A Form of Catechizing, Part 2
The third Principle, touching Mans deliuerance from that damnable eſtate.
Q. What meanes of deliuerance is there, 3. Principle.whereby a man may ſcape this damnable eſtate?
A. God of his infinite mercy hath giuen a Sauiour and Deliuerer to mankinde.
Q. When was that Sauiour and deliuerer giuen to Man?
A. He was ſet apart to that office in Gods decrée from euerlaſting,Heb. 5.5. Epheſ. 1.4. from all eternitie, but promiſed and propounded immediately after the fall in Paradiſe,Gen. 3.15. Galat. 4.4. 1. Tim: 2.6. and manifeſted and exhibited in the fulnes of time.
Q. Who is that Sauiour and deliuerer giuen to man?
A. Ieſus Chriſt. Mat: 1.21. Act. 4.12.
Q. What is Ieſus Chriſt?
A. The eternall Sonne of God made man like to vsus in all things, ſin only excepted, and ſo God and man in one perſon. Matth. 1.23. Ioh. 1.14. Rom: 9.5. Iſai: 9.6.
Q. How proue you that Ieſus Chriſt is GOD?
A. Beſides the plentifull teſtimonie of Scripture, it is cleare by his many miracles, by his knowing the hearts of men,Rom: 1.4, and eſpecially by raiſing of himſelf from the dead, together with the continuance of his goſpell from time to time, not by carnall meanes, nor by humane power or policie, but only by the power of his ſpirit,Reuel. 12.11. and patient ſuffering of his Saints.
Q. How proue you that Ieſus Chriſt was very man like to vsus in all things, ſinne only excepted?
A. Beſides the teſtimonie of Scripture, it is cleare by many experiments, eſpecially by his partaking of humane infirmities common to mans nature; as to be hungry, thirſtie, weary, ſad, ſorrowfull, angry, ignorant of ſome things, & ſuch like, and by his ſuffering of death.
Q. How could Chriſt be very man, and yet be without ſinne?
A. Becauſe he was not begotten after the ordinarie courſe of nature, by naturall generation, but as man he was formed of the only ſubſtance of the Virgin Mary his mother, and that ſubſtance was ſanctified in the conception,Luk. 1.34.35. that is, ſeuered from all ſtaine of ſinne, by the power of the Holy Ghoſt.
Q. Wherefore was it needfull that Chriſt ſhould be man?
A. For two reaſons: Firſt, that hée might die and ſuffer the puniſhment due to ſin,Heb. 2.14. Philip. 2.7, 8. which the Godhead could not do.
Secondly,Rom. 8.3. 1. Pet. 2.24. that he might appeaſe Gods wrath in the ſame nature, wherein God was offended.
Q. Wherefore was it needfull that Chriſt ſhould be God alſo?
A. For two reaſons likewiſe.
Firſt, that he might vphold his manhood in ſuffering, and vanquiſh death.
Secondly, that the doings and ſufferings of his manhood might be of infinite worth and vertue.Heb. 9.14. hence the Church is ſaid to be purchaſed by the blood of God.Act: 20.28.
Q. What are we further to know and beleeue touching Chriſt his being God and Man?
A. Two things:
Firſt, the diſtinction of his two natures. and
Secondly, the vnion of them.
That his two natures are diſtinct one from another, and that they are alſo vnited and make but one perſon.
Q. What are we to know and beleeue touching the diſtinction of the two natures in Chriſt, his Godhead and his manhood?
A. That there is a reall diſtinction of thoſe two natures,Mat: 26.39. Ioh: 10.17.18 Act: 3.21. 2 Cor: 13.4. without any mixture of the one with the other, and without any conuerſion or turning of the one into the other, and that the eſſentiall properties and actions of both natures remaine diſtinct one from another.
Q. What are we to know and beleeue touching the vnion of Chriſt his two natures, his Godhead and his manhood?
A. That they are vnited by perſonall vnion, that the Godhead and manhood in Chriſt make but one perſon.
Q. What is that perſonall vnion?
A. It is the aſſuming of the humane nature into the perſon of the Sonne of God, ſo as the manhood being not a perſon in it ſelfe, is receiued into vnitie of perſon with the ſecond perſon in Trinitie,Ioh: 1.14. Heb: 2.16. and doth wholy and only ſubſiſt in the ſame: this is a myſterie of godlineſſe ſo called. 1. Tim: 3.16.
Hitherto of the perſon of Christ, now come we to the office.
Q. What is the office of Ieſus Chriſt being God and man in one perſon?
A. It is his Mediatorſhip to be the only Mediator betwéene God and man,Iſai: 42.6. & 49.8. 1 Tim: 2.5. Heb. 9.15. to ratifie and confirme the couenant of grace, and to make perfect reconciliation betwéene God and man, being parties infinitely and eueryevery way diſagréeing.
Q. How was Ieſus Chriſt fitted for the accompliſhment of that office?
A. He was annoynted of his Father, and ſo made fit for the perfect accompliſhment of it: hence he is called (Chriſt) which ſignifieth annoynted, & this was figured and ſhadowed out in the annoynting of Prophets, Prieſts, and Kings in the time of the old Teſtament.
Q. Was Chriſt annoynted with viſible and materiall oyle as they were?
A. No:Ioh: 3.34. Act: 10.38. Heb. 1.9. but with the graces and gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, and that moſt fully and without meaſure.
Q. What be the ſeuerall functions and offices of Chriſt as he is Mediator?
A. They are thrée: namely his
Propheticall,
Prieſtly, and
Kingly
office.
Chriſt was annoynted of his Father to be the onelyonly Prophet, Prieſt and King of his Church.
Q. What is the propheticall office of Chriſt?
A. It is the office of reuealing the will of God,Iſa: 61.1. Math: 17.5. Ioh: 1.18. Mat: 23.8, 10. and the meanes of ſaluation to his Church in all ages, Chriſt hauing béene, now being, and euer ſhall be the only Teacher of his Church.
Q How did Chriſt performe this office, and how doth he now performe it?
A. Two waies.
Firſt outwardly, by the miniſtery of his word,Math. 23.37. 1. Pet: 3.19. 2. Pet. 1.21. as before his incarnation, by the Prophets and Teachers of the old Teſtament.
And in the daies of his fleſh in his own perſon.Heb. 2.3. 2 Cor. 5.19.20. Eph. 4.11.12. And ſince his aſcenſion by his Apoſtles and Miniſters called and fitted by him to that purpoſe.
Luk. 24.45. Act. 16.14. 1. Cor. 3.6, 7.Secondly, inwardly, by the operation and teaching of his Holy Spirit.
Q. What is the prieſtly office of Chriſt?
A. It is that whereby Chriſt hath and doth reconcile God to his elect,Heb 5.9. Heb. 7.24, 25. he performing all thoſe things to God, for them, whereby they may come to eternall life.
Q. Wherein ſtandeth the performance of the offiice of Chriſt his Prieſthood?
A. In doing thrée things for Gods choſen.
Q. What is the firſt of thoſe?
A. It is the fulfilling of the law of God,1 Cor. 1.30. and performing perfect righteouſnes for them.
Q. Wherein ſtood that perfect righteouſnes of Chriſt?
A. In two things.
Firſt, In the puritie of his humane nature, he being conceiued and borne pure and holy, voide of all ſinne. and
Secondly, In the obedience of his whole life,1 Pet. 2.22, 28 Rom. 8.3, 4. he doing all that the law required of him for Gods choſen.
Q. What is the ſecond thing?
A. Ioh: 1.29. 1 Cor. 5.7. Heb. 9.14.26.It is the offering of himſelfe vntounto God his Father a ſacrifice holy & without ſpot, thereby appeaſing his wrath for all their ſinnes.
Q. How was Chriſt offered in ſacrifice?
A. As he was man conſiſting of body and ſoule?Iſa: 53 10. Heb. 10.10.
Q. How often did Chriſt ſacrifice himſelfe?
A. OnelyOnly once and no more. Heb. 9.28. Heb. 10.12.14.
Q. What manner of death did Chriſt ſuffer, when he ſacrificed himſelfe?
A. A death on the Croſſe, an accurſed death,Luk: 22 44 Ioh: 12.27. Gal. 3.13. whereby his ſoule was not only ſeuered from his body, but he felt alſo the extreame horror & moſt bitter pangs of hell in his ſoule.
Q. What is the third thing?
A. It is Chriſt his entring into heauen and there appearing before his Father,Rom. 8 34. 1. Ioh. 2.1. continually making interceſſion for all the faithfull.
Q. After what manner doth Chriſt make interceſſion in heauen for the faithfull?
A. Not by proſtrating himſelfe and vttering words to his Father, by putting vp a prayer or ſupplication to his Father: but by preſenting himſelfe and the ſacrifice of himſelfe once offered vponupon the Croſſe, and the infinite and invaluable merit of that ſacrifice before the eyes of his Father,Heb. 9.24. Ioh: 17.24. willing as he is God and man, and deſiring as he is man that his Father would accept of his perfect ſatisfaction: for all that are giuen vntounto him.
Q. What is the fruite and benefit of Chriſt his interceſſion?
A. It is this: it kéepes eueryevery true beléeuer in the ſtate of grace, and in the fauour of God continually, and it makes their weake prayers, and imperfect Obedience acceptable and pleaſing to God by a ſpeciall and continuall application of the merit of his death and obedience to them. 1. Ioh. 2.2. 1. Pet. 2.5.1. Ioh. 2.2. 1. Pet. 2.5.
Q. What is the Kingly office of Chriſt?
A. It is that, whereby Chriſt exerciſeth the power giuen him of his Father ouer all things, diſtributing his gifts,Pſa. 130.1.2.3 Ier. 23.5.6. Matth. 28.18. and diſpoſing of all things for the good of Gods choſen.
Q. Wherein ſtands the performance of Chriſt his Kingly office?
A. In two things.
Firſt, in the ſpirituall gouernment of his Church.
Secondly, in the deſtruction of his and their enemies.
Q. Wherein ſtands the ſpirituall gouernment of his Church?
A. Partly in collecting and gathering his Church and the members of it,Epheſ. 4.12. Coloſſ. 1.13. out of the world, and from vnderunder the tyrannie of the Diuell,Iſa. 9.7. Ioh. 10.28. Iude epiſt. 1. verſe. Sinne and Death. And partly, in kéeping it, being collected and gathered in the way vntounto life euerlaſting.
Q. What be the Lawes of Chriſt his ſpirituall gouernment by which he gouernes his Church and the members of it?
A. They are two.
Firſt, his word, namely, the doctrine of the Prophets and Apoſtles,Mark. 1.14. Iſa. 53.1. Rom. 3.27. written in the old and new Teſtament.
Ierem. 31.33. 1. Cor. 4.20.Secondly, the power and operation of his ſpirit in the hearts of his ſeruants.
Q. How doth Chriſt deſtroy the enemies of his Church?
Luk. 14.27. Pſal. 110.1.A. By bringing confuſion on them in his owne good time.
Q. When doth Chriſt confound his enemies?
A. Partly in this world, Pſal. 2.9. Pſal. 110.5.Pſal. 2.9. and 110.5.
1. Cor. 15.25. 2. Theſſ. 2.8.But moſt fully in the end of this world in the day of iudgement.