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. ...