A68831:188
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 now seeing that faith only letteth 1a man in unto rest, and unbelief excludeth him, what is the cause of this unbelief? verily no sin that the world seeth, but a Pope holiness, and a righteousness of their own imagination as Paul saith. Roma. x. They be ignorant of the righteousness wherewith God justifieth, and have set up a righteousness, of their own making thorough which they be disobedient unto the righteousness of God. And Christ rebuketh not the Pharisees for gross sins which the world saw, but for 2those holy deeds which so bleared the eyes of the world, that they were taken as Gods: even for long prayers, for fasting, for tithing so diligently that they left not so much as their herbs untithed, for their cleanness in washing before meat, and for washing of cups, dishes, and all manner vessels, for building the Prophets sepulchres, and for keeping the holy day, and for turning yt heathen unto the faith, & for giving of alms. For unto such holy deeds they ascribed righteousness, and 3therefore when the righteousness of GOD was preached unto them they could not but persecute it, the devil was so strong in them. Which thing Christ well describeth. Luke. xj. saying, That after the devil is cast out, he cometh again, and findeth his house swept, and made gay, and then taketh seven worse then him self and dwelleth therein, and so is the end of that man worse then the beginning. That is, when they be a little cleansed from gross sins which the world seeth, and then made gay in their own sight, with the righteousness of traditions, then cometh 4seven, that is to say the whole power of the devil: for vij. with the Hebrews signifieth a multitude without number, and the extremity of a thing, and is a speech borrowed (I suppose) out of Leviticus, where is so oft mention made of seven. Where I would say: I will punish thee, that all the world shall take an example of thee, there the Jew would say, I will Circumcise thee or 5Baptise thee seven times. And so here by seven is meant all the devils of hell, and all the might and power of the devil. For unto what further blindness could all the devils in hell bring them, then to make them believe that they were justified thorough their own good works?