The vvhole 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, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.

The seconde erroure that Rastell layeth to my charge, is, that I wold bring the people in belefe that repentance of a man, hel∣peth not for the remission of his sinne.

IN prouing this second error against me, Rastel taketh so great paynes, * 1.1 that he is almoste besydes hym selfe. For he saith that I would make men * 1.2 beléeue that it forceth not, whether they sinne or no. Why so brother Ra∣stel? verely because I allege S. Iohn, * 1.3 S. Paule, Erechiell and Hieremie to quenche the hotte fire of purgatorie, and allege no aucthorities to proue good woorks, whervnto I answer (as I did before) that it is nothing to my purpose, for the prouyng of good wor∣kes doth neither make for purgatorie nor against it, I coulde haue alleaged all those textes if I had entended my selfe to proue that I shoulde doe good woorkes (which I neuer knewe chri∣sten man denie) but as touchyng my matter it is nothyng to the purpose, and as well he mighte haue improued me, bicause I bryng in no textes to proue that the father of heauē is god, or to proue that whych neuer manne doubted of, notwithstanding if Rastel had indifferent eyes, I spake suffici∣ently of good woorkes in the. 34. argu∣ment against hys dialoge, let all men read the place and iudge.

Rastel taketh the matter very grée∣uously that I attempt to allege howe S. Iohn & S. Paul send vs to Christ, * 1.4 and then adde that we know no other to take away sinne but only Christe, and because I adde this worde only, therfore he thinketh that I cleane de∣stroy * 1.5 repentance, whereunto I aun∣swere, that I added not thys woorde only for naught, but I did it by the au∣thoritie of S. Iohn, which saith: if we walke in the lighte, as he is in the lyght, we haue felowship with eche o∣ther, and in the bloud of Iesu Christe hys sonne, purifyeth vs frō all sinne, wherupon I say that for vs which are in the lyght, hys bloud only is suffici∣ent, but for your christen men whych continue still in sinne, and walke in

darkenesse after theyr father the De∣uill, muste some other meanes be * 1.6 founde, or else they shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen.

But bicause I will be short, let Ra∣stell note that I fynde two manner of repentance, one is without faith, and * 1.7 is suche a repentaunce as Iudas and Rastels christen men which continue still in sinne haue at the latter ende, which dothe rather purchace them an halter then the remission of sinnes.

An other repentance foloweth, iu∣stification and remissiō of sinnes, and is a florishing frute of faith, for when * 1.8 by faith we do perceiue the fauor and kindnesse that our louing father hath shewed vs in his sonne Chryst Iesu, and that he hathe reconcyled vs vnto hymselfe by the bloude of hys sonne. Thē begin we to loue him, the more we hate the body of sinne, and lamēt and be sory that our membres are so fraile, that they can not fulfil the lawe of God, and so in mourning and be∣wayling our infirmitie, it causeth vs to abstaine from bothe meat & drinke and all worldly pleasures, which is * 1.9 is the pure fasting that we talke of, but you vnderstande it not: and thys repentaunce commeth not to purge the sinnes which is cōmitted before, but only taketh an occasyon by the sinnes before committed, to knowe what poyson there remained in oure sleshe, and séeketh all meanes to make vs hate this body of sinne, and to sub∣due it wyth all manner of works that God hathe appoynted, to the entente that it should in time to come no more displease God our moste merciful fa∣ther, which of gentlenesse so often pardoneth and forgeueth vs, as I haue touched before. This is the ma∣ner of repentaunce which I finde in scripture, but this helpeth that we shoulde sinne no more, but what Ra∣stell dreameth, I wot not. But to ex∣presse to the vttermost what I meane * 1.10 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 foo∣lishly bestowed his money and labor. Not w^tstanding, all thys great sorow & repentance can not set vp his house againe whych is fallen, but only it ta∣keth an occasion by the ruine of the house, to teache the owner witte a∣gainste an other time, that when he buildeth againe, he may make a sure foundation. Euen so though thou re∣pent 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. Neuer∣thelesse it dothe teache thée witte, and learne thée to tame thy body and sub∣due 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.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rastell.
• * 1.2

  Frith.
• * 1.3

  Rastelwold faine canel, but he can∣not tell at what.
• * 1.4

  Rastell.
• * 1.5

  Frith. There is no meane to put away sinne, but only by Christe.
• * 1.6

  For suche as dwell in the lyght of Christ, hys bloud onlye to sufficiēt.
• * 1.7

  There are two maner, of repen∣tances.
• * 1.8

  True repē∣tance is a florishing frute of faith.
• * 1.9

  What pure fasting is.
• * 1.10

  Repentāce liuely decla¦red by an example.