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Allen, Edmund Author Profile

Author Allen, Edmund

Denomination Anglican

Familiar introduccion and trainyng of the simple Text Profile

Genre Catechism

Date 1548

Full Title A catechisme, that is to saie, a familiar introduccion and trainyng of the simple in the commaundementes of God, and the principles of oure religion, muche necessarie to be taught and knowen to all good christian people, sette foorth in questions with direct answers to the same: & translated into Englishe for the behoufe and commoditee not onely of childre~, but also of al suche de[uout] lerners as are [not seen] in the Lati[ne] toungue &c.

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A declaracion of the holy sacrament of Baptisme.

M. Nowe what is the fowerth
principall article of the christen
doctrine and religion?

S. Forsouth that is the institucion
of the holy sacramente of
baptisme.

M. Fyrst tel me, what
are sacramentes?

S. They are holy visible accions
and exterior exercises instituted,
ordeyned, and appoynted
of almighty God to bee vsed in
hys churche and congregacyon
of hys faythful to represent vnto
theim after a mooste lyuely
sorte, his heauenly gracious benefites,
that they may therby be
confirmed in theyr fayth, and of
purpose to excite ye mutual loue
of one towarde an other.

M. Why did Christe ordayne

suche sacramentes?

S. For .iii.
speciall causes.

M. what is the
firste?

S. The fyrste is, that
they shoulde be tokens and witnesses
of the grace, mercy and
promises of God towarde vs,
and as the moste sure seales,
wherby our participacio~, felowshyp
and incorporacion with
Christ, is confyrmed, consigned
and sealed vp.
And also that our faythe, which
is otherwyse veraye feble and
weake, myght thorowe the vse
of them be exercised and lifte vp
from all earthly thinges, vnto
the consideracion, estimacyon,
and expectacion, of celestiall and
heauenly thinges.

M. Is not
that the peculiar operacion and
office of the holy gooste?

S. Yes
it is the very proper operacion

I.v.

of the holy gost. For he gloryfieth
Christe, & he is the eternall
and effectuous worker and executour
of all the doctryne and
ordinaunces of Christe. But
yet he perfourmeth and executeth
yt worke thorowe ye worde
and vse of the sacramentes, yf
they be truely ministred and receyued:
And it is therfore ascribed
vnto them, because we
should vnderstande and knowe
that the sacramentes are not
bare, vayne, and vnprofitable
tokens.

M. What is the seconde
cause?

S. The seconde is this:
that they shoulde admonishe vs
continuallye of our office and
duetie as long as we lyue. For
seyng we professe by receyuyng
and vsyng of the sacramentes,
that we are incorporate and

made one bodye with Christe
thorowe participacion of hym,
we ought to knowe also that it
is our bounde dutye to expresse
and represent the very image of
Christe in our whole lyfe and in
all the exercises of thesame.
And yf we doe not so, than we
contemne the sacramentes and
vse them vnworthely.

M. What
is the thyrd cause?

S. That they
shoulde be tokens of the people
of god, wherby the whole company
and congregacion of god
myght bee gathered together
as it were into one bodye, and
separated or diuided & knowen
by suche seuerall tokens and peculiar
exercises whiche no nother
congregacion doeth vse,
fro all other false sectes. And
they serue also for this purpose

that the congregacion of Christ
may shewe and declare by them
theyr seruice, reuerence and obedience
towarde God, and so
maye prouoke others also thorowe
their exa~ple vnto the trew
religion and seruice of God.

M. What thinkest thou of them
whiche vse the sacramentes
vnwoorthely and vnreuerently?

S. For as muche as they
breke & violate the couenaunte
of the Lord therby, they are accursed
and abominable in the
syght of God. And therfore they
shall bee reiected and refused of
the Lorde for euer, as periured
rebellions, yf they do not turne
and amend.

M. Who vseth the
sacramentes vnreuerently, and
vnworthily?

S. Forsoth he that
doth not vse them in true fayth,

loue, and obedience towardes
God: & specially he that vseth
them not to prouoke, styre vp,
and to nourish, the forsaied vertues.
For therunto ought the
vse of all externall or outwarde
sacramentes to serue.

M. But
are the sacramentes necessarye
vnto saluacion?

S. Forasmuch
as they are the ordinaunces of
God, and commaunded vnto
vs to be vsed in perfecte obedience
towarde God: therfore can
we not forbeare or neglecte the
vse of them, without manifest
perill and hinderaunce of saluacion.

M. What persons are to
bee taken and reputed for contemners
and dispisers of the
sacramentes?

S. Suche as vse
them not whan they maye haue
them ministred after the institucion

and ordinau~ce of Christ.
For whosoeuer beleueth our
sauiour Christe, and is a true
disciple of his, he can not chose
but to vse all thinges with high
reuerence and deuocion, what
soeuer our sauior Christe hathe
ordayned to bee vsed.

M. Well,
nowe lette vs come vnto baptisme •
what is Baptisme?

S. It is an ordinaunce & commaundemente
of oure sauiour
Iesus Christe, ioyning all suche
as shall enter into the cumpany
and congregacion of Christe,
to be baptised, yt is, to bee sprincled
or dipped with water in ye
name of the father, of the sonne,
and of the holy gost.

M. But in
what texte of scripture is suche
commaundemente grounded?

S. In the last of Matthew, and

Marke, in these wordes: Unto
me is geuen all power in heauen
and earth, therfore go your
waye, and teache all nacions,
baptisyng them in the name of
the father, and of the sonne, and
of the holy ghoste. &c.

M. what is to be noted & learned
out of these wordes?

S. Forsoth
.iii. thinges.

M. what is the
fyrste?

S. The fyrste is this, that
our sauior Christe vnto whome
the father hath geuen all power
in heauen & earth, wylleth that
his holy gospell should be preached
vnto all men in the whole
worlde, & that all people should
be made his disciples.

M. what is the .ii. note?

S. The .ii
is this, yt the holy sacramente of
baptisme is co~maunded of god
the father, the sonne, and the

holy ghost, to be a sure testimonie
of the inestimable loue & fauour
of God toward vs, wherby
the promises of the ghospell,
concernyng the free remyssion
of synnes, the newe byrth, and
euerlastyng lyfe purchased by
Christe, are sealed, confyrmed
and made sure vnto vs.

M. And
what is the thyrde note?

S. The
thirde is this, that those that
are baptised ought to remayne
in the couenaunte of God, and
to applye themselues to learne
and to kepe all that the Lorde
hath commaunded, to dye vnto
synne, and to caste of the olde
Adam, with all his lustes and
affeccions, & to put on the Lord
Iesus euery daye more than other
in a newe lyfe, whiche will
be presente with vs vntill the

worldes ende, and graciouslye
ayde and helpe vs therunto.

M. Unto what persons doeth
baptisme appertayne?

S. Unto
all suche as the couenaunte of
God & the doctryne of the ghospell
preached by the Apostles
pertayneth vnto.

M. Muste infantes and young
children also be baptised?

S. Yea forsouth yf it maye be
done, forasmuche as the couenaunt
of ye lorde perteyneth also
vnto them, & they are also of the
flocke of God, and partakers
of grace. And therfore the signe
and seale of the promise and couenaunte
whiche is baptisme
muste nedes also perteyne vnto
them. And agayne seeyng they
are in the fauor of God, as his
dearely beloued, and partakers

K.i.

of Christe & of his merites as
they must nedes be yf the kyngdom
of god be the~ce as Christe
sayth than baptisme whiche is
the seale of all this, muste also
nedes perteyne vnto them.

M. But howe can they be baptised
seyng thei haue no faythe?

S. Forasmuche as they haue ye
fauor of God through Christe,
whatsoeuer is required in them,
that haue thei also sufficientlye
in and through Christe, whiche
hath taken theyr weakenes vpon
himselfe, & is become their
satisfaccion as he is to all others.
And his fayth and obedience is of grace imputed
vnto them, and throughe his
spirite they are sanctified to bee
the te~ples of God, whose heade
and sauior is Christe, and they

membres of his body.

M. Than may they be baptised
with a good conscience?

S. Yea
no doubt. For seyng they are
reputed as faythfull in ye syghte
and iudgement of god thorowe
Christe, they ought as faythfull
to bee baptised, that thorowe ye
ministracion of the churche they
may haue a sure token & witnes
that they are the heyres of the
blessyng promised vnto the sede
of the faythfull, the membres of
our sauior Christe, & cleane purged
and washed from all theyr
synne in his bloude.

M. From
what synne nedeth a chylde that
is newe borne whiche hath
wrought neither good nor euil
to be purged or washed?

S. From original sinne, whiche
is the verye roote of all other

K.ii.

synne.

M. What is originall
sinne?

S. It is the poison, infeccion
or corrupcion, of nature
wherein we are conceyued:
Whiche alwayes resisteth, rebelleth
and lusteth againste the
wyll of God, and is euer inclined
and redye vnto all euill &
wickednes, and hath a luste and
delite therin. From the whiche
we can none otherwyse be deliuered
or pourged, but alonlye
throughe the power of God in
our sauior Christ.

M. But how
are we pourged from this sinne
through baptisme?

S. In as
muche as in baptisme we haue
a promise that it is forgeue~ vs
and not imputed to damnacion
vnto vs. And againe that the
holy ghost is also geue~ vs whiche
shall dayly mortifie, kyll and

subdue this synne and wicked
inclinacion in vs, begynnyng
and daylye increasyng in the
stede therof, a newe affeccion
and nature in vs, obediente vnto
the wyll of God and deliting
therin, whiche in the blessed resurreccion
shall bee altogether
perfite.

M. Nowe tell me what
ought our baptisme to worke
in vs and to put vs in remembraunce
of?

S. Firste we ought
to bee thankefull vnto God for
it, and vnto our parentes also
for furtheryng and healpyng
vs vnto it, and to receyue all
doctrine and correccion of them
obediently and redily.

M. what
more?

S. It ought also to put
vs in reme~braunce of the remission
of our synnes, of the grace
and mercye of God, and of the

K.iii.

blessed resurreccion wherin we
shall aryse agayne vnto euerlastyng
lyfe. By the remembrau~ce
wherof we maye haue a singular
comforte agaynst all synne,
agaynst the deuyll, death, hell, &
damnacion.

M. And what els?

S. Finally, it ought to worke
in vs a perfite obedience vnto
the wyll of God, to leade our
liues in continuall repentaunce
and amendemente, praying ernestly
that he wyll strengthen
and make more perfite in vs,
through his holy woorde and
spirite, the newe byrth whiche
is already begonne in vs: and
dayly to mortifie our fleshe and
to practise with all faythfulnes
and diligence to serue God and
to kepe his commaundeme~tes.

M. Nowe, what is the .v. speciall article
of the christen doctrine or religion?

S. The holy supper of ye lorde.

M. What is the supper of
the Lorde?

S. It is an holy ordinance
and institucion of our
sauior Christe, wherby christen
people are commau~ded to eate
and drynke the bread and cuppe
of the Lorde together, & therby
to remembre his passion, and
to be assured of theyr communion
with hym in his body and
bloud. For it is a pledge and
an assuraunce that the Lorde
geueth them his bodye & bloud
to be the foode and nourisheme~t
of theyr soules vnto euerlastyng
lyfe.

M. Than is it not a
bare signe and an vnfruitfull
token?

S. No. For we receyue
in the supper a spirituall meate

K.iiii.

and drinke, wherin by ye lordes
owne institucion, the true communion
and participacio~ of the
bodye and bloud of Christe is
most liuely represented and confirmed
vnto vs. And at the ministracion
therof, beeyng ministred
after Christes institucion,
it is certayne that he is alwaies
presente, and worketh effectuously
therwith.

M. How ought
this supper to be ministred?

S. In euery poynte & condicion
as the Lorde himselfe dyd ministre
and ordeyne it.

M. where is
it written how the lorde did ministre
and ordeyne it?

S. In the
holy Euangelistes, Matthew,
Marke, Luke. And in the .xi.
Chapiter of the fyrst Epistle to
the Corinthians in these woordes.
In the same night that the Lorde

Iesus was betrayed, he tooke bread, and
whan he had geuen thankes, he brake it.

M. What learnest thou out of
these wordes?

S. Fyrst I lerne
that this supper sealeth vp, confirmeth,
& assureth vnto vs, the
verye true communion of the
true body and bloud of Christ,
with all the frutes and benefites,
whiche he dyd euer pourchase
and merite thorowe his
body & bloud.

M. Howe canste
thou proue that?

S. By the verye
woordes of the institucion.
For whereas he commaundeth
vs to eate his body and drynke
his bloud, that is to saye, to receyue
our nouryshement vnto euerlastyng
lyfe, thorowe fayth,
of his bodye and bloud, he addeth
immediatlye: Whiche is geuen
vp for you, and shed for you. By the

K.v.

whiche woordes he signyfieth,
seeyng we are partakers of his
bodye and bloud, and in faythe
fleshe of his fleshe, and bones of
his bones, he our head and we
his members, that we are also
partakers of all that he did euer
purchasse or merite thorow his
passion and bloud shedyng, that
is, reconciliacion with God
the father, remission of our synnes,
righteousnes and euerlasting
lyfe.

M. what lernest thou
more out of the forsayed woordes?

S. I learne also that the Lorde
geueth me thorowe this supper,
a sure hope and comforte
that I am partaker of the new
testament, and of the couenau~t
of grace whiche he confirmed

and sealed with his precious
bloud.

M. What is that newe
Testamente or couenaunte of
grace?

S. It is this, that almyghtye
God, for the bitter
passion and deathes sake of
his deare beloued sonne, wyll
freely pardon and forgeue me
all my synnes, and take me for
his childe and heyre, and at the
latter daye will rayse me vp agayne
vnto euerlastyng ioye,
requiryng that I should beleue
all this stedfastly, and loue and
serue him obediently.

M. And is nothyng els to bee
noted in the woordes of the institucion?

S. Yes, this also is to be learned,
that al they which minister
or receyue this holy sacramente

muste celebrate & kepe the memoriall
or remembrau~ce of our
sauiour Christe Iesus.

M. Wherin consisteth this memoriall
or remembraunce?

S. It co~sisteth specially herein,
that we beeyng assembled and
gathered together in his name,
considre and set foorth with all
diligence and reuerence all the
benefites of our Lorde Iesus,
whiche he hathe doen and suffered
for vs, or will yet hereafter
do for vs: And agayne that
we render moste highe laudes
and thankes vnto him for suche
excellente benefites, geuyng vp
and yeldyng our selues wholly
vnto hym.

M. What maner
of people are to bee admytted
vnto this supper?

S. All that
are truly repentaunte and sorye

for their sinnes, and yet beleue
stedfastlie that god for Christes
sake wyll be mercyfull vnto
them, and that they are the true
membres of Christe, liuing in
the feare and true obedience
of the Lord, and in perfect loue
of theyr neighbour, as brethren
of one kyngdome, membres of
one bodye, and redemed with
one bloud of Iesus Christ, redye
to confesse the doctrine of
the holy gospell, in the middes
of all persecucion and affliccion,
and to defende it euen vnto
death.

M. what thinkest thou
of the~ whiche will neuer receiue
this holy supper with the faithfull
congregacion of Christe?

S. If they abstaine from it wilfullye
of contempte and stubernes,
that is to saye, yf they

maye haue it ministred vnto
them after the institucion of
the Lorde, and yet regarde it
not and will not receyue it, it
is an euidente token that they
pertayne nothing at all vnto the
body of Christe. For whosoeuer
beleueth in the Lorde truly
can not neglecte or contemne any
of his hollye ordinaunces,
but with all reuerence vse them,
as ofte he maye.

M. Where as
s. Paul sayeth: Lette euery manne
proue hymselfe, and so eate of that bread:
what is mente therby, or whan
eate we this supper wurthyly.

S. Of ourselues we can neuer
be woorthy vnto it: But God
of his grace and mercye, reputeth
vs woorthy of his heauenlye
misteries and benefites,
whansoeuer we referre the remission

of oure sinnes, and oure
saluacion vnto the death and resurreccion
of Christe, and seke
it therat onely.
Wherfore whansoeuer I receyue ye holy supper, with this
faythe and belefe that Christe
Iesus gaue his tender bodye
vnto death for me, and shedde
his precious bloud for me,
and so redemed me from euerlastyng
deathe: And that his
fleshe and bloude are the foode
and sustenaunce of my soule
whereby I am refresshed and
nourisshed vnto euerlastynge
lyfe, submitting my selfe, in
this faythe, hartilye and fullye
both bodye & soule vnto ye will
of god, and vtterly detesting in
word, dede, and example al maner
of sinne, and wickednes,

and whatsoeuer maye geue any
occasion therunto. &c. then
receyue I this hollye supper
wurthyly. For this is the true
communion and participacion
of Christes bodye and bloud,
wherby we are sure yt he dwelleth
in vs, and we in hym. For
els we coulde doe none of this
at all.

M. Me thynketh by thy
answers, that the holy supper
of the Lorde sendeth and referreth
vs all together vnto the
deathe and passion of Christe,
that we maye so & by that meanes
enioye and haue fruicion
of thesame.

S. Yea forsouth, for
whan he suffred vpon the crosse
then he was made the onely &
euerlastyng sacrifice, sufficiente
for our saluacion: wherefore
there is nothyng remaynyng

for vs more, but that we
maye enioy and haue the fruicion
of hym.

M. And was not the
supper ordeyned of God to bee
a propiciatory sacrifice, wherin
the body of Christe should be
offered vnto God of freshe or
of newe?

S. No forsouth. For
that were iniurious vnto his
death. And the woordes doe
sounde thus, take and eate. &c.
Where he commaundeth vs not
to sacrifice or to offer his body,
but onely to eate. &c.

M. And
why was it ordeyned to bee receiued
in two diuerse kyndes?

S. That was done for our infirmities
sake, to teache vs the
more plainly that he is not only
the meate wherwith our soules
are norished, but also the verye
drynke wherwith they are refreshed,

L.i.

that we shoulde seke no
parte of our spirituall lyfe any
where els, sauyng at hym and
in hym alone.

M. And ought all
men generally without excepcion
to receyue both kyndes?

S. Yea forsouth, so do the woordes
of Christe commaund, saying,
drinke ye all of this: from
the whiche to derogate or mynishe
any thyng it were an heynous
synne.

M. But now, how
oughteste thou to behaue thyselfe
after thou haste thus receiued
this holy supper?

S. I oughte fyrste to reioyce in
the remission of my synnes, in
the lyfe of Christe in me, and in
the blissed resurreccion, whan
as he shall lyue fully in me and
in vs, & be all in all. And thus
to auaunce my selfe agaynste

synne, agaynst the deuyll, death,
and hel: And to geue God eternall
thankes for all these his excedyng
benefites.

M. What
oughtest thou els to doe?

S. I ought also to subdue, to
tame, and to crucify, mine owne
fleshe and bloud, with al maner
of wicked lustes and affeccio~s,
& to liue, hereafter as a me~bre
of that body onely, whose head
is Christe, and not as a membre
of any other body. But vtterly
to yelde and geue ouer myselfe
vnto my lorde God, to bee one
breade and one bodye with all
faythfull christians whyche doe
truely inuocate and call vpon
the name of the Lorde, to lyue
with them in perfite loue and
charitie and wyth this bande
of loue to haue my heart fixed

L.ii.

and knitte vnto theirs, and thus
euermore to remayne & co~tinue.
And I ought also to confesse
and magnifie my Lorde Iesus
in his churche and congregacion
with all my woordes and
dedes, awaytyng dayly to haue
this lyfe changed with a better
and into a better lyfe.

M. What
yf we receyue the supper with
suche as be vnwoorthy, doe we
make our selues also vnworthy
by reason of that?

S. No we doe
not, if so be that we consente not
vnto theyr synnes, but haue in
mynde and will yf we can know
them and may come vnto them,
to exhorte and admonishe them
faythfully our selues, or els
cause some other to doe it. For
it pertayneth vnto no priuate
person to exclude any man out

of the churche or congregacion,
but onely vnto the whole
churche, or vnto them that are
chosen & appointed of thesame
vnto that office. And theyr
duetie it is to considre bothe in
this matter and all other, what
may be most profitable and expediente
vnto edificacion.

M. But nowe, why should men
receyue this sacramente ofte, seing
they receyue the sacramente
of baptisme but once?

S. Baptisme
is a sacramente of enteraunce
into the religio~ of Christ,
and betokeneth that menne are
nowe dead vnto the olde lyfe, &
wyll from thencefoorth walke
in a newe lyfe. Wherfore lyke
as Christe died but once, & that
for our synnes, and shall from
hencefoorth dye no more, euen

L.iii.

so ought the sacrament of baptisme,
whiche representeth the
same, to bee receyued but once.
But the holye supper is a sacramente
of procedyng and goyng
forward in ye religion of Christ,
and signifieth that the manne
whiche is once incorporate vnto
Christe, and fed or susteyned
continually through hym, wyll
euermore continue, procede and
goe forwarde in a perfite christian
life. And forasmuche as
many impedimentes, lets and
temptacions, doe chaunce vnto
suche menne by the waye, which
notwithstandyng doe styll hungre
and thurst after ryghteousnesse.
And this supper is a comfortable
pledge or scale of the
true lyuely foode of the soule,
it is the heauenly bread, without

whiche this hounger canne
not bee satisfyed not assuaged.
Therfore shoulde they receyue
this sacrament oft, because they
haue oft nede of suche comforte.