The English Catechism Explained, Title page – Dedication
THE ENGLISH CATECHISME EXPLAINED OR, A COMENTARIE ON THE SHORT CATECHISME ſet forth in the Booke of Common Prayer.
WHEREIN DIVERS NECESSARIE Queſtions touching the Chriſtian Faith are inſerted, moderne Controuerſies handled, doubts reſolued; and many Caſes of Conſcience cleared.
Profitable for Miniſters in their Churches, for Schoole-Maſters in their Schooles, and for Houſholders in their Families.
By IOHN MAYER, Bachelour of Diuinitie.
The ſecond Edition reviewed.
LONDON, Printed by Augustine Mathewes for Iohn Marriot, and are to be ſold at his Shop in Saint Dunſtans Churchyard in Fleetſtreet. 1622.
TO MY REVEREND BRETHREN, THE PASTOVRS OF Parochiall Congregations in the Church of England.
REuerend Brethren, euer ſince my firſt entring into a Paſtorall charge, I hauehave applied mine endeauours, by Catechiſing to inſtruct the ignorant. And becauſe I would not be irregular, my Theame hath alwaies been the ſhort Catechiſme, ſet forth in the Booke of Common Prayer, a Catechiſme indeede, ſolely appointed to bee firſt taught; but to the great detriment of our Church either wholly neglected, any other being preferred, or barely taught without any further explanation, or elſe for outward formality onelyonly in Lent ſet vponupon the Table, as a diſh appropriated to that Faſt. My ſtudy hath been firſt to mend this fault for my owne particular, and therefore I hauehave diuers yeares labored conſtantly throughout the yeare, by this kind of teaching to forme in my hearers ſome diſtinct knowledge of our Chriſtian Principles: and hauing at length come to my intended period, I digeſted the pith of all my Collections and Meditations into this Booke, herein imitating Ʋrſinus vponupon Melanctons ſhort Catechiſme, ſo vſefull to young Students in Theologie, and to other ſtudious perſons. The labour thus ended, being conſcious to my ſelf of mine own weaknes, I ſuppreſſed it three or foure yeares, till that being animated by ſome of you (my Brethren) who had either ſeene or heard hereof, I hauehave aduentured to bring it into publike view. The worke I confeſſe is ordinary and worthles; but for forme it is alone, and ſo may craue entertainement. Heere are collected into one all fundamentall points, of the true Chriſtian Religion, ſparſedlie handled in diuers learned Bookes, and applied to the ſhort Engliſh Catechiſme. It is a Catechiſme and a Comentarie, the one for Children, ſhort, and fitted to their capacity, the other for men, leading to a larger mappe of Chriſtian Principles, and fitted for the edification of all. To hauehave written a large new Catechiſme without an old text, had bin ſuperfluous amongſt ſo many already abroad, but to write for the illuſtrating of the Text, to which we Engliſh muſt all hold vsus, is very neceſſary. In publiſhing this, I take not vponupon me to preſcribe a forme vntounto any, my ſelfe being the leaſt amongſt thouſands, but I whet on all, what I can, to an vniforme proceeding by our common grounds. We hauehave all one God, one Chriſt, one Baptiſme, one Goſpell, and one forme of Articles of Religion, to which wee ſubſcribe; why then ſhould we not all conſent in one Catechiſme? Our Mother the Church of England, hath firſt commaunded this one Catechiſme, vponupon which is my Commentary. If therefore my inward wiſhes may breake foorth into open requeſt, I would craue that it might pleaſe the right Reuerend Fathers of our Church, more ſtrictly to preſſe the teaching of our common Catechiſme in their ſeuerall Iuriſdictions: and you my Brethren, who doe already teach it in your ſeuerall Pariſhes, to labour in it with all diligence, and to bring it in, and commend it to the priuate exerciſe of your people in their families, amongſt whom it hath hitherto been much neglected. And I beſeech you all fauourably to accept this my preſent act, and where I hauehave faulted, correct me; where I hauehave failed, ſupply me; where I hauehave done rightly, ioyne with me. If this may be any thing, though but goats hayre, towards the Lords Sanctuary, I ſhall be glad, and giuegive God the glory. Our great Shepheard, the Lord Ieſus, who hath laid downe his life for his ſheepe, make this and all the endeauours of his Seruants, fruitfull paſtures for the comfort of his flocke, and for the praiſe of his holy and glorious name. Amen.
Your fellow-Seruant in the worke of the Miniſtery. IOHN MAYER.