The foundation of Christian religion, gathered into six principles. And it is to be learned of ignorant people, that they may be fit to heare sermons with profit, and to receive the Lords Supper with comfort.

The fourth Principle expounded.

Q. What is Faith?

A. Faith is k 1.1 a wonderful grace of God, by which a man doth apprehend and ap∣ply Christ and all his benefits unto him∣self.

Q. How doth a man apply Christ unto himself, seeing we are on earth, and Christ in heaven?

A. This l 1.2 applying is done by assurance, when a man is verily perswaded by the holy Spirit, of Gods favor towards him∣self particularly, and of the forgiveness of his own sins.

Q. How doth God bring men truly to believe in Christ?

A. First, he prepareth their hearts, that they might be capable of faith, and then worketh faith in them.

Q. How doth God prepare mens hearts?

A. m 1.3 By bruising them, as if one would break an hard stone to powder: and

this is done by humbling them.

Q. How doth God humble a man?

A. By working in him a sight of his sins, and a sorrow for them.

Q. How is the sight of sin wrought?

A. By the a 1.4 moral Law: the sum whereof is the ten Commandments.

Q. What sins may I finde in my self by them?

A. Ten.

Q. What is the first.

A. b 1.5 To make something thy God which is not God: by fearing it loving it, and so trusting in it more then in the true God.

Q. What is the second.

A. c 1.6 To worship false gods, or the true God in a false maner.

Q. What is the third?

A. d 1.7 To dishonor God, in abusing his titles, words and works.

Q. What is the fourth?

A, e 1.8 To break the Sabbath, in doing the works of thy calling, and of the flesh: and in leaving undone the works of the Spirit.

Q. What be the six latter?

A. To do any thing that may hinder thy neighbors f 1.9 dignity, g 1.10 life, h 1.11 cha∣stity,

h 1.12 wealth, i 1.13 good name, k 1.14 though it be but in the secret thoughts and moti∣ons of the heart, unto which thou givest no liking or consent.

Q. What is sorrow for sin?

A. It is l 1.15 when a mans conscience is touched with a lively feeling of Gods dis∣pleasure for any of these sins, m 1.16 in such wise that he utterly despairs of salvation in regard of any thing in himself, acknow∣ledging that he hath deserved shame and confusion eternally.

Q. How doth God work this sor∣row?

A. By the terrible curse of the Law.

Q. What is that?

A. He n 1.17 which breaks but one of the Commandments of God, though it be but once in all his life time, and that onely in one thought, is subject to, and in dan∣ger of eternal damnation thereby.

Q. When mens hearts are thus prepa∣red, how doth God ingraft faith in them?

A. By working certain inward moti∣ons in the heart, which are the seeds of faith, out of which it breedeth.

Q. What is the first of them?

A. When a man humbled under the

burthen of his sins o 1.18 doth acknowledge and feel that he stands in great need of Christ.

Q. What is the second?

A. An p 1.19 hungring desire, and a long∣ing to be made partaker of Christ and all his merits.

Q. What is the third?

A. A q 1.20 flying to the Throne of Grace from the sentence of the Law pricking the conscience.

Q. How is it done?

A. By r 1.21 praying, with sending up loud cries for Gods favor in Christ, in the par∣doning of sin; and with fervent perseve∣rance herein, till the desire of the heart, be granted.

Q. What followeth after this?

A. God then s 1.22 according to his merci∣ful promise, lets the poor sinner feel the assurance of his love, wherewith he loveth him in Christ, which assurance is a lively faith.

Q. Are there divers degrees and mea∣sures of true faith?

A. t 1.23 Yea.

Q. What is the least measure of true faith that any man can have?

A. When a man of an humble spirit,

by reason of the u 1.24 littleness of his faith doth not yet feel the assurance of the for∣giveness of his sins, and yet he is perswa∣ded that they are pardonable; and there∣fore desireth that they should be pardon∣ed, and with his heart prayeth to God to pardon them.

Q. How do you know that such a man hath faith?

A. These x 1.25 desires and prayers are te∣stimonies of the Spirit; whose property it is, to stir up a longing and a lusting after heavenly things, with sighes and groans for Gods favor and mercy in Christ. y 1.26 Now where the Spirit of God is, there is Christ dwelling; and where Christ dwelleth, there is true faith, how weak soever it be.

Q. What is the greatest measure of faith?

A. When a man daily increasing in faith, comes to be a 1.27 fully perswaded of Gods love in Christ towards himself par∣ticularly, and of the forgiveness of his own sins.

Q. When shall a Christians heart come to this full assurance?

A. Not b 1.28 at the first, but in some con∣tinuance of time, when he hath been

well practised in repentance, and hath had divers experiences of Gods love to him in Christ: then, after them will appear in his heart the fulness of perswasion, which is the ripeness c 1.29 and strength of faith.

Q. What benefits doth a man receive by faith Christ?

A. Hereby d 1.30 he is justified before God, and sanctified.

Q. What is this, to be justified before God?

A. e 1.31 It comprehendeth two things: the first, to be cleared from the guiltiness and punishment of sin: the second, to be accepted as perfectly righteous before God.

Q. How is a man cleared from the guiltiness and punishment of his sins?

A. By Christs f 1.32 sufferings and death upon the Cross.

Q. How is he accepted for righteous before God?

A. By the g 1.33 righteousness of Christ imputed to him.

Q. What profit comes by being thus justified?

A. Hereby, h and by no other means * 1.34 in the world, the believer shall be accep∣ted

before Gods Judgement-seat, as worthy of eternal life by the merits of the same righ∣teousness of Christ.

Q. Do not good works then make us worthy of eternal life?

A. No: For God, who is perfect righte∣ousness it self, will finde in the best works we do, more matter of damnation then of salvation: and therefore k 1.35 we must rather condemn our selves for our good works, then look to be justified before God thereby.

Q. How may a man know that he is justified before God?

A. He need not ascend into Heaven to search the secret counsel of God; l 1.36 but rather descend into his own heart, to search whether he be sanctified or not.

Q. VVhat is it to be sanctified?

A. It comprehendeth two things: the first, to be purged from the corruption of his own nature: the second, to be indued with inward righteousness.

Q. How is the corruption of sin purged?

A. By the m 1.37 merits and power of Christs death, which being by faith applyed, is as a n 1.38 corrasive to abate, consume, and weaken the power of sin.

Q. How is a man endued with inherent righteousness?

A. Through the m 1.39 virtue of Christs re∣surrection: which being applyed by faith, is as a restorative to revive a man that is dead in sin, ro newness of life.

Q. In what part of man is sanctifica∣tion wrought?

A. In n 1.40 every part of body and soul.

Q. In what time is it wrought?

A. It is o 1.41 begun in this life, in which the faithful receive onely the first fruits of the Spirit, and it is not finished before the end of this life.

Q. VVhat graces of the Spirit do usu∣ally shew themselves in the heart of a man sanctified?

A. The hatred p 1.42 of sin, and the love of righteousness.

Q. VVhat proceeds of them?

A. Repentance, which is q 1.43 a settled purpose in the heart, with a careful en∣deavor to leave all his sins, and to live a Christian life, according to all Gods com∣mandments.

Q. VVhat goeth with repentance?

A. r 1.44 A continual fighting and strug∣ling against the assaults of a mans own flesh; against the motions of the de••il,

and the inticements of the world.

Q. What followeth after a man hath gotten the victory in any temptation or affliction?

A. Experience of t 1.45 Gods love in Christ, and so increase of peace of conscience, and joy in the holy Ghost.

Q. What followeth, if in any tempta∣tion he be overcome, and through infir∣mity fall?

A. After a while u 1.46 there will arise a godly sorrow; which is, when a man is grieved for no other cause in the world, but for this onely, that by his sin he hath displeased God, who hath been unto him a most merciful and loving Father.

Q. What sign is there of this sorrow?

A. The true sign x 1.47 of it is this; when a man can be grieved for the very disode∣bience to God in his will, word or deed, though he should never be punished, and though there were neither Heaven nor Hell.

Q. What followeth after this sorrow?

A. Repentance y 1.48 renewed afresh.

Q. By what signs will this repentance appear?

A. By z 1.49 seven. 1. A care to leave the sin, into which he is faln. 2. An utter

condemning of himself for it, with a cra∣ving of pardon. 3. A great anger against himself for his carelesness. 4. A fear lest he should fall into the same sin again. 5. A desire ever after to please God. 6. A zeal of the same. 7. Revenge upon himself for his former offen••e.

Notes

• k 1.1

  Joh. 1. 12. & 6. 35. G••l. 3. 27. Col. 2. 12.
• l 1.2

  2 Cor. 1. 21, 22. Rom. 8. 16.
• m 1.3

  Ezek. 11. 19. Hos. 6. 1, 2.
• a 1.4

  Rom. 3. 20. & 7. 7.
• b 1.5

  Com. I.
• c 1.6

  II.
• d 1.7

  III.
• e 1.8

  IV.
• f 1.9

  V.
• g 1.10

  VI.
• h 1.11

  VII
• h 1.12

  VIII.
• i 1.13

  IX.
• k 1.14

  X.
• l 1.15

  Act. 3. 37, 38.
• m 1.16

  1 Tim. 1. 5. Luk. 15. 21. Ezra 9. 6, 7.
• n 1.17

  Gal. 3. 10.
• o 1.18

  Esa. 55. 2. Joh. 7. 27. Luk. 1. 53.
• p 1.19

  Mat. 5. 4.
• q 1.20

  Heb. 4. 16.
• r 1.21

  Luke 15. 18, 19. Mat. 15. 21. 23, &c. Act. 8. 22. 2 Cor. 12. 8.
• s 1.22

  Mat. 7. 7. Esa. 65. 24. Job 33. 26.
• t 1.23

  Rom. 2. 1. 7. Luk. 17. ••.
• u 1.24

  Isa. 42. 3. Mat. 17. 20. Luk. 17. 5.
• x 1.25

  Rom. 8. 23, 26. Gal. 4. 6. Mat. 5. 6. Rom. 8. 9.
• y 1.26

  Eph. 3. 7.
• a 1.27

  Rom. 7. 38, 39. Cant. 6. 7.
• b 1.28

  2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. Psal. 23. 6. with 1, 2, 3, 4. verses.
• c 1.29

  Ro. 4. 19, 20, 21.
• d 1.30

  8 Cor. 1. 30. Act. 15. 9. Rom. 4. 3.
• e 1.31

  Rom. 8. 33.
• f 1.32

  Col. 1. 22. 1 Pet. 2. 24. 1 Joh. 17. 2.
• g 1.33

  2 Cor. 5. 21.
• * 1.34

  b Rom. 4. 17. Apo. 21. 17.
• k 1.35

  Psal. 143. Esa. 64. 6. Job 9. 3.
• l 1.36

  Rom. 8. 1. Joh. 3. 9.
• m 1.37

  Rom. 6. 4.
• n 1.38

  1 Pet. 4 1, 2.
• m 1.39

  Rom. 6. 5, 6. Phil. 3. 10.
• n 1.40

  1 Thes. 5. 23.
• o 1.41

  Rom. 8. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 2, 3.
• p 1.42

  Psa. 119. 113. and 40. 9. and 101. 3. Rom. 7. 22.
• q 1.43

  Psa. 119. 2, 57, 113.
• r 1.44

  Gal. 5. 17. Eph. 6. 11, 12.
• t 1.45

  Rom. 5. 3, 4. 2 Cor. 1. 5.
• u 1.46

  2 Cor. 7. 8, 9. Mat. 26. 75.
• x 1.47

  1 Pet. 2. 19.
• y 1.48

  2 Cor. 7. 11.
• z 1.49

  1 Cor. 7. 11.