Ma. Forasmuch as our Obedience, whereof we
haue first to speake, it to be tryed by the rule of the
law of God, it is necessary that we first search out the
whole substance & nature of the Law: which being
found and knowen, it can not be vnknowen, what
and of what sort our obedience ought to be. Therefore
beginne to tell what thou thinkest of the Law.

Sch. I thinke that the law of God is the full,
and in all pointes perfect, rule of the righteousnesse
that is required of man, which commaundeth
those things that are to be done, and forbiddeth
the contraries. In this law God hath restrained
all thinges to his owne will and iudgement,
so as no godlinesse toward him, nor dutifulnesse
toward men, can be allowed of him, but
that onely which doth in all thinges agree with
the streightnesse of this rule. Uainely therefore
do mortall men inuent to themselues formes of
godlinesse and dutie after their owne fansie.
For God hath set forth to vs his law written in
two Tables as most sure rule both of our worshipping
of God and of our duties to men,
and therewith also hath declared that there is
nothing on earth more pleasant and acceptable
to him than our obedience.

Ma. Whereof treateth the first Table?

Sch. It treateth of our Godlinesse toward
God, and conteineth the first fower commaundementes
of the law.

Ma. Whereof treateth the second?

Sch. Of the duties of mutuall Charitie or loue
among men, which conteineth sixe commandementes.
And so in a summe, ten commandementes
make vp the whole law. For which cause
the law is called the Ten commandementes.

Ma. Rehearse me the first commandement of the
first table.

Sch. God spake thus. Heare O Israell: I am the Lord
thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Egipt,
out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt haue none other
Gods before me.

Ma. Why doth God first speake somewhat of himselfe
and of his benefite?

Sch. He had principally care that the estimation
of the lawes ordeined by him, should not be
shortly abated by contempt. And therefore that
they might haue the greater authoritie, he vseth
this as it were an entrie, I am the Lord thy God.
In which wordes he teacheth that he is our
maker, lord and sauiour, and the author of all
good. And so with good right by his dignitie of a
Lawmaker, he chalengeth to himselfe the authoritie
of commanding: and by his goodnesse, he
procureth fauour to his law: and by them both together,
burdeneth vs with necessitie to obey it,
vnlesse we will be both rebelles against him
that is most mighty, and vnthankefull toward
him that is most bountifull.

Ma. But wheras he speaketh of Israel by name,
and maketh expressly mention of breaking the yoke
of the bondage of Egypt: doth not this belong onely
to the people of Israel?

Sch. God in deede rescued the Israelites by his
seruant Moses from bodily bondage, but he
hath deliuered all them that be his, by his sonne
Iesus Christ from the spirituall thraldome of
sinne, and the tyrannie of the Deuill, wherin els
they had lien pressed and oppressed. This kinde
of deliuerance perteineth indifferently to all
men, which put their trust in God their deliuerer,
& do to their power obey his lawes. Which
if they do not, he doth by this rehearsall of his
most great benefit pronounce that they shalbe
gilty of most great vnthankfulnesse. For let euery
man imagine the Deuill that hellish Pharao
ready to oppresse him, and how sinne is that
most foule mier wherein he most filthily walloweth,
let him set before the eyes of his minde hell
the most wretched Egyptian bondage, and then
shall he easily perceaue that this freedome wherof
I speake is the thing that he ought principally
to desire, as the thing of most great importance
to him, whereof yet he shall be most vnworthy,
vnlesse he honor the author of his deliuerance
withall seruice and obedience.

Ma. Say on.

Sch. After that he hath thus stablished the authoritie
of his law, now foloweth the commandement.
Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me.

Ma. Tell me what this meaneth.

Sch. This commaundement condemneth & forbiddeth
idolatry, which God throughly hateth.

Ma. What is idolatry, or to haue strange Gods?

Sch. It is in the place of the one only true God
which hath openly and manifestly shewed and
disclosed himselfe vnto vs in the holy scriptures,
to set other persons or thinges, and of them to
frame and make to our selues as it were certayne

C.iij.

Gods, to worship them as Gods, and to
set and repose our trust in them. For God commandeth
vs to acknowledge him alone for our
onely God, that is, that of those thinges that
wholy belong to his maiestie and which we
owe to him alone, we transferre not any part be
it neuer so litle to any other, but that to him alone
and entirely we geue his whole honor and seruice,
whereof to yeld any whit to any other were
a most hainous offence.

Ma. What be the thinges that we properly owe to
God alone, wherein thou sayest that his proper and
peculiar whorshipping consisteth?

Sch. Innumerable are the thinges that we owe
to God, but they all may be well reduced to
foure chiefe pointes.

Ma. Which be they?

Sch. That we geue vnto his Maiestie the soueraigne
honor, and to his goodnesse the greatest
loue & affiance, that we flee to him and craue
his helpe, that with thankefulnesse we yelde as
due to him our selues and al that we haue. These
thinges are to be geuen, as to none other, so to
him alone, if we desire to haue him alone our
God, and to be his peculiar people.

Ma. What meane those last wordes, before me or in
my sight.

Sch. That we can not once so much as tend to
reuolting from God, but that God is witnesse
of it: for there is nothing so close nor so secret that
can be hidde from him. Moreouer he thereby declareth
that he requireth not onely the honor of
open confession, but also inward and sincere godlinesse
of hart, for that he is the vnderstander and
iudge of secret thoughtes.

Ma Well then, let this be enough sayd of the first
commaundement. Now let vs goe on to the second.

Sch. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image,
nor the likenes of any thing that is in heauen above or in
the earth beneath, nor in the water vnder the earth: thou
shalt not bow downe to them, nor worship them. For I the
Lord thy God, am a ielious God, & visite the sinnes of the
Fathers vpon the children vnto the third & fowerth generation
of them that hate me, and shew mercy vnto thousandes
in them that loue me, & kepe my commandementes.

Ma. What is the meaning of these wordes.

Sch. As in the first commandement he commandeth
that himself alone be honored and worshipped,
so in this commandement he restraineth
vs from all superstition, and from all wrongfull
and bodily inuentions, forasmuch as the worshipping
of him ought to be spirituall and pure:
and chiefly he frayeth vs from the most grosse
fault of outward idolatrie.

Ma. It may seeme then that this law wholly condemneth
the artes of painting, and portraiture, so
that it is not lawfull to haue any images made at all.

Sch. Not so. But he first forbiddeth vs to make
any images to expresse or counterfait God, or to
worship him withall, and secondly he chargeth
vs not to worship the images themselues.

Ma. Why is it not lawfull to expresse God with a
bodily and visible forme?

Sch. Because there can be no likenesse or agreeing
betwene God which is a spirit, eternall, vnmeasurable,
infinite, incomprehensible, seuered
from all mortall composition, and a fraile, bodily,
silly, spiritlesse, and vaine shape. Therefore

C.iiij.

they do most iniuriously abate the maiestie of
the most good and most great God, when they
goe about in such sort to make resemblance of
him.

Ma. Haue not they then sayd well, which affirme
that images are vnlearned mens bookes?

Sch. I know not what maner of bookes they
be. But surely, concerning God, they can teach
vs nothing but errors.

Ma. What maner of worshipping is that which is
here condemned?

Sch. When we intending to pray do turne our
selues to portraitures or images, when we do
fall downe and kneele before them, with vncouering
our heades or with other signes shewing
any honor vnto them, as if God were represented
vnto vs by them. Briefly we are in this law forbidden,
that we neither seeke nor worship God
in images: or, which is all one, that we worship
not the images themselues in honor of God, nor
in any wise by idolatrie or superstition abuse
them with iniurie to his maiestie. Otherwise the
lawfull vse of making portraitures, and of painting,
is not forbidden.

Ma. By this that thou tellest me it may easily be gathered
that it is very perilous to set any images or
pictures in churches which are properly appointed
for the onely worshipping of God.

Sch. That that is true, we haue had already to
much experience by the decay in a maner of whole
religion.

Ma. Yet there remayneth a certaine as it were addition
or appendant of this law.

Sch. For I saith he I the Lord your God am a ielious

6

God, and visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children
vnto the third & fourth generation of them that hate me.

Ma. To what end, or wherfore were these thinges
spoken?

Sch. These serue to thys end, to stablish and confirme
thys law by adding as it were a certaine
speciall decree. For in naming him selfe our Lord
& our God, he doth by two reasons, that is, in respect
of his authoritie, & of his bountifulnesse,
vrge vs to obey him in all thinges. And by this
word Ialousie, he declareth that he can abide no
partener or egall.

Ma. What is the reason of this ialousie that thou
speakest of?

Sch. A most iust reason. For sith that to vs which
haue nothing deserued, onely of his own infinite
goodnesse, he hath geuen him selfe, by most good
right it is that he will haue vs to be wholly
altogether & entirely his owne. For this is that
bond as it were of a holy mariage, wherein to
God the faithfull husband our soules as chaste
spouses are coupled. Whose chastitie standeth
in this, to be dedicate to God alone, and to cleaue
wholy to him, like as on the other side our soules
are sayd to be defiled with adulterie, when they
swarue from God to idolatrie or superstition.
And how much more hartily the husband loueth
his wife, and the chaster he is him selfe, so much is
he more greuously displeased with his wife when
she breaketh her fayth.

Ma. Goe on.

Sch. Now to the entent to shew more vehemently
how he hateth idolatrie, & with greater feare

D.j.

to restraine vs from offending therin, he threateneth
that he will take vengeance, not onely of
them that shall so offend, but also of their children
and posteritie.

Ma. But how doth this agree with the righteousnesse
of God, that any one should be punished for
an others offence?

Sch. The very state of mankinde doth sufficiently
assoile this question. For by nature we are all
subiect to damnation, in which state if God do
leaue vs, we haue no cause to complaine of him.
And as toward the godly he sheweth his loue &
mercie, in defending & cherishing their posteritie
with geuing them their preseruation which
he ought them not, so toward the vngodly he
executeth his vengeance in withholding that
his goodnesse from their children, and yet in the
meane time he doeth them no wrong in that he
geueth them not the grace which he oweth
them not, but as he found them, so leaueth them
to their owne disposition and nature.

Ma. Go forward to the rest.

Sch. That he should not seeme to enforce vs
with onely threateninges, now foloweth the
other part, wherin God with gentle and liberall
promising, entreateth and allureth vs to obey
him. For he promiseth that he will shew most
great mercifulnesse, both toward all them selues
that loue him and obey his commandementes,
and also toward their posteritie.

Ma. By what reason doest thou thinke this to be
righteous?

Sch. Some reason it is, bicause of the godly education
wherin godly parents do so instruct their
children that they commonly vse to succede them
as their heires in the true feare & loue of God. Also
nature it selfe draweth vs to a good will toward
our frendes children. But the surest reason
is that God so promiseth, which neither can
swarue from righteousnesse, nor at any time
breake his promise.

Ma. But it appeareth that this is not continually
certaine, and euer falleth so. For sometime godly parentes
begette vngodly children, and such as goe
our of kinde from their parentes goodnesse, whom
God notwithstanding this promise hath greuously
punished.

Sch. This in deede can not be denied. For as
God, when he will, sheweth himselfe mercifull
to the children of the wicked, so is he by no such
necessity bounden to the children of the godly,
but that he is at libertie to reiect such of them
as he will. But therin he alway vseth such moderation
that the truth of his promise euer remaineth
stedfast.

Ma. Where afore we speaking of reuenging, he nameth
but three or foure generations at the most,
why doth he here in speaking of mercie, conteine
a thousand?

Sch. To shew, that he is much more inclined to
mercifulnesse and to liberalitie, than he is to
seueritie, like as also in an other place he professeth
that he is very slow to wrath and most redy
to forgeue.

Ma. Thou hast in good time made mention of
Prayer. For now thou hast ended the declaration
of the Law of God, and of the Crede, that is to say,
the Christian confession, it followth next to speake
of prayer and of thankesgeuing which is nerely conioyned
to it: for these are in order knitte and fittly
hanging together with the rest.

Sch. They be in dede most nerely ioyned, for
they belong to the first table of Gods lawe, and
do conteine the principall duties of godlinesse toward
God.

Ma. In declaring of prayer, what order shall we
followe?

Sch. Thys order, master, if it so please you: fyrst
to shewe who is to be prayed vnto: secondly,
with what affiance: thirdly, with what affection
of hart: and fourthly, what is to be prayed for.

Ma. First then tell me who thou thinkest is to be
called vpon.

Sch. Surely none but God alone.

Ma. Why so?

Sch. Because our life and saluation standeth
in the hand of God alone, in whose power are all
thynges. Sithe then God doth geue vs all that
is good, and that a Christian man ought to wish
and desire: and sithe he alone is able in euery
danger to geue helpe and succour and to driue
away all perils: it is mete that of hym we
aske all thynges, and in all distresses flee to

P.j.

hym alone and craue hys helpe. For thys he
him selfe in hys worde asketh and requireth
as the peculiar and proper worshipping of hys
maiestie.

Ma. Shall we not then do well to call vpon holy
men that are departed out of thys life, or vpon
Angels?

Sch. No. For that were to geue to them an
infinitenesse to be present euery where, or to geue
them being absent an vnderstandyng of our secrete
meaninges, that is, as much as a certaine
Godhead, and therewithall partly to conuey
to them our confidence and trust that ought
to be set wholly in God alone, and so to slide into
idolatrie. But forasmuch as God calleth vs to
hym selfe alone, and doth also with adding an
othe, promise that he will both heare and helpe
vs, to flee to the helpe of other were an euident
token of distrust and infidelitie. And as
touchyng the holy men that are departed out
of thys life, what maner of thyng I pray you
were thys, forsaking the lyuing God, that
heareth our prayers, that is most mightye,
most ready to helpe vs, that calleth vs vnto
hym, that in the worde of truthe promiseth
and sweareth that with hys diuine power
and succour he will defend vs, forsaking hym,
I say, to flee to men dead, deaffe and weake,
which neither haue promised helpe nor are able
to relieue vs, to whom God neuer gaue the
office to helpe vs, to whom we are by no Scriptures
directed whereupon our fayth may surely
rest, but are vnaduisedly caryed away trusting
onely vpon the dreames or rather dotages
of our owne head.

Ma. But God doth to our saluation vse the seruice
of Angels, that wayte vpon vs, and therefore do
heare vs.

Sch. That is true. But yet it appereth no where
in the word of God, that God would haue vs
pray to Angels, or to godly men decessed. And
sithe fayth resteth vpon the word of God, and
what is not of fayth is sinne, I sayd rightly
that it is a sure token of infidelitie to forsake
God, to whom alone the scriptures do send vs,
and to pray to and craue helpe of Angels, or godly
men departed this life, for calling vpon whom
there is not one word in the holy scriptures.

Ma. But seing charitie neuer falleth out of the
hartes of the godly, euen while they be in heauen
they are carefull for vs and do desire our saluation.

Sch. That can not be denyed, yet it doth not
follow that we must therefore call vpon them,
vnlesse we thinke that we must call for the
helpe and succour of our frendes be they neuer
so farre from vs, onely bicause they beare vs
good will.

Ma. But we oft craue helpe of men that be aliue,
and with whome we are presently conuersant.

Sch. I graunt. For men as they haue mutually
neede one of an others helpe, so hath God
graunted them power one mutually to helpe an
other, yea and he hath expresly commaunded
euery man to releue his neighbour with such
helpe as he can. We do therefore call vpon men
as ministers of Gods goodnesse, according to

P.ij.

the will of God, looking for helpe and succour
of them: but yet so, that all our trust be setled in
God alone, and that we recken receiued from
him as the springhed of all liberalitie, whatsoeuer
is deliuered vs by the handes of men.
Therefore thys is well and orderly done, and no
impediment to the calling vpon of God alone, so
that we confesse that we do not from els where
looke for any good thing, nor settle our whole
succour in any other.

Ma. Doest thou then say that we must vse prayer
and supplication, like as all other duties of godlinesse,
according to the prescription of Gods word,
or ells we can not please God?

Sch. Yea verely. For all offense in religion is
committed by changing the order and maner apointed
by God.

Ma. Hetherto then thou hast sayd that God alone
is to be called vpon, putting all our trust
in him, and that to hym all thinges as to the
springhed of all good thinges are to be imputed,
now foloweth next to declare with what confidence
we wretched mortall men that are so many
wayes vnworthy ought to call vpon the immortall
God.

Sch. We are in deede euery way most vnworthy.
But we thrust not our selues in proudly
and arrogantly as if we were worthy, but
we come to hym in the name and vpon trust
of Christ our mediatour, by whom the dore
being opened to vs, though we be most base
silly wretches, made of clay and slyme, oppressed
with conscience of our owne sinnes,
we shall not be forbidden to enter, nor shall
haue hard accesse to the maiestie of God and
to the obteyning of his fauor.

Ma. We nede not then, for accesse to God, some
man to be our meane or interpreter, to commend
and declare our sute vnto him as it were vnto some
worldly Prince.

Sch. Nothing lesse, vnlesse we will thinke that
God is, as men be, bound to one place, that he
can not vnderstand many thinges but by his seruantes,
that he sometime slepeth, or hath not leysure
to heare. For, as touching our vnworthinesse,
we haue alredy said that our prayers stand
in confidence not vpon any thing in vs, but vpon
the only worthinesse of Christ in whose name
we pray.

Ma. Doest thou then think that God the father is to
be called vpon in the name and vpon trust of Christ
alone?

Sch. Yea forsoth maister. For he alone aboue all
other, most singularly loueth vs, so farre that he
will do all thinges for our sakes: he alone is with
God his father, at whose right hand he sitteth
in most hye fauour, that he may obteine what
he will of him: he therfore alone is the mediatour
of God and men, the man Iesus Christ: he alone
I say, is the mediator of Redemption, and also
of inuocation, in whose name alone the holy
scriptures do expresly bidde vs to goe vnto God
the father, adding also promises that he by his intercession
will bring to passe that we shal obteine
all that we pray for: Otherwise without Christ
the eare and hart of God abhorreth men.

Ma. But we doe yet with mutuall prayers one

P.iij.

helpe an other, so long as we abide in this world.

Sch. That is true. But we do not therefore set
other Mediators in place of Christ, but with
conioyned hartes and prayers, according to
the rule of charitie and the word of God, we
do by one Mediator call vpon our common
Father.

Ma. Thou sayest then that to appoint other mediators
to God, or patrones for our cause, but Christ
alone, is both against the holy scriptures and therefore
against faith, and also conteyneth great iniurie
to Christ himselfe.

Sch. Yea forsoth, maister.

Ma. Goe on then.

Sch. The summe is this, that we must come to
call vpon God the father, resting vpon affiance
of the promises made to vs by Christ, and trusting
vpon his intercession, leauing all respect
of our owne worthinesse, and framing our prayers
as it were out of the mouth of Christ.
Which doing as it is most agreable to the truth
of the Scriptures, so is it most farre from the
fault of arrogancie and presumption.

Ma. Thinkest thou that they which so pray to God
as thou sayest ought to haue a good hope to obteine
what they aske?

Sch. The Lord himselfe doth also command vs
to aske with sure fayth, making therewith a
promise and adding an othe, that it shalbe geuen
vs whatsoeuer we aske with fayth. And
likewise his Apostles do teach that right prayer
procedeth from faith. Therefore we must alway
lay this most assured foundation of prayer, that
resting vpon sure trust of hys fatherly goodnesse,
we must determine that God wyll heare
our prayers and petitions, and that we shall obteyne
so farre as it is expedient for vs. Therefore
they that come rashly and vnconsiderately
to prayer, and such as pray douting, and vncertaine
of their speding, they do without fruite
powre out vaine and bootelesse wordes.

Ma. I see with what confidence thou sayest we must
call vpon God. Now tell me with what affection
of hart we must come vnto him.

Sch. Our hartes must be sore greeued with feeling
of our nede and pouertie, and the miseries
that oppresse vs, so farre forth that we must
burne with great desire of deliuerance from
that griefe, and of Gods helpe which we pray
for. Being thus disposed in hart it can not be but
that we shall most attentiuely and with most
feruent affection with all maner of prayers and
petitions craue that we desire.

Ma. I see then it is not enough to pray with tong
and voyce alone.

Sch. To pray, not applying thereto our mynde
and attentiuenesse, without which our prayers
can neuer be effectuall, is not onely to take
frutelesse labor in vaine. For how shall God
heare vs, when we heede not nor heare not
our selues? and not onely to powre out vayne
and frutelesse, but also hurtfull wordes with
offending Gods maiestie. So farre of is it, that
such prayers can appease the maiestie of God,
that is displeased with our offence.

Ma. How know we that it is thus?

Sch. Sithe God is a spirit, and as I may so
call him a most pure mynde: he both in all other
thinges, and specially in prayer, wherby
men as it were talke and common with God,
requireth the soule and mynde. And he also
testifieth that he will be nere to them onely that
call vpon him truely, that is, with their hart
and that their prayers please hym. On the
other side God doth worthily abhorre and detest
their prayers that fainedly and vnaduisedly
vtter with their tong that which they conceiue
not with their hart and thought, and deale
more negligently with immortall God, than
they are wont to do with a mortall man. Therefore
in prayer the mynde is euer nedefull, but the
tong is not alway necessarie.

Ma. But there is some vse of the tong in prayer.

Sch. Yea forsothe. For meete it is that the
tong do also diligently and earnestly employ
all her strength and abilitie to set forth the honor
of God, sithe it is aboue all other partes of
the bodie properly created by God to that
vse. Moreouer as from a mynde earnestly bent
with studie and care, sometime wordes breake
out of vs ere we be aware: so oftentimes the
very sound of vtterance and the hearing of our
owne wordes quickeneth and sharpeneth our
mynde, and helpeth the hedefulnesse thereof, and
kepeth of and driueth away slacknesse wherewith
the hart is continually tempted.

Ma. Sithe it is so, what thinkest thou of them
that pray in a strange tong and such as they vnderstand
not?

Sch. I thinke that they not onely lose their labor,
but therewith also mocke God him selfe. For
if LOQVI, to speake, be wittingly to bestow ech
worde in hys right place, they that vtter wordes
which they vnderstand not, chatter rather than
speake, so farre be they from praying. For they
play the Parottes rather than men, much lesse
Christian men. Therefore farre be from godly
men such hypocrisie and mockerie. For if Saint
Paule thinke it an absurditie for a man to speake
to other that speche which they vnderstand not,
bicause wordes moue no man but hym that hath
the same language, and affirmeth that both he
that speaketh and he that heareth, shall either
of them be an alien to the other: how much greater
absurditie is it that we our selues be aliens to
our selues, while we vse that speche that we
know not, and goe about to vtter our meaninges
and prayers in that tong wherein our
selues are deaffe? Wise men in olde tyme thought
that such men, as most fonde, were most worthy
to be laughed at.

Ma. I see how hedefull a minde and feruent affection
is required in prayer. But tell me, doest thou
thinke this feruentnesse to be naturall and by kinde
planted in our hartes, or that it is a raising vp of our
mindes by God?

Sch. The holy Scriptures do testifie that the
spirit of God raiseth vp vnspeakable groanings,
whereby our prayers are made effectuall. He
therefore without dout with hys inspiration stirreth
vp our mindes, and whetteth and helpeth
vs to pray.

Ma. How then? when this feruentnesse of minde
that can not always be present, is slacked, or wholly
quenched, shall we as it were drousy with slowth, &
sleeping, idlely looke for the styrring and mouing of
the spirite?

Sch. Nothyng lesse. But rather when we be
faynt and slacke in minde, we must byandby
craue the helpe of God, that he will geue vs
cherefulnesse and stirre vp our hartes to prayer:
For this minde and will we conceaue by the guiding
of God.

Ma. Now remayneth that I heare of thee what we
ought to aske of God by praier. Is it lawful to aske of
God what soeuer commeth in our mind & mouth?

Sch. When men that were strangers to true
godlinesse, had such an honest opinion of the maiestie
and minde of their Gods, that they thought
they ought not to aske of them any thyng vniust
or vnhonest: God forbid that we Christians
should euer aske any thyng of God in prayer that
may mislyke the minde & will of God. For thys
were to do to Gods maiestie most hye iniurie
and dishonour, so much lesse may such a prayer
please hym or obteine any thyng of hym. And
sithe both the wittes of men are to dull to vnderstand
what is expedient for them, and the desires
of their hartes are so blinde and wilde, that
they not onely neede a guide whom they may followe,
but also bridles to restraine them, it were
to great an absurditie that we should in prayer
be caryed rashly and headlong by our owne affections.
By a certayne rule therfore & prescribed
forme our prayers ought wholly to be directed.

Ma. What rule and forme?

Sch. Euen the same forme of prayer verily,
which the heauenly scholemaister appointed to
hys disciples, and by them to vs all, wherein he
hath couched in very few pointes all those things
that are lawfull to be asked of God, and behouefull
for vs to obteyne: which prayer is after
the author therof called the Lordes prayer. If
therefore we will followe the heauenly teacher
with hys diuine voyce saying before vs, truely
we shall neuer swarue from the right rule of
praying.

Ma. Rehearse me then the Lordes prayer.

Sch. When ye will pray sayth the Lorde say
thus: OVR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY KINGDOME
COME. THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH
AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GEVE VS THIS DAY
OVR DAILY BREAD. AND FORGEVE VS OVR
TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGEVE THEM THAT
TRESPASSE AGAINST VS. AND LEAD VS
NOT INTO TEMPTATION. BVT DELIVER
VS FROM EVILL. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOME,
AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY,
FOR EVER. AMEN.

Ma. Doest thou thinke that we are bound euer so
to render these very wordes, that it is not lawfull in
one worde to varie from them?

Sch. It is no dout that we may vse other
wordes in praying, so that we swarue not from
the meaning of thys prayer. For in it the Lorde
hath sett out certaine speciall and principall
pointes, to the which vnlesse all our prayers be

Q.ij.

referred they can not please God. Yet let euery
man aske of God as the present tyme and hys
neede shall require: and let hym tarry vppon
which part of thys prayer he will, and so long as
he liste, and dilate it in sundry sortes as he will:
for there is no impediment to the contrary, so
that he pray to God with such affiance and affection
as I haue before spoken of, and to the
same meanyng that is sett out in thys prayer.