More

Marke now good crystē reader whē Tyndale hath told vs that the ryght fayth is heresye and heresye ryght fayth / and when he weneth that he hath made men so wyse, that we wolde at his worde take whyte for blacke and black for whyte, and god for the deuyll, and the deuyll for god: then when he weneth that he hath made men so blynde, he byddeth loke and marke that all emperours, kynges, prynces, lordes and prelates, and euery kynde of crysten people that any thynge do or saye agaynst heretyques / all they be Pylates, Herodes, Cayphas, and Annas, and are gathered agaynste Cryste sayth Tyndale, that is to wytte in dede agaynst heretyques that labour both wyth false heresyes to destroy the true fayth of Cryste, and also wyth theyr traytorouse settynge forth of sedycyōs to rayse rebellyons as they dyd in Almayne, and therby destroye Crystes good crysten people.

For surely good reader though men may haue fayth and yet lacke charyte, as saynt Paule sayth, and saynt Iamis to,¹ euery one of whyche two is worthy more fayth and credens, then fyften hundred thousand Tyndales that telleth vs the contrarye / but though a man maye as I saye haue fayth and lacke charyte: yet yf he lacke fayth, he may well haue loue, but he can not haue no charyte.

And therfore syth Tyndale is thus runne out of ye ryght fayth / neuer truste his fals loue lakkyng charite. For surely to wynne his conclusyō, and brynge in his heresyes, and to get therof the vayne glorye to be taken for an apostle: he wolde se seuen cytees burne & warme hym selfe by the fyre.

And euen in this place he maketh a māner of mocyō therof, shewyng hym self to haue some trust to worke wōders at length. For he maketh as though ye princes yt wold represse heresyes were as Absolon with his army & achytophell therin, that preserue kynge Dauid / as though frere Luther & his wyfe, wyth his fond felowes & theyr lēmans, were lyke to kynge Dauid and his hoste. And then hath Tyndale a truste that some Chusye that is some chyeftayn of Luthers counsayle, whych he meaneth as yt semeth shalbe hym self / shall by his hygh wisedome make as though he were a faithfull frende and begyle all the company, and so scater them and make them to be takē and slayne, as Absolon was and his folke. But lyke wyse as Tyndales hole storye serueth here all agaynste his purpose, bycause that here the trueth doth of good mynde labour to put downe falshed / an Tyndale wyth his mayster & his fonde feleshyp wyth theyr fayned fayre holy speche lyke absolon wyth his fayre here, enforce them selfe to brynge in false heresyes and destroy the true fayth: why Tyndale sholde be lyke to Chusy that can I nothynge se, sauynge onely for one thynge, that for policye Chusy made a lye, and therin Tyndale ouer matcheth hym far, for he sayth neuer trew.

Footnotes

1. 1. Cori. 13 Iacobi.2.
   ↩