of the aforefaid Hiftory, remains, or you think there may where you have a Copy of be no poffible means to recover the this Pass, with other things no lefs remarkable. Queft. Pray favour me with your Opinion as to the following Relation, viz. 4 certain Minifter in the City of Exeter, (lately deceas'd) fome Years fince, was by Revelation in a Dream (but whether from Divine Inspiration or otherwife, I will not infift upon) inform'd that at a certain place (to him nam'd) he should find a Treafure; which Revelation he duly obferves, and accordingly digs and finds a Six-pence, which he keeps to fee the Event of the Dream, and which as often as he paid it away would return into his Pocket again, and the Receivers not wrong'd, but had always their full Complement of Money: At Laft the Gentleman admiring the Strangeness of the thing, not knowing from what fupernatural Cause it proceeded, threw it into the Sea, and never after heard of it, or faw it. Now Gentlemen, whether what he did was commendable or praife-worthy; and whether he might not more lawfully have converted it to pious Ufes by frequent Diftributions to the poor, (which would have eterniz'd his Name to futurity) is the drift of my Queftion; and a Word of your Opinion in the Matter would much oblige one, who being nearly related to him, is extremely concern'd, and cannot be fatisfy'd but from you; left by thus throwing away, as feems to me, the Gift of Heaven, he should with it have depriv'd his Heirs of a very great Bleffing and Ability of doing Good; and whether they may expect to be profper'd with what fame? Anfw. Since his Fancy had fuch a fhare in the procuring it, 'twas fomething juft it fhou'd have fome in the betowing it too; and who knows its hidden Qualities? Perhaps it might be as ferviceable to the Inhabitants of the watry Element, as it would have been to ours. Belides, 'twas a pretty fort of a myfterious Treafure, and not fit to be communicated to every one, left too much Acquaintance with it might have dif cover'd too much of its real Value. And if the Gentleman has but intail'd his Faculty of dreaming, no matter for that particular Piece, his Heirs can never want as many of the like Opportunities of ferving their Country as they pleafe. Queft. It cannot be deny'd but that the inftructing Children in the first Principles of Religion, is a most useful and necessary Work: but what ground is there in the holy Scriptures, for that form or manner of Catechizing as is now in use, viz. by way of Question and Answer? An,w. We anfwer, (1.) God. in his Word, commanding the Catechizing and Inftruction of Youth, we must perform it in that Method that may bett conduce to the attaining the End. (2.) The Method of Queftion and Answer is a natural way of familiar, inftructive Difcourfe; and the very Light of Nature has directed the Hea 1. When any defir'd to become a Profelyte, Inquiry was made, not only into the Life of Life of the Catechumen, but of those who brought him. 2. Upon Admonition, and a Promise of Reformation, he was admitted into the Rank of Catechumens, by Prayer, and Impofition of Hands; and fo pafs'd over to his Inftructor, in a private School, or Auditory. Christ taught both privately 3. The Catechift enterand publickly, by way of Que-tain'd him with a long Narftion and Answer. (4.) Tho' we recommend this as a moft proper, yet we do not affert it the only Method for familiar Inftruction; but our Querift has Liberty to ufe any other which he finds really conducing to this great End, as well as this. was, Conftantine's first and greatest Care towards his Sons, to fecure the Happiness of their Souls, by fowing the Seeds of Piety in their Minds; which he did partly himself, by appointing Religious Tutors for them; and when he had taken them into a Partnership of the Government, by private Admonitions, or Letters giving them Counfel, c. This was always the first and chief Point, that they fhould prefer the Knowledge. and Worship of God, the great King of the World, before all other Advantages, Empire it felf. yea, the ration of the Story of the Bible, from the Creation, to the Birth, Life, Death, • and Refurrection of our Saviour, c. clofing with the laft Judgment, and an • Admonition to beware of falfe Teachers, and of being • fcandaliz'd at the ill Lives of fome Christians: The Catechift all this while ftanding; tho' St. Austin would have had it chang'd into a fitting Pofture, to prevent weariness. 4. After this, they were taught particular Points, as of Faith, &c. then admitted to the Leffons and the Expofitions of them in pub•lick; and laftly, to the Prayers of the Catechu two or more Years, they gave up their Names and Petitions to be baptiz'd, ufually before Eafter; and then were ply'd Mr. Turner in his Hiftory ofwith earnest Exhortations to all Religions, tells us the Order Repentance, Fafting, of Catechizing in the Primi- Prayer. tive Times was thus, viz. and He further tells us, In a Sy- By Canons given under King Edgar, A. C. 967. care was taken, That Children fhould be taught their Paternofter and Credo, by their Parents; elfe, when dead, not to be buried in Confecrated Ground, or thought worthy to receive the Eucharift. A. C. 1548. Arch-Bifhop ⚫ Cranmer compiled a Catechifm, dedicates it to the King, and in his Epiftle complains of the great neglect that had been in • former times of Catechifing. It was the Obfervation of the Learned'ft King that ever fate on the English Throne, That the Caufe of the Mifcarriage of our People into Popery, and other Errors, was their ungroundednefs in the • Points of Catechifm. There'fore his faid Majefty, gave publick Order for beftowing the latter part of the LORD's We Thus far Mr. Turner fhall only add, we defire Parents of Children, and Governours of Families, to confider with themfelves, what a great, neceffa ry, and beneficial Duty, this of Catechifing is. Humble your felves in fecret for your great and long neglect of it. Beg of God Courage for, and Conduct and Succefs in it. Refolve, that you will break through all Temptations and Oppofitions, and fet upon this Duty and ftudy to do it to the beft advantage. For which end a very fit and useful Book is recommended, Entituled, Knowledge and Practice: or, The Chriftian briefly guided in the Path to Heaven; in a familiar Way of Question and Answer, in Four Parts: With fuitable Prayers for Families, Private Perfons, and Youth. Queft. Ihad the misfortune to commence an acquaintance with a young Gentlewoman whose converfation prov'd so very agreeable, that it treated in me an extrairdinary paffion for her, to which The feem'd to make a very kind return; and divers Letters reciprocally past betwixt us, to the fatisfallion of both; but lately be Y has been very urgent with me to burn thofe of hers: whith at last to gratifie her I did; she was no Jooner affur'd of it, but contrary to all the Promifes fhe made, for no reafon, her reception is colder than the weather; which makes me fo very melancholy, that I fear 'twill be my ruin: although I have endeavour'd to carry it before her with the like indifference; and very lately took my final leave: but still I find it impoffible to forget her, and cannot bear her abfence, although very sharply repuls'd. I wou'd defire your advice in the matter, being natu rally prone to revenge, which must either light on her or my self. Anfw. If you'll but hang your felf a little, the work is effe&tually done; for were the a perfect Niobe, you'd melt her into Tears to lofe fuch a faith ful Lover, whatever she may pretend. But if you have a mind to deal more feverely with your felf, and lefs rigorously with your Miftrefs, feek out fome more foft and gentle Creature, in whose Looks you may find a fufficient Balm for all your Wounds; and never go near the firft, unless it be as an old Acquaintance, to let her know the good Succefs you have with the latter, and this will pleafe her well, fince we naturally love to fee others preferred before us. are different kinds of Arts; yet we may fay that there are some neceffary, as Husbandry, the Shepherds Art: Others are profitable, as the Art of Building Houfes, the Tailors and Shoemakers Art, Manufacture, Traffick: Others are for Ornament, as Embroidery, Dancing: Others for Pleature, as Confectioners, Perfumers, or Musicians Art. So that the principal End of Arts is for Neceffity, for Profit, for Ornament, for Pleasure. Quelt. What lay you in particular of Medicine? Anfw. I think that no Art fhould be preferred to Medicine, fince Divine Authority has commanded us to honour Medicine for its neceffity. Yet 'tis not the moft necessary. Queft. May we difpenfe with the want of Phyficians? Anfw. Yes, they were above 600 Years in Rome without Phyficians, after they drove them out; but we must not therefore fay that we can be whole without Medicine, as those who drove away the Magiftrates of a City, did not therefore drive away Juftice; Nature teaches us both. Queft. What say you of the Art of Traffick; is it not the most neceffary? Anfw. I know well that Commerce keepeth up Society among Men, but it is an interefted Society. I know very well Which is the most necessary of that without Commerce we the Arts? Queft. Tell me what is the End of Arts? Anfw. The defign and end of Arts is as different as there cannot accommodate one another with things that are, ufeful to the Life of Man. I know fufficiently that Commerce maketh Cities, and that States lay their Foundation on Traffick Yet Yet 'tis not therefore the moft neceffary. Queft. What Jay you of Poliricks, is not it molt necessary? Anfw. I know that Polity is the Eye and Soul of a State. It giveth Recompences: It punifheth the Faulty: It fetteth a Price on things: It maketh Armies to march into Campagne, and recalls them according as Neceffity requires: It gives Juftice to every one: It giveth Arts their free exercife: yet 'tis not the moft Neceffary. Queft. What say you of the Military Art? Is it not most neceffary? Anfw. I know that the Military Art is the Sword and Buckler of a State. 'Tis in vain to Labour, Turmoil, Plead, Traffick or Phyfick our felves, if the Soldier do not defend us from the Inroads of the Enemy, and preferve the State in Freedom. In fine, tho' it be Master of all the Arts, it is not notwithftanding the moft neceffary. Quest. You will fay the fame of others; tell me then which is the most necessary Art? be to us, if the Earth did not afford us where with to keep up our Health? What would. the Military Art fignifie, if the Earth did not furnish us with what is neceffary to maintain Soldiers and Horfes? In fine, we may fay that without Agriculture, no other Art could fubfift; for 'tis it that preserveth our Life, for which every Body works. For this reafon the Earth is called the common Mother, and by confequence thofe that manure it, are as it were the common Fathers of all the World. Thus we read that Apollo, Paris, Saul and David, practis'd it. There is nothing that makes Men fo vigilant, laborious, and indefatigable as Husbandry. 'Tis owing to it that we have had fo great Captains, Coriolan, Serran, Curius, Cato, and fo many others. Of the Art of Divining. Queft. What is it to divine? Anfw. 'Tis to predict future things which are hid and removed from our Knowledge. Queft. How many forts are there of it? Anfw. Three forts, Predicti on, which comes from God, and is called Prophecy; that which comes from the Devil, and is called Demoniack; and that which comes purely from Natural Caufes, and is called Prefaging or Conjecture. Anfw. If we take advice of every Artizan, there is none but will fay that his Art is moft neceffary, As a feller of Matches, who finding himself in danger in a Boat on the Seine, hugging his Merchandize cried out, City of Paris, what a Lofs thou'lt fuffer! But to confider things in themfelves, Husbandry feems to be the most neceffary; therefore Cicero calls it an Occupation moft becoming an Ingenu- Anfw. It is a Divine infpiraous Spirit. Ariftotle faith, that tion which forefeeth and decla'tis the Mother of all the Arts, reth, with an unmoveable Truth and the jufteft way of acquiring. and great Certainty, things that Of what ufe would Medicine are at a distance from us. Queft. What is Prophecy? Y 2 Quest. |