VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural
¶How a christen man can not erre / and how he maye yet erre

How . . . erre. CWM 8/1.461/5–6.

And as they synne not / so they erre not. And on the other syde as they synne / so they erre: but never vn to deeth and damnacion. For they never synne of purpose ner holde any erroure maliciously / synnynge agenst the holygoste / but of weakenesse and infirmitie. As good obedient childern / though they loue their fathers commaundementes / yet breake them oft / by the reason of their wekenesse . And as they can not yelde them selves bond vn to synne / to serue it: even so they can not erre in any thynge that shuld be agenst the promises which are in christe. And in other thynges their erroures be not vn to damnacion / though they be neuer so greate / because they hold them not maliciously. As now / if some when they reade in the new testament of Christes brethern / wold thynke that they were oure ladies childern aftir the birth of christe / because they know not the vse of speakynge of the scripture or of the hebrues / how that nye kinsmen becalled brethern / or happly they might be Iosephes childern / by some first wife / neyther can haue any to teach him for tiranny that is so greate / yet coude it not hurte him / though he died therin / because it hurteth not the redempcion that is in christes bloude. For though she had none but christ / I am therfore neuer the moare saued / neyther yet the lesse / though she had had. And in soch like an hundred that plucke not a mans faith from Christ / they might erre / and yet beneuer the lesse saued no though the contrary were written in the gospel. For as in other synnes /

We sinne of frailtie & weaknes.[[1573]

And as . . . maliciously. CWM 8/1.461/8–18. Confutation refers to part of Answer's contrast between sins of malice and sins of weakness [C2, “For they never . . . infirmitie”] at CWM 8/1.217/23–25, cf. 1 John B4v.

Christes brethern. Cf. Matt. 12.46–47, Mark 3.31–32, Luke 8.19–20. Jerome defended the perpetual virginity of Mary in Against Helvidius (AD c383) by explaining that in Hebrew culture "brethren" meant, not only siblings, but kindred (Par. 15 in PL 23.198–99; Par. 17 in 2NPNF 6.342–43) and by referring to the writings of Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, and Justin Martyr (Par. 17 in PL 23.201; Par. 19 in 2NPNF 6.343). Cf. [H3, “perpetuall . . . faith” and commentary note; N7v, “christ . . . chastite” and commentary note].

Matt. 12.46–47, Mark 3.31–32, Luke 8.19–20

if some . . . bloude. Repeated at CWM 8/1.472/28–36.

We may erre[,] & yet be saued.[[1573]

some . . . gospel. This passage begins in paraphrase, "some . . . bloude" ([C2]; CWM 8/1.406/11–16), and ends in nearly verbatim quotation, "For . . . gospel" ([C2]; CWM 8/1.406 /16–20).