upon the Doctrines and Duties of our holy Religion, to give a more full and extenfive View of all the Parts and Branches that belong to it; among which Mr. Flavel's Work is one of the beft. Those who break the_long Answers into Pieces,and explain them in Parts, are in my Opinion of the greatest Use to young Perfons. I think that which is faid to be written by Dr. Wallis is of this kind; but they are all too long for Children.

There are fome Perfons have imagin'd, that in order to render it eafy for younger Underftandings and Memories, they fhould throw their whole Expofition into a great Number of Questions about every thing that relates to the Doctrine contain'd in each Anfwer of the Affembly's Catechism, and that the Child should have nothing to remember, but only to answer Yes or No; but I fear this is of no very great Ufe to younger Children, unless a Reafon or a Scripture be added. Where the Parent or Mafter fpeaks almoft all that is faid in his asking the Queftion, and the Child has no more to answer than Yes or No, it gives but fmall Improvement to the Understanding; for fince there is but one right and one wrong Anfwer, the Child may happen to give the right Answer often by guefs, without any Knowledge what the Question means.

XIV. Rule. I have often thought that the fhortest Comment upon that Catechism, and moft ufeful for those who learn it by heart, might confift of a mere Explication of the Words and Phrafes

Phrafes which are more difficult to be understood, placed under every Anfwer wherein thofe Words are used. Such an Expofition as this would very little increase the Bulk or Price of the Catechifm itself, as it would alfo be very favourable and indulgent to the Memory of Learners.

The particular Rules proper to be obferved in fuch an Expofition are these :

1. As we fuppofe the Youth that learn it to be 12 or 14 Years old, there will be no need of explaining the more common Terms and Language ufed in it, fuch as, The Word of God, Law, Duty, Rule, Wifdom, Power,&c. for they will be known at that Age to all those who have had the Advantage of a religious Education.

2. There need be no Explication given of thofe Words which are directly and exprefly explain'd in any of the following Answers of the Catechifm, fuch as Creation, Providence, Chriff's Humiliation and Exaltation, Sacrament, Baptifm, Lord's-Supper, &c.

3. As for the Words that may be used in different Senfes, or extend to many and various Kinds of Things, I think it is not necessary to fhew in how many Senfes they may be taken, or how many Things they extend to, but rather to declare briefly what is the Sense of them as they stand in that very Answer of the Catechifm; as for Inftance, the Word Sacrifice does not always mean an Expiation for Sin, but fometimes it fignifies the Offering of Corn, Wine, or Oil, in a way of Thanksgiving; and metaphorically it is used for our Chriftian Du

ties of Praise to God and Bounty to the Poor, Heb. xiii. 15, 16. But fince it is applied in this Catechifm only to the Sacrifice of Chrift which atones for our Sins, it is better to define it here, fome living Creature flain and offer'd up to God to answer for fome Offence committed against him: And it is my Opinion that this way of explaining will lead an ignorant Perfon in a fhorter, plainer, and eafier Manner to understand the Anfwers given in the Catechism, than if there were a long Detail of the various Senfes of the Word.

4. There is a little Difficulty how to interpret those Terms or Phrafes which have been made Matter of Controverfy amongst those very Minifters and Chriftians who approve of this Catechifm in general and teach it in their Families. Now I think it beft to let as few as poffible of thofe Controverfies be intimated or awaken'd: And let thofe few Ternis or Phrases have their most general Senfe affixed to them, fuch as verges toward no Extreme: And let them be explained in fo moderate and catholick a Signification as may not run high into the Sentiments of any Party, but may (as far as the Words will bear it) be conftrued in fuch a Meaning as we may reasonably fuppofe was approved by the whole venerable Affembly who compofed it, and fuch as is agreeable to far the greatest Part of those who make use of this Catechifm to inftruct their Children. And yet after all I cannot G

for

forbear to wifh, that fome few Expreffions in it had been formed with a more catholick Latitude, fo as might have given lefs Difguft to any pious Minds, but might have rendered it more univerfally acceptable to our Nation.

5. There is another Rule that ought to be obferved alfo in explaining all the difficult Terms and Phrafes, and that is, that if poffible there might no hard Word enter into the Explication, but that all the Terms ufed in the Explication of the Words might be much eafier to be understood, and more plain and familiar than the Terms and Phrases which are explained.

XV. Rule. At the fame Time that the youngest Catechism of the Principles of Religion is learned, the Child may also begin to attain a little hiftorical Knowledge of the Bible, by way of Question and Anfwer. This fhould be drawn up in as eafy, plain and fimple a Stile as can well be contrived.

I confefs the Bible is fo large a Book, and contains fo rich a Variety of entertaining Hiftories, and that from fo early a Date as the Beginning of the World, that 'tis impoffible all the neceffary Things of this Kind can be crowded into fo fmall a Compafs as to be impos'd on the Memories of Children in their youngest Years: I would propofe therefore that two Catechisms be formed: The first should be called A

Ca

Catechifm of Scripture-Names, and it should contain nothing but the Name of the Person with one fingle Character of him. This

might be fufficient for the Years of Infancy.

The fecond which I call the Hiftorical Catechifm fhould be framed for Children and Youth from feven Years old to fifteen, and fhould run thro' the Scripture in a fhort Account both of remarkable Perfons and Things: And as I keep my Eye on the Capacities of Children, it fhould be very plain, and have as few hard Words in it as poffible. Then it will be pleasant to young Minds, when it confifts of fhort and various Incidents or Stories which employ and delight the Fancy. As it begins at the Creation of all Things, fo it fhould run down to the Days of the Apoftles and the setting up the Kingdom of Christ among Men, which is as far as the Hiftory of Scripture reaches.

It is true, this Field is fo very large, that whosoever writes fuch a Catechifm for Children must neceffarily leave out many worthy Names of Men which should not be forgotten, and a Multitude of Things which one could with might be inferted: And I am fo well affured of the great Usefulness of inftructing Children and young Perfons in the Tranfactions of Scripture, that I have compofed a much larger Summary