A Candle Lighted at the Lamp of Sacred Scripture, Title page – Dedication
A CANDLE LIGHTED AT THE LAMPE OF SACRED SCRIPTVRES. Or A Catechiſme conteining all truths fundamentall, and none but fundamentalls.
By Richard Bifield, Miniſter of Gods word, and Paſtor in Long Ditton.
2 Tim 3. 15.
From a Ch…ld thou haſt knowen the Holy Scripture…, which a…e able to m…k… th…e w…ſe to ſalua…io… … is i… Chriſt Ieſus.
…; no… Argumen…o.
Ambroſe de Spir…u ſancto. l. 3. c. 11.
I leaue to the ſimplicity of Scripture, not the ſub…y of argument
Imprinted at LONDON 1627.
A Precept to Parents.
Theſe words which I commande thee this day ſhall be in thine heart: and thou ſhalt teach them diligently vntounto thy childrē, and ſhalt talke of them when thou ſitteſt in thine houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, and whē thou lyeſt downe, and when thou riſeſt vp. Deut. 6. 6. 7.
To children and ſeruants.
Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts, and bee readie alwayes to giuegive an anſwer to every man that asketh you a reaſon of the hope that is in you, with meekne…e and feare. 1 peter. 3. 15.
TO THE CHILDREN AND youth of Long-Ditton, Kingſton vponupon Thames, and Eaſt Molſey: Grace be vntounto you and peace, from him which was, and which is, & which is to come.
LIttle children and youth, I am debter to you alſ…, and am taught by Iohn, 1 Ioh, 2 12, 13.the Diſciple whom our Saviour loved: to pay this debt by writing. I Dedicate therefore this little booke to you ioyntly: where in▪ you my little babes, may ſee the mercies of God in forgiuing your ſinnes for Chriſts name ſake; and may learne euen in the milke to know, and knowing to call God Father. Wherein likewiſe you young men, may, as out of the Lords armory, hauehave weapons ready fitted to your hand & vſe, wherewith ye ſhall overcome that wicked one. And if ye receiue by faith this doctrine, and let it abide in you, to louelove it to obey it, you ſhall encreaſe your ſtrength; and the better with ſtand future aſſaults, in all of them, being more then Conquerours.
For, in the first part, yee hauehave orderly framed in words of Stripture, the whole body of divinitie, which we are to beleeue concern…g the Goſpell of our Lord and Saviour Ieſus Chriſt, after a familiar way of Cat…chiſing: no one matter of opinion mixed therewith, but onelyonly fundamentall truthes; layd downe ſo that all Hereſies-now being, or formerly rooted, or that may hereafter ſpring vp, as tares amongſt the wheate, are cut off; not by humaine wi…t and Schoole diſtincti…ns: but by divine word & holy writ. here you hauehave much, yea all in a little, yet without obſcurity. Here ye have that faith which ever was held & profeſſed vniverſally in the Church: as will be manifeſt to the iudicious that are acquaint…d with Scripture, with Councels with the authen…iq…e Creeds, with the publike confeſſions of chriſtian m…n & Churches. The truth I dare boldly …ay, the enemies themſelues being iudges. In a word: yee hauehave here the heads of Doctrine, which in eueryevery particular in the audience of the Congregation of Kingſton vponupon Thames, was with feare and trembling (being part of full three years laboures their) diſcourſed off at larg…; ſhewing in all and every point, the Harmony of both Teſtaments, the vntiyng of difficulties and knots in them, by way of explication, the wiles of Satha… and the fleſh, begui…ing vsus of the fruite of ſuch knowledge and beleife in deeds, while our mouthes profeſſed the ſame in words, the concluſions profitable and famous which depend upon ſuch prime truthes. And laſtly, the Inſtr…ctions, conſolations and reproofes which theſe doctrines afford us, for the reformation of heart and life.
In the ſecond part, I preſent you with the rules of holy life, whereby you are taught as the truth is in Ieſus, to put off concerning the the former converſation, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull luſts, and being renewed in the ſpirit of your minde, to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteovſnes and true holineſſe. Here I hauehave diuided the precepts of the Goſpell: from thoſe of the Law, to avoyd confuſion: that they are diſtinct is a thing not hitherto heeded, yet (as to them will appeare that conſider it without preiudice) moſt certaine. The words of Chriſt hauehave as much force to bind, as the words of the Decalogue or ten commandements.
Likewiſe the voyce of Repentance, is no voyce of the Law; and ſo of the reſt. That I hauehave caſt them into ten, is not out of any ſuperſtition of the number: nor any conceit of mine that there are iuſt ten, but onelyonly to duplicate page duplicate page help memory; they alſo fitly ariſing to that number, and …or ought I ſee, the whole comprehended. I hauehave in the margent ſet two different marks upon certaine anſwers or phraſes in thoſe anſwers, by which I would hauehave you to take notice of your eſtate before God. If thoſe or any one of thoſe graces or priviledges bee manifeſt vponupon your hearts wrought by the word, which are ſigned with this ſigne *foreign being that Angelicall mark, Ezek. 9. 4.foreign they proue you actually the children of God. If the ſinnes or kind of offending be yet found in you which is marked with that marke *foreign the firſt letter in the word Letzim P…l. 1. 1. ſignifying ſcorners.foreign you are unregenerated and wicked ſinners, and remaine ſ…ch till you waſh them away by true repentance, and Faith in the Lord Ieſus.
Take theſe & digeſt them thoroughly, yea eate them up; as reached forth to you from God, tho…gh by the unworthy hands of a meane Labourer in Gods V…nyard: whoſe pray…r is, that you may increaſe in wiſdome and ſtature, and in favour with God and man.
Richard Bifield.