has an Vnion with Him as being the Head of it so I believe there is a Common Vnion among the Members both those that are glorified in Heaven and those that in some degree are sanctified on Earth And this is called the Communion of Saints and is the first Priviledge of the Christian Church And by vertue of this all true Christians communicate in all Offices of Piety and Charity in doing good to one anothers Bodies and Souls And this they do upon the account that they have in common One God one Christ one Spirit one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Hope ARTICLE X. The Forgiveness of Sins As the Communion of Saints genuinely ariseth from the Nature of the Vniversal Church so Pardon of Sins follows from both For none shall have their Sins forgiven but those who live and die in the Communion of the Church For unless I abide in this Ark I shall certainly perish Now Sin as I have been instructed is of two sorts the one Original which is the sin of my Nature the other Actual which is the sin of my Conversation The former I brought with me into the World the latter I commit while I live therein And both these sorts of sin deserve Eternal Death and can only be pardon'd by the Merits of Christ For sin being a Transgression of the Law of God it can only be forgiven by him whose Law it transgresseth For Remission of sins is the second Priviledge of the Church which is preached to all in the Name of Christ and sealed in Baptism wherein I believe my Original Sin is presently pardon'd and that my Actual Sins committed after Baptism shall be pardon'd if I truly repent me of the same Now this my Belief of the Forgiveness of Sins supposes that I believe That God graciously and freely without any Desert on Man's part gave his Son to die for the World and That for the sake of his meritorious Death he remits the Fault absolves from the Guilt and acquits from Punishment all truly penitent and believing Sinners And I do further believe That he imputes to them the Obedience of his own Son and his Righteousness and by means thereof accounts them just in his sight I believe That all who are justified and thus acquitted have Holiness in some degree according to the Condition of this Life Which Holiness tho' it cannot altogether discharge them from sin yet it doth not suffer it to reign over them So that a justified Person is not under its Dominion nor yields himself a Vassal to it but resists its Commands and makes it die daily And for the greater security of the Forgiveness of sins God hath committed to his Ministers an indispensible Power and Charge to preach Faith and Repentance as the Condition of this Forgiveness He hath likewise appointed them to pray and intercede and also to baptize for the Forgiveness of sins and to administer the Lord's Supper in memory of that Blood which was shed for the Remission of Sins And indeed all that God hath left in the Hand and Power of his Ministers especially tends to make Men capable of receiving what they believe namely the Remission of sins ARTICLE XI The Resurrection of the Body It was the Hope of the Fathers under the Old Testament as well as it is of Christians under the New That there shall be a Resurrection both of the Just and Unjust And if it were otherwise Christians of all Men would be most miserable and all that I have learn'd and you have taught me concerning Christianity would be in vain But I firmly and truly believe That my Mortal Body shall be raised from the Corruption of the Grave by Vertue of the Resurrection of Christ And this my Belief is founded upon the Power and good Pleasure of God who both can and will raise from the dead the very same Body that died ARTICLE XII The Life everlasting The Enjoyment of Everlasting Life is the last Christian Privilege and that which crowns the rest And I have learned to understand by this Life the Enjoyment of all true Happiness in Soul and Body For I believe that the Faculties of the Souls of just Persons shall be perfectly enlightned and sanctified and that their Bodies shall live after the manner of Spirits and be exceedingly glorified And opposite to this Life everlasting I believe there is an everlasting Death which is the Portion of the Wicked And that as Life everlasting consists in the Fruition so I believe everlasting Death consists in the Loss of God's Presence and all other Comforts and is the enduring of the sting of Conscience and Torments of Hell for ever But as my believing all the Articles of the Christian Faith as they are summ'd up in that which is called the Apostles Creed supposes that I am to learn not only the Words but likewise the Sense of the Creed so it also implies that I should live like them that do believe for otherwise my consenting to the Truth of the Articles will stand me in no stead And therefore not medling with remote and learned Inferences I will draw such from each Article as are near and familiar short and edifying As for Example From my believing that God created me I infer I am bound to be obedient and subject to him By my believing that Christ redeemed me I think it my Duty to yield up my self to him as his Purchase and to be wholly disposed by him and employed only in his Service My believing Christ's Conception by the Holy Ghost and his Birth of the Virgin should make me diligent to fit my Heart for the Holy Ghost to overshadow and for Christ to be born in it My belief of Christ's Crucifixion should teach me to crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts and to destroy the Body of sin My belief of his Death and Burial should make me content to die for the sake of Truth being assured that if I suffer for Christ I shall also reign with him It should also keep me from being disheartned by Death seeing that Christ by dying hath taken away the Stinâ— of Death which is Sin and maâ— it an Entrance into Life My bâ—lieving the Resurrection of Chrisâ— should make me actually rise froâ— Sin to a New Life and utterlâ— to forsake my Sins as Christ diâ— the Grave to which after â— was once risen from it he returned no more My believinâ— Christ's Ascension and sitting â— the Right-hand of God shoulâ— teach me to set my Affections oâ— things above and not on thing on the Earth The believing Judgment to come should makâ— me careful so to walk as that may not be condemned in iâ— My believing the Holy Catholick Church and Communion oâ— Saints should render me mightâ— circumspect to preserve Charity which is the Bond of Peace and to avoid all things destructive oâ— Catholick Unity The Remission of sins which I believe should make me highly to esteem all those Ways and Means which
kept so long for this speaks it your want of Will and not of Power and that it was not your Weakness but something else that moved you to leave the Road wherein you had walked so long a time with ease and safety XC Use makes hard things easie the chief if not onely difficulty in Holiness is want of practice and a being accustom'd to the contrary The ways of Gods Commandments neither waste the Spirits nor gall the Feet of those who use constantly to walk in them Let the like serious and holy Thoughts possess your Soul for the future that you have the day of receiving and continue to co-operate with that Grace God gives you at the Sacrament and I see not why your whole Life may not be all of the same piece and your Conversation continue as vertuous and well-govern'd after as it was at the time you came to the Holy Communion from which I will no longer stay you than with this hearty Wish That when you come thither to renew your Covenant in Vows and Purposes of better Obedience God may vouchsafe to assist you with his Grace and to strengthen you with his Power that you may pay the Vows you then make unto him and that by Virtue of the heavenly Nourishment you there receive you may grow up in Grace and Holiness till at last you come to be a perfect man in Christ Amen THE Communicants Assistant BEING A COLLECTION OF DEVOTIONS To that purpose A Prayer before communicating WHY should I O God who by innumerable wayes have offended thee why should I dare to come to thy Table which none ought to approach but obedient Children and faithful Servants But seeing thy fatherly Goodness this day doth invite me to receive the blessed Pledges of my Peace and Reconciliation with thee and seeing thy well-beloved Son whose Death I now with all Thankfulness commemorate doth call unto him those and only those who travail and are heavy laden to whom the remembrance of their Sins is grievous and the burthen of them is intolerable Finding my self in this number I know thou wilt not reject me Raise O raise up my Heart and Spirit unto thee Strengthen my Faith and help my Infirmities Grant me power to perform and to persevere in all those good things thou now requirest at my hands and grant that the whole course of my Life may be answerable to the present purposes of my Heart and bring me at last to the enjoyment of those Blessings which at this thy holy Table thou art pleased to propound unto me Amen O My God raise up my Thoughts unto thee increase my Faith Hope and Charity warm my Heart with the divine Fire of thy Love purifie my Conscience with the Spirit of Sanctification Grant this day I may with full affiance in thee receive the Pledges of thy Goodness and the Seals of that Covenant which thou hast graciously contracted with me by the Mediation of thy Son my Saviour O My God save and deliver me from all my Offences and at the end of my Life receive me into thy heavenly Kingdom to the accomplishment of all those things which are represented at thy holy Table Let my future Conversation be as one of thy Sheep living in thy Church an Example of Peaceableness Charity Humility Patience and Justice Give me a firm reliance upon thy Promises a holy zeal for thy Worship and a sincere obedience to all thy Commands Fill my Heart with spiritual Joy keep me from the immoderate Cares of the World and among all disquiets here give me that Peace which the World can neither give nor take away from me For forgiveness of Sins FOrgive me my Sins O Lord forgive me the Sins of my Youth and the Sins of mine Age the Sins of my Soul and the Sins of my Body my secret and my whispering Sins my presumptuous and my crying Sins the Sins that I have done to please my self and the Sins that I have done to please others Forgive me my wanton and idle Sins forgive me my serious and deliberate Sins forgive me those Sins I know and those Sins which I know not the Sins which I have striven so long to hide from others that at last they are even hid from mine own Memory Forgive them O Lord forgive them all and of thy great Goodness let me be absolved from all mine Offences Amen PRAYERS FOR The several things required of those who come to the Lords Supper 1. To repent them truly of their former Sins A Prayer for true Repentance TO thee O God all Hearts are open all desires known and from thee no Secrets are hid so that if I would I cannot conceal my Sins from thee And now that I confess my Sins unto thee it is not to inform thy infinite Knowledge but to obey thy gracious Pleasure and to make me capable of that forgiveness promised to all who confess their Sins With a sorrowfull Heart therefore I confess my Sins unto thee I accuse my self here before thee of innumerable wicked thoughts and desires which I have conceived form'd and foster'd in my Heart of infinite corrupt and evil Words that I have utter'd with my Tongue of many naughty and ungodly Deeds which I have wrought with my Hands by all which I have provoked most justly thy Wrath and Indignation against me but it is thy Nature and Property always to have mercy and to forgive the Sins of them that are penitent Grant me therefore Holy Father the Grace of true repentance create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Grant I may truly lament my Sins whose burden is intollerable and whose remembrance is so grievous unto me And for the future inable me to cease from evil and learn to do well to cast away the Works of Darkness and to put on the Armour of Light and to bring forth Fruits of Repentance in amendment of Life to the Praise and Glory of thy Grace in Jesus Christ my blessed Redeemer 2. Stedfastly purposing to lead a new Life A Prayer for Perseverance in good Purposes GRant O God that I may bring the good Purposes with which this day I come to thy Holy Table Grant I may bring them to good effect I know I am light and unconstant turn'd with every blast diverted by every allurement and ready to yield to every Temptation But do thou O God who art the same Yesterday to Day and for ever do thou graciously impart some of thy unchangeableness to establish my Understanding in Truth and to keep it from the Snares of all seducing Spirits that I may not be led away with the Errours of those who are cunning to deceive Fix my irresolute and wavering Will and cause it faithfully to adhere unto that which is good Let neither the Flatteries of the World nor of my own Heart so far work upon my Affections as to draw me from that intire Obedience which I resolve from this day forward to
that manner of Catechizing which was delivered to the Romans Rom. 6.17 or as our Margin reads out of the Greek whereunto ye were delivâ—red or given up Where the ordinary Phrase is changed by the Apostle For albeit to say To this form of Doctrine you were delivered is not so agreeable either to the Latin or English speech as This form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you Yet the Apostle makes use of the first to tell us saith Cajetan That not so much the form of Religion was delivered to Men as that Men were delivered to the form of Religion That so by this means Religion might be known to have Authority and Power over Man and not Man over Religion But not to insist upon this it need not be doubted that this form of Doctrine spoken of by St. Paul was a Summary of Christianity or the Catechism used in those early and best times of Christianity which contained the first Principles of the Oracles of God By which some understand the Creed as Cyril of Hierusalem in his Catech. 4. styled by him the milky Introduction in allusion to St. Paul 1 Cor. 3.2 Heb. 5.12 Others of the Creed and Lords Prayer as Bede Others the Creed and Decalogue as Aquinus Others all those Elements which the Catechumens learned and professed at Baptism whereof the Creed was the Principal Which with the Lords Prayer the Clergy was injoyned to Teach the People Concil Mogunt cap. 45. And it was a general command of the Church that those who were to be Baptized should have a certain time allotted for the learning and rehearsing of the Creed Which the Eastern Christians always repeated with a clear Voice when they came to the Holy Communion of Christs Body and Blood As appears in the Twenty second Canon of the Council of Toledo But if this seem to restrain Catechising only to such Catechumens as in the History and Canons of the Church are frequently mentioned and that this kind of instruction was not used toward those whom by Baptism the Church had already received into her Communion It then follows that we shew how Catechism was a plain Institution wherein all Believers did Communicate And in the first place it is manifest out of Oecumenius expounding the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That there were some Points of Christian Religion wherein the Novices were Catechised before Baptism and some after Those in which they were Catechised before Baptism were The necessity of Repentance to renounce the Devil and all his works To believe in God c. And those Points which they learned after Baptism were the Mysteries of our Saviours passion and Priest-hood his taking our sins on himself and working our Salvation the Mysteries of our Resurrection of the last Judgment and everlasting reward or life And the Catechism of these was common to all Believers because necessary Secondly That Catechising belong'd to all within the Church and was not confined only to the Novices in Religion and Candidates of Christianity we may confidently infer from the express words of St. Paul Gal. 6.6 where he divides the whole Church to which that Letter was directed into Catechist and Catechised Whereby the later cannot be meant only those who were not yet admitted to Holy Baptism Styled by the Church Canons Catechumens For then we must conclude that the Catechumen and Believer were all one contrary to Tertullian de Paenit Cap. 6. de Coronâ Milit. Cap. 2. and all the Fathers And that there was a Christian Church in Galatia consisting of Catechumens or Unbaptised Persons i. e. a Church of Christians without Christians Which absurd inconveniences cannot be evaded unless by those Catechised spoken of by the Apostle we understand such as had received Baptism already and were still to be instructed in that Religion whereinto by that Divine Rite they had been admitted So that in St. Pauls time Catechising in its Native acception was continued even to those who had attained already to so much knowledg in the Principles of Christianity as render'd them in the Language of the Ancients Competentes or Persons fit for Baptism and to be admitted to the higher Mysteries of Religion The same Apostle told the Corinthians that he had fed them with Milk that is by the consent of all with Catechetical Doctrines And there is no doubt that those Texts in Heb. 5.12 Act. 18.25 Heb. 6.1 are pregnant intimations of this truth The like may be affirmed of what St. Luke S. Luke 1.4 has recorded concerning the Introduction of the Eloquent Apollos and his most Excellent Theophilus into the knowledg of Christ And what has been said affords sufficient ground of asserting Catechism to have been in use with the Apostles and that it descended from the Synagogue How it was the Practice also of the Primitive Church is the Subject of the ensuing Chapter CHAP. IV. The Apostles Catechists in several Provinces The Declension and Restauration of Catechising Catechists Styled Exorcists c. BUt if we imagine that the marks of Catechising are less apparent in the New Testament yet if we look into Ecclesiastical History we shall there find that the Apostles had their several Provinces wherein they were Catechists And that by means of constant Catechising many Kingdoms within Forty years after the Passion received an alteration in their Pagan Ceremonies Although it must be confessed that it was not long till the Malice and Envy of the Devil and Man brought a decay in this most useful Institution For in the second Age we read that Catechising was so far declined that Origen living in the Two hundred and thirtieth of Christ was honoured with the Title of its Restorer But where this Restauration of Catechising by Origen was affected is not so evident There is a great probability that Judea was the Scene of so good an Action For we read that he was very kindly received there after he fled out of Alexandria upon his falling into disgrace with the Christians of that Country because in the time of Decius he had offer'd Incense to an Idol to save his Body of which his care was not always justifiable from being defiled by a filthy Ethiopian In Alexandria Origen could not be said to restore Catechising for it is expresly affirmed that there he succeeded in Cathedrâ Catecheticâ his Master Clemens as Clemens had done his Master Pantenus in the same Chair And of these two later we are told that they made it their Employment to Teach the Grounds of Religion not by Sermons or Homilies but by Catechism in such Schoolls and Colledges as in great likelyhood they themselves had founded for that purpose So that we see how in Alexandria and we may hope that the like was in other Parts there was a succession of Catechists who were also called Exorcists not only because as Isidore explains the word by Prayer in the Name of Jesus they cast unclean Spirits out of those who were possessed Nor meerly in regard of
Opinions by which the Devil withstands the Power of Truth and restore Christians to their just and full liberty of captivating their Understandings to Scripture only and as Rivers whose Passage is not interrupted run all to the Ocean so it may well be hoped by Gods Blessing that Universal Liberty thus moderated may quickly reduce us to Truth and Unity These thoughts of Peace may come from the God of Peace to whose Blessing I recommend them And that this may not be looked upon for some singularity in my own Perswasion I have transcribed the Words out of Mr. Chillingworth and he out of another and enclosed them in a Parenthesis But taking no delight to travel further in search of those Distempers which I am unable to remedy the only comfort is that they cannot be looked upon as the Issues of our Religion nor any way be charg'd upon the Principles we profess And therefore we must seek elsewhere to lay the Imputation and I shall go no further than to what I mentioned in the Introduction even the Omission or Luke-warm use of Catechising And here in the First place it cannot be denyed how that the generality of the People of this Kingdom have for many Years at least during the time of our Intestine Wars either been destitute of all Catechising or have been Catechised only in such Principles as were good for nothing but to establish the Elder in a cursed Schism and Rebellion and to infect the Younger with the same Contagion The sad effects whereof are still visible in the unpeaceable Tenets of some and in the want of a due understanding of Religion in most In respect of which we have need to be taught again which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God being become such as have need of Milk and not of strong Meat The greatest part of the common People being so far unable to reap any benefit from the handling of abstruser Mysteries in Eloquent and Elaborate Discourses which is so studiously pursued by our Junior and Florid Theologues that they want instruction in the plainest parts of Catechistical Doctrines For notwithstanding that we boast much of our Knowledge of Christ and that our Proficiency is so great in Religion that we conceive our selves wiser than our Teachers yet if the Tree may be judged by its Fruits we shall be found shamefully ignorant of what we assume to know and to have little of that Wisdom which descends from above which Christ came to teach and infuse and which is Pure Peaceable Gentle easie to be entreated merciful without Hypocrisie and Wavering In the Second place we cannot but with deep Resentments observe that since the time God turned again our Captivity and restored this Church to the free use of his Ordinances Catechising has met but with cold Entertainment even from those by whom it ought to have been most lovingly caressed For in most places it has been looked upon rather as a Foreigner than a Native of the Church and as Fruits of their Mouth never in Season but for a few Days in Lent And even then too the Church-Catechism is generally taught without any such explanation as is needful in respect of those slender Capacities to whose instruction it is chiefly devoted And if in the Third place we consider who those are which on the one hand hinder the progress and settlement of Unity Peace and Concord in this Church by an undutiful froward resisting of her Laws Or who they are that on the other hand Apostatize and utterly forsake her Communion it will be found upon due examination that we have laid the ground of the Disobedience of the one and of the defection of the other in a want of a timely and diligent Catechising And as for the First sort namely the disobedient and refractory who are now known by the very candid Name of Dissenters they cannot pretend to a more plausible excuse of their Undutifulness than that they were never duâ—y Catechised to the contrary For granting them to be Persons not totally forsaken of all Ingenuity and right Reason we cannot imagine that they should so foully violate their bounden Duties both to God and Man had they ever been fully taught or did clearly retain any thing but an imperfect and prejudicate knowledge of those Duties as they are plainly set down in the Church-Catechism And as for the Latter sort to wit those who have Apostatized and faln from ours to the Roman Perswasion they have been so far from having their first Tinctures and Foundation in Religion according to our publick Catechism that they might say thereof as those in Acts 19.2 did of the Holy Ghost But we must limit this Observation chiefly to those who had the unhappiness to be born in this Church when she was under the Cross and wore the Marks of her great Master And as for those who had been instructed in our Church Catechism yet before they left us they had so far unlearnt it as that they had retain'd of that System of our Religion such loose rambling and incoherent Notions as if it were wholly Enthusiastick or had been compiled by Persons deeply Hypochondriacal And for closure of this Paragraph I shall only add That none could ever be met with who for Ends truly Spiritual and Religious did ever abandon this for the Roman Church who had been throughly grounded in her Catechism And there will want no Reasons to â—upport this Assertion if it be duly conâ—idered how the very Frame and Conâ—exture of the Catechism doth obviate and oppose all the main Errors of Poâ—ery as they relate either to Faith or Practice to Prayer or Doctrine And First he that has been duly Caâ—echised in the Apostles Creed will not only be armed against a spurious Explication of the Old Articles of our Faith but also against a needless addiâ—ion of New ones For he will find that the first Twelve contain such a perfect Summary of all saving Truths simply necessary to be believed that those Articles added thereunto by the Council of Trent ought to be rejected upon the account of being Superfluous And â—t the same time he will find ground enough to explode that Implicite Faith so much relyed upon in the Romish Church who considers the necessity of a personal Belief as it is clearly required in the â—irst Word of the Creed which in Laâ—ine gives name to the whole And in the next place as to those Errors of Popery that concern our Practice they will be certainly discovered and refuted by a right understanding of the Decalogue which by all is granted to be a clear and perspicuous Rule of what we are to do both toward God and our Neighbour And a Man that is well grounded in the Doctrine of the First Commandment knows that he must reserve all Divine Honour Trust Devotion to God alone and that he may bestow no part thereof upon the Creature and therefore cannot but avoid and abhor those Romish Doctors
of which we must be duly informed ere we can therein be exact If the Dissenter yield an obedient ear to this Instruction there will be little fear of his continuing scrupulous to obey what his Superiors have a just power and right to enjoyn If he do not hearken then let him be devoted to the Civil Power and leave the Magistrates to vindicate their own Authority and to make that be done for Wrath which would not for Conscience And I am tempted to think that if at the Happy Restauration this way had been pursued we long ere this had been sensible of its good Effects And I will add this moreover That if the Orthodox Clergy ever since God wonderfully restored them had devoted the greatest share of their pains to plain Expositions and Paraphrases of the Church-Catechism they might long before this have gently gained both upon their Opinions and Affections who by the indiscretion of other Methods seem to be now alienated beyond retrieve Conscience of Obedience will answer all the Scruples of Minds disposed to Peace and for the Turbulent let them be answer'd with Rods and Axes The next thing that can be disputed â—n Religion besides its dress and exterior adherencies are its Body or Principles such I mean as are absolutely necessary to Salvation for we need be solliciâ—ous for no more than what will save us Now these are both few and plain For as for those numerous places of Scripture Notices of Oral Tradition which are daâ—k and difficult they are no further necessary to be understood in their primitive intention and meaning than that we sincerely believe that whatsoever God thereby meant and intended is infallibly true And things thus truly necessary are as few as plain St. Paul has reduced them to Two Articles To believe that God is and that he is a Rewarder of all them that come unto him And to whom only thus much is given it shall not be damnable that they believe no more And if this as it seems to be the lowest degree of Faith God will therewith be pleased if the means be wanting of rising higher Cornelius in Acts 10. who because of his Alms and Prayers was accepted of God had not been safe in that State had he gone no further after God had sent St. Peter to inform him what he was to do more The Charities and Devotions performed in the time of his Jewish Proselytism how far they might have stood him in stead had he been vouchsafed no farther Illumination is not the Question yet if he had staid there when means of going farther was afforded him or if he had refused to believe in Christ after a sufficient Revelation he had then justly incurred the condemnation of loving Darkness more than Light when Light was come unto him These instances are usual in this matter and tell us plainly That as few Articles are of absolute necessity yet that their number is not the same unto all some more some less as God hath given to every man all that is necessary for a Man to believe which for that purpose is sufficiently revealed unto him and which God requires him to believe and practise But there is none can set down how much every man should believe no more than he can set down how much every man should eat But if notwithstanding this paucity and plainness of the Principles of Religion any should therein be still contentious this Evil is not to be removed by Disputation but plain Catechising whereby the Mysteries of Faith and the Duties of Holy Life are to be explained For Catechism is a brief and plain Institution appointed for that end and it takes care that the Principles of Religion be made so easie that the meanest capacity may apprehend them and yet in so concise and short a manner that the weakest Memory may not therefore be surcharged CHAP. X. Disptuation unfit for the capacity of the generality of Dissenters Catechising proper c. Reasons against Disputes IN the last place it will not a little import the clearing of the present subject to enquire into the nature of Disputes and their Capacities who should thereby be wrought upon As to the former it will suffice to observe that Disputation must be guided by Terms and Rules of Art which when managed with the greatest plainness whereof they are capable fall short of that obviousness and familiarity which is natural to Catechism And as to the latter it is very remarkable 1. That the vulgar and common People make incomparably the greater number of Dissenters 2. That the Understandings of such are usually heavy gross and dull as symbolizing with their Callings and Conditions and by consequent are unable to comprehend any profound and learned conclusions And what is yet more considerable the greatest part of Dissenters have no clear understanding of the very Errors which a Logical Disputation would confute The most of them being ignorant of their own Opinions and of the things against which they have imbib'd a secret and spiteful prejudice For it was and is still the policy of those who seduce the Vulgar into Faction and Schism not to acquaint them further with the Opinions they were to abet than to let them see that they were contrary to what they disliked in the Church Insomuch that the poor Vulgar being deluded into Separation retain but a very confused and imperfect Notion of what with great impetuousness they strive both for and against And therefore it must needs be a very Melancholy Enterprise to go to confute their Errors with depth of Argument who are in a great measure ignorant of the very Errors themselves and who do not distinctly know the opinions whereof they are to be convinced The case of such people much resembling theirs whom St. Paul thought to stand in need of Milk and not of strong Meat of a Catechism and not a Controversie and to be taught Christianity from the very beginning And the same Author being to confute those miscreant Hereticks who said the Resurrection was already past and thereupon gave themselves to lewd living he did it not with the heat and briskness of a Disputant but with the gravity and moderation of an Apostle and having barely and calmly named the wild Opinions he positively and plainly laid down those Truths that confronted them 2 Tim. 11.18 19. And he would have the Gnostick Hereticks to be encountred with Ecclesiastick Censures or Discipline and not Disputings whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmises 1 Tim. 6.4 5. Tit. 3.10 If we were to set down the several Confessions of the Perswasions of all the Christians in the World they will be found to agree in more than is purely and simply necessary to Salvation And it may seem very vain to dispute and quarrel about the rest And therefore the whole business may be resolved into a diligent sincere and plain Instruction how we ought to practise what we all acknowledge to be true and to fall close