A Catechism, that is to say, an instruction to be learned of every child before he be3 brought to be Confirmed of the Bishop. Question. WHAT is your name? Answer. N. or M. Question. Who gave you this name? Answer. My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. Question. What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you? Answer. They did promise and vow three things in my name. First, that I should forsake the devil and all his works and pomps, the vanities of the wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. Secondly, that I should believe all the articles of the Christian faith. And thirdly, that I should keep God's holy will and commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life. Question. Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and to do as they have promised for thee? Answer. Yes, verily. And by God's help so I will. And I heartily thank our heavenly Father, that he hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. And I pray God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my lives end. Question. Rehearse the articles of thy belief. Answer. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and of earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Which was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary. Suffered under Ponce Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost. The holy Catholic Church. [3 1578, be confirmed, or admitted to receaue the holy Communion.] [ Grafton, hath he that.] ["1596, by.] [5 1596, and earth.] The communion of Saints. The forgiveness of sins. The resurrection of the body. And the life everlasting. Amen. Question. What dost thou chiefly learn in these articles of thy belief? Answer. First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me and all the world. Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind. Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God. Question. You said that your Godfathers and Godmothers did promise for you, that you should keep God's commandments. Tell me how many there be? Answer. Ten. Question. Which be they? Answer. The same which God spake in the .xx. Chapter of Exodus, saying: I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me. II. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them. For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me, and keep my commandments. III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabboth day. Six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do: but the seventh day is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, and thy son and thy daughter, thy manservant, and thy maidservant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it. [Grafton omits, that.] V. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt do no murder. bour. VI. VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. VIII. IX. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neigh X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his. Question. What dost thou chiefly learn by these commandments? Answer. I learn two things. My duty towards God, and my duty towards my neighbour. Question. What is thy duty towards God? Answer. My duty towards God is, to believe in him, to fear him, and to love him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strength. To worship him. To give him thanks. To put my whole trust in him. To call upon him. To honour his holy name and his word, and to serve him truly all the days of my life. Question. What is thy duty towards thy neighbour? Answer. My duty towards my neighbour is, to love him as myself. And to do to all men as I would they should do unto me. To love, honour and succour my father and mother. To honour and obey the king3 and his ministers. To submit myself to all my governors, teachers, spiritual Pastors and masters. To order myself lowly and reverently to all my betters. To hurt nobody by word nor deed. To be true and just in all my dealing. To bear no malice nor hatred in my heart. To keep my hands from picking and stealing, and my tongue from evil speaking, lying and slandering. To keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity. Not to covet nor desire other men's goods. But learn and labour truly to get mine own living, and to do my duty in that state of life, unto which it shall please God to call me. Question. My good child know this, that thou art not able to do these things of thyself, nor to walk in the com[ Grafton, toward.] [ Both editions of 1559 have this manifest misprint for, queen and her.] mandments of God, and to serve him, without his special grace, which thou must learn at all times to call for by diligent prayer. Let me hear therefore, if thou canst say the Lord's prayer. Answer. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. Amen. Question. What desirest thou of God in this prayer? Answer. I desire my Lord God our heavenly Father, who is the giver of all goodness, to send his grace unto me and to all people, that we may worship him, serve him, and obey him as we ought to do. And I pray unto God, that he will send us all things that be needful both for our souls and bodies. And that he will be merciful unto us, and forgive us our sins: and that it will please him to save and defend us in all dangers ghostly and bodily: And that he will keep us from all sin and wickedness, and from our ghostly enemy, and from everlasting death. And this1 I trust he will do of his mercy and goodness, through our Lord Jesu Christ. And therefore I say. Amen. So be it3. So soon as the children can say in their mother tongue the articles of the faith, the Lord's prayer, and the .x. Commandments: and also can answer to such questions of this short Catechism, as the Bishop (or such as he shall appoint) shall by his discretion appose them in: then shall they be brought to the Bishop by one that shall be his Godfather or Godmother, that every child may have a witness of his confirmation. ¶ And the Bishop shall confirm them on this wise. Confirmation. OUR help is in the name of the Lord. Answer. Which hath made both 5 heaven and earth. [Grafton, thus.] [2 1596, Jesus.] [1578 places here the first rubric on p. 216 and part of the second, down to appointed for them to learn'. The Confirmation service itself with the other rubrics are omitted.] [Grafton and 1596 omit, and.] [ 1596 omits, both.] ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who hast vouchsafed to regenerate these thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given unto them forgiveness of all their sins: strengthen them we beseech thee (O Lord) with the Holy Ghost the comforter, and daily increase in them thy manifold gifts of grace: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and ghostly strength, the spirit of knowledge and true godliness, and fulfil them (O Lord) with the spirit of thy holy fear. Amen. Then the Bishop shall lay his hand upon every child severally, saying, DEFEND, O Lord, this child with thy heavenly grace, that he may continue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more, until he come unto thy everlasting kingdom. Amen. ¶ Then shall the Bishop says. ALMIGHTY everliving God, which makest us both to will and to do those things that be good and acceptable unto thy Majesty: We make our humble supplications unto thee for these children, upon whom (after the example of thy holy Apostles) we have laid our hands, to certify them (by this sign) of thy favour, and gracious goodness toward them: let thy fatherly hand, we beseech thee, ever be over them: let thy Holy Spirit ever be with them; and so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy word, that in the end they may obtain the everlasting life, through our Lord Jesus Christ: who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God, world without end. Amen. Then the Bishop shall bless the children, thus saying. THE blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon you, and remain with you for ever. Amen. [ 1596, be.] [Grafton, which hast vouchedsafe.] [ Grafton and 1596 add, Let vs praie.] [1596, and euerliuing.] |