a THE ANSWER OF THOMAS, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, &c. AGAINST THE FALSE CALUMNIATIONS OF DR. RICHARD SMYTH, WHO HATH TAKEN UPON HIM TO CONFUTE THE DE- OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE BODY AND I HAVE now obtained, gentle reader, that thing which I have much desired, which was, that if all men would not embrace the truth lately set forth by me concerning the sacrament of the body and blood of our Saviour Christ, at the least some man would vouchsafe to take pen in hand, and write against my book, because that thereby the truth might both better be searched out, and also more certainly known to the world. And herein I heartily thank the late Bishop of Winchester and Doctor Smythe, who partly have satisfied my long desire; saving that I would have wished adversaries. more substantially learned in holy Scriptures, more exercised in the old ancient ecclesiastical authors, and having a more godly zeal to the trial out of the truth, than are a [This short tract was appended to the Answer to Gardyner published 1 Oct. 1551; but the expressions at the beginning and end prove it to have been written before. Whether or not it was also printed before does not appear. It again accompanied the Answer &c. in the edition of 1580.] b [The title of Smythe's book was, A Confutation of the True and Catholic Doctrine, &c. Strype, Cranmer, (Oxford, 1812.) p. 1089. See also ibid. p. 255. and App. No. 61; and Memorials, vol. ii. p. 43.] VOL. III. R these two, both being crafty sophisters, the one by art, and the other by nature, both also being drowned in the dregs of papistry, brought up and confirmed in the same, the one by Duns and Dorbell and such like sophisters, the other by the popish Canon Law, whereof by his degree taken in the University he is a professor. And as concerning the late Bishop of Winchester, I will declare his crafty sophistications in mine answer unto his book. But Doctor Smithe, as it appeareth by the title of his Preface, hath craftily devised an easy way to obtain his purpose, that the people being barred from the searching of the truth, might be still kept in blindness and error, as well in this as in all other matters wherein they have been in times past deceived. Falsehood feareth the eth to be tried. He seeth full well, that the more diligently matters be light, but searched out and discussed, the more clearly the craft and truth desir- falsehood of the subtle papists will appear. And therefore in the Preface to the reader, he exhorteth all men to leave disputing and reasoning of the same by learning, and to give firm credit unto the Church, as the title of the said Preface declareth manifestly. As who should say, that the truth of any matter that is in question might be tried out, without debating and reasoning by the word of God, whereby, as by the true touchstone, all men's doctrines are to be tried and examined. But the truth is not ashamed to come to the light, and to be tried to the uttermost. For as pure gold, the more it is tried, the more pure it appeareth, so is all manner of truth. Whereas on the other side all maskers, counterfeiters, and false deceivers abhor the light, and refuse the trial. If all men without right or reason would give credit unto this papist and his Romish Church, against the most certain word of God and the old holy and catholic Church of Christ, the matter should be soon at an end, and out of all controversy. But forasmuch as the pure word of God, and the first Church of Christ from the beginning, taught the true catholic faith, and Smith with his Church of Rome do now teach the clean contrary, the chaff cannot be tried out from the pure corn (that is to say, the untruth dis cerned from the very truth) without threshing, windowing, and fanning, searching, debating, and reasoning. to be word, but their faith selves. As for me, I ground my belief upon God's word, wherein Faith ought can be no error, having also the consent of the primitive grounded Church, requiring no man to believe me further than I have upon God's God's word for me. But these papists speak at their plea- the papists sure what they list, and would be believed without God's ground word, because they bear men in hand, that they be the upon themChurch. The Church of Christ is not founded upon itself, but upon Christ and his word; but the papists build their Church upon themselves, devising new articles of the faith from time to time, without any Scripture, and founding the same upon the Pope and his clergy, monks and friars, and by that means they be both the makers and judges of their faith themselves. Wherefore this papist, like a politic man, doth right wisely provide for himself and his Church, in the first entry of his book, that all men should leave searching for the truth, and stick hard and fast to the Church, meaning himself and the Church of Rome. For from the true catholic Church, the Romish Church which he accounteth catholic, hath varied and dissented many years passed, as the blindest that this day do live may well see and perceive, if they will not purposely wink and shut up their eyes. This I have written to answer the title of his Preface. Council. the words Now in the beginning of the very Preface itself, when this Ephesine great doctor should recite the words of Ephesine councils, he translateth them so unlearnedly, that if a young boy, that author of had gone to the grammar-school but three years, had done in the no better, he should scant have escaped some schoolmaster's Council. [1580.] hands with six jerks. And beside that, he doeth it so craftily to serve his purpose, that he cannot be excused of wilful depravation of the words, calling celebration an offering, and referring the participle "made" to Christ, which should be referred to the word " partakers,” and leaving out those words that should declare, that the said Council spake 66 [See Authorities in the Appendix.] Sinyth belieth the Council. of no propitiatory sacrifice in the mass, but of a sacrifice of laud and thanks, which Christian people give unto God at the holy communion, by remembrance of the death, resurrection, and ascension of his Son Jesus Christ, and by confessing and setting forth of the same. Here by the ungodly handling of this godly Council at his first beginning, it may appear to every man how sincerely this papist intendeth to proceed in the rest of this matter. And with like sincerity he untruly belieth the said Council, saying that it doth plainly set forth the holy sacrifice of the mass, which doth not so much as once name the mass, but speaketh of the sacrifice of the Church, which the said Council declareth to be the profession of Christian people in setting forth the benefit of Christ, who only made the true sacrifice propitiatory for remission of sin. And whosoever else taketh upon him to make any such sacrifice maketh himself Antichrist. Smith belieth me twice in And then he belieth me in two things, as he useth commonly throughout his whole book. The one is, that I deny one place. the sacrifice of the mass, which in my book have most plainly The first lie. set out the sacrifice of Christian people in the holy communion or mass, (if Dr. Smyth will needs so term it,) and yet I have denied that it is a sacrifice propitiatory for sin, or that the priest alone maketh any sacrifice there. For it is the sacrifice of all Christian people to remember Christ's death, to laud and thank him for it, and to publish it and show it abroad unto other, to his honour and glory. The controversy is not, whether in the holy communion be made a sacrifice or not, (for herein both Dr. Smyth and I agree with the foresaid Council at Ephesus,) but whether it be a propitiatory sacrifice or not, and whether only the priest make the said sacrifice; these be the points wherein we vary. And I say so far as the Council saith, that there is a sacrifice, but that the same is propitiatory for remission of sin, or that the priest alone doth offer it, neither I nor the Council do so say, but Dr. Smyth hath added that of his own vain head. |