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A59771
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The principles of holy Christian religion, or, The catechism of the Church of England paraphrazed for the use of Borwick-Hall.
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Sherlock, R. (Richard), 1612-1689.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing S3246; ESTC R33882
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21,051
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65
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This is alway to be annext to my prayers Mat. 6.9 c. Luk. 11.3 either before or after for 't is both the Pattern according to which I am to pray Mat. 6.9 And the form also I am to use when I pray commanded Luk. 11.3 O Holy Jesu who hast taught me to pray unto God aright give me the heart with all religious carefulness and devotion of soul to observe thy directions and commands herein and daily to powre forth my soul unto God in that divine and heavenly inspired prayer which thou hast taught me And let my prayers be ever acceptable unto God through thy blessed mediation and intercession for me who art my only Advocate and Mediator blessed for ever Amen CHAP. IV. Of the Sacraments Quest WHat other means hath God ordained for the conveyance of his graces into our hearts Answ The use of Sacraments Quest How many Sacramente hath Christ ordained in his Church Answ Two only as generally necessary to salvation Exo. 31.13 15. Ephes 5.31 32. Act. 13.3 Mat. 28 19. 26.26 27 28. Rom. 6.3 Gal. 3.27 Col. 2.7 Joh. 6.53 54 55 56. There are other external representations of Gods mercies and rites of conveying the same but there are only two commanded as absolutely necessary to salvation that is to say 1. Baptism 2. And the Supper of the Lord By Baptism we are admitted members of Christs Church by the Lords Supper we are confirmed and grow up to be perfect men in Christ therefore children are admitted to the Sacrament of Baptism but not to the Lords Supper till they be grown up to ripeness of years Quest What meanest thou by this word Sacrament Answ I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace given and ordained by Christ himself as a means whereby we receive the same and a pledge to assure us thereof Or thus Because the graces and mercies of God in Christ are inward and invisible 1 Pet. 3.21 1 Cor. 11.26 therefore Christ complying with the weakness of our souls which understand not but by bodily organs hath ordained in his Church certain Rites called Sacraments which are not only visible and apparent signs of his invisible and hidden Graces but also the means whereby we are made partakers of his Graces and pledges to assure us of them Quest How many parts be there in a Sacrament Answ Two 1. The outward visible sign or thing signifying 2. The inward invisible Grace or thing signified Quest What is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism Answ That which we see with our eyes in Baptism is Water Act. 10.47 wherein the person baptized is dipped or sprinkled with it And the form of words to be used when the person is so washed is In the Name of the Father Mat. 28.19 of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Quest What is the inward or spiritual Grace thereby represented Answ The washing of the soul from sin 1 Cor. 6.11 Ephes 5.26 Act. 22.16 Rom. 6.3 4. Phil. 3.10 1 Joh. 3.14 Joh. 3.5 Psal 51.5 Ephes 2.3 Joh. 1.12 and sanctification to the sacred service of God which is called in holy Scripture A death unto sin and a new virth unto righteousness for being by nature born in sin and the children of wrath we are hereby made the children of grace Quest What is required of persons to be baptized Answ Two things Act. 2.38 8.36 37. 1. Repentance whereby they forsake sin and consequently the service of the world the flesh and the Devil tempting unto sin 2. Faith whereby they stedfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that Sacrament Quest Why then are children baptized when by reason of their tender age they can neither believe nor repent Answer They have Faith and Repentance in the possibility Mar. 10.14 though not in the actuall being thereof and they do perform these duties though not by themselves yet by their sureties who promise and vow both Faith and Repentance in their names 2 Pet. 2.20 which when they come to age themselves are bound to perform otherwise they forfeit the benefits of their Baptism Quest Why was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ordained Answ For two reasons chiefly 1. For a Sign 2. For a Seal 1. For a Sign to signifie and represent unto us the sacrifice of Christs death for the sins of the world Luk. 22.19 Joh. 6.56 whereof we ought to have the continual remembrance 2. For a Seal to convey or pledge to assure us of the great benefits we receive by the death of Christ Quest Since in every Sacrament you say there are two parts the outward sign and the inward grace what is the outward part or sign of the Lords Supper Answ The outward elements in this Sacrament are Bread and Wine 1 Cor. 11.23 Luk. 22.19 which the Lord hath commanded to be administred and received saying Take eat drink ye all of this do this in remembrance of me Quest What is the inward part or thing signified by the Sacramental Bread and Wine Answ The body of Christ Joh. 6.51 broken upon the Crosse by the Bread and his bloud powred out by the Wine and as the Bread and Wine are truly taken and received corporally so verily and indeed is the body and bloud of Christ taken and received spiritually of every true faithful soul in the Lords Supper Joh. 6.56 63. 1 Cor. 10.16 if rightly administred Quest What are the benefits whereof we are made partakers by the right receiving of the Lords Supper Answ Our souls are thereby strengthned with divine grace Mat. 11.28 Rom. 8.32 Phil. 4.13 Ephes 1.7 8. 1 Pet. 2.3 Ephes 5.30 Joh. 6.55 56. Psal 104.15 and refreshed with the sense of Gods mercy by the vertue of Christs body and bloud spiritually received even as our bodies are strengthened and refreshed in the use of common and material bread and wine Quest What is required of them that come to the Lords Supper that they may be made partakers of the benefits thereof Answ To examine themselves 1. 1 Cor. 11.28 2 Cor. 6.14 Psal 24.4 26.6 Whether they repent them truly of their former sins stedfastly purposing to lead a new life 2. Whether they have a lively faith in the mercies of God through Christ 2 Cor. 7.1 Heb. 6.4 5 6. Joh. 3.15 16. 6.25 7.38 Jam. 2.14 17 20 24 26. 1 Cor. 11.24 25. 2 Pet. 1.15 Psal 53.2 3. Mat. 5.23 24. 1 Tim. 6.18 Heb. 13.16 Mat. 6.14 15. Ephes 4.32 Col. 3.13 now the life of faith is obedience or good-works for faith without works is dead 3. That they have a thankful and devout remembrance of Christs death 4. That they be in charity with all men which charity is exercised in giving and forgiving 1. Giving unto others what their necessities require and our abilities afford 2. Forgiving others in what they have any way provok'd or injur'd us O Holy Jesus who hast vouchsafed not only to redeem me unto God in thy bloud but also to ordain Sacraments whereby I may not only be engraffed into thee but also nourished by thy most precious body and bloud O fill my heart with true thankfulness unto thee for such unspeakable mercies and grant that in the wise and pious use hereof I may grow up into thee in all grace and godliness to the hopes of a full and immediate enjoyment of thee face to face in glory blessed Jesus Saviour and Redeemer Amen THE END Lately printed for R. Royston a Book in 4º Entituled A Discourse 1. Of the Holy Spirit of God his Impressions and workings on the Souls of Men. 2. Of Divine Revelation Mediate and Immediate 3. Of Error Heresie and Schism the Nature Kindes Causes Reasons and Dangers thereof with Directions for avoiding the same By R. Sherlook B.D. at Borwick-Hall in Lancashire
THE PRINCIPLES OF Holy Christian Religion OR The Catechism of the Church of England paraphrazed For the use of Borwick-Hall Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Heb. 10.23 LONDON Printed by E. Cotes and are to be sold by R. Royston at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1656. The Preface Touching the necessity of Catechizing the authority usefulness and general Heads of our Church Catechism AS all tender conscienc't men do sadly lament the manifold Sects and divisions and various opinions in Religion amongst us so all wise and prudent persons do withal consider and observe the causes thereof that such disorders and confusions may be remedied and prevented And the greatest cause of so much Jam. 1.6 giddiness in the mindes of men why so many waver like a wave of the sea Jam. 1.6 driven to and fro with every winde of Doctrine and tossed is for want of a good bottome or sure foundation to stand upon which consists in being well Catechized or throughly instructed in the principles of the holy and true Religion There is no want of Preaching or Hearing Sermons nor can this be the source and original of so much inconstancy in Religion it may be the cause of ignorance but not of error since we see by experience that the most fickle and giddy people are commonly the most eager hearers of many Sermons and several Preachers and what 's the reason but that such Sermons as men ordinarily hear being not first well Catechized render their mindes like a ship without ballast which cannot keep a steady course but tosses rolls and tumbles and is by every gust of winde overthrown For Preaching without Catechizing first is as if a man should go about to build a house without a foundation which can prove no other but some Castle in the air or as if we should think to be perfect men and never passe through the state of infancy and youth or as if sucking Infants in stead of milk should feed upon strong flesh and this too often raw 1 Cor. 3.2 Heb. 5.12 13. and indigested also Hence it comes to passe that there are so many 1. Upon whom that Prophesie of Isaiah is fulfilled Mat. 13.14 By hearing ye shall hear and not understand and by seeing ye shall see and not perceive and that of S. Paul also Ever learning 2 Tim. â— 7 and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth Hence 2. Prov. 26.12 so many become wise in their own conceits Prov. 26.12 who really are but fools in the knowledg of saving truth Rom. 1.21 22. who wax vain in their imaginations their foolish hearts are darkned through the glimmerings of conceited knowledge who will take upon them to talk of this and that point in Religion argue against such and such doctrines practises of the Church and yet understand nothing of what they say or whereof they affirm Hence 3. it is That the holy Word of God which is in it self rightly understood the pure fountain of truth is made by many uncatechized unprincipled men now a daies the very sink of errors being misinterpreted and misapplyed to the maintenance of false opinions and even doctrines of Devils Whereas undoubtedly were there a sure foundation laid in the true and thorough understanding of the principles of Christianity there could not be possibly either so much ignorance and blindness besotting the mindes of men so much giddiness and wavering in Religion or so much abuse and wresting of holy Scriptures to the ruine of souls for holding fast the foundation the minde of man like a house built upon a rock Mat. 7.24 stands firm against the shock of every temptation and is not tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men Eph. 4.14 and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive For the practise therefore of this duty of Catechizing we have many both commands and examples in holy Scriptures see amongst many others Gen. 18.19 Deut. 6.6 7. Psal 34.11 Psal 78. from the 1. to the 8. vers Prov. 22.6 2 Tim. 3.14 15. Sect. 2 The great necessity and usefulness of being well Catechized being thus apparent and by all wise and knowing men considered hath occasioned the penning and printing of several Catechisms many of which though they may be good in themselves and usefull in their kinde yet none of them are to be ranked with or to be esteemed of equall authority and usefulness with our Church Catechism because 1. 'T is not of private but publick authority and consequently to be preferred before all others as much as the Lawes and Statutes of a national Councel before the conceptions and dictates of private persons 2. Ephes 4.13 For the maintenance of unity in the Faith 't is necessary that there should be one common form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 which all should hold fast and stick close unto that as we are all members of one Church or should be so at leastwise so we should all stand upon one ground be built upon one foundation and steer our course towards the land of Promise in one and the same bottome 3. There is no other Catechism can be more exact and compleat more beneficial and useful then this of our Church which will appear by considering the order and general heads thereof Sect. 3 And first to prevent the general objection which is made both against this and all other Catechisms 't is confessed That the holy Word of God or the inspired writings of the Prophets and Apostles are the ground and foundation all holy and true Religion is built upon Ephes 2.20 We are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles c. But because the holy Scriptures are both spacious and difficult containing many things some more some less necessary to salvation and these both intermixedly and diversly delivered here and there respersed in several books and chapters and expressed both by way of command and counsel of exhortation and admonition of promise and threatning of history and example under many Metaphors Types and Allegories which render them both hard to be understood aright and as hard to be rightly distinguished and reduc't to their several heads for the more clear understanding and firm memory thereof therefore it seemed good to the wisdome of the ancient Fathers of the Church to reduce the pith sum and marrow of all saving Doctrine contained in the Scriptures under so many several waies of expression to four several heads viz. 1. The Apostles Creed 2. The 10. Commandements 3. The Lords Prayer 4. The Doctrine of the Sacraments To one of which 4. general heads all that the whole book of God contains absolutely necessary to salvation is reducible For 1. All that we are bound to believe in general and in the gross is sum'd up in twelve Articles by the Apostles or Apostolical men and is commonly known by the name of