The co[n]futacyon of Tyndales answere made by syr Thomas More knyght lorde chau[n]cellour of Englonde

More.

Here Tyndale foloweth hys mayster Luther that wold [ B] haue all crystē men suffer the Turkes and fyghte not with them. How be it I vnderstonde by Tyndale in hys boke af∣ter, that Luther hath eaten vp his worde agayne afterward for fere, when he saw his countrye prepare thē selfe agaynst the Turkes. But now Tyndale that is out of suche fere / is as it semeth dysposed to maynteyne and set forth hys may∣sters formar errour agayne. For he layeth it to the charge of the catholycall chyrche, as a chyefe and pryncypall fawte y^t we take it as token of loue to god yf a man haue a mynde for goddes sake to go fyghte agaynst the Turkes. But as madly as he mokketh it / a good token is it of loue to god for all that. For he that is for goddes sake content in the defence of other folke hys innocēt crysten brethern agaynst the infidelys the enemyes of god and them, to put his owne [ C] lyfe in payne and parell of deth: we maye be bolde wyth Tyndales lycence whyle we haue Luthers leue all redy to warraunt that it is a token of good and ordynate loue to god, and for god to hys neyghbour.

For though we sholde loue infydelys to make thē fayth∣full and be glad to suffer for them / yf our suffrauns wolde brynge them to the fayth, yet are we not bounden to loue them ••boue the householde folke of Cryste, and famylyars of our owne crysten fayth / and namely so farre, that whyle they come, not to lerne y^e crysten fayth but to kyll the crysten men, a prynce that hath the rule of vs sholde suffer them to ••yll on and sto••de styll by and preche.

I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ot therfore but how holyly so euer it pleaseth father Tin••••le here preche in fauour of y^e Turkes / a prince

may assemble hys hoost, and of good zele with grete thanke [ A] of god, go agaynst them and kyll them aswell and better to, then Moyses kylled the Egypcian that foughte wyth the Hebrew.

And therfore we shall not I truste greatly nede to fere y^e great worde that Tyndale in the Turkes fauour speketh, agaynst those that wyll go and fyght agaynst them / where he sayth that the Turke byleueth better in god then suche a crysten man. wherin yf Tyndale sayde trew as god be than¦ked he lyeth: how byleueth then Tyndale hym selfe in god, whych (as his charytable bokes well declare) wold be well content that heretyques and infydeles, shold wyth sedycyō or open warre kyll vp the clergye of the catholycall chyrch, and the great parte of such good people bysyde, as wolde be aduersaryes to theyr pestyferouse heresyes. [ B]