The teacher of God says:
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
Ps. 34:11
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Order of Contents
Catechism Classes for Children: Reformation History
Article
Bible Verses Against Hyper-Patriarchalism
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Catechism Classes for Children by the Minister: Reformation History
Primary Sources
Excerpts
ed. Fills, Robert – The Laws and Statutes of Geneva as well Concerning Ecclesiastical Discipline, as Civil Regiment… 1562
‘The Order Which Ought to be Kept for Little Children’, pp. 13-15
ed. Peterkin, Alexander – Records of the Kirk of Scotland, pp. 208-209 being an Act of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1639 during the 2nd Reformation
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Quote
Confession of Bohemia 1573
This confession of the Waldenses, “tilts slightly toward the Reformed theology that the Brethren (Unitas Fratrum) had discovered through contacts with the Swiss and German Calvinistic Reformation. The more Lutheran orientation of the 1535 document has been adjusted [in this later version of 1573] in the direction of a Reformed understanding.” – James Dennison, Jr., Reformed Confessions 3.323
Ch. 2, ‘Of Catechizing’ in ed. Peter Hall, The Harmony of Protestant Confessions (London, 1842), p. 374
“And in all these things they do so occupy themselves, that, concerning the order which the apostles brought in and propounded, they labor not only to instruct those which be of riper years, who, being come to proper age, are able presently to understand; but also to teach little children, that they, being exercised, even from their childhood, in the chief points of the covenant of God, may be taught to understand the true worship of God.
For this cause, there be both peculiar Ecclesiastical assemblies with children, which do serve for the exercise of catechizing: and also the parents, and those that are requested of the parents…”
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Secondary Sources
Leishman, Thomas – middle of p. 335 in Ritual of the Scottish Church On the minister catechizing children on Sabbath afternoon
Stuart of Pardovan, William – p. 87, section 15 in Collections and Observations, Bk. 2, Title 1 The 1639 & 1649 Church of Scotland laws that ministers must catechize a portion of their parish every week
McMillan, William – top of p. 80 in The Public Worship of Presbyterian Scotland Historically Treated About Frankfort Germany in the 1550’s, where John Knox was, which was a hub of reformation
Ainslie, J.L. – pp. 56-57 of The Doctrines of Ministerial Order in the Reformed Churches of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries 1940
“The Reformed minister had other work and duties besides that of preaching… He had also the catechizing of the children, to be done regularly every Sunday (Heyer, [The Ordinances of Geneva,] p. 265; Peterkin, [Records of the Kirk of Scotland,] pp. 208-209) — a most important duty, regarded as such in those days, and which we may think of as taking the place of the modern Sunday school. There was catechizing of adults as well as children.”
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Article
Alexander, Archibald – Suggestions in Vindication of Sunday-Schools 1829 46 pp.
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Bible Verses Against Hyper-Patriarchalism
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That the Elders (and others) are not Constrained to Always Interact & Relate to the Subordinates of the Family through the Father
Teachers of the Church instructing young people directly, not through their parents:
Ps. 34:11
“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
Lk. 2:42-49
“And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast… And it came to pass, that after three days they [his parents] found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions…
And when they saw Him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, ‘Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.’ And He said unto them, ‘How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?'”
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The Apostle Paul
Directing Timothy, a minister, to entreat ladies directly:
1 Tim. 5:1-2
“Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father… the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.”
Acts 16:13-14
“And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia… which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”
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The Apostles Addressing Children Directly in Letters:
Eph. 6:1-3
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
1 Jn. 2:13
“I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.”
1 Jn. 5:21
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”
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David Speaking to Abagail apart from her Husband:
1 Sam. 25:32-34
“And David said to Abigail: ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.'”
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