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'I believe that there never has been in the hands of any Church any manual representing the doctrines, the true spirit of the Bible, to compare with the Catechism of the Church of England.'

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,

Address to Diocesan Conference, 1891.

CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. AND SONS, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

PREFACE.

HIS work has been undertaken at the request

To the Syndics of the Cambridge University

of

Press, with a view to those who are being prepared for the Local Examinations and to Candidates for Confirmation in schools and elsewhere. It is hoped also that many others, and among them possibly some whose school days are now far behind them, may be glad to be helped to retrace and relearn the old lessons presented with such boldness of grasp and simplicity of outline in the little manual which has stood the long test of time and use, and is increasingly valued as one of the most precious possessions of English Christianity.

This book will, it is believed, be found to be true to its title. The attempt throughout has been not so much to prove or enforce, as to explain the Catechism. The short Introduction deals with the history, title, and structure of the document. Its main sections are considered separately in the several Parts. In each case the method has been to set forth as clearly as possible the underlying principles of the teaching, before passing on to such further elucidation of details as seemed necessary for an accurate knowledge of the subject. It is not unlikely that some

might find it best to read consecutively the chapters which contain the larger treatment, before spending time upon the explanations of particular words and phrases.

The deficiencies and inaccuracies of these pages would be many more than they are had it not been for suggestions and information supplied by previous workers in the same field. References to names will

be found wherever it has seemed natural and useful to give them here it must be enough to mention generally those of Nicholson, Blunt, Norris, Maclear, Daniel and Allen.

For valuable help the author is indebted to many friends to whom he has turned for general counsel or particular assistance during the progress of his work. To the Bishop of Wakefield and Dr A. J. Mason, as also to his brother Prof. J. Armitage Robinson, his most sincere thanks are very specially due.

It only remains that he should say that he will esteem it a great kindness if any of his readers will be at the pains to point out to him any ways by which this book may be brought into more thorough accord with the devout spirit and sober judgment of the English Church, or by which it may be rendered more practically serviceable to those who are to use it.

ALLHALLOWS BARKING, E.C.

Nov. 1, 1893.

PAGE

CHAPTER I. Proportion to be kept in teaching

Faith and Practice. Our sense of the importance of Duty.

Why the old Law is the lesson proposed. The two parts

of Duty. Religion and Philanthropy. The Decalogue to

be studied in the light of its significance for those to

whom it was originally addressed. The underlying prin-

ciples of its structure.

CHAPTER II. Particular Explanations. The transla-
tion adopted. The meaning for us of the First Command-
ment. The Second not directed against Art as such.
Reference to the divinities of Egypt. 'under the earth.'
'a jealous God.' 'unto thousands.' Temptation to
abandon the effort of spiritual religion. Original reference
of the Third Commandment. 'the Name of the Lord.'
Helps to reverence. The purpose of the Fourth Command-

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