cōmitted Italiā matters Totila therfore where themperour would not graūt his requestes determined to rase the citie of Rome The greatest parte of the walles in most places he made euen with the grounde setteth the Capitolle house on fire He commaundeth al Citizens with their wiues childrē to departe out of the citie The cōmons of Rome were dispersed in the townes of Campania The Senatours and nobilitie Totila kepte with him for pledges Than was fire put into euery house Thus Rome beyng fired in al places Totila lefte it vacant .13 dayes the fire brent clere The citie of Rome was .40 dayes in that solitarines that there was neyther mā nor woman in the same The citie ouerthrowē he remoued his campe towardes Lutania and Calabria Bellisarius came to the citie lefte vacant and soner than a man would haue thought fortifieth a parte of the citie with ditch walle rampare and turretes of wood For all coulde not be restored Totilas was with him but repulsed departed to Tibur Bellisarius is sent for into Grece by themperour Totila besegeth Rome and taketh it So in one yere Rome the head of the world the lady of al nations was taken thryse thus wryteth Auentinus Leonarde Aretine writing of the Italian war against the Gotthes in th ende of the 2. boke After this sayeth he Totila departing frō Rome with his whole armie lefte it vtterly desolate and vacant c. Who will saye nowe that S. Iohn hath not in fewe wordes comprehended the destructiō of olde Rome whiche the stories afterwarde haue plentifully described and finally howe after the same maner as it was prophecied it hath followed the prophecie after .451 yeres And that so euidētly to haue propounded in fewe wordes that you would thinke presently to beholde Rome both falling and burnyng New Rome also shall fall with her empire And like as in the storie of the gospel the lord intermireth a prophecie of the destruction of Ierusalem and of th ende of the world that euery mā might of this that he seeth the citie of Hierusalē right so as the lord had prophecied to haue perished nother that one stone hath remayned vpon an other gather by like trouth certentie that this world shal fall So maye we of this that we see tholde citie of Rome fallen so great an Empire which was thought shuld haue lasted for euer brought to naught gather also that new Rome with her shaddowe or image of thempire shal as sure as daye fall be brought to naught And firste in dede the Saracenes Turkes whiche ruled and yet raigne in the prouinces subiecte to the Romane Empire as in Asia Grece Aegypte Affricke Slauonie and base Hungarie and therfore be rightly accompted emonges the ten hornes doe hate worse than dogge or snake both Poperie it selfe and Rome and all that Imagerie Empire Yea stories also testifie that they haue oft times made inuasions and spoyled Rome it selfe What is done at this daye experience it self teacheth But whether the Turke or the christen Princes themselues conuerted to Christ by the Gospel shall spoyle this newe Rome destroye it vtterly and burne it with fire the Lord knoweth who semeth here to intimate some suche thing hereof This is certayne that Christ alone with his hand shal bring downe Antichrist and abolish him with his comming Certaine it is that the Earth and al the workes that be therin shal be brēt For thus is thapostolical doctrine and that al these things shal be in th ende of the world Reade Paule .2 to the Thess the .2 And Peter the .2 Epistle the .3 chap. Morouer there arrise in sondry kingdomes of the world learned men which ones being bounden to the See of Rome haue defended her her stinking idolle but after cōuerted to Christ beginne to hate both Rome the Romish churche which also they assaile burne with the fire of Gods word Therfore al the glorie dignitie and welth of the Pope poperie hath perished perisheth daily in the godly Al that be godly wise hate Rome romish wares Al crie out that this Sodome is worthie to be brente with fire fallyng from heauen Nother is ther any doubt but that a greuouse vengeaunce is prepared agaynst her And briefly is shewed a reason God hath put into the heartes of kyngs c. wherfore the Kings shuld rage so cruelly against the beaste and why these thinges are done in such sorte and maner as we haue hearde For God sayeth he hath geuē into the hartes of thē 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that they should worke his will shuld do with one mynde and consent For where some referre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his to the beaste that semeth to far of and straunge It is referred rather to the nexte to God I meane which put into the heartes of the kinges to do his wil I say of God For it is the mynde and will of God that the beast shulde perish that punnishment be taken of her for shedyng of innocent bloude The same God will procure that kinges shal not be at discord but at concord that being of one mynd and accorde they may execute Gods iudgemēt So we read in the Prophetes that God put in to the heartes of kynges Salmanaser Sinnacherib Nabuchodonoser Cyrus and others that they shuld do as they are red to haue done to wit in pūnishing the wicked and defending the godly And ther is also mention made in Histories howe Alaricke Kynge of the west Gothes was in dede disswaded by a seruaunt of God that he shuld not make such haste to distroy Rome but that he aunswered Ther is one that cōtinually troubleth me and sayeth go distroy Rome And he that put that mynde and wyll in to the hearte of Alarich Adolphe Genserych Odacer Theodoricke and Totila The same yf he wyll and when he wyll and in to what Princes he wyll shall put that they also shall doe their dewtie againste this newe Citie and churche of Rome The angel anexeth how God moreouer hath put into the harts of kings that they shuld geue their kingdom to the beast til the words of God be fulfilled The which the interpretours expound say howe God hath permitted that they shoulde cōceaue this coūsel in their mynds to deliuer the kingdome to the beast But I suppose it to be more playne yf we symplye confesse God to be authour of no sinne and that men sinne as compelled by no fatall necessitie but through their owne faulte and vice Therefore God woulde as by his woorde also he hath expressed and taught that kynges shulde deliuer their Kyngdomes to Christe the high Kyng which where it pleased them not but had rather for sondry causes of the flesh and the worlde delyuer their kyngdomes to the Pope and submitte themselues to the See as they call it Apostolicall God of his iuste iudgemente hath forsaken them and geuen them ouer as S. Paule wrote the
the deliueraunce of the good and punishement of the euill for the sworde is geuen to the magistrate as an authoritie to punishe the euill and defende the good Christ him self defendeth his and his aduersaries he heweth in pieces The sworde is the very worde of God most sharpe two edged and pearsing the very hartes for it animateth the godly and discourageth the wicked Christe therfore gouerneth his Churche as a Iudge and defendour moste rightfull and iuste whiche hath his sworde not in his handes but in his mouthe and with his spirite and worde comforteth and preserueth the faithful but feareth and woūdeth the vnbeleuers Full rightly therfore is this beginning applied to the cause that followeth touching the crosse of the faithfull And expulsing and fliyng the Nicolaitans For it is Christe by the vertue of whose worde these thinges are luckely brought to passe Moreouer the particular workes of this congregation followe In this church are som thīgs cōmended and some dispraised He prayseth in this Churche the singular constancie in faith and profession of the same in moste daungerous perilles temptations and persecutions And it semeth to be a playne rehersall and narration that the Lord knoweth what they suffer and howe greuously they be afflicted but prayse is mixed with al. And this cōmendation belongeth to an exhortation that the thing they did thei should perseuer to do He sayeth howe he is not ignoraunt where the church of Pergamos dwelleth euen there verely where Sathan hathe fixed his seate or throne That is to saye I knowe in what case thou arte in what daungers and with whome thou arte matched He sayeth not the church dwelleth where Sathās seats is I know that thou sittest in the seate of Sathan but I know that thou dwellest there where Sathan hath his seate Christe therfore is not ignoraunt of the labours sorowes and temptations of the faithfull And the knoweledge of Christe hath a certen peculiar thinge For Christ so knoweth the matters of the faithful that he is both touched with the same and hathe also a consideration or respecte of his seruauntes And we see howe Christ also placeth his throne there where the Deuill hathe his seate iust by At the length he thrusteth him out of his seate Pergamos the seate of Sathā And for two causes Pergamos semeth to be called the seate throne and kingdome of the deuill For first as Aretas hath admonished in superstition and worshippinge of Idolles it excelled all Asia whiche neuerthelesse was moste corrupte Pergamos was the most auncient and famouse citie of Asia or of Misia and Phrygia renomed by kinge Attalus Eumenus For the same was the Princelyke palace of kinge Attalus whiche came into the handes of the Romans by the legacie of kings who were most addicte to idolatrie Strabo speaketh muche herof in the 13. boke Moreouer this place was also as Plinie semeth to signifie in the 5. boke the 30. Chapt. moste noble and frequented by reason the liftenant or gouernour there inhabited who at the commaundement of the emperour Domitian persecuted the trewe faithe of Christ imprisonyng scourging and afflicting al that professed Christ By good reason therfore is Pergamos called the seate or Throne of the Deuill For he is a liar and the father of liyng and a murtherer from the beginnynge whiche the Lorde also testifieth in the 8. of Iohn For bycause therfore at Pergamos reigned heathennes liynge Idolatrie superstition the oppression and murther of good men it is rightly called the seate or throne of the deuill This appereth to be a sclaunder not to be dissembled or suffered For Rome semed to her selfe established for euer Rome the seate of sathan and the whiche the Goddes fauoured who had sent them victorye ouer moste greate nations and geuen the Empire of the whole worlde In the whiche citie iustice and religion mighte seme to be obserued And therfore that this seate of iustice and religion shoulde be called the seate of Sathan mighte be thought bothe blasphemie and treason But this doeth the onlye begotten sonne of God from the right hande of his father pronoūce against Rome agaynst Pergamos and agaynst all the confortes of Rome Who shall accuse him of temeritie of rasshenes or of bitter speakyng light persons are doubtlesse angry and very strōpettes will be offended in case they be called by their owne names and be called as they are in dede For suche is the glory of vertue that all men coueth the same euen the open enemies of vertue so that no man will seme to be voide of vertue and such is the corruption and darkenes of mans minde that he would be that he is not and wold not be that he is Therof cometh al this impatience in the whole world when a mattocke is called a mattocke and a figge a figge as the prouerbe is Is an harlot therfore no harlot because she will not be called an harlot yes verely is she an harlot and a shameful harlot and though she denye neuer so ofte that she is a whore yet is she an whore neuerthelesse and remayneth a whore So the seate or Throne of Sathan is at this daye Rome it selfe whiche will seme to be the seate of Christe and the seate Apostolical For the worke and instruction of the deuill therein aboundeth Finally al Cities Townes Where is the seate of the deuil places wherin veritie godlines religion and vertue are exiled wherin the preaching of Gods trueth and correctiō of most corrupte maners haue no place wherein filthines and vncleanes baudy songes and not spirituall Psalmes wherin crafte and disceipte surfetting murther aduoutrie oppressiō of good people and of godly religiō triūpheth be the seates of Sathan how so euer they be called the moste christen and catholicke cities and worshippers of the righte and christen saith This thing Iesus Christ the very sonne of God saieth crieth affirmeth repeteth and euen with a maiestie pronoūceth For by and by after the murther of Antipas he addeth where sathan dwelleth And these thinges are doubtles true whiche Christ sayeth and pronounceth in the Churche and most false be the thinges whiche this most sinful world here alledgeth against the wordes of Christ But this same the Lord highly cōmendeth that in so slipper vnfortunate a place they haue stande vprightly hitherto and coulde not be subdued in the verye seate of Sathan To dwell in the mids of a frowarde nation Ephes 5. Here we learne that it is lawefull as occasion shall serue to dwell in the middes of a frowarde nation yet so that we be not made conformable to thē in any wise either in maners or superstitiō And for as much as it is daūgerous to dwel amōgs the vngodly and as it were to touche pitch with our hādes Thou shalt nothing offende against the Lord if thou get thee to a safer place wherin is lesse daunger and more occasion of al godlines Yea rather when thou mayest cōueniently passe vnto suche
this present smoke semeth to signifie hurteful and deuillish opiniōs Smoke hurteth the eyes and suffereth not clerely to see the trueth So doeth also peruerse doctrine it daseleth the eyes taketh away iudgement blindeth with errour And worthely do they suffer these thinges of the smoke of God his wrath of the lies of disceaueable men whiche haue forsaken the light of the Gospell and the grace and perspicuitie of Gods veritie Vnder the name of this smoke infernal are conteyned the opinions and abominable doctrine that the Bishop of Rome as he is the prelate of the chiefe churche and Sea Apostolicke so to be pastour vniuersal and Apostolical and morouer the head of the church militaunt the vicar of Christ in earth whose voyce muste be hearde aswel as Christes him self that he hath full power in the church the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. And the reste of the like sorte That the same ordeyneth and geueth to al churches Bisshops or Pastours which should gouerne al other churches after the prescripte of the church of Rome c. But how great this smoke is and howe effectuall How great smoke of what effecte it is liuely expressed it ascendeth sayeth he as the smoke of a great fournace And signifieth that the popish opinions and doctrine are thicke or grosse manifolde and apparent where in dede they be nothing but smoke and vanitie puffed vp and vayne But it is of such a power that it darkeneth the sunne and the ayer I haue tolde you ofte times nowe that Christ is the sunne of rightuousenes And we cal the ayer the holesome doctrine wherwith the soules of the faithful are refresshed Therfore by the popishe doctrine the sunne the ayer that is Christ and the Gospell are obscured Christ is the pastour vniuersall the high and only Bisshop the head helth of the faithfull whiche freely forgeueth sinnes the whiche is preached by the Gospell This doctrine waxeth vile what time the Pope is admitted for head of the churche with the ful power of graunting indulgences for all sinnes Thus is the sunne darkened Howebeit the euil procedeth further and setteth vp it selfe in the churche a greate deale more effectuall Of the smoke arrise locustes For out of the smoke came forth Locustes vpon the Earth For what time through the false perswation of corrupt doctrine the eyes of al men were blinded and loked not rightly vpon Christ and his only gospell and all men reuerenced the Pope as the vicar of Christ the head of the church and a man Apostolicall and as it were the mouth of God and he nowe made Bisshoppes and priestes and nurrished auaunced and establisshed Monkes and Freres an infinite multitude of the clergie increased moste luckely I meane by a moste plentiful increase and numbre that coulde not be numbred For he him selfe immediately in the wordes that followe and with a fuller exposition declareth that he speaketh nothing of those little wormes the Locustes For he sayeth and it was commaunded them that they should not hurte the grasse or haye of the earth verely the clergie liueth not with haye nother any grene thing nor any tree but menne only As though he should saye I speake nothing of grassehoppers suche as in times past distroyed Aegipte but I speake of pestilent men affliccyng men with the poyson of doctrine But a little after they are so described in euery poincte that no man nede to doubte that the false clergie thereby is signified What are Locustes The whiche thing Primasius also sawe which in his commentaries vpon this boke sayed he putteth thauthours of euil doctrine For like as the Locuste hurteth with her mouth so do they teare with theyr preachinges as we reade gready Wolues not sparyng the flocke c. Thus sayeth he There be also other causes wherefore he likened the false clergie to Locustes Yf the locuste be alone he semeth to be moste contemptible so there is nothing more vile than a solitarie Monke or Frere priest or sophister but if they swarme together they be a terrour to men neither can they be driuē away with any force they eate distroye all When the prophet Ioel would shewe a great euil to come he saieth that the Locustes wil come In somer they singe leape lyue at ease and pleasure to the losse and hinderaunce of husbandmen The same thinges mayest thou see also in the clergie An excuse exceptiō I speake nothing here of holy priestes that is lawful ministers of the church of good men honest and learned I speake nothing of the auncient holy Monkes whiche were burthenouse or greuouse to no man and wer no preachers but very lay men getting their liuing with their handes in the churche subiecte with other faythful to the pastours of the churche c. I speake of the vnlawful sluggerds Idle bealies deuourers of vitaile but chiefly of false teachers And doubtles the Popes clergie is moste rightly cōpared to grassehoppers or catarpillers The clergy is innumerable For both they are innumerable and they occupie and cōsume al thinges In times past the ministers of the churches mighte be numbred For the nombre was but smal nother were vnprofitable or vnnecessarie persones nurrished of the church goodes There remaineth a constitution of themperour Iustinian where emongs other things we ordeyne that there be not at any time in the sacred great church aboue .lx. Priestes men Deacons an C. Subdeacons lxxxx and readers an hondreth and ten nor aboue .xxv. singers that the whole nūbre of the clergie of the greater churche maye consiste in ccccxxv persones and besides an C. dore kepers as they terme them Therefore in the moste holy great church of this our noble Citie of Constantinople and in those three churches to the same vnited to witte in the churche of our Ladie S. Theodore and S. Irenes let there be so great a multitude of the clergie This some of the ministers of this imperiall citie and moste large churche establisshed fiue hondreth and twentie and fiue persones But how many at this daye may you finde at Rome or in an other greate Citie Priestes Monkes Freres and Nunnes They excede this numbre foure times and more And to leaue out many thinges that mighte here be brought in Pope Pius Sabellicus sheweth in the .9 booke of Aeneidos the .7 Chapter That the secte of graye freres was so greately multiplied through out the worlde that than they helde and possessed .xl. prouinces and vnder euery one diuerse Cloysters and conuentes wardens they call the rulers and exceded the numbre of three score thousande men in so much that the master of the whole order whome they call general hath ben hearde many times to offer the pope preparing an Armye against the Turkes thirtie thousand fighting men of the order of S. Fraunces which should be well able to serue in the warres and yet be no hinderaunce or let to theyr religion or seruice And
chapt sayeth for we be your glory as you shal be oures also in the daye of our Lorde Iesu And agayne in the .1 to the Thess the .2 chapt the same Apostle sayeth for what is our hope ioye or crowne of reioycyng are not you in the sight of our Lorde Iesu Christe at his commyng for you are our glory and ioye Ful wel therefore sayeth Aquinas S. Iohn speaketh after the maner of coÌ„querours which bryng their spoyles into Cities Therefore he fayneth that Princes preachers and parentes bryng with them into heauen such as they haue wonne whiche to them shal be an honour and glory These thinges alwayes let vs thinke vpon and do our duety inioyned vs of God which we perceyue in the euerlasting countrie to haue so great rewarde For it shal be the greatest glory that maye be to stande with so many wonne in the presence of the eternal God LaÌ„be and al sainctes Contrarywise the greatest shame to stande with so great a multitude of men lost and that loste through our faulte and negligence Reade what thinges are written in the .1 chapt of the boke of wisedome c. In the tenth place followeth the custody of the gates celestiall The gates are not shut in the daye Certenly in greate Cities there is greate and dilligent watching and wardynge hede taken to the gates that they be shutte and opened in dewe time and season But in heaueÌ„ there shall nede no such carefulnes The reason is The gates are not wonte to be shutte in the day but at night But in the euerlastyng countrie there is no night therfore are the gates neuer shutte There is doubtles no night but continual day There is no treason no Ambusshes or wayte laide no perils or daungers all thing in generall are safe peaceable quiet sicker and sure The same thinges are red also in Esaye but some thing in a diuerse sense Aretas here is a double vnderstandyng sayeth he for eyther he meaneth that there shal be peace and securitie and that so great that it shall not nede to kepe the citie by shuttyng of the gates Or els that there also the godly gates of the Apostolicall doctrine are open for all men vnto their learnyng which haue more perfection c. Certenly they shal nede no teachers nor guides which see al misteries now presently are brought into heauen it self The cleanes of the heauenly â—â—tie And especially cleanes in Cities is highly commended if there shewe or appere nothing that offendeth the sighte hearyng and smellyng which is lothsome to loke vpon and to be abhorred And in priuate houses the chiefe prayse is yf all thinges shyne and stande euery thing in order and lie not scattered and stinke Now therefore in the eleuenth place he sheweth that there shal be nothing in heauen that maye offende that is to saye which shall not be pleasaunt and delectable moste cleane and nete absolute and complete The same place also muste be referred to the personnes For it followeth saue they that are written in the lambes boke of life We vnderstande therfore how into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ shal not enter whoremongers Idolaters liars deceauers what so euer is vncleane and not purged with the bloud of the sonne of God through fayth This same the Apostle affirmeth in the .1 to the Corint the .5 and .6 chapt and to the Ephes the .5 chapt Dauid also demaundeth Lord who shal dwell in thy tabernucle or who shal reste in thy holy hille And aunswereth incontinently he that walketh without spotte and worketh rightuousnes and that which insueth in the .15 Psalm Finally here shal be fulfilled suche thinges as are written in the .23 chapt of Deuter. Touching theÌ„ which are prohibited to enter into the church Wherfore this place hath a secret doctrine and priuie admonishment instructyng vs that if we wil or couet to be heyres of the euerlasting couÌ„trie we should al applie our selues whilest we liue here in Earth to rightuousenes and Innocencie For it shal followe in the .22 chapt For without are dogges and inchaunters and whoremongers c. The Lord bryng vs by the waye of rightuousenes vnto life euerlastyng ¶ He continueth yet in describyng the blessed seates The .xcvi. Sermon AND he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life cleare as Chrystall The .22 chapt proceding out of the seate of God and of the Lambe In the middes of the strete of it of eyther side of the riuer was there wood of life whiche bare twelue maner of fruictes gaue fruicte euery moneth the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withal And ther shal be nomore curse but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it and his seruauntes shall serue him And they shal see his face and his name shal be in their foreheades And there shal be no night there and they nede no candle nor light of Sunne for the lorde God geueth them light and they shall raygne for euermore In the twelfth place is described of Iohn the pleasauntnes The pleasauntenes of the citie of God trymnes the plentuousenes and abouÌ„dance of foode in the Citie of God Riuers make cities pleasaunt and delectable Without fountaynes sprynges and holesome waters cities decaye and are scarsely worthy the names of Cities But in case they waunte victualles they are wholy loste Therefore this our heaueÌ„ly Citie excelleth and is most noble in al these thinges nother hath it vitayle only but geueth the same vnto vs with greate pleasure and finesse moste pleasaunt For trees in this Citie doe not only beare fruicte but geue also a pleasauÌ„tnes vnspeakable inestimable The riuer moreouer runneth through the middes of the stretes on the bankes of eyther side are trees moste beautiful to beholde bearing the fruictes of life And as I haue many times in this description intimated so I repete now the same againe that those things are not to be vnderstande after the letter as the Millenaries take them For the Lord talketh with vs and euen lispeth to the ende we might after the imbecillitie of our witte coÌ„ceaue these thinges Yf any shuld wisshe for earthly things I wene he could couet no greater thinges thaÌ„ be here described We shall thinke therefore if the Lorde coulde geue these earthly thinges yf he woulde whie can he not geue greater to the soules of the godly and bodies glorified yea the Lorde will that beyng withdrawen from the contemplation of earthly thinges we shoulde loke altogether for celestiall and diuine worthie of blessed soules and bodies clarified Whiche verely howe greate and what they shall be no tunge of manne can expresse to vs be it neuer so eloquente For the Lord hath prepared greater thinges for his seruauntes than here we can comprehende Therefore he bringeth forth here matterâ— moste ample that after a certen maner we mightie conceaue heauenly thinges muche more excellent than they be Therfore the sense and meanyng of all those
only sentence of Christ I wil impose none other burthen theÌ„ that you haue kepe that vntill the iudgement Beholde he sayth vnto the iudgement least any shoulde imagine in the meane season that another thing had pleased the holy ghost Let vs therfore perseuer in the same Most large promesses Hereunto he annexeth after his wonted maner most ample promesses that through hope of so great rewardes he might pluck them from errours ioine them to the true religion And like as in the fourmer epistles he hath said he that ouercometh so here he repeteth the same admonishing vs not to slepe but to watche fight maÌ„fully And he ouercometh that kepeth the workes of Christ vnto the ende The workes of Christ by a priuie opposition are set against the inuentions workes of men The workes of Christ The workes of Christ fignifie both doctrine and faith and whatsoeuer good workes insew vpon the same the seruice of worshipping of God the obseruatioÌ„ of Gods word For in the .28 chap. of S. Math. The Lorde saith to his disciples teace you them to kepe those thinges which I haue commaunded you He speaketh with an emphasie whiche I haue commaunded you not such as you shall haue inuented of your own braine For the Lord alledgeth out of the Propheth in the .xv. of the same S. Math. saiyng In vaine do thei worship me teaching the doctrines of men Therfore these workes haue no promesse But the workes of Christ whiche he him selfe hath ordeined the which are done of his spirit and of true faith whilest we forsake our errours cleaue to the truth they haue a promesse moste ample The victory of the hâ—ad Christ and his meÌ„bres And promiseth two notable thinges The first lyke as my father hath promysed me victory and perfourmed it that I ouercome all my ennemies and triumphed ouer them the same being brokeÌ„ in pieces lyke vessels of clay or earth with out any difficultie so wyll I geue vnto you also power and victory against all vngodly And that same promesse at the last shal be fully accomplished in the last iudgement in the which all the ennemies of Godlines shal be caste vnder the feete of Christ As it is declared in the Psalmes especially in the .ii. and Cx. Psalme And in this world also Christ affirmeth that his seruauntes shall spiritually rule ouer his ennemies Like as Christ although he were tormented and died yet neuerthelesse he ouercame his ennemies The holy and ecclesiasticall stories beare witnes of these thinges sufficiently The latter I will geue him the morning starre And he vnderstode the knowledge of Christ increasing dayly more and more and so euen Christ himselfe The morning star in lyke case as the day in the rysing of the morning starre waxeth brighter and brighter In the whiche sense the Apostle S. Peter is red to haue vsed this allegory in the .ii. Epistle first Chapter or at the least he promised a clerenes most bright For Daniel sayth howe the faithful in the resurrection shall shine like the firmament The whiche thing also the Lord Christ alledgeth the .xiii. of Math. And the Apostle alluding hereunto sayd that one star was brighter then an other So lykewyse in the resurrection one shal be made brighter then an other These promisses be most great neither can I thinke that any greater can be geuen vs. God graunte vs grace that we may be made partakers of so great thinges Finally he applieth this epistle to al churches and ages of the world Wherof since we haue spoken oftener than once there is no cause that by oft repeating I should be tediouse to any man To the Lorde our God be praise and glory ¶ He blameth certen thinges in the congregation of Sardis notwithstanding he sheweth streight wayes a remedy wherby they may be healed be safe The .xv. Sermon AND write to the messenger of the congregatioÌ„ of Sardis this saith he that hath the spirites of God and the .vii. starres I knowe thy workes Thou hast a name that thou liuest and thou art dead Be awake and strength the thinges which remaine that ar redy to die For I haue not founde thy works perfit before God Remember therfore howe thou hast receiued and heard and holde fast repent If thou shalt not watche I wil come on thee as a thefe and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wyll come vpon thee Two kindes of men in one churche In one congregation of Sardis were two sortes of people professing on either side the name of Christ But some in dede answered but litle to the holy profession liuing more licenciously than became them And the others in holines of lyfe set forth the doctrine of our sauiour that they professed The first sort the Lord Iesus accuseth in this Epistle by S. Iohn And sheweth also a medicine for the disease And the later he exhorteth to perseueraunce commending their integritie Therfore this Epistle is deuided in two partes verey fit and profitable for our time The first part of the Epistle coÌ„teineth those things which we haue now recited Nether doth he procede herein in other order than we haue sene him to haue proceded hitherto For first he sheweth to whom it is dedicated and sent Namely to the Pastour of the congregation of Sardis Sardis and therfore also to the whole church Sardis is said to haue ben the head citie of Lydia or of Maonia the metropolitane citie of Cresus the most riche king of Lydia whom Herodotus writeth that king Cyrus ouercame a towne most famous and pricked and painted with pride that it was a woÌ„der And addicte to voluptuousnes For Strabo in the .xiii. boke of Geographie testifieth that al the maidens therof were harlots who mentioneth more of the same citie Certes it semeth to haue kept his olde wonte euen at suche time also as it had receiued the name of the Lord And therfore to haue bene more geuen to fornication and al maner of filthy lust The which thing the Lord semeth to haue blamed in them as S. Paul likewyse persecuted the self same vise in the Corinthians The worlde can hardly beleue that simple fornication is sinne wherupon in that great counsel of the Apostles Actes 15. both thei and the elders and the whole assemblie with one minde decreed that the geÌ„tiles should absteine from fornication The deuill at this day goeth about many times to defile the church again with fornication to set vp stewes and that by authoritie and openly whordom might be practised For so being cast out he taketh seuen worse spirites enterprising to possesse that place again out of the whiche he was exiled by the preaching of the Gospel We must therfore resist him least the Lorde Iesus him self do accuse vs as he doth here accuse them of Sardis most greuously Christ hath and seÌ„deth the spirite Then is the Lord Iesus declared to be authour of the Epistle not without praise
not had or shal haue but he hath now For he alone hath this power which he cōmunicateth with no man els The Pope of Rome lieth whiche sayeth that he hathe this power The only sonne of God excelleth in this prerogatiue Keyes geuen to the Apostles Thapostles as ministers and preachers haue receyued the keyes of knoweledge and of vtteraunce of learning instruction and introduction by the whiche also in threatening they exclude infidels out of the kingdome of God binde them in their sinnes almightie God whiche hath the highe power ratifiyng the iudgement of the minister whiche he pronounced not of him self but of Christes wordes But these thinges agree righte well with those that follow of the opened dore which no man can shut and so to the whole matter For now the Lorde procedeth to tell what he would And as he hathe sayed in all epistles he repeteth in this also that he knoweth al things of this and of al other congregations And he commendeth so the perseueraunce in faithe in this congregation Thou hast no power that he signifieth with all that the same also did procede of the grace of Christ Thou haste sayeth he litle power and as it were no force and strēgth which this world regardeth as power riches wordly wisedom lucky successe plentie of frendes and such other like things Therfore thou canste attribute nothing to thy selfe nothinge to thine owne strength not so much as this that thou arte a churche that the veritie of the gospell is freely preached with thee I haue set before thee an open dore For I set opē this dore And by my strength I kepe open the same that no man can shut the same dore to witte the preachinge and grace ones graunted by any meanes to prohibite let or take away To open the dore is a cōmon phrase of speaking vsed of thapostle in the 1. to the Corinth 16. and the 2. Corinth the 2. He openeth the dore whiche geueth an occasion and prepareth the waye to enter in By the worde therefore was opened the dore of life The faithful might enter in the infidels coulde not stoppe this waye For the hande of Christe helde the dore open And these thinges in dede do declare No mā cā shut the dore whereof it is that in cities townes and villages not greatly furnished with any force or power the course of the gospel procedeth with so lucky successe And where many go about by layng waite craftes and policies threateninges and persecutions to shut the dore they cā not These things are not done through our cunning wisedome but of the grace of God Howbeit if any man list to vnderstand those thinges and such as follow herafter peculiarly of the pastour or bishop of the church I wil not be against it For where he was hūble and instruct with no worldly wisedome yet furnished with God his grace he opened the waye of saluation which now they coulde not shut vp as many as soughte to abrogate the preaching of the gospel The vertue of Christ kept him And nowe more expressely he preacheth or cōmendeth the faithfull constauncie in faithe of the pastour congregation The commendation of perseueraunce in faythe Thou hast kept saieth he my worde and hast not denied my name When the Lorde opened the dore lighted the candel gaue heauenly giftes the pastour with the congregation receiued them and receiued kepte thē and so kept denied them not nother trode thē vnder foote This is an excellent praise Would God there were many such churches founde at this daie Here mayest thou learne also O thou church of Christ here maye you learne all and singular what is the duty of pastours of the churche and of all and singular godly men and women Thy merite was none at all God of his grace shone vnto thee Thy worthines was non thy desert power nor authoritie Christe of his mercy hath reuealed him selfe vnto thee Imbrace him therefore that offereth him selfe to thee holde fast and neuer at any time let him go c. The word of Christ is to be kepte And note that the Lord sayeth my worde not euery mans worde but mine What the worde of Christ is it is knowen to al men For that which is written in the Gospel and first in dede by the Prophetes and after by the Apostles was set forth in holy writte is the worde of christ It is not Christes worde that striueth with the same although it be set forth by Counsels and holy fathers Christe doeth not acknowledge that worde he acknowledgeth his for his owne And this must be obserued and kept The word of Christ is obserued what time it is not corrupted with additions The word of Christ is kepte howe detractions and wrastinges but in case it be kepte sincere in his naturall sense It is not kepte when it is corrupted or depraued with mens inuentions and peruerse interpretations The worde of Christ is kepte when it is cōmended not with the mouth alone but is also expressed with godly workes in the whole life beautified with holines It is not obserued when with out repentaunce men liue most filthily Finally the word of Christ is obserued kept when it is not with any lothesomnesse of ours or impatiēce cast awaye denied forsaken And therfore he annereth incōtinently and thou hast not denied my name I haue spoken els where largely of confessing and deniyng of Christes name These things verely did the Philadelphiās with these vertues through faith pleased the lord By these also maye we cōmende our selues to our Sauiour The Lord conuerteth thenemies vnto the churche Furthermore the Lord sheweth with how great a reward he would honour that constauncie of the godly in faithe Ye haue nowe sayeth he many enemies by reason of your pure religion but in case ye thus holde one I wil cause that those same enemies shal become your frēdes and finally fellowes of your religion In so muche that they that haue hitherto condemned you for wicked doers and heretikes shal come vnto you with great humilitie to axe you forgeuenes ready to receiue your religion to worship him whome they haue blasphemed And they shall come in moste humble wise and with the greatest humilitie that maye be For so sayed Esaye before that it shoulde so come to passe in 49. chap. wherunto the Lord alluded at this present In the meane season he toucheth the Iewes the singular enemies of the sayth False Iewes whom he calleth the Sinagoge of Sathan For their teacher was none other but the Deuill as in dede they haue no better at this daye He calleth them false Iewes and liars For neyther they confessed the Lorde nor glorified god nor beleued in Christ their Messias But they that are Iewes in dede be not suche as the Apostle S. Paull saied in the 2. Chapter to the Romans The power of God cōstreyned many of them forsaking their
spake the Lord in the gospel when they shall saye sayeth he Christ is in the wildernes goe not forth c. And I doubte not but that some simple also at this day for this intent take vpon thē the monastical life but they shall finde also the same that S. Iohn here sayed they should proue and trie by experience Furthermore this place might seme that it should be expounded of the tokens which go before the last iudgement The place is to be expoūded of the laste iudgemēt and of the terrour of the wicked of whom the Lord preached in maner to the same effect in the .21 of Luke But of the laste iudgement shal be spoken more at large and in his place in the .11 and .19 Chapter of this boke and els where And as I do not discōmende that same exposition so seme there nowe to me the generall destenies of the church to be here set together in the which where the corrupte doctrine occupieth not the last place there should nothing be spoken herof in general wherof many thinges in particular shal be spoken in the 8. chapter and others followyng vnlesse this present place should after the same sorte be expounded as it is Furthermore those thinges that followe shall better be ioyned together which shall haue no place in the laste iudgement as the thing it selfe wil proue And the thinges that follow in the 7. Chapt. apperteyne to the exposition of the sixte seale or vnto the treatise thereof And three thinges chiefly it reciteth howe the Aungelles let the windes that they shoulde not blowe an innumerable company to be sealed in the middes of the corrupt doctrine which shuld not perish And what the state of them is which are departed out of this world eyther by martirdom or els beyng either vndefiled with the corruption so ful of enormitie or deliuered pourged from the same which are annexed because of cōsolation For this boke of Apocalipse is wōderful Euangelical most ful not only of prophecies but also of admonitions exhortations and most cōfortable consolations What winde is in the Scriptures First is to be expounded that whiche is spoken of the restreinte of the windes by the Aungels that they should not blowe Winde as also leauē in the scriptures is vsed both in good and euil parte For winde is called vaine and false doctrine and an hope conceyued of erroneouse doctrine As in Osee the .12 and the .5 and .22 of Ieremie So is leauen called the Pharisaicall doctrine and hipocrisie springyng thereof S. Paul in the .4 to the Ephes forbiddeth that we be not caried about with euery winde of doctrine And the holy ghost is shaddowed by winde in the .3 chapt of S. Iohn And in the 2. chapt of the Actes Winde is subtile it pearseth is felte and is not sene greate is the force thereof it doeth refrigerate it drieth gathereth clowdes whiche rayne and make the earth fertile Full rightly therfore by winde is signified the spirite of God and the sounde doctrine whiche is of the spirite of God Therfore is it one winde the spirit of God whiche inspireth and there be foure windes that is to witte many by the corners of Heauen and partes of the earth that is to wit preachers dispersed through out the whole world Therfore the doctrine of the Gospell inspired from all partes of the world bloweth or is preached so that ther be many windes yet all procedyng of one For there is one and the same spirite whiche speaketh by the ministers and geueth them sundry graces .1 Corinth 12. Briefly by the blaste of windes we vnderstand the free preachyng taken out of the holy Scriptures The preachyng of gods word is prohibited Secondely we muste knowe that there be both good and euil Aungels in the Scriptures Aungels as appered before are called ministers And there be good and euill ministers the good inspired of God and the good Aungell and the euil of the euil Aungell And the enemie of the trueth stireth vp men in al places of the world in the Courtes of Kinges in the places of Iudgement in Scholes in Colledges in Cities Townes and Villages whiche may let the free course of Gods worde Therefore the proclamations of Kinges and Bisshoppes flye to and froe are proclamed and set vp prohibiting the readyng of the Bible the preaching of the Gospell c. And to the intent to haue some pretence of their euill doyng they forge that the Bible is corrupte in a thousande places that heresie is learned and taught out of the same Therefore also they prohibite and condemne the Bible and the bokes of the Gospell of the vnworthines of the whiche thing it can not worthely enough be spokē before the church They do the same that in times paste Antiochus Epiphanes Dioclesian and other men of the same sorte are red to haue done The expositours of the Bible in times paste deserued excedyng great prayse nother was there any faythfull that sayed the holy boke to be corrupted for that al translations agreed not emonges themselues We liue therefore at this daye in a time most corrupt and most vnthankefull And the restrainte of reading holy Scripture is the foundation of the corrupte doctrine and of intanglyng the conscience and of dispayre that followeth on the same And by the Earth he vnderstandeth men dwellyng in Earth by the Sea and Iles men of Ilandes and that dwell on the Sea by trees men shadowed euery where in the Scripture by trees For vnlesse the windes blowe the trees florishe not neyther the earth waxeth grene The Prophet sayeth sende forth thy spirite and they shal be created and thou shalt renewe the face of the earth And excepte the worde of God be preached the mindes of men waxe not grene nother are the fruictes of good workes brought forth of men And therfore the Aungelles prohibiting winde are sayed to hurt as in dede there is nothing more pestilent nor perniciouse than the suppressing of the free preachyng of Gods worde The Lorde by his spirite renewe all partes of the worlde Amen ¶ The faithful are sealed to saluatiō which they obteyne by the grace of God in Christ Iesu The .xxxv. Sermon ANd I sawe an other Aungell ascēde from the rising of the sonne which had the seale of the liuing God and he cried with a lowde voyce to the foure Aungelles to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth and the See saying hurte not the earth nother the See nother the trees till we haue sealed the Seruauntes of our God in their forheades And I hearde the numbre of them which were sealed and there were sealed an C. and .xliiii. thousand of al the tribes of the Childrē of Israell Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Ruben were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Gad were sealed xii M. of the tribe of Asser were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Neptali were sealed .xii. M.
are alwayes wonte so ofte as they haue occasiō to celebrate and intimate Christ and the misterie of his redemption S. Iohn therefore sayeth howe the lambe hath ben killed and offered vp from the beginnyng of the world And it is with out controuersie The lambe slayne frō the beginning of the world that by the lambe is vnderstande Christ It is therefore demaunded howe he was slaine from the beginning of the world Many here tourmente themselues at the length they expounde that Christ was slaine in Abel and in all sainctes by perticipation not by passion Certenly we maye not expounde this place after the lettre For Christ coulde not be slayne before he was borne Moreouer the Apostle affirmeth that Christ sins the beginning of the world hath not ben slaine oftener than ones Reade what he sayeth in the .9 chapt to the Hebrew And yet can not the most and trewe worde of God be contrary or repugnaunt to it selfe Therefore saye we after the comon rule of expoundyng the Scriptures that the signes haue the names of the thinges signified For the Lambe was called a passouer or passyng by wherof it was a signe Circumcision was called the leage or conuenaunt it selfe sacrifices are named sinnes So verely from the beginnyng of the worlde sacrifices were slayne whiche were simbolles or signes of Christe to be incarnated and offered vp ones for the clensyng of sinnes We vnderstande therfore by this testimony of Christe that all the sacrifices of the auncient fathers were sacramētes of Christ and that the redemption of Christe hath from the begynnyng of the worlde ben of efficacitie to all the faythful Therfore this place is notable and worthie to be obserued Hitherto apperteyneth the Apostles testimony in the .1 to the Corinth the .10 That al our forefathers haue eaten of the same spirituall meate wyth vs and dronken of the same drynke and that they dranke of the rocke followyng them whiche was Christ Of the destructiō of the Romane Empire And hitherto hath he spokē of the maiestie of the Romane Empire blasphemies sinnes Nowe followeth of the distruction of so great an Empire punnishmēts of sinnes Wherof notwithstanding shal be spoken againe in the .17 chapt And with an Acclamatiō most comonly vsed in the gospell as it were peculiar to Christ he stireth vp al his auditours and crieth out he that hath an eare to heare lette him heare Verely it was to men a wonder and semed vncredible that so great a Maiestie coulde falle but yet it falleth The faythfull marueled also what shoulde be the ende of blasphemies slaughters iniuries abominations Moreouer the doctrine that followeth is notable excellent and worthie to be kepte in memory Therefore he stireth vp all men to attentiuenes and than he sayeth whosoeuer shall leade into captiuitie shall go into captiuitie whosoeuer striketh with the sworde c. For in such sort he declareth the destructiō of Rome and the Romane empire that he confirmeth with al the iustice of gods iudgemēt And also with a maruelouse breuitie of goddes sentence geuen or pronoūced against Rome he suppeth of that vnmeasurable power And this is both by the law of God by the law of nature and by the law of al natiōs receiued as a thing most iust that euery man shulde loke to haue the same done to him that he doth to an other For to this be longeth the sentence rehersed of Noe in the .9 of Gen. He that shedeth bloud his bloud shal be shed The same is repeted in the .33 of Esay Wo to the that spoilest shalt not thou be spoiled A testimonie wherof is Niniue with the Prophet Nahum and Babilon with al the prophets Therfore hath the Lorde taught in the gospell whatsoeuer ye wold that men shuld do to you do you the same vnto them also With what mesure you meat vnto others with the same shall others meat vnto you agayne Whosoeuer stryketh with the sworde with the sword shall perish Therefore it is moste reasonable that sins Rome hath spoiled the whole world and iniuried al nations and made cruel war vpon al men it shuld be againe of al nations inuaded spoyled torne and troden vnder foote Let vs marke this iudgemēt of God let vs fear god and do good vnto men For here is sentence geuen against al men that do iniurie to their neighbours but especialli those which inuade innocēts with vniust wars which thei be hired to make c. And here muste we repeate some thyng out of Hystories The destructiō of Rome and the Romane Empyre whereby the veritie of this prophesie may be better knowen and vnderstand When the most excellēt Prince Constantine had receiued the gouernment of thempire as it were abhorring Rome he builded Constantinople and made it the seate or mansion of thempire And from that time the Maiestie of Rome began to fal vnto ruine Vnder themperour Gratiane a Prince moste wittie the Barbarians were a great terrour to the Romanes wherupō Gratiane made a leage with them Stilico father in lawe to Honorius a Vandall borne deminished the wages of the Gothians and other leage fellowes of the people of Rome for the which cause they toke Armour yet beinge pacified agayne they were stirred vp afterwarde through the mallice of Stilico of Duke Saule vnder the cōduite of Athalaricus their King they hast them to Rome lay seige to it besiege it by the space of two yeares at the lēgth toke and spoiled it Which seige and spoyle S. Hierome in his Epistle bewayleth much Orosius writeth much christianly hereof in the .29 chapter of the .7 boke of Histories It is reported that Rome was taken the fyrste day of Apryll in the yeare .412 Yet the Gothians immediately leauyng the Citie remoue into other places there by neuerthelesse beynge agayne inflamed with fury they returne and vnder their captayne Athaulphus they plagued spoyled Rome worse then they ded before The Kynge had determined extinguyshing the name of Romaynes to haue called the Citie Gothia if he had not ben disswaded of Galla Placidia daughter to Honorius A fewe yeares after Rome was taken agayne of Genserychus King of Vandalles and that which was inryched and replinished with the robberies of al natiōs was by fourtene dayes together emptied cleane After came Odacer with the Germanes and putting downe the name of Emperour reigned ouer the citie himselfe as king by the space of .15 yeares Whom Theodorichus of Verona expulsed and slew And there reigned with his East Gothes about .50 yeares Than was it recouered of Bellisarius for Iustinian Emperour of Grece but to the vtter destruction of Rome For Totilas Kynge of Gothia discomfyted both the Greke and Romayne Armie at Placence after he beseiged Rome scaled toke sacked ouerthrew and set it on fyre The citie burned thirtene dayes Nother was there any man in it by the space of fourtie dayes Reade the .4 boke of Sabellicus the .8 Aeneade Perauenture I
To them afterwarde they framed Idolles that is tokens and memorialles whiche might bryng those heauenly goddes into the memorie of the Earthly dwellers They builded for thē chapelles and churches they instituted priestes holy daies rites and Ceremonies These things are foūde in the bokes of the gentiles in our histories and also in their writinges which haue cōfuted the heythen Idolaters But in the popish kingdome at this day the names beyng only chaunged who can denie that the same culte the same religion naye very superstitiō is not renewed of these thinges I haue treated at large in my booke De origine erroris The Papistes teache that the Sainctes in heauen reigne with God and that to them are subiecte sickenesses artes limmes or membres cities and althinges and muste therfore be called vpon and worshipped Sainctes are expressed and represented by Images to these Images are erected Aultars and churches briefly it is done to them that was done to the Goddes and Idolles of the Heythen Who therefore vnderstandeth not nowe that Antichrist hath procured that the first beaste might be worshipped that is to witte mighte be of force agayne and that the olde Idolatrie and superstitiouse worshippyng might be renewed and frequented Who worship the first beaste vnder the seconde And as we haue red it to be sayed before and they worshipped him all that dwell in Earth whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lābe so sayeth he also here plainely and he causeth the Earth and the inhabiters of the Earth that is they that seke regarde only earthly thinges to worshippe the firste beaste For all be not polluted with popish Idolatrie For hereunto apperteyneth the noble historie of Leo the thirde Emperour and Gregory the seconde and of other Popes through whose wickednes Idolatrie was agayne brought into the church which I wrote of long sins in my worke De origine erroris Nother with out a misterie is this hereunto annexed Whose deadly wounde is healed whose deadly plague was healed For he semeth to compare together the firste and seconde beaste and to shewe the lickenes of the same And I tolde you howe many menne at the firste were kepte still in the Romanes errours and Idolatrie for that the Goddes by Vespasians meanes were sayed to haue preserued the common welth whiche els with ciuile warres was as it were brought to ruine Finally we reade in stories that the Empire of Rome hath many times receiued deadly woundes but yet by and by through the wisedome and valeauntnes of some noble men the Goddes as they speake so willyng haue ben healed againe In that nōbre are rekened Lucius Septimius Seuerus Valerius Aurelianus C. Aurel. Val. Diocletian c. By whose lucky successe triumphes and victories to the Empire restored many haue ben moued to saye who seeth not that Rome shal be eternal and that the Romane religion is to the Goddes most acceptable and that the Emperours also and publicke weale is indued with a certen deitie and is to be honoured after the same sorte the kyngedome of the Pope or Antichrist hauing tried moste diuerse chaunces hath very ofte escaped out of desperate daungers Force and policie hath afflicted it and also the religion of Henry the .3 Emperour and of his sonne Henry the .4 Fridericke the first and second vexed the popes There were also other mightie Princes whiche inflicted mortall woundes to the See of Rome Agane there were Bishoppes of Rome which with singular craftes haue cured their woundes agayne The woūdes of Antichriste healed of the whiche sorte was Gregory the .7 Vrbane the .2 Paschalis the .2 Calixtus the .2 Alexander the .3 Innocentius the .3 Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 Clement the .4 .5 Boniface the .8 Iohn the .22 and diuerse others But was not that feate in greatest perill in times paste when three Popes were created at ones whereof one was resident at Rome the seconde went to Auignon in Fraunce and the thirde liued in Spayne But all these three putte downe by the power diligence authoritie and policie of the Emperour Sigismunde and the counsel of Constaūce that deadly wounde was fayre healed in Martin the .5 And this felicitie and restoryng the Popish kingedome perswadeth many effectually that poperie is of God and the popishe religiō to be most certen and trewe as that which hath so ofte ben of mightie princes assayled might in dede be shaken but neuer yet ouerthrowen The acclamation of all the Romishe is knowen the shippe of S. Peter is tossed in dede with stormes but can neuer be drouned But Daniel him self also hath prophecied that this shuld so come to passe saiyng and he shall prosper and shal doe what he will and shall kill the strong and holy people at his pleasure and guyle shal be directed in his hande Whiche thinges they doe not marke whiche are at this daye so much offended with the felicitie of that chayre of pestilence and the beaste therof Therfore like as the dayes of mourning and soden destruction came vpon olde Rome and vtterly destroied both the citie and Empire euen so shal we heare in the .17 and .18 chapt That Babilon shal haue her fatall destenies The Lorde Iesus confirme vs in the faith of Iesus Christe and deliuer vs from the guiles lucky successe and felicitie of that Romish Antichrist Amen ¶ Of the signes of Antichrist and Image of the beaste of him reysed The .lx. Sermon ANd he did great wonders so that he made fyre come downe from heauē into the yearth in the sight of men and deceaued them that dwelt on the earth by the meanes of those signes whiche he had power to do in the sight of the beaste saiyng to them that dwelte on the Earth that they should make an Image vnto the beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and did liue And he had power to geue a sprite vnto the image of the beaste and that the image of the beast should speake And should cause that as many as would not worshippe the Image of the beast should be killed He procedeth moste dilligently to describe Antichrist and his kingdome which so greatly impugneth the faith of Christ and afflicteth his church to the intent he mighte be knowen and eschewed of al men He sayeth nowe he shall do great wonders Of trewe miracles by the whiche he vnderstandeth miracles Wherof some be true and some false I call those trewe miracles which are done in dede and are not by any craftie iuggelyng countrefeted and the which allure mē to the veritie and set forth the veritie Of the which sorte out of doubte were the miracles of the Prophetes and Apostles holy Martirs and chiefly of Moses and Christe These do good vnto men hurte not nor emptye pore mens purses yea more they glorifie God and make the treweth to be beleued in drawyng men only vnto God as to the fountayne of all goodnes So Iohn testifieth of the lordes
firste miracle done in Cana of Galiley and sayeth This is the firste token that Iesus did at Cana in Galiley and shewed his glory and his disciples beleued on him This token was trewe and suspected of no iuggelyng it was a benefite bestowed vpoÌ„ pore folkes newely maried by the same God was glorified His disciples moued herewith and the sprite of God workyng also inwardely beleued on Christ So do all trewe miracles testifie Christ to be helthful and beneficiall therefore alone to be called vpon and worshipped So doe Iohn and Peter interprete the signes or miracle that their theÌ„selues wrought in the .3 of the Actes of Apostles And of such miracles we haue greate plentie in the Euangelicall Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall storie nother haue al those any other ende thaÌ„ that we must beleue in the sonne of God as which alone geueth life and al good thinges And false signes I calle those that are done through deuelishe crafte or inchauntement Of falsâ— signes or miracles or by the craftie iuggelyng and subtill sleight of wicked men as be those of witches and inchaunters such as the wise men of Pharao were and Symon Magus and those wherof mention is made in the .13 of Deuâ—ter Finally suche were the miracles of the Freres brent at Bernes in Swisserlande and greately it is to be feared leest such haue ben the most parte of the miracles of al Mounkes and Eremites Likewise those are called false also whiche although they be done in dede yet beare they witnes to a lie agaynste the trewth confirmyng the Pope to be head of the church that images are to be worshipped that we must pray vnto Sainctes and go a pilgrimage for religion yea rather for superstitions sake that we must worshippe a newe God liynge hidde vnder fourme of Bread and Wine that God muste be honoured with vowes and Monkish conuersatioÌ„ and yf there be any other thing of like sorte With suche disceauable signes are filled at this daye all Temples churches and chapelles These haue perswaded much euen wise men and do also at this daye Whiche thing the Lord prophecied should come to passe saiynge there shal arrise false Christes and false Prophetes and shal shewe great signes and wonders that euen if it were possible the elect should be brought into errour And S. Paule also the comyng of Antichriste sayeth he shal be after the workyng of Sathan with al power and signes and liyng wonders and the reste whiche is red in the .2 to the Thessal 2. And we knowe that many Bisshoppes of Rome haue wrought signes but that same is not so excellent but that the Bisshoppe of Rome hath confirmed what miracles so euer haue ben wrought in al ChristeÌ„dome and augemented the same with his bulles and indulgences Doubtles all had a contrary ende to the miracles of Christ and yet haue for they do not profite men but emptie their purses put men to sondry charges and leade them awaye from the faith of Christ to the faith of Antichrist confirming his religion superstitioÌ„ and doctrine Nother doeth he place these his miracles emongs the last of his argumentes what time the simplicitie of the gospell is impugned But if we be wise we will beware of them as of a most present pestilence He maketh fire to come down c heaueÌ„ And emonges his miracles the lord by S. Iohn reherseth that aboue all thinges he causeth fire to come downe to the Earth and that in the presence of meÌ„ And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of Helias wherof we reade in the .4 boke of Kinges the .1 chapt and whereof we mentioned in the .11 chapt We reade that it was no smal miracle in the Actes of the Apostles that al the laiyng on of thapostles handes the holy ghost was geuen Symon Magus also did couet the same grace but he was sore reiected of S. Peter the Apostle as we reade in the .8 chapt of the Actes of Apostles And here is to be obserued as also S. Austen hath admonished in the .15 boke de trinit the .26 chapt that thapostles gaue not the holy ghost for it is God alone that geueth the holy ghost therfore at the prayers of thapostles at the imposition of haÌ„des the holy ghost was geuen from heaueÌ„ Wherfore S. Iohn Baptiste saied how he baptised with water but that Christ shuld baptise with fire and with holy ghost And by fire is figured the holy ghost The Pope geueth grace But Antichrist the Pope shal make his boaste that he hauing power geuen him froÌ„ heauen graunteth the grace of the holy ghost Doubtles in the time of coÌ„secrating he saieth that he geueth the holy ghost So likewise in auricular coÌ„fessions absolutions they bragge that thei geue full absolutioÌ„ of sinnes which in dede is a great miracle Thei laie their haÌ„des vpon the sinner that confesseth and saye howe they absolue him from the payne and crime and that by the power receyued of that moste holy See of Rome Primasius expounding this place It is no maruell sayeth he though that beaste which fainedly vsurpeth to him selfe the name of the Lambe killed and yet liuyng doe fraudulently chalenge to him selfe also this gifte of the holy ghost colourably by ImitatioÌ„ and fayne a donation to his ministers as we remembre that Symon Magus coueted but coulde not obteyne Hitherto he There is an other fire also The Pope casteth a thoÌ„derbolt at his enemies which Antichrist calleth doune from heauen and casteth and throweth at his enemies to be reuenged on them to wit the darte and thonderbolte of cursing this was terrible to kinges princes people And these haue so much feared the thonderbolte of excoÌ„munication that they haue done graunted many thinges which otherwise no maÌ„ shuld haue gote of theÌ„ The story is knoweÌ„ of themperour Henry the .4 For Platina in the life of Gregory the .7 sheweth that this Emperour was excoÌ„municated by the Pope After he addeth these things of themperour he came spedely to Canosse where the bishop was with Mathilda and by and by laiyng a side his royal robes went bare foted to the gates of the citie and humbly required to be let in His entring denied he toke in good parte notwithstanding that the winter was sharpe and al was frosen harde Remaynyng thre daies in the suburbes of the Towne and continually crauing perdon at the length at request of Mathilda and the Erle of Sauoye the Abbot of Clunies he is absolued Fridericke Barbarouse that he mighte be reconciled to the Pope layed his necke vnder his fete to be troden on full manifeste are the iniuries done of this beaste to other kinges also and people I wil yet tel of one The Venetians besieged Farrare which payeth tribute to the Churche of Rome for the whiche cause they were excommunicated by Clement the .5 Therefore Fraunces Dandalus which was after created Duke wente into Fraunce where that time the Bisshop was
Emperour shal he haue Rome shal he haue Italie the oulde seat of the Empyre shal he haue Fraunce Spayne Hongarie Germanie For although Germanie be nowe taken for the seate of the Empyre yet hath shee her owne Princes her owne free Cities and the which inioye their Priuileges although they be called Emperiall Theodorycke of Niem a Germayne and a familiar friende of certen Popes which wrote also the lyues of certen Byshoppes of Rome which were last before the counsell of Constaunce in the thyrde booke the .xliii. chapt of his Stories Of what magnificēce sayeth he the Romaine Empyre is at the leestwyse openlye sene in Germanie For you shal haue there an Archbyshop or a Byshop which hath of yearely reuenewes twyse so much more The pouerty and barenes of the Romayne Empyre as the Kyng of Romaynes receyueth in all his dominions And agayne a temporall Prince that hath more landes than hath the Emperour And so forth Moreouer in the ould Empire ther was some mightie monarke which vsed full Aucthoritie and was honoured of all men as a God in Earth As Caius Domitian Dioclesian and others His Image representeth the Pope Byshoppe and Kynge and as it were a certeine God terristrial the greatest Monarke with fulnesse of power Furthermore Rome or the oulde beaste had a mooste honorable Senate So hath the Byshppe of Rome also a Princelyke Senate of prowde purpled Cardynalles For they bee in maner all Princes The booke of the Romayne gouernementes reciteth the Vicar or Lieutenaunte of the Diocesse of Asia a Diocesse in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a disposition administration dispēsation gouernemente or iurisdiction the Vycar of the Diocesse of Thracia and of Pontus So was there a noble man president of the gouernementes in Italie He had manye Diocesses vnder And no fewer had the Lieutenaunt of Fraunce And lyke as the Counte of Strasbourgh the Captayne generall of the soldiours at Spires and the General of the soldiours at Woormes ded acknowledge the Duke of Mentz a Proconsull So at this daye the Byshoppes of those Cities are subiectes to the Archebyshoppe of Mentz The Byshoppes therefore seme by the Popes ordinaunce to succede in the place of the Romayne gouernementes Certeinelie you shall see the moste parte of these Byshops called not onely moste reuerend fathers in Christe but also most Noble myghty Dukes and Princes of the Empyre And this is also manifeste that the Emperour of the oulde beaste had his legions the Romaine Egles or enseignes and moste expert and puissaunt Captaynes of warre But the high Bishop and kyng of Rome hath in that Imagerie Empyre obedient children kinges and Princes in Europe not to be dispised Tharmies and power of the Popes sworde whom he may cōmaunde yf nede requyre to stretch foorth the secular power For so thundreth Boniface the .8 in the firste boke de Maior Obedient doubtles sayeth he whosoeuer denieth the temporall sworde to be in the power of Peter he vnderstandeth a misse the worde of the Lorde sayeng put vp thy swoorde into thy sheath howe subtiilie and howe aptelie Therefore are both swords in the power of the church to wit both the spiritual and materiall sword but this must in dede be exercised for the church the other of the church The spirituall by the prieste the materiall by the hande of kinges and soldiours but at the will and patience of the high prieste c. The oulde beaste had his lawes written and published daylie in a maner newe Decretals The Popes therefore after the imitation of the emperiall lawes haue written decretalles and many tymes make newe lawes Yea moreouer they saie howe the voice precepts or cōmaundemēts of the pope are aswel to be receiued taken as the words of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God and Apostle S. Peter They adde moreouer these things also that we muste stand to the popes determinatiō That where the pope is there is the generall counsell Where the Pope is there is our common countrie He is compelled or reproued of no man althoughe he be called an heretike He hath all lawes in his breast or in the scroll of his breaste he may interprete or expound all thinges The same doth ratifie no sentence and it is in him alone to take away one mans right and geue it to an other He maie take awaye priuileges and at his wyll and pleasure not onely to chaūge bishops but also to depose the emperour himselfe and to declare no sentence of themperour All the world is the Popes diocesse and the pope is the ordinarie of al hauing fulnes of power aswell in spiritual matters as tēporall For he is Lord of Lordes and hath the righte of the King of Kinges ouer all subiects For he hath no pere and is all thinges and aboue all and it is necessarie to saluation to be vnder the byshop of Rome For ther is one consistorie or iudgement seat of God and of the Pope These thynges haue I taken oute of their owne books to witte of their Decretalles and gloses There is a boke of Antony Russell of Aretine of the power of the Pope and the emperour where in you may read innumerable things of the same sort But of these thinges which I haue noted hitherto I suppose it be made playne enough how the Pope which is here also called the false prophete hath sette vp the Image of the beaste Hereunto Ihon addeth an other thyng And he had power to geue a spirite to the Image of the beaste that the empyre thus establyshed and all thynges sette in order the beaste or false prophete doeth moue all that weighte and putteth lyfe into the Image so that it can speake to witte the same that the false prophete hath geuen it to speake For excepte the pope do confyrme the election of the Kyng of Romaines he shall not be thoughte worthie of the name of Emperour .22 quest .5 de forma in the glose thēperour sweareth to the pope as the Client to his Lord. The same maiste thou reade in the firste boke the .9 title de iure iurando in Clementinis Moreouer who seeth not how aswell the Emperour as other Princes are inuironed wyth a cōpanie of Byshoppes whych inspyre them what they shoulde speake or doe and howe they shoulde behaue themselues in all thinges For this cause are sent also the Legates that are called Legati a latere And it is not vnknowen that in all Princes counselles for the moste parte the spirituall haue the chiefe rule They be for the most parte Chancelours Secretaries Ambassadours and what not And their Pope King sayeth openlie howe he ought to iudge al men but to be iudged of no man Yea and his creatures also vsurpe the same vnto themselues Yf ther be any assemblee there the Byshop of Rome commonly ruleth by his spirite and gouerneth the chiefeste matters especiallye matters of religiō For vnlesse the decrees please the fathers
kinges Howebeit whilest these kinges considered how they might beste in large their kingedomes and put downe and expulse others full craftely the Bisshoppe of Rome played his parte also For he obteyned the supremacie ouer all Bisshoppes And so gote him great authoritie with Kinges and realmes yea and linked himselfe in league and amitie with Kinges and Princes Whereupon quickely and sodenly or as the Martir of Christ prophecied vpon the sodayne he starte vp and at laste vsurped a kingedome to witte of Rome For by his iudgementes falsely taken for Apostolicall he put downe kynge Childericke of the lignage of Merouinges the lawefull king of Fraunce and auaunced Pipine than Captaine of the French garde to the crowne And so he ouerthrewe or plucked downe one horne and bounde vnto him a most mightie Kinge by whose power afterwarde he was a terrour to the kinges of Grece and Lumbardy Of thexarchate of Italie For aboute the yere of our lorde .269 the Emperour of Constantinople expulsing the Eastegothes did institute a newe gouernement in Italy But sins this kinde of rule and gouernemente is not knowen to all menne I will briefly recite what and howe greate it was by the wordes of Nauclerus the Historiographer ex generat .20 Than beganne sayeth he the Citie of Rome and Italy to haue a newe maner of gouernemente by the whiche they loste more the dignitie glory and feare ouer all the worlde than of all the calamities whiche these .160 yeres haue afflicted them and at the laste had lefte Rome to be inhabited of wilde beastes For Longinus brought in a newe name of dignitie thexarchate of Italie that is the high Magistrate Whiche kepyng still at Rauenna went neuer to the Citie of Rome And in the gouernement of Italie and of Cities he kepte firste this order that the president should not gouerne the prouince or region but euery Citie had their Magistrate to gouerne them whome he called Dukes Wherefore making Rome egall with other Cities and Townes in this thinge only he honoured the same that he called the Magistrate place in Rome presidēt But they that did succede him were called Dukes as they were afterward many yeres so that it was called the Dukedome of Rome as the Dukedome of Narnia and Spolet Nother after Narset and Basill had it any more eyther Consulles or Senate lawefully assembled but by a Duke of Grece whome the highe Magistrate sente from Rauenna the comon welth of Rome was gouerned a long time Thus much he I suppose any manne maye hereby without any difficultie perceyue the Prophecies to be fully accomplisshed Rome vtterly caste downe and the Romane Empire to haue fallen into asshes For shee that had ben the moste mightie Lady of the worlde is sene nowe to bee made a vile gouernemente neuer a deale more excellent than that of Spolet and Narnia c. And here is to be knowen that this Exarchate in Italy was the thirde Lordeshippe instituted sins Augustulus was slayne in whome the Histories saye that the Empire of the weste was finisshed and ended For first when Augustulus was slayne the Germanes vnder their king Odacer possessed Rome Afterwarde the Eastegothes by the conduicte of theyr Duke Theodoricke of Verona Odacer expulsed and slayne reygned at Rome and in Italy Laste of all the Eastegothes by the Lumbardes expulsed and slayne this Exarchate was instituted And Lumbardes beyng called into Italy of the Grekes agaynst the Gothes woulde no more goe out agayne for that they sawe the lande fertile and Riche pleasaunt and aboundyng with sondry pleasures The Lumbardes Warynge therefore of greate power in Italy they subdewed to themselues many Cities and people of Italy establisshyng nowe the fourth domion whiche they called the kingdome of Lūbardes They had most puissaunt kinges Howbeit that exarchate of Rauenna although they layde dilligent awayte for it wente about to inuade it yet coulde they neuer extinguish it till the Bisshop of Rome put to his helping hande pretendyng the sinceritie of religion The mainteyning of Idolatrye maketh of the Bishop of Rome a king Historiographers accompte sixtene Exarches in order which reigned aboute an hondreth foure score yeres The 15. of thē was called Paulus Nauclere in the .25 generat Leo the .3 sayeth he Emperour of Constantinople cōmaunded that they that were subiecte to the Romane Empire should plucke downe al their Images breake them and burne thē Contrarywise the Pope some will haue him Gregory the .2 some the .3 wrote to the whole worlde that they should not obeye these so wicked cōmaundementes of the Emperour Platina sayeth more in the life of Gregory the .3 Gregory by consente of the clergie of Rome depriueth Leo the .3 Emperour of Constantinople bothe of the Empire and also of the communion of the faithfull for that he had plucked downe Images Nauclerus sayeth moreouer But so great authoritie at that time had the Popes decrees that first they of Rauenna and after the people and soldiours of Venise made an open rebellion agaynst the Emperour and thexarche in Italy And the treason increased dayly For Marinus Spatarius Duke of Rome and his sonne Adriane passing through Chāpania were slaine of the Romanes In whose stead they created Duke of Rome one Peter They of Rauenna also whilest some helde with the Emperour and some with the Pope in a tumulte made slewe Paule thexarche and his sonne Thus writeth Nauclere The frēch mē are sent for into Italy by the Pope In these cōmotions the Lumbardes supposyng the occasion so long wisshed for to be nowe offered through the conduite of Luitprande their king inuade the lādes of thempire and besege also Rome it self But Pope Gregory the firebrāde of al the sturres in Italy the soldiour and practicionar of the same and like no priest nor preacher sendeth for Charles Martell king Pinines father with his French chāpions into Italy against the Lumbardes Howbeit this Charles perswadeth the kinge of Lumbardes frendely to departe from the Citie But yet not long after Aistulphus kinge of Lumbardes spoileth againe the lādes of Rauëna reneweth the Italian warre and winneth Rauenna it selfe and demaundeth tribute of the citie of Rome But Stephen the .2 Pope which aspired to the gouernement of Rauenna wisshed the Lumbardes distroyed of king Pipine of Fraunce vnto whō not long sins pope Zacharie by his wrongeful iudgement as many suppose had geuen the kingdome required ayde and deliueraunce as it were offering him the kingdome Therefore are the Frenchmen in armure couetyng also to winne Italy Whilest king Pipine entred into Italy he met with the Ambassadours of the Emperour of Constantinople whiche required that he would restore Rauenna and thexarchate and landes thereof to the Empire whose of righte it was and not the Pope or Romanes Pipine aunswered howe he warred for S. Peter and the pope and to go aboute that the Lumbardes shuld not vexe the church And that he would take from them thexarchate and other