VOLUME 3

AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE
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uayle that / if it were possible / the electe shuld be brought out of the true waye. And these false annoynted / by the same rule of Paul and in that christ saith also that they shal come in his name must be in the church of christ and of them that shall call them selves Christen / and shall shew their wonders before the electe and be a sore temptacion vn to them / to bringe them out of the waye. And the electe which are few in comparison of them that be called and come faynedly / shall amonge that greate multitude be kepte by the mightie hande of god agenst all naturall possibilite. So that the church and very electe shall neuer be soch a multitude to gether by them selues with out persecucion and temptacion of their faith / as the greate multitude vnder the pope is which persecute and sofre not. And these which the pope calleth heretikes shew no miracles / by ther awne confession / nether ought they / in as moch as they bringe no new lerninge ner ought saue the scripture which is all redy receaued and confirmed with miracles. Christ also promiseth vs nought in this world saue persecucion for oure faith. And the stories of the olde testament are also by Paulus .1. Cor. x. oure ensamples. And there / though god at a tyme called with miracles a greate multitude / yet the very chosen that receaued the faith in their hertes / to put their trust in God alone and which endureth in temptacions were but fewe and euer oppressed of ther false brethern and persecuted vn to the deeth and dreuen vn to corners.

their shal . . . true waye. Matt. 24.24, which is also paraphrased in [H7, “and shall shew . . . out of the waye”]. Matt. 24.24 is cited by a Lollard text against the papacy, cf. Hudson 126/150–53. Luther cited or referred to Matt. 24.24 four times in his treatment of Dan. 8, taking the Gospel text as prophetic of the papacy and helpful in elucidating Dan. 8.25, Et prosperatur dolus in manu eius. This is the papal deception (dolus) by which otherwise good Christians, like Bernard, Dominic, Francis and Bonaventure, were deceived into acknowledging papal supremacy, cf. Responsio to Ambrosius Catharinus, 1521 (WA 7.744; not in LW). But Tyndale's interpretation develops instead an aspect of the condition of the remnant of tempted and persecuted elect persons who rely only on canonical Scripture.

false annoynted. Cf. 2 Cor. 11.13.

they shal come in his name. Cf. Matt. 7.22, Mark 13.6, Luke 21.8.

the electe . . . called. Cf. Matt. 20.16, 22.14.

Christ . . . faith. Cf. Mark 10.30, John 16.33.

And the stories . . . ensamples. Cf. 1 Cor. 10.11.

miracles. Irenaeus of Lyons (c130–200) describes miracles performed by post-apostolic Christians in Against Heresies 2.32.4 (PG 7.828–30; ANF 1.409). For miracles after the discovery of Stephen's relics in 415, cf. [G3v, “S. Steuens tombe” and commentary note].

And when Paul .ij. Tessa. ij. saith that Antichristes cominge / shalbe by the workynge of sathan with all power / signes and wonders of falshed and all disceaueablenesse for them that pe