A19563:754
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.
1Saint Augustine according to his rules of a figurative and proper speech, taketh this §1speech, Except ye eat &c. for a figurative speech, because it seemeth to command in the letter carnally understanded, an heinous and wicked thing to eat the flesh of a man, as mans carnal imagination conceiveth it: as appeared by the Capernaites, who murmured at it. And therefore because only faithful men can by faith understand this mystery of the eating of Christs flesh in the Sacrament, in which we eat not the carnal flesh of a common man as the letter soundeth, but the very spiritual flesh of Christ, God & man §2as faith teacheth: It is in that respect well noted for a figurative speech, for that it hath such a sense in the letter as is hidden from the unfaithful. So as the same letter being to faithful men spirit and life (who in humility of faith understandeth the same) is §6to the faithful a figure, as containing such a mystery as by the outward bark of the ⟨p. 117⟩letter they understand not: upon which consideration it seemeth probable that the other fathers also signifying a great secrecy in this mystery of the Sacrament, wherein is a §4work of God ineffable, such, as the Ethnic ears could not abide, they termed it a figure, §3not thereby to diminish the truth of the mystery, as the proper and special name of a figure doth: but by the name of a figure, reverently to cover so great a secrecy, apt only to be understanded of men believing: and therefore the said fathers in some part of their works, in plain words express and declare the truth of the mystery & the plain doctrine thereof according to the Catholic faith, and in the other part pass it over with the name of a figure, which consideration in S. Augustine's writings may be evidently gathered: for in some place no man more plainly openeth the substance of the Sacrament