parishes which are near him. For, the apostle's rule (Phil. iv.) being admirable and large, that we should do whatsoever things are honest, or just, or pure, or lovely, or of good report, if there be any virtue, or any praise; and neighborhood being ever reputed, even among the heathen, as an obligation to do good, rather than to those that are further, where things are otherwise equal; therefore he satisfies this duty also. Especially, if God have sent any calamity, either by fire or famine, to any neighboring parish, then he expects no brief, but taking his parish together the next Sunday or holy-day, and exposing to them the uncertainty of human affairs, none knowing whose turn may be next, and then, when he hath affrighted them with this, exposing the obligation of charity and neighborhood, he first gives himself liberally, and then incites them to give; making together a sum either to be sent, or, which were more comfortable, all together choosing some fit day to carry it themselves, and cheer the afflicted. So, if any neighboring village be overburdened with poor, and his own less charged, he finds some way of relieving it, and reducing the manna and bread of charity to some equality; representing to his people, that the blessing of God to them ought to make them the more charitable, and not the less, lest he cast their neighbors' poverty on them also.

CHAPTER XX.

The Parson in God's Stead.

THE Country Parson is in God's stead to his parish, and dischargeth God what he can of his promises. Wherefore there is nothing done either well or ill, whereof he is not the rewarder or punisher. If he chance to find any reading in another's bible, he provides him one of his own. If he find another giving a poor man a penny, he gives him a tester for it, if the giver be fit to receive it; or if he be of a condition above such gifts, he sends him a good book, or easeth him in his tithes, telling him, when he hath forgotten it, "This I do, because at such and such a time you were charitable. This is in some sort a discharging of God as concerning this life, who hath promised that godliness shall be gainful: but in the other, God is his own immediate pay-master, rewarding all good deeds to their full proportion. The parson's punishing of sin and vice, is rather by withdrawing his bounty and courtesy from the parties offending, or by private or public reproof, as the case requires, than by causing them to be presented or otherwise complained of. And yet as the malice of the person, or heinousness of the crime may be, he is careful to see condign punishment inflicted, and with truly godly zeal, without hatred to the person, hungereth and thirsteth after righteous punishment of unrighteousness. Thus both in rewarding virtue, and in punishing vice, the parson endeavoreth to be in God's stead: knowing that country people are drawn or led by sense, more than by faith; by present rewards or punishments, more than by future.

CHAPTER XXI.

The Parson Catechising.

THE Country Parson values catechising highly. For, there being three points of his duty-the one, to infuse a competent knowledge of salvation in every one of his flock; the other, to multiply and build up this knowledge to a spiritual temple; the third, to inflame this knowledge, to press and drive it to practice, turning it to reformation of life, by pithy and lively exhortations; -catechising is the first point, and, but by catechising, the other cannot be attained. Besides, whereas in sermons there is a kind of state, in catechising there is a humbleness very suitable to Christian regeneration; which exceedingly delights him, as by way of exercise upon himself, and by way of preaching to himself, for the advancing of his own mortification; for in preaching to others, he forgets not himself, but is first a sermon to himself, and then to others; growing with the growth of his parish.

He useth and preferreth the ordinary church catechism; partly for obedience to authority, partly for uniformity sake, that the same common truths may be every where professed; especially since many remove from parish to parish, who like Christian soldiers are to give the word, and to satisfy the congregation by their catholic answers.-He exacts of all the doctrine of the catechism; of the younger sort, the very words; of the elder, the substance. Those he catechiseth publicly; these privately, giving age honor, according to the apostle's rule (1 Tim. v. 1).—He requires all to be present at catechising: first, for the authority of the

work; secondly, that parents and masters, as they hear the answers prove, may when they come home either commend or reprove, either reward or punish; thirdly, that those of the elder sort, who are not well grounded, may then by an honorable way take occasion to be better instructed; fourthly, that those who are well grown in the knowledge of religion, may examine their grounds, renew their vows, and, by occasion of both, enlarge their meditations.

When once all have learned the words of the catechism, he thinks it the most useful way that a pastor can take, to go over the same, but in other words; for many say the catechism by rote, as parrots, without ever piercing into the sense of it. In this course the order of the catechism would be kept, but the rest varied; as thus. In the creed-" How came this world to be as it is? Was it made, or came it by chance? Who made it? Did you see God make it? Then are there some things to be believed that are not seen? Is this the nature of belief? Is not Christianity full of such things as are not to be seen, but believed?-You said God made the world; who is God?"—and so forward, requiring answers to all these; and helping and cherishing the answerer, by making the question very plain with comparisons; and making much even of a word of truth from him. This order, being used to one, would be a little varied to another. And this is an admirable way of teaching, wherein the catechised will at length find delight; and by which the catechiser, if he once get the skill of it, will draw out of ignorant and silly souls even the dark and deep points of religion. Socrates did thus in philosophy, who held that the seeds of all truths lay in every body; and accordingly, by questions well ordered, he found philosophy in silly

tradesmen. That position will not hold in Christianity, because it contains things above nature; but after that the catechism is once learned, that which nature is towards philosophy, the catechism is towards divinity. To this purpose, some dialogues in Plato were worth the reading, where the singular dexterity of Socrates in this kind may be observed and imitated.-Yet the skill consists but in these three points :-First, an aim and mark of the whole discourse, whither to drive the answerer (which the questionist must have in his mind before any question be propounded) upon which and to which the questions are to be chained. Secondly, a most plain and easy framing the question even containing in virtue the answer also, especially to the more ignorant. Thirdly, when the answerer sticks, an illustrating the thing by something else, which he knows; making what he knows to serve him in that which he knows not. As when the parson once demanded, after other questions about man's misery," Since man is so miserable, what is to be done?" and the answerer could not tell he asked him again, what he would do if he were in a ditch. This familiar illustration made the answer so plain, that he was even ashamed of his ignorance; for he could not but say, he would haste out of it as fast as he could. Then he proceeded to ask, whether he could get out of the ditch alone, or whether he needed a helper, and who was that helper. This is the skill, and doubtless the holy scripture intends thus much, when it condescends to the naming of a plough, a hatchet, a bushel, leaven, boys piping and dancing; shewing that things of ordinary use are not only to serve in the way of drudgery, but to be washed and cleansed, and serve for lights even of heavenly truths. This is the practice which the parson so much commends to all