Exposition Upon the Church Catechism, Postscript – Errata
A POSTSCRIPT TO THE Christian READER.
Christian Reader,
THE use of these small Questions, is only to make trial, whether the younger Children (not yet of capacity to learn the longer Catechism preceding) do, when they are examined in the Church-Catechism, repeat the Answers meerly by rote. And if they answer heedlesly, to engage them, by a reflection upon what they have said, to attend more to the business they have in hand.
I have composed this Catechism meerly of Questions without Answers, for the most part: Because the Answers to them, are to be found in the very words, or plain sense, of the larger Answers themselves in the Grammatical Construction of them. So that the same way, whereby we bring School boys to find the Nominative Case to a Verb, or Antecedent to a Relative, &c. will, in a little use of this method, prompt the duliest Child to the Answer he is to make.
In some Questions, I confess, (as those about the Trinity,) the Answers are expressed; because the Catechism to which this is adapted, affords them not expresly. Others there are, which are to be found there only in the sense: but generally, the Questions in such cases, lead only to the short Answers of yea, or no.
In the whole, I designed perspicuous brevity. But… any Catechist that shall condescend to take this Catechistical Scheme for a Pattern, shall think it too short; he may himself remedy that fault, by enlarging upon this Groundwork, as he finds the capacity of the Children Catechised. This is only done to his hand, as a proof of what may be done in this kind, for the improvement of the younger Children, till they come to be capable of farther Instruction… in a larger Catechism; whether this of mine, or any other that shall be thought fitter for use.
Farwel
FINIS
ERRATA.
IN the Epistle Dedicatory, p. 1. l. 17. after wherein… Comma. p. 3. of the Catechism, in Priviledges, dele.… p. 4. Margin (n) for Mar. 5. 29. read Mar. 5. 2. 9. p.… l. 35. for Snairs r. Snares. p. 6. l. 26. for sore r. so. p.… l. 1. r. and. p. 8. l. 2. r. to. p. 13. l. 13. for and Holy-Ghost. r. and the Holy-Ghost. p. 22. Marg. (n) for John… 6. r. John 14. 16. p. 28. l. 26. for no other Gods. r. … other Gods. p. 34. l. 4. for were in Egypt. r. was in Egypt. p. 54. l. 27. for herein. r. therein. p. 57. l. 14. for tempted r. tempteth. p. 81. after l. 8. r. What did he the seventh Day.
End of the text · Simon Ford, Exposition Upon the Church Catechism (1686)