A

SHORT CATECHISM;

OR,

PLAIN INSTRUCTION,

CONTAINING

THE SUM OF CHRISTIAN LEARNING,

SET FORTH BY

THE KING'S MAJESTY'S AUTHORITY,

FOR ALL

SCHOOLMASTERS TO TEACH,

1553.

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THE following Catechism received the sanction of the same Convocation of the Clergy, wherein was framed and concluded the book of Articles of Religion, 42 in number, agreed upon by the Lishops and other learned men, in the year of our Lord 1552. In the following year, the Articles* and the Catechism were published and bound together in the same volume, by royal edict.

* A copy of the articles of religion, as established in the reign of King Edward the Sixth, is here subjoined, as the Editors apprehend it may be satisfactory to the reader to see the articles and catechism of that reign in their original connexion together.

ARTICLES agreed upon by the Bishop and other learned and godly Men, in the last Convocation at London, in the Year of our Lord 1552, to root out the Discord of Opinions, and establish the Agreement of true Religion.-Published by the King's Majesty's Authority, 1553.

1. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.

There is but one living and true God, and he is everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the maker and preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

2. That the Word, or Son of God, was made very Man.

The Son, which is the word of the Father, took man's nature. in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, of her substance; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and manhood were joined together into one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ very God and very man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice for all sin of man both original and actual.

3. Of the going down of Christ into Hell.

As Christ died and was buried for us, so also it is to be believed, that he went down into hell; for the body lay in the sepulchre

until the resurrection, but his ghost, departing from him, was with the ghosts that were in prison or in hell, and did preach to the same, as the place of St. Peter doth testify.

4. The Resurrection of Christ.

Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge men at the last day.

5. The Doctrine of holy Scripture is sufficient to Salvation:

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is neither read therein, nor may be proved thereby, although it be sometime received of the faithful as godly and profitable for an order and comeliness, yet no man ought to be constrained to believe it as an article of faith, or reputed requisite to the necessity of salvation.

6. The Old Testament is not to be refused.

The Old Testament is not to be put away as though it were contrary to the New, but to be kept still; for both in the Old and New Testaments everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man, being both God and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises.

7. The three Creeds.

The three creeds, Nicene Creed, Athanasius' Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received; for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture.

8. Of Original or Birth Sin.

Original, sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk, which also the Anabaptists do now-a-days renew), but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from his former righteousness which he had at his creation, and is, of his own nature, given to evil; so that the flesh desireth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born in this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation; and this infection of nature doth remain, yea in them that are baptized, whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek Ceórnua oapnos, which some do expound the wisdom, some the sensuality, some the affection, some the desire of the flesh, is not subject to the law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized, yet the Apostle.

doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath, of itself, the nature of sin.

9. Of Free-will.

We have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will and working in us, when we have that will.

10. Of Grace.

The grace of Christ, or the Holy Ghost by him given, doth take away the stony heart, and giveth an heart of flesh; and although those that have no will to good things, he maketh them to will; and those that would evil things, he maketh them not to will the same: yet nevertheless he enforceth not the will: and therefore no man when he sinneth, can excuse himself as not worthy to be blamed, or condemned, by alleging that he sinned unwillingly, or by compulsion.

11. Of the Justification of Man.

Justification by only faith in Jesus Christ, in that sense as it is declared in the Homily of justification, is a most certain and wholesome doctrine for Christian men.

12. Works before Justification.

Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesu Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive grace, (or as the school authors say) deserve grace of congruity: but because they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

Voluntary works besides, over and above, God's commandments, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and iniquity. For by them men do declare, that they do not only render to God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that is commanded you, say, We be unprofitable servants.

14. No Man is without Sin but Christ alone.

Christ in the truth of nature was made like unto us in all things (sin only excepted), from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh and in his spirit. He came to be the Lamb without spot, who by sacrifice of himself made once for ever, should take away the sins of the world: and sin (as St. John saith) was not in him.

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