A19563:2056
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 this doctrine of the Scripture clearly condemneth the wicked inventions of the Papists in these latter days, which have devised a Purgatory to torment souls after this life, and oblations of Masses said by the priests, to deliver them from the said torments, and a great number of other commodities do they promise to the simple ignorant people by their Masses. Now the nature of man being ever prone to Idolatry from the beginning of the world,1 and the Papists being ready by all means and police to defend and extol the Mass for their estimation and profit, and the people being superstitiously enamoured and doted upon the Mass, (because they take it for a present remedy against all manner of evils) and part of the princes being blinded by papistical doctrine, part loving quietness, and loth to offend their Clergy and subjects, and all being captive and subject to the Antichrist of Rome, the estate of the world remaining in that case, it is no wonder that abuses grew and increased in the Church, that superstition with Idolatry were taken for godliness and true Religion, and that many things were brought in without the authority of Christ. As Purgatory, the oblation and sacrificing of Christ by the priest alone,2 the application and appointing of the same to such persons as the priest would sing or say Mass for, and to such abuses as they could devise, to deliver some from Purgatory, and some from hell, (if they were not there finally by God determined to abide, as they termed the matter) to make rain or fair weather, to put away the plague and other sicknesses both from man and beast, to hallow and preserve them that went to Jerusalem, to Rome, to S. James in Compostella, and other places in pilgrimage, for a preservative against tempest and thunder, against perils and dangers of the Sea, for a remedy against moraine of cattle, against pensiveness of the hart, against all manner affliction and tribulations. And finally, they extol their Masses far above Christs passion, promising ⟨p. 380⟩many things thereby, which were never promised us by Christs passion.
And this doctrine of the Scripture clearely condemneth the wicked inuentions of the Papistes in these latter dayes, which haue deuised a Purgatory to torment soules after this life, and oblations of Masses sayd by the priestes, to deliuer them from the sayd tormentes, and a great number of other commodities do they promise to the simple ignoraunt people by their Masses. Now the nature of man beyng euer prone to Idolatry frō the begynnyng of the world,