THE SUM OF CHRISTIANITY, SET DOWN IN FAMIliar questions and answers. Question. THere have been always, are, & will be in the world, such as deny the Lord that made them: tell me therefore first of all, are you persuaded 2. Pet. 3. 3. there is a God? Answer. I am undoubtedly assured hereof: first by that inward light of understanding whereby he raiseth testimony unto himself in the hearts of Rom. 1. 19 men. Secondly by his works of creation, wherein Rom. 1. 20. he hath made his power & godhead visible. Thirdly by the works of his providence, whereby he evidently sustaineth & governeth all things. Fourthly Act. 14. 17. & 17. 24. by his word, wherein he hath most clearly manifested himself unto us. And therefore I detest from my heart, all atheism and atheists. Q. What is God? A. God is a spirit, eternal, infinite, almighty, joh. 4. 24. only wise, most just, and most merciful. Q. Is there any more but one only God? A. There is one only true and living God, but in the unity of this one godhead there are three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the holy Mat. 28. 19 Ghost. Q. What is the Father? A. The first person in the Deity, of whom are the Son, and the holy Ghost. Mat. 3. 17. Q. What is the Son? A. The second person in the deity begotten of Io●. 1. 18. Heb. 1. 3. the Father. Q. What is the holy Ghost? A. The third person in the Deity, proceeding from the Father and the Son. Q. Did not God create man perfect in nature, and happy in state? Goe 1. 26. 28 A. Most perfect & most happy. But by Satan's persuasion man fell from that perfection, & by his Gen. 3. 2. fall both lost his first happiness, and threw himself and his into extreme misery. Q. Are we then all miserable? A. All, not one excepted: and that by sin. Q. What is sin? A. Sin is offence against God. Q. Are all men sinners? A. All have sinned, and have failed of the glory Rom. 3. ●3. of God. Q. How may we be convicted of sin? A. First by the testimony of our own consciences: and then by the testimony of God himself, who is greater than our consciences. 1. joh. 5. 20. Q. What is the testimony of conscience? A. That light of nature, whereby every one discerning between good and evil, is accused of offence against God. Rom. 2. 15. Q. How doth God testify that we be sinners? A. By his judgements, aswell general as partiticular, and by his word. Q. What are his general judgements? A His curse upon all creatures for sin, and Gen. 3. 17. Gen. 6. the destruction of the world by the flood. Q. What are his particular judgements? A. Such as the punishment of Cain, and the destruction Gen. 4. 11. Gen. 19 24 of Sodom and Gomorrha. Q. What doth God testify against us in his word? A. That we be sinners three manner of ways First by the sin of Adam, in whom all have sinned. Rom. 5. 12. Qu. How secondly? A. In that we are all borne in sin, & conceived in iniquity; & thereby the children of wrath. Psal. 51. 7. Ephes. 2. 3. Qu. How thirdly? A. By our own personal transgressions, in leaving undone that which is good, and committing that which is evil, in thought, word, & deed: which we may best discern by the Law of God given to Rom. 3. ●0. that end. Q. How may we affect & pierce ourselves herewith? Act. 2. 37. A. If we consider the greatness, loathsomeness, and multitude of our sins, with the punishments due unto them. Qu. How may this be done? A. The greatness of our sins we may esteem by the greatness of him against whom they are committed; 1. Sam. 2. 25 and the loathsomeness, by that most perfect holiness which is in God, expressed in his Law. Qu. What is the multitude of our sins? A. David said, his sins were more than the hairs of his head; and who knoweth how often he Psal. 4. 13. Psal. 19 13 offendeth? Qu. What are the punishments of sin? A. The temporal punishments of sin are all the calamities & afflictions of this life, all diseases of the body, and griefs of mind; and finally death Rom. 5. 12. itself. Qu. Are there also eternal punishments? A. Yea. The loss of everlasting happiness: and everlasting destruction both of body and soul. Rom. 6. 29. Qu. Is not then our misery exceeding great? A. Greater than either tongue can speak, or can enter into the heart of man. 1. Cor. 2. 9 II. Qu. Is there any help against this misery? ●. None in ourselves, nor in any creature, but 1. joh. 2. 2. only in Christ jesus, who is made unto us from God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification & redemption, that who so glorieth might glory in him. 1. Cor. 1. 30. Q. How is he made our wisdom? A. In that being from before all eternity the son of God, in the fullness of time he became joh. 1. 13. man, and both out of the bosom of the Father revealed joh. 1. 18. unto us all things necessary for us to know unto salvation, and is he in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen. 2. Cor. 1. 20. Q. How is he made our righteousness? A. In that knowing no sin, he became sin for us, that we by him might be made the righteousness 2. Cor. 5. 21. of God. Qu. Declare this yet more fully. A. He bore the curse of the Law & punishment of our sins, to satisfy the justice of God: and fulfilled Gal. 3. 13. Esa. 53. 5. Ro. 5. 18. 19 the righteousness of the Law, to obtain for us the blessing thereof, which is eternal life. Q. How is he made our sanctification? A. In that he sanctified himself for us; & doth joh. 17. 19 & 17. also sanctify us in ourselves by his spirit. Q. How is he yet our redemption? A. To deliver us finally from all our enemies, & Phil. 3. 20. 1. Cor. 15. 25 bring us into the kingdom of heaven. In the mean time he sitteth at the right hand of God an advocate and intercessor for us, to make both us & our Rom. 8. 34. services acceptable unto God. III. Qu. Salvation then being wholly and only in Christ, how may we attain thereunto? A. If we believe in him. joh. 3 16. Qu. What is it to believe in Christ? A. Not only to know that salvation is by him alone, but also ourselves to put our whole trust and joh. 3. 36. confidence in him, and to assure ourselves of the forgiveness of our sins by his death & sacrifice, and of everlasting life by his obedience. Rom. 5. 18. Qu. Doth this faith only justify us before God? A. Only. Yet not for the worthiness of itself, but for the worthiness of him in whom we believe Rom. 3. 28. Q. Is this faith in our own power? A. No. It is the gift of God unto his children. Ephes. 2. 8. Q. What is the sum of our Christian belief? A. That which is expressed in the Creed of the Apostles. I believe in God the Father almighty, etc. Q. How doth God give this gift of faith? A. It is the work of his spirit in our hearts, sometimes Gal. 1. 16. Rom. 10. 14. immediately by instinct, but ordinarily by the preaching of the word. Q. What is the word of God? A. Generally the holy Scriptures contained in the canonical books of the old and new Testament, written by the Prophets & Apostles, but here Ephes. 2. 20. particularly the doctrine of the grace of God unto salvation by faith in Christ jesus. 1. P●t. 1. 25. Q. What is the authority and use of the holy Scriptures in God's Church? A. They are (saith the Apostle) inspired from God, & profitable to teach, to confute, to reprove, 2. Tim. 3. 16 to instruct, & finally to make the man of God perfect unto every good work. Qu. How is it then that some say, the word of God is unperfect, doubtful, and obscure? A. These are in deed the blasphemies of Antichrist: Psal. 19 7. Psal. 119. 105. Prou. 8. 9 but God himself witnesseth of his word, that it is perfect, plain, and lightsome. Qu. But you say, the holy Ghost worketh faith by the preaching of the Gospel. A. So it is: for God who commanded light to shine out of darkness is he that shineth in the hearts 2. Cor. 4. 6. of his servants, that they might give fotth the light of the glory of God, in the face of jesus Christ. Qu. What is this ministery of preaching? A. That ordinance of Christ whereby he is propounded and offered unto salvation, committed joh. 3. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 18. unto those whom he hath called. Qu. What is the use and fruit of this ministry? A. Being the power and wisdom of God unto salvation, first the word is thereby made the incorruptible seed of a new birth, to beget us again unto 1. Pet. 1. 23 God. Qu. What else? A. It is afterwards that sincere milk whereby as new borne babes we do grow up unto the Lord. 1. Tet. 2. 2. Q. Proceed. A. It is finally that strong meat whereby we are fed continually unto everlasting life, and that preservative whereby we are kept from every blast of 1. Cor. 3 2. Ephes. 4. 14. vain doctrine. Q. What is that of the keys of the kingdom of Mat. 16. 19 heaven, and the power of binding and losing? A. It is that authority that Christ hath given unto his ministers, exercised publicly both in preaching Mat. 18. 18 the promises and judgements of God, and in the administration of the censures of the Church. 1. Cor. 5. 5. Q Is there any private use hereof? A. Very great and necessary, in comforting of Luc. 7. 48. Act. 8. 20. & 13. 10. afflicted consciences, and in terrifying the obstinate offenders. Q. What other means hath God given unto his Church, for confirmation and increase of faith? A. He hath for relief of our infirmities added unto the preaching of the word, the administration Act. 2. 38. of his holy Sacraments. Qu. What is a Sacrament? A. A Sacrament is an holy sign and seal ordained of God, to continue, confirm, and increase Rom. 4. 11. our faith in Christ. We do also thereby profess & and vow to be his servants. Q. How is it a sign? A. In that it visibly representeth and expresseth unto us that of Christ, and our salvation by him, Luc. 22. 19 1. Cor. 11. 26 which we are taught by the word preached, and therefore is not unfitly called, a visible word. Q. How is a Sacrament a seal? A. In that it is annexed of God as a seal unto his covenant of grace, to assure us of the truth, and Rom. 4. 11. effect thereof. Q. How many Sacrameets be there? A. Two. Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Mat. 28. Mat. 26. Q. What is Baptism? A. A Sacrament wherein we are baptised with water into the name of the Father, the Son, and 1. joh. 1. 7. 1. Pet. 1. 2. the holy Ghost, to teach & assure us that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ, & that we are justified by his obedience, that we are engrafted into the body of Christ, and adopted to be the children of God. Q. Is there any other fruit of this Sacrament? A. It is also a Sacrament of our mortification unto sin by the death of Christ, & of our sanctification Rom. 6. 3. 4. Ephes. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 15. 29 by his rising from the dead: also of our own resurrection in the last day, and of our communion with the Saints of God. Qu. Why are infants baptised? A. Because being borne in the covenant and communion of the Church, they are holy unto the Lord as was Isaac, who was circumcised the eight day 1. Cor. 7. 14 Qu. What is the Supper of the Lord? A. A Sacrament, in bread and wine visibly representing unto us the death & sacrifice of Christ, Mat. 26. 28 1. Cor. 11. 24 and assuring us of the benefit thereof. Q. What else? A. A pledge of our spiritual communion with Christ the bread of life & food of our souls, whereby 1. Cor. 10. 16 joh. 6. 51. he dwelleth in us, and we in him, and are made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. It is also a pledge of our love towards all men. Ephes. 5. 30. Q. Who are fit to be admitted unto this sacrament? A. Such only as can and do examine themselves 1. ●or. 11. 28 that they may be worthy receivers thereof. Q. Wherein standeth this examination? A. We must examine our knowledge and profiting in the principles of religion, our faith in applying that we know unto ourselves, our repentance and purpose of amendment of life, finally our reconciliation with others, and love towards all men even Mat. 5. 24. our enemies. V Qu. Our salvation then being in Christ, not in ourselves; & enjoyed by faith in him: may we not Rom. 6. 1. now live as we lust? A. God forbidden. Nay who so is in Christ is a new 2. Cor. 5. 17. Ephes. 2. 10. 2. Tim. 2. 19 creature, and who so nameth the name of Christ must departed from iniquity. Qu. Why so? A. Because that grace of God which bringeth salvation unto all men, teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, Tit. 2. 11. righteously, and godly in this present world. Q. Must we then be a people studious of good works? Tit. 2. 14. A. Christ therefore died for us and rose again, that we who live by him, should not live unto our 2. Cor. 5. 15. Ephes. 2. 10. selves but unto him: exercising those good works which he hath appointed us to walk in. Q. Are not then good works necessary unto salvation? A. They are necessary in those that are saved, Heb. 12. 14. Ephes. 2. 9 but not necessary unto salvation. Qu. How so? A Because we are first saved by faith in Christ, before we can do any good work: for whatsoever Rom. 14. 23. is not of faith is sin. Q. May we not satisfy God's justice, nor merit salvation by well-doing? A. Our satisfaction and merit is only in the death and righteousness of Christ jesus: besides Act. 4. 12. which there is none other. As for our works, as they follow our salvation and go not before it: so Rom. 7. 21. Luc. 17. 10. in this life they are always unperfect. Also they are due unto God, & therefore cannot indebt him unto us. Q. Why should we then do good works? A. For many causes. That God may be glorified Mat. 5. 16. for us, and of us; that our lives may be agreeable to our profession, that we may win others unto the faith, that we may be profitable unto our brethren 1. Pet. 2. 12 1. Pet. 3. 1. both in example and duty: and that by the fruits of our faith we may assure ourselves of our 2. Pet. 1. 10 calling and election. VI Q. These are great motives unto well-doing: tell me now, what is the rule of good works? A. Not our own will or intents: nor the examples, customs or inventions of men; but the only Law of God, contained briefly in the two tables of Esa. 8. 20. Exod. 34. the ten commandments. Qu. Why were they written in two tables? A. To distinguish the worship of God, expressed in four commandments, from our duties toward men, declared in six other commandments. Q. What is the first commandment? A. I the Lord am thy God, etc. Thou shalt have none other Gods before me. Exod. 20. 2. Q. What is the meaning of this commandment? A. That jehovah the Lord be only our God: Heb. 11. 6. Psal. 50. 15 that we honour, love, fear, and obey him, believe in him and call upon him alone. Q. What is the second commandment? A. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing etc. Deut. 4. 12. Qu. What meaneth this commandment? A. That in the outward worship of God, we attempt nothing of ourselves, nor admit any thing Deut. 4. 2. devised by others: but exercise ourselves in that only, which God himself hath prescribed unto Deut. 12. 32 us in his word. Q. What is the third commandment? A. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, etc. Q. What is the meaning of this commandment? A. That we use the name of God both in oath & otherwise with all high reverence; also his word & works: that we fly all hypocrisy and colouring in religion: that we abuse not the name of God directly jam 5. 12. Mat. 5. 34. or indirectly, in vain or false swearing, cursing, conjuring, or the like. Q. What is the fourth commandment? A. Remember thou keep holy the Saboth day, etc. Q. What meaneth this Law? A. That resting even from our lawful labours Esa. 58. 13. Act. 2. 42. Act. 20. 7. Heb. 4. 10. Apoc. 14. 13. for this life, we exercise ourselves in the labours of everlasting life: as the word, sacraments, prayer & thanksgiving, etc. and that we meditate that eternal rest which abideth for us in the kingdom of heaven. Q. Is not the jews Saboth abolished unto us? A. Yes: but in place thereof succeed the christian 1. Cor. 16. 1. Apoc. 1. 10. Saboth, called the Lords day. Q. Now follow the commandments of the second table, concerning our duties towards men: what is the fift commandment? A. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy Ephes. 6. 2. days may be long etc. Q What is the sense of this commandment? A. That we love, honour, obey, and relieve all those whom God hath made superiors unto us, either Rom. 13. 4. Coloss. 2. 22. in nature or in policy: as parents, magistrates, ministers, masters, and elders. Who also are Heb. 3. 17. josu 24. 15. Gen. 18. 19 bound to perform unto us the duties of their callings. Q. What is the sixth commandment? A. Thou shalt do no murder. Levit. 19 18 Q. Tell me the meaning thereof. A. That we offend not against the life or person of our neighbour, and therefore fly all those things that tend unto blood That we guard & relieve Gen 9 5. Ephes. 4. 26. Rom. 12. 19 them with all the means and mercy we are able. Q. What meaneth the seventh commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery. A. That keeping our bodies holy and undefiled unto God, by using all good means making thereto; 1. Thes. 4. 4. 1. Cor. 6. 15. 19 20. 1. Cor. 7. 2. 39 we neither assault nor betray the chastity of others: and that not having the gift of continency, we marry, only in the Lord. Q. The eight commandment, Thou shalt not steal, what requireth it? A. That for outward things we remove not the bounds which God himself hath set, neither by violence nor by fraud: but contenting ourselves Ph●l. 4. 11. with our present estate, commend the same unto God in the diligence of our callings: and that as Ephes. 4. 28 good stewards we faithfully dispense that we have received. 1. Pet. 4. 10 Q. What meaneth the ninth commandment, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour? Deut. 19 16 A. That neither publicly nor privately, we hurt the cause, credit, or name, of our neighbour, especially Prou. 10. 12 Eccles. 7. Rom. 16. 18 our superiors: but assist and defend them therein: that we lie not, flatter, slander, or the like: and that we maintain not others in the same. Q. The tenth commandment, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, nor his wise, nor etc. Rom. 7. 7. what doth it mean? A. That we keep even our hearts and desires Prou. 4. 23. 1. joh. 2. 15. Rom. 12. 2. from affecting that which belongeth unto others: & that we stop up the very fountain of sin in the corruption of nature; and being renewed in the spirit of our minds, dedecate ourselves wholly unto God. VII. Q. Are we able to do all that which is here required at our hands? A. We are not able of ourselves so much as to 2. Cor. 3. 5. Rom. 7. 23. Gal. 5. 17. think a good thought: besides even in the children of God, the flesh evermore fighteth against the spirit. Q. Whence then is our ability? A. It is God that giveth both the will and the Phil. 2. 13. deed, in that being made members of the body of Christ, we receive from him a measure of knowledge, Ephes. 4. 16. desire, & power to do the will of God which graces he daily increaseth in us by hearing, reading and meditation of his word etc. and by calling upon his name. Q. May we then come unto the Lord for all good things, and for power against evil? A. We are commanded so to do, and promised Mat. 7. 7. joh. 16. 23. 1. joh. 5. 14. that we shall obtain whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, and in the name of Christ jesus. Q. How must we prepare ourselves unto prayer? A. We must consider how great a mercy it is that we have this access unto God: who he is that Rom. 8. 26. we come unto: what sense we have of the want of that we ask at his hands: our prayers must be earnest and with importunity, also in faith and assurance jam. 1. 6. of God's goodness. And finally we must pray not only for ourselves, but also for all men, even our enemies. Q. What form and manner is here to be observed? A. Our present occasions, & the feeling of our necessities will best direct us herein. But we may conclude and shut up our prayers with that form Mat. 6. 9 Luc. 11. 2. which our Saviour Christ hath taught us. Q. Rehearse the same. A. Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name: Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread: And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power & the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. VIII. Q. What meaneth S. Paul when he saith unto Timothy, Exercise thyself unto godliness? 1. Tim. 4. 7. A. That as the arts of this world taught by precepts, are helped by practice: so after the graces before mentioned, there is no small help unto godliness in such exercises as are commended unto us either by precept or example, in the word of God. Heb. 5. 14. Q. What are those exercises? A. Sorrow for sin past, fear and care against temptation: labour after that which is good: accusing Psal. 51. 14 Prou. 14. 16 Eccles. 1. 2. Tit. 2. 12. 1. Cor. 9 27. and rebuking of ourselves: mourning over the vanity of this life: an holy and sober use of God's blessings: fasting, and other chastisements of the flesh: covenanting with ourselves to leave evil, & Psal. 119. 106. do good: imitation of the godly, and conference with others, both helping them, and receiving help of them. Q. Are there any other besides these? A. We shall not a little stir up ourselves, if we seriously consider the works of God in creating the world: his power, providence and wisdom in governing Psal. 19 1. the same: his judgements upon the wicked, & his mercies towards those that obey him. Psal. 73. 1. Q. Proceed unto the rest. A. Satiety and weariness of this sinful life, with desire to be with Christ. Meditation of death, burial, resurrection, and the judgement to come: Philip. 1▪ 23 the misery of the damned, the felicity of the elect, and the eternity of both. Q. Remain there yet any more? A. The particular consideration of God's benefits towards ourselves, renewed upon us every morning, and of our deliverance from many evils and Lam. 3. 23 dangers we might have fallen into: a wise estimation Heb. 12. 7. 10. 1. Cor. 11. 3 1. Pet. 1. 7. of those afflictions of body, & griefs of mind, losses, perils, etc. wherewith the Lord doth either chastise our sins, or try our faith. Q. These for the most part are done by ourselves: may we not also be helped by the duty of others towards us? A. Yes, and that greatly, through the blessing of God; as by his ministers, magistrates, and all that Rom. 13. 4 have power or authority over us; when they instruct, exhort, admonish, rebuke or censure us: which they are commanded to do, & we to accept at their hands for our good. Q. What is the sum of all that hath been said? A. That there is one only true God in three persons. That all men are sinners, and the reward of sin everlasting damnation. That our only remedy is Christ jesus, apprehended by faith alone. That faith is the gift of God wrought in us by the Gospel preached, and confirmed by the use of the Sacraments. That they that live by Christ, must live not unto themselves but unto him: that the rule of good works is the only law of God, unto the obedience whereof we are enabled by grace, & the gifts of the spirit, and helped forwards daily by the holy and Christian exercises of our faith. FINIS.