A19563:2052
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.
1Now forasmuch, as I trust, that I have plainly enough set forth the propitiatory sacrifice of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to the capacity and comfort of all men that have any understanding of Christ, and have declared also the heinous abomination and Idolatry of the Popish Mass (wherein the priests have taken upon them the office of Christ, to make a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the people) and I have also told what manner of sacrifice Christen people ought to make, it is now necessary to make answer to ⟨p. 377⟩the subtle persuasions and Sophistical cavillations of the Papists, whereby they have deceived many a simple man, both learned and unlearned. The place of S. Paul unto the Hebrews (which they do cite for their purpose) maketh quite and clean against them.2 For where S. Paul saith, that every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, he spake not that of the priests of the new Testament, but of the old, which (as he saith) offered Calves and Goats. And yet they were not such priests that by their offerings and sacrifices they could take away the peoples sins, but they were shadows and figures of Christ our everlasting priest, which only by one oblation of him self taketh away the sins of the world. Wherefore the Popish priests that apply this text unto themselves, do directly contrary to the meaning of S. Paul, to the great injury and prejudice of Christ, by whom only S. Paul saith, that the sacrifice and oblation for the sin of the whole world was accomplished and fulfilled. And as little serveth for the Papists purpose the text of the Prophet Malachi,3 that every where should be offered unto God a pure sacrifice and oblation. For the Prophet in that place spake no word of the Mass, nor of any oblation propitiatory to be made by the priests, but he spake of the oblation of all faithful people (in what place so ever they be) which offer unto God, with pure hearts and minds, sacrifices of laud and praise: prophesying of the vocation of the Gentiles, that God would extend his mercy unto them, and not be the God only of the Jews, but of all nations, from East to West, that with pure faith call upon him, and glorify his name. But the adversaries of Christ, gather together a great heap of Authors,