Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer. | Early English Books Online | University of Michigan Library Digital Collections

Scriptures affirming the same.

The Scriptures whych I promised to alledge for the confirmation of my sayd sentence, be these: Hee was lifted vp into heauen in their sight,* 1.1 and a cloude receaued him from theyr eyes and when they were looking vp into heauen, they sawe two men. &c. Heere it is euidently shewed, that Christ depar∣ted and ascended in a visible and circumscripte body. That thys departing was visible and in a visible bodye, these woordes doe testifie: And when they were looking vppe. Whye stande ye heere looking vppe into heauen. And: euen as yee haue seene him. &c. That secondly it was in body, I haue afore prooued, and moreouer the Deitie is not sene, but is inuisi∣ble, as appeareth: To God onely inuisible. &c. and, He dwelleth in the inaccessible lighte,* 1.2 whiche no man seeth nor may see. &c. Therfore the manhead and naturall body was assumpt, or did ascend. That thirdly it was in a circumscript body, ap∣peareth manifestly in this. First, y^t his ascension and bodi∣ly departing, caused them to loke vp. And secondly, that he was lift vp, that is to witte, from beneath or from a lowe. And thirdly, that a cloud receaued him. Where as no cloud nor cloudes can receiue or embrace the Deitie. &c.

I am ••aine to leaue out other euident Argumentes for the same purpose, least I shoulde be ouer prolixe and tedi∣ous. It doeth there also further followe in like forme, how the Aungels made aunswere to the Disciples, saying: Yee menne of Galile, why stande yee gasing into heauen? Thys Iesus which is taken vppe from you into heauen, shall so come agayne, as you haue seene him going vppe into heauen. Here we see a∣gaine, that Iesus is assumpte, or taken away into heauen. And then it must be from oute of the worlde,* 1.3 accordinge to that we read, Iohn 16. I went foorth from the father, & I came into the worlde. I leaue the worlde againe, and I go vnto the Fa∣ther: That is not els, but as hee came from the father of heauen into thys worlde, in that he was incarnate & made man, for hys Godhead was neuer absent, either from hea∣uen, or yet from earth: euen so shoulde his manhoode leaue the worlde againe, to go to heauen. Moreouer, in that it is sayde: So shall he come, is plainly testified, that hee is away, and nowe corporally absent.

Finally, it is shewed further, after what maner he shal come againe, by these woordes: Euen as you haue seene hym going vp into heauen. Which is not els, but, as you did visi∣bly see him ascend or go away to heauē, a cloud embrasing him and taking him from among you: euen so shal you vi∣sibly see hym to come againe in the cloudes, as wee reade. Math. 26.* 1.4 You shall see the sonne of man to come in the clouds of heauen. And againe, Math. 24. And they shall see the sonne of man. Such other textes haue we full many, declaring my sentence to be Catholicke and true. Of which I heere shall brieflye note some places, and passe ouer them, knowing that a litle rehearsall is sufficient to youre noble wisedom, The places be, Marke 16. Luke 24. Iohn 13.14.16. and 17. Rom. 8. Ephes. 1. and 2. and 2. Cor. 6. Hebr. 8.9.10. and 12. and 1. Thess. 4. and 1. Pet. 2. which all do testifie, that Christ hath bodily forsaken the world, departed from it vnto hys father, ascended into heauen, sitting still vppon the ryghte hand of the father aboue all dominion, power, and princi∣palitie, where he is present aduocate and intercessor before hys father, and that he shall so bodely come againe, lyke as he was seene to depart from hence.

Nothing can better or more clearely testifie and de∣clare, what is contained in the Sacrament of Christes ho∣ly body and bloud, then do the words of Scripture,* 1.5 wher∣by it was institute. Marke doth agree wyth Mathewe, so that in a maner he reciteth his very wordes. And no mar∣uaile it is. For as the Doctours doe say, the Gospell of Marke is a very Epytome or abridgement of Mathew. I shall therefore write the relations of them touching the in∣stitution of this sacrament together. The relation or testi∣monie of Mathewe is this: As they were eating, Iesus tooke bread, and when hee had geuen thankes he brake and gaue to hys disciples, and sayde: Take, eate, this is my body. And taking the cup, and geuing thankes, hee gaue it to them,* 1.6 saying drinke yee all of this, for this is my bloud of the new Testamēt which is shed for manye, for the remission of sinnes. And I say vnto you, I will not drinke hencefoorth of this fruite of the vine, vntill that day, that I drinke it new with you in the kingdome of my father.

The testimonie or relation of Marke, is this: And as they did eate, Iesus tooke the breade,* 1.7 and when hee hadde geuen thankes, he brake it and gaue it to them, and sayde: Take, eate, thys is my body. And hee tooke the cuppe, and when hee hadde geuen thankes, he gaue it to them, and they all dranke of it, and hee sayd vnto them▪ This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many. Verely, I say vnto you, I wil drinke no more of the fruit of the vine vnto that day that I drinke it newe in the kingdome of God. Luke being the companion of Paule, as appeareth in the Actes,* 1.8 and 2. Timothie 4. doth so next agree with him in making relation of thys Supper, and holy institution of the Sacrament. Hys relation or reporte is thys: When he had taken breade and geuen thankes, hee brake it and gaue to them, saying: This is my bodye which is geuen for you, doe thys in remembraunce of me. Likewise also after Supper,* 1.9 he tooke the cuppe, saying: This cuppe is the newe Testament in my bloude which is shedde for you.

Paules testimonie doeth followe nexte, agreeablye to Luke, & it is thus: For I haue receiued of the Lorde, that which I also haue deliuered to you.* 1.10 That oure Lorde Iesus Christe in the same night wherein he was betraied, tooke breade, and when hee had geuen thankes, he brake it and said: Take, eate, this is my body which is broken for you: this doe ye in the remembraunce of mee. After the same maner also he tooke the cup when he had supped, saying: This cuppe is the newe Testament in my bloude: thys doe as oft as yee drinke it, in the remembraunce of me: for as often as ye shall eate this breade, and drinke this cuppe, ye shall shewe the Lordes death, till he come. By these testimonies shall I de∣clare my sentence to your grace, whiche I conceyue of the holy Sacrament of Christes blessed body and bloude, and in all poyntes of difficultie, shall I annexe the very inter∣pretation of the olde holy Doctours and Fathers, to shew that I doe not grounde any thing vpon my self. Thereaf∣ter shall I adde certaine arguments, whiche I truste shall clearely prooue and iustifie my sentence to be true, Catho∣like, and according both with God and his lawes, and al∣so with the minde of holy Doctours.

My sentence is this, that Christ ascended into heauen, and so hath forsaken the worlde, and there shall abide, sit∣ting on the right hande of hys Father, wythout returning hether againe vntill the generall dome: at what time hee shall come from thence, to iudge the dead and liuing. This all do I beleue, done in his natural body, which he tooke of the blessed virgine Marie hys mother, in the which he also suffered passion for our safetie & redemption vpon a crosse: which died for vs & was buried: in which he also dyd arise againe to life immortall. That Christe is thus ascended in his manhode and natural body, & so assumpt into heauen, we may soone proue, for as much as the godhead of him is neuer out of heauē, but euer replenishing both heauen and earth, and al that is besides, being infinite and intermina∣ble

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or vncircumscriptible, so that it neither cā properly ey∣ther ascende or descend, being without all alterations and vnmutable or vnmooueable.

So that now his naturall body being assumpt from a∣mong vs,* 1.11 and departed out of the worlde, the same can no more returne from thence vnto the ende of the worlde. For as Peter witnesseth. Act. 3. Whome the heauen must contayne vntill the time that all things be restored which God had spoken by the mouthe of all his holy Prophetes, since the worlde began. And the same doth y^e Article of our Creede teach vs, which is: From thence (.i. from heauē) he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead.* 1.12 Which time Paule calleth the appearing of oure Lord Iesus Christ. 1. Timoth. 6.

Seeing then, thys naturall body of our Sauiour, that was borne of hys mother Marie, being a Uirgine, is all whole assumpt into heauē, and departed out of this world, and so, as sayth S. Peter: He must remaine in heauen vntil the ende of the worlde, which he calleth the time when all thynges must be restored: This (I say) seene and beleeued according to our Creede and the Scriptures, I cā not perceiue how the naturall body of hym can contrariwise be in the world, and so in the Sacrament. And yet notwithstanding is this true, that the holy Sacrament is Christes body & bloude, as after shall be declared.