Dear brethren, I came a stranger
that felt at home. I'm a stranger no longer because
I'm still at home with you. And it seems to me I've always
lived in Alabama. I've almost forgotten what Germany
looks like. And I notice a few of you speak
differently to the way I do, but you've probably come from
other states. But I'm an Alabamian, if that's
the correct way of expressing it. And I thank God for Alabama,
I thank God for you, and I feel very, very much part of you.
Now, I was rather sad because I thought this was the last time
I'd be here in Gadsden with you, because I'm going with Mike into
the diaspora in Georgia and Tennessee, and I thought I'd just be amongst
them, but I hear I'm coming back to you in a week's time, so I'm
very happy to know that. So, William Tyndale, 1494 approximately,
we know nothing of his birth, to 1536, and I've entitled this
in his words, Heir of God through Christ's Deservings. We are God's
heirs, God's children, not through any deserving of our own, but
through Christ's deserving. Now, at first, Tyndale's piety
and works are remembered rather than his life's incidents. Tyndale is one of the most popular
reformers in the English-speaking world, but we know so very little
about him. We call William Tyndale the Apostle
of England. Some people call him, but now
we know that's wrong, the first reformer. Yet we know next to
nothing about his youth and family background. It is common for
biographers to write speculative chapters on what might and might
not have happened to Tyndale in his earlier days. But these
theories all stand in drab contrast to the known exhilarating life
and work of Tyndale as an adult. He was a man highly favoured
of God in opening the eyes of those blinded by sin, and his
works live after him. It is thus Tyndale's fruitful,
seraphic, piety, indefatigable study and extraordinary learning
as Toplody, the hymn writer, describes him. And his modesty,
zeal and personal disinterestedness in worldly attainments for the
gospel's sake, it is that to which I wish to pay tribute in
this paper. Tyndale was born, according to
John Fox, the author of the book on the Martyrs, he was born somewhere
on the Welsh border. Now you will have read in other
biographies exact definitions of where Toplady was born, but
we do not know at all where he was born. Fixing a date to Tyndale's
birth illustrates the speculative nature of biographers. Thomas
More was born in 1480, and because Tyndale stated that Thomas More
learnt Greek before he did, it is assumed that Tyndale was the
younger of the two, and thus born sometime between 1480 and
1490. We know that William had a brother
called John because in 1531 he was brought before Sir Thomas
More charged with receiving and distributing his brother's New
Testaments illegally. Fox tells us that Tyndale was
brought up as a child in the University of Oxford. where he
by long continuances increased as well in the knowledge of tongues
and other liberal arts as especially in the knowledge of the scriptures,
whereunto his mind was singularly addicted. That is a quote from
Fox. But this puzzling statement probably
means that Tyndale moved to Oxford in his boyhood and studied at
one of the grammar schools adjoining the university colleges, which
prepared boys for university entrance. Magdalen College, with
which Tyndale is traditionally associated, ran such a grammar
school. If you ever have the opportunity
to visit Oxford, you'll find it hasn't changed much since
Tyndale's days. Wherever you go, you're in the
12th, 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, and the buildings are wonderfully
kept. Thomas More refers to Tyndale's
having taken his MA at Oxford. The BA was a four-year course
followed by a further three years in order to attain the Master's
degree. Tyndale may thus have studied
seven years after matriculation unless he received a dispensation
which was not unusual for gifted students. Newly qualified masters
were expected to lecture and assist professors for a period
of two years. In a letter to John Frith, Tyndale
refers to his former student, John Tyson, whom he suspected
of being one of Moore's spies. His facts suggest that Tyndale
did obtain a master's degree. During Tyndale's studies at Oxford,
John Collett, 1466-1519, called the Reformer before the Reformation,
was lecturing on the Pauline epistles using the historical
and exegetical approach rather than the old scholastic allegorical
method. Collett is said to have been
influenced by Erasmus of Rotterdam, who became his close friend.
But Collett's expository preaching seems to have been the result
of his spiritual pilgrimage on the continent, especially in
Italy, before being appointed at Oxford and meeting Erasmus
there. We remember that Erasmus was
a professor at Oxford. It is thought that Collett was
a major source of influence on Tyndale who also adopted the
expositional way of preaching before going on to apply the
text to the hearer's needs. Erasmus must have visited Oxford
during Tyndale's time there and before leaving for Cambridge
where he lectured from 1510 to 1514. So we find Erasmus at Oxford
and at Cambridge. It is thought that Tyndale eventually
moved from Oxford to Cambridge to sit under Erasmus' teaching. Now Tyndale early shows himself
as a man of the word. Subsequent events in Tyndale's
life are based on firmer evidence. Tyndale received employment as
a private teacher, so Tyndale was also a home schooler. A private teacher of the manor
house of Little Sodbury, kept by Sir John Walsh. Unusual for a mere house teacher,
Tyndale received his meals with the family and was treated as
an equal. Walsh kept a very liberal table
and often had high public and ecclesiastical dignitaries as
his guests. Tyndale entered into discussions
with these men, always leading them, Fox tells us, to the word
of God. Tyndale, who knew his Greek New
Testament well, found many grounds to challenge the various part
translations of the day. they were usually mere paraphrases
of Roman dogma in Latinized jargon, and not the word of God. For instance, Psalm 61 in the
Latin Vulgate reads, Domine nei in forore tuo aguas me, neque
in ira tua coripias me. which, fairly closely translated
into English, means, Lord, do not blame me in thine anger,
nor reproach me in thy wrath. This typical example of Hebrew
parallelism did not stop Bishop John Fisher, 1459-1535, in spite
of being familiar with Erasmus' Greek text, translating the passage
Good Lord, correct me not in the everlasting pain of hell,
neither punish me in the pains of purgatory. So we see, it's
not the bourgeois that's at fault, it's the, well, I can't call
them uneducated men because they were educated, but perhaps I
can call them the silly men who made such silly translations. Sir John and his lady were frequently
invited to dine with the lesser nobility and church dignitaries
at their homes, and when they returned home they would relate
to Tyndale what they had heard. William Tyndale showed his disagreement
When William Tyndale showed his disagreement, Lady Walsh reminded
him that their friends were worth 300 a year of our fortune in
those days, adding, were it reason that we should believe you before
them, who are so great, learned and benefic'd men. Tyndale knew
it was useless to argue with people who mistook public standing
and personal fortunes for arguments. So he held his peace. He knew
that Erasmus was thought highly of by the Walsh family, and shared
a number of his own views concerning the scriptures and liberty of
thought. Erasmus was almost a reformed
man, and he was getting there very closely, but then he thought,
well I can't disagree with Mother Church, so he bowed again to
the Pope. Tyndale thus translated Erasmus'
Manual of a Christian Soldier and presented it to his employers. They read the book with great
interest and it altered their attitude to Tyndale and his views
radically. Indeed, the Walshers soon grew
tired of listening to the tales of the abbots and monks at their
table, and even lost interest in their Benefist friends' dinner
parties as they were gradually won over to reformed doctrines. The Walshers' former friends
now took offence, giving Tyndale the blame. So Tyndale was getting
a bad reputation even then. Now Tyndale realizes that he
must translate the scriptures. Most of the local priests began
to complain openly about Tyndale, and he was soon called to give
an account of himself to the Bishop's Chancellor, John Bell. Tyndale prayed diligently to
God that he would be given the right things to say, But it was
the Chancellor who did all the talking, telling Tyndale what
a dog he was. I'm quoting him correctly. He addressed Tyndale as a dog. The Chancellor appealed to the
priest standing gaping at the scene for confirmation, confirmation
of all the accusations he had made against Tyndale. that none
of Tyndale's accusers could produce the least evidence to show that
he was the immoral, heretical character the Chancellor had
accused him of being. Tyndale, in fact, took the wind
out of their sails by saying to his accuser I am content that
you bring me where you will, into any country within England,
giving me £10 a year to live with, so you bind me to nothing
but to teach children and preach." The clergymen who were far less
Christian than Tyndale and far less learned were getting their
£300. Tyndale said, well, just give me a few pounds and I'll
be satisfied. Shortly afterwards, Tyndale visited
a friend who had been a Bishop's Chancellor himself and told him
about his problem. This wise old man said to Tyndale,
do you not know the Pope is very anti-Christ, whom the scriptures
speak of, But beware what you say, for if you shall be perceived
to be of that opinion, it will cost you your life." The enormous
depth of Popish prejudice amongst academic people was brought home
to Tyndale in a conversation with a reputably wise and learned
person who, on hearing Tyndale's views, answered, We were better
to be without God's laws than the Pope's. That's Roman Catholicism
in its darkest attire. Tyndale replied, I defy the Pope
and all his laws, and added that if God spared him, he would cause
a humble plowboy to know more of the scriptures than did his
learned friend. It was then that Tyndale realised
that he must put the scriptures into the so-called vulgar tongue,
that he would need libraries and leisure to do this, which
his present residence and employment made impossible. Furthermore,
opposition at Little Sodbury was growing, and Tyndale feared
for the safety of his friends the Walshers, Thus, with the
Walsh's blessing and a letter of introduction from them to
Sir Henry Guildford, Comptroller of the King's Household, Tyndale
decided to travel to London where he hoped to find better opportunities
for study. So now Tyndale looks for help
in the capital city. Erasmus had recommended Bishop
Cuthbert Tunstall of London as a patron of the arts and one
who is especially interested in language work. So Tyndale
thought he would go and seek his advice and approach Sir Henry
to help him gain an interview. As an extra introduction, Tyndale
gave Sir Henry a translation he had made of a narration by
Isocrates, trusting that this would convince Tunstall that
he was worthy of being assisted. The bishop, however, told Tyndale
that his house was full and that he could not possibly become
Tyndale's patron. Tyndale gathered that Tunstall
did not want anything to do with people of his calling, and his
hunch proved correct, as later Tunstall sided with Tyndale's
persecutors. Tunstall was another man who
at least pretended to be following the reformed path But just before
he got there, he turned tail and became a persecutor of the
brethren. Tyndale was not without help
for long. Whilst preaching at St Dunstan's,
Tyndale spoke to the heart of a rich cloth merchant named Humphrey
Monmouth, who was a London alderman. Monmouth opened his doors and
pocket to Tyndale, allowing him to live in his house, assisting
him occasionally, but giving him freedom to study, as Fox
says, both night and day. Such a student was Tyndale. Tyndale
remained with Monmouth for a year, continuing to preach and hear
the London preachers. He became disgusted with the
standard of preaching, finding that most priests were boasters,
full of their own pride and love of pomp. Furthermore, Tyndale
found great difficulty in finding the necessary books to help him
with his translation of the New Testament. He had hoped to be
able to use the bishop's private library, but this was denied
him, and soon tales of better facilities abroad began to persuade
him to travel to Germany. Humphrey Monmouth and a number
of his friends immediately supported Tyndale in his new venture and
provided him with enough capital to send him to Germany and provide
for him for an initial period there. Now, Tyndale's friendship with
John Frith, the martyr. In Germany, Tyndale met young
John Frith. His dates are 1503 to 1533. As you see, he was martyred a
very young man. He had come to understand the
doctrines of grace through Tyndale's testimony in England. Frith had
gone through terrible sufferings at the hands of Thomas Wolsey.
The cardinal had noticed Frith's brilliance at Cambridge and he
had persuaded him to move to Oxford, where he, Wolsey, had
built a college. Frith's clear testimony to his
faith, however, had angered Wolsey, particularly as Frith became
very influential amongst his fellow students. In his rage,
Wolsey had the students locked up in an underground cave, used
as a salt fish cellar, where most of his prisoners died for
lack of air, water and food. Cardinal Wolsey was a real bloodthirsty
man. Frith lived through the ordeal
and managed to flee to the continent where he spent two years before
returning to England soon to die by the bloody hands of Thomas
More. It is a telling sign of Popish
morality that the bogus Pontifex Maximus, the Pope, took the two
highest statesmen and British rogues in England and cardinalised
the one, made him a cardinal, and canonised the other. He made
this wicked man, Moore, a saint. And if you talk to Roman Catholics,
they tell you how they prayed to Thomas More. Well, Thomas
More was the man that chopped the heads off the Christian martyrs. And what's the use of praying
to such a rogue? There is a certain madness in
Rome still. Tyndale and Frith have now discussed
plans to translate the scriptures into English and produce cheap
print editions, confident that soon the poorest would be able
to read and understand the Word of God, though many of the clergy
would choose to remain blind to its blessings. The greatest
mischief in the church, Tyndale believed, was that the scriptures
were hidden from the people's eyes. This was the free choice
of the clergy, but not of the common people. You will notice
that it wasn't the clergy who reformed Geneva, which became
a centre of the reformed faith. This was before Farel and Calvin
went there. It was reformed from below by
the people. Now, Tunstall's folly helps the
Reformation, and this shows how the Lord uses even wicked men
for his purpose. Sometime between 1525 and 1528,
Tyndale had been able to translate and print the first edition of
his New Testament. Cuthbert Tunstall, however, allied
with Sir Thomas More in striving to prevent the erroneous translation,
as he called it. to prevent it reaching England.
Tunstall even made a trip to Antwerp in order to prevent its
export. He commissioned Augustine Packington,
a merchant, to buy up all the New Testaments he could find,
cost what they made, and have them sent to Tunstall to be burnt
at St Paul's Cross. That's the place, it's a little
pulpit in the courtyard of St Paul's where all the reformers
first preached the Reformation. Happily, Packington went to Tyndale
and told him of his deal with Tunstall and paid Tyndale liberally
out of the bishop's money for his translation. The bishop had
been so eager to rid the world of the New Testament that he
had paid far more than the printing cost. And of course Tyndale got
this money and could print even more Bibles. Now Tyndale was
able to finance a revised edition which could be sold at a cheaper
price due to it being three times the edition, three times the
size of the first. Tunstall soon noticed that in
spite of his action, everybody seemed to be reading Tyndale's
New Testament. So he sent for Packington demanding
an explanation. Brave Packington told the Lord
Bishop that he had done exactly as he was told. He suggested,
teasingly, that Tunstall would now have to buy up all the lead
and type as Tyndale could print as long as they lasted, and as
long as Tunstall was paying. At this, Tunstall merely smiled,
realising that he had made a fool of himself. And there the matter
ended for Packington, but not for Tyndale. Thomas More, now
Chancellor of England, took over the initiative and put Tyndale
and Frith at the top of his list of heretics to be murdered. Obviously, he knew nothing of
Tunstall's deal with Packington until he arrested a man called
George Constantine under suspicion of associating with Tyndale. Moore decided to force him to
confess who was financing Tyndale's work. Constantine was immediately
willing to confess all. The Bishop of London has helped
us, he said truthfully, Tunstall, because he has given us a great
deal of money for the New Testaments so that he might burn them. So
we have been able to export a great number of New Testaments financed
by the Bishop. Happily Constantine was able
to escape and worked with Tyndale for a time. Now Tyndale works
with Miles Coverdale. Perhaps Tyndale is often given
too much importance because the man behind all these Bible translators
was really Miles Coverdale. He was a brilliant linguist.
He was thrown out of England, went to Germany and immediately
was able to pastor a German church because he could speak fluent
German besides fluent all sorts of other languages. So next Tyndale
began to translate the Old Testament and write prefaces to the various
books he had translated. His work, however, was stopped
for a time because of a severe loss. Tyndale, now in the Netherlands,
had sent his translation of Deuteronomy to Hamburg to be printed. and
he was to take a more secretive land route himself, obviously
because of more spies. Sailing along the coast of Holland,
the ship was wrecked and sunk with all his books, manuscripts,
personal possessions and even his money. He was thus compelled
to start from scratch again. It was then that Tyndale started
to work with Miles Coverdale, who himself was a translator
of Great Note. Together they worked on the five
books of Moses. This took them from Easter until
Christmas of 1529, after which the two men removed to Antwerp. It is typical of Tyndale's humility
that he always appended a letter to his publications asking those
who found faults with them to get in touch with him and help
him improve his work. Instead of taking up the offer,
the Roman Catholic clergy, on the whole, spread the word that
there were 10,000 heresies translated into Tyndale's work. 10,000 heresies. I wonder which of them accounted
them. And it could not possibly be corrected, but ought to be
suppressed entirely. Some priests argued that it was
impossible to transfer the scriptures into English, whilst others said
it was unlawful for lay people to have the scriptures in their
mother tongue. Indeed, it was declared from
pulpits throughout the land that whoever read Tyndale's translation
would automatically become guilty of heresy and rebellion against
the king. And the punishment for that was
only death. Now Tyndale angers the king himself. For ten years the Roman clergy
had striven in vain to persuade the king to ban Tyndale's translation
and have him burnt as a heretic. Actually, Henry VIII had been
very impressed by Tyndale's works, but now Tyndale touched the king
on a very sore spot indeed. Tyndale argued that though there
was obviously a ground for divorce recorded in scripture, The king's
wish to be divorced from Catherine had no such scriptural authority. Even though Catherine had been
Henry's brother's wife, she was widowed before her marriage to
Henry, and thus the marriage was valid. As she had not committed
adultery or been unfaithful in any way, there was no grounds
for divorce. From now on, Moir and his henchmen
gained the king's ear and felt themselves authorised to search
throughout Antwerp in order to find Tyndale's hiding place and
have him burnt as a heretic. We notice here, not burnt as
a heretic because of his doctrines, but because he had insulted the
king. Tyndale was lodging at the house
of Thomas Poyntz, an Englishman and merchant at the time. He
was often invited out to eat and to meet with merchants who
were interested in his work and in his witness. So, cunning Moore
placed his spies amongst the merchants. Tyndale met such a
spy by the name of Henry Phillips, who professed to be extremely
interested in reformed doctrines and imprinting the New Testament
in English. Tyndale either suspected nothing
or he feared nothing, so he took Phillips to his lodgings at Point's
House and showed him his translation and other secret work he was
undertaking. Points was suspicious at once
and told Tyndale not to trust the man. Tyndale, however, thought
that Phillips gave every appearance of being an honest and a very
learned man. So now to Tyndale's betrayal. Once when Phillips was alone
with points, he questioned him concerning his interest in making
a good deal of money. He wanted to bribe him. The good
man, who was known far and wide as one who shared his riches
with the poor and needy, and had no desire to merely make
money, immediately sensed that Phillips was sounding him out
as to whether he would be prepared to betray his friend or not. He thus gave Phillips answers
that could not possibly have encouraged him. Phillips then
left Antwerp for Brussels and returned with the Procurator
General and other officers. They had been asked by Moore
to do England a diplomatic favour and see that the heretic Tyndale
was put to death. Realising that Poyntz would never
betray his ally, Phillips waited until the merchant travelled
to Barois, about 80 miles away, on business. After discovering
that Tyndale was at home, Phillips placed the officers he had brought
with him from Brussels at the door of Poyntz's house and in
the streets around. He then called on Tyndale and
asked him to lend him 40 shillings, as he had lost his purse, he
said, that morning. Phillips knew that Tyndale's
character was so pure that he would forget all in an effort
to assist a friend in need. True to his character, Tyndale
at once took out 40 shillings and gave them to Phillips. then
Philips asked Tyndale if he could treat him to a meal. But Tyndale
insisted that Philips should be his guest and accompany him
to an inn near at hand. Both men then left the house
through a long narrow passage where only one person at a time
could walk. Tyndale signaled to Phillips
that he should enter the passageway first. But Phillip, a very tall
man, insisted that Tyndale, a small man, should go first. As the
two men walked down the alley, Phillips, who could be seen behind
Tyndale because of his size, pointed at Tyndale so that the
officers would know who they had to arrest. Tyndale was immediately
pounced on, bound and taken to the Emperor's Attorney's house. Then the Procurator General sent
men to Tyndale's quarters and had all his books and papers
removed as evidence for his heresies. Tyndale was then taken to the
state prison at Castleville Border, 18 miles or so from Antwerp,
and thrown into a cold, damp, dark cell. He was told that he
could call a lawyer, but Tyndale, fearing nothing, said that he
did not need one. Now Tyndale's martyr I wish I
could tell you more of his time in prison, because it was a great
blessing to very, very many, and I think even to Tyndale himself. Tyndale wasted no time in witnessing
to his inquisitors concerning God's goodness in Christ. Soon the jailer was converted.
then the keeper's daughter, then members of the prison staff declared
one by one until all the staff declared that they had found
Christ as their Saviour. After talking at length to Tyndale
over a period of one and a half years, his guards and interviewers
all confessed that if this man wasn't a true Christian gentleman,
then they had no idea who could be. Their verdict was the same
as Pilate's on examining Christ. I find no fault in this man. Nevertheless, Moore had persuaded
the Emperor, through an assembly at Augsburg, to pronounce the
death sentence upon Tyndale, and justice had to make way for
international diplomacy. On October 6, 1536, Tyndale was
tied to a stake in the prison yard at Filthorden. He cried
out, Lord, open the King of England's eyes. before the public hangman
pressed his grim fingers around Tyndale's godly throat and dispatched
him to his god and saviour. His body was then burnt to ashes. Before he died, Tyndale had written
down his thoughts concerning those who persecuted him. He wrote Christ is the cause
why I love thee, his persecutors, why I am ready to do the uttermost
most of my power for thee, and why I pray for thee. And as long
as the cause abideth, so long lasteth the effects, even as
it is always day, so long as the sun shineth. Do therefore
the worst that thou canst unto me, take away my goods, take
away my good name, yet as long as Christ remaineth in my heart,
so long I love thee, not a whit the less. And so long art thou
as dear to me as mine own soul, and so long am I ready to do
thee good for thine evil, and so long I pray for thee with
all my heart. For Christ desireth it of me,
and hath deserved it of me. Thine unkindness compared unto
His kindness is nothing at all. Yea, it is swallowed up as a
little smoke of a mighty wind, and is no more seen or thought
upon. Moreover, that evil which thou
didst to me, I receive not of thy hand, but of the hand of
God. And as God's scourge to teach
me patience and to nurture me, and therefore I have no cause
to be angry with thee, more than the child have to be angry with
his father's rod, or a sick man with sour or bitter medicine
that healeth him. or a prisoner with his fetters,
or he that is punished lawfully with the officer that punisheth
him. Thus is Christ all and the whole
cause why I love thee." Think of the grace of this man. These people are persecuting
him, they are killing him, and he says, dear soul, I love thee. May that be our attitude to fallen
sinners. In Christ's name. Amen.