sire at God's hands, nor we be not worthy to have the same; but we desire God, that although we daily offend him, and deserve grievous punishments for our sins, yet he of his mere grace and mercy will hear our Prayers, and freely forgive us our offences. And we offer ourselves, for his sake, from the bottom of our hearts, to forgive them that have offended us.....

And this is the meaning and plain understanding of this sixth petition. Wherefore, good children, I pray you diligently learn the saine, that when you be asked, How understand you the sixth petition? you may answer, God tempteth no man. But here we pray, that God will keep and defend us, that the devil, the world, and the flesh, deceive us not, and lead us not into ungodliness, idolatry, blasphemy, desperation, or other horrible sins. And although we be tempted with these sins, yet we desire God, that at length we may overcome them, and triumph over them by the help and assistance of the Holy Ghost.....

Now you have heard, good children, the true and plain exposition of the seventh and last petition, which I pray you to place in your memories, that when you be demanded, How understand you the seventh petition? you may readily answer, Herein we generally desire our heavenly Father to deliver us from all evil and peril both of body, soul, land, cattle, and riches; and that when we shall be on our death-bed, he will then grant us a good hour, that we may depart out of

this vale of misery in his favour, and from this transitory life enter into life everlasting. The which God grant us all Amen.

NOWELL'S CATECHISM.

Master. Now remaineth that I hear of thee what we ought to ask of God by Prayer. Is it lawful to ask of God whatsoever cometh in our mind and mouth?

Scholar. When men that were strangers to true godliness had such an honest opinion of the majesty and mind of their gods, that they thought they ought not to ask of them any thing unjust or unhonest; God forbid that we Christians should ever ask any thing of God in Prayer, that we may mislike the mind and will of God. For this were to do to God's majesty most high injury and dishonour; so much less may such a Prayer please him, or obtain anything of him. And sith both wits of men are too dull to understand what is expedient for them, and the desires of their hearts are so blind and wild, that they not only need a guide whom they may follow, but also bridles to restrain them, it were too great an absurdity that we should in Prayer be carried rashly and headlong by our own affections. By a certain rule, therefore, and prescribed form, our Prayers ought wholly to be directed.

Mast. What rule and form?

Scho. Even the same form of Prayer verily

which the heavenly Schoolmaster appointed to his disciples, and by them to us all; wherein he hath couched in very few points all those things that are lawful to be asked of God, and behooveful for us to obtain; which Prayer is after the Author thereof called the Lord's Prayer. If, therefore, we will follow the heavenly Teacher with his divine voice, saying before us, truly we shall never swerve from the right rule of praying.

Mast. Rehearse me then the Lord's Prayer. Scho. When ye will pray (saith the Lord), say thus: Our Father which art in heaven, &c.

Mast. Dost thou think that we are bound ever, so to render these very words, that it is not lawful in one word to vary from them?

Scho. It is no doubt that we may use other words in praying, so that we swerve not from the meaning of this Prayer. For in it the Lord hath set out certain special and principal points, to the which unless all our Prayers be referred, they cannot please God. Yea, let every man ask of God as the present time and his need shall require; and let him tarry upon which part of this Prayer he will, and so long as he lists, and dilate it in sundry sorts as he will; for there is no impediment to the contrary, so that he pray to God with such affiance and affection as I have before spoken of, and to the same meaning that is set out in this Prayer.

Mast. How many parts hath the Lord's Prayer?

Scho. It containeth indeed six petitions, but

in the whole sum there are but two parts; whereof the first part belongeth only to the glory of God, and containeth the three former petitions, belongeth properly to our commodity....

Mast. Now let us somewhat diligently examine the weight of every word. Why dost thou call God Father?

Scho. There is great pith in the use of this one name Father. For it containeth two things which we have before said to be specially necessary in praying.

Mast. What be those?

Scho. First, I speak to one absent or deaf, but I call upon and pray to God as to one that is present, and heareth me, being surely persuaded that he heareth me when I pray, for else in vain should I crave his help. And this surely without all doubting I cannot so affirm of any angel or any man deceased. Secondly, we have before said, that sure trust of obtaining is the foundation of right praying. And dear is the name of Father, and of fatherly love, and most full of good hope and confidence. It was God's will therefore to be called by the sweetest name in earth, by that mean alluring us to himself, that we should without fear come to him, taking away all doubting of his fatherly heart and good will. For when we deter- í mine that he is our Father, then being encouraged with his Spirit, we go to him as children use to go to their father. God therefore in this place liked better to be called Father, by name of dear affection and love; rather than King or Lord, by

terms of dignity and majesty; and so therewithal to leave to us as to his children a most rich inheritance of his fatherly name....................

....

Mast. What profit takest thou of these things? Scho. These things do pull out of our hearts base and corrupt opinions concerning God, and do instruct our minds to conceive a far other thinking of our heavenly Father, than we use to have of earthly parents; to use most great reverence toward his holy Majesty, and in worshipping manner to look up to it, and have it in admira. tion, and certainly to believe that he doth hearken to and hear our prayers and desires; to put our whole trust in him, that is both governor and keeper of heaven and earth. And therewith also we are by these words admonished not to ask any thing unmeet for God; but, as speaking to our heavenly Father, to have our hearts raised from earth, high and looking upward, despising earthly things, thinking upon things above and heavenly, and continually to aspire to that most blessed felicity of our Father, and to heaven as our inheritance by our Father.

Mast. This then so happy a beginning and entry of prayer being now opened unto us, go to rehearse the first petition.

Scho. First we pray that God's name be hallowed.

Mast. What meaneth that?

Scho. Nothing else but that his glory be everywhere magnified.・