More had worked between 1512 and 1519…

1523 CE

More had worked between 1512 and 1519 on a History of King Richard III, which he never finishes but which will be published after his death.

He uses a more dramatic writing style than had been typical in medieval chronicles; Richard is limned as an outstanding, archetypal tyrant.

It will greatly influence William Shakespeare's play Richard III.

After undertaking a diplomatic mission to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, accompanying Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York, to Calais and Bruges, had been knighted and in 1521 made under-treasurer of the Exchequer.

The reformer Martin Luther had from August to November 1520 published three works in quick succession: An Appeal to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, Concerning the Babylonish Captivity of the Church, and On the Liberty of a Christian Man.

In these books, Luther had set out his doctrine of salvation through grace alone, rejected certain Catholic practices, and attacked abuses and excesses within the Catholic Church.

Henry VIII in 1521 had formally responded to Luther’s criticisms with the Assertio, written with More's assistance.

Pope Leo X rewards the English king with the title 'Fidei defensor' ("Defender of the Faith") for his work combating Luther’s heresies.

Following Henry's excommunication in 1534, Pope Paul III will rescind the grant of the title, but an Act of Parliament will declare that it remains valid; and it continues in royal usage to the present day.

Martin Luther had then attacked Henry VIII in print, calling him a "pig, dolt, and liar".

At the king's request, More composes a rebuttal: the Responsio ad Lutherum is published at the end of 1523.

In the Responsio, More defends papal supremacy, the sacraments, and other Church traditions.

More’s language, like Luther’s, is virulent: he brands Luther an "ape", a "drunkard", and a "lousy little friar" among other insults.

Writing as Rosseus, More offers to "throw back into your paternity's shitty mouth, truly the shit-pool of all shit, all the muck and shit which your damnable rottenness has vomited up".

Confronting Luther confirms More's theological conservatism.

He will hereafter avoid any hint of criticism of Church authority.

As secretary and personal adviser to King Henry VIII, More has become increasingly influential: welcoming foreign diplomats, drafting official documents, and serving as a liaison between the King and Lord Chancellor Wolsey.

More will later serve as High Steward for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

More is elected in 1523 as knight of the shire (MP) for Middlesex and, on Wolsey's recommendation, the House of Commons had elected More its Speaker; he helps establish the parliamentary privilege of free speech.