The Works of the English Reformers

WHEREIN THOU SHALT PERCEIVE WITH WHAT CHARITY THE CHANCELLOR OF WORCESTER BURNED, WHEN HE TOOK UP THE DEAD CARCASS, AND MADE ASHES OF IT AFTER IT WAS BURIED. 1535.

TO THE READER.

THOU shalt understand, most dear reader, that after William Tyndale was so Judasly betrayed by an Englishman, a scholar of Louvain, whose name is Phillips, there were certain things of his doing found, which he had intended to have put forth to the furtherance of God's word, among which was this Testament of M. Tracy, expounded by himself, whereunto was annexed the exposition of the same of John Frith's doing and own hand-writing, which I have caused to be put in print, to the intent that all the world should see how earnestly the Canonists and spiritual lawyers (which be the chief rulers under Bishops in

every diocese, in so much that in every Cathedral Church the Dean, Chancellor, and Archdeacon, are commonly Doctors or Bachelors of law) do endeavour themselves justly to judge, and spiritually to give sentence according to charity, upon all the acts and deeds done of their Diocesans, after the example of the Chancellor of Worcester, which after M. Tracy was buried (of pure zeal and love hardly), took up the dead carcass and burnt it. Wherefore he did it, it shall evidently appear to the reader in this little treatise: read it therefore, I beseech thee, and judge the spirits of our spiritualty, and pray that the Spirit of Him that raised up Christ, may once inhabit them, and mollify their hearts, and so illumine them, that they may both see and show true light, and no longer to resist God nor his truth. Amen.

THE TESTAMENT ITSELF.

IN the name of God, Amen. I William Tracy, of Todington, in the county of Gloucester, Esquire, make my Testament and last Will, as hereafter followeth.

First, and before all other thing, I commit me unto God, and to his mercy, trusting without any doubt or mistrust, that by his grace and the merits of Jesus Christ, and by the virtue of his passion, and of his resurrection, I have and shall have remission of my sins,

and resurrection of body and soul, according as it is written, (Job xix.) I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that in the last day I shall rise out of the earth, and in my flesh shall see my Saviour. This my hope is laid by in my bosom.

And as touching the wealth of my soul, the faith that I have taken and rehearsed, is sufficient (as I suppose) without any other man's work or works. My ground and my belief is, that there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, which is Jesus Christ. So that I do accept none in heaven nor in earth to be my mediator between me and God, but only Jesus Christ, all other be but petitioners in receiving of grace, but none able to give influence of grace. And therefore will I bestow no part of my goods for that intent, that any man should say or do to help my soul; for therein I trust only to the promise of God, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark, the last chapter.)

And touching the burying of my body, it availeth me not what be done thereto, wherein St. Augustine, De cura agenda pro mortuis, saith, that they are rather the solace of them that live, than the wealth or comfort of them that are departed; and therefore I remit it only to the discretion of mine executors.

And touching the distribution of my temporal goods, my purpose is, by the grace of God, to bestow them to be accepted as fruits of faith. So that I do not suppose that my merit be by good bestowing of them, but my merit is the faith of Jesus Christ only, by which faith such works are good, according to the words of our Lord, (Matt. xxv.) I was hungry, and thou gavest me to eat, and it followeth, that ye have done to the least of my brethren ye have done to me, &c. And ever we should consider the true sentence, that a good work maketh not a good man, but a good man maketh a good work, for faith maketh the man both good and righte

ous, for a righteous man liveth by faith. (Rom. i.) And whatsoever springeth not out of faith, is sin. (Rom. xiv.)

And all my temporal goods that I have not given, or delivered, or not given by writing of mine own hand, bearing the date of this present writing, I do leave and give to Margaret my wife, and to Richard my son, which I make mine executors. Witness this mine own hand, the 10th day of October, in the twenty-second year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth.

tion of God.

TYNDALE.

A descrip- NOW let us examine the parts of this Testament sentence by sentence. First, to commit ourselves to God, above all, is the first of all precepts, and the first stone in the foundation of our faith, that we believe and put our trust in one God, one all true, one almighty, all good, and all merciful, cleaving fast to his truth, might, mercy, and goodness, surely certified and fully persuaded, that he is our God, yea ours, and to us all true, without all falsehood and guile, and cannot fail in his promises. And to us almighty, that his will cannot be let to fulfil all the truth that he hath promised us. And to us all good, and all merciful, whatsoever we have done, and howsoever grievously we have trespassed, so that we come to him the way that he hath appointed, which way is Jesus Christ only, as we shall see followto his Fa ingly. This first clause, then, is the first commandment, or at the least, the first sentence in the first commandment, and the first article of our creed.

Jesus

Christ the only way

ther.

And that this trust and confidence in the mercy of God is through Jesus Christ, is the second article of our creed, confirmed and testified throughout all scripture. That Christ bringeth us into this grace, Paul proveth,

« Poprzednia Dalej »

Książki

The Works of the English Reformers: William Tyndale and John Frith, Tom 3