A CATECHISME In briefe QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Containing such things as are to be known or had by all such as would partake the Sacrament of the LORDS SVPPER with comfort By JOHN GEREE sometime Minister of the Word in Tewxbury now Pastor of St. Faiths under Pauls London LONDON Printed by R.C. for F. Grove and are to bee sold by Christopher Meredith at the Crane in Pauls church-yard 1647. Those that want time or memory to learne the whole Catechisme may first learn the more necessary answers marked in the Margent thus ††and only read and marke the rest For their direction Question DOE you purpose to come to the Sacrament ††A. 1 Cor. 11.24 Yes lest I should disobey Christ and deprive my soule of benefit Q. Doe all receive benefit which come to the Sacrament ††A. 1 Cor. 1.27 17. No some are better some are worse Q. Who are better A. 2 Chron. 30.3,18,19 Such as come with due preparation Q. Who come preparedly ††A. 1 Cor. 11.28 Such only as by examination find in themselves some competent measure of knowledg appetite repentance faith love and resolution to keepe the covenant which in this Sacrament they renew with Christ Q. Why is knowledge necessary to worthy communicating A. 1 Cor. 1.28,29 Because examination is necessary which cannot be without knowledg nor without it can we discerne the Lords body and so shal prophane this Sacrament Q. What must a man know ††A. He should know the grounds of Christian religion in generall but especially himselfe God and the nature of this Sacrament Q. Why must a man know the grounds of Christian religion in generall A. 1 Pet. 3.18 Hos 4.6 Because no man should be ignorant of the mysteries of his calling much lesse a Christian nor can a man know any one principle as he should doe without some generall knowledge of all Q. What must he know concerning himselfe ††A. What perfection he had by creation what misery by corruption what benefit by renovation Q. What was our perfection by creation ††A. Gen. 1.26,27 We were created after Gods image which consists in knowledge and holines Q. What is our misery by corruption ††A. Ephe. 4.24 Col. 3.10 Rom. 5.12 Eph. 1.2,2,3 We are guilty of Adams sinne deprived of the image of God prone to all sin flaves of Satan children of wrath that is lyable to Gods Iudgements here death hell hereafter Q. What benefit have we by renovation ††A. 1 Cor. 6.11 Cor. 3 10. Rom. 8.15,16,17 The guilt of our sinnes is purged by the blood of Christ we have in part the Image of God renewed upon us in knowledge and holines and have our right to heaven restored Q. Why is this knowledg of himself necessary A. Mat. 11.28 Mar. 9.12 Because til he know his misery in himselfe and the helpe he may have by Christ he wil neither care for Christ nor this sacrament nor any other meanes that conveys Christ Q. What must he know concerning God ††A. Exod. 34.6.7 1 Ioh. 5.7 The excellency and glory of the Deity in his essence and attributes the mystery of the Persons three in one essence and one essence whole in three Persons Q. Why must a man have this knowledg of God A. Heb. 11.6 Ioh. 1.14 Unlesse he know him in his essence hee will not care for this or any part of his worship unlesse he know the Trinitie in Unitie he cannot know Christ who is the authour and matter of this Sacrament Q. What is a Sacrament ††A. Gen. 17.10.11 Exod. 12.13 An ordinance of God wherein by outward signes our faith is confirmed in the covenant of God and some speciall priviledges thereof which are there represented and exhibited Q. What is the covenant of God A. Gen. 17.1,2 Exod. 19.5,6,7,8 A compact between God and man wherein God requires some service and promiseth some reward man promiseth obedience and expecteth some reward Q. How many covenants hath God made with his Church A. Gen. 3.15 Two the first of workes given to Adam in Paradise the other of grace made with Adam after his fall and continued to us though diversly in respect of the externall manifestation Q. What is the covenant of grace A. 5.31 Ioh. 3.16 Act. 2.38 16.31 1 Pet. 1.14.15 A compact between God and the elect wherein God freely promiseth to them pardon of sinne and power against it and salvation in Christ and requires from them repentance faith new obedience Q. What is the difference between the covenant of grace and the other of workes A. Eze. 26.25,26,27 Act. 5.31 They differ two wayes the one requires perfect obedience as the condition the other onely repentance faith and sincere obedience the one requires the condition to be done by our owne strength but in the covenant of grace though God require a condition he workes it in us Q. How many Sacraments are there annexed to the Gospel ††A. Two baptisme and the Lords supper Q. How doth it appeare there bee but two Sacraments A. Mat. 26.26.28.19 Christ hath ordained no more given commission to his Ministers to administer no more wee need no more then to have entrance and growth in Christ signified Q. What is the Lords Supper ††A. 1 Cor. 11.23 24,25,26 It is a Sacrament of the renewed covenant ordained of Christ wherein by the use of bread and wine rightly administred and received Christ Iesus and all his benefits is signified sealed and exhibited unto us and his passion is gratefully commemorated by us Q. Who is the authour of this Sacrament ††A. Mat. 26.26 Christ Iesus who instituted it at his last supper Q. Who is Christ ††A. Phil. 2.6,7 In person God man in office our Saviour redeemer 1 Tim. 3.16 Col. 1.14 Q. Why did Christ ordaine this Sacrament ††A. Mat. 1.21 1 Cor. 11.24,26 Mat. 6 35. 1 Cor. 10.17 First to continue the memory of his death 2 To manifest and exhibite the fulnesse of refreshing that is in Christ 3 To comfort us after temptation by renewing our covenant 4 to strengthen our faith to signifie and increase mutuall love unity Q What is the matter of this Sacrament ††A. Mat. 26.26.27.27 Twofold inward which is Christ and his benefits outward to wit the signes Q. What be the signes ††A. Twofold elementall and rituall the one signifying Christ the other the application of him Q. What be the elementall signes ††A. Mat. 26.26,27,28 Bread and wine the one signifying the body the other the bloud of Christ Q What be the rituall signes ††A. 1 Cor. 11.24 Mat. 26.28 Rites or actions as the breaking of the bread signifying the sufferings of Christ the
in Baptisme and now renew in the Lords Supper Q. VVhy is this necessary A. Iam. 2 17. Because without this a man mocks God making shew of covenanting wth him but thinks of nothing lesse this purpose of new obedience is a necessary fruit of faith Q. How may we know whether we have this purpose A. Our consciences are the only witnesses in this when we make a covenant with a man we know whether we mean to keepe it so may we in our covenant with God Q. VVhat helpes may we have in attaining this ††A. 2 Cor. 8.12 Mat. 25.34 We must consider if our purposes be sincere Christ will helpe us to keepe them accept sincere though weake service and give us an inestimable reward so it will be the best bargaine that can be made Q. VVhat if we find not this qualification A. If we have it not in some measure we must seeke it before we presume to come to the Lords Table there be degrees in it the more preparation the more fruit Q. What is the danger of unworthy receiving ††A. 1 Cor. 11.28,29 Very great for instead of having benefit by Christs bloud we are guilty of it and make our selves liable to temporall and eternall judgments Q. Is it not best then to omit this Sacrament ††A. Mat. 22.3.7 Heb. 10.25 No absenting from the Sacrament is no better nor safer then the profaning of it Q. What must we then doe if we find want of preparation A. Mat. 5.6 2 Cor. 8.12 2 Chron. 30.19 Lament our wants desire endevour after these graces and we shal be accepted Q. If we have once been prepared may we be afterwards secure A. No we must prepare anew for there are required not only the habits of these graces but renewed acts of them Q. What ends are we to aime at in receiving the Sacrament A. Chiefly two Q. What is the first A. 1 Cor. 11.30.31 1 Cor. 11.24,25,26 2 Cor. 5.14.15 The honouring of Christ by a grateful commemoration of his death Q. When doe we commemorate the death of Christ gratefully A. When we ponder his love goodnesse shining in it and have our hearts enlarged with love joy thankfulnes for it feeling an holy constraint from it to live to him to suffer yea to die for him if need require Q. What is the second end to be aimed at in receiving the Sacrament A. 2 Cor 10.16 To benefit our souls by being furthered in fuller application and participation of the merit and vertue of Christ which God doth in this ordinance offer and seal to us Q. What demeanour is required of us in receiving ††A. Such reverence as becomes the Table of so great a God Q. What else ††A. We must have our minds set on worke by the signes to meditate on the thing signified and with joy remember the sufferings of Christ and apply them Q. What must we doe after participation ††A. We must give extraordinary thankes to God for vouchsafing us to be his guests at his Table and there refreshing our souls with the vertue and merit of his blessed Son Q. What is to be done else ††A. We must remember our covenant with God and strive to keep it Q. What else ††A. We must examine and consider whether we profit by the Sacrament or not Q. What if a man be worse after it A. 1 Cor. 11.32 If he be so indeed then he hath eaten unworthily and must be humbled Q. What if we finde benefit by the Sacrament ††A. Ioh. 6.33,35 We must be very thankfull and greatly rejoyce for Christ is the bread of life hee that once eateth of Christ spiritually shal be sure to be nourished to eternall life hee may be sicke in his soule but he shall never die FINIS
powring out of the wine that his bloud was shed the minister giving the elements signifies God the Father giving Christ the peoples taking the elements signifying their receiving Christ by faith Q. What union is there between the signes and the thing signified ††A. Rom. 8.34 Acts 3.21 Not visible or locall but mysticall and spirituall yet true and reall Q. How doe we partake of them ††A. Mat. 26.26,27 The signes wee partake corporally the thing signified spiritually according to their proper natures Q how can we partake of Christ he in heaven ††A. By having a right and title given to us as we receive land by evidences not as we take medicine in a box Q. What difference is there between Sacramentall and common bread ††A. 1 Cor. 11.26 None in nature only in use this being set apart for holy use Q. How have these elements this holy relation to seale and represent spirituall things A. 1 Cor. 11.23,24,25 1 Cor. 10.16 By being consecrated to this holy use which consecratiō consists partly in Christs first institutiō of such elements for such use partly in the ministers declaring Christs institution blessing God for our redemtion these seals of it praying to him for to bless the elements for the present to that holy use to which himself hath ordained them Q. What is the second thing necessary in a worthy communicant ††A. Spirituall Appetite Esa 55.1 Q. Why is such an appetite necessary ††A. Ioh. 7.37 Rev. 22.15 Because this Sacrament is a spirituall feast and our invitation and welcome depends upon it Q. Why must we desire it A. Not for custom or company but in obedience to God the benefit of our souls Q. How shall a man know he hath a desire A. Desire is the inclination of our hearts after a thing which is of it selfe discernable to us Q. how shal we know the sincerity of our desires A. By the grounds which in our consciences we finde do move us to it and by our constancy of communicating at all opportunities not at solemne feasts only Q. How may desire be stirred in us ††A. Mat. 9.12 Psal 63.1,2,3 By due consideration of our own necessity and the Sacraments vertue and the meditation of Christs command Q. What is the third thing requisite in a worthy communicant ††A. Rom. 4.11 Iustifying faith a man must bring his evidence that hath any good by the scale Q. What is faith A. Ephes 2.8 Phil. 3.9 Faith is a saving grace whereby we goe out of our selves and rest upon Christ alone for salvation Q. Why is faith necessary A. Heb. 11.6 Ioh. 4.10 Ioh. 1.12 Eph. 3.17 Faith is necessary to the acceptable performance of every part of Gods worship it s the ground of true desire after the Sacrament it s the mouth hand of the soule to receive Christ offerd in the Sacrament Q How shal a man know whether he hath faith A. Rom. 10.17 Psal 116.10 2 Iam. 17. 1 Pet. 22. First by the nature of faith 2 By the means whereby true faith is wrought for faith is wrought by the word and spirit 3 By the fruits which are prayer love to the word obedience dependance on God Q. How will a man get faith A. Isa 28.16 Rom. 10.17 Mat. 9.24 By hearing the word and seeking it at Gods hand Q. What is the 4. thing in worthy receiving ††A. Repentance Q. Why is repentance necessary A. Acts 5.31 Tit. 1.15 Hag. 2.15.14 Num. 6.67 c. Ier. 4.1 Ioel. 1.12 Lam. 3.40 Iam. 4.9 Zach. 12.10 Ier. 31.18,19 Because we come to have pardon of sinne sealed to us which presupposeth repentance and if the conscience be defiled with any knowne sinne it defiles our services none might come to the Passeover which were not legally cleane Q. What is repentance A. Ezek. 20.43 Hos 14.3 It is a work of grace whereby a man convict of sin doth humble his soule with godly sorrow and holy shame for it and resolve against it Q. What particulars are required therein A. 1 Cor. 11.31 Ezek. 36.32 Prov. 28.13 Psal 51.17 Ier. 7.5 First examination to find out sinne 2 Affection to mourne for it and to judge our selves and to hate it to be ashamed of it 3 Confession 4 An hearty desire of pardon 5 Resolution against sinne Q. How may we find out sinne A. Rom. 7.7 3.20 Iam. 1.23.25 By comparing our selves to the law of God which should be the rule of our actions Q. how shal we know whether we have repented ††A. 2 Cor. 7.11 1 Cor. 6.11 It works an universall change it makes us of foolish wise of carnall spirituall of prophane holy in all our conversations Q. How shall we get repentance ††A. Act. 5.31 2.3.7.2 Tim. 2.5 We must seek it of Christ whose office it is to give it and in the word by which as an instrument it is wrought Q. What may further helpe to breake our hearts for sinne A. Gen. 3.16,17,18,19 Psal 7.11 Ephes 5.6 Isa 5.3 to the end Isa 55.6,7 Ier. 3.12 The consideration of Gods infinite wrath against sinne manifested in the punishment of Adam and his posteritie all the judgements of this life and hel hereafter and the punishment he laid on Christ as also thought of his mercy in pardoning sinne if we repent Q. What is the 5. thing in worthy receiving A. 1 Cor. 11.18 Love and peace with our neighbours Q. Why is love necessary A. 1 Cor. 10.17 Mat. 5.23,24 1 Tim. 2.8 God here seales his love to us and seals our union one with another it is a love-feast besides no service is accepted which is not done in love Q. What it love ††A. Gal. 5.22 1 Cor. 13. Gal. 6.10 A gratious affection of the heart wherby we wish and endevour good to all especially to the godly Q. How shall we know whether we have love ††A. 1 Cor. 13.4,5,6,7 Rom. 12.15 1 Peter 4.8 Gal. 5.22 By the fruits such are sympathy covering infirmities forgiving injuries Q. How shall we attaine this love A. By prayer for it is a fruit of the spirit Q. What must we doe if there be any breach of love between us and others A. Mat. 5.23,24 Seek reconciliation and not omit the Sacrament Q. What if reconciliation cannot be had A. 1 Cor. 11.28 If it be truly sought for on our part we are safe it is our owne not others malice which makes us unfit for the Sacrament Q. What if they have provoked us and made no satisfaction A. Col. 3.12,13 Yet we must forgive and not desire revenge Christ must be our rule who forgave us freely Q. What is the last thing necessary in preparation ††A. A purpose to keep that covenant which we made