VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE

LOCATION
KEY Commentary Side Textual Bibliographic Scriptural

wother wise thynke then that they were ordeyned to iustifie and that I shuld be holy therby / acordynge to the popis doctrine / as though god were better pleased when I sprinkle my selfe with water or sett vpp a candle before a blocke / then iff I fedde or clothed or holpe at his nede him / whom he so tenderly loueth that he gaue his awne sonne vn to the deeth for him / and commaunded me to loue him as my selfe?

the] [1573], that [1531]

so tenderly . . . sonne. Cf. John 3.16.

] John

Lev. 19.18, Matt. 19.19, Matt. 22.39, Mark 12.31, Luke 10.27, Rom. 13.9, Gal. 5.14, Jas. 2.8

And when the people beganne to runne that waye / the prelates were glad & holpe to heue aftir with sotle allegories & falsifienge the scripture / & went & halowed the ceremonies / to make them moare worshepful / that the laye people shuld haue them in greater estimacion & honoure / & be afrayde to twich them for reuerence vn to the holy charme that was saide ouer them / & affirmed also that christes deeth had purchased soch grace vn to the ceremonies to forgeue sinne & to iustifye. O monstre / Christes deeth purchased grace for mans soule / to repent of euell & to beleue in Christ for remission of synne / & to loue the lawe of god and his neyboure as him selfe / which is the true worshepynge of god in the spirite / & he died not to purchesse soch honoure vn to vnsensible thynges / that man to his dishonoure / shuld doo them honourable seruice & receaue his saluacion of them.

When the people by ignoraunce waxed superstitious then the clergie holpe them forward with falsifiyng the scripture.[1573]

be] to be [1573]

purchased] [1573], purechased [1531]

Christes death purchased grace for mans soule.[1573]

the true . . . spirite. Cf. John 4.23.

] John

This I haue declared vn to you / that ye mighte se & fele euery thinge sensibly. For I entend not to leade you in darkenesse. Nether though twise .ij. cranes make not .iiij. wild gees / wold I therfore that ye shuld beleue that twise .ij. made not .iiij. Nether entend I to proue vn to you that Paules steple is the cause whi temes is broke in about Erith / or that teynterden steple is the cause of the decaye of sandwich hauen as Master Mo

ye] he [1573]

teynterden steple. Good works connected with ceremonies, such as contributing to building funds for church steeples, diverted resources from the upkeep of English harbors. Tenterden is a village fifty-three miles SE of London. Five of its inhabitants were burnt for heresy during Warham's term as Archbishop of Canterbury. Cf. Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of England (1831; Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996) 4.278. The folk wisdom of More's Kentish man became current as the proverb, "Tenterden Steeple was the cause of Goodwin Sands,'' Tilley T91. Cf. CWM 6/1.413/10, 6/2.720, 8/2.775/35f. Antonio's ship is wrecked on "the Goodwins" in The Merchant of Venice 3.1.2–4 (performed 1596–97, published 1600).

Teynterden steple [1531]OX ed., Teynterdensteple [1531], Teinterden steple [1573]