Partes of Christiā re ligion.
The Sum of Christian Religion
The master asks the scholar to state the sum of Christian religion, and the scholar replies that it consists of two points: true faith in God grounded in Scripture, and charity toward God and neighbor.
Master. Tell me then, dear son, as exactly as you can, in what points you think the sum of the Christian religion consists.1 Scholar. In two points: true faith in God, and a sure conviction of all the things contained in the holy Scriptures; and in charity, which applies both to God and to our neighbor.23
Read the original English
Master▪ Tell me then (deere s…n) as exactly as thou cāst, in what poyntes thou thinkest that the sīnne of Christian Religion standeth.
Scholer. In two poin…tes, that is to say: trew fayth in God, and assured persuasiō mncè…ed of all those thynges, which are conteined in the holy Scriptures: and in charitie, whiche belongeth both to God & to our neigh boure.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source reading 'sīnne' is damaged; rendered as 'sum' (Early Modern 'summe') from chapter title 'Partes of Christian religion', the Scholar's following answer on two points, and the work's title 'the summe of Christian learning'.
- 2 ↩Source shows damaged readings 'poin…tes' and 'assured persuasiō mncè…ed'; rendered as 'points' and 'assured persuasion conceived', the standard catechetical phrasing.
- 3 ↩Kept 'charity' (source 'charitie') for the theological virtue paired with faith, rather than defaulting to 'love'.
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