Milk for Babes, Dedication 1
TO His much Honoured Patroneſſe, the Lady HONORIA NORTON, of Southwick in Hantſhire: All happineſſe here and here-after.
MAdam, I muſt make my Apology before I ſay a word more. I preſent a Catechiſm unto you who are able to inſtruct others: and a mothers Catechiſm for her children, when you have no children of your own under your inſtruction now. This may ſeem ſtrange to them that know not you to be to me a great encourager to this little work: & to them that are ignorant of your affections to a common good: You have had experience of the power, and profit of it in your family, and in the Congregation over which you care; and you will have me do ſome little good by it (as you think) to others that may ſee, and uſe it. The bleſsing of God be upon it: and their bleſſing fall upon you (if they receive good by it) who have bin the main cauſe, under God, of my ſetting it forth. I confeſſe that I have, thus many yeares laſt paſt, been ſolicited, by many well minded people, (who have had the benefit of my private exerciſes) to have let this unpoliſhed birth to walk into many houſes; But being loath to hold out a little candle to a quick-ſighted age; or to prevent the more elaborate endeavours of my learned brethren, I have ſhut it up, rather in my head, where it ſtuck by judgment, and frequency; then under my pen, which is not ſo happy as my tongue, in this kinde. But now being overcome by your Ladyſhips entreating-commands, and commanding favours; I can hold it a priſoner, no longer. I let it looſe from my head and heart, to my pen, and paper, and from thence to every Engliſh ſoul, to be either embraced, or rejected according to preſent fanſie. If it prove un-ſucceſſefull, I'le bear the blame; who, as an old man being ready to deny my ſelf a being in this world, have a little learned to deny my ſelf in this, and ſuffer words of diminution: But if it prove acceptable to Chriſts Church, and profitable to his meaneſt Members; you (Madam) ſhall have the thanks, and credit, under whoſe wings it hath found leiſure to be born. I know that you will be cōmending it to ſome of your friends, if not out of ſelf-worth, yet out of a conceit and expectation of ſome ſuch like thing. But, I beſeech you be wary. To praiſe that which deſerves it not, may ſpeak well of your affections, but diſcommend your judgment: and I would not have you engage where it may be a prejudice to you in the iſſue. Indeed, this little Treatiſe is a Catechiſm. And whereas preaching is a ſpeaking unto men to inſtruction, 1 Cor. 14.3 Luk. 1.4. Act. 2. Mat. 22.37 Joh. 3.16.edification, and comfort; Catechiſing is a ſpeaking to men for inſtruction mainly: preaching is a dilating of one member of religion into a body; Catechiſing is the contracting of the whole into a a ſum: Preaching is for all ſorts; Catechiſing for the yong, and ignorant: this may commend the work, if the workman were anſwerable, and, as a Maſter-builder did lay the foundation. But I know not how it fals out; this Treatiſe is much, in a little, and that little derived from the capacitie of a mother, to the capacity of a child: & therfore can promiſe nothing, but poorneſſe of judgement, and plain-neſſe of affections.
Whether it be worthy others view or no, it will be acceptable to them that love and deſire it; and ſo, I humbly preſent it to you (Madam). Though you have no childrē of your own, but they that are above theſe inſtructions; yet have you many grand-children, whom, like Olive-branches, you rejoyce to ſee about your table. Theſe, it may be, may be under them, and by the uſe of this book, grace may by little & little, drop like dew upon them. Be but as you are, like Timothy his mother and grand-mother (who trained him from a childe in the Scriptures) to train them up in undoubted principles, as oftē as they come about you; and they will, in after time, thank God that they had ſuch a grand-mother. I pray to our good God, that this little Book may but help you a little; and it hath done all the work I can expect from you.
Be pleaſed but to take notice of of the honourable work of Catechiſing, and of the fruit of it. Catechiſing is very high-born. Before the floud, Adam catechized Abel. … eb. 11.4.For it is ſaid that Abel offered hyfaith: and faith embraceth a word: therefore, when there was none writtē; it muſt be by Adams catechiſing Abel, as he had learned of God. After the floud, Gen. 14.14 Gen. 17.1.Abraham had his catechiſed ſervants: Gen. 18.18.& we finde his Catechiſm to be the ſum of the law: and the ſum of the Goſpel: which had ſuch ſweet fruit upon his family, Gen. 24.63that his ſon went out to pray, and was willing to ſubmit to be ſacrificed: Gen 22.and his ſervant prayed when he was about his work, Gen. 24.12 26.33. Gen. 14.gives thanks when he found ſucceſſe, and wil not eat before he hath done his Maſters buſines: yea, all his ſervants, at his word, were ready to hazard their lives in Lots reſcue. In the time of the Law, God commanded to whet the Word upon their children by catechiſing: Deut. 6.7.in which they were ſo punctual, that under perſecuting Antiochus, and after to Chriſt, the Rabbies report in Ieruſalem, not fewer then 400. houſes for catechiſing. This made the Iews know the Scriptures as perfectly as their own names, wheras moſt amongſt us know ſcarcely the names of the Scriptures. Luk. 1.4. Act. 18.In the time of the Goſpel, as Theophilus, and Apollos were catechiſed: Gal. 6.6.ſo God appointeth a great reward for Catechizers, even to be made partakers of all our goods. Now, for the fruit of Catechiſing; certainly it brings a more diſtinct knowledge of the grounds of religion; a good entrance to eat the ſtronger meat of the Scriptures; & to learn us to make an Hedge of Divinity, to encloſe, all our readings, & hearings from the word, within their proper bounds, for the ſetling of our judgments, and raiſing up our affections inſuperably. This was ſeen well enough of old. Therefore an Ancient hath obſerved, that, by vertue of Catechiſing, there was never a King in the world, but ſuffered alteration in his Heatheniſh Religion within forty years after Chriſt: and the greateſt enemy that ever the Chriſtian Religion had (Iulian the Perſecuter), left off inventing of torments, and put down Schools of Learning, and Catechiſings, the onelyonly ways to build up Chriſtianitie. By how much more honourable it is, and by how much excellent uſe it hath had, by ſo much the more (Madam) love, reſpect, and countenance it in all yours.
I confeſſe that this work will help but a little, very little: but better a little, then nothing at this excellent work. We finde in theſe diſtracted times, the foundation mightily deſerted, and ſome of them ſhaken: but ſuper-ſtructives, yea antiſtructives to be pegged up to the higheſt ſtrains: In which reſpect it may be ſaid of us, as of the old Philoſophers, and newer Schoolmen, that the noyſe of their diſputations ſo filled the ears of God, that he could not hear their prayers: and even ſo (I fear) may it be ſaid of us. It behoves us, therfore, to elevate the ſure grounds, & to call home to abſolute neceſſaries, leſt in finding barks; we loſe trees: and maintaining twigs; we loſe the ſap and comfort of the root. As I began with an Apology, ſo I had need end with one for my length, but that I am very well aſſured of your religious love, and patience to him, who is (Madam)
Yours in the ſervice of the Goſpel: ROBERT ABBOT.