VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

And in lyke maner / by this word penaunce / they make the people vnderstonde holy dedes of their enioynynge / with which they must make satisfaccion vnto godwarde for their synnes. When al the scripture preacheth that christ hath made full satisfaccyon for oure synnes to godwarde / and we must now be thankefull to god agayne and kyll the lustes of oure flesh wyth holy workes of gods enioynynge and to take pacientlye all that god layeth on my backe. And if I haue hurte my neyboure / I am bounde to shriue my selfe vnto hym and to make hym a mendes / yf I haue where with / or if not then to axe him forgeuenesse / and he is bounde to forgeue me. And as for their penaunce the scripture knoweth not of. The greke hath Metanoia and metanoite / repentaunce and repente / or forthynkynge and forthynke. As we saye in english it forthynketh me or I forthynke / and I repent or yt repenteth me and I am sory that I dyd yt. So now the scripture sayeth repent or let yt forthynke you and come and beleue the gospell or glad tydynges that ys brought you in chryst / and so shall all be forgeuen you / and henceforth lyue a new lyfe: And yt wyll folowe yf I repent in the herte / that I shall doo no moore so wyllyngely and of purpose. And yf I beleued the gospell / what God hath done for me in christe / I shuld suerly loue hym agayne and of loue prepare my selfe vnto hys commaundementes.

21/23–25 And in lyke maner . . . synnes. Cf. CWM 8/1.209/12— 16.

21/26–27 christ . . . synnes. Cf. Eph. 1.7 and Heb. 9.14.

21/27–29 and we . . . backe. CWM 8/1.209/26–28.

21/30–22/2 And if. . . of. Cf. CWM 8/1.211/21–24.

22/2–6 And as . . . dyd yt. Cf. CWM 8/1.211/35–38.

22/6–7 repent . . . tydynges. Cf. Mark 1.15, Rom. 10.15.

22/6–9 So . . . lyfe. Cf. CWM 8/1.213/2–4. Note Tyndale's use of doublets: "repent or let yt forthynke you" (22/6), "gospell or glad tydynges" (22/7).

22/8–9 lyue a new lyfe. Cf. Rom. 6.4.

22/9–10 And yt . . . purpose. CWM 8/1.215/26–27.

22/10–12 And yf . . . commaundementes. Cf. CWM 8/1.218/22— 24.

These thinges to be euen so M. More knoweth wel ynough. For he vnderstondeth the greke / and he knew them longe yer I. But so blinde is couetousenesse and dronken desire of honoure. Giftes blinde the eies of the seinge and peruerte

22/13–14 These . . . yer I. Cf. CWM 8/1.219/16–19. More began the study of Greek with William Grocyn. Cf. Ep. 2, To John Holt, London, cNovember 1501 > (More, Correspondence 4/14; Selected Letters 2). More studied Aristotle with Thomas Linacre. Cf. Ep. 15, To Martin Dorp, Bruges, 21 October <1515> (CWM 15.102/11- 12). Erasmus later repeats this information. Cf. Ep. 1117, To Germain de Brie, Antwerp, 25 June 1520 (Allen 4.294/93–94; CWE 7.321/101–2).

22/14–15 so blinde is couetousenesse. Since Tyndale believes that More has been corrupted by avarice, Answer contains many references to spiritual darkness. The Foundational Essay, e.g., deplores willful blindness in religious leaders (5/13f, 7/29f, 10/30, 14/18, 22/16, 31/31,41/32) or ignorance in their followers (34/24, 55/13, 72/26, 74/20f).