the doctrine repent

ance.

eous, but sinners unto repentance." "For such as are whole need no physician, but they that are sick." What brought the people of Israel, David, Manasses, Mary The fruit of Magdalene, &c. unto the knowledge of themselves and of their sins, and enforced them of to run unto God for mercy, but the doctrine of repentance? The doctrine of repentance setteth before the sinner the greatness and weight of his sins, the heavy anger of God against the sinner for his sin, everlasting damnation for committing the sin, and so combereth the conscience of the sinner with the terrors of God's judgment, that in himself he can find no rest, no ease, no consolation, no remedy; but is compelled with all humility and submission of mind to confess his sin, to grant himself a most damnable sinner, and to seek comfort not of himself, nor of his own good works, but of God and of his great mercies.

Moreover, the doctrine of repentance enarmeth a man against the assaults of Satan, against the enticements of the flesh, against the pleasures of the world, against the sting of sin, against the dart of desperation, and admonisheth him afterward so warily and circumspectly to live, that he fall no more into the same sins, nor be snarled again with the like snares; but rather from henceforth so frame his life, that he shall not need to be combered with the like shame and sorrow for committing the like wickedness, while he endeavoureth himself to the uttermost of his power to garnish his conversation with all kind of spiritual virtues and godly works, as St John Baptist saith: "Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance." For even now is the axe laid at the Matt. iii. root of the tree: every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn up and cast into the fire.'

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and after

are not

from grace

of their sins.

Father. They then that truly and with a faithful heart receive this doctrine of Such as sin repentance, whereof thou hast hitherto spoken, are not excluded from the grace, favour, ward repent and mercy of God, but may well persuade themselves to receive remission of sins, excluded and to be made inheritors of everlasting glory. Son. Yea, verily. For thus saith and remission God himself by the prophet: "As surely as I live, I desire not the death of a sinner, Ezek. xxxiii. but rather that he should turn and live." And the prophet Esay saith: "Let the Isai. Iv. ungodly man forsake his own ways, and the unrighteous his own imaginations, and turn again unto the Lord; so shall he be merciful unto him. For he is such a God as is ready to forgive." "If the ungodly," saith God by the prophet Ezechiel, "will turn away Ezek. xviii. from all his sins that he hath done, and keep all my commandments, and do the thing that is equal and right, doubtless he shall live and not die. As for all his sins that he did before, they shall not be thought upon, but in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. For have I any pleasure in the death of a sinner, saith the Lord God, and not rather that he should convert and live?" "Be converted, and turn you from all your wickedness; so shall there no sin do you harm. Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done. Make you new hearts and a new spirit. Wherefore will ye die, O ye house of Israel, seeing I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God? Turn ye then, and ye shall live.” Doth not Christ in the gospel call lovingly unto him all such as be diseased and Matt. xi. laden with the burden of sin, and promise that he will ease and comfort them? Saith he not that he came "to save such as were lost"? What other thing do we learn Luke xix. of the parables of the lost sheep and of the prodigal son, than that sinners repenting be received unto mercy and favour? And are not these Christ's words? "I unto you, that there shall be joy in heaven before the angels of God more than over ninety and nine righteous that need no repentance." that giveth not place to repentance.

say

over one sinner,
There is no sin

Luke xv.

is the gift of

Father. And is this repentance the gift of nature or of grace? Son. It is the Repentance gift of God, and cometh not of ourselves. For what good thing either have we, or God. can we do, except we first receive it of God? This testifieth St Paul, saying: "What 1 Cor. iv. hast thou that thou hast not received? If thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as though thou hadst not received it?" Hereto pertaineth the saying of St James: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down James i. from the Father of lights." Forasmuch therefore as repentance is a good gift, therefore cometh it from God.

Father. Came the repentance of Caim, Esau, Saul, Judas, and such like, from

The repentreprobate is repentance.

ance of the

no true

2 Cor. vii.

ance hath

companion.

is the gift of God.

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God also? Son. It came from themselves, and from the devil, author of all sin and wickedness. For this repentance leadeth unto desperation and finally unto damnation, and is that " worldly sorrow," which, as St Paul writeth, "causeth death." But that repentance, which is wrought by the Spirit of God in the hearts of men, doth not only contain in it an hearty sorrow for the sin committed, with an earnest intent and full purpose to live from henceforth according to the will of God, but also an True repent- assured faith and undoubted persuasion that God for our mediator Jesu Christ's sake faith to her will be merciful unto us, forgive us our sins, and make us inheritors of everlasting True repent glory. And this repentance, I say, cometh not of ourselves, but it is the gift of God. Father. Prove that by the word of God. Son. By the prophet Ezechiel God Ezek. xxxvi. speaketh on this manner: I will pour clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; yea, from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols shall I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put into you. As for that stony heart, I will take it out of your body, and give you a fleshly heart. I will give you my Spirit among you, and cause you to walk in my commandments, to keep my laws, and to fulfil them. And ye shall be my people; and I will be your God." The prophet Jeremy prayeth on this manner: "Convert thou me, O Lord, and I shall be converted; for thou art my Lord God. As soon as thou turnedst me I repented, and as soon as thou shewedst me my sins, I smote my thigh: yea, I was confounded and right greatly ashamed." Again: “O Lord, turn thou us unto thee, and so shall we be turned." St Paul, in his epistle unto Timothy, by most manifest and expressed words sheweth repentance to be the gift of God. "The servant of God," saith he, "must inform them that resist, if that God at any time will give them repentance, for to know the truth, and that they may come to themselves again out of the snare of the devil, which are holden captive of him at his will."

Jer. xxxi.

Lam. v.

2 Tim. ii.

Father. That therefore is the alone true repentance, which, being the gift of God, and wrought in the hearts of men by the Holy Ghost, doth not only contain in it an inward sorrow of the mind for the sins tofore committed against God, with a full determined purpose from henceforth to amend and to lead a new life, but also a perfect faith to be forgiven for Christ's sake. Son. Repentance not accompanied with faith driveth rather unto desperation than unto salvation; as we may see in Caim, Esau, Saul, Judas, and in such like. But repentance combined with faith lifteth up the wearied and cast down soul, comforteth the troubled heart, rejoiceth the sorrowful mind, and quieteth the restless conscience; as we have for examples in the holy scripture David, Manasses, Mary Magdalene, Peter, &c. And therefore in a most goodly and seemly order followeth the second part of the doctrine of the Catechism, which entreateth of faith. For after the doctrine of repentance, the doctrine of faith necessarily is to be set forth unto such as will be rightly and truly instructed in the rules of christianity.

THE SECOND PART OF THE CATECHISM.

OF FAITH.

Father. OBSERVED Christ and his apostles that order of teaching also? Son. So teach the evangelical history. For Christ began his preaching on this manner: “Re- Mark i. pent, and believe the gospel."

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to preach

of sins.

First he taught repentance, and afterward faith. And after his resurrection, when he sent forth his apostles to preach, he commanded them to 'preach in his name Luke xxiv. repentance and remission of sins to all nations." What other thing is it to preach What it is remission of sins, than to publish and set forth the doctrine of faith, which faith remission alone obtaineth the favour of God and forgiveness of sin? Where faith in the Son of God is, there is everlasting life; but where this faith is not, there is eternal death and damnation, as the scripture saith: "He that believeth on the Son (of God) hath John,iii. everlasting life; but he that believeth not on the Son (of God) shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth upon him."

the apostles' doctrine.

of Christ.

And according to this commandment of their Master Christ, the apostles observed The order of and kept this order of teaching in their sermons. First they taught repentance, and afterward faith, as we may see in the chronicle of the apostles' acts, where we read that St Peter answered to this demand of the Jews, "What shall we do, ye men and Acts ii. brethren?" on this manner : "Repent ye of your sins, and let every one of you be What it is to be baptized baptized in the name of Jesu Christ," &c. What is it to be baptized in the name in the name of Jesus Christ, but first stedfastly to believe, and undoubtedly to be persuaded that through the might and power of Christ our sins be forgiven, and we received and taken into the number of God's sons; and afterward in token of this grace and favour, which we through faith have obtained of God, to receive the sacrament of baptism, whereby we do profess that we pertain no more unto the kingdom of Satan, but unto the kingdom of Christ, and will from henceforth serve him, and seek his glory all the days of our life? Again, in the same book: "Repent and turn, that your sins may be Acts iii. put away." Is it any other thing to turn, than to forsake incredulity and to believe, than to cast away the service of idols and to serve the living God in such "holiness Luke i. and righteousness," as are accepted before him? In another place of the same book we read, that St Paul taught "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Acts xx. Jesus Christ." And in his epistle to the Hebrews, where he maketh mention of the principles of christian religion, he first of all nameth repentance, and afterward faith. His words are these: "Let us leave the doctrine pertaining to the beginning of a Heb. vi. christian man, and let us go unto perfection, and now no more lay the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of baptism, of doctrine, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection from death, and of eternal judgment."

Thus see we, that the order which Christ and his apostles observed in their sermons was first to teach the doctrine of repentance, and then of faith.

Father. Let this suffice for the order of the doctrine contained in the catechism. Tell me now what faith is. Son. " Faith," as the apostle defineth it, “is a sure confidence of things which are hoped for, and a certainty of things which are not seen."

Heb. xi.

What faith

Father. This definition seemeth to be somewhat hard. What teacheth the apostle here? Son. Verily, that faith is a certain, assured, and an undoubted persuasion of is. the mind, conceived of the word of God through the operation of the Holy Ghost, concerning the performance and enjoying of such heavenly things as God hath promised in his holy scriptures to the faithful. Which things although reason cannot comprehend them, yet faith embraceth them, and believeth them to be most true and most certain; nothing doubting but that God in his time will most assuredly accomplish, perform, and bring to pass whatsoever he hath promised.

Father. But what are those things which, being not seen, are hoped for? Son. The things which are not seen, and yet be hoped and looked for of the faithful

1 Cor. ii.

Faith is the

gift of God.

Cor. iii.

Hos. xiii.

John vi.

Isai. liv.

Jer. xxxi.

Matt. xvi.

John vi.

Acts xiii.

at God's hand, are deliverance from the tyranny of Satan, from the curse of the law, and from everlasting damnation, remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, hearing and granting of our prayers, regeneration unto a new birth, justification, resurrection of the dead, everlasting life, and whatsoever good, godly, precious, heavenly, comfortable, and glorious things are promised us of God in the holy scriptures. These things "the natural and unregenerate man understandeth not, neither can he comprehend them;" but faith, wrought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, without any doubting believeth, hopeth, and looketh for the very same things, nothing despairing but that God, which in his holy word hath mercifully promised these things, as he is able, so will most liberally perform the same things in his time, although reason, which is altogether blind in matters of God, seeth not how it may be brought to pass.

Father. Cometh not faith then of ourselves, but it is rather the gift of God? Son. Of ourself? What cometh of ourselves that good is, which are not able of ourselves once to think a good thought? Our destruction cometh of ourselves, but our salvation cometh only of God. "No man can come unto me," saith Christ, "except my Father draweth him." "For it is written in the prophets, All shall be taught of God. Every one therefore, that hath heard of the Father and learned, cometh unto me."

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Father. Prove by the word of God, that faith is the gift of God, and cometh not of ourselves. Son. When Christ demanded of his disciples who he was, Peter, in the name of himself and of his fellows, answered: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. Christ answered and said, Blessed art thou, Simon the son of Jonas; for flesh and blood hath not shewed this thing unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." In the gospel of St John we read, that when the Jews asked of Christ what they should do, that they might work the works of God, he answered: "This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom he hath sent." And in the Acts of the Apostles we read, that when Paul and Barnabas preached, so many as were tofore ordained unto everlasting life, believed." Again, of a certain woman called Lydia, blessed Luke writeth, "that the Lord opened her heart to give attendance to these things that Paul spake." And blessed St Paul, writing to the Philippians, saith: "It is given to you, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for him." And in another place he confesseth faith to be given unto men of God through the Holy Ghost. These testimonies of the holy scripture declare sufficiently that faith cometh "not of ourselves, but is the gift of God;" only given to them which are the vessels of mercy, and tofore ordained unto 2 Thess. iii. everlasting life. For, as the apostle saith, "All have not faith." To obtain therefore this most precious and noble gift of faith, we have need to pray with the father of the diseased child: "Lord, help mine unbelief." And with the apostles: "Lord, increase our faith."

Acts xvi.
Phil. i.

1 Cor. xii. Rom. xii. Eph. ii.

Mark ix.
Luke xvii.

Heb. xi.

John iii.

Father. Is faith so necessary a thing unto salvation? Son. "Without faith it is not possible to please God. For he that cometh to God must believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder to them that seek him." "He that believeth not on the Son (of God) shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." The godless and heathenish people wrought in times past many notable and worthy acts, and outwardly glistered with goodly virtues; so that in outward appearance they might seem not unjustly to compare with the Christians: notwithstanding, forasmuch as they wanted are very sins this faith, whereof we now speak, all that ever they did was nothing but hypocrisy and abomination before God. "For whatsoever is not grounded on faith, the same is sin." And, "That which is worthy greater commendation before men is abominable before God."

All virtues without faith

before God. Rom. xiv.

Luke xvi.

The fruits of faith.

John i.

Gal. iii.

Father. Why, what commodities bringeth faith to man? Son. By faith we be made the sons of God.

Father. How provest thou that? Son. In the gospel of St John it is written: "As many as received him, to them he gave power to be the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." And St Paul also writeth: "All ye are the sons of God, because ye have believed in Christ Jesu."

Father. What more? Son. By faith we, which afore were sinners and unrighteous, are justified and counted righteous before God for Christ's sake.

Father. Where is that proved? Son. St Paul saith: "We plainly affirm, that a Rom. iii. man is justified by faith, without the works of the law." Again: "We, being justified Rom. v. by faith, have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Also in another place he saith: "We know that a man is not justified by the deeds of the law, but Gal. ii. by the faith of Jesu Christ. And we have believed on Jesu Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the deeds of the law; forasmuch as by the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified."

Father. Have we any other profit by faith? Son. Yea, many and divers.

Father. What are they? Son. By faith are we espoused and married unto Christ, as Christ himself testifieth by the prophet Ose: "I will marry thee unto myself in faith," Hos. ii. saith he, "and thou shalt know the Lord." Faith is that wedding-garment also, wherewith we be married unto Christ, according to the parable which we read in Matt. xxii. the gospel.

Furthermore, by faith Christ's fulfilling of the law is counted our fulfilling, as St Paul witnesseth, saying: "Christ is the fulfilling of the law, to justify all that believe." Rom. x. Again: “Christ hath delivered us (he speaketh of the faithful) from the curse of the Gal. iii. law, inasmuch as he was made accursed for our sake." And in the Acts of the Apostles we read thus: "Be it known unto you, ye men and brethren, that through this man Acts xiii. (Christ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and that by him all that believe are justified from all things, from the which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." The wise man also saith: "In all thy works believe faithfully with all thy Ecclus. xxxii. soul; for that is the keeping of the commandments. He that believeth on God giveth attendance to the commandments, and he that trusteth in him shall not be confounded."

Moreover, by faith our prayers are accepted and heard of God, as Christ himself saith: "All things whatsoever ye ask in prayer, if ye believe, ye shall receive them.” Matt. xxi. Hereunto pertaineth the saying of St James: "Let him that pray ask in faith, and James i. doubt not. For he that doubteth is like a wave of the sea, which is tossed of the violence. Neither let that man think that he shall receive Item, by faith our works are allowed before God as righteous for Christ's sake: as we read of Abel, whose sacrifice was approved of God, because it Gen. iv. was done in faith. And so likewise were all the sacrifices which the holy patriarchs and other godly men offered in the old law. "Thine eyes, O Lord, look upon faith," Jer. v. saith the preacher Hieremy.

winds, and carried with any thing of the Lord."

Finally, by faith we obtain everlasting life, as Christ witnesseth, saying, "As Moses John iii. lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that every one that believeth on him may not perish, but have everlasting life." Again: "This is John vi. the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, have everlasting life." Also in another place: "I am the resurrection and life. John xi. He that believeth in me, although he be dead, yet shall he live: and every one that liveth and believeth in me, he shall never die."

scriptures

Father. I commend thee, my dear child, that thou rememberest these things so well. But where are those things contained which we must believe, if we will receive the foresaid commodities and profits which thou hast rehearsed? Son. In the holy In the holy scriptures; but briefly and in a short sum, they are contained in the Apostles' creed, only are all as they call it. For in that is comprehended in few words whatsoever is taught contained throughout the whole bible in many, necessarily to be believed unto everlasting sal- necessity vation.

those things

which of

are to be
believed.
Of the Apos-

Father. Why is it called the Apostles' creed? Son. Either because the apostles, as tles' creed. Why it is some say, did make it together with one consent, and delivered it to the congregation called the of the faithful both to teach and to believe: or else, because it is agreeable in all points creed. Apostles' to the doctrine which the apostles taught by mouth, and left in writing unto their posterity; so that whosoever believeth and confesseth this doctrine, which is contained in this creed, may right well be counted in the number of the faithful Christians, and taken for a member of Christ's church.

Father. How many articles of the christian faith are there? Son. Twelve.
Father. Which are they?