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¶ A briefe Catechisme, conteining the most principall, groundes of Religion.
Question. WHo created you, and all creatures?
Answere. GOD.
Quest. What is the duetie of you and all creatures vnto God?
An. To set forth his glorie.
Quest. Howe is that done?
An. By keeping his worde and commaundement, whereby we declare that he is our soueraigne Lorde, and haue au∣thoritie euer vs to commaunde vs obedience.
Quest. Howe doo the dumme creatures keepe Gods commaundement?
An. By continuing in that order and state, whereto the Lorde by his worde first assigned them.
Quest. Hathe man done so from the beginning?
An. No. For our firste parents brake Gods commaunde∣ment in eating the forbidden fruite.
Quest. What befell of that?
An. They became sinfull, and haue left vnto vs being braū∣ches of the same roote, the inheritance of sinne, which wee call Originall sinne, or sinne which we haue by nature and kinde.
Quest. What euil come thereof?
An. This Originall sinne is a verie plague infecting all our deedes, so that they be all transgressions of Gods Lawe.
Quest. What doth the Lawe of God require of vs?
An. That we should loue the Lorde with all our harte, with all our soule, and strength: and our neighbour as our selfe.
Quest. Are wee not able to performe this?
An. No, In no wise.
Quest. Why was it then commaunded of God?
An. Because it is the rule of perfect righteousnes, agree∣ing vnto the nature of God, able in itselfe to be obserued and to giue life: but of vs vnable, because of our sinfull in∣abilitie.
Quest. What profite receeyue wee then by it?
An. This, that we being conuict of our sinne more mani∣festlie by the Lawe, wherein as in a glasse, we beholde the same, we might be ashamed of our selues, and feare Gods wrath, and so be cōstreyned to seeke for remedie of our mi∣serie other where, namelie in Christ.
Quest. You saye that in all our doynges wee transgresse Gods Lawe, what call you that transgression?
An. Stane.
Quest. what is the desert of sinne?
An. Gods curse and fierce wrath, to the vtter spoyling of soule and bodie by euerlasting death, whose iustice there∣vpon calleth for the execution of this punishment.
Quest. What foloweth thereon?
An. Then they whose eyes God doo open to see their mi∣serie, beholde them selues lost, and confounded: yea euen plunged with the waues of woo vnto death. Then they re∣pent and loth their former sinne, which haue brought vpon them this condemnation, and humbly craue pardon, ap∣pealing from iustice to mercie. Then doo Christe Iesus take them by the hande, giue them ease of their burthen, & quicken them by his comforting spirite, restoringe them from death to life. So are they then made newe borne children.
Quest. By what meanes can Christ rescue vs from his fa∣thers iustice?
An. Because he offered a sacrifice of his owne bodie & bloud to his Father, to make the attonement for vs. And he be∣ing perfect man, suffered death: and being perfect God, susteyned him selfe to breake the bandes of death.
Quest. And howe doo wee attaine to euerlasting life, ha∣uing escaped death?
An. Christ also hath fulfilled perfect righteousnes, which he doeth impute to vs: and of the fulnes of the spirit whiche he haue receyued, he sanctifieth vs, and so present vs to his Father, crauing that we may be partakers of his glorie with him.
Quest. Howe dooe wee receyue and applye to vs Christ Iesus, and all this which he haue done for vs?
An. By faith.
Quest. What is Faith?
An. A spirituall gift giuen of GOD, euen the hand of our soule whiche wee reache out, to drawe vnto vs, all good things which are offered and promised.
Quest. Howe is this Faith wrought in vs?
An. By the inwarde meanes of the spirit, and the outward meanes of the hearing the worde taught.
Quest. What outward meanes hath the Lord giuen, for the strengthning of our faith, that we may with more full assuraunce receyue▪ his promises?
An. The two Sacramentes, Of Baptisme, and the Lords Supper, which we call seales vnto the handwriting of the Lordes promise of our saluation.
Quest. What is a Sacrament?
An. It is an outwarde visible signe, by the confirmation of the worde applied thereto representing spirituall graces vnto vs, for the testifying of Gods goodnes towardes vs, and confirming our Faith.
Quest. What is Baptisme?
An. The seale of our receyuing into Gods house, being be∣fore the heyres of hell: and this is done by a great altera∣tion in vs, namelie, dying to sinne, and liuing agayne vnto righteousnes, which is our newe birth. Which grace this Sacrament doo represent, both in that it signifie a spiri∣tuall washing from our sinne by Christ his bloud: And also a drowning and passing through death, that we might es∣cape a more grieuous death, and liue for euer.
Quest. What doth the Lords Supper represent vnto vs?
An. Our continuall nourishing, after we bee receyued into Gods familie, with the liuing breade, and the liuing wa∣ter, the bodie and bloud of Christ, whereon wee feede by faith, and growe togither into one with him.
Quest. What seale and marke can we finde in our selues that we haue this faith and be in Christe? For all can say, they beleeue.
An. The spirit which Christ Iesus doo giue, as a pleadge of our adoption, is a certayne seale. Whiche spirit it it dwell in vs, the fruite thereof, as the heate of a tornate, will breake foorth Loue to the Lorde and his worde will appeare, And charitie to our neighbour. Generallie a full alteration we must spie in our selues, that we are dead to sinne, wherein we liued in times past, and nowe wee haue pleasure to exercise our selues in meditating the Lawe of God, in Prayer, thankes giuing, and all the exercises of Christianitie, wholie leading a newe life, and holding the agreement of godlie fellowship with the rest of the mem∣bers whereof Christ is the head. And alwayes hauing our conuersation in heauenlie thinges, that our light maye shine, and our lyfe maye expresse the prayse and glorie of him, and our thankefulnes towardes him, who haue re∣deemed vs vnto the hope of eternall life.