fome eafier and fhorter Forms of Knowledge, whereby your Children might have Jome Senfe of divine Things, and early Religion let into their Minds in a Way more fuited to their feeble Capacities?

Far be it from me to take out of your Hands that valuable Catechifm of the Affembly of Divines: I am not going to perfuade you to lay afide the Ufe of it in your Families; but only to render the Work of inftructing your Children and Servants more eafy and more fuccessful. I would fain propofe to you a Method whereby Children who cannot understand the Anfwers of that Catechifm, may yet have their tender Minds furnish'd and impress'd with the Things of God and their Salvation betimes, and that they may be better prepared for using that Catechifm with greater Advantage when they are farther advanced in Age and Knowledge, and when their Minds are better fitted to receive the deeper Senfe therein contained. This is what a Multitude of private Chriftians have defired, and that not only for the Ufe of their Children, but of their Servants alfo, and for the first Inftruction of any of the more ignorant Parts of Mankind. This is what many Minifters have

at

attempted even fince the Affembly's Catechifm was written: This is what I have been often follicited to undertake these twenty Years by feveral Minifters and private Chriftians: And this, my Friends, is the. Bufinefs and Defign of the little Book which I bere prefent you. Though I will not pretend or prefume to write Catechifms for the World, yet I think I do not extend my Studies and Cares beyond my proper Province, when I take Pains to affift you in the Inftruction of your Families. If any other Chriftian Families think proper to make use of thefe plain Forms of Inftruction, I heartily wish they may find all the defired Succefs.

If it should be enquired how I came to fet about this Work now, after fo long Sollicitations and Delays, I will tell you freely, that while I was writing the Treatise of Education which I promised the World fome time ago, I found this IVork of Catechifing came in neceffarily as a Part of it: And finding it grow too large for a Chapter in that Treatife, I feparated it from the reft, and have thus prepared it to be publifh'd by itself before the other is finish'd.

I believe you will heartily agree to do me fo much fuftice, as not to impute this Work

to

to any Principle of Ambition, or to suppose that a vain Design of Glory amongt Men bas tempted me to frame an ABC for Children. I well know that fome of my particular Friends imagine my Time is employ'd in too mean a Service while I write for Babes : I own my Obligations to them for their good Opinion of any of my other Writings: But I content myself with this Thought, that nothing is too mean for a Servant of Chrift to engage in, if he can thereby most effectually promote the Kingdom of his bleffed Mafter. If the God whom I ferve will bless my Labours to for the Seeds of Religion in the Understandings and Hearts of Children, I fhall hope there will arise a fair Harvest of the Fruits of Holiness in the fucceeding Generation, and fome Revenue of Glory to my Creator and Redeemer.

Perhaps it is not proper for me to say, and the World will hardly believe, what Pains have been taken in compofing these Catechifms, especially the first and fecond of them; with what Care I have endeavour'd to felect the most eafy and necessary Parts of our Religion, in order to propofe them to the Memory of Children according to their Ages; what laborious Diligence has been used to feek out all the plaineft and

moft

most familiar Forms of Speech, that the great Things of God and the Mysteries of the Gospel might be brought down to the Capacities of Children. It is not for me to fay how many Hours, and Days, and Weeks, bave been spent in reviewing and examining every Word and Expreffion, that, if poffible, nothing might be inferted which might give juft occafion of Offence to pious Perfons and Families, that nothing might be left out which was necessary for Children to know in that tender Age; and that no Word, Phrafe, or Sentiment (if poffible) might be admitted which could not be brought in fome measure within the reach of a Child's Understanding.

I am well aware that both my younger Catechisms will be thought defective, in that I have not therein warned Children more particularly of fome Sins of which they are in continual Danger. But I was much afraid to make thefe early Forms of InftruEtion too burthenfome and tedious. Befides, whatfoever is wanting either of the mention of Duties or of Sins relating to God or Man, may be found in the Explication of the Ten Commandments in the Affembly's Catechifm, or in my Prefervative from the Sins and Follies of Childhood and

Youth;

Youth; and I have recommended both thefe to be read frequently, even while Children are learning the foregoing Catechifms by heart.

There is another Defect, of which fome will complain; and that is, there is not enough of the hiftorical Part of our Religion brought into the two Catechifms of the Principles of Religion which I have written for Children: at least the History of Adam and of the Jews, and the Hiftory of Chrift, bould have bad a much larger Share therein. But I defire my Friends to confider, that at the fame time while these Catechifms are learning, there are Catechifms of Scripture-Hiftory propofed alfo to be gotten by heart, according to the different Ages of Children, wherein the Narratives relating both to the first and fecond Adam, and to the Jews, are much larger; and I think this will fully relieve that fuppofed Inconvenience or Defect; for there was no need of repeating thefe hiftorical Tranfactions in both Places; and if I had added more of the facred Hiftory to the Catechifms of the Principles of Religion, it would have made them appear too long and tedious.

But