the Protestant mode of observing the Supper)--The end of our redemption." Under each of these are a number of questions and answers, amounting in all to ninety-six; and the latter are remarkably short and pertinent, and usually accompanied with at least one Scripture proof.

When the Solemn League and Covenant was projected, contemplating, as it did, an ecclesiastical union between the three kingdoms, measures were also adopted for preparing a uniform Confession, Directory, and Catechism. And it is important to observe, that the plan afterwards executed by the Westminster Assembly, was first proposed in the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Towards the end of 1640, several Scottish commissioners, of whom Henderson was one, went to London to treat on matters then pending between the King and the Presbyterian party. Henderson returned in the July following, and found the General Assembly holding an adjourned meeting at Edinburgh, and anxiously waiting his arrival. He was immediately elected Moderator, and laid before them a letter from the Presbyterians in and about London, in which they complain of the spread of schismatical opinions, and earnestly crave the advice and assistance of the Assembly. In replying to this letter, the Assembly says, among other things, "We have learned by long experience, ever since the time of the Reformation, and specially after the two kingdoms have been-in the great goodness of God to both-united under one head and monarch, but most of all, of late, which is not unknown to you, what danger and contagion in matters of kirk government, of divine worship, and of doctrine, may come from the one kirk to the other; which, beside all other reasons, make us to pray to God, and to desire you, and all that love the honour of Christ, and the peace of these kirks and kingdoms, heartily to endeavour, that there might be in both kirks, one Confession, one Directory for Public Worship, one Catechism, and one Form of Kirk Government." And agreeably to this, we find Henderson suggesting to the same Assembly, only twelve days before the writing of this letter, the propriety of drawing up such a Confession, Catechism, and Directory; thus leaving scarcely any reason to doubt, that the thing itself was projected by Henderson, and first laid before the General Assembly; but that the Assembly had itself been long favourable to such a measure, and was immediately incited to it by what had taken place in England. The Assembly accordingly approved highly of the measure, and urged Henderson to undertake the drawing up of the documents required. And to render this the more easy, they allowed him to refrain from preaching, and to avail himself of assistance. But he declined the task, as being too arduous. The subject is repeatedly mentioned in the Assembly's correspondence during the intervening period; but it does not appear that any thing was done before the meeting of

the Westminster Assembly in 1643. This Assembly met under the authority of the English Parliament, but chiefly at the instance of the Scottish Church. It was composed of 121 divines, with 30 lay assessors, and 5 commissioners from the Church of Scotland, and continued its sittings for upwards of five years.

The matters laid before this Assembly were numerous and important, and some of them are detailed with great minuteness. It unfortunately happens, however, that our information respecting the drawing up of the Catechisms is meagre and imperfect. The late Dr Belfrage of Falkirk appears to have been at great pains in collecting whatever was accessible on this point. We have made some further inquiries, but have hitherto found scarcely any thing beyond what he seems to have examined and abridged. The sum of what we have been able to gather, either from his work or original authorities, may be stated in a few words. In 1647, while the Assembly was engaged discussing the different articles of the Confession, committees were appointed to reduce these into the form of two Catechisms; a larger, which was to serve as a text-book for pulpit exposition, according to a usage of the churches on the Continent; and a shorter, for the instruction of children. It appears, however, that before the Confession had been finished, some progress was made in composing the Catechism, and that the reducing of it to a conformity with the Confession was an after-thought. "We made long ago," Baillie, "a pretty progress in the Catechism, but falling on rules and long debates, it was laid aside till the Confession was ended, with the resolution to have no matter in it, but what was expressed in the Confession." And, accordingly, much curiosity has been excited respecting the author of the original draft. Dr Belfrage, after detailing various opinions, and assigning reasons for his own, alleges Dr Arrowsmith to be the most likely person. After weighing the evidence by which this and several other opinions have been supported, we have not been able to come to any other conclusion, than that the matter is altogether uncertain.* After the Catechism had been finished by the com

says

"While the Confession of Faith was under discussion in the Assembly, committees were appointed to reduce it into the form of catechisms, one Larger, for the service of a public exposition in the pulpit, according to the custom of foreign churches; the other Smaller, for the instruction of families. It has been generally thought, that a draught or sketch was prepared by some individual of the Shorter Catechism, and laid before the Committee for their revisal. It is not certainly known who this individual was. I have heard it said by a theologian of great research, and now with God, it was his conviction that it was Dr Arrowsmith. Brooke, in his history of the Puritans, says that he united with several of his brethren in drawing up the Assembly's Catechism; and Baillie, in his Letters, says that the Catechism was composed by a committee, of whom Dr Arrowsmith was one. None of the Assembly was more competent to the task. He officiated for some

mittee, was laid before the Assembly and approved of, first in so many successive portions, and afterwards as a whole. On the 5th of November it was approved of by the Parliament, and would have been licensed by the king, had not certain hindrances occurred. It was next laid before the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This was in July 1648. And the following time as one of the University Preachers at Cambridge, where his education had been completed. It was while officiating as a Preacher at St Martin's, Ironmonger's Lane, London, that he was called to sit in the Assembly of Divines. Baillie mentions a circumstance which shows the high estimation in which he was held in that council. He calls him a learned divine, on whom the Assembly had put the writing against the Antinomians. He was promoted to be Master of John's College, Cambridge, where he discharged the duties of his office with exemplary diligence.

"The excellent Dr M'Crie, whose researches have shed so much light on the character, doctrines, and conduct of our Reformers, states, in a communication with which he has favoured me, that from a circumstance mentioned by Baillie, he is inclined to think that Mr Pal. mer was concerned in the first draught of the Catechism. In volume first of the Letters, page 431, he says, 'It was laid on Mr Palmer to draw up a directory for catechising." The directory contains no article on this point. In the same volume, page 440, he says, Mr Palmer's part about catechising was given in, and though the best catechist in England, did not suit, but was left in our hands to frame according to our mind.' There is a work published by this divine, entitled, The Principles of the Christian Religion made Plain and Easy,' in which a considerable similarity to the Shorter Catechism may be traced. Palmer was constituted Master of King's College, Cambridge, and showed the greatest solicitude to promote religion and learning, maintained several poor scholars at his own expense in the College, and when he died, left a considerable benefaction for the same purpose.

"In running over Wodrow's MSS.,' says Dr M'Crie in his communication, I recollect noticing a statement that he had received information from some person, that the Catechism was composed by Dr Wallis. This was the celebrated mathematician of that name, who was one of the Secretaries to the Westminster Assembly. Perhaps the statement may have arisen from his official situation, and his name having been seen appended to the printed copy of that work. It would be a feather in the cap of our little formulary, and no real disparagement to the philosopher, that its draughtsman was Dr Wallis. In one of his works he avows that he obtained much insight from the discussion of so many learned divines, in composing the Confession and Catechisms, but says nothing of his having any hand directly in its compilation.'

"There was another member of the Assembly, Dr Gouge, who may be thought to have some claim to the honour, from his learning and activity, and also from an excellent and comprehensive scheme of divinity, in the form of question and answer, which bears his name. He was minister of Black Friars, London, was appointed a member of the Assembly, and was in such reputation, that he often filled the Moderator's chair in his absence. Amidst claims so varied, I am inclined to think, with all due veneration for the memory of the rest, that the weightiest is that of Dr Arrowsmith. Baillie says, 'We have nearly agreed in private on a draught of Catechism, on which, when it comes in public, we may have little debate.' From the MSS. of Mr George Gillespie, it appears, that after the report had been given in and con

was the deliverance of the Assembly:-" The General Assembly having seriously considered the Shorter Catechism, agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines sitting at Westminster, with the assistance of commissioners from this Kirk, do find, upon due examination thereof, that the said Catechism is agreeable to the Word of God, and in nothing contrary to the received doctrine, worship, discipline, and government of the Kirk; and therefore approve the said Shorter Catechism, as a part of the intended uniformity, to be a Directory for catechising such as are of weaker capacity. The year following it was also ratified by an act of the Scottish Parliament. And from that time it has continued to be in common use, generally in Scotland, and among Presbyterians and several other denominations in England and Ireland; and has latterly obtained a firm footing in the United States, in most of the British colonies, and at not a few missionary stations far hence among the heathen. And it is remarkable, that amidst all the controversies which have occurred, it has been almost universally approved by every party of orthodox believers. "Amidst the jealousy and rivalship of contending parties," says the late pious and judicious Dr Belfrage, it has been a centre

of union, in which the faith and charity of good men have met; and in seasons of innovation, when a veneration for what is ancient is derided as the freak of imbecility or prejudice; when the march of intellect' is the pretext for every change, however presumptuous or violent, and when all the foundations of the earth seem out of course, this summary of the truth remains uninjured and revered; and it will continue to be an exhibition and defence of pure religion and undefiled, before God and the Father, to the latest age."

Frequent notice has been taken of the extraordinary simplicity of arrangement and depth of thought observable in the Assembly's Shorter Catechism. Of the former, I have just had a remarkable proof, in reading over Dr Chalmers' preface to the first volume of the new edition of his works. With his usual clearness and analytical acumen, he proposes two methods of studying Theology. According to the one, the first object of contemplation is the Divine Being; and then the history of his sidered, the Catechism was recommitted, that improvements suggested by the wisdom of the Assembly might be made. I find in the letters of Baillie various hints respecting the progress of the Catechism. We made long ago,' says he, a pretty progress in the Catechism, but falling on rule and long debates, it was laid aside till the Confession was ended, with the resolution to have no matter in it but what was expressed in the Confession, which should not be debated again in the Catechism. In another letter of later date, he says, ' We have passed a quarter of the Catechism, and thought to have made a short work with the rest, but we have fallen into such endless janglings about the method and the matter, that all think it will be a long work: the increase of all heresies is very great.""- Belfrage's Shorter Catechism, vol. i. pp. 14-18.

doings in this world, detailed in natural, if not chronological order. The other fixes at once on some awakened sinner, and accompanying him as he advances in knowledge and holiness, describes progressively the discoveries which he makes, or which are made to him, in the word and works of God. The former considers God abstractly, and follows out the other branches as so many of his works. And divinity taught upon this principle recommends itself to reason, as regularly deductive and capable of systematic arrangement. And accordingly, this is the principle on which catechisms and systems of divinity are usually constructed. The other, instead of the matter observed, takes up the observer; and simply recording what he is supposed to see and feel, as he advances towards perfection, the same subjects pass in review; but they are seen from different points, and under different lights. They are seen, not as abstract truths, but as practical directions. And this, therefore, is the view of divine truth best fitted for the guidance of the heart and conduct. The principles thus referred to, are, if we mistake not, the same withr the categories of Aristotle and the first principles of Bacon; the one assuming, as the basis of his arrangement, being, or the things about which men think; and the other, the powers of mind by which these are known and enjoyed. Now, it is perhaps new to some of our readers to be told, that the profound distinctions of an Aristotle and a Bacon are employed in the construction of that humble Primer called the Shorter Catechism; and that the prolific mind of a Chalmers could not have selected a finer example of its own original speculations, than is to be found in this directory for catechising such as are of a weaker capacity.

The number of Questions in this little manual, is, in all, one hundred and seven. The first three are introductory-God's chief or principal end in creating man; the rule by which man may attain to that end, and the principal branches into which that rule may be divided, are the topics thus introduced.

From the beginning of the fourth question, to the end of the thirty-eighth, we have a system of divinity, regularly constructed according to the first of the two principles explained. Every thing stated under these questions, is laid down speculatively— that is, as a matter of study and contemplation, not of command and direction. Each answer tells us what is, and not what should be. The arrangement of topics, also, is such as to show their consecutive dependence on each other, so that, like so many links of a chain, they are all sustained from the primary question, "What is God?" This will be observed in a mere rehearsal of the subjects, of which the questions are composed :—the being and attributes of God-the persons in the Godhead-the divine purposes or decrees-the execution of these in creation-their fulfilment in providence-the special providence of God towards