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KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural
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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
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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.
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