A68831:192
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.
For Scripture teacheth, first repentance, 1then faith in Christ, that for his sake sin is forgiven to them that repent: then good works, which are nothing save the commandment of God only. And the commandments are nothing else, save the helping of our neighbours at their need, and the taming of our members, that they might be pure also, as the hart is pure thorough hate of vice and love of virtue, as Gods word teacheth us, which works must proceed out of the faith: that is, I must do them for the love 2which I have God, for that great mercy which he hath showed me in Christ, or else I do them not in the sight of God. And that I faint not in yt pain of the slaying of the sin that is in my flesh, mine help is the promise of the assistance of the power of God, and the comfort of the reward to come, which reward I ascribe unto the goodness, mercy, and truth, of the promiser, that hath chosen me, called me, taught me, & 3given me the earnest thereof, & not unto the merits of my doings, or sufferings. For all that I do and suffer, is but the way to the reward, and not the deserving thereof. As if the kings grace should promise to defend me at home in mine own realm, yet the way thither is thorough the Sea wherein I might haply suffer no little trouble. And yet for all that, if I might live in rest when I come thither, I would think, and so would other say, that my pains were well rewarded: which reward & benefit, I would not proudly ascribe unto the merits of 4my pains taking by the way: but unto the goodness, mercifulness and constant truth of the kings grace ⟨p. 19⟩whose gift it is, and to whom the praise and thank thereof belongeth of duty and right. So now a reward is a gift given freely of the goodness of the giver, and not of the deservings of the receiver. Thus it appeareth, that if I vow what soever it be, for any other 5purpose than to tame my members, and to be an ensample of virtue and edifying unto my neighbour, my sacrifice is unsavoury, and clean without salt & my lamp without oil, and I one of the foolish virgins, and shall be shut from yt feast of the bridegroom when I think my self most sure to enter in.