Make them understand that it is not an arbitrary business of our own devising and imposing, but necessity is laid upon us, and if we look not to every member of the flock according to our power, they may perish in their own iniquities, but their blood will be required at our hands; it is God and not we, that is the contriver and imposer of the work; therefore they blame God, more than us in accusing it. Would they be so cruel as to wish a Minister to cast away his own soul knowingly and wilfully, for fear of troubling them in hindering their damnation? Especially acquaint them fully with the true nature of the Ministerial office, and the Church's necessity of it; how it consisteth in teaching and guiding all the flock; shew them that they must come to the congregation as scholars to school, and must be content to give an account of their learning, and be instructed man by man. Let them know what a tendency this hath to their salvation, what a profitable improvement it will be of their time, how much vanity and evil it will prevent; and when they once find that it is for their own good, they will the more easily yield to it.

3. When this is done, it will be necessary, according to our Agreement, that we give one of the Catechisms to every Family in the Parish, poor and rich, that they might be so far without excuse; for if you leave it to themselves, perhaps half of them will not get them. Whereas, when they have them put into their hands, the receiving is a kind of engagement to learn them; and if they do but read the Exhortation, it will perhaps convince them, and excite them to submit. In delivering them, the best way is, for the Minister first to give notice in the congregation that they shall be brought to their houses, and then go himself from house to house and deliver them, and take the opportunity of persuading them to the work; and as you go, take a catalogue of all the persons at years of discretion in the several Families, that you may know whom you have to take care of and instruct, and whom to expect when it cometh to their turn. I have formerly, in the distributing of some books among them, desired every Family to fetch them; but I found more confusion and uncertainty in that way; but in small Parishes either way may serve. And for the charges of the books, if the Minister be able, it will be well for him to bear it; if not, the best affected of his people of the richer sort should

bear it among them: or on a day of humiliation preparatory to the work, let the collection that is wont to be for the poor be employed to buy Catechisms, and the people be desired to be more liberal, and what is wanting, the wellaffected to the work may make up. And for the order of proceeding in small Parishes, the matter is not great; but in greater it will be needful that we take them in order, Family by Family, beginning the execution a month or six weeks after the delivery of the books, that they may have time to learn; and thus taking them together in common, they will the more willingly come, and the backward will be the more ashamed to keep off.

4. Be sure that you deal gently with them, and take off all discouragements as effectually as you can.-(1.) Tell them publicly, that if they have learned any other Catechism already, you will not urge them to learn this, unless they desire it themselves; for the substance of all Catechisms that are orthodox is the same; only our reasons for offering them this, was its brevity and fulness, that we might give them as much as we could in a few words, and so make their work more easy. If any of them would rather learn any other orthodox Catechism, let them have their choice. -(2.) As for the old people of weak memories, and not likely to live long in the world, who complain that they cannot remember the words; tell them that you do not expect that they should perplex their minds about it, but hear it often read over, and see that they understand it, and get the matter into their minds and hearts, and then they may be borne with, though they remember not the words.-(3.) And let your dealing with those that you begin with be so gentle, convincing and winning, that the report of it may be an encouragement to others to come.

5. If all this will not serve to bring any particular persons to submit, do not so cast them off; but go to them and expostulate the case with them; know what their reasons are, and convince them of the sinfulness and danger of their contempt of the help that is offered them. A soul is so precious, that we should not lose one for want of labour; but follow them while there is any hope, and not give them up as desperate, till there is no remedy. Before we give them over as dogs or swine, let us try the utmost, that we may have the experience of their obstinate contempt or

renting us, to warrant our forsaking them. Charity beareth and waiteth long.

II. Having used these means to procure them to come in and submit to your teaching, the next thing to be considered is, how you should deal most effectually with them in the work and again I must say, that I think it an easier matter by far, to compose and preach a good sermon, than to deal rightly with an ignorant man for his instruction in the necessary principles of religion. Much as this work is contemned by some, I doubt not but it will try the parts and spirits of Ministers, and shew them the difference between one man and another, more fully than pulpit preaching will do. And here I shall, as fitting to my purpose, transcribe the words of a most learned, orthodox and godly man, Bishop Usher, in his sermon before King James at Wansted, on Ephes. iv. 13. "Your Majesty's care can never be sufficiently commended, in taking order that the chief heads of the catechism should in the ordinary ministry be diligently propounded and explained unto the people throughout the land; which I wish were as duly executed every where, as it was piously by you intended. Great scholars possibly may think, that it standeth not so well with their credit, to stoop thus low, and to spend so much of their time in teaching these rudiments and first Principles of the doctrine of Christ. But they should consider that the laying of the foundation skilfully, as it is the matter of greatest importance in the whole building; so is it the very masterpiece of the wisest builder. According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, saith the great apostle. And let the most learned of us all try it whenever we please, we shall find, that to lay this groundwork rightly, (that is, to apply ourselves to the capacity of the common auditory, and to make an ignorant man to understand these mysteries in some good measure) will put us to the trial of our skill, and trouble us a great deal more, than if we were to discuss a controversy, or handle a point of learning in the schools. Yet Christ did give as well his apostles, and prophets, and evangelists, as his ordinary pastors and teachers, to bring us all, both learned and unlearned, unto the unity of this faith and knowedge and the neglecting of this, is the frustrating of the

whole work of the Ministry. For let us preach never so many sermons to the people, our labour is but lost, as long as the foundation is unlaid; and the first Principles untaught, upon which all other doctrine must be builded."

The Directions which I think necessary to be observed in the managing of the work, for matter and manner, are these following:

Direct. 1. When your neighbours come to you, one family, or more, begin with a brief preface, to demulce their minds, and take off this offence, unwillingness or discouragement, to prepare them to entertain your following instructions. Neighbours and brethren, it may perhaps seem to some of you, an unusual and troublesome business, that I put you upon; but I hope you will not think it needless; for if I had thought so, I should have spared you and myself this labour. But my conscience hath told me, yea, God hath told me in his Word, what it is to have the charge of men's souls, and how the blood of them that perish in their sins will be required at the hands of a Minister that neglecteth them, that I dare not be guilty of it. Alas, all our business in this world is to get well to heaven; and God hath appointed us to be guides to his people, to help them safe thither. If this be well done, all is done; and if this be not done, we are for ever undone! The Lord knows how short a time you and I may be together; and therefore it concerns us to do what we can for our own and your salvation, before we leave you, or you leave the world. All other employments in the world are but toys and dreams in comparison of this! The labours of your calling are but to prop up the cottages of your flesh, while you are making ready for death and judgment, which God knows is near at hand. And I hope you will be glad of help in so needful a work, and not think it much that I put you to this trouble, when the trifles of the world cannot be got without greater trouble.'

This, or something to this purpose, may tend to make them more willing to hear you, and receive instruction, and give you an account of their knowledge or practice, which must be the work of the day.

Direct. 2. When you have spoken thus to them all, take then the persons one by one, and deal with them as far as you can in private, out of the hearing of the rest. For some

cannot speak freely before others, and some cannot endure to be questioned before others, because they think it tendeth to their shame to have others hear their answers; and some persons that can make better answers themselves, will be ready when they are gone to tattle of what they heard, and to despise those that speak not so well as they. You must therefore be very prudent to prevent all these inconveniences. But the main reason is, as I find by experience, people will better take plain, close dealing, about their sin, and misery, and duty, when you have them alone, than they will before others; and if you have not opportunity to set it home and deal freely with them, you will frustrate all. If therefore you have a convenient place, let the rest stay in one room, while you confer with each person by themselves in another; only for the necessary avoiding of scandal, we must speak to the women, in the presence of some others: and if we do lose some advantage by it with regard to the success of our instructions, there is no remedy; better do so, than by giving occasion to those who are seeking it, destroy all the work. Yet we may so contrive it, that though some others be in the room, yet what passages are less fit for others' observance, may be spoken submissâ voce' that others may be no hearers of it; and therefore they may be `placed at the remotest part of the room or at least let none be present but the members of the same family, that are more familiar, and not so likely to reproach one another. In your rousing examinations and reproofs, address yourselves chiefly to the most ignorant, secure, and vicious, that you may have the clearer ground for your closest dealing, and that the hearing of it may awaken the by-standers, to whom you seem not so directly to apply it. These small things deserve attention, because they are parts of a work that is not small; and small errors may hinder a great deal of good.

Direct. 3. Let the beginning of your work be, by taking an account of what they have learned of the catechism, receiving their answer to each question; and if they are able to recite but a little or none of it, try whether they can rehearse the Creed and the Decalogue.

Direct. 4. Then choose out some of the weightiest points, and try, by further questions, how they understand them. And therein be careful of these things following: (1.) That you do not begin with less necessary points, but these which