Selected quad for the lemma: body_n
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A06898
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The iewel of ioye
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Becon, Thomas, 1512-1567.
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1550
(1550)
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STC 1733; ESTC S116427
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101,881
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346
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wold the prophete Helias haue beleued y t ther had bene any godly meÌ„ left aliue besides him self wheÌ„ kyng Achab his wicked wife Iesabel had cruelly murthered suche great numbre of y e Lordes Prophets seruauÌ„tes til god made him answer said I haue yet re serued to me vii M. meÌ„ whiche haue not bowed their knees before Baâ—…l WheÌ„ the Papistes Antichristes thynke their kyngdome moste strongest and most lyke to continue then is it most nighe vnto downe fall so worcketh God for the auauncemente of hys glorye and for the profite of hys poore afflicte congregati on When the enemies of God burne good men and consume theyr bokes vnto ashes then are these martyrs the better credited their doctrine y e more regarded their bokes both y e more warely kept hold in y e greater reuereÌ„ce Theo. I beleue it right wel For ther be certain bokes whose remeÌ„brauÌ„ce hath falleÌ„ away loÌ„g before this tyme froÌ„ the mindes of the people if they had not furiously and without coÌ„sideratioÌ„ bene condeÌ„pned for heresy But wheÌ„ the people saw them condeÌ„ned no cause whye but plaine tyrannye Sic volo sic iubeo stat pro ratione voluntas It caused theÌ„ to haue the more respect vnto the bokes and when they had read them perused them compared them wyth the scriptures of God perceauynge that in all poyntes they did agre with theÌ„ it caused the readers to haue an euil opinion of the aduersaries and to embrace and safelye kepe the bokes as holy reliques and precious treasures So y t where the Papistes soughte a final destructioÌ„ to the bokes bi burning theÌ„ contrary to theyr expectatioÌ„ they haue made them as it were immortal won to the authors of them a noble fame glorious renowme Uery truly is it saied of SolomoÌ„ ther is no wisdome no forecast no councell that can preuaile against the Lord. Euse. Truth it is but to returne vnto y e Peke of what sort I pray you are the people coÌ„cerninge christeÌ„ religioÌ„ Phile. WheÌ„ I was ther al theyr religion coÌ„sisted in hearing mattens masses in super sticious worshipping of Saynctes in hyeringe soule caryars to syng trentals in pattering vpon beades and in suche other popeishe pedlary Theo. The history of the gentylman caused me not so muche to reioyce as the hearynge of this maketh me sory I wonder y t the coÌ„mune people be â—…o ignorauÌ„te Christo. Do ye wonder What wonder is it When suche as should lead them in the light of Christes gospel are the very self darcknes The eye y t is to saye y e preacher of gods word is y e light of the body y t is of the whole coÌ„gregation of Christe If y e eye be single y t is to say if the curate or preacher be godly learned then shal al the body be ful of lighte y t is the christeÌ„ coÌ„gregation shal haue the word of god dwel in theÌ„ plentuously trulye walke in y t light of Gods most blessed wyll wtout haltinge on boeth partes But if the eye be darkenes y t is to say if the preacher be vnlearned how great theÌ„ shal the dark nes be y t is howe ignorauÌ„te and blind shal the grosse tude people be Is not this the saying of SolomoÌ„ WheÌ„ the preaching of Gods worde faileth the people perish and come to nought The priestes are the salte of the earth in dede but if the salt be vnsauery haue loste his saltnes what can be salted ther w t It is afterward good for nothing but to be cast out to be trodeÌ„ vnder fote of meÌ„ Phil. I can not deny but y t the priests in y t couÌ„trey are very baselylearned in a maner such as are pointed of y e prophet saying The curats are blind euery one of theÌ„ thei are altogither w t oute knowledge they are dombe dogs not able to barke c. Euse The priests for the most part vniuersally thorowe y e realme are suche as Ezechiel crieth oute on saiyng Wo be to y e shepheards of Israel which fede theÌ„ selues Should not the shepherds fede y e floke Ye haue eateÌ„ vp y e milke Ye haue clothed you w t y e wolle the best fedde haue ye slayne but the stoke haue ye not nourished the weake haue ye not holdeÌ„ vp the sicke haue ye not healed the brokè haue ye not bounde togyther the outecastes haue ye not brought againe the lost haue ye not sought vp but churlishly cruelly haue ye ruled theÌ„ c. Chri. Wher suche vnlearned pastours beare rule no maruell though papistrie be not exiled If the blind lead the blind both fall into the dytche Phile. The people wher I hauetraueiled for the most part are resonable and quiet inough yea and veri coÌ„for mable to Gods truth If any be stobournlye obstinate it is for fault of knowledge and bicause they haue bene seduced of blynd guids Theo. It should help very much vnto an vniformitie in religion vnto the saluation of christen mennes soules if there were learned curates appointed in euery parish if so many caÌ„ not be founde theÌ„ to place in euerye couÌ„try certaine learned godly preachers which mai go froÌ„ parishe to parishe preaching to the people the good wyll pleasure of god And let the other priestes be ministers vnder the superatteÌ„dentes or ouersears in their abseÌ„ce read to the people y e saide scriptures the homiles reuereÌ„tly minister the sacrameÌ„tes vi sit the sicke people make colleccions for the poore vertuo uslye brynge vp the youthe of the towne If this were broughte to passe what a flowrishing realme should we haue How shold lear nig vertue prosper How purely should we honour God How faithfully should one of vs loue an other What christiaÌ„ workes should issue out of our dayly coÌ„uersatioÌ„ liuing Phile. I doubt not but y t the kinges maiestie w t his most honourable couÌ„cel will veri gratioussi coÌ„sider these thin ges yea that w t expedittoÌ„ Chri. But sit once again to the Peke I pray you continued you there stil to this returne into the coun trey Phile. I wyl tel you While I was in the Peke I learned y t R. Wysdome was in Stafforde shere ye know the maÌ„ I am sure Eus. We know him to be a godli maÌ„ in his coÌ„uersatioÌ„ a faithful preacher in his doctrine and such one as hathe not bene altogither fre froÌ„ persecution for the maintenauÌ„ce of gods truth Phi. He was y e same to me y t Aristarchus was to Paule Desieringe greatly to se him I bad mi frindes in y e Peke fare well made hast towarde him WheÌ„ I came to him I did not onli reioice to se him in health but also gaue god thaÌ„kes y t he was so wel placed prouided for For I fouÌ„d hym in the house of a certaine