A SHORT AND BRIEFE SVMME Of saving Knowledge; Consisting of the Creed, ten Commandements, Lords Prayer, and the Sacraments. And is made as a profitable Introduction to the larger Art of Divinitie, composed by the methodicall Tables of A. R. and published by I. Y.
As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word, that yee may grow thereby.
Not as babes ever sucking, never batling.
LONDON, Printed by I. D. for Fulke Clifton, and are to be sold vnder St Margrets Church on Fish-streete hill. 1621.
¶ To the Religious Student of the Art of Well-liuing.
THou mayest (Christian Reader) after thou hast studied, and well pervsed this short Summe of Religion, purchase to thy selfe (if thy purse and paines will suffer thee) the learned Theologie and Divinitie of that worthy man of God Mr Alexander Richardsonne. This may be for preparation, that will bee for further perfection. Heb. 6.1. Leaving the beginning of Christ, let vs goe on to perfection. It is a shame ever to be vnder the spoone, and never to vse the knife. Ever learning, and never to come to the knowledge of the Truth. 2. Tim. 3.7. Yet soft and sure is the best pace. Leap-Christians (like horsecoursers [Page]Iades) gallop into profession, and then shamefully tyre and giue in. It lames a weake Childe to vse limmes too soone, and over-much forwardnes argues no perpetuitie. Learne we then first to goe easily, and afterwards to runne with speed the wayes of Gods Commandements.
The Catechisme defined, and distributed.
CHAPTER I. Of Faith in God.
Question.
WHat inducements to Religion are prefixed before your Catechisme?
Answere.
Foure, first, the giuing vp of my name to God in Baptisme, and that in the dreadfull name of Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost. Secondly, that being not able to giue it vp my selfe, it was done by others, according to the auncient custome of the Church, ever conioyning Baptisme and Confession together, Math. 3.6. Aug. Epist. 24. Papists would haue it to contract spirituall kindred, but surely it maketh honest loue amongst neighbours. Thirdly, They that gaue it vp for me, did promise [Page]in my name that I should liue according to Religion. Fourthly, I beleeue in conscience that I am bound to performe what they haue promised. Thus because I am Gods, and bound to him by sureties, vowes, promises, and Conscience it selfe, It is my dutie being nowe come to yeeres of discretion, to learne to beleeue in him, and obey him.
Q. What then is Religion?
A. It is the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godlinesse, Tit. 1.1.
Q. What are the parts?
A. Faith and Workes; the summe of the one is contained in the Creed: of the other in the ten Commandements, Lords prayer, and the Sacraments. Tit. 3.8.
Q. What is Faith?
A. A confidence in God, grounded vpon knowledge, Ioh. 16.30. Wee know and by this beleeue.
Q. How is Faith grounded vpon knowledge?
A. In regard of God and his Church: the maker of the Couenant, and the people with whom it is made. Ier. 31.33.
Q. How in respect of God?
A. As we beleeue in one God, and three persons for our happinesse, Ioh. 14.1.
Q. How in one God?
A. In respect of nature, essence, and being. Deut. 4.35.
Q. How in three persons?
A. Three in regard of divine revelation, or reall respects in that one most pure essence Mat. 28.19.
Q. What is the essence?
A. That whereby God is of himselfe, the most absolute and first being, Isa. 41.4.
Q. What is a person?
A. That one pure pure God with the relation of a Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, 1. Ioh. 5.7.
Q. Doth the relation adde any thing to the essence?
A. Nothing but respect or relation, as Abraham the Father of the faithfull hath the same nature as he is a Father and as he is a man.
Q. What is the Relation?
A. It is either to send or be sent, and both these are done either by nature, or counsell. Ioh. 15.26. the spirit proceedeth from the father and sonne by nature, and is sent to vs by counsell.
Q. Is there no other relation?
A. Yes, either to beget or be begotten, and the father begets his onely sonne by nature, and the rest of his children by counsell. Heb. [Page]1.3. Iam. 1.18. A man hauing the relation of a father is said to beget children by nature or counsell, as adopted children are freely begotten, not of the bodie but the will. Iam. 1.18. Of his owne will begat he vs, not so his onely sonne, who is as naturall to his Father, as burning to the fire, and as Isaac to Abraham.
Q. What then is the first person?
A. God the father, who by nature begets his sonne, & by his counsell creats the world. Heb. 1.2.5.
Q. What is the propertie of the Father?
A. To beget, and not to be begotten. Ioh. 3.16.
Q. What is his manner of subsisting?
A. To be the first person; for the begetter is before the begotten, and yet being Relatiues they are together in nature, for no man is a father before he haue a sonne, though in order the father be first.
Q. What is the fathers worke?
A. Creation; for, I beleeue in him as maker of heauen and earth: and the reason is because he is the first person, to whom the first worke belongs.
Q. What is Creation?
A. A worke of the Father, who of himselfe by his sonne and spirit, makes the world [Page]of nothing exceeding Good. Gen. 1.31. Heb. 1.3.
Q. What is giuen to the Father in respect of Creation?
A. Almightie power; for the Father in himselfe is pure act, which act is power as it may be felt of his creatures, which are in power to be.
Q. What is omnipotencie?
A. It is that whereby the Father is able to doe all that he doth, and more then hée doth, if it contradict not his owne nature or the nature of things.
Q. How is Creation devided?
A. Into heauen and earth. Gen. 1.1.
Q. What meane you by heauen?
A. The third heauen, with the Angels, both which were made perfect in the very first beginning of time. Gen. 1.1.
Q. What meane you by earth?
A. All that matter which was closed and compassed about with the third heauen, and was made at the same instant with it to prohibite and keepe out vacuitie, or emptinesse, and fill vp the whole compasse of it, otherwise the parts of themselues would haue fallen together to haue kept out that enemy of nature. Gen. 1.1.
Q. Are wee to vnderstand no more by [Page]earth then that first matter?
A. Yes, wee are to vnderstand the forming of it into the foure elements, fire, ayre, water, and earth; as likewise the filling of if and them with inhabitants, beth aboue and below: as also the providence of the Father in preseruing & gouerning of them all to their ends and vsee: for the Father carries the worke according to his proper manner of working, vntill wée come to Redemption, and there the sonne takes it vpon him in a peculiar manner.
Q. What is the second person?
A. The sonne, who is begotten of the Father by nature, and by counsell, redeemes mankind.
Q. What is the relatiue propertie of the sonne?
A. To be begotten. Heb. 1.5.
Q. What is his manner of subsisting?
A. To be the second person in order, not in nature, for the begotten in relation is naturally as soone as the begetter.
Q. What is his worke?
A. Redemption. Ephes 1.7.
Q. What is Redemption?
A. It is a satisfaction made to the Iustice of God the Father for Man by a Redéemer.
Q. Who is the Redeemer?
A. Iesus Christ, his onely sonne our Lord.
Q. Why call you him Iesus?
A. Because he is a Saviour of his people from their sianes. Math. 1.21.
Q. Why Christ?
A. In regard of his offices, as he is anointed our King, Priest, and Prophet. Psal. 45.7. Luke 4.18. Act. 4.27. and 10.38.
Q. Why his onely Sonne?
A. Because the Father can haue no more sonnes by nature but one
Q. Why our Lord?
A. By the right of Redemption. Rom. 14, 9.
Q. How is our Redemption wrought?
A. By the humiliation and exaltation of the Sonne of God. Luke 24.26.
Q. What be the seuerall degrees of his humiliation?
A. Seven, there be some others left out of the Créed; but these expressed are the principall.
Q. What are they?
A. 1. His conception, 2. his nativitie, 3. his passion vnder Pilate, 4. his crucifying, 5. his dying, 6. his buriall, 7. his descent into hell.
Q. What are meant by all these?
A. That Christ must not onely satisfie in generall, but that he must passe through the [Page] degrees of our sorrowes, and beare our afflictions. Isa. 53.4.5.
Q. What be the seuerall degrees of his exaltation?
A. Foure, which are his Resurrection, Ascension, Sitting at Gods right hand, and returne to Iudgement. As in his humiliation he tooke our receits, and tasted the bitter potion for vs, so all physicke being ended of that kinde, hee giues vs his receits of Redemption, Ephe. 1.7. Iustification. Rom. 3.24. Reconciliation. Colos. 1.20. Sanctification. 1. Pet. 1.2. Entrance into glory. Heb. 10.19. these are Cordials for vs, and for him after all his penall receits.
Q. What is the third person?
A. The holy Spirit. who by nature proceedeth from the Father, and the Sonne, and by counsell applyeth Christ to the Church and euery member thereof, the Father being the first person elects, the Sonne redeemes, and the Spirit sanctifies. Ioh. 14.26. and 15.26. Rom. 8.16. 1. Cor. 2.12. Iohn 3.5. 2. Cor. 1.21. Rom. 8.23.
Q. What is his Relatiue propertie?
A. To Proceede. Ʋnderstanding begets an Image of it selfe, and loues it, and so from the best vnderstanding to the best obiect of it, proceedes a mutuall loue. The begetter [Page]loues the begotten, and the begotten loues the begetter, and their loue is equall to themselues, and proceedes from them both, and to vs. The will of the Father, by the wisedome of his Sonne, and power of his good Spirit is sayd to doe all.
Q. What is his manner of subsisting?
A. To be the third person in order, for proceeding from two, hee must needes bee the third, and yet in nature as soone as either of them; for the louers and the loued, are Relatiues, and therefore together in nature.
Q. What is his worke?
A. Application, or Sanctification. Ephe. 5.26.27. The Sonne hauing prepared the remedy, leaues it to be applyed by the Spirit, Iohn 16.7.
CHAP. II. Of the faith of the Church.
Hitherto of Faith in God.
Q. What is the faith of the Church?
A. Whereby beleeuing in God, we also beleeue, that wee are of the Church, and made partakers of all good things promised vnto it.
Q. What is the Church?
A. The number of all those that are applyed to Christ by the spirit: New as this Vnion is made by Faith, it is called the militant Church, as by vision, the triumphant.
Q. Why is it called holy?
A. Because it is an holy Societie of Saints in regard of the Spirits worke. 1. Pet. 2.9. Reu. 11.2. and 21.29.
Q. Why Catholicke?
A. Because it is vniuersall in respect of all times, persons, and places, a familie both in heauen and earth. Math. 26.13. Ephes. 3.15. 1. Iohn 2.1. Reue. 7.9.
Q. What are the benefits God bestoweth vpon it?
A. Two in this life, as the communion of Saints, and remission of sinnes: and two in the life to come, as the resurrection of the body, and life euerlasting, Lam. 3.23. Psal. 68.19. Col. 1.5. and 3.3.4. 1. Iohn 3.2.
Q. What is the communion of Saints?
A. It is our communicating with God, and the godly both in grace and glory, or that fellowship that wee haue with Christ our head, and all his members. Psal. 16.5. and 73.26. Isay 55.1. Act. 4.32. Gal. 6.10. Ephes. 4.3.4.5.6. Heb. 10.24. Phil. 2.1.2. 1. Cor. 10.16. Reue. 3.18. and 6.20.
Q. What is remission of Sinne?
A. It is a worke of mercy, whereby the Father being offended, and reconciled by his Sonne, doth witnesse to our consciences by his holy Spirit, that all our sinnes are discharged, and that wee are graciously receiued againe into his fauour. Iob 33.27.28. 1. King 8.47. Hos. 14.2. Isa. 33.24. and 62.11. God in forgiuing our sinnes doth both couer and cure them. 1. Iohn 1.9.
Q. What is the resurrection of the body?
A. It is a standing vp from the dead, by the power of Christs resurrection, whereby our corruptible bodies are made incorruptible, and filled with all glory and erceliency Iob 19.25.26. Iohn 5.28. Act. 3.19. 1. Cor. 15.42.43. 2. Cor. 5.1. Heb. 11.35.
Q. What meane you by life Euerlasting?
A. That most blessed and happy estate in which all the Elect of God shall reigne with Christ their head in the thirde heauen, after this life, and after the day of iudgement, and that both in body and soule for euer and euer. Psal 16.11. Isa. 64.4. Iohn 17.20.21. 1. Cor. 2.9. and 13.12 and 15.28. 2 Cor. 12.4. Phil. 3.21. Reue. 21.22. and 22.2.
CHAP. III. Of good workes.
Q. Hitherto of faith, what are the workes of Faith?
A. That ready act of Faith to doe as we are bidden. Rom. 6.16.1. Sam. 12.25. Iam. 2.14 17. Iohn 14.15.1. Thess. 1.3. Tit. 3.1.8.
Q. How are these workes deuided?
A. They are either our walking with God, or conferring with him, or receiuing from him. 2. Cor. 7.1. Phil. 1.6. 2. Thess. 1.11. heb. 6.17.18. Faith bids the cleansed, goe away and sinne no more, but walke after the Spirit, it prouokes to prayer, and giues vs full confirmation of Gods loue.
Q. What is our walking with God?
A. It is our due obseruation of his lawes in all our wayes. Psal. 119.6.
Q. What is the law of God?
A. The rule that God hath prescribed vs, for the holy performance of all our actions. Isa. 8.20. Rom. 2.15. and 7.7.
Q. How is the law distributed?
A. It is either concerning the worship of God, or loue of our neighbour. Marke 12.29.30.31.
Q. What is the first Commandement, concerning the worship of God?
A. Thou shalt haue no other Gods before my face. Gen. 39.9. Iob 31.23.24. Psal. I 12.1. Pro. 3.5. Isay 8.13. and 51.12. Haback. 1.16. Luke 12.45. Phil. 3.19. Colos. 3.5.
Q. What is the summe of this precept?
A. The hauing of the true God, and him alone, and [...] with the whole man, in the best of all [...].
Q. What is the second Commaundement?
A. [...] not make to thy selfe any grauen Image, &c. Exod. 20.4.5.6. Psal, 44.21. and 10 [...] 35.39. Deut. 4.12. Isay 42.2. Hos. 14.8. Hab. 2.18. Math, 15.9.1. Iohn. 5.21.
Q. What is the Summe heereof?
A. That wee worship God with his owne worship, and not our owne deuises.
Q. What is the third Commandement?
A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine, &c. Deut. 38.58. Psal. 5.16.17. Dan. 4.34. Math. 6.9. Rom. 11.33. 1. Tim. 6.1.
Q. What is the summe thereof?
A. Due reuerence to be shewed in the worship of God.
Q. What is the fourth Commandement?
A. Remember thou keepe holy the Sabboth day, &c. Neh. 13.15. to 22. Exod. 20.8.9.10.11. Isa. 58.13. Ier. 17.27. Rev. 1.10.
Q. What is the summe of this law?
A. All diligence in publique Prayer to God, and in learning the will of God, especially vpon his owne day.
CHAPTER IIII. Of Charitie.
Hitherto of holinesse in the first Table.
Q. What is that iustice that we owe to our neighbour?
A. That wee doe to him, as wee would hee should doe to vs. Mark. 12.31.
Q. What is the first Commandement of this Table?
A. Honour thy father and mother, &c. Exod. 20.12.
Q. What is the summe thereof?
A. Due respect to our superiours, inferours, and equalls, to honour all according to their place and degree.
Q. What is the second precept?
A. Thou shalt not kill. Exod. 20.13.
Q. What is the summe of it?
A. Preservation of life, as farre as may stand with the good of the Church, and Common wealth.
Q. What is the third Commandement?
A. Thou shalt not commit adulterie. Exod. 20.14.
Q. What is the summe of it?
A. Chastitie, both inward and outward, in affection and action.
Q. What is the fourth Commandement?
A. Thou shalt not steale. Exod. 20.15.
Q. What is the summe of it?
A. Iustice and equitie, a vertue that readily giues euery man his owne.
Q. What is the fift Commandement?
A. Thou shalt not beare false witnesse, &c. Exod. 20.16.
Q. What is the summe thereof?
A. Truth, and our testimony thereunto as often as it shall lawfully bee required.
Q. What is the sixt Commandement?
A. Thou shalt not couet, Exod. 20.17.
Q. What is the summe thereof?
A. Contentment, and resistance against all concupiscence.
CHAPTER V. Of Prayer.
Hitherto of the Law.
Q. What is Prayer.
A. It is a moving of God the Father in the name of his Sonne, by the power of his spirit, with things agreeable to his will. Rom. 8.27. Ioh. 16.33.
Q. Where is the summe of this contained?
A. In the Lords Prayer.
Q. How is that devided?
A. Into a preface, the petitions, and the conclusion.
Q. What is the Preface?
A. It is the preparation of the heart in comming to God; for as wee are to come with boldnesse, so must wee also come with reverence of his Maiestie that filleth the heauens, Psal. 26.6. and 115.3. Eccl. 5.1. Isa. 66.1. Luk. 15.18.
Q. What are the words?
A. Our father which art in heaven.
Q. How are the petitions devided?
A. They either concerne God, or our selues.
Q. How many concerne God?
A. Three.
Q. How are they devided?
A. They either concerne his Glory, or the meanes of it.
Q. Which is the petition concerning his Glory?
A. Hallowed be thy name, Where wée desire, that God in his nature, attributes, word, and workes, may be sanctified by vs, Lev. 10.3. Ezek. 38.23. Act. 12.23.
Q. What are the petitions concerning the meanes of his Glory?
A. Two. The comming of his kingdome, and the doing of his will.
Q. What is meant by thy Kingdome come?
A. That the kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ, both by the inward working of his Spirit, and also by the outward meanes, may be enlarged daily, vntill it be perfected at the comming of Christ to Iudgement. Psal. 122.6. Isa. 62.7. Rom. 14.17. 2 Thes. 3.1. 2 Tim. 4.8. Rev. 22.20.
Q. What is meant by the doing of Gods will vpon earth, as it is done in heauen.
A. That all obedience be giuen to God in the most holy and heauenly manner, Psal. 86 [...]1. and 119.36. Mal. 1.6. Act. 24.16. [Page]Rom. 8.29. 1 Thes. 4.3. And for wants eract performance daily prayer for parden, with a complaining of our wants. Psal. 143.2. Rom. 7.18.
CHAPTER VI. Of requests for our selues.
Hitherto of blessings concerning our sanctification of Gods name, comming of his kingdome, and performance of his will.
Q. What blessings concerne our selues?
A. Either such as concerne this life, or [...] better; the bodie, or the soule.
Q. What is the petition for this life?
A. The giuing of vs our daily bread, that is, that God would prouide for vs all things conuenient for this life, walking faithfully in our vocatiōs, and in all things submitting to his heauenly will, and good pleasure. Psal. 37.5. Prov. 10.22. and 16.3. and 30.8. Hag. 1.6. 1. Tim. 6.8.
Q. What are the petitions for a better life?
A. In regard of the present, forgiuenesse of sinne, and for future deliuerance out of all [Page]temptations that may any wayes draw vs to sinne.
Q. What meane you by the first?
A. That all our sinnes may be forgiuen, and neuer laid to our charge, either to condenine vs here, or to confound vs hereafter, and that most freely in Iesus Christ, and as we heartily forgiue them that haue offended vs, wherewith goeth an humble confession of them to God, Psal. 40.12. Luke 11.4. 1 Ioh. 1.9. Confession and deprecation must goe together.
Q. What meane you by the second?
A. The not leading or leauing of vs in temptation, but his most gracious and mercifull deliuerance of vs out of them all; and in this request, we either lament our estate to God, or complaine of the wicked who molest vs. Deut. 8.2. and 13.3. 2 Chron. 32.31. Psal. 13.2. and 55.2.3.
Hitherto of Petition.
Q. What is thankesgiuing?
A. A gratefull acknowledgment of all the benefits of God, and ascribing vnto him domiuion, power, and glory, for euer and euer, Amen. And this is the sweet concluding of all our Prayers. 1 Chron. 29.11. Psal. 29.2.9. [Page]2 Cor. 1.20. Phil. 4.6.
CHAPTER VII. Of Sacraments.
Q. Now wee come to the celebrating of a Sacrament, what then is it?
A. It is a Seale of righteousnesse by faith. Rom. 4.11.
Q. What are the kinds?
A. Two, Baptisme, and the Lords Supper. Mat. 26.26. and 28.19. Gen. 17.11.12. Rom. 4.11. 1 Cor. 10.1.2 3.4
Q. What is Baptisme?
A. A Sacrament of our entrance into Christianitie, or of our ingrafling into Christ. Act. 8.12.38.
Q. What is the outward signe?
A. Water, with the sprinkling of it in the Name of the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost.
Q. What is signified by it?
A. The washing away of our sinnes and presenting of vs holy to God the Father.
Q. What is the Lords Supper?
A. A Sacrament of our continuance in Christianitie, or our dayly growing vp with Christ, 1. Cor. 11.23.
This memorable Banquet, proportioned in the outward Elements and inward Graces.
Q. How doe the outwarde Elementes teach the outward man?
A. Either in themselues or their vses.
Q. How in themselues?
A. Both for substance and qualitic,
Q. How for substance?
A. As the bread is the staffe of life and as the wine glads the heart of man.
Q. How in their qualities?
A. As they are common and sensible, sensible, to the eyes and eare, feeling, smelling, tasting.
Q. How in their vse?
A. Either as they are handled by the minister, or by the receiuers.
Q. How by the Minister?
A. First, in setting them apart. Secondly, in blessing of them. Thirdly, in breaking of the bread, and powring forth of the wine, Fourthly, in deliuering them to the Contmunicants.
Q. How by the receiuers?
A. First, by taking the bread and drinking [Page]the wine. Secondly, by digesting of them: first in the stomacke, then in the liuer; lastly, in euery part, whereby they are made powerfull to humane duties.
Q. How doth all this teach the inward man in respect of grace?
A. In proportioning them to Christ, both in himselfe and in his vse.
Q. How in himselfe.
A. Both in his nature and qualitie.
Q. How in his nature?
A. As his body is the bread of life where of whosoeuer tasteth shall neuer hunger, and his blood is drinke indeede, that for euer makes glad the heart and soule.
Q. How in the qualitie?
A. As his body and bloud were common with ours in all things sinne onely excepted, and that he is made sensible both to the eare bored by the Spirit, the eye annointed with eye-salue, and to the feeling of the sanctified affectiō, also to the smelling of ioy, and tasting of the hungry soule.
Q. How in the vse?
A. Either as hee is appointed of the Father, or receiued of vs.
Q. How of God?
A. First, as hee is called to this worke. Secondly, indued with grace. Thirdly, as [Page]his body is crucified for vs, and his bloode poured out for the washing of our wounds. Fourthly, as hee is deliuered and giuen to euery beleeuer.
How receiued of vs?
A. First, he is taken by the hand of faith, and his body is fed on by meditation, and his blood spiritually drunken to wash our soules then is hee disgested, first in the vnderstanding, and then in the will and affections, and lastly, distributed to euery faculty both of body and soule, by which wee are made able to euery good word and worke, which is the happy life of euery Christian.
❧ The Conclusion.
HItherto (Industrious and painefull Reader) I haue but brought thee to the top of Mount Nebo, and with this prospectiue glasse, haue giuen thee the general veiw of the land of Canaan. If thou wilt be pleased (with the Spies sent out by Moses) to enter further, and send forth the Scouts of thy Soule, to make larger discoueries, thou shalt finde the depthes of diuiniue more fully sounded concerning thy faith in one God three persons: and after thou art entred further into the Continents, and hast coasted the shores plyed vp the frythes, thou shalt discouer the inhabitants of heauen & earth, their qualities, tempers, regiment of life, their dyet, imployment &c. I meane, thou shalt finde in some good [Page]measure, how richly, God hath furnished the world, in what excellent manner he gouerneth it, especiall his great care for thee and thy happinesse. In essence hee is simply one, yet hath he made himselfe many attributes, so that what thou canst not conceiue by one act of vnderstanding, thou mayest the better perceiue by many: Thou shalt see the persons delighting themselues aboue all thinges in thee and thy saluation, and accordingly put foorth themselues in al their works of Creation and Prouidence, thou shalt find againe thy duty & debt to God for al his fauors: for if God shed abroad (Rom. 5.5) his loue in thy heart, then must thou of necessitie loue him againe: No man goes to his bed and warmes it with his owne heat, but hee lookes for heat againe: So, God resting in the heart, lookes for loue out of it, 1 Tim. 1.5. In a word, I shall be glad, if by this, and the other, I shall make the Art so easie for thee, that thou mayest reape thy [Page]profit by it. And thus (as by a letter of advertisment from the coast of Canaan) I cease thy further trouble, neuer ceasing to pray for thee.