1000000031

R E L 1 G ION,

T H E O L O G Y.

5'13

As the- homily m.tkcs a

pUl

of cloqueoc!!, it is nnnecef–

f.,

fAy

.loy thint of

in this ploce,

bUl

[re.H lhe

othen

in their urJa.

JII.

is in v¡ in that a

(011

of the church

po{f'dfes

al! lhe

fcic:occs (hat belung

his

pro(eOion,

that he

15 <lO

acree–

~ble

and cven a rc:nowneu preacher,

he do

n OI gP/e

a Jife,

an efficacious fpirit. to

tus

mindb y, by a

gIJod

~xolllp/~;

for

chal is [he (idi

prec( pl

in paUor..1

lhcology.

He is

al tlll

head of a fto..:k, and ought

lhl!lr gUlde: bUl

how ah–

furd,

his words and hls

3al00S

IJe.H

continual vari:mce

with eacb other! How (cilod.lous,

he be

nOl

the firtl:

p"élife ,hefe le(foas of wifdom ,h., he preaehes! How in.

deccnr, ir, whi le he edilies by his d,fcourfes, ha dirgufls by

hi, mo"I,! Wh.. b.f. nels, ,f he !hould

e.en

glory in hi.

irrcitul4rities! le is lers !harnc:fol for a foldler (O relate that

he hHs umcly furrered an afFrone, ehan (or an eccJdiaflic

boafl of his

deb~u~:\t!ric::~!

Both the oae aAd Ihe other 15 a

difgrace lO his profeflion.

IV.

nUI

,hi, excmplary eondua !hould be free from . 11

aff..:thtÍon io lhe extern41 beh.4.Viour. A fingularity of drcfs,

and ao air of auH:rilY ; the head declined, the eye! lur ned

up to heaven, lhe hands conltandy clAfped, a plainuve

tone of voiee, and a folemo g"il; a fcrupu)ofity in things

iodifFc:rent, and a dogmatic and clerical manner of deciding

in (he commoo aff..irs

lir~

a ridieulous inclinatían

dlC–

coyer iniquity

¡nRocenl aétions

to confound pleafure \'Iith

""ice, and

be an enerny to joy, lhe creatdl: booo thal

G od has b, fiowccl on m.n; .nd • hundred other like fop.

peries there are, with which the religlous

m~ke

a parade,

that i, !hoeking bo,h 'o eood fenfe and ,he e••ngelie mora'

li,y, and whieb reader ,heir minifiry, in ,he eyes of fenfiblé

people, more eonlemplible ,h.n refpea.ble. Thefe are

r oeks on whieh the youñg tht:oJogian is mueh too liable tO

run, and of which he cannot be fufficleody cauliooed.

V. Afte r this clodid caution, aod brief introduttioft,

'l¿C

pars to the examen of the difTerrent parts, lhe union of

wh.eh

eompores ,he fyfiem of ,he pafioral, ,he mofi im·

ponan, .nide perh.p'. in .11 theology The defign

Re·

. elatioo was, wnhout doubr, ca coodull man by failh

vinuoas life. It is not the opioions or the Ic;uning of weak

mortuls that can determine thei r

intri"~c

merit;

is their

wifdom, lheir regulari, y of eORdua, ,h.t murl

fi.mp

their

• alue. Experieoce lhews, that ama" of great geDius and

Jeo;rniog may be alfo a

~reat

vilJain ; one who is uoable to

pleare Cad, or his neighbour : lhe virtuous Chrifl.ian, on

t be <ontrary, mu rl be agreeable 'o bo,h ; it follo,", ,here·

f~re,

Ihat the prattical part of theolngy, which leads man·

klOd to a virtuous

~ondua,

is of al1 in pal"ts lhe Olofl. im·

portant.

CATECH ET lCTHE OLOGY.

Cateehetie Theology i, meonl,

'Th. ar/ oj I<achillg

you/h, and ignlJra,,1 perfonl. /he principal

/>0;'1/10/

the E·

1J,!ngtli(al

D oflr;,u,

al 1JJtll

'With regard

l o

hd;e/

pr. ,·

l ue.

This applieation of lhe theoretic fciences o( theolo–

gy.ough, la be eondua.d in ,he mon Gmple manner poffible.

nOI eyery one who ¡s po!fc(fGd of the ttllenl of proper·

co.,pofiog and dehvC'ring c:\techetic inflruétions; and it is

an art that is very nece(fary in the Chrifti ..n ehurch.

11.

The gre..ell rliffi :uhy eonfifi, in f<p.,ating ,he .ni·

cle. of fai,h ,hat are .bfolu,cly e(fen,ial .nd indefpenf.ble

to lhe (alvation of mankind, flom lhofe that are fubtlc and

(pecol"i.e, more liable

eon<radiaion, and lefs neee(f"y

VOL.

lll.

N0 91.

to fuch as do

nOl

make theology lhe:r rrofr

mon.

Howcv~r,

chtldrco do

nOl

\YiI.

ys rcma.n chllJrcn, and

;¡::;

the churrh

compofed of

pcrfOIlS

of lhJtn fexcs, and of all :!h\.'S, ir

i..

nccdrtlry, that,

lhe cxpl:tnalions

the c.ttt:chillll, there

!l.lOu ld be cmploycd

dilTere.nl

(Jegrccs of (jOlplicity. propor–

tloncJ

lhe agt! <tnd capcleny

[hore lhat are

t(l

be Inítruc–

teJo

is expc:dil!nt (or young pc:uple to reuin in tbcir

minos lhe

(irft

prinCipIes

rcligion. (ueh as are cOOlaine,'

in good catechifms; and thal lhey be explained to

¡litO)

panicular It:éturcs; which is lhe l1\orl ufu.t1 .od moll n:tturai

mCthOd of enabllOg youth to give an :¡eeoun[ of lheir

raitn.

'r'he fermous lhíu ale givcn in lhe calholic churchc::s on

controverry, and in proteU.tnt churches on lhe e4'ttcchilm,

(erve

intlrutl thore who

of ripa years ami tuve tIIeir

j udgment more fornled. Tht.:t'e ft:rmons compore, at Ihe:

fame time, a fon of courfe of lhe docmatic and lhe polemic

' h<ology.

lB.

80th io private cateehifing, and in rermons that are

purpofdy ¡ntended to explain lhe ctllechirm, the theologiíl.n

Chuuld avoid, as much tlS poffiblc, the ufe

teehniea l

terms; or (which is

nill

better) he ought

begin by ex–

plainlng

\hur~

terms, of which he {hould give Cuch cIear .. nei

determlnale dcfinitions, tha, no pc:rfon of a moderate capa–

city cAn poffibly minake theOl. In a word, he fhould enlh:a–

vour more to prove thao to perfuade¡ and as eloquc;nee

fometimes

perfuad~s

al lhe expeoce of trulh, he fhould

cautiou!1y avoid that fon of deJufive perfuafion, ano in its

room {ubilitute clear and folid argumento

IV.

The eateehumen !hould no, only be innruaed in ,he

teoets of his own religion, and the foundations on whlch

they are built, bUI alfo in lhe dogmas of other religioos. and

lbe proofs that are brought lO maintain them: for a fubtle.

decei,ful and fpeeiou. boa

may fall io<o hi, hand" or he

may be drawn into a diCpute with an able adverfary.

iJ'

necelTary, therefore, that he be provided with ¡ rm9 offeo–

r.ve

.nd defenfive, ,hat he mdy be .ble fueeer,fully ' o de–

fend himrelf; and, if it may be,

coeven his aotagoniU.

aod by that mean promote lhe glory of truth aDd of rl!ltgion.

is lhe part, therefore, of his preceptor,

teach him

faithfully the principal tenets of olher religioos, and the

arguments that are brought tO defcnd them.

CA'"IST IC THEOLOGY .

PP I L Y

for man, and fo r focicty, all are not fo

ob–

Rinate, or fo infenfible, as to a{k

#l.uho/ f ort

animal con·

fcienct

iJ,

or never tO know what is remorfe. H ;¡ppily. the

greateU part of mankind are fenfible, that all their attions

are nOI conforr.lable to lhe laws of divine wifdom, nor tO

lhe rules of natural equity; are affiiéted al their pan con·

dua, and find a generous and earndt defire arife in lheir

fouls to avoid for the fUlure thofe dangerous rocks . To

calm the troobled mind;

ilppeafe lhe timorou:; confcienee;

to commuoicate lhe confolatiaos of grace to lhe afHu.'letl

foul; lO explain and decide in doubtful cafes; to direét

, hofe that err. and tO fupport their weaknefs; tO eonvinee

fueh as perfifi in their erron; to pierce the hardened heart;

to intimidate the wicked, and to roufe the indoleot ; to

condu(t the Chritliaos. committed to lhe care of their pallor.

in lhe way that Jeads to trae feJieity; are the important

objeas of e.fuinie theology, aad for whieh it afford, ,he

proper inO , uétion!.

11. In

a more eonr.ned fenfe, by "fi,ifiie

,heolo~y

meanl, lhe fcieoce that

d~eioe5

in doublful cafes o( nJor.a{

6 X

ulcolo:y.