THE

FATHERS

OF THE

ENGLISH CHURCH.

An Account" of the Life and Story of the true Servant and Martyr of God, WILLIAM TINDAL; who, for his notable Pains and Travail, may well be called the Apostle of England, in this our latter Age; as he was a special Organ of the Lord appointed, and as God's Mattock to shake the inward Roots and Foundation of the Pope's proud Prelacy." -(Extracted from Fox's Acts and Monuments of the Christian Martyrs.)

WILLIAM TINDAL, the faithful minister and constant martyr of Christ, was born about the borders of Wales, and brought up from a child in the university of Oxford, where he, by long continuance, grew up and increased as well in the knowledge of tongues and other liberal arts, as specially in the knowledge of the Scriptures, whereunto his mind was singularly addicted: insomuch, that he lying then in Magdalen Hall, read privily, to certain students and fellows of Magdalen College, some parcel of divinity: instruct

ing them in the knowledge and truth of the Scriptures. Whose manners also and conversation being correspondent to the same, were such, that all they which knew him, reputed and esteemed him to be a man of most virtuous disposition, and of life unspotted.

Thus he, in the university of Oxford, increasing more and more in learning, and proceeding in degrees of the schools, spying his time; removed from thence to the university of Cambridge, where, after he had likewise made his abode a certain space, being now farther ripened in the knowledge of God's word, leaving that university also, he resorted to one Master Welch, a knight of Gloucestershire, and was there schoolmaster to his children, and in good favour with his master. This gentleman, as he kept a good ordinary commonly at his table, there resorted to him many times sundry abbots, deans, archdeacons, with divers other doctors and great beneficed men: who there together with Master Tindal, sitting at the same table, did use many times to enter communication and talk of learned men, as of Luther and Erasmus: also of divers other controversies and questions upon the Scripture.

Then Master Tindal, as he was most learned and well practised in God's matters, so he spared not to shew unto them simply and plainly his judgment in matters, as he thought, and when as they at any time did vary from Tindal in opinions and judgment, he would shew them in the book, and lay plainly before them the open and manifest places of the Scriptures, to confute their errors, and confirm his sayings. And thus continued they for a certain season, reasoning and contending together divers and sundry times, till at length they waxed weary, and bare a secret grudge in their hearts against him.

As this grew on, the priests of the country clustering together, began to grudge and storm against

Tindal, railing against him in alehouses and other places, affirming that his sayings were heresy: adding, moreover, unto his sayings of their own heads, more than ever he spake; and so accused him secrectly to the chancellor and other of the bishop's officers.

Then, when the time came of his appearance before the chancellor, he threatened him grievously, reviling and rating him as though he had been a dog, and laid to his charge many things, whereof no accuser yet could be brought forth. Master Tindal, after those examinations, escaping out of their hands, departed home, and returned to his master (Welch), again.

There dwelt not far off a certain doctor (that had been an old chancellor before to a bishop), who had been of old familiar acquaintance with Tindal, and also favoured him well; unto whom Tindal went and opened his mind upon divers questions of the Scripture: for to him he durst be bold to disclose his heart-unto whom the doctor said: "Do you not know that the pope is very Antichrist, whom the Scripture speaketh of? but beware what you say, for if you shall be perceived to be of that opinion, it will cost you your life;" and said moreover, "I have been an officer of his; but I have given it up, and defy him and all his works."

Master Tindal being so molested and vexed in the country by the priests, was constrained to leave that country and to seek another place. He departed, and eftsoon came up to London, and there preached a while, according as he had done in the country before: at length, he bethinking himself of Cuthbert Tunstal, then bishop of London, who was much extolled for his learning by Erasmus, cast with himself, that if he might attain unto his service, he were a happy man. Whereupon he did write an epistle to

the bishop. But God, who secretly disposeth the course of things, saw that was not the best for Tindal's purpose, nor for the profit of his church, and therefore gave him to find little favour in the bishop's sight. So he remained in London the space almost of a year, beholding and marking with himself the course of the world, and especially the demeanour of the preachers, how they boasted themselves and set up their authority and kingdom: beholding also the pomp of the prelates, with other things more, which greatly misliked him. Insomuch, that he understood, not only there to be no room in the bishop's house for him to translate the New Testament; but also that there was no place to do it in all England. And, therefore, finding no place for his purpose within the realm, and having some aid and provision. by God's providence ministered unto him by certain good men, he took his leave of the realm, and departed into Germany; where the good man being inflamed with a tender care and zeal of his country, refused no travail nor diligence, how, by all means possible, to reduce his brethren and countrymen of England to the same taste and understanding of God's holy word and verity, which the Lord had endued him withal. Whereupon he, considering in his mind, and partly also conferring with John Frith, thought with himself no way more to conduce thereunto, than if the Scripture were turned into the vulgar speech, that the poor people might also read and see the simple plain word of God. For he, wisely casting in his mind, perceived, by experience, how that it was not possible to stablish the lay people in any truth, except the Scripture were so plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text. Again, right well he perceived and considered this only, as most chiefly to be the cause of

all mischief in the church, that the Scriptures of God were hidden from the people's eyes. For so long the abominable doings and idolatries, maintained by the pharisaical clergy, could not be espied, and therefore all their labour was with might and main to keep it down, so that either it should not be read at all, or, if it were, they would darken the right sense with the mist of their sophistry, and so entangle them which rebuked or despised their abominations, with arguments of philosophy, and with worldly similitudes, and apparent reasons of natural wisdom: and with wresting the Scripture into their own purpose, contrary unto the process, order, and meaning of the text, would so delude them in descanting upon it with allegories, and amaze them, expounding it in many senses, laid before the unlearned lay people; that though thou felt in thy heart, and were sure that all were false that they said, yet couldst not

thou solve their subtle riddles.

For these and such other considerations, this good man was moved (and no doubt stirred up of God) to translate the Scripture into his mother tongue, for the public utility, and profit of the simple vulgar people of the country: first setting in hand with the New Testament, which he first translated about the year of our Lord 1527. After that he took in hand to translate the Old Testament, finishing the five books of Moses, with sundry most learned and godly prologues, prefixed before every one, most worthy to be read and read again of all good Christians; as the like also he did upon the New Testament. He wrote also divers other works, under sundry titles, among the which is that most worthy monument of his, entitled, The Obedience of a Christian Man: wherein, with singular dexterity, he instructeth all men in the office and duty of Christian obedience; with divers other treatises, now collected and set