✚ The Testament of master Wylliam Tracie esquier expounded both by William Tindall and IhoÌ„ Frith Wherin thou shalt perceyue with what charitie y e chaunceler of worcetter Burned whan he toke vp the deed carkas and made asshes of hit after hit was buried M.D.xxxv ✚ To the reader THou shalt vnderstande most deare Reader that after Wylliam Tyndall was soâ— Iudaslie betrayed by an English man a scoleâ— of Louaine whose name is Philippes there were certaine thinges of his doynge founde which he had eâ—tended to haue put forthe to the furtheraunce of goddes woorde amongest which was this Testament of master Tracie expounded by hym sealffe where vnto was annexed the exposicion of the same of Ihoâ— Frithes doynge and awne hand wrytinge which I haue caused to be put in Printe to the intente that al the worlde shulde see howe ernisâ—lye the Cannonistes and spiritual lawyers which be the chefe rulâ—rs vnder bysshopes in euerye dioces in so moche that in euery chatedrall church the deane chaunceler and archdeken ar coÌ„menly doctoures or bachelers of lawe do endeuer them sealues iustlie to iuge and spirituallye to geue sentence accordinge to charitye â—pon all the actes and dedes done of their diocessanes after the ensaumple of the chaunceler of worcetter which after master Tracie was buried of pure zeale and loue hardelye toke vp the deede carkas and burnt hit wherfore he did hit it shall euidentlye apere to y â— reader in this littell treatyse reade hit therfore I beseche the and iuge the spirites of oure spiritualitie and praye that the spirite of him that reased vpp Christe maye ones inhabite them mollyfye their hertes and so illumine them that they maye bothe se and shewe true light and no longer to resiste God ner his trueth Amen The Testament hit sealfe In the name of God Amen I Willyam Tracie of Todyngton in y â— cowntie of gloceter esquier make my Testament and last wyll as here after folowith ¶ First and before all other thinge I commyt me vnto God and to his mercye trustinge with owt any dowte or mystrust that by his grace and the merytes of Iesus Christ and by the vertue of his passion and of his resurrection I haue and shall haue remission of my synnes and resurrection of bodye and soule accordinge as hit is written Iob. xix I beleue that my redeamer lyueth and that in the last daye I shall ryse owte of the erth and in my flesh shall se my sauiour this my hope is layde vp in my bosome And as towching the wealth of my sowle y â— faith that I haue taken and rehersed is sufficient as I suppose w t out any other mannis worke or workis My grounde my belefe is that ther is but one god one mediatour betwene god man which is Iesus christ 〈◊〉 that I do except none in heauen nor in erth to be my mediaâ—oure betwene me and god but onely Iesus Christ al other be but peticioners in receyuiÌ„ge of grace but none able to geue influence of grace And therfore wil I bestowe no part of my goodes for that intent that any man shulde saye or do to healp my soule for therin I trust onely to the promyse of god he that beleueth and is baptyzed shalbe saued and he that beleueth not shalbe damned marcke the last chapter And towchynge the buryynge of my bodye it auayleth me not what be done therto where in sainct Austine de cura agenda pro mortuis saith that they are rather the solace of them that lyue than wealthe or cowmforth of them that are departed and therfore I remit hit onely to the discretion of myne execuâ—ours And towchinge the distribution of my temporall goodes my purpose is by the grace of god to bestowe them to be accepted as frutes of faith So that I do not suppose that my merite be by good bestowiâ—e of them but my merite is the faith of Iesus Christ onely by which faith such workes are good accordinge to the wordes of out lorde Math. xxv I was hongrye and thou gauest me to eate and it folowith that ye haue done to the least of my bretherne ye haue done to me c. and euer we shulde consyder the trwe sentence that a good worke maketh not a good man but a good man maketh a good woorke for faith makethe the man booth good and rightwyse for a rightwyse man lyueth by faith Rom. i â–ª and what so euer springeth not owte of faith is synne Rom. xiiij And all my temporall goodes that I haue not geuyn or delyuered or not geuen by wrytinge of myne awne hande beringe the date of this present wryting I do leaue and geue To Margarete my wife and to Richard my sonne which I make myne executours witnes this myne awne hande the x. daye of October in the .xxij. yere of the raygne of kynge Henry the viij Tyndall Now leat vs examen the partes of this TestameÌ„t sentence by sentence First to commyt oure selues to God aboue all is the first of all preceptis and the first stone in the foundacion of our faith that is that we beleue and put owre trust in one god one all true one almyghty all good and all mercyfull cleauinge faste to his trueth myght mercye and goodnes suerly certyfied and full persuaded that he is oure God ye oures and to vs all true withoute all falsheed and gyle and cannot fayle in his promyses And to vs almyghtye that his will cannot be leaâ— to fulfill all the trueth that he hath promysed vs And to vs all good aÌ„d all mercyfull what so euer we haue done and howe so euer greuously we haue trespassed so that we cum to hym the waye that he hath appointed which waye is Iesus Christ onlye as we shall see folowingly this first clause than is the first commawndement or at at the least the first sentence in the first commawndement and the first article of our crede And that this trust and confidence in the mercy of God is thorow Iesus Christ is the second article of oure crede confirmed and testified thorow out all scripture That Christ bringeth vs in to this grace Paule proueth Rom. v. sayinge Iustified by fayth we ar â—t peace with God thorowe Iesus Christ oure Lorde By whom we haue an entrynge in vnto this grace in which we stand and Ephe. iij. By whome saith Paule we haue a boold entringe in thorowe y e faith that is in him â–ª and in the second of the sayde Epistle By hym we haue an entrynge in vnto the father and a lytle before in the same chapter he is oure peace And Ihon in the fyrst chapter Beholde the Lambe of God whiche takethe awaye the synne of the worlde whiche synne was the busshe that stopped the entrynge in and keapt vs owt and the swerde wherwith was kepte the entrynge vnto the tre of lyâ—â— frome Adam and all his ofsprynge And in the second of the first of Peter whiche
vnderstonde off that faith wich is formed with hope and charite w t the Apostle calleth faith that worketh by cherite Galatas .v. Now sythe these thynges maye be expounded so puerlye forsoothe he vttereth his owne enuye which wolde otherwyse wreste the mynde of y e maker of this Testament And as towching the addition of this particle w t out any other mannes worke or workes yt semith that he had respecte vnto the sayenge of Peter w c declareth that ther is no nother name vnder heaueÌ„ geuen vnto men in w c we shuld be sauyd Act. iiij Besydes that S. Paule committeth y e power of sanctifieng to Christ onlye Hebr. ij wher he sayth both he that sanctifieth that is to saye Christe they that ar sanctified that is to saye the faithfull are all of one that is God and suerlye yf we labored to precell eche other in loue and Cherite we shulde nott condempne thys Innocente But we shulde rather mesure his woordes by the rule off Cherite in so moche that yf a thinge at the firste syghte dyd apeare wickyd yet shulde we take it in the best sence not Iudginge wickedly of our brother but referringe that secret iudgment vnto Christe which cannot be disceyued and thoughe they be disceyued by the pretence of Cherite yet therin they maye reioyse and therfore they wolde be lothe to condempne y e innocent but let vs passe these thinges and se what folowith Master Tracie My grounde my belefe is that there is but one god one mediatour betwene god man wich is Iesus christ so that I accepte none in heauyn nor in erthe to be mediatour betwene god and me but onlye Iesus Christe all other to be petycioners in receyuiÌ„ge grace but none able to geue influence of grace aÌ„d therfore I will bestowe no parte of my goodes for that intent that anye man shulde saye or do to helpe my soule for therin I truste onlye to the promyse of Christe he that beleueth and is baptysed shalbe saued and he that beleueth not shalbe damned Frith Why loke yow so sowerlye good brotherneâ— why do yow not rather gyue hym greate thanckes sythe he hath openned vnto yow suche a proper distinctioÌ„ by the whiche yow maye escape the scolasticalle shares and mases he onlye deserueth the name of a middeler which beynge God became man to make men gods And who can by right be called a middeler betwene God and man but he that is both god man therfore sythe we haue suche a myddeler whiche in all poyntes hath prouyd owre infirmytye sayuinge onlye in synne which is exalted aboue the heuyns and syttethe on the righte hande of God and hathe in all thinges obtayned the nexte poure vnto hym of whose imperye all thinges depende lett vs come with suer confidence vnto the trone of grace Hebr. iiij All other he callyth peticioners which receyue grace but are not able to empresse aÌ„d power therof into anye other man for that doth onlye God distribute with hys fynger that is to saye the spirite of god thorowe christe I meruell that yow are angrye with hym that hathe done yow suche a greate pleasure how be it I do Ascribe this condemnacioÌ„ rather vnto the canonystes then vnto deuynes For the godlye deuynes wolde neuer dote so fare as to coÌ„dempne so proper sayinges but paraduenture thys myghte moue theyr pacyence that he wyll distribute no porcyon of his goodes for that intent that any man shulde saye or do for the weale of his sowle ar yow so sore afrayed of yower market Be not afrayde ye haue salues ynowghe to souple that sore ye knowe that he is not bownde vnder payne of dampnation to distribute his goodis on that facion for theÌ„ those holye fathers were in shrewde case which contynewinge in longe penurye skant lefte at their departinge a halfe penye Thou wilte paraduenture saye that they shall suffre the greuous paynes off purgatorye be it so yet maye they be quenshid both with lesse coste and laboure the popes pardone is redy at hande where bothe the cryme and the payne are remytted attonce and verely ther is suche plentye of them in all places that I can scantly beleue that there lyueth any man that is worth an halfe peny but that he is suer of some pardons in store And as for this man he had innumerable Notwithstandinge this distribucion is not of necessite for vnto him that is dampned it profettyth nothinge And he that is not dampned is suer of saluacion why are ye so hote agaynste this man are not his goodes in his owne power he shall gyue a reckeninge of them vnto god and not vnto you here yow maye se of how lyghte iudgement you haue condempnyd these thinges now let vs ponder the residwe ✚ Master Tracie And towchinge the buryenge off my bodye hit auaylethe me not what be done therto wherin S. Austyne in the boke de cura agenda pro mortuis enformynge vs sayth that they are rather the solace of theÌ„ that liue thaÌ„ wealth or coumforth of theÌ„ that ar departed and therfore I remyt it only to the discretion of myne executoures Frith What hath he here offendyd which rehersyth nothinge but the wordes of S. Austyne yf yow improue these thinges than reproue yow S. Austyne him selfe Now yf yow can fynde the meanes to alowe S. Austyne and cheritablye to expownde his wordes why do yowe not admitte the same faâ—â—ure vnto yower brother specyallye seynge cherite requerithe it besydes that no man can denye but that these thinges are true althoughe S. Austynes auctoritâ— were of no reputacyon with yow for yf these thinges were of so greate value before God then Christ had euyll prouyded for his martyres whose bodyes are comonly cast owte to be consumed with fyer aÌ„d wylde beastes notwithstondinge I wolde be afrayed to saye that they were anye thinge the worse for the burnynge of theyr bodyes or tâ—â—â—ynge of it in peces Be therfore charitable towardes yower brother and ponder hys wordes which are rather sayntâ— Austynnes some what more iustlye Master Tracie As towchinge the distribution of my temporall goodes my purpose is by the grace of god to bestowe them to be accepted as frutes of faith So that I do not suppose that my merite shalbe by the good bestowinge of them but my merite is the faith of Iesu Christe onlye wherbye suche woorkes be good Matth. xxv I was hongrye aÌ„d thou gauest me to eate and it foloweth that ye haue done to the leest of my bretherne ye haue done to me cÌ„ And euer we shuld consyder the true sentence a good worke maketh not a good maÌ„ but a good man makethe a good woorke for faith maketh the man Both good right wyse for a rightwyse man lyueth by faith Rom. i. And whatsoeuer springeth not owt of faith is synne Rom. xiiij And all my temporall goodes that I haue not geuen and delyuered or not geuen by wrytinge of my awne hande berynge the
date of this present wrytynge I do leaue and gyue to Margarete my wyfe and to Richard my sonne which I make myne executours wytnes this myne awne hande the .x. daye of October in the .xxij. yere of the raygne of kynge Henry the .viij. Frith THere is no man doutyth but that fayth is the roote of the tree and the quyckenynge power owt of which all good frutes sprynge therfore it is necessarye that this faith be present or els we shulde loke for good woorkes in vayne for withoute faith it is impossible to please god Heb. xj in so moche that S. Austyn called those workes that are done before faith swiffte runnynge owt of the waye Morouer that owr merite cannot properlye be asscrybed vnto owr workes doth the Euangeliste teche vs saynge when ye haue done all thinges that ar commaunded yow saye we are vnprofitable seruauntis we haue done but owr deutye Luke .xvij. By the which sayynge he doth in a maner feare vs frome puttyng any confydence in our owne workes And so is owr glorious pryde and hye mynde excluded Then where is owr merite â—harke what S. Austyne sayth The death of the Lorde is my merite I am not with out merite as longe as that mercyfull Lorde faylith me not cÌ„ This deathe of the lorde cannot proffite me excepte I receyue it thorowe faith and therfore he reckenyth right well that the faith in Christe is all his meryt I meane the faith which worketh thorowe cherite that is to saye fayth formed with hope cherite not that dead historicall faith which the deuyls haue and tremble Iaco. ii Furthermore what what S. Austyne iudgeth of our merite he expressith in these wordes marke the Psalme how the prowde heade will not receyue the croune when he saith he that redemed thy lyffe frome corruption whiche crounythe the sayth the Psalme here vppon wolde a man saye which crouneth the my merites graunte that my vertue hath done it I haue deseruyd it ye is not frelye geuen but geue kare rather to the pleasure for that is but thyne owne sayinge and euery mAÌ„ is a lyer but heare what God sayth which crounyth the in compassion and mercye of mercye he crounith the of compassion he crounyth the for thou wast not worthye that he shulde call the aÌ„d whom he shulde iustyfye when he called the And whom he shulde glorifye when he iustifieth the For the remanauntes are sauyd by the election which is by grace â— fauoure Rom. xi Now yf hit be by grace then is hit not of workes for then grace were no grace Rom. iiij For vnto hym that workethe is the rewarde imputed not of grace but of deutye Rom. iiij the Apostle sayth not of grace but of deutye but he crounyth the in compassion and mercye and yf thy merites haue proceded god sayth vnto the boulte out thy good merites and thou shalt fynde that they are my gyftes this is the rightuousnes of God not meanyngâ— the rightuousnes wherbye he hym selfe is rightwise but the rightuousnes wherwith he iustifyethe them whom he makithe rightwyse wher before they wâ—re wicked these are Austynes wordes Fynallye lett nott that moue yowe where he addyth that a good worke maketh not a good man but rather a good man makethe the worke good for ther is no man but he is eyther good or euyll If he be euyll then can he not do good but euyll for accordinge to Christes testimonye a rootten tree bearithe no good frute Matth. vij And agayne he saith how caÌ„ you saye well seynge you youre selues are euyll Mat. xij But yf he be good he shal also bringe forth good frute at his ceasone how be it that frute makethe not the man good for except the man be firste good he can not bringe forth good frute but the tree is knowen by the frute And therfore faith as a quyckenynge roote must euer go before which of wicked maketh vs rightwyse and good whiche thinge oure workes coulde neuer bringe to passe out of this fouÌ„tayne sprynge those good workes which iustifye vs before men that is to saye declare vs to be verye rightwyse for before God we are verely iustifyed by that roote of faith for he serchithe the harte therfore this iuste iudge doth inwardely iustyfye or condempne gyuinge sentence accordinge to faith but men must loke for the workes for their sighte caÌ„ not enter into the harte and therfore they first gyue iudgement of workes and are many tymes deceyued vnder the cloke of hipocrisie You maye se that here is nothing but that a good maÌ„ maye expouÌ„de it well al be it y e childerne of this worlde w c w t their wiles deceyue theÌ„ selues enteringe so presumptuously into Godes iudgmeÌ„t do seke a doute where none is Go ye therfore and let charite be yower guyde for god is cherite and thowgh our laweyers harte wold breake yet must you nedes iudge hiÌ„ a christeÌ„ maÌ„ w c saith nothiÌ„g but that scripture confyrmythe And verely the iudgement of this cause came owte of ceasons and euen vngracyouslye vnto our Canonistes for they are clene ignoraunt off scripture and therfore condempne all thinges that they reade not in their lawe wherfore we renounce their sentence and appeale vnto the deuynes which wyll sone knowe the voyce of their sheepherde aÌ„d gladlye admitte those thinges which are allowed by the scripture wherunto they are accustomed Thus endethe the Testament of M. VvilliaÌ„ Tracie expounded by I. frith