THE INDEPENDENT CATECHISM  PSAL. 11. Verse 105. 
Thy word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my Paths.  ROMANS 8. Verse 13.14: 
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God.  
LONDON, Printed for Richard Burton 1647:   

THE INDEPENDENT CATECHISM.  
WHat is God?  
A. God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth.  
Q. Is the spirit of God limited?  
A. No, for the Apostle saith his spirit. shall descend upon all flesh.  
Q. Where was the spirit of God first seen?  
A. To move on the face of the waters.  
It seemeth that the Church of God had a small beginning?  
A. Yea, when there was but eight persons living and not all of them Righteous.  
Q. When began the Gospel to be so fully preached?  
A. It began first to be preached by john Baptist, and afterwards by our gracious Redeemer Christ jesus, and then by his Disciples sent out by him, but more abundantly by the Apostles after the death, resurrection and asscention of Christ. Mat. 28.  
Q. What became of Christ after the Jews had put him to death?  
A. He was buried. john 19  
Q By whom was he buried?  
A. By joseph of Aramathea. Who went to Pilate and begged the Body of jesus, and said it in a new Sepulchre which he had hewed out for himself, john 19. 3●.  
Q Did he continue long in the Grave?  
A. He risen again the third day. Mat 28.6. Corinthians 15.4. Matthew 29.21.  
Q Wherefore did Christ rise again?  
A. To show us that he hath overcome all the powerrs of the Devil, Hell, Death, and the Grave, for our justification and Salvation. Rom. 5.25.  
Q To whom did our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus first show himself after his Glorious tesurrection?  
A. 

First to Mary Magdalen, and to the other Marry. Math 16.9.  
Secondly, to his two Disciples as they went from jerusalem to Emaus. Mark 16.12 Luk 24.13.  
Thirdly to the eleven Apostles, as they sat● together. john 20.19.  
Fiftly and lastly, To more than five hundred Brethren at once, and also at sundry times he shown himself unto them alive after his passion by many infallible proofs and testimonies. Acts 1.    
Q How long did he remain with them after his glorious resurrection?  
A. He was seen of them after his Resurrection by the space of forty days. Acts 3.  
Q What did he with them all that time?  
A. He spoke unto them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, Acts 3.  
Q What special promise did he make unto them before his departure?  
A. Christ answered and said, that they should be baptised with the Holy Ghost. Acts 1.5.  
Q What became of him after he had spoken unto them of these things?  
A. He was taken up into Heaven out of their sight, and a Cloud received him. Acts 9  
Q What appeared unto them as they looked after him?  
A. He was taken up into Heaven out of their sight, and a Cloud received him. Acts 9  
Q What appeared unto them as they looked after him?  
A. Two men appeared in white apparel, telling them that the same jesus which was taken up from them should so come, in like manner as they had seen him go into Heaven. Acts 1.11.  
Q What became of the Disciples after his Asscention into Heaven?  
A. They returned to jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet. Acts 1.12.  
Q What did they when they came to Jerusalem?  
A. They continued together with one accord in supplication and prayer, and did choose another Apostle. Acts 1.14.  
Q How did they choose him?  
A. They appointed joseph called Barnabas, who was surnamed Instus & Mathias, and when they had prayed, they cast Lots, and the Lot fell upon Mathias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles. acts 1.23.24.25.26.  
Q When did Christ perform that promise which he made unto them, namely that they should be baptised with the Holy Ghost?  
A. At the feast of Penticost which was in few days after his ascension. acts. 2.  
Q In what manner was it performed?  
A. They all being met together in one place, there came a sound from Heaven and filled all the house, and there appeared unto them Cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. acts 2.12.3.4.  
Q What happened thereupon?  
A. Many were amazed and wondered at that great work, and others mocking said they were full of new Wine. acts 12.13.  
Q How did the Apostles clear themselves of that false accusation?  
A. Peter stood up with the eleven, proving that they could not be drunk, because it was the 3d. hour of the day, and also that this was but the fulfiilling a promise which the Lord had made by the mouth of the Prophet joel. acts 2.16. joel 2.25.  
Q What did the Apostles after they had thus cleared themselves from that false accusation?  
A. Peter preached unto them the death, and resurrection of Christ jesus, telling them that they had taken him, and by wicked hands had Crucified and stain him. acts 2.23.  
Q What followed thereupon?  
A. They were pricked in their hearts, and cried out to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, Men and Brethren what shall we do? acts 2. ●7.  
Q What Counsel did they give them?  
A. They exhorted them to repent and be baptised in the man of jesus Christ for the remission of sins.  
Q What follows upon this exhortation?  
A. They that gladly received the word were Baptised, and the same day there were ad●ed to them above three thousand souls, and ●hey continued in the Apostles Doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of Bread and Prayers. acts 2.41.42:  
Q What followed upon the great work wrought upon those men?  
A. Fear came upon every soul, and they that believed sold their possessions, parted their Goods to all men, as every man had need. acts 2: 44: 45:  
Q Were any great works done by the Apostles?  
A. Yea many wonders, signs, and miracles were done by them: acts 5.12.  
Q What was the principal end of those miracles?  
A. God did thereby witness to their Doctrine that it was his which they did preach, by giving them power to work such miracles: Hebrews 2: 4:  
Q Were the people moved by those miracles to receive their Doctrine?  
A. Yea very many were moved therewith, & wondering at their Miracles believed their Doctrine even as many as were ordained to eternal life.  
Q Were none moved by their preaching to believe their Doctrine, but such as were ordained to eternal life?  
A: Yes certainly, such was the power of their ministry that many others believed the truth of their Doctrine and were baptised, as Simon Magus, and doubtless many others which never received the spiritual benefit of the Gospel which they preached, acts 8: 13: Math. 13.  
Q Do not many of them go on very far in the profession of their faith, and in preaching the Gospel?  
A. Yea doubtless, many are greatly enlightened by it and retain it with joy, and go on joying and rejoicing in it, and do taste of the heavenly Girt, and of the powers of the World to come, and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and sanctified by the blood of the Covenant. Math: 13.20 21: Hebrews 5: 6.4.6. Heb: 10.29.  
Q Lastly I pray thee tell me what is faith?  
A. I must be hold to answer in the Apostls words, that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that the grounds of faith is a Confidence of things not seen, no not for flesh and blood, Dust and Ashes to comprehend, only what Abraham, and Abel, and Enoch, and jacob, and Moses, and others did believe only by faith. Hebrews 11:  
Q What is the utmost extent of your faith?  
I believe that neither height nor depth, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor life, nor death is able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ jesus.  
Q What great things hath the Scriptures foretold us, that are yet unfullfilled, the performance whereof we are to expect in these latter days?  
A. The destruction of Antechrist, that man of sin, the restoring of the truth from those errors abroad in the world, the coming down of the spirit upon Christians, and the coming of the Lord unto judgement. 2 Thes. 28. Revel. 11.11.  
Q Is the time of the destruction of Antichrist laid down in the Scriptures?  
A. Yes certainly.  
Q But is it possible to find out the time of his destruction?  
A. Yes assuredly, for the Lord hath caused it to be written for that end, that the Church of God might know it, and might reap the greater comfort thereby, in not only knowing that he shall be destroyed, but also in knowing the year of his destruction, they may have their mind settled of that promise concerning his destruction.  
Q. But are not times and seasons only known unto the Lord?  
A Times and seasons are known also to the Church, when it pleaseth God to reveal them for the comfort of his people as we may see, that the time of deliverance of Israel out of the Captivity in Babylon was revealed and made known to Daniel, which he found out by the books that were written.  
Q. In what place of the Scripture is the time of Antichrists destruction laid down?  
A In the book of Revelation, and the eleventh Chapter, where he is limited to reign forty two Months, which is month of years, which amounteth to 1260. years, the end of which time shall be in the year 1666. ●s appeareth in the last verse of the 13. Chapter, where the very period, and final determination of Antichrist is laid down, in which year the ddstruction denounced against him shall fall on him.  
Q Shall there not be a restauration of the truth till the destruction of Antichrist?  
A The truth hath begun to appear already, and still shall more and more, and the full restauration thereof shall not be, till all the darkness of Antichrist be removed, and his destruction accomplished, Revel. 11: 11:  
Q Is not the truth fully known, published, preached, and professed now at this time, in those Kingdoms where Antichrists power is abolished?  
A No certainly, much darkness still remains even amongst them, and great confusion, which shall at that time be more fully discovered, and the truth made known, and Errors and Heresies abolished by such whom the Lord shall raise up, in and about that time, and for that end.  
Q Are we not to expect the truth to be more fully discovered, then now it is, before the destruction of Antichrist?  
A. Yes assuredly, for it is the light of the truth maintained by the saints, which shall in a special manner abolish Antichrists darkness, and also shall be the greatest means of his destruction, for the people of God shall by the light of the truth more fully discover his abominations, and cause the Princes of the earth to see how grossly they have been deluded and abused by him, and so they shall with one consent, set themselves against this great enemy of Christ to root him out, and to execute the judgement that the Lord hath denounced sgainst him. Revel: 19: 11: 12: 13: 15: Revel: 17: 16:  
Q. Shall the Church of God enjoy any great prosperity after the destruction of Antichrist?  
A. Yea truly, for than they shall be treed from their great and violent oppressions, and have free liberty to Profess and practise the holy will of God, and enjoy the Communion and Fellowship one of another: Their inward graces shall be great and excellent, their love shall abound one towards another, continually rejoicing in the hope of that Crown which is laid up for them in Heaven: Es●●as 4: 11: 46: Chap. 12: 34: 2. Tim: 4: 8: Revelations 19: 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7.  
FINIS.