PART IV.

REMARKS ON THE SHORTER CATECHISM, AND

GENERALLY ON THE OVER-EXACTNESS OF

THEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.

PART IV.

(SUPPLEMENTARY.)

REMARKS ON THE SHORTER

CATECHISM,

AND GENERALLY ON THE OVER-EXACTNESS OF

THEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.

E are well aware that the views put forward in the concluding portion of these remarks will not be acceptable to all Christians; the habit of teaching Catechisms to children is too deeply rooted to be easily shaken, and many of the most pious people having approached divine truth through this avenue themselves, cannot conceive of anything objectionable in the system. In the northern part of this island the belief in the efficacy of catechetical teaching is especially strong, and by many godly persons there, the "Shorter Catechism" of the

Westminister Assembly is valued almost as highly as the Bible itself.

Now-to avoid misconception-we wish to state clearly the position we take up in respect of that celebrated standard.

We readily admit that, as an epitome of doctrine, it is one of the best ever compiled; its definitions are models of philosophical precision, and, 'upon the whole, reflect the teaching of Scripture as closely as any mere theological summary can be expected to do; nor is it without use in giving definite expression to the religious thought of those who are trained in the school of Christian experience, but from its very nature it is entirely beyond the comprehension of young children, and indeed of many adults. We do not mean to allege that there is nothing in it they can understand; there is, of course, a great deal that, with proper explanation, can be made both profitable and intelligible even to children, but what we do assert is, that its mode of presenting truth is repellant to the youthful mind, and likely to give at the outset of life a distaste to religion.

Nothing is more difficult for the majority of