THE CAVALIERS Catechism: OR, The Reformed Protestant catechising the Antichristian Papists, Malignants, Incendiaries, and other illaffected Persons under the name of Cavaliers.  
WITH Their distinct Answer thereunto.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Watson. 1643. May .3.   

The Cavaliers Catechism.  
Question. WHat is your name?  
A. Cavalier.  
Qu. Who gave you that name?  
A. My seducers and deceivers, in my innocency, wherein I was made a member of the Church of Rome, and consequently a limb of Antichrist, an enemy to all goodness, the child of the devil, an inheriter of the kingdom of darkness, amongst the infernal spirits that rule in the air of this terrestrial globe.  
Qu. How were your Witnesses denominated?  
A. Lack-wit and Ignorance: for if they had wit and knowledge, they would not have given the title of a Gentleman to a clown or Corydon.  
Qu. What did your Witnesses promise you should perform when you came to maturity and ripe age, when you received your name?  
A. That I should forsake all Piety and godliness, all virtue and purity, the true and Apostolic Religion, grounded upon the verity of God's word, that I should persecute all professors of the same, envy all goodness and good men, promote the Romish Religion and Kingdom of Antichrist, by any manner of means whatsoever, be it by treasonable plots against Princes or States, or by raising public War and sedition in Commonwealths, and the like.  
Qu. Art thou able to do these things of thyself, that were promised for the?  
A. No verily, but by the help of the rest of my fellow members received into that Congregation, I doubt not to be enabled and strengthened to perform all that was promised on behalf.  
Qu. What is meant by your name Cavalier?  
A. Knighthood, very unfit for me, for as I am told, it was a name first given to Gentlemen as an augmentation of honour, by the Frenchmen in the Wars, the word being derived of the French word chival, a Horse, by which Troopers or Horsemen in battle were called Chevaliers, by corruption of speech in the process of time, called by the English Cavaliers, now Cavallers, or Cavaliers, but by the better sort Cavaliers, by all which these particulars, may be collected, that as the world is now degenerated from the true pronunciation of the original word, so the natural disposition of men are degenerated to the word now in use, Cavallers, or Cavaliers, for in our actions there is no solidity, nor in our speeches sobriety, nor in our heart's integrity, but all our arguments are maintained by cavilling, and our actions defended by bestiallity, and rude disorderly behaviour, like unto untamed horses, from whence we received the first denomination, whose order is altogether to disorder and confound the warlike Ranks in Battle, and to bring to confusion and destruction, is the only sense they have of their present actions.  
Qu. Do you conceive that the way you have been trained up and educated in from the time of your birth to this present, is to be defended by those means as you have been taught?  
A. Yis truly, for these reasons, 

1. In respect of the Commandments I have received from the Church▪ wherein I was received a member.  
2 In respect of the danger I am told I shall fall into, and punishment I am worthy of, if I desert the service of that cause to which I have been devoted, and which my Witnesses engaged themselves for me in my infancy, that I should uphold and maintain when I should come to age?    
Qu. What are the commandments you have learned, and that you conceive yourself bound to observe and keep?  
A. These following. 

1 That I should observe the will and pleasure of his Holiness of Rome in all matters touching salvation, without the use of the Scriptures, they being by him counted deficient, and have not sufficient instructions contained in them to lead a pious life, and bring to future happiness.  
2 To commit treason against Kings that oppose his Holiness, and reject his doctrinal traditions.  
3 To commit fornication, adultery, rapine, and the like.  
4 To reject the Christian Sabbath, and prefer the Jewish.  
5. To admit of no less than seven Sacraments necessary to salvation.  
6. To swear, and forswear, for the defence of the Catholic cause.  
7. To cousin, deceive, and circumvent, our Neighbours for our own advantage.  
8. To acknowledge no god greater, or more to be reverenced, and worshipped, than the Pope of Rome.  
9 To worship and adore Images, as much as Christ himself.  
10. To bear false witness against our neighbour, for any occasion whatsoever.  
11. For all which the Pope's indulgent pardon is sufficient to preserve from damnation.  
12. That there is no greater damnation, than the Pope's curse, and excomumcation.    
Qu. Do you believe all these precepts?  
A. Yis, and have and will to the loss of my life and fortunes, (if I had any) observe and keep them.  
Qu. What is a Sacrament according to the instruction of your Church?  
A. It is a sign of a thing signified, which we cannot discern with the Eye, but by the sign.  
Q. Explain the same, according to your sense and knowledge?  
A. Then thus, by the sign of the Cross is signified the cuncifying of ☞, by the picture of the Virgin Mary, we are taught that she was the Mother of _____ and queen of heaven, by the picture of the Apostles, we are taught to remember that they were the founders of the Church, & of that sanctity & power, that they are now in heavan able to cure the diseases of living Saints on earth, as they did when they were on Earth, and therefore we are us much bound to pray to them for help upon any occasion, as to God, they knowing our wants, by a fellow feeling of our miferies when they lived with us, many other examples I could give, by which you may understand what we mean by Sacraments,  
Q. Then every Image or Picture, whether of Saints departed, Patriarches, Prophets, or Apostles, are Sacraments, and to be sacredly observed and kept?  
A. Yis verily, and as much in esteem as the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Supper.  
Q. Are these the things you now take up Arms for, against your Country, and seek to bring the same to utter confusion and destruction?  
A. Yis, and will never give over so long as life lasteth till we have restored the use of these things in the Church of England, or lose our bodies in the enterprise, for our souls we have assured hope to have them saved after we have felt some small time of punishment in Purgatory, and his Holiness, our chiefest hope and defence, come to heaven before us as a great Saint, and by his mediation and intercession, redeem us from that place of pain.   
FINIS