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
God thou shalt haue none other Goddes but me ▪ The seconde Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vayne for he shal not be gyltles before the Lorde that taketh hys name in vaine The thirde Remember that thou sanctifye the Sabboth daye The fourthe Honour thy father and thy mother that thou mayst lyue a longe lyfe in the lande whiche the lord thy God shall gyue vnto thee The fifthe Thou shalt not kyll The sixte Thou shalt committe no adulterye The seuenth Thou shalt not steale The eyght Thou shalt not beare false witnes agaynst thy neighboure The nynthe Thou shalt not couet thy neyghbours house The tenth Thou shalt not couet thy neyghboures wyfe nor hys man seruaunte nor his mayde seruaunt nor hys oxe nor hys asse nor anye thynge that is thy neyghboures Nowe good children these are the ten holye commaundementes of the lorde God in the whiche he hath opened his wyl vnto vs and hath declared what is godly and what is vngodly what we should do and what we should not do These ye shall learne with greate diligence not only to reherse them but also to vnderstande what is ment by them and what the lorde God doeth require of vs in these his commaundementes to thintēt that when you be asked any questian of them you maye answere to y ◠purpose and that also in time to come you may teache your children to feare God after suche sort and maner as you your selfes be nowe instructed For it is a great shame bothe before God and the worlde for a Christen man to be ignoraunt in the commaundemētes of God and not to know that doctryne that perteyneth to euery Christen man seynge that euerye Christen man is bounde openly to declare his doctrine to gyue a rekenyng of his fayth whē nede shall so requyre and to brynge vp his children in the same The first sermon Thou shalt haue none other Goddes but me A declaration of the first commaundement TO thintente good children that you maye the better vnderstande the lawe of the tenne commaundementes you muste firste of all knowe that God gaue to Moses the ten commaundementes writtē in two tables of stone wherfore they be diuided in two partes In the first table were written the three firste commaundementes pertaynynge to God whiche teache vs howe we shoulde behaue our selues toward God as well inwardelye in harte and mynde as outwardly in wordes and deades In thother table were grauen seuen preceptes perteynynge to oure neyghboures whiche teache vs howe we oughte to ordre our selues towardes our Prynces magistrates and rulers towardes oure wyues children seruauntes and towardes all states of men teachynge vs that we shoulde not be dysobedient that we do wronge to no man that we hurt no man that we ley not in wayte to kyll anye man that we defloure not other mennes wyfes and to be shorte that we hurte not our neighboures neither in body goods nor good name But nowe let vs consyder the first commaundement and the declaracion of the same I am the Lorde thy God thou shalte haue none other goddes but me This commaundemente good children teacheth vs howe we ought to vse oure hartes towarde God Firste that we ought to acknoulege with all our harte that God made heauen and earthe and all thinges conteyned therin and to take hym onely to be the true God and to be our God Secondarely this commaundement teacheth vs to feare him as a lyuyng God because he doeth punyshe the vngodlye and to cleaue vnto him with a sure faith because he is true and faithfull and doeth not deceyue vs in any thing whiche he hath spoken or promysed Thyrdly this commaundement teacheth vs to loue him with all our heart for of him we receiue oure lyfe oure breath oure health and all other gyftes both bodyly and goostly And we haue not the least of his giftes by our desertes but he poureth them all vpon vs frely through his infinite goodnes and endles mercy Contrarywise we ought not to receaue into our hertes as God any creature eyther in heauen or in earth that is to saye we oughte to feare no creature neither in heauē nor in earth so much as God neyther ought we to put such cōfidēce truste in any thynge neyther should we so hartily loue any creature as our Lorde God omnipotent For yf we attribute to anye creature so much feare trust loue as apperteyneth only to him that made all creatures by and by we make that creature our God ▪ and of it we frame to oure selues an Ydoll The whiche is a very heynous an abominable horrible sinne directly against the first table and the first and chefest commaundement of God Therefore suche greate offences the trewe and lyuinge Lorde God will not leaue vnpunished for he hymselfe sayeth I am the Lorde my title my name is the Lorde I wyl not gyue my glorye to another meanyng therby that he wyll not suffer that any other thinge shoulde be estemed as God besydes hymselfe or that we shoulde gyue godly honoure in heart affection woorde or deede to anye creature but onely to hym that was neuer created and yet dyd create all thinges But here peraduenture you wil muse good children askyng this question How can we haue other goddes before the Lorde seeynge there is but one God one Lorde whiche hathe made heauen and yearth To thys I aunswere that in deede there is none other God but that most excellent and omnipotent Lorde Ley sure hold on this article w t a stedfast faithe good children ▪ beleue this dowbting nothing therin cleaue surely to this rocke But yet this not withstandyng fooles infidels vngodlye men take some other thing for theyr God the which in dede is not god nor can be by any meanes For lyke as many times we take some men for honest riche or noble whiche be not so in dede so oftentimes we feare something asmuche as we do God whiche is not God in dede And of creatures we make goddes thre manner of wayes The fyrst is when a man feareth anye creature and thynketh thus with himself yf such a thing be taken away from me yf such a greate man be angrye wyth me yf I escape not suche a daungier then I am vtterly vndone then I knowe not whether to runne for ayde and succoure whether then shall I goo who shall saue or helpe me yf thou haue anye suche thought of any creature trewly in thine harte thou makest it a God althoughe with thy mouthe thou doest not call it God And this affeccion lieth lurckynge so deaply hydde within manye mens hartes that they theimselfes scaselye feale or perceaue it But this feare oughte to be remoued farre from vs. For we must cleaue stedfastly by faithe to the trew and lyuynge God and in all kynde of aduersitie reason on this faschion Althoughe men of greate power be myne enemyes althoughe this or that perrell doeth presse me verye
not make to the any grauen ymage or lykenes of any creature thou shalt not kneele nor bow thy selfe downe to it For what can be more contrarie to the dignitie of man then he whom God hathe made Lorde ouer all creatures to kneele or to doe reuerence to the image of a creature God hath so fashioned man that he hath gyuen him a bodye standynge streighte vp and a countenaunce to loke vpwarde into heauen And why then shoulde he bow himself downward to the earth or to creatures made of earthe whych be rather to be troden vnder his fete then to be worshipped of him There is nothynge more againste reason then that he whiche hathe lyfe sense and reason should worshyppe that thinge which can neyther see feele moue heare nor vnderstande Wherefore God saieth plainly thou shalt not worshyppe ymages that is to saye thou shalte not gylte them and set them in costlye tabernacles and decke theim with coates or shertes thou shalte not sense them make vowes or pilgremages to them sette candelles before them and offer vnto them thou shalt not kysse their feete and bowe downe vnto them For God sayeth I am a ielouse God and will not gyue my honour to any creature but wyll greuouslye punyshe them that breake this my commaundemente Yea I wyll punyshe their children and posteritie vnto the thirde and fourthe generation And this indignation of god agaynst ydolaters hath at sundrye tymes be shewed by greuouse punishementes for our examples For Salomons idolatrie y e kingdomes of Israell and Iuda were deuyded and thereof dyd ensue a continuall dyscorde betwene these two kyngdomes And for ydolatrye God commaunded Moses to hange the capitaines of the people and of the people were slayne xxiiii thousande And the bokes of the Iudges Kynges and the Prophetes be ful of like histories howe almyghtye God for ydolatrie was offended with the Israelites and gaue theim into the handes of their enemies and into the subiection and bondage of all nations about them which did persecute kyl them And when they in their afflictions cried vnto y e lorde he refused them saying Go and crie to the gods whiche you haue chosen they wyll saue you in the time of youre necessitie What greater punyshemente can there be then this to be cast awaye from God when we haue mooste neede of his helpe and comforte And in Deuteronomie almyghtye God commaunded by his prophet Moses saying Cursed be he that shall make a grauen or molten ymage abhominable before y e Lorde the worke of an artificers hande and shall set it in a secrete place And all the people shall answere and say Amen Here you see how he is accursed of god that setteth but one ymage in a secret corner of his owne house to wourshippe it But muche more daunger it is to set vp ymages in the tēple of God which is y e open cōmen place to honore the only lyuing god But peraduenture some will saye that we are forbydden to worship ymages but not to haue ymages To this I answer First as touchynge the ymage of God that whan God spake vnto the children of Israell in the mount of Oreb they heard a voice but they saw no maner of ymage or lykenes of any creature And the cause was this Lest if he had appeared in the similitude of a mā or womā or of any beast vpon earthe or of any birde in the ayer or fishe in the water or of any other creature the ignoraunt people would paraduenture haue made an ymage like therto and haue worshipped it Therfore they did se no maner of ymage because they shoulde make no ymage of God Least that yf they had made any ymage of god they would also haue worshipped it And forasmuche as God is a goste not onely inuisible but also incōprehensible therfore he cā neither be made w t handes nor cōpassed by wit nether is it possible y t any thing made by mannes hande shoulde represent God vnto vs as his ymage so far those two be vnlyke God and an ymage made by man For God is a goste without ende without measure withoute mixture without corruption and most perfecte But an ymage is a body hathe an ende maye be compassed and measured it is myxed corruptible and vnparfit God is lyfe in him selfe of whom al thinges haue lyfe but ymages can nether heare see nor moue nor haue neither reason vnderstanding nor lyfe Therefore sayeth God hym selfe by his prophet Esaie that no similitude nor ymage can be made of him God shewed himselfe vnto the people in the mount of Oreb but in a clowde smoke and fyer declaring thereby that no man can come to the parfite knowledge of God as he is in him selfe The Propiciatorie also whereby God was signified was hidde and not sene aswel for that it stode in sancta sanctorum where the people neuer came as also for because the Cherubynes couered it with their wynges But in case any paynter or caruer were so connyng that he cold make an ymage which shuld perfytly represent vnto vs God which is impossible yet he ought to make no suche ymage And if it wer made it ought to be destroied because god hathe forbyd anye ymage to be made of hym For as it is forbydde to haue any straunge goddes so it is also forbide to haue any ymage of y e true lyuing God And yf any wil say that it is forbyde to make an ymage of God to thintent to wourshippe it but I doo not worshippe it nor haue it for that intent but onely that it may stere me to the remembraunce knowlege of God To this I aunswer that God did forbide the making of his ymage least this parrell shoulde followe that thou shouldest worshippe it Therefore thou doest offende although thou doest not worshippe it and that not only because thou doest againste goddes worde and commaundement but also because thou putteste thy selfe wilfully in very great peril and daūger specially seyng that of our corrupte nature wee be moost highly enclyned to Idolatry superstition as experience from tyme to tyme hathe taught vs euen from the begynnyng of the worlde And here appeareth y e abuse of our tyme which folowing rather the phantasye of caruers or paynters than y e worde of God haue set vp in churches the ymage as thei cal it of y e Trinitie where they portured God y e father lyke an olde man with a long hore berd And what can symple people learne herby but errore and ignorāce Haue not mani thought that God the father is a bodyly substaunce that he hath a face and berd hādes and fete because they see him so painted And for this consideracion saith sainte Austen it is a detestable thing for Christen men to haue any suche ymage of God in the church whereby it appeareth that in sainct Austens tymes ther wer no suche ymages in christen churches but that it is an inuention of y e papistes
as ymages be neither necessary nor profitable in our churches and tēples nor were not vsed at the begynnynge in Christe nor thapostilles tyme nor many yeres after and that at length they were brought in by Byshoppes of Rome maugre Thēperours tethe seing also that they be veri slaunderous to Christes relygion for by them the name of God is blasphemed among the infideles Turkes and Iewes whiche because of oure ymages do call christen religion Idolatry and wourshipping of ymages And for asmuche also as they haue bene so wonderfully abused within this Ralme to the highe contumelye and dyshonor of God and haue been great cause of blyndnes and of muche contention amonge the kinges maiesties louing subiectes and were lyke so to be still yf they shoulde remayne and chiefly seyng goddes worde speaketh somuche against thē You may herby right well consydre what greate causes and groundes the kinges maiestie had to take them away within his Realme folowing herin the example of the godly kinge Ezechias who brake downe the brasen serpent whan he sawe it worshypped and was therefore greatly praysed of God not withstandynge at the firste the same was made and set vp by goddes commaundemente and was not only a remembraūce of goddes benefites before receaued but also a figure of Christ to come And not onely Ezechias but also Manasses and Iosophat and Iosias the best kynges that were of the Iewes did pull doune ymages in the tyme of their Reygne Consider than howe Godlye anacte is this to take away so manye ymages not made by goddes cōmaundementes wherunto contrary to goddes commaundementes and his honor wer so manye Idolatries cōmitted For vnto Christē Princes office and cure appertayneth y e defēce of goddes true word Christē relygion to take away all those thinges which hynder or let true godlynes and relygion or make trouble contention within their realmes So good children you haue herde the true meanyng of these wordes Thou shalt make to the no grauē ymage thou shalt not bowe downe worship y e same the which I pray you graue depely in your memories y t whē you be demaunded what is ment by the wordes heretofore rehersed you may answer This cōmaundemēt forbiddeth vs al kind of ydolatry aswel bodely as goostly inhibiteth vs to geue y e honor whiche is due vnto god to any creature or ymage of creature but to worshyp God alone And now note further good childrē y t to thintēt we shuld honore only God obey him He saieth y t he is y e Lorde our God in whom be al good thīges of whō wee haue all He saith also y t he is strong of such force y t he can ponishe vs at his pleasure if we dysobey him Moreouer he calleth him selfe Ialose because he can abyde no cōpaniō but as a man y e more pure chast he is y e more he is greued if he perceue his wife to set her loue vpō any other euen so is god who hath takē vs to his spouse if he se vs defiled w t filthy ydolatry Furthermore he saith y t he wyl reuēge his maiesty glori if any mā wil translate y t vnto any creature picture or ymage y t w t such vengeance y t it shal extēde vnto theyr childrē nephewes nephewes childrē Like as on y e other side he promiseth his mercye and goodnes to their posterite that kepe his law cōmaūdementes Employ therfore youre hole hartes myndes to his preceptes good childrē exchewīg al ydolatry or honoring of caruinges or paintīges geue to god only his due honor and glory now frō hensforth world w tout ende Amē The seconde sermon YE haue herd the declaraciō of y e first cōmaundemēt in y e whiche we be taught howe we oughte to behaue oure selues towardes god in our hertes now foloweth y e secōde cōmaūdemēt which is this ¶ Thou shalte not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for he shal not be gyltles in the sight of the Lorde that taketh his name in vayne THis cōmaūdemēt good childrē teacheth vs how we oughte to behaue our selfes toward God in wourdes biddynge vs not to speake of the name of God in vaine or without great cause but to vse it only whē it tendeth to y e praise and glory of God to the profit of our neighboure that euerye man maye perceaue by oure wourdes and communication that we in our hartes do reuerentlye and humbly feare magnifie and worship God his holy name For by this oure good example other men are prouoked and encoraged to glorifye y e name of God And contrariwyse when in scoffynge iestyng we be lighte to abuse the name of God then other mē are offended therby also are made more vnreuerent toward God and lesse passe of god godly thinges and so by this meanes we burden oure selues with an other mans synne For Christe sayeth in the ghospel of Mathew the .xviii. chapter He that gyueth cause of offence to anye of the weake bretherne it were better for him that a mil stone wer hanged aboute his necke so drowned in the botome of the sea Wherefore I pray you diligently beware that you gyue no such kinde of offēce to your brethrē Wherfore you shal now lerne how the name of God is taken in vaine to thentēt you maye y e soner eschew this syn For y e name of god is takē in vaine diuerse wayes The first is when men gyue the title name of God to those thinges whiche are not God in dede As the heathen did call the Sonne the Moone and the starres goddes also they called certen men as kinges tyrannes goddes as y e Iewes did whiche made a calfe of gold and sayed This is the God whiche brought vs out of Egipt And this good children is so heinous a faulte that God in the olde testamente commaunded him to suffre death that shoulde committe this synne and yf anye citie had so offended he willed y e same cytie to be burned and vtterly destroyed and all that were founde therin to be kylled Therefore let vs dilygently eschew this offence or elles God wyll horriblye punyshe vs. The seconde waye of takynge the name of God in vayne is whē we forswere oure selues or sweare deceiptfully other in commen iudgement or in oure dayly affaires and communicacion entendynge thereby to deceiue our neighbour Wherefore you muste diligentlye take hede that you vse not to swer lyghtly thorough an euell custome but do as Christ teacheth vs. Let your communicacion be yea yea and nay nay But when necessite dryueth you to an othe or y e publyke officer commaundeth you to sweare then be not forsworne but speake the trueth and faithfullye perfourme and obserue that thing that you haue sworne And yf it shall chaunche any of you in tyme to come when you shall come to mans state to be called to
any office in the commen wealth beware that you gyue no cause nor occasion to othes not necessarie For whatsoeuer sinne is committed by suche othes that God doethe impute to thofficer whiche exactethe the same and not to the subiectes whiche are bownde to obey not onelye for feare of punyshemente but also for conscience sake Thirdely we abuse the name of God not onely in vayne but also very vngodly when with horrible cursyng bannynge by the name of God we wyshe to other the vēgeaunce of God The whiche syn now in our time is moche vsed Insomuche that now a dayes you shall heare not onely men but also womē and childrē outragiouslye curse and banne bothe themselfes and other sayinge after this wise By goddes soule I woulde I hadde neuer been borne or I woulde the grounde shoulde open and swalowe me vp By Goddes body I woulde thou wert hanged by goddes passion I woulde the deuell had the by goddes woundes I woulde it were on a wylde fire or suche other lyke deuylyshe cursiges wishīges which offence is not onelye abominable before god but also so shamefull before the worlde that it abhorreth good christen eares to heare suche haynous blasphemie For sainct Paul in the seconde chapter of thepistle to the Philippians writeth thus In the name of God all knees do bowe downe bothe in heauen in earthe and vnder the yearth that is to saye Not onelye Aungelles and men do wourship oure Lorde and God Iesus Christe but also the damned spirites and deuelles in hell do quake at his name and by their trēblyng do declare that they most reuerently acknowlege the name of hys maiestye But these more then deuylishe swerers banners and cursers without reuerence to the mooste honorable name of God without curtesye or bowing to him who with a becke maketh all the worlde to shake do blowe bluster oute of theyr vngodly mouthes suche blasphemies as by the same they do not onelye hyghly dishonour God but also do wyshe to their neighbours all kinde of miseries plages and aduersities that can be imagined whereas oure dutye is to loue our neyghbour wishe wel to him as to ourselfes Nowe consyder what a great wickednesse it is to wyshe euyll thinges to men by the name of God seyng that by thys name we ought to desier and praye for all good thinges bothe to oure selues and to oure neyghbours Wherfore when ye heare ani man vsing suche spytefull curses and blasphemies of gods name doute not but y t he in y t deede is wurse then the deuyll himselfe For the deuil when he heareth god named trembleth therat and dateth not so vnreuerently behaue hymselfe to that moste holy mane where as these wretched and most vngodly persones do shewe no feare nor reuerence thereto at all But ye good children take hede for gods sake that you accustome not your selfes to suche kynde of blasphemies And when you shall heare other outragyng with suche horrible curses flye frome theym as frome pestilence and thynke this with youre selfe I wyll conuey me out of this naughtie companye leste peraduenture I also maye be infected with this contagious custome of swearynge and cursing and so maye be made at the lengthe more abhominable in this poynt than is the deuill hym selfe Fourthly the name of God is taken in vayne when men do abuse the worde of God purposelye makynge false expositions vpon holy scripture and wrestynge the same frō the true sense to their euil purpose or whan men make a trifle or a lawghynge sporte of the wordes of holy scripture as these papistes do whiche say that thys verse of y e Psalme He shall drinke of the broke by the way and therfore he shall lyft vp his hedde is verefied of the gose and the gaundre This abuse doth brede a contempte of the worde of God and it doeth corrupt or mynishe the authoritie of Gods doctrine Fyftly they do misuse the name of God whiche do abuse it to charmes witchcraft sorceries nicromācies inchaūtemētes cōiuringes And this is not onely a great syn but a thynge of hys owne nature moste vayne and folishe For perswade your selfes this thynge for a suertie good chyldren that all kynd of witchecraft is of hys own nature nothing elles but lies gyles and subtilenes to deceaue ygnoraunt and simple mē as manye haue proued by experiēce to theyr great losse and vtter vndowynge Wherfore beware of them beleue them not do not learne them neyther feare that an nother mans inchauntementes are hable to hurte you For they be nothing els but the deuils instrumentes by the whiche he doeth prouoke men to horrible synnes that the name of God may be blasphemed dyuerse wayes y t we may defile our soules with detestable ydolatrie that one man may suspecte an other that anger enuy and hatred myght be sowen amonge men and that out of thys roote myght sprynge vp backbytyng slaūderyng al myschief This vice pleaseth well the deuyll but God hath forbid it and cōmaūded in y e olde lawe that whitches sorcerers and cōiurers should suffre punishmēt of death Wherfore good childeren feare the Lorde and take not hys holy name in vayne beware of ydolatrye forsware not absteine from othes and curses refrayne your tongues from al vntruthes raylynges skoffes and iestes whē you talke of holy scripture or matiers concernyng religion flye frō all kynde of wytchecrafte and inchauntementes For to this commaūdemēt god hath added a speciall threatenynge saynige thus He shall not be giltles before the lord that taketh his name in vayne Beleue surely good children that these be veray weyghty wourdes and of great importaunce and thinke not thus with your selfes what is this so great a mater I spake not these wourdes in ernest but in borde I pray you for Christes sake do not defende your fault with such excuses but beware that you take not in vaine the name of God ▪ nether in ernest nor in sport For the holy name of God is to be wourshipped with all honor and religion and he that doth not obey thys commaundemente hym the lorde shall not count gyltles but shall punishe him greuously And when God punisheth he sendeth amonge vs sycknesses pestilence hungre derth battel robberies sedition manslaughter suche lyke with these plages he taketh vēgeance on oure sinnes Therfore we ought to feare his wrath and not to take his name in vayne Hither to you haue hearde fyue wayes wherby we may take the name of God in vaine nowe it shall be declared vnto you howe you shoulde rightly and duely vse the name of God Considre that we be professed in to our religion and baptised by y e name of God wherfore good childerne listen diligently to this lesson and lerne that we ought to vse the name of God thre wayes by inuocation and callynge vpon him by cōfession of his name and his wourd by thankes gyuyng As touchinge the firste we be bounde in all our necessities and parrels to
call vpon the name of God to flye to hym for succoure with all our hope and confidence and not to runne to witchecraftes charmes sorceries and suche lyke vanities for God himselfe saieth cal vpoÌ„ me in y e day of thy tribulation I wil deliuer the and thou shalt glorifye me Here ye heare good children that God doth commaunde vs to call vpon him and not vpon any other creatures besides him and he saieth in expresse wordes call vpon me in the tyme of thy tribulation in aduersytye wheÌ„ thou art in nede and dauÌ„ger Wherfore no maÌ„ should dyspaire what soeuer kynde of afflyctions doth chaunce vnto him but praye for helpe from heauen and cal vpon the name of the Lorde who by his mighty strong hand is able and by his fatherly affeccioÌ„ wil deliuer and helpe vs what soeuer how great soeuer affliction and teÌ„tatioÌ„ ouerwhelmeth vs therfore he saieth I wil heare thy praier Here marke good childerne that it is your bounden dewtie to praye to God that they do synne heynouslye whiche do not praye wherfore ye shal learne the Lordes prayer whiche Christe hym selfe hath taught and appoynted and ye shal saye it dayly For this commaundemente dothe bynde vs to praye forasmuche as it forbiddeth thabuse of gods name commaundeth his name to be handled reuerently and religiously But we delyuer the and thou shalt honour and glorify me Here you perceiue good children that God oure heaueÌ„ly father doth hear our prayers and heapeth vpon vs infinite benefites for this cause purpose and intent y t we shoulde be glad ioyful to praise him with all our hart reÌ„dre thaÌ„kes vnto him Wherfore wheÌ„ soeuer we praie before we aske any new benefite we ought to thaÌ„ke him for tholde to glorifye his name for y e great treasures of giftes heretofore geuen vnto vs. And by this meanes both he wyll be the more willyng to heare oure prayers and also oure faithe shalbe the more strengthened and confirmed For when we call to oure remembraunce how God oftentymes heretofore hath herd our supplications and delyuered vs out of manye perrellous daungiers we be therby moued lesse to doubt of his goodnes and stedfastlye to hope that he nowe also wyll be as merciful vnto vs as he was wont to be in tymes passed Therfore sayeth the prophete Dauid I wyl call vpon the Lord praysyng him and he wyll saue me from myne enemyes Now therefore good children ye shall learne this lesson and practise it dilygently firste of al to prayse and thanke God for al hys benefites and afterwarde to call vpon him in all youre necessities So God wyll be the more redye to heare youre peticions and youre faith also thereby shall be the more nourished and increased For he that wyll trewely and effectuallye praye before al other thinges must beleue and perswade himselfe for a suertie y t God wil heare his praier Wherfore good children nowe I praye you learne so to vnderstande this seconde commaundement that ye take not the name of God in vayne that ye gyue not your selfes to Idolatrye that ye sweare not customablye nor without a necessarie cause that ye neuer commit periurie y t you curse no bodye y t ye abuse not the name and worde of God to vntruth vncleane and vnhonest coÌ„municatioÌ„ that ye applye not your mindes to witchcraftes sorceries For these faultes as yet neuer escaped vnpunyshed before God Contrarywyse you shall reuerentlye vse the name of God to his glorye and to the profit of youre neyghbour by callyng vpon him by praying and giuyng thaÌ„kes vnto him by opeÌ„ professioÌ„ of his doctrine religioÌ„ And when ye shal be demaunded howe vndrestande ye the seconde commaundemente ye shall aunswere We oughte to loue and feare God aboue all thynge not to abuse his name to ydolatrye charmes periurie othes curses ribaldrye and scoffes that vndre the pretence and coloure of his name we begyle no man by swearynge forswearynge and lyinge but in all our nedes we should cal vpon him magnifye and prayse him and with oure tongues confesse vtter and declare oure faythe in him and his doctrine The thirde sermon YE haue herde how the second commaundemeÌ„te is to be vnderstanded in the which we learne howe we ought to ordre our selfes towarde God both in herte and in wordes Nowe foloweth the thirde precepte whiche is this ¶ RemeÌ„bre that thou saÌ„ctifye the Sabboth daye THis commaundemente good children teacheth how we should behaue our selfes toward God in workes For wheÌ„ we haue a mynde to serue God and to shew to him as to our Lord and maker the greatest pleasure that we can then we muste not chose by thaduyse of oure owne imagination nether this nor that worke but we must saÌ„ctifie the sabboth day y t is to say employe bestow it vpoÌ„ godly holy workes busines And here note good chyldreÌ„ that y e Iewes in the olde testameÌ„t were commaunded to kepe the Sabboth daye and they obserued it euery seuenth day called the sabbot or satterday But we Christen men in the newe testament are not bound to such coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of Moses law concernyng dyfferences of tymes dayes and meates but haue libertie fredoÌ„ to vse other daies for our sabboth dayes therein to heare y e worde God and to kepe an holy rest And therefore that this Christian lybertye maye be kepte and mainteyned we nowe kepe no more the sabboth or saturday as y e Iewes do but we obserue the Sondaye certayne other daies as y e magestrates do iudge it coÌ„uenieÌ„t whom in this thinge we ought to obey And to theÌ„tent you maye the better perceyue such thinges as shall be spoken herin considre I pray you howe wonderfull a commaundemente this is When worldly lordes masters receyue men into their seruyce they byd theim not kepe holy daye but they set theÌ„ on worke appoynte theim diuerse labors to be done for their seruice and behofe But our Lorde God doeth not so with vs in this commaundement He biddeth not vs to doo neyther this nor that woorke he commaundeth vs not to gadde hether and thither on pilgrimage to paynt gylâ—e or clothe sayntes ymages to set vp candels before theim nor to exercise anye suche fayned mannes workes and false honorynge of God as the deceiptefull Monkes and Friars wer wont to teche vs but he biddeth vs to rest from labours and commauÌ„deth vs to kepe holy day But yet note good children that wheÌ„ you heare say that God hath commaunded to reste from workes you must not gather herof that you shoulde cesse from suche good workes by the whiche your neyghbour is releued as to gyue almes to the poore to preache the worde of God to instruct y e ignoraunt and suche like for god hath commaunded suche workes to be donne he doth ernestly require them of vs but although we do these workes neuer so dilygently yet by theym we onlye serue and healpe
oure neyghbour for Goddes sake But when we wyll serue God onely with suche a kynde of worke that perteyneth not to our neyghbour but is propre and seuerall to God alone than God commaūdeth you not to set before your eyes any outwarde worke but to rest from such workes For this God requireth of vs in thys commaundement And now good children listen vnto me and you shall know the cause why god doth thus He is so riche a God and his maiestie is so mighty y t he hath no nede of our outwarde workes nor wourshyppinges Againe he is so gentle lyberal and mercyfull that of his awne accorde he desireth to do good to all men wherby his name is praysed and honored Therfore he y t wil do pure seruice honor to God let hym gyue himselfe to rest and quietnes not workyng to be made holy by his owne outwarde workes but let hym kepe holy day let him suffer the benefites of God to be powred lyberally and frely vpō hym For to beleue that we receaue all good thinges frely from God to acknowlege them with a trew fayth and gladly to prayse thanke God for thesame is the most excellente and highest honor that can be yelded to him in this life But it is not sufficiēt for vs to kepe y e Sabboth day But the Lorde saith Thou shalte sanctifie the Sabboth day that is to saye we shall bestowe that day about holy heuenly godly thynges Now yf ye desier to knowe with what holye workes you shoulde passe away this day you shal vnderstāde that we can do no geater holy workes thā to heare y e worde of god and to learne y e trew feare of God the right faith in him to prepare our selfes that we may worthely be partakers of the Lordes table therby to receyue great comfort to the quiet of our consciences confirmatiō of oure fayth And moreouer on such dayes cheflye we ought in faythe and spirite feruently to praye to God to gyue vs all good thinges that we lacke and haue nede of and to defende and deliuer vs frō all yl thynges And thus praing we shal not faile to be hearde These be y e chiefe holy daye workes by the whiche God rather serueth and worketh for vs then we for him For when he by hys mynisters causeth his wourde to be preached vnto vs when he distributeth to vs ineffable gyftes of hys sacramentes when he heareth our prayers he is rather beneficial vnto vs thē we be to him Therfore theffecte sūme of this commaundement is as God shoulde say thus Good childerne wil you serue me do that thing that may please me then truste not in your awne workes nor put your confidence in theim For I haue no nede of your labour and workes Come hyther I wyll teache you what ye ought to beleue and to do I wil comforte you wyth the meruelous giftes of my sacramētes I wil heare your praiers you can not giue to me greater honor thē to repayre to me and to suffer me y t I maye powre my benefites vpon you that you may acknowlege me to be your father that you may cast your hole affiance in me and y t you maye loue me as chyldren loueth their fathers and mothers But of this matter you shal heare more in the Crede or articles of the faith In the meane tyme you shall specially marke that althoughe euery man hath nede to labour daily for his dayly fode yet God hath gyuen vs Sabboth dayes or resting tymes in the whiche he hath commaunded not onelye the maisters themselues but also their seruantes and cattel to cesse from bodily labores And yet on those dayes he fedeth vs aswel as on the workynge dayes By the whiche he signifieth vnto vs that althoughe we toyle not continually vntil we be wery yet he wil gyue vs aboūdantly all thinges necessarie when we obey his will first of all seke the kyngdome of God that all other thinges maye be gyuen vs. Hytherto good children you haue bene taughte in what holy workes you ought to spende the Sabboth day now it shall be declared vnto you how great a sinne it is not to sanctifye the same The whiche synne is then committed when we vpon the holye dayes do not heare with greate dilygence and reuerence sermons the most frutefull woorde of God when we do not gyue our myndes to prayer and other Godly workes but to idlenes eatinge drynkynge bankettynge dauncynge lechery dicing cardynge backebytynge slaunderyng and other vngodly workes For the which abuse of holy daies God is grieuously prouoked and punisheth vs greuouslye with dyuerse kyndes of plages but specially with nede and pouertie For so God threateneth in the .xxviii. chapter of Deuteronomie that mē shall labour and toyle bothe daye and nyght and yet shall not be able to worke themselues out of pouertie And it is no meruell For when God gyueth them restynge dayes they doo not sanctifie the same they do not heare the worde of God nor pray to him but wickedly dispise God and his honor spendyng the sabboth daye in the aboue named synfull and vngodly lyfe wherfore God iustly punisheth them with pouertie But peraduenture you wyl say God doth not punishe all y e breakers of this commaundemente with nede and pouertie Trueth it is in deede some there be whiche God doeth not punishe in this lyfe but defferreth theyr punishement vntill the houre of death whē they be vtterlye forsaken of hym whiche is a payne most horrible and euerlastyngly condemned if they amend not in due tyme. Therfore good children eschewe these synnes that be so heynous in the sight of god sanctifie youre Sabboth daye be desirouse to heare the woorde of God praye continually and gyue thankes to God for all his benefites In so doyng you shall surelye please hym and he shall sende you his grace fauour blessynge that all thing maye prosper wyth you that you maye with ioye and gladnes serue youre Lorde God and enioy manye sabbothes or restyng dayes For God is wel content that we haue many restynge dayes so that we spende them wel in holy and godlye exercises and cause not only oure bodyes to rest from labours but also oure myndes from synne For we must kepe the Sabbothe daye not onelye with our bodye but also with oure hartes and myndes which we do when we bridle our owne wil and fleshely lustes and with all reuerence humble our selues to Goddes wyll so that when we reherse the Lordes prayer we maye saye trewly and hertely Thy wyll be donne in earth as it is in heauen For so God testifieth by the prophet Esaie in the .lviii. chapiter saying yf thou wilt absteyne from doyng thy wyll on my holy daye then thou shalt be called a pleasāt Sabboth day that is to saie whē we submit our wyl to the holy wil of God and patiently suffre those thinges whiche he worketh in vs and willeth vs to suffre
then we shall trewlye kepe the Sabboth daye and therein laude and praise our Lorde God For this is no true kepyng of y e Sabboth daye when y e bodye cesseth from labors and in the meane season a mans mynde is holly occupyed howe he maye deceaue his neighboure how he maye obtayne hys pleasures howe he maye reuenge him self on his enemyes Or els when a mans herte boyleth with murmurynge grudgynge and impatiencie and doth not obediently bende himselfe to the wyll of God nor pacientlye suffereth his workes but tosseth and turmoyleth himselfe with hys awne cares thoughtes and compassynges For when shall suche an herte kepe a Sabboth or resting day or earnestly prayse God wherfore let vs learne to kepe holy day not onely from bodily labors but also from all euell thoughtes and carnall desiers But these maters good chyldren paraduenture doth passe your capacities For men haue busynes ynough all their lyfe tyme perfytely to learne and practyse this lesson wherefore at this time I wil require no more of you good children but onely to beare away this plaine and shorte instruction that the cheuest worshippyng of God standeth not in outwarde workes but when we keape the Sabbothe daye aswell with mynde as with bodye when we heare the worde of God when by praier we call vpon his name and be partakers of his sacramētes By whiche thinges we be monished instructed strēgthened and defended to be the more constante in our faith And this is the trewe sense meanyng of this precepte Wherfore good children marke it wel I praye you and when it shall chaunce you to be demaūded how vnderstande you the thirde commaundemente Ye shal answer we ought to feare and loue our Lord God aboue al thinges to heare diligently and reuerentlye his holye worde with al diligence to folow the same The fourth sermon ¶ A declaration of the fourth cōmaundement YOu haue hearde the thyrde commaundemente whereby we learne howe to vse our selues towardes God in oure deedes and woorkes nowe foloweth the fourth commaundement which is this ¶ Honour thy father and thy mother that thou maist leade a longe lyfe in the land whiche the lorde God shall giue vnto the. THis good children is y e first and chief commaundemente of the seconde table whiche doethe teache vs how we oughte to behaue oure selfes towarde our neyghboure And thys commaundemente speaketh of the most excellent and most deare personages vnto vs that lyue vpon the yearth as of our parentes and rulers of the commen wealth and it teacheth howe we shoulde order our selues towardes theim that is to saye to honoure and dreade them It entreateth of no small or trifelyng thinges but contayneth matiers of verye greate importaunce and it gyueth greate wysedome to all them that do rightlye vnderstande it Wherefore good children lysten to it dylygentlye that you maye knowe the trewe meanyng therof And firste of all ye shall vnderstande that God dyd gyue vs these ten commaundementes for this cause that by them we might learne what dothe please him For this is a doctryne most certayne that we vpon earth can interpryse or worke nothynge that maye better please him than to kepe his commaundementes And they be most foles of all that go about to serue God and winne his fauour with suche workes as he himself hath not commaunded For of suche Christe sayeth in the xv chapter of Mathewe They wourshippe me in vayne with the commaundementes of men But thys we maye be sure of that it pleaseth God that we shoulde honour our father and mother and obey them And for this cause all the workes also whiche they commaunde vs to do do please God yea the moste vyle workes y t they appoynt vs vnto as to swepe the house to poure water into the lauer and such like Now this is a very great cōforte for vs to know for a suertie y t these small druggynge workes do highlye please god bicause in doyng thē we obey our parentes Contrarywise those kyndes of wourshyppynge God those ceremonyes and wourkes which be donne to please God w tout his commaundement and besides his wourde do nothynge at al please him although the world do neuer so highly esteme praise theim For it is the commaundement of God onely and nothynge elles y e maketh our workes holy and precious in his sight Nowe here god cōmaūdeth vs to honor our father and mother that is to saye to stande in awe of them wyllyngly to obey them to loue them and haue them in reuerence and to helpe them with all the meanes we can For these wourdes honor thy father and mother do cōteine al these thinges And we be boūde to yelde vnto thē this honor forasmuche as God hath gyuē them vnto vs as maisters tutors gouernors and rulers in his stede and by thē hath powred vpon vs many hygh and great benefites wherby we be most streyghtly bound to honor them not to dyspise them But when we do not feare them whē we lightly regard them when they be angrye wyth vs then we dispise them And this is a verye haynous synne before God For in no wyse we shoulde contemne them but ought to take very great heede that we displease them not no not in trifelyng thinges Also when we do not obey thē wyllynglye then also we dyspyse them for he that doth not obei his father mother he is a presumptuous person and thinketh hymselfe wiser or better then they and this is a greate contempt and an heynous synne before god Wherfore good childrē do not so dispise your fathers and mothers but obey them with all your harte and be subiect vnto thē Furthermore when we do not loue oure fathers and mothers then it is not possible that we should hartely honor them wherfore we must beare an heartie and feruents loue towardes theym speciallye seynge that God hath thorough them powred so manye benefites vpon vs as we shal declare more at large herafter Besides this it is our bownden dewtie to vse all kynd of gentlenes and lyberalytie towardes our fathers and mothers and in all thinges to shewe kindnes vnto them before all other parsons For when we do any pleasure to other men we loke y t they shoulde thanke vs for y e same But of our fathers mothers we oughte to loke for no thākes but w t our benefites we must honor thē y t is to say we must ordre ourselues towardes thē no otherwise then we woulde do towarde kinges princes and lordes to whom when we offer any presente we thynke not that they be bound to render vnto vs any great thankes for the same but we humblye fall on our knees before them instantly desyryng them that they wyl vouchesafe to take in good parte so smal a gyfte wherein we declare oure good wyll farre to passe oure habilitie and wyth all reuerence we sue vnto theym that of theyr clemency they wyl accepte our good hartes and myndes On
soule reason senses eyes eares all my other members Also I beleue that the same almyghtye Lorde and God doeth dayly gyue to me and to vs al meat dryncke cloth wife children house lande ryches cattell and all thynges necessarye to the mayntenaunce of our lyues and y t he doth dayly defende kepe and preserue vs from al peril and delyuer vs from all euell And all thys he doethe of hys owne mere mercie and goodnes without our worthynes or deseruynges For the which benefites it is our dutie to render to hym continualll and euerlastyng thankes to obey hym in all thynges to take hede that we be not vnkynde to him y t hathe shewed so greate kyndnesse towardes vs. ¶ A generall conclusion to be rehersed at the ende of euery sermon made vpon the Crede Thus you haue heard good children the true and playne meanynge of this parte of the Crede Now it is youre parte deapely to prynte the same in youre heartes that you maye put your hole trust and confidence in the true and lyuynge God oure heauenly father And forasmuche as fayth is the worke of god and the light of our hartes whiche God putteth in vs by hys worde and holy spirite so that we can not atteyne fayth and the knowledge of Christ withoute goddes word and true preachers therfore accustome your selfes euē from youre tendre age to hear the worde of God that he by his holy spirite maye moue and sturre vp your hertes to true fayth knowledge of him And beside that you shall desier God with moste harty praiers that as he hath giuen you the gifte of fayth so he wyll contynew and increase the same in you that as you growe in age so also you may growe in the knowledge of Christ. For he that beleueth in Christ is made thereby the sonne of god heyre of lyfe euerlasting And then he gyueth vs his holye spirite to kyndle charitie in oure hartes wherby we loue God and kepe all hys commaundementes All these benefytes we receyue by faythe in the whiche who so euer contynueth vnto the ende of his lyfe shalbe saued the whiche God graunte to vs all Amen The seconde sermon of our Redemption I Declared vnto you heretofore good childrē that the Crede entreateth chiefly of thre thynges that is to saye of God the father that made the world of God the sonne that redemed the worlde and of God the holy goost that sanctifieth the worlde And in the former sermon I taught you the hygh heauenly philosophie of the creation Wherfore now I will vttre vnto you the great mistery of our redempcion whiche is conteyned in these wordes of the Crede I beleue in Iesus Christ his only begotten sonne our Lorde whiche was conceyued by the holye goost borne of the virgin Marie suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried He descended into hell The thirde daye he rose from death He ascēded to heauen He sytteth on the ryghte hande of God the father almyghtie From thense he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead In this seconde part of the Crede we may learne to know the secōde person in trinitie the sōne of god Iesus christ our lord And as in y e first article ye haue learned what benefytes we receyue of God the father to the sustentation maintenaūce of this temporal transitorie lyfe so in this seconde parte we shall lerne to know how great treasures and ryche gyftes we haue receyued by y e sonne of God Iesus Christ to the atteinyng of y e perfect euerlastīg lyfe And here you may cōsider good childrē how great was the miserie how horrible was the indignation of God whiche we were brought vnto by Adam So great it was that neyther golde nor syluer nor anye other thynge was able to bye vs out of the same but onely Iesus Christ y e sonne of God y t by hys death effusion of hys moost precious blod And of this great misery and indignation of God towarde vs this was the cause At what tyme God had made Adam and Eue and set thē in paradyse he intreated them lyke a most louyng and gentle father For he made theym lordes ouer al liuely creatures both beastes fyshe and fowle and did giue vnto them al trees y t bare fruit that thei might feade thereon Onely he forbad theym that they shoulde not eate of the tree of knowlege of good ylle And yet he gaue theym warnynge of y e great losse damage that they should suffer if they eat of that tree saying When soeuer you shall tast of the fruyt of that tree you shalbe made mortal and shall dye Their dutie had bene vnto so gentle a God and so mercifull a father in their hartes to haue beleued him trusted him loued him to haue obeyed hym and to kepe all his commaundemētes gladly But our most craftye enemy Satan enuying mans felicitie spake to Eue by the serpent and sayde No you shall not dye but you shall be lyke Gods knowyng both good euell And with these most poysened wordes perswaded Eue to eate of the fruyt whiche was forbydde And Eue gaue of the same to Adam who also did eat therof and so did breake gods commaundemente Nowe I praye you marke good childrē what thei lost by this their disobedience First when Adam and Eue wer thus deceyued by y e serpent and perswaded that God dyd not fauoure theym but had enuye at theim that they shoulde haue knowledge of good and yll and that for enuye he forbad thē to eate of that fruit that shoulde gyue to them so great knowlege they did no more trust God but beganne to trust themselues and did study to care prouide for thē selues Secondarily whē they no more trusted God they coulde no more finde in their hartes to loue hym but began to dote vpō them selues to thynke y t they had no better frende neither in heauē nor earth thē their awn selfes And after y t thei had thus put their trust and cōfidence in themselues and dotyngly loued all that was their awne by by folowed feare and concupiscence For by an by they beganne to hate and eschewe all thinges that wer paynful or vnpleasant to the fleshe and dotynglye to lust long for such thinges as wer delectable and pleasant to the fleshe Hereby you perceiue good children how our first parētes Adam and Eue poisened with the venome of the serpente were cast into .iiii. horrible vices or diseases The firste is that they dyd not trust in God The second that they dyd not loue God The third that they did not feare him but as a cruell tyranne The fourth that they were replenished with concupiscence and euyll desiers lustes and appetites And these be the rotes of originall synne oute of the whiche all other synnes do spryng and growe So Adam and Eue had a very great fal that fel from gods benediction
and giue vnto vs the iustice and ryghtuousnes of his sonne Iesus Christ whiche suffered for vs. These are but fewe wordes but surely they be of greate importaunce For in this sentence saynct Paule includeth the summe and effecte of the holy ghospell when he sayeth Christ was deliuered to death for our synnes and rose agayne for oure ryghtuousnes For lykewise as when an other man doeth pay my raunsome and satisfye or suffre for me I my selfe am iudged to paye the same and no man after can accuse me therof And whē an other is bounde for me yf he be by any lawful meanes discharged I my selfe am counted to be dyscharged also euen so forasmuche as Christe hymselfe toke vpon him the bande of death for vs and to satisfye for vs so did in deede by hys death we our selues for whō he was thus bounde iustely be delyuered and dyscharged from death and damnation And so we be counted righteous for asmuche as no man dare accuse vs for that syn for the which satisfaction is made by our Sauiour Christ. And when oure sauiour Iesus Christ had thus satisfied for our synne and so ouercame deathe and hell than lyke a most valiant conquerer he ascended into heauen where God hys father receyued him with a moost gloriouse triumphe and placed hym on hys ryghte hande and made him Lorde ouer all creatures and therefore he is called in y e crede also our Lorde For yf he had not raunsomed and redemed vs we had bene cast downe to hel for euer But seynge y t he redemed and bought vs therfore bewe his he is our Lorde and mayster hym we must loue obey and serue And this is oure moste hye and euerlastynge comforte that Iesus Christ is our Lorde and we his seruauntes For because he is oure Lorde therefore he wyll defende vs and delyuer vs from all daungers And althoughe we be synners yet he wil forgiue vs our synnes because he hathe payed y e raūsome and det due for thesame And althoughe we dye yet he wil rayse vs vp agayne because he hathe ouercome and conquered death And althoughe we be neuer so muche afrayed of the sorowes and paynes of hell yet they shall not be able to holde vs bycause that to theym that be hys seruauntes he hathe broken hell and set open the gates thereof Wherfore seynge that we haue so myghtye a Lorde and maister we be out of all peryll and daunger But we agayne aboue all thynges we muste studye to obey oure lord mayster and do those thinges whiche he commaundeth For he hath redemed and bought vs for thys entente and purpose that we shoulde be iust and holy as he hymselfe is holy And he that is not obediēt vnto Christes commaundementes shall be sore punyshed for oure Lorde Iesus Christ shal come agayne to iudge both the quicke and the dead Wherefore good children laboure wyth all diligence and studye that when Christe shall come againe to iudge the world he may finde you holy and obedient For then he wyll rewarde you wyth euerlastyng lyfe After thys maner Christ redemed vs frō synne and from the horryble offence of Adam by whome we were al condemned For by Christes passyon death by hys ghospell we haue obteined thus much that we may beleue and trust in god And trustyng in God we haue his holy spirite whereby we maye also loue God And thys holy gooste renueth vs and clemeth vs from all euell lustes and desires that we beynge thus made holye and rightuouse maye kepe Goddes commaundemētes and serue our Lord Iesus Christ. Wherfore good chyldren beleue ye with al your heart in thys Iesus Christ the onelye sonne of God oure Lord and doubte not but that he hath suffered for our synnes and contented the iustyce of his father for y e same and hath brought vs agayne vnto his fauour made vs his wel beloued children and heyres of hys kyngdome And when you be asked howe vnderstande you the second parte of the Crede you shall answer I beleue that Iesus Christ veray God begotten of God the father and verye manne borne of the virgin Marie is my Lorde whiche by hys precyouse bloode and holy passyon hathe redemed me a myserable damned wretch from all my synnes frome death eternall and from the tyrannie of the Deuell that I should be his owne true subiect and lyue within his kyngdome and serue hym in a newe and euerlastynge lyfe and iustice euen as oure Lorde Christe after he rose from deathe to lyfe lyueth and raygneth euerlastyngly Or elles if you wyl answere more shortely you may say thus I beleue that Christe was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification The thirde sermon of our Sanctification NOwe remayneth the third parte of the Crede to be declared whiche entreateth of our sanctificatiō how we be made holy And it is spokē in these wordes ¶ I beleue in the holy gost the holy catholicke churche the communion of saynctes the forgyuenes of synnes the risyng agayne of the bodye and lyfe euerlastyng Amen IN the seconde parte of the Crede which treateth of our Redemption and pryce giuen for vs you haue bene taughte good children to knowe the seconde persone in Trinitie Iesus Christe what he is and what he hath done for vs that he was made man for our sakes that he toke vpon him our synnes and suffered for vs y e feare and panges of deathe hel and had victory ouer them by hys passiō and death And after by his godly and victorious power he arose again from death to lyfe And after this most glorious conquest he ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the ryghte hande of his father is our Lorde and we his seruantes derely boughte All this you haue learned in the last sermon but now good childrē in this thirde parte of the Crede you shall lerne to knowe the thirde person in trinitie y e holy gost and also his benefites and giftes that we maye knowe what we haue receyued of God after our redēption wherby we may be made mete to come to euerlastynge lyfe thorough the merites of Christ. For althoughe our Lord Iesus Christ hath redemed vs from y e captiuitie of synne death and hel and hath set vs agayne in the fauor of God yet we should haue no knowledge of these great benefites we should feale in our cōsciences no comforte ioy or peace by the same yf they were not declared vnto vs by the preachīg of gods most holy word And our consciences should styl remaine troubled and the feare of eternal death and all noughty desiers and concupiscences of the frayle fleshe shoulde euer remaine in vs euē as frō Adams time thei be in vs as sone as we be borne and so we shuld be vtterly vnapte to the kyngdō of God lyfe euerlasting yf we shulde stil remayne as we be borne For yf we wyl be the heyres of god euerlastynge
may y e more assuredly beleue this both Christ himself rose from death and many saintes also w t hym Fourthely we must beleue euerlastyng lyfe Wherefore it foloweth in the Crede I beleue euerlastynge lyfe that is to saye I beleue that whā we shall ryse from death then we shall lyue euer with Christe in parfite holynes and iustice and in suche a gloriouse ioy as no toung can tell nor hart thincke And this treatise of the Crede we must end with this wourde Amen which is asmuche to saye as I beleue that al the articles of our beliefe before rehersed be very true and thereof I haue a sure faithe trust and confidence Therefore good children from the bottome of your hartes you must beleue in the holy gost whiche doth promyse vnto vs remission of our synnes by al y e true preachers ministers of goddes worde And he dothe also geue light to our hartes and myndes and moueth vs to beleue goddes worde and to put our faith and trust in hym And the same holy goost dothe dayly purifye sanctifye vs purge and clense vs from sinne and after this bodily death shall rayse vs agayne to euerlasting life And take this for a sure conclusion and doubt nothynge thereof that the holy goost as he hath begonne these thīges in vs so he will fynyshe thesame in vs yf we obey him and continue in faith vnto thēde of our liues For he y t cōtinueth vnto y e ende shal be saued And this is the summe and also the most plaine vnderstāding of this thirde parte of the Crede entreatyng of our sanctificatiō or halowing Wherefore good children marke well this lesson that when ye be demaunded howe vnderstande you the thirde parte of the Crede yee may answer thus I beleue y t neither by mās strength power or wysedome neyther by myne awne endeuour nor cōpasse of myn awne reason I am able to beleue in Iesus Christ or to come vnto hym But the holy goost did call me by the worde of y e gospell and with y e giftes of his grace he hath hitherto endowed me halowed me and in the true faith he hathe hitherto preserued and confirmed me this he hath not done only to me but also he calleth and gathereth togyther in the vnitye of one faith and one baptisme all the vniuersal churche that is here in earth and he halloweth kepeth and preserueth thesame in the true knowledge of Christ and faith in his promyses And in this churche he geueth free and general pardō to me and to al that beleue in him of al our synnes offences and trespasses and at the last day he shall rayse me and all other y t be deade and al that dyed in the true faithe of Iesus Christ he shall glorifye in the lyfe euerlastyng Therefore to the sayde holy gost that sanctefyeth vs with y e father that made and created vs and the sonne that redemed vs be geuen all honour and glorye world without ende Amen ¶ A generall preface to be rehersed in the begynnynge of euery sermon made vpon the Lordes prayer YE haue learned heretofore good childrē in y e Crede what we ought to beleue and in the ten cōmaūdemētes what we ought to do but we can neyther beleue nor do as we ought to do excepte the holy gost worke with in vs bothe a true faith also a dewe obedyence towardes God and his lawe For faith is the gyfte of God and all good thinges commeth from the father of lightes Therefore we must nedes aske and craue these benefites at his hande whiche only is the gyuer of theim For so Christ saieth that God the father wyll gyue to vs his children all thinges so that we sue to hym for theim And the prophet Dauyd saieth Cal vpon me in the daye of thy trouble and I shal deliuer the and thou shalt glorifye me Also our Sauioure Christ commaūdeth vs to do y e same sayng Aske and you shal haue seke and you shall fynde knocke and the dore shall be opened vnto you Now therfore seyng that we haue learned what we shoulde beleue and do it is most necessary for vs to cal for gods grace with most feruēt and ernest prayers that we may be able to performe y e thinge whiche we are bounde to do For our sauiour Christ hath promised vs that what soeuer we aske the father in his name he wyll gyue it vs. Also he saieth that what soeuer we aske yf we beleue we shal receaue y e same Wher is to be noted that yf we wyll obteyne oure requestes we must aske in y e name of Christ and also trust assuredly that for Christes sake our praiers shal be heard To aske in Christes name is to aske accordynge to his wil that is to say to aske y t which he hath commaunded Therefore when we praye we may saye thus O God our father and the father of our Lorde Iesu Christ which art in heuē I durst not of myne awn head be so bold to come vnto thy most highe and excellent maiestye to desyer any thyng of the but thy welbeloued sonne our Lord Iesus Christ hath commaūded me so to do and only in his name and at his commaūdemente am so bolde Therfore yf thou hear me y u hearest thy dearly beloued sonne oure Lorde Iesus Christ. And yf thou heare me not thē thou hearest not Iesus Christ him selfe who hath sent me to the and hath commaunded me to aske in his name Of this prayer made in fayth speaketh saincte Iohn in his epistle saying This trust we haue in God y t when we aske any thynge accordinge to his will he doth heare vs. Therefore we shoulde stedfastly beleue that God doth heare our prayer For he that beleueth not he shall obtayne nothynge And therefore Christe saith If you beleue you shall obtayne And to thentent that we should beleue surely thynke that we be herde he hath promysed to graunt what soeuer we aske in his name And agayne to thentent that we shuld knowe and be suer that we praye accordyng to his wil he hymselfe hath taught vs howe what we should praye and aske Therfore it is not in our lybertye whether we wil praie or not but by goddes commaundement we be boūde to praye as you haue hearde in the seconde commaundement Now therefore with all dilygence lerne good children y e holy prayer of y e Lord which y e greate doctour and our Lorde Iesus Christ taught vs hymselfe saying to his disciples Ye shall praye after this maner OUre father which art in heauē halowed be thy name Thy kyngdome come Thy wil be don in earth as it is in heauē Geue vs this day our daily bread And forgeue vs our trespaces as we forgeue them that trespace against vs. And suffre vs not to be led into temptacion But delyuer vs from euyl Amen This good children is the prayer of the Lorde
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
be their true and faithfull subiectes of their realmes And euery king geueth commaundementes vnto his subiectes gouerneth theim in suche wyse that they do not euery man what he lyst hym selfe but what it pleaseth his prince to cōmaunde hym Euen so almighty God hath here in earth in his church an heuenly kyngdō And this kyngdō which Christ in his gospell so often calleth the kyngdome of heauen begynneth among his faithful peoble in this worlde And al that truly beleue kepe his commaūdementes parteyne vnto thys kyngdom And whan God by his gospel begynneth to cal vs vnto this kyngdom than the kyngdom of God commeth vnto vs and begynneth in vs. For God beginneth and in dede is the kyng and Lorde of theim that be godly he gouerneth and ruleth theim so that they worke not after y e lustes and desiers of their owne fleshe but as the Lord God who is their kyng teacheth and commaūdeth theim by his worde And kynges and great men in this worlde rule and gouerne by forse by soore threatenynges and greuous paynes and comstrayne their subiectes to obedyence and so they ought to do for it is the ordinance of God but God doeth not order his affaires so ī this forsaid kingdom of heuen but ruleth his subiectes lyke a gentle father by the worde of his gospel and by the holy gost that after this sort God causeth his ghospel to be preached vnto vs howe Christe for our sakes suffered death was buried and rose againe as before you herd in y e Crede Moreouer he openeth oure hertes gyueth vs faith to beleue his gospel And to them y t beleue his gospel he giueth the holy gost which doth gouerne vs and leade vs vnto all trueth For fyrste by faythe we be iustified before God for fayth maketh vs partakers of y e iustice of christ and planteth vs in Christ and he that by true faithe do receyue the promyse of grace to him God gyuethe the holye ghoste by whome charitie is spred abrode in our hertes whiche perfourmethe all the commaundementes Therfore he that beleueth in Christ and truely beleueth y e gospel he is iust holy before God by y e iustice of Christ whiche is imputed gyuē vnto hī as Paule saith Ro. iii. we thinke y t mā is iustified by faith w tout workes He is also iust before y e world because of y e loue charitie which the holy gost worketh in his herte Secondly faith worketh peace and quietnes in oure heartes and consciēces For by faith we be certified that our synnes be forgiuen Therfore saythe sayncte Paule to the Romanes Beyng iustified we haue peace and quyetnesse wyth God by our Lorde Iesus Christ. Thirdely this peace bringeth vnto vs a great and synguler ioy in our hertes and consciences and maketh vs for this excedyng benefite of gods mercy and grace towarde vs feruentely to loue him gladly to laude and praise him to honoure his name and to professe the same before all the worlde euermore to gyue vnto hym moste harti thankes and to be swift and redye to do all thinges that maye please God and to eschewe those thynges that may dysplease hym Thys good children is the sayd kyngdome of God whan by the gospell and the holy ghoste God raygneth in oure hartes whan he worketh in vs our Iustification that we hauynge peace of conscience may haue ioye and comforte in the holy gost of the abundance and plentifulnes of grace and the benefytes of Christe And this is that thinge whiche sayncte Paule speaketh of to y e Romaynes The kyngdome of God is iustice peace and ioy in the holy gost Nowe as an earthly kyng doeth gouerne his subiectes by hys lawes and commaundementes and by his mighte and power so doeth God rule and gouerne his church and true faithfull people whiche although they be here in earth yet they be of his heuenly kyngdome suche I saye he gouerneth by the holy worde of his gospell and the power of the holy ghost whom he powreth plentifully vpon al them that beleue the gospel and by that comfortable worde of the ghospell he gentilly entiseth and drawethe vs vnto him that we should gladly of our owne free will obey him For God loueth not seruyce constrayned by forse suche as slaues and bonde menne do more for the feare then loue but he wold haue his people to serue him willyngly of hearte and loue as Dauid said in the .cx. Psalme And this is the forsayde kyngdome of God whan he dothe in suche wyse raigne in vs and gouerne vs that we do not wourke after our owne wylles but in body and minde do ceasse rest from our owne euyl workes and shrewed wylles and folowe the workyng of God and the holye goste in vs. And this is to sanctifye the sabbot daye that is to say to kepe an holy rest whan we honor God with true honour whan we heare dilygently the worde of God whē we yelde our selfes clerly to God that his holy spirite maye worke in vs holy godly heuenly workes y t is to say iustice peace comfort other workes of y e holy gost Therfore he that praieth thus Thy kingdome come he prayeth nothynge elles but that God wil gyue vs grace that we maye rest from our own propre willes that we do not those thynges that delyte the body and please oure appetites but that we maye suffre God by his holy worde spirite to worke in vs holy workes that so the thirde cōmaundement maye be fulfilled Remembre that thou sanctifye the sabboth daye For so doth Esaye declare this commaūdement saying If thou worke not after thine own wyl in my holy day than thou shalt be called a pleasant rest to sanctifye and honoure the Lorde yf thou honoure him so that thou worke not after thyne owne wayes nor fynde the meanes to folowe thyne own wil nor speake thyne owne pleasure than shalt thou haue pleasure in the Lorde For all these thynges therfore good children ought you to praye to God that hys kyngdome maye come that he wil here in earth begynne his kyngdome in vs that we maye obey him in suche wyse as you haue herde Nowe the kyngdome of God commeth vnto vs two maner of wayes first by his worde faithe whan the gospell is preached vnto vs that our Lorde Iesus Christ delyuered vs frō synne death and hel by crosse death resurrection For by the preaching of his word we do lerne to put oure truste in God and to loue God And this knowlege and faith in Christe increaseth from tyme to tyme not only in theim that haue but newlye begonne to beleue but they also whiche many yeares haue professed Christe do profyt in the same faith more and more For their faith and loue towardes God by the dayly preachyng of the gospel is confirmed made more strong Secondly the kyngdome of God shall come to vs at the laste daye whan
be my dysciple And this is not a token of gods angre when he sendeth vs afflyetion or aduersitie but rather a signe of his loue toward vs. For he chasteseth euery childe whome he loueth as the wyse man Salomon witnesseth And they that fele not his rodde be not his true children but rather bastardes as sainte Paule writeth in thepistle to the Hebrues Wherefore good children larne patience that you may gladly suffer aduersitie For correction is a teachyng and whē God shall trye your faith with sycknes pouertie persecution or any other kynde of aduersitie reioyce and be glad For these be euident tokens of gods fatherly loue towarde you and that he wil kepe you cleane from synne and corruption of this worlde and brydle your wyll that you maye learne to knowe gods holy wyll whiche is a wonderful wisdome And therefore sayncte Paule so many tymes repeteth in his epystles these wordes that is to say that you maye knowe the wyll of God For this knowledge is a most high and heauēly wysedome and obedyence most lyke to the obedience and holines of thangels in heauen And you be bounde to obey God in sufferyng his rodde and crosse For God in our baptysme hath made this couenaunt with vs that we must dye and be buryed with Christe be grafted in his passion and death if we wil ryse againe and be glorified with him in the kyngdome of heauen whereunto he is rysen and assended Wherefore good children marke wel these lessons that you maye learne pacience in all afflictions and aduersities whether you suffre sycknes pouertie reproches or persecution for the gospel And what soeuer kynde of aduersitie troubleth you perswade your selues for a suertye that it is Gods wil that you should suffer and be tryed And therfore Christ sayeth One heare shal not fal from your headde without the wyll of your father whiche is in heauen Therfore yf perchaunce at any tyme you shalbe moued to impacience in your trouble and aduersitie then with all your hertes call vpon God for his ayde and succour desyre hym to sende you the gyfte of pacience and saye Thy wyll good Lorde be done and not ours For so oure sauyour Christ hath not onely taught vs to pray but he himselfe also dyd vse the lyke prayer not longe before he suffered his passion And this is the playne meaning of this thirde petition concernyng y e fulfyllyng of Gods wyll Nowe I pray you good children applye your willes and mindes to learne y e same that whē you be demaunded how vnderstād you y e thirde petition you may answer after this maner Althoughe Gods holy wyll be done w tout our praier yet we pray that it maye be done in vs and fulfylled among vs here in earth Which is done whan God doeth ouerthrow and destroy the wicked counsels of the deuell of worldlye people and of oure owne fleshe whiche do all that lyeth in theim to let and hynder the kyngdome of God and the halowynge of his name and doeth kepe vs in the true knowledge of his worde in the lyuely faithe of Christ in hys loue and obedyence of hys commaundementes For this is the holye and perfecte wyll of God whiche God graunte vs to keape nowe and euer Amen Gyue vs this daye our dayly breade YE haue herd how in the former petitions we desyer of God to gyue vs al thinges that belong to the fulfyllynge of hys holy commaundementes that we maye leade a godly lyfe aswell towardes God as also towarde oure neighbours Wherby we be euidently taught that we be not able to fulfyll the lawe and commaundementes of God without the grace of Christe and Goddes healpe Nowe foloweth the other four peticions in the whiche we praye God that he wyll vouche safe to gyue vs all those thinges whiche be promysed vnto vs in the gospell and whiche our Crede teacheth vs to loke for And first in this fourth petition we sue to God to graunte vs all those thinges which we be taught to beleue in the first parte of oure Crede concernyng our creation For when we saye Gyue vs thys daye oure daylye breade we praye to God that as through his great mercye and goodnesse he dydde create vs so he wil lykewyse nouryshe and feade vs. Wherefore good children yf you wyll vnderstande this peticion you must call to your remembraunce those lessons which wer taught you in the first article of oure belefe intreatyng of the creation For seynge that God hathe made heauen and earth he is lorde and mayster of al creatures in heauen or erthe and all be vnder his wil and pleasure And forasmuche as he made them all for vs he hath appointed them all to serue vs and to healpe and releue our necessities Wherefore let vs not be carefull for meate or drincke or other thinges necessary for oure lyuynge But lette vs put oure confidence in God oure father whiche hath made vs and giuen vs our lifes and we may be sure that he wyll also sende vs all thinges necessarie for the preseruation and maintenaūce of the same For seyng that he made al creatures of nothing it muste nedes be that all creatures muste obey hys wil and commaundemente And in case ther were not in the world creatures sufficient to nourish vs yet we shoulde not mistrust hym for he is able to make newe creatures to gyue vs all thinges necessarie And to the intent that no man shoulde truste in hymselfe thynkynge that by his owne wysdome or laboure he is able to get all thynges necessarye to the maintenaunce of his lyfe Christe hathe taught vs to aske these thynges of oure heauenlye father whiche onely is able to preserue and feade vs. Of him therefore oughte we hertely to aske the same saying Gyue vs this daye oure daylye breade For this thinge tendeth to the glorie of god and syngulerly pleasethe him whan we aske of hym al thynges necessarie for vs. And for this cause God hath commaunded vs to praye contynually wythout ceasynge And our sauyour Christ hath promysed vs that he wyl gyue vs all thynges whiche we shall aske in his name And it is euident by the wordes of this petition that we ought oftentymes to praye For Christ hath not taught vs to aske our sustinaunce for fyfthy or thre score yeare nor yet for one yeare no nor for one moneth or weake but he hath wylled vs to aske our dayly breade And he saieth Be not carefull for to morowe for to morow bryngeth care enough of it selfe Now yf we shal not be careful for to morow but onely require of God sustinance necessarye for the present daye it is manyfest hereby that it is gods wyll that we shoulde aske agayne of him to morow For we shal haue asmuch nede of meate and drynke to morowe as we haue this presēt daye yet we praye not for to mrowes fode but for this dayes sustinance onli Wherefore good children accustome
what our Lord Iesus Christ ment by them that when you shall be asked any question herein you maye make a dyrect answere and that also in tyme to come you maye be able to instruct your children in the same For what greater shame can ther be eyther in the sight of God or of man then to professe thi selfe to be a Christen mā yet to be ignorāt in what place of scripture and by what wordes Christ commaūded faith and forgyuenes of synnes to be preached Seing y t a Christē man ought to beleue nothyng as an article of his faith except he be assured that eyther it is gods cōmaundement or his worde Now good children that you maye the better vnderstande these wordes of our sauiour Christe you shall knowe y t our Lorde Iesus Christ whē he beganne to preache he ded cal and chose his twelue Apostils and afterwarde besydes those twelue he sent forth thre score and tenne dysciples and gaue thē authoritie to preach the gospel And a litle before his death and passiō he made his prayer to his heuenly father for theim for all those that shoulde beleue thorow their preaching As it is declared in the gospel of sainct Iohn Now it is not to be doubted but y t Christes praier was heard of his heauenly father wherefore it foloweth that as mani as beleued the preaching of Christes discyples were as surely saued as yf they had heard and beleued Christ hymselfe And after Christes assention the Apostelles gaue authoritie to other godly and holye men to minyster gods worde and chiefely in those places wher ther wer Christen mē alredy whiche lacked preachers and the Apostles theim selues could not longer abide with them For the Apostles dyd walke abrod into diuerse partes of the worlde and did studye to plant the gospel in many places Wherefore wher they founde godly men and mete to preache gods worde they layed their handes vpō them and gaue them the holy gost as they theimselues receaued of Christ the same holy gost to execute this office And they that were so ordeyned were in dede and also were called the ministers of God as the Apostles theimselues were as Paule sayeth vnto Tymothy And so the ministratiō of gods worde which our Lorde Iesus Christ hymselfe dyd first institute was deryued from the Apostles vnto other after theim by imposition of hādes and gyuynge the holy ghost from the Apostles tyme to our dayes And this was the consecration ordres vnction of the Apostles wherby they at the begynnynge made Byshopes and pryestes and this shall continewe in y e churche euen to the worldes ende And what soeuer rite or ceremonye hath ben added more than this commeth of mannes ordinaunce and policye and is not commaūded by goddes worde Wherefore good children you shal gyue due reuerence honour to the ministers of y e churche and shal not meanely or lyghtly esteme them in the executiō of their office but you shall take them for gods ministers and the messengers of our Lorde Iesus Christe For Christ himselfe saieth in y e gospel He that heareth you heareth me And he y t dyspiseth you dyspiseth me wherefore good children you shal stedfastly beleue al those thinges whiche suche ministers shall speake vnto you from the mouth and by the commaūdement of our Lorde Iesus Christ. And what soeuer they do to you as when they baptyse you when they gyue you absolution and dystribute to you the bodye and bloude of our Lord Iesus Christe these you shall so esteme as yf Christe hymselfe in his awne person dyd speake and minister vnto you For Christe hath commaunded his ministers to do this vnto you and he hymselfe althoughe you see him not with your bodily eyes is present with his ministers and worketh by the holy ghost in thadministration of his sacramentes And on the other syde you shall take good hede beware of false and priuye preachers whiche pryuely crepe into cities and preache in corners hauyng none authoritie nor being called to this office For Christe is not present with such prechers ▪ and therefore dothe not the holy gost worke by their preching but their worde is withoute fruite or profyt and they do great hurte in commen welthes For suche as be not called of God they no doubte of it do erre and sow abrode heresye and naughty doctrine And yet you shal not thinke good childrē that preachers whiche be lawfully called haue authoritie to do or teache what soeuer shal please thē But our Lord Iesus Christ hath gyuen them playne instructions what they ought to teache and do And yf thei teache or do any other thynge then is conteyned in their commission then it is of no force nor we ought not to regarde it And for this cause our sauioure Christ dyd breath into hys discyples and gaue them the holy gost For where the holy gost is ther he so worketh that he causeth vs to do those thynges whiche Christe hath commaunded And whā that is not done than the holy ghost is not there Wherefore all thynges whiche we shall so speake or do can take none effecte Now the summe of the commission whiche Christ gaue to his dysciples was this that they shoulde preache repentaunce and forgyuenes of synne in his name And he added therto bothe a promise a threatnyng saying He that wil beleue and be baptised shalbe saued But he that wil not beleue shall be damned Wherfore all thinges whiche the ministers of y e churche do saye or do to vs ought to be directed to this ende y t they maye lowse vs and declare vnto vs the forgyuenes of our synnes whē we truly repent and beleue in Christ. But when we do not repent vs of our synne and forsake the same or do not beleue the gospel then they ought to bind or reserue sinne and to declare vnto vs that yf we styl continew in sinne we shal be dampned for euer And when the minysters do thus execute their cōmission then they obey God whose synnes soeuer they forgyue in earth their synnes be forgyuen in heauen also And contrarye wyse whome soeuer they binde in earth their sinnes be boūde also in heauē But yf the ministers wolde interprise to do contrary to their cōmission that is to say to forgyue synnes to vnrepentaunte synners and vnbeleuers or to bynde their synnes and denye theim absolution that be repentaunte and truste in the mercye of God then they shoulde not do wel nor their acte shoulde be of any force but they shoulde deceaue themselues and other also And than shoulde that be true that Christ speaketh in the gospell When the blynde leadeth the blinde both fall into the diche But when the ministers do trulye execute their office you oughte good children to take great comforte and to confirme your faithe therby that you maye stedfastlye beleue and in all temptations answere your aduersarye the deuell after this maner God hathe
sente to me one of hys ministers he in the name and place of God hathe declared to me the forgyuenes of my synnes and hath baptised me in the assurance of the same Wherfore I doubte not but that my synnes be forgyuen and that I am made the sonne heire of God Thus good children you ought generally in all temptations to fortifie youre fayth and to comforte your selfes with the authoritie of Goddes word but specially you shall learne this also that oure Lorde Iesus Christe dyd entende by this authoritie of the Kayes to comforte the troubled consciences of them that after their baptisme do fall in to haynous offences For it is not so easye a thyng to rise agayn from synne as the mad and blynde worlde doeth thynke but when the deuel and oure faith shall skyrmishe together then in those straites and troubles of cōscience we haue nede of the helpe of some trewe minister of y e churche whych as it were in our swonynge maye lyft vs vp wyth the wourde of God comforte and refreshe vs. As the wyse kyng Salomon doth declare by thys sentence Wo to that man whyche is alone for when he falleth he hath no mā to lyft hym vp agayn And oure Lorde Iesus Christe doeth speake so often tymes in the gospel of the authoritie of the kayes and hathe added so great promyses to the same that it may wel appere by the earnestnes of Christes wourdes how careful he was for troubled consciences and how fatherly an effection he had to comforte thesame Wherof it vndoutedly foloweth y t we haue great nede of thys comforte and that it is moche to be estemed and set by For first of al our sauiour Christ before he gaue these kayes ī dede he promysed to Peter y t he would gyue them saying I wyl gyue to the the kayes of the kyngdome of heauen What so euer thou shalt bynde vpon earth shalbe bounde in heauen and what so euer thou shall louse vpon earth shalbe also loused in heauen Secondarelye Christe doeth teache vs howe we shall vse these kayes both in open and in secrete synnes Of the vse of the kayes in opē synnes Christ speaketh these wourdes Yf thy brother trespace agaynst the go and tell hym hys faulte betwene him and the alone Yf he hear the thou hast wonne thy brother But yf he heare the not then take yet wyth the one or two that vpō the mouthe of two or thre wytnesses euery worde maye stande Yf he heare not them tell it vnto the cōgregacion Yf he heare not the cōgregation let hym be vnto the as an hethen and publican Uerely I saye vnto you what so euerye bynde on earth shalbe bounde in heauen And what so euer ye lose on earth shalbe loused in heauen And of the vse of the kayes in priuye and secrete synnes oure sauiour Christ hath taught vs by his awne dede and example For the mā that was sycke of the palsey Christ said thus Sonne cōceaue a stedfast fayth thy synnes be forgyuen the. And as touching byndyng of synnes he sayd to y e hard herted and stubburne Iewes Yf you were blinde you shulde haue no synne But nowe bycause you saye you see your synne abydeth styll that is to saye it is not forgyuen Thyrdlye oure Sauioure Christe after his resurrectiō gaue the kaies to his apostles as before he had promysed breathynge vpon theim and saying Receaue the holy gost whose synnes ye shall forgyue they are for gyuen Now forasmuche as oure sauioure Christe in gyuynge the keyes did promise vs so great cōforte dyd so dylygentlye teache the vse of them and dyd so faythfully and louyngly ordeyne and commende them and put theim as it wer into the handes of his apostles their successors we ought in no wyse to dyspyse this greate authoritie whiche God hath gyuen vnto men but thankefully to vse it For knowe this for a suertye good children that it is a very great offence against God lytle to care for hys great gyftes and benefites Therefore when we fal agayne to great synnes after that we are ones baptysed we oughte not to walke in a certē rechelesnes thynkyng that our synnes be forgyuen vs onely because God is merciful For this opinion or wauering imaginatiō is more weake and feble thē that in the feare and battaile of the conscience it is able to stande against the violent force and craftye assaultes of the deuel But in this fight betwene our cōscience the deuel our great trust and comforte is y e sure worde and worke of God whiche maye asserteyne vs that our synnes are forgyuen that is to say whan we obteyne forgyuenes of oure synnes and absolutiō of the ministers of the churche to whome Christ hath deliuered the kaies and hath promysed saying Whose synnes ye shall forgyue in earthe their synnes be forgyuen in heauen also And this also is to be reproued that some men whiche continue in manyfest and open synne and go not about to amende their lyfes yet they wil be counted christē mē and interpryse to receaue the same sacramētes that other do to come to y e churche to worship God and to praye with other Suche muste be warned of their fautes and yf they refuse to heare and amende then they ought to be excommunicate and put out of the christen cōgregation vntil they repente and amende their lyfes Lest by suche manifest sinne and euel examples other men might be prouoked to do the lyke and so at length many might be infected and the Christē religyon dispysed and euel spoken of as thoughe it wer the worst relygyon forasmuche as Christian men shoulde thā leade a shameful and vngodly lyfe And so by this meanes y e name of God and God himselfe might be blasphemed amonge the heathen people And althoughe those canons ordynances and rites whiche be agreable to the gospel and were ordeyned in tyme past to punyshe suche opē trāsgressors and malefactors are nowe in oure tyme almost vtterly abolyshed and taken awaye yet for this cause we ought not to dispise or cast awaye the authoritye vse of the kayes For they which presumptuously do cast away all pokes of ecclesiasticall discipline or chasticement do let that such kynde of correction whiche is agreable to the gospel maye not be restored againe shall haue without doubte God for their iudge But let vs praye our Lord Iesus Christ that as it hath pleased him to restore vnto vs his moste blessed worde and the true vnderstādyng of the same so also he wyll vouchesaue to rendre and sende agayne to vs these and suche lyke good and holsome ordinances agreable to his worde Now when a man after baptisme hath greuously synned and doubteth in his conscience whether he be in the fauour of God or no as oftentymes yt happeneth then it is harde for hym to trust to his awn bare imaginations thinking on this fashion I know y t I haue synned but yet I
howe ye maye contynually abyde and growe in Christ the whiche thing is taught you in the vse of the Lordes supper Ye shall therefore dilygentlye learne the wordes by the whiche oure Lorde Iesus Christ did institute and ordeyne his supper that ye maye repet them word for worde and so prynt thē in your memoryes that you may beare them away with you home to youre fathers houses and there oftentymes reherse them And these be the wordes of oure sauioure Christe Our Lorde Iesus Christ the same nyghte that he was betrayed toke bread gyuyng thākes brake it gaue it to hys disciples saide Take eate this is my bodye whiche is gyuen for you Do this in remembraunce of me Lykewyse he toke the cuppe also after he had supped giuyng thankes gaue it to them and sayd Drynke of this al ye This is my bloude of the new testamente whiche is shed for you for many for the forgyuenes of synnes Do this as often as ye drynke in remembraunce of me Nowe ye shall dilygentlye laboure not onely to say without boke these wordes of our sauiour Christe but also to vnderstande what oure Lorde Iesus Christe mente by the same that ye maye make answer when ye be asked any question herein and that also in tyme to come ye may be able to teache your children as ye youre selfes are now instructed For what greater dishonestye can ther be eyther in the sighte of God or man then to professe youre selues to be Christian people and to receaue the sacramētes yet not to know what Christes sacramētes be wherfore they wer ordeyned For saint Paul sayth y t he whiche eateth and drynketh the supper of the Lorde vnworthely doth eate and drynke his awne damnation Nowe therfore good children that ye may truely vnderstāde the wordes of the lordes holy supper and that ye receyue not this sacramente to youre owne damnation learne here dylygentlye that the true vnderstandyng and vse of y e Lordes supper standeth in two thynges The fyrste is to do that whiche our lord himself hath commaunded The seconde is to beleue y t which he hath promysed Of these two I wil speake in order wherto I pray you gyue good eare First our sauiour Christ taketh breade in his hand he giueth thākes he breaketh it and gyueth it to his dysciples and sayeth Take eate Lykewyse he taketh the cup and sayeth Take drynke Wherfore we ought to obey those wordes to do that which our Lord commaundeth vs. For although Christ prescribeth no certen tyme when we ought to come together to his supper althoughe also he appoynte no certen noumber of dayes howe often in the yeare we ought to receaue this supper yet this is his holy godly wyl that at some tyme we shoulde receaue this sacrament And this to do is for oure great commoditie profite for elles our Lorde wolde not haue commaunded vs so to do who knoweth better thē we what helpe and comforte we haue nede of Wherfore if we wil be christes trew disciples then we must do as he himselfe commaundeth his discyples to do Let vs therefore go to this godly supper let vs eate drinke therof let vs not absteine frō the same w tout a great cause Secondarily Christ saieth of the breade this is my bodye and of y e cuppe he sayeth this is my bloud Wherefore we ought to beleue y t in the sacrament we receyue trewly the bodye and bloud of Christ. For God is almyghtye as ye hearde in the Crede He is able therefore to do all thynges what he wil. And as saint Paul writeth he calleth those thinges whiche be not as yf they were Wherefore when Christe taketh breade and saieth Take eate this is my body we ought not to doute but we eat his veray bodye And when he taketh the cuppe and sayeth Take drynke this is my blod we ought to thynke assuredly y t we drynke his veray blode And this we must beleue yf we wil be counted Christē mē And wher as in this perellous tyme certayne deceitful persons be founde in manye places who of very frowardnes wil not graunt that there is the body and bloude of Christe but denye the same for none other cause but that they cannot cōpasse by mans blynde reason howe this thinge shoulde be broughte to passe ye good children shall with all dilygence beware of suche persons that ye suffer not your selues to be deceaued by them For suche men surely are not trew Christyans nether as yet haue thei lerned the first article of y e Crede whych teacheth that God is almightye whiche ye good children haue alredy perfectely lerned Wherfore eschewe such erroneous opinions and beleue the wordes of our lord Iesus that you eate and drynke his veray body blode although mans reason can not comprehend how and after what maner y e same is ther present For the wysedome of reason must be subdued to the obedience of Christ as the apostle Paule teacheth Thirdly he sayeth that his body was gyuē to death for vs that his blod was shed for vs. Wherfore we muste beleue and confesse this thing that all we are conceaued and borne in syn as we haue learned in the ten commaundemētes and chiefely in the two last We are therefore by nature the childrē of gods wrath shoulde be damned for euer yf Christ had not redemed vs by his holy passiō For he was made mā for vs and dyd all thinges for vs whiche we were bound to do and coulde not do that is to saye he fulfylled the lawe for vs and toke vpon hym all that crosse whiche we moste rightuously had deserued for our iniquities and offenses and he shed his bloude for vs that oure synnes might be forgyuen vs. All these thinges we oughte stedfastly to beleue Wherfore they be in a great errore whiche wyll make satisfaction for their synnes with fastyng prayer almes dedes and suche lyke good workes For althoughe we are boūde to do these good workes yet they be not a sufficient price raunsome or satisfaction for oure synnes but onely the death and bloude of our sauyoure Christ was a sufficient and worthy sacrifice to take away our synnes and to obteyne for vs forgyuenes of oure offenses as it is written in the seconde chapter of saincte Iohn his firste epystle Christ is that sacryfice that pacyfyeth Gods dyspleasure obteyneth pardon for oure synnes and not for our synnes onely but also for the synnes of all the worlde Fourthly Christ sayeth do this in the remembraunce of me Here also it is oure dutye to obey the worde of Christ and to do y t thing which he hath cōmaūded vs to do Wherefore good children doubt not but ther is the bodye bloud of our Lorde which we receaue in the lordes supper For he hath sayed so and by the power of his worde hath caused it so to be Wherefore seyng Christ saieth do this as