life from the same Root Q. What is the second benefit that belong to be Members of the Church A. Forgiveness of Sins Q. What is Sin A. Sin is the transgression of the Law of God Q. What is the punishment due unto sin A. Eternal death the wages of sin is death Q. Is not all mankind lyable to this punishment in regard as the Scripture affirms all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God A. All mankind was once in a state of death and dammnation Q. How then came this benefit of the forgiveness of sins to be made over to them A. The Son of God by his active obedience fulfilling every title of the Law and by his passive obedience suffering the wrath of God due to us for the breach of the Law hath made full satisfaction on our behalf reconciled us to God by vertue of which reconciliation our sins are forgiven Q. To whom doth this favour belong A. To the Members of the Church Q. Shall all those that are Members of the Church partake of this benefit A. All those that by Baptism are received into the Church by that Sacrament receive the remission of those sins which they were guilty of before they were baptized and hence it is that in the Nicene Creed we profess to believe one Baptism for the remissioâ— of sins also after they be thus made Members of Christ they receive remission of their future sins by repentance Q. What is the third benefit that bâ—longs to the Members of this Church A. The Resurrection of the Body Q. Can the body then arise out of thâ— Grave when as it is mouldred in crumbs and dust A. It shall most certainly arise â—gain and he re-united to the Soâ— when together they shall render an account of all their actions performed iâ— this life Q. Shall the very same bodies arise that now we bare about with us A. They shall be the same for substance but not for qualities whereas they are now Earthly Mortal and Corruptible bodies they shall then be Spiritual Immortal and incorruptible Q. How can this possibly be that the same body which is devoured by Worms should again be raised A. This is performed by Gods infinite and unlimited power who shall call to the dead arise ye dead and come away to judgement and the dead shall hear his voice and obey it Q. VVhat necessity is there that the same body should arise A. The same body must arise and no other to magnifie Gods justice that so the same individual body that was a copartner in sin may be punished that which did partake in righteous actions and sufferings may be rewarded Q. Shall all bodies in general arise A. The bodies both of the Godly and wicked of the just and unjust all that ever lived shall arise and live again to eternal Ages Q. When shall this general resurrection be A. At the last and great day of accounts when the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout and with the voice of the Arch-angel and with the Trumpet of God Q. What is the fourth benefit that belongs to the Members of this Church A. The life everlasting Q. To whom doth this belong A. To all in general for although the life everlasting is frequently used to signifie that reward which in another life is bestowed upon the righteous yet the wicked shall live eternally Q. What shall then be the difference betwixt the godly and the ungodly in this respect A. The godly shall live to all eternity in unspeakable joys and never fading glories and the wicked shall live eternally or they shall remain alive in Soul Body to endure the Torments to be inflicted upon them by the justice of God for all the sins committed by them whilst they were in the body Q. Do you think that it is enough barely to believe all these Articles of your Faith A. As I am bound to believe them so it is my duty to frame my practice answerable to this my belief so that I must not only know what these words signifie but likewise I must perform such actions as are agreeable thereto Q. Is this all that your Baptismal vow and promise requires from you A. No it not only enjoyns me to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith but also I am thereby bound to keep Gods holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the dayes of my life Q. When was these Commandments given A. God speak them to Moses upon Mount Sinai who wrote them upon Tables of Stone made them known to the people of Israel for the regulating of their manners Q. If these Commandments are part of Moses his Law then certainly they were abrogated by the coming of Christ A. This Law was before Moses was although not literally recorded and it shall continue after him to the end of the World and therefore it is called the Moral Law because it is to be a perpetual rule of good manners to mankind Q. To whom did God make it known before Moses A. He did implant it in mans nature by Creation and for this reason St. Paul calls it the Law of Nature but when mans light and knowledge was decayed and impaired by the fall of Adam God again renewed this Law to his Servant Moses and likewise our blessed Lord in his first Sermon that most excellent Sermon he preached on the Mount reinforces this Law and rescues it from those corrupt glosses the Scribes and Pharises had put upon it Q. How many Commandements doth this moral law contain A. Ten. Q. Which be they A. The same which God spake in the twentieth Chapter of Exodus saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt out of the house of Bondage 1. Thou shalt have none other gods but me 2. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath or in the waters under the Earth thou shalt not how down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands unto them that love me and keep my Commandments 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain 4. Kemmember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou vast to do but the Seventh day is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man-servant and thy maid-servant the Cattel and the Stranger that is within thy Gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the Seventh day wherefore
so called are properly but one Church in regard they are all subject to one and the same Governour they are all built upon the same Rock all profess the same Faith all receive the same Sacralments all perform the same Devotions which although divers congregations yet may they very aptly be reputed members of the same Church Q. But besides these several Churches we also read of a Church Militant and a Church Triumphant how say you then there is but one Church A. These are but the different state and conditions of the Holy Catholick Church and not two Churches In this world it is the Church Militant and it is so termed because alwayes in a posture of War continually fighting against the World the Flesh and the Devil And in the world to come it shall be Triumphant for then it shall take possession of that heavenly Kingdome which the Lord Christ Jesus hath purchased for it where it's warfare shall be ended and it shall gloriously triumph over all its enemies Q. How long shall this Church continue A. To the end of the world Christ from the beginning had and the end shall have a Church against which all the powers of Hell shall not be able to prevail in regard he hath promised to be with them always even unto the end of the world and then he shall receive the true members of it up into glory to reign with him in his everlasting kingdom to eternal Ages Q. Why do you call this a Holy Church A. For divers reasons as first because it is called by Christ Jesus and therefore seperated from the rest of the world by a Holy calling Secondly in regard all her offices administrations and powers are ordained to produce holiness the Religion she professeth is Holy the laws by which she is governed are holy and good the offices she performs are Divine Thirdly because whosoever is called to profess the Faith in Christ is hereby ingaged to holiness of life Fourthly in regard the end of constituting a Church was for the purchasing an holy and peculiar people to God zealous of good works Q. Why do you call this Church Catholick A. Catholick signifies universal or whole under which term the largeness of the Church is comprehended it being extended to all places and to all persons In former time the Jews only were the Church of God but now the partition-wall is broken down and all Nations and all Persons in all Nations have a capacity to be of the Church of Christ Q. What benefits do those receive who are members of his Holy Cathotholick Church A. There are four mentioned in this confession of Faith the communion of Saints the forgiveness of Sins the resurrection of the Body and the life Everlasting Q. Who do you mean by these Saints A. By the Saints I mean such persons as are called by a holy calling and are obedient to it such as are endowed with a holy Faith and purified there by such as are sanctified by the Spirit of God and by vertue thereof do lead an holy and unblameable life such persons are truly and indeed Saints Q. What is that Communion or wherein doth it consist that these holy Persons enjoy A. The Saints on Earth enjoy Communion either with those who are not of the same nature with them as men or with those that are of the same nature with them Q. What persons are those that are not of the same nature with whom the Saints have Communion and wherein doth that Communion consist A. First they have Communion with God the Father they are of his Family they are his Servants his Sons and therefore they may with boldness sue to him for his favours who is as dear and tender over them as a Father is over the fruits of his own Loins Secondly that Saints living in the Church of God have Communion with the Son of God he is our elder Brother our Intercessor and Advocate all our requests are put up to the Father in his Name who by presenting of them before the Throne of Grace makes them available for such things as we beg Thirdly the Saints in the Church of Christ have Communion with the Holy Ghost they become Saints and holy men by partaking of this Divine Spirit of life and by being sanctifyed by him he inhabits in them enlivens and actuates them to the performance of every good and Religious Duty Fourthly The Saints in the Church of Christ have Communion with the blessed Angels these are those Ministring Spirits who are sent abroad to Minister for their sakes who are heirs of Salvation yea the holy Jesus hath assur'd us that they have a particular sense of our condition enforming of us that there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Q. What Persons are those that are of the same nature with the Saints with whom they enjoy fellowship and what Communion is it A. These are of two sorts Q. which is the first sort with whom they Communicate A. With those who partake not of the same holiness with them There was a Judas amongst the holy Apostles and there ever was and will be to the end of the World some Hypocrites in the Church of God the Tares must must grow up with the Wheat least by plucking up the one they destroy the other Q. What Communion have they with these A. They communicate in the same Water being both externally baptized they communicate in the same Creed both making the same open confession of Faith both agree in the acknowledgement of the same Principles of Religion both communicate in the same word both hear the same Doctrine preached they communicate at the same Table both eat the same Bread and drink of the same Cup which Christ hath appointed to be received Q. If then the Saint and the Hypocrite communicate in the same benefits how then doth the Saint differ from a Hypocrite or what priviledges doth the one enjoy more that the other A. Although the Hypocrite doth communicate in the same externals with the Saint yet he doth not communicate with him in the same saving Grace nor in the same Faith working by love nor in the same renovation of mind and spirit Q. Are there no other matters wherein they do not communicate A. They do not communicate with the Hypocrite in the same sins in the same accursed infidelity in the same barrenness under the means of Grace in the same false pretence and empty form of Godliness Q. What are the other sort of persons of the same nature with whom they communicate A. The Saints of God living in the Church have communion one with another Q. Wherein doth this Communion consist A. They all communicate of the same Ordinances all partake of the same promises are all endowed with the Graces of the same mutual love and affection keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace all engrafted into the same Stock and all receive
when they know that we are not of their foot-marks but have publickly disowned their ungodly practises and principles You complain of lewd society of friends and acquaintance that draw you into many inconveniences do but let them know that you intend to be religious and they will let you alone The Philosophers openly professed a severe and unusual life that all men might let them live Philosophically and not be a disturbance unto them Let but us do so and be professedly religious and they will have the less boldness for to trouble us Our work is half done when we are heartily resolved and more than half done when we publickly profess these our good resolutions Thirdly This open renewing of our Baptismal engagements wil very much lead to the bringing of Religion into fashion and to make it a thing very creditable and honorable When men openly appear for it and are not ashamed publiquely to confess and acknowledge it then the perverse sons of Belial will be discouraged from scoffing and reproaching of it it will stop the mouths of all gainsayers when they behold the greatest and soberest part of mankind to countenance it by professing seriously to practise it And this certainly will mightily prevail with all those as have any kindness or honour for Religion openly to renew their vows especially in this careless age wherein Atheism and prophaneness have joyned forces to discountenance yea utterly to banish all Religion from amongst us Fourthly The open owning of our Baptismal vow wil be a great preparatory in order to the receiving the holy Sacrament of Christs most precious body and blood neither is it meet that any should be admitted to so neer a communion with Christ who will not openly acknowledge and promise fealty and obedience to his Sacred commands And therefore what our Church enjoyns in this case is very reasonable viz. that none should be admitted to the holy Communion untill such time as he be confirmed or be ready and desirous to be confirmed and therefore if we intend to receive Christ in the Sacrament to feed upon his body and blood which is such excellent food as most certainly will nourish our souls to life eternal it is but very meet and convenient that we should first openly profess our selves his members and servants and that we resolve so to continue this will reduce us into a fit capacity to feed at the Lords Table whereby we may encrease in strength enjoy a more intimate communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost And indeed until this is done I may justly say men are but imperfect members babes and infants in Christ and not to be admitted in the judgment of all ages to tast of the meat of men until they shew themselves to be men by speaking for themselves And to all this I shall only add the misery that in the end shall attend those that will not make an open profession of Christ as also the priviledge that they shall enjoy who are free to perform this so reasonable a duty and this I shall give you in our Saviours own words Mat. 10.72 Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven That is will confess him to be one of my flock my true disciple and member and accordingly will reward him but whosoever shall deny me before men and certainly he that is ashamed openly to profess Christ will not be afraid to deny him if moved thereto either by fear or advantage him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven And it is not within the power of any man to imagine how dreadful and insupportable their doom will be who are denyed and disowned by the great Judg of Heaven and Earth So that now I cannot see what there is to deter men from submitting to this wholsome discipline it being not only necessary but also highly reasonable that we should openly promise to be his faithful servants who both created us and redeemed us Why should we not as freely and readily promise in the face of the congregation obedience to Gods sacred pleasure and commands as we do allegiance and loyalty to our Prince before a Court of Justice If it is reasonable that we should be obedient to the laws of our Maker which no Christian will deny what harm is their in making an open profession that we will be so and therefore it would be very happy and cannot but be earnestly desired by all good Christians that all animosities and vain janglings might be quite layed aside and that we may all joyn together in practising whatsoever may advance us forward towards the end of our hopes the Salvation of our Souls FINIS