Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 7 · Prologue – Part
¶ The Prologue.
AS a man can by no meanes read, except he be firſt taught the letters of the croſſerow:We muſt firſt learne the profeſſion of our Baptiſme. euen ſo it is vnpoſſible for a man of whatſoeuer degree or name he bee off, to vnderſtande ought in the Scripture vntounto the honour of God, and health of his ſoule, except he be firſt taught the profeſſion of his baptiſme, & hauehave it alſo written in his hart.
Which profeſſion ſtandeth in ij. thinges. The profeſſion of our Baptiſme what it is.The one is the knowledge of God, vnderſtanding it ſpiritually, as Chriſt expoundeth it, Math. v. vj. and vij. ſo that the roote and life of all lawes be this: LoueLove thy Lord God with all thyne hart, all thy ſoule, and all thy might: and thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, for his ſake: and that louelove onelyonly is the fulfilling of the law (as Paule teacheth) and that whatſoeuer deed we do, and not of that louelove, that ſame fulfilleth no law in the ſight of God.
And the other is to know the promiſes Goſpell.of mercy, which are in our Sauiour Chriſt: vnderſtanding them alſo purely without all leuen, after the mercifulleſt faſhiō as Scripture ſoundeth them, and after al fatherly louelove and kindenes of God, vntounto all that repent toward the law, and beleue in Chriſt.
And to hauehave this profeſſion written in thyne hart is to cōſent vntounto the law that it is righteous, and good, and to louelove it in thyne hart, and to ſubmit thy ſelfe thereunto for to learne it, and to rule and ſquare al thy deedes therby, & thē to beleue in Chriſt, that for his All our ſinnes for Ieſu Chriſtes ſake, & for hys death & paſſion are clearely forgeuen.ſake all thy ſinnes which thou diddeſt before the knowledge of this profeſſion, are forgeeuen thee clearly both a poena & culpa, to vſe the popes termes, and that for none other ſatiſfaction to Godwarde then Chriſtes bloud, and euen ſo, that all the ſinne which we do after this knowledge, eyther of chaunce, ignoraunce, infirmitie, negligence, or prouoked and ouercome of the fleſh, is forgeuen vsus like wiſe both Poena & culpa, through repentaunce and fayth in Chriſt, without our ſatiſfaction of workes to Godwarde.
Notwithſtanding we being all ſonnes of one God, and ſeruauntes of one Chriſt, muſt agree among our ſelues, and he that hath offended muſt meekly knowledge his fault, and EueryEvery Chriſten man muſt reconcile himſelfe vntounto his brother.offer himſelf to make amendes vntounto the vtmoſt of his poure: and if he hauehave not wherewith, aſke forgeueneſſe for Chriſts ſake, the other is bound to forgeue him. Neither with out reconſiling himſelf vntounto his brother may any man be at the firſt receiued vntounto the profeſſion of Chriſtes fayth nor continue therin, nor be receaued in againe if he be for his open offences put thereout. For how can a man louelove his neighbour as well as himſelf, and be ſory that he hath hurt him, except he ſhould offer himſelf to make amendes?
And we muſt from henceforth walke in The right penaunce is repentaunce of ſinne and amendemēt of lyfe.the life of penaunce (if ye will hauehave it ſo called) and after the doctrine of Chriſt eueryevery man tame his fleſh with prayer, faſting, and the continuall meditations of Chriſtes penaunce, and paſſions for vsus, and of the holy ſaintes, and with ſuch abſtinence, and kinde of liuing as eueryevery man thincketh moſt meete All our lyfe muſt tend to this ende, to came our fleſh & ſerue our neighbour.for his cōplexion, the yonger confeſſing their infirmities to the elder, diſcreter, and better learned, and aſking their aduiſe and holeſome counſell for the repreſſing of their diſeaſes, but all to tame the fleſhe, and to ſerue thy neighbour without any ſuperſtious minde.
But to Godward is there no ſatiſfactiō, Fayth in Chriſtes bloud with a repentaūt hart is the onelyonly ſatiſfaction that we cā make towarde God.ſaue fayth in Chriſtes bloud out of a repenting hart. For our outwarde deedes can not be referred vntounto God, to do him ſeruice in his owne perſon, and to helpe him, or make him better therewith. We can do no more wyth them, were they neuer ſo perfect, & done with all louelove, then ſatiſfie the law for the preſente time, and do our dutie vntounto our neighbours, and tame our owne fleſh, but not to make ſatiſfaction to God for ſinne that is once paſt. The ſinne that is once committed muſt God forgeue freely of a fatherly louelove for Chriſtes ſake.
When God viſiteth vsus with ſicknes, pouertie, or whatſoeuer aduerſitie it be, he doth it not of a tyrannous minde to ſatiſfy his luſt in our ſuffering of euyll to make ſatiſfaction for the ſinne that is paſt of which we repent, and be ſory: But of a fatherly louelove to make The father of louelove correcteth the child.vsus know our ſelues, and feele his mercy, and to tame our fleſh, and to keepe vsus from ſinning againe. As no naturall father puniſheth his child becauſe he delighteth in tormenting of him, to take ſatiſfactiō for the ſinne that is paſt: but firſt teacheth kindly, and ſuffreth, and forgeueth once or twiſe, and then at the laſt, when he ſeeth the body ſo wanton, that the childe can not continue in the right way for the rage of wild luſtes, he beateth to ſubdue the fleſhe onelyonly, and to tame it, that the doctrine of y• father may hauehave her due courſe in the hart of the childe, and ſhoulde not be choked with luſtes.
Euen ſo is it of God, if any of his children God as a louyng father careth for vsus and gētlye correcteth vsus to keepe vsus in the right way.that hauehave profeſſed his law, and thē faith of our Sauiour, bee negligent to tame hys fleſh, with prayer, faſting, and good dedes after the doctrine of Chriſt, he wil ſurely ſcourge him, to bring him into the right way agayne, and to keepe him that the doctrine of his ſoules health periſh not in him. But he taketh not his mercy from vsus, nor thinketh on the ſinne that is paſt, after that we repent and be full conuerted, but ablolueth vsus both a poena & culpa, for Chriſtes ſake: and is as mighty & as mercyfull to do it for Chriſtes ſake, as the Pope for money, beſides that he hath promiſed mercyfully ſo to do.
¶ The knowledge of our baptiſme is the key and the light of the Scripture.
ANd againe, as he which knoweth his letters well, and can ſpell perfectly, can not but read if he be diligent: and as hee whiche hath cleare eyes without impediment or let, To vnderſtand our baptiſme is to vnderſtād the law and the Goſpell.and walketh therto in the light and open day, can not but ſee, if he attende and take heede: euen ſo who ſo euer hath the profeſſion of baptiſme written in his hart, can not but vnderſtand the ſcripture, if he exerciſe him ſelfe therein, and compare one place to an other, and marke the maner of ſpeach, and aſke here and there the meaning of a ſentence, of them that be better exerciſed.
For as the doctrine which we ſhould be The key & light of the Scripture.taught before we were baptized, and for lack of age is deferred vntounto the yeares of diſcretion is the key that bindeth and looſeth, locketh and vnlocketh the conſcience of all ſinners: euen ſo that leſſon, where it is vnderſtād is onelyonly the key that openeth all ye ſcripture, and euen the whole ſcripture in it ſelfe gathered together in a narrow compaſſe, and brought into a compendiouſnes. And til thou be taught that leſſon, that thine hart feele the ſweetneſſe of it, the Scripture is locked and ſhut vp from thee, and ſo darke that thou couldeſt not vnderſtande it, though Peter, Paule, or Chriſt himſelfe did expound it vntounto thee, no more then a blinde man can ſee, though thou ſet a candle before him, or ſhewedſt him the Sunne, or poyntedſt with thy finger, vntounto that thou wouldeſt hauehave him looke vppon.
Now we be all baptized: But alas, not Howe the Scripture is locked vp from ou… vnderſtandyng.one from the hyeſt to the loweſt euer taught the profeſſion or meaning thereof. And therfore we remayne all blinde generally, as well our great Rabines for all their hye learning which they ſeeme to hauehave, as the lay people: yea and ſo much the more blind are our great clerkes, that where the lay people for a great number of them are caught naught at al, they be all wrong taught, and the doctrine of their baptiſme is all corrupt vntounto them, with the l…uen of falſe gloſes, ere they come to read the ſcripture. So that the light which they bring with them to vnderſtand the ſcripture withall, is vtter darkneſſe, & as contrary vntounto the ſcripture as the deuill vntounto Chriſt,
By reaſon wherof the Scripture is locked vp and become ſo darke vntounto them, that they grope for the dore, and can finde no way in, and is become a maze vntounto them, in which they wander as in a nuſt, or (as we ſay) led by Robin Goodfellow, that they can not come to the right way, no though they turne their cappes: and the brightnes thereof hath blinded their eyes with malice, ſo that though they beleue not the Scripture to be falſe, yet If we be not taught by God, we do but wander …leane out of the way.they perſecute the right vnderſtanding therof, and can not beleeue it true in the playne ſenſe, which it ſpeaketh to them in. It is becomme a tu…nagaine lane vntounto them, which they can not goe thorough, nor make iij. lines agree together. And finally the ſentences of the Scripture are nothing but very riddles vntounto thē, …s the which they caſt, as the blind man doth at the Crow, and expound by geſſe, an hundred Doctoures an hundred wayes, and one man in xx. ſermons alleadging one texte after xx. faſhions, hauing no ſure doctrine to cleaue vntounto, and all for lacke of the righte knowledge of the profeſſion of oure Baptiſme.
¶ He that hath the profeſsion of his Baptiſme written in his hart, can be no hereticke.
AN other concluſion is this. As he which euer creepeth a long by the grounde and neuer clymeth can not fall from an hygh. Euen ſo no man that hath the profeſſion of He that vnderſtandeth the profeſſiō of his Baptiſme can be no hereticke.his Baptiſme written in his hart can ſtomble in the Scripture, and fall vntounto hereſies or become a maker of diuiſion and ſettes and a defender of wilde and vayne opinions. For the whole and onelyonly cauſe of hereſies and ſectes is pride.
Now the law of God truly interpreted robbeth all them in whoſe hartes it is written, and maketh them as bare as Iob of all thyngs wherof a man can be moued to pride. And on the other ſide they hauehave vtterly forſaken them ſelues with all their hyghe learnyng and wiſedome and are become the ſeruauntes of Chriſt onelyonly whiche hath bought The Scripture teacheth low, lynes, and hateth prid▪thē with his bloud, & hauehave promiſed in their hartes vnfaynedly to folow hym and to take him onelyonly for the author of their religiō, & his doctrine onelyonly for their wiſedome & learning, and to mainteine it in word and deede, and to keepe it pure and to builde no ſtraunge doctrine therupon, and to be at the hygheſt neuer but felow with their brethren, and in that felowſhyp The Scripture maketh no heretikes.to waxe euer lawer and lower, and eueryevery day more ſeruaunt then other, vntounto his weaker brethren, after the example and Image of Chriſt and after his commaundemēt and ordinaunce, and not in fayned wordes of the Pope.
This hee ſayd becauſe of them that ſay that the Scripture maketh men heretickes and corrupteth with falſe opinions contrarie vntounto the profeſſiō of their Baptiſme, and the light wherewith they ſhould expounde the Scripture is turned into darkenes in their hartes, & the doore of the Scripture locked, & the welles ſtopped vp yer they come at it.
And therfore becauſe their darknes can not cōprehend the light of Scripture, as it is writtē Iohn. i. The light ſhyned in darknes If God lighten not our hartes we read the Scripture in vayne.but the darknes could not comprehēd it, they turne it into blynd ridles and read it without vnderſtandyng as lay men do our Lady Mattines, or as it were Marlynes prophecies, euer their myndes are vppon their hereſies. And when they come to a place that ſoū deth like, there they reſt and wring out wonderfull expoſitions to ſtabliſhe their hereſies with all, after the tale of the boy that would fayne hauehave eaten of the paſtie of lampreſe but durſt not vntounto the belles ſang vntounto him. Sit downe Iacke boy and eate of the lamprey, to ſtabliſhe his waueryng conſcience withall. Is it not a great blyndnes to ſay in the begynning of all together, that the whole ſcripture is falſe in the litterall ſence, and killeth the ſoule. Whiche peſtilent hereſie to proue, they abuſe the text of Paule ſaying. The letter killeth, becauſe that text was become a ridle vntounto them and they vnderſtode it not. The law condemneth to driue vsus to faith in Chriſtes death.When Paule by this word letter vnderſtode the law giuen by Moyſes to condēne all conſciences and to rob them of all righteouſnes to compell them vntounto the promiſes of mercy that are in Chriſt.
Hereſie ſpringeth not of the Scripture no more then darknes of the Sunne, but is a darke cloude that ſpringeth out of the blynde hartes of hypocrites, and couereth the face of Hereſy ſpringeth out of the harts of hypocrites.the Scripture, and blyndeth their eyes that they can not behold the bright beames of the Scripture.
The whole & ſumme then of all together is this. If our hartes were taught the appoyntment made betwene GOD and vsus in Chriſtes bloud whē we were Baptiſed, we had the kay to open the Scripture, and light to ſee and perceiue the true meaning of it, and the Scripture ſhould be eaſie to vnderſtand. And becauſe we be not taught that profeſſiō, is the cauſe why the Scripture is ſo darke, and ſo farre paſſyng our capacitie. And the cauſe why our expoſitions are hereſies, is becauſe we be wrong taught, & corrupt wt falſe opiniōs before hand and made heretickes yer we come at the Scripture, and hauehave corrupt it, and it not vsus: as the taſt of the ſicke maketh holeſome and well ſeaſoned meate bitter, He that is ſoūd in faith ſhal eaſely attaine to the true ſēce of the ſcripture.weriſh and vnſauery. Neuertheles yet the Scripture abydeth pure in her ſelfe and bright, ſo that he which is ſounde in the faith ſhall at once perceiue that the iudgemēt of the hereticke is corrupt in their expoſitions, as an whole man doth feele at once euen with ſmelling to the meate that the taſt of the ſicke is infected. And with the Scripture ſhal they euer improue hereſies and falſe expoſitions, for the Scripture purgeth her ſelfe, euen as the water once in the yeare caſteth all filthynes vntounto the ſides. Which to be true ye ſee by the authoritie of Paule. 2. Timo. 3. ſaying. All the Scripture was giuen of God by inſpiration, and is good to teach with all, to improue and ſo foorth. And by the example of Chriſt and the Apoſtles, how they confounded the Iewes with the ſame Scripture whiche they had corrupt, & vnderſtode them amiſſe after their own darknes, and as ye ſee by the example of vsus now alſo, how we hauehave manifeſtly improued the hypocrites in an hū dre h textes which they had corrupt to proue their falſe opinions brought in beſides the Scripture, and hauehave driuē them of. And they be fled and openly confeſſe vntounto their ſhame that they hauehave no Scripture and ſing an other ſong, and ſay they receaued them by the mouth of the Apoſtles. Ʋnto whiche ſtopping oyſter. I aunſwere here groſly, ſeyng The papiſts vnwritten berities are not to be credited.they are aunſwered before. That as he were a foole which would truſt him to tell his money in his abſent that hath pyked his purſe before his face, euen ſo ſithe ye hauehave corrupt the open Scripture before our eyes and takē with the maner that ye cā not denie, we were madde to beleue that, which hath lyen. xv. C. yeares as ye ſay in your rottē mawes, ſhould now be holeſome for vsus ye hauehave chewed and mingled it with your poyſon ſpetel. Can ye beare vsus in hand and perſwade vsus thinke ye with your ſophiſtry to beleue that ye ſhould miniſter your ſecrete traditions without grounde truly, when we ſee you miniſter the open Scripture falſly? Can ye bewyche our wittes with your Poetry to beleue that ye ſhould miniſter your ſecret traditions for our profite when wee ſee you corrupt the open Scripture to the loſſe of our ſoules for your profite? Nay it is an hundreth tymes more likely y• ye ſhould be falſe in ſecret things thē in open. And therefore in the very Sacramentes whiche the Scripture teſtifieth, that Chriſt him ſelfe ordeined them we muſt hauehave an eye vntounto your hand, how ye miniſter them. The papiſt…hauehave corrupted the ſcriptures & abuſed the ſacramentes.And as wee reſtore the Scripture vntounto her right vnderſtandyng from your falſe gloſes: euen ſo deliuer we the Sacramentes and ceremonies vntounto their right vſe from your abuſe. And that muſt we do with the Scripture, which can corrupt no mā that commeth therto with a meke ſprite, ſekyng there onelyonly to faſhion him ſelfe lyke Chriſt, accordyng to the profeſſion and vowe of our Baptiſme. But contrarywiſe, hee ſhall there finde the myghtie power of GOD, to alter hym, and chaunge hym in the inner man a litle and litle in proceſſe vntill he be full ſhappen after the image of our Sauiour, in knowledge & louelove of all truth and power to worke therafter.
Finally then for as much as the Scripture is the light and life of Gods elect, & that mightie power wherewith God createth thē The ſcripture to the life of Gods elect.and ſhapeth them, after the ſimilitude, likenes and very faſhion of Chriſt, and therfore ſuſtenaunce, comfort, and ſtrength to courage them, that they may ſtād faſt, and endure and meryly beare their ſoules health, wherewith the luſtes of the fleſh ſubdued and killed, and the ſpirite mollified and made ſoft, to receiue the print of the image of our Sauiour Ieſu. And as much as the Scripture is ſo pure of it ſelfe that it cā corrupt no man, but the wicked onelyonly, which are infect before hand and yer they come at it, corrupt it with the hereſies they bryng with them. And for as much as the complaynt of the hypocrites that the Scripture maketh heretickes is vayne and fayned, & the reaſons wherewith they would Hypocrites ſay that the ſcripture maketh heretiques.proue that the laye people ought not to read the Scripture falſe, wicked, and the frute of roten trees, therefore are they faythfull ſeruauntes of Chriſt and faythfull Miniſters & diſpēſers of his doctrine, and true harted toward their brethren, which hauehave giuen them ſelues vp into the hand of God, and put them ſelues in ieoperdy of al perſecutiō, their very lyfe deſpiſed, and hauehave tranſlated the Scripture purely and with good conſciēce, ſubmittyng them ſelues, and deſiryng them that can to amend their trāſlation, or (if it pleaſe thē) to trāſlate it themſelues, after their beſt maner, yea and let them ſow to their gloſes, as many as they thinke they can make cleaue thereto, and then put other mens tranſlation out of the way.The tranſlation of the ſcripture is not ſufficiēt onelyonly, but it muſt be well taught that the people may hauehave the true ſēce.
Howbeit, though God hath ſo wrought with them that a great part is tranſlated, yet as it is not inough that the father and the mother hauehave both begotten the child & brought it into this world, except they care for it and bryng it vp till it can helpe it ſelfe. Euen ſo it is not inough to hauehave tranſlated, though it were ye whole Scripture into the vulgare & common toung. Except we alſo brought agayne, the light to vnderſtād it by, and expell that darke cloude which the hypocrites hauehave ſpread ouer the face of ye ſcripture to blind the right ſenſe and true meanyng thereof. And Introductions made to bring you to the true vnderſtanding of the ſcripture.therfore at their diuers introductions ordeyned for you, to teach you the profeſſiō of your Baptiſme the onelyonly light of the Scripture, one vppon the Epiſtle of Paule to the Romains and an other called The pathway into the Scripture. And for the ſame cauſe, hauehave I taken in hand to interpret this Epiſtle of S. Iohn the Euangeliſt to edifie the lay mā and to teach him how to read the Scripture, and what to ſeke therein, & that he may hauehave to aunſwere the hypocrites and to ſtop theyr mouthes with all.
And firſt vnderſtand that all the Epiſtles that the Apoſtles wrote, are the Goſpell of Chriſt, though all that is the Goſpell bee not an Epiſtle. It is called a Goſpell, that is to ſay glad tydinges, becauſe it is an open preachyng of Chriſt, and an Epiſtle, becauſe it is ſent as a letter or a bill to them that are abſent.