A19563:1192
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.
Thus far they rehearse of Chrysostoms words. Which words although they sound much for the purpose, yet if they be throughly considered and conferred with other places of the same author, it shall well appear that he meant nothing less, than that Christs body should be corporally and naturally present in the bread and wine, but that in such sort he is in heaven only, and in our minds by faith we ascend up into heaven, to eat him there, although sacramentally as in a sign and figure, he be in the bread & wine (and so is he also in the water of Baptism) and in them that rightly receive the bread & wine he is in a much more perfection then corporally (which should avail them nothing) but in them he is spiritually with his divine power, giving them eternal life.
Thus farre they reherse of Chrisostomes words. Which wordes although they sound much for the purpose, yet if they be throughly cōsidered and conferred with other places of the same author, it shal well appeare that he ment nothing lesse, thē that Christes body should be corporally and naturally present in the bread and wine, but that in such sort he is in heauen onely, and in our mindes by fayth we ascend vp into heauen, to eate him there, although sacramētally as in a signe and figure, he be in the bread & wine (and so is he also in the water of Baptisme) and in them that rightly receaue the bread & wine he is in a much more perfection then corporally (which should auayle them nothing) but in them he is spiritually with his diuine power, geuing them eternall lyfe.
And as in the first creation of the world, all living creatures had their first life by gods only word. (for God only spake his word, and all things were created by and by accordingly) and after their creation he spake these words: Increase and multiply, and by the virtue of those words, all things have gendered §10& increased ever since that time:1 even so after that Christ said: Eat, this is my body, & drink, this is my blood. Do this hereafter in remembrance of me, by virtue of these words, and not by virtue of any man, the bread and wine be so consecrated, that whosoever with a lively faith doth eat that bread and drink that wine, doth spiritually eat, drink and feed upon Christ sitting in heaven with his Father. And this is the whole meaning of S. Chrysostom.