Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A39501
|
An Earnest call to family-catechising and reformation by a reverend divine.
|
|
1693
(1693)
|
Wing E95; ESTC R31403
|
30,606
|
74
|
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
that made them will have no mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Isa 27. 11. And let not the lucid interval of our present seeming deliverance flatter any The Prosperity of fools destroys them The Sun shone on Sodom in the Morning and yet God rained Hell out of Heaven upon it e're Noon God will not deliver us to do all our Abominations Except we repent we shall perish It must be Repentance and Reformation or Ruine and Destruction In vain we flatter our selves with Peace if God be our Enemy and proclaim War against us There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isa 57. 21. But if we timely Repent and Reform It may be we may be hid in or from the day of the Lords anger Zeph. 2. 7. Saith the Lord Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of Salvation Isa 33. 6. And The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence As one great Step toward Reformation and Safety God himself turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers lest he come and smite the earth with a curse Mal. 4. 6. Now may these Words be as Goads and as Nails Goads to put us on to this duty Nails to fix and fasten us therein Eccles 12. 11. If any when they have read this with the following Tract shall think meanly of it or carp at the Author as one that hath taken upon him a mean Employment thus to Write and Print a Book chiefly to induce and direct Families to make use of Books written by other Men I only Answer That so many able Pens have been already so variously employed in writing Explications on those Excellent Catechisms of the Assembly that these would give a Supersedeas to my Writing were I ever so well qualified for it I may in this case allude to that For what can the man do that cometh after the king even that which hath been already done Eccles 2. 12. Or as it is in the Marginal reading In those things which have been already done But beside some are fitter to serve under others than be Master Work-men It may be enough for me if I can follow the Reapers and bind up what more able Labourers have laid ready to my Hand I have what I aim at if I can by the Addition of this one little Wheel give Motion to those greater Ones that have been wrought by abler Hands The God of Heaven himself bless this to every Family and Person to whom it shall come Consider what I have said and the Lord give you Vnderstanding in all Things Amen AN EARNEST CALL TO Family-Catechising AND REFORMATION c. CHAP. I. The Introduction The general Method proposed AMong the many deadly Symptoms of the Decays of Religion and near Approach of Judgments one of the greatest is the so visible Declensions of Piety and Increases of Sin and Vanity not only in the open World but in those that would be counted Christian Families It is a great Mercy to be built up in Families and no small Honour to be the Head of one of those little Common-wealths but withall the present Trust and future Account is great Every Person in the Family is a Soul committed to the Care of such as do or should govern The Church in her First Infancy for above Two thousand Years was nursed in the Families of the Patriarchs and then God's whole Worship was usually there celebrated and tho' afterward God inlarged the Borders of his Church and then appointed some Solemn parts of his Worship to be more publickly Administred yet it is manifest unto Reason back'd with undeniable Instances That God never designed his People should turn all Religion out of their Doors In general they are in their Families to offer-up the Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise to read the Holy Scriptures sing Eph. 6. 18. 2 Sam. 6. 20. Isaiah 59. 21. Joh. 5. 39. Psalm 118. 15. Psalm 30. Title Psalm 101. Psalms and instruct their Housholds in the Things of God and walk before them in his Fear And more particularly they are to deal with respective Persons under their Charge by way of Examination Instruction Encouragement Reproof Correction as the Matter requires and if after all they remain Sons of Belial will not be reformed themselves but endanger the corrupting of others having duly sought God for them and with all long-suffering waited to see if God peradventure will give them Repentance they are at last to exclude them the Family whether they be Children or Servants which is a little Excommunication tho' upon their Repentance and Reformation they may be received again But how sad is it that in most of the Families that call themselves Christian there is little yea nothing of this Holy Order but on the contrary precious time spent on Cards and Dice their Discourses not only vain and frothy but stuff'd with fulsome and abominable Oaths and Execrations a height of Vanity in their Attire immoderate Expence in Furniture monstrous Excess in Eating and Drinking with a full pursuit of Ease and Pleasure or Worldly Profit and all this cloakt over at the most with an empty Form of Godliness as vain as the rest And if there be any one in the Family of a more serious Spirit and Deportment and that cannot run with the rest to the same Excess of Riot he or she is but the May-game of the other As if to be truly Religious were the only Vice to be Vitious the only Vertue as if it were meritorious to be Vile and the only way to escape Censure were to deserve it What a happy Thing it were if one could do any Thing toward the putting some stop to that mighty Torrent of Sin and Wrath that at once threaten us now Deep calleth unto Deep by an effectual promoting of Family-Reformation But tho' I wish Families universally regulated yet there is one special Duty I shall more particularly insist upon namely Family-Catechising which is such a Duty as being well managed would influence us to many other I shall briefly open the Nature of Catechising and prove it to be a duty direct Parents and Governours of Families as to the Performance of it offer some Motives for their so doing give some Advice to the governed Part of Families lay down some Inducements to them to submit to those Directions and in the Close Answer those Objections that either the governing or governed Part of Families may make against what I am proposing Of each in a distinct Chapter CHAP. II. What Catechising is Publick Catechising by the Minister and private Catechising by the Heads and Governours of Families proved a Duty by Scripture A Catechism ought to contain a Form of sound Words The Catechisms of the