fession. In the course of a fortnight, the first ten were adopted, then came three weeks more of jus divinum; another order of haste from the Commons was followed by the adoption of xi. and xii; after several months of debate on Marriage and Divorce, Synods, etc., the heads on Perseverance, Assur ance, and Saving Faith, and then the Law of God and Repentance. Sanctification was the last of the nineteen heads to be adopted "assurance" having given rise to a great deal of debate. Sept. 21, Good Works; and on the same day also it was ordered, that "the several heads of the Confession of Faith shall be called by the name of chapters;"-and Sept. 25, 1646, Parliament having again urged haste, the first nineteen chapters were presented under the title: "To the honorable, the House of Commons, assembled in Parliament, the humble advice of the Assembly of Divines, now, by authority of Parliament, sitting at Westminster, concerning part of a Confession of Faith."

The rest of the Confession followed rapidly. Chapter xx, on Civil Rights, was, of course, a bone of contention-for a whole month, and when it was adopted, the last clause had to be laid over. Chapters xxi–xxiii, xxvii, xxviii, and xxiv, with the clause of wilful desertion in it; xxix, xxv, xxvi, and on Nov. 26, 1646, chapters xxx-xxxiii were adopted, and "the Confession of Faith was finished on this day, and by order of the Assembly, the Prolocutor gave thanks to the Committee that had taken so great pains in the perfecting of it." After a few verbal alterations, e. g. substituting "Christ" for "God" in three places in chapter xxiii, and a futile attempt to alter the chapter "of censures," it was resolved, Dec. 4 1646, that the whole Assembly should present the completed Confession to both Houses of Parliament. It was so done.

The Assembly went in a body. "They were called in-the Prolocutor informed the House that they had now finished the latter part of the Confession, and, for the more conveniency, had reduced both parts to one entire body, and desired humbly to present it, and, in conclusion, do further desire, that if either the thing do seem long, or that they have been long in perfecting it, that you would consider, that the business is matter of great weight and importance." On the 7th inst., the same ceremony of presentation and thanks was gone

through with in the House of Lords. On the occasion of their receiving the first nineteen chapters, the House ordered the Scripture proofs to be placed in the margin, "to confirm what had been offered," and after the whole Confession was in, the Assembly appointed Wilson, Byfield, and Gower to prepare these proofs, and have them entered in the margin of “books specially for the votes of the Assembly thereon." This collating and approving of texts was done in the Assembly, each member being enjoined to bring with him his printed copy for reference, while the Scripture proofs were under debate. A most venerable Bible-class! The same stones of stumbling appeared in the proofs that had appeared in the original discussions, e. g., xx: 4; election, etc., but by the 5th of April, all the texts are in, and after a review of a few days more, are carried up to both Houses, April 29, 1647.

THE CATECHISMS.

There remained yet a Catechism, and to this the Assembly could now give their undivided attention. As we have already seen, a catechism was among the first things mentioned, as a means to the desired uniformity of religion in the three Kirks and Kingdoms; and was one of the four points in the Solemn League and Covenant. Nov. 21, 1644, Baillie reports it as already "drawn up," and a month later "as near agreed to, in private, so that when it comes in public, we expect little debate." Six months later, he speaks of it as in the hands of a committee and, in part, reported on, but if we except the naming of a committee (Aug. 20, 1645) to draw up the whole draught of the Catechism, we hear little of it till July 22, 1646, when an order from Parliament urges "haste in perfecting the Catechism and Confession, because of the great use there may be of them in the Kingdom." In September, the Assembly got to work on the Catechism, beginning apparently with Question 3 of our Larger Catechism, though their numbers do not run the same as ours, and go only up to Question 35. Being turned aside for two months by the rest of the Confession, when they resumed the Catechism, in November of 1646, the Scribe ceased to give the number of the question. They began, however, with: "Why is our Saviour called Christ?" (42d Question), but fell into difficulties as "to the method of proceeding," difficulties seemingly con

nected with the headship of Christ, which ended in their taking up the Commandments, Dec. 1, 1646. They got as far as the fourth, when, on motion of Mr. Vines, two catechisms were resolved on-"one more large, and another more brief, with reference to the Confession of Faith (now finished), and to the matter of the Catechism already begun."

It is a trifling matter in itself, but why must we always print and say, the Larger Catechism and the Shorter, instead of the larger and smaller, or the longer and shorter? No loyal Presbyterian would ever think of not crossing these two comparisons, despite grammar and analogy. If any one should speak of the Longer Catechism, he would at once prove himself an alien in the Presbyterian commonwealth; and if he spoke to our Sunday-school children of the Smaller Catechism, his speech would bewray him, and his little hearers would look perplexed, if not amused. Perhaps it is because in those days "large" was the current equivalent for our "long," and what we, in the lingua sacra, still designate "the long prayer," they called "the large prayer." But in looking over the Assembly's Minutes, one is struck with the variety and the instability of the terms by which the two Catechisms were spoken of. The Shorter Catechism is called the little, the lesser, the small and the short-its name fluctuating to the last. The same is true of the Larger Catechism. But when presenting them to Parliament-their titles are "A Larger Catechism," and “A Shorter Catechism," and these titles the House of Commons scrupulously gave them; but the Lords seem to have been less careful, in fact, never caught the exact words, so as to adhere to them. Not so Scotland-the true home of the Catechism. Both in her Assembly and Parliament, their distinguishing ti tles are always correctly entered and spoken, and thence, in all probability, has come to us the correct application of the terms "Larger" and "Shorter."

THE LARGER CATECHISM.

It is worth our while to look in on the Assembly for a few minutes, and hear them discuss the report as to the method of catechizing. Rutherford-on objections—(1.) It is said the Apostles did not use such a way. I think they did. "Is then the Law of God of none effect?" is a sort of sample question from the Apostolic Catechism. (2.) It takes away the proper

work of the minister. Denied. "There is as much art in catechising as in anything in the world. It may be doubted, whether every minister do understand the most dextrous way of doing it." Marshall hesitated a little about adhering, too formally, to the bare question-and-answer method of the Catechism. Bridge: "Two ends of catechising: increase of knowledge and test of knowledge. For the first there must be explication of the terms of divinity-redemption, etc., must be first explained. For the test of their knowledge it is better that answers should be made by sentences than by aye and no." Gillespie: "This is a profitable discourse, which is the best way of catechising. I like the form-capital questions by themselves, and particular questions by aye and no. When we were lately in Scotland, we had occasion to speak of this way, and showed them the example of it, and they all liked it very well." Dr. Gouge: "Ministers are physicians; they must observe the patient." Herle: "I would have aye and no to be expressed, but not distinct. It should be the first word of the answer." Seaman: "There are two things before us: about a catechism, and about catechising. It is a little too much to prescribe to the minister this form or that." Reynolds: "We all agree that way which is most for ingenerating knowledge is to most to be used-but I do not see that this way before us is the best." Delmy: “A catechism is for propounding knowledge in the most familiar manner, and to find out the measure of the knowledge of the party. The experience of the Reformed churches is to be considered." Palmer: "You must consider others as well as children." This is enough.

Let us see how the Larger Catechism grew. The Scripture proofs on the Confession being finally completed, April 15, 1647, the Assembly at once proceeded with the Catechism, beginning with question and answer, but though not numbering them, it is obvious that they followed the order of the questions in their previous Catechism, as far as Question 42, and then on as far as Question 58 of our Larger Catechism. Here they are again confronted with the extent of the Atonement. The matter is referred to a special committee and the Scotch Commissioners, to report at a future day. The Assembly resume their work with effectual calling (Question 67), and passing by Question 76 (Repentance), reach 82, and then pass

over to Questions 154-196 in our present order, except 172 and 173. In April they had resolved to attend to nothing at the morning session, beginning at nine instead of ten o'clock, till the Catechism was finished. They seemed very urgent. In June they distributed the ten commandments to as many separate committees, besides increasing the number of the General Committee. In July they took up what now is included in Questions 61-64, but which was originally one question, and in a much harsher form, and aimed to soften it, viz.: Ques. "Are all thus saved by Christ, who live within the visible church and hear the Gospel?" Answer. "Although the visible church (which is a society made up of all such as, in all ages and places of the world, do profess the true religion and their children) do enjoy many special favors and privileges, whereby it is distinguished from other societies in the world, and the gospel when it cometh doth tender salvation by Christ to all, testifying that whosoever believeth on him shall be saved, and excludeth none that come unto him, yet none do or can truly come unto Christ, or are saved by him, but only the members of the invisible church, which is the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be, gathered into one under Christ, their head." Questions 172–173 were answered at the same time, but there seems to be no notice of Question 76 till we come to the end of the discussion on the Commandments (Sept. 17, 1647,) when it is spoken of as amended. The Larger Catechism being completed October 15, 1647, was carried up by the whole Assembly, October 22, and received by both Houses with thanks.

THE SHORTER CATECHISM.

It was ordered, August 5, 1647, that "the Shorter Catechism shall be gone in hand with presently by a committee now to be 'chosen." This committee consisted of the Prolocutor (Herle), Palmer, Temple, Lightfoot, Green, and Delmy. The Larger Catechism being finished, the Shorter was all that remained. Mr. Tuckney seems to have had special charge of it, as he had had of the Larger. In a very few days it was brought before them, and the discussion on it began October 21st, but there are few marks in the Minutes of the order in which it was debated. November 8th it was resolved that the Commandments, Lord's Prayer, and Creed be added, and on the 15th the Cat