ANSWER TO SIR

yet all to one.

[TYNDALE.

For if it becometh the lower minister to be of a sad and discreet age, much more it becometh the higher. It is truth. But two things are without law, God and necessity. If God, to shew his power, shall shed out his grace more upon youth than upon age at a time, who shall let him? Women be no meet vessels to rule or to preach, (for both are forbidden them) yet hath God endowed them with his Spirit at sundry times, and oly shewed his power and goodness upon them, and wrought wonderful things by them, because he would not have them despised. We read that women have judged all Israel, and have been great prophetesses, and have done mighty deeds. Yea, and if stories be true, women have preached since the opening of the New Testament.

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Do not our women now christen and minister the sacrament of baptism in time of need? Might they not by as good reason preach also, if necessity required? woman were driven into some island, where Christ was never preached, might she there not preach him, if she had the gift thereto ? Might she not also baptize? And why might she not, by the same reason, minister the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and teach them how to choose officers and ministers? O, poor women, how despise ye them! The viler the better welcome unto you. An whore had ye lever than an honest wife. If only shaven and anointed may do these things, then Christ did them not, nor any of his apostles, nor any man in long time after. For they used no such ceremonies.

exhort t Paul

as a m

writeth

exhort,

sober, d

Notwithstanding, though God be under no law, and necessity lawless; yet be we under a law, and ought to prefer the men before the women, and age before youth, as nigh as we can. For it is against the law of nature that young men should rule the elder, and as uncomely as that women should rule the men, but when need requireth. And, therefore, if Paul had had other shift, and a man of age as meet for the room, he would not have put Timothy in the office, he should no doubt have been kept

NDALE.]

THOMAS MORE'S DIALOGUE.

See,

19

The cause why young Timothy was preferred by Paul to be a bishop. Paul was

a fatherly instructorto

St. Paul was a worthy and most reve

ck until a fuller age, and have learned in the meantime silence. And whatsoever thou be that readest this, I hort thee in our Lord, that thou read both the Epistles Paul to Timothy, that thou mayest see how diligently sa mother careth for her child, if it be in peril) Paul -iteth unto Timothy, to instruct him, to teach him, to hort, to courage him, to stir him up, to be wise, ber, diligent, circumspect, sad, humble and meek, sayg: These I write that thou mayest know how to behave yself in the house of God, which is the church or con- Timothy. egation. Avoid lusts of youth, beware of ungodly fables d old wives' tales, and avoid the company of men of rrupt minds, which waste their brains about wrangling estions. Let no man despise thine youth. As who ould say, Youth is a despised thing of itself, whereunto en give none obedience or reverence naturally. erefore, that thy virtue exceed, to recompense thy lack age, and that thou so behave thyself that no fault be und with thee. And again, Rebuke not an elder sharply, it exhort him as thy father, and young men as thy bre- structor. ren, and the elder women as thy mothers, and the young omen as thy sisters, and such like in every chapter. dmit none accusation against an elder under less than two itnesses. And Paul chargeth him in the sight of God nd of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his elect angels, do nothing rashly or of affection. And shortly, whereto youth is most prone and ready to fall, thereof warneth him with all diligence, even almost or altogether half a zen times of some one thing. And finally, as a man difference ould teach a child that had never before gone to school, tenderly and so carefully doth Paul teach him. It is anher thing to teach the people, and to teach the preacher. ere Paul teacheth the preacher, young Timothy. And when he affirmeth that I say, how that the oiling ad shaving is no part of the priesthood, that improveth

And

e not, nor can do. And therefore I say it yet.
hen he hath insearched the uttermost that he can, this is
C 2

rend father and in

A great

between

teaching of the people, ing of a preacher.

and teach

Oiling nor shaving is any thing or any part of priesthood.

all that he can lay against me, that of an hundred there
be not ten that have the properties which Paul requireth to
to be in them. Wherefore, if oiling and shaving be no
part of their priesthood, then evermore of a thousand,
nine hundred at the least should be no priests at all. And
quoth your friend, would confirm it with an oath, and
swear deeply, that it would follow, and that it must needs
so be.
Which argument yet, if there were no other shift,
I would solve after an Oxford fashion, with Concedo con-
sequentiam et consequens. And I say moreover that their
anointing is but a ceremony borrowed of the Jews,
though they have somewhat altered the manner; and their
shaving borrowed of the heathen priests; and that they be
no more of their priesthood, than the oil, salt, spittle,
taper and chrisom-cloth, of the substance of baptism.
Which things, no doubt, because they be of their con-
juring, they would have preached of necessity unto the
salvation of the child, except necessity had driven them
unto the contrary.

TYNDAL

And seeing that the oil is not of necessity, let M. More tell me what more virtue is in the oil of confirmation, inasmuch as the bishop sacreth the one as well as the other; yea, and let him tell the reason why there should be more virtue in the oil wherewith the bishop the anointeth his priests. Let him tell you from whence the oil cometh, how it is made, and why he selleth it to the curates wherewith they anoint the sick, or whether this be of less virtue than the other.

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And finally, why used not the apostles this Greek word iɛɛús, or the interpreter, this Latin word sacerdos, but alway this word presbyteros and senior, by which was at that time nothing signified but an elder? And it was no doubt taken of the custom of the Hebrews, where the officers were ever elderly men, as nature requireth. As it

We say, saint cha

Blessing

faith the

be- appeareth in the Old Testament, and also in the New. The scribes, pharisees, and the elders of the people, saith the text, which were the officers and rulers, so called by the reason of their age.

e.

NDALE.]

THOMAS MORE'S DIALOGUE.

WHY HE USETH LOVE RATHER THAN

CHARITY.

21

【E rebuketh me also that I translate this Greek word άyànŋ into love, and not rather into charity, so holy d so known a term. Verily, charity is no known nglish, in that sense which agape requireth. For when say, Give your alms in the worship of God, and sweet nt charity; and when the father teacheth his son to say essing, father, for saint charity; what mean they? In good th they wot not. Moreover, when we say, God help u, I have done my charity for this day, do we not take it alms? and, The man is ever chiding and out of charity, I beshrew him saving my charity: there we take it for tience. And when I say, A charitable man, it is taken - merciful. And though mercifulness be a good love, or her spring of a good love, yet is not every good love ercifulness. As when a woman loveth her husband dly, or a man his wife or his friend that is in none adsity, it is not always mercifulness. Also we say not, This un hath a great charity to God, but a great love. Wheree I must have used this general term love, in spite of ne heart oftentimes. And agape and charitas were rds used among the heathen ere Christ came, and signifies refore more than a godly love. And we may say well ough, and have heard it spoken, that the Turks be chaable one to another, among themselves, and some of them to the Christians too. Besides all this agape is common to all loves.

And when M. More saith, Every love is not charity: no re is every apostle Christ's apostle; nor every angel od's angel; nor every hope Christian hope; nor every h or belief Christ's belief; and so by an hundred ousand words. So that if I should always use but a

Why Tynthe word love rather

dale useth

than cha

rity.

Charity significa

hath divers

tions.

Love is also diversly understood.

Every love rity, nor every charity is not love.

is not cha

word that were no more general than the word I interpret, I should interpret nothing at all. But the matter itself and the circumstances do declare what love, what hope, and what faith is spoken of. And, finally, I say not Charity God, or Charity your neighbour, but Love God, and Love your neighbour, yea, and though we say man ought to love his neighbour's wife and his daughter, a Christian man doth [not] understand that he is commanded to defile his neighbour's wife or his daughter.

VISION

tum

fessi

spak Scrip

Scrip abon

idol

matte

bellie

WHY FAVOUR AND NOT GRACE.

the which

sins.

yu- AND with like reasons rageth he because I turn xáọc into favour, and not into grace, saying that Every favour

h

and

e.

is not grace, and that in some favour there is but little

grace. I can say also in some grace there is little goodness,

And when we say he standeth well in my lady's grace,
we understand no great godly favour. And in universities
many ungracious graces are gotten.

WHY KNOWLEDGE AND NOT CONFESSION,
REPENTANCE AND NOT PENANCE.

their

Gree

pent

It for

pent

Scri

belie

dge AND that I use this word knowledge and not confession, and this word repentance and not penance. In which nce all he cannot prove that I give not the right English unto e. the Greek word. But it is a far other thing that paineth

on,

them and biteth them by the breasts. There be secret pangs that pinch the very hearts of them, whereof they dare not complain. The sickness that maketh them so impatient is, that they have lost their juggling ternis. For the doctors and preachers were wont to make many di

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enc

the