# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1857_S67
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Instruction for Catechism Sermons.                    67

...and matters, so that the Catechism is tasted through in all sermons.

3. On the Arrangement of Catechism Sermons.

A catechism sermon is a summary stringing-together of everything that
belongs to the exposition of a piece of the Catechism and that is then
to be asked and answered in the examination. This explanation is
grounded in what Dr. Luther says of both methods in his Large Catechism
(see above, under 1.). As to the form of such catechism sermons, he
adds, at the passage cited: "Therefore we take pains to preach the
Catechism often, so that it may be beaten into the young, not loftily
nor sharply, but briefly and in the simplest manner, so that it may go
well into them and remain in their memory." Whoever faithfully follows
this brief instruction of Luther's will become a mighty catechism
preacher; and where could one find a better model for it than, first of
all, in his own catechetical writings? Now, to him who wishes to become
a disciple of this great master, I give the following counsel:

First, make for yourself an exact survey of all his catechetical
writings, arranged according to the individual pieces of the Catechism,
with an indication of the year from which they date and of the place
where they are to be found — and indeed according to three classes,
depending on whether they treat the piece in question briefly, in
detail, or in still greater detail. As an illustration, let the
following example serve, taken from the First Chief Part:

Class I.   1. Brief Form, to consider the Ten Commandments etc. (1520),
              Edition W., Tome 10, 186—188.
           2. The Transgression of the Ten Commandments, in the same
              place, 189—194, and the Fulfillment of the same, in the
              same place, 195—197, from the year 1522.
           3. How one is to consider the Ten Commandments simply, in
              Luther's "Simple Way to Pray, for a Good Friend" (1535),
              [Tome] 10, 1695—1708 (somewhat more fully, according to a
              fourfold garland), and so on.
Class II.  1. Exposition in the Large Catechism (1529), W., 10, 36—109.
           2. (more extensively) in the Sermon on Good Works (1520), W.,
              10, 1562—1682, and so on.
Class III. 1. Exposition of the Ten Commandments, preached from the 19th
              and 20th chapters of the 2nd Book of Moses (1529), W., 3,
              1502—1691.
           2. (more extensively), in the same place (1516 and '17),
              1692—1978.

Gather diligently for yourself, also, out of his other writings,
whatever you find in them toward the exposition of the Catechism — for
example, from the sermon for the Sunday Rogate, in the House Postil,
the brief exposition of the Lord's Prayer. This belongs to the Third
Chief Part and falls into Class I. Likewise the tract on the Keys, under
the Office of the Keys, belongs in Class III.

You will also find, in the Table Talk — especially in Chapter XI —
precious materials, for example the short sayings about the Catechism,
§18. Like—