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their judgment, learning, and integrity, both at home and abroad, because themselves spake so much their own praise; gold stands not in need of varnish, nor diamonds of painting: give us leave only to tell you, that we cannot but account it an eminent mercy to enjoy such helps as these are. It is ordinary in these days for men to speak evil of things they know not; but if any are possessed with mean thoughts of these treatises, we shall only give the same counsel to them that Philip gives Nathanael, Come and see, John i. 46. It is no small advantage the reader now hath, by the addition of scriptures at large, whereby with little pains he may more profit, because with every truth he may behold its scripture foundation. And, indeed, considering what a Babel of opinions, what a strange confusion of tongues, there is this day among them who profess they speak the language of Canaan, there is no intelligent person but will conclude that advice of the prophet especially suited to such an age as this, Isa viii. 20. To the law, and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. If the reverend and learned composers of these ensuing treatises were willing to take the pains of annexing scripture proofs to every truth, that the faith of people might not be built upon the dictates of men, but the authority of God, so some considerable pains hath now been further taken in transcribing those scriptures; partly to prevent that grand inconvenience, (which all former impressions, except the Latin, have abounded with, to the great perplexing and disheartening of the reader,) the misquotation of scripture, the meanest reader being able, by having the words at large, to rectify whatever mistake may be in the printer in citing the particular place; partly, to prevent the trouble of turning to every proof, which could not but be very great; partly, to help the memories of such who are willing to take the pains of turning to every proof, but are unable to retain what they read; and partly, that this may serve as a Bible common-place, the several passages of scripture, which are scattered up and down in the word, being in this book reduced to their proper head, and thereby giving light each to other. The advantages, you see, in this design, are many and great; the way to spiritual knowledge is hereby made more easy, and the ignorance of this age more inexcusable.

If, therefore, there be any spark in you of love to God, be not content that any of yours should be ignorant of him whom you so much admire, or any haters of him whom you so much love. If there be any compassion to the souls of them who are under your care, if any regard of your being found faithful in the day of Christ, if any respect to future generations, labour to sow these seeds of knowledge, which may grow up in after-times. That you may be faithful herein, is the earnest prayer of,

Henry Wilkinson,
D. D. A. M. P.

Roger Drake.
William Taylor.
Samuel Annesley.
Thomas Gouge.
Charles Offspring.
Arthur Jackson.
John Cross.

Samuel Clerk.

uel Slater.

n Whitaker,

John Fuller.
James Nalton.
Thomas Goodwin.
Matthew Pool.
William Bates.
John Loder.
Francis Raworth.
William Cooper.
William Jenkin.
Thomas Manton.
Thomas Jacomb.
George Griffiths,

Edward Perkins.
Ralph Venning.
Jeremiah Burwell.
Joseph Church.
Has. Bridges.
Samuel Smith.
Samuel Rowles.
John Glascock.
Leo. Cooke.
John Sheffield.
Matthew Haviland.

William Blackmore,

Richard Kentish. Alexander Pringle William Wickins. Thomas Watson. John Jackson. John Seabrooke. John Peachie. James Jollife, Obadiah Leo.

I

MR. THOMAS MANTON'S EPISTLE TO THE READER.

CHRISTIAN READER,

CANNOT suppose thee to be such a stranger in England as to be ignorant of the general complaint concerning the decay of the power of godliness, and more especially of the great corruption of youth. Wherever thou goest, thou wilt hear men crying out of bad children and bad servants; whereas indeed the source of the mischief must be sought a little higher it is bad parents and bad masters that make bad children and bad servants; and we cannot blame so much their untowardness, as our own negligence in their education. The devil hath a great spite at the kingdom of Christ, and he knoweth no such compendious way to crush it in the egg, as by the perversion of youth, and supplanting family-duties. Ile striketh at all those duties which are publick in the assemblies of the saints; but these are too well guarded by the solemn injunctions and dying charge of Jesus Christ, as that he should ever hope totally to subvert and undermine them; but at family-duties he striketh with the more success, because the institution is not so solemn, and the practice not so seriously and conscientiously regarded as it should be, and the omission is not so liable to notice and publick censure. Religion was first hatched in families, and there the devil seeketh to crush it; the families of the Patriarchs were all the Churches God had in the world for the time; and therefore, (I suppose,) when Cain went out from Adam's family, he is said to go out from the face of the Lord, Gen. iv. 16. Now, the devil knoweth that this is a blow at the root, and a ready way to prevent the succession of Churches: if he can subvert families, other societies and communities will not long flourish and subsist with any power and vigour; for there is the stock from whence they are supplied both for the present and future.

For the present: A family is the seminary of Church and State; and if children be not well principled there, all miscarrieth: a fault in the first concoction is not mended in the second; if youth be bred ill in the family, they prove ill in Church and Commonwealth; there is the first making or marring, and the presage of their future lives to be thence taken, Prov. xx. 11. By family discipline, officers are trained up for the Church, 1 Tim. iii. 4. One that ruleth well his own house, &c.; and there are men bred up in subjection and obedience. It is noted, Acts xxi. 5. that the disciples brought Paul on his way with their wives and children; their children probably are mentioned, to intimate, that their parents would, by their own example and affectionate farewell to Paul, breed them up in a way of reverence and respect to the pastors of the Church.

For the future: It is comfortable, certainly, to see a thriving nursery of young plants, and to have hopes that God shall have a people to serve him when we are dead and gone: the people of God comforted themselves in that, Psal. cii. 28. The children of thy servants shall continue, &c.

Upon all these considerations, how careful should ministers and parents be to train up young ones whilst they are yet pliable, and, like wax, capable of any form and impression, in the knowledge and fear of God; and betimes to instil the principles of our most holy faith, as they are drawn into a short sum in catechisms, and so

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CONFESSION OF FAITH;

THE

LARGER AND SHORTER CATECHISMS.

WITH THE

SCRIPTURE-PROOFS AT LARGE,

TOGETHER WITH

THE SUM OF SAVING KNOWLEDGE,

(CONTAINED IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, AND HELD FORTH IN THE SAID CONFESSION AND CATECHISMS,) AND PRACTICAL USE THEREOF;

NATIONAL

AND SOLEMN

COVENANTS,
LEAGUE;
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS, AND ENGAGE-
MENT TO DUTIES;

DIRECTORIES FOR PUBLICK AND FAMILY WOR-
SHIP;

FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT, &c.

OF PUBLICK AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH OF
SCOTLAND.

WITH ACTS OF ASSEMBLY AND PARLIAMENT,
RELATIVE TO, AND APPROBATIVE OF, THR
SAME.

Deut. vi. 6, 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

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LICENSE.

In terms of Her Majesty's Letters Patent to Her Printers for Scotland, and of the Instructions issued by Her Majesty in Council, dated Eleventh July, Eighteen hundred and thirty-nine, I hereby License and Authorize WILLIAM RAE M'PHUN, Printer and Publisher in Glasgow, to print within the premises situated Number Forty-five Union Street, Glasgow, occupied by Mr. Campbell Leckie Wright as a Printing Office, and to publish as by the Authority of Her Majesty, an Edition of the Confession of Faith, Duodecimo size, Brevier Type, consisting of Five Thousand copies, as proposed in his Declaration, dated the Twenty-ninth day of October, Eighteen hundred and fifty-six Years; the terms and conditions of the said Instructions being always, and in all points, fully complied with and observed by the said William Rae M Phun.

EDINBURGH, 4th December, 1856.

BODLEIAN

D

1 8 MAR1954

LIBRARY

J. MONCRIEFF.

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