A SHORT Catechism Drawn out of the WORD OF GOD.
By Samuel Stone, Pastor of the Word at Hartford on CONNECTICOT.
Printed by Bartholomew Green, and John Allen, for William Gibbons. 1699.
A SHORT CATECHISM.
Quest. WHat is Divinity or Religion?
Answ. A Doctrine of living well, Gal. 2.19 1 Thes. 4.1. 2 Tim. 3.12. 1 Tim. 6 3. Isa. 54.13
Q What is it to live well?
A. To will the good Will of God, Pro: 4 23. & 23.26. Psal 90.12. Rom. 1 [...].
Q Which are the parts of Divinity?
A Faith in God, and observance towards God, Psal 37:3. 1 Tim. 1.5, 19. 2 Tim. 1.13.
Q What is Faith in God?
A A confidence or trusting in the Name of God for life, Psal. 9.10. Hos. 6.2, 3. Amos. 5.4, 6: John. 5.40 & 20.31.
Q What is the object of Faith, in whom we are to believe that we may live well?
A God, who is sufficient to make us live well, and the efficient cause of life, Exod. 6.3 Rom. 4▪ 17, 21. 2 Cor 9 8
Q What is the sufficiency of God?
A That whereby God having enough for himself, hath more than enough for us, Act. 17.25. Rom. 11.35. 2 Cor. 9, 8. Eph. 2.20
Q Wherein consisteth the sufficiency of God?
[Page 4] A In the Divine Essence and Subsistence, or Persons, Mat 28.19: Joh: 17.3. 1 Joh. 5:7.
Q What is the divine Essence?
A That whereby God is the most absolute first Being, Isai. 41.4. &, 44 6.
Q What is the first Being?
A An Infinite, Eternal Spirit, having Life in himself, with a most blessed understanding and Will, Psal 90.1, 2. & 145.3. & 147 5. John 4.24 & 5.26. 1 Tim. 1.11
Q What is a divine Person or subsistence?
A The God head, with a relative individual property, Mat 28.19. Heb. 1 3, 5
Q How many are the divine Persons of the Godhead?
A Three, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, Mat. 28.19 1 John 5.7.
Q What is God the Father?
A A divine person begetting the Son, Psal. 2.7. Prov. 8.22.24, 25 Heb. 1 3▪ 5
Q What is God the Son?
A A divine Person conceived or begotten of the Father, Prov 8.24 31 John 1.14 Heb 1.3, 5
Q What is God the Holy Ghost?
A A divine person proceeding from the Father and the Son, Isai 63 10 John 14 26 and 15.26
Q What is the Efficiency of God?
A That whereby the Almighty works all in all, according to his ancient Decree, Psal 93.16 [Page 5] Isai. 25.1. Rom. 11 36. 1 Cor. 12.6. 2 Cor. 6.18
Q What are the kinds of Efficiency, or the work of God?
A Creation and Providence, Neh. 9.6 Psal. 104
Q What is Creation?
A That whereby God made the World of nothing very good in six dayes, Gen. 1. Act. 17.34
Q Why was man made the last of all upon the sixth day?
A Because man was to be served by the inferiour Creatures, and attended by the Angels, Gen. 1.26 to the end Job 38.7: Hos. 2:21, 22 Heb. 1:14 Jude 6
Q What is the Creation of man?
A That whereby God made him a reasonable living creature, Gen: 2:7 Job 35.11 Ps. 91:10
Q What are the parts of which man was made?
A A body made of the earth, and a reasonable immortal soul, which is made immediately of nothing, Gen 2.7 Job 10.8, 13 Hab. 12.9
Q What is the reasonable immortal soul?
A A spirit of life with a faculty of reason & will, whereby a man is become a cause by counsel, Deut 30.19 Gen 2.7 Prov 16 9, & 20.27 Mat 16.26 Heb 8.10
Q What is the special perfection in which man was created?
A The image of God whereby he was able to please God in a perfect manner, Gen 1.26 to the end, Eccl 7.29
[Page 6]Q What is the Providence of God?
A His exact watch over all his Creatures, whereby they are preserved and guided to their end, 1 Chron 29:11, 12. Nehem: 9:6: Psal. 104:27, to 38 & 145.15, 16. Isai: 6:3: Matth. 10:29, 30, 31
Q What is the special government of God over his reasonable creatures?
A That whereby God leads them to an eternal estate of happiness or misery by his being pleased or displeased, Gen. 3:22: Mat: 25:46: Rom: 10:5:
Q What is here to be considered?
A Man's Apostasie and Restitution, Gen: 3: Rom: 5:12:
Q What are we to believe concerning Man's apostasie, or from obedience to that Government?
A All man by nature being condemned through Adam's transgression, are wholly infected with sin, and under the dominion of death, Gen 3.1. to the end, & 5 3. Psal. 51.5. John. 3.6, 18 to 36. Rom. 12.15. to 20. Eph. 2.1, 2, 3.
Q What is sin?
A The transgression of the Law, or any swerving from the Law of God, Dan. 9.5 to [...]2. 1 John 3.4.
Q What are the kinds of sin?
A Original, which is the swerving of man's nature, or actual, which is the swerving of his actions from that rule, Psal. 14.1, 2, 3. Jer. 6 7 Mat. 12.35. & 15.19.
[Page 7]Q What is that death which is entred into the world by sin?
A A miserable privation or loss of the life of joy or comfort, Gen. 2.17. 1 Sam. 25.37. Rom. 5.17. and 6.23.
Q What is the first death?
A The death of the outward man especially; the perfection of which is the seperation of soul and body, Gen. 35.18. Deut. 28.14, 27
Q What is the second death?
A The death of the inward man especially; the perfection of which is the ejection of the whole man from God into hell, Isa 33▪ 14▪ Mat. 25.41, 46, and 13.41, 42
Q Wherein consists the Restitution of man?
A In Redemption and Application, Joh. 3 5. and 3.14, 19. and 6.27.62, 63. Eph. 1 4, 11
Q What is Redemption?
A The payment of a due price to divine Justice, for his freedom of man, Mat. 20 28, Acts [...]0.28 Rom 3 24, 27. 1 Cor. 6.20. 1 Pet, 1.18, 19
Q Who is the Redeemer of man?
A Jesus Christ God-man, Mat 1 23. Acts 20. [...]8. 1 Tim. 3.16.
Q Why is the redeemer called Jesus Chrst?
A Because he is our Saviour and anointed Mediator; Priest, Prophet, and King, Mat. 1.23. Luke 4.18, 19 Acts 4.27. Heb. 1 9. and 7.1
Q What is the union of those two distinct Natures of Christ?
[Page 8] Ans That whereby the second person in the God head takes the humane Nature to subsist for ever in his own person, John 1.14. 1 Cor. 8 6. Gal. 4.4, 5. Heb. 2 16
Q Wherein consists the Redemption of Christ?
A In his Humiliation and Exaltation, Phil. 2 6, 11 Luk 24.26.
Q What is the Humiliation of Christ?
A Subjection to the Law in his active and passive Obedience, Dan 9 24 Mat. 3.15, 17 Rom. 10.5 Gal 3 13 and 4.4 Heb 7.22.
Q What is the brief Sum of the life of Christ?
A Christ being conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary kept the charge of the Lord, performing his Will in a most perfect manner, Mat 1.18 Luk 1.35 John 8.29 Heb 10.5, 10.
Q What kind of death did Christ suffer?
A The first and second death which were both finished upon the Cross, Isa. 53:9 Gal 3 13 Phil 2:8
Q Which are the Decrees of his Exaltation?
A His Resurrection, assention into heaven sitting at the right hand of God, and return, t [...] Judge the quick and the dead, Mark 16.19. Rom▪ 8 34: 2 Tim. 4 1
Q What is the Application of that Redemption or Purchase?
A That whereby it is extended to the Church or Seed of Christ, through the inresistable power [Page 9] of the Spirit in the Word, Isa. 53:10 & 59.21 John 16.7, 8 Acts 26.18▪ 20, 28 Eph 5.23.
Q What is the brief Sum of Application?
A. A contrite and humble sinner, trusting in Christ for life, is justified before God, and also sanctified and blessed, Isa 57:15 Mat 5.3, 9. John 1:12, 13 and 3.6 Acts 26:28. 1 Cor. 1 30 and 6:11 Gal 2.19, 20.
Q What is contrition or brokenness of heart?
A The cutting off the heart from sin, by a sight of it as the greatest evil, and a sorrow for it, John 16.8 Acts 2.37 Rom. 11.24
Q How may it appear that sin is the greatest evil?
A Because it is most cross to God, and separates from him, who is the end and chiefest good of the soul, Psal 73.25. to the end, Isa. 43:7, 21 and 59.2
Q Why can there be no separation from sin, without godly sorrow for it?
A Because no man will forsake his sin, so long as it is the sweetest object to him, Job 20 11, 12, 13 Eccle 7.26. Jam. 4.8, 9.
Q How may it appear to a man that his sorrow is a godly sorrow?
A When the heart tasts the greatest bitterness in sin, and the greatest sweetness in Christ, Eccl. 7:26: Mal 3.1. Mat 13:44.
Q When is the heart of a man broken off from sin?
A. When he is willing to see that truth which is most cross to his beloved sin, and that God should [Page 10] take it away by any means, John. 24 32. Hos. 14 2. John 3.20, 21
Q What is Humiliation?
A That whereby the sinner is cut off from resting within the compass of himself, or his own perfection, Mat. 16.24. Rom. 2.17, to 21. Gal 2.19, 20
Q Wherein consists his Humiliation?
A In self despair and self subjection, Hos 14.3 Luk 15.17, 18, 19
Q Which is the first part of this self despair?
A That whereby the sinner refuseth to rest in the shadow of the best duties, as utterly unable to answer the law, Isa. 64.6 Mat. 3 9, and 5.3 Gal. 3.10. Phil. 3.3
Q What is the second part of self despair in an humble sinner?
A A distrust in his own legs, finding no strength in himself to move or go one step towards a Saviour, Psal. 61.2. Jer. 31:18 John 16:8, 9
Q What is the self-subjection of a sinner?
A Submission to the disposing hand of Christ, to be at his carving, and to be moulded and acted by him, Jer. 31.18. Luk. 15:17. Rom. 6 7.
Q How doth God draw the heart to believe in Christ, or trust in him for life?
A By his [...] in the promise, darting in the special [...] and [...]eetness of the boundless riches of his grace in Christ, Isa. 43.1 John 6.44, 45. [Page 11] Rom. 10.14, to 18▪ 2 Cor. 4.6.
Q What is the justification of a Believer?
A That whereby the righteousness of Christ being imputed to him, he is pronounced righteous and worthy of life, Rom. 6 7, 8, & 5.18, 19. 2 Cor. 5:21. Phil. 3 9.
Q What is the righteousness of Christ?
A His active and passive obedience, Heb. 10.7, to 11. Phil. 2.8. 1 Pet. 3.18 1 John 2 2.
Q What is the imputation of the unrighteousness of Christ?
A The putting of the righteousness upon the reckoning and account of a Believer, Rom. 4 6. & [...]:18, 19. 2 Cor. 5.21.
Q What is the sanctification of a Believer?
A A change or transformation into the glorious Image of Christ, whereby he is fitted for every good work, 2 Cor 3.18 1 Thess 5.23 1 Tim [...] 21
Q When shall the Saints be perfectly blessed?
A In soul at the point of death, and in the whole man at the resurrection at the last Judgment; when the wicked shall be damned with Devils for ever, Mat 25.31, to the end, 1 Cor [...] [...]2: & 15:22. Rev 14.13.
Q What is observance towards God?
A The performance of duty to God, by a spirit of faith, Mat. 28.20: 2 Cor. 4.13. Gal 2.19, 20
Q Wherein consists observance towards God?
A In obedience to the Law, and the helps of [Page 12] Obedience which are Invocation of God, and Celebration of Sacraments, Psal: 50.15 Mat. 28 19.20 James 1:5.
Q What is Obedience to the Law?
A That respect to the Law, whereby a man closeth with the infinite fulness of goodness in God, or with goodness it self, Deut. 6.4, 15 Psal. 7 [...]:25 and 119:6 Mat. 19:17.
Q Wherein consists Obedience to the Law?
A In the duties of divine worship and Righteousness, Mat. 22:37, 38, 39 Luk 1.74, 75: Exod. 31. [...]8.
Q What is the Divine Worship required in the first Table of the Law?
A That whereby we embrace God for himself and his own goodness, Psal 73.25, Mat. 19 17.
Q Which are the several duties of divine worship required in the four Commandments of the first Table?
A Embracing the true God alone as our satisfy [...] [...]bject 2. In all his Divine Ordinances. [...]. In a Reverent. 4. In a solemn manner, Exod. 20:1, 12 Mat. 22:37, 38.
Q What is that Righteousness which is required [...] Table of the Law?
A [...]hat whereby a man loving himself in G [...] [...] for his take, loves his neighbour as hi [...] [...] Mat. 22:39. Rom 13.8, 9, 10: & 16:8.
Q Which are the duties of love to our neighbour, required in the six Commandments of the Second Table?