The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Introduction.
Qu. 1. WHat is it which must be Taught and Learned?
Ans. All must be Taught and must Learn, 1. What to Know and Believe: 2▪ What to Love and Choose and Hope for: 3. What they must Do or Practice:aPsal. 25. 4, 5. & 27. 11. & 119. 12, 33, 66.
Q. 2. What is it that we must Learn to know, and believe?
A. We must Learn to know our selves and our concerns.bIob. 34. 32.
Q. 3. What must we know of our selves.
A. We must know what we are, and what Condition we are in.cHeb. 6. 1, 2, 3.
Q. 4. What mean you by our concerns which we must know?
A. We must know, 1. Whence we are, or who made us: 2. And whither we are going, or for what End he made us: 3. And which is the way, or what means must be used to attain that end.dTit. 2. 3.
Q. 5. What must we Learn to Love, and Choose, and Hope for?
A. We must learn to Love best that which is Best in it self, and best to us and others, and to choose the means by which it must be attained: which implyeth Hating and Refusing the contraries.ePsal. 34. 11. & 32. 8.
Q. 6. What must we learn to practise?
A. We must Practise the means to obtain the End of our lives, and that is our Obedience to Him that made us.f1 Kin. 8. 36. Mic. 4. 2.
Q. 7. Cannot we learn this of our selves without Teachers?
A. There is some part of this which Nature it self▪ will teach you as soon as you come to the free use of Reason, and look about you in the World: And there is some part of it that Nature alone will not teach you, without a higher Teaching from above: And even that which Nature teacheth you, you have also need of a Teachers help …o Learn it speedily and truly. For Nature doth …ot Teach all things alike easily, speedily and sure…y: It quickly teacheth a Child to suck: It quick…y teacheth us to eat and drink, and go and talk: …nd yet here there is need of help: Children learn …ot to speak without teaching. It teacheth men …ow to do their worldly business: And yet they …ave need of Masters to teach it them, and will …erve an Apprentiship to learn. Some things Na…re will teach to none but good wits, upon dili…ent search and study, and honest willingness to …now; which Dullards, and slothful, and Bad men …each not.gIsa. 28. 26. 1 Cor. 11. 14. Iob 12. 7, 8. Heb. 5. 12.
Q. 8. Who be they that must Teach? and who must …earn?
A. None is able to Teach more than they Know …emselves; And all that are Ignorant have need … Learn. But Nature hath put all Children un…er a necessity of Learning; for though they are …rn with a Capacity to know, yet not with actu… knowledge: And Nature hath made it the duty … Parents to be the Teachers of their Children …st, and then to get the help of others. (h)
Q. 9. May we give over Learning when we are …st Childhood? (i)… 2 Tim. 2. 2. Iob 32. 17. Tit. 2. 21. Deut. 6. 7, 8. & 11. 19, 20. Pro. 1. 5. & 9. 9. & 6. 21, 23.
A. No: We must go on to Learn as long as we live: For we know but in part, and therefore still have need of more. But those that have neglected to Learn in their Childhood, have most need of all; it being most sinful and unnatural to be ignorant at full age; and signifieth great neglect.kPsal. 119. 99. Hib. 5. 11, 12. Pro. 5. 13.
Q. 10. Who must teach us at Age?
A. Parents and Masters must teach their House▪holds; and Publick Teachers are Officers to Teac… all publickly; And all that have Wisdom, shoul… take all fit opportunities in Charity to teach an… edifie one another: Knowledge▪ and Goodness▪ ha… a communicative nature.lGal. 6. D…. 6. 7. 1 Tim. 2. 7. 2 Tim. 1. 11. Eph. 4. 11. Tit. 2.
Q. 11. How must Parents teach their housholds?
A. Very familiarly and plainly, according … their capacities, beginning with the plain and n… ▪cessary things, and this is it which we call Cat… chizing: which is nothing but the choosing out … the few, plain, necessary matters from all the res… and in due method or order teaching them to t… ignorant.mHib. 3. 13. Ezr. 7. 25. Col. 3. 16. Heb. 5. 11, & 6. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 13.
Q. 12. What need we Cat…chisms while we ha… the Bible?
A. Because the Bible containeth all the who… body of Religious Truths; which the ripest Chr… stians should know; but are not all of equal necessit… to Salvation, with the greatest points: And it ca… not be expected that ignorant persons can cull o… these most necessary points from the rest, witho… help: A man is not a man without a Head and Heart: But he may be a man if he lose a finger or a hand, but not an intire man; Nor a comely man without Hair, Nails and Natures Ornaments. So a man cannot be a Christian, or a good or happy man, without the Great, most necessary points in the Bible, nor an intire Christian without the rest. Life and Death lyeth not on all alike. And the skilful must gather the most necessary for the ignorant; which is a Catechisme.nMat. 11. 30, 31, 33. Mat. 19. 19. & 22. 37, 39. Rom. 13. 9. Mat. 28. 19. Mat. 23. 23. Iam. 1. 27.
Q. 13. But is not Knowledge the gift of God?
A. Yes: but he giveth it by means: Three things must concurr: 1. A right presenting to the Learner, which is the Teachers work: 2. A fitness in the Learner, by capacity, willingness and diligence. 3. The blessing of God, without which no man can be wise.oIs. 30, 29. Mat. 28. 19, 20. 1 Tim. 1. 3. & 3. 2. & 6. 2, 3.
And therefore three sorts will be ignorant and Erroneous: 1. Those that have not the happiness of true Teachers, nor Truth presented to them. 2. Those that by sottishness, pride, sensuality, malignity or sloth, are uncapable or unwilling to learn. 3. Those that by wilful sinning against God are deprived of the necessary blessing of his help and Illumination.p2 Tim. 2. 2. 24. Act. 20. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Heb. 5. 12, 13. 1… Io. 2. 27. 1 Thes. 4. 9.