A19563:1263
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.
The sum of Damascene his doctrine in this matter is this. That as Christ being both God and man hath in him two natures, so hath he two nativities, one eternal, and the other temporal. And so likewise we (being as it were double men, or having every one of us two men in us, the new man and the old man, the spiritual man and the carnal man) have a double nativity: One of our first carnal father Adam (by whom as by ancient inheritance, cometh unto us malediction and everlasting damnation) and the other of our heavenly Adam, that is to say, of Christ, by whom we be made heirs of celestial benediction, and everlasting glory and immortality.
The sum of Damascene his doctrine in this matter is this. That as Christ being both God and man hath in him two natures, so hath he two natiuities, one eternall, and the other temporall. And so likewise we (being as it were double men, or hauing euery one of vs two men in vs, the new man and the old man, the spirituall man and the carnall man) haue a double natiuitie: One of our first carnall father Adam (by whome as by auncient inheritaūce, cometh vnto vs maledictiō and euerlasting damnation) and the other of our heauenly Adam, that is to say, of Christ, by whome we be made heires of celestiall benediction, and euerlasting glory and imortalitie.
And because this Adam is spiritual, therefore our generation by him must be spiritual, and our feeding must be likewise spiritual. And our spiritual generation by him is plainly set forth in baptism, and our spiritual meat and food is set forth in the holy communion and supper of the Lord. And because our sights be so feeble that we cannot see the spiritual water wherewith we be washed in baptism, nor the spiritual meat wherewith we be fed at the ⟨p. 207⟩Lords table. Therefore to help our infirmities, and to make us the better to see the same with a pure faith, our saviour Christ hath set forth the same, as it were before our eyes, by sensible signs and tokens, which we be daily used and accustomed unto.