For a duty. childhood. Master. FORASMUCH as the master ought to be to his The Master's scholars a second parent and father, not of their bodies, but of their minds, I see it belongeth to the order of my duty, my dear child, not so much to instruct thee civilly in learning and good manners, as to furnish thy mind, and that in Godliness in thy tender years, with good opinions and true religion. this of childhood ought no less, yea, also much more, age be trained with good lessons to godliness, than with good arts to humanity: wherefore I thought meet to examine thee by certain short questions, that I may surely know whether thou have well bestowed thy study and labour therein, or no. Deut. iv. 9 to Ps. Ixxviii. 3, 10. & xxxi.12, 13. Scholar. And I for my part, right worshipful master, shall willingly answer your demands, so far as I have been able with wit to conceive or keep in memory, and can at this present call to mind and remember, what I have heard you teach me out of the holy scriptures. M. Go to therefore, and tell me what religion it is that thou professest. 4, &c. Matt. xix. 13. 2 Tim. iii. 15. S. The religion that I profess, right worshipful master, Christian reis the same whereof the Lord Christ is the Author and Teacher, and which is therefore properly and truly called the Christian religion, like as the professors thereof are also Christian bnamed Christians. M. Dost thou then acknowledge thyself to be a follower of Christian godliness and religion, and a scholar of our Lord and schoolmaster Christ? named of Christ. 10. xxxiii. 12. S. I do so acknowledge indeed, and do unfeignedly Rom. x. 9, and freely profess it: yea, I do settle therein the sum of all my felicity, as in that which is the chiefest good that can a Ps. i & come to man, and such as without it our state should be far John iii. 18, more miserable than the state of any brute creatures. M. Well then, I would have the substance and nature 36. [NOEL. CATEC.] 8 tion. The defini- of Christian religion and godliness, the name whereof is most honourable and holy, to be briefly expressed, with some definition of it. • Deut. iv. 1, 2. & x. 12. S. Christian religion is the true and godly worshipping Ps. exix. 4. of God and keeping of his commandments. Matt. iv. 10. John iv. 24. f Ps. i. 2. & M. Of whom dost thou think it is to be learned? S. Of none other surely but of the heavenly 'word of exix. John God himself, which he hath left unto us written in the holy lxxviii. 1. & v. 39. 2 Tim. iii. 15. · Exod. xxxii. 15, 16. Deut. iv. 1. 31. & xxiv. Luke xvi. 29, 27, 44. 2 Pet. i. 20. h John i. 5, 9. & viii. v12. i Matt. xxviii. 20. John xx. 22. Acts ii. 4. Eph. iii. 5. scriptures. M. What writings be those which thou callest the word of God and the holy scriptures? g S. None other but those that have been published, first, by Moses and the holy prophets, the friends of Almighty God, by the instinct of the Holy Ghost in the old Testament; and afterward more plainly in the new Testament by our "Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by his holy 'apostles inspired with the Spirit of God, and have been preserved unto our time whole and uncorrupted. k M. Why was it God's will so to open unto us his word Isai. xl. 8. in writing? Matt. v. 18. Luke xvi. 17. 1 John i. 5. Eph. iv. 17, 18. m Matt. vii. 21. & xii. 50. Heb. x. 36. 1 John ii. 17. n 16, 17. Acts xxvi. 18. S. Because we of ourselves (such is the 'darkness of our 1 Cor. i. 21. hearts) are not able to understand the will of Almighty God, in the "knowledge of whom, and in obedience towards him, true godliness consisteth. God having pity upon us, hath Wisd. ix. opened and clearly set it out unto us; and the same so clearly set out he hath left in the book of the two TestaGal. iv. 24. ments, which are called the holy scriptures, to the end that we should not be uncertainly carried hither and thither, but that by his heavenly doctrine there should be made us, as it were, a certain entry into heaven. 1 Pet. ii. 9. Heb. viii. 6. & ix. 15. P Matt. xxvi. 56.2 Tim. iii. M. Why dost thou call God's word a Testament? S. Because it is evident that in conceiving of religion, it is the chief point to understand what is the "will of the everliving God. And since by the name of Testament is signified not only a will, but also a 'last and unchangeable will, we are hereby admonished that in religion we follow nothing, nor seek for any thing further than we are therein taught by God; but that as there is one only true God, so there be but one godly worshipping and pure religion of one only God. Otherwise we should daily "forge ourselves newfeigned religions; and every nation, every city, and every man would have his own several religion; yea, we should in our doings follow for our guide, not religion and true godliness, the beginning and foundation of virtues, but superstition, a deceitful shadow of godliness, which is most plain to see by the sundry and innumerable, not religions, but worse than doting superstitions of the old gentile nations, who otherwise Deut. xii. in worldly matters were very wise men. M. Dost thou then affirm that all things necessary to godliness and salvation are contained in the written word of God? 31, 32. & xiii. 3, 4. Rom. i. 23. y 4, 18 Ps. xii. & xix. 6, &c. John iv. 25. ii. 6. S. Yea: for it were a point of intolerable ungodliness & Deut. xiii. and madness to think, either that God hath left an imperfect && xviii. 29. doctrine, or that men were able to make that perfect, which cor. i. 19. & God left imperfect. Therefore the Lord hath most straitly forbidden men, that they neither "add anything to, nor take anything from, his word, nor turn any way from it, either to the right hand or the left. M. If this be true that thou sayest, to what purpose then are so many things so oft in councils and ecclesiastical assemblies, decreed, and by learned men taught in preaching, or left in writing? a Gal. 1. 8, 9. Deut. iv. 2, xxx. 6. Isai. Col. i. 25. 40. Prov. Xxx. 21. 2 Deut. xxxii. 4. Ps. xix. 6, P's. cxix. Tim. iii. 15, 16, 17. S. All these things serve either to expounding of dark places of the word of God, and to take away controversies that rise among men, or to the orderly stablishing of the outward governance of the Church, and not to make new articles of religion. For all things necessary to salvation, that is to say, how godliness, holiness, and religion are to be purely 7, &c. and uncorruptedly yielded to God: what obedience is to be given to God, by which alone the order of a godly life is to be framed; what affiance we ought to put in God; how God is to be called upon, and all good things to be imputed to him; what form is to be kept in celebrating the divine mysteries; all these things, I say, are to be learned of the word of God, without the knowledge whereof all these things are either utterly unknown, or most absurdly done; so that it were far better that they were not done at all, as the Lord himself witnesseth that "ignorance of the scripture is the mother of all errors; and he himself in his teaching, doth commonly allege the written word of God, and to it he sendeth us learn of it. For this cause therefore, in old times also, the d word of God was openly read in churches, and the help of 21 to 29. John xx. 9 27. с Matt. xxii. Acts xiii. Matt. xix. Mark vii. 6. John v. 39. 4. & xxi. 13. Luke x. 26. d Acts xiii. 20. Mark expounders used when they might have them, as appeareth by the histories of the church. And the Lord himself, immediately before his ascending to heaven, gave principally in •Matt. xxviii. charge to his apostles whom he had chosen, that they should instruct all men throughout the world with his word. Paul following his example, ordained that some should be f Acts xiv. 23. appointed 'in every church to teach the people, for that he well knew that faith and all things pertaining to godliness xvi. 15. John xxi. 15. 17. And * Rom. x. 14, do hang upon the reading and hearing of the word of God, 1 Cor. xii. and that therefore, "apostles, teachers, prophets, and ex11, 12. pounders, are most necessary in the church of God. 28. Eph. iv. 40. & xxviii. M. Dost thou then think that we are bound to hear such teachers and expounders? S. Even as the Lord himself if he were present, so far as they teach only those things which they have received Matt. x. 20, of the Lord; which himself witnesseth, saying, "He that 19, 20. Luke heareth you, heareth me; he that despiseth you, despiseth me;" yea, and moreover, to these preachers of his word he hath given the power to bind and loose, that whose sins soever they by the word of God shall pardon or detain in earth, the same shall be pardoned or detained in heaven. x. 16. John * Matt. xvi. 22, 23. 1 Matt. x. 22. & xxiv. 13. Rom. xi. 22. 1 Cor. ix. 24. M. Is it enough to hear them once treat of religion? S. 'We ought to be the scholars of Christ to the end, Luke ix. 62. or rather, without end. It is not therefore enough for a 2 Tim. iii. 14. man to begin, unless he continue: and such is our m dulness Ju7 and forgetfulness, that we must oft be taught and put in Luke xxiv. remembrance, oft pricked forward, and, as it were pulled by For things but once or seldom heard are more Ps. cvi. 7. 25. the ear. likely to slip out of mind. And for this cause (as is afore Acts xiii. 15, said) "every sabbath-day (as appeareth by the ecclesiastical 27. & xv. 21. histories) the people assembling together, the word of God was openly read, and the expounders thereof if any were present, were heard; which custom is also at this day received in our churches by the ordinance of the apostles, and so of God himself. M. Dost thou then think that the word of God is to be read in a strange tongue, and such as the people understandeth not? S. That were grossly to mock God and his people, and shamelessly to abuse them both. For whereas God commandeth that his word be plainly read to young and old, 10; xxxi. 11, Josh. viii. 35. xxxiv. 30. 16. °men and women, namely, to the intent that all may under- Deut. iv. stand and learn to fear the Lord their God as he himself in 12, 13. his own word expressly witnesseth, it were a very mockery 2 Chron that the word of God, which is appointed by God himself to teach his people, should be read to the people in a tongue unknown to them, and whereof they can learn nothing. Also St Paul doth treat of this matter, Pand thereupon concludeth 1 Cor. xiv. that the unlearned people cannot answer Amen to the thanksgiving which they understand not, but that the readers and hearers should be strangers the one to the other, if any-1 Cor. xiv. thing be spoken in the congregation that is not understood of them that be present; and that he had rather to speak 11 Cor. xiv. in the church of God five words understood, than ten thousand words not understood. M. Shall we then have sufficiently discharged our duties, if we so endeavour ourselves that we hear and understand the word of God? 11. 19. xix. 8, 9, 10. and Mark xvi. 16. to John xx. 27, xiii. 48. 29, 31 Acts once 12. 2 Chron. t Deut. xxxi. xxxiv. 31. and Luke xi. 28. John v. 24. S. No. For we must not only hear and understand the word of God, but also with stedfast assent of mind ▪ Ps. i. 2. & embrace it as the truth of God descended from heaven, heartily love it, yield ourselves to it desirous and apt learn, and to frame our minds to obey it, that, being planted in our hearts, it may take deep roots therein, bring forth the fruits of a godly life, ordered according to James i. 21, the rule thereof, that so it may turn to our salvation as it is ordained. "It is therefore certain that we must, with all our "Deut. xvii. travail, endeavour that in reading it, in studying upon it, and 9. Ps. i. 2. in hearing it both privately and publicly, we may profit; but profit in any wise we cannot, if it be set forth to us in a tongue that we know not. M. But shall we attain to such perfection as thou speakest of by only reading the word of God, and diligently hearing it, and the teachers of it? 22, 23. 19. Josh. i. 4. Luke xxiv. 25, Deut. xxix. 27, 45, 46. Cor.iv. 6. Acts xvi. 14. S. Forasmuch as it is the wisdom of God, men should vainly labour in either teaching or learning it, unless God would vouchsafe with the teaching of his Spirit to instruct our hearts, as Paul teacheth, that in vain is the planting and the watering, unless God give the increase; therefore, that we may attain the wisdom of God hidden in his word, must with fervent prayer crave of God that with his Spirit he lighten our minds, being darkened with extreme darkness. 1 Cor. ii. 14. we y 1 Cor. iii. 7. ■ Ps. lxxxvi. 11. & exix. Mark vi. 52. 33, 34, 35. John i. 5. |