nforms us they had "long and tough debates;" the other was concerning
that which heads the chapter entitled "Of Church Censures," as its
fundamental proposition, viz. "The Lord Jesus Christ, as King and Head of
his Church, has therein appointed a government in the hand of
church-officers distinct from the civil magistrate." This proposition the
Assembly manifestly intended and understood to contain a principle
directly and necessarily opposed to the very essence of Erastianism, and
it was regarded in the same light by the Erastians themselves, hence it
had to encounter their most strenuous opposition. It was, however,
somewhat beyond the grasp of the lay-members of the Assembly, especially
since their champion Selden had in a great measure withdrawn from the
debates after his signal discomfiture by Gillespie, and consequently it
was triumphantly carried, the single dissentient voice being that of
Lightfoot, the other Erastian divine, Coleman, having died before the
conclusion of the debate. The framing of the Confession occupied the
Assembly nearly a year. After having been carefully transcribed, it was
presented to the parliament on the 3d of December, 1646.

A plan similar to that already described was also employed in preparing
that admirable digest of Christian doctrine, the Shorter Catechism, and so
far as can be ascertained, by the same Committee. For a time, indeed, they
attempted to prosecute the framing of both Confession and Catechism at
once; but after some progress had been made with both, the Assembly
resolved to finish the Confession first, and then to construct the
Catechism upon its model, so far at least as to have no proposition in the
one which was not in the other. By this arrangement they wisely avoided
the danger of subsequent debate and delay. Various obstacles, however,
interposed, and so greatly impeded the progress of the Assembly, that the
Catechism was not so speedily completed as had been expected. It was,
however, presented to the House of Commons on the 5th of November 1647,
and the Larger, in the spring of the following year.

There is one anecdote connected with the formation of the Shorter
Catechism both full of interest and so very beautiful, that it must not be
omitted. In one of the earliest meetings of the Committee, the subject of
deliberation was to frame an answer to the question "_What is God_?" Each
man felt the unapproachable sublimity of the divine idea suggested by
these wor