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,…

There is no care so righteous that can abide y• hearing of the law. There is no deed so good but that the law damneth it. But Christ, that is to say the Gospel, the promises and Testament that God hath made in Christ healeth the ear and conscience which the law hath hurt. The Gospel is life, mercy & forgiveness freely, and all together an healing plaster. And as Peter doth but hurt & make a wound where was none before: even so doth the law. For when we think that we are holy & righteous & full of good deeds if y• law be preached a right, our righteousness and good deeds vanish away, as smoke in the wind and we are left damnable sinners only. And as thou seest how that Christ healeth not till Peter had wounded, and as an healing plaster helpeth not till y• corrosive hath troubled the wound, even so the Gospel helpeth not, but when the law hath wounded the conscience and brought the sinner into the knowledge of his sin. This allegory proveth nothing neither can do. For it is not the Scripture, ¹but an example or a similitude borrowed of the Scripture to declare a text or a conclusion of the Scripture more expressly and to root it and grave it in the hart. For a similitude or an example doth print a thing much deeper in the wits of a man then doth a plain speaking and leaveth behind him as it were a sting to prick him forward and to awake him with all. Moreover if I could not prove with an open text ²that which the Allegory doth express, then were the Allegory a thing to be jested at and of no greater value then a tale of Robyn hood. This allegory as touching his first part is proved by Paul in the. iij. chap. of his Epistle to the Romans, where he saith. The law causeth wrath. And in the vij. chapter to the Romans. When the law or commandment came, sin revived, and I become dead. And in the ij. Epistle to the Cor. in the third chap. the law is called the minister of death and damnation. &c. And as concerning the second part Paul saith to the Rom. in the v. chap. In that we are justified by faith we are at peace with God. And in the ij. Epistle to the Corinthians in the. iij. The Gospel is called the ministration of justifying and of the spirit. And Gala. iiij. The spirit cometh by preaching ³