An exposition of the church catechism

Front matter

Hn exposition

OF '

Church C&techtem

Preface

The following exposition of the Church Catechism has been prepared with much care, as an aid to those who are engaged in the religious training of the young, whether as parents in the retirement of the family circle, or as teachers in the more laborious duties of the Sunday School.

Having had several years' experience, not only as a teacher, but also as the Superintendent of a large Sunday School, and having made Catechetical instruction the subject of much thought, I am satisfied that as a general thing too much is given to the Scholars to commit to memory, and not enough provided for the Teacher to explain and illustrate. For this reason, I have made use of very few questions and answers in the following work, but I have prepared full explanatory notes, accompanied by frequent references to the Bible and the Prayer-Book, for the guidance and assistance of the Teacher ; and my aim throughout has been to make the book so simple that it may be used by those who are just commencing to learn their Catechism, and yet at the same time sufficiently full to be a profitable study for those who are being prepared for Confirmation.

I know of nothing to which I can more aptly compare the Church Catechism in all its comprehensiveness and simplicity than to a fine Mosaic of rare and precious vi PREFACE.

Btones : and as we can only clearly define the beauty of the latter by describing the several gems of which it is composed, so must we seek by diligent study of the Bible to understand the full meaning and import of each division of the Catechism before attempting to teach it to others. I would therefore urge upon all teachers the absolute necessity of careful preparation, if they would have their efforts crowned with success, and I urge this duty the more earnestly upon every one in whose hands this book may be placed, as I have so frequently known of teachers who not only were very much discouraged, but who have utterly failed in their endeavors to explain the Catechism, for the simple reason that they were unprepared for a proper discharge of the work they had undertaken. We cannot spend too much time or labor in setting forth in all its sublimity and power, this grand Mosaic of divine justice, truth, and love, — the Church Catechism.

In the hope, then, that this work may prove a welcome and valuable aid to many earnest and faithful instructors of the young, I now send it forth as an humble offering to Him who led me at an early age to take a deep interest in the all-important work of that nursery of His Church, — the Sunday School.

May God send His blessing with it.

HENRY J. CAMMANBT November 7tk. 1862.

Preface To Ninth Edition

After going through eight editions this book passed out of print. A new edition is now sent forth with the hope it may find its place and many new friends.

January, 1699.

21 (EaUcijiam:

THAT IS TO SAY,

AN INSTRUCTION, TO BE LEARNED BY EVERY PERSON BEFORE HE BE BROUGHT TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE BISHOP.

Question. What is your name ?

Answer. N. or M.

Q. Who gave you this name ?

A. My Sponsors in Baptism ; wherein 1 was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven.

Q* What did your Sponsors then for you ?

A. 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.

Q. Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and to do as they have promised for thee ?

A. Yes, verily, and by God's help so I will. And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. And I pray unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life's end.

Catechist. Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief*

8 THE CHURCH CATECHISM.

A. T believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth :

And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord ; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary ; Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified,

dead, and buried; He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty ; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost ; The Holy Catholic Church, The Communion of Saints ; The Forgiveness of sins ; The Resurrection of the body ; And the Life Everlasting. Amen.

Q. What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy Belief?

A. First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me and all the world.

Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind.

Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me and all the people of God.

Q. You said that your Sponsors did promise for you that you should keep God's commandments. Tell me how many there are.

A. Ten.

Q. Which are they ?

ANSWER.

The same which God spake in the twentieth chapter of Exodus, saying, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

J. Thou shalt have none other gods but me.

II. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth, Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them : For I, the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, and visit the

THE CHURCH CATECHISM. 9

sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation in them that hate me, and show mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain : For the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days shalt thou labor and do all that thou hast to do ; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God : In it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day : Wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.

V. Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

VI. Thou shalt do no murder.

VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

VIII. Thou shalt not steal.

IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is his.

Q. "What dost thou chiefly learn by these command ments ?

A. I learn two things: my duty toward God and my duty toward my neighbor.

Q. What is thy duty toward God ?

A. My duty toward God is to believe in him ; to fear him ; and to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strength ; to worship him, to give him thanks, to put my whole trust in him, to call upon 4iim, to honor his holy name and

10 THE CHURCH CATECHISM.

his Word, and to serve him truly all the days of my life.

Q. What is thy duty toward thy neighbor?

J. My duty toward ray neighbor is, to love him as myself, and to do to all men as I would they should do unto me : To love, honor, and succor my father and mother: To honor and obey the civil authority: To submit myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual pastors, and masters: To order myself lowly and reverently to all my betters: To hurt nobody, by word or deed : To be true and just in all my dealings : To bear no malice nor hatred in my heart : To keep my hands from picking and stealing, and my tongue from evil-speaking, lying, and slandering: To keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity: Not to covet or desire other men's goods ; but to learn and labor truly to get mine own living, and do my duty in that state of life unto which it shall please God to call me.

Catechist. My good child, know this, that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the commandments of God, and to serve him, without his special grace, which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer. Let me hear, therefore, if thou canst say the Lord's Prayer.

ANSWER.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ; Give us this day our daily bread ; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Q. What desirest thou of God in this prayer ?

A. I desire my Lord God, our Heavenly Father, who is the giver of all goodness, to send his grace unto me and to all people ; that we may worship him, serve him, and obey him as we ought to do. And I pray unto God that he will send us all things that are needful, both for our souls and bodies; and that he will be merciful

THE CHURCH CATECHISM. 11

unto us, and forgive us our sins ; and that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers, both of soul and body ; and that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness, and from our spiritual enemy, and from everlasting death. And this I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness, through our Lord Jesus Christ ; and therefore I say, Amen. So be it.

QUESTION.

How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?

A. Two only, as generally necessary to salvation ; that is to say, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.

Q. What meanest thou by this word Sacrament**

A. I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given unto us ; ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.

Q. How many parts are there in a Sacrament?

A. Two : the outward visible sign and the inward spiritual grace.

Q. What is the outward visible sign, or form of Baptism ?

A. Water ; wherein the person is baptized, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Q. What is the inward and spiritual grace ?

A. A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness ; for being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace.

Q. What is required of persons to be baptized ?

A. Repentance, whereby they forsake sin ; and Faith, whereby they steadfastly believe the promises of God made to them in that sacrament.

Q. Why, then, are infants baptized, when, by reason of their tender age, they cannot perform them ?

A. Because they promise them both by their sureties • which promise, when they come to age, themselves are bound to perform.

IS THE CHURCH CATECHISM.

Q. Why was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ordained ?

A, For the continual remembrance of the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and of the benefits which we receive thereby.

Q. What is the outward part or sign of the Lord's

pper?

A. Bread and wine, which the Lord hath commanded to be received.

Q. What is the inward part or thing signified?

A. The body and blood of Christ, which are spiritually taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper.

Q. What are the benefits whereof we are partakers ehereby ?

A. The strengthening and refreshing of our souls by the body and blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the bread and wine.

Q. What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper?

A. To examine themselves, whether they repent them truly of their former sins, steadfastly purposing to lead a new life ; have a lively faith in God's mercy through Christ, with a thankful remembrance of his death; and be in charity with all men.

Part First. The Christian Covenant

Question. What is your name ?

Answer. N. or M.

Q. Who gave you this name ?

A. My Sponsors in Baptism ; wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.

Q. What did your Sponsors then for you ?

A. 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.

Q. Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and to do as they have promised for thee ?

A. Yes, verily, and by God's help so I will ; and I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour ; and I pray unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life's end.

Question. What does the Church teach her children in the Catechism ?

Answer. She teaches them what is necessary for them to know before they take upon themselves the solemn promises made in baptism.

Q Into how many parts may we divide the Catechism ? .1. Five.

(2- Name thorn.

A, The Christian Covenant The Christian Belief. The Chris* dan Caw, The Christian Prayer, The Christian Sacraments.

Q. What part does the Christian Covenant omhrace ?

.1. From the first question of the Catechism to the Creed.

Q. What do you mean by a Covenant?

.1. An agreement between two or more persons.

Q. Between whom was this Covenant made ?

A, God and man.

Q. What three tilings does God here promise to do for man ?

A. To make him a member of Christ, etc. etc.

Q. Will you then certainly be saved because baptized ?

A. No — not unless I faithfully perform my part of the Covenant.

Q. What three promises do you make in this Covenant ?

A. To renounce Sin — to believe in God — to obey God.

Q. What does the first bind you to ?

A. To renounce the Devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh.

Q. The second ?

A. To believe all the articles of the Christian Faith.

Q. The third ?

A. To keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life.

Q. What do you mean by renouncing sin ?

A. Giving up and fleeing from all wickedness.

Q. Where do you And the articles of the Christian Faith ?

A. In the Creed.

Q. How are you to perform your third promise 1

A. By trying at all times to do what the Bible tells me is right.

Q. Who promised these things in your name 1

A. My Godfathers and Godmothers.

Q. By what other names are they called ?

A. Sponsors or Sureties.

Q. Why called Sponsors ?

A. Because they answer the questions in my place.

Q. Why called Sureties?

A. Because they assure or make promises in my name.

Q. How many Sponsors should a child have %

A. A boy should have two Godfathers and one Godmother. A girl should have one Godfather and two Godmothers.

Q. Are you bound to do all your Sponsors promised ?

A. Yes. just as if I had promised it with my own mouth.

Q. When do you take these promises publicly on yourself?

A. When I am confirmed by tne Bishop.

Q. Between what does Confirmation stand as a link ?

A. The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

THE CHRISTIAN COVENANT. 15

Q. When does the Prayer-Book say you should be confirmed *

A. When I am sufficiently instructed in all that the Catechism contains, and am prepared to ratify in my own name the vows made for me by my Sponsors.

Q. What great privilege are you admitted to by this rite ?

A. The holy communion of the Body and Blood of Christ.

Q. Now what is contained in the first question and answer of the Covenant ?

A. The Christian name — so called because I was then admitted into the family of Christ on earth.

Q. What in the second 1

A. The Christian blessings — the promises made to me by God in that Covenant.

Q. What in the third ?

A. The Christian duties — that is, my part of the Covenant.

Q. What in the fourth 1

A . The Christian resolution — or my determination to do righ> by God's help.

Q. In what manner are you to obtain strength from God to do His will ?

A. At all times by earnest prayer, and also, after my confirmation, by a devout attendance on the Communion or Lord's Supper.

THE COVENANT.

Questions 1-15. This division of the Catechism is a very suitable introduction to all that follows, for in this Covenant or Agreement made in baptism between God and man we learn what the Almighty graciously promises to those who love and obey Him, and the vow which sinful man must make and perform to obtain those promises.

Thus God describes the relations between Himself and His people. Gen. xvii. 1-8 ; Jer. xxxi. 31-35 ; Heb. viii. 8-13. (See Baptismal Service, " We yield Thee hearty thanks," &c.) In this Covenant the Almighty promises to make us : —

First. " Members of Christ," that is, of the Church, which is His Body, of which He is the Head. Col. i. 18; 1st Cor. xii. 12-27. Of the mutual love between

Himself and His members Christ speaks under the parable of the vine. St J oh n xv. 1-8.

Secondly. "The children of God ;" adopting us into His own family. Romans viii. 14, 15 ; Si. John i. 12 ; xx. 17.

Thirdly, " Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven." Col i. 12 ; 1st Pet. i. 3-5 ; Rom. viii. 14-17. We must at all times be very careful lest we forfeit this inheritance, ffeb. iii. 12-14; 1st Cor. x. 1-13.

Now, as tiie blessings promised are threefold, so may our vow be summed up in three words: Repentance, Faith, Obedience.

I. Repentance. Here we promise to renounce three things : —

First. "The Devil and all his works." Eph. vi. 10- 18 ; James iv. 7. The word Devil means false accuser. Gen. iiL 1-5 ; Rev. xii. 9, 10. He is also called Satan or the enemy. 1st Pet. v. 8. He is compared in the Bible to the lion, 1st Pet. v. 8 ; and to the serpent, Gen. iii. 14. By his works we are to understand all those wicked deeds which men coramit through his unholy instigation.

Secondly. " The pomps and vanity of this wicked world." We have been chosen out of the world by being baptized, and the cross of our Leader is on our brow. We must therefore follow Him, and not allow the riches, pleasures, or praise of the world to lead us astray. St. John xv. 18, 19 ; xvii. 15, 16 ; Eph. iv. 17, 18.

Thirdly. " The sinful lusts of the flesh," — that is, all the animal wishes, or desires of the body, which we know from Scripture or feel in our conscience to be wrong and contrary to the Spirit of God. We must put our lusts to death by constant self-denial. We must nor give way to idleness, which is a dangerous lust ; and we must be careful to use moderately those things which may encourage lust, — eating, drinking, sleeping, and the like. Gal. v. 1G, 17, 24 ; 1 John ii. 15-17 ; 2 Tim. ii. 22.

II. Faith. The homage of the intellect and the obedience of the will should be warmed by the affections

THE CHRISTIAN COVENANT. 17

Our faith must be not only of the understanding, but also of the heart, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness. Rom. x. 10. It must not be partial. We must believe all the articles of the Christian faith, contained in the Bible and summed up in the Apostles* Creed; and we must believe in God if we would truly love Him. Heb. xi. 6 ; x. 38 ; 1 John v. 4, 5 ; St. Matt. xv. 22-28 ; St. Luke viii. 22-25. (See second question in Service for Baptism.)

III. Obedience. We are " to keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of our life." True faith will lead us to true obedience. We may be obedient even in sickness or suffering, by patiently waiting for God to restore us to health or happiness. We must walk according to the law of God. We must not stand still, but ever move onward toward heaven. 1 Sam. xv. 22; Prov. xxx. 17; Jer. vii. 23; Rom. vi. 16 ; Col. iii. 20. Our obedience must be active, Heb. vi. 11, 12; steady, James i. 25; persevering, 2 Pet. ii. 21 ; constantly improving, 1 Thess. iv. 1, 2.

SPONSORS.

Questions 1 6-25. These vows or promises were all made for us in Baptism by our Sponsors or Godparents, because we were too young to make them ourselves. Our Sponsors pledged themselves or stood for us as sureties to the Church, that w T e should be rightly brought up and taught our duty as soldiers of Christ, under whose banner we are to fight " against sin, the world, and the Devil." (See questions in Baptismal Service, " Wilt thou then obediently keep," &c.) Yet we are responsible for our own sins. We must ourselves, by God's help, keep and perform the vows which our Sponsors have made for us, and by our repentance and faith live as children of God. Devi, xxiii. 21 ; Eccl. v. 4, 5 ; St. Matt. iv. 17 ; St. Mark xvi. 16; Rom. xiv. 12. To the exercise of this repentance and faith the Church calls us ; and she bids us profess the same in the rite of confirmation. 2

18 EXPOSITION OK THE CHURCH CATECHISM.

CONFIRMATION.

Confirmation is not a Sacrament ; it is a solemn rite of the Church, — a rite being a formal act of religion. This rite was practised by the Apostles. Acts viii. 14- 17 ; xix. 5, 6. At confirmation we confirm or strengthen our promises to God, and He confirms the assurance of His grace and blessing to us. It is a means of grace, — a link between the two Sacraments. Ani when we have given this pledge to the Church that we are u religiously and devoutly disposed/' then we are invited to come to the Holy Communion, the Supper of our Lord. But whether we are confirmed or not, we are yet as much bound to perform all that our Sponsors promised for us, for we cannot transfer to another the responsibility of our sins. Ps. xlix. 7 ; Gal. vi. 4-8.

Questions 26-30. When a child is born into the world, he receives his surname, — the name of his family, — and when born into the Church in Baptism, in the name of the Trinity, he receives his Christian name. In the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, names generally refer to some circumstances in the life or history of the person or his ancestors. Thus, Mve, " Life." Gen. iii. 20. Samuel, " Asked of God." 1 Sum. i. 20. Isaac, " He laughed!." Gen. xvii. 17 ; xxi. 3. Names were sometimes changed by the command of God, as, Jacob to Israel, " Warrior of God," Gen. xxxii. 28 ; Abram to Abraham, " Father of a multitude," Gen. xvii. 5 ; and Sarai to Sarah, " Princess," Gen. xviL 15.

Our Christian name should always remind us of the benefits received in Baptism, and of the solemn duties to which we are bound thereby. We are made "children of God," and as we would not dishonor our earthly parents, so should we take care that no act of ours shall bring reproach upon the family of our Father in heaven. We must at all times seek for grace and strength from the Holy Spirit that we may be faithful to the end, and

THE CHRISTIAN COVENANT. 19

we know that they who seek the Lord aright shall never seek in vain. Deut. xxxiii. 25 ; St. Luke xi. 9-13 ; St. John xiv. 13, 14 ; Heb. iv. 15, 16.

Note. The "N or M/' used in answer to the first question of the Catechism, stands for N*men t name, and Nomina, names ; " M " being an abbreviation for RN.

PAET SECOND.

THE CHRISTIAN BELIEF.

Catechist. Rehearse the Articles of thy Belief.

A. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth :

And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary ; Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried ; He descended into hell, The third day he rose again from the dead ; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty ; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost ; The Holy Catholic Church, The Communion of Saints ; The Forgiveness of sins ; The Resurrection of the body ; And the Life Everlasting. Amen.

Q. What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy Belief?

A. First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me and all the world.

Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind.

Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me and all the people of God.

Question. What is the second division of the Catechism?

Answer. The Christian Belief.

Q. Repeat the Creed.

A. I believe in God, etc., etc.

Q. What great truths does the Creed contain ?

A. Those of the Gospel of Christ.

Q. Is there more than one form of the Creed in the Prayer Book'?

A. There are two : the Apostles' and the Nicene.

Q. What is the difference between them 1

A. The Apostles' states the Catholic Faith : the Nicene ex> plains it.

Q. How many articles are there in the Creed ?

A. Twelve.

Q. Is not every one personally bound by these articles 1

A. Yes, in every article it is /, and not ice believe.

Q. What three Persons are we taught to believe in 1

A. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Q. What do we call these three ?

A. The Holy Trinity — there being Three Persons, but Oni God.

Q. Where do we find an account of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity being seen and heard at the same time ?

A. At the baptism of our Lord, in the river Jordan.

Q. How was the First Person of the Trinity heard 1 How were the Second and Third seen %

A. The Father spoke from heaven, saying, " This is my beloved Son/' The Son stood on the bank of the river. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon the Son.

Q. In whom do we first profess to believe ?

A. In God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

Q. In what relation does He stand to man ?

A. As his Creator and his God.

Q. In whom do we next say we believe ?

A. In Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.

Q. Who was the mother of Jesus 1 Where was He born ?

A. The Virgin Mary. In Bethlehem.

Q. Under whom was He crucified ? Where did He die ?

A. Under Pontius Pilate. On Mount Calvary.

Q. How long was He in the tomb?

A. Three days.