THE FIRST CATECHISM:

OR, THE CATECHISM FOR A YOUNG CHILD, TO BE BEGUN AT THREE OR FOUR YEARS OLD.

1 QUESTION.

CAN you tell me, child, who made you?

Answer. The great God who made beaven and earth.

2. Q. What doth God do for you?

A. He keeps me from harm by night and by day, and is always doing me good.

3. Q. And what must you do for this great God who is so good to you? A. I must learn to know him first, and then I must do every thing to please him.

4. Q. Where doth God teach us to know him and to please him?

A. In his holy word, which is contained in the bible.

5.

Q. Have you learned to know who God is?

A. God is a spirit; and though we cannot see him, yet he sees and knows all things, and he can do all things.

6.

Q. What must you do to please God?

A. I must do my duty both toward God aud toward man.

7. Q. What is your duty to God?

A. My duty to God is to fear and honour him, to love and serve him, to pray to him, and to praise him.

8.

Q. What is your duty to man?

A. My duty to man is to obey my parents, to speak the truth always, and to be honest and kind to all.

9. Q. What good do you hope for by seeking to please God?

A. Then I shall be a child of God, and have God for my father and my friend for ever.

10. Q. And what if you do not fear God, nor love him, nor seek to please him?

A. Then I shall be a wicked child, and the great God will be very angry with me.

11. Q. Why are you afraid of God's anger?

A. Because he can kill my body, and he can make my soul miserable after my body is dead,

12. Q. But have you never done any thing to make God angry with you already?

A. Yes, I fear I have too often sinned against God, ond deserved his anger. 13. Q. What do you mean by sinning against God?

A. To sin against God is to do any thing that God forbids me, or not to do what God commands me.

14. Q. And what must you do to be saved from the anger of God which your sins have deserved ?

A. I must be sorry for my sins, I must pray to God to forgive me what is past, and serve him better for time to come.

15. Q. Will God forgive you if you pray for it?

A. I hope he will forgive me, if I trust in his mercy, for the sake of what Jesus Christ has done, and what he has suffered.

16. Q. Do you know who Jesus Christ is?

A. He is God's own Son, who came down from heaven to save us from our gins, and from God's anger.

17. Q. What has Christ done toward the saving of men?

A. He obeyed the law of God himself, and has taught us to obey it also..

18. Q. And what has Christ suffered in order to save men?

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A. He died for sinners who have broke the law of God, and had deserved to die the inves.

19. Q. Where is Jesus Christ now?

A. He is alive again, and gope to heaven to provide a place there, for all that serve God and love his Son Jesus.

20. Q. Can you of yourself love and serve God and Christ?

A. No, I cannot do it of myself, but God will help me by his own Spirit if I ask him for it.

21. Q. Will Jesus Christ ever come again?

A. Christ will come again, and call me and all the world to account for what we bave done.

22. Q. For what purpose is this account to be given?

A. That the children of God, as well as the wicked, may all receive according to their works.

23. Q. What must become of you if you are wicked?

A. If I am wicked, I shall be sent down to everlasting fire in hell, among wicked and miserable creatures.

24. Q. And whither shall you go if you are a child of God?

A. If I am a child of God, I shall be taken up to heaven, and dweil there with God and Christ for ever.

Amen.

PREFACE

TO "THE SECOND CATECHISM."

IN the age of childhood, at every three or four years of life, the under

standing seems to make a more sensible progress and more visible improvement, than it does perhaps in any three years afterwards, especially if it be assisted by the advantage of good education: And the reason is, because every thing is new to us in that early age. At seven or eight years old, therefore, the child may be capable of understanding and learning this second composure which I call, The Child's Catechism. It is a scheme of the christian religion, drawn up much in the same form and method as the former; but it is much enlarged, and comprehends many more particulars both of doctrine and duty.

When the child begins to learn the second Catechism, he should by no means lay aside the first, but be kept to repeat it once in a month, till he has learned the second quite through, and can say them both perfectly by heart. Let the child learn the second Catechism throughout, first without the scriptures, and by that time he is perfect in it, he will be perhaps ten years old or more: Then if the teacher please, let the child begin to learn the scriptures which are set down as proofs under every answer: For at this age, he may be capable of seeing the conformity or agreement, between the answer in his catechism, and the text of scripture which is brought to prove it.

In catechising him upon the scriptures, it is not so proper a method to bid him repeat all the proofs together under each auswer: But take the answer into pieces, and enquire of him particularly, which scripture proves this part of the answer, and what scripture proves the next part and so onward. This will not only give a great relief to the child's memory, but it will much more improve his reason and understanding in religion; and it will help to confirm and establish him in that important truth, "that not the composures of men, but the scripture itself, is the rule of our religion.

For children who have weaker memories, or less leisure and advantage for learning, I do not advise that they should be confined to learn all the scriptures that belong to this catechism, before they proceed to the Assembly's. Parents and teachers should judge in this matter, and determine the lessons and labours of children, according to their different capacities: For as some children grow in bodily stature much faster than others, and they must have new garments more frequently, because they have outgrown the old, so in the improvements of the mind some children far exceed others; and those who are of the slowest growth, must dwell longer on their former lessons and catechisms, before they proceed to change them for new ones: And sometimes they must be indulged to skip over some lessons, which those who make swifter progress, may learn for their greater profit.

It may be complained indeed, that this Second Catechism itself is rather too large for the child at seven or eight years old, for it contains in it seventyfour questions, whereas that of the Assembly's, which is proposed to youth of twelve or thirteen years old, contains but one hundred and seven. But let it be observed that the answers are generally shorter, and the words much easier to be understood and remembered: And to make the matter still more unexceptionable, there is a line drawn all along in the margin, by those questions and answers, which may be omitted in teaching children of seven

or eight years old, and these amount to twenty-four: This will reduce the Catechism for that age to fifty questions. Then when they arrive at nine or ten years of age, they may learn the answers which were before omitted, and so become masters of the whole.

If this method be followed, there will be, as it were, three catechisms for three stages of childhood, each exceeding the other in length, in a more exact proportion to the growing years and memories of children, till at twelve or thirteen years they are are prepared to learn the Assembly's Catechism with greater improvement. But in this and all other methods of instruction which relate to children, much of the management and practice, must be left to the discretion and care of those who teach them, and all must be committed to the grace and blessing of God. AMEN.

THE SECOND CATECHISM:

OR, THE CATECHISM FOR CHILDREN, WHICH THEY MAY BEGIN AT SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS OLD, ACCORDING TO THEIR DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.

1. QUESTΙΘΝ.

DEAR

EAR child, do you know what you are?

Answer. I am a creature of God, for he made me both body and soul. "Is. xlv. 11, 12. Thus saith the Lord-I have made the earth, and created man upon it. Job x. 11. Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and fenced me with boues and sinews. Zech. xii. 1. The Lord-who formeth the spirit of man within bim."

r 2. Q. How do you

know you

have a soul?

A. Because I find something within me that can think and know, cap wish and desire, can rejoice and be sorry, which my body cannot do,

"Job. xxxii. 8. There is a spirit in man. Job xxxv. 11. Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven. Prov. xxii. 7. As he thinketh in his heart, so is he. Prov. ii. 10. Knowledge is pleasant to thy soul. Is. xxvi. 8. The desire of our soul is to thy name. Ps. xxxv. 9. My soul shall be joyful in the Lord. Mat. xxvi, 38. My soul is exceeding sorrowful.

3. Q. Wherein doth your soul differ further from your body?

A. My body is made of flesh and blood, and it will die; but my soul is a spirit, and it will live after my body is dead.

and bones. Job breath, all flesh Ex. xii. 7. Then

See answer 1. "Luke xxiv. 39. A spirit hath not flesh xxxiv. 14, 15. If he gather to himself his spirit and his shall perish together, and man shall return again to dust. shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit-to God who gave it. Mat. x. 28. Fear not them who can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul."

4. Q. For what purpose did God make you such a creature with a body and a soul?

A. To know him and serve him here on earth, that I may dwell with him and be happy hereafter in beaven.

What is written Is. xliii. 21. may be applied to all mankind, viz. "This people have I formed for myself, they shall, or should, shew forth my praise, Ps. Ixxii. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Ps. xvi. 11. In thy presence is fulness of joy. Q

VOL. V

5. Q. How must you learn to know God and serve him?

A By the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which are the word of God.

"2 Tim. iii. 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,-for instruction in righteousness. Luke xvi. 29. They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 2 Pet. iii. 2. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, aud of the commandment of us the apostles of the Eord and Saviour. 2 Tim. iii. 15. From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise to salvation,

6. Q. What do the scriptures teach you of the knowledge of God? A. The scriptures teach me what God is in himself, and what he is in relafion to us who are his creatures.

See the scriptures under the two following questions:

7. Q. Who is God, considered in himself, and in his own nature?

A. God in his own nature, is a Spirit, every where present, without beginning, and without end, most wise and powerful, most holy and merciful, most just and true.

"John iv. 24. God is a Spirit. Jer. xxiii. 24. Can any bide himself in secret places that I shall not see him, saith the Lord? Do not I fill heaven and earth. Ps. xc. 2. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Rom. xvi. 27. To God only wise be glory. Rev. iv. 8. Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is co come; Is. vi. 2 Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts. Ex. xxxiv. 6. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious. Deut. xxxii. 4. A God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is be."

8. Q. What is God in relation to us who are his creatures?

A. As the great God is our Maker who gave us our being, so he continually preserves us and does us good: lle is our Lord and Ruler now, and he will be our Judge at last.

"Ps. c. 5. Know ye that the Lord he is God, it is he who hath hath made us, and not we ourselves. Ps. xxxvi. 6. O Lord, thou preservest man and beast: Ps. cxix. 68. Thou art good and doest good. Ps. ci. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, his kingdom ruleth over all. Ps. 1. 6. God is Judge himself.

9. Q. And how do the scriptures teach you to serve God?

A. I must serve God by keeping all his commandments, that is, by doing every thing that he requires of me, and avoiding every thing that he forbids me.

"Deut. x. 12, 13. What doth the Lord thy God require of thee?—To keep the commandments of the Lord. Ex. xxiv. 3. All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. Ps. cxix. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word."

10. Q. What commandments has God given to men?

A. He gave the law of ten commandments to the Jews in the Old Testament, and they are summed up in two commandments for us in the New Testament.

"Deut. x. 4.. And he wrote on the tables (of stone) the ten commandments which the Lord spake unto you in the mount. Mat. xxii. 40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." See question 21.

11. Q. Repeat the ten commandments of God in short, which he gave

in the Old Testament*. What is the first commandment?

A. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

12. Q. What is the second commandment?

A. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, or the likeness of any thing in heaven or earth, to bow down and worship it.

It is thought more proper in a catechism for children, to give the ten commandments in short, and not to write them down here in full length, which is not so needful for children, and would burden their memories. Christ himself and St. Paul have done the same thing, when they rehearsed several of these commands. See Mat. xix. 18. and Rom. xiii. 9.

Note, A particular account of what is required and what is forbidden in these commandments, may be seen in the Assembly's Catechism.