The 1559 Book of Common Prayer: Catechism & Confirmation · The 1559 Book of Common Prayer: Act of Uniformity; Preface; and Of Ceremonies

The Book of Common Prayer

	The Book of Common Prayer - 1559

¶	1559
CONFIRMACION,	Title
WHEREIN
IS CONTEINED A CATECHISME FOR CHILDREN.
	1604
The Order	Title
of Confirmation, or laying
on
of hands upon children baptised, and able
to render
an account of their Faith, according
to the Catechisme following.
TO
thende that confirmacion may be ministred to the more edifying of suche,
as shal receive it (according unto S. Paules doctrine, who teacheth that
al things should he doen in ye Church, to the edification of the same)
it is thought good that none hereafter shalbe confyrmed but suche as can
saie in their mother tongue the articles of the faith, the Lordes praier,
and the x Commaundementes: And can also answere to suche questions of
this short Catechisme, as the Bishop (or suche as he shal appoinct) shal
by hys discretion appose [=examine]
theim in. And this order is most convenient to be observed for divers
consideracions.
First, because that when children come to the yeres of discrecion, and
have learned what their godfathers and godmothers promised for them in
Baptisme, they may then themselves wyth their owne mouthe, and wyth their
awne consent, openly before the Churche, ratifie and confyrme the same,
and also promise that by the grace of God, they shall evermore endevour
themselfes faithfully to observe and kepe suche thynges, as they by theyr
owne mouth and confession have assented unto.
Secondly, forasmuche as Confirmacion is ministred to theym that be Baptised,
that by imposition of handes and prayer, they may receive strengthe and
defence agaynst all temptacions to synne, and the assaultes of the worlde
and the Devill: it is most mete to be ministred when children come to
that age, that partely by the frailtye of their awne fleshe, partely by
the assaultes of the worlde and the Devil, thei begyn to be in daunger
to fal into sondry kyndes of synne.
Thirdly, for that it is agreable wyth the usage of the Churche, in times
paste, wherby it was ordeined that Confirmacion shoulde he ministred to
them that were of perfecte [=proper,
appropriate] age, that they, beyng instructed
in Christes religion, should openly professe their awne faithe, and promise
to be obedient unto the wyl of God.
And that no man shal thyncke that any detryment shall come to children
by diferring
[deferring] of their Confirmacion; he shal knowe
for truth, that it is certeine by Goddes worde, that children beyng baptised,
have all thynges necessarie for their salvacion, and be undoubtedly saved.
	*
	"workes, the pompes and"
A	in 1604.
CATECHISME,
THAT
IS TO SAY,
AN
INSTRUCTION TO BE LEARNED OF EVERY CHILDE BEFORE HE BE BROUGHT TO BE CONFIRMED
OF THE BISHOPPE.
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 membre of Christe, the childe of God, and
an inheritour of the kingdome of heaven.
Question. What did your godfathers and godmothers
then for you?
Aunswere. They did promise, and vowe iii thinges
in my name. First, that I should forsake the devil, and all his [workes
and pompes, the]* vanities of the wicked worlde, and al the sinful lustes
of the fleshe. Secondly, that I should beleve al the articles of the Christian
faith. And thirdely, that I should kepe Goddes holy wil and Commaundemetes,
and walke in the same al the daies of my lyfe.
	Page
Question. Doest thou not thynke that thou art	from the 1604 Book of Common Prayer showing the Catechism with additional
bounde to beleve and to do, as they have promised for the?	questions.
Answer. Yes verely, and by Goddes helpe so I
wil. And I hartely thanke our heavenly Father, that he hath called me
to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christe our saviour. And I pray
God to geve me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my lyves
ende.
Question. Reherse the Articles of thy belefe.
Aunswere. I beleve in God the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and of earth. And in Jesus Christe his onely Sonne our
Lorde. Whiche was conceived of the holy Ghost. Borne of the Virgine Mary.
Suffered under Ponce Pylate, was crucifyed, deade and buried, he descended
into hell. The thyrd day he rose agayne from the dead. He ascended into
heven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From
thence he shal come to judge the quicke and the dead. I beleve in the
Holy ghost. The holy catholike Churche. The Communion of saynctes. The
forgivenes of synnes. The resurrection of the body. And the lyfe everlastinge.
Amen.
Question. What doest thou chiefly learne in
these artycles of thy beliefe?
Aunswere. Firste, I learne to beleve in God
the father, who hath made me and al the worlde.
Secondlye, in God the sonne, who hath redemed me and
all mankinde.
Thirdly, in God the holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me
and all the elect people of God.
Question. You said, that your godfathers and
godmothers, dyd promise for you, that you shoulde kepe Gods commaundementes.
Tell me how many there be?
Aunswere. Tenne.
Question. Whiche be they?
Aunswere. The same which God spake in the .xx. cha
of Exodus, saying: I am the Lord thy God whyche have brought the out of
the land of Egypt, oute of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none
other goddes but me.
II. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image
nor the lykenes of any thyng that is in heaven above, or in the earthe
beneth, nor in the water under the earthe: thou shalt not bow doune to
them nor worship them. For I the Lorde thy God, am a gelous God, and visyte
the sinnes of the fathers upon the chyldren, unto the iii and fourth generacion
of them that hate me, and shewe mercye unto thousandes of them that love
me, and kepe my commaundementes.
III. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God
in vaine, for the Lorde will not holde hym guiltles that taketh his name
in vaine.
IIII. Remember thou kepe holy the Sabboth day. Syxe
daies shalt thou laboure, and do all that thou hast to do: but the vii
day is the Sabboth of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no maner of
worcke, thou, and thy sonne, and thy daughter, thy man servaunt, and thy
maydservaunt, thy cattel, and the straunger that is wythin thy gates:
for in sixe daies the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and al that
in them is, and rested the vii day, wherfore the Lorde blessed the vii
day, and halowed it.
V. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy daies
may be long in the lande, whiche the Lorde thy God geveth the.
VI. Thou shalt do no murther.
VII. Thou shalt not committe adultery.
VIII. Thou shalt not steale.
IX. Thou shalt not beare false wytnes agaynste thy
neighbour.
X. Thou shalt not covet thy neyghbours house, thou
shalt not covet thy neyghboures wyfe, nor hys servaunt, nor hys mayde,
nor hys oxe nor hys asse, nor any thyng that is hys.
Question. What doest thou chiefly learne by
these commandementes?
Aunswere. I learne two thynges. My duty towardes
God, and my dutye towardes my neighbour.
Question. What is my duety towardes God?
Aunswere. My dutye towardes God is, to beleve
in him, to feare him [=to
hold him in awe], and to love hym with all my harte, with al my
mynde, with al my soule, and with all my strengthe. To worship hym. To
geve hym thanckes. To putte my whole truste in hyrn. To call upon hym.
To honour hys holy name and hys woorde, and to serve hym truely all the
dayes of my lyfe.
Question. What is thy dutye toward thy neighbour?
Aunswere. My dutye towardes my neyghbour is
to love hym as my selfe: And to do to all men as I would they should do
unto me. To love, honour, and succour my father and mother. To honour
and obey the Kyng, and his minysters. To submitte my selfe to al my governours,
teachers, spiritual Pastours and Maisters. To order my selfe lowly and
reverently to all my betters. To hurte no body by worde, nor dede. To
be true and juste in all my dealyng. To beare no malice nor hatred in
my harte. To kepe my handes from pickyng and stealyng, and my tongue from
evil speakyng, liyng and slaunderyng. To kepe my body in temperaunce,
sobernes, and chastitie. Not to covet nor desire other mennes goodes.
But learne and labour truely to get myne awne livyng, and to do my dutye
in that state of life, unto whiche it shal please God to cal me.
Question. My good child know this, that thou
art not able to do these thinges of thy self, nor to walke in the commaundementes
of God, and to serve hym, wythout hys specyall grace, whyche thou must
learne at al tymes to cal for by diligent prayer. Let me heare therfore,
if thou canst saye the Lordes praier.
Aunswere. Our Father whiche art in heaven; Hallowed
be thy name. Thy kyngdom come. Thy wil be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Geve us this day our daily bread. And forgeve us our trespasses, as we
forgeve them that trespasse against us. And leade us not into temptacion.
But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Question. What desirest thou of God in this
praier?
Aunswere. I desire my Lord God our heavenly
Father, who is the gever of al goodness, to send his grace unto me, and
to all people, that we may worship hym, serve hym, and obeye hym as we
ought to doe. And I pray unto God, that he will sende us all thynges that
be nedefull, bothe for our soules and bodies. And that he will be merciful
unto us, and forgeve us our sinnes: and that it wil please him to save
and defende us in al daungers ghostly [=spiritually]
and bodily : and that he will kepe us from all synne and wikednes, and
from our ghostly enemy, and from everlastyng death. And this I trust he
wil do of his mercye and goodnes, throughe our lord Jesu Christ. And therefore
I say. Amen. So be it.
Question.	The following
HOW	questions & answers were added in 1604
many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?
Answer. Two onely as generally necessary to salvation;
that is to say, Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord.
Question. What meanest thou by this word Sacrament?
Answer. I meane an outward
and visible signe of an inward and spirituall grace given unto us; ordained
by Christ himselfe, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge
to assure us thereof.
Question. How many parts
be there in a Sacrament?
Answer. Two; the outward visible signe, and the inward
spirituall grace.
Question. What is the outward visible signe or forme
in Baptisme?
Answer. Water: wherein the person baptized is dipped
or sprinkled with it, In the name the Name of the Father, and of Sonne,
and of the holy Ghost.
Question. What is the inward and spirituall grace?
Answer. A death unto
sinne, and a new birth unto righteousnesse: for being by nature borne
in sinne, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of
grace.
Question. What is required
of persons to be baptized?
Answer. Repentance, whereby
they forsake sinne; and faith, whereby they stedfastly beleeve the promises
of God, made to them in that Sacrament.
Question. Why then are Infants baptized, when by reason
of their tender age they cannot performe them?
Answer. Yes: they doe performe them by their Sureties;
who promise and vow them both, in their names: which when they come to
age, themselves are bound to performe.
Question. Why was the
Sacrament of the Lords Supper ordained?
Answer. For the continuall remembrance of the Sacrifice
of the death of Christ, and the benefits which we receive thereby.
Question.
What is the outward part or signe of the Lords Supper?
Answer. Bread and wine, which the Lord hath commanded
to bee received.
Question.
What is the inward part or thing signified?
Answer. The Body and
Blood of Christ, which are verely and indeed taken and received of the
faithfull in the Lords Supper.
Question. What are the
benefits whereof we are partakers thereby?
Answer. The strengthening and refreshing of our soules
by the Body and Blood of Christ, as our bodies are by the Bread and wine.
Question. What is required
of those which come to the Lords Supper?
Answer. To examine themselves,
whether they repent them truely of their former sinnes, stedfastly purposing
to leade a new life; have a lively faith in Gods mercy through Christ,
with a thankefull remembrance of his death; and be in charitie with all
men.
¶ So	1559
sone as the children can saye in theyr mother tongue, the articles of	Title
the faith, the Lordes prayer, the .x. commaundementes, and also can aunswere
to such questyone of thys shorte Catechisme, as the Bishoppe (or suche
as he shall appoinct) shal by hys discretyon appose [=examine]
them in, then shal they be brought to the Byshop by one that shalbe his
godfather or godmother, that every childe may have a witnes of his Confirmacyon.
¶
And the Bishoppe shal confirme them on this wise.
CONFIRMATION.
	1604
	Title
Confirmation,
or laying
on
of hands.
OUR	* 'bothe'
helpe is in the name of the Lorde.	removed in 1604.
	†
Aunswere. Whiche hath made bothe* heaven and	'prayers'
earth.	in 1604
Minister. Blessed is the name of the Lorde.
Aunswere. Hencefurthe worlde without ende.
Minister. Lorde heare our prayer.†
Aunswere. And let our crie come to the.
¶
Let us pray.
ALMIGHTYE
and everlivyng God, whyche hast vouchedsaufe to regenerate these thy
servauntes by water and the holy Ghost; and hast geven unto them forgevenes
of al theyr synnes: strengthen them we beseche the (O Lorde) with the
holy Ghoste the comforter, and daiely encrease in them thy manifolde giftes
of grace, the spirite of wisedome and understanding: the spirite of counsail
and ghostly strength, the spirite of knowledge and true godlinesse, and
fulfyll them (O Lord) with the spirite of thy holy feare. Amen.
¶
Then the Bishop shal laye hys hande upon every childe severally, saying,
DEFENDE,
O Lorde, this childe with thy heavenly grace that he may continue
thine for ever, and daiely encrease in thy holy spirite more and more,
untill he come unto thy everlastyng kingdome. Amen.
¶
Then shal the Bishop saye,
Let
us praie.
ALMIGHTIE
everlyvyng God, whiche makest us bothe to will, and to do those thynges
that be good, and acceptable unto thy Majestie, we make our humble supplications
unto the for these children, upon whome (after the example of thy holy
Apostles) we have laied our handes, to certifie theim (by thys signe)
of thy favour, and gracious goodnes toward them, let thy fatherly hande
we beseche the ever be over them, let thy holy spirite ever be with them,
and so leade them in the knowledge and obedience of thy worde that in
the ende they may obtaine the everlasting lyfe: through our Lorde Jesus
Christe, who with the and the holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God,
worlde without ende. Amen.
¶
Then the Bishop shal blesse the children, thus saying.
THE
blessing of God almightye, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy ghoste,
be upon you, and remayne with you for ever. Amen.
¶ The Curate of every paryshe, or some other at his appoinctment,
shal diligently upon Sondayes and holy dayes, haulfe an houre before Evenyng
prayer, openly in the Churche instruct and examyne so many children of
his parish sent unto him, as the time wil serve and as he shal thinke
convenient, in some part of this Catechisme.
¶
And al fathers, and mothers, maisters, and dames, shal cause theyr
children, servaunts, and prentises (whyche have not learned theyr Catechisme)
to come to the Churche at the tyme appoyncted, and obediently to heare,
and he ordred by the Curate, untyll suche time as they have learned all
that is here appoincted for theim to learne. And whensoever the Byshop
shall geve knowledge for chyldren to be brought afore him to any convenyent
place, for their confirmation: then sheal the Curate of every Paryshe
eyther bryng or sende in wrytyng the names of all those children of hys
Paryshe, whiche can say the Articles of their fayth, the Lordes prayer,
and the x Commaundementes, and also how many of them can answere to thother
questions conteined in this Catechisme.
¶
And there shall none be admitted to the holy communion; until suche
tyme as he can saye the Catechisme and be confirmed.

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