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tended man for a labourer, and a monkey for a gen. tleman; for nature never sent monkies to plough. His native freedom would demonstrate a farther superiority; for while men are gathered into societies within walls, like a fold of sheep, to be governed by laws and driven by authority, and loaded with taxes, like beasts of burthen, every monkey is his own master, and takes possession of the woods without going to the lawyers for a title.

Thus would the private judgment of a monkey argue, in opposition to the better knowledge of the human species. By monkies he would be heard with applause; and when his reputation was established as a writer, his name would be a compendious proof of his doctrine, Some things unfavourable to his system would of course be concealed: he would never tell you, that while monkies take themselves for gentlemen, mankind shoot them for thieves, and chain them to a post for a shew, amongst the other free-holders of the desert.

THE

CHURCHMAN'S CATECHISM,

OR

ELEMENTS OF INSTRUCTION

ON THE

NATURE AND CONSTITUTION

OF THE

CHRISTIAN CHURCH;

BRIEFLY SHEWING,

1. What the Church is, and how it is called.

11. The Sigus or Marks by which the Church is known.

III. The Duties taught by the Church.

IV. The Discipline of the Church.

v. The Authority of the Church in Matters of Faith and Doctrine. VI. The Nature and Sinfulness of Schism.

VII. The false Principles on wbich Schism defends itself.
VIII. The difference between Morality and Religion.

Extracted chiefly from Bishop BEVERIDGE; Archbishop POTTER;
Bishop HORNE'S CHARGE; and a late ESSAY on the CHURCH.

Intended for the Use of SUNDAY SCHOOLS, and such adult Persons as are yet uninstructed in the Subject.

*།

PREFACE..

THE preservation of unity in the Church is never to be expect ed, unless Christian people are seasonably instructed in those doctrines, which lead to peace and uniformity of worship; and are convinced betimes of the scandal and sinfulness of Schism.

It is therefore much to be lamented, and I fear we are chargeable with some neglect, that our children in the Church of England have hitherto received so little information concerning the nature and original of the society to which they belong: while our dissenters are indefatigable in the zeal and diligence with which they inculcate, as early as possible, the grounds and reasons of their non-conformity.

There is a Catechism of the Protestant Dissenters, in common use; which, instead of teaching the Christian faith, and recommending the Christian spirit of peace and love, infuses into the tender minds of children a bitter dislike to the Church of England. They are told, that our Church is popish and superstitious in its worship; arbitrary and unscriptural in its doctrines; corrupt and defective in its discipline; and that it derives no authority from Jesus Christ, but only from the state, which forms it into an establishment. No ill-natured cavil is here omitted; and the abuses of modern times, which charity would cover and lament, are held out and magnified. The like uncharitableness is remarkable in a syllabus of Lectures by a late Mr. Robinson, a dissenting teacher of Cambridge; as unjust and malevolent an invective as ever came from the conventicle. What must a child be who comes out of such a school? brought up and uncharitableness! filled with a sort of negative religion, from an pposition catechism! and, perhaps, under such prepossessions as

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will never be reasoned with afterwards. And if it should be found, that persons who communicate such doctrines are vigilant and industrious in strengthening their party, and drawing away children from our schools to their own, it behoves us to be a little more upon our guard in this matter. Let us then practise some of that wisdom which may be learned from an adversary: let us begin, as early as we can, to fortify the minds of our children with those good principles of truth and obedience, which will be sufficient to preserve them under the temptations they shall meet with as they come forward in the world.

That a form (however imperfect) may not be wanting, I have taken the pains to extract from Bishop Beveridge's excellent discourse on Acts ii. 47, The Lord added to the Church such as should be saved; and from Archbishop Potter's Treatise on Church Government; and from Bishop Horne's Charge; and from a late Essay on the Church; such elements of instruction, as may lay a foundation in the minds of our children of the Church; who by a peculiar blessing of God upon the present times, are now come more immediately under our care than heretofore. It is a pleasure to consider the institution of Sunday Schools as a step to national reformation: but some persons of great learning and judgment have published their suspicions, that the sectaries will take advantage of it, to draw to themselves as many as they can of our children and servants; and so the common people will be infected with schism and sedition. Such conse quences would be serious indeed, and ought to be provided against in time. If the fears of these worthy persons are well grounded, (and some late occurrences have taught us that they are so) the necessity for such a work as the present is more apparent. And as it is compiled in a spirit of peace and good-will, it were much to be wished, that they who have made a science of non-conformity would give their children one fair opportunity of hearing some of our teaching; that they may have it in their power to make a liberal and impartial judgment for themselves. Our teaching is not negative like theirs; it is not against any thing; it follows fact, scripture, and primitive example; it is not intended to cast any odium upon others, but to defend and preserve that form of religious doctrine, by which we hope to be saved: and if the Dissenters would embrace it, and keep up to it better than we do, we are persuaded they might be saved also, without their

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