A Brief Catechism, Catechism
A BRIEFE CATEchiſme, containing the Summe of the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, and his life, declared more at large by the foure Euangeliſts, Mathew, Marke, Luke and Iohn.
Written by Edmund Littleton, of Sittingborne in KENT, Preacher.
Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when hee is olde, hee ſhall not depart from it,
Pro. 22.6.
This is life eternall, that they know thee the onelyonly true God, and whom thou hast ſent, Ieſus Chriſt,
Iohn 17.3.
LONDON, Printed by GEORGE PVRSLOVVE for Simon Stafford. 1616.
A briefe Catechiſme, contayning the Summe of the Goſpell of our bleſſed LORD and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, ſet downe more at large by the foure Euangeliſts.
Queſtion. WHat is the Goſpell?
Anſ. It is the glad tidings of ſaluation, brought vntounto vsus by Ieſus Chriſt.
Q. What doth the Goſpell principally containe?
A. The Goſpell doth principally containe theſe foure parts, to wit:
1 The birth of Chriſt.
2 The life of Chriſt.
3 The death of Chriſt, and
4 His reſurrection.
Q. What doe you comprehend vnderunder the title of his birth?
A. VnderUnder the title of his birth, I comprehend his pedigrée, as hee is man; and alſo his generation, as hee is God, begottē of his Father before al worlds, Iohn. 1.1.
And laſtly, his Conception of the virgin Mary, Luke. 1.31.
Q. Where was Chriſt borne?
A. At Beth-lehem in the land of Iudah, as it was before prophecied, Mica. 5.2.
Q. When was Chriſt borne?
A. When the Kingdome was taken from the royall tribe of Iuda, as Iacob the Patriark on his death-bed foretold, Gen. 49.10.
Q. What circumſtances were incident to the birth of Chriſt?
A. Three moſt excellent and notable aboue the reſt.
Q. Which were they?
A. 1 The moſt ioyfull ſong of the Angels, that gaue witneſſe to his birth, Luke 2.13.
2 The viſitation of the ſheepe-heards, Verſe 15.
3 The comming of the Wiſe men, & their homage don vntounto him, Mat. 2.1. &c.
Q. Who doe make mention of theſe things?
A. Thrée of the holy Euangeliſts, that is, Mathew, Luke, and Iohn.
Q. Now for the life of Chriſt, I pray you tell me what he did, before he took his publike function vponupon him?
A. Before he tooke vponupon him the adminiſtration of his publike function, Firſt, he fled into Egypt, Mat. 2.13, 14
Secondly, hee was obedient to his ſuppoſed father, and to the virgin Mary his mother, Luke 2.51.
And thirdly, he frequented the holy exerciſes of religion in the Temple, & there diſputed with the Doctors of the lawe, Verſe 43.
Q. Who do report this?
A. Mathew maketh mentiō of the firſt, and Luke of the reſt.
Q. I would gladly know of you, after what manner he was eſtabliſhed in his office, and how he liued after he was called thereunto?
A. His calling was confirmed vntounto him by three notable teſtimonies: as,
Firſt, by his baptiſme, wherein the Father and the holy Ghoſt approued him, Mat. 3.16, 17.
Secondly, by his conqueſt ouer the deuill, tempting him in the deſert.
And thirdly, by the faithfull witneſſe of Iohn the Baptiſt.
Q. Who doe make mention of this?
A. All the foure Euangeliſts, Mat. 3.14. Mar. 1.9. Luk. 3.21. Ioh. 1.6, 7. &c.
Q. What did hee in the time of his calling, to wit, for thoſe three yeeres and 6. moneths, in which he was conuerſant in diuers places, amongſt the Iewes, as in Galile, Samaria, and Iudea?
A. He did teach the doctrine of ſaluation, and confirmed the ſame by working of miracles.
Q. What do you learn by the doctrine that hee taught?
A. I do eſpecially learne two things.
Q. What are they?
A. Firſt, who is the true Chriſt.
Secondly, the benefits that are to be obtained by him.
Q. What doth the doctrine of Chriſt containe?
A. The Doctrine of Ieſus Chriſt containeth and truely teacheth vsus the matter of our faith, or Chriſt himſelfe: that is to ſay, both who he is, & what a one hee is to vsus, to wit, a Sauiour, Mat. 1.21.
Q. And what elſe?
A. That he is perfit God, & perfit man, and alſo the meanes how he is to be apprehended of vsus.
Q. How may wee apprehend Ieſus Chriſt?
A. OnelyOnly by Faith.
Q. What benefits get we by Chriſt thus apprehended?
A. By Ieſus Chriſt thus apprehended by a true and liuely faith, we obtain theſe benefits following: viz.
Firſt, our Iuſtification, which is, to be accounted perfitly righteous in the ſight of God.
Secondly, our Sanctification, which is, the reſtauration of the integrity of our nature loſt by Adam.
Thirdly, our Glorification, which is, to be made heires and citizens of the kingdome of heauen.
And to conclude, that comfortable Charity wherewith we louelove both God and our neighbour; and all the good fruits that come thereof.
Q. But I pray you tell mee, how is this doctrine confirmed vntounto vsus?
A. By the right vſe of the two Sacraments, Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper.
Q. In the miracles of Chriſt, what hauehave we chiefly to conſider?
A. In the miracles of Ieſus Chriſt, we hauehave eſpecially to conſider his diuine power in the working of them.
Q. Why, how did Chriſt worke his miracles?
A. Sometime by outward application of meanes, as by touching thoſe whom he healed, Iohn 9.6.
Sometime by his word onelyonly, Iohn 5.8, 9.
And ſometime by his diuine power without eyther, Mat. 9.20, 21, 22.
Q. What things do you containe vnderunder the title of his death?
A. Firſt, a preparation to the ſtory of his death, wherein theſe things are chiefly to be conſidered, viz.
The apprehending of Chriſt by the Souldiers, Mat. 26.47.
The treaſon of Iudas Iſcariot, Verſ. 48.49.
The outragious violence of the Souldiers, Verſe 50.
Secondly, the proceſſe, or declaration of the cauſe, for the which hee was condemned:
Firſt, of the Iewes, Mat. 26.65, 66.
Secondly, of Pilate, at their importunacy, in the preſence of Annas and Caiaphas, Luke 23.22, 23.
And thirdly, the ſtrife between Pilate and the Iewes in the iudgement hall.
Fourthly, and laſtly, the bringing of him before Herod, & the auouching of his innocency by the teſtimony of the Iudge himſelfe, Luke 23.14, 15.
Q. What did they to Chriſt before his condemnation?
A. 1 They did buffet him, Mat. 26.67.
2 They beat him with ſtaues, Mat. 27.30.
3 They ſcorned him, Mat. 26.68.
4 They ſpat in his face, Mat. 26.67.
5 They crowned him with thorns, and clothed him with purple, in deriſion.
6 And to conclude, moſt vnworthily they did whip him, Mar. 15.15.
Q. What followeth next?
A. The ſentence of condemnation, and the execution thereof.
Q. What hauehave we to conſider therein?
A. 1 The moſt lamentable kind of puniſhment that he was put to.
In body, the moſt painefull & ſhamefull death of the Croſſe, Mark. 15.24.
In ſoule, the moſt extreme torments of hell, Verſ. 34.
2 The moſt vile reproch done vntounto him, in forcing him to beare his owne Croſſe towardes the place of execution: and there, in matching him betwéen two arrant theeues; where the Iewes taunt him, and ſcorne him, and in bitter deſpight, entitle him King of the Iewes, Mat. 27.37.
Q. Where was Chriſt put to death?
A. In a noyſome and and filthy place without the towne gates, called Golgotha, Mat. 27.33.
Q. What miracles were ſhewed at his death.
A. Diuers, and thoſe very ſtrange and wonderfull.
Q. What were they?
A. The ſunne was darkened for the ſpace of three whole houres ouer all the land, Mat. 27.45.
2 The vayle of the Temple rent aſunder from the top to the bottome.
3 The earth did quake, Verſe 51.
4 The rockes cleft aſunder, and
5 The graues did open, Verſe 52.
Q. What became of the body of Chriſt after his death?
A. It was buried in a garden, by two honourable Counſellers, Ioſeph, and Nicodemus, Ioh. 19.38, 39, 41.
Q. What doth the fourth and laſt part of the Goſpell containe?
A. His reſurrection the third day, according to his promiſe, Mat. 28.6. & 20.19.
Wherein we are to conſider:
1 The gard of Souldiers that watched the ſepulcher.
2 The wonderfull riſing of his body out of the ſepulcher, Mat. 27.66. & 28.2. &c.
Q. VVhereby are thoſe things prooued and confirmed vntounto vsus?
A. Firſt, by the teſtimony of the Angels, Mat. 28.6. Ioh. 20.12.
Secondly, by the confeſſion of the ſouldiers to the high Prieſts. Mat. 28.11.
And laſtly, by the ſight and féeling of the Apoſtles and many others, Ioh. 20.27, 28. 1. Cor. 15.6.
Q. How long was Chriſt on the earth after his Reſurrection?
A. The ſpace of 40. dayes, & then he aſcended vp into heauen, Acts. 1.9.
Q. VVhat doth he there?
A. He is there reſident on the right hand of God his Father, making interceſſion for vsus, and from thence ſhall come at the laſt day, to iudge both the quicke and the dead.
And this is briefly the Summe of the whole Goſpell, deſcribed more at large by the foure Euangeliſts, Mathew, Marke, Luke, and Iohn.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edmund Littleton, A Brief Catechism (1616)