A SHORT AND easy introduction to Christian faith: Containing the sum of the principles of Religion, necessary to be known of all before they presume to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper: SET DOWN IN questions and answers, and distinguished into Chapters. By H. Gray. AT LONDON Printed by Robert Walde-graue, and are to be sold at his shop in Paul's Churchyard at the sign of the Crane. Anno. 1588. PROVERBS. 3. 13. Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof is better than the gain of gold. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and glory. She is a tree of life to them which lay hold of her, and blessed is he which retaineth her. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Margaret countess of Cumberland, my very good lady, H. G. wisheth comfort and joy in the Holy ghost, with continuance and increase of all spiritual graces and blessings for the sustaining of faith in this present world, and in the world to come eternal felicity in the kingdom of heaven. THe wise man in a most heavenly and divine proverb, as most wisely by his extraordinary wisdom, so most truly by the instinct of the spirit, wherewith he was inspired, in writing that book, hath commended it to all posterity that the fear Prou. 3. 7. Psa. 111. 10 of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, the meditation whereof, and of such like places of holy scripture no doubt (right H. and my very good La.) did first work in yourself, an earnest desire to know and fear God: & after, that godly & zealous care which your Ho. carrieth toward your whole family (whereof I myself upon certain experience can give testimony) that they might be instructed & taught in the knowledge and fear of God. This zeal & carefulness though it be commendable in all, yet it is so much the more commendable, as the person in whom it appeareth, is in hire and greater place, & therefore they also unto whom the Lord hath given honour & hath exalted & set them above other, are especially bound in regard of their places & the goodness of god showed to them, to tender thanks to the Lord, by showing obedience to him, & having careful oversight of them which are under their authority & government: the which the Lord having given you to see, & in some good measure to desire to practise, & to make an open profession of the zeal of god's glory, so that the same thereof is spread in most places of this land (I hope to the stirring up of many by your good example and to the propagation of the praise & honour of God) it standeth more nearly upon you to labour, to continue, & to go forward, & increase in that zealous & godly profession of the sincerity and truth of religion, that God of his goodness hath more mercifully dealt with you, may be more glorified by you than by others upon whom he hath not bestowed like graces & blessings, & hereof great numbers which only have by constant report hard of you, do assure themselves & assist you with th●ir faithful prayers. And I for mine own part at this present (whom it hath pleased the right Ho. my Lord, & your La. by the providence of God to place over your family) as a testimony & witness of your zeal & care of religion, which is better known to me then to others, have caused this short Catechism & sum of religion to be published, which I offer unto your honour as the greatest new years gift which my small power in so sudden and short time could present you withal, hoping that it shallbe accepted in good part, not for the worthiness of it, but in consideration of the occasion, the purpose, and the end your La. had in moving me to write it. In the handling thereof, as your desire was, I have laboured for brevity, and by questions & answers have observed that method which is most easy & plain. If by the merciful goodness of God (as my desire & prayer is) this short and little treatise may redound to the benefit of your family in regard of that end whereunto it especially aimeth; and if your Ho. unto other your divers & manifold tokens of your good acceptation of me continually since my first coming into your house shall add this, to accept in good part my endeavours and purpose, I shall think myself abundantly & fully rewarded, and have just occasion offered to ascend praise & glory unto the Lord, whose divine majesty from the bottom of my heart I most humbly beseech to grant unto your honour continuance of health & welfare, and the use of all those his gifts and benefits, which both concern the goods of this life, and especially the attaining of life everlasting. Your ladyships humble bounden in the Lord jesus, H. gray. Of the Creation of all things, and fall of man. CHAP. 1. Question. WHat think you of the frame of this world, and of all things therein, have they not been for ever? Answer. No. Q How were they than first made? A God who is without beginning, & only Gene. 1. everlasting, in the beginning made all these things which you see. Q What is God? A God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, uncreated, john. 4. jere. 23. 24 Apoc. 1. Gene. 1. jere. 10. 23 Prou. 2. 30 31 jam. 1. 17. creator and governor of all things, without quality or quantity, without shadow or change: who is in his essence or being infinitely mighty, just, merciful and good, and therefore made all things good, and ruleth all things well. Q Is there but one infinite & one God? A No: but there be three persons in the Mat. 28. 19 john. 1. 17. 14 24. Pro. 8. 2 Matt. 3. 17. joh. 15. 26. same Godhead, the father of himself alone, the son begotten of the father before all beginning, the holy ghost proceeding from the father and the son. Q Wherefore did God make the world and all creatures therein? A To set forth his glory. Prou. 16. Q Seeing God, who is only God and without corruption, made all things, how cometh it to pass, that evil is come, and the world & all creatures in it are subject to corruption? A Man for whom all things were especially Gen. 3. made, by the suggestion of satan transgressing the commandment of god brought Rom. 1. sin into the world, & by sin death entered upon all his posterity, who had sinned in him, and moreover by him the creatures were Rom. 8. made subject to vanity and corruption. Q Wherefore is the cause of sin and corruption imputed unto man. A Because God having made man after Gen. 1. his own image, and giving him free will and power to continue in that perfect estate wherein he was created, he notwithstanding, abusing his free will & power which he had to the committing of sin, is most justly to be accounted the cause of all sin, & the exclusion of himself & all his posterity out of paradise. Q What call you the image of God? A Perfect uprightness and integrity in Eph. 4. Gal. 2. body and soul. Q In what case doth man stand now by means of Adam his fall? A We are by nature bondslaves of sin & satan, Rom▪ 3. Eph. 2. & the children of wrath & condemnation. Of the restoring of man. CHAP. 2. Q Doth man remain still in that damnable estate whereunto Adam by his fall brought him? A God forbidden. Q How then is the case altered with man? A God by his infinite wisdom, of his only free mercy & goodness hath so disposed, ordered & turned the fall of Adam to the good of his elect children, that their estate after this Roman. 4. life in the kingdom of heaven shallbe a great deal more happy & blessed than if they had lived in paradise. Q By what means doth the Lord work this? A By fulfilling his promise in sending the Genesis. 3. Cor. 1. 15. seed of the woman to conquer satan, sin and death, & to set us free from them, & to purchase for us everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven. Q Who is the seed of the woman? A Christ jesus perfect God & perfect man, God in that he is of like substance, equal majesty, Philipp. 2. eternity & power with his father. Man in that he is the seed of the woman, & took the whole nature of man upon him. Q Was it necessary that our saviour and redeemer should be both God and man? A Yea. Q. Why so? A If he had been man alone, he could not have paid the ransom for sin, & satisfied the infinite wrath of God, but should have been swallowed up of death, because man was subject to death. And again, if he had been God Rom. 4. alone, he could not have suffered death, therefore it was requisite, that he should be both God and man, man, that he might die, God, that he might sustain and uphold the manhood, Gal. 3. to overcome and vanquish death. Q But is it now true, that cursed is he that doth not all things which are written in the book of the law? A Yes verily. Q How then shall we be freed from this curse? A By the death and obedience of jesus Galat. 3. Christ: he hath by his death suffered the torments of hell for our sin, & by his obedience performed the whole law for us. Q But how doth that profit us which Christ did in his own person? A Christ is ours by the gift of God, and Roman. 8. whatsoever Christ did, he did not for himself, but he that knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be the righteousness 2. Cor. 6. of God by him. Q By what means are we made partakers of Christ and his benefits? Gala. 3. 26. Ephes. 1. A Only by a true faith, whereby we receive Christ. Q What is faith? A It is an undoubted and certain persuasion of the love of GOD towards us in Rom. 8. 38 39 & 26, 11 Christ jesus grounded upon the promises of God, made unto us in the gospel, whereby Roman. 8. we are assured, that our sins are remitted, & we by the spirit of god working in our hearts are made the adopted children of God. Of the trial of ourselves whether we be the children of God, or no. CHAP. 3. Q HOw shall we know that we have faith? A By proving ourselves whether we 2. Cor. 13. 5 be in the faith, or whether Christ jesus be in us or not. Q How shall we prove ourselves? A By the working of the spirit in us, for Rom. 8. those which are the children of God, are led and governed by the spirit. Q How shall we know that the spirit dwelleth in us, and that we have faith? A By the effects and fruits of the spirit, Gala. 5. 21. which are love, peace, long suffering, etc. and according to the rule of saint james: show james 2. me thy faith by thy works, and I will show he my faith by my works. Q Are works then necessary to salvation? A Yea but not as causes of our justification, but as effects and testimonies of our faith, and the way which the Lord hath prepared Ephes. 2. wherein we should walk and glorify him, till he bring us to his kingdom of glory. Q How is this faith begotten in us? A The ordinary means is the word Roma. 10. Rom. 1. 18. 1. Pet. 1. 23 preached. Q Can not they then be saved which either have not the use of the word, or else refuse it? A God forbidden that we should judge or condemn any, for the Lord can save extraordinarily without means, and he doth not call all at all times. Q Is it no sin therefore to refuse the word? A Yes it is a fearful and dangerous sin, refusing the word, and as much as in us lieth we debar ourselves of our salvation. Q What call you the word, the preaching whereof you make the instrument and means to beget faith? A Generally the whole scripture which is contained in that book commonly called the Bible, but especially the gospel, wherein these causes are comprehended whereupon our faith is grounded. Q What is the special use of the preaching of the law? A It is a forcible means to humble us by the threatenings of the same, and it is a Galat. 3. schoolmaster to prepare us, and make us fit to receive the gospel, and Christ jesus which is offered unto us by it. Of the law. CHAP. 4. Q HOw many things doth this word of God generally taken teach us principally? A These four: first, obedience to the law of God: secondly, prayer, which is a part of the worship and service of god: thirdly, faith in Christ: fourthly, the Sacraments which are seals & pledges of the doctrine of faith. Q How do you distinguish these four things according to the usual and common division of the word into the law and the gospel? A The first two infer unto the law, and the last two unto the gospel. Q How is the law divided? A Into two tables: Exod. 31. 18. 34. 7. Q What is contained in the first? A Our duty which we own unto God, and what service and worship we are to perform unto him. Q What is contained in the second? A Our duty toward our neighbour, and how we ought to behave ourselves towards him so long as we live in this world. Q How many commandments be there? A Ten. Q How many pertain to the first table? A The first four. Q How many to the second? A The last six. Q Rehearse the commandments. A God spoke these words, and said: Thou shalt have no other gods before me, etc. Q What is the end and fulfilling of all these commandments. A Love: 1. Tim. 1. Gal. 5. Matth. 22. Nom. 13. Mar. 12. Q Is it possible for us to fulfil all these without breaking any one of them? A No, though we do what we can, yet we Mat. 15. 19 Rom. 17. 18. 19 break them daily and hourly in thought word and deed. Q What punishment then is appointed for the breakers of these commandments? A The curse of God which is eternal Deu. 17. 26 Mat. 25. 41 destruction both of body and soul. Q How shall we then escape this punishment? A Christ became accursed for us to deliver Gala. 3. us from the curse, and hath nailed that hand-writing which the Lord had against us upon the cross, and hath made a show and triumphed openly over death, and over Coloss. 2. the curse where unto we were subject. Of prayer. CHAP. 5. Q WHat do we owe unto the Lord for this work of our redemption and our deliverance from the curse? A All honour, all praise, all glory, all thanksgiving. Q How shall we give these to the Lord? A By prayer which is unfeigned, and proceedeth from a true and lively faith. Q What thing is prayer? A It is an humble lifting up of our hearts and souls unto the Lord, whereby we either make request for things necessary concerning this life and the life to come, or else give thanks unto God, for benefits and graces received. Q How many things do you gather out of this description of prayer? A I observe these three things: first, to whom we must pray: secondly, for what we must pray: thirdly, the distinction or diversity of prayer. Q To whom must we make our prayers? A To God alone. Q May we not pray to Angels or saints? A No: for that is flat idolatry. Q What reason have you to prove this? A To give that to the creature which is proper and peculiar to God, is manifest idolatry, reve. 9 but prayer is a part of the service which Psal. 11. is dew only to the Lord, therefore to give it to the creature, it is idolatry. Q Are not the angel's ministering spirits for the use of man? A Yes: but we have no commandment or warrant to pray unto them, for we must Psal. 61. Rom. 10. call upon him in whom we must believe, but we must believe in God only & therefore pray unto him alone and not to angels or saints. Q For what cause we pray? A For all things necessary both for this life and the life to come. Q Must we pray for earthly and for spiritual things after the same manner? A No: we must pray for earthly things with exception and condition, so far forth as they shall stand with god's glory & our good, & salvation, & thus we must pray for riches, for health, for prosperity, etc. but we may pray for spiritual & heavenly things absolutely & without condition, as for faith, sanctification, wisdom, and salvation, for these things are always joined with the glory of God. Q How is prayer distinguished? A Into a petition and thanksgiving. Q What is a petition? A It is a suit & request which we make unto the Lord for such things as we stand in need of. Q What is thanksgiving? A It is to acknowledge the Lord to be james. 1. 1. Cor. 4. 7. the author and fountain of all goodness and that we receive all good things from him. Q For what must you give thanks? A For all benefits both corporal and spiritual. Ephes. 5. jerre. 2. Q What call you corporal benefits? A All those which concern our bodies & the use of this life. Q Which call you spiritual? A All those which concern the welfare of the soul and our eternal salvation, as namely, our redemption & deliverance from death which we mentioned in the beginning of this section, and all other good graces & benefits which concern life everlasting. Q How must we pray unto God, or give thanks unto him? A With the spirit of our minds, for god john 4. is a spirit. Q What manner of mind, or with what affection must we pray? A In the affection well disposed unto prayer, these four things are required first, Luk. 18. 13 that we renounce ourselves, and whatsoever is in us, and throw down ourselves before the throne of the majesty of God, acknowledging and confessing our own sins and unworthiness: secondly, that we pray jame. 1. in faith: thirdly, that we have a feeling of ve. 6 our miseries, and of the wants and necessities for the which we pray, and that we have an earnest desire to obtain them: fourthly, that we come unto the Lord with unfeigned Mar. 9 24. repentance and purpose of amendment of life, for the Lord promiseth no blessing to any, but to such as are his children, and have Roman. 8. a care to walk in his fear. Q What form of prayer must we use? A That especially which our Saviour Christ himself hath presented unto us in the sixth of Matthew, and second of Luke. Q May we not use an other form of prayer besides this? A We may use an other form of words, but the matter of all our prayer must be examined and limited according to this form, wherein in general terms is set down by the wisest that ever was, nay wisdom itself, what things we must pray for, both concerning this life and the life to come. Q Repeat this form of prayer which we call the Lords prayer. A Our father which art in heaven, etc. Q Show me briefly the sum and the meaning of this prayer. A This prayer consisteth on those two parts, first, a preface in these words, Our father which art in heaven, than the prayer itself in the words following: the preface teacheth us two things, first, what GOD is in respect of us, to wit, a loving father, who as a father tendereth his children, and will not deny him any thing which he hath need of: so the Lord is most ready and willing to give unto us such things as are necessary for us if we ask them by faith: secondly, in the last words of this preface, to wit, which art in heaven, we are taught what God is in respect of himself. The examination of the place where the Lord is said to be (not that 1. King. 8. Acts 1. Esa. 16. he is indeed contained in any place, or can be, because he is infinite) doth argue the power, the majesty, the might of God whereby we are sure that the Lord is able to grant us all our requests. This preface than doth make much for the strengthening of our faith, when we consider, that God is a father, and therefore willing, and he dwelleth in heaven, and therefore is able to give us every thing we ask. The prayer it consisteth upon certain petitions, and a conclusion annexed to them: the petitions which are six in number be of two sorts, the first three concern the glory of God, the last three our own wants and necessities, the order of the first three lieth thus: first we pray for the glory of GOD which is the end of all things, that we may celebrate and sanctify the name of God: in the second we pray for the means that we may do this, that Christ would rule by his kingdom in our hearts, and by the working of his spirit, through the ministery of the word, would be at down in us all sin & wickedness, & raise us up to sanctification & holiness of life: in the third, that we may have assurance that we perform both the former, we pray that the will of god may willingly and readily be done of us, as the angels do it in heaven. The order of the three last lieth thus, in the first we pray for all things requisite & necessary for the maintenance & sustenance of this life: in the two last we pray for spiritual things, & such as concern life everlasting: in the fift petition we pray for remission and pardon of our sins through Christ jesus, Apo. 20. 27 21. 17 without the which we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven: in the last, that the Lord would not give us over unto satan, or suffer us to be overcomed of temptations, but would deliver us from the devil, and all evil which might hurt & endanger our faith, if the Lord should leave us and suffer them to rule and tyrannize in us. The conclusion is For thine is the kingdom, etc. which is added for the confirmation and strengthening of our faith, & containeth three arguments: the first the Lord is our king, for he will be mindful of us and provide for his poor subjects: secondly, he hath all power, and therefore he will show it in helping and defending his church & granting his children their requests: thirdly, to him apertaineth & belongeth all glory, & therefore that his children may glorify him he will give them such things as they shall stand in need of, Amen, which is as much as so be it, is added for two causes: the first is to show with what devotion or affection we must pray, that is, with an ardent & earnest desire: secondly, with what assurance & confidence, to wit, with full persuasion that the lord will grant our desires. Q Do you say in this your explication of the lords prayer, that the three first petitions concern God's glory, and the three last our own necessities? A Yea. Q But do not all concern the glory of God which you have said to be the end of all things? A The first three concern only the glory of God, the last 3 do concern also the glory of God, but so that we also pray moreover, for those things which are needful for us both for our souls and bodies, that we by them, and in them we may glorify God. Of faith. CHAP. 6. Q WHat is the third principal thing which the word teacheth us? A The doctrine of faith in Christ jesus. Q Unto what part of the word do you refer this? A Unto the gospel. Q What is the gospel? A It is the glad tidings of salvation, & that heavenly doctrine which teacheth us how to believe to obtain eternal life through jesus Christ only. Q Is there not a sum of the chief points of the Gospel collected and set down shortly and briefly? A Yes. Q What call you it? A The apostles creed. Q Why is it so called? A Because as some think it was made by the apostles, but rather because it agreeth with their doctrine and that belief which they preached in their time. Q Rehearse the articles of the creed. A I believe in God the father almighty, etc. Q How is this creed divided? A Into twelve articles. Q How many things do these articles teach us principally? A Four. Q Which be they? A First we are taught what to believe of God the father in the first article. 2. What to believe of God the son in the six next. 3 What to believe of God the holy ghost in the eight article. 4. What to believe concerning the church in the four last articles. Q What do you believe of God the father? A First I believe that he is my father in Esay. 69. 6. Rom. 58. his son jesus Christ. 2. That he is the fountain of all things, and the maker & creator of them. lastly, that he is almighty, job. 31. 2. and hath power to do all things, and without his providence nothing can be done by men, by angels, or by the devils in earth, heaven, or in hell. Q What do you believe concerning the second person in trinity. A I believe that he is jesus, that is my saviour and redeemer. 2. That he is Christ, Matth. 1. 1. that is the anointed king, priest & prophet. 3. That he suffered the torments of hell for Phil. 1. me upon the cross, and truly, and not feignedly, died for my sins, & rose again from death for my justification. 4. That he is ascended Rom. 25. Acts. 1. up into heaven, & there shall remain till the latter day, and then he shall come accompanied with the holy angels to judge the world. Mat. 25. 32 Q What do you believe of the holy ghost? A First that he is God. 1. Pet. 1. 2. Eph. 4. Acts. 5. 3. 4 Luke. 1. 15 john. 3. 5. 1. Cor. 5. 5. 28. secondly that he doth sanctify me, & make me a new creature, and assure me of my salvation. Q What do you believe concerning the church? A I believe that Christ hath, and hath had, and shall have till the end of the world in all places, and amongst all sorts of men, his Act. 10. 34. Eph. 5. 34. 1. Cor. 12. 12. 13. 14. 1. Cor. 10. 2. Cor. 11. 28. Galat. 1. 2. Esa. 53. 4. 5 church, that is a company of elect & faithful people, which have a society & fellowship amongst themselves, as members of one head whereby they communicate all benefits both spiritual & temporal, to whom the Lord giveth remission & pardon of sins in this life, and in the world to come life everlasting after that he hath raised them up from the dead. 1. joh. 2. 8. 1. Cor. 15. 53. 54. 1. Thes. 4. 14 1. Cor. 15. Q By what means do we apprehend and attain to this which you have now confessed. A The ordinary way is the hearing and preaching of the word of God, whereby the holy ghost doth work faith in our hearts Gal. 1. 2. 3. to apprehend & understand effectually these articles of salvation. Of the sacraments. CHAP. 7. Q HAth the Lord appointed unto his church no other means to help and strengthen faith by but his word? A Yea, our saviour Christ providing for our weakness & infirmities, hath given unto us outward and visible signs, which do represent, and as it were, set before our eyes & senses, for the confirmation of our faith, the truth, and if I may so speak for more plainness, the especial matter of this whereof you have now made confession. Q What call you these signs? A Sacraments. Q What is a sacrament? A It is an outward and visible sign instituted and ordained of the Lord to confirm the promises and covenants of God made to us in the gospel in the hearts of the faithful. Gen. 17. 11 Q What do you learn out of this definition. A These three things. First that it is a sign of another thing which is signified. 2. That every sacrament must have his institution of the Lord. 3. That it is a pledge or seal of the promise of salvation. Q Why do you say this is a sign? A Because it is a thing which the Lord setteth before men's eyes, to signify a thing which is not seen, Q why must it be instituted of god only? A He only must appoint the seal and the sign which giveth the promise, but God only maketh the promise of salvation, & therefore he only hath authority to ordain the sacrament or sign. Q Why say you that it must be a pledge or seal of the promise of salvation. A Because it is given us of the Lord for the confirmation of our faith, which is grounded upon the promise of salvation. Q Are all these things necessarily to be observed in every sacrament. A Yea. Q What account do you make of those five which the papists have added, namely the sacraments of penance, absolution, confirmation, laying on of hands, extreme unction, and matrimony. A That account which the word of God teacheth me to make of them, that they are no sacraments, because these three things which are necessarily required in every sacrament, are not to be found in any of them. Q How many sacraments do you make them? A Two. Q Which be they? A Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. 1. Cor. 10. Q What is Baptism? A It is a ceremony instituted of Christ in Matth. 18. a visible sign of water to signify our remission of sins, and reconciliation which we have with God by the blood of jesus Christ which is shed for us. Q what do you consider in this definition? A These two things (which are also to be considered in the Supper of the Lord) I observe for the true use of the sacrament. First what is the sign. Secondly what is the thing signified. Q what is the sign in baptism? A Water. Q What is the thing signified? A Remission and pardon of sins by the Act. 22. Mark. 14. blood of jesus Christ. Q In every sacrament there must be a resemblance & proportion betwixt the sign & thing signified, tell us therefore what it is in this sacrament of Baptism? A As the water doth wash away the filthiness of the body, so our souls being Ti. 3. 6. 5. 6. Ephe. 5. 20 1. Pe. 1. 1. 2. 1. john. 7. sprinkled with the blood of jesus Christ washed and purged from the filthiness and pollution of sin. Q Is there any difference betwixt water in baptism and other water? A Not as concerning the substance, but they differ in the use: for common water serveth to wash the body, but water in Baptism is a Sacrament of the washing of the soul, Q Wherefore are we but once baptised since we are commanded oftentimes to receive the supper? A Because, as circumcision was to the Gen. 17 jews, so baptism is to us an entrance and admission into the church of god, and it is sufficient for us once to be admitted into god's family, and therefore as they were but once circumcised, so we must be but once baptised: yet that we may remain and continue in this family and church of god, it is necessary that we be fed oftentimes, and therefore we must often receive the Sacrament of the supper, as the jews did also every Exod. 12. year celebrate the passover. Q What is this supper of the Lord which is the other sacrament? A It is a ceremony instituted of our saviour Christ a little before his death in visible Mat. 25. signs of bread and wine, to testify and represent unto us his passion and bloodshedding, whereby he suffered the torments of hell for our sin. Q What be the signs in this Sacrament? A Bread and wine. Q What is the thing signified? A Our redemption and deliverance from Phil. 8. eternal death and hell by the suffering and bloodshedding of jesus Christ upon the cross. Q What is the resembling and proportion betwixt the sign and the thing signified? A That as our bodies by the hand and mouth receiving these outward things of bread and wine are thereby nourished indeed, so assuredly we apprehending by faith the john. 6. 35. Mat. 26. 26 Rom. 4. 23. 1. cor. 30. 2. cor. 5. 21 passion and bloodshedding of jesus Christ, our souls are thereby nourished and fed to eternal life, having our sins remitted, and Christ's death & righteousness imputed to us. Q What doth the bread signify? A The body of Christ. 1. cor. 11. 24 Q What doth the wine signify? A The blood of Christ. 1. Cor. 11. 25 Q Why hath the Lord iustituted two signs in the supper, and but one in baptism? A As our bodies are not sustained by meat only, but also by drink, so the Lord would assure us that we are not fed to halfs, as it were, but Christ he is both meat and drink unto us. Q Is the bread and wine in the Sacrament the same with other common bread and wine? A They are the same in substance and 1. Cor. 10. 16. 17. 18. 1. Cor. 11. 26. Mat. 26. 28 nature, but the holy use whereunto they are applied, make them differ from common bread and wine. Q Is not the bread turned into the body of Christ, and the wine into the blood of Christ? A No. Q But doth not our saviour Christ say, this is my body, when he gave the bread, and this is my blood, when he gave the wine? A Yea, but they are figurative speeches attributing the name of the thing signified, unto the thing signifying, as also in the old sacraments. Circumcision was called the covenant which was but a sign of the covenant, Gene. 17. Exod. 12. 1. Cor. 10. and the paschal lamb was called the passover, and the rock was called Christ. Q What is the reason why the sign is called by the name of the thing signified? A Because we should lift up our minds from these earthly and corporal things unto the heavenly and spiritual things which are signified by them. To what end do we receive this sacrament of the supper? A For these three causes principally. Mal. 26. First, for the redemption and strengthening of our faith. Secondly, for a testification of our obedience 1. Cor. 11. 26. Mat. 26. and thankfulness unto God for the work of our redemption. Thirdly, for increase of love and amity, 1. Cor. 10. 17. 1. Cor. 12. 13. 1. Cor. 11. 33. Ephes. 4. 5. for there is always a communion of saints in the church of God, which especially consisteth in this, that all the children of God are members of the same body, and partakers of the same Saviour and Redeemer jesus Christ. Q Seeing the body of Christ is in heaven, and we are on earth, how are we partakers of it? A Through a true and a lively faith john 3. 17. which descendeth and taketh hold of the mercies of GOD in the merits of Christ jesus. Q That we may be worthy communicants of this sacrament, how must we prepare ourselves unto it? A We first must try & examine ourselves concerning the doctrine of a sacrament whether we do rightly understand or conceive of it or no. Secondly also concerning our manners & life, whether we be fit to receive it at the time appointed. Q How must we examine ourselves concerning the doctrine▪ A By entering into consideration of that which the holy ghost hath written & set down of it, whether we do fully understand & know it, and whether our hearts and consciences can willingly subscribe and yield unto it which is taught to be the truth of it. Q Is this examination of ourselves concerning the doctrine necessary? A Yea, otherwise how shall we know how to behave ourselves in this holy action, except we know what it is that we do, and for what end and purpose. Q How must we examine ourselves concerning our manners and life, whether we be fit to receive this sacrament or no? A By proving ourselves whether we be 2. Cor. 13. 5. 1. Cor. 11. 28. the members of Christ or no. Q How shall we know this great secret and mystery. A If we have faith and repentance. Q How shall I decern that I have faith? A If in my heart I be assuredly persuaded Ephe. 1. 13 2. Cor. 1. 22. 5. 5. Rom. 8. 15. Ephe. 3. 12 1. john. 2. 1 Esay. 53. 6. Ephes. 17. 18 by the working of the spirit in me, that the punishment of my sin is fully discharged in Christ, and that whatsoever he hath done pertaineth not only unto others but even to me. Q How shall I know that I have true repentance? A If I be inwardly and hearty sorrowful Mat. 26. 75 jere. 4. 4. joel. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 45. 6. 7. Phil. 3. 13. 14 for my sins, and do most willingly confess them unto God, with full deliberation and purpose of amendment of life, & an earnest desire to mortify and kill sin in me, and wholly to conform myself to too the will of the Lord. Q What if I find not these things in me, what counsel give you me? A Not to presume to come to this table of the Lord, for he that eateth and drinketh 1. cor. 11. unworthily (that is, without faith and repentance, whilst he is a wicked liver, a profane person, a blasphemer, etc. and hath not repent him of his sins, with full purpose to renounce them, and live always after in the fear of God) he eateth and drinketh his own condemnation, not decerning the body of Christ aright. Q Is it a thing left to our choice and liberty whether we will come to the supper or not? A No, the holy ghost in forbidding men to come thither unworthily commandeth all them which have discretion and judgement, to examine diligently, and prepare themselves, that they may come worthily unto it: so that if we do absent ourselves, and neglect this preparation & making of ourselves ready to come unto it, let us fear lest we become contemners of it, and so deprive ourselves of that great benefit which is offered unto us by it.