heartily love any creature, as our Lord God omnipotent. For, if we attribute to any creature so much fear, trust, love as appertaineth only to Him that made all creatures, by-and-by we make that creature our God, and of it we frame to ourselves an idol. The which is a very heinous, an abominable, and horrible sin, directly against the First Table, and the first and chiefest Commandment of God.

Therefore, such great offences the true and living Lord God will not leave unpunished: for he himself saith, "I am the Lord, my title and my name is the Lord. I will not give my glory to another;" meaning thereby, that he will not suffer that any other thing should be esteemed as God, besides himself, or that we should give godly honour in heart, affection, word, or deed, to any creature but only to Him that was never created, and yet did create all things.

But here, peradventure, you will muse, good children, asking this question, How can we have other gods before the Lord, seeing there is but one God, one Lord, which hath made heaven and earth? To this I answer, that indeed there is none other God, but that most excellent and omnipotent Lord. Lay sure hold on this article with a stedfast faith, good children; believe this, doubting nothing therein; cleave surely to this rock. But yet this notwithstanding, fools, infidels, and ungodly men take some other thing for their God, the which indeed is not God, nor can

CRANMER'S CATECHISM.

But now let us consider the First Commandment, and the declaration of the same. "I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have none other gods but me." This Commandment, good children, teacheth us how we ought to use our hearts towards God.

First, that we ought to acknowledge with all our heart, that God made heaven and earth, and all things contained therein, and to take him only to be the true God, and to be our God.

Secondarily, this Commandment teacheth us to fear him as a living God, because he doth punish the ungodly; and to cleave unto him with a sure faith, because he is true and faithful, and. doth not deceive us in any thing which he hath spoken or promised.

Thirdly, this Commandment teacheth us to love him with all our heart, for of him we receive our life, our breath, our health, and all other gifts both bodily and ghostly. And we have not the least of his gifts by our deserts, but he poureth them all upon us freely through his infinite goodness and endless mercy.

Contrariwise, we ought not to receive into our hearts, as God, any creature either in heaven or in earth: that is to say, we ought to fear no creature, neither in heaven nor in earth, so much as God; neither ought we to put such confidence and trust in any thing; neither should we so

heartily love any creature, as our Lord God omnipotent. For, if we attribute to any creature so much fear, trust, love as appertaineth only to Him that made all creatures, by-and-by we make that creature our God, and of it we frame to ourselves an idol. The which is a very heinous, an abominable, and horrible sin, directly against the First Table, and the first and chiefest Commandment of God.

Therefore, such great offences the true and living Lord God will not leave unpunished: for he himself saith, "I am the Lord, my title and my name is the Lord. I will not give my glory to another;" meaning thereby, that he will not suffer that any other thing should be esteemed as God, besides himself, or that we should give godly honour in heart, affection, word, or deed, to any creature but only to Him that was never created, and yet did create all things.

But here, peradventure, you will muse, good children, asking this question, How can we have other gods before the Lord, seeing there is but one God, one Lord, which hath made heaven and earth? To this I answer, that indeed there is none other God, but that most excellent and omnipotent Lord. Lay sure hold on this article with a stedfast faith, good children; believe this, doubting nothing therein; cleave surely to this rock. But yet this notwithstanding, fools, infidels, and ungodly men take some other thing for their God, the which indeed is not God, nor can

profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Heb. xii. 16. Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right. Acts xvii. 22, 23. Then Paul stood in the midst of Mar's Hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. Luke ix. 54, 55. And when his disciples, James and John, saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? Rom. xii. 3. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 1 Cor. xiv. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order.

SECTION VIII.

Rom. ii. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Jam. iii. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits. Matt. vi. 2. 5. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. Heb. x. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Jer. xiii. 15. Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud for the Lord hath spoken. 2 Tim. iii. 2. For

men shall be lovers of their ownselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Phil. ii. 21. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. Gal. iv. 17. They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that you might affect them. Rom. x. 2. For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 1 Cor. xii. 25. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.