VIII.

to perform his duty, especially forasmuch as he would not utter those Henry things unto the ignorant multitude, for avoiding of offence; but only unto the prince himself, unto whom he might safely declare his mind. A. D. After this preface made, he, entering into the book, confirmed his 1538. doctrine touching the sacrament by divers testimonies of the Scriptures; by which Scriptures he proved the body of Christ, whether it apology. riseth, or ascendeth, or sitteth, or be conversant here, to be always in one place.

Then, gathering together the minds of the ancient doctors, he did prove and declare, by sufficient demonstration, the sacrament to be a mystical matter: albeit he so ruled himself, in such temperance and moderation, that he did not deny but that the holy sacrament was the very natural body of our Saviour, and the wine his natural blood: and that, moreover, his natural body and blood were in those mysteries; but after a certain manner, as all the ancient doctors in a manner do interpret it.

After this protestation thus made, he inferreth the sentence of his confession, as here followeth :

A TREATISE BY JOHN LAMBERT UPON THE SACRAMENT;

Addressed to the King.

Christ is so ascended bodily into heaven, and his holy manhood thither so assumpt, where it doth sit upon the right hand of the Father (that is to say, is with the Father there remanent and resident in glory), that, by the infallible promise of God, it shall not, or cannot, from thence return before the general doom, which shall be in the end of the world. And as he is no more corporally in the world, so can I not see how he can be corporally in the sacrament, or his holy supper. And yet, notwithstanding, do I acknowledge and confess, that the holy sacrament of Christ's body and blood is the very body and blood in a certain manner, which shall be showed hereafter, with your grace's favour and permission, according to the words of our Saviour, instituting the same holy sacrament, and saying, This is my body, which is given for you:' and again,This is my blood which is of the new testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.'1

But now, for approving of the first part, that Christ is so bodily ascended into heaven, and his holy manhood so thither assumpt, &c., that by the infallible promise of God he shall not, or cannot, any more from thence bodily return before the general doom, I shall for this allege first the Scriptures, following the authorities of old holy doctors, with one consent testifying with me. Besides this, I need not to tell, that the same is no other thing but that we have taught to us in these three articles of our Creed, 'He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.' For Christ did ascend bodily; the Godhead which is infinite, uncircumscriptible, replenishing both heaven and earth, being immutable, and unmovable, so that properly it can neither ascend nor descend.

Scriptures affirming the same.

The Scriptures which I promised to allege for the confirmation of my said sentence, be these: He was lifted up into heaven in their sight, and a cloud received him from their eyes. And when they were looking up into heaven, they saw two men,' &c.2 Here it is evidently showed, that Christ departed and ascended in a visible and circumscript body. That this departing was visible and in a visible body, these words do testify: And when they were looking up; Why stand you here looking up into heaven?' and, Even as ye have seen him,' &c. That, secondly, it was in body. I have before proved: and

The preface of his

A. D. 1538.

Henry moreover the Deity is not seen, but is invisible, as appeareth thus; 'To God VIII. only invisible," &c.; and, He dwelleth in the inaccessible light which no man seeth, nor may see,' 2&c.: therefore the manhood and natural body was assumpt, or did ascend. That, thirdly, it was in a circumscript body, appeareth manifestly in this first, that his ascension and bodily departing caused them to look up and, secondly, that he was lifted up; that is to wit, from beneath or from below: and thirdly, that a cloud received him; whereas no cloud nor clouds can receive or embrace the Deity, &c.

The gospel of Mark

I am fain to leave out other evident arguments for the same purpose, lest I should be over prolix and tedious. It doth there also follow, in like form, how the angels made answer to the disciples, saying, 'Ye men of Galilee! why stand ye gazing into heaven? This Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come again, as you have seen him going up into heaven.' Here we see again, that Jesus is assumpt, or taken away into heaven. And then it must be from out of the world, according to that we read, 'I went forth from the Father, and I came into the world: I leave the world again, and I go unto the Father.' That is, not else but as he came from the Father of heaven into this world, in that he was incarnate and made man (for his Godhead was never absent, either from heaven, or yet from earth): even so should his manhood leave the world again, to go to heaven. Moreover, in that it is said, 'So shall he come,' is plainly testified, that he is away, and now, corporally absent.

6

3

Finally, it is showed, further, after what manner he shall come again, by these words, Even as you have seen him going up into heaven:' which is not else but as you did visibly see him ascend or go away to heaven, a cloud embracing him, and taking him from among you: even so shall you visibly see him to come again in the clouds, as we read in Matthew, 'You shall see the Son of Man to come in the clouds of heaven:" and again, 'And they shall see the Son of man.'5 Such other texts have we full many, declaring my sentence to be catholic and true; of which I here shall briefly note some places, and pass over them, knowing that a little rehearsal is sufficient to your noble wisdom. The places be, Mark xvi.; Luke xxiv.; John xiii., xiv., xvi., and xvii.; Rom. viii.; Ephes. i. and ii.; and 2 Cor. vi.; Heb. viii., ix., x., and xii.; and 1 Thess. iv.; and 1 Pet. ii.; which all do testify, that Christ hath bodily forsaken the world, and departing from it unto his Father, ascended into heaven; sitting still upon the right hand of the Father, above all dominion, power, and principality; where he is present Advocate and Intercessor before his Father; and that he shall so bodily come again, like as he was seen to depart from hence.

Nothing can better, or more clearly testify and declare, what is contained in the sacrament of Christ's holy body and blood, than do the words of Scripture, whereby it was instituted. Mark doth agree with Mattthew, so that in a manner he reciteth his very words. And no marvel it is; for, as the doctors do say, 'The gospel of Mark is a very epitome or abridgment of Matthew.' I shall therefore write the relations of them, touching the institution of this sacrais an ment, together. The relation or testimony of Matthew is this: As they were abridgment of eating, Jesus took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake and gave to Matthew. his disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And taking the cup, and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins. And I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day, that I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.'

The testimony or relation of Mark, is this: And as they did eat, Jesus took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to them, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it, and he said unto them, This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Verily, I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, unto that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." Luke, being the companion of Paul, as appeareth in the Acts, and 2 Tim. iv., doth so next agree with him in making relation of this supper, and holy institution of the sacrament. His relation or

(1) 1 Tim. i.
(5) Matt. xxiv.

(2) 1 Tim. vi.
(6) Matt. xxvi.

(3) John xvi.,
(7) Mark xiv.

(4) Matt. xxvi.

·

report is this: When he had taken bread, and given thanks, he brake it, and Henry gave to them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise also, after supper, he took the cup, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you."

Paul's testimony doth follow next, agreeably to Luke, and it is thus: 'For I have received of the Lord that which I also have delivered to you; that our Lord Jesus Christ, in the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you: this do ye in remembrance of me. After the same manner he also took the cup when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood: this do, as oft as ye drink it, in the remembrance of me; for as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye shall show the Lord's death till he come.' By these testimonies shall I declare my sentence to your grace, which I conceive of the holy sacrament of Christ's blessed body and blood, and in all points of difficulty shall I annex the very interpretation of the old holy doctors and fathers, to show that I do not ground any thing upon myself. Thereafter shall I add certain arguments, which, I trust, shall clearly prove and justify my sentence to be true, catholic, and according both with God and his laws, and also with the mind of holy doctors.

My sentence is this: That Christ ascended into heaven, and so hath forsaken the world, and there shall abide, sitting on the right hand of his Father, without returning hither again, until the general doom; at which time he shall come from thence, to judge the dead and the living. This all do I believe done in his natural body, which he took of the blessed Virgin Mary his mother, in which he also suffered passion for our safety and redemption upon a cross; who died for us, and was buried: in which he also did rise again to life immortal. That Christ is thus ascended in his manhood and natural body, and so assumpt into heaven, we may soon prove; forasmuch as the Godhead of him is never out of heaven, but ever replenishing both heaven and earth, and all that is besides, being infinite and interminable or uncircumscriptible, so that it cannot properly either ascend or descend, being without all alterations, and immutable or unmovable. So that now his natural body, being assumpt from among us, and departed out of the world, the same can no more return from thence unto the end of the world. For as Peter witnesseth, Whom the heavens must contain, until the time that all things be restored which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.' And the same doth the article of our Creed teach us, which is, 'From thence [i. e. from heaven] shall he come, to judge the quick and the dead;' which time Paul calleth 'the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ."

36

Seeing then this natural body of our Saviour, that was born of his mother Mary being a virgin, is all whole assumpt into heaven, and departed out of this world, and, so as saith St. Peter, 'He must remain in heaven until the end of the world,' which he calleth, the time when all things must be restored;' this, I say, seen and believed according to our Creed and the Scriptures, I cannot perceive how the natural body of him can, contrariwise, be in the world, and so in the sacrament. And yet, notwithstanding, is this true, that the holy sacrament is Christ's body and blood, as after shall be declared.

Doctors affirming the same.

But first, for the establishing of my former purpose, that the natural body of our Saviour is so absent from this world, and ascended into heaven, that it can be here no more present until the general doom; I would beseech your grace to consider the mind and sentence of the old holy doctors in this purpose or matter, how agreeably they testify with that which is before showed. Amongst whom we have first St. Augustine, writing thus to Dardanus.5

Therefore as concerning the Word, Christ is the creator, all things are made by him. But as touching man, Christ is a creature made of the seed of David, according to the flesh, and ordained according to the similitude

(2) 1 Cor. xi.

(3) Acts iii.

(4) 1 Tim. vi. (1) Luke xxii. (5) Proinde quod ad verbum attinet, creator est Christus; omnia enim per ipsum facta sunt. Quod vero ad hominem,' &c. August. ad Dardanum.

VIII.

A. D. 1538.

He

1538.

Henry of men. Also, because man consisteth of two things, the soul and the flesh, VIII in that he had a soul, he was pensive and sorrowful unto death; in that he A. D. had flesh, he suffered death. Neither when we call the Son of God Christ, we do separate his manhood; nor, when we call the same Christ the Son of man, we do separate his Godhead from him. In that he was man, he was conversant upon the earth (and not in heaven, where he now is) when he said, No man ascendeth up into heaven, but he which descended from heaven, the Son of man, which is in heaven: although in that respect that he was the Son of God, he was in heaven; and in that he was the Son of man, he was yet in the earth, and as yet was not ascended into heaven. Likewise, in that respect that he is the Son of God, he is the Lord of glory; and in that he is the Son of man, he was crucified: and yet, notwithstanding, the apostle saith, And if they had known the Lord of glory, they would never have crucified him. And by this, both the Son of man was in heaven; and the Son of God, in that he was man, was crucified upon earth. Therefore, as he might well be called the Lord of glory, being crucified, when as yet that suffering did only pertain unto the flesh; so it might well be said, This day thou shalt be with me in paradise, when, according to the humility of his manhood in his flesh, he lay in the grave; and according to his soul, he was in the bottom of hell that same day. According to his divine immutability, he never departed from paradise, because, by his Godhead, he is always everywhere. Doubt you not, therefore, that there is Christ Jesus according to his manhood, from whence he shall come. Remember it well, and keep faithfully thy christian confession; for he rose from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father: neither will he come from any other place than from thence, to judge the quick and the dead. And he shall come, as the voice of the angel beareth witness, as he was seen to go into heaven; that is to say, in the selfsame form and substance of flesh, whereunto, undoubtedly, he gave immortality, but he did not take away the nature thereof: according to this form of his flesh, he is not to be thought to be everywhere. And we must take heed that we do not so affirm the divinity of his manhood, that we thereby take away the truth of his body: for it is not a good consequent, that that thing which is in God, should so be in every place as God. For the Scripture saith very truly of us, that in Him we live, move, and have our being :1 and yet, notwithstanding, we are not in every place as he is; but that man is otherwise in God, because God is otherwise in man, by a certain proper and singular manner of being for God and man is one person, and only Jesus Christ is both. In that he is God, he is in every place; but in that he is man, he is in heaven.'

ineaneth Christ.

By these words of holy Augustine, your grace may evidently see, that he testifieth and teacheth the blessed body or flesh of Christ to be nowhere else than in heaven. For to it being assumpt or ascended into heaven, God, as he saith, hath given immortality, but not taken away nature : so that by the nature of that holy flesh or body, it must occupy one place. Wherefore it followeth, 'According to this form;' that is to wit, of his flesh, Christ is not to be Christ's thought to be in every place;' for if Christ should, in his humanity, be everywhere diffused or spread abroad, so should his bodily nature, or natural body cupieth one place. be taken from him. And therefore he saith, For we must beware that we do not so affirm the divinity of man, that we do take away the humanity of his body.' But in that he is God, so is he everywhere, according to my words before written; and in that he is man, so is he in heaven. And, therefore, it is said, For God and man is one person, and only Jesus Christ is both. He, in that he is everywhere, is God: but in that he is man, he is in heaven.'

body oc

And yet do we read, agreeably to the same matter, more largely in the same epistle, by these words: 2 Thou shalt not doubt Christ our Lord, the only Son of God, equal with his Father; and the same being the Son of Man, whereby the Father is greater, is present everywhere as God, and is in one and the same temple of God as God, and also in some place of heaven, as concerning the true shape of body.'

(1) Acts vii.

(2) Christum Dominum nostrum unigenitum Dei Filium, æqualem Patri, eundemque hominis Filium, quo major est Pater, ut ubique totum præsentem esse non dubites tanquam Deum, et in eodem templo Dei esse tanquam inhabitantem Deum, et in loco aliquo cali, propter veri corporis modum,' &c.