· : ... Direl/. 4• Direflions for you1~ Cl!riftians. And be is in tire right way to the knowledge of more : And ihe great Mercy ~[God bath laid fo great a necefficy on as to know thefe few points that arc; eafily known, and fa much lcfs need of k110wing the many fmall particulars, that a mean Chrifiian may live uprightly, and holily, and cam~ fortably, that "'ell underOandeth his Catechifm, or the Creed, Lords Prayer, and ten Commandments. and may find daily work and confolation in the ufe ofthefe. · ' 9. 3. A found and well compofed Catechifm Oudied well and kept in memory, would be a good meafure of kho\~ledge, to ordinary Chriflians, and make them folid and orderly in their underlland– ing, and in their proceeding to the fmaller poims, and would prevent a great deal of error and mif.. carriage, that many by ill teaching are cafi upon, to their own and the Churches sricf! Yea> it were to be wiihed, that fome Teachers of late had learnt fo mucband orderly themfdvtS. piretf. 4• B~gilt not too _early ~ith C~~ttrover(tes i1~ ReligioH : and when. ;roze c~me to them, let thun tJave hut tbur dueproportton of your ttme ond z.eal : But h ve dazly upoll theft certain, great fob{iantiall, wbicb all Chrijl~anJ are agreed i.n. 1· I· I. Plunge not your fclves too foon into Controverlies: For, I· It will be exceedingly to your lofs, by diverting your fouls from greater and more ncceffuy things: You may get more c:ncrea(e of holinefs, and !pend your time more pleafingly to God, by drinking in deeper the {ubltantials of Reli– gion, and improving them on your hearts and lives. · 2 . It will corrupt your minds, and inflead of humility, charity, holine!S, and heavenly mindednefs, it will feed your Pride, and kindle faction and a ~ividing zeal, and quench your charity, and pof– fefs you with a wrangling contentious Spirit, and you will make aReligion of thefe fins and lamenta– blo dift,empers. 3· And it is the way to deceive and corrupt your judgements, and make you erroneous or h.ereticaJ, tO your own perdition, and the dlfi:urbance of the Church: for it's two to one, hut either you prc– fently err, or elfe get fuch an itch,after Notions and Opinions that will lead you to error at the laH. Becaufe you are not yet ripe and able to judge of thofe things, till your minds are prepared by tho(e truths that are fir{\ in order to be.received. When you undertake a work that you cannot do, no won~ der if it be ill d'cnc, and mull be all undone again, or wor[e·. Perhaps you will fay, That you muft nol taJte your Religion upon truft, but m:ufl prove aU thi11g1, and hold fafi that whicb is good. • Anfw. Though your Religio11mufi not be taken upon trufi, there are many controverted fmaller Opinions thac you mufi take upon trull, till you are capable of difcerning them in rhei'r proper cv 1dencc. Till you can reach them your fdves, you mull t~ke t~em o": t~ufi, ~r not at all. Though you mull believe all things o~common necdfiry_to falvauon w~tha Dtvme ~a1rh.; yet many Cubfervi– cnt truths mufi be received firfi by a humane fa1ch, or not rece1ved at all, till you are more capable of them. Nay there is a humane fairh necelfaril~ fubfervient to the Divine faith, about the fubtiancc of Religion; a;d the OfficerS ofChriO are to be trufttd in their Office, a~ helpm of your faith. Nay, Jet me tell you, that while you are young and 1gnoranr, you are not fit for Controverfies about the fundamentals ofReligion themfelves. You may believe that there is a God, long before you are lit to hear an Athei(\ proving that there is no God : You may believe the Scripture to be the Word of God; and Chrilt to be the Saviour, and the foul to 6e immortal, long before you will be fit to ma– nage, or fiudy Comroverfies hereupon. l"or nothing is fo falfe or bad, which a wanton or wicked wit may not put a plaufible glofs upon; And your raw unfurnilhed underOandings will fcuce be able to fee through the pretence, or efcape the cheat. When you cannot anf\ver che Arguments of Seducers, you will find them leave a doubting in your minds; For you know not how plain the an– fwer of them is, to wifcr men. And though you muO prove all things you mu(\ do it in dueorder, and as you are able ; and fiay till your furni!hcd minds, are capable of the rryal. If you will need< read before you know your Letters, or pretend to judge of Greek and Hebrew Authors, before yon can read EngliCh, you will but become ridiculous i11 your undertaking. §. 2. I I. l¥hen youdo come to fmaUer Controverted pointJ, let them bave but tbcir due proportion ofyo:w lime and zeal. And that will not be one hour in many dayes, with the generality of private Chri– fiians. By that time you have well learned the more neceifary truths, and prad:ifed daily the m9rc necelfary duties, you will find that there will be but little timeto fpare for ldfer Controverfies. Opi– nionills that fpend moll of their Time in Oudying and talking of fuch points, do fieal that time h·om greater matters, and therefore from God, and from themfdves. Better work is undone the while. And. they that here lay out their chiefdi zeal, divert their zeal from things more necdf:uy, and mm their natural heat into a Fcavor. Ji• 3· I I !. The Elfcntial necelfary Truths of rour Religion, muO imprint the Image of God up· on your hearts, and mufi dv,ell there continually, and you muti live upon tbem as your bccad, a11d drink, and daily necelfary food: All other points mull be lludicd in fubfnvkncy to thofc : Allltlfcr d~· ties muO be ufed aSthe <xercife ofthe Love ofGod or man, and of a humble he1venly mmd. Tnc Article~ of your Creed, and points of Catc:chifin, are fountains ever running, affording you ~atter fo~ the continual exercife of Grace: It is both plentiful and folid nourifhmtnt eo rhe foul, wh1ch thcfe great fubllantial points afford. To know God the Crcawr, Redeqner and S1nct;tier, the L1ws and Covenanc
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