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1269 [1269]

K. Henry. 8. The storye and doinges of William Tyndall, Martyr.

MarginaliaM. Tyndall conuerted hys keeper.Such was the power of hys doctrine, and sinceritie of hys life, that during the tyme of hys imprisonment (which endured a yeare and a halfe) it is sayd, hee conuerted hys keper, his daughher, and other of hys housholde  

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Again, Foxe is again trying to establish a parallel between Tyndale and the Apostles.

. Also the rest that were with hym conuersant in the Castle, reported of hym, that if he were not a good Christen man, they could not tell whom to trust.

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MarginaliaCommendatiō of M. Tyndall by them that were about hym.The Procurour generall the Emperours Atturney being there, left thys testimonye of hym, that he was Homo doctus, pius, & bonus: that is, a learned, a good, and a godly man.

The same morning in which he was had to the fire, he deliuered a letter to the keeper of the Castle, which the keeper hym self brought to the house of the foresaid Pointz in Antwerpe, shortly after: which letter, with his examinations and other his disputations, I would might haue come to our hands: all which I vnderstād, did remaine, & yet perhaps do, in the handes of the kepers daughter. For so it is of hym reported, that as hee was in the Castle prisoner, there was much writyng, and great disputation to and fro, betwene hym and them of the Vniuersitie of Louaine (whiche was not past ix. or x. myles frō þe place where he was prisoner) in such sort, that they all had enough to do, & more then they coulde well weld, to aunswere the authorities and testimonies of the Scripture, wherupon hee moste pithely grounded his doctrine.

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Of Iudas that betrayed Christ, it is written, that he returned the money agayne to the Phariseis, and afterward did hange hym self. MarginaliaGods iudgement vpon Philippes the betrayer of Tyndall.So Philippes this miserable traytour, after he had bene receaued of Tyndall, and borrowed money of hym, and yet betrayed hym and pursued hym to death  

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In the 1563 edition, Foxe declared that Phillips was burned at the stake; in later editions this was changed to his being devoured by lice. In fact, Phillips died of natural causes in 1542.

: albeit hee reioysed a while after that he had done, yet the saying so goeth, that he not lōg tyme after enioyed the price of innocent bloud, but was consumed at last with lyce.

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The worthy vertues and doynges of this blessed Martyr, who for hys paynefull trauailes, and singular zeale to his countrey, may be called in these our dayes, an Apostle of England, it were long to recite. Amongst many other, this because it semeth to me worthy of remēbraūce, I thought not in silence to ouerpasse, which hath vnto me credibly bene testified by certaine graue Marchauntes, and some of them also such as were present the same tyme at the facte, and men yet aliue. The story wherof is this.

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There was at Antwerpe on a tyme, amongest a cōpany of marchaūtes as they were at supper, a certaine iuggler, whiche through his diabolicall inchauntemēts or Art Magicall, would fetch all kindes of viandes, and wyne from any place they would, and set it vppon the table incontinent before them, with many other such lyke thinges. The fame of this iudgler beyng much talked of, it chaunced that as M. Tyndall heard of it, he desired certaine of the Marchauntes, that hee might also be present at supper, to see hym play his partes.

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To be brief, the supper was appointed, and the Marchauntes with Tyndall were there present. Then the iuggler beyng required to play his feates, and to shew his cunnyng, after his wonted boldnes began to vtter all that he could do, but all was in vayne. MarginaliaThe power of Gods saintes agaynst the deuill.At the last, with hys labour sweating & toyling, when he saw that nothyng would go forward, but that all his enchauntmentes were voyde, he was cōpelled openly to cōfesse þt there was some mā present at supper, whiche disturbed and letted all his doinges. So that a man euen in the Martyrs of these our dayes cannot lacke the miracles of true fayth, if miracles were now to be desired.

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MarginaliaVV. Tyndalls workes looked for to be all set out in one volume.As concernyng the woorkes and bookes of Tyndall, whiche extende to a great number, thou wast told before (louing reader) how the Printer hereof myndeth by the Lordes leaue, to collect them all in one Volume together, and put them out in print. Wherefore it shall not greatly at this tyme bee nedefull to make any seuerall rehearsall of them.

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And as touchyng his translation of the new Testament, because his enemyes did so much carpe at it, pretendyng it to bee so full of heresies, to aunswere therefore to their sclaunderous tongues and lying lyppes, thou shalt heare and vnderstand, what faithfull dealyng, and sincere conscience he vsed in the same, by the testimonie and allegation of his owne wordes, written in his Epistle to Iohn Frith, as foloweth: MarginaliaThe faythfull dealing of Tyndall in translating the newe Testament.I call God to recorde agaynst the day we shall appeare before our Lord Iesus, to geue a reckenyng of our doings, that I neuer altered one silable of Gods worde agaynst my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honour, pleasure, or riches might be giuen me. &c.

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And as ye haue heard Tyndals owne woordes thus protesting for hym selfe: now let vs heare likewise the faithfull testimonie of Iohn Frith, for Tyndall hys deare companion and brother, thus declaryng in hys aunswere to M. More, as foloweth.

¶ The testimony of Iohn Frith in his booke of the Sacrament concernyng William Tyndall.

MarginaliaThe testimonye of Ioh. Frith, for Tyndall.ANd Tyndall I trust  

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These passages can be found in The whole workes of W. Tyndale, John Frith and Doct. Barnes, ed. John Foxe, STC 24436, p. 118.

liueth, well content with such a poore Apostles lyfe, as God gaue hys sonne Christ, and his faythfull Ministers in this world, which is not sure of so many mites, as ye be yearely of poūdes: although I am sure that for hys learnyng and iudgemēt in Scripture, he were more worthy to be promoted, thē all the Byshops in Englād. I receaued a letter frō hym, which was writtē since Christmas, wherin among other matters he writeth thys: MarginaliaThe wordes of Tyndall writetn to Ioh. Frith.I call God to recorde agaynst the day we shall appeare before our Lord Iesus, to geue a reckening of our doinges, that I neuer altered one sillable of Gods worde agaynst my conscience, nor would do this day if all that is in earth, whether it bee honour pleasure, or riches might be geuen me.

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Moreouer I take God to witnesse to my conscience, that I desire of God to my selfe in this world, no more then that without whiche I can not kepe his lawes. &c. Iudge Christiā reader whether these wordes be not spoken of a faythfull cleare innocent hart. And as for his behauiour, is such, that I am sure no man can reproue him of any sinne, howbeit no man is innocent before God, which beholdeth the hart. This much out of Fryth.

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And thus beyng about to conclude and finishe with the lyfe and story of William Tyndall, it shalbe requisite now that the reader do heare some thyng lykewise of his supplication made to the kyng, and nobles of the realme, as they are yet extant in hys woorkes to bee sene, and worthy in all ages to be marked, MarginaliaEx Lib. Tind. præxis Prælatorum.the tenour wherof tendeth to this effecte as foloweth.

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¶ Tyndals supplications to the king, nobles, and subiectes of England.  
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It is Foxe who calls these passages from the conclusion Tyndale's 'Practice of Prelates' a supplication. Tyndale does not mark these passages out in any manner.

MarginaliaTyndalls supplicatiō to the kyng and states of Englād.I Beseche the kynges most noble grace, well to consider all the wayes, by the whiche the Cardinall, and our holy Byshops haue led hym since he was first kyng, and to see wherunto all the pride, pompe, and vayne boast of the Cardinall is come, & how God hath resisted hym and our Prelates in all their wyles. We hauyng nothyng to do at all, haue medled yet with all matters, and haue spēt for our Prelates causes, more then all Christendome, euē vnto the vtter beggeryng of our selues, and haue gotten nothyng but rebuke and hate among all nations, and a mocke and a scorne of them, whom we haue most holpē. For the French mē (as the saying is) of late dayes made a playe, or a disguisyng at Paris, in whiche the Emperour daunsed with the Pope, and the Frenche kyng, and weryed them: the kyng of England sittyng on a hye bench, and lookyng on. MarginaliaThe kyng of Engād payes for all.And whē it was asked why he daunsed not, it was aunswered, þt he sat there, but to pay the minstrels their wages. As who should say, we payd for all mens daunsing. We monyed the Emperour openly, and gaue the Frenchekyng double, and treble secretly: and to the Pope also. Yea and though Ferdinandus had money sent openly to blynd the world withall, yet the saying is throughe all Dutchland, that we sent money to the kyng of Pole. &c.

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MarginaliaThe secōd peticion of Tyndall.Furthermore I beseche hys grace also to haue mercy of his own soule, & not to suffer Christ & hys holy Testament to be persecuted vnder hys name any longer: that

the