called a …mbole.
What a Symbol Is
The master explains that the abridgment of faith is called a symbol because it is a sign or watchword that distinguishes Christians from non-Christians.
Teacher. Why is this summary of the faith called a symbol?1 A symbol means a sign, mark, secret token, or watchword that distinguishes the soldiers of one camp from their enemies.2 For this reason, the summary of the faith, which distinguishes Christians from non-Christians, is rightly named a Symbol.
Read the original English
Maister. Why is this abridgmente of the faythe termed with y• name of a symbole▪ Scho. A symbole is as much to say, as a sygnt, mark, pr…uye token, or watch worde, whereby the souldioures of one campe are known from their enemies. For this reason the abridgement of the fayth, whereby the Christians are knowne from them that be no Christians, is rightly named a Symbole.
Notes
- 1 ↩Normalized 'y• name' read as Early Modern 'ye name' (the name). Trailing 'Scho.' treated as truncated speaker cue 'Scholer.' wrongly joined to the Master's question; omitted from the question rendering because the Scholar's reply follows in s3–s4.
- 2 ↩Source 'sygnt' read as 'sign'. Lacuna 'pr…uye' restored as 'privy' (secret/private), yielding 'secret token' for Early Modern 'privy token'.
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