To the Young Ones of My Congregation, Especially Those That Answer This Explicatory Catehcism in Our Public Assembly
(from The Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Assembly Explained and Proved from Scripture by Thomas Vincent)
Should I leave you out in my dedication of this book, I might seem both injurious unto you, for whose sake chiefly the book itself was composed, and injurious to my own love which I have for you, so many ways endeared, whereby also I am strongly obliged to do all the service I can for your souls. Your reciprocal love is a great tie; but the chief obligation of all, is the near relation between us, when I can write to you, not as my hearers only, but to many of you as my children; and that I may lay, in the words of the apostle, 1 Cor. 4:15 (which I desire to speak, not to mine own, but to the praise and glory of God, through whose blessing alone it is that my ministry, so mean comparatively, hath had this effect): “Though ye should have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you, through the gospel.” My endeavours are (as a father to his children), to feed you with knowledge and understanding, and that of incomparably the most excellent things. Had you as large understanding in the secrets and mysteries of nature as the greatest and most wise philosopher, Solomon himself not excepted—had you skill in all languages under heaven, and could speak with the tongues of men and angels; yet all human knowledge, in the greatest height and improvement of it, would not be worthy to be compared and named the same day with the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and the mysteries of salvation with which I would acquaint you. You have seen the light of the moon, and some brightness in the stars, when the curtains of night have been drawn over the heavens all which luminaries, upon the rising of the sun, with its more glorious light, have disappeared and shrunk out of sight into darkness ‘-such is the light of all human knowledge, compared with the beams of divine light, which do issue forth from the Sun of Righteousness. It is the light of the knowledge of the will, and ways, and glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, that I desire to hold forth unto you. The whole Scripture is full of this light; but as, in the moon, some parts are clearer than others, so in the Holy Scriptures some parts are more full of this light. Such are those parts which contain the chief things to be known and believed, to be done and practised, in order to salvation. These things are excellently reduced by the late Reverend Assembly into questions and answers, in their Shorter Catechism. In this Catechism I have been some years instructing some of you; and that you might the better understand what you there learn, I did, above four years ago, begin this Explanation of it; which at first you had in writing, and upon your desire afterward, I put it sheet after sheet, as you learned it, in the press for you. The often failure of the printer hath caused many interruptions and intercessions in our work. Therefore, having finished the whole, I have now printed the whole together, that we be not broken off upon that account any more; which, as the fruit of much study, and as a token of most dear love, I present unto you. And now, dear young ones, think not much of taking pains in learning that which hath cost me so much pains in composing for you. Such of you as have not time, or strength of memory, for the learning of it, I advise to the frequent reading of it; and where it is not read in your families, that you often read it over alone. How profitable this will prove, experience, through God’s blessing, in a short time will show. Hereby you may be able to look over the heads of most of your years in knowledge; which that you may be filled with, as with every grace, is the prayer for you to the Father of lights, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, of
Yours in the sincerest bonds,
T. VINCENT.