LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW - Brock University

68 LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW XV
of the rod … but doth all things of his own corage [affections]; as Christ
saith, John vii. ‘He that believeth on me shall have rivers of living waters
flowing out of his belly’: that is, all good works and all gifts of grace spring
out of him naturally, and by their own accord. Thou needest not to wrest
good works out of him, as a man would wring verjuice out of crabs [crab
apples]: nay, they flow naturally out of him, as springs out of rocks. 40
Tyndale, here, takes two organic images drawn from scripture and employs
them to demonstrate a natural, continuous connection between faith and
works. Note again the absence of categories such as Law and Gospel,
justification and sanctification, and especially the simul iustus et peccator of
Lutheran theology. Tyndale describes one organic process and flow in God’s
saving work.
The sanative elements of his soteriology continue throughout the
reformer’s career and are illustrated in The Exposition of 1 John:
When a true preacher preacheth, the Spirit entereth the hearts of the elect, and
maketh them feel the righteousness of the law of God, and by the law the
poison of their corrupt nature; and thence leadeth them, through repentance,
unto the mercy that is in Christ’s blood; and as an ointment healeth the body,
even so the Spirit, through confidence and trust in Christ’s blood, healeth the
soul, and maketh her love the law of God …. 41
Standing on a post-Reformation summit, one might be tempted to view this
passage as describing sanctification. For Tyndale, the healing process which
follows the forgiveness and mercy of Christ, is part of one continuous
process of salvation, begun by faith, but growing into love for the Law.
Absent is the distinction that our justification takes place solely coram Deo,
by God declaring the all-at-once full righteousness of Christ; and then that
this declaration of perfection takes on new life in area of sanctification.
This sanative language also arises in his disputation with Thomas More.
Tyndale emphasizes that we are justified by the healing process which
results in actual righteousness, and not by the imputation of Christ’s
righteousness which declares us right before God. The Law of God shows us
what we are unable to do and pushes us to despair:
But God, which hath begun to cure me, and hath laid that corosy [corrosive]
unto my sores, goeth forth in his cure, and setteth his son Jesus before me …
and sayeth to me … ‘for his sake I will forgive thee all that that thou hast
done against this good law, and I will heal thy flesh, and teach thee to keep
this law, if thou learn. And I will bear with thee, and take all a worth [in good
part] that thou doest, till thou canst do better; and in the mean season, not
withstanding thy weakness, I will yet love thee no less than I do the angels in
40 Works 1:417.
41 Works 2:183-84.