Job was neither Native Israelite nor a Proselite adopted by their Law but born and bred in Idumaea And therefore professed not the six Precepts upon the account of a Jewish Tradition but because they were the common Religion of Mankind Before the Law saith Tertullian was written in Tables of Stone there was an unwritten Law which was given neither in Horeb nor Sinai nor in the Desert but in Paradise And was naturally both known and kept by the Fathers who from the observing of the Equity and Justice of this Natural Law received Titles of Approbation and Honour as Noah was called a just man and Abraham the friend of God Tertul. c. 2. adversus Judeos And that this unwritten Law given in Paradise was the six Precepts we may conclude from what Mr. Seldon tells us out of Mosche ben Maimon who saith he peremptorily delivers that the six Precepts were given to the first Man from the very beginning of the World And therefore ought rather to bear the name of Adam than of Noah for the latter can be entitled to them no otherwise than as in him all Mankind was preserved as in the former they had been begun In which sense all Nations and Kindreds of Men were called the Sons or Children of Noah Among which there was no exteriour Badg of distinction till God gave Abraham the Sacrament of Circumcision which did not lessen or abate the extent and power of the six Precepts for after Circumcision the Jews as well as the rest of Men stood obliged to their observance Nor indeed was it possible to be otherwise seeing that therein was contained the Universal Religion And at the coming of Moses these Precepts were so far from being evacuated that they were confiâ—med with the addition of others concerning the Sabbath the Reverence of Parents and the very thought of defalking other mens Goods All which make up the Ten words or Decalogue And that was now Engraven in Tables of Stone which before was only written in Tables of Flesh But the six Precepts were the Catechism of the World from Adam to Noah who received the Seventh In which condition Religion continued till Abraham received the Precept of Circumcision upon which came the great distinction of Nations in respect of Worship And now the Jews had eight Precepts for the Rule of Duties under which they continued until the time that God at Mara gave them a Statute and an Ordinance and by spaces filled up their Ritual But that which most imports the present Subject is the manner how the First six Precepts were instructed Which without doubt was vivâ voce or by an Oral Institution for certainly of things unwritten there can be no other means to instil and propagate their knowledg For notwithstanding that these Precepts contain'd such an apparent Equity and Right as could be by none denyed who therein had once been duly informed yet there was a necessity of competent means to procure this Information For let Characters be never so large and evident in themselves yet the fairest Paper cannot exhibit them till thereon they be duly placed And if the Soul of Man be at first as a Book wherein nothing is and yet every thing may be written then either Education or Instruction Use or Discipline must of necessity fill up this blank And the Rasa Tabula of mans Soul as it is most susceptive so is it likewise most concerned to be first Engraven with those things which indispensibly respect his Duties toward God and his Neighbour the Contents of the six Precepts And that the Soul cannot be otherwise furnished therewith than by Oral Institution or Catechism will be granted by all who would not have this Table writ upon just like those which Moses received in the Mount But what in this case may seem but darkly probable in the two Patriarchs of Mankind is conceived to be clear and evident in the Father of the Faithful For Authors of no contemptible Credit collect from that Encomium God gave Abraham for his foreseen care to instruct his Children and Household to keep he way of the Lord and to do Justice and Judgment Gen. 18.19 that this manner of instruction is there spoken of For albeit that to do Justice and Judgment is a Principle naturally imprinted upon Mans Soul in a Character no Mortal Power can efface yet it was Morally impossible for Abrahams Family to keep the way of the Lord That is to be acquainted with the Purport and Condition of that Covenant God had made with Abraham where there was no Divine Inspiration nor any Written Word to guide them unless Abraham by a gentle and easie Method introduced them into the knowledg of what so intimately concerned them And not to be scrupulous about words or forms of Speech it is more than probable that this Holy Man taught his Family vivâ voce or familiarly by word of mouth which is the true and genuine Sense of that whereof we now speak But not to place any strength in this Instance nor in what is observed to this Purpose either in the Institution of Jehoash by Jehoiada the Priest nor what Solomon insinuates concerning himself nor in what the Rabbins assert of the many houses of Catechism that were in Hierusalem nor in what some write concerning the Schools of the Prophets how that one part of their employment was to Catechize not placing I say any strength in these Instances which might be urged as they have been in favour of the Antiquity of Catechism I shall fix upon that which yields both a more obvious and certain Testimony of its Ancientness namely That the Jews have continually had and to this day have the practice of Catechism by which they introduce their Youth into the knowledg of God and the Rites of his Worship 'T is true there is some difference in the time when this Institution is begun For the Ancient Jews began not to Teach their Children the Principles of their Religion till they were compleat Thirteen years of Age but the Modern Jews in the Eastern Parts especially begin much more early And this they do as Aaròn Benetás a Sabio in Barbary told me because of their unsettlement and for fear a sudden removal should prevent them in this Duty It is very remarkable that no Footsteps of Catechizing appears in the Service of the Temple which was indeed so wholly Ceremonious that it may be doubted whether ought of Moral Religion the chief of Catechism was therein either thought of or designed Indeed after the Erection of Synagogues there appear great indications that this way of instruction was in no vulgar request But then in fixing the certain time when these Religious Edifices were Erected there is small agreement among the Learned That Synagogues were built before the Jews return from Babylon is very uncertain But after they were returned it is plain that their Land was full of these Houses dedicated to Gods publick Service wherein all parts of Divine
been prayed for and that by so doing I challenge a share therein And indeed if I neglect this I can scarce expect any part or interest in the Prayers that are made To conclude In this word Amen all the Prayer is summ'd up and abridg'd and it was as I have been taught of such singular importance with the Primitive Christians that they spoke it with so great Zeal as that he who heard their Voice would have thought it had been a roaring Sea or Thunder which should awaken my drowsiness and move me with Vigour and Warmth to declare my fervent desires to have those Prayers heard of God to which I say such an earnest hearty humble and zealous Amen The Doctrine of the Sacraments In the Creed I have been taught that God by his Son hath redeemed me and all Mankind and in the Doctrine of the Sacraments which makes the last part of my Catechism I have been taught how that by them God doth exhibit and seal unto Believers that Redemption which Christ purchased for them And as to the Number of these Sacraments I have learned they are but Two and only Two namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper And I am convinced that all Men ought to receive these Two who desired to be saved Which I do not so understand as if God could not save without them but that they are the Instrumental Means and ordinary Seals by which God hath promised to convey and assure Christ's Merits to me and commanded me this way to receive them so that wilfully to neglect or to want the Sacraments when they may be had is to cast aside God's Ordinance which every Christian is bound to obey And as I have been taught so I look upon the Sacraments as the Conditional Means which God requires to be observed of them unto whom he imparts his Grace Not as if this Grace whereof a Worthy Receiver partakes were a Natural or Supernatural Quality in the Sacrament but that it is from God himself which is the Author of the Sacrament so that Grace is receiv'd from God by means of the Sacraments And this I have learned not only from you who are our Parish-Divine but also from Mr. Hooker whose Judgment I have heard much praised by many of our best Clergy This saith he is the Necessity of Sacraments That saving Grace which Christ Originally is or hath for the General Good of his whole Church by Sacraments he severally derives into every Member thereof Sacraments serve as the Instruments of God to that End and Purpose Moral Instruments the Use whereof is in our Hands the Effect in his For the Use we have his express Commandment for the Effect his Conditional Promise So that without our Obedience to the one there is no apparent assurance of the other As contrariwise where the Signs and Sacrament of his Grace are not eitheâ— through Contempt unreceiv'd or not receiv'd with Contempt We are not to doubt but they really give what they promise and are what they signifie I fully acquiesce as to this Point in the Judgment of this Considerable Author The Sacraments of the Christian Church are as I said Two namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper By Baptism I have my Admission and Entrance into the Church and it is the washing of Regeneration by which I am new born And by the Lord's Supper to which I now earnestly desire to be admitted I believe I shall be nourished preserved and grow up in Christ And these Two Sacraments I am sure were of Christ's own appointment And seeing that by the one I am entred into the Christian Profession and by the other I am therein strengthned and made perfect I see no neep of any more And not to trouble my self with the secular use of the Word Sacrament it serves my turn to understand it in the Sense of the Church which tells me it is an outward and visible Sign of an inward and spiritual Grace Ordain'd by Christ himself and a means whereby we receive the same Grace and a Pledge to assure us thereof Now this Description of a Sacrament I have been often told is the uneasiest Point in all my Catechism I will therefore in order to be better inform'd set down my sence of this Description And first By an Outward and Visible Sign I understand that which presents its self to my Eye and represents somewhat else to my Understanding As for Example in Baptism the Outward and Visible Sign is Water wherein the Person is dipped or sprinkled And the inward and spiritual Grace which is thereby signified is a Death unto Sin and a New-birth unto Righteousness both which by the means of Baptism are convey'd to the Baptized I have heard you Catechizing upon this Point declare that it was the ancient manner of Baptism to put the Person baptiz'd under Water and then to take him out again and that this was done to signifie his dying unto Sin and rising again to Newness of Life The first declared the weakning the deading and putting off of sin The latter shewed the performance of those Actions of Men who being quickned by the Spirit endeavour to serve God all their days in Righteousness and true Holiness And in the Lord's Supper there is also an Outward and Visible sign namely Bread and Wine and an inward Part or Thing signified to wit the Body and Blood of Christ which are spiritually received by all Worthy Communicants and which being so received their Souls are strengthned and refreshed and the same Effect is wrought in the Inner Man by the Holy Mysteries which is in the Outward by these Elements And as strength is from Bread and chearfulness from Wine so I hope and expect that when I am admitted to the Lord's Supper my Heart will be established by Grace and my Soul strengthned and my Conscience made chearful and light with the Blessings and Benefits that the Sacrament will exhibit seal and convey unto me still supposing that I am in some competent measure fit to communicate And in order to be so I have learned from my Catechism that these following Duties are required of me namely Self-Examination Repentance Faith Thankfulness and Charity And for my assistance in the Knowledge and Examination of these Graces I have chosen The Introduction to the Sacrament written by Doctor Addison Dean of Litâ—â—field on purpose for such if Capacities as my own And after this familiar account of my knowledge in Religion you to whom I commit the care of my Soul shall judge me competent to be admitted to the Lord's Table I shall esteem my Condition happy as being perswaded that I have no other means to repair my Vow of Baptism which by numerous ways I have broken and to renew the Covenant I made with God when I was Christen'd and to be restored to all the Benefits of Baptism forfeited by the sins I have committed since I was baptized I say I am perswaded that I cannot obtain these things by any
sinful Body may be made clean by his Body and my Soul washed through his most precious Blood At the receiving of the Bread LOrd I am not worthy thaâ— thou shouldest come undeâ— my Roof but speak the Word and my Soul shall be healed Adding with the Priest THE Body of our Lord Jesuâ— Christ which was given foâ— me preserve my Body and Soâ— unto everlasting Life Amen At the receiving of the Cup. WHat Reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the Benefits that he hath done unto me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Adding with the Priest THE Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for me preserve my Body and Soul unto Everlasting Life Amen Immediately after your receiving of the Sacrament say OH my God thou art true and holy Oh my Soul thou art blessed and happy Oh the depth of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! how incomprehensible are his Judgments and his ways past finding out Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name which saveth thy Life from Destruction and feedeth thee with the Bread of Heaven Glory be to God on high and in Earth Peace good Will towards men I praise thee I worship thee O Lord and I magnifie thy Name for ever who hast vouchsafed to fill my Soul with Gladness and to feed me with the heavenly Mysteries of Christs sacred Body and Blood I humbly beseech thee that from henceforth I may walk in all good Works and serve thee in holiness and pureness of living to the Honour of thy Name Amen Meditations whilst others are Communicating HAppy are those Servants whom when their Lord cometh he shall find thus doing Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any one defile the Temple of God him will God destroy Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love even as Christ loved us and gave himself an Offering and a Sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God for us As you go from before the Communion Table this Doxology TO thee O King eternal the immortal invisible and only wise God be all Honour and Glory now and for evermore Amen A Thanksgiving after the receiving of the Communion to be said at Home THou O my God hast comforted my Soul thou hast strengthned and refreshed me with thy Blessings and rejoyced my Heart with the tokens of thy Love O how sweet are thy comforts how ravishing are the Effects of thy Goodness toward them that fear thee Wonderfuâ— vouchsafement Thou hast treated a vile wretched Sinner at thâ— own Table and fed me with thâ— Bread that came down from Heaven Wherein am I better than those to whom thou dost not grant this Favour It is not it is not for my Merits but because thou wilt be glorified in doing good to the most unworthy thou hast this day made me a happy Example of this thy free Grace and Bounty Vouchsafe me this favour also O my God that through the whole course of my Life I may give thee Praise and Glory and that the due sense of thy Mercies may make me unfeignedly thankful and that my thankfulness may appear in my care to walk before thee in Holiness Sobriety and Righteousness all the days of my Life Amen FINIS Books Printed for W. 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TO THE Right Reverend Father in God SETH Lord Bishop of SARUM My LORD YOur Name is here prefixed to the Ensuing Discourse neither for Charm nor Amuâ— to save it from the Rude and Censorious for it doth not at all â—gard what Entertainment it meets â—ith at such hands But it assumes â—is Honour upon the Account of â—s Author who having the Happiâ—ess to be one of your Diocesan Clergy thinks all he can perform in that Relation ought to be devoted to your Lordship as a sincere Testimony of his bounden acknowledging your Paternal