But that you may be more fully acquainted with the Reafons of this Attempt, and that you may know the Method I have obJerved, and the Care I have taken in these Compofures, I intreat you to read over the following Difcourfe of the Excellency and Ufe of Catechifms, and of the natural and most useful Manner of compofing them.

When you have diligently, and without Prejudice, perufed that fhort Effay, I am perfuaded you will agree with me, at leaft in this general Opinion, that fomething more than bath been done in Times paft, ought to be attempted, in order to render the momentous Concerns of Religion more intelligible to Children, and that thefe my Labours are not utterly unfuited to that Defign.

and

Yet after all, I commit thefe Papers to your Candor, as well as to your Judgment your practical Ufe; and while you labour in this most necessary Work, the inftruEling of your Families in the Doctrines and Duties of Christianity, let your daily fervent Prayers accompany your private Inftrutions, that the Heart may be enrich'd with every divine Grace, while the Head is furnifh'd with ufeful Knowledge. And may the Spirit of Light and Grace defcend on all the younger Branches of your Houfbold, and vi

fit every menial Servant there, that your Families may be as Temples wherein God may dwell, with all the Train of Bleffings which relate to this Life and the Life to

come.

While my want of a strong Conftitution of Body, and my necessary Retirements from the City, render me uncapable of paying fo many Vifits to your Families, and promoting their fpiritual Welfare fo much as I would gladly do, I humbly hope this little Book may be attended with the divine Bleffing; that your Children may derive from it abundant Benefit; that the Principles of Piety and Goodness being early inftill'd into their Minds, they may be better fecur'd against the Temptations of Infidelity, Vice and Profaneness; that they may ftand up in the following Age as the Supports and Ornaments of true Religion, and bear up the Name of Chrift with Honour in a degenerate and finful World; this is the hearty Prayer of

Your devoted and affectionate

Servant in the Gospel,

Theobalds in Hertfordshire,

Feb. 14. 1729-30.

I. WATTS.

A

DISCOURSE

ΟΝ ΤΗΕ

Way of Inftruction

BY

CATECHISMS,

AND OF THE

Best Manner of Composing them.

SECT. I.

The Duty of inftru&ting Children in Religion.

C

HILDREN have Souls as well as
Men: They foon discover their Ca-
pacity of reasoning, and make it ap-
pear that they can learn the things
of God and Religion. The great God there-
fore expects that little Children should be

B

taught

taught to know and love, and worship him; for he hath not bestowed their early Powers in vain.

Their Souls alfo in their own Nature are immortal; and thousands of them are fummoned away from this World by Death. The righteous Judge of the World will call the Small as well as the Great to his Bar of Account. All thofe whom he fhall efteem capable of Duty and Sinning must be answerable for their own perfonal Conduct; and how early he will begin to require this Account, he only knows. Parents therefore cannot well begin too foon to let Children know that they have Souls that muft live when their Bodies are dead; they should instruct them, there is a future Judgment, and an Account to be given of their Behaviour in this Life, as foon as they have well learnt there is a God, and what Duties he requires of them.

I am by no means of their Opinion who let Children grow up almoft to the Age of Manhood before their Minds are informed of the Principles of Religion. Their Pretence is, that the Choice of Religion ought to be perfectly free, and not biafs'd and influenced by the Authority of Parents, or the Power of Education. But furely the Great God who framed the Soul of Man hath made it capable of learning Religion and the Knowledge of God, by the Inftruction of others in the Years of Childhood, long before it is capable of tracing out the Knowledge of God and

Religion

Religion by its own reasoning Powers; and why fhould not Parents follow the Order of God and Nature; why should they not inftruct Children in the Knowledge and Love and Fear of God, as foon as they are capable of these divine Leffons, and not leave them to grow up to their full Bulk and Size, like the Offspring of brute Animals, without God. and without Knowledge?

Befides, doth not the very Light of Nature teach us that Parents are intrufted with the Care of their Children in younger Years, to furnish their Minds with the Seeds of Virtue and Happiness, as well as to provide for their Bodies Food and Raiment? Are Parents bound to take care of the Flefh that perishes, and yet left at a loose, and unconcerned to take any care of immortal Spirits? Muft they be afraid to teach their Children the best Way they know to everlasting Life, for fear left they should believe and practise it before their Reason is ripe enough to chufe a Religion for themselves? Will they let them trifle away their Childhood and Youth without the Knowledge and Love of God, for fear they fhould learn it too foon, or left they should build their Faith and Practice too much upon the fuperior Age, Character and Authority of their Parents?

But let us enquire a little, What was this fuperior Age and Knowledge, this fuperior Character and Authority of Parents defigned for, if not for the Care, Inftruction and Go