The abridgment of Eusebius Pamphilius's ecclesiastical history in two parts ... whereunto is added a catalogue of the synods and councels which were after the days of the apostles : together with a hint of what was decreed in the same / by William Caton.

A GENERAL EPISTLE FOR Young Schoollars and LITTLE CHILDREN.

Dear Children,

REmember Your Creator, and the end wherefore you were Created, now in the day, of your Youth, be∣fore you grow Old in Sin, and take rooting in corrupt ground of Unighteousness, in∣cline your hearts to Holiness and to the Fear of the Lord, that you may abound in wisdom and knowledge; learn you to know a tender principle in your hearts, to teach and instruct you to withhold and restrain you from Folly and Wantonness, from frivolous or vain Gaming, and

Sporting your selves with idle Toyes, and unprofitable Playes, which do not only strengthen that which is thereunto addicted in your selves, but doth toyle and weary your tender bodies; And when you sit down at night some times hungry, and often weary, consider then what you have reaped by your Playes, Sports and Pastimes, have you not there∣by some time provoked your Tutors, to Wrath and Anger against you for neg∣lecting of your Books and Learning; have you not also offended and grieved your Parents, by your neglect of your business and imployment, And then you being sencible of your Fault and Transgression, the shew of your Countenance that witnesseth against you, and inwardly you are perplexed and terrified, partly through fear of your Tutors and part∣ly through fear of your Parents, when through your Folly you have procured their Displeasure, and then are you a∣fraid of Chastisement; now if for the time to come you would be freed from this fear, do that which is good, by be∣ing diligent and keeping in the fear of

the Lord, and then shall you obtain Praise and Commendation both of your Pa∣rents and Tutors.

Again (O Children) when you are to∣gether, whether in Families Schools, or else where, be not Wild, Rude, Brutish, nor provoke not one another to Folly, and Wantonness, but be Sober, Gentle, Meek and Civil, and let the Fear of the Lord be before your eyes, least you sall into Condemnation.

And you that are of a Mild, Gentle and Tender Nature, who seel something in your Hearts restraining you from the Evil, which abounds among your fellows; if you cannot get dominion over it while you are with them, then separate your selves from them at convenient seasons, and pertake not with them in their Wan∣tonness in their. Folly, Plays, Sports and Pastimes, but rather betake your selves to your Books; or in some retired place, to wait upon the Lord: And if they that be Wild and Wanton through their play and wantonness do get Recreation to their Bodies, you through your stillness and waiting upon the Lord shall get Re∣freshment

to their Souls, in which you shall have joy and pleasure, when they shall be ashamed of their folly and have trouble and sorrow for the same.

When I was A School boy, I was for many years as much inclined to wanton∣ness, and play, as my Fellows, though some∣time I was enticed and drawn by them into things which I knew then certainly, to be evil, and contrary to the tender principle of God in my Conscience, yet rather than I would be behind them in their wonton childish follies, (and there∣by have come to have been jeered and de∣rided by them) I chused rather at that time to run with them to the same excess of vanity, though I knew for certain I ought not to have done it, and when for the same I came to be corrected by my Tutor, and judged of the Lord, I was made to confess, that it was just, and that I had justly deserved the same.

Afterwards through the mercy and goodness of the Lord I came to be far∣ther Illuminated or enlightned before I left the School; And come to have a per∣fect sense of true judgment being set up

in my heart, And then I came to be fil∣led with Sorrow and Heaviness, for the loss of my mispent pretious time, and the Sins of my Youth, (even while I was yet a youth) were brought ex∣ceeding fresh into my remembrance, and became in those daies my great burthen, and withal in those daies my study and learning became also burthensome, and not these alone, but especially the wantonness and rudness, folly and naughtiness of my School fellows, that also became grievous unto me at times, and a dread and fear was upon me, (when I minded the Lord) that I durst not run with them to folly and wantonness as I had done before; So that when they have gone to play, I have retired my self into some private place to ponder upon the things which the Lord put into my heart. And when with a retired mind and upright heart, I came in sincerity to wait upon the Lord, then came my Soul to feel some secret Communion with him, and to re∣ceive some Crummes of living Refresh∣ment from him; and then was I joyful in him at night, whereas formerly I had

sorrow and heaviness by reason of my fol∣ly and wantonness.

But then again at other times, when I neglected waiting upon the Lord in the Light of his Son in my heart, and that I came to be enti•…•…ed by my School-fel∣lows or some of them to go with them too, or to joyn with them in, or partake with them of one vanity, or another; And some time rather▪ then I would dis∣please them (or one especially unto whom I was then obliged) I have consen•…•…ed to their request, and some time I have seemed to be cheerful and merry among them in the time of our pastime, when it was more in Appearance than in my heart, that being smitten, and I inwardly wounded, for my folly and vanity, un∣to which I had condescended, yet I al∣lowed not of it, nevertheless that which I (the Light) hated and would not, that I (that was born in sin) did, and •…•…mbraced; and even then a good desire was present with me in my heart, but how to perform it, knew not otherwise then through the Cross; yet on these daies when I did well through keeping in the

fear of the Lord, then was it well with me; but when I condescended to evil, and was thereby overcome inwardly and outwardly, then was my troubles and sor∣row great, and my stripes many, and that in the daies of my youth; but since, I have seen it to be the everlasting love of God to me. These things I rehearse unto you whereby you may understand how the Lord dealt with me, and how it was with me, while I was yet a Scholar; to the end that you may somewhat the better know how to behave your selves (I mean you that are tender, among them that are wild and rude) in Schools where you are Appointed to learn and to be in∣structed.

Moreover (dear Children) I have con∣sidered, how that many of you are naturally Inclining to knowledge and understanding in the things which are Laudable, or wor∣thy of praise, among juditious men: And these things which I have here Composed, being worthy not only of Recording, but also of perusing, I have thought them very fit for you to Learn or read at home and at Schools, yea fitter then other writings

which are hard to be understood, and be∣yond your weak Childish Capacity to Comprehend: for the much reading of such deep things, which you can not per∣ceive nor Comprehend, doth rather dull your understanding, then enliven your sen∣ses, and rather mitigates your desires, then kindles your inclinations to Reading and Learning: But as for many of those things which I have here published, they are so worthy to be looked into, and the know∣ledge of them may be so good and pro∣fitable, that after you are entred into the reading of them, your desires may be aug∣mented or enlarged, not only to look over part of them, but even to see the end and Conclusion of them; that henceforth they may be retained by you, in your minds, that when you see things fall out of the same na∣ture in this your age, then you may re∣member h•…•…w that many of our Ancestors have suffered and sustained a great Fight of sore Afflictions, And that the same you may Communicate to your Children, that they also may hear of them and Learn them: For Irenaeus in his Epistle to Flo∣rinus said, I remember better the things

of old, then the Affairs of Late; for the things we Learn in our Childhood, sink farther into our minds and grow toge∣ther with us: Euseb. Lib. 5. Ch. 18.

Now for your furtherance and profit (O Little Children) have I in part taken some what the more time in this matter, that so I might explain and interpret the most hard words I met withal, In this Abridgment; and that as I found them; that you might understand them even as you read them; for I believe there are but few of the School-masters that do teach those Children that do only read English, rightly to understand such hard words when they meet with them in their Les∣sons, as you may find in this following Treatise explained: And thus may you know my interpretation of them which I have Commonly written in a Parenthesis as for example.

Let the whole Clergy mourn (i. e. Bishops, Priests, Deacons, or the whole number of them that take upon them the Ministry) Again the Antient Chri∣stians were forbidden formerly to hold Conventicles (i. e. private Assemblies)

or meetings that are small in which there is Plotting and Conspiring against the Powers; or that are for other evil ends, such are commonly called Conventicles; These two Letters (i. e.) serve for id est, which is as much as to say, that is, likewise, in the margent of the first Part of my Book you may often find Lib. and a certain figure with it as Lib. 4. know ye (O Little Children) that Lib. serves for Liber, which by interpretation is a Book as Lib. 4. the forth Book; And Ch. serves for Chapter; and such as the figure is, that followes Ch such is the Chapter, as Lib. 4. Ch. 15. that is the fourth Book and fifteenth Chapter. Moreover the use of the Index or Table is this: Suppose you would know something concerning the Chri∣stians formerly, whether of their Prosperi∣ty, or Sufferings; Then turn to the Table, which I have placed in the begining of the First Part of my Book, and see for the Let∣ter C, which when you have found, then see in what Book or Chapter that is to be found which you desire to see. And then, and there, with very little trouble, (when you come to understand my directions a∣right)

may you find the thing: So that the choicest things in the first part of my book, may you soon find out, by the help of the Index, if your time will not permit you to look through the whole.

Yet this ought you to note, that the a∣foresaid Index serves only to the former part of my book in which some of the things contained in the latter part, are to be found more at Large.

And as concerning the Twelve Perse∣cutions which I have here inserted; they are so exceeding largly Treated on in the Book of Martyrs, that there are but few that will take the pains to look them through, nor not many of the Vulgar or Common sort of people that will, or can well buy them, they being of such high prices: And again they being locked up in Chaines in Steeple-houses, and so in the Custody often times of Persecutors, where you can have little bénefit by them; therefore was there the more necessity of such an Abridg∣ment as this, which will neither cost much mony to buy it, nor yet very much paines to reàd it.

As for the Martyers that have Suffered in our own Nation formerly, I have scarce medled with them, their Sufferings being yet fresh in the remembrance of many, and may yet be brought up fresher into the re∣membrance of many through the * 1.1 present lingering Martyrdom, which may become more sharp and bloody if a high hand prevent it not.

Wherefore Record, Record, as with a pen of iron, and as with a point of a Diamond, the noble observations and transactions of this Age, which your eyes (O ye Little Children) shall see and be∣hold; let them be told to your Childrens Children.

In the mean time (O you little ones) mind you the fear of the Lord, and be not you intangled in, or with the snare of Sa∣tan, though he would give you all the glory of the world, yea and all that which your eyes in the world can behold, which may as truly now be Accounted Vanity of Va∣nitis, yea, and all to be concluded to be Va∣nity, as in the daies of Solomon; who said that all things under the Sun were vanity, and vexation of Spirit. One thing

more must I add, as a very testimony in∣deed of truth unto you, (towards whom my bowels yearnes) and that is this, the sooner that you take up the Cross, the ligh∣ter will it be for you, the sooner that you stoop under the yoak, the easier it will be for you, the sooner you imbrace the Truth, the more natural it will become unto you, And the sooner that you forsake the Divel and all his works, together with the world, and the pomp and vanity thereof, the easier it will be for you, and the more blessed and happy will you become: These things as my own experience do I com∣mit unto you, in as much as in the daies of my youth, I obtained great mercy from the hand of my God, through whose unspeak∣able Love I am at times constrained to in∣treat, and perswade them that yet are young to learn the fear of the Lord, and the perfect knowledge of his way, into which God Almighty of his infinit love, bring all you whose eyes may see, and hands handle this same book, that every one of you, in your Generation, may become faith∣ful and true witnesses, in your Generation, unto him, who is your Creator, and who

created you to serve him in righteousness and true holiness, in the Creation; there∣fore, I say again, remember him in the days of your youth, and love him with all your hearts, (who gives you life and breath, and thorugh whose blessing you obtain food and raiment) that when your Parents have finished their testimony, and sealed it with their blood; that then you (their off spring) may stand up in the name, strength and power of our God, to the bearing of your faithful testimony to, and for the same blessed Cause, for which ma∣ny of your dear Parents at this day do suf∣fer;

And if it be the good will and plea∣sure of our God, to honour any of them with Banishment, or to Crown any of them with Martyrdom

(as he hath done many of his pretious Saints before them) be you therewith Content, without murmuring against the Lord, or entertain∣ing a revengful spirit in your hearts, And peradventer that you shall (in your days) see him repay, to whom vengeance belongs, who hath said unto his seed and off-spring, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; This faithful Creator is he unto whom you

must look, and unto whom you must come, then will he not leave you comfortless, though you be deprived of many external comforts, yet behold (O ye dear little ones) he hath enough reserved in store for to comfort and refresh you withal (if you love him and keep his commandments) yea and all the Comfortless that come unto him, who is said to be A father to the fa∣therless, A comforter of the comfortless, with whom there is mercy that he may be feared to whose disposing, and protection I commend you, wishing your good success and prosperity in all vertue, and in every goodwork, farewel dear Children;

Your Real and entire Friend W. C.

Rotterdam in Holland the 6 of the 3 Mo. 1661.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Being in 1661.