A68831:1606
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 so throughout all the Sacraments, ceremonies or signs (iij. words 1of one signification) there were significations unto them at the beginning. And so long as it was understand what was meant by them and they did but serve the people and preach one thing or an other unto them, they hurted not greatly, though that the free servant of Christ ought not to be brought violently into captivity under the bondage of traditions of men. As S. Augustine complaineth in his days, how that 2the condition and state of the Jews was more easy then the Christians under 3traditions: so sore had the tyranny of the shepherds invaded the flock all ready in those days. And then what just cause have we to complain our captivity now, unto whose yoke from ⟨p. 278⟩that time hitherto, even. xij. hundred years long, hath ever somewhat more weight been added to, for to keep us bound and to confirm us in blindness? howbeit, as long as the significations bode, they hurted not the soul, though they were painful unto the body. Nevertheless I impute this our 4grievous fall into so extreme and horrible blindness (wherein we are so deep and so deadly brought a sleep) unto no thing so much as unto the multitude of ceremonies. For as soon as the Prelates had set up such a rabble of ceremonies, they thought it superfluous to preach the plain text any longer and the law of God, faith of Christ, love toward our neighbour and the order of 5our justifying & salvation, for as much as all such things were played before the peoples faces daily in the ceremonies & every child wist the meaning: but got them unto allegories, feigning them every man after his own brain, without rule, all most on every syllable, and from thence unto disputing and wasting their brains about words, not attending the significations until 6at the last the lay people had lost the meaning of the ceremonies & the Prelates the understanding of the plain text, and of the Greek Latin and specially of the Hebrew which is most of need to be known, and of all phrases, the proper manner of speakings and borrowed speech of the Hebrews.