To all ignorant people who desire to be instructed.
To all ignorant people who desire to be instructed.
Poor people, your manner is to soothe yourselves as though you were in a most happy state, but if the matter comes to a just trial, it will fall out far otherwise. For you lead your lives in great ignorance, as may appear by these common opinions that follow:
1. That faith is a person's good intention and their good service to God.
2. That God is served by reciting the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed.
3. That you have believed in Christ ever since you can remember.
4. That it is a pity for anyone to live who doubts their salvation even a little bit.
5. That no one can tell with certainty whether they will be saved or not, but that all people must have a good belief.
6. That no matter how a person lives, if they call upon God on their deathbed and say, "Lord, have mercy on me," and pass away peacefully, they are certainly saved.
7. That if anyone falls ill in a strange manner, they are either affected by the stars or bewitched.
8. That a person may lawfully swear when they speak nothing but the truth and swear by nothing but that which is good, such as their faith or truthfulness.
9. That a preacher is a good person only while they are in the pulpit. They think everyone is like themselves.
10. That a person may repent whenever they want because the Scripture says, "At whatever time a sinner repents of their sin," etc.
11. That it is easier to please God than to please our neighbor.
12. That you can keep the Commandments as well as God will allow you.
13. That it is safest to follow the majority in religion.
14. That merry ballads and books, such as "Scoggin" and "Bevis of Southampton," are good for passing the time and dispelling gloom.
15. That you can serve God with all your hearts, and you would be sorry otherwise.
16. That a person does not need to hear so many sermons unless they can understand them better.
17. That a person who attends no sermons may believe as well as someone who hears all the sermons in the world.
18. That you know everything the preacher can tell you because he can say nothing more than that everyone is a sinner, we must love our neighbors as ourselves, and every person must be saved by Christ. You can understand all of this just as well as he can.
19. That it was a better world when the old religion existed because everything was cheaper.
20. That drinking and carousing in the alehouse or tavern is a sign of good fellowship and a kind nature.
21. That a person may swear by the Mass because it no longer exists, and by Our Lady because she has left the country.
22. That everyone must look out for themselves, and God is for all of us.
23. That a person may make the most of what they have.
24. That if a person remembers to say their prayers in the morning (even if they don't understand them), they have blessed themselves for the entire day.
25. That a person prays when they recite the Ten Commandments.
26. That a person consumes their creator in the Sacrament.
27. That if a person is not an adulterer, thief, or murderer and harms no one, they are a genuinely honest person.
28. That a person does not need to have any knowledge of religion because they are not well-educated in books.
29. That one may have good intentions when they say and do evil things.
These and similar sayings, what do they indicate but your profound ignorance? Now, where ignorance prevails, there lies sin; and where sin prevails, there the devil rules. And where he rules, people are in a perilous state.
You may retort to me that you are not as bad as I portray you: when necessary, you can recite the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten
Commandments. Therefore, you claim to be of God's faith, regardless of what others say, and you resist the devil with all your heart.
I respond once more, merely reciting all these without a book is insufficient unless you can grasp the meaning of the words and apply the Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer to your hearts, consciences, and your daily lives and conduct. This is precisely where you fall short.
As an aid to remedy your ignorance and lead you to genuine knowledge, sincere faith, and true repentance, I have outlined the fundamental principles of Christian Religion in six straightforward and accessible rules, even simple-minded individuals can easily grasp. Alongside these rules is an explanation of each word. If you lack other useful guidance, then employ my efforts for your instruction: start by memorizing the six principles and understanding their meanings. Once you have done so, and have also grasped the exposition, which, when well comprehended and partially felt in your heart, will enable you to benefit from sermons, unlike now. The basic elements of the Catechism, including the Ten
Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the institution of the two Sacraments, will become more accessible to you.
Yours in Christ Jesus, William Perkins.