that God shall turne the poynt of the sworde wherewyth they now shed Christes bloud, homeward to shede their own agayne, after all the examples of the Bible.
These thinges thus discoursed pertaynyng to the story and doings of Tyndall, finally it remayneth to inferre certayne of his priuate letters and epistles, wherof among diuers other which haue not come to our hands, two speciall he wrote to Ioh. Frith, one properly vnder his own name, an other vnder the name of Iacob
In the 1563 edition, Foxe knew that the letter to 'Jacob' was written by Tyndale, but he did not know that 'Jacob' was an alias for John Frith. Foxe learned of this by the time the 1570 edition was
MarginaliaA letter of M. Tyndall to M. Fryth. THe grace and peace of God our father, & of Iesus Christ our Lord, be with you. Amen. Dearely beloued brother Iohn, I haue heard say, how the hypocrites nowe that they haue ouercome that great busines which letted them, or at the least way, haue brought it at a stay, they returne to their old nature agayne. The will of God be fulfilled, and that which he hath ordeyned to be ere the world was made, that come, and his glory raigne ouer all.
[Back to Top]Dearely beloued, how euer the matter be, commit your selfe wholy and onely vnto your most louyng father, and most kynd Lord, and feare not men that threat, nor trust mē that speake faire: but trust hym that is true of promise, and able to make hys word good. Your cause is Christes gospel, a light that must be fed with the bloud of faith. The lampe must be dressed & snuffed daily, and that oyle poured in euery euening & morning, that the light go not out. Though we be sinners, yet is the cause right.MarginaliaPet. 2. If when we be buffeted for well doyng, we suffer paciently and endure, that is acceptable to God
1 Peter 2: 20. 1 John 3: 16. Matt. 5: 11-12. Romans 8: 13, Phil. 3: 21.
MarginaliaBoldnes of spirite. Dearely beloued, be of good courage and comfort your soule with the hope of this hye reward, & beare the image of Christ in your mortall body, that it may at his commyng be made lyke to hys immortall: and follow the ensample of all your other deare brethren, which chuse to suffer in hope of a better resurrection.MarginaliaWounde not conscience. Kepe your conscience pure and vndefiled, and say against that nothyng.MarginaliaStanding vpon things necessary Sticke at necessary things and remember the blasphemies of the enemies of Christ, saying: they finde none but that will abiure rather then suffer the extremitie.MarginaliaDeath after denying, euil spokē of by the aduersaries. Moreouer, the death of them that come agayne after they haue once denied, thoughe it be accepted with God and all that beleue, yet is it not glorious, for the hypocrites say, he must nedes dye, denying helpeth not: But might it haue holpen, they would haue denied v. hundreth tymes: but seyng it would not helpe them, therfore of pure pryde and meere malice together, they spake with theyr mouthes, that their conscience knoweth false.MarginaliaObedience to God. If you geue your selfe, cast your selfe, yelde your selfe, commit your selfe wholy and onely to your louing father: then shal his power be in you and make you strong, and that so strong, that you shall feele no payne: which should be to an other present death: and hys spirite shal speake in you and teach you what to aunswere, accordyng to his promise. He shall set out hys truth by you wonderfully, and worke for you aboue all that your hart can imagine: Yea, and you are not yet dead, though the hypocrites all, with all they can make, haue sworn your death. Vna salus victis, nullam sperare salutem:MarginaliaTo looke for no mans helpe, bringeth Gods helpe.
Constancie in standing.
Pacience in sufferyng. To looke for no mans helpe, bringeth the helpe of God to them that seme to be ouercome in the eyes of the hypocrites: Yea it shall make God to cary you through thicke and thinne for hys truthes sake, in spite of all the enemies of hys truth. There falleth not an heare tyll hys houre be come: & when hys houre is come, necessitie carieth vs hence though we be not willyng. But if we be willyng, then haue we a reward and thanke.
Feare not threatening therefore, neither be ouercome of swete wordes: with which twayne the hypocrites shall assaile you. Neither let the persuasions or worldly wysedome beare rule in your hart: no, thoughe they be your frendes that counsaile you.MarginaliaBilney. Let Bilney be a warning to you. Let not their visure beguile your eyes. Let not your body faint.Marginalia[illegible text] He that endureth to the end, shalbe saued
Matt. 10: 22.
William Tyndall.
MarginaliaTwo Martyrs at Antwerpe. TWo haue suffred in Antwerpe, In die sanctæ Crucis, vnto the great glory of the gospell:MarginaliaFoure Martyrs in Flaunders, and one at S. Luke. foure at Rysels in Flāders, and at Luke hath there one at the least suffered, and al the same day.MarginaliaPersecution at Roanne. At Rone in Fraunce they persecute.MarginaliaFiue Doctors at Paris taken for the Gospell. And at Paris are v. Doctors taken for the gospell. Se you are not alone: Be chereful and remember that among the hard harted in england, there is a nūber reserued by grace: for whose sakes if nede be, you must be redy to suffer. Sir if you may write, how short soeuer it be, forget it not, þt we may know how it goeth with you, for our hartes ease. The Lorde be yet agayne with you, with all hys plenteousnes, and fil you that you flow ouer. Amen.
[Back to Top]If when you haue read this, you may send it to Adrian, do I pray you, that he may know how that our harte is with you.
George Ioy at Candlemas being at Barrow, printed ij. leaues of Gen. in a great forme, and sent one copy to þe kyng, and another to the new Queene, with a letter to N. for to deliuer them: and to purchase licence, that he might so goe throughe all the Bible. Out of that is sprong the noise of the new Bible
This would be the New Testament of 1534.
This chaunced the 9. day of May.
9 May 1533.
Sir, your wyfe is well content with the will of God, & would not for her sake haue the glory of God hindred.
In other words, Frith's wife approves of his imminent martyrdom.
William Tyndall.
¶ The grace of our Sauiour Iesus, his pacience, meekenes, humblenes, circumspection, and wisedome be with your hart. Amen.
MarginaliaAn other letter of W. Tyndall. DEarely beloued brother Iacob, myne
Tyndale, in this letter, is urging Frith not to write on or debate issues on the theology of the Eucharist, for fear of opening divisions anong Protestants.
Of the presence of Christes body in the sacrament, meddle as little as you can, that there appeare no diuision among vs.MarginaliaM. Tyndall here beareth wyth tyme. Barnes will be whote against you. The Saxons
I.e., the Lutherans. In other words, if the French converted to Protestantism, the Lutherans would see that they still accepted the Real Presence of Chrst in the Sacrament. In other words, if George Joye received enough money to print a treatise on the Eucharist, he would do so. In his marginal note to this passage, Foxe is trying to emphasize that Tyndale's reluctance to discuss the Eucharist was only temporary.
I gessed long agoe that God would sende a dasing into the hedd of the spiritualtie, to catche themselues in theyr own subtiltie, and I trust it is come to passe. And now me