AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

VOLUME 3

The Independent Works

LOCATION

KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

And to knele before the crosse vnto the word of god which the crosse preacheth is not euell. Neyther to knele doune before an image in amans meditacions to cal the lyuinge of the saint to minde for to desyre god of lyke grace to folow the ensample / is not evell. But the abuse of the thynge is euell / and to haue a false fayth: as to beare a pece of the crosse aboute a man / thynkynge that so longe as that ys aboute hym / spyrytes shall not come at him / his enimies shall do him no bodyly harme / all causes shall go on his side euen for beringe it aboute him / and to thynke that yf it were not aboute him yt wold not be so / & to thinke / if any misfortune chaunce / that it came for leauynge it of or because this or that ceremonie was lefte vndone / and not rather because we haue broken Gods commaundementes / or that God tempteth vs to proue oure pacyence. Thys ys playne ydolatrie / and here a man ys captyue / bonde and seruaunt vnto a false faith and a false ymaginacyon / that ys nother god ner hys worde. Now am I Gods only and ought to serue nothynge but god and hys worde. My bodye must serue the rulars of thys world and my neyboure (as god hath appoynted it) & so must all my goodes: but my soule must serue God only / to loue hys law and too trust in hys promyses of mercye in all my nedes. And in like maner yt ys that thousandes / whyle the prest patereth Saynt Ihons Gospell in latine ouer theyr heedes / crosse them selues wyth / I trow / a legyon of crosses / behynde and before and wythe reuerence on the very arses and (as Iack off napis when he claweth him selfe) ploucke vp theyr legges and crosse so moch as their heeles and the very soles of their fete / & beleue that if it be done in

False worshepynge [1531]

The abuse of Images.[[1573]

God . . . pacyence. Cf. 1 Thess. 2.4.

] 1 Thessalonians

serue God only. Cf. Deut. 11.13.

] Deuteronomy

promyses of mercye. Cf. Luke 1.72.

] Luke

My body must serue the Prince & my eighbour, but my soule must serue God onely.[[1573]

nedes] deedes [1573]

Saynt Ihons Gospell. CWM 7.181/2 and n. The Prologue on the incarnation of the Word (John 1.1–14) was a favorite medieval locus of God's power to save. It was at times recited over the sick before the Last Rites and was read as a blessing for good weather. In the late Middle Ages its recital became associated with the final blessing at Mass, as the "Last Gospel," being seen as protection against the devil's attacks which would recommence when Massgoers left the consecrated building, cf. Jungmann 2.543–46.

] John

S. Ioans gosspell [1531]

trow /] ed., trow [1531], [1573]

and wythe reuerence on the very arses. Henry Walter, the Victorian editor, bowdlerized this passage but uncannily preserved the offensive word "arse" in "coarse": "A coarse expression is here omitted" (PS 3.61n2). Keith Thomas (36) and Brigden (16n48) both cite the PS version, but Duffy (215) quotes the original . Walter also omitted references to sexual organs, Obedience P2v (PS 1.285n1); to marital relations, Matthew 05 (PS 2.125n2); to excretory functions, Prelates F7 (PS 2.300n1), 1 John D3, D5v (PS 2.174n2, 2.177n3), but Walter did not omit references to excretory functions in Mammon F7v (PS 1.100). Walter castrated the text of Obedience by omitting "the privey membre of God which ys" (R8v) before the phrase "the word of promise" (PS 1.311 without note). For another unmarked emendation, cf. [O7, “where of . . . soforth” and commentary note].