Q`21 ON INSTRUCTION RI' CATCCIIISMS. Seeds and principles of these great Christian duties of charity and love and forbearance' would be inlayed in the hearts of youth. And I might add also that these lesser things of religion would then be ingreat measure left to the choice and determination of persons in their advanced years, when their understandings are better able to pass a judgment on these points, while the most early catechismscontain only those most important thingswherein the generalityof Christians are agreed. I. Caution. Not that I would have catechisms written in so very loose and general a manner, as to neglect the great and glo.. ous doctrines of the incarnation of the Son of God, the sacri- fice and atonement of Christ for sin, and the promised aids of the sanctifying Spirit. It is granted indeed that the principles of the religion of nature and -reason are first in the order of things, and are also more easy to be understood than the prin- ciples of revelation and Christianity, and therefore they should begin the child's catechism ; yet these doctrines of christian revelation ought certainly to be inserted in the form of sound words as early children can be supposed to understand them, because I take them to be the peculiar articles and glories of our christian faith and hope. II. Caution. Nor is it at 'all amiss in parents to train up their children in , their own forms of worship, whether they be lutheran or calvinist, conformist, or non-conformist, pwdo-bap- tist or antipmdo- baptist, at least so far as any of their peculiar opinions enter into their forms of public religion : It is hardly possible toavoid this ;' for religion cannot be practised but it must be in some particular mode, therefore children must be educated in some forms, and opinions, and modes of worship ; and it is the duty of parents to educate them in those ways which they thinknearest the truth and most pleasing to-God. But all thatI mean here is this, that as I would not have these particularities of different sects be made to enter intd the public practice ofreli- gion farther than is needful, so it should be far the greatest care and solicitude of parents to teach their children Christianity itself, rather than the particular and distinguishing tenets of sects or parties : And be sure to let very little of this matter come into their younger catechisms: But I proceed to the fourth rule. IV. Rule. Even among the important things of religion there is no need to enumerate all the particulars under any -gene- ral with too great exactness. Where there are many special duties or doctrines belong to one general head, it is sufficient to reckon up, three or four of the chief of them, and let these be such as are most proper for children to know, and most suited to the age and circumstances of childhood. So for instance, when we ask .in the first, or young child's catechism, " What is your slaty toward man ?" It is enough to answer, "'My duty towards
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