THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION GATHERED INTO SIX Principles.  
And it is to be learned of ignorant people, that they may be fit to hear Sermons with profit, and to receive the Lords Supper with comfort.  Psal. 119. vers. 20. 
The entrance into thy words showeth light, and giveth understanding to the simple.  
ALMA MATER CANTABRIGIA   printer's or publisher's device HINC LUCEM ET POCULA SACRA 
Printed at London by john Legate, Printer to the University of Cambridge. 1618.   

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 estate but if the matter come to a just trial, it will fall out far otherwise, For ye lead your lives in great ignorance, as may appear by these common opinions which follow.  

1 That faith is a man's good meaning and his serving of God.  
2 That God is served by the rehearsing of the ten commandments, the Lords prayer, and the Creed.  
3 That ye have believed in Christ ever since you could remember.  
4 That it is pitrie that he should live which doth any whit doubt of his salvation.  
5 That none can tell whether he shall be saved or no certainly, but that all men must be of a good belief.  
6 That howsoever a man live, yet if he call upon God on his death bed, and say, Lord have mercy upon me, and so go away like a lamb, he is certainly ve.  
7 That if any be strangely visited, he is either taken with a planet, or bewitched.  
8 That a man may lawfully swear when he speaketh nothing but the troth and swears by nothing but that which is good, as by faith and troth.  
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 saith, At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin, etc.  
12 That it is an easier thing to please God, then to please our neighbour.  
13 That ye can keep the commandments as well as God will give you leave.  
13 That it is safest to do in religion as most do.  
14 That merry ballads and books, as Sk●ggin, Bevis of Southampton, etc. are good to drive away the time, and to remove heart qualms.  
15 That ye 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 which cometh at no Sermons, may as well believe, as he which hears all the Sermons in the world.  
18 That ye know all the Preacher can tell you. For he can say nothing, but that every man is a sinner that we must love our neighbours as ourselves, that every man must be saved by Christ: and all this ye 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 bezeling in the alehouse or tavern is good fellowship, and shows a good kind nature, and maintains neighbourhood.  
21 That a man may swear by the Mass, because it is nothing now: and by● Lady, because she it 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 whatsoever he can.  
24 That if a man remember to say his prayers in the morning (though he never understand them) he hath blessed himself for all the day following.  
25 That a man prayeth when he saith the ten commandments.  
26 That a man eats his maker in the Sacrament.  
27 That if a man be no adulterer, no thief, no murderer, & do no man harm, he is a right honest man.  
28 That a man need not to have any knowledge of religion, because he is not book-learned.  
29 That one may have a good meaning when he saith and doth that which is evil.  
30 That a man may go to wizards, called wise men, for counsel: because God hath provided a salve for every sore.  
31 That ye are to be excused in all your doings, because the best men are sinners.  
32 That ye have so strong a faith in Christ, that no evil company can hurt you.   
These and such like sayings, what argue they but your gross ignorance? Now where ignorance raineth, there reigns sin: and where sin reigns, there the devil rules: and where he rules, men are in a damnable case.  
Ye will reply unto me thus that ye are not so bad as I would make you. If need be you can say the Creed, the Lords prayer, & the ten Commandments: and therefore ye will be of God's belief, say all men what they will, and you defy the dinell from your hearts.  
I answer again, that it is not sufficient to say all these without book, unless ye can understand the meaning of the words, and be able to make a right use of the commandments, of the Creed, of the Lords prayer, by applying them inwardly to your hearts and consciences, and outwardly to your lives and conversation. This is the very point in which ye 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 ye do want other good directions, then use this my labour for your good instruction. In reading of it, first learn the six principles: and when you have them without book, and the meaning of the withal, then learn the exposition also: which being well conceived, and in some me azure felt in the heart, ye shall be able to profit by Sermons, whereas now ye cannot: and the ordinary parts of the Catechism, namely, the ten Commandments, the Creeds, the Lords prayer, and the institution of the two Sacraments, shall more easily be understood.  
Thine in Christ jesus, William Perkins.   

The Foundation of Christian Religion gathered into six Principles.  

The first Principle,  
Question. WHat dost thou believe concerning God?  
A. There is one God, Creator and governor of all things, distinguished into the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost.  

Proofs out of the word of God.  
1. There is a God.  
For the invisible things of him, that is, his eternal power and Godhead, 
Rom. 1.20  are seen by the creation of the world, being considered in his works, to the intent that they should be without excuse.  
Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness, in thou be did good, 
Act. 14.17  and gave us rame from heaven, and fruitful seasons, fulfilling our hearts with food and gladness.  
2. There is one God.  

1. Cor. 8.4  Concerning therefore meats sacrificed to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world: and that there is none other God but one.  
3. He is Creator of all things.  
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 
●en. 1.1.   
Through faith we understand, that the world was ordained by the word of God: 
●eb. 11.5.  so that the things which we see, are not made of things which did appear.  
4. He is governor of all things.  
The eyes of the Lord in every place behold the evil and the good. 
●rou. 15.3.   
Yea, and all the hairs of our heads are numbered. 
Mat. 10.30.   
5. Distinguished into the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost.  
And jesus when he was baptised, came strait out of the water: 
Mat. 3.16.  and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and john saw the Spirit of God descending like a Dove, and lighting upon him.  
And lo a voice came from heaven, saying, This is my well beloved Son, 
Verse 17.  in whom I am well pleased.  
For there are three which bear record in heaven, 
1. joh. 5.7.  the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost, and these three are one.    

The second Principle.  
Q. What dost thou believe concerning man and concerning thine own self.  
A. All men are wholly corrupted with sin through Adam's fall, and so are become slaves of Satan, and guilty of eternal damnation.  

1. All men are corrupted with sin.  
As it is written, There is none righteous, 
Rom. 3.10  no not one.  
2. They are wholly corrupted.  
Now the very God of peace sanctify you throughout, 
1. Thes 5.13.  and I pray God that your whole spirit, and soul, and body, may be kept blameless unto the coming of our Lord jesus Christ.  
This I say therefore and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in vanity of their mind. 
Eph. 4.17.   
Having their cogitation darkened, 
Vers. 18.  and being strangers from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardues of their hearts.  
When the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, 
Gen. 6.5.  and all the imaginations of the thought of his heart were only evil continually.  
3. Through Adam's fall.  
Wherefore as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so dea● went over all men, 
●om. 5.21.  for so much as all men hau● sinned.  
4. And so are become slaves of Satan.  
Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of the world, 
Eph. 2.2.  and after the Prince that ruleth in the air, even the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.  
For as much then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, 
Heb. 2.14.  he also himself likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death, him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.  
In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds, 
2. Cor. 4.  that is, of Infidels, that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, which is the image of God, should not shine unto them.  
5. And guilty of eternal damnation.  
For as many as are of the works of the law, 
Gal. 3.10.  are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them. Likewise then as by the offence of one, the fault came on all men to condemnation: so by the justifying of one, the benefit abounded toward all men to the instifi●ation of life. 
Rom. 5.1     

The third Principle.  
Q. What means is there for thee to escape this damnable estate?  
A. jesus Christ the eternal Son of God, being made man, by his death upon the cross, and by his righteousness, hath perfectly alone by himself, accomplished all things that are needful for the salvation of man.  

1. jesus Christ the eternal Son of God.  
And the word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, and we saw the glory thereof, 
joh. 1.14.  as the glory of the only begotten (Son) of the Father, full of grace and truth.  
2. Being made man.  
For he in no sort took the Angels, but he took the seed of Abraham. 
Heb. 2.16.   
3. By his death upon the cross.  
But he was wounded for our transgressions, 
Esa. 53.5.  he was broken for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes wear healed.  
4. And by his righteousness.  

Rom. 5.15  For as by one man's desobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one sha●● many also be made righteous.  
For he hath made him to be sin for us, which knew no sin, 
Cor. 5.21  that we should be made the righteousness of God in him.  
5. Hath perfectly  
Wherefore he is also able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him, 
●eb. 7.27.  seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.  
6. Alone by himself.  
Neither is there salvation in any other for among men there is given none other name under aven, 
●ct. 4 12.  whereby we must be saved.  
7. Accomplished all things needful for the salvation of mankind.  
And he is the reconciliation for our sins: and not for ours only, 
1. joh. 2.2.  but also for the sins of the whole world.    

The fourth Principle.  
Q. But how mayest thou be made partaker of Christ and his benefits?  
A. A man of a contrite and humble spirit, by faith alone apprehending and applying Christ with all his merits unto himself, is justified before God, and sanctified.  

1. A man of contrite and humble spirit.  
For thus saith he that is high and excellent, He that inhabiteth the eternity, 
Esa. 57. 1●  whose name is the holy one; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the Spirit of the humble, and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart.  
The sacrifices of God, are a contrite spirit, 
Psal. 51.1.  a contrite and a broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  
2. By faith alone.  
As soon as jesus heard that word spoken, he said unto the ruler of the Synagogue, 
Mark. 5.3.  Be not afraid, only believe.  
So Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it up for a sign, 
Numb. 21 19  and when a Serpent had bitten a man, than he looked to the Serpent of brass, and lived.  
And as Moses lift up the Serpent in the wilderness, 
joh. 3.14.  so must the Son of man be lifted up.  
That whosoever believeth in him, 
Verse 15.  should not perish, but have eternal life.  
3. Apprehending and applying Christ with all his merits unto himself.  
But as many as reccived him, 
joh. 1.12.  to them he gave