A CATECHISM WHEREIN THE LEARNER Is at once Taught to Rehearse and prove all the main Points of CHRISTIAN RELIGION By answering to every queston in The very words of Holy Scripture Together With a short and plain Discourse Useful to confirm the weak and unlearned in his Belief OF THE BEING of a GOD AND THE TRUTH of SCRIPTURE Be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 Hold fast the form of sound Works 2 Tim. 1.13 By Clement Ellis Author of the Gentile Sinner London Printed for Sam. Richards Bookseller in Nottingam 1674. TO MY PARISHIONERS My dear Friends and Brethren THis little Catechism with the short Discourse joyned with it are chiefly intended for your use and therefore to you in the first place are they offered I pray God the giver of every good gift to make this and all other poor endeavors of his most unworthy servant effâ—ctuall to establish you in the faith of Christ and the constant practice of all Christian virtues Ever since I came amongst you it hath been my dayly study how I might most profitably instruct you in the truth which is according to Godliness I have not followed cunningly devised fables neither used flattering words as ye know my business hath not been to amuse and confound you with a â—oise of words empty notions and the â—dle dreams of phanciful men nor to cozen your Souls by picasing the itching ear or prejudiced palate but to make necessary truths plain and intelligible 〈◊〉 to dress the sincere miâ—â—k of the word for you in that simple and wholesome way as I am perswaded was most conducive to your nourishment and gâ—outh thereby in Faith and Holiness If the success of my honest endeavours answer not my hopes of you and prayers for you I have cause indeed to mourn over your sins but I must not be discouraged from going on the same way still or praying unto God for his blessing upon it One evident cause of all that gross ignorance and error ethat wretched prophaneness and licenciousness that wild Fanaticisme as well in practice as opinion which is now every where too visible is the want of good and seasonable instruction in the first principles of our Religion Where youth is suffered to grow up in ignorance no better can be expected but that it run into dotage at last If the Foundation be either unlaid or fals-laid it can be no wonder to see the Superstructure shaken or blown down The truth is it is but too easy to shew that all those unhappy divisions and miscarriages which have ben of late and yet are amongst us in matters of Religion have Sprung if not only yet in great part from the neglect or abuse of that prime duty of Catachizing But I am not willing to draw out this Epistle into an unreasonable length by inlarging upon this subject Insteed of that leâ— me earnestly exhort you as you value the glory of Christ the peace of the Church and the eternal happiness of your own Souls 1. Be not wise in your own conceits take heed of that Spiritual pride whereby men are so apt to swell and grow great in their own eyes and much above these low ways of learning If any man despise these little helps it is but reasonable he should make it appear that he needs them not and when he shall do so I will promise him I will not trouble him any longer with them 2. Let not your children or servants perish for want of that instruction whereof you presume your selves to have no need It is not your fulness can keep them from starving Suffer them to be led by the hand till they get more strength If you have any love for them expose them not through want of instruction to be made a prey to Satan and every crafty Seducer whilst you phancy your selves such strong Saints as that you need not fear either the stoutest tempttaion or the loss of Heaven it self 3. Take heed how you run a whoring aftâ—r every new conceit in Religion which flatters your humour Think it not impossible that you may be led into the ditch by those who call them â—ives New Lâ—ghts â—ry the Spirits whether they be of God And thâ—s you can never do if you be not first well instructed in the Châ—eâ— principle of Religion which the holy Spirit of God hath already taught in his word 4. Suffer not a blind Zeal about trifles to transport you beyonâ— all care of the more weighty and substantial parts of Religion Think not that it is the commendation of your Religion that you scruple at a few Cerimonies or quarrel with the commands of your Superiors but believe and do as Christ hath taught and commanded certainly to live Godly and Rightuously and Soberly in this present world is a better sign of a Religious heart than all Sacrificings of the peace of Church and tate to a man 's own humour or groundless phancy A sound knowledge of the principles of Christian Religion would banish these shadows and bring back agaâ—n the truth and substance of Godliness 5. Yâ—â—ld therefore your selves with all meekness to instruction that ye may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that ye may no longer be Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive that ye may continue in the faith grounded and settled and may be ready to give answer to every one that asketh you a reason of the the faith that is in you He that can do so will not be ashamea to do it and he that cannot should be ashamed not to learn to do it 6. Remember that when you were baptised you promised and vowed by others to forsake all sin to believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith and to obey God's holy will and commandments is it not therefore necessary that so soon as you are capable you should apply your selves with all diligence to learn what those Sins those Articles and those Commandment are That you may do so the Churh hath provided for you a short and easy Catechism and excellentlâ— fitted 〈◊〉 first years to prepare yâ—u for Coâ—â—iâ—maâ—â—on that is to make you understand your vow of Baptism so far as you may be able in your owâ— persons openly in the face of the Church to profess anâ—â—â—clare 〈…〉 to keep it and thereupon 〈◊〉 both the approbation and prayers of 〈◊〉 â—piritâ—al Fathers and â—â— tâ—◠〈…〉 for Grace to enable you 〈◊〉 And seeing those 〈…〉 there solemnly made to God for â—ouâ— growth and increase in knowledge and grâ—â—shâ—uld it not be your constant endeavour by a diligent use of all the mâ—aâ—s to be dayly more confirmed and improve in both now for this â—nâ— it is not only necessary to read the
word hear Sermons be frequent both in publick and private prayer and duâ—y receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but it is very conventent and uâ—eful to have ever in your hands some larger Catechism or expâ—sition of the Chief Heads of Christian Religion Many of this kind there â—â— already extant yet this one more I have thought fit to adde I shall not now give you thy other reason for my so doing though I have many then only this that I love you and study how I may most contribute to your eternul welfare 1. Thiâ— Catechiâ—m will I hope by it's length prove no burden to the memories of those who can already give an account of the Church Catechism and have been for some years exercised in reading the holy Scriptures out of which the answers are taken almost word for word and unto such I chiefly offer it 2. Though the answers are little else but the very words of Scripture and of such plain texts as are lest subject to dispute or cavil yet have I all along quoted the Chapter and verse whence the words are taken and iâ—clâ—â—ed the quotation between two crooked horns thus ... that in the reading you may pass them over and when you please consult the texts quoted for any clause of the answer without the trouble of having recourse to the margin first 3. The Learner is here at once taught to answer the question and give a proof of his answer whilst he answers in the very words of those texts which are his proofs He thus answers not in the words which mans wisdom but which the holy Ghost â—eacheth and is not put upon the more troublesome and somtimes impossible task of gathering the author's sense out of the texts quoted 4. In these days when strange doctrines abound and Seducers are busy and have learned the Devil's art of quoting Scripture for every wicked conceit it will be some advantage to the learner of this Catechism that he is hence furnished with one or more plain and pertinent texts for every point of his Religion to oppose against the tempter If in any particular I seem too short consider that in the beginning I had â—â—ed my self to the very text of Scripture and therefore could go no farther than that would go along with me The Creed the ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer I suppose already learned together with those short and useful expositions in the Church-Catechism and what else may be yet required in a Catechism for the fuller understanding of them is not I hope wanting in this I shall only adde that thiâ— Scripture Catechism perfectly learn'd and well digested will be a great help to you in the profitable reading both of the Scriptures and other good books and will teach you to discover the Errors of many unsound Discourses which being industrously suited by a popular way of writing to the humours of such who being ignorantly zealous are aptest to be â—eceived are very likely to be thrust into your hands Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ. That ye may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdome and Spiritual understanding walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and abounding in the knowledge of God that you may hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace and having your fruit unto holyness may have your â—nd everlasting life this is the dayly prayer of Your servant in all things wherein he may serve Christ. Q. IS there any such thing as Religion A. All Nations in all Ages of the World have ever professed some Religion Q What mean you by Religion A. By Religion I mean a belief that there is a God joyned with an endeavour to please and honor him a fear to offend him and a hope to bemade happy by him Q. What then is the Foundation of all Religion A. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11 6. Q How may a man know that there is a God A. The invisible things of God from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 Q Of what Religion are you A. I am one of the Disciples of Christ called Christians Act. 11.26 Q. Why do you chuse to be a disciple or follower of Christ A. To whom should I go Christ hath the words of eternal Life Ioh. 6.68 in him are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 he that followeth him shall not walk in darkness but shall have the Light of Life Ioh 8 12. Q. How do you know that Christ hath the words of Life A. Christ is that Messias of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write Ioh. 1.41 45. even the Son of God which should come into the world Ioh. 11.27 Q. Why do you believe Christ to be the Messias the Son of God A. In Christ all things are fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning him Luke 24.44 Hâ— was also approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him Act. 2.22 Iob. 3.2.10.25 Q. Let me hear some of those wonders you speak of A. The blind did see the Lame did walk the Lepers were cleansed the Deaf did hear and the Dead were raised Luk. 7.22 hereby are we sure he is that Christ the Son of the Living God Iohn 6.69 for no mâ—â— could do these Miracles which he did except God were with him Iohn 3. â— Q. What kind of Religion did Christ teaâ—h A. The Râ—ligion which Christ hath taught us 〈◊〉 pure Religion and undefiled Iames â— 27 Q. Where may a man learn this Holy Religion A. Christian Religion is to be learnt in the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 especially in the Word of the Truth of the Gospel Col. 1.5 that glorious Gospel of the Blessed God 1 Tim. 1.11 Q. What reason have you to speak so highly of the Gospel A. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that bâ—lieveth Rom. 1.16 Q. How come you to the knowledge of the Gospel A. The Gospel began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.3 4. Seeing that your Religion is to be learned in the Holy Scriptures Answer me out of them to those Questions which I shall ask you and first tell me Q. Who made the World A.
We must not be forgetful hearers but doers of the work Iam. 2.5 letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom Col 3.16 Q. What is it that chiefly hinders the effect of the Word A. Cares and Riches and pleasures of this Life choak the Word that it brings no Fruit to perfection Luke 8.14 Q. Where have you the Word of God A. We have the Word of God in the Holy Scriptures which are given by inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.15 10. for Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 Eph. 3.5 Q. Do the Scriptures contain all things necessary to Salvation A. The Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto Salvation through Faith which is Christ Jesus being profitable for Doctrine for reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly â—â—â—nished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3. â—â— 16 18. Q. What then is your Duty A. We must search the Scriptures Iohn 5.39 and take heed lest any man spoil us through Philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ Col. 2.8 Q What doth Christ in the first place require of all that will follow him A. If any man will come after Christ let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow him Mat. 16.24 Q. What mean you by denying our selves A. We must count those things which are gain to us but loss for Christ Phil. 3.7 forsake all that we have Luke 14.33 hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and our own Life also to be his Disciples Luke 14.26 Q. How are you to honour God with your Estates A. We must honour the Lord with our Substance and with the First Fruits of our Increase Prov. 3.9 Q. How must we honour God in our Bodies A. We must present our Bodies a Living Sacrifice Holy acceptable to God which is our reasonable Service Rom. 12.1 Q. What Virtues must we especially practice in oâ—r Bodies A. We must be temperate in all things 1 Cor. 9.25 Gal. 5.23 2 Pet. 1.6 Q. Which is the first part of temperance A. Every one of us must know how to posses his Vessel in Sanctification and honour not in the lust of Concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God 1 Thes. 4.4 5. abstaining from Fornication v. 3. 1 Cor. 6.18 and all uncleanness filthiness Eph. 5.3 4. and lasciviousness Gal. 5.20 Q. What is the other part of temperance A. We must not walk in rioting and drunkenness Rom. 13.13 revellings Gal. 5.21 surfeitings and the cares of this Life Luke 21.34 nor make any provision for the Flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.14 Q. How must we honour God in ordinary Discourse A. Our speech must be alwayes with Grace Col. 4.6 that no corrupt communication proceed out of our Mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers Eph. 4.29 Q. What thoughts are we to have of our selves A. We must not think of our selves more highly than we ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith Rom. 12.3 neither be wise in our own conceits v. â—6 Q. What is the danger of Pride A. God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 Q. How are you to carry your selves in reference to the Fashions and Customs of this World A. We must not be conformed to this World but be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of Gâ—â— Rom 12.2 Q. Where ought a Christians affections and treasure to be A. We must set our affections on things above not on things on the Earth Col 3.2 neither must we lay up for our selves Treasures upon Earth but in Heaven for where our Treasure is there will our Hearts be also Mat. 6.19 c. Q. What is your Duty to your Neighbour A. We must love our Neighbours as our selves Mark 12.31 Mat. 22.39 Q. What is the general rule of Iustice to our Neighbours A. Whatsoever we would that Men should do unto us we must do even so unto them Luke 6.31 Mat. 7.12 rendring unto all their dues Rom. 13.7 So loving not in word neither in Tongue but in deed and in Truth 1 Iohn 3.18 Q. How must you express your love to your Neighbours Soul A. We must exhort one another Heb. 10.25 daily lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3.13 teaching and admonishing one another Col. 3.16 provoking to love and to good works Heb 10.24 rebuking and not suffering sin upon our Neighbours Lev. 19.17 restoring those that are overtaken in a fault in the spirit of meekness Gal. 6.5 and putting no stumbling block or occasion to fall in our brothers way Rom. 14.13 Q. How must you shew your love to the body of your neighbour A. He that hath two coats let him impart to him that has none and he that hath meat let him do likewise Luke 3.11 giving him those things which be needful for the body Iam. 2.16 Mat 5.42 1 Iohn 3.17 Q. How must we behave our selves towards our neighbour in reference to his goods A. Let no man seek his own but every man anothers wealth 1 Cor. 10.34 coveting no mans Silver or Gold Acts 20.23 nor any thing that is our neighbours Ex. 20.17 Q. What sins of the heart are contrary to the love of our Neighbour A. Sins of the heart contrary to brotherly love are envy malice despite hatred wrath anger implacableness unmercifulness evil surmizings emulation covetousness Q. What sins of the tongue are contrary to brotherly love A. Sins of the tongue contrary to brotherly love are brawling railing whispering back-biting false-witness false-accusing reviling tale bearing tatling business in other mens matters dissimulation cursing slandering provoking clamour and evil-speaking Q. What are the sins in deed contrary to brotherly love A. Sins of deed against Brotherly love are Murders Warrs Fightings biting and devouring one another theft deceit doing wrong and defrauding Covenant breaking truce breaking extortion strife variance the scant measure wicked balances and bag of deceitful weights For all these sins see these following Texts Rom. 1.29.30 31.3.14.12.9.1 Tim. 3.3 11.5 13.6 4. Tit. 3.2 3. Gal. 5.19 26. 15. Col. 3.8 Mark 7.22.10.19 Mat. 15.19.2 Tim. 3.3 1 Cor. 6.8 10. Lev. 19.16 Prov. 11.13 1 Pet. 4.15 Iames 3.14 Eph. 4.31 1 Thes. 4.6 Mic. 6.10 11. Q. What is your duty when men trespass against you A. If our Brother trespass against us we must rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and if he trespass against us seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to us saying I repent we must forgive him Luke 17.3 4. Q What is your duty to your Enemies A.
God Why did that eternal Man leave Children so unlike himself of so short a Life Or what is now become of him If he was eternally he had eternally a power to be and live and did chuse to dye and be no more and not leave the least notice to the World that ever he was Did that first man begin to be He gave not his beginning to himself for before he began to be he was not he had it from no other man for he was the first man did he spring out of the Earth Shew what power the Earth had to prodcue so noble a Creature and if it had that power did it spend it all at once that it should never before or since bring forth another man or any thing like him I know men may dream of strange â—hings and tell their dreams so often that they may forget they were dreams and begin to think them Truths and because wicked man is afraid of God he is willing to set hiâ— phansie aâ— work to hatch pretty conceits which he may play and sport with and divert himself from hearkning to his Conscience and fom all thoughts of God which disturb his quiet and imbitter his delights with fears of Judgment but he shall never be able by reason to satisfie himself that there is no God 3. The content of the whole World perswades me that it is at least a very great unadvisedness and arrogance hastily to dis-believe a God the whole frame and order of Nature convince me that it is very reasonable and highly satisfactory to the mind of man to believe there is a God but far greater satisfaction yet a man may receive from those clearer evidences which God hath given to the World of himself in Prophesies and Miracles Let a Man therefore thus reason with himself First Things have been fore-told many hundred years before they came to pass and these things have come to pass exactly in all circumstances of time place and manner as they were fore-told For my own part I know that I cannot tell what shall be to Morrow or the very next hour and others who have ventured to fore-tell such things have miserably befool'd both themselves and all that gave credit to them onely those few who pretended that they came from God and gave sufficient evidence to the world that they spake by God's Command have been so happy as to gain credit to the God from whom they came as the true God and to themselves as his true Prophets by a timely and evident fulfilling of those things which they did foretel Now seeing that there have been men who have foretold the the things which afterwards came to pass in all circumstances as they were fore-told and such things as did not depend upon the constant course of Nature and such as no man else could foresee and seeing that these men did profess they knew not these things by their own Art or Study nor by any natural means but only by the revelation which they had from God and seeing it is unconceivable how any should know such things but he alone who governs and orders all things I cannot but believe there is a God who sent these men and spake by them 2. Works have been done which not only exceed the power of man to do but are clearly above the power and against the course of nature these are truly called Miracles wonderful works The Fire hath refused to burn them that were cast into it the Waters have stood up like Walls on each hand whilst men have passed dry-foot through the midst of them the Sun hath been made to stand still for a time and the dead have been raised to life with a word these and the like things I am sure man hath of himself no power to do nor can any man imagin by whom they could be done but by him alone who hath the command of nature These things were done by men onely who said they came from God and to witness to the world that they said truly and all to perswade the world to acknowledge God to fear worship and obey him and therefore I cannot but believe that there is a God who sent these men and wrought by them If any man now ask how we know there have been such things as these he will receive a fuller answer in that which now follows to shew what reason we have to believe the Scriptures to be true wherein these things are recorded It is very reasonable to believe that if there be a God he expects some homage and duty from us and because we can of our selves but guess at most what duties they be which we are to pay unto him and so may be mistaken it is farther yet very reasonable to believe that God hath given us some notice of his will and pleasure and some rule to direct us how we may acceptably serve and honour him and that he should therein make known unto us so much of himself as may beget in us an honuorable esteem and reverend thoughts of his Majesty and so much of his works as to convince us that we came from him and do depend upon him and so much of his goodness and bounty as may encourage us to serve him cheerfully and lastly such demonstrations of his truth as may satisfie us that all this is real and no guile or deceit in it The reasonableness of believing this upon supposition onely that there is a God will make it still more reasonable to believe there is a God when we see that there is something which men do receive and own as a rule sent from God to teach us how we are to honour him and that it hath all those things in it which we suppose it reasonable that such a Rule should have Now we have in our hands a book called the Bible or book and the Scripture or Writing by way of excellency and it is believed that in this Book we have the Word of God whereby he hath revealed himself and his will unto us to teach us both what we are to believe and what we are to do and what we are to hope for That then which we are now to be satisfied in is how it appears that this Book doth indeed contain the Word of God Now this Book being made up of two parts the Old and the New Testament and the Writers of the New Testament bearing witness to the Writers of the Old Testament that they came from God it will certainly follow that if the Writings of the New Testament be true and from God the Writings of the Old are so too Therefore a man need do no more but satisfie himself in the truth and Divine Authority of the New Testament And here let a man thus reason with himself 1. I see that we have these Books and I see whose names they bear I see that the men who writ these Books pretend that they spake from God and that we ought to