Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 3.pdf/19

virtuous living, more than for rebellion against thine own cause or person.

And hold with God's cause, and love, reward, praise, and cherish the true and virtuous of life more than if they do only thine own profit and worship; and maintain truly, upon thy cunning and might, God's law and true preachers thereof, and God's servants in rest and peace, for by this reason thou boldest thy lordship of God. And if thou failest of this, thou forfeitest against God in all thy lordship, in body and soul; principally if thou maintainest antichrist's disciples in their errors against Christ’s life and His teaching, for blindness and worldly friendship, and helpest to slander and pursue true men that teach Christ's gospel and His life. And warn the people of their great sins, and of false priests and hypocrites, that deceive Christian men, in faith and virtuous life, and worldly goods also.

If thou be a laborer, live in meekness, and truly and wilfully do thy labor; so if thy lord or thy master be a heathen man, that by thy meekness and wilful and true service, he have not to murmur against thee, nor slander thy God nor Christendom. And serve not Christian lords with murmuring, nor only in their presence, but truly and wilfully in their absence, not only for worldly dread nor worldly reward, but for dread of God and good conscience, and for reward in heaven. For that God that putteth thee in such service wots what state is best for thee, and will reward thee more than all earthly lords may, if