Fayth the mouthe of the soule. / Offyce of Preachers / Prayer.
Faith as the Mouth of the Soul
The Master affirms that faith is the mouth of the soul by which we receive the true heavenly food of salvation and immortality.
Master. You understand all this well. For it seems to me your meaning is that faith is the mouth of the soul, by which we receive this true heavenly food, full of both salvation and immortality, dealt out among us by means of the Holy Spirit.
Transition to God's Service
The Master proposes moving to other parts of God's service, and the Scholar obediently introduces the two remaining elements: preachers and prayer.
Now, since we have treated of the sacraments, go on to the other parts of God's service. Scholar. I'll do your commandment. There are two remaining things essential to the perfection of serving God.
Preachers and Prayer
The Scholar explains that God appoints preachers to make His voice heard, and that we must hear the Word as God's own word, and then describes the duty of asking all things from God with thanksgiving.
First, our Lord Jesus Christ's will was that there should be teachers and evangelists—that is to say, preachers of the gospel—for this purpose: that his voice might continually be heard sounding in his church.✦ Anyone who desires (as all ought to desire) to bear the name of a Christian may have no doubt that he ought, with most earnest affection and fervent desire, to strive to hear the word of the Lord and soak it into his mind—not like the words of any man, but like (as it truly is) the word of almighty God.✦12 Second, because all that is good, and that a Christian ought to desire, comes to us from God and is granted by him, we ought therefore to ask all things from him, and by thanksgiving acknowledge them all as received from him. He likes this so much that he values it as a most pleasing sacrifice, as is clearly evident from the witness of the prophets and Apostles.✦3
Read the original English
Master. All this thou doest well vnderstande. For me thinketh thy meanynge is: that faith is the mouthe of the soule: whearby we receiue thys verye heauenlye meate, full both of saluatiō and immortalitye, dealt among vs, by the meanes of the holy ghost. Now, sythe we haue entreated of the sacramentes, passe forward to the other partes of Gods seruyce.
Scholer. I will do your cōmaūdemēt. Thear remaine two thinges, belongyng to the perfection of Gods seruice. First our Lord Iesus Christes wil was, that ther shoulde be teachers and Euangelistes, that is to saye preachers of the gospell: to this entent, that hys voyce myght continually be hard soūd in his church. He that coueteth (as all oughte to couet) to beare the name of a Christiane, maye haue no doubte, that he ought wyth moste earnest affection, and feruēt desyre, endeuour himselfe, to heare and soke into his mynde, the worde of the Lord: not lyke the words of anye man, but lyke (as it is in dede) the word of almigh tie god. Secōdarily, bicause all that is good, and that ought of a Christian to be desyred, cometh vnto vs frō God, and is by him graunted: thearefore of hym, we ought to require al things: and by thankesgeuinge acknowledge them all receyued of him. Which thing he so well liketh, that he estemeth it in stede of a passing pleasauut sacrifice: as it is most euidēt by the witnesse of the prophets & Apostles.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Eph.4.11 — And he gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.
- ↩1Thess.2.13 — And for this reason we also thank God without ceasing, that when you received the word of hearing from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as what it truly is — the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.
- ↩Ps.50.14;Heb.13.15 — Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Heb.13.15 — Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God—that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Notes
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