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.

An other notable and worthy Letter of maister William Tyndall sent to the sayd Iohn Frith, vnder the name of Iacob.

¶ The grace of our Sauiour Iesus, his pa∣cience, mekenes, humblenes, circum∣spection, and wisedome be with your hart. Amen.

DEarely beloued brother Iacob, myne hartes de∣sire in our Sauiour Ie∣sus is, that you arme your selfe with paciēce, and be cold, sober, wise and circumspect, & that you keepe you alow by the ground, auoydyng hygh questions that passe the common capa∣citie. But expounde the law truly, and open the vayle of Moses to condemne all flesh, and proue all mē sinners, and all deedes vnder the law, before mercy haue taken away the condēnation ther of, to be sinne and damnable. And then as a faythfull Minister, set abroch the mercy of our Lord Iesus, and let the wounded cōsciences drinke of the wa∣ter of him. And then shall your prea∣chyng be with power, and not as the doctrine of the hypocrites: and the spi∣rite of God shall worke with you, and all cōsciences shall beare recorde vnto you, & feele y^t it is so. And all doctrine that casteth a miste on those two, to sha¦dow and hyde them, I meane the law of God and mercy of Christ, that resist you withall your power. Sacraments without significatiō refuse. If they put significations to them, receiue them, if you see it may helpe though it bee not necessarie.

Of the presence of Christes body in the Sacrament, medle as litle as you can, that there appeare no diuision a∣mōg vs. Barnes will be whote agaynst you. The Saxons be ••ore on the affirma¦tiue, whether constant or obstiuate, I omit it to God. Philippe Melancton is sayd to be with the French king. There be in Antwerpe that say, they saw him come into Paris with an c. and l. horses, and that they spake with hym. If the Frenchmen receiue the worde of God, hee will plant the affirmatiue in them. George Ioye would haue put foorth a treatise of the matter, but I haue stopt hym as yet, what he will doe if he get money, I wotte not. I beleue he wold make many reasōs litle seruyng to the purpose. My mynde is, that nothyng be put forth till we heare how you shal haue spede. I would haue the right vse preached, and the presence to be an in∣differēt thyng, till the matter might be reasoned in peace at laysure, of both parties. If you be required, shew the phrases of the Scripture, and let them talke what they will. For as to beleue y^t God is euery where, hurteth no mā that worshyp him no where but with∣in, in the hart, in spirite and verity: euē so to beleue that the body of Christ is euery where (though it can not be pro∣ued) hurteth no man that worshippeth hym no where saue in the fayth of hys Gospell. You perceiue my minde: how beit if God shew you otherwise, it is free for you to do as he moueth you.

I gessed long ago that God would send a dasing into the head of the spiri∣tualtie, to be catched thē selues in their owne subtiltie, and I trust it is come to passe. And now me thinketh I smel a counsayle to be takē, litle for their pro¦fites in time to come. But you must vn¦derstand, that it is not of a pure hart & for loue of the truth, but to aduenge thē selues, and to eate the Whores flesh, & to suck the marow of her bones. Wher¦fore cleaue fast to the rocke of the helpe of God, & commit the end of all things to hym: and if God shall call you, that you may then vse the wisedome of the worldly, as farre as you perceiue the glory of God may come therof, refuse it not: and euer among, thrust in, that the Scripture may bee in the mother toung, and learning set vp in the Ʋni∣uersities. But and if ought be required contrary to the glory of God and hys Christ, thē stand fast, and commit your selfe to God, and bee not ouercome of mens persuasions, which happely shal say: we see no other way to bryng in the truth.

Brother Iacob, beloued in my hart, there lyueth not in whom I haue so good hope and trust, and in whō myne hart reioyseth and my soule comforteth her selfe, as in you: not the thousand part so much for your learnyng, and what other giftes els you haue, as that you wil crepe alow by the ground, and walke in those thinges that the consci∣ence may feele, and not in the imagina¦tions of the brayne: in feare and not in boldnes: in open necessary things, and not to pronounce or define of hyd se∣cretes, or thynges that neither helpe or hinder whether they be so or no: in vni¦tie

and not in seditious opinions: in so much that if you be sure you know, yet in thinges that may abyde laysure, you wil deferre, or say (till other agree with you) me thinke the text requireth this sense or vnderstandyng: yea and that if you be sure that your part be good, and in other hold the contrary, yet if it be a thyng that maketh no matter, you will laugh and let it passe, and referre the thyng to other men, and sticke you stif∣ly and stubburnely in earnest and ne∣cessary thynges. And I trust ye be per∣suaded euē so of me. For I call God to recorde against y^e day we shall appeare before our Lord Iesus, to geue a reck∣nyng of our doings, that I neuer alte∣red one sillable of Gods word agaynst my cōscience, nor would this day, if all that is in the earth, whether it be plea∣sure, honour or riches, might be geuen me. Moreouer I take God to recorde to my conscience, that I desire of God to my selfe in this world no more, then that without whiche I can not keepe hys lawes.

Finally, if there were in me any gift that could helpe at hand, & ayde you if nede required: I promise you I would not be farre of, and commit the end to God: my soule is not faynt, though my body be wery. But God hath made me euill fauoured in this world, and without grace in the sight of mē, spech∣les and rude, dull & slow witted: your parte shalbe to supply that lacketh in me, remembryng, that as lowlynes of hart shall make you hygh with God, euen so mekenes of wordes shal make you sinke into the hartes of men. Na∣ture geueth age authoritie, but meke∣nes is the glory of youth, and geueth thē honour. Aboundaunce of loue ma∣keth me excede in bablyng.

Syr as concernyng Purgatory, and many other things, if you be demaun∣ded, you may say, if you erre, the spiri∣tualtie hath so le•• you, & that they haue taught you to beleue as you do. For they preached you all such thynges out of Gods word, and alledged a thousād textes, by reason of which textes you beleued as they taught you. But now you finde thē lyers, and that the textes meane no such thynges, and therfore you can beleue no longer, but are as you were before they taught you, and beleue no such thing. Howbeit you are ready to beleue, if they haue any other way to proue it. For without profe you can not beleue thē, when you haue founde them with so many lyes. &c. If you perceiue wherin we may helpe, o∣ther in being still, or doyng somewhat, let vs haue word, and I will do myne vttermost.

My Lord of London hath a seruaūt called Iohn Tisen with a red beard, and a blacke reddish head, and was once my scholler, he was seue in Antwerpe, but came not among the Englishmen: whether hee is gone an Embassadour secret, I wote not.

The mighty God of Iacob be with you to supplant his enemies, and geue you the fauour of Ioseph: and the wise∣dome, & the spirite of Stephen, be with your hart and with your mouth, and teach your lippes what they shall say, and how to aunswere to all thynges. He is our God if we despayre in our∣selues, and trust in him: and his is the glory. Amen. William Tyndall.

¶ I hope our redemption is nigh.

¶ This letter was written. an. 1533. in the moneth of January. Whiche let∣ter although it do pretende the name of Iacob, yet vnderstand (good reader) that it was written in very deede to Iohn Frith, as is aboue told thee. For more profe and euidence whereof read Frithes booke of the Sacrament, and there thou shalt finde a certeine place of this Epistle repeted word for word, beginning this: I call God to recorde, agaynst the day, we shall appeare be∣fore our Lord Iesus to geue a reke∣ning of our doings, that I neuer alte∣red one sillable of Gods word agaynst my conscience &c. Whiche Epistle Iohn Frith him selfe witnesseth that he recea∣ued from Tyndall as in hys testimonie aboue appeareth.

The end of all M. William Tindals workes, newly Imprinted, accordyng to his first copies, which he him¦selfe set forth.

Gods name be blessed for euer. Amen.

Notes

• In other Letter of M. Tyn∣dall.
• Hygh que∣stions to be auoyded.
• All deedes before they bee iustified by fayth are sinne.
• Preachyng the law of God, and mercy of Christ.
• Sacra∣mēts with¦out signifi∣cations to be refused.
• M. Tyn∣ball he••e beareth with tyme.
• By the af∣fir•…•… he •…•…neth the •…•…on which M. Luther & the ••axōs be hold of the Sacra∣ment.
• M. Tyn∣dall a•…•… beareth w^t tyme.
• Vbiquetie can not be proued.
• Eating the whores flesh, is to spoyle the Popes Churche▪ onely for y^• praye and spoyle ther of.
• Worldly wisedome so farre as it may serue to Gods glo∣rie, may be vsed.
• Low wa••∣kyng.
• The vp∣right hand¦lyng in the translation of M. Tyn¦dall.
• A low hart maketh a man hygh with God.
• Authoritie is the glory of age.
• Meekenes is the glory of youth.
• Purgatory hath no profe by Scripture.