I bought a modern typeface print of William Tyndale's New Testament several weeks ago . I am enjoying it . W.T. has a long Prologue To The Epistle To The Romans . It is 19 pages in length . On the 15th page I will quote an extract regarding predestination as it relates to babes in Christ .
But follow thou the order of this epistle , and noosell thyself with Christ , and learn to understand what the law and the gospel mean , and the office of both two , that thou mayest in the one know thyself , and how that thou hast of thyself no strength , but to sin ; and in the other the grace of Christ . And then see thou fight against sin and the flesh as the first seven chapters teach thee . After that when thou art come to the 8th chapter , and art under the cross and suffering of tribulations , the necessity of predestination will wax sweet and thou shalt well feel how precious a thing it is . For except thou have borne the cross of adversity and temptation , and hast felt thyself brought unto the very brim of desperation , yea and unto hell gates , thou canst never meddle with the sentence of predestination without thine own harm , and without secret wrath and grudging inwardly against God , for otherwise it shall not be possible for thee to think that God is righteous and just . Therefore must Adam be well mortified and the fleshly wit brought utterly to nought , ere that thou mayest away with this thing , and drink so strong wine . Take heed therefore unto thyself , that thou drink not wine while thou art yet but a-suckling . For every learning hath her time , measure and age , and in Christ is there a certain childhood , in which a man must be content with milk for a season , until he wax strong and grow up a perfect man in Christ , and be able to eat of more strong meat .
But follow thou the order of this epistle , and noosell thyself with Christ , and learn to understand what the law and the gospel mean , and the office of both two , that thou mayest in the one know thyself , and how that thou hast of thyself no strength , but to sin ; and in the other the grace of Christ . And then see thou fight against sin and the flesh as the first seven chapters teach thee . After that when thou art come to the 8th chapter , and art under the cross and suffering of tribulations , the necessity of predestination will wax sweet and thou shalt well feel how precious a thing it is . For except thou have borne the cross of adversity and temptation , and hast felt thyself brought unto the very brim of desperation , yea and unto hell gates , thou canst never meddle with the sentence of predestination without thine own harm , and without secret wrath and grudging inwardly against God , for otherwise it shall not be possible for thee to think that God is righteous and just . Therefore must Adam be well mortified and the fleshly wit brought utterly to nought , ere that thou mayest away with this thing , and drink so strong wine . Take heed therefore unto thyself , that thou drink not wine while thou art yet but a-suckling . For every learning hath her time , measure and age , and in Christ is there a certain childhood , in which a man must be content with milk for a season , until he wax strong and grow up a perfect man in Christ , and be able to eat of more strong meat .
