Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ... Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

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XVI.WILLIAMTYNDALE.A.D. 1528.William Tyndale was born about 1477, or later, and wasburnt at Antwerp in October 1536, after a long imprisonment,for heresy.His beautiful translation of the New Testament isone of the finest works in our language :our present AuthorizedVersion owes very much to it. His tracts, such as his Obedience'of a Christian Man,' his dissertation on the parable of The'Wicked Mammon,' and his Practice 'of Prelates,' are written ina clear, bold, vigorous style. The extract here printed is fromthe first of these, viz. ' The Obedience of a Christen man, andhow Christew rulers ought to governe,' printed in 1528. It isa very interesting passage, and contains a splendid defence of the\\ isdcm of translating the Scriptures into a tongue ' understandedof the people.' This piece should be carefully compared withthe extracts from the works of Sir Thomas More, Tyndale's greatopponent. Tyndale's version of the New Testament was printedin quarto in 1525, and in octavo in 1525 or January 1526. Afacsimile edition of the latter was produced in1862, by Mr. Fry,of Bristol ; and of the extant fragment of the former, by Mr.Arber, in 1871. See 'The Gothic and Anglo-Saxon Gospels inparallel columns, with the versions of Wycliffe and Tyndale,'edited by Dr. J.Bosworth, 1865, pp. xxiii-xxix, and p. 584: alsothe remarks on Tyndale's version by Mr. Marsh, in the Student's'Manual of the English Language,' ed. Smith, pp. 84 and ^46 ;INIr. Arber's Preface.and

I15XVI. THE OBEDIENCE OF A CHRISTIAN MAN. 167\_0n the translation of the Scriptures.Fol. xii.]Tnat thou maist perceave how thai tht scripture oughtto be in the mother towge, and thai the reaso^zs That the scripwhichoure sprites make for the contrary are but*°b"eTn°th?'^sophistry & false wiles, to feare the^ fro;« the^"^"^"^ t°"g^rlighte, thai thou mighteste folowe them blyndefolde & betheir captive / to honoure their cerimonies & to offer totheir bely.Fyrst god gave the child^rne of Israel a lawe by the ho«deof moyses in their mother t07zge, & al the prophetes wrote in10 their mother ionge. & all the psalmes were in the mothertonge. And there was Christe, but fygured and describedin cerimonies / in redles / in parables and in darke prophesies.What is the cause that we maye not have the oldetestamente with the newe also, which is the lighte of theolde, and wherin is openly declared before the eyes thatthere was darkely prophesied ? I can imagen no causeveryly, excepte it be that we shulde not se the worke ofAntychrist and iugulynge of ypocrites. what shulde be thecause that we which walke in the brode daye / shulde not20 se as well as they that walked in the night / or that weshulde not se as well at none / as they dyd in the twylighte ?Came Christe to make the worlde moare blynde ? By thismeanes, Christe is the darkenes of the worlde and not thelight / as he saith hym selfe,lohn .viij.25 Moare over, Moyses saith, Deutro .vj. ' Heare, Israel, letthese wordes which I commaunde the this daye steke fastin thine herte / a??d whette them on thy childerne & talke^Printed* y',' as if it were the definite article.

I15XVI. THE OBEDIENCE OF A CHRISTIAN MAN. 167\_0n <strong>the</strong> translation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Scriptures.Fol. xii.]Tnat thou maist perceave how thai tht scripture ought<strong>to</strong> be in <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong>wge, and thai <strong>the</strong> reaso^zs That <strong>the</strong> scripwhichoure sprites make for <strong>the</strong> contrary are but*°b"eTn°th?'^sophistry & false wiles, <strong>to</strong> feare <strong>the</strong>^ fro;« <strong>the</strong>^"^"^"^ t°"g^rlighte, thai thou mighteste folowe <strong>the</strong>m blyndefolde & be<strong>the</strong>ir captive / <strong>to</strong> honoure <strong>the</strong>ir cerimonies & <strong>to</strong> <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>to</strong><strong>the</strong>ir bely.Fyrst god gave <strong>the</strong> child^rne <strong>of</strong> Israel a lawe by <strong>the</strong> ho«de<strong>of</strong> moyses in <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>r t07zge, & al <strong>the</strong> prophetes wrote in10 <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>r ionge. & all <strong>the</strong> psalmes were in <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r<strong>to</strong>nge. And <strong>the</strong>re was Christe, but fygured and describedin cerimonies / in redles / in parables and in darke prophesies.What is <strong>the</strong> cause that we maye not have <strong>the</strong> oldetestamente with <strong>the</strong> newe also, which is <strong>the</strong> lighte <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>olde, and wherin is openly declared before <strong>the</strong> eyes that<strong>the</strong>re was darkely prophesied ? I can imagen no causeveryly, excepte it be that we shulde not se <strong>the</strong> worke <strong>of</strong>Antychrist and iugulynge <strong>of</strong> ypocrites. what shulde be <strong>the</strong>cause that we which walke in <strong>the</strong> brode daye / shulde not20 se as well as <strong>the</strong>y that walked in <strong>the</strong> night / or that weshulde not se as well at none / as <strong>the</strong>y dyd in <strong>the</strong> twylighte ?Came Christe <strong>to</strong> make <strong>the</strong> worlde moare blynde ? By thismeanes, Christe is <strong>the</strong> darkenes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> worlde and not <strong>the</strong>light / as he saith hym selfe,lohn .viij.25 Moare over, Moyses saith, Deutro .vj. ' Heare, Israel, let<strong>the</strong>se wordes which I commaunde <strong>the</strong> this daye steke fastin thine herte / a??d whette <strong>the</strong>m on thy childerne & talke^Printed* y',' as if it were <strong>the</strong> definite article.

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