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

More.

Here semeth a godly thynge, and is in dede very deue∣lysshe. [ A] For the wordes that be spoken to the hethen to come to crystendome / in thentre wherof at baptysme they be new regendred to god, and clensed clene & purged from all spot∣tes: these wordes draweth Tyndale to them that be cryste∣ned all redy, & kepe theyr bylefe styll, and yet fall into dedely synne agayne. For whose recōcylyacyon agayne to god, our lorde hath of hys goodnesse instytuted the sacrament of pe∣naunce / wythout whyche they y^t after baptysme fall agayne to synne, do lese the frute of theyr baptysme yf y^e tyme serue them to take it.

And therfore sayth holy saynt Hierom, that the sacramēt of penaunce is the borde vppon whyche a man geteth to londe and saueth hym selfe after the shyppewrake. whyche wordes of hys, Luther in hys boke of Babiloni•••• sore dys∣prayseth. [ B] For saynt Hierome sheweth that the sacrament of baptysme is the shyppe, and was fygured by the shyppe of Noe, out of whyche there was no man saued. And when a man breketh the shyppe of hys baptysme in the storme of tentacyon, and falleth into the depe see of synne: then hath he yet hys remedy prouyded by god, yf he catche holde vp∣pon y^e borde of the salte sacrament of penaūce & so swymme / and god wyll helpe whyle he laboreth hym selfe to lande. But Luther and Tyndale wolde haue vs wene that after baptysme there nedeth no more but repent / and by and by all is gone agayne and clene wasshed awaye, synne & payne eternall and temporall and all togyther / and y^t man in lyke case as when he came fyrste fro the fonte.

But who ••o consyder well the ••ordes of saynt Poule in [ C] the syxte chapyter vnto the Hebrewes, shall fynde it farre vnlyke / where saynt Paule sayth in thys wyse:* 1.1 It is impos¦syble that they whyche haue ben ones illumyned, and haue tasted the heuenly gyfte, and haue ben made per••eners of y^e holy goost, and haue also tasted the good worde of god and the powers of the worlde to come, & then are slyden downe: sholde be renewed agayne by penaunce, crucyfyeng agayne to them self the sonne of god, and hauyng hym in derysyon.

Here sheweth thys blessed apostle Poule that the dedely synne cōmytted after baptysme / putteth a man in that case, that it shall be very harde (for so is impossyble somtyme ta∣ken in scrypture) by penaunce to be renewed agayne / that is to wyt to come agayne to baptysme or to the state of bap∣tysme,

[ A] in whyche we be so fully renewed, and the olde synne so fully forgyuen, that we be forthwyth in suche wyse inno∣cētes, that yf we dyed forthwyth, there were neyther eternall payne nor temporall payne appointed for vs, that is to wyt neyther helle nor purgatory. But that dedely synne cōmyt∣ted after baptysme / is very harde by the sacrament of pe∣naunce, confessyon, contrycyon, and greate payne taken to, to brynge vs agayne in the case, that the temporall payne dew therfore in purgatory, shall be worne all out by our pe∣naunce done here. In all whyche thynges we neuer exclude the specyall pryuylege of goddys absolute mercy. For by hys myghty mercy the thynge that is impossyble to man, is not impossyble to god / as our sauyour sayth in the gospell of Mathewe.* 1.2 But I speke of the ordynary course of hys [ B] comen ordynaūce, in whyche is excepted also the prayours and good dedys / wyth whiche any man is besyde hys owne penaunce holpen and releued wyth the good dedys of other mennys cheryte, or y^e spyrytuall treasour of Crystes chyrche vppon good cause applyed, conuenyently towarde the rede∣mynge of hys temporall payne. But ellys I saye by the au∣thoryte of saynt Poule in thys place / y^t it shall be very hard for a man by penaunce wrought in grace, to be restored a∣gayne to the state of baptysme clere from all payne dew for the synne.

For syth the sacrament of baptysme whyche regendreth vs and maketh vs new creaturys, doth not so fully apply y^• passyon of Cryste for our satysfaccyō, that it so dyschargeth vs from all the payne of synne, but y^t we sustayne yet euery [ C] man for hym selfe the pa••nefull twych of bodely deth: we maye well byleue the apostle in thys place, that the payne temporally dew to our actuall synne commytted after bap∣tysme, is not so sone worne out and payed by penaunce, but that it is as saynt Poule sayth, a thynge very harde to do. For the spyrytuall creature whyche baptysme begeteth and createth of new: penaunce fyndynge by synne agayne all to frus••hed, plastereth and patcheth vppe and maketh mych wo••••e to cure the wounde and brynge it to a scarre.

••••••ude for my parte be very well content, that synne & pay•••• and all were as shortely gone as Tyndale telleth vs. But I were lothe that he deceyued vs yf it be not so. And therfor•• to the entent it may the better appere that penaūce is necessary, and that to retourne to god and clene to be for∣gyuen,

is not so lyght a thynge as Tyndale maketh it / but [ A] that the chyrche of Cryste appoyntyng payne for the synne, and not a bare forethynkynge or repentaunce as Tyndale wolde haue it, is therein taughte by the holy spyryte of god: let euery man consyder in what wyse the prophete Ioell de∣scrybeth the maner, wyth whyche man sholde retourne to god agayne after synne. The lorde sayth,* 1.3 retourne to me wyth all your harte in fastynge, in wepynge, and weylyng. Teare your hertes and not your garmentes, and retourne to your lorde god. For he is benygne and mercyfull, pacyēt, and plentuouse of mercy, and redy to forgyue synne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hebre. 6
• * 1.2

  Mat. 19
• * 1.3

  Iche•• 2.