A Short Treatise Containing the Principal Grounds of Christian Religion, Catechism · Question 1 – Question 5
Q. VVHAT ought to bee the cheife, & continuall care of eueryevery man in this life?
A. To a1. Cor. 10. 31.glorifie 1 God, and bAct. 16. 30, 31. Matth. 16. 26.ſaue his 2 ſoule.
Expoſ. 1. Gods glory, that is, his ſurpaſſing worthines, cannot be encreaſed, nor fully manifeſted. Ex. 33. 20. becauſe he is moſt perfect. Pſal. 16. 2. and infinite. Iob 22. 2. and 35. 7. God is ſaid to glorifie himſelfe when he makes his excellencie to appeare. Numb. 14. 21. Pſal. 72. 19. Ezeck. 43. 2. Angels and men glorifie him when they extoll his greatnes, and teſtifie their acknowledgement of his glory. Luc. 2. 14. Reu. 14. 7. Ex. 15. 2. Here then to glorifie God, is inwardly in heart. Rom. 4. 20. 1. Cor. 6. 20. and outwardly in word and action. Matth. 5. 16. 1. Pet. 2. 12. to acknowledge God to be ſuch a one as he hath reuealed himſelfe. Reu. 4. 9. 11. Pſal. 29. 1. 2. and. 50. 23. Of glorifying God, man ſhould be moſt carefull: for God is the beginning from which, and the end vntounto which all things doe tend. Rom. 11. 36. his glory is in it ſelfe moſt excellent. Exod. 33. 18. 19. Pſal. 148. 13. moſt deare to him. Ex▪ 7. 4. 5. Eſa. 42. 8. and 48. 11. the ſupreame ende of all diuine reuelation. Eph. 2. 7. of all his works. Eph. 1. 5. 6. Pro. 16. 4. Exod. 9. 16. Pſal. 50. 15. Ioh. 11. 4. 40. of mans life. Pſa. 6. 4. 5. and ſeruice. Zach. 7. 5. 6. Pſa. 101. 1. Ioh. 3. 28. 29: and all meanes furthering the ſame, are auaileable to mans ſaluation. Rom. 4. 20. 21. Ier. 13. 16. Matth. 2. 2. 1. Sam. 2. 30. Pſal. 50. 23.
2. To take care for our ſaluation, is ſo to liue here, that we may liue with the Lord hereafter. Phi. 2. 12. 2. Pet. 3. 11. 14. The ſaluation of the ſoule is moſt pretious. Pſal. 49. 8. cannot be obtained without care. Act. 2. 37. 1. Cor. 9. 24. Matth. 7. 13. Luk. 12 24. and he is euer mindleſſe of Gods glory, that is careleſſe of his eternall happines. Eph. 2. 12. Ioh. 5. 44. and, 7. 18. Alſo eternall life is a durable treaſure. Luk. 12. 33. and 16. 9. 10. 1. Tim. 6. 17. 18. al worldly things are vaine, vncertaine, and tranſitorie. Matth. 6. 19. Pſa. 73. 18. 19. the ſoule came from God and is after a reſtles manner carried to ſeeke, and deſire communion with God, and a deſire to be happy, is naturally planted in the hearts of all men, by God himſelfe; therefore we ſhould earneſtly ſet our affections vponupon things that are aboue. Col. 3. 1, 2. Phil. 3. 12, 13, 14. and infinitely deſire the enioying of Gods preſence in heauen, for he is infinite in goodnes, the higheſt of all things that are to be deſired.
Q. Whence muſt we take direction to attaine hereunto?
A. Out of the cIoh. 20. 31.word • of God alone.
Expoſ. 3. God onelyonly can giuegive the crown of glory. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Iam. 1. 12. he alſo is the author, obiect, & ende of true religion. Gen. 18. 19. Act. 18. 25. 26. Ioh. 6. 29. therefore none but he can reueale the way how we ſhould obtaine that euerlaſting inheritance. Pſal. 16. 11. Pro. 2. 6. 9. For the nature of God is incomprehenſible, his will and works are vnſearchable. Heb. 11. 6. Deut. 4. 4. 6. and 29. 29. Heb. 11. 3. No man hath knowne the Father but the Son, and he to whom th… Sonne hath reuealed him. Ioh. 1. 18. Matth. 11. 27. and the Goſpel is an hidden miſterie. 1. Cor. 2. 7. 10. Rom. 16. 25. 26. ſo that we can knowe nothing of God, vntill God himſelfe manifeſteth it vntounto vsus. Pſal. 103. 7. and 147. 19. 20. By the word of God, we vnderſtand the will of God reuealed to reaſonable creatures, teaching them what to doe, beleeue, and leaue vndone. Deut. 29. 29.
Q. What call you the word of God?
A. The d2. Tim. 3. 16.holy Scripture 4 immediately 5 inſpired, which is contained in the books of the Old and New Teſtament.
Expoſ. 4. This word of God hath heretofore been diuerſely made known. Heb. 1. 1. as by inſpiration, 2. Chro. 15. 1. Eſa. 59. 21. 2. Pet. 1. 21. Ingrauing in the heart, Rom. 2. 14. viſions, Numb. 12. 6. 8. Act. 10. 10, 11. Apo. 1. 10. Dreames, Iob 33. 14. 15. Gen. 40. 8. Vrim and Thummim, Numb. 27. 21. 1. Sam. 30. 7, 8. Signes, Gen. 32. 24. Exod. 13. 21. Audible voice, Exod. 20. 1, 2. Gen. 22. 11. 15. and laſtly by writing, Exod. 17. 14. This word ſo reuealed, is by excellency called the Scripture, Gal. 3. 22. Io. 10. 35. and the holy Scriptures, Rom. 1. 2. in reſpect of God the Author, Act. 1. 16. and 4. 25. the holy pen-men, Luk. 13. 38. 2. Pet. 1. 21. the matter, 1. Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1. and end thereof, Rom. 15. 4. 2. Tim. 3. 17. The truth of God was deliuered to the Church in writing, Deut. 31. 9. Hoſ. 8. 12. Reu. 2. 1. that it might be preſerued pure from corruption, 2. Pet. 1. 12, 13. 15. be better conueied to poſterity, Ier. 36. 27, 28. Deut. 31. 9. be an infallible ſtanderd of true doctrin, and determiner of all controuerſies, Eſa. 8. 2. Mal. 4. 4. Deut. 17. 11. that our faith might be confirmed beholding the accompliſhment of things propheſied, 1. King 13. 2. comp. 2. King 23. 16. Act. 17. 10. 11. and for the more full inſtruction of the Church, the time of the Meſſias euer drawing on, Mal. 4. 4. or beeing come, Luk. 2. 3.
5. To be immediately inſpired, is to be as it were breathed, and to come from the Father by the holy Ghoſt, without all meanes. And thus the holy Scriptures were inſpired both for matter, and words. Luk. 1. 70. 2. Pet. 1. 21.
Q. What are the books of the Old Teſtament?
A. Moſes, 6 and eLuk. 24. 27.the Prophets.
Expoſ. 6. All the books of holy Scripture giuen by God to the Church of the Iewes, are called the Lawe. Luk. 16. 17. Ioh. 12. 34. and the Prophets. Rom. 1. 2. and 16. 25. 26. becauſe they were written by holy men ſtirred vp, ſanctified, and inſpired of God, for that purpoſe. 1. Pet. 1. 11. Heb. 1. 1. But ordinarily they are compriſed vnderunder theſe two heads, the lawe and the Prophets. Matth. 22. 40. Act. 13. 15. Matth. 7. 12. or the lawe of Moſes and the Prophets. Act. 28. 23. or Moſes and the Prophets. Ioh. 1. 45. Luk. 16. 29. Moſes beeing diſtinctly named from the reſt becauſe he was the firſt and cheife of the Prophets: as the Pſalmes are mentioned particularly. Luk. 24. 44. becauſe they are the choiſe and flower of all other Scripture.
Q. Which are the bookes of t…e newe Teſtament?
A. Mathew, Marke, Luke, and the reſt as they follow in our Bibles.