VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

Christe and of all his appostles / lat vs se the sophistrie where with they wold persuade it. One of thier hie reasons is this. The church / saye they / was before the heretikes / and the heretikes came euer out of the church and left it. And they were before all them which they now call heretikes and lutherans / and the lutheranes came out of them. &c. Wherfore they be the right church and the other heretikes in dede as they be called. Well /I will like wise dispute. First the right church was vnder Moses and Aaron & so forth in whose rowmes satt the scribes phareses and hye prestes in the time of Christ. And they were before Christe. And Christ and his apostles came out of them and departed from them and left them. Wherefore the scribes phareses and hie prestes were the right church / and Christ and his appostles and disciples heretikes and a damnable secte. And so the Iewes ar yet in the right waye and we in erroure. And of trueth if their blynd reason be good / then is this argument so to. For they be like and are both one thynge.

But in as moch as the kingdom of god stondeth not in wordes / as paul sayth .1. Co. iiij. but in power / therfore loke vn to the mary and pith of the thinges selfe / and lett vayne wordes passe. Vnder Abraham / Isaac / and Iacob was the church greate in faith and small in numbre / And as it encreased in numbre / so it decreased in faith vntyll the tyme of Moses. And out of those vnbeleuers god stered vpp Moses & brought them vnto the right faith agayne. And Moses left a glorious church and in faith and cleauinge vn to the word of god / and deliuered them vn to Iosuah Eleazer / Phineas and Caleb.