what could be more worthy of God to reveal or necessary for man to know than the things contained in these books Seeing now that the World hath ever believed that there is a God and that the very Being Order Beauty variety use and working of all things make it highly reasonable so to believe Seeing there have been Prophesies and Miracles such as cannot be conceived possible without a God Seeing that we have Books which pretend to make known God and his Will unto us and that it is most reasonable if there be a God to believe he should some way make this known unto us and seeing that the men whose names these books do bear cannot reasonably be denyed oncâ— to have been and to have written them neither can be suspected either of Ignorance or falshood Seeing they write of one Jesus Christ their Master and Teacher and it cannot be denyed that such an one there was and that he said he came from God and confirmed what he said by many wonderful Works and Miracles which none can imagine that any power less than Gods could do And seeing that the Doctrine which he taught was spread over a great part of the World in a very short time by men of vulgar Rank mean Occupations and little Learning and less Authority without all outward force or compulsion without all pomp of seculiar Learning but with all plainness and simplicity of speech and that against the Religion then in possession and highly magnified against the Learning then in great esteem against all the beloved Lusts and worldly Interests of men and the violent endeavours of powerful and Learned Adversaries And seeing these men had nothing to bear them out against all this but the Miracles which they wrought and the purity of their Lives and Doctrines Seeing the Doctrines of these Books are so evidently much for the glory of God so full of all Holiness so much conducing to the good of mankind so satisfactory to the minds of men in things not otherwise to be known by man and finally such as being once received makes the professors thereof a most comfortable and chearful being here by giving them hopes of an eternal happy being hereafter I cannot chuse but be fully perswaded both that there is a God and that the Scriptures are the Word of God and a standing Rule of believing and honouring and serving God in such a way as he will graciously accept and eternally reward The chief Heads of the Christian Faith expressed in an Homely and familiar Verse for the easier committing them to memory THere is a God the world did always own it Nature declares it and God's Word hath shewn it The Scriptures giv'n of God by inspiration Are the great Rule of Faith and Conversation There 's but one God in Persons three The Father the eternal Son And Holy Ghost and all these be In Person three in Essence one God is a Spirit infinite In Wisdome Pow'r and Purity Most just most good and to whose sight Our very thoughts all open lie God made the World and every thing God preserves all things is their Lord And Rules all as the Sov'raign King All things obey his Mighty Word God in 's own Image Man did frame With knowledge and a pow'r to do God's Will without both sin and shame And made him Lord of all below To Adam God a Law did give Which if he kept not he should die But if he kept it he should live And so should his Posterity Man brake God's Law and all Mankind By that first breach are much the worse All born in sin and sin doth bind All under a most heavy Curse All are by Nature ignorant A verse from good inclin'd to evil Title to happiness all want And all made subject to the Devil God's wrath upon us all doth lie No strength to help our selves we have We perish all eternally Except God's mercy do us save God did on us compassion take When by our selves we were undone God meerly for his mercy's sake Resolv'd to save us by his Son The Son did down from Heaven come To save us who by sin were lost Was conceiv'd in a Virgin 's Womb By vertue of the Holy Ghost Thus God the Son the eternal Word Man's Nature took and Man became Even Jesus Christ our onely Lord We have Salvation in his Name Jesus in whom no sin was seen Did thus become the Mediator Of a new Covenant between Us Sinners and our just Creator God did Anoint his Christ to be A Priest a Prophet and a King And by these Offices all thâ—â—e He doth to us Salvation bring Christ as a Prophet hath made known His Father's will to men that they In him might find Salvation If they his Gospel would obey As Priest Christ offen'd Sacrifice Himself upon the Cross did die His blood was of our souls the price Which did God's Justice satisfie Christ bury'd was and rose again The third day and to Heav'n is gone He doth at God's right hand remain For us makes intercession As King Christ gives us Laws and all His Enemies he shall subdue Sin Sathan Death destroy and shall Judge all men and give all their due A Crown of Glory he will give To them that serve him faithfully And in his Kingdom they shall live Triumphing after victory Upon the day of Pentecost Th' Apostles met with one accord Christ sent on them the Holy Ghost T' enable them to Preach his Word Th' Apostles did to all men Preach Pardon of Sins through Christ alone Who did receive what they did teach Them they Baptized every one Baptism's the Sacrament whereby Men own the Covenant of Grace And God doth Seal who cannot lie Pardon to them who Christ embrace Baptismal washing signifies Our cleansing by the Holy Spirit And whom the Spirit Sanctifies They are God's Sons and shall inherit Believers and none else but they In this new Covenant have part They who believe learn to obey For Faith doth purifie the heart Faith works by Love and Love constrains To hate all sin to bear Christ's Cross To keep Christ's Laws t' endure all pains And count all things for Christ but loss Christ's Spirit doth by his Word beget This saving Faith and woen 't is bred It by the same word farther yet To strength and growth is nourished To strengthen Faith yet more the Lord Hath giv'n unto us Heav'nly Food He hath commanded in his Word To eat his Body drink his Blood By Bread and Wine blest and recived With true Repentance Faith and Pray'r God Seals all Benefits believed Which by Christ's death once purchas'd werâ— We by this Feast and joynt Communion Our selves one Body testifie Members knit in a sacred Union By the blest Spirit of Unitie Believers all one Church do make One Faith one Baptism and one Bread One God one Spirit one Lord we take Christ of this Body th' only Head Whoso in this Communion die For ever happy are and blest Their Souls return to God on high In Earth their Bodies sleep and rest At the last day Christ shall appear In Glory to be Judge of all All who are dead or then live here He to his Judgment-Seat shall call Then shall all Bodies rise again And with their Souls receive their doom Well-doers shall in joy remain Who have done ill to Woe shall come The Righteous with God shall rest From Labors Sins all Evils free With everlasting Glories blest Such as cannot expressed be The Wicked shall be sent to Hell From God and Comfort banished With Devils in Flames unquenchable There roaring in a Firy Bed Thou who to fear an Hell would'st have no cause Fear God hate Sin Love Christ keep his Laws FINIS
gave also to her Husband with her and he did eat Gen. 3.6 So by one man sin entred into the world Rom. 5.12 Q. What mean you by Sin A. Sin is the transgression of the Law 1 Iohn 3.4 Q. What doth every sin deserve A. The wages of sin is Death Rom. 6.23 Gen. 2.17 Q. Should not man have dyed if he had not sinned A. Death entred into the World by sin Rom. 5.12 Q. Did Adam's sin do us any hurt A. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Rom. 5.19 Q How could we become sinners by Adam's disobedience A. Adam begat Children after his own likeness Gen. 5.3 and who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Iob 14.4 that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh Iohn 3.6 we are shapen in Iniâ—uity and in sin do our Mothers conceive us Psal. 51.5 Q. What evils of Body came upon us by Adam's sin A. Man that is born of a Woman is of few dayes and full of trouble Iob 14.1 in sorrows and in the sweat of our face must we eat our bread till we return to our dust Gen. 3.17 18. Q. Did Adam's sin bring death upon us all A. In Adam all dye 1 Cor. 15.22 by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.18 and death passed upon all men for that all have sinned v. 12. Q. What evils of Soul became we subject to by Adam's sin A. The Natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 our carnal mind is enmity to God not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be Rom. 8.7 we are in Captivity to the Law of sin in our Members Rom. 7.23 we cannot please God Rom. 8.8 but walk according to the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 Q. What are we then by Nature A. Wâ— are by Nature the Children of Wrath Eph. 2.3 Q. VVhat can we expect from God as we are by Nature A. As we are by Nature we can expect nothing but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord 2 Thes. 1.9 Q. VVhat hope then can we have to be saved A. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound that as sin hath reigned unto Death even so Grace might reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5.20.21 Q. VVhen did this grace first appear to Man A. When God said to the Serpent The Womans Seed shall bruise thy Head Gen. 3.15 And afterwards when he said to Abraham in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed Gen. 22.18 Q. VVho is this promised seed A. This seed is Christ Gal. 3.16 Q. Is Dhrist the seed of a woman A. When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman Gal. 4 4. Q. How was Christ the Son of God made of a Woman A. The Holy Ghost came upon a Virgin called Mary Luke 1.35 and she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost Mat. 1.18 and she brought forth her First born Son Luke 2.7 and his Name was called Jesus Luke 2.21 Q. Why was he called â—esus or Saviour A. He was so named of the Angâ—l before he was conceived in the Womb Luke 2.21 because he was to â—ave his People from their sins Mat. 1.21.18 11. and deliver us from the wrath to come 1 Thes. 1.10 Q. Can we be saved no other way but by Iesus onely A. Jesus is the way the Truth and the Life no man cometh unto the Father but by him Iohn 14.6 neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 Q. How is Iesus our Saviour A. Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant Heb. 12.24 between God and Men 1 Tim. 2.5 Q. How came Iesus to be the Mediator of a New Covenant A. Jesus was fore ordained 1 Pâ—t â— 20. and tâ—is grace was given us 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1.9 and Eternal Life Proâ—â— by God that cannot lye before the world began Tit. 1.2 Q. VVhat could move God to take this course to save us A. God the Father according to his foreknowledge 1 Pet. 1.2 and Eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3.11 chose us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1.4 5 6. Q. Vnto what did God chusâ— us A. Unto Obedienâ—â— and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 and to Salvation through sanctifâ—cation of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 2 Thes. 2.13 Q. VVhat was Christ first to do as Mediatâ—r A. Forasmuch as the Children are partakeâ—s of Flesh and Blood he also himself took part of the same Heb. 2.14 so â—ecame he the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 God manifested in the Flâ—â—h 1 Tim. 3.16 and the Word made Flesh dwelt among us full of grace and Truth Iohn 1.14 Q. Why must Iesus be made man A. Jesus was made Man that he might be made under the Law Gal. 4.4 and fulfill all Righteousness Mat. 3.15 and through Death destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil Heb. 2.14 Q. Why was Iesus called Christ or anointed A. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and with Power Acts 10.38 Q. To what Office in the first place was Iesus anointed A. Jesus was a Prophet mighty in deed and word Luke 24.19 Q. How did Christ Exercise the Office of a Prophet A. God anointed Christ to Preach the Gospel to the Poor Luke 4.18 he came to call Sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 all things that he had heard of the Father he made known unto us Iohn 15.5.8.26 and brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 Q. Which is the second Office to which Christ was anointed A. Christ was called of God an High-Priest Heb. 5.10 for ever after the Order of Melchisedec Heb. 6.10 Q. Did Christ as High-Priest Offer any Sacrifice for Sins A. This he did once when he Offered up himself Heb. 7.27 without spot to God Heb 9.14 an Offering and a Sacrifice for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 to put away sin Heb. 9.26 Q. Did Christ Offer Sacrifice for his own sins A. Christ did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2.22 he was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin Heb. 4.15 for such an High-Priest became us who is Holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners Heb. 7.26 Q. For what sins then did Christ Offer himself A. Christ was delivered for our Offences Rom. 4.25 the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 God making him to be sin for us who knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 and laying on him the Iniquities of
power of Satan unto God that we may receive forgiveness of sins and Inheritance among them that are Sanctified by the Faith that is in Christ Acts 26.18 Q. What is the danger of not receiving the Gospel of Christ A. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2.13 if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Heb. 10.26 27. Q. Ouce more tell me the happiness of Christians A. They that hold the Doctrine and Truth which is according to Godliness 1 Tim. 6.3 Tit. 1.1 and by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality to them Christ will render Eternal Life Rom. 2.7 He that despised Moses Law â—yed without mercy under two or three Witnesses Of how much sorâ—r punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.28 29. Some of the most Easie and Obvious Considerations which may help to Confirm the Weak and Vnlearned Christian in his Belief OF THE BEING of a GOD AND THE TRUTH of SCRIPTURE THE Foundation of all Religion lieth in the belief of a God for if there were not a God to be Worshipped by us then all our Religion were in vain and though there be a God yet if a man do not believe that He is he can be of no Religion all Religion consisting in a firm Belief that there is a God join'd with an hearty endeavour to please and honor him a fear to offend him and a hope to be made happy by him Now that the most unlearned may see how reasoâ—able a thing it is to believe there is a God whom he â—s boâ—nd to Obey and Worship let him conâ—idâ—r â—hese following things 1. It hath ever been the general bâ—dâ—e of the whole world that there is a God Hence let a man thus reason with himself 1. I see that in most things which are not plain to sense it is a very rare thing to find many men of one opinion but even all they who differ most from one another and that in very weighty matters of Religion do unanimously agree in this that there is a God 2. The best men that is they who do most good in the world have ever been most forward and zealous in God's cause 3. The most Learned who have spent their strength and time and have the best means to learn the Truth have satisfied themselves and laboured to confirm others in the belief of God 4. The wicked and worst who are also the most of men could never find any reason to believe there is no God but though they could heartily wish there were none because the very thoughts of him are troublesome disturbing their pleasures and their wicked designs with fear of him yet do they feel him in their consciences whether they will or no 5. They who have denyed a God are but a very few and so wicked that the world hath been weary of them and they could hardly perswade the world they were in earnest but rather that their wicked lives did perswade them to wish there were no God than that any reason did convince them to believe so Yea all they can say shews only that at most they are in doubt and phancy for a time to still their troublesome consciences some possibility that there may be no God whilst they can neither make it certain to themselves nor so much as probable to others who would fainest have it so that there is none Seeing then that the generality of mankind even the most the wisest and the best believe it and a very few only of the very worst do rather wish than say or only say but cannot prove that there is no God I have no reason yet to think all men in the world either fools in believing or knaves in making a lie but only these very few whom no man hath cause to account much better If any man shall now say that this universal belief is only grounded on some blind Tradition which some crafty Politician firâ—t set on foâ—â— that he might keep the silly world in awe I ask who made him so wise as to know that which for so many thousand years now past no man hath been able to discover When began this Tradition When was it not Who set it first on foot was it never discovered to be so till now How doth it now appear that it is so Did all men before believe there is no God And is it then a likely thing that all men even the wisest should beat first tamely caught and ever after blindly led by a bare hear-say and that in a matter of such universal and eternal concernment to all mankind By what means did he bring all men to believe him Did he by force compel them to it What mighty man was he that could thus over awe the world How sewed up their lips that no man could tell this lamentable story How came it to pass that when this force abated men returned not to their old unbelief Or did he move men by reason to believe him They must needs be very weighty reasons that could perswade all men to come off from their old unbelief and to embrace a belief that they saw would fill their minds with fear and awe and put a â—â—rb upon their carnal wills and restrain their beloved Lusts and set a bar to their worldly Interests and stop up the current of their natural inclinations and abridge them at once of all their wonted liberties If they were not strong and powerful reasons that could do all this which certainly must be very hard to do then why hath not the Atheist all this while out of love to his supposed truth with his better reasons perswaded the world to that which must needs seem far easier considering mens corruptions generally to cast off the belief of God But if they were good reasons as they must needs be which makes so proud a thing as man to own a God above him then is it reasonable to believe a God But what design had this politick man in all this Did he pretend he had his Laws from God and by that device perswade men to submit to them If he himself believed no God 't is hard to think what hopes he should conceive that those reasons which could not perswade himself might prevail with all others besides if this was his design it doth not seem to savor much of policy to perswade men in love with liberty to put their necks into his yoak fâ—r the sake â—f a God whom they knew not or of Religion which they loved not Again the wiser sort might well be supposed as politick as