A19563:378
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.
First the Papists say, that in the supper of the Lord, after the words of consecration (as they call it) there is none other substance remaining, but the substance of Christs flesh and blood,1 so that there remaineth neither bread to be eaten, nor wine to be drunken. And although there be the colour of bread and wine, the savour, the smell, the bigness, the fashion, and all other (as they call them) accidents, or qualities and quantities of bread and wine, yet (say they) there is no very bread nor wine, but they be turned into the flesh & blood of Christ. And this conversion they call transubstantiation, that is to say, turning of one substance into an other substance. And although all the accidents, both of the bread and wine, remain still, yet (say they) the same accidents, be in no manner of thing, but hang alone in the air, without any thing to stay them upon. For in the body and blood of Christ (say they) these accidents cannot be, nor yet in the air, for the body and blood of Christ and the air, be neither of that bigness, fashion, smell, nor colour, that the bread and wine be. Nor in the bread and wine (say they) these accidents can not be, for the substance of bread and wine (as they affirm) be clean gone. And so there remaineth whiteness, but nothing is white: there remaineth colours, but nothing is coloured therewith: there remaineth roundness, but nothing is round: and there is bigness, and yet nothing is big: there is sweetness, without any sweet thing: softness without any soft thing: breaking, without any thing broken: division, without any thing divided: and so other qualities and quantities, without any thing to receive them. And this doctrine they teach as a necessary article of our faith.
First the Papistes say, that in the supper of the Lord, after the wordes of consecration (as they call it) there is none other substaunce remaining, but the substaunce of Christes flesh and bloud,1 so that there remaineth neither bread to be eaten, nor wine to be dronken. And although there be the colour of bread and wine, the sauour, the smell, the bignesse, the fashion, and all other (as they call them) accidentes, or qualities and quantitees of bread and wine, yet (say they) there is no very bread nor wine, but they be turned into the flesh & bloud of Christ. And this conuersion they call transubstantiation, that is to say, turning of one substance into an other substance. And although all the accidentes, both of the bread and wine, remaine still, yet (say they) the same accidentes, be in no maner of thing, but hang alone in the ayre, without any thing to stay them vpon. For in the body and bloud of Christ (say they) these accidentes cannot be, nor yet in the ayre, for the body and bloud of Christ and the ayre, be neither of that bignesse, fashion, smell, nor colour, that the bread and wine be. Nor in the bread and wine (say they) these accidentes can not be, for the substance of bread and wine (as they affirm) be clean gone. And so there remaineth whitenes, but nothing is white: there remaineth colours, but nothing is colored therwith: there remaineth roundnes, but nothing is round: and there is bignes, and yet nothing is bigge: there is sweetenes, without any sweet thing: softnes without any soft thing: breaking, without any thing broaken: diuision, without any thing deuided: and so other qualities and quantities, without any thing to receiue them. And this doctrine they teach as a necessary article of our faith.