William Tyndale

Catholics have long taught Tyndale was Catholic and became a rogue priest who left their faith.

This is actually not true.

In the age William Tyndale preached they were required to have a preaching license. This license has long been used by Catholics to tie all church workers to the Catholic body in their era. They simply had to receive license through the Catholic church. Many were not actually Catholic.

This is very dishonest.

William Tyndale was burned at the stake after translating the scriptures into English from Latin, rebaptizing a Catholic priest whom he converted. Death was the penalty for re-baptizers going back to the Donatists.

An estimated 50 million Christians (Re-baptizers) were killed by Catholics from the 2nd century on. Tyndale was just one. The inquisition was mainly against Christians who re-baptized.

Tyndale was never a Catholic priest. All faith's had to receive a license to preach. They were left with a choice, get a license so you can share Christ or let people be lost, they made the choice to get a license and teach, but Catholics still harassed them and killed many.

Catholics always push for licensing of preachers because it gives them the legal teeth to remove and at times even kill those who are exposing them. If the preacher didn't live as they say is moral then they could be removed. It sounds moral but can be used just to protect Catholic will.

Tyndale had some writing survive, I believe many destroyed.

Here is one showing he practiced believers baptism, and not infant baptism.

His family also continued to worship in the Church of Christ after his death.

The teaching of William Tyndale (died,1536) on Baptism was that “the washinge preacheth unto us that we ar clensed wyth Christe’s bloud shedynge which was an offering and a satisfaction for the synne of al that repent and beleve consentynge and submyttyne themselves unto the wyl of God.  The plungynge into the water sygnyfyeth that we die and are buried with Chryst as coserning ye old life of synne which is Ada (Adam).  And the pulling out again sygnyfyeth that we ryse again with Christe in a new lyfeful of the holye gooste which shal teach us, and gyde us, and work the wyll of God in us; as thou seest Rom 6”.  Quoted from; ‘The obedience of all degrees proved by Gods worde, imprinted by Wyllyam Copland, London, 1561’.

In modern English it reads:

The washing without the word helpeth not: but through the word it purifieth and cleanseth us: as thou readest, Ephesians 5, how Christ cleanseth the congregation in the fountain of water through the word. The word is the promise that God hath made. Now as a preacher, in preaching the word of God, sayeth the hearers that believe; so doth the washing, in that it preacheth and representeth unto us the promise that God hath made unto us in Christ. The washing preacheth unto us, that we are cleansed with Christ’s blood-shedding; which was an offering, and a satisfaction, for the sin of all that repent and believe, consenting and submitting themselves unto the will of God. The plunging into the water signifieth that we die, and are buried with Christ, as concerning the old life of sin, which is Adam. And the pulling out again signifieth that we rise again with Christ in a new life, full of the Holy Ghost, which shall teach us and guide us, and work the will of God in us, as thou seest, Romans 6.

www.traces-of-the-kingdom.org

Tyndale clearly taught cleansing was for those who submit to Christ's will, thus was neither Catholic nor was he faith only.

Keep in mind Catholics used licensing to force non-catholics to work to feed their families, They could not receive payment for preaching and if they took money from others who supported them they could lose their license. This allowed Catholic Priests the right to receive a living from others while many denominations could not. We know Christ received support from women who heard him. Paul also received support from the women around them. Neither Christ nor Paul worked full time for their own well being.

Catholics set up laws in Tyndale's day, not to totally forbid other religions where insurrections might start, but to severely hinder them from doing any full time or anti-catholic work.

Licensing allows you to find fault with anyone and thereby hinder their freedom to preach.