The Sum of Christianity, Part 1
THE SUMME OF Christianity: WHEREIN A Short and Plain Account is given▪
Of
The Christian Faith.
The Christian's Duty.
The Christian's Prayers.
The Christian Sacraments.
WITH Prayers for Families.
For the Use of such as want either Time to read Longer, or Capacity to understand Learneder Discourses.
By CLEMENT ELIS, Rector of Kirkby, and Prebendary of Southwell in Nottinghamshire.
LONDON: Printed for Will. Rogers at the Sun against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet. 1699.
Price Three Pence.
THE Summe of Christianity, &c.
The Christian Faith.
SECT. I.
THERE is a God, and no more but One GOD, who is the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST. The FATHER who begat the SON; and the SON, who is the only begotten of the FATHER; and the HOLY GHOST, who is the SPIRIT of the FATHER, and of his SON; are Three, and these Three are One GOD.
GOD is a living Spirit, without Body, Parts, or Passions; every-where present, and Eternal, without beginning or end; unchangeably one and the same for ever, and cannot be seen, or perfectly known by any but himself.
GOD is Infinite in all Perfections, of Glorious Majesty, Holiness, Power, Wisdom, and Goodness, Justice, and Mercy; needing nothing, but perfectly blessed in Himself alone.
GOD is the Maker, Preserver, Owner, and Righteous Governor of all things; and according to his Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, doth what, and when, and how he will.
In the beginning by his Word, and of his own good pleasure, God made the World, and all things therein, in six Days; and all that he made was very good.
There is no being nor Goodness, but it is of God; nor can any thing come to pass but by his Counsel. He ordereth the whole Course of the World wisely and for the best.
God made an innumerable Company of Angels, which are Spirits. Some of these continue holy and happy, obeying, loving, praising and enjoying God, and serving him in such Services as he is pleased to employ them in for the good of Men.
Some of the Angels sinned, and were, with their Prince or Leader, called the Prince of Devils, the Old Serpent and Satan, cast down to Hell, reserved in Chains to the Day of Judgment. The Devil is … Tempter to Sin, the Father of Evil-doers, going about as a roaring Lyon, seeking whom he may devour; or as an Angel of Light, seeking whom he may deceive.
God made the first Man Adam with a Body formed of the Dust of the Earth; and the Body of the first Woman Eve; made he of a Rib of Adam.
God made them Male and Female in his own Image, putting into the Body an Immortal Soul or Spirit, Holy and Righteous, endued with Understanding or Reason, a Free-Will, and Power of Acting, and a Dominion over the Creatures made for his use and service.
God made Man for Himself, to serve him in holy Love and perfect Obedience. God's Will understood, was the Law in his Heart, whereby he was to live, and whereby he found himself bound to resign himself to God's Disposal and Government, and to Honour, Praise, and Love Him, and to delight himself in Him, as his chief Good and Happiness.
Had Man continued Innocent, that is, Obedient to God, he had for ever lived and been happy in God; but sinning, that is, disobeying God, he must Dye. This is it which is called the Covenant of Works. Obey and Live, Sin and Dye.
To exercise and try Man's Obedience, God gave him a very easy Command; giving him leave to eat of all the Trees of the Garden of Eden, wherein he had placed him, but one, called the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; he charged him upon pain of Death not to eat of that.
But the Devil in a Serpent tempted Eve, and by her he tempted Adam also to eat of the Fruit of that Tree; and so by sinning or breaking the Command of God, they lost their Innoc…nce, and became Mortal, and must Dye; obeying the Devil, they fell under his Power; disobeying God, they lost his Favour, which was their Happiness. They that were Wise, Good, Powerful, and Happy, thus became Evil, Foolish, Weak, and Miserable.
We are all the unholy Children of sinful Adam, ignorant of God, our Duty, and our Happiness; dead to Goodness, inclined to Evil, easily drawn into Sin by the Temptations of the Devil, the Allurements of the World, and the Lusts of the Flesh; and if left to our selves, will run headlong to Destruction.
If God had punish'd Man's Sin with present Death, Mankind had been at an end. Therefore he suffered him to live for a time, yet in such a Condition, as he might be sensible of the Mischief he had done himself by sinning. The Earth is curs'd to bring forth for him Vanity, Trouble and Vexation. Hard Labour, grievous Pains and Sickness he must undergo. He becomes ashamed of himself, and afraid of God, and at last must Dye, and return to Dust.
SECT. II.
Though God had decreed that Man should Dye for his Sin; yet of his Infinite Mercy he made for him a new way to Eternal Life and Happiness after Death.
God threatn'd the Devil, that his Power over Man should be destroyed by one that should be born of a Woman; and in due time, God the SON was pleased so to take to himself our Human Nature, Soul and Body, and so to become God and Man in one Person. An Angel saluted an Holy Virgin called Mary, and foretold his Conception in her Womb by the Divine Power of the Holy GHOST, when she had never known Man; who when the time was come, brought forth her Son, and as the Angel had commanded, called his Name JESUS, because he was to save his People from their Sins
He came to be the Mediator between God and Men, and to establish a N…w Covenant of Grace, wherein Pardon, Grace, and Eternal Life, are for his sake granted to all who believing in Christ, repent of their Sins, and sincerely Obey his Gospel; and Eternal Death made the Punishment of all Impenitent Sinners.
JESUS is that MESSIAH, of whom Moses and the Prophets did write; even the CHRIST, or anointed one; anointed, or designed and ordained to a threefold Office, which he was to discharge as Mediator; that is to say, of a Prophet, of a Priest, and of a King.
As a Prophet, he hath in his Gospel, and by his Apostles, made known to us all his Father's Will, concerning both our Salvation and our Duty.
As a Priest, he suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was Crucified; so offering himself once for all a perfect and sufficient Sacrifice for the Sins of the whole World; thereby giving full Satisfaction to his Father's Justice, in consideration whereof Pardon and Life are granted to all Penitent Sinners.
Before his Death, he had lived many Years on Earth in an humble and low Condition, and was tempted as we are, yet without Sin. And in both he is our Example, which we are to imitate in doing and submitting to the whole Will of God, and conquering the Temptations of the Devil and the World.
Being Dead, he was Buried, and continued some time in the State of the Dead, and the third Day rose again to Life. And having seal'd the New Covenant with his Blood, he after his Resurrection instructed his Apostles in their Office, and commissioned them to admit Men into the Covenant by Baptism, and to teach them how to keep it.
After forty Days, he ascended up visibly into Heaven, where he still continues to execute his Priestly Office; being our Advocate with the FATHER, ever living to make Intercession for us, rendring our Persons and Services acceptable to God, and powerfully prevailing for all good Blessings on us.
He is set down at the Right Hand of God in Power and Majesty, exalted above all Principality and Power; having all Power in Heaven and in Earth; and as King, he ruleth all things, being made Head over all things to his Church.
He giveth Laws to all Men, and protecteth his Subjects, reigning in their hearts by his Holy Spirit. He subdueth his Enemies, and must reign till they be all put under his Feet. All Judgment is committed to him, and he shall come again in the Glory of his Father, to Judge both the Quick who shall then be found alive, and the Dead who died before his coming.
SECT. III.
On the Day of Pentecost Christ sent the Holy GHOST upon the Apostles, to guide them into all Truth, to testify of Christ, and to be his Advocate with Men, to plead his Cause against the World; to qualify the Apostles to be his Witnesses throughout the World, enabling them to Preach to all Nations in their own Languages, and to work Miracles for the Confirmation of what they preached; to write the Holy Scriptures, and to encourage them to a constant Suffering for Christ, even unto Death.
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments contain the very Word of God, which Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy GHOST; and they are able to make us wise unto Salvation.
The Holy GHOST by the Word enlightens our Understandings; opens, softens, changeth, and renews our Hearts; makes us spiritually and heavenly minded, quickens our Deadness, warms our Affections, and sanctifies them; subdues our Passions, helps us to Pray, and strengthens us to resist Temptations, and to persevere in our Duty; and comforts us with a Sense of his Holy Operations in us, whereby he testifies, together with our spirits, that we are the Children of God by Faith in Christ JESUS.
Being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, all Christians are but one Holy Church, the Body, whereof Christ is the only Head. All that are Baptized, and outwardly profess Christianity, are to be accounted by us Members of the Church, and Holy, by a visible Separation from the World, and Solemn Dedication to God, till they cut themselves off by Schism, or are justly cast out by Excommunication.
This Holy Church is Catholick, or Universal, extending to all Places, propagated through all Ages, and teaching all saving Truth. And all the sanctified Members of it have Fellowship with the FATHER, and the SON, by one Holy SPIRIT, which is as the Soul of this Body; and with Holy Angels in their Care and Ministries; with the glorified Saints of Heaven, in their Love and Prayers; with one another on Earth, in the same Faith, Hope, and Love, Word, Prayers, and Sacraments, bound to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace.
All these have in Consideration of Christ's Satisfaction, a full Pardon of all Sin sincerely repented of, preached unto them by God's Ministers, sealed unto them in the Sacraments of Buptism, and the Supper of the Lord, with an assurance of final Justification and Salvation, upon condition of persevering in Faith and Obedience to the Gospel.
At Death the Souls of the Faithful rest with God in Peace and Comfort; and the Souls of the Wicked pass into a State of endless Misery. And the Bodies of all Men shall be raised again after Death, and re-united to their Souls.
Then must we all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ, who will condemn the Wicked to everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; but shall finally acquit the Righteous and give them the Kingdom prepared for them from the Foundation of the World, where they shall everlastingly live in joy, happy in the knowing, loving, praising, and delighting in God amongst the blessed Angels and Saints in Heaven.
Through the Merits and Intercession of the SON, by one SPIRIT of Grace we have Access unto the FATHER. To FATHER, SON, and Holy GHOST, one uncompounded, undivided GOD, be all Honour and Glory. Amen.