The First Article
Q. WHAT is the creed?
A. It is the sum of belief.
A. It is the sum of belief.
Q. Who made it?
A. The twelve apostles.
A. The twelve apostles.
Q. At what time did they make it?
A. Before they divided themselves into the several countries of the world to preach the gospel.
A. Before they divided themselves into the several countries of the world to preach the gospel.
Q. For what end did they make it?
A. That so they might be able to teach one and the same doctrine in all places.
A. That so they might be able to teach one and the same doctrine in all places.
Q. What doth the creed contain?
A. All those chief things which we are bound to believe, concerning God and his church.
A. All those chief things which we are bound to believe, concerning God and his church.
Q. What is the first article of the creed?
A. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
A. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Q. What signifies I believe?
A. It signifies as much as I most firmly and undoubtedly hold.
A. It signifies as much as I most firmly and undoubtedly hold.
Q. What means, I believe in God?
A. It means that not only that I firmly believe there is a God, but also that I am piously affected to him, as to say chiefest good and last end, with confidence in him, or otherwise that I move unto him by faith, hope, and charity.
Q. What signifies the word Father?
A. It signifies the first person of the most blessed Trinity, who by nature is the Father of his own only begotten Son, the second Person of the blessed Trinity; by adoption is the Father of all good Christians; and by creations is the Father of all creatures.
Q. What means the word Almighty?
A. It means that God is able to do all things as he pleaseth; that he sees all things, knows all things, and governs all things.
A. It means that God is able to do all things as he pleaseth; that he sees all things, knows all things, and governs all things.
Q. Why is he called Almighty in this place?
A. That we might doubt of nothing which follows.
A. That we might doubt of nothing which follows.
Q. What signify the words, Creator of heaven and earth?
A. They signify that God made heaven and earth, and all creatures in them, of nothing, by his sole word, Gen. i.
A. They signify that God made heaven and earth, and all creatures in them, of nothing, by his sole word, Gen. i.
Q. What moved God to make them?
A. His own mere goodness, that so he might communicate himself to angels, and to men, for whom he made all other creatures.
A. His own mere goodness, that so he might communicate himself to angels, and to men, for whom he made all other creatures.
Q. When did God create the angels?
A. On the first day when he created heaven and earth, Gen. i. where Moses implies the creation of angels in the word heaven, and makes no other mention of it. The Nicene creed, interpreting the Apostles' Creed, says, that the words Creator of heaven and earth, mean all things visible and invisible.
A. On the first day when he created heaven and earth, Gen. i. where Moses implies the creation of angels in the word heaven, and makes no other mention of it. The Nicene creed, interpreting the Apostles' Creed, says, that the words Creator of heaven and earth, mean all things visible and invisible.
Q. For what end did God create them?
A. To be partakers of his glory, and our guardians.
A. To be partakers of his glory, and our guardians.
Q. How prove you by Scripture, that they be our guardians?
A. Out of St. Matt. xviii. 10, where Christ saith 'See that you despise not one of these little ones: For I day unto you, their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.'
A. Out of St. Matt. xviii. 10, where Christ saith 'See that you despise not one of these little ones: For I day unto you, their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.'
Q. Do the angels know our necessities, and hear our prayers?
A. Doubtless they do, since God has deputed them to be our guardians; which is also proved out of Zach. i 12. where an angel prays for two whole cities; the words are 'Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on the cities of Juda and Jerusalem, against which thou hast been angry these seventy years?'
A. Doubtless they do, since God has deputed them to be our guardians; which is also proved out of Zach. i 12. where an angel prays for two whole cities; the words are 'Then the angel of the Lord answered and said, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on the cities of Juda and Jerusalem, against which thou hast been angry these seventy years?'
Q. What Scripture have you for praying to angels?
A. Gen. xlviii. 16, where Jacob on his death bed prayed to an angel for Ephraim and Manasses, saying, 'The angel of the Lord that delivered me from all evils, bless these children.'
This place is cited for prayer to the angels in the notes of the Rhemish Testament upon it, and is confirmed to signify a created angel by St. Basil, lib. 3. cont. Dunon. sub initio: And St. Chrysosthom. 7. in laudem Sancti Pauli.
A. Gen. xlviii. 16, where Jacob on his death bed prayed to an angel for Ephraim and Manasses, saying, 'The angel of the Lord that delivered me from all evils, bless these children.'
This place is cited for prayer to the angels in the notes of the Rhemish Testament upon it, and is confirmed to signify a created angel by St. Basil, lib. 3. cont. Dunon. sub initio: And St. Chrysosthom. 7. in laudem Sancti Pauli.
Q. How did Lucifer and his fellow angels fall from their dignity in heaven?
A. By a rebellious sin of pride.
A. By a rebellious sin of pride.
Q. With what shall their ruins be repaired?
A. Will holy men.
A. Will holy men.
Q. When and to what likeness did God create man?
A. On the sixth day, and to his own likeness: Gen. i. 27.
A. On the sixth day, and to his own likeness: Gen. i. 27.
Q. In what doth the similitude consist?
A. In this, that man is in his soul an incorporeal, intellectual and immortal spirit, as God is. And in this, that as in God there is but one most divine nature or essence, and yet three distinct Persons; so in man there is but one indivisible soul, and yet in that soul three distinct powers, will, memory, and understanding.
A. In this, that man is in his soul an incorporeal, intellectual and immortal spirit, as God is. And in this, that as in God there is but one most divine nature or essence, and yet three distinct Persons; so in man there is but one indivisible soul, and yet in that soul three distinct powers, will, memory, and understanding.
Q. How do you prove the soul to be immortal?
A. Out of Matt. x. 28, where Christ saith, 'Fear not them that kill the body, and cannot kill the soul.'
A. Out of Matt. x. 28, where Christ saith, 'Fear not them that kill the body, and cannot kill the soul.'
Q. What other proof have you?
A. Out of Eccles. xii. 7. At our death the dust returns to the earth from whence it was, and the spirit to God that gave it.
A. Out of Eccles. xii. 7. At our death the dust returns to the earth from whence it was, and the spirit to God that gave it.
Q. In what state did God create man?
A. In the state of original justice, and perfection of all natural gifts.
A. In the state of original justice, and perfection of all natural gifts.
Q. Do we owe much to God for our creation?
A. Very much, seeing he made us in such perfect state, creating us for himself, and all things else for us.
A. Very much, seeing he made us in such perfect state, creating us for himself, and all things else for us.
Q. How did we lose original justice?
A. By Adam's disobedience to God, in eating the forbidden fruit.
A. By Adam's disobedience to God, in eating the forbidden fruit.
Q. In what state are we now born?
A. In the state of original sin, and prone to actual sin, subject to death.
A. In the state of original sin, and prone to actual sin, subject to death.
Q. How prove you that?
A. Out of Rom. v. 12. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death; and so unto all men death did pass, in whom all have sinned.'
A. Out of Rom. v. 12. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death; and so unto all men death did pass, in whom all have sinned.'
Q. Had man ever died, if he had never sinned?
A. No, he had not, but had been converted by the tree of life, and been translated alive into the fellowship of the angels.
A. No, he had not, but had been converted by the tree of life, and been translated alive into the fellowship of the angels.
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