A19563:615
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 divers good catholic devout men have by divers natural things gone about to open unto us the mystery of the trinity, partly by the sun, as the author doth in the Sacrament, partly by fire, partly by the soul of man, by the Musicians science, the art, the touch with the players fingers, and the sound of the cord, wherein will hath all travailed the matter, yet remaineth dark, ne can not be throughly set forth by any similitude. But to the purpose of this similitude of the sun, which sun this author saith is only corporally in heaven, and no where else, and in the earth the operation and virtue of the sun: So as by this authors supposal, the substance of the sun should not be in earth, but only by operation and virtue: wherein if this author erreth, he doth the reader to understand, that if he err in consideration of natural things, it is no marvel though he err in heavenly things. For because I will not of my self begin the contention with this author: of the natural work of the Sun, I will bring forth the saying of Martin Bucer1 now resident at Cambridge, who vehemently and for so much truly, affirmeth the true real presence of Christs body in the Sacrament: For he saith, Christ said not, This is my spirit, this is my virtue, but, This is my body: Wherefore he saith we must believe Christs body to be there, the same that did hang upon the cross, our Lord him self, which in some part to declare, he useth the similitude of the sun for his purpose, to prove Christs body present really and substantially in the sacrament, where this author useth the same similitude to prove the body of Christ really absent. I will write in here as Bucer speaketh it in Latin, expounding the xrvi. chapter of Saint Matthew, and then I will put the same in english. Bucers words be these.
And diuers good catholicke deuoute men haue by diuers naturall things gone about to open vnto vs the mistery of the trinitie, partely by the sonne, as the author doth in the Sacrament, partely by fyre, partely by the soule of man, by the Musitians science, the arte, the touch with the players fingers, and the sound of the cord, wherein wil hath all trauailed the matter, yet remayneth darke, ne can not be throughly set forth by any similitude. But to the purpose of this similitude of the sonne, whiche sonne this author sayth is onely corporally in heauen, and no where els, and in the earth the operatiō and vertue of the sonne: So as by this authors supposall, the substance of the sonne should not be in earth, but onely by operation and vertue: wherein if this author erreth, he doth the reader to vnderstande, that if he erre in consideration of naturall thinges, it is no maruayle though he erre in heauenly thinges. For because I will not of my selfe begin the contention with this author: of the naturall worke of the Sonne, I will bryng forth the saying of Martin Bucer