A19563:584
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.
We read in S. Cyprian how Christ offered himself in his supper, fulfilling the figure of Melchizedek, who by the offering of bread & wine, signified that high mystery of Christs Supper, in which Christ (under the form of bread and wine) gave his very body & blood to be eaten and drunken, and in the giving thereof declared the determination of his glorious passion, and the fruit and effect thereof. Which doing was a sweet and pleasant oblation to God the Father, containing a most perfect obedience to Gods will and pleasure. And in the mystery of this Supper was written, made, and sealed, a most perfect testimony for an effectual memory of Christs offering of him self to his Father, & of his death and passion, with the fruit thereof. And therefore Christ ordained this Supper to be observed §10and continued for a memory of his coming: So as we that saw not with our bodily eyes Christs death and passion, may in the celebration of the Supper, be most surely ascertained of the truth, out of Christs own mouth, who still speaketh in the person of the minister of the church: This is my body that is betrayed for you: This is my blood that is shed for you in remission of sin: and therewith maketh his very body, and his precious blood truly present, to be taken of us, eaten, and drunken: Whereby we be assured that Christ is the same to us that he was to them, and useth us as familiarly as he did them, offereth himself to his Father for us as well as for them, declareth his will in the ⟨p. 83⟩fruit of his death, to pertain as well to us as to them. Of which death we be assured by his own mouth, that he suffered the same to the effect he spake of, and the continual feeding in this high mystery of the same very body that suffered, and feeding of it without consumption, being continually exhibited unto us a living body, and a lively blood, not only our soul is specially and spiritually comforted, & our body thereby reduced to more conformable obedience to the soul, but also we by the participation of this most precious body & blood be ascertained of the resurrection and regeneration of our bodies and flesh, to be by Gods power made incorruptible and immortal, to live, and have fruition in God, with our souls for ever.
We reade in S. Ciprian how Christ offered himselfe in his supper, fulfilling the figure of Melchisedech, who by the offring of bread & wine, signified that high mistery of Christs Supper, in which Christ (vnder the forme of bread and wine) gaue his very body & bloud to be eaten and dronken, and in the geuing therof declared the determination of his glorious passion, and the fruit and effect therof. Which doing was a swéete and pleasant oblation to God the Father, conteyning a most perfect obedience to Gods will and pleasure. And in the mistery of this Supper was written, made, and sealed, a most perfect testimony for an effectuall memory of Christes offering of him selfe to his Father, & of his death and passion, with the fruite therof. And therfore Christ ordayned this Supper to be obserued