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A39501
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An Earnest call to family-catechising and reformation by a reverend divine.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing E95; ESTC R31403
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30,606
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74
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late Assembly recommended CAtechising in general is any Instruction by Word of Mouth more particularly it is a plain and familiar instructing of Persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sono est vivâ voce instituere To instruct by Word of Mouth in the Rudiments of any Doctrine but yet most strictly of all it is taken for teaching the Principles of Christian Religion and we have both the Word and Thing it self in Scripture This Catechising is either publick and as such performed by a Minister of the Gospel Saith the Apostle let him that is Taught or Catechised in the Word communicate unto him that Teacheth or Catechiseth in all good things Gal. 6. 6. where we read both of the Catechist or him that Catechiseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Catechumen or the Person Catechised In another place the same Apostle mentions Instructors of Children as the Greek Word in its 1 Cor. 4. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strictness signifies And there were in the Primitive Churches Catechists that is Teachers whose particular Work it was to Catechise and they had their Catechumens those that were instructed by them and it might be to very good purpose if we had such now But to descend from Publick to Private or Family-Catechising and Instruction which we have both Scripture-Precept and Precedent for We have among other these Scripture-Precepts and Commands for it These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House c. Deut. 6. 6 7 8 9. So in another place But teach them thy sons and thy sons sons c. Deut. 4. 9 10. Saith the Psalmist Ps 78. 5 6 7. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their Children c. Saith Solomon train up or Catechise a Child in the Prov. 22. 6. in the Margin way he should go c. Add to the rest that of the Apostle Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath but bring them up in the Nurture Admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6. 4 I will now pass from Scripture-Precepts to Scripture-Precedents and Examples whereby this Duty of Family-Catechising is further confirmed Solomon writ his book of Proverbs To give subtlety to the simple to the young man knowledge and discretion Prov. 1. 1 4. And he calls upon his own Son thus My Son hear the instructions of a father and forsake not the law of thy Mother ver 8. He saith afterwards A wise son heareth his father's instruction Prov. 13. 1. c. Which implieth that a wise Father will give instruction to his Son He concludes that book of wise Sayings with the words of King Lemuel the prophecy that his mother taught him Prov 31. 1. c. Which contains indeed most excellent Catechetical Instructions Joshua resolved that he and his house would serve the Lord Jos 24. 15. having likewise no doubt so instructed them and intending to continue so doing Who can doubt but Timothy had been thus Catechised by his good Mother 2. Tim. 1. 5. and Grand-Mother whose faith he inherited But a great and standing Instance is that of Abraham the Father of the Faithfull and no doubt to be imitated by all his Spiritual Children Now of him God himself testifieth I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Gen. 18. 19. Thus you see we have both Scripture-Precepts and Precedents for the Warrant of this Duty of Family-Catechising and Instruction And what is there recorded is for our admonition Instruction ought indeed to be given occasionally yea and all occasions taken for it But publick and Family-Catechising cannot be methodically and throughly managed unless the chief heads of Christian Doctrine be first digested in a Form of Sound Words according to the Scriptures Now besides many other excellent Catechisms ready provided to our hands we have those of that Reverend Assembly which I recommend to you as being a little but withall great Body of Divinity and likewise because divers holy and good Men have written very worthily thereon whose books may assist your proceeding herein with more ease and profit both to your selves and Families CHAP. III. Directing Parents and Governours of Families for the Catechising of their Families I Now proceed to direct such as are Parents of Children and Governours of Families as to a method of procedure Wherein I include those of the Female Sex who have the greatest Advantage of Forming Children in their younger Years and whose Business engageth them to be more constantly at home If Queen Esther observe a private fast her maidens shall fast also Esther 4. 16. And no doubt she engaged them in more ordinary as well as these extraordinary Duties of Religion Mothers should be Mothers in Israel How the Royal Bathsheba did document her Solomon and honest and religious Lois and Eunice did instruct their Timothy in Scripture-knowledge I have already instanced Good Monica's Soul underwent stronger Travail-Pangs for the new Birth of her Austin than her Body did for his first Aug. Confession Birth Can you bear the Thoughts of it That those whom you have born from the Womb that have hung on your Breast and been dandled on your Knees should be Fire-brands in Hell to all Eternity and not rather desire and endeavour they may be Heirs of Eternal Glory Now to One and All of you I say in this Case as Jotham in another to the men of Shechem Hearken unto me that God may hearken unto you Judg. 9. 7. 1. I desire Parents of Children and Governours of Families to consider with themselves what a great necessary and beneficial Duty this of Catechising is Humble your selves in secret before the Lord for your so great and long neglects of it Beg of God Courage for and Conduct and Success in it Resolve before the Lord that you will break through all Temptations and Oppositions and set upon this Duty and study to do it to the best advantage 2. Having thus solemnly prepared your selves for this Work In the next place prepare your Families Acquaint them you are convinced it is your Duty to be concerned for the Souls committed to you and that you look upon Catechising as a proper Means for their Instruction and confirmation in those great Truths which they ought to believe and Duties they ought to practise Let them know you expect their Compliance in a Matter wherein God may be so much glorified and they benefited Put them upon solemn Preparations for it and if you have observed sinful Miscarriages in any give them particular Admonitions As Jacob said to his houshold
the Success of it shall yet revive among us David prepared Materials but Solomon built the Lord's House Herein may that Saying be true One soweth and another reapeth It has been noted that there are of one kind or other about five hundred Catechisms extant The Reason why I more particularly recommend those of our late Assembly is not that I disrespect or would oppose any good Catechism but these are extraordinarily fitted for this purpose have had the Esteem of Foreign Churches as well as a general Reception here at home Beside our Dissenters many Members yea Ministers of the Church of England have approved of and used these as agreeable to the genuine Doctrine of that Church My Reverend Friend whose Pen has given us some touches See the printed Life of Mr. Brand written by Dr. Annesly on the Life of the greatly usefull Master Brand mentioning the Assemblies Catechism saith The Lord Primate of Armagh said It was the best extant And what tho' this Catechism was among other good Books not long since ignominiously burned even in one of our Universities yet we need only consider when and by whom it was done This Villany was perpetrated at a time when all our Foundations Civil and Religious were out of Course and by some wicked Incendiaries who served that but as they did the Lord's Prayer Commandments and the Creed which are not only incorporated with but also printed at the end of the Catechism And so no doubt they would have served our Lord himself had it been in their power These are not genuine Sons but Monsters that hang on the Breast of our Nurseries of Learning I likewise the rather pitch upon these Catechisms because so many worthy Men have written Explications of them as I hint elsewhere which may be subservint to our Use of them I have of late Years where-ever I have had Opportunities set up publick Catechizing and have constantly observed it to produce evident Tokens of Good both on Young and Old And Elder People have thus expressed themselves to me We answer to our selves the Questions you ask the Younger The Method I use in publick Catechising is this and I would be glad to learn a better I first ask the Catechumens the Questions that I particularly insist upon in the Catechism to prove their being perfect in the Answers I then put further Questions to them such as are in Mr. Lye's and Mr. Allein's Explications of the Catechism to prove their understanding the sence of the Answers And finally I summ up all with a more entire Exposition in which I endeavour to be Practical as well as Doctrinal But this I must say it is the Questionary part I mean putting particular Questions plainly and pathetically upon the Particulars contain'd in or some way relating to the Answers It is this I say that I have observed to do the main Execution I have also laid to heart the great Necessity and Benefit of Family as well as Publick Catechising And withal considering that some might omit this or not perform it to good purpose merely from inability to manage it effectually and for want of Direction how they might profitably proceed with it Hereupon I cast it in my Thoughts how a profitable Method might be proposed which might be most plain and easie both to them that Catechize and to those that are Catechised in Families Now the result of these Thoughts is in that following little Treatise which thou art here presented with When I had first drawn it up I privately communicated it to some few of that loving and kind People where then I was and for whose sake I writ it I afterward summoned the Heads of Families together with their young Ones and caused it to be read in their Audience exhorting them to proceed in their Families according to the Method which you have recommended under the Fourth Head of the Third Chapter And since naked Rules are not so effectual for Instruction as those that are back'd with practical Examples I appointed several Meetings for that purpose and did before them Catechize their Young Ones not according to the freedom I use in my publick Exercises of that Nature but expressly according to that prescribed Method That is First I began with Prayer Then I asked the young People Three Questions out of the Assemblies Catechism Next I interrogated them more particularly on the Answers out of Mr. Lye's Explanation of the Catechism and the same as I have intimated may be done by Mr. Allein's Then was read out of Mr. Thomas Vincent's Explicatory Catechism what related to the Three Answers insisted on After which I briefly prayed We sung some part of a Psalm and so I dismiss'd them with a Solemn Blessing Herein we experimentally found a Presence of God with us as I doubt not but thou wilt do Reader if thou wilt with thy Family make Experiment And I pray thee be not only a Reader but Practitioner After this several that were my Hearers requested Copies of my Papers which I could not deny them Some both Ministers and private Christians who have perused them moved for their Publication Which I have now condescended to though at first I only intended them for Private Use In Transcribing I have now divided it into Chapters for distinctness sake which I had not done at first and somewhat of Additions and Alterations I have made The last Head of all with the Conclusion had some particular Aspect toward that People for whom it was first pen'd to whom God wonderfully continu'd their Sanctuary-Enjoyments throughout a very dark and cloudy Day You have it without the Alteration of what related to that Circumstance But I may here add now That the more general Deliverance that God has since that time so wonderfully wrought for these Nations and which our Selves and Families are Sharers in should much more be an effectual Motive to this Duty toward God our Selves and Families And now whoever thou art that takest this little Book in hand thou art the Person with whom its business is Read Consider and Practise If any who are honour'd with the High Calling of the Ministry shall vouchsafe to cast an Eye on a thing so very mean Let even these Fathers hearken to one Request from the very least of all the Sons of the Prophets In a time when too many are like dumb Dogs that cannot bark do you I beseech you like faithful Shepherds rouze up your selves and your Flocks unto this Duty that they be not destroyed for lack of Knowledge Possibly you may advise to a much better Method than I have proposed which I shall not be offended at but rejoyce in As to that by me recommended I only desire that all such would use it as have wholly neglected this Duty or are acquainted with no better way of performing it You that are Parents of Children and Governours of Families consider the Souls committed to your Charge are precious and should be so to you As