SECTION V. 209 prime articles of our religion have been put together in a com- prehensive scheme for the use of the unlearned, there is none so proper for children as that of catechisms. The way of instruction by questian and answer seems to be the plainest and easiest manner wherein the knowledge of religion can be conveyed to the minds of those that are ignorant, and especially of the younger parts of mankind. This will appear in seve- ral respects : 1. Hereby the principles of Christianity are reduced into short sentences, whichare much more easy to be understood by children, as well as to be treasured up in their memories. -2. Hereby these divine principles are not only thrown into a just and easy method, but every part of them is naturally introduced by a proper question, and the rehearsal of the answer, which should never exceed three or four lines, is made far easier to a child, than it would be if the child were required to repeat the whole scheme of religion by heart without the interposition of another speaker. -3. This way of teaching hath something fami- liar and delightful in it, because it looks more like conversation and dialogue. It keeps the attention fixed with pleasure on the sacred subject, and yet continually relieves the attentionby the alternate returns ofthequestion and answer. -4. The verycuriosity . of the young mind is awakened by the question to know what the answer will be, and the child will take pleasure in learning the answer by heart to improve its own knowledge, and to be able to answer such a question. And thus the principles of religion will gradually slide into the mind, and the whole scheme of it be learned without fatigue and tiresomeness. I might have enlarged greatly upon each of these advan- tages which the catechetical method has for the instruction of children above and beyond all others. I profess myself therefore a constant friend to catechisms for the instruction of the ignorant. SECT. V. -Of teaching Children to understand: what they learn by Heart, and of the Use of different Catechismsfor different Ages. The great question that now remains is this, What sort of catechisms are most proper for the use of children ? The answer is very natural, and ever at hand: Surely such catechisms must be best which they can best understand, supposing that all the articles of religion necessary for, children are contained in them. The business and duty of the teacher is not merely to teach them words but things. Words written 011 the memory without ideas or sense in the mind, will never inclinea child to his duty, nor save his soul. The young creature will neither be the wiser nor thebetter for being able to repeat accurate definitions and thee- CL. Y. O
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