Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 4
An aunſwere vntounto Syr Thomas Mores Dialogue, made by William Tyndall. 1530.
☞ Firſt he declareth what the Church is, and geueth a reaſon of certaine wordes which Maſter More rebuketh in the tranſlation of the new Teſtament. ¶ After that he aunſwereth particularly vntounto eueryevery Chapter which ſemeth to hauehave any appearaunce of truth thorough all his foure bookes.
¶ Awake thou that ſlepeſt and ſtand vp from death, and Chriſt ſhall geue the light.
Epheſians. 5.
THe grace of our Lord, the light of his ſpirite to ſee & to iudge, true repē taunce towarde… Gods l…we, a faſt fayth in the mercyfull pr…es y• are in our ſauiour Chriſt, ſeruēt louelove toward thy neighbour after the exā ple of Chriſt & his Saints, be with thee (O Reader) & with all that louelove the truth & lōg for the redemption of Gods elect. Amen.
Our Sauiour I eſus in the 16. of Iohn Iohn. 16.at his laſt Supper when he tooke his leaue of his Diſciples, warned them ſaying, the holy Ghoſt ſhall come and rebuke the world of iudgemēt. That is, he ſhall rebuke the world The holy ghoſt ſhall rebuke the world for lacke of true iudgement.for lacke of true iudgement and diſcretion to iudge, and ſhall proue that the taſt of theyr mouthes is corrupt, ſo that they iudge ſwete to be ſowre and ſowre to be ſwete, & the eyes to be blynd, ſo that they thinke that to be the ver… ſeruice of God which is but a blynd ſuperſtition, for zeale of which yet they perſecute the true ſeruice of God: and that they iudge to be the lawe of God, whiche is but a falſe imagination of a corrupt iudgement, for blynd affection of whiche yet they perſecute the true law of God and them that kepe it.
And this ſame it is that Paul ſayth 1. Corinth. …. Cor. 2.ij. how that the naturall man that is not borne agayne and created a new with the ſpirite of God, be he neuer ſo great a Philoſopher, neuer ſo well ſene in the law, neuer ſo ſore ſtudied in the Scripture, as we hauehave examples in the Phariſeis, yet hee cannot vnderſtād the thynges of the ſpirite of God: but The ſpiritual iudgeth all thynges ſpiritually.ſayth he, the ſpirituall iudgeth all thyngs and hys ſpir…e ſearcheth the deepe ſecretes of God, ſo that what ſoeuer God commaūdeth hym to do, he neuer leaueth ſearchyng till he come at the bottome, the pith, the quicke, the ly…e, the ſ…, the m…ow & very cauſe why, and iudgeth all thyng. Take an example, in the great commaundement, louelove God with all thyne hart, yt ſpirituall ſearcheth the cauſe Math. 22.and looketh on the benefites of God and ſo conceaueth louelove in his hart. And when he is Rom. 13.commaunded to obey the powers and rulers of the world, hee looketh on the benefites which God ſheweth the world through them and therefore doth it gladly. And when hee▪ Math. 22.is commaūded to louelove his neighbour as hym ſelfe, he ſearcheth that his neighbour is created of God and bought with Chriſtes bloud and ſo forth, and therefore he loueth hym out The ſpirituall man ſearcheth … the cauſe why …, ought to louelove hys neighbour▪of his hart, and if he be euill forheareth hym and with all louelove and pacience draweth hym to good: as elder brethren wayte on the yoū ger and ſerue them and ſuffer them, & when they will not come they ſpeake fayre, & flatter, and geue ſome gaye thyng and promiſe fayre and ſo drawe them and …te them not, but if they may in no wiſe be holpe, referre the puniſhment to the father and mother and ſo foorth. And by theſe iudgeth he all other lawes of God and vnderſtādeth the true vſe and meanyng of them. And by theſe vnderſtandeth he in the lawes of man, whiche are right, and which tyranny.
If God ſhould cōmaunde hym to drinke no wine, as he commaūded in the olde teſtament that the prieſtes ſhould not: when they miniſtred in the temple, and forbad diuerſe mea…es, the ſpirituall (becauſe he knoweth Man is Lord ouer all the creatures of the ….that man is Lord ouer all other creatures, & they his ſeruauntes, made to be at his pleaſure, and that it is not commaunded for the wyue or meate it ſelfe that man ſhould be in bondage vntounto his owne ſeruaunt the inferiour creature) ceaſeth not to ſearch the cauſe. And when he findeth it, that it is to tame the fleſhe, and that he be alway ſober, he obeyeth gladly, and yet not ſo ſuperſtitiouſly, that the tyme of his diſeaſe he would not drinke wine in ye way of a medicine to recouer his health, as Dauid eat of the halowed bread, and as Moſes for neceſſitie left the children of Iſraell vncircumciſed xl. yeares, where of likelyhoode …. Reg. …1.ſome dyed vncircumciſed, and were Circum…ō not trequented in …. …eares.yet thought to be in no worſe caſe then they that were circumciſed, as the children that dyed within the viij. day, were counted in as good caſe as they that were circūciſed, which enſamples might teach vsus many thinges, if there were ſpirite in vsus.
And likewiſe of the holy day, he knoweth Holy dayes are ord…ned for …, and not man for the holy dayes.that the day is ſeruaunt to man, and therfore when he findeth that it is done becauſe he ſhould not be let from hearing the worde of God, he obeyeth gladly, and yet not ſo ſuperſtitiouſly that he would not helpe his neighbour on the holy day, and let the ſermō alone for one day, or that he would not worke on the holyday, neede requiring it, at ſuch tyme as men be not wont to be at church, and ſo throughout all lawes. And euen likewiſe in all ceremonies and ſacramentes he ſearcheth The ſignification of thynges are to be ſought and not to ſerue the viſible ſignes.the ſignifications, & will not ſerue …he viſible thinges. It is as good to him, that the prieſt ſay Maſſe in his gowne as in his other apparell, if they teach him not ſomewhat, and that his ſoule be edified thereby. And as ſoone will he gape while thou putteſt ſande as holy ſalt in his mouth, if thou ſhew hym Ceremonies with out ſome good doctrine are to be reiected.no reaſon thereof. He had as lefe be ſ…ered wyth vnhalowed butter as annointed wyth charmed oyle, if his ſoule be not taught to vnderſtand ſomewhat thereby, and ſo forth.
But the world captiuateth his wit, and about the law of God, maketh him wonderfull imaginations, vntounto which he ſo faſt cleaueth that ten Iohn Baptiſtes were not able to diſpute them out of his head. He beleueth Turkes are rather to be lamēted for their ignoraunce and to be wonne with good doctrine & example of good lyfe, then to be hated and murthered.that he loueth God, becauſe he is ready to kill a Turke for his ſake, that beleueth better in God then he) whom God alſo commaundeth vsus to louelove and to leaue nothyng vnſought to winne him vntounto the knowledge of the truth, though with the loſſe of our …ues. He ſuppoſeth that he loueth his neighbour as much as he is bounde, if he be not actually angry with him, whom yet he will not helpe freely with an halfepenny but for a vauntage or vayneglory, or for a worldly purpoſe. If any man hauehave diſpleaſed him, he keepeth his malice in and will not chafe him ſelfe about it, till he ſee an occaſion to auēge it craftely, and thinketh that well inough. And the rulers of the world he obeyeth, thinketh he, when he flattereth them, and blindeth them with giftes, and corrupteth the We do nothyng well e…ept we do it of louelove from a pure hart.officers with rewardes, and …egui…th the lawe with cautels and ſubtilties.
And becauſe the louelove of God and of hys neighbour, which is the ſpirite and the life of all lawes, & wherfore all lawes are made, is not written in his hart, therefore in all inferiour …awes and in all worldly ordinaunces is he betell blinde. If he be commaunded to abſteyne from wine, that will he obſerue vntounto the death to, as the Charterhouſe Mō kes had leuer dye then eate fleſhe: and as for Superſtitious obſeruations are rather the breakyng of the law then the kepyng of the ſame.the ſoberneſſe and chaſtiſing of the members will he not looke for, but will poure male & bere of the ſtrongeſt without meaſure, and heat them with ſpices and ſo forth. And the holyday will he keepe ſo ſtraight, that if he meete a ſ…ee in his bed he dare not kill her, & not once regarde wherfore the holyday was ordayned to ſeeke for Gods worde, and ſo forth in all lawes. And in ceremonies and ſacramentes, there he captiuateth his witte & vnderſtanding to obey holy Church, without aſking what they meane, or deſiring to know, but onelyonly careth for the keeping, and looketh euer wyth a payre of narrow eyes, and wyth all hys ſpectacles vppon them, leſt ought be lefte out. For if the prieſt ſhoulde ſay Maſſe, baptiſe, or heare confeſſion without a ſtole about his necke, he would thinke all were marred, and doubt whether he had power to conſecrate, and thinke that the vertue of the Maſſe were loſt, and the childe not well baptiſed or not baptiſed at all, and that his abſolution were not worth a mite. He had leuer that the Byſhop ſhould wag two fingers ouer him, then that an other man ſhould ſay God ſaue him, and ſo forth. Wherfore beloued reader, in as much as the holy ghoſt rebuketh the worlde for lacke of iudgement, The world is to be rebuked for lacke of iudgement.and in as much alſo as their ignoraūce is without excuſe before whoſe faces inough is ſet to iudge by, if they woulde open their eyes to ſee, and not captiuate their vnderſtanding to beleue lyes: and in as much as the ſpirituall iudgeth all thing, euen the very bottome of Gods ſecretes, that is to ſay, the cauſes of the thinges which God commaundeth, how much more ought we to iudge our holy fathers ſecretes, & not to be as an Oxe or an Aſſe without vnderſtanding.
Iudge therfore reader whether the Pope Iudge by theſe things whether the Pope hauehave erred or no…with his be the Church, whether their authoritie bee aboue the Scripture: whether all they teach without Scripture be equall with the Scripture: whether they hauehave erred, and not onelyonly whether they can. And againſt the myſt of their ſophiſtry take the examples that are paſt in the old Teſtament, & authentike ſtories, and the preſent practiſe whiche thou ſeeſt before thyne eyes. Iudge whether it be poſſible that any good ſhould Iudge what baggage is in the Popes doctrine and of his makingcome out of their domme ceremonies & Sacramentes into thy ſoule. Iudge their penaunce, pilgrimages, pardons, purgatorie, praying to poſtes, domme bleſſynges, domme abſolutiōs, their domme pateryng and howlyng, their domme ſtraunge holy geſtures with all their domme diſguiſinges, their ſatiſfactiōs and iuſtifyinges. And becauſe thou findeſt them falſe in ſo many thynges, truſt them in nothyng but iudge thē in all thinges. Marke at the laſt the practiſe of our fleſhly ſpiritualtie and their wayes by whiche they Note the … ſpiritualtie.hauehave walked aboue eight hundred yeares, how they ſtabliſh their lyes, firſt wtth falſifiyng the Scripture, then thorough corruptyng with their riches wherof they hauehave infinite treaſure in ſtore: and laſt of all with the ſword. HaueHave they not compelled the Emperours of the earth and the great Lordes and hygh …cers to be obedient vntounto them, to diſpure for them, and to be their tormētours, and the Samſumims thē ſelues do but imagine miſchief and inſpire them.
Marke whether it were euer truer then … Chriſt.now, the Scribes, Phariſeis, Pylate, Herode, Cayphas and Anna, are gathered together agaynſt God & Chriſt. But yet I truſt in vayne, and he that brake the Counſell of A chitophell ſhall ſcatter theirs. Marke whether it … not true in the hygheſt degree, that Our … is the cauſe that hypo….for the ſinne of the people hypocrites ſhall rayne ouer them. What ſhewes, what faces and contrary pretenſes are made, and all to ſtabliſh them in their theft, falſehead, & damnable lyes, and to gather them together for The practice of prelates.to continue ſu…ltie to oppreſſe the truth and to ſtoppe the light & to kepe all ſtill in darkeneſſe. Wherfore it is time to awake and to ſee eueryevery man with his owne eyes and to iudge, if we will not be iudged of Chriſt when he commeth to iudge. And remember that he which is warned hath none excuſe, if he take n…ede. Here with fare wel in ye Lord Ieſus Chriſt whoſe ſpirite be thy guide & doctrine and the light to iudge with all. Amen.