A68831:157
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.
And moreover, though sacrifices and 1ceremonies can be no ground, or foundation to build upon: that is, though we can prove nought with them: yet when we have once found out Christ and his mysteries, then we may borrow 2figures, that is to say allegories, similitudes, or examples to open Christ, and the secretes of God hid in Christ, even unto the quick, and to declare them more lively and sensibly with them, than with all the words of the world. For similitudes have more virtue & power with them then bare words, and lead a mans wits further into the pith and marye, and spiritual understanding of the thing, than all the words that can be imagined. And though also that all the ceremonies, & sacrifices have as it were a starlight of Christ, yet some there be that have as it were the light of the broad day, a little before the sun rising, and express him, and 3the circumstances and virtue of his death so plainly, as if we should play his passion on a scaffold; or in a stage play, openly before the eyes of the people. As the scape goat, the brazen Serpent, the Ox burnt without the host, the passover Lamb, &c. In so much that I am fully persuaded, and cannot 4but believe that God had showed Moses the secretes of Christ, and the very manner of his death before hand, and commanded him to ordain them for the confirmation of our faith, which are now in the clear day light, and I believe also that the prophets, which followed Moses to confirm his prophesies, and to maintain his doctrine until Christs coming, were moved by such things to search further of Christs secretes. And though God would 5not have the secrets of Christ generally known, save unto a few familiar friends, which in that infancy he made of mans wit to help the other babes: yet as they had a general promise that one of the seed of Abraham should come and bless them, even so they had a general faith, that God would by the same man save them, though they wist not by what means, as the very apostles when it was oft told them, ye they could never comprehend it, till it was fulfilled in deed.