in their infancy are saved by the free Grace of God who worketh all things after the counsell of his own will Quest How doth the Word preached worke saving grace in men Answ. Not barely by it selfe nor by any divine vertue inherent in it but by the free grace of God and the inward operation of the Spirit working with it when and where and in whom he will For the Word preached doth not profit when it s notmingled with Faith in them that heare it Heb. 4. 2. as we see in the Iewes to whom Christ himselfe preached and yet they were not turned to God but the Word by him spoken through their infidelity turned to their hurt wrought to the hardening of them in their sins and left them without all excuse or any cloak for their wickednesse Iohn 15. 22. Quest What are those necessary works and saving graces which God by his Word and Spirit worketh in men to bring them to salvation in Christ Answ. They are works and graces which flow from Gods eternall election and are only wrought in the elect They are necessary because without them none can be saved and they are called saving works and graces because the persons in whom they are once wrought can never fall away and perish but shall certeinely persevere in them and be saved And they all may be brought under two heads The first are the works which God alone by his Word and Spirit worketh in his Elect. The second sort are the works which God so worketh that they also do cooperat with him and work together with his Spirit Quest Which are the works which God alone by his Spirit worketh in the Elect Answ. The first is regeneration from which all the rest do flow to wit renovation which is called renuing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Effectuall calling union with Christ adoption and Communion of all Christs benefits as of his ransome satisfaction righteousnesse and intercession for redemption remission of sins justification and perfect reconciliation Quest Which is the first saving grace Answ. The first which is the ground of al the rest is Regeneration Quest What is Regeneration Answ. It is that worke of God by which he sheds the Holy Ghost on his Elect through Iesus Christ of which Spirit given to dwell in them as his immortall seed they are borne again and become new creatures and spirituall members of Christ and children of God by a new birth and Generation Quest What is Renovation Answ. It is the work of God which he by his Spirit shed on them and dwelling in them doth work in them renuing them after the image of Christ and making them conformable to him both in his death by mortification and in his life by vivification Quest What is Mortification Answ. It is that work of Gods Spirit wherein hee deriveth the vertue of Christs death unto them and worketh in them such a sense of their misery sin and corruption and such a godly griefe sorrow contrition of heart loathing and abhorring of themselvs as doth tame their rebellious lusts and gives a deadly blow to the old man of sinfull corruption in them so that sinne can no more reigne in their mortall bodies but by grace they prevaile more and more over their corruption and do mortifie it continually Quest What is Vivification Answ. It is that worke of the Spirit by which he derives the vertue of Christs holy life unto them to quicken them and sanctifie them by inherit holines and to make them in the whole course of their life conformable to the holy and upright life of Christ Quest What gifts and graces are wrought in the Elect by Renovation Answ. The first which is as it were the root of the rest is Faith For as the Devill did first breath into Adam an unbeleefe and distrust of God and his truth so that hee beleeved not the Word and threatning of God but gave credit to Satans lyes and relyed on them and by his false beliefe Satan drew him on to a false opinion of God and a conceipt that God envyed his greater good whereupon hee began proudly to imagine that he might by eating of the forbidden tree become wise as God and did conceive enmity in his mind against God ambitious lusts and evill affections So God in renuing man doth first worke Faith in him which is the gift of beleeving in God and relying on his Word and Promises And by his Word beleeved he gives light of undeâ—standing and knowledge which drives out errors and false opinions and enables man to see his owne vilenesse and Gods goodnesse towards him whence ariseth the grace of humility and repentance also a sincere holy love of God feare and reverence of his Majesty joy rejoycing hope and delight in God and a will and desire to obey him in all things and in a word all Christian vertues by which a man becomes conformable to Christ Quest What is Effectuall Calling Answ. It is the work of the Spirit of Regeneration who by giving to the elect a new heart and spirit doth incline and enable them to follow the outward calling of the Word and to turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. Quest What is the Vnion of the Elect with Christ Answ. It is not a making of their severall persons one undivided Essence and Substance with the person of Christ For that unity is only in God and in the three persons of the blessed Trinity Neither is it a making of them one person with Christ by such a personal union as is between his Godhead and Manhood and betweene the soule and body of every man Neither is it a bodily uniting of them with Christ by a bodily mixture and composition of the substance of their soules and bodyes with the substance of the soule and body of Christ as wine and water are mingled together For such an union makes the things united inseparable in place one from another so that wheresoever Christs body is there they must needs be and can be in no other proper place who are thus united Neither is this union only in heart and affection But this is a spirituall mysticall and substantiall union in which Christ sitting at Gods right hand above the Heavens and they dispersed over all the Earth are made one spirituall and mysticall body whereof Christ is the head and they members by meanes of the same Spirit dwelling and working in them after the same maner as he dwelleth and worketh in the humane nature of Christ from his first conception and framing in the wombe For by one Spirit they are all Baptized into one body whereof Christ is the head and being many members they make up one body even as all members in naturall body though they be many make up but one body because they all have but one soule and life the holy Spirit of which they are regenerate borne againe and made new creatures is
the sure spirituall band of union betweene Christ the head and them the members of the same mysticall body Quest What is Adoption Answ. It is a necessary consequent of the union of the Elect with Christ For Christ being the only begotten Son of God by eternall generation as hee is God and as hee is Man by personall union with God the Sonne and by a supernaturall and miraculous generation and so heire of all things Heb. 1. 2. It must necessarily follow that whosoever are in him one body with him and lead by his Spirit do thereby come under the account of children and heires of God and of coheires with Christ and so God the Father doth esteeme respect and accoumpt them the Spirit dwelling in them doth witnesse with their spirit that they are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Quest What is the Communion with Christ of all his benefits Answ. It is a consequent that is a grace necessarily following from union with Christ For whosoever are by one Spirit baptized into Christ and made one spirituall body with him as really and substantially as all members in a mans body are one naturall body with the head they must needs have such a spirituall communion of all Christs treasures vertues and endowents as is the naturall communion which all the members in a mans body have with the head Christs sufferings satisfaction for sin righteousnesse ransome and intercession are theirs and they have a right and interest in them and communion of them all And thus God justifies and makes them fundamentally righteous by Christs perfect righteousnesse frees them from the guilt of all their sins by his satisfactory sufferings and accepts them for his redeemed and reconciled ones through Christs intercession and makes them actually accepted in his beloved Christ Eph. 1. 6. Quest What are the works of saving grace which God so worketh in the Elect that they also being moved by his Spirit do cooperat and worke together with him Answ. They are the actions of the Elect regenerat exercising by the motion of the Spirit those spirituall gifts and Christian vertues which were given them by renovation or renuing of the holy Ghost Quest Which is the first of them Answ The first is actuall Faith or Beleeving in God and in Christ for as the gift of Faith is the first of all spirituall gifts which by the renuing of the holy Ghost is wrought in the elect regenerate So the worke of their Faith that is actuall beleeving is the first of all which by the motion of the Spirit they performe after they are quickned and raised up to live a spirituall life Quest Why is the work of their Faith the first before the acts of knowledge repentance love hope and the rest Answ. Because Faith possesseth the whole heart and soule of man and informeth after a sort all the powers and faculties thereof even the understanding will and affections It is the opening of the understanding to take notice of Gods goodnesse and of the truth of his Word It is the inclining of the will to give assent to the whole Word of God and all truth therein revealed and to acknowledge all Gods Truth Goodnesse and Mercy in Christ It is the rectifying of the affections and the plyablenesse of them to trust in God to rely on him to hope in his mercy to love feare and reverence him and to hate all offence of his holy Majesty to sorrow for sin with godly sorrow to repentance to rejoyce and delight in the things of God and to bee zealous of good works and resolve to serve honour and obey God in a constant course of life This saving Faith sets a work all other graces and therefore all works of true godlinesse holinesse and righteousnesse performed by the Elect regenerate and sanctified are called fruits of Faith by which their Faith is openly shewed and made knowne as a tree by the fruits of it Quest Which is the proper work of true saving Faith Answ The proper work of it by which all other graces are set a work is a firme and stedfast beleeving with the whole heart of the Word of God and all things therein revealed which concerne their salvation by Christ that is both eternall life in the fruition of God and the way to it Quest What difference is there betweene this beleeving and that which is in Devils and in carnall hypocrites who beleeve these things or at least many of them at some times Answ. There is as great difference between them as between light and darknesse The beleeving of the Elect regenerat proceeds from a supernaturall cause and from a Divine and holyroot even the Spirit of God dwelling in them as Gods immortall seed and sanctifying them and therefore it is holy firme and stedfast and reacheth beyond all hope sense and reason But that of the Devils and carnall hypocrites proceeds from their own naturall reason convinced by sense experience and plaine arguments or by a common illumination of the Spirit shining from without into the hearts of hypocrites and temporary beleevers as we read of Simon Magus Act. 8. 13. and the hypocriticall Iews who beleeved in Christs name when they saw his miracles John 2. 23. And therefore their beleeving is carnall temporary and vanishing and goeth no further than sense and naturall reason do lead The beleeving of the Elect is the subsisting of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. That is they have the things which they beleeve as certainly as they beleeve that they have them and hope for them and their beleeving is a cleare evidence to them of their being in Christ and of their communion with him in grace and of their portion in Heaven which things are not seene with carnall eyes of sense or reason For the Spirit which works this beleefe hath united them to Christ and made Christ and all his benefits theirs already so that their beleeving is infallible and cannot deceive them But Devils carnall men and hypocrites cannot reach so far as to beleeve their own particular salvation in Christ or their having of things thereto belonging And if any of them do at any time Mich. 3. 11. it is but a false and vanishing beliefe In a word whosoever doth by a true saving Faith beleeve historically the Word of God and the truth therein conteined he hath withall an affiance in God and grace to beleeve by all other acts of Faith even to apply to himselfe all Gods promise by beleeving steadfastly that they belong to himself in particular For as the Spirit wch works this faith is the fountain of all grace and unites the beleevers to Christ makes him all his benefits theirs So this Faith necessarily produceth all acts of beleeving in them and makes them able by beleeving to apply to themselvs to enjoy all blessings which are to be found in Christ Quest What benefits do the Elect receive by
remembrances of the invisible graces promised and given in Christ the Covenant of grace is sealed to his people their Faith confirmed and all holy graces stirred up quickened and increased in them Quest How many Sacraments are now in use under the Gospell Answ. There are but two properly so cald and ordeined to be seales of the whole Covenant of Grace Baptisme and the Lords Supper For these two are expresly commanded and commended by our Saviour to the Church in the Gospell and to every true member thereof There are divers other signes pledges and remembrances of benefits and blessings past or to come but they either do not belong to all Christians as imposition of hands in ordeining Pastors and Elders is proper to them who are so ordeined Or els beside their signification they have other more principall uses as the weekely Sabbath besides that it is a pledge of the eternall rest in Heaven and a signe that God is our God who doth sanctifie us It serves chiefly to be the first fruits of our time and is to be spent wholly in the worship of God publike and private preaching and hearing of the Word Prayer and other Religious exercises by which God is immediatly served and our soules edified So also holy Feasts and Dayes which are remembrances of some great blessings as Easter Pentecost the dayes of Christs Nativity Passion and Ascension besides their signification have other far more principall use to wit the solemne worship and service of God such as is used on the Sabbath and therefore they are called holy Signes and Sacraments improperly and in a secondary sense But Baptisme and the Eucharist serve only for Signes Seales and Pledges and have no other notable use Quest What is the Sacrament of Baptisme Answ. It is an outward washing of the body with pure water applyed therto by dipping or sprinkling ordeined by God to be a Sacrament that is a Signe Seale and Pledge of regeneration to the party baptized by which outward rite hee is received into the true visible Church and dedicated to Christ to bee a member of his body and a faithfull servant of God all the dayes of his life Quest To whom doth this Sacrament belong Answ. It belongs to all that are either borne in the Church of God or by the Word preached are called to beleeve in Christ and to professe true Christian Religion after they are come to yeares of discretion Quest What warrant have Gods Ministers to baptize Infants and to give them the Signe Seals and Pledge of Regeneration which a great number of them that are borne in the Church never have but are reprobates and shew themselves so to be by living in sin all their dayes and dying in impenitency Answ. They have sufficient warrant in the Word of God For the Apostle saith that children of beleeving parents are not uncleane but holy 1 Cor. 7. 14. that is they are so far within the Covenant being in their infancy as it were members of their beleeving parents and wholy at their disposing that they may justly bee dedicated to God by Baptisme as Samuel was by his mothers vow and received into the true Church The vow which their parents and guardians made for them in baptisme is a band to tye them to serve God so soon as they begin to have knowledge and discretion Certeinly Gods grace and bounty towards Infants of Christian Parents under the Gospell is not straitened more than to Infants in the Old Testament whose males were Circumcised the eight day after their birth Baptisme and the promise and Vow therein maâ—e for them is as powerfull a meanes and motive to provoke them from their youth to serve God as Circumcision was to the children of Israel Also Christ hath taught us that his blessing the Kingdom of eaven belongs to them Marc. 10. 13. And the Apostles baptized whole housholds of beleeving men and women not refusing any children as we read of Lydias and the Iaylors houshold Acts 16. 15. 33. In a word many who were at full age called by the Gospel preached to beleeve by a temporary carnall saith and to professe Christ were never truly regenerate as Judas Simon Magus Demas and others but proved hypocrites and backsliding reprobates and yet this was never counted a just cause to hinder or restraine the Apostles from baptizing al who professed Christ outwardly for feare of prophaning the Sacrament of Baptisme and abusing the holy ordinance of Christ Quest How doth the Spirit of God by Baptisme increase grace in men and set it a worke Answ. So often as they are put in minde of their Baptisme either by the name of Christians or their owne proper names given in Baptisme when they are called by them or by seeing others baptized the Spirit of God doth thereby as by a sure pledge assure the Faithfull that God is their Father and they are his children in his Son Christ borne againe of the Spirit and so confirmes their Faith in that communion which they have with God the Father and his Son Iesus Christ hereby he stirs them up to remember that their endeavour ought to be to walke in newnesse of life as new creatures adopted to God called unto Christ out of the world mortified and dead to the world and sinfull lusts and sanctified to lead a godly life in all righteousnesse and true holynesse Quest What is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Answ. It is that holy ordinance instituted by Christ after his last Supper in which by Bread and Wine consecrated with blessing and giving of thankes and by the publike Minister given and distributed and received eaten and drunk by the people assembled Christ God and Man their Redeemer together with all his obedience and full satisfaction made and performed in the dayes of his humiliation in the forme of fraile flesh and bloud is signified and sealed to them and in greater measure given and of them received by Faith as a spirituall nourishment to feed their soules to life eternall Quest Is Christ given to all and received of all who partake of this Sacrament Answ. He is Sacramentally given that is the true signes and pledges of him are given to all and of them received but he is not spiritually given to any but true beleevers and worthy receivers Neither do any effectually receive him or his benefits to the feeding of their soules but only they who lay hold on him by a lively working Faith For the giving receiving eating drinking is not carnall but spirituall as our Saviour himselfe sheweth John 6. 63. saying It is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake they are spirit and they are life Quest Why doth Christ call the Bread given and eaten his Body and the Wine his Bloud if hee be not in them bodily present and his Flesh and Bloud given and received bodily Answ. The true reason of his speaking so is to call our thoughts to the
remembrance of him in the state of humiliation and of his infirmities obedience and sufferings which in that estate he did undergo in the forme of fraile flesh and bloud for us and to stirre us up so to apprehend him and feed on him by Faith For Christ did not redeeme us and pay our ransome by any thing which he did as God before his Incarnation nor by any thing which he doth as man exalted and glorified but as hee God and Man in the dayes of his flesh fulfilled the whole Law and suffered all punishments due to mans sin so hee paid our ransome brought in eternall righteousnesse and made full satisfaction to Gods Iustice and these are the things which together with himselfe are signified and sealed by Bread and Wine and are Spiritually given to and received by the Faithfull in this Sacrament Quest How can true Beleevers bee said to receive Christ and his benefits seeing they are already united to him and have Communion of them all and his satisfaction and righteousnesse is made theirs before in their regeneration when they were first effectually called and made fit to partake of this Sacrament Answ. The Spirit of God by this Sacrament rightly administred doth as by a sure pledge confirme and increase their Faith and set it a worke to lay hold on Christ and to apply him and his righteousnesse and satisfaction to themselvs more strongly and sensibly and by this meanes they are more feelingly united to him in love and affection and have a more sweet communion with him of all his benefits which doth like a plentifull feast refresh and feed their soules strengthen them in all grace and this is as it were a new and fresh receiving of Christ and the benefits of his Life and Death more abundantly in greater measure than they had him before Quest You have well declared the efficacy of the Sacraments and how the Spirit worketh by them Now tell me what the other meanes are and first what is prayer and invocation both publike and private Answ. Prayer and Invocation if it bee publike is the speech of the whole Congregation and if it be private of one person or more directed to God in the Name of Iesus Christ wherein all needfull blessings and increase of grace are asked and desired in Faith and Hope that God will give them for Christ his sake in such a measure as he in his wisdome doth know to be fit for every one Quest How is grace thereby increased Answ. The Spirit of God by stirring our hearts to pray and by putting fit words in our mouths or in the mouths of them who are the mouth of the Congregation inflameth our affections exerciseth our Faith kindleth our desires and reviveth the sense and feeling of our wants And by directing us to pray to God in the Name of Iesus Christ he maketh us implicitely to acknowledge and confesse that God is the author of all blessings and giver of all grace and so maketh us to give to him in our prayers all the glory with all humble thankfulnesse And God who is gracious rich in mercy faithfull and true in his promises will accept our holy and humble desires and for Christs sake and his own truths sake grant our requests and give a supply of grace and an increase of blessings Quest How doth the publike worship of God increase grace Answ. The publike worship of God performed outwardly and frequently in the congregation of his people by holy preaching and reverent hearing of his Word prayses thankes singing of Psalmes and reverent gestures and behaviour according to Gods Word is a speciall meanes by the inward operation of the Spirit to kindle and increase devotion in the hearts of all his people It is their using of his talents and improving of his graces in them to his glory And God hath promised that as they get more gaine of grace Mat. 25. 29. so hee will still adde more unto them and will surely establish them give them the gift of perseverance and uphold them by his grace unto the end till they be received to glory and come to eternall life and blessednesse Quest Wherein doth the eternall life and blessednesse of the Elect consist Answ. In the eternall sight knowledge and fruition of God in his Heavenly glory Ephes. 5. 27. For when Christ hath fully purged and sanctified his Church and people and made them fit to see God then will he present them before his glorious Maiesty to dwell in his presence where is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. 11. Quest Where shall they enjoy this blessednes Answ. In the Heavens where a Kingdom is prepared for them Luk. 12. 32. and John 14. 2. an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which shall never fade away 1 Pet. 1. 4. which is farre above all that the eye hath seen or the eare heard or that ever entered into the heart of man 1 Cor. 2. 9. Quest When shall they come to possesse this blessed inheritance Answ. They have the earnest of it in this life in the state of grace even the Spirit of adoption by which they are sealed up to the day of full redemption and even here in this life they finde that sweetnesse and communion with God that though they see him not yet beleeving they rejoyce with joy unspeakeable and full of glory But when their soules are loosed out of the prison of the body then shall their spirit bee made perfect and they shall in that better part depart hence and be with Christ and reigne in glory untill the last great day of account the generall judgement At which time the Lord Iesus Christ shall descend from heaven bring them with him And he the Prince of Angels with the commanding voyce of the Archangell shall call all the Angels of God to attend him and to gather before him al his Elect from the foure winds from one end of Heaven to the other and by the power of his voyce and the sound of the trumpet of God shall raise up their dead bodies purged in the grave from all the degrees of corruption and brought up in a most glorious forme like unto his own glorious body Which bodies shall not be prevented by the Elect and Faithfull then alive on earth but shall bee first raised up and joyned with their glorified soules before those then living shall be changed and in a moment in the twinckling of an eye shall they all together be ready to meet the Lord in the ayre whither they shall be caught up and being set at his right hand shall receive this comfortable sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world and so they shall bee ever with the Lord and raigne with him in glory world without end 1 Thes. 4. 17. 2 Tim 2. 12. Rev. 22. 5. Quest But what shall become of all wicked
beene shall be or can be and his Will is the rule of all things and is limitted to no rule or law but is it selfe the rule and law of all things Quest If God be infinite in Essence and Will and all Attributes and wholy present in all places by his whole Essence and all his Attributes How comes it to passe that he sheweth his glory above the Heavens more than in the World which is below and in one place hee doâ—h shew more power and justice and in another place and to other persons hee sheweth more goodnesse graâ—e and mercy Answ. There is great difference betweene God as he is in himselfe and as he is seene felt and apprehended by his creatures in his Word and Workes Though he is Omnipotent and can do all things yet he doth not worke all things in all to the full according to his infinite power but only so much as he pleaseth when where and in whom he will as in his Wisdome he thinkes fit for every one Neither can wee see and conceive Gods Essence and properties in themselves but in the effects and works of them which are limitted by his Will and Wisdome And though hee worketh by degrees and by measure Yet his Essence and essentiall properties are without measure and degree and his Word is fitted to our capacy Quest What other properties do you conceive to be in God Answ. There is no shadow of excellency Vertue Goodnesse or Grace in any creature but it is in God Essentially and Substancially one and the same thing with his very Essence and Substance He is Essentially Good Wise Iust Mercifull Gracious and Loving and even Goodnesse Wisdome Iustice and Mercy it selfe And as the Apostle saith that God is Love so we may truely and most properly say of him that he is Goodnesse Wisdom Iustice and Mercy and yet hee is in himselfe a most pure and simple Essence free from all mixture composition and division Quest Wherein doth this purity and simplicity of God consist Answ. It consists First in this that though God filleth Heaven Earth and is in and withall creatures Yet his substance is not mingled with any of them Secondly that hee is not compounded of things different neither of act and power as other Spiriturall substances are nor of matter and forme Substance and Accidents such as quantity quality and the like as bodily creatures are Thirdly that he cannot bee divided into severall parts as mens bodies are He is not of the same kind and nature with any other thing whatsoever But is a most pure simple Spirit or Spirituall substance in comparison of whom the most pure Spirits and Angels are but grosse substances and impure In a word his Substance and properties are all one and the same thing and wheresoever he is present there his whole Essence and all and every one of his essentiall properties are actually present even in all places at once Quest If God be only one most pure and simple Why do the Scriptures speak of three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and doe call every one of them IEHOVAH and God Though there is but one God and one Iehovah even one most pure and simple Nature and Essence Yet in this one pure simple undivided Essence there are three distinct persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost all which three are but one Iehovah and one God and every one of them is called Iehovah and God because they are all of one and the same simple and Divine Essence Quest How are they then three persons distinguished one from another Answ. They are distinguished not by their Essence and Nature which in all three is one singular and undivided but by their personall subsistence and properties Quest Which are they Answ. First the Father subsists of himself and is not begotten of any but begets the Son The Son is begotten of the Father from all eternity and receives his personall subsistence from the person of the Father alone The Father and the Son together breath out the Spirit and the Spirit hath his subsistence by proceeding from them from all eternity Secondly in order the Father is the first the Son the second and the Holy Ghost the third though in time and dignity none of them is before or after other but all are coeternall consubstantiall and coequall of the same dignity glory and Majesty Quest How can he who is Jehovah and God eternall proceed and receive his personall subsistence from another Seeing Jehovah the true God is of himselfe and can receive nothing from any Answ. It is true that the persons considered according to their nature and substance which is common to all three and is one and the same in them all cannot beget nor be begotten nor proceed one from another For if God absolutely considered could beget as he is an absolut essence or be begotten or proceed then there might be more Gods than one But a person or personall subsistence in that one simple essence of God may beget another person but not another God and may be begotten and proceed not from the simple essence of God but from another person in that one Essence Wherefore the Son is begotten not as he is one and the same Essence with the Father but as hee is another person in that Essence and so the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son as he is another person in the same Essence And so Iehovah the true God doth proceed from none nor receiveth any thing from any but a person which subsists in the Essence of God and is Iehovah the true God receiveth subsistence from another person in the same Essence Quest I see you do rightly conceive of God the Creator both in the unity of his Essence and in the Trinity of persons Now tell me which of the three persons created the world Answ. Though the Father is called the Creator of whom are all things Yet he alone did not create the world nor any thing in it but the Son and the Spirit also did work with the Father and had an equall hand in the Creation of every thing For in all the outward works of God that is the joynt operation of all the three persons Quest How doth it appeare that the creation is the work of all the three persons Answ. By plaine testimonies of holy Scripture for in the description of the Creation we have expresse mention of the Word that is the Sonne and of the Spirit Gen. 1. 1 2 3. and David Psal. 33. 6. saith by the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the breath of his mouth that is bâ— the son the Spirit For the Sonne is called the eternall Word one God with the Father by whom all things were made and without whom nothing was made that was made John 1 1 2 3. And the Apostle Colos. 1. 16. saith that by Christ the Son all
things were created that are in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible and by him all things consist Quest You have well declared the Truth concerning the Creator now tell mee whereof the World was made Answ. God made all things of nothing at the first to wit the highest heavens with the Angels and all the Host of them and also the Earth that is the rude masse without forme and voyd which was the common matter of all the visible world and this is called simple and primary creation Afterwards God created out of that rude matter the Liâ—ht that is the Fiery and Starry Heavens and the large Element of the Aire which is called the Firmament and the Sea and the dry Land and then out of those foure Elements hee formed and made all other things as the Sunne Moone and Stars the Herbs Plants and Trees the Stones and Mettals the Fishes Birds and all other living creatures and this is called secondary creation because all those things were not made first and immediatly of nothing but secondarily were formed out of a matter which God had before created of nothing and so al creatures had their first beginning and being out of nothing so mighty and omnipotent is Gods hand farre above the reach of mans reason Quest After what manner did God create the World and all things therein Answ. The Scriptures teach us that hee created all things First most freely by the liberty of his Will not by necessity of Nature Secondly not rashly but according to his most wise Counsell and eternall purpose Thirdly with great ease and facility without paines toyle or labour Quest How doth that appeare Answ. By the words of Moses in the History of the Creation where it is recorded that God in the creation did but say let things be and so they were made so he is said to creat the Light the Firmament the Waters the dry Land the Lights in Heaven the Hearbes and Trees and all things living and moving on the Earth and in the Sea He said let them be and they were made and brought into being Gen. 1 2 6 9 c. Quest How doth this speech shew that God created all things in such manner as you have said to wit freely wisely and with ease and facility Answ. Very plainely for these words are not to bee understood properly that God uttered a sound of words but the phrase is Metaphoricall borrowed from the doings of men For workes done by necessity of Nature men do without consulting or speaking or any prâ—scription or direction given by word of mouth The things which men first speake of and then do are done by liberty of will and therfore this phrase teacheth us that the Creation was a work done not by necessity of Nature but by liberty of will that is a work which God if he had so been pleased might have left undone and did therefore do because it was his free will to do it Secondly wise men do not command or prescribe things to be done unlesse they have consulted purposed and determined that they shall be so done Their words by which they command and prescribe the doing of great works are the open manifestation of their mind will purpose and decree and the first thing which belongs to the actuall performing and effecting of the worke And therefore this phrase teacheth us that as God in his eternall Counsell had wisely purposed and decreed so now God the Father by his Word the Son and by his Spirit began to put his wise counsell in execution and actually to create and make all things and to bring them outwardly into being according to his wise counsell and as hee had inwardly purposed in himselfe so the creation was a work not rashly done but wisely according to counsell Thirdly this phrase sheweth that as among men nothing can bee done with greater ease and facility and with lesse toyle or labour then when they only say the word let it be done and presently it is done without any more paines So it was with God in the creation he did as easily and without paines create all things as a man doth a thing by saying let it be which of al things is most easie as experience teacheth Quest What speciall things have you learned concerning the creation of man-kind Answ. Foure things especially First that God consulted about it saying Let us make man Secondly that hee made man after his owne Image and likenesse male and female Thirdly that he gave them domination over all other creatures in the inferiour world Fourthly that he created a place of pleasure for them to dwell in and there placed them Quest How doe you understand these words And God said Let us make man in our image and after our likenesse Answ. They are thus to bee understood not that God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost did then first enter into consultation about mans creation But that as God in the common counsell of the blessed Trinity had from all eternity purposed and decreed so now hee began to put his decree into execution and actually to create man after such a manner and such a creature as hee had decreed even stamped with his Image fit to rule over other Creatures Quest Shew me more particularly how God created man in his own image male and female Answ. First he made Adam of the dust of the earth and with breath of life created a soule in him and hee made him one only that he might bee the common stocke and roote of all mankind from whom the woman also might have her beginning and bee made of his flesh and bone even of a fleshy rib taken out of him Secondly he made them both in his own image the man first and when man appeared so excellent above all living creatures that among them all there could not be found a mate or help meet for him then hee tooke a rib of the man and made a female the woman meete for him in the same Image and after the same likenesse Quest Wherein did the Image â—f God consist and how was man like unto God Answ. This Image did consist first and principally in his Soule sâ—condarily in his body and thirdly in his whole person First in the substance of his soule he was like to God For as God is a Spirit so mans soule was created a Spirit or spirituall living substance Secondly in the powers and faculties of his soule to wit his reason will desires and affections in all which created perfect and upright in him he was like unto God For as God knoweth and understandeth all things so man by his reason was able to know and understand all things meet for him As God hath liberty of will so man had liberty of will to do all things which by his upright reason he knew to bee good in his power As God loveth goodnesse and delighteth in it so man loved and desired all good things which his upright reason and
noysom weeds plants Lastly it brought all mankind in bondage to death both temporal wch is such a corruption of the body as doth separat the soule frō it make it utterly unfit for the soule to lodge in and also eternall which is the punishment of him with eternall destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his power Quest Is there any hope of deliverance from this foule staine guilt of sins and from death and all evill of wrath which are the fruits and effects of it Answ. There is no hope of deliverance in any thing which mans wit and reason can devise or man by his art skil and power can performe All creatures in the world can yield him no help God only of his infinit mercy free grace love and kindnesse to man-kind hath from all eternity ordeined an all-sufficient Saviour and Redeemer even his only begotten son who immediatly after mans sin and fall did undertake for man staid the execution of the sentence and punishment of death and was promised to become the seed of the woman and by suffering death and all the punishments due to sin in our nature to redeeme man-kind from sin and death and to destroy the Devill who had the power of death and to dissolve all his workes Quest Who is this Son of God which did undertake to redeeme man Answ. It is the Lord Iesus Christ who was first promised under the name of the seed of the woman Gen. 3. 15. which should break the serpents head and afterward was promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob under the name of the blessed seed in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed And to David and by the Prophets by the name of Messiah that is the annoynted Saviour of the seed of David And at last in the fulnesse of the time when hee was made flesh tooke our nature upon him and was borne of a Virgin did beare the name of Iesus and is now preached and made knowne to the world under the name of the Lord Iesus Christ Quest Why did not Christ come in the flesh in the beginning or first age of the world and worke mans redemption that the Fathers who lived under the old Testament might bee redeemed and saved by him as we now are under the Gospell Answ. The Incarnation of Christ and all things which he did and suffered for our redemption in the dayes of his flesh were present with God from all eternity as all times and all things which come to passe in all times past present and to come are continually present with him and were as effectuall to satisfie his justice appease his wrath and to purchase and procure perfect salvation to men at his hands as they are now ever since they were actually performed And through Christ promised God did shed his Spirit on the Fathers of old as hee now doth on us through Christ given and exhibited and by the Spirit united them to him in one spirituall body and wrought in them Faith by which they did as it said of Abraham see the day of Christ beleeve in him were partakers of all his benefits and were made conformable to him both in his death and life by mortification and sanctification Quest Why did Christ come and satisfie for sinfull men in the mids of yeares between the times of the Old and New Testament Answ. Because that was the most fit and seasonable of all times for man-kind for divers reasons First if he had appeared in the first ages of the world the memory of him would have been worne out For as the people of the Gentiles within a few ages forgot the promises of Christ made to Adam Noah and Sem and lost the knowledge of them so men would have forgotten Christ and all his doings and sufferings long ago for the world loveth changes and loathing old things seeketh after novelties Secondly the deferring of Christs comming held the world in suspence and expectation with promises from age to age still more plainely renued that after much longing his comming might be so much more welcome and men might with greater joy receive him Thirdly the world increasing in sin and corruption and being growne so hard that weaker meanes and obscurer revelation could worke litle upon men it was Gods Wisdome to reserve the appearance of Christ and the publishing of the powerfull Gospell for these latter evill days as being the fittest meanes for these harder times Fourthly if Christ in our nature had made satisfaction in the first ages of the world and had paid our ransome so many ages before wee were borne or had our being it had not been so equall and proportionable to justice as now it is by reason of his comming in the midst of yeares between the Old and the New Testament For by this meanes Gods forbearance of the ransome and satisfaction for the sinnes of the Fathers before Christs death is recompensed with payment of our debt and making a full satisfaction for our sinnes as much before hand even many ages before our committing of sinne or running in debt to his Majesty in our own persons Lastly it was necessary that many of the members of his elect and faithfull Church should by the Spirit bee united to him and by Faith have Communion with him before and at his comming appearing in the flesh that being the head of the Church actually through them He might by Cōmunion and imputation of the sins of so great a body multitude justly suffer the punishments due to the sins of his people even of them who were in after ages to grow up into the same mystical body by the same Spirit If he had beene borne in the beginning of the world before the Church of the Old Testament had any actuall being he could not have been the actuall head of the body nor united to the Church which as yet was not in being and so could not have borne the sins of his Church nor justly suffered the punishment of them Therefore the Apostle very fitly cals the time of Christs comming in the flesh the fulnesse of time that is the time most seasonable Gal. 4 4. Quest What have you learned concerning Christs person needfull to be knowne and beleeved Answ. I have learned That as he was the eternall Son of God one and the same God and of the same nature and substance with the Father and the Spirit hee did undertake according to Gods eternall Counsell to bee the Mediator between God and man and to mediate for man from the day of his fall and as hee was promised to bee the Seed of the woman so hee did in fulnesse of time assume and take into personall union with himselfe the whole nature and substance of a man and was made of the seed of Abraham and David in the womb of a Virgin of their seed a man like unto us in all things but without sin even