&trines of the Gospel are laid down in the first Part of it, as far as Question 39, which perhaps takes up a whole Year's toil and labour of Memory before the Child is taught any Thing practical, either of its Duty to God or its Duty to Man: As tho' a Child need not be taught God's Commandments nor his own Duty, till he hath learnt the Infinity and Eternity of God, the Doctrine of the Bleffed Trinity, the Decrees of God, the Covenant of Works made with Adam as our Head, our original Sin and Mifery by the Fall, the Doctrine of Election and Redemption, the Conftitution of the Perfon and the Offices of Chrift, his Humiliation and Exaltation, together with the Application of his Redemption by the Operation of the Holy Spirit, the Benefits of Juftification, Adoption and Sanctification, and the Happinefs of Believers at their Death and Refurrection; for all thefe Things are introduced as Matters of Faith before any Rules of Duty are mentioned.

Tho' it be granted that these are glorious Parts of our Religion, and may be taught as foon as a Child can understand them, yet I humbly conceive it cannot be neceffary to withhold a Child from the Knowledge of his Duty to God and Man till he hath learn'd all thefe fublime Doctrines. It feems to me a much more natural Method firft to fhew the Child the Law of God, with his Duty to obey it, and then to convince him that he has broken this holy Law, and that he is exposed to God's

Difpleasure here and hereafter: Now upon this View the Gospel of Christ comes in as a most glorious Relief, and the Child will understand and fee how much he hath need of fuch a Gospel and fuch a Saviour, and he will attend with more serious Diligence to the Name of Jefus and the bleffed Discoveries of Grace, when he finds he is exposed to the juft Anger of God for his Sins, if he does not betake himfelf to this Relief.

X. Rule. It may be proper enough in the larger of thefe Catechifms, or those which are compos'd for a Youth of 12 or 14 Years of Age, that the whole Scheme or Method be different from thofe which are framed for mere Infancy or Childbood. So the Affembly's Catechifm is written in a different Method from thofe which I have compofed for younger Years, tho' the fame Religion and the fame Gospel is exhibited in both.

By fuch a Diverfity of Methods young Perfons will fee the fame Truths fet in a different Light: And it may be of confiderable Ufe, efpecially to thofe of a brighter Genius and better Parts, to turn their Religion on all Sides, and learn how beautiful it is in every Situation, to obferve how happily all the Parts correfpond with one another, and all confpire in the Glory of God, the Honour of Christ, and the Salvation of finful Man. But I think for all the younger Catechifms 'tis much better they fhould be form'd in the very fame Method, left while Children are fo very young and ignorant, Variety of Methods fhould embarass

rather

rather than enlighten them: For this Reason I have framed my two first Catechisms on the very fame Plan.

XI. Rule. In those younger Catechisms where the Scheme and Method is much the fame, let the Questions and Answers be exprefs'd in different Forms of Words, and the Manners of Inquiry and Reply bear a little different Turn, even tho the Senfe may be the very fame. This will have two confiderable Advantages in it. (1.) The Child will not be ready to intermingle the Anfwers of the younger and elder Catechifms together; which he would perpetually do if the Questions were exprefs'd in the fame Words, or if the Answers begun in the fame Forms of Speech. (2.) The Child will gain more Knowledge of the Things of Religion and of the Language of Chriftianity, by having the fame Doctrines and Duties fet before him in different Forms of Speech, as his Age and Underftanding advances.

But if in compofing two fuch Catechifms any Perfon fhould think there may be a Neceffity of repeating the very fame Queftion in the fame Words, then let the Answer be exactly the fame too; and then a Child will be under no Danger of Miftake, nor of intermingling one Catechifm with another.

XII. Rule. Let there be one or more wellchofen Text of Scripture added to fupport almoft every Anfwer, and to prove the feveral Parts of it. This will fhew the Child that we own the Scripture or Word of God to be the di

vine and fupreme Rule of our Belief and Practice, and that this Catechifm is borrow'd from the Bible, as the great Source and Original of our holy Religion; this will make him know betimes that his Catechifms are not to be put in the room and place of the Bible. All the Works of Men may be capable of Mistakes, but the Scripture is the only infallible and certain Rule of all reveal'd Truth and chriftian Knowledge. It will alfo have another good Effect, and that is, it will by degrees lead the Child into the understanding and remembrance of fome of the most useful Texts of Scripture on which the chief Articles of Christianity are founded, and furnish his tender Mind with the rich Treasure of the Word of God.

Yet in the very youngest Catechifm perhaps little Children would find this Addition of Scripture too tiresome and tedious, nor would it be of any confiderable Ufe till they are old enough to compare the Answers in the Catechifm with the Words and Senfe of Scripture, and to obferve how one correfponds with the other; therefore I have omitted the fcriptural Proofs in the firft Catechism, tho' I have with Dili-gence and Care collected and added them to the fecond and in the Affembly's Catechism, which is a Catechifm for Youth, this is done largely in fome Editions of it.

XIII. Rule. When a Catechifm is framed for Youth of 12 Years old or upwards, there is no neceffity that the Terms and Phrafes which are used in it should be fo plain and familiar as

Sect. VIII. in those which are compofed for Children; and indeed it is better that the Terms and Language of Scripture, fuch as Juftification, Adop tion, Sanctification, &c. fhould be made use of here, partly because it may be fuppofed that thefe Children may have acquired fome Notions of these things at this Age by their religi ous Education, and partly because it is neceflary that by this time they should come to read the Scriptures wherein thefe Terms are used, with a greater degree of Understanding; it is fit therefore that this fort of Language, in which it hath pleafed God to reveal divine things to Men, fhould be made, more familiar to them while they are growing up to manly Age. This Rule is obferv'd in a good degree in the Affembly's fhorter Catechism, which I have here inferted in its Order for the Inftruction of Youth

Yet it is certain that in far the greatest Num ber of Chriftian Families there is not Care enough, or there is not Skill enough in the Parents or Mafters to explain these Terms, and lead their Children or Servants into clear and eafy Ideas of divine Things, as they are delivered to us in many of the Words and Phrafes of Scripture, or in the Language of this comprehenfive Catechifm; and it is for this reason that so many learned Men have spent their Time in writing Expofitions upon it.

But it must be observed, that most of these Expofitions, inftead of explaining the Words used in the Affembly's Catechifm, have enlarg'd

upon