A19563:426
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.
In this comparison, the Author termeth the true Catholic teaching at his pleasure,§1 to bring it in contempt. Which doing, in rude speech would be called otherwise then I §2will term it. Truth it is (as S. Augustine saith) we receive in the Sacrament the body of Christ with our mouth, and such speech other use, as a book set forth in the Archbishop of Canterbury his name, called a Catechism, willeth children to be taught that they receive with their bodily mouth the body and blood of Christ, which I allege, because it shall appear it is a teaching set forth among us of late, as hath been also, and is by the book of common prayer, being the most true catholic doctrine of the substance of the sacrament, in that it is there so catholically spoken of, which book this Author doth after specially allow, how so ever all the sum of his teaching doth improve it in that point. So much is he contrary to him self in this work, and here in this place, not caring what §3he saith, reporteth such a teaching in the first part of this difference, as I have not heard of before. There was never man of learning that I have red, termed the matter so, that Christ goeth into the stomach of the man that received, and no further. For that is written contra Stercoranistas, 1is nothing to this teaching, nor the speech of any gloss (if there be any such, were herein to be regarded. The Catholic doctrine is, that by the holy communion in the Sacrament, we be joined to Christ really, because we receive in the holy supper, the most precious substance of his glorious body, which is a flesh giving life: And that is not digested with out flesh but worketh in us and attempereth, by heavenly nurture, our body and soul being partakers of his passion, to be conformable to his will, and by such spiritual food to be many more spiritual. In the receiving of which food, in the most blessed Sacrament, our body and soul, in them that duly communicate, work together in due order, without other discussion of the mystery, then God hath appointed (that is to say) the soul to believe as it is taught, and the body to do as God hath ordered, knowing that glorious flesh by our eating can not be consumed or suffer, but to be most profitable unto such as do accustom worthily to receive the same.