The texte.

Knowe ye not, that ye are as a temple consecrate vnto God, which the heauenly spirite of God possesseth & sanctifieth? Yf suche one be punished, as doeth defile a temple, that is halowed by manne, will not God destroy him, that defyleth his temple? Endeuour must we dilygently, that this temple be kepte pure and holy, synce God hath once by his holy spirite cleansed and halowed it. Kepe it cleane may ye by vnhurtefull lyfe, with christian conuersacion and maners.

Page  xiBut if ye bee to muche desyrouse of honoure, or yf ye bee leach •rouse, or ge∣uen to stryfe and debate, and to suche other wylfulnes, then suspende ye and defile it. Sythe then ye are the temple of god buylded with lyuelye stones, verye wicked certaynely and vngodlye is he, that prouoketh anye of your companye to suche maners, condicions, and learnynges, as are not with Christe agreable. Christe deceyueth no manne especiallye none of them,* that leane to hym. Let euery manne beware that he deceyue not hym∣selfe, whyles he vndiscretely trusteth vpon mannes helpe. Looke ye not for blysse and felicitie either by your Philosophie, or by the lawe. Nor lette one manne presumptuously thynke hymselfe better, than other, because he is in worldlye learnyng excellente: but lette hym rather, that in worldly re∣putacion thinketh hymselfe wyse, wyselye waxe folyshe, that he maye bee wyse in deede. Lette hym forsake to be the proude teacher of folyshe wys•∣dome, and he shall be meete to be the scholer of verye wyse folyshnes. For e∣uen as the ryches of this worlde make not a manne truelye ryche, as the honoures of the worlde make not a manne truelye noble, and as the plea∣sures of the worlde make not a manne truely blessed: euen so the wysedome of this worlde maketh not a man truely wyse before god: whose iudgement no manne can deceyue, be he neuer so wyse in the sighte of the worlde. God mocketh at this wysedome, whiles he declareth it, not onely not to be that, whereby we attayne saluacion, but also to be that whiche hyndereth oure saluacion, by reason that it maketh men to be proude and fyerse, and there∣fore* very harde to be taught. This was long before spoken of in the booke, whiche is intitled of the pacience of Iob, when of God he speaketh on this wyse: whiche compasseth the wise in theyr owne wilines. And agayne in the lxiii. Psalme: the Lorde knoweth the thoughtes of menne that thinke them∣selues to be wyse, that they be vayne, and vnable to perfourme suche thyn∣ges as they promise. Since therfore all the pythe of oure saluacion is alto∣gether of god, men maye of this vsurpe no porcion as theyr owne, nor geue any parte of this glorye to man as the chiefe doer, since the whole shoulde be surrendred to God. And synce ye are one bodie ioyned together by mu∣tuall charitie, vnmete is it, that one of you shoulde sticke to one phantasie, and another to another phantasie, when all thynges are youres indif∣ferentlye. Whether Paule, or Apollo, or Cephas be of anye autho∣ritie or not, this is sure, by goddes free gifte they haue one equal au∣thoritie for youre profite: or if the worlde bee in a rore agaynste you, it shall finallye bee for your profite: or if we lyue any longer, liue shall we to establyshe you in this learnyng: or yf we dye, then dye we to strengthen you by oure exaumple: or yf we bee in presente pleasures, we passe not muche vpon them, because they are soone goen: or yf thynges to come moue you, laboure stoutelye and with a courage towarde them, whiche albeit ye see not with youre bodelye iyes, yet see ye them, with the iyes of your fayth. Awaye therfore with names of sectes, and diuision, since all thynges throughe one chiefe maister are youres equally, albeit your sel∣ues* are not your owne men, in suche sorte, y^• ye can geue any man right title vpō you, but ye long to Iesus Christ, to whō al we together owe our selues: Page  [unnumbered] and for Christ are we bounde to god the chiefe Lord and ruler of al thinges, whiche by hym hath geuen vs all goodnes.