Certain prayers and godly meditations very needful for every ChristenCerteine prayers and godly meditacyons very nedefull for euery Christen

¶The Preface.

IT was never ordained without the singular providence of God / that the multitude of Christen should learn be heart the ten commandments / the Credo / and the Paternoster. For truly he that understandeth these / hath the pith of all those things / which holy scripture doth contain or what so ever may be taught necessary unto the Christen / and that purely and copiously / besides that so briefly & clearly / that no man can complain or excuse him self justly / sith that (which is required to the blessed life) is nether over tedious / nor yet so hard but it may be performed. Three things there are necessary to be known to obtain eternal life.

IT was neuer ordeyned without the singular prouidence of God / that the multitude of Christē shulde lerne be herte the tenne commaundementes / the Credo / and the Paternoster. For truely he that vnderstondeth these / hath the pythe af all those thynges / whiche holy scripture doth conteyne or what so euer may be taught necessary vnto the Christen / and that purely and copyously / bysides that so briefly & clerely / that no man can complayne or excuse hym sylfe iustely / syth that (whiche is required to the blyssed lyfe) is nether ouer tedious / nor yet so harde but it may be perfourmed. Three thinges there are necessary to be knowen to obteyne eternall lyfe.

¶The first is that thou know what is expedient to be done / and what to be undone. The second / when thou perceivest that thou of thy noun strength canst nether do / nether yet avoid that / which thou art bound to do / or to eschew / that then thou know of whom to seek / find and receive this strength. The third is / how thou shouldest seek / and obtain it. ⟨image 20⟩And hereunto I will give the an ensample to the intent that thou mayst the more evidently perceive it. A man which is diseased with any manner of sickness / first enquireth with what kind of sickness he is infect / and then considereth he what strength he hath what he is able to do and what he can not do them searcheth he for a me dicyne to lay to his decease so that by this means he may get his health / and that he may afterward be able to do and leave undone all things as the hole. Finally when he hath found this medicine he wilt take it & use it. Likewise the commandments of God do teach a man to know his infirmity that he may understand and seal what he can do & what he can not / what he can leave & what he can not so that he may knowledge himself a vicious person & a sinner. After he hath knoweleged him self / so that then he may learn by faith where to find remedy & grace whereby he may be restored & justified and so may be able to fulfil the commandments. For faith plainly declareth god and his mercy showed & given in Christ. But the pater noster doth teache how we should desire faith / and obtain this bounteous