VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

In his third boke he procedith forth as before to proue that the opinions which the popish teach with out scripture are of equal auctorite with the scripture. He axeth what iff there had neuer bene scripture written? I answere / god careth for his electe and therfore hath prouided them of scripture / to trie all thynges and to defende them from all false prophetes. And I saye morouer that if there had bene no scripture written / that god for his mercy and fatherly loue and care toward his electe / must haue prouided / that there shulde neuer haue bene heresies or agenst all tymes when sectes shulde arise / haue stered vpp preachers to confunde the heresies with miracles . Take this ensample / the grekes haue the scripture and serue god therin moch moare diligently then we. Now latt vs geue that there were no scripture / but that we receaued all our faith by the auctoryte of oure elders / and the grekes by the auctorite of their elders. When I shall dispute with a greke aboute the articles of the faith which my elders taught me and his elders denye / as eareconfession / the holy pardons of the pope and all his power that he hath aboue other bisshopes & many other thynges besyde the scripture which we hold for articles of oure faith and they denye. If there be no nother proffe of ether parte / then to saye / my elders which can not erre so affirme and that he shuld answere / his elders whych can not erre so denie / what reason is it / that I shuld leaue the auctorite of my elders and goo and beleue his / or that he shuld leaue the auctorite of his elders and come and beleue myne? no

What iff there had bene no scripture 1531

Grekes 1531

182/17 no man . . . sayntes. Cf. CWM 6/1.355/1.

182/22–24 God . . . old testament. Here Tyndale offers the opinion that the prayers pagans addressed to their idols were answered by Yahweh. The general attitude of the Old Testament towards idol worship is negative. Cf. "They that make them [idols] are like vnto them [i.e., dumb, blind, deaf etc.]: so is euery one that trusteth in them" (Ps. 115.8). However, Yahweh is dramatized as addressing Cyrus the Persian, who in 538 BC allowed the Jews to leave Babylon and return to Palestine to rebuild the Temple: "For Jacob my seruants sake, and Israel mine elect, I have euen called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not knowen me" (Isa. 45.4 KJV).

182/25–26 men . . . saue. Cf. Ps. 36.6 in KJV.