HE that foloweth me ( sayeth Christe our Sauiour ) walketh not in darknes , but he shall haue the light of life These be the words of our Lorde Iesus Christ , whereby we be admonished and warned , that we shall folowe his teachinges , and his maner of lyuing , if wee will truely be illumined , & be deliuered from all blindnes of hearte . Let all the study of our heart be therfore from henceforth , to haue our meditation wholly fixed in the lyfe , & in the holy teachinges of Iesus Christe : for his teachinges are of more vertue , & of more ghostlye strength , then are the teachinges of all Angels and Saintes . And he that thorough grace might haue the inner eye of his soule opened into the soothfast beholdinge of the Gospels of Christe , should finde in them Manna , that is to say , spirituall foode of the soule : but it is often times seene , that some persons which ofte heare the Gospelles of Christ , haue litle sweetenes therein , and that is , for that they haue not the spirite of Christe . Wherefore , if we will haue the true vnderstanding of Christes Gospels , we must study to conforme our life to his life as nigh as we can . What auaileth it a man to reason high secrete misteries of the Trinitie , if he lack meekenes , wherby he displeaseth the Trinitie ? Truely nothinge . For high curious reasons make not a man holie nor rightwise , but a good lyfe maketh hym beloued with God . I had rather feele compunction of hearte for my sinnes , then onely to knowe the diffinition of compunction . If thou couldest all the Bible without the booke , and also the sayinges of all Philosophers by hart , what should it profite thee without grace and charitie ? All that is in this worlde is vanitie , but to loue God , and onely to serue him . This is the most noble and the moste excellent wisdome that may be in any creature , by despisinge of this world to drawe daylie neerer and neerer to the kingedome of heauen . It is therefore a great vanitie to labour inordinatlie for worldly riches , which shortlye shall perishe , and to couet honor , or any other inordinate pleasures or fleshlie delightes in this lyfe ; wherby a man after this lyfe shall be sore and greeuouslye punished . Howe great a vanitie is it also to desire a longe life , and litle to care for a good life : to heede thinges present , and not to prouide for thinges that are to come : to loue thinges that shortlie shall passe away , and not to haste thither where is ioy euerlastinge . Also haue this common prouerbe ofte in thy minde , That the eye is not satisfied nor fullye pleased with the sight of any bodilye thinge , ne the eare with hearing : and therfore studye to withdrawe the loue of thy soule from all thinges that be visible , and turne it to thinges that be inuisible . For they that folowe their sensualitie , hurt their owne conscience , and leese the grace of God .

HAppye and blessed is that person whom truth teacheth and enformeth , not by figures , or by deceitful voyces , but as the truth is : our opinion and our wit many times deceiueth vs , for we see not the truth . What auayleth vs the knowledge of suche thinges as shal neyther helpe vs at the daye of iudgement if we knowe them , nor hurt vs if we know them not . It is therfore great folly to be negligent in suche things as be profitable and necessary to vs , and to labour for such thinges that be but curious and damnable . Truely if we doo so , we haue eyes but we see not . And what auayleth vs the knowledge of the kinde and working of creatures ? truely nothing . He to whom the euerlasting worde ( that is Iesus ) speaketh ●is discharged of many vayne opinions , and of that worde al thinges proceede , and all thinges openlye shewe and crye , that he is God . No man without him vnderstandeth the truth , ne rightfully iudgeth , but he to whom al thinges is one , and he that all thinges draweth into one , and all thinges setteth in one , and desireth nothinge but one , may quickly be established in heart , and be fully pacifyed in God . O truth that God art , make me one with thee in perfect charitie , for all that I reade , heare , or see without thee , is greeuous to me , for in thee is all that I wil or maye desire . Let all Doctours be stil in thy presence , and let all creatures keepe them in silence , and thou only Lord speake to my soule . The more that man is ioyned to thee , and the more that he is gathered together in thee , the more he vnderstandeth without labour high secrete misteries : for he hath receyued from aboue the light of vnderstanding . A cleane , pure , and a stable hart is not broken ne lightly ouercome with ghostely labours , for he doeth al thing to the honour of God : and for that he is cleerely mortifyed to him self , therfore he coueteth to be free from folowing his owne wil. What hindereth thee more then thy affections not fully mortifyed to the wl of the spirite ? truelye nothing more . A good deuout man so ordereth his outwarde busines , that it draweth not him to the loue of it , but that he compell it to be obedient to the wil of the spirite , & to the right iudgement of reason . Who hath a stronger battayle then he that laboureth for to ouercome him selfe ? and that shoulde be our dayly labour & our dayly desire to ouercome our selfe , that we may be made stronger in spirite , and increase daily from better to better . Euery perfection in this life hath some imperfection annexed vnto it , and there is no knowledge in this worlde but that it is mixt with some blindens of ignorance . And therfore a meeke knowing of our selfe is a more surer way to God ; then is the searching for highnes of cunning . Cunning wel ordred is not to be blamed , for it is good and commeth of God : but a clean conscience and a vertuous life is muche better , & more to be desired . Because some men studye to haue cunning rather then to liue well , therfore they erre many times , and bring forth litle good fruite or none . O if they woulde be as busye to auoyde sinne , and to plante vertues in their soules as they be to moue questions , there shoulde not be so many euill thinges seene in the worlde , ne so much euil example geuen to the people , ne yet so much dissolute liuing in religion . At the daye of iudgement it shall not be asked of vs , what we haue read , but what we haue done , nor howe well we haue sayde , but howe religiously we haue liued . Tell me nowe , where be all the great clerkes and famous doctors , whom thou haste wel-knowen ? when they liued , they flourished greatly in their learning , and now other men occupy their prebendes & promotions , and I can not tell whether they think any thing on them : in their life they were holden great in the world , & nowe is litle speaking of them . O howe shortly passeth away the glorye of this world , with al the false deceauable plesures of it ? would to God their life had accorded well with their learning , for then had they well studied and read . How many perishe dayly in this worlde by vayne cunning , that care litle for a good life , ne for the seruice of God . And because they desire rather to be great in the worlde then to be meeke , therfore they vanishe awaye in their learninges as smoke in the ayre . Truely he is great that hath great charitie : and he is great that is litle in his owne sight , and that setteth at nought all worldly honour . And he is very wise , that accompteth all worldly pleasures as vile dounge , so that he maye winne Christe . And that person is very wel taught , that forsaketh his owne will , and foloweth the will of God .

IT is not good lightly to beleeue euery worde or instinct that commeth , but the thing is aduisedly and leasurely to be considered & pondered , that almightie God be not offended through our lightnes . But alas for sorowe , we be so fraile , that we anone beleeue of other euil , soner then good . But neuertheles , perfect men be not so light of credence , for they know well , that the frayllie of man is more prone to euil than to good , and that it is in wordes very vnstable . It is therefore great wisdome , not to be hastie in our deeds , ne to trust much in our own wits , nor lightly to beleeue euery tale , nor to shewe anone to other al that we heare or beleeue . Take alway counsel of a wise man , and couet rather to be instructed and ordred by other , then to folowe thine owne inuention . A good life maketh a man wise to God , and instructeth him in many things , that a sinful man shal neuer feele ne knowe . The more meeke that a man is in him selfe , & the more obedient that he is to God , the more wise & the more peaceful shall he be in euery thing that he shal haue to do .

CHaritie is to be sought in holye Scripture , and not eloquence , and it should be read with the same spirite that it was firste made . We ought also to seeke in holy Scriture , ghostlye profite rather then curiositie of stile , and as gladly shall we reade simple and deuoute bookes , as bookes of high learninge and cunninge . Let not the authoritie of thine authour mislike thee , whether he were of greate cunning or litle : but that the loue of the verye pure truth styrr thee to reade . Aske not who sayde this , but take heede what is sayde . Men passe lightlye awaye , but the truth of God euer abideth . Almightie God speaketh to vs in his Scripture in diuers maners , without acceptinge of persons : but our curiositie ofte letteth vs in reading of Scripture , when we will reason and argue thinges that we should meekely and simply passe ouer . If thou wilt profite by readinge of Scripture , reade meekely , simply , and faithfullye , & neuer desire to haue thereby the name of cunning . Aske gladlye , and heare meekely the sayinges of Saintes , & mislike not the parables of ancient fathers , for they were not spoken without great cause .