A19563:960
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.
IT is no marvel though this Epistle feigned by the Papists many §1years passed, do vary from the Papists in these latter days. For the Papistical church at the beginning was not so corrupt as it was after, but from time to time increased in errors and corruption more & more, ⟨p. 146⟩and still doth, according to S. Pauls saying:1 Evil men and deceivers wax ever worse, both leading other into error, and erring them selves. For at the first beginning they had no private Masses, no pardons in purgatory, no reservation of the bread, they knew no masses of Scala coeli, no Lady psalters, no transubstantiation: but of latter days all these, and an infinite number of errors besides, were invented and devised without any authority of Gods word. As your self have newly invented a great sort of new devises contrary to the Papists before your time, as that Christ is in the sacrament carnally and naturally: that the demonstration was made upon the bread when Christ said, This is my body: that the word (satisfactory) signifieth no more, but the Priest to do his duty, with many other things, which here for shortness of time, I will omit at this present, purposing to speak of them more hereafter. And the epistles of Clement were feigned before the Papists had run so far in errors as they be now. For yet at that time was not invented (as I said) the error of transubstantiation, nor the reservation of the sacrament, nor the priests did not communicate alone without the people. But that the said epistle of Clement was feigned,2