Charitable forgiuenesse one to and ther ceaseth bram les. / The harmes of cōtencion. / Good not euell to be rēdred for euell. / Our weak nesse. / Temptation.
The Evils of Contention
The Master laments that if charitable forgiveness were practiced, there would be fewer quarrels, but instead people cling to their rights and lose everything, even God's favor.
Master. If these things were practiced this way, my son, there would not reign so violently today so many brawls, so many quarrels, so many and such heinous disagreements, enmities, and hatreds of one person toward another. But now, since everyone is so stuck on their own opinion that they won't give up an inch of their ground—whether in honor or wealth—it often happens that they lose their wealth, their honor, and their very life along with them.1 Yes, they cast from themselves and turn away the favor of God and everlasting glory.
Overcoming Evil with Good
The Master exhorts the Scholar to follow Christ's commandment and Paul's teaching to overcome evil by doing good to enemies.
But you, my son, must not be ignorant of Christ's commandment, nor of what Paul teaches: you must not let yourself be overcome by evil—that is, don't let someone else's offense lead you into repaying evil for evil, but rather overcome evil with good.✦ I mean by doing good to the one who has done the evil, and by treating kindly the one who has shown himself your most cruel foe.2
The Sixth Request: Lead Us Not into Temptation
The Master transitions to the sixth petition, the Scholar agrees, and the Master explains our weakness and the need to pray for deliverance from temptation and the devil, concluding with the Scholar's acknowledgment of the teaching.
Now go on to the sixth request.3 Scholar. I'll gladly do so, as you command me. Since we are feeble and weak, subject to a thousand perils and4 temptations—easy to overcome, ready to give way at the slightest provocation, whether to people full of malice, to our own lust and appetite, or finally to the crafty, malicious serpent, the devil. Therefore, we beg our Father not to bring us into any such hard trial and peril, nor leave us in the very depths of danger; but if it comes to that point, that he would rather rescue us from present mischief and the devil's snares—the author and chief cause of all evil—than let us run headlong into destruction.56 Now, good Master, you have everything you've taught me in a few words, unless perhaps something was overlooked in the review.
Read the original English
Master. Were these things (my sonne) thus vsed: thear shuld not, at this daye, thus violentlye reigne, so manye brawles, so many contentions, so many & so haynous disagremēts, eninities and hatreds of one man to another. But nowe wheras ech man, so stādeth in hys owne conceite, that he wy… not les… an ynche of hys ryght, neyther in honoure or wealthe, it chaunceth ofte that they lease bothe theyr wealthe, theyr honour; and their life it selfe wythal. Yea they put from them selues, and turne awaye the fauoure of God, and euerlasting glory. But thou (my sonne) must not be ignorante of Christes commaūdemēt: nor of that whiche Paul techeth, that thou suffer not thy self to be ouercome of euell, that is suffer not thy selfe fo to be seduced by any other mans offence, as to repay euel for euel, but rather ouercome euell with good. I meane by doing hi good, yt hath done the euell: by vsing hun frēdly, y• hath shewed him self thi most cru …ll foe. Now go forward to the sixthe request.
Scholer. I wyl, with a good will, as you cōmaunde me. Forasmuchas we be feble, weake, subiect to a thousād periles, a M. tēptatiōs, easy to be ouercome, redy to yeld to euerye lyght occasyon, either to men fraughte wyth malice, or to our owne …ste and appetit, or finally … crafti malicious serpent … deuel: Therefore we beseche oure father, that hee bringe vs into no such hard … and peril: nor leaue vs in the verye plunge of daunger, but if it come to that poynt, that hee rather take vs awaye from the present myschief, and engynes of the deuell, the authoure and principall cause of all euell, then suffer vs to runne headlong into destruction. Now haue you good Mayster, in fewe woordes, all that you haue taught me, vnlesse paraduē ture, somewhat be ouerslipped in the rehearsall.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.12.17 — Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is good in the sight of all people.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source has lacunae ('wy… not les…'); rendered as 'will not lose/give up,' the most plausible Early Modern reading (wyl/wyll not lese).
- 2 ↩Source is damaged ('hi', 'yt', 'hun', 'y•', 'cru …ll'); reconstructed as him / that / him / that / cruel.
- 3 ↩'Request' is the catechism's term for a petition of the Lord's Prayer; the following section turns to temptation (the sixth petition).
- 4 ↩Source ends mid-phrase with damaged 'a M.' before the next sentence's 'temptations'; treated as connective 'and' joining 'perils and temptations'.
- 5 ↩Restored damaged spans from sense and context: '…ste' → 'lust'; 'finally … crafti … deuel' → 'finally to the crafty … devil'; 'hard … and peril' → 'hard trial and peril'. 'engynes' rendered as 'snares' (devices/machinations).
- 6 ↩'then suffer' taken as comparative 'than' after 'rather…': rather deliver us than allow us to rush to destruction.
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