Works of Joseph Hall, Text 6 – Dedication 29
A BRIEFE SVMME OF THE Principles of Religion, fit to be knowne of ſuch as would addreſſe themſelues to Gods TABLE.
Q HOw many things are required of a Chriſtian?
A. Two: Knowledge and Practice.
Q What are we bound to know?
A. God and our ſelues.
Q. What muſt we know of God?
A. What one he is, and what he hath done.
Q. What is God?
A. He is one Almightie and infinite Spirit, Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt.
Q. What hath he done?
A. He hath made all things, he gouerneth and preſerueth all things, and hath eternally decreed how all things ſhall bee done, and hath reuealed his will to vsus in his Word?
Q. What more muſt we know concerning God and his actions?
A. That God the Son, Chriſt Ieſus, tooke our nature vponupon him, dyed for our redemption, roſe again, and now liueth gloriouſly in Heauen, making interceſſion for vsus.
Q. Thus much concerning God: What muſt we know of our ſelues?
A. What we were, what we are, and what we ſhall be.
Q. What were we?
A. We were made at firſt perfect and happy, according to Gods Image, in knowledge, in holineſſe, in righteouſneſſe.
Q. What are we now?
A. Euer ſince the fall of our firſt Parents, we are all naturally the ſonnes of wrath, ſubiect to miſery and death: But thoſe whom God chooſeth out to himſelfe, are in part renewed through grace, and hauehave the Image of God in part repaired in them.
Q. What ſhall we be?
A. At the general reſurrection of all fleſh, thoſe which were in part renewed here, ſhall be fully perfited and glorified in body and ſoule: thoſe which hauehave liued and dyed in their ſinnes, ſhall be iudged to perpetuall torments.
Q. Thus much for our knowledge: Now for our practice what is required of vsus?
A. Due obedience and ſeruice to God, both in our ordinary courſe of life, and alſo in the ſpeciall exerciſes of his worſhip.
Q. What is that obedience which is required of vsus in the ordinary courſe of our life?
A. It is partly preſcribed vsus by the Law, and partly by the Goſpell.
Q. What doth the Law require?
A. The Law contained in Ten Commandements, enioyneth vsus all piety to God, and all iuſtice and charity to our neighbour.
Q. What doth the Goſpell require?
A. Faith in Lord Ieſus, with the fruit of it, Repentance; as our onelyonly remedie for the breach of the Law.
Q. What is faith?
A. The affiance of the ſoule vponupon Chriſt Ieſus, depending vponupon him alone for forgiueneſſe and ſaluation.
Q What is Repentance?
A. An effectuall breaking off our old ſinnes, with ſorrow and deteſtation, and an earneſt purpoſe and endeuour of contrary obedience.
Q. Thus much of our obedience in the whole courſe of life: What are the ſeruices required more ſpecially in the immediate exerciſes of Gods worſhip?
A. They are chiefly three: firſt, Due hearing and reading the Word: ſecondly, Receiuing the Sacraments: thirdly, Prayer.
Q. Which call you the Word of God?
A. The holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Teſtament.
Q. How many Sacraments are there?
A. Two: Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper.
Q. What is the vſe of Baptiſme?
A. By water, waſhing the body to aſſure vsus that the blood of Chriſt, applied to the ſoule of eueryevery beleeuer, clenſeth him from his ſinnes.
Q. What is the vſe of the Lords Supper?
A. To be a ſigne, a ſeale, a pledge, vntounto vsus of Chriſt Ieſus giuen for vsus, & giuen to vsus.
Q. What ſignifies the Bread and wine?
A. The body and blood of Chriſt, broken and powred out for our redemption.
Q. What is required of eueryevery Receiuer?
A. VponUpon paine of iudgement, that he prepare himſelfe by examination.
Q. Whereof muſt a man examine himſelfe?
A. Whether hee find in himſelfe, firſt Competent knowledge: ſecondly, A true (though weake) Faith: thirdly, Vnfained repentance for his ſinnes: fourthly, Charity, and readineſſe to forgiue: fiftly, An hungring deſire to this Sacrament: fixtly, A thankfull heart for Chriſt, and it.
Q. What is Prayer?
A. A calling vponupon God through Chriſt for a ſupply of all our wants, and praiſing him for all his bleſſing.
FINIS.
Contemplations VPONUPON THE PRINCIPALL PASSAGES OF THE Holy Storie.
The firſt Volume IN FOVRE BOOKES. By I.H. D.D.
LONDON, Printed for THO: PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and Iohn Haviland.
1625.
TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE, HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES. HIS HIGHNESSES VNWORTHY Seruant dedicates all his labours, and wiſhes all Happineſſe.
MOst Gracious Prince:
THis worke of mine, which (if my hopes and deſires faile mee not) time may hereafter make great, I hauehave preſumed both to dedicate in whole to your Highneſſe, and to parcell out in ſeueralls vntounto ſubordinate hands. It is no maruell if Bookes hauehave this freedome, when we our ſelues can and ought to be all yours, while we are our owne, and others vnderunder you. I dare ſay theſe Meditations, how rude ſoeuer they may fall from my Pen, in regard of their ſubiect are fit for a Prince. Here your Highneſſe ſhall ſee how the great patterne of Princes, the KING of HEAVEN, hath euer ruled the World, how his Subſtitutes, earthly Kings, hauehave ruled it vnderunder him, and with what ſucceſſe either of glorie or ruine. Both your Peace and Warre ſhall finde here holy and great examples. And if Hiſtorie and obſeruation be the beſt Councellors of your youth; what ſtorie can bee ſo wiſe and faithfull as that which God hath written for Men, wherein you ſee both what hath beene done, and what ſhould be? VVhat obſeruation ſo worthy as that which is both raiſed from God, and directed to him? If the proprietie which your Highneſſe iuſtly hath in the VVorke, and Author, may draw your Princely eyes and heart the rather to theſe holy Speculations, your Seruant ſhall bee happier in this fauour, then in all your outward bountie; as one to whom your ſpirituall progreſſe deſerues to bee dearer then his owne life; and whoſe daily ſuit is, that God would guide your ſteps aright in this ſlippery Age, and continue to reioyce all good hearts in the view of your gratious proceedings.
Your Highneſſes humbly deuoted Seruant, IOS: HALL.
Contemplations. THE FIRST BOOKE.
The Creation of the World.
Man.
Paradiſe.
Cain and Abel.
The Deluge.
BY IOS. HALL, D. of Diuinitie, and Deane of WORCESTER.
LONDON, Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE, THOMAS, EARLE OF EXCETER, ONE OF HIS MAIESTIES MOST Honorable Priuy Councell; All Grace and Happineſſe.
RIght Honorable:
I Knew J could not beſtow my thoughts better then vponupon Gods owne Hiſtorie, ſo full of edification and delight: which I hauehave in ſuch ſort indeuoured to doe, that J ſhall giuegive occaſion to my Reader of ſome Meditations, which perhaps hee would hauehave miſſed. EueryEvery helpe in this kinde deſerues to be precious. J preſent the first part to your Honour, wherein you ſhall ſee the World both made, and ſmothered againe: Man in the glory of his Creation, and the ſhame of his fall: Paradiſe at once made and loſt. The firſt Man killing his ſeede, the ſecond his brother. Jf in theſe I ſhall giuegive light to the thoughts of any Reader, let him with mee giuegive the praiſe to him from whom that light ſhone forth to me. To whoſe grace and protection I humbly commend your Lordſhip: as
Your Honours vnfainedly deuoted in all obſeruance and dutie, IOS. HALL.