referred and then as requiring the Duty forbids the sin and forbidding any sin supposeth a precept for the Duty contrary to that sin so shall I teach you both these what are the Duties required and what the Sins forbidden in each Commandment proving their respective answers as we go along by the Scriptures First then let me ask you the Questions in your Church Catechism Q. What is thy Duty to God A. My duty towards God is to believe in Him c. Now see how every Commandment is explained in this Answer Q. What doth the first Commandment require of you according to this Answer in your Catechism A. Gods inward worship which is to believe in him to fear him and to love him and him alone as the only true God with all my heart with all my mind with all my soul and with all my strength Catechist This distinction of Worship that it is either Inward of the Soul or Outward of the Body is evidently the Apostles when he tells us 1 Cor. 6.20 That we must glorifie God with our bodies and with our spirits which are his Now the inward that of the Spirit is required by this Commandment that is in the positive part which is implied in the negative for that we are forbidden to have any other God but Him or before him implies that we must have him that is acknowledge him and worship him for our God and for our only God and to believe in him and fear him and love him this is to acknowledge him to be and to have him our God according to that Text Deut. 10.12 What doth the Lord thy God O Israel require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in his ways to love and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul Q. May not loving God be accounted the summ of our whole Duty to God as Love of our Neighbour is of our whole Duty to our Neighbour A. Yes and without loving God there can be no keeping his Commandments in sincerity Catechist Our Saviour said John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments No other way can we shew our love to either God or Christ Jesus On the other hand the Scriptures set forth obedience or keeping Gods Commandments as the work of Faith and labour of love Heb. 6.10 1 Thes 1.3 and St. Paul saith The love of Christ constraineth hereunto 2 Cor. 5.14 And it is certain all other Graces abound where as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 5.5 The love of God is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Q. What do those words Before me teach you Thou shalt have no other Gods before me A. Always to consider that God is every where present and beholds the Idolatry of the heart as well as in action Catechist I know O my God saith David 1 Chron. 29.17 that thou triest the heart Jer. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart I try the reins even to give to every man according to his ways and according to his doings Q. What then are the sins forbidden in this Commandment A. Atheism or having no God Polytheism or owning more Gods than One Irreligion not glorifying not worshipping the true God as God and inward Idolatry that is believing fearing or loving any lust or Creature as our God or giving Religious Worship or honour to any other Being Catechist Atheism or in the Psalmists words Psal 14.1 The Fools saying in his heart much more speaking it out in words That there is no God Polytheism The having Lords many and Gods many But to us saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.4 There is no more Gods but One. Irreligion not Glorifying not worshipping God which is all one as if we believed and professed There is no God A sin taxt by S. Paul in the Gentiles Rom. 1.21 That knowing God they did not glorifie Him as God Idolatry which is not only the worshipping idols or images made of silver and gold the works of mens hands which have eyes and see not which have ears and hear not mouths and speak not Ps 135.15 16. But also the immoderate love of any Creature For Christ saith Mat. 6.24 Ye cannot serve God and Mammon and this do all covetous and worldly minded men From whence S. Paul saith expresly that covetousness is idolatry Col. 3.5 And he speaks of some who make their belly their God Phil. 3.19 which do all Epicures gluttons and drunkards and intemperate persons and some he saith mind earthly things All these then are sins against this first Commandment which requires the Inward worship of God Q. What doth the second Commandment require A. Gods Outward worship that is to worship God not only with our hearts and Spirits which God alone seeth but also bodily in the sight of men and not by Images but as he himself appoints us in his word Catechist It is a marvellous thing that there should be any need of convincing men that God is to be worshipped Outwardly as well as Inwardly with our Bodies as well as with our Spirits or that any persons of understanding should make that foolish use of our Saviours words to the woman of Samaria John 4.24 God is a spirit and is to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth as if pretending to worship God in their hearts and spirits could excuse their utter neglect of his outward worship or their not Kneeling in prayer or any other irreverent undecent behaving themselves in the worship of God But if there be any need to speak to this point I think here is enough in the very letter of this Commandment to stop all mouths Thou shalt not bow down before images and worship them For in that we must not do it before images implies that before God we must do it we must bow down before him when we worship him that as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6.20 We may glorifie God with our bodies as well as with our spirits which are his Hence the Psalmist saith Psal 132.7 We will go into his Tabernacle and fall down before his footstool And hereunto are we daily invited in his words Psal 95.6 O come let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker This must we do only to avoid Superstition and Will worship we must have a care to do it in such a manner as God directs in his word and not worship God in any way invented by man contrary to his word See Deut. 4.2 and 12.32 Whatsoever I command you that observe and do ye shall not add to the word I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you Q. What are those kinds or parts of Worship which God himself hath appointed us in his word A. Daily Prayer and Thanksgiving often Reading Hearing and Meditating upon His word and the due Use of the Sacraments Catechist That
or renounce your Baptism as many do A. Then shall I be much worse for being Baptized This Apostacy will aggravate my Damnation Catechist True for as Matth. 10.21 He only that endureth to the end shall be saved so Matth. 12.40 Wo unto them whose latter end is worse than their beginning who as the Apostle Heb. 10.30 expresseth Apostacy draw back to the perdition of their Souls Q. What means must you then use to prevent this A. I will pray continually that God will give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my lives end Catechist And I beseech and exhort you Good Children learn thus to pray betimes and exercise your selves in prayer daily in some or other good forms of prayer for this great thing that you may continue in Christs words and so be his Disciples indeed John 8.29 Ask and seek and knock as your Saviour teacheth you by prayer by continual prayer and he assures you then of the help of his Holy Spirit to enable you to keep your Baptismal Vow that having entred into the way of life you shall never forsake it and of this he assures you by an excellent similitude which you cannot chuse but understand Luk. 11.13 If your natural parents be ready to give you bread and clothing and all good things you stand in need of upon your begging them How much more will your Heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to them that ask it Q. What are the General Heads of Catechism A. The Creed the Decalogue the Lords prayer and the Doctrine of the Sacraments Catechist I would bespeak you in St. Peters words you and the whole Congregation 2 Pet. 1.2 13. I say unto you I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things although I may hope many of you know them already and are established in the Truth For even they that know them already have yet great need to be put continually in remembrance of them and therefore I think it not only meet but also necessary to stir you up by putting you in remembrance of them as long as I am in this Tabernacle as long as I live that you may be always thinking of them and never forget them Credenda Agenda Oranda What you must believe what you must do and practice and what you must pray for and Gods Covenant and Promises sealed to you in the Sacraments these are the great things in Christian Doctrine necessary to be known that you may be saved and upon these four General Heads depend all the Questions in your Catechism Either by way of Introduction shewing you when by whose means upon what terms and conditions you became Christians together with the great Benefits that belong to you as Christians if your conversations be such as becomes the Gospel and the Profession of Christianity and those things you have had and I hope have learnt in our Explanation of the four first Questions and their Answers or else they serve to Connect and joyn together the great Doctrines taught you in the Catechism in an orderly Method for the help of your Memories or to help you to a clear and full understanding of them To come then to the main points to be learnt by Catechism I ask you in the first place Q. Why is the Creed the first part of Catechism A Because to believe aright is the very ground work of all Religion and then must I shew my believing heartily by my good works of Obedience Catechist Yea so it is certainly A right belief is the Foundation of Religion Thereforewhen the Jaylor asked Paul and Silas Act. 16.31 Sirs what shall I do to be saved To this they directed him in the first place Believe in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved thou and thine house But then it is a lesson I would take all occasions to teach you That there is no resting in a dead Faith without good works of Obedience And for this time I only offer to you for proof hereof the tenour of our Saviours Commission to his Apostles when he sent them forth to convert the world Matth. 28.19 20. He bad them whomsoever they should by Baptism admit into the Church and the Confession of Christianity to teach them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them And you have an eminent instance of the necessary Conjunction of Obedience with Faith in that grand Doctrine of Christianity that of the Trinity into which we are expresly Baptized as the next Questions and their Answers instruct you Q. Which is the great Fundamental in the Faith of Christians A. The Doctrine of the Trinity that is to believe in God the Father as Creator in God the Son as Redeemer and in God the Holy Ghost as Sanctifier This is the Grand Mystery in Christianity Catechist In my mind your Church-Catechism propounds this Doctrine with a very becoming Gravity and no man can deny this Doctrine so propounded but he must withall deny and reject plain Scripture Q. In the first place then Rehearse the Articles of thy Beliefe A. I Believe in God c. Q. What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy Belief A. First I learn to believe in God the F. c. Catechist Whosoever will own himself a Christian He must profess his Christian Faith in this tenor To believe in God first as Creator who made me and all the world according to that 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him 2 In God the Son our L. Jesus Christ as Redeemer who redeemed me and all Mankind For 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 2.5 6. There is one God and one Mediator between God and man The man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all to be testified in due time 3 In God the Holy Ghost as Sanctifier who Sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God For 2 Thes 2.13 Whosoeve are chosen to Salvation it is through Sanctification of the spirit and belief of the Truth Now you are taught in your Answer to my next Question what an influence this Doctrine of the Trinity hath to good life and obedience if it be believed aright and I shall have occasion hereafter to prove every particular in it by the Scriptures For the present therefore I shall content my self with hearing you rehearse it Q. In what manner must we believe in these persons A. So as to pay each person his respective Duty for example to love fear and serve God the Father as my great Creator and most Gracious preserver To trust in God the Son and obey his Gospel as my only Lord and Saviour and to follow the motions and directions of God the Holy Ghost and to make Use of his Grace and
by Christs Redemption and the Spirit 's Sanctification A. Only the Holy Catholick Church that is such as in any age or place are called to Faith and Repentance and do evidence the truth of a lively Faith and true Repentance by constant Obedience to Gods Will revealed in his Word Q. What mean you by a Church A. The Company of the Faithful that is such as are called to Faith and Repentance Catechist Neither can the Pope nor any one particular Person upon Earth be truly called the Church For it is a Company a Body consisting of many members And hence Christ calls it a flock though it be a little flock in comparison of the whole world that lyes in wickedness Luk. 12.32 Fear not little flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom And St. Peter 2 Ep. 2.9 useth these Plural and Collective words calling the Church a chosen generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy nation a peculiar people Caetus Vocatorum It is a Company of called ones such as are called out of the world to forsake its sinful ways and Customs to profess Repentance from dead works and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Of which calling S. Paul saith 2 Tim. 1.9 They are called with an Holy calling Rom. 1.7 Called to be Saints In a word 2 Thes 2.13 They are called as well as chosen to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the Truth Q. What signifies this word Catholick A. It is a Greek word and is as much as Universal Q. What mean you by believing the Church to be Catholick or Vniversal Q. That Gods Church is not now confined to any one place or people as it was under the Old Testament but all that are called in any Age or Place are now of the Catholick Church being United into one Mystical body Catechist Under the Old Testament Psal 76.1 2. In Judah was God known His name was great in Israel Jerusalem was his Tabernacle and his dwelling place was in Sion Psal 147.19 10. He shewed his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel He dealt not so with any Other nation neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Law But now under the Gospel or New Testament The partition wall between Jew and Gentile being by Christs Death broken down Both are become one sheepfold under one Shepherd And according to Gods promise to Christ Ps 2.8 The Heathen are given to him for an Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for a possession So that now Act. 10.34 35. God is no Accepter of persons But in every nation He that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him And hence S. John saith Rev. 7.9 That he in his vision beheld and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes Crying with a loud voice Salvation to our God that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever Q. Who is the Head of this Mystical Body the Catholick Church A. No man living but Christ only Catechist It is pride and presumption in the Pope to claim this Honour which belongs to Christ alone For Eph. 5.23 He alone is Head of the Church who is the Saviour of the Body Col. 1.18 He is the Head of the Body the Church Who is the beginning the first born from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence For it pleaseth the Father that in him all fulness should dwell Q. Hath God always had a Church on Earth A. Yes and will have to the end of the world it can never be destroyed utterly Catechist It was Christs promise to his Disciples and in them to his Church All that through them should afterwards believe in his name To be with them alway to the end of the world Matth. 28.20 And he said Matth. 16.18 Vpon this Rock that is the Truth confessed by St. Peter there That he was the Christ the Son of the Living God upon this rock would he build his Church and the Gates of Hell should not prevail against it i. e. quite destroy or root it out of the world Q. Can any one Church as that of Rome call it self the Catholick Church in opposition to other Churches A. No no more than Rome can be called the whole world Catechist Rome is at the best but one Member of the Catholick Church of Christ and can no more properly be called the Catholick Church than either It or any one Particular place can be called the whole World Q. Is Christs Church always visible upon Earth A. That of sincere Christians is invisible That of all Christian professors is visible Catechist The Church Visible is the Light of the world and a City set upon an Hill which cannot be hid Mat. 5.14 It is alway visible at least to them that are of it and profess Christianity But sometimes it may be so persecuted as to flee like the woman into the Wilderness where she hath a place prepared for her for that time of persecution Rev. 12.6 and then it is not so visible as to be glorious and to prosper and flourish in the eyes of the world Q. Why is Christs Church said to be Holy an Holy Church A. Because of its better part sincere Christians in it and because of its Holy Ordinances and Gods commands and our profession of true Holiness Catechist 1 Pet. 2.9 It is an Holy Nation a peculiar people Rev. 21.2 It 's an Holy City the new Jerusalem Not but that there is a mixture of good and bad godly and prophane in the Church for our Saviour compares the Church which he calls the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 13.24 to a field wherein tares grow up with the wheat And ver 47. to a draw-net that incloseth both good fish and bad with divers others of the like Nature But the Church is Holy as for its Holy things so because all its members do or should profess Holiness it is a company or Congregation of men who are called with an holy calling or Vocation 2 Tim. 1.9 For every man that nameth the name of Christ or on whom the name of Christ is called being called Christian is bound to depart from Iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Q. But who then are they that are truly Holy A. Such as believe aright and live answerably such as evidence the truth of a lively Faith and Unfeigned Repentance by constant Obedience to Gods Will revealed in his Word Catechist So I have often told you for St. James 2.18 saith Shew me thy Faith by thy works And he there argues it at large that good Works of Obedience are the only things that can evidence a mans Faith to be true and alive and not dead or no better than that Faith of Devils who believe and tremble Q. What duties doth our believing the Holy Catholick Church oblige us all to
Gods gift and Blessing Ps 127.2 It is in vain to rise up early and sit up late and eat the bread of carefulness if God do not bless the house and all in it Nor can they could we get them at all nourish us without that blessing of God For Deut. 8.3 Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God that is by his word of Blessing upon it So true it is that in him we live and move and have our being Act. 17.28 this is implied in the Petition Q. What dost thou therefore pray for in this fourth petition A. That God would bless all our lawful endeavours and so send us all things needful both for our Bodies and our Souls Catechist You may remember Agurs prayer Prov. 30.8 which is in other words the same with this Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me lest being rich I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or being poor I steal or be tempted to do unjustly taking the name of God in vain And since our souls have their proper food and nourishment as well as Our Bodies even the Word and Sacraments the Church therefore teaches you that you herein pray for the continuance of these also even what is needful for the nourishing our Souls to eternal life Some of the Fathers therefore by daily bread understood the Holy Sacrament Q. What is implied in the fifth petition Forgive us our Trespasses c. A. That we are by our sins Debtors to Gods Justice and liable to Condemnation Q. Can any man living satisfie Gods Justice for this debt A. No nor all the world Catechist Alas We sin daily and in many things offend all Jam. 3.2 And by every sin become debtors to Gods justice and are guilty of death For Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death It being said by the just God from the Beginning Gen. 2.17 In the day thou sinnest thou shalt die the death And as no man can satisfie Gods Justice for sin for his own sin so Psal 49.7 None can redeem his brother nor pay to God a ransom for him He that satisfies for others sins must have no sin of his own How should they answer for others who are themselves guilty Q. What dost thou therefore pray for in this fifth Petition A. I pray unto God that he will for the merits of Christs Satisfaction be merciful unto us and forgive us our sins Catechist What we pray for here is just what God promiseth in his new Covenant Jer. 31.34 I will forgive their iniquites and remember their sins no more Now this was a Covenant of mercy made in Christ upon his undertaking to satisfie Gods Justice for our sins saying Psal 40.7 Lo I come to do thy Will O God For thus Ps 85.10 in him and by him Mercy and Truth met together Righteousness and peace kissed each other Col. 1.20 He made peace through the blood of his Cross For 1 Joh. 2.2 He became a propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world For his sake therefore it is that we hope and pray for mercy and forgiveness Q. What mean you by forgiveness of sins A. A free and full acquitting us of their guilt and punishment Catechist Free therefore do we Protestants utterly disclaim all opinion of Merit which is indeed utterly inconsistent with the words Mercy and Forgiveness Rom. 3.24 We are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus And it s a full Forgiveness therefore we also deny the Papists opinion of Purgatory pains to satisfie for our sins by enduring a temporal punishment for them For when God forgives he will not again exact the debt in part or whole he saith in his Covenant of Grace and Mercy I will so forgive their sins as to remember them no more Q. Who are they that may expect such Forgiveness at the hands of God A. True penitents only that are so sorry for their sins as to forsake them and such as from their hearts forgive others their injuries and offences against themselves Catechist For the former I refer you to what I taught you upon the Article of Forgiveness in your Creed And for forgiving of others it is so necessary to qualifie us for Gods pardon that Christ tells us plainly what we must look for Matth. 6.14 If ye forgive men their trespasses your Heavenly Father will forgive you yours but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses So much for this petition also Q. What is implied in the Sixth petition Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil A. Our greatest Misery in this life to wit that Satan the world and the flesh are always tempting us to sin and we ourselves are prone to yield to and unable of ourselves to resist any temptation Catechist We must as the Apostle Gal. 6.1 warns us look upon ourselves as surrounded with temptations Consider ourselves lest we be tempted And therefore as Christ exhorts Mark 14.38 Watch and pray lest we enter into Temptation And alas in regard of them we have no reason to be in love with but even to be weary of this Life saying with David Ps 120.5 Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech and have my habitation in the tents of Kedar For 1 Pet. 5.8 Our adversary the Devil goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour And he makes use of all the good and evil things of this world to be snares to us to intangle us in one or other sin or wickedness and our flesh is weak and our own hearts treacherous too willing to yeild themselves a prey to that Ghostly enemy The Great Devourer Q. What must we in justice expect if we either yeild to commit sin to which he tempts us or continue in it A. All Evils of Punishment both in this Life and the Next Catechist Prov. 13.21 Evil pursueth sinners Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and vnrighteousness of men For he hath spoken it Rom. 2.6 That he will render to every man according to his works Ver. 9. To them who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish to every soul that doth evil Jew or Gentile These things are implied in the petition Now then Q. What dost thou pray for in this petition A. That God would assist us by his Holy Spirit to resist and overcome all Temptations and either to keep us from being tempted to sin or from falling into sin or from living impenitently in it so that we may escape his punishments Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Catechist Need have we to pray and that continually for the Almighty Guidance and Assistance of Gods Holy Spirit in this our Spiritual warfare for we are poor weak and frail Creatures of ourselves The spirit being willing