Brothers and sisters:
In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord,
but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.
So this is what I think best because of the present distress:
that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.
Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation.
Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife.
If you marry, however, you do not sin,
nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries;
but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life,
and I would like to spare you that.

I tell you, brothers, the time is running out.
From now on, let those having wives act as not having them,
those weeping as not weeping,
those rejoicing as not rejoicing,
those buying as not owning,
those using the world as not using it fully.
For the world in its present form is passing away.

1st Corinthians chapter 7

This book will make a traveler of thee
If by its counsel thou wilt be ruled;
It will direct thee to the Holy Land,
If thou wilt its Directions understand
John Bunyan, ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’

Some men a forward motion love;
But I by backward steps would move,
And when this dust falls to the urn,
In that state I came, return,
Henry Vaughan, ‘The Retreat’

The Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping and Adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God. –Articles of Religion of the English Church, 22 (1544)

Then is his pain more than his wit,
To walk to heaven, when he may sit!
John Heywood, ‘The Play Called the Four PP’

[A] lot of hermits with hooked staves went to Welsingham, their wenches following. These great, long lubbers, loth to work, clothed themselves in clerical garb to be known from laymen, and styled themselves hermits, so as to have an easy life.
Henry Vaughan, ‘The Retreat’

…the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Twentieth century English poet

Brothers and sisters:
Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses,

and again:

The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

The Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
Among men, who knows what pertains to the man
except his spirit that is within?
Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world
but the Spirit who is from God,
so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom,
but with words taught by the Spirit,
describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.

Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,
for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,
because it is judged spiritually.
The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything
but is not subject to judgment by anyone.

For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?”
But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians