A brief Catechism so necessary and easy to be learned even of the simple sort, that whosoever can not or will not attain to the same, is not to be counted a good Christian, much less to be admitted to the Supper of the Lord. It standeth of three parts. 1. The first showeth how miserable all men are of themselves. 2. The second, how happy they are that rightly believe in Christ. 3. The third, what duties they own unto God, for his great merry to wards them in Christ jesus. 1576. AT LONDON. Printed by Hugh Singleton. 1. PETER. 3.15.16. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. And that with meekness and reacrence, having a good conscience, that when they speak evil of you as of evil doers, they may be ashamed which blame your good conversation in Christ. THE FIRST PART. Question. ARt thou not a subject and a servant unto the almighty God, and Lord of Heaven and Earth? Answer. I acknowledge and yield myself for ever to be his subject and servant. Exod. 20.2. Ios. 24.15.24. Rom. 12.16. Question. Hath God given forth any laws, whereby his subjects should be well ruled and governed? Answer. The holy scriptures are Gods statures and laws, Hebru. 1.12. Luk. 16.29.31 Dent. 4.13. wherein he declareth his will and pleasure, the general sum and effect whereof is briefly set forth unto us in the ten Commandments. Question. Rehearse the ten Commandments. Answer. i. GOD spoke all these words and said, Exod. 20.3. I am the Lord thy GOD, thou shalt have none other gods but me. two. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth, thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them, for I the Lord am a jealous God, and will vifite the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and show mercy unto thousands in them that love me, and keep my commandments. iii Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy GOD in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain. iiii. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day, six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord the GOD, in it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou nor thy son, thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maidservant, thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea and all that in them is, wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it. u Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long in the land, which the Lord thy GOD giveth thee. vi. Thou shalt do no murder. seven. Thou shalt not commit adultery. viii. Thou shalt not steal. ix. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. x. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his Ox, nor his Ass, nor any thing that is his. Question. Are you able to keep all these laws? Answer Every man daily breaketh them in thought, Psalm. 19.12. Ecclesi. 7.22. 1. john. 1.8. word, and deed. Question. What is the danger of breaking any of these laws and commandments of almighty God. Answer, The just wages and punishment of breaking the lest of God's holy laws, Math. 5.19.22. yea if it were but once in all my life, Rom. 6 23. and in thought only: Ga●at. 3.10. is the loss of God's favour, the purchasing of his heavy displeasure: james. 2.10. which bringeth everlasting death both of soul and body. THE SECOND PART. Question. How shall you escape this great danger, and fearful punishment of your sins. Will not your good deeds serve to make some amendss to GOD for your ill deeds, and so deliver you from this punishment. Answer. My good deeds will not help to save me from this punishment, nor any thing else, Ephe. 2.9. Acts. 4. 1●. Gala. 2.21. but only the deeds of jesus Christ hath delivered me. Question. How hath Jesus Christ saved and delivered you from this great punishment of your sins. Answer. jesus Christ hath delivered me from the punishment of my sin, 1. Tim. 3. 1●. Cala. 3.13. Esai. 53.5. because he being both GOD and Man, Col. 1.19.20. hath suffered all the punishment which my sins deserved, 1. Pet. 2.24. and hath fulfilled the law of God perfectly for me, Rome 4.25. and thereby hath restored me for ever to the love and favour of God. Question. Are all then saved by this suffering & death of Christ. Answer. Only they are saved by Christ, john. 3.16.3. who believe that he hath done all things touching salvation, not only for other, Gal. 2.20. joh. 1.20.22. but also even for themselves, the effect of which faith is contained in the Creed. Question. Rehearse the Creed. Answer. I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth. john. 14 1. And in jesus Christ his only son our Lord. Which was conceived by the holy Ghost, horn of the Virgin Marie. Suffered under Ponce Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into Hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence shall he come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the holy Ghost. The holy Catholic Church. The Communion of Saintes. The forgiveness of sins. The resurrection of the body. And the life everlasting Amen. Question. By what means have we such a true faith. Answer. Math. 16.17. Ephesi 6.23. 2. Cor. 4.13. Mark. 9.24. It is the gift of God. Question. How doth God work this faith in us. Answer By the preaching of the word of God. Rom. 1.12.17. Rom. 10.4.17. james. 1.21. Question. Is this faith fully framed, and made strong in us at the first, or in one hour. Answer. Faith is increased by little and little, 1. Cor. 11.17. Galat. 4.19. Ephesi. 4.11.12.13. 1. Thessa. 5.19.20. and made strong in us by the diligent hearing of the word of God, and by the use of his Sacraments. Question. How many Sacraments are there. Answer. There are two Sacraments, Baptism, Rom. 4.11. 1. Cor. 10.2.3. Math. 21.25. Matth. 28.19. Matth. 26.2.6 Acts. 2.26. and the Supper of the Lord Question. What benefit have you by Baptism, and to what end serveth it. Answer. By Baptism the holy Ghost assureth me, Acts 22.16. that as my body is sprinkled with water, so my soul, 1. Pet. 3.21. by the bloodshedding of Christ, is sprinkled and washed from all the guilt and punishment of my sins, Coloss. 2.12. and also hereby I profess myself to die with Christ, as concerning sin, Rom. 6.4. and live in him as concerning righteousness. Question. To what end serveth the Supper of the Lord. Answer. In the Supper of the Lord, Luke. 22.19.20. 1. Pet. 10.16. I am by the spirit of GOD assured, that as the bread broken, and the wine poured out be delivered unto me, 1. Cor. 11.23.34 even so was the body of Christ broken, and his blood shed, as a full recompense to God for my sins. THE THIRD PART. Question. For as much then as God of his infinite love, hath given his own son, to ransom us from the power of sin, death, and hell, to advance us to the honour of his Children, and heirs of his kingdom: seeing it pleaseth him to give us faith, and daily to nourish and increase it in us more and more: by his word and Sacraments, by the which faith we lay hold upon Christ, and make him with all his merits and treasures our own: so that now not only alour sins are removed from us, but also his righteousness, holiness, and perfection, is accounted ours before GOD: Do you not think that we are very deeply bound unto him. Answers. Yes verily. I am so much bound to God, Psalm. 8.5. Psalm. 116.12 Rom. 12.1. that all my life aught to be a continual thankfulness to his Majesty, for his great mercy. Qwestion. Is then this doctrine which showeth us that we are saved by Jesus Christ only, & not by our own works, any occasion of wicked life, as the Papists slander it. Answer. This doctrine is no occasion of wicked life, Rom. 12.1. 1. john. 2.1. Rom. 6.1. Titus. 2.11.12. but the greatest reason to persuade men to be diligent and zealous in good works. Question. Are there no other good deeds required of Christians, but giving of alms, visiting the sick, building of schools, and houses for the poor. Answer. a. Math. 6.2. 1. Cor. 13.3. As these are good deeds, and such as highly please God, being done in such manner as the word of God doth teach us: b. Exo. 20.3.4. Math. 22.36. So are there many other much more excellent than these: as the pure worshipping of God both with the soul and body: c. job. 13.15. trusting and dependidg of his good providence both in prosperity and adversity: d. Luk. 10.42. hearing of his holy word: e. Thes. 5.11.14. Hebre. 3.13. Colos. 3.16. jacob. 5.20. exhortations and admonitions one to an other, especially to such as we have special charge over: f. 1. Thes. 5.16. Psalm. 50.14.15. praising God for all his mercies, and continual benefits powered upon us: and last of all, g. judges. 20. Ephe. 6.18. Psalm. 50.15. Acts. 4.24. faithful prayers for all such things as we stand in need of. Question. To whom ought we to make our prayers. Answer. We must pray to our loving and Almighty GOD alone, and to none but him. Question. What things aught we to pray for. Answer. We must pray, Acts. 4.29. Ephe. 6.18.19. not only for all things needful for ourselves and the church of GOD, but especially for those things which appertain to the setting forth of the glory of God, even as we are taught in the lords prayer. Question. Rehearse the lords prayer. Aunsvere. Our father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Math. 6.9. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it i● 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 Amen. Question. How may we be assured that God will hear us, seeing we are sinners. Answer. Because we offer up our prayers, john. 16.29. 1. john. 2.1. 1. Pet. 2.5. not in our own name, nor in the name of any creature but of the son of God our Saviour, who is always in the presence of God, to entreat his majesty for us, his poor Servants. FINIS.