Wycliffes Wicket, Testament – Commentary
The Testament hit selfe.
¶In the name of God Amen.
I wylliam Tracie of Codyngtō in the counte of gloceter esquier, make my testament & last wyl, as here after folowethe ¶Fyrst, and before al other thyng, I cō myt me vntounto god, and to his mercye, trustynge without any doute or mystrust, that by his grace and the merytes of Iesus Chryste, and by the vertue of his passyon & of his resurre…yō. I hauehave & shal hauehave remissiō of my synnes, & resurrectiō of bodye & soule, accordynge as it is wrytē. Iob. xix. I beleue yt my redemerlyueth & yt in ye last day I shal rise out of ye erth, & ī my flesse shall se my sauiour, this my hope is layd vp in my bosome.
And touchynge the wealth of my soule, the fayth that I hauehave taken and rehersed, is suffyciēt (as I suppose) wt out any other mans worke, or workes, My grounde & my belefe is that ther is but one god and one mediatour betwene god & man, which is Iesus chryste So yt I do excepte none in heauen nor in erth to be my mediator betwene me and god, but only Iesus chryst, all other be but peticyoners in receiuyng of grace, but one able to gyue influence of grace, And therfore wyll I bestowe no part of my goodes for that intent yt any man shulde saye or do, to healpe my soule for therin I trust onelye to the promyse of god, he that beleueth and is baptized shalbe saued, & he that beleueth not shalbe damned, marke the last chapter.
And touchynge the buryeng of my body it auayleth me not what be done therto, where in saynt Austine de cura agēda pro mortuis saith that they are rather the solace of, them that lyue thā, weylthe or comforte of them that are departed, & therfore I remyt it onelye to the dyscrecyon of myne executors.
And touchynge the distribution of my tē poral goodes, my purpose is by ye grace of god to bestow thē to be accepted, as frutes of faith so yt I do not suppose yt my meryte be, bi good bestowed of them, but my meryte is that faith of Iesus Chryst onelyonly, by whiche fayth suche workes are good accordīg to ye wordes of our lord, Math. xxv. I was hungry, & thou gaueste me to eate, & it foloweth, yt ye hauehave done to the least of my bretherne ye hauehave done to me. &c. & euer we shulde consyder ye trew sentence that a good work maketh not a good mā, but a good man maketh a good worke, for fayth makethe the man booth good and ryghtwyse for a ryghtwyse mā lyueth by fayth. Rom. i. & what so euer spryngeth not out of fayth, is synne, Romaynes. xiiii.
And all my tēporal goodes that I hauehave not geuynge, or delyuered, or not gyuen by wryting of myne owne hande berynge the date of thys present wrytynge I do leaue and gyue to margarete my wyfe, & to rycharde my sonne which I make myne executours,
wytnes this myne owne hande, the .x. daye of October, in the .xxii. yere of the reygne of kyng Henry the .viii.
Tyndall.
Now let vsus examyne the partes of this Testamēt sentence by sentence. Fyrst to cōmit our selues to god aboue all, is the first of all preceptes, & the fyrst stone in the foundacion of oure fayth, that is that we beleue and put our trust in one god, one all true, one almyghty, all good & all mercyfull, cleuyng fast to his truth: might merciemercy, & goodnes, surely sertified & ful perswaded, that he is our God, ye oures, and to vsus all true, without all falsshed & gyle and cā not fayle in his promyses. And to vsus almyghtye that hys wyll can not be leat to fulfyll all the truth that he hath promysed vsus, And to vsus al good & all mercyfull what soeuer we hauehave done, and howe so euer greuously we hauehave trespassed so that we come to hym the way that he hath appoynted, whiche waye is Iesus Chryst onelye / as we shall see foloyngly thys fyrst clause then is the fyrst commanndement, or at the least the fyrst sentence in the fyrst commaūdement and the fyrste artycle of our crede.
And that thys trust & confidence in the mercy of God is thorow Iesu Chryst, is the secōde article of oure crede confirmed & testifyed thorowe out al scrypture, That Chryst brīgeth vsus into thys grace. Paule proueth. Rom. v. sayng Iustifyed by fayth we are at peace wyth God thorow Iesus Chryst our Lord, by whom we hauehave in ētring in vntounto this grace in which we stand, & Ephe iii, By whome sayeth Paule we hauehave a blode entryng in, thorow the fayth yt is in hym, & ī the secōd of ye sayd Epistle, By him we hauehave an entryng in vntounto the father, & a lytle before in the same chapter, he is our peace. And Iohan in the first chapter, Behold the Lā be of god whiche takethe awaye the synne of the worlde, whiche synne was the busshe that stoped the entrynge in, & kepte vsus out, and the swerde wherwith was kept the entryng vntounto the tre of lyfe from Adam & all his ofsprynge.
And that the second of the firste of Peter whiche bare our synnes in his bodye, and by whose stryppes we are made hole. By whome we hauehave redemptyon thorowe his bloode euen the forgyuenes of our synnes Collos. i. & Ephes. i. And Roma. iiii, He was delyuered for our synnes and rose agayne for our iustifyeng.
And concernynge the resurrectyō, it is an article of our fayth: and proued there sufficiētlye and that it shall be by the power of Chryste, is also the open scrypture.
Iohn. vi. This is the wyll of my father which sent me that I lose nothynge of al that he hath geuen me, but that I rayse it vp agayne in the last day. & agayne I am the resurrectiō Ihō. xi That this lyue fayth is sufficiēt to iustificatiō with oute addynge to of anye more helpe, … this wyse proued the ꝓmyser is god of whome Paule sayth. Rom. viii. Yf god be on our syde what matter maketh it who be agaynst vsus he is therto al good, al mercifull, at true & al myghte, wherfore sufficiēt to be beleued by his othe, more ouer Chryst in whom the promes is made hath receyued all power in heuen and in earth Mat. the laste.
He hath also a perpetuall presthode, & therfore able perpetually to saue. Heb. vii.
And that there is but one mediator Chryste is Paule. i. ad Timothe. ii. And by that woorde vnderstande an attonemaker, a peace maker & bringer in to grace & fauour, hauyng ful power so to do. And that Chryst is so, is proued at the full. It is wryttē Ihon. iii. The father loueth the sonne, and hath gyuen all in to his hande.
And he that beleueth the sonne hathe euerlastynge lyfe, & he that beleueth not the sonne shall not se lyfe, but the wrath of god byndethe vpō hym. All thinges are gyuē me of my father Luke. x: And all whoso euer cal on the name of the Lorde shalbe saued. Act. ii. Of his fulnes hauehave we all receiued Ihon. i. There is no nother mā in which we muste be saued. Actes. iiii. And agayne, vntounto his name beare al the prophetes recorde, that by his name shall all that beleue in him receaue remissiō Actes. x, In hym dwelleth al the fulnes of god bodely. Coll. ii. Al what so euer my father hath are myne, Io. xvi. what so euer ye axe in my name. yt wyl I do for you Io xiiii. One lord, one faith, one baptyme, one god and father of all which is aboue all thorow al & in you al Eph. iiii. Ther is but one whose seruant I am, to do his wyll. But one yt shal paye me my wages: there is but one to whom I am bonde, ergo but one that hathe power ouer me to damne or saue me, I wyll adde to this Paules argument Galat. iii. God sware vntounto Abraam .cccc. yere before the lawe was geuen, that we shulde be saued by Chryste: Ergo the lawe geuen .cccc. yeres after canne not dysanull that couenaunte, So dispute I Christ when he had suffered his passyon, and was rysen agayne & entred in to his glorye, was sufficient for hys apostles, without anye other meane or helpe, ergo the holynes of no saynte sence hath dimynisshed ought of that his power. But that he is as full sufficyent now, for the promes is as deaply made in vsus as them, Moreouer the tresure of his mercye was layde vp in Chryst for all that shulde beleue, yet the worlde was made ergo nothynge that hath happened sence hath chaūged the purpose of the in vnuariable god
Moreouer to exclude the blynde imagination falsely called fayth, of them that gyue them selues to vice with out resistence, affirminge, yt they hauehave no power to do otherwyse, but that God hath so made them, and therfore must saue them, they not entendynge or purposyng to mende theyr lyuynge, but synnynge with hole consent and ful lust, he declareth what fayth he meaneth. ii. maner of wayes: Fyrste by that he sayth, who so euer beleueth & is baptised, shalbe saued, By whiche wordes he declareth euydently, that he meaneth that fayth, that is in ye promes made vpō the apoyntmēt betwene god and vsus, that we shulde kepe his lawe to the vttermost of our power, yt is he that beleueth in Chryst for ye remissiō of synne, & is baptized to do the wyl of Chryst, & to kepe his law, of louelove & to mortyfie the fleshe, that mā shalbe saued, & so is the imaginaciō of these swyne yt wyll not leaue wallowynge theym selues in euerye myre & podell, cleane excluded, for God neuer made ꝓmes but apō an appoyntmēt or couenant vnderunder which who soeuer wyl not come can be no partaker of the ꝓmes. True fayth in chryst gyueth power to louelove ye law of god: for it is writtē Ihā ye fyrst, he gaue thē power to be ye sōnes of god in that they beleue in his name Now to be ye son of god, is to louelove ryghteousnes, & hate vnryghtwisnes & so to be lyke thy father. Hast thou then no power to louelove ye lawe? so hast yu no fayth in Chrystes bloude. And Ro. iii. we set vp or maynteyne the lawe thorowe fayth why so for the preachynge of faythe ministrethe the spirite, Galat, iii. & .ii. Cor. iii. & the spirite lowseth the bandes of Sathā, & gyuethe power to louelove the lawe, and also to do it.
For sayth Paule. Rom. viii. yf the spirite of him that raysed vp Iesus dwell in you, then wyl he that reared vp Iesus quicken your mortall bodyes by the meanes of his spirite dwelynge in you.
A well wylt thou say, yf I must professe the lawe and woorke, ergo fayth alone sauethe me not. Be not deceyued with sophistrye, but withdrawe thyne eares from wordes and cōsider ye thyng in thine hart. Faith iustifieth the yt is brī geth remissiō of all synnes, & setteth the in the state of grace before al workes & getteth ye power to worke yer yu coudest worke, but yf thou wylt not go backe agayne, but continewe ī grace & come to ye saluaciō & glorious resurrectiō of christ yu must work & ioyne works to thy fayth in wyll & dede to, yf thou hauehave tyme & leasure, & as oft as thou fallest set the on thy saythe agayne wythoute healpe of workes. And all thoughe when thou arte reconcyled and restored to grace workes be requyred yet is not that reconsylynge and grace the benefyte of the workes that folowe: but cleane contrarye that forgeuenes of the synnes and restorynge to fauoure deserue the workes that folow. Though whē the kyng (after that sentence of deethe is geuen vponupon a murtherar) hath pardoned hym, at the request of some of hys frendes, woorkes be requyred of hym that he hence forthe kepe the kynges lawes, yf he wyll continue in hys graces fauour in whyche he now standeth, yet the benefite of hys lyfe procedeth not of the deseruinge of the workes that folow, but of the kinges goodnes and fauour of hys frendes, ye & that benefite & gyft of his lyfe deserue the workes that folow Though the father chastice the chylde, yet is ye chylde no lesse bownd to obeye, & to do the wyl of the father, yf when the father pardoneth it, the workes that folow deserue the fauour, thā must the worke that folowed the correction hauehave deserued fauour also. And than was the father vnrigtwyse to chastice hit. All what soeuer thou art able to do, to please God wyth all is thy dutye to doo, thoughe thou haddeste neuer synned, yf it be the dutye how cā it than be the deseruyng of the mercy & grace that wēt before? Nowe that mercy, was ye benefite of god thy father thorow ye deseruīg of the lord christ which hath bowght ye wt ye prise of his bloud.
And agayne when he sayethe yt he purposeth to bestow his good, to be accepted as frutes of faith it is euident that he meaneth that liuinge fayth whych professeth the law of god, & is the mother of all good workes, ye & nursse therto.
Another cauillation whych they myght make in the seconde parte, where he admitteth no nother mediatour but Christ only, nor wyl geue of his goodes, to bynd any man to any fained obseruance for the healp of his soule, whē he were hole in the kyngdome of Christ cleane delyuered both body and soule from the dominion of Satan (as the scripture testifiethe all that dye in Christe to be) is this, they wyll say, that he helde that none shuld pray for him saue Christ, and that we be not bounde to pray one for another, ner ought to desyre the prayers of another man, that he excludeth, in that he saith all other be but peticioners. By which wordes he plainly cōfesseth that other may & ought for to praye, and that we maye and oughte to desyre other to pray, for vsus: but meaneth that we may not put oure trust and confidence in theyr prayer, as though they gaue of thē selues that whiche they desyre for vsus in theyr peticions, & so geue thē the thākes and ascribe to their mercies that which is geuen vsus in the name of our master Christ, at the deseruinges of his bloud. Christ is my lorde, and hath deserued and also obtayned power to geue me al that can be desyred for me. And all other desyre for me: that is desyred in Christes name & geuē at the merytes of hys bloude. All the honoure than, trust, cōfydence, and thankes, perteyne to hym also.
Some wyll haplye saye, howe shulde I desyre another to pray for me, & not trust to his praier …e…ly euen as I desire my neyghbur to helpe me at my nede, and yet trust not to hym, Christ hath commanded vsus to louelove eche other. Nowe I wyl go to desyre helpe, I put my trust in god and complayne to god fyrst, and say, Loo father I go to my brother, to axe helpe in thy name, prepare the harte of hym ageynst I come yt he may pitie me and helpe me for thy sake. &c. Now yf my brother remembre his dutye & helpe me, I receyue hit of god and gyue god the thankes which moued the herte of my brother and gaue my brother a corage to helpe me and wherwith to do it, and so hath holp me by my brother. And I louelove my brother agane and say Loo father, I went to my brother, in thy name and he hath holpe me for thy sake: wherfore O father be thou as mercyfull to hym at his nede as he hath bene to me for thy sake, at my nede Lo nowe as my brother dyd his dutye whā he holpe me, so do I my duety whan I praye for hym agayne: and as I myght not hauehave put my trust and confydence in my brothers helpe, so may he not in my prayers. I am sure that god wyll helpe me by his promes, but am not sure that my brother wyl helpe me, though it be his dutye: so am I sure that god wyll heare me whatsoeuer I axe in Christes name by his promes, but am not suer that my brother wyl praye for me, or that he hath a good hert to god.
No but the sayntes of heauen can not but pray & be harde, no more can the sayntes in erth, but praye and be hearde neyther. Moyses Samuell, Dauid, Noye, Elyas, Elizeus, Esaias, Daniell, and all the Prophetes prayed & were hearde: yet was none of those wycked yt wolde nat put theyr trust in god, accordyng to theyr doctryne & preachynge partaker of theyr prayers in the ende. And as damnable as it is for the pore to trust in the ryches of the ryches apon erth, so damnable is it also to leaue ye couenaunt made in Christes bloude. and to truste in the sayntes of heauen They that be in heauen Knowe the elect that truste in Christes bloude and professe the lawe of god and for thē onelyonly praye & these wycked Idolyters whiche hauehave no truste in the couenante of god ner serue god in the spirite ner in the gospell of Christes bloude. but after their blynde Imaginacyon chosynge thē eueryevery man a sundrye sainct to be theyr mediatour, to trust to, and to be saued by theyr merites, do the saintes abhore and belye. And theyr prayers and offerynges, ar to ye saintes as acceptable and pleasant, as was ye prayer and ye offerynge of Simon Magus to Peter. Act. viii.
More ouer the saintes in theyr mooste combraunce are most conforted and most able to cō fort other, as Paule testifieth .i Corin. In so moch yt S. Steuē. & S. Iames prayed for thē yt slewe them Saynt Martyne preached and cō forted his, desperate bretherne euen vntounto the laste breath, and lykewyse as stories make mē tion) did innumerable mo, ye and I hauehave knowen of symple vnlerned persones and that of some that were greate synners whiche at the houre of death hauehave fallen flat of the bloude of Christ, and geuen no rowme to other menns ether prayers or preachinges: but hauehave as stronglye trusted in Christes blode, as euer did Peter or Paule, and hauehave therto preached it to other, and exhorted other so myghtelye that an angell of heuen coude not minde thē, who then shulde resiste God that he myghte not geue the same grace to master Tracye, whych was alerned man, & better sene in the workes of Saīcte Austen .xx. yere before he dyed thā euer I knew doctoure in England, but that he must thā faīe and shrincke, whē most neade is to be strong, & feare the popes purgatorye and trust to ye prayer of Pristes derely payd for I dare saye that he prayed for ye pristes when he dyed, that god wolde conuert a great meny of them, and if he had knowen of any good man among them yt had neded, he wolde hauehave geuen, and yf he had knowen of any lacke of Pristes he wold hauehave geuen to mayntayne moo: But now sence there be moo then I nowe, & hauehave more thē euerye man a sufficient lyuyng, how shuld he hauehave geuē thē but to here their praiers of pure mistrust in chrystes blod? if robbing of wydous houses vnderunder pretence of longe prayers be dānable) Matthe. xxiii. Then is it damnaple also for wydoowes to suffer theym selues to be robbed by the longe pattrynge of hypocrites, thorow my truste in Christes bloude: ye & is it not damnable to mayntene such abhominaciō? Nowe whan this dānacion is spred ouer al, how cā we geue thē that hauehave ynoughe alredy, or how can they yt hauehave ynoughe alredy take more vnderunder ye name of prayenge & not hardē the people more in this damnable damnacion.
And cōcerning ye burienge of his bodye he allegeth S. Austen, nether is ther any man (thynke I (so mad to affyrme yt ye outward pompe of ye body shuld helpe ye soule, More ouer what greatter signe of infedilite is there, thē to care al ye tyme of deth … what pōpe ye carkas shalbe caried to ye graue… He denieth not but yt a christen mā shuld be honorably buryed namelye for the honour & hope of ye resuerectiō & therfore cōmitted that care to his deare executours hys sone & his wyfe, whiche he wyst wolde in that parte do sufficient, and leue nothinge of the vse of ye contre vndone, but the abuse.
And that bestowynge of a great parte of his goodes which he yet leued, apon the pore, to be thanckful for ye merciemercy receued, wt out bying & sellynge wt God, yt is, wtout bynding those pore vntounto any other appoynted prayers thā god hath bound vsus alredy, one to praye for another one to help another, as he hath helped vsus, but patientlye addynge for the blessynges that god hath appointed vntounto all manner good workes trustynge faithfully to his promes, thankinge as ye may se by his wordes, the bloude of Christe for the reward promised to his workes and not the goodnes of the workes as thoughe he had done more then his dutie, or all that: And assygned by wrytinge vntounto whome another parte shulde be distributed, and geuinge the rest to his executours, that no stryfe shulde be, whiche executours wher by ryght the heyres of all that was lefte to thē: These thynges I saye are signes euident not onelyonly of a good Christē man, but also of a perfecte Christen man, and of suche a one as neded not to be agast and desperaet for feare of the paynful paynes of purgatorye, which who so fearith as they faine it can not but vtterly abhorre deeth: seynge that Christe is there no longer thy Lorde, after he hath brought the thither, but art excluded from his satisfaction, and muste satisfye for thy selfe alone, and that with sufferinge payne onlye or ellys taryenge the satisfienge of them that shall neuer satisfie ynoughe for them selues or gapinge for the popes pardons, which hauehave to great dowers & dangers, what in the mynde & entēt of the graunter, & what in the purchases, yet they can be treuly obteyned with al due cyrcūstances, & moch les certitude yt they hauehave any autoryte at all Paule trusted to be dissolued and to be wyth Chryst: Steuen desyred Chryst to take his spirite the prophetes desired god to take their soules from them and al the saynctes went wyth a lustye corage to deeth nether fearynge or teachyng vsus to feare any such crudelyte. where hath the churche then gotten authorytye to bynde vsus from beyng so perfyte frō hauyng any such fayth in the goodnes of god oure Father and Lorde Chryste, and to make suche perfytnes and fayth of al heresies the greatest.
Salomon sayth in the .xxx. of his Prouerbes iii. are insaciable and the forth sayth neuer, It is ynough. But there is a fyft called dame auaryce, wyth as greadye a gut, as meltyng a mawe, as wyd a throte, as gapyng a mouth, and wyth as reauenyng teeth as the best which the more she eateth the hūgryer she is An vnquyet euyll neuer at rest a blynde monster and a surmysyng beest, fearynge at the fal of eueryevery leafe Quid nō īmortalia, pectora cogis, aurifacta fames? what doth not ye holy hongur compel thē that louelove thys world inordinatly, to commytte might that deuyls belye be once ful, trueth shulde hauehave audience, and wordes be construed a ryght, and taken in the same sence as they be ment.
Thowghe hit seme not impossible haplye yt there myght be a place, where the soules myghte be kept for a space, to be taught & instruct: yet that ther shuld be such a Iayle as they Iangle. & soch fa…ons as they fayne is playne impossible & repugnant to ye scripture: for when a man is translated vtterly, oute of ye kyndome of Satan, & so confyrmed in grace that he can not synne, so burnynge in louelove that his lust cā not be plucked from goddes wyl, & beynge partaker which vsus of al the promises of God & vnderunder the commaundementes: what coude be denyed hym in that depe innocencie of his moost kynde father, yt hath leaft no mercy vnpromysed, & aringe it therto in the name of his son Iesus, the chylde of his hertis lust, which is oure lorde & hath lefe no mercye vndeserued for vsus? namely whan god hathe sworne that he wyll put of ryghtwisnes, & be to vsus a father, & that of all mercye, and hath slayne hys mooste dere sonne Iesus to confyrme his oth.
Fynally seynge that Chrystes louelove taketh all to the best, & nothyng is here that maye not be well vnderstanded, (the cyrcūstaunces declarynge in what sence al was ment (they oughte to hauehave interpreted hit charytablye, yf oughte had bene founde doutfull or semynge to son̄ de amysse Moreouer yf any thyng hed bene theryn that coude not hauehave be taken wel yet theyr parte had bene to hauehave interprete it as spoken of, ydelnesse of the heed, by the reason of syckenesse, for as much as the man was vertuus wise, & well lerned, & of good fame, and reporte, & founde in the fayth whyle he was a lyue, but if they saye he was suspect whan he was a lyue, then is their doyng so moche the worsse, and to be thought that they fear hys doctrine whā he was a lyue & mystrusted their awne part, their consciences testyfyenge to them that beheld no nother doctrine then that was true seynge then they nether spake ner wrote agaynste hym ner brought hym to any examynacyon. Besyde that some mery felowes wyl thynke, that they owght first to hauehave sent to hym to wyt whethrer he wold hauehave reuoked, yet they had so dispytefully burnt the deed bodye that coude not answere for it selfe, nor interprete hys wordys, how he ment them, namely the mā beyng of so worshypfull & auncient a bloude. But here wyll I make an ende desyryng the reader to loke on thys thynge wyth indyferent eyes, & iuge whether I hauehave expounded the wordes of thys Testamēt as they should seame to signify, or not Iuge also whether ye maker therof seame not by his worke both vertuous & glory: which if it so be thynke not yt he was the worsse bycause ye deede body was burnt to asshes, but rather lerne to know the great desyre that hypocrytes hauehave to fynde one craft or other to dase ye trueth wyth, and cause hit to be counted for heresye of the simple & vnlerned people which are so ignoraunt that they can not spye their sotteltye, hit must neades be heresye that towcheth any thinge their ratten byle they wyl hauehave hit who so euer saye nay onelyonly the eternal god must be prayed to nyght & day to amend them in whose power it onelyonly lyeth, who also graunt them ones ernestlye to truste his true doctrine conteyned in the swete & pure foūtaines of his scriptures and in his pathes to direct their wayes.
Amen
¶Here endeth the Exposicion of wyllyam Tyndall.
¶Inprynted at Norenburch, 1546.
End of the text · John Wycliffe, Wycliffes Wicket (1546)