earth, and shall be compassed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see God, whom I myself shall see, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

Q. What shall be the qualities or doweries of a glorified body?

A. Impassibility, activity, brightness, and subtility.

Q. How do you prove its impassibility, or incorruptibility? A. Out of 1 Cor. xv. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality.

Q. How prove you its activity?

A. Out of the same chapter, ver. 43, 44. It is sown in infirmity, it shall rise in power; it is sown a natural body, but it shall rise in a spiritual body, (that is, in motion, and some operations equal to a spirit ;) which also proves its subtility.

Q. How prove you its brightness? A. Out of the same chapter, ver. 24. "For star (said he) differs from star in glory, so also the resurrection of the dead." And ver. 43, "It is sown in dishonour, it shall rise

in glory."

Q. In what space of time shall the dead rise, and the elect be thus changed?

A. "In a moment; in the twinkling of an eye," 1 Cor.

xv. 52.

Q. At what age and stature shall men rise?

A. At a perfect age, which is thirty-three, and in that stature which they should have had at a perfect age, without deformity by defect or excess.

Q. How prove you this?
A. Out of Ephes. iv. 13.

"The Church shall last until we all meet into a perfect man, into the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ."

Q. What example have you in nature for the resurrection? A. A grain of corn, which first rots in the earth and then springs up and lives again.

Q. What benefit have we by the knowledge of the resurrection?

A. It emboldens us to suffer persecution and death itself, in hope of future glory, according to that of St. Paul: "For sufferings of these times are not comparable to that future glory, which will be revealed in us." Rom. viii. 18.

The Twelfth Article.

Q. WHAT is the twelfth article?
A. And life everlasting.

Q. Why is this the last article?

A. Because everlasting life is the last end of man, and the last reward we expect by Faith.

Q. What understand you by this article?

A. I understand that such as keep the commandments, and die in the state of grace, shall live with God in bliss for

ever.

Q. How prove you that keeping the commandments is of necessity for obtaining it?

A. Out of St. Matt. xix. 17. Where Christ said to the

young man, asking what he should do to obtain it, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."

Q. Is everlasting life given as a reward of our good works?

A. It is; according to Rom. ii. 6, 7. "God will render to every one according to his works, to them truly that according to patience in good works seek glory and honour and incorruption, life everlasting, &c."

Q. Were all men created for everlasting life?

A. They were; for God would have all men to be saved. 1 Tim. ii. 4. "He willeth not the death of any sinner, but rather that he be converted and live." Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Q. Why then are many damned?

A. By reason of their own wilful transgression of God's law, and final impenitence.

Q. How prove you that man is the free cause of his own sin and damnation?

A. First, out of Job xi. 23. "God (saith he) hath given him place for penance, but he abuseth it unto pride."

Secondly, out of Hos xiii. 9. "Thy perdition is from thyself, O Israel in me only is thy aid."

Thirdly, out of Rom. ii. 4. "The benignity of God calls thee to repentance, but thou heapest to thyself wrath and indignation, according to thy own impenitent heart."

Q. Ia what cousists everlasting life?

A. In the clear vision and enjoyment of God, according to that of our Saviour, in St. John xvii. 3. "This is life everlasting, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast seat."

Q. Shall we see nothing in Heaven but God?

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A. Yes; all the attributes and perfections of God, and in him also, as in a mirror or looking-glass, the nature and perfections of all creatures; for he contains all things in himself in the most eminent manner.

Q. How prove you that?

A. Out of the apostles, saying, "from whom all things, by whom all things, and in whom all things." Rom. xi 36. Q. What effect will follow from the clear vision and fruition of God?

A. A divine love, steadfast possession, and ineffable joy; and out of that praise, jubilation, and thanksgiving for ever. Q. What means the word Amen, or, so be it?

A. It means that the whole Creed is divine truth, and therefore we most heartily assent to it.

CHAP. IV.

Hope and Prayer explained.

Q. WHAT is Hope?

A. It is a virtue infused by God into the soul, by which we have a confident expectation of glory to be obtained by the grace and merits of Christ, and our own merits proceeding from his grace.

Q. On what is the confidence chiefly grounded?

A. On the merits and promises of Christ, who hath promised glory to such as hope in him, and do his works, as also grace whereby to do them.

Q. Are our good works then meritorious of a reward of glory?

A. As proceeding from the grace of Christ, and built upon his promises, they are.

Q. How prove you that?

A. First out of St. Mark ix. 14. "For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in my name because you are Christ's, Amen, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." Secondly, out of Cor. iii. 8 "And every one shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour, for we are God's coadjutors."

Thirdly, out of St. Matt v, 11. "Blessed are ye (saith our Lord) when they shall revile and persecute you; for very great is your reward in heaven."

Q. Is it lawful for us to do good works in hope of a re ward?

A. Not only lawful but laudable, according to that, I "have inclined my heart to do thy just fications for ever, for a reward. Psalm cxviii. 12.

Q. What other proof have you?

A. Out of 1 John iii. 22.

receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do "Whatsoever (saith he) we shall those things that are pleasing before him."

Q. How declare you the necessity of hope?

A. Because it produces in us obedience to the law of God, as also a willingness to suffer for his sake, and final perse

verance.

Q. How prove you that?

A. Out of Job xiii. 15.

Although he kill me, yet will I hope in him." And Psalm lv. 5, "In God have I hoped, I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.' ,,

It is according to the Psalmist, "Him that hopeth in our Lord, mercy shall compass him." Psalm xxxi. 10. And, "Our Lord is well pleased in them that hope in his mercy." Psalm cxlvi. 11.

Q. What other good doth Hope?

A. It moves us to devout and humble prayer.

Q. What is prayer?

A. It is the lifting up of the mind to God, by which we beg for good things, and to be free from evils, or by which we bless and praise God.

Q. What are the conditions of good prayer?

A. That it may be made with reverence, attention, humility, and perseverance.

Q. What vices are opposite to hope?

A. Despair and presumption.

Q. What is despair?

A. It is a diffidence in the mercy of God, and merits of Christ.

Q. What is presumption?

A. It is a foolish and desperate confidence of salvation, without endeavouring to live well or keep the commandments. Q. How is despair the cause of sin?

A. Because despairing men are wont to say, if I shall be damned, I shall be damned, and so use no endeavour to d. good or avoid evil.

Q. How is presumption the cause of sin?
A. Because presumptuous men use to say,

"God is mer

ciful and will forgive our sins, how great soever, and at what time soever we do penance;" and out of this take liberty to

sin.

Q. How must our hope be balanced betwixt these two extremes?

A. By a filial fear, and an humble distrust of our own works, as they are ours.

Q. Is prayer good against both these?

A. It is, according to that of St. Luke xxii. 40, "Pray ye, that so ye may not fall into temptation."

Q. For what else availeth prayer?

A. For the avoiding of evils, and the obtaining all benefits. Q. How prove you that?

A. Out of St. John xv. 23. "Whatsoever (saith our Saviour) ye shall ask my Father in my name, he will give it you." And St. Luke xi. 9. "Ask and it shall be given you,' &c.

Q. Is it lawful to pray in an unknown tongue ?

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A. It is; for he that speaks in a tongue (unknown) speaks not to men but to God." 1 Cor. xiv. 2. And a petition has the same force if it be understood by him that is peti tioned, whether the petitioner understands the language of it

or not.

Q. What means the apostle when he exhorts us to pray always? Thess. v. 17.

A. He means we should daily spend some time in prayer, according to St. James, v. 16, "Pray for one another, that you may be saved, for the continual prayer of a just man availeth much."

Q. Is it possible to pray always?

A. In some sense it is; namely, by offering up all our

actions to God's honour.

Q. In what places is prayer best?

A. In churches; because these are places consecrated and devoted to prayer, and there our prayers are elevated by the peculiar presence of God, and his special assistance besought by the Church's pastors in the consecration of those places.

Q. How prove you that?

A. Out of St. Matt, xviii. 20. "Where there are two or three gathered together in my name (saith the Lord) there I , am in the midst of them."

Q. How prove you that material churches are of God's appointment?