shew the greatest Reverence not only to his Names but also his Titles Attributes Ordinances Houses Revenues Words and Works For unto them all hath the Apostles exhottation Heb. 12.28 relation Let us have grace whereby to serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear And the particular Duties respecting all these you have in the next Questions and their Answers Q. How doth your Catechism express this A. To give him thanks to put my whole trust in him to call upon him to honour his Holy Name and his Word Q. What then are the sins forbidden in this Commandment A. Unthankfullness Distrustfullness not praying to God or praying to any other but God all Abuses of or irreverent use of or medling with His Word Sacraments House Titles or Ministers and especially rash and vain Swearing Cursing and Blasphemy Q. What doth God threaten them that thus transgress his Commandment A. That he will not hold them Guiltless that is they shall be held guilty and by no means escape his Vengeance Catechist It cannot be expected that all duties and sins herein required and forbidden should be particularly named in so short an Abstract as a Catechism is and should be but these are the chief We must give God thanks for all his Works and Benefits Temporal and Spiritual 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks Psal 50.14 Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most High We must call upon God by Solemn Religious prayer and Invocation as alone able and willing to hear and help us and upon no other Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And these two are closely joyned together by the Apostle in one precept Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing let your requests be made known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving We must put our whole trust in God Psal 62.8 Trust in the Lord at all times ye people pour out your hearts before Him for God is our hope And on the contrary ingratitude and unfaithfulness was the sin of the Israelites Deut. 32.15 18. Jesurun waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God that made him and lightly esteemed the rock of his Salvation Of the rock that begat thee thou art unmindful and hast forgotten him that formed thee Isaiah 1.2 3. I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Luk. 17.18 Of the ten Lepers that were cleansed but one returned to give thanks And as prayer is Our duty so it is branded as Atheistical and shews that a man saith in his heart there is no God that he calls not upon the Lord Psal 14.4 And we are not to call upon any other but Him Not Angels for so the Angel forbad S. John Rev. 22.9 See thou do it not I am thy fellow servant Not Saints for Isaiah 63.16 Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledges us not And as we are to put our whole trust in God so distrustfulness was the Israelites sin Psal 78.19 Can God prepare a table in the wilderness Behold He smote the rock indeed that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed but can he give bread also Can He provide flesh And therefore Our Saviour cautions us against this Matth. 6.25 Take no thought no distrustful thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink or wherewithall ye shall be clothed ver 32. your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things And so are we forbidden trusting in any other things whether in wants or dangers Not in horses or chariots Psal 20.7 Not in Princes Psal 118.8 Not in any Son of man Psal 146.3 Not in bow or shield Psal 44.6 Not in our riches Prov. 11.28 Not in ourselves Prov. 18.26 We are also warned to take heed of all irreverent use of Gods word Luk. 8 18. Take heed how you hear Prov. 13.13 Whoso despiseth Gods word shall be destroyed And of his Sacraments â— Cor. 11.27 Whoso eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks damnation to Himself not discerning the Lords Body And his House the Church For 1 Cor. 11.22 What have ye not houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God And of his Titles and Revenues what is set apart for Holy Uses and for the maintenance of his Ministers For the Prophet Malachi saith chap. 3.8 that to defraud or alienate them is to rob God or to abuse his Ministers or not to hearken to and obey them Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And then for taking Gods Name in vain by vain or false Swearing Cursing or Blaspheming the letter of the Commandment is express and innumerable Texts speak terribly to all that are guilty thereof To name but one or two I will bring the Curse saith the Lord of hosts by his Prophet Zechariah 5.4 and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and shall remain in the midst thereof and consume it with the Timber thereof and with the stones thereof And one Text in Deut. 28.58 59. may serve instead of all other Texts If thou wilt not observe to fear this great and glorious Name The Lord thy God Then will the Lord make thy plagues great and wonderful and the plagues of thy seed even great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long Continuance In short our Saviour explains this Commandment to forbid not only perjury or false swearing but also swearing vainly and in our ordinary talk and Communication and swearing by any other but God For an Oath is a Divine Honour Mat. 5.33 34 37. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self But I say unto you swear not at all neither by heaven nor by the Earth c. But let your Communications be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil and so much also of the third Commandment Q. What are the duties required by the fourth Commandment A. To serve him truly as in his Solemn days of Worship so all the days of my life Q. Which are those Solemn days of Worship wherein we are especially to serve God A. The Lords day and days set apart for Humiliation and Thanksgiving the Feasts and Fasts of the Church Q. Which is the Lords day A. The First day of the week observed by Christians because of Christs Resurrection upon it as the Seventh day was by the Jews in memory of the Creation Catechist We are assured both by Scripture and the Churches Histories that the First day of the week was after Christs Resurrection and in memory thereof observed by the Christians for all the Holy Offices as the Seventh day Sabbath was by them under the old Testament in memory of Gods Rest from his works of
Creation and thence was it called the Lords day Rev. 1.10 John in the Isle of Patmos was in the spirit on the Lords day Act. 20.7 Vpon the first day of the week when the Disciples were together to eat bread Paul preached unto them 1 Cor. 16.1 2. Concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia so do ye Vpon the first day of the week let every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him As for the Churches Holy days or Days appointed by Authority for solemn publick prayers and thanksgivings upon occasion of some great Calamities or Deliverances though they be appointed by man only yet have they as good Authority as the Feast of Purim and Dedication among the Jews for they had no other but Humane Appointment Q. How must God be served on those days A. By resting from all bodily labours except them of Necessity and Mercy to the end we may wholly attend the publick and private exercises of Religion and Godliness Q. What sins then are forbidden by this Commandment A. Mispending these days either in sin or idleness or the servile works of our callings or in vain sports or whatsoever may hinder our keeping them Holy Catechist The Commandment expressly forbids all servile works on the Sabbath day and so do divers Texts as Exod. 31.13 14. and 35.2 and Jer. 17.21 much more idleness vain sports and pastimes and all sinful spending it in gluttony drunkenness filthy Communications and all manner of Licentiousness We are to rest from our worldly labours but mark for what end not that bodily ease can of it self please God but it is that being free from all encombrances of this world and all earthly cares and distractions we may sanctifie the day keep it holy or hallow it Only as our Saviour clears the matter in Confutation of the Pharisees Matth. 12.11 12 13. Works of Necessity Mercy and Charity are allowed and lawful for What man of you saith he having an Ox or an Ass fallen into a pit on the sabbath day will not lift it up It is lawfull therefore to do good on the Sabbath day And therefore he Himself scrupled not to heal the sick cleanse the lepers restore the blind and lame c. and thus he justifieth himself in so doing against their cavills Q. What must parents and Masters do in obedience to this Commandment A. They must exercise their children and Servants in all Religious duties publick and private and restrain them from all contrary sins Catechist The Tenour of the Commandment runs thus Thou and thy Son and thy daughter thy man servant thy maid servant c. And for an example to all Householders as well as Kings and Princes Joshua said chap. 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. So let all of us say Let other persons be careless how their families observe the Lords day whether they come to the Church or be absent how they mispend it in vain sports or prophaness I and mine will do otherwise we will serve the Lord publickly and privately with all good care and Conscience Ps 42.4 We will go up together unto the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with the multitude that keep holy day Psal 101.4 6. A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful that they may dwell with me He that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me Q. What Motives doth God use to engage our obedience to his Commandments A. His allowing us six days for our own labours and his own special property in the Seventh His own Example and His having Sanctified the Sabbath day to Holy Uses Catechist Every one is able of himself to discern all these in the words of the Commandment Let me then leave that to you and ask you in the next place Q. Is it sufficient to serve God in his Solemn days only A. No We must set apart some Competent part of our time every day and serve him truly all the days of our lives Catechist We are injoyned in Gods word to pray always Luk. 18.1 and to pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5.17 that is keep a constant daily course of prayer And in all things to give thanks 1 Thes 5.18 and to have God always before us Ps 16.8 So is every day to be so a Sabbath unto us as therein to rest from sin and to allot some competent time for Gods immediate service from our worldly business as well as to serve him by all diligence in labour and by faithful and righteous dealing in our Callings and Vocations Luk. 1.74 Being delivered from the hands of our enemies it is that we may serve him without fear in Holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives Q. Doth this fourth Commandment then oblige us Christians A. Yes though not the Ceremonial part as it requires the seventh-day Sabbath and the strict Jewish Rest yet what is of Moral equity in it to wit that a Competent part of our time be thus devoted to Gods Worship and Service Catechist It concerns us even us Christians to remember often Gods fearful judgements on divers prophaning of the Sabbath as him that gathered sticks on it Num. 15.32 and them that bare burdens on the Sabbath day in Jerusalem Jer. 17.27 And Nehemiahs zeal to restrain from buying and selling wares on the Sabbath day chap. 10.31 against those that trode the winepresses and brought in sheaves and asses laden with wine grapes and figs c. on the Sabbath day chap. 13. from ver 15. to 23. For as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 10 11. These examples are written for our learning or admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come And as God gave Ten Commandments so had this in special the same Author and Lawgiver as the other had even the Eternal God the Creator of all things who as the very light of nature prompts if he be God must be worshipped and glorified as God which cannot be unless some competent portion of time suppose one in seven be set apart for it And therefore although the Ceremonial part of the Commandment be abrogated yet is the Moral still Obligatory to us Christians And so our Holy Church believes or else we should not be taught by it to pray after the reading of this as well as every other Commandment Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law I may now hope you pretty well understand your duty towards God taught you in the first Table of the Decalogue the four first Commandments Let us go on then to the second Q. How many Commandments are there in the second Table A. The Six last Commandments Q. What sort of duties doth the second Table teach you A. My duties towards my Neighbour Q. What is
not see him saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord. And of this Attribute and perfection the sweet singer of Israel thus descants Psal 139.7 8 9. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit and whither shall I flee from thy presence If I go up unto heaven Thou art there If I make my bed in hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me And he there teaches us this lesson that all both young and old have this always in their minds to restrain them from every sinful thing even when they are alone and in secret places and no eye sees them That yet God always sees them ver 12. Even the darkness hides not from thee but the night is as clear as the day darkness and light are both alike to thee And therefore whenever we are tempted to sin and whatsoever conveniency of secrecy we may have for it we should always say to ourselves as Joseph did to his Mistriss Gen. 39.9 How can I do this wickedness and sin against God and that even in his sight For Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open in the sight of him with whom we have to do Now these same Texts that prove Gods Omnipresence they also prove his fourth Attribute Omniscience That He sees and knows all things And as for the next Attribute His perfect Goodness you may remember what your Saviour said Matth. 19.17 There is none Good but one that is God i. e. None deserving this Title of Good in strictness but he Psal 119.6 He is Good and doth Good and that continually And who that is wise will not love and serve and strive to please so Good a God As for the last Attribute which I named perfect Holiness this the Heavenly Inhabitants the Cherubins and Seraphins adore continually crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts The whole earth is full of his glory Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 And being Holy he cannot be the Author of any Moral evil of any evil of sin Jam. 1.13 Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God cannot be tempted to evil neither tempteth he any man But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Nor doth he approve nor delight in any evil but will surely visit it Hab. 1.13 He is a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Psal 2.3 Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee We therefore that profess to believe in and worship so Holy a God must be Holy as he is Holy in all manner of conversation and Godliness 1 Pet. 1.15 16. we must with David Psal 139.12 hate all sin as God hateth it with a perfect hatred These are the chief Divine Attributes and perfections not excluded but implied in what the Creed expresly mentions Almighty now Q. How did God manifest Himself Almighty A. By making of Heaven and Earth Q. What mean you by heaven and earth A. The whole world and all things therein Catechist That of the Apostle Col. 1.10 is full to the purpose By him were all things Created that are in Heaven and in the Earth whether they be thrones or Dominions or principalities or powers All things were created by him Q. What mean you by making these A. Not only creating them but also his Preservation and Providence whereby he Governs and disposes them Catechist He is not only as Joh. 2.10 intitles him the preserver of men but David saith also Ps 36.6 Thy mercy O Lord is in the Heavens thy Faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds O Lord thou preservest man and beast He preserves them and he provides for them all Psal 145.15 The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Yea and he Governs all the world and all Actions and Accidents in it Dan. 4.35 He doth whatsoever he will in the Army of Heaven and among the Inhabitants of the Earth and none can stay his Hand or say unto him What dost thou Even the most Casual and Accidental things are ordered and overruled by him Prov. 16.33 The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole Disposal thereof is of the Lord. Such is Gods providence preserving providing for and governing and disposing of all his Creatures Q. Of what matter did God make the world A. Of nothing Q. By what means did God make the world A. By his word only Catechist See Heb. 11.3 Through Faith we understand that the worlds were formed by the Word of God So that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear For Gen. 1.3 He said Let there be Light and there was light And so of all the rest Ps 33.9 He spake the word and all was done He commanded and they stood fast Q. For what end did God make the world A. For his own Glory Catechist For the glory of his Wisdom Power and Goodness which therefore we should Meditate upon with Isaac when we view his innumerable Creatures and consider the operations of his hands Hence that of Solomon Prov. 16.4 The Lord made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of evil i.e. to manifest the glory of his justice in them Q. Which is Gods chief work excelling all other Creatures A. Next to Angels Mankind and he made all the rest for the use and Benefit of man Catechist The Psalmist admires this Psal 8.4 5 6. Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him Thou hast made him little lower than the Angels and crowned him with glory and honour Thou madest him to have Dominion over the works of thine hands and put all things under his feet All sheep and Oxen yea and the beasts of the field the Fowls of the air and the Fishes of the Sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the Sea Q. In what estate did God at first make man A. In a state of Innocency Holy and Happy Q. How then came sin into the world A. By Adams fall Catechist These and the following Questions and Answers are necessary to shew you how all mankind came to stand in need of Jesus Christ the second person in the Blessed Trinity coming in the flesh to be their Redeemer Eccl. 7.29 This I have found out saith Solomon That God made man upright but they sought out many inventions The History whereof you have in the second and third Chapters of Genesis The summ whereof is this God gave our first Parents a special Commandment for the proof of their Obedience viz. not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil with this Sanction In the day thou eatest thereof Thou shalt die the death But they listned to the Temptations