The Four General Heads of Christian Religion, Preface – Summary
A PREFACE.
WHat books are abroad in the world, either of this kind or any other, I am but little acquainted with, of late times; living remote from the Kiriath-Sephers, Josh. 15.15the common Marts, and Staples of such marchandises; and being rendred both unable to buy and uncapable to employ them.
Yet my reason tells me, and it is the common voice and vote of divers others as I hear, that Catechising is a very necessary expedient for the preservation of Christian Religion among us, and the most probable means, if not to recover the Diseased from infection, yet to preserve the Sound from being infected.
The principal way of fortifying against false Teachers, is to be well-grounded in the principles of true teaching, that is, of the doctrine of Christ; without which, men are like chaff,Sine magno molimine ab area excutitur, quod nullo pondere intra aream tenebatur. Vinc. Lir. c. 2.5. …rona sunt in ruinam quae sine fundamentis creverunt. Sen. l. de ira. cap. 16. without any solid grain in them, which are soon blown away from the floor of the Church; and tossed to and fro, with every wind of vain doctrine, like a ship without ballast or anchor; and like a building, that having no basis or foundation, is easily storm'd down, and demolished.
And hence it is, that the Master-builders of our Sion (who have spent much pains in the Pulpit, yet) because they have spent so little in foundation-work, have found that they did but aedificare in ruinam, and that all their labour was but lost in building.
The smallest of Gods creatures do often read Lectures unto their Master, man:Prov. 6.6. the Pismire reads a Lecture of providence and industry: and the Bee reads a lesson of wit and sagacity. For this wise little foul, Apis Sapi, entissima avicula. Basil. Hexaem. c. 8. Ecclus. 11.12.when she goes abroad a forraging, and is (perhaps) surprised with windy-weather; before she adventures back again, she takes up some gravel in her fangs, to balance her little body, and then she hoises sail, and steers her course home-wards, more stedily.
—Saepe lapillos
Ut cymbae instabiles,Virg l. 4. Georg. fluctu jactante, saburram
Tollunt, his sese per inania nubila librant.
If men would learn the like providence, before they adventure forth in windy-weather, among the storms and counter-tydes of disputes and controversies in the world, as to take in the ballast of Catholick principles which are here treated of, they would certainly hold their road and course with more safety, and less danger of making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience.
They would not fluctuate like those unstable souls that Optatus speaks of, Inter licet nostrum et non licet vestrum, L. 3. contra Donatistas.nutant & remigant populorum animae. For let the winds blow, and the waters flow, and the Devil storm never so much, a well-principled Christian knows how to steer his course, and where to rest and cast anchor.
This is the benefit and advantage of Catechistical exercises and of building up a Christian Methodically, from the foundation upward. Such an Edifice,Eph. 2.21. being foreign, an harmonious building; the super-structure being cemented to the foundation, and the roof and covering being adapted to the super-structure, and all parts being framed and compacted according to the Rule of Proportion, Rom. 12.6.is most like to last and bear up, and to prove storm-proof.
Now the subject matter of Catechising (as all know) are the first principles of Christian Religion, which St. Paul calls the Elements, foreign. Heb. 5.12. foreign. Heb. 6.1. Sermo qui rudes in Christo inchoat. So Beza renders it. Ass artium, & Scientia Scientiarum est regimen animarum. Esa. 29.8.and the beginnings of the doctrine of Christ. As there are principles in all Sciences upon which the whole Art depends, and upon which it is built as upon a foundation: So in this Architectonical Science, and the Art of saving souls, there are certain principles which are of such moment and consequence, that he that hath not these, hath nothing; he graspeth a cloud, his soul is empty, like a hungry man that dreameth he is eating, and loe, when he awaketh, he is empty.
And the principles of this Divine Art, are these four: the Creed, the Commandments, the Lord Prayer, and the Sacraments.Append: to the Reformed Catholick. These are the Catholick Principles of the Catechism (saith reverend Perkins) which have been agreed upon, ever since the Apostles daies, by all Churches of the World:Cul. Paris. These are fundatoria Religionis, the foundations of that City that came down from heaven,Rev. which was four square; these are the four Elements that do constitute the Christian Faith; the Vials wherein the vital substance of Religion consisteth.foreign & foreign. They are (in brief) the antient Land-Marks that have been settled since the foundation of Christendom, and points that have been generally and universally received, wheresoever Christ had a Church; being Heyr-looms (as it were) and standing implements of the Church from the beginng;Haereditaria signacula, St. Am…brose calls them. l. 3. ad Grat. Imper. Communem Thesaurum & haereditatem paternam, St. Basil terms them, Ep. 70. and descending down from age to age (indisputably) to the Heirs of salvation.
Amidst all the garboils of the Church when it hath been (most) torn with Schi…ms and over-grovwn with the Tares of Heresie; in those times, when it required some wit to be a Christ…, and to continue so, God reserved this seed unto his Church and people, and preserved the vitals of Christianity un-invaded, at least among most men, and in most parts of the world.
True it is, that Satans Pioners have been busie (in all ages) with these foundations, and have turned up every stone in it yet that will not prejudice the universality of them, no more than some hills and vallies do perjudice the roundness of the earthly Globe.
So that, I may here fitly apply a piece of that Remonstrance, which the renowned Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria (together with the Bishops under his Patriarchate) presented to the Emperour Jovinian, being newly advanced to the Empire, to induce him to quit the Arrian party and to embrace the Orthodox Faith.
The Confession of Faith which we present unto your Highness (most sacred Emperor) is received by all the Churches of God every where, Auguste Sanctissime Yheodor. l. 4 Eccl. Hist. c. 3.as in Spain, Britain, France, Italy, Dalmatia, Mysia, Macedonia and all Greece: By all the Churches of Africa, Sardinia, Cyprus, Creet, Pamphylia, Lycia, Isauria; the Churches of Egypt, Lybia, Pontus, Cappadocia, and the neighbouring Regions of all the East, excepting some few of the Arrian faction that do oppugn it, Non tamen inde praejudicium fieri potest orbi universo: They are but as the dust of the ballance, and their paucity cannot prejudice the universal consent of the Christian World, as bearing no proportion with it.
I may say the same of these Catholick Principles that are handled in the ensuing pages: and therefore it is safe yea necessary to embrace,Vinc Lirin. cap. 3. Quod ab omnibus, quod ubique, & quod semper, &c. For there is nothing of this nature, that hath such an impress of Universality, Antiquity and Consent upon it,Quod universa tenet Ecclesia, nec Conciliis institutum, sed semper retentum, non nisi authoritate Apostolica traditum rectissinè creditur. Aug. l. 4. de Bapt. that is not Apostolical. For as the Apostles, in all points that they preached, were unius labii, of one lip and language, though their bodies were far a sunder: so were the Churches that were planted by them.foreign Tim. 6.20. They had all the same Depositum, the same Body of Theology, form of Doctrine, and System of saving and necessary truths, entrusted to them, which they also transmitted to the next generation, as faithfull Trustees and Depositaries, from whom they were handed over unto us, under the same trust and obligation of bequeathing them to our posterity, until Christ himself cut off the entail.
Let none therefore over-look these things, or despise the day of small things, Zach. 4.10.for by over-looking these, we have almost lost our religion: while we wander in vain fantasies, following after new notions, or new-nothings, Chymical and Chymerical Divinity and such quelques-choses to please the fastidious and irregular appetites of this age,Via trita est vita tuta. we are bewildred, like Travellers that disdaigning the beaten and obvious road-waies,We would go to the heavenly Canaan by the Kings high way, and turn neither to the right hand nor to the left. Numb. 20.17. are alwaies seeking out short cuts and compendious traverses, till they be entangled in some thickets, and can hardly meet with the right way again.
Lucret.Ardua dûm quaerunt, amittunt vera viaï.
Non contemnenda sunt parva, sine quibus magna esse non possunt. Hiero. Ep. ad LaetamWherefore despise not (I say) these small things, without which, none ever came to be great, in solid and saving knowledge.
God hangs great weights upon small wires: All Religion hangs upon these few plain principles which are Radical verities, Principia majora sunt vi quam magnitudine. Arist. de Coelo, l. 1. c. 5.from whence all others are extracted, as numbers from their rootes, and conclusions from their premisses.
When the French called upon the English (that came to the aid of Henry the 4th.) to hasten their slow march, one of the English Commanders replyed: Sir, Ro. Williams his Commentaries.With this march, our Forefathers did once over-run all France: we may say in like manner, that how meanly soever some may deem of these things, we know that by these waies and means the Gospel marched over the World, the Primitive Christians won the field, subdued whole Kingdoms unto Christ, and at last, won heaven for themselves.
By this means the Protestants got ground of the Papists,Pius the 4th. in his Bull de motu proprio, perfixed to the Trent-Catechism as the Pope himself once did complain; and divers *Dr. Gropper. Stapleton. Lud. Carbo.Romanists have confessed that the Protestants never used a more mischievous engine against Rome than Catechising; And thereupon they fell to counter-work them by the same way, and fram'd Catechisms of several sorts; And surely if ever they get back of us that ground which they have lost, it will be (as a Reverend man hath long since premonished) by this way,Mr. Rich. Greenham▪ above 50. years agone. by their more exact care in requiring of this duty from the Parochial Ministers.
I will preface no farther in this business, but advertise the Christian Reader that this Synopsis was intended for an explanation of the Church-Catechism, and (indeed) to succeed it in the order and method of teaching: for this presupposeth the learning of the other, and the having it by heart before hand,Cyrill. Catech. 4. as the foreign, the milky way, which all Children should first tread in, and learn to order their steps by.
Ediscebant pueri 12. Tabb. leges, ut Carmen necessarium. M. Tull. l. 2. de Ll.The Romans caused their Youth to learn the Laws of the 12. Tables by rote; and why should not Christian Children learn that more excellent Law of the Two Tables and the other Heads of Christian Love in their tender years, when the memory is most receptive of good impressions, & most retentive of what is committed to it? This (indeed) is fitted and set to the elevation of mens capacities at 12. and 13. years of age, when it begins to be day-breaks in their understandings in matters of this nature.
A year or two will not serve to be Discipulus Catechismi, under the discipline of the Catechist: This foundation-work will require more time & pains than so: Let none make too much haste out of this lower form,Debile fundamentum fallit opus. Cypr. praefat ad opuscula. till Christ be formed in him, and until these prima fidei lineamenta, the first lines and traces of Christ's face, be drawn upon the Tablet of his mind.
The variety and multiplicity of Catechisms which I hear to be abroad, hath kept this (a while) under my wing: But at last I adventured it abroad, because I understand, there are but few of those fram'd according to the Scheme of the Church-Catechism; and another motive of the publication was,Vtile est plures à pluribus fieri tractatus, diverso stylo, non diversâ fide, etiam de Quaestionibus iisdem, ut ad plurimos res ipsa proveniat; ad alios sic, ad alios autem sic. Aug. de Trint. cap. 3. the Counsel of a pious and learned Father of the Church, which was, that men should publish various Tract… touching one and the same subject, that the same thing coming forth in various dresses, into mens hands, they might be reduced to read and affect them, one way or other.
For sometimes the person of an Author (being familiarly known unto us) invites us to read: sometimes a singular method, and sometimes neatness and elegancy of style, prefers a Book to the Readers acceptance.
If any of these circumstances shall befriend this small piece, and procure it a favourable aspect from the Christian peruser, I may hope of some good may be done by it. And God give a blessing to it, according to the sincerity of my intentions therein.
And thine eares shall hear a word behind thee, saying: This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn unto the left.
Isa. 30.21.
YOung man, if thou wouldst Christian be
In truth, and in reality;
Four things imprint upon thy mind
Whil'st it is tender (yet) and kind.
1.
First learn the Creed, that golden Key
Of true Belief, which lets in day.
2.
The Precepts next must be thy Lore
To guide thee safe from shore to shore.
'Midst rocks of Vices, and the Sands
Which threat thy Vessel on all hands.
3.
Then that most holy Prayer take,
Which for thy use thy Lord did make
To teach thee to send fit desires,
Lest thou offend with foolish fires.
4.
The Sacraments in the last place
With bended knees and heart embrace,
The Seals of thy Redemption, and
Thy title to the Holy-Land:
Make use of these, if thou would'st fain
That life which knows no Death obtain.
BIs tria (1)Orat: Dom:sunt Oranda tibi, Credendaque, (2)Symbolum.bis sex:
Quae (3)Decalogus.Peragenda, decem: (4)Sacramenta.Participanda, duo.