visite his temple Dauid by the beautie of the Lorde in this place meaneth neth nothing else but the hearing of Gods holy word praiers praises thanksgiuing the vse of other Gods ceremonies for that ministration appointed For a day in thy courts is better then a thousand other where Psal 84 10. I had rather be a doore kéeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tabernacle of wickednes 4 That al must heare receiue Gods worde REceiue with méekenes the word that is grafted in you Iames 1 21. which is able to saue your soules As newe borne babes desire the sincere milke of the worde 1 Pet 1 2. that you may growe thereby He that is of God heareth Gods word Iohn 8 47. ye therefore heare them not because yee are not of God Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the lawe Prou. 28 9. euen his praier shal be abhominable Despise not prophesiyng 1 Thes 5 20 Prou. 13 13. He that despiseth the word shall be destroyed 5 That Gods worde is effectuall and full of power to conuert men and to alter their mindes and cleanse their hartes THe lawe of the Lorde is perfect Psal 19 7. conuerting the soule Now are ye cleane through the worde which I haue spoken vnto you Iohn 15 3. Sanctifie them with thy truth Iohn 17 17. Thy word is truth For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ Rom. 1 16. for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beléeueth For the word of God is liuely Heb. 4 12. mightie in operation sharper then anie two edged sword entreth through euen vnto the diuiding a sunder of the soule the spirite of the ioints and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughtes and the intents of the hart Neuerthelesse though wee walke in the flesh 2 Cor. 10. ℣ 5 6 7. yet we war not after the flesh For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holdes casting downe the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted aboue the glorie of God bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ And hauing readie the vengeance against al disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled Is not my worde euen like a fier saith the Lord Ierem 23 29 and like an hammer that breaketh the stone Surely as the raine commeth downe and the snowe from the heauen Esay 55. ℣ 10 11. and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it to bring foorth and bud that it may giue séede to the sower and bread vnto him that eateth So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shal not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it 1 Cor. 14. vers 24 25. But if all prophesie and there come in one that beléeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all and is iudged of all and so are the secretes of his heart made manifest and so he wil fal downe on his face and worship God and say plainely that God is in you indéede These places then considered it will appeare that they which neglect and despise the hearing of the worde preached cannot be saued though they trust neuer so much to secret reuelations they shall shall assoone come to heauen as hee to Fraunce that will passe the sea without a shippe 6 That for euerie thing that a Christian man doth hee ought to aske councell at the worde of God and make that the rule of al his doings TAke héede therefore that yée doo as the Lord your God hath commanded you Deut 5 32. turne not aside to the right hande nor to the left Whatsoeuer is not of faith that is of knowledge from the word is sinne Rom. 14 verse 23. And when they shall say vnto you enquire at them that haue a spirit of diuination Esay 8. verse 19 20. at the southsayers which whisper and murmur Should not a people enquire at their God From the liuing to the deade to the lawe and to the testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take councell but not of mée Esay 30 ℣ se 1 2 couer with a couering but not by my spirit the they may lay sin vpon sin which walke foorth to goe downe into Egypt haue not asked at my mouth Examples of Dauid Thy word is a lanterne vnto my féet Psa 119 105 and a light vnto my path Also thy testimonies are my delight Psal 119 24 my councellers 7 That the worde of God conteineth all things necessary vnto saluation THe Law of the Lorde is perfect Psal 19 7. conuerting the soule And that thou hast knowne the holie scriptures of a child 2. Tim 3. ℣ 15 16 17. which are able to make thée wise vnto saluatiō through the faith which is in Christ Iesus For the whole scripture is giuen by inspiratiō of God is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse That the man of God may bee absolute being made perfect vnto all good woorks Receiue with méekenes the word that is grafted in you Iames 1 21. which is able to saue your soules Search the scriptures Iohn 5 39. for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life Then if eternal life saluation of our soules bee obteined by the scripures and doctrine of the worde conteined therein much good doe the Papistes with the rest which they get more by the meanes of traditions and vnwritten verities 8 Of Magistrates and first what men are to be chosen MOreouer prouide thou among al the people men of courage Exod. 18.21 fearing God men dealing truly men hating couetousnes appoint such ouer thē to be rulers ouer thousāds rulers ouer hundreds c. 9 That Magistrates are to execute Iustice vprightly towards all ANd I charged your iudges that same time saying Deut. 1 16. Heare the causes of brethren and iudge righteously betwene euery man and his brother the stranger that is with him ye shal haue no respect of persons but shall heare the small aswell as the great ye shal not feare the face of man for the iudgment is Gods Ye shal not do vniustly in iudgement Deuitie 19. verse 15 thou shalt not fanour the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but thou shalt iudge thy neighbor iustly Thou shalt not estéeme a poore man in his cause Exod 23.3 Iudges officers shalt thou make thée c. and they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement Deut. 17 18. 10. That Iudges and magistrates must take no rewardes nor bribes nor wrest the Lawe ANd he set
how a man may know certainely that he hath faith and Repentance An. If he can say in true féeling The good that I would doo that I doo not Rom. 7 19. and the euill that I would not doo that I doo with Paule in the 7. to the Romans Math. 5. and mourne vnder the burden of his sinne If he delite in the lawe of God in the inner man Rom. 8 16. If he be led by the spirit of God Rom. 8 14. If he haue crucified the flesh with the affections of the flesh Galat. 5 24. If he walke according to the rule of a new creature Galat. 6 15. be a new creature peace shal be vpō him mercie as saith the Apostle If he can say with the Apostle 2. Cor. 1 12. This is my reioycing the testimonie of my cōsciēce that in simplicitie godly purenes and not in fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God I haue had my conuersation in the world If hée haue true loue towardes the brethren euen to be gréeued in their griefes and ioyfull in their good and carefull to helpe them in christian compassion by easing their gréeues and furthering their good it is a true marke of the child of God And thereby saith Iohn we know that we are of the truth 1. Iohn 3.19 and shall before him that is God assure our harts And in 1. Iohn 4. he saith Herby we know that he dwelleth in vs and we in him because he hath giuen vs of his spirit that is the fruits of his spirit Roman 8. And if any haue not the fruits of the spirit the same is none of his The fruits of the spirit are as appeareth in Galathians 5. loue ioy peace Galat. 5 22. long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meeknes c. If a mā by these notes examine himselfe he may iudge of his repentāce If any man haue not repented he is diligently to attend vpon the holy ministry of the law the gospel that he may be called in Gods good time Qu. How may Gods people know a faithfull man An. By 3. marks specially First by his professing frequenting of the publike worship of God when it may be had As in Romans 10. Rom. 10 9. For if thou shalt cōfesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus beleeue with thy hart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued And in 1. Peter 3. 1. Pet. 3.15 Be redie alwaies to giue an answer to euery mā that asketh you a reason of that hope that is in you Our sauiour Christ saith in Iohn 8. He that is of God heareth Gods word Iohn 8 47. Secondly by his honest godly conuersation amōg men for Paule saith 2. Tim. 2. The Lord knoweth who are his ℣ se 15 let euery one that nameth the name of Chrst departe from iniquitie Shew me saith Iames in the second of his Epistle thy faith by thy works Iames. 2 18. and I will shewe thee my faith by my workes Where he plainely sheweth that if good works be away Matth. 7. there is no faith Yee shall know them saith Christ by their fruit verse 16 20. for a good tree bringeth foorth good fruit c. Thirdly by true Christian loue Iohn 13 35. Hereby saith Christ in the 13. of Iohn shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other These are thrée sure markes to know a faithfull man by so farre as man may iudge Hypocrites God will either display in this world in time by bringing their sinnes abroad to the view of all men as he did Symon Magus his sinnes Iudas Saules and many others or else when the secrets of all mens harts shal be disclosed he will throwe those tares into vnquenchable fier with others prepared to condemnation Qu How may a mā know an vnfaithfull man and an infidell An. By his life vnreformed continuance in his wickednes after he is rebuked heareth how he ought to walke Luke 6. verse 43 44. It is not a good tree saith Christ in the sixt of Luke which bringeth foorth euill fruit neither an euil tree that bringeth forth good fruite Againe Iohn saith in his first epistle and third chapiter 1 Iohn 3 10. In this are the children of God knowne and the children of the deuill whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God And againe He that committeth sinne is of the deuill Prouerbes 29. Hee that hardeneth his necke when he is rebuked Prou. 29 1. shall sodainly be destroied and cannot bee cured Psalme 68. Surely God will wound the head of his enemies Psal 68 21. and the hairy pate of him that walketh in his sinne Qu. Now shew what ioyes are prepafor true Christians An. Such as saith the Apostle in the second chapiter of the former Epistle to the Corinthians The eye hath not seene 1 Cor 2 9. neither the eare heard neyther the heart of man conceiued prepared by God for them that loue him Peter in the fift of his first Epistle tearmeth those ioyes the incorruptible crowne of glory In the 21. of the Reuelation 1 Peter 5 4. Reuel 21 ℣ 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. this ioy is described in the description of newe Ierusalem buylded of gold pretious stones and pearles c. where by most excellent earthly things is sette foorth the excellencie of those thinges which passe and excéede mans capacitie Wherfore let none of vs be a prophane person as was Esau Hebr. 12 16. to sell our birth-right for a messe of pottage and for the pleasures of the doonghill of this world which endure but for a season to loose the ioyes and dainties of heauen which are eternall Which thing God graunt vnto vs for his Christ his sake to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost thrée persons one onely God King of kinges and Lorde of lordes who onelie hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light that no man can attaine vnto whom neuer man sawe neyther can sée be honour and power euerlastingly Amen The ende of the Catechisme To the Christian Reader BEcause this Catechisme is verye short I thought it needfull to adde and adioyne vnto the ende thereof good Reader certeine duties requyred by God at the handes of his people to be performed vnder payne of damnation and the testimonies of Scripture which proue the same For surely this naughtye age in performance of dutie is verie remisse vntoward perswaded as it seemeth that a meere profession of Religion with the lippe is Christianity inough And what is the speeches of the most part of men in these dayes when they are blamed for their vngodly life but these such like VVhy God is merciful men cannot be saints and angels you are ouer precise pure Luke 1 ℣ se 74 75. As if it were not
was free from any such purpose But as they in studie and care I do not doubt to further religion and godlinesse did take libertie vnto themselues in forme as they be extant to frame and set foorth theirs so haue I done They haue written some largely some briefly and some haue kept a meane betweene long and short and I haue laboured if not to bee the briefest yet to come as neere it as I might They some haue quoted for confirmation in their margent some haue omitted quotations and some haue prooues set forth at large by directions alphabeticall as euery one of them thought best so haue they proceeded I haue made proofe of euerie answere immediately vpon the answere and almost made the wordes of the text the answere hoping thereby the more to allure the reader and hearer God make me partaker of my hope and my godlie brethren of theirs And thou good Reader remember in the bowels of Christ I beseech thee that the more paines I my brethren bestow for thine instruction by preaching writing the more and greeuous shal be thy condemnation if thou profit not by it which thing would be our griefe Consider what I say the Lord giue thee vnderstanding Thine in Christ Th. Settle ¶ A CATECHISME briefly vnfoulding the mysterie of our redemption by Christ with other necessary points of Diuinitie thereunto annexed Question WHO made you and to what end were you made Answere God for his glory as saith the Prophet Esay chapiter 43. I created him for my glorie Esay 43. â„£ se 7.21 formed him and made him Quest What is God Ans Euen as proclaiming his owne name in Exodus 34. be describeth himselfe Exod. 34. â„£ s 5.6 saying The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gratious slowe to anger and abundant in goodnes and truth reseruing mercie for thousands forgiuing iniquitie transgression and sinne and not making the wicked innocent In the fourth of the gospell after Iohn he is said to be a spirit Iohn 4.24 Exod. 6.3 Iehoua what it doth signifie In Exodus the sixt he calleth his owne name Iehouah which is as much to say as one that hath his béeing of himselfe which name importeth his euerlastingnes Qu. What can you say further concerning God An. Verily that he is thrée distinct persons that is Father Sonne and holie ghost and yet in substance one God onelie As Iohn the Apostle euidently teacheth in the fift chap. of his first Epistle saying 1. Iohn 5. v. 7. For there are three which beare record in heauen the Father the worde and the holy Ghost and these three are one Qu. How doe you proue that the holy Ghost is God An. In 28. of Mathew Math. 8.19 Christ coÌ„mandeth to baptize in the name of the holie Ghost Now this is certaine the baptisme is to be ministred in no name 1. Cor. 1. vers 14.15 but in the name of God But it béeing coÌ„manded to bee ministred in the name of the holy ghost doth manifestly proue that the holy Ghost is God In the 5. of the Actes Peter saith vnto Ananias Act. 5. vers 3.4.5 Why hath Sathan filled thine hart that thou shouldest lye to the Holy Ghost c. How is it thou hast conceiued this thing in thine hart Thou hast not lyed vnto men but vnto God This place also proueth in plaine words that the Holie ghost is God Qu. You said euen now that God made you and you shewed to what end shew now in what state he made you An. According to his owne image that is to say in righteousnes and true holines as Paule expoundeth it in the 4. to the Ephesians Ephes 4.24 calling it béeing repaired in Gods electe by the spirite in other words the new man Qu. Doe you continue in that state of righteousnes and true holinesse wherein you were at the first by God created An. No verily For Paule witnesseth in the 3. to the Romaines Rom. 3.25 that all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God And in the second to the Ephesians the same Apostle saith Ephes 2 3. that they as wel as others were by nature the childreÌ„ of wrath And as Dauid in the 51. psalme confesseth so may all others â—sal 51 5. that they were conceiued and borne in sinne Qu. You said euen nowe that you were made after the Image of God righteous and holy and nowe yee confesse that ye were borne a sinner how can this be Ans Adam the first man was created after the Image of God righteous holie and so I and al other in him our first parent were created righteous and holie But when he by his sinne in eating the forbidden fruite made himselfe vnrighteous and vnholy then I and all the world béeing then in his loines for who saith Iob in the 14. chapiter of his booke can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse were made vnrighteous and vnholy Iob. 14.4 And to proue that man was made righteous at the beginning the Preacher saith in the 7. of his booke Onely loe this haue I found Eccles 7.27 that God hath made man righteous But they haue sought many inuentions Qu. Do you then affirme that the sinne which Adam committed is also your sin An. Yea verily for so affirmeth holie Scripture in the 5. to the Romaines By one mans disobedience many that is all became sinners Rom. 5.19 And againe in the same chapiter By the offence of one the fault came on all men Rom. 5.18 Yea a little before in the same chapter the apostle saith that Death raigned from Adam to Moses euen ouer them also that sinned not Rom. 5.14 after the like manner of the transgression of Adam he meaneth euen the very babes and young sucking children to bee by Adams sinne subiecte vnto death and damnation Qu. Doe you thinke that if your sinne in Adam in eating the forbidden fruite were not laid vnto your charge that you should bee righteous and holie and free from sinne An. No verily for the scripture crieth out euerie where to the contrarie Our nature was so poisoned thorow Adams sinne that we can do nothing but sinne As it is written in Genesis the sixt The Lorde sawe that the wickednesse of man was great in the earth Genes 6.5 and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely euill continually And Paule confesseth saying in the 7. to the Romaines Rom. 7.12 I knowe that in mee that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with mee but I find no meanes to performe that is good And againe in the 8. to the Romaines it is saide Rom. 8.3 that The Lawe is weake thorowe the flesh that is to say that the flesh by reason of the corruption thereof No free will in man since Adams fal or abilitie to do good and weaknesse is not of abilitie to performe the Lawe