A19563:1515
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.
Where you say that the simplicity of faith in a Christen mans breast,§1 doth not so precisely mark and stay at the syllables of Christs words, as I pretend, here may the world see what simplicity is in the Papists. For I do nothing else but rehearse what the Papists say, that until these words be fully ended (Hoc est Corpus meum) there is bread, and after those words be fully ended, there is no more bread, but only Christ himself. And the same simplicity do you declare by and by to be in your self, when you say that Gods work is in one instance, howsoever speech,§2 require in us a successive utterance. Then if God change the bread into Christs body in one instance, tell me I pray you, in which instance? For seeing that our pronunciation is by succession of time, I think you will not say, that the work of God is done before the last syllable be pronounced, (for then Christs body should be there before the words of Consecration were fully finished) nor I think you will not deny, but whensoever the words of consecration be fully pronounced, then is Christs body there. Wherefore by your own judgement you vary not in this matter §3from the other Papists, but must needs say, that Gods secrete work herein is measured after the prolation of our syllables, and so it is none other person that teacheth to play with syllables in this high mystery, but the Papists only. And your self do teach in this same place, that it is a good §4lesson to say, that in the instance of the last syllable Gods work is to be accounted wrought. And I find it not in blind Glosses, but in the chief authors of the Papists, that the conversion is not wrought before the whole sentence is finished, Hoc est corpus meum.