Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	father_n	lord_n	son_n	11,727	5	5.1360	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13748	The examinacion of Master William Thorpe preste accused of heresye before Thomas Arundell, Archebishop of Ca[n]terbury, the yere of ower Lord .MCCCC. and seuen. The examinacion of the honorable knight syr Jhon Oldcastell Lorde Cobham, burnt bi the said Archebisshop, in the fyrste yere of Kynge Henry the Fyfth.	Thorpe, William, d. 1407?; Tyndale, William, attributed name.; Constantine, George, ca. 1501-1559, attributed name.; Oldcastle, John, Sir, d. 1417. Examinacion of the honorable knight syr Jhon Oldcastell. aut	1530 (1530)	STC 24045; ESTC S104932	68,800	141

and thirtene in the first yeare of the reigne of kynge Henry the fifte The kynge gaue to the bisshop of Canterbury leaue to correcte the lorde Cabham And because no man durste somone hym personally the archebisshoppe set vp a citacion on his cathedrall chirche doore on the wennisday nexte before the natiuite of our lady in the forsaid yeare and that citacion was taken downe by the frendes of the lorde Cobham and after that the bisshope set vp a nother on oure lady day whiche also was rent downe and because he came not to answere on the daye assigned in the citacion the bishop cursed him for contumacye And the lorde Cobham seyng all this malice purposed ageynst hī wrote this beleue that foloweth with his owne hande and noted it hym selfe and also answered to foure poyntes put ageinst him by the bisshop he went to the king supposing to get of him good fauour and lordship ¶ The beleue I Beleue in god the father almightye maker of heuen and of erthe and in Iesu Christe his onely sonne oure lorde which was conceyued of the holy goste borne of the virgyn Marie and suffered dethe vnder Ponce Pilate crucifyed dede and buryed He went downe to helles the thirde daye he rose ageyn fro dethe he ascended vp in to heuenis he sitteth on the righte hande of god the father almightie fro thence he is to come to iudge the quicke dede I beleue in the holy goste all holy church the comunyon of seyntes forgeuenesse of synnes vprisyng of flesche and euerlastynge lyfe Amen And for to declare more playnly my sothfastnes in the beleue of holy churche I beleue seithfully and verely that there is but one god almightie and in this godhede and of this godhede ben thre persones the father the sonne and the holy goste and these thre persones be the same god almightie Forthermore I beleue that the seconde person of this most blessed trinite in moste conuenient tyme before ordened tooke flesche and bloode of the moste blessed virgine our lady seynte Marie for the redempcion and saluacion of mankynde that was loste before for Adams synne And I beleue that Iesu Christe our lorde which is bothe god and man is hedde of all holy churche and that all tho that ben or shall be saued ben membres of this moste holy churche which holy churche is departed in thre partes of the which one parte is now in heuē that is to fay the seyntes that in this lyfe lyued accordingly with the most blessed lawe of Christ his lyuīg despising forsaking the deuell his workes the prosperites of this world the foule luste of the flesch The .ij. parte is in purgatory abidīg the mercy of god purging thē there of their sinnes of the which thei haue bē truely confessed in dede or els in will to haue bē The .iij. part of this chirch is here in erthe the which is called the fyghtīg chirch for it fighteth euery day night agenst the temptaciō of the deuell the prosperite of this false failing worlde the proude rebelliō of the flesch agenst the soule This chirch is departed by the most blessed ordinaūce of god into thre estates that is to saye priesthode knighthode comōs to euery estate of the whiche god gaue charge the one sholde helpe a nother none destroye other As to priestes they sholde be moste holy lest worldly ād treuly lyuyng as nere as they coulde after the example of Christe and his apostles And all their besynesse sholde be daye and nyghte in holy example of lyuynge and trewe preachinge and teaching of goddes lawe to bothe the other partes And also they shold be most meke moste seruisable most louly in spirite both to god to mā In the .ij. parte of this chirch that is knyghthod ben conteyned all that beare the swerde by lawe of office which sholde mainteyne goddes lawe to be preached and taucht to the people ād principally the gospell of Christe and treuly to lyue thereafter the whiche parte sholde rather put them selfe to parell of dethe than to suffer any lawe or constitucion to be made of mā where thorow the fredome of goddes lawe myghte be letted to be preached and tauchte to the people or whereof any erroure or heresye myghte growe in the churche For I suppose fully that there maye come none heresye nor erroure amonge the people but by false lawes constitucyons or teachynges contrarye to Christes lawe or by false lesynges Also the seconde parte sholde defendethe comon people fro tyrauntes oppressours and extorcioners and maynteyn the clergy doyng dewly their office in preachinge teaching prayng and frely ministring the sacramentes of holy chirch And if this clergie be negligent in doing this office this seconde parte of the chirche ought by their office that they haue taken of god to constreyne the clergie in dew wyse to do their office in the forme that god hathe ordened it to be done The thirde parte of this fighting chirch oweth to beare good will to lordes and to priestes treuly to do their bodely laboure in tilling the earth with their true marchandise doing their deuties that they owe both to knyghthode and to priesthode as goddes lawe lymeteth keping feithfully the cōmaundmētes of god Moreouer I beleue all the sacramētes of holy chirch for to be medfull profitable to all that shall be saued takynge them after the entent that god and holy chirche haue ordened And for as mekell as I am sclaundered falselye of my beleue in the sacrament of the altar I do all Christen men to witte that I beleue verely that the moste blessed sacrament of the altare is very Christes body in forme of bread the same body that was borne of the blessed virgin our lady seynte Mary done on the crosse dede buried on the thirde day rose frō dethe to lyfe the which body is now glorified in heuen Also I beleue that all goddis lawe is trewe who that lyueth contrariously to this blessed lawe so contynewith to his lyues ende dyeth so brekyng the holy commaundementis of god that he shall be dampnyd into euerlasting peynes And he that will learne this moste blessed lawe lyue ther after keping thes holy commaundementis of god ād endeth in charite shall haue euerlasting blysse Also I vnderstonde that this folowith of beleue that our lorde Iesu Christe that is bothe god man asketh nomore here in erthe but that he obey to hym after the fourme of his lawe in trewe keping of it And if ony prelate of the chirche aske more obediēce than this of ony man lyuyng he exaltith hymself in that aboue Christe so he is an open Antichriste Also thes poyntes I holde as of beleue in especiall And in generall I beleue all that god will that I beleue praing at the reuerence of almighty god to you my liege lorde that this beleue myght ben examyned by the wisest trewest

of one persecutyon in so shorte tyme as ys the terme of thys lyfe For lo thys heuenly heritage and endlesse rewarde is the lorde god him selfe wych ys the beste thyng that may be Thys sentēce wytnessyth the lorde god hym selfe wheras he seyd to Abrahā I am thy mede And as the lorde seyd he was and ys the mede of Abraham so heys of all hys other seyntys Thys moste blessyd and beste mede he graunt to vs all for hys holy name that made vs of nought ād sent hys onely moste deare woorthy sonne our lorde Iesu christe for to redeme vs wyth hys moste preciouse harte bloode Amen KNowen be yt to all men that rede or heare thys writyng benethe that on the sondaye next after the feste of seynt Peter that we call lammesse in the yeare of our lorde a M. CCCC and .vij. yeare I william of Thorpe beyng in preson in the castell of Saltwode was brought before Thomas Arundell Archebysshope of Canterbury and Chaunceler than of Ingland And when that I came to hym he stoode in a great chāber moch people aboute hym when that he sawe me he wēt faste into a closett byddyng all seculer men that folowed hym to go forth from hym sone so that no mā was left than in that closet but the Archebysshop hymselfe ād a physician that was callyd Malueren person of seynt Dunstanys in London other two personys vnknowen to me whych ware minysterys of the lawe And I stādyng before thē by by the Archebysshop seyd to me William I know well that thou hast thys twēty wynter more trauelyd about besyly in the north contre in other diuerse contres of Inglād sowyng about false doctrine hauyng great busynesse yf thou myght wyth thyne vntrew reachyng shrewyd wyll for to enfecte and poyson all this lāde But through the grace of god thou art now wythstondyd brought in to my warde so that I shall now sequester the from thyne euyll purpose lett that to enuenyme the shepe of my prouynce Neuer the lesse seynt Paul seythe Yf it may be as ferre as in vs ys we owe to haue peace wyth all men Therfore William yf thou wyll now mekely of goode harte without onye feynyng knele downe leye thy hāde apō a booke ād kysse yt promysyng feythfully as I shall here charge the that thou wilt submytthe to my correccyon stāde to myne ordinaūce fulfyll yt dewly by all thy connyng power thou shall yet fynde me gracyouse vnto ye. Than seyd I to the Archebysshop Syr syns ye deme me an heretyke out of beleue wyll ye gyue me here audiēce to tell my beleue And he seyd ye tell on And I seyd I beleue that ther is not but one god almyghty in thys god heed and of thys godhede a● thre persones that is the fader the sonne ād the sothe faste holy goste And I beleue that all thes thre persones ar euen in power in connyng ād in myght full of grace of all goodnesse For what ●o euer that the father dothe or can or wyll that ●hyng also the sonne dothe can and wyll ād in all their power connyng wyll the holy goste ys equall to the father to the sonne Ouer thys I beleue that thrugh coūsell of thys moste blessyd trinite in moste conueniēt tyme before ordenyd for the saluacyon of man kynde the seconde peerson of thys trinite was ordenyd to take the fourme of man that is the kynde of man And I beleue that thys seconde person our lorde Iesu christe was conceiuyd thorough the holy goste into the wombe of the moste blessyd virgyn Marye wyth out mānys seede And I beleue that after nyne monethys Christe was borne of thys moste blessyd vergyn wythout ony peyne or brekyng of the closter of hyr wombe and wythout fylthe of hyr virginite And I beleue that Christe our sauyour was circuncisyd in the eyghte daye after hys byrthe in fulfillyng of the lawe and hys name was callyd Iesu whych was callyd of the angell before that he was cōceiuyd in the wōbe of Marie hys moder And I beleue that Christe as he was about thyrty yeare olde was baptyzed in the fludde of Iordane of Iohn̄ baptist in lykenesse of a dove the holy goste descendyd there vpon him and a voyce was herde frō heuen seiyng Thou art my welblouyd sonne In the I am full pleasyd And I beleue that Christe was moeuyd than by the holy goste for to goo in to desert there he fastyd fourty dayes ād fourty nyghtes wythout bodely meate drynk And I beleue that by and by after hys fastyng whan the manhode of Christe hongeryd the feende came to hym ād tēptyd hym in glotony in veyn glory and in couetyse but in all thoes temptacyōs Christe concludyd the fende ād with stoode hym And than wyth out tariyng Iesu began to preache to seye vnto the people doo ye penaunce for the realme of heuen ys now at hande And I beleue that Christe in all hys tyme here lyued moste holyly and taught the wyll of hys fader moste trewly and I beleue that he sufferyd therefore moste wrong fully greatyst repreuys and despysynges And after thys whan Christe wolde make an ende here of hys temporall lyfe I beleue that in the daye next before that he wolde suffer passyon on the morne In fourme of brede of wyne he ordenyd the sacramēte of hys flessh hys blood that ys hys owne precyous body ād gaue it to hys apostles for to eate cōmaundyng them by thē all their after comers that they sholde doo it ī thys fourme that he shewyd to them vse them self and teache and commone forthe to other men woomen thys moste worshypfull holiest sacramēt in myndefulnesse of hys holyest lyuyng of hys moste trew teachyng of hys wilfull paciēt sufferyng of the moste peynfull passion And I beleue that thus Christeour sauyour after that he had ordenid thys moste woorthy sacramēt of hys owne preciouse body he wēt forthe wyllfully agenst hys enemyes and he sufferyd thē most paciently to ley their hādys moste violētly vppon hym and to bynde hym to leade hym forthe as a thefe and to skorne hym ād buffet ād all to blow or fyle hym with their spittinges Ouer this I beleue that Christ suffered most mekely and paciently his enemies for to dinge out with sharpe scourges the bloude that was betwene his skyn his flesh yee without grudginge Christ suffered the cruell Iewes to crown hym with most sharp thornes and to strike him with a rede And after Christ suffered wicked Iewes to draw him out vpon the crosse and for to nayle hym there vpon fote and hande And so thorow this pitiefull naylinge Christ shed out wilfully for mans lyfe the bloude that was in his vaynes And then christ gaue wilfully his spirite in to the handes or power of his father and so as he wolde when he

kynges and lordes which vse to send their letters ensealid with their armes or with their preuy signet to men that are with them are worshipped of thes mē For whā thes mē receiue their lordes letters in whiche they se knowe the willes biddīges of their lordes in worshippe of their lordes they do of their cappes to thes letters Why not than sins in ymages made with mannes hande we may rede and knowe many diuerse thinges of god and of his sayntes shall we not worshippe their ymages And I sayde with my forsaid protestacyon I saye that these worldly vsages of temporall lordes that ye speake now of maye be done in case without synne but thys is no similitude to worship ymages made by mānes hande syns that Moses Dauid Salomon Baruch other seyntes in the bible forbidde so pleynly the worshipyng of all soche ymages Than the archebishop said to me Lewde losell In the olde lawe before that christe toke mākind was no likenesse of any persone of the trinite nother shewed to mā nor knowē of mā but nowe syns christe became mā it is lefull to haue ymages to shewe his māhode Ye though many mē which are right greate clerkes other also helde it an errour to peynte the trinite I say it is well done to make and to peynte the trinite in ymages For it is great mouing of deuocion to mē to haue and to behold the trinite and other ymages of seyntes caruyd caste and peynted For beyonde the see are the beste peynters that euer I saw And syrs I tell you this is their maner ād it is a goode maner Whan that an ymage maker shall kerue caste in moulde or peynte ony ymages he shall go to a prieste and shryue him as clene as if he sholde than dye and take penaunce and make some certeyn vowe of fastyng or of praiynge or of pilgrimages doinge praiyng the prieste specially to praye for hym that he may haue grace to make a faire and a deuoute ymage And I said Syr I doute not yf thes peynters that ye speake of or ony other peynters vnderstode truely the texte of Moses of Dauid of the wise man of Baruch and of other seyntes and doctoures these peynters sholde be moued to shryue them to god wyth full inwarde sorowe of harte takynge vpon them to doo right sharpe penaunce for the synfull and vayne crafte of peyntinge karuynge or castinge that they had vsed promising god feithfully neuer to do so after knowleging openly before all mē theyr reprouable earnīg And also syr thes priestes that shriue as ye do say peinters inioyne thē to do penaunce and praye for theire spede promysyng to them helpe of their prayers for to be curious in their synfull craftes synne herein more greuously thā the peynters For thes priestes do comforte and gyue them counsell to do that thynge which of great peyne ye vnder the peyne of goddes curse they sholde vtterly forbydde them For cerris syr yf the wonderfull werking of god and the holy lyuynge and teachynge off Christe and off his apostles and prophetes were made knowen to the people by holy lyuynge and true and besy teachynge of priestes these thynges syr were sufficient bokes and kalendares to knowe god by and his sayntes without ony ymages made with mannes hond but certis the vicious lyuynge of priestes and their couetousnesse are chefe cause of this errour and all other viciousnesse that reigneth among the people Than the archebishop said vnto me I holde that a vicious priest a curste all thē that are of thy secte for all priestes of holy chirche and all ymages that moue men to deuocion thou soche other go about to destroye Loosell ware it a feire thing to come in to a chirche and see therin none ymage And I said Syr they that come to the chyrche for to pray deuoutly to the lorde god may in their inwarde wittes be the more feruent that all their outwarde wittes be closed fro all outwarde seynge and hearing and fro all distroblaūce and lettyngis And syns Christe blessed them that saw hym not bodely and haue beleuyd feith fully in hym It sufficeth than to all men thorow hearing and knowing of goddis worde and to doo there after for to beleue in god though they see neuer ymagis made with mannis hande after ony Person of the trinite or of ony other seynte And the Archebisshop said to me with a feruēt spyrite I say to the Losell that it is right well done to make and to haue an ymage of the trinite Ye what saist thou Ys it not a stiering thing to beholde soche an ymage And I said Sir ye said right now that in the olde lawe or Christe toke mankynde no likenesse of ony person of the trinite was shewid to men wherfore sir ye said it was not thā lefull to haue ymagis but now ye say syns Christe is becomen man it is lefull to make to haue an ymage of the trinite and also of other seyntis But syr this thing wolde I learne of you Syns the father of heuen ye and euery person of the trinite was without beginnyng god almighty many holy prophetis that wer dedely men wer martiresed violently in the olde lawe and also many men and women than died holy confessours Why was it not than as lefull and necessarie as now to haue made an ymage of the father of heuen and to haue made hadde other ymagis of martires prophetis and holy cōfessours to haue ben kalendaris to aduise men ād moue them to deuocion as ye say that ymagis now doo And the Archebisshop said The sinagoge of Iues hadde not authorite to approue thes thingis as the chirche of Christe hathe now And I said Sir seint Gregory was a great man in the new lawe and of great dignite ād as the comon lawe witnesseth he cōmendid greatly a bisshop in that he forbadde vtterly the ymagis made with mannis hande sholde be worshipid And the Archebisshop said Vngracious losell thou fauerist nomore trewthe than an hounde Syns at the roode at the northe dore at London at our lady at walsingam ād many other diuerse placis in England ar many great and preisable miracles done shulde not the ymagis of soche holy seyntis and placis at the reuerence of god and our lady other seyntis be more worshippid than other placis and ymagis wher no soche miracles ar done And I said Sir ther is no soche vertue in ony ymagery that ony ymagis sholde herefore be wors●hippid wherfore I am certein that ther is no miracle done of god in ony place in erthe because that ony ymagis made with mānis hāde sholde be worshippid And herefore sir as I preached openly at shrewisbery and other placis I say now here before you that no body sholde truste that ther war ony vertue in ymagery made with mannis hande and herefor no body sholde vowe to them nor seake them

nor knele to them nor bow to them nor pray to them nor offer any thing to them nor kysse them nor ensence them For lo the most worthy of soche ymagis the brasen serpente by Moyses made at goddis bidding The goode kyng Ezechie destroied worthily and thankefully for bycause it was encensed Therfore sir yf men take goode hede to the writing and to the lerning of seynt Augustine of seynt Gregory and of seynt Iohn Crisostome ād of other seyntis doctours how they speake write of miracles that shall be done now in the laste ende of the worlde it is to dreade that for the vnfeith fulnesse of men women the fende hath great power for to worke many of the miracles that now ar done in soche placis For bothe men women delyte now more for to heare knowe miracles than they doo to knowe goddis worde or to heare it effec●uously Wherfore to the great cōfusion of all thē that thus doo Christe saith The gnāciō of aduolteres requireth tokyns miracles wōders Neuer thelesse as diuerse seyntis say now whan the feithe of god is publisshed in christēdome the worde of god sufficeth to mānis saluaciō without soche miracles thus also the worde of god sufficeth to all feithfull mē womē without ony soche ymagis but goode sir syns the father of heuē that is god in his godhed is the moste vnknowē thīg that may be ād the moste wōderfull spyrit hauyng in it no shape or likenesse of ony mēbres of oni dedely creature In what likenesse or what ymage may god the father be shewid or peintyd And the Archhebisshop said As holy chirche hathe sufferid and yet sufferith the ymagis of all the trinite and other ymagis to be peyntid and shewid sufficeth to them that ar membres of holy chirche But syns thou art a rotten membre cutt away frome holy chirche thou fauerest not the ordinaūce therof But syns the daye passith leaue we this mater ANd than he said to me What saist thou to the thirde poynte that is certified against the preching openly in shrewisbery that pilgrimage is not lefull And ouer this thou saidist that those men and women that go on pilgrimagis to Cāturbery to Beuerley to karlington to walsingame and to ony soche other placis ar acursed and made foolisch spending their goodes in waste And I said sir by this certificacion I am accused to you that I sholde teache that no pilgrimage is lefull But I said neuer thus For I knowe that ther be trew pilgrimagis and lefull and full plesaunt to god and therfore sir how so euer myne enemies haue certified you of me I tolde at shrewisbery of two maner of pilgrimagis And the Archebisshop said to me whome callest thou trewe pilgrimes And I said Sir with my protestaciō I call them trew pilgremis trauelyng toward the blisse of heuen which in the state degre or ordre the god calleth them doo besy them feithfully for to occupie all their wittes bodely and gostely to knowe trewly and to keape feithfully the biddinges of god hatyng and fleyng all the seuen dedely synnes and euery braunche of thē reulyng them verteuously as it is said before with all their wittes doyng discretely wilfully gladly all the werkis of mercy bodely and gos●ely after their connyng and power ablyng them to the gyftes of the holy goste disposing them to receyue in their soules and to holde therin the right blessinges of Christe beseyng them to knowe ād to kepe the seuene principall vertues and so thā they shall obteyne here thorow grace for to vse thankfully to god all the condicions of charite and than they shall be moouyd with the good spirite of god for to examyne ofte and diligently their conscience that nother wilfully nor wittingly they erre in ony article of beleue hauyng continually as frailte will suffer all their besinesse to drede and to flee the offence of god ād to looue ouer all thing and to seke euer to doo his plesaunt will Of these pilgremis I said what so euer goode thoughte that they ony tyme thinke what verteuous worde that they speake and what frutefull worke that they worke euery soche thoughte worde and werke is a steppe noūbered of god toward hym into heuene Thes for said pilgremis of god delyte sore whan they heare of seyntis or of verteuous men women how they forsoke wilfully the prosperite of this lyfe how they withstode the suggestion of the fende how they restreined their fleschly lustes how discrete they wer in their penaunce doyng how pacient they wer in all their aduersites how prudent they wer in counseling of men women moouyng them to hate all synne and to flye them ād to shame euer greatly there of and to loue all vertues and to drawe to them ymaginyng how Christe and his folowers by exāple of hym suffered skornis and sclaunders how paciently they abode and toke the wrongfull manasyng of tyrauntis how homely they wer and seruisable to poore men to relieue and comforte them bodely and gostely after their power and connyng and how deuote they wer in praiers how feruent they wer in heuenly desyres and how they absented them fro spectacles of veyne seyngis and hearingis and how stable they wer to lett and to destroye all vices ād how laborious ād ioifull they wer to sowe to plante vertues Thes heuenly condicions ād soche other haue the pilgremis or endeuer thē for to haue whose pilgrimagie god acceptith And ageyne I saide as their werkis shew the moste parte of men and women that go now on pilgrimagis haue not thes forsaid condicions nor loueth to besy them feithfully for to haue For as I well know syns I haue full ofte assaide examyne who so euer will twentie of thes pilgremis and he shall not fynde thre men or women that knowe surely a cōmaundmēt of god nor can say their Pater noster and Aue maria nor their Credo redely in ony maner of langage And as I haue learnid and also know somwhat by experience of thes same pilgremis rellyng the cause why that many men and women go hither and thither now on pilgrimagis it is more for the helthe of their bodies than of their soules more for to haue richesse and prosperite of thys worlde than for to be ēryched with vertues in their soules more to haue here worldely and fleschely frendship than for to haue frendship of god of his seintis in heuen For what so euer thing man or woman dothe the frendship of god nor of ony other seynt cā not be hadde without keaping of goddis commaundemētis Forther with my protestacion I say now as I said in shrewisbery though they that haue fleschely willes trauell fer their bodies and spēde mekill money to seake and to visite the bonys or ymagis as they say they do of this seynte or of that soche pilgrimage goyng is nother praisable nor thākefull to god nor to

specially or for any other cause be at distaunce to be knette and made one in true feith in stedfaste hope and in perfite charite Amen ¶ Thus endeth the examynacion of Master Wyllyam Thorpe And here after foloweth hys testamente MAthew an apostle of Christe is gospeler witnessith truly in the holy gospell the moste holy lyuynge and the moste holsome teaching of christe He rehersith how that Christe likeneth them that heare his wordis and kepe them to a wyse man that bildeth his house vpon a stone that is a stable ād a sadde grounde This house is mannis soule in whome Christe deliteth to dwell if it be grounded that is stablisshed feithfully in his lyuyng and in his trewe teaching adourned or made fayre with diuerse vertues which Christe vsed ād taucht without ony medlyng of ony errour as ar chefely the condicions of charite This forsaid stone is Christe vpon which euery feithfull soule must be bylded syns vpon none other grounde than vpon Christis lyuyng and his teaching no body may make eny byldyng or housyng where in Christe will come dwell This sentence witnesseth seynt Paul to the corinthians shewing to them that no body may sett ony other groūde than is sett that is Christis lyuyng his teaching And because that all men women sholde gyue all their besynesse here in this lyfe to bylde them vertuously vpon this sure foundacion seynt Paul knouleging the feruent desyre and the goode will of the people of Ephesy wrote to them cōfortably sayng Now ye ar not straungeris gestis nor yet comelingis but ye ar the citezyns and of the housholde of god byldyd aboue vpon the foundament of the apostles and prophetis In which foundamēt euery byldyng that is byldyd or made thorow the grace of god it encreaseth or growith into an holy temple ▪ that is euery body that is groūded or bylded feithfully in the teaching and lyuyng of Christe is there thorow made the holy temple of god This is the stable grounde and stedfaste stone Christe which is the sure corner stone faste ioynyng and holdyng myghtely to gither two wallis For thorow Christe Iesu meane or middill persone of the trinite the father of heuen is pituous or mercifully ioynyd and made one to gither to mankynde And thorow dreade to offende god ād feruent looue to please hym men be vnseparably made one to god and defended surely vnder his proteccion Also this forsaid stone Christe was figured by the square stones of which the tēple of god was made For as a square stone wher so euer it is caste or layde it abydeth lieth stabely so Christe and euery feithfull mēbre of his chirche by example of hym abydeth and dwellith stabely in true faithe and in all other heuenly vertues in all aduersites that they suffer in this valley of tearis For lo whan thes forsaid square stones wer hewen and wroughte for to be layde in the wallis or pillers of goddis tēple none noyse or stroke of the worke men was harde Certein this silence in workyng of this stone figureth Christe chefely and his feithfull mēbres which by example of hym haue ben and yet ar euer to the worldis ende shall be so meke and paci●t in euery aduersite that no sounde nor yet ony grudging shall ony tyme be perceiued in them Neuerthelesse this chefe and most worshipfull corner stone whiche onely is grounde of all vertues proude beggers repreuyd but this despite and reprefe Christe sufferid moste mekely in his owne person for to gyue exāple of all mekenesse and pacience to all his feithfull folowers Certeyn this worlde is now so full of proude beggers which ar namyd priestis but the very office of workyng of priesthode which Christe approuyth trewe ād acceptith is farre fro the multitude of priestis that now reigne in this worlde For fro the hyest prieste to the lowest all as who say studie that is they ymagine and trauell besely how they may please this worlde ād their flessch This sentence ād many soch other dependeth vpon them if it be well considered other god the father of heuen hath deceiuyd all mankynde by the liuyng specially teaching of Iesu Christe by the liuyng teaching of his apostles prophetis or els all the popys that haue ben syns I hadde ony knowlege or discretion with all the college of Cardinallis Archebishopis bisshopis Monkys chanons friers with all the contagious flocke of the comunaltie of priesthode whych haue all my lyfe tyme ād mekell lenger reigned yet reigne ād encrease dampnably fro synne into synne haue bene ād yet be proude obstinate heretikes couetous symoners defoulyd aduulterers in the ministrīg of the sacramentis specially yn ministryng of the sacrament of the altare For as their workys shewe whereto Christe biddeth vs take hede the hyest priestis and prelatis of this priesthode chalenge and occupie vnlefully temporall lordeshippes And for temporall fauour and mede they sell and gyue benefices to vnworthy ād vnable persones yethes symoners sell synne sufferyng men womē in euery degre ād estate to lye cōtinew fro yeare to yeare in diuerse vices sclaūderously And thus by euill exāple of hye priestis in the chirche lower priestis vnder them or not onely suffered but they ar maynteined to sell full dere to the people for tēporall mede all the sacramētis And thus all this forsaid priesthode is blowen so hye ād borne vp in pride vayn glorie of their estate dignite so blindid with worldly couetousnesse that they disdeyne to folow Christe in very mekenesse ād wilfull pouerte lyuyng holily ād preaching goddis worde treuly frely cōtineually takyng their lyuelode at the fre will of the people of their pure almose where and whan they suffyse not for their trewe besy preaching to gett their sustenaūce with their hādis To this trew sentēce grounded on Christis owne liuyng teaching of his apostles thes for said worldly fleschly priestis will not consente effectually But as their werkys ād also their wordis shewe boldeli vnshamefastly thes for said named priestis prelatis couett enforse thē mightely besely y● all holy scripture were expoūdid drawne accordingly to their maners ād to their vngroūdid vsagis fyndyngis For they will not syns they holde it but foly madnesse comforme their maners to the pure and symple liuyng of Christe and his apostles nor they will not folow frely their learnyng Wherfore all the emperours and kynges ād all other lordis and ladies and all the comon people in euery degre and state which haue before tyme knowen or myght haue knowen ād also all they that now yet knowe or myght knowe this forsaid witnesse of priesthode and wolde not nor yet will enforce them after their connyng and power to withstonde charitably the forsaid enemyes and traitours of Christe ād of his chirche all thes stryue with Antechriste ageinst Iesu And they shall