No. 4. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. 1.-What is "Belief" or "Faith "? A.-Assent to anything as true, on the testimony of another. 2.--What is meant by "Religious Faith"? A.-A firm assent to everything that God has revealed to us, on the unerring testimony of the Revealer. 3. Does this faith always bring forth fruit? A.-No, it may be unfruitful. 4.-What is it then called? A.-A dead faith. 5.-Give examples from Holy Scripture of a dead faith. (3.) The devils. (James ii. 19.) 6. What is a living faith? A. That which bears fruit in holiness of life. 7.-Give illustrations of a living faith from Holy Scripture? A. (1.) Abraham. (Gen. xxii. 10-16.) (2.) David. (1 Sam. xvii. 45-47.) (3.) The Centurion. (Matt. viii. 8.) (4.) The Canaanitish Woman. (Matt. xv. 28.) (7.) Heb. xi. 8. Are there degrees in this faith? A. Yes. Holy Scripture speaks of (1.) A strong faith. (Rom. iv. 20; Matt. xv. 28.) (Luke xvii. 5.) 10.-Show that faith is absolutely necessary to salvation. A.-John iii. 18, 36; v. 24; vi. 40, 47; 1 John v. 10, 13; Heb. xi. 6. 11. What is the grand truth on which a sinner's faith must rest for salvation? A.-A belief in the death of Christ, as a sacrifice and satisfaction to God for our sins. (Heb. ix. 22; 2 Cor. v. 21.) 12. What encouragements to faith have we in the Gospel? A.-Mark ix. 23; John iii. 14, 15, 16. 13. What is meant by "Justification by Faith?" Learn by heart Article XI. 14.-Prove the doctrine of Justification by Faith from Holy Scripture. A.-John v. 24; Romans iii. 25, 26, 30; Ephes. ii. 8. 15. To whom and at what time did our Lord deliver the "Articles " of the Christian faith? A.-(1) To the Apostles, both before and after His Resurrection. (Acts i. 1, 2, 3.) (2.) To St. Paul, after His Ascension. (Gal. i. 12, 15, 16, 17.) 16.-How did the Apostles communicate them to the world? A.-(1.) In "forms of sound words." (2 Tim. i. 13.) (2.) In the Scriptures of the New Testament. 17.-Where do we find a summary of all the Articles of the Christian Faith? A.-In the Creeds. 18.-What does the word "Creed" mean? A.-Belief, from the Latin credo, "I believe." 19.-How many creeds do we hold ? A.-Three, viz. the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. 20.-Why do we hold them? A.-Because they can be " proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture," and contain what the Church of every age has regarded as the fundamental or foundation truths of the Christian religion. 21.-Why are they so called? A. (a) The Apostles' Creed is so called, because it can be traced to Apostolic times, and because it contains the truths which the Apostles taught. (b) The "Nicene," because the greater portion of it was drawn up and adopted at the Council of Nicæa (A.D. 325). (c) The Athanasian Creed is called after Athanasius, the Patriarch of Alexandria, because it contains the doctrines for which he contended, and is supposed to have been compiled from his works (about A.D. 430). 22.-In what do the Creeds differ? A. The difference between the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene is principally in the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Ghost. The difference between the Athanasian and the other Creeds consists in the definitions of the doctrine of the Trinity contained in the former. 23. In what Services are they appointed to be used? A. The Apostles' Creed is used daily at Morning and Evening Prayer, in the Baptismal Service, in the office for the Visitation of the Sick, etc. The Nicene Creed is used only in the Communion Service, and the Athanasian Creed thirteen times, at Morning Prayer, instead of the Apostles' Creed, on the chief Festivals of the Church, and other Holy Days, so as to be said about once every month, LEARN THE FOLLOWING HYMN BY HEART: Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, Anoint and cheer our soiled face יי Keep far our foes, give peace at home: Praise to Thy eternal merit, Amen. No. 5. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. (Continued.) 1.-"Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief." 2.-"What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy Belief?" 3.-Why do we call God "the Father"? A.-Because (1.) He is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (John xx. 17.) (2.) He is the Creator of all things. (1 Cor. viii. 6; Job xxxviii. 28.) (3.) He is the parent of all mankind. (Acts xvii. 29.) (4.) He is our Father by adoption, through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. viii. 15.) 4.-Prove from Holy Scripture that God is "Almighty." A.-Job xlii. 2; Dan. iv. 35. 5.-And that He is the Maker of "heaven and earth." A.-Gen. i. 1; Acts xiv. 15. 6. What is the meaning of the word "Jesus"? A.-A Saviour. (Matt. i. 21.) 7.—What is the name which indicates our Lord's work, or office? 8. What classes of persons were anointed among the Jews? (2.) Priests, or those who offered prayers and sacrifices for the people. (Lev. viii. 12.) (3.) Kings, or those who had to govern the people. (1 Sam. xvi. 1-13.) 9. Show that all three offices are united in Christ. A.-As a Prophet, or Teacher (1.) He foretold (a) The destruction of Jerusalem. (Luke xxi. 6.) (b) His Death and Resurrection. (Mark x. 33, 34.) (c) His Ascension. (John xvi. 16.) (2.) He teaches us by (a) His Word. (Matt. v. 1, 2.) (b) His Ministers. (Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.) (c) His Holy Spirit. (John xiv. 26.) As our Priest (1.) He offered Himself upon the Cross as a "full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world." (Heb. ix. 14, 28.) (2.) "He ever liveth to make intercession for us." (Heb. vii. 25.) As our King (1.) He rules in our hearts. (2.) He makes us "kings and priests to God and His Father." (Rev. i. 6.) 10.-What is our duty towards Him in respect of these three offices? A. (1.) To attend to His teaching as a Prophet. (2.) To trust to His atoning sacrifice as our Priest. (3.) To obey Him in all things as our King. 11. What is the special work attributed to God the Son? A. The work of redemption. 12. What is it to redeem ? A. To recover by the payment of a price. 13.--Repeat Lev. xxv. 25. 14.-Show that Christ has fulfilled the Scripture idea of a redeemer. A.-(1.) He became of kin to us, for "He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary." (2.) He paid the value of the life which man had forfeited, by His perfect obedience-"He was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell." (3.) He recovered the lost possession, for He rose again from the dead with the divine life of all mankind in His hand, and He gives it freely to all who will receive it. (Heb. ix. 12.) 15.—When will He cause our bodies to share in this redemption, and so make it complete? A. When "He comes to judge the quick and the dead." 16.-Who is carrying on the work of fitting us for glory? A.-"The Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me, and all the elect people of God." 17.-Why do we say "sanctifieth," and not sanctified? A. To show that the work is still going on. 18. Where does the Holy Ghost work? A.-Generally in the "Holy Catholic Church;" specially in the hearts of individual believers. 19. Why is the Church called Holy? A.-Because (1.) Its Head is Holy. (Mark i. 24.) (2.) Its members are called to lead holy lives. (1 Thess. iv. 7.) 20.-Why is it called "Catholic," or universal? A.-(1.) In space, as extending over the whole world. (2.) In time, as continuing to the end, "till the Lord come." (Matt. xvi. 18.) (3.) In character, as embracing all nations. Luke xxiv. 47; Rev. v. 9.) 21.-Name some of the blessed privileges which the Holy Spirit gives to every true member of the Church. A.-(1.) "The Communion of Saints." All who are baptized into the body of Christ are called Saints. (Acts ix. 13, 32, 41.) These share in common with one another all spiritual blessings-such as oneness with God, with one another, and with the faithful departed. (1 Cor. xii. 26, 27; Heb. vii. 1, 22, 23; 1 John i. 3, 7.) 22.-Mention another blessing which we owe to the Holy Spirit. (2.) "Forgiveness of sins." 23. Is His work now complete? A.-No; there yet remains one thing to fit us for Heaven, and that is(3.) "The Resurrection of the Body." (Rom. viii. 11.) 24. When we rise again, will our bodies be like what they are now? A. Yes, in some things, so that we shall know our friends, and they us; and yet these bodies shall be glorified, and no longer subject to pain, decay, or death. (1 Cor. xv. 42 44.) 25.-What is the crowning gift of the Holy Spirit? A.-"Life everlasting." 26. What does this imply? A.-A state of rest, of joy, and of perfect happiness and holiness. (Heb. iv. 9; Matt. xxv. 21; 1 Cor. ii. 9; 1 John iii. 2.) 27. What is the meaning of the word Amen here? A. So it is. Its repetition at the end of the Creed expresses and confirms our belief in all the Articles contained in it. No. 6. THE CHRISTIAN DUTY. (4.) OUR DUTY TOWARDS GOD.-OBEDIENCE. 1. What is the third promise made in your Baptism? A. "That I should keep God's holy will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life." 2.-How many Commandments are there? 3.-"Which be they?" 4.-How are we to keep the Commandments? A.-Not in the letter only, but also in spirit. (Matt. v. 21, 22.) 5.-Repeat the first Commandment. 6. What does it forbid? A.-(1.) Atheism, or having no god at all, in the words "but me." (2.) Polytheism, or having many "gods." (3.) Idolatry, or the setting up of some person, or thing, before God, and giving such the highest place in our affections. 7.-What does the Psalmist say of the Atheist? A.-Psalm liii. 1. 8. Show how we may be guilty of idolatry. A.-By putting anything in the place of God. The miser worships gold; the vain man worships praise; and the sensualist pleasure. 9. What are the duties implied in this first Commandment? A.-(1.) To know God. (John xvii. 3.) (2.) To believe in Him. (Heb. xi. 6.) (3.) To fear Him. (Isa. viii. 13.) (4.) To love Him with all our-(a) Heart, or affections; (b) Mind, or understanding; (c) Soul, or spirit; (d) Strength, or body. (Deut. x. 12.) (5) To serve Him truly. (1 John v. 3.) 10. Repeat the second Commandment. 11.-What is the chief point of difference between this Commandment and the first? A.-The first has reference to the object of our worship; the second the means. In other words, the first teaches us whom we are to worship; the second teaches us how. 12.-What, then, is forbidden by the two together? A. We are forbidden by the First to worship a false God; and by the Second to worship the true God falsely, that is, through the medium of created things. 13. What else does the Second Commandment forbid ? A.-It forbids us (1.) To have unworthy conceptions of God-" to think wickedly that He is even such a one as thyself." (Psa. 1. 21.) (2.) To introduce any superstitious forms into our worship, or to trust to any forms whatever. (3.) To allow anything to come between our souls and God. 14. What are the duties enjoined? A.-(1.) To "worship God in spirit and in truth." (John iv. 23, 24.) (2.) To "give Him thanks." (Ephes. v. 20.) (3.) To "put our whole trust in Him." (Psa. iv. 5.) (4.) To call upon Him in public and private prayer. (Rom. x. 13.) 15. What are the three reasons by which this Commandment is enforced? |