AN EXPOSITION OF THE SEVENTH CHAPTER. Judge not, that ye be not judged. For as ye judge, so shall ye be judged; and with what measure ye mete, with the same shall it be measured to you again. Why lookest thou on the mote that is in thy brothers eye, and markest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Let me pluck out the mote out of thine eye, and, behold, there is a beam in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, pluck first the beam out of thine own eye; and then thou shalt see clearly to pluck the mote out of thy brother’s eye.; Tuis is not meant of the temporal judgments; for Christ forbade not that, but oft did stablish it; as do Peter and Paul in their epistles also. Nor here is it not forbidden to judge those deeds which are manifest against the law of God; for those ought every Christian man to persecute, yet must they do it after the order that Christ hath set. But when he saith, “Hypocrite, cast out first the beam that is in thine own eye,” it is easy to understand of what manner of judging he meaneth.
The hypocrites will have fastings, prayings, kneeling, crouching, ducking, and a thousand ceremonies of their own invention; and whosoever do not as they do, him they count a damned soul by and by. To Christ they say, “Why fast not thy disciples, as the Pharisees do? Why pluck they the ears of corn, and rub them in their hands, (though they did it compelled with pure hunger,) and do that is not lawful on the sabbath-day? Why break ye the traditions of our elders, and wash not when ye sit down to meat? Yea, and why dost thou thyself heal the people upon the holy day? Why didst thou not only heal him that was
bedrid thirty-eight years, but also badest him bear his bed Al away upon the sabbath-day? Be there not working days 400. sufficient to do good deeds to the praise of God, and profit Eso of thy neighbour, but that thou must break thy sabbath-day? bognsou. He cannot be but a damned person, that breaketh the holy day, and despiseth the ordinance of the holy church.
He eateth butter on Fridays, without a dispensation of our holy father the pope; yea, and cake-bread, made with milk and eggs too, and white meat in the Lent; he taketh no holy water when he cometh to the church; he heareth mo mass from Sunday to Sunday. And either he hath no beads at all, or else you shall not hear a stone clink! in the hand of him, nor yet his lips wag all the mass and matins while &c. “Ὁ hypocrite! Cast out first the beam that is in thine own eye, and then thou shalt see” better. Thou understandest all God’s laws falsely, and therefore thou keepest none of them truly: his laws require mercy, and not sacrifice. Moreover, thou hast a false intent in all the works that thou doest, and therefore are they all damnable in the sight of God. “Hypocrite! cast out the beam that is in thine own eye;” learn to understand the law of God truly, and to do thy works aright, and for the intent that God ordained them: and then thou shalt see whether thy brother have a mote in his eye or not; and if he have, how to pluck it out, and else not.
For he that knoweth the intent of the law and of works, though he observe a thousand ceremonies for his own exercise, he shall never condemn his brother, or break unity with him, in those things which Christ never commanded, but left indifferent. Or if he see a mote in his brother’s eye, that he observeth not with his brethren some certain ordinance made for a good purpose, because he knoweth not the intent; he will pluck it out fair and softly, and instruct bim lovingly, and make him well content. Which thing if our spiritualty would do, men would not so abhor to obey tyranny: but they be hypocrites, and do and command all their works for a false purpose; and therefore judge, slay,. and shed their brethren’s blood mercilessly. God is the father
[[ Alluding to the custom of measuring the number of aves or]
[paternosters uttered, by dropping at the close of each one stone of]
[. the string of beads.]]
[ἐᾷ 8 [TYNDALE, r1.]]
of all mercy, and therefore gave not hypocrites such absolute power to compel their brethren to obey what they list, or to — slay them without pity, shewing either no cause of their commandments at all, but So will we have it!” or else assigning an intent damnable and contrary to all scripture. Paul (Rom. xiv.) saith to them that observed ceremonies, that they should not judge them that did not; for he that observeth, and knoweth not the intent, judgeth at once: and to them that observed not, that they should not despise them that observed; he that observeth not ought not to despise the weakness or ignorance of his brother, till he perceive that he is obstinate and will not learn.
Moreover, such measure as thou givest, thou shalt receive again: that is, if thou judge thy neighbour, God shall judge thee; for if thou judge thy neighbour in such things, thou knowest not the law of God, nor the intent of works, and art therefore condemned of God, &ec. Give not that holy thing unto dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest they tread them under their feet, and the other turn again and all-to! tear you.
The dogs are those obstinate and indurate, which for the blind zeal of their leaven, wherewith they have soured both the doctrine and also the works, maliciously resist the truth, and persecute the ministers thereof; and are those wolves among which Christ sendeth his sheep, warning them not only to be single and pure in their doctrine, but also wise and circumspect, and to beware of men: for they should bring them before judges and kings, and slay them, thinking to do God service therein; that is, as Paul (to the Romans) testifieth of the Jews, for blind zeal to their own false and feigned righteousness, persecute the righteousness of God.
The swine are they, which, for all they have received the pure gospel of Christ, will yet continue still in sin, and roll themselves in the puddie and mire of their old filthy conversation, and both before the ignorant, and also the weak, use the uttermost of their liberty; interpreting it after the largest fashion and most favour of the flesh, as it were the pope’s pardon; and therewith make that truth evil spoken οὗ,
[[! An old idiom, which also occurs in Judges ix. 53, Author. Vers.,]
[as equivalent to entirely or utterly. ]]
that thousands, which else might have been easily won, will now not once hear thereof; and stir up eruel persecution, which else would be much easier, yea, and sometimes none at al. And yet wil those swine, when it cometh to the point, abide no persecution at all; but offer themselves willing,. even at the first chop, for to deny all, ere they be scarcely apposed of their doctrine. “Therefore, lay first the law of God before them, and call them to repentance: and if thou see no hope of mending in them, cease there, and go no farther; for they be swine.
But, alas! it ever was, and shall be, that the greater number receive the words for a newness and curiosity (as they say); and to seem to be somewhat, and that they have not gone to school in vain, they will forthwith, ere they have felt any change of living in themselves, be schoolmasters, and begin at liberty, and practise openly before their disciples. And when the Pharisees see their traditions broken, they rage and persecute immediately. And then our new schoolmasters be neither grounded in the doctrine, to defend their doings; nor rooted in the profession of a new life, to suffer with Christ, &cAsk, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For all that ask receive; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. For what man is there among you, if his son ask him bread, that would proffer him a stone? Or if he asked him fish, would he offer him a serpent? If ye then, which are evil, know to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him!
First, note of these words, that to pray is God’s commandment, as it is to believe in God, to love God, or to love thy neighbour; and so are alms and fasting also. Neither is it possible to believe in God, to love him, or to love thy neighbour, but that prayer will spring out there-hence immediately. For to believe in God is to be sure that all thou hast is of him, and all thou needest must come of him: which if thou do, thou canst not but continually thank him for his benefits, which thou continually, without ceasing, receivest of his hand; and thereto ever cry for help, for thou art ever in “need, and canst no whence else be holpen. And thy neighbour is in such necessity also: wherefore, if thou love him, it
will compel thee to pity him, and to cry to God for him continually, and to thank as well for him as thyself.
Secondarily, this heaping of so many words together, “ask, seek, and knock,” signify that the prayer must be continual; and so doth the parable of the widow, that sued to the wicked judge: and the cause is, that we are ever in continual necessity, as I said; and all our life [is] but even a warfare and a perpetual battle; in which we prevail as only, long as we pray, and be overcome as soon as we cease praying: as Israel overcame the Amalekites, as long as Moses held up his hands in prayer; and as soon as he had let down his hands for weariness, the Amalekites prevailed and had the better. Christ warned his disciples at his last supper, to have peace in him; affirming that they should have none in the world. The false prophets shall ever impugn the faith in Christ’s blood, and enforce to quench the true understanding of the law, and the right meaning and intent of all the works commanded by God; which fight is a fight above all fights. First, they shall be in such number, that Christ’s true disciples shall be but a small flock in respect of them. They shall have works like Christ’s; so that fasting, prayer, poverty, obedience, and chastity, shall be the names of their profession. For, as Paul saith to the Corinthians, the angels or messengers of Satan shall change themselves into angels Or messengers of light and truth. They shall come in Christ’s name, and that with signs and miracles; and have the upper hand also, even to-deceive the very elect, if it were possible. Yea, and beyond all this, if thou get the victory of the false prophets, and pluck a multitude out of their hands, there shall immediately rise of the same, and set up a new false sect against thee. And against all these Amalekites the only remedy is to lift up the hands of thy heart to God in continual prayer: which hands if thou for weariness once let fall, thou goest to the worst immediately. Then, beside the fight and confliet of the subtle sophistry, false miracles, disguised and hypocritish works of these false prophets, cometh the dogs and wolves of their disciples, with the servants of mammon, and the swine of thine own scholars: against which all thou hast no other shield or defence but prayer. Then the sins and lusts of thine own flesh, Satan, and a thousand temptations unto evil in the world, will either drive thee to
the castle and refuge of prayer, or take thee prisoner undoubtedly.
Last of all, thy neighbour’s necessity and thine own will 4 compel thee to cry, Father, which art in heaven, give us eur daily bread;” though thou wert as rich as king Salomon, For Christ commandeth the rich, as well as the poor, to cry to God continually for their daily bread; and if they have no such need, then is Christ a deceiver and a mocker. What need I to pray thee to give, or lend me, that is in mine own possession already? [5 not the first commandment, that there is but one God, and that thou put thy whole trust in him? Which if it were written in thine heart, thou shouldest easily perceive, and though thou hadst as many thousands as David left behind him, and Salomon heaped more to them, that thou hadst no more than the poor beggar that goeth from door to door; yea, and that the beggar (if that commandment be written in his heart) is sure that he is as rich as thou.
For first, thou must knowledge that thou hast received that great treasure of the hand of God. Wherefore, when thou fetchest an halfpenny thereof, thou oughtest to give God thanks in thine heart for the gift thereof.
Thou must confess, also, that God only hath kept it and thee that same night, and ever before; or else be an idolater, and put thy trust in some other thing than God. And thou must confess, that God only must keep it and thee, the day and night following, and so continually after; and not thine own wit or power, or the wit or power of any other creature B or creatures. For if God kept it not for thee, it would be thine own destruction, and they that help thee to keep it would cut thy throat for it. There is no king in christendom so well beloved, but he hath enow of his own evil subjects (if God kept them not down with fear) that would at one hour rise upon him and slay him, to make havoc of all he hath. Who is so well beloved throughout all England, but that there be enow in the same parish, or nigh about, that would, for his good, wish him to hell if they could, and would with their hands destroy him, if God kept him not, and did! cast fear on the other? à Now, then, if God must ever keep it for thee, and thou
That is, did not keep him and cast fear
must daily receive it of his hand (as a poor man doth receive his alms of another man), thou art in no more surety of thy daily bread, no, though thou were a cardinal, than the poorest is. Wherefore, howsoever rich thou be, yet must thou ever ery to God for thy daily bread. So now it is a commandment to pray, and that continually; short, thick, and oft, as the psalms be, and all the prayers of the bible.
Finally, the third is, that we be commanded to pray with faith and trust; and that we believe in the Lord our God, and doubt not in his promises, unto which Christ induceth us with an apt similitude, saying, “If ye being evil can give good things unto your children, how much more shall God fulfil his promises of mercy unto his children, if they ery unto him!” He is better and more merciful than all men. Wherefore, seeing God commandeth thee to pray, and forasmuch as thou hast so great necessity so to do, and because he is merciful, and hath promised and is true, and cannot deny his own words; therefore pray; and when thou prayest, look not on thine unworthiness, but on his commandment, mercy, and goodness, and on his truth and faithfulness, and believe stedfastly in him. Moreover, whatsoever thou hast done, yet if thou repent and will amend, he promiseth God that he will not think on thy sins. And though he defer ye thee, think it not long, nor faint not in thy faith, or be slack ἴῃ thy prayer: for he will surely come and give thee more than thou desirest, though he defer for thy profit, or change thy request into a better thing. All things, therefore, whatsoever ye would men should do to you, so do ye to them. This is, verily, the law and the prophets.
This is à short sermon, that no man need complain that. he cannot, for the length, bear it away. It is so nigh thee, that thou needest not to send over sea for it. It is with thee, that thou needest not to be importune upon master doctor, saying, Sir, I pray you, what say ye to this case and to that; and is not this lawful, and may I not so do, and so, well enough?’ Ask thine own conscience, what thou mayest or oughtest to do. Wouldest thou men did so with thee? then do it, Wouldest thou not be so dealt with? then do it
mot. Thou wouldest not that men should do thee wrong and oppress thee: thou wouldest not that men should do thee shame and rebuke, lie on! thee, kill thee, hire thine house from thee, or tice thy servant away, or take against thy will aught that is thine. Thou wouldest not that men should sell thee false ware, when thou puttest them in trust to make it ready, or lay it out for thee; nor thou wouldest not that men should deceive thee with great oaths, swearing that to be good which indeed is very naught: thou wouldest not, also, that men should sell thee ware that is naught and too dear, to undo thee. Do no such things, then, to thy neighbour. But as loth as thou wouldest be to buy false ware, or too deàr, for undoing thyself, so loth be thou to sell false ware, or too dear, for undoing thy neighbour. And in all thy needs how glad thou wouldest be to be holpen, so glad be to help thy neighbour. And so, in all cases, examine thy conscience, and ask her what is to be done, in all doubts between thy neighbour and thee; and she will teach thee, except thou be more filthy than a swine, and altogether beastly.
He saith here, This is the law and the prophets.” And he saith, “Thou shalt love thy Lord God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind:” and, as Mark addeth, with all thy might, and thy neighbour as thyself. In these two commandments hangeth the whole law and the prophets.” And Paul (Rom. xiii. and Gal. v.) saith, that “love is the fulfilling of the law.” And it is written, that Christ is” the fulfilling or end of the law.” To make all these agree, this thou must understand; that to love God purely is the final and uttermost end of all the law and the prophets. To love thy neighbour is the end of all laws that is between man and man; as are, kill not, steal not, bear no false witness, commit none adultery, covet not thy neighbour’s wife, his house, ox, ass, maid, man-servant, nor aught that is his, &e. Christ is the fulfilling of the law for us, where we be imperfect; and when we break and repent, his fulfilling is imputed unto us. And this text, “This is the law and the prophets,” mayest thou understand as when Paul saith, Love is the fulfilling of the law:” that is, to
[1 On is used for of or against.]
do as thou wouldest be done to, is all the law that is between thee and thy neighbour; and that according to the tru understanding and interpreting of all true prophets. Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many they be that go in thereat. But strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few they be that find it.
The strait gate is the true knowledge and understanding of the law, and of the true intent of works: which whosoever understandeth, the same shall be driven to Christ, to fetch of his fulness, and to take him for his righteousness and fulfilhng of the law, altogether at the beginning, and as oft as we fall afterward, and for more than the thousandth part of our fulfilling of the law and righteousness of our best works all our life long. For except the righteousness of Christ be knit to the best deed we do, it will be too short to reach to heaven.
And the narrow way is to live after this’ knowledge. He that will enter in at this gate must be made anew: his head will else be too great; he must be untaught all that he hath learned, to be made less for to enter in; and disused in all things to which he hath been accustomed, to be made less, to walk through that narrow way; where he shall find such an heap of temptations, and so continual, that it shall be impossible to endure or to stand, but by prayer of strong faith. the And note another; that few find the way. Why? For their own wisdom, their own power, and the reasons of their own sophistry, blind them utterly: that is to say, the light of their own doctrine which is in them, is so extreme darkness that they cannot see. Should God let his church err,’ say they? Should our elders have gone out of the way? Should God have let the devil do these miracles; and so forth? And when Christ saith, Few shall find the gate;” Yea say they, in respect of the Turks and Saracens, which are the greater multitude. Yea, but yet hear a little: the scribes and Pharisees, which had all the authority over the people, and taught out of the scripture, and the Sadducees, with all other false prophets that were when Christ
came, were no Turks nor Saracens; neither had God any other church than was among them. And St Peter prophesieth that it shall be so among us; and that we shall be drawn with false sects, of covetousness to deny Christ; as we now do, and believe no more in him. And Paul and Christ confirm the same; that the elect should be deceived, if it were possible. Moreover, if it were enough to say, I will believe and do as mine elders have done, as though they could not err; then was Christ to blame for to say, that except thou forsake father, mother, and thine elders, thou couldest not be his disciple. Christ must be thy master, and thou must be taught of God; and therefore oughtest thou to examine the doctrine of thine elders by the word of God. For the great multitude, that Christ meaneth, are the false prophets and them that follow them: as it shall better appear hereafter, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing; but are within ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, either figs of briers? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, nor a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is to be hewn down and to be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.:
Here Christ warneth thee, and deseribeth unto thee those captains that should so blind the great multitude that they should not find the strait gate, and lead them the broad way to perdition. Note first, that though they be false, yet he calleth them prophets; which word in the new testament is taken for an expounder and an interpreter of scripture. - And he saith, “They shall come to you,” my disciples. Then they must be our preachers and our doctors. Yea, verily, they must be those our false preachers, which Peter prophesied should be among us, and bring in damnable sects, for to fulfil and satisfy their covetousness, and follow the way and steps of their father Balaam. And they shall come thereto in sheep’s clothings: ergo, they be neither the Turks nor yet Saracens. For they come clothed in iron and steel; and will thereto suffer us to keep our faith, if we will submit ourselves to them, as the Greeks do. And as for the Jews,
they be an hundred times fewer than we, and are everywhere in bondage, yea, and for the great part captives unto us. They also be not clothed in sheep’s skins; but maintain openly their faith, clean contrary to ours. loth But what are these sheep’s clothings? Truly the very name of Christ. For saith Christ, “There shall come many jn my name, and deceive many.” And besides that, they shall do miracles in Christ’s name; as it followeth in the text, that they shall call Christ, Master, Master, and begin their sermon, saying: ‘ Our master Christ saith in such a chapter, Whatsoever ye bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven; see, friends, these be not our words, but our master Christ’s And they shall do miracles in Christ’s name thereto, to confirm the false doctrine which they preach in his name. O fearful and terrible judgment of Almighty God, and sentence of extreme rigorousness upon all that love not the truth, when it is preached them, that God, to avenge himself of their unkindness, shall send them so strong delusions, that doctrine should be preached unto them in the name of Christ, and made seem to follow out of his words, and be confirmed with miracles done in calling upon the name of Christ, to harden their hearts in the faith of lies, according to the prophecy of Paul to the Thessalonians,. in the second epistle! Ly Another of their sheep’s coats is, that they shall in every sermon preach mightily against the scribes and Pharisees, against Faustus and Pelagius, with such like heretics; which yet never preached other doctrine than they themselves do. And more of their clothing is, they shall preach that Christ preached alms, prayer, and fasting; and profess obedience, poverty, and chastity; works that our Saviour Christ both preached and did. Finally, they be holy church, and camnot err. ~~ But they be within ravening wolves. They preach to other, Steal not;” yet they themselves rob God of his honour, and take from him the praise and profit of all their doetrine and of all their works. They rob the law of God of her mighty power, wherewith she driveth all men to Christ; and make her so weak, that the feeble free-will of man is not able to wrestle with her, without calling to Christ for help.
They have robbed Christ of all his merits, and clothed
themselves therewith. They have robbed the soul of man of the bread of her life, the faith and trust in Christ’s blood; and fed her with the shales’ and cods of the hope in their merits and confidence in their good works.
They have robbed the works commanded by God of the intent and purpose that they were ordained for. And with their obedience they have drawn themselves from under the obedience of all princes and temporal laws. With their poverty they have robbed all nations and kingdoms; and so with their wilful poverty have enriched themselves, and have made the commons poor. With their chastity they have filled all the world full of whores and sodomites, thinking to please God more highly with keeping of a whore than an honest chaste wife. If they say it is not truth, then all the world knoweth they lie; for if a priest marry an honest wife, they punish him immediately, and say he is an heinous heretic, as though matrimony were abominable: but if he keep a whore, then is he a good chaste child of their holy father the pope, whose ensample they follow; and I warrant him sing mass on the next day after, as well as he did before, without either persecution or excommunication: such are the laws of their unchaste (I would say their own chaste) father.
If thou profess obedience, why runnest thou from father, mother, master, and ruler, which God biddeth thee to obey, to be a friar? If thou obey, why obeyest thou not the king and his law, by whom God defendeth thee both in life and goods, and all thy great possessions? If thou profess poverty, what doest thou with the lands of gentlemen, squires, knights, barons, earls, and dukes? What, should a lord’s brother be a beggar’s servant? Or what, should a beggar ride with three or four score horses waiting on him? [5 it meet that a man of noble birth, and the right heir of the lands which thou possessest, should be thine horsekeeper, thou being a beggar?
If ye profess chastity, why desire ye above all other men the company of women? What do ye with whores openly in many countries, and with secret dispensations to keep - [1 It appears from a sentence which presently follows, where he uses the expression shales without kernels, that this word is equivalent to shells.]
cubines? Why corrupt ye so much other men’s wives? And why be there so many sodomites among you?
Your charity is merciless to the rest of the world, to whom ye may give nought again; and only liberal to yourselves (as is the charity of thieves) thirty or forty of you together in one den: among which yet are not many that love three of his neighbours heartily.
Your fasting maketh you as full and as fat as your hides can hold; beside that ye have a dispensation of your holy father for your fasting.
Your prayer is but pattering without all affection; your singing is but roaring to stretch out your maws (as do your other gestures and rising at midnight), to make the meat sink to the bottom of the stomach, that he may have perfect digestion, and be ready to devour afresh against the next refection. — bear “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” First, thorns bear WT do grapes, nor briers figs. Also, if thou see goodly blossoms in them, and thinkest there to have figs, grapes, or any fruit for the sustenance or comfort of man, go to them in time of shall need, and thou shalt find nought at all Thou shalt find, Forsooth I have no goods, nor any thing proper, or that is mine own. Itisthe convent’s. I were a thief if I gave it my father, whatsoever need he had. Itis St Edmund’s patrimony, St Alban’s patrimony, St Edward’s patrimony, the goods of holy church; it may not be minished, nor occupied upon lay and profane uses” The king of the realm, for all that he defendeth them above all other, yet getteth he nought, what need soever he have, save then only when he must spend on their causes all that they give, with all that he can get beside of his poor commons. If the king will attempt to take aught from them, by the authority of his office, for the defence of the realm; or if any man will entreat them otherwise than they lust themselves, by what law or right it be, they turn to thorns and briers, and wax at once rougher than a hedgehog; and will sprinkle them with the holy water of their maledictions as thick as hail, and breathe out the lightning of excommunication upon them, and so consume them to powder.
Moreover “a corrupt tree can bear no good fruit:” that is, where they have fruit that seemeth to be good, go to and prove
it, and thou shalt find it rotten, or the kernel eaten out, and that it is but as a hollow nut. For faith in Christ (that we and all our works, done within the compass of the law of God, be accepted to God for his sake) is the kernel, the sweetness, and the pleasant beauty of all our works in the sight of God; as it is written, “This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom he hath sent.” This faith is a work which God not only worketh in us, but also hath therein pleasure and delectation, and in all other for that faith’s sake.
Faith is the life of man, as it is written, Justus ex fide vivit!; out of which life the pleasantness of all his works spring. As for an ensample, thou art a shoe-maker; which is a work within the laws of God; and sayest in thine heart, Lo, God, here I make a shoe as truly as I would for myself, to do my neighbour service, and to get my living in truth with the labour of mine hands, as thou commandest; and thank thee that thou hast given me this craft, and makest it lucky, that I get my living therewith; and am surely persuaded that both I and my work please thee, O Father, for thy Son Jesus’ sake. Lo, now this faith hath made this simple work pleasant in the sight of God.
Another ensample: thou takest a wife, and sayest, ‘O Father, thou not only permittest this, but also commandest all that burn, and have their minds unquieted, to marry for fear of fornication, and so forth. And, Father, I promise thee to love this woman truly; and to care for her, and govern her after thy laws; and to be true to her, and to stand by her in all adversities; and to take in worth as well the evil as the good, and to bring up the fruit, that thou shalt give me of her, in thy fear, and teach it to know thee.’?
The will that Abraham had to slay Isaac, and all that he did till he came at the very point to slay him, were good works; and so had been the slaying also. And Abraham was sure that he pleased God highly, and as well as in any other work, and had as deeply sinned if he had been disobedient therein, as though he had done any other cruel deed, forbidden by God. Yea, but shoe-making is not commanded
[The just liveth by faith.] [? The next illustration has been omitted; as turning upon a sub-]
[ject too indelicate for profitable contemplation.]]
by God. Yes; and hath the promise of God annexed thereto. For God hath commanded me, for the avoiding of sin, to do my brethren service, and to live thereby, and to choose one estate or other. For if thou wouldest receive only of thy brethren, and do nought again, thou were a thief, and an extortioner, and a tyrant. And I choose shoe-making; or receive it at the obedience of mine elders. Now have I God’s commandment to work therein truly; and his promise annexed thereto, that he will bless mine occupation, and make it lucky and fruitful, to bring me an honest living. Work I not now at God’s commandment, and have his promise that it pleaseth him?
Note this also: First, my craft is God’s commandment. Secondarily, I believe, and am sure, that my work pleaseth God for Christ’s sake. Thirdly, my work is profitable unto my neighbour, and helpeth his necessity. Fourthly, I receive my reward of the hand of God with thanks; and work, surely certified that I please God in my work through Christ, and that God will give me my daily bread thereby. -
But if thou examine their doctrine, thou shalt find that this faith is away in all their fruits; and therefore are they worm-eaten, and shales without kernels.
Note again: the Turks and Jews give alms as well as we, and as much, and yet abominable, for lack of faith and knowledge of the true intent. What saith the text? He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall have the reward of a prophet.” That is, because thou aidest him in preaching of Christ’s word, thou shalt be partaker with him and have the same reward. And, He that receiveth a disciple in the name of a disciple, shall have,” &c. And, He that giveth one of these little ones but a cup of cold water for my name’s sake, shall have his reward,” If a king minister his kingdom in the faith of this name, because his subjects be his brethren and the price of Christ’s blood, he pleaseth God highly; and if this faith be not there, it pleaseth him not. And if I sew a shoe truly, in the faith of his name, to do my brother service, because he is the price of Christ’s blood, it pleaseth God. Thus is faith the goodness of all works. well Finally, when God giveth, and I receive with thanks, is Dot God as well pleased as when I give for his sake, and he
receiveth? A true friend is as glad to do his friend a good turn, as to receive a good turn. When the father giveth his son a new coat, and saith, Am not Ia good father, and wilt not thou love me again, and do what I bid thee?’ and the boy receiveth it with thanks, and saith, Yea;’ and is glad and proud thereof; doth not the father rejoice as much now in the lad, as another time when the lad doth whatsoever it be at his father’s commandment? But the false prophets do well to paint God after the likeness of their own visenomy!: glad when he receiveth, yea, when they receive in his name; but sour, grudging, and evil content when he giveth again. But thou pleasest God when thou askest in faith, and when thou receivest with thanks, and when thou rejoicest in his gifts, and lovest him again, to keep his commandments, and the appointment and covenant made between him and thee.
And for a conclusion, besides that they expel faith, which is the goodness of all works, they set up works of their own making; to destroy the works of God, and to be holier than God’s works, to the despising of God’s works, and to make God’s works vile.
With their chastity they destroy the chastity that God ordained, and only requireth. With their obedience they destroy the obedience that God ordained in this world, and desireth no other. With their poverty they destroy the poverty of the spirit, which Christ taught only; which is, only not to love worldly goods. With their fast they destroy the fast which God commandeth, that is, a perpetual soberness to tame the flesh. With their pattering prayer they destroy the prayer taught by God, which is either thanks, or desiring help, with faith and trust that God heareth me.
Their holiness is to forbid that God ordained to be received with thanksgiving, as meat and matrimony. And their own works they maintain, and let God’s decay. Break theirs, and they persecute to the death: but break God’s, and they either look through the fingers, or else give thee a flap with a fox-tail, for a little money. There is none order among them that is so perfect, but that they have a prison more cruel than any jail of thieves and murderers. And if one of
Physiognomy.]
their brethren commit fornication or adultery in the world, he finisheth his penance therein in three weeks or a month; and then is sent to another place of the same religion!. But if he attempt to put off the holy habit, he cometh never out, and is so straitly dieted thereto, that it is marvel if he live Aw- year; beside other cruel murder that hath been found among — them: and yet is this shameful dieting of theirs murder cruel heir enough.
Be not deceived with visors?, nor yet with miracles. But go to, and judge their works; for the spiritual judgeth all things,” saith Paul. Who is that spiritual? Not such as we now call men of holy church; but all that have the true interpretation of the law written in their hearts, the right faith of Christ, and the true intent of works, which God biddeth us work: he is spiritual, and judgeth all things, and is judged of no man. Not all that say to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that fulfilleth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me at that day, Lord, did we not prophesy in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and did we not in thy name many miracles? “Then will I confess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.
This doubling of “Lord” hath vehemency; and betokeneth that they which shall be excluded are such as think themselves better and perfecter than other men, and to deserve heaven with holy works, not for themselves only, but also for other. And by that? they prophesied, by which thou mayest understand the interpreting of scripture; and by that they cast out devils, and did miracles in Christ’s name, (and for all that, they are yet workers of wickedness, and do not the will of the Father which is in heaven,) it is plain that they be false prophets; and even the same of which Christ warned before.
And now, forasmuch as Christ and his apostles warn us
[[! Monastic order.] [2 L. has visures, i.e. visors, and this agrees with what follows]
[below: but D. has visions.] [3 By that, or as we should say, Inasmuch as. The same idiom occurs]
[in our 13th Article, For that they are not done.”]]
fhat such shall come, and describe us the fashions of their vwisors, (Christ’s name, holy church, holy fathers, and Fi fifteen hundred years, with scripture and miracles) and 1 command us to turn our eyes from their visors, and consider their fruits, and cut them up, and look within whether they be found in the core and kernel or no, and give us a rule to try them by; is it excuse good enough to say, God will not let so great a multitude err; I will follow the most part, and believe as my fathers did, and as the preachers teach, and will not busy myself: choose they, the fault is theirs, and not ours; God shall not lay it to our charge if we err?
Where such words be, there are the false prophets already. For where no love to the truth is, there are the false prophets. And where such words be, there to be nove love to the truth, is plain; ergo, where such words be, there be the false prophets in their full swing, by Paul’s rule (2 Thess. ii.). Another conclusion: where no love to the truth is, there be false prophets; the greatest of the world have least love to the truth: ergo, the false prophets be the chaplains of the greatest, which may with the sword compel the rest; as the kings of Israel compelled to worship the golden calves. And by false prophets understand false teachers, as Peter calleth them, and wicked expounders of the scripture. Whosoever heareth these words of me and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock: and there fell a rain, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; but it fell not, for it was grounded upon a rock. And wi all that hear of me these words, and do them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, that built his house upon the sand: and there fell a rain, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and dashed upon that house, and it fell; and the fall thereof was great.
Christ hath two sorts of hearers, of which neither nother do thereafter. The one will be saved by faith of their own making, without works; the other with works of their own making, without faith. The first are those voluptuous, which have yielded themselves up to sin, saying, Tush, God is merciful, and Christ died for us; that must save us only, [4 D. has neither of them; but L. and a small octavo edition, withut date (probably by Copland, about 1540), have neither nother; i. e. neither the one nor the other.]
[TYNDALE, π.}
for we cannot but sin without resistance. The second are the hypocrites; which wil deserve all with their own imagined works only. And of faith they have no other experience, save that it is a little meritorious where it is painful to be believed: as that Christ was born of a virgin, and that he came not out the way that other children do;—fie, no, that were a great inconvenience: but above, under her arm, and yet made no hole, though he had a very natural body, and as other men have;—and that there is no bread in the sacrament, nor wine, though the five wits say all yea. And the meritorious pain of this belief is so heavy to them, that except they had feigned them a thousand wise similitudes and lousy likenesses, and as many mad reasons to stay them withal, and to help to captivate their understanding, they were like to cast all off their backs. And the only refuge of a great many, to keep in that faith, is to cast it out of their minds, and not to think upon it: as though they forgive not, yet if they put the displeasure out of their minds, and think not of it till a good occasion be given to avenge it, they think they love their neighbour well enough all the while, and be in good charity.
And the faith of the best of them is but like their faith their jn other worldly stories. But the faith, which is trust and confidence to be saved, and to have their sins forgiven by —— Christ, which was so born, have they not at all: that faith have they in their own works only. But the true hearers understand the law as Christ interpreteth it here, and feel thereby their righteous damnation; and run to Christ for suecour, and for remission of all their sins that are past, and for all the sin which chance, through infirmities, shall compel them to do, and for remission of that the law is too strong for their weak nature.
And upon that they consent to the law, love it, and profess it, to fulfil it to the uttermost of their power, and j what then go to and work. Faith, or confidence in Christ’s blood, without help, and before the works of the law, bringeth all manner of remission of sins, and satisfaction. Faith is mother of love; faith accompanieth love in all her works, to fulfil as much as there lacketh, in our doing the law, of that perfect love which Christ had to his Father and us, in his fulfilling
of the law for us. Now, when we be reconciled, then is love and faith together our righteousness, our keeping the law, our continuing, our proceeding forward in the grace which. we stand in, and our bringing to the everlasting saving and Ξ everlasting life. And the works be esteemed of God accordng to the love of the heart. If the works be great, and love little and cold, then the works be regarded thereafter of God. If the works be small, and love much and fervent, the works be taken for great of God. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one ἱ having power, and not as the scribes.
The scribes and Pharisees had thrust up the sword of the word of God into a scabbard or sheath of glosses, and therein had knit it fast, that it could neither stick! nor cut; teaching dead works without faith and love, which are the life and the whole goodness of all works, and the only thing why they please God. And therefore their audience abode ever carnal and fleshly-minded, without faith to God and love to their neighbours.
Christ’s words were spirit and life: that is to say, they ministered spirit and life, and entered into the heart, and grated on the conscience; and, through preaching the law, made the hearers perceive their duties; even what love they owed to God, and what to man, and the right damnation of all them that had not the love of God and man written in their hearts; and, through preaching of faith, made all that eonsented to the law of God feel the mercy of God in Christ, and certified them of their salvation, For “the word of God is a two-edged sword, that pierceth and divideth the spirit and soul of man asunder.” A man before the preaching of God’s word is but one man, all flesh; the soul consenting unto the lusts of the flesh, to follow them. But the sword of the word of God, where it taketh effect, divideth a man it in two, and setteth him at variance against his own self; the flesh haling one way, and the spirit drawing another; the flesh raging to follow lusts, and the spirit calling back again, one to follow the law and will of God. A man, all the while dm
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