SET FORTH IN A COMMENTARY ON THE CHURCH CATECHISM, WITH SCRIPTURE PROOFS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS FROM EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITERS. BY SAMUEL PAGAN, B. A., 1840. PERPETUAL CURATE OF LEVER BRIDGE. ERRATA. Page 11, line 24, for, more properly, read, perhaps. 66 66 66 66 66 67, note h Reference, for cap iii., read Lib. i. 3. 90, note n, line 3, after, he is, insert not. 106, note f Ref., for, p. 6, 2, read p. 62. 156, note 9, line 10, for, Spirit, read, spirit. 289, line 22, for, its, read, the Jewish Sabbath. 317, line 13, after, gallons, insert, nearly. "347, note h, line 2, for, house, read houses. (xvgiaxoïs.) PREFACE. ALTHOUGH the Church Catechism is, from its shortness and comprehensiveness, well suited to children; yet it is also so full, that, when its meaning is drawn out, it is able, and no doubt was intended to afford instruction to older members of the Church. It is for the use of these that the following Commentary has been writen, viz., to provide them with a Manual of doctrine and practice, and to furnish them with reasons and arguments in support of their principles. The proofs of the things here taught rest upon reason and Holy Scripture, the statements of this being held to be of full authority. In some cases, however, such as Part II; Sections, 2-7, many of the References to Scripture are necessarily used only as Illustrations of like arguments used in Scripture to those drawn from natural reason. The number of these Scripture Proofs is 6640, many of which will repay the trouble of consulting them. There are also annexed to the Commentary 1007 Passages quoted and translated from early Christian Writers; several of whom wrote before or soon after the death of St. John, A.D. 100, and were Christians much earlier. These quotations, however, are not intended as proofs or authorities, except historically; since, otherwise, every thing said by the Writers must be adopted, as if they were inspired and infallible; but as Illustrations of doctrines previously taught from Holy Scripture, and showing the general belief of the early ages of the Church it being thought that doctrines so supported and illustrated are true deductions from Scripture; as, on the other hand, that doctrines thought to be drawn from Scripture, or taught by reason and some supposed private inspiration, or gathered from public Acts and Canons, but never heard of in the early Church, or known to have been believed aforetime, cannot possibly be doctrines of Scripture, nor Christian doctrines. Advent, December 17th, 1866. |