A19563:1590
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 do not all the old catholic authors prove the true humanity of Christ, by his visible conversation with us here in earth: that he was heard preach, seen eating, and drinking, labouring and sweating? Do they not also prove his resurrection by seeing, hearing and groping of him? which if it were no proof, those arguments were made in vain against such Heretics that denied his true incarnation. And shall you now take away the strength of their arguments to the maintenance of those old condemned heresies, by your subtle sophistications? The touching and feeling of Christs hands, feet and wounds was a proof of his resurrection, not as you say, to them that believed, but as S Gregory saith, to them that doubted.
And do not all the olde catholike authors proue the true humanity of Christ, by his visible conuersation with vs here in earth: that he was heard preach, seene eating, and drincking, labouring and sweatting? Do they not also proue his resurrection by seing, hearing and groping of him? which if it were no proofe, those arguments were made in vayne agaynst such Heretikes that denied his true incarnation. And shall you now take away the strength of their arguments to the maintenance of those olde condemned heresies, by your subtill sophistications? The touching and feeling of Christes handes, feete and wounds was a proofe of his resurrection, not as you say, to them that beleued, but as S Gregory sayth, to them that doubted.
And if all things that Christ did and spake to our outward senses,§6 prove not that he was a natural man (as you say with Martion, Menander, Ualentinus, Apollinaris, with other like sort) then I would know how you should confute the said heresies? Marty will you say peradventure, by the scripture which sayth playnly, Verbum caro factumest. But if they would say again, that he was called a man and flesh, because he took upon him the form of a man and flesh, and would say that S. Paul so declareth it,1 saying: Forinam serui accipiens, and would then say further, that form is the accidence of a thing, and yet hath the name of substance, but is not the substance indeed, what would you then say unto them? if you deny that the forms and accidences be called substances, then go you from your own saying. And if you grant it, then will they avoid all the scriptures that you can bring to prove Christ a man, by this cavillation, that the appearances, forms and accidences of a man, may be called a man, aswell as you say that the forms and accidences of bread, be called bread. And so prepare you certain propositions and grounds for heretics to build their errors upon, which after when you would; you shall never be able to overthrow.