DEDICATION.

TO THE

PARENTS AND GOVERNORS OF FAMILIES

BELONGING TO THE

Congregation which usually assemble for Worship in Berry-Street, London.

Christian Friends, beloved in our Lord,

SINCE you make a solemn profession of the religion of Christ, and build your hopes of a happy eternity upon it, I am well persuaded it is the desire of your souls that your families should be trained up in the practice of the same religion, and become heirs of eternal happiness together with yourselves. For this end you engage their attendance on public worship; but your ministers have little hope of obtaining this end by all their public labours, unless you join to assist them with your private instructions and prayers. Even when we address our discourses to the young, we can do it but in general language; but you have some special advantages with regard to those of your own house: There are many opportunities which you may seize to promote this pious work ; many tender moments of address wherein you may apply yourselves in a more particular manner to the understandings and to the consciences of your children, in order to fix the great doctrines and duties of christianity upon their memory and their heart.

I need not inform you, for you are well apprized of this great truth, that the foundation of all religion is laid in knowledge. We must not worship an unknown God, nor pay him service without understanding. I presume therefore that you take due care and pains to instruct your children in their early years in the chief principles of our holy religion, and I would hope that while you make them learn that full and comprehensive form of instruction called the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, you endeavour to inform them of the meaning of every sentence, that they may not learn words by rote without knowing what they mean.

And yet I beg leave to enquire of you, my friends, after all your labours, whether you can find that your children take in the sense of those questions and answers in the years of infancy and childhood, when you impress the words upon their memory? Do they pronounce the answers in such a manner as though they understood the meaning of them? May I be permitted yet further to enquire concerning yourselves when you learned this catechism in your younger years? Did you understand all those sentences

and expressions, when perhaps you could readily repeat them by heart? I am persuaded you have made some observations upon your own experience, both in learning and in teaching the things of God: Surely you are convinced it is far better that children should be instructed in the important principles of their duty and happiness, in such a way, as may lead them to understand the words which they learn to pronounce. Have not many of you often wished for some easier and shorter forms of knowledge, whereby your children might have some sense of divine things, and early religion let into their minds in a way more suited to their feeble capacities.

Far be it from me to take out of your hands that valuable catechism of the assembly of divines: I am not going to persuade you to lay aside the use of it in your families; but only to render the work of instructing your children and servants more easy and more successful. I would fain propose to you a method whereby children who cannot understand the answers of that catechism, may yet have their tender minds furnished and impressed with the things of God and their salvation betimes, and that they may be better prepared for using that catechism with greater advantage when they are further advanced in age and knowledge, and when their minds are better fitted to receive the deeper sense therein contained. This is what a multitude of private christians have desired, and that not only for the use of their children, but of their servants also, and for the first instruction of any of the more ignorant parts of mankind. This is what many ministers have attempted even since the Assembly's Catechism was written: This is what I have been often solicited to undertake these twenty years by several ministers and private christians: And this, my friends, is the business and design of the little book which I here present you. Though I will not pretend or presume to write catechisms for the world, yet I think I do not extend my studies and cares beyond my proper province, when I take pains to assist you in the instruction of your families. If any other christian families think proper to make use of these plain forms of instruction, I heartily wish they may find all the desired success.

If it should be enquired how I came to set about this work now, after so long solicitations and delays, I will tell you freely, that while I was writing the Treatise of Education which I promised the world some time ago, I found this work of catechising camé in necessarily as a part of it: And finding it grow too large for a chapter in that treatise, I separated it from the rest, and have thus prepared it to be published by itself before the other is finished. I believe you will heartily agree to do me so much justice, as not to impute this work to any principle of ambition, or to suppose that a vain design of glory amongst men has tempted me to frame an A B C for children. I well know that some of my particular friends imagine my time is employed in too mean a service while I write for babes: I own my obligations to them for their good opinion of any of my other writings: But I content myself with this thought, that nothing is too mean for a servant of Christ to engage in, if he can thereby most effectually promote the kingdom of his blessed Master. If the God whom I serve will bless my labours to sow the seeds of religion in the understandings and hearts of children, I shall hope there will

arise a fair harvest of the fruits of holiness in the succeeding generation, and some revenue of glory to my Creator and Redeemer.

Perhaps it is not proper for me to say, and the world will hardly believe, what pains have been taken in composing these catechisms, especially the first and second of them; with what care I have endeavoured to select the most easy and necessary parts of our religion, in order to propose them to the memory of children according to their ages; what laborious diligence has been used to seek out all the plainest and most familiar forms of speech, that the great things of God and the mysteries of the gospel might be brought down to the capacities of children. It is not for me to say how many hours, and days, and weeks, have been spent in reviewing and examining every word and expression, that, if possible, nothing might be inserted which might give just occasion of offence to pious persons and families, that nothing might be left out which was necessary for children to know in that tender age; and that no word, phrase, or sentiment, if possible, might be admitted which could not be brought in some measure within the reach of a child's understanding.

I am well aware that both my younger catechisms will be thought defective, in that I have not therein warned children more particularly of some sins of which they are in continual danger. But I was much afraid to make these early forms of instruction too burdensome and tedious. Besides, whatsoever is wanting either of the mention of duties or of sins relating to God or man, may be found in the explication of the ten commandments in the Assembly's Catechism, or in my Preservative from the Sins and Follies of Childhood and Youth; and I have recommended both these to be read frequently, even while children are learning the foregoing catechisms by heart.

There is another defect, of which some will complain; and that is, there is not enough of the historical part of our religion brought into the two catechisms of the principles of religion, which I have written for children; at least the history of Adam and of the Jews, and the history of Christ, should have had a much larger share therein. But I desire my friends to consider, that at the same time while these catechisms are learning, there are catechisms of scripture-history proposed also to be gotten by heart, according to the different ages of children, wherein the narratives relating both to the first and second Adam, and to the Jews, are much larger; and I think this will fully relieve that supposed inconvenience or defect; for there was no need of repeating these historical transactions in both places; and if I had added more of the sacred history to the catechisms of the principles of religion, it would have made them appear too long and tedious. But that you may be more fully acquainted with the reasons of this attempt, and that you may know the method I have observed, and the care I have taken in these composures, I entreat you to read over the following discourse of the excellency and use of catechisms, and of the natural and most useful manner of composing them.

When you have diligently, and without prejudice, perused that short essay, I am persuaded you will agree with me, at least in this general opinion, that something more

than hath been done in times past, ought to be attempted, in order to render the momentous concerns of religion more intelligible to children, and that these my labours are not utterly unsuited to that design.

Yet after all, I commit these papers to your candour, as well as to your judgment and your practical use; and while you labour in this most necessary work, the instructing of your families in the doctrines and duties of christianity, let your daily fervent prayers accompany your private instructions, that the heart may be enriched with every divine grace, while the head is furnished with useful knowledge. And may the Spirit of light and grace descend on all the younger branches of your household, and visit every menial servant there, that your families may be as temples wherein God may dwell, with all the train of blessings which relate to this life and the life to come.

While my want of a strong constitution of body, and my necessary retirements from the city, render me incapable of paying so many visits to your families, and promoting their spiritual welfare so much as I would gladly do, I humbly hope this little book may be attended with the divine blessing; that your children may derive from it abundant benefit; that the principles of piety and goodness being early instilled into their minds, they may be better secured against the temptations of infidelity, vice, and profaneness; that they may stand up in the following age as the supports and ornaments of true religion; and bear up the name of Christ with honour in a degenerate and sinful world; this is the hearty prayer of

A

DISCOURSE

ON THE

WAY OF INSTRUCTION BY CATECHISMS,

AND OF

THE BEST METHOD OF COMPOSING THEM.

SECTION I.

THE DUTY OF INSTRUCTING CHILDREN IN RELIGION.

CHILDREN have souls as well as men: They soon discover their capacity of reasoning, and make it appear they can learn the things of God and religion. The great God therefore expects that little children should be taught to know, and love, and worship him; for he hath not bestowed their early powers in vain. Their souls also in their own nature are immortal; and thousands of them are summoned away from this world by death. The righteous Judge of the world will call the small as well as the great to his bar of account. All those whom he shall esteem capable of duty and sinning must be answerable for their own personal conduct; and how early he will begin to require this account he only knows. Parents therefore cannot well begin too soon to let children know that they have souls that must live when their bodies are dead; they should instruct them, there is a future judgment, and an account to be given of their behaviour in this life, as soon as they have well learned there is a God, and what duties he requires of them.

I am by no means of their opinion who let children grow up almost to the age of manhood before their minds are informed of the principles of religion. Their pretence is, that the choice of religion ought to be perfectly free, and not biassed and influenced by the authority of parents, or the power of education. But surely the great God, whò framed the soul of man, hath made it capable of learning religion and the knowledge of God, by the instruction of others in the years of childhood, long before it is capable of tracing out the knowledge of God and religion by its own reasoning powers; and why should not parents follow the order of God and nature; why should they not instruct children in the knowledge, and love, and fear of God, as soon as they are capable of these divine lessons, and not leave them to grow up to their full bulk and size, like the offspring of brute animals, without God and without knowledge?

Besides, doth not the very light of nature teach us that parents are entrusted with the care of their children in younger years, to furnish their minds with the seeds of virtue and happiness, as well as to provide for their bodies food and raiment? Are parents bound to take care of the flesh that perishes, and yet left at a loose, and unconcerned to