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A LITTLE

Catechism,

WITH

_LITTLE VERSES_,

AND

LITTLE SAYINGS,

FOR

Little Children.

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_LONDON_,

Printed for John Lawrence at the _Angel_ in the _Poultrey_, 1692.


       *       *       *       *       *


_A Catalogue of Books_, &c. Husband Mr. _Joseph Rowlandson_, &c.

Remarks on the Affairs of Trade of _England_ and _Ireland_, &c.

_Officium Cleri Desiderium Populi_, or Canonical Obedience asserted and
proved to be the Duty of Gospel Ministers, and the Desire of all good
Hearers.

_Books in_ Octavo.

The Catechizing of Families, a Teacher of Householders how to teach
their Households; useful also to School-masters and Tutors of Youth.

Scripture Gospel defended, and Christ, Grace, and free Justification
vindicated against the Libertines, in two Books. The first a Breviate of
Fifty Controversies. Second upon the re-printing of Dr. _Crisp's_
Sermon.

Full and Easy Satisfaction, which is the true Religion, in a Conference
between a Doubter, a Papist, and a Reformed Catholic Christian.

A Key for Catholics to open the jugling of the Jesuits, containing some
Arguments by which the meanest may see the Vanity of Popery, &c.

A

CATECHISM

For Little Children to Learn.


Question. _Who made you?_

_Answer._ GOD.

Quest. _Who Redeemed you?_

_Answ._ Jesus Christ.

Quest. _Who Sanctifieth and preserves you?_

_Answ._ The Holy Ghost.

Quest. _Wherefore did God make you?_

_Answ._ To Serve him.

Quest. _How must he be served?_

_Answ._ In Spirit and in Truth.

Quest. _What is it to serve God?_

_Answ._ To keep his Commandements.

Quest. _How many Commandments be there?_

_Answ._ Ten.

Quest. _Which be they?_

_Answ._ The same which God spoke in the twentieth Chapter of _Exodus_,
saying, _I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of
Egypt, out of the House of Bondage._

_Quest._ Which is the First?

Answ. _Thou shalt have no other gods before me._

_Quest._ Which is the Second?

Answ. _Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image, or any likeness
of any thing that is in Heaven above, or that is in the Earth beneath,
or that is in the Water under the Earth: thou shalt not bow down thy
self to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto
thousands, of them that love me and keep my Commandements._

_Quest_. Which is the Third?

Answ. _Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the
Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain_.

_Quest_. Which is the Fourth?

Answ. _Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, six days shalt thou
labour and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the
Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor
thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattel, nor
thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six dayes the Lord made
Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed
it_.

_Quest_. Which is the Fifth?

Answ. _Honour thy father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long upon
the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee_.

_Quest._ Which is the Sixth?

Answ. _Thou shalt not kill._

_Quest._ Which is the Seventh?

Answ. _Thou shalt not Commit Adultery._

_Quest._. Which is the Eighth?

Answ. _Thou shalt not steal._

_Quest._ Which is the Ninth?

Answ. _Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour._

_Quest._ Which is the Tenth?

Answ. _Thou shalt not Covet thy Neighbour's House, thou shalt not Covet
thy Neighbours Wife, nor his Man-servant, nor his Maid-servant, nor his
Oxe, nor his Ass, nor any thing that is thy Neighbour's._

Quest. _Are you bound to keep all these Commandments?_

_Answ._ YES.

Quest. _Are you bound to keep them in Thought, Word, and Deed?_

_Answ._ YES.

Quest. _How are you bound to keep them?_

_Answ._ By my Baptism and by the Word of God.

Quest. _Are you able to keep them of your self?_

_Answ._ NO.

Quest. _Why so?_

_Answ._ Because I was conceived and born in sin.

Quest. _From whence was that?_

_Answ._ From _Adam_'s Fall.

Quest. _How did_ Adam _fall_?

_Answ._ By Eating the forbidden Fruit.

Quest. _Do you sin daily?_

_Answ._ YES.

Quest. _What is Sin?_

_Answ._ The Breaking of God's Law.

Quest. _What doth Sin deserve?_

_Answ_. HELL.

Quest. _What is Hell?_

_Answ._ Darkness and Torments.

Quest. _How long doth it last?_

_Answ_. For Ever and Ever.

Quest. _Is it not a sad thing to lie under the Wrath of God for ever? to
lie in devouring Flames for Ever?_

_Answ._ YES.

Quest. _Can you deliver your self from Hell?_

_Answ._ NO.

Quest. _How must you be delivered._

_Answ._ Only by Jesus Christ?

Quest. _Who is Jesus Christ?_

_Answ_. The Son of God.

Quest. _Is he not Man also?_

_Answ._ YES. He was always God, and in the Fullness of time became Man,
and so he is both God and Man, in two Natures, and one Person for ever.

Quest. _What hath Christ done for Sinners?_

_Answ._ He hath died for them.

Quest. _What Death did he die?_

_Answ._ The Death of the Cross.

Quest. _Why died he that Death?_

_Answ._ Because it is written, _Cursed is he that hangeth upon a Tree_.

Quest. _Did Christ bear the Curse of God that was due to Sinners?_

_Answ._ YES.

Quest. _Are all the World saved by him?_

_Answ._ NO.

Quest. _Why so?_

_Answ._ Because he is not theirs.

Quest. _What must we do, that Christ may be ours?_

_Answ._ Believe on him.

Quest. _What is it to Believe on him?_

_Answ._ To rest upon Him for Salvation.

Quest. _What grounds of Encouragement have we to rest upon Christ for
Salvation?_

_Answ._ These six:

    1. He is an only Saviour.
    2. He is an able Saviour.
    3. He is a willing Saviour.
    4. He is a faithful Saviour.
    5. He is a suitable Saviour.
    6. He is an offered Saviour.

Quest. _When is Christ offered?_

_Answ._ In the Gospel.

Quest. _Name some Places?_

_Answ._ John 3. 16. _God so loved the World, that he gave his only
begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have Everlasting Life._ John 6. 37. _Him that comes unto me, I will in
no wise cast out._ I Tim. 1. 15. _This is a faithful saying, and worthy
of all acceptation, that_ Jesus Christ _came into the World to save
sinners._

Quest. _Multitudes are called and invited, why do they not come to
Christ?_

_Answ._ Because they are not Humble.

Quest. _Why are they not Humble?_

_Answ._ Because they do not see their sins and sinfulness.

Quest. _What must we do that we may see our sins and our sinfulnesses?_

_Answ._ 1. We must search the Scriptures. 2. We must hear the Word of
God Preached. 3. We must Examine our Consciences. 4. We must Pray to God
for his Spirit.

Quest. _If a poor Creature comes to Christ, crying, lamenting and
confessing his sins, will Christ receive him?_

_Answ._ YES, YES: His mercifull Arms are spread wide open to receive
him.

Quest. _What will the Lord do for such a one that comes to him?_

    _Answ._ 1. He will Pardon all their sins.
    2. He will give them Grace.
    3. He will give them Peace.
    4. He will Comfort them.
    5. He will provide for them.
    6. He will take their parts.
    7. He will bring them to Heaven.

Quest. _What is Heaven?_

_Answ._ An everlasting Enjoyment of God in glory.

Quest. _When the Lord has done this for a poor Creature, what must he do
for this good God of his?_

_Answ._ He must be Humble and Thankful.

Quest. _How must he shew himself Humble and Thankful?_

_Answ._ He must love the Lord with all his Heart, with all his Soul, and
serve the Lord with all his strength, and he must love his Neighbour as
himself, and for the Lords sake; and this he must do all the dayes of
his Life.




_VERSES,_

_For little Children to Learn_.

    I Must Pray
    Both Night and Day.
    Before I Eat,
    I must entreat
    That God would Bless to me my Meat.
    I must not play
    On the Sabbath-day:
    But I must hear
    God's Word in Fear.
    I must not SWEAR.
    I must not Lye, I must not Feign,
    I must not take God's Name in vain.
    I must not Rail.
    I must not Steal.
    It is a Sin
    To steal a Pin,
    Much more to steal a greater thing.
    It's better for me to be poor,
    And beg my Bread from door to door,
    Than to steal my Neighbour's Store.
    I must Work, and I must Pray,
    And God will feed me day by day,
    Mine honest Labours God will Bless,
    But he hateth Idleness.
    My King, and all my Governors,
    My Parents and Superiors,
    These I must Honour and Obey,
    To these I must my Duty pay.
    I must not be Rude nor Wild,
    I must not be a Wanton Child:
    I must sing no wanton Songs,
    I must forgive my Neighbours wrongs:
    I must speak of no Man ill,
    But to all must bear good will:
    I had better die
    Than tell a Lie.
    I must not sin,
    A World to win.
    My Tongue
    Must do no wrong.
    If my Tongue do here Rebel,
    Then my Tongue must burn in Hell.
    I must Read,
    I must heed,
    And on the Scriptures I must feed.
    I must
    Put my Trust
    In Christ above,
    The God of Love.
    Christ alone my Soul can save,
    And raise my Body from the Grave.
    Christ alone must have my Heart,
    Christ and I must never part.
    Lord, Grant that I
    In Faith may dye,
    And live with Christ Eternally!
              _AMEN._

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_SAYINGS,_

_For little Children to Learn._


Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy Youth; and thy Creator will
remember thee in the dayes of thy Old Age.

              Praying
    Is better than Playing.
    Grace is better than Gold.
    Singing of Psalms
    Is better than Ringing of Bells.
    Mothers love young Children,
    And Christ loves young Saints.
    It is better not to live in the World,
    Than to live without God in the World.
    One day in God's Courts,
    Is better than a thousand elsewhere.
    God's Presence makes Heaven, and
    God's Absence makes Hell.
    If I draw nigh to God,
    God will draw nigh to me.
    In God's Favour is Life, and
    In God's displeasure is Death.
    If I put off my Repentance to another day,
    I have a day more to Repent of,
    And a day, less to Repent in.
    Christ is a poor Sinners Hope.
    Christ's Blood is a Souls Ransom.
    To have a Portion in the World is a Mercy,
    But to have the World for a Portion is Misery.
    An Interest in Christ is the greatest Interest.
    The Love of God is sweeter than Wine,
    And better than Life.
    God's Ways are the best Ways,
    God's Peace is the best Peace, and
    God's People are the best People.
    The worst of the ways of GOD, are better than the
                                   best of the ways of Sin.
    'Tis better to suffer the greatest Suffering in the World,
    Than to sin the least Sin in the World.
    A poor Man is better than a Liar.
    Without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord.



    IF I BE NOT Holy,
    Heaven cannot make me Happy.
    I must do the Lords-Work
    On the Lords-Day.
    If I want a Dram of Grace to Tame my Tongue,
    The time will come when I shall want a
          drop of Water to Cool my
                TONGUE.



_FINIS._







End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Little Catechism, 1692, by John Mason

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 13274 ***