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 ...

Winchester.

[ 1] As touching Dionysius, a wise reader may without any note of mine, se how this au∣thor is troubled in hym: and calleth for ayd the help of him that made the greek commē∣taries [ 2] vpon Dionysius:* 1.1 and pleadeth therwith the forme of the wordes really, corporal¦ly, [ 3] sensibly, and naturally, wherof two, that is to say, really and sensibly, the old authors in sillables vsed not, forsomuch as I haue red, but corporally and naturally they vsed speaking of this sacrament. This Dionyse spake of this mistery after the dignitie of it [ 4] not contending with any other for the truth of it, as we do now, but extolling it, as a marueilous high mistery, which if the bread be neuer the holyer, and were onely a signi¦fication, (as this author teacheth) were no high mistery at all. As for the things of the Sacrament to be in heauen, the church teacheth so, and yet the same thinges be indéede present in the sacrament also: which is a mistery so deepe and darke from mans natu∣rall capacitie, as is onely to be be beleued supernaturally, without asking of the questi∣on (how) wherof S. Chrisostom maketh an exclamation in this wise.

O great beneuolence of God towards vs:* 1.2 he that sitteth aboue with the father at y^e same houre, is holden here with the hands of all men, and geueth himselfe to them that [ 5] will claspe and embrace him. Thus sayth Chrisostom, confessing to be aboue and here y^e same things at once, and not onely in mens brests, but hands also to declare the inward [ 6] worke of God, in the substaunce of the visible Sacrament whereby Christ is present in the mids of our sences, and so may be called sensibly present, although mans sences can not comprehend and feel, or tast of him in their proper nature. But as for this Dionyse he doth without argumēt declare his fayth in y^e adoratiō he maketh of this Sacramēt, which is openly testified in his workes, so as we need not to doubt what his fayth was. As for this authors notes, they be descant voluntary, without y^e tenor part, being be like ashamed to alleadge the text it self, least his thrée notes might seeme fayned without ground, as before in S. Clements epistle, and therfore I will not trouble the reader w^t them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Dionysius.
• * 1.2

  Chrisostomus de Sacerdo. li. 3.