they are in him without all measure and further also that they bee not divers vertues whereby his nature is qualified but that all they and every one of them is nothing else but God himselfe and his intire Essence Wherein doth the life of God shew it selfe Ans. In his alsufficiencie and in his holy will Wherein standeth his Alsufficiency A. In his All-knowing wisdome and his Almighty power Wherein doth his wisdome consist Ans. In perfect knowledge of all things that either are or might be In what sort doth God know all things doth he as we doe see one thing after another Ans. No but with one sight he continually beholdeth all things distinctly whether they be past present or to come How is He God Almighty Ans. Because he hath power to bring to passe all things that can be howsoever to us they may seeme impossible Wherein is the holinesse of his will seen Ans. In his goodnesse and in his justice Wherein doth he shew his goodnesse Ans. In being beneficiall unto his creatures and shewing mercy unto them in their miseries Wherein sheweth he his justice Ans. Both in his word and in his deeds How sheweth he justice in his Word Ans. Because the truth thereof is most certaine How sheweth he justice in his deeds Ans. By ordering and disposing all things rightly and rendring to his creatures according to their works What doe you call Persons in the Godhead Ans. Such as having one Essence or being equally common are distinguished not divided one from another by some incommunicable property How commeth it to passe that there should be this diversitie of Persons in the Godhead Ans. Though the Essence or being of the Godhead be the same and most simply as hath been declared yet the manner of this being is not the same and hence ariseth the distinction of persons in that beside the being which is common to all and the self-same in all they have every one some especiall property which cannot be common to the rest Which are these persons and what are these personal Properties Ans. The first Person in order is the Father who begetteth the Son The second is the Sonne begotten of the Father The third is the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son Doth the Godhead of the Father beget the God-head of the Son Ans. No but the Person of the Father begetteth the Person of the Sonne Thus much of Gods nature what are we to consider in his Kingdome Ans. First the decree made from all eternity and then the execution thereof accomplished in time How was the decree made Ans. All things whatsoever should in time come to passe with every small circumstance appertaining thereunto was ordained to be so from all eternitie by Gods certaine and unchangeable counsell Did God then before he made man determine to save some reject others Ans. Yes surely before they had done either good or evill God in his eternall counsel set some apart upon whom he would in time shew the riches of his mercy and determined to withhold the same from others on whom he would shew the severity of his wrath What should move God to make this difference between Man and Man Ans. Only his owne pleasure whereby having purposed to create man for his owne Glory forasmuch as he was not bound to shew mercie unto any and his Glory should appeare as well in executing of justice as in shewing mercy It seemed good unto His Heavenly wisdome to chuse out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his justice Wherein doth the execution of Gods decree consist Ans. In the works of the Creation and providence What was the manner of the Creation Ans. In the beginning of time when no creature had any being God by his Word alone did in the space of six dayes create all things both visible and invisible making every one of them good in their kinde What are principal creatures which were ordained unto an everlasting condition Ans. Angels altogether spirituall and void of bodies And Man consisting of two parts the body which is earthly and the â—â—ule which is spirituall and therefore not subject to mortality In what regard is man said to be made according to the likenesse and Image of God Ans. In regard especially of the perfections of the powers of the soule namely the wisdome of the mind and the true holinesse of his free-will How are you to consider of Gods Providence Ans. Both as it is common unto all the creatures which are thereby sustained in their being and ordered according to the Lords will and as it properly concerneth the everlasting condition of the principal creatures to wit Angels and men What is that which concerneth Angels Ans. Some of them remained in that blessed condition wherein they were created and are by Gods grace for ever established therein Others kept it not but wilfully left the same and therefore are condemned to everlasting torment in Hell without all hope of recovery How is the state of mankinde ordered Ans. In this Life by the tenor of a twofold Covenant and in the World to come by the sentence of a twofold judgement What is the first of these Covenants Ans. The Law or the covenant of workes whereby God promiseth everlasting life unto man upon condition that he performe intire and perfect obedience unto his Law according to that strength wherewith he was indued by nature of his creation in like sort threatneth death unto him if he doe not performe the same What Seale did God use for the strengthning of his Covenant Ans. The two Trees which he planted in the middle of Paradise the one of life the other of knowledge of good and evill What did the Tree of life signifie Ans. That man should have assurance of everlasting life if he continued in obedience What did the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill signifie Ans. That if man did fall from obedience he should be surely punished with everlasting death and so know by experience in himselfe what evill was as before he knew by experience that only which was good What was the event of this Covenant Ans. By one man sinne entred into the World and Death by sinne and so Death went over all men forasmuch as all men have sinned How did sinne enter Ans. Whereas God had threatned unto our first Parents that whatsoever day they did eat of that forbidden fruit they should certainly die They beleeving rather the word of the Devill that they should not dye and subscribing unto his reproachfull blasphemy whereby hee charged God with envy towards their estate as if hee had therefore forbidden the fruit least by eating thereof they should become like God himself entred into action of rebellion against the Lord who made them and openly transgressed his Commandement What followeth from this
Ministerie w ch coÌ„sisteth in the delivery of doctrine What is a Sacrament Ans. A Sacrament is a visible signe ordeined by God to bee a Seale for confirmation of the promises of the Gospell unto the true members in Christ. VVhat are the SacrameÌ„ts ordained by Christ in the New Testament Ans. Baptisme and the Lords Supper What is Baptisme Ans. The Sacrament of our admission into the Church sealing unto us our new birth by the communion which wee have with Christ Iesus What doth the elements of water in Baptisme represent unto us Ans. The bloud and merits of Iesus Christ our Lord. What doth the clensing of the body â—epresent Ans. The clensing of the Soule by the for givenesse of sinne and imputation of Christs righteousnesse What doth the being under the water aad the freeing from it againe represent Ans. Our dying unto sinne by the force of Christs death and living againe unto righteousnesse through His Resurrection What is the Lords Supper Ans. A Sacrament of our preservation in the Church sealing unto us our spirituall nourishment and continuall increase in CHRIST What doth the elements of Bread and Wine in the Lords supper represent unto us Ans. The Body and Bloud of Christ. What doth the breaking of the Bread and powring out of the Wine represent Ans. The sufferings whereby our Saviour was broken for our iniquities the shedding of His precious bloud and powring out of His Soule unto death VVhat doth the râ—ceiving of the Bread and VVine represent Ans The receiving of Chrâ—st by faith VVhat doth the nourishmrnt which our body receiveth by vertue of this outward meat seal uÌ„to us Ans. The perfect nourishment and continuall increase of strength w ch the inward man injoyeth by vertue of the Communion with Iesus Christ after the course of this life is ended VVhat shall bee the state of man in the world to come Ans. Every one to be rewarded according to the life which hee hath lead How many kindes bee there of this judgement Ans. Two the one particular the other generall VVhat call you the particular judgement Ans. That which is given upon the Soule of every man as soone as it is departed from the body What is the state of the Soule of man as soone as hee departeth out of this life Ans. The Soules of Gods Children bee presenâ—ly received into heaven there to injoy unspeakeable Comforts the soules of the wicked are sent into hel there to endure endles tormeÌ„nts VVhat call you the generall judgement Ans. That which Christ shall in a solemne manner give upon all men at once when hee shal come at the last day with the glory of his father and all men that ever have beâ—n from the beginning of the world untill that day shall â—ppeare â—ogether before him boâ—h in body and soule whether they bee quiâ—ke or dead How shâ—ll the dead appeare before the judgement seate of Christ Ans. The Bodyes which they had in their life time shâ—ll by the Almighty power of God be restored againe and quickned with their soules and so there shall bee a Resurrection from the dead How shall the quicke appeare Ans. Such aâ— then remaine alâ—ve shâ—ll bee changed in the twinkling of an eye which shall bee to them in stead of death What sentence shall Christ pronounce upon the righteous Ans. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world What sentence shall hee pronounce upon the wicked Ans. Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the Devill and his Angels VVhat shall follow this Ans. Christ shall deliver up the kingdome to His FATHER and GOD shall bee all in all A Briefe Method OF Christian Religion WITH A more particular Declaration of some perticular heads of Doctrine which for more plainesse sake were shortly touched in the former Summe Heb. 6.1 Therefore leaving the Doctrine of the bâ—ginning of Christ. c. By Iames Vsher Bish. of Armagh London Printed for Geo. Badger 1646. THE Method of the Doctrine OF Christian Religion Question WHat certaine rule have we left us for our direction in the knowledge of the true Religion whereby we must be saved Ans. The holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament which God delivered unto us by the Ministerie of his servants the Prophets and Apostles to informe us perfectly in all things that are needfull for us to know in matters of Religion What be the generall heads of Religion which in these holy writings are delivered unto us Ans. The knowledge of Gods nature and kingdome What are we to consider in Gods nature Ans. First his Essence or being which is but one and then the persons which are three in number What doe you consider in Gods Essence or being Ans. His Perfection and Life How are we to conceive of God in regard of his Perfection Ans. That he is a Spirit most single and infinite having his being from himself and having need of nothing which is without himselfe Why doe you call God a Spirit Ans. To declare his being to be such as hath no body and is not subject to our outward senses that we admit not any base conceit of his Majesty in thinking him to be like unto any thing which can be seen by the eye of man What understand you by this singlenesse or simplicity of Gods nature Ans. That he hath no parts nor qualities in him but whatsoever is in him is God and Gods whole Essence What gather you of this that God hath no parts nor qualities Ans. That he neither can bee divided nor changed but remaineth alwayes in the same state without any alteration at all In what respect doe you call Gods Essence infinite Ans. In that it is free from all measure both of time and place How is God free from all measure of time Ans. In that he is eternall without beginning and without ending never elder nor younger and hath all things present unto him neither former or later past or to come How is God infinite in regard of place Ans. In that he filleth all things and places both within and without the world present every where contained no where How is he present every where hath he one part of himselfe here and another there Ans. No for he hath no parts at all whereby he might be divided and therefore must be wholly wheresoever he is What doe you call the life of God Ans. That by which the divine nature is in perpetuall action most simply and infinitely moving it self in respect whereof the Scripture calleth him the Living GOD. What gather you of the comparing this infinitenes and simplicity or singlenesse of Gods nature with his life and motion Answ. That when strength justice and mercy are attributed unto God we must conceive that
of Doctrine and this is the ordinary instrument which God useth in begetting Faith What order is there used in the delivery of the Word for the begetting of Faith Ans. First the Covenant of the Law is urged to make sin and the punishment therof knowne wherupon the sting of conscience pricketh the heart with a sense of Gods wrath and maketh man utterly to despaire of any ability in himselfe to obtain everlasting life after this preparation the mercies of the Gospell are propounded wherupon the sinner resuming hope of pardon sueth unto God for mercy and particularly applyeth unto his own soul those comfortable promises and hath wrought in him by the Spirit of God an earnest desire at the least to beleeve and repent What is a Sacrament Ans. A visible signe ordained by God to be a seal for confirmation of the promises of the Gospel unto those who perform the conditions required in the same How is this done by a Sacrament A. By a fit similitude between the signe and the things signified the benefit of the Gospell is represented unto the eye and the assurance of enjoying the same confirmed to such as are within the Covenant Wherefore as the preaching of the word is the ordinary meanes of begetting Faith so both it and the holy use of the Sacraments bee the instruments of the Holy-Ghost to increase and confirme the same How many kindes of Sacraments be there Ans. Two the first of Admission of Gods children into the Church there to be pertakers of an everlasting communion with them the second of his preservation or nourishment therin to assure him of his continual increase in Christ in which respect the former is once the latâ—er often to be administred What doe you understand by Censures Ans. The Ordinance which God hath appointed for the confirmation of the threatnings of the Gospell against the disobedient How are these Censures exercised Ans. First by the word alone by admonition Secondly by afflicting a penaltie either by shutting up the offender in the Lords prison till such time as he shew tokens of repentance or by cutting off the rotten member from the rest of the body Hath this administration of the Gospell been alwayes after the same manner Ans. For substance it hath alwayes bin the same but in regard of the mâ—nner proper to certaine times it is distinguished into two kinds the old and the new What call you the old Ministry A. That which was delivered unto the Fathers to continue until the fulnesse of time wherein by the comming of Christ it was to be reformed What were the Properties of this Ministry Ans. First the Commandements of the Law were more largely and the promises of Christ more sparingly and darkly propounded these laâ—ter being so much the more generally and obscurely delivered as the manifesting of them was further off Secondly these promises of things to come were shadowes with a similitude of Types and Figures which when the truth should be exhibited were to vanish away What were the chiefe States and Periods of this old Ministry Ans. The first from Adam to Abraham the second from Abraham to Christ. What were the speciall Properties of the latter of these two Periods Ans. First it was more especially restrained unto a certain Family and Nation Secondly it had joyned with it a solemne repetition and declaration of the first Covenant of the Law Thirdly besides the Ceremonies which were greatly inlarged under Moses it had Sacraments also added unto it What were the ordinary Sacraments of this Ministry Ans. The Sacrament of Admission in the Church was Circumcision instituted in the dayes of Abraham The other of continual preservation and nourishment the Paschall Lambe instituted in the time of Moses What is the new Administration of the Gospell Ans. That which is delivered unto us by Christ to continue unto the end of the world What are the Properties thereof Ans. First it is indifferently propounded unto all people whether they be Jewes or Gentiles and in that respect is Catholique or Universall Secondly it is full of grace and truth bringing joyfull tydings unto mankinde that whatsoever was formerly promised of Christ is now accomplished and so in stead of the ancient types and shadowes exhibited the things themselves with a large declaration of all the benefits of the Gospell What be the principall points of the word of this Ministery Ans. That Christ our Saviour whom God by his Prophets had promised to send into the World is come in the flesh and hath accomplished the worke of our redemption That he was conceived by the Holy-Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified and dyed upon the Crosse That Body and Soule being thus separated his body was laid in the grave and remained under the power of death and his soule went into the place appointed for the soules of the righteous namely Paradise the Seat of the Blessed That the third day body and soule being joyned together againe he rose from the dead and afterwards ascended up into Heaven where he sitteth at the right hand of His Father until such time as He shall come unto the last Judgement What are the Sacraments of this Ministry Ans. The Sacrament of Admission into the Church is Bâ—ptisme which sealeth unto us our Spirituall Birth the other Sacrament of our continuall preservation is the Lords Supper which sealeth unto us our continuall nourishment FINIS 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Tim. 3.15 â— Pet. 2.21 2 Tim. 3.16 Lu. 16.29 Gal. 1.8 Esay 8.20 2 Tim. 3.16.17 a Deut. 31 11.12 Iosh. 8.35 Ioh. 5.39 b Acts 17.11 1 Cor. 4.6 2 Principle a Iohn 4 24 b Apoc. 1.8 Act. 17.24 25. c Pro. 8.14 1 Tim. 1.17 Iob 9 1â—.13 Iâ—r 10.12 Exo. 34.6 7 Psal. 147.17 Col. 1.15 Rom. 1.23 Deut. 4.12 ver 12.16 1 Tim. 1.17 Eph. 4 5 6 1 Cor. 8.4 Deu. 4.35 39 Mat. 28.19 1 Ioh. 5 7. d Heb. 1.3 5 e Heb. 1.5 Heb. 1.6 Ioh. 1.14 Ioh 85.26 Gal. 4 6. 3 Principle Acts 2 22. cap. 15.18 Psal. 33.11 Gen. 1.1 Heb. 11.3 Exod. 20.11 Rev. 4.11 Heb. 1.7.14 Gen. 2.7 Heb. 12 9. Gen. 2.7 Gen. 3.19 Eccl. 12.7 Ma. 10 28. Rev. 6.9 2 Cor. 5.8 Gen. 1.26.27 cap 9.6 Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 Eccl 7.29 Gen. 1.26.27 Gen. 2.18 Act. 17 26 1 Tim. 2.13 4 Principle Ioh. 5.17 Neh. 9.6 Psa. 119.91 Heb. 1.3.11 Act 17.26 28 Mat. 20 30 Pro. 16.33 Mat. 25.31 ver 41. Iude 6. Ioh. 8 44. 1 Joh. 3.8 Mat 15.32 41 Ioh. 8 4◠〈◊〉 3.8 1 Tim. 5.21 Mat. 18.10 Lu. 20.36 2 â—et 2.4 Iude 6. Mat. 25.41 Rev. 20.10 Mal. 2.10 Gen. 2.17 Rom. 2.15 Luke 10.26.27 Rom. 7.7.12.14 Gal. 3 10.12 2 Tim. 3.5 Gal. 3.12 Lu. 10·25 26.27.28 Rom. 7 10 cap. 10.5 Gen. 2.17 Gal. 3·10 â—ev 26.26.14.15 Deu. 28.15.16 â—8 19.20 5 Principle Gen. 3.1.6 Eccl. 7 29. Ioâ—n 8 44 Rom. 5.14 15 Rom.