English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485 -- Sources
"For I purpose, with the help of GOD into remission of all my sins and
of my foul cursed living, to hate and to fly privily and apertly, to
follow these men! teaching and counselling whomsoever that I may, for to
fly and eschew the way that they have chosen to go in, which will lead
them to the worst end, if, in convenient time, they repent them not,
verily forsaking and revoking openly the slander that they have put, and
every day yet put to CHRIST's Church. For, certain, so open blasphemy
and slander, as they have spoken and done in their revoking and
forsaking of the Truth, ought not, nor may not, privily be amended duly.
Wherefore, Sirs, I pray you that ye busy you not for to move me to
follow these men in revoking and forsaking of the Truth and
Soothfastness! as they have done, and yet do; wherein by open evidence,
they stir GOD to great wroth, and not only against themselves, but also
against all them that favour them or consent to them herein, or that
comoneth [_communeth_] with them, except it be for their amendment. For
whereas these men first were pursued of enemies, now they have obliged
them by oath for to slander and pursue CHRIST in his members! Wherefore,
as I trust stedfastly in the goodness of GOD, the worldly covetousness,
and the lusty living, and the sliding from the truth of these runagates
[_renegades_] shall be to me, and to many other men and women, an
example and an evidence to stand the more stiffly by the Truth of
CHRIST.
"For, certain, right many men and women do mark and abhor the foulness
and cowardice of these aforesaid untrue men, how that they are overcome,
and stopped with benefices, and withdrawn from the truth of GOD's Word,
forsaking utterly to suffer therefore bodily persecution. For by this
unfaithful doing and apostasy, of them specially that are great lettered
men, and have [ac]knowledged openly the truth; and now either for
pleasure or displeasure of tyrants have taken hire and temporal wages,
to forsake the Truth and to hold against it, slandering and pursuing
them that covet to follow CHRIST in the way of righteousness: many men
and women therefore are now moved. But many more, through the grace of
GOD, shall be moved hereby, for to learn the Truth of GOD, and to do
thereafter, and to stand boldly thereby."
=ABP. SAYS, "HE SHALL CONFORM IN 8 DAYS!"=
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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