Brief Method of Catechizing, Catechism 4
A FORME OF EXAMIning such as are to receiue the Lords Supper: diuided into two parts.
The first part.
Q. WHerefore do you desire to receiue ye Lords supper?
A. Because it is the ordinance of God,1. Cor. 11.24.25. appointed by him to confirme my faith.
Q. Doe you then find weaknes of faith in your selfe?
A. I do indeed find that my faith is feeble and needeth strengthning.Mark. 9.24
Q. How perceiue you that?
A. By my coldnes in prayer, louelove,Psal. 116.10. Rom. 10.14 zeale, repentance, and good works.
Q. How else?
A. By my feare of death,Phil. 1.23. 1. Ioh. 2.15. desire of life, louelove of the world, and such like.
Q. These do plainly argue a weaknesse of faith: but hauehave you faith at all or no?
A. Yea:2. Cor. 5.1. for I am assuredly perswaded of my owne saluation by Iesus Christ alone.
Q. What is the ground of your perswasion?
A. The ground of my perswasion is the free and gratious promise of God reuealed in the Gospell.Rom. 10.17
Q. What is that promise?
A. That whosoeuer beleeueth in the onelyonly begotten sonne of God,Ioh. 3.16. shal not perish, but hauehave euerlasting life.
Q. Why do you beleeue this promise?
2. Cor. 1.28 Heb. 11.19A. Because God, who hath made it, is both able and faithfull to performe it.
Q. God in his own nature is almightie, and most true: but what assurance hauehave you hereof?
Heb. 6.12. Rom. 4.11.A. His word is sufficient: yet tendring my infirmitie, he hath bound it with an oath, and set to his seale.
Q. How doth he set to his seale?
Rom. 4.11.A. By the ministery of the Sacraments, which the Apostle calleth seales of the righteousnesse of faith.
Q. Why doth he call them so?
A. Because thereby God doth assure me (and eueryevery faithfull receiuer) that Christ is mine,1. Cor. 1.11 2.25. with all his benefits.
Q. What be the benefits, which the faithfull receiue by Christ?
A. They be sixe; election, redemption,1. Cor. 3.30 iustification, sanctification, adoption, and intercession.
Q. VVhat is election?Election.
A. Our being chosen of God the Father, in Iesus Christ,Ephes. 1.4. to life euerlasting, before all eternitie.
Q. VVhat is redemption?
A. Redemptiō. Luk. 7.47. Col. 2.14.15.Our deliuerance from all our enemies, sinne, death and hell.
Q VVhat is iustification?
A. Our being accounted perfectly righteous in the sight of God.Iustificatiō. Phil. 3.9.
Q. VVhat is sanctification?Sanctification.
A. Our holines, begun in this life; and to be perfected in the life to come.Apoc. 20.6. Luke 1.75 Mortification. Ʋiuificatiō. Rom. 6.11.
Q. VVhat be the parts of sanctificatiō?
A. Two: whereof the first is the Spirits killing of sinne in vsus; and the other, his enabling of vsus to walke in newnes of life.
Q. VVhat is adoption?Adoption.
A. Our being receiued into the number of Gods children,Ioh. 1.12. Ephes. 1.5. 1. Iohn 3.1 and into the inheritance of his kingdome.
Q. VVhat is intercession Intercession.or mediatiō?
A. The vertue and effect of Christs death and obedience;Heb. 2.17. &. 4.14. whereof all the faithfull are partakers.
Q. VVhy doth the Apostle say, that Christ is made vntounto vsus of God, VVisdome?Wisedome.
1. Cor. 1.30.31. 1. Cor. 6.7 Rom. 5.A. Both because our chiefe wisdome is to know him; and also because, as his righteousnesse, so his wisdome is counted ours that beleeue in him.
Q. Why doth he set redemptiō in the last place, seeing Christ wrought it first?
Luke 21.28. Rom. 8.23.A. Because we do not fully enioy the fruit of our redemption, which is, to be freed from all miserie, till after death.
Q. And are you sure to bee confirmed in all these, by the vse of this Sacrament?
Rom. 10.13. Act. 8.39.A. Yea verily: for God will not faile to blesse his owne ordinance, to eueryevery one that vseth it aright.
Q. Who are they?
Mark. 3.6.7.8.9.A. Only such as hauehave knowledge of Religion, faith in Christ, repentance for their sins, with louelove to God and all men, euen their enemies.
Q. HaueHave you all these?
Rom. 3.6. 1. Cor. 13.9.A. Yea, I thanke my God, in some competent measure: though my wants be many and great.
Q. What hold you concerning God?
Knowledge of GodA. That he being infinit, aswell in his iustice, as in his mercy,Rom. 6.23. cannot but punish sinne with all seueritie.
Q. What hold you concerning man?
Knowledge of man.A. That he being by nature a miserable sinner, cannot escape this seuerity of God, without some singular and soueraigne remedie.
Q. What hold you concerning Christ?
A. Christ. Acts. 4.12.That there was none in heauen or earth but he alone, that could both satisfie the iustice of God, and make vsus partakers of his mercy.
Q. What hold you concerning the holy Ghost?
A. Holy Ghost. 1. Cor. 6.15.19.That by him we are ioyned to Christ, as members of his bodie, and made partakers of all his benefits.
Q. What hold you concerning Faith?
A. Faith. Ioh. 1.12. & 3.14.15.That it is the instrument of the holy Ghost, whereby I lay hold vponupon Christ.
Q. What thinke you of repentance?
A. Repentance Luk. 7.37.18. &c.That wheresoeuer true Repentance is, there is true faith also.
Q. What thinke you of faith?Faith.
2. Cor. 13.5.6.A. That whosoeuer hath true faith, is a liuely member of Iesus Christ.
Q. What thinke you of Iesus Christ?
Christ. Iohn 1.12.A. That eueryevery member of Iesus Christ is the child of God, and heire of his heauenly kingdome.
Q. What conclusion gather you from hence?
Rom. 9.1. Repentance.A. That whosoeuer doth truly repent, shall neuer perish, but be saued euerlastingly.
Q. How appeareth true repentance?
Mat. 26.75 Luk. 7.37.A By the vnfained sorrow for and hatred of eueryevery knowne sin, both in others, and specially in our selues.
Perseuerance. Phil. 1.6.Q. How know you that you shall perseuere?
A. Because he, that hath bgun a good worke in me, will increase and continue it to the end.
The second part.
Faith or summe of the Gospell.Q. Let me heare the summe of your faith.
A. I beleeue in God the Father, &c.
Q. How many things doth this ancient and Apostolike confession teach you?
A. It teacheth me what to beleeue, first concerning God, and secondly concerning the Church of God.
Q. What beleeue you concerning God?
A. That there is one God,1. Iohn. 5.7. and thrée persons; the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.
Q. What beleeue you concerning the Father?
A. Gen. 1.26. Psal. 73.24That he made me in the beginning in his owne image, & will guide me for euer to his owne glorie.
Q. What else?
A. That he hath chosen me,Ephes. 1.3.4.5. before all beginnings, in Iesus Christ, to be his child: and therefore I am bold to call him Father.
Q. What beleeue you concerning Iesus Christ?
A. That he is my gratious Lord:1. Cor. 6.20. because by his death I am freed from death and sinne: and by his obedience, I hauehave righteousnesse and life.
Q. What else?
A. That he maketh most effectuall intercession for me in heauen, whence he shall come in due time,Rom. 8.13. Rom. 5.5. to deliuer me from all miserie.
Q. What beleeue you concerning the holy Ghost?
Ephes. 2.8. 1. Cor. 3.6. & 12.4.A. That he being the power of God, ioyneth me to God, and maketh mee (and all Gods elect) partakers of the merciemercy of the Father, and of the merit of the Sonne.
Q. What else?
A. That it is he alone, who worketh all spirituall graces in mee, and that maketh all good meanes profitable vntounto me.
Q. What beleeue you concerning the Church?
Gen. 4.3.26. Rom. 11.14.A. That there is, and hath bin from the beginning a number, whom the Father hath chosen, and the Sonne redeemed, and whom the holy Ghost doth sanctifie, and glorifie for euer.
Q. What else?
Act. 24.25. 2. Cor. 5.A. That I being one of the number, enioy the forgiuenesse of my sins, in this life; and that in the end of the world, my bodie shall rise, and be ioyned to my soule, in eternall happines.
Q. Seeing the rule of louelove is the law of God Law of God.contained in the ten Commandements, rehearse the words.
A. I am the Lord thy God, &c.
Q. What doe these ten Commandements teach vsus in generall?
A. Tit. 2.11.12. &c.That denying all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts, we liue soberlie, righteouslie and godly in this present world.
Q. How many of them concerne the worship and seruice of God?
A. The foure first:Iohn 4 23.24. wherein I am charged to yéeld vntounto God alone, the true and spirituall worship which hée hath prescribed in his word.
Q. What be the chiefe branches of Gods true worship?
A. They are chiefely fiue: that is, faith, louelove, feare, thankfulnes, & praier.
Q. How must you louelove God?
A. Vnfainedly, with all my heart,Mar. 12.30 soule, thought and strength.
Q. How may this louelove appeare?
A. If I cleaue vntounto him with my heart worship him with my body,Deut. 6.13 Iosua 22.5 Esa. 58.13. honor him with my tongue and life, and carefully keepe his Sabbaths.
Q. What is the summe of the other sixe Commandements?
Mat. 7.12.A. That whatsoeuer I would that men should doe vntounto me, euen so I do vntounto them; and that I louelove my neighbour as my selfe.
Q. How may this louelove appeare?
Com. 5.A. If I reuerence and respect eueryevery man according to his calling, yeeres, gifts, and coniunction with my selfe.
Q. How else?
Com. 6.7.8.9.10.A. If I do tender his life and eueryevery thing that is deare vntounto him; that I doe not willinglie so much as let my thoughts wander to his hurt.
Q. Whēce come the graces of knowledge, faith, repentance, and louelove?
Iam. 1.17.A. From God my heauenly Father, the constant author and fountaine of all good things.
Q. Doth he giuegive them to all men?
Vers. 5.6.A. No: But to them that aske in faith, he giueth liberally, and vpbraideth them not.
Q. HaueHave you any sound paterne of holy prayer?
A. There bee many in the Scriptures:Gen. 24.12 & 32.9. &c. but none comparable to the Lords prayer.
Q. Rehearse it.
A. Our Father which art in heauen, &c.
Q. Need you vse no other forme, but this?
A. Yes:Acts 4.24. But I must hauehave an eye to this: and may fruitfully shut vp my particular prayers in this.
Q. Why so?
A. Matth. 6.6.7.8.Because it containeth whatsoeuer concerneth the glory of God, good of his Church, comfort of my bodie, and saluation of my soule.
Q. Are the Creed and Commandements to be vsed as prayers?
A. No. But in praying, we are to craue strength to beleeue that, which is contained in the Creed; and to practise that, which is contained in the Commandements.