A19563:1203
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.
1But always you be like your self, proceeding in amplification of an argument against me, which you have forged yourself, and §1charge me therewith untruly. For I use not this speech, that we receive not the body of God at all, that we receive it but in a figure. For it is my constant faith and belief, that we receive Christ in the sacrament verily and truly, and this is plainly taught and set forth my book. But that (verily, as I with Chrysostom and all the old authors take it) is not of such a sort as you would have it. For your understanding of (Verily) is so Capernaicall,2 so gross, and so dull, in the perceiving of this mystery, that you think a man can not receive the body of Christ verily, unless he take him corporally in his corporal mouth, flesh, blood, and bones, as he was borne of the virgin Mary. But it is certain, that Chrysostom meant not, that we receive Christs body verily after such a sort, when he saith, Do not think that you receive by a man the body of God. And yet because I deny only this gross understanding, you misreport my doctrine, that I should say we receive not Christ at all, but in a figure, and no body at all: wherein you untruly and slanderously report me, as my whole book and doctrine can witness against you. For my doctrine is, that the very body of Christ which was borne of the virgin Mary, and suffered for our sins, giving us life by his death, the same Jesus as concerning his corporal presence, is taken from us, and sitteth at the right hand of his father, and yet is he by faith spiritually present with us, and is our spiritual food and nourishment, and sitteth in the midst of all them that-be gathered together in his name. And this feeding is a spiritual feeding and an heavenly feeding, far passing all corporal and carnal feeding, and therefore there is a true presence and a true feeding indeed, and not in a figure only, or not at all, as you most untruly report my saying to be. This is the true understanding of the true presence, receiving & feeding upon the body and blood of our Saviour Christ, and not as you deprave the meaning and true sense thereof, that the receiving of Christ truly and verily, is the receiving corporally with the mouth corporal, or that the spiritual receiving is to receive Christ only by his divine nature, which thing I never said nor meant.