The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-08
LITERARY NOTICES.

TIE WESTMINSTER SHORTER CArEcHsM By Rev James
II. Boyd author of Elements of Rhetoric, &c. New
York NJ. w. Dodd. VOL PIP aa. For sale by Gray
Baantyne Washington. ID. C.
We have in the greenest remembrance our
early initiation into the "Shorter Catechism,"
which we thought great deal too long for
such little folks the group that collected
around the easy chair Of our father, as at the
close of a Sabbath day, we were called to +" say
our Catechism.' There we sat to endure the
severest of all penances day of rest could in
hict upon a large family of restless boys and
girls. We got on very well with the questions
under the " first table," as the phrase was
"our duties to Gods" but when we had reach
ed the "second table," Or the duties schich God
requires Of man, then we began to give signs
of woe, of a loss of memory, inability to hold
out to the end and our replies had to be
prompted, word by word, when we reached the
question, What is the duty which God re-
quires of man (Which, as it is fitting, is the
39th of the lO7 questions and answers Of this
remarkably Short Catechism. There were no
helps in those days either for parent or child,
and we have laid awake by the hour, wondering
what sort of people those were, called in the
Catechism mere mans for the words were so
run together that the impression made was that
they were tied together as descriptive of n dis
tinct order of men.
The Shorter Westminster Catechism has fall
en- into disuse, only because neither parent nor
child understood it. This has become mat
ter of eucdation; and here is the book, which,
had it been in our fathers hands, in the days
Of our childhood we would at this hour have
given hundred times its weight in gold .fAnd
yet, with all its incomprehensible words, there
was enough of the great truths of religion i'm
pressed upon our hearts, that we feel ourselves
under the greatest obligations to those giant
minds who composed that formula of sound
words, and which we regard at this time as the
greatest of compends of the Holy Bible, and
the best of all confessions of faith.
This little volume, by Mr.. Boyd, compiled at
the request of a precious lady now in Heaven,
to whom he has dedicated it, has for its aim
and end to popularize the Westminster Cate
chism. We have great pleasure in expressing
our approval Of the plan, and the manner in
which it has been perfected. Now that it is
done, we can see that it is a method which ad.
mits OF the greatest variety of styles and
methods of illustration. We will briefly state
its method. The fourth question is, "What is
God 2" The reply is that famous answer which
was breathed out in the prayer of the young
clergyman, who was called upon in the Assem-
bly, of the Westminster Divines, at the prayer
meeting held for the aid Of the Holy Spirit to
guide them into proper definition and an
swer to this great cornerstone Of all religion
God is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchange-
able, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness,
Justice, goodness, and truth"
To this Heaven-inspired reply, we have, first,
an analysis of the truths contained in the an.
swer as given. This is shown by Scripture
texts explanatory of each member of the SEN
tence Then there is a familiar exposition of
every thought. Then come illustrations from
various sources. The anecdote Of Simonides,
who, when asked this very question by Hero,
requested time to think, and the more he