Question 52: What believest thou concerning the Holy Ghost?
Question 52: What believest thou concerning the Holy Ghost?
Answer: First, that He is true and Coeternal God, with the878 eternal Father, and the Son; secondly, that he is879 also given unto me, to make880 me, through a true Faith, Partaker of Christ and all his Benefits, to881 comfort me, and to882 abide with me for ever.
Answer: First, that He is true and Coeternal God, with the877 eternal Father, and the Son; secondly, that he is878 also given unto me, to make879 me, through a true Faith, Partaker of Christ and all his Benefits, to880 comfort me, and to881 abide with me for ever.
Question 53: What believest thou concerning the Holy and Catholick Church of Christ?
Question 53: What believest thou concerning the Holy and Catholick Church of Christ?
Answer: I believe that the Son883 of God doth from884 the beginning of the885 World to the End thereof, gather,886 defend, and preserve unto himself by his Spirit887 and Word, out of888 whole Mankind, a889 Company chosen to everlasting Life, and agreeing in true Faith; and that I am a lively Member of that Company, and so shal890 remain for ever.
Answer: I believe that the Son882 of God doth from883 the beginning of the884 World to the End thereof, gather,885 defend, and preserve unto himself by his Spirit886 and Word, out of887 whole Mankind, a888 Company chosen to everlasting Life, and agreeing in true Faith; and that I am a lively Member of that Company, and so shal889 remain for ever.
Question 54: What mean those words, The Communion of Saints?
Question 54: What mean those words, The Communion of Saints?
Answer: First, that all and every one who believeth, are in891 common Partakers of Christ and all his Graces, as being his Members; and then that every one ought892 readily and chearfully to bestow the Gifts and Graces which they have received to the common Commodity and Safety of all.
Answer: First, that all and every one who believeth, are in890 common Partakers of Christ and all his Graces, as being his Members; and then that every one ought891 readily and chearfully to bestow the Gifts and Graces which they have received to the common Commodity and Safety of all.
890. 1 John 1:3; Rom 8:32; 1 Cor 1:2; 12‸:‸13‸; 1 Cor 6:17
Question 55: What believest thou concerning Remission of Sins?
Question 55: What believest thou concerning Remission of Sins?
Answer: That God, for the Satisfaction made by Christ,893 hath put out all the894 Remembrance of my Sins, and also of that Corruption within me wherewith I must fight all my life time, and doth freely indow me with the Righteousness of Christ, that I come not at any895 time into Judgment.
Answer: That God, for the Satisfaction made by Christ,892 hath put out all the893 Remembrance of my Sins, and also of that Corruption within me wherewith I must fight all my life time, and doth freely indow me with the Righteousness of Christ, that I come not at any894 time into Judgment.
Question 56: What Comfort hast thou by the Resurrection of the Flesh?
Question 56: What Comfort hast thou by the Resurrection of the Flesh?
Answer: That not only my Soul, after it shall depart out of my Body, shall896 presently be taken up to Christ, but that this my Flesh also, being raised up by the Power of Christ, shall be again united to my Soul, and897 shall be made like to the glorious Body of Christ.
Answer: That not only my Soul, after it shall depart out of my Body, shall895 presently be taken up to Christ, but that this my Flesh also, being raised up by the Power of Christ, shall be again united to my Soul, and896 shall be made like to the glorious Body of Christ.
896. 1 Cor 15:53; Job 19:25–26; 1 John 3:2; Phil 3:21
Question 57: What Comfort takest thou of the Article of everlasting Life?
Question 57: What Comfort takest thou of the Article of everlasting Life?
Answer: That forasmuch898 as I feel already in my Heart the beginning of everlasting Life,899 it shall at length come to pass that after this Life I shall enjoy full and perfect Bliss, wherein I may magnify God for ever, which Blessedness verily neither Eye hath seen, nor Ear heard, neither hath any Man in thought conceived it.
Answer: That forasmuch897 as I feel already in my Heart the beginning of everlasting Life,898 it shall at length come to pass that after this Life I shall enjoy full and perfect Bliss, wherein I may magnify God for ever, which Blessedness verily neither Eye hath seen, nor Ear heard, neither hath any Man in thought conceived it.
Answer: That I am righteous in Christ before God, and an Heir899 of eternal Life.
899.Rom 1:17; John 3:36; Rom 3:4,‸22,‸24–25,‸28; Rom 5:1; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8–9
Question 59: How art thou righteous before God?
Question 59: How art thou righteous before God?
Answer: Only by Faith in Christ Jesus. So that although my Concience accuse me that I have grievously trespassed against all the Commandments of God, and have not901 kept one of them, and further am as yet902 prone to all Evil; yet notwithstanding if903 I embrace these Benefits of Christ with a true Confidence and Perswasion of mind, the full and904 perfect Satisfaction, Righteousness and Holiness of Christ, without any905 Merit of Mine, of the906 meer Mercy907 of God is908 imputed and given unto me, and that so, as if neither I had committed any Sin, neither any Corruption did stick unto me; yea as if I my909 self had perfectly accomplished that Obedience which Christ accomplished for me.
Answer: Only by Faith in Christ Jesus. So that although my Concience accuse me that I have grievously trespassed against all the Commandments of God, and have not900 kept one of them, and further am as yet901 prone to all Evil; yet notwithstanding if902 I embrace these Benefits of Christ with a true Confidence and Perswasion of mind, the full and903 perfect Satisfaction, Righteousness and Holiness of Christ, without any904 Merit of Mine, of the905 meer Mercy906 of God is907 imputed and given unto me, and that so, as if neither I had committed any Sin, neither any Corruption did stick unto me; yea as if I my908 self had perfectly accomplished that Obedience which Christ accomplished for me.
Question 60: Why affirmest thou that thou art made Righteous by Faith only?
Question 60: Why affirmest thou that thou art made Righteous by Faith only?
Answer: Not for that I please God through the Worthiness of meer Faith, but because only the Satisfaction, Righteousness and Holiness of Christ is my Righteousness910 before God, and911 I cannot take hold of it, or apply it unto my self any other way than by Faith.
Answer: Not for that I please God through the Worthiness of meer Faith, but because only the Satisfaction, Righteousness and Holiness of Christ is my Righteousness909 before God, and910 I cannot take hold of it, or apply it unto my self any other way than by Faith.
Question 61: Why cannot our good Works be Righteousness, or some part of Righteousness before God?
Question 61: Why cannot our good Works be Righteousness, or some part of Righteousness before God?
Answer: Because that Righteousness which must stand fast before the Judgment of God, must be in all Points perfect912 and agreeable to the Law of God. Now our Works, even the best of them, are imperfect in this Life, and913 defiled with Sin.
Answer: Because that Righteousness which must stand fast before the Judgment of God, must be in all Points perfect911 and agreeable to the Law of God. Now our Works, even the best of them, are imperfect in this Life, and912 defiled with Sin.
Question 62: How is it that our good Works merit nothing, seeing God promiseth that he will give a Reward for them both in this Life, and in the Life to come?
Question 62: How is it that our good Works merit nothing, seeing God promiseth that he will give a Reward for them both in this Life, and in the Life to come?
Answer: That Reward is not given of merit,914 but of Grace.