A19563:1855
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 to set out Cyprian's mind in few words,1 he speaketh of the eating and not of the keeping of the bread, which when it is used in the Lords holy supper, it is not only a corporal meat to nourish the body, but an heavenly meat to nourish the souls of the worthy receivers, the divine majesty invisibly being present, and by a spiritual transition and change, uniting us unto Christ, feeding us spiritually with his flesh and blood unto eternal life, as the bread being converted into the nature of our bodies fedeth the same in this mortal life.
And to set out Ciprians mynde in few wordes,1 he speaketh of the eating and not of the keeping of the bread, which when it is vsed in the Lordes holy supper, it is not onely a corporall meate to norish the body, but an heauenly meate to nourish the soules of the worthy receauors, the diuine maiesty inuisibly being present, and by a spirituall transition and change, vniting vs vnto Christ, feeding vs spiritually with his flesh and bloud vnto eternall life, as the bread being conuerted into the nature of our bodies fedeth the same in this mortall life.
- 1Ciprians meaning.
And that this is the mind of S. Cyprian, is evident aswell by the words that go before, as by the words following, the sentence by you alleged. For a little before Cyprian writeth thus. There is given to us the food of immortal life differing from common meats, which retaineth the form of corporal substance, and yet proveth Gods power to be present by invisible effect. And again after he saith, This common bread after it is changed into flesh and blood, procureth life and increase to our bodies. And therefore the weakness of our faith, being holped by the customable effect of things is taught by a sensible argument, that in