of Moses with sondry most learned and godly prologues prefixed before euery one of them most worthy to be read and read againe of all Christians as the like also he did vpon the new testament He wrote also dyuerse other woorkes vnder sondry titles among the which is that most worthy monument of his intuled the obedyence of a Christian man wherein with singular dexteritie he instructeth all men in the office and duetie of Christian obedieÌ„ce with dyuerse other treatises as may apere in the contentes of this booke So soone as these bookes were compiled and made by William Tyndall and the same were published and sent ouer into England it can not bee spoken what a dore of light they opened to the eyes of the whole Englishe nation which before were many yeares shut vp in darknes Now these godly bookes and specially the new Testament of William Tindals translation beyng spred abroad and come into many mens handes as they wrought singular profitte to the godly so the vngodly enuying and disdayning that the people should be any thing wiser then they and agayne fearing least by the shyning beames of trueth their false hypocrisie and workes of darcknes should be discerned began to stirre with no small adoe lyke as at the byrth of Christ Herode and all IerusaleÌ„ were troubled wyth hym so the Papistes made open exclamation agaynst this godly man and published hym opeÌ„ly in all their sermons to be an hereticke and that all his bookes were none other but damnable heresies and sought by all the meanes they might how to empeach and hynder that godly man in his blessed trauayles But to returne to the story After that William Tyndall had translated the fifth booke of Moses called Deuteronomium and he mynding to print the same at Hamborough sayled thitherward and by the way vpon the coast of Holland he suffered shipwracke and lost all his bookes writinges and copyes and so was compelled to beginne all agayne anâ—we to his hynderaunce and doublyng of his labours Thus hauyng lost by that ship both money his copyes and tyme he came in an other shippe to Hamborough where at his appointment M. Couerdale taryed for hym and helped hym in the translatyng of the whole fiue bookes of Moses And after hee returned to Andwarp aâ—d was there lodged more then one whole yeare in the house of Thomas Pointz an English man who kept a table for Englishe marchauntes About which tyme an Englishe man whose name was Henry Phillips whose father was customer of Poole a comely man and séemed to be a gentleman This man sodainely entred into the great loue and fauour of William Tyndall who greatly commended his curtesie and learning and in the ende fell into famylier loue and acquaintaunce with him And Thomas Pointz their host espying such great loue and familiaritie to be betwéene M. Tyndall and this Philippes which vnto hym was but a mere strainger did much meruell thereat and fell into a gelousy and suspition that this Phillipes was but a spye and came but to betraye M. Tindall wherefore on a time the a fore sayd Thomas Poyntz asked M. Tyndall how he came acquainted with this Phillipes M. Tyndall auÌ„swered that he was an honest man handsomely learned and very conformable Then Pointz perceauing that he bare such fauour vnto him sayd no more thinking that hee had béene brought acquainted with him by some frende of his The sayd Phillipes being in the towne iij. or iiij dayes did then depart to the Court at Bruxelles which is from Andwarp xâ—iiij myles and did so much there that he procured to bring from thence with him to Andwarp the procuror generall which is the Emperours attorney with certaine other officers And first the sayd Phillipes seruaunt came vnto Poyntz and demaunded of him whether M. Tyndall were there or not for his master would come and dyne with him And foorthwith came Phillipes and asked Poyntz wife for M. Tyndall and she shewed him that he was in his chamber then sayd he what good meate shall we haue to dinner for I entend to dyne with you and she aunswered they should haue such as the market would geue Then went phyllipes straight vp into M. Tyndales chamber and tolde him that by the way as he came he had lost his pursse and therefore prayed him to lend him xl shillings which he foorthwith lent for it was easie inough to be had of him if he had it For in the wilie subtilnes of this world he was simple and vnexpert Then sayd Phillipes you shall be my gest here this day No sayd â–ª Tyndall I got forth this day to dynner and you shall goe with me and be my gest where you shall be welcome And when dynner tyme came M. Tyndall and Phillipes went both forth togither And at the going forth of Poyntz house was a long narrow entrey so that ij coulde not goe on a front Tyndall would haue put phillipes before him but Phillipes would in no wise but put Tyndall béefore him for that hée pretended to shew greate humanitie So Tyndall being a man of no great stature went before and Phillipes a tall person folowed behinde him who had set officers on either syde of the dore vpon ij seates which beeing there might sée who came in the entrye And comming through y e sayd entrye Phillipes pointed with his finger ouer M. Tyndales head downe to hym that the officers which sat at the dore might see that it was hée whom they should take as the officers that tooke Tyndall afterward tolde the a fore sayde Poyntz and sayd that they pitâ—ed to sée his simplicitie when they tooke him But Tyndall when hée came nere the dore espied the officers and woulde haue shronke backe nay sayd Phillâ—ipes by your leaue you shall goe forth and by force bare hym forward vpon the officers And assone as the officers had taken him they forthwith brought him vnto the Emperours attorney or procurour generall where hée dyned Then came the procurour generall to the house of Poyntz and sent away all that was of Tyndales aswell his bookes as other thinges And from thence Tyndall was had to the Castell of filforde xviij Englishe myles from Andwarpe where hée remayned prisoner more then a yeare and a halfe and in that meane tyme came vnto him diuerse lawyers and Doctours in Diuinitie aswell fryers as other with whom hée had many conflyctes But at the last Tyndall prayed that hée might haue some Englishe Deuines come vnto him for the maners and Ceremonies in religion in Douch land sayd hée did much differ from the maners and Ceremonies vsed in England And then was sent vnto hym dyuerse Deuines from Louayne whereof some were Englishmen and after many examinations at the last they condemned him by vertue of the Emperours decrée made in the assembly at Ausbrough and shortly after brought him forth to the place of execution and there tyed him to a stake where with a feruent zeale
c. that is I am a straunger and a pilgrime in the earth as all my fathers haue bene And therfore as a pilgrime he hasted vnto the common countrey of all saintes requiring for the filthines that he had receaued in this bodely mansion that his sinnes might be forgeuen him before he departed from thys lyfe For he that here hath not receaued forgeuenesse of hys sinnes shall not be there He shall not surely be there for he can not come vnto euerlasting life for euerlasting lyfe is the forgeuenes of sinnes And therfore he sayth forgeue me that I may be cooled before I depart Here may you euidently perceaue that S. Ambrose knew not of purgatory nor of any forgeuenesse that should be after thys lyfe But plainly affirmeth that he y t receaueth not forgeuenesse of hys sinnes here that is in thys life shall neuer come in heauen And for a more vehement affirmation he dubleth hys own wordes saying He that here hath not receyued forgeuenesse of hys sinnes he shall not be there he shall not surely be there He meaneth that he shall neuer come to Heauen which here hath not his remission SAint Hieromes minde may sone be gathered by hys exposition of the ix chapter of Ecclesiastes vpon thys text The dead haue no part in thys world nor in any worke that is done vnder the Sunne There addeth Sainte Hierome that the dead can adde nothing vnto that which they haue taken with them out of this life for they can neither do good nor sinne neyther can they encrease in vertue or vice Albeit sayth he some wyll contrarie thys exposition affirming also that we may encrease decrease after death Here are thrée things to be noted first that the Text sayth that the dead are not partakers of any work that is done vnder the sunne And there may you sée that all suffrages offringes and diriges for the dead are in vaine and profite them not for they are partakers of nothing vnder the sunne Secondarily you may sée S. Hieromes own minde that the dead can neyther do good nor euill neyther encrease in vertue nor vice And so is purgatory put out for if they can do no good what should they do in purgatory And agayne if they can not encrease in vertue they be lyke to lye long in purgatorye Peraduenture some man would thinke that they do no good but onely that they suffer good To that I aunswer that he that suffereth good doth good for if a man should suffer hys body to be burnt for the fayth of Christ would you not say that he did a good déed and yet doth he but suffer Thirdly ye may note that S. Hierome was not ignorant that certeine as they which did fayne purgatory would denye hys exposition and say that we might encrease and decrease in vertue and vyce after death yet notwithstanding he held his sentence condemning theyr opinion whych thing he would not haue done specially sith he knew that he should haue aduersaries for it except he had bene sure that his sentence was right Sée I pray you how that not onely scripture but euen theyr owne doctoures condemne this phantasticall purgatory and yet my lords are not ashamed to say that all make for them NEuerthelesse I wyll go further wyth hym Be it in case that all the Doctours dyd affirme purgatory as they do not what were my Lord the nearer hys purpose Verely not one iote for the authoritie of doctors by my lordes owne confession extendeth no further but is onely to be admitted whilest they confirme theyr wordes by Scripture or els by some probable reason For my Lorde writeth on this maner Article xxxvij The Pope hath not so allowed the whole doctrine of S. Thomas that men should beleue euery poynte he wrote were true Neither hath the church so approued eyther S. Austine or S. Hierome nor any other authors doctrine but that in some places we may dissent from them for they in many places haue openly declared themselues to be men and many times to haue erred These are my lordes owne words Now sith the doctours somtime erre and in certayne places are not to be admitted as he graunteth himselfe how should we know whē to approue them and when to deny them If we should hang on the Doctoures authority then should we as well alow the vntruth as the truth sith he affirmeth both Therfore we must haue a iudge to discerne betwéene truth and falsehode And who shoulde that be the pope Nay verely for he being a man as well as the Doctours were may erre as they did and so shall we euer be vncertaine Our Iudge therefore must not be parciall flexible nor ignoraunt and so are all naturall men excluded but he must be inalterable euen searching the bottome ground of all thing Who must that be Verely the scripture and woord of God which was geuen by his Sonne confirmed and sealed by the holy Ghost and testified by miracles and bloud of all martyres This word is the iudge that must examine the matter the perfit touchstone that tryeth al thing and day that discloseth all iuggeling mistes If the doctours say any thing not dissonant from this woord then it is to be admitted and holdē for truth But if any of theyr doctrine discorde from it it is to be abhorred and holden accurssed To this full well agréeth S. Austen whiche writeth vnto S. Hierome on this wise Deare brother I thinke that you wil not haue your bookes reputed lyke vnto the woorkes of the Prophetes and Apostles for I the Scripture reserued do read all other mens workes on that maner that I doe not beleue them because the author so sayth be he neuer so well learned and holy except that he can certifie me by the Scripture or cleare reason that he sayth true And euen so would I that other men should read my bookes as I read theirs These are S. Austēs wordes And thus haue I proued both by S. Austen and also by my Lordes owne wordes that no man is bound to beleue the Doctors except they can be proued true either by Scripture or good reason not repugnaunt to Scripture Therefore let vs sée what Scripture or good reason my Lord bryngeth to approue his doctours withall For els they can not helpe hym as we haue declared both by S. Austen my Lordes owne confession although they all made with hym as they do not First he bringeth in the sinne agaynst the holy ghost Math. 12. And Paule 1. Cor. 3. And. 1. Iohn 5. And Apoca. 5. which textes I passe ouer because I haue aunswered vnto them before in the seconde booke agaynst M. More THe first reason that my Lord hath which is not before soluted for as I sayd the reasons that are already dissolued will I now ouerhyp is this which he groundeth on diuers Scriptures Of the soules that are departed some
hathe appoynted to the entente that it should in time to come no more displease God our moste merciful father which of gentlenesse so often pardoneth and forgeueth vs as I haue touched before This is the maner of repentaunce which I finde in scripture but this helpeth that we shoulde sinne no more but what Rastell dreameth I wot not But to expresse to the vttermost what I meane by repentaunce marke this example If a man build an house which dothe cost him muche labor and money and haue layde no sure foundation but that when a tempest commeth hys house dothe fall then will he be very sory and repente that he hathe so foolishly bestowed his money and labor Not wtstanding all thys great sorow repentance can not set vp his house againe whych is fallen but only it taketh an occasion by the ruine of the house to teache the owner witte againste an other time that when he buildeth againe he may make a sure foundation Euen so though thou repent neuer so much that can not get remission for the sinnes that is past but that muste be pardoned onely by the faithe of Christes bloude Neuerthelesse it dothe teache thée witte and learne thée to tame thy body and subdue it and cast a lowe foūdacion that in time thou mayste the better resiste the assaultes of the deuill the worlde and the fleshe This doth Frith teach of repentaunce let the worlde take it as they will but Chrystes shéepe doe heare his voyce ¶ The third errour which Rastell layeth against me is that I would make men beleue that they need not to do penaunce for the satisfaction of their sinnes EVery childe may aunswer him to thys if he euer read or perceaue what I wrote before of repentaunce for as they take repentaunce for the sorow and mourning that followeth the crime euen so they call penaunce the good workes that ensue of repentaunce and these good woorks which folow do mortifie the members and exercise vs in Gods commaundementes that we sinne no more but they can get no more remission of the sinne which is once past then that which they call repentaunce and yet do we neyther destroy sorowing for sinne nor good workes as he falsly reporteth by vs but we teach you how they ought to be done and that they are fruites of fayth and mortifie our members and are profitable to our neighbour and a testinony vnto vs that we are the children of our heauenly Father as by example I say that neither the sunne nor the moone do iustiūe vs or purchase remission of our sinnes and yet I woulde not that Rastell should say that I deny or destroy the sunne and the moone for I say that without them we can haue no light and that we can not be without them And as touching the solution of this that penaunce taking in his largest signification both for good workes and taking of paynes is not satisfaction for sinnes I must tell you once againe that there are two manner of satisfactions the one is to God the other to my neighbour To God can not all the world make satisfaction for one crime insomuch that if euery grasse of the ground were a mā as holy as euer was Paule or Peter and shoulde pray vnto God all theyr life long for one crime yet could they not make satisfaction for it but it is onely the bloud of Christ that hath made ful satisfaction vnto God for all such crimes Heb. 7 or els were there none other remedye but wee should all perish There is an other satisfaction which is to my neighbour whom I haue offended whom I am bound to pacifie as we two can agrée and as the lawes of the realme determine betwéene vs as if I had defamed him then am I bound to pacifie hym and to restore hym to hys good name againe if I haue murdered any man then by the lawes of the Realme I must dye for it to pacifie my neighbour the common wealth But yet I am sure Rastell is not so childish as to thincke that thys ciuyle satisfaction is the verye satisfaction which pacifieth Gods wrath for breaking his law For if thou murther a man and should dye a hundred times for it yet except thou haue satisfaction of Christes bloud thou shalt be damned thereto and so I spake that no tēporall paine was instituted of God for the intent that we should satisfye Gods wrath therby as it is plaine in my booke if Rastell could sée ¶ The fourth errour that he layeth agaynst me is that I would perswade the people that good works ar nothing auailable NOw are we come to the fourthe errour where Rastell vntruly reporteth on me that I would persuade the people that good woorkes done by any man in thys worlde is nothing auayleable vnto him that doth them that it is no hurt nor hindraunce vnto any man though he neuer do none Because I say they iustifie not before God therfore he thinketh that other men would vnderstand me as wisely as he doth and argue that they are no thing auayleable but I must desire him to put on hys spectacles and looke agayne vppon my booke and he shall finde these woordes Peraduenture thou wilt aunswere vnto me shall I then do no good déedes I aunswere yes thou wilt aunswere me wherefore I aunswere thou must do them because God hath commaunded thē I aunswere thou art lyuing in thys worlde with men and hast conuersation with them therfore hath God appoynted thée what thou shalt do to the profite of thy neighbour and taming of thy flesh as Paule testifieth Ephe. 2. We are his worke in Christ Iesu vnto good woorkes which woorkes God hath prepared that we shoulde walke in them These woorkes God would haue vs do that the vnfaithfull might sée the godly and vertuous conuersation of his faythfull and therby be compelled to glorifie our Father which is in heauen Math. 5. and so are they both profitable vnto thy neighbour also a testimony vnto thée by the which a man may know that thou art the right sonne of thy heauēly Father and a very christ vnto thy neighbour and after teacheth that we ought to do these woorkes without hauyng respect eyther to heauen or hell but attending through charitie the wealth of our neighbour c. I wonder that Rastell is not ashamed to say that I would make them beleue that they are not auaylable therfore good reader note my wordes first I say we must do them because God hath commaūded them is it not auaylable to kéepe the commaundements of God secondaryly I say that they are to the profite of my neyghbour is it not auaylable thirdly I say that they tame our flesh is it not auailable fourthly I say they are to the glory of God is it not auailable Fiftly I say they are a testimony to them that doth them by the which mē may know y t he is
very face in the glasse And euen so though the Sacrament doe represent the body of Christ yet the substaunce of the Sacrament is not hys very body no more then the glasse is my face neither is his very body in y e Sacrament no more then my very face is in the glasse and thus this exāple maketh well for vs. And for that one word comming whole to an hundreth eares I say that worde is but a sounde and a qualitie and not a substaunce and therfore it is nothyng to our purpose and can not be likened to Christs body which is a substaūce And as concernyng the sight of the litle eye I say that though the eye discry and sée an whole countrey yet is not that whole coūtrey in the eye but as the countrey is knowen by y e sight of eye though the countrey be not in it so is the death of Christ and hys bodye breakyng and bloude shedyng knowen by the Sacrament though his naturall body be not in it And thus his exāples make nothyng with hym but rather much agaynst hym And where hee sayth that the young man hym selfe can geue hym no reasō by what meane they may be done I may say vnto hys mastershyp that whē I was seuen yeare yonger then I am this day I would haue bene ashamed if I could not haue geuen an euident reason at the Austens in Oxford before y e whole Vniuersitie And albeit I now vouchsafe not to spend labour and paper about Aristotles doctrine yet haue I so much touched hys examples that he may be werye of them Also I can not see why it shoulde be more repugnaunt that one body may be by the power of God in two places at once then that two bodyes may bee together in one place at once And that poynte I thinke this young mā denieth not The beyng of our body in two places at once is against nature Scripture cā not alow it But that two bodyes should bee in one place séemeth more reasonable For I haue good experience that though my body cā not be in two places at once both in the Tower and where I would haue it beside yet blessed be God in this one place I am not without cōpany But if M. More meane that in one proper and seueral place may be two bodies at once that I will deny till he haue laysure to proue it And yet at the length I am sure his proue shall not be worth a poodyng pricke For I am sure it must bee Ratione porositatis vt in igne ferro nam penetrationem dimensionum nunq probabit And then he is as neare as he was before Now his last reason with whiche he proueth it impossible for the body of Christ to bee in two places at once is this you cā sayth he shew no reason why he should be in many places at once not in all But in all places he can not be Wherefore we must conclude that he can not be in many places at once This is a maruelous concluded argument I am sure that euery childe may soone see that this consequēt cā neuer folow vpon these two premisses of this antecedent When I made this reason compiled my treatise I had no regard to the cauillations of sutle Sophisters for I thought no Sophisters should haue medled with that meate But neuerthelesse sith nowe I perceiue that they principally are pouryng on it séekyng some pray to set their teeth a woorke In this booke I haue somewhat prouided for them and haue brought such hard bones that if they be to busie may chaunce to choke thē And yet is not the Argument so feble as he fayneth For the first part if he lyst to consider the sense and mynde and bee not to curious where I say that they can shew no reason why hée should bee in many places and not in all is thus to be vnderstand of wyse men that the very reason and cause that he shold be in many places must be because y ◠body is so annexed with the Godhead that it is in euery place as the Godhead is This I say must be the cause and reason of his beyng in many places And neither you nor no man els can iustly assigne any other Now of this maior or first proposition thus vnderstand doth the cōclusion folowe directly For if this should be y e cause as they must nedes graunt And this cause proued false by Scripture then must they néedes graunt that the thyng whiche so foloweth of this cause must néedes be false And so is my purpose proued they concluded As by example the Astronomers say that the naturall course of the Sunne is frō the weast to the East Now if a mā should aske them what is then the cause that we sée hym dayly take the cōtrary course from the East to the Weast agaynst hys nature they aunswere Because the hyghest sphere whose course is from the East to the Weast with his swift mouyng doth violently drawe the inferior spheres with hym This is the cause that they alleage and no man can assigne any other And now sith I cā proue this sense false by scripture And S. Austen for Scripture sayth that y e sphere is fastened Hebr. viij chap. And S. Austen expoundyng that text improueth the Astronomers whiche affirme that it moueth sith I say this cause is proued false by scripture they must néedes graūt that the thyng whiche foloweth of this cause must néedes be false And so we may conclude against them all that the naturall course of the Sunne is not frō the Weast to the East as the Astronomers say But contrary from the East to the West And lykewise sith the cause that Christes body should be in many places is assigned of learned men to be because hys body is so annexed with the Godhead which is in euery place that it is also in all places with it no man can assigne any other And that this cause is proued false by Scripture for when the women sought Christ at his graue an aungell gaue the aunswere that hée was not there But if his body had bene in euery place then the aungell lyed Also Christ sayd vnto his Disciples of Lazarus which died at Bethania Lazarus is dead And I am glad for your sakes that you may beleue because I was not there Now if hys body were in euery place as is the Godhead then Christ sayd not truly when he said he was not there Therfore sith as I sayd this is the cause assigned yet proued false by Scripture they must néedes graūt that the thyng whiche foloweth of this cause must also néedes be false And so we may cōclude against thē all y e Christs body is in one place onely And now you may sée how my consequent foloweth the premisses For he can no further conclude but that we can shewe no
article collected seuerally by theÌ„ selues I haue therefore accordyng to my simple skill gathered this Epitome and haue added also thereunto foure other articles translated into Englishe out of hys Booke De Doctorum Sententijs whiche bee confirmed in the lyke sorte onely by bare testimonyes of scriptures fathers couÌ„cels lawes Which foure articles and the treatise beefore of the originall of the Masse were omitted in hys English workes But as for all the other testimonies in his booke De DoctoruÌ„ Sententijs hee hath in this volume of his workes dispersedly alleaged most of them to his purpose as hee had occasion which by this Epitome folowing thou mayest perceaue Now hast thou gentle reader to consider of these auncient testimonyes desiring thee for the coÌ„firming and establishyng of thy doubtfull conscience to compare these sayinges of Doctors holy fathers and of the Popes own law vnto the saying of the Pope and his Papisticall byshops that bee in these latter dayes and to their late practises where their power is or hath beene receaued and then geeue sentence howe they doe agree If they doe accorde then is it lyke they bee of the true Church whereof these holy fathers were But if they agree not then mayest thou suspect that they haue gone astray and that the deuill hath transfigured hym selfe into an Aungell of light and that they are his ministers Who notwithstandyng haue fashioned them selues as though they were the ministers of righteousnes whose end shall bee accordyng to their deedes ¶ That faith onely iustifieth AMbrose sayth they are iustefyed freely for they doeing nothing nor nothing deseruing all onely by fayth are iustefied by the gyft of God Fol. 230. col 1. Ambrose sayth It was so decreed of God that after the lawe hee should require vnto saluation all onely the fayth of grace hee sayth that they bee blessed of whom God hath determined wtont labour without all manner of obseruation all onely by fayth that they shall bee iustefyed before God Blessed are they whose sinnes are forgeuen Clearely they are blessed vnto whoÌ„ without labour or without any worke their iniquities bee remitted and their synnes couered and no manner of workes required of them but all onely that they should beleeue 231. col 1 Athanasyus sayth there are two maner of faythes one is iustefying as y t of the which it is spoken thy fayth hath saued thee An other is cauled the gift of God whereby myracles bee done of the which it is written if you haue fayth as a graine of mustard seede 241. col 1. Athanasyus sayth Nowe doth the Apostle playnely showe that fayth all onely hath vertue in hym to iustifie and bryngeth Abacuke saying of fayth and not of the law shall a righteous man lyue Hee addeth well beefore God for beefore man peraduenture they shall bee reckened righteous that sticke to the law but not beefore God c. 233. col 1 Augustine saith those same workes y t bee done beefore fayth thoughe they seeme vnto men laudable are yet but vayne and I doe iudge them as great strength and swift running out of the way Wherefore let no man count his good workes before fayth where as fayth is not there is no good worke the ententioÌ„ maketh a good worke but fayth doth guide the entention c. 233. col 2 Augustine sayth we doe gather that a man can not bee iustefyed by the preceptes of good lyuing that is not by y t lawe of workes but by that lawe of faith not by the letter but by the sprite not by the merites of workes but by free grace 234. col 1 Augustine sayth S. Paule affirmeth that a man may bee iustifyed by fayth without any works goyng before iustifycation but when a man is iustifyed by fayth how can hee but worke well though y t he before working nothinge righteously is now come to the iustifycation of fayth not by merytes of good workes but by the grace of God the which grace in hym now can not bee Idle seeing that now thorow loue hee worketh well And if hee depart out of this worlde after that hee beleeueth the iustifycation of fayth abydeth by hym not by his workes going before iustifycation for by his merites came hee not vnto that iusteficatioÌ„ but by grace nor by his workes that followe iustefycation for hee is not suffered to lyue in this lyfe Wherfore Paule and Iames are not contrary for Paule speaketh of the workes that goe beefore fayth and Iames speaketh of the woorkes that followe the iustefycation of fayth 238. col 1 Augustine expoundinge the texte of y t Apostle Roma 2. The doers of the law must bee iustifyed sayth so must it bee vnderstoode that we may know that they can no otherwise bee the doers of of the law except they bee fyrst iustifyed not that iustifycation belongeth to the doers but that iustifycation doth proceede of all manner of doeing 240. col 1 Barnarde sayth I doe abhorre what so euer thinge is of mee except peraduenture that that bee myne that God hath made mee his By grace hath hee iustifyed mee freely and by that hath hee deliuered mee from the bondage of synne Thou hast not chosen me saith Christ but I haue chosen thee nor I found any merites in thee that might moue mee to chuse thee but I preuented all thy merytes Wherefore thus by fayth I haue maried thee vnto me and not by the workes of the lawe I haue maried thee also in iustice but not in the iustice of the lawe but in that iustice which is of fayth 233. col 2 Popes law sayth Cornelius centuno being a heathen man was iustifyed by the gift of the holy Ghost 240. col 2 ¶ What the Church is and who bee thereof and whereby men may know her AVgustine saith of Christ is y e church made fayre fyrst was shee fylthy in synnes afterward by pardon and by grace was shee made fayre 244. col 1 Augustine sayth The holy church are we but I doâ— not say we as one should say we that bée here alonely that heare 〈◊〉 now but as many as bee here faith full Christen men in this Church that is to say in this Citie as many as bee in this region as many as bee beyond the Sea c. 245. col 1 Lyranus sayth The Church doth notâ—stand in men by reason of spirituall power or secular dignities For many Princes and many Popes other inferiour persons haue swarued from the fayth Wherefore that Church doth stand in those persons in whom is the true knowledge and coÌ„fession of faith and of veritie c. 245. col 1 Augustine sayth The whole Church sayth forgeue vs our sinnes wherfore sheâ— hath spottes and wrinckles but by knowledgyng of them her wrinckles bee extended and stretched out by knowledgyng her spottes are washed away 246. col 1 Augustine sayth Our holy mother the Churche throughout all the world
DIEV ET MON DRIOT ¶ THE WHOLE workes of W. Tyndall Iohn Frith and Doct. Barnes three worthy Martyrs and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one Tome togither beyng before scattered now in Print here exhibited to the Church To the prayse of God and profite of all good Christian Readers Mortui resurgent AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye and are to be sold at his shop vnder Aldersgate An. 1573. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis ARISE FOR IT IS DAY A Table of the seuerall Treatises conteyned in M. William Tyndals workes A Preface to the Christian Reader The lyfe of Wylliam Tyndall A protestation of the state of the soules departed A preface that he made before the v. bookes of Moses A prologue shewyng the vse of the Scripture Seuerall prologues that he made to the v. bookes of Moses fol. 2. 7. 11. 15. 21. Certaine harde wordes expounded by him in the fyrst second and fourth booke of Moses fol. 5. 10. 16. A prologue vpon the Prophet Ionas 23. Prologues vpon the iiij Euangelistes 32. Prologues vpon the Epistles of S. Paule 39. Prologues vpon the Epistles of S. Peter 54. Prologues vpon the iij. Epistles of S. Iohn 55. The parable of the wicked Mammon 59. The obedience of a Christian man and how Christian rulers ought to gouerne 97. An exposition vpon the v. vj. vij chapters of S. Ma. thewes Gospell 184. An answere to Syr Thomas Mores dialogues 244 The practise of popishe Prelates 340. A pathway into the holy Scripture 377. The exposition vpon the first Epistle of S. Iohn 387. The exposition vpon M. William Tracies will 429. A fruitfull treatise vpon signes Sacraments 436. Two notable letters that he sent vnto Iohn Frith 453. The Supper of the Lord wherein is confuted the letter of M. More sent vnto Iohn Frith supposed to be written by Tyndall 457. ¶ The Epistle or Preface to the Christian Reader AS we haue great cause to geeue thankes to the high prouidence of almighty God for the excellent arte of Printing most happely of late found out and now commonly practised euery where to the singular benefite of Christes Church wherby great increase of learnyng and knowledge with innumerable commodities els haue ensued and dayly doe ensue to the lyfe of man and especially to the fartheraunce of true Religion so agayne of our parte it is both of vs all in generall to be wished and especially of them to be procured who occupie the trade therof rightly to vse the same to the glory of hym which gaue it and to the ende wherefore it was ordayned and not to abuse vnworthely that worthy facultie eyther in thrusting into the worlde euery vnworthy trifle that commeth to hand or hauing respecte more to their owne priuate gayne then regarde to the publike edifiyng of Christes Church or necessary preferment of Religion For therefore I suppose this science of Printing first to be set vp and sent of God to mans vse not so much for temporall commoditie to be taken or mans glory to be sought thereby but rather for the spirituall and inwarde supportation of soulehealth helpe of Religion restoring of true doctrine repayring of Christes Church and repressing of corrupt abuses which had heretofore ouerdarckened the doctrine of fayth to reuiue agayne the lost lyght of knowledge to these blynde tymes by renuing of holsome and auncient writers whose doinges and teachinges otherwise had lyen in obliuion had not the benefite of Printing brought them agayne to light or vs rather to light by them Wherfore such Printers in my mynde are not to be defrauded of their due commendation who in pretermitting other light triflyng pamflets of matter vnneedful and impertinent little seruing to purpose lesse to necessitie doe employe their endeuour and workemanship chiefly to restore such fruitfull workes and monumentes of auncient writers and blessed Martyrs who as by their godly lyfe and constant death gaue testimonie to the trueth in tyme wherein they suffered so by their doctrine and learning geeue now no lesse lyght to all ages and posteritie after them In the number of whome may rightly be accompted and no lesse recommended to the studious Christen Reader these three learned fathers of blessed memory whom the Printer of this booke hath diligently collected in one volume togither inclosed the workes I meane of William Tyndall Iohn Frith and Robart Barnes chiefe ryngleaders in these latter tymes of thys Church of England Wherein as we haue much to prayse God for such good bookes left to the Church and also for such Printers in preseruing by their industrie and charges such bookes from perishing so haue I to exhorte all studious readers wyth lyke diligence to embrace the benefite of God offered and seriously to occupie them selues in markyng and folowing both the valiaunt actes and excellent wrytinges of the sayd godly persons Concernyng the prayse whereof I shall not neede in thys place to bestow much commendation because neither is it the prayse of men but profite of the godly that they doe seeke nor yet the contempt of the vngodly that they doe feare Moreouer what is to be sayde or thought of them rather by their owne workes then by other mens wordes by readyng their bookes then by my preface is to be seene In perusing whereof thou shalt fynde gentle Reader whether thou bee ignoraunt what to learne or whether thou be learned what to folowe and what to sticke to Briefly whatsoeuer thou art if thou be yong of Iohn Frith if thou be in middle age of W. Tyndall if in elder yeares of D. Barnes matter is here to be founde not onely of doctrine to enforme thee of comfort to delyte thee of godly ensample to directe thee but also of speciall admiration to make thee to wonder at the workes of the Lord so mightely workyng in these men so oportunely in stirryng them vp so graciously in assisting them Albeit diuers other also besides these I say not nay as well before them as after through the secrete operation of Gods mighty prouidence haue beene raysed vp both famous in learnyng florishyng in witte and stout in zeale who labouryng in the same cause haue no lesse valiantly and doughtely stoode in the like defence of Christes true Religion agaynst blynde errour pestilent superstition and perillous hypocrisie namely agaynst the Arche enemye of Christ and hys flocke the Byshop I meane of Rome with hys tyrannicall seate as namely here in England Iohn Wicklyffe Rigge Aston Swynderby W. Thorpe Walter Brute L. Cobham wyth the residue of that former age And also after them many other moe freshe wittes faythfull preachers and learned writers haue sprong vp by the Lord of hoastes to furnishe hys fielde Briefly no age nor tyme hath euerlacked some or other styll bayting at the beast but especially nowe in these our present dayes such plenty yea whole armyes the Lord hath powred vppon hys Church of heauenly souldiours who not
onely in number exceedyng but in knowledge also excellyng both by preaching and Printing doe so garnishe the Church in euery respecte that it may seeme and so peraduenture wil be thought this time of ours to stand now in little neede of such bookes and momumentes as these of former antiquitie yet notwithstandyng I am not of that mynde so to thinke For albeit increasing of learning of tonges and sciences wyth quicknes of wit in youth and other doth maruailously shut vp as is to be seene to the sufficient furnishyng of Christes Church yet so it happeneth I can not tell how the farther I looke backe into those former tymes of Tyndall Frith and others lyke more simplicitie wyth true zeale and humble modestie I see wyth lesse corruption of affections in them and yet wyth these dayes of ours I finde no fault As by reading and conferring their workes togither may eftsoones appeare In opening the Scriptures what trueth what soundnes can a man require more or what more is to be sayd then is to be founde in Tyndall In his Prologues vppon the fiue bookes of Moses vppon Ionas vppon the Gospelles and Epistles of S. Paule namely to the Romaines how perfectly doth he hit the right sence and true meaning in euery thing In his obedience how fruitfully teacheth he euery person his dutie In his expositions and vppon the parable of the wicked Mammon how pithely doth he perswade how grauely doth he exhort how louingly doth he comforte simply without ostentation vehement without contention Which two faultes as they cōmonly are wont to folow the most part of writers so how farre the same were from him and he from them his replies and aunsweres to Syr Thomas More doe well declare in doctrine sound in hart humble in life vnrebukeable in disputation modest in rebuking charitable in trueth feruent and yet no lesse prudent in dispensing with the same and bearyng with time and with weakenes of men as much as he might sauing onely where mere necessitie constrayned hym otherwise to doe for defence of trueth against wilfull blyndnes and subtile hypocrisie as in the Practise of Prelates is notorious to be seene Briefly such was his modestie zeale charitie and painefull trauaile that he neuer sought for any thing lesse then for hymselfe for nothyng more then for Christes glory and edification of other for whose cause not onely he bestowed his labours but hys life and bloud also Wherfore not vnrightly he might be then as he is yet cauled the Apostle of England as Paule cauleth Epaphroditus the Apostle of the Philippians for his singular care and affection toward them For as the Apostles in the primatiue age first planted the Church in trueth of the Gospell so the same trueth beyng agayne defaced and decayed by enemies in thys our latter tyme there was none that trauayled more earnestly in restoring of the same in this Realme of England then dyd William Tyndall With which William Tyndall no lesse may be adioyned also Iohn Frith and D. Barnes both for that they togither with him in one cause and about one tyme sustayned the first brunt in this our latter age and gaue the first onset agaynst the enemies as also for the speciall giftes of fruitfull erudition and plentifull knowledge wrought in them by God and so by them left vnto vs in their writinges Wherfore accordyng to our promise in the booke of Actes and Monumentes wee thought good herein to spend a litle diligence in collecting and setting abroad their bookes togither so many as could be founde to remaine as perpetuall Lāpes shyning in the Church of Christ to geeue lyght to all posteritie And although the Printer herein taking great paynes coulde not paraduenture come by all howbeit I trust there lacke not many yet the Lord be thanked for those which he hath gotte and here published vnto vs. And woulde God the like diligence had beene vsed of our auncient forelders in the tyme of Wickliffe Puruey Clerke Brute Thorpe Husse Hierome and such other in searching and collecting their workes and writings No doubt but many thinges had remayned in lyght which now be lefte in obliuion But by reason the Arte of Printing was not yet inuented their worthy bookes were the sooner abolyshed Such was then the wickednes of those dayes and the practise of those Prelates then so craftie that no good booke coulde appeare though it were the Scripture it selfe in Englyshe but it was restrayned and so consumed Whereby ignoraunce and blyndnes so preuayled amonge the people tyll at the last it so pleased the goodnes of our God to prouide a remedy for that mischiefe by multiplying good bookes by the Printers penne in such sort as no earthly power was able after that though they did their best to stoppe the course thereof were he neuer so myghtie and all for the fartheraunce of Christes Church Wherefore receaue gracious Reader the Bookes here collected and offered to thy hand and thanke God thou hast them and reade them whilest thou mayst while time life and memory serueth thee In reading wherof the Lord graunt thou mayst receaue no lesse fruit by them then the harty desire of the setter forth is to wishe well vnto thee And the same Lord also graunt I beseech him that this my exhortation wishe so may worke in all that not onely the good but the enemies also which be not yet wonne to the worde of trueth setting aside all partialitie and preiudice of opinion woulde with indifferent iudgementes bestow some reading and hearyng likewise of these to taste what they doe teach to vewe their reasons and to trye their spirite to marke the expositions of Tyndall the argumentes of Frith the Articles and allegations of Barnes Which if they shall finde agreable to the tyme and antiquitie of the Apostles doctrine and touchstone of Gods worde to vse them to their instruction If not then to myslike them as they finde cause after they haue first tryed them and not before And thus not to deteine thee with longer processe from the reading of better matter I referre and commende thee and thy studies gentle reader with my harty wishe and prayer to the grace of Christ Iesu and direction of hys holy spirite desiryng thee lykewyse to doe the same for mee Iohn Foxe The Martyrdome and burning of William Tyndall in Brabant by Filford Castell Lord opē the K. of Englāds eyes Here foloweth the historie and discourse of the lyfe of William Tyndall out of the booke of Actes and Monumentes Briefly extracted FOr somuch as the lyfe of W. Tyndall author of this treatise immediately folowing is sufficiently at large discoursed in the booke of Actes and Monumentes by reason whereof we shall not néede greatly to intermedle with any new repetition therof yet notwithstanding because as we haue takē in hand to collect and set forth his whole workes togither so we thought it not vnconuenient to collecte likewise some briefe notes concerning the order of his
quicke witted and printe wisdome in hym and maketh it to abide where bare wordes go but in at the one eare and out at the other As this with such lyke sayings put salt to all your sacrifices in steade of this senteÌ„ce do all your dedes wyth discretion greeteth and biteth if it bee vnderstand more then plain wordes And when I say in stede of these wordes boast not your selfe of your good dedes eate not the bloud nor the fat of your sacrifice there is as greate difference betwene them as there is distance betwene heauen and earth For the lyfe and beauty of all good dedes is of God and we are but the caren lean we are onely the instrument whereby God worketh onely but the power is his As God created Paul a new poured hys wisdome into hym gaue hym might promised hym that his grace should neuer fayle him c. and al with out deseruinges except that nurtering the sayntes and making them curse rayle on Christ bee meritorious Now as it is death to eate the bloud or fatte of any sacrifice is it not thinke ye daÌ„nable to robbe God of hys honour to glorify my selfe with hys honour An exposition of certayne wordes of the fourth booke of Moses called Numeri AVims a kynde of Giauntes and the worde signifieth crooked vnright or weaked Beliall weaked or weakeuesse hee that hath cast the yoke of God of his necke and will not obey God Bruterer prophesies or southsayers Emims a kynde of gyantes so called because they were terrible and cruell for Emim signifieth terriblenes Enacke a kinde of Giauntes so called happly because they ware chaynes about their neckes Horims a kynde of Giauntes and signifieth noble because that of pride they called themselues nobles or gentles Rocke God is called a rocke because both he and hys word lasteth for euer Whet them on thy children that is exercise thy children in them and put them in vre Zamzumims a kynde of Gyauntes and signifieth mischeuous or that be alway imagining The Prologue into the fourth boke of Moses called Numeri IN the second and thirde booke they receaued the law And in this fourth they beginne to worke to practise Of whiche practising ye see manye good examples of vnbeliefe and what freewill doth when she taketh in hand to kepe y t law of her own power with out helpe of faith in y t promises of god how she leaueth her maisters carkasses by the way in the wildernesse and bringeth them not into the lande of rest Why could they not enter in Because of their vnbeliefe Hebrue 3. For had they beleued so had they bene vnder grace and their old sinnes had ben forgeueÌ„ them and power should haue bene geuen them to haue fulfilled the law thenceforth and they should haue bene kepte from all temptations that had bene to strong for them For it is writen Iohn 1. He gaue them power to be the sonnes of God thorow beleuyng in hys name Now to be y t sonne of God is to loue God and hys commaundementes and to walke in hys way after the ensample of hys sonne Christ But these people tooke vppon them to worke without fayth as thou seest in the 14. of this boke where they would fight and also did without the woorde of promise euen when they were warned that they shoulde not And in the 16. agayne they woulde please God with their holye faythlesse workes for where Gods woorde is not there can be no fayth but the fire of God consumed their holy workes as it did Nadab and Abihu Leuit. 10. And from these vnbeleuers turn thine eyes vnto the Pharises whiche before the commyng of Christ in hys fleshe had layde the foundation of freewyll after the same ensample Wheron they built holy workes after their owne imagination without fayth of y t word so feruently that for the great zeale of them they slewe the king of all holye workes and the lord of freewil which onely thorowe hys grace maketh the will free and looseth her from boÌ„dage of sinne and geueth her loue and luste vnto the lawes of God and power to fulfill them And so through their holy workes done by the power of freewil they excluded themselues out of the holy rest of forgeuenes of sinnes by fayth in the bloud of Christ And then looke on our hipocrites which in lyke manner followyng the doctrine of Aristotle and other hethen Paganes haue agaynst all the Scripture set vp freewill again vnto whose power they ascribe the kepyng of the commaundementes of God For they haue set vp wilfull pouerty of another maner then any is coÌ„maunded of god And y t chastitie of matrimony vtterly defied they haue set vp another wilful chastitie not required of God whiche they swere vowe and professe to geue God whether he wyll geue it them or no and compel all their disciples thervnto saying that it is in the power of euery mans freewill to obserue it contrary to Christ and his apostle Paul And the obedience of God and man excluded they haue vowed an other wilfull obedience condemned of all the scripture which they wil yet geue god whether he wyll or will not And what is become of their wilfull pouerty hath it not robbed the whole worlde and brought and vnder them Can there be either kyng or emperor or of whatsoeuer degree it be except he will hold of them and be sworne vnto them to be their seruaunte to goe and come at their lust and to defende â–ª their quarels bee they false or true Their wilful pouertie hath alredy eaten vp y â— who le world is yet stil gredier then euer it was in so muche that teune worldes mo were not inough to satisfie the honger thereof Moreouer besides daily corruptyng of other mens wiues and open whore dome vnto what abhominacions to filthy to be spoken of hath their voluÌ„tary chastitie brought them And as for their wilfull obedience what is it but the disobedience and the diffiaunce both of al the lawes of God and man in so much that if any Prince begyn to execute any law of man vpon them they curse him vnto the bottome of hâ—l proclayme him no right kyng and that hys Lordes ought no longer to obey hym and interdite his commoÌ„ people as they were heathen Turkes or Saracenes And if any man preach them gods law him they make an hereticke and burne him to ashes And in sieade of Gods lawe and mans they haue set vp one of their owne imagination whiche they obserue with dispensations And yet in these workes they haue so great confidence that they not onely trust to be saued therby and to be hyer in heauen then they y t be saued through Christ but also promise to all other for geuenâ—uâ— of their sinnes thorough the merites of the same Wherin they rest and teach other to rest also excludyng the whole world from the rest
of Lemster was a great miracle 176. a Women aswell as men endewed with wisedome 252. a Women why they Baptise 287. a Women discrete may minister the sacramentes 322 b Women haue power to bynde and how 358. a World shall know Christ 410. a World knoweth not Christ 409. a. blynd in godly matters 423. b Wrold worse worse 55. b. a louer of wickednes 7. b World of whom ouercomen 421. a World must bee rebuked for lacke of iudgement 248. b Worldlynes in the Popes doctrine 416. a Worldly wisedome tendyng to Gods glory is commendable 455. b Worldly prefermentes are lettes to true Christianitie 340. a Worldly wisemen vnderstand not the Scriptures 88. a Worldly rulers how farre to be obeyed 385. b Worldly witte 113. a Word of the law and Christes promises contayned in the hart 31 b Word of God 34 a. the force therof 178. a. ground of fayth 302. b. maketh true fayth 170. b. trieth miracles 300. b Word beyng the Gospell before the Church 255. a Word saueth 18. b Word altered not Gods word 201. a Wordes honoryng God expresly 269 b Wordes of Christ are spirituall onely 460. a. are spirite and lyfe 465. b Worke made acceptable by fayth 243. b Workes 4. b. 16. a. 19. b. 219. a. 225. b. and. 331. b What they be and to what end 81. a. Gods workemāship 15. b. are Sacramentes 226. a. whiche be good 84. b. whence they be 331. b. how to be done 73. a. how accepted of God 18. b. must be seasoned with Gods word 219. b Workes their force 15. a. 384. b Workes of the law and fulfillyng the same two thynges 40. b Workes Papisticall 396. a. taught with crueltie 29. b. blynd ibidem Workes make hypocrites the true in tent away 228. b Workes without fayth 16. a Workes are made perfect with Christes bloud 31. a. without Christ in Gods sight damnable 70. a Workes our witnesses before God 69. a. a shew of fayth 55. a. cannot be separated from fayth 42. b. declare fayth 402. a. declare Gods goodnes 67. b. expressed by fayth 413. b. cannot bee done without fayth 73. b. where true fayth is 411. b. folowe true fayth 68. a. spryng from true fayth vniuersally 41. b. folow iustification 45. a Workes looked on 162. b. not to be presumed vpon 11. a. cannot fulfill the law 249. b. deserue not the reward promised 218. a Workes of the law iustifie not 41. a. 195. b. 185. b. and 335. a. no satisfaction for sinnes to Godward 39. a. satisfactory in no wise 398. a. deserue not the giftes of grace 386. b Workes are vnder the law 336. b Workes without the promise saue not 153. a Workes of ours can deserue nothing 333. a. must be done without hope of reward 69. a. must be done and not trusted in 85. a. must serue vs and not we them 273. b Workes all euill where faith lacketh 46. a Workes of ours how farre they extend 37. a. fulfill the law before the world 117. a. must not be done for reward 333. a. obtaine not Gods fauour 89. b Workes must procede of loue 335. b Workes to our neighbour workes to God 421. a. the fruites of lyght 392. a. of loue 88. b. of fayth 73. b Workes outward declare where true fayth is 68. b Workes whiche most meete to bee done 49. a. why they must be done 32. a Worker first of our worke GOD. 329. b Worke holy sophisters confounded 117. a Worshyp of Saintes and heathen Gods a lyke 424. a Worshyp of God truly 396. a Worshypping of Saintes 398. b. and 224. b. of the Crosse 270. b. of vncōsecrate hostes 298. b. of Images 271. a Worshypping of Images neuer established by miracles 300. b Worshypping and honoryng are one 26◠a Worshyppyng in spirite 395. b Worthy receauyng of the Sacramentes encreaseth fayth 446. b Wrath of God styrreth vp destroyers of the Church 341. b Written Scriptures must confound vnwritten verities 255. b Writyng from the begynnyng ibidem Y. YOngest best beloued of parentes 264. a Yong widowes forbidden ministration 313. b Yong Timothy made a Byshop 252. b Yuye tree a similitude 352. b Z. ZAcharias the first Pope 348. a Zeale wtout knowledge nought 87. a Zeale of righteousnes what 192. b Zeale of ceremonies may not breake vnitie 237. b Zuinglius and Oecolampadius belyed of More 473. b ¶ The end of the Table of M. Tyndals workes Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye dwellyng ouer Aldersgate An. 1572. ¶ Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis I D THE WORKES of the excellent Martyr of Christ Iohn Frith DIEV ET MON DRIOT His lyfe and Martyrdome 1. His booke of Purgatory Fol. 1. 2. An aūswere to Rastals Dialogue 7. 3. An aūswere to Syr Thomas More 32. 4. Hys aunswere vnto Fisher Byshop of Rochester 51. 5. A Bulwarke against Rastall 60. 6. His iudgement vpon M. Tracyes will and Testament 77. 7. A letter written from the Tower to Christes congregation 81. 8. A mirrour or glasse to knowe thy selfe 83. 9. A treatise vppon the Sacrament of Baptisme 90. 10. An antithesis betweene Christ and the Pope 97. 11. A booke of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ 107. 12. Articles for the which he dyed 170. A Table contayning the principall matters of all his workes ARISE FOR IT IS DAY The storie life and Martirdome of Iohn Frith with the Godly and learned workes and writings of the sayde Author here after ensueing THe sayd Iohn Frith was borne in Kent and was the sonne of Richard Frith Inholder in Senenock in the Countye of Kent This yong man so greatly profited in lerning that scarcely in his time there might bée anye found equall vnto him And vnto his great knowledge and learning was adioyned such an honest conuersation and godlynes of life that it was harde to iudge in whether of them he was more commendable Of the great godlines that was in him this may serue for experiment sufficient that not withstanding his other manifold and singular giftes and ornaments of the mynde in him most pregnant wherwith all hée might haue opened an easye way vnto honour and dignitie yet he chose rather wholye to consecrate him selfe vnto the Church of Christ excellently shewing forth and practising in him selfe the Precept so highly commended of the Philosophers touching the lyfe of man which life they say is geuen vnto vs in such sort that how much better the man is so much the lesse hée should liue vnto hym selfe but vnto other seruing for the common vtilitie And that we shoulde thinke a great part of our birth to bée due vnto our parentes A greater part vnto our countrey And the greatest parte of all to bée béestowed vpon the Church if we wil bee counted good men Fyrst of all he began his studie at Cambridge where he had to his tutor Stephen Gardiner who afterward was Byshop of Winchester And in the nature of this yong man being but a child God had planted meruelous
and if the righteous turn from his righteousnes and do iniquitie he shall die although thou shewe it hym not he shall die in hys sin but I wyll require his bloude at thy hand Take hede you curates vnto your charge and let no man excuse himselfe thorough ignoraunce FINIS Antithesis wherin are compared together Christes actes and the Popes gathered by Iohn Frith and annexed vnto the Reuelation of Antichrist which he translated 1529. ¶ Antithesis WE haue annexed Christen Reader vnto the end of the ReuelatioÌ„ a little treatise after the maner of an Epitome and shorte rehearsall of all thynges that examined more diligeÌ„tly in the aforesayd booke wherein their false and cloked hipocrisie is aboundantly opened by the compairing of Christes actes and theirs together for Christes rule can not bee deceauable whiche sayth that we should know theÌ„ by their workes for Paule saith that such false Apostles are wicked workers which be transfigured into Christes Apostles And no maruell for Sathan hym selfe is some tyme transfigured into an aungell of light therefore it is no great thyng if that his ministers do take vpon them a similitude as though they were the ministers of iustice whose ende shal be accordyng to their workes Christen men should marke such and flye away from theÌ„ for such serue not Christ but their owne bellyes And by sweete preachynges and flattering wordes deceaue the hartes of the innoceÌ„tes And euen as Iannes and Iambres withstode Moses euen so these resiste the truth men they are of corrupt myndes and lewed as concernyng the fayth but they shall preuayle no lenger for their madnesse shal be vttered vnto all meÌ„ as theirs was Thus the people be blynded fallyng into vnbelefe And are deceaued thorough the sleghty conueyaunce of Antichrist and his adherents Saint Iohn said that there were many Antichristes in his time no wonder if now be mo howbeit by their workes they shal be knoweÌ„ and also by their wordes for they shall contrary Christ both in lyfe learnyng whom they professe to folow Nowe let vs consider Popes Cardinalles Byshops Suffraganes Archdeacons Deacons Officials Persons Abbotes with Deans and Friers Sumners Pardoners and these Papal Notaries take hede to Monkes Chanons Ankers and He remites Nunnes and Sisters and marke how they folow Christ We will chiefly touch the head whiche is the Pope although it may be verified through all his members First CHrist was poore saying The Foxes haue holes and the byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of maÌ„ hath not whereon to lay his head The Pope and his adherents are rich for the Pope sayth Rome is myne Sicilia is myne Corsica is myne c. And his adherentes haue also frutefull possessions this euery man knoweth 2. Christ was méeke and lowe and forsooke this worldly glory and fled alone vnto the mountaynes when the people woulde haue made him a kyng Saying my kingdome is not of this worlde The Pope is full high and proud saying I am a Lorde of both the realmes earthly and heauenly and the Emperour is my subiect This witnesseth his lawe Di. 96. ca. Si imperator 3 Christ full lowly and méekely washed his disciples féete The Pope sayth the Emperours and kynges shall knele and kysse my féete and is not ashamed to expresse it in the lawe ca. CuÌ„ olim de priuil ele 4. Christ came not to be serued but to serue takyng vpon him the similitude of a seruaunt humbling hymselfe and made himselfe of no reputation to serue vs. The Pope will be serued and sayth it were a shame if he shoulde so humble himselfe Dist 86. ca. Quando necessitas 5. Christ went on his féete with hys disciples both in wette and dry heat and cold to teach the people as it is euident through the Gospels The Popes and Byshops will kéepe their féete ful cleane with shoes of gold and siluer Sith with precious stones and will not preach them selues but say it is sufficient to cause other to preach cap. Inter ceteram de offic Iuor After this maner might the Turke be Pope also 6. Christ wold not suffer that doues shéepe oxen for the offeryng should be sold in the teÌ„ple of God but draue out the buyers sellers with whipes The Pope and Byshops suffer chapmen in the Church that minister the Sacramentes for money dayly vnto the common people And they geue great pardon vnto it that they may be partakers of the wynnyng to maynteine theyr cradles and other necessaryes with all this may you sée dayly 7. Christ saith ye haue it for nothing therfore shall you geue it for nothing The Pope hath Iudas mynde for you get nothyng of hym without money for he selleth both prayer preachyng 8. Christ sate at meate among hys Disciples ful lowly and poorely Not requiryng the hyghest seate The Pope sitteth full high in a curious throne and will be serued gloriously with long knéelyng and meÌ„ to kerue his morssels w t iagged coates blasphemyng God with othes many other vices as we may sée dayly 9. Christ was in hilles with wepyng and praying and walked in desert féedyng many thousandes both with meate and preachyng The Pope sitteth in hys Castels towers with minstrelsie laughter And the hungry poore shall sit at the gate he will not serue them hym selfe for shame he thinketh it were 10. Christ lay and slept in a boate on the hard bordes and had to his chamberlaynes but fishers crying to hym vppon the Sea in the tempest when they were a feard to perish The Pope sléepeth full soft easely and no man may awake hym vntil he haue slept inough for his chamberlaynes shal be ready with Marshals and vshers to kéepe his hall and chamber from noyse And the portar at the gate to kéepe out the poore Their Lord they will not awake 11. Christ fasted sought the frute on the trée when he was hungry and founde none theron The Pope hath great prouision at Cities and Townes to get him of the best that may be founde well dressed and dayntely to make digestion with spicery sawces and siropes coloured out of kynde 12. Christ lay in a stable with few clothes betwixt an oxe and an Asse for the place was narrowe The Pope in rich chambers with quiltes curtaines carpettes and quishâ—ons spread all about with swéete smelles and paynted walles 13. Christ chose to hym poore men and commaunded them to be simple as doues The Pope choseth subtile meÌ„ and crafty full of pride or els they are not méete for hym 14. Christ rode simply on an Asse had twelue that folowed him a foote all about The Pope on a mule or a white palfray much hygher then hys master dyd And hath many mo then twelue folowyng hym on horsebacke with swoordes and bucklers as it were to battaile 15. Christ bade hys Disciples to go into all
are infinite other thynges wherein hee contrarieth Christ in so much that if it be diligētly examined I thinke there is no word that Christ spake but the other hath taught or made a law agaynst it Howbeit for to auoyde tediousnes we shall leaue them vnto your owne iudgement for they are soone searched out espyed Iudge Christē reader all these things with a simple eye be not parcially addict to the one nor to the other But Iudge them by the Scripture And knowledge that to be the truth which Gods word doth alow auoydyng all other doctrine for it springeth of Sathan be not ashamed to confesse poore Christ and to take him for thy head before these rauenous Wolues for then shall he cōfesse thée agayn before his father the aungelles in heauen Then shalt thou bee inheritour with Iesu Christe And the faythfull sonne of thy father whiche is in heauen to whom be all glory eternally Amen ¶ Here endeth the Antithesis betwene Christe and the Pope A booke made by Iohn Frith prisoner in the Tower of London aunsweryng vnto M. Mores letter which he wrote against the first litle treatise that Iohn Frith made concernyng the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ vnto which booke are added in the ende the articles of hys examination before the Bishops of London Winchester and Lyncolne in Paules Churche at London for which Iohn Frith was condemned and after burned in Smithfield without Newgate the fourth day of Iuly Anno. 1533. ¶ The Preface of this booke GRace and increase of knowledge from God the father through our Lorde Iesus Christ be with the Christen reader and with all them that loue the Lord vnfaynedly Amen I chaunced beyng in these parties to be in company with a Christen brother which for his commēdable conuersation and sober behauiour might better be a Byshop then many that weare miters if the rule of S. Paule were regarded in their election This brother after much communication desired to know my mynde as touchyng the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ Which thing I opened vnto hym accordyng to the gift that God had geuen me First I proued vnto hym that it was no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation Then I declared that Christ had a naturall body euen as myne is sauyng sinne and that it could no more bee in two places at once thē myne cā Thirdly I shewed him that it was not necessarie that the wordes should so be vnderstand as they sound But that it might be a phrase of Scripture as there are innumerable After that I shewed him certaine phrases and maner of speakynges And that it was well vsed in our English toung and finally I recited after what maner they might receiue it according to Christes institutiō not fearyng the froward alteration that the Priests vse contrary to the first forme and institution When I had sufficiently published my mynde hee desired me to entitle the sūme of my wordes and write them for hym because they seemed ouerlong to be well reteined in memorie And albeit I was loth to take the matter in hand yet to fulfill his instant intercession I tooke vpon me to touche this terrible tragedie and wrote a treatise whiche beside my paynfull imprisonmēt is like to purchase me most cruell death which I am ready and glad to receiue with the spirite and inward man although the fleshe be frayle when soeuer it shall please God to lay it vpon me Notwithstādyng to say the truth I wrote it not to the intēt that it should haue ben published For then I would haue touched the matter more earnestly and haue written as well of the spirituall eating drinking which is of necessitie as I dyd of the carnall which is not so necessarie For the treatise that I made was not expedient for all men albeit it were sufficient for them whom I tooke in hand to instruct For they knew the spirituall and necessarie eatyng and drinkyng of his body bloud which is not receiued with the teth and bellye but with the eares and faith and onely neded instructiō in the outward eating whiche thing I therfore onely declared But now it is cōmon abroad and in many mēs mouthes in so much that M. More whiche of late hath busied hym selfe to medle in all such matters of what zeale I will not define hath sore labored to confute it but some mē thinke that he is ashamed of his part and for that cause doth so diligently suppresse the woorke whiche he printed For I my selfe saw the worke in Print in my Lord of Winchesters house vpon S. Stephens day last past But neither I neither all the frēdes I could make might attaine any copie but onely one written copie whiche as it seemed was drawen out in great hast notwithstandyng I can not well iudge what the cause should bee that his boke is kept so secret But this I am right sure of that he neuer touched the foundation that my treatise was builded vpon And therefore sith my foundation standeth so sure and inuincible for els I thinke verely he would sore haue laboured to haue vndermined it I will thereupon builde a litle more and also declare that his ordinaūce is to slender to breake it downe although it were set vppon a woorse foundation ¶ The foundation of that litle treatise was that it is no article of our fayth necessary to be beleued vnder payne of damnation that the Sacrament should be the naturall body of Christ which thyng is proued on this maner FIrste we must all acknowledge that it is no article of our fayth which can saue vs nor which we are bound to beleue vnder the paine of eternal damnation For if I should beleue that hys very naturall body both flesh and bloud were naturally in the bread and wine that should not saue me seyng many beleue that and receiue it to their damnation for it is not his presence in the bread that can saue me but his presence in my hart through faith in his bloud which hath washed out my sinnes and pacified y t fathers wrath toward me And agayne if I doe not beleue his bodely presence in the bread and wyne that shall not damne me but the absence out of my hart thorough vnbelefe Now if they would here obiect that though it be truth that the absēce out of the bread could not damne vs yet are we bounde to beleue it because of gods word which who beleueth not as much as in him lyeth maketh God a lyer And therfore of an obstinate mynde not to beleue hys word may be an occasion of damnation To this we may answere that we beleue Gods worde and knowledge that it is true but in this we dissent whether it be true in the sence that we take it in or in the sence that ye take it in And we say agayne that though
signification and sought their health and righteousnes in the bodely worke and in the sacrifice it selfe then were they abhominable in the sight of God and then he cryed out of them both by the Prophet Dauid and Esay And likewise it is with our Sacramentes let vs therefore séeke vp the significations and go to the very thing which the sacrament is set to present vnto vs. And there shal we finde such fruitfull foode as shall neuer fayle vs but comfort our soules into life euerlastyng Now will I in order answer to M. Mores booke and as I finde occasion geuen me I shall indeuoure my selfe to supply that thyng which lacked in the first treatise and I trust I shall shewe such lyght that all men whose eyes the Prince of this worlde hath not blynded shall perceiue the truth of the scriptures and glory of Christ And where as in my first treatise the truth was set forth with all simplicitie and nothing armed against the assault of sophisters that haue I somewhat redressed in this booke haue brought bones filte for their téeth which if they be to busie may chaunce to choke them ¶ Thus beginneth the Preface of M. Mores booke IN my most harty wyse I recommende me vnto you and send you by this bringer the wryting againe which I receiued from you Whereof I haue bene offered a cople of copies mo in the mean while as late as ye wot well it was Deare brethren consider these wordes and prepare you to the crosse that Christ shall lay vppon you as ye haue oft bene counsaylled For euen as when the Wolfe howleth y e shéepe had nede to gather thēselues to their shepheard to be deliuered from the assault of the bloudy beast likewyse had you nede to slye vnto the shepheard of your soules Christ Iesus to sell your coates and buye his spirituall sworde which is the word of God to defende and deliuer you in this present necessitie for now is the tyme that Christ tolde vs of Math. x. that he was come by his worde to set variaunce betwene the sonne and his father betwene the daughter and her mother betwene the daughter in lawe and her mother in lawe that in a mans owne householde shall be his enemies But be not dismayde nor thinke it no wonder for Christe those twelue and one of them was y e Deuill and betrayed his master And we that are his disciples may loke for no better than he had himself for the scholer is not aboue his mayster Saint Paule protesteth y e he was in perill among false brethren surely I suppose that we are in no lesse ieopardye For if it be so that hys mastership receiued one copye and had a cople of copyes moe offered in the meane while then may ye be sure that there are many false brethren which pretend to haue knowledge in déede are but pykethankes prouiding for their bellye prepare ye therfore clokes for the weather waxeth cloudy and rayne is like to followe I meane not false excuses and forswearing of your selues but that ye loke substantially vpon Gods worde that you may be able to answere their subtle obiections And rather chuse manfully to dye for Christ and hys worde than cowardlye to deny hym for thys vayne and transitory lyfe cōsidering that they haue no further power but ouer this corruptible bodye which if they put it not to death must yet at y e length perish of it selfe But I trust the Lord shall not suffer you to be tēpted aboue that you may beare but according to y e sprite that he shall poure vppon you shall he also sende you the scourge and make hym that hath receiued more of the sprite to suffer more and him that receiueth lesse thereof to suffer according to his Talent I thought it necessary first to admonishe you of this matter and now I will recite more of M. Mores boke Whereby men may see how gredely these newe named brethren writeit out secretly spread it abroade The name is of great antiquitie although you liste to ieste For they were called brethrē ere our Bishops were called Lordes and had y e name geuen them by Christ saying Math. xxiij all ye are brethren And Luke y ◠xxij Confirme they brethren And the name was cōtinued by the Apostles and is a name that nourisheth loue amitie And very glad I am to heare of their gredy affection in writing out and spreading abroade the worde of God for by that I do perceiue the prophesie of Amos to haue place which sayth In the person of God I will send hunger and thyrste into the earth not hunger for meate nor thurst for drinke But for to here the word of God Now begynneth the kyngdome of heauen to suffer violence Now runne the poore Publicanes which knowledge them selues sinners to the word of God puttyng both goodes and body in ieoperdy for the soule health And though our Byshops do call it heresie and all them heretickes that hunges after it yet do we know that it is the Gospell of the lyuyng God for the health and saluation of all that beleue And as for the name doth nothing offēde vs though they call it heresie a thousand tymes For S. Paule testifieth that the Phariseis and Priestes which were counted the very Church in hys tyme dyd so call it and therefore it foreceth not though they ruling in their rowmes vse the same names Which young mā I here say hath lately made diuers other thynges that yet runne in hoker moker so close amōg the brethren that there commeth no copies abroad I aunswere that surely I can not spynne and I thinke no mā more hateth to be idle then I do Wherfore in such thynges as I am able to doe I shal be diligēt as long as God lendeth me my lyfe And if ye thinke I be to busie you may rid me the sooner for euen as the shéepe is in the butchers handes ready bound and looketh but euen for the grace of the butcher whē he shall shed his bloud Euen so am I bounde at the Byshops pleasures euer lookyng for the day of my death In so much that playne worde was sent me that the Chauncelour of Lōdon sayd it should cost me the best bloud in my body whiche I would gladly were shed to morow if so be it might open the kyngs graces eyen And verely I maruell that any thing can runne in hoker moker or be hyd from you For sith you mought haue such store of copyes concernyng the thyng whiche I most desired to haue ben kept secret how should you then lacke a copye of those thynges which I most would haue published And hereof ye may be sure I care not though you and all the Byshops with in England looke on all that euer I wrote but rather would be glad that ye so dyd
to hys Disciples the signe of his bloud 129 Christes body is neither materiall bread nor drinke 131 Christ hys body occupyeth one place onely 137 Christ as touchyng his Godhead is in all places 139 Christ his body is in one place onely 147 Christ is eaten with fayth and not with the teeth 157 Christ calleth hym selfe bread 159 Church cannot erre sayth Rochester 56 Contradictories cannot bee true 26 Corruption when it entred into the Church 116 CorinthiaÌ„s how they came togither to eate the Supper of the Lord. 162 D. DEath is terrible to all flesh 34 Dead persons can neither doe good nor euill 53 Doctours haue erred in many thynges 53 Doctours proue that there is bread in the Sacrament 165 Dippyng in water and liftyng vp agayne what it meaneth 93 E. EXample of the Alepolle 113 Epitome of Frithes booke of the Supper of the Lord. 164 F. FAyth in Christ is our righteousnes 28 Fayth is not procured by violence 57 Fayth is the gift of God 58 Fayth is the spirituall eatyng of Christ in the Sacrament 108 Fayth that saued our fathers the same now saueth vs. 109 Fayth eateth Christ ioyfully 143 Fayth in Christes bloud consecrateth the Sacrament 153 Faythfull and vnfaythfull doe not â—ate a lyke 161 False Antichristes 154 Feare maketh fayth no fayth 5â— Fier of Purgatory is of great force 50 Flesh may not reioyce in the gifts of nature but must feare and tremble 89 Flesh of Christ doth profite nothing and yet it doth profite 123. 140 Foundation of Frithes treatise of the Sacrament 108 Frith why hee wrote agaynst Purgatory 4 Frithes conclusion agaynst Rastals booke 32 Frithes aunswere to Syr Thomas More 32 Frithes iudgement vppon the booke of the Machabees 40 Frith and More doe not agree 42 Frithes opinion of Christes death read it for it is excellent 48 Frithes aunswere to the Byshop of Rochester 51 Frithes Bulwarke against Rastall 60 Frith a good player at the tennyce 62 Frith handleth Rastall gentely 63 Frith a true Martyr of Christ 65 Frithes aunswere to Rastals second chapter 66 Frith a good scholer 68. 69 Frithes aunswere to Rastals thyrde chapter 69 Frithes iudgement vppon Tracyes last will and testament 77 Frithes letter to the congregation 81 Frithes mirrour or glasse wherein a man may learne to know him selfe 83 Frithes mirrour or glasse wherein behold the efficacie of the Sacrament of Baptisme 90 Frithes auÌ„swere to Master Mores first booke of the Sacrament 107 Frith met with false brethren 114 Frithes offer to the Clergy 115 Frithes earnest zeale 115 Frith feareth not death 115 Frith is no hasty iudge 150 Frith hath great modestie 156 Frithes prayer 157 Frith doth playnly declare his doctrine is the Sacrament 168 G. GErmanes beleeue the presence of the body but worshyp it not 167 Glasse that representeth the face is not the face 146 God hath left vs two Purgatoryes 5 God is to bee honored of all creatures 13 God forgeueth our sinnes for Christes sake 14 God neither the better nor the worsse for our doynges 15 God can not bee agaynst hym selfe 48 God is sayd to bee almighty because there is no superiour power aboue hym that hee can doe all thynges that hee will 145 God is so vnited to the manhode of Christ that they make but one person 169 Gods honour consisteth not in our seruice 13 Gods word is the touchstone to trye all doctrine 53 Gods worde is the keye of knowledge 58 Gods spirite is not bounde to any place 91 Gods Church what it is 92 Good bad are of the seÌ„sible church 93 Gods Churche is without spot or wrincle 93 Godfathers and Godmothers and their charge 96 God cannot doe all thynges 142 Good woorkes are to bee done because God commaundeth them to bee done 28 Good workes are the frutes of fayth 74 Good workes doe mortifie our members 75 Good woorkes are profitable to our neighbour 75 Good giftes geuen to vs of God why they are geuen 85. 86 Goodnes is of God and all euill of our selues 83 Grace is the gift of God 76 H. HEauen and hell is expressed in the Scripture but no word of Purgatory 54 Hell there is none to them that are in Christ Iesu 72 Hell is ordeyned for such as feare not God 72 Heresie what it is 50 I. IEwes slayne for Idolatry 38. Institution of the SacrameÌ„t 157. 163. Iudas Machabeus beleueth the resurrection 39. Iudas Machabeus profitable to the Papes cleargie 39. Iustification freely excludeth purgatory 10. K. KEyes how they were geuen to Peter and Paule 58. L. LAwe of God and lawe of man doe greatly differ 19. Lazarus 20. M. MAn why hee was made 13. Manna was to the Iewes the same that the Sacrament is to vs. 110. 118. Maundy of remembraunce 159. Ministers must bee circumspect 96. Miracles how the true are tryed froÌ„ the false 154. More and Rochester cannot agree 30. 36. 56. Mores false and fond argument 33. More vnderstandeth not the Scripture 35. More proued to be an insipient 40. More a quarelling brabler 144. More a confused interpreter of the Scriptures 41. More a procter for purgatory 42. More a subtile Sophister 46. 137. More and his purgatory confuted and confounded 50. Mores Poetry 84. 137. More a trifeling mocker 120. More hath a chekmate 121. More pretely nipped 122. More a subtile Poet. 137. More an ignoraunt procter for the clergie 144. More daunsing naked in a net thinketh himselfe inuisible 84. More harpeth on a wroÌ„g string 148 More and Frith dispute two things 149. More a popishe and malicious tyrant 156. N. NAturall reason not mete to reason against Scripture 13. Nature teacheth vs that there is both bread and wine in the Sacrament 165. O. OBstinate persons 95. Oecolampadius dyed of a Canker 118. Opinion of Frith 164. 165. 166. Opinion of the Prelates 164. 165. 166. P. PAule prophesieth of the latter tymes 116. Papistes imagined a purgatory for themselues 5. Papistes corrupte the Scriptures 126. Papistes say that no promise or couenant ought to be kept with heretiques 155. Parables proue nothing 54. Paradise what Christ ment by that worde 138 Paschall Lambe compared with the Sacrament of Christes bodie 157 158. Philip his maner of Baptisme 95. Pope is mercilesse if there be a purgatory 6. Pope is the Deuils vicar 59. Pope selleth Christes merites for money 11. Pope is Antichrist 59. Prayers and good deedes how they helpe 49. Prayers for the dead are vayne 52. Prayers made by Iohn Frith 157. Purgatory pickepursse 17. Purgatory a phantasie of mannes imagination 17. 27. Purgatory on the earth 18. Purgatory there is none 21. 27. Purgatory is in many places 21. Purgatory can not feare vs from sinne 25. Purgatory is needlesse 29. 31. Purgatory quite excluded 45. Purgatory and pardons haue beene good marchaundise for the Pope and his clergie 58. R. RAstalles dialogues what they conteyned 7. Rastall followeth More 7. 8. Rastall clearely and quicklye confounded 8. 9. Rastalles lyes 13. 14. Rastalles
life And said moreouer I haue beene an officer of his but I haue geuen it vp and defye him and all his workes Not long after M. Tyndall happened to bée in the company of a certeyne deuine recounted for a learned man and in commoning and disputing with him hée droue hym to that issue that the sayd great Doctour burst out into these blasphemous wordes and sayd we were better to bée without Gods lawe then the Popes M. Tyndall hearing this and beeing full of Godly zeale and not bearing that blasphemous saying replyed agayne and sayd I defie the Pope and all his lawes and farther added that if God spared him life ere many yeares hée would cause a boy that driueth the plough to know more of the Scripture then hée did After this the grudge of the Priestes encreasing still against Tyndall they neuer ceased barkiâ—g and rating at him and layd many sore thinges to his charge saying y â— hée was an heretick in sophistry an hereticke in logique and an hereticke in Diuinitie And sayd moreouer vnto him that hée bare hymself bolde of y â— GentlemeÌ„ there in y â— couÌ„try but notwithstanding shortly hée should bée otherwise talked withal To whom M. Tyndall auÌ„swering againe thus said it was not the place hée stuck vpoÌ„ hée was coÌ„teÌ„ted they should bring him into any countrey in all England geuing him x. l. a yeare to liue with and bynding him to no more but to teach children and to preach To bée short M. Tyndall beeing so molested and vexed in the countrey by y â— Priests was constrayned to leaue that Countrye and to séeke another place and so comming to M. Welshe hée desired him of his good will that hée might depart from hym saying thus vnto him Syr I perceaue I shall not bée suffered to tarye long here in this countrie neither shall you bée able though you woulde to kéepe mée out of the handes of the spiritualitie and also what displeasure might growe to you by kéeping mée God knoweth for the which I should bée right sory So that in fine M. Tyndall with y â— good will of his Master departed and eftsones came vp to London and there preached a while according as hée had done in the countrye béefore At length hée béethought hym selfe of Cutbert Tunstall then Byshop of London and especially for the great commendatioÌ„ of Erasmus Who in his annotations so extolleth him for his learning thus casting with him selfe that if hée might attayne into his seruice hée were a happy man And so comming to Syr Henry Gilforde the kinges Controller and bringing with hym an oration of Isocrates which hée had translated out of Gréeke into Englishe hée desyred him to speake to the sayd Byshop of London for hym which hée also did and willed him moreouer to write an Epistle to the Byshop and to goe him selfe with him which hée did likewise and deliuered his Epistle to a seruaunt of his named William Hebletwhait a man of his olde acquaintaunce But God who secretly disposed the course of things saw y â— was not best for Tyndals purpose nor for the profite of his Church and therefore gaue him to fynde litle fauour in the Bishops sight The aunswere of whome was this that his house was full hee had moe then hée could well fynde and aduised him to séeke in LondoÌ„ abroad where he sayd he could lacke no seruice c. And so he remayned in London the space almost of a yeare beholding and marking with him selfe the course of the world and especially y e Demeanour of the preachers how they boasted them selues set vp their auctoritie kingdome Beholding also the pompe of the Prelates with other thinges that greatly misliked him Insomuch as he vnderstoode not onely to be no roome in y e Bishops house for him to translate the new Testament but also that there was no place to doe it in all England And therefore fynding no place for his purpose within the Realme and hauing some ayde and prouision by Gods prouidence ministred vnto him by Humfrev Mommouth Merchaunt who after was both Shirife and Alderman of London and by certaine other good men he tooke his leaue of the Realme and departed into Germany Where the good man being inflamed with a tender care and zeale of his countrey refused no trauell or diligence how by all meanes possible to reduce his bretheren Countrymen of England to the same tast and vnderstanding of Gods holy worde and veritie which the Lorde had endued him withall Where vpon he considering in his minde partly also conferring with Iohn Frith thought with him selfe no way more to conduce thereunto then if the scripture were turned into the vulgare speeche that the poore people might also see the simple and playne worde of God For first he wisely casting in his minde perceiued by experieÌ„ce how that it was not possible to stablish the lay people in any trueth except the Scripture were so plainlye layd before their eyes in their mother tongue that they might see the processe order and meaning of y â— text For els whatsoeuer trueth should be taught them these enemies of the trueth would quench it agayne either with apparauÌ„t reasoÌ„s of Sophistrye and traditions of their awne making founded without all ground of Scripture Either els iugglyng with the text expounding it in such a sence as impossible it were to gather of the text if the right processe order and meaning thereof were seene Agayne right well he perceaued and considered this onely or most chiefly to be the cause of all mischiefe in the Church that the Scriptures of God were hydden from the peoples eyes For so long the abhominable doinges and Idolatries mainteyned by the Pharasaicall Clergie coulde not be espyed and therefore all their labour was with might aâ—d mayne to keepe it downe so that either it should not bee read at all or if it were they woulde darken the right sence with the myst of their Sophistry and so entangle them which rebuked or despised their abhominations with argumentes of philosophy and with worldly similitudes and apparant reasons of naturall wisedome and with wresting of Scripture vnto their awne purpose contrary vnto the processe order and meaning of the text would so delude them in deskanting vpon it with allegoryes and amaze them expounding it in many sences layed before the vnlearned laye people that though thou felt in thy heart and were sure that all were false that they sayd yet couldest thou not solue their subtile ryddells For these and such other considerations this good man was moued and no doubts styrred vp of God to translate the Scripture into his mother tongue for the publique vtilitie and profit of the simple vulgar people of his couÌ„trey First setting in hand with the new testament which he first translated about the yeare of our Lord. 1527. Aftrr y t he tooke in hand to translate the olde testament finishing the v. bookes