A Brief Sum of Christian Religion, Creed – Part
The Chief Articles of Christian Belief, contained in the Scriptures, and generally received by the Ancient & modern Churches of God, as doth appear by their joynt Confessions.
I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth. And in Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord, which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was Crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into Hell; The third day he rose again from the dead: he ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the Right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to Judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy Catholike Church: the Communion of Saints: the forgivenesse of sins: the Resurrection of the Body, and the Life everlasting.
The Ten Commandements.
GOD spake all these words,1 Table. saying, I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor serve them: For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: six dayes shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattel, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six dayes the Lord made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, & hallowed it.
Honour thy Father,2 Table▪ and thy Mother: that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his oxe nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbours.
The Lords Prayer.
OVR Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdome come: Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven: Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespasse against us: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil; For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever, Amen.
This Summe may easily be reduced to the usual Form of Gatechismes by Questions & Answers; to which end that it may also serve, I have here distinctly set down the most materiall Questions, to which the Propositions in the Summe, being equal in number, are direct Answers, and may be readily applied.
| Question | Answer. | |
| 1 | Which is the Way to eternal happiness.? | Prop. 1[That is, the Proposition noted in the Summe by the figure 1. is an answer to this Question. So understand the rest.] |
| 2 | What is the Word of God? | Prop. 2. |
| 3 | What doe the Scriptures chiefly declare? | Prop. 3. |
| 4 | What is the Nature of God? | Prop. 4. |
| 5 | Who is the True God? | Prop. 5. |
| 6 | Which are the chief Works of God? | Prop. 6. |
| 7 | What was Mans first state? | Prop. 7. |
| 8 | How did Man loose his first happiness? | Prop. 8. |
| 9 | What is the Misery of Man? | Prop. 9. |
| 10 | What is Sin, and the punishment due unto it? | Prop. 10 |
| 11 | How are we freed from sin, and all misery? | Prop. 11 |
| 12 | What was Gods Covenant? | Prop. 12 |
| 13 | What is the Office of Christ? | Prop. 13 |
| 14 | What Benefits hath Christ obteined for us? | Prop. 14 |
| 15 | How are we made partakers of Christs Benefits? | Prop. 15 |
| 16 | What is it to Believe in Christ? | Prop. 16 |
| 17 | How ought we to receive Christ? | Prop. 17 |
| 18 | What is inseparably joyned with saving Faith? | Prop. 18 |
| 19 | What is Repentance? | Prop. 19 |
| 20 | What is Christian Obedience? | Prop. 20 |
| 21 | How may we attain to Faith, and all other Graces? | Prop. 21 |
| 22 | Which are the principal meanes to Work Faith, & other Graces? | Prop. 22 |
| 23 | Which are the chief points of Christian belief? | Prop. 23 |
| 24 | What is the rule of Mans duty, and practice? | Prop. 24 |
| 25 | What doth Gods Law command, and forbid? | Prop. 25 |
| 26 | What is the End, and summe of the Law? | Prop. 26 |
| 27 | Why were the Sacraments ordeined? | Prop. 27 |
| 28 | What is the Church to which alone the Sacraments do belong? | Prop. 28 |
| 29 | What are Sacraments? | Prop. 29 |
| 30 | What Benefit have we by Baptisme? | Prop. 30 |
| 31 | What is further confirmed unto us, and required of us in Baptisme? | Prop. 31 |
| 32 | What is the End, and Benefit of the Lords Supper? | Prop. 32 |
| 33 | Who are fit Receivers of the Lords Supper? | Prop. 33 |
| 34 | What is the Work, and Office of Ministers? | Prop. 34 |
| 35 | What is the Use, and efficacie of prayer? | Prop. 35 |
| 36 | What is the best Rule, and Forme of Christian Prayer? | Prop. 36 |
| 37 | What is to be joyned with Prayer? | Prop. 37 |
| 38 | What maketh our prayers, and all other Duties acceptable to God? | Prop. 38 |
| 39 | How may we continue, & increase in Grace? | Prop. 39 |
| 40 | Who are Gods Elect, and Heires of of Salvation? | Prop. 40 |
2 Tim. 2. 23.
Foolish and unlearned Questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
Some special places of Scripture expressing the whole Duty of man.
So Worship I the God of my Fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law,Acts 24. 14, 15, 16. and the Prophets. And have hope towards God, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the un just. And herein do I exercise my selfe, to have alwaies a conscience void of offence, towards God, and towards men.
The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men;Tit. 2. 1…. 12, 13, 14. Teaching us that denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope▪ & the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Iesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith, Jude 20. 21.praying in the holy ghost, keepe your selves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
He hath shewed thee O man what is good, Mic. 6. 8.and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to Walk humbly with thy God
Trust in the Lord,Psa. 37. 3. and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land.
Hold faith, and a good conscience, 1 Tim. 1. 19.which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwrack.
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, Tit. 3. 8.that they which have believed in God, may be carefull to maintein good works: these things are good and profitable unto men.
Let ours also learn to maintein good works for necessary uses, 14.that they be not unfruitfull.
Add Colos. 1. 9. 10, 11, 12. Deut. 10. 12, 13. &c.
Let us heare the CONCLUSION of the whole matter,Eccles 12. 13, 14. fear God and keep his Commandments: for this is the whole Duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Io. 13. 17.
If you know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
End of the text · Thomas Greaves, A Brief Sum of Christian Religion (1656)