Catechismus, that is to say, a shorte instruction into Christian religion for the synguler commoditie and profyte of childre[n] and yong people. Set forth by the mooste reuerende father in God Thomas Archbyshop of Canterbury, primate of all England and Metropolitane

The thirde sermon.

YE haue herde, how the second commaundemēte is to be vn∣derstanded, 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.

¶Remēbre that thou sāc∣tifye the Sabboth daye.

* 1.1

[illustration]

THis commaunde∣mente good chil∣dren teacheth how we should behaue our selfes toward God in workes. For whē we haue a mynde to serue God and to shew to him as to our Lord and maker the greatest plea∣sure that we can; then we muste not chose by thaduyse of oure owne

imagination, nether this nor that worke, but we must sāctifie the sab¦both day, y^t is to say employe & be∣stow it vpō godly & holy workes & busines. And here note good chyl∣drē, that y^e Iewes in the olde testa∣mēt were commaunded to kepe the Sabboth daye, and they obserued it euery seuenth day called the sab∣bot or satterday. But we Christen men in the newe testament are not bound to such cōmaundemētes of Moses law concernyng dyfferen∣ces of tymes, dayes and meates, but haue libertie & fredō to vse o∣ther 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 satur∣day as y^e Iewes do, but we obser∣ue the Sondaye & certayne other

daies, as y^e magestrates do iudge it cōueniēt, whom in this thinge we ought to obey. And to thētent you maye the better perceyue such thin∣ges as shall be spoken herin, con∣sidre 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 thē 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 pil¦grimage, to paynt, gyl••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 bid∣deth vs to rest from labours, and commaūdeth vs to kepe holy day. But yet note good children, that whē you heare say that God hath commaunded to reste from wor∣kes, 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 igno∣raunt 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 God∣des sake. But when we wyll serue God onely with suche a kynde of worke that perteyneth not to our

neyghbour but is propre and se∣uerall 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 li∣sten 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 wour∣shyppinges. Againe he is so gen∣tle, 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 san∣ctifie the Sabboth day, that is to saye, we shall bestowe that day about holy heuenly & godly thyn∣ges.

Now yf ye desier to knowe with what holye workes you shoulde passe away this day, you shal vn∣derstāde 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 Lor∣des table, therby to receyue great comfort to the quiet of our consci∣ences & confirmatiō of oure fayth. And moreouer on such dayes che∣flye 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 wor∣kes, by the whiche God rather ser∣ueth and worketh for vs then we for him. For when he by hys my∣nisters causeth his wourde to be preached vnto vs, when he distri∣buteth to vs ineffable gyftes of hys sacramentes, when he heareth our prayers, he is rather benefici∣al vnto vs thē we be to him. Ther¦fore

theffecte & sūme of this com∣maundement 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 con∣fidence 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 sacramē∣tes, 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 acknow∣lege me to be your father, that you may cast your hole affiance in me, and y^t you maye loue me as chyl∣dren loueth their fathers and mo∣thers. But of this matter you shal heare more in the Crede or articles

of the faith.

In the meane tyme you shall spe∣cially marke, that althoughe euery man hath nede to labour daily for his dayly fode, yet God hath gy∣uen vs Sabboth dayes or resting tymes, in the whiche he hath com∣maunded not onelye the maisters themselues but also their seruan∣tes and cattel to cesse from bodily labores. And yet on those dayes he fedeth vs aswel as on the wor∣kynge dayes. By the whiche, he signifieth vnto vs, that althoughe we toyle not continually vntil we be wery, yet he wil gyue vs aboū∣dantly all thinges necessarie, when we obey his will, & first of all, seke the kyngdome of God, that all o∣ther 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 reue∣rence, sermons & the most frutefull woorde of God, when we do not gyue our myndes to prayer, and other Godly workes, but to idle∣nes, eatinge, drynkynge, banket∣tynge, dauncynge, lechery, dicing, cardynge, backebytynge, slaunde∣ryng and other vngodly workes. For the which abuse of holy daies God is grieuously prouoked and punisheth vs greuouslye with dy∣uerse kyndes of plages, but spe∣cially with nede and pouertie. For so God threateneth in the .xxviii. chapter of Deuteronomie,* 1.2 that mē shall labour and toyle bothe daye and nyght, and yet shall not be a∣ble

to worke themselues out of po∣uertie. 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 wic∣kedly dispise God and his honor, spendyng the sabboth daye in the aboue named synfull and vngod∣ly lyfe. wherfore God iustly puni∣sheth them with pouertie. But per∣aduenture 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 deffer¦reth theyr punishement vntill the houre of death, whē they be vtter∣lye forsaken of hym, (whiche is a payne most horrible) and euerla∣styngly 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 bene∣fites. In so doyng you shall sure∣lye 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 re∣styng dayes. For God is wel con∣tent 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 myn∣des 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 reue∣rence humble our selues to God∣des 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 pro∣phet Esaie in the .lviii. chapiter saying,* 1.3 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 com∣passynges. For when shall suche an herte kepe a Sabboth or re∣sting 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 ma∣ters (good chyldren) paraduen∣ture 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 wor∣shippyng 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 sacramē∣tes. By whiche thinges we be mo∣nished, 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 com∣maundemente? Ye shal answer, we ought to feare and loue our Lord

God aboue al thinges to heare di∣ligently and reuerentlye his holye worde & with al diligence to folow the same.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Nume. xv
• * 1.2

  deu. xxvi•…•…
• * 1.3

  Esa. lviii.