and dangers both of bodie and soule Q. What vse may a Christian make of this preface A. A Christians vse of this preface is to fears the Law giuer as a Lord and Master and to loue obey him as a gratious God and louing Father Mala 1. Q. What are the words of the first Commaundement A. Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Q. What learne you by this first Commaundement A. I learne that first I ought to worshippe God onely and to giue diuine worship to none but vnto this diuine Maiestis of the Dietie Q. In how many poynts doth this diuine worship stand and chiefly consist A. The first part of diuine worship consisteth in that perfect loue described by our Sauiour Christ Mat. 12. 35. And in that zealous loue expressed by the Prophet Dauid saying Whom haue I in heauen but thee and there is none that I desire on earth in comparison of thee Psal 73. 25. Q. What is the second part of Gods diuine worship A. The second consisteth in such reuerend feare as maketh a Christian neyther to omit willingly any good thing by God commaunded nor commit wilfully any euill thing by Gods law prohibited Mala. 1. 6. Q. What is the third point of Gods diuine worship A. The third part consisteth in yeelding all prayses and directing all our prayers to God onely and to holde it a grosse impietie to giue Angels Saints or Creatures any such honour glory or diuine worship as is due to God onely Q. What is the fourth poynt of Gods diuine worship A. The fourth part is to acknowledge God the giuer of all good thinges Iames 1. And therefore to trust and depend onely on Gods grace and goodnesse hoping as he hath giuen vs his onely sonne he will by him giue vs all good things Q. What are the words of the second Commaundement A. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image nor the likenesse c. Q. What learne you by this Commaundement A. First I learne to hate loath abhorre the presumption of such vaine men as by imagination will presume to make the Image of the inuisible God whom no mortall man hath seene at any time neyther can be seene with mortall eyes Iohn 1. 18. Q. What doe you learne further A. I learne secondly to auoyde and to lament the grosse blindnesse of men which receiue Images for Gods and by falling downe to worship Idols doe worship Deuils 1. Cor. 10. 20. Q. What learne you else by this precept A. I learne thirdly that as the Law-giuer is a iealous God he will render vengeance on the third and fourth generation of all Idolaters and haters of his diuine worship Exod. 20. So he is a gratious God which will shewe mercie to me and to thousands of generations of Christians that obey him and religiously worship him Psal 103. Exod. 20. Q. What are the words of the third Commaundement A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Q. What learne you by this Commaundement A. First I learne that I must in all things and at all times vse the name of God with high reuerence and not so much as to thinke or to speake of God without a due reuerent and a religious regard Q. What doe you secondly learne here A. Secondly I learne in conference and com munication to vse no oath nor to sware by any creatures Ier. 5. 7. Psal 16. 4. Q. What learne you more hereby A. Thirdly I learne that to vse the name of God to sorcerie inchantment cursing and in false testimonie is no leūe then a finne of blasphemie Deut. 18. 10. Q. When there is cause of an oth by whom must we sweare A. In lawfull and requisite causes to sware by God is part of his glory Deuteronomy 6. 13. Psal 63. 71. Q. In what causes are oathes lawfull and requisite A. When before a Iudge to witnes a truth for the ending of controuersie Heb. 6. 16. Also when the truth is testified for preseruation of our brethren from intury Ie. 4. 2. Likewise when an oath is requisite in any case for the setting forth of Gods glory it may lawfully be vsed Rom. 9. 1. and the 2. Cor. 11. 31. Q. What is the fourth Commandement A. Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabboth day c. Q. What learne you by the word Remember A. I learne by that word the waightinesse of the matter for in matters of waight that word is vsed Eccle. 12. Q. What signifieth the word Sabboth and what meaneth the keeping it holy A. The word Sabboth signifieth Rest and teacheth Christians to rest from bodily labours and not to be idle but to spend it in holy exercises and diuine duties Q. What are those holy exercises diuine duties commaunded A. First a Christian is to remember to seeke the Lord earely in such prinate prayers as may moue God to direct them to holynesse Pro. 8. Psal 51. Secondly with them that keepe the holie day to resorte with prepared heartes to the house of God and place of prayers Eccle. 5. Psal 44. Thirdly to labour to encrease his faith by hearing Gods word and to strengthen his faith by often and reuerend celebrating the Sacraments appointed by Christ Rom. 10. 1. Cor. 11. Fourthly after the hearing of the word and receiuing the Sacraments to make per fect what they haue learned by the Noblemens practise of Berea Act. 17. Fiftly and finally with deuout prayers to God and with Dauids deuotion in singing Psalmes to the prayse of God and to spend the whole day to the honour of the Lord is the sanctifying and keeping holy the Sabboth Q. Who are commanded to keeps holy the Sabboth A. First all Gouernours as Fathers Mothers and Masters Secondly sonnes daughters men and maid seruants And thirdly Gouernours are both commaunded and chiefly charged that themselues their familie and strangers in their houses doe keepe holy the Sabboth Q. What learne you more from this precept A. I learne that the very Cattell this day by Gods commaundement should rest and not be laboured nor toyled Q. What is farther to bee learned out of this precept A. In the last part remaineth a memorable presedent of our Lord God the Law-maker Q. What learne you by the Lords presedent A. First I learne that as in sixe dayes the Lord ordered and ended his works of creation So a Christian should order and end the worke of his vocation Also I learne as the Lord rested the seauenth day and ordained it to be sanctified so a Christian ought earnestly to immitate Gods presedent and obey Gods commandment A. As you haue shewed me largely what a Christian should doe on the Sabboth day so shew me briefly what hee should leaus vndone that day A. All thinges that necessitie constraineth not and Gods word commaundeth not a Christian on the Sabboth ought to leaue vndone Esay 58. 13. Mat. 12. 3. 5. Q. As in order of the Tables of the Law the dutie
THE CRISTALL OF CHRISTIANITIE OR LOOKING GLASSE OF GODS LOVE Containing the Principles of our Christian profession by the way of disputation betweene Master and Scholler in Schooles and Families fit for the profitable practise of all especially of youth to be vsed Initiated formerly by others and amplified by R. P. Minister and Preacher of Gods word Barnard in his Morrals Sacra scriptura mentis oculis quasi speculum quoddam opponitur ibi pulcra nostra in Christo perspicimus ibi feda nostra in nobis Cernimus ibi quantum perficimus ibi quantum a pro factu longè distamus plane sentimus Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson dwelling neere the three Cranes in the Vinetree 1617. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL VERTVOVS AND Religious Gentleman master George Bostocke Iustice of his Maiesties peace in the Countie of Denbigh R. P. wisheth Grace Peace and in Iesus Christ all health and happie prosperitie LICVRGVS Right Worshipfull the LACEDEMONIAN Law-maker apointed condigne punishment for euery offendor according to the offence but for an vnthankefull person he could finde no seueritie nor seuere punishment sufficient In consideration therefore of your worship and euer approued fauours towards me as I am bound so I am moued to remember them and shew my selfe mindfull and thankful for them least I should seeme culpable of the grose sinne of Ingratitude and not haue power to performe my Gratuitie with gifts of excellencie I haue made bolde to present to your Worship in testimonie of my loue my poore labours wherein I laboured when I was the Lords labourer in that Congregation where your Worships fauours were well approued not to me alone but to all that were faithfull preachers of Gods word and conformable ministers to the commendable Lawes of our gratious kinges Maiestie Those apparant and approued giftes of grace with many other commendable gifts of nature by God planted in you hath prouoked me to present as vnto a deuout patron of pietie the fruits of my labours and arguments of my loue by Gods grace purposing and faithfully promising vpon your worshipful acceptation of this my widows mite to dedicate more ample manifestation to you and yours of my vnfained affection In the meane time humbly crauing pardon for this my boldnes and euer heartily according to my bounden dutie desiring our gratious God in your heart by his gratious blessing to increase such holy and heauenly vertues whereby the good gifts of grace and nature planted in you may flourish and bring forth such fruits of godlines whereby Gods name may more be glorified Christes members comforted our gratious Kings loyall Subiects by your godly obedience to like obedience in couraged your Worships worthinesse more illustrated the bodies soules of you and all yours with blessinges Temporall more and more inriched and with the Diadems and Crownes of glory by the glorious King of Heauen eternally Crowned I rest London the first day of September 1617. ⸫ Your worships in all loue and dutie ouer to commaund R. P. A Prayer to be sayd at the beginning of this Booke O Lord our God and in Iesus Christ our mercifull and heauenly Father we thy poore seruants assembled before thy maïestie in this Congregation by the sight of our sinnes doe acknowledge our selues to be vnworthie of the least drop of thy fauour or dram of thy mercies Therefore we beseech thee in the name of thy deare Son Iesus Christ and for his sake to pardon all our sinnes passed and by thy gratious spirit to grant vs such grace at this present that we may religiously proceede in the true vnderstanding of thy holy word And by the same thy spirit bee made more obedient to frame our liues by direction of thy Lawes that thereby we may be more apt and able to set forth thy glory by practising the precepts taught vs in thy holy word at this present and daily bee more readie by hearing the same thy holy word to receiue such increase of faith as may sustaine vs to the attayning of all godly instructions and full fruition of true and eternall felicitie world without ende through Iesus Christ thy deare Sonne our onely Sauiour Amen The Cristall of Christianitie or looking Glasse of GODS loue Question AS You doe professe to be a Christian so shewe me what estimation you haue of the diuine scriptures where on you grounde your Christian profession Answere I doe and I ought to esteeme the holy and Canonicall scriptures to bee the spirituall glasse and cleare Cristall wherein the diuine fauour and euerlasting loue of God doth appeare euen to the attaining of eternall life Iohn 3. 30. Q. Wherein may Christians principally proue and find that diuine fauour and euerlasting loue A. First that God the Father did out of his meere loue create vs to his owne Image Secondly that God the Son when that Image was defaced did of his tender loue giue himselfe to redeeme vs. Thirdly that God the holy Ghost gratiously both sanctifieth and in sanctification preserueth vs. Q. As you haue mentioned the God-head in three persons Can you proue them by the Scriptures to be one onely true God A. The Apostle Iohn doth plainely proue it in these words There are three that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one God Iohn 5. 17. Q. Wherefore hath God Created Redeemed Sanctified and in sanctification preserued Christians A. First that we in this life should liue to the glory of God Secondly in the life to come wee should receiue glory euerlasting with God Q. How may Christians learne to glorifie God in this present life A. By ordering this life according to the rule of Gods holy word in the Scriptures reueiled Q. What rules of life are in the scriptures reueiled to guide vs to the glory of God A. The first is the rule of Gods holy precepts and Commandements The second is constant faith in Gods fatherly promises The third is religious Celebrating the holy Sacraments The fourth is the practise of holy faithful feruent and deuout prayers Q. How many are the precepts by God commanded A. The Commandements are ten in number and in two Tables they were written for our instruction Q. What things are in those two Tables principally contained A. In the first a Christians dutie to God And in the second our duties to our neighbour are both taught contained and commaunded Q. What are the words in the first Table mentioned Q. I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage Exod. xx Q. Are these words a part of the ten Commaundements A. These words are not of the Commaundements but are a profitable preface before the precepts Q. What learne christians by this preface A. A Christian by the word Lord may learne the Law-giuer to be the chiefe Lord and gouernour And by the word God a louing Father and most mercifull deliuerer of his people from bondage distresse
of a Christian to Gods maiesty is first placed so shew me what is thereby to be learned A. First I learne that GOD is first and principally to be obeyed Secondly that the kingdome of God is before all things to be desired Thirdly that all our goods and substance are to Gods glory to be employed Fourthly to expresse our loue to God our liues are not to be regarded Proceede nowe to the first precept of the second Table A. Honour thy Father and mother that thy dayes may belong in the land c. Q. What learne you by this word honour thy Father A. I learne that I am bound to loue feare and obey to reuerence relieue comfort all those which God hath placed in place of my parents Q. What persons are by Gods word in place of parents to be honoured A. First naturall parents which are instruments of our life first are so to bee honoured Ephe. 6. Secondly Kinges and Queenes which are Gods annoynted as princely parents and are so to be honoured Esay 54. Thirdly Bishops and all Preachers and all pastorall parents are so to be honoured Magistrates and all gouernours which are instruments for ordering of our Countrey are so to be honoured All aged men and women and all our elders as is afore mentioned are so to bee honoured Q. What learne you farther by the fourth precept A. I learne that this commandement hath a promise of blessing to moue Christiane to bee more dutifull to their parents namely long life to the obedient Q. Seeing we doe see the wicked flourish and liue long Psal 37. and often the righteous to perish and liue not so long Esay 57. How can that promise be rightly approued or to the obedient applyed A. First we are taught that a wicked mans life is death Luk. 15. and the prolonging of his dayes in sinfull life is heaping of vengeance by his long life Rom. 2. Secondly we are taught that the life of a righteous man doth not end when his mortall life is ended for Abell being dead yet speaketh Heb. 11. And long life is not onely to liue in the bodie but to be aliue euer while the world lafteth by faith and famous memorie Q. Doe you conclude then that the wicked liue long to encrease their condemnation and Gods children haue a double blessing both of gray hayres and liuing holy liues A. I conclude that the wicked liue long by Gods permission to their further confusion and Gods obedient children both in speedie death and long life haue and iustly may haue consolation of this promised blessing Q. What is the sixt precept what learne you by it A. The commaundement is Thou shalt not kill And first I learne to refraine my tongue from lying and slandering from mocking quarrelling Mat. 5. 22. Psal 15. Secondly I learne to keepe my handes from striking fighting and generally from euery thing that tendeth to killing and murthering Thirdly I am bound as not to kill so to seeke to preserue life as much as in mee lyeth Mat. 25. 35. Q. Rehearse the seauenth Commaundement and shew me what you learne by it A. Thou shalt not commit adultery wherein first I learne that as the act of adultery fornication and all vncleannesse of body is forbidden so all vnchast thoughts desires and vnpure words are also forbidden Mat. 5. 28. Secondly I learne that matrimonie is chiefly to be preserued and the wedding bed to be vndefiled and that whoremongers adulterers shall of God be iudged Heb. 13. Thirdly I learne to refraine from all vnchast behauiour all vnchast wordes and songs of Kibaudry Q. Shew me what are the words of the 8. precept and what you learne thereby A. Thou shalt not steale whereby I learne to abstaine from stealing from robbing defranding from vnlawfull dealing and all vnlawfull games Leuit. 19. 11. Ephe. 5. 5. 1. Thes 4. 6. Secondly I learne That I am bound to labour truely for my owne liuing 1. Thes 3. 10. Thirdly I learne to the vttermost of my power to relieue by my labour the needie members of Christes bodie 1. Tim. 6. 18. Q. Proceed and shew me what is the ninth Commaundement and what you learne thereby A. Thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour Wherein first I learne not to testifie any vntruth Pro. 10. 5. Secondly I learne not to dissemble but to speake truth in my talking Ephe. 4. 25. Thirdly I learne not to giue out false reports nor slanderous speeches of any man Q. What is the tenth Commaundement and what learne you out of it A. Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house c. whereby I learne That all the thoughts of mens heart are open to Gods eyes and euery couetous desire of mans heart whereby the loue of God or of our neighbour is violated though it be not sin to the eyes of men nor committed in act yet such thoughts and desires are sinnefull in Gods sight Rom. 7. 7. Q. What is sinne prescribed to be in the holy Scripture A. Euery transgression of Gods law either in thought word or deed is sinne 1. Ioh. 3. Q. What is the reward of sinne and transgression A. The reward of sinne and of vnbeleeuers is death and condemnation Rom. 6. 23. Q. Can any man so fulfill the law whereby he may auoyd eternall death A. The most iust est man is vnable by fulfilling the law to auoid eternall death Luk. 17. 10. Q. What benefite then bringeth the law to these that obey it A. The law is a glasse that by the sight of sinne humbleth the Christian Rom. 3. 19. And secondly the law is a schoolemaster to bring humbled Christians to beleeue in Christ and to be saued Gal. 3. 24. Q. Seeing by the workes of the law a man cannot be saned why according to the law should good workes be performed A. First good workes of the faithfull ruled by the lyne of Gods word are done to glorifie our heauenly Father Mat. 5. Secondly good workes that proceed from the faithfull are signes of sanctification and Pars prima worke hope of election 2. Pet. 1. 10. Thirdly good workes wrought in vs by the holy Ghost winneth other to godly conuersation Mat. 5. And bee wrought in the faithfull as arguments of saluation Q. Seeing by good works no Christian can haue saluation shew me then howe shall a Christian be saued A. Euery faithfull Christian obtaineth saluation by faith in Christ Iesus onely Rom. 3. 28. Q. What doe you learne true Christian faith to be A. True Christian faith is a full perfect perswasion and assurance to bee saued by Christ Rom. 8. 38. 39. Q. How is it wrought in the heart of man A. The outward meanes by hearing the word preached Rom. 10. 9. The inward meanes is the infusion of grace by the holy Ghost Ephe. 3. 16. Q. Whereon is this faith grounded and established A. It is grounded and established on Gods promises in Christ Iesus Rom. 4. 3. Gal. 3. 26.