Question. WHat is GOD?

Answere. A Spirite.

Question. Why doest thou not saye he is Almighty, Eternal, Omnipotent, Inuisible, conteyning all, and not con­teyned?

Answere. All this I do cōfesse. But I answere simply as Christ sayth: Iohn 4. The substance of God is Spiritual, and not Carnall.

Question. How is Man then sayde to be the Image of God?

Answere. It is spoken of the prin­cipall part of Man, which is his Soule, whiche the Apostle sayeth is created in the true likenesse of God, in righteous­nesse and holynesse: so is it like God, be­ing [Page]both immortall and spirituall a God is.

Question. Then is the Soule of man of one nature and substaunce with God?

Answere. No, it is a substance spi­rituall, created of God, infused into mā, and it is immortall.

Question. How is God to be wor­shipped?

Answere. In Spirit and Truth.

Question. How in Spirite?

Answere. With a deuoute minde, a faithfull heart, in a spirituall manner, not with earthly affection.

Question. Howe then must hée bée worshipped in Truth?

Answere. That is, according to hys holy will in his Word, not according to mans fantasie.

Question. Howe if in worshipping of God we be not myndfull of hym in our Prayers?

Answere. Then it is vayne (sayeth Christ) to worship him with our lippes and oure heartes farre from hym, and withoute we pray in Spirite, Prayer [Page]preuayles not, neyther dothe it pearce the eares of God.

Quest. Then a faithful & deuout mind is specially required in prayer?

Ans. It is so, which God for Christes sake graunt vnto vs.

Quest. What is Christ?

Answere. Perfecte God, and perfecte man.

Quest. Howe doest thou knowe he is God?

Ans. Bycause he is equall wyth hys father.

Quest. Howe knowest thou he is e­quall with his father?

Ans. Bycause he sayth, I and the Fa­ther are one, also Paule sayth, He being equall with his Father, tooke vpon hym the shape of a seruant.

Quest. How doest thou know that he is man?

Ans. Bycause he tooke naturall fleshe of the virgin Mary, and was concey­ued by the holy Ghost withoute sinne, and in that naturall body dyed a most paynefull deathe to redéeme vs from our synnes (as the Apostle sayeth:) [Page] He came into the world to saue sinners.

Question. What is the Catholique Church?

Answere. It is a congregation of all faithfull men, dispersed throughout the whole world, amongst whome the pure word of God is preached, and the sacra­mēts are ministred, according to Chri­stes institution.

Question. Art thou the child of God?

Answere. I am.

Question. By Nature, or by Grace?

Answere. Not by Nature, for so we are the children of Gods wrath.

Quest. Now knowest thou that thou art the child of God by Grace?

Ans. Bycause he hath giuen the ear­nest of his spirit into our hearts, which crieth Abba Pater, whiche spirite wit­nesseth to oure spirite, that we are the sonnes of God.

Question. Is not this presumption for a sinner to say he is Gods sonne?

Ans. It is no presumption so to say, so it be holye presumption to call oure selues Gods children, from the testimo­nie of a good cōscience, seing Christ hath [Page]willed vs in prayer to call his Father our Father.

Question. Of what substance is the holy Ghost?

Answere. A Spirituall substance as God is.

Question. Of what Nature?

Answere. Being God, one of nature with God.

Question. Then the holy Ghost is God?

Answere. He is so.

Question. Thē there be thrée Gods, as God the Father, God the Sonne, and God the holy Ghost?

Answere. No, the distinction is in person, not in deitie, as the Catholique fayth teacheth vs. The conclusion ther­fore is, that God y^e Father is our Crea­tor, Christ in his person is our Redée­mer, the holy Ghost who procéedes frō both, is oure sanctifyer, and procéedes from them, euen as lighte and heate from the Sonne, and yet so lightneth the whole Worlde, that it remayneth still with God, and is very God.

Question. What is a Sacramente?

Answere. It is a visible signe of an inuisible grace, as for example, the wa­ter wherewith the childe is baptised, is the visible signe of the inuisible grace of God, by whose grace these our sinnes be cleansed by Christes bloud, so likewise the Sacramētal Bred & Wine do sig­nifie to vs y^e body of Iesus Christ na­turally and truly, his body broken, & his bloud shed vpō y^e crosse for our salutiō.

Question. According to this defini­tion, Sacramentes be infinite. Let me knowe why Baptisme and the Lordes Supper are only alowed Sacramentes in the Church?

Answere. Bycause they be cōman­ded by Gods worde, & haue promises of grace and saluation annexed vnto thē.

Question. Do Sacraments of them­selues conferre grace?

Answere. No, but God doth by them exhibit graces vnto vs, for Iohn sayeth, We Baptise with Water, we minister the outwarde signes, but it is Christ whiche doth Baptise with the holy Ghost: and by the outward Elementes by vs mini­stred we do confirme the inward grace [Page]which is giuen by God.

Quest. What be those graces that be conferred from God to vs by these sa­craments?

Ans. Regeneration of life, increase of spirituall blessings, forgiuenesse of sinnes, and life euerlasting.

Quest. Then of necessitie all are not saued which participate Baptisme and the Lords Supper?

Ans. So many are saued as are par­takers of the inuisible graces, whereof the Sacraments are visible signes.

Quest. How if a child borne of belée­uing parents, be preuented with death before Baptisme, and so receyue not the visible signe?

Answere. It is most requisite that we endeuour to offer them to publique Baptisme by all meanes lawful, other­wise if we be hindered by some necessi­tie not to be shunned, yet we oughte to perswade our selues that they are saued by the inuisible grace, bycause the chil­dren of faithfull beléeuing parents, are receiued in the couenaunt, and may be sanctifyed in their mothers wombes.

Question. Then what néedeth Bap­tisme?

Answere. It is of great necessitie for the commaundements sake, conteyned in the eight and twentieth of Mathew: and to refuse it, is to despise the ordi­nance of God, for although he worke sometime without all meanes, yet must not we ceasse to vse the meanes ap­poynted, when we are in a Christian Church, and may haue them, that is, to Baptise the whole World in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost.

Question. Haue you no further rea­son for the vse of Baptisme?

Answere. That is said, is sufficient: yet I doe say further, it is the pledge of Gods couenant made with vs, and the visible signe of oure adoption that wée are his by Grace and Faith in Christ, and the visible marke, whereby wée are knowen from the vncircumcised sort.

Question. What is Faith?

Answere. It is a sure trust in God, and in Iesus Christ our Lorde, and a [Page]certaintie of things promised by God, whiche can not otherwise be discerned, than with the eye of Faith.

Question. Whence commeth Faith?

Answere. It is the gifte of God, as Paule sayth in the second to the Ephes. By grace you are saued through Fayth, not of our selues, it is the gift of GOD.

Question. Doth Faith only iustifie a man?

Answere. It doth Iustifie.

Question. How is a iustifying faith knowen from a dead fayth?

Answere. By the fruites & works which are with faith that iustifieth.

Question. What is Faith withoute good life?

Answere. It is dead.

Question. What are workes with­out Faith?

Answere. They be sinne, be they ne­uer so glorious before men.

Question. How come men by faith?

Answere. In the tenth to the Ro­maynes it is shewed, that Faith com­meth by hearing the Word of God.

Question. Can a man be saued with­out [Page]faith in Christ?

Answere. No, for Christ saith, Hee that beleeueth not, is condēned already.

Question.

WHat is God?

Answere.

God is a Spirite.

Quest. How must he be woorshipped?

Ans. In Spirite and truth.

Quest. What is Iesus Christ?

Ans. Christ is perfect God and perfect Man.

Quest. How know you he is God?

Ans. Bycause he is equall with hys Father.

Quest. How know you he is Man?

Ans. Bycause in our nature he redée­med vs from our sinnes.

Quest. What is y^e Catholike Church?

Ans. All faythfull people dispersed throughout the whole world.

Quest. Art thou the sonne of God?

Ans. I am.

Quest. Art thou the sonne of God by nature, or by grace?

Ans. By grace.

Quest. Howe doest thou knowe that thou art the sonne of God by grace?

Ans. The spirit doth witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God.

Quest. Of what substance is the ho­ly ghost?

Ans. A spirituall substance.

Quest. Of what nature?

Ans. Of one with God.

Quest. Then the holy ghost is God?

Ans. He is so.

Quest. Then there be thrée Gods, as God the Father, God the Sonne, and God the holy Ghost.

Ans. No, the distinction is in persons, not in deytie, as the Catholike Fayth teacheth vs. The conclusion, then God the Father is our creator, Christ in his person oure Redéemer, the holy Ghost who procedeth from both our sanctifier, and procéedes from thē as light & heate frō the sonne, and so lightneth y^t whole world, and remayneth still in God, and is very God. Qu. What is a sacramēt?

Answere. It is a visible signe of an inuisible grace, as for example, the wa­ter wherewith the childe is baptised, is the visible signe of the inuisible grace of God, by whose grace these our sinnes he cleansed by Christes bloud: so lyke­wise the sacramentall bread and wine do signifye to vs y^e body of Iesus Christ naturally and truly, both his body bro­ken, and his bloud shed vpon the crosse for our saluation.

Question. Do not these Sacraments of themselues conferre grace?

Answere. No, we (saith S. Iohn) Bap­tise with water, we minister the out­warde signes, but it is Christe whiche doth Baptise with the holy Ghost, and by the outward Elements by vs mini­stred we do confirme the inward grace, which is giuen by God.

Quest. Then of necessitie al are saued whiche participate Baptisme and the Lords Supper?

Ans. So many are saued as are par­takers of the inuisible graces, whereof the sacraments are visible signes.

Quest. How if a childe borne of belée­uing [Page]parents be preuented with deathe before Baptisme, and so receiue not the visible signe?

Ans. It is most requisite that we doe preserue it to publike Baptisme by all meanes lawful, if not, yet they be saued by inuisible grace, bycause the children of faithfull beléeuing parents are san­ctifyed in their mothers wombes.

Quest. Then what néede Baptisme?

Ans. It is of greate necessitie for the commandements sake, Math. 28. and to refuse it, is to despise y^t ordināce of God, for although he worke sometime wyth­out all meanes, yet we must not ceasse to vse the meanes appoynted, that is, to baptise the whole world in the name of the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost.

Quest. What is Faith?

Ans. It is a sure trust in God, and Ie­sus Christ our Lord.

Quest. Whence commeth Faith?

Ans. It is the gift of God.

Quest. Doth Faith only iustifie a mā?

Ans. It doth iustifie.

Quest. Howe is a iustifying Fayth knowen from a dead Fayth?

Ans. By the fruites & works which are with faith that iustifyeth.

Quest. What is faith without good life?

Ans. It is dead.

Quest. What are workes without faith?

Ans. They be sinne, be they neuer so gorgeous before men.

Quest. How come men by faith?

Ans. In the tenth to the Romaines, Faith commeth by hearing the word of God.

Quest. Can a man be saued without Faith in Christ?

Ans. No, for Christ sayeth, He that beleeueth not, is condemned already.