A19563:1754
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.
Canterbury.
Caunterbury.
I Pity you, to see how ye swink and sweat, to confound this author Gelasius. And yet his words be so plain against your Papistical Transubstantiation, that you have clearly lost all your pains, labours, and costs. For these be his words, spoken of the Sacrament, Esse non desinit substantia vel natura panis & vini, the substance or nature of bread and wine ceaseth not to be. But to avoid and dally away these words, that be so clear and plain, must needs be laid on load of words, the wit must be stretched out to the utmost, all fetches must brought in that can be devised, all colours of Rhetoric must be sought out, all the air must be cast over with clouds, all the water darkened with the cuttle's ink, and if it could be (at the least as much as may be) all mens eyes also must be put out, that they should not see. But I would wish that you stood not so much in your own conceit, trusted not so much in your inventions and devise of wit, in eloquence, and in craftiness of speech, & multitude of words, looking that no man should dare encounter you, but that all men should think you speak well, because you speak much, & that you should be had in great reputation among the multitude of them that be ignorant, & can not discern perfectly those that follow the right way of truth, from other that would lead them out of the way into error & blindness. This standing in your conceit, is nothing else but to stand in your own light.
I Pitie you, to see how ye swinke and sweate, to confounde this author Gelasius. And yet his woordes be so playne agaynst your Papisticall Transubstantiation, that you haue clearely lost all your paynes, labours, and costes. For these be his wordes, spoken of the Sacrament, Esse non desinit substantia vel natura panis & vini, the substaunce or nature of bread and wine ceasseth not to be. But to auoyde and dalye away these wordes, that be so cleare and playne, must needes bee layd on loade of wordes, the wit must be stretched out to the vtmost, all fetches must brought in that cā be deuised, all colours of Rethorike must be sought out, all the ayre must be cast ouer with cloudes, all the water darkned with the cuttyls ynke, and if it could be (at the least asmuch as may be) all mens eyes also must be put out, that they should not see. But I would wish that you stode not so much in your owne conceite, trusted not so much in your inuentions and deuise of wit, in eloquence, and in craftines of speach, & multitude of wordes, looking that no mā should dare encounter you, but that all men should thinke you speake well, bicause you speake much, & that you shuld be had in great reputation among the multitude of them that be ignoraunt, & can not discerne perfectly those that folow the right way of truth, from other that would lead them out of the way into errour & blindnesse. This standyng in your conceite, is nothyng els but to stand in your owne light.