CLASS VIII. CREED-LORD'S PRAYER-TEN COMMANDMENTS COMMITTED TO MEMORY. Learning and repetition of a few simple and easy prayers, collects, and graces, with very simple explanation. Why we pray; to whom; for what, &c. &c.; explaining in a solemn and affectionate manner who God is; that He is their heavenly Father: that He loves and cares for them; that He always sees them. Meaning of Amen. Creed. Lord's prayer (vide lesson on Lord's prayer). By whom, for whom, written; when, where, how to be used by us. The ten commandments.* Divisionf into two parts. Given to what people ; where ; for what purpose; where we find them written. CLASS VII. CREED-LORD'S PRAYER-TEN COMMANDMENTS, WITH VERBAL EXPLANATION— FIRST PART OF CATECHISM COMMITTED TO MEMORY. "Ye shall take care that this child shall be brought to the bishop to be confirmed as soon as he can say the creed, the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments, in the vulgar tongue, and be further instructed in the CHURCH CATECHISM set forth for that purpose.”—Baptismal Service. Bible. Meaning of the word. Its principal divisions, Old and New Testaments; why so called. The commencement of Bible. Creation. Paradise. Temptation. Fall of man. Expulsion from Paradise. First promise of a Saviour. How long before His actual advent; for what purpose. Gradually increasing depravity of mankind. How long from Adam to Noah. Noah. Deluge. Noah, why saved. Destruction of the rest of mankind. How Noah was saved; with whom. How long in building the ark. Faith in entering into it. How long in it. Description of ark. Flood; duration. Abating of waters. How Noah knew when waters abated; where ark rested. What Noah first did on leaving the ark. God's covenant with him. Rainbow. To ken (explanation of). How [Situation of part of the world first inhabited (if possible with a map). Noah's family. The world, how peopled. Situation of paradise. Four great rivers. Building of Babel. Meaning of word. Confusion of tongues. Abraham, three instances of his faith, and the promise, each separately insisted on. long after the flood. Name changed, when and why. Isaac. Ishmael. Promise confirmed to Isaac. (Type, antitype, meaning of.) Of whom Isaac was a type; how. Successive promises till the coming of our Saviour. History of Jacob. The twelve patriarchs. Life of Joseph. Of what family Christ was to be. How this was fulfilled. The circumstance of His birth; education; life. How long on earth. Death; of what kind; why endured; for whose sake; what purpose. His death foretold by prophets.]‡ * Confirmed in an enlarged sense by our Lord. † A fuller explanation of this last clause for the fifth class. Explanation and application of several portions of the moral law in each class, according to the capacity of the children.* If this paragraph should be too advanced for the seventh class, it may be easily introduced into the scheme of the next. * E. g. How we can offend in temper and word, as well as in deed. What is meant by a lie. How the guilt of falsehood may be incurred without words. How it accompanies and increases the guilt of all other offences; in what terms forbidden by God. Extreme wickedness and danger of falsehood. Excellence of truth, candour, simplicity. Dishonesty, profaneness, immorality, uncharitableness, similarly explained; and the opposite graces recommended. Account of the disciples; Apostles; preaching repentance and baptism. Where we read an account of Christ's life and doctrine. The gospels; why so called. Number of evangelists; Apostles (meaning of the words). Other parts of New Testament briefly touched upon, as letters from different Apostles to different churches. How many in the whole (this subject to be more fully opened in fourth class). Account of the books of Moses. Sketch of his life. Other writings of Old Testament; Pentateuch; the Exodus. Giving of the Mosaic law. The prophets; meaning of word. True, false prophets. CLASS VI. THE CATECHISM COMMITTED TO MEMORY, WITH VERBAL EXPLANATION. The whole bible; word of God; book of books (fully explained); the greatest blessing to man. How preserved to us through so many ages. Language in which Old and New Testaments were written. Language of the Jews; where they lived. Maps of Palestine (in tribes); (in provinces). Jerusalem. Temple; veil rent at the crucifixion; explained fully. Account of the building of the first and second temple (with texts). Creed more fully explained. God the Father-Son-and Holy Ghost-created-redeemed-sanctifiedwhat and whom (explained from the catechism). THE CATECHISM COMMITTED TO MEMORY, WITH VERBAL EXPLANATION. Why at Nazareth. Meaning Principal types of our Saviour. In what the typical resemblance consists. Birth-place of Christ. Where brought up. of Nazarene, Nazarite. Where mentioned in Scripture. How long Christ was on earth; in what country or countries. Where His death took place; where foretold; what signs attended it. Where buried (prophecy fulfilled); by whom. How long in the grave. Was His resurrection foretold (texts). For what purpose He died; descended into hell. How His enemies endeavoured to explain away the resurrection of Christ. Incontrovertible evidence that He did rise again. Appearance after death to His disciples. Other instances of rising again mentioned in scripture. His ascent into heaven. Promise at parting; when fulfilled. His coming again; for what purpose (Creed and texts). Miracles performed while on earth; for what purpose. Principal parables. CLASS IV. CATECHISM, WITH FULLER EXPLANATION THAN IN THE FIFTH CLASS. St. Paul. Names. Education. Preceptor. Birth-place. Meaning of his being a Roman, and privileges. Character and religion. When we first read of him. How converted. On his way to what place Damascus; situation (map). Distance from Jerusalem. Ancient city. Proof from Genesis. Account of all St. Paul's Epistles. His travels, with map. Account of twelve Apostles. Meaning of Apostles. Disciple. Where we find chief account of St. Paul. Apostle of the Gentiles. Why so called. What relations in the ministry. Explain the words, "I lived a Pharisee." Difference between Pharisees and Sadduces. On what occasion St. Paul appealed to his hearers as a Pharisee. How long after our Saviour's time. When did he die (date, A.D.)? Manner of death. Was it foretold? Character of his doctrine. Crucifixion; was the manner of our Saviour's death foretold, or typified in the Old Testament? Under what emperor Christ was born-died. Of what was He accused; before whom; who condemned Him? Why did the Jews so bitterly prosecute Him? Sort of king the Jews expected. His kingdom described by Himself. How is he called the Son of God, of man, of David; by whom (texts)? CLASS III. CATECHISM, WITH SCRIPTURE REFERENCES AND PROOFS-COLLECTS LEARNED AND EXPLAINED. The sacrifice of the death of Christ. High-priest. Holiest of Holies. The high-priest, how a type. Christ entered into the heaven of heavens; offered up His own body on the accursed tree (texts) as a sacrifice. The Mosaic law; when discontinued; why; what took its place? Rending of veil. Resurrection of Christ. Fulfilment of prophecy. What His resurrection encourages us to hope. The sect which disbelieved in the resurrection. Pharisees. Descent of Christ into hell; for what purpose. Different meanings of the word hell in Scripture. How the Jews endeavoured to explain away the resurrection of Christ. Proof that He did rise again. Under whose reign He suffered. (Creed, why mentioned.) Who Pilate was. (Date.) Emperor of Rome at the time. Where Rome was, with map. St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. CLASS II, AND I. CATECHISM, WITH SCRIPTURE PROOFS AND REFERENCES-COLLECTS COMMITTED TO MEMORY, AND FULLY EXPLAINED, IN CONNEXION WITH GOSPEL AND EPISTLE. Nature of the sacraments—fully explained to the first class. Account of feasts throughout ecclesiastical year. Principal dates throughout. The Centuries. > In each successively. Under different emperors. Great Christian characters. Gradual spread of the Gospel. Countries which had not embraced Christianity to the time of our own history. Introduction of Christianity into our own island. Probably by whom. Date, and principal circumstances. Where first favourably received. Successive ages of the Church under different kings. Eminent ecclesiastics. Contests between the Church and State. Forerunners of the reformation. Reformation. Printing of Bible (printing; date). History of Prayer-book. Character of Henry; Mary; Elizabeth. The religion of other European countries at the time. Contemporary sovereigns. Our churches; in what centuries principally built; how and when destroyed. Cathedrals. Bishops. Dioceses. List of bishops (from Palmer) read to the class. Principal ones noted, with dates. Succession from the Apostles. Their divine ordination; commission, Priests. Deacons. In addition to the whole course, which must be gone through at regular and stated intervals, these classes will be made acquainted, on successive saint's days, with the lives and doctrine of the Apostles, in order, as they occur. The institution of these festivals, &c. ; their object; use to be made of them. Special services for the days. Reading of the various parts of the Bible; throughout the year. Psalms, lessons, gospels, epistles,-arrangement and selection of. History of Prayer-book (Berens'). The Church service; peculiarly adapted to afford instruction to us in our several duties towards God and man, as well as comfort and advice in all the various circumstances of life. This explained in detail. History of the Judges. Prophets to be now more carefully gone through with Watt's Scripture History. Lives of the Patriarchs. Their descendants. Division of the Holy Land after the conquest of the original inhabitants, the Canaanites. The kings of Israel and Judah. Extent of their dominions; dates and notice of chief events in their reigns. Remember that these are mere hints on which to found your catechetical instruction, not intended to supersede your own efforts towards simplifying that instruction, and rendering it impressive; but only to assist you in gradually expanding and preparing the subjects for successive classes. Your success as teachers will not depend on your having read a certain number of books, or being acquainted with certain formula; but on your own energy and zealon the interest you really take in the great work to which you have devoted yourselves. BENNET G. JOHNS. LESSON ON THE LORD'S PRAYER. Referred to in Class VIII. LORD's Prayer; why so called. Who our Lord was. To whom he gave the prayer; why. Meaning of disciples. Our Lord says, " Ask, and ye shall receive." Encourages us to pray to Him in all our wants. Lord's Prayer often used in Church service. A model for all other prayers. All prayer to be offered in the name and through the mediation of Jesus Christ.2 3 P. 1. Our Father which art in heaven. The Father of all who keep His commandments, and pray to Him with heart and soul. Made his children in baptism. God not only in heaven but everywhere.4 Hears all we say;5 sees all we do; knows all we think. God is pure and holy. We should pray to Him to make us holy, even as he, our Father in heaven, is holy; since we cannot be so unless He help us by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. 8 P. 2. Hallowed be Thy name. We pray that his name may be made holy in our thoughts and words. (Third commandment1o explained in a higher class.) His name not to be used in vain and light talk. The name of our Saviour also most holy: "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth."11 P. 3. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, &c. We pray that what He wishes and commands on earth may be done on earth by men, as it is in heaven by angels; that so all men may become holy and righteous, and His kingdom be spread over all the world, "as the waters cover the sea."12 His will written in His commandments. P. 4. Give us this day our daily bread. Ask, and ye shall receive." We pray for our daily food, the things which we want from day to day. He is the 1 Luke, xi. 1. 4 Ps. cxxxix. 6, 7, 8, 9. 2 Matt. vi. 9; John, xvi. 23. 3 1 John,iii.10; Luke, vi. 35. 5 Matt. xii. 36. 6 Ps. cxxxix. 1, 2, 3. 9 Rom. viii. 26; John, xv.16. 12 Isaiah, xi. 9; Heb. ii. 14. giver of all good things. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.' "13 P. 5. And forgive us, &c. We trespass against God whenever we think, say, or do what is wrong, i. e. what God has forbidden. (Trespass explained to a higher class, to cross the line of obedience, &c. &c.) We pray that He will have mercy upon us, and forgive us these our many sins, as we forgive every one their trespasses against us. Our Saviour tells us, that if we hope to be forgiven, we must forgive others: "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." "14 P. 6. Lead us not into temptation.15 Keep us from being tempted to sin by the world, the flesh, and the devil. We are not able of ourselves to resist (stand against) sin. (Fully explained to a higher class.) P. 7. But deliver us, &c. Save and keep us from all that may hurt us, all dangers and perils; since we cannot be safe unless God keep us. (Collect for 20th Sunday after Trinity, in higher class.) P. 8. For thine is, &c. "His kingdom ruleth over all," without beginning, without end. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, Thou art God from everlasting."16 Amen; that is, so be it, so we pray. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and world without end; and let all the people say, Amen."" 7 This lesson might, if necessary, be made much more simple for a lower class; or be extended, and so rendered more useful to a higher one. For this latter purpose marginal references have been added. LORD ABINGER ON NATIONAL EDUCATION. Our readers will not be displeased at our re-publishing the following letter:“DEAR LORD ASHLEY.—I send herewith my first subscription to the National School Society. The lateness of this subscription is the result of circumstances purely accidental, and not of any change effected by recent publications, or by any other recent occurrence, in those opinions which induced me to take an active and public part in support of the society. Those opinions are contained in the following propositions ; "1. That man is by nature a moral and religious as well as an intellectual being, and that the cultivation of his intellect, without a simultaneous development and direction of his moral and religious sentiment, would make his intelligence a source of evil instead of benefit to his race. "2. That the endowment, that is to say, the establishment of a national religion, and the uniformity of religious observances and opinions, as far as it can be attained without violating the liberty of conscience, are very great public advantages. "3. That the Church of England, independently of the advantage which it now possessess of being already established and moulded up with our civil institutions, is more tolerant, has a better foundation in truth, and is of greater utility than any other form of religion that could be substituted in its place. "4. That the clergy of the Church of England, already the authorized teachers of the national religion, are better qualified by their attainments and their high moral character, to be the teachers of every part of useful knowledge than any other class of persons who could be appointed for that purpose. "5. That though it is an essential part of toleration to permit those who dissent from the religion of the state to educate their children after their own fash 13 James, i. 17. 16 Ps. xciii. 3. 14 Matt. vi. 14, 15. 15 Matt. xxvi. 41 ; 2 Cor. iii. 5. 17 Ps. cvi. 46; lxxii. 19. |