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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	good_a	life_n	write_v	3,155	5	5.4448	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19362	An epistle or godlie admonition, of a learned minister of the Gospel of our sauiour Christ sent to the pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp, (who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge,) exhorting them to concord with the other ministers of the Gospell. Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton. Here may the christian reader lerne to know what is the true participatio[n] of the body of Christ, & what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper.	Corro, Antonio del, 1527-1591.; Fenton, Geoffrey, Sir, 1539?-1608.	1569 (1569)	STC 5787; ESTC S108710	46,646	132

contrarie are but superfluous And therefore in place to make you answer and fal into the fault which I sée in many who do nothing in all the tyme of their lyfe but dispute and debate I will praye to that good God to giue vs all a grace of participation with his light whiche chaseth away all darknesse of errour ignorance 78 I pray you what frute can proceede in writing a new booke of the questions and differences that these .xxx. yeares haue bin so sharply argued and yet without profite Would it be any other thing than in causing to bée reprinted sundrye repetitions to fil the faires of Frankefort and set the bookeprinters on work A vanitie moste greate and yet followed of many men of knowledge who desirous by these meanes too borrowe themselues an estimation wish that the world knew that they haue such a facilitie to compose bookes that in one euening after supper they can write as many quaires as may suffise a spedie Printer too imprint in a wéeke Considering alas not at all that the deuotion of a christian consists not in wordes nor in the multitude of papers bookes but in the true feare of God accompanied with liuely faith and carefull mortification with study by all our possible meanes to preserue the league of charitie one to an other giuing the worlde to knowe by our lyfe and example that our confession is the better 79 I coulde haue wished deare brethren that where in your confession you haue disgorged so many iniuries at your pleasure ageynst suche as desire youre wealth and honour at the least that you had giuen a shew of a christian modestie But it séemeth that in this vncharitable shewe you had a desire to declare an euident witnesse of the hate and euill will you beare ageinst your neighbours and that without any iust occasion in them calling them aduersaries and enimies profanors of the Supper of the Lord and darkening with corruption the words of S. Paule You call them sacramentors people that know not what meaneth the ascention of Chryste what is his ryghte hand nor what is glorification of the humanitie of the Lorde with other lyke things 80 Let vs leaue let vs leaue good brethren such maner of disputation and let vs forget to mainteine oure owne interpretation yea let vs search the edification of the churche of Chryste and not our owne glorie Let vs studie to leade men by our preachings to Iesus Christe our Soueraine Doctour and not to followe neither the cōfession of Auspurge the Catechisme of Martine nor the interpretations of Iohn nor Peter Let vs make it knowne to al the princes and potentates of Germanie that all those questions bée banished wée in desire to liue in reconciliation and friendship And let not the weake haue occasion to say that we serue most as matches bellows to kindle the hearts of such personages to make them shew thēselues enimies of those who cōfesse one self Gospell of Chryst with thē 81 Truly the doctors pastors and ministers of the Gospell ought to be suche now as by word and writing to become suters to the Princes Protestantes to take into their protectiō and vnder their wings the churches which the Lord hath stirred vp in these lowe Countreys and that they may become humble intercessoures to the king of Spayne oure soueraine Magistrate for pitie ouer his poore and most loyall subiectes who withoute any offence vnto the maiestie of theyr Prince bée persecuted murdered afflicted as seditious and rebells and handeled with more crueltie than may bée beléeued but of suche as haue seene it 82 In the meane whyle wee triumph in the chaire with bestowyng here and there captious Inuectyues callynge some Caluinistes some Sacramentors some seditious and rebelles breakers of Images with other lyke Wee sende oure Confessyons stuffed wyth Iniurious matters debates and quarrells to the Princes of Alm●yn to the end they may see what valiant champions we are on this syde And howe at the least the Confession of Auspurge triumpheth in the towne of Antwerpe by oure meanes In the whych meane whyle the glorie of Iesus Christ is buried or altogither forgotten and wée haue so hardened our harts that the afflictions of our brethren and neighbours doe not touche vs at all but we heare them reckened and recken them our selues with scoffes and mockerie thinking to escape better cheape bycause we are couered with the confession of Auspurge 83 No no brethren it can not be so for God knoweth how and where to find vs though it be in the bottom of the sea he hath his armes so long that he is able to drawe vs from the lappe of the greatest Monarchs of the earth And therfore lette vs not put our trust in the strength of the flesh but rather let vs march with all feare afore GOD and searche only his glorie And in place to make factions and separations of the churche let vs go with one courage and heart to batter the kyngdome of Sathan wyth the superstitions and idolatries brought into oure christian religion by him and his suppostes Let vs make warre ageynst vices and not ageynst men which bée the creatures We ought so to preach and write ageinst the abuse of the papists with a christian modesty of God bée they Papists or other discouering so the abuses as neyther the abusers nor they that be abused thynke that we crie out ageynst them rather by iniurious malice than for a zeale wée haue to drawe them to one estate 84 Of what purpose is it to vs to fill oure books and writings with iniuries ageinst the Pope Cardinalls Bishops Préestes and Moonkes and to studie for exquisite words and infamous epithetes to breath vppon them in the pulpit Are wée so forgetfull that wée remember not what we haue bin our selues Lette vs beare in mynde that there haue not passed many yeares since wée were in the same pitte and quagmier plunged vp to the chinne yea euen to the top of our heades from whence if the Lord of his goodnesse haue drawne vs displaying the tresors of his mercy vppon vs followeth it therefore that we shoulde either exclame or cry out ageinst those as vnhappily remaine yet in the place from whence we are come Were it not better to offer thē oure hand to helpe to pull them out of the pitte and to exhorte them gently to acknowledge the myserable estate wherin they are for it is impossible euer to gain their hearts by the way we take bycause man will be in libertie touchyng his beléefe and religion and the more he shall be resisted the more eiger will he be foūd in the pursute of that that is def●ded vntoo him employing his bodye and goods with lyfe and all if neede be to preserue his liberty in these poynts and lastly wil estéeme those as his sworne enemies who by any other meanes than gentlenesse will séeke to spoyle him of this libertie 85 Too this brethren you may

be of the Romish religion or reformed church praying always to the Lorde that he willighten vs in oure ignoraunces whiche wee ought to shew to euery one with all modestie and gentlenesse according too the example of oure maister and Redéemer Iesus who hath not disdained to receyue gently and teache myldely his very Iohn 3. enemies persecutyng him dayly and makyng coniurations to take from hym Luke 7. his life Let vs remember that being euē vpon the crosse pinched with the extreme pangs of death not mynding his owne paines he had remembraunce of his enimies with prayer to his heauenly Father to pardon their offences let vs imitate the Lorde our creator whose mercy and goodnesse are so plentiful that he maketh his sunne shine bothe vpon the good and the euill Let vs not vse regarde that this man hath suche an ignoraunce nor that man will receiue any article of our confession Let vs loue all helpe all embrace al and support the ignorances and infirmities of al. For better were it that we failed in this point if it be a fault at all than to make vs iudges of the conscience of an other and giue out sentence of condemnation ageinst those that agrée not with vs. 90 For ende deare brethren I besech you take in good parte this my epistle or letter mouing no otherwyse than of an affectioned hart towards you wherof the Lorde is my witnesse and I assure it in myne owne conscience and let it not I pray you be an occasion to you to write bookes nor Pamphlets séeing I haue no meaning too enter into armes or warre with the pen neither doth the time serue for it but rather of neede to vs all to apply oure selues to better things and let vs labour to encrease oure knowledge in that which we want to be doctors of the gospel for the acknowledging of our ignoraūce oughte rather to incense vs to a wil to learn than to make our selues inquisitours and censors of the Faythe of others with employing the time to fill bookes and papers with questions altogither impertinent to edification 91 I humbly beséech the soueraine maiestie of our good God heauenly father that it will please him too furnishe youre iudgements and vnderstādings with the knowledge of his holy woord to the ende that by the meane of youre preachings youre audience may learne a true faithe an assured hope in Iesus Chryste and a carefull mortification of the olde Adam and that the same Lorde so renue youre harts enflame your wills in the affection of charitie towards your neibors that from hence forth wée being ioyned with you and you with vs may liue in peace and tranquilitie of body and spirite in the assembly of oure Lorde Iesus soueraigne pastor of our soules who hauing bought vs by the inestimable price of his obedience and bloude moste precious it may also please hym too garde vs ageynst all dissentions make vs liue in the vnitie of himselfe vntill that béeing spoyled of this corruption wée may perfectely reioyce in the coniunction of him and the eternal glorie promised vs by his meane of the which in his own person the rather to make vs inheritors therof he hath alredy takē possession sitting on the right hād of God with all power in Heauen and earth To whome bée all glorie and empire for euer Amen In the towne of Antwerp ij of Ianua 1567. Your affectioned brother in Iesus Christ and humble companion in the work of GOD Anthonie de Corro called Belle Riue To the Churche of Antwerpe THis only deare brethren was intended by this Epistle or Sermon to imparte it by conference with the prechers of the church naming themselues of the confession of Auspurge without meaning to communicate it by publication albeit bycause diuers written copies are comen into the hāds of sundry and seuerall persons I thought it to better purpose to spread abroad and deliuer it in print than to suffer it to be argued in secrete leaste the same mighte moue cause of sinister iudgement ageinst the simple and sincere integritie of my meanyng wherein as the labour was peculiar in my selfe without the enteruiew or counsell of any so if it include any matter to edifie or confirme your cōsciences it may please you to be thankfull to the Lorde as author of al goodnesse And for the errors I beséech you let them be layde wholly vpon me as vpon a man who liuing yet in the peregrination to our heauenly countrey where wée shall haue perfect knowleage may erre and faile in many things For wée know that we are 2. Cor. 5. trauailers and iorneymen in this body we are absente from the Lorde and walke by Faith and not by view For ende I wipe my hands afore God and you all of any intent eyther to redarguate or confute the articles presented by those that call themselues of the Confession of Auspurge but rather to let them sée vpon what small causes they haue formed greate quarels maynteinyng dissention for a thing of small importaunce and forbeare too deale in matters more necessary SEing also good brethren that vppon the impression there remained certeine leaues voyde and vnfurnyshed of matter I thought it not oute of purpose to fyll them wyth certeine places of Holie Scripture persuading the Faythefull to actes of Charitie wyth brotherly vnitie one to an other yea not to forbeare to loue oure proper enemies and suche as pursue vs with persecution a vertue at this day moste importaunt and necessary the rather for that Sathan employeth a wonderfull diligence to sowe séedes of dissention and quarrell with speciall endeuour and strange meanes too corrupt the league of charitie lefte vnto vs by Chryste of suche commendation and all thys vnder a pretence of diuersitie in religion wherein as wée oughte to stand vppon our garde ageinst the subtilties and policies of the Diuel so assuredly God hath not lefte vs eyther lycence or lybertie once to thinke that it is lawfull for vs to hate any man in respect to maynteine our religion séeing wée are expresly enioyned by the wordes of the same to loue suche as despise vs and pray for those that persecute oure bodies and doings But alas wée are slipte into a time so miserable and infected with such corruption and blindnesse that in the maynteyning of the integritie of oure faith we become preiuditiall to the league of charitie with a negligent care of the vertue of the same For my part I allow iustly such diligence as is vsed in the purgation of abuses and errors to the end our holy faith and Religion may the rather be purifyed and remayne without spot albéeit I wishe a precyse obseruation of Christian charitie least in making warre ageynst the Heretikes of oure fayth wée become not heretikes ageynst charitie For which cause and to the ende that euery one be priuie to the bond and obligation which God in this purpose demaundes at our handes I haue heere