Now good children, you shall employ your selves, not only to rehearse these words without book, but also to understand, what our Lord Jesus Christ meant by them, that when you shall be asked any question herein, you may make a direct answer, and that also in time to come you may be able to instruct your children in the same. ⟨p. ccxxix⟩For what greater shame can there be, either in the sight of God or of man, then to profess thy self to be a Christen man, & yet to be ignorant in what place of scripture and by what words, Christ commanded faith, and forgiveness of since, to be preached. Seeing that a Christen man ought to believe nothing, as an article of his faith, except he be assured, that either it is gods commandment, or his word. Now good children, that you may the better understand these words, of our saviour Christ you shall know, that our Lord Jesus Christ when he began to preach, he dead call and chose his twelve Apostles and afterward besides those twelve,1 he sent forth three score and ten disciples, and gave them authority to preach the gospel. And a little before his death and passion, ⟨image 251⟩he made his prayer to his heavenly father for them, & for all those that should believe through their preaching. As it is declared in the gospel of saint John.2 Now it is not to be doubted, but that Christs prayer was heard, of his heavenly father, wherefore it followeth, that as many as believed the preaching of Christs disciples, were as surely saved, as if they had heard and believed Christ himself. And after Christs ascension, the Apostles gave authority to other godly and holy men, to minister gods word, and chiefly in those places, where there were Christen men already, which lacked preachers, and the Apostles them selves could not longer abide with them For the Apostles did walk abroad into diverse parts of the world, and did study to plant the gospel ⟨p. ccxxx⟩in many places. Wherefore where they found godly men, and mete to preach gods word, they laid their hands upon them, and gave them the holy ghost, as they themselves received of Christ the same holy ghost, to execute this office. And they that were so ordained, were in deed, and also were called, the ministers of God as the Apostles themselves were, as Paul, sayeth unto Timothy.
Now good childrē, you shal employ your selfes, not onely to reherse these wordes without boke, but also to vnderstande, what our Lord Iesus Christ ment by them, that when you shall be asked any question herein, you maye make a dyrect answere, and that also in tyme to come you maye be able to instruct your children in the same. ⟨p. ccxxix⟩For what greater shame can ther be, eyther in the sight of God or of man, then to professe thi selfe to be a Christen mā, & yet to be ignorāt in what place of scripture and by what wordes, Christ commaūded faith, and forgyuenes of synnes, to be preached. Seing yt a Christē man ought to beleue nothyng, as an article of his faith, except he be assured, that eyther it is gods cō maundement, or his worde. Now good children, that you maye the better vnderstande these wordes, of our sauiour Christe you shall knowe, yt our Lorde Iesus Christ whē he beganne to preache, he ded cal and chose his twelue Apostils and afterwarde besydes those twelue,1 he sent forth thre score and tenne dysciples, and gaue thē authoritie to preach the gospel. And a litle before his death and passiō, ⟨image 251⟩he made his prayer to his heuenly father for theim, & for all those that shoulde beleue thorow their preaching. As it is declared in the gospel of sainct Iohn.2 Now it is not to be doubted, but yt Christes praier was heard, of his heauenly father, wherefore it foloweth, that as mani as beleued the preaching of Christes discyples, were as surely saued, as yf they had heard and beleued Christ hymselfe. And after Christes assention, the Apostelles gaue authoritie to other godly and holye men, to minyster gods worde, and chiefely in those places, wher ther wer Christen mē alredy, whiche lacked preachers, and the Apostles theim selues could not longer abide with them For the Apostles dyd walke abrod into diuerse partes of the worlde, and did studye to plant the gospel ⟨p. ccxxx⟩in many places. Wherefore wher they founde godly men, and mete to preache gods worde, they layed their handes vpō them, and gaue them the holy gost, as they theimselues receaued of Christ the same holy gost, to execute this office. And they that were so ordeyned, were in dede, and also were called, the ministers of God as the Apostles theimselues were, as Paule, sayeth vnto Tymothy.
- 1Mark. iii. Luke. vi. Luke. x.
- 2John. xviiIohn. xvii
