v orn . ▁A ▁known ▁manuscript ▁of ▁the ▁text ▁is ▁dated ▁ 1 3 2 2 , ▁and ▁beyond ▁this , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁other ▁knowledge ▁about ▁Base v orn . ▁ ▁Base v orn ▁wrote ▁The ▁Form ▁of ▁Pre aching ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁imp ost ors ▁who ▁were ▁pos ing ▁as ▁pre ach ers ▁and ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁but ▁who ▁were ▁not ▁granted ▁the ▁authority ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁His ▁text ▁makes ▁the ▁qual ifications ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁necessary ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁pre acher , ▁and ▁provides ▁a ▁manual - style ▁instruction ▁on ▁the ▁r het or ical ▁and ▁sty list ic ▁skills ▁one ▁must ▁have ▁to ▁excel ▁at ▁pre aching . ▁His ▁importance ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁historical ▁study ▁of ▁r het or ic , ▁particularly ▁ 1 4 th ▁Century ▁r het or ic , ▁because ▁The ▁Form ▁of ▁Pre aching ▁is ▁the ▁text ▁that ▁best ▁enc aps ul ates ▁the ▁them atic ▁ser mon , ▁a ▁pre aching ▁style ▁that ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁and ▁continues ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁today . ▁ ▁Sub ject ▁matter ▁▁ ▁The ▁pre aching ▁style ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 2 3 0 - 1 2 3 1 , ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris . ▁The ▁format ▁of ▁a ▁university - style ▁ser mon ▁takes ▁a ▁single ▁theme ▁from ▁script ure ▁and ▁continu ously ▁develop s ▁the ▁theme ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁ser mon . ▁A ▁them atic ▁ser mon ▁consists ▁of