advancing the great Defign you are fo intent in carrying on; I have no longer any Reafon to hinder my prefenting it to You. I am very fenfible it is no Commendation to collett what others have written: But it is not Praife that I seek after; I have no other Defign, than to be as useful as I can, and thereby to be enabled to give up a comfortable Account of my Stewardship.

May the bleffed GOD, whose Interest you are fo much concerned for, blefs and fucceed your pious and good Endeavours: May He make all Oppofitions to fall before You here; and may You bereafter receive that Reward which attends thofe who turn many to Righteousness. This is, and fhall be the hearty Praycr of,

My LORDS and GENTLEMEN,

Your most Unworthy,

And Humble Servant,

J. LEWIS.

vii

The PREFACE.

My dearly beloved Neighbours,

I

Here present you with a fhort and easy Explication of that Catechifm, which our Church has provided, and enjoined to be learnt by all her Members, before they are brought to be Confirmed by the Bishop; and wherein are taught you all Things a Christian - ought to know and believe, in order to his eternal Salvation.

How feasonable and neceffary a Provifion this is, our woful Experience of the wretched Ignorance and Irreligion of Persons in those Places, where Catechifing is neglected, does fufficiently convince us. And indeed, where the Grounds and Principles of our holy Religion have never been well laid, Preaching rarely proves effectual; nor can it otherwife be expected, than that our Flocks should be render'd an eafy Prey to every Seducer.

I would not have you ignorant, Brethren, that Preaching of Sermons without Catechizing, is like Building without first laying the Foundation. Without this Way of Inftruction, the Mind is render'd like a Ship without Ballaft, and can keep no fteady Course, but rolls and is toffed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine, and in continual Danger of overfetting. Hence it comes to pass, that

fo

fo many are continually hearing, and yet eannot understand; ever learning, and never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth. Nay, hence it is, that even the holy Word of God, the great Fountain of Truth, is, by fuch uncatechized and unprincipled Men, fo often applied for the Confirmation of the greatest ErTors and moft abfurd Opinions. On the other hand; where there is a fure Foundation laid, in a found Knowledge of the Principles of Chriftianity, the Mind, like a House built on a Rock, ftands firm against the Shock of every Temptation. And as eafy as Catechifing may feem to fome ignorant People; yet if it be duly confidered, and feriously performed, it will be found to have more of Labour in it than Preaching itself; tho', when all is done, I am well aware it fhall pleafe much less.

And now, I do most earnestly befeech all you that are Fathers and Mothers, Mafters and Miftreffes, to take especial Care to inftil into the Minds of your Children and Servants the Knowledge and Fear of God, both by Inftruction and good Examples; the which will be a great Help to me in promoting the Salvation of their Souls. Indeed, unless you do ufe your Authority, and afford me that neceffary Affiftance which God requires, and I may justly demand from you, I cannot hope for that Succefs or Comfortin my Ministerial Labours, which (thro' the Bleffing of Almighty God)

God) I could hardly fail of, when confcientiously affifted by you. Wherefore, as it is my Duty to inftruct them by a diligent and faithful Difcharge of this moft Primitive and Apoftolick Inftitution,fo it is no lefs your Duty, to fee that all those who are under your Care do diligently and seriously attend to it; and accordingly I adjure you, as you will answer it to the great Judge of Quick and Dead, and as you tender the everlafting Welfare of your Children and Servants, to interpose your Authority in this Behalf. Sirs, It would be a very great Inftance of Cruelty, and Want of natural Affection in you, to deny them their daily Bread for their mortal Bodies; and yet, that would be mean and inconfiderable, when compared with the more dreadful Effects of denying them the Means of faving Knowledge for their immortal Souls. But I hope better Things of you, and fuch as accompany Salvation.

I only add, that this Expofition is chiefly collected from thofe of the moft judicious and learned Divines of our Church, which have been published. For I thought it vain to attempt to make any new Explanation, fince 'tis hardly poffible to fay any Thing that has not been faid already; and my Design was chiefly to make one, that fhould be more ufeful to the younger Sort of my Parishioners, than those I have yet feen. Accordingly, I have endea

voured

voured to make the Answers plain and fhort that they may be sooner learned, and more ea fily remember'd; and have fo placed the Scrip ture Proofs, that the meaneft Capacities may know what it is they are brought to prove. have likewife divided the Whole into Five Parts, that fo you may the better fee the De fign of the Catechism: And because some of thefe Parts are of a greater Length than can be conveniently gone thro' at one Time, I thought it best to subdivide them into Twelv Sections, that fo the Whole may be finished in Twelve Weeks.

May it please the God of all Grace and Mercy to give his Blefling to our united En deavours: That an abundant Entrance being made into the Kingdom of our Lord and Sa viour Jefus Chrift, when the great Bishop of Souls fhall come to make his general Vifita tion, we may be able to give up our refpec tive Accounts with Joy, and not with Grief and so receive the End of our Hopes, the Re ward of our Labours, even the Salvation of al our Souls; which are the daily Prayers, and fhall be the conftant Endeavours of

Your truly affectionate Paftor,

And Servant in Chrift Jefus