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

More.

If Tyndals bare worde be worthy to be taken for so greate authoryte, that what so euer he say men must byleue it, onely bycause Tyndale sayth it: then is this argument very sure and stronge / but than it is superfluouse & a great dele to longe. For then it sholde suffyse hym to saye, the apo∣stles [ C] haue lefte all thynge in wrytynge, and let all hys rea∣sons alone. But surely yf Tyndale be no better then other men / so that as he wyll byleue no man without playne scryp¦ture, no man wythout playne scrypture is boundē to byleue hym: then is thys argument more feble yet then the tother. For he shall neuer make it stronge, neyther by playne s••ryp∣ture, nor good deduccyon, nor necessary cōsequense, nor any probable reason.

For fyrste how proueth he that all thynge is open. How proueth he that he vnderstandeth euery place in scrypture? euery place in Genesys, euery place in the prophetes, euery place in y^e Psalter, euery place in saint Iohn̄s gospell, euery place in saint Poules pystles, euery place in y^e Apocalipsys. Be all these thynges open to Tyndale? Is any man so mad

to byleue hym therin vppon hys worde, bycause he boldely [ A] sayth in many places of his vngraciouse bokes, that y^e scry¦pture is easy to vnderstande / whych thyng he sayeth of an vngracyouse mynde, to make euery symple person bolde to take hym self for and interpreter.

But I dare be as bolde to say that the scripture; all be yt many places be playn, & in y^e hardeste place good folke may take frute yf they play not as Tyndale doth, be bold vppon yt lyke blynde bayarde, & thynke it playn & opē / yet is it not so open but y^t there is many a place in euery parte therof, so darke, & of such diffyculty / y^t there neyther is nor I wene ne¦uer was synnys y^e apostles dayes, nor {per}aduēture euery man amonge them neyther, y^• durst haue ben so bold to say y^t all thyng was so opē to him / but y^t there may lye yet therein for all y^e vnderstandyng y^e men haue therof, many a great myste¦ry [ B] hyd that neuer shalbe clerely vnderstāden / tyll such tyme as god vppon the thynge done and shewed, shall by his spy¦ryte promysed, sente, and assy••tent vnto his chyrche in the tymes conuenyente, and by god appoynted therunto, reuele yt / whyche thynges shall then be necessary poyntes, to be by¦leued, and nowe neyther necessarye to byleue, nor possyble to be thought vppon.

But when yt shall please god any suche thynges to do, shew, & reuele: he shall then sende no Luthers, nor no Tyn¦dales, nor none Huskyns, nor no frere out of a nōnes bedde to preache yt / but he shall send suche holy messengers as he hath ben euer wonte about such besyn••sse to send, that shall not come with a false fayth, and euyll workes, and be accur¦sed [ C] out of Crystes chyrche / but wyth the trewe catholyque fayth, and holy lyuynge, and reuerent handelynge of holy scrypture, and some of them wyth many great miracles cō∣foundynge the false wonders of Antecriste / as the miracles that Moyses wrought cōfounded the meruayles that were wrought by the wychecrafte of the Egypciane iuglers. And he shall not sende suche fonde felowes as wolde be so sha∣melesse wythout any miracle shewed, to bydde all the world byleue them vppon theyr bare word, in the vnderstandyng of holy scrypture, agaynste all holy sayntes and connynge doctours of .xv. hundred yere passed / and bere men in hande that all is open and playne, and proue yt by nothynge ellys but by y^t there is no place of holy scripture so hard, but that them selfe can expowne yt in suche wyse that yt shall serue

[ A] them shamefull for iestynge and raylynge agaynst god and all good men, agaynste all good workes, agaynst all rely∣gyon, fastynge, prayour, deuocyon, sayntes, ceremonyes, and sacramentes / & to sette forth vyce in boldenesse of fayth, and to prayse lechery betwene freres and nōnes, and call yt matrymony, and thus make mokkes of holy scrypture so∣lemnely, with such opē shamelesse abomynable blasphemy, that yf the zele of god were amonge men that shold be, such raylyng rybaldes that so mokke wyth holy scrypture, shold at euery suche exposycyon haue an hote iren thruste thorow theyr blasphemouse tonges.

Such false prophetes shall god as I saye sende none of his erand. But Tyndale cā not proue yt trew that he sayth, that all thinge ys yet so fully fynyshed, but that y^e tyme may [ B] come when god maye yet shew thynges whereof we yet no∣thyng thynke, and yet peraduenture wryten of in the scryp∣ture / and may yf he lyste do and shew also mo thynges yet, wherof nothynge is wryten for any worde that is wryten to the contrarye. And that bysy••e Crystes owne apperynge at the dome, there yet resteth some rekenynges to come / well & playnely appereth by scrypture both cōcernynge Tyndales great Mayster Antecryste, though Tyndale & Luther lyste lewdely to rayle wyth those holy places of scrypture / and al¦so concernynge Ennoke and Hely. And therfore where Tyn¦dale saythe,