A68831:1276
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.
As before he rebuked their false intent in praying, that they sought praise and profit of that work which ought to be direct to God alone, ether to give him thanks, that is to say, to be a known and to confess in the hart, that all we have, cometh of him: or to call upon him for aid and succour in temptations and all necessity. Even so here he rebuketh a false kind of praying, 1wherein the tongue, and lips labour, and all the body is pained, but y• hart talketh not with God, nor feeleth any sweetness at all, nor hath any confidence in the promises of God: But trusteth in the multitude of words, and in the pain and tediousness of the length of the prayer, as a conjurer doth in his circles, Characters, and superstitious words of his conjuration. As ye see now to be among our Fryers, Monks, Canons and Nuns, and even throughout all the spirituality. Which (as I have proved above) have with their false intent of praying, excluded all occasions, and the whole matter of true prayer, & have turned it into a bodily labour, to vex the tongue, lips, eyes, and throat with roaring, and to weary all the members: so that they say (& may truly swear it) that there is no 2greater labour in the world, then prayer: for no labour whatsoever it be, when the body is compelled and the hart unwilling, can be other then grievous and painful. But true prayer 3(if they complained and sought help either for themselves or for their neighbours, and trusted in the promise of God) would so comfort the soul and courage y• hart, that the body (though it were half dead and more) would revive and be lusty again, and the labour would be short and easy (as for an ensample, if thou we•e so oppressed that thou were weary of thy life, and wenttest to the king for help, and haddest sped, thy spirits would so rejoice, that thy body would receive her strength again, and be as lusty as ever it was) even so the promises of God work joy above all measure, where they believed in the hart.
As before he rebuked their false entent in praying, that they sought praise and profite of that worke which ought to be direct to God alone, ether to geue him thākes, that is to say, to be a knowen and to confesse in the hart, that al we haue, commeth of hym: or to call vpon hym for ayde and succour in tēptations and all necessitie. Euen so here he rebuketh a false kynde of praying,