A19563:1589
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 as touching the belief of S. Thomas,1 although he believed certainly that Christ was a man, yet he believed not that Christ was risen, and appeared to the Apostles, but thought rather that the Apostles were deceived by some vision or spirit, which appeared to them in likeness of Christ, which he thought was not he indeed. And so thought the Apostles themselves until Christ said: Videte manus meas & pedes, quia ego ipse sum: Palpate & videte, quia spiritus carnem & ossa non habent, sicut me videtis habere.2 See my hands and my feet, for I am even he: Grope and see, for a spirit hath no flesh and bones, as you see that I have. And so thought also S. Thomas,3 until such time as he put his hands into Christs side and felt his wounds, and by his sense of feeling perceived that it was Christs very body, and no spirit nor fantasy, as before he believed. And so in S. Thomas the truth of feeling depended not upon the true belief of Christs resurrection, but the feeling of his senses brought him from misbelief, unto the right and true faith of that matter. And as for S. Gregory,4 he speaketh no such things as you report, that the glorified body of Christ was of the own nature neither visible nor palpable, but he saith clean contrary, that Christ showed his glorified body to S. Thomas palpable, to declare that it was of the same nature, that it was of before his resurrection, whereby it is plain after S. Gregory's mind, that if it were not palpable, it were not of the same nature. And S. Gregory saith further in the same homely. Egit miro modo superna clementia, ut discipulus ille dubitans, ⟨p. 278⟩dum in magistro suo vulnera palparet carnis, in nobis vulnera sanaret infidelitatis. Plus enim nobis Thomae infidelitas ad fidem, quam fides credentium discipulcrum profuit: quia dum ille ad fidem palpando reducitur, nostra mens omni dubitatione postposita in fide solidatur. The supernall clemency wrought marvellously, that the disciple which doubted by groping the wounds of flesh in his master, should heal in us the wounds of infidelity. For the lack of faith in Thomas profited more to our faith then did the faith of the disciples that believed. For when he is brought to faith by groping, our mind is stablished in faith without all doubting. And why should S. Gregory write thus, if our senses availed nothing unto our faith, nor could nothing judge of substances?