VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

and halowe them as the chalice / from all maner laye vses: so that they maye serue nether father ner mother master lord or prince / for polutynge them selues / but must wayte on god only / to gather vpp his rentes / tithes / offeringes and al other duties. And al the sacrifice that come they consume in the altare of their belies and make Calil of it / that is / a sacrifice that noman maye haueparte of. They beleue that there is a god: But as they can not loue his lawes / so they haue no power to beleue in him / But they put their trust and confidence in their awne workes & by their awne workes they wilbe saued / as the rich of this world / when they sue vn to greate men / hope with giftes and presentes to obtayne their causes. Nether other seruinge of God know they / saue soch as their eyes maye se and their belies feale. And of very zele they wilbe gods vicars and prescribe a maner vn to other and aftir what facion they shall serue god / and compell them therto / for the avoydinge of Idolatrie / as thou seist in the phareses.

155/8–11 then . . . mans wyfe. Cf. CWM 8/1.87/25. In this section on Matrimony in Confutation, More addresses Obedience (I7v) on a married clergy.

But litle flocke / as sone as he is persuaded that there is a god / he runneth not vn to his awne imaginacions / But vn to the mesinger that called him / and of him axeth how he shall serue god. As litle Paul acte. ix. when christ had ouer thrown him and caught him in his nett: axed sayenge: lord what wilt thou that I doo. And as the multitude that were conuerted actes .ij. axed of the apostles what they shulde doo. And the preacher setteth the lawe of god before them / and they offer their hertes to haue it written therin / consentinge that it is good and rightwysse.

155/20 common hores . . . Idoles. Cf. Jer. 3.1, Ezek. 16.15–35, Hos. 4-I5.

155/22–23 lande . . . wife. Cf. Matt. 22.30, Mark 12.25, Luke 20.35.

155/24–25 hath ... a waye. Cf. 2 Tim. 3.5.