A19563:1309
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 this your doctrine hath a very evil smack, that spirit and life should fall upon naughty men, although for their malice it tarry not. For by this doctrine you join together in one man, Christ and Belial, the spirit of God and the spirit of the devil, life and death, and all at one time:1 which doctrine I will not name what it is, for all faithful men know the name right well and detest the same.2 And what ignorance can be showed more in him that accounteth himself learned, then to gather of Christs words (where her saith, his words be spirit and life) that spirit and life should be in evil men because they hear his words.3 For the words which you recite by and by of S. Augustin, show how vain your argument is,4 when he saith, The words be spirit and life, but not to thee, that doest carnally understand them. What estimation of learning or of truth would you have men to conceive of you, that bring such unlearned arguments whereof the invalidity appeareth within six lines after? Which must needs declare in you either, much untruth and unsincere proceeding, or much ignorance, or at the least all exceeding forgetfulness, to say anything, reproved again within six lines after. And if the promises of God (as you say) be not disappointed by our infidelity, then if evil men eat the very body of Christ and drink his blood, they must needs dwell in Christ, and have Christ dwelling in them, and by him have everlasting life: because of these promises of Christ, Qui manducat ⟨p. 216⟩meam carnem, & bibit meum sanguinem, in memanet et ego in eo. Et quimanducat meam carnem & bibit meum sanguinem, habet vitam aeternam, 5He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life. And he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. And yet the third promise. Qui manducat me, & ipse vives propter me, 6