THE

CONFESSION OF FAITH;

THE

LARGER AND SHORTER CATECHISMS,

WITH THE

Scripture-proofs at Large:

TOGETHER WITH

THE SUM OF SAVING KNOWLEDGE,

(CONTAINED IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, AND HELD FORTH IN THE SAID
CONFESSION AND CATECHISMS,) AND PRACTICAL USE THEREOF;

COVENANTS,

NATIONAL AND SOLEMN LEAGUE;

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS, AND
ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES;

DIRECTORIES FOR PUBLICK AND FAMILY WORSHIP;
FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT, &c.

OF PUBLICK AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

WITH ACTS OF ASSEMBLY AND PARLIAMENT, RELATIVE TO, AND
APPROBATIVE OF, THE SAME.

DEUT. vi. 6, 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in
thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children; and
shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by
the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

EDINBURGH:

PRINTED BY SIR D. HUNTER BLAIR AND J. BRUCE,
Printers to the King's most Excellent Majesty.

1815.

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TO THE

CHRISTIAN READER,

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ESPECIALLY

HEADS OF FAMILIES.

S we cannot but with grief of soul lament those multi-
tudes of errors, blasphemies, and all kinds of profaneness,

which have in this last age, like a mighty deluge, overflown

this nation; so, among several other sins which have helped

to open the flood-gates of all these impieties, we cannot but

esteem the disuse of family instruction one of the greatest.

The two great pillars upon which the kingdom of Satan is

erected, and by which it is upheld, are ignorance and error;

the first step of our manumission from this spiritual thraldom

consists in having our eyes opened, and being turned from dark-

ness to light, Acts xxvi. 18. How much the serious endeavours

of godly parents and masters might contribute to an early

seasoning the tender years of such as are under their inspec-

tion, is abundantly evident, not only from their special influ-

ence upon them, in respect of their authority over them, in-

terest in them, continual presence with them, and frequent

opportunities of being helpful to them; but also from the sad

effects which, by woeful experience, we find to be the fruit

of the omission of this duty. It were easy to set before you a

cloud of witnesses, the language of whose practice hath been

not only an eminent commendation of this duty, but also a

serious exhortation to it. As Abel, though dead, yet speaks by

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