shew the greatest Reverence not only to his Names but also his Titles Attributes Ordinances Houses Revenues Words and Works For unto them all hath the Apostles exhottation Heb. 12.28 relation Let us have grace whereby to serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear And the particular Duties respecting all these you have in the next Questions and their Answers Q. How doth your Catechism express this A. To give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his Holy Name and his Word Q. What then are the sins forbidden in this Commandment A. Unthankfullness Distrustfullness not praying to God or praying to any other but God all Abuses of or irreverent use of or medling with His Word Sacraments House Titles or Ministers and especially rash and vain Swearing Cursing and Blasphemy Q. What doth God threaten them that thus transgress his Commandment A. That he will not hold them Guiltless that is they shall be held guilty and by no means escape his Vengeance Catechist It cannot be expected that all duties and sins herein required and forbidden should be particularly named in so short an Abstract as a Catechism is and should be but these are the chief We must give God thanks for all his Works and Benefits Temporal and Spiritual 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks Psal 50.14 Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most High We must call upon God by Solemn Religious prayer and Invocation as alone able and willing to hear and help us and upon no other Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And these two are closely joyned together by the Apostle in one precept Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing let your requests be made known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving We must put our whole trust in God Psal 62.8 Trust in the Lord at all times ye people pour out your hearts before Him for God is our hope And on the contrary ingratitude and unfaithfulness was the sin of the Israelites Deut. 32.15 18. Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God that made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his Salvation Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten him that formed thee Isaiah 1.2 3. I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Luk. 17.18 Of the ten Lepers that were cleansed but one returned to give thanks And as prayer is Our duty so it is branded as Atheistical and shews that a man saith in his heart there is no God that he calls not upon the Lord Psal 14.4 And we are not to call upon any other but Him Not Angels for so the Angel forbad S. John Rev. 22.9 See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant Not Saints for Isaiah 63.16 Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledges us not And as we are to put our whole trust in God so distrustfulness was the Israelites sin Psal 78.19 Can God prepare a table in the wilderness Behold He smote the rock indeed that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed but can he give bread also Can He provide flesh And therefore Our Saviour cautions us against this Matth. 6.25 Take no thought no distrustful thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or wherewithall ye shall be clothed ver 32. your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things And so are we forbidden trusting in any other things whether in wants or dangers Not in horses or chariots Psal 20.7 Not in Princes Psal 118.8 Not in any Son of man Psal 146.3 Not in bow or shield Psal 44.6 Not in our riches Prov. 11.28 Not in ourselves Prov. 18.26 We are also warned to take heed of all irreverent use of Gods word Luk. 8 18. Take heed how you hear Prov. 13.13 Whoso despiseth Gods word shall be destroyed And of his Sacraments â— Cor. 11.27 Whoso eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to Himself not discerning the Lords Body And his House the Church For 1 Cor. 11.22 What have ye not houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God And of his Titles and Revenues what is set apart for Holy Uses and for the maintenance of his Ministers For the Prophet Malachi saith chap. 3.8 that to defraud or alienate them is to rob God or to abuse his Ministers or not to hearken to and obey them Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And then for taking Gods Name in vain by vain or false Swearing Cursing or Blaspheming the letter of the Commandment is express and innumerable Texts speak terribly to all that are guilty thereof To name but one or two I will bring the Curse saith the Lord of hosts by his Prophet Zechariah 5.4 and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and shall remain in the midst thereof and consume it with the Timber thereof and with the stones thereof And one Text in Deut. 28.58 59. may serve instead of all other Texts If thou wilt not observe to fear this great and glorious Name The Lord thy God Then will the Lord make thy plagues great and wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long Continuance In short our Saviour explains this Commandment to forbid not only perjury or false swearing but also swearing vainly and in our ordinary talk and Communication and swearing by any other but God For an Oath is a Divine Honour Mat. 5.33 34 37. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self But I say unto you swear not at all neither by heaven nor by the Earth c. But let your Communications be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil and so much also of the third Commandment Q. What are the duties required by the fourth Commandment A. To serve him truly as in his Solemn days of Worship so all the days of my life Q. Which are those Solemn days of Worship wherein we are especially to serve God A. The Lords day and days set apart for Humiliation and Thanksgiving the Feasts and Fasts of the Church Q. Which is the Lords day A. The First day of the week observed by Christians because of Christs Resurrection upon it as the Seventh day was by the Jews in memory of the Creation Catechist We are assured both by Scripture and the Churches Histories that the First day of the week was after Christs Resurrection and in memory thereof observed by the Christians for all the Holy Offices as the Seventh day Sabbath was by them under
gives hereof 1 Thes 2.3 That day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night for when men shall say peace and safety then cometh sudden destruction upon them as travel upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Matth. 25.31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory with his Holy Angels then shall he sit in his Throne of Glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father c. But ver 41. To them on his left hand He will say Depart from me ye cursed c. And ver 46. These shall go into Everlasting punishment but the Righteous into Life Eternal Q. What use are we to make of these several parts of Christs Exaltation A. To rise again with Christ unto all newness of life to set our affections on things above where Christ is To serve him with fear because all power is given him and to judge ourselves daily and to watch over all our thoughts words and actions as they that must give account thereof at Christs tribunal Catechist All these the Scripture splainly teach us Rom. 6.4 We are buried with Christ by Baptism that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of his Father even so we also should walk in newness of life And this is the proper use to be made of Christs Resurrection for it follows there having been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also planted together in the likeness of his Resurrection Col. 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ is set at the Right hand of God This is the use we are to make of Christs Ascension and sitting at the Right hand of God In short Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear kiss the Son lest he be angry and so ye perish if his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him And that is a Meditation very proper for that whole Exaltation of Christ that is past already and then let what is to come be always in our minds even his coming to judgment That judging ourselves we may not be judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 And seeing all these things shall be then dissolved let us seriously consider as St. Peter 2 Ep. 3.11 admonisheth us What manner of persons we ought to be in all manner of Conversation and Godliness Thus have you what the Creed teacheth you concerning the two first persons in the blessed Trinity The Father and the Son now Q. What dost thou believe concerning the Third Person A. I believe that he is God the Holy Ghost Proceeding from the Father and the Son One with them Holy in himself and the Author of all Holiness in us Catechist I shall further explain to you and prove the several parts of this Answer in the following Questions and their answers I ask you then Q. Is not the Father a Spirit and was not the Son also a pure Spirit before he took our nature upon him A. Yes But the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Father and of the Son inspired or proceeding from them both Catechist True and from hence he is called the spirit of the Father Matth. 10.20 And the spirit of the Son Gal. 4.6 And as the Father sent the spirit John 14.26 So the Son promised his Disciples to send the spirit when he left them to the wide world John 15.26 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father even the spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father He shall testifie of me Q. Is the Holy Ghost God A. Yes He is One with and Equal to the Father and the Son Catechist Being one with and equal to them he must necessarily be God very God For being three persons they are but one God 1 John 5.7 There are three that bear record in Heaven The Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are One. Besides which plain Text to prove the Divinity of the Holy Ghost There is one General Argument which is not hard to learn or remember for arming yourselves against all such Hereticks as deny the Holy Ghost to be God as well as our Saviour The name of God the Attributes of God the Works of God and the Honours which belong to God alone are ascribed to the Holy Ghost Therefore the Holy Ghost is God Particularly we are all Baptized as in the name of the Father and of the Son so in the name of the Holy Ghost And here in the Creed we profess to believe in the Holy Ghost as well as as in God the Father and in Jesus Christ the only Son of God And believing in is an honour peculiar to God We may not believe in any Creature in any but God For it implies Trust and Affiance and Jer. 17.5 Cursed is he that trusts in any Arm of flesh To name only one Text more Act. 5.3 When Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost concerning the price of their lands they are expressly said to lie to God and not to men Therefore the Holy Ghost is God Q Why is he called the Holy Spirit or the Holy Ghost A. Being Holy in himself he Sanctifies us and all our Holiness is his work he is the Author of all Holiness in us Catechist Holiness is his Essential Attribute and Sanctification or making us Holy is his proper Work And hence we read of the Sanctification of the Spirit 1 Thes 2.13 and of the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 And hereby he seals us to the day of Redemption Ephes 4.30 Q. By what means doth the spirit Sanctifie us A. The Holy Scriptures were written by men inspired by the spirit and he daily enlightens converts sanctifies and comforts our souls by them in the Ministry of the Word Q. What must we then do that the spirit may Sanctifie us A. We must highly esteem and constantly attend Gods Holy Ordinances and obey all the Holy Spirit 's godly motions in our hearts Catechist The Spirit moves in these waters as in the Pool of Bethesda to heal the diseases of our Souls and we are therefore warned to take heed that we do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God Ephes 4.30 nor quench the spirit 1 Thes 5.19 Which is done as by any willful gross sin so by despising prophecying 1 Thes 1.20 by slighting neglecting or making light of any of Gods Holy Ordinances Thus have you what the Creed teaches you to believe concerning the Holy Ghost also and so concerning all the Persons in the Blessed Trinity Proceed we then to what it teacheth concerning the Church Q. Who are they that shall receive any benefit
the old Testament in memory of Gods Rest from his works of Creation and thence was it called the Lords day Rev. 1.10 John in the Isle of Patmos was in the spirit on the Lords day Act. 20.7 Vpon the first day of the week when the Disciples were together to eat bread Paul preached unto them 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him As for the Churches Holy days or Days appointed by Authority for solemn publick prayers and thanksgivings upon occasion of some great Calamities or Deliverances though they be appointed by man only yet have they as good Authority as the Feast of Purim and Dedication among the Jews for they had no other but Humane Appointment Q. How must God be served on those days A. By resting from all bodily labours except them of Necessity and Mercy to the end we may wholly attend the publick and private exercises of Religion and Godliness Q. What sins then are forbidden by this Commandment A. Mispending these days either in sin or idleness or the servile works of our callings or in vain sports or whatsoever may hinder our keeping them Holy Catechist The Commandment expressly forbids all servile works on the Sabbath day and so do divers Texts as Exod. 31.13 14. and 35.2 and Jer. 17.21 much more idleness vain sports and pastimes and all sinful spending it in gluttony drunkenness filthy Communications and all manner of Licentiousness We are to rest from our worldly labours but mark for what end not that bodily ease can of it self please God but it is that being free from all encombrances of this world and all earthly cares and distractions we may sanctifie the day keep it holy or hallow it Only as our Saviour clears the matter in Confutation of the Pharisees Matth. 12.11 12 13. Works of Necessity Mercy and Charity are allowed and lawful for What man of you saith he having an Ox or an Ass fallen into a pit on the sabbath day will not lift it up It is lawfull therefore to do good on the Sabbath day And therefore he Himself scrupled not to heal the sick cleanse the lepers restore the blind and lame c. and thus he justifieth himself in so doing against their cavills Q. What must parents and Masters do in obedience to this Commandment A. They must exercise their children and Servants in all Religious duties publick and private and restrain them from all contrary sins Catechist The Tenour of the Commandment runs thus Thou and thy Son and thy daughter thy man servant thy maid servant c. And for an example to all Householders as well as Kings and Princes Joshua said chap. 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. So let all of us say Let other persons be careless how their families observe the Lords day whether they come to the Church or be absent how they mispend it in vain sports or prophaness I and mine will do otherwise we will serve the Lord publickly and privately with all good care and Conscience Ps 42.4 We will go up together unto the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that keep holy day Psal 101.4 6. A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful that they may dwell with me He that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me Q. What Motives doth God use to engage our obedience to his Commandments A. His allowing us six days for our own labours and his own special property in the Seventh His own Example and His having Sanctified the Sabbath day to Holy Uses Catechist Every one is able of himself to discern all these in the words of the Commandment Let me then leave that to you and ask you in the next place Q. Is it sufficient to serve God in his Solemn days only A. No We must set apart some Competent part of our time every day and serve him truly all the days of our lives Catechist We are injoyned in Gods word to pray always Luk. 18.1 and to pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 that is keep a constant daily course of prayer And in all things to give thanks 1 Thes 5.18 and to have God always before us Ps 16.8 So is every day to be so a Sabbath unto us as therein to rest from sin and to allot some competent time for Gods immediate service from our worldly business as well as to serve him by all diligence in labour and by faithful and righteous dealing in our Callings and Vocations Luk. 1.74 Being delivered from the hands of our enemies it is that we may serve him without fear in Holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives Q. Doth this fourth Commandment then oblige us Christians A. Yes though not the Ceremonial part as it requires the seventh-day Sabbath and the strict Jewish Rest yet what is of Moral equity in it to wit that a Competent part of our time be thus devoted to Gods Worship and Service Catechist It concerns us even us Christians to remember often Gods fearful judgements on divers prophaning of the Sabbath as him that gathered sticks on it Num. 15.32 and them that bare burdens on the Sabbath day in Jerusalem Jer. 17.27 And Nehemiahs zeal to restrain from buying and selling wares on the Sabbath day chap. 10.31 against those that trode the winepresses and brought in sheaves and asses laden with wine grapes and figs c. on the Sabbath day chap. 13. from ver 15. to 23. For as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 10 11. These examples are written for our learning or admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come And as God gave Ten Commandments so had this in special the same Author and Lawgiver as the other had even the Eternal God the Creator of all things who as the very light of nature prompts if he be God must be worshipped and glorified as God which cannot be unless some competent portion of time suppose one in seven be set apart for it And therefore although the Ceremonial part of the Commandment be abrogated yet is the Moral still Obligatory to us Christians And so our Holy Church believes or else we should not be taught by it to pray after the reading of this as well as every other Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law I may now hope you pretty well understand your duty towards God taught you in the first Table of the Decalogue the four first Commandments Let us go on then to the second Q. How many Commandments are there in the second Table A. The Six last Commandments Q. What sort of duties doth the second Table teach you A. My duties towards my Neighbour Q. What is