A19563:1463
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.
Canterbury.
Caunterbury.
TO what purpose you should bring in here this place of S. Hierome (making much against you and nothing for you) I cannot conceive. For he declareth no more in this place, but that as all men in this world have passible bodies, subject to much filthiness, corruption and death,1 and yet after our resurrection we shall be delivered from corruption, vileness, weakness and death, and be made incorruptible, glorious, mighty and spiritual: so Christs body in earth was subject unto our infirmities, his flesh being crucified, and his blood being shed with a spear, which now (as you truly say) is glorified, impassible, incorruptible and a spiritual body, but yet not so spiritual, that his humanity is turned into his divinity, and his body into his soul (as some heretics fantasy) nor that the diversity of his members be taken away, and so left without arms and legs, head and feet, eyes and ears, and turned into the form and fashion of a bowl, as the Papists imagine. The sun and ⟨p. 244⟩the moon, the fire and the air be bodies, but no mans bodies, because they lack hart and lungs, head and feet, flesh and blood, veins and sinews to knit them together.2 When Christ was transfigured, his face shined like the sun, and with his mouth he spake to Moses & Elijah. And after his resurrection we read of his flesh and bones,3 his hands and feet, his side and wounds, visible and palpable, and with mouth, tongue and teeth,4 he did eat and speak, and so like a man he was in all proportions and members of man, that Mary Magdalene could not discern him from a gardiner. And take away flesh and skin, sinews and bones, blood and veins, and then remaineth no mans body. For take away distinction and diversity of parts and members, how shall Peter be Peter, and Paul be Paul? How shall a man be a man, and a woman a woman? And how shall we see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, grope with our hands, and go with our feet? For either we shall do no such things at all, or see with every part of our bodies, and likewise hear, speak and go, if there be no diversity of members. This I have spoken for this purpose, to declare that S.