แ A LESSON FROM THE PAST : CATECHISING. BY REV. JOSEPH S. CLARK, D.D. "FEW pastors of mankind ever took such pains at catechising," says Cotton Mather, as have been taken by our New English divines;" and in confirmation of the statement he proceeds to name "the most judicious and elaborate catechisms published,—a lesser and a larger by Mr. Norton, a lesser and a larger by Mr. Mather, several by Mr. Cotton, one by Mr. Davenport, one by Mr. Stone, one by Mr. Norris, one by Mr. Noyes, one by Mr. Fisk, several by Mr. Eliot, one by Mr. Seaborn Cotton, a large one by Mr. Fitch." (Magnalia, Vol. II., Book V., § 1.) But that which, at an early day, became known as "THE catechism," was The Westminster Assembly's. Probably no human production in the form of a book ever had a greater run in New England. It is certain that none was eyer half so thoroughly read and committed to memory by the mass of the people. And with almost equal assurance it can be affirmed that no other has exerted such a controlling influence over their character, either in a religious, moral, or intellectual point of view. How could it have been otherwise? From the first development of the mental faculties, till their decay from the cradle to the grave-the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, was milk for babes, meat for strong men, and medicine for the infirm aged. Let us try, by such helps as are at hand, to reproduce a life-scene or two, once as familiar as household faces, but now, and for the last half century, seldom witnessed. That row of boys and girls on the opposite sides of the large open fire-place, beginning with a man-grown lad of nineteen years, and tapering away in a gradual diminuendo till it terminates on a girl of five or six, is a family class, called out just before a Sabbath sun-set, to recite the Catechism to their parents. A similar group may be seen about the same hour in every other house within sight, occupied in nearly the same way. Commencing with "the chief end of man," the questions are taken up in course, and answered by the children in order, till each, coming one after another to a pause, is permitted to leave the line and sit down. Very likely no one in the group is yet able to go through the entire one hundred and seven questions. But each Sabbath adds to the stock of their answers till at length the whole is mastered by the youngest child, as it was by the father and mother, who went through a similar drill when they were children. This was a regular weekly exercise in every respectable family throughout New England for nearly a hundred years; and it prevailed among the more religious families for at least three-quarters of a century longer. There are aged persons still living who were thus trained, and who commenced the training of their young families in the same way. Coeval with this custom was another of the same general character, in which the minister took the lead. Once a week in some towns, and once a month in others, those who lived in sight of the meetinghouse might have seen a congregation of children and youth gathering there, of a Saturday afternoon, from all parts of the parish; and exactly at two o'clock the entrance of the pastor was the signal for all in the house to rise and keep their standing posture till he had walked up the broad aisle and taken his place in the deacon's seat,-from whence he catechised the timid but delighted boys and girls of his flock, in a way not essentially different from what they were accustomed to at home, except that he followed up their answers with such practical application, or critical explanation, as he deemed pertinent to the subject. These were great occasions, in the view of all who participated in them, and they were to a great extent, the sources of that commanding influence which the minister got over the rising generation. This Saturday afternoon catechising of all the children in one class at the meetinghouse, fell by degrees into a Saturday forenoon exercise in the public schools, which the pastor visited in rotation for that purpose. In some churches, as in the Old First Church at Plymouth, it was customary to appoint some one or more of the brethren to assist the pastor in this particular department of his labor. Another way of using the catechism, was to make it the basis of a course of lectures-written or extemporary-for the special benefit of those who, in our day, are intended to be reached by "Lectures to Young Men," i. e., anybody of either sex between childhood and middle age. Usually this exercise came on Thursday afternoon, alternating with the "Thursday Lecture," where that was established; and so thoroughly did they shred the topics as they came under discussion, that the course, from beginning to end, sometimes lasted several years. Among the manuscript collections of the Congregational Library Association, the fragments of several such courses of lectures are found. The most complete is one from Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, of Westboro', delivered first in 1741, and repeated, with alterations, several times during his long ministry. Room for an entire lecture cannot well be afforded in this place. The following skeleton of the first one in the series will illustrate the general method of the whole. The introduction, which is short, shall be given in full. "When Solomon, the wisest of wise men, undertook to give advice, his counsel was this :-Get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Of all wisdom and understanding, divine is the most excellent. The knowledge of God, and Christ, and divine things, this is life eternal. One of the most useful methods of obtaining knowledge is, (as experience has shown,) this of catechising. Timothy had received such a form of sound words from Paul; and he is bid to hold it fast in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus ; q. d. adhere to and esteem what I have given you, with that steadfastness and affectionate regard which becomes a Christian.' 2. Tim. i: 13. Theophilus also seems to have been catechised into the knowledge which he had obtained of Christianity; for this is the word which in our translation is rendered instructed,* in Luke i: 4. "Of all the Catechisms I have been acquainted with, I cannot prefer any to this of the Assembly of Divines, which sat at Westminster, at the appointment of the Parliament, next month 98 years since. This Assembly first met July, 1645. The Catechism was drawn up by Dr. Tuckney, and Dr. Arrowsmith, and Mr. Math. Newcomen. "It begins with man's chief end-the glorifying God and enjoying him forever; and the great rule for us in these-the Holy Scriptures, which teach us the things we are to believe, and the things we are to do; for all our concern may be wrapped up in these two grand articles. Accordingly the Catechism is divided into these Two main and principal parts; the first showing the things which we are to believe concerning God, and the other, what duty God requires of us. "That you may have some clear understanding of the whole, we will, by divine help, first consider the two introductory articles, then proceed to open and explain the two general parts of this body of "An Explanation of the Assembly's Christian divinity. Of the introductory Catechism. No. 1. articles we are to consider: "FIRST. WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN? The answer is two-fold; to glorify God, and enjoy him forever. "I. Man's chief end is to glorify God. There are two things incumbent on me here. To show first what it is; and secondly, how this is man's chief end. "I. What is it to glorify God? To be the clearer, mind, "1. (Negatively,) this does not intend that we can bring any additional glory to the essence of God; for his essential glory is incapable of it. Rom. ii: 35. Ps. xvi: 2. "2. (Positively,) we can glorify God by manifesting and declaring forth his glory. This we may in two ways-passively and actively. "(1.) Passively. This we do in common with our creations. Ps. xix: 1. "(2.) Actively. This is to be done by all our powers and faculties, in all our motions and actions, internal and external; and according to our several ability. [1] By all our powers, inward and outward. (a) By entertaining suitable apprehensions of the glorious Lord. (b) By having corresponding and proportionable affections and tempers. Acknowledging, fearing, loving, adoring, submitting, trusting, hoping in him. (c) By our words-in worship-in conversation. (d) By our actions. · ises, and severely threatens eternal punishment to the ungodly. "USE.-1. Examination. Let us all carefully try ourselves. "2. Reproof. How exceedingly to blame are all such as do not glorify God, but live to themselves. "3. Exhortation. Let me call upon you to discharge this principal duty. (1) You are now in your prime, and are not so engaged as you will be. (2) God will accept of you the rather now. He says, I love them that love me, and they that seek me early shall find me.' (3) Great advantages and comforts follow early piety." It will be seen that the foregoing covers only one half the answer to the first question. The other half occupies the whole of the second lecture, which is considerably longer and has more heads than this. It still remains to speak of the use which the fathers of New England made of the Catechism, as a text-book of theology. Neither the Westminster Confession, out of which the Catechism was fashioned, nor the Savoy Confession, which the English Independents adopted as a slight modification of the Westminster, nor the New England Confession of 1680, which was, in some sense, a compound of both, has had the honor of becoming the spinal column of such "A complete Body of Divinity" as Rev. Samuel Willard left bel.ind him in "Two Hundred and Fifty Expository Lectures on the Assembly's Shorter Catechism; wherein the Doctrines of the Christian Religion are unfolded, their Truth confirmed, their Excellence displayed, their Usefulness improved; contrary Errors and Vices refuted and exposed, Objections answered, Controversies settled, Cases of Conscience "4. Hath given his Word and Spirit to resolved; and a great light thereby reguide and direct. "5. No creature can be his own endnot even self, how much soever admired and adored. "6. Christ hath bought us for this end. 1 Cor. ix: 19, 20. "7. God hath encouraged us with prom flected on the present age." This, in substance, is the title-page of a folio volume of 914 pages, printed at Boston in 1726-purporting to be, as it really was, "the largest work ever printed here, and the first of Divinity in a folio volume." We learn from the preface, written by they are to commit nothing to memorylearn nothing-hear nothing said—which they cannot at the time understand, how or when are they ever to become wiser? It is expected-and all right systems of instruction are based on the expectation Revs. Joseph Sewall and Thomas Prince, successors to Mr. Willard in the pastorship of the Old South Church, (for the book was printed eighteen years after the author's death,) that the foundation of this huge production was a mere "Exhibition of the Assembly's Shorter Cate--that they will not always be children; chism among the children of his people." and that those mere signs of ideas, which, Having thus "methodized the subject, at this period, have little or no signifiand laid out the several heads" in simple cance, will have a significance as the talks to the children, "on the 31st Jan- mental faculties are exercised and exuary, 1688, he entered on these more panded. The custom of household cateelaborate Discourses upon them"-one chising, which brought the head of the lecture a month, on Tuesday afternoon- family into direct communication with which he kept up for nine years, with each member of it, as a spiritual teacher large audiences, including "many of the and guide, was a sure method of upholdmost knowing and judicious persons both ing parental authority; while the pastor's from town and college." "An exact list almost universal habit of catechising all of subscribers," printed at the end of the the young of his parish on Saturday afterpreface, shows six hundred and forty-five noons, or at other stated seasons, as has been copies engaged before it was fairly through intimated already, was admirably adapted the press. As books of that size and to pave his way to that supremacy which binding now sell, the subscription price he generally attained in the hearts of his would not be less than four or five dollars. people, if he tarried long in a place. Such was the interest once felt throughout New England in the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, and such the methods taken, by pastors and people, to keep its terse expressions of Bible truth in the memory and heart of all classes. And manifold were the good effects. It gave a healthy exercise to the mind. The mere commitment to memory of so many clear ideas, expressed in the most compact phrase, exerted a strengthening influence on the whole intellectual ma chinery of the young. It gave, more over, to every man, woman and child the ready means of at least stating the points of accredited Orthodoxy-which cannot now be done by every member of an orthodox church. Even its most unintelligible statements unintelligible when committed to the child's memory-would be opening up into clear vistas of thought, through which great scriptural truths were ever coming to light all the way along in life. It has often been objected to the use of this catechism, for children, that they cannot understand it. But if If to all these advantages we add the religious influence of so much sound, invincible doctrine as is contained in this incomparable summary of scriptural truth, it may be questioned, whether even our admired system of Sabhath schools, is an adequate compensation for the almost entire suspense of catechetical instruction from pastors and parents. Or rather, it does not admit of a question, that, without disturbing the Sabbath school in one iota of its present form and functions, this early, long tried and heaven approved means of moral and religious culture, might be recalled and reapplied to its original use with the happiest effect. True, the churches lapsed into error and irreligion under just this culture; and so did the Children of Israel under the teaching of Moses and the prophets. But in both cases it was through spiritless formalism, and not through scriptural teachings that they fell. In both cases there was a departure from the good old way in which their fathers had walked and "found rest to their souls." GILBERT RICHMOND. GILBERT RICHMOND was the son of Nathaniel and Mary Richmond, and was born at Newport, R. I., in May, 1800. He went to Bristol, in 1813, to learn the trade of a baker, having received no other education than that afforded by the common schools of that period. In 1820, there was a revival of religion in the place; and, under the ministry of the Rev. Joel Mann, God was pleased to show him the state of his heart, and the necessity of regeneration. His convictions were very deep, and his distress, at times, great in view of his situation in the sight of God. The doctrine of God's sovereignty, as connected with man's free agency, was a great stumbling block to him at this time. His heart was full of sin and rebellion, and for many days he continued in this frame of mind. At length, God graciously rolled away the clouds which had obscured this question, and Mr. R. saw himself a sinner, justly condemned, and with no hope, except in a full surrender of himself to God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This question once settled, was decided for a life time, and no doctrine was ever more precious to him in after years, than that God is a sovereign, infinite in wisdom, goodness and power; too wise to err, too good to be unkind, too powerful to fail in any of his designs. It was his comfort in hours of trial, discouragement and darkness. He went to his room one day-his distress being so great that he was unable to attend to his business-and there resolved that, whatever the issue, he would cast himself unreservedly on the mercy of God in Christ-making a full surrender, and from that hour devote his time, his talents, and all that he possessed to Christ; and exclaiming, "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief," he asked, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" He soon after was baptized. His parents having been Baptists, his preference was indulged; and Mr. Mann himself, by immersion, admitted him into the Congregational Church, now under the charge of Rev. Dr. Shepard. During the two remaining years of his residence in Bristol, his life of consistent, active piety, evinced that his surrender of all to God, in his chamber, had been sincere. The experience through which God led him, was of service in after life, and made him very efficient in revivals. He never sought, by palliating the guilt of a sinner, to make him "feel better," but pressed home the truth that God is a sovereign; that man has broken his laws, is condemned, and has no hope except by thorough repentance, and surrender to God, with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He also believed that the preaching of doctrinal truth in revivals was one of the best methods of promoting their efficiency. The change in his own heart was accompanied with no sudden transition from deep gloom to extreme joy; indeed, he never could point out the precise time of the change. It was like the breaking of the morning; the first faint dawning being succeeded by a brighter and brighter light, and then merged into the perfect day. In May, 1822, he removed to Providence, and established himself in his business on Constitution Hill. True to his Church connection, he soon joined a little Congregational band worshipping in a hall, on the corner of Dorrance and Pine streets, under the charge of Rev. Calvin Park, then a Professor in Brown University. Feeling his deficiencies in education, Mr. R. applied himself to the study |