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.

¶ Of Contrition.

COntrition and repētaunce are both one and nothyng els but a sorowful & a mournyng hart. And because that God hath promised mercy vnto a con∣trite hart, that is, to a sorowfull and re∣pentyng hart, they to beguile Gods word and to stablish their wicked tra∣dition, haue fayned that new word at∣trition saying: thou canst not know whether thy sorrowe or repentaunce be contrition or attrition, except thou * 1.1 be shreuen. When thou art shreuen, thē it is true contritiō. Oh foxy Pharisay, that is thy leuen, of which Christ so di∣ligētly bad vs beware. Math. vj. And the very prophesie of Peter thorough couetousnes with fayned wordes shall they make marchaūdise of you. ij. Pet. ij. with such gloses corrupt they Gods word, to sit in the consciences of y^• peo∣ple, to lead them captiue, and to make a praye of thē: byeng and sellyng their sinnes, to satisfy their vnsatiable coue∣tousnes. Neuerthelesse the truth is, when any man hath trespassed agaynst God. If he repēt and knowledge his trespasse, God promiseth him forgeue∣nesse without eare shrift.

If he that hath offended his neigh∣bour repente and knowledge his fault askyng forgeuenes, if his neighbour forgeue him, God forgeueth him also, by his holy promise. Mat. xviij. Like∣wise if he that sinneth openly, when he is openly rebuked, repent and turne, then if the congregation forgeue hym God forgeueth him. And so forth who soeuer repenteth and when he is rebu∣ked knowledgeth his fault is forgeuē.

He also that doubteth or hath hys consciences tangled, ought to open his minde vnto some faythfull brother that is learned, and he shall geue hym faythful councell to helpe him withall.

To whom a man trespasseth, vnto him he ought to confesse. But to con∣fesse * 1.2 my selfe vnto thee O Antichrist, whom I haue not offended, am I not bounde.

They of the old law had no confes∣sion in the eare. Neither the Apostles nor they that folowed many hundred yeares after knew of any such whispe∣ryng. Wherby then was their attritiō turned vnto contrition? yea why are we whiche Christ came to loose, more bound thē the Iewes. Yea and why are we more bounde without Scripture? For Christ came not to make vs more bounde, but to loose vs and to make a

thousand thynges no sinne which be∣fore were sinne, and are now become sinne agayne. He left none other law with vs, but the law of loue. He loo∣sed vs not frō Moyses to bynde vs vn∣to Antichristes eare. God had not tyed Christ vnto Antichristes eare, neither hath poured all his mercy in thether, for it hath no recorde in the old Testa∣ment, that Antichristes eare should be Propiciatorium, that is to witte, Gods * 1.3 mercy stole, and that God should crepe into so narow a hole, so that hee could no where els be founde. Neither dyd God write his lawes neither yet hys holy promises in Antichristes eare: but hath graued them with his holy spirite in the hartes of them that beleue, that they might haue them alwayes ready at hand to be saued therby.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Attritiō is of the leues of the pha∣riseis.
• * 1.2

  Whom a man offen∣deth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 must hee confesse.
• * 1.3

  It hath no recorde in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 y^• Scrip∣ture that God shuld crepe in, & hyde him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in An∣tichristes eare.