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 Prologue vnto the booke.

FOr asmuch as our holy Prelates and our ghostly religious, which ought * 1.1 to defēd gods word, speake euil of it and do all the shame they cā to it, & rayle on it & beare their captiues in hād, that it causeth insurrectiō & teacheth the people to disobey their heades & gouer∣nours, & moueth thē to rise against their Princes, and to make all common and to * 1.2 make hauoke of other mēs goodes: ther∣fore haue I made this litle treatise that foloweth cōteinyng all obedience, that is of god. In which (who soeuer readeth it) shal easly perceaue, not the cōtrary onely & that they lye: but also the very cause of

such blasphemy, and what stirreth thē so furiously to rage and to belye the truth?

Howbeit, it is no new thyng vnto the word of God to be rayled vpon, neither is this the first tyme that hypocrites haue ascribed to Gods worde the vengeaunce * 1.3 where of they thē selues were euer cause. For the hypocrites with their false doc∣trine and Idolatry haue euermore ledde the wrath and vengeaunce of God vpon the people, so sore that God could no lē∣ger forbeare nor differre his punishmēt. Yet God, which is alwayes mercyfull, be∣fore he would take vengeaūce, hath euer sent hys true Prophetes and true Prea∣chers, to warne the people that they might repent. But the people for the most part, and namely the heades and rulers through comfort and persuadyng of the hyopcrites, haue euer waxed more hard harted then before, and haue persecuted the word of God and his Prophetes. Thē God whiche is also righteous, hath al∣wayes poured his plagues vppon them without delay. Which plagues the hypo∣crites ascribe vnto Gods word saying: see * 1.4 what mischeue is come vpō vs sence this new learnyng came vp and this new sect and this newe doctrine. This seest thou Hieremias. xliiij. Where the people cryed to goe to their old Idolatry agayne say∣ing: sence we left it, we haue bene in all necessitie and haue bene consumed with warre and hunger. But the Prophet aun∣swered them, that their Idolatry wēt vn∣to the hart of God, so that he could no lenger suffer the maliciousnes of theyr owne imaginations or inuētions, & that the cause of all such mischieues was, be∣cause they would not heare the voyce of the Lord and walke in his law, ordinaun∣ces and testimonies. The Scribes and the * 1.5 Phariseis layd also to Christes charge (Luke. xxiij.) that be moued the people to sedition. And sayd to Pylate, we haue found this felow peruertyng the people and forbiddyng to pay tribute to Caesar, and sayth that he is Christ a kyng. And a∣gayne in the same Chapter, hee moueth the people (sayd they) teachyng through∣out Iury and began at Galile euen to this place. So likewise layd they to the Apo∣stles charge, as thou mayst see in the A∣ctes. S. Cyprian also and S. Augustine and many other mo made workes in defence of the word of God against such blasphe∣mies: So that thou mayst see, how that it is no new thyng, but an old and accusto∣med thyng with the hypocrites to wyte Gods word and the true Preachers of all the mischieue which their lying doctrine is the very cause of.

Neuer the later in very dede, after the preachyng of Gods worde, because it is * 1.6 not truly receaued, God sendeth great trouble into the world: partly to auenge hym selfe of the tyrauntes and persecu∣tours of his worde: and partly to destroye those worldly people whiche make of Gods word nothyng but a cloke of their fleshly libertie. They are not all good that folow the Gospell. Christ (Math. xiij.) like neth the kyngdome of heauen vnto a net cast in the Sea that katcheth fishes both good and bad The kyngdome of heauen is the preachyng of the Gospell, vnto which come both good and bad. But the good are fewe. Christ calleth them * 1.7 therfore a litle flocke. Luke xij. For they are euer few that come to the Gospell of a true entent seekyng therin nothyng but the glorye and prayse of God, and offe∣ring thē selues frely and willingly to take aduersitie with Christe for the Gospels sake and for bearyng recorde vnto the * 1.8 truth, that al men may heare it. The grea∣test nomber come and euer came and fo∣lowed euen Christ hym selfe for a world∣ly purpose. As thou mayst well see (Iohn vj.) howe that almost fiue thousand fo∣lowed Christ and would also haue made hym a kyng, because he had well fedde them. Whom he rebuked saying: ye seke me not, because ye saw the miracles: But because ye eat of the bread and were fil∣led, and droue them away from him with hard preachyng.

Euen so now (as euer) the most parte seke libertie. They be glad when they * 1.9 heare the vnsatiable couetousnes of the spiritualitie rebuked: When they heare their falsehood and wiles vttered: When tyrāny and oppressiō is preached against: When they heare how kynges and all of∣ficers should rule christenly and brother∣ly, & seke no other thyng saue the wealth of their subiectes: and when they heare that they haue no such authoritie of God so to pylle and polle, as they doe and to raise vp taxes and gatherynges to mayn∣teine their phantasies and to make warre they wote not for what cause. And there∣fore because the heades will not so rule, will they also no longer obey, but resiste * 1.10 and rise agaynst their euill heades. And one wicked destroyeth an other. Yet is Gods word not the cause of this, neither yet the preachers. For though that Christ hym selfe taught all obedience, how that it is not lawfull to resiste wrong (but for the officer that is appointed thereunto) and howe a man must loue his very ene∣my, & pray for them that persecute him and blesse them that curse hym, and how

that all vengeaunce must bee remitted to God, and that a man must forgeue, if hee wil be forgeuen of God. Yet the people for the most part receaued it not. They were euer ready to rise, and to fight. For euer when the Scribes and Phariseis wēt about to take Christ, they were afraide of the people. Not on the holy day (sayde they Math. xxvj.) lest any rumour aryse a∣mong the people. And Math. xxi. They would haue takē him, but they feared the people. And Luke. xx. Christe asked the Phariseis a question vnto whiche they durst not aūswere, lest the people should haue stoned them.

Last of all for as much as the very Di∣sciples * 1.11 and Apostles of Christ, after so lōg hearyng of Christes doctrine, were yet ready to fight for Christe cleane agaynst Christes teachyng. As Peter (Math. xxvi.) drew his sword but he was rebuked. And Luke. ix. Iames and Iohn would haue had fire to come from heauen, to cōsume the Samaritanes, and to auenge the iniury of Christe: but were likewise rebuked, if Christes Disciples were so long carnall what wonder is it, if we be not all perfect the first daye? Yea in as much as we bee * 1.12 taught euen of very babes, to kil a Turke, to slea a Iewe, to burne an hereticke, to fight for the liberties and right of the Church as they cal it: yea, and in asmuch as wee are brought in belefe, if wee shed the bloud of our euen Christen, or if the sonne shed the bloud of hys father that begat hym, for the defence, not of the Popes Godhead onely, but also for what so euer cause it bee, yea though it be for no cause, but that his holynes commaun∣deth it onely, that we deserue as much as Christ deserued for vs, when he dyed on the crosse: or if we be slaine in the quarel, that our soules goe, nay flye to heauen, and be there ere our bloud be cold. In as much (I saye) as we haue sucked in suche bloudy imaginatiōs into the bottome of our harts, euen with our mothers milke, and haue ben so long hardened therein, what wonder were it, if while we be yet young in Christ, we thought that it were lawful to fight, for the true word of god? Yea and though a man were throughly persuaded that it were not lawful to resist his kyng, thoughe he would wrongfully take away lyfe and goodes: Yet might he thinke that it were lawful to resist the hi∣pocrites and to rise, not agaynst his kyng: but with his kyng to deliuer his kyng out of bondage and captiuitie, wherin the hi∣pocrites hold hym with wyles and false∣hode, so that no man may bee suffered to come at him, to tell him the trouth.

This seest thou, that it is the bloudy doctrine of the Pope, which causeth dis∣obedience, * 1.13 rebellion and insurrectiō. For hee teacheth to sight, and to defende hys traditions, and what soeuer he dreameth with fire, water and sworde, and to diso∣bey Father, Mother, Master, Lorde, Kyng and Emperour: Yea, and to inuade what * 1.14 so euer lād or natiō that will not receaue and admit his Godhead. Where the pea∣ceable doctrine of Christe teacheth to o∣bey, and to suffer for the word of God, & to remit the vengeaunce and the defense of the word to god, which is mighty and able to defende it, which also as soone as * 1.15 the worde is once openly preached, and testified or witnessed vnto the world, and when he hath geuen them a season to re∣pent, is ready at once to take vengeaunce of his enemies, and shoteth arrowes with heades dipte in deadly poyson at them, and poureth hys plagues from heauen downe vpon them, and sendeth the mo∣ren and pestilence among them, and sin∣keth the Cities of them, and maketh the earth swalow them, and cōpasseth them in their wyles, and taketh them in theyr owne trappes and snares, and casteth thē into the pittes whiche they digged for o∣ther men, and sendeth them a dasyng in in the head, and vtterly destroyeth them with their owne suttle councell. Prepare * 1.16 thy mynde therefore vnto this litle trea∣tise and read it discretly, and iudge it in∣differently, and when I alledge any Scrip∣ture, loke thou on the text, whether I in∣terprete it right: whiche thou shalt easely perceaue, by the circumstance and pro∣cesse of thē, if thou make Christ the foun∣dation and ground, and build all on him, and referrest all to hym, and findest also that the expositiō agreeth vnto the com∣mon Articles of the faith, and opē scrip∣tures. And GOD the father of mercy, whiche for hys truthes sake raysed our Sauiour Christ vp agayne to iu∣stifie vs, geue thee hys spirite to iudge what is righteous, in his eyes, and geue the strength to abyde by it, and to mayntayne it withall patience, and long suffe∣ryng, vnto the example and edifying of his congrega∣tion, and glory of his name.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prelates not profes∣sors but p•…•…∣phaners of Gods word.
• * 1.2

  The obediē∣ce of mō•…•… not 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 t••ey 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no•• of〈…〉〈…〉but〈…〉〈…〉〈◊〉〈◊〉 say∣uyng.
• * 1.3

  The hyppo∣crites lay that to Gods worde which they themselues o••e cause of. God war∣neth ere he strike.
• * 1.4

  Whē God punisheth ••oo•…•…ry of the hipo∣crites: then say they: that new learning is the cause thereof.
• * 1.5

  Christ was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of •…•…∣tion.
• * 1.6

  Why trou∣ble folow∣eth the preaching of the Gos∣pell.
• * 1.7

  Christes flocke, a lit∣tle flocke.
• * 1.8

  As our Prelates do not take their voca∣tion to seke Gods glory and honour, but to liue easi∣lie, & pro∣mote them∣selues to dignitie.
• * 1.9

  Libertie.
• * 1.10

  God de∣stroyeth one wicked with an o∣ther. Gods word is not the cause of e∣uill.
• * 1.11

  Christes Disciples were long weake, and worldly mynded.
• * 1.12

  What the Popes do∣ctrine cau∣seth: he cō∣maundeth murther.
• * 1.13

  The popes doctrine is bloudy.
• * 1.14

  Christes doctrine to peaceable.
• * 1.15

  God auen∣geth hys doctrine him selfe.
• * 1.16

  How a mā ought to behaue him selfe in rea∣dyng of do∣ctours, and also in the Scripture.