A Scripture Catechism, Title page – Dedication
A SCRIPTVRE-Catechiſme, Towards the confutation OF Sundry ERROVRS; Some of them of the preſent times,
By THOMAS HODGES B. D. Rector of Soulderne in Oxford-ſhire.
Mat. 22.29.
Yee doe erre, not kowing the Scriptures.
OXFORD, Printed by H. HALL Printer to the Univerſity For T. ROBINSON. 1658.
To my very much Honoured Friend JOHN NORTON of Cotherſtock in the County of Northampton Eſq
Sr,
A double account may poſſibly be expected from me, namely, of the following Treatiſe and of the preſent Application. A threefold exception may perhaps be made to that, that tis a Catechiſme, that tis an Elenchtical Catechiſm or a Catechetical confutation of Errors, and that 'tis ſuch a Scripture Catechiſme, or the Anſwers to the Queſtions moſtly the very letter of the Scripture. If any blame me, ſaying 'tis below a Preacher to publiſh a Catechiſme now in theſe dayes wherein even ſome of the people are got up above the higheſt Ordinances. My Anſwer is, that as I have not been aſhamed to practiſe the deſpiſed duty of Catechizing at home in my own Congregation, ſo I ſhall not bluſh to countenance and avouch it to the world. I know and conſider that our Lord and Maſter, the great Shepheard and Biſhop of ſoules, gave in charge to the Apoſtle Peter to feed his Lambes as well as his ſheep, and that 'tis the part of a faithfull Steward or diſpencer in God's family not as the Papiſts ſay to diſpenſe with, but to diſpenſe or adminiſter the Ordinances of God, and to provide for every one of the family his portion in due ſeaſon, to ſee that the Babes have Milk as well as Strong men Meat. I doe not here ſet before Chriſt's little ones whole ſheep or whole joints, as is done in large Tracts or Volumes of ſuch ſubjects, but theſe diſhes cut up and carv'd out, and it may be minc'd too, that very children or Babes in knowledge may feed themſelves.
Beſides, I dare ſay that there is even in theſe times but need of Catechizing: for want of laying this Foundation how many fooliſh Builders have fondly built Caſtles in the aire to no purpoſe: for want of this Ballaſt how many have been toſſed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine: And now if we would Regulate mens fooliſh high-towring fancies, one way ſure, is to lay, not to raze Foundations. If we would make an everlaſting Separation 'twixt theſe fond lovers and their new-fangled Errours, one way is, to Reconcile and bring them home againe to, and in love with their old firſt and beſt Principles.
For the ſecond exception, that 'tis a Catecheticall confutation of Errours; I ſay, ſuch an Enemy as Error is, may lawfully be driven out any way: and that 'tis but reaſonable to uſe the ſame method to confute error, that others have done to confirme it. I ſhall herein imitate the skillfull Phyſitian, who endeavours to expell the poyſon out of the body the ſame way by which it was firſt taken in.
And now if any be diſsatisfied that 'tis a Scripture-Catechiſme; I ſay, the Enemy hath in a ſort compelled us: have they Scripture in their Catechiſmes ſeemingly for them, ſo have we really for us: have they appealed unto Scripture, unto Scripture ſhall they goe. They ſay the Scriptures are theirs, and we ſay nay; but the Scriptures are ours: what then? is the Scripture neither ours, nor theirs, but is it divided partly for us and partly for them? or have we ten parts in it, and they two? I anſwer, No in no wiſe, ther's no ſuch matter, It is all ours, it is our owne and not Strangers, not our enemies with us. I confeſſe ſuch hath been the Injuſtice and violence of erroneous Perſons, as to take away ſundry Scriptures by force to put them upon the racke and torture them, and lay to their charge things they know not, to make them confeſſe againſt themſelves, and the truth, and us. But if this witneſſe may be permitted to ſpeak for it ſelfe, to ſpeak freely and fully, to ſpeak out, to ſpeak all it will ſay, it will teſtify only to the truth, and when the Scripture hath ſo ſpoken, Errour muſt either ſtop it's eares or ſtop it's mouth. For the Scriptures may then ſay as Paul, we can doe nothing againſt the truth, but for the truth: or that may be the language of the written word which was of the Eſſentiall Word of God, I came to beare witneſse of the Truth.
Now, if it was an honourable atchievement in Abraham to reſcue his Nephew Lot, and in David to reſcue the men of Ziklag out of the hands of them who had carried them captive; I hope ſuch an Attempt as this to reſcue ſo many Scriptures out of the hands of them who have carried them captive and ſpoiled them, and ſet them ſome of them in the front of the battell againſt the truth and us, ſhall have the countenance, good-will, and good wiſhes of them that love the truth.
For my part whether the world ſmile or frown, commend or condemne, I reſolve to goe out againſt, ſet upon, and grapple with this great Goliah of Errour, I deſire to goe out againſt him in the name of the Lord of Hoſts, endeavouring to ſling theſe ſmooth ſtones (choſen out of this chriſtall brook the holy Scriptures) ſo, as to ſmite this Philiſtine in the forehead and cauſe him to fall.
And Sr, if I may be a champion for truth, and by the ſword of the Spirit defend the crowne upon the head of it againſt that Arch Rebel and Traytor, Error, which would depoſe it from it's throne and Soveraignty, I ſhall (I hope) therein rejoyce and triumph although the world ſhould laugh at and trample upon the undertaking.
I doe not profeſſe my ſelfe the firſt or only diſcoverer of theſe Monſters,D. Owen. D. Bailye. nor that dared to fight with theſe beaſts I have two eminent Captaines and Champions who have gone before and entred the liſts, one in a like, and the other in the ſame quarrel, to both which I acknowledge my ſelfe indebted, and although I doe not pay the one in the ſame coine (his Treatiſe being latine) yet I hope in plaine Engliſh (in part at leaſt) to ſatisfie my engagement to them both: For (as one well ſaith) the Scriptures are a Mine where there will be ever found ſome oare ſo long as there is any to digge: or like the Widdow's oyle which never ceaſed running ſo long as there was ever an empty veſſell to receive it.
I dare not ſay I have found out any new truths, yet perhaps have made ſome further hue and cry after new Errors. And if 'tis a commendable thing to diſcover a new Iſland or Continent, let me not be cenſured if I point out other Rocks, ſhelves, or Sands, togeither with a paſsage to avoid them; I mean new found Errors, ſo as to prevent my own & others making ſhipwrack of Faith and a good Conſcience by them.
Now if in any place I have given, in anſwer to an objection from Scripture, another text of Scripture only, I would not be thought to endeavour to ſet the Scriptures together by the eares, but to compare them, to bring them together face to face, and by a friendly enterview and conference to reconcile them, though when they are aſunder they ſeem to be at odds and difference, yet when they are brought together and we heare both ſpeak they may eaſily be reconciled: They ſeeme obſcure perhaps ſingle, but ſet together they give light to each other. So true is that Rule, Scripture is the beſt Interpreter of Scripture.
And Farther, as the ſeed of the Serpent the Generation of Vipers, Heretickes and ſeducers have learn't of the Divel that old Serpent to urge Scripture againſt Scripture, that is, the letter of Scripture againſt the true ſenſe, ſcope and meaning of it. So may the children of Abraham learne of Chriſt the ſeed of the Woman to anſwer Scripture with Scripture, and therefore when they plead and object as the Divel did, It is written; we may anſwer or reply as our Saviour did. It is written againe. Math. 4 6, 7.
Sr, Amongſt other Errours that I conteſt withall both ancient and moderne, at home and abroad, there is one, I hope, you will not cenſure me for ingaging againſt, becauſe in my own defence, and that is the Error of thoſe who would extirpate Miniſtry root and branch, that ſay of ſuch men and their maintenance, wherefore is this loſſe; when they cry out upon us as Prieſts of Baal, 'tis high time for us to prove our ſelves the Miniſters of Chriſt, & when they ſay of us or to us as Pharaoh to the Iſraelites, ye are idle, ye are idle; tis but our duty to buſy our ſelvs with both hands, to build with the one and ſtrive with the other to hold a ſword in one hand, & a trowel in the other. Ne. 4.17, 18. Can builders, Souldiers, husband-men, labourers in harveſt, workers & Fellow workers together with God be juſtly taxed and cenſured for idle Perſons or men of no calling? And yet ſuch are the Miniſters of the Goſpel: a lazie Monk may indeed have good cauſe to abandon his profeſsion, becauſe if his Cowle doe not, his calling will not, or is not like to make him ſweat; Yet that Preacher who puts his hand to God's plough and followes it hard therewith to break up the fallow ground of his own and others hard hearts, will make furrowes in his own face.
I know the pretence and practiſe is to undermine the maintenance, but the plot is to blow up the Miniſtry. The glorious lamps of our Tabernacles are not like to burn long if the golden oyle be preſently taken away. I know we may ſay that the hand of Joab is in all this, and 'tis this wicked Haman which hath done it, the Divell or the Pope is the Father of this Monſter: They know that the Miniſters are the Chariots and horſemen of Iſrael, and that if theſe be diſcomfited, the Infantry are in danger to be ſcattered.
Oh that men were ſo wiſe as to conſider the deſignes of theſe enemies. The Popiſh Emiſsaries would exclude us, that you might affect them; would diet or ſtarve us, that they might fill, if not ſurfet themſelves. The Devill would allow the falſe Prophet Balaam to ride with his two men, and yet would force the true Prophets to goe afoot. Antichriſt would have his own Prieſts many of them Princes, but the Miniſters of Chriſt all of them the meaneſt and loweſt of the people.
But what godly heart ſhould without ſorrow ſee Chriſts witneſſes propheſy in ſackcloth, when the Prieſts of Anti-Chriſt ruſſell and rant it in ſattin.aIn Italy beſides the temporall eſtate of the Popes of Rome the Clergy are conceived to have in ſome places a third part of the whole; but in moſt a moyetie. In Spaine the certaine rents of the Arch-Biſhoprick of Toledo are ſaid to be no leſſe than 300000 crownes per annum, which is far more than all the Biſhops, Deanes and Prebendaries doe poſſeſſe in England. Treleinie of tythes pag. 12.13. In France the Eccleſiaſticks alone poſſeſſe one third part of the total Revenue of the Kingdom. v. State of France. pag. 69. The Nobles and Commons Aſſembled in Parliament ſignifyed to King Henry the fourth, that the temporal poſſeſſions of Abbots, Priors &c. would ſuffice to find and ſuſtaine 150 Earles, 1500 Knights 6200 Eſquires, 100 Hoſpitals more than there were. Ful. Ch. Hiſtory lib. 6. pag. 302.
For my own part, I would much rather chuſe (if my heart deceive me not) to live and dye a poore Miniſter, than a rich man or Grandee, whoſe ayme and endeavour ſhould be to make the Miniſtry poore. Be not deceived, God is not mocked.
If they that Miniſtred under Moſes Law were feaſtedbSuch and ſo many Allowances had the Prieſts and Levites, that ſetting by the tithes of their corne and cattell & of all manner of increaſe, their maintenance had far exceeded that of the Engliſh Clergy, and adding unto theſe the Tithes of all Creatures tithable, it doth more than double it. Treleinie▪ of tythes. pag. 4. 5. If a Huſband-man amongſt the Jewes had 6000 buſhels growing in a yeer when all ſorts of tythes and dues were paid there remained to him but 4779. vid. Weems Chriſtian Synag. pag. 154. ex Scalig. opuſc. he would not have the Preachers of his Sons Goſpell famiſhed.
If David took it ſo ill that his Embaſſadors were evill intreated by Hanun, 2 Sam. 10.4. when their garments were cut off by the halves, God will not take it well to have his Miniſters his Embaſſadors of peace cut ſhort of their maintenance.
And now Sr, if I ſhould for want of other matter be indited and arraigned for want of an exact Artificiall method, my hope is, that either every ordinary Jurie will not be able to find me guilty, or if I be found, that an Ingenious Judge perhaps may procure my pardon when he conſiders that it is in part confeſſed already, and againe that ſuch an exact and curious chaine of method might poſsibly more credit the Author then profit the ordinary Reader, or be a greater ornament than advantage to the book, and yet painfull to the Compiler. And wiſe men may conſider that pearles are pearles although they be not curiouſly ſtrung or made up into bracelets and chaines, and that gold in the oare or coine is not to be thrown away, becauſe 'tis not formed into a chaine of ſo many curious and equall linkes. And Sr, As for this preſent Addreſse unto you, thoſe who know and conſider what a friend you have been to Religion, what a Father to your Country, what a Patron to Miniſters, what a Benefactor to Scholars, and to my ſelfe in particular, may rather wonder that I did it no ſooner than that I have done it now. And my hope is, that you will not think your ſelfe ſlighted or diſparaged to have your name inſcribed or prefixed to a book of this nature. I am perſwaded Sr, you preferre old truths before new Errors, and old foundations before new fancies, and that you delight rather to walke on a rock, than to dance upon ropes, and therefore that theſe old and great truths of this new and ſmall piece will not be to your palate as dead drink, nor in your eares as ſtale newes, nor to your eyes as an old Diurnall or Almanack out of date.
And Sr, ſince I had my Birth and Baptiſme in Cotherſtock, let me not be condemned for making this confeſsion of Faith, or profeſsion of my Principles to you there.
It remaines only that I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and powre out my ſoule for you, your Religious Conſort, and deare Son, at the throne of Grace, that God would bleſſe you with all ſpirituall bleſsings in heavenly things in Chriſt, and recompence into your boſome ſeven fold all the kindneſſe that you have ſhewed to his Miniſters, and particularly to
Sr, Your very humble Servant in the Lord T. H.