Most moviegoers know that Thomas (Man for All Seasons) More was martyred for refusing to compromise with King Henry VIII on papal primacy and the indissolubility of marriage. A few might know that he was also a devoted family man, a profound scholar, a brilliant lawyer, and the first layman to serve as Lord Chancellor, the highest appointed official in England. But fewer still are aware that Thomas More was also a tireless defender of the Catholic Faith.

In 1521, just four years after posting his famous "Ninety-five theses" on a church door in Wittenburg, and the same month he was excommunicated, Martin Luther published a controversial work called The Babylonian Captivity of the Church. This book denounced the seven sacraments as corruptions and papist inventions. When Luther’s book reached England, King Henry VIII wrote a thorough rebuttal called Defense of the Seven Sacraments. Henry’s book won him the title "Defender of the Faith" from Pope Leo X, a title still claimed by English monarchs to this day.

Luther responded with the German Response to the Book of King Henry, which was filled with vulgar, personal attacks on the king. The King didn’t want to dignify the German Response with a direct reply. Therefore, Thomas More was chosen to refute Luther’s arguments and defend the King’s honor. In 1523, More produced his first major work of apologetics, Response to Luther, under the pen-name "William Ross." In 1526, More wrote his second apologetics book to one of Luther’s closest aides, Johannes Bugenhagen.

A few years later, More turned his attention from Luther, the "father of the Protestant Reformation" to one of Luther’s disciples, William Tyndale, the "father of the English Reformation." Tyndale produced a new English translation of the New Testament, which, like Luther’s German translation, deliberately changed certain words to promote Lutheran theology. In 1528, Tyndale published two works advocating Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith alone. The increasing success of Luther and Tyndale’s propaganda in England led the Archbishop of London to call on Thomas More to defend the Catholic Faith against the claims of these dissenters.

And defend the Faith he did. At the height of his political career, with five children to educate and guide, and a wife and a household to care for, Thomas More became England’s most prominent defender of the faith. He stole hours from his sleep to write seven more apologetics books in six years. With wit and wisdom, he championed the ancient Catholic Faith against the novelties of the Reformers.

More exploded the inconsistencies in Luther’s theory of "the Bible-alone" as the Christian’s sole authority in religious matters. He pointed out that the doctrine of "Scripture alone" can’t be found in the Scripture alone. He emphasized that the Church who taught the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, papal primacy, Purgatory, and so on, was the same Church who guarantees the Bible as God’s Word. If we accept the authority of the Church when it comes to establishing the Scriptures, how can we reject its authority when it comes to interpreting them?

Thomas More also demolished the idea that we are saved by "faith alone" and that good works are completely unnecessary. This view of the Reformers is contradicted by Christ’s own words. If good works are worthless, why does Jesus promise to reward those who give a mere cup of water to the thirsty (Mark 9:41, Matthew 10:42)? Or why does Jesus promise heaven to those who perform works of mercy and hell to those who don’t (Matthew 25:31-46) if such acts are worthless? Finally, if faith alone will save us, what is to prevent us from sinning with impunity? If a man’s actions have no bearing on his salvation, there is nothing to prevent him from behaving like a beast.

A life of license is appealing. More recognized that heretical movements often succeed by making Christianity less demanding. They create a religion with "fewer rules," one that requires fewer changes in personal behavior:

"Luther claims it is miracle that in such a short time so many Christians … went over to his heresies.… As for people rushing headfirst into the life of freedom and sensual gratification he offers them—that seems about as much like a miracle as rocks falling downhill."?

Thomas More knew that dissent doesn’t grow overnight. Rather, it is the result of the faithful gradually becoming desensitized to error. Over time the unthinkable become thinkable, then acceptable, and finally respectable:

"For the fact is that wherever this plague rages today most fiercely, everyone did not catch the disease in a single day. Rather the contagion spreads gradually and imperceptibly while those persons who despise it at first, afterwards can stand to hear it and respond to it with less than full scorn, then come to tolerate wicked discussions, and afterwards are carried away into error, until like a cancer (as the apostle says [2 Timothy 2:17]) the creeping disease finally takes over the whole country."?

Think about how many Catholics today have grown comfortable with, or even adopted, such Protestant notions as the authority of the "Bible alone," salvation by "faith alone," confession to God alone, the Church as merely the union of believers, and private judgement as more compelling than official Church teaching. Think about how many Catholics have embraced contraception, sterilization, and abortion. In some circles, dissent has become the new dogma.

More was asked why he, a layman who wasn’t even a Scripture scholar, should undertake to defend the Faith, rather than leave the task to theologians and clerics. More’s reply was that if the questions raised were subtle and open to legitimate debate, he would gladly defer to more competent men. However, the Reformers’ challenges are so clearly contrary to the ancient teachings of the Church and so easily answered that any layman should be capable of refuting them!

A man in Thomas More’s position could have argued that he shouldn’t put his religious beliefs above his political duties. Unlike modern politicians, More knew he must obey God rather than men. More had every excuse to let someone else defend the Catholic Faith. He had a more-than-full-time job, a family, hobbies, friends, and unending correspondence. But he recognized the seriousness of the Reformers’ threat to the faith. In conscience, he could not stand idly by while fellow Catholics were duped by the religious innovators of his day.

Ironically, his apologetics books were used against him when King Henry broke from Rome and declared himself the new head of the Church in England. More’s defense of papal primacy was used as evidence that he denied Henry’s supremacy (which of course he had to). Standing up for the truth proved to be his earthly undoing. At the same time, it was his heavenly gain. His fidelity to the truth, no matter the sacrifice or consequences, won him an immortal crown of glory. Because he had the courage of his convictions, today we call him "Saint."

Today, the world asks us to sacrifice our religious convictions on the altar of political expediency. The world invites us to accept contraception, divorce, abortion, pornography, and homosexuality. It tells us to "show some compassion" and not be judgmental. St. Thomas More reminds us that it’s better for us to lose our heads than our souls.

The religious climate asks us to accept all denominations as equally valid. It says that we are arrogant to believe that Catholicism is Christ’s one Church, that it contains the fullness of truth and salvation. It maintains that ecumenism means religious indifferentism. St. Thomas More reminds us that there’s no excuse for not spreading our matchless Catholic Faith. Winning souls for Christ isn’t just the duty of priests and nuns; rather, it’s the duty of every baptized Christian in every occupation.

It takes courage, self-discipline, and wisdom to balance the practical demands of everyday life with the obligations of our faith. That is why God has given us the gift of grace. That is also why He has given us saints like Thomas More to serve as godly examples.

?The King’s Good Servant But God’s First, James Monti, (Ignatius Press, 1997), p. 161.
? Ibid.

Jim Burnham is a national speaker, businessman and President of San Juan Catholic Seminars. He is also co-author of the best selling book: Beginning Apologetics.