A Double Catechism, Catechism 1
The Catechiſme.
Q. HOVV many things are needfull for you to vnderſtand, that you may knovv both God and your ſelfe?
A. Theſe 6. things: I. rightly to conceiue of God what he is, by his word and workes: II. to vnderſtand the creation: III. mans miſerie by the fall: IV. our redemption: V. our ſanctification: VI. the certaintie of our glorification.
Of God.
Q. VVho made yovv?
A. God. Eſa. 42. 2. Gen. 26. 27.
Q. VVhat a one is God?
A. God is a ſpirit. Joh. 4. 24. Holy. Exod. 15. 11. Iuſt. Exod. 34. 6. and Mercifull. Exod. 34. 7.
Q. Hovv many Gods are there?
A. But onelyonly one God, Deut. 6. 4. yet three perſons, Mat. 3. 16. 1. Ioh. 5. 7.
Q. VVhichWhich are the three perſons?
A. The Father begetting, the Sonne begotten, and the Holy Ghoſt proceeding, 2. Cor. 13. 13 Mat. 28. 19. and theſe three are God. Ioh. 1. 1. 1. Ioh. 5. 7. Act. 5. 3. 4.
Q. VVhichWhich of theſe three became man?
A. The ſecond Perſon, Ieſus Chriſt, both God and man. Eſa. 9. 6. Heb. 2. 17.
Of our Creation.
Q. Of vvhat did God make man?
A. His bodie was of duſt, the womans of Adams ribbe, Gen. 2. 7.
Q. VVhat a one did God make him?
A. Both good. Gen. 2. 31. holy and righteous. Gen 1. 26. Eph. 4. 28. Col. 3. 9.
Q. VVhat vvas then mans eſtate and happines?
A. It was the ſtate of innocencie, without ſin or miſerie, and to God was he acceptable, Gen. 1 27. 31. & 2. 25. & 1. 28.
Of mans fall and miſerie.
Q. Are you novv ſuch a one by birth, as he vvas by creation?
A. Alas no: I am by nature full of ſinne, Pſ. 51. 5. Iob. 25. 4. 5. 6. Rom. 3. from verſ. 9. to 19. and ſo moſt miſerable. Iob 14. 1. 2. Rom. 5. 14. Eph. 2. 1. 2. 3. Rom. 3. 23. & 2. 8. 9. and to God deteſtable, Pſal. 11. 5. Gal. 3. 10. Mat. 7. 23. & 25. 41.
Q. VVhat is ſinne?
A. The breaking of Gods commandements, by thought word, or deed. 1. Ioh. 3. 4.
Q. Hovv many commaundements are there?
A. Tenne. Deut. 10. 4. diuided into two Tables. Deut. 4. 13.
Q. VVhichWhich be the commandements?
A. I am the Lord thy God, &c. Exod. 20. Deut. 5. 6.
Q. Do theſe ten commaund or forbid but onelyonly vvhat is there ſet dovvne in ſhevv?
A. No: they commaund or forbid, all the kinds contained vnderunder the ſame thing mentioned and all the cauſes, with occaſions thereunto. 1. Ioh. 3. 15. Mat. 5. 28. 32.
Q. Are they a prayer?
A. No, nor ſo to be vſed: they are a rule for me to liue after, and do teach me my duty to God, and my neighbour. Deut. 6. & 31. 12. Pſal. 119. 105. Eccleſ. 12. 13. Mat. 22. 37. 39.
Q. VVhat is your duty tovvards God?
A. My dutie towards God, is to beleeue in him, to feare him, and to louelove him, &c. 2. Chron. 20. 20. Eccleſ. 12. 13. Mat. 22. 37.
Q. VVhat is your duty tovvards your neighbour?
A. It is to louelove my neighbour as my ſelfe, &c. Mat. 22 39. Rom. 13. 9.
Q. Can ye keepe the commaundements, and not offend God nor your neighbour?
A. No: I breake them eueryevery day, in thought, word, and deed, hating both God and my neighbour by nature. Pſ. 14. 1. 2. 3. Rom. 8. 7. & 1. 30. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 3.
Q. VVhat is then novv your ſtate, and vvhat deſerue you by thus offending God?
A. I am in the ſtate of corruption and do deſerue Gods curſe, which is eternall deſtruction of bodie and ſoule. Deut. 27. 26. Mat. 25. 41. 46. Gal. 3. 10.
Of mans redemption.
Q. VVhat are you in this caſe to do?
A. To cry vntounto God for merciemercy, and ſeeke for deliuerance. Luk. 15. 17. Pſal. 51. 1. 2. &c.
Q. Are you of your ſelfe able, or is there any good in you to moue God, to ſet you free?
A. No indeed, Rom. 3. 10. & 7. 18. Luk. 17. 10. 2. Cor. 4. 4. Eph. 2. 8. 9.
Q. Then vvho doth redeeme you?
A. OnelyOnly Ieſus Chriſt, Rom. 7. 25 2. Cor. 5. 21 Rom. 5. 19. Gal. 2. 20. & 3. 13.
Q. VVhat is Ieſus Chriſt?
A. He is the eternall Sonne of God, Mat. 17. 5. Heb. 1. 23. a King to gouerne vsus, Pſ. 2. 6. Mat. 28. 18. a prieſt to offer for vsus, Pſ. 110. 4. And a Prophet to teach vsus, Deut. 18. 18. Eſa. 61. 1. Mat. 17. 5.
Q. VVhat beleeue you concerning him in the Articles of the Creed?
A. I do beleeue, that he was conceiued by the holy Ghoſt, &c.
Q. VVhat is this to you?
A. I do perſwade my ſelfe hereby, that his puritie is for my corruption, his obedience for my tranſgreſſion, his death for my debt, and his aſcenſion for my eternall ſaluation. 1. Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 20.
Q. But as God made all, vvill ſo Ieſus Chriſt alſo ſaue all?
A. No verily, many ſhall be damned, few ſhal be ſaued, Mat. 7. 13. 14. onelyonly the elect, which take hold of Chriſt by a lively faith. Ioh. 3. 16. 36. Mar. 16. 16.
Q. VVhat is this liuely faith?
A. It is a true perſwaſion of my heart, grounded vponupon Gods promiſes, Eph. 3. 17. Rom, 4. 21. that Ieſus Chriſt is giuen to me, Ioh. 3. 16. and the merits of his death and paſſion, are as truly mine, as if I my ſelfe had wrought them. 2. Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 8. 1.
Q. Hovv come you by this faith?
A. From my effectuall calling by the word preached, and the worke of Gods ſpirit. Act. 13. 48. Rom. 10. 14. 15. Eph. 1. 13.
Q. VVhere is ſet dovvne the ſumme of your becefe?
A. In my Creed, I beleeue in God the Father Almightie. &c.
Q. Are theſe a prayer, or ſo to be vſed?
A. No: it teacheth me what to beleeue concerning God and his church.
Q. VVhat good hath Gods Church, the true beleeuers aboue the reſt of mankind?
A. They are in the ſtate of grace, they hauehave communion with Chriſt, and one with another, the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes, the glorious reſurrection of the bodie, and life euerlaſting.
Of ſanctification.
Q. Hovv may it appeare, that you hauehave this faith, and alſo theſe benefites?
A. By my ſanctification.
Q. VVho doth ſanctifie you?
A. The holy Ghoſt, Rom. 15. 16.
Q. VVhat is ſanctification?
A. Jt is a making new of the whole man, whereby he daily dyeth to ſinne, and increaſeth in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, Eph. 4. 23. 24. Gal. 5. 24. 1. Theſ. 4. 1.
Q. VVhat grace proceedes from this ſanctification?
A. True repentance, leauing that which is ill with hatred, and performing new obedience with gladneſſe of heart continually, Ier. 31. 19. Act. 26. 20. Pſ. 119. 10. 113. 115. 136. 14. 34. 35. 44.
Q. VVhat eſtate novv ſtand you in, being ſanctified and penitent?
A. I am in the bleſſed eſtate of grace, wherein if I continue, I ſhall inherite eternall life, Tit. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Rom. 11. 22. Mat. 10 22. 2. Tim. 4. 8.
Q. VVhy hath God thus made, redeemed, ſanctified, and hitherto preſerued you?
A. To ſerue him truly all the dayes of my life, Eph. 2. 10. Tit. 2. 11. 12. Luk. 1. 74. 75.
Q. Hovv must God be ſerued?
A. OnelyOnly after his will reuealed in hss written word, Deut. 30. 8. 10. and 4. 2. 2. Cor. 4. 6.
Of our ſtrengthening in the ſtate of grace, for the certainty of our glorification.
Q. Js it needfull for ſuch as are elected, and once called, iuſtified, and ſanctified, that they ſhould continue ſtill in vſing meanes to ſaluation?
A. Yea truly: elſe they will fall away, Pro. 29. 18. 2. Chron. 15. 2. Heb. 3. 12. 13.
Q. VVhat things muſt you continue in to aſſure your ſelfe of ſaluation, and to grovv ſtrong in the vvay of life?
A. Jn the knowledge of Gods word, Pſal. 11. 2. Act. 2. 42. 2. Pet. 1. 19. Ioh. 10. 27. 28. in faith, Joh. 3. 36. in louelove to the godly, Ioh. 13 35. 1. Ioh. 3. 14. in obedience, Ezech. 36. 26. Pſal. 15. 5. Ier. 32. 39. 40. in patient ſuffering for Chriſt. Rom. 8. 17. Iam. 1. 12. in a longing after Chriſts comming, 2. Tim. 4. 8. in ſinceritie without hypocriſie, which will appeare by my appealing to God in theſe things, Ioh. 21. 15.
Of the Sacraments.
Q. Hath God giuen any helpes, and commaunded farther any other meanes beſides the vvord, for the ſtrengthening of vsus herein?
A. Yes, theſe two: Sacraments, and Prayer.
Q. VVhat is a Sacrament?
A. An outward ſigne and ſeale of inviſible graces.
Q. Hovv do the Sacraments ſtrengthen you?
A. By a reuerent vſing and meditating of them rightly vnderſtood, as ſignes repreſenting Chriſt, and his benefites, and ſure ſeales of his couenant with vsus, Gen. 9. 9. to 18. and 17. 9. 10.
Hovv many Sacraments are there?
A. OnelyOnly two: Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper, 1. Cor. 10. 1. 2. 3. 4. Mat. 28. 19. & 26. 29. 27. 1. Cor. 11. 23. 24. 25.
Q. VVhat is the ſigne, and the thing ſignified in Baptiſme?
A. The ſigne is water, and the grace is the bloud of Chriſt, by which I am waſhed from my ſinnes, Act. 2. 38. & 22. 16.
Q. Ʋ Ʋhat are the ſignes and things ſignified in the Lords Supper?
A. The ſignes are the bread and wine: the things ſignified, are the bodie & bloud of Chriſt, 1. Cor. 11. 23. 24. 25.
Q. Ʋ Ʋhy come you to receiue?
A. To ſtrengthen my faith, and to keepe in remembrance Chriſt his death, till his comming againe, Rom. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 11. 26.
Q. VVhat ought you to do before you come?
A. Prepare my ſelfe by examination, 1. Cor. 11. 28.
Q. VVhat ought you to come vvith, to the Sacrament?
A. With foure things: 1. knowledge both of my miſerie, Gods merciemercy, and the doctrine of the Sacrament. 2. with faith in Ieſus Chriſt, Heb. 11. 6. 3. with repentance for all my ſinnes, Eſa. 1. 10. 11. 14. 15. 16. 4. with heartie louelove vntounto my neighbor, Mat. 5. 23.
Q. VVhat if you come vnprepared vvithout theſe?
A. I come vnworthily, I am guiltie of the body and bloud of Chriſt, 1. Cor. 11. 27. I do eare and drinke my owne damnation, verſ. 29. God may puniſh me, verſ. 40. and the diuell may enter into me, as he did vntounto Iudas, and bring me to deſtruction of bodie and ſoule, Ioh 13. 27.
Of Prayer.
Q. VVhat is Prayer?
A. It is a right, heartie, and faithfull requeſt made vntounto God, in the name of Ieſus Chriſt, 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Rom. 8. 26. Iam. 1. 6. Ioh. 14. 14. & 15. 16. Mat. 3. 17.
Q. Can or doth eueryevery one pray, that vttereth vvords, and vſeth a forme of prayer?
A. It is a ſpeciall gift to Gods children, and ſuch onelyonly pray, as hauehave knowledge what to aske, a hearty deſire in asking, and faith to beleeue.
Q. Ʋ Ʋhat direction of prayer hauehave you?
A. The ſame which our Sauiour Chriſt taught his diſciples, Our Father vvhichwhich art in heauen, hallovved be thy name. Thy kingdome come. Thy vvill be done in earth, as it is in heauen. GiueGive vsus this day our daily bread: and forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes, as vve forgiue them that treſpaſſe againſt vsus. And lead vsus not into temptation: but deliuer vsus from euill. Amen.
Q. VVhat deſireſt thou of God in this prayer?
A. I deſire my Lord God our heauenly Father who is the giuer of all goodneſſe, to ſend his grace vntounto me, and to all people, that we may worſhip him, ſerue him, and obey him; as we ought to do. And I pray vntounto God that he will ſend vsus al things that be needfull, both for our ſoules and bodies, and that he will be mercifull vntounto vsus, and forgiue vsus our ſinnes, and that it will pleaſe him to ſaue and defend vsus in all dangers ghoſtly and bodily, and that he will keepe vsus from all ſinne and wickedneſſe, and from our ghoſtly enemie, and from euerlaſting death. And this I truſt he will do of his merciemercy and goodneſſe, through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: and therefore I ſay, Amen. So be it.