Selected quad for the lemma: child_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
child_n	milk_n	mother_n	suck_v	1,826	4	10.3986	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80842	Catechizing Gods ordinance: or A short treatise concerning that [brace] ancient approved soul-edifying singularly necessary [brace] exercise of catechizing. Delivered in sundry sermons at Botolphs Aldgate, London. / By Zach. Crofton minister of the word.	Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672.	1656 (1656)	Wing C6990; Thomason E1665_1; ESTC R208381	52,670	171

is conveighed the immortal seed informing them in the Doctrine of God sinfull nature and their own covenant with God in Baptism Thirdly That they may propagate Religion to posterity according to their duty in Deut. 4.9 Gen. 18.18 unto which end as we before noted Catechizing is singularly instrumental Fourthly That they may prepare their families even in the time of their youth to bear witnesse to the truth unto the confusion of the enemies thereof as did the Children of Merindoll nay under the most exquisite torments to rejoyce in and encourage to patient constancy in the faith of Christ for this hath added much force unto the truth of God in all ages that it hath not only been sealed with the bloud of men of age and gray hairs but also youth even of Infants who have been unmovably fixed in it which how could they have been or their parents encourage them to it and endear them to themselves by it if they had not been well instructed in the Doctrine of Christ and their Parents discharged their duty in Catechizing them betimes of the which we shall finde severall instances in the third persecution under Adrian the Emperour we read of Symphorisa a godly matron martyred with her seven children and Sophia with her three children also in the fourth persecution under Antoninus Verus we read of the seven children of Felicitas cruelly and diversly martyred before her eyes her self chearfully also sealing the truth with death so also a woman of Syria and her two daughters and Athanasia and her three daughters What shall I say of young Eulatia and others under the Heathens besides the constancy of a boy of eight or nine years old well instructed by his father John Fatty who was by Bonner cruelly whipped for his profession What shall I say of Vitalis who suffered with his godly Master Agrico of John Leaf an Apprentice who was with Mr. Bradford burned at the nineteenth year of his age of Tho. Hinshaw cruelly whipped in Bonner's garden for the Truth but above all I cannot passe with silence the Childe which witnessed the truth of God with renowned Romanus when but seven years of age who having witnessed the profession of it under cruel whipping and at last having his skin pull'd off his head was thus encouraged by his godly Mother My childe thirst after the cup of which the Children of Bethleem did drink remember Isaac 's obedience unto death suffer a little my childe thou shalt anon go to him that will cover thy naked head with a crown of eternall glory and when after with a smiling countenance he had approved himself invincible by suffering torments and was cruelly beheaded to the grief of the beholders and great joy of the Mother only standing by with dry eyes singing to Gods glory All praise with heart and voice O Lord we yeeld to thee To whom the death of all thy Saints we know most dear to be This constancy of the childe and comfort of the Mother must needs witnesse the truth of his answer to the Captain that he sucked in the Doctrine of Christ with his mothers milk and much enforce this Reason for Masters of families Catechizing The fifth and last Reason why Masters of families should Catechize may be this That they may preserve the Church of God in their houses faithfully discharge the Prophetical office to which they are redeemed by Jesus Christ in instructing their families in matters of Faith and obedience whereby they are enabled to discharge their several duties towards God and man that they may sweeten relation and the performances of their priestly office in prayer and praises to be presented with faith and fear with fervor and feeling whilest by diligent Catechizing they are enabled to do all with knowledge and understanding Having thus shewed you who must Catechize we shall briefly shew you what they must do in the performance of this duty before we shew you who must be Catechized First The Catechism ready and the Catechized present they must as in every other Ordinance of God begin with hearty and earnest prayer to the most wise God for his blessing on this divine exercise that it may tend to the edification of all concerned in it Secondly Propound the questions and require an audible answer thereunto for it is most expedient that the Catechism be by question and answer as was before noted Thirdly Audibly repeat the question and answer that such as stand by may be sure to hear observe and have it the better imprinted in their mindes and memories Fourthly Cause the Catechized according to their capacities to prove the several propositions expressed in the questions and answers by some sutable places of Scripture that they may be able to discern them to be the truths of God grounded on his Word Fifthly according to their several abilities and in their proper places they must explain the several propositions that they may the better be understood and the heart be the more affected with the same and also take notice of the principal errors that do oppose them they must perform the whole duty cheerfully and reverently as becomes an ordinance of God praising the forward encouraging the willing patiently bearing with the weak and gravely admonishing the unruly We come now to shew you who must be Catechized in the consideration whereof we shall first shew who were wont to be Catechized in the primitive times and then who amongst us ought to subject themselves to this duty In the primitive times they did usually Catechize two sorts the one before and the other after Baptism those that were Catechized before Baptism were Heathens converted from their Paganism to the knowledge of the true God who before they were received into the fellowship of Jesus Christ were Catechized Justin Martyr in his second Apologie for the Christians declares that if any Heathen man desired to be received into the fellowship of the Church he was first Catechized in the principles of Religion and then hearing further the Word of God as it were the conditions of the covenant afterward came into the face of the congregation and made a profession thereof promising their obedience thereunto and so they were baptized and received as members such an one was Augustine when converted from Manichism he was Catechized and then Baptized in which time of his Catechism he wrote many books so Ambrose was in his Catechism and not baptized when chosen Bishop of Millaine such as these were the Burgundians whom Socrates declares to have been seven daies in Catechizing and baptized in the eighth day Jerom ad Pannachium makes mention of such as were in his daies Catechized forty daies and then baptized in Tertullian's daies they did Catechize till Easter or Whitsontide and then baptize in a word such as these were Catechumeni and novices sent away from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The second sort Catechized were the children of the faithful who had been baptized in their Infancy

of the novelty thereof and lead us to the consideration of the third reason which is the necessity of so ancient a duty Reas 3 Thirdly Catechizing must be used in the Church of God because it is exceeding necessary which necessity upon serious second thoughts will appear to be great unto all such as desire to be found good proficients in the School of Christ even as necessary as ABC to a childe first going to School as the rudiments of any Arts or Science a man desieth to know and professe as a foundation to building without which it cannot stand as milk for babes new born and therefore it is in Scripture held out in such termes and similitudes viz. Principles Elements Foundation Milk c. All which the Apostle useth in the Text teaching us that this neglected the soul cannot be established in the Doctrine of Christ but be alwaies unstable and as children ready to be tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine cannot be prepared for and made capable of higher learning to read readily the Doctrine of the Lords Priesthood and their priviledges thereby and those things that should tend to the perfecting of their faith and compleating of their comforts this was the great cause of our Authors sharp reproof of the Hebrewes in the Text for when he came to communicate to and teach them higher lessons in the Schoole of Christ they were not yet perfect in the first form of the principles of Religion nay they cannot grow forward in the graces of Gods Spirit but like children without milk be lank and lean alwaies ready to exspire that principle of life that is in them nay lastly they cannot unchatechized act and move orderly and methodically in the practise of their Christian duties but be very incident to confusion and disorder for without all doubt one great cause of all that confusion that is in mens mindes and actions in these daies is the want of Catechizing whereby they might be enabled to digest those general notions that flie in their brains into certain solid heads and principles which might be standing rules for their direction It being then an exercise so very necessary I hope none can or will deny it to be a usefull duty in the Church especially if we consider the next Reason which is the profit and comfort of this exercise Reas 4 Fourthly Then we shall finde Catechizing as not to be needlesse so to be very profitable and comfortable to the Church of God in general and the subjects of it in particular for by serious enquiry and sensible observation we shall finde it no barren plant in the Lords garden nor yet fruitlesse ordinance to be rejected but that which rightly used and skilfully improved doth produce to the comfort of all Gods children these several advantages Advantages of Catechizing 1. The preservation of the purity of Religion 2. The propagation of it to posterity 3. Preparednesse to increases in the knowledge of Christ 4. Profit by the Word 5. Prevention of falling into error 6. Present capacity of communion at the Lords Table 7. Powerfull disposition to dutie Advantage 1 First then it preserveth the good estate of the Church in the maintenance of purity of Religion for a Catechism rightly framed and grounded on the Scripture is a brief abstract and compendium of the Law and the Testimony whereby all corruptions of doctrine or practise is easily and suddenly discerned and detected and by diligence in this exercise truth is made like the Goldsmiths touchstone ready to receive with approbation all golden doctrine thereunto consonant but to make men fear to tender or if any dare presume readily to reject all base metals of false doctrines or practical innovations that are thereunto dissonant and yet may be sometimes imposed on the Church for this sum of Scripture as it may be called or to use Luthers word Bible of the people or sum of Christian Religion doth with more perspicuity and celerity conclude the truth and with more facility and speed pull off the vizard of a Sic dixit Dominus thus saith the Lord from the face of all false Prophets and Seducers then the reading comparing and considering of the whole body of the Scripture and resolving the same into Catechistical principles which must be the way to oppugn the untruths imposed even as Hippocrates Aphorisms in cases of Physick Cokes Institutes in cases of Law and the short axiomes and standing principles of Philosophy doe more quickly and sharply detect all contrary assertions then the more large and ample Treatises and discussions of the same Hence it may be more then probable that the reason why the Lord Jesus did no more particularly by quoting books chapters and verses prove the truth and purity of his Doctrine preached to the Jewes was for that as the Apostle saith in Rom. 2.18 they knew his will and tryed those things that did dissent from it being as was noted before catechized in the Law we may afso observe that Paul gave Timothy a Catechistical sum of Christian Doctrine which in 2 Tim. 1.13 he cals a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Rom. 6.12 it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Analogie of Faith form of sound words and chargeth him to keep fast the same as a preservative of the purity of Religion against the corruptions which our nature is too prone to receive hence also it was that the fathers of the primitive times did usually resolve certain Catechistical * As the Nicene Creed Ephesine and of the several Councels against the Haeresies of Arrius Macedonius and Eudoxius Nestorius and Eutyches verities into short and standing principles for the defending of the Church in the pure truth of Christ Godhead the like against the Arrian other Heresies and moreover we may observe the Devils strongest engine against the purity and prosperity of Religion to have been the obstruction of this exercise when he stirred up Julian the Apostate as his cursed instrument to make a more furious attempt and prevailing assault then the ten first persecutions on the Christian Religion by taking away Christian books and putting down all Schools of Cateehizing for the Devil and his instruments were and are sensible that Catechizing is the thing that impedes the rising of his kingdome for that by it the foundation of Christian Doctrine doth not only remain firm but also the meanest members of the Church are made in some measure capable of contending for the truth and communicating the same to such as by the enjoyment of other parts and abilities are likely to enter the lists with truths opposers in its defence though many eminent pillars even faithfull Ministers of the Gospel be by their rage cut off so that Martyrdome cannot master it but rather propagate it For sanguis Martyrum becomes semen Ecclesiae by watering these Catechetical heads of Gospell Doctrine and therefore the Spanish Jesuites were wont to say they had most hopes when there was