A Form of Catechizing, Title page – Preface
A FORME OF CATECHIZING, ſet downe by Queſtions and Anſwers.
Wherein, the principall grounds òf Chriſtian Religion are deliuered.
By EDWARD ELTON Preacher of the word of God, in the Pariſh of St. Mary Magdalens in Barmondſey nere LONDON.
1. Concerning God.
2. Concerning Man, his creation, fall, and ſtate of corruption.
3. Concerning mans deliuerance by Chriſt.
4. Concerning the meanes of being partakers of Chriſt and his benefits.
5. Concerning the meanes of obtayning faith, and the good things that follow faith.
6. Concerning the eſtate of man in death, after death, particular iudgment, and the laſt and generall iudgement.
LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mab, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Pauls Churchyard at the ſigne of the Greyhound. 1616.
The Preface to the Catechiſme.
THE chiefeſt thing a man or woman ſhould deſire and ſeek after, is, how to liue and dye comfortably: and after death, how to remaine bleſſed for euer.
Now this can neuer be attayned, vnleſſe a man know God aright, and hauehave a right knowledge of Ieſus Chriſt,Ioh: 17.3. whom he hath ſent.
The way to true comfort and bleſſednes both in this life and for euer, is, to know God to be our Father in Chriſt by the reuelation of his ſpirit, according to his word. And this knowledge is not in vsus by nature, and one ſpeciall meanes to attaine vntounto it is inſtruction in the grounds of Religion.
I will draw that I purpoſe to deliuer in this kinde of exerciſe, to certaine generall heads and grounds of Chriſtian Religion, needfull to be knowne and beleeued of all Chriſtians, and handle theſe grounds by way of Qu ſtion and Anſwer, that they may the better be conceiued.
Now then, the first ground, and principle of Religion, I purpoſe to handle, ſhall be concerning God, what wee are to conceiue and beleeue concerning God.
A Forme of Catechizing, ſet downe by Questions and Anſwers; Wherein the principall grounds of Chriſtian Religion are deliuered.
Queſtion. WHat is God?
A. God is a ſpirit, or ſpirituall ſubſtance,Joh: 4.24. moſt wiſe, moſt holy, eternall and infinite.
Q. How are we perſwaded that there is ſuch a God?
A. Beſides the euidence and teſtimonie of Scripture, by theſe reaſons.
1. By the creating and making of the world and all things in it: and eſpecially the ſoule of man.Rom: 1.20.
2. Secondly,Zachar. 12.1. by the works of Gods prouidence, and chiefly his fearefull puniſhments,Pſal. 9.16. Pſal. 58.10.1… on monſtrous and notorious ſinners in this life.
3. Thirdly, by common conſent of all Nations, who rather worſhip any God or gods, than none at all.
Obi…ct. Epheſ. 2.12. The Gentiles were without God in the world.
Anſw. The meaning is, they were without the true God.
4. Fourthly, by the accuſation & terrors of conſcience: a man that commits any ſinne in ſecret, his conſcience naturally checking him, accuſing and terrifying him for the ſinne,Rom. 2.15. Iſai: 33.14. and as it were drawing him before a iudgement ſeat.
Q. How many Gods be there?
Deut. 6.4. 1. Tim. 2.5. 1. Cor. 8.6.A. OnelyOnly one and no more.
Obiect. Pſalm. 82.1. God ſtandeth in the aſſembly of Gods.
Anſw. The word is there taken for Iudges and Magiſtrates, becauſe they ſtand in Gods place or roome.
Q. How is this one God to be conceiued of vsus?
A. Not by framing any image of him in our mindes:Deut: 4.16. neither can we conceiue him in his glorious nature, but we are to conceiue God,Iudg: 13.18. 1. Tim. 6.16. as he hath reuealed himſelfe in his word, by his properties and works.
Q. What be the chiefe properties of God?
A. Firſt, he is moſt wiſe,1. Propertie of God. Iob 12.13. Rom. 16.27.
Q. What is that wiſdom of God?
A. It is that by which God doth diſtinctly and perfectly know himſelfe, and all other things aright: and knoweth the nature, reaſon, and cauſes of all things.
Q. What is the ſecond propertie of God?
A. He is moſt holy, Iſai: 6.3.
Q. What is that holineſſe of God?
A. It is a moſt abſolute & perfect puritie of all Gods properties and attributes:Exod. 20.5.6. and it appeares in that he is moſt iuſt, and mercifull vntounto his creatures.
Q. What is the third propertie of God?
A. He is eternall, Iſaiah 41.4. Reuel. 1.4. And that eueryevery way, without beginning or end of daies. Angells and the Soules of men be eternall, but not eueryevery way, though they ſhall neuer die, yet had they a beginning, and they are eternall not abſolutely but by participation.
Q. What is the fourth propertie of God?
A. He is infinite.
Q. How many waies is God infinite?
A. Two waies: Firſt, in preſence. Secondly, in power.
Pſal. 139.7. 1. King. 8.27. Jer. 23.24. Deut. 10.17.In preſence. He being preſent in all places filling heauen and earth.
In power. He being able to do whatſoeuer he will. Pſal. 115.3.
Ob. God cannot lie, Tit. 1.2. or deny himſelfe, 2. Tim. 2.13. therefore he cannot do all things.
Anſ. To lie or to denie himſelfe are works of impotency and weaknes, and not of power, and therefore cannot befall God.
For works of impotencie, or things contrary to the nature of God, as to deſtroy himſelfe, or not beget his Sonne from all eternitie. Or things that imply contradiction: as to make a truth falſe, or that which is not, to be, at the ſame time, cannot befall God.
Q. How many wayes is Gods power taken or diſtinguiſhed?
A. Two wayes, it is either abſolute or actuall.
Q. What is his abſolute power?
Math. 3.9. Phil. 3.21.A. That by which hée is able to doe more then either he doth, or will do.
Q. What is his actuall power?
Pſal. 135.6.A. That by which hee cauſeth all things to bee which he willeth, and doth whatſoeuer he will.
Q. What are the workes of God by which we are to conceiue him?
A. They are two, creation and preſeruation.
Q. How are we to conceiue of God in reſpect of creation?
A. Ier. 10.12. Acts 4.24.That he is the moſt mighty Creator of the world, and of eueryevery thing that hath a being in the world.
Ob. There bee many euils and hurtfull things in the world, as venemous and poiſonfull beaſts, hearbes, and ſuch like, yea, euill ſpirits, the Diuell and his Angels, did God create them?
A. Yes, God did create all theſe things, Gen. 1.20.25.but wee muſt vnderſtand, that God made not poyſonfull creatures ſo at the firſt, but they became ſo by the fall of man. Hurtfull and poyſonfull creatures which now are for the correction and puniſhment of man for ſinne, ſhould not hauehave beene ſo, if man had not fallen.
Againe, God made the Deuill and euill ſpirits, at the firſt very good and glorious ſpirits, but they willingly and of their owne accord, Iude. 6.fell from that puritie in which they were created, and ſo their being is from the will of God, but th…ir being euill is from their owne wils.
Q. Did God make ſinne, ſickneſſes, diſeaſes and death, or no?
A. No: theſe bee no creatures of God, we finde not the making of theſe in the firſt creation of all things. Sin is no Creature of God, but the deſtruction of Gods Image, which is a Creature: and ſickneſſes, diſeaſes, and death came into the world by ſinne, and follow ſinne. And though they come from God as corrections,Rom. 5 12. 1. Sam. 2.6. exerciſes or puniſhments: yet are they no Creatures, as things that hauehave a being in the world, but rather as deſtructions of ſuch things as hauehave being.
Q. What is the worke of creation?
Gen 1. Heb. 11.3.A. It is the making of all things in their ſeuerall kindes, of nothing, by the mighty power of God in the firſt ſix daies of the world.
Ob. Man was made of the duſt of the earth, Gen. 2.19.fiſhes of the water, beaſts and foules of the earth, woman of man: How then did God make all things of nothing?
A. God made the firſt matter of all things of nothing, & then of that matter were all things formed.
Q. What is the ſecond work by which we are to conceiue God in our mindes?
A. The preſeruation of all things created by his ſpecial prouidence, we are to conceiue him in our mindes, as the moſt wiſe and mighty Preſeruer of all things created. 1. Pet. 3.19. God is a faithfull Creator, he did not onelyonly make heauen and earth and all things in them, and ſo leaue them; but he by his wiſe prouidence and mighty power doth preſerue and gouerne the ſame.
Q. What is that worke of preſeruation of all things?
A. It is the hand and power of God,Pſal. 119 91. Ioh. 5.17. continually exerciſed in ſuſtaining and diſpoſing of all things created.
Q. How doth God ſuſtaine all things created?
A. Heb. 1.3.Hee vpholdeth them all in their being by his mighty word.
Q. How doth God diſpoſe of all things created?
A. Mat. 10 29.30. Prou. 16.33.Hee guideth and employeth them to good ends and vſes, yea, euen the leaſt things, as the flie, the gnat, and ſuch like: ſo that nothing comes to paſſe by chance, not ſo much as a little ſparrow hoppeth or falleth on the ground without the prouidence & diſpoſing hand of God.
Q. How know you that God ordereth and gouerneth all things by his moſt wiſe and mighty power, and by his ſpeciall prouidence?
A Beſides the euidence of Scripture,Leuit. 26.26. by experience, we ſée that meat and drinke being voyd of life, yet preſerue the life of man:Matth. 4.4. cloathing being voyd of heat, yet it kéeps the body warme, which could not bee but by the ſpeciall prouidence of God giuing vertue to them.
Q What are wee further to conceiue and beleeue concerning God?
A. That in one ſimple and vndiuided God-head, in o… diuine eſſence there be thrée diſtinct perſ…ns, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt▪ and that theſe thrée perſons are equall in eternity and glory, that they are alike eternall, none of the thrée pe…ſons being afore or after another in time, and t…at they are equall in all things that bel…g to the nature of God.
Q How is the Trinity of perſons proued?
A. By theſe places of Scripture, Mat. 3.16.17. cap. 28. verſ. 19. 2. Cor. 13.13. 1: Ioh. 5.7. There bee three which beare record in heauen, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and theſe three are one. In that he ſaith thrée, he noteth the diſtinction of the perſons: and in ſaying one, he ſheweth the vnity of the eſſence, that in one vndiuided God-head there bee thrée diſtinct perſons.
Q. What is the Father?
A. Pſal. 2.7. Ioh. 5.26.In reſpect of order hee is the firſt perſon in the God-head without beginning, being of himſelfe and from none other, and giuing perſonall being to his Sonne.
Q. What is the Son?
A. Ioh. 3.16. Ioh. 5.26. Prou. 8.22. to 32. verſe.Hee is the ſecond perſon in the God-head, hauing perſonall being from the Father, of whom he is begotten from all eternity.
Q. What is the Holy Ghoſt?
A. Ioh. 15.26. Rom. 8.9.He is the third perſon in the God-head, hauing perſonall being from the Father and the Son: he proceeding from them both from all eternity.Gal. 4.6. He is called the ſpirit of Chriſt: whence wee gather and that truely, that hee proceedeth no leſſe from the Sonne, then from the Father.
Q. Are theſe three perſons three ſeuerall Gods, as three perſons amongſt men, are three ſeuerall men?
Reaſon. A. No: The thrée perſons are but one God. Becauſe the diuine eſſence is infinite, and admits no diuiſion: and the whole diuine eſſence is in eueryevery one of the perſons; which are not ſeuered, but onelyonly diſtinguiſhed one from another.
Q. How are wee …o conceiue the three perſons in the Godh…ad diſtinct one from another?
A. Two waies.
Firſt, in the manner of perſonall being which ech perſon hath proper to himſelfe. As that.
The Father is the perſon which begets; the Sonne the perſon who is begotten of the Father; & the Holy Ghoſt the perſon, who procéedes from the Father and the Sonne.
Secondly, in the manner of working in the creatures. For the Scriptures aſcribes.
To the Father the beginning of working.Ioh. 5.17.19.
To the Sonne, wiſdome and counſell, and the diſpenſation of the worke, Ioh. 1.3. All things were made by it (that is) the Word, the ſecond perſon in the God-head. Heb. 1.2. By whom alſo he made the worlds. Hence he is called Wiſdome, Prou. 8.22.
To the Holy Ghoſt, vertue,Iob 26.13. 1. Cor. 12.11. and power, and efficacy of operation. In a word, God the Father, in the Son, by the holy Ghoſt worketh all things. This doctrine is beyond all reach and vnderſtanding of man, yet to bee beléeued as that which God hath reuealed in his word, for our ſaluation which cannot ſtand without it.