A19563:2048
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 as Saint Paul saith, that if the sacrifices and ministration of Aaron,1 and other priests of that time, had lacked nothing, but had been perfect and sufficient, then should not the sacrifice of Christ have been required (for it had been but in vain, to add any thing to that, which of it self was perfect) so likewise if Christs Sacrifice which he made him self be sufficient, what need we every day to have moe and moe Sacrifices. Wherefore all Popish priests that presume to make every day a Sacrifice of Christ, either must they needs make Christs Sacrifice vain, unperfect and unsufficient, or else is their sacrifice in vain, which is added to the Sacrifice, which is already of it self sufficient and perfect. But it is a wondrous thing to see what shifts and cautels the Popish Antichrists devise, to colour and cloak their wicked errors: And as a chain is so joined together, that one link draweth an other after it, so be vices and errors knit together, that every one draweth his fellow with him. And so doth it here in this matter. 2For the Papists (to excuse them selves) do say, that they make no new Sacrifice, nor none other Sacrifice then Christ made (for they be not so blind, but they see, that then they should add an other Sacrifice to Christs Sacrifice, and so make his Sacrifice unperfect) but they say, that they make the self same Sacrifice for sin, that Christ him self made. 3And here they run headlongs into the foulest and most heinous error that ever was imagined. For if they make every day the same oblation and Sacrifice for sin, that Christ him self made, and the oblation that he made was his death, and the effusion of his most precious blood upon the Cross, for our redemption and price of our sins: then followeth it of necessity, that they every day slay Christ, and shed his blood, and so be they worse then the wicked Jews and Pharisees, which slew him, and shed his blood but once. Almighty God the father of light and truth, banish all such darkness and error out of his Church, with the authors and teachers thereof, or else convert their hearts unto him, and give this light of faith to every man, that he may trust to have remission of his sins, and be delivered from eternal death and hell, by the merit only of the death and blood of Christ: