Seven Rules for Catechizing
In our interview with Dr Chad Van Dixhoorn, Behind the Scenes at the Westminster Assembly, he mentions the noted catechist1A catechist is one who teaches and trains others in the faith, often through a question and answer presentation of Christian truth. Thomas Lye (1621–1684) and his seven rules for catechizing. Here, in an accessible format, is Lye’s explanation of his seven-part method. While some of the advice relates to his published version of the catechism, the seven basic steps or rules may be widely applied. The reader should note that Lye was so accustomed to catechising people by means of a ‘question and answer’ method, that even his instructions concerning catechesis are communicated in sequential questions and answers!
Introducing the Rules for Catechizing
Q. 1. Are there any rules proposed to be observed in catechizing? A. Yes.
Q. 2. Is there a title to those rules? A. Yes.
Q. 3. Which is the title to those rules? A. A form of examination according to the rules or method proposed to be observed in catechizing.
Q. 4. Is catechizing an ordinance? A. Yes.
Q. 5. Whose ordinance? Is it God’s? A. Yes.
Q. 6. How do you prove it? A. I prove it out of Proverbs 22:6: ‘Train up (or catechize) a child in the way that he [or she] should go, and when they are old they will not [or at least they should not] depart from it.’
Q. 7. How many rules are there to be observed in catechizing? A. Seven.
Rule 1: Read and Return
Q. 8. Which is the first rule to be observed in catechizing? A. Let the question be barely propounded, and the answer returned.
Rule 2: Yes or No?
Q. 9. What is the second rule? A. Try the child’s understanding, whether he (she) doth discern truth from falsehood.
Q. 10. How shall the child manifest that? A. Only by saying Yes or No, to such short questions as may be raised from the preceding answer.
Q. 11. Where are they set down? A. Next to the answers.
Q. 12. Why is this necessary? A. Because to repeat words, and not to understand the truths contained in them, is but to act the parrot, and profits very little.
Q. 13. But how must the child be made to say Yes or No? A. Without book only.
Q. 14. Why then do we use to read them?2In modern English, this sentence would be rendered ‘Why then are we in the habit of reading them?’ A. For two reasons. 1. Because we should learn to read them exactly. 2. Because the oftener we do read them, and the better we do consider them, the more capable we shall be to answer them truly without book, if we should (at any time) be so examined.
Rule 3: Check the Words
Q. 15. What is the third rule? A. Try the child’s ability to express his (or her) knowledge of the meaning of every hard and difficult word or phrase in the preceding answer.
Q. 16. What reason is there for this? A. Because we cannot rightly apprehend truths, unless we clearly understand the meaning of those words in which truths are wrapped up.
Q. 17. What may be of special use for an help to the child herein? A. The Alphabetical Table at the end of this catechism
Q. 18. How may I find any difficult word in the Table? A. Mark with what letter it begins, and then look for it under the same letter in the Table.
Q. 19. How may I know the difficult words in the answers? A. Note, that every difficult word explained in the Table is printed with a black English character in every answer.
Rule 4: Prove the Point(s)
Q. 20. What is the fourth rule? A. Draw the whole answer into several doctrinal propositions (if it contains more than one) and bid the child prove each or either of them by Scripture.
Q. 21. Why should the answer be drawn into several doctrinal propositions? A. For two reasons: 1. Because there are several distinct truths contained in several answers of the catechism. 2. Because the more distinctly and particularly any truth is proposed, the more capable the child’s understanding is to apprehend it.
Q. 22. Why must the child prove each of these doctrinal propositions by Scripture? A. Because the Holy Scriptures are the only foundation and proof of infallible and saving truth.
Rule 5: Observe the Scriptures
Q. 23. What is the fifth rule? A. Take the several Scriptures annexed to the answer, and in order propose them distinctly to the child: and ask him or her, what he or she observes from each or either of them.
Q. 24. When no Scriptures are annexed to an answer what must we do then? A. Take the several Scriptures annexed to the several doctrinal propositions drawn out of the several answers, and in order propose them distinctly to the child; and ask him (or her) what he (or she) observes from each (or either) of them.
Q. 25. Why is this advice given? A. Because the Scriptures are not at any time to be read but with special observation, for the exercise and increase of our knowledge, and direction of our practice.
Rule 6: Deal with Objections
Q. 26. What is the sixth rule? A. Propose such usual objections from Scripture or reason as seem to contradict the truths asserted.
Q. 27. Why is this requisite? A. Because the clearing of doubts and objections makes much to the enlightening and confirming of the understanding, in its clear apprehension of, and firm assenting to any truth.
Rule 7: Apply the Truth
Q. 28. What is the seventh rule? A. Particularly improve and apply the several truths which have been opened and proved by Scripture.
Q. 29. On what account ought this to be done? A. Because the excellency of truth lies chiefly in the improvement, and particular application of it to the benefit of ourselves and others.
Q. 30. How manifold is an answer in the catechism? A. Twofold, Doctrinal or Practical.
Q. 31. What is a Doctrinal answer? A. That which lays down particular truths to be known and believed.
Q. 32. How is a Doctrinal answer to be applied? A. Two ways. 1. By way of information of the judgement in some particular consequences which do naturally follow from it. 2. By way of confutation of errors against it.
Q. 33. What is a Practical answer? A. That which speaks concerning graces to be improved, duties to be performed, sins to be avoided.
Q. 34. How is a Practical answer to be applied? A. Three ways: 1. By way of examination of our state and ways. 2. By way of exhortation, to improve those graces, and to perform those duties. 3. By way of dehortation, to avoid those sins.
A scanned text of Thomas Lye’s An Explanation of the Shorter Catechism, compos’d by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, with a Plain and Familiar Method of Instructing the Younger Sort may be found here.
Watch the Interview:
Featured Image (visible when article shared online) is a detail from Joseph Farington, 1747–1821, Westminster Abbey and Bridge, 1794, Oil on canvas, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, B1976.7.28. Public Domain.
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