and dangers both of bodie and soule Q. What vse may a Christian make of this preface A. A Christians vse of this preface is to fears the Law giuer as a Lord and Master and to loue obey him as a gratious God and louing Father Mala 1. Q. What are the words of the first Commaundement A. Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Q. What learne you by this first Commaundement A. I learne that first I ought to worshippe God onely and to giue diuine worship to none but vnto this diuine Maiestis of the Dietie Q. In how many poynts doth this diuine worship stand and chiefly consist A. The first part of diuine worship consisteth in that perfect loue described by our Sauiour Christ Mat. 12. 35. And in that zealous loue expressed by the Prophet Dauid saying Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none that I desire on earth in comparison of thee Psal 73. 25. Q. What is the second part of Gods diuine worship A. The second consisteth in such reuerend feare as maketh a Christian neyther to omit willingly any good thing by God commaunded nor commit wilfully any euill thing by Gods law prohibited Mala. 1. 6. Q. What is the third point of Gods diuine worship A. The third part consisteth in yeelding all prayses and directing all our prayers to God onely and to holde it a grosse impietie to giue Angels Saints or Creatures any such honour glory or diuine worship as is due to God onely Q. What is the fourth poynt of Gods diuine worship A. The fourth part is to acknowledge God the giuer of all good thinges Iames 1. And therefore to trust and depend onely on Gods grace and goodnesse hoping as he hath giuen vs his onely sonne he will by him giue vs all good things Q. What are the words of the second Commaundement A. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image nor the likenesse c. Q. What learne you by this Commaundement A. First I learne to hate loath abhorre the presumption of such vaine men as by imagination will presume to make the Image of the inuisible God whom no mortall man hath seene at any time neyther can be seene with mortall eyes Iohn 1. 18. Q. What doe you learne further A. I learne secondly to auoyde and to lament the grosse blindnesse of men which receiue Images for Gods and by falling downe to worship Idols doe worship Deuils 1. Cor. 10. 20. Q. What learne you else by this precept A. I learne thirdly that as the Law-giuer is a iealous God he will render vengeance on the third and fourth generation of all Idolaters and haters of his diuine worship Exod. 20. So he is a gratious God which will shewe mercie to me and to thousands of generations of Christians that obey him and religiously worship him Psal 103. Exod. 20. Q. What are the words of the third Commaundement A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Q. What learne you by this Commaundement A. First I learne that I must in all things and at all times vse the name of God with high reuerence and not so much as to thinke or to speake of God without a due reuerent and a religious regard Q. What doe you secondly learne here A. Secondly I learne in conference and com munication to vse no oath nor to sware by any creatures Ier. 5. 7. Psal 16. 4. Q. What learne you more hereby A. Thirdly I learne that to vse the name of God to sorcerie inchantment cursing and in false testimonie is no leūe then a finne of blasphemie Deut. 18. 10. Q. When there is cause of an oth by whom must we sweare A. In lawfull and requisite causes to sware by God is part of his glory Deuteronomy 6. 13. Psal 63. 71. Q. In what causes are oathes lawfull and requisite A. When before a Iudge to witnes a truth for the ending of controuersie Heb. 6. 16. Also when the truth is testified for preseruation of our brethren from intury Ie. 4. 2. Likewise when an oath is requisite in any case for the setting forth of Gods glory it may lawfully be vsed Rom. 9. 1. and the 2. Cor. 11. 31. Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabboth day c. Q. What learne you by the word Remember A. I learne by that word the waightinesse of the matter for in matters of waight that word is vsed Eccle. 12. Q. What signifieth the word Sabboth and what meaneth the keeping it holy A. The word Sabboth signifieth Rest and teacheth Christians to rest from bodily labours and not to be idle but to spend it in holy exercises and diuine duties Q. What are those holy exercises diuine duties commaunded A. First a Christian is to remember to seeke the Lord earely in such prinate prayers as may moue God to direct them to holynesse Pro. 8. Psal 51. Secondly with them that keepe the holie day to resorte with prepared heartes to the house of God and place of prayers Eccle. 5. Psal 44. Thirdly to labour to encrease his faith by hearing Gods word and to strengthen his faith by often and reuerend celebrating the Sacraments appointed by Christ Rom. 10. 1. Cor. 11. Fourthly after the hearing of the word and receiuing the Sacraments to make per fect what they haue learned by the Noblemens practise of Berea Act. 17. Fiftly and finally with deuout prayers to God and with Dauids deuotion in singing Psalmes to the prayse of God and to spend the whole day to the honour of the Lord is the sanctifying and keeping holy the Sabboth Q. Who are commanded to keeps holy the Sabboth A. First all Gouernours as Fathers Mothers and Masters Secondly sonnes daughters men and maid seruants And thirdly Gouernours are both commaunded and chiefly charged that themselues their familie and strangers in their houses doe keepe holy the Sabboth Q. What learne you more from this precept A. I learne that the very Cattell this day by Gods commaundement should rest and not be laboured nor toyled Q. What is farther to bee learned out of this precept A. In the last part remaineth a memorable presedent of our Lord God the Law-maker Q. What learne you by the Lords presedent A. First I learne that as in sixe dayes the Lord ordered and ended his works of creation So a Christian should order and end the worke of his vocation Also I learne as the Lord rested the seauenth day and ordained it to be sanctified so a Christian ought earnestly to immitate Gods presedent and obey Gods commandment A. As you haue shewed me largely what a Christian should doe on the Sabboth day so shew me briefly what hee should leaus vndone that day A. All thinges that necessitie constraineth not and Gods word commaundeth not a Christian on the Sabboth ought to leaue vndone Esay 58. 13. Mat. 12. 3. 5. Q. As in order of the Tables of the Law the dutie
THE CRISTALL OF CHRISTIANITIE OR LOOKING GLASSE OF GODS LOVE Containing the Principles of our Christian profession by the way of disputation betweene Master and Scholler in Schooles and Families fit for the profitable practise of all especially of youth to be vsed Initiated formerly by others and amplified by R. P. Minister and Preacher of Gods word Barnard in his Morrals Sacra scriptura mentis oculis quasi speculum quoddam opponitur ibi pulcra nostra in Christo perspicimus ibi feda nostra in nobis Cernimus ibi quantum perficimus ibi quantum a pro factu longè distamus plane sentimus Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson dwelling neere the three Cranes in the Vinetree 1617. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL VERTVOVS AND Religious Gentleman master George Bostocke Iustice of his Maiesties peace in the Countie of Denbigh R. P. wisheth Grace Peace and in Iesus Christ all health and happie prosperitie LICVRGVS Right Worshipfull the LACEDEMONIAN Law-maker apointed condigne punishment for euery offendor according to the offence but for an vnthankefull person he could finde no seueritie nor seuere punishment sufficient In consideration therefore of your worship and euer approued fauours towards me as I am bound so I am moued to remember them and shew my selfe mindfull and thankful for them least I should seeme culpable of the grose sinne of Ingratitude and not haue power to performe my Gratuitie with gifts of excellencie I haue made bolde to present to your Worship in testimonie of my loue my poore labours wherein I laboured when I was the Lords labourer in that Congregation where your Worships fauours were well approued not to me alone but to all that were faithfull preachers of Gods word and conformable ministers to the commendable Lawes of our gratious kinges Maiestie Those apparant and approued giftes of grace with many other commendable gifts of nature by God planted in you hath prouoked me to present as vnto a deuout patron of pietie the fruits of my labours and arguments of my loue by Gods grace purposing and faithfully promising vpon your worshipful acceptation of this my widows mite to dedicate more ample manifestation to you and yours of my vnfained affection In the meane time humbly crauing pardon for this my boldnes and euer heartily according to my bounden dutie desiring our gratious God in your heart by his gratious blessing to increase such holy and heauenly vertues whereby the good gifts of grace and nature planted in you may flourish and bring forth such fruits of godlines whereby Gods name may more be glorified Christes members comforted our gratious Kings loyall Subiects by your godly obedience to like obedience in couraged your Worships worthinesse more illustrated the bodies soules of you and all yours with blessinges Temporall more and more inriched and with the Diadems and Crownes of glory by the glorious King of Heauen eternally Crowned I rest London the first day of September 1617. ⸫ Your worships in all loue and dutie ouer to commaund R. P. A Prayer to be sayd at the beginning of this Booke O Lord our God and in Iesus Christ our mercifull and heauenly Father we thy poore seruants assembled before thy maïestie in this Congregation by the sight of our sinnes doe acknowledge our selues to be vnworthie of the least drop of thy fauour or dram of thy mercies Therefore we beseech thee in the name of thy deare Son Iesus Christ and for his sake to pardon all our sinnes passed and by thy gratious spirit to grant vs such grace at this present that we may religiously proceede in the true vnderstanding of thy holy word And by the same thy spirit bee made more obedient to frame our liues by direction of thy Lawes that thereby we may be more apt and able to set forth thy glory by practising the precepts taught vs in thy holy word at this present and daily bee more readie by hearing the same thy holy word to receiue such increase of faith as may sustaine vs to the attayning of all godly instructions and full fruition of true and eternall felicitie world without ende through Iesus Christ thy deare Sonne our onely Sauiour Amen The Cristall of Christianitie or looking Glasse of GODS loue Question AS You doe professe to be a Christian so shewe me what estimation you haue of the diuine scriptures where on you grounde your Christian profession Answere I doe and I ought to esteeme the holy and Canonicall scriptures to bee the spirituall glasse and cleare Cristall wherein the diuine fauour and euerlasting loue of God doth appeare euen to the attaining of eternall life Iohn 3. 30. Q. Wherein may Christians principally proue and find that diuine fauour and euerlasting loue A. First that God the Father did out of his meere loue create vs to his owne Image Secondly that God the Son when that Image was defaced did of his tender loue giue himselfe to redeeme vs. Thirdly that God the holy Ghost gratiously both sanctifieth and in sanctification preserueth vs. Q. As you haue mentioned the God-head in three persons Can you proue them by the Scriptures to be one onely true God A. The Apostle Iohn doth plainely proue it in these words There are three that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one God Iohn 5. 17. Q. Wherefore hath God Created Redeemed Sanctified and in sanctification preserued Christians A. First that we in this life should liue to the glory of God Secondly in the life to come wee should receiue glory euerlasting with God Q. How may Christians learne to glorifie God in this present life A. By ordering this life according to the rule of Gods holy word in the Scriptures reueiled Q. What rules of life are in the scriptures reueiled to guide vs to the glory of God A. The first is the rule of Gods holy precepts and Commandements The second is constant faith in Gods fatherly promises The third is religious Celebrating the holy Sacraments The fourth is the practise of holy faithful feruent and deuout prayers Q. How many are the precepts by God commanded A. The Commandements are ten in number and in two Tables they were written for our instruction Q. What things are in those two Tables principally contained A. In the first a Christians dutie to God And in the second our duties to our neighbour are both taught contained and commaunded Q. What are the words in the first Table mentioned Q. I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage Exod. xx Q. Are these words a part of the ten Commaundements A. These words are not of the Commaundements but are a profitable preface before the precepts Q. What learne christians by this preface A. A Christian by the word Lord may learne the Law-giuer to be the chiefe Lord and gouernour And by the word God a louing Father and most mercifull deliuerer of his people from bondage distresse
estate neuer to perish neuer to dye a second death as the wicked doe Q. What benefits finde the faithfull after death in the estate of Immortalitie and after this mortall life A. The death of euery faithfull member of Christ washed in Baptisme with his precious bloud is precious in Gods sight and as the sight of God shall bring all celestiall ioy so the presence of God where is all fulnesse of Ioy perpetuall peaee shall fulfill the faithfull so full of that felicitie tranquilitie and heauenly glory which is vnspeakeable for excellencie perpetuitie whether good Lord bring vs all Amen A Prayer at the end of this second part to bee vsed BLessed Lord God as we praise thy Maiestie for thy mercy in instructing vs so we humblie pray thee that wee being instructed in the true knowledg of thy elected Church and sanctified Congregation and hauing learned that as a pledge of thy loue thou hast left the Sacrament of Baptisme by effectuall operation to represent the washing away of our sins and sealing assurance of saluation to our soules by the precious bloud of thy deare Sonne to our eternall safetie Free vs good Lord we beseech thee from all originall corruption By thy holy spirit make perfect our Regeneration by our new birth grant that our old euils of Adam in vs naturally may more and more be mortified the fruits of holinesse in vs may more be increased to thy glory and our good And good father we pray thee by the example of faithfull Abraham which hath by thy word beene taught vs so instruct vs thy seruants that we and our seede may faithfully keepe our promised Couenants made to thee in Baptisme both in obeying thy holy commandements our selues and also instructing our children seruants in the same obedience so that we and our familie may daily endeuour to please and serue thy Maiestie in holy obedience And gratious Lord seeing we feele sinne to haue in our flesh a permanency giue vs such power ouer our sinne that in vs it may neuer haue soueraignitie And grant vs such grace that both bodily death and the graue may bring benefits to vs and to all true beleeuers And in the day of the Resurrection our bodies rising to immortalitie may bee ioyned to our soules to enioy in thy glorious kingdome euerlasting glory through Iesus Christ our Lord and glorious Redeemer Amen ⸫ A Prayer before the Sacrament of the LORDS Supper BLessed holy and heauenly Father without whom there is no felicitie no sanctitie nor at the banket of thy deare son with thy Saints no societie We beseech thee good Lord sanctifie vs poore sinners that both our bodies and soules may from all former impuritie bee purged and with the wedding garment of true Christianitie and charitie bee clothed For our farther preparation peirce our harts with an earnest sorrow for our sinnes that by such penitency we may bee purged from our grieuous offences Moreouer we beseech thee plant in our harts that faith in thy promises that by beleeuing thy Sonne to be the bread of life hee may sustaine our soules to eternall life And we with a liuely faith beleeuing and receiuing those banquetting Dishes and purified Wines may through faith be freed from eternall death And finally grant wee beseech thee to vs such faith and perfect perswasion that in vs this spirituall foode may haue spirituall opperation and wee thereby nourished may in grace be more increased From death eternall by faith freed And by our constant faith euerlasting life may be granted in thy glorious kingdome to liue and raigne with thee and thy deare Sonne through the same thy blessed Sonne our onely Sauiour and Redeemer Amen ⸫ Here followeth the third part of the Cristall of Christianitie wherein the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is discussed very plainely and very familiarly Question PRoceede now to the Sacrament of the LORDS SVPPER and both shew me the outwarde signes of the Sacrament and what inward sauing grates be thereby presented to the Church A. The signes in the Lords Supper are bread and wine signifying by bread his blessed body broken for vs and by wine his precious bloud powred out for remission of our sinnes Q. How doth bread signifie his bodie and represent the blessings of his bodie to vs A. As the word for bread in the true signification doth signifie all kinde of sustentation and nourishment for our bodies so doth the giuing vs his bodie signifie spiritually all sustentation for soule and bodie He is our wisedome he is our sanctification he is our iustification he is our redemption he is our saluation The giuing of Christ from God to mankind is with him giuing all good things to mankind for this life and the life to come for hee is the true bread that came downe from heauen to sustaine vs by his grace on earth vntill wee attaine glory with him in heauen Q. How doth Wine represent his bloud powred out for vs A. Christ calleth himselfe the true Vine and his grapes are spirituall graces and as he is full of grace so his grapes are full of spirituall power and when his head was with thornes rased his hands and his feete with nailes boared his sides and heart pierced the purified Wine of his peirced heart was powred out to comfort our hearts wherewith hee doth commaund his Prophet to comfort his people at the heart namely with pardon of their sinnes which comfort of remission of sinnes doth approue his bloud to haue the propertie of Wine which is comfortable Q. You call it a banquet and a Supper of Christ shew mee for whom this feast is made and especially prouided A. It is made principally to his true church which before I expressed to bee the true beleeuers and none but the true beleeuers are effectually partakers of this spirituall banquet Q. Doe not all that communicate at the Lords table by the signe of bread receiue the sauing graces represented by the bread A. As wicked Iudas receiued the bread of Christ but not Christ the true bread so as many as bee Communicants hauing such or the like corruption can neuer receiue the body of Christ and his benefites presented by the bread consecrated by the Word although they receiue bread and wine at the Sacrament with others Q. How doth the bread that is consecrated differ from other bread which is vsuall for the nourishment of our bodies A. As Waxe before it hath impression of a Seals is bare Waxe and after it is more it is a Seale So the vsuall water in Baptisme and Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper by the word are made sacraments and seaies of assurance from Christ to assure his true Church and euery member thereof of his sauing graces conteined in the Sacraments Q. What may bee the difference of men which communicate all at one Communion A. As the daunger or perill of the one is great because they receiue it vnworthily not considering the Lords bodie
and often times such for vnworthy receiuing doe receiue punishment and sometimes such doe eate and drinke their owne damnation as the Apostle testifieth So the benefit of them that receiue it worthily is great for by faith they feeding spiritually doe eate the spirituall foode which neuer perisheth by vertue whereof they are preserued from perishing and sustained vnto eternall life Q. What meaneth the Apostle by eating and drinking their owne damnation in the Lords supper A. The Apostle doth signifie that euen this banquet receiued by the wicked persons carelesse and without consideration of their owne impietie without faith repentance or charitie trampling vnder foote that precious bloud Euen for such contempt hée meaneth such wicked persons shall finde the receiuing thereof to testifie their condemnation more fully Q. What doth he meane that he saith some of you are sicke some are weake and some are falne asleepe A. He admonisheth them which were and vs that are now reputed faithfull professors that for lack of that worthinesse which is required of them and vs which come not fully or fitly prepared such were and are punished with such sicknesses and punishments as might make them better to consider their owne crimes and vnaduised receiuing Christ his blessed bodie and so condenme their owne selues And by such punishment also God moueth them to flie to him for mercy in this world that they may not with the wicked of this world perish in the world to come for want of Christian duties Q. What duties are of Christians required which come to this Sacrament of Christ that they may be reputed worthy receiuers thereof A. There is required principally of them a three-folde consideration or examination which worthily and effectually bee partakers of Christ Q. Shew me those principall considerations and examinations A. As it is not fit for a seruant or a subiect to come to the Table of a temporall King vncleanly or vncomely so it is much more vnfit and further offence to come to the table of the eternall king Christ Iesus with any kind of vncleannesse as might giue offence to his mightie Maiestie Q. Shew mee first what cleannesse is required of Christians comming to his presence to be pertakers of this precious banquet A. The people were commaunded when they came to heare the Law promulgated on Sina Certaine dayes to wash and sanctifie themselus before they came to heare the Law When the Lord would haue his people talke with his Maiestie he commanded them to wash them and make them cleane from all their wirkednesse Before King Dauid came to Gods Altar he washed his handes in innocencie And Christ Iesus did both wash and wipe the very féete of the Apostles when he would make them fit for this feast Q. What learne we by all these washings A. First when we come to heare the Law or Gospell preached all wickednesse and vngodlinesse must be washed by earnest sorrow for former sinnes committed and our selues sanctified by beliefe that pardon for sinne and increase of grace may by Christ be granted Secondly when we come to the maiesty of the glorious God by inuocation or prayer we must with the Publican see and bee sorrowfull for our owne miserie and not with a proud but a pure zeale of soule hope to be purged pardoned and by Christ iustified Thirdly we must not presume to come to the Temple nor to the Altar nor Table of this great King vntill heart and hand bodie and soule and euery part be found by proofe to be pure and cleane Fourthly by Christ we are taught that except we be washed by him be pronounced cleane by his mouth none are fit for this feast and that is the cause that the Apostle sayth some eate drinke their olone damnation because that euery man doth not examine himselfe to find his testimony of his washing through Christ Iesus Lord of the feast before hee come to the Lordes feast and blessed Sacrament of his bodie and bloud Q. As you haue shewed me what cleanlines is fit for Christian Communicants so shew me what comelinesse is required at the table and Supper of the Lord A. As at a festiuall Table of a King comely and desent garments are required so at the feast and table of the Lord euery Christian must haue a comely and Christian garment such as may please God through Christ Q. What garment is fit for a Christian to come to the Lords table in A. There belongeth first a Christian care of casting away the garment of the old corrupt Adam And secondly an indeuour to put on Christ Iesus Q. Shew me what the casting away of the olde Adam doth signifie A. First it signifieth the casting away the corruptions that we are clothed with naturally by Adams transqression and the Apostle nameth them to be principally these following namely lying and slandring in any sort Secondly stealing and all kinde of false dealing vncomely vngodly and especially all filthie and prophane talking Thirdly all bitternesse wrath wrathfull or euill speaking one to another séeing we are all members of one bodie Fourthly and finally to banish and cast from vs all thoughts words workes that eyther are euill or tend to euill purposes Q. Let me now vnderstand what the putting on Christ Iesus meaneth A. First we must vnderstand the remoouing from the minde inwardly all euils is the worke of the holy Ghost which afterward doth cloth and garnish the godly with the forme and shape of God in true holines and righteousnesse by Christ Q. Shew me the signes of the holinesse and righteousnesse by Christ Iesus bestowed on vs A. As we are clothed by Christ with sanctification of Gods spirit and iustification before God so it doth often appeare before men and is expressed in speaking the truth without dissimulation In honest dealing and godly care in our vocation iustly to labour and liue To speake that which may be instruction for others and consolation to those that heare our wordes Christians must be courteous one to another mercifull one to another louing one to another and by loue which they seeing in God towardes them one to forgiue another as God for Christ his sake forgiueth them and in the true garment of vnion clothed comming to the Communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ shall be accepted as ghests worthie of Gods graces by Christ at the table presented You haue shewed mee from the first consideration what comelinesse and cleannesse becommeth Christians to haue when they come to be partakers of the Lords supper Shew mée nowe the manner of eating and drinking of the Lords bodie and bloud Q. What must a Christian man consider in the worthie eating the bodie of Christ Iesus and drinking his precious bloud spiritually A. As all that worke the worke of GOD must beleeue in him whom God hath sent so all that will eate the bodie of Christ and drinke his bloud worthily must beleeue in his Incarnation in his Passion in his Resurrection