A19563:2102
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.
Canterbury.
Caunterbury.
For answer hereto, read the xiij. chapter of my fifth book,1 and that which I have written here a little before of Nicene council. And where you say that the effect of the sacrifice of Christs body, made by the Priests, is to increase life in us: as the effect of the sacrifice of the same body made by himself upon the cross is to give life unto us, this is not only an absurdity, but also an intolerable blasphemy against Christ. For the sacrifice made upon the cross doth both give us life, and also increase and continue the same, and the priests oblation doth neither of both. For our redemption and eternal salvation standeth not only in giving us life, but in continuing the same for ever.2 As Christ said that he came not only to give us life, but also to make us increase and abound therein. And S. Paul said:3 The life which I now live in flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And therefore if we have the one by the oblation of Christ, and the other by the oblation of the priest, then divide we our salvation between Christ and the priest. And because it is no less gift to continue life for ever, then to give it us, by this your mad and furious blasphemy, we have our salvation and redemption as much by the sacrifice made by the priest, as we have by sacrifice made by Christ himself. And thus you make Christ to be like an unkind and unnatural mother who when she hath brought forth her child, putteth it to an other to nurse, and maketh her self but half the mother of it. And thus you teach christen people to halt on both sides, partly worshipping God, and partly Baal, partly attributing our salvation to Christ the true perfect eternal priest, and partly to Antichrist and his priests.