that you lose not this grace through your negligâ—â— be diligent attentife and circumspect styryng vp in yoâ— selues the gift of God The spirit speaketh these thinges Now also he prouoketh to dilligeÌ„ce by authoritie diuiâ—â— The spirite of God speaketh and reuealeth these things 〈◊〉 the spirite of men or of errour for God speaketh by his sâ—â—rite whiche is red to be the spirite both of the father and oâ— sonne Moreouer he applieth all and euery thing to all coâ—gregations where he sayth what the spirite saith to the coâ—gregations not to the congregation It is now than manifest and out of all controuersie These thiÌ„ges apperteine to all churches that those seuen churches do represent a figure of al churches throughout the whole world and that all they be instructed in those seuen Furthermore least any thyng shoulde wante to the iuste exhortation vnto repentaunce to faith and dilligence last he annexeth a moste ample promyse and vseth an allegoricall speache that it might haue the more grace with it A most ample promis To them that ouercome he promyseth to geue the fruict of the tree of lyfe planted in the paradise of God And alludeth to the .2 Chap. of Genesis And he translateth the sense from earthly thinges to celestiall The paradise Paradise of God by the which som vnderstande the church is that eurlasting blesse and felicitie wherof the Lorde spake to the thief saying This day shalt thou be with me in paradise Herein is the tree of lyfe Christ communicating to vs his eternal life Whiche we inioy and haue the fruition of whilest being conueied into heauen by hym and with hym we liue Finally this is that Ambrosia or Godly drinke which the heauenly father geueth vs to drinke But this great and wonderfull good chaunceth not to euery one but only to him that ouercometh For Adam had not ouercome but vanquished had died If we therfore shall ouercome the flesh the Deuil and the world and that through Christ we shal liue also in the world to come with Christ The complutention boke hath whiche is in the middes of â—he Paradise of my God And Aretas expoundeth it Of my God and â—ayth Let no man herewith be offended Al humble thinges â—gree to the dispensation of the incarnation whiche was made for our cause since that he himself in the Gospel saith 〈◊〉 ascende vnto my father and your father to my God and â—o your God c. And thus farre hetherto concerning the Epistle of Iesus Christ by Iohn to the Ephesians and what profit our churches also and euery of vs may receiue therof The Lorde lyghten the eyes of our mynde ¶ The second Epistle of Iesu Christ by Iohn to them of Smyrna is expounded And is an exhortatiâ—â— to patience and consolation in afflictions The .ix. Sermon ANd vnto the Aungel of the coÌ„grâ—gation of Smyrna wryte Thesâ— thinges sayth he that is first anâ— the last whiche was dead and iâ— aliue I know thy workes and tâ—â—bulations and pouertie but thou arte richâ— And I know the blasphemie of them which call them selues Iewes and are not but aâ— the congregation of Sathan Feare none 〈◊〉 those things which thou shalt suffer Beholâ— the Deuil shall cast some of you into prisoâ— to tempte you and you shall haue tribulatâ—â— ten daies Be faithfull vnto the death and 〈◊〉 will geue thee a crowne of lyfe Let him thâ— hath eares heare what the spirite saith to congregations he that ouercometh shall nâ— be hurt of the second death The argument of the seconde Epistle Iesus Christ from the right hand of the father throuâ— the ministerie of an aungell by the Apostle and Euangeâ— S. Iohn exhorteth the congregations of Smyrna than â—â—flicted with all kinde of euils for the worde of God vnto â—â—feraunce and comforteth the same sighing nowe vnder 〈◊〉 crosse promising great thinges to them that ouercome Aâ— verely ther can not of this maner and in this matter a beâ— or briefer exhortation and consolation be found For in 〈◊〉 wyse it is couched of the eternal wisdome of the father 〈◊〉 vnto all times A generall comfort exhortatioÌ„ to patience and to all that mourne vnder the crosse it 〈◊〉 right well agree For like as Christ at the right hande of 〈◊〉 father is the catholique or vniuersal Byshop so verely is 〈◊〉 doctrine generall which he him selfe also applieth to all câ—â—gregations in the ende of this Epistle and in others And sâ— he declareth that he loueth his churche and is present in the same by his power and ayde And verely it is to be marueled The congregatioÌ„ of Smyrna excellent that nothing is blamed in this churche since that some faulte is founde in maner with all others Therfore was the churche of Smyrna right excellent howbeit not without any spirite For the Lorde of his goodnes doth not impute vnto vs smal faultes of the which the Prophet speaketh who shall say my heart is cleane And from my hidde sinnes clense me so that there be a feruent desyre or zeale of Godlines in vs that we be voyde of great enormities First is shewed vnto whom this heauenly letter is sent Thepistle is written to the shepeheard to the flok to the Pastour of the churche of Smyrna and to the whole flocke For the captayne is sayd to haue soughten or fled or to haue taken peace when the whole armie together with him hath done this And the stories beare witnes that Policarpus was that same messenger or pastour of the church of Smyrna ordeined of the Apostles theÌ„ selues Policarpe namely of S. Iohn Byshop there and that he liued in the misterie of this congregation .lxxxvi. yeares For so many he accompteth hym selfe before the Lieftenaunt Herode what tyme he was brought to execution For in the fourth persecution of the churche Aurelius Antoninus and Aurelius Comodus being Emperoures he was taken and brought to the gouernour And at length for the open and sincere confessinge of Christ he was burnt He had this very muche in his mouth That nothing ought to be receiued for true vnlesse it were knowen to be set forth by the Apostles Ireneus affirmeth that when he was a childe he sawe this olde father a man of great yeares and reuereÌ„ce in the third boke and third chapt against heresies where he telleth many thinges of him besides As also doth Eusebius in the .iiii. boke of theccle history â—he .xiiii. and .xv. chapters And S. Hierom in the register of â—he famouse wryters of the Churche Eusebius in his Chroâ—icis noteth that he suffered Martyrdome in the yeare of â—ur Lorde a. C. ixx Whereby it appeareth that he was â—ade Byshop of Smyrna in the yeare of our Lorde .lxxxiiii. â—r there about For we sayd euen nowe that he had bene in that ministerie .lxxxvi. yeares And therfore had he bene Byshop of Smyrna many yeares before the setting forth of thâ— Apocalipse whiche was written in the
excellent in all kinde of vertues and especially the seculars as they tearme them who hath muche misliked the tiranny and impietie of the Popes of Rome in so muche that they haue stoutely oftentimes withstande them Our age doubtles is muche bounde to this order or state that a good parte of the preachyng of the holy gospel is reformed the which both they with other princes of Germany moste worthie of praise do by Gods inspiration valiaūtly against the furies of Antichrist defende and mantayne The Lord increase in them in other godly Princes through the whole world his giftes and mercifully kepe and preserue thē But to returne to the prosis and order of the Historie certayne it is that immediately after Gregory the .5 the Deuill inuaded the see of Rome Nother could Platina dissemble this thing a writer of Popes liues knowen to all men See what he sayeth of Popes in the life of Syluester .3 which hath very fauourably spared his lordes and maisters and many times hath couered their abominable actes yet writyng of the successour of Gregory the .5 Siluester the .2 sayeth he before called Gilberte a Monke of Florey forsakyng his monasterie followed the Deuil vnto whom he gaue him self whole And by and by he addeth Gilbert moued with Ambition and a deuelish desire to rule through briberie gote firste the Archbisshopricke of Reyns after of Rauenna and after with greater suite the Deuill furtheryng him he obteyned to be pope yet vnder this cōdicion that after his death he should be the Deuilles wholy c. He that would knowe the full story and abridgement taken out of Antoninus The See of Rome vtterly corrupted Nauclerus and others lette him reade the .9 boke of Funccius Cronicles vnder the yere .998 Beno a Cardinall supposeth at this time to be fulfilled those thousande yeres after the which the Deuill breakyng lowse beganne agayne to rage in the worlde Wherof shall followe certen thinges in the .20 chapt of this booke Notwithstandyng I shall not refuse to gather here certen thinges out of this Benone Cardinall and briefly to recite them here for the declaration of our matter Therefore Beno in the life and actes of Hildebrande The mallice of the Popes vexyng the emperours called Gregory the .7 one Gerbertus which had infected the citie with sorcerie sayeth he after the thousand yeres fulfilled coming vp out of the botōlesse pitte of Gods permission was Pope 4. yeres and chaungyng his name was called Siluester the 2. And after Gilberte the yere .25 I suppose it should be red .32 And howe they reigned these yeres Stories testifie and that very euyl Theophilactus his schollar atchieued the seate violently called Benedict the .9 He had a dere frende and priuie to all his doynges one Gratiane Archeprieste of S. Iohn porte latin Vnto whome Hildebrande a Monke of Cluney forsakyng his abbeye did familiarely cleaue and became a familiar frende of his But Benedict fearyng him selfe solde his seate to Gratiane Maister of Hildebrande receiuyng of him fiue hondred thousande poūdes which promoted to the office was called Gregory the .6 Neuerthelesse they had shortly a thirde Pope Sabinus and he was called Siluester the .3 Themperour therefore Henry the .2 a godly man valeaunt wise and stoute goyng to Rome to pourge the church for as yet the Bisshoppes vsed not full authoritie compelled Benedicte or Theophilacte the Magician to flee cast Gregory in pryson and sent a waye Siluester to his olde Bisshoprike And he holdyng a Counsell placed the Bisshop of Bamberge whom he called Clement in the seate of whome also he receyued the crowne And he brought Gregory with his disciple Hildebrande with him into Germany In the meane time Benedict retournyng to Rome from flight vexeth Clement and with much inchauntynge infecteth the Citie and by letters receyued from Hildebrande out of Germany he learneth what is done in the Emperours court Gregory dieth there in prison and lefte Hildebrande his heire both of his false packyng and of his monie Clement dieth also Whom Damasus the .2 succedeth immediately but streight wayes poisoned by reason of the tumulte that was in the citie the Emperour sendeth Bruno Bisshoppe of Tully commen of the noble house of the Erles of Holst a worthy mā Here Beno annexeth in whose trayne through the ouer much sufferaūce of the Emperour Hildebrande was permitted to retourne by this permission to subuerte bothe the Bisshoprycke and Empire vnder pretence of religion And this Beno herein was a trewe prophet whiche sayeth thus also in the storie of Hildebrande and telling Bruno many things by the waie crepte into his fauour and as sone as he came to Rome obteyned of him that he was made one of the kepers of S. Peters Aultar And in a shorte time he filled his coffers And he also recōciled his olde Lord and maister Benedicte fayning repentaunce disceiptfully to Leo the .9 for so Bruno beyng made Pope was called and through the counsell of Benedicte otherwise called Theophilacte he armed Leo agaynst the Normannes and betrayed him vnto them The Germanes therefore slayne by treason scarsely the Pope all desolate escaped This sayeth Beno And certē it is that this Monke Hildebrande Gregory the .7 from that time forewarde aspired to gette the seate and in the meane time whilest it was gouerned of others he incensed and ruled the Popes as Leo the .9 Victour the .2 Stephen the .9 Benedicte the .10 Nicolas the .2 and Alexander the .2 But they smell of Hildebrandes stile that are set forth in the name of Leo Nicolas and Alexander But at the length he him self clome vp into the chayre in the whiche he so vsed him selfe that no man vnlesse he were starke blinde but might see that his deuelish gouernement hath requited most aboūdantly Henry the .4 the sonne of Henry the thirde his fathers cariyng of him into Germany And he beganne openly and impudently to take vpon him the power of the emperour Nother can it be tolde at fewe wordes in what detestable wise this beaste did afflicte bothe the Emperour and empire al the while he was Pope for the space of .12 whole yeres An Abridgement of that story hath Iohn Functius compiled in the .10 boke vnder the yere of our Lorde .1074 Diuerse opinions of Gregory the .7 I know that Platina and many Italian wryters yea and some Germanes also doe highly cōmende the religion and vertues of this Gregory the .7 by the whiche thyng the Popishe tiranny vnder the pretence of religion is wonderfully augmented and confirmed and many blynded Yet is it comen to passe agayne through the grace of God that men of graue authoritie religion and vertues haue fayre and wel plucked of the visure from this beaste Therefore haue Synodes and Counselles not to be cōtemned condemned this Gregory and first in dede the Coūsell of Mentz wherein were 19. famous Byshopes Than was assembled at Brixia a Synode of .30 Bisshoppes and of the moste
nor other mo doctrines and to haue no nede of other Reuelations For the churche ys already instructed with a most complete doctrine There is it taught also what we ought to do with corrupte doctrines and teachers And where it is easy to fall into vices this boke doth dilligently and plentifully minister medicines teaching how the churche falling downe maie be set vp and repared againe And here it treateth much of true repentauÌ„ce of the fruites of repentaunce of the duties of Saincts or of very good workes Moreouer it exhorteth the afflicted to patience and constantie and to the confession of Christes name withoute feare and to all godlynes many times settyng forth the most ample rewardes of god And also affirming that tourmentes are prepared for the disobedient and reuoltes By this waie meane S. Iohn sheweth to the church how our Lorde Iesus Chryst being in heauen on the righthande of his father in the meane tyme neuerthelesse worketh in the middes of the congregation of his faithful inspiring quickenyng kepyng and gouernyng it And agayne how the church liuing in this world may lâ—ue notwithstanding in Christ and be quickened of him of whom it dependeth wholye whom only it regardeth and in whom it is preserued And who wyll not acknowledge this handlyng of the matter to be all together Apostolicke and right well grounded in the doctryne of Chryst But in the worke it selfe all and euery thynge shall to vs be muche more euidently declared But where as Christ in the Gospel hath said that the church his welbeloued spouse shulde be exercised with sondry afflictions in the whiche notwithstanding The church is subiect to teÌ„ptations persecutions he wolde neuer faile her Nowe in dede froÌ„ the right hand of his Father he recompteth moste plentifully and in a most goodly order of all the dollefull destenies of the churche to thintent that whilest the churche is subiecte to sundry euilles she may remember these thinges and coumfort her selfe lest she beyng discouraged with aduersitie she begin to doubte of the good wyll of God towardes vs and fall againe to Idolatrye forsaken into the errours of theyr Fathers and into the slippery pleasures of this worlde but rather that she go forewarde in the Religion of Chryste once receyued that she holde on throughe constante patience to professe Chryste to cleaue vnto him vnseparably that at the length we maye also be ioyned with the same in the heaueÌ„ly countrey Which is verely the marke and ende of our lyfe the course of all faithful in this miserable world Howebeit Chapter .iiii. wheras in the calamities and persecutions of the faithful and in the felicitie triumphing of the infidels the minde euen of the holyest seruaunt of God is sore moued and greuously tempted before he come to declare the heauy and miserable destenies of the church he setteth foorth vnto them a moste beautifull type or figure of the reuerende holy â–ª and euermore blessed Trinitie wherin is setforthe to be sene of theyes of all men the vnspeakeable wisdome of God power maiestie the iuste gouernement of the same and holy iudgement in all thinges And is also declared that almightie God the father by that Lambe that is by hys sun our onely redemer in the vertu of the holy Gost doth gouern well althinges what soeuer they be eyther in heauen or in earth And also the very destenies of the churche which are written in the boke of his eternal prouidence closed with seueÌ„ seales There appereth the Lamb of God The seuen hornes of the Lambe Chap. v. setforth with seuen hornes That is furnished with most ful power aswel princely as priestly the greatest of al and in all the most absolute The Lamb receyueth that boke of the ryght hand of hym that sitteth in the Throne and vndoeth and openeth in order those seuen seales For he receyueth of hys father all power bothe in heauen and in earth And that the Lambe alone openeth those seuen seales it conteyneth a swete mistery and ministreth a singular comfort to the faithfull For where we beleue that the LaÌ„be of God our redemer Iesus Christ doth loue mankind so excedyngly that neyther in heauen nor in earthe maye any thyng be founde that loueth vs more intierly And now see the very same and none other to open the seuen seales Seuen seales which opened sondry calamities issew out by and by into the worlde Who wold double the same to be sent to him for his health since they are sent not without his prouidence and disposition who directeth al thinges for the saluation of his chosen vnto all the which thinges that notable matter is added that al the spirites Angelicall thelders also and all heauenlye creatures worshyp God and the Lambe prayse and commende his righteousnes and for his excedyng good gouernement geue him immortall thankes For therof we miserable mortall men inuironed with synful fleshe ought to learne that we shuld acknowledg also the iustice of God in all hys workes and not mumer at his gouernement and most rightfull iudgmentes but rather to worship God to submit vs vnto him to prayse his righteousnes and geue thankes for his moste holy gouernmente and to crye with the prophet thou art iust O Lorde in all thy wayes Chap. vi and holy in all thy workes These thinges being on this wise promysed and the mindes of the faithfull thus instructed and prepared in the opening of the seuen seales seuerally is accompted and rekned vp what and how greate euils shuld inuade men from the which not somuch as the faithful liuing in this world shuld be free Wares slaughters famine pestilences are recyted and suche other lyke plages Agayne persecutions seditions Gospel or Consolation and a great deale worse then al these the seducyng and distroying of men through corrupt doctryne But because this boke of the Apocalippes is most euangelicall apostolical it mingleth doubtles in all that declaration often tymes ioyfull thinges with sorrowful and comforteth the faithfull excedingly in moste and greatest daungers And therefore in the calamities Chap. vii troubles euils and corruptions declared hitherto the Aungel of God is brought in who marketh the elect of God in theyr foreheades and all they in dede throughe the goodnes and custodye of God are saued from perdition And of these are accompted innumerable thousandes Wherby we learne that the mercy of God is moste ample in sauing of men and that we ought to hope well of the saluation of oure elders We must hope wel of the saluation of oure forefathers wherof though the most part lyued vnder the corrupt tyme of Papistrie yet followeth not thereof theyr saluation to be doubtfull at the least euen for this cause that we see that God had hath his church at all tymes euen when they be most daungerous To haue hys sealed to haue suche as worship hym whiche like as in times paste haue not bowed
Gospel doth figurate and teache most thinges by parables And. S. Iohn himself in his Gospel is veri much in the mention of light darknes of bread water of a Sheperd and shepe and suche other lyke In the meane while I am not ignorant howe great a difference there is betwene parables Metaphores or Allegories and visions But who agayne knoweth not that in teaching and setting forth of matters the maner of either to be after a sort al one and of the same effect For they serue for plainnes and perspicuitie But let suche as think not a misse that Parables taken of earthly things differ very muche from heauenlye visions Consider how these celestial visions ar exhibited to the Apostle S Iohn by Christ now remayning in heauē and requiring that his seruauntes hauing theyr mindes lifted vp to heauenly thinges shuld learne to sauour spirituall matters Where he yet neuerthelesse hath obserued plaines and perspicuitie The boke is plaine and may be vnderstand I suppose verely this boke to be simple and playne to the faithful that wil read it attētiuely with deuotion I graūt that thold expositours of this boke haue sticked ful oft in expounding the same could not alwayes wind thēselues out but in the meane season it is euident that the same men haue said oftner thē once that hardely shuld this boke be vnderstand before it wer fulfilled And in dede to those auncient fathers the vision of Daniell semed vtterly most obscure But whē such things wer accomplished as he had hid vnder figures there wanted not that sayde how he had wrytten a story of things don and not a prophecie of things to be don And our lord him self also in the Gospel of S. Matthew When you shall see sayth he thabomination of desolation which was spokē of by Daniel the Prophet stāding in the holy place he that readeth let him vnderstand Doth not Esay also in a maner in all his prophecies after the comming of Christ and most of the misteryes of the kyngdom of God accomplished seme likewise to haue compiled a most playn history And doubtles if we reade with diligence this same boke of the Apocalips confer those things which he speaketh vnder a shadow with the same that stories testifie to be done We shall say also that he telleth plaine histories I haue verely loued this boke from my youth vpward I haue gladly red in it bestowed much labour ther vpon obseruing what things it had out of the bokes of the prophets howe the prophecies herof did agree with thother prophesies of the prophets doctrins of the Apostls I haue searched finally after the capacitie of my sklēder wit diuers stories which I thought to make for the openyng of the sence of this prophecie I haue searched also thopinions of other expositours And haue diligentli compared domestical matters which ar don now in our tyme with this narration of Iohn of al the which things and chiefly being ayded by the helpe of God whiche I called for I haue gathered such things as I now do cōmunicate here to the godly readers Hereunto came also the singular learnyng diligence and aptnes in expounding the holy scriptures of the most godly man D. Theodore Bibliander doctour of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Zurick Doctour Theodore Bibliander who thirtine yeres past red openly and to his greate praise this boke of reuelation of whō vnlesse I wold confesse my self to be very much holpē I were excedingly vnthankful There remaineth as yet a faithful relation of the same imprinted at Basyl the yere of our Lord .1545 Wherin he disposeth this boke of S. Iohn geueth a light to it with his scoles And bothe of thold and new that I could get I haue red ouer Aretas the successor of Andreas bishop of Casaria Who haue written vpon the Apocalips whose expositions vpō this boke he allegeth oftner thē once S. Austen also bishop of Hippon and Primasius Bishop of Vtica Neither haue I contemned Thomas of Aquine nor dispised the ordinary glose as they terme it of the newer sort s Sebastian Meter-minister of the church of Bernes .xx. yeres since a man of great vertu and learnyng hath faithfully and not without great fruite traueled in expowndyng this boke whose commentaries vpō the Apocalips wer imprinted many yeres since at Zurick by my frend Froschouer And D. Fraunces Lambart of Auenion a most godly and excellent learned man hath laboured in expoundyng the same boke who had fyrste red it at Marsepurge the noble vniuersitie of Hessia And after in the same citie he caused to be printed and setforth seuen bokes of thexposition therof the yere of our Lord .1528 Moreouer there was imprynted at Wittēberg in Saxony a commentary vpon thapocalipse written an hundreth yeres past and sent to D. Luther out of the furthermost parts of Germany namely out of Sarmatia and tartaria which I red also as likewise certen thyngs of D. Leuthers vpon this boke of Reuelation And here I may not forget the most excellent learned men and the which haue right wel deserued of learnyng Erasmus of Roterdame and Laurence Valla who haue also lefte theyr annotations vpon thys boke By all whose labours I confesse my selfe to be very much holpen whiche I recite franckly for this pourpos that I would dissemble nothyng nor seme toffend against ciuilitie or defraud any man wrongfully of his deserued praise And therfore wold admonish the godly that if I seme to any man to haue don any thing in this work prayse worthy he may know that I haue don nothyng without coadiutours And that he refer thys whole benefite to God thauthor and fountain of all goodnes geue hym thanks therfore And al these thinges of myne I propound to be iudged of the godly readers auditours that they may take that shall seme good herin and where I seme to haue erred frō the right rule they may eschew the same Neyther wil I contend with any man neither will I enuy better learned or better exercised wherof som haue promised already commentaryes vpō this boke if they shal bring forth better thīgs yea I am alwaies ready my self not only to receiue better thynges but also to geue them thanks that offer the same In the meane season I put out my talent which I haue receyued of the Lord that I may win som lucre with it for my Lord. And I beseche the Lord that he wold prosper it wel and blesse thys my simple trafficke Here moreouer I take God to witnes that I haue takē this pain for no priuat hatred towards any man for no desire of raylyng That these cōcions are frēdly wretten nor for any intent to procure any mās displeasure but simply to expound this excellent and right profitable boke of the new Testament which haue lately with my commentaries setforth al the residue of the boks of the new Testament And besides all this many godly learned men
Peter by a vision as appereth in the actes Actes 10. And the Prophet Ioel sayd also howe the people of 〈◊〉 newe Testament should see visions And so doeth the blâ—sed Apostle S. Peter expounde the same place in the Aâ—â— of the Apostles speakyng of the people of the newe Tesâ—ment And our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell propounâ— and declared to the people the moste part of the misteries parables and in maner by fayned fables as they call thâ— And how much thinke you doe these visions types and â—gures of S. Iohn differ from the same This kynd of spâ—â— doth not darken matters but maketh them plaine And â—â—keth much for the efficacitie and perspicuitie and for the câ—firming of the memory For by this meane matters be 〈◊〉 only declared with wordes and heard with the eares 〈◊〉 are set forth also to be sene of the eies and after a sort be fiâ— in the memory The plaines of the scripture Many for this cause attribute much to paâ—ting But I suppose that I may much more rightli attribuâ— very much to this maner of speaking and teaching wherâ— the matter is vttered not by a coulored domme dead paâ—ting but as it were with a speaking liuely maner set foâ— to be sene of the eies Whiche is therfore propounded thâ— men myght rightly and exactly vnderstand the same Albâ— therfore that this whole boke in a maner consisteth of visioâ— and figures What shall be the expositioÌ„ of this boke Yet shall we in dede through the inspiration 〈◊〉 Gods grace shew in our exposition that all that same mâ—keth for the perspicuitie and plainenes and not for the obseâ—ring or darkening of most high and godly matters I wyâ— bring my exposition out of the very scriptures by coÌ„ferring ioyning therunto the rule of faith and charitie I will searche out the circumstaunces the thinges that follow go before I wil bring similitudes dissimilitudes I wil adde also ther vnto the experience of things the faith of histories Which maner of expounding the scriptures all interpretours haue always graunted to be sound true 1 Cor. 14 1 Tess 5 If better thinges shal be reuealed to others I wil gladly after the precept of the apostle geue place vnto my betters For I offer these my doings to be wayed of the godly vpon this conditioÌ„ that they shuld trie al things that which they shal find to be good to hold fast Secondly they obiect that aswel new men as olde How men of late days haue doubted of thauthoritie of this boke of no smal authoritie haue both doubted of this boke of the authour therof also haue contemned it as full of fables vnworthy to be rekened canonical Let those that so thinke geue me thesame libertie I desire them which they vsurpe tho theÌ„ selues and thinke it lawful For if the boke of the Apocalipse â—hould therfore seme worthy to be contemned for that some notable men both old new haue doubted of the authoritie â—herof Why may it not recouer his authoritie againe if I â—hew that the best doctours of the church both old new haue â—ad a right good opinion of this boke And here to thintent 〈◊〉 wold dissemble nothing at al I am not ignorant that doctor Martin Luther a man right notably learned D. Luther in his first ediâ—ion of the new Testament in dutch with a sharp preface set â—efore hath sticked this boke as it wer with a dagger Howe â—e it good wel learned meÌ„ were offended with him for this â—is iudgement which in the same found lack both of wit moâ—estie The same maÌ„ therfor waying al things more vprightâ—y diligeÌ„ly what time he corrected his dutch Bible c. My â—orshipful maister semeth also not to haue set very much by his boke to haue ascribed it not to Iohn the Apostle but to Iohn whoÌ„ thei called a diuine But herein there is no doubt but that he folowed plainly Erasmus of RoterdaÌ„ who is his annotations vpon the new TestameÌ„t In al the Greke copies â—aith he that I haue sene the title was not of Iohn thapostle â—ut of Iohn the diuine Erasmus addeth that amongest the Grekes certen old wryters men doubted of this authour whiche thing he declareth by the testimonies of Eusebius and Hierom of whose opinion shal be spoken streightways But the exempler or Spanishe coppie whiche is set foorth after the faith of the moste auncient and approued Grekes exhibiteth to vs suche a title of ths boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Apocalipse of the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn Diuine For the auncient writers say how S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste for his excellent wryting of the sonne of God was commonly called Diuine Wherof it followeth thaâ— this title doeth attribute and not take from S. Iohn this booke Certes Aretas was also a Greke Aucthour anâ— byshop of Cesaria Of the auncientes saieth he certen hauâ— plucked this Apocalipse from the tongue of that welbeloueâ— Iohn ascribing it to another but it is not so For that samâ— Gregory which as well as he is called a Diuine accomâ—teth this amongst those scriptures whiche vtterly want a suspicion of counterfeiting saying as the Apocalipse of Sâ— Iohn teacheth me And the same man a litle after But thâ— this boke was written by the mouth of the holy ghost S. Bâ—sil Cyril Papias and Hippolytus Hippolitus fathers of the church a mete men to be credited Thus saith he What shal we sayâ— that Erasmus confesseth that the consent of the worlde an authoritie of the churche to be of suche force with hym thâ— he dare not refuse this boke Let vs heare now the iudgement of that moste excellenâ— best man D. Ioh. Oecolampadius Oecolampadius the moste faithfull pâ—stour of the churche of Basill and excellently learned in 〈◊〉 prophetical and in al the Canonicall scriptures concerning this boke which he left vs written in the .xii. Chap. of theiâ—â—â—cond boke of his commentaries vpon Daniel But S. Ioâ— the Paraphraste or expositour of the Prophetes saith he 〈◊〉 how muche he doth attribute to this our authour whom maruel why certen with so rasshe a iudgement doe reiect as a dreamer and franticke and an vnprofitable wryterâ— the church Where neuerthelesse he propoundeth and setteâ— forth very many of the most secret hid things of the oldâ—â—â—stament and of the Prophetes But those great men do bâ—wray what a wening they haue of themselues Whose iuâ—gementes I would verely rather contemne as prophanâ— than I would cast away such a treasure I could here bringe forth goodly testimonies of other newe wryters but that I make haste to the iudgementes of the auncient fathers The eldest of all after the Apostles The iudgementes of thauncient doctours of the church of the Apocalypse Iustine whose wrytynges as yet remayne Iustine and Ireney the noble Martirs of Christ ascribe this boke to Iohn the Apostle For
thiÌ„gs must be done Or that the wycked dyd euyll not through their owne faulte but by Gods compulsion Good thynges must be done bycause God wyllyngly byndyng hym selfe to vs by hys promesse can not but doe that he doeth and promyseth Neuerthelesse he worketh frely Good thynges must be done in the Godly for bycause the nature of grace and faith is suche lyke as the propertie of vngodlines is to contemne and transgresse Wherfore they must also be punysshed And bycause the worlde is suche as it is there must needes bee Heresies and calamities innumerable And he sayeth these thynges must shortly be done that are reuealed for bycause certen thynges began in the very tyme of S. Iohn And although many thynges are founde to be doone a thousande yeares after 2 Pet. 3 yet sayeth the Apostle saynt Peter A thousande yeares before the Lorde be as it were yesterday Therfore this Reuelation apperteyneth to the tymes of the primatiue and last Churche And declareth what thynges so euer shal happen vnto it tyll the last iudgement Yea and howe it shall reigne for euer Moreouer the maner of reuealyng is also touched The maner of reuealing For Christ reuealed those thynges sendyng by hys Aungell or his Aungell sent forth vnto whome he gaue in commaundement what he should saye and doe Whereupon thys Aungell is after also called Christe bycause he represented the persone of Christe Therfore must not the Aungell in this booke but Christ alwayes be considered the trewe Authour of all these thynges And in dede the Diuinitie of Christ is here commended vnto vs what tyme we heaâ— that Christ is the Lord of aungels Wherof S. Paul to the Hebrues hath reasoned more at large Hebre. 1 Moyses in the .xii. â— Numbres setteth forth chiefly thre maners of propheciynâ— or reuelation Thre kyndes of propheciyng Act. 16. First by vision of the which sorte many are â—scribed to Daniell one notable to S. Peter in the .x. of thâ— Actes and likewyse to S. Paul And into this forme Inferre also the Apocalipse Secondly by dreame of the whicâ— sorte were those of Pharao and Nabuchodonozer kynges wherof Ioseph and Daniel were interpretours Gen. 41 Daniel 4. The Prophet Ioel in the second chapter mentioneth of visions and dreames For in the newe Testament also there be very many holy and prophetical dreames Last of all Moyses reheâ—seth a skylfull exposition as many were made to Moyses â–ª to the Apostles Into whose fellowship the Apocalipse commeth after a sorte also where visions are openly expoundeâ— Here appereth the vnspekeable goodnes of God whiche 〈◊〉 many wayes procureth and worketh our saluation and sâ— pleasauntly prepared offereth it vnto vs to inioye Vnhappy is he that knoweth not these thinges To whom it was reuealed and by whom it was writteÌ„ Besides this much mencion is made vnto whome Chrisâ— hath opened this diuine and most excellent reuelation euâ— to Iohn He commendeth hym that is himself for so was iâ— expedient for the confuting of his aduersaries seing that Pauâ— also many tymes mainteined his authoritie against the falâ— Apostles by foure Epithetes For first he calleth himself thâ— seruaunt of Christ This is the eldest and noblest title whicâ— the fathers Prophetes and Apostles haue vsed For they bâ— addicte and consecrate to God Secondly Iohn testified thâ— worde of God amongst the Apostles most expressely declaring the diuinitie of Christ especially where he testified said In the beginning was the worde Iohn 1 c. Moreouer he testifieâ— the witnes of Iesu Christ Vnder the which name the Lordâ— himself in the Gospell and S. Iohn in the .xii. chapt of his Gospel coÌ„prised the whole Euangelicall doctrine And was a seing witnesse of all these thinges For in the first Chapter we haue sene sayth he his glory And in the .xix. Chapter he sawe water and bloud gusse out of the Lordes syde In his Epistle 1 Iohn 1 that we haue sene sayth he and haue heard c. Aretas noteth that in certen Greke copies is added that whiche is had also in the Greke copie of Spayne And what thinges soeuer he hath heard and what so euer be and what so euer must be done after this That same Iohn therfore is authour of this boke The coÌ„meÌ„dation of Iohn whiche as he sawe the Lorde in flesh vpon earth so he sawe the same in spirite reuealing these thinges in heauen and propoundeth to the churche sightes most certen and sure This Iohn was that beloued disciple of the Lord whiche in the last supper rested vpon his breste vnto whom in his last will he bequeathed his mother on the crosse one virgin to another He alone stode by at the aultar of the crosse wheÌ„ Christ died witnes of the true death and of our purification He lyued til the tyme of the Emperour Traiane which thing Eusebius in his cronicles citeth out of Ireney in the noting of the yeare from the birth of Christ an hondreth and thre Dorotheus a most auÌ„cient wryter affirmeth the Iohn liued .vi. score yeares Last is touched also the profit of this godly worke or reuelation The coÌ„modite of this reuelation that hereby the readers and hearers might be prouoked to diligence Where this boke is called also a prophecie For this boke by reason of the telling before of thinges to come is the prophecie of the newe Testament Moreouer a prophecie that is an exposition This boke is a prophecie whiche openeth and and expoundeth the olde Prophetes And promiseth blessednes to the readers hearers and kepers of the things that are wrytten in this boke Blessednes comprehendeth the benefites of the life present so farre forth as the Lorde permitteth them to the godly but chiefly of the lyfe to come If the profit of this boke hath bene also spoken before in the first Sermon And marke that it is not enough to reade or heare this boke It must be perfourmed in dede and kept dilligently For the Lord sayd also in the Gospell Blessed are they that heare the word of God and kepe it They therfore that shall frame their lyfe after this boke are happie For both they flie the seducing of Antichriste abide in the faith of Christ liue for euer more c. And he finisheth the Title with an acclamation by the whiche he moueth the hearers exceadingly For the tyme is at hande as thouge he should saie Let no man thinke here that straunge thinges and the which concerne him nothâ—â— are tolde here which shal come to passe at length after maâ— worldes they belong to euery one of vs. For they be wrâ—ten of matters that chiefly concerne vs and euen of our oâ— affaires So sheweth he that this booke is profitable for a worldes men ages God the father by his sonne teachâ— profitable thinges and admonishing tyme enough and dewe season be praysed worlde without end Amen OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS boke and the Apostles salutation wherin are declared the misteries
chiefly of Christ secondly of our whole faith redemption The third Sermon IOhn to the seuen coÌ„gregatioÌ„s Asia Grace be with you peaâ— from him whiche is and whicâ— was whiche is to come and 〈◊〉 the seuen spirites which are prâ—sent before his throne And froÌ„ Iesus Chriâ—â— which is a faithful witnes and first begotâ— of the dead And Lord ouer the kinges of tâ— earth Vnto hym that loued vs and wasshâ— vs from sinnes in his own bloud And maâ— vs kynges and priestes vnto God his fatheâ— be glory and dominion for euermore Ameâ— Behold he cometh with cloudes And al eyâ— shal se him And thei also which pearsed hiâ— al kinredes of the earth shal wayle ouer him Euen so AmeÌ„ I am Alpha Omega the beginning thending saith the Lord almightâ— which is which was which is to come The beginning or preface of the wâ—rke Another pece of the first part of this boke conteineth tâ— beginning or preface wherin is the Apostles salutation 〈◊〉 the whiche he discribeth first the whole mistery of Christ â—â—condly of our faith redemption For so were the Apostles wont in the beginning of their writinges to comprise a brief some of salutation Which thing in Paules Epistles is euery where to be sene By the same description he getteth the beneuolence and attentiuenes of al men The Apostles salutation or greting is nothing els What is the Apostles salutation but a blessing Blessing is an old accustomed order by the whiche the Patriarkes wished of God to their children al maner of good thinges both of body soul Which verely in Genesis is described at large And also the high priest had coÌ„maundement geuen to blesse the people As we reade in the sixt of NuÌ„bres especially he commaundeth to put his name vpon the people Therfore it is a supersticion to say God verely from whome euery good gifte descendeth froÌ„ aboue blesseth that is geueth good thinges but ministers or men wishe only And the Lord in dede in the lawe promiseth that he will grauÌ„t those thinges to the people whiche the high priestes shoulde wishe them Therfore nother wordes nor shauen crownes but the truth power of God geue the giftes We ought not therfore to doubt but that God wil grauÌ„t to vs also thapostolical blessing that being reconciled accepted of God we might haue peace And first S. IhoÌ„ repeteth his name left we shuld any thing doubt of thautour Iohn interpretour of Christ towardes the congregations whoÌ„ we see Christ to haue vsed as scribe interpretour vnto al coÌ„gregatioÌ„s But he repeteth not himself to be that seruauÌ„t of god witnesse or Apostle of Iesu Christ It sufficed to haue heard that at the first beginniÌ„g Therfore he teacheth theÌ„ modestie humilitie also which haue obteined great giftes Afterward he signifieth to whoÌ„ he wryteth to whoÌ„ this boke apperteineth to the seuen churches of Asia the names wherof he will vtter shortly after And Aretas bishop of Cesaria by the .vii. churches saith he by the .vii. nuÌ„bre he signified the multitude of churches that be in al places So also Primasius bish of Vtica in Affrick expouÌ„deth the .vii. nuÌ„ber Therfor this salutatioÌ„ this boke the whole doctrine of Iesu Christ writteÌ„ by s IhoÌ„ To whom this booke apperteineth apperteineth to the whole vniuersal church of Christ throughout al the world in all times ages WherupoÌ„ it beloÌ„geth to all vs also as many as be of vs in the church of Christ For albeit thepistles be intitled to the Romains Galath yet followeth it not therfore that they be not ours And he wryteth expressely to the churches of Asia not to tâ— churches of Hierusalem or Iewery that he might so shewâ— that the kingdome of Christ is comen also already to the gâ—tiles And as God from the beginning chose Israell in whiâ—he myght set forth a perfit example of the church and coÌ„mâ—wealth so froÌ„ the beginning of the new TestameÌ„t he chose thosâ— seuen churches of Asia which he might set forth to the whâ—â— Christen world But in case Rome had ben set in the first plaâ— amongest the churches as Ephesus is good God hoâ— much wold the Romish sort make of it for the estabishingâ— their supremacie The forme of the Apostles bessing And the maner of the Apostles saluting wysheth granâ— peace Grace is the fauour of the deitie and the reconcâ—ment wherby God the father for Christ his sake is madeâ— one with vs our sinnes pardoned we adopted for his chiâ—dren Therof arriseth the peace and tranquillitie of myndâ— and the desire of concorde with all men And here he sheweth aboundantly who geueth the churcâ— his blessing that is to witte grace reconcilement peaâ— God and God thre in persons the father the sonne and thâ— holy ghost one God in essence But here he discerneth thâ— persones very well From him that is to witte the fatheâ— And from the seueÌ„ spirites that is from the holy ghost And froâ— Iesu Christ this is the diuersitie of persons And the signification of the vnitie is when after the proprieties of persons dâ—clared The holy gost is placed in the middes he addeth I am Alpha omega c. And that the hoâ— ghost is set here in the middes it disordereth not the misteâ— of the Trinitie but appeareth to be an argument that he 〈◊〉 the spirite as well of the father as of the sonne and that hâ— procedeth from both As it is also proued by the wordes 〈◊〉 our lord the xiiii.xv and .xvi. of Iohn Here is also describeâ— the whole holsome mistery first of Christ than of the catholike faith and of our redemptioÌ„ so that herein you may findâ— the chiefest articles of the Apostles crede haue here a mosâ— goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ our Lord. Hereof al meÌ„ shall iudgâ— how truly some men say The father whiche is which was c. that this boke contrary to the â—â—stome of thapostles maketh litle mentioÌ„ of Christ of faith The father as fountain original of whom the son is ingendred is first described for that it is he whiche is which was and which is to come Those wordes toke Iohn out of Moyses in the .iii. and .xxxiiii. chap. of Exod. out of many testimonies of Esay And he saith nothing but that God the father is an eternall ensence which coÌ„sisteth by and of it self and is and geueth life to all and in all preserueth the same And that this essence is suche that it hath bene always with out beginning For this is it that he ioyneth to being or existing was He addeth and he that shall come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which shal be and shal remaine euen to the ende and to euerlastingnes without end The Grekes deriue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of running for that conning and running he medleth with all matters is euery where present bringing help to the godly or
their fore partes I meane with theyr brestes and heades and winges to haue stande forth and so to haue compassed the Throne and as it were inuironed it rounde about For so mighte they seme to be in the middes of the same Throne and rounde about the same After What maner of beastes they were what maner of beastes the same were is described dilligently in numbre they were foure For in times past also the nombre was expressed of Ezechiel And the partes of the worlde are trimly signified by the fourth nombre comprehending the vniuersalitie of thinges And some here haue forged the foure Monarchies of the worlde c. And euery beaste had his face and his bodye sixe winges and the same ful of eyes within as also theyr bodies were ful of eyes The firste represented in shape and fashion a Lion the seconde a Calfe the third a Man the fourth a fliyng Egle. By these appere to be signified all creatures visible and inuisible reasonable and vnreasonable and that the moste excellent For after in the .v. chapter we shal heare that al creatures ioynctly together doe worship the Lambe and him that sitteth on the Throne And verely God vseth them all the Sunne the Moone the Starres the ayre the fire and briefly all liuinge thinges And suche creatures as he hath chosen to the intent to worke any thing by them he maketh the same to be of efficacitie instructing euery one after their state and condiciō that they should want no wisedom reason strength power patience labour quickenes nor swiftenes The face of man signifieth witte and wisedom as also the eyes signifie a foresighte watchefulnes subtilties and luckenes in doynge of thinges The Lions face betokeneth force and strength and stoutenes or magnanimitie As the sighte of an oxe or a calfe betokeneth induring of labour The Egle the sixe winges swiftnes As for an example God chose vnto him the Assirians or Babilonians whiche should distroye Niniue These therfore as it is in Nahum the lord prepared and furnisshed that they were swifter than Egles and the reste as you may reade in the 1. and .2 Chapt. of Nahum And so be al creatures ministers of the iudgemēts of God cōming out of his iudiciall Throne What the beastes do Than it is touched also what those beastes doe They goe aboute the Throne awaytynge alwayes for God his commaundement that they may applie the same cherefully spedely and stoutely Neither haue they any reste marke howe he saieth haue not shal haue or haue had but haue any rest that is to witte they be in cōtinewall doynges of God But heare may we not vnderstāde that they be greued with any painefulnes And also thei honour god with cōtinual praise Aretas it signifieth sayeth he no laboriouse thing And they haue no rest but a continuall Tenure aboute the singyng of godly prayses c. The songe of the beastes what we muste learne therof Finally here is set also the fourme of the himne and praise of al creatures In olde time Dauid songe also prayse ye him Sunne and Moone c. The same himne is set in the 6. of Esaye And what do all creatures commende in God whose seruice God vseth and whose force and operation they fele chiefly holines These thinges do chiefly concerne the some of the matter For they teache God to be holy vnspotted iuste good omnipotent doyng althinges eternal the beginning of thinges and preseruer For they saie holy lord God omnipotent whiche was c. Whiche wordes verely we did expounde in the first chapt Who woulde not gather therof the workes and iudgementes of him to be most holy iuste who therefore shall hereafter reproue the iudgementes and workes of the Lorde Iuste is the Lorde in al his wayes and holy in al his workes This Testimony of all creatures maketh vs willing ready chereful and carelesse that we should willyngly quiet our selues in the iudgementes of God and murmure at him in nothing whīe he should do this or that But wholy submitte our selues vnto God beleuing all his workes to be good and to be done for the profit of the godly and for the most iuste punishment of the wicked Holy is God the father holy is God the sonne and holy is God the holy ghoste holy is one God in Trinitie blessed for euermore Holy are al his workes and his wayes vndefiled And we reade more rightly three times holy than niene times after the example of the complutensian boke For the fourmer lection the prophet Esaye approueth To God almightie be prayse and glory ¶ Here is declared what the Elders did about the Throne and how they sange vnto God a song of prayse The .xxv. Sermon ANd whan these beastes gaue glory and honour and thankes to him that sate on the seate which liueth for euer euer The .xxiiii. Elders fel downe before him that sat on the Throne and worshipped him that liueth for euer and cast their Crownes befor the Throne saiyng thou arte worthie lorde to receyue glory and honour and power For thou haste created all thinges and for thy willes sake they are and were created This most godly vision wel and rightly vnderstande The fruits of this vision and reposed in faithful memory instructeth vs rightly in iudgeyng rightly the workes of God that we should feare God be patient and submitte our selues wholy to God and geue all glory vnto him For this is the very fruicte that cometh vnto vs and the ende of all thinges that here are spoken And by the waye he inferreth in repetyng what the beastes did and declareth also what the .xxiiii. elders did Thexāple of the Elders Herby we are manifestly taught what we also owe vnto God and what we shall iudge of his workes and howe we should behaue our selues towardes him herin Those beastes that is to say the whole nūbre of creatures whose ministerie God vseth in the gouernement of things ascribe three thinges vnto God sitting that is to saye ruling and gouerning al thinges to God I say liuing for euer that is to saye eternall liuinge and geuynge or inspiringe life into all thinges Firste in dede glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is a maiestie or greate estimation a reputation worshyp Glory to god dewe or good opinion when we thinke well of God protesting that there is nothing better than he greater more worthye more iuste more holy more excellent This glory are we alwaies commaunded to geue him to esteme nothing in this world derer and more preciouse than God Secondly they geue to him honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour dewe to God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greke signifieth honour and price and the dewe and bounden duety that we owe to any We owe vnto God reuerence and submission as to the supreme good and the only and trewe lord of al. S. Paul in the 13. to the Romanes speakinge of obedience dewe to the magistrate to
Whose bloud prohibited the Aungel distroier from the houses and tentes represented the figure of Christ by whose preciouse bloud we are reconciled to God This expositiō of the Paschal lambe S. Peter him self in the .1 Pet. 1. and S. Paull in the .1 to the Corinth 5. haue brought Esaye accordeth with them in the .53 chapter And so expounded by the Apostle S. Philip in the 8. of the Actes Finally S. Iohn Baptist whiche with the fingar stretched out and poinctyng to Christ exclamed beholde the Lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Let vs therfore beleue that the same Iesus Christ vnto whom al power is geuē of the father to be our deliuerer our expiation reconciliation innocencie sanctification iustification and euerlastyng saluation as he whom we shal heare in the xiii chapt to haue bē slayne from the beginning of the world for so much as his only death one oblation made from the beginning of the world and continually to the worlds ende doeth sanctifie al those that are sanctified Which the Apostle also affirmeth in the .10 to the Hebrewes Howebeit this lambe or sauiour of the worlde is sayed to stand in the middes of the throne verely for that now he executeth thoffice of a catholicke kinge and priest gouernour beynge alwayes ready and prepared to saue So S. Stephen also in the .7 of the Actes seeth him standing Or els in other places we reade that Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father To the which this place gayne saieth not considering that to sitte is bothe to rest and to reigne Moreouer this our Lambe appereth in the Throne of the diuine maiestie The lamb appeareth as slayne as if he were killed not for that he was not slayne in dede and dead for that same is a little after excessed moste exactely but for that he remayned not in deathe but the thirde daye rose agayne from the dead to th ende he mighte so declare him selfe to be the life and resurrection of the faythful Or verely for that after his humanitie he is red to be slayne after his deitie to be immortall and subiecte to no reproche Wherfore in the old lawe the one of the goates in the 16. of Leuitic is slayne but the other is not killed but by the worke of a man herunto appoynted is led forthe into the deserte Neuertheles there is of the expositours which expounde it thus he is sayed as though he were slaine for asmuche as after S. Chrisostome and S. Austen he hath reserued as yet the seares of the woundes of his death in token of his victory c. Furthermore this lambe Christ Iesus our lord hath .vii. The lābe hath seuen hornes hornes not that in dede he carieth so many hornes like a goate of Iude. An horne as appereth by Daniel and by the songe of Zacharie in the 1. of Luke signifieth power and kingdome The .vii. nombre is the nombre of fulnes It is therfore signified that Christ is indued with al kinde of power diuine humane imperial pontifical roiall briefly moste absolute In the 13. chapt we shal heare that the beaste hath taken to him two hornes as it were of the lambe whereof I shal speake in his place Daniel in the 7. chapt And rule sayeth he was geuen him and honour and kyngedome that al nations and tounges mighte worship him whose rule is an euerlastinge rule which shal not perish nor decaye at any time Now hath he seuen eyes also These he expoundeth and sayeth The lābe hathe .vii. eyes whiche are the .vii. spirites of God sente into the whole worlde I shewed you before that the .vii. spirites are called a seuenfold spirite Here therfore is signified the fulnes of the spirite which the lord powereth out vpon al flesh Here is signified the vniuersal knowledge of the sonne in whose sighte are present what thinges so euer are done in heauen and in earth opēly priuely For the spirite of Christ that vnmeasurable force incomprehensible and most diuine searcheth and pearseth al thinges nothinge is hidde from his eyes whiche viewe the whole world And such is Christ as we haue hearde described hitherto What is the gouernour of all and who openeth the seales whome the Patriarches haue before sayed shoulde come a victour and triumphant cōquerour alone verely inuincible very man of our owne substaūce and also our very brother yet very God neuerthelesse of the same substaunce with the father and the holy ghoste the reconciler redemer and the only saluatiō of the world hath suffered for vs and the same risen agayne from the dead and ascended into heauē hauing al power in heauen and in earth whiche seeth al thinges cōmunicateth his spirite vnto men and is the most faithful keper and defender of al mā kinde This Christ Iesus our lord came and receiued he conueyed not or stale it away but toke that boke of the prouidence diuine of the iudgementes of God of the vniuersal gouernmēt of al things that he might open and lowse the Seales thereof that is to saye that he might reueale to vs that are redemed with his bloud the iudgementes of God and mighte dispose and order al thinges in heauen and in earth Therfore sins we know that the gouernour of al thinges is geuen to vs a redemer Kyng Bishop and our only saluation who will not from hence forth willingly submitte himself to his gouernement And seyng we nowe vnderstande certenly how that vnder the seale of faith and veritie al things are done by Christ who dare hereafter more curiousely inquire of his workes and iudgmentes vnto whose credite and gouernement we should nowe cōmitte althinges Howe the sonne is saied to receiue the boke at his fathers hande in case they were in our power Notwithstanding we shall obserue that the sonne doeth not so receyue these thinges of the father that the father is depriued therof For in the .5 chapt of S. Iohns Gospel the Lorde sayeth my father worketh vnto this time I worke c. Certes the sonne is called the worde mouth and arme of the father c. or that after the humanitie the sonne mighte seme lesse than the father For very godly Aretas where the lambe sayeth he receyued the boke of the right hande of him that sitteth on the Throne it must be vnderstande on the behalfe of his humanitie As also that he was slayne For concernyng his deitie none of all those thinges that maye worthely be spoken or thought of God is seuerally assigned to three persones sauing the maner of bringyng forth of him that begetteth and of him that is begotten and of hym that procedeth c. This description of Christ is singular moste excellent very euangelicall and ful of consolation and therfore is it chiefly to be layde vp in the botome of our hartes Where we finde also that they were disceaued in theyr iudgment which were not affrayde to saye that in this boke besides
the maner of praising where he addeth he hath ordeyned them that they should indure for euer he gaue them an ordenaunce neither is it transgressed As if he should haue sayed Where they neglecte no parte of those things wherunto thei are made but are ready in their place order and time and do their duety exceadingly well do they not preache vnto men the wonderfull wisedome and power of God For in an other Psalme also dauid sayeth the heauens shewe forth the glory of God and the firmament declareth the workes of his handes c. Thus I saye the creatures with out life do praise and coÌ„mende the name of God vnto men what time they are moued worke wonderfully and obediently do the thing were vnto they are appoincted The Hymne of al creatures like as that was of the beasts An Himne sayed vnto Christ of al creatures and Elders and Aungels is here also trimmely described although briefly But where it hath nothing that hath not beÌ„ declared before I wil not by oft repetyng and speakyng the same thinges molest and werie the gentle hearers Howbeit that one thing semeth chiefly to be obserued that they ioyne him that sitteth in the throne and the lambe together so acknowledging the sonne to be coequall with the father and they both to be worshipped with like honour and with like praises to be celebrated and coÌ„mended They attribute peculiarly to the lambe Empire or kingdome for that he receiued the boke of the father as is declared before to wit al power and authoritie to gouerne al thinges The foure beastes singe to it Amen A coÌ„sâ—nt is approued dissente is reproued eyther so confirmyng the Hymne of the creatures or thus declaryng their consent with them To the intent we should with one minde praye together and prayse God blessed for euermore With these are moreouer confuted the dessensions of men The Lord alloweth the concorde and agrement of menne and requireth vtterly especially in prayers and godly prayses For he coÌ„maundeth in the Gospell to laye downe thyne oblation whiche thou wouldest offer in case thou doest remeÌ„bre any discorde betwixt thee and thy brother to goe vnto him and to renewe amitie and than to retourne to thine offeringe which in the prophetes is called an abomination in case it be offered of myndes possessed with rancour and mallice c. Thelders worshippe agayne Finally the elders fal doune agayne and worshippe him that liueth for euer doubtles that by their ofte worshipping al we in earth might be moued vnto obedience For if these thinges be done in heaueÌ„ of the blessed spirites what I praye you is mete for vs to do here in earth And marke that they are sayed to worship him that liueth for euer who neuerthelesse fell downe firste also before the lambe and before the Throne out of the which the spirite proceded and wherupoÌ„ sate he that sitteth wherof we gather that the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost are in dede distincte in persones yet these three not to be three Gods but one God liuing for euer A medicine agaynst all heresies And verely this notable vision and treatise maye be in the steade of a moste effectuall remedy agaynst sondry poysons of heresies especially of the Arrians and Seruetanes or rather perdetanes moreouer agaynst diuerse and curiouse disputations and temptations touchyng the workes iudgmentes and prouidence of God Yf we be wise we will obediently submitte our selues to the liuing God with all the creatures and Sainctes of God worshipping him and with the Prophet criyng thou art iust Lord in al thy wayes and holy in al thy workes Thou hast created vs al thinges are thine Thou gouernest al thinges in best order Thou louest man Thou hast geuen vs thy sonne Thou by thy sonne our redemer gouernest al thinges vprightly We worship thee the father the sonne and the holy ghost one very god To thee is dewe the kingdom honour and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ Two seales are opened and the directe course of Gods worde is and a cruel course of warres against the disobedient The .xxx. Sermon ANd I sawe when the lambe opened one of the seales The .6 chapter and I heard one of the foure beastes saye as it were the voice of thonder come and see And I sawe and beholde a white horse And he that sate on him had a bowe and a crowne was geuen vnto him And he went forth conquering and to ouercome And when he opened the seconde seale I hearde the seconde beast saye come and see And there went out an other horse that was red and power was geuen to him that sate there on to take peace from the earth that they should kill one an other And there was geuen vnto him a great sworde Hitherto hath thapostle prepared the auditours to heare with a quiet minde the iudgementes of God and fatal destenies of the church and patiently to beare all aduersitie and that we should worship him in al thinges and geue glory to his name consequently he expoundeth in a most goodly order the iudgementes of God and destenies of the Church shewyng how the sonne of God gouerneth the ordenauÌ„ces of God and his eternall prouidence And this is as it were a Prognostication for all times and Ages vnto the worldes ende A coÌ„tinual prognostecatioÌ„ of al times froÌ„ the birth of Christ For we shal not thinke that here are rehersed only the actes of one age or two but of al. And first al thynges are generally described by partes afterwarde particularly when we come to the openyng of the seueÌ„th seale The some is the lord sendeth forth the preaching of the trueth into the world which when men refuse and dispise they are distroyed with warres and other calamities innumerable Attentiuenes here is necessarie But before al thinges S. Iohn is excited and in him all we to be attentife And one that is to wit the first of the beastes doeth excite him One of the Sabbat is set for the firste daye in the weke that same is verely the sondaye The voice of the beast is like vnto thonder Wherby is signified that here is treated of greate most weighty matters For most great and terrible thinges followe whiche shake the whole world Therfore let vs not playe the slepy sluggardes let vs not be blinde and deafe Doubtles the sloughtfulnes of our time is such that we little consider the workes of God and what is done in our time The storkes swallowes Turtels and the rest of liuing thinges passe vs which ful wel obserue their time Therfore are we here wel stired vp that we shuld not be slouthful but should marke what thinges are declared and shewed vs of the Lord. The firste seale is opened And when S. Iohn had diligeÌ„tly marked what was don he seeth the lambe Christ I meane our redemer open one seale that is to saye the first And streight wayes came forth a white
corrupte doctrine of heresies or sectes and troubles euer sins the time of S. Iohn vnto the last iudgemēt It is extended through out the .8.9.10.11 chapt A consolation euen euāgelical Neuerthelesse before the trompettes come forth for a consolation as it were by a little digression is placed a remedy which the faithful in al ages may vse in that pestiferouse corruption to kepe safe their soules the integritie of the same For many times in this boke are broughte in moste strong consolatiōs in maters of most difficultie For al the .10 chap. shall serue also to this Argument And the remedy that he sheweth is this that we muste flee vnto Christe redemer of of mankynde intercessour propiciatour And that we shall be safe vnder his defence that we muste offer vp to him our prayers continually And verely the Lord in the Gospel reasoninge of the greatest daungers of the Deuill prepared for the company of Apostles and beyng at hand Yet addeth he by and by that whiche mighte comforte their sorrowfull mindes I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth should not faile c. Beholde we are saued in greatest distresse thorow Christes protection that we should not fainte in fayth Howbeit as euery where the Euangelicall and Apostolicall letters do intimate our continual prayers which we offer to God through Christ must be ioyned to our truste in Christ And in fewe wordes the intercession of Christ at the righte hande of God and effecte and maner of the prayer of the faithfull are here set forth to beholde But we shal declare euery thing in order He spake in general vnder the .vi. seale of corrupt doctrine in the seuenth he wil declare the same particularly and most aboūdantly And whileste the seuenth seale was opened there was silence in heauen almost halfe an howre Of this silēce the expositours write diuersely But as I thinke the hearers are excited by this silence to a diligent and attentiue hearyng For silence hath an admiration and an expectation of matters moste weightie Salomon sayeth in the .9 of Ecclesiast the wordes of wise menne are hearde in silence When weightie matters should be proclaymed and set forth the crier is woonte to proclayme silence And in dede they be matters of great importaunce that followe which vnlesse we obserue with great attentiuenes we shal perish in sectes and seductions Those spirituall wickednesses be more daungerouse than corporall perilles And nowe whilest in silence they loke for with an admiraration what should come the last seale beyng opened behold there appere seuen Aungelles trompetters of these we shall speake afterwarde Nowe is placed set forth a remedy to be taken in so great euils as I sayed The whiche A remedie agaynst all kinde of sectes trōperies and troubles to the intent it might be more liuely and maye be printed more depely in our brestes is set forth to be sene with a moste godly vision Before the seate and in the compasse almoste of the seate appereth a golden Aultar And there came an Aungell and standeth at this Aultar the same hath in his hande a golden censer into this the Sainctes put their offeringes He offereth thē before the seate and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth vp from the hande of the Aungel before God Christe is the golden Aultar We sayed in an other place that the golden Aultar of incense was the Lord Christ him selfe whiche is bothe Aultar and sacrifice and priest as S. Paule witnesseth to the Hebre. The same is called an Aungell to witte the same of whome both Esaye maket mention in the .9 Malach. 3. Chapt. and also Malachie saying beholde I sende mine Aungel which shal prepare the waye before me and sodenly the Lorde shall come vnto his temple whom you seke for and the Aungel of the couenaūt whō you desire beholde he cometh saieth the lord of hostes The fourmer Aungell that is to saye messenger or Ambassadour was Iohn Baptiste whiche prepared the waye for the Lord. Marke 1. He to witte the later Aungel came immediately after the preachyng of Iohn and made complete that euerlasting couenaunt The same nowe appereth on the right hande of God in Heauen what christ doeth at the righthand of the father And two thinges of him are vttered Firste that he stode before or in or vpon the Aultar We may here Imagine nothing corporally but we must thincke that by this maner of speakyng is signified the priesthood of Christ He appereth alwayes in the sighte of his father for vs As S. Paull hath taught the .8 to the Romains and .9 Chapter to the Hebrewes He pleadeth therfore the cause of his church before God and is aduocate for the faithfull The same morouer standeth before the Aultar the same standeth in the middes of the seate For he is coequall with the father after his deitie after the which he standeth in the seate and after his humanitie is of the same substaunce with vs according to the which dispensation he is red as Bishop and very man to stande before the Aultar The latter which is to be obserued is this that christ holdeth in his hande a golden censer For he hath taken our very nature without sinne that he might make intercession for vs and offer vp our prayers to God the father Christ offeceth vp our prayers And leeste any man should doubte that he receyueth our prayers and offereth them to God finally that the true office of the Church might also appere offeryng vp al thinges by Christe there is added to him are geuen many odours But to what ende that he might geue them vpō the golden Aultar and that before the seate as though you should saye that he might bring them into the sight of God And because of a further declaration leeste we should not know the trewe odours whiche please God and whiche the faithful offer vnto God through Christ The trewe odoures be the praiers of saintes ones or twise he addeth that those odoures be the prayers of Sainctes And he meaneth by Sainctes not those that dwel in heauen but vs in the earth which are sanctified with the spirit of our God with the bloud of Christ baptisme faith and worde Iohn .13 Philip. 4. And the prayers be inuocatiōs and geuyng of thankes And he saieth expressely of al Sainctes leest any should feare that he and his prayers offered by Christ were excluded Yf thou beleue thou arte holy and thy prayer is of God accepted What the prayers of Sainctes be it appereth in the Lordes prayer which we offer vp to the father in the name words of Christ hallowed be thy name thy kyngedome come and the residewe which all fight with those sectes and corruptiōs of trewe doctrine Ireneus alledgeth this place in the .31 and .32 chapt of the .4 booke And by this meane he calleth Eucharistia whiche is geuing of thankes the sacrifice of Christians For the mainteyners of papistrie do
which in the Gospel sayeth I wil geue you a mouth and wisedome whiche al your aduersaries shal not be able to gaine saye Moreouer my heaueÌ„ly father will geue his holy spirite to suche as desire of him Therfore sayeth the Aungel nowe take the boke Neuerthelesse he putteth here an other commauÌ„dement eate it He alludeth to the .2 and .3 A feruentnes dilligence of the ministers is required chapt of Ezechiel Where the prophet is likewise commauÌ„ded of God to eate a boke offered vnto him For S. Iohn here inuenteth no newe thinge S. Ambrose to eate a boke sayeth he is to laye vp the vnderstanding of the scriptures in the secret bowelles or entrailles He semeth by a trope both to intimate an ernest desire and beate in a singular diligence For we deuoure with a gredy desire suche thinges as we haue long and much coueted to eate They are sayed also to haue deuoured bokes and authours which thei haue perfitly learned and can We saye in dutche Er hat den Galen oder Prisciane gar fressen that is to saye he hath learned him perfitly It is required therfore of the preachers that thei learne the holy scriptures with a desire and that they learne and remembre them whole and exactely Without a desire and seruentenes of minde thou shalt profit little in the study of holy Scriptures and vnlesse ye learne the Gospell exactely vnprofitably shalt thou preache the same The ministers therfore maye be asshamed of theyr ignoraunce which are more geuen to Idlenes Tauernes huÌ„ting dising and other worse thinges than to the study of holy Scriptures They beyng farre vnlike the apostle S. Iohn shal in this warfare against Antichrist winne smal renowne vnlesse they doe awake out of theyr prophane slepe and cherely do their dewty without doubt most holy The effecte of Gods word swete better Nother is here dissembled so much as the effecte of the ministerie and worde preached It is swete in the mouth as hony For Dauid hath songe also the iudgementes of the lord are to be desired aboue much Golde and preciouse stones and sweter than hony or hony combes This swetenes is euer felte in the inwarde manne and the faithful lighted with the trueth hath alwayes continuall Ioye but yet muste we not conceale what it semeth to the flesshe and what is the effecte thereof in the outwarde manne It maketh verely the â—ealy vitter whiche is also a phrase of speache vnto which oures aunswereth signifiyng that the same whiche is propounded vnto vs is both payneful and greuouse The word of God therefore bringeth the mortifiyng of the flesshe trauelles paynefulnes the crosse and aduersities innumerable whiche with a strong and constaunt patience we must ouercome For the Lord in the Gospell preached repentaunce or mortification and emonges other thinges made very much mention of persecutions wherwith his should be alwayes exercised Primasius when thou shalte haue deuoured the booke sayeth he thou shalt in dede be delighted with the swetenes of the worde diuine and with hope of saluatioÌ„ promised and pleasaunt tasie of Gods rightuousnes but doubtles thou shalt fele a bitternes when thou shalt beginne to preache both to the deuoute and vndeuoute For the preachyng of Gods iudgement ones hearde doubtles through the bitternes of repentaunce some beyng coÌ„uerted to better are chaunged and others agayne beyng offended are more hardened and beare greate hatred and mallice towardes the preachers The wiseman sayeth thou shal rebuke a wise maÌ„ and he wil loue thee reproue a foole he will hate thee therfore and so forth Nother are these thinges saied only Paynefulnes is felt but also are done and felte for S. Iohn and when I had deuoured it sayeth he my bealy was made bitter And we fele at this daye the most greuouse hatred of mightie menne to witte of spirituall fathers and temporall Princes Many are driuen into exile innumerable are shutte vp in prisones an infinite multitude are slayne with sondry kindes of deathes All these thinges did the Prophetes prophecie should come to passe our sauiour him self in the Gospel gaue vs warnyng therof the lord here telleth vs againe the same tale Therfore let vs be strong and counstaunt in the Lord and fight agaynst Antichrist vnto the ende of our life The Lorde will not forsake vs whiche leeste we should be vanquished of those aduersities tolde vs of them dilligently before And thus muste they be instructed which shal warre against Antichrist before the last iudgement Thexposition of the vision Laste as I sayed in the beginnyng of the Sermon is set a briefe expositioÌ„ of the visioÌ„ For the Angel saieth vnto Iohn thou must prophecie agayne to the Heythen c. By this visioÌ„ sayeth he I wold declare nothing els but that thou must preach againe to the world first by thy self in Asia after thou shalt retourne from exile secondly by faithfull ministers eueÌ„ to the worldes ende which shal spreade abroade this doctrine now set forth by thee with sondry tongues through natioÌ„s and therwith shal beate downe Antichrist To prophecie And suche as are accustomed to reade the scriptures know that to prophecie is takeÌ„ for to preach For prophecie is preachyng they were in times past called prophetes which at this daye be preachers as we maye gather of the .1 Corinth 11. and .14 chapter And the doctrine of Iohn is tourned into the Syrian tongue Aethiopian Aegiptian Germane Spanish French English Italian to be short in a maner into al laÌ„gages in al these preacheth S. Iohn at this daye by faithful ministers The gentiles be they neuer so barbarouse rude heare S. Iohn teachyng and so do the people of many nations Al these receyue not a little comforte in these most dauÌ„gerouse dayes of Antichrist and haue receyued of them also before this time which long sins renewed the apostolical doctrine against Antichrist The same doctrine is brought at this daye and was brought in times past also vnto kinges and Popes though they kicked and spurned agaynst it The thing I speake is not doubtful For we bothe heare and see these thinges euen at this daye Histories also reporte many thinges herof Lande and glory be to God Some copies in the latin are corrupt which haue Igitur for Iterum For S. Iohn sayed thou muste prophecie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Iterum again not Igitur For he signifieth that he beyng dead also must preache to many nations in sondry tongues by faythfull ministers that shall fighte against Antichrist The Lorde assiste with his spirite all godly Preachers of the Euangelicall veritie and Apostolicall doctrine Amen ¶ S. Iohn measureth the temple and sheweth that God hath a care of it and the quire he excommunicateth The .xlvi. Sermon ANd there was geuen me a reede like vnto a rodde The 11. chapter it was sayed vnto me rise and mete the Temple of God and the Aultar and them that worshippe therin and the quire
to sette forth the thyng it selfe as it were to be sene with the eyes The argumente of the 12.13.14 chapt in the three chapt next followyng the .12.13.14 He repeteth all thinges more depely and describeth liuely dilligently the partes of this conflicte and after also the fight it selfe Therfore after the church ones described which abideth the brunte of this warre he describeth also the Dragon that moueth the warre he declareth howe busily he watcheth againe leeste any man should be discouraged he addeth howe vnluckely not withstanding he fighteth Christ verely ouercoming him finally god impeching defeating his enterprises and yelding him vanquished to the faithfull Nowe he decribeth the chiefe instrumentes whiche Sathan vseth in assaultyng and persecutyng the church to witte the olde and newe Romane Empire and herein filthie Papistrie wherin Antichrist is also liuely paynted By and by not withstanding he annexeth to these vnlucky thinges for the consolation and comfort of the godly that the lambe standeth neuerthelesse on Mounte Sion a conquerour hauyng his churche with him howe so euer this worlde rageth and be neuer so madde and cruell that the gospel is preached in dispite of Antichrist and al men warned to beware of Antichrist where also he beginneth to reason of the iudgement of God agaynst the wicked that he mighte prepare him awaye to those thynges whiche he will speake in the .5 parte touchyng the paynes or punnisshmentes of the Antichristians which treatise he beginneth in the .15 Hitherto therfore he treateth of the fighte or conflicte of the churche and of the wicked namely of Antichrist all the whiche the father of all murther and of al iniquitie the Deuil inspireth These things are taken out of the .iij. chapt of Genes Therefore like as this whole boke is taken out of the scriptures and expoundeth excedingly well the olde scriptures so these thinges also whiche are by and by in the beginnyng rehersed seme to be taken out of the .3 chapt of Gene. Where the lorde sayeth I wil put emnetie betwixte thee meanyng the Serpente and the womā betwixt thy sede and her sede her seade shal breake thy heade and thou shalt bite his heele For you shall reade in the ende also of this chapt And the Dragon was angry with the womā and went his way that he might make warre with the residewe of her sede And he describeth aboue al things the partes of this conflicte A tokē appered in Heauen her which was assayled by warre and the whiche moued the warre to witte the churche and the Dragon And he sayeth how a token of these thinges appered in heauen For he would not only saye or wryte but also set them forth to be sene of the eyes and in maner to paincte to the intente all thinges more playnely might be sene And where he sayeth those tokens were great he admonisheth that thei were and be thinges of moste weight and matters of greatest importaunce The woman the churche Firste he describeth the church of God of all times vnder the tipe or figure of the woman Nother is it a straunge or rare thing sins at the first beginninges of thinges the womā beganne to represent the tipe of Christes spowse the church as is to be sene in the .2 of Genes And so hath the Apostle expoūded the tipe in the .5 chapt to the Ephes That I nede not nowe to recite that Esaye hath oftener than ones vnder the tipe of a woman figured the churche of God reioyce thou barren sayeth he which bryng forth no children c. Finally that S. Paule to the Galath 4. chapt hath set forth Sara a figure of the church whiche Salomon also in his canticles discoursed at length in describyng of his spowse The churche than is that woman coupled with Christ her spowse in true fayth and continual loue After he applieth certen thinges seuerally to the Virgin Marie vnto whom not withstanding the thinges that go before and followe after doe not altogether agree whiche thing bothe Methodius and Primasius doe shewe and other expositours also with great accorde This woman is clothed with the sunne The womā is clothed with the sunne The scripture calleth Christ the sunne of rightuousenes and lighte of life S. Paule commaundeth the churche to put on Christ He therfore is the light the life and rightuousenes of the churche by Christe is couered the nakednes of the church Christe is the ornament and beaultie of the church through him it shineth in the world The Moone is subiect to alterations is variable the moone vnder her fete and receyueth sondry colours she increaseth and decreaseth and although it shine yet appereth it alwayes ful of spottes and borroweth her light of the Sunne Therefore all courses and alterations of times and what so euer is mutable and corruptible in this world al affectiōs also infirmities the church treadeth vnder her fete all the light that she hath she hath it of Christ the light of her rightuousenes increaseth decreaseth finally she gathereth alwayes some spottes of the nature of flesh which she can not leaue but by death Therefore she shineth in dede howebeit the church feleth some obscurenes as the Lorde hath sayed also euery braunche bearyng fruicte he pourgeth that he maye bryng forth more fruicte And he that is wasshed is al cleane and nedeth no more but to wasshe his fete Furthermore a crowne is the honour of the head A crowne of twelue starres signe of a kingedome Christ is the beautie comelines and king of the church In this crowne are no precious stones but starres For in Christ are and beaultifie and lighten the church the Patriarkes Prophetes the twelue Apostles whiche haue light of the crowne and powre out the same into the church Hereby therefore is signified the doctrine of the ministers as in the first chapt of this boke Nother is the shinyng ministerie the smallest portion emōges the most excellēt things of the church A woman with childe nere her trauell Moreouer that woman hath in her bealy which in a certen phrase of speache is as much to saye as that woman was with childe and had not only a great bealy as we saye but after the maner of women trauelyng cried out and labouryng was full of payne that she might be deliuered Whiche properly apperteyneth not to the virgin Marie but to the churche For the primitiue churche of that first promesse of the blessed sede conceaued in her minde an hope moste assured that at the length the sonne of God should be borne of a virgin to witte the sede promised whiche should breake the Serpentes head Therefore did the church with an ernest desire and with moste feruente prayers couet and wisshe that Christ might ones be ingendred in and by the excellent mēbre of the same the holy virgin Moreouer Christ is begotten in his faithfull when through his vertue they be regenerated For S. Paule my little Children
that in Charles the greate through the meanes of Pope Leo the thirde thempire in the weste decayed was renewed and that thus the image of the beaste that is to witte of the Romane Empire was erected And albeit that at this time thempire decayed in the weste was restored by the Pope yet is it euideÌ„t that the Popes in the beginning of this Empire by certen donatioÌ„s and giftes much in riched did not as yet vse so greate power as they vsurped to themselues afterwarde when they had ouerthrowen and deposed certen Emperours For al though the donatioÌ„ seme to be made by king Pipine and the pope is red than to haue receiued the beginning of his kingdome yet that he was subiecte to Emperours and kings with the Citie of Rome also this same emoÌ„ges other thinges proueth that in the French Cronicles of the Actes of king Charles in the yere of our lord eight hoÌ„dreth and one thus it is founde written afterwarde hauyng set in order the matters of the citie and Bishoppe of Rome and of al Italie therefore did Italy than also obey the Emperour not only publicke but also marke ecclesiasticall and priuate for all the winter themperour did nothing els departing froÌ„ Rome with his sonne Philip he came to Spolet The same authour in the Actes of the yere eight hoÌ„dreth and 16. Stephen sayeth he elected in the place of Leo the .3 taketh as greate iourneyes as he could to come to the Emperour sendyng in the meane time two Ambassadours which might treate with themperour Ludouicus pius for his consecratioÌ„ So likewise in thactes of the yere eight hondreth and .17 is shewed howe Paschalis beyng chosen sente an Ambassade to Lewis the Emperour In thactes of the yere .823 the same Bishop stode at the examination and iudgement of themperour You maye finde in thactes of the next yere that themperour Lotharie establisshed the matters of Italy and Rome Yet doeth the same authour againe make mention of the donation of King Pipine which gaue to S. Peter Rauenna and Pentapolis and all the gouernemente Yet doeth he make no mention of the donation other of Charlemaygne or of Ludouicus pius The .43 distinct maketh mention thereof I Lewis c. in the glose is written thus There Lewis geueth Rome and diuerse other thinges to S. Peter and to Paschale the Pope All historiographers in maner make mention of the donation of the Kinges of Fraunce An Abridgement of all gathereth out of the librarie Dolaterane in the third boke of Geographie in the actes of Pipine and Charles Wherby ye maye easely coniecture what maner of Canon is set forth in the .96 distinct in these wordes Constantine the Emperour hath geuen and graunted to the Apostolical See the Crowne and all the Emperiall dignitie is the Citie of Rome and in Italy and in the weste partes Which by and by after he discourseth with a longe exposition out of the life of S. Siluerster wrytten as they saye by Gelasius in the chapt followynge But Antony Bysshoppe of Florence denieth in his History that this donation doeth remayne in any olde bokes Cusanus and Laurence Valla haue impugned the same nother hath Ottho Bisshoppe of Frisyng in the .3 chapt of the .4 booke of his storie nor Marsilius Pataninus in the defence of peace nor Raphael Volaterane allowed the same nor many mo that I coulde reherse Moreouer in the Cronicles of Kinges of Fraunce set before the story of Paulus Aemilius of the actes of Kinges of Fraunce in the yere 755. thus you maye reade Pipine agayne entred into Italy and Aistulphus subdued he gaue giftes to Maximus Bisshop of Rome also the Dukedom of Rauenna of very great laÌ„des leeste any man should vnthankefully vniustely take awaye this larges from the French Kinges ascribyng to themperour Constantine which Pipine gaue to the church of Rome agaynst the wil of the Greke Emperour affirming the same possessions to be the right of the Empire From thence Pipine first receiued and brought into Fraunce the Ecclesiasticall rites of the Romanes and ceremonies of songes Thempire conueyed from the FrenchmeÌ„ to the Germenes c. Howebeit the gouernement of thempire Charles posteritie was not very stable and permanent For from the firste yere of Charles wherein he was created Emperour vnto the seuenth yere of Conrade whiche was Nephewe to Lewis the .3 by his Brother the laste of the house of Charles are accompted aboute an hondreth and .19 yeres For Charlemaigne reigned Emperour .14 yeres Lewis .26 Lotharius .15 Lewis the seconde .21 Charles two yeres Caluus surnamed the seconde Charles .3 Crassus .12 Arnulphe .12 Lewis the .3.10 Conrade .7 Conrade liyng on his death bed nominateth Kinge Henry Duke of Saron surnamed Falconer And thus was the Empire translated to the Germanes This Henry called the firste came neuer in Italy neuer was consecrate or crowned of the Pope His Sonne Ottho the firste of that name sente for in Italy is red to haue gone thither with a greate Armie beyng receyued at Rome and saluted of the people Emperour and Auguste Ottho Frisinge in the .6 boke of Histories the .17 chapt affirmeth out of the decrees that Pope Leo the .8 of that name did coÌ„secrate this Ottho the firste King of Germanes For his father Henry refused it Albert Krantz in the .10 and .11 chapt of the fourth booke of Saxon matters affirmeth that Pope Leo made a surrender of all suche thinges as the Popes had receyued of the kinges of Fraunce and the authour defendeth this surrender made to be trewe Howebeit the keper of the Librarie testifieth that Ottho confirmed the donatian of the kinges of Fraunce Pipine Charles and his sonnes There remayneth morouer in the decrees a copie of the othe the .43 distinct wherby kyng Ottho bindeth him self to the Pope that he shall intermeddle with nothyng that coÌ„cerneth the Pope and the Romanes secondely that he shal restore al the landes of S. Peter that shal come into his handes Which thing let the reader iudge what they are Shortely after this time about the yere of our lord .996 Electours They saye how by the decree of Pope Gregory the .5 and by the consent of Ottho the .3 Emperour the seueÌ„ princes Electours were assigned vnto whoÌ„ the defence of the church as sayeth Wimpelingius and the Romane Empire was committed In the whiche thing all Historiographers and wryters doe agree and that of the Italianes Blondus Platina Sabellicus Volaterane Egnâ—tius and others of Germanes Albertus Nauclerus Carion Functius and certen others diuerse haue made no mention of this ordinaunce Wherefore Auentinus in the .5 booke of Cronicles Folio .510.707 sayeth that he knoweth I can not tel how certeÌ„ly that after the death of Fridericke the .2 the Electours were instituted and confirmed of Gregory the .10 But how so euer that matter standeth certayne it is that there hath ben many amonge the seuen princes electours both feruent and earneste in true religion and
and fraternities of Sainctes vnlesse they had ben the Apostles of that great abominable Antichrist The testimony of Iesus Christe Moreouer the Angell him selfe expoundyng agayne his owne wordes sheweth what is the testimony of Iesu Christ For the testimony of Iesu is the sprete of Prophecie And the sprete signifieth reuelation or vnderstandynge and prophecie the propheticall and Apostolical doctrine And therefore the sense is the testimony of Iesu Christ is no other thing but the reuealyng of the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles in the minde of the godly through the holy ghost and fayth And therfore the Apostles in the gospel are called witnesses and the gospell a testimony And to testifie is to preach Of the whiche exposition such an argument maye be gathered the cause of thy worshippyng Iohn is doubtles that excellent reuelation and prophecie vnto thee by me reuealed But yf I should therefore seme worthie to be worshipped for that there is in me an excellent sprete of Prophecie by the like reason shalt thou worship al thy bretherne in whome is the same sprete of prophecie to witte the testimony of Iesu the true fayth But where thou seest and thy selfe art compelled to graunt the same to be very absurde I perceiue it to be absurde if thou shouldest worship an Angell The laste and strōgest reason Worship God whie he would not be worshipped is this worship God It is taken out of the authoritie and Lawe of God perpetuall and immutable reuealed in the .6 of Deuter. and repeted of our sauiour Christ in the .4 of Matth. if we would obeye the lawe of God al culte and worshipping and inuocation of Sainctes had ben long sins bannished and exiled out of the church Furthermore ther be other places also Angels are not to be worshypped nor called vpon which commende the ministeries and vertues of Angelles teachyng neuerthelesse to honour and call vpon God himself Reade the goodly Psalmes .34 and .91 And yf any man liste to haue also the consente of the fathers let him reade S. Austen sayeng that Angelles must nother be worshipped nor called vpō nother ought there sacrifice to be made vnto them nor churches erected The chiefe places be of the true religion the .55 chap. against Maximine an Arriane Bishop first boke leafe .77 De ciuit dei .8 boke laste chapt 10. chapt 16.19.20 To God be the glory ¶ The description of Christe the Iudge commyng to the laste iudgement The .lxxxv. Sermon AND I sawe heauen open and beholde a white horse and he that sat vpon him was called faithful true and in rightuousenes dyd he iudge and make battaile His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes he had a name written that no man knewe but him selfe And he was clothed with a vesture dipte in bloud and his name is called the worde of God And the warriers which were in heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed with white and pure silke And out of his mouthe went a sharpe sworde that with it he should smite the heythen And he shall rule thē with a rod of yron and he trode the winefatte of the fearecenesse and the wrath of almightie God And hath on his vesture on his thighe a name written kynge of kinges and Lorde of Lordes Hitherto we haue hearde many thinges of the sondry pūnishementes of the vngodly Of the last iudgemēt and because it is manifeste that God taketh punnishment of the mischeuous and wicked at sondry times and diuersely but most fully and most seuerely in that same laste iudgement and from thence forth euermore and S. Iohn hath ones twise thryse begonne to treate of the laste iudgement as in the ende of the .11 and .14 chapt And yet hath euer differred suspended and reserued to an other place at the last thinkyng it time to set before al mens eyes a description chiefely necessarie at the length he taketh it in hande and nowe finissheth it vp as a matter of all other greateste He annexeth therefore to a plentifull treatise of the tourmentes of the vngodly a moste full and euident description of the iudge moste rightuous and greatest and of that laste iudgement and moste straite of all others wherein moste fully and seuerely the paynes shal be executed vpon al Antichristians and vngodly for euermore This place which is the fourth of this chapt and this treatise stretcheth vnto the .21 chapter The elocution is great smellyng of the propheticall maiestie and Apostolicall perspicuitie and efficacitie You shall finde not a fewe of this sorte in the prophetes especially in the .24.25.26 and .27 chapt of Esaye And verely this doctrine is very profitable and necessary to be learned and vnderstande moste dilligently of all and singular faythfull A profitable necessarie doctrine of the laste day of iudgemēt as the whiche with muche dilligence and moste plentifull abondaunce was set forth to this ende of the Prophetes and Apostles but chiefely of the Lorde Iesus Christe him selfe bothe in the Gospell and also in this moste godly reuelation For vnlesse thou be kepte in thy duetie for feare of the iudgement and Iudge to come it is no maruell though thou runneste madde and perisshe with this folishe and wicked worlde In the treatise of the laste iudgement is sene the ende of al menne life and death felicitie and miserie payne or tourment and vnspeakable and heauēly rewarde He that remembreth these thinges well abhorreth wickednes and walketh in holy feare before God And we haue learned of the doctrine of the Gospell That daye is knowen to no man that the same daye of the restoryng of all and oppression of the vngodly and also of all vngodlines is knowen to no mortall man but to the father alone and therefore to inquire of the houre and momente thereof to be most folishely done much more wickedly Notwithstandyng the good Lord hath shewed and signified tokens whiche when we shall see to be fulfilled and accomplished we might lifte vp our heades knowyng that our redemption draweth nere Beholde your redemption sayeth he not your tourment For he speaketh of the godly lokyng for their redemption frō heauen at the retourne of our sauiour and redemer our lord Christe whiche shal also inflicte to his enemies reuēgement as S. Paule sayeth in the .2 Thess the .1 Therfore let vs not here be curiouse which search for things vnsearchable but rather let vs watch and praye after the holesome precepte of our sauiour iudge and reuenger let vs haue our loynes gyrded and let lightes burne in our handes let vs loke for him stedfaste in faith and and soūde in holy hope Let vs rather take hede that the care of this world possesse not our hartes and beware of drōkennesse and surfettyng and that we be not of the nombre or cōuersation of them whiche in the dayes of Noe and Loth regarded worldely thinges only dispised heauenly laughed them to skorne
purged by Christe liue hoale sounde for euer more And by those allegories hath he hitherto figured by partes those blessed seates To what ende these are writteÌ„ prepared for the faithfull in that euerlasting countrie vnder the Image of a moste noble citie which after he hath shewed vs he semeth as it were to haue opened heauen it selfe and set forth the eternall felicitie to be sene in a maner with mortall eyes and eueÌ„ to haue poincted with the fingar to no other ende than that we should be stronge and constant in the fayth of our lord Iesus Christ should neuer thinke ones who hath euer sene those blessed seates whereunto we are called by the deniyng of all pleasures what yf thou shouldest dispise the pleasures presente and shuldest obteyne none in time to come This thought is wicked Faith teacheth thee otherwise But what sayest thou more desirest thou to know and see such things as God hath shewed thee Thou hast sene enough and abouÌ„dantly at this present The lord hath sheweth thee aboundantly enough of life and pleasure celestial at this present Indeuour now only that the deuill the world Antichrist troden vnder thou mayest aspire and be lifted vp into those heaueÌ„ly seates Moreouer beware thou be not more curiouse than is mete or requisite and that thou sekest not to knowe mo and more exacte thinges of the heauenly towre and perpetuall ioyes than the Lord himself which only knoweth these things hath to thee reuealed Let this euident demonstration of eternal life suffice vs. I beleue neuer none hath disputed better or more rightly more elegantly and more euidently of the blessed life thaÌ„ here S. Iohn hath done Let vs therefore repose our selues in God let vs beleue his wordes let his reuelation suffice vs and let vs desire to be ioyned with him in this heauenly courte in all felicitie and eternal life most perfit A â—ome collected of the doctrine of the blessed life And now S. Iohn recollectyng the chiefest poinctes of this matter and concludynge this place of eternall life he finissheth this euerlastyng felicitie in seuen membres whiche we will but touche only for that many thinke we haue spoken hereof already sufficiently and plentifully enough And to beginne with al there shal be no curse no execration no malediction nother warre nor famine nor diseases nor yet any suche thing There shal be no more curse as is recited of Moses emonges the curses in the 27. and .28 of Deuter. Not that all are accursed whiche are subiecte to the same For Iob and other holy menne were tormented with sickenes but that commonly the accursed vnbeleuers and wicked are plaged there with Not that they should be exercised and profit in godlines but that thei shuld first be afflicted here so by certen degrees passe vnto greater tormentes What than The seate of God in the citie The second membre inseweth but the Trone of God and of the Lambe shal be in that citie To witte the kingdome of God shal be there and God shal raygne and al blessyng no malediction in the chosen Therefore what ioyefull thinges so euer the Prophetes Christ and the Apostles haue spokeÌ„ of the kingedome of God the same shal be in heauen and the blessed shal haue the fruition thereof And agayne are ioyned together inseperablely the father and the sonne in the vnitie of essence which neuerthelesse in the distauÌ„ce of persones are excedingly wel not diuided but discerned These misteries of the blessed Trinitie are knowen vnto the faythful His seruaÌ„tes shall serue him Here followeth the third membre Some may maruaile what the blessed shal do in the world euerlastyng Therefore S. Iohn sayeth and his sâ—â—uauntes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall serue him God I saye and the Lambe they shall worshippe him in honouryng praysing magnifiyng him for euer Therefore shal they wholy addicte themselues to godly worshippyng Whiche thing shall in dede be to him great pleasure As also S. Austen sheweth in an other place Fourthly they shal see the face of God They shall see the face of God S. Austen treateth much of seyng of God to Paulina and warneth godly that we shoulde not here Imagine to our selues carnall thinges Moses in the .33 of Exodus And Philippe the Apostle in the .14 of Iohn haue accompted it for the highe felicitie to see God as he is and as it is commonly sayde face to face And there is vndoubtedly in this sighte and fruition highe felicitie and ioye euerlastyng and moste complete howebeit in this present world as the lorde sayde to Moses it chaunceth to no maÌ„ The holy fathers haue in dede sene God but by a shape and so farre forth as he hath vouchesaued to reueale and shewe himselfe to them to be sene Like as Tertullian sheweth in the boke agaynste Praxeas but with full eye to see the full glory of God with ioye inestimable is than firste graunted vs what time beyng deliuered from miserie and purged froÌ„ corruption we shal also in body be clarified than at the laste as S. Iohn sayde also in the .1 of Iohn the .3 we shall see him as he is Iob moste rightuouse speakyng of this vision of God Iob. 19. sayde when they shal haue put aboute or clothed to wit the father sonne holy ghoste this namely my body with my fleshe I shall beholde God out of my flesshe whome I shall see to my selfe and mine eyes shall loke vpon and no other The which is my only desire Of this seyng spake Paule also the Doctour of Gentiles and sayde nowe we see in a glasse 1. Corinth 13. euen in a darke speaking but then shall we see face to face c. And of this vision S. Austen hath also disputed in his booke De ciuitate dei aboute the ende Fiftely they shal haue the name of God in their foreheads The name of God written in their foreheades eyther because they shal be the children of God as we haue hearde in the Epistle to the Philadelphians in the .3 chapter of this boke And verely in the couÌ„trie celestiall it shal be manifestly knowen to all who be the children of God In this world they are commonly taken for the children of the deuill which in very dede are the childreÌ„ of god But this shal clerely appere in an other world to the great glory of the chosen And verely the brightnes of God shal shine from the foreheades or countenances of the electe as in times past the brightnes of the lord shone from the face of Moses Christe Or because al Sainctes shal knowe one an other sins the vertue of God resteth in their countenaunces which sense I perceyue hath pleased Primasius Or for that they shal be priestes before the Lord for euermore as the prophetes haue taught of the chosen In olde time the high prieste bare the very name of God in his forehead in a plate of golde bounden to his