and so mightie a Father we may wel reioyce, and haue an excedynge great comforte, farre passyng any harte to thynke, or tongue to tel. And hym agayn we ought moste entierlye to loue and obey, seyng that he is our Father, and hath loden vs with so many gyftes and benefites. With glad hartes therfore you ought to saye this prayer, which whan you say, you speake with God the Father in heauen, and he heareth you, and lyke a most kynde Father, dothe graunt al that you aske.

Often tymes also, and ernestly you must praye, whan you ryse in the mornyng, whan you go to the churche, whan you eate and drynke, whan you go to bed, whan you awake out of your slepe, that from your youth you maye accustome your selfes, both gladly and often to praye. For by prayer we shall obteyne all thynges, that eyther Christ hathe purchased for vs, or our heuenly Father hath promised to vs.

Nowe this also you must dilygently considre, that we say, O Father which art in heuen, to dyscerne hym from our fathers whiche be here vpon earthe. For we haue fathers here in earth, whiche be but men, and be not able to saue vs. But in heauen we haue an other maner of Father, of far more might, a spiritual and an euerlasting Father whiche in al oure nedes is able to helpe vs, and finallye to gyue vs helth and lyfe euerlasting. And as children take of their carnal fathers fleshe and blode, and many tymes be veray lyke theim in their face and countenaunce, so take we of our heuenly Father our soule and spirite, and therein we ought to resemble our heuenly Father, that is to saye, we ought to beleue his worde, obey his commaundementes, forbere those thinges that he forbyddeth, and in all thynges be conformable to hys holy wyl and worde. And than is he assuredlye oure gentle Father, and we his dere children.

And than as he dwelleth in heuen, in a lyght passynge all measure, euyn so shall we dwel wyth hym in heauen

Num. xv.

for euer.
These great thynges (whiche far excede the
capacitie of mannes vnderstanding) our Sauiour Christ
doth teache in these fewe wordes, whan he teacheth vs
to saye. O our Father, whiche art in heauen.

Now folowe in this holy praier certen petitions, wherein be comprehended all thynges, that be either conteyned in the Ten Commaundementes, or elles promised in the Crede. These petitions good children you shall lerne with al diligence, that you may know what you shoulde aske. The thre first petitions entreate of the matters perteynynge to the first Table. The other. iiii. speake of thinges promised in the Crede, and belongynge to the seconde Table, as herafter you shall heare.

The first petition conteyneth matters of the first and seconde commaundement. I am thy God. Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine. And these be the wordes of that petition.

Thy name be halowed.

Before I told you good children, that we go not before God, we pray not first, that God wil be our God and our Father, but God of hys inestimable mercye dothe preuent vs, dothe cal vs by hys worde, dothe cal vs vnto faithe, doth gyue vs his Spirite, to know him for our Father and Lorde, before we coulde thynke therof,

and seke for God. But now seing that by his word and faith he hath called vs, and by baptisme hath grafted vs in Christ, and made vs membres of his churche, we ought not to be slouthful nor ydle, but study to go forwarde and increace in godlynes, and to praye thus. Our Father, whiche art in heuen, for asmuche as thou hast gyuen vnto vs, being vnworthy, thi holy gospell, and hast chosen vs, and not we the, and seyng that thou haste sent vnto vs preachers, whiche teache vnto vs thy word, wherby we be sanctified, and instructed in the faith, (so that nowe we maye know the for God, and partelye fulfyl the first commaundemente) now fulfyl O Father that thou haste begonne, procede to helpe vs, that we maye fulfyl the seconde commaundement, that is, that thy name mai be halowed, that is to say, may be honored as holy. This prayer pleaseth God, and he heareth it, and God giueth vs grace and strength, that halowe his name.

we maye

To halowe the name of God, is not to make it holye (whiche in itselfe is euer most holy) but to halowe his name is to take it for holy, and reuerentlye to vse it, as a most holy thing, of great feare and loue to God, to beware that we speake not of his name vaynely, nor without great reuerence, to confesse his name, to laud him, extolle him, and in all necessities to call vpon hym. And on the other syde, we do violate the holye name of God, whan we abuse the same to euyll and naughty thinges, whan we speake euyll of God or godlye thynges, whan we teache any false doctrine of God and his religion, or abuse the name of God to ydoltarie and errours, or whan by the name of God we be forsworne.

Also whan by the name of God we curse men or other creatures, or whan we speake of God and godlye thinges and make therof but scoffing and gestyng. And whan we lyue not accordynge to the worde of God, and regarde not God, but gyue euyl example to other, both to

thinke and speake of God and godly thinges lyghtly and contemptuously, as they passed not of them.

But nowe it is an horryble hearyng good children, that we be called the churche of Christ and Christen men, we be taughte that God is oure Lorde and Father, and yet we be so faynte, so euyll, naughtye and unkynde people, that we do not halow nor reuerentli vse his name. Therfore it is more than nede to praye, and instantlye to pray for Gods helpe, that we mysuse not his name vnreuerently, but that we maye halowe it, and most hyghly honour it oure selfes and prouoke other to do the lyke whiche we shall do, yf we preache and teache the worde of God purelye, and agree vnto the same in pure innocent lyuynge, so that no man can reprehende vs, yf we beleue Gods word, and professe the same, in all necessities call vpon hys name, and gyue hym thankes for all his benefites.

But whan false doctrine is taughte, than the name of God is defiled, and false doctrine is honored, and taken for the holy worde of God, which in dede is not holy, but wicked and the false inuention of the Deuyll, the inuentour of all lyes and falsehode. And howe can the holy name of God be more horribly abused? than whan the Deuyls lyes and false inuentions, be sette out and honoured vnder the pretence and coloure of Gods holye name, that by that meanes the people maye the sonner be deceyued.

Moreouer the name of God is not halowed, but blasphemed and dispised, whan the true woorde of God is cruelly persecuted, as Cain persecuted his brother Abell. For whan the vngodly hypocrites, do call the gospell and true doctrine of Christe, heresy and errore, than is God as it were accused of heresy, which gaue the sayde doctrine, whiche is an horrible blasphemie of Gods name.

Also whan we beleue not the worde of God, than we violate and do iniurie to the name of God, not takynge hym to be true.

The name of God is halowed also, but lytle regarded and contemned, whan the gospel and worde of God, is not boldely professed before the worlde. For he that denyeth the gospel, and doth not constantly stande vnto it, but for feare of men doth shrynke from it, and reuoketh those thinges, which before he hath truly and godly taught he counteth not Jesus Christ the Sonne of the lyuing God, nor hys holy worde and gospell, to be of that value and estimation, that he wil for their sakes, speake boldely, or suffer any thynge, before the kynges and powers of the worlde.

Also we do not halowe the name of God, whan we cal God our Father, and bost our selfes to be his children, and yet that thing whiche we professe, we do not parforme by holy and godly liuing. For an vnthristy and wicked child, is a dishonour to his father. Herof complayneth God by the prophet Ezechiel the. xxxvi. chapter, saying. By you my name is blasphemed amonge people and nations.

And he also regardeth not the holy name of God, that doth not cal vpon God, and gyue thankes to God, as though he wer not the very true God, which hath holpen hym, and both can and wyll helpe him in al his nedes. For he that knowlegeth himselfe, that he is holpen of God, he of dewty must nedes gyue hym thankes therefore, and he that trusteth to be holpen, must lykewyse cal vpon hym for the same.

Therefore briefly to conclude, he that teacheth any other than Goddes true doctrine, that beleueth not in the name of Christe, that doth not boldely confesse the worde of God, that doth not leade hys lyfe accordyng to the gospel, that doth not cal vpon God in al necessitie, that doth not willyngly and gladly gyue thankes to God for al his benefites, he dispiseth God, and his holy name, and gyueth occasion to other, to do the lyke, which of al other, is the greatest offence to God. Therefore we