A19564:62
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.
Moreover many images teach nothing else but erroneous and superstitious doctrine. For what reacheth the picture of saint Michael weighing souls, and our lady putting her beads in the balance. Forsooth nothing else, but superstitiousness of beads, and confidence in our own merits, and the merits of saints, & nothing in the merits of Christ.
Moreouer many images teache nothyng elles but erronious and supersticiouse doctrine. For what reachethe the picture of sayncte Mychael waying soules, and our lady putting her beades in the balaunce. Forsoth nothing els, but superstitiousnes of beades, and cō fidence in oure owne merites, and the merites of saincts, & nothynge in the merites of Christe.
For whereas our good works be not able to way against the devil, our lady must lay her beads in balance, that is to say, will works devised of our own brains not commanded of God, and by them to save us. Which doctrine is very false and injurious to Christ. What did the image of saint Sunday teach? But that Sunday was an holy man, according to the which teaching, beggars asked their alms for saint Sundays sake. But I will leave to speak of the evil doctrine which was taught by Images, and I will declare unto you ye images have been so abused, that all the goodness which might come by them, was never comparable to the great ignorance and blindness, the superstition and idolatry, which have been brought in and committed ⟨image 36⟩by means of them. The which abuses good children, your own fathers, if you ask them, can well declare unto you. For they themselves were greatly seduced by certain famous and notorious images, as by our lady of walsingham, our lady of Ipswich, Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Saint Anne of Buckestone, the rood of Grace, and such like, whom many of your parents visited yearly, leaving their own houses and families. To them they made vows & pilgrimages, thinking that God would hear their prayers in that place rather than in another place. They kissed their feet devoutly, and to them they offered candles and images of wax, rings, beads, gold, and silver, abundantly. And because they that so taught them had there