MarginaliaThe Apologie of Ioh. Lambert vnto the king. Duryng the tyme that he was in the Archbyshoppes Warde an Lambeth, which was a litle before his disputation before the kyng, he wrote an excellent confession or defence of his cause vnto kyng Henry.  

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This is A treatyse made by Johan Lambert…, ed. John Bale (Wesel, 1548?), STC 15180. This work was published posthumously, from an incomplete manuscript, somehow obtained by John Bale.

MarginaliaThe preface of his Apologie. Wherein he first mollifyng the kinges mynde and eares, w^t a modest & sober Preface, declaryng how he had a double hope of solace layd vp, the one in the most high and mighty Prince of Princes, God: the other next vnto God, in his Maiestie, whiche should represent the office and ministery of that most highe Prince in gouernyng here vppon earth: after that proceedyng 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 notwithstandyng, because he was not also ignoraunt how desirous the kynges mynde was to search out the truth, he thought no tyme vnmeete to performe his duetie especially for somuch as hee would not vtter those thynges vnto the ignoraunt multitude, for auoyding of offence, but onely vnto the Prince him selfe, vnto whom he might safely declare his mynde.

After this Preface made, hee entryng into the booke  

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In the next two sentences Foxe summarizes A treatyse made by Johan Lambert…, ed. John Bale (Wesel, 1548?), STC 15180, fos. 5v-9r.

Then he gathering together the myndes of the auncient Doctours, did proue and declare by sufficient demonstration, the Sacrament to be a misticall matter. Albeit he so ruled him selfe in such temperaunce and moderation, that he did not deny, but that the holy Sacrament was the very naturall body of our Sauiour, and the wyne his naturall bloud, and that moreouer his naturall body and bloud were in those misteries, but after a certaine maner, as the aunciēt Doctours, in a maner, all do interprete it.

After this Protestation thus made, he inferreth the sentence of his confession, as here foloweth  

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Here Foxe accurately prints A treatyse made by Johan Lambert…, ed. John Bale (Wesel, 1548?), fos. 9r-32r.

MarginaliaA treatise of Iohn Lambert vpon the Sacrament to the kyng. CHrist is so ascended bodyly into heauen, & his holy manhode thether so assumpt, where as it doth sit vppon the right hand of þ^e 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 can not from thence returne before the generall dome, whiche 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 knowledge and confesse, that the holy Sacrament of Christes body & bloud, is his very body & bloud in a certaine maner, which shall be sh wed hereafter with your graces fauour & permissiō, according to the wordes of our Sauiour instituting the same holy Sacrament, & saying: This is my body, which is geuen for you. And agayne: This is my bloud which is of the new Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes.MarginaliaMath. 26.

But now for approuyng of the first part, that Christ is so bodyly ascended into heauen, and his holy manhode so thether 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 this alledge first the Scriptures, and folowyng the authorities of olde holy Doctours, with one consent testifiyng with me. Besides this, I neede not to tell, that the same is no other thyng, but that we haue taught to vs in these iij. articles of our Creede: He ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty, from thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead. For Christ did ascend bodyly, the Godhead which is infinite, vncircumscriptible, replenishing both heauē and earth, beyng immutable, and vnmoueable, so that properly it can neither ascende nor descend.

The Scriptures which I promised to aledge for the confirmation of my sayd sentence, be these: He was lifted vp into heauen in their sight and a cloude receaued him from their eyes: and when they were looking vp into heauen they saw two men. &c.MarginaliaAct. 1. Here it is euidently shewed, that Christ departed and ascended in a visible and circumscript body. That this departyng was visible and in a visible body, these wordes do testifie: And when they were lookyng vp Why stand ye here loking vp into heauen. And: euen as ye haue sene him. &c. That secondly it was in body, I haue afore proued, & moreouer the deity is not sene, but is inuisible, as appeareth: To God onely inuisible. &c.Marginalia1. Tim. 1. and, He dwelleth in the inaccessible light, which no mā seeth nor may see. &c.Marginalia1. Tim. 6. Therfore the manhead and naturall body was assumpt, or dyd ascend. That thirdly it was in a circumscript body, appeareth manifestly in this. First, þ^t his Ascēsion and bodyly departyng, caused them to looke vp. And secondly, that he was lift vppe, that is to witte, from beneath or from a low. And thirdly, that a cloud receaued hym, Where as no cloude nor cloudes can receiue or embrace the Deity. &c.

I am fayne to leaue out other euident Argumentes for the same purpose, lest I should be ouer prolixe and tediouse. It doth there also further folow in like forme, how the Aungels made aunswere to the Disciples saying: Ye men of Galile, why stand ye gasing into heauen? This Iesus whiche is taken vp from you into heauen, shall so come agayne, as you haue sene him goyng vp into heauen. Here we see agayne, that Iesus is assumpt, or taken away into heauen. And then it must be from out of the world, accordyng to that we read, Iohn. xvj: I wēt forth from the father, and I came into the worlde. I leaue the world agayne, and I go vnto the Father:MarginaliaIohn. 16. That is not els, but as he came from the father of heauen into this world, in that he was incarnate and made man, for his Godhead was neuer absent, either from heauen, or yet from earth: euen so should his manhode leaue the world agayne, to go to heauen. Moreouer, in that it is sayd: So shall he come, is playnly testified, that he is away and now corporally absent.

Finally it is shewed further,after what maner he shall come agayne, by these wordes: Euen as you haue sene hym goyng vp into heauen. Which is not els, but, as you did visibly see hym ascende or go away to heauen, a cloud embracing hym and takyng hym from among you: euen so shall you visibly see hym to come agayne in the cloudes, as we read, 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, declaryng my sentence to be Catholicke and true. Of which I here shall briefly note some places, and passe ouer them, knowing that a litle rehearsal is sufficiēt to your noble wisedome. The places be, Marke. 16. Luke. 24. Iohn. 13. 14. 16. and 17. Rom. 8. Ephes. 1. and 2. and 2. Cor. 6. Heb. 8. 9. 10. and 12. and 1. Thess. 4. and. 1. Pet. 2. which all do testifie, that Christ hath bodyly forsaken the world, departed from it vnto his father, ascended into heauen, sittyng still vpō the right hand of the father aboue all dominion, power, and principalitie, where he is present aduocate and intercessour before his father, and that he shall so bodyly come agayne, lyke as he was sene to depart from hence.

Nothyng can better or more clearely testifie and declare, what is contained in the Sacrament of Christes holy body and bloud, than do the wordes of Scripture, wherby it was institute. Marke doth agree with Mathew, so that in a maner he reciteth his very wordes. And no maruayle it is.MarginaliaThe Gospell of Marke is as an abridgement of Mathew. For as the Doctours do say, the Gospell of Marke is a very Epytome or abridgement of Mathew. I shall therfore write the relations of them touchyng the institution of this Sacrament together. The relatiō or testimony of Mathew is this: As they were eatyng, Iesus tooke bread, and when he had geuen thankes he brake and gaue to his disciples, and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body. And takyng the cup, and geuyng thankes, he gaue it to them, saying: drink ye al of this, for this is my bloud of the new Testamēt which is shed for many, for the remission of sinnes. And I say vnto you, I will not drinke hence forth of this frute of the vyne, vntil that day, that I drinke it new with you in the kyngdome of my father.MarginaliaMath. 26.

The testimony or relation of Marke, is this: And as they dyd eate Iesus tooke the bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it and gaue it to them, and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body. And he tooke the cup and whē he had geuen thankes, he gaue it to them and they all dranke of it, and he sayd vnto them? This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many. Verely, I say vnto you, I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vyne vnto that day that I drinke it new in the kyngdome of GOD.MarginaliaMark 14. Luke beyng the companyon of Paule, as appeareth in the Actes, and 2. Timoth. 4. doth so next agree with hym in makyng relation of this Supper, and holy institution of the Sacrament. His relation or reporte is this: When he had taken bread & geuen thankes, he brake it & gaue to them saying: This is my body whiche is geuen for you, doe this in remembraunce of me. Likewyse also after supper, he tooke the cup saying: This cup is the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you.Marginalia2. Tim. 4.
Luke. 22.

Marginalia1. Cor. 11.Paules testimonye doth followe nexte, agreablye to Luke, and it is thus: For I haue receaued of the Lord, that which I also haue deliuered to you. That our Lord Iesus in the same night wherein he was betrayed, tooke bread, and when he had geuen thankes, he brake it and sayd: Take, eate, this is my body which is broken for you: this do ye in the remembraunce of me. After the same maner also he