216 oN ÌASTRUCTiON BY CATECHISMS. reins- in divinity without knowing what they mean. Suppose a grown person, who knows no language but English, should get by heart the divinest doctrines, or most perfect rules of duty in French or Hebrew, what profit would he find by all this labour of his memory ? Wisdom and goodness doe's not consist in such fatigues of the brain, and such a treasure of un- known words. It is not enough to say, " This is the most complete system of divinity, this is the most perfect compendium of sacred truth, and therefore let the child be requiredto learn it" Whereas the child would learn sacred truths sooner and better by a less per- fect system, which might contain only the AB C of religion to be instilled by degrees, than by having Isis little soul overwhelm- ed atonce with a full and accurate discourseon the deeper "points of ehristianity. Surely catechisms of religion for the instruction children ought to be so framed as tolet the beams of divine light into their mind by degrees as they can receive it, that the young scholars might have some understanding of every thing which they are obliged to learn by heart. Why should not religion be taught in this respect in the same gradual way as we teach other parts of learning orknowledge ? . When a child learns to read, do we not first teach him to know the letters, and then to join syllables and words ? After this, some short and easy lessons are appointed him ; and then some that are longer and more difficult : But we never put young child to read the most perfect and the hardest lessons at first coming to school. So if we instruct a lad in any science, whether grammar, logic, or natural philosophy, we teach him first the most obvious and easy principles, and give him a short and general view of that science, and thus prepare him to receive the more difficult and more complicated parts.of it : Now why should we not practise after the same manner when Nye instruct children in the great and important things of religion ? Why should religion of all things be taught in such a way as is least suited to make the Iearner understand it? And indeed how can the knowledge of God and our dutybe taught at all in such a way as will let us know little of our duty, or our God, even while we learn to speak much about him. It is certain, that at the age of three or four years old, a dhifd may be taught to know something more than mere words and terms ; he may attain such ideas both of the God that made him, and of his duty to his Maker, as is necessary for his share of practice in that infant-state : And yet it is impossible that he should then take in the deep and sublime and controverted points of faith. At seven or eight years of age he can receive more of the truths and duties of christianity than he could at four : And the same remark may be repeated concerning a childof ten or
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