THE PREFACE.

IN Scotland, the ministers are obliged by their church rules and constitutions, to be much employed in the work of Catechising; and the good fruits of it do appear; for there the people (comparatively speaking) are generally knowing and orthodox: whereas, in those places where catechising is neglected, ignorance and error do wofully prevail. It is found by experience that there is more knowledge diffused among the ignorant and younger sort by one hour's catechising, than by many hours preaching: for, by the method of catechising, the attention is provoked, as well as the understanding instructed, and memory gratified; whilst many excellent sermons are lost through the non-attention of the hearers, or the weakness of their memories.

In the primitive church, catéchising was very much their work. They had many ministers set apart for it, called Catechists; and sundry of their most eminent lights were so called, for their excelling and diligence in this good work. Before persons were admitted to the full communion of the church, they were from time to time to be catechised, and kept under trial; and, till such time as they were judged fit to partake of the sacrament, they were called Catechumeni.

Our Lord doth enjoin all his ministers to be careful to feed the lambs of his flock, as well as the older sheep, John xxi. 15. And accordingly we find his apostles took care to feed the babes with milk before they were able to receive stronger meat, 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2. Heb. v. 12. As we have our Catechisms, so they had Forms of instruction in which the young and weak were catechised, called a Form of Knowledge, Rom. ii. 20. a Form of Doctrine, Rom. vi. 17. the Form of Sound Words, 2 Tim. i. 13. the first Principles of the Oracles of God, Heb. v. 12. and the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, Heb. vi. 1. In these were both Theophilus and Apollos catechised, Luke i. 4. Acts xviii. 25. in both of which texts, the word in the Greek is Catechised, which we have there rendered Instructed. The apostle Paul deth require the people of Galatia to give all encouragement and support to those who laboured in the work of catechising among them, Gal. vi. 6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate to him that teacheth in all good things, In the original, it is, Let him that is catechised, communicate to him that catechiseth. This office is not below the most learned divines, seeing Christ sets himself a pattern to us in it, by catechising his disciples, Matth. xvi. 15, 16.

We in this national church, through the Lord's mercy, are provided with excellent Catechisms, both Larger and Shorter, for our help in Catechising, And the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, established in this church about ninety years ago, (which both we and the body of Protestant dissenters in our neighbouring nations do receive and teach our children by) is judged the most excellent summary we ever had, in so small a compass, of the great principles of the Christian religion, extracted from the word of God. It hath been greatly esteemed in foreign parts also, and upon that account hath been translated both into both Latin and Greek. In the hand of divine Providence, it proves

a noble fence against error, wherever it is received; and therefore the adversaries of truth are not a little displeased with it.

There was a very wild attempt lately made by an anonymous author to alter our Shorter Catechism, which was printed at London in the year 1735, under the title of The Assembly's Shorter Catechism Revised. But the alterations therein made, being visibly designed to favour various errors now spread among us, severals of the Judicatories of this church judged themselves bound to give warning against the poison of it. Besides, there were Remarks made upon it by a very judicicus author at London, (to whom we stand much obliged) which have been dispersed both there and here as an antidote against it. By the foresaid attempt I have been excited to consider our Shorter Catechism more closely than before, and must now own, the more I view it, I am the better pleased with it, and desire to bless God for raising up such noble instruments in the last age to frame it for us: and do reckon it a great mercy, that we have nct a catechism of this kind to frame and settle among us in this degenerate and licentious age.

The Shorter Catechism being evidently founded upon the word of God, and a part of our standards to which we stand solemnly engaged; it becomes the lovers of truth to adhere firmly to it, and contend for it, as a most valuable attainment in our reformation, and always to wish and pray that it may be preserved entire to us and our posterity, and that generations to come may be trained up in the use of it to the latest ages.

We have had many Explanatory Catechisms upon it published, which have been most useful for increasing knowledge among us: but having observed in these which I have seen, that either the answers are too prolix for the memories of learners, or else too short to explain the nature and reason of things, I have humbly made essay, in the following Catechism, to observe a medium between the foresaid extremes, and likewise to take in many things omitted by others.

It is highly the concern of us all to be well seen in the knowledge, and fixed in the belief, of the great truths of our holy religion, summed up in the Shorter Catechism; especially in this shaking time, when the winds of error are blowing, and the most sacred fundamental truths are openly attacked by Deists, Socinians, Arians, and others. As it is surprising to observe how fast erroneous books are spread and bought up at this day, so it is astonishing to behold to what height infidelity and damnable heresies are arrived in our age: while we who profess Christianity do wrangle with one another, alas, Infidelity doth prevail against us all! And it may cause us to tremble, to think what shall be the issue, if the God of truth do not in mercy arise and stop its career. Whence is it that Infidelity abounds, and the Christian revelation hath so many enemies? Alas! many are so bent to indulge themselves in vicious practices, that they can't endure Christ's holy laws which check them therein, and therefore study by all means to darken these truths and facts upon which these laws are founded, that they may render revelation doubtful and uncertain; and further, that they may make it quite needless, they labour, to advance Reason as a sufficient guide in matters of religion, and as that which may conduct us in the way to happiness.

But if the bias of such persers to sensual lusts and pleasures would allow them freely to think upon this subject, and impartially to view the noble design and convincing proofs of Christianity, the more fully

would they be satisfied of the necessity and excellency, as well as of the truth and certainty of the Gospel revelation, and of its divine original. And, if my testimony thereunto could have any weight, I can say, after the most serious inquiry, I have full freedom to give it, and which I here offer with all humility upon the following grounds:

Altho' my natural light or reason be sadly corrupted, yet the remains of it tell me there is a God, and that he ought to be believe in what he saith, and obeyed in what he commands. And by the clearest evidences I am assured, that the mind of God, with respect to my salvation, is only now discovered to me in the Christian revelation, which I see is the completion of the Jewish institution. And this revelation, I find, doth confirm and perfect the religion of nature, seeing it corresponds with the dictates of natural reason and religion, and comes seasonably unto me to supply the great defects thereof.

Tho' the light of nature intimates to me, that my life should be just and virtuous, and that I should shun what is offensive to God, and that he ought to be worshipped and glorified by me his creature, yet it leaves me ignorant of the right way and manner of doing it: but the Christian revelation doth both inform me how God is to be worshipped and served, and also with the strongest arguments enforces that which is the design of natural religion, namely, the abandoning of sin and vice, and the practice of virtue and piety. This is the scope and aim of all its mysteries, precepts, promises, threatenings, examples, miracles, &c.

I find those who have had no more than Reason to guide them, had but faint discoveries of divine things, and these notices had but small influence on their minds and practices; hence they generally entertained unworthy notions of God, and run into gross idolatry, and the practice of the greatest abominations: but the Christian revelation gives us a noble description of the perfections of God, and of the worship and duties he requires as suitable thereunto; and withal, offers us grace to conform our souls unto them.

Natural Reason can give no satisfying account of the creation of the world, the original of mankind, nor in what state our first parents came out of their Maker's hands; nor can it tell us how human nature fell from its original rectitude into its present state of guilt and impurity, nor how it can be recovered from it; nor can it account for the conduct of divine Providence in the government of the world: But in the Christian revelation we find all these duly accounted for.

Natural Religion, which is altogether founded upon Reason or the light of nature, can't find out a way to ease the conscience of a convinced sinner, nor can it assure us that there is Forgiveness with God for criminal creatures: it cannot shew us how God may exercise Mercy to them without the violation of his Justice; nor point out any thing that can be a proper propitiation to God's justice when injured and provoked by men: nature's light cannot tell how to make the pardon of sin consist with the wisdom of his government, the honour of his laws, and his hatred of sin. But we see how all this can be done, by the Christian institution.

Again, it is but dark and uncertain views which Natural Religion gives us of the immortality of the soul, and of a future life. Sense and reason bring us to the grave, but cannot penetrate into the regions beyond it. But the Gospel revelation discovers to us the eternal man

sions prepared in the heavens for the spirits of just men made perfect, and also the way leading to them.

In the Bible, which contains this revelation, we see the defects of natural religion nobly made up: we have a great Mediator set forth, that satisfies offended justice, removes the guilt and power of sin, and brings sinners into favour with God, and to eternal felicity; and in him all men are called to believe and trust for obtaining these blessed ends. And this is the LORD JESUS CHRIST. In the Old Testament he is foretold and promised as the Messiah that was to come; in the New Testament he is revealed as come, and the time and manner of his coming narrated, He came in due time, according to the Old Testament predictions, exactly answering all its types, prophecies, and promises, in his divinity and humanity, in his threefold office of Prophet, Priest, and King, and in his twofold state of humiliation and exaltation. So that, if Jesus Christ were not the true Messiah and Savicur of men, the glorious promises of the Old Testament, concerning the Messiah, must be all delusion, seeing their fulfilment was limited within periods of time which are long since past.

Our Messiah came not in the grandeur of an earthly monarch, as the carnal Jews expected, but as King of Zion, intending a spiritual monarchy in the world; and, to instruct in his sovereignty and power in the kingdom of grace, he shewed his dominion in the kingdom of nature, (which earthly kings can't do) by opening the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf, and the mouth of the dumb: by raising the dead, casting out devils, and miraculously healing all sorts of diseases; yea, he gave power to his disciples to do the like, and to speak all languages of a sudden, without learning them; and to preach in them with such promptness and convincing energy, that their words pierced the conscience, and changed the minds and lives of men. Their doctrine did not favour the lusts and corruptions of men, nor had the force of human laws or arms to promote it, like the Mahometan religion; but on the contrary, Christianity had all these against it: vet, in opposition to all these, it spread with astonishing success and rapidity through the world, so that, before the death of the apostles, there was not a corner of the Roman empire, but had store of its professors. And tho' all the powers of earth and hell contended with fire and sword against the Christian religion, yet within less than three hundred years the whole known world was conquered by it. And seeing this triumphant success was not owing to the might, art, or eloquence of man, we must conclude it was brought about by the extraordinary power of that mighty Goxi, who is the author of this holy religion.

Such was the evidence of the apostles' testimony, and their successors in the primitive times, that not only the vulgar, but many of the best sense, wisdom, and learning, were overcome by it, and heartily embraced their doctrine, even when they had no prospect but of the greatest sufferings for so deing: such were Dionysius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Tertullian, Origen, Clemens Alexandrinus, and many others. Surely nothing but the power af truth, which they evidently saw was countenanced by heaven, and confirmed by miracles, could have prevailed with such learned and curious enquirers to hazard the less of all things dear to them, by embracing Christianity..

But that I may come more closely to that proof which is most convincing of all, let it be considered, that the truth and verity (of which our Catechism is a compènd) doth depend on the truth of a matter of