A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

Eusebius saith, That there was one set apart on purpose for this Office in the primitive Church, called the Catechist, qui Catechismum docebat, and others called Catechumeni, that learnt the Catechism; and these were of two sorts.

1. Jews and Heathens, that offered themselves to be listed among the Christians, and were not as yet sufficiently seen in the great fundamentals of the Christian Religion. 2. The Children of believing Parents that had been Baptized. Both these were put under the careful institution of the Catechist, and by him to be so far instructed, till they had attained so much knowledge in the Principles of the Christian Religion, as that the Heathens might be admitted to Baptism, and the Christian Children to the Lord's Supper.

1. Jews and Heathens, that offered themselves to be listed among the Christians, and were not as yet sufficiently seen in the great fundamentals of the Christian Religion. 2. The Children of believing Parents that had been Baptized. Both these were put under the careful institution of the Catechist, and by him to be so far instructed, till they had attained so much knowledg in the Principles of the Christian Religion, as that the Heathens might be admitted to Baptism, and the Christian Children to the Lord's Supper.

To this custom some of the Learned judge that Peter alludes in 1 Pet. 3.21. not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the Answer of a good ⟨p. 208⟩Conscience towards God,¹ by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. True, the main thing is the Answer of a good Conscience in a man's own self, yet there was a good Answer in his mouth to the Catechist, who was to ask them a reason of the hope that was in them.