has an Vnion with Him as being the Head of it so I believe there is a Common Vnion among the Members both those that are glorified in Heaven and those that in some degree are sanctified on Earth And this is called the Communion of Saints and is the first Priviledge of the Christian Church And by vertue of this all true Christians communicate in all Offices of Piety and Charity in doing good to one anothers Bodies and Souls And this they do upon the account that they have in common One God one Christ one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Hope ARTICLE X. The Forgiveness of Sins As the Communion of Saints genuinely ariseth from the Nature of the Vniversal Church so Pardon of Sins follows from both For none shall have their Sins forgiven but those who live and die in the Communion of the Church For unless I abide in this Ark I shall certainly perish Now Sin as I have been instructed is of two sorts the one Original which is the sin of my Nature the other Actual which is the sin of my Conversation The former I brought with me into the World the latter I commit while I live therein And both these sorts of sin deserve Eternal Death and can only be pardon'd by the Merits of Christ For sin being a Transgression of the Law of God it can only be forgiven by him whose Law it transgresseth For Remission of sins is the second Priviledge of the Church which is preached to all in the Name of Christ and sealed in Baptism wherein I believe my Original Sin is presently pardon'd and that my Actual Sins committed after Baptism shall be pardon'd if I truly repent me of the same Now this my Belief of the Forgiveness of Sins supposes that I believe That God graciously and freely without any Desert on Man's part gave his Son to die for the World and That for the sake of his meritorious Death he remits the Fault absolves from the Guilt and acquits from Punishment all truly penitent and believing Sinners And I do further believe That he imputes to them the Obedience of his own Son and his Righteousness and by means thereof accounts them just in his sight I believe That all who are justified and thus acquitted have Holiness in some degree according to the Condition of this Life Which Holiness tho' it cannot altogether discharge them from sin yet it doth not suffer it to reign over them So that a justified Person is not under its Dominion nor yields himself a Vassal to it but resists its Commands and makes it die daily And for the greater security of the Forgiveness of sins God hath committed to his Ministers an indispensible Power and Charge to preach Faith and Repentance as the Condition of this Forgiveness He hath likewise appointed them to pray and intercede and also to baptize for the Forgiveness of sins and to administer the Lord's Supper in memory of that Blood which was shed for the Remission of Sins And indeed all that God hath left in the Hand and Power of his Ministers especially tends to make Men capable of receiving what they believe namely the Remission of sins ARTICLE XI The Resurrection of the Body It was the Hope of the Fathers under the Old Testament as well as it is of Christians under the New That there shall be a Resurrection both of the Just and Unjust And if it were otherwise Christians of all Men would be most miserable and all that I have learn'd and you have taught me concerning Christianity would be in vain But I firmly and truly believe That my Mortal Body shall be raised from the Corruption of the Grave by Vertue of the Resurrection of Christ And this my Belief is founded upon the Power and good Pleasure of God who both can and will raise from the dead the very same Body that died ARTICLE XII The Life everlasting The Enjoyment of Everlasting Life is the last Christian Privilege and that which crowns the rest And I have learned to understand by this Life the Enjoyment of all true Happiness in Soul and Body For I believe that the Faculties of the Souls of just Persons shall be perfectly enlightned and sanctified and that their Bodies shall live after the manner of Spirits and be exceedingly glorified And opposite to this Life everlasting I believe there is an everlasting Death which is the Portion of the Wicked And that as Life everlasting consists in the Fruition so I believe everlasting Death consists in the Loss of God's Presence and all other Comforts and is the enduring of the sting of Conscience and Torments of Hell for ever But as my believing all the Articles of the Christian Faith as they are summ'd up in that which is called the Apostles Creed supposes that I am to learn not only the Words but likewise the Sense of the Creed so it also implies that I should live like them that do believe for otherwise my consenting to the Truth of the Articles will stand me in no stead And therefore not medling with remote and learned Inferences I will draw such from each Article as are near and familiar short and edifying As for Example From my believing that God created me I infer I am bound to be obedient and subject to him By my believing that Christ redeemed me I think it my Duty to yield up my self to him as his Purchase and to be wholly disposed by him and employed only in his Service My believing Christ's Conception by the Holy Ghost and his Birth of the Virgin should make me diligent to fit my Heart for the Holy Ghost to overshadow and for Christ to be born in it My belief of Christ's Crucifixion should teach me to crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts and to destroy the Body of sin My belief of his Death and Burial should make me content to die for the sake of Truth being assured that if I suffer for Christ I shall also reign with him It should also keep me from being disheartned by Death seeing that Christ by dying hath taken away the Stinâ— of Death which is Sin and maâ— it an Entrance into Life My bâ—lieving the Resurrection of Chrisâ— should make me actually rise froâ— Sin to a New Life and utterlâ— to forsake my Sins as Christ diâ— the Grave to which after â— was once risen from it he returned no more My believinâ— Christ's Ascension and sitting â— the Right-hand of God shoulâ— teach me to set my Affections oâ— things above and not on thing on the Earth The believing Judgment to come should makâ— me careful so to walk as that may not be condemned in iâ— My believing the Holy Catholick Church and Communion oâ— Saints should render me mightâ— circumspect to preserve Charity which is the Bond of Peace and to avoid all things destructive oâ— Catholick Unity The Remission of sins which I believe should make me highly to esteem all those Ways and Means which
into all the several sorts of sins whereof yoâ— may justly suspect your self tâ— be guilty carefully looking into such which by reason of theiâ— abstruser nature are not so sooâ— taken notice of either by youâ— self or others and researchinâ— into the sorts and kinds of sinâ— you will find them all reducibâ— to those of Thoughts Speecâ— and Action XVIII The first sort of these sin those of Thoughts you mâ— learn from Gods own Observâ—tion Gen. 6.5 when he saw thâ— every Imagination of maâ— heart was only evil continâ—ally To which our Saviour had respect St. Mat. 15.19 when he said that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts And though the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there spoken of may reach further than Reasonings and bare Thoughts even to some subsequent Actions because they are said to come out of the heart and Mark 7.20 to come out of the man yet this excludes not ordinary evil thoughts thereby to be signified For these are doubtless the seeds and beginnings of all those wicked Contrivances Designs and Machinations which men act and are guilty of in the world XIX Thoughts indeed are of so vanishing and transient a naâ—ure so easily escaping your obâ—ervation and so apt to leave â—ou ignorant how therein you have offended that you have great cause to be signally diligent in their search Besides men are apt to imagine thoughts are not so evil as indeed theâ— are because Custom hath taughâ— them to say Thoughts are freeâ— Whence they vulgarly concludâ— they may think as they please without offence And had yoâ— only to do with Creatureâ— short-sighted like your self therâ— might be some ground for sâ— saying But being to deal witâ— God whose Law reaches youâ— Thoughts and forbids them tâ— be wicked you want no Reasons moving you to search hoâ— far therein you have offended and to repent thereof e're yoâ— come to the Holy Table Evil thoughts are the more immediate defilers of the heart they pollute the very spring 〈◊〉 all your Words and Actions and till the thoughts of you heart be cleansed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit it will be no more fit to receive Christ in the Sacrament than the Manger was to lodge him at his birth XX. The second sort of sins you are to seach into are those of your Words which being spoken in earnest are Testifications of what is in your heart and nothing else but your thoughts made audible And though the inconsiderate make little account of their words deceiving themselves by fancying they are but wind yet seeing there is a day coming when all such as are idle that is wicked shall be accounted for by God in bestowing Rewards and Punishments upon men you have all imaginable reason to examine how you have sinn'd in your Tongue XXI Among the several wayâ— whereby your Words become sinful I shall reckon up a few leaving the rest to your own observation XXII And first your Words are wicked when they are filthy All filthiness is so abominable to God as that he will not admit it in your very Tongue having by his Apostle commanded you to let no corrupt communion proceed out of your mouth Ephes 4.29 That you avoid all unclean discourse as you would putrid and rotten Meats which turn to contagion and instead thereof to use such Language as is wholsome profitable and instructive both for your self and them who hear you Otherwise your Speech will be so noisome that it will drive from you the Holy Spirit of God and leave you without the Soul and Mark of a Christian XXIII Next Words become sinful when they are scoffing and reproachful tending to the vilifying and disparagement of others To which the most Holy Jesus had respect when under the abusive and scurrilous words of Fool and Racha he forbad Division Scoffing with all such Language as might impair the Credit which wise men generally prize next to Life and often above it And when Christ forbad Reproach as well as Killing and requâ—red of all professing his Religion to be no less tender of the good Names than Persons of their Brethren he display'd tâ— excellency of his Doctrine shewing how far it surpass'd boâ— the Law of Moses and the Hithen Theology For though Mâ—ses in the Law to the Jews stricâ—ly commanded they should 〈◊〉 no Murder and that he who dâ— so was to be try'd for his life bâ— the Court of twenty three oâ— lesser Sanhedrim to whom belong'd the Cognizance of capâ—tal and greater matters yeâ— by what Christ superadds tâ— that precept in Mat. 5.22 iâ— may seem Moses had made nâ— provision against vilifying anâ— deriding Language And as to the Heathen Theology thougâ— in many instances it forbaâ— Murder yet it did not so to Calumny For when Minerva one of their Deities counselled Achilles not to draw the Sword against Agamemnon she gave him leave to rail against and revile him Hom. Iliad 1. But Christ will have your Tongue as free from contemptuous Language as your Hands from Violence and that you carry your self as harmlessly towards the Reputation as the life of your fellow Christian XXIV Words are thirdly egregiously wicked when they are false for Truth gives them all their substance and solidity making the Tongue answer the end for which it was given man namely to speak the truth in his heart and not to have one thing upon the Lip and another in the Mind which deceitful carriage though never so usual was ever thought so abominable that Agur earnestly pray'd God to remove it far from him Prov. 30.8 And the Apostle declared against it when he said Lye not one to another Making it a principal part of that Heathen course renounced by the Colossians to suggest or say any false thing to the injury of others Col. 3.9 or to use craftiness or any of the evil Arts of deceiving And the Divine Revel 22.15 excludes all who love and make a Lye all hypocritical treacherous persons from being any more than Equivocal Members of Christ's Church which instead of having any part of the benefits of Christians shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 XXV Words are fourthly eminently wicked when they run out into Oaths and Execrations which were utterly prohibited by Christ when he confin'd all Discourse among his Proselytes to Yea yea and Nay nay to serious and earnest affirmations and denials asserting that what else is used in ordinary conversation proceeds from an evil principle or that evil One the Devil who hath variety of Snares wherewith to catch Souls and intrap them in Idolatry Errour and Unbelief Such as is swearing by Heaven Earth c. as Christ instanceth St. Mat. 4.34 where all needless promissory Oaths are wholly forbidden When you therefore hear vain men replenishing their Discourse with Oaths 't will be no breach of Charity for you to conclude that this ill Custom proceeds either from a vain glorious humour delighting in big and swelling
in the Sacrament which doth not only represent unto you the manner of Christs Death and in visible Actions set before you what he suffered on the Cross Nor doth the Sacrament only convey unto you that Grace which flows from Christs Death but it doth seal and confirm unto every worthy Communicant all the Benefits of Christs Passion For God to magnifie his Mercy and Goodness towards Believers was not content to give them only a general offer of his Promises in Christ but thought sit to seal them to every particular penitent Christian and in the Sacrament actually to deliver him them Faith apprehending and applying the benefits of Christ which are all comprized in the Forgiveness of Sins and Salvation the sum of all the Happiness of this World and of that which is to come LVI And having tried and found your Faith toward God to be such as he has promised not to be displeased with your next business is to examine your Charity toward your Neighbour for it is required of them who come to the Lords Supper to be in Charity with all Men. If thou bringest thy Gift to the Altar and there rememberest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy Gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift This was our Saviour's advice to the Jews and may thus be translated to your self and every Christian If at any time you are coming to the Lords Table and there call to mind that you have done any man any Injury do you repair first to that Person whom you have injured use means to reconcile him to you repair the wrong and if you cannot let him know your willingness and request his Pardon and having done thus return to compleat your intention and receive the Sacrament in testimony of your Peace with God and your Neighbour This reconcilement with your Brethren is absolutely necessary not only to make your participation of the Sacrament but all other performances acceptable to God And you see it consists in a confession of your wrong and repairing it it being reasonable that in order to obtain his pardon whom you have injured you acknowledge your fault to him and to the utmost of your Ability make him amends LVII And as to this Charity here spoken of the very Elements of the Lords Supper figure and enforce it for the many grains made up into one Loaf and the many Grapes pressed into one Cup signifie how we being many are made one Bread and one Body And nothing can make all Christians to be affectionately one but Charity or mystically and spiritually one except Charity the Bond of Peace and Union And this is that heavenly temper of Mind to which Christians are obliged upon the account of the nearness of that relation which is amongst them for they have all but one Father one Saviour one Sanctifier they all profess one Faith have all received one and the same Baptism and all expect one and the same Inheritance But if in spight of all this you trample Charity under Feet and instead of being reconciled to your Neighbour you malice and hate him you are no more fit for the Sacrament than a Murderer for such are all those who hate their fellow Christians according to St. John in the third and fourth Chapters of his first Epistle LVIII And as Charity binds you to seek to be reconciled to those whom you have injured and to obtain their Pardon so it likewise engageth you to forgive those by whom you have been wrong'd And indeed the forgiving others their Trespasses is the condition of obtaining the forgiveness of your own for if you forgive Men their Trespasses your heavenly Father will forgive you but if you forgive not men their Trespasses neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses This was our Saviours own Doctrine Mat. 18. from verse 23. to the end and also his Practice when he pray'd for the forgiveness of his Crucifiers and that at a time too when his own most grievous Agonies and Pains might justly have diverted all respect to others especially to those who were then actually putting him to death How dismal then is your Condition if instead of having your Heart replenished with Charity it be full of Malice if instead of obeying the Doctrine and following the Example of Christ you act quite contrary If you find your brest barren of this kindness to your fellow-Christians pretend not to any real respect to the blessed Author of that Name 1 John 4.20 For if a man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a Lyar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he never saw You never beheld God with any Eye but that of Faith and therefore could never have Opportunity if he needed it to shew any kindness to his Person So that all you can do to testifie you love him is your Obedience to his Commands whereof this is the sum That he who loveth God loves his Brother also 1 John 4.21 LIX And if this love be without dissimulation such as Scripture and common Equity requires at your hands it will not only appear in a merciful forgiveness of Offenders but also in a liberal relief of the needy And I mention this latter Act of Charity because I find that something was ever given to the Corban of the Poor by those who came to the Sacrament If you consult the practice of the Primitive the best Guide for the present Church you will hardly find that the Lords Supper was ever administred without an Offertory In Acts 2.45 46. you have mention made of selling Possessions and Goods and parting them to all as every man had need And that this was done at the solemn times of publick Prayers and receiving of the Sacrament there is light enough in the Text to clear it You read likewise of a Command That upon the first day of the Week every man should lay by him in store as God hath prospered him The first day of the Week was that we now call Sunday and the Lords day whereon the Lords Supper was constantly received 1. Cor. 16.2 unto which they never came emptie but according as God had increased their Goods the Communicants gave to the relief of the Poor And if you look into the ancient Liturgies you will find them generally taking notice of this Religious Custom And that this was intended by our own Church is concludible from her placing Texts to persuade to this sort of Charity and desiring God to accept our Alms and Oblations in the Communion-office Apol. 2. In Justin Martyr a Father of the second Age we read how the Christians brought forth some of the good Fruits of the Earth and offer'd them at Gods Table and the Bishop or in his absence the Presbyter received them as an Abel's Offering and blessed God for the Fruits of the Season
that manner of Catechizing which was delivered to the Romans Rom. 6.17 or as our Margin reads out of the Greek whereunto ye were delivâ—red or given up Where the ordinary Phrase is changed by the Apostle For albeit to say To this form of Doctrine you were delivered is not so agreeable either to the Latin or English speech as This form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you Yet the Apostle makes use of the first to tell us saith Cajetan That not so much the form of Religion was delivered to Men as that Men were delivered to the form of Religion That so by this means Religion might be known to have Authority and Power over Man and not Man over Religion But not to insist upon this it need not be doubted that this form of Doctrine spoken of by St. Paul was a Summary of Christianity or the Catechism used in those early and best times of Christianity which contained the first Principles of the Oracles of God By which some understand the Creed as Cyril of Hierusalem in his Catech. 4. styled by him the milky Introduction in allusion to St. Paul 1 Cor. 3.2 Heb. 5.12 Others of the Creed and Lords Prayer as Bede Others the Creed and Decalogue as Aquinus Others all those Elements which the Catechumens learned and professed at Baptism whereof the Creed was the Principal Which with the Lords Prayer the Clergy was injoyned to Teach the People Concil Mogunt cap. 45. And it was a general command of the Church that those who were to be Baptized should have a certain time allotted for the learning and rehearsing of the Creed Which the Eastern Christians always repeated with a clear Voice when they came to the Holy Communion of Christs Body and Blood As appears in the Twenty second Canon of the Council of Toledo But if this seem to restrain Catechising only to such Catechumens as in the History and Canons of the Church are frequently mentioned and that this kind of instruction was not used toward those whom by Baptism the Church had already received into her Communion It then follows that we shew how Catechism was a plain Institution wherein all Believers did Communicate And in the first place it is manifest out of Oecumenius expounding the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there were some Points of Christian Religion wherein the Novices were Catechised before Baptism and some after Those in which they were Catechised before Baptism were The necessity of Repentance to renounce the Devil and all his works To believe in God c. And those Points which they learned after Baptism were the Mysteries of our Saviours passion and Priest-hood his taking our sins on himself and working our Salvation the Mysteries of our Resurrection of the last Judgment and everlasting reward or life And the Catechism of these was common to all Believers because necessary Secondly That Catechising belong'd to all within the Church and was not confined only to the Novices in Religion and Candidates of Christianity we may confidently infer from the express words of St. Paul Gal. 6.6 where he divides the whole Church to which that Letter was directed into Catechist and Catechised Whereby the later cannot be meant only those who were not yet admitted to Holy Baptism Styled by the Church Canons Catechumens For then we must conclude that the Catechumen and Believer were all one contrary to Tertullian de Paenit Cap. 6. de Coronâ Milit. Cap. 2. and all the Fathers And that there was a Christian Church in Galatia consisting of Catechumens or Unbaptised Persons i. e. a Church of Christians without Christians Which absurd inconveniences cannot be evaded unless by those Catechised spoken of by the Apostle we understand such as had received Baptism already and were still to be instructed in that Religion whereinto by that Divine Rite they had been admitted So that in St. Pauls time Catechising in its Native acception was continued even to those who had attained already to so much knowledg in the Principles of Christianity as render'd them in the Language of the Ancients Competentes or Persons fit for Baptism and to be admitted to the higher Mysteries of Religion The same Apostle told the Corinthians that he had fed them with Milk that is by the consent of all with Catechetical Doctrines And there is no doubt that those Texts in Heb. 5.12 Act. 18.25 Heb. 6.1 are pregnant intimations of this truth The like may be affirmed of what St. Luke S. Luke 1.4 has recorded concerning the Introduction of the Eloquent Apollos and his most Excellent Theophilus into the knowledg of Christ And what has been said affords sufficient ground of asserting Catechism to have been in use with the Apostles and that it descended from the Synagogue How it was the Practice also of the Primitive Church is the Subject of the ensuing Chapter CHAP. IV. The Apostles Catechists in several Provinces The Declension and Restauration of Catechising Catechists Styled Exorcists c. BUt if we imagine that the marks of Catechising are less apparent in the New Testament yet if we look into Ecclesiastical History we shall there find that the Apostles had their several Provinces wherein they were Catechists And that by means of constant Catechising many Kingdoms within Forty years after the Passion received an alteration in their Pagan Ceremonies Although it must be confessed that it was not long till the Malice and Envy of the Devil and Man brought a decay in this most useful Institution For in the second Age we read that Catechising was so far declined that Origen living in the Two hundred and thirtieth of Christ was honoured with the Title of its Restorer But where this Restauration of Catechising by Origen was affected is not so evident There is a great probability that Judea was the Scene of so good an Action For we read that he was very kindly received there after he fled out of Alexandria upon his falling into disgrace with the Christians of that Country because in the time of Decius he had offer'd Incense to an Idol to save his Body of which his care was not always justifiable from being defiled by a filthy Ethiopian In Alexandria Origen could not be said to restore Catechising for it is expresly affirmed that there he succeeded in Cathedrâ Catecheticâ his Master Clemens as Clemens had done his Master Pantenus in the same Chair And of these two later we are told that they made it their Employment to Teach the Grounds of Religion not by Sermons or Homilies but by Catechism in such Schoolls and Colledges as in great likelyhood they themselves had founded for that purpose So that we see how in Alexandria and we may hope that the like was in other Parts there was a succession of Catechists who were also called Exorcists not only because as Isidore explains the word by Prayer in the Name of Jesus they cast unclean Spirits out of those who were possessed Nor meerly in regard of
Opinions by which the Devil withstands the Power of Truth and restore Christians to their just and full liberty of captivating their Understandings to Scripture only and as Rivers whose Passage is not interrupted run all to the Ocean so it may well be hoped by Gods Blessing that Universal Liberty thus moderated may quickly reduce us to Truth and Unity These thoughts of Peace may come from the God of Peace to whose Blessing I recommend them And that this may not be looked upon for some singularity in my own Perswasion I have transcribed the Words out of Mr. Chillingworth and he out of another and enclosed them in a Parenthesis But taking no delight to travel further in search of those Distempers which I am unable to remedy the only comfort is that they cannot be looked upon as the Issues of our Religion nor any way be charg'd upon the Principles we profess And therefore we must seek elsewhere to lay the Imputation and I shall go no further than to what I mentioned in the Introduction even the Omission or Luke-warm use of Catechising And here in the First place it cannot be denyed how that the generality of the People of this Kingdom have for many Years at least during the time of our Intestine Wars either been destitute of all Catechising or have been Catechised only in such Principles as were good for nothing but to establish the Elder in a cursed Schism and Rebellion and to infect the Younger with the same Contagion The sad effects whereof are still visible in the unpeaceable Tenets of some and in the want of a due understanding of Religion in most In respect of which we have need to be taught again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God being become such as have need of Milk and not of strong Meat The greatest part of the common People being so far unable to reap any benefit from the handling of abstruser Mysteries in Eloquent and Elaborate Discourses which is so studiously pursued by our Junior and Florid Theologues that they want instruction in the plainest parts of Catechistical Doctrines For notwithstanding that we boast much of our Knowledge of Christ and that our Proficiency is so great in Religion that we conceive our selves wiser than our Teachers yet if the Tree may be judged by its Fruits we shall be found shamefully ignorant of what we assume to know and to have little of that Wisdom which descends from above which Christ came to teach and infuse and which is Pure Peaceable Gentle easie to be entreated merciful without Hypocrisie and Wavering In the Second place we cannot but with deep Resentments observe that since the time God turned again our Captivity and restored this Church to the free use of his Ordinances Catechising has met but with cold Entertainment even from those by whom it ought to have been most lovingly caressed For in most places it has been looked upon rather as a Foreigner than a Native of the Church and as Fruits of their Mouth never in Season but for a few Days in Lent And even then too the Church-Catechism is generally taught without any such explanation as is needful in respect of those slender Capacities to whose instruction it is chiefly devoted And if in the Third place we consider who those are which on the one hand hinder the progress and settlement of Unity Peace and Concord in this Church by an undutiful froward resisting of her Laws Or who they are that on the other hand Apostatize and utterly forsake her Communion it will be found upon due examination that we have laid the ground of the Disobedience of the one and of the defection of the other in a want of a timely and diligent Catechising And as for the First sort namely the disobedient and refractory who are now known by the very candid Name of Dissenters they cannot pretend to a more plausible excuse of their Undutifulness than that they were never duâ—y Catechised to the contrary For granting them to be Persons not totally forsaken of all Ingenuity and right Reason we cannot imagine that they should so foully violate their bounden Duties both to God and Man had they ever been fully taught or did clearly retain any thing but an imperfect and prejudicate knowledge of those Duties as they are plainly set down in the Church-Catechism And as for the Latter sort to wit those who have Apostatized and faln from ours to the Roman Perswasion they have been so far from having their first Tinctures and Foundation in Religion according to our publick Catechism that they might say thereof as those in Acts 19.2 did of the Holy Ghost But we must limit this Observation chiefly to those who had the unhappiness to be born in this Church when she was under the Cross and wore the Marks of her great Master And as for those who had been instructed in our Church Catechism yet before they left us they had so far unlearnt it as that they had retain'd of that System of our Religion such loose rambling and incoherent Notions as if it were wholly Enthusiastick or had been compiled by Persons deeply Hypochondriacal And for closure of this Paragraph I shall only add That none could ever be met with who for Ends truly Spiritual and Religious did ever abandon this for the Roman Church who had been throughly grounded in her Catechism And there will want no Reasons to â—upport this Assertion if it be duly conâ—idered how the very Frame and Conâ—exture of the Catechism doth obviate and oppose all the main Errors of Poâ—ery as they relate either to Faith or Practice to Prayer or Doctrine And First he that has been duly Caâ—echised in the Apostles Creed will not only be armed against a spurious Explication of the Old Articles of our Faith but also against a needless addiâ—ion of New ones For he will find that the first Twelve contain such a perfect Summary of all saving Truths simply necessary to be believed that those Articles added thereunto by the Council of Trent ought to be rejected upon the account of being Superfluous And â—t the same time he will find ground enough to explode that Implicite Faith so much relyed upon in the Romish Church who considers the necessity of a personal Belief as it is clearly required in the â—irst Word of the Creed which in Laâ—ine gives name to the whole And in the next place as to those Errors of Popery that concern our Practice they will be certainly discovered and refuted by a right understanding of the Decalogue which by all is granted to be a clear and perspicuous Rule of what we are to do both toward God and our Neighbour And a Man that is well grounded in the Doctrine of the First Commandment knows that he must reserve all Divine Honour Trust Devotion to God alone and that he may bestow no part thereof upon the Creature and therefore cannot but avoid and abhor those Romish Doctors
publick Audience and Judgment and the offer of open Disputation greatly assured the People of the soundness of their Cause when they saw they were ready to put it upon publick Tryal And more may be supposed to have followed the first Essays of the Reformation out of an Opinion that it was good and true being defended with such freedom simplicity and assurance than by the strength of those Arguments which were at first brought to assert it But then it is to be considered that the Reformers offer'd this kind of tryal to those with whom they began to be at no less distance than with members of a distinct and different Communion and in places where they were in hope to gain but in no danger to lose Proselytes For they wisely invaded the Adversary in his own Country and challeng'd him to a Dispute in his own Cities and in the throng of his Adherents But upon how different Terms Disputes can now be managed either with Dissenters or the common Enemy I leave the truly considerate to determine But since we are resolved to fight I could wish our valour were more discreet than to encounter the Enemy within our own Bowels to controvert our Religion in the place where it is legally established A thing not heard of in other Countries where there is a greater Peace and more outward Religion But I shall close up this Topick with setting down what is usually observed upon this Subject viz. 1. That Religion is like neither to get nor save by Disputes 2. That Disputes on this subject may have the ill-luck to make some suspect the truth of all Religion because it is so much controverted For weaker Heads seeing the Roof totter are apt to suspect there is no firmness in the foundation and to conclude nothing is certain if any thing be question'd 3. That in so great a mist of Disputes many may grow halting and luke-warm and think it their only safety to stand still or sit down in Neutrality 4. That for one sin Disputes have cured they have begot innumerable 5. That the strength and practice of Religion have been sensibly impaired since by the distemper'd heats of Mens Spirits it hath been rarified into subtil Controversies 6. That suspence of Judgment and exercise of Charity were safer and seemlier for Christian men than the hot pursuit of those Controversies wherein they that are most fervent to dispute are not always the most able to determine But what is more natural to the present purpose it should seriously be considered That the People are neither to be confuted of their false nor established in the true Notices of Religion by Doubtful Disputes but plain Catechistical Doctrines And as to our selves of this Church seeing there can come nothing of our Contentions but the mutual waste of the parties contending till a common Enemy dance in the Ashes of us both I shall ever wish and most heartily pray that the strict commands of Peace and Unity so frequent in the Gospel may at the last so prevail in this Nation to the burying and utter oblivion of strife together with the causes that have either bred or brought it up That things of small moment never disjoyn them whom one God one Lord one Faith one Spirit one Baptism bands of so great force have linked together That a respective Eye towards things wherewith we should not be disquieted make us not unable to speak peaceably one to another Finally that no strife may ever be heard of again but who shall hate strife most and pursue peace with the swiftest paces CHAP. XI Preaching what it is the several ways thereof used by the Church What kind of Preaching among the Old Jews and Primitive Christians The Homilies considered HAving in the antecedent Chapter discharged Disputes and Controversies from being any suitable and proper means of reducing the Dissenters of our own Church or winning the Members of the Roman The next thing pretending to our healing is Preaching which I here take to be An open solemn and Authoritative publication of Divine Mysteries And this the Church doth two several ways 1. As a Witness 2. As an Expositor And first The Church Preacheth as a Witness by publick reading the Sacred Scriptures and by relating and testifying the Divine Truths which God in the inspired Volumes hath consigned her And that this is no spurious sense of Preaching we have him to assure us who well understood the sense and importance both of the Word and Thing For in Acts 15.21 the reading of Moses in the Synagogues every Sabbath-day is by St. Paul in the genuine and native signification of the Word styled Preaching That this Preaching of Moses was a naked reading of his Law we have a whole cloud of Expositors to attest it besides the clearness of the thing it self But I cannot be of their judgment who assert That neither the Ancient nor Modern Jews had any such thing as weekly Preaching upon any part of the Law of Moses and that upon this ground solely conclude the preaching of Moses to be meer reading For we find that the Old Jews had divers Men among them who used to contribute their Talents to the Exposition of the Lesson that was read and these in ordinary course were the Sons or Schollars of the Prophets who were trained up in learning of the Law and at the age of Thirty received the Title of Doctors and till they obtained the Grace of immediate Inspiration or the Spirit of Prophesie they continued to expound the Scriptures not by Revelation but according to that knowledge which the ordinary blessing of God upon their Studies was able to compass Answerable whereunto as some think was that custom among the Christians mentioned 1 Cor. 14.29 And also those Disciples of the Prophets of the New Testament called Doctors because they were admitted to teach in the Church But for mine own part I rather understand the Word Doctor in St. Paul of all such Presbyters as had abilities of Preaching and Teaching the People in their Assemblies And that Presbyters and Doctors were all one we may conclude from Tertull. de Prescript c. 3. Quid ergò si Episcopus c. What then if a Bishop if a Deacon if a Widow a Virgin if a Doctor if even a Martyr shall fall from the Rule In this Catalogue of principal Ecclesiastick Orders Presbyters must be understood by Doctors unless we will deny them to have any room among the chief Ranks of the Church which were both false and absurd And that incestuous person with an Opinion of whom the Corinthians were puft up was as is observed out of Chrysostom and Theoderet one of their Doctors that is one of the Presbyters of that Church that exercised the Office of Preaching and by that means bore a great sway among the People But to return to the reading of Moses which began with the Moral Service of the Synagogue when we find that the Mosaical Law was distinguished into Divisions
much to respect the Peoples Fancies as proficiency in Religion the informing of their judgments and directing their Consciences and not the humouring of their caprices ought to be their chief aim and travel 3. That they cannot deserve the Name of Guides who are ruled by those whom they should rule the issue whereof will be no better than that of the blind leading c. 4. That if Catechising be a way of Instruction which will best preserve the Unity and Peace of the Church and most solidly and securely advance the edification of the people then there is no need to be sollicitous for any other ends or interests 5. And as for the constant repetition and audience of the same Truths necessary to Salvation as they are the Contents of the Church-Catechism it may be justified by that old saying Nunquam satis docetur quod nunquam satis discitur Those Lessons can never be too much taught which can never be too much learned For repetition in this case is to make the Catechism what indeed it is the Words of the Wise fastned like Nails by the Masters of Assemblies And though in all the blows of the Hammer the act be the same yet there is no stroke superfluous while every one tends to compleat the Work We may bring the same quarrel against reading Books and hearing Sermons for they are but old matter in new words and if stript of Dress and Disguise they would easily be discerned to be but so many varied repetitions In Religion if any thing be pretended to be new we may safely conclude it is false 6. But to evacuate the whole Objection a diligent Catechist will find enough in the Church-Catechism to entertain his Congregation with variety and to delight and profit all but itching Ears For it wants nothing that is requisite to defend us in our Journey or to save us when come to our long home And those who are therein duely instructed will find themselves so sufficiently guarded that no Machinations of Heresie or Schism will be able to batter or undermine them Indeed the diligent use of Catechising will be its best Vindication and most effectually answer all Objections against it And without all Controversie there was never a greater necessity of enforcing what we now treat of than the conjuncture wherein we live For we see Satan is let loose and lays hard at the Souls of Christians not only by such Opinions as disturb our Peace but would utterly destroy our Christianity Insomuch that we have great need to speak to every one as that famous Anchorite to his Pillars upon the approach of an Earth-quake Stand fast for ye shall be shaken And stand fast we cannot if we want a sure Foundation in Religion and this cannot be expected where it is not laid in a full and timely Catechising CHAP. XIV The Church-Catechism to be preferr'd before others for its Authority Usefulness Accomplishment Contents c. BUt if after all that hath been or can be said concerning the antiquity and benefits of Catechising in general or more particularly in regard of its necessity and advantages in respect of the present temperament of our own Nation it should be disputed what Catechism ought to be of publick use I shall return first that although there are many excellent Catechisms both in our own and Foreign Languages composed by private persons out of the consideration of the great emolument accrewing to the People from this of Teaching yet there is none which with those of this Communion ought to be of equal esteem with the Catechism of the Church if we consider as we ought its Authority Usefulness and Accomplishment And in the first place as for its Authority the Church-Catechism hath no less pre-eminence above others than the Decrees of Councils above the Instigations of a private Spirit For the difference betwixt this and Catechisms penn'd by particular persons is like that between the Laws and Statutes of the Kingdom and the advice and judgment of private Subjects This is not to cast any imputation or disrespect upon those Catechisms penn'd by grave and learned Divines which are good in themselves and useful in their station but to shew that the Church-Catechism commands of us a peculiar Veneration by reason of its publick Authority In the next place by virtue of its Authority the Church-Catechism hath an especial Usefulness in being the common Test by which we may try who are of or against our Communion It is likewise an excellent Form of Religion whereby particular persons may examine their own Opinions and Sentiments and give an account of their Faith to those who would therein either establish or subvert them In the last place the Accomplishment of the Church-Catechism greatly enhaunseth its Commendation For if its Contents fall under an upright Review it will merit no less praise than those Composures which are so exact that they are neither defective nor redundant For although some have objected its deficiency as not taking any notice of the great Points of Faith Justification Sanctification c. It may hereunto be truly answer'd That these Points are rather briefly exprest than totally omitted and that it is not the omission but the short and Orthodox Expression thereof which is the ground of the Exception But if the nature of a Catechism were rightly weighed it would be no Objection against the Churches that some things are therein either more darkly or more succinctly set down For if every point of Doctrine were in a Catechism discuss'd at length it would lose and forfeit its Name But besides all this it is easie for a Clerk of ordinary Industry and Letters to make all those Points plain and obvious out of the Church-Catechism whose want is objected against its compleatness And we have no reason to wonder or repine that the Church hath left something to exercise the labours and abilities of her Clergy But to conclude If we maturely examine the Catechism we shall find therein such a natural evenness in the Method and Stile and such a consistency and soundness in the Matter as is not in any like composition easily to be matcht As for the Introduction it naturally carries us to all the circumstances of our admission into the Church shewing when by whom after what manner and by what means we became Christians Next it acquaints us with the great Priviledges Benefits and Duties of Christianity as also how by solemn Vow we stand obliged to perform them The Question is plain and short the Answer full and pithy wnd the Compilers thereof have manifested a singular wisdom and care in delivering the Rule in the fewest and plainest words For if they had loaden it with long indicative Periods they might at once have both puzzl'd the understanding and oppressed the memory of those tender Capacities for whom chiefly it was designed If we look into the principal Chapters of the Catechism the Church therein has followed the Copy of the best and
other Reasons those that have been thus briefly intimated may at least assist to clear the first question and answer of the Catechism from the guilt of Trivialness Vanity and Impertinency As to what is objected against the Second question and answer it will be sufficient to reply That our Church therein is confo mable to the Primitive For Tertullian a Father of the Third age saith positively That it was the custom of the Church in his time to adm t none to the benefit of the Scriptures or to any dispensation concerning sacred and divine things or to the scanning and examination of particular Questions of Religion who could not first give a clear account of all material circumstances of their Reception into the Ark of Christ's Church By whom at what time and after what manner they were received which are the Ingredients of the second answer in the Church-Catechism and whether they did stedfastly believe and maintain all those general Principles wherein there ever was an universal an unanimous agreement among all Christians And those who could not give an account thereof were looked upon as such who had no right to the Communion of Christ's Church and the Priviledges of his Kingdom This Testimony of the Churches practice is to be seen in Tertullian's Praesc advers Haeretic A piece which was written by him as I conceive before the provocations of the Roman Clergy tempted him to turn a Montanist and to be led away with the Enthusiastick delusions of that Sect. He lived in the third age and was so high in the esteem of the humble and modest St. Cyprian that he usually called him his Master Hierom. in Cat. Script Eccles Abraham Buchol Chronolog The imposition of the Name being confined to the precise time of Baptism is by some looked upon as an impertinent Rigor and tasting highly of Superstition But they would be of another mind if without prejudice they would have recourse to the Use of the Church which hath always given Names to those Children she admitted into her Fellowship at the punctual time of their admission And this will be plainly discerned if we look back unto Circumcision the first Characteristical Sacrament for from the time of its Institution to that of its legal abolishment the Male received his name at the Celebration of that truly primitive Initiatory Nor doth it any way evacuat this Assertion that we read of some who had names before they were circumcised after that admissory Rite was appointed as Benoni Gershom and the Israelites born in the Wilderness Gen. 35.18 Exod. 2. 4. Josh 5.2 whom we may suppose not to have wanted Names as they did Circumcision But as touching the Example of Benoni it affords little of Objection seeing that at Circumcision his Name was changed And what happen'd concerning Gershom it was as the instance of the Israelites in the Desart in this case not at all argumentative because it was extraordinary and when necessity forced them to dispence with Law So that notwithstanding all this we may conclude that Circumcision was the usual time for the imposition of Names And the like custom has always been observed at Christian Baptism the Church thinking it most convenient that the Baptised should at the same time receive his Christian Name whereat he became a Christian But that for which the Church seems least accountable and which makes the greatest noise and which is objected with the fairest plausibility is that which concerns Sureties in Baptism whose Office is decri'd as unwarrantable because they undertake what they cannot discharge And the very name of Godfathers and Godmothers is spoken against as a prophanation of the most Holy Name being a Transgression of the Third Commandment And this is an Objection which cannot be better assoiled than by laying down a clear Scheme of the Antiquity and Reasonableness of Sureties in Baptism And in the first place the antiquity of Sureties at and for the reception of Persons into the Church is indisputable For if we look into the Jewish Church when she was in her best Purity we shall find that ever since the institution of Circumcision there were still some appointed to be present and hold out the Male to the Mohel to be circumcised And the person allotted for this Office was some special Friend of the Fathers who is called the Master of the Covenant but usually in Latin Initiationis Arbiter Susceptor Compater who at the Door of the Synagogue receives the child from the women who are permitted to go further and entring the Synagogue the Susceptor holds the child till the Hammohel Circumciser has taken away the Foreskin And how this custom was primitively observed among the Jews and in point of Sureties derived to the Christians may be collected from what Junius has intimated upon Esay 8. compared with Saint Luke 1. from the 57 to the 60 Verse Now this custom of Sureties in the Jewish Church need not at all reflect upon the like in the Christian Being it was in the power of the latter to retain any Rite of the former that was apparently decent significant and edifying For if every thing used by the Jew were to be rejected by the Christian then most of our Religion must be cast out of doors For it was not the design of our great Law-giver to abolish Judaism but to amend supply and heighten it Besides we find not that those who were or are the greatest Impugners and most impetuous gainsayers of Sureties in Baptism ever did it upon the account that it was a Rag of Judaism But how dark and questionable this custom may seem to some in its derivation and pedigree yet its practice is clearly to be found in the first times of Christianity As they must needs know who have observed how frequently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occur in the Greek Fathers and Susceptores Sponsores and Fide jussores in the Latin And how in both the words signifie and refer to Undertakers at Baptism Platina ascribes the Institution hereof unto Hygin who saith he ordain'd that at the least one Patrimus or Matria should be present at Baptism and there hold the Infant till he was baptised Patrimus and Matrima are old Words which by new imposition denoted those who undertook for the Vertuous and Pious education of the Baptised Now if it be granted that Hygin Bishop of Rome was the Author of Godfathers and Godmothers then this custom is of an uncontroulable ancientness for Hygin lived in the Second Age and was a Martyr in the 144 of Salvation And it is generally granted that this good Bishop took occasion from those Persecutions which were heavy upon the Church to appoint Sureties in Baptism That in Case the Parents should fall into violent restraint banishment or death there might be some to take care of their childrens instruction in the truth of that Religion into which they were initiate But whatever was the first
And by this short account of what the Godfathers and Godmothers do for the Infant in Baptism it is easie to apprehend that none need withdraw from this Pious Work for the supposed Difficulty of its Discharge And therefore those who rightly understand this Suretiship and yet refuse it they may be thought rather to want Charity than Power and that they are unwilling and not unable to perform it Nor doth it less reflect upon their deportment who turn this pious Custom into an idle Ceremony by privately devolving upon the Parents what they publickly undertook for their children which doth at once frustrate and contradict the intendment of the Ohurch and delude the Congregation of God's people But it may be further objected That the Vow of Baptism being made by others renders the Performance and Observation thereof by the Child a thing of constraint and not of election for the baptized when grown up doth not follow his own choice but his Sureties and allows of what was at Baptism promised in his behalf not out of willingness but pre-engagement all which is oppposite to the genuine Nature of a Vow And in Answer to this Objection it will be convenient to observe That the Vow and Promise made by Sureties in Baptism is not absolute for in an absolute sense no man can undertake for another But the Vow is conditional and the Child when come to age must either own it or forfeit the benefits of Baptism And as those who are married being Minors when come to mature years may chuse whether the Marriage shall be ratified or rescinded So it is in the power of the Baptized at years of discretion to acknowledge or renounce the Vow of Baptism If he allow of and consent to what at holy Baptism was vowed in his Name which is still supposed at the making of the Vow then he is bound actually to believe and do it But if he disclaim it which is in his power then he disowns all Interest and Priviledge in Christ with all the benefits of that Society into which by Baptism he became incorporate The Catechism teacheth us out of the Creed to believe That God the Son hath redeemed all mankind which cannot be true say many because he died only for the Elect. But they would have no reason to impugn the Churches Doctrine in this particular if those Scriptures were impartially considered by them Ezek. 18.23 32. S. Joh. 3.16 Heb. 2.9 Rom. 1.4 5. S. Joh. 4.42 1 Tim. 4.10 S. Joh. 1.7 2 S. Pet. 3.9 whereon this Position is founded A few of which are here barely quoted in the Margin on purpose to shew the ground of the Churches Doctrine and to guide those to the Topicks of their confutation who gainsay this I believe in God the Son who hath redeemed me and all mankind That his death was both sufficient and intentional to save all mankind but is effectual and efficacious for none but true Believers is a distinction which being wisely and soberly understood would remove that clashing which some fancy there is betwixt the Catechism and the Seventeenth Article of the Church Many other Scruples brought against this excellent Catechism are purposely omitted because they will easily be obviated in its intended Exposition Besides I have bound my self to observe the Laws of an Essay which I must unavoidably violate if I should venture upon all such Enlargements as the Subject would naturally endure I had rather be censured for having said too little than too much Deus dedit his quoque finem THE CONCLUSION WE have hitherto examin'd the Age and Advantages of Catechising and found it to stand above the imputation of being either Novel or Superfluous So that the only remaining Enquiry concerns its Practice And this will exact no long disquisition seeing every Station of men are therein so perfunctory and negligent Now as in a common Contagion no less care must be had of the sound than infirm and the cure of single persons is required to the removal of the Epidemical Disease So remissness in Catechising being become a common Malady it behoves every one to look after amendment to the end that the Church may be healed of all those Distempers faln upon her through lack of Catechising and which if not prevented with a timely interposition thereof will effect that destruction which they threaten and prognosticate And if we look into the persons who are capable herein to be delinquent they may be reduced either to such as the Church has ordained to administer or receive this Sovereign Medicine The former are the Clergy in the whole denomination for he among them who excepts deceives both himself and the Church And notwithstanding that the Clergy in Sacred Writ bear divers appellations importing the Dignity Power Holiness Excellency Care Tenderness Discretion and Incommunity of their Functions yet there is no Title wherein they are more concerned than that of Catechist For it doth first more immediately relate to that Errand on which from the beginning they were sent into the world Go teach c. And next unto the want and supply of those over whom God hath made them Overseers And while they own themselves to be the Churches Ministers they should take care to serve her in her own way For since that was left for paths of their own and more oyl and labour has been spent in arguing than in teaching the Principles of Christianity it is sadly visible how Religion has thriven among us For from endeavouring to support Christianity with Buttresses of our own captious and malitious Enemies take occasion to conclude that it cannot stand without them The superstructure seems to be the proper matter of our care where we believe the Ground-work lies immoveable And blessed be the Author and Finisher of our Faith that he has founded it upon a Rock and maketh it so strong that the Gates of Hell the strength and subtilty of her greatest Enemies can never be able to prevail against it Were we to deal with open Adversaries of the Faith Jew Mahometan Pagan the Ancient Fathers have shewn us an excellent way of procedure but having to do with Professors whose evil manners have corrupted their Understanding not the proving of the verity of the Christian Religion but the enforcement of its Practice seems to be the only necessary prescription But without being decisive or stinting the spirit of any man I hope it may be lawful to wish that the Clergy out of a true sense of what they are enjoyn'd and bound to obey by the 59th Canon would return to the good old way of Catechising for since this was shoulder'd out by Sermoning the people have been possessed wâ—â—h strange Whimsies in Religion and hurried on by the Spirit of Schism and Sedition into all manner of Villanies A learned and pious Bishop of this Church doth as I am told in his own Person and Cathedral perform this Office A few such leading Examples would soon raise the sunk Esteem of Catechising and vindicate it from being thought a Drudgery fit only for children and Curates And I humbly conjecture that there is no Clergy-man need think it any lessening of his Greatness and Learning to be seen teaching God's People after the manner of the Holy Apostles and Primitive Bishops Our Ancestors who knew something as well as we were not ignorant of the necessity and benefit of what is now most affectionately recommended when Queen Elizabeth made it her 44th Injunction and King James his command That afternoon-Lectures should be converted into Explanations of some necessary Rudiments of the Catechism out of a prudent fore-sight that this would be more advantageous to the People than some ex tempore irruptions or enlarging a few contrived Breviates upon desultory Texts The Laity are the next sort that herein can he faulty to whose attentive thoughts I would most earnestly recommend first the serious perusal of the Rubrick adjoyned to the Catechism together with the 59th Canon Next the examination of their knowledge in Religion that by that former they may know their Duty and by the latter their want of being catechised And by both be induced to embrace what to their own damage and the Churches affliction they have undutifully neglected FINIS THE CONTENTS The Introduction Fol. 1. CHAP. I. OF Catechising It s Name Use Secular and Religious p. 5. CHAP. II. The Age of Catechism The Institution of Adam's and Abraham's Family The Schools of the Prophets The continual use of Catchising among the Jews particularly after the Erection of the Synagogues Their Benefit thereby p. 9. CHAP. III. Catechising in times of the Apostles Evidences thereof in St. Pauls Epistles The Contents of their Catechism p. 25. CHAP. IV. The Apostles Catechists in several Provinces The Declension and Restauration of Catechising Catechists Styled Exorcists c. p. 32. CHAP. V. The Antiquity of Catechism probable upon the account of its convenience In respest of the Object Method of Instruction p. 35. CHAP. VI. Catechism necessary in respect of the encrease and advancement of Spiritual Knowledge To have a distinct Understanding of things necessary to Salvation c. p. 39. CHAP. VII Catechising the most sutable means to heal the Distempers of this Church Several Propositions to be supposed A short digression concerning our Disorders p. 42. CHAP. VIII The Methods used for our reclaiming surveyed proving ineffectual p. 57. CHAP. IX The Just Matter and Subject of Controversie in Religion examined How by Catechising and not Dispute we are therein in to be reconciled p. 62. CHAP. X. Disputation unfit for the capacity of the generality of Dissenters Catechising proper c. Reasons against Disputes p. 68. CHAP. XI Preaching what it is the several ways thereof used by the Church What kind of Preaching among the Old Jews and Primitive Christians The Homilies considered p. 80. CHAP. XII Preaching insufficient to restore our Dissentions Catechising proper for that purpose c. A Scruple removed p. 92. CHAP. XIII The Benefits of Catechizing 1. In respect of the Civil State 2. The Clergy 3. The People The Mischiefs of private Schools Objections against the constant practice of Catechizing removed p. 99. CHAP. XIV The Church-Catechism to be preferr'd before others for its Authority Usefulness Accomplishment Contents c. p. 102. CHAP. XV. An Account of some Objections usually brought against the Church-Catechism 115 The Conclusion p. 135