A19563:557
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 although before the crucifying of his flesh and effusion of his blood our redemption was not actually wrought by Christ, yet was he spiritually and sacramentally present, and spiritually and sacramentally eaten and drunken, not only of the Apostles at his last supper before he suffered his passion, but also of the holy Patriarchs and fathers before his incarnation, aswell as he is now of us after his ascension.
And although before the crucifiyng of his flesh and effusion of his bloud our redemption was not actually wrought by Christ, yet was he spiritually and sacramentally present, and spiritually and sacramentally eaten and drunken, not onely of the Apostles at his last supper before hee suffered his passion, but also of the holy Patriarkes and fathers before his incarnation, aswell as he is now of vs after his ascention.
And although in the manner of signifying there be great difference between their sacraments and ours, yet (as S. Augustine saith) both we and they receive one thing in the diversity of Sacraments.1 And our Sacraments contain presently the very things signified, no more then theirs did. For in their sacraments they were by Christ presently regenerated and fed, as we be in ours, although their sacraments were figures of the death of Christ to come, and ours be figures of his death now past. And as it is all one Christ that was to be borne and to dye for us, and afterward was borne in deed and dyed in deed (whose birth and death be now passed) so was the same Christ, and the same flesh and blood eaten and drunken of the faithful fathers before he was borne or dead, and of his Apostles after he was born ⟨p. 76⟩and before he was dead, and of faithful christen people is now daily eaten and drunken after that both his nativity and death be passed. And all is but one Christ, one flesh & one blood, as concerning the substance, yet that which to the fathers was to come, is to us passed. And nevertheless the eating & drinking is all one, for neither the fathers did, nor we do eat carnally and corporally with our mouths, but both the fathers did and we do eat spiritually by true and lively faith.