Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/196

 in dede vnlawefull. Of which maner kynd, that there maye suche happe to bee, made in anye parte of Crystendome, I suppose no manne doubteth the generall counsayle of the whole bodye of Cristendom euermore in that poynte excepte: which, though it may make some thynges better than other, and some thynges maye growe to that poynte, that by another lawe they maye neede to be refourmed, yet to institute any thing in suchewyse to Goddes displeasure, as at the making might not lawfully be perfourmed, the spirit of God that gouerneth his church, neuer had yet suffered, nor never hereafter shall, hys whole catholike church lawfullye gathered together in a generall counsayle, as Chryste hathe made playne promises in Scripture. Now if it so happe, that in anye particular parte of Crystendome, there be a lawe made, that be suche, as for some parte thereof some menne thinke that the law of God cannot beare it, and some other thynke yes, the thing being in suche maner in question, that thorow diuers querters of Crystendome, some that are good men and cunning, bothe of our owne dayes, and before oure dayes, thinke some one way, and some other of lyke learnynge and goodnesse thynke the contrarye, in thys case he that thynketh agayneste the lawe, neither maye sweare that lawe lawefullye was made, standynge hys owne conscience to the contrarye, nor is bounden vpon payne of Goddes displeasure to chaunge hys owne conscience therein, for anye particular lawe made any where, other than by the generall insayle, or by a general fayth growen by the woorkinge of God vniuersally thorowe all Cristen nacions; nor other authoritie than one of these twayne (except speciall re uelacion and expresse commandement of God) sith the contrarye opinions of good menne and well learned, as I putte you the case, made the vnderstandynge of the Scryptures doubtefull, I can see none that lawefully maye commande and compell anye man to chaunge his owne opinion, and to translate his own conscience from the tone syde to the tother. For an ensaumple of some such maner thinges, I haue I trow before this time tolde you, that whither our blessed lady wer conceved in original sinne or not, was sometime in great question among the great learned men of Cristendom. And whether it be yet decyded and deter-