CHAP. I. THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 37 



reformation of Queen Elizabeth, (not that of Henry 

 VIII.) was so noted for his meek spirit, deep learning, 

 prudence, and piety, that the then Parliament and 

 Convocation, both, chose, enjoined, and trusted him to be 

 the man to make a Catechism for public use, such a one 

 as should stand as a rule for faith and manners to their 

 posterity. And the good old man, (though he was very 

 learned, yet knowing that God leads us not to heaven by 

 many, nor by hard questions,) like an honest Angler, 

 made that good, plain, unperplexed Catechism which is 

 printed with our good old Service-book. 1 I say, this good 

 man was a dear lover and constant practiser of Angling, 



(1) The question who was the compiler of oar church Catechism, must, I 

 fear, be reckoned among the dc\id*rttta of our ecclesiastical history. It is cer- 

 tain that Nortel drew up two catechisms, a greater and a less ; the latter in the 

 Title, as it stands in the English translation, expressly directed " to be learned 

 of all youth, next after the " little Catechisme appoynted in the Booke of 

 Common Prayer" But, besides that both were originally written in Latin, 

 and translated by other hands, the lesser, though declared to be an abridge- 

 ment of the greater, was at least twenty times longer than that in the Common- 

 Prayer Book. And whereas Walton says, that in the reformation of Elizabeth, 

 the then Parliament enjoined Nowel to make a Catechism, 4c. and that he 

 made that which is printed in our old Service-book; the catechism in question 

 is to be found in both the Liturgies olEdw. VI. (the first whereof was set forth 

 in 1549.) and also in his Primer, printed in 1552 ; and Nowel is not enumerat- 

 ed among the compilers of the Service-book Further, both the Catechisms of 

 Nowel contain the doctrine of the sactaments; but that in the old Service- 

 book is silent on that head, and so continued, till, upon an objection of the 

 Puritans in the conference at Hampton Court, an explanation of the sacraments 

 was drawn up by Dr. John Overall, and printed in the next impression of the 

 Book of Common Prayer. It may further be remarked, that in the conference 

 above mentioned, the two Catechisms are contra-distinguished, in an expression 

 of Dr. Reynolds; who objected, that the Catechitm in the Common- Prayer 

 Book was too brief ; and that by Dean Nowel. too long for novices to learn by 

 heart. See Fuller's Ch. Hist, book x. page 14. 



So much of Walton's assertion as respects the sanction given to a catechism 

 of Newel's is true : but it was the larger catechism, drawn up at the request of 

 secretary Cecil, and other great persons, that was so approved, and that not by 

 Parliament, but by a Convocation held anno 156t, temp, Eliz. See Strype's 

 Life of Archbishop Parker, SOS. 



From all which particulars it must be inferred, that Walton's assertion, with 

 respect to the Catcchitm in the Service- Book, i, e. the Book of Common Prayer, 

 is a mistake; and although Strype, in his Memorials, Vol. II. page *4, con- 

 cludes a catechism of Nowel's (mentioned in the said book, page 368, et in loc 

 cit.) to be the church Catechism joined, ordinarily, with our Common Prayer, 

 he also must have misunderstood the fact. 



