Protestantism in England From the Times of Henry VIII - James Aitken Wylie

Every minister was enjoined to catechize on
every second Sunday for half an hour at least,
before evening prayer--in the Ten Commandments,
the Articles of the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer.
Curates were "to read distinctly," and such as were
but "mean readers" were to peruse "once or twice
beforehand the chapters and homilies to be read in
public, to the intent they may read to the better
understanding of the people." Low indeed must
both teachers and taught have sunk when such
injunctions were necessary! Elizabeth and her
Government found that the ignorance which
Popery creates is one of its strongest defenses, and
the greatest of all the impediments which have to
be surmounted by those who labor for the
emancipation of nations fallen under the dominion
of Rome.
It was against that ignorance that Elizabeth and
her councilors continued to direct their assaults.
The next step, accordingly, was the publication of
the Book of Homilies. We have already said that in
the reign of Edward VI twelve homilies were
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