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1119 [1118]

K. Henry. 8. The aunsweres of Iohn Lambert to the Byshops Articles.

God. And those do I recken all them that are or wil be truly Christen, in callyng vppon Christes name. And concernyng opinions or cōclusions, I can tell you of none other, thē I haue shewed:MarginaliaAll the opinions of Iohn Lambert, ingrossed in two propositions. the summe wherof I recken and thinke vtterly be concluded in two propositions, which both are written in the new Testament.

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MarginaliaThe first proposition. The first is in the Actes of the Apostles in this wise: Christus est caput anguli, nec est in alio quoquam salus. Non enim aliud nomen sub cœlo datum est inter homines, in quo oporteat nos saluos fieri. That is to say: Christ is the head corner stone of our fayth, whereupon it should be set and grounded: neither is saluation in any other, for there is none other name vnder heauen geuen amongest men, wherein we may be saued.MarginaliaAct 4. This is þe one of þe propositions, wherein is ingrossed or comprehended my saying, whiche S. Paule doth thus otherwise explicate: Christ is made of God our wisedome, our rightuousnes, our purenes, or satisfaction, and our redemption.Marginalia1. Cor. 1. And in another place: There is none other foundation, that any man may put, except that which is already put, that is Christ Iesus.

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MarginaliaThe second proposition. The other proposition is written of the Prophet Esay, and recited of our Sauiour in the Euangelie of Mathew, in these wordes: Men do worshyp me in vayne teachyng doctrines and preceptes, or lawes humaine.MarginaliaEsa. 29. Of this writeth Paule very largely in diuers places, & euery where welnigh. Amongest other, Collos. 2. where he warned the Collossians to take heede that no man do spoyle them, or steale them away, by Philosophy or vayne deception, accordyng to the constitutions of men, and ordinaunces of this world.MarginaliaColloss. 2. Thus I do certifie you of all the opinions and conclusions, which I entend, or haue entended to sustaine, beyng contained in the two propositions aboue written. Other hold I none, but such as are mētioned in þe Creed, both that is song at Masse, and also in the other Creede, that all people do dayly say euery day.

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Finally, that you require to know of the names and surnames, in order particularly of them, that be to me adherentes, or that haue promised me to be adherent in this part: I say, that I know of none particular, that I remēber, without I should note vnto you a great multitude, which you may know, and heare of (I suppose) through all regions and realmes of Christendome, that do thinke likewise, as I haue shewed.MarginaliaThe number of Gospellers wel nye halfe Christendome. I wene the multitude mounteth nigh vnto the one halfe of Christēdome: and more should do likewise, by a great sort within a while (I doubt not) but that our ghostly enemy laboreth a mayne, to haue the knowledge of the truth suppressed, and letteth, that it cā not come abroad for to be sene.MarginaliaIohn Lambert denyeth to detect any by his othe. I say therfore agayne, I know of no particular adherētes, ne of none that hath so promised me to be in these matters. And though I did, I would not (except I knew that charitie so required, which I do not finde yet hetherto) detect, ne bewray any one of them, for no mans pleasure: For I am bound to obey God aboue men. Who be with vs and graunt the truth to be knowen. Amen.

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MarginaliaThese aunsweres of Lambert were geuen to Warham Archb. of Cant. These aunsweres of Iohn Lambert, to the. 45. Articles aboue expressed, were directed and deliuered to Doctour Warham Archbyshop of Caunterbury, as it appeareth, about the yeare of our Lord. 1532. at what tyme,MarginaliaLambert at Otford in custodye. the sayd Lambert was in custody in the Archbyshops house of Otford, beyng there destitute of all helpe and furniture of bookes, as by his owne wordes is to be gathered.MarginaliaThe death of Archb. Warham. But so the prouidence of God wrought for Lambert, that within short space after, an. 1533. the sayd Archbyshop Warham dyed: whereby it seemeth that Lambert for that tyme was deliuered.MarginaliaDoct. Cranmer ambassadour to the B. of Rome. In this meane while Doct. Cranmer was sent ouer in Ambassage, with the Earle of Wilshyre, Doctour Stokesley, Doct. Kerne, Doctor Benet, and other learned men, to the Byshop of Rome lying then at Bonony,MarginaliaCranmer offered disputations before the pope and Emperour in the kings cause. to dispute the matter of the Kynges Mariage, openly first in the Court of Rome, then in the Court of the Emperour. Where after sondry promises, and appointementes made, yet when the tyme came, no man there appeared, to dispute wt thē, in these two propositions:MarginaliaTwo propositions of Cranmer. 1. That no man, iure diuino, could or ought to mary his brothers wife. 2. That the Byshop of Rome by no meanes ought to dispense to the contrary. But of this more copiously we will entreate (the Lordes grace permittyng) in the sequele of our story, commyng to Doctour Cranmers life.

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MarginaliaDoct. Cranmer made Archbishop of Caunterburye. After the death of William Warham, succeded in that sea the sayd Doctour Cranmer.MarginaliaLambert deliuered out of custody. Lambert in the meane season beyng deliuered, partly by the death of this Archbyshop, partly by the commyng in of Queene Anne, returned into London,MarginaliaLambert taught childrē about the stockes. and there exercised himselfe about the Stocks  

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The Stocks was a market in central London.

, in teachyng children, both in the Greeke, and Latine tonug. And for somuch as Priests in those dayes could not be permitted to haue wiues, he left his Priesthode, & applied himselfe to that function of teachyng, entēdyng shortly after also to be free of the Grocers, & to be maryed. But God, who disposeth all mens purposes after hys secret pleasure, dyd both intercept hys maryage, and also his freedome, & maryed him to hys sonne Christ Iesus, as now consequently foloweth to be declared.

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Marginalia1538. Thus then after that Iohn Lambert now had continued in this vocation of teaching, with great commendatiō, and no lesse commoditie to the youth: it happened this present yeare. 1538. he was present at a Sermon, in S. Peters Church at London. He that preached was namedMarginaliaDoct. Taylor B. of Lincolne, who after was depriued in Q.e Maryes tyme, and dyed. 1553. D. Taylor, a man in those dayes not farre disagreeyng from the Gospell, and afterward in the tyme of K. Edward was made Byshop of Lincolne, and at last in the tyme of Queene Mary was depriued from the same, and so ended hys lyfe, among the confessours of Iesu Christ.

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MarginaliaLambert seeketh conference with the preacher. When the Sermon was done, Lambert hauing gottē oportunitie, went gently vnto the Preacher to talke wyth hym, and vttered diuers argumentes wherein he desired to be satisfied.MarginaliaThe fyrst occasiō of Lamberts trouble. All the whole matter or controuersie was concerning the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ. Taylor excusing hymselfe at that present for other busines, wylled hym to write his mynde, and to come againe at more leysure.

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Lambert was contented, and so departed. Who within a while after, when he had writtē his mynde, came againe vnto hym.MarginaliaLamberts argumentes. The summe of hys argumētes were ten, which he comprehended in wryting, approuing the truth of the cause, partly by the Scriptures, and partly by good reason, and by the Doctours. The which argumentes, although they came not all vnto our handes, yet such men as were present at those affayres, reported them to be of great force and authoritie. And of a fewe which were borne away in memory, the first reason was this, gathered vpon Christes wordes, where it is sayd in the Gospell: This cup is the new Testament.

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MarginaliaThe wordes of consecration chaunge not the cup: Ergo neyther do the wordes chaunge the bread corporally into the bodye. And if (sayth he) these wordes do not chaunge neither the Cup, neither the wine corporally into the new Testament: by lyke reason it is not agreeable that the wordes spokē of the bread, should turne the bread corporally into the body of Christ.

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MarginaliaOne body can not fyll many places at once naturallye. An other reason was this: that it is not agreable vnto a naturall body to be in two places or more at one tyme: wherfore it must folow of necessitie, that either Christ had not a naturall body, or els truely according to the common nature of a body, it cannot be present in two places at once, and much lesse in many: that is to say, in heauē and in earth, on the right hand of his father, and in the Sacrament.

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MarginaliaThe formes can not be without the subiect. Moreouer, a naturall bodye can not be without hys forme and shape, conditions, and accidentes, lyke as þe accidentes and conditions also can not be without their subiecte or substaunce. Then, for somuch as in the sacrament there is no qualitie, quantitie, or condition of the body of Christ, and finally no apparaunce at all, of fleshe: who doth not playnely perceiue that there is no transubstantiate bodye of hys in the sacrament? And to reason by the contrary: all the proper conditions, signes, and accidentes what soeuer they be pertayning vnto bread, we do see to be present in the sacrament, which can not be there without the subiect: therfore we must of necessitie confesse the bread to be there. He added also many other allegations out of the Doctours. But to be short, thys Taylor the preacher, whom I spake of before, willing and desiring (as is supposed) of a good mynde to satisfie Lambert in this matter, amongest other, whom he tooke to counsayle, he also confered with Doct. Barnes.MarginaliaD. Barnes. Which Barnes, although he did otherwise fauour the Gospell, and was an earnest preacher, notwythstandyng seemed not greatly to fauour this cause, fearyng peraduenture, that it would breede some let or hynderance among the people, to the preachyng of the Gospell, which was now in a good forwardnes, if such sacramentaries should be suffered: He perswaded Taylor by & by to put vp þe matter vnto Thomas Crāmer Byshop of Caunterbury. And hereby may we see it truely verified, which Wylliam Tyndall before writing to Iohn Frith, dyd note in Doct. Barnes, saying: that Doct. Barnes wil be whote against you. &c. pag. 1054.  

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In his marginal note to this passage, Foxe is trying to emphasize that Tyndale’s reluctance to discuss the Eucharist was only temporary.

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Vpon these originals, Lamberts quarell first beganne, and was brought vnto this point, that through the sinister doynges of many, it beganne of a priuate talke, to be a publicke and common matter. For he was sent for by þe archbyshop and brought into the open Court, and forced to defend hys cause openly:MarginaliaThomas Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury fauoured not yet the Sacrament. for the Archbyshop had not yet fauoured the doctrine of the sacrament, whereof afterwarde he was an earnest professor. In that disputation, it is said, þt Lambert did appeale from the Bishoppes, to þe kinges Maiestie But howsoeuer the matter was, the rumour of that disputation, was by and by spread throughout the whole Court.

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In