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The word for church just meant an assembly called for a purpose. A religious assembly of people is a congregation.

Tyndale’s explanation includes:

” For wheresoever I may say a congregation, there may I say a church also ; as the church of the devil, the church of Satan, the church of wretches, the church of wicked men, the church of liars, and a church of Turks thereto. For M. More must grant (if he will have ecclesia translated throughout all the new Testament by this word church) M. c. c that church is as common as ecclesia. Now is ecclesia a ucaata is a

Greek word, and was in use before the time of the apostles, andsigmfieth and taken for a congregation among the heathen, where was “on. no congregation of God or of Christ. And also Lucas himself useth ecclesia for a church, or congregation, of heathen people thrice in one chapter, even in the nineteenth chapter of the Acts2, where Demetrius the goldsmith, or silversmith, Acts *,*• had gathered a company against Paul for preaching against images...

...But how happeth it that M. More hath not contended in M. More did like wise against his darling Erasmus all this long while? Doth he not change this word ecclesia into congregation, and that not seldom in the new Testament1? Peradventure he oweth him favour, because he made Moria in his house2 : which book, if it were in English, then should every man see how that he then was far otherwise minded than he now writeth. But, verily, I think that as Judas betrayed not Christ for any love that he had unto the high priests, scribes and Pharisees, but only to come by that wherefore he thirsted; even so M. More (as there are tokens evident) wrote not these books for any affection that he bare unto the spiritualty, or unto the opinions which he so barely defendeth, but to obtain only that which he was an hungred for. I pray God that he eat not too hastily, lest he be choked at the latter end; but that he repent, and resist not the Spirit of God, which openeth light unto the world.”

Vines has it: Assembly

ekklesia from ek, “out of,” and klesis, “a calling” (kaleo, “to call”), was used among the Greeks of a body of citizens “gathered” to discuss the affairs of state, Acts_19:39. In the Sept. it is used to designate the “gathering” of Israel, summoned for any definite purpose, or a “gathering” regarded as representative of the whole nation. In Acts_7:38 it is used of Israel; in Acts_19:32,41, of a riotous mob. It has two applications to companies of Christians,
(a) to the whole company of the redeemed throughout the present era, the company of which Christ said, “I will build My Church,” Matt_16:18, and which is further described as “the Church which is His Body,” Eph_1:22; Eph_5:23,
(b) in the singular number (e.g., Matt_18:17, RV marg., “congregation”), to a company consisting of professed believers, e.g., Acts_20:28; 1_Cor_1:2; Gal_1:13; 1_Thess_1:1; 2_Thess_1:1; 1_Tim_3:5, and in the plural, with reference to churches in a district.

I erred in referring to bishop. The word More attacked was “senior” instead of “priest”.

Why?

“Another thing which he rebuketh is, that I interpret this Greek word presbyteros by this word senior. Of a truth senior is no very good English, though senior and junior be used in the universities; but there came no better in my mind at that time. Howbeit, I spied my fault since, long ere M. More told it me3, and have mended it in all the works which I since made, and call it an elder. And in that he maketh heresy of it, to call presbyteros an elder, he condemneth their own old Latin text of heresy, which only they use yet daily in the church, and have used, I suppose, this fourteen hundred years: for that text doth call it an elder likewise. In the 1 Pet. v. thus standeth it in the Latin text: Seniores ergo qui in vobis sunt obsecro consenior, pascite qui in vobis est gregem Christi: “ The elders that M. c. cxxxv are among you, I beseech, which am an elder also, that ye feed the flock of Christ, which is among you.” There is presbyteros called an elder. And in that he saith, “ Feed Christ’s flock,” he meaneth even the ministers that were chosen to teach the people, and to inform them in God’s word, and no lay persons. And in the second epistle of John saith 2 John. the text, Senior electee domince et filiis ejus: “ The elder unto the elect lady and to her children.” And in the third 3 John, epistle of John, Senior Gaio dilecto: “ The elder unto the beloved Gaius.” In these two epistles presbyteros is called an elder. And in Acts, chap, xx., the text saith: “ Paul sent Actsxx. for majores natu ecclesice, the elders in birth of the congregation or church, and said unto them, Take heed unto yourselves, and unto the whole flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you episcopos ad regendum ecclesiam ; Dei,” bishops, or4 overseers, to govern the church of God. Bishops are There is presbyteros called an elder in birth; which same be overseers immediately is called a bishop or overseer, to declare what “^^the persons are meant. Hereof ye see that I have no more erred than their own text, which they have used since the scripture was first in the Latin tongue, and that their own I text understandeth by presbyteros nothing save an elder. And they were called elders, because of their age, gravity The mini*. and sadness, as thou may est see by the text; and bishops, church’why or overseers, by the reason of their offices. And all that «,iied eiders. were called elders (or priests, if they so will) were called bishops also, though they have divided the names now : which thing thou mayest evidently see by the first chapter of Titus, Thus i. and Acts xx., and other places more.

And when he layeth Timothy unto my charge, how he was young, then he weeneth that he hath won his gilden \ spurs5. But I would pray him to shew me where he readeth ‘ that Paul calleth him presbyteros, priest or elder. I durst not then call him episcopus properly: for those overseers, Bishops which we now call bishops after the Greek word, were briers in one place.

Vine’s has it:

Elder, Eldest [Adjective]

presbuteros an adjective, the comparative degree of presbus, “an old man, an elder,” is used
(a) of age, whether of the “elder” of two persons, Luke_15:25, or more, John_8:9, “the eldest;” or of a person advanced in life, a senior, Acts_2:17; in Heb_11:2, the “elders” are the forefathers in Israel; so in Matt_15:2; Mark_7:3,5; the feminine of the adjective is used of “elder” women in the churches, 1_Tim_5:2, not in respect of position but in seniority of age;
(b) of rank or positions of responsibility,
(1) among Gentiles, as in the Sept. of Gen_50:7; Num_22:7;
(2) in the Jewish nation, firstly, those who were the heads or leaders of the tribes and families, as of the seventy who assisted Moses, Num_11:16; Deut_27:1, and those assembled by Solomon; secondly, members of the Sanhedrin, consisting of the chief priests, “elders” and scribes, learned in Jewish law, e.g., Matt_16:21; Matt_26:47; thirdly, those who managed public affairs in the various cities, Luke_7:3;
(3) in the Christian churches, those who, being raised up and qualified by the work of the Holy Spirit, were appointed to have the spiritual care of, and to exercise oversight over, the churches. To these the term “bishops,” episkopoi, or “overseers,” is applied (see Acts 20, Luke_7:17 with Luke_7:28, and Titus_1:5,7), the latter term indicating the nature of their work, presbuteroi their maturity of spirtual experience. The Divine arrangement seen throughout the NT was for a plurality of these to be appointed in each church, Acts_14:23; Acts_20:17; Php_1:1; 1_Tim_5:17; Titus_1:5. The duty of “elders” is described by the verb episkopeo. They were appointed according as they had given evidence of fulfilling the Divine qualifications, Titus_1:6-9; cp. 1_Tim_3:1-7; 1_Pet_5:2;
(4) the twenty-four “elders” enthroned in heaven around the throne of God, Rev_4:4,10; Rev_5:5-14; Rev_7:11,13; Rev_11:16; Rev_14:3; Rev_19:4. The number twenty-four is representative of earthly conditions. The word “elder” is nowhere applied to angels. See OLD.

Repent instead of do penance:

Tyndale:

“And that I use this word knowledge, and not confession ; and this word repentance, and not penance*. In which all he cannot prove that I give not the right English unto the Greek word. But it is a far other thing that paineth them, and biteth them by the breasts. There be secret pangs that pinch the very hearts of them, whereof they dare not complain. The sickness, that maketh them so impatient, is that they have lost their juggling terms. For the doctors and preachers were wont to make many divisions, distinctions, and sorts of grace; gratis data, gratum faciens, prceveniens, and subsequens3. And with confession they juggled; and so made the people, as oft as they spake of it, understand shrift in the ear; whereof the scripture maketh no mention: no, it is clean against the scripture, as they use it and preach it; and unto God an abomination, and a foul stinking sacrifice unto the filthy idol Priapus. The loss of those juggling terms is the matter whereof all these bots breed; that gnaw them by the bellies, and make them so unquiet.

And in like manner, by this word penance they make the people understand holy deeds of their enjoining; with sinS : when all the scripture preacheth that Christ hath made full satisfaction for our sins to God-ward ; and we must now be thankful to God again, and kill the lusts of our flesh with holy works of God’s enjoining. And I am bound to take patiently all that God layeth on my back ; and, if I

have hurt my neighbour, to shrive myself unto him, and to “’”’” make him amends, if I have wherewith ; or if not, then to ask him forgiveness, and he is bound to forgive me. And Jjtc. ci»as for their penance, the scripture knoweth not of [it]. The Greek hath Metanoia, and Metanoite, repentance and repent; or forethinking and forethink. As we say in English, ‘ It forethinketh me, or I forethink4;’ and ‘ I repent, or it re- Faith i n penteth me ;’ and ‘ I am sorry that I did it.’ So now the ethTme””” scripture saith, ‘ Repent, or let it forethink you ; and come “’ and believe the gospel, or glad tidings, that is brought you in Christ, and so shall all be forgiven you ; and henceforth live a new life.’ And it will follow, if I repent in the heart, that I shall do no more so, willingly and of purpose. And M. c. cixivif I believed the gospel, what God hath done for me in M.c.cixvii Christ, I should surely love him again, and of love prepare c myself unto his commandments.

Vines has it:

A1. Repent, Repentance [Verb]

metanoeo lit., “to perceive afterwards” (meta, “after,” implying “change,” noeo, “to perceive;” nous, “the mind, the seat of moral reflection”), in contrast to pronoeo, “to perceive beforehand,” hence signifies “to change one’s mind or purpose,” always, in the NT, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always, except in Luke_17:3,4, of “repentance” from sin. The word is found in the Synoptic Gospels (in Luke, nine times), in Acts five times, in the Apocalypse twelve times, eight in the messages to the churches, Rev_2:5 (twice), Rev_2:16,21 (twice), RV, “she willeth not to repent” (2nd part); Rev_3:3,19 (the only churches in those chapters which contain no exhortation in this respect are those at Smyrna and Philadelphia); elsewhere only in 2_Cor_12:21. See also the general Note after C1 below.

A2. Repent, Repentance [Verb]

metamelomai meta, as in metanoeo, and melo, “to care for,” is used in the Passive Voice with the Middle Voice sense, signifying “to regret, to repent oneself,” Matt_21:29, RV, “repented himself;” Matt_21:32, RV, “ye did (not) repent yourselves” (AV, “ye repented not”); Matt_27:3, “repented himself” 2_Cor_7:8 (twice), RV, “regret” in each case; Heb_7:21, where alone in the NT it is said (negatively) of God.

C1. Repent, Repentance [Noun]

metanoia “afterthought, change of mind, repentance,” corresponds in meaning to metanoeo, and is used of “repentance” from sin or evil, except in Heb_12:17, where the word “repentance” seems to mean, not simply a change of Isaac’s mind, but such a change as would reverse the effects of his own previous state of mind. Esau’s birthright-bargain could not be recalled; it involved an irretrievable loss. As regards “repentance” from sin,
(a) the requirement by God on man’s part is set forth, e.g., in Matt_3:8; Luke_3:8; Acts_20:21; Acts_26:20;
(b) the mercy of God in giving “repentance” or leading men to it is set forth, e.g., in Acts_5:31; Acts_11:18; Rom_2:4; 2_Tim_2:25. The most authentic mss. omit the word in Matt_9:13; Mark_2:17, as in the RV.

Note: In the OT, “repentance” with reference to sin is not so prominent as that change of mind or purpose, out of pity for those who have been affected by one’s action, or in whom the results of the action have not fulfilled expectations, a “repentance” attributed both to God and to man, e.g., Gen_6:6; Ex_32:14 (that this does not imply anything contrary to God’s immutability, but that the aspect of His mind is changed toward an object that has itself changed, see under RECONCILE).

In the NT the subject chiefly has reference to “repentance” from sin, and this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God. The parable of the Prodigal Son is an outstanding illustration of this. Christ began His ministry with a call to “repentance,” Matt_4:17, but the call is addressed, not as in the OT to the nation, but to the individual. In the Gospel of John, as distinct from the Synoptic Gospels, referred to above, “repentance” is not mentioned, even in connection with John the Baptist’s preaching; in John’s Gospel and 1st Epistle the effects are stressed, e.g., in the new birth, and, generally, in the active turning from sin to God by the exercise of faith (John_3:3; John_9:38; 1_John_1:9), as in the NT in general.

Quotes from Tyndale are found here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=bC8JAAAAQAAJ&dq=dialogue+concerning+tyndale&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=iREcS5q4AYuusgPc_dmHBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11&ved=0CCYQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=dialogue%20concerning%20tyndale&f=false

Quotes from Vine’s found here:

http://www.antioch.com.sg/cgi-bin/bible/vines/find_term.pl