A19563:2057
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.
As that if a man hear Mass, he shall lack no bodily sustenance that day, nor nothing necessary for him, nor shall be letted in his journey, he shall not lose his sight that day, nor dye no sudden death, he shall not wax old in that time that he heareth Mass, nor no wicked spirits shall have power of him, be he never so wicked a man, so long as he looketh upon the Sacrament. All these foolish and devilish superstitions, the Papists of their own idle brain have devised of late years, which devises were never known in the old Church. 1And yet they cry out against them that profess the Gospel, and say that they dissent from the Church, and would have them to follow the example of their Church. And so would they gladly do, if the Papists would follow the first Church of the Apostles, which was most pure and incorrupt, but the Papists have clearly varied from the usage and examples of that Church, and have invented new devises of their own brains, and will in no wise consent to follow the primitive Church, and yet they would have other to follow their Church, utterly varying and dissenting from the first most godly Church. But thanks be to the eternal God, the manner of the holy Communion (which is now set forth within this Realm) is agreeable with the institution of Christ, with Saint Paul and the old primitive and Apostolic Church, with the right faith of the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross for our redemption, and with the true doctrine of our salvation, justification and remission of all our sins by that only sacrifice. 2Now resteth nothing, but that all faithful subjects will gladly receive and embrace the same, being sorry for their former ignorance, and every man repenting him self of his offences against God, and amending the same, may yield him self wholly to God, to serve and obey him all the days of his life, and often to come to the holy Supper, which our Lord and Saviour Christ hath prepared:
As that if a man heare Masse, hee shall lacke no bodily sustenaunce that day, nor nothyng necessary for him, nor shalbe letted in his iourney, he shall not lose his sight that day, nor dye no sodaine death, he shall not waxe old in that time that he heareth Masse, nor no wicked spirites shall haue power of him, be he neuer so wicked a man, so long as he looketh vpon the Sacrament. All these foolish and deuilish superstitions, the Papistes of their owne idle brayne haue deuised of late yeares, which deuises were neuer knowen in the old Church.