holy and diligent improvement of these few truths in our practice; where we have much to do, which might take up all our minds and time.

CHAP. VIII.

Inference 2. Of the Use of Catechising.

THOUGH it be spoken to in what is said, I would have you more distinctly here note the use of Catechising.

1. It collecteth those few things out of many, which the ignorant could not themselves collect. 2. It collecteth those necessary things which all must know and believe that will be saved. 3. It containeth those great practical things which we have daily use for, and must still live upon, which are as bread and drink for our food. Other things may be well added; the more the better, which God hath revealed. But our life, our comfort, and our hope, are in these. 4. And it giveth us the true method or order of holy truths; which is a great advantage to understand them. Not but the things themselves have the same orderly respect to one another in the Scripture, but they are not delivered in the same order of words.

Therefore, 1. Catechisms should be very skilfully and carefully made. The true fundamental Catechism is nothing else but the Baptismal Sacramental Covenant, the Creed, the Lord's-prayer, and the Commandments, the summaries of our belief, desires and practice. And our secondary Catechism must be nothing else but the plain expositions of these: The first is a Divine Catechism: The second is a Ministerial Expository Catechism. And here, 1. O that ministers would be wiser at last, than to put their superfluities, their controversies and private opinions into their Catechisms, and would fit them to the true end, and not to the interest of their several sects! But the Roman Trent Catechism (and many more of theirs) must needs be defiled with their trash, and every sect else must put their singularities into their Catechisms; so hard is it for the aged, decrepit body of the diseased church, for want of a better concoction of the common essentials of Christianity, to be free from

these heaps of unconcocted crudities, and excrementitious superfluities, and the many maladies bred thereby.

I deny not but a useful controversy may be opened by way of Question and Answer: but pretend it not then to be what it is not, milk for babes. "Him that is weak in the faith receive, but not to doubtful disputations." (Rom. xiv. 1.) The servant of the Lord must be apt to teach, but must not strive.

2. And it is not commonly believed how great skill is needful to make a Catechism, that the method may be true, and that it may neither be too long for the memory, nor too short for the understanding; for my part, it is the hardest work save one (which is the full methodising and explaining the whole body of divinity,) that ever I put my hand to; and when all is done, I cannot satisfy myself in it.

II. Why is not Catechising more used both by pastors and parents? I mean not the bare words unexplained without the sense, nor the sense in a mere rambling way without a form of words; but the words explained. O how much fruit would poor souls and all the church receive by the faithful performance of this work, would God but cure the profaneness and sloth of unfaithful pastors and parents which should do it. But I have said so much of this in my Reformed Pastor," that I may well forbear more here.

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CHAP. IX.

Inference 3. The True Preservative of Puzzled Christians, from the Errors of False Teachers, who vehemently solicit them to their several Parties.

It is the common outcry of the world, 'How shall we know which side to be on? And who is in the right among so many, who all with confidence pretend to be in the right?'

Answ. Your preservative is obvious and easy; but men usually bestow more labour and cost for error and hell, than for truth and heaven. Pretend not to faith or knowledge before you have it, and you are the more safe. SUSPEND

this I have published a book called the "Catechising of Households."

77 your judgments till you have true evidence to establish them. 1. It is only Christians that I am now instructing; and if you are Christians, you have already received the essentials of Christianity, even the Baptismal Covenant, the Creed, the Lord's-prayer, and Decalogue. And I need not tell you, that moreover you must receive all those truths in nature and Scripture, which are so plain, that all these dissenting sects of Christians are agreed in them. And when you have all these, and faithfully love and practise them, you are sure to be saved, if you do not afterward receive some contrary doctrine which destroyeth them. Mark then which is the safe religion. As sure as the Gospel is true, he that is meet for baptism before God, is meet for pardon of sin; and he that truly consenteth to the Baptismal Covenant, and so doth dedicate himself to God, is made a member of Christ, and is justified, and an heir of heaven. Your Church Catechism saith truly of all such, that in baptism each one is made a 'member of Christ, a child of God, and an heir of heaven.' So that as sure as the Gospel is truly, every true baptized Christian, whose love and life doth answer that faith, shall certainly be saved.

Ask all parties, and few of them but impudent designers can deny this. Well then, the Baptismal Covenant expounded in the Creed, Lord's-prayer and Commandments is your Christian Religion. As a Christian you may and shall be saved that a true Christian is saved, all confess. But whether a Papist be saved, is questioned by the Protestants; and so is the salvation of many other sects by others. You are safe then if you take in nothing to endanger you. And is it not wisdom then to take heed how you go further, and on what grounds, lest you overrun your safe religion?

Object. 'But then I must not be a Protestant; for the Papists say, that they cannot be saved.'

Answ. A Protestant is either one that holdeth to the ancient, simple Christianity without the Papists' manifold additions; or one that positively also renounceth and opposeth those additions. In the first sense, a Protestant and a mere Christian is all one; and so to say, that a Protestant cannot be saved, is to say, that a Christian as such cannot be saved. If it be the mere name of a Protestant that the Papist accounteth damnable, tell him that you will not stick with him

for the name: you are contented with the old name of Christian alone.

But Protestantism in the second sense is not your religion, but the defensative of your religion; as flying from the plague is not my humanity or life, but a means to preserve it. And so Protestants are of many sizes: some oppose some points, and some others; some more, some less; which the Papists have brought in and yet they are not of so many religions.

:

But whoever condemneth you, if Christ save you, he doth but condemn himself as uncharitable. Christianity is certainly a state of salvation; but whether Popery be, or whether the Greek opinions be, or whether this or that difference and singularity stand with salvation, is the doubt. Cast not yourself then needlessly into doubt and danger.

Object.' But then you will have us be still but infants, and to learn no more than our Catechisms, and not to learn and believe all that God hath revealed in his Word.'

Answ. No such matter. This is the sum of what I advise you to.

1. Hold fast to your simple Christianity as the certain terms of salvation: 2. Receive nothing that is against it : 3. Learn as much more as ever you can: 4. But take not men's words, nor their plausible talk for certifying evidence ; and do not think if you believe a priest, that this is believing God; nor if his reasons seem plausible to you, and you are of his opinion, that this is Divine knowledge. If you do incline to one man's opinion more than another, tell him that you incline to his opinion, but tell him that you take not this for Divine knowledge, or any part of your religion. If you will needs believe one side rather than another, about Church history, or the matters of their parties' interest, tell them, I believe you as fallible men; but this is none of my divine faith or religion. To learn to know, is to learn scientifical evidence, and not to learn what is another man's opinions, nor whether they are probable or not; much less to read a Council's decrees, or the propositions of a disputing system, and then for the men's sake to say, this is orthodox: nor yet because it hath a taking aspect. To learn of a priest to believe God, is one thing; and to believe him, or his Party, Church, or Council, is another thing. Learn

to know as much as you can; and especially to know what God hath revealed to be believed and learn to believe God as much as you can: and believe all your teachers, and all other men as far as they are credible in that case, with such a human belief as fallible men may justly require. And where contenders do consent, suspect them the less. But where they give one another the lie in matters of fact, try both their evidences of credibility before you trust them, and then trust them not beyond that evidence.

But still difference your divine faith and religion from your opinion and human faith; and let men solicit you never so long, take not on you to know or believe till you do; that is, not beyond the evidence. I do but persuade you against presumption and hypocrisy. Shall I say, SUSPEND TILL YOU HAVE TRUE EVIDENCE, and you are safe! Why if you do not, you will know never the more, nor have ever the more Divine faith: for I can mean no more than SUSPEND YOUR PRESUMPTIONS, and do not foolishly or hypocritically take on you to know what you do not, or to have a faith which you have not. If you can know truly, do it with fidelity, and be true to the truth, whoever offer it, or whatever it cost you. But suspend your profession or hasty opinions and conceits of what you know not.

Object.' But every side almost tells me that I am damned if I do not believe as they do.'

Answ. By that you may see that they are all deceived, at least save one (which ever it be) while they differ, and yet condemn each other. 2. Thereby they do but give you the greater cause to suspect them, for by this shall all men know Christ's disciples, if they love one another. Right Christians are not many masters, as knowing that themselves shall have the greater condemnation else; for in many things we offend all. And the wisdom which hath envy and strife, is not from above, but from beneath, and is earthly, sensual and devilish, introducing confusion and every evil work, (James iii. 1; 15, 16.) Christ's disciples judge not, lest they be judged.

3. By this you may see that unless you can be of all men's minds, you must be damned by the censures of many. And if you can bear it from all the sects save one, why not from that one also?

4. But I pray you ask these damning sectaries,' is it