A19564:109
Catechismus, that is to say, a short instruction into Christian religion for the singular…Catechismus, that is to say, a shorte instruction into Christian religion for the synguler…
Catechismus, that is to say, a short instruction into Christian religion for the singular commodity and profit of children[n] and young people. Set forth by the most reverend father in God Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England and MetropolitanCatechismus, 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
printed for Gwalter Lynne, 1548
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
So good children note well I pray you what is meant by this word, honour, which in this place comprehendeth fear, dread, reverence, obedience, & love towards our parents, and that it is our duty to lade them with all kinds of gentleness and liberality. And when we have done all that we can do, yet not to look for thanks again at their hands, but rather to thank them, that they would vouchsafe so gently to accept ⟨image 66⟩our small benefits. For god hath appointed them to be our masters, tutors, and governors, over us, wherefore of duty we owe unto them this service and obedience. And onlesse we order our selves to our parents after such manner as is before rehearsed, God will be grievously offended with us, & sore punish us. As it is plainly declared in Moses law in the .xxi. chapter of Deuteronomy where these words are written.1 If a man have a froward and stubborn child, which will not hear his fathers & mothers commandment & being corrected disdains to obey them, they shall take him & bring him before the judges of the city, and shall say thus. This our son is stubborn & disobedient, he will not hear us, nor be ruled by us, he is a rioter & liveth ungodly. ⟨p. xliii⟩Then all the people shall stone him to death, that this mischievous weed may be weeded out of the congregation, and all the people may hear of his punishment, and fear to commit like offence Hereby you may learn good children, how greatly this sin displeaseth God, seeing that in his law he hath appointed so painful a punishment for disobedient children. Hitherto you have heard what it is to honour your parents, now hear also the cause why God hath so diligently commanded this thing. Our lord God hath given us so many benefits by our fathers and mothers that no tongue can worthily express them. For God useth our parents as his means by whom he giveth us life, breath, food and all things necessary to the maintenance of this ⟨image 67⟩life. Therefore we ought to worship them, as the chosen instruments of God. And forasmuch as God himself is invisible to us here in earth, whom we neither see bodily nor hear his voice, therefore he hath appointed our fathers and mothers in his stead to talk with us, and to teach us what we ought to do, and what to eschew.