whose Gospel we derive our Hopes and Expectations of a joyful Resurrection And that we may be constantly put in mind that seeing we name the name of Christ we are to depart from iniquity Question Who gave you this name Answer My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism c. THE meaning is This Name was given me by them who brought me when I knew it not to be admitted to the Favour of God and to be made a Lamb of Christ's Flock And by my Baptism I was made I thank God a Lamb of that Flock a Member of his Church and an Heir to an Inheritance above in Heaven Question What did your Godfathers and Godmothers c. Answer They did promise and vow three things in my name c. THE meaning is They promised for me what I should have promised for my self had I been of Age but seeing I was not and they did promise it I will now stand to it And so I am sensible I must if I hope to receive the Benefits of my Baptism These were then the Three Things they promised which follow 1. They promised I should renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil The Pomps of the World that is all that Pride Vain-glory and Excess that is in the World in Food Raiment or any thing else All vain and sinful Companies and Customs of the World All the Temptations of the World All that is vain or wicked in the World All that Friendship of the World that is Enmity with God All things of the World that may be an occasion of sin to me All the unlawful Riches Honours or Pleasures of the World and never greedily to seek or set my heart upon those that are lawful Thus they renounced for me the Pomps and Vanities of the World which was the first thing they renounced in my name The next was All the sinful Lusts of the Flesh That is all the evil Affections sinful Desires and unlawful Lusts of my corrupt Heart By no means either to be led by them to yeild to them or consent to them The other Branch of what they renounced in my name was The Devil and all his Works Which works are Lying Envying Slandering Pride Murder Hatred but especially tempting others to sin And the actual committing or habitual living in any one wilful known sin Thus in this sense they promised I should renounce The World The Flesh and The Devil Which Renunciation of all these was the First of the Three things they did for me 2. When they presented me to Baptism the second thing they did for me was they promised in my Name That I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith The meaning is They promised in my Name that I should believe all the Parts of the Christian Religion which are briefly contained in the Creed That is they promised I should believe in God and I do now believe in him They promised I should believe in Jesus Christ and I do firmly believe in him That he was born of a Virgin was crucified died and rose again c. All which I stedfastly believe They promised I should believe the Resurrection of the Body and a Life eternal after Death And I firmly believe these and all other Parts of the Gospel That I should believe these things was the second thing they did for me 3. They promised in my name That I should keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in them all the days of my Life The meaning is When they presented me to Baptism they promised in my Name That I should obey God's Will in avoiding all those things which he hath forbidden me and in performing all those things he hath commanded me And to do this not for a day only or a year but all the days of my Life Thus for instance 'T is God's Will and Commandment that I should be Sober Temperate Chast Pure Just and Upright Repent of and Reform my Sins believe in Christ be a very charitable Person That I should be meek humble and peaceable self-denying and mortified fear him love him above all things trust in him be patient in Afflictions submitting to his Will and to his Wisdom attend upon his Ordinances attend upon his Word attend upon Prayer attend upon his holy Sacraments and perform all other parts and instances of my Duty to God to my self and Neighbour This is to keep his holy Will and Commandments So that they who presented me to Baptism and charitably brought me to be received into Christ's Church by it promised in summ these things in my Name 1. That I should renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil so as by neither of them to be led to any known Sin 2. That I should believe the Christian Religion and live according to that belief 3. That I should give God one short life of Love and Obedience in sincerely though imperfectly doing what he has commanded As they promised this in my Name before I was baptized so I am now to keep it afterward that after death I may enjoy the Promises of God which he has made me upon these three Conditions in a joyful Resurrection and an eternal Life of Glory Question Dost thou not think that thou art bound c. Answer Yes verily and by God's help so I will c. THE meaning is As they promised these things in my name or for me when I was an Infant and could promise nothing for my self so I do now heartily own them all and take them intirely upon my self 1. I will and do renounce what they promised in my Name to renounce 2. I will and do believe firmly what they promised in my Name I should believe 3. I will ever by divine aid keep that holy Will and those Commandments of my God and Saviour which they promised in my Name I should And I bless God that he hath in infinite Love to me and Compassion to my Soul called me to this hope this great hope of being saved when I die And I earnestly beg his Grace that I may continue in this Faith this Hope this Love and this Obedience till the end of my Life till I change Worlds and come up to him SECT II. Of the Creed Catechist REhearse the Articles of thy Belief Answer I believe in God the Father c. I. ARTICLE I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth THE meaning is I do profess that I really believe there is an infinitely knowing just powerful holy wise good and merciful Spirit whom we call God that has been from ever and shall be for ever that he is eternal unchangeable omnipresent or every where present omnipotent or able to do all things who gave being to all things and received his Being from none That he orders all things in this lower World by his Providence that being omniscient he knows every Man's Thoughts Words and Actions I firmly believe that this Almighty God who is the Father of our
declare and own our selves to be so The First of these the Sacrament by which we begin our journey for Heaven and Immortality the Second of them the Sacrament by which we continue it onward to the end of our days To conclude seeing the first Sacrament that of Baptism was administred to us in our Infancy before we knew it and we are now come to the knowledge of it far be it from us to withdraw our selves from the other Sacrament of our Lord's Supper lest we be found in any degrees to have renounced or dispised our Baptism or to have renounced or neglected the Communion of Saints But as we happily begun for Heaven and Immortality by the Waters of Regeneration so let us by our constant preparation to receive the blood of the Covenant and to attend on these holy Mysteries keep pace with our Lord to the end of this our Pilgrimage here till we come to meet him in his Kingdom And seeing in our Baptism when we were admitted into Covenant with God we promised on our part Faith Repentance and a sincere Obedience to him but by reason of our Infirmities in this imperfect State we have too frequently broken our Conditions of it Oh let us ever take all advantages and opportunities of renewing it with our God again in the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper still labouring to grow from Grace to Grace till all shall end in Glory And may we be so constant in our devout Attendances on this Ordinance so pant and sigh and languish after the divine Grace and Favour by our frequenting it that as the Sacrament of Baptism was one of the First Blessings we received in this World so the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper may be one of the Last Amen THE Church-Catechism Resolved into Scripture-Proofs PART III. Question WHat is your Name Answer N. or M. Question Who gave you this Name Answer My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism wherein I was made a Member of Christ the Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven Prove that you were made a Member of Christ in your Baptism 1 Cor. 12.12 13. For as the Body is one and hath many Members and all the Members of that one Body being many are one Body So also is Christ For by one Spirit are we all baptized in to one Body Eph. 5.30 For we are Members of his Body Prove that every one that nameth the Name of Christ is to depart from Iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity Prove that we are not to introduce into the Church the custom of having no Godfathers and Godmothers or to be contentious about it 1 Cor. 11.16 If any Man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of God Prove that you were made a Child of God when you were baptized Gal. 3.26 27. For ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Prove that you were made an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven when you were baptized Rom. 8.17 And if Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joint Heirs with Christ Mark 10.14 Suffer the little Children to come unto me and forbid them not For of such is the Kingdom of God Question What did your Godfathers and Godmomothers then for you Answer They did promise and vow three things in my Name First that I should renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this Wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly that I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And thirdly that I should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life Prove that you are bound to renounce the Devil as they promised Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil Eph. 4.27 Neither give place to the Devil Prove that you are to renounce the works of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Eph. 5.11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness Shew me what are the works of the Devil And first prove Lying to be a Work of the Devil John 8.44 He is a Lyar and the Father of it Prove slandering or false accusing to be a Work of the Devil Rev. 12.10 The accuser of our Brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night Prove Envying a Work of the Devil Jam. 3.14 15. But if ye have bitter Envying and Strife in your Hearts glory not and lye not against the Truth This Wisdom descendeth not from above but is Earthly Sensual Devilish Prove Pride to be a Work of the Devil Isa 14.12 13 14. How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer Son of the Morning For thou hast said in thy Heart I will ascend into Heaven I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will be like the most High Ver. 15. Yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell Prove tempting others to Sin to be a Work of the Devil Matth. 4 1-3 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit in the Wilderness to be tempted of the Devil Ver. 3. And when the Tempter came to him Prove Murther to be a Work of the Devil John 8.44 He was a Murtherer from the beginning Prove going to a Witch or Conjurer to be a Work of the Devil 1 Chron. 10.13 14. So Saul died for his Transgression And also for asking Counsel of one that had a familiar Spirit to enquire of it and enquired not of the Lord therefore he slew him Lev. 20.6 And the Soul that turneth after such as have familiar Spirits and after Wizards to go a Whoring after them I will even set my Face against that Soul Prove the committing any wilful known Sin to be a Work of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth Sin is of the Devil Prove the word Pomps to be in Scripture Isa 5.14 Therefore Hell hath enlarged herself and opened her Mouth without measure And their Glory and their Multitude and their Pomp and he that rejoiceth shall descend into it Isa 14.11 Thy Pomp is brought down to the Grave Acts 25.23 Bernice came with great Pomp. Prove that you renounc'd the Pomps of the World that is all the Temptations of it all the vain and sinful customs of it Or all Pride Vain-glory and excess in Food and Raiment and in all things else of it Rom. 12.2 And be not conformed to this World 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the Word i. e. Set not your Heart upon it so as to get or keep any part of it by any unlawful means Prove that you are to renounce the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Prove or shew what these
I determined not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor 2.2 Iesus saith to Simon Peter Simon Son of Ionas lovest thou me He saith unto him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my Lambs St. Iohn 21.15 I. Sturt sculp THE Art of Catechising OR THE COMPLEAT CATECHIST In Four Parts I. The Church-Catechism resolved into easie Questions to be Answered only by Yes or No. II. An Exposition of It in a continued full and plain Discourse III. The Church-Catechism resolved into Scripture-Proofs IV. The Whole Duty of Man reduced into Questions to be Answered by a single Yes or No. Fitted for the meanest Capacities the weakest Memories the plainest Teachers and the most un-instructed Learners IMPRIMATUR Z. Isham R.P.D. Henrico Episc Lond. Ã sacris Feb. 4. 1690 1. LONDON Printed by J. L. for Henry Bonwicke at the Red-Lion in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1691. THE PREFACE THE Neglect of Catechising is complained of by a great many and even by some of them who add something to the Cause of the Complaint The Mischiefs of which Neglect will soon appear as great now as ever For the numerous Enemies of the best establish'd Church in the World are all at work and with united Voices crying Down with it down with it to the Ground One of the best Remedies that I know of next to our Prayers and Tears for its Preservation is to take great Care that our Youth be well instructed in the Principles of that holy Religion which we profess whatever Self-denial or Pains or Difficulties or Humility or Condescension or letting down of our selves it cost us I have found by my own Experience that to do it well and conscionably has more of all these in it than Preaching it self and when all is done it shall please much less But when I consider that my Business is to please God and not Man and that my Hopes and Consolations will at last result from my having with Purity of Intention designed the Former more than the Latter When I consider that a poor Soul placed under my Charge and Conduct for whom the great Lover of Souls has provided no other Ordinary Means of Salvation but what is to be conveyed to him by me by my Assistances and Ministration if it should want these too it will have none and may for ever be undone for me When I consider that when he admitted me to cultivate a corner of his Vineyard as he did me a greater Honour than he did thousands of others so he expected more Glory more Love and more Obedience from me too that he might confer on me a peculiar Coronet of Glory When I consider that he never meant the Ministery to be a Station of Ease and Indiligence When I think how reasonable a thing 't is that I should shed some of the Sweat of my Brows for them for whom he was well contented to shed the Blood of his heart When I in a close and piercing thought reflect on these things I find I can be content with that Contempt and Scorn those Pains and Difficulties that Self-denial and humble Condescension which will most times accompany the conscionable Discharge of this very useful and very necessary Duty It were well if the Devout Pastor would sometimes when he is retired and with-drawn from the World with pious Emotions and devout Affections with panting sighing languishing Aspirations say as St. Peter thrice did John 21.15 16 17. Lord thou knowest that I love thee but in the same devout and affectionate thought to imagine he hears the holy Jesus giving him the same Answer Feed my Lambs And then that he would please to consider whether his Love of Jesus would permit him to be content well pleased and easie while he refuses to give him this his own way of demonstrating both That and his Obedience If any plain Man who is a Master or a Father an Housholder or Guardian and who has in part that great Trust committed to him of the Care of a Soul shall derive any Assistances or Intimations for its Conduct and Institution from this Book I do earnestly request the Good Man to put me into his Litanies and that his Prayer for the Author may be this That my Passage over the World being safe and holy I may come to sit at the Feet of them who with primitive Affections have loved and obeyed Jesus in the Mansions of Glory Amen THE Art of Catechising OR THE COMPLEAT CATECHIST PART 1. Question WHAT is your Name Answer N. or M. Question Who gave you this Name Answer My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism wherein c. Question What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you Answer They did promise and vow three things in my Name First c. Question Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe c. Answer Yes verily and by God's help so I will And I heartily c. SECTION 1. Of our Baptism Of The Benefits of Baptism The Vow of Baptism and Our promising to perform it WAS not your Name given you when you were baptized Yes Were you not made a Disciple of Jesus Christ when you were baptized Yes Was it not a great Happiness and Favour to have been baptized Yes Should we ever forget this Mercy of God toward us No. Were you not made a Member of Christ and his Church when you were baptized Yes Were you not made a Child of God when you were baptized Yes Were you not made an Heir of Christ's Kingdom when you were baptized Yes Can we think upon this Favour without Love and Thankfulness to our God and Saviour No. When you were baptized did not they who brought you to Baptism make a Covenant between God and you Yes Is not God's part of the Covenant this That he will give you Pardon of Sin Grace and Glory Yes Is not your part of the Covenant this That you will believe in Christ repent of your Sins and obey his Laws Yes Should you neglect to perform your part if you expect God should perform his No. Should we not stand to this happy Covenant when we come to Age if we will be saved Yes Did not they who brought you to be baptized covenant in your Name that you should renounce the Temptations of the Devil and all his Works Yes Are not all Sins and specially tempting others to sin Works of the Devil Yes Should a Christian therefore do any of the Works of the Devil No. Did not they who brought you to Baptism promise for you that you should renounce the Temptations of the World Yes Did they not promise for you that you should renounce the Pomps that is all the vain and sinful Customs of the World Yes Should a Christian therefore do according to the vain and sinful Customs of the World No. Did they not promise for you that you should renounce all the evil and corrupt Desires of the Flesh and your own
And what was our part of the Covenant was it not that we would believe in Jesus Christ repent of our Sins and sincerely obey him all our Days Yes The Vow of Baptism in renouncing the Devil Seeing we renounced the Devil in our Baptism may we any way deal with him as by Conjuration or Witcheraft No. When Men go to Conjurers and Witches for any help do they not in some degree forsake God Yes Are the Works of the Devil all Sin particularly Pride Lying Malice Envy Murder and tempting others to Sin Yes Must not a Christian forsake all the Pomps of the World the World Yes Are not the Pomps of the World all Excess in Diet Sports or Apparel or what 's above our Degree and Quality Yes Are we not to forsake all Temptations of the World Yes All the vain and sinful Customs of the World Yes All things of the World that may be an occasion of sin to us Yes All that friendship of the World that is enmity with God Yes All things of the World that may take off my heart from God Yes Should a Christian either covet or greedily and inordinately seek the Riches Honours and Pleasures of the World No. Must we so forsake the World as to get or keep no part of it by unlawful means nor set our heart on it Yes Must we forsake all wicked Companies and all wicked Customs of the World Yes Should a Christian be led by the sinful Lusts the Plesh or the unclean desires of the Flesh No. Are we not to forsake all those Lusts of the Flesh which St. Paul mentions Gal. 5.19 c. Yes Promise of Faith in Baptism and Obedience Do you believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith which your Godfathers and Godmothers promised you should believe Yes Will you labour to keep God's holy Will and Commands as they promised in your name Yes Are we not highly concerned to keep this Covenant with God which we made at our Baptism Yes Can we reasonably expect that God should make good his part of this Covenant if we do not sincerely make good our part No. ¶ Sunday III. ¶ Lord's Supper ARE not all Christians to receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as often as conveniently they can Yes meaning of it Do we not come to the Sacrament thankfully to remember Christ's Death for us and to renew that Covenant with God which we made at our Baptism Yes Can any good Christian desire to be excused from doing this No. Renewing of the Covenant of Grace Does not the Covenant which we renew contain Mercies on God's part and Duties on ours Yes Are not the Mercies on God's part as was said before Pardon of Sin Grace here and Glory hereafter Yes And are not the Duties on our part Faith or a stedfast belief in Christ Repentance for all known sin and future sincere Obedience Yes Should we neglect to examine our seives before Examination wherein we have broken our Covenant by sinning against God No. Should we not examine how wilful how great how frequent our sins against God have been Yes Humiliation and Contrition Ought not this sight of them to bring us to Humiliation and Contrition Yes Is not the true Contrition a sorrow out of Love to God Yes That is should we not sorrow because we have offended so good a Father so tender a Saviour and grieved his Holy Spirit Yes Should we not privately in Prayer Confesion confess our Sins to God and mention in particular the chiefest of them Yes Must we not beg God to cleanse us from secret Sins those which we have forgot by saying with David Cleanse thou me from my secret faults Yes Resolutions of Obedience When we have sorrowed for them and confessed them may we still keep them and live in them No. Must we not renounce them and resolve to obey God better for the future Yes When we have examined our selves Faith and confessed our Sins to God and sorrowed for love of him and purposed sincerely to obey him for the future are we to believe that our sins shall be pardoned through Christ Yes Must we not bring with us to the Sacrament Charity Charity and Love to our Brethren Yes May we come with malice and hatred in our hearts No. Must we not labour to reconcile them to us whom we have injured and seek forgiveness and make our peace with them before we come Yes And must we not be ready to forgive them that have injured us Yes Must we not bring with us Devotion Devotion and put off all thoughts of the World Yes Vsefulness of a Spiritual Guide If we doubt of any thing before should we not do well to ask the advice of a Minister Yes Should we be ashamed or afraid to discover the griefs or doubts of our Soul to him No. Would a good Man like us much the better for so doing Yes Meditation when receiving When we are at the Lord's Table should we not humbly meditate on our own Unworthiness Yes And should we not thankfully meditate on Christ's sufferings for us Yes Was not Christ the Sacrifice which was offered up for our Sins Yes Could there be a greater instance of Love than for Christ to die for us and our Salvation No. For this Love of Christ's can we return him less than Love and Obedience No. Thankfulness afterward After the Sacrament should we not thank God for the benefits and mercies there received Yes Mindfulness of our good Purposes Should we forget any of our good Resolutions there made No. Is it not very dangerous willfully to break them Yes Should we not often renew our Covenant with God in the Sacrament Yes ¶ Sunday IV. ¶ Honouring God's name SHould we not honour God in his name Yes May a Christian dishonour it by swearing No. May we dishonour him by speaking any evil or thinking any evil of God No. Of Perjury and Oaths Is not Perjury or false-swearing a dreadful sin against God Yes Should not a Christian be very careful never to swear vainly rashly or falsly Yes Should he ever swear at all unless he be lawfully called to it No. Ought not every Christian to lay to heart the great sin and danger of swearing vainly rashly and falsly Yes ¶ Sunday V. ¶ MUST not a Christian Worship God in his Soul and Body Yes Worship Must not a Christian pray frequently and constantly Yes Prayer When we pray to God should we not confess our Sins to him and beg his Pardon Confession and his Grace to amend our lives Yes Should not a Christian pray in private as well as publick Yes Should not a Christian in Prayer beg of God for those Graces which he most wants Yes Should not the Lyar beg of God the Grace to speak Truth the Lustful Man for Chastity the Proud Man for Humility and the like