Westminster Assembly New-England Primer

Annotation

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Our Puritan ancestors brought the Shorter Cate chism along with them across the ocean, and laid It on the same shelf with the family Bible They taught it diligently to their children every Sabbath day; and while that was to be read through in course, this was to be committed to memory, at a very early period of childhood. Within the last thirty years, the catechism has been gradually fall mg into neglect, and has been to a great extent dis placed in pious families, by simpler, and, in too many cases, extremely superficial substitutes. The common objection is, not to the system of doctrines which it inculcates, but that they are above the comprehension of children at the tender age when It is used to be committed and recited. This objec tion proceeds upon the assumption that it is no advantage to learn anything earlier than it can be fully understood. Is this a correct view of the matter 2?