God witnesseth of him that hee is a liar and that hee hateth God in that hee hateth the worship that hee commandeth in the loue whereof God will haue experience of his loue Q. So much of the threatning what is the summe of the promise A. That he will blesse the obedient vnto many generations both in themselues their children and posterity and in whatsoeuer belongeth vnto them CHAP. 17. Of the third Commandement The speciall vse of Gods name in this Cōmandemēt wherin consider the Precept and in it things Cōmanded in Generall Speciall the true vse of Oathes Vowes Forbidden in Generall Speciall the abuse of Oathes Vowes Reason EXOD. 20. 7. 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 Q. WHat is the third Commandement A. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Q. What is meant by the Name of God A. The titles a Exod. 6. 2. 3. 34. 14. Deut. 18. 19. 22. Attributes of God together with the b Matth. 28. 19. Act. 2. 38. Act. 21. 13. ordinances workes and the whole outward worship of God as that wherby God is made knowne vnto vs which is taken from the manner of men who are knowne by their names Q. What is meant by the taking thereof in vaine A. All abuse thereof where mentioning the smaller fault he declareth the hainousnesse of the greater for if the taking of his Name in vaine only be a sinne how hainous a sinne is it when it is blasphemed or vsed for the confirmation of a lie Q. VVhat requireth God of vs in generall in this Commandement A. The Maintenance of his Name and honour with our tongue which is performed by a carefull and heedie watch as to auoid the prophanation and abuse of the things aforesaid by our tongue so to apply them with all reuerence and circumspection to such vses as they are appointed vnto by God Q. VVhat necessity was there to haue a speciall Commandement for the direction of the tongue in this first part of the Law which concerneth the worship of God A. Because as the Apostle saith it is an vntamed Iam. 3. 8. euill and vnbridled and therfore a whole Commandement cannot bee employed amisse for the direction of it in the vse of the Name of God And seeing in the second Table there is a Commandement tending almost wholly to restraine the abuse of our tongues towards our neighbour there is much more need of a precept both for the direction and restraint of it in the matters concerning God and his most glorious Name Q. VVhat is here generally to be obserued A. The high honour that God sheweth vnto vs who being able either by himselfe or by his Angels to maintaine his owne Name and glory hath notwithstanding committed the maintenance therof vnto vs which should teach vs to bee very charie and carefull to discharge our duty faithfully and thereby to shew our selues worthie this honour Q. By what meanes are we to shew this carefulnesse A. By a diligent preparation before wee speake of any of these holy things by considering both of the cause that should moue vs to speake of them and of the reuerent manner of vsing them Q. What doth God require in this Commandement more specially A. The true vse of Oathes and Vowes Q. In the true vse of an oath what should wee chiefly regard A. First whether the matter be doubtfull whereof we speake Secondly whether it be weighty and worthie of an oath Q. Such persons then as haue no weighty matters to deale in may not take an oath at all A. No verily and therefore it is altogether vnlawfull for children to sweare because they cannot thinke sufficiently of the dignity of an oath and no Atheist or prophane men should sweare because either they beleeue not or they serue not God Q. What further must we regard in taking an oath A. First whether the question or doubt may bee ended by Verily or Truly or such like naked asseuerations Mat. 5. 37. for then by the example of Christ we ought to forbeare an oath Secondly whether hee for whose Heb. 6. 16. cause we giue the oath will rest in it and giue credit vnto it for otherwise the name of God is taken in vaine Thirdly if an oath be giuen wee must vse no other then Gods word alloweth although in lawfull Deut. 6. 13. Zeph. 1. 5. contracts with an Infidell or Idolater wee may admit of such oathes whereby they sweare by false gods Q. What are the things forbidden in this Commandement A. First in generall all vnreuerent sudden and causlesse speaking of the Titles Attributes Actions and Ordinances of God as when men crie O Lord O God Good God! c. in matters light and of no moment And therefore for restraining of this corruption we should seriously thinke how powerfull God is to punish such vnreuerent behauiour as also how able and ready to blesse them who shall reuerently behaue themselues in their tongues and words touching these matters for which cause wee are to remember that the Name Deut. 28. 58. Psal 99. 3. of God is fearfull as it is written Q. What is more specially forbidden A. First all abuse of oathes as 1. rash oathes 2. a Mark 5. 34. 35. 36. Iam. 5. 12. Mark 9. 25. superstitious oathes as by the Masse our Lady c. 3. blasphemous oathes 4. counterfeit and mockoathes 5. the errour of Anabaptists condemning all oathes Secondly here is forbidden the abuse of Vowes as the making of all vnlawfull Vowes the not paying or delaying of lawfull vowes and the performing of vnlawfull Eccles 5. 1-5 Psal 76. 11. Thirdly all abuses of the Word to magicall Spels and Charmes for the healing of diseases finding out of theft c. CHAP. 18. Of the fourth Commandement The speciall time of Gods worship in the 4. Commādement where note Circumstances touching the Necessity Perpetuitie or Morality Vnchangeablenesse Beginning and end Parts Preface Cōmandement in which the Things Forbidden 1. our owne workes Great Small Cōmanded in Gods seruice In the Church Out of it Reasons EXOD. 20. vers 8. 9. 10. 11. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy 9. Sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke 10. But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man seruant nor thy maid seruant nor thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates 11. For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Q. HItherto of the Commandement What is the summe of the reason A. A threatning of extreame miserie and iudgement to the transgressors of this Commandement For it being our
b Psal 32. 1. 2. happinesse to haue our sinnes couered and not imputed it must needs bee extreame miserie to haue them reckoned and imputed vnto vs. Therefore the transgressors of this Commandement the more free that vsually they are from the iudgements and punishments of men the more heauie plagues and vengeance will surely light vpon them from God except they repent Q. What is summarily required in this Commandement A. The setting apart of a speciall day euery weeke Neh. 13. 15. 23. Esay 58. 13. wherein we are to separate our selues from our worldly businesses and ordinarie callings concerning this life that we may wholly attend to the seruice and worship of God alone Q. What need is there of one whole day in a weeke to serue God in seeing we may serue him euery day A. To the end that wee should not plunge our selues so deepely into the affaires of the world as that we should not recouer our selues the wisdome of God hath thought it good that one day in seuen there should bee an intermission from them that wee might wholly separate our selues to the seruice of God and with the more freedome of spirit performe the same Secondly for that a whole day is needfull for the performance of all the parts of Gods worship as hearing of publike Prayer and the Word preached Catechizing administration of the Sacraments exercise of holy Discipline consideration of the glory of God in the creatures Thirdly If Adam in his perfection had need of this helpe much more haue we who are so grieuously corrupted Q. Is there any one speciall day of the weeke set apart by God himselfe A. Yea. Q. What day is that A. The first day in the week called the Lords day 1. Cor. 16. 2. Reuel 1. 10. Act. 20. 7. Q. VVas this day set apart thereunto from the beginning A. No for from the first Creation till the Resurrection of Christ the last day of the weeke commonly called Saturday was the day that was appointed thereunto and that which the people of God constantly obserued Q. And why so A. Because vpon that day God ceased from the Gen. 2. 2. worke of Creation Q. How came this day to be changed A. By Diuine Authority Q. How doth that appeare A. First by the a Ioh. 20. 19. 26. Act. 2. 1. 20. 7. practice of our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles which should be a sufficient rule vnto vs b 1. Cor. 16. 1. especially the Apostles hauing added a commandement thereunto Secondly there is no reason why it should bee called the Lords day but in regard c Reuel 1. 10. of the speciall dedication thereof to the Lords seruice For otherwise all the daies of the weeke are the Lords daies and hee is to bee serued and worshipped in them Q. What was the cause why the day was changed A. Because it might serue for a thankfull memoriall of Christs Resurrection for as God rested from his labour on the last day of the weeke so Christ ceased Mat. 28. 1. Gen. 2 1. 2. from his labour and Afflictions on this day as the one therefore was specially sanctified in regard of the Creation of the world so was the other in respect of the restauration and Redemption thereof which is a greater worke then the Creation it selfe Q. Cannot this day then be altered A. No not by the power of any creature in heauen or earth Q. But doth not this Commandement directly require the seuenth day from the Creation A. No but the seuenth day in generall Q. But doth not the reason annexed where the Lord is said in sixe daies to make heauen and earth and to rest the seuenth and therefore to hallow it confirme so much A. No not necessarily for it doth not thence follow that we should rest the same day the Lord rested but that wee should rest from our workes the seuenth day as he rested from his which seuenth as vnder the Law hee appointed to bee Saturday so nothing hindreth but that by his speciall appointment vnder the Gospell it may bee Sunday and yet the substance of the Commandement nothing altered Q. Why doth not the New Testament specially mention this change A. Because there was no question moued about the same in the Apostles times Q. Is not this Commandement Ceremoniall A. No First if it were so then the Morall Law should consist but of nine words or Commandements which is a Deut. 4. 13. contrarie to Gods word Secondly this Commandement amongst the rest b Exod. 31. 18. was written by the finger of God whereas no part of the Ceremoniall Law was Thirdly it as well as the other was written c Deut. 5. 22. in Tables of stone to signifie the continuance of this Commandement as well as the rest Fourthly d Gen. 2. 3. it was before any shadow or Ceremony of the Law yea before Christ was promised whom all Ceremonies of the Law haue respect vnto Q. But it sometime shadowed our a Coloss 2. 16. 17 Exod. 31. 13. Eternall Rest and is therefore Ceremoniall A. That followeth not for the ceremoniall representation of our Eternall Rest came after the Commandement of the Rest and therfore is accessorie and accidentall for which cause b Dan. 9. 27. Matth. 11. 13. Act. 15. 6. Coloss 2. 13. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Gal. 5. 2. the time of correction and of abolishment of ceremonies being come that vse may well fall away and yet the Commandement remaine it being not of the substance of the Commandement Q. Haue you yet any further reason to confirme the perpetuitie of the Rest of the seuenth day A. Our Sauiour Christ willing his followers which Matth. 24. 20. should liue about 40. yeeres after his ascension to pray that their flight might not be vpon the Sabbath to the end that they might not be hindred in the seruice of God doth thereby sufficiently declare that he held not this Commandement in the account of a ceremonie Q. When doth this our Sabbath begin A. At the dawning of the day for Christ rose in the dawning thereof whereby is put a difference betweene the Iewish and the true Christian Sabbath for as the Iewish Sabbath began in that part of the day in which the Creation of the world was ended and consequently in the euening so the celebration of the memorie of Christs Resurrection and therin of his Rest from his special labors being the ground of the change of that day into this it also by the same proportion of reason is to begin when the Resurrection began which was in the morning Q. Can you shew this by example A. Yea Paul being at Troas after hee had preached Act. 20. 7-10 a whole day vntill midnight celebrated the Supper of the Lord the same night which was a Sabbath daies exercise and therefore that night following the day was a part of the Sabbath for in the morning he departed hauing stayed there seuen daies
receiue the Sacraments in the appointed time giue vnto the poore according to our wealth and the blessing of God vpon vs. Q. What if wee cannot bee suffered to vse these publike meanes A. We must then humble our selues before God mourning and sorrowing for this restraint and with so Matth. 24. 20. Psal 42. 6. Psal 63. 1. 2. much more care and earnestnesse vse the priuate meanes Q. VVhat is conuenient to bee done priuately out of the Church A. The examination of our selues and those that Luk. 14. 7. â—â— 16. belong vnto vs what we haue profited familiar conference of things belonging vnto the kingdome of heauen also meditation vpon the exercises of Religion Psal 80. and vpon the creatures vpon the prouidence Psal 92. of God especially that which he exerciseth in the gouernment of the Church also visiting the sicke and collecting for the poore a 1. Cor. 16. 2. Neh. 8. 12. for these also are workes of the Sabbath Q. What further proofe haue you of this continuall exercise A. In the Law euery euening and euery morning b Numb 28. 9. were sacrifices which a on the Sabbath were multiplied and the Psalme intituled A Psalme for the Sabbath Psal 92. appointed to be sung that day declareth that it is a good thing to begin the praises of God early in the morning and to continue the same till it be night Q. VVhat gather you of this A. That all exercises which serue not in some degree to make vs more fit to the Lords worke are vnlawfull vpon the Lords day Q. VVhat difference doe you make betweene Sabbath nights and other nights A. Great for wee should lay our selues downe to rest in greater quietnesse that night vpon the sense and feeling of the comforts of the former exercises So that our sleepe should bee the more quiet by how much the former exercises of the day haue been more holy otherwise we should declare wee haue not kept a day to the Lord so holy as we ought Q. So much of the Commandement VVhat are the reasons to inforce the Commandement A. The first is a secret reason of comparison of the lesse that for so much as God hath giuen vs six daies of seuen to do our owne businesse in whether it bee labour or honest Recreation when hee might haue giuen vs but one of seuen and haue taken sixe to himselfe wee ought not to thinke it much to spend the whole seuenth day in his seruice Q. VVhat learne you from thence A. The inequall and wretched dealing of most men with God who by the grant of this Commandement vrge vsually at their seruants hands the work of a whole day in euery of the sixe daies yet vpon the Lords day thinke it enough both for themselues and those vnder them to measure out vnto the Lord three or foure houres onely to his seruice vsing one measure to mete the seruice due vnto themselues and another to mete the seruice due vnto God which is a Prou. 11. 1. thing abominable before God so much the more as the things are greater and of more value which they mete with the lesser measure Q. VVhat is the other reason A. A reason expressed taken from the example of God that as God hauing made all things in the sixe daies rested the seuenth from creating any more so should we rest from all our owne workes Q. Did the Lord cease from all worke on the seuenth day A. No verily he did then and still continueth to do a great work in preseruing the things created And so must we learne not to bee idle vpon the Lords day but to attend vpon the Lords seruice and by his example wee may saue things on that day which otherwise would bee lost but wee may not get or gaine more Q. VVhat is meant by sanctifying it A. The setting it apart from worldly businesse to the seruice of God Q. VVhat by blessing A. Not that this day in it selfe is more blessed then other daies but that in setting it apart and separating it by this Commandement from other daies to bee kept holy by publike exercises of his holy worship and seruice he made it an effectuall meanes of blessing to them that shall sanctifie it as they ought Q. VVherein shall they be blessed that keepe the Sabbath day A. First in an encrease both of the knowledge and feare of God and all other spirituall and heauenly graces accompanying saluation Secondly in matters of this life we shall not onely not be hindred by keeping the Sabbath but more blessed then if wee did worke that day as of the other side the gaine on the Lords day shall by the curse of God melt and vanish away what shew of profit soeuer it haue and bring some curse or other vpon our labours in the weeke daies which in themselues are lawfull and honest So much of the first Table concerning our duties to God the due performance whereof is called Piety wherein God as a King or father of a houshold doth teach his subiects or familie their duties towards himselfe Now follow our duties to our selues and our neighbor taught in the second Table in the sixe other Commandements CHAP. 19. Of the duties to our Neighbour and of the second Table in generall Of the 2. Table First in generall Secondly in speciall the CommaÌ„demeÌ„ts wherof forbid All aduised consent to hurt our Neighbour where First of speciall duties coÌ„cerning special persons Com. 5. Chap. 20. Secondly of generall duties concerning all Com. 6. c. Chap. 21. All motions and thoughts of euill without consent Comman 10. Chap. 25. MATTH chap. 22. vers 36. to the 41. 36. Master which is the great Commandement in the Law 37 Iesus said vnto him Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy minde 38. This is the first and great Commandement 39. And the second is like vnto it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe 40. On these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets Q. WHat is the summe of the second Table A. The duties that one man oweth to another commonly called Iustice Q. What learne you out of the 39. verse where it is said that this second Table is like to the first A. First that according to our measure of profiting in the first Table we profit also in this In which respect we may trie our sinceritie and vprightnesse in the duties of the first Table by our forwardnesse in those which are required in the second Secondly that out of our loue to our neighbour 1. Thess 3. 12. 5. 15. we draw all our duties to all meÌ„ reaching theÌ„ euen to the wicked so farre forth as we hinder not Gods glory nor some great duty to other but especially to the houshold of faith for somtime it may so fall out that that which men require and that otherwise of right may not bee giuen
he that letteth shall let A. That the Antichrist is not one particular man as the Papists doe phansie for then by the like phrase he that letteth must bee one particular man where it cannot be that one man should liue so many hundred yeeres as from Pauls time to the time of the translation of the Empire from Rome much lesse vntill within two yeeres and a halfe of the latter day as they imagine the time of Antichrist And therefore as by him that letteth is vnderstood a succession of Emperours not one man alone so by Antichrist the man of sinne is vnderstood a succession of men and not one onely man So in Daniel 7. 3. 17. the foure beasts and the foure Kings doe not signifie foure particular men but foure gouernments in euery one whereof there were sundry men that ruled So that the argument of the Papists who vpon the words the man of sinne would proue that the Antichrist the Apostle speaketh of is one singular man is but vaine and hath no consequence in it Q. But how can Antichrist bee already come seeing the Empire yet standeth A. The name of the Empire onely remaineth the thing is gone for hee hath neither the chiefe Citie nor the tribute nor the commandement of the people and therefore he can bee no let to the Antichrists comming especially the Pope hauing gotten such an vpper hand vpon him as to cause him to waite at his gate barefoot and to hold his stirrop Q. What shall be the end of this Antichrist A. God shall confound him with the breath of his mouth that is with the preaching of the word which serueth for an other argument to proue the Pope to be Antichrist for wheras he had subdued Kingdoms and Empires vnder his feet he hath been of late mightily suppressed by the word preached and not by outward force as other potentates vse to be Q. What learne you of this A. The maruellous power of Gods word to suppresse 2. Cor. 10. 4. 5. whatsoeuer riseth against it for if the mightiest cannot stand before it much lesse the smallest and therefore it is expressed by a mighty wind which carrieth all before it and by fire which consumeth all Act. 2. 2. 3. and pierceth all And it declareth a maruellous easie victorie against the enemies when it is said that with the breath of his mouth hee shall consume his enemies Q. What else shall be the ouerthrow of Antichrist A. The glorious appearance of the Sonne of God in the latter day Q. What gather you of this A. That before the last day he shall not bee vtterly consumed whereof notwithstanding it followeth not that the head shall remaine till then for the Beast and the false Prophet shall bee taken and cast into the fire before the latter day but some shall retaine a liking of him and his errours and superstitions euen till the last day Q. Hitherto of the head of this generall apostasie What are the members of it A. They are first described by their end euen a number of people that shall perish which accordeth with that name and property of the head the destroyer or sonne of perdition being truly verified in them in regard of the fearfull end he shall bring them to Q. What is the vse of this A. That as no poyson can take away the life of an elect so small occasions carrie away such as are appointed to destruction Q. How otherwise are these members of Antichrist described A. By this that they neuer loued the truth although they vnderstood it and professed it Q. How should a man loue the truth A. For the truths sake not for vaine glory fleshly delight or commodity Q. How appeareth it that men loue the word of God A. When they walke accordingly and keepe faith in a good conscience which some losing by their wicked life lost also their faith that is their religion 1. Tim. 1. 19. Q. How is it to be vnderstood that God giueth men vp to strong delusions A. Because God is a iust Iudge which by them either punisheth or correcteth former sinnes and especially the contempt of the Gospell in which regard euen amongst vs now some are cast into the sinke of Poperie some into the family of loue some become Arians some Anabaptists all which are as it were diuers goales and dungeons whereinto hee throweth those that are cold and carelesse professors of the Gospell Q. What learne you by this A. That they which imagine God fauourable vnto them notwithstanding their sinnes because their life or goods or honours are spared are foulely deceiued for when the Lord ceaseth to reproue any or to Rom. 1. 24. 26. striue with them then doth hee giue them vp into vanitie of their owne minds to doe their owne wicked willes which is the greater iudgement and very vsuall with God to doe Q. What is our dutie in such cases A. To pray vnto the Lord to keepe vs from all errour but if for our triall or further hardening of others it please him to send errours amongst vs that it would please him to preserue vs in that danger that wee taste not of that baite whereby Satan seeketh to catch vs. Q. What other cause is there of sending these errours A. That those may be damned which beleeue not the truth for as God hath appointed them to damnation so betwixt his counsell in reiecting them and the final effect of it there must be sinne to bring that effect iustly vpon them Q. What reason is annexed of their iust damnation A. Because they rest in vnrighteousnesse hauing their eares itching after errour which they drinke in as the earth drinketh vp raine or the fishes water So that albeit they bee powerfully sent of God in his iust iudgement yet are they also greedily desired and affected of them CHAP. 55. Of the nearer signes before the day of Iudgement They are such as shall come Either within an age Or be neerly ioyned to the same MATTH chap. 24. vers 23. to the 29. 23. Then if any man shall say vnto you Lo here is Christ or there beleeue it not 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceiue the very elect 25. Behold I haue told you before 26. Wherefore if they shall say vnto you Behold he is in the desart goe not forth Behold he is in the secret chambers beleeue it not 27. For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth euen vnto the West so shall also the cōming of the Son of mā be 28. For wheresoeuer the carkase is there will the Eagles be gathered together 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those daies shall the Sunne be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light and the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of the heauens shall be shaken Q. HItherto wee haue heard of the tokens that goe long