A19563:2015
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.
Winchester.
An other certain token is the wondering and great marvelling that the old authors make, how the substance of this Sacrament is wrought by Gods omnipotency. Baptism §1is marvelled at, for the wonderful effect that is in man by it, how man is regenerate, not how the water, or the holy Ghost is there. But the wonder in this Sacrament is specially directed to the work of God in the visible creatures, how they be so changed into the body & blood of Christ, which is a work wrought of God before we receive the Sacrament. Which work Cyprian saith is ineffable, that is to say, not speakable, which is not so if it be but a figure, for then it may be easily spoken, as this author ⟨p. 367⟩speaketh it with ease (I think) he speaketh it so often, of a presence by signification (if it may so be called) every man may speak and tell how, but of the very presence in deed, and therefore the real presence of Christs body in the Sacrament, no creature can tell §2how it may be, that Christ ascended into heaven with his human body, and therewith continually reigning there, should make present in the Sacrament the same body in deed, which Christ in deed worketh, being nevertheless then at the same hour present in heaven, as S. Chrysostom doth with a marvel say. If the marvel were only of Gods work in man in the effect of the Sacrament, as it is in Baptism, it were an other matter, but I said before, the wonder is in the work of God, in the substance of the Sacrament, before it be received, which declareth the old authors that so wonder to understand the real presence of Christs very body, and not an only signification, §3which hath no wonder at all. And therefore seeing S. Cyprian wondereth at it, and calleth the work ineffable, S. Chrysostom wondereth at it, S. Ambrose wondereth at it, Emissene wondereth at it. Cyril wondereth at it. What should we now doubt whether their saith were of a signification only as this author would have it, which is no wonder at all, or of the real presence, which is in deed a wonderful work. Wherefore where this manifest token and certain mark appeareth in the old fathers, there can no construction of syllables or words dissuade, or pervert the truth thus testified.