we for him. For when he by his ministers causeth his Word to be preached unto us, when he distributeth to us ineffable gifts of his Sacraments, when he heareth our prayers, he is rather beneficial unto us than we be to him. Therefore the effect and sum of this Commandment is, as God should say thus; "Good children, will you serve me, and do that thing that may please me, then trust not in your own works, nor put your confidence in them. For I have no need of your labour and works. Come hither, I will teach you what ye ought to believe and to do. I will comfort you with the marvellous gifts of my Sacraments. I will hear your prayers. You cannot give to me greater honour than to repair to me, and to suffer me that I may pour my benefits upon you, that you may acknowledge me to be your Father, that you may cast your whole affiance in me, and that you may love me, as children love their fathers and mothers." But of this matter you shall hear more in the Creed or Articles of the faith.

In the mean time, you shall specially mark, that although every man hath need to labour daily for his daily food, yet God hath given us Sabbath days, or resting times, in the which he hath commanded not only the masters themselves, but also their servants and cattle, to cease from bodily labours. And yet on those days he feedeth us as well as on the working days. By the which he signifieth unto us, that although we toil not continually until we be weary, yet he will

give us abundantly all things necessary, when we obey his will, and first of all, seek the kingdom of God, that all other things may be given us.

Hitherto, good children, you have been taught in what holy works you ought to spend the Sabbath-day. Now it shall be declared unto you, how great a sin it is not to sanctify the same. The which sin is then committed, when we upon the holy days do not hear with great diligence and reverence sermons and the most fruitful Word of God; when we do not give our minds to prayer and other godly works, but to idleness, eating, drinking, banquetting, dancing, lechery, dicing, carding, backbiting, slandering, and other ungodly works. For the which abuse of holy days God is grievously provoked, and punisheth us grievously with divers kinds of plagues, but specially with need and poverty. For so God threateneth in the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, "that men shall labour and toil both day and night, and yet shall not be able to work themselves out of poverty." And it is no marvel. For when God giveth them resting days, they do not sanctify the same, they do not hear the Word of God nor pray to him, but wickedly despise God and his honour, spending the Sabbath-day in the above-named sinful and ungodly life: Wherefore God justly punisheth them with poverty.

KING EDWARD THE SIXTH'S CATECHISM.

Last of all, this ought we to hold stedfastly and with devout conscience: that we keep holily and religiously the Sabbath-day; which was ap pointed out from the other, for rest and service of God.

NOWELL'S CATECHISM.

Master. Now remaineth the Fourth Commandment, which is the last Commandment of the First Table.

Scholar. the Sabbath-day.

“Remember that thou keep holy Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no mannner of work: thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that în them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it."

Mast. What meaneth this word Sabbath? Scho. Sabbath, by interpretation, signifieth rest. That day, for that it is appointed only for

the worshipping of God, the godly must lay aside all worldly business, that they may the more diligently intend to religion and godliness.

Mast. Why hath God set herein before us an example of himself for us to follow?

Scho. Because notable and noble examples do more thoroughly stir and sharpen men's minds. For servants do willingly follow their master, and children their parent. And nothing is more to be desired of men, than to frame themselves to the example and imitation of God.

Mast. Sayest thou then that we must every seventh day abstain from all labour?

Scho. This Commandment hath a double consideration. For inasmuch as it containeth a ceremony, and requireth only outward rest, it belonged peculiarly to the Jews, and hath not the force of a continuing and eternal Law. But now by the coming of Christ, as the other shadows of Jewish ceremonies are abrogate, so is this Law also in this behalf abridged.

Mast.

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What then beside the ceremony is there remaining, whereunto we are still perpetually bound?

Scho. This Law was ordained for these causes: first, to stablish and maintain an ecclesiastical discipline, and a certain order of the Christian commonweal; secondly, to provide for the state of servants, that it be made tolerable; thirdly, to express a certain form and figure of the spiritual

Mast. What is that ecclesiastical discipline that thou speakest of?

Scho. That the people assemble together to hear the doctrine of Christ, to yield confession of their faith, to make openly public prayers to God, to celebrate and retain the memory of God's works and benefits, and to use the mysteries that he hath left us.

Mast. Shall it be enough to have done these every seventh day?

Scho. These things, indeed, every man privately ought to record and think upon every day; but for our negligence and weakness sake, one certain special day is by public order appointed for this matter.

Mast. Why was there in this Commandment provison made for relieving of servants?

Scho. It was reason that they which be under other men's power should have some time to rest from labour. For else their state should be too grievous and too hard to bear. And surely meet it was that servants should, together with us, sometime serve Him that is the common master of them and us; yea, and farther too, since he hath by Christ adopted them to himself as well as us. It is also profitable for the masters themselves that servants should sometimes rest between their workings, that, after respiting their work awhile, they may return more fresh and lusty to it again.

Mast. Now remaineth for thee to tell of the spiritual rest.