VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

we that it is the scripture of god / aske them how Ihon Baptiste knew and other prophetes which god stered vpp in all soch times as the scripture was in like captiuite vnder ypocrites? Did Ihon beleue that the scribes / phareses and hie prestes were the true church of god / and had his spirite and coude not erre? who taught the egles to spie out their praye? euen so the children of god spie out their father and Christes electe spie out their lorde / and trace out the pathes of his fete and folowe / ye though he goo vppon the playne and liquide water which will receaue no steppe: and yet there they find out his foote / his electe know him / but the world knoweth him not Ihon .1. If the world know him not / and thou call the world pride / wrath / envie / couetousnesse / slowth / glotonnye and lecherie / then our spiritualtie know him not. Christes shepe heare the voyce of Christ Ihon .x. where the world of ypocrites as they know him not / even so the wolues heare not his voyce / but compell the scripture to heare them and to speake what they luste. And therfore excepte the lorde of Sabaoth had left vs seed / we had bene all as Sodom and Gommor said Esaias in his first chapter. And even so saide Paule in his tyme. And even so saye we in oure tyme / that the lord of the hostes hath saued him seed and hath gathered him a flocke to whom he hath geuen eares to heare / that the ypocritish wolues can not heare / and eyes to se / that the blynde leadars of the blynd can not se / and an hert to vnderstonde / that the generacion of poysoned vipers can nether vnderstonde ner knowe.

MATTHEW: 3.9–10:47/9–11

96/13–14 by ... christen. For baptism by women, cf. CWM 6/1.149/28–30, 8/1.307/31–32.

MATTHEW: 14–25–32: 47/14–15

JOHN: 1.10: 47/16

Ioan .1. [1531]

[Hand] [1531]

96/18–19 likelyhode . . . now. Cf. CWM 6/1.151/32–35.

couetousnesse /] ed., couetousnesse 1531, couetousnesse, 1573

JOHN: 10.4: 47/19

Ioa.10. [1531]

ISAIAH: 1.9:47/22–23, 47/25–26

96/22 iustifienge of faith . . . Paule and Ihon. Cf. Rom. 3.28 and 1 John 5.4. For other references to Rom. 3.28, cf. nn to 170/15–16, 173/25–26, 197/6–7, 197/18, 201/30, 202/21, 206/21–22. In Luther's practice, the key to all the biblical books is to grasp Christ's utterly gratuitous work and. gift of salvation as this is formulated in texts like Rom. 1.16–17, 3.21–26, 5.6–11, or John 1.14–17, 3.16–17. Statements and illustrations of this conviction are found in Luther's Brief Instruction on What to Look for and Expect in the Gospels, 1521 (WA 10/1/1.8–18; LW 35.117–24) and his 1522 Preface to the NT, cf. 148/22n. The principle of justification by faith is central to Mammon, Obedience, and Tyndale's testimony at his trial. (JW)

Esa. I. [1531]

in his first chapter] .1. 1573

ISAIAH: 1.9:47/22–23, 47/25–26

ROMANS: 9.29: 47/25–26

96/25 the scripture wolde be easye. Cf. CWM 8/1.337/15. For another assertion that a proper explanation of Baptism would make Scripture clear to the believer, cf. 1 John A5v. T0 claim that Scripture is easily understood if one only grasps the central truth of its message is to voice a fundamental Reformation conviction. In Luther's concise phrasing, Scripture should be sui ipsius interpres, in Assertio omnium articulorum, 1520 (WA 7.97/23; not in LW). (JW)

EZEKIEL: 34.12: 47/26

Rom. 9. [1531]

MARK: 8.18: 8/22–23, 47/27–28

JEREMIAH: 24.7: 47/28–29

MATTHEW: 15.14: 47/28

MATTHEW: 12.34: 47/29

If they allege sent Augustine which saith / I had not beleued the gospell / excepte the auctorite

Augustinus [1531]

auctorite] ed., auciorite 1531, authoritie 1573