unto whom the chief government of all estates of this realm, whether they be ecclesiastical or civil, in all causes doth appertain; and is not, nor ought to be, subject to any foreign jurisdiction. Where we attribute to the King's majesty, the chief government, by which titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended, we give not our Princes the ministering either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments; the which thing the injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen, do most plainly testify: but that only prerogative, which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in Holy Scriptures by God himself; that is, that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God, whether they be ecclesiastical or temporal, and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil doers. The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this realm of England. The laws of the realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offences. It is lawful for Christian men at the commandment of the magistrate, to wear weapons, and serve in the wars. HOMILY 18. Of the State of Matrimony. HOMILY 21. Against Disobedience and wilful Rebellion. CRANMER'S CATECHISM. This, good children, is the first and chief Commandment of the Second Table, and which doth teach us how we ought to behave ourselves toward our neighbour. And this Commandment speaketh of the most excellent and most dear personages unto us, that live upon the earth; as of our parents and rulers of the commonwealth and it teacheth how we should order ourselves towards them, that is to say, to honour and dread them. It entreateth of no small or trifling things, but containeth matters of very great importance, and it giveth great wisdom to all them, that do rightly understand it wherefore, good children, listen to it diligently, that you may know the true meaning thereof. And first of all, ye shall understand, that God did give us these Ten Commandments for this cause, that by them we might learn what doth please him. For this is a doctrine most certain, that we upon earth can enterprise or work nothing, that may better please him, than to keep his Commandments. And they be most fools of all, that go about to serve God and win his favour with such works as he himself hath not commanded. For of such Christ saith in the fifteenth chapter of Matthew, "They worship me in vain with the commandments of men.' But this we may be sure of, that it pleaseth God we should honour our father and mother, and obey them. And for this cause, all the works also which they command us to do, do please God, yea, the most vile works that they appoint us unto, as to sweep the house, to pour water into the laver, and such like. Now this is a very great comfort for us to know for a surety, that these small and drudging works do highly please God, because in doing them we obey our parents. Contrariwise, those kinds of worshipping God, those ceremonies and works which be done to please God without his Commandment, and besides his Word, do nothing at all please him, although the world do never so highly esteem and praise them. For it is the Commandment of God only, and nothing else, that maketh our works holy and precious in his sight. Now here God commandeth us to honour our father and mother; that is to say, to stand in awe of them, willingly to obey them, to love them, and have them in reverence, and to help them with all the means we can. For these words, "Honour thy father and mother," do contain all these things. And we be bound to yield unto them this honour, forasmuch as God hath given them unto us, as masters, tutors, governors, and rulers, in his stead, and by them hath poured upon us many high and great benefits, whereby we be most straightly bound to honour them, and not to despise them. But when we do not fear them, when we lightly regard them, when they be angry with us, then we despise them. And this is a very heinous sin before God: for in no wise we should contemn them, but ought to take very great heed that we displease them not, no not in trifling things. Also when we do not obey them willingly, then also we de spise them, for he that doth not obey his father and mother, he is a presumptuous person, and thinketh himself wiser or better than they and this is a great contempt and an heinous sin before God. Wherefore, good children, do not so despise your fathers and mothers, but obey them with all your heart, and be subject unto them. : Furthermore, when we do not love our fathers and mothers, then it is not possible that we should heartily honour them: wherefore we must bear a hearty and fervent love towards them; specially seeing that God hath through them poured so many benefits upon us, as we shall declare more at large hereafter.. Furthermore, God sendeth us Christian parents, which cause us to be baptized and grafted into Christ, and to be made the children of God. For, if our parents were not christened, we were like to be wrapped in continual blindness and errors (for you see no Jews' children come to be baptized); and if we should have heathen parents, and die without baptism, we should be damned everlastingly. And in case we died not in our infancy, yet we should be ungodly brought up in the houses of heathen and unchristened parents, and should be taught, even from our tender age, to hate and despise the true faith of Christ, as we may see an example by Turks' and Jews' children, which vehemently hate the faith of Christ, and among ten thousand of them scarce one desireth to be baptized. And this is the third great benefit, that God by our parents doth bring us to Baptism and to Christ his Church, and doth plant in our hearts an earnest love towards Christ's religion, that willingly and gladly we become Christians..... Furthermore, when that our parents either be not able sufficiently to teach us in their own persons, or have not convenient leisure to do the same, then they commit us to schoolmasters, preachers, pastors, and curates, and make them their deputies. Therefore it is the duty of children reverently to obey their teachers and curates. For |