The Chief Grounds of Christian Religion, Catechism
THE CHIEF GROUNDS OF Chriſtian Religion, Set down by way of Catechizing.
Gathered long ſince for the uſe of an Honourable Family.
By EZEKIEL ROGERS, Miniſter of Gods Word, ſometime of Rowly in York-ſhire, now in New-England.
GEN. 18.17, 19.
Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? for I know him, that he will command his ſons and his houſhold after him, that they keep the way of the Lord.
LONDON, Printed by I. L. for Chriſtopher Meredith, at the ſign of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard, 1648.
THE CHIEF GROUNDS OF Chriſtian Religion.
Queſtion. WHerefore hath God given to man a reaſonable, and an immortall ſoul?
A. That he above all other creatures ſhould ſeek Gods glory, and his own ſalvation.Eccl. 12.13.
Q. Where is he taught how this is to be done?
A. In the Scriptures, or Word of God.Io. 5.39. Scriptures.
Q. What are the Scriptures?
A. The Canonicall books of the Old and New-Teſtament.2 Pet. 1.21.
Q. What do the Scriptures teach us?
A. The true knowledge ofaIo. 17.3. God, and ofbReve. 3.17. God. ourſelves.
The firſt generall head; of God.
Q. What is God?
A. God isc1 Cor. 8.6 one holydIo. 4.24. Spirit, havingeExo. 3.14. being of himſelfe.
Q. How is the nature of God further made known to us?
A. By hisfExo. 34.6. propertiesgRom. 1.20. and workes.
…roperties.Q Which be his chief properties
A. a… Kings 8.27.Infiniteneſſe,bPſal. 90.2. Eternity,cPſal. 90.2.27. Unchangeableneſſe: To which may be added his Underſtanding, Will, and Power.
Q. How many perſons be there in the Godhead?
…rſons. Joh. 5.7.A. Three, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt.
Q. If every perſon be God, then there be three Gods?
A. Every perſon is that one, and the ſame God.
…orks.Q. Which be the works of God?
A. His Decree, and the fulfilling thereof.
…ecree.Q. What is the Decree of God?
…h. 1.11.A. His purpoſe or appointment with himſelf, how all things ſhould be, before any thing was made.
Q. What is his Decree concerning Angels and Men?
…edeſtination.A. That which the Scripture calleth Predeſtination.
Q. Which be the parts of it?
…ction. …robation. …m. 9.13, 22.A. Election and Reprobation.
Q. How hath God fulfilled this Decree?
A. By creation and providence.
Q. What was the Creation?
…ation. …l. 1.16.A. The makeing of all things of nothing, very good.
Q. What is his Providence?…ovidence.
A. TheaJoh. 5.17. Math. 10.29. upholding and b governing of that which he had made.
Q. Concerning the reaſonable Creatures, Firſt, how did God govern the Angels?Angels. 2 Pet. 2.4.
A. By teaching them all; by leaving the evill to themſelves, and confirming the Elect.1 Tim. 5.21.
The ſecond generall Head, of Man.
Q. What doth the Scripture teach us concerning Man?Man.
A. His fourfold eſtate, of innocency,His fourfold eſtate. miſery, grace and immortality.
The firſt Eſtate,
Q. VVherein conſiſted mans innocencie?Innocency. Gen. 1.27.
A. That he was created in Adam according to Gods Image.
Q. VVhat was this Image of God?Image of God Col. 3.10.
A. A likeneſſe to God in his holy properties.
Q. What priviledge had man hereby?Happineſſe.
A. All inward and outward happineſſe.
Q. How did God govern man in this eſtate?
A. BycGen. 2.26. teaching him, and making a Covenant with him.
Q. What was that Covenant?Covenant of Nature. Gal. 3.12.
A. Do this and thou ſhalt live.
The ſecond estate, of miſery.
Q. Did man continue in this happineſſe and Covenant?Miſery.
Fall.A. No, for he fell away from God.
…om. 3.23.Q. How came this to paſſe?
A. Being left of God to the liberty of his will,…en. 3.1. …dams ſin. …en 3.7. through his own weakneſſe, he was overcome by Satans temptation.
Q. What was Adams ſinne?
A. Diſobedience againſt God, in eating the forbidden fruit.
Q. What followed hereupon?
…uniſhment. …om. 8.20.A. A miſerable condition on himſelfe, and all the creatures.
Q. What upon himſelf?
A. aRom. 3.23.Loſſe of Gods Image;bGen. 3.8. guiltineſſe of conſcience;cRom. 5.12. death temporall, and eternall.
Q. Came this only from Adam?
…om. 5.18.A. No, all we being in his loyns, were partakers of his ſin and puniſhment.
Sin.Q. Shew now what is ſin?
Ioh. 3.4.A. Every tranſgreſſion or ſwerving from the Law.
Q. How many ſorts of ſins are there?
A. Two, Originall and Actuall.
…riginall ſin.Q. What is Originall ſin?
A. The corruption or ſtain of our nature, wherein we were born.
Q. What elſe is contained in it?
A. a…ſal. 51.5. Heb. 7.9.Guiltineſſe of Adams ſin,bRom. 7.14. Rom. 7.7. proneneſſe to all evill, and concupiſcence.
Actuall ſin.Q. What is actuall ſin?
A. The fruit of originall, in evill thoughts,Iam. 1.15. Mat. 15.19. words, and deeds.
Q. Are we able to beare or avoid that fearfull puniſhment of ſin?
A. No, nor any meer creature for us.Acts. 4.12. Grace.
The third eſtate of Grace.
Q. Is there no means to come out of this miſery, and to be reconciled to God?
A. Yes,dIohn. 3.16. God of his mercy hath found out a meanes, by making aeGal. 3.17. Covenant of Grace. Col. 1.20. new Covenant with us, in Ieſus Chriſt.
Q. Is it the ſame Covenant in the Old and New Teſtament?
A. The ſame for ſubſtance,Heb. 1.1. but divers for manner of revealing.
Q. What was this Jeſus Chriſt?Chriſt.
A. BothaRom. 14. His Natures. God and man, in one Perſon.
Q. Why muſt he be both God and man?
A. Man, that inbRom. 1.3. our own nature he mightcCol. 2.9. ſuffer; and God, that he mightdHeb. 2.16. overcome death for us.eProv. 14.
Q. What is his office?fHeb. 7.25, Office.
A. To begHeb. 9.15. Mediator between God and Man.
Q. Which be the parts of his office?
A. That he is our Prophet, Prieſt, and King.
Q. How is he our Prophet?Propheticall. Joh. 15.15. Heb. 1.2.
A. By revealing to us the will of his Father.
Prieſtly. Rev. 5.9.Q. How is he our Prieſt?
A. By working the merit of our Redemption.
Q. How wrought he it?
A. In the two-fold eſtate of his humiliation and glorification.…hil. 2.7.8 9.
… his humilia…on.Q. What were the degrees of his humiliation?
A. Three, his incarnation; poor life, death and paſſion.
…il 2.8. …om. 8.3.4.Q. What did Chriſt in this eſtate?
A. He ſuffered and fulfilled whatſoever our nature was bound to.
…orification.Q. What were the degrees of his glorification?
A. Three alſo;aActs 1.31. his reſurrection,bActs 1.9. aſcenſion. andc…ph. 1.20. ſitting at the right hand of his Father.
Q. What hath Chriſt wrought by all theſe?
…demption.A. Our full Redemption, and doth ſtill make interceſſion for us.…eb. 7.25.
…ngly office.Q. What doth Chriſt as he in our King?
…. 3. 35. …urch.A. He governs the Church, both viſible and inviſible, and ſhall be judge of the world.
…ible.Q. What is the viſible Church?
…t. 13.47.A. A company of men profeſſing the worſhip of God.
…iſible.Q. What is the inviſible Church?
A. The number of thed… Pet. 2.9. Elect, who haveeJoh. 13.7. communion together; whether Militant or Triumphant.
Q. How doth Chriſt govern the viſible Church?
A. Firſt, by afMat. 20.16. generall calling of all;Calling. Secondly, by angJob. 14.6. Preaching of the Word. effectuall calling of the Elect, whereby the benefits of his mediation are applied to them.
Q. By what means doth he apply theſe benefits to the Elect?
A. Ordinarily, by the outwardhRom. 10.17. preaching of the Law and Goſpel,iActs 16.14. and the inward working of the Spirit.
Q. What doth the Spirit work in them, Law.by the preaching of the Law.
A. A.aRom. 3.20. Rom. 7.7. ſight of their ſinne and miſery, andbRom. 7.10. Acts 2.37. trouble of heart for it, whereby they are brought tocGal. 3.24. Goſpel. ſee need of Chriſt.
Q. What worketh it by the Goſpel?
A. An earneſt and conſtantdLuk. 15.19. Mar. 9.24. deſire of Chriſt, even till they can apply him.
Q. What is that grace whereby we apply Chriſt?
A. Juſtifying faith or believing, which is the firſt and main thing in theeGal. 3.17. Acts 16.31. Faith. Joh. 1.12. 1 Joh. 5.10, 11. Covenant on our part.
Q. What is this faith?
A. It is ſuch a receiving of Chriſt, who is offered in the promiſes of the Goſpel, as whereby I come to be perſwaded, that all he hath done, is for me.
Q. Which be the chief lets of faith?Lets of it.
A. fMat. 4.16.Want of the means, org2 Cor. 4.4. Luk. 14.18, 19. error in the uſe of them.
Q. Is the greateſt meaſure of faith wrought at the firſt?
Degrees. Luk. 17.5. Mat. 8.26. Companions.A. No, but by degrees.
Q. Which be thoſe graces or affections that accompany Faith, more or leſſe, as it is ſtronger or weaker?
A. hRom. 5.1.Peace of conſcience,iLuk. 7.47. love,kActs. 8.39. joy,lPſal. 116.12. thankfulneſſe,mPhil. 1.23. deſire of Gods preſence,nRom. 5.4. Priviledges. hope, &c.
Q. What are thoſe benefits or priviledges that we receive by Faith in this life?
A. Three eſpecially; Iuſtification, Adoption, and Sanctification.
Iuſtification.Q. What is Juſtification?
2 Cor. 5.21.A. It is that whereby God accounts us righteous through Chriſts merits.
Q. How is that done?
Rom. 5.19.A. By laying our ſin and puniſhment on him, and imputing his righteouſnes to us.
Adoption.Q. What is Adoption?
Rom. 8.17.A. That whereby we are made the children of God, and heirs with Chriſt.
Sanctification.Q. What is ſanctification?
A. The purifying of our whole nature.
Tit. 3.5.Q. Which be the parts of it?
Rom. 6.11.A. Mortifying and quickning.
Q. How is our nature purified?
1 Theſſ. 5.23. Of the ſoul,A. Both in ſoul and body.
Q. How the ſoul?
A. In the faculties of theoEph. 4.23. imagination. pPro. 2.5 9.Underſtanding,qActs. 24.16. Conſcience, the Heart (which is therRom. 7.18. Will andſGal. 5.21. Affections) and thetPſal. 19.16. Bodie. Rom. 6.13. Memory,
Q. How the body?
A. The members thereof are made weapons of righteouſneſſe.
Q. But what is that grace that neceſſarily followeth all theſe in the beleever?
A. Repentance;Repentance. Mark. 1.15. which is the ſecond part of our Covenant.
Q. What is Repentance as it is here taken?
A. bGal. 5.6. 2 Cor. 5.14.It is a fruit of faith, which from the feeling of Gods love, andc2 Cor. 6.9. New life. ſorrow for ſin, bringeth forth ad2 Cor. 5.17. new life.
Q. Wherein doth it conſiſt?
A. eEſay. 1.16.17.Firſt, in the hatred and forſaking of all evill. Secondly, in an earneſt deſire to pleaſe God in all things, alwaies: which is our doing offActs. 26.20. Good workes. Exo. 30.36.37. good works.
Q. Can we then do good works?
A. Not perfectly, but God accepts of them through Chriſt his interceſſion.
Q. What rule have we to teach us, Rule of godlineswhat evill to leave, and good to do?
A. The Law of God in the ten Commandements.Law Exod. 20.1.
Q. How many Tables is the Law divided into?
A. Two, the firſt,Two Tables. containing four Commandements, the other ſix.
Com. 1.Q. What is the ſum of the 1. Commandement?
A. That we chuſe the true God for our God, and ſet our hearts upon him.
Q. What is the ſum of the ſecond?
Com. 2.A. That we worſhip him only, and that with his own worſhip.
Q. What the third?
Com. 3.A. That we uſe his Name reverently at all times, as well as in his ſolemn worſhip.
Q. What the fourth?
Com. 4.A. That we worſhip him more ſpecially on the Sabbath.
Q. What is the ſum of the ſecond Table?
Com. 5.6, 7, 8, 9, 10.A. That we maintain our neighbours and our own, 5. Dignity. 6. Life. 7. Chaſtity, 8. goods, 9. good-name; yea, even in our, 10. firſt thoughts.
Helps of godlineſſe.Q. What helps and means have we to grow in godlineſſe?
A. Many both publick and private.
Q. Which be the publick?
Publick.A. Either extraordinarie, as holyaHeſt. 4.16. Faſting andb2 Chr. 20.26. Feaſting, or ordinary, as the uſe of the Word preacheddDeu. 31.11. and read, the Sacraments,cNeh. 8.4. prayer andeMat. 18.15, 16, 17. diſcipline.
Q. What are the Sacraments?
A. The viſible ſigns and ſeals of the Covenant, ordained of God to repreſent and confirm the ſame unto us.
Sacrments. Rom. 4.11.Q. How many Sacr. are there in the Goſpel?
A. a1 Cor. 11.2, 3.Two only, Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper, as under the Law werebGen. 17.10. Circumciſion and thecExod. 12.11. Paſſeover.
Q. What is Baptiſme?Baptiſme. Cal. 3.23.
A. A Sacrament of our new birth, or entrance into the ſtate of Grace.
Q. What is the Lords Supper?Lords Supper. 1 Cor. 10.16. 1 Cor. 1.26.
A. A Sacrament of our growth and increaſe in Grace.
Q. What is Prayer?Prayer. 1 Joh. 5.14.
A. It is a calling upon God only, in the Name of Chriſt.
Q. How many parts of prayer are there?
A. 3. Confeſſion, Petition, & thankſgiving.
Q. What pattern of prayer have we?
A. The Lords Prayer.Lords Prayer. Math. 6.9.
Q. How many things are to be conſidered in this prayer?Parts of it.
A. Three, the Preface, the Prayer it ſelf, and the concluſion.
Q. For the Prayer it ſelf, Petitions,how many petitions are in it?
A. Six, three concerning Gods Glory, and three for our own neceſſities.
Q. What learn we by this Prayer?
A. Both what we ſhould pray for, & how, namely, with preparation, faith, love,Private helps. reverence, zeal, confidence, and continuance.
Q. Which be the private helps?
A. aGen. 21.63.Private prayer,bDeut. 17.19. reading,cGen. 18, 7.1. family-exerciſe, and the reſt.
Q. Which be the lets of a godly life?
Lets of godlines.A. They are many: but for the moſt part, they are either from thedRev. 2.4, 5, Falls. weakening of faith, or the neglect of the meanes.
Q. But what if a true Chriſtian fall into ſin after he hath repented?
Renewed repentance. 2 Cor. 7.8, 9, 10.11. Perſeverance. Phil. 1.6.A. He muſt then renew his Repentance, and Covenant with God.
Q. But may he not fall finally?
A. No, for he hath promiſe of perſeverance,
The fourth estate of immortality?
Death. Ecc. 12.9. Iudgement,Q. What becomes of a man at his death?
A. The body goeth to the grave, the ſoul to the place therof, till the Iudgment.
Iudge. 2 Tim. 4.1. 1 Cor. 15.25.Q. Who ſhall be the Iudge of the world?
A. Chriſt, for it is the laſt part of his Kingly office.
Q. What ſhall be the preparation to the Judgement?
Reſurrection. Acts. 24.15. 1 Cor. 15.A. The Reſurrection of the dead, and change of the living.
Q. What ſhall then be the eſtate of the godly?
Mat. 25.48. Eternall life and death. Math. 25.46.A. Eternall life in Glory.
Q. What ſhall be the eſtate of the wicked?
A. Everlaſting damnation.
Reve. 20. ….
Bleſſed and holy is he that hath part in the firſt Reſurrection: for on ſuch the ſecond death hath to power.
FINIS.
End of the text · Ezekiel Rogers, The Chief Grounds of Christian Religion (1648)