give audible and distinct answers to the several questions propounded 5. That they may not lose the end in using the means they must diligently study the answers they do repeat observe the questions to which they answer resolve the question and answer into entire and distinct propositions hearken with all meeknesse and reverence to the instructing exposition consult annexed Scriptures observe their pertinency to prove the principles and according to their capacities commend all to Gods blessing by prayer hereby they will take off the scandal cast on Catechizing and make it to appear their faith is not pinn'd to another mans sleeve but they see with their own eyes assent to principles they understand and are ready to contend for those Doctrines of the truth of which they are clearly and fully convinced Having thus laid before you the doctrinal consideration of this Truth and I hope informed your judgements in the great necessity of such a duty in the Church of God I shall now briefly suggest the improvement or application thereof for the exciting of your affections towards the same and first it is usefull to information of judgement in these truths 1. Catechizing is not an exercise of indifferency but of positive necessity in the Church of God men may not choose whether they will instruct or be instructed in the principles of Religion and foundations of the Doctrine of God and perswade themselves they do well if they exercise and submit to such instruction but sin not if they refuse or neglect the same for if there be as I hope you see a divine stamp on this exercise as an ordinance of God morally and not ceremonially binding it must needs impose an absolute and undeniable duty the parents among the Jewes might not conceive themselves at liberty in respect of conscience whether they would teach their children and childrens children the waies and ordinances of the Lord or no neither yet the children might think themselves at liberty to choose or refuse subjection unto such instruction whilest God had enjoyned the same as duty neither yet may Christian parents under the Gospell choose or refuse the bringing up their families in the nurture and fear of the Lord by this childish way of Catechizing nor yet children choose or refuse subjection to the same whilest it appears to be an Ordinance of Gods prescription And what is thus instanced concerning parents holds good concerning Schoolmasters and Ministers according to their relations and in their proper places Ministers may not think they have discharged pastoral duty when they have preached once or twice a week and neglected this exercise but must know that it is absolute and undeniable duty for them to see that all such under their charge as are ignorant of the principles of Religion be therein Catechized and then people must know it their duty willingly to subject to the same the Apostolical perswasion did dictate absolute duty of feeding babes with milk as well as strong men with strong meat of laying the foundation of God as well as building up to perfection of disciples to be exercised in and prepared by principles to receive higher doctrines which was the undoubted ground of their resolving the Christian Doctrine into Catechetical heads and constitution of Catechizing Schools and order in the Christian Churches nay moreover had instruction in the principles of Religion been a matter of indifferency and not of duty the neglect thereof had not been a matter reprehensive and chargeable on the Hebrews as a matter of iniquity I fear my brethren it is a too generally received fancy as well among such as should catechize as such as should be catechized that Catechizing is good but not necessary commendable where it is used but not duty this fear may be justly grounded on the neglect thereof nay on childrens and servants refusing subjection to such waies when thereunto called not only by their Ministers but Parents and Masters nay in affirming that though it is good yet it hath not any ground in Scripture it were well if the lukewarmnesse of some in it and the perversnesse of some towards it did not lead them to determine this exercise to be iniquity and denominate it the Antichristian weapon of the late Assembly but whosoever seriously considers the care of the Bishops the constant pains of Catechizers the cheerful submission of Christians of all ages sexes ranks and degrees to this way of instruction and the continued practise of the primitive times of the Christian Churches seconded with the Canons of Councels constitutions of all Church assemblies composed Catechisms conscientious discharge of the duty by the most faithfull Ministers and servants of God in all the succeeding ages of the Church to this day must conclude it to have been apprehended as absolute duty which appearing to be a Gospel exercise yet to be used amongst us and the Churches of God that shall succeed must be accordingly continued not as a thing of indifferency and that may be done but of necessity and that must be done 2. It may inform us that subjection unto Catechizing in the principles of Religion is not base and shamefull but good and honourable not with blushing but boldnesse to be undertaken I know not what madnesse possesseth mens brains to make modesty the main obstruction of this duty may we not see such as are not ashamed to be ignorant ashamed by this way to be instructed nay and to note it as a ground of contempt and derision even by laughter and digitation to such as subject unto the same as if God had stamped divine authority on such ordinances as might not with modesty and honour be exercised or had called for such duties in which his Church and servants might not be seen without shame Is any Gospell ordinance to be declined as shamefull and contemptible by such as would be called Christians and Gospel professors Did the Apostle ever upbraid or leave it as the brand of the Hebrewes that they were Catechized and subjected to this ordinance or not rather that they had not been sufficiently Catechized and made such proficiency in this School and lesson as they ought to have done Was it a shame for Christ to be found among the Catechumenists of the Jewes Could not the Apostles answer without blushing to Christ his Whom do ye say that I am Was it the shame of Theophilus Apollos and others that they had been Catechized I finde the Apostle Paul indeed stigmatizing the Jewes with not practising Catechetical heads and rules as a note of their perpetual infamy but never with being Catechized which had been their glory and now was the great aggravation of their iniquity Nay is it not the everlasting renown of the Schools at Athens and Alexandria that they were Schools of Catechizing and good learning Did wise Philosophers and honourable Senators and reverend fathers of the Church when becoming Christians submit with shame unto this exercise Is not the name of Origen famous
age of it we must needs resolve it elder then Methuselah whilest we may trace the foot-steps of it from Adam to this present age this duty was before the floud practised by Adam as the learned do conclude whose sons we finde offering sacrifice to the Lord in Gen. 4. unto which their father had instructed and brought them up as well as to labour in the world catechizing them in the Doctrine of the Fall and of the Seed of the woman typified by their sacrifice whereby they were fitted for the right and reverent performance of the worship of God Also it may be probably conjectured that others of the Patriarchs did practise this duty Henoch the seventh from Adam of whom it is recorded that he walked with God Gen. 5.14 received his name Henoch from an Hebrew root Hanach before noted to signifie to initiate or instruct in the principles of Religion as one dedicated unto God or instructed from his youth after the floud they had this exercise of Catechizing in the principles of Religion which was after put in writing Greenh as the learned conclude and called the oracles of Sibylla which were nothing else but things taught and delivered by word of mouth It is most clear that Abraham did use this exercise with much fruit and good in his family we read in Gen. 14.14 that Abraham brought out and armed three hundred and eighteen men brought up the Hebrew word Hanichim will bear it catechized or instructed in his house when he went to the rescue of his brother Lot Mr. Greenham observeth Greenhams Treat of Cate. p. 312. Isaac his going out to pray and the servant his pious and faithfull prosecution of his Masters oath in Gen. 24. to be the effect of Abraham his Catechizing and Mr. Downam doth very well observe Abrahams care and diligence in Catechizing to be the ground of Gods revealing his secrets and making known his Judgements to him in Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his sons and his houshold Downam's Directions that they shall keep my waies From this reason Doctor Willet observeth Willet in Locum that it was the godly practise of the Fathers to Catechize or instruct their families in the Doctrine of the creation of the world transgression of man destruction of the old world Gods providence the Messiah to be revealed and everlasting life to come with whom Paraeus doth concurre adding that before the Law Paraeus in Locum there was no publick Ministry but the Fathers were Priests Pastors and Teachers and the family were the Catechumeni learning the Doctrines above recited neither may we think this duty to have been neglected by Isaac Jacob or Job and others of the Patriarchs the Hebrew Rabbies tell us See also Pemble's Preface that Samuel was brought unto Eli that he might fit before Eli the Priest and be by him accustomed to or taught in the Law or the Precepts as the Catechumeni were wont to be taught David and Bathsheba were very diligent in the Catechizing or instruction of Solomon their son in the waies of wisdome as himself declares in Prov. 4.4 He taught me and said unto me Let thine heart hold fast my words from whence Lavater inserreth the duty of Lavater in Loc. and induceth by the example all Christian parents betimes to instruct their children in the chief heads of Christian Religion also Jehoiadah the Priest had well taught and instructed the young King Joash whereby he was enabled to rule and did rule well all the daies of Jehoiadah neither may we think this duty was neglected by Josiah that good King who in the time of his youth set himself to serve the Lord with zeal and sincerity and also after the captivity if we beleeve the Hebrew Rabbies from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes unto Christ there were never under four hundred houses of Catechizing in Jerusalem at which time also they made their Decree that at thirteen years of age their children should be put to Catechizing to which practise S. Paul seems to allude when he speaks of the Jewes as Catechized in the Law Rom. 2.18 And as we find the footsteps of Catechizing in all the ages of the Jewish Church so we shall find it ceased not in them but was also practised in all the ages of the Christian Churches since the time of Christ for besides what was before noted of Christ his submission to it at twelve years of age amongst the Jewes he seems practically to commend it to us by Catechizing his Disciples concerning their perswasion of himself in opposition to the ignorant conceits of the men of the world in Mat. 16. chap. 13.16 vers Whom say men that I am Whom say ye that I am after Christs ascension this exercise was very perspicuous Greenham's Treat of Catechizing p. 664. Mr. Greenham brings in Aegisippus report that by reason of Catechizing there was never a Nation in the world but received an alteration in their Heathenish Religion within forty years after Christ in the Apostles daies and primitive times of the Church of God there were two sorts Catechized the one adulti Infidels converted to the faith such was Theophilus who is in Luk. 1.4 said to have been Catechized so also Apollos Act. 18.25 the Eunuch and Cornelius his houshold such was Raib Augustine Ambrose and divers others some of which were called to Martyrdome when in their Catechism all which were instructed in the Catechetical heads of the text and then baptized A second sort were Children such as were born under the covenant of believing Parents who were baptized and afterward Catechized and made able to professe their faith when they were confirmed by the laying on of hands We read of many that bare the office of Catechizing in the Church of God some think Paul to have been employed in it by reason of that expression 1 Cor. 14.59 that I may Catechize others Eusebius mentioneth Mark to have been Catechizer at Alexandria as also Clemens Origen and Heraclas and others of the Fathers in other places Gregorie Nyssen Cyrill c. The Church had the Books of Augustine De rudibus Catechizandis and Books de Symbolo ad Catechumenos also Athonasius his Synopsis of sacred Scaipture with others of the like nature In after ages this exercise was owned and enjoyned by the Canons of Neocesaria Iberis Braccaria and others before Luther's time who also in his time among other things contended for Catechizing with a spirit of zeal making it of absolute necessity in the Church as Lord and Ruler urging the continuance of it without intermission condemning the neglect thereof after whom the several reformed Churches enjoyned it and exhibited the necessity of it in their several confessions composing Catechisms sutable to the degrees of reformation enjoyned and obtained This exercise of Catechizing appearing to have been thus anciently observed as well in the Jewish as Christian Churches I hope will silence all thoughts
after his long preaching and many miracles amongst them in Mat. 13.51 Having preached to them many parables he asketh them if they understand and Mat. 16.13 14. Whom say men whom say ye that I am Fifth and last reason why Ministers must Catechize in their Congregations is that they may detect all lurking deceivers that lie in wait to seduce the people committed to their charge from the truth and discern when any of them begin to be tainted with error and false doctrine whereby they are directed how to improve themselves as skilful workmen in the Lords house dividing the Word aright defending the truth and soul with which he is charged stopping the mouth of all gainsayers which is the great reason of that general Apostolical charge of holding fast the form of sound words in 2 Tim. 1.13 and commendation of obeying the form of Doctrine in Rom. 6.17 which the learned conclude to be Catechism Having thus given you the Reasons why Catechizing is the duty of Ministers I shall passe from this with this hearty desire that God would put into the hearts of all his Ministers to perform their duty herein in these backsliding daies wherein the principles of Religion are so generally unknown and declined and so I come to consider the second sort of Catechists which are Schoolmasters in their Schools whose diligence in the discharge hereof should write really what is worthily written on the wals of that famous School of this City at Paules Schola Catechisationis puerorum in optima maxima fide Christi and for these following reasons 1. That the main and chief end of erecting Schools was alwaies instruction in and preparation to divine worship for even among the Pagans they did appoint Schools to the end that the Oracles of their gods might be read to the youth and they Philosophically prepared to pursue the summum bonum of the soul and among the Papists to instruct and train up in traditions of the Fathers and Câ—nons of the Church concerning the corrupt worship of God whom it were an exceeding sin and shame for Christian Schoolemasters in the reformed Churches to come short of by not instructing in the true worship of the true God 2. As this was the end of Schools in general so we shall see that in Church of God among the Jewes and also among the Christians Schools were constituted and conserved by the special providence of God for the instruction of youth in she Doctrine of his worship as well as other learning The eight and forty cities of the Levites were dispersed abroad through all the tribes of the children of Israel that they might be as Schools wherein the youth might drink in the Doctrine of the Law and the Prophets together with the knowledge of the liberal Arts such as these were the Schools of the Prophets in Shiloh Ramoth gilead Jericho Bethel and Mount Carmell and the Scholars thereof were called the sons of the Prophets 1 Sam. 9.10 5. 2 King 2.3 4.25 6.2 And it is worthy observation that Samuel was Master of the School of the Prophets at Naioth near Ramah at such time as David fled from the presence of Saul 1 Sam. 19.20 And such a School as this Gamaliel kept of whom Paul declares himself to have been taught like a childe the knowledge of the Law as well as other learning Act. 22.3 and as these Schools were among the Jewes so we shall finde them in the Christian Churches Eusebius reporteth out of Philo Judeus that there was at Alexandria in Aegypt an ancient School founded by Ptolemeus famous throughout the world when Mark the Evangelist preached the Gospel there he turned the same into a Christian School the which did afterward so continue and in it Origen was Schoolmaster and when by reason of the multitude of the Scholars that resorted to it 〈◊〉 found himself not able to perform the duty he chose Heraclas a man expert in holy Scripture and studious of divine things very eloquent and not ignorant of Philosophy to be his Usher fellow-helper dividing the company did appoint him to initiate and enter them in the faith and he himself did teach them that were riper not only in Philosophy Geometry and other liberal Arts but in divine things also So Pamphilus a Christian Philosopher did ordain at Cesarea a famous School both for divine and humane learning and Nazianzen doubted not to call the School at Athens a golden parent of all speech and learning To this reason we might add an evidence of God's constituting of Schools as fountains of Christian Religion from Satans enmity against the same expressed by the cruel martyrdome of famous Cassianus of Forum in Italy by his Scholars at the cruel command of the Emperor and the putting down of such Schools by Julian the Apostate in his devillish design of rooting out all Christian Doctrine Thirdly Schoolmasters ought to Catechize because it is impossible for youth to go well forward in vertue and good manners the end of all learning unlesse they be well instructed in the principles of Religion and Doctrine of Christ for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome Fourthly Without Catechizing godly parents do misse of the end of all their care and charges in setting their children to school which is to be educated in the fear of the Lord and instructed in the true Religion which neglected a Pagan were as good as a Christian a Papist as good as a Protestant Schoolmaster for them Fifthly In not Catechizing they transgresse the Law of Church and all Christian Common-wealth which requires that a Schoolmaster should subscribe to sound Doctrine because he ought chiefly to teach Religion Lastly Prayers which we suppose to be in Christian Schools unlesse they will come short of Paganish tutors who used to begin their lessons with invocation to their gods cannot but be profaned and used unreverently where Catechizing is neglected because through want of instruction the youth understand not the duty in generall nor petition in particular and so it is unto them as in an unknown tongue Having thus shewed you the Reasons why Ministers and Schoolmasters should Catechize we come now to consider the Reasons why this duty is to be performed by Parents and Masters of families which are briefly these First God commands and commends it in them in Deut. 4.9 6.7 11.19 Thou shalt teach thy children thy sons and thy sons sons in Ephes 6.4 Parents are required to bring up their children in the instruction and information of the Lord besides that command in Prov. 22.6 Train up a childe in his youth and this duty hath been commended in Abraham in Gen. 14.14 18.19 and the effect of it in Timothy Secondly That they may as much as in them lies help forward the regeneration of their children to whom they have conveyed an evill and corrupted nature To this Catechizing is singularly helpful by laying in the soul the Word of God by which
who when they came to years of discretion were taught how great things the Lord had done for them and for their forefathers in receiving them into his covenant the which things when they had learned and were able to render a reason of the same they were brought into the Congregation and made a profession of their Faith promising obedience thereunto and so in their own persons renewed covenant with God and were confirmed members of the Church as Deodate infers from Heb. 6.2 Laying on of hands and so also Calvin Beza Hemingius and others on the place Having thus shewed who were accustomed to be Catechized in the primitive times and Churches we may take notice amongst us all being baptized in their infancy we are not in capacity of admitting that difference and therefore we must in generall resolve that those and all those that are ignorant of or not well instructed in the main and fundamental grounds of Religion and the Christian Doctrine must be Catechized whether they be young or old rich or poor high or low married or unmarried for ignorance is alwaies the ground of this exercise and therefore whilest age quality and condition cannot expell or dispense with ignorance in any they cannot exempt any from this instructing ordinance of God but if indeed we might conclude those that are of years to have been Catechized then we only make youth the subject of this exercise who would be put to it by their parents as soon as they are capable of any thing else and be presented in the Church so soon as they can quietly abide and give a reasonable account of their capacity to be instructed that so being betime seasoned with this spiritual liquor they may alwaies retain the savour of it and trained up in it in the daies of his youth they may not depart from it when they are old Prov. 22.6 that thereby the Word of God may grow up with them as a light unto their feet and lanthorn their paths in directing them to mortifie lust betimes to avoid disobedience to parents unthristinesse idlenesse and vanity and other profanenesse to which youth is very prone and subject and to teach them to remember their Creator betimes know their duty to God their parents and others and when inflamed with youthful lust to consider that for all things they must come to Judgement But more particularly children and youth ought to be exercised in this ordinance of Catechizing and approve themselves the subjects of this exercise for these speciall reasons That 1. Covenant to them confirmed in Baptism may be understood and improved want of Catechizing makes Baptism ineffectual the Jewes by Catechizing made their children to understand the nature of Circumcision and the Passeover and covenant thereby sealed Confirmation of children was used when by Catechizing they were able personally to claim and engage in the covenant 2. Counsell unto duty may be ready at hand Children as soon as they can act their reason are ingaged to duty to God Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth and Catechizing acquaints them with it I have before noted Isaac's meditation and Abel's sacrifice to be the fruit of Catechizing how could King Josiah at sixteen year old seek the God of David and at twenty years old zealously destroy Idolatry if he had not been well Catechized and how should King Edward the sixth his zealous resistance of Popish superstition have proclaimed more Divinity in his finger then in Bishop Cranmer's head if he had not well studied the Catechism And as they owe duty to God so to men to their parents obedience to their elders in age or office reverence which they are counselled in by Catechizing 3. Curbe may grow up with their corruptions a mention of coming to judgement gives a check to youthfull lust to the young mans rejoycing in his youth and taking his pleasure Eccles 11.9 A well Catechized Joseph will in childhood out of enmity to impiety complain of brethrens miscarriages Gen. 37.9 an inlightned conscience will be able to dispute with the Devill and silence suggestions unto sin 4. Change in their nature and disposition may be wrought the work of grace is not in any by natural generation nor infused by any extraordinary inspiration it must therefore be effected in the use of ordinary means whereof none sute infant capacity as Catechizing by this the word that incorruptible seed by which we are born again 1 Pet. 1.23 is implanted in them to the informing judgement perswading the will and transforming nature 5. Capacity exercised in Christianity may be enlarged We are most capable of the art or trade in which we were trained young our children can best apprehend judge discourse of and invent those things about which they spent their youthfull years if then they were but exercised in principles of Religion and Doctrines of Christianity they would more readily understand discourse and judge of them when they come to years the great dexterity of the Jewes in the doctrines of the Scriptures was the result of their Catechism the ready answers of the children of Merindoll and the renownâ—d childe which suffered with Romanus was no other then the effect of capacity exercised in Catechizing 6. That they may continue a stable course in profession and practise of Christianity A vessell when old retains the savour of the liquor with which it was seasoned when new Horace Quae semel est imbuta recens servabit odorem c. saith the Poet as the reason why youth must be instructed in best things and God teacheth us to train up a childe in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it custome doth obdurate in any way and in waies of piety enables to withstand temptation the tree when it is old stands against all strength and stormes as it was bent when young Paul perswades Timothy to continue in the things he learned his perswasive is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from a sucking childe he had known the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.14 15. I have shewed you ought to be Catechized and why children are in special to be the subjects of this exercise I shall briefly shew how they must carry in it and so passe to the application As to their carriage that are to be catechized note these rules 1. They must with all cheerfulnesse and constancy sit under Catechizing as an ordinance of God appointed for their eternal good not being discouraged by any reproaches of the wicked nor diverted by any temptation whatsoever 2. They must with all eager diligence commit to memory all the principles and heads of Christian Doctrine commended and committed to them not breaking off from the work on any sense of difficulty in or indisposition to the exercise 3. They must be alwaies ready with an holy boldnesse to give a reason of the hope that is in them to every one that asketh 4. They must with all reverence and modesty
command and according to thy authority compell to be Catechized That it is your duty to Catechize I have before shewed if that it be not done duty is neglected indisposition and aversenesse of the children and family will be no excuse to thee for hath God put the rod of correction any more into thy hand in vain then he hath put the sword into the hand of the Magistrate hath he not ordained thee in thy sphere to be a terror to such as do evill and encourager to the good hath he not put in subjection to thee such as he hath placed under thy charge doth he not require from thy hand that thou and thy house should serve the Lord It is the good note of learned Zanchy on the fourth Command that it doth not command remember to keep holy the Sabbath and to perswade thy children and servant to keep it holy implying it is the duty of the Master and father to compell to the keeping the Sabbath and therefore it is said thou shalt do it and thy son and thy man-servant and maid-servant for God and Nature takes it for granted that the subject family conform to the command of the Master of it Those several commands in Scripture of teaching our children and houshold to know the Law of the Lord and to train them up in the nurture of the Lord must necessarily imply the laying out or exercise of authority to compel their aversenesse unto duty and command their attendance on and diligence in instructing means and not to teach them if they be willing and neglect it when they are unwilling and the Gospell command to childrens obedience to their parents to hear their instructions to bear their reproofs and to obey their commands as Zanchy notes must needs imply a parents power and duty to instruct reprove and command and therefore to close up this consideration mourn for your subjection to old Eli his sin of slack rebukes and neglect of paternall authority and let me tell you that I do beleeve the neglect of paternall power and due exercise of that authority God hath given to call and compell to duty will not be found the least of relative sins in the day of the Lord. Secondly You are degenerated from the practise of the people of God in past ages whose resolution was not only for themselves but theirs also that they should serve the Lord. The Patriarchs and people of God among the Jews did teach and command their seed to serve God thus did David as a dying man charge Solomon his son and so others whom I have before mentioned and I have before noted that God exceedingly extols Abraham for this very reason that he knew he would use his paternall power to see his children and houshold to keep Gods waies on which words a reverend Divine notes that Abraham did not leave his children and servants to their own genius their own counsels their own lusts nay he would not allow them in such a liberty as would have enticed them into the worst kinde of bondage Oh consider brethren is paternall power any lesse now under the Gospell then before and under the Law or are not we more degenerated from the pious property of authoritative acting zeal for duty then they were whose posterity we professe to be and whose practise we would be thought to follow Thirdly You deal worse for the soul then for the bodies of your relations in that you will leave them to liberty in respect of the waies of God when you limit them in matters concerning the outward man How many men will compell their servants and children to this and that way of serving them though they are never so averse that yet will let them study the waies of God when and how they will and if averse thereunto let slack their authority set them at liberty and indulge their neglect of duty many a man will from day to day and week to week call for accounts of the service done to themselves that cannot or rather will not from sabbath to sabbath call for an account of their families progresse in their Catechism and rudiments of Religion nay and will not many men make the rod to caution and command from dangers to the bodies of their children that can passe in silence the desperate dangers to which the soul is subjected Will they not many times put out their power to prohibit such company and courses as may endanger their persons or estates and upon their blessing charge and command such and such courses as may conduce to their supposed happinesse which yet can let their own genius lead to or from the duties that may advantage the soul for ever O fools and unwise can you think that God gave this power into your hand for your selves alone and not rather to command for him and is not the immortall souls of your dear relations much better then their mortall bodies what shall be their profit to gain the whole world and lose the soul but will it not be the shame of Christians that as men of this world they should be wiser in their generation then as the children of God But these Reproofs are by some staved off by some Pleas which they think to be not only sufficient to acquit them from the charge of sin but also to justifie their neglect as if it were good and warrantable These Pleas are so weak that they were not worth taking notice of them had not notable ignorance and the nice and sinfull scrupulosity of our times given them strength enough to keep off from positive duty weak Christians but inclining the least to the pretended and much cryed up new lights in our daies therefore such as they are I shall set before you with answers to them Whereof the first is Plea 1 That our way of Catechizing is a forme asking some set questions and receiving set answers to them and they think all formes unlawfull To this I answer 1. The Apostles did deliver to the succeeding Ministers a form of sound words and gave it in charge that it should be held fast as did Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 1.13 and was this sinful and to be condemned or if ours be a form is it of unsound words if so let them make it to appear we will then lay it aside till then we must conclude to charge and cast off Catecheticall Doctrine because in a form is not only to condemn the generation of the just but also the very Apostles of Christ 2. The Ten Commandements are a form nay and such a form as is expunged out of these mens books and exil'd their families yet God commanded the Jewes to teach them their children and whet them diligently upon them as well as keep them in their own hearts Deut. 6.6 7. Shall we be afraid to teach our children the ten Commandements when we finde it to be the lesson God himself hath set them may not we that are Gods Ushers safely teach
by reason of our age conceive our selves to be excused and so much the rather for that we have attained to some ripenesse of understanding and are in a better capacity of gaining profit by the Word preached and read then we were when young To this I answer 1. It is your shame to be men and women in years and children in understanding Is it not a shame to be gotten into your teens and not able to repeat the Ten Commandements How many children go beyond you in knowledge of principles of Christianity 2. So were others when they were Catechized as Abrahams servants Theophilus Apollos Ambrose and Augustine most of the primitive Christians those were not ashamed when their beards were grown to be publiquely Catechized 3. Vncatechized thou canst not well profit by reading or hearing the Word for thy knowledge thereby must be immethodicall and confused nay many terms used in preaching cannot be understood by the uncatechized thou maist fill thy head with confused and indigested notions which will never nourish the heart and be like the childe which wanting breast-milk is big-headed by the Rickets but very little and weak bodied and with these airy and indigested notions thou art puft up with pride ready to step into the Pulpit and to preach to others before thou be Catechized as is the common practise of many Prentices The third and last Use of the point is of exhortation to superiours and inferiours in their places to own exercise advance and subject unto this ordinance of God Catechizing let me in the Name of the Lord earnestly intreat all such as have the charge and oversight of youth diligently to instruct them in and require a constant account of their Catechism and all such as are in subjection with all readinesse and resolution alacrity and audacity study and subject your selves to your Catechisms Parents and Masters of families in your houses duly use your abilities in counselling and authority in commanding unto Catechizing as you make conscience of duty or expect comfort in your family let your houses be houses of Catechizing your children and servants be constantly Catechized Schoolmasters in your Schools be no lesse carefull and studious to teach rudiments of Religion then other Arts and Sciences and instruct in Christianity as well as Morality the children committed to your care let the fame of the School at Alexandria and Athens be the renown of your Schools Ministers make consciences to minister this milk of principles by Catechizing to babes in Christ with no lesse diligence then to feed men with the meat of higher Doctrines by constant preaching let not youth upbraid us to have baptized them into a Religion in which we never Catechize or instruct them and whilest superiors are required to do their duty let inferiours take heed they do not sinfully slight or stubbornly resist subjection to this ordinance of Catechizing unto the perswading both superiours and inferiours duly to discharge their respective duties I need propound no other motives then what hath been before urged Consider but the Reasons of the Doctrine and if Excellency may induce Necessity enforce Antiquity engage Vtility exasperate or Easinesse and Familiarity excite to a duty reject resist Catechizing if you can moreover reflect on and revolve in your serious thoughts the particular reasons rendred why Parents in their families Schoolmasters in their Schools and Ministers in their Congregations must Catechize why the ignorant in generall and youth or childehood in speciall are subjected to this ordinance tell me whether you have not pregnant perswasions unto Catechizing yet that I may not close the Doctrine without some heart-moving soul-quickning considerations weigh seriously these severall motives I desire to suggest to superiors and inferiors joyntly to stirre up the one constantly to Catechize the other chearfully to be Catechized Mot. 1 The first Motive is That principled pious youth is a pleasure and delight to God but provocation and displeasure unto Satan This is that which God cals for in Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth before the daies come wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them Wilt thou leave those daies to God of which thou wilt be weary thy self can God take pleasure in that time which thou canst take none thy self For des Sermon of Catechizing It is an observation of the Rabbies on Levit. 1.14 that Turtles may be offered in sacrifice at any age but Pigeons when they are young we should consider our children are not turtles that is Christs sanctified ones by nature but are Pigeons to be dedicated to God when young and as God cals for a pious principled youth so he commends it 2 Tim. 3.17 Nay it layeth an engagement on God to communicate his Counsell to Abraham that he knoweth that he will command his houshold and his children that they shall keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.17 19. And whilest it pleaseth God it displeaseth Satan for pietas juventutis est Diaboli flagellum Hence it is he surrounds youth with such variety of temptations unto sin and obstruction unto duty Mot. 2 The second Motive Pious order is produced in well principled families Catechizing counsels every soul to their relative and personall duties Abrahams family was Catechized as was before noted and what a harmony of duty is to be observed in all the parts of the family his wife is humble and reverent to her husband the Scripture takes speciall notice of Sarahs calling Abraham Lord and propounds her as a pattern of meeknesse and submission 1 Pet. 3.6 His son Isaac is subject and obedient to his father chearfully bearing the wood on which he should have been sacrificed nay subjecting his throat to the sacrificing knife leaving the choise of his wife to his fathers pleasure besides his pious education expresseth it self in his daily meditating devotion Gen. 22 6. 24.41 6.31 So also his servant Eliezer is faithfull to the oath sworn to his Master and pursueth the same with all piety and prudence so that the effect of Catechizing is seen in all the members of the family making it a Church for its constant orderly and pious performances of duty Mot. 3 3. Catechizing is the proper means for edifying the Churches of Jesus Christ God never denied the Infants of Christian parents admission into his Church nay since his Church was visible on earth he owned as Members of it parents and their seed and therefore for the preservation and due edification of it ordained Catechizing constantly and lawfully to be used and infants members of the Church to be the subjects thereof as was before noted By Catechizing the sap of Christianity is communicated to the youngest sprouting branches of the Church of God the great piety of our age is placed in a pretended gathering but reall scaâ—tering by cutting publick solemn assemblies in private meetings of Churches and by many cutting Infants off from the Congregation of Gods people but sure