CATECHETICAL LECTURES.

THE general catechetical lecture is only another form of public catechising. I adopted it originally as a sort of transition between the afternoon sermon and the afternoon catechising prescribed by the Rubric; but I was induced to continue it after my people had become accustomed to its catechetical arrangement, because I considered it to combine the advantages of both methods of teaching. It is supposed, of course, to take place in church, from the reading desk, after the second lesson, and is intended, at least, as much for the edification of the parish at large, as it is for that of the catechumens: in fact, the catechumens should not be compelled, or even urged, to take part in it; some are not qualified for it, to some it would be injurious. A certain number of convenient seats should be reserved for those who wish to be catechised in public, and the Parson need never fear having too few candidates. The difficulty lies generally in making the selection.

The idea of the catechetical lecture is taken from the practice in courts of law, the Parson makes his statement first, and then examines the witnesses, to prove it.

The advantages of the plan are these-in catechising it is always necessary to put questions apparently irrelevant, partly in order to give confidence, partly as a foundation for other questions bearing more immediately on the subject in hand. The minds of the congregation are by these means very frequently led away from the drift of the argument or explanation, particularly in those cases in which the children do not answer clearly, and thus they carry off no very definite idea after all of what the Parson has been explaining.

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DIFFICULTIES OF PUBLIC CATECHISING.

In the catechetical lectures, a certain proposition or portion of the subject is laid down which must not be so long or so complete, but that the people can readily bear it in mind; when the examination takes place, the congregation bearing the object in mind, easily distinguish between the irrelevant or introductory questions, and those which actually bear upon the subject to be explained, while the change from speech to questioning occurs with sufficient frequency to keep alive the attention both of the auditors and the participators in this exercise.

The lectures which follow are my earliest attempts in this mode of teaching, those which I have given subsequently, have been, for the most part, extempore or from notes; but these earliest have been the models of them all. In the first of these lectures I have introduced the leading questions at some length, taking them either from Bevan, or from some other of the numerous catechetical books; not that I mean it to be understood that these actual questions were asked, but in order to give some idea of the form of questioning. It is impossible to put down any particular questions beforehand, no catechist can tell the train of thought which will be suggested by any answer that he may receive, so that if he writes down his questions, the chances are, that every one that he asks after the three or four first, will be different, either in form or substance, from those which he had intended to ask. One thing should be especially avoided, and that is, that the catechumens should know beforehand the precise form in which the questions will be put; this will immediately impart to the whole exercise a stiffness and formality which is intolerable.

I do not hesitate to say that this, whether it take the form of the catechetical lecture, or of simple catechising, is by far the most difficult part of a Parson's duty, and this is the real reason why the afternoon sermon is so frequently substituted for the afternoon catechising.

It requires no great amount of talent to catechise; any one, even of the most moderate abilities may do it; but it requires an amount of labour which those who have never attempted it, are unable even to conceive.

QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY FOR IT.

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No man can catechise unless he is not only thoroughly acquainted with his subject, but fully embued with it; he must be able to catch at once the distant bearing of an imperfect answer, to see where the catechumen dimly conceives, and where he is unable to apprehend a particular point; he must see at once what supplementary question will bring out a dark passage, or convey a missing idea; he must have his subject so well in hand, that he can take up the different threads of it, and unravel immediately any little confusion into which it may be thrown; he must be quick and ready too in taking up his points without a moment's consideration, or he will find that the attention of his auditors is flagging, and the thoughts of his catechumens adrift. Above all things, he must sedulously avoid that most common of all faults, preaching his questions and making long rambling interrogations, which by no ingenuity can be answered, except in the words yes and no. The effect of this is not less distracting to the catechumens, than it is distressing to the audience.

But besides being thoroughly familiar with his subject, he must be thoroughly acquainted with his people also, they must have become familiarised with his style of questioning, and accustomed to his explanations, before they meet him in church; and he, on the other hand, must be able to pitch at once on any individual, and to adapt to his particular comprehension the question which he puts to him.

All this, no doubt, may be effected without any especial talents or acquirements, it is quite within the reach of very moderate attainments. I have seen it done admirably by pupil teachers, and by mistresses of dame schools, who could neither write nor spell the very questions they asked. But there is only one way of learning to catechise, and that is by constant practice and downright hard work.

There is no so certain a test of a Parson's past labours as his present power of catechising; there is no proof that he has adequately taught either himself or his catechumens, so absolutely infallible, as his catechumens' power of answering him in church. Shyness in public is only another name for a secret consciousness of some deficiency.

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LECTURE I.

ON THE CATECHISM.

It was once the custom of the English Church, always, and as a matter of course, to catechise the children of the parish after the Second Lesson. If you look at the Rubric after the Catechism you will see- "The Curate of every parish shall diligently, upon Sundays and holy days, after the Second Lesson at Evening Prayer, openly in the Church, instruct and examine so many of the children of his parish sent unto him as he shall think convenient, in some part of the Catechism."

That is, not all or any of the children of the parish, but those whose answers he thinks may be made useful to his general teaching.

This, no doubt, did great good to the children, because all those who went to school, or even those who did not, would be anxious to make themselves fit for the great privilege of explaining God's Word before the congregation. Sponsors naturally remembered the promise they had themselves made when they saw the children they had undertaken to instruct brought out in the Church, and could not but be aware that while the priest was examining how much the children knew of their faith and their duty, he was at the same time examining and proving how far the sponsors had performed their promise. When I say sponsors, of course I mean parents also-they are sponsors by nature, the others are sponsors by agreement. When, therefore, I say sponsors, I mean all who are bound to see children christianly and virtuously brought up-fathers and mothers, godfathers and godmothers, schoolmasters and schoolmistresses, and, above all, the Parson of the parish and his curate. We are all

being examined before God to see how we have done one of the most important duties which GOD has trusted

to our care.

But besides this, besides the good it does the children

CATECHISING AN OLD CUSTOM.

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in making them learn their duties to GoD and man, and in putting us sponsors in mind of our duties towards the children-besides all this, catechising has this good, that we all need to be put in mind of our profession, just as much as the children need to be taught it. And we are taught it easier and better by watching the answers given, and seeing how far they are correct, than by any amount of reading or preaching.

Most of you know that I have a class of children whom I examine and catechise in the Bible for an hour every day of the week, after morning service.1 I do not at all hesitate to say, that the person who profits most by this is myself. I learn, and remember, and work out things that I should never have thought of otherwise.

One of the greatest preachers that ever we had said, when he was an old man, "When I think of it, I could quarrel even with my sermons, they have taken up so much time from catechising."

The custom of public catechising was gradually dropped, I believe, from mere idleness. It is much the most difficult thing a Parson has to do—not that it requires great learning or cleverness, but a great deal of time and trouble; because he must first prepare himself and then prepare the children. All this required so much time that many Parsons began merely to ask the words of the ChurchCatechism, without seeing that any one understood the meaning; and then, by degrees, an evening sermon after the service took the place of the catechetical lecture during the service. The evening sermon is quite a new thing. Many of you are old enough to recollect when there was none in this parish.

What I mean to do is this. I will take some subject from the Catechism, follow it up by question and answer, till we are quite satisfied that the children understand it, and by that time we shall all of us understand it ourselves. I will then add some observations on it myself, and then, according as we have time, pass on to another portion. Thus we shall ourselves become better acquainted with our profession-for, in truth, the Catechism is a complete

1 This refers to times before the school was properly organised.