AN EXPLANATION
			
			     OF

		Luther's Small Catechism

	            A HANDBOOK
			    FOR
		THE CATECHETICAL CLASS

			    BY

	JOSEPH STUMP, D.D., LL.D., L.H.D.

AN OUTLINE AND ANALYSIS FOR THE PASTOR'S ORAL INSTRUCTION,
	 AND A SUMMARY FOR THE CATECHUMENS' STUDY
		   AND REVIEW AT HOME

		     REVISED EDITION

		     PHILADELPHIA
      THE UNITED LUTHERAN PUBLICATION HOUSE

		    Copyright, 1907, by the
   Board of Publication of the General Council of the
	    Evangelical Lutheran Church in
			North America.
		     ---------------

	       Copyright, 1935, by
		    Joseph Stump

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

			PREFACE

This book aims to present both an analysis of Luther's
Small Catechism and a clear, concise, yet reasonably full
explanation of its contents. It is an attempt, upon the basis
of twenty years' experience and a study of the literature of the
subject, to meet the peculiar wants of the catechetical class in
our Lutheran Church in America. The object of the book is
twofold: first, to furnish an outline of teaching which the pas-
tor may use as a guide in his oral explanation and questioning;
and secondly, to furnish a sufficiently complete summary by
means of which the catechumens may review the lesson and fix
its salient points in their minds. No text-book can, of course,
adequately supply the parenetical side of the catechetical in-
struction or take the place of the living exposition by the
pastor. But it can and should support his work, so that what
he explains at one meeting may not be forgotten before the next
meeting, but may be fixed in the minds of the catechumens by
study at home.

Since the task of the pastor in catechization is not only to
impart religious instruction, but to impart it on the basis of that
priceless heritage of our Church, Luther's Small Catechism,
the explanation here offered follows the Catechism closely. The
words of the catechism are printed in heavy-faced type and are
used as headings wherever possible; and thus the words of the
catechism may be traced as a thread running through the entire 
explanation.

Wherever he deemed it necessary, the author has added a
fuller explanation of the _text_ of the catechism than that which
Luther gives, and has supplemented its contents with such ad-
ditional matter as the needs of our catechumens require. He
does not agree with those catechetical writers who maintain
that the pastor, in his catechization, must confine himself to an
explanation of _Luther's explanation_. Such a principle would
exclude from the catechetical class much which our catechu-
mens should be taught. But all such additional matters are
introduced under an appropriate head as an organic part of the
whole explanation, thus preserving its unity.

This book is written in the thetical form instead of the tradi-
tional form of questions and answers. There is nothing in the
nature of catechization which would require the use of the
interrogative form in such a text-book, and accordingly the
thetical form has for years been employed by numerous writers
of text-books for the catechetical class in Germany. While
------------------End of Page v-------------------------------
questions have an important place in catechetical instruction,
the matter and not the form is the vital thing. Catechization
is _not a method_ of instruction by means of questions and an-
swers. Neither the original meaning of the word nor the history
of catechization justifies such a definition. (See my article, "A
Brief History of Catechization," in the Lutheran Church Re-
view, January, 1902; comp. v. Zezschwitz: System der christl.-
kirchl. Katechetik,  vol. i., pp. 17 _seq._, and vol. ii., 2.1., pp. 3
_seq._) And since Christian truth is not something to be brought
forth from the mind of the child by means of questions, but
something divinely revealed and hence _to be communicated_ to
the child, the most natural form in which to set it before him
in a text-book is the thetical. Luther's catechism itself is, indeed,
in the form of questions and answers. But his catechism is
confessional as well as didactic, and its words, memorized by
the catechumen, are to become a personal confession of faith.
The explanations of a text-book, on the other hand, are not to
be memorized, but are meant to aid the catechumen in grasping
the _thoughts_ of the catechism. For this purpose, the thetical
form is better than the interrogative, because the explanation is
not continually broken by questions, and is thus better adapted
to give the catechumens a connected idea of the doctrines taught.

Each chapter of this explanation is followed by a number of
questions. After the pastor has explained a lesson at one meet-
ing, the catechumens should prepare themselves to give an an-
swer to the printed questions _in their own words_ at the next
meeting. The pastor may, of course, substitute other questions,
assign additional ones, or eliminate some. The proof passages
for the teachings set forth are cited in the margin. The more
important passages, particularly those which the catechumens
may be expected to memorize, are specially indicated by a
dagger (!), and are printed in full at the end of the chapter.
The use of a Scripture lesson is, of course, optional with the
pastor. One is indicated, however, for each chapter, and may
be read in class or be assigned to the catechumens to be read
at home. The Scriptural illustrations are cited for the conven-
ience of the pastor in his oral exposition. The division into
chapters has been regulated by the subject-matter, and will, it is
hoped, aid in the survey of the contents of the book as a whole.
It is not intended that each chapter shall necessarily constitute
one lesson. Some lessons will doubtless include only a part of a 
chapter, while others will include several chapters, as the pastor 
may determine.

While the author, in the preparation of this explanation of
Luther's catechism, has gone his own way, careful considera-
tion has been given to the voice of those whose study of the 
problems involved entitled them to be heard. Luther's other
---------------End of Page vi------------------------------------
catechetical writings, the standard theoretical works on Cate-
chetics, and numerous monographs have been constantly at
hand. Explanations of the catechism for the use of pastors
and teachers have been freely consulted,--among others, those of
Schuetze, Fricke, Mehliss, Kahle, Zuck, Kaftan, v. Zezschwitz,
Palmer, Harnack, Nissen, Hempel, Schultze, Th. Hardeland,
O. Hardeland, Nebe, Buchrucker, and Cremer. Acknowledg-
ment is due also to the authors of numerous American and
German text-books and helps for the catechetical class, whose
works have been carefully scanned, in order that the fruits of
past experience and the best results of former labors in this
field might, if possible, be embodied in this work.

May the Lord bless this explanation of Luther's Small Cate-
chism to the upbuilding of His kingdom and the glory of His
name.

PHILLIPSBURG, N.J.,		JOSEPH STUMP
	REFORMATION DAY, 1907
----------End of Page vii-------------------------------------
		PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION
		-------------------------

The author has carefully gone over the book and made
such revisions and additions as seemed to him advisable.
No effort has been made to alter the fundamental nature
and purpose of the book. Its aim has been and still is to
present as clearly and simply as possible the essential
teachings of the catechism. The catechist is left at lib-
erty to choose his own pedagogical method, while the book
furnishes in concise form the essential material which is
to be presented to the catechumen		J.S.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., 1935
-----------End of Page viii-----------------------------------

		The SMALL CATECHISM

			OF

		DR. MARTIN LUTHER

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		Blank Page

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		LUTHER'S PREFACE
		----------------

_Martin Luther to all faithful and godly Pastors and Preachers:
	Grace, Mercy and Peace, in Jesus Christ, our Lord!_

The deplorable condition in which I found religious affairs
during a recent visitation of the congregations, has impelled me
to publish this Catechism, or statement of the Christian doctrine,
after having prepared it in very brief and simple terms. Alas!
what misery I beheld! The people, especially those who live in
the villages, seem to have no knowledge whatever of Christian
doctrine, and many of the pastors are ignorant and incompetent
teachers. And, nevertheless, they all maintain that they are
Christians, that they have been baptized, and that they have
received the Lord's Supper. Yet they cannot recite the Lord's
Prayer, the Creed, or the Ten Commandments; they live as if
they were irrational creatures, and now that the Gospel has
come to them, they grossly abuse their Christian liberty.

Ye bishops! what answer will ye give to Christ for having so
shamefully neglected the people, and paid no attention to the
duties of your office? I invoke no evil on your heads. But you
withhold the cup in the Lord's Supper, insist on the observance
of your human laws, and yet, at the same time, do not take the
least interest in teaching the people the Lord's Prayer, the
Creed, the Ten Commandments, or any other part of the word
of God. Woe unto you!

Wherefore I beseech you in the Name of God, my beloved
brethren, who are pastors or preachers, to engage heartily in the
discharge of the duties of your office, to have mercy on the people
who are entrusted to your care, and to assist us in introducing
the Catechism among them, and especially among the young.
And if any of you do not possess the necessary qualifications, I
beseech you to take at least the following forms, and read them,
word for word, to the people, on this wise:--

In the first place; let the preacher take the utmost care to
avoid all changes or variations in the text and wording of the
Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, the Sacra-
ments, etc. Let him, on the contrary, take each of the forms
respectively, adhere to it, and repeat it anew, year after year.
For young and inexperienced people cannot be successfully
instructed, unless we adhere to the same text or the same forms
of expression. They easily become confused, when the teacher
at one time employs a certain form of words and expressions,
----------------End of Page xi---------------------------------
and, at another, apparently with a view to make improvements,
adopts a different form. The result of such a course will be,
that all the time and labor which we have expended will be lost.

This point was well understood by our venerable fathers, who
were accustomed to use the same words in teaching the Lord's
Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. We, too,
should follow this plan when we teach these things, particularly
in the case of the young and ignorant, not changing a single
syllable, nor introducing any variations when, year after year,
we recur to these forms and recite them anew before our hearers.

Choose, therefore, the form of words which best pleases you,
and adhere to it perpetually. When you preach in the presence
of intelligent and learned men, you are at liberty to exhibit
your knowledge and skill, and may present and discuss these
subjects in all the varied modes which are at your command.
But when you are teaching the young, retain the same form and
manner without change; teach them, first of all, the Ten Com-
mandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, etc., always present-
ing the same words of the text, so that those who learn can
repeat them after you, and retain them in the memory.

But if any refuse to receive your instructions, tell them
plainly that they deny Christ and are not Christians; such per-
sons shall not be admitted to the Lord's Table, nor present a
child for baptism, nor enjoy any of our Christian privileges,
but are to be sent back to the pope and his agents, and, indeed,
to Satan himself. Their parents and employers should, besides,
refuse to furnish them with food and drink, and notify them
that the government was disposed to banish from the country
all persons of such a rude and intractable character.
For although we cannot, and should not, compel them to
exercise faith, we ought, nevertheless, to instruct the great mass
with all diligence, so that they may know how to distinguish
between right and wrong in their conduct towards those with
whom they live, or among whom they desire to earn their liv-
ing. For whoever desires to reside in a city, and enjoy the
rights and privileges which its laws confer, is also bound to
know and obey those laws. God grant that such persons may
become sincere believers! But if they remain dishonest and
vicious, let them at least withhold from public view the vices
of their hearts.

In the second place; when those whom you are instructing
have become familiar with the words of the text, it is time to
teach them to understand the meaning of those words, so that
they may become acquainted with the object and purport of the
lesson. Then proceed to another of the following forms, or, at
your pleasure, choose any other which is brief, and adhere
strictly to the same words and forms of expression in the text,
----------------End of Page xii---------------------------------
without altering a single syllable; besides, allow yourself ample
time for the lessons. For it is not necessary that you should,
on the same occasion, proceed from the beginning to the end
of the several parts; it will be more profitable if you present
them separately, in regular succession. When the people have,
for instance, at length correctly understood the First Command-
ment, you may proceed to the Second, and so continue. By
neglecting to observe this mode, the people will be overburdened,
and be prevented from understanding and retaining in memory
any considerable part of the matter communicated to them.

In the third place; when you have thus reached the end of
this Short Catechism, begin anew with the Large Catechism,
and by means of it furnish the people with fuller and more com-
prehensive explanations. Explain here at large every Command-
ment, every Petition, and, indeed, every part, showing the
duties which they severally impose, and both the advantages
which follow the performance of those duties, and also the
dangers and losses which result from the neglect of them. In-
sist in an especial manner on such Commandments or other
parts as seem to be most of all misunderstood or neglected by
your people. It will, for example, be necessary that you should
enforce with the utmost earnestness the Seventh Commandment,
which treats of stealing, when you are teaching workmen, dealers
and even farmers and servants, inasmuch as many of these are
guilty of various dishonest and thievish practices. So, too, it
will be your duty to explain and apply the Fourth Command-
ment with great diligence, when you are teaching children and
uneducated adults, and to urge them to observe order, to be
faithful, obedient and peaceable, as well as to adduce numerous
instances mentioned in the Scriptures, which show that God
punished such as were guilty in these things, and blessed the
obedient.

Here, too, let it be your great aim to urge magistrates and
parents to rule wisely, and to educate the children, admonish-
ing them, at the same time, that such duties are imposed on
them, and showing them how grievously they sin if they neglect
them. For in such a case they overthrow and lay waste alike
the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world, acting as if
they were the worst enemies both of God and man. And show
them very plainly the shocking evils of which they are the
authors, when they refuse their aid in training up children to
be pastors, preachers, writers, etc., and set forth that on account
of such sins God will inflict an awful punishment upon them.
It is, indeed, necessary to preach on these things; for parents
and magistrates are guilty of sins in this respect, which are so
great that there are no terms in which they can be described.
And truly, Satan has a cruel design in fostering these evils.
---------------End of Page xiii--------------------------------
Finally; inasmuch as the people are now relieved from the
tyranny of the pope, they refuse to come to the Lord's Table,
and treat it with contempt. On this point, it is very
necessary that you should give them instructions, while, at the
same time, you are to be guided by the following principles:
That we are to compel no one to believe, or to receive the
Lord's Supper; that we are not to establish any laws on this
point, or appoint the time and place; but that we should so
preach as to influence the people, without any law adopted by
us, to urge, and, as it were, to compel us who are pastors, to
administer the Lord's Supper to them. Now this object may
be attained, if we address them in the following manner: It is
to be feared that he who does not desire to receive the Lord's
Supper at least three or four times during the year, despises the
Sacrament, and is no Christian. So, too, he is no Christian,
who neither believes nor obeys the Gospel; for Christ did not
say: "Omit or despise this," but "This do ye, as oft as ye
drink it," etc. He commands that this should be done, and
by no means be neglected and despised. He says: "This do."

Now he who does not highly value the Sacrament, shows
thereby that he has no sin, no flesh, no devil, no world, no
death, no danger, no hell; that is to say, he does not believe
that such evils exist, although he may be deeply immersed in
them, and completely belong to the devil. On the other hand,
he needs no grace, no life, no Paradise, no heaven, no Christ,
no God, no good thing. For if he believed that he was involved
in such evils, and that he was in need of such blessings, he could
not refrain from receiving the Sacrament, wherein aid is afforded
against such evils, and, again, such blessings are bestowed. It
will not be necessary to compel him by the force of any law to
approach the Lord's Table; he will hasten to it of his own
accord, will compel himself to come, and indeed urge you to
administer the Sacrament to him.

Hence, you are by no means to adopt any compulsory law in
this case, as the pope has done. Let it simply be your aim to
set forth distinctly the advantages and losses, the wants and the
benefits, the dangers and the blessings, which are to be con-
sidered in connection with the Sacrament; the people will,
doubtless, then seek it without urgent demands on your part.
If they still refuse to come forward, let them choose their own
ways, and tell them that those who do not regard their own
spiritual misery, and do not desire the gracious help of God, be-
long to Satan. But if you do not give such solemn admonitions,
or if you adopt odious compulsory laws on the subject, it is your
own fault if the people treat the Sacrament with contempt.
Will they not necessarily be slothful, if you are silent and
sleep? Therefore consider the subject seriously, ye Pastors and
----------------End of Page xiv---------------------------------
Preachers! Our office has now assumed a very different char-
acter from that which it bore under the pope; it is now of a
very grave nature, and is very salutary in its influence. It con-
sequently subjects us to far greater burdens and labors, dangers
and temptations, while it brings with it an inconsiderable re-
ward, and very little gratitude in the world. But Christ him-
self will be our reward, if we labor with fidelity. May He grant
such mercy unto us who is the Father of all grace, to whom be
given thanks and praises through Christ, our Lord, for ever!
Amen.

	WITTENBERG, A. D. 1529
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--------------------End of Page xvi--------------------------------


		THE SMALL CATECHISM
		-------------------

		PART I
		------

		THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

_In the plain form in which they are to be taught by the head
of a family._

		THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

I am  the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods
before Me.

[Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or
any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that
is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the
earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve 
them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My
commandments.]

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Answer_. We should fear, love, and trust in God above 
all things.

		THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in
vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh
His Name in vain.

_What is meant by this commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not to curse,
swear, conjure, lie, or deceive, by His Name, but call upon
Him in every time of need, and worship Him with prayer,
praise and thanksgiving.
-----------------------End of Page 17-------------------------
		THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy.

[Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in
it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor
thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in
six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the
Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.]

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not to despise
His word and the preaching of the Gospel, but deem it
holy, and willingly hear and learn it.

		THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be
long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not to despise 
nor displease our parents and superiors, but honor, serve,
obey, love, and esteem them.

		THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not kill.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not to do our
neighbor any bodily harm or injury, but rather assist and
comfort him in danger and want.

		THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as to be chaste
and pure in our words and deeds, each one also loving
and honoring his wife or her husband.
------------End of Page 18--------------------------------
		THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not steal.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not to rob
our neighbor of his money or property, nor bring it into 
our possession by unfair dealing or fraudulent means, but
rather assist him to improve and protect it.

		THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not deceitfully
to belie, betray, slander, nor raise injurious reports
against our neighbor, but apologize for him, speak well of
him, and put the most charitable construction on all his
actions.

		THE NINTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not to desire
by craftiness to gain possession of our neighbor's inheri-
tance or home, or to obtain it under the pretext of a legal
right, but be ready to assist and serve him in the preserva-
tion of his own.

		THE TENTH COMMANDMENT

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-
servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor
anything that is thy neighbor's.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

_Ans_. We should so fear and love God as not to alienate
our neighbor's wife from him, entice away his servants,
nor let loose his cattle, but use our endeavors that they 
may remain and discharge their duty to him.
-----------------End of Page 19------------------------------
_What does God declare concerning all these Command-
ments?_

_Ans_. He says: I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto
the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and
showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and
keep My commandments.

_What is meant by this declaration?_

_Ans_. God threatens to punish all those who transgress
these commandments. We should, therefore, dread His
displeasure, and not act contrarily to these command-
ments. But He promises grace and every blessing to all
who keep them. We should, therefore, love and trust in
Him, and cheerfully do what he has commanded us.
		------------------
		PART II
		----------
		THE CREED

_In the plain form in which it is to be taught by the head of
a family_.

		FIRST ARTICLE--OF CREATION

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven
and earth.

_What is meant by this Article?_

_Ans_. I believe that God has created me and all that
exists; that He has given and still preserves to me my
body and soul with all my limbs and senses, my reason
and all the faculties of my mind, together with rai-
ment, food, home, and family, and all my property; that
He daily provides me abundantly with all the necessaries
of life, protects me from all danger, and preserves me
and guards me against all evil; all which He does out of
pure, paternal, and divine goodness and mercy, without
any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I am in duty 
bound to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is
most certainly true.
-------------------End of Page 20---------------------------
	SECOND ARTICLE--OF REDEMPTION

And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary;
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose
again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sit-
teth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from
thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

_What is meant by this Article?_

_Ans_. I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of
the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the
Virgin Mary, is my Lord; who has redeemed me, a lost
and condemned creature, secured and delivered me from
all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not
with silver and gold, but with His holy and precious
blood, and with His innocent sufferings and death; in 
order that I might be His, live under Him in His king-
dom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, inno-
cence, and blessedness; even as He is risen from the dead,
and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly
true.

	THIRD ARTICLE--OF SANCTIFICATION

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church,
the Communion of Saints; the Forgiveness of sins; the
Resurrection of the body; and the Life everlasting. Amen.

_What is meant by this Article?_

_Ans_. I believe that I cannot by my own reason or
strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him;
but the Holy Ghost has called me through the Gospel,
enlightened me by his gifts, and sanctified and preserved
me in the true faith; in like manner as He calls, gathers,
enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on
earth, and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the
true faith; in which Christian Church He daily forgives
abundantly all my sins, and the sins of all believers, and
---------------End of Page 21--------------------------------
will raise up me and all the dead at the last day, and will
grant everlasting life to me and to all who believe in
Christ. This is most certainly true.
		--------------------------
		PART III
		----------
		THE LORD'S PRAYER

_In the plain form in which it is to be taught by the head of
a family._

		INTRODUCTION

Our Father Who art in heaven.

_What is meant by this Introduction?_

_Ans_. God would thereby affectionately encourage us to
believe that He is truly our Father, and that we are His
children indeed, so that we may call upon Him with all
cheerfulness and confidence, even as beloved children
entreat their affectionate parent.

		FIRST PETITION

Hallowed be Thy Name.

_What is meant by this Petition?_

_Ans_. The Name of God is indeed holy in itself; but we
pray in this petition that it may be hallowed also by us.

_How is this effected?_

_Ans_. When the Word of God is taught in its truth and 
purity, and we, as the children of God, lead holy lives, in
accordance with it; to this may our blessed Father in
heaven help us! But whoever teaches and lives otherwise 
than as God's Word prescribes, profanes the Name of God
among us; from this preserve us, Heavenly Father!

		SECOND PETITION

Thy kingdom come.

_What is meant by this Petition?_

_Ans_. The kingdom of God comes indeed of itself, with-
out our prayers; but we pray in this petition that it may 
come unto us also.
------------------End of Page 22-------------------------------
_When is this effected?_

_Ans_. When our Heavenly Father gives us His Holy
Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word,
and live a godly life here on earth, and in heaven for ever.

		THIRD PETITION

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

_What is meant by this Petition?_

_Ans_. The good and gracious will of God is done indeed
without our prayer; but we pray in this petition that it
may be done by us also.

_When is this effected?_

_Ans_. When God frustrates and brings to naught every
evil counsel and purpose, which would hinder us from hal-
lowing the Name of God, and prevent His kingdom from
coming to us,--such as the will of the devil, of the world,
and of our own flesh; and when He strengthens us, and
keeps us steadfast in His Word, and in the faith, even
unto our end. This is His gracious and good will.

		FOURTH PETITION

Give us this day our daily bread.

_What is meant by this Petition?_

_Ans_. God gives indeed without our prayer even to the
wicked also their daily bread; but we pray in this petition
that He would make us sensible of His benefits, and enable
us to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

_What is implied by the words: "Our daily bread"?_

_Ans_. All things that pertain to the wants and sup-
port of this present life; such as food, raiment, money,
goods, house and land, and other property; a believing
spouse and good children; trustworthy servants and faith-
ful magistrates; favorable seasons, peace and health; edu-
cation and honor; true friends, good neighbors, and the like.
--------------------End of Page 23--------------------------------
		FIFTH PETITION

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us.

_What is meant by this Petition?_

_Ans_. We pray in this petition, that our Heavenly Father
would not regard our sins, nor deny us our requests on
account of them; for we are not worthy of anything for
which we pray, and have not merited it; but that He
would grant us all things through grace, although we
daily commit much sin, and deserve chastisement alone.
We will therefore, on our part, both heartily forgive, and
also readily do good to those who may injure or offend us.

		SIXTH PETITION

And lead us not into temptation.

_What is meant by this Petition?_

_Ans_. God indeed tempts no one to sin; but we pray in
this petition that God would so guard and preserve us,
that the devil, the world, and our own flesh, may not
deceive us, nor lead us into error and unbelief, despair,
and other great and shameful sins; and that, though we 
may be thus tempted, we may, nevertheless, finally prevail
and gain the victory.

		SEVENTH PETITION

But deliver us from evil.

_What is meant by this Petition?_

_Ans_. We pray in this petition, as in a summary, that
our Heavenly Father would deliver us from all manner
of evil, whether it affect the body or soul, property or
character, and at last, when the hour of death shall
arrive, grant us a happy end, and graciously take us from
this world of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
-----------------End of Page 24----------------------------
		CONCLUSION

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

_What is meant by the word "Amen"?_

_Ans_. That I should be assured that such petitions are
acceptable to our Heavenly Father, and are heard by Him; 
for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this man-
ner, and has promised that He will hear us. Amen, Amen, 
that is, Yea, yea, it shall be so.
		-------------------------
		PART IV
		---------
	THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM

_In the plain form in which it is to be taught by the head of
a family._

I. _What is Baptism?_

_Ans_. Baptism is not simply water, but it is the water
comprehended in God's command, and connected with
God's Word.

_What is that Word of God?_

_Ans_. It is that which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke, as it
is recorded in the last chapter of Matthew, verse 19: "Go
ye, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

II. _What gifts or benefits does Baptism confer?_

_Ans_. It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death
and the devil, and confers everlasting salvation on all
who believe, as the Word and promise of God declare.

_What are such words and promises of God?_

_Ans_. Those which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke, as they
are recorded in the last chapter of Mark, verse 16: "He
that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned."
-------------------End of Page 25---------------------------
III. _How can water produce such great effects?_

_Ans_. It is not the water indeed that produces these
effects, but the Word of God which accompanies and is
connected with the water, and our faith, which relies on
the Word of God connected with the water. For the
water, without the Word of God, is simply water and no
baptism. But when connected with the Word of God, it is
a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life, and a "wash-
ing of regeneration" in the Holy Ghost: as St. Paul says
to Titus, in the third chapter, verses 5-8: "According to
His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us
abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being
justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying."

IV. _What does such baptizing with water signify?_

_Ans_. It signifies that the old Adam in us is to be drowned
and destroyed by daily sorrow and repentance, together 
with all sins and evil lusts and that again the new man
should daily come forth and rise, that shall live in the 
presence of God in righteousness and purity forever.

_Where is it so written?_

_Ans_. St Paul, in the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 6,
verse 4, says: "We are buried with Christ by Baptism
into death; that like as He was raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life."
		----------------------
		OF CONFESSION

_What is Confession?_

_Ans_. Confession consists of two parts: the one is, that we con-
fess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution or forgive-
ness through the pastor as of God himself, in no wise doubting,
but firmly believing that our sins are thus forgiven before God
in heaven.
--------------------------End of Page 26---------------------------
_What sins ought we to confess?_

_Ans_. In the presence of God we should acknowledge ourselves
guilty of all manner of sins, even of those which we do not our-
selves perceive; as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But in the
presence of the pastor we should confess those sins alone of
which we have knowledge, and which we feel in our hearts.

_Which are these?_

_Ans_. Here reflect on your condition, according to the Ten
Commandments, namely: Whether you are a father or mother, a 
son or daughter, a master or mistress, a manservant or maid-
servant--whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, slothful
--whether you have injured any one by words or actions--
whether you have stolen, neglected, or wasted aught, or done
other evil.
		---------------------
		PART V
		---------

	THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR

	OR, THE LORD'S SUPPER

_In the plain form in which it is to be taught by the head of
a family._

_What is the Sacrament of the Altar?_

_Ans_. It is the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ, under the bread and wine, given unto us Christians
to eat and to drink, as it was instituted by Christ Himself.

_Where is it so written?_

_Ans_. The Holy Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
together with St. Paul, write thus:

"Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He
was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks,
He brake it, and gave it to His disciples, and said, Take,
eat; this is my Body, which is given for you: this do, in 
remembrance of Me.

After the same manner also He took the cup, when
He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of it: this cup is the new testament in my
Blood, which is shed for you, for the remission of sins:
this do as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."
---------------------End of Page 27----------------------
_What benefits are derived from such eating and drinking?_

_Ans_. They are pointed out in these words: "given and
shed for you, for the remission of sins." Namely, through
these words, the remission of sins, life and salvation are
granted unto us in the Sacrament. For where there is
remission of sins, there are also life and salvation.

_How can the bodily eating and drinking produce such
	great effects?_

_Ans_. The eating and drinking, indeed, do not pro-
duce them, but the words which stand here, namely:
"given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins." These
words are, besides the bodily eating and drinking, the
chief things in the Sacrament: and he who believes these
words, has that which they declare and set forth, namely,
the remission of sins.

_Who is it, then that receives this Sacrament worthily?_

_Ans_. Fasting and bodily preparation are indeed a good
external discipline; but he is truly worthy and well pre-
pared who believes these words, "given and shed for you,
for the remission of sins." But he who does not believe
these words, or who doubts, is unworthy and unfit; for the
words: "FOR YOU," require truly believing hearts."
		------------------
	MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER

_In the plain form in which it is to be taught by the head of
a family._

		MORNING

_In the Morning, when thou risest, thou shalt say:_

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.

_Then kneeling or standing, thou shalt say the_ Apostles' Creed
_and the_ Lord's Prayer:

_Then mayest thou say this Prayer:_

I give thanks unto Thee, Heavenly Father, through Jesus
Christ Thy dear Son, that Thou hast protected me through the
night from all danger and harm; and I beseech Thee to preserve
----------End of Page 28---------------------------------------
and keep me this day also, from all sin and evil; that in all my
thoughts, words, and deeds, I may serve and please Thee. Into
Thy hands I commend my body and soul, and all that is mine.
Let Thy holy angel have charge concerning me, that the wicked
one may have no power over me. Amen.

_And then shoudst thou go with joy to thy work, after a Hymn,
or the_ Ten Commandments, _or whatever thy devotion may
suggest._

		EVENING

_In the Evening, when thou goest to bed, thou shall say:_

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.

_Then, kneeling or standing, thou shalt say the_ Apostles' Creed
_and the_ Lord's Prayer.

_Then mayest thou say this Prayer:_

I give thanks unto Thee, Heavenly Father, through Jesus
Christ Thy dear Son, that Thou hast this day so graciously
protected me, and I beseech Thee to forgive me all my sins,
and the wrong which I have done, and by Thy great mercy
defend me from all the perils and dangers of this night. Into
thy hands I commend my body and soul, and all that is mine.
Let Thy holy angel have charge concerning me, that the wicked
one may have no power over me. Amen.

_And then lie down in peace, and sleep_
		-----------------------------
	BLESSING AND THANKSGIVING AT TABLE

_In the plain form in which it is to be taught by the head of
a family._

		BEFORE MEAT

_Before meat, the members of the family surrounding the table
reverently and with folded hands, there shall be said:_

The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord: and Thou givest
them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and
satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

_Then shall be said the_ Lord's Prayer, _and after that this_
Prayer:

O Lord God, Heavenly Father, bless unto us these Thy gifts,
which of Thy tender kindness Thou hast bestowed upon us,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-------------End of Page 29-------------------------------------
		AFTER MEAT

_After meat, reverently and with folded hands, there shall be
said:_

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy
endureth for ever. He giveth food to all flesh; He giveth to the
beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. The Lord
taketh pleasure in them that fear Him; in those that hope in
His mercy.

_Then shall be said the_ Lord's Prayer, _and after that this_
Prayer:

We give thanks to Thee, O God, Our Father, for all Thy
benefits, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who with Thee liveth
and reigneth, for ever and ever. Amen.
		--------------------------
		TABLE OF DUTIES

_Or, certain passages of the Scriptures, selected for various orders
and conditions of men, wherein their respective duties are
set forth._

	BISHOPS, PASTORS, AND PREACHERS

A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant,
sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not
given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient,
not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house,
having his children in subjection with all gravity; not a novice,
but holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that
he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince
the gainsayers.--I Tim. 3:2-6; Tit. 1:9.

	WHAT DUTIES HEARERS OWE THEIR BISHOPS

Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the
Gospel should live of the Gospel.--I Cor. 9:14. Let him that is
taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all
good things.--Gal. 6:6: Let the elders that rule well be counted
worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in word and
doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox
that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his
reward.--I Tim. 5:17,18. Obey them that have the rule over
you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as
they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and
not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you.--Heb. 13:17.

		MAGISTRATES

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is
no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God;
----------------End of Page 30-----------------------------------
for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and
thou shalt have praise of the same; for he is the minister of God
to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid;
for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of
God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.--
Rom. 13:1-4.

	WHAT DUTIES SUBJECTS OWE MAGISTRATES

Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.--
Matt. 22:21. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers,
etc. Wherefore we must needs be subject, not only for wrath,
but also for conscience' sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also;
for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this
very thing. Render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom
tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear;
honor to whom honor.--Rom. 13:1,5. I exhort, therefore, that,
first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in 
authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty.--I Tim. 2. Put them in mind to be sub-
ject to principalities and powers, etc.--Tit. 3:1. Submit your-
selves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether
it be to the king as supreme; or unto governors as unto them
that are sent, etc.--I Pet. 2:13.

		HUSBANDS

Ye husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge,
giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as
being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be
not hindered.--I Pet. 3:7. And be not bitter against them.--
Col. 3:19.

		WIVES

Wives submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the
Lord--even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose
daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with
any amazement.--Eph. 5:22; 1 Pet. 3:6.

		PARENTS

Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring
them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.--Eph. 6:4.

		CHILDREN

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honor thy father and thy mother; which is the first command-
ment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou
mayest live long on the earth.--Eph. 6:1-3.
-----------------End of Page 31---------------------------------
	MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS AND LABORERS

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters accord-
ing to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your
heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but
as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart;
knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same
shall he receive of the Lord, whether he is bond or free.--Eph.
6:5-8.

		MASTERS AND MISTRESSES

Ye masters, do the same thing unto them, forbearing threat-
ening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is
there respect of persons with Him.--Eph. 6:9.

		YOUNG PERSONS IN GENERAL

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea,
all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with
humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the
humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand 
of God, that He may exalt you in due time.--I Pet. 5:5,6.

			WIDOWS

She that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and
continueth in supplications and prayers night and day; but she
that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.--I Tim. 5:5,6.

		CHRISTIANS IN GENERAL

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Herein are compre-
hended all the commandments.--Rom. 13:9,10. And persevere
in prayer for all men.--I Tim. 2:1,2.
------------------End of Page 32----------------------------------

		AN EXPLANATION

			OF

		LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM
--------------------End of Page 33--------------------------------------


		INTRODUCTION

		CHAPTER I

		THE BIBLE

THE BIBLE is the inspired and unerring record of
what God has revealed to men concerning Himself
and the Way of Salvation. [1] Hence, if we ask,
"What must I do to be saved?" the answer to our
question must be sought in the Bible. It tells us
what to believe and what to do in order that we may
belong to God's kingdom on earth and in heaven. [2]
It is the only rule and standard of Christian faith
and life.

WHY NEEDED. Even without the Bible, men know
that there is a Higher Being. Their own conscience
tells them that there is a God who will punish them
if they do wrong; [3] and the works of nature pro-
claim that there is an Almighty Being who created
them. [4] But the knowledge of God which men gain
from their own conscience and from nature is insuf-
ficient. Neither nature nor conscience can tell us
anything about the Way of Salvation which God
has prepared for us in Jesus Christ. It is only from
the Bible that we can learn how we shall be saved.

ITS INSPIRATION. The Bible is the Word of God.
It was written by holy men whom God inspired [5] It
contains knowledge which no man could have dis-
covered by his own power. It foretells events which
no uninspired man could have foreseen. It contains
teachings so exalted and holy that they could not
have originated in the heart of man. It possesses a
power such as no merely human book ever did or
could possess. [6]

ITS OBJECT is to make us wise unto salvation. [7] It
is to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our
path [8] to guide us safely through this world to our
-----------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] II Tim. 3:16.!
Gal. 1:8.
[2] Matt. 6:33.!
Acts 16:30.!
John 5:39.!
[3] Rom. 2:14, 15.
[4] Ps. 19:1.!
[5] II Pet. 1:21.!
[6] Heb. 4:12.
[7] II Tim. 3:15.!
Prov. 9:10.!
[8] Ps. 119:105.!
------------End of Page 35--------------------------------
heavenly home. It contains all that we need to know
and all that we ever shall know in this world con-
cerning God and his will. [9] It is the final and abso-
lute authority in all matters of religion. We should
therefore, pay most earnest heed to its teachings,
believe them with all our heart, and apply them in
our lives.

ITS CONTENTS. It consists of sixty-six "books,"
written between the years 1500 B.C. and 100 A.D.
and contains the History and Doctrines of the 
Kingdom of God.

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. The Bible consists 
of two parts: The Old Testament and the New Tes-
tament. The Old Testament reaches from Creation
to about 400 B.C., and shows how God prepared
the world for Christ's kingdom. The New Testament
reaches from the birth of Christ to the end of the
world, and shows how Christ came and established
His kingdom.

LAW AND GOSPEL. The Bible contains Law, [10]
telling us what we must do, and Gospel, [11] telling us
how we are to be saved. The Old Testament con-
tains principally Law, and the New Testament con-
tains principally Gospel. But there are Law and 
Gospel in both. The Gospel in the Old Testament
is prophetical. The Old Testament prepared the way
for the New; the New Testament is the fulfillment
of the Old. With the New Testament, God's revela-
tion to men was completed; [12] no further revelation
will be given.

	THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

		_Historical_

Genesis,		Judges,		I Chronicles,
Exodus,			Ruth,		II Chronicles	
Leviticus,		I Samuel,	Ezra,
Numbers,		II Samuel,	Nehemiah,
Deuteronomy,		I Kings,	Esther
Joshua,			II Kings,
-------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[9] Luke 16:31.
[10] Micah 6:8.!
[11] John 3:16.!
[12] Heb. 1:1,2.!
Heb. 2:1-3.
-------------End of Page 36--------------------------------
		_Poetical_

Job,			Proverbs,	Song of Solomon
Psalms,			Ecclesiastes,	

		_Prophetical_

Isaiah,			Joel,		Habakkuk,
Jeremiah,		Amos,		Zephaniah,
Lamentations,		Obadiah,	Haggai,
Ezekiel,		Jonah,		Zechariah,
Daniel,			Micah,		Malachi.
Hosea,			Nahum,

The _historical_ books of the Old Testament give an
account of the creation of the world and of man, of
the entrance of sin and death, of God's covenant
with Israel to save them, and of the history of Israel
as God's chosen people. The _poetical_ books give
the teachings of the Old Testament covenant in
prayers, proverbs and hymns. The _prophetical_ books
contain many instructions, admonitions and prophe-
cies (especially concerning Christ who should come
to save men) which God sent to the Israelites
through the prophets. The first four prophets are
called the Major Prophets; and the last twelve, the
Minor Prophets.

	THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

		_Historical_

Matthew,		Luke,		Acts
Mark,			John,

		_Didactical_

Romans, 		I Thessalonians,	James,
I Corinthians,		II Thessalonians,	I Peter,
II Corinthians,		I Timothy,		II Peter,
Galatians,		II Timothy,		I John,
Ephesians,		Titus,			II John,
Philippians,		Philemon,		III John,
Colossians,		Hebrews,		Jude

		_Prophetical_

		Revelation
--------------End of Page 37----------------------------------
The _historical_ books of the New Testament give
an account of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and
of some of His apostles. The _didactical_ books (the
epistles or letters) explain the Gospel of Christ more
fully, and show how we are to believe in Him aright
and live aright. The _prophetical_ book tells in figu-
rative language what shall take place in the Church
of Christ up to the time when there shall be new
heavens and a new earth.

CANONICAL BOOKS. The sixty-six books enum-
erated above are inspired, and are called the Canon-
ical Books of the Old and New Testaments. The
so-called Apocryphal Books, printed in some edi-
tions of the Bible, are not a part of the Bible; they
are not inspired.

OUR ENGLISH BIBLE. The Old Testament was
originally written in Hebrew, and the New Testa-
ment in Greek. Our English Bible is a translation
from the Hebrew and the Greek. The English Bible
which is in ordinary use is called the Authorized
Version, or King James' Version. It is a translation
made by a body of learned men and published in
England in 1611, during the reign of James I. The
Revised Version is an improved translation made by
a body of learned men in England and America and
published in 1881-1885. The Bible in whole or in
part has been translated into a thousand or more 
languages and dialects.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is the Bible? 2. What does it tell us? 3. Why
do we need it? 4. Why do we say that the Bible is the Word of God?
5. What is its object? 6. What does it contain? 7. Of what two parts
does the Bible consist, and how far do they reach? 8. What do we
mean by Law and Gospel, and where are they found? 9. What is the
relation between the Old and New Testaments? 10. Name the books
of the Old Testament. 11. What do the historical, poetical and prophet-
ical books of the Old Testament contain? 12. Name the books of the
New Testament. 13. What do the historical, didactical and prophetical
books of the New Testament contain? 14. How many canonical books
of the Bible are there? 15. In what languages was the Bible originally
---------End of Page 38--------------------------------------------------
written? 16. Tell what you know about the English bible? 17. Into
how many languages has the Bible in whole or in part been translated?
		----------------------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--II Tim. 3:
16, 17. All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profit-
able for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in
righteousness: that the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works.

Matt. 6:33. Seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his right-
eousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you.

Acts 16:30, 31. What must I
do to be saved? And they said,
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved, and thy
house.

John 5:39. Search the Scrip-
tures: for in them ye think ye
have eternal life: and they are
they which testify of me.

Ps. 19:1. The heavens declare
the glory of God, and the firma- 
ment showeth his handiwork.

II Pet. 1:21. For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will
of man: but holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost.

II Tim. 3:15. From a child
thou hast known the holy scrip-
tures, which are able to make thee
wise unto salvation through faith
which is in Christ Jesus.

Prov. 9:10. The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Ps. 119:105. Thy word is a
lamp unto my feet, and a light
unto my path.

Micah. 6:8. He hath showed
thee, O man, what is good; and
what doth the Lord require of
thee, but to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with
thy God.

John 3:16. God so loved the
world, that he gave his only be-
gotten Son, that whosoever be-
lieveth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.

Heb. 1:1,2. God, who at sun-
dry times and in divers manners
spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last
days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of
all things, by whom also he made
the worlds.
			--------------------------
READING.--The Child Jesus in the Temple, Luke 2:41-52; or Mary
sitting at Jesus' Feet, Luke 10:38-42.

ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Study of the Scriptures:_ Jesus and the Apostles at
home in them, Matt. 4:4-10, Acts 2:14 _seq._ Timothy, II Tim. 3:15.
The Bereans, Acts 17:10-12. _Variously received:_ The Parable of the
Sower, Luke 8:5-15.
------------------------End of Page 39------------------------------
			CHAPTER II

			THE CATECHISM

THE OBJECT of catechetical instruction is to fit us
for communicant membership in the Church. Those
who were baptized in infancy are members of the
Church; but they are not admitted to the Lord's 
Supper, and hence do not become communicant
members, until they have been instructed and con-
firmed.

LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM is our text-book for
catechetical instruction. It is not only the best book
for this purpose, but is one of the Confessions of
our Church, and should become our personal con-
fession of faith. It is called Luther's _Small_ Cate-
chism, because Luther wrote a larger one also.

THE AUTHOR of our catechism was Dr. Martin
Luther (b. 1483, d. 1546), the great Reformer,
through whom God effected the Reformation of the
Church in the sixteenth century. He began the
Reformation with his Ninety-five Theses against the
sale of indulgences, contended against the many
errors and abuses that had crept into the Church,
and preached and taught the pure truth of the
Gospel until his death. (Ninety-five Theses, 1517;
Translation of the Bible into German, 1522-34;
Larger and Smaller Catechisms, 1529; Augsburg 
Confession adopted 1530.)

THE CATECHISM CONTAINS the principal teach-
ings of the Bible,--those things which we need to 
know in order to be saved and to lead a right Chris-
tian life. [1] It is not meant to displace the Bible, but
to fit us to read and study the Bible with greater
profit. [2]

THE FIVE PRINCIPAL PARTS of the catechism are
1. The Ten Commandments. 2. The Creed. 3. The
Lord's Prayer. 4. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
--------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Acts 16:30.
Matt. 6:33.
[2] John 5:39.
--------------End of Page 40------------------------
5. The Sacrament of the Altar.* To these are added
Questions on Confession, Morning and Evening
Prayers, Thanksgiving before and after Meat, and
A Table of Duties.

*Luther says that three things are necessary for every one who
would be saved. Like a sick person, 1. He must know what his
sickness is. 2. He must know where the medicine is which will
cure him. 3. He must desire and seek the medicine, and have it
brought to him. Our sickness (sin) is revealed to us by the Ten
Commandments. The medicine (God's grace) is made known to us
in the Creed. We seek and ask for it in the Lord's Prayer. It is
brought to us in the Sacraments.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is the object of catechetical instruction? 2.
What is to be said about the relation of baptized children to the
Church? 3. What is Luther's Small Catechism, and what should it
become for us? 4. Who was the author of our Catechism? 5. What
does our Catechism contain? 6. Name the five principal parts of the
catechism, and the additions to them.

SCRIPTURE READING.--Paul confesses his Faith, Acts 26.
		-----------------------

		PART I

		THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

		CHAPTER III

		THE LAW

The Ten Commandments are called the _Moral
Law_, or more briefly the Law, and sometimes the
Decalogue or the Ten Words. They make known to
us God's will, which is the law for all His creatures.
Each commandment has a _negative_ side, and _forbids_
something; each has also a _positive_ side, and _com-
mands_ or enjoins something.

THE GIVING OF THE LAW. The Law of God was
originally written in man's heart at creation. [1] We
call that law in the heart, Conscience. After the fall
into sin, the conscience became darkened, and men
did not always know right from wrong, and fell
into gross idolatry. [2] God, therefore, through Moses
------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Rom. 2:14, 15.
[2] Rom. 1: 21-23.
-----------------End of Page 41---------------------------
at Mount Sinai, gave men His law anew, [3] written
on two Tables of stone. [4] He also gave the Israelites
national and ceremonial laws. These, being meant
for a particular people and a certain era of the 
world, are no longer binding upon us. But the 
Moral Law has been expressly confirmed by our
Lord Jesus Christ as valid for all time and binding
upon all men. [5]

THE SUBSTANCE OF THE LAW is, "Thou shalt love
the Lord Thy God with all thy heart and with all
thy soul and with all thy mind" and "Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself."

THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW is, 1. To put a check
upon wicked men, [6] 2. To convince us of our sinful-
ness [7] and our need of the Saviour, [8] and 3. To be
our rule and guide for Christian conduct. [9] It is
especially with respect to the second purpose here
mentioned, that the Ten Commandments were as-
signed by Luther to the first and not to a later place
in his catechism.

THE TWO TABLES. The Ten Commandments may
be divided into two parts, called the Two Tables of
the Law. [10] The First Table includes the first three
commandments, and teaches us our Duty to God.
The Second Table includes the last seven command-
ments, and teaches us our Duty to our Fellow-men.*

*The Ten Commandments are not numbered in the Bible. A
two-fold numbering is found among Christians. The first is that
which is given in our Catechism, and which is accepted by the
majority of Christians. The other numbering makes two com-
mandments of our first (the second being the command not to make
any images), and joins our ninth and tenth into one. This makes
a difference in the numbering of all the commandments except the
first.

QUESTIONS.--1. What other names are given to the Ten Command-
ments? 2. What do they make known to us? 3. What two sides are
there to each commandment? 4. Where was the law of God originally
written? 5. Why and when was the Law given anew? 6. Why is the
Moral Law binding upon us, while the national and ceremonial laws
of Israel are not? 7. What is the substance of the Law? 8. What is
the threefold purpose of the Law? 9. Into how many Tables is the
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[3] Exod. 20:1.
Deut. 5:6.
[4] Exod. 31:18.
[5] Matt. 22:37-40.!
[6] I Tim. 1:9.
[7] Rom. 3:20.!
[8] Gal. 3:24.!
[9] John 14:15.!
Matt. 7:12.!
[10] Exod. 31:18.
-----------------End of Page 42------------------------------------
Law divided, and what does each Table teach? 10. How many com-
mandments does each Table include?
			----------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Matt. 22:
37-40. Jesus said unto him, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind. This
is the first and great command-
ment. And the second is like unto
it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. On these two com-
mandments hang all the law and
the prophets.

Rom. 3:20. Therefore by the
deeds of the law there shall no
flesh be justified in his sight: for
by the law is the knowledge of
sin.

Gal. 3:24. Wherefore the law
was our schoolmaster to bring us
unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith.

John 14:15. If ye love me, keep
my commandments.

Matt. 7:12. Therefore all things
whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even so
to them: for this is the law and
the prophets.

READING.--The Giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, Exod. 19 and 20.
			---------------------

			CHAPTER IV

			THE LAWGIVER

I am the Lord thy God.

			--------------------
THESE INTRODUCTORY WORDS show who is the
Lawgiver. [1] As earthly kings place their names at
the beginning of their decrees to give them author-
ity, so God places His name at the beginning of the
commandments in order to make known who gives
them, and whose displeasure we shall incur if we
disobey them. These introductory words belong not
only to the first but to all the commandments.

I AM. By these words God reminds us that He
is a Person. He speaks to us. He is not an imper-
sonal God who pervades and is a part of nature. He
is above nature and has created it. [2]

THE LORD. The word here translated "Lord"
means in the original Hebrew "I AM THAT I AM." [3]
God thereby declares that He is the One and Only
-------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Jas. 4:12.
[2] Gen. 1:1.
[3] Exod. 3:14.!
-----------------End of Page 43---------------------------
Self-existent, [4] Eternal, [5] and Unchangeable Being. [6]
He is the true and living God in contradistinction
from all so-called gods. [7] The name Jehovah or
"Lord" is used in the Old Testament Scriptures to
designate God as the covenant God of Israel. It
signified that He stood in a specially near relation
to them as His chosen people. The name has the
same comforting meaning for Christians; for they
are the New Testament people of God. [8]

THY GOD. These words express God's good-will
toward us. He is _our God_ who loves us and cares
for us. [10] He said to Israel, "I am the Lord thy God,
which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage." He has delivered _us_ from
the still greater bondage of sin, death, and the devil
through His Son Jesus Christ, [11] and has a right to
expect our gratitude and love.

THE LORD THY GOD. He who gives us these com-
mandments is a Spirit [12] of infinite majesty and
goodness. He is:

1. _Eternal_; He always was and always will be. [13]
2. _Unchangeable_; He always was and always will
be the same. [14]
3. _Omnipresent_; He is present everywhere at the
same time and all the time. [15]
4. _Omniscient_; He knows all the past, present,
and future, and is acquainted with every thought,
desire, and purpose of our hearts. [16]
5. _Omnipotent_, or Almighty; He is able to do all
things which He wills to do. [17]
6. _Holy_; He is perfectly pure, and separate from
all that is evil. [18]
7. _Just_; He will bless those who keep His law,
and punish those who break it. [19]
8. _All-wise_; He always knows what is the best
thing to do, and the best way to do it. [20]
9. _Good_; He is Love itself. [21] He is kind even to
the unthankful, [22] merciful to the penitent soul for
-------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[4] Isa. 44:6.!
[5] Ps. 90:1,2.!
[6] Mal. 3:6.!
[7] Jer. 10:10.
[8] Tit. 2:14.!
I Pet. 2:9.
[9] Jer. 31:3.!
[10] I Pet. 5:7.
[11] Col. 1:13.!
[12] John 4:24.!
[13] Ps. 90:2.
[14] Mal. 3:6.
[15] Ps. 139:7-11.
[16] Ps. 139:2.
[17] Luke 1:37.
[18] Isa. 6:3.
[19] Rom. 2:6.
[20] Col. 2:3.
[21] I John 4:8.
[22] Matt. 5:45.
------------------End of Page 44--------------------------
Jesus' sake [23] and longsuffering toward the impeni-
tent in order to lead them to repentance by His
goodness. [24]
10. _Faithful and True_; He can be absolutely
relied upon to do all that He has promised or
threatened. [25]

Because of the Majesty and goodness of the Lord
our God, we should FEAR and LOVE HIM, and KEEP
His commandments.

QUESTIONS.--1. What do the introductory words show? 2. Of what
do the words "I am" remind us? 3. What is the meaning of the
Hebrew word translated "Lord"? 4. What do the words "thy God"
express? 5. From what bondage has God delivered us? 6. Name and
define God's attributes. 7. Why should we fear and love God?
		-------------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Exod. 3:
14. And God said unto Moses, I
AM THAT I AM.

Isa. 44:6. Thus saith the LORD
the King of Israel, and his Re-
deemer the LORD of hosts; I am
the first, and I am the last; and
beside me there is no God.

Ps. 90:1,2. LORD, thou hast
been our dwellingplace in all gen-
erations. Before the mountains
were brought forth, or ever thou
hadst formed the earth and the
world, even from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God.

Mal. 3:6. For I am the LORD,
I change not.

Tit. 2:14. Who gave himself
for us, that he might redeem us
from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous
of good works.

Jer. 31:3. I have loved thee
with an everlasting love: there-
fore with lovingkindness have I
drawn thee.

Col. 1:13,14. Who hath deli-
vered us from the power of dark-
ness, and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son:
in whom we have redemption
through his blood, even the for-
giveness of sins.

John 4:24. God is a Spirit:
and they that worship him must
worship him in spirit and in truth.
			-----------------------
READINGS--Ps. 14; Ps. 121.
------------------------End of Page 45-------------------------------
		THE FIRST TABLE OF THE LAW
			OUR DUTY TO GOD

"_Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul_." [1]
-------------------------------------------------------------
Side note
[1] Matt. 22:37.

		     CHAPTER V

		THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

			GOD
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.	
_What is meant by this Commandment?_
We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.
		--------------
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT. This is the great
commandment of the Law, because it includes all
the rest. [1] Obedience to all the commandments must
proceed from the love of God which the first com-
mandment requires. [2] Hence the explanation of the
other nine begins with the words, "We should so
fear and love God."

This Commandment forbids us to worship false
gods, and commands us to worship the true God by
fearing, loving and trusting in Him above all things.

	I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN

1. ALL IDOLATRY. "Thou shalt have no other
gods." Idolatry is committed by all who put any-
thing in God's place, the highest place in the heart.
"Whatever we set our heart upon is our god."

_Open Idolatry_[3] is committed by those who wor-
ship imaginary beings, the sun, moon, or stars, ani-
mals, dead ancestors, idols made with hands,
images,* pictures, the Virgin Mary, saints, angels,
the devil, or any other creature.

*When God gave the commandments to Israel, He forbade them
to make any graven images or likenesses. God being a Spirit, the
making of an image of God would at that period necessarily have
resulted in idolatry. But since Christ has come in the flesh and
was visible among men, we are permitted to make pictures and
images of Him. Luther preached very forcibly against those per-
sons who, during his absence from Wittenberg, destroyed the pic-
tures and images in the churches. He said that we make a pic-
ture of Christ in our heart whenever we think of Him, and put
pictures of Him in the Bible and other books; and that therefore
it is not wrong to place pictures or images of Him in our churches
so long as we do not worship them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Side notes
[1] Matt. 22:37,28.
[2] Rom. 13:9, 10.
[3] Exod. 32:1-8.
Ps. 135:15-17.
Isa. 42:8.
Rom. 1:21-23.
-----------------End of Page 46-------------------------------
_Secret Idolatry_ is committed by all who put (a)
Self, [4] (b) Fellow-men [5] or (c) Objects of this
world [6] (money, fame, business, pleasure, etc.) above
God, by fearing, loving, or trusting in them more
than in God.

2. GODLESSNESS. [7] Neglect to worship the true 
God, unbelief, scepticism, superstition, infidelity, and
atheism are a transgression of this commandment.

3. DOUBLE SERVICE. [8] God forbids us to have
other gods before or besides Him. He demands our
whole heart.

	II. WHAT IS COMMANDED

We should give God the highest place in our
hearts, and "fear, love and trust in Him above all
things." [9]

1. We should Fear God above All Things.
We should be more afraid of His anger than of
anything else in the whole world. [10] Rather than
disobey Him, we should be willing to suffer ridicule,
persecution, loss of money, property, position, or
friends, and even death itself. [11]

_Why_. We should fear God above all things, 1.
Because He is omniscient, and we cannot hide any-
thing from Him, not even our thoughts. [12] 2. Be-
cause He is holy, and hates everything that is evil. [13]
3. Because He is just, and will punish every sin. [14]

_How_. As Christians, our fear of God should be a
child-like and not a slavish fear. Child-like fear is
fear mingled with love. We should refrain from
evil not simply from fear of punishment, but from 
fear of offending the God whom we love. [15] "Slavish
fear is afraid God will come; child-like fear is
afraid He will go away."

2. We should Love God above All Things,
"with all our heart, and with all our mind and with
all our soul." [16] Our first aim and our highest
delight should always be to do God's will. [17] We
should be far more anxious to please Him than to
please ourselves or any of our fellow-men. We
should love Him far more than we love any one
----------------------------------------------------
Side notes
[4] Prov. 3:5,6.!
Jer. 9:23,24.
[5] Acts 5:29.!
Matt. 10:28.!
Matt. 10:37.!
Ps. 146:3-5.
[6] I John 2:15-17.!
[7] I Sam. 2:30.
Ps. 10:4.
[8] Matt. 6:24.!
[9] Matt. 4:10.!
[10] Gen. 29:9.!
Ps. 33:8,9.
[11] Matt. 10:28.!
Acts 5:29.
[12] Ps. 139:1,2.!
[13] Lev. 19:2.
[14] Ps. 5:4.
[15] Rom. 8:15.!
[16] Matt. 22:37.
[17] I John 5:3.!
------------------End of Page 47-----------------------
else [18] (parents, brothers, sisters, friends, etc.), or
any earthly objects [19] (money, pleasure, business
and the like).

_Why_. We should love God above all things, 1.
Because He is most worthy of our love. [20] 2. Be-
cause He first loved us, [21] and gave His Son to die
for us. 3. Because our highest happiness is found
in loving Him.

_How we should show our Love_. We should show
that we love God above all things 1. By leading a
godly life. [22] 2. By loving the things of God, espe-
cially the Church and the Gospel. [23] 3. By loving
our fellow-men for His sake. [24]

3. We should Trust in God above All
Things. We should rely with all our heart upon
His love and care, [25] placing our chief dependence
on Him, and not on our own wisdom, skill, or
strength, or upon men, money, etc.

_Why_. We should trust in God with all our heart
because 1. He loves us. [26] 2. He knows all our
wants. [27] 3. He knows what is best for us. 4. He is
able to do all things. 5. He has promised to care
for us. [28]

_How we should show our Trust_. If we trust in
God above all things we will show that trust, 1. By
freedom from unbelieving care and worry. [29] 2. By
reliance upon God's help and protection at all
times. [30] 3. By committing the entire ordering of
our lives to Him. [31]

We have all broken this first commandment: for
we have not always and everywhere feared, loved
and trusted in God above all things.

QUESTIONS.--1. Why is this the Great Commandment? 2. Why does
the explanation of all the other commandments begin with the words,
"We should so fear and love God"? 3. What does this first com-
mandment forbid? 4. What does it command? 5. What two kinds of
idolatry are there? 6. Mention  some forms of open idolatry. 7. Men-
tion some forms of secret idolatry. 8. What does it mean to fear God
above all things? 9. Why should we fear Him? 10. How should we
----------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[18] Matt. 10:37.!
[19] I John 2:15.!
[20] Ps. 73:25,26.!
[21] I John 4:19.!
I John 4:9.!
[22] II John 6
[23] John 8:47.
[24] I John 4:20.!
[25] Prov. 3:5.!
[26] Rom. 8:32.
[27] Matt. 6:32.
[28] Heb. 13:5.
Isa. 54:10.
Isa. 41:10.
[29] Matt. 6:25.
I Pet. 5:7.!
[30] Ps. 33.18,19.
[31] Ps. 37:5.!
---------------------End of Page 48----------------------------
fear Him? 11. What does it mean to love God above all things? 12.
Why should we love God above all things. 13. How should we show
our love to God? 14. What does it mean to trust in God above all
things? 15. Why should we trust in God above all things? 16. How
should we show our trust in God? 17. Have we kept this command-
ment?
		---------------------------

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Prov. 3:
5.6. Trust in the LORD with all
thine heart, and lean not unto
thine own understanding.

Acts 5:29. Then Peter and the
other apostles answered and said,
We ought to obey God rather
than men.

Matt. 10:28. And fear not them
which kill the body, but are not
able to kill the soul: but rather
fear him which is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell.

Matt. 10:37. He that loveth
father or mother more than me is
not worthy of me: and he that
loveth son or daughter more than
me is not worthy of me.

I John 2:15. Love not the
world, neither the things that are
in the world. If any man love the
world, the love of the Father is
not in him.

Matt. 6:24. No man can serve
two masters: for either he will
hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one,
and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.

Matt. 4:10. Thou shalt wor-
ship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve.

Gen. 39:9. How then can I do
this great wickedness, and sin
against God?

Ps. 139:1,2. O Lord, thou
hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting
and my uprising, thou under-
standest my thoughts afar off.

Rom. 8:15. For ye have not
received the spirit of bondage
again to fear; but ye have re-
ceived the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

I John 5:3. For this is the love
of God, that we keep his com-
mandments: and his command-
ments are not grievous.

Ps. 73:25,26. Whom have I
in heaven but thee? and there is
none upon earth that I desire be-
side thee. My flesh and my heart
faileth; but God is the strength
of my heart and my portion for-
ever.

I John 4:19. We love him, be-
cause he first loved us.

I John 4:9. In this was mani-
fested the love of God towards
us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that
we might live through him.

I John 4:20. If a man say, I
love God, and hateth his brother,
he is a liar: for he that loveth
not his brother whom he hath
seen, how can he love God whom
he hath not seen?

I Pet. 5:7. Casting all your
care upon him; for he careth for
you.

Ps. 37:5. Commit thy way
unto the Lord, trust also in him;
and he shall bring it to pass.
		----------------------
READING.--The Golden Calf, Exod. 32, or, The Golden Image
Dan. 3.
------------End of Page 49---------------------------------------
ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Secret Idolatry_: Goliath, I Sam. 17:41 _seq._;
Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4:25 _seq._; Herod, Acts 12:21-23; The Rich
Young Ruler, Matt, 19:16-22; The Rich Fool, Luke 12:15-21; _Slavish
Fear_; Adam, Gen. 3:10-11. _Child-like Fear_: Joseph, Gen. 39:9. _Love
to God_; Abraham, Gen. 22:1-14; Peter and John, Acts 4:19, 20;
Jesus, John 4:34. _Trust in God_: David Fighting Goliath, I Sam. 17.
Daniel in the Lions' Den, Dan. 6.
		--------------------------
		CHAPTER VI

		THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

		GOD'S NAME

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh
His name in vain.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

We should so fear and love God as not to curse, swear,
conjure, lie or deceive by His name, but call upon Him
in every time of need, and worship Him with prayer,
praise and thanksgiving.
		---------------------
THE NAME OF GOD. [1] A name is that by which
we know a person. God's name means all by which
He is known to us; hence not only the words God,
Lord, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, the Almighty, the Eter-
nal, the Omniscient One, etc., but the Word of God
and the Sacraments, and all holy things.

This Commandment _forbids_ the wrong use, and
_commands_ the right use of God's holy name.

		I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN

TAKING GOD'S NAME IN VAIN:

1. _Thoughtlessly._ God's name is taken in vain
thoughtlessly by using it as an exclamation in our
conversation, by reading or hearing God's Word
without devotion, jesting about sacred things, quot-
ing Scripture in fun, and the like. Thoughtlessness
is no excuse. We must give an account to God for
every idle word; [2] how much more for every vain
use of His name.
---------------------------------------------------
Side notes
[1] Ps. 111:9.
Mal. 2:2.
Rev. 15:4.
[2] Matt. 12:36.!
---------------------End of Page 50--------------------
2. _Intentionally_. This is done by those who

Curse; [3] that is, by those who call on God to do
evil to themselves or to others. Disguised forms of
cursing are sinful also.

Swear. We are forbidden to confirm what we
say by the use of God's name, either

_Needlessly_ [4] in our ordinary conversation, or

_Falsely_ [5] before a magistrate.

There is a Legal Oath: [6] 1. Of Witness. 2. Of
innocence. 3. Of Allegiance. 4. Of Office. The
oath taken by our Lord before the high-priest shows
that the oath before a magistrate is not forbidden. [7]
When taking a legal oath, we must be careful to tell
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
False swearing or perjury is a great sin. It is pun-
ished by the State, and will be punished by God. [8]

Swearing by anything beside God's name is for-
bidden also. [9]

Conjure. [10] This commandment forbids all magic 
arts, witchcraft, sorcery, fortune-telling, and all at-
tempts by signs or formulas to discover what God
has kept hidden or to attain what He has withheld.
If results are obtained by such means, that is no
justification for their use. [11] If we desire to obtain
help through the use of God's name, we must _pray_
and not conjure.

Lie. The eighth commandment forbids lying in
general; this commandment forbids lying by God's 
name. It is broken by those who teach falsehood
and error and yet declare that they are teaching
God's Word. [12]

Deceive by His Name. This is done by those
who assume Christ's name by calling themselves
Christians, and yet are hypocrites, and use religion
as a cloak. [13]

Sins against this Second Commandment are com-
mon, but not small sins. God will not hold him
guiltless who commits them.
--------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[3] Jas. 3:9,10.
Matt. 5:44.
Rom. 12:14.!
[4] Matt. 5:34-37.!
[5] Lev. 19:12.!
[6] Deut. 6:13.
Heb. 6:16.
[7] Matt. 26:63, 64.
[8] Ezek. 17:19.
[9] Matt. 5:34-37.d!
[10] Deut. 18:10-12.!
[11] Matt. 16:26.
[12] Gal. 1:8.
[13] II Tim. 3:5.!
Matt. 15:8.!
----------------------End of Page 51-------------------------
		II. WHAT IS COMMANDED

We should

Call upon Him. God has given us His name so
that we might call upon Him for His help and
grace. [14]

In Every Time of Need. We should call upon
God in every time of trouble, danger or distress. [15]
But if we call upon God only in times of special
need, and do not call upon His name at other times
also, we are not keeping this commandment.

And Worship Him [16] in our hearts, in our
homes and in church,

With Prayer [17] for ourselves and for others, [18]

Praise [19] for His majesty and glory and wonder-
ful works,

And Thanksgiving for temporal and spiritual 
blessings. [20]

QUESTIONS.--1. What is meant by God's name? 2. What does this
second commandment forbid and command? 3. How is God's name
taken in vain thoughtlessly? 4. How is God's name taken in vain
intentionally? 5. Define cursing. 6. Define swearing. 7. What kind
of swearing is forbidden? 8. What kind of swearing is permitted? 9.
When taking a legal oath, what must we be careful to do? 10. Define
conjuring, lying and deceiving by God's name. 11. What is the right
use of God's name? 12. Why should we call upon God? 13. When
should we call upon Him? 14. Where shall we worship Him? 15.
How shall we worship Him?
		---------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Matt. 12:
36. But I say unto you, That
every idle word that men shall
speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment.

Rom. 12:14. Bless them which
persecute you: bless, and curse
not.

Matt. 5:34-37. But I say unto
you, Swear not at all; neither by
heaven; for it is God's throne:
nor by the earth; for it is his
footstool: neither by Jerusalem;
for it is the city of the great
King. Neither shalt thou swear
by thy head, because thou canst
not make one hair white or black.
But let your communication be
Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatso-
ever is more than these commeth
of evil.

Lev. 19:12. Ye shall not swear
by my name falsely, neither shalt
thou profane the name of thy
God: I am the Lord.

Deut. 18:10-12. There shall not
be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daugh-
-------------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[14] Ps. 145:18.!
[15] Ps. 50:15.!
[16] Col. 3:16.
[17] Matt. 7:7.!
[18] I Tim. 2:1,2.
[19] Ps. 145:1.
[20] Ps. 106:1.!
----------------End of Page 52------------------------------------
ter to pass through the fire, or
that useth divination, or an ob-
server of times, or an enchanter,
or a witch, or a charmer, or a
consulter with familiar spirits, or
a wizard, or a necromancer. For
all that do these things are an 
abomination unto the LORD: and
because of these abominations the
LORD thy God doth drive them from
before thee.

II Tim. 3:5. Having a form
of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn
away.

Matt. 15:8. This people draw-
eth nigh unto me with their mouth,
and honoureth me with their lips;
but their heart is far from me.

Ps. 145:18. The LORD is nigh
unto all them that call upon him,
to all that call upon him in truth.

Ps. 50:15. Call upon me in the
day of trouble: I will deliver thee,
and thou shalt glorify me.

Matt. 7:7. Ask, and it shall be
given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you.

Ps. 106:1. Praise ye the LORD. 
O give thanks unto the LORD; for
he is good: for his mercy endur-
eth for ever.
		----------------------
READING.--Balaam, Numb. 22; Herod's Oath, Matt. 14:1-12; Saul
and the Witch at Endor, I Sam. 28.

ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Cursing_; Job. 3:1-7. Shimei, II Sam. 16:5-14.
_Swearing_: Herod; Peter, Matt. 26:69-75. _Conjuring_: Saul at Endor;
Bar-jesus, Acts 13:1-12. _Lying and Deceiving_: The Pharisees, Matt.
23:13-36. _Calling on God's Name_: Jesus, Matt. 26:39-44; John 17;
Jacob, Gen. 32:9-12; The First Christians, Acts 2:42.
		------------------------------

		CHAPTER VII

		THE THIRD COMMANDMENT

		GOD'S DAY

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

We should so fear and love God as not to despise His
Word and the preaching of the Gospel, but deem it holy
and willingly hear and learn it.
		------------------------
THE LORD'S DAY. Under the Old Testament the
Israelites, by God's command, observed the seventh
day of the week, Saturday, as the Sabbath or day of
rest, because God rested from the work of Creation
on the seventh day. [1] For the Christians all days are
holy. [2] But from the earliest times the Christian
-------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Gen. 2:2,3.
[2] Rom. 14:5,6.
Col. 2:16.
Acts 2:46.
----------------End of Page 53------------------------------
Church set apart Sunday as a special day of wor-
ship, [3] because it is the day on which Christ rose
from the dead. The Sabbath of the Old Testament 
commemorated the completion of _Creation_; the 
Lord's Day of the New Testament commemorates 
the completion of _Redemption_.

A HOLY DAY. The Lord's Day is to be kept _holy_
by devoting it to holy things. It is to be a day of
rest in order that it may be a day of worship. Any
unnecessary work or any recreation which hinders
us from hearing and profiting by God's Word is
sinful.

		I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN

We are not

To despise God's Word and the Preaching
of the Gospel, [4] by

1. Making light of God's Word, or regarding and
treating it as the word of man.

2. Neglecting to go to church, and pleading poor
excuses for absence. [5]

3. Inattention and lack of devotion in church. [6]

4. Filling the mind with worldly things on Sunday
(business, pleasure, Sunday-newspapers, etc.), so
that God's Word cannot be rightly received into the
heart. [7]

5. Making Sunday a holiday, lounging-day, or
pleasure-day.

6. Making it a working-day, and thus preventing
attendance at church.

		II. WHAT IS COMMANDED

We are

To deem God's Word holy, and willingly
hear and learn it, by

1. Regarding it as God's voice speaking to us. [8]

2. Going to church gladly and regularly. [9]

3. Listening attentively and devoutly to God's 
Word, and joining heartily in the service. [10]
-----------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[3] Acts 20:7.
I Cor. 16:3.
[4] Luke 10:16.!
[5] Heb. 10:25.!
[6] Eccl. 5:1.!
[7] Luke 8:5,12.
[8] I Thess. 2:13.!
[9] Ps. 122:1,2.!
[10] Luke 11:28.!
Col. 3:16.
Jas. 1:21,22.!
Rom. 10:17.
-------------------End of Page 54-------------------------
4. Attending Sunday-school and learning our les-
sons.

5. Teaching in Sunday-school when we have be-
come old enough and our services are needed.

6. Reading the Bible and good books.

7. Doing whatever promotes the worship and
honoring of God by ourselves or by others. [11]

A DAY OF REST. Sunday is meant for the good
of the soul. But a rest on one day out of seven is
necessary also for the welfare of the body. Sunday
is a blessed privilege for body, mind, and soul.
Sometimes, however, both the rest for body and
mind and attendance at church must be sacrificed
in order to perform works of mercy as a duty to
our fellow-men.

THE CHURCH-YEAR. The Church has also ar-
ranged a Church-year for the commemoration of the
principal events in the Savior's life. The order of
the Church-year is as follows: Four Sundays in
Advent, Christmas, New Year, Epiphany (January
6), from two to six Sundays after Epiphany (ac-
cording as Easter comes early or late); three Sun-
days called Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquages-
ima; Ash Wednesday (the first day in Lent), six
Sundays in Lent (the sixth being Palm Sunday),
Holy Week (including Good Friday), Easter, five
Sundays after Easter, Ascension Day, Sunday after
Ascension, Pentecost or Whitsunday, Trinity Sun-
day; and from twenty-three to twenty-seven Sun-
days after Trinity. The Lutheran Church observes
also the Festival of the Reformation on the 31st day
of October. Each Sunday and Festival Day has its
own Gospel and Epistle lesson, as well as its own
Introit and Collect.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is the difference between Sabbath and Sun-
day? 2. Why is Sunday to be a day of rest? 3. What does this com-
mandment forbid? 4. In what way is this commandment broken? 5.
What does this commandment command? 6. How is this commandment
to be kept? 7. Why is Sunday a blessed privilege? 8. When must our
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[11] Jas. 1:27.!
-----------------End of Page 55---------------------------
Sunday's rest and our attendance at church be sacrificed? 9. What is
the object of the Church-year? 10. Give the order of the Church-year.
		-----------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Luke 10:
16. He that heareth you heareth
me; and he that despiseth you de-
spiseth me; and he that despiseth
me despiseth him that sent me.

Heb. 10:25. Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is; but
exhorting one another: and so
much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.

Eccl. 5:1. Keep thy foot when
thou goest to the house of God,
and be more ready to hear, than
to give the sacrifice of fools: for
they consider not that they do
evil.

I Thess. 2:13. When ye re-
ceived the word of God which ye
heard of us, ye received it not as
the word of men, but as it is in
truth, the word of God, which
effectually worketh also in you
that believe.

Ps. 122:1,2. I was glad when
they said unto me, Let us go into
the house of the LORD.

Luke 11:28. But he said, Yea,
rather, blessed are they that hear
the word of God, and keep it.

Jas. 1:21,22. Receive with
meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls.
But be ye doers of the word, and
not hearers only, deceiving your
own selves.

Jas. 1:27. Pure religion and
undefiled before God and the Fa-
ther is this, To visit the fatherless
and widows in their affliction and
to keep himself unspotted from
the world.
		-----------------------
READING.--Jesus in Nazareth on the Sabbath, Luke 4:16-30.

ILLUSTRATIONS.--The Child Jesus in the Temple, Luke 2:42-52.
Simeon and Anna, Luke 2:27 _seq_. Mary, Luke 10:39. The Ethiopian
Eunuch, Acts 8:27 _seq_. Lydia, Acts 16:14.
		----------------------

	THE SECOND TABLE OF THE LAW

	OUR DUTY TO OUR FELLOW-MEN

_"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."_ [1]

OUR NEIGHBOR means every one. We are to 
love all men as we love ourselves; [2] not only our
relatives, friends, and acquaintances, but strangers,
enemies, and people of all nations and climes. We
must be ready to do good to all who are in need of
our help and kindness. Compare the Parable of the
Good Samaritan. [3]
----------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Matt. 22:39.
[2] Matt. 7:12.
[3] Luke 10:30-37.
-------------------End of Page 56--------------------------
		CHAPTER VIII

		THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

		OUR PARENTS AND SUPERIORS

Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be
long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

We should so fear and love God as not to despise nor
displease our parents and superiors, but honor, serve, obey,
love and esteem them.
		-------------------------------
PARENTS are God's representatives in the family
for the maintenance of law and order in it. They
are charged by God with the care and training of 
their children, and are clothed by Him with authority 
over them. Their will is law for their children, so
long as it does not conflict with the law of God.

SUPERIORS are those who are placed over us in a
position of authority in the Family, Church, School,
or State; e.g., guardians, step-parents, grand-par-
ents, pastors, teachers, rulers, etc. They also are to
be honored and obeyed as such. In every case of a
conflict of authority, we must "obey God rather
than men." [1]

This commandment _forbids_ us to despise or dis-
please our parents and superiors, and _commands_ us
to honor, serve, obey, love, and esteem them.

	OUR DUTY TO OUR PARENTS, GRAND
	PARENTS, GUARDIANS, ETC.

	I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN

We must not

Despise them, mock at them, [2] make light of
them, think ourselves wiser or above their authority,
nor speak disrespectfully of them or to them. [3]

We must not

Displease them by lack of affection, grumbling,
disobedience, stubbornness, rebelliousness, or wick-
edness. [4]
------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Acts 5:29.
[2] Prov. 30:17.!
[3] Deut. 27:16.!
[4] Exod. 21:15.!
-----------------End of Page 57----------------------------
	II. WHAT IS COMMANDED

We should

Honor them as those who are placed over us by
God's appointment, look up to them, and always
treat them with the proper respect [5] and consideration.

Serve them, be helpful to them, lighten their bur-
dens, and anticipate their wishes. [6]

Obey them by cheerfully and promptly doing
their will, even when it is not to our liking. [7]

Love them, and show our love by a constant
desire and effort to please them. We should call to
mind what they have done and still do for us, that
our love for them may grow deep and tender. [8]

Esteem them. We should regard and appre-
ciate them as a precious gift of God. Children who
have lost father or mother have met with a great
loss.

IN LATER YEARS. We should honor, love and
_obey_ our parents while we are young; and we should
still _love_ and _honor_ them when we are older. We
must not despise or be ashamed of them if we
happen to rise to a higher position in life than they.
When they have grown old and feeble, we should
care tenderly for them; and after they are dead, we
should treasure their memory.

	OUR DUTY TO OUR SUPERIORS [9]

THE PASTOR is to be honored for the sake of the
office which he holds. He is the ambassador of
Christ; [10] and when he preaches the Gospel, or
speaks words of admonition and counsel in private,
the Saviour speaks through him. Those who hear
him hear Christ; those who despise him despise
Christ. [11] We should heed his admonitions, [12] and,
as far as we are able, help and encourage him in
his work.

OUR TEACHERS in Sunday-school and in other
schools are placed over us in a position of authority,
and must therefore be respected and honored.
-------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[5] Lev. 19:3.
Eph. 6:2,3.!
[6] I Tim. 5:4.
[7] Eph. 5:1.
Col. 3:20.!
Prov. 1:8.
[8] John 19:26,27.
[9] Rom. 13:7.!
[10] II Cor. 5:20.
[11] Luke 10:16.
[12] Heb. 13:17.!
I Thess. 5:12,13.
-----------------End of Page 58----------------------------
RULERS AND THE GOVERNMENT. The State is God's
servant to regulate temporal affairs and to main-
tain law and order in the land. Rulers and officials
of the government must be respected and honored. [13]
Christians must be good citizens. They must always
obey the law, so long as it does not conflict with
the law of God. [14] They should be patriotic, pray
for their country, be ready to defend it, pay their
taxes, and be concerned that it shall be a Chris-
tian land. Every voter shares in the responsibility
of securing righteous government, and should cast
his vote conscientiously.

OLD PERSONS in general are to be treated with
respect and honor. [15]

A special blessing is promised to those who keep
this commandment.

QUESTIONS.--1. What does the Second Table of the Law teach? 2.
What is meant by "our neighbor"? 3. What is the position of parents
in the family? 4. What is meant by "superiors"? 5. To whom is our
highest obedience due? 6. What does this commandment forbid, and
what does it command? 7. In order to avoid despising or displeasing
our parents, what should we not do? 8. Why and how should we honor
them? 9. How should we serve them? 10. How should we obey them?
11. How should we show our love to them? 12. What should we al-
ways remember concerning our parents? 13. What is meant be esteem-
ing them? 14. How should we regard and treat them when we have
grown older? 15. What is our duty to our pastor? 16. What is our
duty to our teachers? 17. Why should we honor our rulers? 18. What
are a Christian's duties to his country? 19. How must we treat old
persons in general? 20. What special blessing is promised to those
who keep this commandment?
		-----------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Prov. 30:
17. The eye that mocketh at his
father, and despiseth to obey his
mother, the ravens of the valley
shall pick it out, and the young
eagles shall eat it.

Deut. 27:16. Cursed be he that
setteth light by his father or his
mother: and all the people shall
say, Amen.

Exod. 21:15. And he that smit-
eth his father, or his mother, shall
be surely put to death.

Eph. 6:2, 3. Honour thy fa-
ther and mother; which is the
first commandment with promise;
that it may be well with thee, and
thou mayest live long on the earth.

Col. 3:20. Children, obey your
parents in all things: for this is
well pleasing unto the Lord.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[13] Matt. 22:21.!
Rom. 13:1-4.!
[14] I Pet. 2:13.
Acts 5:29.
15. Lev. 19:32.!
-------------------End of Page 59----------------------------------------
Rom. 13:7. Render therefore
to all their dues: tribute to whom
tribute is due; custom to whom
custom; fear to whom fear; hon-
our to whom honour.

Heb. 13:17. Obey them that
have the rule over you, and sub-
mit yourselves: for they watch
for your souls, as they that must
give account, that they may do it
with joy and not with grief: for
that is unprofitable for you.

Matt. 22:21. Render therefore
unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's; and unto God the things
that are God's.

Rom. 13:1. Let every soul be
subject unto the higher powers.
For there is no power but of God:
the powers that be are ordained
of God.

Lev. 19:32. Thou shalt rise up
before the hoary head, and honor
the face of the old man and fear
thy God: I am the LORD.
		---------------------------------------
READING.--Joseph and his Father, Gen. 47:1-12.

ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Despising and displeasing parents_: Jacob's sons,
Gen. 37; Eli's sons, I Sam. 2:22-25; Absalom, II Sam. 15. _Honoring 
them_: Jesus, Luke 2:51.
		----------------------------------------
		CHAPTER IX

		THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

		HUMAN LIFE

Thou shalt not kill.

_What is meant by this Commandment?_

We should so fear and love God as not to do our
neighbor any bodily harm or injury, but rather assist and
comfort him in danger and want.
		------------------------------------------	
HUMAN LIFE is sacred. It is man's most precious
earthly possession; for without it he cannot enjoy
any other. This commandment is meant to guard it.
We dare not shorten another person's life, nor our
own. God gives life, and He alone has the right to
take it away.

This commandment _forbids_ us to kill or injure
other persons or ourselves. It _commands_ us to 
assist and comfort our neighbor in danger and want.
---------------End of Page 60------------------------
	I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN

We must not

1. KILL OR INJURE OTHER PERSONS.

_Murder_. To destroy any human life, even if it be
very young or yet unborn, is a great crime. He who
commits murder is to be punished with death. [1]
Among the motives which prompt to murder are
anger, hatred, [2] envy, [3] jealously, revenge, [4] frivolity,
avarice, robbery, and a desire to hide past sin. [5] We
must be on our guard against all that would ever
tempt us to this great crime.

_Duels_. It is foolish as well as sinful to pretend
to establish the right or wrong of a question by a
duel.

_Unjust Wars_ are wholesale murder. Rulers must
do all that they honorably can to prevent war. Yet
as a last resort to maintain the right, war is justifi-
able.

_Hatred_ is murder in the heart. "He that hateth
his brother is a murder." [6]

_Tempting Others_ to useless risks in which they
may perish or be injured, or to drunkenness, dissi-
pation, etc., which will shorten their life, is a trans-
gression of this commandment.

_Causing Accidents_ by neglect, carelessness or bad
workmanship, or

_Shortening Other People's Lives [7] by maltreat-
ment, overwork, worriment, etc., makes men guilty 
of sin against this commandment.

_Neglect to Warn_ others of impending danger _or
neglect to assist them_ in need may result in their in-
jury or death.

The law recognizes our right to defend our life
when it is unjustly assailed. But killing others in
self-defense must be our last resort. Many persons
act hastily. The official who inflicts the death penalty
on condemned criminals is not guilty of wrong, but
is doing his duty as an officer of the State. [8]
--------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Gen. 9:6.!
[2] Gen. 4:1-8.
[3] Gen. 37.
[4] Matt. 14:3-11.
[5] II Sam. 11.
[6] I John 3:15.
Matt. 5:21,22.!
[7] Gen. 37:31-35
[8] Rom. 13:4
-------------------End of Page 61-----------------------
It is a sin to kill our neighbor's _soul_ by tempting
him to sin, or enticing him to wrong-doing by our
evil example.

2. KILL OR INJURE OURSELVES.

_Suicide_ is often prompted by despair, remorse, [9]
cowardice, recklessness, or insanity. But it is sinful
as well as foolish and cowardly. He who commits it
robs himself of the opportunity to repent, and leaves
others to bear the burdens from which he shrank.
If we are tempted to despair, we should not commit
suicide, but seek comfort and strength in God's 
Word. If we have fallen into disgrace by sin, we
should repent and lead a better life.

_Duels_. We not only have no right to endanger
another's life by a duel, but we have no right to
endanger our own. The duel, which was once a
common practice, has justly fallen under the con-
demnation  of public opinion.

_A Life of Sin_. Impurity, drunkenness, gluttony,
or dissipation will shorten our life, and make us die
before our alloted time.

_Disregard of the Laws of Health_, overwork, need-
less exposure, carelessness, violent anger, needless
worry, are all forbidden by this commandment.

The voluntary sacrifice of our life for truth and
right (martyrdom), or in defense of our country, or
in an effort to rescue and save others, is not only 
justifiable but noble. [10]

	II. WHAT IS COMMANDED

We should

Assist and Comfort Our Neighbor. [11]

1. In Danger. We should

Warn him of danger.

Defend and rescue him.

Ward off danger from him.

Save him from worry and anxiety whenever we
can.
---------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[9] Matt. 27:5.
[10] I John 3:16.
[11] Gal. 6:10.!
Luke 10:30-35.
Matt. 5:7.!
Matt. 5:44.!
Rom. 12:20.  Matt. 7:12.!
Prov. 24:17.
-----------------End of Page 62---------------------------
2. In Want. We should

Aid the poor and destitute.

Minister to the sick.

Comfort the afflicted and distressed.

Give to organized charities: orphanages, asylums,
hospitals, rescue-work, etc.

Give to missions in order to save souls.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is to be said about the sacrednesss of human
life? 2. What does this fifth commandment forbid? 3. What does it
command? 4. Whom are we forbidden to kill or injure? 5. Mention
some ways in which this commandment is broken with respect to
others. 6. What is to be said about the sin of murder and its punish-
ment? 7. What are some of the motives which prompt men to murder?
8. What is to be said about duels? 9. Is war right? 10. What does the
Bible say about hatred? 11. What is to be said about useless risks,
accidents, maltreatment, etc.? 12. What is to be said about neglecting
to warn or assist others? 13. What is to be said about the right of
self-defense? 14. What is to be said about the official who inflicts the
death-penalty on criminals? 15. Mention some ways in which this com-
mandment is broken with respect to self. 16. What motives prompt
men to suicide, and how should we guard against such a sin? 17. What
is to be said about the folly and cowardice of the suicide's act? 18.
What is to be said of the voluntary sacrifice of our life? 19. How are
we to assist our neighbor in danger? 20. How are we to assist and
comfort him in want?
		-------------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Gen. 9:6.
Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by
man shall his blood be shed: for
in the image of God made he man.

Rom. 12:19. Dearly beloved,
avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath: for it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I
will repay, saith the Lord.

Matt. 5:21,22. Ye have heard
that it was said by them of old
times, Thou shalt not kill: and
whosoever shall kill shall be in
danger of the judgment: but I say
unto you, That whosoever is
angry with his brother without a
cause shall be in danger of the
judgment: and whosoever shall
say to his brother, Raca, shall be
in danger of the council: but who-
soever shall say, Thou fool, shall
be in danger of hell fire.

Eph. 4:31,32. Let all bitter-
ness, and wrath, and anger, and
clamour, and evil speaking, be put
away from you, with all malice:
and be ye kind one to another,
tender-hearted, forgiving one an-
other, even as God for Christ's
sake hath forgiven you.

Gal. 6:10. As we have there-
fore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto them
who are of the household of faith.

Matt. 5:7. Blessed are the mer-
ciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matt. 5:44,45. But I say unto
you, Love your enemies, bless
------------------End of Page 63--------------------------------- 
them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for
them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you: that ye may
be the children of your Father
which is in heaven.

Matt. 7:12. Therefore all
things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even
so to them: for this is the law
and the prophets.
		-------------------------
READING.--Cain kills Abel. Gen. 4:1-16.

ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Murder_: Cain; Joab, II Sam. 3:2,29; Ahab and
Jezebel, I Kings 21:1-19; Herod, Matt. 2:16-18. Hatred: Josph's
Brethren, Gen. 37. _Suicide_: Saul, I Sam. 31:5; Judas, Matt 27:5.
_Assisting and Comforting_: The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37.
		------------------------------
		CHAPTER X

		THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT

		PURITY, MARRIAGE

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

_What is meant by this Commandment_?

We should so fear and love God as to be chaste and
pure in our words and deeds, each one also loving and
honoring his wife or her husband.
		----------------------------
This commandment is meant to preserve our per-
sonal purity, and to guard the holy estate of mar-
riage. It _forbids_ adultery and all impurity. It _com-
mands_ chastity and purity in thought, word, and
deed.
		I. PURITY

We should be Chaste and Pure

_In Heart_. We should keep our heart free from
impure thoughts and desires. [1] God judges us by the
state of our heart. [2] Unchaste thoughts must not be
delighted in nor harbored, but subdued and stamped
out. They poison the soul. They are themselves a
transgression of this commandment, [3] and they lead
to further transgressions of it by word and deed.

In Words. We must avoid immodest conversa-
tion, unchaste words, vile stories, and shameless
-----------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Matt. 5:8.!
Prov. 4:23.!
Ps. 51:10.
[2] I Sam. 16:7.
[3] Matt. 5:28.!
--------------------End of Page 64-----------------------
jests. [4] Such things are not smart, as many think,
but vile and despicable. We should never take part
in nor listen to a conversation which we would be
ashamed to have overheard by persons whom we
respect.

In Deeds. We should carefully avoid every act
which would bring the blush of shame to our cheeks
if it were known to our parents or others whose
opinion we cherish. Our bodies are to be God's
temple, [5] and they dare not be given over to sin and
impurity. [6] We should remember that God sees even
in secret, and knows all our actions. [7]

_Impurity_ of heart and life will not go unpun-
ished. [8] It is often followed by the most dreadful
consequences: a ruined body, an enfeebled mind, a
poisoned soul, a tortured conscience, public shame,
dreadful disease and an untimely death.

_To Keep ourselves Pure_ we should watch and
pray, [9] avoid idleness, evil company, bad books and
papers, indecent songs and pictures, immoral plays,
intemperance in eating and drinking, and all that
would incite to impurity. We should keep our
minds occupied with good thoughts and desires, so
that we have no room for evil ones. [10]

	II. MARRIAGE

Marriage is the union of one man and one woman
for life in the bonds of love and faithfulness.

_A Holy Estate_. Marriage was instituted by God
in Eden, [11] and was sanctioned by Christ, who per-
formed His first miracle at a wedding. [12] It is a holy
estate. Celibacy is not a holier estate than marriage,
as the Roman Catholic Church maintains. [13]

_Indissoluble_. The marriage tie is binding until
one of the married persons dies. [14] Except by death, 
the marriage relation cannot be broken or dissolved
without sin against this sixth commandment. [15] If
one party to the marriage is guilty of adultery, the
------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[4] Eph. 5:3-4.
Eph. 4:29.!
[5] I Cor. 6:19,20.!
[6] Rom. 6:13.
[7] Ps. 139:1-12.
[8] I Cor. 3:16,17.!
Gal. 5:19-21.!
[9] Matt. 26:41.!
[10] Rom. 13:14.
[11] Gen. 2:18.
[12] John 2:1-11.
[13] I Tim. 4:1-3.
[14] Matt. 19:6.!
[15] Matt. 5:32.!
Matt. 19:9.
-------------------End of Page 65---------------------------
innocent party may obtain a divorce. No other
divorces are allowed by Christ.

_An Important Step_. Marriage is the most important
step in life. It must not be entered into hastily or 
thoughtlessly. If a mistake is made in the choice of a
partner for life, the mistake can never be remedied.
Those who contemplate such a step should pray for
God's guidance. Marriage should not be entered
upon for money, social advantages, and the like, but
for love. Parents should be consulted. While mar-
riage by a civil magistrate is valid, Christians should
seek God's blessing upon their union and be mar-
ried by His ordained servant. The laws of the
State must be carefully obeyed. Marriage between
near relatives is forbidden by God's Word. [16] Those
who are married should, if possible, be of the same
faith. Marriages  between Protestants and Roman
Catholics are seldom happy.

_Duty of Husband_ [17] _and Wife_. [18] Each should
love and honor his wife or her husband. The
man is the head of the family, but he must not be 
a tyrant. The wife is not his slave, but his dearest
companion. They are no longer two but one, with a
common love, a common life, a common property,
common children, common hopes and aspirations,
and a common Saviour. [19] They should be patient
with one another's faults, just to one another's vir-
tues, and should unselfishly seek one another's hap-
piness. They should live together in mutual love
and faithfulness till separated by death. only when
husband and wife continue to love and honor one
another can they be happy. The breaking of the mar-
riage covenant is followed by shame and misery.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is this commandment meant to preserve and
guard? 2. What does it forbid and command? 3. What is to be said
about purity of heart? 4. What is to be said about purity in words?
5. What is to be said about purity in deeds? 6. Mention some of the
consequences which often follow upon impurity. 7. How may we keep 
ourselves pure? 8. What is marriage? 9. Why is marriage a holy
--------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[16] Lev. 18.
[17] Eph. 5:25.!
Col 3:19.
[18] Eph. 5:22.!
Col. 3:18.
[19] I Pet. 3:7.
I Pet. 3:1.
----------------End of Page 66--------------------------
estate? 10. How long is the marriage tie binding? 11. When only and
by whom dare a divorce be obtained? 12. Why must marriage not be
entered upon hastily or thoughtlessly? 13. What care should be exer-
cised by those who think of being married? 14. What is the duty of
husband and wife?
		-----------------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Matt. 5:8.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for
they shall see God.

Prov. 4:23. Keep thy heart
with all diligence: for out of it
are the issues of life.

Matt. 5:28. But I say unto
you, That whosoever looketh on a
woman to lust after her hath com-
mitted adultery with her already
in his heart.

Eph. 4:29. Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is
good to the use of edifying, that
it may minister grace unto the
hearers.

I Cor. 6:19,20. What! know ye not
that your body is the tem-
ple of the Holy Ghost which is in
you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? For ye are
bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body and in
your spirit, which are God's.

I Cor. 3:16,17. Know ye not
that ye are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwell-
eth in you? If any man defile
the temple of God, him shall God
destroy: for the temple of God is
holy, which temple ye are.

Gal. 5:19-21. Now the works
of the flesh are manifest, which
are these, Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idola-
try, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, envyings, murders,
drunkenness, revellings, and such
like: of the which I tell you be-
fore, as I have also told you in
times past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the king-
dom of God.

Matt. 26:41. Watch and pray,
that ye enter not into temptation:
the spirit indeed is willing, but
the flesh is weak.

Matt. 19:6. What therefore
God hath joined together, let not
man put asunder.

Matt. 5:32. But I say unto
you, That whosoever shall put
away his wife, saving for the
cause of fornication, causeth her
to commit adultery: and whoso-
ever shall marry her that is di-
vorced committeth adultery.

Eph. 5:25. Husbands, love your
wives, even as Christ also loved
the church, and gave himself for
it.

Eph. 5:22. Wives, submit your-
selves unto your own husbands,
as unto the Lord.
		--------------------------
READING.--The Creation of Eve, Gen. 2:18-25; or The Marriage
at Cana, John 2:1-11.
-----------------------End of Page 67---------------------------				CHAPTER XI

		THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT

		PROPERTY, HONESTY

Thou shalt not steal.

_What is meant by this commandment?_

We should so fear and love God as not to rob our
neighbor of his money or property, nor bring it into our
possession by unfair dealing or fraudulent means, but
rather assist him to improve and protect it.
		-------------------------------
THE OBJECT of this commandment is to protect
every man in the possession of that which is law-
fully his own. Without such protection the indi-
vidual could not support his life, and society could
not exist. The industrious and thrifty would be at
the mercy of the lazy and wicked. This command-
ment forbids us to use dishonest means of acquiring 
property. It _commands_ us to assist our neighbor to
improve and protect his own.

PROPERTY consists of whatever each person law-
fully acquires of the earth's lands, forests, water,
mines, houses, goods or money. It may be right-
fully acquired by original claim, inheritance, gift, or
labor of body or mind. Honest labor united with
economy is the best way to acquire it.

UNEQUAL DIVISION. God, who is the absolute
owner of all things, [1] divides to each as He will. [2] He
"maketh poor and maketh rich." [3] Much poverty,
however, is due to men's own laziness, idleness, [4]
carelessness or extravagance; and much wealth has
been wrongfully gained contrary to God's will as
expressed in this commandment. _Communism_, or
the equal division of property among all men is not
practicable. It failed in the apostolic Church . [5] If
all things were equally divided, some would soon
clamor for another division.

POVERTY AND RICHES. The happiest person is
he who is neither rich nor poor, but has sufficient
---------------------------------------------------
Side notes
[1] I Cor. 10:26.
[2] Jer. 27:5.
[3] I Sam. 2:7.
Prov. 22:2.!
[4] II Thess. 3:10.!
[5] Acts 5:1-10.
---------------------End of Page 68-----------------------
for his needs. [6] Poverty may tempt a man to dis-
honesty; and riches may lead him to avarice, hard-
ness of heart, worldliness and extravagance. [7] Riches
make it hard for a man to enter into the kingdom
of God. [8] We should respect men for what they are,
and not for what they have. We should not flatter
the rich nor despise the poor. [9]

USE OF PROPERTY. God entrusts earthly property
to us as His stewards. [10] Whether we are rich or
poor, we should so use our property as to be able
to give an account to God. _For ourselves_ and those
dependent on us [11] we should use it for the supply of
our bodily needs (food, clothing, shelter, a reason-
able amount of pleasure) and of our spiritual
needs [12] (the Church and the Gospel). _For our fel-
low-men_ we should, when necessary, use it accord-
ing to our ability for their bodily needs (the poor)
and their spiritual needs (Home and Foreign Mis-
sions). [13]

	I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN

1. Robbing our Neighbor. The grossest forms
of dishonesty are Robbery, Theft, Burglary, Em-
bezzlement, and Forgery. These are recognized by
all as wrong. But it is also wrong to bring our
neighbor's property into our possession by

2. Unfair Dealing and Fraudulent Means, [14]
such as Concealing stolen property, Withholding lost
or borrowed property, Evading taxes, Refusing to
pay debts, Wilful idleness and beggary, Betting and
gambling, Lotteries and chancing, Bribery, Useless
lawsuits, Negligent management of another's prop-
erty, Stealing car-rides, Unfaithful labor, Insuffi-
cient wages, Cornering the market, Overcharging,
Usury, Adulterating good, Giving short weight or
measure, and Cheating of any kind.

3. _Dishonesty in the Heart_. Dishonesty has its
source in the covetousness and greed of the human
heart. [15] Men first covet, and then steal or defraud.
-------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[6] Prov. 30:7-9.!
Prov. 15:16-17.!
[7] I Tim. 6:9,10.
I Tim 6:17.!
[8] Matt. 19:24.!
Matt. 13:22.
[9] Jas. 2:1-4.
[10] Luke 19:12-27.
Matt. 25:14-30.
Luke 16:1-8.
[11] I Tim. 5:8.!
[12] Luke 12:15.!
Matt. 6:33.
I Cor. 9:14.
[13] Matt. 22:39.
[14] Prov. 29:24.
Lev. 6:2,3.
Ps 37.21.
Jer. 22:13. 
Lev. 19:35,26.
Hab. 2:6.
Prov. 15:6.
Deut. 24:14.
Jas. 5:4.
Prov. 11:1.
[15] Mic. 2:2
------------------End of Page 69-------------
We must beware of covetousness. [16] The love of
money is a root of all evil. [17] We must be honest
even in small matters. He who is dishonest in little
will be dishonest in much. [18] We must avoid all that
would tempt us to dishonesty; namely, evil com-
panions, idleness, speculation, extravagance, etc.

	II. WHAT IS COMMANDED

We should

1. Assist our Neighbor to Improve and Pro-
tect his Property. [19] We should help him to get
along well in the world, and do what we can to pre-
vent him from being deprived of his possessions.

2. _Restore to the real owner_ whatever has been
dishonestly gotten. [20]

3. _Be Ready to use our money_ and property in 
order to help and benefit our neighbor. [21] We must
be helpful and charitable toward our fellow-men.

QUESTIONS.--1. What is the object of the seventh commandment? 2.
What does this commandment forbid? 3. What does it command? 4.
How may property be rightfully acquired? 5. Explain why property is
unequally divided among men. 6. What is to be said about commu-
nism? 7. Why is he who is neither rich nor poor the happiest man? 8.
What is the right use of property? 9. Mention some gross forms of dis-
honesty. 10. Mention some other ways in which this commandment is
broken. 11. Where does dishonesty have its source? 12. If we would
be honest, what must we guard against? 13. In what ways does this
commandment require us to assist our neighbor?
		-----------------------------
SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Prov. 22:
2. The rich and poor meet to-
gether: the LORD is the maker of
them all.

II Thess. 3:10. This we com-
manded you, that if any would
not work, neither should he eat.

Prov. 30:7-9. Two things have
I required of thee; deny me them
not before I die: Remove far from
me vanity and lies; give me
neither poverty nor riches; feed
me with food convenient for me:
lest I be full, and deny thee, and
say, Who is the LORD? or lest
I be poor, and steal, and take the
name of my God in vain.

Prov. 15:16-17. Better is lit-
tle with the fear of the LORD,
than great treasure and trouble
therewith. Better is a dinner of
herbs where love is, than a stalled
ox and hatred therewith.

I Tim. 6.17. Charge them that
are rich in this world, that they
be not highminded, nor trust in
-------------------------------------------------------------
Side notes
[16] Luke 12:15.!
[17] I Tim. 6:10.!
[18] Luke 16:10.
[19] Exod. 23:4,5.
Matt. 7:12.
[20] Luke 19:8.
[21] Eph. 4:28.!
Heb. 13:16.!
I Pet. 4:10.
----------------End of Page 70------------------------------
uncertain riches, but in the living
God, who giveth us richly all
things to enjoy.

Matt. 19:24. And again I say
unto you, It is easier for a camel
to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into
the kingdom of God.

I Tim. 5:8. But if any provide
not for his own, and specially for
those of his own house, he hath
denied the faith, and is worse
than an infidel.

Luke 12:15. And he said unto
them, Take heed, and beware of
covetousness: for a man's life
consisteth not in the abundance
of the things which he possesseth.

I Tim. 6:10. For the love of
money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after,
they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through
with many sorrows.

Eph. 4:28. Let him that stole
steal no more: but rather let him
labour, working with his hands
the thing which is good, that he
may have to give to him that
needeth.

Heb. 13:16. But to do good
and to communicate forget not:
for with such sacrifices God is
well pleased.
		---------------------
READING.--The Unjust Steward, Luke 16:1-7; or, Matt. 25:31-46.

ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Poverty and Riches_: The Rich Man and Lazarus,
Luke 16:19031; The Rich Fool, Luke 12:15-21; The Prodigal Son,
Luke 15:11 _seq_. _Dishonesty_: Achan, Josh. 7. Gehazi, II Kings 5.
Judas, Luke 12:6. Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5. _Benevolence_: The
Good Samaritan, Luke 10:30-37; Dorcas, Acts 9:36; Cornelius,
Acts 10:2.
		-----------------------
		CHAPTER XII

		THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT

		TRUTHFULNESS

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

_What is meant by this commandment?_

We should so fear and love God as not deceitfully to
belie, betray, slander, nor raise injurious reports against
our neighbor, but apologize for him, speak well of him, 
and put the most charitable construction on all his actions.
		------------------------

THE OBJECT of this commandment is to secure
truthfulness, [1] and to guard our good name. [2] With-
out truthfulness we could not believe anything we
heard, and the utmost confusion would prevail in the 
affairs of men. A good name is one of our most
precious earthly possessions.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Side Notes
[1] Eph. 4:25.!
[2] Prov. 22:1.!
------------------End of Page 71-----------------------------
This commandment _forbids_ all lying. It _commands_
perfect truthfulness and a charitable judgment of
others.
		I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN

ALL LYING is forbidden. [3] False witness against
other _persons_ is the worst form of lying. All lesser
forms of lying are forbidden along with the greater.

1. _False Witness against our Neighbor_. We must
not tell a falsehood about another person either in
court or in every-day life. We must not

Belie him, that is, tell an untruth about him.

Betray. [4] We must not abuse our neighbor's con-
fidence by revealing his innocent secrets, and thus
annoying or harming him. One who pretends to be
another's friend, and yet betrays him, is acting a lie.
We dare not, however, hide crime; and we must tell
what we know about others if the court, or parents,
or persons who have a right to know, inquire of us.

Slander nor Raise Injurious Reports. [5] We 
must not invent nor repeat false reports concerning
our neighbor. We must not say behind his back
what we fear to say to his face. We must not mag-
nify his faults, [6] nor impute evil motives to him, nor
make his words and conduct look as bad as possible.
The slanderer is worse than a thief and causes in-
calculable suffering and misery. [7] We should remem-
ber that words once spoken live on for good or evil,
and cannot be unsaid; and that we must give an
account to God for every word we speak. [8]

2. _Lying of Any Kind_. A lie is a conscious false-
hood uttered with the purpose of deceiving. It may
be acted as well as spoken. [9]  We must not deceive
nor try to deceive others by telling an untruth, by
hiding the truth or a part of it, by hypocrisy, flat-
tery, boasting, broken promises, conventional lies,
"white lies," "lies of necessity," guesses give