A19563:2011
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 the true meaning of Irenee, Hilary, Cyprian, Cyril, and other that treated of this matter was this, that as Christ was truly made man and crucified for us, and shed his blood upon the Cross for our redemption, & now reigneth for ever in heaven, so as many as have a true faith and belief in him, chawing their cuds, and perfectly remembering the same death and passion (which is the spiritual eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood) they shall reign in everlasting life with him. For they spiritually and truly by faith eat his flesh and drink his blood, whether they were before the institution of the Sacrament or after. And the being or not being of Christs body and blood really and corporally in the Sacrament under the forms of bread and wine, neither maketh nor marreth, nor is to no purpose in this matter. But for confirmation of this our faith in Christs death and passion, & for a perpetual memory of the same, hath Christ ordained this holy Sacrament, not to be kept, but to be ministered among us, to our singular comfort, that as outwardly and corporally we eat the very bread and drink the very wine, and call them the body and blood of Christ, so inwardly and spiritually we eat & drink the very body ⟨p. 365⟩and blood of Christ. And yet carnally and corporally he is in heaven, and shall be until the last Judgement, when he shall come to Judge both the quick and the dead. And in the Sacrament, (that is to say, in the due ministration of the Sacrament) Christ is not only figuratively, but effectually unto everlasting life.
But the true meaning of Irenee, Hilary, Cyprian, Cyrill, and other that treated of this matter was this, that as Christ was truely made man and crucified for vs, and shed his bloud vpon the Crosse for our redemption, & now reigneth for euer in heauen, so as many as haue a true fayth and belefe in him, chawyng their cuddes, and perfectly remembryng the same death and passion (which is the spirituall eatyng of his flesh and drinkyng of his bloud) they shall reigne in euerlastyng lyfe with him. For they spiritually and truely by faith eate his flesh and drinke his bloud, whether they were before the institution of the Sacrament or after. And the beyng or not beyng of Christes body and bloud really and corporally in the Sacrament vnder the formes of bread and wine, neither maketh nor marreth, nor is to no purpose in this matter. But for confirmation of this our fayth in Christes death and passion, & for a perpetuall memory of the same, hath Christ ordeined this holy Sacrament, not to be kept, but to be ministred among vs, to our singular comfort, that as outwardly and corporally we eate the very bread and drinke the very wine, and call them the body and bloud of Christ, so inwardly and spiritually we eate & drinke the very body