Bishop Ives thus instructs the slave-children under his charge[L] ("Catechism"):--
Page 27: "Q. You said that at your baptism you were made inheritors of the kingdom of heaven; but will you get eternal life in heaven, if you do not strive to go there?--A. No; but I shall be sent down to hell.
Q. How are you to strive or try to go to heaven?--A. I must have nothing to do with the devil and his works; which I gave up at my baptism.
Q. In what way are you to shun the devil and his works?--A. By keeping within me no bad thoughts; by speaking no bad words; and by doing no bad things.
Q. What do you mean by keeping within you no bad thoughts?--A. I mean that I must not hate anybody, nor wish to hurt anybody, nor wish to do any wrong.
Page 30: Q. What do you mean by doing no bad things, such things as the devil tempts you to do?--A. I mean that I must not hurt anybody; must not disobey my parents, nor disobey my master, nor disobey God.
Q. But can you not disobey your parents and your master without their knowing it?--A. Yes; but God knows it; for God always sees me.
Q. What else must you do to get to heaven?--A. I must believe all that God has told me about the way to get there.
Pp. 35, 36: Q. How are you to show that you love your neighbor as yourself?--A. I am to show it by always doing my duty to my neighbor, as God has commanded me.
Q. Who is your neighbor?--A. Everybody who lives with me and around me, and has the control over me.
Q. Can you name some persons?--A. My playfellows, my master and mistress, and my parents....
Q. How are you to show your love to your master and mistress and your parents?--A. I am never to lie to them, to steal from them, nor speak bad words about them, but always to do as they bid me.
Page 47: Q. How do others sin against you?--A. By cursing me, telling lies about me, or striking me.
Q. What must you do to those who thus sin against you?--A. I must forgive them.
Q. What if you do not forgive them?--A. Then God will not forgive me.
Q. Why?--A. Because I pray to him to forgive me, just as I forgive others.
Page 48: Q. How are you to forgive others, when they trespass against you?--A. I am not to hurt them, because they hurt me; but I must pray for them, and try to do them good.