Q. If there were no writings before him, how could he be certified of the truth of these things?

A. By divine revelation, as well as human tradition.

Q. Why did God order his word to be written?

A. That his church might have a fixed and standing rule of faith and practice for all future ages, and might not be imposed on by uncertain traditions.

Q. How could the church subsist, and religion be kept pure for so long a time before Moses, when there was no written word?

A. By reason of the few families to which the church was then confined, the long lives of the godly patriarchs, and the frequent appearances of God unto them in dreams, visions, and audible voices; and also by sending his angels unto them.

Q. By what arguments do you prove that the scriptures are the word of God, and that they were written by divine inspiration?

A. By the holiness of the matter of them, the heavenliness of the stile, the harmony of the different parts, the efficacy of the doctrine on the soul, the many miracles wrought in confirmation of them, and the joyful sufferings of martyrs for them.

Q. Is there not something else, that is more effectual to persuade us of the divinity of the scriptures than all these argu➡ ments?

A. Though these be sufficient to convince men of reason, and to stop the mouths of gainsayers; yet it is the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the scriptures in our hearts, that only can establish us in the belief of the scriptures being the very word of God, John xvi. 13.

Q. How are the scrifitures divided?

A. Into two parts, to wit, the scriptures of the Old and New Testament..

Q. Why are they called a Testament ?

A. Because they contain God's will concerning the salvation of sinners, as it was revealed and confirmed by Christ the testator: And this will is either called a testament or covenant. Q. Do the scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain two testaments or covenants ?

No; they both hold forth one and the same covenant of grace for substance, seeing we find the same Mediator, and the same way of salvation through faith in him, pointed at in both: But the circumstances and forms of administering this covenant being so very different, it is distinguished into the Old and New Testament, or the old and new covenant of grace.

Q. Why are the scriptures in the former part of the Bible called the Old Testament?

A. Because they contain the old dispensation of the covenant of grace before Christ's coming in the flesh, which was by manifold rites, prophecies, types and sacrifices, all prefiguring the Messiah then to come.

Q. Why are the scriptures in the latter part of the Bible called the New Testament ?.

A. Because they set forth the new dispensation of the covenant, by Christ's coming in the flesh to fulfil the types and figures of the Old Testament, and instituting a more spiritual worship in the room thereof, and revealing his grace more clearly and extensively to the worid.

Q How could the first part of the Bible have the force of a a testament, while it was not confirmed by the death of the testator ?

A. It was confirmed by Christ's death typically in the slain sacrifices, on which account Christ is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And the blessings of the Old Testament, being disponed to believers, in view of the actual death of the testator, préfigured by the slaying of the sacrifices, were, upon their believing, made good to them.

Q. Are the scriptures of the Old Testament a part of our rule, as well as the New?

A. Yes; for they express much of Christ and his Gospel; they contain the moral law, and are often cited in the New Testament, Matth. xxii. 29, &c. John v. 39. Acts xvii. 11. Rom. xv. 4. 1 Cor. x. 6. Heb. iv. 2. Gal. iii. 8.

Q Are the writings in the Apocrypha books to be read and received as the word of God 2

A. No; for though they are useful, as many other human writings, yet they are not part of the holy scriptures; seeing we find they are not written in the original language of the Old Testament, nor by any of the inspired prophets, but after Malachi, who was the last of them: nor were they owned as canonical by the Jews, to whom of old were committed the oracles of God.

* Q. Doth the authority of the scriptures depend upon the tes-timony of the church?

A. No; for the church herself is built on the scriptures as her foundation, and whatever the church teacheth is to be tried by them, Eph. ii. 19, 20. Isa. viii. 20. Acts xvii. 11.

Q: Is there nothing else to be received as a rule to direct us in the way to happiness, but the holy scriptures ?

No not our natural reason, as Deists assert; not un

written traditions, as Papists teach; not the light within, or spirit without the scriptures, as Quakers and enthusiasts pre-tend to, Isa, viii. 20. Gal. vi. 16. 1 Jonn iv. 1. 6.

Q. Why is not the light of nature or reason sufficient to direct us in the way to happiness?

A. Because, though it teach us that there is a God, and that he is to be worshipped; yet it cannot discover to us the wonderful work of redemption through Jesus Christ.

Q. But is the word of God sufficiently plain, full, and perfect, to be a rule to us?

A. Whatever Papists object against it, to make way for their traditions and papal decrees; yet the rule of God's word is sufficiently plain and complete, as it contains the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for us to know or believe, for promoting God's glory and our salvation. And this we have either in express words, or in just and necessary censequences, obvious to the weakest understanding, 2 Tim. iii. 15, 16, 17. Psalm xvi. 7, 8, 9. and cxix. 105, 130.

Q. Do the scriptures then contain the whole revealed will of God to the world? A. Yes.

Q. Are we to believe nothing but what we have written in the word of God?

A. Yes, many things, though not as necessary to salvation. Q. Is the word of God to be observed as our rule of worship, as well as of faith? A. Yes.

Q. Is it not lawful for us to add some decent inventions to the worship of God, as the sign of the cross in baptism, kneeling at the Lord's supper, bowing to the altar, the organ in praise?

A. No; not a pin should be added to the tabernacle, but what is of God's own appointment, Heb. viii. 5.

Q. What doth the apostle call such inventions and additions? A. Beggarly elements, and will-worship, Gal. iv. 9. Col. ii. 23.

Q. What will God say to those who add them?

A. He will say to them as to the Jews, Isa. i. 12. Who hath required these things at your hands?

Q. How should we value the scriptures ?

A. We should reckon it a great mercy and privilege that we have God's will revealed in them, as a light to guide us in the way to heaven; and therefore we should dearly love them, and daily use them.n

Q. Are they not in a miserable case who want the scriptures ? A. Yes; for, where there is no vision the people perish, Prov. xxix. 18..

Q. Will the word save any without the Spirit's influence ?

A. No.

Q. What will become of those who have the word, and yet despise it?

A. Thy will be destroyed, Prov. xiii. 14.

Quest. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach? Ans. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

Q. What are the two great lessons which the scriptures teach us ?

A. The scriptures teach us, first, The truths we must be lieve: Secondly, The duties we must perform.

Q. Why is faith put before obedience?

A. Because faith is the spring and principal of all true obedience, and no duty can be performed acceptably without it, Heb. xi. 6.

Q. What do the scriptures teach us to believe concerning God? 4. Three things; as, 1. That God is. 2. What God is. 3. What God doth. And therefore we should aim to grow in the knowledge and belief of the being, the nature, and the works of God.

Q. Ought we not in the first place to study to be established in the belief of the being of a God? A. Yes.

Q. How doth it appear there is a God?

A. This is evident, not only from the Bible, but also from the light of nature, the works of creation, the being of the heavens, earth, and sea, with the various creatures therein; the beautiful order and motion of the luminaries of heaven, the regular ebbing and flowing of the sea, the wonderful frame of man's body and soul, the miracles which have been wrought, the prophecies which have been fulfilled, the consent of all nations to this truth, and the conscience of man, which accuses him when guilty, and excuses him when innocent: All these do plainly declare the being of God, to the confounding of all those who would oppose this most clear and evident truth.

Q. How do we call those who think there is no God?

A. We call them Atheists.

Q. What doth the Spirit of God call them ?

A. Fools, Psalm xiv. 1.

Q. Why are they called fools 2:

A. Because what they imagine is contrary to the rational dictates of their own souls, and the common sentiments of

all the wise and sober part of mankind, and also against the testimony of every creature; seeing the being and wisdom of God may evidently be seen in every thing we set our eyes upon, as a bird, a fly, a tree, a flower, and every pile of grass. Quest. 4. What is God?

Ans. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable; in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

Q. Is it possible for creatures to give any perfect definition of God? A. No.

Q. Are not all our uptakings of the nature and essence of God most imperfect? A. Yes.

Q. Why are they so?

A. Because the nature of God being spiritual and infinite, is so exalted above us, that he cannot be declared by human speech, perceived by human sense, or conceived of by human understanding, Job xi. 7, 8, 9,

Q. What sort of substance is God?.

A. God is a Spirit, John iv. 24.

Q. What is a spirit?

A. An invisible being or substance, that hath understanding and will, without a body or bodily parts, Luke xxiv. 39.

Q. Are not angels and the souls of men spirits too? A. Yes. Q. What difference is there between God and these spirits ? · A. These are but finite spirits, created by God, and dependant upon him; but God is an uncreated Spirit, infinite and independent, who made all things according to his pleasure. Q. If God be a spirit how doth the scripture ascribe face, eyes, ears, mouth, hands and other bodily parts unto God?

A. These are not proper, but only figurative expressions of God: for if God should speak in his own language, and describe himself to us, as he really is, we could not understand him; therefore he is pleased to speak of himself to us after the manner of men, in condescension to our weak capacities, who cannot conceive of the divine perfections and operations without such shadows and resemblances. Wherefore we must understand all these bodily parts in a spiritual sense.

Q. What ought we to understand by them?

A. By the face of God, we are to understand the manifes-v tation of his favour; by his eyes, his omniscience and watchful providence; by his ears, his readiness to hear our prayers; by his mouth, the revelation of his will; by his hand or arm, the greatness of his power; by his heart, the sincerity of his