his name in vaine Q. What is the meaning of this Commandement A. o Yee shall not sweare by my Name falsely neither shalt thou prophane the Name of thy God Lev. 19.12 That we doe not rashly and upon sleight occasions take his Name or word into our mouthes much lesse prophane or blaspheme it That we sweare not rashly or vainely or falsely Q. Is it lawfull to sweare at all A. It is otherwise the Psalmist would never have said that p Psal 63.12 All they that sweare by God shall be commended Indeed q Heb. 6.16 Exod. 22.11 some Controversies cannot well be ended without an oath But r Ier. 4.2 it must be taken in justice and judgement and truth that is as is confessed on all hands we may sweare only to doe such things as are lawfull and honest and make oath of such things only as are certainly knowne unto us Q. It is not good then to sweare but upon just and necessary occasion A. It is not for our Saviours command is Å¿ S. Mat. 5.34 Sweare not at all But let your Communication be Yea Yea Nay Nay For whatsoever is more then these commeth of evill Either of evill in thy selfe or in others Of evill in thy selfe when thou hast got a naughty custome of swearing or hast behaved thy selfe so ill that no man will beleeve thee without an oath Of evill in others when they are so mistrustfull that they will not beleeve any man without an oath Or when by reason of injuries or controversies between Neighbours thou art brought upon thy oath Q. Who sinne against this Commandement A. All common and usuall swearers all blasphemers and prophaners of Gods name or word all perjured persons all that sweare before they are resolved of the point in question all that sweare what they know not though never so true all they that enforce or entice or occasion any person to sweare that which is contrary to Gods word or honour or the truth or what is doubtfull unto himselfe Q. What 's the reason for this A. For the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Though it be not so great a sinne as Idolatry or as the contempt or neglect of Gods worship though he threatens not to punish them in so deep a measure yet he will not hold them guiltlesse he will punish them according to the measure of their sinne though not so severely as unto the third and fourth generation Q. Which is the fourth Commandement A. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour c. Q. This precept begins not like the rest What conceive you to be the reason of this A. It begins with a Memento for these reasons I. Because it is not morall and perpetuall as the rest are II. Because it was but now newly given III. Because the Iewes were a people much given to the world much set upon their profit and so they might make a gaine they spared neither man nor beast Q. Was not this precept observed before this time A. Truly no we read indeed that t Gen. 2.2 on the seventh day God ended his worke and rested on the seventh day from all his worke which he had made And that u Ib. v. 3. God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his worke But we find not any command given to man for keeping the seventh day or that any of those good men before Moses kept it holy Neither is any mention at all made of the Sabbath from Gen. 2. to Exod. 16. Q. What meet you with there A. There I find that when God had delivered the Children of Israel out of the hand of Pharao and all his host when he had brought them thorough the red Sea into the wildernesse when he had fed them with Manna and Quailes from Heaven that * Exod. 16.27 he ceased to raine downe this heavenly food on the seventh day x Ib. v. 25 26. that the people might take notice of the Sabbath There indeed the Lord commanded that y Ib. v. 29. no man goe out of his place on the seventh day And z Ib. v. 30. the people accordingly rested on the seventh day but it was only from gathering Manna and Quailes for ought can be thence collected Q. Is this all A. Yes For though God intimated unto them severall wayes that he had made this a day of rest yet he commands it not to be kept holy or to be set apart for his service till Exod 20. Q. What reason is there for this rest A. 1. That they might have a day to meditate upon the Creation and so to be put in mind of this their Creator 2. That they might learne to be holy as God is holy by making the seventh day an holy day to serve the Lord in 3. That they might learne of God to be mercifull and to give their servants rest as he had given them rest from their bondage For so saith the Lord Deut. 5.14 That thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou Where he addes a second memento to this Commandement a Deut. 5.15 And REMEMBER saith he that thou wast a servant in the Land of Aegypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arme THEREFORE the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day So the same God that created the world brought them out of Aegypt Q. Doe we keep the same day holy A. No we keep the first day of the week holy that day whereon Christ arose from the dead Q. Did Christ arise from the grave on the first day of the week A. Scripture manifests it For we read that when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen St Mark 16.9 Q. Is this agreeable to Gods command A. Though it be not agreeable to the letter it failes not of the meaning Though we keep not the seventh day we keep one of the seven which imitates Gods rest after our sixe dayes labour And an hard matter it is to prove that God gave over sending Manna upon the seventh day of the week and yet that day the people rested Q. From that time when God commanded the seventh day is it lawfull for man to alter the day A. A lesse blessing gives way to the greater Creation to Redemption Besides we know that shadowes and figures were to vanish when Christ came But the Sabbath was a shadow Col. 2.16 17. it was therefore to vanish when our Saviour had actually accomplished what was prefigured by the Sabbath The Apostles therefore after our Saviours Resurrection made the first day of the week the day of rest as appeares S. Joh. 20.26 1. Cor. 16.2 Apoc. 1.10 Q. Did the Apostles command us to keep this day A. No but we b 1. Cor.
to his bone and sinewes and flesh came upon them and flesh upon the skin and breath enter'd into them and they stood up an exceeding great armie Q. When shall this Resurrection be A. g 1. Cor. 15.24 At the last and great day of Doome Q. What becomes of the Soule all this while does that also dye A. No. Q. How prove you that A. h Mat. 22.32 God calls himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but God is not the God of the dead but of the living Though then they be dead in body in soule they live i Luc. 16.22 We finde Lazaru's soule alive in a place of blisse k Ib v. 24. and Dive's soule in a place of torment l Ib. v. 28. while his brethren were living here on earth And our saviour promised the penitent Theif that m Luc. 23.43 he should be that day with him in Paradice Which was spoke of his soule for n Io 19.31 32. his body was that day buried in the grave To these may be added o Rev. 6.9 the soules of the Martyrs which lye under the Altar Q. By whose power shall they be raised A. By the power of Christ For p Ioh. 5.28 29. all that are in their graves shall heare the voyce of THE SON OF MAN And shall come forth they that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the Resurrection of damnation If then we should not have these our own very bodies at the resurrection God should deale unjustly to torment those bodies in hell fire which had never done amisse Q The last Article A. The life everlasting For they that have done good q Dan. 12.3 shall shine as the stars for ever and ever r Mat. 25.41 and they that have done evill shall be cursed into everlasting fire Å¿ Athan. Creed This is the Catholique Faith which execept a man beleive faithfully he cannot be saved Q. You said that your Godfathers and Godmothers did also promise for you that you should keep God's Commandements Tell me how many there be 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 have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage This is the preface wherein he shews who it is that speaks unto them and laies this obligation upon them to harken to his words Q. Which is the first Commandement A. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me None but this God who by a strong hand and stretched out arme delivered them out of the hands of Pharao and from all his Host and brought them as safely as miraculously through the red Sea Q. What God is this A. The same God whom in our Creed we confesse to be the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth Q. VVhy then doth he not tell them so A. Because they were eye-witnesses of this his miraculous power wherein he manifested his Omnipotencie t Ex. 14.21 in commanding the Winds and the Sea u Ex. 13.21.14.20 in making the day as night to the Egyptians and the night as day to the Israelites by the Cloud and Fiery Pillar * Ib. v. 24.25 c. In routing and destroying the mighty and delivering the naked from the perill of the sword x Num. 20.11 Ps 114.8 In causing the rock of flint to yeeld a spring of water y Ex. 16.13.15 and the heavens to showre downe Manna and Quailes for their food This his late kindnesse bound them to harken to him Q. Which is the second Commandement A. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any Graven Image nor the likenesse c. Q. Is it not lawfull to make a Graven Image A. It is otherwise z 1. Kings 6.23 Solomon would not have made a 1. Kings 6.23 those two Cherubims much lesse have b Heb. 9.5 placed them in the Holy of Holies over the mercy seat and these are they as I take it which are called the Cherubims of Image-worke 2. Chron. 3.10 Neither would he have made the c 1. Kings 6.29 carved Cherubims Palm-trees upon the walls d Ib. v. 32.35 and upon the doores both of the Temple and Oracle nor e 2. Chron. 4.3 the molten Oxen or f 1. Kings 7.36 graven Lyons g Ib. v. 51. All which he caused to be set in the house of the Lord. Q. Where 's the fault then A. In making them to thy selfe to be thy God in bowing downe to them and worshiping them Elsewhere therefore it is said h Lev. 26.1 Yee shall not set up any Image of stone in your Land TO BOW DOWN VNTO IT And i Deut. 17.15 Ps 97.7 the curse is laid upon those that worship carved or molten Images not upon those that make them unlesse they make them for that or the like use Q. VVhy so A. Because this is God's honour and he will not part with it to any other Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and HIM ONLY SHALT THOV SERV. k Deut. 13.4 So the Law l S. Mat. 4.10 so the Gospell As then they offend that give God's worship to Idols so do they sinne against his Commandements that do not bow downe to God and worship him As the former are Jdolaters the latter are little better then Atheists for m Tit. 1.16 in their workes in their Church duties they deny him to be their God Q. Hath not God himselfe given a reason for this A. He hath in the very next words For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God And the condition of jealousie is that as it cannot endure to have that which is our due given to another neither can we disgest to have it denied to our selvs For it is all one to me to have that which is mine denied me or given to another Q. What followes upon this A. That God is equally angry with them that do not bow downe to him and with those that bow dow down to Idols he counts them equally haters of himsefe and will equally Visite the sinnes of the Fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that sin against him either way Q. But how doth he esteem of them that detest Idolatry and give him his due worship that bow downe to him and worship him A. He reckoneth them among his lovers and friends they love me saith he and keep my Commandements And as they love him so doth he love them for in them he will shew mercy unto thousands of their generation And surely this is reason sufficient to move every Christian n Ps 95.6 to worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our God Q. The third Commandement A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh
in judgement the right of the stranger of the Fatherlesse and Widow And z Ib. v. 24. Cursed is he that smiteth his neighbour secretly Q. Who is my Neighbour A. Not only those that are of our Kindred or such as are neere us by acquaintance or habitation or Country but even those that are of another Nation and Religion as our Saviour manifests in his Parable of the Jew and Samaritane S. Luc. 10.30 c. Q. We are now come to the last tell me that A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house c. This last takes away all evasion from those who conceive only actuall adultery and actuall theft to be sinne For if sinne be a breach of Gods Law then is it sinne to covet or lust after that which is none of mine Thus this precept teacheth us to resist all evill motions and to root out all lusts and covetous desires that so they may never break forth into Rebellion against God and bring the second death upon us Q. Art thou able to keep these Consmandements A. Of my selfe I am not but a Phil. 4.23 I can doe all things in God that strengthneth me We are taught therefore at the end of each Commandement to call upon the Lord by Prayer Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law And after the last Commandement Lord have mercy upon us and write all those thy Lawes in our hearts we beseech thee And I am taught b Câ—â—ech in Common Prayer Book at all times to call for his speciall grace by diligent Prayer that I may walke in his Commandements Q. What Prayer doest thou chiefly use A. The Lords Prayer Q. Why is it called so A. Because our Lord Jesus Christ made it and commanded his Disciples to make use of it in these words c S. Luc. 11.2 When yee pray say OVR FATHER c. Our Church therefore When as often as we pray in â—â—blique commands to use this prayer And we do so d Praemissâ— legitimâ ordinariâ oratione quasi fundamento accideraium iâ—â— est de fideriorum Testul de Dâ—al 〈◊〉 in the beginning of our first and second Service that so laying this for a foundation we may justly proceed to our ensuing requests Q. Why so A. 1. In obedience to our Saviours injunction 2. Because it is so absolute a Prayer that it comprehends breifly what we may or ought to pray for 3. Because e Hooker Eccles Pol l 5. §. 35. it fully perfecteth whatsoever may be defective in the rest And 4. It is observed that f Ib. Tertullian and S. Austine terme it Orationem legitimam the prayer which Christ's owne Law hath tyed his Church to use in the same prescript form of words wherewith he himselfe did deliver it Besides it is called g Tertul de Orat. c. 9. the ordinary or usuall prayer because it is used in all the Churches of the Saints And * The Lords prayer is called quotidiana oratio fide lium Aug-Enthirid c. 71. our dayly prayer because Christ hath taught us to use it every day by commanding us to pray for our dayly Bread this day that so praying but for this day we might be bound to make use of this prayer every day Q. Repeat the whole Prayer A. Our Father which art in Heaven c. This Prayer consists of a Preface h Hooker Eccles Pol. l. 5. §. 35. Septem petitiones continere Dominica videtur oratio Aug. Enchirid. c. 115. de Ser dom in Monte. l. 2. seven Petitions and the reason why we begge these things at his hands Q. Which call you the Preface A. Our Father which art in Heaven Herein we manifest whom we pray to viz. to that holy blessed and glorious Trinity the Father the Son and the holy Ghost As these three Persons are but one God and one Lord so they are in respect of us but one Father each person hath an equall interest in our Creation preservation and Regeneration Hence is it that as we are created by the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost so are we Baptised in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost As we are Baptised so we beleeve and as we beleeve so we pray in whom we beleeve to them we pray Q. Is not God every where that we say which art in Heaven A. Every where he is without question by his Essence since i Act. 17.28 In him we live we moove and have our being but in the soules of the faithfull he is by his Grace and in Heaven by his Glory Hence is the k Is 66.1 earth called his Footstool and Heaven his Throne We confine him not to Heaven but we name Heaven as the place where his Glory is most eminent where our Saviour is said to sit at his right hand the Angels to attend him and the soules of the Saints departed have the fruition of Ioy and Glorie Q. Why begin we our Prayers so A. 1. To put us in mind that our Pedegree is from Heaven 2. That we may take care to behave our selves as the Children of such a Father And 3. That the inheritance we hope for is in Heaven We are not therefore to set our minds upon earthly but heavenly things Q. Who may pray thus A. None but those that are Baptized In the primitive Church l Quomodo dicunt Pater noster qui nonduÌ„ nati sunt sciticet per BaptismuÌ„ Aug. de Symbolo ad Catechum l. 1. c. 6. quinquag homil 42. Consule Gab. Alvaspin Observat l. 1. c. 19. the Catechumeni such as were prepared for Baptisme learned it for an Instruction or preparation but they might not use it as a prayer till they were Baptized Immediatly after Baptisme they did and so do we The Heathen cannot say Our Father Our Creator Our Lord they may The Jewes as Jewes were never taught to say Our Father this prayer is peculiar to Christians Our Father he is by grace and we his sonnes by the same grace God make us sonnes in glory Q. Which is the first Petition A. Hallowed be thy name wherein we desire not that his Name may be made Holy we know m Ps 99.3 it is so and it cannot be otherwise But our prayer is that his Name and his word may be used and mentioned by us holily that in all our actions we may honour Our Father and the stocke we come off and that we may ever seek his honour and glory and not our owne That as we beare his Name so we may behave our selves as beseemes his Name and good Christians not only by worshiping him at the Church but by our dayly and hourely conversation in all places Q. The second Petition A. Thy Kingdome come his Kingdome of grace and his Kingdome of glory That his Kingdome of grace which is his Church may so spread over the face of the whole earth that his word may be
behave our selves in Prayer A. With all devotion and reverence inward and outward meekly kneeling upon our knees Q. Why must we kneele at our Prayers A. I. Because it is a gesture best beseeming humble Petitioners II. It f Proprium est órationis officiuÌ„ Dei veneratio Tertul. de Orat c. 1. is a duty proper to Prayer III. The Church our Mother commands us to kneele at Prayers IV. g In oratio ne ex more geâ—ua fleximus arque incubuimus terrae Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 8. It is agreeable to the custome of the ancient Church V. It is agreeable to the practice of our Saviour and his Apostles h S. Mat. 26.39 S. Luc. 22.41 Act 7.60 c. 9. 40. c. 20.36 who alwaies kneele or fall flat upon the ground at their prayers VI. It is Gods due in the second Commandement And our Saviour saith i S. Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt WORSHIP the Lord thy God And k Vox adorare idem significat quod prosternere se iucurvare aâ—geniculari Pet. Picherel de Imag. p. 225. to worship God is to kneele downe or fall downe before him These reasons I hope will bring us all upon our knees Q. I pray God they may Thou hast given me good satisfaction in the Creed the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer now tell me how many Sacraments there be A. Two only instituted by our blessed Saviour as necessary for the salvation of all men to wit 1. Baptisme and 2. the Lords Supper Q. What meanest thou by this word Sacrament A. I mean an outward and visible signe of an inward and spirituall grace given unto us ordained by Christ himselfe as a meanes whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof Q. A little plainer if you can Q. A Sacrament is an outward and visible signe or element ordained by Christ to be given or bestowed upon us as a meanes whereby we may receive an inward and spirituall grace This he gives us as a pledge to assure us that as oft as we receive this Sacrament or element according to Christs ordinance so oft we receive this grace which is alwaies conveyed unto us by this Sacrament Q. How many parts are there in a Sacrament A. Two the outward and the inward Q. What is the outward part A. The matter and forme appointed and determined by Christ himselfe Q. What meanest thou by the matter A. The element or creature designed by Christ for this or that Sacrament Q. What meanest thou by the forme A. The words appropriated by Christ to this or that Sacrament Q. What is the element or matter appropriated to Baptisme A. l S. John 3.5 Water the pure element of water without art or mixture Q. What the forme or words A. m S. Mat. 28 19. I Baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Q. May no Person be baptised with other matter or words A. No for Christ who is the author of grace disposeth of his graces and the meanes whereby he conveyeth them unto us And it is in the power of no Person or Persons to alter these meanes unlesse it be also in his or their power to give grace at pleasure Q. These two then make this a perfect Sacrament A. They doe so namely n Acceldat verbum ad elementum fiet Sacramentum Aug. these words of Christ added to this element or matter prescribed by Christ Q. What is the inward and spirituall grace in Baptisme A. A death unto sinne and a new birth unto righteousnesse o Qui baptizatur ascendit liberatus à servitute corruptionis peccato factus filius Dei haeres ejus gratie cohâ—res autem Christi indutus ipsum Christum Concil Nic. Diatyp 5. For being by nature borne in sinne and the children of wrath we are hereby made the children of grace Q. Thou conceivest then that all sinnes are forgiven us in Baptisme A. I doe so so that we hinder not this grace by infidelity or impenitence Q. Why are you of this mind A. 1. Because I am taught by the Nicene Creed to beleeve one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes 2. This Church hath resolved it for p Rubricke immediatly before the Catechism a knowne truth that it is certain by Gods word that Children being baptised have all things necessary for their salvation and be undoubtedly saved 3. The Scripture assures us that q 1. S. Pet. 3.21 Baptisme doth now save us by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ that r Eph. 5.26 we are saved with the washing of water by the Word 4. That Å¿ Gal. 3.27 as many of us as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ that is as the Councell of Nice expounds it t Concil Nic. Diatyp 5. we descend foule and unclean into the Laver of Regeneration but we come forth unspotted and without sinne Q. What is required of persons to be Baptised A. 1. Repentance whereby they forsake sinne and 2. Faith whereby they stedfastly beleeve the promises of God made to them in that Sacrament Q. Why then are Infants baptised when by reason of their tender age they cannot perform them A. Yes they doe perform them by their sureties who promise and vow them both in their names which when they come to age themselves are bound to perform Q. Is this agreeable to reason A. It is so It is no more then guardians do for their wards When Wards are under age their guardians undertake for them what those wards when they come to age are bound to performe Besides we sinned in others words and actions it may well therefore stand with reason that we be clensed from this sin by other mens words and actions Q. Why was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ordained A. For the continuall remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ and the benefits which we receive thereby Q. What is the outward part or signe of the Lords supper A. Bread and Wine which the Lord hath commanded to be received Q. This the matter which the forme A. t S. Mat. 26.26 1. Cor. 11.23 c. The Lord Iesus in the same night that he was betrayed c. Q. What is the inward part or thing signified A. The Body and blood of Christ u Concludo realiter hoc est verè nobis in coenâ dari Christi corpus ut fit animis nostris in cibum salutarem Calvin in 1. Cor. 11.24 which are veryly and indeed taken and received of the faithfull in the Lords Supper Q. What body A. * Christus nobis offerâ— corpus ip sum in quo passus est ac resurrexit Calvin Ib. That body which was borne of the Virgin Mary and suffer'd upon the Crosse Q. Do we receive it after a Corporall manner A. No but after a spirituall manner That we receive it we believe but the manner we know not