The Preface
Of Prayer Of Direction in Prayer Of the Preface to the Lord's Prayer Of Sanctifying God's Name Of God's Kingdom Concerning the Doing of God's Will Concerning our Daily Bread Concerning Forgiveness of Sins Of God's Leading us into Temptation Of the Conclusion
THE PREFACE
THAT catechising is an ordinance of God, few will doubt, when they consider the apostles did first lay the fundamentals of religion; Heb.
6:1. And "fed babes with milk, teaching them the first principles of the oracles of God," Heb. 5:12 and questionless taught them in that manner, which was most suitable to the capacity of the learners, which may be well supposed to be by plain and short questions, and suitable answers thereunto; and therefore this hath been a constant practice in the church of God; and the primitive church had a particular person appropriated thereunto, whom they called
Catechist.
And so all well-governed, and wisely-managed churches, have still maintained and used it, as knowing the necessity and usefulness thereof; for the younger sort to inform them in the principles of that religion where into they were baptized; and for the establishment of the adult and more aged therein.
Hence have issued those little composures of all the fundamental doctrines of faith and practice so handled (which we call Catechisms) in the churches; and particularly in ours, whereof there are many and divers, whose authors have well deserved for their endeavours to inform and edify the people thereby.
But among them all, none excel this little Catechism of the Assembly for orthodoxy, fulness, and method.
And because the answers therein are some of them pretty large, and treat of the most profound mysteries of our religion; therefore several persons have bestowed their good and laudable pains, some in descanting more largely, and proving by scriptural reasons the particulars: one has shown the harmony thereof with the articles and homilies of the church of England (designed, I suppose, to remove the prejudice which some have taken against it:) others have parted the questions and answers into several little ones, under each, to make them more intelligible to younger ones, and more easy to be remembered.
Among whom, worthy, orthodox, and excellent Mr. John Flavel may be ranked, who among other of his many most profitable labours, applied himself to the chewing of this bread of life, or crumbling it into smaller pieces, for the covenience of children, and, indeed, of all; wherein (as in all his other works) he hath shewn himself a workman, that needs not to be ashamed.
There needs no other recommendation to this posthumous piece, but the worthy author's name; he was removed before he had completely finished it; he had prepared his questions and answers upon the