A treatyse made by Johan Lambert vnto kynge Henry the .viij. concerynge hys opynyon in the sacrame[n]t of the aultre as they call it, or supper of the lorde as the scripture nameth it. Anno do. 1538

Doctours affermynge the same.

But first, for the establyshynge of

my former purpose, that the naturall bo dye of our sauer, is so absēt frō thys worl¦de & ascended to heauē, that it cā be he be nomore present, vnto the generall do∣me. I wolde besyche your grace to consy¦dre the mynde and sentence of olde holy doctors in thys purpose or matter, how agreably they testyfye with that is tofo∣re shewed. Amongest whome we haue first S. Augustyne, writynge thus to Dardanus. Proinde quod ad uerbum at¦tinet, creator est Christus. Omnia enim {per} ipsum facta sunt. Quod uero ad hoīem creatura est Christus. Fact{us} est em̄ ex semi¦ ne Dauid secundū carnem, & in similitu∣dinem hoīm ordinat{us}. Item quia in hoīe duo sunt, anima & caro. Secundū animā tristis fuit us{que} ad mortem, secūdū carnem pass{us} est mortem. Nec en̄ filiū Dei Chrī¦stū dicim{us}, hoīem separam{us}, aut cum eun¦dem Christum filium hoīs dicim{us}, sepa∣ram{us} Deum. Secundū hoīem nā{que} in ter∣ra erat, nō in coelo ubi nunc est, quādo di¦cebat. Nemo ascendit in coelū, nisi {quod} descē¦dit de coelo, filius hoīs {quod} est in coelo. Quā∣uis secundum id q^od filius Dei erat, esset in coelo, secundū uero id q^od filius hoīs fuit, adhuc esset in terra, nōdū{que} ascēdit ī coelū.

Similiter cum secundum id q^od filius

Dei est, sit dominus gloriae, secundum id autem quod filius hominis, crucifixus sit. Ait tamen Apostolus. Si enim cognouis sent dominum gloriae, nunquam crucifi∣xissent. Ac per hoc & filius hominis erat in coelo, filius Dei secundum hominem crucifigebatur in terra. Sicut ergo potuit recte dici dominus gloriae crucifixus, quū ad solam carnem illa passio pertineret, ita recte dici potuit, hodie mecum eris in pa radiso, cum iuxta humanam humilitatem per carnem in sepulchro, per animam in inferno illo die futurus esset. Iuxta diui nam uero immutabilitatem, nunquam de paradiso, quia ubique est semper, reces sit. Noli igitur dubitare ibi nunc esse ho∣minem Christum Iesum, vnde uenturus est. Memoriter recole, et fideliter tene, chri stianam confessionem. Quoniam resur∣rexita mortuis, ascendit in coelum, sedet ad dexteram patris, nec aliunde quam in∣de uenturus est, ad viuos & mortuos iu∣dicandos. Et sic uenturus est, illa angelica uoce testante, quemadmodum uisus est ire in coelum, id est, in eadem carnis for / ma atque substantia, cui profecto immor talitatem dedit, naturam non abstulit. Se cundum hanc formam non est putādus ubique diffusus. Cauendum autem ne ita diuinitatem astruamus hominis, ut ueri∣tatem

auferamus corporis. Non est autē consequens, ut quod in Deo est, ita sit ubi que ut Deus. Nam & de nobis ueracissi∣me scriptura dicit. Quod in illo uiuimus, sumus, et mouemur. Nec tamen sicut ille ubi{que} sumus, sed aliter homo ille in Deo, quoniam & aliter Deus in homine, pro∣prio quodam & singulari modo. Vna enim persona Deus & homo est, & utrū∣que est unus Christus Iesus. Vbique per id quod Deus est, in coelo autem per id quod homo.

By whych wordes of holy Augusty∣ne, your grace maye euydently se that he testyfyeth and teacheth the blessed body or fleshe of Christ to be no where els thā in heauen. For to it beynge assumpt or a∣scended into heauen, God, as he sayth, hath geuen immortalyte, but not taken a waye nature▪ So that by the nature of that holy fleshe or bodye, it must occupye one place, wherfor it foloweth, Secundū hanc formam, that is to wyte, of hys fle∣she, Christus non est putandus ubique diffusus. For if Christ shulde in hys hu∣manyte be euery where dyffuded or spred abrode, so shuld hys bodyly nature or naturall body be taken from hym. And therfor he sayth. Cauendum enim, ne ita

diuinitatem astruam{us} hoīs, ut humanita tem corporis auferam{us}. But in that he is God, so is he euery where, accordynge to my wordes byfore wryttē. And in that he is mā, so is he in heauē. And therfor is it sayd. Vna enim {per}sona Deus & homo, & utrum{que} est Christ{us}, ubi{que} per id q^od Deus, in coelo autem per id quod homo,

And yet do we reade agreably to the same matter, more largely in the same e∣pystle, by these wordes▪ Christū dominū no∣strū unigenitū Dei filium, equalē patri, eū∣dē{que} hoīs filiū, quo maior est pater, ut ubi{que} to∣tū praesētē esse nō dubites tāquā Deū, etī eo∣dē tēplo Dei esse tāquā inhabitātē Deū, & in loco aliquo coeli propterueri corporis modū. Thus fynde we clerely, that for the mea∣sure of hys very body he must be in one pla ce▪ and that of heauen as concernynge hys manhode▪ & yet euery where presēt in that he is the eternall sōne of God & egall to hys father. Lyke testymony doth he geue in the. xxx. treatyse that he maketh vpon the Euāgely of Iohā. These be hys wor∣des there writtē. Donec saeculum finiatur sursum est dominus, sed etiam hic est ueritas domini. Corpus enim domini in quo resurrexit,

uno loco esse oportet. Veritas autem eius ubi∣{que} diffusa. The first parcell, that is, Donec saeculū finiatur, is so put, that it maye ioy ne to the sentence goynge byfore, or els to these wordes folowynge. Sursū est dominus & caet. And so shuld it wele accorde to my sētēce byfore shewed, whych is, the lorde is so bodyly ascēded, that in hys naturall body he can not agayne returne from hea uen vntyll the generall dome.

But how so euer the seyd clause or par cell be applyed, it shall not greatly skyl∣le, for my sētēce notwithstādynge remay yneth full stedefast. In so moch, as the scripture doth mēcy••n but of. ij. aduc̄tes or cōmynges of Christ, of whych the first is perfourmed in hys blessyd in carnacyō, & the secōde is the cōmynge at the gene rall dōe. And furthermore i thys artycle of our Crede, Inde uēturus ē iudicare uiuos et mortuos, is not only shewed wherfor he shal cōe agayne, but also whā he shal cōe agayne. So that in the meane whyle, as the other artycle of our Crede witnessyth, Sedet ad dexterā Dei patris, that is not els to saye, thē he remayneth in glory with the father. Furthermore euē as I haue by fore rehearced the foreseyd auctoryte of Augustyne,

euen so haue I redde it in hys quinqua∣genes vpon a psalme, of whych I can not now precysely note or name the nombre. And the same wordes doth he also wry∣te in a pystle to S. Hierome. So that we maye knowe, he had good lykynge in it, that he so commonly doth vse it, as hys vsuall prouerbe or byworde,

In the same is also testyfyed, that hys blessed bodye can be but in one place, so that it beynge now accordynge to the scripture and artycle of our beleue or cre de, in heauē, it can not be in earthe. And moch lesse can it be in so vnnumerable places of the earthe, as we maye precey ue that the sacramēt is. Thus although the bodye of our sauer must be in one pla ce, as he writeth agreably to the saynge of Peter, Quē oportet coelos accipere, us que ad tempus restitutionis omnium. Yet as the wordes folowynge make men∣cyon, ueritas autem ei{us} ubique diffusa est. Thys veryte of Christ, or of hys bodye, do I take to be that he in other places, doth call uirtus sacramenti. As in the xxv. treatyse vpon Iohan we fynde thus writ ten. Aliud est sacramentū, aliud uirtus sa∣cramenti. And agayne, Si quis manduca

uerit ex ipso non moritur, sed qui pertinet ad uirtutem sacramenti, non qui pertinet aduisi∣bile sacramentum. And to declare what is uirtus sacramenti, that I counte to be ueri¦tas domini uel corporis ipsius, he sayth. Qui manducat intus, non foris, qui māducat in cor¦de, nō{que} premit dente.

So that fynally thys ueritas domini uel corporis ipsius, whych is dy∣spersyd euery where abrode, is the spi rytuall profyte, frute, and confort that is opened, to be receyued euery where of all men by farthe in the ueryte of the lor∣de, that is to wyte, in the uery and true promyse or testament made to vs in the lordes bodye that was crucyfyed & suffe∣red deathe for vs, and arose agayne ascen dynge immortall in to heauen. Where he sytteth, that is, abydeth on the ryght hā de of hys father, from thens not to retur ne vntyll the generall dome or iudgemēt. Thys bodyly absence of our sauer is lyke wyse clerely shewed in the fyfty treatyse that he maketh vpon Iohan, where he doth expowne thys text, Pauperes sem∣per habetis uobiscum, me autem non sē∣per habebitis, to my purpose, that therby

I counte and bolde to be rather catho∣lyck. Fynally the same doth he confyrme in hys sermons of the seconde and thirde feryes of Eastre, and in so many places besydes fourth, as here can not be recy∣ted, the nombre of them is so passynge great.

With hym consentyth full playnely Fulgentius, li. 2. ad Thrasimundū, wri¦tynge in thys wyse. Vnus idemque homo lo calis ex homine, qui est Deus immensus ex pa∣tre, unus idemque secundum humanam substā tiam, absens coelo cum esset in terra, & dere linquens terrā cū ascendisset in coelū. Secun∣dum uero diuinā immensā{que} substantiam, nec coelum dimittens cum de coelo descendit, nec terram deserens cum ad coelū ascendit. Quod ipsius domini certissimo sermone potest cogno sci, qui ut localem suam ostenderet humanita tem, dicit discipulis suis. Ascendo ad patrem meum & patrem uestrum, Deū meum & Deū uestrum. De Lazaro quo{que} cum dixisset, Laza rus mortuus est, adiunxit dicens. Et gaudeo propter uos, ut credatis, quoniam non eram ibi. Immensitatem uero suae diuinitatis osten dens, discipulis dixit, Ecce ego uobiscum sum us{que} ad consummationē saeculi. Quomodo aūt

ascendit in coelū, nisi quia localis est & uerus homo? Aut quomodo adest fidelibus suis, nisi quia idem immensus & uerus Deus est, & caet. In thys s••••e & sort doth he procede fou r••h speakynge moch, full agreably to my sentence, whych, is now ouerlonge here to write. But what cā be sayd more play¦nely with me in so fewe wordes?

First he sayth, that Christ beynge a man, is as concernynge hys manhede, locall, that is not els then conteyned in one place. And to expresse that the more clerely, he addeth to it, sa••nge. Vnus idem∣que secundum humanam substantiam, absens coelo cum esset in terra, & derelinquens ter∣ram cum ascendisset in coelum. where as he hath a contrary Antithesis for the godly nature, to shewe fourth the first poynt the more effectually. The Antithesis is thus. Secundum diuinam uero immensamque substantiam, nec coelum dimitiens cum de coe lo descendit, nec terram deserens cum ad coe∣lum ascendit. wherby is also confyrmed that I sayd, Christ ded descende and a∣scende as touchynge hys humanyte, but not in hys deyte, whych is immutable & vnmoueable. As we maye preceyue by

that he here doth call it, substantiam immensam. Furthermore to shewe that Christ, as touchynge hys humayne and natural bodye, is locall and in one place, he alleget•• and that ryght iustly▪ ij. tex∣tes of scripture▪ The first is, Ascendoad patrem, & caet▪ And the seconde is of Lazarus, Gaudeo propter uos & caet.

Fynally he maketh thys demaunde. Quomodo autem, ascenditin coelum, nisi quia localis & uerus est homo. Wherby we maye se, that by thys sentence, Christ coulde not ascende, except he had be locall, that is, conteyned in one place, & souery mā. And that is accordynge to. S. Augusty ne, writynge as is aboue shewed: Et sic uenturus est, illa angelica uoce testante, quē∣admodum uisus est ire in coelum, id est in eadē carnis forma atque substantia. Secundum hāc formam non est ubique diffusus. Cauendum enim ne ita diuinitatem astruamus hominis, ut ueritatē corporis auferamus. So that they both do testyfye, that Christ coulde not haue ascended, except he had be locall, that is to wyte▪ conteyned in one plale & v•••••• man. And that if he were not locall, he coulde not be man▪ Wherfor S. Au∣gustyne

sayth further, ad Dardanum. Spatia locorum tolle corporibus, & nusquam erunt, & quia nusquam erunt, nec erunt. Chat is to wyte, take awaye localyte or sytuacyon in place from bodyes▪ and they shall be no where. And forbycause they shall be no where they shall haue no beynge.

We therfor couetynge to fynde Christ ••r hys naturall bodye, shuld seke for hym in heauen, where hys naturall manhede is syttynge on the ryght hande of hys fa ther. So wylleth vs S. Ambrose in the. x. boke whych he writeth vpon Luke, speakynge of Christes humanyte assumpte, in thys wyse. Ergo non supra terram, nec in terra, nec secundum carnem te quaerere debe mus, si uolumus te inuenire. Nunc enim secun dum carnem non nonimus Christum. Denique Steqhanus non supra terram quae siuit, qui stan tum te ad dexteram Dei uidit. Mar••a autem quae quaerebat in terra, tangere non potuit. Stephanus tetigit, quia quesiuit in coelo. Ste∣phanus inter Iudeos uidit absētē & caet. Thus we must seke for the naturall bodye of Christ, not vpō the earthe, but in heauē, if we wyll not be deceyued. And that doth he more largely in the same treaty∣se,

speakynge thus of the veryte of Chri stes bodye. Quomodo non corpus quiesceret, in quo manebant insignia uulnerum, uestigiae cicatricum, quae dominus palpanda obtulit? In quo non solum fidem firmat, sed etiam deuoti∣onem acuit, quod uulnera suscepta pro nobis coelo inferre maluit, abolere noluit, ut Deo patri, nostrae precia libertatis ostenderet. Ta¦lem sibi pater ad dexteram locat, trophaeum nostrae salutis amplectens & caet.

Gregory also in an homelye of pen¦tecost, sayth agreably to the other, i the∣se wordes▪ Quando non maneret apud eos, qui ascensurus coelos? promittit dicens. Ecce ego uobiscumsum omnibus dicbus usque ad con summationem seculi. Sed uerbum incarnatīo manet & recedit. Recedit corpore, manet di∣uinitate. Apud eos ergo tunc mansisse se per∣hibet, is q••i inuisibili semper potestate preseus erat, corporali iam uisione recedebat. In Ly ke wyse doth he testyfye in the homelye of Easter daye. * With these doth Bede accorde in an homelye of easter, in whych he declareth thys text, Iohan. xvi. Mo∣dum & i am non uidebitis me, & e••t: And also in an homelye of the vygyll of pente cost. And, who can otherwyse saye or thynke,

knowynge the scripture and our beleue, but that the naturall bodye of Christ is so assumpt in to heauen all whole, that it must there abyde without returnynge vntyll the generall iudgement. Notwith standynge, seynge thys is the chefe poynt wherupon I seke to establyshe my senten ce in thys matter of the holy sacrament, that Christes holy and naturall bodye is so assumpte in to heauen, that there it must remayne all whole without retur∣nynge vntyll the generall dome. I wyll yet with the permyssyon of your grace, ad de one or. ••. argumentes deduced out of the scriptures, to declare further my sen∣tence to be faythfull and catholyck.

Notes

• Augustyne
• Homo
• Dominus
• Venturus
• Deus.
• Nature.
• Athana∣sius.
• In heauē.
• Sursum.
• Cōmynge.
• Augustyne
• Petrus.
• Virtus.
• Abydeth
• Fulgentius
• Lazarus.
• Playnely▪
• Antithe∣sis.
• ij. textes.
• Forma.
• Augusty∣ne.
• Ambrose.
• Stepha∣nus.
• Gregory.
• Bedas.
• Assūpte.