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

More.

Thys was an happy happe for mayster Tyndale, that it happed mayster More wyth the layenge of suche a slender cause, to mynyster mayster Tyndale so mych pleasaunt ma¦ter of replycacyon. For yf I had not happed to haue sayed that the apostles forbare the wrytynge of some thynges, for estewynge of infydeles mokkynge: Tyndale had had now [ C] no more to saye, but had l••••te of wyth shame inough / where as now by thys poynt he hath occasyon of mych mater and wynneth mych wourshyppe therwyth.

But now yf I wolde be content to saye, that I was ouer seen in so sayenge / and that I can not defende my wordes y^t they forbare to wryte any maner thyng for any such cause / ••nd that also I can not tell why nor for what cause the apo∣les wrote some necessary thynges, and lefte some necessary ••••••nges vnwryten / no more then I can tell why that euery e••angelyste wryteth many thynges that hys felowes haue, and yet l••••eth out some as greate and as necessary as some that h•• w••••••••••h in: yf I wolde for Tyndales pleasure saye thys (••h••c•••• y•• I dyd I neded not mych to force, for any greate ha•••••• that my parte could take therby / for y^• thynge

were in it selfe neuer the lesse trewe that the apostles so dyd [ A] in dede, though I coude not tell why) then hadde I taken away quyte all Tyndales pleasure in his present bablyng, and lefte hym onely to those reasons that he hath layed be∣fore / in all whych he is as ye se to shamefully confounded.

But yet yf it lyke you good readers to rede myn owne wordes as I wrote thē, which ye shall fynde in the fyrst boke of my dyaloge the .xxv. chapyter: there shall ye perceyue it / y^t it is not fully so farre from all reason, as Tyndale wolde haue it seme. For I shew there that the apostles dyd more playnely speke, and more opēly declared, many thinges by mouth amonge the crysten folke, bycause theyr audyence was more mete whyle they were onely amonge them selfe / then they dyd by theyr wrytynge, whyche myghte percase come in to the handes of hethen men, that wold laugh some [ B] such thynges to scorne. Now cometh Tyndale and sheweth that thys is fondely sayed, syth the apostles letted not to wryte the thynge that the hethen wolde moste mokke of all / and that purgatory and the sacramentes were lest lykely to be mokked amonge them, for that they were most agreable vnto theyr owne superstycyon. But now lest he sholde haue combred hym selfe somwhat wyth the answere, and haue de¦faced therwyth the bewtye of hys owne tale: he leueth out here all suche thynges as I layd in that place for the profe. How be it those thynges wyll yet•• I truste serue me suffy••y∣entely agaynste all Tyndales scoffes. Amonge whyche yet where he weneth that he speketh wyseste / he helpeth me so in what hym selfe euyn here vnware. For fyrste though I coude not tell why they wrote somwhat that the hethen men [ C] wyll mokke, & yet leue out somwhat lest they sholde mokke / though I coude not I saye tell why they dyd thys: yet is it inough yf I proue that they so dyd in dede. For the profe wherof I maye laye and so dyd in my dyaloge (whych Tin¦dale here leueth out) that not onely saynt Peter so dy••, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 y^e seconde chapyter of the actys,* 1.1 where he forba••e ••o call C••y••t god lest it sholde haue hyndred the fayth in that audyen••••/but that our sauyour dyd y^e same hym selfe in the many〈◊〉〈◊〉 preachynge of hys godhed, a•• app••reth in the•••• c••apyte•• of saint Iohn̄. Now syth ye se th••t thus th•••• dy•• in dede / wh•••• nedeth me to ca••e for all Tyndales why••s 〈◊〉〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bare thys where was lesse cause to ••ere (and wh•• the•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thys where was more cause to fere: syth he can 〈…〉〈…〉

[ A] but that they so dyd, am I bounden to gyue the rekenynge why and wherfore they so dyd? This dare I be bolde to say / y^t they neuer taught thynge of dyffyculte be wrytynge, but that they taught yt more playnely by mouth / by whych explanacyons by mouth, the people cam into the vndouted trouth and fayth of the mater, were the wrytynge neuer so full of doute.

For the profe wherof / Tyndale hath here as I sayed by∣fore, by reason of his heresye wyth false vnderstandynge of saynt Paule / brought forth a ryght good sample. For thus he sayeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Actuum. 2