Seeing the fcripture, promifcuoufly ufed, is attended with great obfcurity to fhallow understandings; and feeing it is objected, that a child cannot be perfected with what he does. not understand, because he wants a certain pleasure, which is neceffary to make him read to improvement; if this little book fhould be found to take off that obfcurity of the fcriptures confidered in general; if it give a fhort view of the most useful parts of fcripture, and in a manner almost level to the lowest capacities, then it is conceived, that the objection is entirely removed, and the fcripture may be read with much pleafure, and confequently, as much to the improvement of their reading, as any little fables, or moral inftructions whatever; and much more to the opening their understandings, and fashioning their manners, by gently and timely inclining them to every thing that is virtuous and praife-worthy..

Indeed, fome little moral or fabulous ftories may be mixed with this, at the difcretion of the mafter, but never to fuperfede the ufe of the fcripture, especially in this or any other familiar method. Variety naturally ftrikes the mind; for that reafon fome entertaining ftories may be ufed, but fparingly; and always fubordinate to the fcripture. There are feveral little books, wherein feveral portions of fcripture are scattered and interfperfed; but then they are either not expreffed in. fcripture words, or at least are not used with any defign to affix any fense to them, but only as containing fo many fyllables: But here care is taken, that all the words of the fcripture phrafe, above one fyllable, are placed in the fecond part before the leffons in the third; fo that the child, having first been perfected in the spelling the feveral words of thefe paffages diftinctly, comes duly prepared to the reading of them, and is hereby perfected in his reading, as much as he can by any other way, at the fame time that he is learning many excellent fcripture precepts, and the use and meaning of them..

God forbid any one should think, that the defign of this book is to undervalue the facred writings in general:. No, it is only intended to give tender minds a more perfect knowledge of them than they are otherwife capable of, and to prevent their engaging in the fcripture at random,,

A 3

which

which (as has been obferved)" may be the reafon why "fome people have never had clear and diftin&t thoughts "of it all their life-time." It is hoped this method will rather excite them to the reading the whole of that facred book, when their understandings are more enlarged, and better qualified to receive the feveral parts of it, and may poffibly be fome little help to their understanding the darker parts of it, even when their judgments are ripened. Though, in the mean time, it would not be amiss to join with their reading of it, fome entertaining part of fcripture at large; as the ftory of Jofeph and his brethren, of David and Goliah, of David and Jonathan, and also fuch pieces as convey the moft intelligible morals, as Proverbs, Ecclefiaftes, Job, &c.

As it is the profeffed defign of all fchools, particularly charity fchools, to teach children the elements of their religion, and as indeed it is the intereft and fafety of all ftates and kingdoms to have their youth properly principled in religion; if this book contain fome of the most profitable leffons of the chriftian religion, a religion that is calculated to make us happy men, as well as ufeful members of fociety, it is hoped it will not be below the notice and ferious perufal of those who have the inftruction of youth committed to their care; an important truft! And what can never be better executed, than by instilling into their minds the excellent precepts of divine revelation, which will fully answer all the ends of happiness in this life, and that which is to come; which, that they may ebtain, is the prayer of all fincere chriftians.

TO

TO THE

Schoolmasters, Miftreffes, &c.

That fhall teach this Book.

WHEREAS

HEREAS this Book, intitled, "The CHILD'S CHRISTIAN EDUCATION," has met with uncommon Succefs, and in those parts where it is made known, has been introduced into English Schools, with general ap probation; and whereas, by the use of it, children have made a much more speedy progress, than by any other book, it was thought proper to make this method of teaching public.

1. If the fcholar does not know his letters, you have here a complete alphabet, illuftrated with cuts or pictures, the learning of which is found to be a diverfion inftead of a task. Then proceed to the tables and leffans of monofyllables, and take great care that the learner advances no fafter than he is made perfect in fpelling and reading them.

2. As foon as the leffons of one fyllable are learned carefully, then let your Scholar proceed to the second part of the book, which confifts of words from two to five fyllables, divided and accented in tables; and let thofe be taught without books as well as with them.

Note, When the words in the fecond part of the book are committed to memory, there will be no difficulty in reading the ufual leffons in the third part, feeing few words above one fyllable will be there found, which are not taken notice of in alphabetical order, in the foregoing table of divided words.

3. The best way of ufing the third part of the book, is found to be this; to ciafs Jeveral jcholars together, the mafter is first to read over the leffan, then every one diftinctly and feparately to do the fame. When this third part comes to be read over a fecond or third time, the Jcholar may read two, three, or four leffons at one time, by order of the mafter.

4. The fourth part, which consists of rules for spelling, Several ufeful collections of prayers, c. may be used at the difcretion of the teacher: And the tables of words of fix and feven fyllables, left undivided, are defigned as exercifes; to complete the fcholar in fpelling and dividing by rule.

5. The fifth part, which is an expofition of the church catechifm, collected from our beft divines, may be continued to be taught to the fcholars as long as they remain at School.

It being the duty of every Schoolmaster to catechife the children under his charge in the principles of religion, and to teach them proper prayers also, the third, fourth, and fifth part of this book is calculated to affift him in a confcientious difcharge of that duty.

PART