[5 In D. the chapter ends at the word mercy: what follows is found in the P. C. L. edition.]
Chapter
My little children, I write these things unto you, that ye sin not. And though any man sin, yet we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ, which is righteous. I write unto you on the one side, that God is light; and therefore that no man, which willingly walketh in the unfruitful works of darkness, hath any fellowship with that light, or part in the blood of his Son. And this I write and testify unto you, my dear children, that ye sin not: that is, that ye μὰ Consent not unto sin, nor should sin of lust and purpose maliciously; but contrariwise that ye fear God, and resist sin with all your might and power according as ye have promised. For whosoever sinneth of purpose after the knowledge of the truth, the same sinneth against the Holy Ghost remediless.
And on the other side, I testify unto you, that we be always sinners, though not of purpose and malice after the nature of damned devils, but of infirmity and frailty of our flesh; which daly, flesh not only letteth us, that our works cannot be perfect, but also now and then, through manifold occasions and temptations, carrieth us clean out of the right way, spite of our hearts. Howbeit (I say) if, when the rage is past, we turn unto the right way again, and confess our sins unto our Father with a repenting heart, he hath promised us mercy, and is true to fulfil it. So that if we sin not devilishly against the Holy Ghost, refusing the doctrine which we cannot improve that it should not be true, but after the frailty of man, there is no cause to despair: for we have an advocate and an intercessor with the Father, even Jesus Christ that is righteous.
The name of our advocate is “Jesus,” that is to say, a Saviour. “Call his name Jesus,” said the angel to Joseph; “he shall save his people from their sins.” And this advocate, and our Jesus, to save us from our sins, con- tinueth ever, as it is written; and hath sempiternum Sacerdotium?, an everlasting office, to make an atonement for sin: by the reason whereof, saith the text, “he is able ever to save them that come to God through him” with repentance and faith, and liveth ever to speak for us. And
An everlasting priesthood.]
nm 1—2.] FIRST EPISTLE OF ST JOHN. 153 besides that, our Jesus is God, and Almighty. He took our nature upon him, and felt all our infirmities and sicknesses, and in feeling learned to have compassion on us, and for compassion cried mightily in prayers to God the Father for us, and was heard. And the voice of the same blood that once cried, not for vengeance as Abel’s, but for mercy only, and was heard, crieth now and ever, and is ever heard, as oft as we call unto remembrance with repenting faith, how that it was shed for our sins, He is also called Christus, that is to say, king anointed with all might and power over sin, death and hell, and over all sins; so that none that flieth unto him shall ever come into judgment of damnation. He is anointed with all fulness of grace, and hath all the treasure and riches of the Spirit of God in his hand, with which be blesseth all men, according to the promise made to Abra-am; and is thereto merciful, to give? unto all that call on him. And how much he loveth us, I report me unto the ensamples of his deeds.
And he is “righteous,” both toward God, in that he never sinned, and therefore hath obtained all his favour and grace; and also toward us, in that he is true to fulfil all the mercy that he hath promised us, even unto the uttermost jot. And he is the satisfaction for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for all the world’s3.
That I call satisfaction, the Greek calleth Ilasmos, and the Hebrew Copar: and it is first taken for the suaging of
[2 So P. C. L. but D. has orgive.] [3 In this exposition, as well as in that upon the Sermon in the Mount,]
[Tyndale translates as the subject proceeds, without appearing to have]
[had his own previous translation before him. In his first published]
[version he had rendered the first clause, He it is that obtaineth grace]
[for our sins;” and this inaccurate rendering is found in the latest]
[editions of his new Testament, in Coverdale’s Bible, in Cranmer’s,]
[and in the Genevan Bible of 1557, notwithstanding the obviously]
[greater correctness of the rendering which Tyndale had here given.] [4 λασμὸς, ^A propitiation, or rather a propitiatory victim, or]
[sacrifice for sin.” Parkhurst, Lex. If Tyndale’s explanation is to be]
[understood to belong to D3, lexicographers have not confirmed his]
[opinion respecting the primary meaning of this word, which they]
[declare to be that of covering by smearing with somewhat. It first]
[Gen. vi. 14, where Noah is directed to cover the ark with a smearing]
wounds, sores, and swellings, and the taking away of pain and smart of them; and thence is borrowed for the pacifying and suaging of wrath and anger, and for an amendsmaking, a contenting, satisfaction, a ransom, and making at ope, as it is to see abundantly in the bible. So that Christ is a full contenting, satisfaction and ransom for our sins: and mot for ours only, which are apostles and disciples of Christ while he was yet here; or for ours which are Jews, or Israelites, and the seed of Abraham; or for ours that now believe at this present time, but for all men’s sins, both for their sins which went before and believed the promises to come, and for ours which have seen them fulfilled, and also for all them which shall afterward believe unto the world’s end, of whatsoever nation or degree they be. For Paul €ommandeth, 1 Tim. ii. “to pray for all men and all degrees,” saying that to be “acceptable unto our Saviour God, which will have all men saved and come to the knowledge of the truth;” that is, some of all nations and all degrees, and not the Jews only. “For,” saith he, ‘there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, which gave himself a redemption” and full satisfaction “for all men.” David also said in the eighteenth Psalm: “Their sound is gone throughout all the earth, so that the benefit stretched on all men?”
Let this therefore be an undoubted article of thy faith: not of a history faith, as thou believest a gest of Alexander, or of the old Romans, but of a lively faith and belief, to put thy trust and confidence in, and to buy and sell thereon, as we say; and to have thy sins taken away, and thy soul saved thereby, if thou hold it fast; and to continue ever in sin, and to have thy soul damned, if thou let it slip; that our Jesus, our Saviour, that saveth his people from their sins, king and our Christ, that is our king over all sin, death and hell, sin. anointed with fulness of all grace and with the Spirit of God, to distribute unto all men, hath, according unto the epistle to of pitch. Hence its secondary meaning is to blot out;’ and, where
[sin is spoken of, to obliterate sin by covering it with expiatory blood;]
[to atone, expiate; or appease him from whose indignation the sin is 1]
[thus covered.” See Robertson’s Clavis Pentateuchi, on Exod. xxix. 33.] [1 The nineteenth of the Hebrew and of the English version. ] [2 So P. C. L.; in Day’s edition the last two sentences are omitted. ]]
Hebrews and all the scripture, in the days of his mortal flesh, with fasting, praying, suffering, and crying to God mightily for us, and with shedding his blood, made full satisboth « pena et a culpa (with our holy father’s leave) for all the sins of the world; both of theirs that went before, and of theirs that come after in the faith; whether it be eriginal sin or actual: and not only the sins committed with consent to evil in time of ignorance, before the knowledge of the truth, but also the sins done of frailty after we have forsaken evil and consented to the laws of God in our hearts,. promising to follow Christ and walk in the light of his He saveth his people from their sins, Matth. i, and that he only: so that there is no other name to be saved by. Acts iv. And “unto him bear all the prophets record, that all that believe in him shall receive remission of their sins in his name.” Actsx. And by him only we have am entering in unto the Father, and unto all grace. Eph. ii. and ii. and Rom. v. And as many as come before him are thieves and murderers, John x.; that is, whosoever preacheth any other forgiveness of sin than through faith in his name, the same slayeth the soul.
This to be true, not only of original but also? of actual [sin], and as well of that we commit after our profession as before, mayest thou evidently see by the ensamples of the seripture. Christ forgave the woman taken in adultery, John viii. and another whom he healed, John v. And he forgave publicans and open sinners, and put none to do penance, as they call it, for to make satisfaction for the sin which he forgave through xépentanee and faith; but enjoined them the life of penance, the profession of their baptism, to tame the flesh in keeping the commandments, and that they should sin no more. And those sinners were for the most part Jews, and had their original sin forgiven them before through faith in the testament of God. Christ forgave his apostles their actual sins after their profession, which they committed in denying him, and put none to do penance for satisfaction. Peter (Acts ii.) absolveth the Jews, through repentance and faith, from their actual sins, which they did in consenting unto Christ’s death; and enjoined “them no penance to make satisfaction. Paul
[3 So but omits also.]
also had his actual sins forgiven him freely, through repentance and faith, without mention of satisfaction. Acts ix. So that, according unto this present text of John, if it chance us ἐρ sin of frailty, let us not despair; for we have an advocate and intercessor, a true attorney with the Father, Jesus Christ, righteous towards God and man, and [he] is the reconciling ^ and satisfaction for our sins.
For Christ’s works are perfect; so that he hath obtained — us all mercy, and hath set us in the full state of grace and — favour of God, and hath made us as well beloved as the angels of heaven, though we be yet weak: as the young children, though they can do no good at all, are yet as tenderly beloved as the old. And God, for Christ’s sake, hath promised that whatsoever evil we shall do, yet if we turn and repent, he will never more think on our sins. for- Thou wilt say, God forgiveth the displeasure, but we must suffer pain to satisfy the righteousness of God. Ah,! then God hath a righteousness which may not forgive pain and all, that the poor sinner might? go scot free without aught at all! God was unrighteous to forgive the thief his pain, - God and all through repentance and faith; unto whom for lack free. of leisure was no penance enjoined! And my faith is, that — whatsoever ensample of mercy God hath shewed one, that same he hath promised all Yea, will he peradventure forgive me, but I must make amends? If I owe you twenty pounds, ye will forgive me; that is, ye wil no more be angry with me, but I shall pay you the twenty pounds! O popish forgiveness, with whom it goeth after the common proverb, No penny, no pardon! His fatherhood giveth pardon freely; but we must pay money abundantly.
Paul’s doctrine is, Rom. iv. If a man work, it ought not to be said that his hire was given him of grace or of favour, but of duty: But to him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith” (he saith not, his works, although he commandeth us diligently to work, — and despiseth none that God commandeth), his faith” (saith tous he) “is reckoned him for his righteousness:” confirming his saying with the testimony of the prophet David in the thirtysecond Psalm, saying, Blessed is the man unto whom God
[1 Old editions 4, an ancient mode of writing this interjection.] [2 So P. C. L., but D. has should. ] E]
imputeth” or reckoneth “not his sin;” that is to say, which man, although he be a sinner, yet God layeth it not to his charge, for his faith’s sake. And in the eleventh he saith, ]f it come of grace, then it cometh not of works; for then were grace no grace,” saith he. For it was a very strange speaking in Paul’s ears, to call that grace that came of deserving of works; or that deserving of works which came by grace; for he reckoned works and grace to be contrary, in such manner of speech. But our holy father hath coupled them together, of pure liberality, I dare say, and not for covetousness. For as his holiness, if he have a cause against any man, immediately breatheth out an excommunication upon him, and will have satisfaction for the uttermost farthing, and somewhat above, to teach them to beware against another time, ere he will bless again from the terrible sentence of his heavy curse; even so of that blessed complexion he describeth the nature of the mercy of God, that God will remit his anger to us upon the appointment of our satisfaction: whereas? the seripture saith, Christ is our righteousness, our justifying, our redemption, our atonement, that hath appeased God, and eleanseth us from our sins, and all in his blood, so that his blood is the satisfaction only.
And that thou mayest the better perceive the falsehead of our holy father’s fleshly imagination, call to mind how that the scripture saith, (John iv.) God is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in the spirit:” that is, repentance, faith, hope, and love towards his law, and our neighbour for his sake, is his worship in the spirit. And therefore whosoever worshippeth God with works, and referreth his works to God, to be a sacrifice unto him, to appease him, as though he delighted in the work for the work’s sake, the same maketh of God an image or idol, and is an image-server, and as wicked an idolater as ever was any blind heathen, and serveth God after the imagination of his own heart, and is abominable unto God: as thou seest in how many places God defieth the sacrifice of the children of Israel, for the said imagination. So that whosoever supposeth that his candle-sticking before an image, his putting a penny in the box, his going a pil-
[3 So P. C. L., but D. has when.] [ Disdaineth: expresseth scorn against. So in Auth. version,]
[Numbers xxiii. 7 and 8, where defy is the rendering of Oyr-]]
grimage, his fasting, his woolward going, barefoot going, his crouching, kneeling, and pain-taking, be sacrifices unto God, as though he delighted in them as we in the gestures of Jack Napes, is as blind as he that gropeth for his way at moon. God’s worship is to love him for his mercy; and of love to bestow all our works upon our neighbour for his sake, and upon the taming of our flesh, that we sin not again, which should be the chiefest care of a christian man; whilst Christ careth for that that is once past and committed already, whether before our profession or after. For the conditions of the peace that is made between God and us in Christ’s blood are these: The law is set before us, unto which if we consent and submit ourselves to be scholars thereof, then are not only all our fore sins forgiven, both pena et culpa (with our holy father’s licence ever); but also all our infirmities, weakness, proneness!, readiness, and motions unto sin, are pardoned, and taken aworth, and we translated from under the damnation of the law, which damneth as well those infirmities as the sin that springeth of them, and putteth us under grace, (Rom. vii): so that we shall not henceforth, as long as we forsake not our profession, be judged by the rigorousness? of the law; but chastised, if we do amiss, as children that are under no law. Now then if God in Christ all pardon our infirmities, by reason of which we cannot escape but that we shall now and then sin; it followeth that he must ]ikewise pardon the actual sin which we do, compelled of those infirmities in spite of our hearts, and against the will of the Spirit. For if thou pardon the sickness of the sick, then must thou pardon the deeds which he doth, or leaveth undone, by the reason of his sickness. If the madness of a madman be pardoned, and under no law, then if he murder in his madness, he may not be slain again. If children within a certain age are not under the law that slayeth thieves, then can ye not of right hang them, though they steal What popis pardoning were that! This doth Paul (Rom. vii.) so confirm, that all the world cannot quitch against it, saying: “I consent unto the law of God that it is good,” and fain would I do it, and yet have I not always power so to do, but find another
[1 Pronite in [2 See Vol. 1. 463.] So Day, but has righteousness
thing in my flesh, rebelling against the will of my mind, and leading me captive into sin, so that I cannot do that I would. do, but am compelled to do that I would not: 1f,” saith he, JI do that I would not, then I do it not, but the sin that dwelleth in me doth it” And then saith he, Who shall deliver me from this body of death,” in which I am bound prisoner against my will? Thanks be to God,” saith he, through Jesus Christ our Lord,” which hath conquered and overcome sin, death, and hell, and hath put the damnation of the law out of the way unto all that profess the law, and believe in him.
We be under the law to learn it, and to fashion our deeds as like as we can; but not under the damnation of the law, that we should be damned, though our deeds were not perfect. as the law requireth, or though of frailty we at a 3 time break it: as children are under the law, that they steal not; but not under the damnation, though they steal. So that all they that are graffed into Christ to follow his doctrine, are under the law to learn it only, but are delivered from fear of everlasting death and hell, and all the threatenings of the law, and from conscience of sin, which feared us from God. And we are come in to God through the confidence that we have in Jesus Christ; and are as familiar and bold with him as young innocent children, which have no conscience of sin, are with their fathers and mothers, or them that nourish them: which were unpossible, if God now (as the bishop of Rome painteth him) did shake a rod at us of seven years’ punishment, as sharp as the pains of hell, for every trespass we do; which trespasses for the number of them were like io make our purgatory almost as long as hell, seeing we have no God’s word that we shall be delivered thence, until we have paid the last farthing. And therefore could our conscience never be at rest, nor be bold and familiar with God.
If ye say, the bishop of Rome can deliver my conscience from fear of purgatory (as his poetry only putteth me in fear), and that by this text, “Whatsoever thou bindest on earth, &c.;” if thou this way understand the text, “” Whatsoever thou,. being in earth, loosest any where;” then might he loose in hell, and bind in heaven. But why may not I take the text
[4 So but has as after not.]
God saith to Jeremiah the prophet in his first chapter!, “Behold, I give thee power over nations and kingdoms to pluck up by the roots, and to shiver in pieces, to destroy { and cast down, and to build and plant,” How did he destroy nations and kingdoms, and how did he build them? Verily, by preaching and prophesying. What nation, kingdom, or. city he prophesied to be overthrown, was so; and what city he prophesied to be built again, was so; and what nation, after they were brought into captivity, he prophesied to be restored again, were so; and whom he prophesied to perish, perished; and whom he prophesied to be saved, was saved. Even so, whomsoever a true preacher of God’s word saith shall be damned for his sin, because he will not repent and believe in Christ, the same is damned: and whomsoever a true preacher of God’s word saith shall be 4 saved, because he repenteth and believeth in Christ’s blood, M the same is saved. And this is the binding and loosing that ἷ Christ meant. t Notwithstanding, ye must understand, that when we have i sinned, though our hearts were not to sin, and though we 5 repent ere the deed be done, yet the body, in sinning, hath 1 overcome the spirit, and hath gotten the mastery: so that i the spirit is now weaker and feebler to virtue, and to follow? the law of God and doctrine of Christ, and the flesh stronger broken forth again, we begin, as it were, a new cure with to follow vice and sin. Wherefore as, when an old sore is z greater diligence and more care than before; even so here ^ WE must renew our old battle against the flesh, and more strongly go to work, to subdue it, [and to quench the lusts thereof, which are waxen so rank, that they bud out openly, ]? according to the profession of our baptism, which is the very
[1 So P. C. L., but Day, to Hieremias, cap. 1.] [2 The passage between brackets is not in the P. C. L. ed.] ’]
sacrament or sign of repentance, (or, if they will so have it penance,) by the interpretation of Paul (Rom. vi. For the plunging into the water, as it betokeneth on the one part that Christ hath washed our souls with his blood; even so on. the other part it signifieth that we have promised to quench and slay the lusts of the flesh with prayer, fasting, and holy meditation, after the doctrine of Christ, and with all godly exercise, that tame the flesh, and kill not the man.
Whereupon the bishops that succeeded the apostles, when men had done any open sins, enjoined them penance, as they call it, by the authority of the congregation and governors thereof, and adviee of the most wise and discreet, and with the willing consent of the trespassers, to tame the flesh; as to go woolward, to wear shirts of hair, to go bare-foot, and barehead, to pray, to fast bread and water, some once in the week, some twice, or all the week, an whole year, two years, three years, eight years, twenty years, and some all their lives long; and to go in pilgrimage, to visit the memorial of saints?, to strength them the better to follow their ensample, and such like, and all to slay the worldly mind of the flesh: which manner, when it was once received of the people by custom, it became a law. And the bishops by little and little gat it whole into their own hands.
When the bishops saw that, how they had gotten the simple people under them in such humble obedience, they began to set up their crests, and to reign over them as princes, and to enjoin sore penance for small trifles, namely if aught were done against their pleasure; and beat some gore, and spared other, and sold their penance to the rich, and overladed the poor, until the tyranny was waxen so grievous that the people would bear it no longer. For by [3 Augustine tells us that Paulinus, bishop of Nola, wrote to him, quzerens a me utrum prosit cuique post mortem, quod corpus ejus apud saneti alicujus memoriam sepelitur. In reply he composed his treatise De cura agenda pro mortuis; in which he explains the origin of the name memoria or memorial, as follows: Non ob aliud vel memorize vel monumenta dicuntur ea que insignita fiunt sepulera mortuorum, nisi quia eos qui viventium oculis morte subtracti sunt, ne oblivione etiam cordibus subtrahantur, in memoriam revocant, et admonendo faciunt eogitari; nam et memorie nomen id apertissime ostendit, et monumentum eo quod moneat mentem, id est admoneat, nuncupatur.—Op. Tom. v1. col. 515, 519, C.] 1
this time, what with the multitude of ceremonies, and heap of — men’s constitutions, whose right use was thereto clean forgotten, — and partly because our shepherds were busied to seek them- 1 selves and their high authority, and exalted every man his throne, and were become wolves unto the flock, the cause why 5 the people were disobedient unto wholesome counsel was, that! Ὁ the word of God was sore darkened, and no where purely preached. And therefore the prelates, loath to lose their high authority, and to let the people go free of their yoke, began to turn their tale, and sing a new song, how that this — - penance was enjoined to make satisfaetion to God for the sin 1 that was committed; robbing our souls of the fruit of Christ’s blood, and making us image-servants; referring our deeds unto the person of God, and worshipping him, as an image of our own imagination, with bodily work: saying moreover, i if we would not do such penance here at their injunctions, we: Inu do it in another world; and so feigned purgatory, where i we must suffer seven years for every sin. And when the I kingdom of antichrist was so enlarged that it must have a: head, they set up our holy father of Rome, or he rather I usurped the realm? with violence; and to him was given this — — prerogative, to sell whom he would from purgatory?.
And the sacrament of penance they thus describe: contri- ^ tion, confession, and satisfaction: contrition; sorrow for thy $ sins: confession; not to God and them whom thou hast offended,: but tell thy sins in the priest’s ear: satisfaction, to do certain —— deeds enjoined of them, to buy out thy sins. And in theirde- — — scription they have clean excluded the faith in the satisfaction g of Christ’s blood; which only bringeth life, and the spirit of life, 1 and righteousness, and without the which it is impossible to Η part please God: in whose stead they have put in the presumption l the… — of our own works, And for lack of trust in Christ’s blood, our f contrition is but a fruitless sorrow in the respect of hell, which! maketh us hate the law still, and consequently God that made — it: where true contrition, annexed with faith, is sorrow in respect of the law, unto which we consent that it is good, and
[1 So P. Ο L. Day wants, was that.] [2 So P, C. L. but Day has or rather usurped that Rome.] 4 [3 That is, to take a price for making over the merits of the saints: to a soul in purgatory, that it might be released. ] i
love it, and therefore mourn, partly because we have offended it, and partly because we lack power to fulfil it as we would.
These things to be true our prelates know by open histories,. as well as that when it is noon the sun is flat south. But it delighteth them to resist the Holy Ghost, and to persecute the preachers of the things which, if they as well loved them as they know them to be true, they would preach the same themselves and live thereafter. Hereof ye may see our works are but to tame the flesh only; and can be no satisfaction to God, except we make him an image, and ourselves imageservants. And hereof ye may see how out of this open penance came the ear-confession, satisfaction of works, purgatory and pardons. For when they had put the satisfaction of Christ’s blood out of the way, then as they compelled men to confess open sins, and to take open penance, even so they compelled them to confess secret sins, and to take secret penance. And as they made merchandise of open penance, so did they of secret. And for them that would not receive such pardons feigned they purgatory, and for them that received them feigned they pardon, turning binding and loosing, with preaching God’s word, unto buying and selling sin for money. And since that time hitherto, the worse the people were, the better were the prelates content, ever resisting that they should be made better, through their blessed covetousness and proud desire of honour.
And out of this false presumption of works sprang the wicked vows of religion; which they vow to make satisfaction for sin, and to be higher in heaven, instead of the life of penanee which Christ taught us in the gospel, to tame the flesh, and to crucify the members withal, that we henceforth should walk in the ways of God’s law, and sin no more,
And to speak of worshipping of saints, and praying unto them, and of that we make them our advocates well nigh above Christ, or altogether, though it require a long disputation, yet it is as bright as the day to all that know the truth; how that our fasting of their evens, and keeping their holy days, going bare-foot, sticking up of candles in the bright day, in the wor-
[4 So P.C.L.: in D., that is omitted.] [5 The two them are wanting in D., but found in P. C. L.] [6 The them here also, and men in the preceding clause are in]
[P. C. L. but not in D.] 11—2]
shipping of them to obtain their favour, our giving them so costly jewels, offering into their boxes, clothing their images, up shoeing them with silver shoes with an ouch of crystal in the ^ midst, to stroke the lips and eyes of the ignorant, as a man would stroke young children’s heads to entice them and bring them in, and rock them asleep in ignorance, are with all like service plain idolatry, that is, in English, image-service. For the saints are spirits, and can have no delectation in bodily things. And because those bodily deeds can be no service unto the spiritual saints, and we do them not to be a service to ourselves or our neighbours; we serve the work and the false imagination of our fleshly wit, after the doctrine of man, and not of God, and are image-servants. And this is it that Paul calleth servire elementis mundi’, to be in captivity under dumb ceremonies and vain traditions of men’s doctrine, and to do the work for the work itself; as though God delighted therein, for the deed itself, without all other respect. co Buk and ye wil know the true worshipping of saints, hearken unto Paul, where he saith, “Ye shine as lights in the ^ world, holding fast the word of life unto my glory, (or worship) against the day of Jesus Christ, that I have not run nor laboured in vain” That is to wete, the worship which all true saints now seek, and the worship that all the true messengers of God seek this day, or ever shall seek, is to draw all to Christ with preaching the true word of God, and with the ensample of pure living fashioned thereafter. Will ye therefore worship saints truly? Then ask? what they preached, and ^ believe their doctrine; and as they followed that doctrine, so conform your living like unto theirs: and that shall be unto their high worship in the coming again of Christ (when all men’s deeds shall appear, and every man shall be judged, ^ and receive his reward, according unto his deeds), how that they not only, while they here lived, but also after their death, with the ensample of their doctrine and living, left behind in writing and other memorials, unto the ensample of them that should follow them? unto Christ, that were born five hundred yea, a thousand years after their death. This was their worship in the spirit at the beginning, as they were spirits; and
[1 To bein bondage to the elements of the world.] [2 So P. C. L., but Day has hear.] [3 So Day; in P. C. L. them follows Christ.]]
lights were sticked before their memorials at the beginning, to be a ceremony to put us in remembrance that we so praised saints, and boasted their livings, that we followed their” ensamples in our deeds; as Christ saith, “Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works, and glorify your Father that is in heaven.” For preaching of the doctrine, which is light, hath but small effect to move the heart, if the ensample of living do disagree.
And that we worship saints for fear, lest they should be displeased and angry with us, and plague us or hurt us, (as who is not afraid of St Laurence? who dare deny St Anthony a fleece of wool, for fear of his terrible fire, or lest he send the pox among our sheep?) is heathen image-service, and clean against the first commandment, which is, “Hear, Israel, the - Lord thy God is one God.” Now God in the Hebrew is called El, or Elohim in the plural number, strength or might. So that the commandment is, Hear, Israel, he that is thy power and might, thy sword and shield, is but one; that is, there is none of might to help or hurt thee, save one, which is altogether thine, and at thy commandment, if thou wilt hear his voice. And all other might in the world is borrowed of him: and he will lend no might against thee contrary to his promises. Keep therefore his commandments, and he shall keep thee: and if thou have broken them, and he have lent of his power against thee, repent and come again unto thy profession; and he will return again unto his mercy, and feteh his power home again, which he lent to vex thee, because thou forsookest him and brakest his commandments. And fear no other
for false fear is the cause of all idolatry
Moreover all we, that are baptized in Christ, have professed to do good for evil, and not to avenge ourselves. And many of us come unto such perfection, that we can be provoked by no temptation to desire vengeance, but have compassion, and meekly pray for them that slay us.
How wicked a thing then is it to think that the saints trouble and plague us, because we do them not such superstitious honour, which is their dishonour and our shame? It is verily a popish imagination, and even to describe the saints after the nature of our prelates, which be meek and lowly till they be where they would be; but when they be once aloft,
[4 So but Day omits trouble and.]
they play the tormentors if we will not honour them, and do whatsoever they command more earnestly than that which God himself hath commanded, and fear them above God himself.
And it can be but like abomination also, that we choose of a fleshly mind every man his several saint, or rather several gods, to be our advocates, attornies, mediators (when there is but one, 1 Tim. ii.) and intercessors; and call them our advouries, when - we might better call them our adulterers’; and serve them, or rather a painted post in their stead, with our image-serviee, therewith to bind them for to help us, whensoever and for whatsoever we call unto them, and to save our souls thereto with their prayers and merits; and will yet neither hear the doctrine, nor follow the ensample of living (which is their only honour) in the spirit of any saint, whose doctrine and livingis authentic. pro- For first, God, which alone hath power to help or hurt, hath made appointment betwixt him and us, in Christ’s blood; and hath bound himself to give us whatsoever we ask in his name, testifying thereto that there is no other name to be saved by; and that he will be a father unto us, and save us both in this life and in the life to come, and take us from under the damnation of the law, and set us under grace and mercy, to be scholars only to learn the law; and that our unperfect deeds shall be taken in worth, yea, and though at a time we mar all through our infirmity, yet, if we turn again, that shall be forgiven us mercifully, so that we shall be under no damnation: which testament is confirmed with signs and wonders wrought through the Holy Ghost. Now, this indented obligation laid — apart, we make another, of our own imagination, between the saints and us, in their merits for our image-service: which can be but a false faith; seeing it hath not God’s word, unto which alone we ought to cleave, but is also clean contrary thereto.
And again, the saints were not saved through their own — merits, but through Christ’s. Neither were their deeds, which
[[! Advouryes: protectors. In Chaucer’s Jacke Upland’s questions]
[to the freres, the 29th is, Why clepe ye hem your patrons and avowries?’]
[In French avouerie is protection, Tyndale writing the word advoury d]
[makes it differ by but one letter from advoutry, which is with him à i]
[synonym for adultery. See Vol. 1. p. 17.]]
they did after they were received under grace, sufficient in ner to fulfil the law for the present time, save asbycmurs Christ’s merits did supply the imperfectness of them, and that Ant was lacking on their part through their infirmities. And therefore as the saints’ holy works made no satisfaction ore for the sin they did before they were received under mercy, dm even so made they none for the deadly sins which they did under mercy; seeing the deeds were unperfeet, and had sin annexed unto them by reason of the flesh, and were insufficient to excuse their own masters. What merits have they in store for us then, seeing by all men’s confession they now merit not? If the most obedient child in the world disobey his father’s commandments, his fore good deeds cannot make that disobedience no sin, or to be a satisfaction, that the child We should presume in the confidence of his old deeds, and think his father should do him wrong to punish him: but he must almighty knowledge his fault, and that he hath deserved punishment, and desire forgiveness, unto the glory of his father’s mercifulness, and not of his old deeds, though his old obedience be a great presumption that he sinned of frailty, and not of purpose. Even so if I, being as holy as ever was Paul in his most holiness, sin this day through the frailty of my flesh, mine old deeds ean be no satisfaction: but I must knowledge my sin unto my Father, and grant that I have deserved damnation, and meekly desire forgiveness, and challenge it by the obligation wherein God hath bound himself to me, unto the glory of the mercy of God, and not to the glory of my holy deeds: for if my deeds save me, it is my glory; but if he forgive us freely, without respect of my deeds, then it is the glory of his mercy, by Paul’s doctrine unto the Romans. Moreover if the saints be in heaven, then ean they be there in none other case than the angels; in which state Christ testifieth they shall be in the resurrection. Now the angels are ministers sent of God to do service unto the elect, which shall be saved. And God hath bound himself, that if I eome in the right way, by the door of Christ’s blood, and ask help, that he will send me, if need be, an hundred legions of angels or saints. But when God hath bound himself to send me angels or saints, or an angel or saint, he hath not. promised to send this angel or that, or this or that saint. And ’ therefore, when I appoint God whom he shall send, and bind
him, where he hath not bound himself, to send me what saint I will, I tempt God. And thus this choosing of several saints we I5 but tempting of God. And yet we do worse than this: for we leave the way of Christ’s blood, and go not to God through him; but run to the saints, in a testament of our own making, and will that they either save us themselves for our image-service, or compel God for their! merit’s sake to save us. Why goest thou not unto thy father thine ownself? “1 am a sinner,” will they say, and dare not.” If thou go in the right way, thou hast no sin. Christ hath taken all thy sins from thee; and God hath no rod in his hand, nor looketh sour, but merrily, that it is a lust to behold his cheerful countenance, and offereth thee his hand. But this way is the Stopped up through unbelief; and therefore we seek another, which is no way to life, but unto everlasting death. We will ποῦ look on the law with open eyes, and therefore have we no due repentance, and so no lust to hearken unto the gospel of glad tidings in Christ’s blood. And where the right way is set before us, and we of malice will not walk therein, God cannot but let the devil play with us, and juggle our eyes to confirm us in blindness.
But after what manner doth Christ pray for us? Verily W.T Christ in the days of his mortal flesh suffered and prayed for all that shall be saved, and obtained and was heard, and had his petitions granted. And he made satisfaction, and purged, and purchased forgiveness, even then, for all the sin that ever shall be forgiven. And his praying for us, and being a mediator now, is that the remembrance of all that he did for us is present in the sight of God the Father, as fresh as the hour he did them; yea, the same hour is yet present, and not past, in the sight of God. And Christ is now a king, and reigneth; and hath received power of all that he prayed for, us, to do it himself; and that, whensoever the elect call for him- aught in his name, he sendeth help, even of the power which he hath received: yea, ere they ask, he sendeth his Spirit into their hearts to move them to ask: so that it is his gift that we desire aught in his name. And in all that we do or think well, he preventeth us with his grace: yea, he careth for us ere we care for ourselves, and when we be? yet evil
So but omits their.] [2 So but has were.]
n 2] FIRST EPISTLE OF ST JOHN.. 169 he sendeth to call us, and draweth us with such power that our hearts cannot but consent and come, and the angels stand by, and behold the testament of the elect, how we shall be received into their fellowship, and see all the grace that Christ shall pour out upon us. And they rejoice, and praise God for his infinite mercy; and are glad, and long for us; and of very love are ready against all hours, when we shall call for help in Christ’s name, to come and help. And Christ sendeth them, when we call in his name; and ere we call, even while we be yet evil, and haply persecute the truth of ignorance, as Paul did, the angels wait upon us to keep that the devils slay us not before the time of our calling be come.
Now if an angel should appear unto thee, what wouldest thou say unto him? If thou prayedst him to help, he would answer: ‘I do. Christ hath sent me to help thee; and believe that the angels be ever about thee to help. If thou desiredst him to pray for thee, to obtain this or that; he would say: Christ hath prayed, and his prayer is heard for whatsoever thou askest in his name;’ and would shew thee all that God would do to thee, and what he would also have thee to do: and if thou believest so, then? wert thou safe. If thou desiredst him to save thee with his merits, he would answer that he had no merits, but that Christ only is Lord of all merits; nor salvation, but that Christ is Lord of salvation. Wilt thou therefore be saved by merits?’ would the angel say; then pray to God in Christ’s name, and thou shalt be saved by the merits of him, and have me, or some other, thy servant immediately to help thee unto the uttermost of our power, and to keep thee, and bring thee unto the reward of his merits If thou wouldest promise him to worship him with image-service, that is, to stick up a candle sbhorred before his image, or such an image as he appeared to thee in; he would answer that he were a spirit, and delighted in no candle-light; but would bid thee give a candle to thy neighbour that lacketh, if thou hadst too many. And so would he answer thee, if thou wouldest put money in a box for him, or clothe his image in cloth of gold, or put golden shoes upon his image’s feet. If thou saidst that thou wouldest build a chapel in his name, he would answer that he dwelt in no house made
[3 So but in believest, so wert
with stones, but would bid thee go to the churches that are made already, and learn of the preachers there how to believe, and how to live, and honour God in the spirit; for — the which cause churches were chiefly builded, and for quietTor ness to pray: and if there be no church, then to give of that thou mayest spare, to help that one were builded to be a preaching and a praying house, and of worshipping God in the spirit, and not of image-service.
And if Paul appeared unto thee, what other thing could he answer also, than that he were a spirit, and would refuse all thy image-service? And if thou speak to Paul of his merits, he can none otherwise answer thee than he answered his Corinthians: That he died for no man’s sins, and that ne man was baptized in his name, to trust in his merits. He would say, “1 builded all men upon Christ’s merits; preaching that all that repented, and believed in his name, should be saved, and taken from under the wrath, vengeance, and damnation of the law, and be put under merey and grace. And by this faith was I saved from damnation, and put under mercy and grace, and made one with Christ, to have my part with with him, and he with me; or rather to make a change, that i he should have all my sins, and I his mercy and the gifts of his grace, and become glorious with the ornaments of his riches, And of my Saviour Christ I received this law, that I — should love my brethren, all God’s elect, as tenderly as he loved them. And I consented unto this law, for it seemed right; and became a scholar, to learn it. And as I profited in the knowledge, faith, and love of Christ, so I grew in the love of my brethren, and suffered all things for their sakes, and at the last waxed so perfect, that I wished myself damned (if it might have been) to save my brethren. And all my brethren, that received Christ, received the same commandment, and grew therein. And they that were perfect loved me, and all their other brethren, no less than I loved them. And look, with what love I ministered the gifts of grace, Which I received of Christ for the edifying of his congregation, upon my brethren, with the same love did they minister their gifts again on me, which they had and I lacked; and so love made all common. And moreover, if they call my works my merits, I bestowed all my works upon my brethren to teach them; and reaped the fruit thereof, even my brethren’s
and soul’s health; yea, and reap daily, in that I left my doctrine and ensample of living behind mw, by which many are converted unto Christ daily. If thou desire therefore to enjoy part of my merit, go and read in my gospel; and thou shalt find the fruit of my labour, the knowledge of Christ, the health of the soul and everlasting life.
And as I loved my brethren when I lived, so I love them still, and now more perfectly. Howbeit my love then was. painful: for the more I loved, the more I sorrowed, feared, and cared for them, to bring them into the knowledge of the truth, and to keep them in unity of faith, lest the false prophets should deceive them, or their own infirmities should break peace and unity, or cause them to fall into any sin, But now my love is without pain. For I see the will and providence of God, and how the end of all things shall be unto his glory and profit of the elect. And though I see the elect shall sometime fall; yet I see how they shall arise again, and how that their fall shall be unto the glory of God and their own profit. And we, that are in heaven, love you all alike: neither love we one more and another less. And therefore if ye love us more one than another, that is fleshly; as mine old Corinthians once loved, and I rebuked them. Neither can we be moved to come more to help one than another; but we wait when God will send any of us unto the elect, that call for help in Christ’s name. Wherefore, if thou wilt be holpen of any of us, pray in Christ’s name: and God shall send one of us, an angel or a saint, to keep the power of the devils from you; but not whom thou wouldest choose, tempting God, but whom it pleaseth God to send.
And if your preachers love you not after the same manner, to edify you with the true doctrine of Christ and ensample of living thereafter, and to keep you in unity of faith and charity, they be not of Christ’s disciples, but antichrists, which, under the name of Christ, seek to reign over you as temporal tyrants. And in like manner, if this be not written in your hearts, that ye ought to love one another as Christ loved you, and as ye had ensample of us his apostles, ye go astray in vanities, and are not in the right way And hereby are we sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
This is clean against the doctrine of them which say, that we canmot know whether we be in the state of grace or — W T: & no. John saith, If we keep his commandments, then we be sure that we know Christ is everlasting life. Then, contrary to the bishop of Rome, christian men have doctrine to know τ whether they be in grace or ΠΟ. at The keeping of God’s commandments certifieth us that ἡ we be in the state of grace. But our pharisaical! doctors 1 have no doctrine to know when a man is in a state of grace: wherefore it is manifest that they keep not God’s commandments, nor be in state of grace, but of all ungraciousness.
Neither know such? doctors whether ψ»” be in state of 3 grace, but keep men’s commandments: ergo, men’s com- E mandments certify not that we be in state of grace. Though 4 thou have a devotion to stick up a candle before a post, and i 50 forth, yet thou canst never be sure thereby, that thou art i jn the favour of God. But if thou have devotion to help thy i brother in all his misfortunes, because he is the image of God and price of Christ’s blood, then thy devotion certifieth thee that thou art in the favour of God, or state of grace. nN He that saith, I know him, and yet keepeth not his commandments,
is liar, and the truth is not in him. ἶ When our Pharisees say, Do as we bid you, and not as: we do;’ they testify that they keep not God’s commandments: E ”^ unto which testimony our eyes also bear record. And they 3 that keep not God’s commandments, be liars and have no truth: in them: and then, when they preach, they cannot but preach Ἢ lies; and then, though they preach Christ, they preach him i falsely, unto their fleshly vantage, and not our souls’ health. And forasmuch as we may have no fellowship with them that: keep not God’s commandments, and inasmuch as all such are false prophets, void of all truth; it followeth that we ought to give our doctors ποῦ audience, though their defenders stood by them with their swords drawn; but rather to lay i down our heads, and stretch forth our necks to be slain.:
[[! So P. C. L., but D. omits pharisaical.]! [2 So P. C. L., but in D. our doctors know not.] 1 [3 So P. C. L., but D. our doctors keep, &c.) E [ So P. C. L., but D. has none.] 1]
Eu on Be Ὁ - 3 3—6.] FIRST EPISTLE OF ST JOHN. 173 He that keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfect, and hereby know we that we are in him.
That is, he that keepeth his commandments, loveth unfeignedly; and is thereby sure that he is in God. For to be in God is to believe in the mercy of God; and to believe in mercy is cause of love, and love cause of working. And therefore he that worketh for God’s sake, is sure that he loveth and that he trusteth in God; which is to be in God or in Christ. And as by wilful keeping of the commandments we be sure that we love God, and believe in God; even so through wilful breaking of them, we may be sure that we neither love nor believe in him, and therefore that we be not He that saith he abideth in him, ought to walk as he walked.
All that be baptized in Christ are washed in him, to put off pride, wrath, hate and envy, with all their old converby which they oppressed their neighbours; and have promised to become, every man even as Christ himself unto his brethren, in love and kindness both in word and deed. They therefore which resist Christ’s testament, and will not let it be known, and walk in the testament of the arch-priest of Rome5, with unions, pluralities and totquots, some one of them robbing ten parishes of the tenth of all their yearly increase, and withdrawing from them God’s word, the food of their souls, and from the poor their daily sustenance, which ought to have their part in the tithes and other rents, when the preacher and other necessary ministers have out their parts, (a due and lawful stipend,) are not in Christ: for Christ neither so walked nor so taught.
[5 In D. the marginal note to this passage is, “They that be ene-]
[mies to the testament of Christ, and are teachers of man’s inventions,]
[are not in Christ.” The marginal note given above is that found in]
[the P. C. L. ed. Qu. ii. of causa xir contains no less than 75 capitula,]
[the 26th of which, or Concesso, professes to be an extract from a]
[rescript of pope Gelasius, Clero et ordini et plebi Brundusii; in which]
[he says, Reditus et oblationes fidelium in quatuor partes dividat]
[[antistes]; quarum unam episcopus sibi ipsi retineat; alteram clericis]
[pro officiorum suorum sedulitate distribuat; fabricis tertiam; quartam]
[pauperibus et peregrinis habeat fideliter erogandam; quarum rationem]
[divino est redditurus examini. The five next capitula are made up]
[of decrees or affirmations, by popes and others, to the effect.]
[Corp. Jur. Can. Decr. 2% pars, Thielman Kerver. 1516.)]
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old com-
mandment which ye had at the beginning: for an old command-
ment is the word which ye heard from the beginning.
I write no new precept, but only put you in remembrance — ^ of that old, which was taught you when you were first bap- ὁ tized in Christ, to love each other as he did you: which is an old commandment, and was given at the beginning of the — world, and hath ever since been written in the heart of al that put their hope in God. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which is true in him,
and also in you; for the darkness is past, and the true light now
shineth.
The devil hath sown his darkness in the field where this commandment should grow; and the weeds of men’s traditions had overgrown the corn of this old commandment; so that it was antiquate!, and clean out of knowledge. But Christ, the — light of all true doctrine, now shineth; and hath scattered the — darkness, and plucked up the weeds by the roots, and restored this old commandment again. And in him it is a true com- — mandment; for he loved truly. And in you it is a true commandment; for ye, for his sake, love one another truly also. And by the reason of this renewing it is called a new commandment, as it is now called a new learning, and may well so be; for it hath lain long in darkness, and that in such darkness, that many be shrined for holy saints, whose deeds and living (when thou lockest upon them, conferring them to the light of — this old doctrine, that now shineth again out of darkness) are abominable blasphemies to God’s doctrine, the which they have sworn to teach and follow? He that saith he is in the light, and yet hateth his brother, is in darkness.
For whosoever feeleth his own damnation under the law, and believeth in the mercy that is in Christ, the same cannot but love Christ, and his neighbour for hissake. And therefore he that hateth his brother for any offence done to him, the
[[^ So D. but in P. C. L. wazen old.] [2 Such is the conclusion of this paragraph in the P. C. L. edition;]
[but in Day’s edition a contemptuous account of Cardinal Wolsey’s death 1]
[has been substituted for it.]]
same seeth not what Christ hath done for him, but is in darkness still. He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is none offending in him.
Abideth in the light; that is, continueth in the knowledge of Christ. And there is none offending in him; that is, first, he will willingly do nothing, either in word or in deed, that shall offend his brother: for love wil not let him. And secondarily, if aught be done or said, that may be well done or said, he taketh it to the best, and is not offended. And thus ye see that the knowledge of Christ is cause of all goodness, and the ignorance of Christ cause of all evil. And so the doctrine of them is not false, which say that faith in Christ is root of all godly virtue, and the cause of keeping the commandments; and where faith is, thereto be no sin nor damnation; and that say unbelief to be the mother of all vice, and cause of breaking the commandments, and to keep men in sin and damnation only, as faith only looseth us thence. And he that hateth his brother is in darkness; and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth: for darkness hath blinded his eyes.
He that hateth his brother is in the ignorance of Christ… 1: and of his own sin, and without repentance and faith that his sins be forgiven him in Christ; and therefore is merciless unto his brother, whom Christ commandeth him to pity and love. And in that ignorance he walketh, that is, worketh evil, and loveth the things of the world, and seeketh in them the lusts of the flesh, which are the quenching of the Spirit and death of the soul, and for love of them hateth his brother. And this ignorance of Christ, which is unbelief, is the cause of all the wickedness that we do unto our brethren. I write unto you, little children, that your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, that ye know him that was from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, how that ye have overcome the wicked.
I write unto you, that are young in the faith and yet weak, and therefore fall now and then, how that your sins are forgiven you, as soon as ye repent and reconcile yourselves unto your brethren whom ye have offended, even for his
Name’s sake only, and not for our own deeds, whether afore 1j or after, or for any other man’s deeds or satisfaction, save for 1 his only. E I write unto you, that are fathers in the doctrine of God, Ἄ to teach other how that ye know him that was from the = beginning, and is no new thing, though he newly received our i nature. And through knowledge of him which is the only ἢ light, and the door unto the knowledge of God, ye are become 4 fathers in the seriptures. Or else ye had never understood it, though ye had studied never so much: as it appeareth by Ξ the indurate Jews, and also by our own! new Pharisees; which Li persecute the scripture, and the true sense thereof, because 1 they be drowned in the ignorance of Christ, as their deeds ἡ and contrary living well testify.! I write unto you, young men, that are strong in suffering persecutions, and fight for your profession, not with the sword, but with suffering, how that ye have overcome that wicked which poisoned the world at the beginning, and yet worketh i in the children of darkness and unbelief; and that in believing the word of truth, as it followeth anon after. i I write unto you, young children, how that ye know the Father. I write H unto you, fathers, how that ye know him that was from the beginning. y I write unto-you, young men, that ye be strong, and the word of God? dwelleth in you, and that ye have overcome the wicked. 2 I write unto you, young children, how that ye know the P Father, whom ye love through knowledge of the Son; or else?
but you had never known him asa Father, but as a judge and a ^ tyrant,and had hated him. I write unto you, fathers, as before, ^ how ye are fathers of all truth, in knowing the Son: or else ye had ever continued in darkness remediless. 1 I write unto you, young men, how that ye are strong,; and that your strength is the word of God, which dwelleth in t — your breast through faith, in which ye have overcome the i wicked devil, and all his pomps; as it followeth: “This is the x victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. If a man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in
the world, as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of good, are ποὺ of the Father, but are of the world. And the world
vanisheth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth ever.
The love of the world quencheth the love of God. Balaam, for the love of the world, closed his eyes at the clear light which he well saw. For love of the world the old Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Ghost, and persecuted the manifest truth, which they could not improve. For love of the world many are this day fallen away; and many which stood on the truth’s side, and defended it awhile, for love of the world have gotten them unto the contrary part, and are become the antichrist of Rome’s mamelukes, and are waxen the most wicked enemies unto the truth, and most cruel against it. They know the truth, but they love the world: and when they espied that the truth could not stand with the honours which they sought in the world, they hated it deadly, and both wittingly and willingly persecuted it, sinning against the Holy Ghost: which sin shall not escape here unpunished; as it shall not be without damnation in the world to come; but shall have an end here with confusion and shame, as had Judas Iscariot, the traitor3, By the lust of the flesh is understood lechery, which maketh a man altogether a swine; and by the lust of the eyes is understood covetousness, which is the root of all evil, and maketh to err from the faith. And then followeth pride: which three are the world, and captains over all other vices, and occasions of all mischief.
And if pride, covetousness, and lechery be the world, as St John saith, then turn your eyes unto the spiritualty, unto the Roman bishop, cardinals, bishops, abbots, and all other prelates, and see whether such dignities be not the world, and whether the way to them be not also the world! To get the old abbot’s treasure, I think it be the readiest way to be the new. How few come by promotion, except they buy it, or serve long for it, or both! To be skilled in war and in polling, to maintain war and lusts, and to be a good ambassador, is the only way to a bishoprick, or to pay truly for it. See whether pluralities, unions, totquots, and changing the less benefice and bishoprick for the greater (for the contrary change I trow was never seen), may be without covetousness and pride. And then, if such things be the world, and the world not of God,
[3 So P. C. L. ed., in D. there is another notice of Wolsey’s death.] 12 [TYNDALE, 11.]]
how is our spiritualty of God? If pride be seeking of glory, — and they that seek glory cannot believe, how can our spiritu- 1 alty believe in Christ? If covetousness turn men from the — faith, how are our spiritualty in the faith? If Christ, when F the devil proffered him the kingdoms of the world and the = glory thereof, refused them, as things impossible to stand with — his kingdom, which is not of the world; of whom are our spiritualty, which have received them? If covetousness bea — traitor, and taught Judas to sell his master; how should ΒΘ not in so long time teach our spiritualty the same craft?— namely when they be of all kings’ secrets, and the ambassadors of their secrets, and have thereto throughout all Christendom a secret council of their own, of the which never lay-man was partaker, and with which they turn the end of all appointments unto their own honour and profit? Covetousness hath taught them to bring in damnable sects, according unto the prophecy — of Peter, and to corrupt the scripture with false glosses, and t0 turn every good ordinance, that had a virtuous beginning, unto a vicious end. The promotions of the spiritualty corrupt it their minds, while they be yet in the shell and unhatched:. for they come thither but for covetousness, and to avoid the cross of Christ in the world; except them that be compelled of their friends, or be so simple that they mark not their falsehood beforehand. Who, knowing the truth and loving it, would put his head in the Romish bishop’s halter, that so muzzleth men’s mouths that they cannot open them to defend any truth at all? When temporal kings were in their high authority, then the general council repressed the enormities of the spiritualty. But since the antichrist of Rome, cardinals and bishops, were exalted, and the emperor and kings became their servants, they would suffer nought to be determined in their councils that should reform the world of their devilish pride, insatiable covetousness, and stinking lechery, which may stand with no godly virtue. But the world, which is not of God, shall at the last have an end with confusion; and they only abide that do the will of the Father, which will is, that we believe in the Son, and love one another. Let them therefore that have the world’s good (I might say the world’s god) use it, but not love it; that they may be ready to bestow 10 at the pleasure of God. And let them which have it not, desire it not, for it blindeth the eyes of the seeing; (Deut. xvi.):
but let them put their trust in God, which shall not fail them, nor leave them destitute of raiment and food, which Paul counselleth to be content with. The rich (as James saith) persecute the true believers, The rich will never stand forth openly for the word of God. If of ten thousand there spring one Nicodemus, it is a great thing. Little children, it is now the last hour: and as ye have heard that antichrist should come, even so now are many antichrists come already; whereby we know that it is the last hour. They went out of us, but were none of us; for had they been of us, they had continued with us. But that fortuned that it might appear, how they were not all of us.
Hour is here taken for time; the last hour is as much to say as the last time. Though the apostles might not know when the last day shall be, and how long the world should endure, yet this was shewed them, and us by them, that antichrist should first come; and not only come, but also prevail, and be received after a worldly manner, and reign over all; and set up a long continuing kingdom, with damnable sects and wonderful kinds of hypocrisy, that is to say, falsehood cloaked under a contrary pretence, as testifieth Paul and also Peter. Which antichrist began with the apostles, and sowed his doctrine among the doctrine of the apostles; preaching many things as the apostles did, and adding ever somewhat of his own, that the weeds might ever grow up together with the corn. Of which John gathered a sign, that the last day drew nigh; though he could not be sure how long it were thereto.
Antichrist is one of the first that seeth the light, and cometh and preacheth Christ awhile, and seeketh his glory in Christ’s gospel. But when he espieth that there will no glory cleave unto that preaching, then he getteth him to the contrary part, and professeth himself an open enemy, if he cannot disguise himself, and hide the angle of his poisoned heresy under a bait of true doctrine.
The apostles were clear-eyed, and espied antichrist at once, and put him to flight, and weeded out his doctrine quickly. But when charity waxed cold, and the preachers began to seek themselves, and to admit glory and honour of riches; then antichrist disguised himself after the fashion of a true apostle, and preached Christ wilily, bringing in now this
12—2
tradition, and now that, to darken the doctrine of Christ; and - of Set up innumerable ceremonies, and sacraments, and imagery, giving them significations at the first; but at the last, the significations laid apart, preached the work as an holy deed, to justify and to put away sin, and to save the soul, that men should put their trust in works, and in whatsoever was unto — his glory and profit; and under the name of Christ ministered Christ out of all together? and became head of the congregation himself. The bishop of Rome made a law of his own, to rule his church by, and put Christ’s out of the way. All the bishops and. swear unto the bishop of Rome, and all curates unto the: bishops; but all forswear Christ and his doctrine. But seeing John took a sign of the last day, that he saw antichrist begin, how nigh ought we to think that it is, which, after eight hundred years reigning in prosperity, see it decay again, and his falsehood to be disclosed, and him to be slain With the spirit of the mouth of Christ; that is, with that old doctrine that proceeded out of Christ’s mouth: for Paul saith, ”’ when antichrist is uttered?, then cometh the end. ^i But ye have anointing of that holy, and know all things. I write not unto you as though ye knew not the truth, but as unto them that ] know it, and know that no lie is of truth. Christ in the scripture is called The Holy; because he ——. only sanctifieth, and halloweth us. And he is called Christ, that is to say, anointed; because he anointeth our souls with the Holy Ghost, and with all the gifts of the same. Ye are not anointed with oil in your bodies, but with the Spirit of Christ in your souls: which Spirit teacheth you all truth in. Christ, and maketh you to judge what is a lie, and what truth, and to know Christ from antichrist. For except he taught your souls within, the pouring in of words at your ears were in vain. For they must be all taught of God: and the things of God no man knoweth, save the Spirit of God; and the carnal man knoweth not the things of the the Spirit of God; when contrary, the spiritual, that is anointed
[1 So D., but P. C. L. has mustered.] ( That is, so served Christ as to turn him out of the possession of X]
[every thing.] i m [? Made conspicuous. See Vol. 1. p. 12.] fi]
s with the Spirit, judgeth all “things. And therefore we are forbidden to call us any master upon earth; seeing we have t all one master now in heaven, which only teacheth us with his Spirit, though by the administration and office of a faithful preacher: which preacher yet cannot make his preaching spring in the heart, no more than a sower can make his corn grow, nor can say, ‘ This man shall receive the word, and this not;’ but soweth the word only, and committeth the growing to God, whose Spirit breatheth where he listeth, and maketh the ground of whose heart he lusteth fruitful, and chooseth whom he will at his own pleasure, and for no other cause known unto any man, Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is Christ? The same is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Forasmuch as antichrist and Christ are two contraries, and the study of antichrist is to quench the name of Christ, how can the Romish bishop and his sects be antichrist, when they all preach Christ?’ How was, say I again to thee, Pelagius, whose doctrine the bishop of Rome defendeth in the highest degree, antichrist, and all other heretics?” Verily, sir, the bishop of Rome seeketh himself, as all heretics did; and abuseth the name of Christ, to gather offerings, tithes and rents in his name, to bestow them unto his own honour and not Christ’s, and to bring the conscience of the people into captivity under him through superstitious fear, as though he had such authority given him of Christ. And every syllable, that hath a sound as though it made for his purpose, that he expoundeth falsely and fleshly; and therewith juggleth and bewitcheth the ears of the people, and maketh them his own possession, to believe what him listeth5, as though it made no matter to them whether he preached true or false, so they believe and do as he biddeth them, But all the texts that shew him to do his duty$, he putteth out of the way; and all the texts thereto, that set the consciences at liberty in Christ, and.prove our salvation to be in Christ only. And, with Pelagius, of he preacheth the justifying of works; which is the denying of age” [4 So P. C. L., in D. the word is wanting.]
[5 has lusteth.] [6 So but in shew his duty to do.]
. 182 EXPOSITION OF THE [cHmap. Christ. He preacheth a false binding and loosing with earconfession, which is not in the trust and confidence of Christ’s blood-shedding. He preacheth the false penance of deeds; not to tame the flesh that we sin no more, but to make satisfaction, and to redeem the sin that is past: which what ^ other can it be, save the denying of Christ, which is the only redemption of sin? He maketh of the works of the ceremonies, which were wont to be signs and remembrances of things to be believed or done, image-service unto God and his saints, which are spirits, to purchase with the merits of them whatsoever the blind soul imagineth; which all are the denying of Christ. For if thou wilt receive any anointing of grace or mercy any whence, save of him, he is no longer Christ unto thee. Christ is called Jesus, a Saviour; he is — ealled Christus, king anointed over all men, of whom they must hold, and whose benefit must all they have. He is called Emmanuel, God is with us: for he only maketh God our God, our strength, power, sword and shield, and shortly — our Father. He is called Sanctus, that is, holy, that halloweth, sanctifieth and blesseth all nations. And these be his names for ever, and be no names of hypocrisy: as we sometimes call him Thomas Curteis!, which is but a churl; and as we call them curates, which care for their parishes as the wolf for the flock; and them bishops, that are overseers, which will so oversee, that they will suffer nought to be prosperous save their own commonwealth; and as some call themselves dead, which live in all voluptuousness; and as some call themselves poor, without having any thing proper?, and yet live in all abundance; and as they shave and disguise themselves with garments and ornaments, to signify ever a contrary thing than that they be. is no Nay, Christ is no hypocrite, or disguised, that playeth a part in a play, and representeth a person, or state, which he is not; but is alway that his name signifieth, he is ever a Saviour, and ever anointeth? with grace, and ever maketh
[[ Archdeacon Todd in his edition of Johnson’s Dictionary]
[traces the word courteous to the gothic Kurteis, as its earliest known]
[form.] [2 That is, of their own: he alludes to the vow of mortification made]
[by all monastic orders; and that of poverty made by the mendicant friars. ] 3 [3 So D., but P. C. L. has anointed. ]]
God with us, and ever sanctifieth. Neither is there any other to save and sanetify from sin, or anoint with grace, or to set God at one with men. And these things, which his name signify, doth he ever unto all that have trust and confidence in his blood, as soon as they repent of the sin which they desire to be saved and sanctified from.
Now though the bishop of Rome and his sects give Christ these names, yet in that they rob him of the effect, and take the significations of his names unto themselves, and make of him but an hypocrite, as they themselves be, they be the right antichrists, and deny both the Father and Son. For they deny the witness that the Father bare unto his Son, and deprive the Son of all the power and glory that his Father gave him.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.
For no man knoweth the Father, but the Son, and to whom the Son sheweth him. Moreover, if thou know not the mercy that God hath shewed thee in Christ, thou canst not know him as a Father. Thou mayest well, besides Christ, know him as a tyrant. And thou mayest know him by his works, as the old philosophers did, that there is a God; but thou eanst neither believe in his mercy, nor love his laws, which is his only worship in the spirit, save by Christ. Let therefore abide in you that which ye heard at the beginning. If that which ye heard at the beginning shall remain in you, then shall ye continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, everlasting life.
If we abide in the old doctrine which the apostles taught,
and hearken to no new learning?; then abide we in the Son (for upon the Son build they us), and in the Father through confidence in the Son; and are heirs of everlasting life. These things have I written unto you, because of them that deceive you. And the anointing that ye received of him dwelleth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as that anointing teacheth you of all things, and is true, and is no lie, even as it hath taught you, so abide therein.
When a true preacher preacheth, the Spirit entereth the hearts of the elect, and maketh them feel the righteousness
[4 That is, apart from.] [5 In D. learning is omitted.]]
of the law of God, and by the law the poison of their corrupt nature; and thence leadeth them, through repentance, unto the mercy that is in Christ’s blood; and as an ointment healeth the body, even so the Spirit, through confidence and trust in Christ’s blood, healeth the soul, and maketh her love the law of God; and therefore is it called anointing or a ointment, and may well be signified by the oil of our sacrament. But outward oil can neither heal the soul, nor make her feel, save as a sign, or as a bush at a tavern door quencheth a man’s thirst, neither is it a thing to put trust in. Let us therefore follow the teaching of the Spirit; which we have received as (Paul saith) an earnest, to certify our hearts, and to make us feel the things of God, and not cleave unto the traditions of men; in which is no feeling, but that one saith so, and another thus, confirming their assertions with glorious persuasions of wisdom, but not after the wisdom of God: which reasons another denieth with contrary sophisms; and so riseth brawling about vain words, without certainty!. And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be made ashamed of him at his coming.
Here are two things to be marked: one, if we cleave unto Christ after the doctrine of the apostles, and as they built us upon him, we shall be bold and sure of ourselves at his coming; as a servant, which in his master’s absence doth only his master’s commandments, cannot be confounded at his coming home again. But and if we follow men’s doctrine, how can we be bold, yea, how should we not be ashamed with our teachers, unto whom he shall then? say (when they boast themselves how that they have been his vicars), K I know you not; depart from me, ye that have wrought wickedness, and under my name have brought in damnable sects, and have taught your disciples to believe in other things than in me.’ Now the sum of all that the apostles taught, and how they built us upon Christ, is the new Testament. But the bishop of Rome’s doctrine is not there found, but improved?. Confounded there-
[[! In Day, without all certainty.] So P. C. L., but D. then he should.] [ So D., but P. C. L. has founded, but even improved. The reader]
[will remember that by improved T. means reproved.]]
fore shall he be, which, witting and willing, shutteth his eyes at the true light, and openeth them to believe his lies.
Another thing is this: all the scripture maketh mention of the resurrection and coming again of Christ, and that all men, both they that go before, and they that come after, shall then receive their rewards together; and we are commanded to look every hour for that day. And what is done with the souls, from the departing of their bodies unto that day, doth the scripture make no mention; save only that they rest in the Lord, and in their faith. Wherefore he that determineth aught of the state of them that be departed, doth but teach the presumptuous imaginations of his own brain; neither can his doctrine be any article of our faith. What God doth with them is a secret laid up in the treasury of God: and we ought to be patient, being certified of the scripture, that they which die in the faith are at rest, and ought no more to search that secret, than to search the hour of the resurrection, which God hath put only in his own power. But this remember, that the whole nature of man is poisoned and infected with sin. And the whole life of sin must be mortified. Now the root of all sin, and first vice that? we were infect with, is, that we would be wise where God hath not taught us; as ye see how Eve would have been as God, in the knowledge of good and bad. And therefore hath God hid many things in his power; and commanded that we shall search none of his secrets further than he hath opened them in his scripture, to mortify this poison of all poisons, the desire to appear wise, and that we be ashamed to be ignorant in any thing at all. Wherefore they that violently make articles of the faith, without God’s word, are yet alive in the root of all sin and vice, and grow out of the devil, and not out of Christ. And their articles are of the blindness of the devil, and not of the light of Christ; for Christ’s light hath testimony of the scripture every where. If ye know that he is righteous, know that all that work righteousness are born of him.
Our nature is to work wickedness, and so blind thereto that it can see no righteousness. And then it followeth that
[4 8o P. C. L., but D. has their departing.] [ So P. C. L., but D. has and for now, and omits that.)]
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