A19563:567
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.
This besides saint Augustine is plainly set out by Bertram above 6. hundred years passed,1 whose judgement in this matter of the sacrament, although you allow not (because it utterly condemneth your doctrine therein) yet forasmuch as hitherto his teaching was never reproved by none, but by you alone, and that he is commended of other, as an excellent learned man in holy scripture, and a notable famous man, aswell in living as learning, and that among his excellent works this one is specially praised, which ⟨p. 78⟩he wrote of the matter of the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord, therefore I shall rehearse his teaching in this point, how the holy fathers and Prophets before the coming of Christ did eat Christs flesh and drink his blood: So that although Bertram's saying be not esteemed with you, yet the indifferent reader may see what was written in this matter, before your doctrine was invented. And although his authority be not received of you, yet his words may serve against Smith,2 who herein more learnedly, and with more judgement then you, approveth this author. This is Bertram's doctrine S. Paul saith, that all the old fathers did eat the same spiritual meat, and drink the same spiritual drink. But peradventure thou wilt ask, Which the same? Even the very same that christen people do daily eat and drink in the church. For we may not understand divers things, when it is one and the self same Christ, which in times past did feed with his flesh, and made to drink of his blood, the people that were baptised in the cloud and sea, in the wilderness, and which doth now in the church feed christen people with the bread of his body, and giveth them to drink the flood of his blood. When he had not yet taken mans nature upon him, when he had not yet tasted death for the salvation of the world, not redeemed us with his blood, nevertheless even then our forefathers by spiritual meat and invisible drink did eat his body in the wilderness and drink his blood, as the Apostle beareth witness, saying: The same spiritual meat, the same spiritual drink. For he that now in the church by his omnipotent power doth spiritually convert bread & wine into the flesh of his body, and into the flood of his own blood, he did then invisibly so work, that Manna which came from heaven was his body, and the water his blood.