27. What are the Old and New Testaments?

In other words, the old and new Covenants of God with men.

28. In what consisted the Old Testament?

In this, that God promised men a divine Saviour, and prepared them to receive him.

29. How did God prepare men to receive the Saviour?

Through gradual revelations, by prophecies and types.

30. In what consists the New Testament?

In this, that God has actually given men a divine Saviour, his own only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

31. How many are the books of the Old Testament?

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Athanasius the Great, and St. John Damascene reckon them at twenty-two, agreeing therein with the Jews, who so reckon them in the original Hebrew tongue. (Athanas. Ep. xxxix. De Test.; J. Damasc. Theol. lib. iv. c. 17.)

32. Why should we attend to the reckoning of the Hebrews?

Because, as the Apostle Paul says, unto them were committed the oracles of God; and the sacred books of the Old Testament have been received from the Hebrew Church of that Testament by the Christian Church of the New. Rom. iii. 2.

33. How do St. Cyril and St. Athanasius enumerate the books of the Old Testament? As follows: 1, The book of Genesis; 2, Exodus; 3, Leviticus; 4, the book of Numbers; 5, Deuteronomy; 6, the book of Jesus the son of Nun; 7, the book of Judges, and with it, as an appendix, the book of Ruth; 8, the first and second books of Kings, as two parts of one book; 9, the third and fourth books of Kings; 10, the first and second books of Paralipomena; 11, the first book of Esdras, and the second, or, as it is entitled in Greek, the book of Nehemiah; 12, the book of Esther; 13, the book of Job; 14, the Psalms; 15, the Proverbs of Solomon; 16, Ecclesiastes, also by Solomon; 17, the Song of Songs, also by Solomon; 18, the book of the Prophet Isaiah; 19, of Jeremiah; 20, of Ezekiel; 21, of Daniel; 22, of the Twelve Prophets.

34. Why is there no notice taken in this enumeration of the books of the Old Testament of the book of the Wisdom of the son of Sirach, and of certain others?

Because they do not exist in the Hebrew.

35. How are we to regard these last-named books?

Athanasius the Great says that they have been appointed of the

Fathers to be read by proselytes who are preparing for admission into the Church.

36. Is there any division of the books of the Old Testament by which you can give a more distinct account of their contents?

They may be divided into the four following classes:

1. Books of the Law, which form the basis of the Old Testament. 2. Historical books, which contain principally the history of religion. 3. Doctrinal, which contain the doctrine of religion.

4. Prophetical, which contain prophecies, or predictions of things future, and especially of Jesus Christ.

37. Which are the books of the Law?

The five books written by Moses-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Jesus Christ himself gives to these books the general name of the Law of Moses. Luke xxiv. 44.

38. What in particular is contained in the book of Genesis?

The account of the creation of the world and of man, and afterwards the history and ordinances of religion in the first ages of mankind.

39. What is contained in the other four books of Moses?

The history of religion in the time of the Prophet Moses, and the Law given through him from God.

40. Which are the historical books of the Old Testament?

The books of Jesus the son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, Kings, Paralipomena, the book of Esdras, and the books of Nehemiah and Esther.

41. Which are the doctrinal?

The book of Job, the Psalms, and the books of Solomon.

42. What should we remark in particular of the book of Psalms?

This book, together with the doctrine of religion, contains also allusions to its history, and many prophecies of our Saviour Christ. It is a perfect manual of prayer and praise, and on this account is in continual use in the divine service of the Church.

43. Which books are prophetical?

Those of the Prophets-Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve others.

44. How many are the books of the New Testament?

Twenty-seven.

45. Are there among these any which answer to the books of the Law, or form the basis of the New Testament?

Yes. The Gospel, which consists of the four books of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

46. What means the word Gospel?

It is the same as the Greek work Evangely, and means good or joyful tidings.

47. Of what have we good tidings in the books called the Gospel?

Of the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, of his advent and life on earth, of his miracles and saving doctrine, and, finally, of his death upon the cross, his glorious resurrection, and ascension into heaven.

48. Why are these books called the Gospel?

Because man can have no better nor more joyful tidings than these, of a Divine Saviour and everlasting salvation. For the same cause, whenever the Gospel is read in the church, it is prefaced and accompanied by the joyful exclamation, Glory be to thee, O Lord, glory be to thee.

49. Are any of the books of the New Testament historical?

Yes. One: the book of the Acts of the holy Apostles.

50. Of what does it give an account?

Of the descent of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles, and of the extension through them of Christ's Church.

51. What is an Apostle?

The word means a messenger. It is the name given to those disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ whom he sent to preach the Gospel.

52. Which books of the New Testament are doctrinal?

The seven general Epistles: namely, one of the Apostle James, two of Peter, three of John, and one of Jude; and fourteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul: namely, one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to the Galatians, one to the Ephesians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, two to Timothy, one to Titus, one to Philemon, and one to the Hebrews.

53. Are there also among the books of the New Testament any prophetical? Such is the book of the Apocalypse.

54. What means this word Apocalypse?

It is Greek, and means revelation.

55. What are the contents of this book?

A mystical representation of the future destinies of the Christian Church, and of the whole world.

56. What rules must we observe in reading holy Scripture?

First, we must read it devoutly, as the Word of God, and with prayer to understand it aright; secondly, we must read it with a pure desire of instruction in faith, and incitement to good works; thirdly, we must take and understand it in such sense as agrees with the interpretation of the orthodox Church and the holy Fathers.

57. When the Church proposes the doctrine of Divine Revelation and of holy Scripture to people for the first time, what signs does she offer that it is really the Word of God?

Signs of this are the following:

1. The sublimity of this doctrine, which witnesses that it can not be any invention of man's reason.

2. The purity of this doctrine, which shows that it is from the allpure mind of God.

3. Prophecies.

4. Miracles.

5. The mighty effect of this doctrine upon the hearts of men, beyond all but divine power.

58. In what way are prophecies signs of a true revelation from God?

This may be shown by an example. When the Prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of the Saviour Christ from a virgin, a thing which the natural reason of man could not have so much as imagined, and when, some hundred years after this prophecy, our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, it was impossible not to see that the prophecy was the word of the Omniscient, and its fulfillment the work of the Almighty God. Wherefore also the holy Evangelist Matthew, when relating the birth of Christ, brings forward the prophecy of Isaiah: But all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying: Behold a Virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is, God with us. Matt. i. 22, 23.

59. What are miracles?

Acts which can be done by no power or art of man, but only by the almighty power of God; for example, to raise the dead.

60. How do miracles serve for a sign that the word spoken is from God? He who does true miracles works by the power of God; consequently he is in favor with God, and partaker of the divine Spirit; but to such it must belong to speak only the pure truth; and so, when such a man speaks in God's name, we are sure that by his mouth there speaketh really the Word of God.

On this account our Lord Jesus Christ himself owns miracles as a powerful testimony to his divine mission: The works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. John v. 36.

61. Whence may we more particularly see the mighty effect of the doctrine of Christ? From this that twelve Apostles, taken from among poor and unlearned people, of the lowest class, by this doctrine overcame and subdued to Christ the mighty, the wise, and the rich, kings and their kingdoms.

THE COMPOSITION OF THE CATECHISM.

62. What may be a good order for setting forth a catechetical instruction in religion? For this we may follow the book of the Orthodox Confession, approved by the Eastern Patriarchs, and take as our basis the saying of the Apostle Paul, that the whole energies of a Christian, during this present life, consist in these three: faith, hope, charity. And now abideth faith, hope, charity; these three. 1 Cor. xiii. 13.

And so the Christian needs: First, Doctrine on faith in God, and on the Sacraments which he reveals; Secondly, Doctrine on hope towards God, and on the means of being grounded in it; Thirdly, Doctrine on love to God, and all that he commands us to love.

63. What does the Church use as her instrument to introduce us to the doctrine of faith?

The Creed.

64. What may we take as a guide for the doctrine of hope? Our Lord's Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer.

65. Where may we find the elements of the doctrine of charity? In the Ten Commandments of the Law of God. VOL. II.-G G