Choice Grounds and Principles of our Christian Religion, Argument
The generall heads and points of Doctrine, handled in this Treatise.
1 ALL such are to be Catechized, and instructed in the grounds a…d principles of Christian Religion, who are ignorant of th…m, and vnderstand them not, of what estate and condi ion soeuer they be, high or low, rich or poore, old or young, male or female: for there is no respect of persons with God, but God will that all men shall be saued▪ and come to the knowledge of the truth.
2 Christian Religion consisteth in a true and sincere acknowledging of that truth, which is according to godlines.
3 That truth doth teach vsus what we are to know and beleeue, concerning God, and what wee are to know and beleeue concerning our selues.
4 God is a Spirit, which is most simple, most holy, eternall, infinite, of inestimable glory, maiesty, and power, all-sufficient, onelyonly wise, onelyonly good, most iust, most mercifull, and therefore one. There are three eternall, and equall persons of the Godhead, distinguished by their proper difference, but yet not separated one from another. The Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.
5 Wee are to know concerning our selues, what we are by nature, and what by grace.
6 Wee are by nature the children of wrath, full of sinne and corruption, and heires of hell and condemnation.
7 By grace we are freed from the power and dominion of sinne: Of the children of wrath wee are made children, and heires of God, yea coheires with Christ.
8 Christ is the eternall Sonne of GOD, perfect GOD, and perfect man in one person.
9 Christ, as touching his Godhead, was without beginning, of one, and the same essence, and being with the Father equall, and all one with him, in glory, maiesty, and power: and he became man, when he took to his diuine nature, our flesh in the wombe of the virgin Mary, like vntounto vsus in all things, except sinne.
10 It was a matter of so great necessity, in regard of our saluation, that Christ should hauehave two natures, and be in one person both God and man, that he could not otherwise hauehave ouercome death and the deuill, vnderunder whose captiuity wee were holden, neither hauehave satisfied Gods iustice for our sinnes, nor reconciled vsus vntounto him.
11 Christ performed this (according to his flesh and humane nature) by his humiliation and sufferings, wherein hee became obedient vntounto the death, euen to the death of the Crosse.
12 Christ his obedience, and the fruit and effect of his humiliation and sufferings, are applyed vntounto vsus, and made ours, by a true and liuely faith.
13 A true and liuely faith, is a supernaturall worke, wrought in the heart of man, by the Spirit of God, whereby wee apprehend, receiue, and apply vntounto our selues, Iesus Christ, with all his benefits, righteousnes, and redemption.
14 The ordinary meanes whereby the holy Ghost doth worke this faith in the hearts of Gods children, is the ministery and preaching of the Word of God.
15 This faith is nourished, strengthened, and confirmed, by hearing the same Word of God preached and read, as also by prayer, conference, and partaking the Sacraments.
16 A Sacrament is a publike worke of the Church, instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ, and consisting of a visible signe, or signes, whereby the promises of God, concerning the free forgiuenesse of our sinnes, and euerlasting life, are firmely confirmed, and sealed vp in our hearts.
17 There are onelyonly two Sacraments instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ: The Sacrament of Baptisme, and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper.
18 Baptisme is a Sacrament of the new Testament, wherein is signified and sealed vntounto vsus, that we are as assuredly washed frō our sinnes, by the bloud of Christ, as our flesh is washed with water, In the name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.
19 The Supper of the Lord is a Sacrament instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ, whereby is signified and sealed vntounto vsus, that we are as assuredly sustained to eternall life, by the body of Christ crucified, and by his bloud shed, as wee certainly eate the broken bread at the Lords Table, and drinke the wine out of the cup.
20 Wee cannot be sustayned to eternall life, vnlesse we eate the flesh of Christ, and drinke his bloud.
21 All that receiue the Sacrament, doe not feed vponupon Christ to eternall life, but only such as are Gods elect.
22 Gods elect doe eate Christs flesh, and drinke his bloud, by a true and liuely faith in his death and redemption.
23 A man may be assured of his election, by the witnesse of Gods Spirit, working in him true repentance, and framing his heart to beleeue, and to yeeld obedience according to the Word, and will of God.
24 When wee receiue bread and wine at the Lords Table, we ought to set our hearts and mindes vponupon the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ, to glorifie & praise God, for the most excellent worke of our redemption by him: confessing, that therein consisteth all our happines, and saluation, and that it is no more possible for vsus to come to the Kingdome of heauen without it, then it is possible to liue in the world without meate and drinke.
24 Such as presume to receiue this Sacrament, without thus remembring the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ, (to glorifie and praise God, for the worke of redemption by him) are vnworthy eaters and drinkers of it, guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord, and eate and drinke their owne damnation.
26 Wee must prepare our selues beforehand, for the worthy receiuing of the Lords Supper, by examining our knowledge, our faith, our repentance, our purposes and affections, how sound and vpright they are before God.
Whether Iudas receiued the Sacrament.