Doctrinal Treatises and Introductions to the Holy Scriptures

were, to seethe it better, and to make it more apt for the weak stomachs; desiring them that are learned, and able, to remember their duty, and to help them thereunto, and to bestow unto the edifying of Christ's body, which is the con gregation of them that believe, those gifts which they have received of God for the same purpose.

The grace that cometh of Christ be with them that love him. Amen.

WHEN I 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, which are so stubborn and The reason hard-hearted in their wicked abominations, that it is not possible for them to amend any thing at all, (as we see by of daily experience, when both their livings and doings are re-. buked with the truth,) say, some of them, that it is impossible to translate the scripture into English; some, that it is not lawful for the lay-people to have it in their mother-tongue; A subtle shift some, that it would make them all heretics; as it would, no cier^,ptope s doubt, from many things which they of long time have falsely evil. taught; and that is the whole cause wherefore they forbid it, though they other cloaks pretend: and some, or rather every one, say that it would make them rise against the king,

add to, of their own heads, which I never spake, as the manner is to prolong the tale to short the time withal, and accused me secretly to the chancellor and other the bishop's officers. And, indeed, when I came before the chancellor, he Christ's threatened me grievously, and reviled me, and rated me as SdySa.i- though I had been a dog; and laid to my charge whereof there could be none accuser brought forth, (as their manner J>™£ and is not to bring forth the accuser,) and yet all the priests of the country were the same day there.

As I this thought, the bishop of London came to my re- partiality membrance, whom Erasmus (whose tongue maketh of little mSeof£U? gnats great elephants, and lifteth up above the stars whosoever giveth him a little exhibition,) praiseth exceedingly, among other, in his Annotations on the New Testament, for his great learning2. 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 Gilford, the king^s grace's comptroller3, 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 Lon don for me; which he also did, as he shewed me, and willed me to write an epistle to my lord, and to go to him myself; which I also did, and delivered my epistle to a servant of his own, one William Hebilthwayte, a man of mine old acquaint ance. But God (which knoweth what is within hypocrites) HOW Tyndale saw that I was beguiled, and that that counsel was not the w<

next way unto my purpose. And therefore he gat me no favour in my lord's sight.

Whereupon my lord answered me, his house was full; he mthe0 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 saw things whereof I defer to speak at this time, and Room understood at the last not only that there was no room in my my"o?d? lord of London's palace to translate the new Testament, but a^so *k&t *nere was no place to do it in all England, as experience doth now openly declare.

Under what manner, therefore, should I now submit this book to be corrected and amended of them, which can suffer nothing to be well? Or what protestation should I make in such a matter unto our prelates, those stubborn Nimrods which so mightily fight against God, and resist his Holy Spirit, enforcing with all craft and subtlety to quench the light of the everlasting testament, promises, and appointment made between God and us, and heaping the fierce wrath of God upon all princes and rulers; mocking them with false feigned names of hypocrisy, and serving their lusts at all points, and dispensing with them even of the very laws of God, of which Christ himself testifieth, Matt, v., that " not so much as one tittle thereof may perish, or be broken; " and of which the prophet saith, Psalm cxviii., " Thou hast commanded thy laws to be kept" meod}, that is, in Hebrew, exceedingly, with all diligence, might, and power; and have made them so mad with their juggling charms and crafty persuasions, that they think it a full satisfaction for all their wicked lying to tor ment such as tell them truth, and to burn the word of their souls' health, and slay whosoever believe thereon?

Notwithstanding yet I submit this book, and all other that I have either made or translated, or shall in time to come, (if it be God's will that I shall further labour in his selves to GOU. harvest,) unto all them that submit themselves unto the word of God, to be corrected of them; yea, and moreover to be disallowed and also burnt, if it seem worthy, when they have examined it with the Hebrew, so that they first put forth of their own translating another that is more correct.

Not the tongue, but the life, proveth a true gospel ler.

The truest touchstone of religion is Christ's gospel.

The scripture of God is the sword of the Spirit.

THOUGH a man had a precious jewel and a rich, yet if he wist not the value thereof, nor wherefore it served, he were neither the better nor richer of a straw. Even so, though we read the scripture, and babble of it never so much, yet if we know not the use of it, and wherefore it was given, and what is therein to be sought, it profiteth us nothing at all. It is not enough, therefore, to read and talk of it only, but we must also desire God, day and night in stantly, to open our eyes, and to make us understand and feel wherefore the scripture was given, that we may apply the medicine of the scripture, every man to his own sores; unless that we intend to be idle disputers, and brawlers about vain words, ever gnawing upon the bitter bark without, and never attaining unto the sweet pith within, and persecuting one another in defending of lewd imaginations and fantasies of our own invention.

Paul, in the third of the second epistle to Timothy, saith, " that the scripture is good to teach," (for that ought men to teach, and not dreams of their own making, as the pope doth,) "and also to improve;" for the1 scripture is the touch stone that trieth all doctrines, and by that we know the false from the true. And in the vith to the Ephesians he calleth it "the sword of the Spirit," because it killeth hypocrites, and utter eth and improveth their false inventions. And in the xvth to the Romans he saith, " All that are written are written for our learning; that we through patience and com fort of the scripture might have hope:" that is, the ensam-

pies that are in the scripture comfort us in all our tribula tions, and make us to put our trust in God, and patiently to abide his leisure. And in the xth of the first to the Corin thians he bringeth in examples of the scripture to fear us, and to bridle the flesh, that we cast not the yoke of the law of God from off our necks, and fall to lusting and doing of evil.

So now the scripture is a light, and sheweth us the true way, both what to do and what to hope for; and a defence from all error, and a comfort in adversity that we despair not, and feareth us in prosperity that we sin not. Seek therefore in the scripture as thou readest it, *first the law, what God commandeth us to do; and secondarily, the pro mises, which God promiseth us again, namely in Christ Jesus our Lord. Then seek ensamples, first of comfort, how God Tribulation purgeth all them, that submit themselves to walk in his ways, God. in the purgatory of tribulation, delivering them yet at the latter end, and never suffering any of them to perish that cleave fast to his promises. And, finally, note the ensamples which are written to fear the flesh, that we sin not: that is, what we how God suffereth the ungodly and wicked sinners that resist God, and refuse to follow him, to continue in their wicked ness; ever waxing worse and worse, until their sin be so sore increased, and so abominable, that if they should longer endure they would corrupt the very elect. But for the elect's sake God sendeth them preachers. Nevertheless they harden their hearts against the truth, and God destroy eth them utterly, and beginneth the world anew2.*

This comfort shalt thou evermore find in the plain text and literal sense. Neither is there any story so homely, so rude, yea, or so vile (as it seemeth outward), wherein is not exceeding great comfort. And when some, which seem to themselves great clerks, say, 'They wot not what more profit is in many gests of the scripture, if they be read with out an allegory, than in a tale of Robin Hood:' say thou, A goodly 'That they were written for our consolation and comfort; that agamst^de- we despair not, it such like happen unto us. We be not holier than Noe, though he were once drunk; neither bet ter beloved than Jacob, though his own son defiled his bed. We be not holier than Lot, though his daughters through ignorance deceived him; nor, peradventure, holier than those daughters. Neither are we holier than David, though he brake wedlock, and upon the same committed abominable murder. All those men have witness of the scripture that they pleased God, and were good men, both before that those things chanced them, and also after. Nevertheless such things happened them for our ensample, not that we should counterfeit their evil; but if, while we fight with ourselves, enforcing to walk in the law of God as they did, we yet fall likewise, that we despair not, but come again to the laws of God, and take better hold.'

Examples We read, since the time of Christ's death, of virgins that of their evils o u?butbt°oden "ave '•)een krougnt unto the common stews, and there defiled; sffnrandfde-m and of martyrs that have been bound, and whores have Cation, ^used their bodies. Why? The judgments of God are bottomless. Such things chanced partly for ensamples; partly, God through sin healeth sin. Pride can neither be healed, nor yet appear, but through such horrible deeds. Peradven ture they were of the pope's sect, and rejoiced fleshly; think ing that heaven came by deeds, and not by Christ, and that the outward deed justified them and made them holy, and not the inward spirit received by faith, and the consent of the heart unto the laws of God.

ou°htwto re- ^s *nou rea(^es*» therefore, think that every syllable peri™rvees0to"the taineth to thine own self, and suck out the pith of the scripthedscr!p0-f ture, and arm thyself against all assaults. First note with strong faith the power of God, in creating all of nought; then mark the grievous fall of Adam, and of us all in him, through the light regarding of the commandment of God. In the ivth chapter, God turneth him.unto Abel, and then to his offering, but not to Cain and his offering: where thou seest that though the deeds of the evil appear outwardly as

glorious as the deeds of the good, yet in the sight of God, which looketh on the heart, the deed is good because of the man, and not the man good because of his deed. In the vith, God sendeth NOG to preach to the wicked, and giveth them space to repent: they wax hard-hearted, God bringeth them to nought, and yet saveth Noe, even by the same water by which he destroyed them. Mark also what followed the pride of the building of the tower of Babel.

Consider how God sendeth forth Abraham out of his own Faith our country into a strange land, full of wicked people, and gave maUaaauiu. him but a bare promise with him, that he would bless him and defend him. Abraham believed, and that word saved and delivered him in all perils: so that we see how that man's life is not maintained by bread only, as Christ saith, but much rather by believing the promises of God. Behold how soberly, and how circumspectly, both Abraham and also Isaac behave themselves among the infidels. Abraham buycth that which might have been given him for nought, to cut off occasions. Isaac, when his wells which he had digged were taken from him, giveth room and resisteth not. Moreover, they ear1 and sow, and feed their cattle, and make confedera tions, and take perpetual truce, and do all outward things even as they do which have no faith; for God hath not made us to be idle in this world. Every man must work godly we may not and truly, to the uttermost of the power that God hath given ^*ordUrad him; and yet not trust therein, but in God's word or pro- £r°™ise of mise, and God will work with us, and bring that we do to good effect: and then, when our power will extend no fur ther, God's promises will work all alone.

How many things also resisted the promises of God to GO;I burthen-

Jacob I And yet Jacob conjureth God with his own pro- promise, mises, saying, "0 God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, 0 Lord, which saidest unto me, Return unto thine own country, and unto the place where thou wast born, and I will do thee good; I am not worthy of the least of those mercies, nor of that truth which thou hast done to thy servant: I went out but with a staff, and come home with two droves: deliver me out of the hands of my brother Esau, for I fear him greatly," &c. And God delivered him, and will likewise all that call unto his promises with a repent- [i That is, plough.]

ing heart, were they never so great sinners. Mark also the weak infirmities of the man. He loveth one wife more than another, one son more than another. And see how God purgeth him. Esau threateneth him; Laban beguileth him; the beloved wife is long barren; his daughter is ravished; his wife is defiled, and that of his own son. Rachel dieth, Joseph is taken away, yea, and, as he supposed, rent of wild beasts. And yet how glorious was his end! Note the weakness of his children, yea, and the sin of them, and how The Hoiy God through their own wickedness saved them. These en- ami whfern it samples teach us, that a man is not at once perfect the first fay fre beginneth to live well. They that be strong, there fore, must suffer with the weak, and help to keep them in unity and peace one with another, until they be stronger.

Note what the brethren said when they were attached1 in Egypt: " We have verily sinned (said they) against our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he be sought us, and would not hear him; and therefore is this coence of tribulation come upon us." By which ensample thou seest ^ow ^a^ conscience °f evil doings findeth men out at last, but namely in tribulation and adversity: there temptation, and also desperation, yea, and the very pains of hell, find us out: there the soul feeleth the fierce wrath of God, and wisheth mountains to fall on her, and to hide her (if it were possible) from the angry face of God.

Mark also, how great evils follow of how little an occa- megreat g-Qn> j)]nan goeth but forth alone to see the daughters of the country, and how great mischief and trouble followed! Jacob loved but one son more than another, and how grievous murder followed in their hearts! These are ensamples for our learning, to teach us to walk warily and circumspectly in the world of weak people, that we give no man occasions of evil.

Finally, see what God promised Joseph in his dreams. Those promises accompanied him always, and went down with him even into the deep dungeon, and brought him up again, and never forsook him, till all that was promised was fulfilled.

Ensampies These are ensamples written for our learning (as Paul saith), learning. to teach us to trust in God in the strong fire of tribula tion and purgatory of our flesh; and that they which sub- [! Pent, of 1534, tache'1 '. o. arrested.]

mit themselves to follow God, should note and mark such things: for their learning and comfort is the fruit of the scripture, and cause why it was written. And with such a purpose to read it, is the way to everlasting life, and to those joyful blessings that are promised unto all nations in the Seed of Abraham; which Seed is Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be honour and praise for ever, and unto God our Father through him. Amen.

Seek therefore in the scripture, as thou rcadcst it, chiefly and above all, the covenants made between God and us; that is to say, the law and commandments which God commandeth us to do; and then the mercy promised unto all them that submit themselves unto the law. For all the promises throughout the whole scripture do include a cove nant: that is, God bindeth himself to fulfil that mercy unto thee only if thou wilt endeavour thyself to keep his laws; so that no man hath his part in the mercy of God, save he only that loveth his law, and consenteth that it is righteous and good, and fain would do it, and ever mourneth because he now and then breaketh it through infirmity, or doth it not so perfectly as his heart would.

And let love interpret the law, that thou understand this to be the final end of the law, and the whole cause why the law was given; even to bring thce to the knowledge of God, how that he hath done all things for thee, that thou mightcst love him again with all thine heart, and thy neighbour for his sake as thyself, and as Christ loved thce: because thy neighbour is the son of God also, and created unto his like ness as thou art, and bought with as dear blood as art thou. Whosoever fecleth in his heart that every man ought to love his neighbour as Christ loved him, and consenteth thereto, and enforceth to come thereto, the same only understanclcth the law aright, and can interpret it. And he that submittcth not himself, in the degree he is in, to seek his neighbour's profit as Christ did his, can never understand the law, though it be interpreted to him; for that love is the light of the law, to understand it by.

And behold how righteous, how honest, and how due - a thing it is by nature, that every man love his neighbour unfeignedly even as himself, for his Father's sake. For it is the father's great shame and his high displeasure, if one brother hurt another. If one brother be hurt of another, he may not avenge himself, but must complain to his father, or to them that have authority of his father, to rule in his absence. Even so if any of God's children be hurt by any of his brethren, he may not avenge himself with hand or heart. God must avenge. And the governors and ministers of the law that God hath ordained to rule us by, concerning our outward conversation of one with another, they must avenge. If they will not avenge, but rather maintain wrong and be oppressors themselves, then must we tarry patiently till God come, which is ever ready to reap tyrants off the face of the earth, as soon as their sins are ripe.

Consider also what wrath, vengeance, and plagues God threateneth to them that are rebellious and disobedient.

Then go to and read the stories of the bible for thy learning and comfort, and see every thing practised before thine eyes; for according to those ensamples shall it go with thee and all men until the world's end: so that into what soever case or state a man may be brought, according to whatsoever ensample of the bible it be, his end shall be ac cording as he there seeth and readeth. As God there warneth ere he smite, and suffereth long ere he take extreme vengeance, so shall he do with us. As they that turn are there received to mercy, and they that maliciously resist perish utterly, so shall it be with us. As they that resist the counsel of God perish through their own counsel, so shall it be with us until the world's end. As it went with their kings and rulers, so shall it go with ours. As it was with their common people, so shall it be with ours. As it was with their spiritual officers, so shall it be with ours. As it was with their true prophets, so shall it be with ours until the world's end. As they had ever among them false pro phets and true, and as their false persecuted the true, and moved tlio princes to slay them, so shall it bo with us until the end of the world. As there was among them but a few true-hearted to God, so shall it bo among us; and as their idolatry was, so shall ours be, until the end of the world. All mercy that is shewed there is a promise unto thee, if thou turn to God. And all vengeance and wrath shewed there is threatened to thee, if thou be stubborn and resist. And this learning and comfort shalt thou evermore find in the plain text and literal sense, &c.