The Introdu5ion. Chap. r: 5 In Catdbifing, an account; or repetition is to be exalted from the Catechi- fed: * Now upon thefedifferences 3 things are to beconfidered, or 3 Queries are to be made : I. By what warrant Abridgmentsor Sums are made: 2. What we have to warrant teaching of Children by way ofCatechifing. 3. Uponwhat grounds anfwers are to bemade by the Catechifed. a. The Warrant for the firft we have from Chrift himfelf, who hihis anfwer mat:. .37. to the Lawyer,reduced the whole Law under tWo heads, The Love ofGod and our neighbour. .z. Again, our Saviour catechifing Alicedemiu, made an Epitome or.Abridg- ;john;. rd: ment of the Gofpelunder one head, Sic Data dilexit Mundum, So God loved the world, that he gavehis only begotten Son, that whofoever believedon him might not perifh, but have everlalting life. 3, Solomon alfo in his Book of the Preacher; reduceth the whole duty of tcd.cz:e maninto twoheads; i. fear God, z. and keep his Commandments. 4. Saint Paulinhis fpeech to the Elders of Ephefas; draweth the principles Aßs só. . of Religion to thefe two ; Faith andRepentance. Repentance towards God, Hebr,6.,., and faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift. Andin another place. Repentance from dead wòrks and faith towards God: 5. The Learned are of opinion, that teaching by way of Sum, is meant by a Saint Paul, whenhe fpeaketh of the form of found words; and of that formof Rom-6.i7 Do ìrinc, and the proportionor Analogy of faith. i 2.c, 6. Laftly, Phyftians ( we know ) have their Aphorifines, Lawyers their Inftitutes, Phdofophers Ifagoges : and therefore Divines may have their E- pitomes. If we demand a reafon hereof, our Saviour fheweth us one, that we may Mary, be able Rrtàat, tohave adependance, or be able to refer all our readings and hearings to certain principal heads, thereby toenclofe orlimit our ftudy. And the Rabbins fay, that the two heads (to which Chrift reduced the Law and the Prophets) wereSepes Legit, an hedge of theLaw, containing theheads of the general Do@tine, left we fhould wander in infinito campo, in too large a field, and fowaver. Clemens calls it *di, bafis, a foundation or ground -plot, 4thanafîsis, oily (u, a firft or rough draught of a Pifture. And as thefeAbridgements are for our (hotter; fo for our mote eafieattaining to the knowledge of that which may bringus to falvation. And InchwereJthe. fermonsof the Apoftles, when they baptized fomany hundreds in one day.Con ,concerning which iris well raid, sd is asxseëged,ia» iqa ìiyti.taoir a m;mrw,,m µti n,Weo, wi s.;..i+ s Thanks be to our bleffed God who hath made neceffary: Doftrines compendious, and Dottrines which are not compendious, not fo ne- ceffary. But here wemolt take with us a double Provifo. a. That we remain before Gods Judgment-feat inéxcufable, ifwe feeknot his knowledge; being made eafie by a fhort compendium. 2. Wemuft grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of Chrift : And we muf . not be (ever) children;but men in underftanding.. And after we have heard the word oftruth (fo compendiouflydelivered) we mutt truft and believe in it, be- ing the Golpel of ourfalvation. We arenot toRand at a ftay,but proceed and profit every day,and makeepro- grefs in our knowledge : for as there are places in Scripture (as is before J Paid) whereevery Lambmay wade; fo are there alfo deeper places where an E- lephant may fwimn Wé fhall never be fo perfeft, as to be free from fcriatamini Scriptures, Search the Scriptures. Fòr teaching children by way of Catechifing is no new thing. i. It is war- rantedeven beforethe Flood. The Offerings and Sacrifices ofCain and Abel are a ftrong Argument to induce our belief; that they had been inftrufted by their r father
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