10. The Beleefe 1. Cor. 15 20. Act. 1. 2. 9. Heb. 9. 15. 1. Pet. 3. 22. Math. 6. 26. c. 1. Cor. 15. 51. 52. Reue. 22. 20 Rom. 8. 1.
A Briefe and necessarie Catechisme concerning the principall poynts of our Christian Religion Written for the good of all such as seeke after consòlation in Christ. By R. C. 1. Pet. 3. 15. Sanctifie the Lord God in your harts and be readie alwaies to giue an aunswere to euerie man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you AT LONDON Printed for Edward VVhite and are to be solde at the little North doore of Paules Church at the signe of the Gun. 1602. ¶ A briefe and necessarie Catechisme concerning the principall points of our Christian Religion Question WHereas all men desire to bee blessed and most men are deceiued in seeking that blessednesse tell me which is the true way thereto Aunswere To know God to be my Father in Iesus Christ and therefore to serue him according to his will and to set foorth his glorie beleeuing that I shall want nothing that is good for me in this life and that I shall enioy euerlasting blessednes in the world to come How know you this By the working of the holy ghost and by the meanes of his word What call you his Word The reuealed will of GOD set foorth vnto vs in the holy Scriptures Which doe you call the holy scriptures The bookes of the olde and newe Testament commonly called Canonicall Are all things that are necessarie for vs to know contained in them Yea for GOD beeing full of all wisdome and goodnes would leaue out nothing that was requisite for vs to know Is it lawfull to adde to or take anie thing there-from No for GOD hath flatly forbidden it and hath pronounced grieuous curses vppon those that doe so Why is it so grieuous a sin Because it is a great sin to alter the last will of a mortall man therefore much more to change the last Testament of eternall God. Why is it requisite that the will of God should be set forth vnto vs That wee might haue pure rules of his worship and sure grounds of our saluation Is it not lawfull to repose any part of Gods worship or our saluation in the doctrines and dooings of men No for all men by nature are liars and defiled with sinne wherof it followeth that all mens doctrines and dooings are mingled with lies and corruptions How far are we bound to their doctrine and dooings So farre forth as they are agreeable to Gods word May all reade the Scriptures Yea all that be of age able to discerne betweene good euill ought to increase in knowledge for their furtherance in saluation as they doe in yeeres VVhy must all such reade the Scriptures 1. Because euerie one must be able to proue and try himselfe whether he be in the faith or no. 2. Because euerie one must be able to prooue and examine mens doctrines and dooings by the Scriptures that they be not thereby in their saluation deceiued 3. Because euerie one must be able as his calling requireth to teach admonish exhort and comfort one another 4. Because euerie one must be able to make an account of the faith hope that is in him But what if men cannot reade Then they must vse the helpe of others that can Is it enough to read the Scriptures priuately or with others No for God hath also commaunded to heare thē read publiquely in the Church And is that enough No for he also hath ordained preaching Why must preaching be ioyned vvith reading Because it is the most principall and proper meanes to beget faith in vs. Why must faith be mixed with the word read and preached Because otherwise the Word profiteth vs nothing How many things are requisite to be in euery one that wil come to heare the word read and preached Amongst other foure are necessarie 1. A trembling feare of the Maiestie of God. 2. An assured faith in Christ. 3. An earnest endeuor to frame our liues therafter 4. To pray for the holy Ghost to be giuen vs to enlighten our mindes and write all these things in our harts Which be the principall parts of Gods word The Law and the Gospell What call you the Law It is that part of the word that commandeth all good and forbiddeth all euill What if we could keepe the Law Then we should be blessed What if we breake the Law Then are we subiect to the curse of God and so to death and damnation What call you the Gospell It is that part of the word which containeth the free promises of God made vnto vs in Iesus Christ without any respect of our deseruings What doth it worke in vs A true and liuely fayth in Iesus Christ whereby we lay hold of the free remission of our sinnes in him and come by true repentance of them VVhat must wee learne by the vvhole word of God. Two things First to make a right and sounde entrance into our saluation Secondlie how to increase and continue the same vnto the end What is required for our right sound entrance to our saluation Thrée things First to know and be perswaded of the greatnes of my sinnes and the miserie due to the same Secondly to know howe wee may be deliuered from them Thirdly to knowe what thanks we owe to the Lord for our deliuerance How shall wee come to aright fight of our sinnes a sound perswasion of them By the Spirit of GOD leading vs to the true vnderstanding of the Law and a due examination of our selues thereby Where is the Law set downe It is written in many places of the scripture but the summe thereof is contained in the ten commaundements Rehearse them I am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue no other Gods but me c. How are they deuided Into two principall heads or Tables What doth the first Table teach vs Our duetie towards GOD and is contained in the foure first Commaundements What learne we by the second Table Our dutie towards our neighbour and is contained in the latter sixe Commandements VVhy are the duties towards GOD set downe before our duties towards our neighbour Because the loue of GOD is the ground of the loue of our neighbor wherof it followeth that none can rightly loue his neighbour except hee first loue GOD. Why are the duties towards our neighbour ioyned to our dutie towards God Because the loue of our neighbour is the proofe and triall of our loue towards god Whence it followeth againe that none can loue God aright except he also loue his neighbour VVhy are the Commaundements set downe in tenne parts and not in generall Because God is not pleased with dooing our duties in generall or in some part but hee will be wholy serued in all and euerie one of his Commandements VVhy are they set downe singulerly or to euery one Because euerie one must doe his owne duetie though none goe before him whence it followeth That euerie one must beare his owne burden and none shall haue excuse by others example Are there not some rules which serue
profitable conuenient vse of all Gods creatures 4 Though I suffer hurt by sathan or want of his creatures yet all this shall turne to my good in the end How can this be Because God can doe it as an almightie God and will doe it as a most mercifull and louing father True it is that by creation we had this benefit but we haue lost it and are become the children of wrath how then can God become our father and shew vs thys mercy Hee is become my father by faith in Christ the sonne of God What beleeue you of GOD the Sonne First that he is able to worke my saluation 2. That he hath wrought it indeed after the manner that is heere set downe How can you beleeue that he is able to worke your saluation I beléeue it because he is both God and man and hath receiued an office from God the Father to worke my saluation By what words in the Creed do you beleeue that Christ is God. By these His onely sonne I declare that I beleeue in Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God begotten of his Father before all worlds God of God light of light verie God of verie God begotten nor made being of one substance of the father by whom all things were made Why call you him the onely begotten Sonne of God. Because he is the alone Sonne of God by nature How can this be seeing the Angels Adam and we also be the Sonnes of God. Adam was the sonne of God by creation which state we haue lost but now we be the sonnes of GOD by regeneration VVhy was it requisite hee should be God. Because nothing but God was able to abide and ouercome the wrath of God and the punishment due vnto sinne What comfort haue you by this that Christ is God. Héereby I am assured that he is able to saue me by reconciling me to the Father that he may make me the child of God. By what words in the Creede doe you shew that you beleeue that Christ is man. By these words Borne of the Virgine Mary where I shew that he was borne as other men bee and subiect to all infirmities of man sinne onely excepted Why are these words added Conceiued by the holy Ghost To shew that Christ by the holy Ghost was conceiued in the womb of the virgin Mary she continuing still a pure virgin and that he was borne holy and without sinne whereto all other by nature are subiect VVas it needfull that Christ should be without sinne Yea For otherwise the Godhead and manhood could not haue him ioyned together besides if he had béene a sinner hee could not haue satisfied for others sinnes Why was it requisite that he should be man Because the righteousnes of God requireth that the same nature which had sinned should also pay and make amends for sinne What coÌ„fort is in this that Christ is man I am thereby assured that Christ is fit to suffer the punishment of my sinne and beeing man himselfe will be more pittifull and mercifull to me vvhat fruit haue you by his holy conception I am assured that his holy conception hath couered the corruption of my nature and that his pure conception shall be imputed vnto mee vvhat comfort haue you by this that he is both God and man That hee is able to finish most fully my saluation seeing as hee is man hee is fit to suffer for sinnes as hee is GOD hee is able to beare the punishment of sinne and to ouercome in suffering and therefore to be called Iesus vvhat doth Iesus signifie It signifieth a Sauiour which name agreeth to Christ because hee saueth mee from all my sinnes because there is no other meanes whereby I may in part or whole bee deliuered from them vvhat comfort haue you by this Euen the same which I said and the rather because GOD from heauen gaue him this name and the Church on earth hath subscribed thereunto What signifieth Christ. Annoynted for he was annoynted to be a Prophet a Priest and a King for all his people and so for mee How gather you this By the annoynting Prophets Priests and Kinges which were figures of him VVas Christ annoynted with materiall oyle as they were No But with all gifts of the Spirit without measure Why call you him Prophet Because he was is and euer shal be the onely teacher of the Church What were then the Prophets and Apostles They were his disciples and seruants speaking onely by his spirit What comfort haue we by this Héereby I am assured that he will lead me into all truth needful for Gods glory and my saluation Why call you him Priest. Because offering vp himselfe a sacrifice once for all he hath satisfied for all my sinnes and maketh continuall intercession to the father for me What comfort doe wee reape by his Priesthood That I am sure that he is my Mediatour and that I am made a Priest. How is that By him I haue fréedome and boldnes to draw néere and offer vp my selfe and all that I haue to God the Father Why call you him King. Because he doth guide and gouerne me to euerlasting life by his word and spirit What comfort haue you by this Héereby I am assured that by his kingly power I shall finally ouercome the flesh the World Death and Hell. Why call you him Lord. For that not with gold or siluer but with his precious blood he hath purchased â–ª vs to be a peculier people to himselfe VVhat comfort haue you thereby â–ª Séeing hée hath paid so precious a price for me that he will not â–ª suffer me to perish VVhat is the second thing wherein thy faith in Christ consisteth I beleeue that he hath wrought my saluation in deed after that manner that is set downe in the Creed â–ª How is that 1 First by his most painefull sufferings for sinne 2 By his most glorious victorie and triumph ouer sinne In what words are his paineful suffrings expressed In these Suffered vnder Pontius â–ª Pilate was crucified dead and buried c. vvhat is the generall meaning of these words Therein I shew my selfe to beléeue that Christ indured most grieuoâ—s torments both of bodie and soule vvhat comfort haue you ny this I am fréed from all those punishments of bodie and soule which my sins haue â–ª deserued How then commeth it to passe that we are so often afflicted with grieuous torments of bodie and soule Our sufferings are not by desert any satisfaction for our sinnes in any part but being sanctified in the most holy sufferings of Christ they are medicines against sinne vvhy are those words set downe Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Not onely for the truth of the story but also to teach that he appeared willingly and of his owne accord before an earthly Iudge of whoÌ„ he was pronounced innocent yet by the same man condemned vvhat comfort haue you hereof That my Sauiour thus suffering not for his owne sinnes but wholy for