The Sum of Christian Religion 2, To the reader
TO THE CHRISTIAN READERS HENRY PARRIE WISHETH GRACE AND PEACE THROVGH IESV CHRIST OVR LORD.
WHereas but a ſmal and ſhort remnaunt of daies is alotted vntounto euerie of vsus to trie the hazard and aduenture of this world in Chriſtes holy Merchandize, (yet forty yeares, and the yongeſt may, the oldeſt muſt depart) I beeing ſubiect to this common caſe, and moſt certaine vncertainty of our life; neither knowing, if perhaps at this preſent my ſtaffe ſtandeth next the doore: hauehave beene and am deſirous and earneſt in this behalfe, ſo to beſtow all my poſſible endeuours and labours in this my Lord and Maſters trafique, as that neither I may returne vntounto him with a Talent in a napkin, and withall may leaue behind mee ſome poore token and teſtimony of my louelove and duty towards him and his bleſſed Spouſe, with future poſterity.
Which my deſire and earneſt deliberation ſtrugling and ſtriuing ſo long within me, vntil it had gotten the conqueſt of ſuch ſhamefaſt and fearful motions, wherewith men are well acquainted, who are at al acquainted with their owne infirmities: I was thereby at length drawen to this bold and hardy reſolution, as to commit ſomething to the preſſe, and ſo to the eies of them, whoſe great and ſharp cenſures, I hauehave euer with trembling thought of heretofore, and euen now would flie them with al willingnes.
Wherefore alſo in reſpect hereof, & of the greennes of my age, ſo hath the flame and heat of my deſire been ſlaked and cooled with the water as it were of fear, wherewith I ſhake in mine owne conceit: as I hauehave not preſumed to draw anie ſhaft out of mine owne quiuer, or to preſent the world with an vntimely fruite of ſo yong a tree: but rather hauehave made choiſe of a ſhaft out of the Lordes armory, framed by the hand and skill of the Lords work-man, fit to make the man bleſſed who hath his quiuer full of them.
If yet in this I hauehave been preſumptuous, if bolde, if vndiſcreete, if fooliſh: my brethren, for your ſakes hauehave I bin ſo: for your ſakes hauehave I bin preſumpteous, bold, vndiſcreete, & fooliſh, euen for you and for your children. The greater is my hope and truſt, that theſe whatſoeuer my paines and labours ſhall find fauor and grace in your ſights, and receiue good entertainment at your hands; bicauſe for you they hauehave bin vndertaken, and the gains and commodity, that ſhal ariſe therof (if by the bleſſed wil of God any ſhal ariſe) ſhal redound vntounto you and yours for euer.
It is a caſe lamentable, deſeruing the bowels of al Chriſtian pitty and compaſſion, and able to cauſe the teares of ſorrow to guſh out and ſtreame downe the face of a man, who is not froſen too hard in ſecurity and in an vncharitable careleſnes: when he ſhall but lift vp his eies, and ſee the waſt and deſolation of ſo many diſtreſſed ſoules, who in ſo many places of this our land & country hauehave bin & are daily either pined away and conſumed to the bone for lack of Gods ſuſteinance, the bread of life, the word of God, the only preſeruatiue of the ſoule; or, through the deceitful poiſon of that old Sorceres and Witches Children, infected and baned vnrecouerably. Alas poore ſoules, fain would they hauehave ſomewhat to keep life within them: and therefore as famiſhed and ſtarued creatures, which hauehave beene for a space pounded vp and pin-folded in a ground of barrennes, debarred of al ſuccor & reliefe, when euer they may light of any thing that may go down the throat, be it as bitter as gall, and as deadly as poiſon, they ſwallowe bitternes as ſuger, and lick vp death as ſweet honny. And yet, (I rue to ſpeak it) ſuch is the hard-hartednes and brutiſh vnnaturalnes of manie merciles men, if yet men, who hauehave ſo flinted their foreheads, ſeared and ſealed vp their minds and conſciences in al impietie: as that they hauehave entred as it were into a league & bond with themſelues to forget Chriſt, neuer to knowe the man more, neuer to ſpeake in the name of Ieſus; neuer to feed the flock of Ieſus, whoſe ſoules are euen as great and dear to him, as the price they coſt him. For, had not theſe men ſwornlike*Of Valennus the Ca… dinals religion, who (graceles man) abiur his eccleſiaſticall voc… tion, to be… lifted vp t… temporall Dukedom… Sabellic. E… nead. 10. li… ſons of the earth to poſſeſſe the earth for euer, and to leaue heauen and the heirs of heauen, euen the choſen of God, to God himſelf to look to: it were vncredible, naie, vnpoſſible were it, that after ſo many threats & warnings from heauen, from earth, from God, from men, from their foes abroad, and their frinds at home, they ſhould not yet once, not once deſcend into a dutifull conſideration of this their heauy trespaſſe, and ſo with a ſpeedy induſtrie and aſſiduitie reenter and recouer thoſe their forſaken charges, which a long while hauehave languiſhed and worne awaie for want of paſture, and ly now (the deer lambs of Chriſt Ieſus) ſtretched on the ground for faintnes, fetching their groanes deepe, and their pantes thicke, as readie to giuegive ouer and to yeelde vp the Ghoſt. O Lord, are not thine eies vponupon the truth? Ierem. 5.3thou haſt ſtriken theſe men, but they hauehave not ſorrowed; thou haſt conſumed them, but they hauehave refuſed to receiue correctiō: they hauehave made their faces harder thā a ſtone, & hauehave refuſed to return. Not the loſſes and vnſupportable calamities of Chriſts people, not the miſerable apoſtaſie & grieuous falling awaie (woe to vsus therefore) of multitudes of the ignorant and vnlettered men from the Apoſtolicke faith and the Church of Chriſt, not the certaine daungers and hazards of their owne perſons, Wiues, Children, and Kinsfolkes (with all which rods of his fatherly chaſtiſement God hath latelie, in his iuſtice tempered with ſurpaſsing mercy, viſited them) can awake or rouze them out of that dead and deadlie ſlumber, wherby they hauehave as much as in them lieth betraied to the powers and forces of Satan Gods ſacred enheritance, and laid open the precious flock of Chriſt to the mouthes and teeth of Woolues.
But would God the burden of this ſin reſted onelie on the neckes of theſe rechleſſe perſons, whoſe extreme barbaritie yet in letting, through their profane abſence, their harmleſſe ſheepe to drop awaie by famine of the word, hath raiſed a louder cried and clamour againſt them in the eares of God, than any we are able to make by our moſt iuſt cōplaint in the eares of men. Another ſwarme of Caterpillers there are, the very traſh and rifraffe of our nation: who deeming it a more eaſie life to ſay ſeruice in the church, than do ſeruice in the houſe, and to ſtand at the altar of God, than to followe the plough of their Maſter, hauehave, like men of idle & diſſolute quality, only moued thereto in a lazie speculation, laide their wicked & ſacrilegious hands on the Lords Arke, vnreuerently entred, with ſhooes and all, into his Temple, taken his vndefiled Teſtimonies in their defiled mouthes, diſgraced, defaced, and diffamed the glorie & maieſty of diuine rites and myſteries, through their beggarly entring into, & baſe demeaning thē ſelues in ſo high an office. Gape not theſe men, trow you, for new miracles to rain out of heauen? As if Chriſt muſt needs for their ſakes lay the foundation of his Church again, & cal again from the net, & the receit of cuſtom, and other trades of this world ſuch as hee would dispatch abroad for this holy Meſſage, that ſo theſe artiſans might be inueſted with Apoſtleſhips, Doctorſhips, and the rooms of Prophets, as ready men after a nights ſleepe, or an hours trance to turn the book of God, & menage the keies of Heauen. But my frind, be not deceiued: awake out of ſleep, & dream no more.Zach. 13.… Thou art no Prophet; thou art an husbandman, & taught to be an heardman from thy youth vp. Get away therefore with ſpeed from the Lords houſe, if thou be a cleauer, to thy wedge and ax if a hind, to thy Maſters plough; but meddle not with Gods affaires, leaſt he break out vponupon thee and deſtroy thee.
But in vain spend I words to braſſe and Iron: who, though the Lord hath held in his hand for a long time the ful viol of his wrath, and is now wearie with holding it any longer, and about to poure it out vponupon them for this their horrible tranſgreſsion; yet ſtaggar they not a whit at it, but run on like hū gry cōpanions with an eie only to the fleſh pots, and ſo ſel both themſelues & their people for a morſel of bread, & a meſſe of pottage to the diuel. Shal I not viſit for theſe things, ſaith the Lord? Ierem. 9.…Or ſhal not my ſoule be auenged on ſuch a nation as this? Yes doubtleſſe, hee, who is able to muſter the cloudes and winds, and to fight with heauenly powers againſt vsus, ſhal and wil, if wee leaue not off to make ſuch hauok of his children, be auenged on vsus; he ſhal raiſe vp the ſtandard, and make the trumpet blow, nether ſhal ſuffer the ſight of the one to paſſe our eies, nor the ſoūd of the other to forſake our ears, vntil deſtruction come vponupon deſtruction, death vponupon death, plague vponupon famine, and ſword vponupon both, to the vtter ouerthrow both of our ſelues & Country perpetually. Nay rather, O God, if there bee any place for mercy, (and why ſhould wee doubt of mercy with thee the God of mercy?) looke not vponupon this droſſe and filth wherewith thy holy houſe hath bin polluted, but ſweep them out; but looke, O Lorde, with thy tender eie of compaſsion vppon thy ſilly people (for what hauehave they done?) and ſtirre them vp daiely for Paſtors and Prophetes wiſe and skilfull men, whoſe lips may keepe knowledge, and whoſe hands may break vntounto them the bread of life.
Now, that this may hauehave a more mature & happy ſucceſſe, I am humbly to beſeech and ſolicite (if ſo this my ſimple work come vntounto their hands) the Reuerend Fathers of this Land, to whom I acknowledge al duty & ſubmiſſion in the Lord, & whom with al reuerence I ſolicit in this the Lords cauſe, that if their authority be not able to ſtretch ſo far as to the throwing out of theſe dum, deafe, and blind watch-men out of Gods tabernacle, into which they hauehave been ſhuffled (againſt manie of their Honors wils) by thoſe accurſed Simoniacal Patrons, who hauehave ſodred & ſimoned the wals of their houſes with the verie bloud of ſoules: yet it may pleaſe their wiſedoms to conſtraine and compell theſe, whereſoeuer they ſhal find them in any of their Dioceſes, to the reading and diligent ſtudying of thoſe books which their owne country-men, moued with mere pittie towardes them and their flocks, hauehave painfully deliuered vntounto them in a tongue familiar and common to them all.
And if it ſhal ſeeme ſo good and expedient to their Honours, to adioine theſe my labours vntounto the paines and trauels of many the ſeruants of God who hauehave with great praiſe endeuored in the like matter on the like respects heretofore: I make no doubt, but that out of this ſhort, yet ful Summe of Chriſtian Religion, God adding his bleſſing thereunto, they may in ſhort time receiue ſuch furniture and inſtruction, as they ſhal ſaue both themſelues and others, who both elſe are in caſe to periſh euerlaſtingly. But if their feete wil walke on in the way of blindnes, and themſelues refuſe to come out of the darknes of ignorance into the bright light of Gods knowledge: yet wil I not faint in hope for Iſrael but wil looke when yet once againe God himſelfe ſhal ſmite on rockes, and water ſhal flowe out of them, that his people in this time of drought maie drinke.
Euen ſo, O God, for thy promiſe ſake, and for thy troth of ould plighted in thy beloued Sonne vntounto thy choſen, open the rock of ſtone againe, let againe the waters, the liuing waters of thy word flow out, and let the ſauing riuers of thy Gospell runne, and ſtop not, through al drie places of our Land, that men and Angels may ſee the felicity of thy Choſen, and reioice in the gladnes of thy people, and giuegive thanks, and praiſe, and glory, and honour, with thine inheritance, vntounto thy bleſſed name for euer.
A CATECHISM OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
1 What is thy onelyonly comfort in life and death?
THat both in ſoule, & bodya1. Cor 6.19. 1. Theſ. 5.10., whether I liue or diebRom. 14 8., I am not mine own, but belongc1. Cor. 3.23. wholy vntounto my moſt faithful Lord & Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt: who by his precious blood moſt fullie ſatisfyingd1. Pet. 1.18. 1 Iohn. 1.7. & 2.2. for all my ſinnes hath deliue…ede1. Iohn. 38. Heb. 2.14.15. mee from all the power of the diuell, and ſo reſeruethfIohn. 6.39. me, that without the will of my hea…enly Father, not ſo much as a haire may falgMat. 10.30. Luke. 21.18. from …y head: yea all thinges muſthRom. 8.28. ſerue for my ſafe…y. Wherefore by his Spirit alſo he aſſurethi2 Cor. 1.22. & 5.5. Eph. 1.14. mee …f euerlaſting life, and makethkRom. 8.24. me ready, and pre…ared, that henceforth I may liue to him.
2 How many thinges are neceſſarie for thee to know, that thou enioying this comfort maiſt liue & die happilie?
ThreelLuk. 24.47. 1. Cor. 6.11. Rom. 8.16. Tit. 33.4.5.6.7 8.. The firſt, what is the greatnesmIohn 9.41. Rom. 3. of my ſin, & miſery. The ſecond, how I am deliuerednIohn. 17.3. from all ſinne and miſerie. The third, what thankes I oweoEpheſ. 5.10. 1. Pet. 2.9. & 3.10.11.12. Rom. 6.11.12.13. Mat. 5.16. 2. Tim. 2.15. vntounto God for this deliuerie.
There is a three-fold order, or there are three partes of the ſtudie of diuinitie.
THE firſt is a Catecheticall inſtitution, or briefe ſumme of Chriſtian doctrine, which is called a Catechiſme, and is a briefe explication of the generall pointes of the ſame doctrine. This part is neceſſarie. For both the learned and vnlearned ought to know the foundation of religion.
The ſecond, a handling of common places, or cōmon places, which contein a larger explication of eueryevery point, and of hard quaeſtions, together with their ſubdiuiſions, reaſons, and argumentes.
The third, a diligent meditation of the ſcripture, or holy writte. This is the higheſt degree, for which we learne all the reſt: to wit, that we may come furniſhed to the reading, vnderſtanding, and propounding of the holy Scripture. Thoſe former partes are taken out of the Scripture: and againe common places do lead vsus vntounto the Scripture, which is as it were a rule, by which they are directed.