18 June 1528 AD. Thomas Wolsey, Anglo-Italian
Cardinal, puts out the hit-order on William Tyndale.
Dr. Rusten tells the story. Rusten, E. Michael and Rusten,
Sharon. The One Year Christian History.
Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Christian-History-Books/dp/0842355073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393302630&sr=8-1&keywords=rusten+church+history
Cardinal Wolsey ordered the English ambassador to the Low Countries to
demand of the Inquisitors for the Low Country to arrest and extradite William
Tyndale.
William Tyndale was born in 1498.
He was educated at Oxford and ordination to the Church of England
followed shortly thereafter. He went to Cambridge. Finally, he became a tutor
to a wealthy family.
He grew in his conviction that “it is impossible to establish the lay
people in any truth except the Scriptures were laid before the eyes in their
mother tongue.”
Tyndale’s conviction was the same at Luke the Evangelist and Historian
and like Paul the Apostle. We bring two
biblical texts followed by the wrap-up on Tyndale and the Anglo-Italian
Cardinal.
Luke believed his Gospel was sufficient for establishment in strong and
assured faith. Meanwhile, the Anglican-Italians in England had been obscuring
the Bible since 1401 (we’ve covered that elsewhere). Here’s Luke:
Luke 1:1-4
1599
Geneva Bible (GNV)
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ, According to Luke
(Introductory notes: 1 Luke:
Preface 5 Zacharias and Elizabeth. 15 What an one John should be. 20 Zacharias
stricken dumb, for his incredulity. 26 The Angel saluteth Mary, and foretelleth
Christ’s nativity. 39 Mary visited Elizabeth. 46 Mary’s song. 68 The song of
Zacharias, showing that the promised Christ is come. 76 The office of John.)
1 Forasmuch as [a]many
have [b]taken
in hand to set forth the story of those things, whereof we are fully persuaded,
2 [c]As
they have delivered them unto us, which from the beginning saw them themselves,
and were ministers of the word,
3 It seemed good also to
me ([d]most
noble Theophilus) as soon as I had searched out perfectly all things [e]from
the beginning, to write unto thee thereof from point to point,
4 That thou mightest [f]acknowledge
the certainty of those things whereof thou hast been instructed.
Footnotes:
- Luke 1:1 Luke commendeth the witnesses that saw this history.
- Luke 1:1 Many took it in hand, but did not perform: Luke wrote his Gospel before Matthew and Mark.
- Luke 1:2 Luke was not an eyewitness, and therefore it was not he to whom the Lord appeared when Cleopas saw him: and he was taught not only by Paul, but by others of the Apostles also.
- Luke 1:3 It is most mighty, and therefore Theophilus was a very honorable man, and in place of great dignity.
- Luke 1:3 Luke began his Gospel a great deal farther off, than the others did.
- Luke 1:4 Have fuller knowledge of those things, which before thou knewest but meanly.
Now, for a note from Paul.
2 Timothy 3:15-17
1599
Geneva Bible (GNV)
15 And that thou hast
known the holy Scriptures of a child, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation, through the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 [a]For
the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable to teach, to convince, to correct, and to instruct in
righteousness,
Footnotes:
- 2 Timothy 3:16 The eighth admonition, which is most precious: A Pastor must be wise by the word of God only: wherein we have perfectly delivered unto us, whatsoever pertaineth either to discern, know and establish true opinions, and to confute false, and furthermore, to correct evil manners, and to frame good.
- 2 Timothy 3:17 The Prophets and expounders of God’s will, are properly and peculiarly called, Men of God.We return to the Tyndale-story.Tyndale went to the Bishop, the “Lord,” of London seeking assistance for the translation of the Bible into England. He got no support there.Tyndale left England never to return. He settled in Antwerp. Sympathetic English merchants afforded him protection.He translated the Greek NT and portions of the OT into English. We’ve told the larger story elsewhere. But, the NT was first published in Germany in 1525. It was smuggled into England, but the Anglo-Italian Lords favored burning them. That happened in London by order of the Lord-Bishop. Anti-Christ was energizing Canterbury and London against the Bible in the vernacular and they both began fiercely attacking Tyndale.On 18 June 1528, Wolsey’s order was issued to nab Tyndale.It took 7 years to track him down. He was arrested near Brussels and imprisoned at Vilvoorde, Belgium. He was tossed into a cold prison before he was murdered with malice aforethought, formation of the intent to murder, premeditation and the actual taking of his life.He had been charged with heresy: believing in justification by faith alone in Christ alone as well as the sufficiency and divine order of the Bible.Tyndale was in his 40s when Anti-Christ’s agents arrested him. Condemned, he died as a heretic. At the stake, he cried out, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.”About 2 years later, the fat, 400-lb Imperialist Henry VIII ordered English Bibles into the 9000 churches of England. Little did the malicious Imperialist realize that most of the work was done by Tyndale.Tyndale’s prayer was answered. God can manage Balaam’s asses as well as pagan kings when needed.Tyndale’s legacy still lives. 90% of the KJV was vintage Tyndale. 75% of the 1952 RSV was and is Tyndalian. One died as a hero while the other lived like a beast, an adulterer, and murderer.
Psalm 22:2-5
1599
Geneva Bible (GNV)
4 Our fathers trusted in
thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They called upon thee,
and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 22:2 Or, I cease not.
- Psalm 22:3 He meaneth the place of praising, even the Tabernacle: or else it is so called, because he gave the people continually occasion to praise him.Sources“Did You Know?” CH. 16:4.Duffield, G.E. “Tyndale, William.” NIDCC. 990
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