Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
ground_n church_n scripture_n tradition_n 3,070 5 9.4971 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A49334 Catechetical questions, very necessary for the understanding of the principles of religion conformed to the doctrine of the Church of England / by Simon Lowth ... Lowth, Simon, 1630?-1720. 1673 (1673) Wing L3324; ESTC R14549 47,430 154

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

was ever a necessary instruction and belief of certain points had by word of mouth and Tradition before men came to the Scriptures which could not treat of things so particularly in any one place as was requisite for the teaching of all necessary grounds And the points instanced in there are The foundation of Repentance from dead works this was the Doctrine of Penance before Baptism and of Faith towards God which was the twelve Articles contained in the Apostles Creed The Doctrine of Baptismes that is the manner and necessity of Baptism Imposition of hands after Baptism called Confirmation The Articles of the Resurrection Judgment and such like without which things first laid if one should be sent to pick his Faith out of the Scriptures he must Read much to do it and perhaps he would be at last very far to seek So then the Church Catechism is to be taken of us as the sum of Christian Religion gathered ready to our hands out of the Holy Scriptures by the Church that contains all things necessary for us to know and consists of Propositions in number but few yet in substance of such moment that they are sufficient to make a man wise unto Salvation in which howsoever Learned Men may go beyond common Christians and exceed one another by many degrees yet if we respect the Radical Truths that are the necessary and common instruction of all the Children of the Church there is not an Vnity only but such a kind of equality also brought in among all sorts of Christians as was heretofore among the Israelites in their collection of Manna where he that gathered much had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lack Exodus 16.51 18. 2 Cor. 18. Now the Catechism begins with our Matriculation our initiation or entrance into the Church when we give up our Name to Christ and take a new Name from Him So the first Question that is used is What is your Name Catechetical QUESTIONS CONFORMED To the DOCTRINE of the CHURCH of ENGLAND Of Names Q WHat is your Name A. N. or M. Q. What is the use of Names A. To distinguish or note the difference between one thing and another Q. By how many Names are you usually called A. By my Christian-name and my Sir-name Q. Why is it called your Christian-name A. Christian is of Christ because it sheweth my entrance into Christ which giveth me my Being in Grace Q. Why is the other called your Sir-name A. Sir-name is of Sire a Father because it signifieth my descent and succession from my Father which under God gave me my Being in Nature Q. Whenas Nature is before Grace and we have our Sir-names from our Fathers before we have our Christian-names from Christ why then is the Christian-name set before the Sir-name A. To shew the dignity and excellency of the state of Grace above the condition of Nature Q Why doth the Catechism begin with asking of your Name A. Because my Christian-name sheweth the difference between me and an Infidel and is the remembrance of my initiation or entrance into the Church and it is the badge of my Christian profession by which it is fit that I shew unto the Catechist who I am and that I am a member of the Church before he deal with me in the nstruction of Religion Q. Who gave you your Name A. My Godfathers and my Godmothers Q. Why are they called Godfathers and Godmothers A. Because they present me to God in Baptism which is the Sacrament of Regeneration whereby I was born again unto God Q. What is the special use of Godfathers and Godmothers in Baptism A. Godfathers and Godmothers in Baptism 1. Are Witnesses of that which is done 2. They are Sureties for performance of that which is to be done Q. Of what did they bear witness that is done A. They did bear witness first and especially that I was born within the Church of believing Parents that are Christs and Abrahams seed according to promise Gal. 2.29 and so partakers of the Covenant that God made with Abraham to be a God unto him and to his seed Gen. 17.7 Not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham who is the Father of us all Rom. 4.15 And therefore that I had a right to be admitted to the Sacrament of Baptism Q. But is not the Parents affirming of the same and their profession of their Faith a better evidence of this than the witness of Godfathers and Godmothers A. I answer That Children are brought to Baptism not as the children of this or that particular man but as children of the Church that is as the children of Christian men or Believers And to prove this the testimony of three or four Christian men of known Faith and Credit when in the mouth of so many Witnesses every word is established is better evidence than the bare report or profession of the Parents being interessed in that report as parties especially there being many men that are not able to give an explicit account of their Faith though nevertheless they be true members of the Church and believe rightly those things that are necessary to Salvation Q. Of what else are your Godfathers and Godmothers Witnesses A. They are Witnesses also of the publick act of the Priest and of my being received into the Church Q. But may not the whole Congregation be witness of this also A. They may Yet they that are called on purpose and are paritcularly concerned in it would likely be surer and properer Witnesses if there should be any question of it Q. Of what are Godfathers and Godmothers Sureties A. They are Sureties but as my Proxies for I did engage by them as Sureties for my doing of those duties which I am bound to perform Q. But why are not the Parents rather to give in this Security than the Godfathers and Godmothers A. The Parents are not enjoyned by the Church at Baptism to look to their childrens education because they are bound to do the same otherwise namely by the Law of God and Nature Q. If the Parents are bound to do it what need the Godfathers and Godmothers be Sureties for it A. Yes there is need of them for the greater Security As in a Bond at the Common Law the Principal is bound in duty to pay the debt yet the Sureties are brought in to engage themselves for the same by contract and promise to secure the payment in case the Principal should be negligent of his duty or be hindred by some casualty or be prevented by death Q. When did your Godfathers and Godmothers give you your Name A. In Baptism Q. What is Baptism A. Baptism is the Sacrament of Regeneration wherein I was made the member of Christ the child of God and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven Q. Were you not the child of God the member of Christ and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven before
Catechetical QUESTIONS VERY Necessary for the understanding of the PRINCIPLES of RELIGION CONFORMED To the DOCTRINE of the CHURCH of ENGLAND By SIMON LOWTH Vicar of Tylerhurst in the Deanery of Reding in the Diocess of Sarum LONDON Printed for Chr. Wilkinson at the Black-Boy in Fleet-street and Tho. Burrel at the Golden-Ball under St. Dunstans Church 1673. To my Native Country-men and Antient Neighbours the Parishioners of Thurcaston in the County of Leicester Dearly Beloved THese Catechetical Questions were at first intended only for the private instruction of mine own Children and since they are come to be made Publick I cannot wish the use of them more or sooner to any others than to your selves And indeed ye have the greatest right to them For if our Country or our Friends can challenge any share in us then it is but fit that ye among whom I drew my first breath should have the benefit of my Labours and my daily Prayer to God is that they may prove serviceable to you and all Christs Church I have aimed at no higher but to be an Instructor of Babes to inform the Ignorant that the Catechumeni the Competentes the Neophytes and such as are unskilful in the Word may come to know and believe those things that are necessary for their Souls health And so I have not only fitted the Subject of my Discourse to the Persons for whom the Business is designed but I have also used such a Stile as will be both answerable to the Argument and suitable to mine own way of expression which I have always Studiously affected in imitation of him who was the glory of that place a man famous in his Generation and that was indeed a Burning and a Shining Light yet memorable for his Plainess Father Hugh Latimer Bishop and Martyr whose immediate Successor I conceive my self to be in School-education and Holy Orders among the Natives of Thurcaston I know there have been since him my Seniors in the Parish as my honored Friends Mr. Anthony Huxeley of Cropston and Mr. Samuel Marshall of Ansty but in Thurcaston I have not found any man made a Priest who was born there between the Martyr and my self And this hath been the ground in me of a constant inclination and ambition to be his Disciple I thought once I should have succeeded him in his Martyrdom also when I was brought by a Party of Armed Men with much Fury and Violence out of my House at Dingley in Northamptonshire to be Hanged at mine own door upon several accusations of Malignancy and especially because they were informed that I usually then Prayed for the Kings Majesty the Queen the Prince and the Royal Progeny in a silent pause as I came to the Prayers for them in any part of the Liturgy as I officiated in the open Church which was forbidden to be done publickly and audibly upon pain of death But though I suffered Sequestration and the spoyling of my goods there for my Zeal to the Church and Loyalty to the King yet I had not the honor like him to resist unto blood And since I have not attained to the full height of his sufferings I have often wished that I could have acted so high as by like motions to have walked in his steps and to have followed his great example in the exercise of all the Theological and Moral Virtues and of all the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Ghost and in the practice of all good works and of the Offices of Christian Justice which I have heard to be very conspicuous in him But in these he was as far beyond what I can reach as he was before me in time and above me in Dignity in the Chuch and in his Eminency in the World There is nothing then wherein I may more neerly and lively represent him or which in it self may be more conducible to my purpose than with much plainness of speech to deliver to them that will vouchsafe to look so low these my poor and true endeavours in my service of the Church And if this their slenderness be no hindrance to them in their entertainment among the gentle and Courteous Readers but that they mean and plain as they are prove useful and acceptable to Gods People it is enough in it self and there is no more in the desires of Dear Countrymen Your most devoted Servant Simon Lowth In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen SEarch the Scriptures c. St. John 5.39 Give attendance to Reading to Exhortation and to Doctrine 1 Tim. 4.13 And continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith that is in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished with all good works But whereas those things that have been taught us by the Holy Prophets and Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and which are most surely believed among us are many in number and of divers considerations and are not so exactly delivered in order as that they can either all at once be comprehended in our minds or being comprehended can be so kept in memory that the explication of them may be obvious and ready at hand upon all occasion of teaching Therefore our Antient Fathers have very wisely digested the whole substance and form of all the saving Doctrine into these four heads Viz. 1. The Apostles Creed 2. The Decalogue or Ten Commmandments 3. The Lords Prayer 4. The Sacraments For that all things which are to be held as Points of Chistian Faith whether they belong to the knowledge of God and the Creation and Preservation of the World and Redemption of Mankind or whether they appertain to the Rewards laid up for the Righteous and to the Punishment of evil doers are contained in the Doctrine of the Creed Those things that are referred to the Law whose End is Charity are set down in the Decalogue Whatsoever can be hoped for wished or desired in order to Salvation is comprehended in the Lords Prayer And lastly all that God hath appointed as means and instruments for the obtaining of Grace are comprised in the name of Sacraments Whereupon it followeth that when as these four as it were Heads or Common places of the Holy Scriptures are well explained there can almost nothing be wanting for the understanding of those things which a Christian man ought to know and believe to his souls health And we may plainly perceive out of the sixth Chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews verse 1 2. that such as these were the first grounds of Christian Institution or Catechism in the Primitive Church and that there