A19563:125
An answerAn aunsvvere
An answer by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England and metropolitan, unto a crafty and sophistical cavillation, devised by Stephen Gardiner Doctor of Law, late Bishop of Winchester against the true and godly doctrine of the most holy sacrament, of the body and blood of our saviour Jesus Christ Wherein is also, as occasion serveth, answered such places of the book of Doct. Richard Smith, as may seem any thing worthy the answering. Here is also the true copy of the book written, and in open court delivered, by D. Stephen Gardiner ...An aunsvvere by the Reuerend Father in God Thomas Archbyshop of Canterbury, primate of all England and metropolitane, vnto a craftie and sophisticall cauillation, deuised by Stephen Gardiner Doctour of Law, late Byshop of Winchester agaynst the true and godly doctrine of the most holy sacrament, of the body and bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christ Wherein is also, as occasion serueth, aunswered such places of the booke of Doct. Richard Smith, as may seeme any thyng worthy the aunsweryng. Here is also the true copy of the booke written, and in open court deliuered, by D. Stephen Gardiner ...
London: printed by John Daye, 1580London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1580
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And now I come to the great thing that so much troubleth my conscience more than any thing that ever I did or said in my whole life, and that is the setting abroad of a writing contrary to the truth:1 which now here I renounce and refuse as things written with my hand, contrary to the truth which I thought in my hart, & written for fear of death, and to save my life if it might be, and that is, all such Bills and papers, which I have written or signed with my hand since my degradation: wherein I have written many things untrue. And for as much as my hand offended, written contrary to my hart, my hand shall first be punished therefore: for may I come to the fire, it shall be first burned.
And now I come to the great thyng that so much troubleth my conscience more thē any thyng that euer I did or sayd in my whole life, and that is the settyng abroad of a writyng contrary to the truth:1 which now here I renounce and refuse as thynges written with my hand, contrary to the truth which I thought in my hart, & written for feare of death, and to saue my life if it might be, and that is, all such Billes and papers, which I haue written or signed with my hand since my degradation: wherein I haue written many thynges vntrue. And for as much as my hand offended, written contrary to my hart, my hand shall first bee punished therefore: for may I come to the fire, it shalbe first burned.
- 1The Archb. revoketh his former recantation and repenteth the same.The Archb. reuoketh his former recantation and repenteth the same.
And as for the Pope,1 I refuse him as Christs enemy and Antichrist, with all his false doctrine.