Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-06-18
The Elementary Catechism.
For The Little Falls Tron. ..s. s2.

--.-s. Luz snort editorial notice
which appeared in The Transcript few weeks
ago OF The Elementary Catechism, written by
D. ". Rosenkrans, and published by the
Congregational Publishing Society, whose
headquarters are at Boston, Mass, reminds us
that book of very opposite character, writ
ten by gentleman then a resident of this
county, Mr.. Clark's Jim Jam Gems, received
ample notice in your columns. It is safe to
presume that two books so different in tone
ana design have never originated in two sue
cess'ne years, in town no larger than this,
since the days of Christopher Columbus.
Before briefly reviewing this little work we
Will viii say few words about the discussion in
regard to the best means and manner of i'm
parting to the young the moral and religious
instruction which nearly everybody believes
to be Indispensable to the training of those
who are to become either good citizens, intel
lgent Christians, or reliable members of soci-
ETY..
The Boston Congregationalist of May 20
1879, contained twenty-five communications
on the use of catechisms, filing a closely
printed broadside of that paper, especially in
the instruction of the young. The following
are few extracts. Rev. Joseph R. Clark
says:
1.-The modern Sabbath school question book
Is no substitute for tho cateohism). Some
m annual beyond the best Sabbath school ques
ton book is needed, to ground the minds of
boys and girls in the first principles Of the or
acles of God, TO indoctrinate them soundly and
Systematically in revealed truth"
Rev. A. Il. Ross, Of Port Huron, Mich.
says: eve believe the time is ripe in the
West for a return to the catcchism-to the
philosophical, systematic and progr essive
presentation Of the truth of God in grace as
in nature"
President Bartlett, of Dartmouth college
said: ~ have long thought that a good cat
echism adapted in its methods and phraseolo-
gy to the times in which we live great desid-
eratum."
Rev. DR.. Wellman said: "The conviction
is growing that the present way of studying
the Bible in our Sabbath schools is inadequate.
Much ground is gone over many things are
learned; hut the chief truths Of revelation
have no special prominence, and are often
passed over unnoticed."
Rev. DR.. Blake wrote: ''I have frequently
thought of and mourned over the deceased and
forgotten assembly's catechism."
Rev. Mark Hopkins, D. D., L. L. D., said :
II think such manual highly desirable, one
which should give the outline facts of the BIZ
BILE, the doctrines of Evangelical religion, and
the connection of the doctrines with conduct"
Professor Boardman, of Chicago, said: eff
the main PRINCIPLES of christianity can be
firmly fixed in the minds Of children, they
must have powerful influence"
President Chaplin, of Beloit college, writes ;
"Truth in these days makes progress by simple
persuasion, rather than by authoritative die
tation."
Rev. j. g. Morrill,, of Davenport, Iowa ::
owe need nineteenth century confession of
faith for the Masses
Rev. DR.. Goodell, of St. Louis, said: "Let
it be under fifty two heads and more in the
spirit and language of John the Baptist than
of the Westminster divines.'
These utterances were made when the work
before us was not yet ready for tho press
After it was printed Rev. P. P. Fisk, of Lake
City, wrote to the author,-"Let me say that
something of this kind I have long wished
for, and yours meets the demand of my own
experience in the most respects"
The following are claimed to be some of
the features of this Elementary Catechism,
which should commend it for use, especially
amongst the Congreg ational churches and
Sabbath schools"
1. That the questions and answers are
most Of them so brief that they may be COM
mitted to memory.
2. 1t is written in the language of the
present generation, and not in the idiom of
three hundred years ago.
3. 1t is sup to the tines" and in accord
with the current religious thought of the age
in which we now live.
4. 1t recognizes as standard and gives a
prominent place to the Ten Commandments,
The Lords Prayer and Golden Rule.
5. 1t gives plain definitions of Religion
Eternity, the Soul, the Church, Conversion,
Faith, Temperance, &c.
6. 1t applies religion to business, to va
rious relations of public and private life, to
missions, temperance, &c.
7. In religious education, as in secular,
text books are necessity. Among all prot
estant Christians the Bible is the grand text
book and ultimate standard of faith and prac
tlce. For the convenience, however, of both
teachers and learners some elementary work
is generally used in connection with the BIZ
bic. The practice, now so common, of divid.
ing this elementary instruction 50 as to furnish
the learners with single lessons upon weekly
or monthly 'Fleaves" will probably not be per-
manent, because such feeting means of in
struction cannot from their very nature make
such lasting impressions upon the mind and
memory Us convenient and we'll arranged
manual, permanent in its character, always in
hand to be conneed over, studied and recited
from all the year around. This manual is the
catechism. It is small and convenient in
size, definite and helpful in its statements,
syste matte in its arrangement.
s. This book may be used in Sunday
schools along with the International Commit
tees series of lessons, or instead of them until
the lessons of the catechism are well in mind.
9. The ffty-two lessons of tho Elementary
Catechism are divided into twelve parts as
follows I. Of the Bible. II. Of God.
III. Of the Soul. w. Of the law of God
V. Of the Judgment. VI. OF Our Lord Je-
sus Christ, VII. Of the GOSPEL. VIII.
OF Prayer. TX. Ofthe Church. x. Of the
Sacraments. XII. OF good works. XII.
OF Heaven.
10. AS condensed outline Of theology it
will be of Interest to the general reader for the
in form q tioo wh;ob - oon+o;,s