Scho. Because it is most meet that the children should principally desire and wish the glory of their Father, the servants of their Master, and the creatures of the Creator; to be increased.... Mast. Thou hast well. I pray thee go forward.

Scho. Secondly, we pray that God's kingdom may come; that is, that we suffer not the divine truth of his word, which also Christ calleth the Gospel of the kingdom, to be hidden in darkness, but that he daily more and more bring it abroad, and with his succour maintain and defend it against the devices, craft, and policy of Satan and of wicked men, and against their feigned treasons, that labour to darken the truth, and to defame it, or spot it with lies; and against the violence and cruelty of tyrants, that travail by all means to extinguish and oppress the truth, and utterly to root it up; so as it may be made manifest and well known to all men, that there is nothing able to resist the invincible strength of God's truth.

Mast. What followeth next?

Scho. That God's will de done. For it is the duty of children to frame their life according to the will of their fathers; and not contrariwise, the parents to conform themselves to the will of their children..

Mast. Whereto dost thou add, that God's will be done "in earth as it is in heaven?"

Scho. Forsooth, that we be in all things serviceable and obedient to God's majesty, after the example of those heavenly spirits whom we call

angels and as in heaven there is no rebellion, so in earth also there be none any where found that will or dare resist and strive against the holy will of God. Yea, and when we behold the sun and moon, and other stars which we see in the heavens, to be carried with continual motion and perpetual stirring, and with their beams to lighten the earth by the will of God, we behold an example of obedience set forth for us to follow. Moreover, whereas God hath in the holy Scriptures expressly declared his will, which he hath plainly notified by giving them the name of testament or last will, they that vary from the meaning of the Scriptures, surely they do manifestly depart from the will of God.

Mast. Now I think thou hast sufficiently spoken of the first part of the Lord's Prayer, which part containeth these three points that belong only to the glory of God. Now it is good time for us to go forward to the second part; which properly concerneth things profitable for us, and meet for our commodities.

Scho. The first point of the second part is, Give us this day our daily bread.

Mast. What dost thou mean by the name of daily bread?

Scho. Not only those things that minister to us food and apparel, but also all other things universally that are needful to the maintaining and preserving of our life, and leading it in quietness without fear.

Mast. Why be added these words, daily, and this day?

Scho. To pull out of our hearts the stings of cares for to-morrow, that we be not day and night tormented with them in vain, and that, the unsatiable covetise, and, as it were, raging hunger of excessive wealth, being driven from our minds, we diligently doing our duty, should daily crave of our most liberal Father that which he is ready daily to give.

Scho. Now followeth the fifth petition, wherein we pray our Father to forgive us our trespasses. Mast. What fruit shall we get by this forgiveness?

Scho. Most large fruit. For where God hath mercy on humble suitors, we shall be in like place and all favour with him as if we were innocent, holy, and upright in all parts of our life.....

Mast. Dost thou affirm that God doth freely forgive our sins?

Scho. Yea, altogether; for else it could not seem forgiveness but amends: but to make sufficient amends for one, yea, the very least fault, we are not by any power of ours in any wise able. We cannot, therefore, with our works, as it were with a certain price, redeem both the offence past and the peace of God, and make recompense of like for like, but ought with all lowly prayers to crave of God pardon both of our fault and punishment, which pardon is not possible to be ob

tained but by only Christ, and most humbly to beseech him to forgive us.

Mast. But this and the condition which is by and by after limited unto us, seem scant to agree fitly together. For we pray that God so forgive us as we forgive our debtors, or them that trespass against us.

Scho. Surely God doth offer us forgiveness upon a most reasonable condition, which yet is not so to be taken as if in forgiving me we should so deserve pardon of God, that the same should be as a certain recompense made to us by God. For then should not God's forgiveness be freely given, neither had Christ alone, as the Scriptures teach us, and as we have before declared, upon the cross fully paid the pains of our sins due to us.....

Mast. Now go forward to the sixth petition. Scho. Therein we pray that he lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For as we before do ask forgiveness of sins past, so now we pray that we sin no more. A thousand fears are set before us; a thousand evils threatened us; a thousand snares provided and laid for us. And we on our part are so feeble by nature, so unaware to foresee them, so weak to resist them, that with most small force and occasions we are shoved down, and carried headlong into deceit........

Mast. Then thou meanest by the name of temptation the craft and violence of the devil, the snares and deceits of this world, and the corruptions and enticements of our flesh, by which

our souls are moved to sin, and holden fast en

tangled.

Scho. Yea, forsooth, master.......

Mast. There remaineth yet a certain appendant of the Lord's Prayer.

Scho. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.

Mast. Why would Christ have this conclusion added?

Scho. First, to make us understand that our sure confidence of obtaining all those things that we have before prayed for, standeth in his goodness and power, and not in, any deservings of our own or of others. For by these words is declared, that there is nothing that He which ruleth and governeth the world, in whose dominion and power are all things, which most nobly shining in most ample and immortal glory, infinitely excelleth above all other, either cannot or will not give us, when we pray for it, so that it be asked rightly and with assured faith, that now there be no more doubting left in our hearts; which is also declared and confirmed by this word, Amen, added to the end of the prayer. Moreover, forasmuch as God alone is able of his own will to give whatsoever he hath appointed, it most plainly appeareth, that of him alone all things both ought to be asked, and may be obtained; and that there is no peril or evil of ours so great, which he is not able most easily by his exceeding power, wisdom, and goodness, to overcome and drive from us, and also to turn it to our safety.