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AN ANSWER TO M. MORE'S SECOND BOOK.

The pope will not be tried by Scripture, Scripture must be judged by him.

but the

IN the first chapter ye may not try the doctrine of the spiritualty by the Scripture: but what they say, that believe undoubtedly and by that try the Scripture. And if thou find the plain contrary in the Scripture, thou mayest not believe the Scripture, but seek a gloss and an allegory to make them agree. As when the pope saith, Ye be justified by the works of the ceremonies and sacraments and so forth; and the Scripture saith, that we be justified at the repentance of the heart through Christ's blood. The first is true plain, as the pope saith it, and as it standeth in his text, but the second is false as it appeareth unto thine understanding, and the literal sense that killeth. Thou must therefore believe the pope and for Christ's doctrine seek an allegory and a mystical sense: that is, that thou must leave the clear light and walk in the mist. And yet Christ and his apostles, for all their miracles, required not to be believed without Scripture, as thou mayest see John v. and Acts xvii. and by John v. their diligent alleging of Scripture throughout all the New Testament.

And in the end he saith for his pleasure, that we knowledge, that no man may minister sacraments but he that is derived out of the pope. Howbeit, this we knowledge, that no man could minister sacraments without signification which are no sacraments, save such as are of the pope's generation.

THE THIRD CHAPTER.

IN the third chapter, and in the chapter following, he uttereth how fleshly-minded he is, and how beastly he imagineth of God, as Paul saith, (1 Cor. ii.) The natural

None can

minister

the sacra

ments su perstitious

ly but the pope's ge

neration.

1 Cor. ii.

and carnal

man sa

voureth not the

things that be of God.

man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of The natural God. He thinketh of God as he doth of his cardinal, that he is a monster, pleased when men flatter him, and if, of whatsoever frailty it be, men break his commandments, he is then raging mad as the pope is, and seeketh to be venged. Nay, God is ever fatherly minded toward the elect members of his church. He loved them ere the world began, in Christ. (Eph. i.) He loveth them while they be yet evil, and his enemies in their hearts, ere fatherly to they be come unto the knowledge of his son Christ, and ere his law be written in their hearts: as a father loveth his young son, while he is yet evil, and ere it know the father's law to consent thereto.

Rom. v. God is

his elect members.

Rom. vii.

If we sin of frailty

God is merciful and ready to forgive.

not.

And after they be once actually of his church, and the law of God, and faith of Christ written in their hearts, their hearts never sin any more, though as Paul saith, (Rom. vii.) the flesh doth in them that the spirit would And when they sin of frailty, God ceaseth not to love them still, though he be angry, to put a cross of tribulations upon their backs, to purge them and to subdue the flesh unto the spirit, or to all to break their consciences with threatening of the law, and to fear them with hell. As a father when his son offendeth him feareth him with the rod, but hateth him not.

God did not hate Paul, when he persecuted, but had laid up mercy for him in store, though he was angry with him, to scourge him and to teach him better. Neither were those things laid on his back which he after suffered, to make satisfaction for his fore sins, but only to serve his brethren and to keep the flesh under. Neither did God hate David when he had sinned, though he was angry with him. Neither did he after suffer to make satisfaction to God for his old sins, but to keep his flesh under, neighbour. and to keep him in meekness, and to be an ensample for our learning.

The new life doth tame the flesh, and

serve her

THE FOURTH CHAPTER.

God seek

we not him.

In the fourth saith he, if the church were an unknown company, how should the infidels, if they longed for the faith, come thereby? O whither wandereth a fleshly mind, as though we first sought out God. Nay, God knoweth his, and seeketh them out, and sendeth his mes- eth us and sengers unto them, and giveth them an heart to understand. Did the heathen or any nation seek Christ? Nay, Christ sought them and sent his apostles unto them. As thou seest in the stories from the beginning of the world, and as the parables and similitudes of the gospel declare.

More a lying papist.

And when he saith, he never found nor heard of any of us, but that he would forswear to save his life. Answer, the more wrath of God will light on them, that so cruelly delight to torment them, and so craftily to beguile the weak. Nevertheless yet it is untrue. For he hath heard of sir Thomas Hitton, whom the bishops of Rochester Sir Thomas and Canterbury slew at Maidstone, and of many that suffered in Brabant, Holland, and at Cologne and in all quarters of Dutchland, and do daily.

And when he saith that their church hath many martyrs, let him shew me one, that died for pardons, and purgatory, that the pope hath feigned, and let him take the mastery.

And what a do maketh he, that we say, there is a church that sinneth not, and that there is no man but that he sinneth, which are yet both true. We read, (1 John iii.) He that is born of God sinneth not. And (Eph. v.) Men, love your wives as the Lord doth the church, and gave himself for her, to sanctify her, and to cleanse her, in the fountain of water through the word, and to make her a glorious church unto himself, without spot or wrinkle.

And (1 John i.) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and make him a liar and his word is not in us. M. More also will not understand that the church is some

Hitton.

The pope martyrs.

hath no

There is a sinneth not. 1 John iii.

church that

is double.

The church time taken for the elect only which have the law of God written in their hearts, and faith to be saved through Christ written there also. Which same, for all that, say with Paul, That good which I would, that do I not. But that evil which I hate, that do I: so it is not I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in my flesh.

Gal. v.

And (Gal. v.) the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit, and the spirit contrary to the flesh, so that these two fighting between themselves, ye cannot do what ye would. For they never consent that sin is good, nor hate the law, nor cease to fight against the flesh, but as soon as they be fallen, rise and fight afresh. And that the church is sometime taken for the common rascal of all that believe, wheThe cral ther with the mouth only, and carnally, without Spirit, nei

church

sinnetli.

Two manner [of] faiths

John xv.

The faith of them that be called but not elect.

ther loving the law in their hearts, nor feeling the mercy that is in Christ, but either run altogether at riot or keep the law with cautels and expositions of their own feigning, and yet not of love, but for fear of hell, as the thieves do for fear of the gallows, and make recompence to God for their sins with holy deeds.

He also will not understand, that there be two manner [of] faiths: one, that is the faith of the elect, which purgeth them of all their sins for ever. As ye see John xv. Ye be clean, saith Christ, by the reason of the word: that is, through believing Christ's doctrine. And (John i.) He gave them power to be the sons of God, through believing in his name. And (John iii.) He that believeth the Son hath everlasting life: and a thousand like texts.

And another of them that be called and never elect. As the faith of Judas, of Simon Magus, of the devil, and of the pope. In whose hearts the law of God is not written, as it appeareth by their works. And therefore when they believe many things of Christ, yet when they come unto the salvation that is in his blood, they be but Jews and Turks and forsake Christ and run unto the justifying of ceremonies with the Jews and Turks.

And therefore they remain ever in sin within their hearts.

Where the elect having the law written in their breasts and leaving it in their spirits, sin there never, but without in the flesh. Against which sin they fight continually and minish it daily with the help of the Spirit, through prayer, fasting, and serving their neighbours lovingly with all manner [of] service, out of the law that is written in their hearts. And their hope of forgiveness is in Christ only, through his blood, and not in ceremonies.

THE FIFTH CHAPTER.

AND unto his fifth chapter I answer, by the pope the Scripture is hid and brought into ignorance, and the true sense corrupt. And by them that ye call heretics, we know the Scripture and the true sense thereof. And I say, that the pope keepeth the Scripture as did the pharisees, to make merchandise of it. And again, that the heretics be come out of you, as out of the scribes and pharisees came the apostles, and Christ himself, and John Baptist; and that they be plucked out of you, and graffed in Christ, and built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

And in the end, when he saith that the heretics be fallen out of Christ's mystical body, which is the pope and his; I answer, that ye be a mystical, [mistical] body and walk in the mist and will not come at the light, and the heretics be departed out of your mist, and walk in the clear light of God's word.

THE SIXTH CHAPTER.

The pope
Scripture.

hideth the

The heretics be fal

len out of

the mist.

Why many

IN the sixth he saith that the heretics be all nought, for they all perjure and abjure. He yet saith untrue. Many fall. abide unto the death. Many for their weakness are kept out of your hands. Many for their overmuch boldness

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