A SHORT CATECHISM FOR HOUSEHOLDERS.  
By T. P.  
LONDON, Imprinted by F.K. for George Winder, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunston's Churchyard. 1624.   

A SHORT CATECHISM FOR HOUSEHOLDERS.  
Question.  
WHat should be the chief desire and endeavour of every Christian in this life?  
A. To seek the glory of God, and to obtain happiness and salvation of his own soul.  
Q. How may we obtain that?  
A. By keeping Covenant with God the Lord?  
Q. Who is God the Lord?  
A. That infinite and almighty Spirit, who is the maker, preserver and governor of all things.  
Q. How many Gods be there?  
A. Three persons, yet but one God.  
Q. How many covenants hath that ●●e God made with us?  
A. Two: the first is the Covenant of works: the second is the Covenant of grace.  
Q. Where hath God revealed his will about these Covenants?  
A. In the books of holy Scriptures, wherein all things needful to salvation are contained.  
Q. What is the Covenant of works?  
A. That which promiseth life, upon condition of perfect obedience to the Law.  
Q. What doth the Law of God require of you?  
A. To love the Lord our God, with all our might: and our neighbour as ourselves.  
Q. Are you able to keep this Law of God?  
A. No: I break it in thought, word, and deed.  
Q. Did God create man unable?  
A. No, for in the Image of God created he him.  
Q. How cometh man's nature to be disabled?  
A. By the sin and disobedience of our first parents Adam and Eue.  
Q. What is sin?  
A. The breach of Gods Law.  
Q. What is the punishment of sin?  
A. The curse of God, both on body and soul in this life, and that which is to come.  
Q. Wherein then doth the misery of man consist?  
A. First, in this, that by nature he doth nothing, nor can do nothing but sin: Secondly, that for sin he lieth under the wrath and curse of God.  
Q. Is there then no hope to be saved by the Covenant of works?  
A. No, for by the works of the Law shall no flesh living be justified.  
Q. What is the Covenant of Grace?  
A. That which promiseth salvation to all penitent sinners, upon condition of faith in Christ jesus.  
Q. Who are penitent sinners?  
A. Those that find, feel, and grieve that they are miserable by sin.  
Q. By whom are penitent sinners to look for life and salvation?  
A. Only by jesus Christ, who being God, became man, that he might be a fit Mediator betwixt God and man.  
Q. Why was he to be man?  
A. That he might dye for us.  
Q. Why to be God?  
A. That he might overcome death, and that his death might be a sufficient ransom for the sins of the whole world.  
Q. What did jesus Christ for you?  
A. He did fulfil the law, & endure the curse of God for us.  
Q. Why did he so?  
A. That we may be justified, ●●ti●●ed and glorified.  
Q. What is justification?  
A. Gods freeing us from the guilt of ●●r s●●●es, for the merit of Christ, and his accepting us as righteous unto life i● him.  
Q. What are the fruits of justification?  
A. Reconciliation and Adoption.  
Q. What is Reconciliation?  
A. Our admittance into God's love and favour.  
Q. What is Adoption?  
A. Gods accepting us into the place and state of f●●●●e●.  
Q. What is Sanctification?  
A. Gods purging our hearts from the corruption of sin: and his re●e●●●●g us with holy qualities.  
Q. What are the parts of Sanctification?  
A. Mortification, which is the killing a subduing our corruptions: and vinification, which is the quickening in us of ●oly affections.  
Q. What is Glorification?  
A. Gods judging our bodies and ●●les with everlasting glory in heaven.  
Q. Shall all men be made partakers of these benefits by Christ?  
A. No, none but the true members 〈◊〉 the Church?  
Q. What is the Church?  
A. The whole company of them that ●●e predestinate and called to life.  
Q. How are the members of the Church to partake of these benefits?  
A. Only by a true and lively fa●ith.  
Q. What is faith?  
A. A belief of the Gospel, whereby ●●e receive and rest upon Christ, offe●● in the same for our salvation.  
Q. What are the signs of faith?  
A. Peace of conscience, hungering ●●er the Word; Newness of heart and 〈◊〉.  
Q. What are those public ordinances thereby faith is wrought and increased 〈◊〉 the heart?  
A. The ministry of the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer.  
Q. What is the ministry of the Word?  
A. The Word of God read and preached by one called and appointed thereunto by God.  
Q. What is Prayer?  
A. The calling upon God in the name of Christ jesus.  
Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in the Church?  
A. Two only, as generally necessary to salvation: that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.  
Q. What meanest thou by this word Sacrament?  
A. I mean, an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.  
Q. How many parts be there in a Sacrament?  
A. Two: the outward visible sign, and the inward spiritual grace.  
Q. What is the outward visible sign or form in Baptism?  
A. Water: wherein the person baptised is dipped or sprinkled with it, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost.  
Q. What is the inward and spiritual grace?  
A. A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness: for being by nature borne in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace.  
Q. What is required of persons to be baptised?  
A. Repentance, whereby they forsake sin: and faith, whereby they steadfastly believe the promises of God made to them in the Sacrament.  
Q. Why then are infants baptised, when by reason of their tender age, they cannot perform them?  
A. Yes, they do perform them by their Sureties, who promise and vow them both in their names, which when they come to age, themselves are bound to perform.  
Q. Why was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ordained?  
A. For the continual remembrance of the Sacrifice of the death of Christ, and the benefits we receive thereby.  
Q. What is the outward part or sign● of the Lords Supper?  
A. Bread and Wine; which the Lord hath commanded to be received.  
Q. What is the inward part or thing signified?  
A. The body and blood of Christ, which are verily and indeed taken and received of the faithful in the Lord's Supper.  
Q. What are the benefits whereof we are partakers thereby?  
A. The strengthening & refrshing of our souls by the body & blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the Bread & Wine.  
Q. What is required of them which come to the Lords Supper?  
A. To examine themselves whether they repent them cruelly of their former sins, steadfastly purposing to lead a new life, have a lively faith is God's mercy through Christ, which a thankful remembrance of his death, and ●ee in Charity with all men.  
Q. How are those, who have received so to believe, to walk as they may glorify God?  
Q. By the daily practising of the duties of repentance and obedience.  
Q. What is repentance?  
A. A grief of heart that we have displeased God, with a steadfast purpose and endeavour of amendment of 〈◊〉.  
Q. What is new obedience?  
A. A constant desire and endeavour to ●●ow and perform all the Commandments of God.  
Q. What shall be the estate of those ●hat thus walk, at the last day?  
A. Their bodies being raised from the grave, shall be joined to their souls, 〈◊〉 both shall live in everlasting happiness and glory.  
Q. What shall be the estate of unbelievers, impenitent and disobedient persons?  
A. Their bodies also being raised from the grave, shall be joined to their souls, and they both cast into everlasting fire.  
FINIS.