wwwwwwwww THE ARCHBISHOP TO THE READER. F thou wanteft inftruction in religion, and art not furnished with better than what this little book may afford thee, do not content thyfelf with once or twice reading of it, but read it over a great many times and if there be any paffage in it which feems doubtful or difficult to thee, propofe it to the minifter, or to any other difcreet and well-inftructed christian, that he may explain it to thee, and never leave off until thou art arrived to a clear knowledge, and ready remembrance of all the things that are therein contained. B contained. And when thou art thus far grounded in the knowledge of religion, fet thyfelf to the diligent reading of the holy fcriptures, and fuch other books as may farther improve thee in it, and effectually ftir thee up to the diligent practice of it. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them, John xiii. 17. PRE PREF A CE. То 00 many there are of those that profess christianity, who understand but very little of the true design and purport of it; and while they are fo little acquainted with that which ought to be the rule of their faith and actions, it is not to be wondered, that their opinions are abfurd and foolish, and their lives wicked. Many good fermons are preached, and books published for the instruction of the people: but as a lecture (however learned and rational) in any art or science, is not to be understood by any man who is not first made acquainted with the general fyftem of it; fo fermons and other excellent difcourfes are but loft to abundance of men, for want of their being before-hand carefully grounded in the knowledge of those things which generally all chriftians do agree in.. I grant, indeed, that fuch things as thefe, men ought to have learned by attending on the work of catechifing in their younger days: but where they have neglected this so neceffary a thing in their youth, we ought, in charity to their fouls, to use the best and eafieft method we can, to bring them to it in their riper years. It has been the judgment of fome wife and learned men, that the most effectual way, under God, to bring all christian people to a true and profitable understanding of, and steadiness in, their religion, would be, to have a set of plain and short discourfes compofed, equal in number to the Sundays in one year, and plainly, and fully containing the whole body of chriftianity; and to have one of these discourses read every Lord's-day in each christian congregation; and so to continue from one year to another and if men could be content with wholefome instruction, and were not fo ftrangely fond of novelty, of fancy, and variety of expreffion, I think indeed that a better way than this could not be contrived. And this very thing brought it into my mind, that if any reasonable draught of the whole chriftian religion could be made in very plain language, and brought within the compafs of one hour's reading: fuch a little sort of a book being put into the hands of those who have not money to buy, or leifure to read those that are larger; and being often read in private by fingle perfons, in families, and in English fchools, and being given in parcels to boys at the Latin school, to tranflate, as their Sunday's exercise, might be of extraordinary good use, in order to the imprinting, and for ever keeping fresh |