VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

from that tyme hitherto / even .xij. hundred yeres longe / hath euer some what moare wayght bene added to / for to kepe vs downe and to confirme vs in blindnesse? how be it / as longe as the significacions bode / they hurted not the soule / though they were paynful vnto the body. Neuer the later I impute this oure greuous faull in to so extreme and horrible blyndnesse (wher in we are so depe and so dedly brought a slepe) vn to nothinge so moch as vn to the multitude of ceremonies. For assone as the prelates had sett vpp soch a rable of ceremonies / they thought it superfluous to preach the playne texte any longer and the law of god / feith of Christ / loue toward oure neyboure and the ordir of oure iustifienge & saluacion / for as moch as all soch thynges were playd before the peoples faces dayly in the ceremonies and euery child wist the meanynge: but gott them vn to allegories / faynynge them euery man aftir his awne brayne / with out rule / all most on euery silable / and from thence vnto disputynge and wastinge their braynes aboute wordes / not attendynge the significacions vntyll at the last the laye people had lost the meaninge of the ceremonies and the prelates the vnderstondynge of the playne texte / and of the Greke Latine and specially of the Hebrue which is most of nede to be knowen / and of all phrases / the propir maner of speakynges and borowed speach of the Hebrues.

123/21–22 Paule . . . the seke. Cf. Acts 19.12.

Neuer the later] ed., Neuer the lather 1531, Neuerthelesse 1573

123/25 sent walary. In Dialogue Bk. 2, Ch. 10, the Messenger, not More as Mentor, describes phallic votive offerings at the shrine of St. Valery in Picardy. Duffy (197) observes that this incident parodies the more usual offering of a crutch or the model of a foot.

124/4 bodyly seruice is not latria. Cf. CWM 6/1.230/19–20.

124/6 He trusteth . . . saint. Cf. CWM 6/1.231/2–3.

124/7 Moyses body. Cf. Deut. 34.5–6; diuers other. For example, Elias, cf. 2 Kings 2.11.

Remembir ye not how with in this .xxx. yeres and ferre lesse / and yet dureth vn to this daye / the olde barkynge curres dunces disciples and like draffe called scotistes / the childern of darkenesse / raged in euery pulpyt agenst

Remembir] ed., Remenbir 1531, Remember 1573

124/10 golden calues. Cf. Exod. 32.1–8.

124/11 wod. Cf. 1 Kings 14.15. Wooden poles,"asherim," were symbols of the Canaanite fertility goddess. stone. Cf. Lev. 26.1.