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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
and all that were with him Put away the strange gods that are among you and be ye clean and let us arise and go up to Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God c. Gen. 35. 2 3. So do you say unto your Family when you are making your House a Bethel a House of God 3. See that your Family get the Answers of the Assembly's Catechism by memory so as to be able to repeat them perfectly and distinctly without Book which when they have done so far as is necessary for your beginning then set a-part some convenient time at least once a Week and if any extraordinary Occasion necessarily diverts you at that Season be sure you take some other And when you actually engage in this Holy Exercise let not the Family be scatter'd here and there nor some engage in the Service of the World or be idly chatting while others are engag'd in the Service of God but summon the whole Family together and let them solemnly present themselves as before the Lord. 4. As to the Actual Performance of the Duty it self I would direct you to a Method so easie that those of the meanest Capacities may comply with it And 1. Begin with Prayer to God for his Assistance and Blessing in this Work for it is he must teach to profit Isa 48. 17. and none teacheth like him Job 36. 22. Pray that God would make it a Means of Enlightning your Minds Confirming and Establishing your Judgments Convincing your Consciences Moving your Affections Engaging your Hearts of Converting you to God and Building you up in Faith and Holiness and so of bringing you to eternal Happiness and Salvation Having thus prayed to God 2. Apply your selves to your Family asking them some Questions in the Assembly's Catechism to which let them return the Answers without Book audibly distinctly and seriously Two or Three Answers I conceive are as many as you can well insist on at one time And since learning these and repeating them only by rote is of little Signification I do further advise you 3. To ask them By-Questions for the Proving and Improving their Understandings in those Truths and for your own and their Ease in this Part of the Work I do recommend to you Mr. Lye's Explanation of the Assembly's Catechism or that written by Mr. Joseph Allein The former is more full Mr. Lye writing his last of that nature after the other and having also a peculiar Talent for promoting this excellent Work Toward the close of which Book there is a most Useful Alphabetical Table explaining the difficult Words and Terms throughout the Catechism But the Latter some have chosen to use as more familiar In both these you have Questions fitted to your Hand so that you need only to read them distinctly and intelligibly and the Matter is reduc'd to such a Method especially in Mr. Lye's that the Learner may return his Answers with a single Yes or No. 4. When you have finished this Part of your Work I would have you if time will permit else at some other time read Mr. Thomas Vincent's Explicatory Catechism so far as concerns the Answers you have been upon 5. When you have done Catechising sing the whole or some part of a Psalm suited so near as you can to that subject you have been upon And upon Acquaintance with the Psalms it will hardly be possible for you to insist upon any Two or Three Answers but you may find some Psalm very suitable thereto This being devoutly performed will yield unspeakable both Delight and Profit Then 6. Conclude all with Prayer to God for a Blessing on his own Ordinance And if the time you pitch upon be the Evening you may in that concluding Prayer commit your Selves and Families to God for that Night and remember to join Praises with your Prayers All this I conceive may be performed in one Hours time or within it unless reading Mr. Vincent's Explicatory Catechism should cause you to exceed To prevent which you may as you see Occasion omit some part or the whole of that till some other Evening of the Week 7. You may also do well to signifie That if any of them have Doubts and Objections they should at convenient times move them to you which will put you upon further Study and Consideration and so in teaching them you will learn your selves If their Questions or Objections puzzle you so that you cannot resolve them with due Satisfaction apply your selves to your Minister which will put him upon studying the Case and be a Mutual Advantage both to him and you Yea he will hereby in some measure know the Spiritual State both of the Sheep and Lambs of his Flock 8. When you have throughly versed your Selves and Families in the shorter you may proceed to the Larger Catechism of the Assembly And having first gone through the Catechisms without the Proofs you may then put your Family upon learning those and particularly examine them what Part of the Answer the Proof is brought to confirm and what Part of the Proof confirms that Part of the Answer This will not a little promote your knowledge of and confirmation in the Truths of God I have been more large on this Fourth Particular because it is directive to the Actual Performance of this Duty Beside the Books before-mention'd Mr. Doelittle's Scheme of the Assembly's Catechism Printed in a single Sheet is worth every Families having 5. Labour to be well grounded your selves and confirm those under your Charge in the great Articles of Christian Faith as the Being of God the Oneness of his Essence the Trinity of Persons or Subsistences the Lord Jesus Christ his Person his Natures Divine and Humane his Offices Kingly Priestly Prophetick his Sufferings Resurrection Ascension Intercession sitting at God's Right Hand his future Judging the World with all other his Glorious Performances the absolute Necessity of Faith in him and intire reliance on his Merits as the only Matter of our Righteousness for Justification that true Justifying Faith works by Love and without Works Faith is Dead The total Impotence of corrupt Nature as to all Spiritual Operations and the Absolute Necessity of the Energy of the Spirit of God yet that it is our Duty to be conversant with the Means That the Holy Scriptures are a sufficient Rule for Doctrine Worship Discipline and Conversation Let these and the like Principles be engraven on your Hearts that you may be nourished up in the words of faith and of good Doctrine whereunto you have attained 1 Tim. 4. 6. 6. Take great care that God's Sabbaths be strictly observed and industriously employed by your Selves and Families As the Misimproving of this day is one great in let to all prophaneness so the Spiritual Improvement of it will much advance all true Piety The Sabbath should have its Double of Offerings You will thrive in Spirituals all the Week according to your Spiritual Industry that day The Fourth Command is