Short Questions And Answers Containing The Sum Of Christian Religion, Part 1
¶These are the orders which I hauehave sene obserued in a Christian Gentlemans house, to the profit of his houshold, example of others, cōfort of Gods childrē, & honor of God.
WHile they had a Minister, the whole houshold met at the Church twise euerie Sabboth, and once euerie weeke day: but since the restraint of their Minister, they meete euerie morning in the weeke day in the Parlor, where their Maister kneeleth downe with them, and prayeth, vsing these prayers following,
The confession of sinnes, with morning prayer for priuate housholdes, for men before their labour, for the Churche, the Realme, the Queene and Magistrates, the Lordes prayer, and Confession of faith, all which prayers are in the booke of Common prayer.
If he be from home, or sicke, then doth his Steward, or some such like of thē say those prayers.
After prayers, the houshold departeth, either whether necessitie of their Offices call them, or whether delight in honest exercises for recreation doeth carrie them.
Before prayer meditate of these places.
Prou. 1.28. They shall call vponupon me, but I will not answeare: they shall seeke me early, but they shall not finde me,
26. Because thay hated knowledge, and did not chose the feare of the Lorde.
Iam. 4.3. You aske, and receiue not, because you aske amisse, that you might consume it on your lustes.
Rom. 8.26. The spirit helpeth our infirmities: for we knowe not what to pray as we ought: but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vsus, with sighes which cannot be expressed.
27. But he that sercheth the heartes knoweth the meaning of the spirite, for he maketh request for the Sainctes, according to the will of God.
At meales, the Maister saith grace, both before and after.
Prayer before meales.
GOod Lord blesse vsus, blesse al thy creaturs, send downe thy holy spirit into our hearts, so to direct vsus, that we may looke for the spirituall foode of our soules: and finally, euerlasting peace, through thy sonne Jesus Christ. Amen.
In meale time some one of the seruantes readeth a Chapter of the Bible distinctly and reuerentlie, first praying thus.
O Lorde whose word is a two edged swoord, to cut downe all things that shall rise vp against the same, the maiestie whereof shaketh the heauens, and the earth also: graunt that our proude and vaine affections being cut downe, we may with reuerence reade it, and humbly in obedience submit our selues vntounto it, through Jesus Christ our Lorde. So be it.
Or this.
O Lorde, whiche hast prouided these earthly creatures, for the feeding of our natural bodies, direct vsus carefully to seeke, with delight to tast of thy most holie woorde, that we may by that immortall seede, be begotten to be thy children, and thereby be nourished and fedde, vntill we become perfect men in thy sonne Christ Jesus. So be it.
A sentence to be said after the Chapter.
Blessed are they that heare the worde of God, and keepe it.
After meales, be carefull for thy selfe, as Iob was for his children. Cha. 1.5. And in meditation of thy words, thy behauiour, and vse of Gods creatures, say:
O Lord, if thou markest what is said, or done amisse, who shall be able to abide it? Forgiue vsus our sinnes, & amend our imperfections, and graunt vsus the grace of thy holie Spirite, as thou hast fedde vsus plentifully, that we may serue thee faithfully. Preserue the Queenes Maiestie, saue thy Church vniuersall, graunt thy Gospell a free passage, confounde Antichrist, and all heresies, finish soone these dayes of sinne, and bring vsus to euerlasting peace, through thy sonne Christ Jesus our Lord. So be it.
The Seruingmen likewise hauehave grace before and after meales, and a Chapter read before they rise.
AFter they hauehave supt, and the Officers hauehave done in their offices, they come together into the Parlour or Hall, and there spende one houre in singing Psalmes, learning, and answearing some fewe of these pointes of Religion, and praying:
Remember to sing Dauids Psalmes, with Dauids spirit.
1. Cor. 14.15. Sing with the spirit, and sing with vnderstanding.
A prayer vsed in the Euening, before Catechising.
O Lord, prepare our heartes to prayer, for if we pray with our lippes onlie, our prayers are abhominable. Teach vsus by thy holie spirit to pray rightly, according to thy will, and geue care to our calling,
We heartily thanke thee (O merciful father) for all thy blessings bestowed vponupon vsus from the beginning of the world, to this time, for our election, our creation, our redemption, our sanctification, and continuall preseruation: namely, for that thou hast kept vsus this day from all perils and daungers both of soule and bodie, and hast geuen vntounto vsus health, foode, apparell, and manie other blessinges, which many of thy deare childrē do lack, being notwithstanding as preciously bought with the bloude of thy deare sonne, as we are, and yet lye in miserie and calamitie, oppressed with wo & wretchednes, in imprisoment or banishment: in which case (deare Father) thou mightest hauehave left vsus, saue that in merciemercy thou hast dealt otherwise with vsus, than with them. We besech thee to direct vsus (in considering thy mercies) to acknowledge and confes our sinnes, which should prouoke thee rather to curse, than to blesse vsus, to confound vsus, rather than to preserue vsus. Wee hauehave sinned against thee both in deede, worde, and thought: graunt vsus, that we seeing the horrour of our sinnes, and fiercenesse of thy wrath, may without hypocrisie and dissimulation, be ernestly sorie, and heartily repentant for our former wickednesse: graunt vsus that in sorow for sinne we fal not with Caine Saul, and Judas, to despaire: but that in bitternesse of our griefe with Dauid and Peter, wee may hauehave comfort by faith, in thy sonne Christ, that our offences are forgiuen. And as thou hast brought vsus hither together at this time (for which we hartily thanck thee) so we besech thee to direct vsus, that we may hauehave ioy and comfort in the presence and companie one of another. and that our wordes and heartes may so be ordered at this time, that we may truely vtter, and reuerently receiue the principles of thy holy religion, to the strengthening of our faith, to the comfort of our consciences, to the amendement of our sinfull and lewde liues, and to the glorie of thy most holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.