Critical Apparatus for this Page
Commentary on the Text
Names and Places on this Page
Unavailable for this Edition
1021 [1020]

K. Henry. 8. The examination and submission of Iohn Tewkesbery.
MarginaliaThe examination of Iohn Tewkesbery before Tōstall Byshop of London.

the Church. And at the last, beyng examined vpon the errours, which (they sayd) were in the said booke called the wicked Mammon, he aunswered thus: Take ye the booke and read it ouer, and I thinke in my conscience, ye shal finde no fault in it. And being asked by the sayd Bishop, whether he dyd rather geue credite to his booke or to the Gospell: he aunswered, that the Gospell is & euer hath bene true.MarginaliaArticles ministred to Iohn Tewkesbery, out of the booke of the wicked Mammon. And moreouer beyng particularly examined what he thought of this Article, that the Iewes of good intent and zeale slue Christ, he aūswered: looke ye the booke through, before and after, as it lyeth, and ye shall finde a better tale in it, then ye make of it, & further thought that whosoeuer translated the new Testament, and made the booke, meanyng the wicked Mammon  

Commentary   *   Close

This is one of the works of William Tyndale.

, he did it of good zeale, and by the spirite of God.

[Back to Top]

Also beyng farther asked by the sayd Byshop of London, whether he would stand to the contentes of his booke, hee aunswered: looke ye the booke before and after, and I will be content to stand to it. Then beyng examined, whether that all good workes must be done without respect of any thyng, he aūswered,MarginaliaMerites by working. that a man should do good workes for the loue of God onely, & for no hope of any reward higher nor lower in heauen: for if he should, it were presumption. Also beyng demaunded whether that Christ with all hys workes dyd not deserue heauen. He aunswered and sayd: that it was playne inough. Which thynges beyng done, the Byshop sayd further to Iohn Tewkesbery thus:MarginaliaThe bishops iudgemēt of the booke of the wicked Mammon. I tell thee before God and those which are here present, in examination of my conscience, that the Articles aboue named, and many other more conteyned in the same booke, are false, hereticall, and condemned by the holy Church: how thinkest thou? And further, the sayd Byshop of London sayd vnto hym agayne: I tell thee before God and those which are here present &c. and so asked him agayne what he thought of those Articles. And after many exhortations, hee commaunded him to aunswere determinatly vnder payne of the law, saying further vnto him, that if he refused to aūswere, he must declare him an open and obstinate hereticke accordyng eo the order of the law. Which things so done, the Byshop asked Iohn Tewkesbery agayne, whether the sayd booke called the wicked Mammon were good?

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe iudgemēt of Iohn Tewkesbery of the booke of the wicked Mammon. To which interrogatory he aunswereth, that he thinketh in his cōscience, there is nothyng in the booke, but that which is true. And to this Article obiected, that is, that fayth only iustifieth without workes, he aunswereth that it is well sayd. Wherunto the Byshop inferred agayne, that the Articles before obiected, with diuers other conteined in the booke called the wicked Mammon, were false erronious, damnable, and herericall, and reproued and condemned by the Church: and before God and all those that were present, for the discharge of his conscience, he had often and very gently exhorted the sayd Iohn Tewkesbery, that hee would reuoke and renounce his errours, otherwise if he dyd intend to perseuere in thē, he must declare him an heretieke, whiche he would be very sory to do. These thynges thus done, the Byshop oftentymes offered him, that hee should chose what spirituall or temporall man he would to be his Coūsellour, and gaue him tyme as before, to deliberate with hymselfe, vntill the next sittyng.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn other examinatiō of Iohn Tewkesbery. Also in the same moneth of April, in the yeare of our Lord aforesayd, the Byshop of London Cutbert Tonstall sittyng in the Consistory, with Nicolas of Elye, Iohn of Lincolne, and Iohn of Bathe, and Welles. &c. this Iohn Tewkesbery was brought before them. After certaine Articles beyng repeated vnto him, the Bishop of London brought out before him a certaine booke called the wicked Mammon, asking him whether the booke was of the same impression and makyng, as was his booke that he had sold to others. Who aunswered and sayd, it was the same. Wherupon the Bishop of Lōdon asked hym agayne, whether the booke conteined the same errours or no. Who aunswered agayne, saying, I pray God, that the condemnation of the Gospell and translation of the Testament, be not to your shame, and that ye be not in perill for it: for the cōdemnation of it, and of the other is all one. Farther he sayd, that he had studyed holy Scripture by the space of these xvii. yeare, and as he may see the spottes of his face thorough the glasse, so in readyng the new Testament he knoweth the faultes of his soule. Further, he was examined vpon certaine pointes and Articles, extracted out of the sayd booke of the wicked Mammon, as followeth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaArticles extracted out of the booke of the wicked Mammō.
His opinion of Antichrist.
Antichrist no outwarde thing, but a spirituall thyng.
FIrst that Antichrist is not an outward thyng, that is to say, a man that should sodenly appeare with wonders, as your forefathers talked of hym, but Antichrist is a spirituall thyng. Whereunto he answered and sayd that he findeth no fault in it. Agayne it was demaunded of him touching the article whether fayth onely iustifieth a man. To thys he sayd, that if he should looke to deserue heauē by workes, he should do wickedly, for workes follow fayth, and Christ redemed vs all wyth the merites of his passion.

[Back to Top]

That the deuill holdeth our harts so hard, that it is impossible for vs to consent to Gods law. To that he aunswered, that he findeth no fault in it.

MarginaliaNo man iustified by merites. That the law of God suffereth no merites, neither any man to be iustified in the sight of God. To that the aunswered, that it is playne enough considering what the lawes is, and he sayth, he findeth no ill in it.

MarginaliaThe law requireth thynges to our flesh vnpossible. That the lawe of God requireth of vs thynges impossible. To that he aūswered, that the law of God doth commaunde, that thou shalt loue God aboue all thinges, and thy neighbours as thy selfe, which neuer man could doe, and in that he doth finde no fault in his conscience.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaNo law to the iust man. That as the good tree bringeth forth fruyie, so there is no law put to him that beleueth & is iustified through faith. To that he answered and sayd, he findeth no ill in it.

All good workes must be done without respecte of any thyng, or any profite to be had therof. To that he aunswered, it is truth.

Christ wyth all hys workes did not deserue heauē. To that he aūswered, that the text is true as it lyeth, and findeth no fault in it.

MarginaliaThe Saintes be frends, how and to whom. Peter and Paule and Saintes that be dead, are not our frendes, but their frendes whom they did helpe when they were alyue. To that he sayd, he findeth no il in it.

Almes deserueth no rewarde of God. To that he aunswered, that the text of the booke is true.

MarginaliaThe deuill not cast out by mans merites. The deuill is not cast out by merites of fasting or prayer. To that he aunswered, thinking it good inough.

MarginaliaThe law worketh not in vs the loue of God. We can not loue except we see some benefite and kyndnes, as long as we liue vnder the law of God onley, where we see but sinne and damnation, and the wrath of God vpon vs, yea where we were dampned afore we were borne. We cā not loue God, nor cā not but hate him as a Tyr?ne, vnrighteous & vniust, and flee from him, as did Caine. To that he aunswereth, and thinketh it good & playne enough.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMan by nature is condemned. We are dampned by nature, as a toode is a toode by nature, and a Serpent is a Serpent by nature. To that he aunswered it to be true as it is in the booke.

Item, as concerning the article of fasting. To that he aunswered and sayd, the booke declareth it selfe.

Euery one man is a Lord, of what soeuer another man hath. To that he answered, what lawe can be better than that, for it is plainely mente there.MarginaliaHe meaneth by communication, not by vendication: and yet this poynt seemeth to be falsely gathered.

Loue in Christ putteth no difference betwixt one and another. To that he answered and sayde, it is playne inough of it selfe.

As concerning the preachyng of the worde of God, and washing of dishes, there is no difference, as concerning saluation, and as touchinge the pleasing of God. To that he aunswered, saying, it is a plaine text, and as for pleasing of God, it is all one.

That the Iewes of good intent and zeale put Christe to death. To that he answered, that it is true, and the text is playne inough.MarginaliaFor if they had knowen the lord of glory, they would not haue crucified hym.

The sectes of Saint Fraunces, Saint Dominicke, and others be dampnable. To that he aunswered and sayd, S. Paule repugneth agaynst them. Which articles being so obiected and aunswere made vnto them by Iohn Tewkesberie, the sayd Byshop of London asked hym whether he would continue in hys heresies and errours aboue rehearsed, or renounce and forsake them. Who aunswered thus: I pray you reforme your selfe, and if there by any errour in the booke, let it be reformed: I thinke the booke be good inough.

[Back to Top]

Further, the Byshop exhorted him to recant his errors. To the which the sayd Iohn Tewkesberie aunswered as is aboue written: to witte, I pray you reforme your selfe, and if ther be any error in the booke, let it be reformed, I thinke it be good inough. Which thyng being done, the Byshop appointed him to determine better with hym selfe agaynst the morow, in the presence of M. Iohn Cox, vicar generall to the Archbyshop of Canterbury, M. Galfride Warton, Rouland Philips, William Philow, and Robert Ridley, professors of diuinitie.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAn other apearance of Iohn Tewkesbery. The 13. day of April, in the yeare of our Lord aboue sayde, in the chappell within the pallace of London, before Cutbert byshop of Londō, with his assistance, Nicolas byshop of Elye &c, Tewkesberie agayne appeared and was examined vpon the articles drawen out of the booke, called the wicked Mammon, as followeth.

[Back to Top]

First, Christ is thine and all his dedes be thy deedes: Christ is in thee and thou so knit in hym inseperably: neither canst thou be dāned, except Christ be dāned with thee, neither cāst thou be saued except Christ he saued with thee. To this he aunswered, that he found no fault in it.

Item, we desire one an other to pray for vs. That done,

we