Catechism for Children, Sermons on the ten commandments · Sermon 2
The seconde sermon.
YE hauehave herd the declaraciō of ye first cōmaundemēt, in ye whiche we be taught howe we oughte to behaue oure selues towardes god in our hertes, now foloweth ye secōde cōmaūdemēt which is this.
¶Thou shalte not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine / for he shal not be gyltles in the sight of the Lorde / that taketh his name in vayne.
Leui. xxiiii.THis cōmaūdemēt good childrē teacheth vsus how we oughte to behaue our selfes toward God in wourdes, biddynge vsus not to speake of the name of God in vaine or without great cause, but to vse it only whē it tendeth to ye praise and glory of God, & to the profit of our neighboure, that euerye man maye perceaue by oure wourdes and communication, that we in our hartes do reuerentlye and humbly feare, magnifie and worship God & his holy name. For by this oure good example other men are prouoked and encoraged to glorifye ye name of God. And contrariwyse when in scoffynge & iestyng we be lighte to abuse the name of God, then other mē are offended, & therby also are made more vnreuerent toward God and lesse passe of god & godly thinges, and so by this meanes we burden oure selues with an other mans synne. For Christe sayeth in the ghospel of Mathew the .xviii. chapter.Mat. xviii He that gyueth cause of offence to anye of the weake bretherne, it were better for him that a mil stone wer hanged aboute his necke, & so drowned in the botome of the sea. Wherefore I pray you, diligently beware, that you gyue no such kinde of offēce to your brethrē. Wherfore you shal now lerne how the name of God is taken in vaine, to thentēt you maye ye soner eschew this syn. For ye name of god is takē in vaine diuerse wayes.
The first is when men gyue the title & name of God, to those thinges whiche are not God in dede. As the heathen did call the Sonne the Moone, and the starres, goddes, also they called certen men as kinges & tyrannes goddes, & as ye Iewes did, whiche made a calfe of gold and sayed: This is the God whiche brought vsus out of Egipt.… And this (good children) is so heinous a faulte, that God in the olde testamente commaunded him to suffre death that shoulde committe this synne, and yf anye citie had so offended, he willed ye same cytie to be burned and vtterly destroyed, and all that were founde therin to be kylled. Therefore let vsus dilygently eschew this offence, or elles God wyll horriblye punyshe vsus.
The seconde waye of takynge the name of God in vayne, is whē we forswere oure selues, or sweare deceiptfully, other in commen iudgement, or in oure dayly affaires and communicacion, entendynge thereby to deceiue our neighbour. Wherefore you muste diligentlye take hede that you vse not to swer lyghtly thorough an euell custome but do as Christ teacheth vsus. Let your communicacion be yea,Math. vi. yea, and nay, nay. But when necessite dryueth you to an othe, or ye publyke officer commaundeth you to sweare, then be not forsworne, but speake the trueth and faithfullye perfourme and obserue that thing that you hauehave sworne. And yf it shall chaunche any of you in tyme to come, when you shall come to mans state, to be called to any office in the commen wealth, beware that you gyue no cause nor occasion to othes not necessarie. For whatsoeuer sinne is committed by suche othes, that God doethe impute to thofficer whiche exactethe the same, and not to the subiectes whiche are bownde to obey, not onelye for feare of punyshemente, but also for conscience sake.
Thirdely we abuse the name of God not onelyonly in vayne but also very vngodly, when with horrible cursyng & bannynge by the name of God we wyshe to other the vē geaunce of God. The whiche syn now in our time is moche vsed. Insomuche that now a dayes you shall heare not onelyonly men, but also womē and childrē outragiouslye curse and banne bothe themselfes and other, sayinge after this wise. By goddes soule I woulde I hadde neuer been borne, or I woulde the grounde shoulde open and swalowe me vp. By Goddes body I woulde thou wert hanged, by goddes passion I woulde the deuell had the, by goddes woundes I woulde it were on a wylde fire, or suche other lyke deuylyshe cursiges, & wishīges which offence is not onelye abominable before god, but also so shamefull before the worlde that it abhorreth good christen eares to heare suche haynous blasphemie. For sainct Paul in the seconde chapter of thepistle to the Philippians writeth thus. In the name of God all knees do bowe downe, bothe in heauen in earthe and vnderunder the yearth, that is to saye. Not onelye Aungelles and men do wourship oure Lorde and God Iesus, Christe, but also the damned spirites and deuelles in hell, do quake at his name, and by their trēblyng do declare that they most reuerently acknowlege the name of hys maiestye.. But these more then deuylishe swerers banners and cursers, without reuerence to the mooste honorable name of God, without curtesye or bowing to him, who with a becke maketh all the worlde to shake, do blowe & bluster oute of theyr vngodly mouthes suche blasphemies as by the same they do not onelye hyghly dishonour God, but also do wyshe to their neighbours, all kinde of miseries, plages and aduersities that can be imagined, whereas oure dutye is to louelove our neyghbour & wishe wel to him, as to ourselfes. Nowe consyder what a great wickednesse it is, to wyshe euyll thinges to men by the name of God, seyng that by thys name we ought to desier and praye for all good thinges, bothe to oure selues and to oure neyghbours. Wherfore when ye heare ani man vsing suche spytefull curses and blasphemies of gods name, doute not but yt he in yt deede is wurse then the deuyll himselfe. For the deuil when he heareth god named trembleth therat, and dateth not so vnreuerently behaue hymselfe to that moste holy mane where as these wretched and most vngodly persones, do shewe no feare nor reuerence thereto at all. But ye good children take hede for gods sake, that you accustome not your selfes to suche kynde of blasphemies. And when you shall heare other outragyng with suche horrible curses, flye frome theym as frome pestilence, and thynke this with youre selfe. I wyll conuey me out of this naughtie companye, leste peraduenture I also maye be infected with this contagious custome of swearynge and cursing, and so maye be made at the lengthe more abhominable in this poynt, than is the deuill hym selfe.
Fourthly the name of God is taken in vayne, when men do abuse the worde of God purposelye makynge false expositions vponupon holy scripture, and wrestynge the same frō the true sense to their euil purpose, or whan men make a trifle or a lawghynge sporte of the wordes of holy scripture as these papistes do whiche say that thys verse of ye Psalme. He shall drinke of the broke by the way, and therfore he shall lyft vp his hedde, is verefied of the gose and the gaundre. This abuse doth brede a contempte of the worde of God, and it doeth corrupt or mynishe the authoritie of Gods doctrine.
Fyftly they do misuse the name of God, whiche do abuse it to charmes, witchcraft, sorceries, nicromā cies, inchaūtemētes, & cōiuringes. And this is not onelyonly a great syn, but a thynge of hys owne nature moste vayne and folishe. For perswade your selfes this thynge for a suertie, good chyldren, that all kynd of witchecraft is of hys own nature nothing elles but lies, gyles and subtilenes, to deceaue ygnoraunt and simple mē, as manye hauehave proued by experiēce to theyr great losse and vtter vndowynge. Wherfore beware of them, beleue them not, do not learne them, neyther feare that an nother mans inchauntementes are hable to hurte you. For they be nothing els but the deuils instrumentes, by the whiche he doeth prouoke men to horrible synnes, that the name of God may be blasphemed dyuerse wayes, yt we may defile our soules with detestable ydolatrie, that one man may suspecte an other, that anger, enuy and hatred myght be sowen amonge men, and that out of thys roote myght sprynge vp backbytyng slaūderyng & al myschief. This vice pleaseth well the deuyll, but God hath forbid it, and cōmaūded in ye olde lawe that whitches, sorcerers and cōiurers should suffre punishmēt of death.
Wherfore good childeren, feare the Lorde, and take not hys holy name in vayne, beware of ydolatrye forsware not, absteine from othes and curses, refrayne your tongues, from al vntruthes, raylynges, skoffes and iestes whē you talke of holy scripture or matiers concernyng religion, flye frō all kynde of wytchecrafte and inchauntementes. For to this commaūdemēt god hath added a speciall threatenynge, saynige thus. He shall not be giltles before the lord that taketh his name in vayne. Beleue surely good children, that these be veray weyghty wourdes and of great importaunce, and thinke not thus with your selfes, what? is this so great a mater? I spake not these wourdes in ernest, but in borde. I pray you for Christes sake do not defende your fault with such excuses, but beware that you take not in vaine the name of God▪ nether in ernest nor in sport. For the holy name of God is to be wourshipped with all honor and religion and he that doth not obey thys commaundemente, hym the lorde shall not count gyltles but shall punishe him greuously. And when God punisheth, he sendeth amonge vsus sycknesses, pestilence, hungre, derth, battel, robberies, sedition, manslaughter, & suche lyke, with these plages he taketh vēgeance on oure sinnes. Therfore we ought to feare his wrath, and not to take his name in vayne. Hither to you hauehave hearde fyue wayes wherby we may take the name of God in vaine, nowe it shall be declared vntounto you howe you shoulde rightly and duely vse the name of God. Considre that we be professed in to our religion, and baptised by ye name of God, wherfore good childerne listen diligently to this lesson, and lerne that we ought to vse the name of God thre wayes, by inuocation and callynge vponupon him, by cōfession of his name and his wourd, & by thankes gyuyng.
As touchinge the firste, we be bounde in all our necessities and parrels to call vponupon the name of God, to flye to hym for succoure, with all our hope and confidence, and not to runne to witchecraftes, charmes, sorceries, and suche lyke vanities, for God himselfe saieth, cal vpō me in ye day of thy tribulation, I wil deliuer the, and thou shalt glorifye me. Here ye heare good children, that God doth commaunde vsus to call vponupon him, and not vponupon any other creatures besides him, and he saieth in expresse wordes, call vponupon me in the tyme of thy tribulation in aduersytye, whē thou art in nede and daūger. Wherfore no mā should dyspaire what soeuer kynde of afflyctions doth chaunce vntounto him, but praye for helpe from heauen and cal vponupon the name of the Lorde who by his mighty & strong hand is able, and by his fatherly affecciō wil deliuer and helpe vsus, what soeuer & how great soeuer affliction and tē tatiō ouerwhelmeth vsus, & therfore he saieth, I wil heare thy praier.
Here marke good childerne, that it is your bounden dewtie to praye to God, & that they do synne heynouslye whiche do not praye, wherfore ye shal learne the Lordes prayer whiche Christe hym selfe hath taught and appoynted, and ye shal saye it dayly. For this commaundemente dothe bynde vsus to praye, forasmuche as it forbiddeth thabuse of gods name & commaundeth his name to be handled reuerently and religiously. But we page missing delyuer the, and thou shalt honour and glorify me. Here you perceiue good children, that God oure heauēly father doth hear our prayers. and heapeth vponupon vsus infinite benefites, for this cause, purpose and intent, yt we shoulde be glad & ioyful to praise him, & with all our hart rēdre thākes vntounto him. Wherfore whē soeuer we praie, before we aske any new benefite, we ought to thāke him for tholde, & to glorifye his name for ye great treasures of giftes heretofore geuen vntounto vsus.
And by this meanes both he wyll be the more willyng to heare oure prayers and also oure faithe shalbe the more strengthened and confirmed. For when we call to oure remembraunce, how God oftentymes heretofore hath herd our supplications, and delyuered vsus out of manye & perrellous daungiers, we be therby moued lesse to doubt of his goodnes, and stedfastlye to hope, that he nowe also, wyll be as merciful vntounto vsus, as he was wont to be in tymes passed. Therfore sayeth the prophete Dauid, I wyl call vponupon the Lord praysyng him, and he wyll saue me from myne enemyes. Now therefore good children, ye shall learne this lesson and practise it dilygently, firste of al to prayse and thanke God for al hys benefites, and afterwarde to call vponupon him in all youre necessities: So God wyll be the more redye to heare youre peticions, and youre faith also thereby shall be the more nourished and increased. For he that wyll trewely and effectuallye praye, before al other thinges must beleue and perswade himselfe for a suertie, yt God wil heare his praier.
Wherfore good children, nowe I praye you learne so to vnderstande this seconde commaundement, that ye take not the name of God in vayne, that ye gyue not your selfes to Idolatrye, that ye sweare not customablye nor without a necessarie cause, that ye neuer commit periurie, yt you curse no bodye, yt ye abuse not the name and worde of God to vntruth, vncleane and vnhonest cōmunicatiō, that ye applye not your mindes to witchcraftes & sorceries.Luke, xxi, For these faultes as yet neuer escaped vnpunyshed before God. Contrarywyse you shall reuerentlye vse the name of God to his glorye and to the profit of youre neyghbour, by callyng vponupon him, by praying and giuyng thākes vntounto him, & by opē professiō of his doctrine & religiō.
And when ye shal be demaunded, howe vndrestande ye the seconde commaundemente, ye shall aunswere. We oughte to louelove and feare God aboue all thynge, & not to abuse his name to ydolatrye, charmes, periurie, othes, curses, ribaldrye and scoffes, that vndre the pretence and coloure of his name we begyle no man by swearynge, forswearynge and lyinge, but in all our nedes we should cal vponupon him, magnifye and prayse him, and with oure tongues confesse, vtter and declare oure faythe in him and his doctrine.