The Agreement Of divers Ministers of Christ In the County of WORCESTER and some adjacent parts For Catechizing or Personal Instructing All in their several Parishes that will consent thereunto Containing I. The Articles of our Agreement II. An Exhortation to the People to submit to this necessary Work III. The Profession of Faith and Catechism which we desire them first to Learn London Printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons Bookseller at Kidderminster and are to be sold there by him and at London by William Roybould at the Vnicorn in Pauls Church-yard 1656. Our warrant from God ACT 20.20.28 And have taught you publikely and from house to house Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Luke 12.42 Who then is that faithful and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his houshold to give them their portion of meat in due season Col. 1.28 Whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Iesus Mal. 2.7 For the Priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of hosts Mark 4.34 And when they were alone he expounded all things to his Disciples Heb. 5.12 Ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat See 1 Cor. 15.1 2 3. to 8. 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you 1 Thes 5.12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peacâ— among your selves In the sixth general Council at Trull in Constantinople it is thus decreed Can. 78. That they that are baptized ought to learn the Belief and on the fift day of the week to say it over to the Bishop or the Presbyters WE Ministers of Christ whose names are under-written having sought Gods direction and enquired of his holy Word concerning our duty and finding our selves under many obligations to seek diligently the edification and salvation of souls and withal considering the greatness of our Work and the shortness of our own and our neighbours lives and the strict account that we and they must shortly yield to God our Judge Do humbly bewail our too great neglect that we have not more frequently earnestly and unweariedly employed our care and time and labour on so great a Work according to the strict and holy precepts and patterns in Gods Word especially that we have done no more in Catechising and familiar personal instructing to acquaint men with the most necessary points of our Religion and to work them on their hearts for the awakening of them from security and drawing them from sin to God by the faith of Christ and for the directing them in the right way to their everlasting peace And as we earnestly beg of God to pardon this our great neglect through the blood and intercession of Iesus Christ so do we by his grace resolve to be hereafter more faithfull and diligent and therefore do unanimously agree and resolve on the particulars following I. That we will in the several united Churches of this County the adjacent parts where we are Teachers set apart _____ the _____ day of _____ publikely to humble our souls before God in Fasting and Prayer for our former negligence and to beg pardon thereof and of all our miscarriages that the everlasting misery of mens souls may not be charged on our heads and to seek his direction and assistance for the time to come and to acquaint our Hearers with their duties in reference to the following Work to be undertaken II. That we will hereafter by Gods assistance lay out more of our time and labour in the foresaid work of Catechizing and familiar instructing people in the Doctrine of Salvation And that ordinarily we will set apart a convenient stated time for this work at least on one day every week and in greater Parishes either two or three or else more hours on that one day as our strength and other necessary imployments shall permit And whereas we have only hitherto Catechized the younger people in publike we shall now desire either the whole Families to come together by their turns to a certain place on a certain stated day hour or so many of them that are not Catechized publikely And the Clerk or some other fit person shall be sent to them some days before to remember them of their turns and to know whether they will come or not III. We conceive the fitttest place for the aged will be the Ministers house unless where some special accident may make another place more Fit Or if any rather choose to do it in the Church or that their children and servants be chatechized in publique and themselves in private We shall grant their desire and though it be the duty of the people to come to the Ministers for instruction in any convenient place which they shall appoint which all humble and obedient Chrâ—stians wil readily yield to yet if any will not come to us we shal go to them if they consent to hear us and to be instructed The like we shall do to those who by reason of Age or other weakness or distance cannot well come to us or at least we shall procure some that are sit for such a work to go to them and instruct them if by weakness or greater works we are hindred our selves IV. If any be unwilling to be chatechized or instructed before the rest of the family we shall do it as privately as they please only we shall catechize the women especially the younger sort in the presence of some of the rest lest malicious wicked persons should make it an occasion of scandal and reproach but we shall as carefully as we can avoid the opening of the weaknesses of parents or masters in the hearing of their children or servants in any way that may tend to the diminishing of their authority and due respect V. We shall desire all our parishioners old and young that are able to learn the ancient Creed with out Expository profession or Catechism containing it the ten Commandments and the Lords prayer and the Assemblies shorter Catechism and those that cannot at least without longer time learn the Catechism we desire them first to learn all the rest and those that
understandings and soften and open their hearts and turn them from the power of Satan unto God by faith in Christ that bâ—ing joyned to Christ the Head and into one Church which is his body and freely justified and made the sons oâ— God they may be a sanctified peculiar people unto him and may overcome the flesh the world and the devil and being zealous of good works may serve God in Holyness and Righteousness and may live in the special love and Communion of the Saints and in hope of Christs coming and Everlasting Life Acts 1.11 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes 4.16 17 18. Joh. 5.22 27.2 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 2.6 7. Mat. 25.2 Thes 1.8 9 10. 2.12 2 Tim. 4.8 18. Luk. 10.11 Joh. 17.24 19.27 Mat. 13.40 Qu. 8. What shall be the end of the Righteous and of the wicked 8. The Lord Iesus Christ will come again at the end of this world and will raise the bodies of all men from the dead and iudge all men according to their works And the Righteous shall go into Everlasting Life and the rest into everlasting punishment Qu. 9. What aâ—e the Publike means which Christ hath appointed to salvation 9. Mat. 28.19 20. Mat. 16 15. Rom. 10.7 8.14.15 2 Tim. 2. â— Act. 14 1â— Act. 2.42 20.7 28. Eph. 4. 11 12 14. Ezek. 3.17 18 21. Mal. 2.7 1 Cor. 12.17 28 29. Col. 1.28 Act. 18.26 Jam. 5.14 Nâ—h 11 17. 9.5 8.4 5 6 8. 1 Cor. 10.16 9.13 11.24 Nam 6.23 24. Deut. 10.8.1 Chr. 23.13 Heb 7.7 1 Cor. 4 1. 1 Tim. 4.13 14 15. Joâ— 1.10 Acts 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 Mar. 16.2 9. Joh. 20.1 1â— Tit. 2.15 1.9 11. 1 Tim. 5.1 19 20. 3.5 Tit 3.10 1 Cor. 5.4 5 11 13. Acts 2.42 Heb. 13.7 17 24. 1 Thes 5. â—2 1â— 1 Tim 5.17 1 Cor. 16.16 Luk. 12.42 10.16 1 Cor. 1.10 3.3 Râ—m 16 17. Eph. 4.2 15 16. Col. 2.2 2 Cor 13.11 Christ hath appointed that fit men shall be ordained his ministers to disciple the uncalled and baptize all that are Disciples in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to Congregate his Disciples and to Ouersee and Guide the several Congregations and each member thereof Particularly to Teach them the woâ—d of God to Pray and Praise God wiâ—h them and for them to administer the Lords supper in remembrance of him and to Bless them in the name of the Lord Especially on the Lords day which he hath appointed for holy Communion in such works Also to rebâ—ke with Authority the scandalous and unruly and to reiect those that are obstinately impenitent and unreformed It is therefore the Peoples duty to ioyn with such Churches in the foresaid worshâ—p of God and to know hear submiâ— to and obey these their Guides that are over them in the Lord and to avoid discord and division and to live in Vnity Love and Peace Qu. 10. What are the secret holy Duties which every one must use 10. Psal 104.34 119.97 99. 1 2. 63.6 77. â—2 143.5 119.59 Hag. 1.5 Deut. 32.29 Psal 50.22 2 Cor. 1â— 5 Psal 4.4 Pro. 4.13 Maâ— 5. â—â— 12.34 15.18 19. Psal 119.113 39.1 Mar. 13.33 Luk. 21.8 34. 1 Cor. 10.12 Col. 3.5 Heb. 3.12 13 14. Mat. 2â— 4 Luk. 1â— 15 Rom. 13 13 14. 1 Cor 3.18 Jer. 17.9 1 Pet. 2.1 2 Tim. 1 6. 4.7 Acts 24.16 Mat. 26. 4â— 1 Cor. 16.13 Eph. 6.11 to 19. 1 Thes 5.17 Act. 10.9 Luk. 6.12 The secret Duties of Holyness are frequent and serious meditation of God and his works and word especially of our own sin and danger of our Redemption of our dâ—ty of Death Iudgement and the endless Ioy and Torment after it The diligent examination of our own hearts and watching over our Thoughts Affections Words and Actions The mortifying of our sinâ— especially Vâ—belief Error hardness of heart Pride worldliness flesh-pleasing and Hypâ—crisie The exercise of all graces watching against Temptations and resolute resisting them And secret prayer to God Qu. 11. What Private Duties of Holiness must be performed with others 11. Eph 6.4 9. Deut. 6.11 12 Jos 24.15 Psal 101.2 3. Actâ— 10 â—0 Gen. 18.19 Pro. 22.6 15. 25.13 1 Sam. 2.23.29 Col. 3.20.12 Eph. 6.1 5 6 7 8. Deut. 21.18 20. Mal. 2.7 Jer. 6.16 50.5 1 Cor. 14 35. Acts 2.37 16.30 Rom. 15.14 Col. â— 16 〈◊〉 â— 1â— Eph. 4.29 1 Pet. 3.1 2. Jam 3.23 Jam. â— 16 Act. 12. 5 12. Col. 1.3 4 3. 1 Thes â— 10 Joh. 20.19 Act. 20.9 Act. 12 12. 10.30 Phil. 4.6 â— Cor. 9.12 Psal 50. â—4 1 Cor. 7.5 Rom. 1â— 15 The Priuate Duties of Holyness to be performed with others are these parents and Masters must teach their children and servants the word and fear of God pray with them and for them and hinder them from sin children and servants must willingly Learn and Obey we must seek advice in the matters of our salvation Especially of one Teachers we must daily admonish and exhort one another using gracious and Edyfying Conference and a winning conversation Confessing our faults one to another and praying with and for one another Especially on the Lords Day and on extraordinary occasions of Humiliation or Thanksgiving Deut. 1 17. 2 Chron. 19.6 7. Deut. 17.18 Jos 1 8. sa 56.1 Zach. 7.9 Rom. 13.1 2 3. 1 pet 2.13 Eph. 6. 1 5. Col. 3.20 22 23 24. Mat 19 19. â—2 â—9 7.12 Eph. 4.2 Phil. â— 3 â—5 Mat 10.16 Eph. 4.25 Tit. 2.12 Col. 3.25 1 Cor. 6.7 8. Mat. 5.21 22 27 28 39 44 45. Eph. 4.28 Exo. â—3 1 2â— 16 Psal 15.3 Ex. â—0 17 Col 3.13 Eph. 4.2 Mat. 5.44 Gal. 6.10 Heb. 13. â—6 Mat. 25. Phil. 2.4.20 21. 2 Cor. 8.11.12 Qu. 12. What are the necessary Duties of Righteousness and mercy towardâ— men 12. The necessary Duties of Righteousness and Mercy to men are these Superiors must Rule for God and the Common-good with Iustice and mercy Inferiours must willingly Obey them in the Lord. We must loue our neighbours as our selves and do as we would be done by behaving our selves to all men in lowliness and meekness harmlesness sobriety and truth not wronging any in their Bodies Chastity Estates or Names no not in Desire but forbearing and forgiving one another loving our very Enemies and doing good to all according to our Power FINIS
cannot so soon learn our profession we shal expect at least that they learn the Creed the Commandments and the Lords prayer and endeavour to learn the rest in further time as they are able or if any pretend scruples against our Profession or the allowed Catechism they shall use any Orthodox Catechism which themselves will choose VI. When we receive an account from them of what they have learned of these heads of Chatechism we shall also faithfully endeavour to help them in the right understanding of them and to get the truths which they learn into their hearts and lives in all which we shall endeavour as prudently as we can to suit our Instructions and Qâ—estions to the capacity of the persons to whom we speak Not seeking to disgrace them or puzzle them by hard unnecessary questions or words but express the plainest necessary truths in the plainest words and if they understand not one phrase we shall try whether they understand the same truth in other phrases nor shall we stand so much on their words as their meanings and if they be not able to deliver a fundamental truth in any tolerable words of their own we shall try by their affirmations or negations whether indeed they understand it or believe it when they hear it exprest by us we shall endeavour also to use such love and meekness as may win and avoid such harsh imperious speeches as may offend and to use such seriousness as may tend to awaken the stupid and secure lest all our labour with them be lost and yet such tenderness as that the weak may not be discouraged And because it is a work that requireth such great prudence and holy skill together with zeal and patience we shall the more reverently and cautelously attempt and mannage it avoiding all rashness observing and lamenting and striving against our imprudency unskilfulness and other unfitnesses and earnestly beg of God more fitness for his work VII Those that have not learned the words of any of the aforesaid Principles or Catechisms we shall yet desire to come to us with the rest of their families that we may have opportunity familiarly to discourse with them and instruct them VIII We shall desire that the most learned or judicious and Godly people among us would submit to this course as well as others though they have not the like need lest their forbearance be a pretence to others to keep off especially seeing the wisest and Godliest men are bound by God to obey their teachers and guides as well as others and all Christians have need to keep the great fundamental truths still in memory for their daily use that they may live upon them and the best may yet get some advantage by such conferences which Ministers will fit to their riper state IX Having procured this our Agreement to be printed together with an exhortation to our people to submit to this work we shall first read both to them in the publique assembly upon some Lords day and afterward give and cause to be delivered one Copy thereof to each family in our several parishes that will accept them desiring them that they may be read to all the family X. As for those that after sufficient admonition shal contemptuously and obstinately refuse to be either Catechised or Instructed thus personally by us giving us no valuable reason of their refusal if they are such that have professed themselves members of our Charge in the particular Churches whereof we are Pastors we shall proceed as in other cases of scandal or impenitency til we have either prevailed for their reformation or else rejected and avoided them And if they are such that are only members of the Parish and have withdrawn themselves from our charges and the particular Church by refusing to own and profess their membership we shall yet so far difference them from the rest of the parish who are Tractable and Teachable though refusing to be of our particular Church and charge as that we shall in regard of Communion and the application of sealing and confirming ordinances deal with them as the obstinate despisers of instruction should be dealt with THE reasons which move us to this Agreement and Resolution are these following 1. As it is undeniable that the everlasting perdition of multitudes is caused by their Ignorance and people perish for lack of knowledge so is it most evident that catechizing and familiar personal instruction is a great means to overcome that killing ignorance and that much of the darkness of this Land is chargeable on the neglect of this necessary work 2. The aged among us are too commonly more Ignorant then the younger sort and though their souls should be as much regarded by them yet have we no hope of prevailing with these to come publikly on the Lords day in the face of the congregation to be catechised but yet we are in hope that fewer of them will refuse to come to us in private and seeing we are thus necessitated to deal in private with one part of the family if it be their desire we shall take all together in the same way Perhaps one will encourage another We observe also that the younger when they are once married will come no more to be catechized publikely and so too many forget that which before they had learned which this course may prevent 3. It is the principles and fundamental truths that life or death doth most depend upon in which the essentials of Christianity do consist which therefore no man may be utterly ignorant of that hopeth for salvation and which the ripest Christians have the greatest daily use for and most continually live upon as their bread and drink and those that are well grounded in these fundamentals are likest to stand in a time of trial and to resist temptations and to hold fast and grow up in the knowledge of the superstructure and it is the want of being well grounded in these fundamentals that is the cause of much of the heresie and apostacy of this Age. It is the improvement of these principles that is the true Christians daily work for the managing of his duties the quickening and ordering of his affections and the guidance of his life and it is the want of sound digesting and improving of these that is the cause of much of the hypocrisie and self-deceiving opinionative and factious kind of Religiousness that hath so prevailed In a word the benefit of right Catechizing and the mischiefs that follow the neglect of it are more indeed then we can express or conceive 4. We finde by sad experience that the people understand not our publike teaching though we study to speak as plain as we can and that after many years preaching even of these same Fundamentals too many can scarce tell any thing that we have said when yet we finde that they better understand and lay to heart a familiar Conference 5. The Lords day is short enough for the
publike worship of God and preaching of the word with those private duties which are necessary in our Families though we reserve Catechizing at least of the aged to another day especially in the Winter when the days are short 6. By this means we shall better know the state of our hearers and better know how to speak publikely to their necessities and how to pray for them and how far either to be moan them or rejoyce over them and we shall better understand their capacity and fitness for Communion and Sacraments 7. If we appoint not a stated time and place for this work we cannot tell how to have any fit opportunity for it because we know not when to finde people at leisure together and prepared thereto nor can every weak Minister endure the attendance and inconvenience of some of their houses for so long time without apparent injury to their health or lives 8. The diligence of Papists and Sectaries will condemn us if we will not do half so much in a right way to save mens souls as they will do in a wrong way to pervert them The Papists will bring all the people to confess their most secret sins in secret to their Priests and we have heard of some that have approved of their Church rather then ours because it is more strict in such practises The Sectaries of other Sects creep into houses and lead captive the silly people by their smooth deceiving words and industry If we then that have a better work to do shall betray mens souls by lazie negligences all these might rise up against us and condemn us 9. The work that we agree upon is of unquestionable necessity it is not of the controverted matters where some godly men are of one minde and some of another we know of no party reputed sober and pious among us but are all agreed of the usefulness and excellency which is more then the lawfulness of this Catechizing and familiar instruction and we observe them all as with one minde and mouth complaining of the neglect of it and commending the performance we think it therefore a sad and unexcusâ—ble thing that while we contend about controversies most should neglect that necessary work which all approve of even while they thus neglect it 10. It is a work wherein we have the countenance of authority Former Rulers commanded Catechizing and the present do not discountenance it but encourage us to such works It hath been the constanâ— practâ—ce of the Primitive Church who had oft their Catechists to teach these principles and all Ages have allowed it without any considerable contradiction And the Catechism which we agree to use was approved by the Church Assemblies of England and Scotland as a part of the Uniformity 11. We receive the publike maintenance to this end that we may be enabled to lay out our endeavour for the good of the whole Parishes from which we do receive it and therefore we are further obliged in Justice to do our best for the salvation of them all Upon these plain and pressing Reasons among others we finde our selves called to lament our former negligence and more diligently to perform this needfull work and to exhort our Parishioners to encourage us by their submission and willingness and we do resolve upon a more faithful discharge of this duty to those that shall thus submit Subscribed by RIchard Baxter Teacher of the Church at Kidderminster John Boraston Pastor of Ribâ—ford and Bewdly Richard Eades Pastor of Beckford Glocestershire Charles Nott Minister of Shelsly James Warwick Minister at Hanley Castle Thomas Eavans Minister at Welland Thomas Wright Teacher at Hartlebury John Nott Teacher at Sheriff Hales Staffordshire Henry Oasland Teacher of the Church at Bewdly John Hill Minister at Clifton upon Teame Thomas Baldwin Minister at Wolverley Richard Wolley Minister at Salwarp John Freeston Minister at Hampton Lovet Richard Sergeant Preacher at Kidderminster Andrew Tristram Pastor of the Church at Clent Thomas Bromwich Minister at Kemsey Thomas Franck Teacher at Nanton Beachamp John Taylor Minister at Dudley William Spicer Minister of Stone Humphry Waldern Minister of Broom Samuel Bowater Rector of Astley Benjamin Baxter Minister at Vpton upon Severn William Lole Minister at Pyrton Thomas Francis Minister at Doderhil Thomas Jackman Minister at Burrough William Durham Pastor of Tredington Thomas Easton Pastor of Batesford Glocestershire Giles Collier Pastor of the Church at Blockly George Hopkins Ministers of the Gospel at Evesham Thomas Matthew Ministers of the Gospel at Evesham John Dolphin Pastor of the Church at Honniborn Joseph Trebel Pastor at Church Lench William Willes Preacher at Littleton Richard Beeston Preacher of the Gospel at Breedon William Kimberly Minister at Ridmarley Joseph Baker Preachers of the Gospel in the City of Worcester Richard Fincher Preachers at the Gospel in the City of Worcester John Willnot Preacher aâ— Parshore Francis Hyat Minister at Eckington Robert Brown Minister at White-Lady Aston Jarvis Bryan Pastor of the Church at Old Swinford and Sturbridge John Dedicol Preachâ—r at Abbotsley Richard Dowly Minister of Stoke Pryor An Exhortation to all our Parishioners to submit to this Necessary work of Catechizing and personal Instruction which we have Agreed on for the furthering of their own Salvation To all the Inhabitants of our several Parishes Grace and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ DEarly beloved Brethren whose souls are precious both to Christ and us and whose Peace and Salvation we do earnestly desire It hath pleased the God of all the Earth to call out this poor unworthy Islâ—nd in the utmost parts of the world to make it his garden while others remain a wilderness and a Land of lighâ— while others live in horrid darkness Here hath he Proclaimed the Gospel of his dear Son and made plain to us the way to everlasting felicity He hath not dealt so with every Nâ—tion nor have they heard and seen what we have done Most of the world do lie in the darkness of Heathenish Idolatry Infidelity and Mahometanism and too much of Christendom in the darkness of Popery and Heresie It haâ—h pleased the Lord of the Harvest to send forth Labourers into this part of his Harvest though we confess too weak and imperfect yet more numerous and faithful and diligent then most of his Churches elsewhere Proportionably can shew He hath wonderfully dispelled the mists of Popery and many of his servants have laid down their lives in the flames in witness against it and with a mighty hand hath he hitherto hindred its return We have the holy Scriptures faithfully translated into our own Language and Bibles so common that every family may have one or more at a small price and may make them the matter of their daily exercise We have this Scripture weekly at least read and preached to us publikely we have the living examples of many that fear God in whose hearts his Law is written though imperfectly and in whose lives