118. But when the saints comprised their
doctrine in writings, that thereby in their absence
it might be understood what they taught, then
the world fell upon it, and every one desired to be
such a teacher, and thought the art, skill, and
knowledge stuck in the letter ; thither they came
running, old and new, who for the most part
only stuck in the old man, and had no knowledge
of God ; and so taught according to their own
conceits, from the written words, and explained
them according to their own meanings.
19. And when they saw that great respect and
honour was given to the teachers, they fell to
ambition, pride, and greediness of money ; for the
simple people brought them presents or gifts, and
they thought that the Holy Ghost dwelt in the
teachers, whereas the devil of pride lodged in them ;
and it came to that pass, that every one called
himself after his master's name [whose doctrine he
prized most] ; one would be of Paul ; another of
Apollos ; another of Peter ; and so forth. And
because the saints used not the same kind of words
and expressions in their teaching and writings,
though they spake from one and the same spirit,
therefore the natural man (which being without
736 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 26
2the spirit of God knoweth nothing of God) began
all manner of strife and disputations, and to make
sects and schisms ; and they set themselves up for
teachers among all sorts of people, not for God's
sake, but for temporal honour, riches, and pleasure
sake, that they might live brave lives. For it
was no very hard labour and work to hang to the
bare letter ; and such strife and contention arose
amongst them, that they became the most bitter
enemies and haters one of another. And none of
them were born of God, but their parents held them
close to the Scripture, that they might come to be
teachers, that so they might be honoured in and
1 might have for their children, and that their children * might
rood mainten- -i • r i
ance, or great llV6 bravely.
3fstiai 20. And so it fell out, that every one would get
the greatest conflux of people he could, that he
might be esteemed by most people ; and these
lip-Christians did so multiply, that the sincere
hearty desire to God was left, and they only looked
upon the lip-priests, who did nothing but cause
strife and contentions ; and they all vapoured and
boasted of their own art and skill which they had
f learned in the schools and universities, and cried,
Lo ! here is Christ, come running hither, thus and
thus hath Paul written ; and another saith, Come
hither, here is Christ, thus and thus hath Peter
written ; he was the disciple of Christ, and had
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, this cannot be
amiss ; they do but deceive you, follow after me.
Ch. 26] OF THE FEAST OF PENTECOST 737
21. Thus the poor ignorant people looked upon
the l mouth-apes, those greedy covetous men, which l Such as
. ,4 , , apishly teach
were no other, than * vizard-priests, and so lost their the words of
dear Immanuel ; for Christ in them (from whence without the
the Holy Ghost goeth forth, which driveth and they™a*° '
leadeth men, and who at first had begotten them 2 mock priests,
monsters of
with power and miracles) must now be nothing pnests, or
1 ° pnests in a
but a history, and they became but history- pi»y.
Christians ; yet so long as the Apostles and their
true disciples lived, they stopped and reproved
such things, and shewed them the right way ; but
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.