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VIII.

again to Pointz, and there received both their bags with the process, Henry one from the procuror-general, and one from Pointz, delivering either of them an inventory of such pieces of writing as were delivered in A.D. the bags, and demanded sureties of Pointz, according to the order 1536. they took when they were last with him. Pointz alleged that he had divers times required those who had him in keeping to get him a messenger, as he also had done, but made no great haste to have any; for he reckoned it should be a sufficient delay, whereby he might have another day. And with much alleging the impossibility of his being able to get a messenger to send forth, at the last, they put him apart, and agreed to give him a day eight days after, and called him in again, and commanded the officer to get him a messenger, as they did. And so Pointz sent him with letters to the English merchants, who at that time were at Barrois. Howbeit, he reckoned to get away before the return again of the messenger, for he perceived his tarrying there should have been his death. And therefore, to put in a venture to get away, that so he might save himself (for, if he had been taken, it would have been but death, for he had been prisoner there in their hands at that time about twelve or thirteen weeks), he tarried not the coming again of the messenger, but, in a night, by some means he conveyed himself off, and so, by God's help, at the opening of the town gate in the morning, he got away. And when it was perceived that he was gone, there was horse sent out after him, but, because he well knew the country, he escaped and came into England. But what more trouble followeth to Pointz after the same, it serveth not for this place to rehearse. Master Tyndale, still remaining in prison, was proffered an advocate and a procuror; for in any crime there, it shall be permitted to counsel to make answer in the law; but he refused to have any, saying, he would make answer for himself, and did: but, it is to be thought, his answer will not be put forth. Notwithstanding, he had so preached to them there who had him in charge, and such as was there conversant with him in the castle, that they reported of him, that if he were not a good christian man, they knew not whom they might take to be one. *

demna

martyr

At last, after much reasoning, when no reason would serve, although The conhe deserved no death, he was condemned by virtue of the emperor's tion and decree, made in the assembly at Augsburgh (as is before signified), om of and, upon the same, brought forth to the place of execution, was Tyndale, there tied to the stake, and then strangled first by the hangman, and A.D.1536. afterwards with fire consumed in the morning, at the town of Filford, His A.D. 1536; crying thus at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud prayer. voice," Lord! open the king of England's eyes."

Commen

by them

Such was the power of his doctrine, and the sincerity of his life, dation of that during the time of his imprisonment (which endured a year and Tyndale, a half), it is said, he converted his keeper, the keeper's daughter, and that were others of his household. Also the rest that were with Tyndale con- about versant in the castle, reported of him that if he were not a good christian man, they could not tell whom to trust.

The procurator-general, the emperor's attorney, being there, left this testimony of him, that he was "Homo doctus, pius, et bonus," that is, “a learned, a good, and a godly man."

him.

Henry
VIII.

The same morning in which he was had to the fire, he delivered a letter to the keeper of the castle, which the keeper himself brought A. D. to the house of the aforesaid Pointz in Antwerp, shortly after; which 1536. letter, with his examinations and other his disputations, I would, might have come to our hands; all which I understand did remain, and yet perhaps do, in the hands of the keeper's daughter. For so it is of him reported, that as he was in the castle prisoner, there was much writing, and great disputation to and fro, between him and them of the university of Louvain (which was not past nine or ten miles from the place where he was prisoner), in such sort, that they all had enough to do, and more than they could well wield, to answer the authorities and testimonies of the Scripture, whereupon he most pithily grounded his doctrine.

God's judgment

upon

That' traitor, worse than Judas to man's judgment (only not comparing this to the case of Christ, and that the Scripture hath Philips. already judged Judas), was otherwise in the act-doing not so good; for Judas, after he had betrayed his Master and Friend, was sorry, acknowledged and confessed his fact openly, declared his Master to be the very Truth, and despising the money that he had received for doing the act, brought it again and cast it before them. This traitor Philips, contrariwise, not lamenting, but rejoicing in what he had done, not declaring the honest goodness and truth of his friend, but applying, in all that he could devise, to declare him to be false and seditious, and not despising the money that he had received, not bringing it again, but procuring and receiving more, wherewith to follow the suit against that innocent blood to the death; which case of things endured about one whole year and a half, in which he lost no time, but all that time followed Pointz with most diligent attendance to and fro, and from Louvain to Brussels, and to Filford, with process to have sentence against him. And having there no other thing to do, he applied himself to nothing else; which was not done with small expenses and charges, from whomsoever it came. And, as I have heard say there in that country, Master Tyndale found them in the university of Louvain with enough to do.

And yet, in all that while, if they had not taken to help them an ordinance of the emperor's making (which ordinance was made by the advice and counsel of the pope's soldiers, for the upholding of his kingdom, and also joined with his own laws), they knew not else how to have brought him to his death by their disputing with him in the Scriptures; for he was permitted to dispute, in answering to them, by writing. And that traitor Philips was not satisfied with that, but he knew that he should have money enough, as himself before had said to Pointz. But, as when Judas did run away with the bag when he went to betray Christ, with which he went his way, the other apostles thought he had gone to have bought things necessary (although he went to appoint with the Jews for the taking of his master, Christ), so, in like manner, this traitor Philips, the same morning that he brought his treachery to purpose, with bringing Master Tyndale into the hands of God's enemies, took money of him under a colour of borrowing, and put it into his bag, and then incontinent went his ways therewith, and came with his company of soldiers, who

(1) For the passage distinguished with asterisks, see Edition 1563, pages 519, 520.- ED.

VIII.

laid hands upon him as before, and led him away. And about one Henry whole year and a half after, he was put to death at Filford, with fire ;* and, albeit this Philips rejoiced awhile after he had done it, yet the A. D. saying so goeth, that he not long time after enjoyed the price of 1536. innocent blood, but was consumed at last with lice.

God's

judgment

The worthy virtues and doings of this blessed martyr, who, for his upon painful travails and singular zeal to his country, may be called, in Philips. these our days, an apostle of England, it were long to recite. Among many others, this, because it seemeth to me worthy of remembrance, I thought not in silence to overpass, which hath unto me been credibly testified by certain grave merchants, and some of them also such as were present the same time at the fact, and men yet alive; the story whereof is this: There was at Antwerp on a time, amongst a company of merchants as they were at supper, a certain juggler, who, through his diabolical enchantments of art magical, would fetch all kinds of viands and wine from any place they would, and set them upon the table incontinent before them, with many other such like things. The fame of this juggler being much talked of, it chanced that as Master Tyndale heard of it, he desired certain of the merchants, that he might also be present at supper, to see him play his parts. To be brief, the supper was appointed, and the merchants, with Tyndale, were there present. Then the juggler, being required to play his feats, and to show his cunning, after his wonted boldness began to utter all that he could do, but all was in vain. At last, with his labour, sweating, and toiling, when he saw that nothing would go forward, but that all his enchantments were void, he was The compelled openly to confess, that there was some man present at power of supper, who disturbed and letted all his doings. So that a man, even saints in the martyrs of these our days, cannot lack the miracles of true the devil. faith, if miracles were now to be desired.

God's

against

works

all set out

volume.

As concerning the works and books of Tyndale, which extend to a Tyndale's great number, thou wast told before, loving reader! how the printer ooked hereof' mindeth, by the Lord's leave, to collect them all in one for, to be volume together, and put them out in print. Wherefore it shall not in one greatly at this time be needful to make any several rehearsal of them. And as touching his translation of the New Testament, because his enemies did so much carp at it, pretending it to be so full of heresies; to answer therefore to their slanderous tongues and lying lips, thou shalt hear and understand what faithful dealing and sincere conscience he used in the same, by the testimony and allegation of his own words, written in his epistle to John Frith, as followeth, "I call God The faith to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus, to ing of give our reckoning of our doings, that I never altered one syllable of Tyndale God's word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that lating the is in earth, whether it be honour, pleasure, or riches, might be given tament. me," &c.

And as ye have heard Tyndale's own words, thus protesting for himself, now let us hear likewise the faithful testimony of John Frith, for Tyndale his dear companion and brother, thus declaring in his answer to Master More, as followeth :

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