Grace Thoughts
Why Learn a Christian Catechism? (Part Nine)
We are going to jump back in time a bit from our last catechisms of the 19th century. Those catechisms (Keach’s Catechism and A Puritan Catechism) were more Baptist in background. Our next two catechisms will look at the influence of the Church of England on Christian instruction.
Catechism of the Book of Common Prayer
The Church of England developed the Book of Common Prayer during the middle of the 16th century. That was around the same time as catechisms published in Europe (Luther’s Catechism, Calvin’s Catechism, and the Heidelberg Catechism). The Book of Common Prayer was part of the Anglican Communion. The Church of England authorized it in 1549, followed by several revisions during the next hundred years. The prayer book of 1662 is still used by many Anglican churches.
Prayers and worship in the Church of England were in Latin prior to the publication of the Book of Common Prayer. It was written in English and gave English-speaking people prayers in their own language for the first time. Keep in mind that The Book of Common Prayer was written several decades before the publishing of the first King James Bible in 1611. Edward VI was king of England when The Book of Common Prayer was first published.
The title of the 1559 version was:
Confirmacion, Wherein Is Conteined A Catechisme For Children.
The title of the 1604 version was:
The Order of Confirmation, or laying on of hands upon children baptized, and able to render an account of their Faith, according to the Catechisme following.
After a brief introduction, the catechism began. It was titled:
A Catechisme, That Is To Say, An Instruction To Be Learned Of Every Childe Before He Be Brought To Be Confirmed Of The Bishoppe.
Here are some examples from the Catechism of the Book of Common Prayer for your consideration. We will use the 1662 version because the English is easier to read than the older versions.
Part 1: What Happened When You Were Baptized
Question. What is your name?
Answer: [this one you know!]
Question. In the eyes of the Church, you were given your name by some special people. Who are they?
Answer. My Godfathers and Godmothers gave me my name for my Baptism; and when I was baptized I was made a member of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), the child of God (Romans 8:16), and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 25:34).
Question. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers do for you at your Baptism?
Answer. Because I was too young to make promises for myself, they made three promises on my behalf. First, that I should renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. (James 4:7; (Ecclesiastes 1:2); (1 John 2:16) Secondly, that I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith. (Romans 10:9) And thirdly, that I should keep God’s holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life. (John 14:21); Deuteronomy 6:2)
Part 2: The Creed
Question. As a Christian, what do you believe?
Answer. I believe in God the Father Almighty (Matthew 6:9; Genesis 17:1), Maker of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1): and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord (John 3:16, Romans 1:4), who was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 2:7), suffered under Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27), was crucified, dead, and buried (John 19); He descended into hell (Ephesians 4:9, 1 Peter 3:19); the third day he rose again from the dead (John 20); he ascended into heaven (Acts 1), and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty (Hebrews 10:12). From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1). I believe in the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; Acts 2); the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:14; 1 John 1:9); the resurrection of the body (1 Corinthians 15:35-49); and eternal life (John 3:16). Amen.
Question. What are the most important points you learn from this Creed?
Answer. I learn to believe first in God the Father, who has made me and all the world (Genesis 1). And second, in God the Son, who has redeemed me, and all mankind (Titus 2:14). And thirdly in God the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies me, and all the elect people of God (John 16; Acts 1:8; Romans 15:16).
Part 3: The Law
Question. You said that your Godfathers and Godmothers promised for you that you should keep God’s commandments. Tell me how many there are, and then please name them.
Answer. There are ten, and God named them in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. He began by saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [Student recites Ten Commandments]
Question. What are the most important points you learn from these Commandments?
Answer. I learn two things: my duty to God, and my duty to my neighbor.
Part 4: The Lord’s Prayer and the Grace of God
Catechist. My young friend, please understand this: that you are not able to do these things with your own strength, or to walk in the Commandments of God, and to serve him, without his special grace. So you must learn at all times to call for that grace through prayer. Let me hear, then, if you can say the Lord’s Prayer.
Answer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Part 5: The Sacraments
Question. How many Sacraments has Christ ordained for his Church?
Answer. Two that he wishes every Christian to receive, if at all possible: Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper (also known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion).
Question. What do we mean by the word Sacrament?
Answer. We mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given to us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive that grace, and a pledge to assure us that God is truly gracious to us.
Question. How many parts are there in a Sacrament?
Answer. Two: the outward visible sign, and the inward spiritual grace.
Question. What is the outward visible sign in Baptism?
Answer. Water, in which the person is baptized in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
You can read the complete Catechism of the Book of Common Prayer here and here.
Next Time
We’ll look at A Wesleyan Catechism in the next part of our series.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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