Thus ye haue heard by what craft and subtiltie this good man was intrapped, & with what crueltie he was oppressed, so that now remaineth nothing, but only his punishment and death, whiche the drunken rage of the Byshops thought not to be long protracted.

MarginaliaThe Apologie of Ioh. Lambert vnto the king.Duryng the tyme that he was in the Archbishops warde an Lambeth, which was a litle before hys disputation before the kyng, hee wrote an excellent confessiō or defence of his cause vnto king Henry.  

MarginaliaThe preface of his Apologie.Wherein he first mollifyng the kynges mynde and eares, w^t a modest and sober preface, declaryng how he had a double hope of solace layd vp, the one in the most hyghe and myghty prince of princes, God: the other next vnto God, in his maiestye, which should represent the office and ministery of that most high Prince in gouerning here vpon earth: after that proceding in gentle words, he declared þ^e cause which moued him to that which he had done. And albeit he was not ignoraunt how odious this doctrine would be vnto the people, yet notwithstāding, because he was not also ignorant how desirous the kings minde was to search out the truth, he thought no tyme vnmeete to performe his duetie, especially for so much as he would not vtter those things vnto the ignoraunt multitude, for auoyding of offence, but onely vnto the Prince himselfe, vnto whome he might safely declare his mynde.

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After this Preface made, he entryng into the booke  

, confirmed hys doctrine touchynge the Sacrament, by diuers testimonyes of the Scriptures, by the whiche Scriptures, he proued þ^e body of Christ, whether it ryseth, or ascendeth, or sitteth, or be conuersant here, to be alwayes in one place. Then he gatheringe together the mindes of þ^e auncient Doctors, did proue & declare by sufficient demonstration, the Sacrament to bee a misticall matter. Albeit he so ruled him self in such temperaunce and moderation, that he did not denye, but that the holy Sacrament was the very naturall body of our Sauiour, and the wine hys natural bloud, and that moreouer hys naturall bodye and bloud were in those misteries, but after a certayne manner, as the aunciēt Doctors, in a manner, all do interprete it.

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After this Protestation thus made, hee inferreth the sentence of hys confession, as here foloweth  

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MarginaliaA treatise of Iohn Lambert vpon the sacrament to the king.CHrist is so ascended bodyly into heauen, and hys holy manhode thyther so assumpte, where as it doth syt vpon the ryght hande of the father, that is to saye, is with the father there remanent and resident in glorye, that by the infallible promyse of God, it shal not or can not from thence returne before the generall dome, whiche shall be in the ende 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 knowledge and confesse, that the holy Sacrament of Christes body and bloud, is his very bodye and bloud in a certayne maner, which shal be shewed hereafter with your graces fauour & permission, according to the wordes of our Sauiour instituting the same holy sacrament, and saying: This is my bodye, vvhich is geuen for you. And agayne: This is my bloude vvhich is of the nevv Testament, vvhich is shed for many for the remission of sinnes.MarginaliaMath. 26.

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But now for approuing of the fyrst part, that Christe is so bodyly ascended into heauen, and hys holy manhede so thyther assumpte. &c. that by the infallible promise of God, he shall not, or can not any more from thence bodyly returne, before the generall dome, I shall for thys alleadge fyrst the scriptures, and folowing the authorities of olde holy Doctours, with one consent testifyinge with me. Besides this, I neede not to tell, that the same is no other thing, but that we haue taught to vs in these iij. articles of our Crede: He ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the right hande of God the father almighty, from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead. For Christ did ascende bodily, the Godhead which is infinite, vncircumscriptible, replenishyng both heauen and earth, beyng immutable, and vnmoueable, so that properly it can neyther ascende nor descende.

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The scriptures which I promised to aledge for the confirmation of my sayd sentence, be these: He vvas lifted vp into heauen in their sight and a cloud receaued him from their eyes: and vvhen they vvere looking vp into heauen they savv tvvo men. &c. MarginaliaAct. 1.Here it is euidently shewed, that Christ departed and ascended in a vysible and circumscripte body. That this departing was visible and in a visible body, these wordes do testifye: And vvhen they vvere lokong vp. VVhy stand ye here loking vp into heauē. And: euen as ye haue sene him. &c. That secondly it was in body, I haue afore proued, and moreouer the deitie is not seene, but is inuisyble, as appeareth: To God only inuisible. &c. Marginalia1. Tim. 1.and, He dvvelleth in the inacceßible light, vvhich no man seeth nor may see. &c. Marginalia1. Tim. 6.Therfore the manhead and naturall body was assumpt, or did ascende. That thirdly it was in a circumscript body, appeareth manifestly in this. First, that hys ascension and bodylye departing, caused them to loke vp. And secondly, that he was lyft vp, that is to witte, from beneth or from a low. And thirdlye, that a cloud receaued hym, Where as no cloude nor cloudes can receiue or embrace the Deitie. &c.

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I am fayne to leaue out other euident Argumentes for the same purpose, lest I shoulde be ouer prolixe and tediouse. It doth there also further folowe in lyke forme, how the Angels made aunswere to the Disciples saying: Ye men of Galile, vvhy stand ye gasing into heauen? This Iesus vvhich is taken vp from you into heauen, shall so come agayne, as you haue sene hym goyng vp into heauen. Here we se agayne, that Iesus is assumpt, or taken away into heauen. And then it must be from out of the world, accordinge to that we read, Iohn. xvj: I vvent forth from the father, and I came into the vvorlde. I leaue the vvorlde agayne, and I go vnto the father: MarginaliaIohn. 16.That is not els, but as he came from the father of heauen into thys worlde, in that he was incarnate and made mā, for hys Godhead was neuer absent, eyther frō heauen, or yet from earth: euen so shoulde hys manhead leaue the world agayne, to go to heauen. Moreouer, in that it is sayd: So shall he come, is playnely testified, that he is awaye and now corporally absent.

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Fynally it is shewed further,after what maner he shall come agayne, by these wordes: Euen as you haue seene him going vp into heauen. Which is not els, but, as you did visiblye see hym ascende or go awaye to heauen, a cloude embracing him and takyng him from among you: euen so shall you visiblie see him to come agayne in þ^e cloudes, accordyng as we reade, Math. 26. You shall see the sonne of man to come in the cloudes of heauen. MarginaliaMath. 26.And agayne, Math. 24. And they shall see the sonne of man. MarginaliaMath. 24.Such other textes haue we full many, declaring my sentence to be catholike and true. Of which I here shall briefly note some places, and passe ouer them, knowyng that a little rehearsall is sufficyent to your noble wisdome. The places be, Marke. 16. Luke. 24. Iohn. 13. 14. 16. and 17. Rom. 8. Ephes. 1. and 2. and 2. Corinth. 6. Hebr. 8. 9. 10. & 12. & 1. Thessa. 4. and. 1. Pet. 2. which all do testifye, that Christ hath bodily forsaken the world, departed from it vnto his father, ascended into heauen, sittyng styll vpon the ryght hand of the father aboue all dominion, power, and principalitie, where he is present aduocate and intercessour before hys father, and that he shall so bodily come agayne, lyke as he was seene to depart from hence.

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Nothyng can better or more clearely testifye and declare, what is contayned in the sacrament of Christes holy bodye and bloude, than do the wordes of scripture, wherby it was instytute. Marke doth agree with Mathew, so that in a maner he recyteth his very wordes. And no maruayle it is. MarginaliaThe Gospell of Marke is as an abridgment of Mathew.For as the Doctors do say, the Gospell of Marke is a very Epytome or abridgement of Mathew. I shall therfore wryte the relations of them touchyng the institution of this Sacrament together. The relation or testimony of Mathew is this: As they vvere eatyng, Iesus tooke breade, and vvhen he had geuen thankes he brake & gaue to his disciples, & said: Take, eate, this is my body. And taking the cup, and geuing thankes, he gaue it to them, saying: drinke ye all of this for this is my bloude of the nevv testament vvhich is shed for many, for the remission of sinnes. And I saye vnto you, I vvill not drinke hēce forth of this frute of the vine, vntill that day, that I drinke it nevv vvith you in the kingdome of my father.MarginaliaMath. 26.

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The testimony or relation of Marke, is this: And as they dyd eate Iesus tooke the bread, and vvhē he had geuē thankes, he brake it and gaue it to them, & sayd: Take, eate, this is my body. And he tooke the cup and vvhen he had geuē thankes, he gaue it to thē & they all dranke of it, and he sayd vnto thē: This is my bloud of the nevv testament vvhich is shed for many. Verely, I say vnto you, I vvill drincke no more of the fruit of the vyne vntill that day that I drincke it nevv in the kingdome of God. MarginaliaMark 14.Luke being the companyon of Paule, as appeareth in the Actes, and

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