Two Short Catechisms, Title page – Dedication
Dr. John Owen's TWO SHORT CATECHISMS, Wherein the PRINCIPLES OF THE Doctrine of Christ Are Unfolded and Explained.
Proper for all Persons to Learn before they be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and Compos'd by Him for the use of all Congregations in General.
The Second Edition.
Come ye Children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the Fear of the Lord, Psalm 34. 11.
LONDON: Printed for, and Sold by Will. Marshal at the Bible in Newgate-street: Where you may be supplied with most of Dr. Owen's Works. Likewise the true Effigies of Dr. Owen: Also other Effigies, as Mr. Caryl, Mr. Mead, Mr. Baxter, Mr. Clark, &c.
At the Bible in Newgate-street, over against the Blue-Coat Hospital Gate.
LIveth William and Joseph Marshall, Bookseller and Stationer: Where is a Warehouse, and is sold all sorts of Paper-Hangings, by Wholesale or Retale, very delightful for Rooms or Closets, of the newest invention of Figures, as Irish and Diamond-stitch, Carpit or Turky, and Forest-work, &c.
Also most sorts of Plain Colours, Printed with a hot Role like your Stuffs, sold very Cheap.
You may likewise be furnisht with Screens ready made, at low Prices, &c.
And all other sorts of Paper, both Brown, White-Brown and Writing; and Paper-book, as Shop-books, Pocket-books, and Mathematical-books; Affidavits for burying in Woollen, Slates and Slate-books, Letter-Cases, Copy-books, best Ink for Records, Royal shining Japan Ink, Holman's Ink-powder, India ink; Quills, Pens, Wax, Pencils, Files, Wafers and Boxes, &c.
Likewise Bibles, Testaments, Psalters, Catechisms, Spelling-books, Accidences, Grammars, Rich's Short-hand with his Testament and Singing-Psalms, and other Short-hand books, and most sorts of Books, either School-books or others: ☞ And you may have Bills, Bonds, or Funeral Tickets, Printed at reasonable rates.
Also Dr. Daffy's Elixir, Blagrave's Spirits of Scurv-y grass, both Golden and plain. The Queen of Hungary's Water. Pawlet's Chymical Water for Teeth & Gums; Bromfield's and Matthew's Pills rightly prepared.
All sold, as above, at the Bible in Newgate-street.
Where is sold, a Guide to Parish Clarks for Singing Psalms, by Henry Playford, price 1 s. As also Playford, Psalms, and his Divine Companion, &c.
TO My loving Neighbours and Christian Friends.
Brethren,
MY hearts desire and request unto God for you is, that ye may be saved: I say the Truth in Christ also, I lye not, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great Heaviness, and continual Sorrow in my Heart, for them amongst you, who as yet walk disorderly, and not as beseemeth the Gospel, little labouring to acquaint themselves with the Mystery of Godliness; for many walk, of whom I have told you often weeping, and now tell you again with Sorrow, that they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their Belly, who mind earthly things. You know (Brethren) how I have been amongst you, and in what manner, for these few years past; and how I have kept back nothing (to the utmost of the dispensation to me committed) that was profitable unto you; but have shewed you and taught you publickly, and from House to House, testifying to all, Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. Now with what Sincerity this hath been by me performed; with what Issue and Success by you received, God the righteous Judge will one Day declare; for before him, must both you and I appear, to give an account of the dispensation of the glorious Gospel amongst us: in the mean while, the desire of my Heart is, to be Servant to the least of you in the Work of the Lord. And that in any way, which I can conceive profitable unto you either in your Persons or your Families. Now amongst my Indeavours in this kind, after the Ordinance of Publick Preaching the Word, there is not, I conceive, any more needful, (as all will grant that know the Estate of this Place, how taught of late days, how full of grosly ignorant Persons) then Catechising, which hath caused me to set aside some Hours for the compiling of these following, which also I have procured to be printed meerly because the least part of the Parish are able to read it in Writing, my Intention in them being, principally, to hold out those necessary Truths, wherein you have been in my Preaching more fully instructed: as they are, the use of them I shall briefly present unto you.
1. The lesser Catechism may be so learned of the younger sort, that they may be ready to answer to every Question thereof.
2. The greater will call to mind much of what hath been taught you in publick, especially concerning the Person and Offices of Jesus Christ.
3. Out of that you may have help to instruct your Families in the lesser, being so framed for the most part, that a Chapter of the one, is spent in unfolding a Question of the other.
4. The texts of Scripture quoted, are diligently to be sought out and pondered, that you may know indeed whether these things are so.
5. In reading the Word, you may have light into the meaning of many places, by considering what they are produced to Confirm.
6. I have been sparing in the Doctrine of the Sacraments, because I have already been so frequent in examinations about them.
7. The handling of moral Duties I have wholly omitted, because by God's assistance I intend for you a brief Explication of the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, with some Articles of the Creed, not unfolded in these, by themselves, by the way of Question and Answer.
Now in all this as the pains hath been mine, so I pray that the Benefit may be yours, and the Praise his, to whom alone any good, that is in this or any thing else, is to be ascribed. Now the God of Heaven continue that Peace, Love, and Amity amongst our selves, which hit herto hath been unshaken, in these divided Times, and grant that the Scepter and Kingdom of his Son may be gloriously advanced in your hearts, that the things which concern your Peace may not be hidden from your eyes in this your day: which is the daily Prayer of
Your Servant in the work of the Lord, J. O. From my Study, Septem. the last.