THE CHIEF GROUNDS OF Christian Religion, Set down by way of Catechising.  
Gathered long since for the use of an Honourable Family.  
By EZEKIEL ROGERS, Minister of God's Word, sometime of Rowly in Yorkshire, now in New-England.  GEN. 18.17, 19 
Shall I hid from Abraham that thing which I do? for I know him, that he will command his sons and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord.  
LONDON, Printed by I. L. for Christopher Meredith, at the sign of the Crane in Paul's Churchyard, 1648.   

THE CHIEF GROUNDS OF Christian Religion.  
Question. WHerefore hath God given to man a reasonable, and an immortal soul?  
A. That he above all other creatures should seek God's glory, and his own salvation. 
Eccl. 12.13.   
Q. Where is he taught how this is to be done?  
A. In the Scriptures, or Word of God. 
Io. 5.39. Scriptures.   
Q. What are the Scriptures?  
A. The Canonical books of the Old and New-Testament. 
2 Pet. 1.21.   
Q. What do the Scriptures teach us?  
A. The true knowledge of 
a Io. 17.3.  God, and of 
b Reve. 3.17. God.  ourselves.  
The first general head; of God.  
Q. What is God?  
A. God is 
c 1 Cor. 8.6  one holy 
d Io. 4.24.  Spirit, having 
e Exo. 3.14.  being of himself.  
Q. How is the nature of God further made known to us?  
A. By his 
f Exo. 34.6.  properties 
g Rom. 1.20.  and works.  

properties.  Q Which be his chief properties  
A. 
a ● King's 8.27.  Infiniteness, 
b Psal. 90.2.  Eternity, 
c Psal. 90.2.27.  Unchangeableness: To which may be added his Understanding, Will, and Power.  
Q. How many persons be there in the Godhead?  

●●rsons. Joh. 5.7.  A. Three, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  
Q. If every person be God, then there be three Gods?  
A. Every person is that one, and the same God.  

●orks.  Q. Which be the works of God?  
A. His Decree, and the fulfilling thereof.  

decree.  Q. What is the Decree of God?  

●●h. 1.11.  A. His purpose or appointment with himself, how all things should be, before any thing was made.  
Q. What is his Decree concerning Angels and Men?  

predestination.  A. That which the Scripture calleth Predestination.  
Q. Which be the parts of it?  

action. probation. ●m. 9.13, 22.  A. Election and Reprobation.  
Q. How hath God fulfilled this Decree?  
A. By creation and providence.  
Q. What was the Creation?  

●ation. ●l. 1.16.  A. The making of all things of nothing, very good.  
Q. What is his Providence? 
providence.   
A. The 
a Joh. 5.17. Math. 10.29.  upholding and b governing of that which he had made.  
Q. Concerning the reasonable Creatures, First, how did God govern the Angels? 
Angels. 2 Pet. 2.4.   
A. By teaching them all; by leaving the evil to themselves, and confirming the Elect. 
1 Tim. 5.21.   
The second general Head, of Man.  
Q. What doth the Scripture teach us concerning Man? 
Man.   
A. His fourfold estate, of innocency, 
His fourfold estate.  misery, grace and immortality.  
The first Estate,  
Q. Wherein consisted man's innocence? 
Innocency. Gen. 1.27.   
A. That he was created in Adam according to God's Image.  
Q. What was this Image of God? 
Image of God Col. 3.10.   
A. A likeness to God in his holy properties.  
Q. What privilege had man hereby? 
Happiness.   
A. All inward and outward happiness.  
Q. How did God govern man in this estate?  
A. By 
c Gen. 2.26.  teaching him, and making a Covenant with him.  
Q. What was that Covenant? 
Covenant of Nature. Gal. 3.12.   
A. Do this and thou shalt live.  
The second estate, of misery.  
Q. Did man continue in this happiness and Covenant? 
Misery.   

Fall.  A. No, for he fell away from God.  

●om. 3.23.  Q. How came this to pass?  
A. Being left of God to the liberty of his will, 
●en. 3.1. adam sin. ●en 3.7.  through his own weakness, he was overcome by Satan's temptation.  
Q. What was Adam's sin?  
A. Disobedience against God, in eating the forbidden fruit.  
Q. What followed hereupon?  

punishment. ●om. 8.20.  A. A miserable condition on himself, and all the creatures.  
Q. What upon himself?  
A. 
a Rom. 3.23.  Loss of God's Image; 
b Gen. 3.8.  guiltiness of conscience; 
c Rom. 5.12.  death temporal, and eternal.  
Q. Came this only from Adam?  

●om. 5.18.  A. No, all we being in his loins, were partakers of his sin and punishment.  

Sin.  Q. Show now what is sin?  

joh. 3.4.  A. Every transgression or swerving from the Law.  
Q. How many sorts of sins are there?  
A. Two, Original and Actual.  

original sin.  Q. What is Original sin?  
A. The corruption or stain of our nature, wherein we were born.  
Q. What else is contained in it?  
A. 
a ●sal. 51.5. Heb. 7.9.  Guiltiness of Adam's sin, 
b Rom. 7.14. Rom. 7.7.  proneness to all evil, and concupiscence.  

Actual sin.  Q. What is actual sin?  
A. The fruit of original, in evil thoughts, 
jam. 1.15. Mat. 15.19.  words, and deeds.  
Q. Are we able to bear or avoid that fearful punishment of sin?  
A. No, nor any mere creature for us. 
Acts. 4.12. Grace.   
The third estate of Grace.  
Q. Is there no means to come out of this misery, and to be reconciled to God?  
A. Yes, 
d john. 3.16.  God of his mercy hath found out a means, by making a 
e Gal. 3.17. Covenant of Grace. Col. 1.20.  new Covenant with us, in jesus Christ.  
Q. Is it the same Covenant in the Old and New Testament?  
A. The same for substance, 
Heb. 1.1.  but divers for manner of revealing.  
Q. What was this Jesus Christ? 
Christ.   
A. Both 
a Rom. 14. His Natures.  God and man, in one Person.  
Q. Why must he be both God and man?  
A. Man, that in 
b Rom. 1.3.  our own nature he might 
c Col. 2.9.  suffer; and God, that he might 
d Heb. 2.16.  overcome death for us. 
e Prov. 14.   
Q. What is his office? 
f Heb. 7.25, Office.   
A. To be 
g Heb. 9.15.  Mediator between God and Man.  
Q. Which be the parts of his office?  
A. That he is our Prophet, Priest, and King.  
Q. How is he our Prophet? 
Prophetical. Joh. 15.15. Heb. 1.2.   
A. By revealing to us the will of his Father.  

Priestly. Rev. 5.9.  Q. How is he our Priest?  
A. By working the merit of our Redemption.  
Q. How wrought he it?  
A. In the twofold estate of his humiliation and glorification. 
●hil. 2.7.8 9   

〈◊〉 his humiliation.  Q. What were the degrees of his humiliation?  
A. Three, his incarnation; poor life, death and passion.  

●il 2.8. ●om. 8.3.4.  Q. What did Christ in this estate?  
A. He suffered and fulfilled whatsoever our nature was bound to.  

●orification.  Q. What were the degrees of his glorification?  
A. Three also; 
a Acts 1.31.  his resurrection, 
b Acts 1.9.  ascension. and 
c ●ph. 1.20.  sitting at the right hand of his Father.  
Q. What hath Christ wrought by all these?  

redemption.  A. Our full Redemption, and doth still make intercession for us. 
●eb. 7.25.   

●●ngly office.  Q. What doth Christ as he in our King?  

●. 3. 35. ●●urch.  A. He governs the Church, both visible and invisible, and shall be judge of the world.  

●●ible.  Q. What is the visible Church?  

●●t. 13.47.  A. A company of men professing the worship of God.  

●●●isible.  Q. What is the invisible Church?  
A. The number of the 
d ● Pet. 2.9.  Elect, who have 
e Joh. 13.7.  communion together; whether Militant or Triumphant.  
Q. How doth Christ govern the visible Church?  
A. First, by a 
f Mat. 20.16.  general calling of all; 
Calling.  Secondly, by an 
g Job. 14.6. Preaching of the Word.  effectual calling of the Elect, whereby the benefits of his mediation are applied to them.  
Q. By what means doth he apply these benefits to the Elect?  
A. Ordinarily, by the outward 
h Rom. 10.17.  preaching of the Law and Gospel, 
i Acts 16.14.  and the inward working of the Spirit.  
Q. What doth the Spirit work in them, 
Law.  by the preaching of the Law.  
A. A. 
a Rom. 3.20. Rom. 7.7.  sight of their sin and misery, and 
b Rom. 7.10. Acts 2.37.  trouble of heart for it, whereby they are brought to 
c Gal. 3.24. Gospel.  see need of Christ.  
Q. What worketh it by the Gospel?  
A. An earnest and constant 
d Luk. 15.19. Mar. 9.24.  desire of Christ, even till they can apply him.  
Q. What is that grace whereby we apply Christ?  
A. Justifying faith or believing, which is the first and main thing in the 
e Gal. 3.17. Acts 16.31. Faith. Joh. 1.12. 1 Joh. 5.10, 11.  Covenant on our part.  
Q. What is this faith?  
A. It is such a receiving of Christ, who is offered in the promises of the Gospel, as whereby I come to be persuaded, that all he hath done, is for me.  
Q. Which be the chief lets of faith? 
Let's of it.   
A. 
f Mat. 4.16.  Want of the means, or 
g 2 Cor. 4.4. Luk. 14.18, 19  error in the use of them.  
Q. Is the greatest measure of faith wrought at the first?  

Degrees. Luk. 17.5. Mat. 8.26. Companions.  A. No, but by degrees.  
Q. Which be those graces or affections that accompany Faith, more or less, as it is stronger or weaker?  
A. 
h Rom. 5.1.  Peace of conscience, 
i Luk. 7.47.  love, 
k Acts. 8.39.  joy, 
l Psal. 116.12.  thankfulness, 
m Phil. 1.23.  desire of God's presence, 
n Rom. 5.4. Privileges.  hope, etc.  
Q. What are those benefits or privileges that we receive by Faith in this life?  
A. Three especially; justification, Adoption, and Sanctification.  

justification.  Q. What is Justification?  

2 Cor. 5.21.  A. It is that whereby God accounts us righteous through Christ's merits.  
Q. How is that done?  

Rom. 5.19.  A. By laying our sin and punishment on him, and imputing his righteousness to us.  

Adoption.  Q. What is Adoption?  

Rom. 8.17.  A. That whereby we are made the children of God, and heirs with Christ.  

Sanctification.  Q. What is sanctification?  
A. The purifying of our whole nature.  

Tit. 3.5.  Q. Which be the parts of it?  

Rom. 6.11.  A. Mortifying and quickening.  
Q. How is our nature purified?  

1 Thess. 5.23. Of the soul,  A. Both in soul and body.  
Q. How the soul?  
A. In the faculties of the 
o Eph. 4.23.  imagination. 
p Pro. 2.5 9  Understanding, 
q Acts. 24.16.  Conscience, the Heart (which is the 
r Rom. 7.18.  Will and 
s Gal. 5.21.  Affections) and the 
t Psal. 19.16. Body. Rom. 6.13.  Memory,  
Q. How the body?  
A. The members thereof are made weapons of righteousness.  
Q. But what is that grace that necessarily followeth all these in the believer?  
A. Repentance; 
Repentance. Mark. 1.15.  which is the second part of our Covenant.  
Q. What is Repentance as it is here taken?  
A. 
b Gal. 5.6. 2 Cor. 5.14.  It is a fruit of faith, which from the feeling of God's love, and 
c 2 Cor. 6.9. New life.  sorrow for sin, bringeth forth a 
d 2 Cor. 5.17.  new life.  
Q. Wherein doth it consist?  
A. 
e Esay. 1.16.17.  First, in the hatred and forsaking of all evil. Secondly, in an earnest desire to please God in all things, always: which is our doing of 
f Acts. 26.20. Good works. Exo. 30.36.37.  good works.  
Q. Can we then do good works?  
A. Not perfectly, but God accepts of them through Christ his intercession.  
Q. What rule have we to teach us, 
Rule of godliness  what evil to leave, and good to do?  
A. The Law of God in the ten Commandments. 
Law Exod. 20.1.   
Q. How many Tables is the Law divided into?  
A. Two, the first, 
Two Tables.  containing four Commandments, the other six.  

Com. 1.  Q. What is the sum of the 1. Commandment?  
A. That we choose the true God for our God, and set our hearts upon him.  
Q. What is the sum of the second?  

Com. 2.  A. That we worship him only, and that with his own worship.  
Q. What the third?  

Com. 3.  A. That we use his Name reverently at all times, as well as in his solemn worship.  
Q. What the fourth?  

Com. 4.  A. That we worship him more specially on the Sabbath.  
Q. What is the sum of the second Table?  

Com. 5.6, 7, 8, 9, 10.  A. That we maintain our neighbours and our own, 5. Dignity. 6. Life. 7. Chastity, 8. goods, 9 good-name; yea, even in our, 10. first thoughts.  

Helps of godliness.  Q. What helps and means have we to grow in godliness?  
A. Many both public and private.  
Q. Which be the public?  

Public.  A. Either extraordinary, as holy 
a Hest. 4.16.  Fasting and 
b 2 Chr. 20.26.  Feasting, or ordinary, as the use of the Word preached 
d Deu. 31.11.  and read, the Sacraments, 
c Neh. 8.4.  prayer and 
e Mat. 18.15, 16, 17.  discipline.  
Q. What are the Sacraments?  
A. The visible signs and seals of the Covenant, ordained of God to represent and confirm the same unto us.  

Sacrments. Rom. 4.11.  Q. How many Sacr. are there in the Gospel?  
A. 
a 1 Cor. 11.2, 3.  Two only, Baptism, and the Lords Supper, as under the Law were 
b Gen. 17.10.  Circumcision and the 
c Exod. 12.11.  Passeover.  
Q. What is Baptism? 
Baptism. Cal. 3.23.   
A. A Sacrament of our new birth, or entrance into the state of Grace.  
Q. What is the Lords Supper? 
Lord's Supper. 1 Cor. 10.16. 1 Cor. 1.26.   
A. A Sacrament of our growth and increase in Grace.  
Q. What is Prayer? 
Prayer. 1 Joh. 5.14.   
A. It is a calling upon God only, in the Name of Christ.  
Q. How many parts of prayer are there?  
A. 3. Confession, Petition, & thanksgiving.  
Q. What pattern of prayer have we?  
A. The Lord's Prayer. 
Lord's Prayer. Math. 6.9.   
Q. How many things are to be considered in this prayer? 
Parts of it.   
A. Three, the Preface, the Prayer itself, and the conclusion.  
Q. For the Prayer itself, 
Petitions,  how many petitions are in it?  
A. Six, three concerning Gods Glory, and three for our own necessities.  
Q. What learn we by this Prayer?  
A. Both what we should pray for, & how, namely, with preparation, faith, love, 
Private helps.  reverence, zeal, confidence, and continuance.  
Q. Which be the private helps?  
A. 
a Gen. 21.63.  Private prayer, 
b Deut. 17.19.  reading, 
c Gen. 18, 7.1.  family-exercise, and the rest.  
Q. Which be the lets of a godly life?  

Let's of godliness.  A. They are many: but for the most part, they are either from the 
d Rev. 2.4, 5, Falls.  weakening of faith, or the neglect of the means.  
Q. But what if a true Christian fall into sin after he hath repent?  

Renewed repentance. 2 Cor. 7.8, 9, 10.11. Perseverance. Phil. 1.6.  A. He must then renew his Repentance, and Covenant with God.  
Q. But may he not fall finally?  
A. No, for he hath promise of perseverance,  
The fourth estate of immortality?  

Death. Ecc. 12.9. judgement,  Q. What becomes of a man at his death?  
A. The body goeth to the grave, the soul to the place thereof, till the judgement.  

judge. 2 Tim. 4.1. 1 Cor. 15.25.  Q. Who shall be the judge of the world?  
A. Christ, for it is the last part of his Kingly office.  
Q. What shall be the preparation to the Judgement?  

Resurrection. Acts. 24.15. 1 Cor. 15.  A. The Resurrection of the dead, and change of the living.  
Q. What shall then be the estate of the godly?  

Mat. 25.48. Eternal life and death. Math. 25.46.  A. Eternal life in Glory.  
Q. What shall be the estate of the wicked?  
A. Everlasting damnation.  Reve. 20. ●. 
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection: for on such the second death hath to power.  
FINIS.