20.

a Matth. xxviii. 19,

A. I believe that there is ordain'd the Holy Catholick Church a, and the Communion of Saints b; and I hope for Salvation in the same Church and Communion d.

b Acts ii. 42. 1 Cor. xii. 25. It is not enough to be a member of the Church (which is compar'd to the body of a man) without doing the part of a member, which is to go with the Church where it goes, and to love and help all the other members. Charity both does all the good it can to the beloved, and never unkindly separates from their company. c. Markxvi. 15, 16. d. 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2, 3.

XL. Q. What is the Church?

Heb. iii. 6. To hold faft, &c. is to do as we are exhorted. 1 Cor. 15.58.

XLI. Q. What

a Eph. iv. 3 to 7. b Matth. xxviii. 19, 20. Gal. i. 8, 9.

XLII. Q. What

A. Christ's Family of Chri

stians.

is the Holy Catholick Church? A. One Church of Holy livers for all the world a, and to continue to the end of the world b.

is the Communion of Saints?

A. All true Christians do constantly joyn with the Church in all the publick Worship of God a; and do all the good they can, to the Souls band bodies of one another c.

a Acts ii. 42. 46. Heb. x. 25. b Levit. xix. 17. 1 Theff. v. 11, 14. Heb. iii. 13. ch. 10. 24, 25. Matth. xxv. 34 to the end. The Communion or fellowship of true Christians with God their Father, and with Chrift their Head or Lord, 1 John i. 3; and with the Holy Ghoft their Sanctifier, 2 Cor. xiii. 14, belongs to the first, second, and eighth Articles.

:

XLIII. Q. What do you believe in the tenth Article, concerning the Forgiveness of fins ?

A. 1

*

Luke xxiv. A. I believe that I and all Christians, truly 46, 47. repenting have the forgiveness of our fins, Eph. i. 7. See the upon the account of Christ's Dying for the Command same. ments, 27. 29 2

XLIV. Q. What Benefits do we receive by the

forgiveness of our fins ?

A. By fin we forfeited and loft all good, and fell into all evil a. Therefore when our fins are forgiven upon the account of Chrift's Dying for us, then God gives us grace and all other good, and delivers us from all evil, as he fees fit b.

a Gen. ii. 17. ch. iii. 15 to 20. ch. viii. 21. Rom. v. 12. ch. vi. 23. 2 Cor. v. 14. 6 Therefore Matth. xxvi. 28, Chrift's blood shed for the remission of fins, is the blood of the new testament'; that is the Blood that seals the New Testament, and all the promises therein, to them that perform the Commandments. Christ's Blood is the Seal of all both the Promises and Commands of the New Testament: as Exod. xxiv. 7, 8, the blood of the old covenant or testament was the Seal of all the Promises and Commands of it in the foregoing Chapters. See Heb. ix. 15 to 21.

The Promises of the New Testament seal'd and obtain'd by Chrift's Dying for the forgiveness of our fins, are the promifes of forgiveness, Matth. xxvi. 28; of grace, Tit. ii. 14; of everlafting life, John iii. 14,15; of all things that are good for us, Rom.viii. 32; and of deliverance from all evil, Gal. iii. 13.

XLV. Q. What do you believe in the eleventh and twelfth Articles, concerning the Resurrection of the body, and the Life everlasting?

a 1 Cor. xv. 22, 58.
b 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. The
refurrection and ever-

lafting punishment of
the wicked belong to

the seventh Article.
Matth. xxv. 41. John

A. I believe that I and all

true Christians, continuing in well-doing, shall have a blessed Refurrection of our bodies a, and everlasting blessed Life in heaven b.

v. 28, 29. In these Articles are contain'd the Gifts of God to

all

all true members of his Church. 1 Cor. xv. 20 to the end. 1 John
v. 10, 11. Everlasting life always fignifies in the Scripture a Happy
life. Matth.xxv. 46. ch. xix. 16. John vi. 53, 54. The Ancient
Christians sometimes disposed the last part of the Creed thus, I be-
lieve in the Holy Ghost, the forgiveness of fins, the resurrection
of the flesh, and the life everlasting, by the holy Church; to
fignify, that forgiveness of sins, and resurrection to everlasting
life, are to be obtain'd in the Church. Cyprian Epift. 76. 6.

XLVI. Q. What do you mean by Amen ?
A. All this I stedfastly believe.
XLVII. Q. What dost thou chiefly learn in these 20.

Articles of thy Belief?

A. First, I learn to believe in God the Father,

who hath made me, and all the world:

2 Cor. i.

Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed, John iii.

ne, and all mankind:

Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who Sanctifieth me, and all the elect people of God. XLVIII. Q. What do you mean by this ? A. I believe that God the Father made me and ll the world: and I trust in him, and obey im.

I believe that God the Son Redeemed me, and 11 mankind: and I trust in him, and obey him. And I believe that God the Holy Ghost Santifieth me, and all the elect people of God: and trust in him, and obey him.

XLIX. Q. Are there more Gods than one?

a 1 Cor. viii. 4, 6.

Matth. xxviii. 19.
Mark xii. 29.

John v.7.

A. No a: The Father, and

the Son, and the Holy Ghost

are three Persons b, and one
God c.

L. Q. What do you learn by the Father, and
e Son, and the Holy Ghost being one God?

:

A. I

16. ch. iv.

10. ch. ii.

2. 2 Pet

ii. 1.

a Eph. iii. 9. Job xxvi. 13. ch. 33-4. b Matth. x. 20, com

A. I learn that th join in every thing tha does a, or speaks to us

par'd with Luke xxi.
15. John xv. 26,
compar'd with 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11, 12. John xvi. 15.
LI. Q. What must you therefore do?

* The meaning of
Glory be to the Father,

and to the Son, and to
the Holy Ghost. As
this glory was given
to all Three in the be-

ginning of the Church
(Matth. xxviii. 19) is
now given, and ever

A. I must give the

and thanks of all good Father, and to the So to the Holy Ghost *, an with the Church to ea them, and to all of the

gether.

shall be given world without end. I say, in the beginnin Church, because the mystery of the Trinity was not pla veal'd before. Matth. xxviii. 19.

LII. Q. What is Christ's Redeeming us? Epb. i. 7. A. His Dying for the forgiveness of our f LIII. Q. How bas Christ redeem'd all man

ly forgives them, so as to them more Grace, and a

ther mercies, and to deliver them from all evil, fees fit d.

t

LIV.

LIV. Q. Who are meant by Elect People?

Those that hear, that

is obey what they hear; and bave, that care

A.Chofen People, they

that obey God.

fully ule what they have, God chuses, and gives more

gives more to them. But he that hath not, that is, does not use the Grace he hath, from him shall be taken even that which he hath: and so he is reprobated.

• That none are reprobated for want of sufficient Grace to enable them to do what God expects from them for their Election and Salvation; see Ifa. v. 4. Jer. ii. 21. Matth. xviii. 14. ch. xxiii. 37. They that understand any places of Scripture in a sense contrary to these, certainly understand them not rightly.

LV. Q. Who do obey God, and do what he expects from them?

a Heb. xi. 6. Rom. й. 13, 14, 15. b 1 John i. 8, 9. Prov. 28. 13.

The best Christians

have their failings, both

in faith and obedience.

r

A. They that do their best endeavour to learn, and beIlieve and do the truth of his Word a and truly repent of their fins b.

Therefore, in the Creed of St. Athanafius, to keep the Catholick Faith whole and undefiled, is, to believe all that by diligent learning we can know to be the truth of God's word, and to endeavour diligently to live according to it. And that Creed, and the 18th of the 39 Articles condemn only those that willingly err from the Truth, (John iii. 18, 19.) or through neglect to know it. Matth. 13. 15. For our Church in several of the Prayers truly says unto God, who hateft nothing that thou bast made. Pf. 145.9. Matth y. 1.1

We may not understand any words of the Holy Scripture, or of the writings of the Church, in a hard sense contrary to other plain words of the Scripture, and of the Church. How pleasing it is unto Chrift, to take his words that seem hard, in a merciful sense. See Matth. 15. 22 to 29.