An Orthodox Catechism

A Note on An Orthodox Catechism by Hercules Collins

I have been unable to find an accurate online transcription of Hercules Collins' original catechism.

​This one at thecalvinist.net is pretty good (but not perfect).

Most of the errors I've found mostly affect the number of questions and answers and don't touch on essential content: However, one notable error is that the answer to Question 116 should read: 

A. That one day in seven be kept in the worship of God. Under the Old Testament this was the last day of the week, but under the gospel changed to the first day of the week. The Lord’s Day is to be spent in private and public devotion, hearing the word diligently, practicing the gospel-sacraments zealously, doing deeds of charity conscionably, and resting from servile works, except for cases of necessity. This was the laudable practice of the holy Apostles, who best knew the mind of Christ as to the time of worship. We do not find in all the New Testament that any gospel church in the Apostle’s time set any other day apart solemnly to worship God but the first day. This they were right to do. For if Israel, the natural seed of Abraham, was to keep the seventh day to keep up the remembrance of their deliverance out of temporal bondage, how much more are we bound to keep the first day in remembrance of Christ’s deliverance of us from eternal bondage (a).(a) Deut. 5:15; Psa. 40:9-10; Isa. 66:23; John 20:19-20; Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:33; 14:16, 19, 29, 31; 16:1-2; 1 Tim. 2:1-3, 8-9; Rev. 1:10.

AN

Orthodox Catechism:

Being the Sum of

Christian Religion,

Contained in the Law and Gospel,

Published

For preventing the Canker 

and Poison of Heresy and Error

---

By H. COLLINS.

___

Search the Scriptures. John 14.39.

The Words that I have spoken, the same 

shall judge you in the last day. John 12.48.

---

London,

Printed in the Year, 1680.

The Preface.

Unto the Church of Christ, who

upon Confession of Faith have

bin Baptized, Meeting in Old-

Gravil-Lane London, Grace Mer-

cy and Peace be multiplied unto

you, and the good will of him

which dwelt in the Bush be with

your Spirits, Amen.

Dearly beloved,

Forasmuch as there is but a small

time allotted unto any of us in this

World, and not knowing but my

Staff standeth next to the door ready

to depart, I am desirous in this respect so to

bestow my precious and present time in my

Lord's benefits, as I may not return to him

with my Talent wrapt up in a Napkin, but

may leave behind me same poor token and te-

stimony of my Love and Duty towards him,

and his blessed Spouse the Church.

And forasmuch as the day we live in is

very gloomy and dark full of Error and Here-

sie, which spreads more and more (through

the indefatigable indeavors of the maintain-

ers of it) like an overflowing Leprosie, and

eateth as doth a Canker.

Also considering it is a day of great declen-

sion and love to God, and one another also,

from those Gospel Truths, the least of which is

more worth then our lives: all which may

give God just cause to say to England's Pro-

fessors, as once to Israel, What iniquity

have your Fathers found in me that they

are gone away far from me? As if God

should say, Am I not the same as ever in Pow-

er, Goodness, Faithfulness? is not my Word

and Ordinances the same, yea my Promises

and Heaven the same now as ever?

Now that you may not be shaken, shattered

and carried away with every wind and blast,

every puff and breath of Error, and Heresie;

also that you may be the better established,

strengthened, and settled on that sure Rock

and Foundation of Salvation, Christ's Merits,

in opposition to the poor imperfect works of an

impotent Creature; also settled on the foun-

dation of the Church-constitution, on which you

are already built, through the grace of God

which stirred you up to search the divine Ora-

cle, and Rule of Divine Service, as Ezra and

Nehemiah searched into the particular

parts of God's Worship, by which means they

came to the practice of that almost lost Ord-

inance of God, the Feast of Tabernacles,

which for many years was not practiced after

the due order, though a general notion was re-

tained about it; I say, under these considerati-

ons, I have in charitable regard to your Souls,

presented you with this small (but I am bold

to say) sound piece of divinity, which may

not unfitly be stiled an abridgement, or epito-

me of Law and Gospel, suited to everyones

capacity in God's House: here is Milk for

Babes, and Meat for strong Men. It may not

unfitly be compared to the Waters of the San-

ctuary, where some may go up to the Ancles,

others to the Knees, others to the Loins, and

they are deep enough for others to swim in.

Here you are not only taught to be good

Christians, but good Moralists; the want

of which among them that have the Leaves

and Lamps of Profession (as ‘tis to be feared

such have little more) is of a heart-breaking

Consideration to many that desire to walk wit

God.

Now albeit here may be many things

Which some of you may know already, yet unto

Such those things I hope will be as acceptable

as St. Peter’s Epistles were to the scattered

Saints, though they knew much of the matter

Before; yet I dare say here is somethings which

may be for information as well as establish-

ment to the most knowing among you.

I have not undertaken to present you with

new Notions or Principles, hoping an Athe-

nian Spirit is in none of you, but do believe

that an old Gospel (to you that have tasted

the sweetness of it) will be more acceptable

than a new, though published by an Angel

from Heaven.

In what I have written you will see I con-

Center with the most Orthodox Divines in

The Fundamental Principles and Articles of

The Christian Faith, and also have industry-

ously expressed them in the same words, which

have on the like occasion bin spoken, only differ-

ing in some things about Church-Constitution,

wherein I have taken a little pains to shew

you the true form of God’s House, with the

coming in therefore, and the going out thereof:

but I hope my Zeal in this will not be misin-

terpreted by any that truly fear God. That

God whom we serve is very jealous of his Wor-

ship; and forasmuch as by his Providence the

Law of his House hath bin preserved and con-

tinued to us, we look upon it as our Duty in

our generation to be searching out the mind of

God in his holy oracle, as Ezra and Nehe-

miah did the Feast of Tabernacles, and to

reform what is amiss; as Hezekiah, who took

a great deal of pains to cleanse the House of

God, and set all things in order, that were out

of order, particularly caused the People to keep

the Passover according to the Institution; for it

had not, saith the Text, bin of long time kept

in such sort as it was written; and albeit the

pure Institutions of Christ were not for some

hundred years practiced according to the due

order, or very little, through the Innovations of

Antichrist; And as Circumcision for about

Forty years was unpracticed in the Wilderness,

yet as Joshua puts this duty in practice as soon

as God signified his mind in that particular;

so we having our Judgments informed about

the true way of Worship, do not dare to stifle

the Light God hath given us.

Now albeit there are some differences be-

tween many Godly Divines and us in Church-

Constitution, yet inasmuch as those things

are not the Essence of Christianity, but that

we do agree in the fundamental Doctrine

thereof, there is sufficient ground to lay aside

all bitterness and prejudice, and labour to

maintain a Spirit of Love each to other, know-

ing we shall never see all alike here. We

find in the primitive times that the Baptism of

Christ was not universally known, witness the

Ignotance of Apollos that eminent Disciple

And Minister, which knew only the Baptism of

John. And if God shall enlighten any into

any Truth, which they shall stifle for base and

unwarrantable ends, that that ‘tis God must

judg, and not Man. And wherein we can-

not concur, let us leave that to the coming of

Christ Jesus, as they did their difficult cases

In the Church of old until there did arise a

Priest with Urim and Thummim, that

Might certainly inform them of the mind of

God there-about. ...