is conveighed the immortal seed informing them in the Doctrine of God sinfull nature and their own covenant with God in Baptism Thirdly That they may propagate Religion to posterity according to their duty in Deut. 4.9 Gen. 18.18 unto which end as we before noted Catechizing is singularly instrumental Fourthly That they may prepare their families even in the time of their youth to bear witnesse to the truth unto the confusion of the enemies thereof as did the Children of Merindoll nay under the most exquisite torments to rejoyce in and encourage to patient constancy in the faith of Christ for this hath added much force unto the truth of God in all ages that it hath not only been sealed with the bloud of men of age and gray hairs but also youth even of Infants who have been unmovably fixed in it which how could they have been or their parents encourage them to it and endear them to themselves by it if they had not been well instructed in the Doctrine of Christ and their Parents discharged their duty in Catechizing them betimes of the which we shall finde severall instances in the third persecution under Adrian the Emperour we read of Symphorisa a godly matron martyred with her seven children and Sophia with her three children also in the fourth persecution under Antoninus Verus we read of the seven children of Felicitas cruelly and diversly martyred before her eyes her self chearfully also sealing the truth with death so also a woman of Syria and her two daughters and Athanasia and her three daughters What shall I say of young Eulatia and others under the Heathens besides the constancy of a boy of eight or nine years old well instructed by his father John Fatty who was by Bonner cruelly whipped for his profession What shall I say of Vitalis who suffered with his godly Master Agrico of John Leaf an Apprentice who was with Mr. Bradford burned at the nineteenth year of his age of Tho. Hinshaw cruelly whipped in Bonner's garden for the Truth but above all I cannot passe with silence the Childe which witnessed the truth of God with renowned Romanus when but seven years of age who having witnessed the profession of it under cruel whipping and at last having his skin pull'd off his head was thus encouraged by his godly Mother My childe thirst after the cup of which the Children of Bethleem did drink remember Isaac 's obedience unto death suffer a little my childe thou shalt anon go to him that will cover thy naked head with a crown of eternall glory and when after with a smiling countenance he had approved himself invincible by suffering torments and was cruelly beheaded to the grief of the beholders and great joy of the Mother only standing by with dry eyes singing to Gods glory All praise with heart and voice O Lord we yeeld to thee To whom the death of all thy Saints we know most dear to be This constancy of the childe and comfort of the Mother must needs witnesse the truth of his answer to the Captain that he sucked in the Doctrine of Christ with his mothers milk and much enforce this Reason for Masters of families Catechizing The fifth and last Reason why Masters of families should Catechize may be this That they may preserve the Church of God in their houses faithfully discharge the Prophetical office to which they are redeemed by Jesus Christ in instructing their families in matters of Faith and obedience whereby they are enabled to discharge their several duties towards God and man that they may sweeten relation and the performances of their priestly office in prayer and praises to be presented with faith and fear with fervor and feeling whilest by diligent Catechizing they are enabled to do all with knowledge and understanding Having thus shewed you who must Catechize we shall briefly shew you what they must do in the performance of this duty before we shew you who must be Catechized First The Catechism ready and the Catechized present they must as in every other Ordinance of God begin with hearty and earnest prayer to the most wise God for his blessing on this divine exercise that it may tend to the edification of all concerned in it Secondly Propound the questions and require an audible answer thereunto for it is most expedient that the Catechism be by question and answer as was before noted Thirdly Audibly repeat the question and answer that such as stand by may be sure to hear observe and have it the better imprinted in their mindes and memories Fourthly Cause the Catechized according to their capacities to prove the several propositions expressed in the questions and answers by some sutable places of Scripture that they may be able to discern them to be the truths of God grounded on his Word Fifthly according to their several abilities and in their proper places they must explain the several propositions that they may the better be understood and the heart be the more affected with the same and also take notice of the principal errors that do oppose them they must perform the whole duty cheerfully and reverently as becomes an ordinance of God praising the forward encouraging the willing patiently bearing with the weak and gravely admonishing the unruly We come now to shew you who must be Catechized in the consideration whereof we shall first shew who were wont to be Catechized in the primitive times and then who amongst us ought to subject themselves to this duty In the primitive times they did usually Catechize two sorts the one before and the other after Baptism those that were Catechized before Baptism were Heathens converted from their Paganism to the knowledge of the true God who before they were received into the fellowship of Jesus Christ were Catechized Justin Martyr in his second Apologie for the Christians declares that if any Heathen man desired to be received into the fellowship of the Church he was first Catechized in the principles of Religion and then hearing further the Word of God as it were the conditions of the covenant afterward came into the face of the congregation and made a profession thereof promising their obedience thereunto and so they were baptized and received as members such an one was Augustine when converted from Manichism he was Catechized and then Baptized in which time of his Catechism he wrote many books so Ambrose was in his Catechism and not baptized when chosen Bishop of Millaine such as these were the Burgundians whom Socrates declares to have been seven daies in Catechizing and baptized in the eighth day Jerom ad Pannachium makes mention of such as were in his daies Catechized forty daies and then baptized in Tertullian's daies they did Catechize till Easter or Whitsontide and then baptize in a word such as these were Catechumeni and novices sent away from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The second sort Catechized were the children of the faithful who had been baptized in their Infancy
least Catechizing nay the Pope himself with all his cursed crew do acknowledge the ground we have gotten of them hath been by Catechizing the Pope complains that the greatest hurt that the sons of the Heretiques had ever done him was by their pestilential writings adorned with the title of Catechisms and the ground which they have gotten again of the Churches of God hath bren by their more strict exacting of their Catechisms and our neglect of so profitable a duty Adv. 2 2. The second Advantage is the propagation of Religion to posterity which lies on every Christian as his positive duty to advance and endevour and therefore God commands the knowledge of his Works and Word to be made known to sons and sons sons children and childrens children Deut. 4.9 It was this standing Law of transmitting Religion to posterity by Catechizing Children that induced the Psalmist to propound publish and provoke attention to the Catecheticall Doctrine of the Jewes in Psal 78. And one great reason why God would make known his secrets unto Abraham was that care God found in him by Catechizing to convey the knowledge of him his works and judgements to posterity By this means succeeding generations are enabled to accomplish the undertaking of progenitors in the solemn commemorations of the special mercies of God Hereby the Jewes as the Rabbies tell us retain a reverent esteem of their deliverance out of Aegypt with all its concomitants and effects nay by this the truth of Christian Religion hath been continued above sixteen hundred years and notwithstanding the rage and fury of persecutors endevouring the utter eradication and extinction of it hath by Catechisticall seed been derived unto and revived by succeeding generations Adv. 3 Thirdly it prepares to ripenesse in knowledge being as the first draught of a picture the base and ground-plot on which the building is set the first rules of any art or science which well learned makes ready for perfection in the Art and Science and therefore it is called the beginning of the Doctrine of Christ and it is to be observed on experience that they that have attained to the most perfect measure of knowledge of the Doctrine of Christ were by Catechizing well entred into the beginnings of it Adv. 4 Fourthly it makes us profit by the Word when read by or preached to us whilest by Catechizing men are enabled to refer what they read to their proper heads of Divinity and resolve them into summary conclusions which are very much informing to the judgement and convincing to the conscience and clearly to discern truth from error and distinguish between truth and truth and see their dependance one on another differ the Law from the Gospel with their different ends of humiliation and comfort whereby their understanding acting clearly and orderly will help the memory to retain quicken the affection and make their growth sensible discernible which being clouded by a confused knowledge makes many times profiting Christians to complain of barrennesse under the Word The care of the Apostles to feed first with milk of principles such as they endevoured to make and approve profitable under the meat of higher Ministerial Doctrines doth clearly commend to us this benefit of Catechizing besides the cause of the Hebrewes incapacity of receiving and profiting by higher Doctrines is expresly declared to be the little proficiency they had made in the principles of Religion and experimental observation doth witnesse that preaching doth little good where Catechizing is wanting for we may well say with Bullinger Bulling Decad. 5. Ser. 4. fol. 907. How shall the people profit when they understand not their Pastour when he preacheth Law Covenant or Grace c. Adv. 5 Fifthly It prevents their falling into fundamental errors and following pernicious doctrine whilest by this means truth is founded and firmly fixed in their mindes and memories as a rule ready at hand to try all that is preached in the Name of the Lord as a touchstone reserved to detect all such falsities as are gilded over with the name of Truth when directly contrary thereunto as a root whose several branches being soundly setled in the soul makes them bear up the head and stand to their Christian station against the stormy tempest of all seducing doctrine nay these are seeds of such solid comforts and earnests of such eternall joyes as bears up the heart cheerfully to embrace and readily to submit unto the most exquisite and cruel torments hell or earth can execute upon them rather then to deny the Faith recede from the Truth and make shipwrack of a good Conscience souls soundly Catechized are noble Bereans receiving and beleeving the Word because confirmed by and consonant to Scripture not because spoken by Apostles their judgements are swayed to the receiving of principles by sound reason not by by a seeming sanctified life of the author or publisher knowing that false Apostles are deceitful workers 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. and transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan is transformed into an Angel of light it is no great thing then if his Ministers transform themselves as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end will be according to their works such are Merindolian Martyrs able to exhibit such Scriptural confessionsof faith as shall convince and confound such doctors as are appointed to convince them of Heresie or more properly to seduce them from the truth of Christ which they called Heresie so as to confesse that an eight daies study of such a confession doth teach more Scripture then all the daies of their lives * As did the Doctor appointed by the Bishop of Caveillon to detect the Heresies in the confession by them exhibited before whose children are hereby enabled to confound learned Prelates and astonish reverend Doctors making Catechisticall teaching to * As the religious man of Paris did professe hearing the Children of Merindoll Catechize one another Fox his Acts and Monuments p 866. transcend the divine Disputations in the Schools of Sorborne in Paris nay in a word by this means they are so confirmed and established in the faith that they will sooner submit themselves their wives and children I and their whole town to the cruel rage of outragious enemies then suffer themselves to be moved away from the truth received and professed by them This exercise of Catechizing hath been so effectuall to the establishing of souls in the truth that many by it have been prepared to Martyrdome and enabled with admirable patience to endure bitter scourging and cruel torments Seven of Origens Scholars at one time and burnings even in their young and tender years in defence of the truth it is to the everlasting honour of some of the Martyrs Chronicled in Ecclesiastical story that they received the crown of Martyrdome being yet but Catechumenists whereas the reason of others falling away from the faith in the time of persecution is noted to be
I am that the sinfull suspension of Catechizing cuts short Christianity and is likely if God prevent not to give us reall cause in the return to infidelity to gather Churches indeed and by nipping buds and suffering sprouts to wither to replant into the faith of Christ such as must bear up his name in the world 4. Catechizing prevents the Devils design by prepossessing the minde with principles of truth and piety Satan as vigilant and subtle enemies endevours to enter the soul betimes and blinde the eye whilest yet tender to infuse into the soul principles of blasphemy and prophanenesse knowing that possession is eleven points of the Law Leases of ejectment may lay foundations for long and vexatious suits the soul possessed by Satan will abide many powerfull perswasions piercing reproofs patheticall intreaties prevailing prayers and pinching pangs of conscience before it will be recovered an illuminated conscience and judgement well informed in the truth will abide variety of temptations and assaults of Satan before it will renounce and recede from the true religion Was not this the stratagem of the Councels and Fathers of the primitive times against the blasphemous Heresies of those daies is not the re-entry of the same blasphemies an engagement to us to countermine the Devils devices by putting Creeds and Catechisms into the hands of our people nay is not the vigilancy of Satan and diligence of his instruments in casting the Arrian and Socinian Heresies in Catecheticall forms nay in scattering abroad the Cracovian and Biddles Catechisms the check of our long sinfull neglect of Catechizing and a loud call to set to the duty with vigor 5. Catechizing puts into a capacity of living with credit or dying with comfort Catechizing in doctrines of Christianity doth as well civilize a man as Christianize a soul it instrâ—â—â—s in duâ—ies to be done towards men as well as towards God youth not educated in principles of Religion may live with shame and die with sorrow for they know not what to do or how to carry themselves whilest they live nor yet wherein to center their hope of future happinesse when they lie How many infants young children have by Catechizing been famous in their religious lives being deâ—terous in duty constant in the faith and couragious under temptations and when they have come to die have cheerfully given up their souls to God through Christ in knowledge of whom they have been Catechized Whilest youth have souls rationall and capable of education let them not want instruction in those things that may make them serviceable to God in their generation and whilest they have souls immortall that may be damned or saved when they depart out of their bodies let them not want Catechizing in the waies of everlasting peace Thus then you have seen the Doctrine proved illustrated and applied in the application you have been exhorted to the duty consider seriously the duty pressed on you and motives by which you have been perswaded and if you would pleasure God produce order in your families pursue the due edification of the Churches of God prevent the Devils design or put youth into a capacity to live with credit or to die with comfort Let me charge you in the Name of Jesus Christ as superiors be constant in Catechizing as inferiors be chearfull in being Catechized shewing by your diligence in it the dignity of the exercise your submission being a seal of the divine institution of it proclaiming unto all that it is Gods ordinance to be continued in his Church FINIS Books lately Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the signe of the Three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside DR Richard Sibbs his Commentary upon the Second Epistle to the Corinthians published for publick good by Tho. Manton in Folio Mr. John Cotton his Exposition on the First Epistle of John with Doctrines Reasons and Uses in Folio The Journal or Diary of a thankful Christian wherein is contained directions for the right method of keeping and using according to the rules of practise a Day-book of National and Politick personal and private passages of Gods Providence to help Christians to thankfulness and experience By John Beadle Minister of the Gospel at Barnstone in Essex Cathechizing Gods Ordinance or A short Treatise concerning that Ancient approved and soul edifying Ordinance of Catechisme by Mr. Zach. Crofton Minister of the word at Buâ—tolphs without Algate London in Octavo Curteous Reader THou mayest expect within a short time to see published some new Pieces of Mr. William Fenners who was so famous when living and his works though he is dead hath such a sweet though silent voice T. P.