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 ...

And in the eleuenth he speaketh on this manner.

That which I deliuered vnto you I receaued of the Lord. For the Lord Ie∣sus the same night, in the which he was betrayed, toke bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it, and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body which is broa∣ken for you: doe this in remembrance of me. Likewise also he tooke the cuppe. when Supper was done, saying: This cup is the new testament, in my bloud. Doe this as often as ye drinke it, in remembrance of me, for as oft as you shal eate this bread, and drinke this cup, you shew forth the Lords death til he come. Wherfore who soeuer shall eat of this bread, or drinke of this cuppe vnworthely, shalbe gilty of the body & bloud of the Lord. But let a man examine him selfe and so eat of the bread, and drinke of the cuppe. For he that eateth and drinketh vn∣worthely, eateth and drinketh his own damnation, because he maketh no diffe∣rence of the Lordes body. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you, & many doe sleepe.

By these wordes of Christ, rehearsed of the Euangelistes, and by the doc∣trine also of Saint Paule, which he confesseth that he receaued of Christ, two thinges specially are to be noted.

First, that our Sauiour Christ called the materiall bread which he brake, his body: & the wine which was the fruit of the vine, his bloud. And yet he spake not this to the intent that men should thinke that the material bread is his ve∣ry body, or that his very body is materiall bread: Neither that wine made of grapes is his very bloud, or that his very bloud is wine made of grapes. But to signifie vnto vs, as S. Paul sayth, that the cuppe is a communion of Christes bloud that was shed for vs, and the bread is a communion of his flesh that was crucified for vs. So that although in the truth of his humain nature, Christ be in heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father, yet whosoeuer ea∣teth of the bread in the Supper of the Lord, according to Christes institution and ordinaunce, is assured of Christes own promise and testament, that he is a member of his body, and receaueth the benefites of his passion, which he suf∣fered for vs vpon the crosse. And likewise he that drinketh of that holy cuppe in the Supper of the Lord, according to Christes institution, is certified by Christes legacy and testament, that he is made partaker of the bloud of Christ

which was shed for vs. And this ment S. Paule, when he sayth, is not the cup of blessing which we blesse, a communion of the bloud of Christ? Is not the can bread, which we breake, a cōmunion of the body of Christ so that no man contēne or lightly esteeme this holy cōmuniō, except he contēne also Christs body and bloud, and passe not whether he haue any felowship with him or no. And of those men S. Paule saith, that they eate and drink their own dam∣nation, because they esteme not the body of Christ.

The second thing which may be learned of the forsaid wordes of Christe and S. Paule is this: that although none eateth the body of Christ and drin∣keth hys bloud, but they haue eternall life (as apereth by the wordes before recited of S. Iohn) yet both the good and the bad doe eate and drynke the bread and wine, which be the Sacramentes of the same. But beside the Sacra∣mentes, the good eate euerlasting life, the euill euerlasting death. Therfore S. Paule sayth: Who soeuer shall eate of the bread, or drinke of the cup of the Lord vnworthely, he shalbe gilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Here S. paul saith not, that he that eateth the bread, or drinketh the cup of the Lord vn worthely, eateth & drinketh the body & bloud of the Lord: but is gilty of the body & bloud of the Lord. But what he eateth & drynketh S. Paul declareth saying: he that eateth & drinketh vnworthely, eateth & drinketh his own dā∣natiō: thus is declared the sum of al that scripture speketh of the eating & drin¦king, both of the body & bloud of Christ, & also of the sacramēt of the same.

And as these thinges be most certaynly true, because they be spoken by Christ hym selfe, the auctor of all truth, and by hys holy Apostle S. Paule as he receaued them of Christ, so all doctrines contrary to the same, be moste certaynly false and vntrue, and of al Christen men to be eschued, because they be contrary to Gods word. And all doctrine concerning this matter, that is more then this, which is not grounded vpon Gods word, is of no necessity, neither ought the peoples heads to be busied, or their consciences troubled with the same. So that thinges spoken and done by Christ, and written by the holy Euangelists and S, Paule, ought to suffice the fayth of Christian people, as touching the doctrine of the Lordes Supper, and holy communion or sa∣crament of his body and bloud.

Which thing being well considered and wayed, shall be a iust occasion to pacifie and agree both parties, as well them that hetherto haue contemned or lightly esteemed it, as also them which haue hetherto for lacke of knowledge or otherwise, vngodly abused it.

Christ ordeyned the Sacrament to moue and stirre all men to frendshippe, loue, and concord, and to put away all hatred, variance, and discord, and to te∣stifie a brotherly and vnfained loue between all them that be the members of Christ: But the deuil, the enemy of Christ and of all his members, hath so craf∣tely iugled herein, that of nothing riseth so much contention, as of this holy Sacrament.

God graunt that al contention set aside, both the parties may come to this holy communiō with such a liuely faith in Christ, and such an vnfained loue to all Christes members, that as they carnallye eate with their mouthes this Sacramentall bread, and drink the wine, so spiritually they may eate and drink the very flesh and bloud of Christ which is in heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of his father. And that finally by his meanes, they may enioy with him the glory and kingdome of heauen, Amen.

Notes

• 1. Cor. 11.
• Cap. 4.
• Christ called the materiall bread his body.
• 1. Cor. 10.
• Marck. vii.
• 1. Cor. 11.
• Cap. 5.
• Euill men do eat the Sacra∣mēt but not the body of Christ.
• 1. Cor. 11.
• Cap. 6.
• These thinges suffice for a chri∣stian mans faith concerning this Sacrament.
• Cap. 7.
• The Sacramēt which was or∣dayned to make loue and concord is turned into y^e occasion of vari∣ance and discord