A19563:2397
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.
IT may please your Majesty to pardon my presumption, that I dare be so bold to write to your highness, but very necessity constraineth me, that your Majesty may know my mind rather by mine own writing, then by other mens reports. So it is that upon Saturday being the 7. day of this month, I was cited to appear at Rome, the lxxx. day after, there to make answer to such matters as should be objected against me, upon the behalf of the King and your most excellent Majesty: which matters the Thursday following were objected against me by Doctor Martin and Doctor Story your majesties Proctors, before the Bishop of Bloucester sitting in judgement by commission from Rome.1 But alas, it can not but grieve the hart of any natural subject, to be accused of the King and Queen of his own Realm, and specially before an outward judge, or by authority coming from any person out of this Realm, where the king and Queen, as if they were subjects within their own Realm, shall complain and require justice at a strangers hands against their own subject, being already condemned to death by their own laws: as though the King and Queen could not do nor have justice within their own Realm, against their own subjects, but they must seek it at a strangers hands in a strange land, the like whereof (I think) was never seen. I would have wished to have had some meaner adversaries, & I think that death shall not grieve me much more, then to have my most dread and most gracious sovereign Lord and Lady (to whom under God I do owe all obedience) to be mine accusers in judgement within their own realm before any stranger and outward power.2 But forasmuch as in the time of the Prince of most famous memory King Henry the 8. your graces father, I was sworn never to consent, that the bishop of Rome should have or exercise any authority or jurisdiction in this realm of England, therefore least I should allow his authority contrary to mine oath, I refused to make answer to the Bishop of Gloucester sitting here in judgement by the Popes authority, least I should run into perjury.
IT may please your Maiesty to pardon my presumption, that I dare be so bold to write to your highnes, but very necessity constrayneth me, that your Maiesty may know my minde rather by mine owne writing, then by other mens reportes. So it is that vpon Saturday being the 7. day of this moneth, I was cited to appeare at Rome, the lxxx. day after, there to make aunswere to such matters as should be obiected agaynst me, vpon the behalfe of the King and your most excellent Maiesty: which matters the Thursday following were obiected agaynst me by Doctor Martin and Doctor Story your maiesties Proctors, before the Bishop of Bloucester sitting in iudgement by commission from Rome.