they go abroad in the world whereever they light they will drop some savorie knowledge and leave some relish behind them Thus is a good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and families are nurseries to Church and State Dan. 12. 4. Many come to and fro and knowledge is multiplied 4. This is a notable way to preserve union in families when they walke all of them by the same known common principles The reason of division in many families is that they are persons of severall principles and wayes It may be in a family of ten persons if of age they are all members of ten severall Congregations The husband will not communicate with the wife nor the child with the father nor servants with their masters whence this is it not from want of early grounding them all upon common principles 5. If they be saved you will be rewarded as instruments Dan. 12. 3. If they be damned you are cleare their destruction will be of themselves and their blood upon their own heads Otherwise think what heavy curses will be belched out against you to all eternity by those whose destruction hath been promoted by your neglect of teaching them better Let none of yours have cause to say you suffered them to perish without instruction 6 As for children in speciall Parents you have great reason to endeavour to make them knowing gracious for their natural blindnes and corruption they are beholden to you for they are hereditary diseases You would faine have your children acknowledge themselves beholden to you for their being for what I pray you for making them children of wrath and heires of damnation a condition a thousand times worse then not to be A parent is a mans deadliest enemy that begets him to hell and never endeavours to recover him from that condition 7. God useth to punish the neglect of this duty by making those persons the greatest plagues to a parent whom he is most carelesse to educate with a strict hand in the knowledge and practise of their duty Lamentable examples are in Absolom and Adonijab about whom it seemes David took least care for their strict education See 2 Kings 1. 6. If you let them sow wild oates you as well as they may reap repentance in time 2. To Inferiours and those of the younger sort especially I shall say a few things also by way of encouragement 1. God values a knowing and religious childhood and youth at an high pâ—ice See how he calls for our young dayes Eccles 12. 1. the argument is remarkable before the dayes come wherein thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them q. d. Wilt thou leave those dayes for God which thou shalt bee weary of thy selfe Will God take pleasuâ—e in that part of thy time that thou canst take none in Thy dayes of choyce so the word signifies the choycest dayes should be filled up with the choycest imployments It is a prety observation of some Rabbins upon Levit. 1. 14 that the Lord will admit turtles for a sacrifice at any age but pigeons it is expressely required that they be young and they give this reason because tuâ—tles are savoury meat at any age but pigeons when they grow old grow tough and illrelished Truly friends we are not born turtles for such are onely Christs sanctisied ones Psal 74. 19 we are pigeons Let us remember that there is no acceptable relish in old pigeons See 2 Tim. 3. 15. God promiseth such especiall mercie Prov. 8. 17. 2. There is none of you but is old enough to dye and old enough to be damned Rom. 5. 14. Therefore it concerns you to get the knowledge of the way of salvation early You early contrive how you shall live in this world and are contented upon that account to learn a Trade because you know not how soon you may be left to your selves Oh be as wise for your souls 3. This is the learning-age if ever you will know the things of God it must be now hereafter when you come into the world you will plead multitudes of imployments to divert you you will not be able to find time to learn Now you have no affaires of your own to put these more weighty ones out of your heads you have not the temptation of shame to acknowledge your ignorance this to those of grown age is a great enemy to learning especially in this way they are ashamed now to learn lest they should confesse they have been ignorant so long 4. You can never make any regular profit of the publick hearing nay very little of private reading of the Word without the help of Catechisme As for preaching Catechisme-points are the tools by the help whereof a Minister makes Sermons and people understand them Can you understand a discourse concerning any trade and yet be altogether ignorant of the names and nature of the tools that are used in it And as for reading you will be able to make little use of that also except you can reduce what you read to some Methodicall head or other of Divinity which you must be beholden to Catechismes for 5. Nay further some of the Ancients have censured the ignorance of Catechisme very highly Clemens Alexandrinus the great Catechist in the famous Church of Alexandria whence he hath his title saies roundly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there is no beleeving without catechizing-principles And a Aquis Concil Can. 14. whole Councill determined many yeares since that those are not worthy the name of Christians that are not acquainted with Catechisme 6. The condemnation that lights upon any of you at the last day for wilfull ignorance will be an heavy condemnation Read and tremble you of Reading at the fearfull place Matth. 10. 15. If it be even under temporall evils so sad an aggravation to consider that a man hath hated instruction and not obeyed the voice of his Teachers nor inclined his eare to them that instructed him as it seems it is by Solomon Prov. 5. 12. how much more aggravating will it be to thee hereafter in hell to consider that thou didst once live in a family where Catechizing and other exercises of family-religion were in use that thou hadst thy abode in a Town where thou didst or mightest at least heare a publick Catechisme every Lords day and yet thou didst either sloathfully neglect or malieiously hate those precious meanes which by Gods blessing might have kept thee from that place of torment 7 This is found â—y experience the most prâ—fitable and compendious way of teaching all Arts and Sciences to draw the principles of it into short Systemes and Tables and the Tutor to read Lectures upon them and take an account of his Scholars how they understand them If you put a child to learn English he must begin with his A. B. C. the Teacher must not only take the book and read the lesson to the child about the letters but examine him which is which if hee will have him
those words according as their age is capable of reception 2. Their duty is training up or as we render it in the Margin Catechizing The word is hanocb and comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to enter or instruct in the elements or first principles of any employment or profession and so we render it training which is the initiation of a souldier to his employment by which he is fitted for service It signifies also dedicavit or consecravit to consecrate or set apart for an holy employment lastly imbuit to season a vessel or dip a garment in a colour that we would have it take and so it is as if he said let a child be seasoned in tender age with the liquour of saving knowledge or let his soul be first died into the principles by which he should walk that his after-conversation may look of the colour of his first grounds 3. The objectum cui or the person who is thus to be seasoned or principled is nagnar which word is sometimes taken for a person entred into that age which we call youth that age that follows childhood so Joseph is called nagnar in Egypt Gen. 41. 12. and Gideons son Judges 8. 20. and sometimes for children ablâ— to go and speak as 2 Kings 2. 23. the children that mocked Elishae are called nagnarim and lastly sometimes and most frequently for children in an Infant-age even as soon as they are sbaken out of the mothers womb seeing it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excussit to sbake off or evacnate c. And so it implies the condition of all persons who by their age are not confirmed or settled in their way but are yet ductile and perswasible to choose their way years of childhood and youth are our learning time few old people or such as are at mans estatc but have chosen their way and are too well conceited of it to admit of advice about it And yet it may be that nagnar non aetate solùm sed judicio putrum significat as saith Lavater 4. The objectum quod or the mystery in which they are to be instructed is the way in which they should goe 't is emphatical in the Original 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 secundum os viae suae Concerning which a Critick observeth that it must be such a teaching as the party is capable of as Nurses cut small bits for little children This is true but perhaps too nice here the words fignifie elsewhere juxta mandatum as Numb 3. 16 Mâ—ses is said to number the children of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the word of the Lord or Leigh Crit. Sacr. as the margin according to the mouth of the Lord so that this way must be via secundum os the way of duty commanded by God which is called a mans way Ps 119. 1 c. The good way Jer. 6. 16. the way of understanding Isa 40. 14. the way of life Jer. 21. 8. the way of God Mark 12. 14. the way of salvation Acts 16. 27. c. Michael Cope in his Comment reads In the entrance of way 5. The benefit of this religious care in all Governours of youth is expressed by way of a strong probability and implies thus much that though it be not impossible that a man who hath been well instructed in his youth should apostatize yet it is a most unlikely thing that such a man will nay it imports a promise on Gods part to blesse the means used conscientiously to youth with constancy and perseverance in age which ought to be a very great encouragement to parents to bring up their children in the nurture of the Lord forasmuch as even in this life they have this encouragement that their labour shall not be in vsin in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. When he is old though he be senio confectus a very infirm old man when he hath a foot in the grave for so the word often signifies or when his age hath made him honourable when he is an elder or a Senatour as such are called often senes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we translate the word Senators Psal 105. 22. if he come to Authority he will govern others as he himself was principled in youth the way he was set in in his younger years 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non recedet be will not recede from it the word is alike Psal 14. 3. they are gone back i. e. turned total Apostates he shall not totally turn his back upon it so as to take up a quite contrary course He may possibly stop on t of that way but he will not set his back where his face was and walk direct Antipocles to his former way Hee may lose much of his spirits possibly but he will seldome grow like dead drink as the word is used Hos 4. 18. there will be some relish and savour in him to the last of his first seasoning The words without any squeezing will afford us easie Observations Doct. I. There is a way wherein even children ought to goe No age not the youngest is excused from its duties Doct. II. Those who have the charge of their education are bound to catechize or train them up in that way Doct. III. Good principles which have seasoned our younger years wee ought to bee faithful and constant to in our age Doct. IV. A well catechized and thorougbly grounded childhood gives very likely hopes of faithfulnesse and constancy in old age I shall handle onely the second at large and improve all the rest according to the drift and intent of the Text either by way of reason or motive to the duty therein required Doct. It is a duty that indispensahly lies on all those who have charge of the education of children to catechize or train them up in the knowledge of that holy way of God wherein they are to goe This I shall fit for Application by 1. Proper proofs 2. Pregnant presidents 3. Demonstrative arguments 1. Proper proofs Deut. 6. 7. Is an evident and undeniable place These words shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently or as in the Hebrew whet or sharpen them unto thy children That is shalt srequently inculcate the same things by way of Catechisme and shalt talk of them when thou sitsest in thy house c. See Deut. 11. 19. Ps 78 5 6 These shall sussice for the Old Testament See one also in the New Ephes 6. 4. Ye Fathers bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes feeding and nourishing and their spiritual food must bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies civil eauction in manners common honestly moral vertue and civil learning but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion too Not only feed them and keep them alive saith Zanchy facium boc animalia bruta beasts do thus much not instruct them
children in so necessary and weighty a knowledge 3. That thou wilt one day have occasion to claime the priviledge of Communion with the Church in higher Ordinances and canst thou think it reasonable that the Church should give thee the right hand of fellowship who hast by no publick satisfactory evidence declared thy selfe to be a christian it may be they know thoâ— art baptized but for any thing farther that they know of thee thou mayst have renounced thy Baptisme and Christianity before thou commest to claime those privileges and accountest them meere matters of forme as too many now doe Object A second objection of some is this They shall be singular in reviving an unusuall exercise they be gazed upon and laught at by their followes who out of prophane principles keep away Answ To which I answer 1. But child consider Thou shouldst not be discouraged in the way to heaven though thou walk it alone will it be any trouble to a man when he is gotten thither that he had no company upon the way 2. 'T is a great honor to be alone in a good way nay the greatest honour that can be to forsake all company for Christ and duties sake One Lot in Sodom one Noah in the old world kept up the fear and service of God and see how Scripture honours them for it so Elijab to his seeming was the onely man left that owned the truth of God in Ababs dayes and yet he was not discouraged for want of company 3. The men of this world are not discouraged but encouraged rather if they drive the only trade in their profession in the places wherein they live men are willing to grow riob alone and why not to grow rich in grace and saving knowledge alone 4. It may be thou needest not goe alone if thou hadst once begun others by thy example may be induced to follow they are loath to begin as well as thou they doe not so much doubt they shall be alone as draw back from being first Now if thou canst in a good way be a leader to others it is farre more honourable 5. Thou art affraid thou shalt be gazed upon and laught at but consider that it is the usuall lot of the best to be so handled so in Isaiabs time the Saints were looked on as fignes and wonders Isa 8. 18. 6. 'T will be a more geievous thing to them to be one day laught at by God then it is now to you to be laught at by them and this will here after return into their bosomes Pro. 1. 26. 3. 34. 7. Use the means and get the start of them in saving knowledge and thou wilt discerne them to be farre more ridiculous Object It may be thou mayest object that thou art competently growen in yeares thou lookest towards man or woman and this is an exercise that is more proper for little children Answ 1. Alas how many be there that thinke it too childish a thing to be eatechized who by the help of that Ordinance are out-stripped in knowledge by those children whom they condemn 2. If thy knowledge be not proportionable to thy age and growth thou art yet a child in understanding and hast more cause to be ashamed thereof then of any meanes wherein thou mayest be improved therein 3. Look upon the examples before argued of the primitive Fathers who continued under this Ordinance for divers yeares after they had attained to mans estate and thought it no discredit to stand among the catechized till they were called forth to be teachers of others 4. Take heed of pride and self-conceit there being no greater enemy to the attainment of spirituall knowledge then a conceit that men have attained enough already Prov. 26. 12. Thus have I answered the most common and ordinary objections and excuses upon which this usefull Ordinance in these dayes of liberty is laid aside The Lord grant that these plain lines may so far prevaile through his blessing for the restitution thereof to this Church and Nation that in stead of that notionall brainknowledge so much in fashion we may see a practicall heart knowledge advanced and that with so much improvement in old and young that it may cover the Land as the waters cover the Sea untill we all arrive at that perfection truely which some groundlessely conceit they have attained already that we shall need no more to speak every one to his neighbour and to his brother saying know the Lord but that all may know him from the greatest to the least being all tought of God Amen FINIS Reader before thou read do the Author the right and thy self the courtefie to correct these materiall faults and passe by litterall ones ERRATA In the Dialogue in the Epistle in some copies p. 4. dele of all ages p. 8. l. 22. r. faction p. 9. l. 4. p. 15. l. 3. p. 20. l. 4. p. 28. l. 22. p. 32. l. 28. p. 34. l. 17. r. their for your p. 9. l. 18. r consider l. 24. r. the converts p. 13. l. 28. blot out more p. 20. l. 3. r. wit p. 21. l. 3. r. meere l. 4 5. blot out the first at most p. 27. l. 9. r. thence p. 29. l 5. r. to for by p 39. l. 3. put a comma after new p. 41. l. 6. r. roote p. 24. l. 15. r. art and p. 49. l. 9. r. he that p. 52. l. 14. r. Anabaptisme p. 53. l. 24. r ones p. 54 l. 12 for him r. an Infant p. 62. l. 10. r. covenant-relation p. 74. l. 6. r. root In the Sermon of Catechizing In the Epistle p. 7. l. 21. r. hear p. 9. l. 10. r. notions In the Sermon it selfe p. 3. l. 3. blot out the full point p. 7. l. 7. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 8. l. 20. read the Hebrew after old p. 14. l. 6. r. prov 23. l. 14. r. word for way p. 16. l. 10. r. chariâ—y p. 18. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Epistle to the Readers of this Treatise those of my owne Flock in Reading in Berk-shire Christian Reader I Addresse my selfe to thee in the threshold of thir Treatise with a twofold request before thou spend thy censure upon it The one is that thou read and the other is that thou pray over this little Treatise Whatever thy judgment be I hope it will not deny me berein did it concerne thee lesse then in my apprebension this doth The reason why I desire the first of thee is because I know many good books suffer under the unjust sentence of prejulice and disaffection before they are read It being motivee nough to most engaged persons on all bands to condome a booke that its Title page speakes not of their side And the second I have this farther reason to beg at thy bands because I know an Unpraying Spirit is very unsit to adventure upon the study of any Practicall Subject whatsoever Practicall Truths alwayes carry some thing in them which goes against the graine of an beare not taught of God and managed by his holy Spirit If I can but obtaine these two things of thee I douht not my sucesse in this weake attempt towards thy satisfaction and settlement in the practise and improvemen of the Ordinance berein treated of And next supposing that I have obtained my twofold request I shall only adde a two fold advertisement to thee concerning the following Treatise First That I compose it in a Dialogue-way for two reasons