duty may not grow chill and cold again I have been induced by the perswasion of some of your selves and others to suffer this Exhortation to be made publique for your benefit that every one of you may have something by you that may help to quicken him to the getting the knowledg of the Principles of Religion which I have the rather inclined to because as you know since this was delivered to you God has shaken me by the shoulder once and again 2 Cor. 1.9 and shewed me that my bones are not brass nor my sinews iron so far that I even despair'd of life and seemed to have the sentence of death passed against me How long God may please to reprieve me to be further serviceable to your faith is known to him alone I would willingly leave something as a pledge of my tender affections to you in Christ Jesus that when this tabernacle of my flesh shall be taken down you may have a faithfull Remembrancer with you to minde you of that which is your greatest concernment The hearts of the Galatians were once so inflamed toward the Apostle that they would even have pulled out their eyes to have done him good I shall not impose any such rigid task upon you but only desire that the eyes of your understanding may be inlightned that ye may know God your selves and your duty If I had required some difficult or costly matter at your hand it would be more excusable should you scruple my request but since the motion which I have to make is no extraordinary task and tends so directly to the saving of your precious souls I cannot but promise my self the more ready acceptance That which I am to perswade you to is the making of your selves and families acquainted with God in Christ and that you would make it your business to set up the knowledg of God in your respective families There 's none of you who would be thought careless of the good of your houshold in things that appertain to this life how much more ought ye to be solicitous for them in things pertaining to a better life The instructing of them in the Principles of Religion is of that absolute necessity that without it there can be no salvation There 's no salvation but by Christ no benefit by Christ without faith no faith in him without knowledge no knowledge but by instruction And that I may proceed more distinctly and more effectually in this so weighty a work I shall 1. Propose such Motives as may quicken Parents and Masters in this duty viz. in instructing their children and servants themselves as far as they are able and in causing them to come and yield to this work in publique by the Minister 2. I shall bring some Motives to the yonger sort which may perswade them to submit themselves both to publique and private Catechizing and Instruction 3. I shall bring such arguments as may prevail with all sorts of people of what age or degree what rank or quality soever to a chearful submission to this necessary work of Instruction in the Fundamentals of Religion 1. Branch of Exhortation I begin with those whom God hath made Parents and Masters of Families to whom I shall propose these following considerations why they ought both to instruct their Families themselves and to bring them also to publique Instruction Sect. 1. Every Father and Master is in his own house a King Motives for Parents Masters a Priest and a Prophet house a King a Priest and a Prophet He is a King to govern them a Priest to pray with them and for them a Prophet to instruct and teach them If you will take upon you to rule and govern your Families you must instruct them too you would not be justled out of your command in your own houses you must not thrust your selves out of it by neglecting your instructing office We read of Nymphas Col. 4.15 that he had a Church in his house his house is stiled a Church not only because the faithful came thither to be instructed in the Faith and to hold communion in those times of persecution but also because he did carefully instruct those of his own Family in the knowledge of Christ and trained them up in spiritual and holy Dutys Familiam suam privatam fecit ecclesiam eam pietate religione exernans So Theodoret Sect. 2. God commands that we should instruct our Children and Family in the knowledg of God Deut. 4.9 10. Deut. 6.5 6. Deut. 11.19 20. Psal 78.6 Eph. 6.8 and the matters of Religion where we may observe 1. That they were to teach them it was not a matter Arbitrary left at pleasure but a Duty 2. What they should teach them the knowledg of God of his ways and Commandments not frivolous discourses Songs Tales Romances but Gods Statutes 3. How they should teach them diligently and constantly they must whet it often upon their memories and never leave them till they have made them understand 4. The great advantage that they should gain hereby both they and their children they should live long in the Land which God gave them If those were good motives to them how much stronger have we Was the Law which discovered their sin but could not cure it so diligently to be learned and shall not the Gospel which discovers a remedy for our sin be worth our knowledge should the Inheritance of an earthly possession quicken them to gain the knowledge of Gods law and shall not the enjoyment of a perpetuall rest quicken us to get acquaintance with Jesus Christ in the Gospel Sect. 3. God commands children to learn of their Parents and to hearken to their Instruction which implyes the Parents duty to teach them Prov. 6.20 21. My son keep the Commandment of thy Father and forsake not the law of thy Mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck Mercer The Commandments of Parents that fear the Lord are the very Commandments of God himself and therefore carefully to be kept Deut 6 8.11-18 Bind them continually a phrase frequent in Scripture importing that they should never forget them but that they should be always in our eye Exod. 12.26 Exod. 13.14 in our heart as our greatest ornament Nay it is not only their duty to learn when they are taught but also to be enquiring that they may learn which is plainly hinted in those texts If children had any sence of true Religion they would be enquiring into the nature ground and end of those services which were done to God for true Religion is the exercise of mind inlightned by Faith and Knowledge and not a piece of blind and ignorant devotion Josh 4.6 Deut. 32.7 A man should be able to give some account of every thing that he doth in Gods service and why and upon what account he doth it when they ask you ought to teach them Sect. 4.
Christ and his ways are you not ashamed of your filthy ignorance and will you be ashamed to use the means to cure it But yet where there is an unconquerable bashfulness which yet in this case should be laboured against there may be means found to instruct such in a less publique way Object 4. But Catechising is for children we are grown up to be of mens and womens estate Answ If you have not yet learned it is more then time to begin now Your age is no presciption against a duty that God requires You should rather bemoan your mispent youth and redeem your lost time then plead it in Bar against your future knowledge do you ever intend to learn or no if not you will unavoidably perish in your ignorance if you do then begin while you have time and opportunities and means offered you There be children in understanding as well as children in age and those need instruction as well Muscul in Ps 19.7 or rather more then these Of old not young children onely but those of riper years if ignorant were to be catechised In those places before instanced they that were able to ask a reason of every piece of Gods service were to be instructed and these were past children The Chatechumens or persons to be catechised mentioned above were all such as were converted to the faith whether young or old in which form they continued till they were fully instructed in Christian Religion and fitted for the highest Ordinances Object But what is this but to teach children by roat like Parots what they do not understand Answ It is not the bare saying of a Catechism by heart but the understanding it that we mainly drive at we shall labor to make them understand it as far as they are capable though some may not be able to understand it others areâ— 2. Though they who are very young can but say it yet as age and discretion come on they will increase in knowledg He that now onely learned may come in a little time to understand the meaning on 't But he will never understand who never learned There he some terms of Art in all Sciences which the learner must get though he understand them not when he comes to make use of them then he will understand them Object 6. What is this but to take Gods work out of his hand whose work it is to teach and who hath promised that in Gospel times we shall be all taught of God Answ God in this as usually in other things works by means he teaches us by the Ministery of men This reason is as much against Preaching as Catechizing We might expect such an Objection from super-Ordinance men and to them we would suit another Answer But not from them who acknowledge Gods Ordinances those who are taught by Gods Ministers according to Gods Commands Rules and Directions those God teaches We take not Gods work out of his hand but like his Ushers we teach under him and or him By this time I hope you that are Parents and Masters see the conveniency excellency and necessity of instructing your Families and Children and Servants see that it is their duty and for their great advantage to learn I come now to the last stage of my intended journey upon this subject 3 Branch of Exhortation which is to press all sorts of people of what age or degree soever to a chearful submission to this necessary work of instruction in the fundamentals of Religion Not that I intend the bringing of the aged to publick Catechizing though I shall shew you anon what the Reformed Churches think fit in this case but that they would submit to private personal instruction in the points which be necessarily to be known for their salvation I easily foresee the difficulty of the work which I have in hand against which flesh and blood will undoubtedly make head For first there is naturally a willingness in mens hearts to conceal their miserable ignorance whereof they would not be thought guilty We desire to hide our spiritual defects as well as our natural ones The ignorant as well as the prophane hates the light that he may not be discovered Secondly We shall meet with the horrid pride which too often accompanies such black ignorance of those who think themselves too wise to learn of whom I may say as it was said of others in the like case they might have attained to a good stock of knowledge if they had not thought themselves wise enough too soon There is no greater enemy to knowledge then presuming ignorance Multi ad sapientiae vestigium pervenissent nisi se jam pervenisse putassent Plin. Pride and self conceit bar the door against instruction Those who think themselves rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing when they are poor and naked and miserable are hardliest convinced of their sad condition Rev. 3.17 Isa 47.10 Prov. 12.1 Thirdly The Devil will never be wanting with all hiâ— skill malice and interest to divert or binder a work so directly tending to the overthrow of his Kingdom We have an essay of his good will to works of this nature Acts 19 â—8 20 21. when the word of God began to be manifested and to prevail with some to bring them out of his power he surs up Demetrius who put the people in an uproar against Paul where had not providence diverted their fury he might have been torn to pieces amongst them What between these several oppositions which we easily forecast and others which we cannot so readily see we may say as Paul did that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities c. But be the opposition what it will Gods mind must not be concealed nor our duties undiscovered for fear of displeasing the Devil and his Partizans If it appear not to be Gods mind we leave you to your liberty but if it be then whether you will hear or whether you will forbear we must lay it before you And I hope that God will so effectually convince you of your duties in this particular that none shall be able to open his mouth against it nor refuse it unless it be such as apprehend not the benefit of it or wilfully shut their eyes against the clear light of Scripture To such I shall onely propose these insuing considerations which by Gods grace may serve to quicken them to their Duty Sect. 1. Ignorance is a damning sin in all the mind without knowledge is not good it darkens the understanding Prov. 19.2 Eph. 4.18 Isa 5.13 Hos 4.1 Job 21.14 and alienates from the life of God this is one main ground of Gods controversie against a Land when they have no knowledge It is a character of the worst of men not to desire the knowledge of his ways But it is much worse in aged persons who have had more time and opportunities to learn Job 32.7 9. Days should speak and
Professors whilst accurate Catechising of all sorts of people which did so much good in the * Cognitio scientia Christi Evangelii olim Christiano populo multo perspectior fuit quà m hodie Id. ut supra Primitive times is so generally neglected Sect. 8. You cannot with any colour of reason expect to be made partakers of the sealing Ordinances without knowledge this is one main thing wherein the trial of your fitness is to be made whether or no you discern the Lords body If you eat and drink without knowledge you eat it undiscerningly 〈◊〉 if you eat undiscerningly you eat unworthily and if you eat unworthily 1 Cor. 11. you eat and drink your own damnation In the Synod of Dort it was thought fit that all that brought their children to baptism Non admittitur testis Baptismi c. should give an account of their faith and knowledg before their children were baptized and that none should be a witness at the baptizing of an Infant who were not first examined concerning the nature of that Sacrament and the Office and Duty of a Witness And for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper they judge that none should be admitted to it but those who first make a publique profession of their Faith before the whole Congregation Ad coenae Dominicae usum nemo admittetur nisi qui Doctrinam Chatecheticam probe teneat fidei suae rationem coram totâ Ecclâ—siâ publice reddat Judic Hassio Theol Our Liturgy enjoyned not onely Parents and Masters to cause their Children Servants and Apprentices to attend dâ—ligently and obediently upon publique Catechizing until they had learned the Catechism appointed Rubrick for Confirm but also strictly forbids to admit any to the Commuâ—ion until such time as they could say the Catechism and were confirmed Ignorance as well as scandal was ever reckoned a bar sufficient to keep from the Sacrament Sect. 9. Ministers are to take care of all the flock Act. 20.28 over which God hath made them overseers Elder people are either members of the several flocks or no if not then these are as sheep without a shepheard if so then they are not to exempt themselves from that care which we are obliged to take of the whole flock The sheep which withdraw themselves from their shepheards care are manifestly exposed to the worrying of the ravening Wolf Sect. 10 Ministers are to give an account to God for their people Heb. 13.27 which when I seriously consider I profess my sinews are loosened and my joynts tremble to think what an account we have to make to God I have sometimes wondered at the self-denying modesty of those times when Gregoryâ— Nazieneâ— Ambrose In their Lives printed before their Works and others being called to be Bishops hid themselves and fled away from such high imployment But when I sadly consider the weight of the Ministerial imployment and the account that must be given to God for the flock I wonder that more do not flie from it And if they must give an account to God for you it is but reasonable that they take an account of you God hath made us Stewards in his house it is a great honor but withal a great trust If a Noble man will exact an account of all the business of his family at his Stewards hands it must be necessarily implied that others shall give up their account to him else how shall he be accountable to his Lord If we must be called to an account for your proficiency we may justly call you to an account about it O that you would help us to give up our account that we may do it with joy and not with grief for that will be unprofitable for you 1 Thess 2.19 A thriving people are here a Ministers crown and joy and will be much more so when he is to give up his account in the day of Jesus Christ What a comfort will it be when God calls a Minister to reckoning for his imployment if he can bring with him many precious souls which he hath by his Ministery converted strengthened confirmed and can say in the language of the great Shepheard of our fouls Behold here am I Isa 8.18 and the children which the Lord hath given me When God shall ask him as Esau did Jacob Gen. 33.5 Who are these with thee he can chearfully answer as Jacob did These are the children that God hath graciously given to thy servant in the exercise of his Ministery On the other hand what a grief will it be to a Minister when God shall call him to an account of his employment that in the bitterness of his spirit he must return such an answer as this Lord I have preached in vain I have labored in vain I have stretched out my hands all my life long to a rebellious people I have spoken to them the great things of thy Law but they have accounted them a vain thing I would have healed them and they would not be healed I would have gathered them and they would not be gathered I have piped to them and they have not danced I have mourned for them but they have not wept I have laid thy Law before them but they have not trembled I have preached the Gospel to them but they have not beleived Lord thou knowest how I have daily bended my knees to thee in prayer for them I have spent my strength and time in preaching to them I have watched for them when they slept and labored night and day to bring them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ I would have instructed them but they would not learn but they have continued proud and peevish and stubborn and ignorant and refuse instruction Good friends take heed and be well advised such an account would neither be to a Ministers comfort nor to a peoples profit Sect. 11. The concurrent consent of all Protestant Divines Synod of Dort ses 15. not onely singly considered and dispersed which would be too tedious to recite but as united into one body in the most considerable Assembly that hath been of the Protestants since the Reformation Where though some thought it would be a difficult work to bring antient people to be publickly catechized especially in the first setting this unusual work on foot unless they would voluntarily submit themselves thereunto yet they all agree in this that Parents and Masters ought to be constantly present at the publique Catechizing their Children and Families that so they may the better take notice of their proficiency and know how either to encourage or reprehend them accordingly and be hereby the better inabled to teach them themselves in private And further that they ought to submit themselves to trial if not publique as some noble persons had done to the great advantage of the Church of God yet that they would be content to learn in private which is all that we now press and which they all
commands when they see thee practizing what thou enjoynest them It was the reproach of Appius Appius Lucretiae Regum juris quod ipse composuerat oblitus Flor. lib. 1. c. 24. In commune jubes si quid censesve tenendum Primus ipse subi Claud. Prius disce qui doces Lanct that he forgot the Law of his own making and that he who had expelled Tarquin for a rape himself committed one Pompey was famous for giving good rules but as infamous for breaking them first himself When a Father or a Master of a Family doth truly fear God Suarum legum Author Eversor Tacitus Vid. Muscul Psa 7.7 he will both by his Precepts and Example endeavor to bring his whole houshold to the knowledge and obedience of God too but if he be a wicked person himself whatsoever commands he may lay upon them his corrupt practice will hazard and indanger the ruine of them all Mind that place in Joshua well Josh 24.15 I and my house will serve the Lord it is not I without my house a good man would willingly bring all especially those of his Family to heaven with him nor is it my house without me I am contented that they shall know and serve him but I will not This is all one as if one should say I am willing that my Family should go to heaven but for my self I am resolved to go to hell But it is I and my house I will enjoyn them no more then I will do my self I shall walk before them by mine own example but I will not leave them to their own choice whether they will serve God or no. It 's a pernitious liberty which suffers men to be either of no Religion or of a false one You must provoke them to this good work by doing it before them or else they will be apt to think that it is onely a device to keep children in awe but not a duty necessary to salvation Thus have I according to the grace of God given me Conclusion endeavored to perswade you to lay the foundation whereon the Fabrick of your salvation is to be raised Other foundation can no man lay let every man take heed how he builds thereuponi fanyman build upon this foundation 2 Cor. 3.10 11 12 c. wood hay stubble his work shall be burnt with fire but if any man build gold silver precious stones his work shal abide and he shall receive a reward You have seen the sad inconveniencies which attend the neglect of this work and the great advantages that accrew to those who exercise themselves in it Profit is a spur to Piety Moses his eying the recompence of the reward quickened him in his Duty The Lord give you understanding in all things that you may know where your interest and greatest concernment lies And now Brethren I beseech you by the tender mercies of God by the precious merits of Jesus Christ by all that is dear and precious to you that you suffer this word of Exhortation to prevail with you to the performance of your respective Duties God will have much glory and your poor Souls will one day find the comfort on 't And as for me it will be an abundant recompence of this and all other pains which I have taken amongst you if I may find your hearts more and more inflamed after the saving knowledg of our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ as he is revealed in the Gospel Finally what remains Act. 20.32 but that I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified Humbly beseeching the God of peace Heb. 13.20 that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant that he would make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen READER THere remaining some spare room and meeting with this short Catechism used heretofore to the benefit of many Christians by that eminent and faithful servant of Christ Mr. Robert Lilly late Minister of Campden I thought fit to annex it here as out of a desire to promote thy spiritual good so to testifie that reverend respect which I bear to the memory of that worthy Person now with God Twelve Questions and Answers fit to be learned and understood by all those who desire worthily to communicate at the Lords Table Quest 1. WHat is the Ground of your coming to receive the Lords Supper Answ Because it is an Ordinance which Jesus Christ hath appointed in his Church for the spiritual good of every true Member of it Q 2. What is that spiritual good Christ hath appointed it for A. He hath appointed it as for a holy remembrance of himself so for a special means to confirm the faith of every true Beleever in him Q. 3. What need you or any man believe in Christ A. Yes I and all men are sinful both by Original and Actual sin and must die eternally if the Lord Jesus Christ do not save us which he will not do unless we beleeve on him Q. 4. How can you conceive that the receiving of Bread and Wine should be a means to confirm Faith A. Yes Because as they are a sign of Christs Body and Blood so they are a seal to confirm a special part of the Covenant between God and a Beleever and to give him an interest in it Q. 5. What is the special part of the Covenant which it both confirms and conveys to a Beleever A. That by Faith as he shall have his sin pardoned and Gods favor recovered which is signed and sealed in Baptism so in feeding on him by Faith he shall be nourished and preserved in that estate unto Everlasting life Q. 6. Hath every one that receives this confirmed and conveyed to him A. Yes every one that hath Faith if he come not unworthily for so he may hinder his own spiritual good Q. 7. May a Beleever come unworthily A. Yes in some sort if he do not carefully perform his Duty as he should both before he receive in receiving and after receiving sanctifying them all by prayer Q. 8. What is the Duty that a Christian must do before he receive A. He must duly examine himself whether he have Knowledge Faith Repentance Obedience Love and carefully renew them all so oft as he cometh to receive Q. 9. How may he know by his examination whether he hath these Graces yea or no A. By this Rule every one of them if he can truly say that his Performance is some his Endeavors are more his Desiâ—e is infinite Q. 10. How is a Beleever to renew these Graces A. In laboring to see the imperfections of them in seeing them to bewail them confess them crave pardon for them with a holy resolution to redress them Q. 11. What is the Duty which a Beleever must do in receiving A. In beholding the Bread and Wine thankfully to discern the Lords Body and by faith to receive them as the seal of God that by his faith he shall be preserved in Gods love and that they as instruments of God exhibit it to him Q 12. What is the Duty that a Beleever must do after receiving A. As to remember the Covenant made in receiving and continually to make use of it so to remember himself whether he have received that spiritual comfort to be had in it if he have to be thankful and make use of it if not to search out the cause and be humble for it FINIS READER BE pleased to correct these Errata's ere you read the Book because many of them marr the sense the literal slips especially in the Margin are less considerable you may mend them as you read Page 12. Line 3. for would r. worlds line 24 25. the words are misplaced in the beginning of each line in the 24. for thorough r. in some measure in the 25. for in some measure r. thorough p. 14. l. 17. r. in a wrack p. 16. l. 19. r. they will find p. 17. l. 5. for Baleans r. Baleares p. 21. l. 11. for Estones r. Estones l. 25. for vari r. vare p. 33. l. 22. for what r. which p. 53. l. 6. for be r. he l. 7. for he r. be p. 71. r. Greg. Nazianzene l. 22. for Eynus r. Cyrus