Certain short Questions and Answers. Very profitable and necessary for young Children, and such as are desirous to be instructed in the principles of the Christian Faith. (βΈ«) AT LONDON Printed by Henry Middleton, for Thomas man.. 1580. Certain short Questions and Answers, very profitable and necessary for young Children, and such as are desirous to be instructed in the principles of the Christian Faith. Question. WHat is GOD? Answer. A Spirit. Question. Why dost thou not say he is Almighty, Eternal, Omnipotent, Invisible, containing all, and not contained? Answer. All this I do confess. But I answer simply as Christ saith: john 4. The substance of God is Spiritual, and not Carnal. Question. How is Man then said to be the Image of God? Answer. It is spoken of the principal part of Man, which is his Soul, which the Apostle sayeth is created in the true likeness of God, in righteousness and holiness: so is it like God, being both immortal and spiritual a God is. Question. Then is the Soul of man of one nature and substance with God? Answer. No, it is a substance spiritual, created of God, infused into man, and it is immortal. Question. How is God to be worshipped? Answer. In Spirit and Truth. Question. How in Spirit? Answer. With a devout mind, a faithful heart, in a spiritual manner, not with earthly affection. Question. How then must he be worshipped in Truth? Answer. That is, according to his holy will in his Word, not according to man's fantasy. Question. How if in worshipping of God we be not mindful of him in our Prayers? Answer. Then it is vain (sayeth Christ) to worship him with our lips and our hearts far from him, and without we pray in Spirit, Prayer prevails not, neither doth it pierce the ears of God. Quest. Then a faithful & devout mind is specially required in prayer? Ans. It is so, which God for Christ's sake grant unto us. Quest. What is Christ? Answer. Perfect God, and perfect man. Quest. How dost thou know he is God? Ans. Because he is equal with his father. Quest. How knowest thou he is equal with his father? Ans. Because he saith, I and the Father are one, also Paul saith, He being equal with his Father, took upon him the shape of a servant. Quest. How dost thou know that he is man? Ans. Because he took natural flesh of the virgin Mary, and was conceived by the holy Ghost without sin, and in that natural body died a most painful death to redeem us from our sins (as the Apostle sayeth:) He came into the world to save sinners. Question. What is the Catholic Church? Answer. It is a congregation of all faithful men, dispersed throughout the whole world, amongst whom the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments are ministered, according to Christ's institution. Question. Art thou the child of God? Answer. I am. Question. By Nature, or by Grace? Answer. Not by Nature, for so we are the children of God's wrath. Quest. Now knowest thou that thou art the child of God by Grace? Ans. Because he hath given the earnest of his spirit into our hearts, which crieth Abba Pater, which spirit witnesseth to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. Question. Is not this presumption for a sinner to say he is God's son? Ans. It is no presumption so to say, so it be holy presumption to call ourselves Gods children, from the testimony of a good conscience, seeing Christ hath willed us in prayer to call his Father our Father. Question. Of what substance is the holy Ghost? Answer. A Spiritual substance as God is. Question. Of what Nature? Answer. Being God, one of nature with God. Question. Then the holy Ghost is God? Answer. He is so. Question. Then there be three Gods, as God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost? Answer. No, the distinction is in person, not in deity, as the Catholic faith teacheth us. The conclusion therefore is, that God the Father is our Creator, Christ in his person is our Redeemer, the holy Ghost who proceeds from both, is our sanctifier, and proceeds from them, even as light and heat from the Son, and yet so lighteneth the whole World, that it remaineth still with God, and is very God. Question. What is a Sacrament? Answer. It is a visible sign of an invisible grace, as for example, the water wherewith the child is baptized, is the visible sign of the invisible grace of God, by whose grace these our sins be cleansed by Christ's blood, so likewise the Sacramental Bred & Wine do signify to us the body of jesus Christ naturally and truly, his body broken, & his blood shed upon the cross for our salution. Question. According to this definition, Sacraments be infinite. Let me know why Baptism and the lords Supper are only allowed Sacraments in the Church? Answer. Because they be commanded by God's word, & have promises of grace and salvation annexed unto them. Question. Do Sacraments of themselves confer grace? Answer. No, but God doth by them exhibit graces unto us, for john sayeth, We baptize with Water, we minister the outward signs, but it is Christ which doth baptize with the holy Ghost: and by the outward Elements by us ministered we do confirm the inward grace which is given by God. Quest. What be those graces that be conferred from God to us by these sacraments? Ans. Regeneration of life, increase of spiritual blessings, forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting. Quest. Then of necessity all are not saved which participate Baptism and the Lords Supper? Ans. So many are saved as are partakers of the invisible graces, whereof the Sacraments are visible signs. Quest. How if a child borne of believing parents, be prevented with death before Baptism, and so receive not the visible sign? Answer. It is most requisite that we endeavour to offer them to public Baptism by all means lawful, otherwise if we be hindered by some necessity not to be shunned, yet we ought to persuade ourselves that they are saved by the invisible grace, because the children of faithful believing parents, are received in the covenant, and may be sanctified in their mother's wombs. Question. Then what needeth Baptism? Answer. It is of great necessity for the commandments sake, contained in the eight and twentieth of Matthew: and to refuse it, is to despise the ordinance of God, for although he work sometime without all means, yet must not we cease to use the means appointed, when we are in a Christian Church, and may have them, that is, to baptize the whole World in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. Question. Have you no further reason for the use of Baptism? Answer. That is said, is sufficient: yet I do say further, it is the pledge of God's covenant made with us, and the visible sign of our adoption that we are his by Grace and Faith in Christ, and the visible mark, whereby we are known from the uncircumcised sort. Question. What is Faith? Answer. It is a sure trust in God, and in jesus Christ our Lord, and a certainty of things promised by God, which can not otherwise be discerned, than with the eye of Faith. Question. Whence cometh Faith? Answer. It is the gift of God, as Paul saith in the second to the Ephes. By grace you are saved through Faith, not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Question. Doth Faith only justify a man? Answer. It doth justify. Question. How is a justifying faith known from a dead faith? Answer. By the fruits & works which are with faith that justifieth. Question. What is Faith without good life? Answer. It is dead. Question. What are works without Faith? Answer. They be sin, be they never so glorious before men. Question. How come men by faith? Answer. In the tenth to the Romans it is showed, that Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God. Question. Can a man be saved without faith in Christ? Answer. No, for Christ saith, He that believeth not, is condemned already. These Questions are briefly collected out of the former, for the help of such as in a short sum are desirous to learn by heart the chief principles of Christian Religion. Question. WHat is God? Answer. God is a Spirit. Quest. How must he be worshipped? Ans. In Spirit and truth. Quest. What is jesus Christ? Ans. Christ is perfect God and perfect man.. Quest. How know you he is God? Ans. Because he is equal with his Father. Quest. How know you he is Man? Ans. Because in our nature he redeemed us from our sins. Quest. What is the Catholic Church? Ans. All faithful people dispersed throughout the whole world. Quest. Art thou the son of God? Ans. I am. Quest. Art thou the son of God by nature, or by grace? Ans. By grace. Quest. How dost thou know that thou art the son of God by grace? Ans. The spirit doth witness to our spirit that we are the sons of God. Quest. Of what substance is the holy ghost? Ans. A spiritual 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 three Gods, as God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghost. Ans. No, the distinction is in persons, not in deity, as the Catholic Faith teacheth us. The conclusion, than God the Father is our creator, Christ in his person our Redeemer, the holy Ghost who proceedeth from both our sanctifier, and proceeds from them as light & heat from the son, and so lighteneth that whole world, and remaineth still in God, and is very God. Qu. What is a sacrament? Answer. It is a visible sign of an invisible grace, as for example, the water wherewith the child is baptized, is the visible sign of the invisible grace of God, by whose grace these our sins he cleansed by Christ's blood: so likewise the sacramental bread and wine do signify to us the body of jesus Christ naturally and truly, both his body broken, and his blood shed upon the cross for our salvation. Question. Do not these Sacraments of themselves confer grace? Answer. No, we (saith S. john) baptize with water, we minister the outward signs, but it is Christ which doth baptize with the holy Ghost, and by the outward Elements by us ministered we do confirm the inward grace, which is given by God. Quest. Then of necessity all are saved which participate Baptism and the Lords Supper? Ans. So many are saved as are partakers of the invisible graces, whereof the sacraments are visible signs. Quest. How if a child borne of believing parents be prevented with death before Baptism, and so receive not the visible sign? Ans. It is most requisite that we do preserve it to public Baptism by all means lawful, if not, yet they be saved by invisible grace, because the children of faithful believing parents are sanctified in their mother's wombs. Quest. Then what need Baptism? Ans. It is of great necessity for the commandments sake, Math. 28. and to refuse it, is to despise that ordinance of God, for although he work sometime without all means, yet we must not cease to use the means appointed, that is, to baptize the whole world in the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost. Quest. What is Faith? Ans. It is a sure trust in God, and jesus Christ our Lord. Quest. Whence cometh Faith? Ans. It is the gift of God. Quest. Doth Faith only justify a man? Ans. It doth justify. Quest. How is a justifying Faith known from a dead Faith? Ans. By the fruits & works which are with faith that justifieth. Quest. What is faith without good life? Ans. It is dead. Quest. What are works without faith? Ans. They be sin, be they never so gorgeous before men. Quest. How come men by faith? Ans. In the tenth to the Romans, Faith cometh by hearing the word of God. Quest. Can a man be saved without Faith in Christ? Ans. No, for Christ sayeth, He that believeth not, is condemned already. FINIS.