A19563:2085
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.
Winchester.
The daily offering is propitiatory also,1 but not in that degree of propitiation: As for redemption, regeneration or remission of deadly sin, which was once purchased, & by force thereof is in the Sacraments ministered, but for the increase of Gods favour the mitigation of Gods displeasure provoked by our infirmities, the subduing of temptations and the perfection of virtue in us. All good works, good thoughts and good meditations may be called sacrifices,2 and the same be called sacrifices propitiatory also, for so much as in their degree God accepteth and taketh them through the effect and strength of the very sacrifice of Christs death, which is the reconciliation between God and man, ministered & dispensed particularly as God hath appointed, in such measure as he knoweth. §2But S. Paul to the Hebrews exhorting men to charitable deeds saith: with such sacrifices God is made favourable, or God is propitiate, if we shall make new English. Whereupon it followeth, because the Priest in the daily sacrifice doth as Christ hath ordered to be done for she wing forth and remembrance of Christs death, that act of the Priest done according to Gods commandment, must needs be propitiatory and provoke Gods favour, and ought to be trusted on to have a propitiatory effect with God to the members of Christs body particularly, being the same done for the whole body, in such wise as God knoweth the dispensation to be meet & convenient, according to which measure, God worketh most justly and most mercifully, otherwise then man can by his §3judgement discuss & determine.3 To call the daily offering a sacrifice satisfactory, must have an understanding that signifieth not the action of the Priest, but the presence of Christs most precious body and blood the very sacrifice of the world once perfectly offered being propitiatory and satisfactory for all the world, or else the word satisfactory must have a signification and meaning, as it hath sometime that declareth the acceptation of the thing done, and not the proper countervail of the action, after which sort man may satisfy God that is so merciful as he will take in good worth for Christs sake mans imperfect endeavour, and so the daily offering may be called a sacrifice satisfactory, because God is pleased with it, being a manner of worshipping of Christs passion according to his institution.