A

KEY
JM: Bodyshon TO THE 172

Church-Catechilm,

OR THE

CHURCH-CATECHISM
Methodized and explained in a new

and easy Method, and familiar Manner,

Helpful

To the UNDERSTANDING, MEMORY,

and PRACTICE.

To which are added

Some PRAYERS and HYMNS,
For a Help to Devotion.

Recommended as useful for Schools and

Families.

By

Smith.

LONDON:

Printed for the Author, and Sold by SAMUEL
KEBLE, at the Turks-Head in Fleet-street; and
HENRY CLEMENTS, at the Half-Moon

in S. Pauls Church-Yard. 1719.

18-6 1907

то

Mr.WILLIAM TRENT,

Merchant in PHILADELPHIA

SIR,

A

S your fingular Humanity and Good-Will to all Men do justly recommend you to the Esteem and Love of all so the Instances thereof, that you have applied to me particu larly, do particularly require of me my moft thankful Acknowledgment. And as fuch, I defire you to accept of this New and Small Effay, for the more ef fectual Promoting of Catechetical Intruction; and to vouchsafe it your Pa

tronage.

tronage. For as it is defign'd in part for the Use of our poor Countrymen, who are dispersed up and down in your vast and spacious Regions; so your honoured and worthy Name prefixed hereunto, may recommend it very much to their Acceptance and Ufe. For I know not any Gentleman, in all the Country round about you, that is either better known, or more beloved than yourself: And particularly by him, who in reality is,

SIR,

Your most obliged, most humble, and most respectful Servant

PHILO-DELPHUS.

THE

PREFACE.

A

S the Knowledge of true Religion is necessary to Man's Salvation, so one excellent Means and Help for the Acquiring of this Knowledge, is to learn and keep in Memory some Methodical and short Catechism, or System of Divinity. And it is generally acknowledged, that this our Catechism is such; Mr. Baxter fays of it, that 'tis more truly methodical than most other Catechisms that pretend to greater Accurateness. And Bishop Beveridge hath af firmed, that no other doth, or can exceed this: It being so plain and short, that even Children may foon learn it; and withal so full and copious, in the Sense and Doctrines of it, that the ablest Divines can never wholly comprehend it: Like a River that hath Fords, wherein Lambs may wade; and Profundities or Depths, wherein Elephants may swim.

This