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from that tyme hitherto / even .xij. hundred yeres longe / hath
euer some what moare wayght bene added to / for to kepe vs
downe and to confirme vs in blindnesse?
how be it / as longe as the significacions bode /
they hurted not the
soule / though they were paynful vnto the body.
Neuer the later I impute this oure greuous faull in to so
extreme and horrible blyndnesse (wher in we are so depe and so
dedly brought a slepe) vn to
nothinge so moch as vn to the multitude of
ceremonies. For assone as the prelates had sett vpp soch a
rable of ceremonies / they thought it superfluous to preach the
playne texte any longer and the law of god / feith of Christ /
loue toward oure neyboure and the ordir of oure iustifienge
& saluacion / for as moch as all soch thynges were playd
before the peoples faces dayly in the ceremonies and euery
child wist the meanynge: but gott them vn to allegories / faynynge them euery man aftir his awne brayne / with out rule / all most
on
euery silable / and from thence vnto disputynge and wastinge
their braynes aboute wordes / not attendynge the significacions
vntyll at the last the laye people had lost the meaninge of the
ceremonies and
the prelates the vnderstondynge of the playne texte /
and of the Greke Latine and specially of the Hebrue which is
most of nede to
be knowen / and of all phrases / the propir maner of
speakynges and
borowed speach of the Hebrues.
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