Some Helps for Young Scholars in Christianity, Part 3 – Part 6
THE FIRSTE PART OF our Chriſtian doctrine, touching mans miſerable eſtate by nature.
THen as concerning our condition by nature, we are the children of diſobedience, that is, altogether giuen to rebellion againſt God, & his word, and ſa are plaine rebelles to God. Whilk muſt not ſéeme ſtrange vntounto you, (as I perceaue ſum of you to be whiſpering, and ſaying, Ieſus keip vsus, as though it were ane abhomination ſa to thinke, or ſpeak: that we are plaine rebels to God by nature) For except ye be ſurely perſwaded of this point, and acknawledge it to be maiſt true: all our teaching, and all your hearing is but in vaine. For what account makes any man of a Phiſitian or Medicinar, that perceaueth and féeleth no ſickneſſe? And what account can we make of the doctrine of ſaluation, that misknawis our condemnation, and the cauſe thairof. Thairfore, let vsus acknawledge in our heartes, and confeſſe with our mouthes, that by nature we are rebelles to God, as euen in our common ſpeach we grant with our tongue, though vnwittingly and without féeling, and conſenting of the heart, in the maiſt parte, whill as we ſay, We are all ſinners. That is, altogidder tranſgreſſors, & breakers of the Lawe of God (for ſin is the tranſgreſſion of Gods Lawe) whilk ſéemeth to be ſpoken of many,1. Ioh. 3.4 rather to cloake and make light of ſin then truly to acknaweldge the miſery of our nature, whilk is imported thairby howſoeuer we diſſemble the matter. For the Scripture hes concluded vsus all vnderunder ſin, and pronoū ced that we are ſauld vnderunder ſinne, & ſa being altogidder ſla…ts to ſin, ther remaineth not ſa meikle in vsus, as ony frée-will at all in vsus to do good, for we are d…a… in treſpaſſes & ſins. And very experience it ſelf teaches eueryevery… Chriſtian,Eph…ſ. 2.1 and ſik as wilfully will not be blinds and ſenſleſſe, that all the imaginations and thoughts of the hart of man,Gen. 6.5. or the vnregenerat part are only euil continually. Whairof it followeth, that beeing the children of diſobedience, not onelyonly ſik as cannot thinke ane gude thocht, or ony wayis performe the leaſt iote that God cō mands vsus, and ſa offends in defectiō and omiſſion of our duty: but alſo ſik as are giuen to commit all kinde of ſinne with gréedineſſe.Eph. 4.10 Being ſik, I ſay, it followes that we are the children o… wrath, through the iuſtice of the wrathfull God againſt ſinne, and ſa are gylty of euerlaſting death & cō demnation, for the reward of ſin, Rom. 6, 23is death. Now the Law, or the ten cō mands of God, ſerues as ane glaſſe to let vsus ſée our ſinnes, for the knawledge of ſin commeth by the Lawe. Rom. 7.…And thairfoir it is, that we ſame…kle vrge, that eueryevery ane hauehave the ten cō mands, and the true vnderſtanding thairof in ſome meaſure, that knowing thairby what duety is craued of vsus towardes God, in the foure commandements of the firſt Table, and towards our nichthour, in the ſex cō mandements in the ſecond Table: & howe vnable we are to performe any of them: yea how reddy and bent we are to brek eueryevery ane, and al of them, and ſa to fal vnderunder the curſe and condemnation of the Law: we may bée driuen to ſéek for the Goſpell of grace and frée remiſſion of our ſinnes in Chriſt, who is the end of the Lawe,Rom. 10, 4. for righte…uſnes vntounto eueryevery ane that beleeueth, whairof mair heirafter ſhall bee ſpoken in the awin place Godwilling. It reſts then, that w…e knaw whairof, & how we hauehave this bentnes by nature to ſinne and breaking of Gods commandements, to our eternall condemnation. By creation we hauehave it not, and … God is not the author of it: for it is ſaid, And God ſawe all that he had made, Gen, ….31.& loe it was gude. Yea, to his awin image God created man at the beginning, that amang all other creatures maiſt percttely, he might repreſent ye ſ…ueraign… wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, and gudeneſſe of God the Creator: ſa that in him, as it were, was ſet vp a little warld. We hauehave this bentneſſe to ſin then, of the corruption of that gude nature that God made at the beginning, whilk came to paſſe after the maner following.
Adam and Eue our firſt parents, being made of the duſt of the ground, and hauing receaued the breath of life by the ſaull ioyned to the body, and made to the Image of God, gude, haly, and righteous, and placed by him in the gardine, or pleaſant orcharde called Paradiſe, to breſſe and labour it: and hauing receaued commandement to eate of eueryevery trée of the garuen, except of the trée of knawledge of gude and euill (whairof God forbade them to eate vnderunder the paine of death and condemnation: ſaying, for in the day thou eateſt thairof, thou ſall die the death) it came to paſſ… through the ſubtelty of the Serpent, or rather the Diuel, abuſing the ſubtelty of the Serpent, (wha thairfor… is called that auld Serpent the Diuell, and Sathan) that they were begyled, & brought to breake the plaine command of God foreſaid, in eating of the frute of the forbidden trée: Whairthrow they falling from their former gude eſtate, into ſinfull diſobedience, & conſequently vnderunder condemnation: ſo defaced the Image of God in themſelues, by corrupting and infecting their haill nature, that they and their haill poſterity wer innolued vnderunder ſinne and death. For as touching themſelues, it is plaine that they became ſinners, and ſo incurred the ſentence of death and damnation according to the truth of Gods word fore…auld them, and thereupon were thruſt out of Paradiſe. And as for v… thair poſt…rity, we cannot be bette… nor they whome of we come, & ſtock …ut of the whilk we are hewin. For wha can bring ane clean thing out of filthineſſe? Iob. 14.4.and ſa, as we ſay, we hauehave ſin by kinde we co…t it not. And Dauid ſai…th, Pſal. 51.…5.Behald, I was born in iniquitie, and in ſin did my mother conceaue me. And this is that originall ſinne whairwith the hail raſe of mankinde is infected, the rewarde whereof is death: as the power that very natural death hath ouer infants that ſinne not after the manner of Adam and oth…rs, wha ſinnes with knawledge) is a ſur… argument, becauſe being included in ſinning with Adam, they are ſinners: and m…kle mair are they and all we gyity of cō demnation, when actuall ſinne falloweth thairupon. Then, as by an… man ſin entered into the warld, and death by ſinne: ſo death went ouer al men, foraſmuch as all men hauehave ſinned.
Heir I inlarge the dialogue betweene the Serpent and Eue, & the ſeuerall iudgements of God pronounced againſt eueryevery pairtie offending, in this firſte parte touching our miſery: and thairafter ſhortly repeats the former diſcourſe, and then ſayes after this manner following.
THE FORME OF Demanding and asking, touching the firſt part of the familiar inſtruction.
Q. VVHen I ſall aske yo… then, what are ye by nature? EueryEvery ane of you ſal… anſwere,
A. I am the childe of wraith, and ſa ſubiect to eternall condemnation.
Q. When the queſtion ſal follow, what is the cauſe of this miſerabill eſtate? Ye ſall anſwere,
A. My ſinne is the cauſe.
Q. When it ſalbe demanded what is ſinne? Ye ſall anſwere,
A. The tranſgreſſion of the Law of God, contained in the ten commandements.
Q. When the ſowme of the ten Commandements ſall bee craued? Ye ſall ſay,
A. The ſomme thairof is the entire and perfite louelove of God, & the lou… of my neighbour as my ſelfe. The firſt Tabill contayning foure cō mandements concerning God: & the ſecond contayning ſex concerning my neigbour.
Q. When the queſtion ſalbe moued, Can thou not obey and fulfill theſe commandementes of thy awin nature? ye ſall ſay,
A. I am ſa far from obeying & fulfilling of thom, that I cā do nathing but tranſgreſſe and breake them.
Q. Whairof commeth this thy bent diſpoſition to ſinne, & breking of Gods cōmandements? Ye ſall ſay
A. Of the gyltineſſe and corruption of nature in my firſt parentes, Adam and Eue.
Q. How were they corrupted, ſeeing God made them gude at the beginning? Ye are to ſay,
A. By the deceat of Sathan in the Serpent, intyſing them to breake Gods command.
Q. What was the command they brake? Ye ſall anſvvere,
A. They ate of the frute of the trée of knawledge of gude and euill in Paradiſe, whairof God forbad thē to eate, vnderunder the paine of death & damnation.
Q. Howe can thou be partaker of the ſinne of our firſt parents, & conſequently of cōdemnation? Ye ſall anſwere,
A. As they, and we in them became ſinners, for wha can bring an… clean thing out of …ithines: ſa the ſentence of death and condemnation fell vppon vsus, thair poſterity… for euer.
THE SECOND PART of the Catechiſme.
NOwe we are to ſée, gif there be any remedy or ſafety for vsus frō this …earefull condemnation. And in …erry déeds, if there were na remedy for vsus, man and woman were mair miſerabill then the brute beaſt, yea, then the very Loade: for when the braines or harns o… it are daſhed out, there is na mair of it: bot miſerabill man by nature is ſubiect to vnſpeakable paines eternally, whilk is ſet down in theſe words, Thou ſal die ye death: that is, thou ſalbe ſubiect to ye firſt and ſecund death, in body & ſaul, with all tha miſeries that may accō panie the ſame. Whilk muſt be ſameikle the mair painfull to man and womā, becauſe they are indued with reaſon and vnderſtanding aboue the beaſt: whairby they may diſcourſe & confer betwene the happy eſtate frō the whilk by ſinne they fell, and that endleſſe miſery whereinto they are fallen. Then ſeing thair is relief for miſerabill and loſte men, wée are to ſée, from whence it commeth. From damned man it cannot come, from the Diuell our readly enemy it cannot come, Angels who are diuerſe in nature from vsus, cānot ſatisfie for vsus. Our help and ſafety their, is only frō the Lord our God, who hath made both the heauen and the earth:Pſal. 124.8. Iſa. 4….21 who ſaid, I am the Lord, and beſide mee thair is no Sauiour. For our ſaluation cōmeth not of nature, but of grace And euen as when a cōdemned maiefactor béeing fréely pardoned by the Prince, is ſaid to get grace: euen ſa it fareth with vsus, & our merci…ul God. Then of his a win gude will and frée fauour, mooued of tender mercy and compaſſion toward ſik of the race of mankinde, as his gude will hes predeſtinate and elected to ſaluation, before the beginning of the world, that aſwell his iuſtice might be ſatiſfied, as his mercy hauehave place: ordayned our ſaluation to bée wrought by his a win deir and weilbeloued Sonne, verry God, and verry man in ane perſon: wha being the ſecond perſon of the Trinity, tooke to him the nature of man, in the fulneſſe of time, of the Virgine Marie, and ſo was called the ſéede of the Woman that ſall tread down the head of the Serpent, and God manifeſted in the fleſhe, our Immanuel and Ithiel, and Lord Ieſus Chriſt. This is that only Mediatour betwéene God and man, euen the man Chriſt Ieſus, wha was deliuered to death for our ſinnes, and rais againe for our righteouſneſſe. Rom. 4.25.Neyther is there ſaluation in any other: For amongſt men there is giuen nane other name vnderunder heauē whereby we muſt be ſaued. Act. 4.…Nowe, as for the price whairwith he redéemed vsus, It was not corruptible things, as ſiluer and golde, but his awin precious blude, 1. P…. 1.…8.19as of an lamb vndefiled, and without ſpot, when he ſuffered vnderunder Pontius Pilate, redéeming vsus thairby from euerlaſting death & damnation.Rom. 1.4. And by his powerfull reſurrection from the dead the third day, reſtoring vsus to righteouſneſſe and life eternall: ſo he was crucified, & died that curſed death of the Croce,2. Cor. 1… 4. concerning his infirmity (or manhoode) and liueth through the power of God, (that is his Godhead) to the whilk aggréeth Peters ſaying, he was put to death concerning the fleſhe, but was quickned in the Spirite. 1. Pet. 1… 18For performing of whilk twa parts of a perfite Sauiour, in ſuffering and ouercomming, it behooued him to be God & man in one perſon.
THE FORME OF DEmanding and anſwering, touching the ſecond part of this familier inſtruction.
Q. VVHen I ſall aske thairfore touching the ſecōd principle of our Religion, vvhether there be ony ſaluation for loſte man? Ye ſall anſvvere,
A. Yes: or elſe our eſtate were more miſerable thou the eſtate of brute beaſtes.
Q. From vvhence commeth this ſaluation? Ye ſall anſvvere,
A. From the tender mercy & grace of God, who louing vsus when wée were his enemies, prouyded our ſaluation to bée wrought onley by his weilbeloued Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, made man of the Virgine Marie without ſinne.Rom. 5, 8.
Q. What is Chriſt in perſon, and office? Ye ſall anſvvere,
A. In perſon he is God & man, the ſon of God, and the ſon of the Virgine Marie, very God & very man without cōfuſiō of the twa natur…
Q. Why vvas it neidfull that hee ſhould be God and man in ane perſon?
A. He was man to ſuffer for mankind to tho vttermoſt puniſhmēts due for mans ſinnes: and God to …ear… vp the manhood in ſuffering and ouercomming to the full.
Q. What is he in office?
A. He is our King, Prieſt, and Prophet: our Mediatez, Redéemer, ruler, preſeruer, teacher: and finallie, he is all in all things ne…rſſarie for our perfite ſaluation without ony helpe, merite, or work of ours, firſt or laſt.
Q. Hovv redeemed he you?
A. By his bludſhed, death, and paſſion, and by riſing againe from the dead the third day.
Q. Then the ſaluation of man is ſo fully vvrought and perfitelie accompliſhed by Chriſt in his awin perſon, that nothing is lef… to bee done or vvrought by vsus in our perſons, to be onie cauſe of the leaſt part thereof?
A. That is moſt certaine. For as his blude purgeth vsus from al ſinne and his perfite rigteouſneſſe becommes cures, ſo in him wée an… compleit: and ſo ſure is that ſ…ntence, For by ane oblation h… he made perfite for euer, them … duplicate page duplicate page are ſanctified. Heb. 10.14.
Q Can wee hauehave no ſaluation except vve hauehave participation, and be conioyned vvith Chriſt: ſo that vve muſt be his, & he ours?
A. Nane at all: for ſeing the cauſe of our ſaluation is in the perſon of Chriſt only, & neuer in our ſelues, but by participation of him: wée can neuer be partakers of ſaluatiō but by our coniunction and vnion with him: whairby he becomming ane with vsus, and wée ane with him, we get through him the ful right of ſaluation and life euerlaſting.