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.

¶Argumentes out of Scripture.

First, as Christ was enclosed and so borne about in the wombe of his mother bryng a Uirgin vndefiled,* 1.1 and after was borne into this world, and put in a maunger, and so he growyng in age did abide in diuerse places, but in one after an other, sometime in Galile, sometime in Samaria, sometime in Iury, sometyme beyond, & sometyme on this side of Iordan, & consequently he was crucified at Hieru∣salem, there beyng enclosed & buried in a graue, frō whēce he did arise, so that the aungels testified of him: He is risen and is not here. Mathew. 28. and as at the tyme appointed,* 1.2 after his resurrectiō, he was assumpt or lifted vp into hea∣uen, from the top of the Moūt of Oliuet, in the sight of his Disciples, a cloude compassing him about: Euen so shall he come from the same celestiall place corporally, as they did see him to depart out of the one place corporally, ac∣cordyng to the testimony of the aūgels. Actes. 1.* 1.3 So that in this we may vndoubtedly finde that Christ, as touchyng his manhead, can not be corporally in many & diuers pla∣ces at once, and so to be corporally in his naturall body in heauen and also in the earth, and that it is moreouer, in so many partes of the world, as men haue affirmed.

Neither doth the Scripture require that we should spoyle Christ of the propertie of mans nature,* 1.4 which is to be in one place, whō the same Scripture doth perpetual∣ly witnesse and teach to be man, & so to counfound the con∣dition of his bodily nature, with the nature Diuine. Paul doth teach that Christ in māhead, was made in all pointes lyke vnto his brethren, sinne excepted: how then can his

body be in more places at once, vnlike vnto the naturall propertie of the bodies of vs his brethren? But heere doo some wittie Philosophers, yea, rather Sophisters then Diuines, bring in to the anulling of Christes humanitie, a similitude of mans soule whiche beeing one, is yet so all whole in all our whole body, that it is said to be all whole in euery part of the body. But such should remēber, that it is no conuenient similitude which is made of things diffe∣rent and diuerse in nature, such as be the soule and body of man, to proue them to haue like properties. This is as if they woulde proue Christes body to be of one nature and propertie with his soule, & that things naturally corporal, were not most diuers from creatures naturally spirituall.

Furthermore, if so it might be, that the body or fleshe of Christ,* 1.5 were meerely spirituall, and full like vnto the sub∣stance of Angels, yet could it not in this wise follow, that his body could be euery where, or in diuers places at once. Wherefore such subtilties are to be omitted, and the trade of Scripture should well like vs, by whiche the olde Do∣ctors do define, that the body of Iesu exalted or assumpt into heauen, must be locall, circumscript, and in one place: notwithstanding that the veritie, spirituall grace, & fruite that commeth of it, is diffused and spread abroade in all places, or euery where. How coulde Christ corporally de∣part out of this world,* 1.6 and leaue the earth, if he in y^e kinds of bread and wine be not onely corporally conteined and receiued, but also there reserued, kept and enclosed? What other thing else do these words testifie, Iohn xiij. But Iesus knowing that his houre was come, that he should passe out of this world to his father,* 1.7 &c. And in like forme, Luke 24. And it came to passe, that as he blessed them, he departed from them, and was caried vp into heauen: What doe they signifie, if Christ went not verely out of this worlde, his naturall body be∣ing surely assumpt into heauen?

They do therefore vndoubtedly declare that Christ, be∣ing very God and very man, did verely depart out of this world in his naturall body, his humanitie being assumpt into heauen, where it remaineth sitting in glory wyth the father: Where as yet his Deitie did not leaue the world, ne depart out from the earth. Paule doth say Philippians 2. that of ij. things he wist not which he might rather choose,* 1.8 that is to witte, to abide in the flesh for preaching the Gos∣pell, or els to be dissolued from the flesh, seing that to abide with Christ is much and farre better. By the which Paule doth manifestly proue, that they bee not presentlye with Christ, which yet do abide mortall in the flesh. Yet they bee with Christ in suche wise, as the Scripture doth saye that the beleeuing be the Temple of Christ. And as Paule doth say 2. Cor. 13. Do you not know your selues that Iesus Christ is in you?* 1.9 In which sense he also promised to be with vs vn∣to the end of the world. Christ therefore must be otherwise in that place, in which the Apostle desired to be with him, being dissolued, and departed from his body, then he doth abide either in the supper, or else in any other places of the Churches. He therefore doth vndoubtedly meane heauen, which is the paradise of perfect blisse and glory: Where as Christ being a victour, triumpher, and conquerour ouer death, sinne, and hell, and ouer all creatures, doth reigne & remaine corporally. Thus do I trust that your grace doth see my sentence, this farforth to be right Catholicke, Chri∣sten, and faithfull, according to holy scripture, to holy Fa∣thers, and to the Articles of our Christen beliefe. Whiche sentence is thus: Christes naturall body is so assumpt into heauen, where it sitteth or remaineth in glory of the father, that it can no more come from thence, that is to wit, from heauen returne, vntill the end of the world: and therefore can not the same naturall body, naturally be heere in the world, or in the Sacrament: For then should it be depar∣ted or gone out of the world,* 1.10 and yet be still remaining in the world. It should then be both to come, and alreadye come, which is a contradiction, and variaunt from the na∣ture of his manhead.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Christ in his man head not in many places at once.
• * 1.2

  Math. 28.
• * 1.3

  Actes. 1.
• * 1.4

  The property of mans nature not to be seque∣stred frō Christ.
• * 1.5

  Thinges corpo∣rall and thinges spirituall, not to be compared.
• * 1.6

  The body of Christ is locall and in one place. Iohn. 13.
• * 1.7

  Luke. 24.
• * 1.8

  Phil. 2.
• * 1.9

  2. Cor. 13.
• * 1.10

  The naturall body of Christ cannot be both in heauen and in earth locally.