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From the Thirty-nine Articles.

ARTICLE XXII.

Of Purgatory.

The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardons, worshipping and adoration, as well of images as of reliques, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God:

From the Homilies.

BOOK II.

HOMILY 7. Of Prayer.

HOMILY 8. Of the Place and Time of Prayer, (passim.)

HOMILY 9. Of Common Prayer and Sacraments, (passim.)

HOMILY 17. For Rogation Week.

CRANMER'S CATECHISM.

Ye have learned heretofore, good children, in the Creed, what we ought to believe, and in the Ten Commandments what we ought to do; but we can neither believe nor do as we ought to do, except the Holy Ghost work within us both a true faith, and also a due obedience towards God and his law. For faith is the gift of God, and all good things cometh from the Father of lights. Therefore we must needs ask and crave these benefits at his hand, which only is the Giver of them: for so Christ saith, that God, the Father, will give to us his children all things, so that we sue to him for them; and the Prophet David saith, "Call upon me in the day of thy trouble, and I shall deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." Also our Saviour Christ commandeth us to do the same, saying, "Ask and you shall have, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you."

Now therefore, seeing that ye have learned what we should believe and do, it is most necessary for us to call for God's grace with most fervent and earnest prayers, that we may be able to perform the thing which we are bound to do: for our Saviour Christ hath promised us, that whatsoever we ask the Father in his name, he will give it us. Also he saith, that whatsoever we ask, if we believe, we shall receive the same. Where is to be noted, that if we will obtain our requests,

we must ask in the name of Christ; and also trust assuredly, that for Christ's sake our prayers shall be heard. To ask in Christ's name is to ask according to his will, that is to say, to ask that which he hath commanded.

Therefore when we pray we may say thus: "O God our Father, and the Father of our Lord Jesu Christ, which art in heaven, I durst not of mine own head be so bold to come unto thy most high and excellent Majesty to desire any thing of thee; but thy well-beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, hath commanded me so to do, and only in his name, and at his commandment, I am so bold. Therefore if thou hear me, thou hearest thy dearlybeloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: and if thou hear me not, then thou hearest not Jesus Christ himself, who hath sent me to thee, and hath commanded me to ask in his name.' Of this prayer, made in faith, speaketh St. John in his Epistle, saying, "This trust we have in God, that when we ask any thing according to his will, he doth hear us."

Therefore, we should steadfastly believe that God doth hear our prayer: for he that believeth not, he shall obtain nothing. And therefore Christ saith, If you believe, you shall obtain. And to the intent that we should believe and surely think that we be heard, he hath promised to grant whatsoever we ask in his name. And àgain, to the intent that we should know and be sure that we pray according to his will, he himself hath taught us how and what we should pray

and ask. Therefore it is not in our liberty whether we will pray or not, but by God's Commandment we be bound to pray, as you have heard in the Second Commandment. Now, therefore, with all diligence learn, good children, the holy prayer of the Lord, which the great Doctor and our Lord Jesus Christ taught us himself, saying to his disciples, Ye shall pray after this

manner:

"Our Father," &c.

This, good children, is the prayer of the Lord; which although it be short, yet it containeth most great and weighty matters, such as neither angel nor man, nor other creature, was able so pithily to comprise in so few words: for in this prayer, Christ our Lord teacheth us to ask all things that either be commanded us in the Ten Commandments, or promised us in the Articles of our Creed. Wherefore, good children, you ought to endeavour yourselves, not only to learn without the book this most holy prayer, taught us by Christ's own mouth, our great Master and Teacher, but also you ought to give diligence to understand and justly to weigh every word of so great a Master; that when you be apposed herein, you may be able to make a direct answer, and also in time to come to teach your children the true understanding of this prayer, as you yourselves be now instructed.

For what greater shame can there be before God and man, than when in our mouths we profess ourselves to be Christian men, and to know

what we ought to believe, and how to live, and yet to be ignorant what thing we ought to ask of God, and after what manner we ought to ask those things, which he of his goodness hath promised most largely to give us? Or else, if we know how and what to ask, yet of negligence, sloth, or contempt of God, not to ask the same indeed in such wise as we ought to do? Specially seeing that the proper office of a Christian man is to call upon God in all his business and necessities, to give thanks, and evermore to honour his most blessed name with most high lauds and praises. Wherefore, good children, forasmuch as God hath commanded us to resort to him boldly and to moan ourselves to him in all our troubles and adversities, and hath promised that he will hear our prayers, deliver us, and grant us all things necessary for our salvation, let us not refuse this honour that we be called unto, let us not refuse this remedy, help, aid, and succour, that is freely offered of our most merciful Father, to all his children that will call upon his name: for this is a sacrifice most acceptable to God, wherewith he is most highly honoured and pleased.

Wherefore, good children, both daily and hourly accustom yourselves, even from your tender age, to pray to your heavenly Father for all things necessary. Offer up unto him at your uprising and downlying, before your meals and after your meat, this sacrifice of your lips, the oblation of praise and thanksgiving; worship him at all

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