VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

elders in birth of the congregacion or church / and said vnto them / take hede vnto youre selves and vnto the hole flocke / ouer which the holy gost hath made you episcopos ad regendum ecclesiam dei / bisshopes or ouersears to gouerne the church of god. There is presbiteros called an elder in birth which same is immediatly called a bisshope or ouersear / to declare what persons are ment. Herof ye se that I haue no moare erred then there awne texte which they haue vsed sens the scripture was first in the latine tongue / and that their awne texte vnderstondeth by presbiteros nothinge saue an elder. And they were called elders / because of their age / grauite and sadnesse / as thou maist se by the texte: and bisshopes or ouersears by the reason of their offices . And all that were called elders (or prestes if they so will) were called bisshopes also / though they haue diuided the names now / Which thinge thou maist evidently se by the first chapter of titus. And the .xx. of the actes and other places moo.

church] ed., curch 1531, Church 1573

or] om. 1573

is] om. 1573

were] 1573, vere [1531]

the .xx. of the actes] Actes xx. 1573

And when he layeth Timothe vn to my charge / how he was younge / then he weneth that he hath wonne his gylden spores. But I wolde praye him to shew me where he readeth that Paul calleth him presbiteros / preast or elder. I durst not then call him Episcopus propirly. For those ouersears which we now call bisshopes aftir the greke worde / were all waye bydynge in one place / to gouerne the congregacion there. Now was Timothe an apostle. And Paul also writeth that he will come shortly agayne. Wel / will he saye / it cometh yet all to one. For if it becometh the lower ministre to be of a sad and discrete age / moch more it becometh the hyer. It is trueth.

will come] ed., come 1531, came 1573