egg Ofcatechi,ting and infruuCtion ofyouth. a merd before feele theeffea ofit,as thethreatnings beforetheyfiele thefmart,the promifesbeforethey feeling. fide the comfort. And futh as doenot thus beleeuedoe highly dilplealeGod. Thiswas the finneof Thomas, which would feeleachebeleeued, and this finne is in vsall, there... fore allmuft learne tocorre&itinthemfelues. Andif wewerefreefronithis, wefhould be free frommany evils. Faithdnder 6 Although a man donot feele hisfaith fometimes vnder the mire, as indeed it falleth the milewith- out often in thebelt childrenof God, yet when it Mall pleafe the Lordto fend feelingand out feeling. deliuerance,that man fisall fée that hisfaith was great,and that theLorddid mightilypre- Note. ferue himfromfalling; yea he Alai' thenperceive that hisfaith was ftronger, when hehad notthe feelingof Godsfauour, then it hadbeeneat fometimes ,'whenbee had great fee- ' hogs. CHAP. 22. of Catechising and inftruc °ion ofyouth: Herebath beeneakaboth amongthe heathen, andalfo inour age , that thinks thatReligion is not tocome folow as children 5 but that they areto be nouriflted E ticatienof boldly,andwhen tieyCometo riper yceres, then tobeinftruétedinreligion, children. +oratj x:rn, and not before. tSo theheathêtelvsaswe fee in thebeginning ofthe Philofophersmorals, ;m&'Diem- asalfo inthe opinion of theOrator,in thedefence of Celoua: Itiswlfedometolet youthham ",& ;,e' .,. 'his courfetill his heat beabated. But if therewereany moment in theauthoritieof the hea- seect e, 7A- then, the wholeprafifeof themweretobe preferred before one mans opinion. Andfor leg a- . their raaife, certaine it is,that theet'ercifeof catechizingwas vied among theGentiles: goorphyr.pri Porphycpnn forweitñndein Porphyriestunt: It wasv Mall in Athensfor youth tobe taught :asalfothe cipioquxft, hiftories of the heathendoe declare,that.the children weremftrubted: for it wasatullome Homer. amongthem not co powle their childrensheads,vntil they were taught, andthen toburne cyrtivvrit :4. their haire as a facrifice toApollo, whofrom thenceforth inregardof their skill, were ail- Caterhif. lowedto carietapers intheir pompes and lolemnities. Arillotles meaning in tharplace s, .4e Ilotlee mein de fadlo, non deea,quod fieri debet. lice is to be called backetohis feueuthbookedeRe- Iuuénistnon pub.n1.17. It isexpedient for childrentobewithdrawne from cufffpeeches. Againithe eft idoneus Orator ftanding at the barreto plead for a lewd youngman,hisowne faying isto be allea- auditor mo- ged : Offic.lib.t. That this age muff chiefely be reclaimed from pleafures and lull. Exod. raftsPhilofo- a o.a r. Pharaoh beingrequefted of the lfraehtes , that they might goewith their children phis, into thewildernes forto worfhip,maketh afcoffe thattheir children fhould goe,as though religion pertained not tothem. Matth. t9.13. When childrenwere broughtvoto Chrid, that hemight bleffe them, his difciplesforbad them, that broughtthem ; asifChrift and children hadnothing to do onewith another. For thefirft I anfwere, Mole: ftandethwith Pharaoh in that point,and will not take fo much, as hewould graunt forthe olde, except titeyoungmay goeco. And forthe lecond,Chrifloppofethliiinfelfeto his dilèiples,gran- ting children fafe conditatocomevntohim,pronouncrng thofe accurfed,that keep them fromhim.Matth.i 8.6. Pfal.a x9.9.The law is notonely amenfor thofeofriper yeeres,but euen for young menfor to cleanfe their wayes. The Iewesnote , there is mention madeof childrenthree times in the Decalogue. And though the reft may fame to admit faine doubt,yet in catechizing,which is comprehended in the Sabboth daiesexercife,our Tonnes ave. and our daughters are bound no leffe thenwee. Exod. a z.6. If children befo bate asto aske,whatis meant by the Paffeouer,the Lord is to farre fromkeeping it back from them, that he commaunds theirparents to acquaint themwith that Sacrament : andalbeit they donot aske,Deu.6.7.he laieth a charge on theirparents to feethem infirudìed it skis lawes. z And whereasmany hold that it is not inaterral,nor tobe regarded, what childrendo, and thattheyarenotto beexaminednor cenfuredby their doings,thoogh they be wanton and childifh,they beconfuted,Pro.zo. aa.They fhalbe fudgedby theirfleps, As the blefling of God is upon thetas, thatgiue thenifelues towifedorne i Pfalrn.a27 & a zSwhom Drch
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