A. A body of men called out and set apart for God. Q. Who are that body now? A. All Christians. Q. Who are Christians? A. All those who have been rightly and duly baptized. Q. Iad God a Church, or body of people called out, before Christians were called out? A. Yes; Abraham's posterity, the children of Israel. Q. How were they called out? A. In the person of Abraham, their founder. Q. Had they any mark or token or sign that they had been so called out by God? A. Yes; circumcision. Q. What is the literal meaning of the word? A. A cutting off all round. Q. Had it any spiritual meaning? A. Yes; it signified the cutting off and casting away of all sinful lusts. Q. What did God tell Abraham it was meant for ? A. To be a sign of the covenant between God on one side and Abraham and his seed on the other. Q. If the Israelite's child was not circumcised, what said the law of God about him? A. He was to be "cut off from the congregation." He was not received into covenant, and was not one of God's people. Q. What is a covenant? A. An agreement between two or more persons, a promise made on each side. Q. If I promise that I will give you a book to-morrow, is that a covenant? A. No. Q. Why not? A. Because it is a promise on one side only. Q. If I promise to give you a book to-morrow if you will work for me today, and you say you will, is that a covenant? A. Yes; it is two persons promising mutually. Q. Are the Israelites God's people now? A. No. Q. Why not? A. Because, though they still use the sign, they have broken the covenant. Q. You said that Christians are now God's Church, a people called out and in covenant with God, have they any sign of the covenant ? A. Yes; baptism. Q. What is the meaning of the word baptism? A. Washing, or dipping in order to wash. Q. Has it any spiritual meaning? A. No, by the blood of Jesus Christ. Q. Is baptism as necessary in order to be made a Christian, as circumcision was necessary in order to become a Jew? A. Yes. Q. Is it enough that a man should profess to believe the Gospel and lead a good life? A. No; he must be baptized. Q. Can you prove this by any passage of Scripture? A. Yes; from St. John iii: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Q. What does that mean? A. He cannot become a member of the Church of God. Q. Any other passage of Scripture to prove this? A. Where our Blessed Lord bids His Apostles make disciples in all na tions, by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Q. This Catechism, then-this mode of instruction in use in our branch of the Church-what is it about? A. Doctrines and duties which are gathered from Holy Scripture; about Prayer also, and the Sacraments. Q. What do you mean by doctrines? A. Things to be taught, and believed, or accepted as true. Q. What by duties? A. Things to be done. A. Because they are due-what I ought to do. Q. What do you mean by I ought to do? A. That which I owe. Q. Then your duty to God, and your duty to your neighbour mean---? A. That which I owe to God and to my neighbour. Q. In what part of the Catechism do you learn doctrines? A. In the Creed or Belief. A. In the Ten Commandments. (NOTE.-The division of the Catechism into five parts may be taught here or at the end of the Catechism, as the Teacher thinks most expedient.) |