A19563:2434
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.
The true comforter in all distress is only God, through his son Jesus Christ, and who soever hath him, hath company enough although he were in a wilderness all alone, and he that hath xx. thousand in his company, if God be absent, is in a miserable wilderness and desolation. In him is all comfort, and without him is none. Wherefore I beseech you seek your dwelling there, as you may truly and rightly serve God and dwell in him, and have him ever dwelling in you. What can be so heavy a burden as an unquiet conscience, to be in such a place as a man can not be suffered to serve God in Christs true Religion? I lye be loth to depart from your kin and friends, remember that Christ calleth them his mother sisters and brethren that do his Fathers will.1 Where we find therefore God truly honoured according to his will, there we can lack neither friend nor kin. If you be loth to depart for slandering of Gods word, remember that Christ when his hour was not yet come, departed out of his country into Samaria,2 to avoid the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees, and commanded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place, they should fly to an other. And was not Paul let down by a basket out at a window, to avoid the persecution of Areta?3 And what wisdom and policy he used from time to time to escape the malice of his enemies, the Acts of the Apostles do declare. And after the same sort did the other Apostles: albeit when it came to such a point, that they could no longer escape danger of the persecutors of Gods true Religion, than they showed them selves, that their flying before came not of fear, but of godly wisdom to do more good, & that they would not rashly without urgent necessity offer them selves to death, which had been but a temptation of God. Yea when they were apprehended and could no longer avoid, then they stood boldly to the profession of Christ, then they showed how little they passed of death, how much they feared God more then men, how much they loved and preferred the eternal life to come, above this short and miserable life.
THe true cōforter in all distresse is onely God, through his sonne Iesus Christ, and who soeuer hath him, hath company enough although he were in a wildernesse all alone, and he that hath xx. thousād in his company, if God be absent, is in a miserable wildernesse and desolation. In him is all comfort, and without him is none. Wherfore I beseech you seeke your dwellyng there, as you may truely and rightly serue God and dwell in hym, and haue him euer dwellyng in you. What can be so heauy a burden as an vnquiet conscience, to be in such a place as a man can not be suffered to serue God in Christes true Religion? I lye be loth to depart from your kin and frendes, remember that Christ calleth them his mother sisters and brethren that do his Fathers will.