The meanes of … tion. / Gods ….
A Question of Hope
The Master laments human ingratitude and asks what hope remained for humanity after the fall.
Master. Oh, the ingratitude of mankind! But what hope did our first parents have—and from then on, the rest—by which they were relieved…?1
The Promise Renewed
The Scholar recounts God's promise after the fall, from the curse on the serpent to the covenants with Abraham, Moses, and the prophets.
Scholar. When the Lord God had chastised Adam and Eve with both words and deeds (for he thrust them both out of the garden with a very grievous reproach), he then cursed the serpent, threatening him that one day the time would come when the seed of the woman would break his head.2 After that, the Lord God established the same glorious and very bountiful promise: first with a covenant made between him and Abraham, through circumcision and through his son Isaac; then again through Moses; and finally through the oracles of the noble prophets.
Read the original English
Master. Oh the vnthankefulnesse of men! But what hope had our first parents, and from thence fourth the rest; whearby they wear releue… ▪
Scholer. When the Lorde God had both wyth words and dedes chastised Adam and Eue (for he thrust them both out of the gardē wyth a most greeuous reproche) he then cursed the serpent, threatnynge hym, that the tyme should one day come, when the seede of the …omā should breake hys head. After ward the Lord God stablyshed that same gloryous and most bountiful promise: fyrst with a couenant made betwene hym and Abrahā, by circumcision, and in Isaac hys sonne: then agayne by Moses: last of all by the oracles of ye noble prophets.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source is truncated after 'releue… ▪'. Normalized early-modern spellings treated as: 'from thence fourth' → 'from thenceforth'; 'whearby' → 'whereby'; 'wear releue' → 'were relieved'. The incomplete ending is marked with an ellipsis rather than invented.
- 2 ↩Source reading "…omā" / token "oma" is damaged; context and Gen 3:15 make "woman" the intended word (seed of the woman).
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit