A68831:674
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.
Nay say they, the scriptures is so hard that thou couldest never understand it but by the Doctors. That is, I must measure the mete yard by the cloth. Here be twenty clothes of divers lengths & of divers breadths. How shall I be sure of the length of the mete yard by them? I suppose rather I must be first sure of the length of the mete yard, and thereby measure, and judge the clothes. If I must first believe the Doctor, then is the Doctor first true, and the truth of the scripture dependeth of his truth, & so the truth of God springeth of the truth of man. Thus Antichrist turneth the roots of the trees upward. What is the cause that we damn 1some of Origenes works, and allow some? How know we that some is heresy, and some not? By the scripture I trow. How know we that Saint Augustine (which is the best or one of the best that ever wrote upon the Scripture) wrote many things amiss at the beginning, as many other Doctors 2do? Verily by the Scriptures, as he himself well perceived afterward when he looked more diligently upon them, and revoked many things again. He wrote of many things which he understood not when he was newly converted, ere he had throughly seen the Scriptures: and followed the opinions of Plato, and the common persuasions of mans wisdom, that were then famous.3
Nay say they, the scriptures is so harde that thou couldest neuer vnderstand it but by the Doctours. That is, I must measure the mete yarde by the cloth. Here be twenty clothes of diuers lengthes & of diuers bredthes. How shall I be sure of the length of the mete yarde by them? I suppose rather I must be first sure of the length of the mete yarde, and thereby measure, and iudge the clothes. If I must first beleue the Doctour, then is the Doctour first true, and the truth of the scripture dependeth of hys truth, & so the truth of God springeth of the truth of man. Thus Antechrist turneth the rotes of the trees vpwarde. What is the cause that we damne 1some of Origenes workes, and alowe some? How know we that some is heresy, and some not? By the scripture I trow. How know we that Saint Augustine (which is the best or one of the best that euer wrote vpon the Scripture) wrote many thynges amisse at the beginning, as many other Doctours