THE

HISTORICAL CATECHISM.

1

THE PREFACE.

AFTER the short Catechism of Scriptural Names has been perfectly learned by heart, the Historical Catechism comes next to be proposed for the instruction of the younger parts of a family in the things recorded in the Bible. Here I have collected together, in as brief a manner as I could, some of the more important transactions which are related in scripture, and which are most proper to be known by children. I have endeavoured to make some connexion of all the parts of this sacred history from one end of it to the other, that the former answers, as far as possible, might lay some foundation for the following questions. This method of composure, if it could be every where observed, would draw on the enquiries in so natural and entertaining a manner, as to invite the native curiosity of young persons to read and remember the answer, and at the same time would give much more ease and delight both to the teacher and learner.

But let it be observed, that though some children may learn this Historical Catechism by ten or twelve years of age in so easy a manner, yet I do not propose it to be learned by all before they begin the Assembly's Catechism: And therefore I call it a Catechism for Children and Youth, supposing that many may not have fully committed it to memory till they are fourteen years old.

Though I have shortened it several times, and struck out many useful parts of this sacred history with some regret, yet I confess I could still wish it shorter; and if any persons think their children will be detained too long in the affairs of the Old Testament, before they come to the history of Christ in the New, which is of much more importance, I would propose that they might learn the History of the New Testament first; or that they might learn two or three questions every week in each part of the Catechism, that is, both of the Old Testament and the New, and so carry both on together. But I hope upon experience that children will find it so entertaining, that they will get through it with ease and pleasure.

But after all the pains taken to render these Catechisms of Scripture History so complete as I could wish, I found it was impossible to contract it into so short a compass as PP

VOL. III.

would be fit for all children without the utter omission of many useful things, and too slight a mention of others. What could not be done here, I have in some measure endeavoured to supply, not only by a more complete summary of the history of the Bible, which is not yet printed, but I have drawn up here a larger catalogue of scriptural words and names, which contains many more names in it than both these short catechisms together; and I have placed it at the end of these catechisms for the use of those children who have better capacities or better memories, or who have greater advantages and opportunities for knowledge than others have.

In the Historical Catechism I have mentioned the chapter and verse where these scriptural stories are recorded; and when children have learned the names and order of the books of the Bible, and know how to find any text in it by the number of the chapter and verse, they should be employed to search out those places in the scripture to which the Catechism refers, and thus they should acquaint themselves more particularly with the character and history of the persons named in the Catechism by reading it in the Bible themselves. This would be a very delightful way of leading them to a more complete acquaintance with the holy scriptures, which contain in them all necessary truths and duties, to furnish them richly for every good word and work, and which are able to make them wise to salvation.

* This hath been published, entitled, a Short View of the whole Scripture History.

Answer. The Almighty God made the heavens and the earth, and all things that are in them; Gen. i. 1. and ii. 1.

2 Q. How long was God in making the world?

A. He made it by his word in the space of six days, and he rested on the seventh, and called that day holy; Gen. i. 31. Heb. xi. 3. Gen. ii. 2, 3. Exod. xxxi. 15, 17. 3 Q. Who were the first man and woman that God made?

A. Adam and Eve; Gen. i. 27. and iii. 20.

4 Q. In what state did God make them?

A. God made them in his own likeness, in a holy and happy state; Gen. i. 26.

and v. 1.

5 Q. How did they behave themselves? Did they continue in this state?

A. No: They sinned against God, by eating of the fruit of a certain tree which God had forbid them upon pain of death; Gen. ii. 17. and iii. 6.

6 Q. How came they to eat of this fruit?

A. The evil spirit that lay hid in the serpent persuaded Eve to eat of it, and she suaded Adam; Gen. iii. 1, 2, 12. 2 Cor. xi. 3.

7 Q. What mischief followed from hence?

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A. Sin and death were brought into this world by Adam's disobedience, and spread among all his children; Rom. v. 12, 19.

8 Q. Were Adam's children all sinners?

A. All of them were born in sin, but there were some in those early times who learned to know and worship the Lord, and were called the sons of God; Psalm li. 5. Rom. v. 19. Rom. iii. 12. Gen. iv. 26. and vi. 2.

9 Q. Did the knowledge and worship of God abide long in their families?

A. In following ages all mankind grew so bad, that God drowned the world by a flood of water; Gen. vi. 5, 17.

10 Q. Who was saved when the world was drowned?

A. Noah the righteous man was saved with all his family, and a few living creatures

of every kind; Gen. vi. 9, 18, 19. and vii. 1.

11 Q. How was Noah saved?

A. In an ark or great vessel of wood which God taught him to build; Gen. vi. 14.

and vii. 7.

12 Q. Who were the sons of Noah?

A. Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and by them the world was peopled after the flood; Gen. x. 1, 31.

A. He made sport with his father, and he was cursed; Gen. ix. 21, 24, 25.

14 Q. What did Shem and Japheth do?

A. They concealed their father's shame, and they were blessed; verses 23, 26, 27.

15 Q. Who was God's special favourite in the family of Shem?

A. Abraham, who was called the father of believers and the friend of God; Rom. iv. 11. 2 Chron. xx. 7.

16 Q. Why was he called the father, that is, the pattern of believers?

A. Because he believed some strange promises of God, contrary to the present appearances of things; Rom. iv. 11, 18.

17 Q. What were those promises?

A. 1. That he should have a son when he was a hundred years old. 2. That his children should possess the land of Canaan wherein he had not a foot of ground. And 3. That all nations should be blessed by his offspring, that is, Christ; Gen. xvii. 8, 16, 17. and xii. 3. and xxii. 18. Acts vii. 5.

18 Q. Why was Abraham called the friend of God? A. Because God made many visits to

xii. 7. and xv. 1. and xvii. 1. and xviii. 1.

him, and he was very obedient to God; Gen. James ii. 21-23. John xv. 14.

19. Q. What was the first great instance of Abraham's obedience?

A. He left his own country at God's command, not knowing whither he was to go; Gen. xii. 1-4. Heb. xi. 8.

20, Q. What was another great instance of Abraham's obedience?

A. He was ready to offer up in sacrifice his beloved son Isaac at the command of God; Gen. xxxii. 12.

21 Q. Was Isaac a good man?

A. Yes, he feared the God of his father Abraham, and he went out to pray or meditate in the fields; Gen. xxiv. 63. and xxvi. 2, 24, 25.

22 Q. Who were Isaac's two sons?

A. Esau the eldest, and Jacob the youngest; Gen. xxv. 25, 26.

23 Q. What is remarkable concerning Esau ?

A. He despised the privilege of being the first-born, and sold it to Jacob for a mess of pottage; Gen. xxv. 31, 33, 34.

24 Q. What is written concerning Jacob?

A. He obtained his father's blessing by deceit, as well as his brother's birth-right by craft; Gen. xxvii. 36.

25 Q. Why was his name called Israel?

A. Because he afterwards became a very good man, and prayed and prevailed for a blessing from God; Gen. xxxii. 26, 28.

26 Q. How many sons had Jacob or Israel?

A. Twelve, who were called the twelve patriarchs, or fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel; Gen. xxxv. 22. Acts vii. 8.

27 Q. Who was the most famous of Israel's sons?

A. Joseph, whom his brethren sold into Egypt, and he afterwards became the ruler of the land under Pharaoh the king; Gen. xxxvii. 27. and xli. 40. Acts vii. 9, 10.

28 Q. Did not he then revenge himself upon his brethren?

A. No, he sent for them and their families, together with his father, in the time of famine, and fed them all in the land of Egypt; Gen. xlv. 4-7.

29 Q. Did the families of Israel continue to dwell in Egypt?

A. Yes, till another Pharaoh king of Egypt made slaves of them, and drowned their children, and then God delivered them by the hand of Moses; Exod. i. 11, 22. and iii. 7. and v. 1.

30 Q. What was this Moses?

A. He was one of the children of Israel who was wonderfully saved from drowning by Pharaoh's own daughter when he was a child; Exod. ii. 10.

31 Q. How did God appoint him to deliver Israel?

A. God appeared to him in a burning bush as he was keeping sheep, and sent him to Pharaoh to bid him let Israel go; Exod. iii. 1-18.

32 Q. What did Moses do to prove that God had sent him?

A. He wrought several miracles or signs and wonders in the sight of Pharaoh; Exod. iv. 1-10.

33 Q. How did Moses at last deliver the people from their slavery?

A. When Pharaoh refused to let the people go, God gave him power to smite Egypt with many plagues. See the vii. viii. ix. x. and xi. chapters of Exodus.

34 Q. What was the last of these plagues which procured the release of Israel? A. An angel destroyed all the first-born of the Egyptians in one night, but he passed over and did not hurt any of the families of Israel; Exod. xii. 27, 29.

35 Q. How was this deliverance of Israel kept in remembrance to following ages? A. God appointed the yearly sacrifice of a lamb in every family, which was called the feast of the passover; Exod. xii. 3, &c.

36 Q. When Pharaoh let Israel go out of Egypt how did they get over the Red Sea ? A. Moses with his rod divided the waters of the sea asunder, and the people went through upon dry ground; Exod. xiv. 16, 21, 29.

37 Q. What became of the Egyptians that followed them?

A. When Moses stretched his hand over the sea the waters returned upon the Egyptians, and they were all drowned; Exod. xiv. 28.

38 Q. Whither did the children of Israel go then?

A. They went through the wilderness wheresoever God guided them, by a pillar of cloud in the daytime, and a pillar of fire in the night; Exod. xiii. 18, 21. Numb.

ix. 15-23.

39 Q. How long was it before they came to the land of Canaan which God promised? A. They wandered forty years in the wilderness for their sins; Numb. xiv. 32, 33. 40 Q. What did they eat all that time?

A. God fed them with manna or bread that came down every night from heaven ; Exod. xvi. 4, 15, 35.

41 Q. What did they drink in the wilderness?

A. Moses smote the rock with his rod, and waters gushed out in a river that followed them; Exod. xvii. 5, 6. 1 Cor. x. 4. Psalm cv. 41.