A68831:1180
The whole works of W. Tyndall, John Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs,…The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs,…
The whole works of W. Tyndall, John Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principal teachers of this Church of England collected and compiled in one tome together, being before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the praise of God, and profit of all good Christian readers.The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one tome togither, beyng before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.
London: printed by John Daye, 1573London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1573
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
These might much better have rejoiced 1to have been the true Church, and to have had the spirit of God, & that they could not have erred, then they whom all the world seeth, neither to keep Gods laws nor mans, nor yet that devils law of their own making. For God had made them of y• old testament as great promises, that he would be their God, and that his spirit and all grace should be with them, if they kept his laws, as he hath made to us. Now seeing they kept the uttermost jot of the law in the sight of the world and were faultless: and seeing thereto that God hath promised neither us nor them ought at all, but 2upon the profession of keeping his laws: whether were more like to be the right church and to be taught of the spirit of God, that they could not err, those Pharisees or ours? Might not the general councils of those, & the things there decreed without scripture, seem to be of as great authority as the general councils of ours, & the things there ordained and decreed both clean without & also against Gods word? Might not the ceremonies which those had added to the ceremonies of Moses, seem to be as holy and as well to please God, as the ceremonies of ours. The things which they added to the ceremonies of Moses, were of y• same kind as those ⟨p. 202⟩ceremonies were, and no more to be rebuked then the ceremonies of Moses. As for an ensample, if Moses bad wash a table or a dish, when an unclean worm had crept thereon, the Pharisees did wash the table with a were clout before every refection, least any unclean thing had touched them unawares to all men: as we put unto our tithes a mortuary for all forgotten tithes. What was then the wickedness 3of the Pharisees? verily the leaven of their glosses to y• moral laws, by which they corrupted the commandments, and made them no more Gods: and their false faith in the ceremonies that the bare work was a sacrifice and a service to God, the significations lost: and the opinion of false righteousness in their prayers, fastings, and almeso•edes, that such works did justify a man before God, and not that God forgiveth sin of his mere mercy, if a man believe, repent, and promise to do his uttermost to sin no more.