own State and Condition Yes May a Man envy or grieve at his Neighbour's Good or Prosperity No. Ought we not to be just towards others not only in our actions but in our very thoughts desires and intentions Yes Should we consent to any motions of the heart of contriving to get what 's our Neighbours by unjust or unlawful means No. Is discontentedness repining and murmuring forbidden to a Christian Yes Should a Christian with vexation or greediness or immoderately seek Riches Honours or Pleasures No. Did not your Godfathers and Godmothers promise for you that you should keep these Commandments Yes And will you labour to keep them that you may please God and be admitted to him when you die Yes Will you shew your Love by your Obedience Yes Question What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments Answer I learn two things my Duty towards God and my c. Question What is thy Duty towards God Answer My Duty towards God is to believe in him c. IS it not your Duty to believe in God Yes Do you believe him to be an infinitely wise just powerful holy and good Spirit Yes Is not a Christian to fear God so as to be afraid to offend him Yes May a Christian fear Man more than God No. May a Man commit a Fault to please Men though he displease God No. Should we not love him who is infinitely lovely Yes Should we not love him with all our Heart Soul Mind and Strength Yes Is it not reasonble to love a great and good and wise and merciful God Yes Should we ever cease to love that God that is willing we should be saved No. Can we cease to love him who sent his Son to die for us No. Is it not reasonable we should fall down and worship that God that made us and all the World Yes Is it not reasonable we should fall down and Worship that God that can send us to Hell in an instant Yes Is it not reasonable we should give him thanks who gives us Food and Raiment Yes Must not a Christian put his whole Trust in God in all his Needs and Dangers Yes May a Christian seek to deliver himself out of them by any unlawful means No. Is not this to distrust God Yes Must not a Christian call upon him in Prayer Yes Is it not reasonable we should call upon that God that is able to help us Yes And is he not willing and ready to help us in all needs and dangers if he see it fit for us Yes Is it not reasonable we should Honour his holy Name seeing to glorifie it was the great End of our Creation Yes Is it not reasonable we should honour and love that Word which is the Message of Divine Love to us Yes Is it unreasonable we should serve such a God and obey him truly all the days of our Life No. Has he not provided eternal Rewards in Heaven for our moment's obedience here Yes And can we expect more for doing less No. Question What is thy Duty towards thy Neighbour Answer My Duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as c. SHould we not do to all men as we should be content they should do to us if they were in our condition and we in theirs Yes Are we willing to have any Evil done to our own Souls No. Should we therefore do any Evil to any other Man's No. Are we willing to have our own Bodies maimed or wounded No. Are we willing to have our own Goods or Estates injured by any Man No. Should we therefore do so to any other Mans No. Are we willing to have our own good Name taken away and slandered No. Should we then do so to any other Man's No. Are we willing to have our own Needs and Wants relieved by them that are able to do it Yes Should we therefore according to our ability relieve the Needs of others Yes Would we not have all Men deal fairly honestly and justly with us in all Cases Yes And ought we not to deal so with others Yes Is not this to love our Neighbour as our selves Yes Should a Christian hurt any man by word or deed No. Should he be just and upright in all his Dealings Yes May he bear malice hatred or ill will to any in his Heart No. May a Christian be given to lying evil-speaking and backbiting No. Should a Christian be sober chast and temperate Yes Should a Christian that hopes to see God be a Whoremonger Glutton or Drunkard No. Should we wish or desire to deprive our Neighbour of any thing that belongs to him No. Should a Christian be diligent in his calling Yes And should he be content with his State and Condition Yes SECT IV. Postulanda Or Things to be prayed for Of the Lord's Prayer Catechist MY good Child know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent Prayer Let me hear therefore if thou caust say the Lord's Prayer Answer Our Father c. CAN we keep God's Commandments without his help No. Should we not daily pray to God for his Grace and Strength to do his Will Yes Should any Christian pray less than twice every day No. Should not those who have leisure do well to do it oftner Yes Must our Heart go along with our Mouths when we pray Yes Should a Christian kneel upon his knees when he prays Yes In our Prayers should we ever leave out the Lord's Prayer No. PREFACE Our Father which art in Heaven I. PETITION Hallowed be thy Name IS not God who created us our Father Yes Are we not his Children by Adoption too Yes Is he not then our Father by Creation and our Father in Christ Jesus Yes Is this good Father of ours unwilling to hear us if we ask aright No. Is not this our Father in Heaven Yes When you say Father doth not this teach you to pray with the Affections of a Child and with reverential Love Yes When you say Our Father doth not this teach you to pray for others as well as your self Yes When we say hallowed be thy Name do we not mean Sanctified be thy Name Yes When we say hallowed be thy Name do we not desire God to enable us to Worship Glorifie and Honour him Yes Can we Reverence and Adore and Glorifie him aright unless he enable us No. Is it not fit therefore we should first desire him to strike an awe into our Hearts while we are praying to him Yes II. PETITION Thy Kingdom come WHen we say Thy Kingdom come do we not pray that God's Kingdom of Grace may come to us here Yes And do we not pray that his Kingdom of Glory may come to us hereafter Yes Can we pray for any thing better or more desirable than the Kingdom of Grace here and the
slandering backbiting detraction or defamation injure the good-name of any Man Thou shalt not raise Jealousies and Suspitions of thy Neighbour causelesly Thou shalt bear no false Witness of thy self by bragging or boasting thy self Thou shalt not be a Tale-bearer thy self nor readily hear and encourage Tale-bearers Thou shalt not be a Dissembler or Flatterer Thou shalt in no case tell a Lye or counsel or pervert Right and Truth by Equivocations Thou shalt not mock and scoff at the Infirmities of others Thou shalt not be guilty of false Accusations false Pleadings false Testimonies or false Sentences in Courts of Judicature or Judgment Thou shalt not give rash severe and unmerciful Censures of other Men. Thou shalt not be a Railer or Reviler nor report and scatter false or doubtful Reports of thy Brother Thou shalt not be a Busie-body in other Mens matters Thou shalt not be guilty of false Acts or Forgery in any Deed or Writing Thou shalt neither deny conceal or oppose the truth Thou shalt not observe and judge other Mens Words and Actions severely and without Mercy Thou shalt not divulge or publish the faults of others without a design to do thereby Charity or Justice to some other Person Here now if we duly consider and seriously weigh what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Hearts and Actions find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it sadly adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to love and obey thee for the future that through thy Grace we may sincerely and acceptably keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days X. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbour's House c. Sins forbidden THE meaning is Thou shalt not wish or desire to be possessed of what is thy Neighbour's by his loss or without his Consent Thou shalt not consent to any motions of thy Heart of contriving how thou mayest unjustly come by any thing that is another's Thou shalt not envy the Prosperity of any Man or grieve at it Thou shalt not repine or murmur or be discontented with thy own state and condition Thou shalt not inordinately seek or desire Riches Honours or Pleasures Thou shalt not torment thy self with vexatious carking distracting perplexing distrustful Cares Thou shalt not by Idleness and refusing to labour in an honest Calling bring upon thy self the temptation of coveting what is another's Thou shalt not neglect to stifle Sin in the first inward seeds and motions of it in the very Thoughts and Intentions for even those are hateful to a Holy God These things being forbidden the things commanded are Duties commanded If thou hast any Temptation to come by any thing of thy Neighbour's unjustly thou shalt resist it and labour to mortifie crucifie and subdue it Thou shalt cast off all such motions of thy Heart Thou shalt be content with thy own state and condition whatever it is without any desire of change murmuring repining or disquieting of others Thou shalt be well pleased and thankful for the Portion which God in his Wisdom has chosen for thee Thou shalt keep thy Heart clean from all consent approbation desires and intentions of Injustice Wrong or Uncharitableness to any Man Thou shalt diligently and honestly labour in the Vocation to which God hath called thee Thou shalt be well pleased that those things be thy Neighbour's which God hath given him Thou shalt stop and stifle all Sin whatever in the beginning and never permit thy Heart to consent to it This being the last of the ten Commandments if now upon the whole we duly weigh and seriously consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this and the other Commandments as also what is forbidden in them and then reflecting upon our own Hearts and Lives find any of the duties of them neglected by us or any of the Sins against them sadly adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affection rely should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and write all these thy Laws in our Hearts we beseech thee That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of these Commandments and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obey thee for the future that through thy Grace all these Laws of thine may be written in our Hearts and expressed in our Lives most sincerely and acceptably kept for the remainder of our days Question What dost thou chiefly learn by these Commandments Answer I learn two things My Duty towards God and my Duty towards my Neighbour THE meaning is I learn by these Commandments the chief parts of my Duty towards God and Man By my Neighbour is meant any other Person besides my self though he be of another Nation and Religion yea though he be my spiteful and professed Enemy Which Commandments and Holy Will of God's I am to obey and keep and walk in all the days of my Life as was promised in my Name I should do when I was Baptized And I will henceforward labour to do accordingly Question What is thy Duty towards God Answer My Duty towards God is to believe in him to c. THE meaning is 'T is my indispensable Duty to God to believe him to be the only true God To be three Persons and but one God To fear him that is to be afraid to offend him To fear him in all actions more than Man so to fear him as alway to chuse rather to displease any Man than God To love him with all my Heart Mind Soul and Strength is so to love him as to love nothing equal with him or above him To love him so as above all things to desire to please him and to desire to enjoy him To Worship him with my Soul and Body Inwardly with my Soul and outwardly with my Body In Prayer to worship him with an humble Soul and an humble Body With the devout affections and humiliations of the Soul and with the lowly and reverent gestures of my Body To give him Thanks for all his Mercies temporal and spiritual whether to my Soul or Body either with reference to this Life or that to come To put my whole Trust in him in all needs wants and dangers whatever whether of Soul or Body for deliverance support and aid So to trust in him as never to seek to deliver our selves by any unjust or unlawful means To call upon him in all such needs and dangers for relief and assistance by Prayer So to Honour his Holy Name as not to use it irreverently vainly falsely or wantonly by any Perjuries Oaths or other Prophanations of it So to Honour his Word as to believe all the parts
here as well as an eternally happy Life hereafter For what length of days in Canaan was to the Jews that to us is immortal Life in Heaven what being excluded thence was then that now is everlasting Death or Banishment into the Regions of Misery So that here again if we reflect on what is injoined us in this Commandment as we ought and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it adventured on in Thought Word or Action how earnestly and devoutly should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days VI. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt do no Murder Sins forbidden THE meaning is Thou shalt not commit either the murder of the Heart the murder of the Tongue or the murder of the Hand and Actions Thou shalt not be guilty of the murder of the Heart by Malice Envy Revenge Contention inward Cruelty or Hatred for he that hateth his Brother is a murderer Or by inward ill Wishes Curses or Desires of mischief to his Life or Health Thou shalt not be guilty of the murder of the Tongue by any virulent bitter intemperate and contumelious speaking railing or reviling by any rash causeless immoderate or implacable Anger that expresses it self in foul provoking and reproachful Language calling of names Fool Raca or the like Thou shalt not commit the murder of the Hand and Actions by beating maiming wounding killing any other or by doing hurt to the Body Life and Health of thy Neighbour Thou shalt by no means fight a Duel Thou shalt not procure Abortions or Miscarriages Thou shalt not be a quarreller or unpeaceable or contentious person or sow strifes and dissentions Here also is forbidden all unjust and unlawful War Thou shalt not willingly hasten thy own or any others Death Thou shalt not by oppression or violence so imbitter any Man's Spirit as to make his Life sad and miserable or his Death hasty Thou shalt not conceal the dangers of thy Neighbour which thou canst safely discover Thou shalt not willfully vex threaten keep in fear disquiet or grieve thy Neighbour Thou shalt not contrive with or imploy any other to harm him Much less shalt thou murder or injure the Souls of others by encouraging ensnaring tempting commanding or any way drawing them to sin Thou shalt not be guilty of unmercifulness cruelty inhumanity grudging repining and rancour and disdain against others Thou shalt not be a person given to irreconciliation frowardness implacableness mocking scoffing brawling clamour detraction or censoriousness Duties commanded So that these things being forbidden it follows that what we are here commanded is That we use all lawful endeavours and means to preserve our own and our Neighbour's Life and Health and Safety As much as in us lies to preserve and follow Peace with all Men. To prevent as far as possible and hinder all murther of the Tongue Heart or Hand To be merciful bountiful and charitable to all that are necessitous and in distress To be gentle long-suffering courteous affable and kind to all Men. To love one another forbear one another forgive one another to do all offices of Charity for one another to be easily pacified and reconciled to one another ready to return good for evil to repay injuries with kindness to compassionate succour and relieve one another in necessity misery or danger according to our abilities and opportunities to be compassionately zealous to save the Life the Eternal Life of Souls by endeavouring to reclaim the Wicked by friendly seasonable and affectionate advice reproof and exortation And now if we consider here as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we always say with the Church Lord have mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to love and obey thee for the future that through thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days VII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not commit Adultery THE meaning is Thou shalt watchfully preserve thy Soul and Body in the Purity and Chastity either of single Life Duties commanded or lawful Marriage Thou shalt keep all the Parts of thy Body which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost chast and undefiled Thou shalt be Chast in Heart in Tongue and in Behaviour Thou shalt have a Chast Hand and Eye and Ear. Thou shalt avoid all opportunities means occasions and instruments of defiling either thy Neighbour or thy self Thou shalt use that sobriety temperance and moderation in Meats and Drinks and that modesty in Behaviour and Apparel as may be most conducive to the preservation of Chastity and Purity Thou shalt by Watching Fasting and Prayer by keeping sober honest and chast Company by avoiding Idleness or by Lawful and Holy Marriage offer up to God that most acceptable Sacrifice of a pure Soul and a chast Body These things being here commanded us we are forbidden as follows Thou shalt not commit or be Sins forbidden guilty of any actions of uncleanness with thy self or any other Thou shalt not use any filthy or unchast words immodest or impure Communications or Gestures Thou shalt not violate thy Neighbour's Bed or break thy own Marriage Vow or cause others to break theirs by Adultery Thou shalt not commit Incest Beastiality Sodomy Polygamy or having more Wives than one Whoredom or Fornication Thou shalt not willingly admit or delight in unchast and unclean thoughts fancies desires and imaginations Thou shalt not commit the Adultery or Fornication or unchastity of the Eye Hand or Heart Thou shalt not be guilty of wanton dalliances with others or of pollution of thy own Body Thou shalt not tempt or betray thy self or others to the least degrees of Uncleanness by those things that provoke and feed Lust as Lascivious Company or Discourse Songs Books or Pictures by Luxurious Diet Idleness wantor Dresses and immodest Actions Here also if we seriously consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it sadly adventured on by us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts
to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that through thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our days VIII COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not steal Duties commanded THE meaning is Thou shalt render to every Man this due and permit all Men peaceably to enjoy their own Thou shalt by just and lawful means not only further thy own but also thy Neighbour's Wealth and outward Estate Thou shalt in all things do unto others as thou wouldst they should do unto thee were they in thy condition and thou in theirs Thou shalt live in a Lawful Calling and be diligent in that Calling that so thou mayest avoid all temptation to the breach of this Commandment Thou shalt be Just and Upright in all thy Bargains Contracts and Dealings Thou shalt be so frugal and provident of thy Estate and so contented with it that thou mayest fly all Inticements to Fraud and Injustice Thou shalt buy and sell by Just Weights and Measures Thou shalt conscionably pay Debts and Wages Not only thy own proper Debts but also those for which thou art bound and become a Surety if the Principal cannot or will not Thou shalt use this World so as not to abuse it but be upright and faithful in trusts trade and agreements Thou shalt be willing to give and lend and remit and forgive according to thy Ability and Prudence and thy Brother's Necessities Although thou mayest go to Law for a considerable and just Right yet if thou art forced to do it thou shalt contend more for Right than Victory and still carry a friendly Christian and charitable temper towards the Party Thou shalt manage all thy temporal Blessings or the Goods of this World with Thankfulness to God Sobriety to thy self and Charity and Justice to all beside Thou shalt surely make restitution or satisfaction according to thy Power for such wrongs as thou hast done to any when they come to thy knowledge Thou shalt either by thy self or others make that restitution to himself if he be living and thou canst find him Or to his Heirs or Executors if he be dead Or to the Poor if thou knowest him not This being commanded the chief things forbidden are these Thou shalt not injure any Man in his Possessions or Estate by open Violence or Robbery by secret theft by fraud or cozenage extortion oppression or any injustice Thou shalt not use false Weights or Measures If thou find any thing thou shalt not by any means keep it from the owner if thou know him or canst understand who ' t is Thou shalt not refuse to pay thy Debts if thou art able It is not fit thou shouldst take Use Sins forbidden or Interest of the Poor and Needy Thou shalt not rob God of his Dues by Sacrilege and detaining Tithes Nor the King of his Dues by withholding his Tribute and Custom Thou shalt inherit nothing of another's that is committed to Trust and Charge Thou shalt not use deceit fraud and cozenage in Bargains Contracts Buying and Selling and Coin If thou art a Seller thou shalt not conceal the faults of the thing sold either by denying them or by using arts and tricks to hide those faults of it If thou art a Seller thou shalt not pick out ignorant Chapmen that thou mayest by reason of their unskifulness put off thy faulty Wares upon them If thou art a Seller thou shalt not take advantage of the ignorance indiscretion or necessity of the Buyer to over-reach him or over-rate the thing sold If thou art a Buyer thou shalt not take advantage of the Ignorance of him that knows not the worth of what he sells If thou art a Buyer thou shalt not take advantage of the necessities of the Seller nor grate and lie hard upon him because his wants compel him to sell though at any rate Thou shalt not be guilty of the Sin of Covetousness by getting or keeping any thing by unlawful unjust or uncharitable means or to permit any Interest to rob thee of thy Innocence or thy Duty Thou shalt not torment thy self with immoderate inordinate anxious vexatious distracting and distrustful Cares Thou shalt not be guilty of commencing Contentions and Vexatious Law-suits either for Revenge Stoutness of Humour or to defend an inconsiderable Right Thou shalt not refuse to pay what thou hast borrowed Thou shalt not defraud Orphans Widows or detain Hirelings Wages Thou shalt not take Bribes to pervert Equity and Justice Thou shalt not break thy Faithful Promises tho' made to thy own disadvantage or refuse to stand to thy Bargain Thou shalt not refuse to make Restitution Thou shalt not by wasteful Prodigality Negligence Sloth or Idleness or covetous Gaming waste thy own or other Mens Estates and Possessions Seeing all these things are breaches of this Commandment if we seriously consider as me ought what it is that is enjoined us in it as well as what 's forbidden and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it adventured on in Thought Word or Action how earnestly and devoutly should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment And so incline our Hearts to thy Love and Obedience for the future that through thy Grace we may most sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days IX COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour THE meaning is When thou art called by a Magistrate to be a Witness Duties commanded thou shalt speak the truth of thy Neighbour that is any other Man Thou shalt labour as much as lieth in thee to preserve the good name of thy Neighbour Thou shalt as far as thou canst with Justice and Charity to others conceal or excuse thy Brother's Infirmities Thou shalt judge the best and speak the best of him Where thou knowest him innocent thou shalt be ready to vindicate his good-name on all occasions Thou shalt put as candid and fair Interpretations upon his Actions as they will bear Thou shalt be loth to hear slow to believe and unwilling to spread an evil Report Thou shalt be courteous and affable to all Men. Thou shalt religiously observe Truth in Speaking Thou shalt be charitably tender of thy Neighbour's good-name for how can I love him if I take that from him which I know to be very dear to him As these things are commanded so the things following are forbidden Sins forbidden Thou shalt neither in Judgment nor in ordinary Discourse speak what is untrue of thy Neighbour Thou shalt raise a false Report of non Man Thou shalt wound no Man with the Sword of the Tongue openly or secretly Thou shalt not by whispering
when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own Right-Hand in the Heavenly Places Far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come And hath put all things under his Feet Prove that he shall come to judge the quick and the dead Acts 17.31 Because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will judge the World in Righteousness Acts 10.42 It is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick and the dead Prove that you are to believe in the Holy-Ghost or Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 5.7 There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy-Ghost and these three are one 1 Thes 4.8 God who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit Matth. 12.32 Whosoever speaketh against the Holy-Ghost it shall not be forgiven him Prove that Christ hath a Church upon Earth Acts 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be Saved Prove that this Church of Christ is Holy Eph. 5.27 That he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be Holy Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which none shall see the Lord. Prove that this Church is Catholick that is Vniversal or to consist of People of all Nations And not limited to one Nation as the Jewish Church was Matth. 28.19 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father c. Rev. 5.9 For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation Prove that there is and ought to be a Communion of Saints or fellowship one with another in all holy things 1 Joh. 1.7 But if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another Eph. 4.4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism 2 Cor. 13.14 The Communion of the Holy-Ghost be with you all 1 Cor. 10.17 We being many are one Head and one Body for we are all partakers of one Bread Prove that we must not forsake the Communion of Saints in holy things Heb. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling your selves together as the manner of some is Rom. 15.6 That ye may with one Mind and one Mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Prove that there is forgiveness of Sins to be had upon Repentance in the Church Acts 3 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this Man is preached unto you forgiveness of Sins 1 Joh. 1.1 2. If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitation for our Sins Prove that there shall be a Resurrection of the Body 1 Cor. 15.21 22. For since by Man came death by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead For as is Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive Acts 24.15 There shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and Unjust Prove that there is an Everlasting Life after Death Matth. 25.46 And these shall go away into Everlasting Punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Joh. 5.28 29. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the Graves shall hear his Voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation Question What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy Belief Answer First I learn to believe in God the Father who hath made me and all the World Secondly in God the Son who hath redeemed me and all Mankind Thirdly in God the Holy-Ghost who sanctifieth me and all the Elect People of God Prove that God made you and all the World Acts 17.24 God that made the World and all things therein seeing he is the Lord of Heaven and Earth Acts 17.28 In him we live move and have our being Prove that God the Son redeemed you Luke 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law Prove that he did redeem you and all Mankind Heb. 2.9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour that he by the Grace of God should taste death for every Man Prove that God the Holy-Ghost or holy Spirit sanctifieth you and all the Elect People of God 2 Thes 2.13 But we are bound to give Thanks alway to God for you Brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Prove or shew where you find the Ten Commandments Exod. 20.2 to the 18th I am the Lord c. Question What is thy Duty towards God Answer My Duty towards God is to believe in him to c. Question What is thy Duty towards thy Neighbour Answer My Duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as my self and to do c. Prove that you are to perform your Duty towards God and towards your Neighbour Matth. 22.37 38 39. Thou salt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind This is the first and great Commandment And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Prove that you are to believe in God 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord you God so shall you be established Prove that you are to fear God Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man Prove that you are to love him with all your Heart Soul Strength and Mind Luke 10.27 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Strength and with all thy Mind Prove that you are to worship God Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Prove that you are to give him Thanks 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Prove that you are to put your whole Trust in him Psal 62.8 Trust in him at all times ye People pour out your Heart before him God is a Refuge for us Prove that you are to call upon him Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt
are dead shall alway lie in the grave No. Shall the Bodies of all Mankind be raised out of the grave again at the day of Judgment Yes Shall the Soul and Body come together again at the last day Yes Is not this risting of the Body from the grave and its coming alive again what we call the Resurrection Yes ARTICLE XII And the Life everlasting DO you believe there is another Life after this a Life everlasting Yes Though the Body dies does a Man's Soul ever die No. Shall not the Soul and Body of every Man after the Resurrection live together for ever in Happiness or Misery Yes Is he wise or prudent who will not provide for a Life everlasting No. Shall not all Men at the Resurrection and in the day of Judgment receive according to their Works here Yes Shall the good Christian and the righteous live with God for ever Yes Do you believe there is such a Place as Heaven Yes Do you believe there shall be any Troubles or Crosses Wants or Pains in that place No. Shall the wicked in the day of Judgment be shut up with the Devil and his Angels Yes Shall the wicked when they are placed in Hell be evermore freed out of it No. Should you not by one short Life of Faith and Repentance Love and Obedience labour to escape this dismal place Yes Did not your Godfathers and Godmothers when you were baptized promise in your Name that you should believe all these things Yes And do you firmly and heartily believe them Yes Do you disbelieve or doubt or question any one of them No. And will you endeavour to live according to this Belief Yes SECT III. Agenda Question YOV said that your Godfathers and Godmothers did promise for you that you should keep God's Commandments Tell me how many there be Answer Ten. Question Which be they Answer The same which God spake c. The Ten Commandments Of our Duty To God in the Four first Commandments To Man in the Six last Commandments DO you hope to escape the Torments of Hell when you die Yes Do you hope to be received to Heaven when you die and live with God for ever Yes Shall they that are once placed in Heaven or Hell be ever removed out of them No. Does God love you so well as to be willing you should be saved Yes Did not Christ die for you that you might go to Heaven when you die if you love and obey him Yes Well then should not a Christian love God and Christ and pray to him and keep his Commandments Yes Are you willing to know what these Commandments of God be that so you may keep them Yes I. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt have c. ARE we to take the true God for our only God Yes Are we to have any more Gods than one No. Is not the Father God Yes Is not Jesus Christ God Yes Is not the Holy Ghost God Yes Are not these three Gods No. Are not these three Persons and one God Yes So that though God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost be three Persons are they any more than one God No. Is not this what we call the Mystery of the Trinity Yes Though we cannot fully understand this yet are we not bound to believe it Yes Must we not love God with all our Soul and Mind and Heart and Strength Yes That is must we not love him above all things Yes Are we not so to acknowledge him to be God as to fear him above all things Yes Can there be a greater Folly than to fear Man more than God No. Should we not comfortably hope for his Promises Yes But then should we neglect to perform the Conditions No. Should we not submit to his Will both in doing and patiently suffering it Yes Does it become a good Man to repine and murmur either at his Command or his Providence No. Should we not trust in God in all needs and dangers Yes Does he trust in God who seeks to deliver himself by any unjust and unlawful means from any need strait or danger No. Should we not alway honour God that is carry within us an awful Respect and profound Reverence to him Yes May we neglect to worship God No. Must not a Christian worship God by daily Prayer and Thanksgiving Yes Must a Christian worship God by frequent hearing reading and meditating on God's Word Yes Must a Christian worship God by a due use of the holy Sacraments Yes Should we not worship him both with the Soul and Body Yes If we acknowledge him to be God should we not repent of all our Offences against him Yes Can we deferr it with any manner of Prudence or Safety No. II. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. MAY a Christian give God's Worship to an Image or Idol No. May a Man make or frame any Image or Picture of the Godhead No. May we worship any pretended Image of the true God or the Idols of false Gods No. Is it not Idolatry to worship an Image or Idol Yes Should we pray to Saints or Angels for any Aids or Benefits and so make them partners in the Worship due to God No. May a Christian when he has lost any thing go to a Witch or Conjurer to find it No. May he do it to recover his Health in Sickness No. Should we have a due regard and reverential Love for all Persons Places and things set apart for God's Worship Yes Will God punish them and their Children after them who are guilty of Idolatry and therefore haters of him Yes Will God punish any Man for his Father's sins in another World unless he continue in his Father's sins No. But doth he not sometime do it in this World Yes But if God do it in this World is it not chiefly in the case of Idolatry Yes So that if God do punish any for their Parents Idolatry or Prophaneness it is only in this World is it not Yes But is there any way to remove the Curse of their being visited upon us in this Life Yes If we would not have them visited upon us even in this Life should we not renounce these Crimes of theirs Yes And disavow them and disapprove them Yes And pray for pardon Yes And be humbled for them Yes And take care not to be led by the Example or to imitate them in the least Yes And to make satisfaction and Recompence for such Possessions as far as we may if the Case be plain as they got by Oppression and direct Injustice Yes If we do thus shall we be liable to any Curse even in this Life No. Does he not spare the Children that repent Yes III. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not take the Name c. SHould a Christian that hopes to see God use God's Name irreverently or vainly No. May he blaspheme God or curse or swear No. May a Christian take a lawful Oath before a Magistrate
whose Gospel we derive our Hopes and Expectations of a joyful Resurrection And that we may be constantly put in mind that seeing we name the name of Christ we are to depart from iniquity Question Who gave you this name Answer My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism c. THE meaning is This Name was given me by them who brought me when I knew it not to be admitted to the Favour of God and to be made a Lamb of Christ's Flock And by my Baptism I was made I thank God a Lamb of that Flock a Member of his Church and an Heir to an Inheritance above in Heaven Question What did your Godfathers and Godmothers c. Answer They did promise and vow three things in my name c. THE meaning is They promised for me what I should have promised for my self had I been of Age but seeing I was not and they did promise it I will now stand to it And so I am sensible I must if I hope to receive the Benefits of my Baptism These were then the Three Things they promised which follow 1. They promised I should renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil The Pomps of the World that is all that Pride Vain-glory and Excess that is in the World in Food Raiment or any thing else All vain and sinful Companies and Customs of the World All the Temptations of the World All that is vain or wicked in the World All that Friendship of the World that is Enmity with God All things of the World that may be an occasion of sin to me All the unlawful Riches Honours or Pleasures of the World and never greedily to seek or set my heart upon those that are lawful Thus they renounced for me the Pomps and Vanities of the World which was the first thing they renounced in my name The next was All the sinful Lusts of the Flesh That is all the evil Affections sinful Desires and unlawful Lusts of my corrupt Heart By no means either to be led by them to yeild to them or consent to them The other Branch of what they renounced in my name was The Devil and all his Works Which works are Lying Envying Slandering Pride Murder Hatred but especially tempting others to sin And the actual committing or habitual living in any one wilful known sin Thus in this sense they promised I should renounce The World The Flesh and The Devil Which Renunciation of all these was the First of the Three things they did for me 2. When they presented me to Baptism the second thing they did for me was they promised in my Name That I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith The meaning is They promised in my Name that I should believe all the Parts of the Christian Religion which are briefly contained in the Creed That is they promised I should believe in God and I do now believe in him They promised I should believe in Jesus Christ and I do firmly believe in him That he was born of a Virgin was crucified died and rose again c. All which I stedfastly believe They promised I should believe the Resurrection of the Body and a Life eternal after Death And I firmly believe these and all other Parts of the Gospel That I should believe these things was the second thing they did for me 3. They promised in my name That I should keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in them all the days of my Life The meaning is When they presented me to Baptism they promised in my Name That I should obey God's Will in avoiding all those things which he hath forbidden me and in performing all those things he hath commanded me And to do this not for a day only or a year but all the days of my Life Thus for instance 'T is God's Will and Commandment that I should be Sober Temperate Chast Pure Just and Upright Repent of and Reform my Sins believe in Christ be a very charitable Person That I should be meek humble and peaceable self-denying and mortified fear him love him above all things trust in him be patient in Afflictions submitting to his Will and to his Wisdom attend upon his Ordinances attend upon his Word attend upon Prayer attend upon his holy Sacraments and perform all other parts and instances of my Duty to God to my self and Neighbour This is to keep his holy Will and Commandments So that they who presented me to Baptism and charitably brought me to be received into Christ's Church by it promised in summ these things in my Name 1. That I should renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil so as by neither of them to be led to any known Sin 2. That I should believe the Christian Religion and live according to that belief 3. That I should give God one short life of Love and Obedience in sincerely though imperfectly doing what he has commanded As they promised this in my Name before I was baptized so I am now to keep it afterward that after death I may enjoy the Promises of God which he has made me upon these three Conditions in a joyful Resurrection and an eternal Life of Glory Question Dost thou not think that thou art bound c. Answer Yes verily and by God's help so I will c. THE meaning is As they promised these things in my name or for me when I was an Infant and could promise nothing for my self so I do now heartily own them all and take them intirely upon my self 1. I will and do renounce what they promised in my Name to renounce 2. I will and do believe firmly what they promised in my Name I should believe 3. I will ever by divine aid keep that holy Will and those Commandments of my God and Saviour which they promised in my Name I should And I bless God that he hath in infinite Love to me and Compassion to my Soul called me to this hope this great hope of being saved when I die And I earnestly beg his Grace that I may continue in this Faith this Hope this Love and this Obedience till the end of my Life till I change Worlds and come up to him SECT II. Of the Creed Catechist REhearse the Articles of thy Belief Answer I believe in God the Father c. I. ARTICLE I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth THE meaning is I do profess that I really believe there is an infinitely knowing just powerful holy wise good and merciful Spirit whom we call God that has been from ever and shall be for ever that he is eternal unchangeable omnipresent or every where present omnipotent or able to do all things who gave being to all things and received his Being from none That he orders all things in this lower World by his Providence that being omniscient he knows every Man's Thoughts Words and Actions I firmly believe that this Almighty God who is the Father of our
hope Salvation SECT III. Of the Commandments Question You said that your Godfathers and Godmothers did promise for you that you should keep God's Commandments tell me how many there be Answer Ten. Question Which be they Answer The same which God spake in the twentieth c. I. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt have no other Gods but me Duties commanded THe meaning is thou shalt acknowledge but one God and that there is none besides him Thou shalt so acknowledge me to be the only true God as to Love me above all things To fear me above all things that is to be afraid to offend me To pay a Reverential Love and awful Fear to none as God besides me And to no Man equally with me Thou shalt so acknowledge me to be God as to hope in me That is comfortably to hope for my Promises whilst thou sincerely performest the Conditions As I am God thou shalt in all humility submit to my Will in doing and suffering it that is by Obedience or Patience Thou shalt trust in me as God that is thou shalt so rely on me and my Providence in all needs and dangers as never to seek to deliver thy self out of them by any unjust or unlawful means Thou shalt so acknowledge me to be God as to Honour me that is alway to carry within thee that awful regard and reverence which is due from a Creature to his Creator As God thou shalt pay me that Worship which is due from a Creature to his Creator Thou shalt pay this Worship both in Soul and Body in the Soul by Prayer and in the Body by approaching to me in those humble and reverent gestures as may best express the inward humility of the Soul All thy breaches of the Commands of me thy God thou shalt repent of thou shalt shew the truth of thy Love by thy Obedience and the truth of thy Repentance by thy Reformation So that they sin against this Commandment who are Atheists Sins forbidden that is who deny dis-believe or doubt the being of a God Or who have more Gods than one for though the adorable Trinity Father Son and Holy-Ghost are three in Person yet they are but one God Or who pay that Worship which is due to God to any Creature whether Saint or Angel Or who love themselves or any of the Creatures inordinately or equally with God Or who despise or neglect any of his Commands Or who make contracts with the Devil or use any Conversation with him Who have recourse to Witches or Conjurers either to recover Health or things lost Or who use Charms Spells superstitious Words or superstitious Customs either to cure Diseases or to recover stollen Goods or to inquire into Secrets Or who are wilfully ignorant of his Laws and his Commands Or who take to themselves the glory of any Action or Power or Excellency that is in them and do not give the Glory to God Or who dis-believe any one Article of the Creed Or who dis-believe any part of the Holy Scripture or put false Interpretations upon it to serve their own ends and purposes Or who are passionate and earnest in the things of this World and cold and indifferent in the things of God and of Religion Or who are Hypocrites in Religion or make Religion serve ill ends who do good to evil purposes or evil to good purposes Or who blaspheme God who think or speak dishonourably of him who repine and murmur against him Or who believe him so little as not to look upon him to be present every where and not to be a Witness to all their Thoughts Words and Actions Or who believe him so little as not to be devout in his Worship obedient to his Commands and penitent for every breach of them In short all those Thoughts Words or Actions of ours which are contrary to our Belief of him to our Love of him to our Fear of him to our Hope in him to our submission to his Will to our Trust in him to his Reverence and Honour to his Worship or to our Repentance for any disobedience to him are here forbidden us If we consider as we ought what is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own Lives find any of the duties of it neglected by us or any of the Sins against it sadly adventured on by us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by the Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our days II. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image c. THE meaning is That as we are to take the true God for our only God so we are not to make or frame any Image or Picture of the Godhead Any Image by which to represent the shape of the invisible God or to fansie any likeness to him We are by no means to Worship any Image so made That is any pretended Image of the true God the Idols of false Gods or the true God by an Image Thou shalt not pay that Worship which is due to him to any Creature Sins forbidden So neither shalt thou neglect the Worship of him the true God or prophane or abuse or dis-esteem any thing that belongs or relates to his Worship or behave thy self carelesly irreverently or indecently in it So that as these things are forbidden so we are here commanded to worship God in Spirit and in Truth Duties commanded To believe him to be a Spirit or Spiritual substance without any visible form or shape and therefore not to be represented by an Image or Picture or Resemblance We are here commanded to worship the true God in all the substantial and eternal parts of his Worship as Prayer hearing of the Word attendance on the Sacraments and all other Ordinances of his us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by thy Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days III. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord c. Sins forbidden THE meaning is Thou shalt not forswear thy self or be guilty of the dreadful Sin of Perjury And this either by affirming upon Oath what is untrue or by affirming upon Oath what is uncertain unknown to thee and doubtful or by breaking or not keeping a lawful Oath Thou shalt not swear rashly vainly and prophanely in common Discourse either by
God or any Creature or by the Blood Death or Wounds of Jesus or any other Oath whatever Thou shalt not take any Oath of thy self or swear unless called to it by Authority no promissory Oath especially or Oath by which thou dost promise any thing shall be taken by thee of thy own accord For the Communication of a Christian should be Yea yea and Nay nay Thou shalt not contentedly and patiently endure to hear the Name of God dishonoured by Oaths Blasphemies or otherwise Thou shalt by no means entertain any murmuring unkind or irreverent Thoughts of God Thou shalt not mention the name of thy God and Saviour irreverently wantonly vainly and for every trifle Thou shalt not mention it without just and solemn Occasion much less in telling Fortunes in Lots Jests and Charms Thou shalt not Blaspheme or Curse God or Repine and Murmur against him or Curse any Creature by him Thou shalt not prophane any thing dedicated to the Honour of his Name As holy Churches holy Utensils of the Church holy Customs holy Sacraments Thou shalt make no unlawful rash Vows neither shalt thou break a lawful Vow As these things are forbidden in this Commandment so are we commanded in it To magnifie exalt Duties commanded and glorifie the Holy Name of God 1. In Thought by thinking reverently of him 2. In Word by speaking reverently of him and his Attributes by Praises and Thanksgivings 3. In our Actions by a holy Conversation To perform all our faithful Promises and Vows To use the Name of God with a religious Reverence and Awe whenever we are called to a lawful Oath To have a due regard for all Things Persons and Places that have his Name and Stamp upon them To perform carefully and conscionably all our lawful Oaths And among our Vows faithfully to perform our Baptismal Vow and all our repeated Vows of amendment that so we may not name the Name of Christ in vain So that if we consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us or any â—f the Sins against it sadly adventured on in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by the Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days IV. COMMANDMENT Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Sir days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do c. THE meaning is Thou shalt set apart some Portions of thy time for the publick Offices of Religion Duties commanded and the Glorification of God That if God or his holy Church have appointed One Day in Seven for religious Purposes we are carefully to employ it to these Uses That as the Jews kept the Seventh Day by divine Command in memory of the Creation so we Christians are to keep Holy the First Day of the Week or Lord's Day from Apostolical Practice in memory of our Lord's Resurrection and our Redemption That this Day be spent in holy Offices religious Duties in publick and private Worship in all Actions 1. Of Piety 2. Of Charity I. Of Piety As 1. in frequenting the Assemblies of the Saints 2. In Attendance on the Word in reading or hearing it read preach'd or expounded to us That we may have leisure and ease and freedom from the distractions of the World with Tranquillity of Mind to hear our Lord speak to us from thence and acquaint us with his Will and upon what Conditions we may be admitted to him 3. In attendance on the Sacraments in having leisure for the receiving those Tokens and Pledges of the divine Love to us 4. In Catechising or Instructing those under our Charge 5. In pious Conferences and devout Meditations 6. In Praises and Thanksgivings to the sacred Name of God Beginning that bless'd Imployment here below which shall be continued perfected and compleated in the Mansions of Eternity above 7. In stating Doubts and Scruples to the Guides of Souls and desiring Peace and Satisfaction 8. To reflect on and consider the great Works of the eternal God The great Work of the Creation of the World and the greater Work of the Redemption of it and the Resurrection of our Saviour II. In Actions of Mercy and Charity according to our Abilities and Opportunities As 1. To reconcile Differences 2. To provide for the Necessities of the Poor and Needy 3. To visit the Sick 4. To give ease and rest to our Servants and refreshment from their ordinary Labours Nay to give ease to our very Cattle is a Mercy to them 5. To provoke one another to good Works 6. To reprove exhort and edifie one another in Love To do these or any other instances of Mercy and Charity is a proper Work of the Lord's-Day That the Fasts and Festivals of the Church should in some measure be attended to and observed by us as she prescribes has always been esteemed fit to be reduced to this Commandment That we on the Lord's Day rest from all Desires Lusts Words Works and Pleasures which are our own I mean proceeding from our corrupt Nature and which are not seasoned with Grace that so we may on the Lord's Day keep a truly Spiritual Sabbath And lastly Devoutly then to remember this our Christian Sabbath is but a Type that is a Figure or shadowing out of that eternal Rest and Sabbath which we expect in Heaven This being commanded what we are forbidden in it is Sins forbidden To do or compel or cause others to do any servile Works on this Day except Works of Necessity or Charity Decency or Mercy To put no difference between this and the common Days of the Week All Judaizing Severity is to be laid aside by us Christians that is we being delivered from the Rigour though not the Piety of the Jewish Sabbath are not so to observe it as if Works of Necessity Mercy Decency and Charity were not to be done by us on it We are forbidden to spend it in Idleness and Wantonness in Sleep and Recreations or any part of it in unlawful Recreations in Vanity and Folly Gluttony or Drunkenness Drowsiness and Inconsideration Worldly-mindedness and Lust Sin and Iniquity To refuse to come to the publick Assemblies or neglect the Duties of the Day Publick or Private To Buy or Sell or Travel to manage Business or any worldly Undertaking and Imployment without Necessity It has ever been accounted by the Church unfit if not unlawful to Fast upon the Lord's-Day Superiors are not to suffer those under their Authority to be absent from and neglect holy Duties nor to refuse to allow them liberty time and leisure for them
If we now consider as we ought what 't is that is enjoined us in this Commandment and what 't is that is forbidden in it and then reflecting upon our own lives find any of the Duties of it neglected by us in Thought Word or Action how affectionately should we say with the Church Lord have Mercy upon us and incline our Hearts to keep this Law That is Lord pity and pardon all our past Breaches of this Commandment and so incline our Hearts to Love and Obedience for the future that by thy Grace we may very sincerely keep this Law of thine for the remainder of our Days But before we pass from this Fourth Commandment it may not be amiss to touch upon the Reasons of the Change of the Jewish Seventh Day into the Christian Lord's Day the First Day of the Week This Precept of keeping Holy the Seventh Day or Sabbath is partly Ceremonial and partly Moral Now the Ceremonial part of the Jewish Law is done away but the Moral part of it is confirmed perfected and compleated by the Gospel The Ceremonial part of this Commandment was that God be publickly worshipped precisely on the Jewish Sabbath or the Seventh Day The Moral part of it is That a certain and determined time be set out for the publick Worship of the Eternal God And divine Love and Gratitude in us Christians should engage us not to come behind the Jews in the return of our solemn Days of publick Worship Nay Equity requires we should set out One Day in the Week to the more immediate Glorification of God and our religious Duties So that the Jewish Sabbath being abolished as they kept the Seventh Day in memory of the Creation so the Apostles and the Primitive Church and all Ages of it since kept the First Day of the Week in memory of our Lord's Resurrection and our Redemption For as the Redemption of the World was a greater Mercy than the Creation of it and as God rested from his Labours of the Creation on the Seventh Day and our Saviour rested from his Laboure of the New Creation or his Labours of our Redemption on the First Day of the Week when he arose from the Dead so the Apostles and the Church in all Ages since have set apart the First Day of the Week as the Jews were to set apart the Seventh for the peculiar Worship and Service and Glorification of God That our Lord rose from the Dead upon the First Day of the Week we see St. John xx That the Disciples assembled together on the First Day of the Week we are told St. John xx 19. That St. Paul preached and the Disciples met to break Bread that is to receive the Sacrament on the First Day of the Week we read Acts xx 7. That the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles on the First Day of the Week is certain Acts ij 1. And that Saint John expresly calls it the Lord's-day we read Rev. i. 10. So that as the Moral Equity of the Commandment as well as divine Love and Gratitude obliges us to set apart One Day in Seven for a holy Rest and for religious Purposes so by the Practice of the Apostles and all following Ages of the Church the First Day of the Week was substituted in the room of the Jewish Sabbath which compared with the Scriptures before-mentioned is sufficient to warrant our Practice So that to sum up the whole They the Jews celebrated the Seventh Day by divine Command we the First Day by Apostolical Practice They the Seventh Day or last Day of the Week under the Law of Moses we the First Day of the Week by divine Law under the Gospel Their Seventh Day or Sabbath was Blessed and Sanctified by the Lord's command our First Day was Blessed and Sanctified by our Lord's Resurrection Their Seventh Day was Hallowed by God's resting on it from the Works of the Creation our First Day was Hallowed by our Lord 's resting on it from the Works of the New-Creation when he arose from the Grave Their Seventh Day was kept by them in memory of the great Work of the Creation of the World our First Day kept by us in memory of the greater work of its Redemption Their Seventh Day called the Lord's Sabbath Lev. xxiij 38. and elsewhere in the Old Testament our First Day called the Lord's Day in the New Rev. i. 10. As for any distinct Text in the Gospel for Christ's Abrogating the Judaical Sabbath there is no more reason to expect it than the like for Sacrifices or Circumcision or the Judaical Priesthood Vid. Dr. Hammond in St. Matthew xij 8. a. V. COMMANDMENT Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy days may be long c. THE meaning is Thou shalt pay a due Respect and Love Duties commanded and Reverence in Heart in outward Speech and Behaviour to all Superiors Thou shalt Reverence and Honour and Love and Pray for thy Natural Parents thy Father and Mother Thou shalt obey their lawful and just Commands and support them in their Needs if thou art able Thou shalt obey honour and love the King pray for him and pay him Tribute Thou shalt obey Magistrates If thou art a Servant thou shalt be faithful and obedient to thy Master and serve him with a conscionable care and diligence Thou shalt esteem respect and love and obey the Doctrines of thy Pastor which are faithfully tendred to thee from the Gospel and pay him his just Dues and Maintenance Thou shalt respect and honour the Aged thy Betters and those that are above thee in Learning Wisdom Goodness or any other Gifts and Graces It is here to be remembred too that all Superiors are to perform their Duties to their Inferiors Kings and those in Authority to protect defend and govern their Subjects Parents to nourish baptize provide for and instruct and bless their Children by their Example and their Prayers Husbands to be faithful to love to defend to protect the Wife as the Wife is to be obedient faithful and affectionate to the Husband Masters to be just to admonish to instruct to be examples to their Servants Ministers to feed the Flock faithfully and diligently by Life and Doctrine Sins forbidden These things are commanded in it and the contrary Vices are forbidden As Inferiors are forbidden to behave themselves proudly scornfully and rudely toward their Betters in Age Gifts or Estate Children forbidden to be undutiful stubborn disobedient and unkind to their Parents Subjects forbidden to rebel against dishonour disobey the King or those in Authority under him People forbidden to despise reject hate or defraud their lawful Pastor Servants forbidden to be stubborn negligent unfaithful or disobedient to their Masters And to encourage all to the Duties of this Commandment as well as to disswade them from the Sins forbidden in it here is added a Promise to the conscionable observers of it of a prosperous and peaceable living upon Earth a long and happy life
of it to be true To perform the conditions upon which I hope to receive the Promises there made to me to obey sincerely the Commands of it and to get out of the way of the Threats of it And lastly so truly and conscionably to serve him here in this Life that I may live with him in a life Eternal hereafter Question What is thy Duty towards thy Neighbour Answer My Duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as c. THE meaning is So to love all Men as that we may in all things do unto others as we would they should do unto us were they in our condition and we in theirs For instance as we are willing to have no evil done to our own Souls so to do none to the Souls of others As we are willing to have no Evil done to our own Bodies so to do none to the Bodies of others As we are unwilling to have our own Goods or Possessions injured by others so to injure no Man's our selves As we are willing not to have our own good Name taken away by slander or evil-speaking so to do so to no other Man's As we are willing to have our own Needs and Distresses relieved so to be ready and willing according to our Ability to relieve the Needs of others To respect support pray for and honour our natural Parents who supported us when we were so unable to support our selves that we had perish'd every moment without them To honour pray for pay Tribute to and obey all the lawful Commands of my lawful King and of those Governours that receive Command and Authority from him To respect esteem pray for pay the dues and obey the Christian Doctrines of all my Spiritual Pastors that is all true Ministers of God's Word and Sacraments To obey and honour to be diligent and faithful in the Service of my Master or Mistress and not to be stubborn and irreverent to them To pay a due regard esteem and honour to all my Betters in Age Gifts or Estate To desire intend wish or speak or act the hurt of no Man To be plain and honest just and upright in all dealings with any other man To cherish or keep no grudges heart-burnings uncharitable intentions or desires of revenge in my breast against any man whatever but to be ready to do good to all men freinds and enemies To render to every Man his due to defraud steal from or be any way unjust to no man To keep my Tongue from all evil bitter virulent reproachful and railing language even towards them who revile and rail at me Alway to speak the truth or nothing And in my whole Conversation to hate a Lye which is so hateful to the God of Truth To be meek and humble sober and temperate chast and pure both in my Soul and Body And in what soever State or Calling God shall please to place me to manage it prudently and conscionably diligently and holily to the end of my life till he shall call me to lay aside my business here and enter upon a New World Catechist My good Child know this that thou art not able to do these things of thy self nor to walk in the commandments of God and to serve him without his special Grace which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent Prayer Let me hear therefore if thou canst say the Lord's Prayer THE meaning is That though these Commandments of God are to be kept and obeyed most sincerely by us yet of our selves we are not able to keep them without his Grace that is without the gracious Assistance of his Holy Spirit to enable us and give us strength to keep them Now God will deny his Grace and Aid to none who faithfully beg and faithfully use it We must therefore diligently employ and use what we already have in labouring to keep his Commands And we must daily beg more Grace of God by Prayer in which we should never leave out that Divine Prayer following which was taught us by the Saviour of the World SECT IV. Of the Lord's Prayer The PREFACE Our Father which art in Heaven THE meaning is O God thou art our Father as thou hast created us and thou art our Father as we are made thy Sons by Adoption In the first Sence that is by Creation all Mankind are thy Children In the other Sence we Christians were made thy Children by our Holy Baptism Thou hast O our Saviour taught us to call God Father that we may pray with the Affections of a Child and with the holy Fear and Love of a Child and rely upon the paternal Care and Bounty of our Father and be encouraged to run to our heavenly Father with all our Needs and our Complaints as Children do to a Father Thou hast taught us to say Our Father not my Father that we may learn to pray for others as well as our selves and with a brotherly Affection beg of our common Father the same Blessings for others which we do for our selves Thou art our Father and therefore willing to hear us and as willing to help us Thou art in Heaven and therefore able to help us Thou art our Father O let this endearing compellation move our Love and win our Obedience Thou art in Heaven and that 's our proper Country thither we thy Sons are travelling there our Inheritance and our Treasure is thither we direct our Prayers exalt and raise our Affections before we come thither I. PETITION Hallowed be thy Name THE meaning is Let thy Name be sanctified and adored praised and magnified honoured and glorified by me and all Mankind and that both in Private and in Publick in our Hearts Tongues and Actions So that in this Petition we pray that God would enable us and others to confess and glorifie him above all in thought word and deed That we may never dishonour or prophane his Name but as affectionate and obedient Sons have a reverential Love and Honour for the Name the Titles and Attributes and every thing that relates to our Father which is in Heaven Thy Kingdom come THE meaning is We pray that his Church may be inlarged his Gospel spread and propagated that his Kingdom of Grace may come to us here and his Kingdom of Glory may be enjoyed by us hereafter We beg too that God would destroy and pull down the Kingdom and Power of Sin and Satan in us and instead of that that he would set up his Spiritual Kingdom there That as King he would Rule in our Hearts and make us obedient to his Laws and subdue every rebellious Lust or Desire Thought or Imagination That all our Affections being Subject to his Laws and Rules his Grace may so Reign in us here that at last we may Reign with him in his Glory hereafter Thy will be done in Earth As it is in Heaven THE meaning is We pray that God would enable us and others to obey his Will or do
our Souls are thus strengthened so are they refreshed too by the comfortable Apprehensions of having renewed the Covenant of Grace with our God and Saviour to the Conditions of which if we sincerely stand on our part we are certainly intituled to Heaven and Glory and Immortality We are refreshed as we before intimated by the comfortable Hopes of Pardon of Sin and of being restored to the Divine Favour which we certainly then are if we fail not of our part These are strengthenings and refreshings of the Soul as great as any that can be given to the Body by bread and wine Question What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper Answer To examine themselves whether they repent them c. THE meaning is All that come to this Sacrament if they hope to feast comfortably on the body and blood of their Saviour and to partake of all the benefits of his Death and Sufferings are to come daily prepared And to that end are as the Apostle advises 1 Cor. 11.28 to examine themselves Now this Examination is chiefly to be touching these Five things which are here summed up together in this Answer 1. touching their Repentance 2. Touching their Resolutions of a new Life or Obedience 3. Touching their Faeith 4. Touching their Charity 5. Touching their Thankfulness and Devotion 1. Touching their Repentance Repentance in short is this A change of Life a turning from Sin to God with Confession and Contrition a lasting durable State of new Life and Reformation 2. Touching resolutions of a new Life and Obedience That is a future sincere universal constant and persevering discharge of all known Duty to our God our Selves and Neighbours and where at any time we fail of perfection through Infirmity there instantly to rise again by Repentance a greater diligence and watchfulness 3. Touching our Faith Faith in short is this Such a belief of Jesus Christ and his Gospel as makes us sincerely obedient to his Laws and to live accordingly We are to come with Faith in God's Mercy that is stedfastly believing that for the sake of our Saviour our God will not fail to be reconciled to us upon Repentance Reformation and a persevering future Obedience 4. Touching our Charity Charity in brief is this A sincere Love of God and of our Neighbour for God's sake Now this Charity is to shew its self to our Neighbour in a readiness to Give and Forgive To forgive Injuries that is all lesser and more inconsiderable Injuries so as to seek no satisfaction In greater instances or in considerable and insupportable matters though we may seek for legal Reparation from the injurious Person yet we are so far to forgive as not to seek it with spite and rigour and malice and hatred and with designs of gratifying our revengeful Humour But still to carry a treatable and friendly a Christian and charitable Disposition toward the Person And to be ready to make satisfaction to and to seek a reconciliation with them whom we have injured In giving to them of need and in this holy Sacrament never to appear before the Lord empty In short to be charitably inclined to all Men not only our Friends but even our bitterest Enemies and not to be hindred from it by the difficulty of the Duty considering the Example of our Master and the Crown before us 5. Touching our Thankfulness and Devotion That is to come to these holy Mysteries with a thankful remembrance of Christ's astonishing and most endearing Love in dying for us with a Heart and Soul and Mouth full of Thanks and Praises and Zeal and Devotion Divine Love and purposes of Obedience full of the most affectionate admiration that our God and Saviour should do so much more for us fallen Men than he did for the fallen Angels As for that unworthiness the Apostle speaks of in not discerning the Lord's body that consists in these Four Things 1. In not discerning it by Faith from a common meal or from common food Not discerning Christ's body in the consecrated bread and Christ's blood in the consecrated wine 2. In not by Faith discerning this holy Sacrament from the Jewish Passover as some of the half converted Jews did not 3. In not discerning Christ's body and blood in the consecrated bread and wine so as to come to it irreverently 4. Not so to discern Christ's body as to come to it with a remaining affection to sin with a known willful sin unrepented of unresolved against particularly hatred and malice These are the chief parts of unworthiness So that if we examine our selves touching the Five things mentioned 1. Repentance 2. Faith in the Holy Jesus 3. Resolutions of a Christian Life and a new Obedience 4. Our Charity 5. Our Thankfulness and Devotion and find them in the Soul though in lower degrees and measures yet if we find there withal desires of having them greater let us not then fear of eating and drinking our own Damnation but ever come with a holy chearful humble and devout heart to this most heavenly Duty Thus have I briefly explained the Nature and the meaning and the benefits of the Two Sacraments which are necessary for all men in general to Salvation and which our blessed Saviour a little before he left this lower World appointed and ordered to be continued by us in his Church to the Worlds end to be dispensed by the Ministers of the Gospel to all believers as the ordinary way and means to keep us in Covenant with him and to convey Grace to his People Accordingly he has appointed and set apart a whole Order of Men in succession down from the Apostles to administer the Word and both these Sacraments to all faithful People till his second coming to judge the World The First of these I mean Baptism is the Sacrament by which we are admitted into his Church the Second of these the Lord's Supper is the Sacrament by which we solemnly and thankfully own our having been so The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted to the Favour of our God and Saviour the Second is that Sacrament by which we are to continue our selves in that Favour Again The First of these is the Sacrament by which we are admitted and received into the Covenant of Grace before we knew it the Second of these is the Sacrament by which we renew and confirm this gracious Covenant with our God and Saviour The First of these the Sacrament by which we have a Title given us to a Kingdom of Glory the Second is the Sacrament to which God mercifully invites us to ratifie confirm and renew that Title of ours to a Crown of Life The First of these the Sacrament by which we are new-born to Righteousness the Second of them is the Sacrament by which we are nourished up in it The First of these the Sacrament by which we are made Christians or Disciples of the Holy Jesus the other the Sacrament by which we solemnly
Yes Petition for others as well as our selves Should we neglect to pray for others as well as our selves No. Should we not pray for Parents Children Husband Wife Friends and Benefactors and the like Yes Should we forget to thank God for all his Mercies when we pray to him No. Thanksgiving Publick and private Prayer Should not a good Christian pray to God publickly in the Church and in the Family and privately by himself alone Yes Can he do it seldomer than Morning and Evening No. Frequency in it Should not those that have leisure do very well to pray oftner Yes Advantages of it Is it not an Honour a blessed and a Pleasant thing that we can pray to God and beg Mercies of him Yes How to pray May we ever ask of God any thing unlawful No. When we pray must we not pray faithfully and humbly and earnestly and mind what we are about Yes May we think upon other things when we are praying to God No. He that would pray rightly should he not cleanse his heart from all affections to sin Yes Should we not kneel when we pray whether at Church or at Home Yes Of Repentance Is not Repentance a turning from Sin to God Yes Should we not daily repent of our sins Yes May we put it off to our Death-bed No. Is it not a most desperate and dangerous Madness to do so Yes Times for it Besides our daily Repentance should we not set apart some times solemnly to humble our selves before God for sin Yes Should we not do well sometimes to keep a fasting day or to miss a meal and spend that time in humbling our selves before God for our sins Yes Is not the afflicting our selves or the revenging our selves for sin by fasting acceptable to God Yes Can such revenge upon our selves for sin satisfie for our Offences No. Is there any thing but the Blood of Christ that can make Satisfaction for our Offences No. But shall that Blood be applied to any but Penitent sinners No. Branches of it or steps to it Are not these then the steps to Repentance The confessing our sins in Prayer to God the sorrowing for them resolutions of forsaking them and of a new obedience Yes Should not a good man set apart these times for fasting or missing a meal Fasting and caling himself to an account for his sins and returning to God by Repentance as often as he may conveniently Yes Would it not be a happy course if we did it once a week or once a month Yes May a Christian give divine Worship to a Saint or Angel or to any Image No. Is it not Idolatry to do so Yes Idolatry Is it not an Idolatry to love or fear or trust in any thing more than God Yes Sunday VI. To our Selves OUght not a Christian to be humble Yes Humility Is not Humility to have a mean and low opinion of our selves and to be content that others should have so too Yes Does God love the Proud Man No. Pride Is not Pride then a very dangerous sin Yes May a man be proud of Beauty Strength Wit or Grace No. Should we not watch against the beginnings of Pride in the Heart and pray against it Yes Should a Christian hunt after the praise of Men No. Should he not be content to be without it and labour only for the Praise of God Yes Is it not a sinful and dangerous thing Vain-glory. to thirst after the praise of Men Yes Will a good Action be accepted if it be done out of vain-glory No. Whenever we do a good Action should we not seek the praise of God and not the praise of Men Yes Of Meekness Is not Meekness a Christian Duty Yes Is not Meekness a calmness and quietness of Spirit so as not to be apt to be wrathful angry and enraged Yes Will not this Duty liken us to Christ Yes Should not a Christian be of a meek and quiet Spirit toward God and Man toward Superiors Equals Inferiours Friends and Enemies Yes Should a Christian be ever causelesly or immoderately angry with any Man No. May a Christian in his Anger call Names as Rogue Rascal Fool or the like No. Should not a Christian labour to prevent and suppress the first beginnings of Rage and Wrath and Anger Yes Would it not be a good way to do it to shut up the lips Yes Seeing Meekness will so liken us to Christ should we not labour for it and pray for it Yes Is not Consideration a Christian Vertue Yes Consideration Is not the want of Consideration the cause of most of our Sins Yes Should we not often consider the state of our Soul how it stands toward God Of our state or whether we have reason to hope it is in God's Favour Yes Is he in God's Favour that continues in any one willful sin No. And if he die in it can he hope for Mercy at his Hands No. Is not the neglect of Consideration a dangerous things Yes Should we not before we do any action consider whether it be lawful or not Yes Of our Actions When upon consideration we find any action done to be unlawful should we not instantly repent of and amend it Yes Would it not be a good course every night to try and examine the actions of the day past Yes And if any of them were Evil to beg God's Pardon and resolve instantly upon amendment Yes Sunday VII IS not contentedness a Christian Duty Yes Contentedness Should a Christian be pleased with that Condition that God has placed him in Yes May he murmur or repine at it No. May a Christian be a covetous Person No. Is contentedness a good remedy against Covetousness Yes Is not Covetousness the setting our Heart upon Wealth Covetousness or the consenting to any desires of getting or keeping it by any unlawful means Yes May a Christian omit any Duty or commit any Sin to get Wealth No. Can he that is covetous ever perform his Duties either to God himself or Neighbour No. Should not a Christian strive for the vertue of Contentedness and pray for it Yes Is not Diligence a Christian Vertue Yes Should not a Christian diligently watch against all Sin Yes Diligence Watchfulness and Industry Should he not watch most narrowly against that Sin to which he is most inclined Yes And must he not labour to avoid all occasions of it Yes Should we not diligently husband and imploy all the gifts of the Soul so as may bring in most glory to God Yes May we imploy any of them in the Devil's Service or the Service of Sin No. Must we not diligently imploy and use the talent of Grace which God has given us Yes If we do imploy and husband it faithfully will God give us more Yes If we do not imploy and husband what we have will God take it away Yes Must
we pray for more Grace as well as imploy what we have already Yes Is not Chastity or Purity a great Christian Vertue Chastity a lovely and a Heavenly Vertue Yes May he that would be chast allow himself in any acts of Lust or Uncleanness No. Are all acts of that nature utterly unlawful except only in lawful Marriage Yes May a Person commit any act of Lust upon himself No. Of the Hand and Eye Tongue and Heart Are not Incest Adultery and Fornication great Sins against God Yes Are not the Lusts of the Hand and Eye utterly unlawful Yes May our Words or Discourse be filthy or immodest No. Are lustful and foul desires and imaginations unlawful Yes Has not God threatned heavy Vengeance upon these Sins Yes Helps to it Should not he that would be pure and chast resist the very first beginnings of this Temptation Yes Should he not cast away the very first fancy of Lust with anger and indignation Yes Should not he that would be chast avoid Idleness Yes Should he that would be chast think upon any unclean passages of his former Life No. Should he go into the company of light and wanton Persons No. Should he earnestly pray to God for the Spirit of Purity Yes Ought not those to marry who cannot live innocently without Marriage Yes Temperance in eating Ought not a Christian to be temperate in Eating Yes Should a Christian pamper his Body to serve his Lust No. Should a Christian eat for Health and not for Pleasure Yes Should he be too curious or costly in his Food No. ¶ Sunday VIII ¶ OUght not a Christian to be temperate in Drinking Yes Are not Drunkenness and Gluttony great Sins against God Yes In Drinking Is it not a Sin to make any other Person drunk Yes Is there not a Woe pronounced against it Yes May a Christian drink so much as to distemper his Reason and Understanding No. Though a Person can bear Drink yet may he drink hard without Sin No. Should a Christian hearken to the perswasions of them that would have him drink beyond measure No. Should a Christian be afraid of their Reproaches that would tempt him to this Sin No. If he be ever reproached for Temperance or any other Vertue is it not a blessed thing Yes Ought not every one as he loves his Soul carefully to abstain from the sin of Drunkenness Yes Are they not therefore carefully to avoid that company or occasion in which they may be tempted to it Yes ¶ Sunday IX ¶ Temperance in Sleep and recreations OUght a Christian to be moderate and temperate in sleep Yes Is not sloth and immoderate sleep a Sin against God Yes Are any Recreations lawful for a Christian Yes Are those lawful which are dishonourable to God or injurious to our Neighbour No. Must we be temperate in them so as not to spend too much time at them Yes May we set our Heart too much upon them No. Is not the end of Recreation to be a refreshing of our selves Yes Are we to use them only to pass away our time No. Should we play at any game meerly out of Covetousness or to get Money No. May we cheat or cozen in our Recreations No. Temperance in Apparel Ought a Christian to be temperate in Apparel Yes Should he not wear such as agrees with his condition and quality Yes May we be proud of Apparel No. Should a Christian strive to go beyond his Rank No. Is it a Sin to bestow too much time care or cost about it Yes May a Christian pinch his Body either in Food or Raiment to fill his Purse No. Sunday X. Duty to our Neighbour ARE not Justice and Charity Justice the two great Duties which we owe our Neighbour Yes May a Christian spitefully and causelesly vex and grieve the Mind of another No. Of drawing others into Sin May we draw any other man into Sin by any means No. Is it not a great wickedness to entice any Man to Sin Yes May we command any Man to Sin No. May we perswade or advise any Man to Sin No. May we assist or help others in contriving or acting a Sin No. May we lead any Man to sin by our Example No. May we encourage any Man in Sin No. May we defend or justifie any Man in Sin No. May we affright or discourage any from Holiness and Christian Living No. Is it not a great wickedness to have drawn any to Sin by any of these means Yes Is it not sadly to be repented of Yes Should we not labour to win those to Repentance whom we have drawn into Sin Yes Should we not labour to do it though it cost us much self-denial and difficulty Yes Of Murther Is not Murther a dreadful Sin Yes Can he be excused from Murther who is the cause of another Man's death either by false Witness or by Drinking or by setting others at variance No. Maiming a great Injury Is the maiming our Brother a degree of Murther Yes Should not he that has been guilty of maiming another make what satisfaction he can for so doing Yes As by assisting him in that maintenance which he is disabled to get Yes Wounds and Stripes Is not wounding and striking any Man a degree of Murther and a Sin Yes Murther of the tongue and heart Are not bitter revilings or reproaches of others the murther of the Tongue and a Sin Yes Is not malice and hatred and ill wishes the murther of the Heart Yes In all these cases should we neglect to make what satisfaction we are able to the Person injured No. Should we labour to reconcile them to us to regain them and seek their Favour whom by any of these means we have injured Yes ¶ Sunday XI ¶ IS not Adultery a heinous crying Sin Adultery Yes Is it not Lust and Perjury too Yes Malicious Injustice Is not the spoiling the Goods of any Man out of Spite and Malice a heinous Sin Yes Can a Man repent of it truly without he make satisfaction and restitution No. May a Man covet to gain the Goods of another to himself No. That is to say may he covet to gain them by Oppression or Violence or any unlawful means No. Or by wearying them out of them by Power or vexatious Law-suits No. Is it not a great Sin to oppress another by Extortion or by taking advantages Oppression and making them pay for their needs Yes Should we not lend to the Poor freely and without Use Yes Should a Landlord rack a Tenant beyond the worth of the thing No. Is not the oppressing the Poor the Fatherless and Widows or spoiling by Violence a crying Iniquity Yes Theft May a Christian steal in any case No. Not paying what we borrow what we have promised or are bound for Is it not as bad as stealing to refuse to pay Debts or what we borrow Yes Is it not
Is it not very fit that a good Christian should do his Alms by his own hand and not by another Person Yes Motives to Bounty If we are not able to give should we not pity and pray for them that need Yes Is there any Duty which our God so often and earnestly recommends to Christians as Charity and Alms No. Are there such great promises to any one Duty as to this No. Is not this the Duty by which God shall chiefly pronounce the Sentence at the day of Judgment Yes Will it not procure a Blessing here and hereafter Yes Is not reckoned as done to Christ whatever we do to our poor Brother Yes Is not Charity and Mercy one great sign of our Predestination to Life eternal Yes Does it not crown all other works of Religion and Piety Yes Should we neglect to perform a Duty which has so many advantages and promises Charity in respect of the Credit Yes Are not Christians to exercise Charity to the Credit of their Neighbour Yes Is it not an Unchristian thing causelesly to destroy the good name of another Yes If an innocent man be slandered should we not in Charity clear him if we know his Innocence Yes Should we not in Charity conceal the faults of our brethren unless it be necessary to discover them or unless they are so notorious as that they will be sure to betray themselves Yes But suppose we hear ill of our brother and know not whether it be true or false should we not be apt to judge and hope the best Yes Should we not endeavour to preserve the Credit of our Neighbour as far as we may Yes The great Rule of Charity Should we not ever labour to do to all men as we would have them do to us Yes Well then if we were in need would we not willingly have our Necessities relieved Yes Can we therefore refuse to do the like to others that are in need No. Are we not all willing to have our good name defended Yes Can we therefore in Charity by slanders or reproaches or evil speakings or rash Judgings destroy the good-name of others No. Are we not unwilling to have our own Bodies maimed or beaten or wounded Yes Ought we not therefore to forbear the doing the like to others Yes Ought we not to be willing of our own Souls Health Yes And if we love our Neighbours as our selves should we not desire their Souls good an Salvation Yes Is not Peace-making a great act of Christian Charity Peace-making Yes Should we not therefore as much as in us lies reconcile Enemies and end their grudges and quarels Yes Can those be Charitable that cause Strife and Contentions among any No. Ought not he that would be a Peace-maker to be a peaceable Man himself Yes Of going to Law May not a peaceable Man go to Law in some cases Yes But is he a peaceable Man who goes to Law for Trifles or inconsiderable matters No. Is he a charitable or peaceable Man who goes to Law out of stoutness of humor or contentiousness No. Is he charitable or peaceable who goes to Law out of Revenge No. That is should a peaceable Man go to Law merely because another sued him No. Rules for doing it Christianly Does not he deal most Christiantly who is content to part with somewhat of his right for Peace-sake Yes May a Christian then go to Law where the Damage is great and considerable if he can have satisfaction no other way Yes But must we not still carry a friendly and Christian temper towards the Party we go to Law with Yes Should we suffer our Hearts to be estranged from him No. Now we have seen all the parts of Charity in our Actions must we not shew them to our bitterest Enemies Charity of the Actions too must reach to enemies Yes Did I not say before that we are to forgive Enemies Yes And is not this the way to try the sincerity of our forgiveness by being ready to do them good and to relieve their needs as we have opportunity Yes Should not a Christian turn out of his Heart self-love Yes Is not self-love an immoderate love of our own Interests that causes us to be unjust or uncharitable towards others Yes Can we perform these Self-denial and many other Christian Duties without the Practice of self-denial or taking up the Cross No. Must we not deny our own corrupt inclinations in obedience to the Commands of God Yes And must we not take up the Cross and endure affliction shame or reproaches when we cannot otherwise perform a Christian Duty Yes Prayer a means for all Graces Can we hope to perform these or any other Duties without Prayer and begging God's Assistance No. If we suffer any thing for Christianity-sake have we not reason to rejoice in it Yes Have we any reason to faint or grow weary of our Christian Duties when there is a Crown of Glory at the end of them No. Shall we be losers by any thing we can do or suffer here for Righteousness sake No. Should we not therefore instantly set about the performing all known Duty Yes And should we not instantly endeavour to reform all known Sin Yes Should we put off the serious consideration of these things from day to day No. Danger of delaying our turning to God Should we put it off to our Death-bed No. Can we delay to turn to God without infinite hazard of our immortal Souls No. FINIS Books Sold by Henry Bonwicke at the Red Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard THE General History of the Reformation of the Church Written in Latin by John Sleiden faithfully English'd To which is added a Continuation to the end of the Council of Trent by E. Bohun Esq in folio Two useful Cases resolved I. Whether a Certainty of being in a State of Salvation be attainable II. What is the Rule by which this Certainty is to be attained in 4o. Pia Desideria Or Divine Addresses In Three Books Illustrated with Forty-seven Copper Plates Written in Latin by Herm. Hugo Englished by Edw. Arwaker M. A. in 8o. A Discourse proving from Scripture and Reason That the Life of Man is not limitted by any absolute Decree of God By the Author of The Duty of Man c. In 8o. Liturgia Ecclesiae Anglicanae Lat. 12o. The Best Guide to Devotion Being short Prayers Meditations and Thanksgivings taken only out of the Scriptures and fitted to all Occasions In 24o. THE END