Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A18954
|
Dauid's catechisme. By E.A.
|
Alport, Edward.
|
1623
(1623)
|
STC 537; ESTC S115913
|
13,035
|
40
|
6.11 Mat. 18.3 as the Apostle speaketh they I say are stiled Children And CHRIST saith Nisi conversi ac facti ut pueruli nequaquam ingrediemini in regnum Coelorum which Christ himselfe hath demonstrat in his owne person becoming a Child for us and leading us the way These I say are in many things like unto those Catechumenoi I spake of before for they were taught a Catechisme id est A Christian forme of Religion and so must these they gave an account of their faith and so must these they learned plaine and easie doctrine at the first but afterwards increased in all knowledge in heauenly things and so must these Now as in some things the condition of these much resembleth theirs so in others through the favour grace of GOD they farre excell them for these are descended of christian parents those were born some of Infidels some of Heretikes some of meere strangers from the covenant of grace With these Baptisme goeth before instruction and Catechizing with those Catechizing went before Baptisme This I prove by the seventh decree of the first Councel of Constantinople 1. Conc. Constantinop Can. 7. where the right or custome in the westerne Churches of receiving Heretikes after hearty sorrow and repentance for their sinne is described The Decree speaketh thus The first day wee admit them to bee Christians the next day Catechumenoi id est young Schollers in the faith Elementarios ac quasi fidei tyrones they are the words of the Councell The third day wee receive them Ter insufflando by breathing three times into their faces and eares and then wee baptize them for men borne of unbeleeving parents or Heretikes or Infidels The Councell did well to provide that they should make confession of their faith before they received that Sacrament which is the seale of our adoption But for us who are descended of the faithfull wee are baptized in our infancy because that as the Covenant of Circumcision made unto Abraham did belong unto all the Children of Abraham so doth Baptisme which succeedeth in the place of Circumcision belong unto all the Children of the faithfull What then must they therefore refuse instruction who are baptized already No verily for they are baptized that as soone as they are able to comprehend with all Saints the good will of GOD so soone they should begin to learne to know GOD and to set forth his glory according to the charge at Baptisme and therefore this custome of Catechising and teaching Children the rudiments of Religion is so ancient as DAVID himselfe and so much in use in the Apostles time that the Apostle Saint Paul Gal. Gal. 6.6 useth the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that is taught him that hath taught him as our English hath in most translations Wee might as well translate him that is catechized him that hath catechized him for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth as much as Personare or Circumsonare To have our eares sound againe with wholsome precepts taught or catechized Tull. Offic. lib. 1. Tully doth expresse this word to the life saying Vtile est aures tuas talibus vocibus undique circumsonare As this custome of Catechizing hath beene ancient so how needefull it is Necess experience can witnesse for Catechize and instruct Young men and Children in the feare of the Lord and the knowledge of his Commaundements they will take delight therin while they live as otherwise and much rather teach them fables lyes and vanities they will never forget them like to the Caske Quo semel est iâ—buta recens servâ—â—â— odorem Testa diu Horat. epist which ever savoreth of the first liquor which is powred into it whether it bee good or bad that pleads prescription to all that shall succeed after therefore DAVID bids Children Come to hearken unto him and Salomon his Son saith Teach a child in the trade of his way and when hee is old hee shall not depart from it who being about 12 yeares of age gave that profound Sentence concerning the true mother of the childe Luk. 2.42 and our Saviour at that age disputed with the Doctors And therefore that old ill Proverbe hatched in Hell Angelicos in Satanam verti ubi consenuerint Young Saints old Divels is here confuted and sent backe to the place from whence it came Should wee not beginne betimes Circumcision was commanded on the eighth day and Baptisme any day sooner that as Hercules in his Cradle Monstra superavit prius quam nosce possit so wee might in Baptisme ever vanquish the Divel before wee know him Samuel so soone as hee was weaned 1. Sam. 1.24 was consecrated to the Lord. But many will be Mammothrepti rather then Ablactaâ—j rather never weaned then consecrated to the Lord. And lest any should deeme the female Sexe exempted from such exercise I will propose 2 only * Hieron ad Laet. de Instit filiae And Hieron ad Gaudent de Infant educ First the Psalmes then the Proverbs then Eccles then Iob then the Gospels then the Acts then the Epist then the bookes of Moses of the Kings of Chron. of Esd of Hester and last of all the Canticles Horat. are poetic examples the one of Paula the other of Pacatula the one the daughter of Laeta the other of Gaudentium both yong both Virgins unto whose Mothers Ierome gives direction what bookes of the Scripturs in order when and how they should read them and what use they should make of them And the Israelites were charged to teach their Children the things that GOD had done for them because commonly men never forget that which they haue learned in their yonger yeares for example A Young man heareth a lewd tale or beholdeth an unchast spectacle hee remembreth the same a great deale better then if hee had heard a grave Sermon or godly exhortation because hee taketh more delight in vaine things then in godliness And no marvaile for a Young man is Cereus in vitium flecti And one better learned in Divinity then hee even S. Augustine himselfe makes it good saying Adolescens is ponior ad peccandum Who seeth not how prone the cogitation of a young mans heart is unto that which is evill And yet who will not confesse that good and wholsome counsell and instruction will sanctifie his thoughts and make him tread a godly life VVherefore the counsell of Virgil Virg. georg lib. 2. Quintil. li. 1. cap. 3. Adeo a teneris consuescere multum est is fit for all youth because as Quintilian saith Frangas citius quam corrigas quae in pravum induruerunt Evill customes are hardly broken off if a man accustome himselfe to any notorious vice while hee is a young man verily hee doth seldome or never leave the same all his life long I will goe no further then the prophane swearer who will witness what