A19563:1433
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 what this word (corporal) meaneth,1 I am not ignorant, Mary ⟨p. 238⟩what you mean by corporal I know not, and the opening thereof shall discuss the whole matter. Tell therefore plainly without dissimulation or coloured words, what manner of body it is that Christ hath in the Sacrament? Whether it be a very and perfect mans body, with all the members thereof, distinct one from an other or no? For that understand I to be a mans corporal body, that hath all such parts, without which may be a body, but no perfect mans body. So that the lack of a finger maketh a lack in the perfection of a mans body. Mary if you will make Christ such a body as bread and cheese is (wherein every part is bread and cheese without form and distinction of one part from an other) I confess mine ignorance, that I know no such body to be a mans body. Now have I showed mine ignorance, declare now your wit and learning. For sure I am, that Christ hath all those parts in heaven, and if he lack them in the Sacrament, then lacketh he not a little of his perfection. And then it can not be one body, that hath parts and hath no parts.
And what this word (corporall) meaneth,1 I am not ignorant, Mary ⟨p. 238⟩what you meane by corporall I know not, and the opening therof shall discusse the whole matter. Tell therfore playnly without dissimulation or colored wordes, what manner of body it is that Christ hath in the Sacrament? Whether it be a very and perfect mans body, with all the members therof, distinct one from an other or no? For that vnderstand I to be a mans corporall body, that hath all such partes, without which may be a body, but no perfect mans body. So that the lacke of a finger maketh a lacke in the perfection of a mans body. Mary if you will make Christ such a body as bread and cheese is (wherin euery part is bread and cheese without forme and distinction of one part from an other) I confesse myne ignoraunce, that I know no such body to be a mans body. Now haue I shewed myne ignoraunce, declare now your wit and learning. For sure I am, that Christ hath all those partes in heauen, and if he lacke them in the Sacramēt, then lacketh he not a litle of his perfectiō. And then it can not be one body, that hath partes and hath no partes.