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 DOCTRINE

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DOCTRINE

(7) The invention of printing and the revival of learning naturally had great influence on catechetical instruction. The first great name to be mentioned, though indeed it belongs to a slightly earlier period, is that of John Gerson (1363-1429). He realized that the much-needed reform of the Church should begin by the instruction of the young; and though he was chancellor of the University of Paris he devoted him- self to this work. He composed a sort of little cate- chism entitled " The A B C of Simple Folk". To en- able the clergy to catechize he also composed the " Opus Tripartitum de Prsceptis Decalogi, de C'onfessione, et de Arte bene Moriendi", in which he briefly explained the Creed, the Commandments of God, the sins to be mentioned in confession, and the art of dying well. This was printed many times and was translated into French. It was the forerunner of the Catechism of the Council of Trent. In the year 1470, before Luther was born, a German catechism, " Christenspiegel " (the Christian's Mirror), wTitten by Dederich, was printed, and at once became verj' popular. Two other cate- chisms, "The Soul's Guide" and "The Consolation of the Soul", were printed a little later and issued in many editions. In Janssen's great " Hi.story of the German People at the Close of the Middle Ages" wiU be found a complete refutation of the popular notion that the Protestant Reformers, and especially Luther, were the first to revive catechetical instruction and to print catechisms. It is, however, proper to acknowl- edge their activity in this matter, and to note that this activity stirred up the zeal of the Catholics to counter- act their influence. Luther's famous "Enchiridion", which was really the third edition of his smaller cate- chism, was published in 1529, and speedily ran through a number of editions; it is still used in Germany and in other Protestant countries. In 1536 Calvin com- posed a catechism in French: "Le formulaire d'in- struire les enfans en la chrestiente, fait en maniere de dialogue ou le ministre interroge et 1 'enfant repond". He candidly admits that it was always the custom in the Church to instruct children in this way. Of course he takes care to introduce the chief points of his heresy: the certainty of salvation, the impossibility of losing justice (righteousness), and the justification of children independentlj- of baptism. It is note- worthy that as regards the Eucharist he teaches that we receive not merely a sign, but Jesus Christ Him- self, "really and eS'ec'tually by a true and substantial union". In England the first Book of Common Prayer ( 1549) contained a catechism with a brief e:5planation of the Commandments and the Lord's Prayer. The explanation of the sacraments was not added until the year 1604. If this catechism be compared with that of Cardinal Thoresby, mentioned above, it will be seen that the instruction given to Protestant children in the middle of the sixteenth centurj' was far inferior to that given in pre-Reforraation days. In 1647 the Westminster Assembly of Divines drew up the Pres- lij-terian "Larger" and "Smaller" Catechisms.

On the Catholic side Bl. Peter Canisius published three catechisms, or rather one catechism in three forms: major (1555), minor (1558), and minimus (1556). Taking as his foundation Ecclus., i, 33, he divides his treatment into two great parts: wisdom and justice. In the first he deals with" Faith (the Creed), Hope (the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary), Charity (the Commandments). In the second he deals with avoiding evil (sin and the remission of sin) and doing good (prayer, fasting and almsdeeds, the cardinal virtues, the gifts and fruits of the Holy Ghost, the beatitudes, the evangelical counsels, and the Four Last Things). To obtain and to preserve both wisdom and justice the sacraments are necessary, and hence he places the treatment of the sacraments between the two parts. After the Council of Trent (1563) Canisius added a chapter on the Fall and Ju.stification. The form of the three books is that of questions and an-

swers, some of the latter being as long as four or five pages. In striking contrast to the Protestant cate- chisms, the tone throughout is calm, and there is an absence of controversial bitterness. The success of Canisius' catechisms was enormous. They were trans- lated into every language in Europe, and were re- printed in many hundreds of editions, so that the name Canisius came to be sj-nonjinous with Cate- chism (Bareille, op. cit., p. 61).

The Catechism of the Council of Trent {CatechismiLS Romanus) is not a catechism in the ordinary sense of the word. It is rather a manual of instruction for the clergy (Catechismus ad Parochos) to enable them to catechize those entrusted to their spiritual care. The fathers of the conned "deemed it of the utmost impor- tance that a work should appear, sanctioned by the authority of the Holy SjTiod, from which parish priests and all others on whom the duty of imparting Instruction devolves may be able to seek and derive certain precepts for the edification of the faithful ; that as there is ' one Lord one Faith ' so also there may 'oe one common rule and prescribed form of delivering the faith, and instructing the Christian people unto all the duties of piety" (Prsef., \'iii). The composition of the work was entrusted to four distinginshed theo- logians (two of them archbishops and one a bishop), under the super\'ision of three cardinals. St. Charles Borromeo was the presiding spirit. The original draft was turned into elegant Latin by Pogianus and Manu- tius, and this version was translated by command of the pope (St. Pius V) into Italian, French, German, and Polish. Brought out under such condit ions ( 1 566) , the authority of this catechism is higher than that of any other, but is, of course, not on a level with that of the canons and decrees of a council. As to its value Cardinal Newman's estimate may be gathered from these words: "I rarely preach a sermon, but I go to this beautiful and complete Catechism to get both my matter and my doctrine" (Apologia, p. 425). (See Roman C.vtechism.)

Cardinal Bellarmine's Catechism was ordered by Clement VIII to be used in the Papal States, and was recommended for use throughout the world. It appeared in two forms: " Dottrina Cristiana Breve" (1597) and " Dichiarazione pifi Copiosa della Dottrina Cristiana" (1598). The first is for scholars, the second for teachers; in the first the teacher a.sks the questions and the scholar replies, whereas in the second this pro- cess is reversed. 'The first, which is meant to be learnt by heart, contains eleven chapters and ninety-five questions, and is arranged in the following order: the Calling of the Christian and the Sign of the Cross; the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ilail Marj^; the Com- mandmentsof God, the Commandments of the Church, and the Counsels; the Sacraments, the Theological and Cardinal Virtues, the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, the Worksof Mercy, Sins, the Last Things, and the Rosarj'. It is an improvement on Canisius' catechisms, and hence it was recommended at the Vatican Coimcil to serve as a model for the projected universal catechism.

The first catechism in English after the Reforma- tion was "A Catechisme or Christian Doctrine neces- sarie for Children and Ignorante People, briefly com- piled by Laurence Vaux, Bacheler of Divinitie"; 1st ed., 1567; reprinted 1574, 1.583 (twice), 1599, 1605; 18rao. This has been reprinted for the Chetham So- ciety, new series, vol. IV. Manchester, 1883. Next came a small volume, "A Briefe Instruction by way of Dialogue concerning the principall poyntes of Christian religion gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, Fathers and Councels. By the Revereml M. George Doulye, Priest. Imprinted at Louvaine by Laurence Kellam, anno 1(504"; "A Shorte Catechisme of Cardll. Bellar- mine illu.strated with Images. In Augusta, 1614; A briefe Christian Doctrine to be lerned by heart"; "A Summe of Christian Doctrine composed in Latin by Father Petrus Canisius of the Society of Jesus with an