CONTENTS. Introductory Notice to Answer to Sir Thomas More Preface to the Answer Answer to Sir Thomas More's Dialogue The Solutions and Answers unto M. More's First Book. An Answer To M. More's Second Book. An Answer To M. More's Third Book. An Answer To M. More's Fourth Book

INTRODUCTORY NOTICE.

It was in 1528, that Sir Thomas More, being already regarded as the most accomplished scholar in England, and having before his eyes a near prospect of being invited to fill the chief place in his sovereign's council, was induced to accept bishop Tonstal's permission to read the works of the reformers, that he might be qualified to refute them [1]; nor did he suffer the year to elapse before he had composed, as the first fruits of his consequent researches and zeal, an imaginary dialogue between himself and the confidential messenger of a friend desirous to know his opinions respecting the religious questions which were then forcing themselves into general notice. In the edition of Sir Thomas More's works, printed at London in 1557, and then dedicated to queen Mary, as "To that person to whom specially of all worldly creatures the editor [William Rastell, serjeant at law] trusted the book should be most acceptable," the title of this effort to write down Tyndale and his labours is as follows: "A dialogue of Sir Thomas More, knt. one of the council of our sovereign lord the king, and chancellor of his duchy of Lancaster. Wherein he treated divers matters, as of the veneration and worship of images and reliques, praying to saints, and going on pilgrimages, with many other things touching the pestilent sect of Luther and Tyndale, by the one begun in Saxony, and by the other labored to be brought into England. Made in the year of our Lord, 1528." The dialogue was divided by its author into four books; and occupies in that quarto edition a hundred and eighty-four closely printed pages.

The date in the above title-page tells when More's Dialogue was composed; but Mr Anderson's researches have led him to conclude that it was not published till the summer of 1529 [2]. Tyndale's title-page in like manner tells us that he made his answer in 1530; but though Vaughan's dispatch to Henry VIII. of the date of Jan. 26, 1531, confirms this fact, it was not committed to the press till about the close of the spring of that year [3]. By that time More had been promoted from the chancellorship of the duchy to the elevated post of lord high chancellor of England. But the laborious duties of that judicial and political office did not prevent his undertaking to write a "Confutacyon of Tyndall's Answer;" and on such a scale, that when he had not advanced beyond the first thirty pages of his opponent, he found he had written enough to fill a folio volume of above three hundred and sixty pages; which was printed for him by his brother-in-law, William Rastell [4], in 1532. It is divided into three books; and the most prominent feature in the first book is the continual recurrence of abusive mention of Luther's marriage with Katharine Boren. As she had been a nun, and Luther a priest, it was to be expected that More would consider their marriage as illegal and sinful; and would consequently think himself entitled to speak of her as of a harlot. But it is strange that he should not have perceived, that there was neither argument nor decency in twitting Tyndale with Luther's marriage, page after page, and in the coarsest terms, as More has here done. See especially, Conf. pp. vi - x.

When out of office, More continued his Confutacyon, till it had reached the length of nine books; the eighth of which is however altogether a digression from Tyndale to Barnes. So wordy a reply to Tyndale's Answer was not likely to have many readers; and we accordingly find that in five and twenty years it had fallen into such neglect that serjeant Rastell could not meet with a complete copy of the ninth book, for his edition of More's works. He had made his printer go on till he had put the last words of a fragment before him into type, viz. These things hath (I saye) - and there he was obliged to terminate his reprint with the following note: "There can be no more found of this ninth book written by sir Thomas More." Works, p. 832. It is however to the credit of More's fairness, as a controversialist, that the extracts from Tyndale incorporated into his Confutacyon are so many, and so accurate, as to have been of material use to the present editor in his endeavour to form a correct text; for which purpose he has also collated Day's folio reprint of 1573, with a copy of Tyndale's Answer, now in the Cambridge University Library, and not unlikely to have been the first edition. It is a black letter duodecimo, without date of place, or year. The type is foreign; but is not Hans Luft's. The punctuation is German. It is not paged; but the leaves are numbered in small Roman ordinals: and it is bound up with "A Disputacyon of purgatorye made by Johan Frith," which is in the same type. We have already had occasion to mention that Frith is said, by a contemporary, to have superintended the printing of Tyndale's Answer, at Amsterdam. [Vol. I. p. 1.]

FOOTNOTES:

____________________________

1. Biog. Notice, Vol. I. p. xxxvi.

2. And. Annals of Eng. Bible, Vol. I. p. 237, B. I. § 6.

3. See Biogr. Notice of Tyndale, pp. xlii - l.

4. Probably father to the serjeant.

[The title-page of the above-mentioned edition
in the Cambridge University Library announces and
describes Tyndale's Answer as follows:]

An Answere unto Sir Thomas More's Dialoge,

made by William Tindale.

First he declareth what the church is, and geveth a reason of certayne wordes which Master More rebuketh in the translation of the Newe Testament.

After that he answereth particularlye unto every chaptre which semeth to have any apperaunce of truth thorow all his iiii bokes.

Awake thou that slepest and stonde up from deeth, and Christ shall give the light. Ephesians. v.

Preface to the Reader by William Tyndale

"Awake thou that sleepest, and stand up from death, and Christ shall give thee light." Eph 5.

The grace of our Lord, the light of his Spirit to see and to judge, true repentance towards God's law, a fast faith in the merciful promises that are in our Saviour Christ, fervent love toward thy neighbour after the ensample of Christ and his saints, be with thee, O reader, and with all that love the truth, and long for the redemption of God's elect. Amen.

Our Saviour Jesus in the sixteenth of John at his last supper, when he took his leave of his disciples, warned them, saying, "The Holy Ghost shall come and rebuke the world of judgment." That is, he shall rebuke the world for lack of true judgment, and discretion to judge; and shall prove that the taste of their mouths is corrupt, so that they judge sweet to be sour, and sour to be sweet; and the eyes to be blind, so that they think that to be the very service of God, which is but a blind superstition, for zeal of which yet they persecute the true service of God; and that they judge to be the law of God, which is but a false imagination of a corrupt judgment, for blind affection of which yet they persecute the true law of God, and them that keep it.

And this same it is that Paul saith in the second of the first epistle to the Corinthians, how that the natural man that is not born again, and created anew with the Spirit of God, be he never so great a philosopher, never so well seen in the law, never so sore studied in the scripture, as we have ensamples in the Pharisees, yet he cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God. But saith he, "The spiritual judgeth all things, and his spirit searcheth the deep secrets of God;" so that whatsoever God commandeth him to do, he never leaveth searching till he come at the bottom, the pith, the quick, the life, the spirit, the marrow, and very cause why, and judgeth all thing. Take an ensample in the great commandment, "Love God with all thine heart:" the spiritual searcheth the cause, and looketh on the benefits of God, and so conceiveth love in heart. And when he is commanded to obey the powers and rulers of the world, he looketh on the benefits which God sheweth the world through them, and therefore doth it gladly. And when he is commanded to love his neighbour as himself, he searcheth that his neighbour is created of God, and bought with Christ's blood; and so forth: and therefore he loveth him out of his heart; and if he be evil, forbeareth him, and with all love and patience draweth him to good: as elder brethren wait on the younger, and serve them and suffer them; and when they will not come, they speak fair, and flatter, and give some gay thing, and promise fair, and so draw them and smite them not; but, if they may in no wise be holp, refer the punishment to the father and mother; and so forth. And by these judgeth he all other laws of God, and understandeth the true use and meaning of them. And by these understandeth he, in the laws of man, which are right and which tyranny.

If God should command him to drink no wine, as he commanded in the old Testament that the priests should not, when they ministered in the temple, and forbade divers meats; the spiritual (because he knoweth that man is lord over all over all other creatures, and they his servants, made to be at his pleasure, and that it is not commanded for the wine or meat itself, that man should be in bondage unto his own servant, the inferior creature) ceaseth not to search the cause: and when he findeth it, that it is to tame the flesh and that he be alway sober, he obeyeth gladly; and yet not so superstitiously, that the time of his disease he would not drink wine in the way of a medicine to recover his health; as David ate of the hallowed bread; and as Moses for necessity left the children of Israel uncircumcised forty years, where of circumcision likelihood some died uncircumcised, and were yet thought to be in no worse case than they that were circumcised; as the children that died within the eighth day were counted in as good case as they that were circumcised: which ensamples might teach us many things, if there were spirit in us. And likewise of the holy-day: he knoweth that the day is servant to man; and therefore, when he findeth that it is done because he should not be let from hearing the word of God, he obeyeth gladly; and yet not so superstitiously, that he would not help his neighbour on the holy-day, and let the sermon alone for one day; or that he would not work on the holy-day, need requiring it, at such time as men be not wont to be at church: and so throughout all laws. And even likewise in all ceremonies and sacraments, he searcheth the significations, and will not serve the visible things. It is as good to him, that the priest say mass in his gown as in his other apparel, if they teach him not somewhat, and that his soul be edified thereby. And as soon will he gape while thou puttest sand as holy salt in his mouth, if thou shew him no reason thereof. He had as lief be smeared with unhallowed butter as anointed with charmed oil, if his soul be not taught to understand somewhat thereby; and so forth.

But the world captivateth his wit, and about the law of God maketh him wonderful imaginations, unto which he so fast cleaveth that ten John Baptists were not able to dispute them out of his head. He believeth that he loveth God, because he is ready to kill a Turk for his sake, that believeth better in God than he; whom God also commandeth us to love, and to leave nothing unsought to win him unto the knowledge of the truth, though with the loss of our lives. He supposeth that he loveth his neighbour as much as he is bound, if he be not actually angry with him; whom yet he will not help freely with an half-penny, but for a vantage, or vain glory, or for a worldly purpose. If any man have displeased him, he keepeth his malice in, and will not chafe himself about it, till he see an occasion to avenge it craftily; and thinketh that well enough. And the rulers of the world he obeyeth, thinketh he, when he flattereth them, and blindeth them with gifts, and corrupteth the officers with rewards, and beguileth the law with cautels and subtilties.

And because the love of God and of his neighbour, which is the spirit and the life of all laws, and wherefore all laws are made, is not written in his heart, therefore in all inferior laws and in all wordly ordinances is he beetle blind. If he be commanded to abstain from wine, that will he observe unto the death too; as the Charterhouse monks had ever die than eat flesh. And as for the soberness and chastising of the members, will he not look for; but will pour in ale and beer of the strongest, without measure, and heat them with spices, and so forth. And the holy-day will he keep so strait, that if he meet a flea in his bed, he dare not kill her; and not once regard wherefore the holy-day was ordained, to seek for God's word: and so forth in all laws. And in ceremonies and sacraments, there he captivateth his wit and understanding to obey holy church, without asking what they mean, or desiring to know; but only careth for the keeping, and looketh ever with a pair of narrow eyes, and with all his spectacles upon them, lest aught be left out. For if the priest should say mass, baptize, or hear confession, without a stole about his neck, he would think all were marred, and doubt whether he had power to consecrate, and think that the virtue of the mass were lost, and the child not well baptized, or not baptized at all, and that his absolution were not worth a mite. He had lever that the bishops should wag two fingers over him, than that another man should say, "God save him;" and so forth.

Wherefore, beloved reader, inasmuch as the Holy Ghost rebuketh the world for lack of judgment; and inasmuch also as their ignorance is without excuse, before whose faces enough is set to judge by, if they would open their eyes to see, and not captivate their understanding to believe lies; and inasmuch as the spiritual judgeth all thing, even the very bottom of God's secrets; that is to say, the causes of the things which God commandeth; how much more ought we to judge our holy father's secrets, and not to be as an ox or an ass, without understanding!

Judge, therefore, reader, whether the pope with his be the church; whether their authority be above the scripture; whether all they teach without scripture be equal with the scripture; whether they have erred, and not only whether they can. And against the mist of their sophistry take the ensamples that are past, in the old Testament and authentic stories, and the present practice which thou seest before thine eyes. Judge whether it be possible that any good should come out of their dumb ceremonies and sacraments into thy soul. Judge their penance, pilgrimages, pardons, purgatory, praying to posts, dumb blessings, dumb absolutions, their dumb pattering, and howling, their dumb strange holy gestures, with all their dumb disguisings, their satisfactions and justifyings. And because thou findest them false in so many things, trust them in nothing; but judge them in all things. Mark at the last the practice of our fleshly spiritualty and their ways, by which they have walked above eight hundred years; how they stablish their lies, first, with falsifying the scripture; then through corrupting with their riches, whereof they have infinite treasure in store; and last of all, with the sword. Have they not compelled the emperors of the earth, and the great lords and high officers to be obedient unto them, to dispute for them, and to be their tormentors; and the Samsumims themselves do but imagine mischief, and inspire them?

Mark whether it were ever truer than now, the scribes, Pharisees, Pilate, Herod, Caiaphas and Annas, are gathered together against God and Christ: but yet, I trust, in vain; and he that brake the counsel of Achitophel shall scatter theirs. Mark whether it be not true in the highest degree, that for the sin of the people hypocrites shall reign over them. What shews, what faces and contrary pretences are made, and all to stablish them in their theft, falsehood, and damnable lies, and to gather them together for to contrive subtilty, to oppress the truth, and to stop the light, and to keep all still in darkness! Wherefore it is time to awake, and to see every man with his own eyes, and to judge; if we will not be judged of Christ, when he cometh to judge. And remember that he which is warned hath none excuse, if he take no heed. Herewith farewell in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose Spirit be thy guide, and doctrine thy light, to judge withal. Amen.

AN ANSWER UNTO SIR THOMAS MORE'S DIALOGUE.

What the church is.

This word church hath divers significations. First it signifieth a place or house; whither christian people were wont in the old time to resort at times convenient, for to hear the word of doctrine, the law of God, and the faith of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and how and what to pray, and whence to ask power and strength to live godly. For the officer, thereto appointed, preached the pure word of God church only, and prayed in a tongue that all men understood: and the people hearkened unto his prayers, and said thereto Amen; and prayed with him in their hearts, and of him learned to pray at home and everywhere, and to instruct every man his household.

Where now we hear but voices without significations, and buzzings, howlings, and cryings, as it were the hallooing of foxes, or baitings of bears; and wonder at disguisings and toys, whereof we know no meaning. By reason whereof we be fallen into such ignorance, that we know of the mercy and promises, which are in Christ, nothing at all. And of the law of God we think as do the Turks, and as did the old heathen people; how that it is a thing which every man may do of his own power, and in doing thereof becometh good, and waxeth righteous, and deserveth heaven; yea, and are yet more mad than that: for we imagine the same of fantasies, and vain ceremonies of our own making; neither needful unto the taming of our own flesh, neither profitable unto our neighbour, neither honour unto God. And of prayer we think, that no man can pray but at church; and that it a nothing else but to say Pater noster unto a post: wherewith yet, and with other observances of our own imagining, we believe we deserve to be sped of all that our blind hearts desire.

In another signification, it is abused and mistaken for a multitude of shaven, shorn, and oiled; which we now call the spiritualty and clergy. As when we read in the chronicles, 'King William was a great tyrant, and a wicked man unto holy church, and took much lands from them.' 'King John was also a perilous man and a wicked unto holy church; and would have had them punished for theft, murder, and whatsoever mischief they did, as though they had not been people anointed, but even of the vile rascal and common lay-people.' And, 'Thomas Becket was a blessed and an holy man; for he died for the liberties (to do all mischief unpunished) and privileges of the church.' ' Is he a layman, or a man of the church?' 'Such is the living of holy church.' 'So men say of holy church.' ' Ye must believe in holy church, and do as they teach you.' 'Will ye not obey holy church?' 'Will ye not do the penance enjoined you by holy church?' 'Will ye not forswear obedience unto holy church?' 'Beware lest ye fall into the indignation of holy church, lest they curse you;' and so forth. In which all, we understand but the pope, cardinals, legates, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, chancellors, archdeacons, commissaries, officials, priests, monks, friars, black, white, pied, grey, and so forth, by (I trow) a thousand names of blasphemy and of hypocrisies, and as many sundry fashions of disguisings.

It hath yet, or should have, another signification, little known among the common people now-a-days. That is to wit, it signifieth a congregation; a multitude or a company gathered together in one, of all degrees of people. As a man would say, 'the church of London,' meaning not the spiritualty only (as they will be called for their diligent serving of God in the spirit, and so sore eschewing to meddle with temporal matters), but the whole body of the city, of all kinds, conditions, and degrees: and 'the church of Bristow' [Bristol], all that pertain unto that town generally. And what congregation is meant, thou shalt alway understand by the matter that is entreated of, and by the circumstances thereof. And in this third signification is the church of God, or Christ, taken in the scripture; even for the whole multitude of all them that receive the name of Christ to believe in him, and not for the clergy only. For Paul saith (Galatians 1), "I persecuted the church of God above measure:" which was not the preachers only, but all that believed generally: as it is to see Acts 22, where he saith: "I persecuted this way even unto the death, binding and putting in prison both men and women." And (Galatians 1), " I was unknown concerning my person unto the congregations of the Jews which were in Christ." And (Rom. 16), " I commend unto you Phoebe, the deaconess of the church of Cenchris." And, "The churches of Asia salute you." (1 Cor. the last ch.) And, " If a man cannot rule his own house, how shall he take the care of the church of God?" "If any faithful man or woman have widows, let them find them, that the church be not charged." And, "If thy brother hear thee not, tell the church or congregation;" and so forth. In which places, and through­out all the scripture, the church is taken for the whole multitude of them that believe in Christ in that place, in that parish, town, city, province, land, or throughout all the world, and not for the spiritualty only.

Notwithstanding yet it is sometimes taken generally for all them that embrace the name of Christ, though their faiths be naught, or though they have no faith at all. And sometimes it is taken specially for the elect only; in whose hearts God hath written his law with his holy Spirit, and given them a feeling faith of the mercy that is in Christ Jesu our Lord.

Why Tyndale used this word congregation, rather than church, in the translation of the new Testament.

Wherefore, inasmuch as the clergy (as the nature of those hard and indurate adamant stones is, to draw all to them) had appropriate unto themselves the term that of right is common unto all the whole congregation of them that believe in Christ; and with their false and subtle wiles had beguiled and mocked the people, and brought them into the ignorance of the word; making them understand by this word church nothing but the shaven flock of them that shore the whole world; therefore in the translation of the new Testament, where I found this word ecclesia, I interpreted it by this word congregation. Even therefore did I it, and not of any mischievous mind or purpose to stablish heresy, as Master More untruly reporteth of me in his dialogue, where he raileth on the translation of the new Testament [1].

And when M. More saith, that this word church is known well enough, I report me unto the consciences of all the land, whether he say truth or otherwise; or whether the lay-people understand by church the whole multitude of all that profess Christ, or the juggling spirits only. And when he saith that congregation is a more general term; if it were, it hurteth not: for the circumstance doth ever tell what congregation is meant. Nevertheless yet saith he not the truth. For wheresoever I may say a congregation, there may I say a church also; as the church of the devil, the church of Satan, the church of wretches, the church of wicked men, the church of liars, and a church of Turks thereto. For M. More must grant (if he will have ecclesia translated throughout all the new Testament by this word church) that church is as common as ecclesia. Now is ecclesia a Greek word, and was in use before the time of the apostles, and taken for a congregation among the heathen, where was no congregation of God or of Christ. And also Lucas himself useth ecclesia for a church, or congregation, of heathen people thrice in one chapter, even in the nineteenth chapter of the Acts [2], where Demetrius the goldsmith, or silversmith, had gathered a company against Paul for preaching against images.

Howbeit, M. More hath so long used his figures of poetry, that (I suppose) when he erreth most, he now, by the reason of a long custom, believeth himself that he saith most true. Or else, as the wise people, which when they dance naked in nets, believe that no man seeth them; even so M. More thinketh that his errors be so subtilly couched that no man can espy them. So blind he counteth all other men, in comparison of his great understanding. But charitably I exhort him in Christ to take heed; for though Judas were wilier than his fellows to get lucre, yet he proved not most wise at the last end. Neither though Baalam, the false prophet, had a clear sight to bring the curse of God upon the children of Israel for honour's sake; yet his covetousness did so blind his prophecy, that he could not see his own end. Let, therefore, M. More and his company awake by times, ere ever their sin be ripe; lest the voice of their wickedness ascend up, and awake God out of his sleep, to look upon them, and to bow his ears unto their cursed blasphemies against the open truth, and to send his harvestmen and mowers of vengeance to reap it.

But how happeth it that M. More hath not contended in like wise against his darling Erasmus all this long while? Doth he not change this word ecclesia into congregation, and that not seldom in the new Testament [3]? Peradventure he oweth him favour, because he made Moria in his house [4]: which book, if it were in English, then should every man see how that he then was far otherwise minded than he now writeth. But, verily, I think that as Judas betrayed not Christ for any love that he had unto the high priests, scribes and Pharisees, but only to come by that wherefore he thirsted; even so M. More (as there are tokens evident) wrote not these books for any affection that he bare unto the spiritualty, or unto the opinions which he so barely defendeth, but to obtain only that which he was an hungred for. I pray God that he eat not too hastily, lest he be choked at the latter end; but that he repent, and resist not the Spirit of God, which openeth light unto the world.

Why he useth this word elder, and not priest.

Another thing which he rebuketh is, that I interpret this Greek word presbyteros by this word senior. Of a truth senior is no very good English, though senior and junior be used in the universities; but there came no better in my mind at that time. Howbeit, I spied my fault since, long ere M. More told it me [5], and have mended it in all the works which I since made, and call it an elder. And in that he maketh heresy of it, to call presbyteros an elder, he condemneth their own old Latin text of heresy, which only they use yet daily in the church, and have used, I suppose, this fourteen hundred years: for that text doth call it an elder likewise. In the 1 Pet. 5, thus standeth it in the Latin text: Seniores ergo qui in vobis sunt obsecro consenior, pascite qui in vobis est gregem Christi: "The elders that are among you, I beseech, which am an elder also, that ye feed the flock of Christ, which is among you." There is presbyteros called an elder. And in that he saith, "Feed Christ's flock," he meaneth even the ministers that were chosen to teach the people, and to inform them in God's word, and no lay persons. And in the second epistle of John saith the text, Senior electae dominae et filiis ejus: " The elder unto the elect lady and to her children." And in the third epistle of John, Senior Gaio dilecto: "The elder unto the beloved Gaius." In these two epistles presbyteros is called an elder. And in Acts, chap. 10, the text saith: "Paul sent for majores natu ecclesiae, the elders in birth of the congregation or church, and said unto them, Take heed unto yourselves, and unto the whole flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you episcopos ad regendum ecclesiam Dei," bishops, or [6] overseers, to govern the church of God. There is presbyteros called an elder in birth; which same immediately is called a bishop or overseer, to declare what persons are meant. Hereof ye see that I have no more erred than their own text, which they have used since the scripture was first in the Latin tongue, and that their own text understandeth by presbyteros nothing save an elder. And they were called elders, because of their age, gravity and sadness, as thou mayest see by the text; and bishops, or overseers, by the reason of their offices. And all that were called elders (or priests, if they so will) were called bishops also, though they have divided the names now: which thing thou mayest evidently see by the first chapter of Titus, and Acts 20, and other places more.

And when he layeth Timothy unto my charge, how he was young, then he weeneth that he hath won his gilden spurs [7]. But I would pray him to shew me where he readeth that Paul calleth him presbyteros, priest or elder. I durst not then call him episcopus properly: for those overseers, which we now call bishops after the Greek word, were alway biding in one place, to govern the congregation there. Now was Timothy an apostle. And Paul also writeth that he came shortly again. Well, will he say, it cometh yet all to one; for if it becometh the lower minister to be of a sad and discreet age, much more it becometh the higher. It is truth. But two things are without law, God and necessity. If God, to shew his power, shall shed out his grace more upon youth than upon age at a time, who shall let him? Women be no meet vessels to rule or to preach, for both are forbidden them; yet hath God endowed them with his Spirit at sundry times, and shewed his power and goodness upon them, and wrought wonderful things by them, because he would not have them despised. We read that women have judged all Israel, and have been great prophetesses, and have done mighty deeds. Yea, and if stories be true, women have preached since the opening of the new testament. Do not our women now christen and minister the sacrament of baptism in time of need? Might they not, by as good reason, preach also, if necessity required? If a woman were driven into some island, where Christ was never preached, might she there not preach him, if she had the gift thereto? Might she not also baptize? And why might she not, by the same reason, minister the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and teach them how to choose officers and ministers? 0 poor women, how despise ye them! The viler the better welcome unto you. An whore had ye lever than an honest wife. If only shaven and anointed may do these things, then Christ did them not, nor any of his apostles, nor any man in long time after: for they used no such ceremonies.

Notwithstanding, though God be under no law, and necessity lawless; yet be we under a law, and ought to prefer the men before the women, and age before youth, as nigh as we can. For it is against the law of nature that young men should rule the elder, and as uncomely as that women should rule the men, but when need requireth. And therefore, if Paul had had other shift, and a man of age as meet for the room, he would not have put Timothy in the office; he should no doubt have been kept back until a fuller age, and have learned in the meantime in silence. And whatsoever thou be that readest this, I exhort thee in our Lord, that them read both the epistles of Paul to Timothy; that thou mayest see how diligently (as a mother careth for her child, if it be in peril) Paul writeth unto Timothy, to instruct him, to teach him, to exhort, to courage him, to stir him up to be wise, sober, diligent, circumspect, sad [8], humble and meek, saying: "These I write that thou mayest know how to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church" or congregation. Avoid lusts of youth, beware of ungodly fables and old wives' tales; and avoid the company of men of corrupt minds, which waste their brains about wrangling questions. "Let no man despise thine youth." As who shall say, 'Youth is a despised thing of itself; whereunto men give none obedience naturally or reverence [9]. See, therefore, that thy virtue exceed, to recompense thy lack of age; and that thou so behave thyself that no fault be found with thee.' And again, "Rebuke not an elder sharply, but exhort him as thy father, and young men as thy brethren, and the elder women as thy mothers, and the young women as thy sisters;" and such like in every chapter." Admit none accusation against an elder, under less than two witnesses." And Paul chargeth him "in the sight of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his elect angels, to do nothing rashly," or of affection. And shortly, whereunto youth is most prone and ready to fall, thereof warneth he him with all diligence, even almost or altogether half a dozen times of some one thing. And finally, as a man would teach a child that had never before gone to school, so tenderly and so carefully doth Paul teach him. It is another thing to teach the people, and to teach the preacher. Here Paul teacheth the preacher, young Timothy.

And when he affirmeth that I say, how that the oiling and shaving is no part of the priesthood [10], that improveth he not, nor can do. And therefore I say it yet. And when he hath insearched the uttermost that he can, this is all that he can lay against me, that of an hundred there be not ten that have the properties which Paul requireth to be in them. Wherefore, if oiling and shaving be no part of their priesthood, then evermore of a thousand nine hundred at the least should be no priests at all. And "Quoth your friend [11]" would confirm it with an oath, and swear deeply, that it would follow, and that it must needs so be: which argument yet, if there were no other shift, I would solve after an Oxford fashion, with Concedo consequentiam et consequens [12]. And I say moreover, that their anointing is but a ceremony borrowed of the Jews, though they have somewhat altered the manner; and their shaving borrowed of the heathen priests; and that they be no more of their priesthood, than the oil, salt, spittle, taper and chrisom-cloth, of the substance of baptism. Which things, no doubt, because they be of their conjuring, they would have preached of necessity unto the salvation of the child, except necessity had driven them unto the contrary. And seeing that the oil is not of necessity, let M. More tell me what more virtue is in the oil of confirmation, inasmuch as the bishop sacreth the one as well as the other; yea, and let him tell the reason why there should be more virtue in the oil wherewith the bishop anointeth his priests. Let him tell you from whence the oil cometh, how it is made, and why he selleth it to the curates wherewith they anoint the sick, or whether this be of less virtue than the other.

And finally, why used not the apostles this Greek word hiereus, or the interpreter this Latin word sacerdos, but alway this word presbyteros and senior, by which was at that time nothing signified but [13] an elder? And it was no doubt taken of the custom of the Hebrews, where the officers were ever elderly men, as nature requireth: as it appeareth in the old Testament, and also in the new. "The scribes, Pharisees, and the elders of the people," saith the text; which were the officers and rulers, so called by the reason of their age.

Why he useth love, rather than charity.

He rebuketh me also that I translate this Greek word agape into love, and not rather into charity, so holy and so known a term. Verily, charity is no known English, in that sense which agape requireth. For when we say, 'Give your alms in the worship of God, and sweet St Charity;' and when the father teacheth his son to say, 'Blessing, father, for St Charity;' what mean they? In good faith they wot not. Moreover, when we say, 'God help you, I have done my charity for this day,' do we not take it for alms? and, 'The man is ever chiding and out of charity;' and, 'I beshrew him, saving my charity;' there we take it for patience. And when I say, 'A charitable man,' it is taken for merciful. And though mercifulness be a good love, or rather spring of a good love, yet is not every good love mercifulness. As when a woman loveth her husband godly, or a man his wife or his friend that is in none adversity, it is not always mercifulness. Also we say not, This man hath a great charity to God; but a great love. Wherefore I must have used this general term love in spite of mine heart oftentimes. And agape and caritas were words used among the heathen, ere Christ came; and signified therefore more than a godly love. And we may say well enough, and have heard it spoken, that the Turks be charitable one to another among themselves, and some of them unto the Christians too. Besides all this, agape is common unto all loves.

And when M. More saith, "Every love is not charity [14];" no more is every apostle Christ's apostle; nor every angel God's angel; nor every hope Christian hope; nor every faith, or belief, Christ's belief; and so by an hundred thousand words: so that if I should always use but a word that were no more general than the word I interpret, I should interpret nothing at all. But the matter itself and the circumstances do declare what love, what hope, and what faith is spoken of. And, finally, I say not, charity God, or charity your neighbour; but, love God, and love your neighbour; yea, and though we say a man ought to love his neighbour's wife and his daughter, a christian man doth not [15] understand that he is commanded to defile his neighbour's wife or his neighbour's daughter [16].

Why favour, and not grace.

And with like reasons rageth he, because I turn charis into favour, and not into grace: saying that "every favour is not grace, and that in some favour there is but little grace." I can say also, 'in some grace there is little goodness;' and when we say 'he standeth well in my lady's grace,' we understand no great godly favour. And in universities many ungracious graces there be [17] gotten.

Why knowledge, and not confession; repentance, and not penance.

And that I use this word knowledge, and not confession; and this word repentance, and not penance [18]. In which all he cannot prove that I give not the right English unto the Greek word. But it is a far other thing that paineth them, and biteth them by the breasts. There be secret pangs that pinch the very hearts of them, whereof they dare not complain. The sickness, that maketh them so impatient, is that they have lost their juggling terms. For the doctors and preachers were wont to make many divisions, distinctions, and sorts of grace; gratis data, gratum faciens, praeveniens, and subsequens [19]. And with confession they juggled; and so made the people, as oft as they spake of it, understand shrift in the ear; whereof the scripture maketh no mention: no, it is clean against the scripture, as they use it and preach it; and unto God an abomination, and a foul stinking sacrifice unto the filthy idol Priapus. The loss of those juggling terms is the matter whereof all these bots breed; that gnaw them by the bellies, and make them so unquiet.

And in like manner, by this word penance they make the people understand holy deeds of their enjoining; with which they must make satisfaction unto God-ward for their sins: when all the scripture preacheth that Christ hath made full satisfaction for our sins to God-ward; and we must now be thankful to God again, and kill the lusts of our flesh with holy works of God's enjoining. And I am bound to take patiently all that God layeth on my back; and, if I have hurt my neighbour, to shrive myself unto him, and to make him amends, if I have wherewith; or if not, then to ask him forgiveness, and he is bound to forgive me. And as for their penance, the scripture knoweth not of [it]. The Greek hath Metanoia, and Metanoite, repentance and repent; or forethinking and forethink. As we say in English, 'It forethinketh me, or I forethink;' and 'I repent, or it repenteth me;' and 'I am sorry that I did it.' So now the scripture saith, 'Repent, or let it forethink you; and come and believe the gospel, or glad tidings, that is brought you in Christ, and so shall all be forgiven you; and henceforth live a new life.' And it will follow, if I repent in the heart, that I shall do no more so, willingly and of purpose. And if I believed the gospel, what God hath done for me in Christ, I should surely love him again, and of love prepare myself unto his commandments.

These things to be even so, M. More knoweth well enough: for he understandeth the Greek, and he knew them long ere I. But so blind is covetousness and drunken desire of honour. "Gifts blind the eyes of the seeing, and pervert the words of the righteous." (Deut. 16) When covetousness findeth vantage in serving falsehood, it riseth up into an obstinate malice against the truth, and seeketh all means to resist it and to quench it: as Balaam the false prophet, though he wist that God loved Israel, and had blessed them, and promised them great things, and that he would fulfil his promises; yet for covetousness and desire of honour he fell into such malice against the truth of God, that he sought how to resist it and to curse the people: which when God would not let him do, he turned himself another way, and gave pestilent counsel to make the people sin against God; whereby the wrath of God fell upon them, and many thousands perished. Notwithstanding God's truth abode fast, and was fulfilled in the rest. And Balaam, as he was the cause that many perished, so escaped he not himself. No more did any that maliciously resisted the open truth against his own conscience, since the world began, that ever I read. For it is sin against the Holy Ghost, which Christ saith shall neither be forgiven here, nor in the world to come: which text may thiswise be understood, that as that sin shall be punished with everlasting damnation in the life to come, even so shall it not escape vengeance here; as thou seest in Judas, in Pharaoh, in Balaam, and in all other tyrants, which against their consciences resisted the open truth of God.

So now the cause why our prelates thus rage, and that moveth them to call M. More to help, is not that they find just causes in the translation, but because they have lost their juggling and feigned terms; wherewith Peter prophesied they should make merchandise of the people.

Whether the church were before the gospel, or the gospel before the church.

Another doubt there is; whether the church or congregation be before the gospel, or the gospel before the church: which question is as hard to solve, as whether the father be elder than the son, or the son elder than his father. For the whole scripture, and all believing hearts, testify that we are begotten through the word. Wherefore, if the word beget the congregation, and he that begetteth is before him that is begotten, then is the gospel before the church. Paul also (Rom. 10) saith, "How shall they call on him whom they believe not? And how shall they believe without a preacher?" That is, Christ must first be preached, ere men can believe in him. And then it followeth, that the word of the preacher must be before the faith of the believer. And therefore, inasmuch as the word is before the faith, and faith maketh the congregation, therefore is the word or gospel before the congregation. And again, as the air is dark of itself, and receiveth all her light of the sun; even so are all men's hearts of themselves dark with lies, and receive all their truth of God's word, in that they consent thereto. And, moreover, as the dark air giveth the sun no light, but contrariwise the light of the sun in respect of the air is of itself, and lighteneth the air, and purgeth it from darkness: even so, the lying heart of man can give the word of God no truth; but, contrariwise, the truth of God's word is of herself, and lighteneth the hearts of the believers, and maketh them true, and cleanseth them from lies, as thou readest, John 15: "Ye be clean by reason of the word." Which is to be understood, in that the word had purged their hearts from lies, from false opinions, and from thinking evil good, and therefore from consenting to sin. And (John 17) "Sanctify them, 0 Father, through thy truth: and thy word is truth." And thus thou seest that God's truth dependeth not of man. It is not true because man so saith, or admitteth it for true: but man is true, because he believeth it, testifieth and giveth witness in his heart that it is true. And Christ also saith himself, (John 5) "I receive no witness of man [20]." For if the multitude of man's witness might make aught true, then were the doctrine of Mahomet truer than Christ's.

Whether the apostles left aught unwritten, that is of necessity to be believed.

But did not the apostles teach aught by mouth, that they wrote not? I answer, because that many taught one thing, and every man the same in divers places, and unto divers people, and confirmed every sermon with a sundry miracle; therefore Christ and his apostles preached an hundred thousand sermons, and did as many miracles, which had been superfluous to have been all written. But the pith and substance in general of every thing necessary unto our souls' health, both of what we ought to believe, and what we ought to do, was written; and of the miracles done to confirm it, as many as were needful: so that whatsoever we ought to believe or do, that same is written expressly, or drawn out of that which is written.

For if I were bound to do or believe, under pain of the loss of my soul, anything that were not [21] written, nor depended of that which is written, what holp me the scripture that is written? And thereto, inasmuch as Christ and all his apostles warned us that false prophets should come with false miracles, even to deceive the elect if it were possible; wherewith should the true preacher confound the false, except he brought true miracles to confound the false, or else authentic scripture, of full authority already among the people?

Some man would ask, How did God continue his congre­gation from Adam to Noe, and from Noe to Abraham, and so to Moses, without writing, but with teaching from mouth to mouth? I answer, first, that there was no scripture all the while, they shall prove when our lady hath a new son. God taught Adam greater things than to write. And that there was writing in the world long ere Abraham, yea and ere Noe, do stories testify [22]. Notwithstanding, though there had been no writing, the preachers were ever prophets, glorious in doing of miracles, wherewith they confirmed their preaching. And beyond that, God wrote his testament unto them alway, both what to do and to believe, even in sacraments. For the sacrifices which God gave Adam's sons were no dumb popetry [23] or superstitious mahometry, but signs of the testament of God. And in them they read the word of God, as we do in books; and as we should do in our sacraments, if the wicked pope had not taken the significations away from us, as he hath robbed us of the true sense of all the scripture. The testament which God made with Noe, that he would no more drown the world with water, he wrote in the sacrament of the rainbow. And the appointment made between him and Abraham he wrote in the sacrament of circumcision. And therefore said Stephen, (Acts vii.) " He gave them the testament [24] of circumcision:" not that the outward circumcision was the whole testament, but the sacrament or sign thereof. For circumcision preached God's word unto them, as I have in other places declared.

But in the time of Moses, when the congregation was increased, that they must have many preachers, and also rulers temporal, then all was received in scripture; insomuch that Christ and his apostles might not have been believed without scripture, for all their miracles. Wherefore, inasmuch as Christ's congregation is spread abroad into all the world, much broader than Moses'; and inasmuch as we have not the old Testament only, but also the new, wherein all things are opened so richly, and all fulfilled that before was promised; and inasmuch as there is no promise behind of aught to be shewed more, save the resurrection; yea, and seeing that Christ and all the apostles, with all the angels of heaven, if they were here, could preach no more than is preached, of necessity unto our souls: how then should we receive a new article of the faith, without scripture, as profitable unto my soul, when I had believed it, as smoke for sore eyes? What holp it me to believe that our lady's body is in heaven? What am I the better for the belief of purgatory? To fear [25] men, thou wilt say. Christ and his apostles thought hell enough. And yet (besides that the fleshly imagination may not stand with God's word) what great fear can there be of that terrible fire, which thou mayest quench almost for three half-pence [26]? And that the apostles should teach aught by mouth which they would not write, I pray you for what purpose? Because they should not come into the hands of the heathen for mocking, saith M. More [27]. I pray you, what thing more to be mocked of the heathen could they teach, than the resurrection; and that Christ was God and man, and died between two thieves; and that for his death's sake all that repent, and believe therein, should have their sins forgiven them? Yea, and if the apostles understood thereby as we do, what madder thing unto heathen people could they have taught than that bread is Christ's body, and wine his blood? And yet all these things they wrote. And again, purgatory, Confession in the ear, penance and satisfaction for sin to God-ward, with holy deeds, and praying to saints, with such like, as dumb sacraments and ceremonies, are marvellous agreeable unto the superstition of the heathen people; so that they needed not to abstain from writing of them, for fear lest the heathen should have mocked them.

Moreover, what is it that the apostles taught by mouth, and durst not write? The sacraments? As for baptism, and the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, they wrote, and it is expressed what is signified by them. And also all the ceremonies and sacraments that were from Adam to Christ had significations; and all that are made mention of in the new Testament. Wherefore, inasmuch as the sacraments of the old Testament have significations; and inasmuch as the sacraments of the new Testament (of which mention is made that they were delivered unto us by the very apostles, at Christ's commandment) have also significations; and inasmuch as the office of an apostle is to edify in Christ; and inasmuch as a dumb ceremony edifieth not, but hurteth altogether (for if it preach not unto me, then I cannot but put confidence therein that the deed itself justifieth me, which is the denying of Christ's blood); and inasmuch as no mention is made of them, as well as of other, nor is known what is meant by them; therefore it appeareth that the apostles taught them not, but that they be the false merchandise of wily hypocrites. And thereto, priesthood was, in the time of the apostles, an office, which if they would do truly, it would more profit than all the sacraments in the world. And again, God's holinesses strive not one against another, nor defile one another. Their sacraments defile one another: for wedlock defileth priesthood more than whoredom, theft, murder, or any sin against nature [28].

They will haply demand where it is written, that women should baptize? Verily, in this commandment, "Love thy neighbour as thyself," it is written that they may and ought to minister not only baptism, but all other sacraments also [29] in time of need, if they be so necessary as they preach them.

And finally, though we were sure that God himself had given us a sacrament, whatsoever it were, yet if the signification were once lost, we must of necessity either seek up the signification, or put some [30] signification of God's word thereto, what we ought to do or believe thereby, or else put it down. For it is impossible to observe a sacrament, without signification, but unto our damnation. If we keep the faith purely and the law of love undefiled, which are the significations of all ceremonies, there is no jeopardy to alter or change the fashion of the ceremony, or to put it down, if need require [31].

Whether the church can err.

There is another question, whether the church may err. Which if ye understand of the pope and his generation, it is verily as hard a question as to ask whether he which had both his eyes out be blind or no; or whether it be possible for him that hath one leg shorter than another to halt. But I said that Christ's elect church is the whole multitude of all repenting sinners that believe in Christ, and put all their trust and confidence in the mercy of God; feeling in their hearts that God for Christ's sake loveth them, and will be, or rather is, merciful unto them, and forgiveth them their sins of which they repent; and that he forgiveth them also all the motions unto sin, of which they fear lest they should thereby be drawn into sin again. And this faith they have without all respect of their own deservings, yea, and for none other cause than that the merciful truth of God the Father, which cannot lie, hath so promised and so sworn.

And this faith and knowledge is everlasting life; and by this we be born anew, and made the sons of God, and obtain forgiveness of sins, and are translated from death to life, and from the wrath of God unto his love and favour. And this faith is the mother of all truth, and bringeth with her the Spirit of all truth; which Spirit purgeth us, as from all sin, even so from all lies and error, noisome and hurtful. And this faith is the foundation laid of the apostles and prophets; whereon Paul saith (Eph. ii.) that we are built, and thereby of the household of God. And this faith is the rock, whereon Christ built his congregation. Christ asked the apostles (Matt, xvi.) whom they took him for. And Peter answered for them all, saying, "I say that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, that art come into this world." That is, We believe that thou art he that was promised unto Abraham, that should come, bless us, and deliver us. Howbeit, Peter yet wist not, by what means. But now it is opened throughout all the world, that, through the offering of his body and blood, that offering is a satisfaction for the sin of all that repent, and a purchasing of whatsoever they can ask, to keep them in favour; and that they sin no more. And Christ answered, "Upon this rock I will build my congregation:" that is, upon this faith. And against the rock of this faith can no sin, no hell, no devil, no lies, nor error prevail.

For whatsoever any man hath committed, if he repent and come to this rock, he is safe. And that this faith is the only way by which the church of Christ goeth unto God, and unto the inheritance of all his riches, testify all the apostles and prophets, and all the scripture, with signs and miracles, and all the blood of martyrs. And whosoever goeth unto God, and unto forgiveness of sins, or salvation, by any other way than this, the same is an heretic out of the right way, and not of Christ's church.

For this knowledge maketh a man of the church. And the church is Christ's body (Col. i.); and every person of the church is a member of Christ (Eph. v.). Now it is no member of Christ that hath not Christ's Spirit in it (Rom. viii.); as it is no part of me, or member of my body, wherein my soul is not present and quickeneth it. And then, if a man be none of Christ's, he is not of his church.

How a true member of Christ's church sinneth not; and how he is yet a sinner.

Furthermore, he that hath this faith cannot sin, and therefore cannot be deceived with damnable errors. For by this faith we be (as I said) born of God. Now "he that is born of God cannot sin, for his seed dwelleth in him, and he cannot therefore sin, because he is born of God" (1 John iii.); which seed is the Holy Ghost, that keepeth a man's heart from consenting unto sin. And therefore it is a false conclusion that M. More holdeth, how that a man may have a right faith joined with all kinds of abomination and sin.

And yet every member of Christ's congregation is a sinner, and sinneth daily; some more, and some less. For it is written, (1 John i.) "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." And again, " If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." And Paul (Rom. vii.) saith, "That good which I would, that do I not; but that evil which I would not, that do I. So it is not I that do it (saith he), but sin that dwelleth in me." Thus are we sinners, and no sinners: no sinners, if thou look unto the profession of our hearts toward the law of God; on our repentance and sorrow that we have, both because we have sinned, and also because we be yet full of sin still; and unto the promises of mercy in our Saviour Christ; and unto our faith. Sinners are we, if thou look unto the frailty of our flesh; which is as the weakness of one that is newly recovered out of a great disease, by the reason whereof our deeds are imperfect; and by the reason whereof also, when occasions be great, we fall into horrible deeds, and the fruit of the sin which remaineth in our members breaketh out. Notwithstanding yet the Spirit leaveth us not, but rebuketh us, and bringeth us home again unto our profession: so that we never cast off the yoke of God from our necks, neither yield up ourselves unto sin for to serve it, but fight afresh, and begin a new battle.

How a Christian man cannot err, and how he may yet err.

And as they sin not, so they err not. And on the other side as they sin, so they err: but never unto death and damnation. For they never sin of purpose, nor hold any error maliciously, sinning against the Holy Ghost; but of weakness and infirmity: as good obedient children, though they love their father's commandments, yet break them oft by the reason of their weakness. And as they cannot yield themselves bond unto sin, to serve it, even so they cannot err in any thing that should be against the promises which are in Christ. And in other things their errors be not unto damnation, though they be never so great, because they hold them not maliciously: as now, if some, when they read in the new Testament of Christ's brethren, would think that they were our lady's children, after the birth of Christ, (because they know not the use of speaking of the scripture or of the Hebrews, how that nigh kinsmen be called brethren, or haply they might be Joseph's children by some first wife,) neither can have any to teach them for tyranny that is so great; yet could it not hurt them, though they died therein, because it hurteth not that redemption that is in Christ's blood: for though she had none but Christ, I am therefore never the more saved; neither yet the less, though she had had. And in such like an hundred, that pluck not a man's faith from Christ, they might err, and yet be nevertheless saved; no, though the contrary were written in the gospel. For as in other sins, as soon as they be rebuked, they repent; even so here, as soon as they were better taught, they should immediately knowledge their error, and not resist.

But they which maliciously maintain opinions against the scripture, or that they cannot be proved by the scripture; or such as make no matter unto the scripture and salvation that is in Christ, whether they be true or no; and for the blind zeal of them make sects, breaking the unity of Christ's church, for whose sake they ought to suffer all things; and rise against their neighbours, whom they ought to love as themselves, to slay them; such men, I say, are fallen from Christ, and make an idol of their opinions. For except they put trust in such opinions, and thought them necessary unto salvation, or with a cankered conscience went about to deceive for some filthy purpose; they would never break the unity of faith, or yet slay their brethren. Now is this a plain conclusion, that both they that trust in their own works, and they also that put confidence in their own opi­nions, be fallen from Christ, and err from the way of faith that is in Christ's blood, and therefore are none of Christ's church, because they be not built upon the rock of faith.

Faith is ever assailed and fought withal.

Moreover, this our faith which we have in Christ is ever fought against, ever assailed and beaten at with desperation: not when we sin only, but also in all temptations of adversity, into which God bringeth us to nurture us, and to shew us our own hearts, the hypocrisy and false thoughts that there lie hid, our almost no faith at all, and as little love, even then haply when we thought ourselves most perfect of all. For when temptations come, we cannot stand; when we have sinned, faith is feeble; when wrong is done us, we cannot forgive; in sickness, in loss of goods, and in all tribulations, we be impatient; when our neighbour needeth our help, that we must depart [32] with him of ours, then love is cold.

And thus we learn and feel that there is no goodness nor yet power to do good, but of God only. And in all such temptations our faith perisheth not utterly, neither our love and consent unto the law of God; but they be weak, sick, and wounded, and not clean dead: as a good child, whom the father and mother have taught nurture and wisdom, loveth his father and all his commandments, and perceiveth of the goodness shewed him, that his father loveth him, and that all his father's precepts are unto his wealth and profit, and that his father commandeth him nothing for any need that his father hath thereof, but seeketh his profit only, and therefore hath a good faith unto all his father's promises, and loveth all his commandments, and doth them with good will, and with good will goeth to school; and by the way haply he seeth company play, and with the sight is taken and ravished of his memory, and forgetteth himself, and standeth and beholdeth, and falleth to play also, forgetting father and mother, all their kindness, all their laws, and his own profit thereto: howbeit, the knowledge of his father's kindness, the faith of his promises, and the love that he hath again unto his father, and the obedient mind, are not utterly quenched, but lie hid, as all things do when a man sleepeth or lieth in a trance. And as soon as he hath played out all his lusts, or been warned in the mean season, he cometh again unto his old profession. Neverthelater, many temptations go over his heart, and the law, as a right hang-man, tormenteth his conscience, and goeth nigh to persuade him that his father will cast him away and hang him, if he catch him; so that he is like, a great while, to run away, rather than to return unto his father again. Fear and dread of rebuke, and of loss of his father's love, and of punishment, wrestle with the trust which he hath in his father's goodness, and as it were give his faith a fall. But it riseth again as soon as the rage of the first brunt is past, and his mind more quiet. And the goodness of his father and his old kindness cometh unto remembrance, either of his own corage, or by the comfort of some other. And he believeth that his father will not cast him away, or destroy him, and hopeth that he will no more do so. And upon that he getteth him home, dismayed, but not altogether faithless. The old kindnesses will not let him despair. Howbeit, all the world cannot set his heart at rest, until the pain be past, and until he have heard the voice of his father, that all is forgiven.

The manner and order of our election.

Even so goeth it with God's elect. God chooseth them first, and they not God; as thou readest, John xv. And then he sendeth forth and calleth them, and sheweth them his good will, which he beareth unto them, and maketh them see both their own damnation in the law, and also the mercy that is laid up for them in Christ's blood, and thereto what he will have them do. And then, when we see his mercy, we love him again, and choose him, and submit ourselves unto his laws, to walk in them. For when we err not in wit, reason, and judgment of things, we cannot err in will and choice of things. The choice of a man's will doth naturally, and of her own accord, follow the judgment of a man's reason, whether he judge right or wrong: so that in teaching only resteth the pith of a man's living. Howbeit, there be swine that receive no learning but to defile it; and there be dogs, that rent all good learning with their teeth. And there be pope-holy, which, following a righteousness of their own feigning, resist the righteousness of God in Christ. And there be that cannot attend to hearken unto the truth, for rage of lusts, which, when lusts abate, come and obey well enough.

And therefore a Christian man must be patient and suffer long, to win his brother to Christ, that he which attendeth not to day, may receive grace and hear to-morrow. We see some at their very latter end, when cold fear of death hath quenched the heat of their appetites, learn and consent unto the truth; whereunto before they could give none care, for the wild rages of lusts that blinded their wits.

And though God's elect cannot so fall that they rise not again, because that the mercy of God ever waiteth upon them, to deliver them from evil, as the care of a kind father waiteth upon his son, to warn him and to keep him from occasions, and to call him back again if he be gone too far; yet they forget themselves oft-times, and sink down into trances, and fall asleep in lusts for a season: but as soon as they be awaked, they repent, and come again without resistance. God now and then withdraweth his hand and leaveth them unto their own strength, to make them feel that there is no power to do good but of God only, lest they should be proud of that which is none of theirs. God laid so sore a weight of persecution upon David's back, that passed his strength to bear; so that he cried oft out of his psalms, saying, that he had lived well, and followed the right way of God in vain: for the more he kept himself from sin, the worse it went with him, as he thought; and the better with his enemy Saul, the worse he was. Yet God left him not there, but comforted him; and shewed him things which before he wist not of, how that the saints must be patient, and abide God's harvest, until the wickedness of ungodly sinners be full ripe, that God may reap it in due season.

God also suffered occasions, stronger than David, to fall upon him, and to carry him clean out of the way. Was he not ready for a churlish answer to have slain Nabal, and all the males of his house, so much as the child in the cradle? Howbeit, God withheld him and kept him back from that evil through the wisdom of Abigail. How long slumbered he, or rather how hard in sleep was he, in the adultery of Bathsheba, and in the murder of her husband Uriah! But at both times, as soon as he was rebuked, and his fault told him, he repented immediately, and turned again meekly. Now in all that long time, from the adultery of Bathsheba, until the prophet Nathan rebuked him, he had not lost his faith, nor yet his love unto the laws of God, no more than a man loseth his wits when he is asleep: he had forgot himself only, and had not maliciously cast off the yoke of God's commandments from off his neck. There is no man so good, but that there cometh a time upon him, when he feeleth in himself no more faith, or love unto God, than a sick man oft-times feeleth the taste of his meat which he eateth.

And, in like manner the apostles of Christ at his passion were astonished and amazed, and in such a storm of temptations, for the sudden change from so great glory into so vile and shameful death, that they had forgot all the miracles, and all the words which he had told them before, how that he should be betrayed and delivered on the same manner unto death. Moreover, they never understood that saying of his death, because their hearts were alway heavy, and overladen with earthly thoughts. For though they saw him raise up other, yet who should raise him up, when he were dead, they could not comprehend. Read what thou read canst, and thou shalt find no temptation like unto that from the creation of the world, or so great as it, by the hundred part: so that the wonderful sudden change and the terrible sight of his passion, and of his most cruel and most vile death; and the loss of whom they so greatly loved, that their hearts would fain have died with him; and the fear of their own death; and the impossibility that a man should rise again of his own power; so occupied their minds, and so astonished them and amazed them, that they could receive no comfort, either of the scripture, or of the miracles which they had seen Christ do; nor of the monitions and warnings wherewith he had warned them before; neither of the women that brought them tidings that he was risen. The sword of temptations, with fear, sorrow, mourning, and weeping, had deeply pierced their hearts, and the cruel sight had so cumbered their minds, that they could not believe death put off and overcome, until Christ himself came: yea, and when they first saw him, they were astonished for wondering and joy together, that thoughts arose in their hearts, 'Alas, is this he, or doth some spirit mock us?' He was fain to let them feel him, and to eat with them, to strength their faiths.

Howbeit there was none of them that was fallen in his heart from Christ. For as soon as the women brought word, Peter and John ran into the sepulchre, and saw, and wondered, and would fain have believed that he was risen; and longed for him, but could not believe; the wound of temptation being greater than that it could be healed with the preaching of a woman, without any other miracle. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, which, while he yet lived, durst not be aknowen of him, as soon as he was dead begged his body, and buried him boldly. And the women, as soon as it was lawful to work, prepared their anointments with all diligence. And the hearts of the disciples, that went to Emmaus, burned in their breasts to hear him spoken of. And Thomas had not forsaken Christ, but could not believe until he saw him; and yet desired and longed to see him, and rejoiced when he saw him, and for joy cried out, "My Lord, my God!" There was none of them that ever railed on him, and came so far forth to say, 'He was a deceiver, and wrought with the devil's craft all this while, and see whereto he is come in the end: we defy [33] him and all his works, false wretch that he was, and his false doctrine also.' And thereto must they have come at the last, when fear, sorrow, and wondering had been past, if they had not been prevented and help in the mean time.

Yea, and Peter, as soon as he had denied Christ, came to himself immediately, and went out and wept bitterly for sorrow. And thus ye see that Peter's faith failed not, though it were oppressed for a time: so that we need to seek no glosses for the text that Christ said to Peter, how that his faith should not fail.

'Yes, saith M. More, it failed in himself, but was reserved in our lady[34].' But let us see the test and their gloss together. Christ saith, "Simon, Simon, Satan seeketh you, to sift you as men sift wheat; but I have prayed for thee that thy faith shall not fail: wherefore when thou art come unto thyself again, strength thy brethren." Now put this wise gloss thereto; and see how they agree together! 'Simon, Satan seeketh to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that my mother's faith shall not fail: wherefore when thou art come to thyself again, according as my prayer hath obtained for thee that my mother's faith shall not fail, strength thy brethren.' Now say ye, is not this a proper text, and well framed together? Do ye not think there is as much wit in the head of mad Colins [35], as in the brains of such expositors?

Whether the pope and his sect be Christ's church or no.

That the pope and his spirits be not the church, may this wise be proved. He that hath no faith to be saved through Christ, is not of Christ's church. The pope believeth not to be saved through Christ: for he teacheth to trust in holy works for the remission of sins and salvation; as in the works of penance, enjoined in vows; in pilgrimage; in chastity; in other men's prayers and holy living; in friars and friars' coats; in saints' merits; and, the significations put out, he teacheth to believe in the deeds of the ceremonies and of the sacrament, ordained at the beginning to preach unto us, and to do us service, and not that we should believe in them and serve them. And a thousand such superstitiousnesses setteth he before us, instead of Christ to believe in; neither Christ nor God's word, neither honourable to God nor serviceable unto our neighbour, nor profitable unto ourselves for the taming of the flesh; which all are the denying of Christ's blood.

Another reason is this. Whosoever believeth in Christ, consenteth that God's law is good. The pope consenteth not that God's law is good. For he hath forbidden lawful wedlock unto all his [36], over whom he reigneth as a temporal tyrant with laws of his own making, and not as a brother exhorting them to keep Christ's; and he hath granted unlawful whoredom unto as many as bring money; as through Dutchland every priest, paying a gildren [37] unto the archdeacon, shall freely and quietly have his whore, and put her away at his pleasure, and take another at his own lust [38]; as they do in Wales, in Ireland, Scotland, France, and Spain [39]. And in England, thereto, they be not few which have licences to keep whores, some of the pope, and some of their ordinaries; and when the parishens go to law with them, to put away their whores, the bishop's officers mock them, poll them, and make them spend their thrifts, and the priests keep their whores still. Howbeit, in very deed, since they were rebuked by the preaching of Wicliffe, our English spiritualty have laid their snares unto men's wives, to cover their abominations, though they bide not alway secret.

Thereto all christian men, if they have done amiss, repent when their faults be told them. The spiritualty repent not; but, of very lust and consent to sin, persecute both the scripture wherewith they be rebuked, and also them that warn them to amend, and make heretics of them and burn them. And besides that, the pope hath made a plain decree, in which he commandeth, saying, "Though the pope sin never so grievously, and draw with him to hell by his ensample thousands innumerable, yet let no man be so hardy to rebuke him. For he is head over all; and none over him." Distinct. xl. Si Papa [40].

And Paul saith, (Rom. xiii.) "Let every soul obey the higher powers," that are ordained to punish sin. The pope will not, nor let any of his.

And Paul chargeth (1 Cor. v.): "If he that is a brother be an whore-keeper, a drunkard, covetous, an extortioner, or a railer," and so forth, that we "have no fellowship with him; no, not so much as to eat in his company." But the pope with violence compelleth us to have such in honour, to receive the sacraments of them, to hear their masses, and to believe all they say; and yet they will not let us see whether they say truth or no. And he compelleth ten parishes to pay their tithes and offerings unto one such, to go and run at riot at their cost, and to do nought therefor. And a thousand such like doth the pope, contrary unto Christ's doctrine.

The arguments wherewith the pope would prove himself the church, are solved.

Notwithstanding because, as they be all shaven, they be all shameless to affirm that they be the right church and cannot err, though all the world seeth that not one of them is in the right way, and that they have with utter defiance forsaken both the doctrine and living of Christ and of all his apostles; let us see the sophistry wherewith they would persuade it. One of their high reasons is this: The church, say they, was before the heretics; and the heretics came ever out of the church, and left it. And they were before all them which they now call heretics and Lutherans, and the Lutherans came out of them, &c. Wherefore they be the right church, and the other heretics indeed, as they be called [41]. Well, I will likewise dispute. First, the right church was under Moses and Aaron, and so forth; in whose rooms sat the scribes and Pharisees and high priests in the time of Christ. And they were before Christ. And Christ and his apostles came out of them, and departed from them, and left them. Wherefore the scribes, Pharisees, and high priests were the right church; and Christ, and his apostles and disciples, heretics, and a damnable sect! And so the Jews are yet in the right way, and we in error. And of truth, if their blind reason be good, then is this argument so too: for they be like, and are both one thing.

But inasmuch as "the kingdom of God standeth not in words," as Paul saith, "but in power;" therefore look unto the marrow and pith of the thing's self, and let vain words pass. Under Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the church great in faith, and small in number. And as it increased in number, so it decreased in faith, until the time of Moses. And out of those unbelievers God stirred up Moses, and brought them unto the faith right again. And Moses left a glorious church, both in faith and the cleaving unto the word of God; and delivered them unto Joshua, Eleazar, Phineas, and Caleb.

But as soon as the generation of them that saw the miracles of God were dead, they fell to idolatry immediately; as thou seest in the bible. And God, when he had delivered them into captivity for to chastise their wickedness, stirred them up a prophet evermore, to call them unto his testament again. And so he did well nigh an hundred times, I suppose, ere Christ came; for they never bode any space in the right faith. And against the coming of Christ, the scribes, Pharisees, Caiphas, Annas, and the elders, were crept up into the seat of Moses, Aaron, and the holy prophets and patriarchs, and succeeded them lineally, and had the scripture of God; but even in captivity, to make merchandise of it, and to abuse it unto their own glory and profit. And though they kept the people from outward idolatry of worshipping of images with the heathen, yet they brought them into a worse inward idolatry, of a false faith and trust in their own deeds, and in vain traditions of their own feigning; and had put out the significations of all the ceremonies and sacraments of the old Testament; and taught the people to believe in the work's self, and had corrupted the scripture with false glosses: as thou mayest see in the gospel, how Christ warneth his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which was their false doctrine and glosses. And in another place he rebuked the scribes and the Pharisees, saying: "Wo be to them," because they had taken away the key of knowledge, and had shut up the kingdom of heaven, and neither would enter in themselves nor suffer them that would. How had they shut it up? Verily with their traditions and false glosses; which they had sewed to the scripture in plain places; and in the taking away the meaning of the ceremonies and sacrifices, and teaching to believe in the work.

And our hypocrites are in like manner crept up into the seat of Christ and of his apostles, by succession; not to do the deeds of Christ and his apostles, but for lucre only, (as the nature of the wily fox is, to get him an hole made with another beast's labour,) and to make merchandise of the people with feigned words, as Peter warned us before; and to do according as Christ and all his apostles prophesied, how they should beguile, and lead out of the right way, all them that had no love to follow and live after the truth.

And in like manner have they corrupt the sculpture, and blinded the right way with their own constitutions, with traditions of dumb ceremonies; with taking away the significations of the sacraments, to make us believe in the work of the sacraments first, whereby they might the better make us believe in works of their setting up afterward; and with false glosses which they have patched to the scripture in plain places, to destroy the literal sense, for to set up a false feigned sense of allegories, when there is none such. And thereby they have stopt up the gates of heaven, the true knowledge of Christ, and have made their own bellies the door. For through their bellies must thou creep, and there leave all that fall behind thee.

And such blind reasons as ours make against us, made they against Christ, saying, Abraham is our father; we be Moses' disciples: how knoweth he the understanding of the scripture, seeing he never learned of any of us? Only the cursed, unlearned people, that know not the scripture, believe in him. Look whether any of the rulers or Pharisees do believe in him!

Wherefore, the scripture truly understood, after the plain places and general articles of the faith, which thou findest in the scripture, and the ensamples that are gone before, will alway testify who is the right church. Though the Pharisees succeeded the patriarchs and prophets, and had the scripture of them; yet they were heretics, and fallen from the faith of them and from their living. And Christ and his disciples, and John the Baptist, departed from the Pharisees, which were heretics, unto the right sense of the scripture, and unto the faith and living of the patriarchs and prophets, and rebuked the Pharisees: as thou seest how Christ calleth them hypocrites, dissimulers, blind guides, and painted sepulchres. And John called them the generation of vipers and serpents. Of John the angel said unto his father, "He shall turn many of the children of Israel unto their Lord God;" which yet, before John, believed after a fleshly understanding in God, and thought themselves in the right way. And, "He shall turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children:" that is, he shall, with his preaching and true interpreting of the scripture, "make such a spiritual heart in the children, as was in their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And, "He shall turn the disobedient unto the obedience of the righteous, and prepare the Lord a perfect people:" that is, them that had set up a righteousness of their own, and were therefore disobedient unto the righteousness of faith, shall he convert from their blindness unto the wisdom of them that believed in God, to be made righteous; and with those fathers shall he give the children eagles' eyes, to spy out Christ and his righteousness, and to forsake their own, and so to become perfect.

And after the same manner, though our popish hypocrites succeed Christ and his apostles, and have their scripture, yet they be fallen from the faith and living of them, and are heretics, and had need of a John Baptist to convert them. And we depart from them unto the true scripture, and unto the faith and living thereof, and rebuke them in like manner. And as they which depart from the faith of the true church are heretics, even so they that depart from the church of heretics and false feigned faith of hypocrites, are the true church; which thou shalt alway know by their faith, examined by the scripture, and by their profession and consent to live according unto the laws of God.

Another argument.

Another like blind reason they have, wherein is all their trust. As we come out of them and they not of us, so we receive the scripture of them, and they not of us. How know we that it is the scripture of God, and true, but because they teach us so? How can we believe, except we first believe that they be the church, and cannot err in any thing that pertaineth unto our soul's health? For if a man tell me of a marvellous thing, whereof I can have no other knowledge than by his mouth only; how should I give credence, except I believe that the man were so honest that he could not lie, or would not lie? Wherefore, we must believe that they be the right church that cannot err, or else we can believe nought at all [42].

This wise reason is their shot anchor, and all their hold, their refuge to fly unto, and chief stone in their foundation; whereon they have built all their lies, and all their mischief that they have wrought this eight hundred years. And this reason do the Jews lay unto our charge this day; and this reason doth chiefly blind them, and hold them still in obstinacy. Our spirits first falsify the scripture to stablish their lies; and when the scripture cometh to light, and is restored unto the true understanding, and their juggling spied, and they like to suffer shipwreck, then they cast out this anchor: They be the church and cannot err; their authority is greater than the scripture; and the scripture is not true, but because they say so and admit it. And therefore, whatsoever they affirm, is of as great authority as the scripture.

Notwithstanding, as I said, the kingdom of heaven standeth not in words of man's wisdom, but in power and spirit. And therefore look unto the examples of the scripture, and so shalt thou understand. And of an hundred examples between Moses and Christ, where the Israelites fell from God, and were ever restored by one prophet or other, let us take one, even John the Baptist. John went before Christ to prepare his way, that is, to bring men unto the knowledge of their sins, and unto repentance, through true expounding of the law, which is the only way unto Christ: for except a man knowledge his sins, and repent of them, he can have no part in Christ. Of John Christ saith (Matt, xvii.), that " he was Elias that should come, and restore all things:" that is, he should restore the scripture unto the right sense again; which the Pharisees had corrupted with the leaven of their false glosses, and vain fleshly traditions. He made crooked things straight, as it is written, and rough smooth. Which is also to be understood of the scripture, which the Pharisees had made crooked, wresting them unto a false sense with wicked glosses; and so rough that no man could walk in the way of them. For when God said, "Honour father and mother," meaning, that we should obey them, and also help them at their need, the Pharisees put this gloss thereto, out of their own leaven, saying : 'God is thy father and mother. Wherefore, whatsoever need thy father and mother have, if thou offer to God, thou art held excused. For it is better to offer to God, than to thy father and mother; and so much more meritorious, as God is greater than they: yea, and God hath done more for thee than they, and is more thy father and mother than they.' As ours now affirm, 'That it is more meritorious to offer to God and his holy dead saints, than unto the poor living saints.' And when God had promised the people a Saviour, to come and bless them, and save them from their sins; the Pharisees taught to believe in holy works to be saved by, as, if they offered and gave to be prayed for: as ours, as oft as we have a promise to be forgiven at the repentance of the heart through Christ's blood-shedding, put to, 'Thou must first shrive thyself to us of every syllable, and we must lay our hands on thine head, and whistle out thy sins, and enjoin thee penance to make satisfaction. And yet art thou but loosed from the sin only that thou shalt not come into hell; but thou must yet suffer for every sin seven years in purgatory, which is as hot as hell, except thou buy it out of the pope.' And if thou ask, 'By what means the pope giveth such pardon?' they answer, 'Out of the merits of Christ.' And thus at the last they grant, against themselves, that Christ hath not only deserved for us the remission of our sins, but also the forgiveness of that gross and fleshly imagined purgatory, save thou must buy it out of the pope. And with such traditions they took away the key of knowledge, and stopped up the kingdom of heaven, that no man could enter in.

And as I said, they taught the people to believe in the deeds of the ceremonies, which God ordained, not to justify, but to be signs of promises, by which they that believed were justified. But the Pharisees put out the significations, and quenched the faith, and taught to be justified by the work, as ours have served us.

For our sacraments were once but signs; partly of what we should believe, to stir us up unto faith; and partly what we should do, to stir us up to do the law of God; and were not works to justify.

Now make this reason unto John, and unto many prophets that went before him and did as he did; yea, and unto Christ himself and his apostles; and thou shalt find them all heretics, and the scribes and Pharisees good men, if that reason be good. Therefore, this-wise thou mayest answer. No thanks unto the heads of the church, that the scripture was kept, but unto the mercy of God. For as they had destroyed the right sense of it, for their lucre sake, even so would they have destroyed it also, if they could, rather than the people should have come unto the right understanding of it; as they slew the true interpreters and preachers of it. And even so, no thanks unto our hypocrites, that the scripture is kept, but unto the bottomless mercy of God.

For as they have destroyed the right sense of it with their leaven; and as they destroy daily the true preachers of it; and as they keep it from the lay-people, that they should not see how they juggle with it; even so would they destroy it also, could they bring it about, rather than we should come by the true understanding of it, were it not that God provided otherwise for us. For they have put the stories, that should in many things help us, clean out of the way, as nigh as they could. They have corrupt the legend and lives almost of all saints. They have feigned false books, and put them forth; some in the name of St Jerome, some in the name of St Augustine, in the name of St Cyprian, St Dionyse, and other holy men; which are proved none of theirs, partly by the style and Latin, and partly by authentic stories. And as the Jews have set up a book of traditions called Talmud, to destroy the sense of the scripture; unto which they give faith, and unto the scripture none at all, be it never so plain, but say it cannot be understood, save by the Talmud: even so have ours set up their Duns, their Thomas, and a thousand like draff, to stablish their lies through falsifying the scripture; and say that it cannot be understood without them, be it never so plain. And if a man allege an holy doctor against them, they glose him out as they do the scripture; or will not hear; or say the church hath otherwise determined.

Now therefore, when they ask us how we know it is the scripture of God; ask them how John Baptist knew, and other prophets, which God stirred up in all such times as the scripture was in like captivity under hypocrites? Did John believe that the scribes, Pharisees, and high priests, were the true church of God, and had his Spirit, and could not err? Who taught the eagles to spy out their prey? Even so the children of God spy out their Father; and Christ's elect spy out their Lord, and trace out the paths of his feet, and follow; yea, though he go upon the plain and liquid water, which will receive no step, and yet there they find out his foot: his elect know him, but the world knoweth him not (John i.). If the world know him not, and thou call the world pride, wrath, envy, covetousness, sloth, gluttony, and lechery, then our spiritualty know him not. Christ's sheep hear the voice of Christ (John x.); where the world of hypocrites, as they know him not, even so the wolves hear not his voice, but compel the scripture to hear them, and to speak what they lust. And therefore, except the Lord of sabaoth had left us seed, we had been all as Sodom and Gomorrah, said Esay in his first chapter. And even so said Paul in his time. And even so say we in our time, that the Lord of the hosts hath saved him seed, and hath gathered him a flock, to whom he hath given ears to hear that the hypocritish wolves cannot hear, and eyes to see that the blind leaders of the blind cannot see, and an heart to understand that the generation of poisoned vipers can neither understand nor know.

If they allege St Augustine, which saith, " I had not believed the gospel, except the authority of the church had moved me [43]:" I answer, as they abuse that saying of the holy man, even so they allege all the scripture, and all that they bring for them, even in a false sense. St Augustine, before he was converted, was an heathen man, and a philosopher, full of worldly wisdom, unto whom the preaching of Christ is but foolishness, saith Paul (1 Cor. i.). And he disputed with blind reasons of worldly wisdom against the Christen. Nevertheless, the earnest living of the Christen, according unto their doctrine, and the constant suffering of persecution and adversity for their doctrine's sake, moved him, and stirred him to believe that it was no vain doctrine; but that it must needs be of God, in that it had such power with it. For it happeneth that they which will not hear the word at the beginning, are afterward moved by the holy conversation of them that believe: as Peter warneth christian wives that had heathen husbands, that would not hear the truth preached, to live so godly that they might win their heathen husbands with holy conversation. And Paul saith, "How knowest thou, christian wife, whether thou shalt win thine heathen husband?" With holy conversation, meant he: for many are won with godly living, which at the first either will not hear, or cannot believe. And that is the authority that St Augustine meant. But if we shall not believe till the living of the spiritualty convert us, we be like to bide long enough in unbelief.

And when they ask, whether we received the scripture of them? I answer, 'That they which come after receive the scripture of them that go before.' And when they ask, 'Whether we believe not that it is God's word, by the reason that they tell us so?' I answer, 'That there are two manner faiths, an historical faith, and a feeling faith.' The historical faith hangeth of the truth and honesty of the teller, or of the common fame and consent of many: as if one told me that the Turk had won a city, and I believed it, moved with the honesty of the man; now if there come another that seemeth more honest, or that hath better persuasions that it is not so, I think immediately that he lied, and lose my faith again. And a feeling faith is as if a man were there present when it was won, and there were wounded, and had there lost all that he had, and were taken prisoner there also: that man should so believe, that all the world could not turn him from his faith. Then, even likewise, if my mother had blown on her finger, and told me that the fire would burn me, I should have believed her with an historical faith, as we believe the stories of the world, because I thought she would not have mocked me. And so I should have done, if she had told me that the fire had been cold, and would not have burned; but as soon as I had put my finger in the fire, I should have believed, not by the reason of her, but with a feeling faith, so that she could not have persuaded me afterward the contrary. So now with an historical faith I may believe that the scripture is God's, by the teaching of them; and so I should have done, though they had told me that Robin Hood had been the scripture of God: which faith is but an opinion, and therefore abideth ever fruitless; and falleth away, if a more glorious reason be made unto me, or if the preacher live contrary.

But of a feeling faith it is written (John vi.), "They shall be all taught of God." That is, God shall write it in their hearts with his Holy Spirit. And Paul also testifieth (Rom. viii.), "The Spirit beareth record unto our spirit, that we be the sons of God." And this faith is none opinion; but a sure feeling, and therefore ever fruitful. Neither hangeth it of the honesty of the preacher, but of the power of God, and of the Spirit: and, therefore, if all the preachers of the world would go about to persuade the contrary, it would not prevail ; no more than though they would make me believe the fire were cold, after that I had put my finger therein. Of this we have an ensample (John iv.) of the Samaritanish wife, which left her pitcher, and went into the city, and said, "Come, and see a man that hath told me all that ever I did. Is not he Christ?" And many of the Samaritans believed, because of the saying of the woman, how that he had told her all that ever she did; and went out unto him, and desired him to come in. Which faith was but an opinion; and no faith that could have lasted, or have brought out fruit. But when they had heard Christ, the Spirit wrought, and made them feel. Whereupon they came unto the woman, and said: "We believe not now because of thy saying, but because we have heard ourselves, and know that he is Christ, the Saviour of the world." For Christ's preaching was with power and spirit, that maketh a man feel, and know and work too; and not as the scribes and Pharisees preached; and as ours make a man ready to cast his gorge, to hear them rave and rage as mad men. And therefore, saith the scripture, "Cursed is he that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm;" that is to say, his strength. And even so, Cursed is he that hath none other belief, but because men say so. Cursed were he that had none other why to believe than that I so say. And even so cursed is he that believeth only because the pope so saith; and so forth throughout all the men in the world.

The faith that dependeth of another man's mouth is weak.

If I have none other feeling in my faith than because a man so saith, then is my faith faithless and fruitless. For if I have none other feeling that lechery is sin than that the pope so preacheth, whom I see before my face set up in Rome a stews of twenty or thirty thousand whores, taking of every piece tribute yearly; and his bishops with all other his disciples following the ensample mightily; and the pope therewith not content, but to set up thereto a stews of young boys, against nature, the committers of which sin be burnt at a stake among the Turks, as Moses also commandeth in his law; and the pope also to forbid all the spiritualty, a multitude of forty or fifty hundred thousand, to marry, and to give them licence to keep every man his whore, who so will: if, I say, I have none other feeling in my faith, that lechery is sin, than this man's preaching, I think my faith should be too weak to bear much fruit. How could I believe a man that would say he loved me, if all his deeds were contrary? I could not believe God himself, that he loved me, if in all my tribulations I had of him none other comfort than those bare words.

And in like manner, if I had none other feeling in my faith that covetousness were sin, than that the spiritualty so saith, my faith could be but weak and fainty, when I see how the pope with wiles hath thrust down the emperor; and how the bishops and prelates be crept up on high, in all regions, above their kings; and have made them a several kingdom, and have gotten into their hands almost the one half of every realm, which they divide among themselves, giving no layman any part with them; and heaping up bishoprick upon bishoprick, promotion upon promotion, benefice upon benefice, with unions and tot-quots, robbing in every parish the souls of their food, and the poor of their due sustenance; yea, and some preaching that it were less sin to have two wives than two benefices, but while they be yet young and hot, and therefore think covetousness greater sin than lechery; which same, when they be waxed elder, and their complexion somewhat altered, think that covetousness is as small a sin as lechery, and therefore take all that cometh; and if any man cast their preaching in their teeth, they answer that they be better learned, and have seen farther: if, I say, I have no other feeling that covetousness is sin than the preaching of these holy fathers, my faith were built but upon a weak rock, or rather on the soft sand. And therefore our defenders do right well to foam out their own shame, and to utter the secret thoughts of their hearts. For as they write, so they believe. Other feeling of the laws of God and faith of Christ have they none, than that their God the pope so saith. And therefore as the pope preacheth with his mouth only, even so believe they with their mouth only whatsoever he preacheth, without more ado, be it never so abominable; and in their hearts consent unto all their father's wickedness, and follow him in their deeds as fast as they can run.

The Turks, being in number five times more than we are, knowledge one God, and believe many things of God, moved only by the authority of their elders; and presume that God will not let so great a multitude err so long time: and yet they have erred and been faithless these eight hundred years. And the Jews believe this day as much as the carnal sort of them ever believed, moved also by the authority of their elders only; and think that it is impossible for them to err, being Abraham's seed, and the children of them to whom the promises, of all that we believe, were made: and yet they have erred, and been faithless, these fifteen hundred years. And we, of like blindness, believe only by the authority of our elders; and, of like pride, think that we cannot err, being such a multitude. And yet we see how God, in the old Testament, did let the great multitude err; reserving alway a little flock, to call the other back again, and to testify unto them the right way.

How this word church hath a double interpretation.

This is therefore a sure conclusion as Paul saith, (Rom.ix.) that "not all they that are of Israel are Israelites; neither because they be Abraham's seed, are they all Abraham's children," but they only that follow the faith of Abraham. Even so now none of them that believe with their mouths, moved with the authority of their elders only, that is, none of them that believe with master More's faith, the pope's faith, and the devil's faith, which may stand (as master More confesseth) with all manner abominations, have the right faith of Christ, or are of his church; but they only that repent, and feel that the law is good, and have the law of God written in their hearts, and the faith of our Saviour Jesus, even with the Spirit of God. There is a carnal Irsael, and a spiritual. There is Isaac and Ishmael; Jacob and Esau. And Ishmael persecuted Isaac, and Esau Jacob, and the fleshly the spiritual: whereof Paul complained in his time, persecuted of his carnal brethren; as we do, in our time, and as the elect ever did, and shall do till the world's end. What a multitude came out of Egypt under Moses! of which the scripture testifieth that they believed, moved by the miracles of Moses; as Simon Magus believed by the reason of Philip's miracles, (Acts viii.). Nevertheless, the scripture testifieth that six hundred thousand of those believers perished through unbelief; and left their carcases in the wilderness, and never entered into the land that was promised them. And even so shall the children of master More's faithless faith, made by the persuasion of man, leap short of the rest which our Saviour Jesus Christ is risen unto. And therefore let them embrace this present world, as they do, whose children they are, though they hate so to be called.

And hereby ye see that it is a plain and an evident conclusion, as bright as the sun's shining, that the truth of God's word dependeth not of the truth of the congregation. And therefore, when thou art asked why thou believest that thou shalt be saved through Christ, and of such like principles of our faith; answer, Thou wottest and feelest that it is true. And when he asketh, How thou knowest that it is true; answer, Because it is written in thine heart. And if he ask who wrote it; answer, The Spirit of God. And if he ask how thou camest first by it; tell him whether by reading in books, or hearing it preached, as by an outward instrument, but that inwardly thou wast taught by the Spirit of God. And if he ask whether thou believest it not because it is written in books, or because the priests so preach; answer, No, not now; but only because it is written in thine heart; and because the Spirit of God so preacheth, and so testifieth unto thy soul: and say, though at the beginning thou wast moved by reading or preaching, as the Samaritans were by the words of the woman, yet now thou believest it not therefore any longer; but only because thou hast heard it of the Spirit of God, and read it written in thine heart.

And concerning outward teaching, we allege for us scripture, older than any church that was this fourteen hundred years, and old authentic stories which they had brought asleep, wherewith we confound their lies. Remember ye not how in our own time, of all that taught grammar in England, not one understood the Latin tongue? How came we then by the Latin tongue again? Not by them, though we learned certain rules and principles of them, by which we were moved and had an occasion to seek further; but out of the old authors. Even so we seek up old antiquities, out of which we learn, and not of our church; though we received many principles of our church at the beginning, but more falsehood among [44] than truth.

It hath pleased God of his exceeding love (wherewith he loved us in Christ, as Paul saith, before the world was made, and when we were dead in sin, and his enemies, in that we did consent to sin, and to live evil) to write with his Spirit two conclusions in our hearts, by which we understand all things; that is to wit, the faith of Christ, and the love of our neighbours. For whosoever feeleth the just damnation of sin, and the forgiveness and mercy that is in Christ's blood for all that repent and forsake it, and come and believe in that mercy, the same only knoweth how God is to be honoured and worshipped, and can judge between true serving of God in the spirit, and false image-serving of God with works. And the same knoweth that sacraments, signs, ceremonies, and bodily things can be no service to God in his person; but memorials unto men, and a remembrance of the testament, wherewith God is served in the spirit. And he that feeleth not that, is blind in his soul, and of our holy father's generation, and maketh God an image, and a creature, and worshippeth him with bodily service. And on the other side, he that loveth his neighbour as himself, understandeth all laws, and can judge between good and evil, right and wrong, godly and ungodly, in all conversation, deeds, laws, bargains, covenants, ordinances, and decrees of men; and knoweth the office of every degree, and the due honour of every person. And he that hath not that written in his heart, is popish, and of the spiritualty; which understandeth nothing save his own honour, his own profit, and what is good for himself only; and, when he is as he would be, thinketh that all the world is as it should be.

Of worshipping, and what is to be understood by the word.

Concerning worshipping or honouring (which two terms are both one) M. More bringeth forth a difference, a distinction or division of Greek words, feigned of our schoolmen, which of late neither understood Greek, Latin, nor Hebrew, called doulia, hyperdoulia, and latria [45]. But the difference declareth he not, nor the properties of the words; but with confused terms leadeth you blindfold in his maze. As for hyperdoulia, I would fain wete where he readeth of it in all the scripture, and whether the worship done to his lord the cardinal's hat were doulia, hyperdoulia, or idololatria? And as for doulia and latria, we find them both referred unto God in a thousand places [46].

Therefore, that thou be not beguiled with falsehood of sophistical words, understand that the words which the scripture useth, in the worshipping or honouring of God, are these: Love God, cleave to God, dread, serve, bow, pray and call on God, believe and trust in God, and such like: which words all we use in the worshipping of man also, howbeit diversely; and the difference thereof doth all the scripture teach.

God hath created us and made us unto his own likeness; and our Saviour Christ hath bought us with his blood. And therefore are we God's possession, of duty and right; and Christ's servants only, to wait on his will and pleasure, and ought therefore to move neither hand nor foot, nor any other member, either heart or mind, otherwise than he hath appointed. God is honoured in his own person, when we receive all things, both good and bad, at his hand; and love his law with all our hearts; and believe, hope, and long for all that he promiseth.

The officers that rule the world in God's stead, as father, mother, master, husband, lord and prince, are honoured, when the law, which Almighty God hath committed unto them to rule with, is obeyed. Thy neighbour that is out of office is honoured, when thou (as God hath commanded thee) lovest him as thyself, countest him as good as thyself, thinkest him as worthy of any thing as thyself, and comest lovingly to help him at all his need, as thou wouldest be holp thyself; because God hath made him like unto his own image, as well as thee, and Christ hath bought him as well as thee.

If I hate the law, so I break it in mine heart; and both hate and dishonour God, the maker thereof. If I break it outwardly, then I dishonour God before the world, and the officer that ministereth it. If I hurt my neighbour, then I dishonour my neighbour and him that made him, and him also that bought him with his blood. And even so, if I hate my neighbour in mine heart, then I hate him that commandeth me to love him, and him that hath deserved that I should at the least way for his sake love him. If I be not ready to help my neighbour at his need, so I take his due honour from him, and dishonour him, and him that made him, and him also that bought him with his blood, whose servant he is. If I love such things as God hath lent me, and committed unto mine administration, so that I cannot find in mine heart to bestow them on the uses which God hath appointed me, then I dishonour God and abuse his creature, in that I give more honour unto it than I should do; and then I make an idol of it, in that I love it more than God and his commandment; and then I dishonour my neighbour, from whose need I withdraw it.

In like manner, if the officer, abusing his power, compel the subject to do that which God forbiddeth, or to leave undone that which God commandeth, so he dishonoureth God in withdrawing his servant from him, and maketh an idol of his own lusts, in that he honoureth them above God; and he dishonoureth his brother in that he abuseth him, contrary unto the right use which God hath created him for, and Christ hath bought him for, which is to wait on God's commandments. For if the officer be otherwise minded than this, the worst of these subjects is made by the hands of him that made me, and bought with the blood of him that bought me, and therefore, my brother; and I but his servant only, to defend him, and to keep him in the honour that God and Christ hath set him, that no man dishonoureth him: he dishonoureth both God and man. And thereto, if any subject think any otherwise of the officer (though he be an emperor) than that he is but a servant only, to minister the office indifferently, he dishonoureth the office, and God that ordained it. So that all men, whatsoever degree they be of, are every man in his room [47] servants to other, as the hand serveth the foot, and every member one another. And the angels of heaven are also our brethren, and very servants for Christ's sake, to defend us from the power of the devils.

And finally, all other creatures, that are neither angels nor man, are in honour less than man; and man is lord over them, and they created to serve him, as scripture testifieth; and he not to serve them, but only his Lord God and his Saviour Christ.

Of worshipping of sacraments, ceremonies, images, relics, and so forth.

Now let us come to the worshipping or honouring of sacraments, ceremonies, images, and relics. First, images be not God, and therefore no confidence is to be put in [48] them. They be not made after the image of God, nor are the price of Christ's blood; but the workmanship of the craftsman, and the price of money, and therefore inferiors to man.

Wherefore of all right man is lord over them, and the honour of them is to do man service; and man's dishonour it is to do them honourable service, as unto his better. Images then, and relics, yea, and, as Christ saith, the holy day too, are servants unto man. And therefore it followeth, that we cannot, but unto our damnation, put on a coat worth an hundred coats upon a post's back, and let the image of God and the price of Christ's blood go up and down thereby naked. For if we care more to clothe the dead image made by man, and the price of silver, than the lively image of God, and price of Christ's blood; then we dishonour the image of God, and him that made him, and the price of Christ's blood and him that bought him.

Wherefore the right use, office, and honour of all creatures, inferiors unto man, is to do man service; whether they be images, relics, ornaments, signs, or sacraments, holy days, ceremonies or sacrifices. And that may be on this manner, and no doubt it so once was. If (for an example) I take a piece of the cross of Christ, and make a little cross thereof, and bear it about me, to look thereon with a repenting heart at times when I am moved thereto, to put me in remembrance that the body of Christ was broken, and his blood shed thereon, for my sins; and believe stedfastly that the merciful truth of God shall forgive the sins of all that repent, for his death's sake, and never think on them more: then it serveth me, and I not it; and doth me the same service as if I read the testament in a book, or as if the preacher preached it unto me. And in like manner, if I make a cross in my forehead, in a remembrance that God hath promised assistance unto all that believe in him, for his sake that died on the cross, then doth the cross serve me, and I not it. And in like manner, if I bear on me or look upon a cross, of whatsoever matter it be, or make a cross upon me, in remembrance that whosoever will be Christ's disciple must suffer a cross of adversity, tribulations, and persecution, so doth the cross serve me, and I not it. And this was the use of the cross once; and for this cause it was, at the beginning, set up in the churches.

And so, if I make an image of Christ, or of any thing that Christ hath done for me, in a memory [49], it is good, and not evil, until it be abused. And even so, if I take the true life of a saint, and cause it to be painted or carved, to put me in remembrance of the saint's life, to follow the saint as the saint did Christ; and to put me in remembrance of the great faith of the saint to God, and how true God was to help him out of all tribulation; and to see the saint's love towards his neighbour, in that he so patiently suffered so painful a death, and so cruel a martyrdom to testify the truth, for to save other, and all to strength my soul withal, and my faith to God and love to my neighbour; then doth the image serve me, and I not it. And this was the use of images at the beginning, and of relics also. And to kneel before the cross unto the word of God, which the cross preacheth, is not evil. Neither to kneel down before an image, in a man's meditations, to call the living of the saint to mind, for to desire God of like grace to follow the ensample, is not evil. But the abuse of the thing is evil, and to have a false faith: as to bear a piece of the cross about a man, thinking that, so long as that is about him, spirits shall not come at him, his enemies shall do him no bodily harm, all causes shall go on his side, even for bearing it about him; and to think that if it were not about him, it would not be so; and to think, if any misfortune chance, that it came for leaving it off, or because this or that ceremony was left undone, and not rather because we have broken God's commandments, or that God tempteth us, to prove our patience; this is plain idolatry: and here a man is captive, bond and servant unto a false faith, and a false imagination, that is neither God nor his word. Now am I God's only, and ought to serve nothing but God and his word. My body must serve the rulers of this world, and my neighbour, as God hath appointed it, and so must all my goods; but my soul must serve God only, to love his law and to trust in his promises of mercy, in all my deeds. And in like manner it is that thousands, while the priest pattereth St John's gospel in Latin over their heads, cross themselves with, I trow, a legion of crosses, behind and before [50]; and (as Jack-of-napes, when he claweth himself) pluck up their legs, and cross so much as their heels and the very soles of their feet, and believe that if it be done in the time that he readeth the gospel (and else not), that there shall no mischance happen them that day, because only of those crosses. And where he should cross himself, to be armed and to make himself strong to bear the cross with Christ, he crosseth himself to drive the cross from him; and blesseth himself with a cross from the cross. And if he leave it undone, he thinketh it no small sin, and that God is highly displeased with him, and if any misfortune chance, thinketh it is therefore; which is also idolatry, and not God's word. And such is the confidence in the place, or image, or whatsoever bodily observance it be: such is St Agathe's letter written in the gospel time [51]. And such are the crosses on palm-sunday, made in the passion time. And such is the bearing of holy wax about a man. And such is that some hang a piece of St John's gospel about their necks. And such is to bear the names of God, with crosses between each name, about them. Such is the saying of gospels unto women in child-bed. Such is the limiter's [52] saying of "In principio erat verbum [53]," from house to house. Such is the saying of gospels to the corn in the field, in the procession-week, that it should the better grow. And such is holy bread, holy water, and serving of all ceremonies and sacraments in general, without signification. And, I pray you, how is it possible that the people can worship images, relics, ceremonies and sacraments, save superstitiously; so long as they know not the true meaning, neither will the prelates suffer any man to tell them; yea, and the very meaning of some, and right use, no man can tell?

And as for the riches that is bestowed on images and relics, they cannot prove but that it is abominable, as long as the poor are despised and uncared for, and not first served; for whose sakes, and to find preachers, offerings, tithes, lands, rents, and all that they have, was given the spiritualty. They will say, we may do both. May or not may, I see that the one most necessary of both is not done; but the poor are bereaved of [54] the spiritualty, of all that was in time past offered unto them. Moreover, though both were done, they shall never prove that the sight of gold and silver and of precious stones should move a man's heart to despise such things, after the doctrine of Christ. Neither can the rich coat help to move thy mind to follow the ensample of the saint; but rather, if he were pourtrayed as he suffered, in the most ungoodly wise. Which thing taken away, that such things with all other service, as sticking up candles, move not thy mind to follow the ensample of the saint, nor teach thy soul any godly learning, then the image serveth not thee, but thou the image; and so art thou an idolater, that is to say, in English, a serve-image. And thus it appeareth that your ungodly and belly doctrine, wherewith ye so magnify the deeds of your ceremonies, and of your pilgrimages, and offering, for the deed itself, to please God, and to obtain the favour of dead saints (and not to move you, and to put you in remembrance of the law of God, and of the promises which are in his Son, and to follow the ensample of the saint), is but an exhorting to serve images; and so are ye image-servers, that is, idolaters. And finally, the more devotion men have unto such deeds, the less they have unto God's commandment; insomuch that they which be most wont to offer to images, and to shew them, be so cold in offering to the poor, that they will scarce give them the scraps which must else be given dogs, or their old shoes, if they may have new brooms for them.

Pilgrimages.

To speak of pilgrimages, I say, that a christian man, so that he leave nothing undone at home that he is bound to do, is free to go whither he will; only after the doctrine of the Lord, whose servant he is, and not his own. If he go and visit the poor, the sick, and the prisoner, it is well done, and a work that God commandeth. If he go to this or that place, to hear a sermon, or because his mind is not quiet at home; or if, because his heart is too much occupied on his worldly businesses, by the reason of occasions at home, he get him into a more quiet and still place, where his mind is more abstract, and pulled from worldly thoughts, it is well done. And in all these places, if whatsoever it be, whether lively preaching, ceremony, relic, or image, stir up his heart to God, and preach the word of God, and the ensample of our Saviour Jesus, more in one place than in another; that he thither go, I am content. And yet he bideth a lord, and the things serve him, and he not them. Now whether his intent be so or no, his deeds will testify; as his virtuous governing of his house, and loving demeanour toward his neighbours. Yea, and God's word will be alway in his heart, and in his mouth, and he every day perfecter than other. For there can nothing edify man's soul, save that which preacheth him God's word. Only the word of God worketh the health of the soul. And whatsoever [55] preacheth him that, cannot but make him perfecter.

But to believe that God will be sought more in one place than in another, or that God will hear thee more in one place than in another, or more where the image is than where it is not, is a false faith, and idolatry, or image-service. For first, God dwelleth not in temples made with hands (Acts xvii.). Item, Stephen died for the contrary, and proved it by the prophets (Acts vii.). And Salomon, in the eighth of the third of the Kings, when he had built his temple, testified the same, and that he had not built it for God to dwell in; yea, and that God dwelleth not in the earth; but that he should out of heaven hear the prayers of them that prayed there. And the prophets did often testify unto the people, that had such a false faith that God dwelt in the temple, that he dwelt not there. Moreover, God in his testament bindeth himself unto no place, nor yet thee; but speaketh generally (concerning where and when), saying (Psalm xlix.) [56], " In the day of the tribulation thou shalt call on me, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." He setteth neither place nor time; but wheresoever and whensoever; so that the prayer of Job upon the dunghill was as good as Paul's in the temple. And when our Saviour saith (John xvi.), "Whatsoever ye ask my Father in my name, I will give it you;" he saith not in this or that place, or this or that day; but wheresoever and whensoever, as well in the fields as in the town, and on the Monday, as on the Sunday. God is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in the spirit (John iv.): that is, though he be present everywhere, yet he dwelleth lively and gloriously in the minds of angels only, and hearts of men that love his laws and trust in his promises. And wheresoever God findeth such an heart, there he heareth the prayer, in all places and times indifferently. So that the outward place neither helpeth or hindereth, except (as I said) that a man's mind be more quiet and still from the rage of worldly businesses, or that some thing stir up the word of God and example of our Saviour more in one place than in another.

Whence idolatry, or image-service, springeth.

Now that thou mayest see whence all this idolatry or image-service is sprung; mark a little, and then I will answer unto the arguments which these image-servers make against the open truth. All the ceremonies, ornaments, and sacrifices of the old Testament were sacraments; that is to wete, signs preaching unto the people one thing or another: as circumcision preached unto them, that God had chosen them to be his people, and that he would be their God, and defend them, and increase and multiply them, and keep them in that land, and bless the fruits of the earth, and all their possessions; and on the other side it preached, how that they had promised God again to keep his commandments, ceremonies, and ordinances. Now when they saw their young children circumcised, if they consented unto the appointment made between God and them, moved by the preaching of that same, then they were justified thereby. Howbeit, the deed in itself, the cutting off the foreskin of the man-child's privy member, justified them not, nor was a satisfaction for the child's sins; but the preaching only did justify them that received the faith thereof: for it was a badge given indifferently, as well unto them that never consented in their hearts unto God's law, as unto the elect in whose hearts the law is written. And that this was the meaning of circumcision, may be proved many ways; but namely by Paul (Rom. ii.), where he saith, "Circumcision is much worth, if thou keep the law," whose sign it was; and else not: and (Rom. iii.), where he saith that" God did justify the circumcised of faith," whose sign it was on the other side; and else not.

And the paschal lamb was a memorial of their deliverance out of Egypt only, and no satisfaction or offering for sin. And the offering of their first-fruits preached how they had received all such fruits of the hand of God, and that it was God that gave them that land, and that kept them in it, and that did bless and make their fruits grow; in token whereof, as unto a lord royal, they brought him the first-ripe fruits of their harvest: which remembrance, as long as it abode in their hearts, it moved them to love God again, and their neighbour for his sake; as he so oft desired them. And out of this ceremony was fetched the blessing of our new-ripe fruits, for like purpose; though we have lost the signification. And their other offerings, as the sacrifices of doves, turtles, lambs, kids, sheep, calves, goats and oxen, were no satisfactions for sin; but only a sign and token, that at the repentance of the heart, through an offering to come, and for that seed's sake that was promised Abraham, their sins were forgiven them.

And in like manner, the ornaments, and all other ceremonies, were either an open preaching, or secret prophecies, and not satisfactions or justifyings. And thus the works did serve them and preach unto them, and - they not the works, nor put any confidence therein.

False worshipping.

But what did the children of Israel and the Jews? They let the significations of their ceremonies go, and lost the meaning of them; and turned them unto the works, to serve them, saying that they were holy works commanded of God, and the offerers were thereby justified, and obtained forgiveness of sins, and thereby became good, (as the parable of the Pharisee and publican declareth (Luke xviii.), and as it is to see in Paul, and throughout all the bible;) and became captive to serve and put their trust in that which was neither God nor his word. And so the better creature, against nature, did serve the worse: where of all likelihood God should have accepted their work by the reason of them, if their hearts had been right; and not have accepted their souls for the blood's sake of a calf or sheep, forasmuch as a man is much better than a calf or sheep, as Christ testifieth (Matt. xii.). For what pleasure should God have in the blood of calves, or in the light of our candles? His pleasure is only in the hearts of them that love his commandments.

Then they went further in the imagination of their blind reason, saying: 'Inasmuch as God accepteth these holy works, that we be made righteous thereby, then it followeth that he which offereth most is most righteous, and the best man; yea, and it is better to offer an ox than a sheep, because it is more costly.' And so they strove who might offer most, and the priests were well apaid. Then went they further in their fleshly wisdom, saying: 'If I be good for the offering of a dove, and better for a sheep, and yet better for an ox, and so ever the better thing I offer, the better I am; oh, how accepted should I be if I offered a man, and namely him that I most loved!' And upon that imagination they offered their own children, and burnt them to ashes before images that they had imagined.

And to confirm their blindness they laid for them, no doubt, the ensample of Abraham, which offered his son Isaac, and was so accepted, that God had promised him how that in his seed all the world should be blessed. Hereof ye see unto what abomination blind reason bringeth a man, when she is destitute of God's word.

And to speak of the sabbath, (which was ordained to be their servant, and to preach, and to be a sign unto them, that God through his holy Spirit and word did sanctify them, in that they obeyed his commandments, and believed and trusted in his promises, and therefore were charged to leave working, and to come on the holy day, and hear the word of God, by which they were sanctified,) unto it also they became captive and bond to serve it; saying that they were justified by abstaining from bodily labour (as ours think also), insomuch that though they bestowed not the holy day in virtue, prayer, and hearing the word of God, in alms-deed, in visiting the sick, the needy and comfortless, and so forth, but went up and down idly; yet whatsoever need his neighbour had, he would not have holp him on the sabbath-day; as thou mayest see by the ruler of the synagogue, which rebuked Christ for healing the people on the holy day (Luke xiii.).

And of like blindness they went and fet out the brasen serpent, which Moses commanded to be kept in the ark for a memory, and offered before it; thinking (no doubt) that God must be there present, for else how could it have healed the people that came not nigh it, but stood afar off, and beheld it only? And a thousand such madnesses did they.

And of the temple they thought, that God heard them there better than any where else; yea, and he heard them no where save there. And therefore they could not pray but there, as ours can nowhere but at church, and before an image. For what prayer can a man pray when the word of God is not in the temple of his heart? yea, and when such come to church, what is their prayer, and what is their devotion, save the blind image-service of their hearts?

But the prophets ever rebuked them for such faithless works, and for such false faith in their works. In the forty-ninth [fiftieth] psalm saith the prophet, "I will receive no calves of your houses, nor goats out of your folds; think ye that I will eat the flesh of oxen, or drink the blood of goats?" And Isaiah saith in his first chapter: "What care I for the multitude of your sacrifices? saith the Lord. I am full. I have no lust in the burnt-offerings of your rams, or in the fat of fat beasts, or blood of calves, lambs or goats: offer me no more such false sacrifice." And thereto, "Your sweet incense is an abomination unto me." And thus he said, because of the false faith, and perverting the right use of them.

And for their false fasting, not referring their fast unto the taming and subduing of their flesh unto the spirit, when they complained unto God, justifying themselves, and saying, "How happeneth it that we have fasted, and thou wouldest not look upon it? we have humbled our souls, and thou wouldest not know it?" God answered them by the prophet Isaiah, in the fifty-eighth chapter:" Behold, in the day of your fast ye do your own lusts, and gather up all your debts. And howsoever ye fast, ye neverthelater strive, and fight, and smite with fist cruelly. I have chosen no such fast and humbling of soul, &c.: but that ye loose wicked bonds, and let the oppressed go free, and to break bread unto the hungry, and to clothe the naked," and so forth.

And concerning the temple, Isaiah saith in his last chapter: "What house will ye build for me, or in what place shall I rest? Heaven is my seat, and the earth my foot-stool." As who should say, I am too great for any place that ye can make; and (as Stephen saith, Acts vii. and Paul, Acts xvii.)" I dwell not in a temple made with hands."

How ceremonies sprang among us.

Understand also (to see how we came into like blindness), that before the coming of Christ in the flesh the Israelites and Jews were scattered throughout all the world, to punish [57] their image-service, both east, west, south, and north, as ye read in the chronicles how England was once full [58]: so that there was no province or great city in the world, where no Jews were; God so providing for the speedy preaching of the gospel among the heathen throughout the world. Now Christ, as he was promised, so was he sent, unto the Jews or Israelites. And what by Christ's preaching, and the apostles' after his resurrection, there were innumerable Jews converted, haply an hundred thousand or more in Jerusalem and Jewry, and in the countries about, and abode still in the land. Then Paul rose up, and persecuted them in Jerusalem, and throughout all Jewry and Damascus, slaying all that he could catch, or making them forswear Christ: for fear of which persecution they fled into all coasts, and preached unto the Jews that were scattered; proving that Jesus was Christ, the Saviour of the world, both by the scripture, and also by miracles; so that a great part of the Jews came to the faith everywhere, and we heathen came in shortly after; and part abode still in unbelief, as unto this day.

Now the Jews being born and bred up, rooted and noselled in ceremonies, as I have shewed, and as ye may better see in the five books of Moses, if ye would read them, could but with great difficulty depart from them; as it is to see in all the epistles of Paul how he fought against them, but in process [59] they gat the upper hand. And thereto the first that were christened, and all the officers and bishops of the church, even so much as the great god of Rome [60], were Jews for the most part, a great season.

And moreover, as Paul saith (Rom. ix.), "Not all that came of Israel are right Israelites; neither are all they Abraham's sons that are Abraham's seed."Why so Because they followed not the steps of the faith of their grandfathers. Even so, not all they that were called, and also came unto the marriage, which God the Father made between Christ his Son and all sinners, brought their marriage-garment with them; that is to wit, true faith, wherewith we be married unto Christ, and made his flesh and his blood, and one spirit with him, his brethren and heirs with him, and the sons of God also. But many of them (to fulfil the saying of Christ, that the kingdom of heaven, which is the gospel, is like a net that catcheth good and bad) were driven into the net, and compelled to confess that Jesus was Christ, and that seed that was promised Abraham, and Messias that should come; not of any inward feeling that the Spirit of God gave them, neither of any lovely consent that they had unto the law of God, that it was good, mourning both because they had broken it, and because also they had no power to fulfil it, and therefore to obtain mercy and power, came to Christ, and unto the Father through him with the heart of natural children, which receive all things freely of their father's bounteous liberality, and of love become servants unto their brethren for their father's sake; but were compelled only with violence of the scripture, which everywhere bare witness unto Christ, and agreed unto all that he did, and overcome also with the power of miracles that confirmed the same: that is to say, they came with a story faith, a popish faith, a faithless faith, and a feigned faith of their own making, and not as God in the scripture describeth the faith; so believing in Christ, that they would be justified by their own deeds, which is the denying of Christ. As our papists believe, which, more mad than those Jews, believe nothing by reason of the scripture, but only that such a multitude consent thereto, compelled with violence of sword, with falsifying of the scripture, and feigned lies: which multitude yet is not the fifth part so many as they that consent unto the law of Mahomet; and therefore, by their own arguments, the faith of the Turks is better than theirs. And their faith thereto may stand by their own confession with all mischief, (as it well appeareth by them,) and with yielding themselves to work all wickedness with full delectation, after the ensample of the faith of their father the devil, and without repentance and consent unto the law of God that it is good. Which popish thereto [61] so believe in Christ, and so will be his servants, that they will be bound unto dumb ceremonies and dead works; putting their trust and confidence in them, and hoping to be saved by them, and ascribing unto them the thank of their salvation and righteousness.

And therefore because, as I said, the Jews, yea, and the heathen too, were so accustomed unto ceremonies, and because such a multitude came with a faithless faith, they went [62] clean contrary unto the mind of Paul, and set up ceremonies in the new Testament; partly borrowing them of Moses, and partly imagining like as ye now see, and called them sacraments, that is to say, signs (as it is plain in the stories); the sacrament of holy water, of holy fire, holy bread, holy salt, and so forth. And they gave them significations: as holy water signified the sprinkling of Christ's blood for our redemption; which sacrament or sign, though it seem superfluous (inasmuch as the sacrament of Christ's body and blood signifieth the same daily), yet as long as the signification bode, it hurted not. And the kissing of the pax was set up, to signify that the peace of Christ should be ever among us, one to love another after his ensample; as the word itself well declareth: for pax is as much to say as peace.

As for confirmation, it is no doubt but that it came this wise up, and that this was the use; which the word itself well declareth. We read in the stories, that they which were converted unto the faith of the age of discretion, were full taught in the law of God (as right is), and in the faith of our Saviour Jesus, ere they were baptized, and upon the profession or promising to keep that law and faith were baptized. And then for the succour and help of young children, baptized before the age of discretion, to know the law of God and faith of Christ, was confirmation instituted, that they should not be alway ignorant and faithless, but be taught the profession of their baptism. And this no doubt was the manner, as we may well gather by probable conjectures and evident tokens: when the children were of six or seven years old, their elders brought them unto the priest or deacon in every parish, which officer taught the children what their baptism meant, and what they had professed therein; that is to wit, the law of God, and their duty unto all degrees, and the faith of our Saviour. And then, because it should not be neglect or left undone, an higher officer, as the archdeacon (for it hath not been, as I suppose, in the bishop's hands alway as now, neither were it meet), came about from parish to parish at times convenient: and the priests brought the children unto him, at eleven or twelve years old, before they were admitted to receive the sacrament of Christ's body haply; and he apposed [63] them of the law of God and faith of Christ, and asked them whether they thought that law good, and whether their hearts were to follow it? And they answered, Yea. And he apposed them in the articles of our faith, and asked them, whether they put their hope and trust in Christ, to be saved through his death and merits? And they answered, Yea. Then confirmed he their baptism, saying, 'I confirm you; that is, I denounce and declare, by the authority of God's word, and doctrine of Christ, that ye be truly baptized within, in your hearts and in your spirits, through professing the law of God and the faith of our Saviour Jesus, which your outward baptism doth signify; and thereupon I put this cross in your foreheads, that ye go and fight against the devil, the world, and the flesh, under the standard of our Saviour, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.' Which manner I would to God, for his tender mercy, were in use this day.

But after that the devil was broken loose, and the bishops began to purchase, and the deacons to scratch all to them, and the spiritualty to climb on high; then, because the labour seemed too tedious and painful to appose the children one by one, they asked the priests that presented them only, Whether the children were taught the profession of their baptism? And they answered, Yea: and so, upon their words, they confirmed them without apposing. So when they no longer apposed them, the priests no longer taught them; but committed the charge to their godfathers and godmothers, and they to the father and mother, discharging themselves, by their own authority, within half an hour.

And the father and mother taught them a monstrous Latin paternoster and an ave and a creed: which gibberish every popinjay [64] speaketh with a sundry pronunciation and fashion; so that one paternoster seemeth as many languages almost, as there be tongues that speak it. Howbeit, it is all one, as long as they understand it not. And in process, as the ignorance grew, they brought them to confirmation straight from baptism, so that now oft-times they be volowed [65] and bishopped both in one day; that is, we be confirmed in blindness to be kept from knowledge for ever. And thus are we come into this damnable ignorance and fierce wrath of God, through our own deserving; because, when the truth was told us, we had no love thereto. And to declare the full and set wrath of God upon us, our prelates whom we have exalted over us, to whom we have given almost all we had, have persuaded the worldly princes (to whom we have submitted ourselves, and given up our power) to devour up body and soul, and to keep us down in darkness, with violence of sword, and with all falsehood and guile; insomuch that, if any do but lift up his nose to smell after the truth, they swap him in the face with a fire-brand, to singe his smelling; or if he open one of his eyes once to look toward the light of God's word, they blear and daze his sight with their false juggling: so that if it were possible, though he were God's elect, he could not but be kept down, and perish for lack of knowledge of the truth.

And in like manner, because Christ had instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, to keep us in remembrance of his body-breaking and blood-shedding for our sins, therefore went they and set up this fashion of the mass, and ordained sacraments in the ornaments thereof to signify and express all the rest of his passion. The amice on the head is the kerchief that Christ was blindfolded with, when the soldiers buffeted him and mocked him, saying, "Prophesy unto us, who smote thee [66]?" But now it may well signify that he that putteth it on is blinded, and hath professed to lead us after him in darkness, according unto the beginning of his play. And the flap thereon is the crown of thorns: and the alb is the white garment that Herod put on him, saying he was a fool, because he held his peace, and would not answer him. And the two flaps on the sleeves, and the other two on the alb beneath, over against his feet behind and before, are the four nails; and the fanon on his hand, the cord that his hands were bound with; and the stole, the rope wherewith he was bound unto the pillar, when he was scourged; and the corporis-cloth, the sindon wherein he was buried; and the altar is the cross, or haply the grave; and so forth: and the casting abroad of his hands, the splaying of Christ upon the cross; and the light and sticking up of candles, and bearing of candles or tapers in procession, haply signified this text, "Ye be the light of the world;" and, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heayen." And the salt signifieth the wisdom of Christ's doctrine; and that we should therewith salt our deeds, and do nothing without the authority of God's word. So that in one thing or other, what in the garments, and what in the gestures, all is played; insomuch that before he will go to mass, he will be sure to sell him, lest Judas's part should be left out.

And so throughout all the sacraments, ceremonies, or signs (three words of one signification) there were significations unto them at the beginning. And so long as it was understood what was meant by them, and they did but serve the people, and preach one thing or another unto them, they hurted not greatly; though that the free servant of Christ ought not to be brought violently into captivity under the bondage of traditions of men: as St Augustine [67] complaineth in his days, how that the condition and state of the Jews was more easy than the Christians under traditions; so sore had the tyranny of the shepherds invaded the flock already in those days [68]. And then what just cause have we to complain our captivity now; unto whose yoke from that time hitherto, even twelve hundred years long, hath ever somewhat more weight been added to, for to keep us down and to confirm us in blindness: howbeit, as long as the significations bode, they hurted not the soul, though they were painful unto the body. Nevertheless, I impute this our grievous fall into so extreme and horrible blindness (wherein we are so deep and so deadly brought asleep) unto nothing so much as unto the multitude of ceremonies. For as soon as the prelates had set up such a rabble of ceremonies, they thought it superfluous to preach the plain text any longer, and the law of God, faith of Christ, love toward our neighbour, and the order of our justifying and salvation; (forasmuch as all such things were played before the people's faces daily in the ceremonies, and every child wist the meaning;) but got them unto allegories, feigning them every man after his own brain, without rule, almost on every syllable; and from thence unto disputing, and wasting their brains about words, not attending the significations; until at the last the lay-people had lost the meaning of the ceremonies, and the prelates the understanding of the plain text, and of the Greek, and Latin, and specially of the Hebrew, which is most of need to be known, and of all phrases, the proper manner of speakings, and borrowed speech of the Hebrews.

Remember ye not how within this thirty years and far less, and yet dureth unto this day, the old barking curs, Dun's disciples, and like draff called Scotists, the children of darkness, raged in every pulpit against Greek, Latin and Hebrew; and what sorrow the schoolmasters, that taught the true Latin tongue, had with them; some beating the pulpit with their fists for madness, and roaring out with open and foaming mouth, that if there were but one Terence or Virgil in the world, and that same in their sleeves, and a fire before them, they would burn them therein, though it should cost them their lives; affirming that all good learning decayed, and was utterly lost, since men gave them unto the Latin tongue? Yea, and I dare say that there be twenty thousand priests, curates, this day in England, and not so few, that cannot give you the right English unto this text in the Paternoster, Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo et in terra, and answer thereto [69].

And as soon as the signification of the ceremonies was lost, and the priests preached Christ no longer, then the common people began to wax mad and out of their minds upon the ceremonies. And that trust and confidence, which the ceremonies preached to be given unto God's word and Christ's blood, that same they turned unto the ceremony itself; as though a man were so mad to forget that the bush at the tavern-door did signify wine to be sold within, but would believe that the bush itself would quench his thirst. And so they became servants unto the ceremonies; ascribing their justifying and salvation unto them, supposing that it was nothing else to be a christian man than to serve ceremonies, and him most christian that most served them; and contrariwise, him that was not popish and ceremonial, no christian man at all. For I pray you, for what cause worship we our spiritualty so highly, or wherefore think we their prayers better than the poor laymen's, than for their disguisings and ceremonies? Yea, and what other virtue see we in the holiest of them, than to wait upon dumb superstitious ceremonies?

Yea, and how cometh it that a poor layman, having wife and twenty children, and not able to find [70] them, though all his neighbours know his necessity, shall not get with begging for Christ's sake, in a long summer's day, enough to find them two days honestly; when if a disguised monster come, he shall, with an hour's lying in the pulpit, get enough to find thirty or forty sturdy lubbers a month long, of which the weakest shall be as strong in the belly, when he cometh unto the manger, as the mightiest porter in the weigh-house [71], or best courser that is in the king's stable? Is there any other cause than disguising and ceremonies? For the deeds of the ceremonies we count better than the deeds which God commandeth to be done to our neighbour at his need. Who thinketh it as good a deed to feed the poor, as to stick up a candle before a post, or as to sprinkle himself with holy water? Neither is it possible to be otherwise, as long as the signification is lost. For what other thing can the people think, than that such deeds be ordained of God; and because, as it is evident, they serve not our neighbour's need, to be referred unto the person of God, and he, though he be a spirit, yet served therewith? And then he cannot but forth on [72] dispute, in his blind reason, that as God is greater than man, so is that deed that is appointed to serve God greater than that which serveth man. And then, when it is not possible to think them ordained for nought, what can I otherwise think than that they were ordained to justify; and that I should be holy thereby, according to the pope's doctrine; as though God were better pleased, when I sprinkled myself with water, or set up a candle before a block, than if I fed or clothed, or holp at his need, him whom he so tenderly loveth that he gave his own Son unto the death for him, and commanded me to love him as myself?

And when the people began to run that way, the prelates were glad, and holp to heave after with subtle allegories and falsifying the scripture; and went and hallowed the ceremonies, to make them more worshipful, that the lay people should have them in greater estimation and honour, and to be afraid to touch them, for reverence unto the holy charm that was said over them; and affirmed also that Christ's death had purchased such grace unto the ceremonies to forgive sin and to justify. 0 monster! Christ's death purchased grace for man's soul, to repent of evil, and to believe in Christ for remission of sin, and to love the law of God, and his neighbour as himself; which is the true worshipping of God in the spirit; and he died not to purchase such honour unto unsensible things, that man to his dishonour should do them honourable service, and receive his salvation of them.

This I have declared unto you, that ye might see and feel every thing sensibly. For I intend not to lead you in darkness. Neither though twice two cranes make not four wild geese, would I therefore that ye should believe that twice two made not four. Neither intend I to prove unto you, that Paul's steeple is the cause why Thames is broke in about Erith, or that Tenterden steeple is the cause of the decay of Sandwich haven, as Master More jesteth [73]. Nevertheless, this I would were persuaded unto you (as it is true), that the building of them and such like, through the false faith that we have in them, is the decay of all the havens in England, and of all the cities, towns, highways, and shortly of the whole commonwealth. For since these false monsters crope up into our consciences, and robbed us of the knowledge of our Saviour Christ, making us believe in such pope-holy works, and to think that there was none other way unto heaven, we have not ceased to build them abbeys, cloisters, colleges, chauntries, and cathedral churches with high steeples, striving and envying one another who should do most. And as for the deeds that pertain unto our neighbours and unto the commonwealth, we have not regarded at all, as things which seemed no holy works, or such as God would not once look upon. And therefore we left them unseen to, until they were past remedy, or past our power to remedy them; inasmuch as our slow bellies, with their false blessings, had juggled away from us that wherewith they might have been holpen in due season. So that the silly poor man (though he had haply no wisdom to express his mind, or that he durst not, or that Master More fashioneth his tale as he doth other men's, to jest out the truth,) saw that neither Goodwin sands, nor any other cause alleged, was the decay of Sandwich haven, so much as that the people had no lust to maintain the commonwealth, for blind devotion which they have to pope-holy works.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. Chapter 8 of Book III of More's Dialogue is headed, "The author sheweth why the new Testament of Tyndale's translation was burned. And sheweth for a sample certain words evil, and of evil purpose changed." And it begins as follows:
"But now I pray you let me know your mind concerning the burning of the new Testament in English, which Tyndale lately translated, and (as men say) right well, which maketh men much marvel of the burning. It is, quoth I, to me great marvel that any good Christian man, having any drop of wit in his head, should any thing marvel or complain of the burning of that book, if he knew the matter: which whoso calleth the new Testament, calleth it by a wrong name, except they would call it Tyndale's Testament, or Luther's Testament. For so had Tyndale, after Luther's counsel, corrupted and changed it from the good and wholesome doctrine of Christ to the devilish heresies of their own, that it was clean a contrary thing. That were marvel, quoth your friend, that it should be so clean contrary; for to some that read it, it seemed very like. It is, quoth I, nevertheless contrary, and yet the more perilous. For like as to a true silver groat a false copper groat is nevertheless contrary, though it be quicksilvered over, but so much the more false, in how much it is counterfeited the more like to the truth, and so much the more perilous in how much it was, to folk unlearned, more hard to be discerned. Why, quoth your friend, what faults were there in it? To tell you all that, quoth I, were in a manner to rehearse you all the whole book, wherein there were found and noted, wrong and falsely translated, above a thousand texts by tale. I would, quoth he, fain hear some one. He that should, quoth I, study for that, should study where to find water in the sea. But I will shew you, for ensample, two or three such as every one of the three is more than thrice three in one. That were, quoth he, very strange; except ye mean more in weight: for one can be but one, in number. Surely, quoth I, as weighty be they as any lightly can be. But I mean that every one of them is more than thrice three in number. These were, quoth he, somewhat like a riddle. This riddle, quoth I, will soon be read. For he hath mistranslated three words of great weight, and every one of them is, as I suppose, more than thrice three times repeated and rehearsed in the books. Ah, that may well be, quoth he; but that was not well done. But, I pray you, what words be these? The one is, quoth I, this word Priests; the other, the Church; the third, Charity."

2. Viz. in verses 32, 39, and 41; where Tyndale has rendered the word congregation, whilst our Auth. Vers. renders it assembly.

3. Erasmus has rendered it congregation in his version of Acts 2:47; 5:11; 11:26. Rom. 16:5. 1 Cor. 14:4. Col. 4:15. Philemon, 2. And in Acts 19:4 and Heb. 12:23 he has rendered ekklesia, concio.

4. Erasmus" celebrated sarcastic production, the Encomium Moriae; in which he held up to ridicule the ignorance frequent among the popish clergy and the friars.

5. In the chapter just quoted More had said, "In our English tongue this word seniour signifieth nothing at all; but is a French word, used in English more than half in mockage, when one will call another my lord in scorn."

6. So C. U. L. ed. D. omits or.

7. A person capable of receiving knighthood was said to have won his spurs, when he had made himself so conspicuous in the field of battle as to ensure his being knighted.

8. Sad: grave.

9. So C. U. L. ed.

10. "The name of priest which to us, in our own tongue, hath always signified an anointed person, and with holy orders consecrated unto God, he hath changed." More's Dial.

11. Tyndale's ironical name for a speaker in More's Dialogue.

12. I concede the consequence and whatever is deducible.

13. So D. The C. U. L. ed. has then, i. e. than.

14. "Charity signifieth, in Englishmen's ears, not every common love, but a good, virtuous, and well ordered love." More's Dial.

15. So C. U. L. ed. and More's Conf. In D. not is omitted, but doubtless only by an error of the press.

16. In More's quotation neighbour's daughter; but in the collated editions of Tyndale neighbour's is omitted.

17. So in More's quotation; but the collated editions of Tyndale omit there be. - More says, "He should have made it more plain and better perceived, if he had said, as for ensample, when his own grace was there granted, to be made master of arts." Confut. The passing of any resolution by the ruling body for the conferring of a degree is called passing a grace, in the university of Cambridge.

18. "Confession he translateth into knowledge: penance into repentance; a contrite heart he changeth into a troubled heart." More's Dial. B. III. chap. 8. The reader has seen that Tyndale frequently uses knowledge for acknowledge.

19. Freely given: making acceptable; going before; and following after.

20. To this More objects that Tyndale has translated this clause: "I receive no recorde of man;" whereas he should have preserved the force of the Greek article, and have rendered it, "I receive not the recorde of man." He objects that there is the like inaccuracy in Tyndale's translation of John 1:21, "Art thou a prophet? And he answered, No." "Tyndale," says he, "by the Greek tongue, perceiving the article, saw well enough that he should not have translated it into the English, Art thou a prophet, but Art thou THAT prophet? - to wit, the great prophet of whom Moses prophesied." To this remark More subjoins a curious criticism, to which we shall find Tyndale afterwards adverting, on the distinction between the use of the particles Nay and No.
"I would not here note by the way," says he, "that Tyndale here translateth no for nay, for it is but a trifle, and mistaking of the English word; saving that ye should see that he which in two so plain English words, and so common as is nay and no, cannot tell when he should take the tone, and when the tother, is not for translating into English a man very meet. For the use of those two words, in answering to a question, is this. No answereth the question framed by the affirmative: as for ensample, if a man should ask Tyndale himself, Is an heretic meet to translate holy scripture into English? Lo, to this question, if he will answer true English, he must answer nay; and not, no. But and if the question be asked him thus, Lo, is not an heretic meet to translate holy scripture into English? To this question, lo, if he will answer true English, he must answer no; and not nay. And a like difference is there between these two adverbs, Yea and Yes. For if the question be framed unto Tyndale by the affirmative, in this fashion; If an heretic falsely translate the new Testament into English, to make his false heresies seem the word of God, be his books worthy to be burned? To this question, asked in this wise, if he will answer true English, he must answer Yea; and not, Yes. But now if the question be asked him thus, lo, by the negative: If an heretic falsely translate the new Testament into English, to make his false heresies seem the word of God, be not his books well worthy to be burned? To this question, in this fashion framed, if he will answer true English, he may not answer Yea; but he must answer Yes; and say, yes, marry, be they, both the translation and the translator, and all that will hold with them." Conf. of Tyndale's Answer, clxxx.

21. So C. U. L. ed. and so More quotes this passage; but D. has were written.

22. He was doubtless led to say this by believing Josephus' tale about the pillars of Seth. Hist. Jud. L. i. c. 2.

23. Popetrie, or puppetry.

24. So Tynd. translation; and see Vol. i. p. 409.

25. To make men fear. See Vol. I. p. xxvii.

26.To this More replies, "Likewise as though the sacrament of penance be able to put away the eternality of the pain, yet hath the party, for all that, cause to fear both purgatory and hell too, least some default upon his own part letted God in the sacrament to work such grace in him as should serve therefore; so though the pardon be able to discharge a man of purgatory, yet may there be such default in the party, to whom the pardon is granted, that though he give for three-halfpence three hundred pound, yet shall he receive no pardon at all. And therefore can he not be, for three-halfpence, out of fear of purgatory; but ever hath cause to fear it. For no man, except revelation, can be sure whether he be partner of the pardon or not." Conf. p. ccxxxvii.

27. "For my part I would little doubt, but that the evangelists and apostles both of many great and secret mysteries spake much more openly, and much more plainly, by mouth among the people, than ever they put it in writing; forasmuch as their writings were likely enough, at that time, to come into the hands of pagans and paynims, such hogs and dogs, as were not meetly to have those precious pearls put upon their nose, nor that holy food to be dashed in their teeth." More's Dialogue, B. I. ch. 25. fol. 159. col. 1.

28. More says in his Conf., "Syth the marriage is no marriage, it is but whoredom itself. And I am sure also that it defileth the priest more than double and treble whoredom; syth that his marriage being, as it is, unlawful, and thereby none other but whoredom, doth openly rebuke and shame two sacraments thereat once, that is, both priesthood and matrimony." p. ccliiii.

29. The words sacraments also are supplied from More's quotation, according to which however this short paragraph would seem to have been incorporated originally in the second paragraph of the chapter.

30. In More's quotation, some other.

31. More, need be. By this time More must have perceived that if he continued his criticisms on the same scale, his Confutation must become an immense volume: so he passes on abruptly to Tyndale's remarks on chap. xxv. of B. I. of the Dialogue, without taking any notice of the seventy intermediate pages.

32. Depart: part, divide. See Vol. I. p. 69.

33. Used as in old French, for distrust.

34. "Upon Peter's first confession of the right faith, that Christ was God's Son, our Lord made him his universal vicar, and under him head of his church; and that for his successor he should be the first upon whom, and whose firm confessed faith, he would build his church, and of any that was only man make him the first, and chief head and ruler thereof. Therefore he shewed him that his faith, i.e. to wete the faith by him confessed, should never fail in his church; nor never did it, notwithstanding his denying. For yet stood still the light of faith in our lady; of whom we read in the gospel, continual assistance to her sweetest son, without fleeing or flitting. And in all other we find either fleeing from him, one time or other, or else doubt of his resurrection after his death, his dear mother only except. For the signification and remembrance whereof the church yearly, in the Tenebrae lessons, leaveth her candle burning still, when all the remnant, that signifieth his apostles, be one by one put out. And sith his faith that he professed abode in our lady, the promise that God made was, as it seemeth, meant to him but as head of the church." More's Dial., ch. xviii. fol. 143. col. 2.

35. The unhappy gentleman whose derangement was thus a matter of notoriety, was burnt for a heretic, about ten years after this mention of him, to revenge some insult against the reigning superstition, which he had perpetrated with a madman's heedlessness of the consequences. An account of the origin of his calamity, and of the offence for which some said that he was so cruelly treated, may be seen in Foxe's Acts and Monuments. B. viii.; and further interesting details, describing the knowledge of the scriptures which he manifested in a lucid interval, may be seen in a letter from R. Hilles, the merchant, to Hen. Bullinger, in the Park. Soc. Orig. Letters, No. cv. pp. 200-1.

36. That is, to the whole body of ecclesiastics, and members of every monastic order.

37. C. U. L. ed. has golden.

38. By Dutchland, Tyndale means Germany; and that licensing of sin, to which he alludes, had formed the ninety-first article in the list of a hundred grievances transmitted to pope Adrian IV. from the diet of Nuremberg, not more than eight years before Tyndale's composing this answer. These "Centum gravamina nationis Germanicse" were published in 4to. at Nuremberg, 1523; and may be seen in Brown's Fasciculus rerum expetend. Lond. 1690. fol.; where the words of Gravam. xci. are: Item in locis plerisque episcopi et eorum officiales non solum tolerant concubinatum dummodo certa persolvatur pecunia, sed et sacerdotes continentes, et qui absque concubinis degunt, concubinatus censum persolvere cogunt, asserentes episcopum pecuniae indigum esse, qua soluta licere sacerdotibus ut vel coelibes permaneant, vel concubinas alant. - Foxe has given a translation of this and of several other of these gravamina in Acts and Mon. B. VI. Vol. iv. p. 308, &c. Lond. 1837.

39. In one of those national ecclesiastical councils held at Toledo, by which Spain was in a manner governed at that period, canon xvii. is thus given by Basnage: Qui junctus matrimonio concubinam habet communione privatur. Qui caret uxore, si una concubina contentus est, sacramento non repellitur. (Annal. Polit. Eccles. Tom. iii. p. 180. col. 2. under date of a.d. 400.) Upon this authority Gratian proceeded somewhat farther; making the papal law speak as follows, in Dist. xxxiv. ca. Omnibus: Concubina autem hie intelligitur quae cessantibus legalibus instrumentis unica est: et conjugali affectu nanciscitur: hanc conjugem facit affectus: concubinam vero lex nominat. De hac dicitur in concilio Toletano, Qui non habet uxorem loco illius concubinam debet habere. Is qui non habet uxorem, et pro uxore concubinam habet, a communione non repellatur: tamen ut unius mulieris, aut uxoris aut concubinae sit conjunctione contentus. - The words in italics are in red ink, and form the heading to the subjoined canon Is qui, in Thielman Kerver's edition of the Corpus Juris Canonici, dated 1516. But in editions subsequent to the reformation, as that of Lyons, 1622, unica has been altered into unita, and the scandalous heading has been tacitly suppressed; the words Qui non habet uxorem sed loco illius concubinam, a communione non repellitur, being substituted.

40. See Vol. I. p. 328, n.3, for this canon.

41. The heading of ch. II. B. II. of More's Dial, is, "The author shevveth that no sect of such as the church taketh for heretics can be the church; forasmuch as the church was before all them, as the tree from which all those withered branches be fallen."

42. "Finally, to put out of question which is Christ's very church, sith it is agreed between us, and granted through Christendom, and a conclusion very true, that by the church we know the scripture, which church is that by which we know the scripture? Is it not this company and congregation of all these nations, that without factions taken, and precision from the remnant, profess the name and faith of Christ? By this church know we the scripture, and this is the very church; and this hath begun at Christ, and hath had him for their head, and St Peter his vicar after him, the head under him, and alway since the successors of him continually." - More's Dialogue, B. II. ch. v. p. 185. col. 2.

43. This expression occurs in a controversial treatise, which Augustine wrote to expose the folly of the Manichseans, in giving faith to what they called Epistola Fundamenti, which began as follows: Manichaeus, apostolus Jesu Christi providentia Dei Patris. Haec sunt salubria verba, de perenni ac vivo fonte. And Augustine, having transcribed these words, says, Non credo istum esse apostolum Christi. Quaeso ne succenseatis, et maledicere incipiatis. Nostis enim me statuisse nihil a vobis prolatum temere credere. Quaero ergo qui sit iste Manichaeus? Respondebitis, apostolus Christi. Non credo. Quid jam dicas aut facias, non habebis; promittebas enim scientiam veritatis, et nunc quod nescio cogis ut credam. Evangelium mihi fortasse lecturus es, et inde Manichaei personam tentabis asserere. Si ergo invenires aliquem, qui evangelio nondum credit, quid faceres dicenti tibi, Non credo? Ego vero evangelio non crederem, nisi me catholicae ecclesiae commoveret auctoritas. Quibus ergo obtemperavi dicentibus, Crede evangelio; cur eis non obtemperem dicentibus mihi, Noli credere Manichaeis? Elige quid velis. - Aug. Op. Tom. viii. col. 153. E. Lib. I. cap, 5. Contra epist. Manichaei quam Fund, vocant.

44. So C. U. L. ed. but D. omits among.

45. "Though men kneel to saints and images, and incense them also, yet it is not true that therefore they worship them in every point like unto God. What point lack they, quoth he? Marry, the chief of all, quoth I: that is, that they worship God with the mind that he is God; which mind, in worship, is the only thing that maketh it latria. For if the lowly manner of bodily observance were the thing that would make latria, then were we in much peril of idolatry in our courtesy both to princes, prelates, and popes, to whom we kneel as low as to God Almighty, and kiss some their hands and some our own, or ever we presume to touch them, and in the pope his foot." More's Dialogue, B. ii. ch. xi. p. 196. col. 1.

46. That doulia sometimes means the service due to God may be clearly seen from a single text, viz. 1 Thess. i. 9: and that latria is not exclusively appropriated as a name for service done to God, may be as clearly seen by inspection of a single text, viz. Deut. xxviii. 48, in the LXX.

47. Place, or office.

48. The C. U. L. ed. has given

49. From the Latin word memoria, which had been used by Latin fathers for a shrine, or small chapel.

50. A coarse expression is here omitted.

51. These were reckoned a charm against the burning of houses. In the service Ad laudes for Feb. 5, her day, the Roman Breviary says, "Paganorum multitudo fugiens ad sepulchrum virginis (scilicet Agathae) tulerunt velum ejus contra ignem; ut comprobaret Dominus, quod a periculis incendii meritis beatae Agathae martyris suae eos liberaret." Besides which there is a legend, that when the emperor Frederic II. was bent on reducing Catana, her native city, to ashes, and was attending mass, he opened the book thrice at the time of reading the gospel, and each time these words appeared before his eyes in golden letters: "Offend not Agatha's native place, for she is the avenger of injuries;" after which he did not dare to proceed with his purpose.

52. D. has Limiterier. See n. 2. to p. 212, Vol. I.

53. In the beginning was the Word.

54. That is, by.

55. Old editions, whatsomever

56. Ps. xlix. of Vulg. but 1. of Hebr. and Auth. Vers.

57. So C. U. L. but D. has for.

58. That is full of Jews. They were expelled from England by Edward I. in 1293; and were not suffered to reside in England from that date to the close of 1655, when Cromwell sanctioned their return.

59. So the C. U. L. but D. has and in process gat &c.

60. Meaning the bishop of Rome.

61. So the C. U. L. but D. has, And the popish also do so, &c.

62. So D. but the C. U. L. has and here, and omits it after Paul.

63. Questioned.

64. Popinjay, an incorrect imitation of papagayo, the name by which the Spaniards, the first importers of parrots, called that bird.

65. See Vol. i. 276.

66. Sir Thomas .More has said that Tyndale got his account of the meaning assigned to various ceremonies in the Romish ritual from "a good friar's book called Rationale divinorum." Confut. of Tyndale, fol. lxv. The work thus described was doubtless the Rationale divinorum officiorum a R. D. Gulielmo Durando Mimatensi episcopo, J. U. D. clarissimo concinnatum. It is at the close of a whole chapter on the significations of the amice (amictus), that Durandus says: Amictus etiam repraesentat operimentum, quo Judaei velabant faciem Christi, dicentes, Prophetiza nobis, Christe, quis est qui te percussit? Lib. III. cap. 2. In like manner the last words of Durandus' next chapter, De alba, are: Haec etiam vestis repraesentat albam vestem, in qua Herodes illusit Christo.

67. So in C. U. L., but in Day, Austin.

68. Ipsam religionem, quam paucissimis et manifestissimis celebrationum sacramentis misericordia Dei esse liberam voluit, servilibus oneribus premunt; ut tolerabilior sit conditio Judaeorum, qui etiamsi tempus libertatis non agnoverunt, legalibus tamen sarcinis, non humanis prsesumtionibus, subjiciuntur. - August. Ad inquisit. Januar. Lib. iv. seu Epist. iv. Op. Tom. ii. col. 142. D. F. It is observable that the very copious and distinct index of the Benedictine editors contains no notice of this passage, though some words from the next sentence are introduced into their index. The passage had however caught the attention of Erasmus, who has an instructive notice and amplification of it in his note on Matt. xi. 30. Desid. Erasmi Op. Tom. vi.

69. "I find from the answers to bishop Hooper's visitation, 1551/2, that there were scores of clergy who could not tell who was the author of the Lord's prayer, or where it was to be found. Such was the case of George Roo, the rector of Winchcomb, the largest town of this vicinity. I found this document of bishop Hooper's the other day." Letter of the late Geo. Stokes, Esq., to the editor. Dated, Cheltenham, June 22, 1846.

70. That is, provide for.

71. The custom-house, where goods were weighed, to be tolled accordingly.

72. Thenceforward.

73. This well-known tale first appeared in Sir Thomas More's Dialogue, as an illustration of the mistakes which might arise from not distinguishing between a consequence and an effect.

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THE SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERS UNTO M. MORE'S FIRST BOOK.

In the first chapter, to begin the book withal, to bring you good luck, and to give you a say [1], or a taste what truth shall follow, he feigneth a letter sent from no man.

The Second Chapter.

In the second chapter, besides that it is untrue this use to have been ever since the time of the apostles, he maketh many sophistical reasons about worshipping of saints, relics, and images [2]; and yet declareth not with what manner worship, but juggleth with the term in common [3], as he doth with this word church, and this word faith, when the words have divers significations: for all faiths are not one manner faith, and so forth; and therefore he beguileth a man's understanding. As if a man said, 'The boy's will was good, to have given his father a blow;' and another would infer, that a good will could be no sin; and conclude that a man might lawfully smite his father. Now is good will taken in one sense in the major, and another in the minor, (to use scholars' terms;) and therefore the conclusion doth mock a man's wit. Then disputeth he, the servant is honoured for the master's sake; and what is done to the poor is done to Christ; as the popish shall once feel for their so robbing them. And the twelve apostles shall have their seats, and sit and judge with Christ; as shall all that here preach him truly as they did. And Mary, that poured the ointment on Christ's head before his passion, hath her memorial, and therefore we ought to set candles before images [4].

First, I ask him by what rule his argument holdeth? And secondarily, I answer, that the true worshipping of saints is their memorial, to follow them as they did Christ. And that honour we give them; and so do not ye popish, but follow the steps of your father the pope, as he doth the steps of his father the devil. And as for sticking up of candles, I answer, that God is a spirit, and in the spirit must be worshipped only. Faith to his promises, and love to his laws, and longing for the life that is in his Son, are his due honour and service. All bodily service must be referred unto ourselves, and not unto the person of God immediately. All outward things which we receive of God are given us, to take our parts with thanks, and to bestow the rest upon our neighbours. For God useth no such things in his own person, but created them for to give them us, that we should thank him, and not to receive them of us, to thank us; for that were our praise, and not his. Fasting, watching, woolward-going, pilgrimage, and all bodily exercise, must be referred unto the taming of the flesh only. For as God delighteth not in the taste of meat, drink, or in the sight of gold or silver; no more doth he in my fast, and such like, that I should refer them unto his person, to do him a pleasure withal. For God in himself is as good as he can be, and hath all the delectation that he can have ; and therefore to wish that God were better than he is, or had more pleasure than he hath, is of a worldly imagination.

And all the spirits that be in heaven are in as good case as they can be, and have all the delectation they can have; and therefore to wish them in better case, or to study to do them more pleasure than they have, is fleshly-minded popishness. The pleasure of them that be in heaven is, that we hearken to God and keep his commandments; which when we do, they have all the pleasure that they can have in us. If in this life I suffer hell gladly, to win my brother to follow God; how much more, if I were in heaven, should I rejoice that he so did! If in this world, when I have need of my neighbour by the reason of mine infirmities, yet I seek nought of him, save his wealth only; what other thing should I seek of him, if I were in heaven, where he can do me no service, nor I use any pleasure that he can do me?

The devil desired to have his imaginations worshipped as God, and his popish children desire the same, and compel men so to honour them; and of their devilish nature describe they both God and his saints. And therefore I say, all such fleshly imaginations, as to fast the Wednesday in the worship of St John, or of St Catharine, or what saint it be, or to fast saints' eves, or to go a pilgrimage unto their images, or to offer to them, to do them pleasure, thinking thereby to obtain their favour, and to make special advocates of them, as a man would win the favour of another with presents and gifts, and thinking that if we did it not, they would be angry, are plain idolatry and image-service; for the saint delighteth in no such. And when thou stickest up a candle before the image, thou mightest with as good reason make an hollow belly in the image, and pour in meat and drink: for as the saint neither eateth nor drinketh, so hath he no bodily eyes to delight in the light of a candle.

Another is this, God giveth not the promises that are in Christ for bodily service, but of his mercy only, unto his own glory. Yea, and of the father's goodness do all natural children receive. Ask a little boy, who gave him his gay coat? He answereth, 'his father.' Ask him why? And he answereth, 'Because he is his father, and loveth him; and because he is his son.' Ask him whether his father love him? And hesaith, 'Yea.' Ask him how he knoweth it? And he saitb, 'Because he giveth me this, or that.' Ask him whether he love his father? He saith, 'Yea.' Ask him why? He saith, 'for his father loveth him, and giveth him all thing.' Ask him, why he worketh? He answereth, 'his father will so have it.' Ask him, why his father giveth not such and such boys coats too? 'Nay, saith he, they be not his sons; their fathers must give them, as mine doth me.' Go now, ye popish bond-servants, and receive your reward for your false works, and rob your brethren, and reign over them with violence and cruel tyranny; and make them worship your pillars, pole-axes, images and hats. And we will receive of the merciful kindness of our Father; and will serve our brethren freely of very love; and will be their servants, and suffer for their sakes. And thereto, our good deeds, which we do unto our neighbour's need, spring out of our righteousness or justifying, which is the forgiveness of our sins in Christ's blood; and of other righteousness know we not before God. And contrariwise, your righteousness or justifying, which standeth (as your faith doth) with all wickedness, springeth out of your holy works; which ye do to no man freely, save unto painted posts.

And when he allegeth the sacrifices of the old law, I say, They were sacraments, and preached unto the people, (as, no doubt, our candles once were,) and were no holy works to be referred unto God's person to obtain his favour, and to justify the people, and that the people should do them for the works' selves. And when the people had lost the significations, and looked on the holiness of the deeds, to be justified thereby, they were image-service, and hateful to God, and rebuked of the prophets, as it is to see throughout all the old Testament.

Then he juggleth with a text of St Paul (Rom. xiv.)[5], Let every man for his part abound, one in this idolatry and an-other in that: when the sense of the text is, Let every man be sure of his own conscience, that he do nothing except he know well, and his conscience serve him, that it may be law-fully done. But what care they to abuse God's word, and to wrest it unto the contrary?

And in the last end, to utter his excellent blindness, he saith: The wise man, Luther, thinketh that if the gold were taken from the relics, it would be given unto the poor immediately; when he seeth the contrary, that they which have their purses full, will give the poor, if they give aught, either an half penny, or in his country the fourth part of a farthing. Now I ask master More's conscience, seeing they have no devotion unto the poor, which are as Christ's own person, and for whom Christ hath suffered his passion, that we should be kind to them, and whom to visit with our alms is God's commandment; with what mind do they offer so great treasure to the garnishing of shrines, images, and relics? It is manifest that they which love not God's commandment can do nothing godly. Wherefore such offerings come of a false faith; so that they think them better than works commanded by God, and believe to be justified thereby. And therefore are they but image-service.

And when he saith, We might as well rebuke the pouring of the anointment on Christ's head: nay, Christ was then mortal, as well as we, and used such things as we do, and it refreshed his body. But and if thou wouldest now pour such on his image, to do him pleasure, I would rebuke it.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. That is, an assay.

2. In his second chapter More says, "Very sure I am that St Austin, St Hierome, St Basil, St Gregory, with so many a godly conning man as hath been in Christ's church from the beginning hitherto, understood those texts, (Thou shalt carve thee none image, &c.) as well as did those heretics - having beside their learning the light and clearness of God's especial grace, by which they were inwardly taught of his only Spirit, to perceive that the words spoken in the old law to the Jews people, prone to idolatry, should have no place to forbid images among his christian flock; where his pleasure would be to have the image of his blessed body, hanging on his holy cross, had in honour and reverent remembrance; where he would vouchsafe to send unto the king Abiagarus the image of his own face; where he liked to leave the holy vernacle, the express image also of his blessed visage, as a token to remain in honour among such as loved him, from the time of his bitter passion hitherto. Which as it was by the miracle of his blessed holy hand expressed and left in the sudary; so hath it been by like miracle, in that thin corruptible cloth, kept and preserved this xv hundred year fresh and well perceived." More's Works, ed. of 1557. p. 113.

3. "Well they note that the church worshippeth not saints as God, but as God's good servants; and therefore the honour that is done to them redoundeth principally to the honour of their Master, like as in common custom of people we do reverence sometime and make great cheer to some men for their master's sake, whom else we would not, haply, bid once Good-morrow." Id. p. 118.

4. "Christ also promised that Saint Mary Magdalene should be worshipped through the world, and have here an honourable remembrance, for that she bestowed that precious ointment upon his holy head: which thing when I consider, it maketh no marvel of the madness of these heretics, that bark against the old ancient customs of Christ's church, mocking the setting up of candles, and with foolish faceties and blasphemous mockery demand whether God and his saints lack light, or whether it be night with them, that they cannot see without a candle. They might as well ask, What good did that ointment to Christ's head?" Id. p. 118.

5. In More's works, as published in 1557, his margin directs the reader to 1 Thess. iv, and not to Rom. xiv. More allows that.." it would be percase very true," that men ought to spend their money in gifts to the living temples of the Holy Ghost, rather than to ornament temples of stone, " if there were so little to do it with, that we should be driven of necessity to leave the one undone;" and he proceeds to say, " But God giveth enough for both, and giveth divers men divers kinds of devotion, and all to his pleasure." In which, as the apostle Paul saith, "Let every man for his part abound, and be plenteous in that kind of virtue that the Spirit of God guideth him to; and not to be of the foolish mind that Luther is," &c, p. 119. The text which More had misapplied is the last clause of Rom. xiv. 5; which was rendered in the Vulgate, " Unusquisque in suo sensu abundet;" but by Tyndale," See that no man waver in his own mind."

The Third Chapter.

In the third chapter he bringeth in miracles done at St Stephen's tomb. I answer, that the miracles done at saints' tombs were done for the same purpose that the miracles which they did, when they were alive, were done; even to provoke unto the faith of their doctrine; and not to trust in the place, or in bones, or in the saint: as Paul sent his napkin to heal the sick; not that men should put trust in his napkin, but believe his preaching.

And in the old Testament Elisaeus healed Naaman, the heathen man, in the water of Jordan, not to put trust in the water, or to pray in that place; but to wonder at the power of God, and to come and believe as he also did. And that his bones, when he was dead, raised up a dead man, was not done that men should pray to him, (for that was not lawful then, by their own doctrine,) neither to put their trust in his bones. For God, to avoid all such idolatry, had polluted all dead bones; so that whosoever touched a dead bone, was unclean, and all that came in his company, until he had washed himself; insomuch that if a place were abused with offering unto idols, there was no better remedy than to scatter dead bones there, to drive the people thence, for being denied and polluted. But his bones did that miracle to testify that he was a true prophet, and to move men unto the faith of his doctrine. And even so miracles done at the holy cross were done to move men unto faith of him that died thereon; and not that we should believe in the wood.

He saith that "pilgrims put not trust in the place, as necromancers do in their circles;" and saith he wotteth not what, to mock out the text of our Saviour, of praying in the spirit. And in the end he confoundeth himself, saying, "We reckon our prayers more pleasant in one place than in another [1]." And that must be by the reason of the place; for God is as good in one place as in another, and also the man. Moreover where a man pleaseth God best, thither is he most bound to go. And so that imagination bindeth a man to the place with a false faith; as necromancers trust in their circles.

And again, if God had said that he would more hear in one place than in another, he had bound himself to the place. Now as God is like good every where, generally, so hath he made his testament generally, wheresoever mine heart moveth me, and [I] am quiet to pray unto him, there to hear me like graciously.

And if a man lay to our charge, that God bound them unto the tabernacle, and after to the temple, in the old testament; I say that he did it, not for the place's sake, but for the monuments and testimonies, that there preached the word of God unto them; so that though the priests had been negligent to preach, yet should such things that there were have kept the people in the remembrance of the testament, made between God and them. Which cause, and such like only, should move us to come to church, and unto one place more than another. And as long as I come more to one place than another because of the quietness, or that something preacheth God's word more lively unto me there than in another, the place is my servant, and I not bound to it: which cause, and such like, taken away, I cannot but put trust in the place as necromancers do in their circles, and am an image-server, and walk after mine own imagination, and not after God's word.

And when he saith, "We might as well mock the observance of the paschal lamb;" I answer, Christ our paschal lamb is offered for us, and hath delivered us, as Paul saith (1 Cor. v.), whose sign and memorial is the sacrament of his body and blood. Moreover we were not delivered out of Egypt. And therefore, inasmuch as we be overladen with our own, I see no cause why we should become Jews, to observe their ceremonies too.

And when he saith, " Holy strange gestures [2];" I answer, for the holiness I will not swear, but the strangeness I dare well avow: for every priest maketh them of a sundry manner, and many more madly than the gestures of jack-an-apes. And when he saith, that " they were left from hand to hand, since the apostles' time;" it is untrue: for the apostles used the sacrament as Christ did, as thou mayest see 1 Cor. xi. Moreover the apostles left us in the light, and taught us all the counsel of God, as Paul witnesseth, Acts xx.; and hid nothing in "strange holy gestures," and ape's play, the significations whereof no man might understand.

And "a christian man is more moved to pity," saith he, "at the sight of the cross than without it." If he take pity, as Englishmen do, for compassion, I say that a christian man is moved to pity, when he seeth his brother bear the cross. And at the sight of the cross, he that is learned in God weepeth not Christ [3] with ignorant women, as a man doth for his father when he is dead; but mourneth for his sins, and, at the sight of the cross comforteth his soul with the consolation of him that died thereon. But there is no sight, whether of the cross, or aught else, that can move you to leave your wickedness; for the testament of God is not written in your hearts.

And when he speaketh of praying at church; who denieth him, that men might not pray at church, or that the church should not be a place of prayer? But that a man could not pray save at church, and that my prayers were not heard as well elsewhere, if I prayed with like ferventness and strong faith, is a false lie.

And when he speaketh of the presence of God in the temple; I answer, that the prophets testified how that he dwelt not there; and so doth Paul (Acts xvii.); and so doth Stephen (Acts vii.); and Solomon, iii. of the Kings viii. And no doubt, as the mad Jews meant, he dwelt not there; nor as we, more mad, suppose also: but he dwelled there only in his signs, sacraments, and testimonies; which preached his word unto the people. And finally, for their false confidence in the temple God destroyed it: and no doubt for our false faith, in visiting the monuments of Christ, therefore hath God also destroyed them, and given the place under the infidels.

And when he speaketh of the pillar of fire and cloud, I answer, that God was no otherwise present there than in all fire and in all clouds; save that he shewed his power there specially, by the reason of the miracle, as he doth in the eyes of the blind, whom he maketh see, and yet is no otherwise present in those eyes than in other, nor more there to be prayed to than in other. And in like manner he is no more to be prayed to, where he doth a miracle, than where he doth none, Neither though we cannot but be in some place, ought we to seek God in any place, save only in our hearts, and that in verity, in faith, hope, and love or charity, according to the word of his doctrine.

And our sacraments, signs, ceremonies, images, relics and monuments, ought to be had in reverence, so far forth as they put us in mind of God's word, and of the ensample of them that lived thereafter; and no farther.

And the place is to be sought, and one to be preferred before another, for quietness to pray, and for lively preaching, and for the preaching of such monuments, and so forth. And so long as the people so used them in the old Testament, they were acceptable and pleasant to God; and God was said to dwell in the temple. But when, the significations being lost, the people worshipped such things for the things' selves, as we now do, they were abominable to God; and God was said to be no longer in the temple.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. "God is not bounden to the place, nor our confidence bounden to the place, but unto God, though we reckon our prayer more pleasant to God in the church than without, because his high goodness accepteth it so." More, p. 123.

2. "Which two things [going on pilgrimages and necromancer's circles,] if ye would resemble together, so might ye blaspheme and have in derision all the devout rites and ceremonies of the church, both in the divine services, as incensing, hallowing of the fire, of the fount, of the paschal lamb, and over that the exorcisms, benedictions, and holy strange gestures, used in consecration or ministration of the blessed sacraments; all which holy things, great part whereof was from hand to hand left in the church, from the time of Christ's apostles, and by them left unto us, as it was by God taught unto them, men might, &c." M. Works, p. 121.

3. So C. U. L. ed. Daye omits Christ.

The Fourth Chapter.

And in the fourth he saith, that "God setteth more by one place than another [1]." Which doctrine, besides that it should bind us unto the place, and God thereto, and cannot but make us have confidence in the place, is yet false. For first, God, unto whose word we may add nought, hath given no such commandment, nor made any such covenant. Neither is Christ here or there, saith the scripture; but in our hearts is the place where God dwelleth, by his own testimony, if his word be there.

And when he proveth it, because God doth a miracle more in one place than in another; I answer, if God will do a miracle, it requireth a place to be done in. Howbeit he doth it not for the place, but for the people's sakes, whom he would call unto the knowledge of his name; and not to worship him more in one place than in another. As the miracles done in Egypt, in the Red Sea, in mount Sinai, and so forth, were not done that men should go in pilgrimage unto the places, to pray there; but to provoke them unto the true knowledge of God; that afterward they might ever pray in the Spirit, wheresoever they were. Christ also did not his miracles that men should pray in the places where he did them, but to stir up the people to come and hear the word of their souls' health. And when he bringeth the miracle of Siloe [2], I answer, that the said miracle, and that Christ sent the blind thither to receive his sight, were not done that men should pray in the pool: but the second miracle was so done, to declare the obedient faith of the blind, and to make the miracle more known: and the first, for the word of God that was preached in the temple, to move the country about to come thither, and learn to know God, and to become a lively temple, out of which they might ever pray, and in all places. Neither was the miracle of Lazarus done, that men should more pray in that place than in another, but to shew Christ's power, and to move the people, through wondering at the miracle, to hearken unto God's word and believe it, as it is to see plainly.

Moreover God so loveth no church, but that the parish have liberty to take it down, and to build it in another place: yea, and if it be timber, to make it of stone, and to alter it at their pleasure. For the places, yea, and the images must serve us, and not God, which is a Spirit, and careth for none more than other, nor is otherwise present in one place than in another. And likewise is it of saints' bones: we may remove them whither we will, yea, and break all images thereto, and make new, or if they be abused, put them out of the way for ever, as was the brasen serpent; so that we be lords over all such things, and they our servants. For if the saints were our servants, how much more their bones! It is the heart, and not the place, that worshippeth God. The kitchen-page, turning the spit, may have a purer heart to God than his master at church; and therefore worship God better in the kitchen than his master at church. But when will M. More be able to prove, that miracles done at saints' tombs were done that we should pray unto the saints; or that miracles done by dead saints, which alive neither preached God's word nor could do miracle, are done of God?

God loveth none angel in heaven better than the greatest sinner in earth, that repenteth and believeth in Christ; but contrariwise careth most for the weakest, and maketh all that be perfect their servants; until, as Paul saith (Eph. iv.) they be grown up in the knowledge of God into a perfect man, and into the measure of age of the fulness of Christ; that is, that we know all the mysteries and secrets that God hath hid in Christ; that we be no more children, wavering with every wind of doctrine, through the subtilty and wiliness of men, that come upon us, to bring us into error or beguile us. So far it is off that he would have us kept down to serve images. For with bodily service we can serve nothing that is a spirit. And thereto, if it were possible that all the angels of heaven could be mine enemies, yet would I hold me by the testament that my merciful and true Father hath made me in the blood of my Saviour, and so come unto all that is promised me, and Christ hath purchased for me, and give not a straw for them all.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. The fourth chapter begins as follows: " With that your friend asked me, what reason were there that God would set more by one place than another; or how know we that he so doth, namely if the one be a church as well as the other? Whereunto I answered, - I was never so near of his counsel, nor dare not be so bold to ask him. But that he so doth in deed, that I am sure enough; yet not for that he setteth more by that place for the soil and pavement of that place, but that his pleasure in some place is to shew more of his assistance, and to be more specially sought unto, than in some other."

2. Tyndale has assumed that the pool of Bethesda, and the waters of Siloam, were the same.

The Fifth Chapter.

In the fifth chapter he falleth from all he hath so long sweat to prove; and believeth, not by the reason of the miracles, but by the common consent of the church, and that many so believe. This man is of a far other complexion than was the prophet Elias: for he believed alone, as he thought, against the consent, by all likelihood, of nine or ten hundred thousand believers. And yet M. More's church is in no other condition under the pope, than was that church, against whose consent Elias believed alone, under the kings of Samaria.

The Sixth Chapter.

In the sixth chapter, and unto the eighteenth, he proveth almost nought, save that which never man denied him, that miracles have been done. But how to know the true miracles from the false, were good to be known; which we shall this wise do, if we take those for true sacraments and ceremonies which preach us God's word, even so we count them true miracles only, which move us to hearken thereto.

The Sixteenth Chapters. [1]

Concerning his sixteenth chapter, of the maid of Ipswich, I answer, that Moses warned his Israelites that false miracles should be done to prove them, whether their hearts were fast in the Lord. And even so Christ and the apostles shewed us before, that lying miracles should come to pervert the very elect, if it were possible. And therefore we must have a rule, to know the true miracles from the false; or else it were impossible that any man should escape undeceived, and continue in the true way. And other rule than this is there not: that the true are done to provoke men to come and hearken unto God's word; and the false, to confirm doctrine that is not God's word. Now it is not God's word, if thou read all the scripture throughout, but contrary thereto, that we should put such trust and confidence in our blessed lady as we do; and clean against the testament that is in Christ's blood. Wherefore a man need not to fear to pronounce that the devil did it, to mock us withal.

Neverthelater, let us compare the maid of Ipswich and the maid of Kent [2] together. First, they say that the maid of Ipswich was possessed with a devil, and the maid of Kent with the Holy Ghost. And yet the tragedies are so like the one to the other in all points, that thou couldest not know the Holy Ghost to be in the one, and the devil in the other, by any difference of works; but that thou mightest with as good reason say that the devil was in both, or the Holy Ghost in both; or the devil in the maid of Kent, and the Holy Ghost in the maid of Ipswich. For they were both in like trances; both ravished from themselves; both tormented alike; both disfigured; like terrible ugly and grisly in sight, and their mouths drawn aside, even unto the very ears of them; both inspired; both preach; both tell of wonders; will be both carried unto our lady; and are both certified by revelation, that our lady in those places, and before those images, should deliver them.

Now as for the maid of Ipswich, she was possessed of the devil by their own confession: whence then came that revelation, that she should be holp, and all her holy preaching? If of the devil, then was the miracle and all of the devil: if of the Holy Ghost, then was she inspired with the Holy Ghost, and had the devil within her, both at once. And inasmuch as the maid of Kent was inspired by the Holy Ghost, by their confession; whence came that stopping of her throat, that raving, those grievous pangs, that tormenting, disfiguring, drawing of her mouth awry, and that fearful and terrible countenance? If of the Holy Ghost, and then why not the revel and gambols of the maid of Ipswich also? And then what matter maketh it, whether a man have the devil or the Holy Ghost in him? If ye say of the devil, then had she likewise both the devil and the Holy Ghost, both at once. Moreover, those possessed, which Christ helped, avoided Christ, and fled from him; so that other, which believed, were fain to bring them unto him against their wills. For which causes, and many more that might be made, thou mayest conclude, that the devil vexed them and preached in them, to confirm feigned confession, and dumb ceremonies, and sacraments without signification, and damnable sects, and shewed them those revelations; and as soon as they were brought before our lady's image, departed out of them, to delude us, and to turn our faiths from Christ unto an old block: as we read in the legend of St Bartholomew, how the devils hurt men in their limbs, and as soon as they were brought into a certain temple before an idol, there they departed out of them, and so beguiled the people, making them believe that the idol had healed them of some natural diseases [3].

Howbeit let it be the Holy Ghost that was in the maid of Kent. Then, I pray you, what thing, worthy of so great praise, hath our lady done? Our lady hath delivered her of the Holy Ghost, and emptied her of much high learning, which, as a goodly poetess, she uttered in rhymes. For appose her now of Christ, as scripture testifieth of him, and thou shalt find her clean without rhyme or reason. The maid was at home also in heavenly pleasures; and our lady hath delivered her out of the joys of Orestes [4], and brought her into the miseries of middle earth again.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. Sir Thomas More's sixteenth chapter. "The author sheweth that whoso would inquire should soon find that at pilgrimages be daily many great and undoubted miracles wrought and well known. And specially he speaketh of the great and open miracle shewed at our lady of Ipswich, of late, upon the daughter of sir Roger Wentworth, Knt."
"And as for the point that we spake of, concerning miracles done in our days at diverse images, where these pilgrimages be, yet could I tell you some such done so openly, so far from all cause of suspicion, and thereto testified in such sufficient wise, that he might seem almost mad that hearing the whole matter will mistrust the miracles. Among which I durst boldly tell you for one the wonderful work of God, that was within these few years wrought in the house of a right worshipful knight, sir Roger Wentworth, upon divers of his children, and specially one of his daughters, a very fair young gentlewoman, of twelve years of age, in marvellous manner vexed and tormented by our ghostly enemy, the devil, her mind alienated and raving, with despising and blaspheming of God, and hatred of all hallowed things, with knowledge and perceiving of the hallowed from the unhallowed, all were she nothing warned thereof; and after that moved in her own mind, and monished by the will of God, to go to our lady of Ipswich. In the way of which pilgrimage she prophesied and told many things, done and said at the same time in other places, which were proved true, and many things said, lying in her trance, of such wisdom and learning, that right cunning men highly marvelled to hear of so young an unlearned maiden, when herself wist not what she said, such things uttered and spoken, as well learned men might have missed with a long study; and finally being brought and laid before the image of our blessed lady, was there, in the sight of many worshipful people, so grievously tormented, and in face, eyes, look, and countenance, so grisly changed, with her mouth drawn aside, and her eyes laid out upon her cheeks, that it was a terrible sight to behold. And after many marvellous things, at the same time shewed upon divers persons by the devil, through God's sufferance, as well all the remnant as the maiden herself, in the presence of all the company, restored to their good state, perfectly cured and suddenly. And in this matter no pretext of begging, no suspicion of feigning, no possibility of counterfeiting, no simpleness in the seers, her father and mother right honourable and rich, sore abashed to see such chances in their children, the witnesses great number, and many of great worship, wisdom, and good experience, the maid herself too young to feign. And the end of the matter virtuous, the virgin so moved in her mind with the miracle, that she forthwith, for aught her father could do, forsook the world and professed religion in a very good and godly company at the Minories, where she hath lived well and graciously ever since."

2. Elizabeth Barton, a nun, called for a while "The holy maid of Kent," was executed as a self-convicted impostor, in little more than three years after Tyndale's penning this paragraph. For accounts of her pretended visions, and of the difficulties in which More involved himself by consulting her, the reader may look at Strype's Eccles. Mem. Vol. I. chap. 25. Burnet's Hist. of Reform. B. II. Jenkyns' Remains of Cranmer, Vol. I. Letters Ixxxii. and Ixxxiv., and Anderson's Annals, B. I. § xi.

3. Ingressus Bartholomaeus templum, in quo erat idolum Astaroth, quasi peregrinus ibi manere coepit. In hoc idolo quidam daemon habitabat, qui se languentes curare dicebat; sed non subveniebat sanando, sed homines primo Iaedendo, deinde a Iaesione cessando. Jussu apostoli daemon confiteri coepit, qualiter ad animarum proditionem populum ludificabat, eis illudens ut sic ipsum ut deum adorarent, et verum Deum coeli negarent. - P. de Natal. Catalog. Sanct. Argent. 1513. Lib. vii. cap. ciii.

4. That is, of the insane; as Orestes was according to Grecian story.

The Seventeenth Chapter.

As for Doulia, Hyperdoulia, and Latria, though he shew not with which of them he worshipped the cardinal's hat, is answered unto him already.

The Eighteenth Chapter.

In the eighteenth, where he would fain prove that the pope's church cannot err, he allegeth things whereof he might be ashamed, if he were not past shame, to prove that the bishops have authority to lade us with traditions, neither profitable for soul nor body. He bringeth a false allegory upon the overplus that the Samaritan, if it were laid out, promised to pay when he came again, for the bishops' traditions [1]. Nay, M. More, besides that allegories, which every man may feign at his pleasure, can prove nothing, Christ interpreteth it himself; that it betokeneth a kind mind, and a loving neighbour, which so loved a stranger, that he never left caring for him, both absent as well as present, until he were full whole, and comen out of all necessity. It signifieth that the prelates, if they were true apostles, and loved us after the doctrine of Christ, would sell their mitres, crosses, plate, shrines, jewels and costly shews, to succour the poor, and not rob them of all that was offered unto them, as they have done; and to repair things fallen in decay and ruin in the commonwealth, and not to beggar the realms with false idolatry and image-service, that they have not left them wherewith to bear the cost of the common charges.

And moreover, when the scribes and Pharisees taught their own doctrine, they sat not upon Moses's seat, but on their own. And therefore Christ (so far it is off that he would have us hearken unto man's doctrine) said, "Beware of the leaven of the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees," which is their doctrine; and rebuked them for their doctrine, and brake it himself, and taught his disciples so to do, and excused them; and said of all traditions, that whatsoever his heavenly Father had not planted, should be plucked up by the roots. And thereto all the persecution that the apostles had of the Jews, was for breaking of traditions.

Our prelates ought to be our servants, as the apostles were, to teach us Christ's doctrine; and not lords over us, to oppress us with their own. Peter calleth it tempting of the Holy Ghost (Acts xv.), to lade the heathen with aught above that which necessity and brotherly love required. And Paul rebuketh his Corinthians for their overmuch obedience, and the Galatians also; and warneth all men to stand fast, and not to suffer themselves to be brought into bondage.

And when he saith, Peter and Paul commanded us to obey our superiors; that is truth, they commanded us to obey the temporal sword, which the pope will not. And they commanded to obey the bishops in the doctrine of Christ, and not in their own. And we teach not to break all things rashly, (as M. More untruly reporteth on us); which is to be seen in our books, if men will look upon them. Of traditions therefore understand generally: He that may be free, is a fool to be bound; but if through wiliness thou be brought into bondage, then if the tradition hurt thy soul and the faith, they are to be broken immediately, though with the loss of thy life. If they grieve the body only, then are they to be borne till God take them off, for breaking the peace and unity.

Then how sore maketh he Christ's burden! If it be so sore, why is M. More so cruel to help the bishops to lade us with more? But surely he speaketh very undiscreetly. For Christ did not lade us with one syllable more than we were ever bound to; neither did he any thing but [2] interpret the law truly. And besides that, he giveth unto all his love unto the law: which love maketh all things easy to be borne, that were before impossible.

And when he saith, "Ye be the salt of the earth," was spoken for the bishops and priests only, it is untrue; but it was spoken generally, unto all that believe and know the truth, that they should be salt unto the ignorant, and the perfecter unto the weaker, each to other, every man in his measure. And moreover, if it be spoken unto the prelates only, how fortuneth it that master More is so busy to salt the world with his high learning? And last of all the salt of our prelates, which is their traditions and ceremonies without signification, is unsavoury long ago; and therefore no more worth, but to be cast out at the doors, and to be trodden under foot.

And that he saith, in the end, that a man may have a good faith with evil living, I have proved it a lie in another place. Moreover, faith, hope, and love, be three sisters: they never can depart [3] in this world; though in the world to come love shall swallow up the other two. Neither can the one be stronger, or weaker than the other; but as much as I believe, so much I love, and so much I hope, yea, and so much I work.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. In Chap. 18, of More's Dial, the objector expounds Matt, xxiii. 2, 3, as teaching us, "that christian men in like wise obey the bishop and prelates, commanding only such things as [Christ] himself hath commanded his people in his gospel and his own law." Upon which More says to him, "And in nothing else! What meaneth it then that our Lord, in the parable of the Samaritan, bearing the wounded man into the inn of his church, and delivering him to the host, after that he had himself dressed his wounds with wine and oil, and left with the host the two groats of the two testaments, promised the host beside that whatsoever the host would bestow upon him more, he would, when he came again, recompense him therefor?" p. 142. More intended that the meaning should be confessed to be that put upon this part of the parable by several Romanists; viz. that the promised supplementary gift for the healing of the souls left under the church's care signified the traditions which should gradually be brought to light.

2. In C. U. L. ed. Neither did he save interpret.

3. That is, part, separate.

The Nineteenth Chapter.

In the nineteenth he proveth that praying to saints is good; and miracles that confirm it are of God, or else the church, saith he, doth err. It followeth indeed, or that the pope's church erreth. And when he saith it is sin to believe too much [1]; I say, we had the more need to take heed what we believe, and to search God's word the more diligently, that we believe neither too much nor too little.

And when he saith God is honoured by praying to saints, because it is done for his sake; I answer, if it sprang not out of a false faith, but of the love we have to God, then should we love God more. And, moreover, inasmuch as all our love to God springeth out of faith, we should believe and trust God. And then if our faith in God were greater than our fervent devotion to saints, we should pray to no saints at all, seeing we have promises of all things in our Saviour Jesus, and in the saints none at all.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. "Very well, quod I, then erreth he as much and as far lacketh his right belief, that belieyeth too much, as he that believeth too little." More's Dial. p. 145.

The Twenty-fifth Chapter.

In the twenty-fifth how juggleth he [1], to prove that all that pertaineth unto the faith was not written; alleging John in the last [chapter], that the world could not contain the books, if all should be written. And John meaneth of the miracles which Jesus did, and not of the necessary points of the faith.

And how bringeth he in the perpetual virginity of our lady, which, though it be never so true, is yet none article of our faith, to be saved by. But we believe it with a story faith, because we see no cause reasonable to think the contrary.

And when he saith, many mysteries are yet to be opened, as the coming of antichrist; nay, verily, the babe is known well enough, and all the tokens spied in him, which the scripture describeth him by.

And when he allegeth Paul's traditions to the Thessalonians [2], to prove his phantasy; I have answered Rochester in "The Obedience [3]," that his traditions were the gospel that he preached.

And when he allegeth Paul to the Corinthians [4]; I say that Paul never knew of this word Mass. Neither can man gather thereof any 'strange holy gestures,' but the plain contrary; and that there was no other use [5] there, than to break the bread among them at supper, as Christ did. And therefore he calleth it Christ's supper, and not mass.

"There was learned the manner of consecration." A great doubt; as though we could not gather of the scripture how to do it! "And of the water, that the priest mingleth with the wine." A great doubt also; and a perilous case, if it were left out! For either it was done to slake the heat of the wine, or put to after as a ceremony, to signify that as the water is changed into wine, so are we changed through faith as it were into Christ, and are one with him: howbeit all is to their own shame, that aught should be done or used among us Christen, whereof no man wist the meaning. For if I understand not the meaning, it helpeth me not, 1 Cor. xiv.; and as experience teacheth. But if our shepherds had been as well willing to feed as to shear, we had needed no such dispicience; nor they to have burnt so many as they have [6].

And as for that he allegeth out of the epistle of James, for the justifying of works, I have answered in the Mammon, against which he cannot hiss; and will speak more in the fourth book.

And as for the Saboth [7], a great matter, we be lords over the Saboth; and may yet change it into the Monday, or any other day, as we see need; or may make every tenth day holy day only, if we see a cause why. We may make two every week, if it were expedient, and one not enough to teach the people. Neither was there any cause to change it from the Saturday, than to put difference between us and the Jews; and lest we should become servants unto the day, after their superstition. Neither needed we any holy day at all, if the people might be taught without it [8].

And when he asketh, by what scripture we know that a woman may christen? I answer, if baptism be so necessary as they make it, then, 'Love thy neighbour as thyself,' doth teach women to baptize in time of need; yea and to teach, and to rule their husbands too, if they be beside themselves.

And when he saith that, of likelihood, the lay people understood the gospel of John and Paul's epistles better than great clerks now; I answer, the more shame is theirs. Howbeit there be two causes why: the one is their diligent shearing; and another, they deny the justifying of faith, whereof both Paul and John do entreat, and almost of nothing else. If the signification of our baptism, which is the law of God and faith of Christ, were expounded truly unto us, the scripture would be easy to all that exercised themselves therein. And, sir, inasmuch as the prelates care so little for the loss of the understanding of the scripture and to teach the people, how happeneth it that they care so sore for a bald ceremony; which, the signification lost, though Christ himself had institute it, we could not observe without a false faith and without hurting of our souls?

And, finally, to rock us asleep withal, he saith, that he shall never speed well that will seek in the scripture whether our prelates teach us a true faith; though ten preach, each contrary to other, in one day. And yet Christ, for all his miracles, sendeth us to the scripture. And for all Paul's miracles, the Jews studied the scripture the diligenterly, to see whether it were as he said or no. Howbeit he meaneth that such cannot speed well, because the prelates will burn them; except M. More help them, and make them forswear Christ beforehand.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. At these words More resumes the task of confuting Tyndale.

2. "St Paul commandeth the people of Thessalonica, in his epistle, to keep the traditions that he took them, either by his writing, or by his bare word. For the words that he said among them, our Lord had told them him for them." More, p. 160.

3. See Vol. I. p. 219.

4. "He writeth unto the Corinthians, that of the holy howsyll, the sacrament of the altar, he had shewed them the matter and the manner by mouth, as our Lord had himself taught it to him. And therefore no doubt is there, but that by the apostles was the church more fully taught of that matter, than ever was written in all the scripture. There was learned the manner and form of consecration. There was learned much of the mystical gestures and ceremonies used in the mass. And if any man doubt thereof, let him consider where should we else have the beginning of the water put with the wine into the calice. For well we note that scripture biddeth it not." More, p. 160.

5. That is, custom.

6. More's comment goes on as follows: "Where Tyndale layeth that the slackness of feeding hath caused so many to be burned, I will not say Nay, but that it might have been better with some, if there had been used more diligence in preaching. But as for many such as have been burned, all the preaching in the world would not have holpen their obstinacy. But sure if the prelates had taken as good heed in time as they should have done, there should peradventure at length fewer have been burned thereby. But there should have been more burned by a great ma/ny than there have been within this seven year last passed: the lack whereof, I fear me, will make more burned within this seren year next coming, than else should have needed to have been burned in seven score."

7. Tyndale has spelt this word Saboth; More has spelt it Sabbaoth.

8. From this paragraph More turns back to one left unnoticed in the previous page; and then digresses to criticise four passages in the Obedience, in Confut. cclxxi-vi.

The Twenty-seventh Chapter.

In the twenty-seventh he bringeth Paul exhorting to agree, and to tell all one tale in the faith; which cannot be, saith master More, except one believe by the reason of another. Yes verily, we all believe the fire is hot, and yet not by the reason of another; and that with a much [1] surer knowledge than if we believed it by the one telling of another. And even so they that have the law of God written in their hearts, and are taught of the Spirit to know sin and to abhor it, and to feel the power of the resurrection of Christ, believe much surer than they that have none other certainty of their faith than the pope's preaching, confirmed with so godly living.

And it is not unknown to M. More, that the churches of late days, and the churches now being, have determined things, in one case, the one contrary to the other; in such wise that he cannot deny but the one hath, or doth err: the which case I could shew him, if I so were minded. The old popes, cardinals, and bishops, said Yea, to the thing that I mean; whereunto these that now reign, say Nay. Now, sir, if you gather a general council for the matter, the churches of France and Italy will not believe the churches of Spain and Dutchland, because they so say; but will ask how they prove it? Neither will Lovain believe Paris, because they say they cannot err; but will hear first their probation. Also, how shall we know that the old pope and his prelates erred, because these that are now so say? When the old pope lived, we were as much bound to believe that he could not err, as we be now that this cannot: wherefore you must grant me, that God must shew a miracle for the one part, or else he must bring authentic scripture.

Now, sir, God hath made his last and everlasting testament [2], and no more behind than the appearing of Christ again. Because all is done save the doom [3]; and because God will not stir up every day a new prophet with a new miracle, to confirm new doctrine, or to call again the old that was forgotten; therefore were all things necessary to salvation comprehended in scripture ever to endure. By which scripture the councils general, and not by open miracles, have concluded such things as were in them determined, as stories make mention. And by the same scripture we know which councils were true, and which false.

And by the same scripture shall we, if any new question arise, determine it also. Abraham answered the rich man, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them;" and said not, 'They have the scribes and the Pharisees, whom they should hear preaching out of the seat of their own doctrine,' without scripture.

And when he allegeth, "He that heareth you heareth me, and if any man hear not the church, take him for an heathen," concluding that we must believe whosoever is shaven, in all that he affirmeth, without scripture or miracle; I would fain know in what figure that syllogismus is made. Christ's disciples taught Christ's doctrine; confirming it with miracles, that it might be known for God's, and not theirs. And even so must the church, that I will believe, shew a miracle, or bring authentic scripture that is come from the apostles, which confirmed it with miracles [4].

FOOTNOTES:

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1. So C. U. L. ed.

2. In Day's edition the words so that all is open occur here; but they do not appear in More's quotation, and seem as if added by one who did not duly consider that by the word testament Tyndale here means God's covenant.

3. The clause, Because all is done save the doom, is supplied from More's quotation.

4. In reply to this Sir Thomas More says: "I say that the catholic church bringeth miracles for their doctrine, as the apostles did for theirs, in that God ceaseth no year to work miracles in his catholic church, many and wonderful, both for his holy men quick and dead, and for the doctrine that these heretics impugn, as images, relics, and pilgrimages, and the blessed sacrament of the altar: and these so many, and in so many places, that these heretics themself can not deny it; but are shamefully driven to say, like the Jews, that it is the devil that doth them." M. C. ccxci.

The Twenty-ninth Chapter.

In the twenty-ninth he allegeth, that Christ said not the Holy Ghost shall write, but shall teach. It is not the use to say the Holy Ghost writeth, but inspireth the writer. I marvel that he had not brought, as many of his brethren do, Matthew in the last, where Christ commanded the apostles "Go and teach all nations," and said not, 'Write.' I answer, that this precept, 'Love thy neighbour as thyself, and God above all thing,' went with the apostles; and compelled them to seek God's honour in us, and to seek all means to continue the faith unto the world's end. Now the apostles knew before that heresies should come, and therefore wrote, that it might be a remedy against heresies, as it well appeareth, John xx., where he saith, "These are written, that ye believe, and through belief have life." And in the second of his first epistle he saith, "These I write because of them that deceive you." And Paul, and Peter thereto, warn us in many places. Wherefore it is manifest that the same love compelled them to leave nothing unwritten, that should be necessarily required, and that, if it were left out, should hurt the soul.

And in the last chapter, to make all fast, he bringeth in the king's grace, how he confuted Martin Luther with this conclusion, 'The church cannot err [1]:' whereunto I will make none answer, for fear to displease his grace; nevertheless because Martin could not soyl it, if his grace look well upon the matter, he shall find that God hath assoyled it for him in a case of his own [2].

And upon that M. More concludeth his first book, that whatsoever the church, that is to wit, the pope and his brood, say, it is God's word, though it be not written, nor confirmed with miracle, nor yet good living; yea, and though they say to-day this, and to-morrow the contrary, all is good enough and God's word; yea, and though one pope condemn another (nine or ten popes a row) with all their works for heretics, as it is to see in the stories, yet all is right, and none error [3]. And thus good night and good rest! Christ is brought asleep, and laid in his grave; and the door sealed too; and the men of arms about the grave to keep him down with pole-axes. For that is the surest argument, to help at need, and to be rid of these babbling heretics, that so bark at the holy spiritualty with the scripture, being thereto wretches of no reputation, neither cardinals, nor bishops, nor yet great beneficed men; yea, and without tot quots and pluralities, having no hold but the very scripture, whereunto they cleave as burs, so fast that they cannot be pulled away, save with very singeing them off.

A sure token that the pope is antichrist.

And though unto all the arguments and persuasions which he would blind us with, to believe that the pope with his sect were the right church, and that God, for the multitude, will not suffer them err, we were so simple that we saw not the subtility of the arguments, nor had words to solve them with, but our bare faith in our hearts; yet we be sure, and so sure that we can therein not be deceived, and do both feel and see, that the conclusion is false, and the contrary true.

For first Peter saith (2 Pet. ii.), "There shall be false teachers among you which shall secretly bring in damnable sects, denying the Lord that bought them; and many shall follow their damnable ways, by whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of, and with feigned words they shall make merchandise over you." "Now," saith Paul (Rom. iii.), "the law speaketh unto them that are under the law." And even so this is spoken of them that profess the name of Christ. Now the pope hath ten thousand sects cropen in, as pied in their consciences as in their coats, setting up a thousand manner works to be saved by; which is the denying of Christ: and we see many, and almost all together, follow their damnable ways. And in that Peter said that they shall rail and blaspheme the truth, it followeth that there shall be a little flock reserved, by the hand of God, to testify the truth unto them; or else how could they rail on it? And it followeth that those railers shall be the mightier part in the world, or else they durst not do it. Now what truth in Christ doth not the pope rebuke, and, in setting up false works, deny altogether? And as for their feigned words, where findest thou in all the scripture purgatory, shrift, penance, pardon, poena, culpa, hyperdoulia, and a thousand feigned terms more? And as for their merchandise, look whether they sell not all God's laws, and also their own, and all sin, and all Christ's merits, and all that a man can think. To one he selleth the fault only; and to another the fault and the pain too [4]; and purgeth his purse of his money, and his brains of his wits, and maketh him so beastly that he can understand no godly thing.

And Christ saith (Matt, xxiv.), "There shall false anointed arise, and shew signs and wonders:" that is, they shall shew miracles, and so prevail that, if it were possible, the elect should be brought out of the true way. And these false anointed, by the same rule of Paul, and in that Christ saith also that they shall come in his name, must be in the church of Christ, and of them that shall call themselves Christen, and shall shew their wonders before the elect, and be a sore temptation unto them, to bring them out of the way. And the elect, which are few in comparison of them that be called and come feignedly, shall among that great multitude be kept by the mighty hand of God against all natural possibility. So that the church and very elect shall never be such a multitude together by themselves, without persecution and temptation of their faith, as the great multitude under the pope is, which persecute and suffer not. And these which the pope calleth heretics, shew no miracles, by their own confession; neither ought they, inasmuch as they bring no new learning, nor aught save the scripture, which is already received and confirmed with miracles. Christ also promiseth us nought in this world, save persecution for our faith. And the stories of the old Testament are also by Paul, 1 Cor. x., our ensamples. And there, though God at a time called with miracles a great multitude, yet the very chosen that received the faith in their hearts, to put their trust in God alone, and which endureth in temptations, were but few, and ever oppressed of their false brethren, and persecuted unto the death, and driven unto corners.

And when Paul (2 Thess. ii.) saith that antichrist's coming shall be by the working of Satan with all power, signs and wonders of falsehood, and all deceivableness for them that perish, because they conceived not love unto the truth, to be saved by; and therefore shall God send them strong delusion, or guile, to believe lies; the text must also pertain unto a multitude gathered together in Christ's name, of which one part, and no doubt the greater, for lack of love unto the truth that is in Christ, to live thereafter, shall fall into sects, and a false faith under the name of Christ, and shall be indurate and stablished therein with false miracles, to perish for their unkindness. The pope first hath no scripture that he dare abide by, in the light; neither careth, but blasphemeth that his word is truer than the scripture. He hath miracles without God's word, as all false prophets had. He hath lies in all his legends, in all preachings, and in all books. They have no love unto the truth; which appeareth by their great sins that they have set up, above all the abomination of all the heathen that ever were, and by their long continuance therein, not of frailty, but of malice unto the truth, and of obstinate lust and self-will to sin. Which appeareth in two things: the one, that they have gotten them with wiles and falsehood from under all laws of man, and even above king and emperor, that no man should constrain their bodies and bring them unto better order, that they may sin freely without fear of man; and on the other side, they have brought God's word asleep, that it should not unquiet their consciences, insomuch that if any man rebuke them with that, they persecute him immediately, and pose him in their false doctrine, and make him an heretic, and burn him and quench it.

And Paul saith, (2 Tim. iii.) "In the latter days there shall be perilous times. For there shall be men that love themselves, covetous, high-minded, proud, railers, disobedient to father and mother, unthankful, ungodly, churlish, promise-breakers, accusers, or pick-quarrels, unloving, despisers of the good, traitors, heady, puffed up, and that love lusts more than God, having an appearance of godliness, but denying the power thereof." And by "power" I understand the pure faith in God's word; which is the power and pith of all godliness, and whence all that pleaseth God springeth. And this text pertaineth unto them that profess Christ. And in that he saith, "having an appearance of godliness," and of that followeth in the text, "Of this sort are they that enter into men's houses, and lead women captive laden with sin, ever asking and never able to attain unto the truth" (as our hearers of confessions do); it appeareth that they be such as will be holier than other, and teachers and leaders of the rest. And look whether there be here any syllable that agreeth not unto our spiritualty in the highest degree. Love they not themselves, their own decrees and ordinances, their own lies and dreams, and despise all laws of God and man, regarding no man but them only that be disguised as they be? And as for their covetousness, which all the world is not able to satisfy, tell me what it is that they make not serve it: insomuch that, if God punish the world with an evil pock, they immediately paint a block and call it Job, to heal the disease, instead of warning the people to mend their living. And as for their high mind and pride, see whether they be not above kings, and emperor, and all the names of God; and whether any man may come to bear rule in this world, except he be sworn to them, and come up under them.

And as for their railing, look in their excommunication, and see whether they spare king, or emperor, or the testament of God. And as for obedience to father and mother, nay, they be immediately under God and his holy vicar the pope; he is their father, and on his ceremonies they must wait. And as for unthankful, they be so kind, that if they have received a thousand pound land of a man, yet for all that they would not receive one of his offspring unto a night's harbour, at his need, for their founder's sake. And whether they be ungodly or no, I report me unto the parchment [5]. And as for churlishness, see whether they will not have their causes venged, though it should cost whole regions, yea, and all Christendom, as ye shall see, and as it hath cost half Christendom already. And as for their promise or truce-breaking, see whether any appointment may endure for their dispensations, be it never so lawful, though the sacrament were received for confirmation. And see whether they have not broken all the appointments made between them and their founders. And see whether they be not accusers, and traitors also, of all men, and that secretly, and of their very own kings and of their own nation. And as for their headiness, see whether they be not prone, bold, and run headlong into all mischief, without pity or compassion, or caring what misery and destruction should fall on other men, so they may have their present pleasure fulfilled. And see whether they love not their lusts, that they will not be refrained from them, either by any law of God or man. And as for their appearance of godliness, see whether all be not God's service that they feign; and see whether not almost all consciences be captive thereto.

And it followeth in the text, as the sorcerers of Egypt resisted Moses, so resisted they the truth. They must be therefore mighty jugglers. And to point the popish with the finger he saith, "Men are they with corrupt minds, and castaways concerning faith;" that is, they be so fleshly-minded, so crooked, so stubborn, and so monstrous shapen, that they can receive no fashion to stand in any building that is grounded upon faith: but when thou hast turned them all ways, and done thy best to hew them and to make them frame, thou must be fain to cast them out with the Turks and Jews, to serve God with the image-service of their own false works.

Of these and such like texts, and of the similitudes that Christ maketh in the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, it appeareth that though the Holy Ghost be in the chosen, and teacheth them all truth in Christ, to put their trust in him, so that they cannot err therein; yet, while the world standeth, God shall never have a church that shall either persecute, or be unpersecuted themselves any season, after the fashion of the pope. But there shall be in the church a fleshly seed of Abraham and a spiritual; a Cain and an Abel; an Ishmael and an Isaac; an Esau and a Jacob; as I have said, a worker and a believer; a great multitude of them that be called, and a small flock of them that be elect and chosen. And the fleshly shall persecute the spiritual; as Cain did Abel, and Ishmael Isaac, and so forth; and the great multitude shall persecute the small little flock, and antichrist will be ever the best Christian man.

So now the church of God is double, a fleshly and a spiritual: the one will be, and is not; the other is, and may not be so called, but must be called a Lutheran, an heretic, and such like. Understand therefore, that God, when he calleth a congregation unto his name, sendeth forth his messengers to call generally; which messengers bring in a great multitude, amazed and astonied with miracles and power of the reasons which the preachers make, and therewith be compelled to confess that there is but one God, of power and might above all, and that Christ is God and man, and born of a virgin, and a thousand other things. And then the great multitude that is called and not chosen, when they have gotten this faith, common as well to the devils as them, and more strongly persuaded unto the devils than unto them, then they go unto their own imaginations, saying, 'We may no longer serve idols, but God that is but one.' And the manner of service they fetch out of their own brains, and not of the word of God; and serve God with bodily service, as they did in times past their idols, their hearts serving their own lusts still. And one will serve him in white; another in black; another in grey; and another in pied. And another, to do God a pleasure withal, will be sure that his shoe shall have two or three good thick soles under, and will cut him above, so that in summer, while the weather is hot, thou mayest see his bare foot, and in winter his sock. They will be shorn and shaven, and Sadducees, that is to say, righteous [6]; and Pharisees, that is, separated in fashions from all other men [7]. Yea, and they will consecrate themselves altogether unto God, and will anoint their hands, and hallow them as the chalice, from all manner lay uses: so that they may serve neither father nor mother, master, lord or prince, for polluting themselves; but must wait on God only, to gather up his rents, tithes, offerings, and all other duties. And all the sacrifice that come they consume in the altar of their bellies, and make Calil of it; that is, a sacrifice that no man may have part of [8]. They believe that there is a God; but as they cannot love his laws, so they have no power to believe in him. But they put their trust and confidence in their own works, and by their own works they will be saved; as the rich of this world, when they sue unto great men, hope with gifts and presents to obtain their causes. Neither other serving of God know they, save such as their eyes may see, and their bellies feel. And of very zeal they will be God's vicars, and prescribe a manner unto other, and after what fashion they shall serve God, and compel them thereto, for the avoiding of idolatry, as thou seest in the Pharisees.

But little flock, as soon as he is persuaded that there is a God, he runneth not unto his own imaginations, but unto the messenger that called him, and of him asketh how he shall serve God: as little Paul (Acts ix.), when Christ had over­thrown him, and caught him in his net, asked, saying, "Lord, what wilt thou that I do?" and as the multitude that were converted (Acts ii.) asked of the apostles, what they should do. And the preacher setteth the law of God before them; and they offer their hearts, to have it written therein, consenting that it is good and righteous. And because they have run clean contrary unto that good law, they sorrow and mourn; and because, also, their bodies and flesh are otherwise disposed. But the preacher comforteth them, and sheweth them the testament of Christ's blood; how that for his sake all that is done is forgiven, and all their weakness shall be taken a worth, until they be stronger, only if they repent, and will submit themselves to be scholars, and learn to keep this law. And little flock receiveth this testament in his heart, and in it walketh and serveth God in the spirit. And from henceforth all is Christ with him; and Christ is his, and he is Christ's. All that he receiveth he receiveth of Christ, and all that he doth he doth to Christ. Father, mother, master, lord and prince, are Christ unto him; and as Christ he serveth them, with all love. His wife, children, servants and subjects, are Christ unto him; and he teacheth them to serve Christ, and not himself and his lusts. And if he receive any good thing of man, he thanketh God in Christ, which moved the man's heart. And his neighbour he serveth as Christ in all his need, of such things as God hath lent; because that all degrees are bought, as he is, with Christ's blood. And he will not be saved for serving his brethren; neither promiseth his brethren heaven for serving him. But heaven, justifying, forgiveness, all gifts of grace, and all that is promised them, they receive of Christ, and by his merits freely. And of that which they have received of Christ, they serve each other freely, as one hand doth the other; seeking for their service no more than one hand doth of another, each the other's health, wealth, help, aid, succour, and to assist one another in the way of Christ. And God they serve in the spirit only, in love, hope, faith and dread.

When the great multitude, that be called and not chosen, Cain, Ishmael, Esau, and carnal Israel, that serve God night and day with bodily service and holy works, such as they were wont to serve their idols withal, behold little flock, that they come not forth in the service of God, they roar out, 'Where art thou? Why comest thou not forth and takest holy water?' 'Wherefore?' saith little flock. 'To put away thy sins.' 'Nay, brethren, God forbid that ye should so think; Christ's blood only washeth away the sins of all that repent and believe. Fire, salt, water, bread, and oil be bodily things, given unto man for his necessity, and to help his brother with; and God that is a spirit cannot be served therewith: neither can such things enter into the soul, to purge her; for God's word only is her purgation.' 'No!' say they, 'are not such things hallowed? and say we not in the hallowing of them, that whosoever is sprinkled with the water, or eateth of the bread, shall receive health of soul and body?' ' Sir, the blessings promised unto Abraham, for all nations, are in Christ; and out of his blood we must fetch them, and his word is the bread, salt, and water of our souls. God hath given you no power to give, through your charms, such virtue unto unsensible creatures, which he hath hallowed himself, and made them all clean (for the bodily use of them that believe) through his word of promise and permission, and our thanksgiving. God saith, If thou believe St John's gospel, thou shalt be saved; and not for the bearing of it about thee with so many crosses, or for the observing of any such observances.'

'God, for thy bitter passion,' roar they out by and by, 'what an heretic is this! I tell thee that holy church need to allege no scripture for them; for they have the Holy Ghost, which inspireth them ever secretly, so that they cannot err, whatsoever they say, do, or ordain. What, wilt thou despise the blessed sacraments of holy church, wherewith God hath been served this fifteen hundred years?' (yea, verily this five thousand years, even since Cain hitherto, and shall endure unto the world's end, among them that have no love unto the truth, to be saved thereby) 'thou art a strong heretic, and worthy to be burnt.' And then he is excommunicate out of the church. If little flock fear not that bug, then they go straight unto the king: 'And it like your grace, perilous people, and seditious, and even enough to destroy your realm, if ye see not to them betimes. They be so obstinate and tough, that they will not be converted, and rebellious against God and the ordinances of his holy church. And how much more shall they so be against your grace, if they increase and grow to a multitude! They will pervert all, and surely make new laws, and either subdue your grace unto them, or rise against you.' And then goeth a part of little flock to pot, and the rest scatter. Thus hath it ever been, and shall ever be: let no man therefore deceive himself.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. The heading of the last chapter of B. I. of More's Dialogue is, "In that the church cannot err in the choice of the true scripture, the author proveth by the reason which the king's highness, in his noble and most famous book, objecteth against Luther, that the church cannot err in the necessary understanding of scripture."

2. By the time Tyndale wrote this the king had been led, in the providence of God, to dispute the authority of papal decisions.

3. More's conclusion is expressed by himself as follows, in the same chapter: "Then are ye, quod I, also fully answered in this, that where ye said ye should not believe the church telling you a tale of their own, but only telling you scripture, ye now perceive that in such things as we speak of, that is to wit, necessary points of our faith, if they tell you a tale, which if it were false were damnable, ye must believe and may be sure that, sith the church cannot in such things err, it is very true all that the church in such things telleth you; and that it is not their own word, but the word of God, though it be not in scripture. That appeareth well, quod he. Then are ye, quod I, as fully satisfied that where ye lately said that it were a disobedience to God, preferring of the church before himself, if he shall believe the church in such things as God in his holy scripture sayeth himself the contrary, ye now perceive it can in no wise be so. But sith his church, in such things as we speak of, cannot err, it is impossible that the scripture of God can be contrary to the faith of the church. That is very true, quod he. Then it is as true, quod I, that ye be further fully answered in the principal point, that the scriptures laid against images, and pilgrimages, and worship of saints, make nothing against them. And also that those things, images I mean and pilgrimages, and praying to saints, are things good, and to be had in honour in Christ's church, sith the church believeth so; which as ye grant, and see cause why ye should grant, can in such points not be suffered, for the special assistance and instruction of the Holy Ghost, to fall into error. And so be we, for this matter, at last, with much work, come to an end." Sir T. More's Works, p. 176.

4. That is, to some lie sells exemptions a culpa only, and to others a poena et culpa.

5. In these words Tyndale evidently refers to that document, "on eight skins of parchment," of which an account has been given in Vol. i. pp. 35, 36. The ungodly temper of those who dictated it would seem to Tyndale sufficiently conspicuous, from what they had dared to say respecting the consequences likely to follow the reading of the word of God.

6. This is an allusion to the opinion which derived their name from the Hebrew (not given), contrary to the ordinarily received opinion, that they were named after one Sadoc, a disciple of Antigonus of Socho, who died about 263 B. C.

7. Pharisees; (Hebrew - not given), from (Hebrew - not given), separated, as Tyndale says, from other men.

8. (Hebrew - not given), Calil, the complete whole; and thence a whole burnt-offering.

AN ANSWER TO M. MORE'S SECOND BOOK.

In the first chapter, ye may not try the doctrine of the spiritualty by the scripture; but what they say, that believe undoubtedly, and by that try the scripture [1]. And if thou find the plain contrary in the scripture, thou mayest not believe the scripture, but seek a gloss and an allegory to make them agree. As when the pope saith, Ye be justified by the works of the ceremonies and sacraments, and so forth; and the scripture saith, that we be justified at the repentance of the heart, through Christ's blood: the first is true plain, as the pope saith it, and as it standeth in his text; but the second is false, as it appeareth unto thine understanding, and the literal sense that killeth. Thou must therefore believe the pope, and for Christ's doctrine seek an allegory and a mystical sense: that is, that thou must leave the clear light and walk in the mist. And yet Christ and his apostles, for all their miracles, required not to be believed without scripture, as thou mayest see John v. and Acts xvii., and by their diligent alleging of scripture throughout all the new Testament.

And in the end he saith, for his pleasure, that we knowledge that no man may minister sacraments but he that is derived out of the pope. Howbeit, this we knowledge, that no man could minister sacraments without signification, which are no sacraments, save such as are of the pope's generation.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. "Where I" [More's imaginary questioner in the dialogue] "said that it was thought reasonable to believe the scripture, being God's own words, rather than the words of men, ye" [i.e. Sir Thomas More] "proved that the common faith of the church was as well God's own words as was holy scripture self, and of as great authority; and that no student in scripture should presume to try, examine, and judge the catholic faith of Christ's church by the scripture, but by the catholic faith of Christ's church should examine and expound the texts of scripture." Dialogue, B. ii. ch. i. Works, p. 178.

The Third Chapter.

In the third chapter, and in the chapter following, he uttereth how fleshly-minded he is, and how beastly he imagineth of God, as Paul saith, (1 Cor. ii.) "The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God." He thinketh of God as he doth of his cardinal; that he is a monster, pleased when men flatter him; and if, of whatsoever frailty it be, men break his commandments, he is then raging mad as the pope is, and seeketh to be venged. Nay, God is ever fatherly-minded toward the elect members of his church. He loved them, ere the world began, in Christ. (Eph. i.) He loveth them while they be yet evil, and his enemies in their hearts, ere they be come unto the knowledge of his Son Christ, and ere his law be written in their hearts; as a father loveth his young son, while he is yet evil, and ere it know the father's law to consent thereto.

And after they be once actually of his church, and the law of God and faith of Christ written in their hearts, their hearts never sin any more, though (as Paul saith, Rom. vii.) the flesh doth in them that the spirit would not. And when they sin of frailty, God ceaseth not to love them still; though he be angry, to put a cross of tribulations upon their backs, to purge them and to subdue the flesh unto the spirit, or to all-to break [1] their consciences with threatening of the law, and to fear them with hell: as a father, when his son offendeth him, feareth him with the rod, but hateth him not.

God did not hate Paul, when he persecuted, but had laid up mercy for him in store; though he was angry with him, to scourge him and to teach him better. Neither were those things laid on his back, which he after suffered, to make satisfaction for his fore sins, but only to serve his brethren, and to keep the flesh under. Neither did God hate David when he had sinned, though he was angry with him. Neither did he after suffer to make satisfaction to God for his old sins, but to keep his flesh under, and to keep him in meekness, and to be an ensample for our learning.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. Ail-to: altogether.

The Fourth Chapter.

In the fourth saith he, 'If the church were an unknown company, how should the infidels, if they longed for the faith, come thereby?' Oh, whither wandereth a fleshly mind? - as though we first sought out God! Nay, God knoweth his, and seeketh them out, and sendeth his messengers unto them, and giveth them an heart to understand. Did the heathen, or any nation, seek Christ? Nay, Christ sought them, and sent his apostles unto them: as thou seest in the stories from the beginning of the world, and as the parables and similitudes of the gospel declare.

And when he saith, he never found nor heard of any of us, but that he would forswear to save his life [1]: Answer; The more wrath of God will light on them that so cruelly delight to torment them, and so craftily to beguile the weak. Nevertheless yet it is untrue: for he hath heard of sir Thomas Hitton, whom the bishops of Rochester and Canterbury slew at Maidstone [2]; and of many that suffered in Braband, Holland, and at Colen, and in all quarters of Dutchland, and do daily. And when he saith that their church hath many martyrs, let him shew me one, that died for pardons and purgatory, that the pope hath feigned; and let him take the mastery.

And what ado maketh he, that we say, there is a church that sinneth not, and that there is no man but that he sinneth! which are yet both true. We read, (1 John iii.), "He that is born of God sinneth not;" and (Eph. v.), "Men, love your wives as the Lord doth the church, and gave himself for her, to sanctify her, and to cleanse her in the fountain of water through the word, and to make her a glorious church unto himself, without spot or wrinkle;" and (1 John i.), "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and make him a liar, and his word is not in us." M. More also will not understand, that the church is sometime taken for the elect only; which have the law of God written in their hearts, and faith to be saved through Christ written there also: which same, for all that, say with Paul, "That good which I would, that do I not; but that evil which I hate, that do I: so it is not I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in my flesh;" and (Gal. v.), "the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit, and the spirit contrary to the flesh; so that," these two fighting between themselves, "ye cannot do what ye would:" for they never consent that sin is good, nor hate the law, nor cease to fight against the flesh; but, as soon as they be fallen, rise and fight afresh: - and that the church is sometime taken for the common rascal [3] of all that believe, whether with the mouth only, and carnally without spirit, neither loving the law in their hearts, nor feeling the mercy that is in Christ; but either run altogether at riot, or keep the law with cautels and expositions of their own feigning, and yet not of love, but for fear of hell, as the thieves do for fear of the gallows; and make recompence to God for their sins with holy deeds.

He also will not understand, that there be two manner faiths: one, that is the faith of the elect, which purgeth them of all their sins for ever: as ye see John xv., "Ye be clean, saith Christ, by the reason of the word," that is, through believing Christ's doctrine; and John i., "He gave them power to be the sons of God through believing in his name;" and John iii., "He that believeth the Son hath everlasting life;" and a thousand like texts: and another, of them that be called and never elect: as the faith of Judas, of Simon Magus, of the devil, and of the pope; in whose hearts the law of God is not written, as it appeareth by their works. And therefore when they believe many things of Christ, yet when they come unto the salvation that is in his blood, they be but Jews and Turks; and forsake Christ, and run unto the justifying of ceremonies with the Jews and Turks. And therefore they remain ever in sin within their hearts.

Whereas the elect, having the law written in their breasts, and loving it in their spirits, sin there never; but without, in the flesh. Against which sin they fight continually, and minish it daily with the help of the Spirit, through prayer, fasting, and serving their neighbours lovingly with all manner service, out of the law that is written in their hearts. And their hope of forgiveness is in Christ only; through his blood, and not in ceremonies.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. More makes his questioner say, that the reformers' party 'hath some that preach sometime, but ye will not suffer them; ye punish them and burn them.' To which More replies, 'Nay, they be wiser than so; for they will rather swear on a book that they never said so,' p. 183.

2. See Vol. II. p. 340. In the preface to More's Confutacyon, he gives a most scornful account of this meek reformer's apprehension and cruel death; calling him "the devil's stinking martyr."

3. That is, mixed multitude.

The Fifth Chapter.

And unto his fifth chapter I answer, By the pope the scripture is hid, and brought into ignorance, and the true sense corrupt. And by them that ye call heretics we know the scripture, and the true sense thereof. And I say, that the pope keepeth the scripture, as did the Pharisees, to make merchandise of it: and again, that the heretics be come out of you, as out of the scribes and Pharisees came the apostles, and Christ himself, and John Baptist; and that they be plucked out of you, and graffed in Christ, and built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

And in the end, when he saith that the heretics be fallen out of Christ's mystical body, which is the pope and his; I answer, that ye be a mystical body, and walk in the mist and will not come at the light; and the heretics be departed out of your mist, and walk in the clear light of God's word.

The Sixth Chapter.

In the sixth he saith, that the heretics be all naught, for they all perjure and abjure [1]. He yet saith untrue. Many abide unto the death. Many, for their weakness, are kept out of your hands. Many, for their overmuch boldness in their own strength, be delivered into your hands, and fall in the flesh, their hearts abiding still in the truth; as Peter and thousands did; and after repent, and be no less Christen than before, though ye have them in derision, unto your own damnation. And many, because they come to Christ for fleshly liberty, and not for love of the truth, fall as it becometh them under your hands, as Judas and Balaam; which at the beginning take Christ's part, but afterward, when they find either loss, or no vantage, they get them unto the contrary part, and are by profession the most cruel enemies and subtilest persecutors of the truth. Look, Master More; and read, and mark well.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. "Now, quod I, all that are of that sort, if they happen to adventure somewhat and be spied, they will first perjure themselves, and after abjure their opinion; so that if their opinion were good yet were themselves naught," p. 186.

The Seventh Chapter.

In the seventh he saith, that he hath holy saints and holy councils on his side. Name the saints, and prove it. Name the councils, and the holy prelates thereof. Thou shalt shew me none other popes or cardinals, than such as we have now; that will obey neither God nor man, nor any law made by God or man; but compel all men to follow them, strengthening their kingdom with the multitude of all misdoers.

He saith also, that good and bad worship saints; the good well, and the bad evil. How cometh it then that ye shew not the difference, and teach to do it well? I see but one fashion among all the popish. And finally he saith, he is not bound to answer unto the reasons and scriptures that are laid against them. It is enough, to prove their part, that it is a common custom, and that such a multitude do it. And so, by his doctrine, the Turks are in the right way.

The Eighth Chapter.

In the eighth he saith, the saints be more charitable now than when they lived. I answer, Abraham was, when he lived, as charitable as the best: and yet dead, he answered him that prayed to him, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them." And so have we, not Moses and the prophets only, but a more clear light, even Christ and the apostles; unto which if we hearken, we be saints already.

And to prove that they in heaven be better than we in earth, he allegeth a text of our Saviour (Luke vii.), that the worst in heaven is better than John Baptist. Now the text is, "He that is less in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." We that believe are God's kingdom. And he that is least (in doing service unto his brethren) is ever the greatest, after the doctrine of Christ. Now Christ was less than John, for he did more service than John [1]; and therefore greater than he. And, by their own doctrine, there was no saint in heaven before the resurrection of Christ. But what care they what they say, blinded with their own sophistry?

Moreover, cursed is he that trusteth in aught save God, saith the text; and therefore the saints would have no man to trust in them, while they were alive: as Paul saith (1 Cor. iii.), "What is Paul, save your servant to preach Christ? Did Paul die for you? Were ye baptized in the name of Paul?" 'Did I not marry you to Christ, to put your trust in him?' And again, "Let no man rejoice" or trust "in man," saith he. "For all are yours, whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas; whether the world, life, death, present things, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." If my faith be stedfast in the promises that I have in Christ's blood, I need but to pray my Father in Christ's name, and he shall send me a legion of angels to help me; so that my faith is lord over the angels, and over all creatures, to turn them unto my soul's health and my father's honour, and may be subject unto no creature, but unto God's word in our Saviour Christ only. I may have no trust therefore in the saints. If ye say, ye put no trust in them, but only put them in remembrance of their duty; as a man desireth his neighbour to pray for him, remembering him of his duty; and as when we desire our brethren to help us at our need; that is false, for ye put trust in all your ceremonies and all your holy deeds, and in whosoever disguiseth himself, and altereth his coat from the common fashion, yea, and even in the coats of them that be not yet saints after your doctrine.

If a priest said mass in his gown, would ye not rise against him and slay him; and that for the false faith that ye have in the other garments? For what honour can those other garments do to God more than his gown, or profit unto your souls seeing ye understand nought thereby? And thereto in the collects of saints ye say, 'Save me, God, and give me everlasting life, for the merits of this or that saint;' every man after his phantasy, choosing him one saint singularly to be saved by [2]. With which collects, I pray you shew me, how standeth the death of Christ? Paul would say that Christ died in vain, if that doctrine were true. And thereto inasmuch as ye say, the saints merit or deserve not in heaven, but in this world only, it is to be feared lest their merits be sore wasted, and the deservings of many all spent, through our holy father's so great liberality.

Abraham and the prophets, and the apostles, and many since, prayed to no saints; and yet were holy enough. And when he saith, they could help when they were alive; that was through their faith, in believing the promise: for they had promises, that they should do such miracles to stablish their doctrine, and to provoke unto Christ, and not unto themselves.

And when he proveth that the saints be in heaven in glory with Christ already, saying, 'If God be their God, they be in heaven, for he is not the God of the dead;' there he stealeth away Christ's argument, wherewith he proveth the resurrection: that Abraham and all saints should rise again, and not that their souls were in heaven; which doctrine was not yet in the world. And with that doctrine he taketh away the resurrection quite, and maketh Christ's argument of none effect. For when Christ allegeth the scripture, that God is Abraham's God, and addeth to, that God is not God of the dead but of the living, and so proveth that Abraham must rise again; I deny Christ's argument, and I say [3] with M. More, that Abraham is yet alive, not because of the resurrection, but because his soul is in heaven. And in like manner, Paul's argument unto the Corinthians is nought worth: for when he saith, 'If there be no resurrection, we be of all wretches the miserablest; here we have no pleasure, but sorrow, care, and oppression; and therefore, if we rise not again, all our suffering is in vain:' 'Nay, Paul, thou art unlearned; go to Master More, and learn a new way. We be not most miserable, though we rise not again; for our souls go to heaven as soon as we be dead, and are there in as great joy as Christ that is risen again.' And I marvel that Paul had not comforted the Thessalonians with that doctrine, if he had wist it, that the souls of their dead had been in joy; as he did with the resurrection, that their dead should rise again. If the souls be in heaven, in as great glory as the angels, after your doctrine, shew me what cause should be of the resurrection?

And when he saith, "Whether the saints do it themselves, or by intercession made to God, it maketh no matter, so we be holp;" it appeareth by his doctrine, that all is good that helpeth, though a man pray unto the devil, by whom many be holp. Now in Christ we have promises of all manner help, and not in them. Where then is our faith to be holp by Christ, when we hope to be holp by the merits of saints? So it appeareth, that the more trust we have in saints, the less we have in Christ.

And when he bringeth in a similitude, that we pray physicians, though God can help us, and therefore we must pray to saints; it is not like. For they have natural remedies for us; which we must use, and not tempt God: but the saints have no natural remedies, nor promise of supernatural; and therefore it can be but a false superstitious faith. And where no natural remedy is, there God hath promised to help them that believe in him. And moreover, when I pray a physician or surgeon, and trust to be holp by them, I dishonour God; except I first pray to God, and believe that he will work with their doctrine and medicines, and so receive mine health of the hand of God. And even so, when I pray to man, to help me at mine need, I sin; except I complain first to God and shew him my need, and desire him to move one or another to help me; and then, when I am holp, thank him and receive it of his hand, inasmuch as he moved the heart of him that holp me, and gave him wherewith, and a commandment to do it.

M. More: - "Christ is not dishonoured, because that they which here preach him truly shall sit and judge with him."

Tyndale:- That to be true the scripture testifieth; but what is that to your purpose, that they which be dead can hear us and help us? Howbeit, if M. More should describe us those seats, I am sure he would paint them after the fashion of my lord cardinal's holy chair; as he doth God after the similitude of worldly tyrants, and not according to his own word. For they that be worldly, and fleshly minded, can but fleshly imagine of God, altogether like unto the similitude of worldly things.

M. More: - "The apostles and saints were prayed to when they were alive, and God not dishonoured."

Tyndale: - What helpeth that your carnal purpose? I have answered you unto that, and many things more, in the Obedience [4], and other places; against which ye reply not, but keep your tune, and unto all things sing cuckoo, cuckoo, 'We be the church and cannot err.' The apostles had God's word for all that they did, and ye none: and yet many dishonoured God and Christ, for their false trust and confidence which they had in the apostles; as thou mayest see by Paul to the Corinthians.

Then he breaketh forth into open blasphemy, and saith that 'it behoveth us to pray unto saints, and that God will else not hear us, for our presumptuous malapertness [5].' So it is now presumptuous malapertness to trust in God's word, and to believe that God is true! Paul teacheth us to be bold to go unto God, and sheweth us good cause in Christ, why we so may, and that God would so have us. Neither is there any cause to keep us back; save that we love him not, nor trust him. If a man say, 'Our sins should keep us back:' I say, If we repent and believe in Christ, Christ hath taken them away, and therefore through him we may be bold. And Christ said at his last supper (John xvi.), "I say not that I will pray for you unto my Father, for my Father loveth you;" as who should say, 'Be not afraid, nor stand without the doors, as a dastard; but be bold, and go in to my Father yourselves in my name, and shew your complaints; for he now loveth you, because ye love my doctrine.' And Paul saith (Eph. ii.), "We have all an open way in through him, and are now no more foreigners, or strangers, but of the household of God." Of God therefore we be bold, as of a most loving and merciful father, above all the mercy of fathers. And of our Saviour Jesus we be bold, as of a thing that is our own, and more our own than our own skins; and a thing that is so soft and gentle, that lade we him never so much with our sins, he cannot be angry, nor cast them from off his back, so we repent and will amend. But M. More hath another doctrine, to drive us from God, and to make us tremble and be afraid of him.

He likeneth God to worldly tyrants, at whom no man may come, save a few flatterers, which minister unto them all voluptuousness, and serve their lusts at all points; which flatterers must first be corrupt with gifts, ere a man may come at the king. Then he saith, "A man may pray to every dead man [6]." That, methinketh, should be against the pope's doctrine, and profit also: for he will have no man prayed to, until he have canvassed him, I would say, canonized him; and till God, or at the least way the devil, have shewed miracles for him.

Then he bringeth how one that was dead, and in the invisible purgatory, holp another that was alive, and in the visible purgatory [7]. This is a strange case, that a man there may help another, and not himself. And a more strange case, that God heareth a man here for himself, being in his own purgatory, and helpeth him clean out, or easeth him if it be too sore: but and he be in the pope's purgatory, God will not hear him for himself; and that because the pope might have somewhat to deliver him. And the strangest case of all is, that the pope is almighty there, and God can do there nought at all; as the pope cannot here in this purgatory. But because this is not God's word, nor like God's doctrine, I think it no damnable sin to believe it poetry.

Then, how "ye may pray for them, and to them, till they be canonized," and "when they be canonized, to them only;" for then ye be sure that they be in heaven [8]. By what token? I may be as sure by the canonizing, as I am that all the bishops, which the pope confirmeth, be holy men; and all the doctors, that he maketh, well learned; and that all the priests, which he anointeth, have the Holy Ghost! If ye say, 'Because of the miracles;' then do men wrong to pray for king Henry of Windsor at Cambridge and Eton. For he, as men say, doth miracles. And also, if the miracles certify us, what needeth to buy the pope's canonizing?

FOOTNOTES:

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1. So in C. U. L. ed. D. omits this clause. See Vol. II. p. 232.

2. In the Roman breviary the collect for July 6, being the octave of the festival of Peter and Paul, is as follows: Deus, cujus dextera beatum Petrum ambulantem in fluctibus, ne mergeretur, erexit; et coapostolum ejus Paulum, tertio naufragantem, de profundo pelagi liberavit: exaudi nos propitius, et concede, ut amborum meritis aeternitatis gloriam consequamur. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre.

In "The devotion and office of the sacred heart, &c., with exercises for the holy sacrifice of the Mass," Dublin, 1829, there occurs this prayer: "O God, who hast vouchsafed to send the blessed Patrick, thy confessor and bishop, to preach thy glory to nations, grant by his merits and intercession, that what thou hast commanded us to do, we may through thy mercy be able to fulfil through our Lord. Amen."

3. That is, if I say. See in like manner and he be, p. 121.

4. Vol. I. p. 288. et seq.

5. "Sith his pleasure is to have his saints had in honour and prayed unto, that they may be for us intercessors to his high majesty, whereunto ere we presume to approach, it becometh us and well behoveth us to make friends of such as he hath in favor, he will disdain once to look on us, if we be so presumptuous and malapert fellows that upon boldness and familiarity with himself we disdain to make our intercessors his especial friends." More's Dial. Works, p. 189.

6. Why, quod he, by that reason I might pray not only to saints, but also to every other dead man! So may ye, quod I, with good reason; if ye see none other likelihood but that he died a good man." Id. ibid.

7. So find we, as I remember, in the dialogues of St Gregory, that one had help by prayer made unto an holy man late deceased, which was himself yet in purgatory. So liked it our Lord, to let the world know that he was in his special favour, though he were yet in pain of his purgation." Id. ibid.

8. "Those, quod I, that be not canonized, ye may, for the more part, both pray for them, and pray to them, as ye may pray for and to them that be yet alive. But one that is canonized, ye may pray to him to pray for you; but ye may not pray for him. And of every man ye may trust well, and be seldom certain; but of the canonized ye may reckon you sure." Id. p. 190.

The Ninth Chapter.

In the ninth he putteth 'no jeopardy to pray to him that is damned,' and to stick up a candle to him; nor I trow unto the devil thereto, if he might have a vantage by him [1].

Then he maketh 'no jeopardy to do and believe whatsoever an open multitude, called God's church, doth and believeth: for God will have an open church, that cannot err.' For saith he, 'When the Israelites fell to idolatry, the true church remained in Jerusalem among the Jews.' First, I say, if a man had no better understanding than M. More's doctrine, he could not know whether were the true church, the Jews or the Israelites. For the Israelites were in number five times more than the Jews, and worshipped God, though as present in the image of a calf; as the Jews, for the most part, present in the ark of testimony. And secondarily he saith false: for the Jews were fallen into open idolatry, a thousand times worse than the Israelites, even in their very temple, as it appeareth by open stories and by the prophets: so that for their open idolatry, which they would for no preaching of the prophets amend, their priests thereto resisting the prophets and encouraging the people in their wickedness, God sent them captive out of the land. Yea, and the people erred in following the scribes and Pharisees and the open multitude, called God's church, at the coming of Christ; as it is to see in the gospel, contrary unto M. More's deceitful poetry. And again, God reserved him a little flock ever in Israel, and had ever prophets there, sometimes openly, and sometimes in persecution, that every man must hide himself, and keep his faith secret: and even in the houses of the evil kings, both of Jewry and also of Israel, he had good people, and that among the high officers, but secretly, as Nicodemus among the Pharisees. So that the very church was everywhere oft-times in captivity and persecution under their brethren, as we be under ours in the kingdom of the pope.

Then he putteth 'no jeopardy to worship an unconsecrated host.' But with what worship men should worship the consecrated, doth he not teach; neither the use of that sacrament, or any other; nor how aught may be worshipped; but teacheth only that all things may be worshipped, and sheweth not the right worship from the false.

Then he noteth Paul (1 Cor. i.), 'how he exhorteth us to agree only; but not on the truth or on the good, but only to agree a great multitude together.' 0 this deep blindness! Did not Paul first teach them the true way? And did he not instruct them anew in the true way, and in the said epistle rebuke the false confidence that they had in men, the cause of all their dissension and all errors that were among them?

Then he saith, 'The Jews had saints in honour, as the patriarchs and prophets.' We teach to dishonour none. But the Jews prayed to none.

More: - "Christ rebuked not the Pharisees for garnishing the sepulchres of the prophets, but for that they followed the conditions of them that slew them."

Tyndale: - Yes, and for their false trust in such works; as we do you. And ye, sir, think that ye deserve heaven in worshipping the saints' bones; and be as ready to slay them that believe, teach, and live as the saints did, as your fathers were to slay them. Besides that, ye worship saints that followed Christ after the example of your holy cardinal; of whom I doubt not but that ye will make a God, in process of time also.

Then repeateth he, for forgetting, how 'Eliseus' bones raised up a dead body.' That was to confirm his preaching only. For the Israelites, as wicked as they were, neither prayed to him, neither kissed his bones, nor offered, nor sticked up candles before him; which thing if they had done in the kingdom of the Jews, I doubt not but that some good king would have burnt his bones to ashes, as well as the brasen serpent, that was as great a relic as dead bones. And, 'Christ shewed miracles at the finding of the cross.' That was to stablish the faith of Christ's death, and that it should be a memory of his death; and not that we should trust in the wood, as we do: for which false abuse the whole land, where Christ did his miracles, is destroyed.

Then he allegeth 'the woman that was healed through touching of Christ's coat; because we should worship it:' when Christ said, "her faith hath made her whole," not in the coat, but in Christ. And the miracle was shewed, to provoke to the worshipping of the preaching, and not of the coat: though to keep the coat reverently in the memorial of the deed, to provoke unto the faith of Christ, were not evil of itself. And Paul, by your doctrine, sent his napkin to heal the sick, that men should shrine his snivelled napkin [2], and not to believe his preaching.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. "The name is not so very requisite, but that we may mistake it without peril, so that we nevertheless have the relics of holy men in reverence; but as for pig's bones for relics, or damned wretches to be worshipped for saints, albeit that, if it happened, yet it nothing hurted the souls of them that mistake it, no more than if we worshipped an host in the mass, which percase the negligence or malice of some lewd priest hath left unconsecrate; yet is it never to be thought, though such a thing might happen suddenly, that ever God will suffer such a thing to last and endure in his church." Id. p. 193.

2. In this allusion to a shrined napkin, Tyndale makes the only remark he thought fit to bestow, on what More has described as follows in this same chapter: "Myself saw at the abbey of Barking besides London, to my remembrance about thirty years past, in the setting an old image in a new tabernacle, the back of that image being all painted over, and of long time before laid with beaten gold, happened to crase in one place, and out there fell a pretty little door, at which fell out also many relics, that had lien unknown in that image, God wote how long .... Among other were certain small kercheors, which were named there our lady's, and of her own working. Coarse were they not, nor they were not large; but served, as it seemed, to cast in a plain and simple manner upon her head. But surely they were as clean, seems to my seeming, as ever I saw in my life; and were therewith as white, for all the long lieing, as if they had been washed and laid up within one hour. And how long that image had stand in that old tabernacle, that no man could tell; but they had in all that church none, as they thought, standen longer untouched. And they guessed that four or five hundred years ago that image was hidden, when the abbey was burned by infidels, and those relics hidden therein. And so the relics remained unknown therein, till now that God gave that chance that opened it." p. 192.

The Tenth Chapter.

The tenth chapter, of St Walary, is meet for the author and his worshipful doctrine [1].

FOOTNOTES:

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1. The tale which More has told, of a pilgrimage to the chapel of St Valeri, in Picardy, fills nearly two columns; and is too grossly indecent to admit of any allusion to its subject.

The Eleventh Chapter.

In the eleventh, he juggleth with this mystical term, latria. I answer, God is no vain name; but signifieth one that is almighty, all merciful, all true and good; which he that believeth will go to God, to his promises and testament, and not follow his own imaginations, as Master More's doctrine teacheth.

He saith, that "bodily service is not latria." No, but bodily service done and referred unto him, which is a spirit, is Idololatria.

He trusteth "that men know the image from the saint." I ask M. More, why God did hide Moses's body and divers other? The Jews would have known that Moses had not been God, and that Moses's bones had not been Moses. And they knew that the brasen serpent was not God; and that the golden calves were not God; and that wood and stone were not God. But, sir, there is ever a false imagination by. The world, because they cannot worship God in the spirit, to repent of evil, and to love the law, and to believe that he will help at all need, therefore run they unto their own imaginations; and think that God, for such service as they do to images, will fulfil their worldly desires; for godly can they nought desire. Now God is a spirit, and will be worshipped in his word only, which is spiritual; and will have no bodily service. And the ceremonies of the old law he set up, to signify his word only, and to keep the people in mind of his testament: so that he which observeth any ceremony, of any other purpose, is an idolater, that is, an image-server.

And when he saith, "If men ask women whether it were our lady of Walsingham, or Ipswich, that was saluted of Gabriel, or that stood by Christ when he hung on the cross? they will say, neither nother." Then I ask him, what meaneth it that they say, 'Our lady of Walsingham, pray for me; Our lady of Ipswich, pray for me; Our lady of Wilsdon, pray for me?' insomuch that some, which reckon themselves no small fools, make them rolls of half an hour long, to pray after that manner. And they that so pray, thou mayest be sure, mean our lady that stood by the cross; and her that was saluted thereto.

Then he rehearseth many abuses, and how that women sing songs of ribaldry in processions in cathedral churches; unto which abominations yet our holy church, that cannot err, consents with full delectation. For on the one side they will not amend the abuse; and, on the other side, they have hired M. More to prove with his sophistry, that the things ought not to be put down.

Then he bringeth in 'how the wild Irish and the Welch pray, when they go to steal;' and asketh 'whether because they abuse prayer, we should put all praying down?' Nay, M. More, it is not like. Prayer is God's commandment; and where faith is, there must prayer needs be, and cannot be away. Howbeit, things that are but men's traditions, and all indifferent things which we may be as well without as with, may well be put down for their dishonouring of God through the abuse. We have turned kissing in the church into the pax [1]. We have put down watching all night in the church on saints' eves, for the abuse. And Ezekias brake the brasen serpent (4 Kings xviii.), for the abuse. And even so such processions, and the multitude of ceremonies, and of holy days too, might as well be put down. And the ceremonies that be left should have their significations put to them, and the people should be taught them. And on the Sundays God's word should be truly preached: which if his holy church would do, neither the Irish nor yet the Welsh would so pray; by which praying, and other like blindness, M. More may see that buzzing in Latin, on the holy days, helpeth not the hearts of the people. And I wonder that M. More can laugh at it, and not rather weep for compassion to see the souls for which Christ shed his blood to perish. And yet I believe that your holy church will not refuse at Easter to receive the tithes of all that such blind people rob, as well as they dispense with all false-gotten good that is brought them; and will lay the ensample of Abraham and Melchisedek for them.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. A small image of the crucifix, which is handed from one to another to be kissed.

The Twelfth Chapter.

In the twelfth he allegeth that 'St Jerom and Augustine prayed to saints[1],' and concludeth, 'that if any sect be one better than another, they be the best.' I answer, though he could prove that they prayed to saints, yet could he not prove himself thereby of the best sect; nor that it were good therefore to pray to saints. For first, the apostles, patriarchs, and prophets were sure [2] to be followed, which prayed to none. And again, a good man might err in many things, and not be damned; so that his error were not directly against the promises that are in Christ's blood, neither that he held them maliciously: as if I believed that the souls were in heaven immediately, and that they prayed for us, as we do one for another, and did believe that they heard all that we spake or thought; and upon that prayed to some saint to pray for me, to put him in remembrance only, as I pray my neighbour, and without other trust or confidence; and though all be false, yet should I not be damned, so long as I had no obstinacy therein: for the faith that I have in Christ's blood should swallow up that error, till I were better taught. But M. More should have alleged the places where they prayed unto saints.

And then he allegeth against himself, that 'the miracles were wrought by God, to confirm his doctrine, and to testify that the preacher there was a true messenger.' But the miracles that confirm praying to saints do not confirm God's doctrine, but man's imaginations. For there was never man yet that came forth and said, 'Lo, the souls of the saints, that be dead, be in heaven in joy with Christ; and God will that ye pray unto them: in token whereof I do this or that miracle.'

And when he triumpheth a little after, as though all were won, saying, 'If our old holy doctors were false, and their doctrine untrue, and their miracles feigned, let them come forth and do miracles themselves, and prove ours feigned:' - Sir, ye have no doctors that did miracles to stablish your worshipping of images, and so forth. Your doctrine is but the opinion of faithless people, which to confirm the devil hath wrought much subtilty. And as for the miracles done at saints' graves, and at the presence of relics, as long as true miracles endured, and until the scripture was authentically received, [they] were done to confirm the preaching that such saints had preached, while they were alive. And thereto, the miracles which witches do, we confound not with other miracles; but with scripture we prove them not of God, but of the devil, to stablish a false faith, and to lead from God; as your doctrine doth. And likewise where we can confound your false doctrine with authentic and manifest scripture, there need we to do no miracle. We bring God's testament, confirmed with miracles, for all that we do; and ye ought to require no more of us.

And in like manner do ye first give us authentic scripture for your doctrine. If ye have no scripture, come forth and preach your doctrine, and confirm it with a miracle. And then if we bring not authentic scripture against you, or confound your miracle with a greater, as Moses did the sorcerers of Egypt, we will believe you.

And when he speaketh of trial of miracles, what do ye to try your miracles, whether they be true or feigned? And besides that, God's word, which should be the trial, ye refuse, and do all that ye can to falsify it.

And when he speaketh of sects of heretics, I answer, that they which ye call heretics believe all in one Christ, as the scripture teacheth; and ye in all things save Christ. And in your false doctrine, of your own feigning without scripture, ye have as many sundry sects as all monks and friars and students in divinity in all your universities. For first, ere ye come to divinity, ye be all taught to deny the salvation that is in Christ. And none of you teacheth another so much as the articles of your faith; but follow almost every man a sundry doctor, and in the scripture his own brain, framing it after the false opinions which he hath professed ere he come at it.

And when he saith, that 'God would soon utter [3] feigned miracles:' I answer, 'God hath had, at all times, one or another to improve [4] yours with God's word.' And I ask whether Mahomet's feigned miracles have not prevailed eight hundred years? And your abominable deeds, worse than the Turks, testify that ye love the truth less than they. And unto them that love not the truth hath God promised, by the mouth of Paul (2 Thess. ii.), to send them abundance and strength of false miracles, to stablish them in lies, and to deceive them, and lead them out of the way, so that they cannot but perish for their unkindness, that they loved not the truth to live thereafter, and to honour God in their members.

And when he saith, 'the heretics have no miracles;' I answer, 'They need not, so long as they have authentic scripture.' And when he saith, 'God sheweth no miracles for the doctors of the heretics:' No more he needeth not; for all they preach is the scripture, confirmed with miracles, and received many hundred years ago. And therefore God needeth not to shew miracles for them while they live, to strength their preaching. And to shew miracles for them when they be dead, to move the people to pray to them, and to put their trust in them, as ye do in yours, were to make them idols, and not saints.

And when he speaketh of miracles done in their churches in time of persecution; I answer, those were not the miracles of your church, but of them that believed the scripture and suffered for it, as the heretics do now. For ye had never persecution for your false doctrine, which ye have brought in besides the scripture, nor any that died for it; but ye persecute and slay whosoever with God's word doth rebuke it. And as for your own miracles of which ye make your boast, ye have feigned them so grossly, throughout all your legends of saints, that ye be now ashamed of them, and would fain be rid of them, if ye wist how, with honesty; and so would ye of a thousand things which ye have feigned. And the cause why heretics feign no miracles, as ye do, is, that they walk purely, and intend no falsehood: and why the devil doth none for them, is, that they cleave fast to God's word which the devil hateth, and can do no miracles to further it; but to hinder it, as he doth with you. Read the stories of your popes and cardinals, and see whether the devil hath not helped them unto high dignities. And look whether your holy bishops come any otherwise unto their promotions, than by serving the devil; in setting all Christendom at variance, in shedding blood, in bringing the commonwealth to tyranny, and in teaching Christian princes to rule more cruelly than did ever any heathen, contrary unto the doctrine of Christ.

And as for the Turks and Saracens, that ye speak of; I answer that they were Christians once, at the leastway for the most part. And because they had no love unto the truth, to live thereafter, (as ye have not,) God did send them false miracles, to carry them out of the right way, as ye be. And as for the Jews, why they bide out, is only because they have set up their own righteousness, as ye have, and therefore cannot admit the righteousness that is in Christ's blood; as ye cannot, and as ye have foresworn it.

And when he saith, 'In that they have miracles and the heretics none, it is a sure sign that they be the true church, and the heretics not;' had ye God's word with your miracles, and the heretics' doctrine were without, then it were true. But now, because ye have miracles without God's word, to confirm your false imaginations, and they which ye call heretics have God's word confirmed with miracles, five hundred years together, it is a sure sign that they be the true church and ye not, inasmuch also as Christ saith, that the deceivers shall come with miracles; yea, and in his name thereto, as ye do. For when Christ saith, there shall come in my name, that shall say he himself is Christ; who is that, save your pope, that will be Christ's vicar, and yet maketh men to believe in himself, in his bulls and calves' skins, and in whatsoever he listeth? And who be those false anointed, that shall come with miracles to deceive the elect if it were possible, save your pope with his gresiamus [5]?

And when he repeateth his miracles, to prove that the old holy doctors were good men in the right belief: I answer again, that the doctors which planted God's word watered it with miracles, while they were alive; and when they were dead, God shewed miracles at their graves, to confirm the same, as of Elias. And that continued, till the scripture was fully received and authentic. But ye cannot shew, nor shall, any doctor which, being alive, preached your false doctrine confirming it with miracles, as God doth his scripture.

Then saith he, 'God had in the old testament good men full of miracles, whose living a man might be bold to follow, and whose doctrine a man might believe, by reason of their miracles; and then juggleth, saying: 'If God should not so now, in the new testament, have doctors with miracles, to confirm their doctrine and livings, but contrariwise should bring to pass, or suffer to be brought to pass, with false miracles, that his church should take hypocrites for saints, which expounded the scripture falsely; then should he deceive his church, and not have his Spirit present in his church, to teach them all truth, as he promised them.' I answer, God suffereth not his church to be deceived; but he suffereth the pope's church, because they have no love unto the truth, to live after the laws of God, but consent unto all iniquity, as he suffered the church of Mahomet. Moreover, the gift of miracles was not always among the preachers in the old testament; for John Baptist did no miracle at all: the miracles were ceased long ere Christ. And as for you, in the pope's kingdom [ye] had never man that either confirmed God's doctrine or your own with miracles. All your saints be first saints when they be dead; and then do first miracles, to confirm tithes, and offerings, and the poetry which ye have feigned, and not true doctrine. For to confirm what preaching doth St Thomas of Canterbury miracles? He preached never, nor lived any other life than as our cardinal; and for his mischief died a mischievous death. And of our cardinal, if we be not diligent, they will make a saint also, and make a greater relic of his shoe than of the others.

And of your dead saints let us take one for an example. Thomas de Aquino is a saint full of miracles, as friars tell [6]; and his doctrine was, that our lady was born in original sin. And Duns, doing no miracle at all, because, I suppose, no man wotteth where he lieth, improveth that with his sophistry, and affirmeth the contrary [7]. And of the contrary hath the pope, for the devotion of that the grey friars gave him, ye may well think, made an article of the faith.

And finally, as for the miracles, they are to make a man astonied and to wonder, and to draw him to hear the word earnestly, rather than to write it in his heart. For whosoever hath no other feeling of the law of God, that it is good, than because of miracles, the same shall believe in Christ as did Simon Magus and Judas, and as they that came out of Egypt with Moses, and fell away at every temptation; and shall have good works like unto our popes, bishops, and cardinals. And therefore, when the scripture is fully received, there is no need of miracles: insomuch that they which will not believe Moses and the prophets, when the scripture is received, the same will be no true believers by the reason of miracles, though one arose from death to life to preach unto them, by the testimony of Christ.

And again, how doth St Jerome, Augustine, Bede [8], and many other old doctors, that were before the pope was crope up into the consciences of men, and had sent forth his damnable sects, to preach him under the name of Christ, as Christ prophesied it should be, expound this text, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church;" and this text, "Peter, feed my sheep;" and, "All power is given me in heaven and in earth;" and innumerable such texts clean contrary unto all those new old holy doctors, that have made the pope a god? They knew of no power that man should have in the kingdom of Christ, but to preach Christ truly. They knew of no power that the pope should have, to send to purgatory or to deliver thence; neither of any pardons, nor of any such confession as they preach and teach; neither were many that are articles with you, articles of their faith. They all preached forgiveness of sins through repentance toward the law, and faith in our Saviour Christ: as all the scripture plainly doth, and can no otherwise be taken, and as all the hearts of as many as love the law of God, do feel, as surely as the finger feeleth the fire hot.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. Cum talia vivorum solatia requiruntur, quibus eorum plus in suos animus appareat, non video quae sunt adjumenta mortuorum, nisi ad hoc ut, dum recolunt ubi sint posita eorum quos diligunt corpora, eisdem sanctis illos tamquam patronis susceptos apud Dominum adjuvandos orando commendent. Cum itaque recolit animus ubi sepultum sit carissimi corpus, et occurrit locus nomine martyris venerabilis, eidem martyri animam dilectam commendat recordantis et precantis affectus. Qui cum defunctis a fidelibus carissimis exhibetur, eum prodesse non dubium est iis qui, cum in corpore viverent, talia sibi post hanc vitam prodesse meruerunt. - August. Op. De cur. agend. pro Mort. Tom. VI. col. 519. B. D.

2. Sure, used for safe.

3. Utter: expose.

4. Improve: disprove.

5. A mock Latin word, for we anoint.

6. Plurium autem miraoulorum gloria [Thomas Aquinas] claruit. Nam et puer coecum illuminavit, et mulierem a daemonio vexatam liberavit, et matronam sibi devotam in die paschae post praedicationem a sanguinis profluvio sanam effecit; aliosque plures adversis languoribus exemit. - Petr. Natal. Catalog. Sanctor. Lib. III. cap. clxxxi. Argentin. 1513.

7. In his Sacrae Theologiae sententiarum Quaestiones perutiles, Duns Scotus examines the question, 'Utrum beata virgo fuerit concepta in originali peccato.' He begins the discussion with observing, Circa primum arguitur quod sicut in Adam omnes peccaverunt (Rom. v.) non nisi quia fuerunt in eo secundum rationem seminalem, ita fuit in eo beata virgo; ergo, &c. But he proceeds to set aside this and every other argument and authority; and determines the question in the negative. Lib. III. Dist. 3. qu. 1.

8. See Vol. I. notes to pp. 217, 218.

AN ANSWER TO M. MORE'S THIRD BOOK.

In his third book he proceedeth forth as before, to prove that the opinions which the popish teach without scripture are of equal authority with the scripture. He asketh, 'What if there had never been scripture written?' I answer, God careth for his elect; and therefore hath provided them of scripture, to try all things, and to defend them from all false prophets. And I say moreover, that if there had been no scripture written, that God, for his mercy and fatherly love and care towards his elect, must have provided, that there should never have been heresies, or, against all times when sects should arise, have stirred up preachers to confound the heresies with miracles. Take this example: the Greeks have the scripture, and serve God therein, much more diligently than we. Now let us give that there were no scripture, but that we received all our faith by the authority of our elders, and the Greeks by the authority of their elders. When I shall dispute with a Greek about the articles of the faith which my elders taught me, and his elders deny, as ear-confession, the holy pardons of the pope, and all his power that he hath above other bishops, and many other things beside the scripture, which we hold for articles of our faith, and they deny; if there be no other proof of either part than to say, 'My elders, which cannot err, so affirm;' and that he should answer, 'His elders, which cannot err, so deny;' what reason is it, that I should leave the authority of my elders, and go and believe his; or that he should leave the authority of his elders, and come and believe mine? None at all, verily. But the one party must shew a miracle, or else we must refer our causes unto authentic scripture, received in old time, and confirmed with miracles, and therewith try the controversy of our elders.

And when he asketh, 'whether there were no true faith from Adam to Noe?' I answer, that God partly wrote their faith in their sacrifices, and partly the patriarchs were full of miracles, as ye may see in the bible.

And when More, to utter his darkness and blind ignorance saith, that 'they which were overwhelmed with Noe's flood had a good faith,' and bringeth for him Nicolas de Lyra [1]; I answer, that Nicolas de Lyra delirat. For it is impossible to have a faith to be saved by, except a man consent unto God's law with all his heart and all his soul, that it is righteous, holy, good, and to be kept of all men, and thereupon repent that he hath broken it, and sorrow that his flesh moveth unto the contrary; and then come and believe that God for his mercy will forgive him all that he hath done against the law, and will help him to tame his flesh, and suffer his weakness in the mean season, till he be waxed stronger: which faith if they that perished in Noe's flood had had, they could not but have mended their livings, and had not hardened their hearts through unbelief, and provoked the wrath of God, and waxed worse and worse an hundred and twenty years, which God gave them to repent; until God could no longer suffer them, but washed their filthiness away with the flood, (as he doth the pope's shameful [2] abominations with like inundations of water,) and destroyed them utterly.

And when he asketh, 'whether Abraham believed no more than was written for him?' I ask him how he will prove that there was no writing in Abraham's time, and that Abraham wrote not? And again, as for Abraham's person, he received his faith of God; which to confirm unto others, miracles were shewed daily.

And when he feigneth forth, that 'they believed only because they knew their elders could not err:' how could they know that without miracles, or writing confirmed with miracles, more than the Turk knoweth that his elders, so many hundred years, in so great a multitude cannot err; and teach false doctrine, to damn the believers? And the contrary doth Master More see in all the bible, how after all was received in scripture, confirmed with miracles, and though miracles ceased not, but were shewed daily, yet the elders erred and fell to idolatry, an hundred for one that bode in the right way; and led the younger into error with them so sore, that God, to save the younger, was fain to destroy the elders, and to begin his testament afresh with the new generation.

He seeth also that the most part were alway idolaters, for all the scripture and true miracles thereto, and believed the false miracles of the devil, because his doctrine was more agreeable unto their carnal understanding than the doctrine of God's Spirit; as it now goeth with the pope. Did not scribes, Pharisees, and priests, which were the elders, err?

And when he asketh, 'who taught the church to know the true scripture from false books'? I answer, true miracles, that confounded the false, gave authority unto the true scripture. And thereby have we ever since judged all other books and doctrine; and by that we know that your legends be corrupt with lies: as Erasmus hath improved many false books, which ye have feigned and put forth in the name of St Jerome, Augustine, Cyprian, Dionyse, and of other, partly with authentic stories, and partly by the style and Latin, and like evident tokens.

And when M. More saith, 'unto them that believe nought but the scripture he will prove with the scripture, that we be bound to believe the church in things, wherefor they have no scripture; because God hath promised in the scripture that the Holy Ghost shall teach his church all truth:' nay, that text will not prove it. For the first church taught nought, but they confirmed it with miracles, which could not be done but of God, till the scripture was authentically received. And the church following teacheth nought that they will have believed, as an article of the faith, but that which the scripture proveth and maintaineth: as St Augustine protesteth of his works, that men should compare them unto the scripture, and thereby judge them, and cast away whatsoever the scripture did not allow [3]. And therefore they that will be believed without scripture are false hypocrites, and not Christ's church. For though I know that that messenger which Christ sendeth cannot lie; yet in a company where many liars be, I cannot know which is he, without a token of scripture or of miracle.

And when he saith 'the scripture itself maketh us not to believe the scripture, but the church teacheth us to know the scripture; for a man might read it, and not believe it [4]:' and so I say, that a man might hear you preach, and yet believe you not also. And I say thereto, that your church teacheth not to know the scripture, but hideth it in the Latin from the common people; and from them that understand Latin they hide the true sense with a thousand false glosses. And I say moreover, that the scripture is the cause why men believe the scripture; as well as a preacher is the cause why men believe his preaching. For as he that first told in England that the Rhodes was taken, was the cause why some believed it; even so might writing, sent from those parts, be the cause that some men which read it believed it. M. More will say, that letter had his authority of the man that sent it; and so hath the scripture her authority of the church. Nay, the scripture hath her authority of him that sent it, that is to wete, of God, which thing the miracles did testify; and not of the man that brought it.

He will say, thou knowest the scripture by their shewing. I grant, at the beginning I do. Then will he say, 'Why should ye not believe them, in all their other doctrine besides the scripture, and in all their expositions of the scripture, as well as ye believe them, when they tell you that such and such books are the scripture? May they not shew you a false book?' Yes, and therefore at the beginning I believe all alike. Every lie that they tell, out of their own brains, we believe to be scripture; and so should I believe them if they shewed me a false book: but when I have read the scripture, and find not their doctrine there, nor depend [5] thereof, I do not give so great credence unto their other doctrine, as unto the scripture. Why? For I find more witnesses unto the scripture than unto their other doctrine. I find whole nations and countries that receive the scripture, and refuse their other doctrine, and their expositions in many places. And I find the scripture otherwise expounded of them of old time, than they, which now will be the church, expound it: whereby their doctrine is the more suspect. I find mention made of the scripture in stories, that it was, when I can find no mention or likelihood, that their doctrine was. I find in all ages that men have resisted their doctrine with the scripture, and have suffered death by the hundred thousands in resisting their doctrine. I see their doctrine brought in and maintained by a contrary way to that by which the scripture was brought in. I find by the self-same scripture, when I look diligently thereon, that their other doctrine cannot stand therewith. I find in the scripture that they which have not Christ's Spirit, to follow the steps of his living, pertain not unto Christ (Rom. viii.). I find in the scripture, that they which walk in their carnal birth, after the manner of the children of Adam, cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Cor. ii.). I find in the scripture that they which seek glory cannot believe Christ (John v.). I find in the scripture, that they which submit not themselves to do the will of God, cannot know what doctrine is of God, and what not (John vii.). I find in the scripture, (Jer. xxxi. and Heb. viii.), that all the children of God, which only are the true members of his church, have every one of them the law of God written in their hearts; so that if there were no law to compel, they would yet naturally, out of their own hearts, keep the law of God; yea, and against violence compelling to the contrary.

And I see that they which will be the church, (and to prove it, have [6] not so great trust in the scripture as in their sophistry, and in the sword which they have set up in all lands, to keep them with violence in the room,) are so far off from having the laws of God written in their hearts, that they neither by God's law, nor man's, refrain from their open outward wicked living. Look in the chronicles, what blood it hath cost England, to attempt to bring them under the law! Yea, and see what business the realm hath had to keep the prelates within the realm from taking the benefices with them, and lying at Rome, and yet scarcely brought it to pass, for all that the pope hath the stint of every bishoprick and of every great abbey thereto, as oft as any is void, ere a new be admitted to the room. And I see them bond unto their own will, and both to do, and to consent unto other to do, all that God hath forbidden. I see them, of all people, most vain-glorious. I see them walk after their fleshly birth. I see them so far off from the image of Christ, that not only they will not die for their flock after his ensample, but also ere they would lose one town, or village, any polling, or privilege which they have falsely gotten, bringing themselves into good pastures with wiles, and shutting their flock without, they would cast away an hundred thousand of them in one day, and beggar their realms, yea, and interdict them, and bring in strange nations, though it were the Turks, to conquer them and slay them up, so much as the innocent in the cradle. And I see that their other doctrine is for their vantage only, and that therewith they have gotten all that they have.

And I find in the scripture that the Jews, before the coming of Christ, knew that those books were the scripture by the scribes and the Pharisees. And yet as many as believed their other doctrine, and many expositions of the scripture, were deceived, as ye see; and how Christ delivered them out of error. And I see again (which is no small miracle), that the merciful care of God to keep the scripture to be a testimony unto his elect is so great, that no men be more jealous over the books, to keep them, and shew them, and to allege that they be the scripture of God and true, than they which, when it is read in their ears, have no power to believe it; as the Jews and the popish. And therefore, because they neither can believe it false, neither consent that it is true as it soundeth plainly in their ears, in that it is so contrary unto their fleshly wisdom, from which they cannot depart; they seek a thousand glosses, to turn it into another sense, to make it agree unto their beastliness; and where it will receive no such glosses, there they think that no man understandeth it.

Then in the end of the chapter M. More cometh unto his wise conclusion, and proveth nothing, save sheweth his ignorance, as in all things. He saith, 'We believe the doctrine of the scripture without scripture, as for an ensample, the pope's pardons, because only that the church so teacheth, though no scripture confirmeth it.' Why so? 'Because,' saith he, 'the Holy Ghost by inspiration, if I do my endeavour, and captivate mine understanding, teacheth me to believe the church concerning God's word, taught by the church and graven in men's hearts without scripture, as well as he teacheth us to believe words written in the scripture.' Mark where he is now. Afore he saith,' the scripture causeth us not to believe the scripture; for a man may read it and believe it not.' And much more the preacher maketh us not to believe the preacher; for a man may hear him and believe him not also: as we see the apostles could not cause all men to believe them. For though the scripture be an outward instrument, and the preacher also, to move men to believe, yet the chief and principal cause why a man believeth, or believeth not, is within: that is, the Spirit of God teacheth his children to believe; and the devil blindeth his children, and keepeth them in unbelief, and maketh them to consent unto lies, and think good evil, and evil good: as the Acts of the apostles say in many places, "There believed as many as were ordained unto everlasting life." And Christ saith (John viii.), "They that be of God hear God's word." And unto the wicked Jews he saith, "Ye cannot believe, because ye be not of God." And in the same place saith he, "Ye be of your father the devil, and his will ye will do; and he bode not in the truth," and therefore will not suffer his children to consent to the truth. And (John in the xth) saith Christ, "All that came before me be thieves and murderers, but my sheep heard not their voices:" that is, all that preach any salvation save in Christ, murder the souls. Howbeit, Christ's sheep could not consent to their lies, as the rest cannot but believe lies; so that there is ever a remnant kept by grace. And of this I have seen divers examples. I have known as holy men as might be, as the world counteth holiness, which at the hour of death had no trust in God at all, but cried, 'Cast holy water, light the holy candle,' and so forth; sore lamenting that they must die. And I have known other which were despised, as men that cared not for their divine service, which at death have fallen so flat upon the blood of Christ as is possible, and have preached unto other mightily, as it had been an apostle of our Saviour, and comforted them with comfort of the life to come, and have died so gladly, that they would have received no world's good to bide still in the flesh. And thus is M. More fallen upon predestination, and is compelled, with violence of scripture, to confess that which he hateth and studieth to make appear false, to establish free will withal, not so much of ignorance, I fear, as for lucre sake, and to get honour, promotion, dignity, and money, by help of our mitred monsters. Take example of Balaam, the false prophet, which gave counsel and sought means, through like blind covetousness, to make the truth, and prophecy which God had shewed him, false. He had the knowledge of the truth, but without love thereto, and therefore for vantage became enemy unto the truth: but what became of him?

But M. More peppereth his conclusion, lest men should feel the taste, saying, 'If we endeavour ourselves, and captive our understanding to believe [7].' 0 how beetle-blind is fleshly reason! The will hath none operation at all in the working of faith in my soul, no more than the child hath in the begetting of his father: for, saith Paul, "It is the gift of God," and not of us. My wit must conclude good or bad, ere my will can love or hate. My wit must shew me a true cause, or an apparent cause why, ere my will have any working at all. And of that peppering it well appeareth what the pope's faith is; even a blind imagination of their natural wit, wrought without the light of the Spirit of God, agreeing unto their voluptuous lusts, in which their beastly will so delighteth, that he will not let their wits attend unto any other learning, for unquieting himself, and stirring from his pleasure and delectation.

And thus we be as far asunder as ever we were, and his mighty arguments prove not the value of a poding-prick [8]. M. More feeleth in his heart by inspiration, and with his endeavouring himself and captivating his understanding to believe it, that there is a purgatory as hot as hell; wherein if a silly soul were appointed by God to lie a thousand years, to purge him withal, the pope, for the value of a groat, shall command him thence full purged in the twinkling of an eye; and by as good reason, if he were going thence, keep him there still. He feeleth by inspiration, and in captivating his wits, that the pope can work wonders with a calf's skin; that he can command one to eat flesh, though he be never so lusty, and that another eat none on pain of damnation, though he should die for lack of it; and that he can forgive sin and not the pain, and as much and as little of the pain, or all if he lust, and yet can neither help him to love the law, or to believe, or to hate the flesh, seeing he preacheth not. And such things innumerable M. More feeleth true; and therefore believeth that the pope is the true church.

And I clean contrary feel, that there is no such worldly and fleshly imagined purgatory. For I feel that the souls be purged only by the word of God, and doctrine of Christ; as it is written (John xv.), "Ye be clean through the word," saith Christ to his apostles. And I feel again, that he which is clean through the doctrine needeth not but to wash his feet only, for his head and hands are clean already (John xiii.); that is, he must tame his flesh, and keep it under, for his soul is clean already through the doctrine. I feel also that bodily pain doth but purge the body only; insomuch that the pain not only purgeth not the soul, but maketh it more foul, except that there be kind learning by, to purge the soul: so that the more a man beateth his son, the worse he is, except he teach him lovingly, and shew him kindness besides; partly to keep him from desperation, and partly that he fall not into hate of his father and of his commandment thereto, and think that his father is a tyrant and his law but tyranny.

M. More feeleth, with his good endeayour and inspiration together, that a man may have the best faith coupled with the worst life and with consenting to sin. And I feel that it is impossible to believe truly, except a man repent; and that it is impossible to trust in the mercy that is in Christ, or to feel it, but that a man must immediately love God and his commandments, and therefore disagree and disconsent unto the flesh, and be at bate therewith, and fight against it. And I feel that every soul that loveth the law, and hateth his flesh, and believeth in Christ's blood, hath his sins which he committed, and pain which he deserved, in hating the law and consenting unto his flesh, forgiven him by that faith. And I feel that the frailty of the flesh, against which a believing soul fighteth to subdue it, is also forgiven, and not reckoned or imputed for sin, all the time of our curing: as a kind father and mother reckon not, or impute the impossibility of their young children to consent unto their law; and as when the children be of age and consent, then they reckon not nor impute the impossibility of the flesh to follow it immediately, but take all aworth, and love them no less, but rather more tenderly than their old and perfect children that do their commandments, so long as they go to school, and learn such things as their fathers and mothers set them to.

And I believe that every soul that repenteth, believeth, and loveth the law, is through that faith a member of Christ's church, and pure, without spot or wrinkle, as Paul affirmeth (Eph. v.): And it is an article of my belief, that Christ's elect church is holy and pure without sin, and every member of the same, through faith in Christ; and that they be in the full favour of God. And I feel that the uncleanness of the soul is but the consent unto sin and unto the flesh. And therefore I feel that every soul that believeth, and consenteth unto the law, and here in this life hateth his flesh and the lusts thereof, and doth his best to drive sin out of his flesh, and for hate of the sin gladly departeth from his flesh; when he is dead, and the lusts of the flesh slain with death, needeth not as it were bodily tormenting, to be purged of that whereof he is quit already. And therefore, if aught remain, it is but to be taught, and not to be beaten. And I feel that every soul, that beareth fruit in Christ, shall be purged of the Father to bear more fruit day by day, as is written (John xv.), not in the pope's purgatory, where no man feeleth it, but here in this life such fruit as is unto his neighbour's profit; so that he which hath his hope in Christ purgeth himself here, as Christ is pure (1 John iii.); and that ever yet the blood of Jesus only doth purge us of all our sins, for the imperfectness of our works. And I feel that the forgiveness of sins is to remit mercifully the pain that I have deserved. And I do believe that the pain that I here suffer in my flesh is to keep the body under, and to serve my neighbour, and not to make satisfaction unto God for the fore sins.

And therefore, when the pope describeth God after his covetous complexion, and when Master More feeleth by inspiration, and captivating his wits unto the pope, that God forgiveth the everlasting pain, and will yet punish me a thousand years in the pope's purgatory, that leaven savoureth not in my mouth. I understand my father's words as they sound, and after the most merciful manner; and not after the pope's leaven and M. More's captivating his wits, to believe that every poet's fable is a true story. There is no father here that punisheth his son to purge him, when he is purged already, and hath utterly forsaken sin and evil, and hath submitted himself unto his father's doctrine. For to punish a man that has forsaken sin of his own accord, is not to purge him, but to satisfy the lust of a tyrant: neither ought it to be called purgatory, but a jail of tormenting, and a satisfactory. And when the pope saith it is done to satisfy the righteousness, as a judge, I say we that believe have no judge of him, but a father; neither shall we come into judgment, as Christ hath promised us, but are received under grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Shew the pope a little money, and God is so merciful that there is no purgatory. And why is not the fire out as well, if I offer for me the blood of Christ? If Christ hath deserved all for me, who gave the pope might to keep part of his deservings from me, and to buy and sell Christ's merits, and to make merchandise over us with feigned words? And thus, as M. More feeleth that the pope is holy church, I feel that he is antichrist; and as my feeling can be no proof to him, no more can his, with all his captivating his wits to believe phantasies, be unto me. Wherefore, if he have no other probation, to prove that the pope is holy church, than that his heart so agreeth unto his learning, he ought of no right to compel with sword unto his sect. Howbeit there are ever two manner people that will cleave unto God, a fleshly and a spiritual. The spiritual, which be of God, shall hear God's word; and the children of the truth shall consent unto the truth. And contrary, the fleshly and children of falsehood and of the devil, whose hearts be full of lies, shall naturally consent unto lies: as young children, though they have eat themselves as good as dead with fruit, yet will not, nor cannot, believe him that telleth them that such fruit is naught; but him that praiseth them will they hear, and eat themselves stark dead, because their hearts be full of lies, and they judge all things as they appear unto the eyes. And the fleshly-minded, as soon as he believeth of God as much as the devil doth, he hath enough; and goeth to, and serveth God with bodily service, as he before served his idols, and after his own imagination; and not in the spirit, in loving his laws and believing his promises, or longing for them: no, if he might ever live in the flesh, he would never desire them. And God must do for him again, not what God hath [9] promised, but what he lusteth. And his brother that serveth God in the spirit, according to God's word, him will the carnal beast persecute: so that he which will godly live, must suffer persecution unto the world's end, according to the doctrine of Christ and of his apostles, and according unto the ensamples that are gone before.

And finally, I have better reasons for my feeling that the pope is antichrist, than M. More hath for his endeavouring himself, and captivating his wits, that he is the true church. For the church that was the true messenger of God, hath ever shewed a sign and a badge thereof, either a present miracle or authentic scripture; insomuch that Moses, when he was sent, asked, "How shall they believe me?" And God gave him a sign, as ever before and since. Neither was there any other cause of the writing of the new and the last and everlasting Testament, than that when miracles ceased, we might have wherewith to defend ourselves against false doctrine and heresies; which we could not do, if we were bound to believe that were nowhere written. And again, if the pope could not err in his doctrine, he could not sin of purpose and profession, abominably and openly, above the Turks and all the heathen that ever were; and defend it so maliciously as he hath, eight hundred years long; and will not be reformed; and maketh them his saints and his defenders, that sin as he doth. He persecuteth as the carnal church ever did, when the scripture is away; he proveth his doctrine with the scripture, and as soon as the scripture cometh to light, he runneth away unto his sophistry and unto his sword. We see also by stories how your confession, penance, and pardons, are come up; and whence your purgatory is sprung. And your falsehood in the sacraments we see by open scripture. And all your works we rebuke with the scripture; and therewith prove that the false belief, that ye couple to them, may not stand with the true faith that is in our Saviour Jesus.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. 'Now as for the days, quod I, of Noe himself, though there were few saved alive, yet proveth not that the people to be all miscreants and without faith. For it fared by them as it fareth now by us, that there were many that believed the truth and had a faith; but they followed the flesh, and sank for their sin. And albeit that in the first epistle of St Peter it might seem some incredulity in them, yet may it be that it stretched no further than to the lack of fear in the credence of God's commination, and overmuch hope and boldness of God's further favour and sufferance; whereof they repented after, too late for this present life, and yet many through God's mercy not too late for the final salvation of their souls (as appeareth by the good and great clerk, Nicolaus de Lyra, upon the same place), which could in no wise have been so if they had lacked faith.' More's Works, p. 205. The passage referred to in N. de Lyra is: Potest dici probabiliter quod, videntes diluvium increscere secundum quod praedixerat Noe, crediderunt multi, qui prius erant increduli, et penituerunt de peccatis suis, et sic descenderunt ad limbum cum patribus aliis. Si autem contra hoc dicatur quod diluvium venit sic subito quod non potuerunt penitere; secundum quod videtur Salvator dicere, Edebant et bibebant &c. et venit diluvium et perdidit omnes; Dicendum quod licet subito venerit in vallibus et plana terra, non tamen sic in montibus, quia aquae in augmento suo posuerunt quadraginta dies et quadraginta noctes. Et sic habitantes in locis arduis videntes aquas increscere, sicut dixerat Noe, potuerunt penitere; et forte de aliis sicut de istis dicitur, 'Qui in creduli fuerant aliquando,' scilicet ante inundationem diluvii, sed tunc crediderunt. Part. VI. 221. D. Basil. 1508. Postill. in 1 Pet. iii. 19.

2. So D., but C. U. L. ed. has same.

3. Noli meis literis quasi scripturis canonicis inservire: sed in illis et quod non credebas cum inveneris, incunctanter crede; in istis autem quod certum non habebas nisi certum intellexeris, noli firmiter retinere. - Aug. de Trinit. Lib. III. Procem.

4. More's Works, p. 206.

5. Depend, for to depend.

6. So C. U. L. ed. but D. hath.

7. "As when we hear the scripture or read it, if we be not rebellious, but endeavour ourselves to believe, and captive and subdue our understanding to serve and follow faith, praying for his gracious aid and help, he then worketh with us, and inwardly doth incline our heart into the assent of that we read, and after a little spark of our faith increaseth the credence in our incredulity; so doth his goodness, in like wise, incline and move the mind of every like toward and like well-willing body, to the giving of fast and firm credence to the faith that the church teacheth him, in such things as be not in the scripture, and to believe that God hath taught his church those things without writing." More's Dial. Works, p. 206.

8. Or pudding-fork. More in this same book of his Dialogue speaks of "a great post well thwyted to a pudding-prick."

9. So C. U. L. ed. but D. he had.

The Second Chapter.

In the end of the second chapter he bringeth in "Eutychus, that fell out at a window, (Acts xx.) whom," saith he, "St Paul's merits did recover." Verily, Paul durst not say so; but that Christ's merits did it. Peter saith, (Acts iii.), "Ye men of Israel, why gaze ye and stare upon us, as though we by our power and godliness had made this man go?" Nay, the name of Jesus, and faith that is in him, hath given him strength and made him sound. And even here it was the name of Jesus, through Paul's faith, that did that miracle; and not Paul's merits, though he were never so holy.

The Third Chapter.

In the third chapter he saith, that "Bilney's judges, (which he yet nameth not, for fear of slandering them) were indifferent." Nay, they that take rewards be not indifferent: for rewards and gifts "blind the eyes of the seeing, and pervert the words of the righteous" (Deut. xvi.). Now all they that be shorn take great rewards to defend pilgrimages, purgatory, and praying unto saints: even the third part, I trow, of all Christendom. For all they have, they have received in the name of purgatory and of saints; and on that foundation be all their bishopricks, abbeys, colleges, and cathedral churches built. If they be indifferent judges, they must be made servants, and do service as their duty is. And when they have done a quarter's service, then give them wages, as right is: unto every man that laboureth in Christ's harvest a sufficient living, and no more; and that in the name of his labour, and not of saints, and so forth. And then they shall be more indifferent judges, when there cometh no vantage to judge more on one side than another.

The Fourth Chapter.

In the end of the fourth he saith, "The man [1] took an oath secretly, and was dismissed with secret penance." O hypocrites! why dare ye not do it openly?

FOOTNOTES:

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1. That is, Bilney.

The Fifth Chapter.

In the fifth, the messenger asketh him whether he were present? And he denieth and saith ever, 'He heard say.' Alas, sir! why take you bribes to defend that you know not? Why suffer you not them that were present, and to whom the matter pertaineth, to lie for themselves?

Then he jesteth out the matter with Wilkin and Simkin, as he doth Hunne [1] and every thing; because men should not consider their falsehood earnestly. Wherein behold his subtle conveyance. He asketh, "What, if Simkin would have sworn that he saw men make those prints?" Whereunto M. More answereth under the name of 'quod he,' that he "would swear that, besides the loss of the wager, he had lost his honesty and his soul thereto," Behold this man's gravity: how could you that do, when the case is possible? You should have put him to his proofs, and bid him bring record [2].

Then saith he, "the church receiveth no man convict of heresy unto mercy; but of mercy receiveth him to open shame." Of such mercy, God give them plenty that are so merciful.

Then he sheweth "how merciful they were, to receive the man to penance, that abode still in perjury and deadly sin." 0 shameless hypocrites! how can ye receive into the congregation of Christ an open obstinate sinner, that repenteth not, when ye are commanded of Christ to cast all such out? And again, 0 scribes and Pharisees, by what example of Christ and of his doctrine can ye put a man that repenteth unto open shame; and to that thing whereby ever after he is had in derision among his brethren, of whom he ought to be loved, and not mocked? Ye might enjoin honest things, to tame his flesh, as prayer and fasting; and not that which should be to him shame ever after, and such as ye yourselves would not do.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. In the fifteenth chapter, yet to be noticed.

2. It would require the insertion of a tedious poor jest of More's, to make all the clauses of this paragraph thoroughly intelligible to the reader.

The Seventh Chapter.

In the seventh chapter, he maketh much to do about swearing, and that for a subtle purpose. Notwithstanding, the truth is, that no judge ought to make a man swear against his will, for many inconvenients. If a man receive an office, he that putteth him in the room ought to charge him to do it truly, and may, and haply ought, to take an oath of him. If a man offer himself to bear witness, the judge may, and of some haply ought, to take an oath of them; but to compel a man to bear witness, ought he not. And moreover, if a judge put a man to an oath, that he shall answer unto all that he shall be demanded of, he ought to refuse. Howbeit, if he have sworn, and then the wicked judge ask him of things hurtful unto his neighbour, and against the love that is in Christ, then he must repent that he hath sworn; but not sin again to fulfil his oath. For it is against God's commandment, that a man should hurt his neighbour that hath not deserved it.

The Eighth Chapter.

Unto 'church, priest, charity, grace, confession and penance,' is answered him in the beginning of the book. And when he saith "Tyndale was confederate with Luther," that is not truth.

The Ninth Chapter.

Than his ninth chapter, is there nothing more foolish. For if he would have any wise man to believe that my translation would destroy the mass, any otherwise than the Latin or Greek text, he should have alleged the place, and how.

The Eleventh Chapter.

In the eleventh chapter, M. More will not defend the living of our spiritualty; because it is so open that he cannot. And as little should he be able to defend their lies, if the light were abroad that men might see. And as he cannot deny them abominable, so cannot he deny them obstinate and indurate therein; for they have been oft rebuked with God's word, but in vain. And of such the text is plain, that they cannot understand the scripture. And yet M. More will receive rewards, to dispute against the heresies of some such as be cast out of Christ's churches by such holy patriarchs, whose livings he himself cannot praise: as holy Judas, though the prelates of his church, that is the Pharisees, were never so abominable, yet because Christ's doctrine was condemned of them, as of God's church that could not err, and all that believed on him excommunicate, he was bold to say, Quid vultis mihi dare, et ego tradam eum vobis? that is, "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?"

The Twelfth Chapter.

In the twelfth he hath one conclusion, that "the prayers of an evil priest profit not." Which though it be true, yet the contrary is believed among a great many in all quarters of England; so blind be the people, and wot not what prayer meaneth. I have heard men of no small reputation say, ere this, in great audience, that it maketh no matter whether the priest were good or bad, so he took money to pray, (as they seldom pray without;) for he could not hurt the prayer, were he never so naughty.

And when he saith that "the evil priest hurteth us not so much with his living, as he profiteth us with ministering the sacraments;" 0 worldly wisdom! if a man lead me through a jeopardous place by day, he cannot hurt me so greatly as by night. The Turk seeth that murder, theft, extortion, oppression, and adultery be sin. But when he leadeth me by the darkness of sacraments without signification, I cannot but catch harm, and put my trust and confidence in that which is neither God nor his word. As for an ensample, what trust put the people in anoiling, and how they cry for it, with no other knowledge than that the oil saveth them; unto their damnation, and denying of Christ's blood!

And when he saith, "the priest offereth, or sacrificeth Christ's body;" I answer, "Christ was offered once for all," as it is to see in the epistle to the Hebrews [1]. As the priest slayeth Christ, breaketh his body, and sheddeth his blood, so he sacrificeth him and offereth him. Now the priest slayeth him not actually, nor breaketh his body actually, nor sheddeth his blood actually, neither scourgeth him, and so forth, throughout all his passion; but representeth his slaying, his body-breaking, and blood-shedding for my sins, and all the rest of his passion, and playeth it before mine eyes only: which signification of the mass because the people understand not, therefore they receive no forgiveness of their sins thereby; and thereto cannot but catch hurt in their souls, through a false faith, as it well appeareth how every man cometh thereto for a sundry imagination, all ignorant of the true way.

Let no man beguile you with his juggling sophistry. Our offering of Christ is to believe in him, and to come with a repenting heart unto the remembrance of his passion; and to desire God the Father, for the breaking of Christ's body on the cross, and shedding of his blood, and for his death, and all his passions, to be merciful unto us, and to forgive us, according to his testament and promise: and so we receive forgiveness of our sins. And other offering or sacrificing of Christ, is there now none. Walk in the open light and feeling; and let not yourselves be led with juggling words, as mules and asses in which there is none understanding.

More: - "Deacons were had in price in the old time [2]."

Tyndale: - For the deacons then took the care of all the poor; and suffered none to go a begging, but provided a living for every one of them: where now they that should be deacons make themselves priests, and rob the poor of lands, rents, offerings and all that was given them, devouring all themselves, and the poor dying for hunger.

More: - "Priests be despised because of the multitude."

Tyndale: - If there were but one in the world, as men say of the phoenix, yet if he lived abominably, he could not but be despised.

More: - "A man may have a good faith coupled with all manner sin [3]."

Tyndale: - A good faith putteth away all sin: how then can all manner of [4] sin dwell with a good faith? I dare say, that M. More durst affirm, that a man might love God and hate his neighbour both at once; and yet St John, in his epistle, will say that he saith untruly. But Master More meaneth of the best faith that ever he felt. By all likelihood he knoweth of none other, but such as may stand with all wickedness, neither in himself nor in his prelates: wherefore inasmuch as their faith may stand with all that Christ hateth, I am sure he looketh but for small thanks [5] of God for his defending of them; and therefore he playeth surely, to take his reward here of our holy patriarchs.

More: - "Few durst be priests in the old time."

Tyndale: - Then they knew the charge, and feared God. But now they know the vantage, and dread him not.

More: - "If the laws of the church were executed, which Tyndale and Luther would have burnt [6], it would be better."

Tyndale: - If the testament of our Saviour might be known, for blind wretches and covetous tyrants, it would write the law of God in all men's hearts that believed it; and then should men naturally, and without compulsion, keep all honesty. And again, though the pope's law could help, yet is no [7] law as good as a law unexecuted.

FOOTNOTES:

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1. Heb. x

2. "The time hath been when there were very few [priests] in a great city; and in a monastery of 500, in one house, scantly would there four monks be bold to be priests. Then was all holy orders in high honour. Then find we that the degree of a deacon was a great thing; and of such dignity that when one of them went sometime in pilgrimage, he would not be aknowen of his order," [See Vol. I. p. 465], "because he would not that folk should do him worship by the way." Dial. p. 227.

3. Though no such affirmation appears in this chapter of the Dialogue, as printed in 1557, More does not charge Tyndale, in his Confutacyon, with having misrepresented him in this instance. In fact, he had taught this doctrine, in what he had said about the sinners drowned by the flood. See p. 134.

4. So D., but C. U. L. has alway sin.

5. So D., but C. U. L. has thanges.

6. An allusion to Luther's burning the pope's decretals.

7. So D., but C. U. L. has is not yet no, and puts the clause interrogatively.

The Thirteenth Chapter.

In the thirteenth he rageth, and fareth exceeding foul with himself. There he biteth, sucketh, gnaweth, towseth and mowseth Tyndale [1]. There he weeneth that he hath won his spurs, and that it is not possible to answer him. And yet there, because he there most standeth in his own conceit, I doubt not, unto them that be learned in Christ, to prove him most ignorant of all, and clean without understanding of godly things.

And I say yet, that as no woman ought to rule a man's office, where a man is present, by the order of nature; and as a young man ought not to be chosen to minister in the church, where an old, meet for the room, may be had, by the order of nature; even so it was Paul's meaning to prefer the married before the unmarried, for the inconveniences that might chance by the reason of unchastity: which inconveniences M. More might see, with sorrow of heart, (if he had as great love to Christ as to other things,) to happen daily unto the shame of Christ's doctrine among priests, friars, and monks, partly with open whores, partly with their sodomitry, whereof they cast each other in the teeth daily in every abbey, for the least displeasure that one doth to another. M. More might see what occasions of unchastity be given unto the curates [2] every where, by the reason of their office and daily conversation with the married.

And when he saith, never man could find that exposition till now; there he saith untrue. For St Jerome himself saith that he knew them that so expounded the text; and rebuked them of Rome, because they would not admit into the clergy them that had had two wives, the one before baptism, and the other after, saying: 'If a man had killed twenty men before his baptism, they would not have forbidden him; and why then should that which is no sin at all be a let unto him [3]?' But the god of Rome would not hear him. For Satan began then to work his mysteries of wickedness.

And when he saith, he that hath ten wives hath but one wife [4]; I say that one is taken, by the use of speaking, for one only: as when I say, 'I am content to give thee one,' meaning one only; and, 'Unto him that hath no help, is there one help, - to look for no help:' where one help is taken for one only; and many places else.

And when M. More saith, "He that hath had two wives, one after another, may not be priest;" and that, "If a priest's wife die, he may not have another;" or that, "If he were made priest, having no wife, he might not after marry, if he burnt;" I desire a reason of him. If he say, 'It hath been so the use:' Then, say I, an whore is better than a wife; for that hath been the use of our holy father many hundred years. But I affirm unto M. More the contrary. And I say first with Paul, that "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink," and by the same reason neither husband or wife, but the keeping of the commandments, and to love every man his neighbour as himself. And therefore as meat and drink were ordained for man's necessity, and as a man may eat and drink at all needs in all degrees, so far as it letteth him not to keep the commandments and to love his neighbour as himself; even so was the wife created for the man's necessity, and therefore may a man use her at all his need in all degrees, as far as she letteth him not to keep God's law: which is nothing else by Paul's learning, than that a man love his neighbour as himself. Now I desire a reason of Master More's doctrine: what doth my second wife, or my third, hinder me to love my neighbour as myself, and to do him service, against I come to be priest? What let is your second wife to you, to serve our holy father the pope, more than your first would have been? And in like manner, if my first wife die when I am a priest, why may I not love my neighbour, and do him as good service with the second as with the first? And again, if I be made priest, having no wife, and after burn, and therefore marry; why may I not love my neighbour, and serve him with that wife, as well as he that brought a wife with him?

It was not for nought that Paul prophesied, that "some should depart from the faith, and attend unto deceivable spirits, and devilish doctrine; forbidding to marry and to eat meats, which God hath created to be received with thanks of them that know the truth:" to buy dispensations to use lawful meat and unlawful wives.

And I ask M. More, why he that hath the second wife, or hath had two wives, may not be a priest; or why, if a priest's first wife die, he may not marry the second. He will answer, 'Because the priest must represent the mysteries, or secret properties, and union of Christ, the only husband of his only wife, the church or congregation that believeth in him only.' That is, as I have in other places said, the scripture describeth us in matrimony the mysteries and secret benefits which God the Father hath hid in Christ, for all them that be chosen and ordained to believe and put their trusts in him to be saved. As when a man taketh a wife, he giveth her himself, his honour, his riches, and all that he hath, and maketh her of equal degree unto himself; if he be king and she before a beggar's daughter, yet she is not the less queen, and in honour above all other; if he be emperor, she is empress, and honoured of men as the emperor, and partaker of all: even so, if a man repent, and come and believe in Christ, to be saved from the damnation of the sin of which he repenteth, Christ is his own good immediately; Christ's death, pain, prayer, passion, fasting, and all his merits, are for that man's sins a full satisfaction, and a sacrifice of might and power to absolve him a poena et a culpa. Christ's inheritance, his love and favour, that he hath with God his Father, are that man's by and by [5]; and the man, by that marriage, is pure as Christ, and clean without sin, and honourable, glorious, well-beloved, and in favour, through the grace of that marriage. And because that the priest must represent us this signification, is the cause why a priest may not have the second wife, say they; which popish reason hath deceived many wise; as who can be but deceived in some thing, if he receive all his doctrine by the authority of his elders? - except he have an occasion, as we have, to run to Moses and the prophets, and there hear and see with our own eyes, and believe no longer by the reason of our forefathers; when we see them so shamefully beguiled themselves, and to beguile us in a thousand things which the Turks see.

Now to our purpose: if this doctrine be true, then must every priest have a wife, or have had a wife: for he that never had a wife cannot represent us this. And again, he that hath an whore, or another man's wife, hath lost this property, and therefore ought to be put down.

And again, the second marriage then of no man is, or can be, a sacrament by that doctrine. And yet I will describe you the marriage of Christ, as well by his marriage that hath had nine wives, and hath now the tenth, as by his that hath now the first. 'Oh,' will they say, 'his wife was no virgin, or he, when they were married.' Sir, the signification standeth not in the virginity, but in the actual wedlock. We were no virgins, when we came to Christ; but common whores, believing in a thousand idols. And in the second marriage, or tenth and ye will, the man hath but one wife, and all his are hers; and his other wives be in a land where is no husband or wife. I say therefore with Paul, that this is a devilish doctrine, and hath a similitude of godliness with it, but the power is away. The mist of it blindeth the eyes of the simple, and beguileth them, that they cannot see a thousand abominations wrought under that cloak.

And therefore I say still, that the apostle's meaning was, that he should have a wife, if haply his age were not the greater; and that by one wife he excludeth them that had two, and them that were defamed with other save their own wives; and would have them to be such as were known of virtuous living, for to do reverence and honour unto the doctrine of Christ: as it appeareth by the widows, which he excludeth before sixty years for fear of unchastity, and admitteth yet none of that age, except she were well known, of chaste, honest, and godly behaviour, and that to honour God's word withal, than which the pope hath nothing more vile. And when M. More, to mock, bringeth forth the text of the widow, that "she must be the wife of one man:" I answer, for all his jesting, that Paul excludeth not her that had ten husbands one after another, but her that had two husbands at once. And when More laugheth at it, as though it had never been the guise, I would to God, for his mercy, that it were not the guise at this day; and then I am sure his wrath would not be so great as it is. Paul meaneth only that he would have no defamed woman chosen widow, for dishonouring the word of God and the congregation of Christ; and therefore excludeth common women, and such as were defamed besides their husbands, and haply the divorced thereto. And that I prove by the same doctrine of Paul, that the kingdom of God is no such business, but the keeping of God's commandments only, and to love one another. Now, look on the thing and on the office of the widow. It was but to wait on the sick and poor people, and to wash strangers' feet. Now the widows of ten husbands must have been found of the cost of the congregation, if they were destitute of friends, as all other poor were, though in time past they had been defamed persons.

But under sixty would Paul let none minister, for fear of occasions of unchastity; and thereto none but such as were well known, of honest living and of good report. Now, inasmuch as the widow of ten husbands must be found of the common cost at her need, what uncleanness is in her by the reason of her second husband, that she is not good enough to be a servant unto the poor people, to dress their meat, wash their clothes, to make their beds, and so forth, and to wash strangers' feet, that came out of one congregation unto another about business, and to do all manner service of love unto her poor brethren and sisters? To have had the second husband, is no shame among the heathen: it is no shame among the Christians: for when the husband is dead, the wife is free to marry to whom she will in the Lord, and by as good reason the husband; and, of right, who more free than the priest? And therefore they shame not our doctrine nor our congregation, nor dishonour God among the heathen or weak Christians. Now when we have a plain rule, that he which loveth his neighbour as himself keepeth all the laws of God, let him tell me for what cause of love toward his neighbour a widow of two lawful husbands may not do service unto the poor people. Why may not a widow of fifty do service unto the poor? Paul which knitteth no snares, nor leadeth us blind, nor teacheth us without a reason-giving of his doctrine, answereth, For fear of occasions of evil; lest she be tempted, or tempt other; and then, if she be taken in misdoing, the doctrine of Christ be evil spoken of thereto, and the weak offended.

And when M. More mocketh with my reason, that I would have 'every priest to have a wife, because few men can live chaste;' I answer, that if he loved the honour of Christ and his neighbour, as he doth his own covetousness, he should find that a good argument. Paul maketh the same, and much more slenderly than I, after your sophistry. For he disputeth thus: Some young widows do dishonest the congregation of Christ, and his doctrine; therefore shall no young widow at all minister in the common service thereof; but shall all be married, and bear children, and serve their husbands. And it is a far less rebuke to the doctrine of Christ and his congregation, that a woman should do amiss, than the bishop or priest. I am not so mad to think that there could no priest at all live chaste. Neither am I so foolish to think that there be not as many women that could live chaste at fifty, as priests at twenty-four. And yet, though of a thousand widows of fifty years old nine hundred and ninety-nine could live chaste; Paul, because he knoweth not that one, will let none at all minister in the common service, among occasions of unchastity. Christ's apostles considered all infirmities, and all that might hinder the doctrine of Christ, and therefore did their best to prevent all occasions. Wherefore, as fish is no better than flesh, nor flesh better than fish, in the kingdom of Christ; even so virginity, wedlock, and widow-head [6], are none better than other, to be saved by, in their own nature, or to please God withal; but with whatsoever I may best serve my brethren, that is ever best, according unto the time and fashion of the world. In persecution it is good for every man to live chaste, if he can, and namely for the preacher. In peace, when a man may live quietly, and abide in one place, a wife is a sure thing to cut off occasions.

Then he would make it seem, that "priests' wives were the occasions of heresies in Almany." Nay, they fell first to heresies, and then took wives; as ye fell first to the pope's holy doctrine, and then took whores.

More: - "The church bindeth no man to chastity [7]."

Tyndale:- Of a truth; for it giveth licence to whosoever will to keep whores, and permitteth to abuse men's wives, and suffereth sodomitry; and doth but only forbid matrimony.

And when he saith, "Chastity was almost received by general custom, before the law was made;" one lie: and, "Good fathers did but give their advice thereto;" another lie: and, "It was ratified and received with the consent of all Christendom;" the third lie.

They did well to choose a poet to be their defender. First, it was attempted in general council, and resisted by holy fathers, which yet themselves were never married; saying that men might not knit a snare for their weak brethren, against the doctrine of Christ and his apostles [8]. Neither could it be brought to pass, until the pope had got the emperor's sword out of his hand. The Greeks, which were the one half of the Christendom then, I suppose, would never admit it.

Now, godly love would never suffer them to consent that we should be bound unto that burden, which they themselves could not bear; as M. More in another place affirmeth that they did. And again, we have manifest stories that it was brought in with violence of sword, and that all the priests of Germany were compelled to put away their wives. And we find that wheresoever the pope reigneth, he came in with deceiving the king of the country, and then with his sword compelled the rest. The pope came but now late into Wales, to reign there over the bishops and priests [9], and that with the sword of the king of England.

And yet, though all the clergy of Christendom had granted it, all the church had not made it, nor yet the tenth part of the church. The lay people be as well of the church as the priests; neither can all the priests in the world, of right, make any law wherein their part lieth, without their consent. Now it pertaineth unto the common people, and most of all unto the weakest, that their priests be endued with all virtue and honesty. And the chastity of his wife, daughter, and servant, pertaineth unto every particular man; which we see by experience defiled daily by the unchaste chastity of the spirituality.

Wherefore if the parishes, or any one parish, after they had seen the experience, what inconveniences came of their chastity, would have no curate except he had a wife, to cut off occasions; as Paul, when he had seen that proof, would have no young widows minister; who, save a tyrant, should be against them?

Moreover, the general councils of the spiritualty are of no other manner, since the pope was a god, than the general parliaments of the temporalty; where no man dare say his mind freely and liberally, for fear of some one and of his flatterers. And look in what captivity the parliaments be under the private councils of kings, so are the general councils under the pope and his cardinals. And this is the manner of both: some one two or three wily foxes, that have all other in subjection, (as ye have seen in my lord cardinal,) imagine not what ought to be, but what they lust to have, and conceive in their own brains, and go with child, sometimes a year, two, three, four, five, six, or seven, and sometimes twenty and above, casting, canvassing, and compassing for the birth, against opportunity; opening the matter privily, under an oath, a little and a little unto certain secretaries whose part is therein, as they find men of activity and of courage, prepared to sell soul and body for promotion. And the matter in the mean time is turmoiled and tossed among themselves; and persuasions and subtle reasons are forged, to blind the right way and to beguile men's wits. And whom they fear to have adversaries, able to resist them, for such means are sought, to bring them in unto their party, or to convey them out of the way. And when opportunity is come, they call a council, or parliament, under a contrary pretence. And a mass of the Holy Ghost, whom they desire as far away as were possible, is sung; and a goodly sermon is made, to blear men's eyes withal. And then suddenly, other men unprovided, the matter is opened after the most subtle manner. And many are beguiled with subtle arguments and crafty persuasions. And they that hold hard against them are called aside, and reasoned with apart, and handled after a fashion, and partly enticed with fair promises, and partly feared with cruel threatenings: and so some are overcome with silver syllogisms; and other for fear of threatenings are driven unto silence. And if any be found at the last, that will not obey their falsehood and tyranny, they rail on him, and jest him out of countenance; and call him opinative, self-minded, and obstinate; and bear him in hand that the devil is in him, that he so cleaveth unto his own wit, though he speak no syllable but [10] God's word; and is asked whether he will be wiser than other men? And in the spiritualty they excommunicate him, and make an heretic of him. And this to be true, in the clergy's chastity, is as clear as the day by manifest chronicles: insomuch that the prelates of Rome were a brewing it above an hundred years, and I wot not how long longer, ere they could bring it to pass; and yet in vain, till they had got the emperor's sword, to prove that it was most expedient so to be. And for what intent? To bring all under the pope; and that the prelates of all lands might, as the old manner was, come and wait on the pope at Rome, where he prepared them whores enough; and that his sworn prelates in every land might the more conveniently wait in kings' courts, to minister the commonwealth unto the pope's pleasure and profit. For had the clergy kept their wives, they could never have come unto this where they now be, and to these pluralities, unions and totquots. For there is no lay-man, though he were never so evil disposed, that could, for his wife and children, have leisure to contrive such mischief, and to run from country to country to learn falsehood and subtilty, as our spiritualty do; which without fear of God and shame of man keep whores wheresoever they come. And thus ye see that the clergy's chastity pertaineth as much unto the temporalty as unto the spiritualty.

And another is this, no power, among them that profess the truth, may bind where God looseth; save only where love and my neighbour's necessity requireth it of me. Neither can any power now bind them to come; but they may freely keep or break, as the thing is hurtful or expedient. Neither can there be any bond, where love and necessity requireth the contrary: so that this law, 'Love thy neighbour, to help him as thou wouldest be holp,' must interpret all man's laws: as, if I had sworn, young or unwisely, that I would live chaste, and all the world had bound me; if afterward I burnt, and could not overcome the passion, I ought to marry. For I must condition my vow, and shew a cause of it thereto. I may not vow for the chastity itself, as though it were sacrifice, to please God in itself; for that is the idolatry of heathen. I must therefore vow, to do my neighbour service (which in that case he may not require), or to give myself more quietly to prayer and study (which is not possible as long as I burn, and the mind will not be quiet), or that I may the better keep the laws of God, which if I burn I stand through my chastity in more jeopardy to break, and to hurt my neighbour, and to shame the doctrine of Christ. And in like manner, if I had forsworn flesh, and all the world had bound me; yet if necessity required it of me, to save my life or my health, I ought to break it. And again, though I had sworn chastity, and the commonwealth or the necessity of another required the contrary, I must break it. But on the one side, of all that ever burnt in the pope's chastity, he never gave priest licence to take wife, but to keep whores only: and on the other side, all that vow any vow do it for the thing itself; as though it were, as I said, service or sacrifice to God, that had delight in the deed, as young children have in apples; and that for that deed they shall have an higher room in heaven than their neighbours, which is the idolatry of the heathen: when he ought to bestow his vow upon his neighbour, to bring him to heaven, and not to envy him and to seek thereby an higher room, not caring whether his neighbour come thither or no. And finally, to burn, and not to use the natural remedy that God hath made, is but to tempt God, as in all other things. But and if God have brought thee into a strait, and have thereto taken the natural remedy from thee; then to resist and cry unto God for help, and to suffer, is a sign that thou lovest God's laws: and to love God's law is to be sure that thou art God's child, elect to mercy; for in all his children only he writeth that token.

And then he saith, "Every man hath his choice, whether he will be priest or no." But what nets and snares doth antichrist lay for them!

First his false doctrine; wherewith the elders beguiled compel their children, and sacrifice them to burn in the pope's chastity, with no other mind than those old idolaters sacrificed their children unto the false god Moloch; so that they think by the merits of their children's burning, after the pope's false doctrine, to please God and to get heaven, clean ignorant of the testament made in Christ's blood.

Then what a multitude are blinded, and drawn into the net, with the bait of promotion, honour, dignity, pleasures, freedom, and liberty to sin, and to do all mischief unpunished; things which all evil, that fear not God, do desire!

And what a number brought up idly, unto twenty and above, then put their heads in his halter, because they have no other craft to get their livings; and not because they can live chaste!

Also some live chaste at twenty-four, which same burn at thirty. And that to be true, daily experience teacheth, and good natural causes there be.

And then look on the apostle's learning and ordinance. When one or two young widows had broken their chastity, he would never after let any more be chosen of the same age. How cometh it then that the pope, for so many hundred thousands that miscarry, will neither break the ordinance, or mitigate it, or let any go back; but, if any burn, sendeth them unto the shame of Christ's doctrine, and offending and hurt of his church, and never unto the lawful remedy of marriage?

And when M. More calleth it "heresy, to think that the married were as pleasant to God as the unmarried," he is surely an heretic that thinketh the contrary. Christ's kingdom is neither meat nor drink, nor husband nor wife, nor widow nor virgin; but the keeping of the commandments and serving of a man's neighbour lovingly, by the doctrine of St Paul. Where not to eat helpeth me to keep the commandments better than to eat, there it is better not to eat than to eat. And where to eat helpeth me to keep the commandments, and to do my duty unto my neighbour, there it is better to eat than not to eat. And in like case, where to be without a wife helpeth more to keep the commandments, and to serve a man's neighbour, there it is better to be unmarried than married; and where a wife helpeth to keep the commandments better than to be without, there it is better to have a wife than to be without. That heart only which is ready to do, or let undone, all things for his neighbour's sake, is a pleasant thing in the sight of God.

And when he will have "the priests to live chaste, for reverence of the sacraments;" it is devilish doctrine, having the similitude of godliness, but the pith and marrow is away. If he mean water, oil, salt, and such like, then is the wife with her body and all her uses in the laws of God incomparably purer and holier. If he mean the sacrament of Christ's body, I answer, that the hands defile not the man, nor aught that goeth through the hands, be they never so unwashed, by the testimony of Christ; and much less can they then defile Christ.

Moreover, the priest toucheth not Christ's natural body with his hands, by your own doctrine; nor seeth it with his eyes, nor breaketh it with his fingers, nor eateth it with his mouth, nor chammeth it with his teeth, nor drinketh his blood with his lips; for Christ is impassible. But he that repenteth toward the law of God, and at the sight of the sacrament, or of the breaking, feeling, eating, chamming, or drinking, calleth to remembrance the death of Christ, his body-breaking and blood-shedding for our sins, and all his passion; the same eateth our Saviour's body and drinketh his blood through faith only, and receiveth forgiveness of all his sins thereby, and other not. And all that have not this doctrine of the sacrament come thereto in vain. And therefore there is no more cause that he which saith the mass should live chaste, than he that heareth it; or he that ministereth the sacrament, than he that receiveth it. It is to me great marvel, that unlawful whoredom, covetousness, and extortion cannot defile their hands, as well as lawful matrimony. Cursed therefore be their devilish doctrine, with false appearing godliness, the fruit and power away, out of the hearts of all Christian men.

And when he bringeth the ensample of the heathen, I praise him. For the heathen, because they could not understand God spiritually, to serve him in the spirit, to believe in him, and to love his laws, therefore they turned his glory unto an image, and served him after their own imagina