A19563:1809
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.
But let all true worshippers worship one God, one Christ, once corporally made, of one only corporal substance, that is to say, of the blessed virgin Mary, that once dyed, and rose once again, once ascended into heaven, and there sitteth and shall sit at the right hand of his father evermore, although spiritually he be every day amongst us, and who so ever come together in his name, he is in the middest among them. And he is the spiritual pasture and food of our souls, as meat and drink is of our bodies, which he signifieth unto us by the institution of his most holy supper in the bread and wine, declaring that as the bread and wine corporally comfort and feed our bodies, so doth he with his flesh and blood spiritually comfort and feed our souls.
But let all true worshipers worship one God, one Christ, once corporally made, of one onely corporall substance, that is to say, of the blessed virgin Mary, that once dyed, and rose once agayne, once assended into heauen, and there sitteth and shall sit at the right hand of his father euermore, although spiritually he be euery day amongst vs, and who so euer come togither in his name, he is in the middest among them. And he is the spirituall pasture and food of our soules, as meat and drincke is of our bodyes, which he signifieth vnto vs by the institution of his most holy supper in the bread and wine, declaring that as the bread and wine corporally comfort and feed our bodyes, so doth he with his flesh and bloud spiritually comfort and feed our soules.
And now may be easily answered the Papists argument whereof they do so much boast,1 For brag they never so much of their conversion of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, yet that conversion is spiritual, and putteth not away the corporal presence of the material bread and wine. But for as much as the same is a most holy sacrament of our spiritual nourishment (which we have by the body and blood of our saviour Christ) there must needs remain the sensible element, that is to say, bread and wine, without the which there can be no sacrament.