by hearyng of their children learne in theyr age that which passed theym in theyr youth And as myne intente and endeuoure is to profytte both and accordynge to myne office to bryng bothe to the righte knowledge of God so my most earnest and humble prayer vnto God contynuallye shalbe that my good mynde and desyre maye haue good successe and take effecte accordynge to myne expectacion Whiche thing I assuredly hope shal come to passe yf it woulde please youre highnes to suffer this lytle boke by me offered vnto youre Magestie to be redde taughte and learned of the chyldren of youre moste louyng subiectes in whome is great hope of al grace godlynes vertue Youre Graces humble subiecte and Chaplayne Thomas Archbishoppe of Canterbury ¶ A short Instruction into Christian religion for the synguler commoditie and profite of children and yonge people Ouersene and corrected by the moost reuerende father in God the Archebyshoppe of Canterburie The preface THis treatice gentile reader is not wrytten for the Curattes preachers for many of them haue so muche knowledge in holy scripture thankes be to God that they be alreadye sufficiently instructed in these matters But it is written for the behoue of the yong childreÌ„ whiche muste be brought vp with playne and shorte lessons For wee see daylye by experience that who so euer wyll teache children must vse muche discretion wysedome not to geue them to much at one time lest he dull and oppresse their wittes and yet that which he gyueth theim he muste often and many times reherse and repete vnto them agayne as nere as he can after one manner of wise and with the same wordes For if thei teache them now this now that now with these wordes now with other then the childreÌ„ learne litle or nothing thei kepe almost nothing in memorye beside that they waxe wearie of learnyng conceaue a lothsomnes therto and be more slothfull and vnapte to learne Forasmuch therfore as it was to be feared that euery pastor woulde not take the paynes to drawe out such a shorte forme of teachynge to the children nor we thought good to burden euery one with so great labours and also yf euery pastor seuerally should deuise a forme for his parishe it myght chaunce that there should be as many soundrye formes as there be pastors which diuersitie myght engender muche diuision and controuercie and be also much hinderaunce to the children yf in one place thei learne one forme and in an other place an other forme For to exchewe the said inconueniences we haue thoughte good to deuise this shorte manner and forme tynstructe children and yong men wherby they maye both shortlie and easely learne the chief pryncipilles and begynnynge of ChristeÌ„ religion and doctrine and learne aswell howe they oughte to lyue as also what they should beleue And whan they haue learned this in their tender age they shal not onely vnderstande godlye sermons and al other godly doctrine and bookes y e better but also they shall become godly men and wise louers of true religion and godlynes and to al states and orders of lyfe aswell ecclesiasticall as ciuill be more apte and towarde vnto whiche godly purpose all fathers and mothers Curattes and preachers and al christeÌ„ Magestrates and officers should with all theyr mynde and endeuore gyue their ayde and helpe Wherunto God of his grace graunt hys fauour and assistaunce Amen ¶ A shorte Instruction concernyng the ten commaundementes ¶ A general begynnyng for all sermons GRace peace and mercie be with you all froÌ„ God the father and from his onely begotten sonne Iesu Christe oure Lorde AmeÌ„ That we may profectablie and with fruite teache learne the word of God let vs call for grace and praye the Lordes praier Pater noster A generall preface to be rehersed after the prayer in the begynnyng of eche sermon made vpon the ten commaundementes THe Prophete Dauid good Children lyke a coÌ„men scholemaster in the schole of God doeth preache on thys faschyon in the xxxiiii psalme come hither he saith my sonnes herken vnto me I wil teache you the feare of the Lorde who so euer desireth to lyue and woulde fayne see good dayes let him refeaine his tongue froÌ„ euyl hys lyppes y t they speake no deceit let him eschew euel do good Let him seke peace and pursue it Now my derely beloued childreÌ„ I know suerly that there is none amonge you but that he woulde wyshe to see good dayes and lead a Godlye and quiet lyfe Then muste you folowe the counsell of the prophete Dauid with all dilygence to learne the feare of the Lord whilest ye are yet yong tender of age For y t which meÌ„ learne not in theyr youth y e same do they learne in theyr age with more difficultie Therfore learne now with all diligence the feare of the Lord deare children then shal you ware men of excellent vertue and leade a godlye lyfe and shall see good dayes For a blessed and quiet life is not bought with riches nor gotten by â—â—â—oure but by learnynge the feare of God And he that feareth his maker as an almyghtye God and Lorde which dothe mercifully healpe them that be good and greuously punysheth the wicked he wyll dyligentlye take hede that he doth nothinge contrarye to goddes pleasure but wil kepe hys commaundementes so muche as is in his power And suche godlye children proue learned and wyse men whiche maye be able to profit other and the commen welth also as Dauid saith in an other place The feare of the Lorde is the begynnyng of wisedome Wherfore if you feare God and haue a desyre to be occupyed in godlynes then learne the ten commaundementes wherby God hath taughte vs what pleaseth what dyspleaseth hym what thynge is good and what is euell And yf you learne these lessons perfectly then therby you shal purchase vnto you the beginning of trew and godly wisedome whiche is suche wisedom that many men wel striken in yeares do not attaine to it And yet this wisedom and knowlege of the ten commauÌ„dementes is but onely the begynnyng of sapience for it is the teaching of the lawe But when the doctrine of fayth in Christe is taughte vnto you then you lerne a greater and higher wysedome the whiche the vngodlye or vnfaythfull do not vnderstand nor perceyue but god onely doeth gyue it downe frome heauen to make vs feare him and beleue his holy worde Wherfore good children learne nowe dylygently the beginning of wisedom that is to saye tholy ten commauÌ„dementes and gyue so good eare vnto them that you maye learne them without booke and reherse them when you come home ¶ Here folowe the ten commaundementes which must be recited so tretably and distinctly that children by often hearinge of them maye print them in theyr memories and faye them by rote These are the holy ten commaundementes of the Lorde our God The firste I Am the Lorde thy
ten commaundementes ¶ A general preface to be rehersed in the begynnynge of euery sermon made vpon the articles of our Faith commonly called the Crede YHe holy apostle saynct Paule good childern writteth expressely that withoute faith it is vnpossible to please God Also Christ himselfe saieth He that beleuethe and is baptised shall be saued Now I trust ther is none among you but he is desirous to please God and enioye euerlastynge lyfe Then yf you wyll attayne therto you must chiefely and most diligently applye youre myndes to learne the christian faythe and the articles of the same For you haue hearde that without it there is nothing able to reconcile vs to God y e father to pacifie his wrath and to bringe vs to the lyfe euerlastyng For althoughe the tenne commaūdementes are an excellēt godly and heauenly doctrine yet we can not be saued or iustifyed by theym For we be not able of our owne strength and power to fulfyll the lawe and goddes holy commaundementes But by theym we onelye do learne what God requireth of vs and so be brought to the knowledge of our synne For this is the office of the lawe as saincte Paule sayeth to teache vs our offences and to set before our eyes the great feare of God and the indignation whiche we haue deserued by breakynge his commaundementes to the intent that we acknowledgyng our owne weakenesse shoulde flye to Goddes grace and mercye This feare of God is learned in the ten commaundementes and it is the begynnyng of wysedome But the holy christian fayth is a muche more hyghe and excellente knowledge and wysedome as sayncte Paule wytnesseth saying We speake wysedome amonge theym that are perfecte such wisdome as is not of thys worlde nor of the rulers of thys worlde whiche be mortall but we teache the wysedome of God whiche is secret and hyd which God ordeyned before the worlde vnto oure glorye whiche wysedome none of the rulers of this worlde dyd knowe These be the wordes of sayncte Paule whereby he declareth that the science of fayth passeth al other sciences and teacheth heauenly and eternall wisedome that excedeth all mennes philosophye For by faythe we learne to knowe God what he is and what loue he beareth towarde vs and howe great benefites he hath heaped vpon vs. For by fayth we be made y e childrē of God and he giueth vnto vs the holy goost whiche doeth lyghten and kyndle our hartes that we maye begynne to kepe hys lawe whiche els of our owne strengthe we were not able to kepe and fulfyll Wherfore good children it is necessarie for you to learne y e doctrine of faithe for without it we can not be iustified or brought agayne into gods fauour For no man is iust or rightuous before God that hath not the holy gost and he that will receyue the holy gooste muste beleue in Christe for by faith we receyue the holy goost therefore by faith we be iustified Agayne yf we wyll be saued we must knowe God and our Lord Iesus Christ as it is written Iohn the .xvii. But we can not knowe God and his sonne Iesus Christ but by faith therfore faith iustifieth vs and bringeth lyfe euerlastyng Wherfore good children applye your selfes dylygently to learne ▪ the Christian faith the which nowe I wil shortely reherse vnto you The Apostles Crede I Beleue in God the father almighty maker of heauen and erth And in Iesus christ his only sonne our Lord which was conceiued by the holye goost borne of the virgin Marye Suffred vnder Ponce Pylat was crucified dead and buried he descended into hel And the third dai he rose againe from death He ascended into heauē and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the father almightye From thence he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead I Beleue in the holy gost The holy Catholyke churche The communion of saintes the forgiuenes of sinnes The resurrection of the bodye And lyfe euerlasting Amen This is the summe of oure christian faith wherein God hath shewed vnto vs what he is how great benefites he hath gyuē and daily doth gyue vnto vs to thentent that we should cast y e anchore of our faith vpon him take sure holde of his mercye and goodnes and comforte oure selues with the same bothe in oure lyfe tyme and also at our death Wherfore good children be dilygent not onely to saye by rote the wourdes of your Crede but also to vnderstande what is ment by the same so y t whē you be asked any question therof you maye be able to make a direct answere and also in tyme to come to teache y e same to your children For what thīg can be more shame to a Christen man then to professe the relygion of Christ and yet to be ignorant in the chief pointes of Christes faith and his doctrine Considering that euery Christen man is bounde openly to declare his faith whē nede shal so require and to instruct his children in the same y t they maye come to the true knowledge of Christ. This generall begynnynge muste go before euery sermon of the Crede The first sermon of the Creation TO thentent good children that you maye the better vnderstande the true Christian faythe and doctrine you muste fyrste of all learne and knowe that God is a spirituall or gostly substance as Christ sayth Iohn the .iiii. God is not a bodily thing whiche maye be sene and felte He is present in euery place he seeth and beholdeth all thinges whiche we do speake or thynke and yet he is not measured with any ende tyme or place And forasmuche as mannes witte coulde not serche or fynde out the knowlege of thys highe misterie of the substaunce of God Christ himselfe the sonne of God dyd open to vs that beleue in hym what God is That is to say that there is God the father God the sonne and God the holy goste three persones and yet one true and euerlastyng God And it is your boūdē dutie good children diligently to learne thys lesson And although these thinges passe all mennes capacities and is a doctrine harde for you to learne yet in tyme to come you shal heare more of this matier In the meane season beare awaye I praye you thys one lesson that there is one true and euerlastinge God and yet three persones the father the sonne and the holy gost And this we call the Trinitie because these thre the father the son and the holy goost are one godlye substaunce And it is a great shame for you that be christē children not to learne this lesson For all you were baptised in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy goost and thereby you were made christen and the childrē of God and obteyned remission of youre synnes Wherfore it is your dutie to learne knowe in whose name you ar baptised that so you maye truly know God and youre father which you
whiche althoughe it be short yet it conteyneth moste great and weyghty matters suche as neyther aungell nor man nor other creature was able so pitheli to cōprise in so few wordes For in this prayer Christ oure Lord teacheth vs to aske all thynges y t eyther be cōmaūded vs in the ten cōmaundementes or promysed vs in y e article of our Crede Wherfore good children you ought to endeuour your selfes not only to lerne without y e boke this most holy prayer taught vs by Christes owne mouthe our great master teacher but also you ought to giue dilygence to vnderstāde iustlye to weye euery worde of so great a master that when you be apposed herein you maye be able to make a directe answer and also in tyme to come to teache your childrē the true vnderstāding of this praier as you youre selfes be nowe instructed For what greater shame can ther be before God and man thā whā in our mouthes we professe our selues to be christē men and to knowe what we ought to beleue and howe to lyue and yet to be ignoraunt what thynge we ought to aske of God and after what maner we ought to aske those thinges whiche he of his goodnes hath promised most largely to gyue vs. Or els yf we knowe howe and what to aske yet of neglygence slouth or contempt of God not to aske the same in dede in suche wise as we ought to do Specially seynge y t the propre office of a Christen man is to call vpon God in all his busynes and necessities to gyue thankes and euermore to honoure his mooste blessed name with moost hye laudes and prayses Wherfore good children for asmuche as God hath commaunded vs to resorte to hym boldelye and to moue oure selues to him in all our troubles and aduersities and hathe promysed that he wyll heare our praiers delyuer vs and graunt vs al thinges necessary for our saluatiō let vs not refuse this honoure that we be called vnto let vs not refuse this remedie helpe ayde and succoure that is freelye offered of oure most mercifull father to all his children that wyll call vpon his name For this is a sacrifice most acceptable to God wherwith he is moost higly honored and pleased Wherfore good children bothe daily and hourely accustome your selfes euen from your tender age to praye to your heauenly father for all thinges necessarie Offer vp vnto hym at youre vprisinge and downe leyinge before youre meales and after your meate this sacrifice of your lyppes the oblatiō of praise and thankes gyuing wourshippe hym at al tymes with the frankyncense of thys prayer taught vnto you by your sauiour Christ. The perfume wherof yf it be cast into the burnynge coles of faythe and charitie it perceth the cloudes and is so swete and pleasant vnto God that it vanishethe not awaye vntyll it haue obteined that thynge that it was sente for For it is writen that the prayer of a iust man can do much with god and the eyes of the Lord do looke vpō the rightuous and his eares be opened to heare theyr prayers Wherfore studye you to be the children of God and there is no doubte but youre heauenly father wyll gyue all good thinges which you shal desire of him in the name of his sonne and your brother Iesus Christ to whom be all glorye nowe and euer Amen This preface must be rehersed before euery sermon of the Lordes prayer The fyrst sermon ¶ A declaration of the fyrst peticion NOw good childrē to the intente you maye the better vnderstande this prayer you shall fyrst learne thys lesson that we wretched synners do not fyrst preuente God and go before him in the worke of our iustification but it is God that layeth the fyrst foundation of our saluation he begynneth with vs and fyrste calleth vs by the gospell Fyrst he sendeth vnto vs godly and faythful ministers by whom we be baptised and before we do anye good woorke he offereth vnto vs hys grace he sēdeth vnto vs preachers and messengers of peace whiche declare vnto vs the glad tidinges of the gospell and the promises of the fauoure of God towardes all them that truely repente theym of theyr euyll lyuynge and do moue theym to put theyr trust in Gods mercye for pardon of the same God also openeth our hertes that we maye lysten and gyue credit to his holy preachers as Christ hym self sayeth Ye haue not fyrste chosen me but I haue chosen you Nowe forasmuche as God hathe thus called vs to the fayth and by fayth hath gyuen vs lyght in our heartes that we maye forsake all straunge Gods and beleue onely in him now it is our parte to lead our lyfe in godlynes to desier god with hertye and feruente prayers that it maye please hym to make perfecte that thyng which he hath begonne in vs to healpe strengthen vs that by his grace we may be able to do those thinges whiche he hath commaunded vs and that he wyll augment and increase our fayth in vs. For the prayer of the vnfaythful is nothinge worth before God and without faithe it is vnpossible to please God Therefore God must beginne and cal vs by his worde and put faith in our heartes or elles we shoulde neuer aske nothing of him And for this cause we be not taught in the lordes prayer to saye to God Father graunt me to beleue that thou art my father but we be taught to say thus Oure father whiche arte in heauen halowed be thy name That is to saye o Lorde God our heauenly father before I beganne to praye and before I knewe thy name thou through thin exceding greate mercye didst sende vnto me thi preachers by whom thou didst declare vnto me that thou art my father for Iesus Christes sake and thou didst open my heart that I might beleue that thou arte my father Therfore graunt I besech the my heauenlye father that thy name maye be halowed And he y t taketh not God to be his father yet he maye lerne that it is so by this prayer For Christ our Lorde knewe most certenly the wil of his heuenly father that is to say that he would be oure moste swete and louynge father for els he woulde not haue taught vs this title our father and therfore must we again vpō our parties haue suche a loue and obedience to hym as becommeth the childrē vnto their father conceyue a most assured trust in God who is all our fathers that we shall lacke nothyng necessarye for vs and that nothyng shalbe able to hurt as long as we haue so mighty and so louyng a father We see by dayly experience howe intierlye the fathers loueth their children what care they take to bryng theim vp in vertue and lernyng and to get theim good maysters and gouernours howe they labore to prouide for their liuing and al thīges necessary for theim And if perchance theyr childrē cōmitteth any faulte for the whiche they deserue
is not vnknowen to God how harde a thynge it is for vs to beleue that God frelye and for his mere mercye wyll pardon vs whan we haue offended him Wherfore he hath added to his promyse this token whereby we might be assured that he hath forgyuen vs that is to saye when we forgyue our neighbors For although it be harde to forgyue our neyghbours their offēces against vs yet more harde it is to beleue that God hath forgyuen vs. Let vs therfore lay aside al anger and dyspleasure and accustome our selues gladly to forgyue our neyghboures that thereby we maye the soner beleue that our Lorde God hath forgyuen vs. For God is muche more inclyned and redye to mercye then we mortal menne be Moreouer the forgyuyng of oure neyghboure Christe here in dothe not only stablyshe our faith y t our synnes be forgiuē of God but also it doth nouryshe peace concorde brotherly charitie For if we shuld not muche forbeare and forgyue one another but euery man shuld studye howe he mighte be reuenged of his neighboure for euerye matter eyther by force or elles by subtiltie then we shoulde neuer haue measure nor ende of chiding scoldynge layinge in watche one of an other deceauynge lawyng fightyng and suche lyke Then fare wel all quietnes peace concorde and good ordre And this reuengynge of oure selfes should greatly hurt vs both in oure bodye soule good name honore and ryches as experience dayly teacheth vs. For oftentimes we see that whyle a man goeth to lawe for two or thre crownes he spendeth twentye or thirthye And manye men be kylled themselues whyle they go aboute to stryke or woūd other Wherefore it is much better one of vs to forgyue an other then to prouoke and increace the anger and malyce one of another And although we lose part of our goodes thereby yet we shall haue this great wynnynge therby that God wil forgyue vs euen as we forgyue them that trespasse agaīst vs. And note wel good children that Christ doth not teache vs to saye forgyue vs oure grosse synnes but forgyue vs our dettes or trespaces For it is a greater benefyte to haue oure dettes and all offences forgyuen then to haue oure grosse synnes forgyuen vs. For that we proprely cal synne which we do directly agaīst gods commaundement But that is called dette or offence whē we ought to do good do it not or do good vnperfitely although dyrectly we do no hurte to no man And we Christen men althoughe by baptisme we be made the chyldren of God receiue y e holy gost which doeth healpe vs to withstande all euil to do y t is good although we cōmit no grosse sin nor breake the law by any outwarde acte yet we do not perfectely fulfyll gods commaūdementes nor do al thinges whiche we ought to do And when we do not all thinges which we oughte to do then euer we be detters synners in some thyng But God forgyueth vs these dettes for Christes sake when we praye to him therfore and forgiue our neighbours for his sake And this is the cause why we can not be iustified or deliuered from syn death and hell by oure own workes For in asmuche as oure good workes be euer vnperfecte and haue nede of pardon therefore we must nedes be redemed by the passion death resurrectiō of Christ as it hath ben taught you in that part of y e Crede which intreateth of our redemption wherfore in as much as according to oure Crede we beleue that God for Christes sake hathe forgyuen vs all oure synnes and dettes we oughte also earnestly to praye y t he wil deale with vs accordynge to our faithe and forgyue vs our trespaces as we forgyue theim that trespace agaynst vs. And this is the playne vnderstāding of this fifth petitiō whiche we dayly hourely ought to make to God And now I pray you good children that you wyll dilygentlye recorde the true meanyng of this petition And when you be asked this question howe vnderstande you the fifthe petitiō Answere and saye Herein we desyere that our heuenly father will not loke vpon oure synnes and for theim cast vs awaye For we haue not deserued those greate gyftes and grace whiche we desier at gods hādes nor we be not worthye to haue the same but we desyer God that althoughe we dayly offende him deserue greuous punyshmentes for our synnes yet he of his mere grace mercye wyl heare our prayers and frely forgyue vs oure offences And we offer our selues for his sake frō the botome of our heartes to forgyue them that haue offended vs. ¶ The syxte petition And suffer vs not to be led into temptacion NOwe you haue hearde how in the fyfte petition we desire God to giue vs all those thynges whiche oure Lord Iesus Christ hath deserued for vs by his passion deathe and glorious resurrection that is to say forgiuenes of our synnes and all therto belongynge euen as we forgyue them that haue offended vs as you haue learned in the seconde part of the Crede which intreateth of our Redemption Now therfore foloweth the syxt petitiō in the whiche we praye that God wyll gyue vs all those thinges whiche we haue learned in the .iii. parte of the Crede whiche intreateth of our Sanctification that is to saye we desyre that God will vouchesafe to sende vs the holye ghost whiche may assist vs in our continuall batell agaynste synne the fleshe the world and the deuel that in all temptations and skyrmishes with the same we may māfully withstande theim and ouercome theim For this we desyre when we say And suffer vs not to be led into temptation And to the intent that ye maye the better vnderstande this petition ye shall first dilygentlye learne this lesson that althoughe synne is forgyuen vs by Christ yet it is not whollye purged or dryuen oute of vs but synne yet sticketh fast in our flesh which doeth tempte and prouoke vs to do against Gods commaundementes For ye haue all redye lerned by the tenne commaundementes what synne is and what is very vngodlynes to y e intent ye may eschew it Also you haue herd in your Crede that God doth forgyue vs our synnes and doeth no more condempne vs for the same when we beleue in the son of God our sauiour Iesus Christe But yet neuertheles we feale the temptations of synne which cleueth to vs lyke glewe And that this is true euery one of you doth feale in your selues by dayly experience For when you grudge to do that thing whiche your parentes commaundeth you to do then synne tempteth you and prouoketh you to stoubbernes and disobedience towarde your father and mother But yelde not you to this temptacion but obey your father and mother as God hathe commaunded you Lykewise when you see other children haue any gay thing whiche pleaseth you so well that you woulde fayne haue the same then synne tempteth and