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

More.

Properly answered, yf I wolde holde my peace. But I muste put Tyndale agayne in remembraūce bycause he by∣leueth nothyng but scrypture, and then draweth all the scri¦pture into goddes promyses: I muste therfore I say putte hym in remembraunce that I brought in that authoryte to shew hym that god made no promyse that he wolde wryte all his new testament, nor cause yt to be made all in bokes / but that he wolde sende his holy goost to teche his chyrch & to lede thē into euery trouth. And where Tyndale sayth it is not y^e vse to say y^e holy goost writeth but inspyreth y^• wryter / I [ B] say agayne y^t the scrypture letteth not to speke of goddes writyng / & to tell how he wyll wryte his new testamēt when he sayth by the mouth of y^e prophete Hieremy: I shall geue my law in theyr bowles / & I shall wryte yt in theyr hartes.* 1.1

Lo here he telleth what maner of wrytyng he wyll vse in wrytynge of his newe law / bycause we shall not excuse our selfe & say, that we wyll not byleue no more thereof then we shall fynde wryten in bokes. He maketh vs no promyse y^t he wyll cause it to be wrytē in bokes / but pursuyng these wor∣des of the prophete, he sayd hym selfe his owne mouth•• y^t he wolde send the holy goost to come teache his chyrche & lede them in to euery trouth. To this will Tyndale happely say in y^e word he ment and so dyd y^e prophete also, that he wolde wryte yt in the hartes of the euangelystes and apostles and [ C] teache them & lede them ••nto euery trouth / whych shold put all the necessary trouth in wrytynge. Let Tyndale proue this meanynge by some one text of scripture, or some one ne¦cessary reason / of whyche neyther hym selfe, nor any other of his felowes haue founden any one yet. And the wordes as well of the prophete as of our sauyour hym selfe, declare them selfe to the contrary. For the prophete and the euange¦lyste sayth••* 1.2 that they shalbe all goddes owne scolers / whych sygnyfyeth that the congregacyon and companye shall be taught by god and his spyrite, that shall wryte the new law the ryght fayth in the hartes of hys chyrche. And our sauy∣our sayd, I shall sende y^e holy goost that shall teache you all thynge, and lede you into euery trouth. He sayde not the ho¦ly goost shall teche some of you that shall wryte yt out vnto

the remanaunt. And therfore Tyndales comely glose wyll [ A] not so substauncyally serue hym, as he wolde haue yt seme. For as that holy spiryte enspired mo then them that wrote / so enspyred he the wryters in mo thynges then they wrote / whych thynges they taught by mouth, and lefte it wyth the people by tradycyon as god lefte it wyth thē / whych thynge doth by theyr owne wordes well appere Iohannis .xxj, ad Thessalo¦nicenses,* 1.3 ad Corynthios .xj. And yf these playne textes seme not yet suffycyent for our parte / let hym and all his felowes brynge forth some halfe texte halfe so suffycyent for theyr, parte pro¦uynge that all is wryten and take all to gether.

But yet goth he farther and wolde seme of hys curtesye to helpe me somwhat forth, & say more thē I could for myne owne parte / and yet auoyde yt to. For thus he sayth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hi••r••m. ••1.
• * 1.2

  E••••iae .54 Io••annis .••.
• * 1.3

  2. Thess. 2.