3

by reafon of whom the way of Truth is evil spoken of, and through Covetousness with feigned works, make merchandise of men, as St. Peter foretold, 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2, 3. Many who will not endure found doErine, but after their own lufts, heap to themselves Teachers, having itching ears; and fo fulfil the Prophecy of St. Paul, 2 Tim. 4. 3. And of thofe who ftill continue in the Communion of the Church, and in the outward profeffion of the true Christian Faith, There are many who although they profefs to know God, yet in works they deny him, being abominable and difobedient, and unto every good Work reprobate, Tit. 1. 16. Many, did I fay? I wish I could not fay almost all : But alas! it is too plain to be denyed.

For, of that vaft Company of People that are called Chriftians in this King. dom, how few are there that live as becometh the Gofpel of Chrift? that finish the Work which God hath given them to do, even glorifie him in the World? How many that refufe or neglect to worship and ferve him upon his own Day? how few that do it upon any other Day, when they have any thing elfe to do? How many that never received the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper in their whole lives? How few that re

ceive it above two or three times in the Year, how often foever they are invited to it? How many are the Proud, the Paffionate, the Covetous, the Intemperate, the Incontinent, the Unjuft, the Prophane and Impious, in comparison of the Humble and Meek, and Liberal, and Sober, and Modeft, and Righteous, and Holy among us? The difproporti on is fo vaftly great, that none but God himself can make the Comparifon : So little of Chriftianity is now to be found amongst Christians themselves; to our fhame be it fpoken.

It is indeed a matter of fo much Shame as well as Grief, to all that have any regard for the Honour of Chrift their Saviour, that they cannot but be very folicitous to know how it comes to pafs, that his Doctrine and Precepts are fo generally flighted and neglected as they are in our Days? and how they may be obferved better for the future than now they are? Both which Queftions may be eafily refolved; for we cannot wonder, that of the many which profefs the Chriftian Religion, there are fo few that live up to it, when we confider how few are duly inftructed in the firft Principles of it,

The Religion which Chrift hath revealed to the World, is by his Grace and Bleffing fettled and established among us, fo as to be made the Religion of the Kingdom in general: And therefore all that are Born in it, are, or ought to be, according to his Order or Inftitution, foon after baptized, and fo made his Difciples, or Chriftians by Profeffion.And the Church takes Security of those who thus bring a Child to be baptized, that when it comes to be capable of it, it fhall be inftructed in the Catechifm, which she for that purpose hath fet forth, containing all the Principles of that Religion into which it was baptized. But notwithstanding this hath been negJected for many Years, whereby it is come to pass that the far greateft part of the People in this Kingdom, know little or nothing of the Religion they profess, but only to profefs it as the Religion of the Country where they live; they may perhaps be very zealous for it, as all People are for the Religion in which they are born and bred, but take no care to frame their Lives according to it, because they were never rightly informed about it; or, at leaft, not foon enough, before Error or Sin hath got poffeffion of them, which one or other

of

of them commonly doth before they are aware of it; for they are always as Chil dren toffed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine, by the fleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, Eph, 4. 14. And whatsoever Sin gets dominion over them, there it reigns and domineers in their mortal Bodies, fo that they obey it in the Lufts thereof, in fpight of all that can be faid to them out of God's own Word; for they are no way edified by any thing they hear, in that the Foundation is not firft laid upon which they fhould build up themselves, in that most holy Faith that is preached to them. The Word they hear is as Seed that falls by the way fide, or upon a rock, or elfe among thorns, and fo never comes to perfection; their Hearts not being prepared before-hand, and rightly difpofed for it, by having the Principles of the Doctrine of Chrift first infused into them,

This therefore being the great caufe of that shameful Decay of the Christian Religion that is so vifible among us, we can never expect to fee it repaired, unlefs the great Duty of Chatechifing be revived, and the Laws that are made a bout it, be strictly obferved all the King B 4

dom

dom over; as moft certainly they ought to be, not only as they are the Laws both of the Church and State, under which we live, but likewife for that they are grounded upon the Word of God himfelf, who exprefly commands the fame thing by his Apoftle, faying, Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

For here, by nurture, we are to understand, as the Greek Word waría fignifies, that Difcipline which Parents ought to exercise over their Children, to prevent their falling into, or continuing in any wicked courfe. And by the Admonition of the Lord, is meant the Catechifing, or putting them in mind of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and of what he would have them believe and do. that they may be faved. For the Original Word void, which we tranflate Admonition, properly fignifies Catechifing. (Kalnav vedliv Hefych.) And therefore 'to chatechife or inftruct Children in the Knowledge of God and our Lord Jefus Chrift, is a Duty here laid upon all Parents by Almighty God himself; and all that neglect to educate or bring up their Children in the Admonition of the Lord, by catechifing or teaching them

the