A19563:2046
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.
not as a man to be punished again, and to be made a sacrifice for our sins (as he was before) but he shall come in his glory without sin,1 to the great joy and comfort of them, which be purified and made clean by his death, and continue in godly and innocent living, and to the great terror and dread of them that be wicked and ungodly. Thus the scripture teacheth; that if Christ had made any oblation for sin more then once; he should have dyed more then once: forasmuch as there is none oblation and sacrifice for sin, but only his death. And now there is no more oblation for sin, seeing that by him our sins be remitted, and our con sciences quieted. And although in the old Testament,2 there were certain sacrifices, called Sacrifices for sin, yet they were no such sacrifices, that could take away our sins in the sight of God, but they were ceremonies ordained to this intent, that they should be as it were shadows and figures, to signify before hand the excellent sacrifice of Christ that was to come, which should be the very true and perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. And for this signification they had the name of a sacrifice propitiatory, and were called sacrifices for sins, not because they indeed toke away our sins, but because they were images, shadows, and figures, whereby godly men were admonished of the true sacrifice of Christ then to come, which should truly abolish sin and everlasting death. And that those sacrifices, which were made by the priests in the old law, could not be able to purchase our pardon; and deserve the remission of our sins, S. Paul doth clearly affirm in his said Epistle to the Hebrews,3 where he saith: It is impossible that our sins should be taken away by the blood of oxen and goats. Wherefore all godly men, although they did use those sacrifices ordained of God, yet they did not take them as things of that value and estimation, that thereby they should be able to obtain remission of their sins before God. But they took them partly for figures and tokens ordained of God, by the which he declared, that he would send that seed, which he promised to be the very true sacrifice for sin, and that he would receive them that trusted in that promise, and remit their sins for the sacrifice after to come.