Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

Hear Israel the Lord our God is Lord only: Therefore shalt thou love the Lord thy God, with all thy hart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart. And thou shalt show them unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou art at home in thine house, and as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And again, When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: what mean these testimonies, ordinances, and laws, which the Lord our God hath commanded us? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, we were Pharaohs bondmen in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out with a mighty hand, and showed signs and mighty wonders before our eyes, and brought us out from thence and gave us all these precepts and statutes to do and to fear the Lord our God. Hereunto belongeth a great part of the. 78. Psalm. And in the. 13. of Exodus, the Lord doth say again: Sanctify to me all the first borne, And when thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying: what is this? Thou shalt say to him, The Lord slue all the first borne of Egypt, and therefore I sacrifice unto the Lord all the males that open the matrice. Also in the. 12. Chapter, God, or Moses in Gods name, expounding the mystery or sacrament of the Passover, said: When your children ask you saying, what manner of service is this that ye do? ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passover, which passed over the houses of the children of Israel. &c. These testimonies are sufficiently evident and need no further exposition. I will now therefore add to these the other things which parents have to teach their children.¹

Heare Israell the Lorde our God is Lord only: Therfore shalt thou loue the Lord thy God, with all thy hart, with all thy soule, and with all thy might. And these wordes whiche I commaund thee this day, shall be in thy heart. And thou shalt shew them vnto thy children, and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house, and as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest downe, and when thou risest vp. And thou shalte bind them for a signe vpon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets betwene thine eyes. And againe, When thy sonne asketh thee in time to come, saying: what meane these testimonies, ordinaunces, and lawes, whiche the Lord our God hath commaunded vs? Then thou shalte say vnto thy sonne, we were Pharaoes bondmen in Egypt, and the Lorde brought vs out with a mightie hande, and shewed signes and mightie wonders before oure eyes, and brought vs out from thence and gaue vs all these preceptes and statutes to doe and to feare the Lord our God. Herevnto belongeth a great part of the. 78. Psalme. And in the. 13. of Exodus, the Lord doth say againe: Sanctifie to me all the firste borne, And when thy sonne shal aske thee in time to come, saying: what is this? Thou shalt say to him, The Lord slue all the first borne of Egypt, and therefore I sacrifice vnto the Lord all the males that open the matrice. Also in the. 12. Chapter, God, or Moses in Gods name, expounding the mysterie or sacrament of the Passeouer, sayde: When your childrē aske you saying, what manner of seruice is this that ye do? ye shal say, It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer, which passed ouer the houses of the childrē of Israel. &c. These testimonies are sufficiently euident and néed no further exposition. I will nowe therefore adde to these the other things which parents haue to teach their children.