To All Ignorant People That Desire to Be Instructed

Poor people, your manner is to soothe up yourselves, as though you were in a most happy state: but if the matter comes to a just trial, it will fall out far otherwise, for you lead your lives in great ignorance, as may appear by these your common opinions which follow.

1. That faith is a man's good meaning and his good serving of God.

2. That God is served by the rehearsing of the ten commandments, the Lord's prayer, and the Creed.

3. That you have believed in Christ ever since you could remember.

4. That it is pity that he should live who does any whit doubt of his salvation.

5. That none can tell whether he shall be saved or not certainly: but that all men must be of a good belief.

6. That however a man lives, yet if he calls upon God on his death bed, and says, Lord have mercy on me, and so goes away like a lamb, he is certainly saved.

7. That, if anyone is strangely visited, he is either taken with a planet, or bewitched.

8. That a man may lawfully swear when he speaks nothing but the truth: and swears by nothing but that which is good, as by his faith or truth.

9. That a preacher is a good man no longer than he is in the pulpit. They think all like themselves.

10. That a man may repent when he will, because the Scripture says, At what time soever a sinner does repent him of his sin, etc.

11. That it is an easier thing to please God than to please our neighbor.

12. That you can keep the commandments, as well as God will give you leave.

13. That it is the safest, to do in religion as most do.

14. That merry ballads and books, as Scoggin, Bevis of Southampton, etc., are good to drive away time, and to remove heart qualms.

15. That you can serve God with all your hearts: and that you would be sorry else.

16. That a man need not hear so many sermons, except he could follow them better.

17. That a man who comes to no sermons may as well believe, as he who hears all the sermons in the world.

18. That you know all the preacher can tell you: for he can say nothing, but that every man is a sinner, that we must love our neighbors as ourselves, that every man must be saved by Christ: and all this you can tell as well as he.

19. That it was a good world when the old religion was, because all things were cheap.

20. That drinking and guzzling in the alehouse or tavern is good fellowship, and shows a good kind nature.

21. That a man may swear by the Mass, because it is nothing now: and by Our Lady, because she is gone out of the country.

22. That every man must be for himself, and God for us all.

23. That a man may make of his own whatever he can.

24. That if a man remembers to say his prayers in the morning (though he never understand them) he has blessed himself for all the day following.

25. That a man prays when he says the ten commandments.

26. That a man eats his maker in the sacrament.

27. That if a man is no adulterer, no thief, nor murderer, and does no man harm, he is a right honest man.

28. That a man need not have any knowledge of religion, because he is not book-learned.

29. That one may have a good meaning, when he says and does that which is evil.

These and such like sayings, what do they argue but your gross ignorance? Now, where ignorance reigns, there reigns sin: and where sin reigns, there the devil rules: and where he rules, men are in a damnable case.

You will reply unto me thus, that you are not so bad as I would make you: if need be you can say the Creed, the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments: and therefore you will be of God's belief, say all men what they will, and you defy the devil from your hearts.

I answer again, that it is not sufficient to say all these without book, unless you can understand the meaning of the words, and be able to make a right use of the commandments, of the Creed, of the Lord's prayer, by applying them inwardly to your hearts and consciences, and outwardly to your lives and conversations. This is the very point in which you fail.

And for a help in this your ignorance, to bring you to true knowledge, unfeigned faith, and sound repentance: here I have set down the principal points of Christian religion in six plain and easy rules, even such as the simplest may easily learn: and hereunto is adjoined an exposition of them word by word. If you do want other good directions, then use this my labor for your instruction: in reading of it first learn the six principles, and when you have them without book, and the meaning of them withal, then learn the exposition also: which being well conceived, and in some measure felt in the heart, you shall be able to profit by sermons, whereas now you cannot: and the ordinary parts of the catechism, namely, the ten commandments, the Creed, the Lord's prayer, and the institution of the two sacraments, shall more easily be understood.

Yours in Christ Jesus, William Perkins.

Poor people, you tend to comfort yourselves as though you were in a very good condition. But if the matter were honestly examined, you would find things are quite different. You lead your lives in great ignorance, as these common opinions of yours make clear.

1. That faith is simply a man's good intentions and his sincere effort to serve God.

2. That God is served by reciting the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed.

3. That you have believed in Christ for as long as you can remember.

4. That any man who doubts his own salvation at all deserves to be pitied.

5. That no one can know with certainty whether he will be saved, so all men must simply hold a good belief.

6. That no matter how a man has lived, if he calls upon God on his deathbed and says, "Lord, have mercy on me," and dies peacefully, he is certainly saved.

7. That if someone is struck with a sudden and strange illness, he must have been caught by some planetary influence or bewitched.

8. That a man may lawfully swear when he speaks nothing but the truth, and when he swears by something good — such as his faith or his honor.

9. That a preacher is a good man only while he is in the pulpit. They think everyone else is just like themselves.

10. That a man may repent whenever he chooses, because Scripture says, "At whatever time a sinner repents of his sin," and so on.

11. That it is easier to please God than to please your neighbor.

12. That you can keep the commandments as well as God allows you to.

13. That the safest course in religion is to do what most people do.

14. That merry ballads and books, such as Scoggin or Bevis of Southampton, are good for passing the time and lifting a heavy heart.

15. That you can serve God with all your heart, and you would be sorry if you could not.

16. That a man need not hear so many sermons, unless he could actually follow them better.

17. That a man who never attends sermons can believe just as well as one who hears every sermon in the world.

18. That you already know everything the preacher can tell you — after all, he can say nothing more than that every man is a sinner, that we must love our neighbors as ourselves, and that every man must be saved by Christ, and you can say all that as well as he can.

19. That things were better when the old religion was in place, because everything was cheaper back then.

20. That drinking and guzzling in the alehouse or tavern is good fellowship and shows a kind and generous nature.

21. That a man may swear by the Mass, since it no longer exists, and by Our Lady, since she is gone from the land.

22. That every man must look out for himself, and God will look out for all of us.

23. That a man may do whatever he can with what is his own.

24. That if a man remembers to say his prayers in the morning — even if he never understands them — he has secured God's blessing for the entire day.

25. That a man is praying when he recites the Ten Commandments.

26. That a man eats his Maker in the sacrament.

27. That if a man is not an adulterer, not a thief, not a murderer, and does no one harm, he is a truly honest man.

28. That a man does not need any knowledge of religion because he is not educated in books.

29. That a man can have good intentions even when he says and does what is evil.

What do these and similar sayings show but your deep ignorance? Where ignorance reigns, sin reigns. Where sin reigns, the devil rules. And where he rules, men are in a damnable condition.

You will reply to me that you are not as bad as I make you out to be. You can recite the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. Therefore you will hold to God's faith, say what others will, and you defy the devil from your hearts.

My answer is that it is not enough to recite all these things from memory unless you understand what the words mean and can make proper use of the commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer — applying them inwardly to your hearts and consciences, and outwardly to your lives and conduct. That is precisely where you fall short.

To help you in this ignorance, and to bring you to true knowledge, genuine faith, and sound repentance, I have set down the main points of Christian religion in six plain and easy rules — simple enough for even the most unlearned person to learn. An explanation of each rule word by word is attached. If you lack other good guidance, use this work for your instruction. First learn the six principles. Once you have memorized them and grasped their meaning, learn the exposition as well. When that is well understood and felt in the heart to some degree, you will be able to benefit from sermons in a way you cannot now. The ordinary parts of the catechism — the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the institution of the two sacraments — will also be more easily understood.

Yours in Christ Jesus, William Perkins.