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
that have the name of parents Now that name and so duty is common to all superiours though not to all in the same way Magistrates are to teach and so to catechize favendo protegendo praecipiendo So Jeâ—â—shaphat and his Princes 2 Chron. 17. 7 8 9. taught by sending out and accompanying with their power and assistance teaching Priests So Hezekiah chap. 30. 22. and Josiah 35. 2. taught by speaking comfortably to and encouraging them Naturall Parents and Masters of families are to do it partly in their own persons in private This was Abrahams care Gen. 18 19. and Davids c. â—â— suprà and partly by causing them to present themselves to the publick instruction of the Minister whose work is to teach them publickly and take an account of their growth in knowledge That this is the Ministers duty and so by consequence the duty of such Governours to present their charges before them will appear in that 1 they are not onely shepheards to the stronger sheep but to the lambs also and Christ requires they should be fed as they can beare John 21. 15. feed my little lambs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle Paul had to deale with the rawest and youngest as well as the most experienced and strongest and so had milke for them as well as stronger meat and wisdome for the perfect It appeares also from Heb. 13. 17. where the Holy Ghost chargeth the souls of the whole flock on them as that of which they must give account and if so it is supposed they must know the state of them and must have proper means allowed them whereby to be able to perform it and for this no means so proper as Catechizing Besides hereby they are enabled to discover the care or negligence of Governours of Families in their respective charges and deale with them in their Ministry accordingly Adde to all this that many of such Governors and Parents have need to be catechized themselves and then the family are more properly and immediately under the Pastors charge and inspection then otherwise and such of all others though they usually throught pride are yet have least reason to be backward in presenting their people to this Ordinance II. But what if we cannot prevaile with our Children and Servants to submit themselves thereunto what course must we take with them may Parents and Masters say Answ Even the same course or a more severe which you would in case they neglected their duty to your selves 1. Instruct them your selves in their duty that they are bound to obey you in the Lord Ephes 6. 1. Yea in all things that are not sinfull and I hope none is so vile as to charge this duty with sinne see Col. 3. 22. 2. Charge this their duty upon them in the presence of God with all Authority as they will answer it at the Judgement-Seat of Christ If this succeed not 3. Appoint proper penalties for every neglect in Gods Service abridge them of those liberties for recreation and other refreshments of your smiles and countenance things which are in your power to bestow or deny till they conforme 4. Correct them and that more severely for any neglect of this kinde then for any offence towards your own persons Pro. 10. 13. 13. 24. 26. 3. 29. 15. 5. If they be incorrigible discharge them the family Psal 101. 4 6. the presence of such persons is more hurtfull if the presence and blessing of God be any thing worth then their absence Philemon 11. Onesimus when unconverted was an unprofitable servant but converted became profitable both to the Church and his Master and whereas Philemon had before either turned him off or let him depart and counted it a good riddance as we use to say Paul never pressed him to entertain him again till he was assured that he was become gracious See Gen. 21. 9 10 11 yet their usage must be different as they be either scrupulous or shamefaced or obstinate if there be invincible scrupulousnesse these hindrances must be more gently and with more conscientious care removed so farre as that it may appeare that the judgement is or ought upon sufficient meanes of conviction to be satisfied and then to enjoyn obedience you may judge if conscience scruple this by conscientious scruples in other things Shamefacednesse must be wrought out by bringing them to such duties by degrees Obstinacy must be presently knocked down by the authority and power of the Master or Parent it being a contestation with him for the rule of the family III. Motives to this duty concern 1. Superiours or Parents 2. Inferiours or Children 1. To Superiours Consider 1. Religion makeâ— the best servants and children yea subjects Those that have sucked in a conscientious knowledge of their duty in their tender yeares will doe more for a word then others for many blows Abrahams family was a catecbized family and see how sweet an harmony there is in all the parts his wife an humble dutiful obedient wife The Scripture takes especiall notice that Sarab called Abraham Lord and obeyed him 1 Pet. 3. 6. His Son Isaac what an example was he of subjection to his Father hee trudgeth after him with his load of wood that was to sacrifice him he resignes himselfe wholly to him in the choice of his Wife he shewes his pious education in his private devotions Gen. 22. 6. 24. 4. 63. His Servant Eliezer what apatern of wisedome piety and faithfulnesse gives he chap. 24. And it cannot be otherwise but that Religion making them to behold Gods holy Law seconding all the commands of their Superiours must be a principle of universall obedience unto them Now religious principles ut suprà are not ex traduce borne with us but taught all the regular obedience that you can expect must be in the Lord and how so if they know not what that duty meanes 2. This is the way to make Families Churches and so in an especiall manner to engage the blessing of God unto them and the curse to the contrary Though catechizing carry not grace with it inseparably yet ordinarily the want of it is evidence enough of little grace in a family needs must such families be among them that call not upon the name of God and so lye under a fearfull imprecation Jer. 10. 2. For how can they call upon him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10. 14. An uncatechized family is an Heathen family Now where God is owned in a family what a blessing comes with it see in Potiphars family Labans family Gen. 39. 5. and 30. 27. If one godly man in a family blessed it how would many 3. By this means a plantation of Churches may be erected People talke of gathering Churches but their way generally is scattering them as many precious Ministers find by sad experience their Congregations being parcelled out into private meetings but this is warrantable way of gathering Churches Catechize your own familyes where you have authority and when
when it is grown great which was rotten at the core from the first Vse 1. Severe reprebension to those parents of all sorts and sizes who neglect this duty Now of these there are severall sorts and the reproofe must be directed to them in proportion as it is deserved I. Some herein offend out of ignorance not so much of the quòd for that I hope I have removed by what hath been said but the qumodo how they must do it They are themselves ignorant of the first principles of Religion though by the time which they have had in the Church of God they might have been enabled to teach others a thing which the Apostle Paul cryes shame on Heb. 5. 12 1. How many gray beards and boary heads shall a Minister upon a serious search sind in Congregation that are yet to learn the A. B. C. of the Religion which they have lived in and professed from their infancy Truely that such persons are Christians is more from the hand of providence then the grace of presoverance If the State hold to the Faith they may but if the Religion of the clime alter they that have lived Protestants in profossion sixty or seventy years I will not be bound for one to a thousand of them that they shall not dye Papists or Mahumentans I feare when we shall hereafter enquire into the knowledg as well as conversations of our Communicants it will appeare so 2. How many young Striplings are there that get them Wives and are fathers of children before they have wit to teach them any thing but childish games and are fitter to be their play-mates when they have begotten them then their paren's Such as the Primitive Church would have kept among the Catechumeni many years beyond the age in which among us they are Fathers and Mothers and 't is pitty among us a married condition is growne to be a protection against Catechizing We ordinarily condemn the wisedome of such persons as marry and get children before they know how to maintaine them and is it not as much a shame for men to get children ere they can tell how to catechize them I professe for my part I thinke it a very unfitting thing that any persons in a Christian Common-wealth should marry and become parents ere they can give an account of their faith How shall they engage to the Congregation to educate their children in the Faith that they know not I must beseech nay charge such parents and masters of families to get them Catechismes and let them not be a shamed to learn at home with their children lest their children but strip in knowledge and rise up in judgement against their parents Otherwise I make no question that by that time I have followed this exercise one twelve-moneth if they will be so good to their childrens soules as to send them hither by the blessing of God I shall make the least child here that can but go and speak shame a great part of the elder people of this Congregation II. Others offend out of scruple to whom I shall speake more in the next Use onely let me tell them that conscience that makes men scruple sin is safely tender but an erroneous dangerous one that occasions scrupling duties that ordinarily a sleight and carelesse and unprofitable living under duties whilst we are satisfied in them occasions our dislike of them and that it is just with God it should be so that God should suffer themselves to put their consciences as a barre to the enjoyment of the benefit of such duties who once made no conscience to benefit by them at all when they did enjoy them III. Others offend wilfully and therefore the more fearfully and desperatly There be some fools in the world as Solomon saith that hate knowledge Pro. 1. 22. and no wonder if they that hate it themselves will labour to keep their children from it as much as they can Now as this hatred of knowledge seldom possesseth any man so desperately as that he should becom an enemy to it for its own sake but he therefore hates it because it doth and so far hates it as it doth discover some evills in him which he labours to conceale and maintaine as our Saviour renders the cause Job 3. 20. so is this principle that engageth divers persons so violently to set themselves against this Ordinance commonly begotten in them by one of these three things 1. Errour in their judgements Men that hold heterodox and unsound opinions and desire to nuzle up their families in them are affraid if the light of Catechism-truths get into their families they shall not enjoy their deare opinions so quietly and seducers that creep into houses and make silly men and women their prey are bodily afraid as we say lest this course should deliver the prey from their teeth and therefore they make it their businesse to keep all that they can from this holy exercise They know 't is best juggling by a dimme light and fishing in mudded waters and a cloudy day 2. Or secondly viciousnesse in their lives They know whilst the light is shut out of a roome a little cleanlinesse will passe for a great deal but if the Sun get in he will shew a great deal of dust which before was over-looked They know that a little Religion will go farre to get them a name in an uncatechized Town or Family but when the very children and servants shall be able by the Word of God to examin all their actions and they shall have as many reprovers in a neighbourhood or family as persons they think this a tedious trouble nay and possibly they expect some service from them which light will hinder 3. Or thirdly Envy This moved the Jews to hinder Pauls preaching Acts 17. 5. 13. 45 46. To those of all three sorts I must say this in the Name of the Lord as Paul said to Elymas the Sorcerer Acts 13. 10. O ye wretches that are full of subtiltie and all mischiefe you children of the devill and enemies of all righteousness will ye not yet cease to pervert the righteous wayes of the Lord Is it not enough that you are resolved to damn your owne soules but you must draw others into hell with you Know this that the more you occasion damnation to the deeper will your owne damnation be Beleeve it all the curses of your children and servants that are damned for want of knowledge will fall on your heads If the wilfull murther of the bodies of men be so hainous a sinne O what an horrible guilt is there in the wilfull murther of souls Vse 2. Exhortation to the conscientious discharge of this duty by all whom it doth concern To set home this I shall 1. Shew on whom it lyes 2. Direct what course should be taken to effect it 3. Lay down some inducements to it 4. Remove impediments and discouragements I. The persons on whom this duty is chargeable are in generall all