PRIMER

Edited by

Paui cefter Ford

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

FROM THE LIBRARY OF

JOHN F. ROSS

THE

NEW-ENGLAND PRIMER

.ivcEarmy Ehildrcnto my words
whomG-od bath dearjy bought,
up his Laws within your Hearts,'
aud Print them 'in your Thoughts.
I leave yon here a little £ook,

for you to look upon,
That you mty fee your Fathers Face,
when he is IDead and gone.

Burning of John Rogers
(From the " New English Tutor" [1-01-1714?])

NEW-ENGLAND
PRIMER

A REPRINT OF THE EARLIEST KNOWN
EDITION, WITH MANY FACSIMILES
AND REPRODUCTIONS, AND
AN HISTORICAL IN-
TRODUCTION

Edited by PAUL LEICESTER FORD

NEW TORK
Dodd, Mead and Company
M dccc xc ix

Entered according to Act of Congress in the years 1897 and 1899,

by »ODI>, MEAD AND COMPANY, in the Office of

the Librarian of Congress, at Washington

THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

DEDICATED

T0

.Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt

IN GRATEFUL
RECOGNITION OF COURTESIES

TO THE EDITOR
IN THE USE OF HIS

Co II e ctlo n

NEW ENGLAND PRIMERS

PrefuJent e>f
States

Portrait of George Washington

(From the "New England 1'rinu-r." Hoston : [i~Sy ?])

I

INTRODUCTION

N the apocryphal poem of John

Rogers " unto his children," T^NewEnj

which was included in every New land Pnmer

yt . i r» • 1-1 a mirror of

England Primer, he said : Puritanism

" I leave you here a little booke

For you to Icoke -vpon^
That you may see \our Jather^ s face
When I am dead and gon."

No better description of the New Eng-
land Primer itself could be penned.
As one glances over what may truly
be entitled " The Little Bible of New
England," and reads its stern lessons,
the Puritan mood is caught with abso-
lute faithfulness. Here was no easy

Introduction

road to knowledge and to salvation ;
hut with prose as bare of beauty as the
whitewash of their churches, with
poetry as rough and stern as their
storm-torn coast, with pictures as crude
and unfinished as their own glacial-
smoothed boulders, between sti!l oak
covers, which symbolized the contents,
the children were tutored, until, from
being unregeneratc, and as Jonathan
Edwards said, "young vipers, and
infinitely more hateful than vipers" to
God, they attained that happy state
when, as expressed by Judge Sewall's
child, they were afraid they " should
goe to hell," and were " stirred up
dreadfully to seek God." No earthly
or heavenly rewards were offered to
its readers. The Separatists had
studied their Bible too carefully not to

Inside Binding of the " New England Primer " (Boston: 1762)

Introduction

know that a future life of bliss was far
more an instinctive longing of man-
kind than an Old Testament promise.
They were too imbued with the faith
of Judaism not to preach a religion of
stern justice, and the oldest Puritan
literature and even laws read strangely
Hebraic to nineteenth century eyes.
The religion of Christ, a faith based
on love and mercy, received less sym-
pathy and less teaching, from their
divines than probably from any other
sect nominally Christian. Salvation
from hell was what they promised ;
while, to make this boon the greater,
the horrors and tortures were magni-
fied and dwelt upon ; and that the
terror might be the greater, God was
made sterner and more cruel than any
living judge, that all might be brought

4 Introduction

to realize how slight a chance even
the least erring had of escaping eternal
damnation.

But in this very accentuation of the
danger lay the strength of Puritanism.
No mass or prayer, no priest or pastor,

. . i i • *-f

stood between man and his Creator,
each soul being morally responsible
for its own salvation; and this tenet
forced every man to think, to read, to
reason. As the Reformation became
possible only when the Bible was
cheapened bv printed versions, so the
moment each man could own and
study the Book, Puritanism began.
Unless, however, man could read, in-
dependence was impossible, for illit-
eracy compelled him to relv upon
another for his knowledge of the
Word ; and thus, from its earliest in-

Introduction

ccption, Puritanism, for its own sake,
was compelled to foster education.
Probably no better expression of this
fact can be found than in an order of
the " General Corte" of the Colony of
the Massachusetts Bav, in 1647, that:

" It being one cheife piect of y' ould
deludcr, Satan, to kecpe men from the Resolve of
knowledge of ye Scriptures, as in formr times
by keeping y'n in an unknown tongue, so in
these lattr times by pswading from ye use
of tongues, y' so at least yu true sence & 7677
meaning of yc originall might be clouded by
false glosses of saint seeming deceivers, y'
learning may not be buried in y° grave of
or fathrs in ye church & comonwealth, the
Lord assisting or endeavors, —

It is therefore ord'ed, \rt evry towneship
in this jurisdiction, aftr yc Lord hath in-
creased ym to yc number of 50 household",
shall then forthwth appoint one \vtl;in their

6 Introduction

towne to teach all such children as shall
resort to him to write & reade." 1

Independency, no less than Papacy
Danger of in- and Episcopacy, was able to foresee
dependency ^ (jan,,er of individualism in that it

and Necessity fc .

for conform- threatened to result in a man's net
'0' finding in the Bible the one belief by

which alone the Puritans held he could
be saved. Think for himself he must,
but it was his duty to think what the
Separatists thought, and so churches
were gathered, and " teachers " — as
they were first called — were chosen,
who told their congregations what
they were to think for themselves.
Very quickly organized sects followed,
which formulated creeds and cate-
chisms, demanded belief in them, and

1 "Records of the Massachusetts Bay," n., 203.

Introduction

tortured, imprisoned and exiled the
recalcitrant, finding that other men,
like themselves, could not be made by
punishment to accept other than their
own opinions, the children were taken
in their earliest years,1 and drilled and
taught to believe what they were to
think out for themselves when the age
of discretion was reached. And this
was the function of the New England
Primer. With it millions were taught
to read, that they might read the Bible ;
and with it these millions were cate-
chised unceasingly, that they might
find in the Bible only what one of
many priesthoods had decided that
book contained.

1 John Trumbull, the poet, records of himself that
" before he was two years old, [he] could say by heart
all the verses in the ' Primer.' "

8 Introduction

THIS method of securing uni-
formity by uniting alphabet
and creed was as old as printed
books. The Enschede Abecedarium,
which has even been claimed to be the
first specimen of printing with tvpe,
and which certainly was printed in the
fifteenth century,1 contained besides
the alphabet, the Pater Noster, the Ave
Maria, the Credo, and two prayers,
being the elementary book of the Rom-
ish Church. So too, a larger book
of Catholicism, for more advanced
students, was the well-known " Book
of Hours " ; which, translated from the
Latin text into English,2 was called
"• The Prvmer of Salisbury use ", and
was printed as early as 1490. As

1 DC Vinne's "Invention of Printing," 290.

- "The Prymer ot Salysbury use." Paris : 1490.

iPRIMERl

^ Enlarged. Q

jp^For fhe more eafy attaining the true*
Reading of ENGLISH

To which wadded,
The Af&mbly of Divines

Catechifm.

N.- Printed by 3T,
and Sold by the bookfeUcrs, 1737.!

Introduction

in-ed hardly be said there are many
later editions of both these works.

When the Reformation began to
work among the people in England, Henry
among its signs was the appearance of yulth's

?.?. i i- T i Prymers and

unauthorized primers, and Henry the A B Cs
VIII. issued "proclamations" and
" injunctions " against these, in an
endeavor to keep his people true to
Catholicism. Very soon, however,
he experienced a change of heart not
merely towards his wedded wife, but
incidentally as well, towards his
mother church, and in 1534, as one
method of fighting the Pope, he allowed
to be prepared and issued what is
known as the " Reform Primer ",!

1 "A Prymer in Englyshe with certeyne prayers
and goodly meditations, very necessary for all people
that understonde not the Latyne tongue. Cum
privilegio Regali." [London, 1534.]

i o Introduction

designed to teach his people what they
should believe. In this, however, his
desire to have done with the Church
of Rome, led him to act too hastily,
for in less than a year, he varied his
belief and licensed the issue to his
people of a " Goodly Prymer in Eng-
lysshe " 1 that they might know the
only true and revised-to-date religion.
Yet again new light came to the
head of the English church, and in a
third primer, known as the " Henry
VHIth Primer ",2 the King marked out

1 "A goodly Prymer in Englysshe, newly cor-
rected and printed, with certeyne godly Meditations
and Prayers added to the same, very necessarie and
profitable for all them that ryghte assuredly under-
stande not ye Latine and Greke tongues. Cum
privilegio regali." [London, 1535.]

- " The Primer set forth by thi King's Majesty,
and his Clergy to be taught, learned, and read and none
other be used throughout all his dominions. 1545-
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum."

mecm

f 02 cfMiDjcn,af
ttcthcDftof

Introduction

1 1

a new and only path to heaven for his
subjects. All these primers contained
portions intended for " beginners ",
such as " a fruitful and very Christian
instruction for children ", and since
the Romish Church had a preliminary
book to its Prymer, so Henry had his,
called "The 'A B C 'V the earliest
known copy of which contains the
alphabet, the Lord's Prayer, the Hail
Mary, the Creed, various Graces for
before and after "dyner" and for
*•' fvsshe dayes ", and the " ten com-
aundements ". The distinction be-
tween the two was well indicated by
a little poem at the end of the ABC2
printed in black letter in 1636 :

1 "The ABC bothe in Latyn and in Englysh."
[London, 153^.]

- "The A B C. The Catechism : That is to say,

1 2 Introduction

This little Catecbismc learned

by heart (for so it ought)

The Primer next commanded is

for Children to be taught.

As was not surprising, many of the
spread <f d'u- King's subjects became somewhat
sent and di- unsettled in their belief, and even de-

i-frstly of . . '

Primers veloped a tendency to form one not

ordained by his majesty. Furthermore
these wayward people declined to use
the primers printed " cum privilegio
regali " but purchased heretical books
put forth without authority, so that
Henry in the preface of his later
primers, took notice in evident disgust
" of the diversitie of primer books
that ar now abrod, whereof ar almost

An Instruction to be taught and learned of every
Childe, before he be brought to be confirmed by the
Bishop." [London ? 1636.]

Royal Primer;

Or, an eafy and plenfant

Or, an eafy ^nd plenfant
Guide to the Art of Reading.

AuthonVrf by

His MAJESTY King GSORGE II.

To be ofed throughout

Hu MAJESTY'* DOMINIONS.)

Adom'rf wkfi C u -f s.

tnJan : Prit^ttrf fbr 7. Ntivktry, at the £i'£/t
anH 5*a, in St. PaaFt Church yard, and
^. Co/tint it Satijturf, (Prici? hound 3 d.)

A GUIDE.

FOR THE

Child and Youth,

In Two Parts.

The Flrfl.for CHILDREN:

Containing plain and pleafant Directions

to read ENGLISH.

With Prayers, Graces, and Inftru&ons

fitted to the Capacity of Children.

Tbs Second, for YOUTH:

Teaching to Wrice, Caft Account, and
Read more perfectly,

With fevcra) other Varieties > both
plea fane and profitable.

T. H. M. A. Teacher of a private School

London s Printed by /. Roberts f for the
Company of Stationers. 1725.

Introduction 1 3

innumerable sortes, which mynister
occasion of contentions and vain dis-
putations, rather then to edify ". To
end this difficulty he commanded
" one uniforme ordre of al such bookes
throughout al our dominions, both to

o 7

be taught unto children and also to be

used for ordinary prayers of all our

people not learned in the latyn tong ",

and for that purpose,

" set furth thys Primer or boke of prayers

in Englysh to be frequented and used in Henry

and throughout all places of oure said realmes milk's

and dominions, as well of the elder people, ''">»^»

. r . . concerning

as also of the youth, for their common pr;mers
and ordinary prayers, willing, commaund-
yng and streghtly chargyng that for the
better bringing up of youth in the know-
ledge of theyr duty towardes God, their
prince, and all others in their degre, every
Scholemaster and bringer-up of yong begin-

1 4 Introduction

ncrs in lernyng ncxte after their A B C now
hi us also set turthe, do teache this primer
or hoke of ordinary prayers unto them in
Englyshe, and that the youth customably
and ordinarily use the same until thci be of
compeumt understanding and knowledge to
perceive it in Latyn. At which time they
may at their libertie either u^e this primer
in Englishe, or that whiche is by oure
authoritie likewyse made in the Latyn tong,
in all poinctes correspondent unto this in
Englysche." 1

This injunction it is needless to say
was little needed. The English King
could depose the vicegerent of Heaven,
even though the latter was infallible,
but he could not overcome the com-
mon people. Faiths and Creeds mul-

1 "The Prymer both in Englishe and Latin."
[London, 1545.]

Introduction 1 5

tiplied until the famous Council of
Trent complained of the " infinite "
number of the " little books " and
complained that there had come to be
" as many catechisms as there are prov-
inces in Europe, nay, almost as many
as the cities, are circulated, all of
which abound with heresies, whereby
the minds of the simple are deceived."
Their majesties Henry, Edward, Mary,
Elizabeth and James, though each
having a different faith, successively
forbade, seized and burned these un-
authorized books ; and whipped, im-
prisoned or burned preachers and
printers, but it was all unavailing, and
a little over a century and a half from
the time that Henry changed the
religion of his country, the people
decided that it was easier to change

1 6 Introduction

their King than to conform in their
religion. With the flight of James
II. ended all attempts to prevent the
people from having such primers and
catechisms as they chose, leaving
behind nothing but a restriction in
the printing of the Bible and the
Book of Common Prayer, which to
this day are monopoly books in Great

Britain.

*

*

andunautbor-
ixed Primers

T

authorized primers were
not true school - books, be-

d Primr -«- &

1 f u

and A B c "primer — manuals or church ser-
vice, and indeed the forerunners of the
u Book of Common Prayer". More-
over they were handsomely printed, and
thus were expensive. The authorized

Introduction \ 7

ABC, which sold at a moderate price,
contained but the most elementary
matter. It must have very quickly
occurred to booksellers that to com-
bine the two into one work would
be a good idea, but as they were both
monopoly books most printers were
debarred from doing it and to the
privileged printers there was no ob-
ject in producing them at a low
price. It was left, therefore, to the
publishers of Separatist persuasion, to
take advantage of the larger sale that
could be obtained, and very quickly
they were issuing at low prices, books
which contained the sum of both ; and
no doubt this cheapness and conveni-
ence played a prominent part in the
spread of dissent. It was this union
of the ABC and the Primer, which

1 8 Introduction

led to children's books being called
by the latter title.

The earliest of this combination
Union of the of school-book and catechism, so far
p,,™.rW discover^ js Bastingius' " Cate-
chisme of Christiane Religion, taught
in scholes", which had the ABC
prefixed to it, and was printed in
Edinburgh in 1591. In 1631 Bishop
Bedell's catechism was printed in
Dublin, in the same manner. "The
ABC. The Catechism : That is
to say, an instruction to be taught
and learned of every Childe " was
printed in 1636. Ten years later
the "Catechism for young Children
appointed by act of the Church of
Scotland " was issued with the A
B C, probably in Edinburgh. In
England more care had to be taken,

Introduction 1 9

for as late as 1666, one Benjamin
Keach was tried for writing " The
Child's Instructor, or a New and
Easy Primer ", which contained a
catechism with leanings towards ana-
baptism ; but though the author was
sentenced to the pillory, the book
was constantly republished. A little
later, in 1670, George Foxe issued
his "Primer and Catechism" "with
several delightful Things " intended
to make a Quaker of the student.

One of the gravest difficulties to
the early Separatists in both Old and The eariy
New England, was the question of catechising of
what catechism to teach their chil- '„ ,e""v,

hnglanaers

dren. During the voyage of the
Arbella the Puritans were catechised
by their clergyman on Sunday, while
no sooner were they landed than the

2O Introduction

Colony of Massachusetts Bay made
a contract with sundry " intended
ministers" for "catechising, as also
in teaching, or causing to be taught
the Companyes servants & their chil-
dren, as also the salvages and their
children ",J and in this same year
(1629) they voted the sum of three
shillings for " 2 dussen and ten cate-
chismes ".2 It cannot certainly be
known to what particular catechism
these allusions refer, but it was prob-
ably the one composed by " that
famous divine " William Perkins,
preacher of St. Andrews Church in
Cambridge, catechist for some time
of Christ college, and one of the
most distinguished Calvinists of the

1 " Records of Massachusetts Bay," i., 376.
- Ibid, i., 3-h.

Introduction 2 1

period. First printed in I59O,1 this
catechism ran through many editions
in England, was republished with
additions by John Robinson for the
use of the pilgrims, and later was
reprinted in New England.

Very quickly after the Puritan
settling in America a tendency de- Neglect of the
veloped towards the individualism Catechism in

i'ii 111- i -11 NOD E ng-

implied by all dissent and especially /anj
by Congregationalism. As a result
of this diversity of belief, Lechford
states that catechising was generally
abandoned in many of the New Eng-
land churches, and to meet the woe-
ful condition the " General Corte "
in 1641 "desired that the elders
would make a Catechisme for the

1 "The Foundations of Christian Religion, gath-
ered into sixe Principles. Printed by Thomas Orwin
for John Porter, 1590."

22

Introduction

instruction of youth in the grounds
of religion ",1 as well as consider
"howe farr the magistrates are bound to
interfere for the prcservacon of that
vniformity & peace of the churches ".
The request was only too readily
Multiplica- responded to and in the period of
1641-1684 the reverend "teachers"
Hugh Peters, Edward Norris, Ezekiel
Rogers, John Davenport, John
Cotton, John Eliot, Thomas Shepard,
Richard Mather, John Eiske, John
Norton, Seaborn Cotton, James Eitch,
Samuel Danforth, James Noyes, and
Samuel Stone, each prepared one or
more catechisms. In fact it is prob-
able that every New England minis-
ter formulated his own faith in this
manner, and at first thought it would

1 " Records of Massachusetts Bay," i., 328.

Introduction 2 3

seem to have been not a little trying
to a congregation, on the death of
a trusted shepherd who had properly
inducted them in his own belief, to
get accustomed to the doctrines of
a new incumbent. This difficulty
was for the most part avoided by
the general knowledge of what each
clergyman thought, so that only one
in fairly close accord with the con-
gregation was considered. When a
mistake occurred, and the " Teacher "
was found to run counter to his
church, they hastened to get rid of
him, which resulted in the innumer-
able church quarrels and the schism
with which New England so abounded.
Long after Cotton Mather asserted
with evident pride that " few Pastors
of Mankind ever took such pains at

24 Introduction

Catechising as have been taken by our
Resulting New English Divines : Now, let any

quarrels and Mafi jj- ^ ^Q mQ^ judicious

schisms until J

the adoption and elaborate Catechisms published,
of the shorter a lesser an<j a larger by Mr. Norton,
a lesser and a larger by Mr. Mather,
several by Mr. Cotton, one by Mr.
Davenport, one by Mr. Norris, one
by Mr. Noyes, one by Mr. Fisk,
several by Mr. Eliot, one by Mr.
Seaborn Cotton, a large one by Mr.
Fitch ; and say whether true Divinity
were ever better handled."1 As a
fact, however, this very multiplicity
of catechisms tended only to increase
the schism and the New English
clergy spent their energies in prepar-
ing catechisms and quarrelling over
them rather than in attempting the

1 Mather's Magnalia, book 5, p. 3.

T H E

•

New-England f
I P R I M E R I

§ §

t Improved. £

For the more eafy attaining the rrue^
Reading of Engliih. §

$ To which is added, ,&

|The Affemhiy of Divmes,|

f and Mr. COTTON^S 4
& . §

| Catechifm. |

f QQ^OC^Od^OOQOOC^Q I1

" *y»

f^BOSTON: Primed and Sold by §
^ S.ADAM^, in £)ueen-Jlreet. 1762, *§*

Introduction 2 5

" instruction of youth " and the " vni-
formity and peace of the churches ".
John Cotton, though responsible him-
self for so much of the disputation,
was forced to acknowledge that "the
excellent and necessary use of cate-
chising young men, and novices, . . .
we willingly acknowledge : But little
benefit have wee scene reaped from
set forms of questions, and answers
by one Church, and imposed by
necessity on another "-1 Not till the
great Westminster Assembly formu-
lated its longer and shorter catechisms,
did the New England Churches find
a common faith, and even then, as the
work of Presbyterians and not Con-
gregationalists, they were accepted

1 Cotton's " A Modest and Cleere Answer to Mr.
Ball's Discourse." London, 1642.

2 6 Introduction

only by degrees, not because they
were generally approved, but because
they were the only escape from a
tendency that threatened to break
each congregation into fractions too
small for existence as a church.

*
* *

UCH was the condition of school-
The New ^^ books and catechisms, when the

New England Primer was first
published. Its authorship and date of
issue have hitherto been mysteries
which have resisted the research of
all antiquarians, but it is at last pos-
sible to give the main facts concern-
ing its origin.

In the reign of King Charles of
" merrie " memory, one Benjamin

Introduction 2 7

Harris began printing in London " at
the Stationers Arms in Sweethings Benjamin
Rents, near the Royal Exchange ", Harris,
otherwise described as " the Stationers
Arms under the Piazza in Cornhill ".
Here he issued, between the years
1676 and 1 68 1 many tracts and
broadsides of so little moment that
his name finds no mention in any
biographical dictionary or history of
printing. But aside from his calling,
Harris deserves notice as a confirmed
scribbler, resembling Mr. Wegg, in
his tendency to drop into verse. To
this was added an ardent love for the
protestant religion, and an equal hatred
of the Pope and all that he implied.

So long as the printer limited his
activity to the writing and printing of
ballads and tracts against the Pope and

2 8 Introduction

the Jesuits under such titles as u The
Harris Grand Imposter" and "The Mystery

brought to f iniqujty » all went well with him,

trial . ' . . • , ,

but in 1079, in connection with the
" Rye House Plot " he issued " An
Appeal from the Country to the City,
for the Preservation of His Majesties
Person and the Protestant Religion ".
The King's government did not take
the same view of the question that
Mr. Harris had, and as a result he was
brought to trial for the " printing and
vending " of this tract. The courtly
tendency towards Catholicism gave
little chance for the printer, and the
chief justice, after remarking that if he
had his wish, the printer should be
whipped, ordered him to find security
for his good behavior for three years.1

1 " A short account of the tryal of B. Harris,"
London : 1679.

Introduction 2 9

Unwarned by his experience, Harris
in 1681 printed a "Protestant Peti- Sentenced to
tion ", and was once more haled before tfje t>lll"ry
the court and this time the judge fined
him live hundred pounds and ordered
him put in the pillory. This meant that
he was to be stoned by the crowd
which always gathered, but from that
fate he was saved, for " his Wife (like
a Kind Rib) stood by him to defend
her Husband against the Mobb".1
For this act, his enemies promptly
turned their abuse upon the woman,
and scurrilous ballads entitled " The
Saint turned Courtezan " and the
" Protestant Cuckold " endeavored to
bring discredit upon her. The printer
apparently could not pay the mulct,
for he was "• for above two years a

1 Dunton's " Letters from New England," 143.

3 o Introduction

Prisoner ", and he seems to have ceased

printing from that time.

Upon the death of Charles II. and
Removes to the succession of Catholic |ames " Old
B<*to»i» Ellwand ", wrote John Dunton from

Ne-w Eng- » '. J

land Boston, " is now so uiieasie a Place

for honest Men, that those that can
will seek out for another Countrey :
And this I suppose is the Case of Mr.
Benjamin Harris and the two Mr.
Hows, whom I hear are coming
hither and to whom I wish a good
Voyage. Mr. Ben Harris, you know,
has been a noted Publick Man in
England, and I think the Book of
English Liberties . . . was done for

O

him and Mr. How : No wonder then
that in this Reign they meet with
Enemies ". 1

1 Dunton's " Letters from New England," 144.

a"d

cofee

-hous

Introduction 3 1

Come to Boston Harris did and late
in 1686 he set up a book and " Coffee, Sets up a
Tee and Chucaletto " shop,1 by the

. -r* v\ \ f^\ /> A

" 1 own-rump near the Change . A
year later his imprint reads " at the
London Coffee House " and he was
employing the printers of the town to
print pamphlets and broadsides for him.
Here too he was quickly involved with
the authorities, for in 1690 he issued,
without permission, the first newspaper
printed in America, under the title of
u Public Occurrences " ; which was
promptly suppressed by proclamation.
In 1691 he formed a partnership with
John Allen, and seems to have set up
a press of his own. A year later he
became u Printer to His Excellency
the Governor and Council ", and re-

1 " Boston Town Records," 204.

3 2 Introduction

moved his business to a " Shop, over
against the Old- Meet ing House", mak-
ing another remove in 1694 to a place
which he called " The Sign of the
Bible, over against the Blew-Anchor ",
having ended his relations with Allen.
In the meantime the English peo-
Rcturm to pie had stood firm to their religion and
England and j^j ,-jj themselves of their king, so

resumes print- . /~\i t Y-> i i

,- that now Old hngland was once more

safe to haters of popery. Better still,
King William, whose advent Harris
hailed in a poem beginning :

" God SAVE THE KING, that King

that sailed the land,
When JAMES your Martyr's Son, your

LAIVS had shamni d" I

had freed the press from the worst
features of governmental restraint.

1 (< Monthly Observations," Boston: 1692.

Introduction 3 3

Accordingly, Harris returned to Lon-
don towards the end of 1695, and
opened a new printing office at the
" Maiden-Head-Court in Great East
Cheap", and later Dunton writes that
he " continu'd Ben Harris still ; and is
now both Bookseller and Printer, in
Grace-church Street, as we find by his
London Post ; so that his conversation is
general (but never Impertinent) and his
Wit pliable to all Inventions. But yet
his vanity (if he has any) gives no Alloy
to his Wit, and is no more than might
justly" Spring from conscious Vertue;
and I do him but Justice in this part of
his Character, for in once travelling with
him from Burv Fair, I found him to be
the most Ingenious and Innocent Com-
panion that I had ever met with "-1

1 Dunton's "Lite and Errors."

34 Introduction

When Harris died can not be discovered,
but it was after 1716.

*
* *

B

KFORE his flight in 1686 to

Harris com- 1— ^L HoStOll (according tO DuiltOll)

files and lu ;vir. Harris I think also Printed

f nnts The t^^h 'T- r> i

Protestant tne Protestant 1 u tor, a Hook not at
Tutor all relish'd by the Popish Party, because

it is the design of that little Book to
bring up Children in an Aversion to
Popery ". It was first advertised in
Harris's newspaper Feb. 27, 1679,
and in it lay the germ of the New
England Primer. Here was the usual
portrait of the reigning sovereign as a
frontispiece, and portions of the text
were the u Roman Small Letters",
the Syllabarium, the Lord's Prayer, the

l;or.doru( '•';• /' !'

':' .'", I ,i:-.2-i

Introduction 3 5

Creed, the Ten Commandments, the
John Rogers biography and verses,
though not the famous picture of the
martyr at the stake, the words of
from two to seven syllables, the
Proper Names, and a catechism, to-
gether with much other material for
the benefit of youth and the injury
of Papacy, the whole being dedicated
" To the Right Honourable James,
Earl of Doncaster and Dalkeith,
Eldest Son of the Illustrious Prot-
estant Prince James Duke of Mon-
mouth " by " Your Lordships most
Humble Servant, Benjamin Harris."
The preface, addressed " To all Prot-
estant Parents, School-Masters, and
School Mistresses of Children " " in-
forms " them " that this little book may
in some measure discover to our children

Introduction

what they must certainly expect if ever
Popery prevail against us, and therefore
nothing can be thought more necessary
than to teach them to Spell and Read
English, and to Create in them an Ab-
horrence of Romish Idolatry at the same
time, which being inspired in their green
and tender years, may leave an Impres-
sion in their Minds to the End of their
Lives, which is the Real and Hearty
Desire and Design of, Your PViend and
Servant, Benj. Harris."

Apparently this appeal to parents
Success of and teachers bore fruit, for on Feb. i,
The Prote- 1680, the printer announced a second

tant Tutor . . '

impression, though the price was low-
ered from eight to six pence. At the
time Harris was arrested some five
hundred copies of the book, presump-
tively of this new edition, were seized

Introduction 3 7

and taken from him. In 1685 it was
reissued, probably in an abridged form,
in Boston, and it was once again
printed by Harris in London, in 1695,
the advertisement of this edition de-
scribing it as "A Little Book of
Martyrs with pictures for enlivening
every History ; which book formerly
found such General Acceptance that
many thousand of them were sold, and
it is now reduced to so low a rate that
parents may both delight and profit
there [.f/V] Children at Three-pence or
Four-pence charge and thereby con-
tribute toward the Suport of him who
is their Hearty Friend and Servant,
Benjamin Harris." In an enlarged
form the work was again issued in
London in 1715, and its compiler
printed a new edition in 1716.

Introduction

33

Ere this, in 1686, Harris had sought
The Protes- refuge in New England. On his set-
tant lutor [mv up in Boston as a bookseller it

becomes The ' . . . .

New Kngiand was obviously to his interest to get out
Primer a new edition of the little book, tor its

chance of success among the popery-
hating New Englanders was even
greater than that it had already met
with in Old England. The poverty of
the people made prudent an abridg-
ment of the "Tutor " and thus it was
reduced to smaller bulk ; to make it the
more salable the school-book character
was increased, while to give it an even
better chance for success by an appeal
to local pride, it was rechristened and
came forth under the now famous title.
No copy of this first edition of the
New England Primer is known and
thus the exact date of its appearance

DECEMBER hath 3 1 D<ays

Lafb quart. 2 day 24 min. pad 4 morn.
New Moon 9 day 21 min. paft 9 mom,
Firfb quart. 17 day 13 min. paffc 1 Afrern.
Full Moon 25 day 39 min palh 10 night.
Laft quart- 31 day 59 min. pad 11 morn

Sr/jr/ n?/;/V& hav e appeared heretofore, and row

Time out of mind there has feven Stars bin
obferved in the pleiades, and at Prefent there
is to be feen but fix, a yery probable fign thac
one of them is retired and become invifiblc.
One of thefe of the Conftellation of the Lit.
tie Be*r^ which was formerly vifible, doth not
now appear. Another alfo in the ConfteHati
on of Andromeda hath alfo difappeared.

Licem'd According to Order.

ADVERTISEMENT.
There is now in the Prefs, and will fuddenly
e extant, a Second Itnpreflion of The New~Eng-
>ind Primer enlarged, to which is added, more
Dirttiibm for Spelling \ the Prayer ot K Edward
the 6th- and Per fit made by Air. Rog-ers the M*r-
*yr-> ^f' as "• Legacy to his Clxldan.
Sold by Bexjimin H*rrist at the Lwdw Coflc-

First Mention of the " New Eii-laiul Primer"
(From "Newman's News rror.i the Stars." Boston : 1690)

Introduction 3 9

cannot be given. Harris did not ar-
rive in Boston till near the end of Date of put>-
1686, and the only publication he iil'atio"> a"d

. J advertisement

issued in that year was an almanac Of the second
for 1687, which Sewall bought on impression
December 6, 1686. Between that
time and Jan. 5, 1688, Harris made
a trip to England, and on Nov. 22,
1688 he again sailed for London.1 It
was between 1687 and 1690, there-
fore, that the first edition of the Primer
was issued. Its success seems to have
been immediate, for in Henry New-
man's almanac entitled " News from
the Stars ", " Printed by R. Peiice
for Benjamin Harris at the London
Coffee-House in Boston, 1691 " (and
consequently printed late in 1690)
the last leaf advertised a " second Im-

1 Sewall's " Diary," i., 200, 237.

o Introdud ioti

pression of The New England Primer,
Enlarged ".

A very essential piece of evidence
Tb,- Bradford in regard to the date of the hook is
j raiment connected with the earliest (supposed)
fragment of the Primer known. This
consists of four leaves, and was found
bound up as waste in the binding of a
copy of Daniel Leeds' u Temple of
Wisdom " as printed by William
Bradford at Philadelphia' in 1688.
From this it has been argued that
u these leaves probably came from a
Philadelphia reprint of a Boston edi-
tion of the Primer which must have
been published at least as early as
1687". The evidence of this does
not seem adequate. There is no
proof that the volume was bound in
the year that it was printed, nor can

Introduction 4 1

it he decided for certain that the frag-
ments are a reprint of the Primer, the
chances being quite as favorable of
their being part of an edition of the
Protestant Tutor. All that can be
said of these leaves is that they are
the earliest known fragments of a book
compiled by Benjamin Harris, and that
they were printed by William Brad-
ford either in Philadelphia or New
York between 1687 and 1700. From
other facts known of Bradford this
was presumably a stealing of Harris's
book and is therefore an early Ameri-
can case of literary theft.

The book proved so great a success
in New England that when its com-
piler returned to Old England, he
continued to publish it. In a work 1

1 Davenport's " Saints Anchor hold." London :

1 7O I.

4 2 Introduction

printed by him in 1701 is advertised
ILinis hsues at the end, among other u Books
M<- New Kng- Printed and Sold by B. Harris at the

land Primer /-•, i i .-, » TT J • /"< u u

WThe New Cjoldcn Boar s-Hcad in Cj race-church
English Tutor St.", "The New England Primer
Enlarged ; For the more easy attain-
ing the true Reading of English. To
which is added Milk for Babes."
He seems to have also published edi-
tions of it under a title which would
make it more attractive to the Eng-
lish public, for in the reign of Queen
Anne (1702-1714) he issued what is
presumably the same text as his New
England Primer, under the title of
" The New English Tutor ". But
the other title proved the more popu-
lar, and under it numerous editions
were printed in England and Scotland,
even into the nineteenth century.

For the more ea/v

attaining the True
'Reading of

ENGLISH,

Towhich is added
Milk for Babes

Introduction 43

It was in New England, however,
that its great success was achieved. Success of the
Primer to printer and people there Prlmcr ">

i i TVT i-> i i Ne-w Eny-

soon meant only the New England ianj
Primer, all other varieties being
specially designated to show that they
were not of the popular kind. Copies
of the little book were as much a
matter of " stock " in the bookshops
of the towns and general stores of the
villages as the Bible itself. In the
inventory of Michael Perry, a Boston
bookseller, filed in 1700, is entered
" 28 Primmers" and "44 do/,. Prim-
mers " , J and standard advertisements
in newspapers and books announced
that such and such a printer has for
sale " Bibles, Testaments, Psalters,

1 Dunton's "Letters from New England," 316,
318.

44 Introduction

Psalm-Books, Primers, Account Books
and Books of Record ". Indeed it
was so taken for granted that copies
were in stock, that many printers and
booksellers did not think the fact
worth advertising.

Occasionally printers in America
Changes of tried to better the sale by re-naming
it, as when Thomas Green issued it
in New London with the title of " A
Primer for the Colony of Connecti-
cut " and Henry de Foreest printed it
at New York as " The New York
Primer ". When the United States
became- a fact, it was several times
printed under the titles of " The
American Primer", or " The Colum-
bian Primer". But the variations
were not popular, the ventures did not
succeed the better, and eventually the

*r>

o

T H B

PRIMER,:

•Of, M» tafy Bind ph a/ant
GU^OE to tbt ART of READ INC v
with CVTTS.

re added,
THE .ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES' ^

C AT EC HIS M.

:-.pr[nted .and fold by
)• ^/«ITE, near Charles-River
Bridge.

Introduction 45

" New England Primer " became the
deservedly established title.

For one hundred years this Primer
was the school-book of the dissenters Magnitude
of America, and for another hundred, it "J 5al"
was frequently reprinted. In the unfa-
vorable locality (in a sectarian sense) of
Philadelphia, the accounts of Benjamin
Franklin and David Hall show that be-
tween 1749 and 1766, or a period of
seventeen years, that firm sold thirty-
seven thousand one hundred copies.
Livermore stated in 1849 tnat within
the last dozen years " 100,000 copies
of modern editions . . . have been cir-
culated ". An over conservative claim
for it is to estimate an annual average
sale of twenty thousand copies during a
period of one hundred and fifty years,
or total sales of three million copies.

Introduction

Despite this enormous number, early

Rarity of the editions of the New England Primer

Pnmcr, and arc among the rarest of school-books.

Edward Coote, in his "English Schoole-

Master" (London 1597) recommended

to purchasers of his book, that :

"If, notwithstanding any former reasons,
thou doubtist that thy little child will have
spoyled this booke before it bee learned ;
thou maist fitly diuide it at the end of the
second booke, or thou mayest reserve faire
the written copies, vntill he can read."

When to the destruction of the child,
is added the slight value set by adults
on children's books of their own time,
it is not strange that works intended
for the instruction or amusement of
the young should constitute one of the
rarest of all classes of literature.

Introduction 4 7

This destruction and heedlessness
has made a study of the New England
Primer an almost hopeless undertak-
ing. Eagerly searched for by many
collectors in the last fifty years, no
copy of a seventeenth century edi-
tion of the work has been discovered,
and this search has brought to light
less than fifty editions and less than
sixty copies of New England Primers
printed in the eighteenth century.
Although as already noted Franklin
and Hall printed over thirty-seven
thousand copies between 1749 and
1766 (and as Franklin printed an edi-
tion as early as 1735 and Hall as late
as 17/9 it is probable that they issued
at least double that number), but a
single copy with their imprints is
known to exist. Thomas states that

48

Introduction

Fowlc printed about 1757 one edition
of 10,000 copies, but not a single
primer with his imprint is extant.
This is typical of the majority of the
issues. Only twelve copies of editions
printed before 1780 have been dis-
posed of at auction in the last twenty
years, and they have sold for an
average of one hundred dollars each.

A:

* *

LTHOUGH each printer of
Variations of / % the New England Primer

changed title and text to suit
his taste or business interests, certain
unmistakable ear-marks, or what the
naturalist would term u limit of
organic variation", serve to mark
beyond question every edition of the

Introduction 49

Primer, however titled or altered.
The printers of other school-books
often inserted fragments of the more
famous Primer in their ventures, but
this deceived neither the public then
nor the book lover now, the true
Primer being too sharply differentiated
from all others for there to be the
possibility of confusion.

Every New England Primer, like
many others, began with the letters The alphabet
of the alphabet, followed by various "nd syllaba-

. . . . J .. . rium

repetitions making clear the distinc-
tions between vowels, consonants,
double letters, italic and capitals.
After this came what was called
" Easy Syllables for Children," or as
it was frequently termed, the " sylla-
barium," beginning with such com-
binations as " ab, eb, ib, ob, ub ,"

5 o Introduction

followed by words of one syllable
which lengthened by degrees to im-
posing vocables of six syllables. It
is to be noted however, that occa-
sionally when the printer was cramped
for space, he limited the ambition of
the student by dropping out these
polysyllabic words, and gave only
the shorter ones. This whole ele-
mentary section of the primer had
been used in Coote's "The English
Schoolmaster," as early as 1596, and
may have been framed by him, but
as the first part is practically what
went to make the Horn-Book of the
period, its antiquity may be far greater
than Coote's book.

One apparently trivial distinction
in the text as given in the New
England Primer, yet wThich had a

-fAabedefghijklxnnopq
rfttuvwxyt& a e i o n
ABCDEFGHlfKLMNOPQ
RSTUVWXYZ

.a e I o u a e 1 o u
ab tb tb ob ub ba be bi bo bu
ac ec ic oc uc ca ce ci co cu
adedidodud dadedidodu
In the Nam* of the Fatherand of the
Son, and of the HolyOhoft. dmm.

OUR Father, which art in
Heaven.hallowedbethy
Name; thy Kingdom come, thy
Will be done on Esrdi, as it is in
Heeven. Give us this Day our
daily Bread; and forgive usou r
Tref^aflc»,ts we forgive them
chttcrefpaisagainftus: And
lead ue not intoTemptation.but
deliver us from Evil.

Reproduction of Horn Book

Introduction 5 1

deep motive, is the omission at the

beginning of the alphabet of the >J< The omission

which otherwise was so almost in- °J the *&

variably placed there, as to give to

the first line of the alphabet the name

of " Christ's Cross-Row " or as it

was more commonly termed " the

Cris Cross Row." In Morton's

" New English Canaan " he speaks

of ua silenced Minister" who came

over to New England and brought

"a great Bundell of Home books

with him and careful hee was (good

man) to blott out all the crosses of

them for feare least the people of the

land should become Idolaters." Of

this Puritan dread of the cross, the

New England Primer always took

heed, and no edition is known, even

in those prepared for Episcopalians,

5 2 Introduction

to contain the oldest religious emblem
now worshipped.

Usually following the syllabarium,
Alphabet of was what was called " An Alphabet
lessens Of Lessons for Youth," being a series

of moral and instructive sentences
taken from the Bible, so worded and
arranged as to begin each paragraph
with a successive capital letter of the
alphabet, the sole exception being in
the case of X, for that letter proved
beyond the ability of the compiler to
find a sentence beginning properly,
and he dodged the issue in the follow-
ing manner

" eXhort one another daily ".

In every " New England Primer"
tjie Lor(]»s Prayer and Apostles' Creed

• i i i i i_ -i i •

was included, and while their position

IQ 4 dam's Fall
We finned all.

Thy Life to mend
This Book attend.

The Gtf doth play
And after flay.

Bite
A Thief at Night.

An £*g/*'s Flight
Is out of Sight.

An idle

Is vvhipt at School.
As,

Rhymed AlplKibct Pages
(From tlic "New Mngliah Tutor." London: [1702—1714?])

Tutor (£nlarQe&.
Asruns
Man's life doth pafs

My Sod and Heart
SJlall never part.

Sweet Jcfa He
Dy'd on a Tree.

K. Wtfli*mjs Dead
and left the Throne
To dnn our Queen
of great Renown*
Th<? Ly<?« bold

l does hold

Moon gives light
la timt of Night.

Night ivgAtts fing
in-time of Spring.

The Royal OaK
It was the Tree

That fav d his
Royal Majcfty.

?f/<T Denies

His Lord and cryes

Queen Esther came
in Roysl State,

To fave the Jews
from difraal Face*

Rachel doth mourn
for herfirfl'born,

Samuel anoints
whom God appoints.

17

Time cuts down all
both great and fmall

Vrifih'* bcautious

W/fe,

Made Dw/Wfeek

Ms Life.

Whales in the Sea,
God's Voice obey.

the Great did

And fo mult you.
and I

Tenth forward flip?
Death fooneft nips.

achetu he

did climb the Tree,
his Lord to fee.

Introduction 5 3

was varied, they commonly followed
the " Alphabet of Lessons."

*

* *

NEXT in order of what went
to make the Primer famous The Rhymed
were the twenty-four little -Alphabet
pictures, with alphabetical rhymes,
commencing

" In Adam's Fall
We sinned All".

— A description of the beginning of
original sin which certainly did its
best to balance our first forebears' very
ungenerous version of the affair which
to the Puritan was the greatest event
in history.

This method of teaching the
alphabet by short poems was of much

5 4 Introduction

older date. As early as 1552 there
Earlier was printed in England a little tract

Rhymed Al- entitled " Alphabetum primum Be-

tobabcts ]. ,, i-i • i /- i

cardi, which consisted or rhymes to
each of the letters, and another work
of this period of exactly the same
character was entitled " Finch his
Alphabet ". So, too, a little later a
broadside was issued, headed " All the
Letters of the A. B. C. by every son-
drye Letter wherof ther is a good Docu-
ment set fourth and taught in Ryme.
Translated out of Bas-Almaine into
English, anno 15/5 ". An even further
development of this was contained in
Wastell's " Microbiblion, or the Bibles
Epitome"1 (London 1629) containing
the sum of the whole, in verse so capi-
talized as to form successive alphabets.

1 An edition with a different title was printed as
early as 1623.

Introduction 5 5

Who was the author of the New
England Primer alphabet verses is not Authorship of
known, no text of it before its print- Rh'mcJ

, 11-1 / i Alphabet

ing in that work having been round.
It could not have been written long
before the first appearance of that book,
for the rhyme :

" The Royal Oak

It ivas the Tree
That sa"v' d his
Royal Majesty,'''

by its allusion to King Charles, clearly
shows it to have been composed after
1660. All this points to the compiler
of the Primer as its author, for in other
poems he expresses the greatest admira-
tion for the Merrie Monarch, and as
already noted, he was continually scrib-
bling verse quite of the character of the
rhymed alphabet.

Introduction

But there is better proof of Harris's
The Fable* authorship than mere inference. A
ofToung study of the twenty-four rhymes re-
veals the fact that certain ones of them
seem not merely without moral, but
without meaning.

The Cat doth play
And after slay

leaves one very much in doubt as to
what monition is intended to be con-
veyed, and equally vague is

The Lion bold

The Lamb doth hold

Still less valuable, however true, is the
information that

Nightingales sing
In time of Spring.

Finally, it would be cruel to even at-
tempt to compute the bewilderment of
the Primer's students due to the stanza

Fable I.

Fable VII.

,. n> XOSE

7. V*

LOOKinthcMorTung,ariJ you'll fte
UK Rofc buds to awake,
And (romthcJr Btdsmoft fra&rmtlj,
a pkafint Odour make.

And when th« Cjrd'ntr to it gon,
U cn't bis Knife wlthfhod ;

BDI ftriit defends this Domini Rofe,
to wither in his Hand.

Ah ! gentle Yo-jth,rtu» flrive to crop
from off Ibis Bam < Flower ;

Turn back •, behold ! one rod; (lands
chy Youili fcr to devour..

WHen Winters boary FrofUrt ore,
to liftier in tbe Spring,
Up (biles th 'harmonious winged Opitc
nelodioufly to Sing.

Kul, tow tbe well tiny Nighlnijalc
founds fortb lier quiv'rins Noct

And wirblo out iptota, Tale,
wild MnTick in bier tbrcat i

AlUife, (he Butter? in the Baft,
her irrenuoos Notes to raifr

AM wlulfl ; her Life d«l. Uft, (ne tbu.
Clunts forti her Mate's Pnufc

'The

Fable XIII.

I). Ttt

A Lamb, by chance, bad gone art ray.
* * And wand'iing thro a Wood,
A Lvon met in Malqucradc,
W ho Fiumng by bim Aoort.

Coed Lyon, r quoth tot Limb) Icmt,
My Liege w,u lend ui Ear,

uXS *,c from tt>e r?v>nolu Wolves,
Whofe Jaws 1 diUy itu.

T«L — V 7 x iroci [[
The I yon (bait did Rore •
Till tote Den he came, wiai ta
1 ne Limb in pieto tore.

80 Fable XXXVII.

17. Th Cat mi R.i:

T IThen f /^ with mewing made tbeEUls
" tbar Holes quite to forfike,
Sbe ruchtth down a Violin
ud flrau doth Mufick nuic :

A.t tvhicb tbe>' came from far and near
dancing with rumble Feet :

Bo: fbme. mace wifcr than the reft,
fcaal Food ioJ fell to tat :

Tbe Cat upon ibofc Aat; loon Criu,
wbo next unto her were i

. But ill tbe reft eiafi'J Kith Checfe,
and oibtr ivtultkkti Fare.

Four Pages from Harriss' Fables of Young
(London: 1700)

Introduction 5 7

Youths forward slips
Death soonest nips.

All these enigmas are made clear how-
ever by an examination of a little vol-
ume entitled " The Fables of Young
^Esop, With their Morals. With a
Moral History of his Life and Death.
Illustrated with Forty curious Cuts,
applicable to each Fable." J This
booklet, " Written by B. H." or Ben-
jamin Harris, contains a series of dog-
gerel verses appended to the " curious
cuts " and when Mr. Harris came
to make his alphabet verses for the
Primer, with a frugality of mind that
would have charmed Mr. Gilpin, he
took certain of the illustrations from

1 The earliest known edition is the Fourth, " Lon-
don, Printed and Sold by Benj. Harris, at the Golden
Boar's Head, in Grace-Church street. MDCC."

Introduction

this other book, and by rewriting his
rhymes, utilized them anew in the
Primer verses.

It is a curious fact that of all these
Changs in twenty-four stanzas only the first one,

., i i

Alphabet relating to Adam, was not at some
time varied or changed, and these vari-
ations give a curious illustration of
some very important alterations of
public opinion. Thus in the earliest
text extant, at the letter J is given a pic-
ture of the crucifixion, with the stanza

" Siveet Jesus he
Df\i on a Tree."

And in an English school-book of other
character than the Primer, this was un-
changed. The Puritan, however, would
not tolerate even this use of the cross,
and so very quickly the picture was
changed to one of Job, and the rhyme to

Introduction 5 9

" J°b feels the rod
TTet blesses God. "

Perhaps the most curious change is
that connected with the letter K. F^m King
Allusion has been made to Harris's to Demos
admiration for King Charles, and there
is good evidence that for this letter
originally there was a picture of that
monarch and the stanza read

" King Charles the Good
No Man of Blood." *

Presently however the King was dead,
and in a little time another king in the
form of William III. for whom Harris
also felt a strong admiration, was reign-
ing over England. Thereupon the
portrait and stanza were presumably
changed by the insertion of one sing-
ing his praises. When William died

1 Stanza as printed in "A Guide for the Child ".

60 Introduction

however Harris did not displace his
portrait, but calling into play his poetic
fancy, he affixed to the old cut, the

lines « K WiUiam-< s Dcad

and left the throne
To Ann our Queen
of great Rcnoivn " '

This necessity of changing with each
new reign seems to have proved a
nuisance, and so someone presently hit
upon the device of being always in
date, by making the rhyme read

" Our King (Ac good
No man of blood," 2

For many years this form was satis-
factory, but finally the Americans
began to question if after all the King
was good. To meet this doubt,

1 " New English Tutor ".

2 "New England Primer," Boston : 1727.

Introduction 6 1

printers easily changed the praise into
admonition by printing

' ' Kings should be good
Not men of blood. ' ' *

Finally washing their hands of mon-
archy, rhyme too was abandoned, and
the stanza became

" The British King
Lost States thirteen," 2

varied occasionally by another form
which announced that

" Queens and Kings
Are gaudy things.'''' 3

Akin to this in both democratic
sentiment and verse were revised lines The letter ^
for Q, to the effect that

" Kings and Queens
Lie in the dust." *

1 "New England Primer," Boston: 1791.

2 Ibid. Philadelphia: 1797.

3 Ibid. Brattleboro: 1825.

4 Ibid. New York: 1819.

6 2 Introduction

In the same manner, the rhyme

From Ru\al already quoted, about the royal oak,

became unfit poetry tor young re-

Charter Oak '

publicans, and in attempts to vary it
wide divergence crept in, resulting in
the following forms :

" '/'/>(• Royal Oak, " //' you seek in the forest

our King did save The Oak you -n-ill see

l"'rom fatal Stroke Among all the rest

of Rebel Slave." ' is the stateliest tnt." -

" Of sturdy Oak « The Charter Oak

That Stately tree it ivas the tree

The ships tire made That saved to us

That sail the sea. " :i o:tr Liberty." •*

" The Oicl at night " The Oak for shade

Hoots out of sight." •' CJT strength \t:as made." c

.

1 " A Guide for the Child," 1-25?

- "New England Primer." Albany: 181

3 Ibid. Walpole: iSo6.

4 Ibid. Hartford: iS — ?
0 Ibid. New York: 1819.
0 Ibid. Brattleboro: 1825.

Introduction 63

Another injection of patriotism was
made in the letter W. Originally this The Primer

was « Whales, In the sea crowns

God's -voice obey." Washington

In some editions of the Primers printed
after the American Revolution this
somewhat difficult rhyme was omitted,
and in its place was one of the fol-
lowing

"Great Washington brave ".By Washington

His country did save." ! Great deeds 'were done."2

All the foregoing were haphazard
changes by various printers, but a The Rhymed
more sweeping alteration was made Alphabet
between 1740 and 1760. As origi- Eva"£ellKed
nally written a many of the verses had
a decidedly mundane quality, and so

1 "New England Primer," Brattleboro: 1825.
- Ibid. New York: 1794.
3 Ibid. Boston: 1727.

64

Introduction

some New England writer or printer
undertook within that period, to
evangelize l those lines which had an
earthly tendency. What was accom-
plished, is shown in parallel column :

" The Cat doth play, " Christ crucify" d

And after slay."" For sinners dy" d. '"

" The Dog will bite, " The Delugi drown" d

A Thief at Night."" The Earth around."

11 An Eagle's flight, " Elijah hid

Is out cf Sight."" By ravens fed."

" An idle Fool, " The judgement made

Is ivbipt at School."" Felix afraid.""

" Our King the good " Proud Korah" s troop

No man of blood. " ' Was swallowed up.

" The Lion bold, " Lot fled to Zoar,

The Lamb doth bold.'" Saw fiery Shower,

On Sodom pour."

11 The moon gives Light, " Moses was be
In time of night.'" Wbo Israel" s Host

Led thro" the Sea."^

1 "New England Primer, " Boston: 1762.

The Child* t Guide.

In Adanfi FaH
We fmntd aJJ.

This Book attend,
Thy Life to mend.

The Cat dofspfay,
And after fiay.

The DCK doth bite
A Thief 41 Night.

An file's flight
Is out of fight.

Rhymed Alphabet Pages
From the " Guide for the Child." London : 1725)

Tbc Child's Guide.

The Idle Pool
Is whipt at School.

As runs the Gfdfs,

Man's Lift doth

pafs. »

Shall ocver part

Jeius did dye
For the e and I

King Charles the

Good,
No Wan ol Blood.

A 6

The

The Child's- Guide.

The Lyon bold,
The Lamb doth
hold.

The Moon gives

Light
In time of Nrghc.

Nightingales fing
In time of Spring.

The. Royal Oal
our King did fave
From fatal Stroke
of Rebel Slave.

Peter denies
HisLord,and cries,

The Child's Guide.

$ueen £y?/;er came
in Royal State.

To lave the Jews
from difmai Rte.

For her firft-bom.

Samuel anoints
Whom God IT-
points.

Time cuts iow/z all

'flA's beauteous
Wife

DrfWtf /Cck
hts Lift.

Introduction

6 5

" Nightingales sing, " Noah did -vitiu

In time of Spring" The old 'world & neiu."

" The Royal Oak, " Young Obadias,

it <was the Tree, David, Josias,

That sav'd bis All -were Pious."
Royal Majesty."

" Rachel doth mourn " Young Pious Ruth

For her first born." Left all for Truth."

" Samuel anoints " Young Sam' I dear

Whom God appoints.*'' The Lord did fear, ,"

" Time cuts doivn all, " Young Timothy
Both great and small." Learnt Sin to fly "

"Uriah's beauteous Wife, " F'asbti for Pride
Made Da-vid seek bis life." Was set aside."

Much later, in the present century,
when children's books began to cater The Rhymed
to what a child would like, a reaction- AlPhabet

. ... modernized

ary spirit reversed this evangelization
and stanzas of worldly tendency were
actually inserted in place of them in
some editions. These substitution
verses were :

66 Introduction

H. " Wrote by the hand

Great <zut,rks do stand."

K. ""f/'i Youth's delight
To Jiy their kite.'"

R. " The Rose in bloom

Sheds sivect ferj'ume."

U. " Urns hold, ice see
Cliff ee and Tea.'" l

The Puritan however did not approve

these changes, and they were rarely

used. Nor were the evangelised

rhymes ever adopted in Great Britain.

Other and less noticeable changes

Minorcbanges were made, of which the following are

in the Rhymed the most important that have been

Alphabet r ,

round :

" The Eagle1 s flight " The Egyptian host

Is out of sight." was in (be red sea lost." %

1 "New England Primer," New York: 1819.

2 Ibid. Wilmington: 1812.

Introduction

1 " New English Tutor."

2 " New England Primer," 1762.

3 " New England Primer." Brattleboro, 1825.

*
* *

67

" Thy life to mend <l Hea-ven to find

This book attend. ' ' 1 The Bible mind. ' ' '2

"Queen Esther came "Queen Esther sues

in royal State, And saves the jfe<zvs." '•

To save the Jeius
from dismal Fate.'"'' !

" Youth* s forward slips, " Youth onivard slips
Death soonest nips." * Death soonest nips."

" JVhile youth do chear "No Youth ive see
Death may be near. ' ' 2 From death is free. ' ' ;!

" Xerxes the great did dye " Xerxes did die,
And so must you and I." '1 And so must /." 2

There were some few other varia-
tions of wording, but of such slight
difference as not to need notice.

68 Introduction

EVEN more famous than the
rhymed alphabet, is the poem
of John Rogers, with the pic-
J.AMU.^L.^ r r1 ' ,

unto his ture °» tne niartyr burning at the

children stake, and " his Wife, with Nine small

Children, and one at her Breast " look-
ing on. Much sadness this poem and
print must have cost the Puritan, and
even now, it is capable of producing
a sigh, no longer because one feels
so keenly for the man, who regardless
of wife and children, insisted on being
burnt, and really forced the court
against its will to make a martyr ot
him, but because a study of the facts
shows that the use of this poem and
story was nothing but a piece of sec-
tarian garbling and falsehood, and that
all the pity spent upon it by millions
of readers was no more deserved than

In ADAM'S Fall,
We finned all.

Heaven to find,.
The BIBLE mind,

CHRIST crucify'd,
For Sinners d/d.

TheDelugedrown'd
The Earth around.

ELIJAH hid,
By Ravens fed.

Thejudgment made
Felix afraid.

Rhymed Alphabet Pages
(From the " New England Primer." Boston ; 1762)

As runs the Glafs,
Our Life doth pafs.

My Book and Heart
Mutl never part.

IProud- Kerah'sTroop
fVallow'.d up.

Let fled to

S'Sw fiery Shower

Q&'Setfsw pour.

Ivlofes was he
Who Jfraefs Hoft
Led thro* tbe Sea,

Noah did view
Theold world & new.

Young
David,Jofias,
All were pious.

-Peter deny'_d

His Lord and cry'd.

Queen Efihe*. fues,

Young pious
Left alJ fof Truth-.

Young Sanwe
The Lord did fear.

Young Timothy
Learnt Sin to fly.

Vajhti for Pride,
Was fet afide.

Whafes in the Sea,
GOD's Voice obey.

Xerxes did die,,
And fo muft I.

Whileyouth dochcar
Death may be near.

Zatcheus he

DW climb the Tree,

Our Lord toiee.

MR. JOHX ROGERS, Minifter of the
Gfofpel in London, was the firft Mar-
tyr HI Queen Marys Reign, and was burnt
at SmithfieU, February i 4th 1554, His
Wife with nine -frnall Children, and one
at. her Breaft, following him to the Stake;
with -which forrowful Sight he was not in
the leaft daunted, but with wpnnderfuf Pati-
ence died ccmrag'eoufly for the' G of pel ofjelus
Cfafift. Some

The Burning of John Rogers
(From the " New England Primer." Boston ; 1762)

Introduction 69

that lavished upon the unfortunate
heroes and heroines of fiction.

The history of the poem so far as
can be learned is as follows. In the
sixteenth century there lived a man
of whom Foxe, in his " Book of
Martyrs," wrote :

" Robert Smith gave himself to service in

the house of sir Thomas Smith, knight, be- Foxe'saccoum

ing then provost of Eaton : from thence he of Robert

was preferred to Windsor, having there in

the college a clerkship of ten pounds a year.

Of stature he was tall and slender, active

about many things, but chiefly delighting

in the art of painting, which many times

rather for his mind's sake, than for any

gain, he did practice and exercise. In

religion he was fervent, after he had once

tasted the truth ; wherein he was much

confirmed by the preaching of Mr. Turner,

of Windsor, and others. Whereupon at

70 .Introduction

the coming of" Queen Marv lie was de-
prived of his clerkship by her visitors ; and
not long after he was apprehended, and
brought to examination before Bonncr."

At this point Foxe inserts an ac-
count of the trial where Smith

"valiantly stood in defence of his master's
Trial and cause : and as thou secst him here boldly
Prison Lijc stand in examination before the bishop and
doctors ; so was he no less comfortable
also in the prison among his companions :
which also is to be observed no less in his
other fellow-prisoners, who being together
in the outward room in Newgate, had godly
conference with themselves, with daily pray-
ing and public reading, which they to their
great comfort used in that room together ;
amongst whom Smith was the chief; whose
industry was always solicitous, not only for
them of his own company, but also his
diligence was careful for other prisoners,

Introduction 7 1

whom he ceased not to dissuade from their
old accustomed iniquity ; and many he
converted to his religion.

"The said Robert Smith, the valiant
and constant martyr of Christ, being thus Burning at
replenished as ye have heard, with the for- the Stake
titude of God's Spirit, was condemned at
London bv Bonner their bishop, on the
I 2th of July ; and suffered at Uxbridge the
8th day of August ; who as he had been
before a comfortable instrument of God to
all them that were in prison with him : so
now also being at the stake, he did no less
comfort the people, there standing about
him, willing them to think well of his
cause, and not to doubt but that his body
dying in the quarrel, should rise again to
life. And, said he, I doubt not but God
will show you some token thereof. At
length he being well nigh half burnt, and
all black with fire, clustered together as in
a lump like a black coal, all men thinking

7 2 Introduction

him dead, suddenly rose upright before the
people, lifting up the stumps of his arms,
and clapping the same together, declaring a
rejoicing heart unto them ; and so bending
down again, and hanging over the fire, slept
in the Lord, and ended this mortal life."

To a skill in painting, Mr. Smith
Robert Smith added one in letters, and Foxe states
that " while in prison he wrote several
letters to his friends, some in verse,
and others in prose ". These poetical
letters were nearly all in the same
metre, part of one to a friend reading :

" And noiv because I kno'ic the goal
Poetical Letter That thou thst most desire

to a Friend I send thee here a paper full,

As fined in the fire
In hope thou -milt accept it icell

Although it he hut small
Because I hai'C no other good
To make amends witfial.'" '

1 Foxe's " Book of Martyrs."

complapnt

of <M wtie,maDe bp 3oi)n

of

%\)t complapnt
lertonant) otl)cts,beut8 pzifo
nets in holers totoer,

toastl)eircomfo:te

C3 fonge of Caine anD nwi
t:fte fatengpf maiftei: ^
toofeti)emg!)t before Ije fufferet), fcp^
pon a iwall tottl) a cole ,i» tin neloe 3 n,
at <l3loceter,ant) bi$ fating

ANNO DOMINI .

Introduction

To his brother he also wrote, be-
speaking his care for his wife and

" Aho my daughter dear

Whom I bequeath to thee Poetical Letter

To be brought up in fear to his brother

And learn the ABC

That she may grow in grace
And ruled by the rod
To learn and lead her life
Within the fear of God."

Far surpassing these poems in popu-
larity, however, was the " Exhortation Writing and
vnto his children " which he penned Publhhins. °f

. . . TIT • • .fits hxhorta-

at this same time. Written in the tion unto his
year in which he was burned (1555), children
it seems to have been printed first in
1559 when the Stationers Company
directed that " Owyn Rogers hath
lycense to prynte the Instruction for
Cbyldren ". 1 It was accordingly issued

1 Arber's "Stationers' Register," i.,<)6.

74 Introduction

in that year, in a little tract of Puritan
writings, on the title of which it was
termed u An exhortacion of Mathewe
Rogers, vnto his children ", in the body
of the work it was retitled " The in-
struction of a Father to his Children,
which he wrote a few days before his
burnynge ", and at the end it was
signed " Finis quod Mathewe Rogers."
It apparently proved a work of some
popularity for in 1577 the Stationers
Company "Licensed vnto" John
Arnold the issuing of another edition
of the tract.

Why the name of Mathewe Rogers
Substitution of was substituted for that of the true

Rogers" Name ^^^ can not be discovered, UllleSS,

Rogers being the earliest, and there-
fore the best known of the " reformed "
Martyrs, the printer reasoned that his

Introduction 7 5

name would cause a greater sale. The
change of his true cognomen John to
Mathew, is more easily explained, for
under the pen name of Thomas
Mathew, Rogers had helped Tyndale
in translating the scriptures, and thus
he was often called Mathew Rogers.
But this foisting of Lhe poem of
Smith on to Rogers by no means ended New England
the garbling. In the New England p«mer "c-

n • i i r T-I count of 'Jo/in

rnmer, a short sketch or Rogers was R0£er, "
inserted, as follows :

" Mr. John Rogers, Minister of the Gos-
pel in London, was the First Martyr in
Queen Mary's Reign, and was burnt in
Smithfield, February the I4th, 1554. His
Wife with nine small Children, and one at
her Breast, follow'd him to the Stake, with
which sorrowful Sight, he was not in the
least daunted, but with wonderful Patience,

76

Introduction

liters

Dyed couragiously for the Gospel of [esus
Christ."

This is more remarkable for mis-
True account statement than for fact. Rogers was
•fjohn a priest sworn to celibacy, who be-

coming converted, broke his vow and
took unto himself a wife. When, on
the accession of Alary, he refused to
put the woman away, he was con-
demned to death, and was burned at
the stake on February 4th, 1555, ('" old
style" February the 14, 1554) being,
as Foxe said " the first martyr of all
the blessed company that suffered in
Queen Mary's time, that gave the first
adventure upon the fire".1 Further-
more, his wife and children did not
see him burned, for Foxe merely stated
that : " His wife and children, being

1 Foxe's " Book of Martyrs."

Introduction 7 7

eleven in number, ten able to go, and
one sucking at her breast, met him by
the way as he went towards Smithfield :
this sorrowful sight of his own flesh
and blood could nothing move him,
but he constantly and cheerfully took
his death with wonderful patience, in
the defence of the gospel of Christ".
Worth noting in this connection is
one question over which there has The number
been much controversy, being the °J 7°,
exact number of children thus left children
fatherless. The Primer, as will be
seen, gave him " nine small children and
one at the breast " but printers read
this differently, sometimes giving nine,
and sometimes ten, in the picture.
At his trial, Rogers said distinctly that
he had ten children, while Foxe ! speaks

1 Foxe's " Book of Martyrs."

Introduction

of his " children, being eleven in num-
ber, ten able to go, and one sucking ".
The explanation of this discrepancy is
probably due to the fact that Rogers
was held in prison for over a year, and
debarred during that period from all
news of his wife, in which time it is
obvious the eleventh child was born,
since at the time of his burning it was
still unweaned.

o

UF greater importance than the
Roger verses but of far less
popularity was the Catechism,
which usuall.V followed close upon the
poem. In all eighteenth century
Primers examined this consisted of
either the Westminster Assembly's

f{ The S HOKTEK ;t£

I CATECHISM fe

^ Compfifrd by fbg fiv

A REVEREND ASSEMBLY of t?

I DIVINES 1

& At WESTMINSTER.

Proofr fkerecfoHt ofthsScriptures

are eit her fome of the former- ^
^C' ly quoted places, or others gathered ^9b
^J fromtherr other Wrirings^ all fitted •%
^ both forBrevity^ C?earnefs,tothis X
V thetr Form of Sound WOY<JS.
§For the Benefif of Cfindians in ge- ^

^ veral, and of Tout h & Chtldrfn-i,, un- g\\
^ derftantfo-ng in particular; that they™
$$ may with rr<ore eafe acquaint them* ^
/f/i/ejf \ofth the Truth act or ding to the ^
fcf Scripture s .^*

by ^. W^rrrj, and J.
and are to be -Sold at the
Coffee Houfe. 1691

i*

Introduction 79

" Shorter Catechism " or John Cot-
ton's " Spiritual Milk for Babes " and
in a number of editions both were in-
cluded. Several nineteenth century
editions of the New England Primer
contained besides the Assembly's Cate-
chism, the Episcopal as well, but no
early edition found contains what was
so alien to all the rest of the work.

The Shorter Catechism — " that
Golden Composure," as Cotton History of the
Mather termed it — was framed by Shorter Cate-

TIT • A it chism

the great Westminster Assembly,
which was called together by the
Round-Head Parliament and was com-
posed of one hundred and twenty-one
clergymen or presbyters, thirty of the
laity, chiefly of the nobility, and five
special commissioners from Scotland,
and Baxter claimed "that the Chris-

So Introduction

tian world, since the days of" the
Apostles, never had a Synod of more
excellent divines ". This assembly
met hrst on July i o, 1643, and dis-
solved itself on March 3, 1649, hav-
ing held in the six years no less
than eleven hundred and sixtv-three
sessions.

Compared to Herbert's catechism
Length and entitled " The Careful Father and
consent p| Child" (London, 1648) which

loathing . i . T i

contained over twelve Hundred ques-
tions and answers, the assembly's cate-
chism might well be termed "shorter".
As a fact however this title was given
merely to distinguish it from the larger
catechism put forth bv this Assembly,
and its one hundred and seven ques-
tions, the answers to which ranged in
length from eight to one hundred

Introduction 8 1

words, made it a nightmare to child-
ren. Nor did the elders fail to realize
its terrors. Livermore found in a New
England court record, a penalty im-
posed on an apple stealing youngster,
that he was to choose whether he
would be imprisoned for a stated time,
or before the Saturday night ensuing
learn and repeat to the magistrate the
whole of the catechism. Rev. Heman
Humphreys, though a Congregational
clergyman and the president of Am-
herst College, acknowledged that his
recollection " accords with the expe-
rience of thousands, who like myself,
once loathed the Assembly's Cate-
chism ",! and when it is considered
that children of tour and five years
of age were expected to repeat, with

1 " New England Primer," Worcester: [1850?]

6

8 2 Introduction

absolute verbal correctness, the terrible
answers defining u justification ",
u sanctification ", and "glorification ",
or stand disgraced in the eyes of the
whole congregation, the word seems
by no means too strong. Another cler-
gyman acknowledged that " when the
Venerable Assembly composed this
form of Instruction, it seems that
few of themselves tho't it design'd or
fitted for Babes, some answers being
so long and so full of great sense that
tho' they might recite the Words, that
can be of little Benefit, till they also
apprehend the meaning".1

None the less the children were
A Jai/v task drilled in this catechism unsparingly.

for Children jn church an(j at schooj ;,. w

1 Noble's "Beginners' Catechism." London:

1707.

Introduction 83

a daily task. As if this were not
sufficient Cotton Mather even advised
mothers to catechise their children
" every day," adding " you may be
continually dropping something of the
Catechism upon them : Some Honey out
of the Rock!" and he told parents that :

"The Souls of your Children made a

Cry in your Ears, O Parents ; a cry enough Mr. Cotton

to break an Heart of Adamant. They are Mather .- his

Born Children of Wrath; and when they */ew*f?

/ ' Catecnising

grow up, you have no way to save them

from the dreadful Wrath of God, if you do
not Catechise them in the Way of Salvation.
They cry to you ; O our dear Parents ;
Acquaint us with the Great God, and His
Glorious Christ, that so Good may come
unto us ! Let us not go from your Tender
Knees, down to the Place of Dragons. Oh !
Not Parents, but Ostriches : Not Parents,
but Prodigies ! What, but more cruel than

84 Introduction

the Sea-Mo/isters are the Parents, who will
not be moved by such Thoughts as these,
to Draw out the Breasts of the Catechism,
unto their Young Ones ! One would think,
Pare/its, Your own Bowels, if you have
not Monstrously lost them, would Suggest
enough to persuade you unto the Pleasant
Labours of the Catechism"

Yet even Mather acknowledged that the
Shorter Catechism had difficulties for
very young children, by preparing a
briefer and simpler one, that instead of
taxing children of the " Youngest and
Lowest Capacities," with the catechism
of the Assembly, "This little Watering
Pot may be quickly so used upon the
little Olive Plants about our tables, that,
not a drop of the heavenly dew con-
tained in it shall escape them ".'
1 " Man of God Furnished:" i~o8.

Introduction 8 5

Nor was the catechism used only
for the catechising of the younger Sermonising
generation, for it was frequently made °"the Cate~

, . r ill caism

the subject or sermons to the elder
portions of the congregation, Mather
relating that Rev. John Fiske "chose
the Assembly's Catechism for his
public expositions, wherewith he twice
went over it, in his discourses before
his afternoon sermons." The largest
book printed in New England before
the nineteenth century, was Samuel
Willard's " Complete Body of Divin-
ity in Two Hundred and Fifty Ex-
pository Lectures on the Assembly's
Shorter Catechism " — a mammoth
folio of over nine hundred pages, of
such popularity that before publication
more than five hundred subscribers
were obtained, many of whom bespoke

86 Introduction

more than one copy, and some as

many as sixteen.

It has been questioned whether the

Assembly's Catechism appeared in the

very earliest editions of the New Eng-
Early editions land Primer, but from the fact that
oj the Pnmer fjarr|s printed a separate edition of

and the ' . . . . r

CatecAism the catechism in the same year that
the second impression of the Primer
was issued, the evidence seems far
more in favor of its inclusion than
against it.

*
* *

E<
:

QUALLY popular at first in
Carton's f~~4 America was John Cotton's

Spiritual Milk ^"Spiritual Milk for American

Babes," Mather being authority for
the statement that in 1697 "the
children of New England are to this

MILK

FOR

BABES.

DRAWN
Out of the Brcafts of both

Tfi STAMENTS,

Chiefly ,for the fpiricuall nourifKment

of Heft on Babes in either England:

Buc may be of like ufe for any

Children,

"By JOHH COTTON, #. Z>.
a*d Teacher to the Church qflBofton

in New- England.

LONDON,

Printed by J* Coe, for Henry Overto»,
and arc to be fold at his Shop, in
es-l}ead Alley,
1646.

Introduction 8 7

day most usually fed with this ex-
cellent catechism " 1 and he called it
" peculiarly, The Catechism of New
England."

Of the author Mather wrote :

" Were I master of the pen, wherewith
Palladius embalmed his Cbrysostom, the Some Account
Greek patriark, or Posidonius eternized his °J Mr- Cotton
Austin, the Latin oracle, among the an-
cients ; or, were I owner of the quill
wherewith among the moderns, Beza cele-
brated his immortal Calvin, or Fabius im-
mortalized his venerable Beza; the merits
of John Cotton would oblige me to employ
it, in the preserving his famous memory ".2

It is sufficient to say that he was born
in 1585, went through Cambridge
University and became successively
fellow of Trinity College, Dean of

1 Mather's " Magnalia." - Ibid.

8 8 Introduction

Emmanuel College, and minister at
Boston in Lincolnshire. Ik-coming
while there a non-conformist, he was
"silenced " for a while, but eventually
was allowed once more to preach, and
in his twenty years pastorate at Boston
" he thrice went over the body of divin-
ity in a catecbistical ivay, and besides
his ' Lord's day ' sermons " gave " his
ordinary lecture every week, on the
iveek da\s, namely on Wednesdays and
Tbursda\s, early in the morning, and
on Saturdays, at three in the after-
noon ", with such results to Boston
that " religion was embraced, and prac-
ticed among the body of the people ;
yea the mayor, with most part of the
magistrates, were now called Puritans,
and the Satanical party was become
insignificant ".

Introduction 89

Finally the High Commission Court,
popularly known as the Star Chamber, Flies to Amer-

began proceedings against him. and Ka and be~

, • 11,-. i c"mes a

changing name and garb, Cotton took Leader

ship for New England with two other
clergymen, the three lightening the
tedium of the passage by daily sermons
" all the while they were aboard, yea
they had three sermons, or expositions,
for the most part every day : of Mr.
Cotton in the morning, Mr. Hooker in
the afternoon, Mr. Stone after supper
in the evening ". Upon arriving
at Boston he was promptly made
" teacher " of the first church there,
and very quickly came to wield a
power in that theocratic settlement
akin to that now exercised by a politi-
cal boss. He was invited to return
to England when the Puritans gained

9o

Introduction

the upper hand, to take part in the
" Westminster Assembly " but de-
clined. Nothing perhaps better typi-
fies the man than when on "being
asked why in his latter days he in-
dulged in nocturnal studies more than
formerly, he pleasantly replied, Because
I love to sweeten my mouth with a piece
of Calvin before I go to sleep".1

Cotton presumably prepared the
Prepares Milk for Babes in 1641, at the time
Milk for the u General Corte " asked the elders

Babes . . .

to prepare a catechism, as already re-
corded, and probably it was printed at
Cambridge by Dave, between 1641
and 1645. No copy of this edition
is known however, and the first edi-
tion of which a copy is now extant is
one printed in London in 1646. It

1 Mather's "Magnalia."

Introduction

was again printed there in 1648 and
1668, and in 1656 an edition was is-
sued at Cambridge in New England.
After 1690 its inclusion in many edi-
tions of the New England Primer
somewhat checked the printing of
separate issues, but an edition in the
Indian tongue was printed at Boston
in 1691, and this was reprinted in
1720. In 1702 Mather abridged and
combined it with the Assembly's cate-
chism and one of his own and issued
it under the title of " Maschil, or The
Faithful Instructor ", and other edi-
tions of this form of the work were
issued with the title of " The Man of
God Furnished" (Boston 1708) and
" The Way of Truth laid out "
(Boston 1721). In these, Mather
asserted that Milk for Babes " will be

92 Introduction

valued and studied and improved
until New England cease to be New
England."

While by no means as popular as
Milk for Mr. Cotton's metaphorical title would
Babes «w- jeaj one to expect, it must be con-

pared ivtt/i r . . . . . . . . .

the Shorter fessed that it is a decided improve-
Catechism ment on the Shorter Catechism, if not
in soundness of doctrine, at least in
length. In place of one hundred and
seven questions, there were but sixty-
four and instead of replies ranging in
length from eight to one hundred
words, one answer was a single word,
and the longest only contained eighty-
four.

*
* *

Introduction 93

THE last piece of any impor-
tance which can be consi- Dialogue he-
dered an integrant of the tween Christ,

X.T T^ i i ii • • i ^ outh and

New tngland rrimer, is what was t}ie Devil
called u A Dialogue between Christ,
Youth and the Devil", a poem relat-
ing to a tempted youth, who despite
the warning of his Redeemer suc-
cumbs to the wiles of the horny footed
tempter, and makes an effective exit
at the end of the dialogue without the
assistance of any stage directions, but
with, it is presumable, the glare of
subterranean regions, in place of the
more professional Calcium light.

This dialogue form was a favorite
medium of the seventeenth century. „ , • /.

J ropularity oj

111 1671 Thomas Sherman issued a Dialogue form
tract called " Youth's Tragedy, drawn
up by way of Dialogue between Youth,

Introduction

the Devil, Wisdom, Time, Death, the
Soul, and the Nuncius ", which was
many times reprinted. So too, an
anonymous poem entitled " An Excel-
lent Example to all young Men, being
a Dialogue betwixt Youth and Con-

O

science and Satan " was issued in

London in 1684. Still a third, called

" The Youth's Looking Glass, being

a divine Dialogue between a young

Man, Satan, and our Saviour Jesus

Christ ", was printed without a date.

None of these were the same as the

Authorship cf Dialogue used in the Primer, and as

Dialogue no printing of it can be found pre-dat-

ing its appearance in that publication,

it seems probable that it was composed

by the man whom Dunton described

as u the neat and poetical Ben Harris ".

It is proper to note that unlike the

Introduction 95

portions already described it was not
always included in the New England
Primer, but as it is contained in the
Bradford fragment, and in Harris'
"New English Tutor", as well as in
nine editions of the Primer printed in
the eighteenth century, it has seemed
best to treat it as one of the true
pieces that went to mark the little
book.

*

* *

SUCH were the main contents
of the Primer, but many smaller Minor ya,
pieces, in which far greater vari- tlo"s '" t/ie
i 111 Primer

ation was shown, were used by the
printers to fill in between the more
important portions, and to pad out at
the end so as to complete the last
signature. Few of these minor pieces

96

Introduction

can be positively identified, hut as they
go to make a history of the hook, and
as their chronology is of some value
in settling the approximate decade of
imperfect copies of the Primer, they
deserve some attention.

In the second edition of the Primer,

Pra\cr of as the ad\ ert isement states, the Prayer

Edwrdrith Of Edvvartl VI, takcn from Foxe's

u Hook of Martyrs " was given, and

this prayer appears in the " New

English Tutor ", but no Primer extant

contains it.

The New English Tutor, The

Text r,f Ear- Protestant Tutors of 1715, and i/i6,

liest Editions and the New England Primer of 1727

contain the ten commandments, the

" Names and Orders of the Books of

the Old and New Testament " and

" Numeral Letters and Figures, which

Introduction 9 7

may serve for the ready finding of any
Chapter and Verse in the Bible".
None of these were included in the
later eighteenth century editions.

In the edition of 1737 a longish
"Verses for Children" beginning Text of edition
"Though I am but a little one" °f '737
appeared for the first time, and was
included in many subsequent editions.
This edition also gave a part of the
" Duty of Children towards their
Parents" which had been given in
the " New English Tutor ". The only
other edition with this was one printed
in London in 1781. Most remark-
able of all in this edition was its
printing of the lines :

" Noiv I lay me doivn to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I -^vake
I pray the Lord my soul to take."
7

98

Introduction

The author of these famous lines is
unknown, and this is their first ap-
pearance in print, so far as can be
discovered. They were included in
almost every subsequent edition of
the Primer.

With the evangelization of the
Text of the Primer between 1740 and 1760, be-
E-vangelisted sijes the change in the rhymed

Editions ill • i i •

alphabet other material alterations
were introduced. In the earliest edi-
tion extant so revised the chief vari-
ations are the introduction of Watts'
Divine Song for Children, his Cradle
Hymn, and his Morning and Evening
Prayers, Rev. Nathaniel Clap's " Ad-
vice to his Children," " Agurs Prayer,"
(which had appeared in the u New
English Tutor") and " Some Proper
Names of Men and Women." All

Introduction 99

these additions proved fairly popular,
though the parts by Watts were the
most so, and they formed the text of
most editions of the Primer issued
between 1762 and 1790. A minor
addition was the insertion of a short
set of questions, beginning " Who was
the first Man ", and all to be answered
from the Bible. This was lengthened
or shortened at the will of each
printer, and in the Salem edition of
1784 the printer so far departed
from sacred text, as to ask "Who
saved America " and " Who betrayed
America," the answers being " George
Washington " and " Benedict Arnold."
About 1790 a very marked change
was made by printers taking some mun-
dane rhymes from an English publi-
cation entitled the " Royal Primer ",

I oo Introduction

describing various animals, with pic-
Tcxt of the tares of them. From this source were
ajso taken a u Description of a Good

Boy ", a " Description of a Bad
Boy," and poems on " The Good
Girl" and "The Naughty Girl".
Their insertion marked the beginning
of the end, for no longer salvation was
promised to the good, and unending
fire to the bad, but " pert Miss Prat-a-
pace " was to have none of the
" Orange, Apples, Cakes, or Nuts "
promised to " pretty Miss Prudence,"
and the naughty urchin was only
threatened with beggary while the good
boy was promised " credit and reputa-
tion ". Worst of all was the insertion
of a short poem which should have
made the true Puritan turn in his
grave, for instead of teaching that let-

He th&t fhtfj harn Us Aj&- C

"V-jwri 'crest"

&m% E

~ Q-G-oat

r^

W*fy

J J»&

~L .jUttifmiffiiti

Cuts of Animals
(From the "New England Primer." Newburyport [N. D.])

Introduction \ o I

ters were to be learned, that the Bible
might be read, and that the figures
were to be acquired for the purpose of
finding chapter and verse in that work,
it said :

" He iuho ne'er learns his A. B. C.
Forever 'will a blockhead be.
But he ivho learns his letters fair
Shall have a coach to take the air."

The change, nevertheless proved pop-
ular, alas, and quite a number of
editions between 1790 and 1 800 contain
more or less of these worldly additions.
Of these successive variations in the
American primer, British editions took Un-var\ing-
no heed, and they constitute a class by >lcs*°j*-»g-

. . . .- ITT • j • "s" Editions

themselves. Although Harris issue
of the Primer in Old England con-
tained Cotton's " Milk for Babes,"
later English editions did not include

IO2 Introduction

it. But aside from the standard con-
tents of the Primer, there were added
" The History of the Creation," a
poetical " Advice to Children," a " Col-
lection of the best English Proverbs,"
and a number of shorter pieces.

N

O account of the Primer

The " Adorn- "^^1 would be Complete Without

"Lcnt" ™:th ^ some notice of the illustra-

Cu ts .*

tions, which alone of all its contents
bid for popular favor from the children.
In the Protestant Tutor as printed by
Harris in 1679, is a frontispiece type-
metal cut of Charles I. and from the
fact that the New English Tutor and
the 1727 edition of the Primer both
lack the preliminary leaf of the first

Portrait of Charles II
(From the " Protestant Tutor." London : 16-9)

&EORGE tfe
GtawmM .Sfptwh* 22<J

From the " Xc\v I'nyland Primer," Boston : i~62j

crowned

(From the " New England Primer." Providence: 1775)

Introduction 103

signature it is a safe assumption that
these two books each began with a The English
portrait of the Royal personage reign- K'"S-
ing at the time of their issue. The
Protestant Tutor of 1716 has a cut of
George I. The Primer of 1737 gives
a very fairly executed portrait of
George II. In 1762, though news of
the death of this monarch had reached
Boston, yet in an edition of the book
printed there in that year, there either
was too little time, or the printer was
too economical, to prepare a new cut,
so an additional stroke of the burin
changed a II. into a III., and thus a
portrait of George III. was impro-
vised, which in its striking likeness to
his father clearly shows the wonderful
influence of heredity.

The Primer of 1770 was more his-

1 04 Introduction

torically correct, giving a genuine
His American though very crude portrait of George
Successors jjj Again however, the printer was
called upon, by the American Revo-
lution, to change his frontispiece, and
in 1776 the portrait of the Royal
George was merely relabelled, and
came forth as the republican " John
Hancock ", the likeness between these
two being, it is needless to say, very
extraordinary considering that they
were representatives of such opposite
parties. In the Boston edition of
1777 a correct portrait of Hancock
was achieved, and in an edition printed
in Hartford in the same year a portrait
of Samuel Adams, another hero of the
hour, was given. At the end of the
revolution, the standard portrait be-
came that of Washington, and the

(From the " American Primer." Boston: 1776)

THE HON. SAMUEL
ADAMS

(From the "New England Primer." Hartford: 1777)

Introduction

only exception to the use of his feat-
ures, when any portrait was given in
subsequent editions, is one of Isaac
Watts printed in a Worcester edition
issued about 1850.

The changes in the rhymed alphabet
cuts have already been described. The Rhymed
One important fact however, is the Alphabet Cuts
use of some of the little pictures in a
work written by Harris entitled " The
Holy Bible In Verse." Harris adver-
tised this book as early as 1701, and
in an edition printed in 1717 all of the
cuts are clearly taken from his edition
of the New England Primer.

The print of John Rogers at the
stake has also been mentioned. There The Prints of
is a picture of the scene in Foxe's 3ohn R°Sers
" Book of Martyrs," but this departs
from the standard of the Primer cuts,

1 06 Introduction

by not having wife and children pres-
ent. The earliest cut found to include
them is contained in the " New Eng-
lish Tutor," and the identical block
used in that work is also used in
Harris' edition of the u Protestant
Tutor" of 1715- Probably the
most curious of all is that contained
in the Albany edition of 1 8 1 8, in which
the guards are costumed in the local
militia uniform of the day, with great
plumes in their shakos, but scarcely
less odd is that in the Lansingburg,
1810 edition, in which the executioner
is given a continental cocked hat.

In the "New English Tutor" a

The Pope, or print is given of " The Pope or Man

Man of Sin of gin" which was originally beyond

question a cut used to illustrate the

signs of the zodiac in an almanac, for

62 t8#e Ufcto Cngtf to

The POPE* or Man of Sins

(From the " New English Tutor." London : [1702-1714 ?] )

Queen, 1737
From the "New England Primer." Boston: 1737

Introduction i o 7

it is exactly like them with the excep-
tion of the addition of a tiara to the
otherwise naked figure. To utilize
the zodiacal lines and letters radiating
from the body, Harris added a key
or explanation which replaced Aries,
Taurus, Cancer, Scorpion, etc., with
Heresy, Disorder, Malice, Murder
and Treachery, etc., and which called
on the " Child " to "behold that Man
of Sin, the Pope, worthy thy utmost
Hatred." This print was reproduced
in the Primer of 1737, but no key was
added, so that the " Child " must have
been not a little puzzled to know what
the rays and letters meant.

There was a worse lapse, however,
in this edition of 1737, for the last The Devil's
leaf prints an engraving which cer- Plcture Car(^
tainly was nothing less than the block

1 08 Introduction

of the queen in playing cards, for con-
temporary packs have just such queens.
To find such a print in the godly
New England Primer is perhaps the
most curious fact yet known, and can
only be accounted for by the proba-
bility that its purchasers were so
ignorant of the appearance of the
" Devil's picture cards " that they did
not recognize its prototype.

The " New English Tutor " con-
Bihlical and taincd pictures of Death, Judgment,
Wildly II- Heaven, and Hell, but these do not

lustrations . . . . .

seem to have been repeated in the
Primer. Kindred illustrations how-
ever, of " Adam and Eve ", the
" Nativity and the Passion ", u Christ's
Death ", and " The Assension " were
given in the Salem edition of 1784,
and some of these prints were used

SJn

yitW,in) dearCJr/ef.vljat is before thine Ejt..
*4nd.kncw for certain thov art tjro to <Ly(
How foan tioM- know^fe notjt may come before;
Tfairftxiit en joy one minutes Pleefure more -,
Whenthou wtttleavefhlsWorU and all behind
To b& With Worms,in fome Church, yard con find.
4ndaiframallttyfrien<lsgrim death fall take tht*
•SoGod, willfindthee when-tl

From the "New English Tutor." London; 1702-1714?])

Introduction 109

in other issues printed in the decade
1790—1800. This Salem edition con-
tained pictures of " a little boy ^nd
girl bestowing charity" and "a good
Hoy and Girl at theii Books." More
important still was its inclusion of
certain prints of animals taken from
the " Royal Primer," which, with the
already described poems, was the hrst
true bid for popularity the Primer had
ever made. Some other worldly prints
were included, among them two de-
signed to teach the alphabet, no longer
by Bible extracts, but by pictures of
playthings, animals, etc.

This secularizing was an attack by
its friends from which the book never
quite recovered, for the printers haying
once found how much more saleable
such primers were, and parents haying

(From the "New England Primer." Newburyport [N. I).])

0{ I

(From the "New England Primer." Newburyport [N. D.])

I 10

Introduction

found how much more readily their
children learned, both united in en-
couraging more popular school-hooks,
and very quickly illustrated primers,
which aimed to please rather than to
torture, were multiplied. The New
England Primer made a brave fight,
but it was a hopeless battle. Slowly
printer after printer abandoned the
printing of editions of the little work,
i:i favor of some more popular compi-
lation. It was driven from the cities,
then from the villages, and finally from
the farm houses. Editions were con-
stantly printed, but steadily it lost its
place as a book of instruction. In the
schools it was replaced by other and
better books, and though an edition
was printed as recently as 1886, it is
to be questioned if an American child

Introduction

1 1 1

of to-day is being taught by the famous
little manual.

IT is impossible to measure the
work the Primer accomplished. The Work of
If the Puritan exodus is viewed lhe Prlmer
with the eyes of the Hon. William
Stoughton, who asserted that " God
sifted a whole nation that he might

D

send choice grain into this wilder-
ness," there was little left for the
Primer to do. This however is a
public speaker's view, and therefore
probably approximated more to what
would please his audience, than to the
truth. Certainly the court records of
early New England reveal a condition
akin to all frontier settlements in law-
lessness and immorality, and in pro-

I 12

Introduction

portion to population show a greater
percentage of most crimes than would
be found even in our large cities of
to-day, bearing out the statement of
the Rev. John White, — a leading
Puritan — that a large part of the first
settlers of New England were1' a mul-
titude of rude ungovernable persons,
the very scum of the land." It is
related that a newly installed New
England pastor said to a spinster
parishioner " I hope, madam, you be-
lieve in total depravity," and received
the prompt response : " Oh, parson,
what a fine doctrine it would be, if
folks only lived up to it." There was
far more living up to total depravity
in early New England than most
people suspect, and when one reads
the charges brought against them by

Introduction

\ \

their own ministers, it is not difficult
to realize why the New England
clergy dwelt so much on the terrors
of hell ; one even becomes sympathetic
with the Presbyterian clergyman who
said with disgust that " the Universal-
ists believe that all men will be saved,
but we hope for better things." What-
ever the first years of New England
may have been, however, the church
and the school were at work, and what
they did needs no other monument
than the history of the last two hun-
dred years. The New England Primer
is dead, but it died on a victorious
battle field, and its epitaph may well
be that written of Noah Webster's
Spelling Book :

" It taught millions to read, and not
one to sin."

ra Enlarged.

|]For the more ealy attami
- thettueReadingot^NGHS.H

To which is added,
g The AfTembly of Divines

%C AT EC HIS

s 0 STO N.- Printed
r.Gr«fl,Sold by the Boofefelleta

.ft

• a be ;*

nor depart jrcm it.
C h a p. 2 ; . 1 7-, 1 8. Let not thy heart
?nvyfinncrs,but be tbou in the fear
oftbt Lord all the day long.

For furely tbtre is an end, and

fly txptftalion Jball not be cut ej).

£pb. i, i- Ofildrtn obey yourPa-

rtnti in tbt Lord, for ibis is rigbft

Of Serving GOD.

1. God will bave no time tofavf
us, if we find no day toftrve tiitn.

2. Shall wf bavt fix days in
t and God not ont ?

tbou

ling mind,
for tbff Lordtarcbetb all beans.

-e- -

'-

nopqrfsivuwx
y z &

. Vowels.
i AEIOU Y ae louy

Confonants,
Abc-g hiVJrnnpqrftvw

Double Letrers,

fTHftfifhfin ffi ffiffl

Italitk Letters.

>5d B^ C<r D^ £<? P/G^ I
// Kk LI Mm Nn Oo Pp
Kr 5/T/ U» W'aj Jf* 7^
Italhk Double Letters

The Great Englifli Lctrcrj,

J5 C

It ft fllf)

The Small Englilh LciTcrs.

abcorfgljiftimno

Great Letters.

ABCDEFGHIKLMNO
P Q.R STUVWXYZ.

Eafie Syllable? for Children.

ab eb ib ob ub

ac

ec

1C

oc

uc

ad

ed

id

od

ud

af

ef

if

of

uf

ag

eg

ig

°g

Ug

21^
rv

ek

ifc

ok

uk

al

el

il

ol

ul

am

em

?m

om

utn

an

eh

in

on

ULi

ap

ep

JP

op

up

ar

er

ir

or

ur

as

es

is

OS

us

at

et

it

OC

ut

ax

ex

ix

ox

ux

ba

be

bi

bo

bu

ca

ce

ci

CO

cu

da

de

di

do

du

fa

fe

fi

fo

fu

ga

ge

g*

go

g«

ha

he

hi

ho

hu

ka

ke

ki

ko

ku

la

le

li

lo

lu

ma

me

mi

mo

mu

na

ne

ni

no

nu

pa

pe

Pi

po

pa

ra

re

ri

ro

ru

fa

fe

fi

fo

fu

ta te ti to tU

Words of one Syllabic.

.Are

be child

face

air

bcft clay

fine

add

bed cry

fair

all

hold cup

few

ape

bad ear

fight

God

kid grace

give

great

kind heart

hat

grant

kill had

hath

good

kick goofe

glafs

grafs

kifs hair

he

grew

knee head

health

."heal

long nine

peace

how

man no

peep

hide

maid note

pence

knit

mole of

pitch

known

moon old

play

knew

more once

pure

Words of two SylMrs.

Ab-fent Abfent

Bold-ly Boldly

Con-ftant Conftant

De-pend Depend

En-clofe Enclofe

Fa-ther Father

Glo-ry Glory

Hus-band Husband

Words of three fyllables,

A-bu-ling Abirfing

Be- witch- ing Bewitching

Con-found'ed Confounded

Drun-ken-nefs Drunkertnefs

E-raf-mus Erafmus

Fa-cul-ty Faculty

God-H-Jiefs Godlinefs

Ho-li-nefs Holinefs

Im-pu-denr Impudent

Ka-len-der Kalender.

Words of four Syllable?.

Ac-corn- pa-ny Accompany

Bc-ne vo-ience Benevolence

Ce-re-mo-ny Ceremony

Difcon-tent-ed Difcontented

E-verlalHng Eveilafting

Fi-de-li-ty ™el.^.

Glo-ri-fy-ing Glofifymg

Hu-mi-li ty Humility

In-fir-mi-ty Infirmity.

Words of Jive Syllables.
Ad mi-ia-ti-on Admiration

Be-ne-fi-ci al Beneficial

Con-Mati-on Conloiation

De-da ration Declaration
Ex hor-u-ti-on Exhortation
For-nLca-tion Fornication
Ge-ne-ra ti-on Generation

Ha-Wta-ti-on Habitation
Itt-vl-ta ti on

A
B

C

D

Jn ddatn's Fall
We Sinned all.

Thy Life to Mend
This BccTt Attend.

The Cat doth play
And after flay.

A Dog will bite
A Thief 2t na&ht.

An Eagle* flight
Is out of fight.

The Idle Fool
Is whipt at School

H
J

K

M

As runs the Clafs
Mans life doth pafs,

My -Eoofcancl Heart
Shall never p*tt.

ffrft feels the Rod
Yet blffles GOD.

Our KJNG the

good
No man of blood.

The Lion bold

The Lamb doth hold.

The Moon gives light
In time of

fing
In Time of Spring.

The Royal Oak
it was the Tree

That favM His
Royal Majeftie.

Peter denies

His Lord and cries

Queen Ejtber comes

in Royal gtwe

To Save the JEWS

•from difrnal Fate

dothino\ir>
For her firft born.

Samuel anoints
Whom God appoint;

Time cuts down all
Both great and fir.aH.

Made David leek his
Life.

Wiales in the Sea
God's Voice obey.

Xerxts the great did

die,
And lo mult you & I.

Youib forward Wps
Death foonelt -nips.

Zacbcus he

Did climb the Tree

Hrt Lord to fee,

Now tbe Child being cntrtd in Us
Letters and Spelling, Jet him
learn tbffe and fuck like Sen*
tences by Heart, wberfby be will
le both infirutted In bis Duty,
cind encouroged in bis I*tarning.

TbcDutiJul Cbild's Promlfes,

I Will fear GOD,and. honour the KINGL
I will honour my Father & Mother*
I -wil! obey my Soperiours.
I will Submit to my Elder?,
I will Love my Friends,
1 will hate no Man.
I will forgive my Enemies, and pray to

God for (hem.

* will a$ much as in me lies Xetnail God's
Holy Commandments,

I will learn my Gatechifm.
I will keep the Lord's Day Holy,
I will Reverence God's Santfuary,
For our GOD is a cvnjiiming Fire,

An Alphabet of Le/ons for Youtb.
Wife Son mafas a glad Fathcr,but
a foolifh Son is the heaviness of
his Mother.

BEtter is a little with the fear of the
Lord, than great treafure and trou-
ble therewith,

COme unro CHRIST all ye that la.
bour and are heavy laden, and He
\vi!l give you reit.
,O not the abominable thing which

I bate, faith the Lord.
'Xcept a Man be born again, he can-
not fee the Kingdom of God.
'Oolilhnefs is bound up in the heart o£
a Child, but the rod of Comftion
£ha]l drive it far from him.
Kievc not the Holy Spirit:

HOIinefs becomes God's Houfe for
ever.

is good for me to draw near unto
God.
Eepthy Heart with allDiligcnce, tot

out of it are the iffues of lafr.
iars fiiall have their part in the lalcc
\vhich burns with fire and brimitone.

MAny arc the Affliftions of the
Righteous, buc the Lord delivers
tncm mxt of tfiem al).

NOW is the acc*ptec* time, now is
the cliy of feivacion.
OUt of tRc abundance of die beare
the mourh fpeakecn.
PRay to thy Father which is in fecret,
end thy father which Ites in fccror,
fhall reward thee openly.

a Jit you like Men, be ftrong, ftand
Uit in the Faith.

R-Emember thy Creator in the days
of thy Youth.
Alvation bclongcth to the Lord.

s

B Trurt

TPufl in God at a.11 times ye peopK
pour out ycur beam before rum.
Ufon the wicked God fhall rain an
horribie Tempeft.

~O to the wicked, it flull be ill
with him, for the feward of his
fhall be given him.

lort one awotber daJiy wH'e is
_^ is ailed to day, Iclt any cf you
bclmrdcncd through tlic deceitlulnefs of
Sin.

YOung Men ye have overcome iLe
wicked one.

ZEil hrth confumcd me, bccaufe thy
enemies have forgotten the word<
of God. Choice Sentences

1. Priying will make thee leave fin
ninp,. or finning will make thcc leave
praying.

2. Our Weaknefs and Inabilities break
noe the bond of our Duties.

3. Whac we arc afraid to fpcak before
Men, svc fliould be air^id to thinJc btfoic

The LORD's Trayer.

OURfa-ther which art in H«».ven>
Hii-low-ed be thy Name. Thy
Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on
Emfa as rt is in Hea-yen. Give ui this
da,y OUT aai-iy Bread, And for-give us
our Debts as we for-give our Deb-tor?,
And lead us not in.to Temp-ta-ti-orij but
d*-lj-ver us from «-vil, for thine is the
Kingdom, the Power and the Qlo.ry, for
ever, A-MEN.

Tbe CREED.

ISe-lieve in GOD the Father Almigh-
ty, Ma-ker of Hea.ven and Earth. And
in Je-fus Ghritl his on-Iy Son our Lord,
which was con-ceiv-ed by the Ho-Iy
Ghoft, Born of the Vir.g'm Mary, Suf-
fer-ed "un-derPo«-/r*»J Pi-late, waicra.ci-
fi.ed, Dead atid Bu-ri-ed> He de-fcen-ded
in.-tp Hell. The third Diy he- i.rofe
a.gain from the Dead ; and af-feen-ded
in-to Hea-fcn, and fit-teth on the Right,
Hand of God the Fa-thetf Al.mi^h.ty
From thence he .ftwli come to judg, tj

the quick and the dead. I bMievc in the
Ho-fy Ghott, the Ho-Jy Ca-chiHick
Courch, ehe Com.iuu-ni-on of Saints the
Fof-^ivp.ncfs of Sins, the K«-fur.rec.ti.on
of the Bo-dy, and the Life E-vcr-kif-jne
A-MEN.

T/?e T<?« Comma ndmenist Exod. XX.

GOD />/!*<? /j// Hi efeWords. faying,
am fbe Lord thy God, which have
brought thee out of ibe Land o
out of the Houfe of Bondage.

I. Thou fiiajt have no other gods
before me.

II. Thou ftuh not make unto tliee any
graven Image, or any likenefs of any
thing that is in Heaven above, cr that is
in the Earth beneath, or that is in the
Water under the Earth j thou (halt not
bow down thy fcif to them, nor ferve
them, for I the Lord thy God am a je<*.

us Gqd, vi/iting the iniquity of the Fa-
icrsupon the Children, unto the third

and fourth «
me, aijd fhe
of them th

III.
tlve LO
will no

IV

it ho*
allth«

Sabbat
{halt IK
nor thy JL
nor thy ?
the Strs
infix
Earc

bit

(n/t Adultery.
He

Neigfw

'ct thy
rvant,

ior hi$
lelgh-

Parents.

ing, He-

-, and

: him

and fourth Generation of them that hate
me and fhewing Mercy unto thoufands
of them that love Me and keep my Com-
mandments.

III. Thou fhalt not take the Name of
the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord
will not hold him guiltlefs that taketh his
Name in vain.

IV. Remember the Sabbath Day and keep
it holy, fix Days fhalt thou labor and do
all thy Work, but the feventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou
fhalt not do any work, thou nor thy Son,
nor thy Daughter, nor thy Man Servant,
nor thy Maid Servant, nor thy Cattle, nor
the Stranger that is within thy Gates, for
in fix Days the Lord made Heaven and
Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and
refted the feventh Day, wherefore the Lord
blefsed the Sabbath Day and hallowed it.

V. Honor thy Father and thy Mother,
that thy Days may be long upon the Land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

VI. Thou {halt not Kilh

[Restoration of lacking

VII. Thou {halt not commit Adultery.

VIII. Thou (halt not Steal.

IX. Thou (halt not hear falfe Witnefs
againft thy Neighbor.

X. Thou fhalt not covet thy Neigh-
bor's Houfe, thou fhalt not covet thy
Neighbor's Wife, nor his Man Servant,
nor his Maid Servant, nor his Ox, nor
his Afs, nor anything that is thy Neigh-
bor's.

These IVords which I command thee this
Day shall be in thy Heart.

DUTY OF CHILDREN TOWARDS
THEIR PARENTS.

God hath commanded faying, Ho-
nour thy Father and Mother, and
whofo curfeth Father or Mother, let him
die the Death. Mat. 15. 4.

Children obey your Parents in the
Lord, for this is right.

2. Honour thy Father and Mother,
(which is the firft Commandment with
Promife).

[Restoration of lacking texf\
20

3. That it may be well with thee,
and that them mayft live long on the
Earth.

Children, obey your Parents in all
Things, for that is well pleafing unto the
Lord. Col. 3, 20.

The Eye that mocketh his Father,
and defpifeth the Instruction of his
Mother, let the Ravens of the Valley
pluck it out, and the young Eagles eat
it.

Father, I have finned againft Heaven,
and before thee. Luke 15, 10.

19. I am no more worthy to be called
thy Son.

No man ever hated his own flefh, but
nourifheth and cherifheth it. Ephes.

5, 19-

I pray thee let my Father and Mother

come and abide with you, till I know
what God will do for me. I Sam.
22, 3.

My Son, help thy Father in his Age,
and grieve him not as long as he liveth.

[Restoration of lacking texf\

21

12. And if his Underftanding fail,
have patience with him, and defpife him
not when thou art in thy full Strength.

Whofo curfeth his P^ather or his Moth-
er, his Lamp (hall he put out in obfcure
Darknefs. Prov. 20, 20.

VERSES.

I in the Burying Place may fee
Graves fhorter there than I ;

From Death's Arreft no Age is free,
Young Children too may die ;

My God, may fuch an awful Sight,
Awakening be to me !

O

Oh ! that by early Grace I might
For Death prepared be.

AGAIN.

Firft in the Morning when thou doft

awake,

To God for his Grace thy Petition make,
Some Heavenly Petition life daily to lay,
That the God of Heaven may blefs

thee alwav.

[Restoration of lacking tex1~\

22

Good Children tnuft,
Fear God <*& £>*/, Love Chrift alway,
Parents obey, In Secret Pray,

tfo falfe thing fay t Mind little Play,
By no Sin*Jlr0fr Make no delay ,
In ddjng Good'

Awake, arijet behold tbou baft

Tbj tiff a Leaf, tby Breath a

At Night lye down preaid to have

Learn thefe four Lines by Hearc-

Havc Communion vohb few,
Be Intimate laltb ONE.
Deal jujUy witb all.
Speak Evil of none.

TheNamesandOrder of theBooks

f rheOld andNew-Teftamenr.

EneJis Lcvitie^

Exvdus Numbers

Deuteronomy

Jofli.ua

Judges

Ruth

J. Samuel

II. Samuel

I. Kings

II. Kings

I. Chronicles

II. Chronicles
Ezra

Nehemiah
Efther

Job
Pfalms
Proverbs
Ecclefiaftes
Solomons Song

Ifaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hofea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniali

Haggai

Zecliariah

Malachi-

Matthew

MAtthew
Mark
Luke
John

The Afts
Romans
L Corinthians
II Corinthians
Galatians
Ephefians
Philippians
Coloffians
I. ThefTalonians
H- Theffalonians

T Timothy.
II. Timothy
Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

I Peter
II. Pefer
I- John

II John
III- John
Jude
Revelations

The numeral Letters and Figures,
which ferve for tie ready finding of tiny
Chapter, Pfatm, and VerJ't in the Bible.

ii

ii;

one
two
three

iv

4

four

V

five

Vi

6

ti*

Vii

1

fcVCD

Viii

8

eighs

ix

9

nine

X

10

ten

xi

ii

eleven

Xii

it

twelve

Xiii

*3

thirteen

siv

>4

fourteen

XV

as

fifteen

XVi

J<J

fixteen

XVii

J7

fcvenreca

XYiii

38

eighteen

Xfc

19

nineteen

XX

ao

twenty

XKi

ai

tweniy one

xxii

27

tsveoty two

x&»i

*3

twenty three

XXJ7

*4

twenty foul

yxv

^S

twenty five

XXVI

16

twenty fix

xxvli

X7

twenty fevcn

xxviii

28

twenty cighi

nix 19 twenty nine

xxx 30 thirty

xxxi at thirty one

*vvu gi thirty two

xxvii 33 tfrrry three

XXKJV 34 thirty faut

xxxv 35 thirty five

xxxvi 36 thirty fix

xxxvii 37 thirty ftvew

xxxviii 38 thirty eighc

xsx-jt 39 tkifty niw

xi ^o forty

xli 41 forty one

xlii 41 forty two

xl U 43 forty three

xli* <H forty f°uf

xiv «{-5 forty fiva

xWi <j"5 forty fix

jtlfii 47 forty ftven

x:v»i 48 forty cighc

xilx 49 forty, nine

I 50 fifcy

li 5! fiity one

iii 5l fifty two

Ji» 53 filry three

'»v 54 pfty four

lv. 55 fiit /five

Jvi 56 fifty fix

Ivi] 57 fifty fevfn

lv'h 58 fifty eight

59 fifty nine

60 fixty

I** 6 1 fixcy one

l'*\\f 61 fixty two

Jxiii 63 fixry t^ree

Ixiv (5^ f xty four

Ixv 65 fixcyfive

Ivvi (5<$ f]Xty fix

Jxvii 67 fixt-y leveri

ixviji 68 fixiy eig^t

Ixi* ^9 lixty nine

Jxx 70 iVvcnty

Ixxi 71 fevsnty one

Ixxi; 7z fcventy two

l^xjii 73 fevcnty three

jxx'«v 74 ftveniyfour

Jx'xv 7? ieventy five

Jxxvi 76 ieventy fix

Ixxvii 77 feventy fevtn

7^ fcvcmy eight

Ixxix
Ixxx

Ixxxj

txx/ii
iXXXiii

faxxiv

Jxxxv

Ixxxvi

Ixxxviii
Ixxxix
xc
xci

XCii

XCi\7

xcv

xcvi

xcvii

xcviii

xc/x

c

79

80

81

83

85

86

87
83
89
90

9*
93

95

96

97
93

99

100

ftventy nine
eighty
eighty one
eighty two

eighty three
eighty four
eighty five
eighty fix
eighty feven
eighty eight
eighty nine
ciineiy
ninety one
ninety CWD
ninety three
ninety four
ninety five
ninety fix
ninety fcven
ninety ejght
ninety rune
an hundred

Mr.

M

R, Jobn Roger s7 M in liter of
the Gofpel in London,vi*s

* ^-*. Tf # * T~^ * —

the

qndwas burnt
tfff^the fourteenth, iJ54-HisWife,
with nine fmaliChildren,and one

at

at herBreaft/ollottf fjglrim to the

Stake,with which Ibrrowfui fight
he was not in the haft daunted,
tmu with wonderful Parience died
couragioufly for the Golpel of
JefusChrifi

-SW few Days ,

*c writ the following Exhortation
to bit Children.

give ear my Children fo my word*,
^ whom God hach deafly bought,
Lzy up his Laws within your heart.

and print them in your thought
1 leave you here a little JBook,

for you to look upon •

G '

Not many chys before my Death

I did compere thfs Work,
And for Example to your Youth,

to whom I wi/h all good 5
I fend you here pod's pcrfefl Truth,'

and feel it with my Bfood
To you my Heirs of earthly Things;

which I do leave behind,
That you may read and underftand,

and keep it in your mind.
That as you have been Heirs of thet

which once fhaJ! wear away,
You alfo may poffcfs that part,

which never lhall decay.
Keep always GOD before your cyery

with all your whoje intent ;
Commit no Sin in any wife,

Veep his Comma ndement.
Abhor that arrant Whore of Rome,

and all her Biafpbemiej •,
And drink not of her cursed Cop,

obey not her decrw.
Give honour to your Mother dear,

remember well her pafn 5

And recompenfe her in her Age

with the like love again.
Be always ready for her help,

and let her not decay ^
Remember well your Father all .

that fliould have been your flay.
Give of your Portion to ihePoor,

as Riches do arife ^
And from -the needy natad Soul

turn not away your eyes.
For he that doth not hear the cry

of thofe that ftand in need.
Shall cry himTelf and not be heard,

when he does hope to fpeed,
If GOD hath given you increafe

and bjefled well your Jtore,
Remember you are put in truft,

and fhould relieve the poor.
Beware of fed and filthy Lufo,

let fuo'h things have no place,
Keep clean your VeiTeh in the Lord,

thai he may you embrace.
Ye arc the Temples of the Lord,

for you are dearly bougU „

And they that do defile the fame

/hall furely come to nought.
Be never Proud by any means,
build not thy houfc too bigfj,
But always have before yeur eye?.

that you are born to die.
Defraud not him that hired is,

your labour to fuftain;
And pay him ftill without delay,

hi« wages for bis pain.
And as vou wouU mother Man

ogainit you ftiould proceed,
Do you the fame to them igaio.

if they do ftand in need.
Impart your Portion to the Poor3

in Money and in Meat,
And fend the feeble fainting Soul

of that which you do eat.
AskCounfd always of the wife,

give ear unto the end,
And nt'r refute the fweet rebuke

of him that is tUy Friend.
Be always thankful to the Lord,

with Prayer and with Praifc,

Begging of him to blefs your work,

audio direct your ways.
Seek fitft I fay the living GOD,

and always Vim adore j
And then be -Turc that he will bJcfs

your basket and your flore.
And I befecch Almighty GOD,

rcplcnifh you with Grace^
That I may meet you in the Hcav'ns,

and fee you face to face.
And tlio' the Fire my Body burns,,

contrary to my kind ;
That I cannot enjoy your love,

according to my mind.
Yet I do bope that when the Hcav'ns,

fhalJ vanifh like a fcrowl,
I fhall fee you in perfeft ftupe,

in Body and in f>ouj,
And that I ma,y enjoy your Iovc3

and you enjoy the Land
I do befcech the Jiving LORD

to hold you in his hand.
Thouzh here my Body be adjudg'd

in flaming Fire to fry,

My Soul I trulf will ftraight afcend,

to live with GOD on high.
What though thisCatf^ft (mart a while

what though this Life de-ray,
My Sou! I trull will be with GOD,

and live with him for aye.
I know I am a Sinner born,

from the Original;

nd that I do dckrve to dip,

by my Fore-Fathers (afl.
by our Saviour's precious BloocS,

wirich on trie Crofs was ipilr,
Who freely ofifer'd up his Lifr, '

to fave our Souls from Guilr,
J hope Redemption I fhall havr,

and ail that in him trull 5
When J fhall fee him face to face,

and live among the Julh
Wfiy then fhould I fear Deaths grim Joofc,

fince ChrHl for me did die? ,
For King and Ofar, Rich and Poor,'

the force of Death, mutt trie.
When I am chained to the Stake,

and Faggots girt me round,

Then pray the Lord my Soul in Hrav'n

may be with Glory crown'd.
Come welcome Death, the end of fears,

I am prepar'd to die j
Tnofe earthly Flames will fend my Soul,

up to the Lord on high.
Farewel my Children to the World,

where you mult yet reoiaim
The Lord of .Holt be your defence

til) we do meet again.
Farcwcl my true and Joving Wifr?

my Children sod my Friends,
I hope in Heaven to fee you all,

when all things have their end*
If you go on to ferve the Lord,

as you have now begun,
You fhdl walk fafely all your dayf,

until your life be done.
GOD grant you fo to end your days,

as hefhall think ir beft,
Thar I may meet you in the Heav'flJ,

where I do hope to reft.

The

The SHORTER

CATECHISM

Agreed upon by the Reverend
Affembly of D j v i n es

Qu eft Y 71 7 Hat ts the chief End
VV of Man ?

Anfw. Man's chief End is to
Glorify God, and to Em'oy Him
for ever,

d What Rule batb Godgivtr. to
dircft us bow we may glorify and
tnjoy Him ?

A. The Word of God which is
contained in the Scriptures of the

Old and New Telhment, is th
only Rule to direft us how we
may glorify and enjoy him.

Q. What do ibe Scriptures prin-
cipally teach -?

A. The Scriptures principally
teach,what Man is to believe con-
cerning God, and what duty God
requireth of Man.

Q. Wbat is God >

A. God is a Spirit, Infinite, E-

ternal, and Unchangeable, in His

JBeing, Wifdom, Power, Holinefs,

Juftice, Gcodnefs and Truth.

Qj. Are there nor (Gods than Ons ?

A, There is but ONE only,
the living and true God.

Qj How mani fcrfons are there
;> the God-had f
'A. There are Three Perfons in

the God-Head, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Ghofr,8c tliefe
Three are One GOD the fame in
Subtfance,equal inPower&Mory.

Q. What are tbe Decrees cj God ?

A. The Decrees of God are his
eternal Purpofe, accord ing to the
Ccunfel of hisownWill.v/hcreby
for his own Glory, he. ha:h fore-
ordained whaif .cvcrcomes to pafs

Q. Hew dptb Gcd execute bis

A- God executcrh his Decrees
5a the Works of Creation & Pro-
vide nee.

Q^. Whet it tbtWorkcf Creation?

A. The Work of Creation is
God's Making aii things of No-
thing, by the Word of hisPower,

5n the fpacc of fis: days, ft ail \^

j-y gOOd.

(V 7/i/»- J/V/ C?/?f? creaft S»-"fl ?

A. God created Man Male and
Female, after his own Image, in
Knowledge, Rigbreoofncfs, and
Holirefs, *wi\h Dominion over

ths

Q] i 7-1.? ?'-?•? C\^j WrrksofProvidttice?

A, God's Woiks otProvider.ee
arc his molt holy, wife £t power-
ful prefer ving 8i gcvering ail his
Creatures and all their Aftions.

Q. H^/;a/ fpcc'iG* A [I cfPrcvidetta
AidQcd exercifc toward ffil&n intbs
Eflaft Khcjtcin be was created ?

A, WhcnGod had crearedMan,
He sntred into a Covenant of Life
with liim,uponcor.diuGnofperi'e&
Obedience; forbiddiog him to £3:

of the Tree of knowledge of good
and evil upon pain of Death.
Q. Did our frftPwents continue in
ihetflatc wbcrein \bey were created?

A. Our firftParents being lefc to
the freedom of their ownWilI,f€l!
from theeffate wherein they were
created, by finning againft God,

Q. What ii Sin !

A. Sin is any want of Confor-
mity unto,orTranfgfef/ion of the
Law of God.

Q. What was the Sin whereby cur
frjl Parents fell from the eflats
wot rein tbey were c re at el ?

A. The Sin whereby our full
Parents fell from the eftate where-
in they were created, was their

eating the forbidden fruit.

Did

Q. Did all Mankind fall in A*

dam's ftr ft tronfgrejjiort ?

A. The Covenant being made
with Adatn, not only forhimfelf
but for his Pofterity, all Mankind
defcend ing from him by ordinary
Generation, finned in him,& fell
with him in hisfirfl tranfgreffion.
Q. Info wkaf cftate did ibt Fall
bring Mankind ?

A. The Fall brought Mankind

into an eftate of Sin and Mifery,

Q; Wherein conftfls tbe Jinfulricfs

of thai eflatc vibcrcin+o Man fell #

A. The finfulnefs of that eltate

whereintoMan fell, confifts in the

Guilt of Adam's firit Sin,the want

oFOriginalRightecufnefs,and the

Corruption of his whole Nature,

which is commonly calledOriginal

Sin, together withal I aftualTranf-
greflions which proceed from it.

Q. What is tie Mi f try 0J fat
eflatc wherclnto Man fell ?

A, AilManfcind by theirfall,loft
Communion with God, are under
his Wrath K Curfe, and fo made
liable to all Miferiesin this Life,
to Death it felf, and to the pains
of Hell for ever.

Q. Did God leave alManklnd to
fgrijf) in ibt ettatcoj Sin tfMiferjr >

A. God having out oF his meet
good pleafure from all fiiemUr,
Elefted fome to evetlafting Life,
did enieiintoaCovenant of Grace,
to deliver themout of the Hate of

Sin 8C Miferjr, and to being them
into a ftate of Salvation b.y a Re-
deemer, ^ Wbo

QWbo is

A. The onlyRcdeemer ofGod a
Eleft,is the Lord JefusChtift,who
being the eternal Son of God,be-
came Man,and fo was, and conti-
nues to be God and Man in two
diftinft Natures, and one Perfon
for ever.

Q; How didCbrifl being the Son
of God become Man ?

A. Chrift the Son of God be-
came Man, by taking to himfelf a,
true Body and a reafonable Soul,
being conceived by the power of
the Holy Ghoft, in the Womb of
theVirgiu Maryt and born of her,
and yet without Sin.

Q. Wb«t Offices doth Grift exe-
cute as our Rfdremr ?

A, Chrift

A. Chrtft 3S our Redeemer exe-
cutes theOfficc of a Prophet,of a
Prieft, and of a King, both in his
elhte ofHurntliationSiExaltation,

Q; How doib Cbrifl execute the
Office of a Prophet ?

^.Chrilt executeth theOfficc of
a Prophet, in revealing to us fcy
his Word and Spirit, the Will of
God for our Salvation.

Q How doth drift execute the
Office of aPritft-

A Chrift executeth the Office
of a Prieft,in his once offering up
himfelfaSacrifice tofatisfy Divine
Juftice,5Creconc!le us toGod,& in
makingcontinuallnterceffionforus

Q^ now dotb Cbrifl txccute the
Office oj a King ?

vi.Chrift executeth theOffice of

3 King, in fubduingustohimfelf
in ruling and defendingus, and in
retraining and conquering all his
and our Enemies.

Q. Wherein did Cbrifl's Humili-
ation confifl ?

A. Chrift'sHumiliation confided
in His being born, and that in a
lowcondltion.,madeunderthelaw
undergoing the miferies ofibis life
the wrath of God,and the curfed
Death of the Crofs, in being bu-
ried and continuing under the
power of Death for a time.
QWberfin confiflsChriJh Exaltation

A. Chrid's Exaltation confilteth

in his rifing again from theDead

on the third day, in afcendingup

into Heaven,6irittingattheRight

D Hand

Hand of God the Father, and in
coming to judge the World at
the lait Day.

Q How arc we madePartakfrs of
the Redemption pur chafed by Cbrifl*

A, We are madePanakers of the
Redemption purchafed by Chrift,
by the effectual Application of
it to us by his Holy Spirit.
Q, How dotb the Spirit apply Jo us
the Redemption punbafed by Cbrifil

A. The Spirit applierh to us the
Redemption purchafed by Chrift,
by working Faith in us, &. there-
by uniting us to Chrilt in our
effectual Calling.

Q. What ti tffctittal Calling ?

yi.ErTeaualCaliing is theWork
of God's Spirit, whereby convinc-
ing us of oar Sin & Mifery, en-

lightning ourMinds in ^Know-
ledge of Chrilr, & renewing out
Wills,I?e doth peifwade tenable
us ro embrace Jefus Chriit, free-
ly offered to us in theGofpsL
QWbatBcncjitsdotfay tbatareifjgc-
tually called partake oj in sb/sLijf*
A. They that areEfteftualty cai-
led,do in thisLife partake of Tuf.
tification, Adoption, Sandificati-
on, & the feverai Benefits which
in this Life do either accompany
or flow from them.
&f/ is

*• Jawincaiion is an att of God's
freeGrace,wherein he paidoneth
all our Sins, a.nd accepteth us as
Jighteous,nhisfighr,onlyforthe
f^teoufnefsofChrift imputed ro
us, and received by Faith alone,

Q; What h Adoption >

A. Adoption is an Att of God's
FreeGrace,whereby we arerectiv-
ed into the Number, and have
Right to all the Priviledges of
the Sons of God

Q. What is Santffoation f

A. Sanftification is theWork of
God's freeGrace,whereby wears
renewed in the whole Man,after
the Image of God, fit are enabled
more 8C more to die unto Sin, &
live unto Righteoufnefs.

Q. Wbatarf ibc Ben efts which in
ibislijcdoaccompanyorjl wjromjuj-
tification.Adoptiontf t>antt if cation <

A. The Benefits which in this
Life do accompany or flow from
Juflification,Adoption orSanctifi-
canion,are aiFurance ofGod's love,

peace of Conference, joyin the
Holy Ghoft/mcreafc or Grace, K
«ef leverance therein to the end.

O. What bcnrjits do Believers re-
ceive from Cbrijl at their Death ?

A The Souls of Believers are at

thcitDeath made perfect inHoli-

neis, & do immediately pals into
Glory, a their Bodies being lull
united to Chrift, do reft in their
Graves till the Refurre£rion.

(V What bcrujns do Believers rt-
ceivcframCbriji at tbcRffurretfbn ?
/L Anvhe Refune^ionBelievers
being raifed up toGloiy, fhall be
openly acknowledged a acquit-
ted in the Day of Judgment, 8C
made perfeftly bleflTed in full en-
joying of God, to all Eternity.
~ is the Duty which Gad

requires of Man ?

-d. The Duty which God re.

quires of Man, is Obedience to

his revealed will.

<Jj What did God at //•£? reveal to

MtTifor the Rule oj bis Obedience ?

A- TheRule which God at ftrft
revealed toMan for hisObedience
was the Moral Law.

Ck Where is tbt Mitral Law
fummarily comprehended ?

A. TheMoralLaw isfummari-
ly comprehended in the Ten
Commandments.

Q; What is the Sum cf ibeTen
Commandments ?

A. The Sum of the Ten Com-
mandments is, To love the Lord
ourGod with all our Heart, with
all our Souls, and with all ou:

Strength, and with all our Mind,
and our Neighbour as ourfdves.

Q; What a the Preface 10 ibe
Ten Commandments ?

A. The Preface to the Ten
Commandmentsisin thefe Words,
/ am the Lord iby God, winch b.sve
brought ibee out vfiht Land of Egypt,
out of the Ho life of Bandage.

(X What <Jotb the Preface to tbff
Ten Commandments teach IM ?

A. The Preface to theTenCom-
mandments teachefh us, that be-
caufe God is the Lord, &c cur God
and Redeemer, therefore we sre
bound to keep all his Command-
ments.

Q; Wbicb is tbefrfl Commandment*
-d.TheftrltCummandmentiSjTW
pull btve n\> oihtrgods brfore Ale.

Q What x required in the />#
Commandment f

A. The (it It Commandment re-
quircth us to know and acknow-
ledge G»d to be the only trueGod
and our God, and to worfhip and
glorify him accordingly.
^ Q; What is forbidden in tbsfirft
Commandment ?

A. The firft Commandment for-
biddeih the denying, or not WOP
(hipping and glorifying the true
God, as God and our God, &: the
giving that Worfhip andGlory eo
anyothetwhich isduetohimalone

Q^Wbat are ihe fpccially taught by
tkffc ^rrf.r(Before Me}//? thcfrjl
Commandment <*

A. ThefeWotds^/7^ f»0 in
the firft Commandmenr^teach us,

ThatGod who feeth all things,ta-
keth notice of, and is much dif-
pleafed with the Sin of having
any other god.

QWbicb )6 tbcftcondCommandmcnt ?
A. The fecond Commandment
is,Tfo>#y?W/ not make unto tkec any
Qraurcnlma^e.or any likcnefs of any
thing that h inheaven abov.e^or ihat
ii in tbcEanb bcncaih^or ibat h in
ibcWater under ibe Earth: Tboufhalt
not bow down tbyfe/ffo tbtm., nor
fcrve tbtmjor I tbcLord tbyGod am
afcefausGod, v'lfiiingjbc Iniquities
oftbcFaibcrs upon tbcCbildren.untd
ibe tbird and fourtbtjCTicration oj
them tbat bare meff ffiewrtg we fey
unto tboujands of them tbat love nft
and keep my Commandments.
Q, What is rtuired in

Commandment ?

A. The fecond Commandment
requirethrherecciving,obrerving
&: keeping pure & entire all fuch
religious Worfhip 8c Ordinances,
asGod hath appointed in hisWord
Q. What is forbidden in the fecond
Commandment ?

A The fecond Commandment
forbiddeth the worfhipping of
God by Images,or any other way,
nor appointed in his Word.

Q; What are the Rctfvns annexed
to the fecond Commandment ?

A. The Reafons annexed to the
fecond Commandment, are God's
Sovereignty over us,hisPropriety
in us, and the Zeal he hath to
his own Worfhip-
Q. Wbicb ts'ibe tbirdCommandtneml

A. The third Commandment is,
Tboufhalt not take the Name of tbe
Lord thy God in vain \ for the Lord
voill not bold him guiltlefs that ta-
ketb bis Name in vain.

Q. Wbat is required in tbe tbird
Commandment ?

A. The thirdCommandment re-
quireth the holy &: reverend ufe
of God'sN a me, Titles., Attributes,
Ordinances,Word and Works.
Q. Wbat is forbidden in tbe ibird
Commandment ?

A. The third Commandment
forbiddeth all prophaning or a-
bufingoFany thing whereby God
maketh himfelf known.

Q^ Wbat is ibe Reafon annexed
to tbf tbird Commandment >

A. The Reafon annexed to the

Third Commandment Is, That
'however theBreakersofthisCom-
mandment may efcape Punifli-
ment from Men yet the Lord our
God will not fuffer themtoefcape
Iiis righteous Judgment,
QWbichistbeJouribCotnmandment'*
A> The fourth Commandment
isj&emcmber tbf Sabbath- Day tokeep
it Holy fix Daysjlwlt tbou labour &
do alltbyWork.but tbffcvcntbDay is
tbeSabfatb of tbe Lord tby Gcdjn it
tboufoalt not do any work-, tbou nor
thy Son, n or tby Daughterly Man/rr-
vant,nor tby Maid ffrvtMt* nor tby
CattU,nor tbe Straager that is witb-
tn tbyGates -,for infixDaysibcLord
mtdeHeavcn & Lartb, tbe S«i, and
all that in tbem is, V re fled tbe ft-
vcntbDay>wbere}orc tbeLord b/ejj'fd

tbfSabbat'h Day, and balhwfd if.

Q. What is required in the fourth
Commandment ?

A. The fourth Commandment
jequireth the keeping holy to
God fuch fet times as he hath ap-
pointed in his Word, exprefly
one whole Day in feven to be an
holy Sabbath to Himfelf.

QJtfbicb day of the f even batbGvd
appointed to bftbc weekly Sabbath t

A. From the beginning of the
World totheRefurreftion ofCbrifl
God appointed the feventh Day
of the Week to be the weekly
Sabbath, and thefirft Day of the
Week ever fince, to continue to
the end of the World, which is
the Chriftian Sabbath.
Q. Uow is tbtSabbatbto befanStJied(

A The Sabbath is to be fanftified
by an holy yeftingall thatDay,e-
veji from fuch worldly Employ-
mems&Recreauons,as arelawiul
on other Days, & f pending the
whole time in publickSi private
exercifes o/God sWorfhip, except
fo much as is to betaken up in
rheWorks of Necefllty8c Mercy.
Q^ What is forbidden in the fourth
Commandment >

A. The -fourth Commandment
forbiddeth the Omiffion or care-
lefs Performance of the Duties
reqaired, fit the prophaning the
Day by idlenefs, or doing that
which is in it felf "finful, or by
unneceflary Thoughrs, Words or
Works, about worldly Employ-
ments or Recreations,

Q. Wba are ikfRtafons annex-
ed to tbe fcunb Commandment £

A. TheReafons annexed to the
fourth Commandment-, are God's
allowing us fix Days of rheWeek
for our own Employments, "His
challenging a fpecial Propriety in
the feventh,1iis ownExample,and
his blefling the Sabbath Day.
QjVbicbis the fifth Comman imcnt '-

A. The fifthCommandment is

thy Days may be Ion a upon tbf land
which fbf Lord tby Godgiveib thai.

Q; Wbat is required in tbejijtb
Commandment ?

A. The fifth Commandment re-
quirefhfhe prefervtng theHonour
8c performing the Duties belong
Ing to eveiy one in their fevefal

Places and Relations, as Superi-
ours, Inferiours, or Equals.

Q. What is forbidden in tbfjiftb
Commandment ?

A. The fifth Commandment
forbiddeth the neglefting ordoing
any thing againlt the Honour and
Duty which belongeTh to every
one in their feveral Places & Re-
lations.

Q. What is ibe Reafon annexed
10 the fifth Commandment ?

A. The Reafon annexed to the
fifth Commandment, is a promlfe
of long Life & Profperiry,(as far-
as it fhall ferve (or God's Glory
and their own gocd; ro all fuch
as keep this Commandment.
QWbith is thefixtbConHnaadfltiirf

A. The fixth Commandment is.

Thou Jhalt not K///.

Q. What is required l» tbefixi b
Commandment ?

A. The fixth Commandment
requireth ail lawful Endeavours
to preferve our ownLife,and the
Life of others.

Q; What if forbidden in tbtjixtb
Commandment t

A. The fixth Command ment
forbiddeth the liking away of
our own Life, or the Life of our
Neighbour unjuttly, and whatfo-
everfendeth thereunto.

feventhCommandment

Q. W bat ii rrqitirtd in ihe ft-
nw Comwandmeni ?

E A

AThe feventhCommandment
requireththe prefervation of our
own, and oarNeighbour'sChalti-
ty, in Hearr,Speech&Behaviour8

Q. What it forbidden in tbefc-
Vtntb Commandment ?

AThe fevemhCommandment
forViddeth all unchaftThoughts,
Words and A&ions.
QWbich is tbc ei&ttbCoMmandm(nfl

A. The eight hCommandment
is, Thou /half not Steal

Q_ What *f required in tbe c\$tf)
Commandment *

A. The eighth Commandment
requireth the lawful procutingSC
furthering theWeaith&outwaTd
Eftateofour felvesand others.
QWbrt if forbidden in ibt eighth
Commandment ?

A. The eighth Commandment
foibiddeth whatfoever doth, or
may unjuftly hinder our own,or
our Neighbours Wealth or out-
ward Ejtate.
QWbicb ii the nintbComman&mtnt

A. The ninth Commandment
\SiTbouJhalt not bear faJfeWitnefs
again ft tby Neighbour.

Q; Wbat h required in ibe ninth
Commandment ?

A. The ninth Commandment
requireth the maintaining and
promoting ofTruth betweenMan
and Man, and of our own, & our
Neigh nouTsgoodName,efpeciai-
ly in Wrtnefs bearing.

(X What is forbidden in the
nintb Commandment ?
^l-The ninthCommandmentfor-

bjddcth whatfoever is prejudicl-
altoTruthjOrinjurioustoourown
orour Neighbours good Name.
QWhith is theTemhCommandmcntZ

A. TheTenth Commandment
is, Thau/halt net covet thy Neigh-
tour's Houfc, thoufhalt not covet
thy Neighbour * Wife, nor bis Man
fcrvant, norhisMaidffrvant^nor
his OA-, nor his Aff, tor any thing
that is thy Neighbours.

Q. What is required in the tenth
Commandment ?

A. The tenth Commandment
requiteth fuilContentment with
our ovvnCQndition,with a right&
cbarirableffameofSpitir towards
our Nerghbour,& all that is his,

Q^ Wh« t is forbidden in ihe
tenth

^.TheTenthCommandment for-
biddeth allDifcontentment with
OUT own eftate,envying or griev-
ing at the good ofourNeighhour,
and all inordinate motions & af-
fe&icms to any thing that is his,

Q Is any Man ab/t pcrjetffy to
kttp the Commandments of God ?

A. Nomeer man fincetheFall
is able in this Life peffeOly to
keep theCommandmems ofGod,
but daily doth break them in
Thought, Word and Deed.

Q. An all Tranfgrejfions of tbf.
JLtfw equally heintus ?

A. SomeSins in theififelyeSjSc
by reafon of feveral Aggravations
are more heinous in the fight of
God than others.

Q,, Wbat dotb evtryftn dfff

A. Every Sin deferveth God's
Wrath and Curfe, both in this
Life,and that which is to come*

Q. What dctb God require oj
(/f.fhat Wf may efcapeb'nW rath and
Curfc^ due unto us for Sin ?
^Toefcape rbeWrath ScCurfe
of God due tons for Sin, God re-
quiretb of usFaith inTcfusChrifl1,
Repentance unto Lire, with the
diligent ufeof alloutwardMeans
whereby Chrilt communicaretri
to us the benefits ofRedemption,

Q^ What w Faith infeJusChnfc

A. Faith in Jefus Chriit is a
favingGrace, whereby we receive
and reft upon him alone for Sal-
vation, as He is offered to us in
the Gofpel

QWbtt isR(f(/itatJte untoliftt

'A. Repenrance unto Life, is a
faving Grace, whereby a Sinner
out of a rrue fenfe of hisSin,and.
apprcbcnfion of theMercy ofGod
in Chrift, cloth whh grief ^ ha
tred of his Sin, turn from it unto
God, with full purpofeof, & en-
deavour afrer new Obedience.

QWhat are the outward® 'ordina-
ry means wbcrcbyChriJl communion-
telb to us the benefits of Redemption?
A, The outwatd and ordinafy
means wherebyChrift comrnuni-
careth to us the benefits of Re-
demption are hisOrdinances, ef-
pecially theWord^Sacramenrs 8t
Prayer^ all which are made ef-
fc£lual to theEleft forSalvatiorr,

Q. Haw is the ujordrnade tffeftv&l
29 Salvation ?

A. The Spirit of God makerh
Hie Reading, but efpecially rlie
Preachingof'theWordaneffcau-
al Means of Convincing & Con-
verting Sinners, and ot building
them up in Holinefs 8c Comfort,
through Faith unto Salvation.

Q^Hcw is tbfWord to be R*<rd and
heard that tt may become effectual
to Salvation ?

ThattheWord may become
effectual toSalvafion,wemuft at-
tend thereunto with diligence,
Preparation 5c Prayer, receive ic
wit hFaith&Love5lay it up in our
Hea,rts,&praftice it in our Lives.

Q: How doin ;be bacramcnis be-
come eff eft ual means of Salvation?

A. TheSacraments become ef-
feftual Means of Salvation, not

from any vertue in them.orinhim
that dotk adminiltet them, but
only by the bleflingofChrift,and
the working of rheSpirit in the;n
that by Faith receive thetft,

Q^ Wbat is a Sacrament ?

A, A Sacrament is 'ail hf>ly Or-
dinance instituted by Chriit,
wherein by fenfihleSigns,Ch_riIt
and t be Benefits of theNewCove-
nanr afe iepreftnred,fealed, and
applied to Btlicvers.

Q. Whifbare tfo Sacraments of
ibs JVrw Tcflament *

A. TheSacramentsoftlieNew
Teftaraenr, are Baptifm, and tiie
Lord's Supper.

Q. 'Wbat is Bapiiftn?
-4.Baptifm isaSacrament,where-
in by wafhiog withWater in the

NameoftheFather,8coftheSon,
and of the Holy Ghoft, doth fig-
mty and fealour ingrafting into
Ctuift & partaking of the bene-
fits of theCovenant ofGrace,and
our Engagement to be rheLord's.

Q. To whom isftaptifm to be ad.*
tniniflrtd ?

A Baptifm is not tobeadmini-
(tred to any that are out of the
vifible Church, rill they profefs
their Faith in Chri(t,and Obedi-
ence to Him, but the Infants of
fuch asareMembersofthe viiible
Church are to be Baptifed.

C^. What is fa Lord's Supper ?
A. TheLord's Supper is a Sacra-
ment, wherein by giving and re-
ceivingBread & W 5 ne according
to Chrift Appointment, His

Death is fhewed forth, and the
worthy Receivers are not after a
corporal and carnal Manner, but
by Faith made Partakers of His
Body & Blood, with all hishene-
firs, to their Spiritual Nourifh-
rnentand growth in Grace.

Q^ Wbaf is required in jb( wor-
thy receiving of tbt Lord's Sapper?

A. It is required of rhem that
would worthily partake of the
Lotd'sSupper,that they examine
themfelvesof tlieirKnowIedge to
difcern the Lord'sBody,of iheir
Faith to feed upon Him, of their
Repentance,Love,&: new Obedi-
ence,lettcomingun worthily, they
eat and drink judgment to them-
felves,

Q. What is Prayer ?.

A Prayer is an offering up of
our Defircs to God, for Things a-
greeable to HisVVill,in theName
ofChrilt,with Confeflion of our
Sins, and thankful Acknowledg-
ment of his Mercies

Q; What Rufe h*tbG0<l given for
our Dirftfwn in Prayer t

A ThewholeWord of God is
of ufe to direct us in Prayer,but
the fpedal Rule of Direction is
that form of Prayer whichChrift
taught Hfs Difciples, commonly
called, The Lord's Prayer,

Q Wbat dot]) tbePrsfocf of ibe
"Lord's 'Prayer teach us ?

A. The Preface of the Lord's
Prayer, which \$,OurFatb(r ixbicb
<z//i/rl/(ftfvr/f,teacheth us tod raw
near to God with ail holy Reve-

rence.anSConfidencejasCh)
to aFather,able & ready to
u$,and that we (hould pray \
and for others.

QWbat do Defray for in MffirJlPeti

A. InthefirftPetition,which
Hg/Iomtd bt ihy Name, we pr*
that God would enable us and
thers, to glorify Him in all t
whereby lie make?himfelfkn<
and that He would difpofe
things to His own Glory.

QlPbat do vtfrayfor in tt>t ^nd Pettt

A- In the fecond Pethion,whicn
iSiTbyKixgdvm come, we pray rhat
Satan'sKingdcm may bedcitroy-
ed,theKingdcm of Grace may be
ad vanced,Gurfe,'ves Mothers bro*t
into it, & kept in if, & that the
Kingdom ofGlorymay be haftned.

Wlat do we fray for in tbe
Pttltion ?

In the thirdPetition,which
oy Will bt done onEnrtb as it is
favcn^wz pray, that God by
Grace, would make us able 8c
ling/to know, obey & fubmit
his Will in all things, as the
els do in Heaven.

at do we pray for inthe^thPelilion

a the fourth Petition, which

ve us fbisDay our daily Bread,

pray, that of God s free Gift

wemay tece.veacomperentPorti-

on of the good things of tbisLife,

and enjoy his blefling with them.

QWbat do we pray far in (he tfbpet'ition

AIn the fifth Petit ion., which is,
And forgive vs our Dfbts; as we
forgive our Dcbtonwe pray,that

God, for Chrift's fake, would freely
pardon all our fins, which we are
rather encouraged to afk, becaufe
by his grace we are enabled from the

D

heart to forgive others.
O. What do we pray for in the j.th petition ?
A. In the fixth petition, which is,
And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil, we pray, that
God would either keep us from
being tempted to fin, or fupport and
deliver us when we are tempted.
Q. What doth the conclusion of the
Lord's prayer teach us ?
A. The conclufion of the Lord's
prayer, which is, For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory
forever, Amen, teacheth us to make
our encouragement in prayer from
God only, and in our prayers to

[Restoration of lacking text]

77

praile him, afcribing kingdom, pow-
er and glory to him, and in tefti-
mony of our defires, and afsurance
to be heard, we fay, Amen.

[Restoration of lacking text~\

78

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