A19563:1307
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 where you say, that if my doctrine be true, neither good men nor evil eat but the sacramental bread, it can be none other but very frowardness and mere wilfulness, that you will not understand that thing which I have spoken so plainly, & repeated so many times. For I say, that good men eat the Lords body spiritually to their eternal nourishment, where as evil men eat but the bread carnally to their eternal punishment. And as you note of S. Augustine, that baptism is very well called health,1 and the sacrament of Christs body called life, as in which God giveth health and life, if we worthily use them: so is the sacramental bread very well called Christs body, and the wine his blood, as in the ministration whereof, Christ giveth us his flesh and blood, if we worthily receive them.
And where you say, that if my doctrine be true, neyther good men nor euill eate but the sacramentall bread, it can be none other but very frowardnes and mere wilfulnes, that you will not vnderstand that thinge which I haue spoken so playnly, & repeted so many tymes. For I say, that good men eat the Lordes body spiritually to theyr eternall nourishment, where as euyl men eat but the bread carnally to their eternall punishment. And as you note of S. Augustine, that baptisme is very well called health,1 and the sacrament of Christes body called lyfe, as in which God gyueth health and lyfe, if we worthely vse them: so is the sacramentall bread very well called Christes body, and ye wine his bloud, as in the ministration wherof, Christ geueth vs his flesh and bloude, if we worthely receaue them.
- 1August. de peccatorum meritis & remiss. li. 1. cap. 24.
And where you teach how the works of God in them selves be alway true and uniform in all men without diversity in good and evil,