What is Catechism?
by Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583)
Zacharias Ursinus was the primary author of the Heidelberg
Catechism. This article is found at the beginning of his commentary on this Reformed
catechism under the heading, "Special prolegomena with reference to the
catechism" (english translation by G.W. Williard,
I. What is catechising,
or the system of catechisation?
II. Has it always been practiced in the church, or what is its origin?
III. What are the principal parts thereof?
IV. Why is it necessary?
V. What is its design?
I. WHAT IS
CATECHISATION?
The Greek word kataecaesis is
derived from kataeceoh, as kataecismos is from kataecidzoh. Both
words, according to their common signification, mean to sound, to resound, to instruct by
word of mouth, and to repeat the sayings of another. Kataeceoh more properly,
however, means to teach the first principles and rudiments of some particular doctrine. As
applied to the doctrine of the church and as understood when thus used, it means to teach the first principles of the Christian religion, in which sense it occurs in
Luke 1
.
4,
Acts 18
.
25,
Gal. 6
.
6, etc. Hence, catechisation in its most general and comprehensive
sense, means the first brief and elementary instruction which is given by word of mouth in
relation to the rudiments of any particular doctrine; but, as used by the church, it
signifies a system of instruction relating to the first principles of the Christian
religion, designed for the ignorant and unlearned.
The system of catechising, therefore,
includes a short, simple, and plain exposition and rehearsal of the Christian doctrine,
deduced from the writings of the prophets and apostles, and arranged in the form of
questions and answers, adapted to the capacity and comprehension of the ignorant and
unlearned; or it is a brief summary of the doctrine of the prophets and apostles,
communicated orally to such as are unlearned, which they again are required to repeat.
In the primitive church, those who
learned the catechism were called Catechumens; by which it was meant that they were
already in the church, and were instructed in the first principles of the Christian
religion. There were two classes of these Catechumens. The first were those of adult age,
who were converts to Christianity from the Jews and Gentiles, but were not as yet
baptized. Persons of this description were first instructed in the catechism, after which
they were baptized and admitted to the Lord's Supper. Such a catechumen was Augustin after
his conversion to Christianity from Manicheism, and wrote many books while he was a
Catechumen, and before he was baptized by Ambrose. Ambrose was also a Catechumen of this
sort when he was chosen Bishop, the urgent necessity of which arose from the peculiar
state and condition of the
II. WHAT IS THE
ORIGIN OF CATECHISATION, AND HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN PRACTICED IN THE CHURCH ?
The same thing may be said of the
origin of catechisation which is said of the whole economy or service of the church, that
it was instituted by God himself, and has always been practiced in the church. For, since
from the very beginning of the world God has been the God, not only of those of adult age,
but also of those of young and tender years, according to the covenant which he made with
Abraham, saying, " I will be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee; " (
Gen. 17
.
7.) he has also ordained that both classes should be instructed in the doctrine of
salvation according to their capacity; the adults by the public voice of the ministry, and
the children by being catechised in the family and school. As it respects the institution
designed for the instruction of adults, the case is clear and admits of no doubt.
Touching the catechisation of
children in the Jewish church, the Old Testament abounds in many explicit commands. In the
12th and 13th chapters of Exodus, God commands the Jews to give particular instruction to
their children and families in relation to the institution and benefits of the Passover.
In the fourth chapter of the book of Deut., he enjoins it upon parents to repeat to their
children the entire history of the law which he had given them. In the sixth chapter of
the same book, he requires that the doctrine of the unity of God, and of perfect love to
him should be inculcated and impressed upon the minds of their children; and in the
eleventh he commands them to explain the Decalogue to their children. Hence, under the Old
Testament dispensation, children were taught in the family by their parents, and in the
schools by the teachers of religion, the principal things contained in the prophets, viz:
such as respects God, the law, the promise of the gospel, the use of the sacraments, and
sacrifices, which were types of the Messiah that was to come, and of the benefits which he
was to purchase; for there can be no doubt but that the schools of the prophets Elijah,
Elisha, etc., were established for this very purpose. It was also with this design that
God delivered his law in the short and condensed form in which it is. "Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart," etc., "and thy neighbor as
thyself." So also as it respects the gospel; it was briefly comprehended in the
promises, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." And in thy
seed shall "all the nations be blessed." They had, likewise, sacrifices,
prayers, and other things which God required Abraham and his posterity to teach their
children and families. Hence it is that this doctrine is presented in such a plain and
simple form as to meet the capacity of children and such as are unlearned.
In the New Testament we are, told
that Christ laid his hands upon little children and blessed them, and commanded that they should be brought unto him. Hence he says, in
Mark 10
.
14, "Suffer the little
children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the
III. WHAT ARE THE
PARTS OR PRINCIPAL HEADS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE CATECHISM?
The chief and most important parts of
the first principles of the doctrine of the church, as appears from the passage just
quoted from the Epistle to the Hebrews, are repentance and faith in Christ, which we may
regard as synonymous with the law and gospel. Hence, the catechism in its primary and most
general sense, may be divided as the doctrine of the church, into the law and gospel.
It does not differ from the doctrine of the church as it respects the subject and matter
of which it treats, but only in the form and manner in which these things are presented,
just as strong meat designed for adults, to which the doctrine of the church may be
compared, does not differ in essence from the milk and meat prepared for children, to
which the catechism is compared by Paul in the passage already referred to. These two
parts are termed, by the great mass of men, the Decalogue and the Apostles' creed; because
the Decalogue comprehends the substance of the law, and the Apostles' creed that of the
gospel. Another distinction made by this same class of persons is that of the doctrine of
faith and works, or the doctrine of those things which are to be believed and those which
are to be done.
There are others who divide the
catechism into these three parts; considering, in the first place, the doctrine respecting
God, then the doctrine respecting his will, and lastly that respecting his works, which
they distinguish as the works of creation, preservation, and redemption. But all these
different parts are treated of either in the law or the gospel, or in both, so that this
division may easily be reduced to the former.
There are others, again, who make the
catechism consist of five different parts; the Decalogue, the Apostles' Creed, Baptism,
the Lord's Supper, and Prayer; of which, the Decalogue was delivered immediately by God
himself, whilst the other parts were delivered mediately, either through the manifestation
of the Son of God in the flesh, as is true of the Lord's Prayer, Baptism, and the
Eucharist, or through the ministry of the apostles, as is true of the Apostles' Creed. But
all these different parts may also be reduced to the two general heads noticed in the
first division. The Decalogue contains the substance of the law, the Apostles' Creed that
of the gospel; the sacraments are parts of the gospel, and may, therefore, be embraced in
it as far as they are seals of the grace which it promises, but as far as they are
testimonies of our obedience to God, they have the nature of sacrifices and pertain to the
law, whilst prayer, in like manner, may be referred to the law, being a part of the
worship of God.
The catechism of which we shall speak
in these lectures consists of three parts. The first treats of the misery of man, the
second of his deliverance from this misery, and the third of gratitude, which division
does not, in reality, differ from the above, because all the parts which are there
specified are embraced in these three general heads. The Decalogue belongs to the first
part, in as far as it is the mirror through which we are brought to see ourselves, and
thus led to a knowledge of our sins and misery, and to the third part in as far as it is
the rule of true thankfulness and of a Christian life. The Apostles' Creed is embraced in
the second part inasmuch as it unfolds the way of deliverence from sins. The sacraments,
belonging to the doctrine of faith and being the seals that are attached thereto, belong
in like manner to this second part of the catechism, which treats of deliverance from the
misery of man. And prayer, being the chief part of spiritual worship and of thankfulness,
may, with great propriety, be referred to the third general part.
IV. WHY IS
IT NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE AND TEACH THE CATECHISM IN THE CHURCH ?
This necessity may be urged,
1. Because it is the command of God: "Ye shall teach them to your children" etc. (
Deut. 11
.
19.)
2. Because of the divine glory which
demands that God be not only rightly known and worshipped by those of adult age, but also
by children, according as it is. said, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength." (
Ps. 8
.
2.)
3. On account of our comfort and
salvation; for without a true knowledge of God and his Son Jesus Christ, no one that has
attained to years of discretion and understanding can be saved, or have any sure comfort
that he is accepted in the sight of God. Hence it is said, "This is life eternal that
they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," And again, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." (
John 17
.
3,
Heb. 11
.
6.)
And not only so, but no one believes on him of whom he knows nothing, or has not heard;
for, "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" "So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (
4. For the preservation of society
and the church. All past history proves that religion and the worship of God, the exercise
and practice of piety, honesty, justice, and truth, are of the greatest importance to the
well-being and perpetuation of the church and of the commonwealth. But it is in vain that
we look for these things among barbarous nations, since they have never been known to
produce the fruits of Piety and virtue. Hence, there is a necessity that we should be
trained to the practice of these things from our earliest years; because the heart of man
is depraved and evil from his youth; yea, such is the corruption of our nature, that
unless we early commence the work of reformation and moral training, we too late apply a
remedy when, through long delay, the evil principles and inclinations of the heart have
become so strengthened and confirmed, as to bid defiance to the restraints we may then
wish to impose upon them. If we are not correctly instructed in our childhood out of the
sacred Scriptures concerning God and his will, and do not then commence the practice of
piety, it is with great difficulty, if ever, we are drawn away from these errors which
are, as it were, born in us, or which we have imbibed from, our youth, and that we are led
to abandon the vices in which we have been brought up, and to which we have been
accustomed. If, therefore, the church and state are to be preserved from degeneracy and
final destruction, it is of the utmost importance that this depravity of our nature
should, in due time, be met with proper restraints, and be subdued.
5. There is a necessity that all
persons should be made acquainted with the rule and standard according to which we are to
judge and decide, in relation to the various opinions and dogmas of men, that we may not
be led into error, and be seduced thereby, according to the commandment which is given in
relation to this subject, "Beware of false prophets." "Prove all things." "Try the spirits whether they are of God." (
Matt. 7
.
15,
1 Thess. 5
.
21,
1 John 4
.
l.) But the law and the Apostle's creed, which are the chief parts of the
catechism, constitute the rule and standard according to which we are to judge of the
opinions of men, from which we may see the great importance of a familiar acquaintance
with them.
6. Those who have properly studied
and learned the Catechism, are generally better prepared to understand and appreciate the
sermons which they hear from time to time, inasmuch as they can easily refer and reduce
those things which they hear out of the word of God, to the different heads of the
catechism to which they appropriately belong, whilst, on the other hand, those who have
not enjoyed this preparatory training, hear sermons for the most part, with but little
profit to themselves.
7. The importance of catechisation
may be urged in view of its peculiar adaptedness to those learners who are of weak and
uncultivated minds, who require instruction in a short, plain, and perspicuous manner, as
we have it in the catechism, and would not, on account of their youth and weakness of
capacity, be able to understand it, if presented in a lengthy and more difficult form.
8. It is also necessary, for the
purpose of distinguishing and separating the youths, and such as are unlearned, from
schismatics and profane heathen, which can most effectually be done by a judicious course
of catechetical instruction.
Lastly. A knowledge of the catechism
is especially important for those who are to act as teachers, because they ought to have a
more intimate acquaintance with the doctrine of the church than others, as well on account
of their calling, that they may one day be able to instruct others, as on account of the
many facilities which they have for obtaining a knowledge of this doctrine, which it
becomes them diligently to improve, that they may, like Timothy, become well acquainted
with the Holy Scriptures, and "be good ministers of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith, and of a good doctrine, whereunto they have attained." (1.
Tim. 4
,
6.)
To these considerations, which
clearly show the importance of catechisation, we may add many others of great weight,
especially with the great mass of mankind, such as the arguments which may be drawn from
the end of our creation, and from the prolongation and preservation of our lives from
childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood, etc. We might also speak of the excellency
of the object of the doctrine of the catechism, which is the highest good, even God
himself, and might show the effect of such a course of instruction, which is a knowledge
of this highest good, and a participation therein, which is something vastly more
important and desirable than all the treasures of this world. This is that pearl of great price hidden in the field of the church, concerning which Christ speaks in
Matt. 13:44
,
and on account of which Christians in former times suffered martyrdom, with their little
children. We may here refer to the example of Origen, of which we have an account in the
sixth book and third chapter of the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius. So the fourth book
and sixteenth chapter of the history of Theodoret may be read to the same purpose. But if
we are ignorant of the doctrine and glory of Christ, who from among us would be willing to
suffer on their account? And how can it be otherwise but that we will be ignorant of these
things, unless we are taught and instructed in them from our childhood? A neglect of the
catechism is, therefore, one of the chief causes why there are so many at the present day
tossed about by every wind of doctrine, and why so many fall from Christ to Anti-christ.
V. WHAT IS
THE DESIGN OF THE CATECHISM, AND OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH?
The design of the doctrine of the
catechism is our comfort and salvation. Our salvation consists in the enjoyment of the
highest good. Our comfort comprises the assurance and confident expectation of the full
and perfect enjoyment of this highest good, in the life to come, with a beginning and
foretaste of it already, in this life. This highest good is that which makes all those
truly blessed who are in the enjoyment of it, whilst those who have it not are miserable
and wretched. What this only comfort is, to which it is the design of the catechism to
lead us, will be explained in the first question, to which we now proceed, without making
any further introductory remarks.
Note: Instruction in the Heidelberg Catechism is a
routine practice of the Protestant Reformed
Churches in
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