A19563:359
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 in like manner Christ ordained the sacrament of his body and blood in bread and wine, to preach unto us, that as our bodies be fed, nourished and preserved with meat and drink (so as touching our spiritual life towards God) we be fed, nourished and preserved by the body and blood of our Saviour Christ, and also that he is such a preservation unto us, that neither the devils of hell, nor eternal death, nor sin, can be able to prevail against us, so long as by true and constant faith, we be fed and nourished with that meat and drink. And for this cause Christ ordained this sacrament in bread and wine (which we eat and drink,1 and be chief nutriments of our body (to the intent, that as surely as we see the bread and wine, with our eyes, smell them with our noses, touch them with our hands, and taste them with our mouths, so assuredly ought we to believe, that Christ is a spiritual life and sustenance of our souls, like as the said bread and wine is the food and sustenance of our bodies. And no less ought we to doubt, that our souls be fed and live by Christ, then that our bodies be fed and live by meat and drink. Thus our saviour Christ, knowing us to be in this world (as it were) but babes and weaklings in faith, hath ordained sensible signs and tokens, whereby to allure and draw us to more strength and more constant faith in him. So that the eating and drinking of this sacramental bread and wine, is as it were showing of Christ before our eyes, a smelling of him with our noses, feeling and groping of him with our hands, and an eating, chawing, digesting and feeding upon him to our spiritual strength and perfection.
And in like maner Christ ordeined the sacrament of hys bodye and bloud in bread and wine, to preach vnto vs, that as our bodyes be fed, nourished and preserued with meate and drynke (so as touching our spirituall life towardes God) we be fed, nourished and preserued by the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ, and also that he is such a preseruation vnto vs, that neither the deuils of hell, nor eternall death, nor sinne, can be able to preuayle agaynst vs, so long as by true and constant faith, we be fed and nourished with that meate and drynk. And for this cause Christ ordeined this sacrament in bread and wine (whiche we eate and drynke,1 and be chiefe nutrimentes of our body (to thintent, that as surely as we see the bread and wine, with our eyes, smell them with our noses, touch them with our handes, and taste them with our mouthes, so assuredlye ought we to beleue, that Christ is a spirituall lyfe and sustinaunce of our soules, like as the sayd bread and wine is the foode and sustinance of our bodyes. And no lesse ought we to doubt, that our soules be fed and liue by Christ, then that our bodies be fed and liue by meate and drinke. Thus our sauiour Christ, knowing vs to be in this world (as it were) but babes and weakelinges in fayth, hath ordeyned sensible signes and tokens, whereby to allure and drawe vs to more strength and more constant fayth in hym. So that the eatyng and drynkyng of thys sacramentall bread and wine, is as it were shewing of Christe before our eies, a smellyng of hym with our noses, felyng and gropyng of hym with our handes, and an eatyng, chawing, digestyng and feedyng vpon hym to our spirituall strength and perfection.