sins in the Church A. Yes If there be Faith and Repentance Q. VVhy then is the sin against the Holy Ghost not to be forgiven A. Because it is always accompanied with Despair Obstinacy and Impenitency Q. How is Original sin Remitted A. By the Sacrament of Baptism Q. How is Actual sin Remitted A. By Repentance and Faith in Gods merciful and gracious forgiveness for and through the Satisfaction of our Saviour Jesus Christ exhibited in the Sacraments Administred by the Priests So that in Remission or Forgiveness of sins we are to consider 1. The Causes of this Forgiveness without us 2. The Conditions required thereunto within us The Principal Cause is Gods mere Grace and Mercy promised in the Word The Meritorious Cause is the Satisfaction of Christ The Instrumental Cause is the Sacraments The Ministerial Cause applying the actual Absolution is the Priest The Conditions required in us are Faith and Repentance and new Obedience Q. VVhat is the next Priviledge of the Church A. The Resurrection of the Body Q. VVhy is it said the Resurrection of â—he Body only and not the whole Man A. Because the Soul is immortal â—nd the Body only dieth therefore the Body only shall be raised again Q. But shall not Body and Soul be reâ—nited and joyned together again at the Reâ—urrection A. Yes And shall never be parted â—gain but shall enjoy everlasting bliss â—r misery together Q. VVhat is the last Priviledge of the â—hurch A. Life everlasting Q. Do not the wicked rise to everlasting â—…ath A. Yes Q. VVhy is not that mentioned in the Aâ—â—stles Creed A. Because it speaketh expresly onâ—â— of the Priviledges of them that are â—embers of the Church who are presuâ—ed to be Heirs of Salvation And yet by a necessarry consequence it intimateth and implyeth the eternal Death of the wicked too For if the Members of the Church that perform the Conditions of Repentance and Faith and Obedience be saved then they that are not of the Church and do not perform those Conditions must be damned Q. Are all men bound to say Amen to this Creed and believe all the Articles thereof n necessary as Salvation A. Yes Whosoever will be saved he must hold this Catholick Faith which unless he keep whole and undefiled without doubt he shall perish everlastingly Q. How if some men do not explicitly understand and so cannot believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith A. All men are bound so far to believe them as to receive them in the sense of the Church and not to discent from them nor contradict them when they more fully and plainly understand them THE COMMANDMENTS The Preface Q. VVHat is the third thing that your Godfathers and Godmothers promised for you in Baptism A. That I should keep Gods holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life Q. How many Commandments be there A. Ten. Q. Which be they A. The same which God spake in 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 Thou shalt have no other Gods but Me. Q. Which is the first Commandment A. Thou shalt have none other God but Me. Q. Are not the words going before these viz. I am the Lord thy God c. a Commandment A. No. They are a Proeme or Preface to all the Commandments Q To what purpose is this Preface set before the Commandments A. To shew and prove by Arguments and good Reasons that God is worthy to give these Commandments and impose this Charge upon His people and that they are bound to obey Him therein Q. How many Arguments or Reasons to this purpose can you gather out of that Preface A. Three 1. Taken from the Consideration of Gods absolute Being in Himself of infinite Majesty Power and Authority I am the Lord. 2. Taken from His Relation to the people in regard of the mutual Stipulaâ—ion Covenant and Agreement that was between them in that He was Their God 3. Taken from an act of special providence in a great deliverance that He wrought for them lately I brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt which was the house of Bondage Q. These are Arguments indeed to the people of Israel to whom God gave these Commandments Exod. 20. but what are they to us A. These Arguments are of as much force to us as to the Children of Israel For First The Lord Jehovah is His name in the Original which signifies His Eternal Being is the same yesterday and to day and for ever One Lord both to them and us and hath the same power over us that He had over them Secondly He is our God as well as theirs God to us by the same Stipulation in Baptism which they entered with Him in Circumcision their Sacrament and ours being the same in their Ends and Use and differing only in the Ceremony and signification of Time So He is a God as gracious and as good to us as He was to them and hath obliged us upon the like Conditions Thirdly As He was with them to bring them out of the Land of Aegypt which was the house of Bondage So He is with us in all our troubles to deliver us out of all And therefore we ought to keep these Commandments as well as they not only because they are in themselves holy and just and good but also because they are His Commandments who is the Lord our God And the substance of them is Commanded in the Gospel and made part of the second Covenant Q What is the Substance of the first Commandment A. To know the Substance Sence and Meaning of every Commandment it is best to consider what is commanded and what is forbidden in the same Q. What is taught in the first Commandment A. To acknowledge One only True Eternal Infinite Lord God to Pray and to give Thanks unto Him to believe and put our trust in Him with all our hearts and all our souls to observe honor and worship him Q What is forbidden in this Commandment A. Atheism Polytheism Idolatry Superstitious observation and use of Art-migicks and Divination Q. What is required in the second Commandment A. Bodily Worship and outward Ministry by vocal Prayer and Thanksgiving by Bowing Kneeling Standing and all actions and gestures of Zeal Order Reverence and Decency to be used in the external Service of God Q. Where do you find these in this Commandment A. In that they are forbidden to be done to Idols in bowing down and worshipping and serving them they are plainly intimated that they ought of duty to be done to God Q. What is prohibited in this Commandment A. Idolatry and Superstition and irreverence and disorder in Gods Service Q What is enjoyned in the third Commandment A. Reverence of Gods Name Word and Works swearing in Judgment Justice and Truth and keeping of our Oaths Q. What is forbidden in the third Commandment A. Blasphemy
Loaf and Wine is made of many Grapes pressed together into one Vessel So again the Members of Christ as they have a Mystical they ought to have also an affectionate Communion one with another And Lastly He used Bread and Wine apart to shew that His Body and Blood were parted His Blood being let out of His Body by a Spear upon the Cross when He died for our sins Q. VVhat do the Bread and VVine signifie in the Sacrament A. They signifie Christs Body and Blood two things in number as they themselves also are but one in use namely Whole Christ Q. In what State or Condition of Christ do these signs represent His Body and Blood A. Dying upon the Cross as His Body was Crucified and His Blood Shed for our sins Q. But then hath this Sacrament of the Lords Supper respect only to Christs death A. By consequence we cannot but consider all the passages of His Incarnation even to the very last act of His coming to Judgment when we receive this Sacrament but directly and immediately it is Christs Death only that we must remember here then our Redemption was finished when He made Himself a Sacrifice for our sins And therefore it is called the Commemorative Sacrifice because it representeth both unto God and us the real Sacrifice of the Death of Christ we our selves being kept in remembrance of the same by this service and in the very action of this Sacrament offering and presenting unto God by way of Commemoration the Sacrificed Body and Blood of His own Son as the only Propitiation and Satisfaction for our sins Q. But might not this Death of Christ be otherwise well enough remembred without the use of this Sacrament A. If it might yet we must think this Sacrament to be neither useless nor superfluous since it is our Masters and only Saviours Care of us thus to help our infirmities by instituting and ordaining these holy Mysteries as pledges of His Love and continual remembrances of His Death that we should never forget but always remember the exceeding great Love of our Master and only Saviour Jesus Christ thus dying for us and the innumerable benefits which by His precious blood-shedding He hath obtained to us But that is not all for whereas the whole confidence of our Salvation consists in this that the satisfaction which Christ gave to the Justice of His Father is as verily ours as if it had been made and done by us our selves It is necessary that we have Christ in our own possession and that we present Him to His Father as a real satisfaction for all our offences otherwise He communicates or imparts not Himself to us but as He is made ours and we have Him in readiness to be offered unto God So it is not enough for us to remember His death only unless also we receive Him dying into our hearts and can assure our souls that He is accepted for our Redemption and that the efficacy power and fruit of His death comes home unto our selves Q. And may not Christ be received by Faith in the VVord and be presented to God in prayer and supplication without the Sacrament A. I grant that too yet not so effectually as in the Sacrament Q. Do the outward signs then do any more in the Sacrament but signifie the Body and Blood of Christ by way of remembrance and representation A. Yes Or else we should have nothing there to offer unto God the Father as the price of our Redemption But they are such signs as are also seals and pledges to assure us of nay they are means to convey unto us the things which they signifie The Sacramental Bread and Wine are not bare signifying signs but such as wherewith our Lord doth indeed exhibit and give to every worthy Receiver not only His Divine virtue and efficacy but also His very Body and Blood as verily as He gave to His Disciples the Holy Ghost by the sign of His Sacred Breath or health to the diseased by the word of His mouth or by the touch of His hand or garment For Christ who is the Truth doth not give us promises without performance nor shew us signs without substance therefore the Body and Blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received of the faithful in the Lords Supper and so the Sacrament is called the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 and this Communion is not of things absent but present and therefore it is called the Lords Supper because our Lord is there To conclude there is a Communion as in the other Sacrament so in this between the outward visible signs and the inward spiritual grace and without both it is no Sacrament And here if you look to the things United the Union is Essential if to the truth of this Union it is real if to the manner how it is wrought it is Spiritual That Christs Body and Blood are there it is a Truth but how they are there it is a Mystery Q. VVhat are the Benefits that come to us by this Sacrament A. 1. Here is Justification in remission of sins and imputation of Righteousness For the Sacrament is a Communion between Christ and us whereby all our sins are charged upon Him He suffereth and satisfieth for them and all His Justice is imputed unto us and we are Crowned for that 2. Here is Sanctification in that we are all made hereby to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 there flowing from Christs Nature into our Nature united unto Him by the Communion of this Sacrament the lively spirit and breath of grace which reneweth us to a Spiritual life and so sanctifieth our minds wills and affections that we daily grow more and more conformable to the image of Christ 3. Here is assured hope of Glorification because this Sacrament is the Pledg of our Salvation the Seal of our Adoption by which we are made the Sons of God in Communion with Christ and if Sons then Heirs Co-heirs with Him of an Eternal Inheritance of the future fruition whereof by this we have assureance not only to our souls but to our bodies also which being made instruments of Righteousness Rom. 6.13 Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 Members of Christ in this Holy Communion shall be raised again at the last day and have Eternal life St. John 6.54 in which we shall live for ever v. 58. Now the consideration of this is a greater comforting and refreshing of our souls by the Body and Blood of Christ the cause of all than our bodies can receive from Bread and Wine or any outward thing whatsoever Q. What is required of them that come to our Lords Supper A. Five things Q. What is the first A. To examin themselves whether they truly repent them of their former sins Q. How shall a man know whether he truly repent him of his sins or no A. By trying himself truly whether he perform all the parts of Repentance Q. Which be the parts of Repentance A. 1. Contrition sorrow of heart for sin 2. Confession 3. Satisfaction Q. VVhat is the second thing required of a Receiver A. Stedfast purpose and resolution to sin no more but to lead a new life Q. VVhat is the third A. Not to despair for sins past nor if through frailty you commit sins again but to have a lively faith in Gods mercy through Christ Q. VVhat is the fourth A. A thankful remembrance as of all others of Gods Mercies so especially of Christs Death and consequently of His Incarnation Nativity Circumcision Baptism Fasting Temptation Agony Bloody Sweat Cross c. as foregoing His Death and of His Resurrection Ascention Sending of the Holy Ghost Session at the right hand of God and coming again to judge the quick and the dead as following His Death Q. VVhat is the fifth thing required in a Communicant A. To be in Charity with all men If you have offended any man you must be sorry for your fault confess your self guilty and resolve and endeavour to make him satisfaction and if any man hath offended you let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4.31 32. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without End Amen FINIS ERRATA PAge 6. line 22. them are read them that are p. 8. l. 18. mine since r. my sense p. 28. l. 3. Defends as r. Defend us as p. 30. l. 1. external r eternal p. 33. l. 18. Roman r. A Roman p. 35. l. â—â— him Him r. Him p. 38. l. 20. deaths r. death p. 43. lâ—â—5 therefore 2. there p. 45. l. 11. Man r. Him p. â—6 l. â—2 these three 2. these there p. 48. l. 7 pure a. r. a pure 〈…〉 l. 5. as received r. was received p. 72. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 as r. as necessary to l. 22. discent r. 〈◊〉 p. â—0 l. 5. thing thing r. thing p. 104. l. 13. without r. with p. 118. l. 7. the Sacrament r. this Sacrament
the Kingdom to God the Father Q. Why is it said that Christ shall come again Did He ever come before to Judgment A. No. But this word again relateth to Christs first coming by His Incarnation for our Redemption and teacheth us that as He came then in the fulness of time to visit us in great humility so He shall come again at the end of the world in His glorious Majesty to Judge both the quick and the dead Q. Why are quick and dead mentioned in this Article A. To shew that all shall not die before the last day of Judgment but some shall be then found alive and these shall only be changed from corruption to incorruption and shall be caught up together with the dead into the clouds to meet the Lord in the ayr and so without separation of the body and soul by death they shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.15 16 17. 1 Cor. 15.51 c. Q. In what Article of your Creed do you learn to believe in the Third Person of the Trinity the Holy Ghost who hath sanctified you and all the Elect People of God A. In the 8 9 10 11 12th Articles Q. What do you observe in this part of the Creed A. 1. The Person sanctifying 2. The Persons sanctified Q. VVho is the Person sanctifying A. The Holy Ghost called the Paraclete or Comforter Q. VVhat do you mean by the Holy Ghost A. A Ghost is the same that a Spirit which is pure a incorporeal immaterial substance So by the Holy Ghost I mean the Holy Spirit that is the Third Person in the Sacred Trinity Q. But are there not other Spirits besides the Third Person in the Trinity A. Yes The Angels are Spirits Heb. 1.14 And there are the Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 which are the souls of the Elected after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh And these are holy too And in general any thin substance in Nature wanting solidity and grossness of matter by way of resemblance and similitude may be called a Spirit But these are created Spirits and to distinguish the Third Person in the glorious Trinity from these we must call Him Uncreated And to make this distinction plain and evident the Fathers in the Councils of Nice and Constantinople have expounded this Article thus I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life VVho proceedeth from the Father and the Son VVho with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified VVho spake by the Prophets Now here Being Lord distinguisheth Him from Ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 and being giver of life proceeding from the Father and the Son being worshiped and glorified together with the Father and the Son communicating with them in their Substance Nature Power Majesty Glory and Eternity and speaking by the Prophets distinguisheth Him from all creatures whatsoever Q. But is not the Holy Spirit said equally of the Father and of the Son too A. It is true both the Father and the Son are a Spirit and both holy also And therefore indeed this Third Person is not distinguished from the other two by His proper name but is called by a name common to the other two And this comes to pass because of our want of words For we can conceive God under no other Names but such as we borrow from created things so far as we can resemble Him to something that is in Nature and no farther And therefore we can call the First and Second Persons by their proper names because the First Person his communicating of His Substance to the Second is like to Generation that is the Act of Generating or begetting in Nature and so the Substance Generating is one Person of the Father and the Substance Generated is another Person of the Son But the Coming or Proceeding of the Third Person from both the other is like to nothing in Nature and therefore we can call the Act of this communicating of the Substance of the other two Persons to the Third by no other but by the general Name of Comeing or Proceeding and therefore the Person Proceeding in such manner as cannot be expressed no nor conceived by any thing that resembleth it must of necessity to us want His proper name and be called by the name proper to the other two Yet whensoever the Holy Spirit though it be the common name of all Three is joyned with the First and Second Person in the Trinity or with either of them by way of distinction then this particularly signifieth the Third Person in the Deity who ineffably inconceivably and eternally proceedeth from the Father and the Son and is Very God Co-eternal Co-equal and Con-substantial to both and to be worshipped with the same Faith and with equal Honor and Adoration Q. But why is the Third Person called Holy as it were in distinction to the other two A. We must not speak of any Person of the Godhead without holiness and all other Attributes of Perfection either expressed or understood And so the Third Person as the First and the Second is Holy ab intra by nature from all Eternity and Co-equal with them in this as in all other Nominal and Real Relative and Absolute Attributes But He is said to be Holy in distinction to Them by an Holyness of His Office ab extra begun in time as He is the Author and Maker of Holiness in us the Giver of Holy and Spiritual life the Sanctifier of all the Elect People of God Q. How doth the Holy Ghost Sanctifie and make Holy the Elect people of God A. 1. He dedicateth us early to Christs service in our Baptism 2. He alienateth us from the allurements of the world by a religious education 3. He acquainteth us with the holy Scriptures and with the Principles of Religion drawn from the same which â—re able to make us wise unto Salvation â—hrough faith that is in Jesus Christ 4. He exerciseth us therein that is 〈◊〉 the Scriptures and those Principles â—hrough the assistance of grace to have â—lways a Conscience void of offence â—oth towards God and towards men Q. How doth the Holy Ghost exercise 〈◊〉 to have a Conscience thus void of sence A. Many ways 1. By moving us to keep and restrain â—â—r five outward Senses that sin by â—â—em as by open windows enter not inâ—â— our hearts 2. By enabling us to practise the four â—â—rdinal moral Virtues 3. By infusing into our hearts the three Theological Virtues 4. By endowing us with the seven guifts of the Holy Ghost 5. By working in us the twelve Effects or Fruits of the Holy Ghost 6. By giving us a heart and power to do the three kinds of good works as also to perform the seven works of Corporal mercy the seven works of Spiritual mercy and the Offices of Christian Justice 7. By propounding unto us as the excitements of holy duties and the reward of our labours all the external internal and
the Passover was then ended and to be abolished by His instituting this other in the place thereof at the very time of eating the Passover Q. VVhy do not Christians receive this Sacrament at Supper or in the Even-tide that being the time of the day in which it was first instituted A. Because though it might be fit in regard of the thing it self yet it is not so to us not so fit for our preparation and meditation of the worthiness of the Sacraments and of the duties of the Receivers Q. But might not men make themselves fit to receive it at Supper time A. Yes Possibly men may and some men happily would yet because most men are more indisposed to Meditation and Contemplation towards the Evening than in the Morning and have many avocations and occasions to take away their minds by many occurrences before that time of the day therefore the Morning is chosen for that Sacred Action as the time that in regard of mens dispositions and businesses in the world is fittest for all Q. Is not this Sacrament called by other names besides the Lords Supper A. Yes It is called the Propitiatory Sacrifice the unbloody and commemorative Sacrifice the Eucharist and the Communion Q VVhy is it called the Propitiatory Sacrifice A. It is called a Propitiatory Sacrifice not properly and really but figuratively and respectively by way of resemblance and by way of remembrance because it shews the Lords death 1 Cor. 11.26 who is the Propitiation for our sins 1 St. John 2.2 and keeps us in mind of that Propitiatory Sacrifice which our Lord once for all offered by His Death upon the Cross to reconcile us to God and make God propitious favourable and loving toward us and well pleased with us Q. VVhy is it called the Vnbloody Sacrifice A. Because it is not a real Sacrifice which was offered by shedding of blood but only a memorial of that Sacrifice which is commemorated here without blood Q. VVhy is it called a Commemorative Sacrifice A. Because it both representeth and commemorateth unto us that real Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross and also we in this do represent and commemorate the same to God offering and presenting unto Him in this Sacrament by way of commemoration and remembrance the Body and Blood of His own Son as the only Propitiation and Satisfaction for our sins interposing them between Him and us and pleading them before His Mercies Seat and through them with all humility and confidence desiring the benefits of pardon and grace to be bestowed upon us Q. VVhy is it called the Eucharist A. It is called the Eucharist or Eucharistical Sacrifice from giving of thanks as the word Eucharist of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies which is a part of the duty that is required of the Communicants of the Sacrament and is Tropically put for the whole action when the Lords Supper is called by this name because that the Church in the administration thereof offereth unto God the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for her Redemption purchased by Christs Death that is commemorated in this Sacrament Q. Why is it called the Communion A. Because there is taught in this Sacrament 1. A Communion between Christ and us 2. A Communion between us Christians among our selves one with another Q. What is the Communion between Christ and us A. There is a three-fold Communion between Christ and us Q. How is that A. 1. The outward signs in the Sacramen do represent and exhibit to us whol Christ God and man in one Person Then here is a Natural Union and Communion between our Humane Nature and Christs Divine Nature in the Person of the Son of God 2. Christ is the Head of the Church and we are His Members Here is a Mystical Union between our Persons and the Person of Christ God and Man into one Mystical Body 3. Christ is in Heaven and thither by this Sacrament we are assured we shall come And then there will be a Celestial Communion between our Persons glorifyed and the Person of Christ in the world to come And these all follow upon one another 1. Whole Christ is represented and presented in the Sacrament Christ in His Person is God and Man this Union is Natural 2. The Man Christ is Head of the Church this is Spiritual and Mystical 3. All Men that are Members of this Church in the Kingdom of Grace shall be Co-inheritors with Him in the Kingdom of Glory this Celestial Q. What is the Communion of us among our selves one with another A. It is an Union flowing from the former between Christ and us It is the Communion of Saints by which as they are all Members of Christs Mystical Body so though they be many in number yet they are but one Body all subject to that one Head all living by one Faith all nourished by one and the same Spiritual Food all by one Spirit Baptised into that one Body all guided by that one Spirit And this is lively set forth by the Action of this Sacrament wherein the whole Church being many are all partakers of that one Bread and so are one Mystical Body though having many Members as the Bread is one Loaf though made of many Grains 1 Cor. 10.17 Q. What is the outward Sign in the Lords Supper A. Bread and Wine Q. Why is it Bread and Wine A. Because the Lord hath commanded them to be received Q. VVhy did our Lord choose Bread and VVine to be the outward Signs in this Sacrament A. He chose Bread 1. Because it is the most common Diet of all others so Christ is our common Salvation St. Jude 3. He died for all 2 Cor. 5.15 2ly Because Bread is the easiest food for all men to attain to so the word the Word that is God and the Word of God is nigh Rom. 10.1 He is found of them that seek Him not He is made manifest to them that asked not after Him v. 20. Again He chose Bread and Wine 1. Because Bread and Wine are the best of Meat and Drink Bread is the stay Isa 3.1 the staff Ezek. 4.16 of life of the body the strength of mans heart and VVine maketh glad the heart of Man Psal 104.15 So Christ is the best and most necessary food of a mans spiritual life of the Soul The Bread of Life St. John 6.48 The Bread which came down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die v. 50. Nay except ye eat of this Bread that is the flesh of the Son of Man for the bread which He gives us is His flesh which He gave for the life of the World v. 51. and drink His Blood you have no life in you v. 53. 2. Because these two standing for meat and drink are perfect nourishment of the body so is Christ of the soul not in part but in perfection compleat nourishment and Salvation 3. Because the Bread is made of many Grains compact together into one