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What, however, did God make known to them?

Where did they then preach the Gospel? Whom did the Apostles meet in almost all the places where they came?

How happened that? To what people did the Apostles at first address themselves?

Where do we find this? What did they write to them?

What do you mean by "epistles?" A. Letters.

Whom did they notwithstanding invite to the profession of the Gospel?

In whose name did they baptize all who would become Christians?

What is the substance of the doctrine which the Apostles and other ministers of Jesus Christ preached?

What did the one only God create?

What had God not been before the coming of Jesus Christ his son?

What did the Apostles teach respecting Jesus Christ?

Of whom did they declare that he was the Saviour?

Of whom did they represent him as the Judge?

Who did they preach would be eternally happy?

world. The apostles met with Jews in almost all the places where they came, this nation having been dispersed for a long time in divers countries. It was to the Jews of the dispersion that the Apostles did at first address themselves, as the book of Acts shows us; and it was to them that they wrote many epistles. Nevertheless they invited all sorts of people, without distinction, as well Gentiles as Jews, to the profession of the Gospel; and they baptized all those that would become Christians, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This is the substance of the doctrine which the Apostles and other ministers of Jesus Christ did preach; namely, that there is but one only God who created heaven and earth; that this true God, who had not been sufficiently known till then, had made himself known to men by Jesus Christ his Son; that this Jesus, who was crucified by the Jews, was risen again; that he was the Saviour of the world, the judge of all men, and that all those who would believe in him should be eternally happy. This doctrine was preached by the Apostles

How was this doctrine preached?

What was the consequence?

What happened to the Jews?

How many years did this take place after the death of our Lord?

What befell Jerusalem? Who foretold this event? What fell on the Jews? Where were they dispersed?

From what have they never been able to recover? How long has it continued upon them?

Why were the Jews thus punished?

A. Because they would not believe in our Saviour, but crucified the Lord of Life.

CHAPTER IX.

What does the ninth chap

ter contain?

How many things did the Apostles require from men? How many things did they promise them?

What were the two things which the Apostles required from men?

In whom were men to believe?

What were the Gentiles required to do?

Whom were they to serve?

What were the Jews required to do?

with such wonderful success that in a few years Christianity was established in the principal parts of the world.

As for the Jews, they were destroyed and drove out of their country, forty years after the death of our Lord. The city of Jerusalem was taken by the Romans, and with the temple there laid in ruins, as Jesus Christ had expressly foretold; the judgments of God fell upon the Jews, who were dispersed throughout the world; and since that time they have never been able to recover from that destruction, but it continues upon them to this day.

CHAPTER IX.

Anabridgment of the Christian religion.

But in order to have a more exact knowledge of the religion preached by the Apostles, it must be known that they required two things from men, and promised them also two things.

And the two things which the Apostles required were, that men should believe, and that they should amend their lives. They required, in the first place, that men should believe in God, and in Jesus Christ; that the Gentiles

What were both Jew's and Gentiles required to do?

For what were they to believe he made atonement?

should forsake their religion and the service of false deities, and adore and serve none but the true God, the Creator of the world: that the Jews should acknow

What do you mean by ledge Jesus Christ for the

" atonement?"

A. Reconciliation.

From what was he to deliver men?

What did the Apostles declare Christ purchased. for those that believed in him?

What were they to receive

as true?

In what were they to persevere?

What were those to do who had lived wickedly? What were they to renounce?

What do you mean by "renounce?"

A. Forsake.

What were the principal sins they were to renounce? When did those who were made Christians, renounce. their sins?

In what did they promise to live?

Whose commandments did they promise to obey?

To what three heads may these commandments be reduced?

If men acquitted themselves of those duties, and gave evidence of their faith

Messias promised by the prophets; and that Jews and Gentiles both should believe that Jesus Christ came into the world for the Salvation of men, to make atonement for their sins, to deliver them from condemnation and death, and to purchase for all them that believe in him a title to eternal life; that they should receive his doctrine as true, and that they should persevere in the profession of it. The other thing which the Apostles required was, that those who till then had lived very wickedly should amend their lives and. renounce their sins, of which the principal were impiety, impurity, intemperance, cruelty, covetousness, injustice, pride, evil-speaking, the love of the world, and self-love. Those who were made Christians renounced these sins, in receiving baptism; and they promised to live in the practice of virtue and holiness, and to obey the commandments of Jesus Christ; which may be reduced to these three heads, piety to

G

and repentance, how many things did the Apostles promise?

What was the first thing they promised?

What was the second thing they promised?

What do you mean by acquitting themselves of these duties?"

A. Performing them. By what did the Apostles give men assurance of this?

A. By baptism.

What did the Apostles say would be done with those, who refused to become Christians, or that, being Christians, did not live as Jesus Christ had ordained?

What do you mean by "ordained?"

ed.

A. Appointed; command

What do you mean by "excluded?"

A. Shut out from. By whom was the sum of the Christian religion thus preached?

What then is our duty respecting the Christian religion?

What do you mean by "adhering to the Christian religion?"

A. Cleaving to it, or strictly observing it; following it.

wards God, justice and charity towards our neighbour, and temperance in regard to ourselves.

Upon condition that men would acquit themselves of these two duties, and would give evidence of their faith and repentance, the Apostles promised them two things: First, that all their past sins, committed in the time of their ignorance, should be pardoned: Secondly, that God would receive them into his covenant, and grant them salvation and life eternal. These are the two things that the Apostles gave men assurance of by baptism. But as for those that refused to become Christians, or that, being Christians, did not live as Jesus Christ had ordained, the Apostles declared, that they should be excluded from salvation, and were subject to condemnation and death eternal.

This is the sum of the Christian religion, as it was preached by the Apostles. It is our duty to adhere constantly to it, to love it, to do according as it directs, living godly in this world, and expecting our salvation from the mercy of God; that so, when Jesus Christ shall come at the last day to

If we do so, what may we hope to escape, when Jesus Christ shall come in the last day?

What may we hope to partake of?

render to every one according to his works, we may escape the punishment which this religion threatens wicked people with, and partake of that glory and everlasting happiness which it promises to the faithful.

THE END.

GILBERT & RIVINGTON, Printers, St. John's Square, London.

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