Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/384

* CATECHISM. 328 CATECHU. Hohemian Bretliren. (See the articles on these sects in this Kneyclopirdia.) The term catechism apjiears to liac" been first empUiyed in its present sense among the last-named. At an early period in the history of the Reformation, the reformers began to avail themselves of this method of popular instruction, and their catecliisms became important instruments in that great religious movement. In 1520 Luther publishetl his first short catechism. In 1525 Justus Jonas and John Agricola were intrusted with the preparation of a catechism. In 1529 Luther published his larger and smaller catechisms, >vhicli found a place among the sinbolical books or standards of the Lutlicrau churches. A number of cate- chisms were published also by the Swiss re- formers, and liy those of England and other countries. The (Jeneva catechisms, larger and smaller, were the work of Calvin. They were published in 1536, were .speedily translated into various languages, and became acknowledged standards of the Reformed churches, not only in Switzerland, but in the Xetherlands, in France, and in Hungary. The Church of Geneva has set aside the authority of these catechisms. The Zurich Catechism is received as a standard in the Church of Zurich. The Heidelberg or Palatinate Catechism is of greater importance, however, than any other as a standard of the German re- formed cliurches. It was compiled by the Heidel- berg theologians, Caspar Olevian and Zaeharias I'rsinus. at the request of the Elector Frederick III. of the Palatinate; it was published in 1563, was aj)proved by several svnods, and was sub- jected to a revision by the Synod of Dort. In the Cliurch of Rome the Tridentine Catechism is of high authority. It was prepared in accordance with the decrees of the Council of Trent, by Archbishops Leonardo Marino and Jlnzio Calini, Bislioj) Egidio Foscarini, and the Portuguese Dominican, Francesco Fureiro; revised by Cardinals Borromeo and Sirlet, and sanctioned by Pope Pius V. It was published in Rome in 1566. The catechism of the Ortliodox Greek Church was prepared by Peter Mogilas, metro- politan in Kiev, and pulilished in 1642. It re- ceived authority as a standard or symbolical book from a .sjTiod in .Jerusalem in 1672. It is often called the Larger Russian Catechism, to dis- tinguish it from the Smaller Catechism prepared by order of Peter the Great. Besides these cate- ctiisms, which have a historic interest, or are of importance from their symbolical character, there have appeared at all periods since the Reformation many others, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, some doctrinal, .some contro- versial, some devoted to particular subjects, as the sacraments, or to i)articular purposes, as the preparation of candidates for admission to the Lord's Supper, some adapted to the mental ca- pacity of very young children, etc. The Catechism of the Church of England is published in the Book of Conunon Prayer. It is in two parts: the fir.st contains and explains the baptismal covenant, the creed, the ten com- mandments, and the Lord's Prayer; the second explains the two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper. It is not known with absolute certainty who was the author of the first part; probably Thomas Cranmcr ami Nicholas Ridley had the principal hand in framing the questions and answers. Tt was originally put forth with the 42 articles in the reign of Edward VL, and condemned as heretical in the reign of Mary. It must not be confounded with Cranmer's cate- chism, which was a larger work, diiferently ar- ranged, and translated chiefly from the German catechism used in Nuremberg. This first part of the Church Catechism is spoken of as the iShoi-lir Catechism. There was a larger Church Catechism compiled also in the reign of Edward VI., by John Ponct. as is sup])oscd, and it cor- responds in some degree with the smaller work above described. It appeared in 1553, but was afterwards revised and enlarged by Laurence Xowell, Dean of Saint Paul's, and published in 1570; and though never olhcially promulgated by the Church, it has some authority from having been approved by the Lower House of Convoca- tion. .t the Hamjiton Court Conference (1004) at the bcgiiming of the reign of James I., the Short- er Catechism was considered too short, and the larger one of Xowell's too long; and accordingly, at the King's suggestion, an addition was made to the former of that explanation of the two sacraments which now forms the second part of the Church Catechism. This was drawn up by Rev. Dr. .John Overall. The rubrics in the Com- mon Prayer Book enjoin the teaching of the Cate- chism in the church on Sundays and holy days after the second lesson at evening prayer; the 5!)th canon contains a like injunction, imposing penalties on the clergy who neglect this. The Larger and the "Sliorter Catechisms, which, with the Westminster Confession of Faith, consti- tute the standards or symbolical l)ooks of the Eng- lish-speaking Presbyterian churches, were com- piled by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster; the Shorter Catechism "to be a directory for cate- chising sudi as are of weaker capacity;" the Larger, "for catechising such as have made some proficiency in the knowledge of the Christian religion." The Shorter Catechism was presented to the English House of Conunons on November 5, 1647; the T^arger m April 14, 1648: and in July, 1648, both received the sanction of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which, in the act of approving of the Larger Catechism, declare<l it to lie "a ridi treasure for increasing knowledge among tlic |icople of God." and that "they bless the Lord that so excellent a catechism has been prepared." The Shorter Catechism has, however, been far more generally used for the purpose of instruction than the Larger, which has been generally felt to be too minute in its statements, and too burdensome to the memory to be emjihiyed as a catechism. CATECHXT, kat'e-ku or -ehil (Nco-Lat., from Kanarese, Malay hicliii, catechu). A substance of vegetable origin employed in tanning and dyeing, and medicinally as an astringent. In the East it is much used for chewing. The catechu of commerce is obtained chiefly from East Indian trees, such as the .leoeia aitcchu and Acacia suma. It is known in India by the name Kutt ; and catechu is said to be a name compoumlcd of two words signifying 'the juice of a tree' (cate, a tree, and cliu, juice). Cutch is another form of one or other of these two muncs. and is a conunon commercial name. Catechu is ob- tained from the heart-wood of the trees by cut- ting it into small chips, and boiling in water till the extract has the thickness of tar. It is then allowed to harden for two days, so that it will not rtm, and is formed into balls about the size of oranges, which are ])laced on husks of