A19563:2419
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.
¶To the Lords of the Council.
¶To the Lordes of the Counsell.
IN most humble wise sueth unto your right honourable Lordships, Thomas Cranmer late Archb. of Cant. beseeching the same to be a means for me unto the Queens highness for her mercy & pardon. Some of you know by what means I was brought and trained unto the will of our late sovereign Lord king Edward the vi. & what I spake against the same: wherein I refer me to the reports of your honours. Furthermore this is to signify unto your Lordships that upon Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, last past were open disputations here in Oxford against me,1 M. Ridley, and M. Latimer in three matters concerning the Sacrament. First of the real presence, secondly of Transubstantiation, and thirdly concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass. How the other two were used I can not tell, for we were separated, so that none of us knew what the other said, nor how they were ordered. But as concerning my self I can report, that I never knew nor heard of a more confused disputation in all my life. For albeit there was one appointed to dispute against me, yet every man spake his mind and brought forth what him liked without order, and such hast was made, that no answer could be suffered to be given fully to any argument, & in such weighty & large matters there was no remedy, but the disputations must needs be ended in one day, which can scantly well be ended in three months. And when we had answered them, then they would not appoint us one day to bring forth our proofs, that they might answer us again, being required of me thereunto, whereas I my self have more to say then can be well discussed in .xx days. The means to resolve the truth, had been to have suffered us to answer fully to all that they could say, and then they again to answer to all that we could say. But why they would not answer us, what other cause can there be, but that either they feared the matter that they were not able to answer us, or else (as by their hast might well appear) they came, not to speak the truth, but to condemn us in post hast,2