http://my.voyager.net/~jayjo/primer.htm excerpt from the New England Primer...
Q. 40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience ?
A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.
Q. 41. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended ?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.
Q. 42. What is the sum of the ten commandments ?
A. The sum of the ten commandments is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and our neighbour as ourselves.
Q. 43. What is the preface to the ten commandments ?
A. The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage.
Q. 44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us ?
A. The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
Q. 45. Which is the first commandment ?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment ?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God, to be the only true God, and our God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment ?
A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God, and our God, and the giving that worship and glory to any other which is due to him alone.
Q. 48. What are we especially taught by these words (before me) in the first commandment ?
A. These words (before me) in the first commandment, teach us, that God who seeth all things, taketh notice of and is much displeased with the sin of having any other God.
Q. 49. Which is the second commandment ?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the 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 thyself to them nor serve them, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me & keep my commandments.
Q. 50. What is required in the second commandment ?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, & keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances, as God hath appointed in his word.
Q. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment ?
A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images or any other way not appointed in his word.
Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment ?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment, are God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.
Q. 53. Which is the third commandment ?
A. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord wilt not hold him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain.
Q. 54. What is required in the third commandment ?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works.
Q. 55. What is forbidden in the third commandment ?
A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of any thing whereby God maketh himself known.
Q. 56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment ?
A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, That however the breakers of this commandment may escape judgment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.
Q. 57. Which is the Fourth commandment ?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, six days shalt thou labor 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 cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates, for in six days 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.
Q. 58. What is required in the fourth commandment ?
A. The fourth commandment requireth, the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven to be an holy Sabbath to himself.
Q. 59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath ?
A. From the beginning of the world, to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath, and the first day of the week ever since to continue to the end of the world which is the Christian Sabbath.
Q. 60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified ?
A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by an holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days, and spending the whole time in public and private exercises of God's worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
Q. 61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment ?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth, the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness or doing that which is in itself sinful, or any unnecessary thoughts, words or works, about worldly employments or recreations.
Q. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment ?
A . The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, are God s allowing us six days of the week for our own employment, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, & his blessing the sabbath day.
Q. 63. Which is the fifth commandment ?
A . The fifth commandment is, Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Q. 64. What is required in the fifth commandment ?
A. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.
Q. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment ?
A. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing any thing against the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations.
Q. 66. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment ?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity, (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.
Q. 67. Which is the sixth commandment ?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.
Q. 68. What is required in the sixth commadment?
A. The fixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life, and the life of others.
Q. 69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment ?
A. The fixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, and whatsoever tendeth thereunto.
Q. 70. Which is the seventh commandment ?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q. 71. What is required in the seventh commandment ?
A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbor's chastity, in heart, speech & behaviour.
Q. 72. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment ?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words and actions.
Q. 73. Which is the eighth commandment ?
A. The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.
Q. 74. What is required in the eighth commandment ?
A. The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring & furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.
Q. 75. What is forbidden in the eighth commandment ?
A. The eighth commandlnent forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbours wealth or outward estate.
Q. 76. Which is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou Shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Q. 77. What is required in the ninth commandment ?
A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man & man, & of our own & our neighbor's good name, especially in witness bearing.
Q 78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment ?
A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor's good name.
Q 79. Which is the tenth commandment ?
A. The tenth commandmelat is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Q . 80. What is required in the tenth commandment ?
A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbour, and all that is his.
Q. 81. What is forbidden in the tenth commandment ?
A. The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estaxe, envying or grieving at the good of our neigbbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to any thing that is his.
Q. 82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God ?
A. No mere man since the fall is able in this Iife perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily doth break them in thought, word and deed.