AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

VOLUME 3

The Independent Works

LOCATION

KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

we that it is the scripture of god / aske them how Ihon Baptiste knew and other prophetes which god stered vpp in all soch times as the scripture was in like captiuite vnder ypocrites? Did Ihon beleue that the scribes / phareses and hie prestes were the true church of god / and had his spirite and coude not erre? who taught the egles to spie out their praye? euen so the children of god spie out their father and Christes electe spie out their lorde / and trace out the pathes of his fete and folowe / ye though he goo vppon the playne and liquide water which will receaue no steppe: and yet there they find out his foote / his electe know him / but the world knoweth him not Ihon .1. If the world know him not / and thou call the world pride / wrath / envie / couetousnesse / slowth / glotonnye and lecherie / then our spiritualtie know him not. Christes shepe heare the voyce of Christ Ihon .x. where the world of ypocrites as they know him not / even so the wolues heare not his voyce / but compell the scripture to heare them and to speake what they luste. And therfore excepte the lorde of Sabaoth had left vs seed / we had bene all as Sodom and Gommor said Esaias in his first chapter. And even so saide Paule in his tyme.And even so saye we in oure tyme / that the lord of the hostes hath saued him seed and hath gathered him a flocke to whom he hath geuen eares to heare / that the ypocritish wolues can not heare / and eyes to se / that the blynde leadars of the blynd can not se / and an hert to vnderstonde / that the generacion of poysoned vipers can nether vnderstonde ner knowe.

Did . . . erre. Cf. Matt. 3.9–10.

egles. Cf. CWM 8/1.176/22. In place ofTyndale's eagle, More will later scoff at a "worshyppefull wyld gose" (CWM 8/2.680/23). Germain Marc'hadour sees here an allusion to the name "Hus" meaning "goose." For Jan Hus, cf. [N8, “Wicleffe . . . liues” and commentary note]. Later More says that, if the reformers are eagles, Augustine (8/2.723/24–25) and the faithful are "the pore chykens of his mother thys knowen catholyke chyrche" (8/2.724/9–10).

ye . . . steppe. Cf. Matt. 14.25–32.

the world knoweth him not. Cf. John 1.10.

Christes . . . Christ. Cf. John 10.4.

excepte . . . Gommor. Isa. 1.9.

the lord . . . seed. Rom. 9.29, quoting Isa. 1.9.

gathered him a flocke. Cf. Ezek. 34.12.

blynde leadars of the blynd. Matt. 15.14.

eares to heare . . . can not se. Cf. Mark 8.18.

hert to vnderstonde. Cf. Jer. 24.7.

generacion of poysoned vipers. Cf. Matt. 12.34.

Now . . . knowe. Cf. CWM 8/2.717/29–718/17. Parts of this long passage are repeated below: [D4v] euen . . . father at 8/2.724/34–35; [D4v] and Christes . . . foote at 8/2.725/ 8–11; [D4v] his electe . . . not at 8/2.726/10–13; [D4v] Christes . . . knowe at 8/2.726/29–727/3; [D4v] geuen . . . knowe at 8/2.728/23–25.

If they allege sent Augustine which saith / I had not beleued the gospell / excepte the auctorite