A CATECHISME of the severall Heads of Christian Religion, Gathered together in Question and Answer, it being intended onely for private use, but now published for the good and benefit of others, by the importunitie of some friends.
By DOROTHY BURCH, living at Stroud in Kent.
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block, or an occasion to fall in his brothers way.
LONDON; Printed by Matthew Simmons for John Hancock in Popes-head-Alley. 1646.
¶ To the Christian Reader.
CHRISTIAN FRIEND, by importunitie of some friends, and for the benefit of thy selfe, and all those that shall be pleased to peruse this small Book, by the way of question and answer; I have propounded many very necessary questions with their answers, necessary to be knowne and learned of every good Christian. When I first collected them together, I had no thought of putting them in print, but by reason of the Minister of the Parish where I live, because my selfe and others will not honour him in the way he is in, albeit the way, he said, descended from Rome, yet he hath ever since in publicke and private, laboured to make me and others, odious in [Page]the eyes of the people, albeit formerly I was well accounted of him, yet now he reviles me and others almost where ever he comes; my selfe heard him say, that wee were poore ignorant simple people, and as concerning God wee knew nothing, (which thing I desire God to pardon in him) which much grieved mee to heare, not in respect of my selfe, for I thinke my selfe not worthy to be one of them which he so vilifies, which are a knowing people, and precious in the sight of God. The Lord hath promised to teach his people, though not all alike; it came in my minde to see what God had taught me; I set pen to paper, and asking my selfe questions, and answering of them, which one of neere relation to me, seeing them, desired they might be put in print, which I held not necessary, because I feare the weaknesse of the worke, yet through their perswasion I was contented for three causes.
First, To vindicate the honour of my God, whose honour I desire to stand for to the death, which hath promised to teach hi [...] [Page]with the teachings of his own Spirit, and will not let them be so ignorant, that they shall know nothing of him, Heb. 8.10. Isai. 54.13.
The second Reason is, that my selfe and other Christians may be able in some measure to answer every one which shall demand a reason of the faith and hope that is in us, 1 Pet. 3.15.
Thirdly and lastly, that it may doe good to my children, whose good I must and will desire as my own: if any gaine any good or profit by it, I desire God may have all the honour and praise thereof, and so I rest
A CATECHISME of the severall Heads of Christian Religion.
Question.
WHat is God?
Answer.
God is a spirit that hath his being of himselfe, without beginning and ending of dayes, Joh. 4.24.
Q. What are the workes of God?
A. The Creation of the world, and all things therein, and preserving them by his providence, Gen. 1.21.
Q. How did he create the world, and all things therein?
A. He spake the word, & it was done, Gen. 1.3.
Q. In what state did he make man?
A. He created him in his own image, in righteousnesse, and true holinesse, Gen. 1.26.
Q. How came they to lose that glorious estate?
A. By the subtilty of the Devill, in perswading the Woman to eat of the forbidden fruit, Gen. 3.1, 2. & 4.
Q. How did the Devill, or the Devill in the Serpent, deceive our first parents?
A. By telling them they should be as Gods, knowing good and evill; so thinking to be as God they lost all that Image they had of God, Gen. 3.5.
Q. What came to them by eating thereof?
A. The Lord said to them, in the day that they should eate thereof they should dye the death, Gen. 2.17.
Q. What death was it, the death of the body, or the death of the soule, or both?
A. Of both: and none can escape this punishment but such as were before elected in Jesus Christ, Ephes. 1.4. For whom Christ suffered, and by death freed them from this death.
Q. What was the reason they dyed not?
A. They dyed in the decree of God, although their death was not then executed.
Q. Did God elect, who should be saved before the world was made?
A. Yes; he did elect before the world was made who should be saved by Christ, so that they which are not in Christ, both these [Page]deaths doe lye upon them, Ephes. 1.4.
Q. How can it be said, the soule can dye, seeing God breathed in them living souls, which breath he breathed not into other creatures?
A. To be absent from the life which is in Christ, is the death of the soule, Joh. 3.36. & 10.10.
Q. What priviledge have they that have their life in Christ?
A. The greatest and happiest priviledge in the world, all other priviledges are but as shadowes to this great substance.
Q. In what doth their happinesse consist?
A. Christ is to them, wisdome, righteousnesse, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. 1.30.
Q. How is Christ said to be all this to his people?
A. Christ came into the world to take all our sinnes upon him, and to give his graces to us by imputation, Joh. 1.16.
Q. What was the cause Christ hath done this for his people?
A. It was God the Fathers will to send his Sonne into the world, and Christ his Sonne was willing to doe the will of his Father, to suffer for his people, that they might be saved, Matth. 26.39.
Q. What did he suffer for his people?
A. The losse of the honour which he had of God his Father, and tooke on him our nature, [Page]and our sinnes, and suffered for them, to fulfill the Law in perfect holinesse, that he might present us holy without spot, so wee are comely with the comelinesse that he hath put upon us, 2 Cor. 5.21. Ephes. 5.26, 27. Ezek. 16.14.
Q. Could not God have pardoned the sinnes of his people, if Christ had not come and paid what their sinnes had deserved?
A. God is a God of justice as well as of mercy, and in sending his Sonne he shews himselfe so to be in punishing of sinne, although in his Sonne it shews his great mercy in sending his Sonne to die for his people.
Q. Was Jesus Christ made man in the flesh, and God in the Spirit?
A. No; then he could not have been perfect man, and could have but redeemed mans body, and no more; but he was perfect man in soule and body, and perfect God also; so he was of two natures, divine and humane, not mixt together, but joyned together, Isai. 9.9.
Q. Why must Christ be God and man?
A. Because man had sinned, and man must suffer for sinne; he must be God, or else his sufferings had not been of an infinite value; and also to uphold him in his suffering, it was of necessitie that he should be God.
Q. Could the suffering of Christ which was but short, make up the breach with God, betwixt a holy God and an unholy people?
A. Yes, seeing Christ suffered, it was more then if all the world had suffered for ever, and God was satisfied with it, Isai. 53.11.
Q. Is there no other way for people to be saved, but by Jesus Christ alone? will not good workes justifie us?
A. No: neither repentance, nor faith, fasting, nor prayer, all these are not of value to justifie us before God, Rom. 4.4, 5. Rom. 5.8, 9, 10.
Q. Why are they not able?
A. Because our best workes are as menstruous clothes; they are so far from justifying us, that if we trust in them, they will condemne us: Paul durst not appeare before God trusting in his own righteousnesse, although he out-stript many now alive; for as he saith of himself concerning the law he was blamelesse, Phil. 3.6. & 8. Isai. 64.6.
Q. Why doe the people of God doe good workes, seeing they justifie not?
A. We ought to doe good workes for severall Reasons; as,
1. Because it is Gods command that we should walke circumspectly, Ephes. 5.15. and to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Mat. 5.48.
2. Good workes are for the glory of God Christ saith; Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes, and glorifi [...] your Father which is in heaven, Mat. 5.49▪ see also 2 Thes. 1.11, 12.
3. If we should not be holy, it were unsutable to our profession, 1 Thes. 2.12.
4. Because they are for the edification, benefit▪ and comfort of others, 1 Thes. 3.8, 9. they cause the Lords to be thankfull to God fo [...] us, 2 Thes. 1.3.
5. Because they make much for the comfor [...] of the Saints, who enjoy a sweet communion with God in obeying God, In keeping them there is great reward, Psal. 19.11.
6. Good workes are a second evidence of our being in Christ; God hath chosen you to salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit, and beliefe of the truth, 2 Thes. 2.13. Mat. 7.21. Yet the Spirit of God is the first and chiefest evidence to us of our salvation; The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit, that we are the children of God, Rom. 8.16.
Q. What may be said to be good workes?
A. These workes may be said to be good in themselves, as prayer, hearing the Word, and all other workes of Religion, and yet not good in the sight of God; for without faith it is impossible to please God; secondly, [Page]the tree must be good before the fruit can be good.
Q. Is there no good worke good, but in them that have faith?
A. No; wee lost all our goodnesse in Adam when he fell, wee being in his loynes, and could not be restored but by the second Adam, which is Jesus Christ; for what we lost in Adam, is gained againe onely by Jesus Christ, Rom. 5.17.
Q. What shall they doe which have not faith, seeing nothing they can doe is pleasing to God?
A. They may (if God give them power) use those meanes which God hath appointed to get faith.
Q. What are the meanes God hath appointed to beget faith?
A. There be five wayes or meanes: First, The Word preached; secondly, Prayer; thirdly, societie with his people; fourthly, reading his Word; fifthly, meditating how ready God is to shew mercy to them that seek him in his owne wayes; Consider how ready Christ was to helpe all when he was on the earth, did never send any away from him without helpe; Consider the prodigall, when he returned to his Father how joyfully he received him, Rom. 10.17. Mat. 7.7. Luk. 15.19. & 20.
Q. Is there not abundance of backwardnesse in our nature, to use the meanes to get faith?
A. Yes, and where there is grace too, witnesse Paul, who said, when he would doe good, evill was present with him; but there is strength in Christ to overcome all lets and hindrances; and let us consider that dutie which we are backwardest to doe is most spirituall, and we stand in the greatest need of, as prayer and meditation, and so be incouraged the more in Christ to be exercised in them, Rom. 7.15.
Q. What is sinne?
A. A breach of Gods Lawes and Commandements, be it in the least want that the Law requires, Jam. 2.10.
Q. Are all men under the Law?
A. No; Christ came to redeeme his people from it, Rom. 10.4. Rom. 6.14.
Q. How hath Christ redeemed his people from the Law?
A. By fulfilling it for them in his own person, Rom. 5.19, 20. Rom. 8.2, 3.
Q. Was not the Law a Covenant which God made with his people?
A. Yes, it was, the Lord said, Doe this and live; yet they could not keepe it by reason of the weaknesse which was in them, Deut. 30.15, 16. Deut. 11.26, 27, 28.
Q. Why doth the Lord call on a people in his Word to beleeve, and repent, and turne to him, if they have no power to doe it?
A. Because God gave them power; first in Adam, and therefore may justly require it at their hands; secondly, it is the way God hath appointed to bring home his people to himselfe; thirdly, that it may be a means to make us see our owne weaknesse, and so to seek helpe in Christ where it is onely to be had.
Q. Hath not the Lord made a new Covenant with his people?
A. Yes, far different from the old.
Q. In what doth it differ?
A. In the first Covenant God commands and gives no power to performe, yet it lies upon the creature to do it, or else to be accursed; and this is the Covenant of workes, Gal. 3.10. 2 Cor. 3.7.
Q. What is the new Covenant?
A. It is a free Covenant, wherein Christ hath done all for his people, and doth inable us to doe what is pleasing to him by the helpe of his Spirit, Ezek. 36.25, 26.28.
Q. What is Election?
A. It is the great mercy of God before the world was made, to choose some to be saved by Jesus Christ, Ephes. 1.4.
Q. What is Reprobation?
A. God in his just judgement to reject some, to the praise of his justice, 1 Thes. 1.9. Rom. 9.22. Jude 4. 1 Pet. 2.
Q. What is Justification?
A. It is to be discharged and acquitted from all sinne and transgression, and to stand perfectly holy before God the Father, in and alone by Jesus Christ, Gal. 2.16.
Q. How many sorts are there of Justification?
A. Three; first, wee are justified before God onely by Jesus Christ, for he freely justifies the godly; secondly, Faith justifies our conscience, for wee cannot tell untill wee have faith which witnesseth it unto us; thirdly, good workes justifie us before men, Rom. 8.33, 34. Rom. 5.1. James 2.17, 18. consider Acts 18.28. 1 Joh. 2.22. 1 Cor. 12.3. 1 Joh. 4.15. & 5.1.4, 5. Acts 8.37. Joh. 11.25, 26. Rom. 10.9.
Q. What is faith?
A. This is a mightie worke of God upon his people, making the soule so to believe this, and to rest upon Christ in his full, free, and eternall love of God to their soules, Joh. 6.29. though for the measure it is not in all the Lords alike.
Q. What is Conversion?
A. It is to open the eyes, turning the soul from [Page]darknesse to light, from Satan to God, &c. Acts 26.18. this is an act of Gods Spirit upon the spirit of his people, working a thorow change in them, causing the soule to looke for and rest upon Jesus Christ onely for pardon and salvation.
Q. What facultie of the soule doth the Lord first worke upon?
A. Upon the understanding, in letting them see the lost condition of those that are out of Christ, and the happie condition of them that are in Christ. The second facultie the Lord workes on, is the Will, changing it utterly from all desire of evill to good, which causeth his judgement to be changed, and his affections to be changed, and so doth become a new creature, Luk. 24.45.
Q. What is the new birth which Christ told unto Nicodemus, saying, Except a man be borne againe, he cannot be saved.
A. It is not a new birth of the body, but of the mind, making the mind new, Joh. 3.5.
Q. Can none be saved without this new birth?
A. No. Joh. 3.3.5, 6, 7.
Q. How come children to be saved?
A. God is as able to worke it in children as in others; this new birth is the worke of God in the creature, and not any worke of the creature, nor is any saved for any worke of [Page]their own. Gods love is free and doth sav [...] whom he pleaseth; we know not how God [...] saves children, with it or without it, and we must not presume above what is written, and if any teach other doctrine, they darken the free grace of God to people; and such as doe workes to be saved, are as bad as Papists, which teach that wee are saved, partly by workes, and partly by Christ, Hosea 14 [...] 4. 1 Cor. 2.12.
Q. Why will the Lord have his people to have this new birth in them?
A. First, Because wee were chosen before the world was made in Christ, that wee should be a people zealous of good workes, which none can be without the Lord worke this new birth in them; secondly, he will be honoured of his in this life; for Christ saith; He that honoureth me, him will my Father honour: thirdly, he fits his people for heaven in this life, by working in them this new birth, this new birth desires new food, and not old, but hungring and thirsting for spirituall food, which God will fully satisfie in heaven, Ephes. 2.10.
Q. Why doth the Lord fit his people for heaven in this life?
A. Because if he should not give them to thirst after heaven and holinesse, heaven would [Page]seeme to be a hell to them. Take one that hath not this new birth in him, and let him be with people that performe holy duties, it will be so tedious unto him, that he cannot indure it; then thinke what he would doe if he were in heaven, where there is nothing but holinesse and praising God day and night.
Q. What is Sanctification?
A. It is a worke of God in killing sin in all his people in part, and giving them the graces of his holy Spirit in part, which makes them to live a holy life in part, 1 Cor. 13.9.
Q. Why is not Sanctification perfected in this life?
A. Because it is the will of God to reserve it for his people in heaven.
Q. What is true Repentance?
A. It is a change of the minde from evill to good, as Acts 26.18.20. And this is a mightie worke of God upon his people, when he opens their understandings, and so lets them see their sins, which was a cause that Christ did suffer for them that bitter death upon the Crosse, which causeth them to mourne as one that mourneth for his first-borne, Zach. 12.10.
Q. What are the fruits of Repentance?
A. An utter hating and loathing of all sinne, [Page]which God makes knowne to them to be sinne, which formerly they had loved and imbraced with delight, and loving and delighting in the holy wayes of God, and in the people of God, which they formerly hated and persecuted, Zach. 12.10. 2 Cor. 7.10, 11.
Q. What is the true love of God in us?
A. It is when wee have brought our hearts to this frame, that wee can doe all that wee doe in the service of God onely in love to his Majestie. There are three sorts of services in the world, and but one right: the first is as a slave, that doth all he doth for feare of hell; the second is as a servant that workes for wages, or else he would not worke; the third is as a sonne, which workes not for feare of punishment, nor yet for wages, for he knows he is free from all punishment, and heaven is given him for an inheritance, as a father gives an inheritance to his son, not because he hath served him, but because he is his sonne, which causeth him to serve him with abundance of joy and delight.
Q. What causeth a soule to love God?
A. Nothing more then the apprehension of Gods love to his soule, 1 Joh. 4.19.
Q. What is true Prayer?
A. It is a powring out of the soule unto God, [Page]by the helpe of the Spirit of God, asking things wee want, and returning thankes for mercies received, 1 Sam. 1.15. and Rom. 8.26.
Q. What is true Patience?
A. It is a quiet bearing of the hand of God, & submitting to all his fatherly chastisements, Job 1.21, 22.
Q. What is the providence of God?
A. It is that by which God ruleth all things in the world, and nothing comes to passe by fortune or chance, but onely by his providence, according to his free will in guiding good, and his suffering will to suffer evill to bring his owne purposes to passe, Mat. 10.28. & 26.30. Acts 2.23.
Q. What may this teach us?
A. To eye God in every condition, and not to looke upon secondary causes; for God hath a hand in every condition we are in.
Q. What is conscience?
A. It is part of the minde being tenewed, which causeth feare in Gods people to offend God in any of their wayes.
Q. What is Idolatry?
A. It is to worship a false God, or the true God in a false way, which is not according to his Word, Deut. 12.32.
Q. What is it to have true zeale for God?
A. It is to have boldness and courage for God, and for his truths and wayes, and for nothing but for his truths and wayes, for there is much false zeale in the world, they are zealously affected, but not well, Gal. 4.17, 18.
Q. What is the whole dutie of man?
A. To doe justice, to love mercy, and to walke humbly with his God, and to doe unto all men as they would they should doe unto them, Mat. 6.8. Mat. 7.12.
Q What is the dutie of one Christian to another?
A. To be ready to doe good one to another, as well in soule as in body, as one member in the body is alwayes ready to helpe the other in every condition, Ephes. 4 4.
Q What is the dutie of Christians to their enemies?
A. They are not to hate them, but to overcome their evill with goodnesse, and to pitie and pray for them, and so doing they shew themselves to be the children of God, 1 Pet. 3.9. Mat. 5.44.
Q. What is the resurrection?
A. It is the raising of all mankinde at the day of Judgement, then shall Christ joyne the souls and bodies of his people together, and then shall they live for ever with him [Page]in his kingdome, and the wicked with their souls and bodies ioyned together, shall be cast into hell-fire, where there is weeping and wailing for ever, Mat. 25.34.41.
Q. What is the Gospel?
A. It is tidings of great joy to all people, that Christ is given to them of God his father, as a free gift. Rom. 14.5.
Q. Who may they thanke that have the gifts of the Spirit, and the graces thereof?
A. God, who is the giver of every perfect gift, and no creature of it selfe can attaine to any good, no more then a dead man can doe the actions of a living man, which wee know none can doe, James 1.17. Eph. 2.1.
Q. What should this teach us, if all good comes from God?
A. Not to glory in any thing of our selves, as if it were our owne, but onely in God; secondly, not to hate them which have not the graces of God, but pitie them and pray for them, and use all meanes to doe them good.
Q. Why should wee doe so?
A. Because wee are all one by nature, all the difference is in God, which pardons the debt in his people which was lost by Adam, and hath given them a new stock in the new Adam, which is Jesus Christ, but in [Page]some he requires that which they had, and lost in Adam.
Againe, This should teach all his people, to make good use of the spirit of God and the graces he hath given them at all times and in all conditions & in all companies, and to magnifie the goodnes of their God, Ephes. 4.
Q. What is Glorification?
A. It is to receive full holinesse and happinesse and full contentment, with God the Father and God the Sonne, and all the holy Angels and Saints, and so remaine with them for ever in that glorious and happie condition, Joh. 17.24.