A19563:2190
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 after the great benefits of God, showed unto his people of Israel, and the law also given unto them (whereby they were taught to know him, and honour him) yet how many times did they fall from him? Did they not from time to time make them new Gods, & worship them? Was not the open face of the Church so miserably deformed, not only in the wilderness, ⟨p. 408⟩and in the time of the Judges, but also in time of the kings, that after the division of the kingdom,1 amongest all the kings of Judah, there was but only three, in whose times the true Religion was restored, & among all the kings of Israel not so much as one. Were not all that time the true Priests of God, a few in number? Did not all the rest maintain Idolatry and all abominations in groves and mountains, worshipping Baal and other false Gods? And did they not murder and slay all the true Prophets, that taught them to worship the true God? In so much that Elijah the Prophet, knowing no mo of all the whole people that followed the right trade, but him self alone, made his complaint unto almighty God, saying: O Lord, they have slain thy Prophets, and overthrown thine altars,2 & there is no mo left but I alone, and yet they lye in wait to flea me also. So that although almighty God suffered them in their captivity at Babylon no more but lxx. years, yet he suffered them in their Idolatry (following their own ways and inventions) many hundred years,3 the mercy of God being so great, that their punishment was short and small,4 in respect of their long and grievous offences. And at the time of Christs coming the high Priests came to their offices by such fraud, simony, murder and poisoning, that the like hath not been often read nor heard of, except only at Rome.
And after the great benefites of God, shewed vnto his people of Israell, and the law also geuen vnto them (wherby they were taught to know him, and honor him) yet how many tymes did they fal from him? Did they not from tyme to tyme make them new Gods, & worshyp them? Was not the open face of the Church so miserably deformed, not onely in the wildernesse,