III. FROM THE CONFESSION OF BOHEMIA.

Chapter 2. Of Catechizing.

In the second place, they teach the Christian Catechism; that is, a Catholic doctrine, and an instruction made with the mouth, which agreeth in Christianity with the ancient Church and holy Fathers. And this doctrine or instruction is the inward or secret thing, and the marrow, and the key to the whole holy Scripture, and containeth the sum thereof. It is comprehended in the Ten Commandments; in the Catholic, Christian, and Apostolic Creed, wherein be twelve Articles, which are expounded and confirmed by the Nicene and Athanasius his Creed, and by godly Catholic and General Councils; also, in the form of prayers, to wit, of that holy prayer which the Lord appointed, and in a summary doctrine touching the Sacraments, and such duties as we owe, or be proper ; regard being had to every man's place and order, in the divers and distinct kinds of life, whereunto he is called of God. And there is an open confession and profession made, that this Christian doctrine is that true, full, perfect, and well-pleased will of God, necessary to every faithful Christian for salvation.

This Catechism, which doth contain in it the full and Catholic doctrine of Christianity, and the knowledge of most weighty things, spoken of before, our Preachers do use for a sure rule, method, and table of all those things which they teach, and of all their sermons and writings. And this they do faithfully care for, and bestow all their labour therein, that this whole ordinary doctrine of the principles of true faith and Christian godliness, and the doctrine of the foundation, may be imprinted in the bottom of the hearts of Christians, and thoroughly ingrafted in the minds and life of the hearers; and that after this manner :

First, That all may know, that they are bound to yield an inward and outward obedience to the Law: and therefore they must endeavour to perform and fulfil the commandments of God, both in their heart, (seeing that the law is spiritual,) and in their deeds, by loving God above all things, and their neighbour as themselves.

Secondly, That they must well learn, and bear in mind, and be able readily to rehearse, and must believe from the heart, and keep, and profess with the mouth, the chief points of the Catholic, Christian, and Apostolic Creed; and must testify a Christian piety by actions, or manners, and a life which may beseem it. Therefore they do also in their sermons, by expounding, lay open the true and

sound interpretation, and every mystery necessary to eternal salvation, which is comprehended in the Articles of faith, and in every part thereof, and confirm them by testimonies taken out of the holy Scriptures: and by these holy Scriptures, they do either more largely or more briefly declare, expound, and lay open the interpretation and the mysteries. And in all these things they do so occupy themselves, that, concerning the order which the Apostles brought in and propounded, they labour not only to instruct those which be of riper years, who, being come to proper age, are able presently to understand; but also to teach little children, that they, being exercised, even from their childhood, in the chief points of the covenant of God, may be taught to understand the true worship of God. For this cause, there be both peculiar Ecclesiastical assemblies with children, which do serve for the exercise of catechizing: and also the parents, and those that are requested of the parents, and used for witnesses (who are called Godfathers and Godmothers*) at Baptism, are put in mind of the duty and faith which they owe, that they also may faithfully instruct their beloved children, train them up in the discipline of the Lord, (Ephes. vi. 4. Col. iii. 21.) and from the bottom of their hearts pray unto God for these, and all other the children of the faithful of Christ. But chiefly they which are called Catechumens, before they be lawfully admitted to the Supper of the Lord, are diligently taught the Christian Catechism, and the principles of true religion; and by this means they are furthered towards the obtaining of saving repentance, virtue, and the efficacy of faith. Afterward, all the rest are also instructed, that altogether, being lightened with the knowledge of God, and with the wisdom of the saints, every man may walk, with all honesty and godliness, in his place, and in that order whereunto he is called of God, and may by this means sanctify the name of God, and adorn the true doctrine.

Thirdly, In the Catechism they are taught these things: to invocate one true God in a sure confidence, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; to pray, and that not for themselves only, and their private affairs, but also for the whole Christian Church in all countries; for the Ministers of the Church, and also for the civil Magistrate, who is ordained of God; and chiefly for his Imperial and your Royal Majesty for his most noble children, and whole posterity; for his counsellors, and all those that be subject to his government; praying,

:

* The original is curious :- Qui Græcè ȧvadóɣoi, in aliis linguis ejúsmodi verbo nominantur, quod compatres, seu comparentes, significat.'-EDITOR.

that it would please our gracious God to grant and to give unto your Royal and his Imperial Majesty a long life, heaped with all good things, and a happy government, and also a benign, gentle, and fatherly mind and affection of heart toward all those that behave themselves uprightly, are well affected, do humbly obey, do shew themselves faithful and loving subjects, and do in truth worship God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ. And, to be brief, we teach, that prayers be made faithfully for all men, (1 Tim. ii. 1.) for our friends and enemies, as the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles doth command us, and as examples do shew that the very first and holy Church did. For which cause, we are also instant with the people, that they would diligently and in great numbers frequent the holy assemblies, and there be stirred up, out of the word of God, to make earnest and reverent prayers.

Now, whatsoever is contrary to this Catholic and Christian kind of catechizing, all that we do forsake and reject; (and it is strongly confuted by sure reasons, and such as do lean unto the foundations of the holy Scripture, so far forth as God doth give us grace hereunto;) and the people is admonished to take heed of such.

IV. FROM THE CONFESSION OF FRANCE.

Art. 14. Sect. 1. We believe, (because Jesus Christ is the only Advocate given unto us, who also commandeth us to come boldly unto the Father in his name,) that it is not lawful for us to make our prayers in any other form, but in that which God hath set us down in his word: and that whatsoever men have forged of the intercession of saints departed, it is nothing but the deceits and sleights of Satan, that he might withdraw men from the right manner of praying. (These things were also set down in the Second Section, but for another purpose; and the other part of this Article is to be found in the Sixteenth Section, where the subject is of Holy Days, and Fasts, and the Care of the Dead.)

V. FROM THE CONFESSION OF ENGLAND.

Art. 16. We make our prayers in that tongue, which all our people (as meet is) may understand, to the end they may (as St. Paul counselleth us) take common commodity by common prayer: even as all the holy Fathers, and Catholic Bishops, both in the Old and New Testament, did use to pray themselves, and taught the people to pray too: 'lest,' as Augustine saith, like parrots and owls, we should seem to speak that we understand not.'

VI.-FROM THE CONFESSION OF SAXONY.

Article 14: which is entitled, Of the Supper.

God will have the ministry of the Gospel to be public; he will not have the voice of the Gospel to be shut up in corners only, but he will have it to be heard: he will have himself to be known and invocated of all mankind. Therefore he would that there should be public and well-ordered meetings, and in these he will have the voice of the Gospel to sound; there he will be invocated and praised. Also he will that these meetings should be witnesses of the confession and severing of the Church of God from the sects and opinions of other nations. John assembled his flock at Ephesus, and taught the Gospel and in the use of the Sacraments the whole company did declare that they embraced this doctrine, and that they did invocate this God who delivered the Gospel, and that they were separated from the worshippers of Diana, Jupiter, and other idols. For God will have his Church seen and heard in the world, and will have it distinguished by many public signs from other nations. So, no doubt, the first Fathers, Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham, had their meetings and afterward the civil government of Israel had many rites, that their separation from the Gentiles might be more evident. Moreover, the Lord hath added a peculiar promise to his congregation: "Wheresoever two or three be gathered together in my name, I will be in the midst of them :" also, "Whatsoever they, agreeing together, shall desire, it shall be done to them." Matt. xviii. 20; 19. And in the 149th Psalm, 1st verse; "His praise is in the Church of the saints." And the promises, wherein God doth affirm that he will keep his Church, are so much the sweeter, because we know that he doth preserve and restore the public ministry in well-ordered meetings: as also in the very words of the Supper this promise is included, where he commandeth, that the death of the Lord should be shewed forth, and this Supper distributed, till he come, &c. 1 Cor. xi. 26.

Hitherto also pertaineth the last part of the 21st Article of this Confession; where these things are found, touching the Revenues of Monasteries: :

In many places the Churches want Pastors, or else the Pastors want provision. These men ought chiefly to be relieved out of the revenues of rich Monasteries. Then the studies of those which be poor shall thereby be furthered: and in some places Schools may be

erected, especially seeing that it is necessary that the Church should discharge the expences of many poor, that they may learn; that so, out of that number, Pastors and Ministers may be chosen to teach the Churches. Also Hospitals are thence to be relieved; wherein it is necessary that the poor, which have been sick a long time, should be nourished. A great part of the revenues in these countries is by the goodness of God transferred to such uses, which are indeed godly; to wit, to nourish Pastors, the poor, and scholars; to erect Schools, and to relieve Hospitals: that which remaineth is bestowed in every Monastery upon the guiding and ordering of things pertaining to their houses; and to think that this is not very sumptuous, is but foolishness. As for the richer Abbots in these days, upon what uses they lavish the revenues, the examples of many do declare, whom we could name: who do both hate learning, religion, and virtue, and do waste these alms ravenously; and either set no Pastors over their Churches, or, if they have any, suffer them to

starve.

VII. FROM THE CONFESSION OF WIRTEmburg. Hitherto pertaineth, first, the 11th Article, 2nd Section, of this Confession.

We think that it is most profitable, that children and young men be examined in the Catechism by the Pastors of their Church: and that they be commended, if they be godly and well instructed, and that they be amended, if they be ill instructed. (The rest is to be seen in the Fourteenth Section, where the Confirmation used in Papistical Baptism is handled.)

Hitherto also pertaineth the 16th Article, Of Prayer.

By prayer, God is invocated; and true invocation is a work of faith, and cannot be done without faith. Now faith doth behold Christ, and rely upon his merits only. Wherefore, except thou shalt apply unto thyself the merit of Christ by faith, prayer will stand thee in no stead before God.

Now prayer is necessarily required for this purpose, that, by a due consideration of the promises of God, faith may be stirred up and kindled in us. Therefore it is not absurdly said, that sins are clean taken away by prayer: yet must it not be so understood, as though the very work of prayer, of its own merit, were a satisfaction for sins before God; but that by prayer faith is stirred up and kindled in us, by which faith we are made partakers of the merit of Christ,