The Christian's manual in three parts ... / by L. Addison ...

CHAP. III. Catechising in times of the Apostles. Evi∣dences thereof in St. Pauls Epistles. The Contents of their Catechism.

BUt how dim soever the traces of this kind of instruction be in the Jewish Dispensation, yet the Foot-steps thereof are more traceable in the Gospel. Where Catechism is not obscurely inti∣mated, if we may rely any thing on the Words and Sentences which therein occur to this purpose.

And in the First place, it cannot be denied, but that in the inspired Epistles we plainly read of two sorts of Christi∣ans, namely, such as were newly ad∣mitted into the Church, compared by St. Peter to New-born Babes, 1 Pet. 2.2.

and such as had been therein a longer time; called by St. Paul the Perfect, in respect of their greater Progress in Chri∣stian Religion; or the wisdom which de∣scends from above, or which Christ came to Teach and Infuse, St. Jam. 3.17. To the former or these they gave Milk, and instructed them in the easier Points of Religion: But strong Meat was or∣dained for the later. Who having been first well Catechised in Christianity, were capable of higher Mysteries. And of this we have a clear illustration in the sixth to the Hebrews, where we first read of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, The Do∣ctrine, or Discourse, of the beginning of Christ! Or (as we now read it) the Prin∣ciples of the Doctrine of Christ: That is, a Catechism which contained a brief Summary of those Principles which were necessary for every Christian to learn, and to be laid as a Foundation meet for the Superstructure of higher Mysteries, and matters of a deeper reach; such as the Priest-hood of Mel∣chizedeck, and how he was a Type of Christ, Heb. 7. And of these later St. Paul would not intreat, till he saw the former so faithfully received, belie∣ved and practised, as that they might be laid aside for the present.

Now the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Principles wherein Christians were first instructed, are thus reckon'd by the Apostle: First, Repen∣tance from dead works: Secondly, Faith towards God: Thirdly, The Do∣ctrine of Baptism: Fourthly, Impositi∣on of hands, or Confirmation: Fifthly, The Article of the Resurrection from the dead: And Lastly, The certainty of Eternal Judgment. These were the chief and main Points of the Apostles Catechism, the first Principles of the O∣racles of God, the Rudiments of Chri∣stian Religion, saith our Old Marginal Note, or the Catechism wherein the younger sort of those times were in∣structed. And these Articles now men∣tioned, or some such like, were (no doubt) that Form of Doctrine, that manner of Catechizing which was deli∣vered to the Romans, Rom. 6.17. or as our Margin reads out of the Greek, whereunto ye were deliv••red or given up: Where the ordinary Phrase is changed by the Apostle. For albeit to say, To this form of Doctrine you were delive∣red, is not so agreeable either to the La∣tin or English speech, as, This form of Doctrine which was delivered unto you: Yet the Apostle makes use of the first, to tell us, saith Cajetan, That not so

much the form of Religion was deliver∣ed to Men, as that Men were delivered to the form of Religion. That so by this means Religion might be known to have Authority and Power over Man, and not Man over Religion. But not to insist upon this; it need not be doubted that this form of Doctrine spoken of by St. Paul, was a Summary of Christiani∣ty, or the Catechism used in those early and best times of Christianity, which contained the first Principles of the O∣racles of God. By which some under∣stand the Creed, as Cyril of Hierusalem in his Catech. 4. styled by him the milky Introduction, in allusion to St. Paul, 1 Cor. 3.2. Heb. 5.12. Others, of the Creed and Lords Prayer, as Bede: Others, the Creed and Decalogue, as Aquinus: O∣thers, all those Elements which the Cate∣chumens learned, and professed at Bap∣tism; whereof the Creed was the Prin∣cipal. Which with the Lords Prayer the Clergy was injoyned to Teach the Peo∣ple, Concil. Mogunt. cap. 45. And it was a general command of the Church, that those who were to be Baptized, should have a certain time allotted for the learn∣ing and rehearsing of the Creed. Which the Eastern Christians always repeated with a clear Voice, when they came to

the Holy Communion of Christs Body and Blood: As appears in the Twenty second Canon of the Council of Toledo. But if this seem to restrain Catechising only to such Catechumens as in the Histo∣ry and Canons of the Church are fre∣quently mentioned; and that this kind of instruction was not used toward those whom by Baptism the Church had al∣ready received into her Communion: It then follows, that we shew how Cate∣chism was a plain Institution wherein all Believers did Communicate. And in the first place it is manifest out of Oecu∣menius (expounding the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) That there were some Points of Christian Religion wherein the Novices were Catechised before Baptism, and some after. Those in which they were Catechised before Baptism, were, The necessity of Repentance: to renounce the De∣vil and all his works: To believe in God, &c. And those Points which they learned after Baptism, were the Mysteries of our Saviours passion and Priest-hood, his taking our sins on himself, and working our Sal∣vation; the Mysteries of our Resurrection, of the last Judgment, and everlasting re∣ward, or life. And the Catechism of these was common to all Believers, because necessary.

Secondly, That Catechising belong'd to all within the Church, and was not confined only to the Novices in Religion, and Candidates of Christiani∣ty, we may confidently infer from the express words of St. Paul. Gal. 6.6. where he divides the whole Church, to which that Letter was directed, into Catechist and Catechised. Whereby the later can∣not be meant only those who were not yet admitted to Holy Baptism, Styled by the Church Canons Catechumens: For then we must conclude that the Ca∣techumen and Believer were all one: contrary to Tertullian de Paenit. Cap. 6. de Coronâ Milit. Cap. 2. and all the Fathers: And that there was a Christian Church in Galatia, consisting of Catechumens or Unbaptised Persons, i. e. a Church of Christians without Christians. Which absurd inconveniences cannot be evaded, unless by those Catechised spoken of by the Apostle, we understand such as had received Baptism already, and were still to be instructed in that Religion where∣into by that Divine Rite they had been admitted. So that in St. Pauls time Ca∣techising in its Native acception was con∣tinued even to those who had attained already to so much knowledg in the Principles of Christianity, as render'd

them, in the Language of the Ancients, Competentes, or Persons fit for Baptism, and to be admitted to the higher My∣steries of Religion. The same Apostle told the Corinthians, that he had fed them with Milk, that is, by the consent of all, with Catechetical Doctrines. And there is no doubt that those Texts in Heb. 5.12.* 1.1 Heb. 6.1. are pregnant intimations of this truth. The like may be affirmed of what St. Luke* 1.2 has recorded concerning the Introduction of the Eloquent Apollos, and his most Ex∣cellent Theophilus, into the knowledg of Christ. And what has been said, affords sufficient ground of asserting Catechism to have been in use with the Apostles, and that it descended from the Synagogue. How it was the Practice also of the Primitive Church, is the Subject of the ensuing Chapter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Act. 18.25.
• * 1.2

  S. Luke 1.4.