the

CONFESSION OF FAITH,

the

LARGER AND SHORTER CATECHISMS,

with the

Scripture-Proofs at Large:

together with

THE SUM OF SAVING KNOWLEDGE,

(contained in the holy scriptures, and held forth in the said confession and catechisms,) and practical use thereof;

covenants, national and solemn league; acknowledgment of sins, and engagement to duties; directories for public and family worship; form of church government, &c.

of public authority in the church of scotland

with

acts of assembly and parliament, relative to, and approbatory of, the same

Deut. 6:6, 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children: and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

a recent and correct edinburgh edition

PHILADELPHIA:

WILLIAM S.YOUNG, 173 RACE STREET

1851

THE GENERAL CONTENTS

I.The Preface, by sundry English Divines

II. Mr. Manton’s Epistle to the Reader

III. The Confession of Faith

IV. The Larger Catechism

V. The Shorter Catechism

VI. The Sum of Saving Knowledge

VII. The National Covenant

VIII. The Solemn League and Covenant

IX. The Acknowledgment of Sins, &c

X. The Directory for Public Worship

XI. The Form of Presbyterial Church-Government

XII. The Directory for Family Worship

to the

CHRISTIAN READER,

especially

HEADS OF FAMILIES

As we cannot but with grief of soul lament those multitudes of errors, blasphemies, and all kinds of profaneness, which have in this last age, like a mighty deluge, overflown this nation; so, among several other sins which have helped to open the flood-gates of all these impieties, we cannot but esteem the disuse of family instruction one of the greatest. The two great pillars upon which the kingdom of Satan is erected, and by which it is upheld, are ignorance and error: the first step of our manumission from this spiritual thraldom consists in having our eyes opened, and being turned from darkness to light, Acts 26:18. How much the serious endeavours of godly parents and masters might contribute to an early seasoning the tender years of such as are under their inspection, is abundantly evident, not only from their special influence upon them, in respect of their authority over them, interest in them, continual presence with them, and frequent opportunities of being helpful to them; but also from the sad effects which, by woful experience, we find to be the fruit of the omission of this duty. It were easy to set before you a cloud of witnesses, the language of whose practice hath been not only an eminent commendation of this duty, but also a serious exhortation to it. As Abel, though dead, yet speaks by his example to us for imitation of his faith, &c., Heb. 11:4; so do the examples of Abraham, of Joshua, of the parents of Solomon, of the grandmother and mother of Timothy, the mother of Augustine, whose care was as well to nurse up the souls as the bodies of their little ...