LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW - Brock University

LEININGER: HOW LUTHERAN WAS WILLIAM TYNDALE 65
the poor give us an occasion to exercise our faith; and the deeds make us feel
our faith, and certify us, and make us sure that we are safe, and are escaped
and translated from death unto life, and that we are delivered and redeemed
from the captivity and bondage of Satan, and brought into the liberty of the
sons of God, in that we feel lust and strength in our heart to work the will of
God …. So that good works help our faith, and make us sure in our
consciences, and make us feel the mercy of God. Notwithstanding, heaven,
everlasting life, joy eternal, faith, the favour of God, the Spirit of God, lust
and strength unto the will of God, are given us freely of the bounteous and
plenteous riches of God, purchased by Christ, without our deservings, that no
man should rejoice but in the Lord only. 32
Once he departs from Luther’s sermon for good, Tyndale’s treatment of
the parable of the wicked Mammon grows into a flourish of workscertification
language. In a section not from Luther, Tyndale maintains that
our works prove that we are sons of God, and show we have the Spirit of
God:
‘Ye shall be perfect therefore, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’
That is to say, if that ye do nothing but that the world doth, and they which
have the spirit of the world, whereby [how] shall ye know that ye are the sons
of God, and beloved of God, more than the world But and if ye counterfeit
and follow God in well-doing, then no doubt it is a sign that the Spirit of God
is in you, and also the favour of God, which is not in the world; and that ye
are inheritors of all the promises of God, and elect unto the fellowship of the
blood of Christ. 33
According to Tyndale, not only do our works demonstrate that we are sons
of God, but they serve as a sign that we are inheritors of the favour of God—
a significant departure from Luther.
Tyndale, of course, denies that works justify us. But like Augustine and
the early Luther, he tends to see justification as a disposition of
righteousness which brings about good works:
Neither do our works justify us: for except we were justified by faith, which
is our righteousness, and had the Spirit of God in us, to teach us, we could do
no good work freely ….
32 Works 1: 67; compare Unjust Steward, 311:22=WA 10 III :290 22ff -
Auffs ander. Solchs auffnehmen yn die ewigen hutten ist nicht tzuverstehen, das die
menschen thun werden, ßondern sie werden ursach unnd tzeugen seyn unßers
glawbens, an yhn geübt und beweyßet, umb wilchs willen gott uns ynn die ewigen
hutten nympt. Denn solichs ist die weyße der schrifft zu reden, wenn sie spricht ‘die
sunde verdampt’, ‘der glawbe macht selig’, das ist sund ist ursach, das gott verdampt,
unnd glawbe ist ursach, das er selig macht.
33 Works 1:72.