It was likewise laid to the charge of Sir Thomas, as he tells us himself, that he 'handled Luther, Tindal, &c. with no fayrer wordes, nor in no more courteous manner, and treated their persons when he had them in his power with too much rigor and severity.' Thus is it particularly remarked of his Latin answer to Luther[O 1], that in it he has forgotten himself so far that he has there u thrown out the greatest heap of nasty language that perhaps ever was put together, and that the book throughout is nothing but downright ribaldry without a grain of reason to support it, and gave the author no other reputation but that of having the best knack of any man in Europe at calling bad names in good Latin; tho' his passion is sometimes so strong upon him that he sacrifices even his beloved purity to it.' The like censure do his [O 2]English Tracts against Tindal, Barns, &c. deserve. He by way of sneer calls the protestants, the brethren, forgetting that this was the name the first christians were commonly called by. But for this Sir Thomas makes the following apology,—[O 3]'Where they fynde the faute that I handle these folke so foule, how coulde I other doe? For whyle I declare and she we they're writynge to
- ↑ Bishop Atterbury's Considerations, &c.
- ↑ Mayster Martin Luther himself beyng specially borne agayne and new created of the Spirit, whom God in many places of holy Scripture hath commanded to keep his vowe made of chastityso farre contrary therunto toke out of religion a spouse of Christ wedded her himselfe in reproche of wedlocke called her his wife and made her his harlot, and, in double desire of marriage and religion both, liveth with her openlie, and lyeth with her nightlye in shameful incest and abominable bycherie.—English Works, p. 360. col. 1.
- ↑ English Works, p. 864, col. 1.
