Hale - BR120 H364 1684

(-4 ) tuted for the goodof Man-kind , whether Poor or Rich, Learned or Unlearned, Simple or Prudent, Wife or Weak , it was fitted with fuchplain, ea/le, and evident Directions, both for things to be known, and things to be done, in or- der to theattainment of the End for which it was defigned, . that might be underftood by any Capacity, that hadthe or- dinary and commonufe of Reafonor Humane Underftand- ing, and by the common aüìftance of the Divine Grace . might be pra&ifedby them. The Credencia, or things tobe known or believed , as. fimply neceflary to thofe Ends, are but few, and e intelligi- ble, brieflydelivered in that Summary of Chriftian Religi- on, ufually called the Apoflles Creed. The Agenda,or things to be done orforborn, are thofe few and excellent Precepts, delivered by Chrift and his Apo- files, in that little Book of the New reflament; and yet e- ven the tenth part of that little Book will contain all the Precepts of Chritian Duty and Obedience contained in that Book: And in brief the Baptifrnal Covenant, as it is contained in the Liturgy, and Explanation thereof in the ChurchCatechifm ufed amongus, together with the Pre- cepts of the Decalogue, contain in effè& a Summary or briefEpitome of our Chriftian Duty. And certainly it was neceffary and becoming the Wif- domof the molt Wife God, that that Religion and Do- ¿trine, which equally concerned Menof all Kinds and Ca- pacities, íhould be accordingly accommodated,as might be ufeful for all. If the Do&rineor Precepts of Chriftian Re ligion íhould have been delivered in over fublime or fera- phical expreflions, in high Rhetorical Raptures,in intricate and fubtile Phrafes or Stile, or if it íhould have been fur- charged, withmultitude ofparticulars, it would havebeen Like a Sealed Book, to the far greateft part of Mankind, who yet wereequally concerned in the Bufinefs and End. of

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