not? why suffer you not them that were present, and to
whom the matter pertaineth, to lie for themselves?
Then he jesteth out the matter with Wilken and Sim-
kin; as he doth Hun and every thing, because men should
not consider their falsehood earnestly. Wherein behold
his subtle conveyance. He asketh, What, if Simkin
would have sworn that he saw men make those prints?
Whereunto M. More answereth under the name of quod
he, that he would swear, that besides the loss of the
wager, he had lost his honesty and his soul thereto.
Behold this man's gravity, how could you that do when
the case is possible? You should have put him to his
proofs, and bid him bring record.

Then saith he, the church receiveth no man convict of heresy unto mercy, but of mercy receiveth him to open shame. Of such mercy, God give them plenty that are so merciful.

M. More is

a common.

jester and a

scoffer.

are cruel and unmer

Then he sheweth how merciful they were ro receive the man to penance that abode still in perjury and deadly sin. O, shameless hypocrites, how can ye receive into the congregation of Christ an open obstinate sinner, that repenteth not, when ye are commanded of Christ to cast all such out? And again, O scribes and pharisees, by what The papists example of Christ and of his doctrine, can ye put a man that repenteth unto open shame, and to that thing whereby ever after he is had in derision among his brethren, of whom he ought to be loved, and not mocked: ye might enjoin honest things, to tame his flesh, as prayer and fasting, and not that which should be to him shame ever after, and such as ye yourselves would not do.

THE SEVENTH CHAPTER.

ciful.

In the seventh chapter, he maketh much to do about Swearing. swearing, and that for a subtle purpose. Notwithstanding, the truth is, that no judge ought to make a man swear against his will for many inconvenients. If a man re

The oath of

a witness

may be taken, but no man may

led to swear

ceive an office, he that putteth him in the room ought to charge him to do it truly, and may, and haply ought, to take an oath of him. If a man offer himself to bear witness, the judge may, and of some haply ought, to take an oath of them; but to compel a man to bear witness be compel- ought he not. And moreover, if a judge put a man to an oath that he shall answer unto all that he shall be demanded of, he ought to refuse. Howbeit, if he have sworn, and then the wicked judge ask him of things hurtful unto his neighbour, and against the love that is in Christ, then he must repent that he hath sworn, but not sin again to fulfil his oath. For it is against God's commandment, that a man should hurt his neighbour that hath not deserved it.

and be a witness.

A godly lesson.

M. More is a liar.

THE EIGHTH CHAPTER.

UNTO church, priest, charity, grace, confession and penance, is answered him in the beginning of the book. And when he saith Tyndale was confederate with Luther, that is not truth.

THE NINTH CHAPTER.

THAN his ninth chapter is there nothing more foolish. For if he would have any wise man to believe that my translation would destroy the mass, any otherwise than the Latin or Greek text, he should have alleged the place, and how.

THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER.

IN the eleventh chapter, M. More will not defend the living of our spiritualty, because it is so open that he The papists cannot. And as little should he be able to defend their And lies, if the light were abroad that men might see.

are obsti.

nate and will not repent.

as he cannot deny them abominable, so cannot he deny

them obstinate and indurate therein, for they have been oft rebuked with God's word, but in vain. And of such the text is plain that they cannot understand the Scripture. And yet M. More will receive rewards, to dispute against the heresies of some such as be cast out of Christ's churches, by such holy patriarchs, whose images he himself cannot praise. As holy Judas, though the prelates of Judas. his church, that is the pharisees, were never so abominable, yet because Christ's doctrine was condemned of them, as of God's church that could not err, and all that believed on him excommunicate, he was bold to say, Quid vultis mihi dare et ego tradam cum vobis. That is, what will ye give me and I will deliver him unto you?'

THE TWELFTH CHAPTER.

Prayers of an evil

priest profit

not.

In the twelfth he has one conclusion, that the prayers of an evil priest profit not. Which though it be true, yet the contrary is believed among a great many, in all quarters of England, so blind be the people and wot not what prayer meaneth. I have heard men of no small reputation A fond say, ere this, in great audience, that it maketh no matter saying. whether the priest were good or bad, so he took money to pray, as they seldom pray without, for he could not hurt the prayer were he never so naughty.

And when he saith that the evil priest hurteth us not so much with his living as he profiteth us with ministering the sacraments. O worldly wisdom, if a man lead me through a jeopardous place by day, he cannot hurt me so greatly as by night! The Turk seeth that murder, theft, extortion, oppression, and adultery be sin. But when he leadeth me by the darkness of sacraments without signification, I cannot but catch harm and put my trust and confidence in that which is neither God nor his word. As for an ensample, what trust put the people in anoiling and how cry they for it, with no other knowledge than that the

To minister

Sacraments

without signification, is to be led in

darkness.

Sacrifice.

Heb. x.

Christ's

body in the

is not carnal, but spiritual.

oil saveth them, unto their damnation, and denying of Christ's blood..

And when he saith the priest offereth or sacrificeth Christ's body. I answer, Christ was offered once for all, as it is to see in the Epistle to the Hebrews. As the priest slayeth Christ, breaketh his body, and sheddeth his blood, so he sacrificeth him and offereth him. Now the Sacrament priest slayeth him not actually, nor breaketh his body actually, nor sheddeth his blood actually, neither scourgeth him, and so forth, throughout all his passion; but representeth his slaying, his body breaking, and blood-shedding for my sins, and all the rest of his passion, aud playeth it before mine eyes only. Which signification of the mass, because the people understand not, therefore they receive no forgiveness of their sins thereby, and thereto cannot but catch hurt in their souls, through a false faith as it well appeareth, how every man cometh thereto for a sundry imagination, all ignorant of the true way.

Let no man beguile you with his juggling sophistry. Our offering of Christ is to believe in him, and to come with a repenting heart unto the remembrance of his passion, and to desire God the Father for the breaking of Christ's body on the cross, and shedding of his blood, and on the cross for his death, and all his passions, to be merciful unto us,

Christ was

sacrificed

once for

all.

More.
Deacons.
Tyndale.

and to forgive us according to his Testament and promise. And so we receive forgiveness of our sins. And other offering or sacrificing of Christ is there now none. Walk in the open light and feeling, and let not yourselves be led with juggling words, as mules and asses in which there is none understanding.

MORE. Deacons were had in price in the old time. TYNDALE. For the deacons then took the care of all the poor, and suffered none to go a begging, but provided a living for every one of them. Where now, they that should be deacons, make themselves priests and rob the poor of lands, rents, offerings and all that was given them, cons differ devouring all themselves, and the poor dying for hunger.

Christ's deacons, and the

pope's dea

much,

MORE. Priests be despised because of the multitude. More. TYNDALE. If there were but one in the world, as men Priests. say of the phoenix, yet if he lived abominably, he could Tyndale. not but be despised.

MORE. A man may have a good faith coupled with More. all manner [of] sin.

But

By

1. John iv. M. More's faith was a

TYNDALE. A good faith putteth away all sin, how Tyndale. then can all manner of sin dwell with a good faith? I dare say, that M. More durst affirm, that a man might love God and hate his neighbour both at once, and yet St. John in his Epistle will say that he saith untruly. M. More meaneth of the best faith that ever he felt. all likelihood he knoweth of no other but such as may stand with all wickedness, neither in himself nor in his prelates, wherefore inasmuch as their faith may stand with all that Christ hateth, I am sure he looketh not for small thanks of God for his defending of them. And therefore he playeth surely, to take his reward here of our holy patriarchs.

MORE. Few durst be priests in the old time. TYNDALE. Then they knew the charge, and feared God. But now they know the vantage, and dread him not.

common

faith.

More.

Tyndale.

MORE. If the laws of the church were executed More. which Tyndale and Luther would have burnt, it would be better.

TYNDALE. If the Testament of our Saviour might be Tyndale. known for blind wretches and covetous tyrants, it would write the law of God in all men's hearts that believed it and then should men naturally and without compulsion keep all honesty. And again though the pope's law could help, yet is no law as good as a law unexecuted.

As good no law, as a

law not executed.

IN the thirteenth he rageth, and fareth exceeding foul with himself. There he biteth, sucketh, gnaweth, towseth and mowseth Tyndale. There he weneth that he hath