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

More [ B]

when Tyndale speketh of the pope wyth hys / here vseth he a lytell sophystrye. For he leueth vs in dowte what he meaneth by these wordes, the pope wyth hys. If he meane the pope wyth hys cardynals / then speketh he lytell to the purpose. For I neuer called nor no man ellys, the pope and the cardynals the hole catholyke chyrche. But yf he meane by the pope and hys, the pope and all the crysten reames and countrees that haue not by scysmes and heresyes de∣parted and seuered them selfe from y^e corps of crystendome: he that then iudgeth the pope and hys to be the chyrche of cryste, iudgeth as it is in dede.

Now yf Tyndale brynge in questyon whyther the pope be of all those crysten countrees the chyefe spyrytuall hed vnder god and generall vycare of cryste: thys questyō wyll [ C] not helpe hym. For yf there eyther yet be, or any tyme hath ben, that eyther the Grekes or any other parte of trewe cry∣stendome dyd not recognyse the pope for theyr chyefe spyry¦tuall gouernour vnder god: yet alwaye those that were ler¦nyd or good men amonge them, and the hole people wyth them, in the necessarye artycles were of the same fayth, and confyrmed them selfe to the see of Rome, in such thynges as amonge them bygan to be disputable / as well appereth not onely by saynte Chrysostome and other olde holy docto••••s of the Grekes, but also by the generall counsayles, in which the Grekes in matters of dowte and questyon, fynally con∣fermed them selfe to the Latyns and to the see apostolyke.

And for conclusyon bothe the Latyn chyrch & the Greke

[ A] chyrche and pretour Iohn̄s chyrche to, and euery chyrche that bare the name of any good crystendome / ye and euery chyrche also of any honest heretykes to, and the chyrche of Panymes and Turkes to, and the chyrche of Saracyns to (syth Tyndale wyll haue them all called chyrches) and fy∣nally the chyrche of all mankynde synnes the erth was well inhabyted, as many as euer haue knowen so mych as the name of god: hath euer hytherto dampned the chyrche of Luther and Tyndale & frere Huskyn, that care not to breke theyr promyse made to god, and contrary to all honestye make mokkes of theyr vowes / and voyde of shame auow theyr fylthy lechery for honeste wedlocke and lawfull ma∣trymonye.