Page:Elizabeth Elstob - An English-Saxon homily on the birth-day of St. Gregory.djvu/69

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The PREFACE.
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wamlice bletraþ ðurh racenda handa. hlaf & win to his gastlican lichaman. & to his gastlican blode჻

of the Priest, Bread and Wine, to his ghostly Body, and to his Ghostly Blood.

The whole Paschal Homily is, from the beginning to the end, a full and large Explication of this Doctrine. See Mr. Lille, and Mr. Whelock, page 462. These are some of the innumerable Instances, of the pure Estate of the English Saxon Church. It woud be tedious to trouble the Reader with any more, having run the Preface out to so great a length, and hoping hereafter, that I may be able to give somewhat more of this kind to the Publick, as I shall find more leisure, and that it is not refused Encouragement.

I have dwelt so long upon the Argument of St. Augustine’s Mission, because it seem'd to me, upon Examination of the whole Matter, that the Merits of that Controversy, had not been so fairly stated, or so well understood, as might have been wish'd; and as had given us a Representation of things more agreable to Truths and to the Honour of our Ancestors of the English Saxon Church: which ought not to have been charged, with those Corruptions, which some accuse her of, as having received them from St. Augustine; since he neither was infected with them, nor did he introduce any such Errors, they being known to be of much later