The 1549 Book of Common Prayer: Confirnation & Catechism · The 1549 Book of Common Prayer: Preface

The Book of Common Prayer

	The Book of Common Prayer - 1549

CONFIRMACION,
WHERIN IS CONTEINED A CATECHISME FOR CHILDREN.
To
thende that confirmacion may be ministred to the more edifying
of suche as shall receive it (according to Saint Paules doctrine,
who teacheth that all thynges should be doen in the churche to
the edificacion of the same) it is thought good that none hereafter
shall be confirmed, but suche as can say in theyr mother tong,
tharticles of the faith the lordes prayer, and the tenne commaundementes;
And can also aunswere to suche questions of this shorte Catechisme,
as the Busshop (or suche as he shall appoynte) shall by his discrecion
appose [=examine]
them in. And this ordre is most convenient to be observed for divers
consideracions.
¶
First because that whan children come to the yeres of discrecion
and have learned what theyr Godfathers and Godmothers promised for them
in Baptisme, they may then themselfes with their owne mouth, and with
theyr owne consent, openly before the churche ratifie and confesse the
same, and also promise that by the grace of God, they will evermore
endevour themselves faithfully to observe and kepe such thinges, as
they by theyre owne mouth and confession have assented unto.
¶
Secondly, for asmuch as confirmacion is ministred to them that be
Baptised, that by imposicion of handes, and praier they may receive
strength and defence against all temptacions to sin, and the assautes
of the worlde, and the devill: it is most mete to be ministred, when
children come to that age, that partly by the frayltie of theyr owne
fleshe, partly by the assautes of the world and the devil, they begin
to be in daungier to fall into sinne.
¶
Thirdly, for that it is agreeable with the usage of the churche in
tymes past, wherby it was ordeined, that Confirmacion should bee ministred
to them that were of perfecte age [i.
e., an adult], that they beyng instructed in
Christes religion, should openly professe theyr owne fayth, and promise
to be obedient unto the will of God.
¶
And that no manne shall thynke that anye detrimente shall come to
children by differryng of theyr confirmacion: he shall knowe for trueth,
that it is certayn by Goddes woorde, that children beeyng Baptized (if
they departe out of thys lyfe in theyr infancie) are undoubtedly saved.
A
CATECHISME,
THAT
IS TO SAY,
AN
INSTRUCCION TO BEE LEARNED OF EVERY CHILDE,
BEFORE HE BE BROUGHT TO BE CONFIRMED OF THE BUSHOP.
Question. What is your
name?
Aunswere. N or M.
Question. Who gave you
this name?
Aunswere. My Godfathers
and Godmothers in my Baptisme, wherein I was made a member of Christe,
the childe of God, and inheritour of the kingdome of heaven.
Question. What did
your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you?
Aunswere. They did
promise and vowe three thinges in my name. First, that I should forsake
the devil and all his workes and pompes, the vanities of the wicked
worlde, and all the sinne full lustes of the fleshe. Secondly, that
I should beleve all the articles of the Christian fayth. And thirdly,
that I should kepe Goddes holy will and commaundementes and walke in
the same al the daies of my life.
Question. Dooest thou
not thinke that thou arte bound to beleve, and to doe as they have promised
for thee?
Aunswere. Yes verely.
And by Gods helpe so I wil. And I hartily thanke our heavenly father,
that he hath called me to thys state of salvacion, through Jesus Christe
our Saveour And I pray God to geve me hys grace, that I may continue
in the same unto my lives ende.
Question. Rehearse
the articles of thy beliefe.
Aunswere. I beleve
in God the father almightie, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus
Christ his only sonne our lord. Whiche was conceived by the holy gost,
borne of the virgin Marie. Suffered under Ponce Pilate, was crucified,
dead, and buried, he descended into hel. The third day he rose agayn
from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hande
of God the father almightie. From thence shal he come to judge the quicke
and the dead. I beleve in the holy goste. The holye catholike church.
The communion of saintes. The forgevenes of sinnes. The resurreccion
of the bodie. And the lyfe everlasting. Amen.
Question. What dooest
thou chiefely learne in these articles of thy beliefe?
Aunswere. Firste, I
learne to beleve in God the father, who hath made me and all the worlde.
Secondely, in God the sonne who hath redemed me and
all mankinde.
Thirdly, in god the holy goste, who sanctifyeth me
and all the electe people of god.
Question. You sayde
that your Godfathers and Godmothers dyd promyse for you that ye should
kepe Goddes commaundementes. Tell me how many there bee.
Aunswere. Tenne.
Question. Whiche be
they?
Aunswere. Thou shalte
have none other Gods but me.
II. Thou shalte not make to thyselfe anye graven
image, nor the likenesse of any thyng that is in heaven above, or in
the earth beneath, nor in the water under the earth: thou shalt not
bowe downe to them, nor wurship them.
III. Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy
God in vayne.
IV. Remember that thou kepe holy the Sabboth day.
V. Honor thy father and thy mother.
VI. Thou shalt doe no murdre.
VII. Thou shalt not commit adultry.
VIII. Thou shalt not steale.
IX. Thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy
neighbour.
X. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor
his servaunt, nor his mayde, nor his Oxe, nor his Asse, nor any thing
that is his.
Question. What dooest
thou chiefely leame by these commaundemente?
Aunswere. I learne
two thinges: My duetie towardes god, and my duetie towardes my neighbour.
Question. What is
thy duetie towardes god?
Aunswere. My duetie
towardes God is, to beleve in him. To feare him. And to love him with
al my hart, with al my mind, with al my soule, and with all my strength.
To wurship him. To geve him thankes. To put my whole truste in hym.
To call upon him. To honor his holy name and his word, and to serve
him truely all the daies of my life.
Question. What is thy
dutie towardes thy neighboure?
Answere. My duetie
towardes my neighbour is, to love hym as myselfe. And to do to al men
as I would they should do to me. To love, honour, and succoure my father
and mother. To honour and obey the kyng and his ministers. To submitte
myselfe to all my governours, teachers, spirituall pastours, and maisters.
To ordre myselfe lowlye and reverentelye to al my betters. To hurte
no bodie by woorde nor dede. To bee true and just in al my dealing.
To beare no malice nor hatred in my heart. To kepe my handes from picking
and stealing, and my tongue from evill speaking, liyng, and slaundring.
To kepe my bodie in temperaunce, sobreness, and chastitie. Not to covet
nor desire other mennes goodes. But learne and laboure truely to geate
my owne living, and to doe my duetie in that state of life: unto which
it shal please God to cal me.
Question. My good sonne,
knowe this, that thou arte not hable to do these thinges of thyself,
nor to walke in the commaundementes of God and to serve him, without
his speciall grace, which thou muste leame at all times to cal for by
diligent prayer. Leat me heare therfore if thou canst say the Lordes
prayer.
Answere. Our father
whiche art in heaven, halowed bee thy name. Thy kyngdome come. Thy wil
bee done in earth as it is in heaven. Geve us this day our dailye breade.
And forgene us our trespasses, as we forgeve them that trespasse againste
us. And leade us not into temptacion, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Question. What desireste
thou of God in this prayer?
Answere. I desire my
lord god our heavenly father, who is the gever of al goodnes, to send
his grace unto me, and to all people, that we may wurship him, serve
hym, and obey him, as we ought to doe. And I praye unto God, that he
will sende us al thynges that be nedeful both for our soules and bodies:
And that he wil bee mercifull unto us, and forgeve us our sinnes: And
that it will please him to save and defende us in al daungers gostly
[=spiritually] and bodily: And that he
wil kepe us from al sinne and wickednes, and from our gostly enemye,
and from everlastyng death. And this I truste he wil doe of his mercie
and goodnes, through our lorde Jesu Christe. And therefore I say, Amen.
So be it.
¶
So soone as the children can say in their mother tongue tharticles of
the faith, the lordes praier, the ten commaundementes, and also can
aunswere to such questions of this short Cathechisme as the Bushop (or
suche as he shall appointe) shal by hys discrecion appose them in: then
shall they bee brought to the Bushop by one that shalbee his godfather
or godmother, that everye childe maye have a wittenesse of hys confirmacion.
¶
And the Bushop shal confirme them on this wyse.
CONFIRMACION.
Our helpe is in the name of the
Lorde.
Answere. Whiche hath
made both heaven and yearth.
Minister. Blessed
is the name of the lorde.
Answere. Henceforth
worlde without ende.
Minister. The lorde
be with you.
Answere. And with
thy spirite.
Let us praye.
	Two pages from the Confirmation service,
	1549 BCP.
ALMIGHTY
and everliving God, who hast vouchesafed to regenerate these thy
servauntes of water and the holy goste: And haste geven unto them
forgevenesse of all their sinnes: Sende downe from heaven we beseche
thee, (O lorde) upon them thy holy gost the coumforter, with the
manifold giftes of grace, the spirite of wisdom and understandyng;
the spirite of counsell and gostly strength; The spirite of knowledge
and true godlinesse, and fulfil them, (o lord) with the spirite of
thy holy feare.
Aunswere. Amen.
Minister. Signe them (o lorde)
and marke them to be thyne for ever, by the vertue of thy holye crosse and passion.
Confirme and strength them with the inward unccion of thy holy gost, mercifully
unto everlasting life. Amen.
Then
the Bushop shal crosse them in the forehead, and lay his handes
upon theyr heades,* saying	* head in several printings
N. I signe
thee with the signe of the crosse, and laye my hande upon thee. In the
name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy gost. Amen.
And
thus shall he doe to every childe one after another. And whan he hath
layed hys hande upon every chylde, then shall he say.
The peace of the lorde abide with you.
Aunswere. And
with thy spirite.
¶
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTIE
everliving god, which makest us both to will and to doe those thinges
that bee good and acceptable unto thy majestie: we make our humble supplicacions
unto thee for these children, upon whome (after thexample of thy holy
apostles) we have laied our handes, to certify them (by this signe)
of thy favour and gracious goodnes toward them: leat thy fatherly hand
(we beseche thee) ever be over them, let thy holy spirite ever bee with
them, and so leade them in the knowledge and obedience of thy woord,
that in the end they may obtein the life everlasting, through our lord
Jesus Christ, who with thee and the holy goste liveth and reyneth one
god world without ende. Amen.
Then
shall the Busshop blisse the children, thus saying.
The blissing of god almightie, the father, the sonne, and the holy
goste, be upon you, and remayne with you fore ever. Amen.
The
curate of every parish once in sixe wekes at the least upon warnyng
by him geven, shal upon some Soonday or holy day, half an houre before
evensong openly in the churche instructe and examine so many children
of his parish sent unto him, as the time wil serve, and as he shal thinke
conveniente, in some parte of this Cathechisme. And all fathers, mothers,
maisters, and dames, shall cause theyr children, servountes, and prentises
(whiche are not yet confirmed), to come to the churche at the daie appoynted,
and obediently heare and be ordered by the curate, until suche time
as they have learned all that is here appointed for them to learne.
¶
And whansoever the Bushop shal geve knowlage for children to be
brought afore him to any convenient place, for their confirmacion:
Then shal the curate of every parish either bring or send in writing,
ye names of al those children of his parish which can say tharticles
of theyr faith, the lordes praier, and the ten commaundementes. And
also how many of them can answere to thother questions conteined in
this Cathechisme.
¶
And there shal none be admitted to the holye communion: until suche
time as he be confirmed.

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