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chism, it may be stated that its first three questions and answers are as follows:

"What is the chief end of man?

Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?

The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.

What do the Scriptures principally teach?

The Scriptures principally teach What man is to believe concerning God, and What duty God requires of man." The Catechism is entirely occupied with these two subjects, including an explication of the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer; and it has, in an Appendix, the Apostles' Creed. It says nothing of Church government or discipline. It was adopted by the National Presbyterian Church of Scotland and by the Congregational Churches at the meeting of their messengers and elders at the Savoy (1658). It was regarded by Nonconformists generally with the greatest admiration, and employed as the Catechism in the instruction of the young, and it became the basis of innumerable explanations and treatises. It was also laid down as a standard of doctrine in many of the Trust Deeds of the chapels of Protestant Dissenters.

On the other hand, the Catechism contained in the Book of Common Prayer commences with the following questions and answers:

"What is your Name?

N or M.

Who gave you this Name?

My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism; wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven.

What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you?

They did promise and vow three things in my name. First, that I should renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Secondly, that I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith. And, thirdly, that I should keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life."

Then follow the Apostles' Creed, the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and explanations of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

The Nonconformists generally objected to the Church Catechism. One of Lord Wharton's chaplains, Samuel Birch, M.A., mentioned among the reasons he gave for his nonconformity, "those things in the Catechism which intimate baptismal regeneration." Joshua Kerby, M.A., Lady Camden Lecturer at Wakefield, a Presbyterian Royalist and ejected minister, who often applied himself to rhyming, without being born a poet, wrote a Puritan Catechism, in which the following lines

occur:

"Why do you without God-fathers baptise?

One God and one Father shall me suffice.
Why will you not be spokesman for a child?
Souls should not be with solemn hopes beguiled.
Why kneel you not to consecrated bread?

I must adore the living not the dead.
Why will you not at least seem to comply?

If I deny Christ He will me deny."

It may be further remarked that whilst most of the Nonconformists were in favour of conceived or free prayer, many were desirous of a Liturgy, but could not with a clear conscience adopt the forms prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. Among other things they declared, "We cannot in faith say that every child that is baptised is regenerated by God's Holy Spirit; and the words of the Burial Service cannot in truth be said of persons living and dying in open and notorious sins; these words may harden the wicked, and are inconsistent with the largest rational charity." In Calamy's account of Thomas Sharp, before mentioned, we find it stated: "One Mr. Smith having extravagantly commended the Liturgy, as if it had been compiled by a Synod or Consult of Archangels, and was superior even to the Divinely inspired Oracles, Mr. Sharp, on the contrary, drew up this short account of the Liturgy: 'It is,' he says, 'defective in necessaries, redundant in superfluities, disputable in many things, dangerous in

some things, and disorderly in all.' He then gave instances of each "; which are printed by Calamy (Vol. II., p. 814).

When Joseph Truman, B.D., ejected from the rectory of Crumwell, Notts, was indicted at the assizes for not reading it, and the judge asked him why he did not read it as the Act directed, he said: "My lord, shall I tell your lordship plainly what is the true reason?" The judge answered, "Yes." "Why, then," said he, "the true reason why I do not read the Common Prayer is because there are lies in it; neither can I, for that reason, give my unfeigned assent and consent to all and everything contained in that Book." The judge was so incensed at this that he immediately fined him £5 for contempt of the Common Prayer, in the face of the Court, and he was forced to pay it down immediately.

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These incidents are here given simply for the purpose of indicating the sentiments of the men with whom Lord Wharton was in sympathy.

LYE'S CATECHISM.

"The Bible being too large for children to comprehend, Catechisms are the seeds of religion for the understanding of children, outlines of Divine truth, bodies of divinity drawn up to help and guide youthful minds, the best summaries of religion in short sentences more easily understood and better remembered; every part is drawn out by question, and being more like conversation and discourse, curiosity is awakened, and the child finds pleasure in learning to grow in knowledge, and being able to answer the question."-ISAAC WATTS, 1674-1748.

Among the numerous explanations of the Shorter Catechism was one by Mr. Lye. The full title of it is: “An Explanation of the Shorter Catechism composed by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, 1647; with a plain and familiar method of instructing the younger sort in that Catechism, specially intended for governors of families, and humbly submitted to the candid judgment of the godly and judicious reader. By Thomas

Lye, M.A., late Minister of the Gospel at All Hallows, Lombard Street, London. London: Printed by A. M., for Thomas Pankhurst, at the Bible and Three Crowns, in Cheapside, near Mercers' Chappel and the Bible on London Bridge, 1675." It contains, in addition to explanations by way of short questions and answers, with Scripture proofs, "a Form of Examination according to rules or method to be observed in catechising, and an Alphabetic Table explaining the meaning of those difficult words and phrases which are in the late Assembly's Catechism." Other editions were published in 1676, 1688, and 1693. After Mr. Lye was ejected from All Hallows he preached at Dyers' Hall meeting-house, and subsequently at Clapham, where he died in 1684. He was eminently useful by his excellent art of catechising youth. Dr. Calamy says: "My good mother, I well remember, took a great deal of pains with me in my infancy and childhood; as it was she, chiefly, that taught me to read, so did she teach me also my Catechism; and when I had learnt it she carried me in her hands, and delivered me to the care of good old Mr. Thomas Lye, to be publicly catechised by him on Saturday afternoons at Dyers' Hall, having been herself catechised by him in her younger days, which she seemed to mention with abundance of pleasure." ("Life and Times," I. 74,)

ALLEINE'S "SURE GUIDE."

"He was full of holy projects by what means he might most effectually promote the honour of Christ and the salvation of souls."-SAMUEL CLARKE.

The other book referred to by Thoresby is entitled "A Sure Guide to Heaven; or, an earnest invitation to sinners to turn to God, in order to their eternal salvation, showing the thoughtful sinner what he must do to be saved. By Joseph Alleine, late Minister of the Gospel at Taunton, in Somersetshire. London: Printed

by Thomas Pankhurst, at the Bible and Three Crowns, at the Lower End of Cheapside, near Mercers' Chappel, 1689." It contains "An Introduction to the reader that would be safe and happy," and "Useful Questions whereby a Christian may every day examine himself." In the same year the book was issued by the same publisher under another title-viz. "An Alarme to Unconverted Sinners, newly corrected and emended, and also an introduction by Rd. Baxter and Rd. Alleine." Other editions were published in 1705 and 1725; in the former case for free distribution "owing to the eminent charity of one who has been unwilling to let his left hand know what his right hand has done." It was a very popular and useful book, and, under different titles, more than 70,000 copies of it were sold. The author (1634-68) was a most devoted minister; after his ejectment he was once and again imprisoned under the Conventicle Act, and died in 1668, aged 35. "The puritanical spirit," says Macaulay, "had been kept up among them [the men of Taunton] by the precepts and example of one of the most celebrated of the dissenting clergy, Joseph Alleine. Alleine was the author of a tract entitled 'An Alarm to the Unconverted,' which is still popular both in England and America. . . His frame soon sank under the effects of study, toil, and persecution; but his memory was long cherished with exceeding love by those whom he had exhorted and catechised." A brief passage from one of the early pages of the "Sure Guide" will clearly indicate the character of his religious views:

"Conversion is not taking on us the profession of Christianity, It is not the being washed in the laver of regeneration,' or putting

The book was first published in 1672, under the title "An Alarme to Unconverted Sinners, in a serious treatise showing what conversion is not, and wherein it consisteth, &c. By Joseph Alleine, London. Printed and are to be sold by Nevil Simmons, at the Princess Arms, in St. Paul's Churchyard." It includes Epistles to the reader by Richard Baxter and Richard Alleine. Another edition was issued by the same publisher in 1678, under the title "The Way to True Happiness," &c. A full account of this good man is given in “Joseph Alleine: His Companions and Times,” by Charles Stanford, 1862.

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