A. Abusing or despising any thing that is holy or that belongs to God.

16. Q. When may you be said to despise or abuse what belongs to God?

A. Four ways.

17. Q. What is the first instance of profaneness?

A. 1. If I make a mock of God, or reproach his name, which is called blasphemy; or if I swear, or take the name of God in vain, or use it in a trifling manner, without seriousness.

Reason against this sin. Because if I make light of the name of God, I shall quickly come to make light of God himself, and live as an enemy to God in the world.

18. Q. What is the second mark of profaneness?

A. 2. If I spend that time amiss, which God has appointed for his own worship and service.

Reason. When God has appointed times of worship, man must not put them to other uses without necessity, for he is not lord of his time.

19. Q. What is the third mark of profaneness?

A. 3. If I laugh at any persons, or jeer them because they are God's ministers or God's people.

Reason against this sin. When persons are abused because they are religous and holy, and belong to God, God takes the abuse as done to himself: and those, who laugh at saints, are not likely to become saints themselves.

20. Q. What is the fourth mark of profaneness?

A. 4. If I make a jest of the word of God, or preaching, or prayer, or any part of true religion.

Reason against this sin. They who jest with the bible and holy things, will not long continue to esteem the bible, or to practise holiness.

21. Q. We come next to inquire, what do you mean by self-sufficiency, as a sign against God?

A. It is when I live as though I had no need of God; and it appears in these three things chiefly.

22. Q. What is the first?

A. 1. When I fancy I have knowledge and wisdom enough to direct me, without seeking to God for more. Reason against this sin. No man on earth has wisdom enough to direct all his own actions, and God will give wisdom to them that ask it.

23. Q. What is the second mark of this sinful selfsufficiency?

A. 2. When I am confident of my own strength to do what I please, or to perform the will of God, and ask not assistance from him nor his Spirit.

Reason against this sin. Because wiser and better persons than I have fallen into sin and shame, when they have trusted in their own strength. Witness St. Peter the apostle.

24. Q. What is the third mark of this `sinful selfsufficiency?

A. 3. When I trust in my own righteousness and good works to save me, with a neglect of Christ, who is the only Saviour.

Reason against this sin.

Because my sins are many, and my best works are imperfect, and they cannot merit or deserve the favour of God; nor can I any way obtain it but by Jesus Christ, who suffered death to reconcile sinners to God.

PART II.

OF SINS AGAINST OUR NEIGHBOUR.

25. Q. Thus we have briefly gone over the sins, which are more directly committed against God; we proceed now to the sins which are committed against our fellow creatures. Can you give me an account what are the chief sins against men, that children are in danger of?

A. Dishonour of superiors, pride and haughtiness of carriage to equals and inferiors, immoderate anger, injustice and lying, evil speaking and slander, cruelty, spite, envy, and uncharitableness.

26. Q. When may you be said to dishonour your superiors?

A. Three ways.

27. Q. What is the first way of dishonouring your superiors?

A. 1. If I despise my parents, teachers, or rulers, in my heart, or reproach them with my tongue, or make a mockery of them in any way whatsoever.

Reason against this sin. Because if I despise them I can

never fulfil the many duties that I owe to them, nor receive benefit from their counsels and advices.

28. Q. What is the second way of dishonouring your superiors?

A. 2. If I disobey their just and lawful commands. Reason against this sin. Because God has appointed them to teach and to govern me, as well as to provide for me.

29. Q. What is the third way of dishonouring your superiors?

A. 3. If I am obstinate and stubborn against their reproofs and corrections.

Reason against this sin. Such stubborn creatures have nothing to restrain them from running into the worst of sins, and the greatest of miseries, and there have been many dreadful instances of it.

30. Q. What are the signs of pride and haughtiness of carriage, which is the next sin against our neighbour? A. Chiefly these four.

31. Q. What is the first?

A. 1. If I boast over others, or exalt myself above them beyond measure, on the account of any thing I possess better than they.

Reason against this sin. Because boasters are too ready to forget their dependence on God, and they are hateful in the sight of men.

32. Q. What is the second mark of pride and haughtiness?

A. 2. If I am conceited and positive in my opinion, always contradicting and opposing what others say, and will have every thing in my own way, wheresoever I have any thing to do.

Reason against this sin. Because this is treating our fellows as though we were a higher rank of beings than they: and besides, the most positive and self-conceited persons have sometimes found they have been in the wrong, and been forced to confess it with shame.

33. Q. What is the third sign of pride and haughtiness?

A. 3. A disdainful and scornful carriage towards others, particularly towards the aged, towards servants, and those that are poor.

Reason against this sin. I should not scorn the aged, because I am willing myself to live to be old, and I should not like to be scorned: besides, the aged have more wisdom than I; nor should I scorn the poor, nor servants, for they are made of the same flesh and blood as I am, and perhaps they may be better than I.

34. Q. What is the fourth mark of pride or haughtiness?

A. 4. When I scoff or mock at persons for what is their unhappiness, and not their fault, whether it be at the poor, or the blind, or the lame, or the crooked, or the miserable.

Reason against this sin. Because scoffing is pride joined with ill-nature: It is is a double crime. Besides, I may fall under any of these calamities, and I would not be willing others should scoff at me.

35. Q. Having gone through the marks of pride and haughtiness, tell me now what is immoderate and sinful anger?

A. When I am all in a passion upon every slight occasion, or when I let my ager grow violent or continue long.

Reason against this sin. Because a man in a passion is often led to say or do those things which he bitterly repents of afterwards.

36. Q. What are the ill consequences of sinfui anger? A. These five.

37. Q. What is the first?

A 1. Railing and calling ill names.

Reason against this sin. Because railers are not fit for sober company, and are very displeasing to God.

38. Q. What is the second ill consequence of sinful anger?

A. 2. Striking of others, striving and fighting, which sometimes reaches even to blood and murder.

Reason against this sin. Because if we are injured, it is better to complain to parents or masters, that we may have right done us; whereas quarelling and fighting is but pleasing the devil, and is the cause of much mischief.

39. Q. What is the third ill consequence of sinful an

ger!

A. 3. Cursing and wishing mischief to befal others. Reason against this sin. Because this is not loving our neigh

bour as ourselves. The tongue was made to bless God, and not to curse men, who are made after the image of God-and the mischief sometimes falls upon him that curses.

40. Q. What is the fourth ill consequence of sinful anger?

A. 4. Revenge or doing mischief to others, for some real or supposed injury they have done me.

Reason against this sin. Because it belongs to our rulers and not to us to punish those that injure us. It is our duty to forgive.

41. Q. What is the fifth ill consequence of sinful an

ger?

A. 5. Where it is indulged for a few hours it often turns into sullenness, and if it continue long it will grow into settled malice and hatred.

Reason against sullenness. Because it inclines children (when any thing has offended them) not to eat or drink, not to speak or smile, to go aside into corners and pout; or when they come into company they lower and scowl, and perhaps now and then throw out a dark and spiteful word. Now all this is but taking revenge upon myself, as well as showing my ill temper to the world.

Reason against malice. A malicious man is the very image of the devil, and can never be beloved by men. See more under the sin of spite, which is near akin to malice.

42, Q. Thus much concerning sinful anger; tell me now, what is injustice?-

A. Taking what is not due to me and this may be.. done four ways.

43. Q. What is the first sort of injustice?

A. 1. To rob, or plunder, or to take away by force what belongs to another.

Reason against this sin. Because if this were fit to be practised, the strongest would have every thing, and the weaker would have nothing.

44. Q. What is the second sort of injustice?

A. 2. Stealing from another, or taking any thing away privately that belongs to him.

Reason against this sin. Because God sees the thief, though he hide himself from men: and if stealing might be practised, nobody could be sure to possess what God had given them. 45. Q. What is the third sort of injustice?

A. 3. Cheating others of their right by cunning or deceit, or by powerful oppression.