THE GROVNDS OF THAT DOCTRINE which is according to Godlinesse Or A briefe and easie Catechisme gathered out of many other with Graces and Prayers for them that want better helps By T. V. B. of D. Vicar of Cockfield in Southsex The second Edition LONDON Printed by T.C. and R. C. for Michael Sparke dwelling at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor M.DC.XXX A Briefe Catechisme with Prayers and GRACES CREATION Question WHo made you Answer God Almightie the Maker and Governour of all things 2. Q. Wherefore did he make you A. To serue him 3. Q. How will God bee serued A. As he hath appointed in his Lawes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of the Law 4. Q. What be those Lawes of God A. The ten Commandements 5. Q. Which bee they A. The same which God spake Exod. 20.1 saying I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage 1 Thou shalt haue none other gods but me 2 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth Thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sinnes of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keepe my commandements 3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine 4 Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day Six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy man servant thy maid servant thy cattell and the stranger that is within thy gates For in six dayes the Lord made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day Wherefore the Lord bessed the seventh day and hallowed it 5 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6 Thou shalt doe no murther 7 Thou shalt not commit adulterie 8 Thou shalt not steale 9 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 10 Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his seruant nor his maid nor his oxe nor his asse nor any thing that is his 6 Q. Canst thou keepe all these lawes without breaking them A. I desire to haue an eye vnto all Gods Commandements but such is the wretchednesse of my sinfull nature that when I would doe good evill is present with mee 7. Q. What punishment is due for the breach of these Lawes A. The curse of God upon which followes eternall destruction of body and soule REDEMPTION 8. Q. HOw doe you escape this punishment A. By Iesus Christ alone that eternall Sonne of God 9. Q. What hath Christ done to free thee from this punishment A. He hath suffered the torments of death for mee 10. Q. But seeing Christ was God how could he die A. Christ Iesus was both God and man and in that hee was God hee could not die but being man he dyed for my sinnes and rose againe to make mee righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of Faith 11. Q. Are all saved by Christs death A. No none but such as lay hold on him by a lively faith 12. Q. What is a lively faith A. A lively faith is a full perswasion of my heart grounded on Gods promises that whatsoever Christ hath done for the salvation of man hee hath done it as well for mee as for any other 13. Q. Where have you the summe of your faith A. In the Apostles Creed I. I beleeve in God the Father Almightie maker of heaven and earth II. And in Iesus Christ his onely Son our Lord. III. Which was conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary IV. Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried hee descended into hell V. The third day hee rose againe from the dead VI. He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almightie VII From thence hee shall come to judge the quicke and the dead VIII I beleeve in the holy Ghost IX The holy Catholike Church the Communion of Saints X. The forgiuenesse of sinnes XI The resurrection of the body XII And the life everlasting Amen SANCTIFICATION 14. Q. HOw come you by faith A. It is the gift of God which the Lord worketh by the secret operation of his Spirit in my heart through the outward preaching of the Word 15. Q. How is faith increased in us A. By three meanes Preaching Prayer and Sacraments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of Preaching 16. Q. What is Preaching A. Preaching is the dividing of the Word aright by a Minister thereunto called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of Prayer 17. Q. What is Prayer A. Prayer is the opening of the hearts desire unto God in the name of Christ. 18. Q. After what manner ought you to pray A. As Christ taught his Disciples in that forme commonly called the Lords Prayer Our Father which art in heauen I. Hallowed be thy Name II. Thy kingdome come III. Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heaven IV. Giue us this day our daily bread V. And forgiue us our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against us VI. And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for ever and for ever Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of the Sacraments 19. Q. What be Sacraments A. Sacraments are signes and seales ordained of God for the strengthning of the faith of the remission of our sinnes and of our salvation in Christ Iesus 20. Q. How many Sacraments bee there A. Two onely in the new Testament Baptisme and the Lords Supper 21. Q. What profit have you by Baptisme A. I beleeve that in Baptisme my sinnes are forgiven mee for that as the water washeth away the filth of my body so the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon my soule doth cleanse mee from all sinne 22. Q. What profit have you by the use of the Lords Supper A. As I receiue the bread and wine into my body to become wholly mine so I beleeve that my soule receiveth withall the body and bloud of Christ Iesus with his righteousnesse to the sealing up of my everlasting salvation by the
forth into the land of righteousnesse Quicken mee O Lord for thy names sake and for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soule out of trouble Or thus TEach mee to doe thy will for thou thou art my God I sayâ— Let thy good Spirit into the land of goodnesse mee conuay For thy names sake with quickning grace alive doe thou mee make And out of trouble bring my soule even for thy justice sake A Prayer in the Evening at your going to bed MY bed is as a grave and my sleepe is the image of death Thou LORD who onely knowest whether I shall awake againe vouchsafe of thy gracious goodnesse even for Christs sake to receive mee to thy mercy that whether I wake or sleepe I may bee thine And in this confidence I will lay mee downe in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord onely that makest me dwell in safetie Or thus I Goe to bed as to my grave God knowes when I shall wake But Lord for Christs sake I thee pray mee to thy mercy take In peace therefore lie downe will I taking my rest and sleepe For thou onely wilt mee O Lord alone in safetie keepe A Prayer to bee said before Catechizing OPen our eyes O Lord that wee may see the wonderous things of thy law that by them as by a glasse wee may see our owne weaknesse and by our weaknesse our wickednesse by them both our wretchednesse Then cause the sweet comforts consolations contained in thy Gospell to shine into our soules by a true and a lively faith in Christ Iesus beseeching thee to blesse all those thine own holy ordinances which thou hast given us for the increasing of that faith And Lord grant that our dry and stony hearts may by the sweet dewes showers of thy heavenly Spirit effectually working in those ordinances be so moistned and softened that as good ground they may be ever yeelding forth good fruit to the glorifying of thy Name to the suppressing of sinne and to the increasing of vertue through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all glory and praise now and for evermore Amen Or this Psalme which is all one in effect with the Prayer may bee sung by the company the master of the family beginning it Creation OPen our eyes Lord of thy Law the wonders for to see And thereby know our weake estate and dolefull miserie Redemption Then Lord vouchsafe thy Spirit of grace to send into our minde That in thy Sonne our Saviour we may redemption finde Sanctification And of this grace confirme the faith by all those meanes O Lord Of Preaching Prayer and Sacraments which thou dost uâ— afford And grant the use of these in us may make thy grace to spring That to thee in thy glory Lord we may for ever sing The Doxologie All glory to the Trinitie that is of mightiest most The living Father and the Sonne and eke the holy Ghost As it hath beene in all the time that hath beene heretofore As it is now and so shall be hence forth for evermore A Prayer to be said after Catechizing O Almighty Lord God which hast taught us in thy holy Word how that thou hast Created us for thy service wee pray thee give us grace to remember thee our Maker even all our dayes committing our soules unto thee in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creator Lord knit our hearts unto thee that we may for ever feare thy Name And thou most gracious Saviour which hast wrought such a plentifull redemption for us wee pray thee give us grace to live so much time as remaineth in the flesh not to our selves but to thee that hast redeemed us knowing that wee were delivered out of the hands of our enemies that wee might serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of our life And thou O blessed Spirit the Lord and giver of life which bestowest that precious gift of faith upon us by which we live and for the confirmation of that faith hast set up the holy ordinances of Preaching Prayers and Sacraments in the Church wee humbly besech thee give us grace to make such a conscience in the use thereof that our faith being thereby setled we may have peace towards God through our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ that so waiting upon thee in those holy means thou hast afforded us for our growth in pietie here wee may for ever enjoy thy comfortable presence in that everlasting kingdome of glory hereafter Amen and Amen The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen Oâ— this Psalme gathered out of the Catechisme may be sung by the Company Creation O Lord that hast us â—ade and fram'd by thine almightie Word Grant us thy seruants of thy power the praises to record Lord knit our harts so fast to thee that we may feare thy name And muse on all thy wondrous workes and spread thy worthy fame Redemption O Blessed Lord that hast us pluckt from out of Satans hands And wrought our full Redemption from his accursed bandes This goodnesse laid before our face make uâ— behold alwaies That of thy truth we may the tracâ— treaâ— surely all our dayes Sanctification O holy Ghost the Lord of life and fountaine of all good By whom our soules are Sanctified through faith in Christ his blood Wee pray thee let thine ordinances have such power to our minde That in the use of them wee may true joy and comfort finde The Eulogie The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God the Father The comfort of the holy Spirit be with us now and ever IAMES 5.13 Is any among you afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing HEB. 10.24.25 Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good workers not forsaking the fellowship that we have among our selves to the manner of some is but let us exhort one another and that so much the more because ye see the day draweth neere COLOSS. 3.16.17 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisedome teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall Songs singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord and whatsoever ye doe in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giving thankes to God even the Father by him THO. VIC FINIS a Esay 44.2 Thus saith the Lord that made thee and formed thee from the wombe he will helpe thee See Psal. 139.13.14.15 b Gen. 17.1 I am God Almighty Iob. 42.2 c Esay 44.24 Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer and hee that formed thee from the wombe I am the Lord that made all things that spred out the heauens alone and stretched out the earth by my selfe See Nehem. 9.6 Gen. 2.4.5 d Psal. 103.19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in heauen and his kingdome ruleth over all See Psal.
holy Spirit 23. Q. Seeing thou receivest such great benefits by the use of the Lords Supper how oughtest thou to prepare thy selfe that thou mayest be thought worthy to be partaker of those great blessings A. I must diligently sift and examine my selfe 24. Q. Of what things oughtest thou to examine thy selfe A. Of three things especially 1. As concerning my faith whether I stand strongly in the true faith 2. Concerning my repentance which consists of contrition and sorrow for sinne with a hearty confession and acknowledgement of it an utter detestation and forsaking of sinne with a resolution and purpose to liue godly hereafter 3. Concerning my charitie desiring to reconcile my selfe to them whom I have offended and forgiuing from the heart those that have offended me The Summe of the Catechisme shewing most manifestly how one Question dependeth on another all throughout GOd made mee he made mee to serve him and I must serve him as he hath appointed in his Lawes and those Lawes are commonly called the ten Commandements of God These Commandements of God I confesse I am not able to keep but by reason of the sinfulnesse of my nature doe breake them continually and I acknowledge that for the breach thereof the punishment due is the curse of God and eternall destruction But my hope is though I doe violate and breake Gods Precepts to escape this punishment by Iesus Christ that Emanuel God and man in one person who to free mee from this curse and destruction hath as hee was man suffered the torments of death in my steed Of these his sufferings I â—eape the benefit because I lay hold thereon by a true and a lively faith as belonging unto me By this faith I liue as I am a Christian and I acknowledge it not to spring from mine owne power or free-will but to be the gift of God wrought in my heart by the secret operation of the Spirit through the ministery of the Word And as it is thus wrought in my heart so it is also increased and made strong by Preaching which is dividing of the Word aright by Prayer which is the opening of the hearts desire to God especially in that forme Christ hath taught me and by the Sacraments which are signes and seales ordained of God for the confirming of faith Of these Sacraments I acknowledge onely two to wit Baptisme wherein my sinnes are forgiven mee and whereby I am entred and admitted into the Church and the Lords Supper whereby I am nourished up as a member of the Church by eating of Christs body and drinking of Christs bloud spiritually to the sealing up of my everlasting salvation These so great benefits that I receiue by the use of the Lords Supper doe teach mee to prepare my selfe to come with all due reverence to the partaking of those holy mysteries and that preparation is performed by examining of my selfe and that examination must be especially about three things 1. As concerning my faith 2. As concerning my repentance 3. As concerning my charitie The Summe of the Summe Our Catecheticall Doctrine consists on this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fiue Pillars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of Preaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of Prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine of the Sacraments The Summe of all God Created me by his Power Christ Redeemed me by his Mercy The holy Spirit Sanctifieth me by his Grace PRAYERS A Prayer in the morning at your rising I Laid me down and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me Now I beseech the same Lord even for Christs sake who of his good grace hath preserued me this last night and brought me safe to the light of this day to keep me in his feare that I may loue him heartily and serve him sinceâ—ely from this time forth for evermore Amen Or thus I Laid mee downe and quietly I slept and rose againe For why I know assuredly The Lord did mee sustaine O Lord which now of thy good grace Hast brought mee to this light Grant mee for Christs sake now and aye To love and serve thee right A short Meditation or Prayer for the wholâ— fore-noone which you may often revolve in your minde as you are at worke or going about your businesse PSALME 119.5 O Lord that my wayes were made so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes so should I not be confounded whilest I have respect unto all thy Commandements Or thus O Would to God it might thee please my wayes so to addresse That I might both in hart and voice thy Lawes keepe and confesse So should no shame my life attaint whil'st I thus set mine eyes And bend my minde alwayes to muse on thy sacred decrees Grace before meat for one person LOrd blesse these good creatures of thine to my use and sanctifie mee ever to thy holy service through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely saviour Or thus GOod Lord so fit mee for thy selfe and these good gifts for mee That I may daily die to sinne and ever live to thee Amen Grace before meat for moe persons LOrd blesse us and these good gifts that we are about to receive of thy bounteous liberality through the merits of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus God save his Church our King and Realme God send us peace of conscience and life everlasting Amen Or thus THou God of Glory King of blisse which giv'st our bodies food Give it such strength Lord by thy word that it may may doe us good God save his Church and holy flock our gracious King defend Lord make us carefull by thy grace our lives for to amend Amen Grace after meat for one person LOrd I praise thy holy name for this good refreshing I beseech thee good Lord make me truly thankfull for all thy loving mercies in Iesus Christ. Or thus AS thou hast fed my body Lord with these good gifts of thine So cause me now and evermore to praise thy power divine Amen Grace after meat for moe persons THe Lord of heaven and earth who hath created redeemed and presently fed us be blessed and praised both now and evermore God save his Church preserve the Kings Majesty grant the Gospell a free passage and hasten the comming of our Lord Christ Iesus Amen Or thus THe Lord that hath created us and us redeem'd from thrall And now hath fed us graciously be blest and prais'd for all His Church God save our King maintaine and to the Gospell send Free passage over all the earth unto the worlds end Amen A short Meditation or Prayer for the whole afternoone which you may often say as you are at your worke or going about your businesse PSAL. 143.10 TEach me O Lord to do the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God let thy loving Spirit leade me