VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

be men that loue them selves / couetous / hye minded / proud / raylars / disobedient to father & mother / vnthankfull / vngodly / churlish / promisebreakers / accusars or pickquareles / vnlouinge / dispicers of the goode / traytours / hedy / puffed vpp and that loue lustes moare then god / hauynge an apperaunce of godlynesse / but denienge the power therof. And by power I vnderstonde the pure faith in gods worde which is the power & pith of all godlynesse & whence all that pleaseth god springeth. And this texte pertayneth vn to them that professe Christe. And in that he saith hauinge an apperaunce of godlynesse & of that foloweth in the texte / of this sorte ar they that entre in to mens howses & lead wemen captiue laden with synne / ever axynge & neuer able to atteyne vn to the trueth (as our hearers of confessions doo) it appereth that they be soch as wilbe holier then other & teachers & leaders of the rest. And loke whether there be here any sillable that agreeth not vn to oure spiritualtie in the hiest degre. Loue they not them selues their awne decrees and ordinaunces / their awne lies and dreames and despice all lawes of god and man regarde noman but them only that be disgysed as they be? And as for their couetousenesse which all the world is not able to satisfie / tell me what it is that they make not sarue it? in so moch that if god punish the world with an evell pocke / they immediatly paynt a blocke & call it Iob to heale the disease in stede of warnynge the people to mend their lyuinge. And as for their hye minde & pride / se whether they be not aboue kynges & emproure & al the names of god / and whether any man maye come to beare rule in this world excepte he be sworn to them and come vpp vnder them.

152/2–4 rageth . . . tindale. Cf. CWM 6/1.303/14–19. More calls Tyndale's Obedience a "frantyke boke" (6/1.303/18). Specifically scoffing at Tyndale's moral integrity and literary ability, More claims that Tyndale's books "be nothyng ellys in effecte but the worst heresyes pycked out of Luthers workes and Luthers worst wordys translated by Tyndall and put forth in Tyndalls owne name" (6/1.303/15–18).

152/10–12 a younge man . . . had. Cf. 1 Tim. 4.12.

152/13 preferre the maried. Cf. 1 Tim. 3.2, 12. Paul assumes that bishops and deacons will be married, although he himself was called to celibacy, cf. 1 Cor. 7.7.

152/23–24 neuer . . . now. For More's satiric reference to a newly discovered commandment for priests to marry, cf. CWM 6/1.304/3–7.