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 ...

Caunterbury.

[ 1] AS touchyng this your second marke in the ministration of the Sa∣cramentes, aswell of the Lordes holy Supper as of Baptisme, God worketh wonderfully by his omnipotent power in the true receauers, not in the outward visible signes. For it is the person Baptised, that is so re∣generate, that he is made a new creature, without any reall alteration of the water. And none otherwise it is the Lordes Supper, for the bread & wine remaine in their former substaunce, & neither be fed nor nourished, & yet in the man that worthely receiueth them, is such a wonderfull nourish∣mēt wrought by y^e mighty power of God, that he hath thereby euerlasting life. And this is the ineffable worke of God, wherof Cyprian speaketh.

So that aswell in the Lords Supper as in Baptisme, the marueilous workyng of God (passing the comprehension of all mans wit) is in the spi∣rituall receiuers, not in the bread, wine & water, nor in the carnall & vn∣godly receauers. For what should it auayle the liuely members of Christ that God worketh in his dead and insensible creatures? But in his mem∣bers he is present, not figuratiuely, but effectually, and effectually and in∣effably worketh in them, nourishyng and feedyng them so wonderfully, that it passeth all wittes and toungues to expresse.

[ 2] And neuerthelesse corporally he is ascended into heauen, and there shall tarry vntill the world shall haue an end. And therfore sayth Chrisostome, that Christ is both gone vp into heauen, and yet is here receaued of vs, but diuersly. For he is gone vp to heauen carnally, & is here receaued of vs spiritually. And this wonder is not in the woorkyng of God in the sub∣staunce of the Sacrament before it be receaued, (as you fayne it to be) nor in thē that vnworthely receaue it carnally, but in them that receaue Christ spiritually, beyng nourished by him spiritually as they be spiritually by him regenerated, that they may be fed of the same thyng wherof they be regenerated, and so be throughly Os ex ossibus eius, & caro ex carne eius:* 1.1 Bone of his bones, and flesh of his flesh.

[ 3] And consideryng deepely this matter,* 1.2 Cyprian wondreth as much at Gods worke in Baptisme, as in the Lordes Supper, Chrisostome won∣dreth

as much, Emissene wondreth as much, Cyrill wondreth as much, all Catholicke writers wonder as much, as well how God doth spiritually regenerate vs to a new lyfe, as how he doth spiritually feede and nourish vs to euerlastyng lyfe. And although these thyngs be outwardly signified vnto vs by the Sacramentall bread, wine and water, yet they be effectu∣ally wrought in vs by the omnipotent power of God. Therefore you had neede to seeke out some other marke or token for your purpose, for this ser∣ueth nothyng at all. For by his wonderfull workyng Christ is no more de∣clared to be present in the bread and wine, then in the water of Baptisme.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ephe. 5.
• * 1.2

  The wonder in the Sacra∣mentes.