A19563:1185
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.
And likewise the stone that flowed out water was called a stone,1 and when it was called Christ,2 & the ark also when it was called the ark, & when it was called god,3 all these must be one speech and of like trueth, if it be true which you here say. But as the ark was an ark, the stone a stone, & bread very bread, and the cup a cup, plainly without figurative speech, so when they be called God, Christ the body and blood of Christ this can not be alike calling, but must needs be understand by a figurative speech.4 For as Christ in the scripture is called a lamb for his innocency & meekness, a Lyon for his might and power, a door and way, whereby we enter into his fathers house, wheat & corn for the property of dying before they rise up & bring increase, so is he called bread and bread is called his body, & wine his blood, for the property of feeding & nourishing. So that these & all like speeches (where as one substance is called by the name of an other substance divers and distinct in nature) must needs be understand figuratively by some similitude or propriety of one substance unto an other, and can in no wise be understand properly and plainly without a figure. And therefore when Christ is called the Son of God, or bread is called bread, it is a most plain and proper speech, but when Christ is called bread, or bread is called Christ, these can in no wise be formal and proper speeches (the substances and natures of them being so divers) but must needs have an understanding in figure, signification or similitude (as the very nature of all sacraments require) as all the old writers do plainly teach. And therefore the bread after consecration is not called Christ his body, because it is so in deed, for then it were no figurative speech, as all the old authors say it is.
And likewise the stone that flowed out water was called a stone,1 and when it was called Christ,2