VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

of the church had moued me. I answere / as they abuse that sayenge of the holy man / even so they allege al the scripture and all that they bringe for them / even in a false sens. S. Augustine before he was conuerted was an hethen man and a philosopher full of worldly wisdome vn to whom the preachinge of christe is but folishnesse / saith paul .j. Corin. j. And he disputed with blynd reasons of wordly wisdome agenst the christen. Neuerthelesse the ernest liuinge of the christen acordinge vn to their doctrine and the constant soferinge of persecucion and aduersite for their doctrines sake moued him and stered him to beleue that it was no vayne doctrine / but that it must nedes be of god / in that it had soch power with it. For it happeneth that they which will not heare the worde at the begynninge / are aftir warde moued by the holy conuersation of them that beleue. As Peter warneth christen wiues that had hethen husbandes that wold not heare the trueth preached / to liue so godly that they might winne their hethen husbandes with holy conuersacion. And Paul saith how knowest thou christen wife / whether thou shalt winne thine hethen husbande / with holy conuersacion ment he. For many are wonne with godly liuynge / which at the first ether will not heare or can not beleue. And that is the auctorite that S. Augustine ment. But if we shall not beleue / tyll the liuynge of the spiritualtie conuerte vs / we belike to byde longe ynough in vnbeleffe.

And when they aske whether we receaved the scripture of them? I answere / that they which come after receaue the scripture of them that go before. And when they aske whether we bele