The Obedience of a Christian Man

Here by seest thou what is to be thought of all other ceremonies / as hollowed water / bred / salt / bows / belles / wax / ashes and so forth / and all other disguisings and ape's play and of all manner conjurations / as the conjuring of church and church yards and of alter stones and such like. where no promise of God is / there can be no faith nor justifying / nor forgiveness of since▪ For it is more then madness to look for any thing of God save that he hath promised. How fer he hath promised so fer is he bound to them that believe and further not. ¹To have a faith therefore or a trust in any thing / where God hath not promised is plain idolatry and a worshipping of thine own imagination in stead of God. Lat us see the pith of a ceremony or two to judge the rest by In conjuring of holy water they pray / that whosoever be sprinkled there with may receive health as well of body as of soul / and like wise in making ⟨image 114⟩holy bred and so forth in the conjurations of other ceremonies. Now we see by daily experience that half there prayer is unheard. For no man receiveth health of body thereby. No more of likelihood do they of soul. Ye we see also by experience that no man receiveth health of soul thereby. For no man by sprinkling himself with holy water and with eating holy bred / is more merciful then before / or forgiveth wrong / or becometh at one with his enemy / or is more patient and less covetous and so forth. Which are the sure tokens of the soul health

Here by seist thou what is to be thought of all other ceremonies / as holowed water / bred / salt / bowes / belles / wax / asshes and so forth / and all other disgisinges and apesplaye and of all maner coniuracions / as the coniuringe of church and church yardes and of alter stones and soch like. where no promyse of God is / there cā be no faith ner iustifienge / ner forgevenes of synnes▪ For it is moare then madnes to loke for any thinge of God save that he hath promysed. How fer he hath promysed so fer is he bounde to them that beleve and forther not. ¹To have a fayth therfore or a trust in any thinge / where God hath not promysed ys playne ydolatrye and a worshepinge of thine awne imaginacion in stede of God. Lat vs se the pith of a ceremonye or two to iudge the rest by In coniuringe of holy water they praye / that whosoever be sprinkled ther with maye receave health as wel of body as of soule / and lyke wise in makynge