Editor's Preface xi
EDITOR'S PREFACE
This edition of Tyndale's "New Testament" has been undertaken at the request of the Council of the Royal Society of Literature, acting on a suggestion made in a letter by Mr Isaac Foot. He writes as follows:
Could not the commemoration of Tyndale be marked by the publication of the Testament of 1525 and his revised Testament of 1534 in parallel columns? If this were done, the ordinary reader would be able to appraise for himself something of our indebtedness to this great man, and, in the two versions, he would have before him the evidence of Tyndale's care and patience and diligent scholarship.
If this suggestion could be adopted by one of our learned societies. . .I think that the book would be welcomed by a large body of readers, and Bible students.*
Owing to various delays it was not possible to prepare such an edition in time for the actual anniversary of Tyndale, although the Society celebrated this by an interesting paper read at one of their meetings.'
However it has now been completed, but in a slightly different form to that proposed by Mr Foot.
When the question of reprinting was considered, it was found that the publication of an edition containing the parallel texts would be of unwieldy bulk, and also that the variations were not suflicient to warrant such a production. Moreover the earlier 1525 text was available both in a reprint of 18363 and in a beautiful volume prepared by Mr Francis Fry.4
Of the latter its editor writes: "This is a reproduction by means of tracing and lithography, of the only known [complete] copy of the first edition of Tyndale's New Testament, perhaps the most interesting book in our language. It contains 692 pages of close small type; is a faithful representa- ! The Times, October sth, 1936.
2 Royal Society of Literature, Essays by Divers Hands, New Series, vol. xv, London
1936: "The Life and Martyrdom of William Tyndale'', by the Rev. Alfred Thomas, M.A., F.R.S.L. (Read February roth, 1936.)
3 The / New Testament / of our / Lord and Saviour / Jesus Christ; / Published in 1526 /
Being the first translation / from the Greek into English / By that eminent Scholar and Martyr / William Tyndale / reprinted verbatim / with a memoir of his Life and Writings /
By / George Offor / Bagster / London / 1836 / 4 The First New Testament / printed in the English Language / (Worms. 1525) /
Translated by William Tyndale / Reproduced in Facsimile with an Introduction / By /
Francis Fry / Bristol / Printed for the Editor / 1862.
xiv Editor's Preface tion of the original; and will be valued not onlyas aversion, butas showing the state of the English Language, the style of printing, the orthography
(which is very irregular), the punctuation, the divisions of the words at the ends of the lines (even to a letter) and the contractions used."
The editor of the present volume has concentrated.on the production of an accurate reprint of the 1534 version of Tyndale's Testament, from a copy loaned by the British and Foreign Bible Society; and.offers herewith the first complete edition of this rare and four-hundred-year-old book. Although the actual text was reprinted with some inaccuracy in the English Hexapla,' the "Prologes" in the collection of Tyndale's
Works by the Parker Society? and the marginal notes in Fry's interesting A Bibliographical Description of the Editions of the New Testament3 here, for the first time, they have been gathered into one volume and made available to the general reader. The "Olde Testament Epistles" and "Table of Lessons" included in the volume by Tyndale, have never hitherto been reproduced.
The following method has been adopted by the editor in preparing this volume in order to obtain as great an accuracy as is possible. The Cambridge University Press undertook the printing of the first proofs from the text as given in the Hexapla. These were compared letter by letter with the 1534 edition belonging to the Bible Society, and the marginal notes and references added, the "Prologes" being also carefully transcribed from the volume. The sheets were then returned to the Press; and to the second proof were added at the base of the page the variants in phrase (but not in punctuation) between this edition and that of 1525.
* The English Hexapla / exhibiting the / Six Important English Translations / of the New Testament Scriptures / Wiclif. m.ccc.txxx. / Tyndale. M.p.xxxrv. / Cranmer.
M.D.XxxIx. / Genevan. M.D.Lvu. / Anglo-Rhemish. M.p.txxxu. / Authorised. M.Dc.x1. /
The Original Greek Text after Scholz / Preceded by / An Historical Account of the English / Translations / Bagster / London / M.pccc.xu. /
* Doctrinal Treatises / and Introductions / to different portions of the / Holy Scripture / by /
William Tyndale, martyr / 1536. / Edited for the Parker Society / by/ the Rev.
Henry Walker, B.D., F.R.S. / Cambridge / Printed at the University Press / 1848. /
3 A Bibliographical Description / of the Editions of the New Testament / Tyndale's
Version in English / Illustrated with seventy-three plates etc / By / Francis Fry / London /
MDCCCLXXvIul. /
Editor's Preface XV Thus it is now possible for any reader who so desires, to substitute the earlier wording in any passage of the book. These variants have also been checked letter by letter with the reprint by Fry mentioned above, loaned to the Society by its owner Mr Isaac Foot.
In order to clarify the text, three alterations have been made in the details of the 1534 edition. Firstly, the marginal references and notes which in the Tyndale volume are printed together on one side of the page, have been transferred, the former to the leftand the latter to the -right-hand side of each page.
Secondly, the contractions have been removed throughout. Thirdly, the modern "s"' has been substituted for the long "{"' used by the printer. No attempt has been made to alter the spelling, punctuation, chaotic orthography of place names (especially in the Acts); or to correct obvious misprints, although these have been marked + and listed in an appendix.
Owing to reasons of space, it was impossible to follow the pagination of the original, but the folios have been marked where they occur, and the "Prologes'' correctly inserted.
One of the interesting features of the 1534 edition is the collection of twenty-two woodcuts illustrating the "Book of Revelation".
Several of these may be compared with Diirer's famous series of 1498. Photoeraphs of them by the editor have been reproduced in a special and limited edition of this volume.
A short description of the two volumes used as a basis for this edition may not be out of place.
The 1525 Testament is a beautiful book, printed on white vellum, 8vo in size, and bound in dark blue. In this particular copy the various initial letters and the headings of the chapters are illuminated in red and blue, while several books of the Testament have a miniature at their openings, also executed in colour. No title-page has survived and the volume opens at once with "The Gospell of S. Mathew". There are 353 folios and no marginal notes nor references. An address "'To the Reder"' is given as a colophon, and has been reprinted in this volume as an appendix.
The 1534 volume is smaller, and forms a fat little book bound in dark brown leather. Its size is small 8vo. Like the earlier edition it is printed
xvi Editor's Preface in black-letter, and although in a far less beautiful type, is more accurate in punctuation, and less confusing to read as it avoids the joining of words common in the 1525 version. It also contains various elaborate initial letters and miniatures at the commencement of the books. These with the two title-pages are illustrated in the Bibliographical Description by Fry. It has
410 folios and the marginal notes and references are placed outside a line down each page. The woodcuts which illustrate the "Book of Revelation" have already been mentioned, and the whole volume has survived in a wonderful state of preservation.
The following annotations may be of interest to the reader:
The variants which occur in the two editions are sometimes remarkable, and the most important have been grouped together at the end of this volume in an appendix. d The order of the books is not that of the Authorised Version. Tyndale places ""The Fyrst Epistle of S. Peter the Apostle" after "The Pistle of S. Paul vnto Philemon", "Hebrues" following after the "III. Pistle of S. Iohn"'.
He rearranges the verses in these Chapters:
The first line of Mat. xxii is added to the last line of Mat. xxi.
Mar. ix begins " And after six dayes" which opens the second verse of Chap. ix in the Authorised Version.
John viii. The 1525 and 1534 versions omit "going through the midst of them, and so passed by"'. This is given by the Authorised but not by the Revised Version.
Acts vii adds: "'For they wote not what they do" to verse lx. These words are absent from the Authorised and Revised Versions.
The first verse of I Cor. xi is added to the end of I Cor. x.
The last two verses of II Cor. i are given as the opening of II Cor. ii.
The last three verses of II Cor. xi are added to the beginning of Tl: Cory xii:
The first verse of Colos. iv is added to Colos. iii.
In the 1534 text the last three verses of Heb. iv are added to the beginning of Heb. v.
Editor's Preface xvii Chapter iii of II Peter is headed Chapter iiii.
The first verse of Rev. xiii is added to Chap. xii.
In the preface "" Willyam Tindale, yet once more to the christen reader"
(page 15) the translator's strictures on George Ioye should be noted.
In "A Prologe to the Epistle of Paule to the Romayns" there is the following strange invocation at the head of Folio ccv (page 2096):
"O holy saynte prosperus, how mightely with the scripture of Paul, dydest thou confounde this heresye, aboute (I trowe) a twelue hondred yeares a goo, or therapon."" This would appear to refer to Prosper of Aquitaine (c. 390-c. 465).
Tyndale's marginal notes are not of great interest, and are for the most part expositions of phrases in the text. They are sometimes unnecessary, as when he annotates the sentence: "Rachel wepynge for her chyldren, and wolde not be conforted, because they were not'! by " Were not: that is, because they appered no where": and occasionally satirical, as when on the passage "We beseche you brethren that ye encreace more and more, and that ye studye to be quyet, and to medle with youre awne busynes, and to worke with youre awne hondes, as we commaunded Henan he writes: ""A good lesson for monkes and ydle freers."
In his "Preface'' he attacks the Papacy in such words as:
Moreover, because the kyngedome of heaven, which is the scripture and worde of God, maye be so locked vp, that he which readeth or heareth it, cannot vnderstonde it: as Christ testifieth how that the Scribes and Pharises had so shut it vp... that their Iewes which thought them selves within, were yet so locked out, and are to this daye that they can vnderstonde no sentence of the scripture vnto their salvacion, though they can reherse the textes every where and dispute therof as sottelye as the popyshe doctoures of dunces darcke learninge, which with their sophistrye, sarved vs, as the Pharises dyd the Iewes;3 and in his "Prologes" does so even more strongly, as for example:4
And therforein the seconde he [Peter] warneth them of false teachers that shuld come, and thorow preachinge confidence in false workes to satisfye their couetousnes with all, shuld denye Christ. Which he threateneth with thre terrible exsamples...and so describeth them with their insaciable couetousnes, pryde,
* Mat. ii, page 28.
7 I Tess. iv, page 430.
3 Page 3.
4 Pro. to II Pet. page 477.
XVili Editor's Preface stouborne and dysobedience to all temporall rule and auctoryte, with their abominable whordome and ypocresie that a blinde man maye se that he prophisied it ofthe popes holye spiritualtie which deuoured thewhole worlde with their coueteousnes lyuinge in all lust and pleasure and rayninge as temporall tyrantes.
It may be noticed that Tyndale consistently substitutes "elders" and "saluacion"' in the 1534 text for ""seniours" and "helth"' in the 1525.
Attention may also be called to three passages where the translation is of interest. Firstly, in both versions the " Areopagus"' of the Authorised text becomes "'Marsestrete". Secondly, in the famous Chapter of Corinthians, Tyndale uses the word "love" instead of the Authorised "charity"
(the Vulgate has "charitas"'). Thirdly, in the sixth chapter of Revelation, he follows the Greek "chloros" and translates "a green" horse while the Authorised has "pale'' and the Vulgate "pallidus". é A note may here be added on the "Table of Misprints"' in the appendix.
This is not a glossary nor an attempt to correct the irregular spelling of the text, but merely to call attention to the more obvious errors in typography.
In conclusion the editor would like to express his sincere thanks to the Society, to its Secretaries, Miss Rudston Brown and Mr St John Pulley for all their assistance, to Mr Isaac Foot and the Bible Society for the loans of the volumes on which this edition is founded, to the Cambridge
University Press, and particularly to Miss Joan Bailey whose patience in comparing and reading the proofs with me has made possible such accuracy as the edition may possess.
N. HARDY WALLIS
LONDON 1938
Che Newe Cestament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke By Wieipiveayvenw Lo N DeA LE:
-and fynesshed in the yere of oure Lorde God.
ABEL DoS XX XIII.
in the moneth of Nouember.
Wolo LOO DME READER Here thou hast (moost deare reader) the new Testament or covenaunt made wyth vs of God in Christes bloude. Which I have looked over agayne (now at the last) with all dylygence, and compared it vnto the Greke, and have weded oute of it many fautes, which lacke of helpe at the begynninge and oversyght,
(s) dyd sowe therin. If ought seme chaunged, or not all to gether agreynge with the Greke, let the fynder of the faute consider the Hebrue Phrase or maner of speche lefte in the Greke wordes. Whose preterperfectence and presenttence is ofte both one, and the futuretence is the optative mode also, and the futuretence is ofte the imperatyve mode in the actyve voyce, and in the passyve ever. Lyke- (10) wyse person for person, nombre for nombre, and an interrogacion for a condicionall, and soche lyke is with the Hebrues a comen vsage.
I have also in manye places set lyght in the mergent to vnderstonde the text by. Ifanye man fynde fautes ether with the translacion or ought besyde (which is easyer for manye to do, then so well to have translated it them selves of their
(1s) awne pregnant wyttes, at the begynnynge withoute forensample) to the same it shalbe law full to translate it themselves and to put what they lust therto. IfI shall perceave ether by my selfe or by the informacion of other, that ought be escaped me, or myght be more playnlye translated, I will shortlye after, cause it to be mended. Howbeit in manye places, me thynketh it better to put a (20) declaracyon in the margent, then to runne to farre from the text. And in manye places, where the text semeth at the fyrst choppe harde to be vnderstonde, yet the circumstances before and after, and often readinge together, maketh it playne ynough etc.
Moreover, because the kyngedome of heaven, which is the scripture and (2s) worde of God, maye be so locked vp, that he which readeth or heareth it, cannot vnderstonde it: as Christ testifieth how that the Scribes and Pharises had so shut it vp. Mat. xxiii. and had taken awaye the keye of knowledge.
Luke. xi. that their lewes which thought them selves within, were yet so locked out, and are to this daye that they can vnderstonde no sentence of the scripture
(30) vito their salvacion, though they can reherse the textes every where and dispute therof as sottelye as the popyshe doctoures of dunces darcke learninge, which with their sophistrye, sarved vs, as the Pharises dyd the Iewes. Therfore (that I myght be founde faythfull to my father and lorde in distributinge vnto my brethren and felowes of one fayth, their due and necessarye fode: so dressinge
(35) it and ceasoninge it, that the weake stomackes maye receave it also, and be the
I-2
W. T. to the Reader better for it) I thoughte it my dutye (most deare reader) to warne the before, and to shew the the right waye in, and to geve the the true keye to open it with all, and to arme the agaynst false Prophetes and malicious ypocrytes, whose perpetuall stodye is to leven the scripture with gloses, and there to locke it vp
(s) where it shuld save thy soule, and to make vs shote at a wronge marke, to put oure trust in those thinges that proffit their belyes onlye and slee oure soules.
The ryght The ryght waye: ye and the onlye waye to vnderstonde the scripture vnto ee the! oure salvacion, is, that we ernestlye and aboue all thinge, serche for the profession of oure baptyme or covenauntes made betwene God and vs. As for an (10) ensample: Christ sayth Mat. v. Happie are the mercifull, for they shall obtayne mercie. Loo, Here God hath made a covenaunt with vs, to be mercifull vnto vs, yf we wilbe mercifull one to another: so that the man which sheweth mercie vnto his neyboure, maye be bolde to trust in God for mercie at all nedes. And contrarye wyse, indgementt without mercie, shalbe to him that sheweth not (1s)mercye. Iaco ii. So now, yf he that sheweth no mercie, trust in God for mercie, his fayth is carnall and worldlye, and but vayne presumpcion. For God hath promysed mercie onlye to the mercifull. And therfore the mercilesse have no Godes worde that they shall have mercie: but contrarye wyse, that they shall have iudgement without mercie. And Mat. vi. If ye shall forgeve men their
(20) fautes, youre hevenly father shall forgeve you: but and yf ye shall not forgeve men their fautes, no more shall youre father forgeve you youre fautes. Here also by the vertue and strength of this covenaunt wher with God of his mercie hath bounde him selfe to vs vnworthie, maye he that forgeveth his neyboure, be bolde when he returneth and amendeth to beleve and trust in god for remis- (2s) sion of what soever he hath done amysse. And contrarye wyse, he that will not forgeve, cannot but dispeare of forgevenes in the ende, and feare iudgement without mercie.
The generall covenaunt wherin all other are comprehended and included, is this. If we meke oure selves to god, to kepe all his lawes, after the ensample
(30) of Christ: then God hath bounde him selfe vnto vs to kepe and make good all the mercies promysed in Christ, thorowout all the scripture.
Lawe.
All the wholelawe which was geven to vtter oure corrupt nature, is comprehended in the ten commaundementes. And the ten commaundementes are comprehended in these two: love God and thy neyboure. And he that loveth
(3s) his neyboure in God and Christ, fulfilleth these two, and consequentlye the ten, and finally all the other. Now if we love oure neyboures in God and Christ: that is to wete, if we be lovinge, kynde and mercifull to them, because God hath created them vnto his lykenes, and Christ hath redemed them and bought them
W. T. to the Reader with his bloude, then maye we be bolde to trust in God thorow Christ and his deservinge, for all mercie. For God hath promysed and bounde him selfe to vs: to shew vs all mercie, and to be a father almighty to vs, so that we shall not nede to feare the power of all oure adversaryes.
(s) Now yf anye man that submitteth not him selfe to kepe the commaundementes, do thinke that he hath anye fayth in God: the same mannes fayth is vayne, worldlye, damnable, develishe and playne presumpcion, as it is above sayde, and is no fayth that can iustifie or be accepted before God. And that is it that lames
| meaneth in his Pistle. For how can a man beleve sayth Paul, without a preacher.
(to) Ro. x. Now reade all the scripture and se where God sent anye to preache mercye to anye, save vnto them onlye that repent and turne to god with all their hartes, to kepe his commaundementes. Vnto the disobedient that will not turne, is threatened wrath, vengeaunce and damnacion, accordinge to all the terrible curses and fearfull ensamples of the Byble.
(ts) Fayth now in God the father thorow oure Lorde Iesus Christ, accordinge to the covenauntes and apoyntement made betwene God and vs, is oure salvacion.
Wherfore I have ever noted the covenauntes in the mergentes, and also the promises. Moreover where thou findest a promyse and no covenaunt expressed there with, there must thou vnderstonde a covenaunt. For all the promyses of (20) the mercie and grace that Christ hath purchased for vs, are made vpon the condicion that we kepe the lawe. As for an ensample: when the scripture sayth.
Mat. xii. Axe and it shalbe geven you: seke and ye shall fynde: knocke and it shal be opened vnto you. It is to be vnderstonde, if that when thy neyboure axeth, seketh or knocketh to the, thou then shew him the same mercie which (2s) thou desyrest of god, then hath god bounde him selfe to helpe the agayne, and else not.
Also ye se that two thinges are requyred to begina Christen man. The fyrst is a stedfast fayth and trust in almightie God, to obtayne all the mercie that he hath promysed vs, thorow the deservinge and merites of Christes bloude onlye,
30) withoute all respect to oure awne workes. And the other is, that we forsake evell and turne to God, to kepe his lawes and to fyght agaynst oure selves and oure corrupte nature perpetuallye, that we maye do the will of god every daye better and better.
» This have I sayde (most deare reader) to warne the, least thou shuldest be (3s) deceaved, and shuldest not onlye reade the scriptures in vayne and to no profit, but also vnto thy greater damnacion. For the nature of Gods worde is, that whosoever reade it or heare it reasoned and disputed before him, it will begynne ymmediatlye to make him every daye better and better, till he be growen into
W. T. to the Reader a perfect man in the knowledge of Christ and love of the lawe of God: or alset make him worse and worse, till he be hardened that he openly resist the sprite of God, and then blaspheme, after the ensample of Pharao, Coza, Abiron,
Balam, Iudas, Symon Magus and soche other.
(s) This to be even so, the wordes of Christ Ioh. iii. do well confyrme. This is condempnacion sayth he, the lyght is come into the worlde, but the men loved darcknes more then light for their dedes were evell. Beholde, when the light of Godes worde cometh to a man, whether he reade it or here it preached and testified, and he yet have no love-thereto, to fassion his lyfe thereafter, but (10) consenteth still vnto his olde dedes of ignoraunce: then beginneth his iust damnacion ymmediatlye, and he is henceforth withontt excuse: in that he refused mercie offered him. For God offereth him mercie vpon the condycion that he will mende his livinge: but he will not come vnder the covenaunt. And from that houre forwarde he waxeth worse and worse, God takinge his sprite
(1s) of mercye and grace from him for his vnthankfulnes sake.
And Paul wryteth. Ro. i. that the hethen because when they knew god, they had no lust to honoure him with godly lyvinge, therfore god powred his wrath vpon them, and toke his spirite from them and gave them vp vnto their hertes lustes to serve sinne, from iniquite to iniquitie tyll they were thorow herdened
(20) and past repentaunce.
And Pharao, because when the worde of god was in his contre and gods people scattered thorow out all his land, and yet nether loved them or it: therfore god gave him vp, and in takynge his spirite of grace from him so hardened his herte with covetousnes, that afterward no myracle coulde convert him.
(2s) Here to pertayneth the parable of the talentes. Mat. xxv. The Lorde commaundeth the talent to be taken awaye from the evell and slouthfull servaunt and to binde him hand and fote and to cast him into vtter darcknes, and to geve the talent vnto him that had ten, sayenge: to all that have, moare shalbe geven.
But from him that hath not, that he hath shalbe taken from him. That is to saye,
(30) he that hath a good harte toward the worde of God, and a set purpose to fassion his dedes thereafter and to garnishe it with Godly lyvinge and to testifie it to other, the same shall increase more and more dayly in the grace of Christ. But he that loveth it not, to lyve therafter and to edifie other, thesame shall loose the grace of true knowledge and be blinded agayne and every daye waxe
(3s) worsse and worsse and blinder and blinder, till he be an vtter enemye of the worde of God, andhisharte so hardened, that it shalbe impossible to convert him.
And Luk. xii. The servaunt that knoweth his masters will and prepareth not him selfe, shalbe beaten with many stripes: that is, shall have greater damna-
W. T. to the Reader cion. And Matt. vii. all that here the worde of God and do not therafter bylde on sande: that is, as the foundacion layed on sande cannot resist violence of water, but is vnderminded and over throwen, even so the fayth of them that have no lust ner love to the lawe of god buylde vpon the sande of their awne
(5) ymaginacions, and not on the rocke of godes worde accordinge to his covenauntes, turneth to desperacion in tyme of tribulacion and when god cometh to iudge.
And the vyneyard Matt. xxi. planted and hyred oute to the husbandmen that wolde not render to the Lorde, of the frute in due tyme, and therfore was taken
'|(10) from them and hyred oute to other, doth confirme the same. For Christ sayth to the Iewes, the kyngdome of heven shal be taken from you and geven to a nacion that will bringe forth the frutes therof, as it is come to passe. For the Tewes haue lost the spirituall knowledge of god and of his commaundementes and also of all the scripture, so that they can vnderstonde nothynge godlye.
(ts) And the dore is so locked vp that all their knockynge is in vayne, though 'manye of them take great payne for godes sake. And luke. xiii. the fygge tree that beareth no frute is commaunded to be plucked vp
And finally, hereto pertayneth with infinite other, the terrible parable of the vncleauet spirite (Luke. xi.) which after he is cast oute, when he cometh and (20) fyndeth his house swepte and garnyshed, taketh to him seuen worsse then him selfe, and cometh and entereth in and dwelleth there, and so is the ende of the man worsethen the begynnynge. The Iewes, they had clensed them selves with gods worde, from all outward ydolatrye and worshippinge of ydoles. But their hertes remayned still faythlesse to godwarde and towarde his mercie and truthe
(2s) and therfore without loue also and lust to his lawe, and to their neyboures for his sake, and thorow false trust in their awne works (to which heresie, the childe of perdicion, the wycked bysshope of Rome with his lawyers hath brought vs christen) were more abhominable ydolaters then before, and becometen tymes worse in the ende then at the begynnynge. For the fyrst ydolatre was sone
(30) spyed and easie to be rebuked of the prophetes by the scripture. But the later is more sotle to begyle withall, and an hundred tymes of more dyfficulte to be weded oute of mennes hertes.
This also is a conclusion, nothynge more certayne, or more proued by the testimonye and ensamples of the scripture: that if anye that fauoureth the worde
(35) of God, be so weke thathe cannot chast his fleshe, him will the lorde chastice and scourge euery daye sharper and sharper, with trybulacyon and mysfortune, that nothynge shall prospere withhim but all shall go agaynst him, whatsoever he taketh in hande, and shall vysit him with pouertie, with sycknesses and
W. T. to the Reader deseases, and shall plage him with plage vpon plage, eche more lothsome, terryble and fearfull then other, tyll he be at vtter defyaunce with his fleshe.
Let vs therfore that have now at this tyme oure eyes opened agayne thorow the tender mercie of God, kepe it meane. Let vs so put oure trust in the mercy
(s) of god thorow christ, that we knowe it pure dutie to kepe the lawe of God and to loue oure neyboures for their fathers sake which created them and for their lordes sake which redemed them, and bought them so derly with his bloude
Let vs walke in the feare of God, and have oure eyes open vnto both partes of Godes couenauntes, certified that none shalbe partaker of the mercie, saue he
(ro) that will fyght agynst the flesshe, to kepe the lawe. And let vs arme oure selues with this remembraunce, that as christes workes iustifie from synne and set vs in the fauoure of god, so oure awne dedes thorow workynge of the spirite of God, helpe vs to contynew in the fauoure and the grace, into which christ hath brought vs, and that we can no lenger contynew in fauoure and grace then oure
(ts) hertes are to kepe the lawe.
Furthermore concernynge the lawe of God, this is a generall conclusion, that the whole lawe, whether theybe ceremonies, sacrifices, ye or sacramentes ether, or preceptes of equitie betwene man and man thorowout all degrees of the worlde, all were geuen for oure proffyt and necessyte onlye, and not for anye nede that (20) God hath of oure kepynge them, or that his ioye is encreased therby or that the dede, for the dede it selfe doth please him That is all that God requyreth of vs
Loue is the] | When we be at one with him and do put oure trust in him and loue him, is that fullinge of) we loue euery man his neyboure to pitie him and to have compassyon on him in all his nedes and to be mercifull vnto him.:This to be euen so, christ testifieth.
(25) Mat. vii. sayenge: this is the lawe and the prophets. That is, to do as thou woldest be done to (accordynge I meane to the doctryne of the scripture) and not to do that thou woldest not haue done to the, is all that the lawe requyreth and the Prophetes. And Paule to the Roma. xiii. affyrmeth also the loue is the fullfyllinge of the lawe, and that he which loueth, doth of his awne accorde all that (30) the lawe requyreth. And. i. Timo. i. Paul sayth that the loue of a pure herte and good conscience and fayth vnfayned is the ende and fullfillynge of the lawe. For fayth vnfayned in christs bloude causeth to loue for christes sake. Which loue is the pure loue onlye and the onlye cause of a good conscience. For then is the conscyence pure, when the eye loketh to christ in all hir dedes, to do them
(3s) for his sake and not for hir awne synguler aduauntage or anye other wycked purpose. And hon both in his gospell and also pistles, speketh neuer of anie other lawe then to loue one another purely, affyrmynge that we haue God him selfe dwellynge in vs and all that God desyreth, if we loue one the other.
W. T. to the Reader Seinge then that fayth to God and loue and mercifullnes to oure neyboures, is all that the lawe requyreath, therfore of necessite the lawe must be vnderstonde and interprete by them. So that all inferiour lawes are to be kept and obserued as longe as they be seruauntes to fayth and loue: and then to be broken
(s) ymedyatlye, if thorow anye occasyon, they hurte ether the fayth which we shuld have to godward in the confidence of christes bloude or the loue which we owe to oure neyboures for Christes sake.
And therfore when the blinde pharises murmured and grudged at him and his desciples, that they brake the saboth daye and tradycions of the elders, and (10) that he him selfe dyd eate with publicans and synners, he answereth. Mat. ix. allegynge Esaias the prophet: go rather and learne what this meaneth, I requyer mercie and not sacrifyce. And Mat. xii. Oh that ye wyst what this meaneth, I requyer mercie and not sacrifyce. For onlyeloueand mercifullnes vnderstondeth the lawe, and else nothinge. And he that hath not that written in his harte, shall
(ts) neuer vnderstonde the lawe, no: though all the angells of heuen wentaboute to teache him. And he that hath that grauen in his harte, shall not only vnderstonde the lawe but also shall do of his awne inclinacion all that is required of the lawe, though neuer lawe had been geven: as all mothers do of them selves without lawe vnto their children, all that can be requyred by anye lawe, loue
(20) ouercomynge all payne, greffe, tedyousnesse or lothsomnes: and euen so no doute if we had contynewed in oure fyrst state of innocencie, we shuld euer haue fullfilled the lawe, without compulsion of the lawe
And because the lawe (which is a doctryne thorow teachynge euery man his dutye, doth vtter oure corrupt nature) is sufficiently described by Moses, ther- (2s) fore is lytle mencion made therof in the new testament, save of love only wherin all the lawe is included, as seldome mencion is made of the new testament in the olde lawe, save here and there are promyses made vnto them, that Christ shuld come and blesse them and delyuer them, and that the gospell and new testament shuld be preached and publysshed vnto all nacions.
(30) The gospell is glad tydynges of mercie and grace and that oure corrupt nature shalbe healed agayne for christes sake and for the merites of his deseruinges onlye: Yet on the condicion that we will turne to God, to lerne to kepe his lawes spiritually, that is to saye, of loue for his sake, and wyll also soffre the curynge of oure infirmyties.
(3s) The new testament is as moche to saye as a new couenaunt. The olde testament is an olde temporall couenaunt made betwene God and the carnall children of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob other wise called Israel, vpon the dedes and the obseruynge of a temporall lawe. Where the rewarde of the kepynge is
W. T. to the Reader temporall lyfe and prosperyte in the lande of Chanaan, and the breakynge is rewarded with temporall deeth and punyshment. But the new testament is an euerlastynge couenaunt made vnto the children of God thorow fayth in christ, vpon the deservynges of christ. Where eternall lyfe is promysed to all that (s) beleve, and death to all that are vnbeleuynge. My dedes if I kepe the lawe are rewarded with the temporall promyses of this lyfe. But if I beleue in christ, christes dedes haue purchased for me the eternall promyse of the euerlastynge lyfe. If1 commyt nothynge worthye of deeth, I deserue to my rewarde that no man kyll me: if I hurte no man I am worthye that no man hurte me. If I helpe
(10) my neyboure, I am worthie that he helpe me agayne. etc. So that with outward dedes with which I serue other men, I deserue that other men do lyke to me in this worlde: and they extende no further. But christes dedes extende to lyfe euerlastynge vnto all that beleue etc. This be soffycient in this place concernynge the lawe and the gospell, new testament and olde: so that as there is but one
(ts)God, one christ, one fayth and one baptime, euen so thou understonde that there is but one gospell, though manye wryte it and manye preache it. For all preache thesame Christ and brynge thesame glad tydynges. And therto paules pistles with the gospell of Iohn and his fyrst epistle and the fyrst epistle of saynt peter, are most pure gospell and moost playnlye and rychlye described the (20) glorye of the grace of christ: Yf ye requyer more of the lawe, seke in the prologe to the romayns and in other places where it is sofficientlye intreated of.
Repentaunce.
Concernynge this worde repentaunce or (as they vsed) penaunce, the hebrue hath in the olde testament generally (Sob) turne or be conuerted. For which the translacion that we take for saynt Ieromes hath most parte (conuerti) to (2s) turne or be conuerted, and some tyme yet (agere penitenciam) And the greke in the new testament hath perpetually (Metanoeo) to turne in the heart and mynde, and to come to the ryght knowledge, and to a mannes ryght wyt agayne. For which (Metanoeo) S. Ieromes translacion hath: some tyme (ago penetenciam)
I do repent: sometyme (peniteo) Irepent: somtyme (peniteor) I am repent- (30)aunt: somtyme (habeo penitenciam) I have repentaunce: some tyme (penitet me) it repenteth me. And Erasmus useth moche this worde (resipisco) I come to my selfe or to my ryght mynde agayne. And the verye sens and significacion both of the hebrue and also of the greke worde, is, to be conuerted and to tourne to God with all the hert, to knowe his will and to lyue accordynge to his lawes,
(3s) and to be cured of oure corrupt nature with the oyle of his spirite and wyne of obedyence to his doctrine. Which conuersion or turnynge if it be vnfayned,
W. T. to the Reader these foure do accompanye it and are included therin: Confession, not in the prestes eare, for that is but mannes invencion, but to God in the hert and before all the congregacion of God, how that webe synners and synfull, and that oure hole nature is corrupt and inclyned to synne and all vnryghteousnes, and ther- (s) fore euell, wycked and damnable, and his lawe holy and Iust, by which oure synfull nature is rebuked: and also to oure neyboures, if we have offended anye person perticularlye. Then contricion, sorowfullnes that we be soche, damnable synners, and not onlye have synned but are holye inclyned to syne still. Thirdlye fayth (of which oure olde doctoures have made no mencion at all in the descrip- (to) cion of their penaunce) yet God for christes sake doth forgeue vs and receave vs to mercie, and is at one with vs and will heale oure corrupt nature. And fourthlye satisfacion or amendes makynge, not to god with holye workes, but to my neyboure whome I haue hurt, and the congregacion of God whome I haue offended, (yf anye open cryme be founde in me) and submyttynge of a mans
(ts) selfe vnto the congregacion or church of christ, and to the offycers of thesame, to have his lyfe corrected and governed hence forth of them, accordynge to the true doctryne of the church of christ. And note this: that as satisfacion or amendesmakynge is counted ryghteousnes before the worlde and a purgynge of the synne, so that the worlde when Ihaue made a full amendes, hath no (20) further to complayne. Even so faythin christes bloude is counted ryghteousnes and a purgynge of all sinne before God.
Moreouer, he that synneth agaynst his brother synneth also agaynst his father allmyghtie God. And as the synne commytted agaynst his brother, is pourged before the worlde with makynge amendes or axynge forgeuenes, euen
(2s)so is the synne commytted agaynst God, pourged thorow fayth in christes bloude onlye. For christ sayth. Io. viii. except ye beleue that I am he, yeshall dye in youre synnes. That is to saye, if ye thinke that there is anye other sacrifice or satisfaccion to godwarde, then me, ye remayne euer in synne before God, howsoeuer ryghteous ye apere before theworld. Wherfore now, whether ye
(30) call this Metonoia, repentaunce, conversyon or turnynge agayne to God, ether amendynge and etc. or whether ye saye repent, be conuerted, tourne to god, amende youre lyuynge or what ye lust, I am content so ye understonde what is meant therby, as I have now declared.
Elders.
In the olde testament the temporall heedes and rulers of the Iues which had (35) the gouernaunce ouer the laye or commen people are called elders, as ye maye se in the foure euangelystes. Oute of which custome paule in his epistle and also
W. T. to the Reader peter, call the prelates and spirituall gouerners which are bysshopes and prestes, elders. Now whether ye call them elders or prestes, it is to me all one: so that ye vnderstonde that they be offycers and seruauntes of the worde of God, vnto the which all men both hie and lowe that will not rebell agaynst Christ, must
(s) obeye as longe as they preache and rule trulye and no lenger.
A prologe into the iiii Euangelystes shewynge what they were and their auctoryte. And fyrst of S. Mathew.
As towchynge the euangelystes: ye se in the newe testament clearly what they were. Fyrst mathew (as ye reade Mat ix. Mar. ii. Luke. v) was one of christes
(xo) apostles, and was with christ all the tyme of his preachynge, and sawe and heard his awne selfe almost all that he wrote.
Marke Of Marke reade (actes xii) how peter (after he was loosedoute of pryson by the angell) came to Markes mothers house, where manye of the desciples were prayenge for his delyueraunce. And paul and Barnabas toke him with them
(ts) from Ierusalem and brought him to Antioche, actes. xii. And actes. xiii. paul and Barnabas toke Marke with them when they were sent oute to preache: from whome he also departed, as it apereth in the sayde chapter, and returned to Ierusalem agayne. And actes. xv paul and Barnabas were at varyaunce aboute him, paul not wyllynge to take him with them, because he forsoke them in their
(20) fyrst Iorneye. Notwithstondynge yet, when paul wrote the epistle to the collossyans, Marke was with him, as he sayth in the fourth chapter: of whome
Paul also testifieth, both that he was Barnabas sisters sonne and also his felowe worker in the kyngedome of God.
And. ii. Timothe. iiii paul commaundeth Timothe to brynge Marke withhim, (2s) affirmynge that he was nedefull to him, to mynister to him. Finallye, he was also with peter when he wrote his fyrst epistle, and so famylier that peter calleth him his sonne. Wherof ye se, of whome he learned his gospell, euen of the verye apostles, with whome he had his contynuall conversacion, and also of what auctoryte his wrytynge is, and how worthie of credence.
Luke (30) Lucas was Pauls companyon, at the least waye from the. xvi. of the actes forth and with him in all his trybulacyon. And he went with paule at his last goinge
W. T. to the Reader vp to Ierusalem. And from thence he folowed paul to Cesarea, where he laye two yere in pryson And from Cesarea he went with paul to Rome where he laye two other yeres in pryson. And he was with Paul when he wrote to the collossyons, as he testifieth in the fourth chapter sayenge: the beloued Lucas the (s) phisicion saluteth you. And he was with paul when he wrote the seconde pistle to Timothe, as he sayth in the fourth chapter sayenge: Onlye Lucas is with me.
Wherby ye se the auctorite of the man and of what credence and reuerence his wrytinge is worthie of, and therto of whome he learned the storye of his
_ gospell, as he him selfe sayth, how that he learned it and searched it oute with (10) all dylygence of them that sawe it and were also parttakers at the doynge. And as for the actes of the apostles, he him selfe was at the doynge of them (at the least) of the moost parte, and had his parte therin, and therfore wrote of his awne exper yence .
Iohn.
Iohn, what he was, is manyfest by the three fyrst euangelistes. Fyrst christes (5) apostle, and that one of the chefe. Then christes nye kinsman, and for his synguler innocencie and softenes, singulerlye beloued and of synguler famyliarite with christ, and euer one of the three wytnesses of moost secret thynges. The cause of his wrytynge was certayne heresyes that arose in his tyme, and namelye two, of which one denyed christ to be verye man and to be come in the verie fleshe
(20) and nature of man. Agaynst which two heresyes he wrote both his gospell and also his fyrst epistle, and in the begynnynge of his gospell sayth that the worde or thynge was at the begynnynge, and was with God, and was also verye God and that all thynges was created and made by yt, and that it was also made fleshe: that is to saye, became verie man. And he dwelt amonge vs (sayth he)
(2s)and we sawe his glorye.
And in the begynnynge of his pistle, he saith we shew you of the thynge that was from the begynnynge, which also we heard, sawe with oure eyes and oure handes handled. And agayne we shew you euerlastynge lyfe, that was with the father and apered to vs, and we heard and sawe. and etc.
(go) In that he sayth that it was from the begynnynge, and that it was eternall lyfe, and that it was with God, he affirmeth him to be verie God. And that he sayth, we hearde, sawe and fealte, he wytnesseth that he was verie man also. Thon also wrote last, and therfore touched not the storie that the other had compiled.
But wryteth most of the fayth and promyses, and of the sermones of Christ.
(35) This be sofficient concerninge the. iiii, Euangelistes and their auctoritie and worthynes to be beleued.
W. T. to the Reader A warninge to the reader if ought be scaped thorow necligence of the prynter, as this text is that foloweth, which if thou fynde anye more soche: compare the englyshe to the other bookes that are all readye prynted, and so shalt thou perceaue the truthe of the ynglish.
(s) In the xxiii chapter of Mathew and in the xxxiii leffe on the seconde syde and last lyne, reade the sentence thus. Thou blynde pharisaye, clense fyrst the ynnesyde of the cup and platter, that the outsyde of them maye be clene also.
Willyam Tindale, yet once more to the christen reader.
Thou shalt vnderstonde moost dere reader, when I had taken in hande to looke ouer the new testament agayne and to compare it with the ereke, and to mende whatsoeuer I coulde fynde amysse and had almost fynesshed the laboure:
George Ioye secretly toke in hand to correct it also by what occasyon his (s) conscyence knoweth: and preuented me, in so moche, that his correccyon was prynted in great nombre, yer myne beganne. When it was spyed and worde brought me, though it semed to dyuers other that George Ioye had not vsed the offyce of an honest man, seinge he knew that I was in correctynge it my selfe: nether dyd walke after the rules of the loue and softenes which christ, and (10) his desciples teache vs, how that we shuld do nothynge of stryfe to moue debate, or of vayne glorie or of couetousnes. Yet I toke the thinge in worth as I have done dyuers other in tyme past, as one that have moare experyence of the nature and dysposicion of the mannes complexion, and supposed that a lytle spyse of couetousnes and vayne glorie (two blynde gydes) had bene the onlye
(ts) cause that moued him so to do, aboute which thynges I stryue with no man: and so folowed after and corrected forth and caused this to be prynted, without surmyse or lokynge on his correctyon.
But when the pryntynge of myne was almost fynesshed, one brought me a copie and shewed me so manye places, insoche wyse altered that I was
(20) astonyed and wondered not a lytle what furye had dryuen him to make soche chaunge and to call it a diligent correction. For thorow oute Mat. Mark and Luke perpetually: and ofte in the actees, and sometyme in Iohn and also in the hebrues, where he fyndeth this worde Resurreccion, he chaungeth it into the lyfe after this lyfe, or verielyfe, and soche lyke, as one that abhored the name of (2s) the resurrecion.
If that chaunge, to turne resurreccion into lyfe after this lyfe, be a dylygent correccion, then must my translacion be fautie in those places, and saynt
Ieromes, and all the translatours that euer I heard of in what tonge so euer it be, from the apostles vnto this his dylygent correccyon (as he calleth it) which (30) whither it be so or no, I permyt it to other mennes iudgementes.
But of this I chalenge George Ioye, that he dyd not put his awne name therto and call it rather his awnetranslacion: and that he playeth boo pepe, and in some of his bookes putteth in his name and tytle, and in some kepeth it oute It is lawfull for who will to translate and shew his mynde, though a thousand had
(3s) translated before him. But it is not lawfull (thynketh me) ner yet expedyent