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[2931.ftw]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 27, Ed. 1, Tree #2931, Date of Import: Jan 2, 2000]

Sir William Tracy, of Toddington, was the Sheriff of Gloucestershire during the fifth year of the reign of Henry VIII (1513). "He was a gentleman of excellent parts and sound learning, and is memorable for being one of the first who embraced the reformed religion in England, as appears by his last will, dated 22 Henry VIII 1530."
Sir William's famous will is a curious document,--most characteristic of the times,-and the first portion of it reads as follows:
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN
I, WILLIAM TRACY, of Toddington, in the County of Gloucester, make my Testament and last Will, as hereafter followeth;
First and before all things I commit myself to God, and to his Mercy, believing, without any doubt or Mistrust, that by his Grace, and the Merits of JESUS CHRIST, and by the virtue of his Passion and Resurrection, I have , and shall have, Remission of all my Sins, and Resurrection of Body and Soul, according as it is written.
"I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that at the last day I shall rise out of the Earth, and in my Flesh shall see my Saviour." This my hope is laid up in my bosom.
And touching the Wealth of my Soul, the faith that I have taken and rehearsed, is sufficient, as I suppose, without any other Man's Works or Merits. My Ground and Belief that there is but one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, which is JESUS CHRIST; so that I accept none other in Heaven or in Earth to be Mediator between me and God, but only JESUS CHRIST, all others to be but as Petitioners in receiving of Grace, but none able to give Influence of Grace; and therefore will I bestow no part of my goods for that Intent, that any man shall say or do to help my soul, for therein I trust only to the promises of Christ, "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved, and he that believeth not, shall be damned."
As touching the burying of my body, it availeth me not whatsoever be done thereto; for St. Augustine saith, De Cura agenda pro Mortuis, that the funeral pomps are rather the Solace of them that live, than the Wealth and Comfort of them that are dead, and therefore I remit it only to the discretion of my executors.
And touching the distribution of the temporal Goods, my purpose is, by the Grace of God, to bestow them to be accepted as the Fruits of Faith; so that I do not suppose that my Merit shall be by the Good bestowing of them, but my Merit is the Faith of JESUS CHRIST only, by whom such Works are good; according to the words of our Lord: "I was hungry and thou gavest me Meat, &c." And it followeth, "That which ye have done to the least of my Brethren; ye have done it to me:" and ever we should consider the true saying, "That a good Work maketh not a good man, but a good man maketh a good work; for Gaith maketh a man both good and righteous for righteous man liveth by Faith, and whatsoever springeth not of Faith is Sin."
For my temporal goods--------------

After his decease, this will was condemmed in the Bishop of London's Court, and an order sent to Parker, Chancellor of Worcester, to raise his body (1532). But the chancellor too officiously burned the corpse, the recorder only warrenting him to raise the body according to the law of the church. In consequence he was afterwards fined L400 and turned out of the chancellorship.
are dear, and therefore I remit it only to the discretion of my Executors.