VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

shed theron / for my sinnes / and beleue stedefastly that the mercyfull trueth of god shall forgeue the sinnes of all that repent for his deeth sake and neuer thinke on them moare then it seruith me and I not it and doeth me the same seruice as yf I red the testament in a boke / or as iff the preacher preached it vnto me. And in like maner if I make a crosse in my forehed / in a remembraunce that god hath promised assistence vnto al that beleue in him / for his sake that died on the crosse / then doeth the crosse serue me and I not it. And in like maner if I beare on me or loke vppon a crosse of what soeuer mater it be / or make a crosse vppon me / in remembraunce that whosoeuer wilbe christes disciple must sofre a crosse of aduersite tribulacions and persecucion / so doeth the crosse serue me and I not it. And this was the vse of the crosse once / and for this cause it was at the begynnynge set vpp in the churches.

107/24–109/3 When . . . agenst you. The account of the inner-ecclesial dualism ends with the two parties in dialogue. Carnal multitude interrogates and indicts (107/28–30, 108/5–8, 108/17–27), while Little Flock defends itself doctrinally (107/30–108/5, 108/8–17). Carnal multitude then turns to warn the king of the subversion likely to follow from Little Flock's obstinacy against traditions and ecclesial sacraments (108/29–109/3). (JW)

107/24 greate . . . chosen. Cf. Matt. 22.14.

MATTHEW: 16.24: 58/33–59/1

108/1 Fire/salt/water/bred/oyle. Little Flock opposes the multitude 's claim that objects have spiritual potency by appealing to the sole saving power of Christ's blood laid hold of by faith in his word. The beliefs of the multitude rest on the church's myriad prayers of blessing over objects, which are studied panoramically in A. Franz, Die kirchlichen Benediktionen im Mittlealter, 2 vol. (Freiburg: Herder, 1909). (JW)

108/3 god ... therwith. Cf. John 4.24.

And so yf I make an image of christ or of any thinge that christ hath done for me / in a memory / it is good and not euel vntill it be abvsed.

The worshepynge of images [1531]

And euen so / yf I take the true life of a saynt and cause it to be painted or carued / to put me in remembraunce of the saintes life / to folow the saynt as the saint did christe / and to put me in remembraunce of the greate faith of the saint to god and how true god was to helpe him out of al tribulacion / and to se the saintes loue to warde his neyboure / in that he so paciently sofered so paynefull a deeth and so cruell marterdome to testifie the trueth for to saue other / and all to strength my soule with all and my faith to god and loue to my neyboure / then doeth the image serue me and I not it. And this was the vse of images at the beginninge and of reliques also.

108/8 blessynges . . . nacions. Cf. Gen. 18.18, Gal. 3.16.

to] 1573, co [1531]

to warde] towardes 1573