.^jSSv «F fmcf^ A ^fOtOGICAL st>^ ^^€^ BR 45 .B74 v. 2 British Reformers (Arj-//^//^ '2--- I 'i^Xi^IDAXi, # WRITIN G S OP T I N D A L, FRITH, AND BARNES, LONDON: PRINTED FOR C]^c 2£leIigiou^ Cract ^ocittv, AND SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56, PATERNOSTER-ROW ; ALSO BY J. NISBET, 21, BERNERS-STREET j AND BY OTHER BOOKSELLERS. LONDON: Printed by Wilmam Ci.oweb, Stamford Street. Jjn-t. rVa-i WRITIN GS OF THE REV. WILLIAM TINDAL, • Translator of the Scriptures, and Martyr, a. d. 1536. ^^ afct^ LONDON: '^ PRINTED FOR AND SOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY, 56, PATERNOSTER-ROW ; ALSO BY J. NISBET, 21, BERNERS-STREET J AND BY OTHER BOOKSELLERS. LONDON : Prixted By William Clowes, Stamford-street. PElwGETOH LOGIC:S.L CONTENTS. Page- Some account of the Life of William Tindal • • 1 The Parable of the Wicked Mammon !•> Trom the Obedience of a Christian Man 83- A Pathway itito^the Holy Scripture 1^"' An Exposition'upon the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Chapters of Mat- thew ; which three chapters are the key and the door of the scripture, and the restoring again of Moses' law, corrupt by the scribes and pharisees. And the exposition is the re- storing again of Christ's law, corrupt by the papists 12& The Prologue to the Reader 128- The Fifth Chapter of Matthew 140 The Sixth Chapter of Matthew 190 The Seventh Chapter of Matthew 22^ The Prologue of the prophet Jonas 247 A lively Description of our Justification -64 A Prologue by William Tindal, showing the use of the Scripture, which he wrote before the Five Books of Moses 275- A Prologue into the Second Book of Moses, called Exodus. . 280 A Prologue into the Third Book of Moses, called Leviticus . . 288- A Prologue into the Fourth Book of Moses, called Numeri . . 29S A Prologue into the Fifth Book of Moses, called Deuteronomy 21)8 IV CONTENTS. Page Prologues upon the Gospels 302 Prologue upon the Gospel of St. Matthew 302 Prologue upon the Gospel of St. John 312 A Prologue upon the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans 313 The Testament of William Tracy, Esquire, expounded by William Tindal ; wherein thou shalt perceive with what charity the Chancellor of Worcester burned, when he took up the dead carcase, and made ashes of it, after it was buried 337 Extract from a Protestation made by William Tindal, touching the ^ resurrection of tlie bodies, and the state of the souls after this life 349 Letters— The first Letter of Tindal to Frith 350 Another Letter of Tindal to Frith 352 Letter from Vaughan to Henry VIII 356 • Extracts from other writings of Tindal in the notes to the preceding pages. Extract from the Exposition""on the First Epistle of St. John .... ^27 W Extract from " The Practice of Prelates" 246 Further extract from " The Obedience of a Christian Man." .... 287 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF WILLIAM TINDAL, MARTYR, 1536. NVilliam Tindal was born about the year 1500, on the bor- ders of Wales, and was sent at an early age to Magdalen haU, in the University of Oxford. He was generally esteemed for his virtuous conduct and learning, and especially applied himself to the study of the scriptures. He also became acquainted with the writings of Luther and Erasmus, and privately instructed his fellow-students in scriptural truth. On account of his abilities, Tindal received an appointment in cardinal Wol- sey's newly-founded college, but becoming suspected of Luther- anism, he was imprisoned, and being compelled to leave the university of Oxford, he removed to Cambridge. When Tindal had finished his studies, he became tutor 'in the family of sir John Welch, of Little Sodbury, in Gloucester- shire. Here he had access to many of the clergy, with whom he conferred on religious subjects, frequently engaging'in dispu- tations with those who were the most strenuous supporters of the papacy. The knight and his lady were much surprised at the boldness of their tutor, and returning one day from a ban- quet, to which they had been invited by some dignified ecclesi- astics, they repeated some of the trite arguments advanced by the priests. Tindal, answering by the scriptures, maintained the truth, and reproved their false opinions. Then said lady Welch, *' Well, there was such a doctor, who may spend a hundred pounds, and another two hundred pounds, and another three hundred pounds ; and what, were it reason, think you, that we TINDAL. B 2 Timlal. should believe you before them ?" To this personal argument, Tindal found it was unavailing to reply at that time, but shortly after he presented the knight and his lady with a translation he had made of a work written by Erasmus, called, The Manual of a Christian Soldier. They were impressed by its contents, and no longer gave the same entertainment and countenance to the ignorant and immoral Romish doctors. This the priests attributed to Tindal, and speedily began to manifest their hatred against him. Being summoned to appear before the chancellor of the diocese, he prayed earnestly to God to give him strength to stand fast in the truth of his word. He was protected ; none of his accusers came forward, and he was dismissed with a reprimand. There dwelt, not far off, a certain doctor, who had formerly been chancellor to a bishop, but who was an intimate friend of Tindal. The reformer went to him, and opened his mind upon several subjects relating to the scriptures: after conversing thereon, the ancient doctor said, "Do you not know that the pope is very antichrist, whom the scripture speaketh of? But beware what you say : for if you shall be perceived to hold that opinion, it will cost you your hfe ;" adding, *' I have been an officer of his, but I have given it up, and defy him and all his works." There is, indeed, good reason to believe that from the days of Wickliff, many individuals in England secretly held the truth. Far different was the opinion of another divine, accounted a learned man, with whom Tindal reasoned not long after. Being hard pressed by the arguments of truth, he broke out into this blasphemous expression, " We had better be with- out God's laws than the pope's I"* Tindal, filled with godly indignation, replied, " I defy the pope, and all his laws ;" adding, that if God spared his hfe, ere many years he would cause the boys that drove the plough to know more of the scripture than his opponent: a memorable declaration, which was accom- phshed, and blessed be God, we still see it fulfilled in our land. The Romish priests now troubled Tindal still more, and he * Erasmus, in his annotations on 1 Tim. i. mentions several of the blasphemous disputations often maintained in the schools • amon«- them was, " Whether the pope be not more merciful than Christ was, since we do not read that Christ ever recalled any from the pains of pur^jatory, *^ Life. 3 found it became dangerous for him to remain in that part of the country. He therefore took leave of his friends, and went to London. From the preface to his translation of the five books of Moses, it appears that Tindal had then resolved to translate the new testament into English : but his views and proceedings are best stated in his own words. Speaking of the papists he says : — " A thousand books had they rather to be put forth against their abominable doings and doctrine, than that the scripture should come to light. For as long as they may keep that down, they will so darken the right way with the mist of their so- phistry, and so tangle them that either rebuke or despise their abominations, with arguments of philosophy, and with worldly ■similitudes and apparent reasons of natural wisdom ; and with wresting the scripture unto their own purpose, clean contrary unto the process, order, and meaning of the text ; and so delude them in descanting upon it with allegories ; and amaze them, expounding it in many senses before the unlearned lay people, when it hath but one simple, literal sense, whose light the owls cannot abide, that though thou feelest in thine heart, and art sure, that all is false which they say, yet thou couldest not solve their subtle riddles. " Which thing only moved me to translate the new testament. Because I had perceived by experience that it was impossible to establish the lay people in any truth, except the scriptures were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text : for else, whatsoever truth is taught them, these enemies of all truth quench it again, partly with the smoke of their bottomless pit, whereof thou readest in the Apocalypse, chap. ix. ; that is, with apparent reasons of sophistry, and traditions of their own making, founded without ground of scripture, and partly in juggling with the text, expounding it in such a sense as is im- possible to gather from the text, if thou see the process, order, and meaning thereof. " And even in the bishop of London's house* I intended to have done it. For I was so turmoiled in the country where I was, that I could no longer dwell there. * Tonstal, afterwards bishop of Durham, the most moderate of the Romish prelates. See the life of Bernard Gilpiu. Christian Bio- graphy. B 2 4 Tindal. " The bishop of London came to my remembrance, whom Erasmus (whose tongue maketh, of little gnats, great elephants, and lifts up above the stars whosoever gives him a little exhi- bition) praises exceedingly, among others, in his Annotations on the new testament, for his great learning. Then, thought I, If I might come to this man's service, I were happy. And so I gat me to London, and, through the acquaintance of my master, came to sir Harry Guildford, the king's grace's comptroller, and brought him an oration of Isocrates, which I had translated out of Greek into English, and desired him to speak unto my lord of London for me ; which he also did as he showed me, and willed me to write an epistle to my lord, and to go to him my- self, which I also did, and delivered my epistle to a servant of his own, one William Hebilthwayte, a man of mine old ac- quaintance. But God, who knows what is within hypocrites, saw that I was beguiled, and that this counsel was not the next way unto my purpose, and therefore he gave me no favour in my lord's sight. " Whereupon my lord answered me, his house was fall, he had more than he could well find, and advised me to seek in London, where he said I could not lack a service. And so in London I abode almost a year, and marked the course of the world, and heard our praters, I would say our preachers, how they boasted themselves and their high authority ; and beheld the pomp of our prelates, and how busy they were, as they yet are, to set peace and unity in the world, though it be not possible for them that walk in darkness to continue long in peace, for they cannot but either stumble or dash themselves at one thing or another that shall clean unquiet all together; and I saw things whereof I defer to speak at this time ; and understood at the last not only that there was no room in my lord of London's palace to trans- late the new testament, but also that there was no place to do it in all England, as experience now openly declares.'^ During his abode in London, Tindal, thus rejected by one who professed to be a chief shepherd of Christ's flock, was pro- tected and supported in his undertaking by a citizen and draper, named Humphry Monmouth, who being afterwards imprisoned for having countenanced and assisted Tindal, gave this account of his inmate : — " Four years and a half past, or more, (about 1523,) I heard sir Life. 5 William Tindal,* otherwise called Hotchens, preach two or three sermons at St. Dunstan's in the west ;" Monmouth then relates Tindal's disappointment from the bishop, and that he requested his assistance, and proceeds, " I took him into my house half a year, and there he lived like a good priest as methought. He studied most part of the day and the night at his book, and by his good will he would eat but sodden meat, nor drink but small single beer. I never saw him wear linen about him in the space he was with me.t I promised him ten pounds sterling to pray for my father and mother's souls, and all christian souls.J I paid it him when he went to Hamburgh. Afterwards, he had from some others ten pounds sterling more, which he left with me, and within a year after sent for it." In a subsequent passage of this petition, Monmouth bears further testimony in favour of Tindal, and also shows the mental bondage in which good men were then held by the Romish ecclesiastics. *' When I heard my lord of London preach at Paul's cross that sir William Tindal had translated the new testament into English, and that it was naughtily translated, that was the first time that ever I suspected or knew any evil of him. And shortly after, all the letters and treatises that he sent me, with divers copies of books which my servant did write, and the sermons that the priest did make at St. Dunstan's, I burned them in my house. He that wrote them out saw it. I burned them for fear of the translator, more than for any evil I knew of them." IMonmouth was re- leased, though not till he had suffered much loss and inconve- nience ; and he continued to favour and support the followers of the truth.^ He was afterwards alderman and sheriff, and died in 1537. Tindal proceeded to Saxony, where he saw Luther and other reformers, and then settling at Antwerp, in which city several English merchants favourable to the truth resided, he proceeded with his translation, assisted by Frith and Roye. In 152G, an edi- tion of fifteen hundred copies of the new testament was printed ; many of them were sent into England and widely circulated- * In those days the title " sir" was usually given to priests. + Linen was an expensive luxury in those days, hodden meat, means food merely boiled, or plain tare. X From Tindal's writings it will be seen that he did not long retain this ancient error. § Fur a pleasing anecdote of this excellent man, see Latimer's Sermons, p.i^OS— :iiu. 6] TiiidaL The wrath of the Romish prelates at this proceedinsj was very great ; a mandate was immediately issued by Tonstal, bishop of London, commanding that all the testaments translated by Tindal should be brought to the vicar-general. Several books written by Tindal, Luther, and other reformers, were also for- bidden. Of them Fox truly observes, " These books of W. Tindal, being compiled, published, and sent over into England, it cannot be spoken what a door of light they opened to the' eyes of the whole English nation, which before were many years shut up in darkness."' We have noticed bishop Tonstal being anxious to suppress Tindal's testament ; to forward his design, he adopted the fol- lowing singular expedient. He consulted one Packington, a mercer and merchant of London, who traded to Antwerp, how he might get all these testaments into his hands, and burn them. We may beheve that bishop Tonstal wished to prevent their dispersion, without resorting to those cruel measures, which he, differing from most of the Romish prelates, abhorred to put in practice. Packington is said to have been a secret friend of Tindal's, and knew his want cf money, and that a great many copies of this testament were stUl on hand : this appeared a fair opportunity to assist the reformer ; he therefore told the bishop, that if his lordship pleased, he would endeavour to purchase all that re- mained unsold. To this the bishop consented ; Tindal had the money, Packington many thanks, and the bishop the books, which were sent to England, and burned in Cheapside, to the great surprise and giief of the people in general. The bishop now thought that all was safe, but soon disco- vered that he was mistaken ; for the printers in Holland, finding the books were eagerly sought after, immediately printed ano- ther edition, and by the next year, they came over in greater numbers than before. His lordship, finding this to be the case, sent for Packington, and blamed him for not buying up all the testaments according to his promise. Packington assured the bishop that he had bought all that remained unsold, adding, that " he believed they had printed more since, and that he really did not see how this could be stopped, unless his lord- ship would also buy the types and presses !" The bishop, how- ever,'only smiled^ at Uiis proposal, and so the matter ended. Life. T These last editions were printed by the booksellers of Holland as a matter of profit. Sir Thomas More, then lord chancellor, was very bitter against all the reformers, and their writings, particularly against the translation of the new testament; and from the records of those times, it appears that he was very strict in examining all heretics supposed to be in any manner connected with Antwerp. Amongst others, George Constantine, who had been beyond sea, was brought before him ; and the chancellor, after many questions, told him that he would be favourable to him, if he would but truly say from whom Tindal and his com- panions had received the money on w'hich they lived. " My lord," said Constantine, " I will teU you truly ; it is the bishop of London that hath assisted us ; for he bestowed among us^a great deal of money for the new testaments which he burnt, and that has been, and still is, our only support." " Now, by my troth," said the chancellor, " I think this is the truth, for I told the bishop it would be so before he went about it !" The public burning of the word of God excited much atten- tion ; most people concluded that there must be something in that book very different from the doctrines of the clergy, who were so eager to destroy it ; and all the arguments of sir Thomas More, and others, who wrote against the translation, could not remove these suspicions, which w^ere confirmed by the perusal of the testaments. The demand for them increased, although the bishop preached at St. Paul's Cross, declaring that there were two thousand texts wrong translated, and though all who imported these testaments, or purchased them, were prosecuted with severity. Among others, one John Raimund, a Dutchman, was punished for "causing fifteen hundred to be printed at Antwerp, and bringing five hundred of them into England." John Tindal, the brother of the translator, also was punished for " sending five marks to his brother, and receiving letters from him ;" and condemned, with Thomas Patmore, another merchant of London, to do penance, by riding to the standard in Cheapside, with their faces to their horses' tails, having the testaments hung thickly round them, fastened to their gowns ; they were then compelled to cast the books into a fire kindled on purpose to consume them. It appears that several persons in London sold these 8 Tindal testaments ; the price of them wholesale, in large quantities, was about thirteen pence each ; but singly, by retail, from twenty- eight to thirty pence or even more ; reckoning the difference of the value of money, we may consider these sums as equal to ten times the amount in our days. Notwithstanding all these exer- tions of the prelates, three large editions were sold before 1530. We may here remark, that although this translation was in some respects faulty, as always must be the case with a first edition, yet the number of errors before mentioned is an absurd ex- aggeration, even including mere typographical faults, such as broken letters, and words spelt amiss ; and Dr. Geddes has ob- served, that " although it is far from a perfect translation, yet few first translations will be found preferable to it. It is asto- nishing how little obsolete the language of it is, even at this day ; and in point of perspicuity and noble simpHcity, propriety of idiom, and purity of style, no English version has yet sur- passed it." The following extract from the confession of John Tyball, of Bumsted in Essex, made before bishop Tonstal on April 28th, 1528, contains some interesting information relative to the circulation of Tindal' s testament : — " Furthermore he saith, that at Michaelmas last past was twelve months, this respondent and Thomas Hills came to London to friar Barons, then being at the Friars Augustines in London, to buy a new testament in English, as he saith. iVnd they found the said friar Barons in his chamber, where there was a merchant man readmg a book, and two or three more present. And when they came in, the friar demanded from whence they came, and they said from Bumsted; and they desired friar Barons, that they might be acquainted with him, because they had heard that he was a good man, and because they would have his counsel in the new testament, which they desired to have of him. And he saith, that the said friar Barons did perceive veiy well that Tiiomas Hills and this re- spondent were infected with opinions, because they would have tlie new testament. And then further they showed the said friar, that one sir Richard Fox, curate of Bumsted, by their means was well entered in their learning; and said that they thought to get him wholly in a short space ; wherefore they de- sired the said friar Barons to make a letter to him, that he Life. 9 would continue in that he had begun. Which friar did promise so to write to him a letter at afternoon, and to get them a new testament. And then, after that communication, they showed the friar Barons certain old books that they had, as the four evangelists and certain epistles of Peter and Paul in English * Which books the said friar did httle regard, and made a twyt of it,t and said, ' A point for them, for they are not to be re- garded toward the new printed testament in English ; for it is of more clean English.']: And then the said friar Barons de- livered to them the said new testament in English, for which they paid three shillings and two-pence, and desired them that they would keep it close, for he would be loth it should be known. And after the delivering of the said new testament to them, the said friar Barons did liken the new testament in Latin to a cymbal tinkling and a brass sounding, but what further ex- position he made upon it, he cannot tell. And then at after- noon they fetched the said letter from the said friar, which he •wrote to sir Richard, and he read it openly before them. And so they departed from him ; and never since spake with him, or wrote to him." Robert Necton confessed that he had bought of ]\Ir. Fish, dwelling by the Whitefriars in London, many of the new testa- ments in English of the great volume, at sundry times, to the number of twenty or thirty. He also bought of Geoffery Usher of St. Anthonies, eighteen new testaments of the small volume, and twenty- six other books. A Dutchman then in the Fleet prison, also would have sold him two or three hundred testa- ments, for which he was to have given ninepence each. These probably were the inferior edition, printed by the booksellers in Holland ; the larger testaments of Tindal's first edition he sold for about three shillings and fourpence each. These confes- sions and others which Strype has printed in the appendix to his Memorials, from bishop Tonstal's own register, show that these books were widely circulated ; also the extent to which the doctrines of the gospel were diffused among the lower classes, and the high price at which they purchased the word of God. These farmers and labourers willingly paid a sum of * Probably of Wickliil's translation ; in another part of his confes- sion, Tyball says, he burnt them on heariuij the curate was taken up. t Made light of it. * X Better expressed, easier to be understood. B 3 10 TindaL money for a new testament in English, which, when the differ- ence in value of money is considered, is equal to two or three pounds at the present day. Sir Thomas More published, in 1529, a Dialogue, in which he strongly advocated the doctrines of popery, and attacked the writings of the Reformers, especially the English testament ; to which Tindal replied, ably defending his translation against the imputations cast upon it.* Meanwhile Tindal proceeded with his version of the old testament, and having completed the five books of Moses, he embarked for Hamburgh, designing to print that portion without delay. On the voyage he was shipwrecked, and lost all his books and papers, but being stead- fastly resolved to proceed in his great work, he again proceeded to that city. Coverdale came to him, they resided there from * In his preface to the five books of Moses, Tindal thus notices the cavils of his adversaries against his translation : — "When 1 had translated the new. testament, I added an epistle unto the latter end, in which I desired them that were learned to amend if ought were found amiss. But our malicious and wily hypocrites, who are so stubborn, and hard hearted in their wicked abominations, that it is not possible for them to amend any thinf? at all, (as we see by daily expei'ience, when both their lyings and doings are rebuked with the truth,) say, some of them, that it is impossible to translate the scrip- ture into english ; some, that it is not lawful for the lay people to have it in their mother tongue ; some, that it would make them all heretics ; as it would no doubt from many things which they of long time have falsely taught ; and that is the wiiole cause wherefore they forbid it, though they pretend other cloaks. And some, or rather every one, say that it would make them rise against the king, whom they themselves (unto their damnation is it) never yet obeyed. And lest the temporal rulers should see their falsehood, if the scripture came to light, causes them so to lie. " And as for my translation, in which they aflirm unto the lay peo- ple, as I have heard say, to be I know not how many thousand he- resies, so that it cannot be mended or corrected, they have yet taken such great pains to examine it, and to compare it iinto what they would fain have it, and to their own imaginations and juggling terms, and to have somewhat to rail at ; and, under that cloak, to blaspheme the truth, that they might with as little labour, as I sup- pose, have translated the most part of the bible. For they which in times past were wont to look on no more scripture than they found in their Duns, or sucli like devilish doctrine, have yet now so narrowly looked on my translation, that there is not so much as one t therein, if it lack a tittle over its head, but they have noted it. and number it unto the ignorant people for a heresy. Finally, in this they are all agreed, — to drive you from the knowledge of the scrip- ture, and that you shall not have the text tliereof in the mother tongue ; and to keep the world still in darkness, to the intent tliey migiit sit in the consciences of the people, through vain superstition and f dse doctrine ; to satisfy their tilthy lusts, their jiroud ambition, and unsatiable covetousness ; and to exalt their own honour above king and emperor, yea, and above God himsell." Life. 11 Easter till December, 1529, during which time they again trans- lated the pentateuch ; and it was printed in the following year, apparently at different presses. Tindal then returned to Antwerp, where he continued his la- bours and printed 'a revised edition of his testament in 1534, During this period, the anger of the papists against him increased more and more ; his books were prohibited by the king's pro- clamation but were anxiously sought after by the people. Many persons ventured their lives by bringing them into England ; among them 'Richard Bayfield, who was burned in 1531. The Romish prelates and sir Thomas More were very particu- lar in their inquiries respecting Tindal's proceedings, manner of life, &c., and at length the plans of his adversaries were ma- tured. In 1534, they sent to Antwerp a Romanist, named Henry Philips, who, having an introduction to the merchants there, formed an acquaintance with Tindal. This popish emis- sary made himself so acceptable to his unsuspecting victim, that Tindal procured him a lodging in the house where he himself resided, and communicated his views and proceedings to his treacherous countryman. After some time, Philips proceeded to Brussels, and obtained authority from the officers of the emperor Charles V. to seize Tindal as a heretic. He then returned to Antwerp, and watching an opportunity when Poyntz, the person with whom Tindal lodged, was from home, he went to the house, and desired the hostess to provide dinner for himself and Tindal ; from whom he borrowed some money. The latter declined this proposal, as he was engaged to dine elsewhere, but asked Philips to accompany him. The invitation being accepted, at the appointed time they went forth together, and having to pass through a long narrow entry into the street. Philips, with pretended courtesy, insisted upon his companion going first. When they came to the doorway, two officers were waiting, to whom Philips pointed out their prisoner. They seized Tindal, and carried him to the emperor's procurator, who caused search to be made for his writings, and sent him to the castle of Filford, (or Vilvorde,) where he remained until they put him to death. Considerable interest was made for Tindal by the protestants in England, but without success; he was condemned as an offender against the imperial decree, passed in the Diet of 12 Tindal. Augsburfif, and after an imprisonment of a year and a half, during which interval the Romish doctors had many disputations with him, he was carried to the place of execution in 1536. Tindal was strangled, and his body afterwards burned, his last words were, *' O Lord, open the king of England's eyes." Such was the power of his doctrine, and the spirit of his life, that during the time of his imprisonment, it is said, he became the means of converting his keeper, his daughter, and others of the household. Also the rest who were in the castle reported of him, that if he were not a good christian man, they knew not whom to trust. Even the emperor's procurator left this testimony of him, that he was a learned, a good, and a godly man. The writings of Tindal are numerous ; in addition to the new testament and the pentateuch, he translated the other books of the old testament to the end of Nehemiah, which were printed as a part of the first complete English bible, pub- hshed in 1 535, by Coverdale. The psalms and the prophet Jonah were printed separately in his lifetime.* His other works, and the prologues prefixed to the books of scripture, were collected by Fox, and printed by Day in one volume, with the writings of Frith and Barnes. In addition to the pieces contained in the present w^ork, Tindal wrote an answer to sir Thomas More's Dialogue — The Practice of Prelates, which contains a very severe exposure of the corruptions of popery — ■ A Commentary upon the Epistles of St. John, which also enters fully into the errors of the church of Rome — and, A Treatise upon Signs and Sacraments. Some other small pieces have been ascribed to him. Tindal also translated some writings of the German re- formers, and published the Prayer and Complaint of the Plough- man ; also, the Examinations of lord Cobham and William Thorp. One of his principal works is, " The Obedience of a Christian Man, and how Christian Rulers ought to govern ;" part of the * As a translator of the scriptures, Tindal laboured with the most scnipulous accuracy; he says, " I call God to record against the (hiy wo shall appear before our Lord Jesus, to give a reckouino- of our doings, that 1 never altered one syllable of Cod's word against ray Col. science, nor would do this day, it" all that is in earth, whether it b(! hcnour, pleasure, or riches, niiglit be given nie." See his k^tter to Frith. The reader has already had other particulars respecting his version. Life. 13 preface and the summary with which it concludes, are jjiven in the present volume. Respecting this tract, an anecdote has been preserved too interesting to be omitted. Ann Boleyn, before she was queen, lent to Mrs. Gainsford, one of her female attendants, a tract written by Tindal, called, ** The Obedience of a Christian Man." One day as she was reading it, a young gentleman named Zouch, also in the service of lady Ann, snatched the book away in sport, and refused to restore it. He was, however, induced to peruse the tract ; and his heart was so affected by its contents, that * he was never well but when he was reading that book.' Cardinal "VVolsey had directed all the ecclesiastics about the court, to take especial care to prevent the writings of the reformers from being circulated there, lest they should come into the hands of the king ; but this very caution proved the means of bringing to pass what he most feared! Dr. Sampson, the dean of the royal chapel, saw this book one day in the young man's hand, who was reading it in the chapel ; most probably being weary of attendance upon the mass, the processions, and other mum- meries. The dean called Zouch, and took the book from him, and gave it to the cardinal. Some days after. Lady Ann asked her attendant for the book, who, ' on her knees, told all the circumstances,' doubtless being fearful lest her mistress, as well as herself, should come into trouble from this carelessness. Lady Ann instantly went to the king, and ' upon her knees' en- treated his help, that the book might be restored. Henry in- terfered, and at his command the book was given up to lady Ann, who brought it to him, requesting he would read it. The king did so, and was much pleased with the contents, saying,. " This book is for me and all lungs to read." To the preceding account of Tindal, may be added the con- cluding paragraph of his life, prefixed by Fox to the collected edition of his works. " And here to end and conclude this history with a few notes, touching his private behaviour in diet, study, and especially his charitable zeal, and tender relieving of the poor. First he was a man very frugal and spare of body, a great student and ear- nest labourer in setting forth the scriptures of God. He reserved or hallowed to himself two days in the week, which he named his days of pastime, and those days were Saturday and Monday. 14 Tindal. On the Monday he visited all such poor men and women as had fled out of England to Antwerp by reason of persecution, and those who well understood good exercises and qualities, he very liberally comforted and relieved ; and in like manner pro- vided for sick and diseased persons. On the Saturday he walked round the town of Antwerp, seeking out every comer and hole where he suspected any poor person dwelt, and where he found any well occupied and yet overburdened with children, or else aged or weak, those also he plentifully relieved. And thus he spent his two days of pastime as he called them. And truly his alms were very large and great ; and so they might well be, for his exhibition that he had yearly from the EngUsh merchants was considerable, and for the most part he bestowed it upon the poor as before is said. The rest of the days of the week he gave himself wholly to his books, wherein he laboured most diligently. "When the Sunday came, then went he to some one merchant's chamber, or other, wliither came many other merchants, and unto them would he read some part of scrip- ture, either out of the old testament or out of the new, which proceeded so fruitfully, sweetly, and gently from him, much like to the writing of St. John the evangelist, that it was a heavenly comfort and joy to the audience to hear him read the scriptures ; and likewise after dinner he spent an hour in the same manner. He was a man without any spot, or blemish of rancour, or malice, full of mercy and compassion, so that no man living was able to reprove him of any kind of sin or crime, although his righteousness and justification depended not thereupon be- fore God, but only upon the blood of Christ, and his faith upon the same ; in the which faith he died with constancy at Filford, and now resteth with the glorious company of Christ's martyrs blessedly in the Lord, who be blessed in all his saints. Amen.. " And thus much of the life and story of the true servant and martyr of God, William Tindal, who for ^ his notable pains and travail, may ^ weU be called the apostle of England in this our latter age." :he parable OF THE WICKED MAMMON. : Published in the year 1527, the 8th of May. " There teas a certain rich manwhich had a steward, that was accused unto him that he had icasted his goods ; and he called him, and said tmto him. How is it that I hear this of thee! Give account of thy steward- ship ; for thou mayest he no longer my steicard. The steward said icithin himself. What shall I do, for my master will take away from me my stew- ai'dship l I cannot dig, and to beg I am ashamed. I wot what to do, that when I am put out of my stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. Then called he all his master's debtors, and said unto the first. How much owest thou unto my master '/ And he said. An hundred tuns of oil. And he said to him. Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and tcrite fifty. Then said he to another. What owest thou J And he said, An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him. Take thy hill, and tcrite fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steicard, because he had done wisely. For the children of this icorld are in their kind wiser than the children of light. And I say also unto you, Blake you friends of the wicked mammon, that when ye shall have need, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.'" — Luke xvith chapter. Forasmuch as with this, and divers such other texts, many have enforced to draw the people from the true faith, and from putting their trust in the truth of God's pro- mises, and in the merits and deserving of his Christ our Lord ; and have also brought it to pass, — for many false prophets shall arise and deceive many, and much wicked- ness must also be, saith Christ ; (Matt, xxiv.) and Paul saith, (2 Tim. iii.) Evil men and deceivers shall prevail in evil, while they deceive, and are deceived themselves ; — and have taught them to put their trust in their own merits ; and brought them to believe that they shall be justified in the sight of God by the goodness of their own works, and have corrupted the pure word of God, to confirm their 16 Tindal, Aristotle* withal. For though the philosophers, and worldly wise men, were enemies above all enemies to the gospel of God ; and though the worldly wisdom cannot comprehend the wisdom of God, as thou mayest see 1 Cor. i. and ii ; and though w^orldly righteousness cannot be obedient unto the righteousness of God, (Rom. x.) yet whatsoever they read in Aristotle, that must be first true. And to maintain that, they rend and tear the scriptures with their distinctions, and expound them violently, con- trary to the meaning of the text, and to the circumstances that go before and after, and to a thousand clear and evi- dent texts. Wherefore I have taken in hand to expound this gospel, and certain other places of the new testament ; and, as far forth as God shall lend me grace, to bring the scripture unto the right sense, and to dig again the wells of Abraham, and to purge and cleanse them of the earth of worldly wisdom wherewith these Philistines have stopped them. Which grace, grant me, God, for the love that he hath unto his Son, Jesus our Lord, unto the glory of his name. Amen. Faith only justifieth That faith only, before all works and without all merits but Christ's only, justifies and sets us at peace with God, is proved by Paul in the first chapter to the Romans. I am not ashamed, saith he, of the gospel, that is to say, of the glad tidings and promises which God hath made, and sworn to us in Christ. For it, that is to say the gospel, is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe. And it follows in the aforesaid chapter, that the just or righ- teous must live by faith. For in the faith which we have in Christ, and in God's promises, we find mercy, life, favour, and peace. In the law we find death, damnation, and wrath; moreover, the curse and vengeance of God upon us. And it (that is to say the law) is called ])y Paul (2 Cor. iii.) the ministra- tion of death and damnation. In the law we are proved to be the enemies of God, and that we hate him. For how can we be at peace with God and love him, seeing we are conceived and born under the })ower of the devil, and are his possession and kingdom, his ca})tivcs and bondmen, and led at his will, and he holdeth our hearts, * The doctrines of the Romish scholastic diviues, which were founded upon the writings of Aristotle. The Parable of the JVlcked Mammon. 17 so that it is impossible for us to consent to the will of God, much more is it impossible for a man to fulfil tlie law of his own strength and power, seeing- that we are by birth and of nature, the heirs of eternal damnation. As saith Paul, (Eph. ii.) We are by nature the children of wrath, which the law doth utter only, and helps us not, yea, it requires impossible things of us. The law when it com- mands that thon shall not lust, gives thee not power so to do, but condemns thee, because thou canst not so do. If thou wilt therefore be at peace with God, and love him, thou must turn to the promises of God, and to the g-ospel, which is called of Paul in the place before re- hearsed to the Corinthians — the ministration of righteous- ness, and of the Spirit. For faith brings pardon, and forgiveness freely purchased by Christ's blood, -and brings also the Spirit ; the Spirit looses the bonds of the devil, and sets us at liberty. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is hberty, saith Paul in the same place to the Corinthians ; that is to say, there the heart is free, and has power to love the will of God, and there the heart mourns that it cannot love enough. Now is that consent of the heart unto the law of God eternal life, yea, though there be no power as yet in the members to fulfil it. Let every man therefore, according to Paul's counsel, in the sixth chapter to the Ephesians, arm himself with the armour of God ; that is to understand, with God's promises. And above all things, saith he, take unto you the shield of faith, •wherewith ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, that ye may be able to resist in the evil day of temptation, and especially at the hour of death. See therefore that thou have God's promises in thine heart, and that thou believe them without wavering ; and when temptation arises, and the devil brings the law and thy deeds against thee, answer him with the promises ; and turn to God, and confess thyself to him, an(l say. It is even so, or else how could he be merciful ; but remember that he is the God of mercy and of truth, and cannot but fulfil his promises. Also remember, that his Son's blood is stronger than all the sins and wickedness of the whole world, and therewith quiet thyself, and thereimto commit thyself, and bless thyself in all temptation, csjjecially at the hour of death, with that holy candle.* Or else perishest thou, though thou hast a thousand holy candles about thee, a hundred tuns of holy water, a ship full of pardons, a * Faith in Christ. 18 Tindal cloth-sack full of friar's coats,* and all the ceremonies in the world, and all the good works, deservings, and merits of all the men in the world, be they, or were they, ever so holy. God's word alone lasteth for ever, and that which he hath sworn doth abide, when all other things perish. So long as thou findest any consent in thine heart unto the law of God, that it is righteous and good, and also dis- pleasure that thou canst not fulfil it, despair not, neither doubt but that God's Spirit is in thee, and that thou art chosen for Christ's sake to the inheritance of eternal life. And again (Rom, iii.). We suppose that a man is jus- tified through faith, without the deeds of the law. And likewise (Rom. iv.) we say, That faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. Also (Rom. v.). Seeing that we are justified through faith, we are at peace with God. Also (Rom. X.), With the heart doth a man believe to be made righteous. Also (Gal. iii.). Received ye the Spirit by the deeds of the law, or by hearing of the faith ? Doth he which ministereth the Spirit unto you, and worketh miracles among you, do it of the deeds of the law, or by hearing of faith ? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness. Understand therefore, saith he, that the children of faith are the children of Abraham. For the scripture saw before that God would justify the heathen or gentiles by faith, and showed before glad tidings unto Abraham, In thy seed shall all nations be blessed. Wherefore they which are of faith are blessed, that is to say, made righteous with righ- teous Abraham. For as many as are of the deeds of the law, are under curse. For it is written, saith he. Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to fulfil them." Also (Gal. ii.), where he resisted Peter to the face, the apostle says. We which are Jews by nation, and not sin- ners of the Gentiles, know that a man is not justified by the deeds of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, and have therefore believed on Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the deeds of the law, for by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. Also, in the same })lace, he suitli. Touching that I now live, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me ; I despise not the grace of God, for • The Romzinists held that the soul was benefited by applying these and other superstitious articles to the body at the hour ol death. The F arable of the Wicked Mammon. 19 if rig^hteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. And of such Hke examjjles are all the epistles of Paul full. Mark how Paul labours with himself to express the exceeding mysteries of faith, in the epistle to the Ephesians, and in the epistle to the Colossians. Of these and many such like texts, are we sure that the forgiveness of sins and justifying-, are appropriate unto faith only, without the adding' to of works. Take also the similitude that Christ made (Matt, vii.), A good tree bringeth forth good fmit, and a bad tree bringeth forth bad fruit. There seest thou that the fruit makes not the tree good, but the tree the fruit ; and that the tree must be good, or be made good, before it can bring forth good fruit. As Christ also saith, (Matt, xii.). Either make the tree good and his fruit good also, either make the tree bad and his fruit bad also. How can ye speak well while ye yourselves are evil ? So likewise is this true, and nothing more true — that a man before all good works must first be good, and that it is impossible that works should make him good, if he were not good before he did good works. For this is Christ's principle, and, as we say, a general rule. How can ye speak well, while ye are evil ? so likewise how can ye do good, while ye are evil ? This is therefore a plain, and a sure conclusion not to be doubted of, that there must be first in the heart of a man before he do any good works, a greater and a more precious thing than all the good works in the world, to re- concile him to God, to bring the love and favour of God to him, to make him love God again, to make him righteous and good in the sight of God, to do away his sin, to de- liver him and loose him out of that captivity wherein he was conceived and born, in which he could neither love God, nor the will of God. Or else how can he work any good work that should please God, if there were not some supernatural goodness in him, given of God freely, where- of that good work must spring ? even as a sick man must first be healed or made whole, ere he can do the deeds of a whole man j and as the blind man must first have sight given him, ere he can see; and he that hath his feet in fetters, gyves, or stocks, must first be loosed, ere he can go, walk, or run ; and even as those whom thou readest of in the gospel, who were possessed of the devils, could not laud God till the devils were cast out. 20 Tijidal That precious thing" which must be in the heart, before a man can work any g-ood work, is the word of God, which in the gospel preaches, proffers, and brings unto all that repent and beheve, the favour of God in Christ. Whosoever hears the word and beheves it, the same is thereby righteous, and thereby is given him the Spirit of God, which leads him unto all that is the will of God; and he is loosed from the captivity and bondage of the devil, and his heart is free to love God, and desires to do the will of God. Therefore it is called the word of life, the word of grace, the word of health, the word of redemption, the word of forgiveness, and the word of peace ; he that hears it not, or believes it not, can by no means be made righ- teous before God. This Peter confirms in the fifteenth of the Acts, saying that God through faith purifies the hearts. For of what nature soever the word of God is, of the same nature must the hearts be which believe there- on, and cleave thereunto. Now is the word living, pure, righteous, and true, and even so it makes the hearts of them, that believe thereon. If it be said that Paul, when he saith in the third to the Romans, No flesh shall be, or can be justified by the deeds of the law, means it of the ceremonies or sacrifices, it is an untrue saying*. For it follows immediately, — By the law cometh the knowledge of sin. Now the ceremonies do not utter sin, but the law of commandments. In the fourth chap- ter he saith, The law causes wrath, which cannot be under- stood of the ceremonies, for they were given to reconcile the people to God again after they had sinned. If, as they say, the ceremonies which were given to purge sin and to reconcile, justify not, neither bless but temporally only, much more the law of commandments justifieth not. For that which proves a man to be sick, heals him not, neither does the cause of wrath bring to favour, neither can that which condemneth save a man. When the mother commands her child only to rock the cradle, and it grudges, the command- ment does but utter the poison that lay hid, and sets him to contend with his mother, and makes him believe she loves him not. Tiicse commandments also. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not lust, desire, or wish after thy neighbour's wife, servant, maid, ox, or ass, or what- soever pcrtaineth unto thy neighbour, give me not power The Parable of the Wicked Mammon. 21 so to do, but they utter the poison that is in mQ, and con- demn me because I cannot so do, and prove that God is wroth with me, seeinjr that his will and mine are so con- trary. Therefore saith Paul (Gal. iii.), If there had been given such a law that could have g'iven life, then no doubt rig-hteousness had come by the law, but the scripture con- cludeth all under sin, that the promise might be given unto them that believe through the faith that is in Jesus Christ. The promises, when they are believed, are they that jus- tify, for they bring the Spirit which looseth the heart, gives a desire to do the law, and certifies us of the good will of God towards us. If we submit ourselves unto God and desire him to heal us, he will do it, and will in the mean time, because of the consent of the heart unto the law, count us for whole, and will no more hate us, but pity us, cherish us, be tender hearted to us, and love us as he does Christ himself. Christ is our Redeemer, Saviour, peace, atonement, and satisfaction, and has made amends or satisfaction toward God for all the sin which thev that re- pent, consenting to the law and believing the promises, do, have done, or shall do. So that if through fragility we fall a thousand times, yet if we do repent again, we have always mercy laid up for us in store in Jesus Christ our Lord. The definition of true Faith. What shall we say then to those scriptures which lay so much stress upon good works ? As we read (Matt, xxv.), I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat, &c. and such like. Which all sound as though we should be justified, and ac- cepted unto the favour of God in Christ through good works. Thus I answer. Many there are, who when they hear or read of faith, at once consent thereunto, and have a certain imagination or opinion of faith, as when a man tells a story, or of a thing done in a strange land, that pertains not to them at ail ; which yet they believe, and tell again as a true thing. And this imagination or opinion they call faith. They think no further than that faith is a thing which stands in their own power to have, as do other natural works which men work ; but they feel no manner of working of the Spirit ; nor the terrible sentence of Jhe law, the fearful judgments of God, and the horrible damnation and captivity under Satan. Therefore as soon as they have this opinion, or imagination in their hearts. 22 Tindal. that says, Verily this doctrine seems true, I believe it is even so — then they think that the rii^ht faith is there. But afterwards when they feel in themselves, and also see in others, that there is no alteration, and that the works follow not, but that they are altogether even as before, and abide in their old state ; then think they that faith is not sufficient, but that it must be some greater thing than faith that should justify a man. So fall they away from faith again, and cry, saying, Faith only, justifies not a man, and makes him acceptable to God. If thou ask them, Wherefore? they answer, See how many there are that believe, and yet do no more than they did before. These are they which Jude in his epis- tle called dreamers, which deceive themselves with their own fantasies. For what else is their imagination which they call faith, than a dreaming of faith, and an opinion of their own imagination wrought without the grace of God ? These must needs be worse at the latter end than at the beo-inninc:. These are the old vessels that rend when new wine is poured into them (Matt, ix.) ; that is, they hear God's word, but hold it not, and therefore wax worse than they w^ere before. But the right faith springs not of man's fantasy, neither is it in any man's power to obtain it, but is altogether the pure gift of God poured into us freely, without any manner of doing of us, without deserving and merits, yea and without seeking for of us. And it is, as saith Paul in the second to the Ephesians, even God's gift and grace purchased through Christ. Therefore it is mighty in operation, full of virtue, and ever working, which also renews a man, and begets him afresh, alters him, changes him, and turns him altogether into a new nature and conversation, so that a man feels his heart altogether altered and changed, and far otherwise disposed than before, and has power to love that which before he could not but hate, and delights in that which before he ab- horred, and hates that which before he could not but love. And it sets the soul at liberty, and makes her free to follow the will of God : and doth to the soul even as health unto the body. After that a man is pined and wasted away with a long soaking* disease, the legs cannot bear him, he cannot lift up his hands to helj) himself, his taste is cor- rupt, sugar is bitter in his mouth, his stomach abhorreth meat, longing after slibbersauce and swash, f at which a * Exliaustins:. t Unwholesome trash. The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, 23 healthy stomach is ready to cast his c^orge. When health comes, it changes and alters him wholly, gives him strength in all his members, and desire to do of his own accord that which before he could not do, neither could suffer that any man should exhort him to do •, and he now has desire for wholesome things, and his members are free and at liberty, and have power to do of their own accord all things, which belong to a whole man to do, which before they had no power to do, but were in captivity and bond- age. So likewise in all things right faith does to the soul. The Spirit of God accompanies faith, and brings with her light, wherewith a man beholds himself in the law of God, and sees his miserable bondage and captivity, and humbles himself, and abhors himself ; she brings God's promises of all good things in Christ. God works with his word, and in his word. And as his word is preached, faith roots herself in the hearts of the elect, and as faith enters, and the word of God is believed, the power of God looses the heart from the captivity and bondage under sin, and knits and couples him to God, and to the will of God. Faith alters him, changes him wholly, fashions and forges him anew, gives him power to love, and to do that which before was impossible for him either to love or to do, and turns him unto a new nature, so that he loves that which he before hated, and hates that which he before loved ; and is wholly altered, and changed, and contrary disposed ; and is knit and coupled fast to God's will, and naturally brings forth good works, that is to say, that which God commands him to do, and not things of his own imagina- tion. And that he does of his own accord, as a tree brings forth fruit of its own accord. And as thou needest not to bid a tree to bring forth fruit, so is there no law put unto him that believes, and is justified through faith, as Paul saith in the first epistle to Timothy, the first chapter. Neither is it needful, for the law of God is written and graved in his heart, and his pleasure is therein. And as without commandment, but even of his own nature, he eats, drinks, sees, hears, talks, and goes ; even so of his own nature, without co-action or compulsion of the law, he brings forth good works. And as a healthy man, when he is athirst, tarries but for drink, and when he hungers abides but for meat, and then drinks and eats naturally ; even so is the faithful ever athirst, and an hungred after the will of God, and tarries but for occasion. And 24 Thidal whensoever an occasion is jriven, he works naturally the will of God ; for this blessing- is given to all them that trust in Christ's blood, that they thirst and hunger to do God's will. He that hath not this faith, is but an unprofit- able babbler of faith and works, and knows neither what he babbles, nor what he means, nor whereunto his words pertain. For he feels not the power of faith, nor the working of the Spirit in his heart, but interprets the scrip- tures, which speak of faith and works, after his own blind reason and foolish fantasies, and not of any feeling that he hath in his heart — as a man rehearses a tale of another man's mouth, and knows not whether it be so or not, as he says, nor has any experience of the thing' itself. Now the scripture ascribes both faith and works, not to us, but to God only, to whom only they belong, and to whom they are appropriate, whose gift they are, and the proper work of his Spirit. Is it not a froward and perverse blindness, to teach how a man can do nothing of his own self, and yet presump- tuously take upon them the greatest and highest work of God, even to make faith in themselves, of their own power, and of their own false imagination and thoughts ? There- fore, I say, we must despair of ourselves, and pray God as Christ's apostles did, to give us faith, and to increase our faith. When we have that, we need nothing more. For faith brings the Spirit with her, and he not only teacheth us all things, but works them also mightily in us, and carries us through adversity, persecution, death, and hell, unto heaven and everlasting life. The difference between false Faith and true Faith. Mark dihgently, therefore, seeing we are come to an- swer. The scripture (because of such dreams and feigned faith's sake) uses such manner of speaking of works, not that a man should thereby be made good toward God, or justified ; but to declare unto others, and to take of others the difference between false feigned faith, and right faith. For where right faith is, there she brings forth good ^Qr]^g — if there follow not good works, it is, no doubt, but a dream and an opinion of feigned faith. Wherefore look, as the fruit makes not the tree good, but declares and testifies outwardly that the tree is good, as Christ saith, Every tree is known by his fruit ; even so shall ye know the right faith by her fruit. The Parable of the IFlcked Mammon. 25 Take for an exam])le, IMary that anointed Christ's {^iti. (Luke vii.) When Simon, wlio liad Christ in liis house, condemned her, Christ defended her, and justitied her, sayino", Simon, I have a certain thinu;' to say unto thee, and he said, Master, say on. There was a certain lender which, had two debtors, the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. When they had nothing" to pay, he fort^ave both. Wiiich of them, tell me, will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose he to whom he forg'ave most. And he said to him. Thou hast truly judged. And he turned him to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, and thou gavest me no water to my feet ; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but she. since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou hast not anointed. And she hath anointed my feet with costly and precious ointment. Wherefore I say imto thee. Many sins are forg-iven her, for she loveth much. To whom less is forgiven, the same doth love less, &c. Hereby see we, that deeds and works are but outward signs of the inward grace of the bounteous and plenteous mercy of God, freely received without all merits of deeds, yea, and before all deeds. Christ teaches to know the inward faith and love, by the outward deeds. Deeds are the fruits of love, and love is the fruit of faith. Love, and also the deeds, are great or small, according to the pro- portion of faith. Where faith is mighty and strong, there love is fervent, and deeds plenteous, and done with exceed- ing meekness ; where faith is weak, there love is cold, and the deeds few, and seldom bear flowers and blossoms in winter. Simon believed, and had faith, yet but weakly, and ac- cording to the proportion of his faith loved coldly, and had deeds thereafter: he had Christ unto a simple and bare feast only, and received him not with any great humanity. But Mary had a strong faith, and therefore burning love, and notable deeds, done with exceeding profound and deep meekness. On the one side she saw lierself clearly in the law, both in what danger she was in, and her cruel bondage under sin, her horrible damnation, and also the fearful sentence and judgment of God upon sinners. On the other side she heard the gospel of Christ preached, and in the promises she saw with eagles' eyes the exceeding TINDAL. C $^§1 Tindal. abundant mercy of God that passeth all utterance of speech, which is set forth in Christ for all meek sinners that acknowledge their sins ; and she believed the word of God mightily, and glorified God for his mercy and truth. And being overcome and overwhelmed with the unspeak- able, yea, an\i incomprehensible abundant riches of the kindness of God, she inflamed and burned in love ; yea, was so swollen in love, that she could not abide, nor hold, but must break out ; and was so filled with love that she regarded nothing, but even to utter the fervent and burn- ing love of her heart only ; she had no respect to herself, though she was so great and notable a sinner ; neither to the curious hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who ever disdain weak sinners ; neither the costliness of her ointment ; but with all humbleness did run unto his feet ; washed them with the tears of her eyes, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and anointed them with her precious ointment ; yea, and would no doubt have run into the ground under his feet, to have uttered her love toward him ; yea would have descended down into hell, if it had been possible. Even as Paul, in the ninth chapter of his epistle to the Romans, was filled with love, and overwhelmed with the plenteous- ness of the infinite mercy of God, which he had received in Christ unsought for, and wished himself banished from Christ and condemned, to save the Jews, if it might have been so. For as a man feels God in himself, so is he to his neighbour. Mark another thing also. We, for the most part, be- cause of our grossness in all our knowledge, proceed from that which is last and hindmost, unto that which is first ; beginning at the latter end, disputing and making our ar- guments backward. We begin at the effect, and work and proceed unto the natural cause. As for an example : we first see the moon dark, and then search the cause, and find that the putting of the earth between the sun and the moon is the natural cause of the darkness, and that the earth hinders the light. Then dispute we backward, say- ing. The moon is darkened, therefore is the earth directly between the sun and the moon. Now the darkness of the moon is not the natural cause that the earth is between the sun and the moon, but the effect thereof, and the de- clarative cause, declaring and leading us unto the know- ledge, how that the earth is directly between the sun and the moon, and causes the darkness, stopping the light of The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, 27 the sun from the moon. And contrariwise, the earth beinfr directly between the sun and the moon is the natural cause of the darkness. Likewise a man has a son, therefore is he a father, and yet the son is not the cause of tlie father, but contrariwise. Notwithstanding-, the son is the declarative cause, whereby we know that the other is a father. After the same manner here, Many sins are forg-iven her, for she loveth much: thou mayest not understand by the word "for," that love is the natural cause of the forgiving of sins, but declares it only; and contrariwise, the forgiveness of sins is the natural cause of love. The works declare love. And love declares that there is some benefit and kindness showed, or else there would be no love. Why does one work and another not ? or one more than another ? because that one loves and the other not, or that the one loves more than the other. Why loves one and another not, or one more than another ? because that one feels the exceeding love of God in his heart and another not, or that one feels it more than another. Scrip- ture speaks after the most gross manner.* Be dilio-ent therefore that thou be not deceived with curiousness, for men of no small reputation have been deceived with their own sophistry. Hereby now seest thou, that there is great difference between being righteous and good in a man's self, and de- claring and utlering righteousness and goodness. Faith only makes a man safe, good, righteous, and the friend of God ; yea, and the son and the heir of God, and of all his goodness, and possesses us with the Spirit of God. The work declares the faith and goodness. Now the scripture uses the common manner of speaking, and the very same that is among the people. As when a father saith to his child. Go, and be loving, merciful, and good to such or such a poor man, he bids him not therewith to be made merciful, kind, and good, but to testify and declare the goodness that is in him already, with the outward deed, that it may break out to the pro tit of others, and that others may feel it who have need thereof. After the same manner shalt thou interpret the scriptures Vhich make mention of works — that God theieby wills that we show forth that goodness which we have received by faith, and let it break forth and come to the protit of others. * I he manner w liich presents itself plainest to the senses, c 2 28 Tindal. that the false faith may be known and weeded out by the roots. For God g:ives no man his