that chuse to Act and Perform it Every Sin against Knowledge and Conscience is a wilful Sin when our own Heart rebukes and checks us at the time of Sinning telling us that God hath forbidden that which we are about to do notwithstanding which we presume to do it And as for them they are all of an heinous Guilt and of a crying Nature such Sins are a despising of God's Law and therefore are call'd Presumptuous Sins and are said to be acted through a Rebellious Pride and with an high Hand Numb 15.30 And those who have committed such are said Heb. 10.29 to have done despight to the Spirit of Grace because as well the Spirit of God as their own Reason have resisted 'em in the committing of such Sins which Resistance notwithstanding they have violently broke through And as to such Sins therefore they will make us the Children of Wrath and subject us to punishment as well now as under the Law as is evident from that place Heb. 10.28 29. now mentioned He that despised Moses's Law died without Mercy of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant an unholy Thing which they do who do wholly apostatize and hath done despite to the Spirit of Grace which they do who do sin wilfully And this they will be accounted to do whether such Sins be Directly and Expresly Wilful and Chosen or only Indirectly so Some Sins are directly and expresly wilful and by Interpretation Sometimes Men eye and view the Sin they are about to commit before they chuse or act they pause and deliberate doubt and demurr about it they have a Conflict and Dispute in their own Minds whether they should commit or keep off from it And when notwithstanding this they commit it that Sin is then directly and expresly chosen and wilful and done in despight of the Spirit of Grace and is therefore of a very heinous and damning Nature But besides these there are other sinful Actions which are not chosen directly and expresly but only indirectly Some indirectly and interpretatively and by interpretation that is when Men expresly chuse such a state of Things as make some sinful Actions after that to be no longer a matter of free Choice but almost necessary and unavoidable Thus he that wilfully drinks 'till he is drunk and then in his Drink commits Murder and Uncleanness or any other mad Frolicks or sinful Extravagances without any deliberation or consideration at all shall nevertheless be judged to have wilfully committed those Sins because he did deliberately and wilfully fall into that Sin of Drunkenness which when he was in by depriving himself of his Reason made those or any other Sins unavoidable at that time So again he that watches not over but indulges and gives way to his Passions and in his Anger kills a Man and he that accustoms himself to a Sin so often that he knows not when he commits it as to swear in either of these cases also he shall be judged wilfully in God's account to have committed Murder and to have swore because any Man may chuse to indulge and humour his Passions or to accustom himself to that Sin which makes his falling into other Sins so unavoidable And lastly he that wilfully neglects the means of attaining to any Grace or Vertue will be judged wilfully to have omitted his Duty which in the use of due means he might have done acceptably Thus in either of these cases when Men fall into any Sin either by Drunkenness or by indulging and not watching over their Passions or by reason of having long accustomed themselves to such Sins or lastly by neglecting the Means of attaining to any Grace or Vertue In any of these cases he that commits a Sin his Sin will be accounted as indirectly and interpretatively chosen and voluntary because he did willingly do those things which brought and betray d him into such Sin or wilfully neglected those Means which would have preserved him from them And so his Sin will be condemned as a chosen and wilful Sin and a Transgression of God's Law and he punished as a wilfully disobedient Person So that the difference between the Law and the Gospel is not such as that wilful Sins shall be now unpunish'd But the difference is 1st that those who sincerely and entirely obey shall not be called to an account for unchosen and involuntary sins But here the difference is very great and comfortable and it is this That First Our unchosen and involuntary Sins which through the Weakness and Frailty of our Nature we cannot always avoid through the Mediation of Christ now under the Covenant of Grace those who sincerely and entirely Obey the Laws of the Gospel shall not be called to an account for such And such unchosen and involuntary Sins are those which we commit either through Ignorance because we did not understand our Duty or through Inconsideration because we did not think of it And unless our Ignorance and Inconsideration be themselves wilful we shall not be condemned for the Failings we have committed through either of ' em The first cause of an innocent and pardonable Involuntariness is Ignorance of our Duty The first cause of an innocent Involuntariness Ignorance of our Duty when we do what God forbids because we do not know that He has forbid it for such Failings as we ignorantly commit we shall not be condemned under the Covenant of Grace for Christ who is our High Priest as St. Paul assures us will have compassion on the Ignorant and them that are out of the Way Heb. 5.2 Provided it be not wilful True it is there are those that are wilfully ignorant for either they shut their Eyes and will not see their Duty or they are idle and careless and will not enquire after it So that if they do not know their Duty it is because they do not desire the Knowledge of it or will be at no pains for it they neither read the Word nor come to hear it nor to be Catechised and if they do come neither think nor consider afterwards upon what they have heard nor pray to God to make all those means of Knowledge effectual to their Salvation And in the neglect of these Means of Knowledge they make themselves wilfully ignorant and so their Ignorance will not be their Excuse but their condemning Sin because it was wilful and chosen But if you have an honest Heart desirous to be taught that you may know and do your Duty and use an honest Industry by Reading coming to be Catechised by constantly Hearing of the Word If thus you do all that lies upon you to be informed what you ought to do and yet afterwards if through Misunderstanding you fail then through the Grace of the Gospel and the Mediation of our Saviour what you have been wanting in will not be
A Course of Lectures UPON THE CHURCH CATECHISM IN Four VOLUMES VOL. I. Vpon the Preliminary Questions and Answers By a Divine of the Church of England OXFORD Printed by Leonard Litchfield Printer to the University for the AUTHOR 1696. TO THE Right Reverend Father in GOD WILLIAM LORD BISHOP of Coventry and Litchfield Lord Almoner to the KING My Lord HAving your Lordship's Commands for the Publication of these following Discourses I have reason to hope my Readers will prove candid and favourable in their Censures since they cannot but pay the greatest Deference to the Judgment of a Prelate whom all the Learned both at home and abroad do unanimously rank amongst the greatest Divines that this or former Ages can glory in But that I may not too much lessen that Esteem which the judicious part of Mankind at least do justly bear to your Lordship as the nicest Judge in Things of this Nature by proclaiming to the World that Encouragement you have given to a Work which no doubt will be found very defective I am apt to believe and am forward to own it that it might be more your Approbation of the Design than the Goodness of the Performance that has made your Lordship so exceedingly kind to it and its Author And indeed if ever there were a necessity of attempting any thing to promote Catechetical Instruction there is now too sad an Occasion for it Some Years since we thought it sufficiently hard upon us that we were put to the trouble of defending a Church so excellently Constituted as ours is by susteining those slight Skimishes made only upon its Outworks namely against its Rites and Ceremonies Solemnities I would rather call 'em so wisely order'd for the more grave and solemn Administration of Divine Worship and for the better Edification of the Souls of Men. But alas the Enemy has now enter'd through our Breaches into the very heart of our City as St. Austin calls the Church of God And as if there were an Vniversal Conspiracy made at this time against it All the Grand and Fundamental Articles both of Natural and Revealed Religion are now either most furiously storm'd by Atheists Deists and Socinians on the one hand or secretly and dangerously undermined by Enthusiasts and Antinomians on the other And if the next Generation should grow worse in its Principles and Morals than the present what Vengeance from Heaven even to the removing of our Candlestick may we not fear But especially what Indignation from God may not we of the Clergy dread should we suffer the Youth of our Nation to go abroad into the World without having first given 'em those Religious Impressions by good Principles as will guard 'em from the danger thereof and especially without having first prepossess'd the Minds of such with a deep Tincture of Divine Knowledge as are likely to be the Leading Men in their Countries and yet by a fatal mistake in Education are generally brought up in those Vndisciplin'd Societies amongst whom the Oracles of false and pretended Reason are more universally read and more highly applauded than the Lively Oracles of Divine Revelation I know how deeply sensible your Lordship is of the growing Infidelity and Heterodoxy of this Age and how much it is your Opinion that a constant Course of Catechising our Youth in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity is the only means that can effectually obviate and Cure those Great and prevailing Evils And if what I have here offered to the Publick may be at all serviceable to any of my Brethren in affording some useful Materials for their own Composures of this kind and in assisting any of 'em in their Method I have my End and shall therein in sone measure answer I presume your Lordship's Design who out of a pious Zeal to have this Work of Catechising universally set forwards by every Individual Minister in your Diocess would have the way so plain'd that we might all proceed therein without interruption And sure where the Authoritative Injunctions of so great a Father and Governor of our Church are join'd with such an unparalell'd Industry in the discharge of all the most Important and difficult Duties of the Episcopal Care it is impossible for us who are under the Influence of your Power and Example to be Remiss in that which is the very principal part of Ministerial Instruction incumbent upon us For if we no sooner saw your Lordship entring upon that Diocess to which you were Translated so Happily to us though so disadvantageously to your own Fortunes but we saw you apply your self with the utmost Vigour to the Business of it in Visiting not only your Clergy but Cathedral Schools and Hospitals If in your Lordship's primary Visitation we heard such a Learned Scriptural Proof of the JUS DIVINUM of the THREE DISTINCT ORDERS and what Evidence of that Nature is not to be expected from one so Mighty in the Holy Scriptures as cannot but silence all Adversaries and all the Learned of our Nation would be glad to see made publick If we also saw at the same time that Venerable Ordinance of Confirmation even amongst those vast Crowds that came to it and with so great a Fatigue to your self administer'd with a particular Application of the stipulatory part to every Individual Person that was duly attested to be sufficiently Qualified and with that Order Gravity and Solemnity which raised in all who were present that Value for it which is due to it If against every EMBER we see those wise Precautions used with Reference to the Candidates for Holy Orders as would effectually prevent the admission of Persons unworthy upon the account of any Immorality or will wholly lay the Guilt at the Doors of those who are backward to Inform their Church-Governors of the Miscarriages they know in order to their Correction and Remedy and yet are most apt to raise their Outcries against the Scandals of the Clergy And if also in the Probation of those who are permitted to stand Candidates there is constantly such a Treasury of Sacred Learning open'd to 'em in your Explications of Holy Writ as renders those Examinations one of the most learned and useful Theological Exercises that this Age does know and is alone sufficient to render those in a good measure Qualified with Scriptural Knowledge who come not thereto altogether prepar'd before-hand And indeed if agreeably to your Lordship 's so useful Examinations those who have the Happiness to be conversant with you in your Studies do always see you searching the Scriptures and do scarcely ever find you without the Holy Bible before you though one would think the sacred Page need be no more turn'd over by one who seems to have it wholly by heart already both in our own and all the Learned Languages If farther yet we have seen your Lordship by a Method equally worthy to be admired and imitated in so short time to have got such an exact Knowledge of a numerous Clergy
God's Election and Reprobation as many Others have done theirs they have no reason to brag of their Abundance It is the Glory of our Church that she Imposes no other Doctrines as necessary to be Learnt by her Children than those already mention'd which are plainly declared in Scripture to be Fundamental and Necessary Principles whereon we may securely build a Good Life and the certain Hopes of Eternal Happiness and which are so firm a Rock that the Religion and Hopes of Happiness founded upon it will not easily be destroy'd by the most violent and boistrous Temptations that the World the Flesh and the Devil shall Assault it withal thereby to Ruine it Thus have I Adventured in as few Words as the Difficulty of the Argument would give me leave to shew you the Nature of Fundamental Principles and to declare to you what Doctrines are to be accounted such so far at least as they are the Matter of Catechetical Instruction and the Buisiness of a Catechist to inform you of them I have done this Point when I have told you That a Catechism is A General Instruction only in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity A Catechism is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity As a Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a Good Life here and Happiness hereafter so even those Fundamental Truths it ought to deliver in as short and comprehensive a manner as possible for a Catechism is an Instruction that must be fitted to all even the weakest Capacities and therefore it ought to be such a Form of sound Words as all can retain And the more explicite and enlarged Knowledge of these things is to be sought for in the Expositions and Comments that are given of them in Catechetical Discourses of which Nature I design by God's Grace to Present you with some until I have gone through your Catechism In a word and to conclude this First Point Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms Such a General Instruction in the Fundamental and most Necessary Points of Religion as we have given you an account of was the Matter of which the Ancient Catechisms did mostly consist even in the time of the Apostles and such is the Catechism you are now Learning As to the ancient Catechizing in the Apostles times as it is plain from the Example of Theophilus Luk. 1.4 that the New Converts received their first Notions of Religion by Catechizing as was before observ'd So Rom. 6.17 we read of a Form of Doctrine that was delivered to them which the best Interpreters suppose to have been a Summary of Christian Doctrine or Body of Catechetical Points And what those Points were which they first taught them we have expresly laid down Heb. 6.1 2. from whence it appears that those First Principles of the Doctrine of Christ were for the most part the very same I have now mentioned viz. The Doctrines of Repentance Faith and of the Sacraments They are also called there the Foundation which being laid the Apostle tells them he will go on to perfect them by other Teaching And such a general Instruction also is the Catechism you are now Learning and which I am at present about to Expound to you And such is our Church Catechism You have therein indeed given you a Summary Doctrine of all the Fundamental and Necessary Articles of Christianity And the Seed of these Catechetical Points if they be but receiv'd into well-dispos'd Hearts will in time by God's Grace produce a plentiful Crop of saving Knowledge So that I may very safely Affirm it That whosoever of you shall learn to understand throughly his Church Catechism shall be sufficiently instructed to Salvation and whosoever shall live according to those Principles therein taught need no more to render him a good Christian in this World and an happy Saint in the World to come And so much for the First Point in my Description of a Catechism viz. The Matter of which a Catechism is to consist that it is a General Instruction in the Fundamental and Necessary Principles of the Christian Religion Secondly The next are the Persons that are to be Catechized The Persons that are to be Catechized are every Person and in the Definition I have given of a Catechism it is said to be An Instruction necessary to be Learnt of every Person It is very certain that whoever would be skilful in any Art or Science whatsoever he must endeavour first to understand the Principles of it This is every Day 's Experience He that would be a good Grammarian or Latin Scholar must first learn to understand his Grammar Rules you know it is impossible to read at all before you know your Letters or to read well till you can spell or distinguish between the Syllables In like manner He that would be a knowing and withal a stable Christian as it is every Body's infinite Concern to be both he must make it his Care and Business to become well instructed in the Principles those which we call the fundamental Points of the Christian Doctrine That the way to Perfection in the Christian as well as other Doctrines is to begin with the Principles of it appears from that of the Apostle Heb. 6.1 Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ let us go on to perfection Hereby you see that his Method in Teaching was first to begin with grounding in the Principles of the Christian Religion and then to proceed to higher things and the same Method the Apostle took in teaching of Religion the same must the Disciples be supposed to do in learning of it If the Apostle began with teaching of Principles the Disciples must begin with the learning of them And the Wisdom of laying first a Foundation of good Principles and building our Religion upon them and the Folly on the other side of not laying a good Foundation of such is sufficiently represented in that Parable of our Saviour Mat. 7.24 The wise Man he there tells us Built his house upon a Rock or a Foundation of good Principles and when the rain descended and flouds came and winds blew and beat upon that house it fell not for it was founded upon a Rock But the foolish man he built his house upon the Sand upon none at all or a very sorry Foundation and mark the Fate of that Man's Religion when the Flouds came and the Winds blew and beat upon that House it fell and great was the fall of it A Person well grounded in the Principles of Religion shall be able to bear the Shock of the fiercest Temptations But a Person of no Principles shall not be able to withstand the least The necessity 〈◊〉 every Perâ—ns being well â—ounded in â—eligious â—rinciples by â—atechetical â—struction This Parable does excellently well set forth the Necessity of being well grounded in Religious Principles which can only be done I
hinder a Governour especially thus to Tempt any one and therefore to Tempt a Man to this End To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent w th the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God â—dâ—es Tempt Men. may very well consist with the Wisdom Justice and Goodness of God And accordingly we find in Scripture Two Eminent Instances of God's Tempting Persons to both these Purposes And First we find That God Tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to Reward him for it And he did it to as high a degree as was ever heard of bidding him to Take his Son his only Son Isaac whom he loved and to get him into the Land of Moriah and to offer him there for a Burnt Offering Gen. 22.12 The Tryal was severe enough but God did put Abraham upon it with no other design but that he might have occasion given him to exercise his Faith in God And by giving such a Noble Demonstration thereof as to Resign up his own Son to be Sacrificed at God's Command and with his own Hands too I. Thus he Tempted Abraham to try his Faith to Reward him for it he might thereby Testify both to God and Man how much he Trusted in his Maker and thereupon might obtain the Honour upon Earth to be accounted the Father of the Faithful among all Generations of Men and in Heaven to be the Highest in the Ranks of all Humane Inhabitants it being the Priviledge of the greatest Saints to be Lodg'd in Abraham's Bosom And to the same Gracious Purposes it is that he does Tempt his Faithful Servants when at any time he lets loose the Enemy of the Church upon 'em to persecute and destroy 'em It is to the Intent that giving an extraordinary Proof of their Faith and Constancy and Patience and Love to him he may extraordinarily Reward ' em Every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for his Names sake being certain to receive an Hundred Fold and to Inherit everlasting Life Matth. 19.29 II. Hezekiah to discover his Hypocrisy and to Humble him in the sight thereof Secondly We find That God Tempted Hezekiah in order to discover to him his own Hypocrisy and Corruption and the Pride of his own Heart that he might be humbled in the Sight and Sence thereof For Hezekiah being lately Recover'd from a mortal Sickness by the miraculous Providence of God The Princes of Babylon sent their Ambassadors unto him to enquire of the Wonder that was done in the Land and God left him to try him that he might Know all that was in his Heart 2 Chron. 32.31 that is God did Providentially order the Coming of those Forreign Ambassadors upon this Errand to try Hezekiah whether he would take this occasion before those Idolaters who put their Trust in those which were no Gods to Glorify the True God of Israel for so miraculously Recovering of him But he being more Intent upon setting out his own Grandeur than God's Glory took care only To shew them all the House of his precious Things the Silver and the Gold and the Spices and the precious Ointment and all the house of his Armour and all the house of his Treasures 2 Kings 20.13 Upon which God did severely Reprove and Humble him by the Mouth of his Prophet Isaiah ver 17 18 19. for such his Ingratitude Pride and Vanity And so it is with every One of us There is a great deal of Pride and Vanity and other Corruptions and secret Hypocrisies which ly lurking in our Hearts and we our selves are Ignorant thereof and how we shall prove till we are try'd and some Providential Occasion draws it out And then if God's Word or Ministers or the Rebukes of our own Consciences make us sensible thereof we are much Better'd and God has his Gracious Ends in our Amendment So that thus you see to what gracious Ends God does Tempt us namely Either to prove our Vertue that he may Reward us the better for it or to discover our Hypocrisy and Insincerity that we might be Humbled in the Sight and Sence thereof and be thereby amended â—hese Tempâ—ations of God â—e therefore 〈◊〉 no sâ—nce to 〈◊〉 Renoâ—â—ced but to be Rejoyced in because for ouâ— Good And these therefore are such Temptations as we are in no Sence to Renounce But indeed We have reason to count it all Joy when we fall into these divers Temptations of God's ordering Knowing this that the Trying of our Fa th worketh Patience Jam. 1.2 3. They give us an Opportunity of Exercising the Noblest Vertues of Christianity Faith and Patience and such exalted Strains and glorious Heights of Religion as cannot be Exercised but in a State of Temptation and Tryal and consequently they give us an Opportunity of Treasuring up to our selves the greatest Rewards in Heaven which we shall be sure to Obtain if we come off clearly and innocently from under Temptation it being declared Jam. 1.12 that Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to those that love him Or if they are Tryals for the Discovery of our Corruptions they prick the Bladder of Vanity let out the Corruption and we become better and sounder for it ever after These Tryals of us are not made by God for his own better Satisfaction and Knowledge of us for he is the Searcher of the Hearts and the Tryer of the Reins and Knows what is in Man But for our own Conviction and the Discovery of us and our own Sinfulness to our selves than which Knowledge nothing certainly can be more useful to us To such gracious Ends you see are God's Temptations which are not therefore in any sence to be Renounc'd by us Well But Secondly A Temptation to Ensnare a Person into some Sin that so God's Anger may be kindled against him There is quite a different End in some sort of Temptations and They are meerly to Enforce or Ensnare a Person into some Sin that so God's Anger may be Kindled against him and the Person may be punisht for his Transgression and in this Sence Let no Man say when he is Tempted I am Tempted of God for God cannot be Tempted with Evil neither Tempteth he any Man Jam. 1.13 No the Temptations that are made to this End do arise from other Authors than God either from our own Lusts and so it follows ver 14. Every Man is Tempted when he is drawn aside of his own Lusts and Enticed And the Person punished for this Transgression is Wicked Malicious and so the Devil together with the World and the Flesh do Tempt us Jam. 1.14 Or from the World particularly from wicked Persons in it And thus the whorish Woman Tempted the young Fool Prov. 7.18 Or chiefly and originally from Satan Hence in
perform the Covenant of Grace We were obliged to perform all that Duty which we therein engaged to perform by the very Law of Nature upon the account of our Creation and dependence upon God from whom as a Fountain we derive all the Good we already have and hope to enjoy But when moreover we come solemnly and expresly to engage our selves to the performance of such Conditions we add strength to our former Obligations tying 'em faster upon our selves and in the breach of the Laws of God we thenceforward become not only barely disobedient but moreover faithless and Covenant-breakers and shall be therefore punish'd not only as disobedient but also as faithless and perfidious Rebels Nor does it in the least lessen the Obligation that this Vow was made by others for you in your Infancy for not to prove to you now which shall be done in its due place that it is in the Power of Parents or Guardians to oblige their Minors to the Performance of Conditions without their own express Consent at that time provided there shall considerable Advantages accrue to 'em thereby it is moreover plain from Scripture that Parents may devote their Children to the Service of God in a very peculiar manner and therefore they had Power to devote us to the Worship of the True God as prescribed us in the Gospel or New Covenant to which Covenant we shall therefore stand obliged as much as if in our Persons we had Vowed and Engaged our selves to perform it Of this Power in Parents we see an instance in Samuel 1 Sam. 1.11 Nor is the thing contrary to Reason and natural Equity the Philosopher himself affirming that both the Parents may devote the Children whilst young as they please since Children at that Age are to be accounted not so much at their own as at their Parents disposal The thing is just and reasonable and therefore it is highly criminal in us to break that Baptismal Vow A Vow is much of the nature of an Oath and therefore to violate it is Perjury It is a sin much of the nature of Perjury a Vow and an Oath being promiscuously used in Scripture as Numb 30.13 one for another And indeed as to our Baptismal Vow since therein God is made a Witness a Judge and a Revenger it is in its full importance no less than and Oath and the violating thereof would be Perjury He is called to as a Witness of our Sincerity in what we do promise and oblige our selves thereby to do He is appeal'd to as a Judge of our Performance whether we are faithful or not And as he is a God that will not be mocked he will certainly be a Revenger and a severe one too if we shall falsly and perfidiously brake our Vows of Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil of Believing in God and Obeying Him and shall on the contrary give our selves up to the Service of Sin and Satan live like those that Believe not God nor the Christian Religion and in perfect contradiction to the Apostle's Rule deny not all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts as we are commanded and have promised but deny to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World In such a case I say he will be a severe Revenger of our Perjury and of our Apostacy I say of our Apostacy for he will then consider us not as ordinary Sinners but as those who have in effect renounced our Religion and will allot to us therefore not the ordinary measures of Punishment due to unbelieving Jews Turks and Infidels but extraordinary ones such as are due to faithless and perfidious Renegado's Oh it had been happy for us if we had never been Baptized if after those Vows we have therein made to do all we can to destroy Satan's Kingdom and the Power of Sin in the World we shall fight against God by our impious and wicked Deeds Better it is that thou shouldst not Vow than that thou shouldst Vow and not pay Eccl. 5.5 It is a less fault not to Vow at all than having Vowed not to perform the one being but a Neglect the other an Affront nay a Contempt of his Majesty who will not suffer a scorn to be put upon himself What shall I say why take therefore the Advice of the Wise Man v. 4. When thou vowest a Vow unto God deferr not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast Vowed And say resolutely with Holy David Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments I have solemnly resolved and bound my self by the most sacred Ties which I will never break but do now confirm that I will carefully perform my part of the Covenant which I find to be most just and good The End of the First Volume THE CONTENTS LECTURE the First THe Meaning of the word Catechize The Definition of a Catechism pag. 1 Christian Religion What First A Moral good Life an essential part of Christianity pag. 2 Secondly To act Vertuously upon Christian Principles Thirdly Dependance upon the Mediation of Christ that our imperfect Righteousness may be accepted also necessary pag. 3 Such Dependance the distinguishing Character of a true Christian Dependance upon Christ necessary to take down an arrogant Conceit of our own Righteousness a Temper of Mind most displeasing to God pag. 4 The Nature of Fundamental Principles An Enumeration of Fundamental Principles First The general Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace Secondly The Articles of our Christian Faith pag. 5 Thirdly The Laws of the Ten Commandments Fourthly The Doctrine of Prayer and of the Sacraments A Catechism ought not to be crouded with any thing more than what is purely Fundamental to a good Life here and Happiness hereafter pag. 6 A Catechism is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of Christianity Such were the Ancient and Apostolical Catechisms And such is our Church Catechism The Persons that are to be Catechized are every Person pag. 7 The necessity of every Person 's being well grounded in Religious Principles by Catechetical Instruction The Contempt hereof is the effect of Pride and the cause of Ignorance pag. 8 The Seeds of Vertue and Principles of Religion can never be too soon sown in Childrens Hearts However a clear Understanding of Catechetical Doctrines is attainable only by Persons grown up to some Years of Discretion It is not below Persons of any Age or Quality to lay the Foundation of their Knowledge in Catechetical Instruction The End of Catechizing to prepare for Confirmation Confirmation What pag. 9 Confirmation necessary First As a solemn Ratification of the Covenant with God Secondly As it consists in the Episcopal Benediction and laying on of Hands Confirmation Beneficial First As the solemn Profession therein made imprints serious Thoughts and religious Resolutions pag. 10 Secondly As the Episcopal Benediction Prayers and laying on of Hands have spiritual Blessings attending them pag.