A19563:348
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.
The meat, drink, food and refreshing of the soul, is our Saviour Christ,1 as he said himself: Come unto me all you that travail and be laden, and I will refresh you. And, If any man be dry (saith he) let him come to me and drink. He that believeth in me,2 floods of water of life shall flow out of his belly. And, I am the bread of life (saith Christ,) he that cometh to me, shall not be hungry: and he that believeth in me, shall never be dry. For as meat and drink do comfort the hungry body, so doth the death of Christs body and the shedding of his blood comfort the soul, when she is after her sort, hungry. What thing is it that comforteth and nourisheth the body. Forsooth meat and drink. By what names then shall we call the body and blood of our saviour Christ (which do comfort and nourish the hungry soul) but by the names of meat and drink? And this similitude caused our Saviour ⟨p. 37⟩to say: my flesh is very meat, and my blood is very drink. For there is no kind of meat that is comfortable to the soul, but only the death of Christs blessed body. Nor no kind of drink that can quench her thirst, but only the bloudsheading of our Saviour Christ, which was shed for her offences. For as there is a carnal generation, and a carnal feeding and nourishment, so is there also a spiritual generation, and a spiritual feeding.
The meate, drinke, foode and refreshing of the soule, is our Sauiour Christ,1 as he sayd himselfe: Come vnto me all you that trauaile and be laden, and I will refresh you. And, If any man be dry (sayth he) let him come to me and drinke. He that beleueth in me,2 floudes of water of life shall flowe out of hys bellye. And, I am the bread of life (saith Christe,) he that commeth to me, shall not be hungry: and he that beleeueth in me, shall neuer be dry. For as meate and drinke do comfort the hungry body, so doth the death of Christes body and the shedding of his bloud comforte the soule, when she is after her sorte, hungry. What thinge is it that comforteth and nourisheth the body. Forsooth meate and drinke. By what names then shall we call the body and bloud of our sauiour Christ (which do comfort and nourish the hungry soule) but by the names of meate and drynke? And this symilitude caused our Sauiour