A NEW CATECHISME DRAWN Out of the Breaſts of the Old and New Teſtament, for the ſoules nouriſhment, concerning the bleſſed Sacrament of the Lords Supper, and the viſible Signe in Baptiſme.
Wherein is ſet forth, The ſtrong Bond and Seales of the Covenant betwixt God and his People. With an excellent Caution to beware of Sectaries.
By W. COTTON, B. D. and Miniſter of the true Word of God.
Be ye not like to Horſe or Mule which have no vnderstanding.
LONDON: Printed by B. ALSOP, dwelling neer Cripplegate, 1648.
Queſtion.WHat is Religion?
Anſw.A binding of our ſelves over to ſerve God.
Q.What is God?
A.God is an infinite being Exod, 8.14.
Q.How many Gods are there? Job. 11.7, 8, 9.
A.Only one. 1 Tim. 2.5.
qu.How many perſons are there?
A.Three the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt.
Q.How do you know that there is a God?
A.By his Workes of Creation in making all things by his workes of providence, in governing all things; by the generall conſent of all Nations in acknowledging a God; by the terrours of conſcience2 in wicked men, making them to tremble at him.
Q.Wherefore did God make you?
A.To ſerve him and ſeek his glory, Luke 1.74. Rom. 11.36.
Q.How will God be ſerved?
A.As he appointed in his Law, Deut. 13.18.
Q.What Law do you mean?
A.The Moral Law, a perfect rule of righteouſneſſe, containing Ten Commandements, and therefore commonly called the Ten Commandements, divided as we were written at firſt in two Tables.
Q.What doth the firſt Table treat of?
A.Of piety, or our duty towards God, and contains the four firſt Commandements.
Q.What doth the ſecond Table treat of?
A.Of charity, or our duty towards our neighbour, and containes the ſixe laſt Commandements.
Q.What are the duties of the firſt Table?
A.Tha•we love the Lord our God with all out heart, and all our ſoule, and all our might; that wee may cleave wholly unto him, fearing, believing, truſting, and hoping in him; that we may call upon him, and worſhip him, according to his owne commandement, with all reverence and obedience, ſerving him truly all the dayes of our life.
3Q.What are the duties of the ſecond Table?
A.That we love our Neighbours as our ſelves doing as we would be done unto, ſtudying to prefer our Neighbours honour, life, chaſtity, goods, and good Name, as wee would and ſhould doe our own; that, we reſt content and ſatisfied with that portion God hath alotted us, rejoycing in our Neighbors good as in our owne, which is the top and perfection of love.
Q.VVhat is the Law of God?
A.The ten Commandements.
Q.Are you able to keep theſe Commandements?
A.No.
Q.If we cannot keep the Law, wherefore then do we ſerve?
A.Firſt to humble us, in regard of that miſerable eſtate hereby diſcovered unto us.
Secondly to be a rule of good life unto us.
Q.VVhat belongs to thoſe that keep not Gods Commandements?
A.Eternall damnation Rom. 6.23.
Q.How ſhall we eſcape eternall damnation?
A.Only by Jeſus Chriſt.
Q.VVhat is Ieſus Chriſt?
A.The eternall Son of God made man for our ſakes.
Q.VVhat did Ieſus Chriſt do for you?
4A.He gave himſelf for us when he ſuffered upon the Croſſe.
Q.VVhy did he give himſelf for us?
A.To free us from Hell, and to bring us to Heaven, where he himſelfe is gone to prepare a place for us, 1 Ioh. 14 3.
Q.VVhether ſhall all perſons be ſaved by Jeſus Chriſt or not?
A.No none but the godly, or ſuch as by faith receive him Ioh. 1.12.
Q.VVhat must the Godly do to be ſaved by Chriſt?
A.Believe and repent.
Q.VVhat is Faith?
A.A reſting and relying upon God for ſalvation Ioh. 3.15.
Q.How is Faith wrought in us?
A.By the inward operation and perſwaſion of the holy Spirit, as the proper and principall cauſe, 1 Cor. 12.3.11. and by the outward Miniſtery of the Word as the inſtrumentall, Rom. 10.14.
Q.VVhat is repentance?
A.A work of the holy Ghoſt, whereby a ſinner being tru•y humbled or ſinne, turneth from his ſinne, with a ſtedfaſt purpoſe to ſerve the Lord.
Q.Wherein stands true repentance?
A.In three things. Firſt in the knowledge and acknowledging of our ſins paſt. Secondly, in godly5 ſorrow and griefe of heart for them. Thirdly, in a godly purpoſe to forſake all ſin, and to lead a•ew life for all time to come.
Q.How are theſe graces of God encreaſed in〈◊〉?
A.By the Word, Prayer, and Sacrament, Rom. 4.11.
Q.VVhat is that which you call the Word of God?
A.That which the Apoſtles and Prophets have left unto us in writing.
QHow do you know thoſe Writings to be the word of God?
A.By the antiquity, majeſty, and holineſſe of it, and treaſures of divine Wiſdome contained in it; by the miracles that confirmed it, and miraculous preſervation of it to this day; by the incredible effects o•it ſubduing the whole World to the Kingdom of Chriſt, and maſtering our unruly affections, which ſhewes it to be the Word of the mighty God, and not of weak Man.
Q.What is required to the right hearing of this Word?
A.To prepare our ſelves by prayer and meditation, to attend diligently and reverently upon the prevailing of it, to empty our hearts of all wordly thoughts and corrupt affections, to make room for6 it and lay it up for our dayly uſe in the well ordering of our lives.
Q.VVhat is prayer?
A.A making of our requeſts to God, or a begging of tho•e things whereof we ſtand in need, and a thankſgiving for thoſe things which we have received.
Q.With what confidence can we ſinfull wretches come before God, or call upon him?
A.We do no•call upon God in our own name, proudly preſuming upon any worthineſſe in our ſelves; but knowing and acknowledging our own unworthineſſe, wee come in the Name of Chriſt our Mediatour, by whoſe interceſſion wee have acceſſe unto the throne of Gods Majeſty, and truſt to obtain favour.
Q.VVhat is a Sacrament?
A.A ſign and ſeale of Gods Covenant of grace, Gen. 17.1.
Q.How many parts are there in a Sacrament?
A.Two: the outward element or crea•ure which is a viſible ſigne of the inward and ſpirituall grace.
Q.How many Sacraments are there?
ATwo: Baptiſme and the Lords Supper, Mat. 28 9.
Q.VVhat is Baptiſme?
A.A Sacrament of the New Teſtament ordained7 by Chriſt, wherein by ſprinkling of the water, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghoſt, is ſealed to all the faithful, the remiſſion and waſhing a way of their ſins, and regeneration to e•ernall life, Mat. 26.19.
Q.What is the viſible ſign in Baptiſm•?
A.The outward element of water, together with the action of waſh ng, dipping, or ſprinkling the party baptized, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt.
Q.What is the inward part ſignified?
A.The bloud and ſpirit of Chriſt, waſhing away both the guilt and filthineſſe of ſinne.
Q.How far is ſinne done away in Baptiſm?
A.All ſinne both original and actual, paſt and to come; perfectly in reſpect of the guilt, though imperfectly and by degrees in reſpect of the pollution and power of ſin.
Q.Is there ſuch vertue in water?
A.No: the vertue is in Chriſts bloud, applyed unto us by his ſpirit and apprehended by Faith; the viſible ſignes of water and waſhing being helps•o our weakneſſe.
Q.Who are to be admitted to this Sacrament?
A.Whoſoever are outwardly comprehended in the Covenant, whether they be of riper yeeres counted to the Chriſtian profeſſion, or children born of believing Parents.
8Q.VVhat is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper?
A.A Sacrament of the New Teſtament ordained by Chriſt, wherein by eating of the bread broken, and drinking of the Wine powred out, Chriſt and all the benefits of his paſſion and righteouſneſſe, are ſurely ſealed and conveyed unto us.
Q.VVhat are the outward ſignes in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper?
A.Bread and Wine 1 Cor. 11.25.
Q.VVhat doth Bread ſignifie?
A.The Body of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 10.16.
Q.VVhat is meant by the breaking of the Bread ▪
A.The torments which Chriſt ſuffered for•s in his humane nature.
Q.VVhat doth the wine ſignifie?
A.The bloud of Chriſt, 1 Cor. 10.16.
QuVV•at is meant by the powring out of the wine?
Anſ.The ſhedding of Chriſts bloud for our ſins.
Qu.VVhat is meant by the eating of the Bread and drinking of the wine?
Anſ.The receiving and enjoying of Chriſt by Faith, Ioh. 6.35.
Qu.Is Chriſts Body and Bloud, together with th•outward Elements, received of all the Communicans?
9A.No: For howſoever they be offered to all, yet they be received of none, but ſuch alone, as by the hand of Faith lay hold on Chriſt, they that come without Faith, they receive only the outward elements, and that unto condemnation.
QuAre all fit to be admitted to the receiving of the Sacrament?
A.No: none but ſuch as can examine themſelves.
Qu.VVhat ought Mankind to examine themſelves in?
A.Whether they have knowledge, faith, thankfulneſſe repentance and charity, Ioh. 3.36. col. 3.45. Luke 13.3.5.
Qu.VVhat knowledge is requ•red of us?
Anſ.
Qu.How ſhall a man or woman know that they have Faith?
10A.By theſe two ſignes: Firſt, by believing every part of Gods Word.
Secondly, by depending upon God for the things of this life.
Qu.How ſhall a man or woman know that they have this grace of Repentance?
A.By theſe two ſignes: Firſt, by an hatred of all ſins.
Secondly, By an amendment of life.
Qu.How ſhall a man or woman know that they have this grace of charity?
A.By wiſhing well to all. by doing them all the good we can and by reconciling our ſelves unto them.
Qu.What ſhall he do that finds not theſe things in himſelf after due examination?
A.He may not keep away from the Lords Supper for all that, for this were a provoking of GOD to wrath, neither can he come unto it without offending in a higher degree.
Qu.What ſhall a man do in this caſe?
A.He muſt humbly ſue unto God for the pardon of his ſins, to ſtrike his hard heart that he may melt into tear for them and conſtantly cleave unto his Commandements, and if there be any diſſention, he muſt go and be reconciled.
Qu.What muſt he do in receiving?
A.With reverence and thankſgiving commemorate11 the Lords death for the comfort and refreſhing of his ſoule, and offer up himſelf ſoul and body a living Sacrifice of thanks; in which regard, it is called the Euchariſt.
Q.What is to be done after re•eiving?
A.Media•e on the covenant of new obedience renewed by this Sacrament, that wee may more carefully perform it, flying ſin and vice all the days of our life.
Qu.What ſhall become of us after we have finiſht our courſe in this world?
A.Every one ſhall be rewarded according to the life which he hath led, the Godly receiving that joy•ull ſentence, come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit a Kingdome prepared for you: the ungodly receiving that wofull doome, Go ye curſed into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Divell and his Angels, Mat. 25.34.
Q.How doe wee give vp our ſelves and our ſeed to the Lord?
A.By receiving through Faith the Lord and his covenant to themſelves and to their ſeed: and accordingly walking themſelves, and training up their children in the wayes of his coven•nt.
qu.How do vve give vp our ſelves and our ſeed to the Elders and Brethren of the church?
A.By confeſſion of our ſinnes, and profeſſion of our faith, and of our ſubjection to the Goſpell of12 Chriſt: and ſo they and their ſeed are received into fellowſhip of the church, and the ſeales thereof.
qu.What are the ſeales of the covenant now in the dayes of the Goſpel?
A.Baptiſme and the Lords Supper.
qu.What is done for you in Baptiſme?
A.In Baptiſme, the waſhing with water is a ſign and ſeal of my waſhing with the bloud & ſpirit of Chriſt, and thereby of my ingrafting into Chriſt: of the pardon and cleanſing of my ſins: of my riſing up out of affliction, and alſo of my reſurrection from the dead at the laſt day.
qu.What is done for you in the Lords Supper?
A.In the Lords Supper the receiving of the bread broken, and the wine powred out, is a ſigne and ſeale of my receiving the communion of the body of Chriſt broken for me, and thereby of my growth in Chriſt, of the pardon and healing of my ſins of the fellowſhip of his ſpirit, of my ſtrengthning and quickning in grace, and of my ſitting together with Chriſt on his throne of glory at the laſt judgment
qu.What is the reſurrection of the dead?
A.Firſt, When Chriſt ſhall come to his laſt judgment, all that are in the Graves ſhall ariſe again, both the juſt and unjuſt.
Secondly, at the laſt day we ſhall all appear before the judgment ſeat of Chriſt, to give an account13 of our works and to receive our reward according to them.
qu.Hovv d••h Christ redeem and ſave us?
A.Firſt, by his righteous life, and bitter death & glorious reſurrection to li•e again.
Secondly, by the power of his Word and Spirit, which brings us to Chriſt, and keeps us in him.
qu.What is his Word?
A.The Holy Scriptures the Old and New Teſtament, Law and Goſpel.
qu.Hovv doth the Ministery of the Law bring you towards Chriſt?
A.By bringing me to know my ſinne, and the wrath of God againſt me for it.
qu.What are you thereby the neerer to Chriſt?
A.So I come to feel my curſed eſtate, and need of a Saviour.
qu.Hovv doth the Miniſtery of the Goſpel help you in this curſed estate?
A.
Amen.
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A80664)
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