Short questions and answeares, conteyning the summe of Christian religion

¶These are the orders which I haue sene obserued in a Christian Gentlemans house, to the profit of his houshold, example of others, cōfort of Gods childrē, & honor of God.

WHile they had a Minister, the whole hous∣hold met at the Church twise euerie Sab∣both, and once euerie weeke day: but since the restraint of their Minister, they meete euerie morning in the weeke day in the Parlor, where their Maister kneeleth downe with them, and prayeth, vsing these prayers following,

The confession of sinnes, with morning prayer for priuate housholdes, for men before their labour, for the Churche, the Realme, the Queene and Magistrates, the Lordes prayer, and Confession of faith, all which prayers are in the booke of Common prayer.

If he be from home, or sicke, then doth his Ste∣ward, or some such like of thē say those prayers.

After prayers, the houshold departeth, either whether necessitie of their Offices call them, or whether delight in honest exercises for recreati∣on doeth carrie them.

Before prayer meditate of these places.

Prou. 1.28. They shall call vpon me, but I will not answeare: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me,

26. Because thay hated knowledge, and did not chose the feare of the Lorde.

Iam. 4.3. You aske, and receiue not, because you aske amisse, that you might consume it on your lustes.

Rom. 8.26. The spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we knowe not what to pray as we ought: but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs, with sighes which cannot be expressed.

27. But he that sercheth the heartes knoweth the meaning of the spirite, for he maketh re∣quest for the Sainctes, according to the will of God.

At meales, the Maister saith grace, both before and after.

Prayer before meales.

GOod Lord blesse vs, blesse al thy creaturs, send downe thy holy spirit into our hearts, so to direct vs, that we may looke for the spiritu∣all foode of our soules: and finally, euerlasting peace, through thy sonne Jesus Christ. Amen.

In meale time some one of the seruantes readeth a Chapter of the Bible distinctly and reuerentlie, first praying thus.

O Lorde whose word is a two edged swoord, to cut downe all things that shall rise vp a∣gainst the same, the maiestie whereof shaketh the heauens, and the earth also: graunt that our

proude and vaine affections being cut downe, we may with reuerence reade it, and humbly in obedience submit our selues vnto it, through Je∣sus Christ our Lorde. So be it.

Or this.

O Lorde, whiche hast prouided these earthly creatures, for the feeding of our natural bo∣dies, direct vs carefully to seeke, with delight to tast of thy most holie woorde, that we may by that immortall seede, be begotten to be thy chil∣dren, and thereby be nourished and fedde, vntill we become perfect men in thy sonne Christ Je∣sus. So be it.

A sentence to be said after the Chapter.

Blessed are they that heare the worde of God, and keepe it.

After meales, be carefull for thy selfe, as Iob was for his children. Cha. 1.5. And in me∣ditation of thy words, thy behauiour, and vse of Gods creatures, say:

O Lord, if thou markest what is said, or done amisse, who shall be able to abide it? For∣giue vs our sinnes, & amend our imperfections, and graunt vs the grace of thy holie Spirite, as thou hast fedde vs plentifully, that we may serue thee faithfully. Preserue the Queenes Ma∣iestie, saue thy Church vniuersall, graunt thy Gospell a free passage, confounde Antichrist,

and all heresies, finish soone these dayes of sinne, and bring vs to euerlasting peace, through thy sonne Christ Jesus our Lord. So be it.

The Seruingmen likewise haue grace before and after meales, and a Chapter read be∣fore they rise.

AFter they haue supt, and the Officers haue done in their offices, they come together into the Parlour or Hall, and there spende one houre in singing Psalmes, learning, and an∣swearing some fewe of these pointes of Religi∣on, and praying:

Remember to sing Dauids Psalmes, with Dauids spirit.

1. Cor. 14.15. Sing with the spirit, and sing with vnderstanding.

A prayer vsed in the Euening, be∣fore Catechising.

O Lord, prepare our heartes to prayer, for if we pray with our lippes onlie, our prayers are abhominable. Teach vs by thy holie spirit to pray rightly, according to thy will, and geue care to our calling,

We heartily thanke thee (O merciful father) for all thy blessings bestowed vpon vs from the beginning of the world, to this time, for our e∣lection, our creation, our redemption, our sanc∣tification, and continuall preseruation: namely,

for that thou hast kept vs this day from all pe∣rils and daungers both of soule and bodie, and hast geuen vnto vs health, foode, apparell, and manie other blessinges, which many of thy deare childrē do lack, being notwithstanding as preciously bought with the bloude of thy deare sonne, as we are, and yet lye in miserie and cala∣mitie, oppressed with wo & wretchednes, in im∣prisoment or banishment: in which case (deare Father) thou mightest haue left vs, saue that in mercie thou hast dealt otherwise with vs, than with them. We besech thee to direct vs (in con∣sidering thy mercies) to acknowledge and con∣fes our sinnes, which should prouoke thee rather to curse, than to blesse vs, to confound vs, rather than to preserue vs. Wee haue sinned against thee both in deede, worde, and thought: graunt vs, that we seeing the horrour of our sinnes, and fiercenesse of thy wrath, may without hypocrisie and dissimulation, be ernestly sorie, and heartily repentant for our former wickednesse: graunt vs that in sorow for sinne we fal not with Caine Saul, and Judas, to despaire: but that in bitter∣nesse of our griefe with Dauid and Peter, wee may haue comfort by faith, in thy sonne Christ, that our offences are forgiuen. And as thou hast brought vs hither together at this time (for which we hartily thanck thee) so we besech thee

to direct vs, that we may haue ioy and comfort in the presence and companie one of another. and that our wordes and heartes may so be or∣dered at this time, that we may truely vtter, and reuerently receiue the principles of thy holy re∣ligion, to the strengthening of our faith, to the comfort of our consciences, to the amende∣ment of our sinfull and lewde liues, and to the glorie of thy most holy name, through Je∣sus Christ our Lorde. A∣men.