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Life of William Tyndale

A Pathway into the Holy Scripture
The Parable of the Wicked Mammon
The Obedience of a Christian Man
A brief declaration of the Sacraments
Epistle to the Reader; subjoined to his first published version of the New Testament
Preface that he made before the five books of Moses
Prologue to the book of Genesis
A Table expounding certain words in the first book of Moses, called Genesis
A Prologue into the second book of Moses, called Exodus
A Table expounding certain words of the second book of Moses.
A Prologue into the third book of Moses, called Leviticus
A Prologue into the fourth book of Moses, called Numeri
A Prologue into the fifth book of Moses, called Deuteronomy
A Table expounding certain words of the fifth book of Moses, called Deuteronomy
Prologue to the Prophet Jonas
Prologue upon the Gospel of St Matthew
Gospel of St Mark
Gospel of St Luke
Gospel of St John
Epistle of St Paul to the Romans
first Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians
second Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthian
Epistle of St Paul to the Galatians
Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians
Epistle of St Paul to the Philippians
Epistle of St Paul to the Colossians
first Epistle of St Paul to the Thessalonians
second Epistle of St Paul to the Thessalonians
first Epistle of St Paul to Timothy
second Epistle of St Paul to Timothy
Epistle of St Paul to Titus
Epistle of St Paul to Philemon
Epistle of St Paul to the Hebrews
Epistle of St James
first Epistle of St Peter
second Epistle of St Peter
three Epistles of St John
Epistle of St Jude
An exposition upon certain words and phrases of the New Testament

ADVERTISEMENT.

The affectionate anxiety of Tyndale to benefit his benighted countrymen led him to employ the press in a three fold capacity, as an editor, a translator, and an author; that he might make the most of the powerful instrumentality of the recently discovered art of printing, for the promotion of his labor of love.

It would not be suitable to the engagements of the Parker Society to comprehend treatises of which Tyndale was merely an editor in this reprint of his works. But Foxe’s ‘Acts and Monuments’ contain “The Prayer and Complaint of the Ploughman, concerning the abuses of the world, as the book was faithfully set forth by William Tyndale f1; ” and also “William Thorp’s account of his examination, when brought before Thomas Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, as corrected by master William Tyndale .” What he did as a translator of the works of uninspired christian writers, cannot be affirmed with any certainty; but whilst his translation of Erasmus’ Enchiridion militis Christiani has probably been entirely lost, his translation of Luther’s preface to the epistle to the Romans will be found incorporated in his own prologue to that epistle. On the other hand, though it is for being the father and founder of the authorised version of the Bible, the first person who translated the Scriptures from their inspired originals into the English tongue, that all who speak that tongue have reason to revere Tyndale’s memory; it is not proposed to reprint any more of his translation, in this edition of his works, than a chapter from each Testament, for the sake of enabling the readers to form some estimate as to the extent to which Tyndale’s translation, and choice of words, may be supposed to be under their eyes when they look at the text of their English Bibles.

As to the works of which Tyndale was properly the author, after striking off from Bale’s and Tanner’s lists such as they seem to have had no sufficient reason for ascribing to his pen , it will appear probable that but two of any general interest have been lost; namely, his ‘Treatise on Matrimony,’ and his ‘Exposition of 1 Corinthians 7 <460701> .;’ if indeed these two titles did not belong to the same work.

Very nearly the whole of what is still extant has been preserved in Day’s black-letter folio of the works of Frith, Barnes, and Tyndale, to which 1574 has been assigned as a date, and Foxe the martyrologist as its editor.

Where collation with ancient editions of the different treatises afforded no preferable reading, the text of Day has been followed in this reprint. But instead of Day’s immethodical arrangement of Tyndale’s works, the present editor has first placed together the doctrinal and hortatory treatises; then Helps to a right understanding of the Scriptures; and lastly, those polemical writings in which the author answers or exposes the adversaries of the Reformation. The second class, consisting of introductory prefaces, expositions of particular portions of holy writ, or notes upon them, will be arranged in the order of the Scriptures themselves; but in the other two classes each portion will be placed according to the date of its original publication, that the reader may see what were Tyndale’s earliest thoughts on the subject discussed, and trace the connection between his controversial writings and the events of their author’s life. Of those events Foxe knew so little, in consequence of Tyndale’s having been obliged to live abroad and in secrecy, that it would have been inexcusable to republish Foxe’s account of him, without giving that farther information respecting him which Mr.. Offer first discovered in the state papers of Henry the Eighth’s reign, and which the Rev. C. Anderson’s farther search into the same and other contemporary documents has recently enabled him to lay before the public .