Catechetical Exposition of Christian Doctrine, Catechism 4
THE FOVRTH CAtechisme expounding the Creed.
§. 1.
Question. VVHat doth the Creed teach vsus?
A. fa. Tim. 1 13.What we ought to beléeue.
Q. How many articles be there of our Creed?
A. Twelue.
Q. Into how many parts are they diuided?
A. Into two parts.
Q. The first teacheth vsus what we ought to beleeue, concerning whom?
A. Concerning God.
Q. The second concerning whom?
A. Concerning Gods Church.
Q. How many articles are there concerning God?
A. Eight.
Q. How many concerning his Church?
A. Foure.
Q. How are those eight diuided which concerne God?
A. Into three parts.
Q. Whom doth the first part cōcerne?
A. God the Father.
Q. Whom the second?
A. God the Sonne.
Q. The third whom?
A. God the holy Ghost.
Q. How many articles be there concerning God the Father?
A. One, and but one.
Q. Repeat it?
A. bHeb. 11. 6.I beleeue in God the Father Almighty maker of heauen & earth.
Q. What is the article called?cGen. 17. 1. Ioh. 10. 29
A. The article of Gods prouidence.
Q. Why doe you say I beleeue in him?dGen. 1. 1
A. ePs. 62. 8.I put my trust and confidence in him, I hope to be saued by him.
Q. What is the thing you do beleeue?
A. That there is a God the Father who is Almighty, for he made both heauen and earth.
Q. How many parts hath this article?
A. Two parts.
Q. What is the first?
A. fHeb. 11. 3.Whereby we beléeue that God made all things.
Q. What is the second?
A. gRom. 11. 36. Ps. 119. 91 Ioh. 5. 17. Act. 17. 25Whereby we beleeue that he doth preserue and gouerne all things.
Q. The things which God made, of how many sorts are they?
A. Of two sorts.
Q. Which are they.
A. hCol. 1. 16.Uisible, and inuisible.
Q. What are visible creatures?
A. iPs. 8. 3.Such as may be séen; as all sorts of bodies.
Q. What are inuisible creatures?
A. kGen. 1. 1. Ioh. 1. 3 Ps. 33. 6.Such as cannot be seene, as Angels and soules of men.
Q. Of how many sorts are the Angels?
A. Of two sorts, aslIud. 6. good and bad.
Q. What are the bad called?
A. Deuils.
Q. Did God make the diuels?
A. mIud. 6.Yes; He made the diuels; but hee did not make them diuels; He made them Angels of Light; They made themselues diuels by sinne.
Q. How many articles are there concerning God the Sonne?
A. Six.
Q. Into how many parts are they diuided?
A. Into two parts.
Q. What doth the first part concerne?
A. His person.
Q. What doth the second part concerne?
A. His office.
Q. What is the person of Iesus Christ?
A. nIoh. 1. 1… Act. 20. 28.Such a person as consists of two natures, God, and man.
Q. How many articles are there concerning the person of our Lord Iesus Christ?
A. Two, as he consists of two natures, God and man.
Q. Repeat the article concerning his Godhead?
A. AndoIoh. 9. 35 & 7. 3. I beléeue in Iesus Christ, pIoh. 1. 14his onelyonly sonne, our Lord.
Q. Why doe you say, I beleeue in him?
A. qIoh. 3. 16 & 14. 6.I put my trust, and confidence in him, and hope to be saued by him.
Q. What is the thing you beleeue herein?
A. That there is also a God the Son: rAct. 2, 36 Ioh. 20. 28And that Iesus of Narareth of whom we read in the Gospell is Hee.
Q. Are not we also the sonnes of God?
A. sIoh. 1. 12Yes.
Q. Why is He then said to be the onelyonly Sonne of God?
A. He is the Sonne of GodtIoh. …0. 30. & 1. 14 by nature, and by personall vnion:uIoh. 1. 12 Rom. 8. 15 Gal. 3. 26. We are the sonnes of God by grace, and by adoption.
Q. Repeat the article concerning his manhood?
A. Which wasxMar. 1. 20. conceiued by the holy Ghost,yMat. 1. 25. borne of the Uirgin Mary.
Q. What is the thing you beleeue in this article?
A. That this Sonne of God became ayIoh. 1. 14 1. Tim. 2. 5 Is. 9. 6. man, but afterz1. Tim. 3. 16. a wonderfull manner.
Q. How doe you proue that he became man?
A. Because he was borne of a woman.
Q. How after a wonderfull manner?
A. For two reasons.
Q. What is the first?
A. Because he was conceiued by the holy Ghost.
Q. What is the second?
A. aIs. 7. 14Because he was borne of a Uirgin.
Q. Why was he thus conceiued and borne?
A. ThatbHeb. 4. 11. he might be without sin.
Q. Why was he to be without sin?
A. ThatcHeb. 7. 26. he might saue sinners.
Q. How many articles are there of his office?
A. Foure.
Q. What is the office of Christ?
A. The office of adMat. 1. 21 Sauiour.
Q. How many parts hath it?
A. Two.
Q. What is the first?
A. eHeb 7. 27. & 9. 22To die for vsus.
Q. What is the second?
A. Tof1. Cor. 15. 3, 4, 14. ouercome death for vsus.
Q. How many articles are there concerning his dying for vsus?
A. One, and but one.
Q. Repeat it?
A. HegAct. 4. 27 suffered vnderunder Pontius Pilate, washAct. 2. 36 crucified,iIoh. 19. 30. dead, andkIoh. 19. 40, 41. buried, lEph. 4. 9.he descended into hell.
Q. What did he suffer?
A. Death.
Q. What death did he suffer?
A. The death of the crosse.
Q. What death was that?
A. mPs. 22. 14. 17.A putting to death by the racke.
Q. VnderUnder whom did he suffer?
A. Under Pontius Pilate.
Q. What was he?
A. The Romane Iudge that condemned him.
Q. How many articles are there concerning his victory ouer death?
A. Three; as he ouercame death by thrée degrees.
Q. What are they called?
A. The articles of his exaltation, as the former, the articles of his nPhil. 2. 8.humiliation.
Q. Repeate the first?
A. Theo1. Cor. 1… 3. third day he rose againe from the dead.
Q. What article is this?
A. The article of his resurrection.
Q. Why the third day?
A. pAct. 2. 27. Ioh. 11. 39.Because it was prophecyed of him, that he should see no corruption.
Q. What is the second?
A. The article of his ascension.
Q. Repeat it?
A. HeqAct. 1. 9. Heb. 9. 24. ascended into heauen; and there herHeb. 1. 13 sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
Q. Whither did He ascend?
A. To the right hand of God.
Q. Hath God a right hand, or a left, in proper speech, as we hauehave?
A. sIoh. 4. 24. Luk. 24. 39.No.
Q. How is it then spoken?
A. Figuratiuely.
Q. What then is meant by it?
A. Two things.
Q. What are they?
A. tHeb. 1. 3.First the honour God hath giuen him; secondly the poweruMat. 28. 18. God hath giuen him.
Q. He sitteth] Is sitting spoken properly or figuratiuely?
A. uAct. 7, 56.Figuratiuely.
Q. What is meant by it?
A. Two things.
Q. What are they?
A. FirstxHeb. 10. 12. to shew that the workes of our redemption is finished;yHeb. 13. & 4. 13. secondly to represent his state, or maiestie.
Q. What is the third article?
A. The article of his comming to iudgment.
Q. Repeate it?
A. zIoh. 5. 22. 27. Act, 1. 11. 2. Thes. 18From thence he shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead.
Q. What is meant by quicke?
A. a1. Cor. …5. …1. 1. Thes. 4. …7.Those, who shall be found aliue at that day.
Q. What is meant by the dead?
A. bReu. 20. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 52.All that hauehave departed this life from the beginning of the world.
Q. How many articles be there concerning God the holy Ghost?
A. One and but one.
Q. Repeate it?
A. cMat 28. 19.I beléeue in the holy Ghost.
Q. Why do you say I beleeue in him?
A. IdIoh. 14. 16, 17. 1. Cor. 2. 10. put my trust and confidence in him; and hope to be saued by him.
Q. What is the thing you beleeue?
A. e1. Cor. 2. 11. Ps. 139. 2. 1. Co. 12. 11.That there is also a God the holy Ghost.
Q. Are these three Gods?
A. f1. Ioh. 5. 7No, though thrée persons, yet but one God.
§ 2.
Q. How many articles are there of Gods Church?
A. Foure.
Q. Into how many parts are they diuided?
A. Into two parts.
Q. What doth the first part concerne?
A. The being of the Church.
Q. What the second?
A. The benefits this Church obtaineth, by Iesus Christ.
A. How many articles are there of the being of the Church?
A. One and but one.
Q. Repeate it?
A. g1. Tim. 3. 15.I beleeue the holy Catholike Church,h1. Cor. 12. 12. the communion of Saints.
Q. Why doe you say I beleeue the Church, and not in the Church?
A. Wee doe beleeue there is a Church;iPs. 62. 9. 1 Cor. 1. 13. but we doe not beleeue in the Church, but in God; The Church at the best is but a company of men.
Q. What is the Church?
A. kPs. 82. 6▪ Heb. 2. 10. Gal. 3. 26.A company of Gods children.
Q. How many sorts of Churches are there?
A. Two sorts.
Q. What are they?
A. lReu. 6. 11Triumphant and militant.
Q. What is the Church triumphant?
A. ThemHeb. 12. 23. company of Gods children in heauen.
Q. Why is it so called?
A. nReu. 21. 4.Because they are out of all danger, and so doe triumph.
Q. What is the Church militant?
A. The company of Gods children here on earth.
Q. Why are they thus called?
A. o2. Tim, 2. 3. Eph. 6. 12. Ioh. 16. 33.Because they fight the Lords battels against the world, the flesh, and the diuell.
Q. What Church is here meant?
A. The Church militant.
Q. What doe you learne here?
A. That God hath a Church,pMat. 16. 18. & 28. 20. Heb. 1. 8. and will hauehave to the end of the world.
Q. How many properties doe belong to this Church?
A. Three.
Q. What are they?
A. First it isqIs. 4. 3. 1. Pet. 1. 2. holy: secondlyrIoh. 421. Gal. 3. 28. Act. 10. 35 Catholike: thirdly it hath asGal. 3. 28. 1. Cor. 12. 12. communion betwixt the members of it.
Q. Holinesse, of how many sorts is it?
A. Of two sorts.
Q. What are they?
A. tRom. 4▪ 7 Reu. 7. 14.Holinesse of faith, and holinesse of life.
Q. Holinesse of faith, what is that otherwise called?
A. OurxRom. 5. 1. iustification.
Q. What is holinesse of life otherwise called?
A. Oury1. Cor. 1. 30. sanctification.
Q. Is holinesse of faith perfect or imperfect?
A. zCol. 2. 10Perfect holinesse.
Q. How so?
A. In regard of the obiect thereof.
Q. What is the obiect?
A. aGal. 3. 27 Phil. 3. 9.Christ, and his righteousnes.
Q. Holines of life, is that perfect or imperfect?
A. Imperfect.
Q. Of how many sorts is holines of life?
A. Of two sorts.
Q. Which are they?
A. There is a legall holines, according to the Law; or Euangelicall, according to the Gospell.
Q. What is legall holines?
A. ToaRom. 7. 12. 13. 14. be without sinne.
Q. Is this holines required of Gods Church?
A. bIam. 3. 2.No.
Q. What is Euangelicall holinesse?
A. TocMat. 4. 17. Rom. 7. 16 confesse our sinnes; to be sorry for them; and to amend our liues.
Q. Is it required of Gods Church?
A. d1. Pet. 1. …5.Yes.
Q. What is the second propertie?
A. It is Catholike.
Q. What is Catholike?
A. Universall, or ouer all.
Q. Ouer all what?
A. ePs. 28.Ouer all parts of the world.
Q. Is the church of God ouer all parts of the world?
A. fMat 28. 29. Gal. 3. 28.It is, or may be; it is not now tyed to any place.
Q. What is the third propertie?
A. gIoh 17. 11.It hath a communion betweene the members of it.
Q. How many sorts of famous communions are there?
A. Thrée.
Q. What is the first?
A. hEph. 5. 31 Heb. 2. 14.A naturall communion, & that is in bloud betwéene parents & children.
Q. Is this communion here meant?
A. No.
Q. What is the second?
A. i1. Pet. 23.A ciuill communion, consisting in gouernment.
Q. Is this the communion?
A. No.
Q. What is the third?
A. kEph. 4. 3.A spirituall communion.
Q. Is this the communion incident to Gods Church?
A. lEph. 5. 23Yes, this is it.
Q. Wherein doth it consist?
A. mIoh. 15. 5.In the root and the fruits.
Q. What is the root?
A. n1. Cor. 12. 4. 11.The Spirit of God.
Q. What are the fruits?
A. The graces of Gods Spirit.
Q. What are these graces?
A. Partly inward, and partly outward.
Q. What are the outward?
A. TheoRom. 9. 4 Word of God, and the Sacraments.
Q. What are the inward?
A. Diuine, or morall.
Q. What are the diuine?
A. oIoh. 1. 16 Eph. 4. 7.The three theologicall vertues, faith, hope, and charity.
Q. What are the morall?
A. All morall vertues sanctified by the Spirit of God.
Q. How many benefits doth the Church obtaine by Christ?
A. Three, expressed in three articles.
Q. What is the first?
A. p1. Cor. 15. 17. Act. 2. 38.Forgiuenes of sinnes, in this world.
Q. What is the second?
A. Theq1. Cor. 15 17. 18. resurrection of our bodies at the end of this world.
Q. What is the third?
A. rIoh. 17. 2Life euerlasting, in the world to come.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Twisse, Catechetical Exposition of Christian Doctrine (1632)