VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

In like maner if the officer abusynge his power / compell the subiecte to doo that which god forbiddeth or to leue vndone that which god commaundeth / so he dishonoureth god / in withdrawenge his seruaunt from him / and maketh an Idole of his awne lustes / in that he honoureth them a boue god / and he dishonoureth his brother in that he abuseth him contrary vn to the right vse which God hath created him for and christ hath bought him for / which is to wayte on gods commaundementes. For iff the officer be other wise minded then this / the worst of these subiectes is made by the hondes of him that made me / and bought with the bloude of him that bought me / and therfore my brother and I but his saruaunt only / to defende him and to kepe him in the honoure that god and christ hath sett him / that no man dishonoure him: he dishonoureth both God and man. And therto if any subiecte thynke any otherwise of the officer (though he be an emperoure) then that he is but a sarvaunt only / to ministre the office indifferently / he dishonoureth the office and god that ordeyned it. So that all men / what so euer degre they be of are every man in his rowme / saruauntes to other / as the hand sarueth the foote and every membre one a nother. And the angels of heuen are al so oure brethern and very saruauntes for Christes sake / to defend vs from the power of the deuels.

106/1 phareses / that is / seperated. From perushim ("those who are separated") or perishut ("those who sanctify"). They were distinguished by their strict observance of the traditional and written law and by their claims to superior sanctity. For "Sadducees" and "Pharisees," cf. Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible, gen. ed. Geoffrey Wigoder (New York: Macmillan, 1986).

106/4–7 so that . . . duties. Cf. Mark 7.10–13.

106/8–9 Calil . . . haueparte of. The Hebrew word Calil refers particularly to a "whole burnt offering." Cf. Deut. 33.10, Ps. 51.19, Mark 12.33.

106/16–18 zele . . . phareses. Cf. Matt. 23.13–33, Luke 11.42–44.

106/19–107/23 But . . . dreade. The role ascribed to the law sharply distinguishes Tyndale's account of justification from that of Luther, for whom saving faith is exclusively focused on God's redemptive mercy in Christ toward those whom the law has prepared by convicting them of sin. In justification, for Luther, God relates to a believer who has been carried beyond the demands of the law. (JW)

106/21–22 litle Paul. Cf. Erasmus' annotation on Rom. 1.1, PAVLVS.), 1516 NT, Paulus autem Graecis sonat quietum, . . . Romanis pusillum sonat (Reeve 2.334). "'Paul' means 'calm' among the Greeks, . .. 'very small' among the Romans."

And finally all other creatures that are nether angels ner man / are in honoure lesse then man / and man is lorde ouer them / & they created to sarue him / as scripture testifieth / and he not to serue them / but only / his lord god and his sauioure Christe.

106/23 lord . . . doo. Acts 9.6, 22.10.

106/24–25 what . . . doo. Acts 2.37.