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
these things than to the monstrouse blasphemouse Spanish sophistrie of Serue to a man most corrupte Of the holy ghost But especially here is declared vnto vs the whole misterie of the holy ghost and that in fewe wordes which in the gospel of Iohn is vttered more at large First his procediÌ„g is noted which verely in times past meÌ„ affirmed rashly to be set forth in no parte of the scripture ProcediÌ„g S. Iohn here out of the throne sayeth he proceded lightninges c. And by by whiche are the seuen spirites of God And this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greke doeth signifie a proceding or going out but S. Iohn her saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is proceded or wente forth And therfore that auncient couÌ„sel of Constantinople decreed rightly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I beleue in the holy ghost the lord that quickener proceding of the father c. But because the Lord him self in the gospel speaking of the holy ghost sayeth he shal glorifie me for he shal take of mine shal shew vnto you Al things what so euer the father hath are mine Therefore I sayed that he shal take of mine shal shewe it vnto you no man wil vnderstaÌ„d the spirite to procede of the father only not also of the sonne wherof also was longe contention betwene the Grekes and Latines For if he procede of the father he procedeth of the sonne also For euen for the same cause at this present he is red to procede out of the Throne But in the Throne is not only he that sitteth but the laÌ„be also of whome in the 5. chapt shal be added that the lambe hath seuen eyes which are the seuen spirites of God sent into the whole world Albeit therfore that in the 15. of Iohn the holy ghost is sayed to procede froÌ„ the father yet there is set before whoÌ„ I saieth the sonne wil sende vnto you froÌ„ my father To be short if there be one substauÌ„ce and nature of the father of the sonne I see not howe the holy ghost should procede froÌ„ the father that he shuld not procede of the sonne also Let vs rather leaue those scrupulouse disputatioÌ„s to idle wits let vs beleue that the spirite procedeth froÌ„ both Moreouer the vertue or effecte and operation of the holy ghost is here also set forth declared gallauntly The effecte operatioÌ„ of the holy ghost For first he lighteneth when he illumineth the obedient and feareth the rebelles with sore threatenings SecoÌ„dly he thoÌ„dereth what time he inueygheth against this vngraciouse world reproueth the same of sinnes thonderinge out the terrible iudgementes of God Two Apostles in Marke are called the sonnes of thonder or thonderers He vttereth moreouer holesome voices of doctrine exhortation and consolation by men for the fauour of men Finally where the operation of the holy ghost can not sufficiently wel be expressed yet by the seuenth nombre he compriseth and accomplissheth his fulnes and sayeth that seuen firie lampes are burning before the Seate burnyng I saye not quenched or smoking For the grace of the holy ghoste is bright and full of efficacitie wherof is spoken also before and where these thinges are founde in the Throne howe should any man thinke that the iudgementes from thence procedyng shoulde be in any parte corrupte defiled or to be blamed by the holy ghost al thinges are preserued and by his prouidence al thinges are wrought Hereunto is added an other thing a glassie Sea before the seate in clerenes and brightnes representing Christal The glassie Sea Herby is signified this fraile worlde whiche is subiecte to God and as it were in his sight And also in other places of holy scripture by reason of the vnstablenes tossinge and tourmoyling thereof it beareth the figure of this variable and moste vnconstante worlde And certenly the state of this worlde is more brickel than glasse Some what hereof shal followe in the 15. chapt But what things so euer are done in the world through a maruelous varietie al the same shine as in a glasse before the Throne so that God seeth them all as it were in a Christall whose eyes or knowledge the leeste thinges that be can not escape For we shal not thinke that such thinges as are done in the worlde are done rasshely and by a certen fortune to happeÌ„ or chaunce besides the knowledge of God or to be of God vnknowen A fuller descriptioÌ„ of the Seate After this he retourneth againe to the throne to the intent he might finally finishe that whiche he had begonne ones to describe and might shewe also all the workes of God that are done by his creatures to be most holy And the roial seats chayres or Thrones of kinges are wonte to be borne vp and beautified with beastes as Salomons seate was with lions whiche is to be sene in the 3. boke of Kinges the 10. chapt In other places the moste excellent beastes do drawe the triumphaunt chariotes of Princes After the same maner therfore by a phrase of men beastes are set to the throne of God For God in his prophetes is caried vpoÌ„ Cherubin Cherubin that is in his godly chariot And Ezechiel in the .10 chapt nameth openly Cherubin beastes and the whole text proueth that the place must be vnderstande of god his chariot draweÌ„ by beastes in the which he him self was caried out of the citie of IerusaleÌ„ There is in poetes much mentioÌ„ of the chariot of the Gods taken haply by the firste writers out of the holy scriptures For Sathan the Ape of God goeth aboute alwayes to diffame the worde of veritie But we omitting the triflinges of Poetes wil consider the sober description of this cariage of God or rather of gods throne Almightie God sitteth in this seate Sittyng in the Scriptures is gouernement Here is signified than the God sitteth in al his creatures God sitteth vpon â—eastes that is to saie gouerneth his creatures and by his moste wise prouidence worketh all in all in vsinge euery creature according to his good iuste pleasure after the nature of euery one We shall saye than that by those beastes are vnderstande all the creatures of God dispersed throughe out the foure quarters of the world that is comprehended in the whole world And first is shewed in what place of the throne the beastes were Where in the throne be the beastes to witte in the middes of the Throne and in the circuit of the same You wil are if they be in the throne how should they be about the Throne if they be about the Throne how be they in the middes of the Throne The thynge muste be so conceaued as I admonisshed also before that we should vnderstaÌ„de that vnder the Throne the middes of the beastes doe with their hinder partes reache to the middes of the Throne inwardely and so as it were to haue borne vp the Throne And with
corrupte that place and vtter it so as though it mente that the prieste should sacrifice the real body of Christ for the quicke and the dead But the holy Bisshop of Lions knew this filthie errour Away with them and their sophistrie whither they are worthie I haue spoke also befor something of the same matter And that it might clerely appere vnto all menne the smoke of the odours ascendeth that the prayers of the faythfull offered to God through Christ are pleasaunt and acceptable ther is added and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth that is to saie the prayers of the faithful were of God accepted Therfore let vs offer dilligently our prayers vnto God through Christ For he heareth vs and deliuereth vs from euill And the scripture many times calleth our prayers an acceptable sacrifice to God The plaâ—es are in Osee 14. in the .50 Psalme And in many other places In the .141 the prophet sayeth Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight the lifting vp of my handes an euenyng sacrifice Primasius expoundyng this place sayed how Christ is sayed to haue taken of the prayers of Sainctes For bycause through him the praiers of al maye come swetely vnto God Hebrew 13 Herof the Apostle by him we offer vp alwayes a sacrifice of prayse vnto God that is to saye the fruicte of lippes confessyng his name Agaynste praiyng of Sainctes Herby is coÌ„futed the opinion of them which suppose that the Sainctes in heauen be the intercessours of the faithfull which should coÌ„mende their prayers vnto God make the waye open to God For what nede haue they to procure to theÌ„selues other intercessours or aduocates what lacke finde they in Christ or whom maie they preferre or compare with Christ what shal we say that eueÌ„ at this present the odours are offered vp by the hande of the Aungel The celestial sainctes were present with the Lorde and were sene aboute the seate but which of them taking the censer and gathering the prayers of the faithfull offered them vnto God It tourned Ozias or Asarias the king to displeasure that he toke in hand the censer minding to sacrifice and to execute the priestes office the same would be worse for the heaueÌ„ly dwellers naye they should not remayne in Heauen in case they toke vpon them the office of the only Bisshoppe c. He filleth the censer with fire sendeth it into the Earth After this we haue heard that Christ filled the censer with fire taken from the Aultar and sent it downe into the Earth By the whiche narration he retourneth agayne to finish the exposition of the trompettes This fire is the grace of the holy ghoste That is put into the censer is taken of the Aultar is sent doune into Earth For Christe toke the fulnes of the spirite as S. Iohn sheweth in the â— and .3 chapt Christ is Aultar and censer Of the Aultar here is takeÌ„ fire For the holy ghoste is the spirite of the Father and of the Sonne Whom sayeth he I will sende you from my father Him he sente into earth vnder the shape of firie tounges he sendeth him also at this daye into the hartes of the faithfull that he maye inflame them This is the same fire which the Lord in the gospell of Luke sayeth Luke .12 that he will sende into the Earth and would that it should burne Moreouer the effecte of this fire followeth immediately For there were made thonderinges and voices and lightninges and Earthquake By the voices of the Gospell the woundes of sinners are healed and the hartes of men lighted by the illumination of the holy spirite c. Of the whiche thinges we haue spoken also in the .4 chapt and .24 SermoÌ„ Of the preaching of the Gospell as Haggeus also prophecied it should come to passe insewed a wonderfull commotion of all nations c Sathan also was stired whiche reysed vp his ministers through out the worlde agaynst holesome preachyng of the Gospell For there sprange vp sectes whome the mayneteyners of the veritie resisted fightynge with them Whereof nowe he wil reason at large The Lord geue grace that these thinges maye bothe be spoken and hearde with much fruicte ¶ Of the seuen Aungelles trompetters and of the trompettes and of the first .ii. and .iii. trompet The .xxxviij. Sermon ANd the seuen Aungels which had the seuen trompettes prepared themselues to blowe The firste Aungell blewe And there was made hayle and fire which were mingled with bloud and they were caste into the Earth and the thirde parte of trees was burnt and all grene grasse was breÌ„t And the second Aungell blewe and as it were a great Mountaine burnyng with fire was caste into the See the third part of the See tourned to bloud and the third parte of creatures whiche had life died and the thirde parte of Shippes were distroyed And the thirde Aungell blewe and there fell a great starre from Heauen burnyng as it were a cresset and it felle into the thirde parte of the Riuers and into the fountaines of waters and the name of the starre is called Worme wood and the thirde parte of the waters was tourned to Worm wood And many menne died of the waters because they were made bitter Our lord Iesus Christ hath kindeled in earth a bright and holesome fire which the Apostles and men Apostolical haue euery foote more and more inflamed But contrary wise sathan seketh to quenche this holesome fire not only to corrupte and depraue this doctrine of saluation but also to abolish it and ouerwhelme it with lies The meaner and maner herof is at this present described and euen paynted out gallauntly to none other ende but that the faithful beyng warned and fully taught might be wel ware of that pestilent infection For the scope or ende of this boke is to preserue the church safe and sounde from corruptions or at leest to repare the same beyng corrupted The seuen Aungelles stande in the sighte of God S. Iohn therefore sawe seuen Aungels stande in the sight of God To stande signifieth to minister and compriseth the faith and diligence of Ministers Seruauntes stande before kinges ready to do seruice and to execute al theyr commauÌ„dementes We reade in the .1 chapter of Iob. The sonnes of God came and stoode before the Lord and Sathan came also into the middes of them The blessed Aungelles are called the children or sonnes of God They come to doe seruice before God Sathan preaseth in emongs them forasmuch as he is also the minister of God for the executioÌ„ of those things whiche apperteyne to the wrath and indignation of God agaynst the wicked Al elementes be Gods ministers and finally al the creatures of god For he is the lord of Sabaoth the God of hostes whiche for the saluation and iudgement of men vseth wel and rightly all his creatures euery one accordyng to his nature and disposition For he vseth the ministerie of Aungels
that the preaching of the Gospell can not be so oppressed but that it shall rather be preached with great Constancie through out all the worlde And that Rome also shal fal and al the vngodly be pūnished He exhorteth therfore most ernestly that we haue not to do with Antichrist leeste also we be made pertakers of his damnation And to thintent there might waunt nothing that cōcerned a full comforte he addeth that thinge whiche maye chiefly confirme the mindes of al the godly euen in the greatest daungers howe they that die in Christ doe flitte streight wayes from the corporall death vnto lyse euerlastynge Whiche finisshed he tourneth to the description of the punnishement to be taken assuredly of the Antichristians Wherfore if the Bokes of the Gospell and newe Testament be to be estemed for the manifolde description of Christe and of saluation by him obteyned for the faythefull yf they are to be estemed of the comforte and preaching of the gospel this is doubtles a boke most gospel like as that which by a cōtinuall tenour to perillouse thinges annexeth consolation The Lābe standeth on mounte Sion S. Iohn therfore seeth the Lambe standyng vpon Moūte Sion Christ therfore slepeth not he is not ignoraunt of the perilles and conflictes of his churche but he standeth as prepared to ayde and succour his He standeth as a king inuincible whome nother the Dragon nor the olde nor the newe beast hath ouerthrowen For I haue tolde you oftener than ones especially in the .5 chapt that by the Lambe is vnderstande Christ For he is the lambe and price of our redemption vntill the iudgement but than laiyng a parte the office of an intercessour he shall be a moste seuere and also a moste holy iudge And Christ standeth not in the sande as did the Dragon but on a Mounte and that vpon mounte Sion Mounte Sion was a figure of Christes kingdome as appereth playnely in the .2 Psalme and the .2 of Esaye And the kingedome of Christe is the church aswell triumphante as militaunt therefore in the felloweship of Sainctes standeth Christ the ioye and glory of them that are in heauen and the life and helper of them whiche fight as yet in Earth Let vs beleue therfore that in the Antichristiane persecutiōs Christ wil neuer faile his faythfull as he is red neuer to haue fayled the olde Sainctes vnder the olde Romane Empire afflicted For this consolation serueth chiefly for vs which are vexed of Antichrist and serued for them also whiche suffered martirdome vnder the olde Romane Empire Nother is there any doubt but that they cōfirmed themselues herewith in the greatest persecutions With the lambe are 144000. But that same is moste full of consolation that the lambe is not alone but hath with him an hondreth and foure and fourtie thousande that is to saye a most ample church How so euer therfore the beaste rageth and sleyeth the confessours of Christ yet shal there be alwayes a church that shall neuer be plucked vp euen in the Earth He setteth a nombre certen for vncerten and yet certaine and determinate for that the nombre of them that shal be saued shal seme small in comparison of them which shal worshippe the beastes and perisshe Howebeit we vnderstande that the nombre of them shal neuertheles be greatest which shal be the body of the Church vnder their head Christ euen than also what time the Pope with all the limmes of Antichrist shall haue powred out all their furie Of this nombre of the electe I haue spoken in the 7. chapt where the selfe same nombre is set And as the Antichristians beare the marke of Antichrist in the righthande and foreheades so verely the shepe of Christ Thei haue the name of the father in theyr foreheads and which shal be the church the spouse of christ vnder their head Christ shal haue their marke also in their foreheades to witte the name of the father of the Lambe For Eius is to be referred to the Lambe And he speaketh not of an externall marke whiche should be printed on their foreheades but of the marke of their mindes The same is faith the signe of all Gods children And the fayth in the Father and the Sonne whiche are not without the holy ghost And howe shouldest thou beleue that almightie God is thy father vnlesse thou vnderstande the same to be obteined of the sonne This faith therfore is here vnderstande to be a christen not a Iewish or Turkishe fayth whiche yet confesseth God to be the father But sins they haue not the sonne as sayed S. Iohn in his Epistle they nother haue the father Therfore the true membres of the church of Christ the trewe shepe doe beleue that they haue a mercifull father through the sonne by whome they knowe that the father beyng pacified hath geuen all thinges of life and of saluation in his sonne They that seke not for saluation and all goodnes in the only mediatour the sonne of God haue not doubtles the right marke of the children of God in their foreheades At this daye all will be christiās but neglectyng Christ thei depēde wholy of Sainctes Therfore their faith is not the trewe marke of the children of God No they nother knowe the father nor the sonne And therfore they persecute those that cleaue wholy to the father by the sonne And seyng Christ is with his church what nedeth the church a vicar Certēly it can not be the true church whiche hath a vicar of Christe for than it waunteth Christe whom the trewe church can not waunte It was not enough for the Apostle to haue sayed that the church was vnited with Christe vnlesse he had added moreouer with many wordes howe he hath sene the churche affected and how she demeaned her self than verely when the beastes did afflicte her that euen we may learne therof what is the hope of Sainctes in greatest daungers of what sorte it behoueth vs to be in persecutions and temptations He heareth the voice of many waters First he heareth a voice from heauē as the voice of many waters Waters in the Scriptures many times doe signifie people We vnderstande therfore herby that the church shal be populouse and speaking to thintēt to dissemble nothing but frely to professe Christ And therefore he heareth also the sounde of a great thonder For the church getteth from heauen power to preache and shewe forth the Gospell grauely though the worldes bowelles burste And verely of the frāke constaunt preaching of the gospel Iohn and Iames are called with Marke the sonnes of thōder And cōcerning the preachyng of the gospell shall followe more afterwarde He heareth moreouer a melodiouse harmonie of menne singyng to their harpes singing as it were a newe song The which is chiefly referred to the sainctes in heauen singing eternall prayses to God secōdely to the sainctes liuing here yet in earth which also offer vnto God continually prayses thankes geuyng
Fraunce England Italy and of other Realmes or nations and generally to all the faithfull where soeuer they be abiding and lokyng for the coÌ„myng of Christe oure Lorde and Iudge THat this Apocalips was reueled of Iesus christ king of kinges and high Bishop our lord from the right hand of the Father and setforth by thapostolical spirite for the saluatioÌ„ of al faithfull chieflye of those that shall be in the latter dayes before the last iudgment both the matter it selfe whiche is treated right necessary to be knoweÌ„ holsom and excelleÌ„t proueth And also the simple maner meane wherby it is handled being euident and plaine declareth I will speake of ether briefly Collectyng those thinges only which seme to be more profitable and more necessary Iohn .xvi. The Lorde had sayd in the Gospell how he wold ascende into heauen and froÌ„ thence wold send to his Apostles the holy Gost the comforter which shulde leade them into all truth and shew them the thinges that ar to come And that which he sayd he wolde do in wordes the same verely hath he also perfourmed in dede aboundantly The holy Gost beyng sent to his Apostles which induced them into all truthe and opened to them the thinges that were to come especially to the Apostle and Euangelyst S. Iohn who receiued this ReuelatioÌ„ exibited to him of Christ from the ryght hand of the Father by the mistery of an AuÌ„gel in the holy Gost who also by Chryste his commaundement committed the same to wryting The summe and ende of the which wryting is this The summe ende of the Apocalipse That Christ Iesus our Lord wil neuer fayle hys churche in earth but will gouerne it with his spirite and worde through thecclesiasticall ministery But that the church it self whilest it remaineth in this worlde shall suffer many thinges and that for Chryst and the truthe of his Gospell professed And it openeth al and singular euils in a maner that the church shal suffer shewing how it must be exercised with common Calamities as warre plage famyne and suche other lyke What it shall priuately suffer of the false bretherne through heresies schismes and greuous and continuall stryfes contentions corruptions in the matter of religion Finally how terribly it shulde be vexed by the most cruell persecutions of tholde Romane Empire And laste by the wicked crafts extreme Tyranny of Antichrist Al the which thinges apperteyne to this ende that all the chosen being sufficiently warned before and prouided in all ages whilest this worlde shall indure may with true faith alone cleaue vnto Christ our redemer king and high prieste only and eternall and may purely and syncerely professe hym call vpon him in the innocencie of lyfe serue him and patiently attend after him commyng to Iudgemente and to delyuer and saue the godly But contrarywise that they dispise all superstitions and the worlde it selfe with those his sondrye religions felicities and pleasures and bewar of al vngodlines And chiefly that they flee Antichrist which shall com in th ende of the worlde vsurping to himselfe most vniustly the kingdom and Priesthod of Chryst and greuouslye persecuting the churche of Christ euen to the laste Iudgemente In the whiche at the laste he with all his adherentes shall be throwen downe hedlonge into Hell And. S. Iohn beginneth this holsome matter of Chryste hymselfe The fyrste Chapter of the Apocalips Lorde king and high Bishop whose wonderful and most goodly description after the Apostolicke maner he placeth in the very begynnyng as the foundation of the whole worke The same descriptioÌ„ dooeth so â—â—ately setfoorthe the Lorde that all the churche may easely know What thinges are treated in this boke in what order dispersed throughout the whole worlde in Chryst oure Lorde all thinges to be accomplished what so euer he had sayd before shulde be fulfilled in him namely that he shulde be exalted one to the ryghthand of his father into all celestiall glory power and maiestie there to be kinge of kinges of all other most mightye and the true and only hygh Byshop Sauiour gouernour Lorde and generall defendour of the Catholycke churche For blessed S. Iohn not only saw him such him selfe but also exhibiteth him such to be sene of vs all in thys hys wryting so godly by a most bryght and goodly vision And moreouer to thintent it myght be knowne to vs all in what sorte our Lord Iesus Chryst king and priest sitting or working in Heauen on the right hande of his Father is neuerthelesse in the middes of the catholycke church wherof he hath a faithfull care how louingly and fully he preserueth it in best order gouerneth it S. Iohn sheweth in this his vision that Christ walketh amonge the seuen golden candlestickes holdeth in his right hande seuen starres And streyghtway declareth what thing he vnderstandeth by the candelstickes and starres calling the candelstickes churches and the starres Aungels of the churches That is to witte Seuen churches Messagers ministers and pastours For the Lord chose vnto him selfe seuen famouse churches in Asia with whom he treateth nowe generally and compendiously vsing S. Iohn for hys interpretour which he doth perpetually in all churches throughoute the world and will neuer cease to do tyll the worldes ende For the seuenth number whiche is most vsed in this boke Chap. 2 and .3 and is the numbre of fulnes comprehendeth in it all churches Wherfore S. Iohn doeth so propounde moderate and temper all thynges that he treateth with these seuen churches that they may be applied vnto all the Churches that shal be in the worlde vntyl the worldes ende for theyr learnynge and edifiyng And for the same cause these seueÌ„ churches may be exaÌ„ples of all other churches For loke what thing then did please or displease the Lord in those seuen churches what tyme these thyngs wer reuealed the selfe same in all other churches shall please or displease him so long as the worlde shall laste And as he wolde haue those instructed and taught so wyl he that all and singular be instructed at all seasons Therefore in these seuen churches we haue examples of churches moste excellent in dede and of God derely beloued And agayne of moste corrupte meane also and finally mixed And in these al is shewed what is or shall be the disposition maners and vertues of all the churches in the whole world and of al tymes and seasons likewise the vices of them and remedies of the same Therfore the Lorde in these instructeth reproueth chideth threatneth exhorteth comforteth promiseth Wherfore in these we shall see as it were in a table set before vs what the true and ryght doctrine of the churche is And againe which is the false and the corrupt doctrine We shall heare and learne that the churche beloued of God must stande styll in the preachyng of the Gospell once receyued of the Apostles of oure Lord Iesus Chryst and muste loke for no new
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
to the .xxi. Chapter and disputeth of the moste iust iudgement of God against Babylon the whore of Babylon and the Antichristians finally against all wycked and impenitent persones The seuenth and last vision propoundeth to the eyes of all the faythfull the glory and blysse euerlastyngâ— of Sainctes And verely thys diuision of the woorke hath a great grace and affinite with the rest of the thynges which in this boke are all in a maner treated by the seuenth nuÌ„brâ— Let the reader followe whiche he wyll What profit is in the Apocalipse Nowe of these thynges euery man may perceyue the thys booke is altogether Apostolicall and exceadynge profitable to vs all especially whome the ende of the worldâ— hath ouertaken And this booke shall bee easier for vs fâ— that all thynges nowe are in a maner accomplyshed Daniell was thought to haue tolde of starke dreameâ— when before the Monarchies he prophecied the Monaâ—chies But after those thynges were accomplished whicâ— he prophecied he semed vnto many to haue compiled an hâ—story The selfe same I am sure thou wylt iudge also thys same boke of Saint Iohn A fewe profittes only of mâ—ny we shall recite First we haue in this booke a moste full discription Christ reignyng in glory our kyng I saye and Byshop And howe he gouerneth the Churche and is the Sauioâ— of all faythfull We haue also a moste gallaunte descriâ—tion of Christes Churche and howe the same maye be buâ—ded repared and maynteyned Than haue we a perfâ— description of Antichrist of his members and Synagogâ— of his counselles craftie deuises kyngdome crueltie aâ— destructions of the same From the whiche it byddeth 〈◊〉 beware Moreouer we haue an abrydgement of Historâ— from Christes tyme vnto the worldes ende Finally an absolute and certayne prophecie of thyngâ— to come that we neede not to haue the prophecies of Mâ—thodius Cyrill Merline Briget Nolhard certen triflers Furthermore we haue a great consolation and comfort of the churche in aduersitie whylest boeth we see thâ— Lambe to open the Seales and that all thynges are doâ— by Gods prouidence and that there is an ende of euylleâ— And that the churche shall bee euermore in dispitee of all thâ— Deuyls in hell Last we haue a moste plentifull and sure doâ—trine of the Iudge and last iudgement of paynes and of tâ—wardes All these thinges I say shal the treatise it selfe shewe plainly for our edefiyng through Iesus Christ our Lord. OF THE TITLE OF THE whole worke and exposition therof The second Sermon ☞ I said the whole boke was conteined in sixe partes Thre membres of the first part Now must we loke on the first part Which hath chiefly three members The title beginning and brief narration For this present we wyll only speake of the Title whiche is thus THe reuelatioÌ„ of Iesu Christ The first Chapter whiche God gaue vnto him for to shew vnto his seruauntes thinges whiche must shortly come to passe And he sent and shewed by his aungell vnto his seruaunt Iohn which bare recorde of the word af God and of the testimony of Iesus Christ and of all thinges that he sawe Happy is he that readeth and they that heare the wordes of the prophecie kepe those thinges which are written therin For the time is at hand This title is plentifull The title of the worke and vttereth all profitable circumstaunces that are to be declared in the beginnings of bokes First is set the Title or inscription of the whole worke that is the Apocalipse or reuelation of Iesus Christ whiche verely was opened or reuealed by Christ Iesus him selfe This title streightway proueth The reuelation of Iesu Christ that this worke is no mans inuention but a godly doctrine As that whiche was opened by our Lord kyng and priest Iesus Christ out of heauen from the right hand of the father executing there the office of the high Byshop as yet teaching vs profitable thinges and albeit it be called also the reuelatioÌ„ of Iohn yet is it chalenged to hym for none other cause than for that as scribe he wrote and set it forth FroÌ„ wheÌ„ce is that reuelation Againe it is yet more playnly declared from whence this Reuelation is Euen of God hym selfe For he saieth which God namely the Father gaue vnto hym to wytte to Christ For in the holy and blessed Trinitie there is a distinction of persones And albeit that all thinges of the father be the sonnes also And all thynges of the sonne the fathers lykewyse Yet the scripture mentioneth the father to geue vnto the Sonne and the Sonne to receyue of the Father Whiche thynge all the auncient wryters haue full Godly expounded to be done by the mistery of dispensation For the Sonne receyued somewhat of the Father as man whiche otherwyse as the very Sonne of God sayeth Father Iohn 17 glorifie thou me with the glory which I had with thee before this worlde was Moreouer the Sonne is the wysdome word and mouth of the Father by whome God in tymes paste and nowe spake and speaketh to the Fathers Prophetes Apostles and to the vniuersall churche The Father by dispensation gaue to his Sonne this office that he should be Byshop For no man hath sene God at any tyme The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the Father he hath reuealed vnto vs. Let vs knowe therfore this same to be a Reuelation Diuine whiche God the Father louynge mankynde hath reuealed by the only Byshop Christ vnto hys Churche And so it ioyneth together the Father and the Sonne that neuerthelesse the holy distinction of persones remayneth safe To what vse and to whom it is reuealed Nowe also is added to what ende God the Father hath reuealed or geuen the gyft of reuealing to wytte the office of priesthod to his Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ to the intent verely that the same beyng reuealed he myght shewe it and as it were set it before the eyes of his seruauntes to wytte his worshippers and Christians which are called the seruauntes of God for theyr wyllyng obedience And as the seruaunt of a Lorde is a seruaunt and oweth to his Lord all that he hath or is worth So we owe vnto God our selues whole and all ours or els we be free and not bounde Here is also declared vnto whom this reuelation is opened Iohn 8 To all the seruauntes of God If therfore thou be glad to be called the seruaunt of God heare this boke and remember it And knowe that this boke is prepared for thee of God After he compryseth in fewe wordes What thinges are reuealed what Christe reuealed to Iohn thynges that must shortly come to passe The destenies therfore of the Churche are recited what good and euyll thynges shall happen to the Godly and lykewyse what punysshementes must be inflicted to the wicked And let no man gather of this woorde must necessitie as though God wrought not freely How good and euyll
restreining and punishing the wycked And the holy ghost where he is but one Seuen spirites for the seuenfolde that is all maner of grace and giftes manifold is here called as I may say Septenarie or of the seuenth numbre And from the seuen spirites sayth Iohn that is from that spirite whiche is indewed with the seuenfolde grace Those diuerse giftes are after a sorte declared of Esay in the .xi. Chapt. and els where in the scriptures He is sayd to be in the sight of the throne that is before the throne of God ioyned verely in gouernement with the father and the sonne For the throne is many tymes vsurped for the kingdom The holy ghost therfore is of the same glory power and maiestie with God Now is he commen to Christ The description of Christ whom by his properties he describeth moste aboundantly You know that Iesus is the proper name of Christ which Matthew expoundeth a Sauiour Christ is the surname of his office and dignitie as you would say annoynted that is byshop and kyng 1 First he calleth Christ our Lord a faithfull wytnes Christ a faithfull witnes and that out of the .xlix. and .l. chapter of Esay For he was sent of the father to the world out of heauen an Apostle whiche should testifie the wil of God what he wold haue done with men To witte that he would saue the worlde by his sonne Math. 18. 2 Petr. 3 Iohn 3 Math. 7.1 by faith in him which is obedient to the law of God For he must do the will of his father This Christ is a faithfull witnes that is sure constaunt and trewe Of whose doctrine no man ought to doubt No man hath seene God at any tyme The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the father Math. 17. 2 Pet. 1 he hath reuealed This therfore is the byshop and catholick dâ—tour of the church Who so euer dissent from him are to 〈◊〉 eschewed Heare him saith the father Christ is the first fruits of theÌ„ that ryse 2 He is the first begotten of the dead For he died for oâ—â— sinnes verely and rose again from the dead was made tâ— first begotten of the dead Lorde conquerour of death Iâ— whom we se that we shall also ryse again in what sorte 〈◊〉 whom the first of the Corinth xv And like as in the first prâ—pertie he shaddoweth the humanitie of Christe wherin hâ— taught also his deitie in that he was the faithfull true â—â—tholique byshop and is yet at this day So in the second thâ— articles of our belefe concerning the death of Christ and hâ— resurrection are confirmed To these also may be added tâ— article of the resurrection of the dead Christ is Prince of kynges 3 Christ is prince ouer the kinges of the earth a monarâ— verely and Lord of all rulers Whiche hath taken a name â—boue all names the Lord of aungels and of all creatures 〈◊〉 whom al things be subiect As thapostle expouÌ„deth Colosâ— Philip. 2. And he doeth not abolishe lawes Magistratâ— which wil be king of kinges and Lord of lordes For if thaâ— wer no kings how shuld Christ be king of kings The moâ— sacred Emperours Constance Constantine Theodose anâ— Iustinian knew them selues to be clientes of Christ Thaâ— kingdom was Christes they to be subiectes These Chriâ—â— acknowledgeth for his by whoÌ„ he gouerneth those he haâ—â— redemed with his bloud They that proudly rule ouer the people boast theÌ„ selues to be lordes of althings acknowledâ—â— not Christ to be monarch ouer all be starke mad And herâ— are comprehended such thinges as we confesse in tharticles of our faith that Christ ascended into heauen sitteth on thâ— right hand of the father that is that he hath receiued high pâ—wer of al things in heauen and earth Ephe. 1. Act. 2. Christ loued vs. 4 Christ hath loued vs with incoÌ„parable loue For he hiâ— self saith greater loue hath no man than that a man shoulâ— leaue his life for his freÌ„des This loue the Apostle amplefietâ— in the fift to the Romains And it was exceading great loue 〈◊〉 moued Christ to come downe from heauen and be incarnaâ—â— and to redeme vs by his death With a free loue he loueâ— vs prouoked by no desert of ours For as this same Iohn in his Epistle canonicall speaketh the same of the father In this is charitie not that we haue loued God but that he hath loued vs sent his son a propiciation for our sinnes So is it to be vnderstaÌ„d of the son the he hath doth bear vs great good will not moued thereto through our loue wherewith we haue imbraced him And of the fre loue to mankinde he gaue him self vnto death washed vs froÌ„ our sinnes For streight waies is added by his bloud Christ washeth Where thre thinges seme of vs to be obserued First that Christ washeth purgeth purifieth or cleÌ„seth the faithful that most fully not partly He alluded to the washings of the law which he expouÌ„ded also For Dauid saith Pourge me with Hysope I shal be made cleane washe me I shal be whiter than snow The same phrase of speache repeteth Esay in the first chap. Micheas also sayth Miche 7. The Lord wil returne wil haue mercy on vs he wil treade vnder fete our iniquities And thou shalt throw into the depth of the Sea al their sinnes And the Lord saith Ezech. 36 I wil cast vpon you cleane waters and you shall be mundified from al your filthines The Lord Christ these thinges accomplishing washeth vs purgeth and clenseth throughly aswell from the falte as the paine He clenseth vs from our sinnes Christ washeth all synnes not from one but from al. The which thing is proued both by former testimonies again in the first second Epistle of S. Iohn Last the maner also of purifiyng is set forth by bloud For without the sheding of bloud no remission was made Therfore through the mediation of death and bloudsheding there was full remissioÌ„ of all sinnes obteined for the faithfull He washeth by bloud Hebr. 9 They that bring forth any other maner of forgeuenes of synnes ar iniurious to the death and bloud of the sonne of God And here we may se plainly set forth an article of the Apostolicall crede I beleue the forgeuenes of synnes In the fift place is shewed theffect of our redeÌ„ption purifiyng For Christ hath brought to passe Theffect of Christs redemptioÌ„ in the faithfull that as many of vs as beleue in the father by the son of God shuld be kinges prists to God to his father Aretas the copie of complute reade not kinges but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is kyngdome the which is not red amisse For we be the kingdoÌ„ of God for bicause God by his spirit not the flesh nor the worlde ought to reigne in vs And when we permitte the gouernment to
but because they reste from their labours and be of most quiet and pure affectiōs sitting with the high iudge But what thing doe these They geue God no counsell what he should do or by what meane or waye he maye doe this or that but they allowe his iudgementes For they know all his workes to be iuste and holy The whiche shal immediatly follow What shal we do than shal it be mete for vs to inquire of the iudgementes of God or prescribe what he shoulde do or not do I thinke not you haue in this vniuersalitie of sainctes al patriarches al iudges and kinges al princes the whole people of God you haue emonges these king Salomon him selfe and the moste excellent and wittiest Princes of the world you haue the Apostles and men Apostolical Martirs and the wise men of the whole vniuersal worlde Wilte thou condemne their iudgementes following therfore theyr example busy not thy selfe to moue curiouse questions prayse the iuste iudgementes of God and know that the Lord is iust in al his wayes and holy in all his workes To whom be glory ¶ Here is described the procedynge of the holye spirite and operation the almightie knoweledge of God and howe the Throne of God is borne vp or susteyned of the foure beastes and what the beastes doe The .xxiiij. Sermon ANd oute of the Seate proceded lightenynges and thonderinges and voices and there were seuen lampes of fire burnynge before the seate whiche are the seuē spirites of God And before the seate there was a Sea of glasse like vnto Christal And in the middes of the seate and rounde aboute the seate were foure Beastes full of eyes before and behinde And the first beast was like a Lion the seconde beast like a calf and the thirde beaste had a face like a man and the fourth beaste was like a fliyng Egle. And the foure beastes had eche one of them sixe wynges and rounde about without and within they were full of eyes And they had no reste daye nother night saiyng holy holy holy is the lord God almightie whiche was and is and is to come The marke ende of the firste parte of this vision Our Lorde Iesus Christe as the faithefull pastour of his church wil vtter the destenies and wōderful calamities that wil come vpon the churche Therfore to the intent he might stoppe the mouthes of suche as mutiue and be inquisitiue of the iudgementes of God and might perswade al mē to haue patience in these stormes of euilles he setteth forth a treatise before wherein he sheweth that all thinges are done or permitted to be done of God by his most iuste prouidence and are gouerned or ordered by the Lambe with a iudgement most rightuouse and holy For who so beleueth and remembreth this in what chaūces so euer he happen he submitteth him self humbly and lowly and obediently to his God and crieth alwayes the Lorde is rightuouse in all his mayes and holy in al his workes And this is the moste true state of the first parte of this vision which is done in the 4. and 5. chapt And is more ouer most elegaunt moste pleasaunt and moste full of consolation Althinges are more liuely set forthe and perceyued in suche fitte and heauenly representations than they can be vnderstande in bare wordes A recapitulatiō or brief rehersall First is recited a Throne that in dede a celestial throne leeste in the workes in the prouidence and iudgementes of God we shoulde Imagine any thynge carnall or corrupte Secondly he that sitteth on the throne is represented vnto vs by two coulours Grene and red For God is an eternal essence geuyng to al their greues or beyng The same burneth in loue towardes man kinde and willeth wel vnto man but to the disobedient and rebelles he is a consumyng fire And the throne is inuironed with a raynbow grener than grasse comfortyng vs that we should not be dismayed at the sight of that Godly throne but should remembre alwaies that he whiche sitteth in the throne iudge gouernour of al is most true and kepeth his promesses to be that same leage frende of oures .xxiiii. Elders sitte rounde aboute the throne which already are signified what they be and as it were shadowed streight waye in the ende of the iiii chapt and in the fifte shal be declared what they doe or what they saye Doubtles all the Sainctes in heauen are lokers on of the iudgemētes and workes of God For the iudgementes of God be not sutch that they should flee the light and knoweledge of Sainctes Now followeth out of the Throne proceded lightninges c. In the throne is he that sitteth and the lambe that is the father and the sonne and frō them bothe procedeth the holy ghoste For by interpretatiō it followeth immediatly which are the seuen spirites of God For the lightenyngs the signes of the holy ghoste thonderings other thinges rehearsed signifie or be tokens of the holy spirite whiche els where is red also to be shadowed by fire water and winde and by firie tounges But no man wil thinke that the holy ghost whiche is one in substaunce and of the simple nature diuine should be plucked into seuen partes For I tolde you in the first chapt how the seuen spirites of God are put for the seuenthfolde most ful and most perfit spirite of God We haue in the beginning of this visiō the whole misterie of the blessed Trinitie so much as is nedeful for vs to know The holy Trinitie beleue professe There is one Seate in that one seate are conteined the sitter lambe spirite therfore there is one diuine essence nature and thereof is one power and maiestie one rule because ther is one throne briefly there is one god true eternal for euermore blessed As Moses also in the 6. of Deuter. and al the prophetes and Apostles haue euery where taught Howbeit in this only vndiuided substaunce is sene a most plaine distinction of persones For there is he that sitteth in the throne the lambe and from bothe procedeth the holy ghoste This misterie of the Trinitie we professe in the Crede This appereth openly in the incarnation of our lord whilest the aungell sayeth to the virgin the holy ghoste shal come vpon thee and the power of the hiest shal ouershadow thee And that which shal be borne of thee shal be called the sonne of God Likewise in the baptisme of Christ is hearde a voice from heauen vpon the Lord This is my wel beloued sonne The holy ghost also appereth in the likenes of a doue Wherupon the lord cōmaunded vs also to be baptized in the name of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost This professiō is certaine true and so set foorth by the most manifest scriptures liuely preaching of the apostles like as Tertullian declareth against the heretike Praxeas We ought rather beleue cleaue vnto
faythful and syncere minde we shal haue quiet consciences in al the workes of God euē suche as are harde to indure and seme to some men most vnreasonable For we know that he by whome all thinges are gouerned is of our nature and kinde yea euē our owne brother and such verely as fauoureth vs with al his harte hath suffered death for vs and loueth nothynge better in all the world than man Moreouer whiche hath ouercomen death sonne the Deuil and Hell and hath ouercomen them for vs. Who wil nowe than suspecte his gouernement permission or operation Thou haste a brother in the Princes Courte whome thou arte assured to fauour thee from the botome of his harte thou hearest saye howe he hathe geuen vnto him of the Prince the gouernement and iudgement of the whole countrie woldest thou sticke or be lothe to submitte thy selfe vnto him naye rather thou doest truste and hope to obteyne any thing of thy brother Therefore let vs remembre The kingdome and power is geuen to Christ howe the Scripture not here only but euery where doeth teache that Iesus Christe the Sonne of God and in dede of the same substaunce with vs after his humanitie in diyng for vs to haue deserued to haue a name geuen him whiche is aboue all names and that althinges shoulde be subiecte to his gouernment what so euer be in the worlde visible or inuisible For so S. Iohn testifieth in the .1 Chapter And S. Paul also to the philipp 2. Coloss 1. and to the Hebrewes the .1 Chapter He is sayed at this present to haue ouercomen or obteyned to open the boke and lowse the Seales therof Therfore by the knoweledge of him and through faith in him we obteyne that with a ioyefull minde we maye loke vpon the boke the iudgementes and all the workes of God and quietly and patiently to beare the openyng therof and gouernment of al together c. A most gallaunt ful descriptiō of Christ But to the intente we maye iudge more rightly of Christ gouernour of all although he hath already described him right liuely yet now he procedeth to paincte him out in his that is to saye moste godly and goodly coulours that we should not be nothing affrayed of his gouernement nother that we should not with quiet mindes most willingly submitte our selues wholy to his gouernment First is sayed that a Lion of the tribe of Iuda hath ouercomen Christe a lion of the tribe of Iuda to wit that same Christ of oures to haue ouercomen the Deuill sinne death the world hell and al power of the aduersarie And he ouercame in diyng and so atchieued the high dignitie and was made Lorde of all The Deuil is also called a Lion of S. Peter Salomon and the Prophetes call tirannes Lions 1. Peter 5. Our Authour therfore calleth Christ a lion not of the common sorte but of the tribe of Iuda For he alludeth to the prophecie of the patriarch Iacob whiche is in the .49 of Genes he prophecieth there that Schilo shal come with plentie and good lucke whiche like a lion that hath taken his praye nether is there any manne that can driue him from it can defende those that be his whom he hath caught out of the dragōs clawes so that no hostile power dare ones hisse against him Christ therfore is declared a victour or cōquerour greatest Christe is only moste inuincible most mightie and most inuincible Which belongeth to him alone Yet shal you finde Kings which are euery houre ouercomen of wicked lustes whiche wil suffer them selues to be called inuincible Briefly this first note in the description of Christ sheweth that Iesus Christ gouernour of al is that very same whom the patriarches prophetes haue prophecied to come into the world a prince most inuincible Secōdly Christ is called the rote of Dauid wherin he appereth to haue alluded to that saiyng of Esaye in the .11 Christe the roote of Dauid chap. Than shal a budde come forth of the stocke of Iesse a flour shal ascende out of the rootes therof Namely Marie the daughter of Dauid of whom that most sacred floure Christ sprang came was the stocke of Iesse And of the very rotes of Dauid or of the virgin I meane of the most true humane nature Iesus Christ was borne very man into the worlde For he toke no where the Aungelles nature but the sede of Abraham He is therfore our brother Hebr. 2. of the same substaunce with vs after his humanitie These things do comfort vs exceadingly and confute heretikes most strongly which faine that Christe hath not a very humane body We haue more herof in the .1 of Matth. and .1.2.3 of Luke Christe is in the mids of the seate After it is expresly spoken of the same our lorde that he is in the middes of the Throne in the middes of the .iiii. beastes and in the middes of the .xxiiii. Elders and is therfore exēpted out of the nōbre of creatures out of the numbre of Aungelles and out of the numbre of Sainctes For he is greater than these to wit of the same substaunce with the father in glory power equal For the father is in the middes of the Throne from thence procedeth the holy ghost euen there is founde also now the lambe Christ not only very man but also very God Christ is very God And is a distincte person For the blessed Trinitie knoweth not any cōfusiō The father is God the sonne is God the holy ghost is God yet are al three but one God the father in his subsistence the sonne in his and the holy ghost in his not makyng three Gods but three proprieties and persones in one indiuisible and eternal essence And where as Christ is mentioned to be in the middes of the beastes and in the middes of Elders he is doubtles signified after the diuine nature to be euery where to be the life and preseruation of all creatures also in the middes of his chosen and of his Church Therfore like as we beleue Iesus Christ to be very mā so let vs also beleue him to be very God of the same substaunce with God the father Therfore let Seruiet perishe with Arrius and Mahomet and as many as denie Christ to be the sonne of God coequal with the father in al thinges Furthermore he is now also called a lambe Christ is a lambe not that he is a shepe of nature but for that by a lambe is prefigured the innocent redemer of the worlde and the only holesome sacrifice of all faithfull A lambe is a token of innocencie and from the beginning appointed for sacrifices Abel offered vp a Lambe after the lawe was offered a dayly sacrifice in the morning a lambe and at euening a lambe For christ is the expiation of them whiche were in the beginning of the world and which in the ende shal be The Paschall lambe in the .12 of Exodus
greued and oppressed the more feruently and lowder they crie and that also they be called clamorouse criers What the Aungell preacheth Moreouer he compriseth in a briefe some what thinges are to be set forth in the preaching of the gospel chiefly in the laste times First he sayeth feare God The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome therfore not to feare God is the beginnyng of foolishenes The feare of God of al errours The feare of God hath nothing comon with the feare of the world The godly man is not affrayed of God as a gilty seruaunt feareth his maister and that more punnisshment than his maister whō he hateth rather For the feare of God hath the reuerēce and loue of God It attributeth to God the supreme Maiestie imbraceth faith and hath a faithful care wherby it awayteth vpon God worshippeth prayseth and professeth the same Doubtles because we more feare men than God we feare more the Pope and the mallice and hatred of him and his therefore do we not execute iustice vprightly nor professe the trewth frankely nother yet set forth the gospel But the lord in the Gospel sayeth feare ye not them which maye kill the body haue no power ouer the soule rather feare ye him which condemneth both body soule to hell fire Certes the feare of God is not only the beginnyng but also the bonde of al vertue Hereafter we shall heare that the feareful shal be caste into hel with the beaste with the false prophet Therfore let God be our feare like as Esaye teacheth in the .8 cha Let vs feare God for our sinnes committed Here fewe are affraide but many are affraide to speake the trueth to mainteyne godlines and to rebuke wickednes Secondely the preachyng of the Gospell comprehendeth the honour of God For he sayeth and geue him honour the honour of God And thou doest not seperate the sonne from the father For he in the .5 of Iohn sayeth thus the father hath geuē al iudgement to the sonne that al shuld honour the sonne as thei honour the father He that honoureth not the sonne honoureth not the father which sent him And in very dede the father cā not be honoured but by the sonne For we honour him when we beleue him to be true receyue Christ the sonne of God as the only rightuousnes perfection of al faithful By faith therfore chiefly we honour God than reuerēcyng him only by faithful obedience walking in his commaundementes S. Iohn in his Canonic he that beleueth not the sonne sayeth he maketh God a liar see howe ye maye highly dishonour God which beleueth not the testimony which God hath testified of his sonne And this is the testimony that God hath geuē to vs eternal life this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne hath not life We are therefore forbidden els where than in Christ alone to seke life al goodnes But the papistes honour the Pope and his cōstitutions his Sainctes also and honour not God alone They in graue in theyr cuppes Soli deo gloria to God alone be glory but yet in the meane season thei persecute thē whiche will not ascribe the glory dewe to God alone vnto their folish trifles But the Gospell wil crie out that to God alone al glory is dewe Hereunto is added a spurre The iudgemēt of the sonne of God whiche maye pricke them to feare glorifie God for the houre of his iudgement is come The Gospel therefore in the latter dayes shal beate into men the last iudgement This hath a wonderful effecte to obteine of men amendement of life And it is pourposely sayed it is come and not the houre of his iudgement shal come For so is the certentie of his iudgement expressed and we are warned to loke for that same daye euery moment The Apostle vsed the same argument in the .17 chapt of the Actes to them of Athens and to the Corinth the .2 Epist 5. chapt Lette vs remembre O bretherne that strayte iudgement let vs amende our faith and maners and al thinges that agree not with the gospell For certenly we shal die certenly we shal be iudged But then when we shal promise our selues peace shall come sodayne destruction Watche To worship God Finally the Gospell teacheth to worshippe God alone Than doe not the faithfull worshippe Idolles to whome so euer they be erected They worship not the Pope ouerwhelmed with wickednesse much lesse doe they kisse and by kissinge worshippe his vngraciouse and stinkyng fete They worshippe not the God Mauzim of the wafer makers Daniel 11. the God in the boxe which is worshipped in palaces churches as shutte vp in the pixe They worshippe not Sainctes but God alone Therefore lifte vp your hartes vnto heauen and worshippe We haue here in Earth wōderful workes which maie moue vs to worshippe this God alone He is maker of heauen and Earth and of the See Who is greater who is mightier Therefore worshippe him the trewe God Matth. 4. He annexeth here fountaynes of water for that the miracle and benefite of waters is greate For if we consider the originall sprynge substaunce pleasauntenes and commoditie of fountaynes we shal be compelled to wonder God be praysed ¶ An other Angell preacheth that Babilon shall fal and an other diswadeth all men from the felloweshippe of the religion of the beaste The .lxiiij. Sermon ANd there followed an other Aungel saiyng she is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that greate Citie for she made all nations drinke of the wine of her whoredome And the thirde Angell followed them sayeng with a loude voyce yf any man worship the beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wyne of the wrath of God which is powred in the cup of his wrath And he shal be punished in fyre brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe and the smoke of their tourmente ascendeth vp euermore And thei haue no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his Image and whosoeuer receyued the prynte of his name Here is the patience of Saincts Here ar thei that kepe the cōmaundements and the faith of Iesu For the comfort of the faithful flocke of Christ †The Romysh Churche shall fal is brought forth an other Aungell a type of all godly preachers which preacheth with great constancie that the kyngdome of Anti-Christ shall fall howe soeuer it promiseth to it selfe euerlastingnesse And hereof the Sainctes gather that persecutions shall with all be finisshed with all other abominations through out the worlde For where for the continuall persecutions of the wicked all the Saincts cannot but be maruelouselye sadde They muste nedes verely hereof receyue no small ioye and comforte that they here howe they shall not indure alwayes and here it is sayed that Babilon shall fall
the Lord God almightie and the lambe is the temple in that our heauenly coūtrie The vse of temples is this The Lord first instituting the tabernacle after the temple wold haue it testified that he wil be present in the middes of his people a father Lord and defender And therfore ar thei saied in the scriptures to come vnto the Lord which came either to the tabernacle or temple of the Lord. The temple moreouer was erected for preaching and praier and the externall seruice of God for receauing of the Sacramēts or offering vp of sacrifices But the Saincts in the heauēly coūtrie haue no nede of all these things Therfore thei nede no tēple Therfore is no temple sene in heauen For the Lord god nowe sheweth himself to them to be inioyed of the same the saincts ar now with him wherfore thei nede no tokē of his presēce We ar taught by doctrine what God is what is his wil and that we be saued by the lambe but now that we se god himselfe face to face and that saluatiō is cōmen by the lambe of God what nedeth there a temple in heauen By praier we require life and ioyes euerlasting now since these are happened to the electe what nedeth any house of prayer The Sainctes nowe withoute any temple offer vp eternall praises vnto God And seing that sacrifices and sacraments haue no further place in the euerlasting coūtrie I se not why there should be any temple in Heauen We rest and kepe in Heauen an euerlasting Sabboth This place moreouer proueth that Christ is very God coequall with the father as to whome he is ioyned inseperablie in all glory Nother is the Holy ghoste seperated from the father and the sonne which els where is saide to dwell in vs for the which cause we are called the temples both of God and of the Holy ghost of the Apostle in the first to the Corinth the .3 and the second Cor. 6. The eight place of this description is repeted of the lyght celestial The lyght of the citie God and that not without great cause yea and the same light is agayne cōmended in the .22 chap. For in buildinges there is nothing more excellent than light Otherwise without light all things are blynde Furthermore he sayeth not that the Sunne and Moone shulde be nomore but that the Citie of God shoulde not nede those lightes He sheweth the reason for the glory of God hath lightned it And the glory of God is the diuine celestial and vnspeakable brightnes of his vnapprochable light which he inhabiteth and according to his good pleasure cōmunicateth to the chosen The Lorde Christe which here is called the lambe for the misterie of redemption illumineth the blessed For by him we ar clarified and inioy that eternall moste beaultifull and celestial light S. Ihon hath borowed this place out of the .60 chap. of Esay where we read The Sunne shall not be there for the lighte of the daie And the brigtnesse of the Moone shall not shyne there but the Lord shall be to the thee a perpetuall light and thy God shall be thy brightnes Furthermore the seates of the blessed are thoughte to be fixed aboue the Sphere of the Sunne and Moone and also the brightnes of Saincts to excell farre the light of the Sunne and starres The same hath Esay testified also in the .24 and .30 chap. To God almightie and light eternall be praise and thankes geuing which hath prepared so great things for vs and geueth vs giftes such as no tung can exprsse He sheweth in places mo than one ¶ Who be Citizēs of this Citie who are partakers of that light or who be Citizens of this celestiall citie and what is the state of the Citizens All nations people saued are citizens of the eternal coūtrie Here ar two things to be noted First that the gentiles are made inheritours of glory and that without any choise For here excelleth not the Iewe nor the Greke nother Romane nor Barbarian Agayne yet not all without respect and confusely obteine euerlasting light but the saued only that is to sai whom Christ hath saued and redemed from sin the Deuil Antichrist and from the curse and the world And Christ saueth thelect and faithful They therfore shal in dede be partakers of the light These ar the citizens of the countrie euerlasting But what is their state and inhiritaunce Thei shal walke in the light of God the father the lambe that is to say they shall haue the fruition of the light and of God himselfe to their ioiful swetnes and fill For it is a figuratiue speach to walke in the light for that which is to inioy light Verely in the .88 Psalme is red with a figure not much vnlyke Lorde thei shall walke in the light of thy countenance And againe Thou shalt make knowen vnto me the fote path of lyfe the fulfilling of ioyes is in thy sight gladnes in thy right hand for euermore Kinges are in the courte of heauen But especially the places in heauen and in that Palace diuine are for Kings Kinges ar gouernours and captaines of the people as they be which are called Kynges and Princes gouernours Magistrates rulers aswel of the politique as ecclsiasticall gouernement Doctours maisters teachers Artificers and Parentes For their dutie is vertuouslye to gouerne their subiectes scollers or childrē to kepe them vnder awe or discipline to chastise and directe them to the dueties of life and all godlines This yf they do they shall haue a worthie place prepared in Heauen For Daniell saieth also in the .12 chapter But the teachers shall shine as the brightnes of the firmamēt and they that bring many to righteousnes as the starres euerlastingly O therefore O happie are you yf ye bringe many to execute the office of righteousnes But wo be to you Princes and teachers and maisters and Parentes yf herein you be negligent There is prepared for you in hell a place moste horrible and myserable as also Ezechiell hath testified But yf Kynges haue their place and the same right honourable in Heauen wherefore do the Anabiptistes teache naye whie doe they lie that a Christiane can not execute the office of a Magistrate For here are Kinges mentioned to be in heauē not only as men but as thei were kinges that is as they were good kynges and executed their office duely and not forsaking their place haue liued a priuate life For it followeth they shall brynge their glory and honour vnto it And what is that glory and what is the honour it followeth agayne and they shal bring the glory and honour of nations into it that is to saye they shal bryng into heauen with them the very nations their people and subiectes whō they haue holpen in trewe godlines and saluation in teachyng correctyng defendyng alluryng or drawyng c. And these be their glory and honour for S. Paule in the .2 to the Corinth the .1
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
and howe he is in hys churche In these thinges are all the misteries of the Gospell comprehended For what can you say of Christ that you haue not herein comprysed Let vs therfore remembre them and wryte them in our myndes that we may imbrace Christ kyng and byshop and that we neuer let hym departe out of our armes To hym be glory ¶ How Iohn was affected towardes the vision to hym exhibited the comfort of Iohn and the exposition of the vision applied vnto consolation The sixt Sermon ANd when I sawe hym I fel at his fete euen as dead And he layd his right hand vpon me saying vnto me Feare not I am the first and the laste and am alyue and was â—ead And beholde I am alyue for euer more â—nd haue the keyes of hel and of death write â—herfore the thinges whiche thou haste sene â—nd the thinges whiche are and the thinges whiche shal be fulfilled hereafter And the mistery of the seuen Starres which thou sawest in my right hand and the seuen golden candelstickes The seuen Starres are the messengers of the seuen congregations And â—he seuen candelstickes whiche thou sawest â—re the seuen congregations It followeth how blessed S. Iohn was moued with that celestiall and wonderfull vision And how he receiued consolation more ouer the exposition of the vision applied to his comfort with a commaundement to indite all these thingâ— diligently Iohn falleth downe lieth like one were dead What tyme he had fully sene this diuine and heauenly sight of Christ our Lord sitting on the right hand of God iâ— glory his strength failing him he falleth down on the earth and liyng at the fete of the Lorde is lyke a dead body Wâ— reade that the same chaunced to Daniel in the .x. Chapt. And other men of God also haue bene feared with the visions oâ— Aungels The women also in the new Testament trembleâ— at the sepulchre seing Aungels Peter was amased at thâ— greatnes of the miracle Luke .v. And falling at the knees 〈◊〉 the Lord crieth out go from me Lord for I am a synful mâ—â— For Godly visions bewray our infirmitie The weakenes of mans vnderstaÌ„ding Neyther be â—apte or sufficiently pourged to behold those supercelestâ— thinges with eyes and myndes sicke and not yet well puâ—â—fied Therfore must the elect be glorified in an other lyfe thâ— they may be made partakers of the glory celestiall In thâ— meane season here al godly are humbled and abased by hygâ— visions and reuelations 2 Cor. 12 For they auaunce not them selueâ— proudly through the glory of reuelatioÌ„ But perceiuing thâ— naturall corruption they craue pardon and the augmentation of the supercelestiall grace and light For vnlesse we bâ— illumined with the spirite of God we shal lye like dead folkâ— how so euer we receyue with our corporall senses the visioâ— celestiall Humilitie is comforted of the Lord. But they that humble them selues before the Lorde fyndâ— a moste present consolation at the Lordes hande Wherfoâ— there came to S. Iohn immediatly both in worde and deâ— a full consolation For the Aungell representing the personâ— of Christ layeth his right hand vpon Iohn The whiche is token of amitie protection and of present helpe For in 〈◊〉 pressing this maner of speaking in dutche we say therfore 〈◊〉 laiyng on the hand is signified that Christ is good to Iohn ready to helpe him Which incontinently he maketh playâ— by the addition of wordes saiyng feare not Feare not Whiche saiyâ— is common euery where in the story of the Gospel And thâ—â—fore is most gospel like that is to saye most lucky For God commaundeth the humbled to be of good hope and to liue assured vnder the protectioÌ„ of the highest Which verely we vnderstand to be spoken not to Iohn alone but to al vs also that we in like maner albeit that we fele the infirmitie of our fleshe should yet hope well of the goodnes mercy of God Here followeth that cause more fully declared why Iohn shold not be affrayed For the vision shewed was not exhibited for the terrour of him but that Iohn might perceiue how great and mightie he is which is prepared for the defence of him al the faithfull As though he shoulde saye Where thou seest how great he is which hath taken vpoÌ„ him to defende thee who finally protecteth and gouerneth the whole Churche there is no cause why thou shouldest be affraide But rather execute boldely that he coÌ„maundeth thee Wryte that he coÌ„maundeth to be written Be not affrayed of men feare God rather For if good meÌ„ be so sore afrayde at the sight of him where shal the enemies and contemners of God appere Therfore consequently he expouÌ„deth the vision teaching who he is which was sene like to the sonne of man walking emonges the golden Candelstickes And he applieth this expositioÌ„ vnto comforte that both Iohn euery faithful maye perceiue how mightie Christ is what the faithfull haue by him obteined For the Aungell tempereth his speach so that we maie seme to heare al things spokeÌ„ to vs not by the mouth of the Aungell but of Christ him selfe A diuisioÌ„ And this exposition hath his partes For first he declareth as I said euen nowe whose Image it was that was shewed Than is annexed a coÌ„maundement to write this boke After that is opened the misterie of the starres Finally the secretnes of the caÌ„delsticks is reuealed And al these thinges right plainly and briefly First thou hast sene saieth the Lord a vision Christe is represented by the same vision what he is and how great he is wherat thou waste amased but feare thou not For thou hast not sene any euill or fearful spirite boding any misfortune but my shape whiche am thy redemer and Lorde I am first and laste And this maner of speakyng as I warned a little before he toke out of the Prophecies of Esaye as it is to be seene in the .xli. xliiii xlv and xlviii chapters And he signifieth him selfe to be coequall and of the same substaunce with the father in all thinges very God eternall and incoÌ„prehensible For loke what thinges the father attributeth to himself the same also doth the sonne vsurpe But there is no order or time certain to be vnderstaÌ„de in first and last but plainly euerlastingnes Therfore Christ here signifieth Christ is egall with the father that he is very God egalle and of the same essence with the father from all eternitie As the same is also muche confirmed in Iohn 1.5.10.14 and 17. chapter This fighteth against the Heretickes which at that time also as at this daye the Seruetanes denie the eternall deitie of Christ the Lorde And thus when the trewe God is of vs acknoweledged and beleued he maye be for our Saluation Yf Christe be not very God he is not our saluation For I am God sayeth the veritie And besides me there is no God no Saluation Secondly he sayeth I am
liuing and was dead wherby he signifieth that he toke the true humane nature The whiche many also at the same time denied In like case as theâ— be some at this daye whiche do playnely derogate from thâ— humanitie of Christe Agaynste all suche maner of heresies the Lorde him selfe confesseth that he was dead Wherby it is now manifest that he is very maÌ„ as he is also very God of the same esseÌ„ce with his father in deitie as he is also of the same substaunce with vs in humanitie like vnto vs in all thinges sinne excepted For he toke not the nature of Aungelles but the sede of Abraham And it behoued in dede thaâ— the sonne of man shuld be incarnate that bothe he might diâ— shede bloud Hebr. 9. For the Testament in the dead is finally ratified neither is there any remission made without bloud sheâ—ding The Lord therfore dieth and shedeth bloud to the intâ— he might geue full remissioÌ„ of sinnes and confirme the newâ— Testament Yet euen he that was thought to be dead nowe liueth Christ that was dead liueth and is that same liuing who hauing vaÌ„quished death the iii. daye rose againe from the dead and repared life for aâ—â— beleuers and inspireth into them his owne very life And therefore addeth immediatly beholde I am liuingâ— world without ende For nowe Christ dieth no more deathâ— shal not rule ouer him But rather he is the life of al his faitâ—full who in rising againe brought agayne life and that life euerlastinge induringe I saye worlde without ende As he him selfe declareth more at large Iohn 5.6.10 chapter And thapostle to the Rom. 4.1 Corinth 15. and 2. Timoth. 1. Moreouer where many were woÌ„te to doubte of this life gotten and repared by Christe the Lorde him selfe confirmeth that he saied by an othe and sayeth Amen As though he should saye this is altogether trewe and vndoubted that I saye Finally he addeth Christ hath the keyes of hell and of death and I haue the keyes of Hell and of death By the whiche woordes againe he comforteth exceadingly and expresseth his power and declareth howe great he is and what we haue of him Here must we speake by the waie of the kepe The ordinary glose saieth very wel he that hath the keyes of any house sayeth he letteth in whome he wil and kepeth backe whom he will from entring in Therfore Christ possesseth the keyes of death hel for that whom he will he deliuereth from perpetual coÌ„demnation of death And whom he wil The keyes he suffereth to remaine iustely in the same daunger of damnation And verely Esaye in the 22. speaking of Eliachim whome he sayeth shoulde be made Iudge in the courte of Ezechias I wil laye sayeth he the keye of the house of Dauid vpon his shulder whiche shal open and no manne shall shutte shall shutte and no man shal open Therfore are the keyes put in the Scripture for the charge and gouernement of the house Eliachim shall gouerne all thinge in the Courte of Ezechias vprightly What soeuer he shall determine no manne shal infringe that whiche he shall abrogate no manne shall restore Christe therfore a figure of whome Eliachim represented shal him selfe haue also the chiefe gouernment in the house or kingdome of God so that whom he will he may quickeÌ„ and plucke backe from hel and from damnation And againe whom he liste to condemne he may distroie by his iuste iudgement For he hath most ful power ouer death and hell Ose 13. 1. Cor. 15. For bothe two hath he ouercomen and made weake And these thinges comforte the faithfull moste strongely and reteyne them in all Godly duties And that same is chiefly to be obserued that he sayeth not he had the keyes or shall haue but I haue sayeth he I haue I saye He gaue not his power to the Bishoppe of Rome but hath iâ— him selfe and will kepe it still for euer And he gaue not to the Apostles ful power of life death of saluation and damnation The keyes of heauen geueÌ„ to the Apostles and so vnarmed him selfe but he gaue the keyes of opening and shutting heauen as it were to his Ministers seruitours by the preaching of the Gospell by the whiche he promised life to all that beleued Christ him selfe shoulde geue that life for the truth of the promise To whom so euer they should threaten damnation Christ him selfe shuld condemne for the truth of his woorde We see therfore that the Lord kepeth stil exerciseth the power and his ministers the ministerie by preaching not by absolute power Therfore the Pope is Antichrist The keyes of the bishop of Rome which vsurpeth and taketh vpon him this full power and authoritie in Heauen and in Earth and in the middes of the earth also or beyonde all the earth iâ— those vnfortunate Ilandes I meane purgatory By the whicâ— craftie deuise he hath subtilly emptied the purses Cofferâ— garuers and wine cellers Apoc. 13. of foolish people that swarne from the articles of their beliefe to wit I beleue the forgeuenes oâ— sinnes the resurrection of the fleshe life euerlasting Thâ— beaste dare vsurpe the two hornes of the Lambe Daniel 7. namely thâ— authoritie of King Bishop therfore to hange two keyeâ— vnder his triple Crowne that euen by these Armes all the world maye perceyue that this is very he whiche hauinâ— subdued three kinges or hornes is cropeÌ„ vp chalengeth tâ— him selfe all power in heauen in earth signified by the twâ— keies And surely the blindnes of our time is wonderful anâ— to be lameÌ„ted that hauing eyes it seeth yet nothing Let sucâ— as be wise remeÌ„ber that Christe hath yet the keyes of deatâ— and Hell his ministers the denouncyng of life and death Iohn is coÌ„maunded to write And nowe when he had declared these greate and mosâ— holesome matters and had comforted the minde of Iohn hâ— addeth the commaundement write the vision exhibited fâ—nally write those thinges also whiche muste be done shorteâ— after this He placeth in the middes and those that be thâ— is whiche are in dede and trewe and be not false And thesâ— things are to get authoritie to this boke finally to the whoâ— scripture whiche is reuealed with like truth of the selfe samâ— Author And as Iohn is coÌ„maunded to write without fearâ— so are we coÌ„maunded to Preache publish the same boldly though the world be neuer so madde therat He addeth moreouer the exposition that remaineth and sayeth The misterie of the seuen starres c. The reason semeth almost vnpersit Therfore muste we vnderstande this is the mistery or sacrament of the seuen Starres and Candelstickes that it maye be as it were a proposition SacrameÌ„t and that the exposition shoulde folow immediatly the seuen starres are seuen Messengers c. And by Sacrament vnderstande a secret mistery and the very exposition of the mistery As yf you woulde sâ—â—â— here is to
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
thintent it might by litle litle vanish away They that meddle with Iezabel shal be afflicted Secondly he threatneth great affliction to such as haue to do with Iezabel that is to say to such as cleaue vnto false doctrine receiue errours delight in heresies and go about to set forth the same To these I say he threateneth most greuous afflictioÌ„s to witte of body and soul of this present and of the life to come He semeth to haue said somwhat more than if he had recited certen kindes of punishment The children of Iezabel shal be slayne Finally he menaceth death to the children borne of this copulation and fornicatioÌ„ to witte whore sonnes bastardes And those are chiefly the childreÌ„ of heretickes which stire vp a freshe and restore newly again heresies already condeÌ„ned meakened and wearing away These the Lord distroied with temporal and eternal death And the ecclesiasticall story doth testifie that the Lord hath in dede punished most greuously not only the heresie of the CataphrigiaÌ„s but al heresies in general And certen thinges coÌ„cerning the CataphrygiaÌ„s or MoÌ„tanistes are touched of Euseb lib. 1. of the cl story Cap. 16. The destruction of Achab and Iezabel with al their posteritie The Lorde semeth here to me to haue alluded to the olde story of Iezabel Achab for them as it were cast in a bed froÌ„ day to day euer since they began to worship Baal he vexed with sicknes and brought them lowe And the people that receiued the religion of Baal be put to much sorow euils and afflictions Finally their children he brought to a shamefull death Their partakers also were slaine that would haue had Baal his religion safe and sounde and euen to haue bene restored again For after the death of Achab his father not many daies after Ochosias the sonne of Achab and Iezabel bruised with an vnhappy fall and cast in bed died .iiii. Reg. Cap. 1. And Ioram an other sonne of Achab and Iezabel stricken through with an arrowe of Iehu was slaine Athalia the daughter of Achab and Iezabel the wife of Ioram kyng of Iuda the sonne of Iosaphat being diuided with that sweard of Ioiadas fell down before the gates of the temple And Ochosias king of Iuda the sonne of Athalia and Ioram was slaine also by the power of Iehu And after were put to death by the same Iehu the .lxx. sonnes of Achab And all the pristes of Baal are slaine together in the temple and before the Aultar of Baal and not one of so great a nombre escaped Yea the temple the idol and the seruice of Baal were quite and cleane ouerthrowen This olde maruelouse and wonderfull history the Lord calleth to memory signifiyng that he lyueth yet a reuenger and a punisher Who will neither ouerpasse the iust limite nor touche the same out of time For he addeth and all congregations shal know c. Notwithstanding this thing is notable and moste worthy to bee remembred and no lesse full of comforte Hope is seâ— open for the penitent that in this rehersall of punishementes he putteth in as it were in the middes a mention of repentaunce as though he should say let no man thinke him selfe that he must be distroyed and perishe through a certen fatall necessitie For if any wil repent the gates of the grace of God are set open his synnes shal be forgeuen and he shal be taken in to fauour and shall be deliuered from all those euilles And after this sorte haue taught also the Prophetes Ieremy in the .xviii. Chapter and Ezech. in the .xviii. Chapter But where as the punishement is not by and by executed vpon the impenitent persones you shall haue them that wyll exclame that God is a slepe that he seeth or heareth nothyng Therfore the Lorde hym selfe aunswereth them and sayth And all congregations shall knowe c. The Lord declareth that he is reueÌ„ger of the churche When I shall doubtles at the laste execute my vengeaunce in dewe season For then shall all men learne that I neyther slepe nor neglecte my seruauntes at any tyme or wyll suffer those that deserue euyll of me and of my Churche to escape vnpunyshed Furthermore Christe testifieth that he searcheth the â—eynes and heartes of all men And he meaneth that he knoweth all thoughtes and deuises of the harte finally the appetite it selfe and all the desires of man so that he can iudge truly therof for nothing be it neuer so secret is hidde from Christ Christ is God Therfore is he very God For it is the propertie of God belongeth to him alone to know the hartes of tho children of men As Salomon testifieth in the iii. boke of kinges Chap. viii Christ therfore seeth the priuie filthie workes both of the Nicolaitans and all other beastly men Whiche S. Paul saith are vnworthy to come to light or to be expressely declared to men Ephes v. Christ geueth to euery man after his workes Nother doth Christ know only all the thoughtes of men whatsoeuer they be but geueth moreouer to euery man after his owne workes And so the Apostle S. Paul teacheth saying The iust iudgement of God shall be opened whiche wyll rewarde euery man according to his dedes that is to saie Prayse honor and immortalitie to them whiche continue in well doing and seke eternall life But vnto them that are rebelliouse and disobey the truth and followe iniquitie shall come indignation wrath tribulatioÌ„ and angwish c. In the .ii. to the Roma For workes be the touchstones of faith and infidelitie And workes whether they be good or euyll be iudged of God and the Godly men according as they procede of faith or of infidelitie Therfore what so euer any of vs shall sowe the same shall he reape also For God is the moste iust rewarder of good and reuenger of euill The same sentence as it is moste true so is it the foundation of the true and Godly Religion Glory be to God ¶ That the doctrine of pitie is so fully sâ—â— forth to the churche that there nedeth no newe Reuelations And of the moste large promesses of Christ made vnto the churche The .xiiij. Sermon ANd to you I say and to others that be of Thiatira Who so euer haue not this doctrine and whiche haue not knowen the depenes of Sathan as they say I will put vpon you none other burthen but that whiche ye haue already Holde fast till I come And whosoeuer ouercometh and kepeth my workes vnto the ende to him wil I geue power ouer nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron And as the vessels of a potter shall he breake theÌ„ to sheuers Euen as I receiued of my father so wyll I geue hym the morning starre Let hym that hath eares heare what the spirite saieth to the congregations He speaketh here now to the Cataphrygians The great mercy of God and also to the faithfull of the churche
〈◊〉 after the maner of men to haue a boke of life or of his electe What that boke is and whose name is red in the same none of vs can tell sins none hath loked therein We must learne of the scriptures who be the citezeÌ„s of the kingdome of God For that theyr names be written in the boke of life no man nede doubt And S. Iohn sayeth so many as haue beleued he hath geuen them power that they maye be made the children of God S. Paull saieth He that hath not the spirite of Christe he is none of his And the spirite crieth in the mindes of the godly Abba father The same Apostle sayeth God hath predestinated vs that he might adopte vs for his children through Iesus Christe Moreouer he hath chosen vs in Christ before the fouÌ„dations of the world were layde Therefore are al beleuers written in that numbre celestiall Who so euer therefore beleue not or perseuere not in the faith eyther they are not written in the boke of life or els they be put out againe of the boke of lyfe Finally the sonne acknowledgeth the beleuers and such as perseuer in the true faythe before his heauenly father and his Aungelles And here he repeteth theuangelicall doctrine out of the 10. chapt of S. Matth. and 8. of S. Marke And doubteles it is a greate matter in that vniuersall iudgement to be knowen of the sonne of God of the highe iudge to be saluted and frendely spokeÌ„ to of him and that to our greate prayse If any Prince would in a great assemble of people knowe thee yea imbrase and coÌ„mende thee howe happie and fortunate woldest thou thinke thy selfe But then shall imbrase thee the very sonne of God king of kinges and lorde of lordes Let vs thinke of these thinges in time and amende our maners For that all these thinges apperteyne to vs that laste and wounted acclamation of S. Iohn proueth let him that hathe eares heare c. Wherof we haue spoken els where To the Lord be prayse and glory ¶ The Lord coÌ„mendeth the vertues namely the constancie of the congregation of Philadelphia c. The .xvij. Sermon ANd write vnto the Aungel of the congregation of Philadelphia this sayeth he that is holye and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth And shutteth and no man openeth I knowe thy workes Beholde I haue sette before thee an open dore and no manne can shutte it for thou hast a little strength And haste kepte my worde and haste not denied my name Beholde I shall geue some of the congregation of Sathan whiche call them Iewes and are not but do lie Behold I wil make them that they shal come and worship before thy feete the church is not blamed but yet is it not therefore perfit 1. Iohn 1. Rom. 3. In al other congregations the Lord at the leest fouÌ„d some faulte in the only churche of Philadelphia he blameâ—h nothing not that any man is founde in this flesh so perfit that he hath not nede of the grace of God For Dauid crieth out enter not Lord into iudgement with thy seruaunt for no maÌ„ liuing shall be iustified in thy sighte But S. Iohn and S. Paull also make all meÌ„ subiect to sinne which thing also S. Austen discourseth learnedly agaynst the Pelagians Therfore that blameth nothing in this congregation it is not to be vnderstand as though it were not defiled with dayly faultes but therfore he imputeth nothinge for because the sinceritie and integritie of faithe couereth hideth what vice so euer there be For there is no coÌ„demnation to them that are graffed in Christe Iesu And albeit that other churches haue also the right faith yet this excelleth especially c. It might be referred chiefly to the Bisshop of the same Churche In this sixte epistle he coÌ„mendeth the sincere faith and coÌ„stancie of faith and admonissheth to perseuer propounding ample rewardes And it hath muche learning and diuerse whiche shall appere in the treatise therof And the lord herin followeth the same order which we see he hath followed in others For it is one the same kinde of doctrine with all churches and in al times Firste therfore is shewed vnto whom the epistle is written or dedicated to the pastour and whole coÌ„gregation of Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia was a citie of Lydia neither very famouse nor yet obscure We reade how it hath beÌ„ oft shakeÌ„ with earthquakes and repared againe Strabo mentioneth therof in the 12. boke of Geographie and so haue other authours also Yet it made it self famouse by vertues After is the Lorde Christ signified to be Authour of this epistle who at other times also hath tolde S. Iohn what he should write And to Christ are attributed three things or rather Christ attributeth three things to him selfe that he is holy true hath the keye of Dauid The which he hath borrowed of the Image of the first Chapt. Christe is holy Christe holy because he is pure cleane from al filthines from al vnrightuousnes very God a coÌ„suming fire doyng no man any wroÌ„g hauing nothing at all that may be blamed For to him the Seraphin sayng rightly holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth Esaye 7. Christe the Saincte of Sainctes Christ is also the holy one of the Sainctes a sanctification I saye that sanctifieth all that be sanctified The same loueth holines in sainctes Christ therfore is moste truely called Antichrist the Pope hath taken vpon him this title and so filthy sitteth on this beaste as if you should call a priuie or a Iakes a Rosier Spitte vpon that vile and filthy beast whiche suffereth him self to be called the most holy father and worship Christ the holy one of all holy vnlesse you had rather vnderstande by that holines not euery holines but pope holines that is to witte stinking swimming full of al abominations Christe is like wise called trewe Christe is true because he is eternall and faithfull euermore constaunt and incorrupte He can neyther disceiue nor be disceiued The same moste constantly kepeth his promesses All his wordes be vndoubted and trewe Albeit that fleshe that can abide no delaye begin many times to doubt yet no one poincte or iote of them falleth awaye The trueth of the Lorde indureth for euer Thou standest vpon a moste sure foundation if thou leane vnto Christe whiche in the 14. of Iohn also calleth him selfe the veritie The keye of Dauid Laste he addeth whiche hath the keye of Dauid I spake of the keye in the firste chapter He alludeth to the 22. Chapt. of Esaye Wherby is signified the diuine almightie power of Christ by the which he bringeth vs purified into the kingdome of heauen whiche worke verely nother deuilles nor any power can let The same casteth doune the vncleane into hel nother is there that can deliuer or differ the same He sayeth therfore aptely and expressely he hath
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
whome ye owe feare sayeth he geue feare And to whom you owe honour geue honour In the third place followeth benediction whiche he called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is thankesgeuing and praise For we be commaunded to prayse all the workes of the Lord and to geue thankes for the same Iob is saied to haue blessed or thanked God for the most greuouse affliction that he sent him For he sayed like as it pleased the Lord so hath it bē done the name of the lord be blessed Whilest the beastes do attribute al these things to him that sitteth on the throne by their exāple they teache vs what we should do verely to geue al these singular things vnto god Which if we do al murmuring shall cease disputations cōmenced of searchinge examining the workes of God through out curiositie With the laude and praise of the beastes is ioyned the hymne or songe of the .xxiiii. The songe of the .xxiiii. Elders Elders This is the churche triumphaunt the cōpany of al Sainctes Patrtarches Prophetes Apostles Martirs c. as I declared to you before Mortall men haue not here an example of some one saincte or wise man but of all holy godly wise and worthy menne They haue put of their fleshe and wante affections and errours They be therfore of vncorrupte iudgementes so that there can be no more clere or pure examples ministred to vs. Three or foure thinges are taught vs concernyng these Elders whiche they did or perfourmed not to euery body but to him that sitteth on the throne and liueth for euer euer For so be the titles of God repeted wherof is spokē before We tolde you also that the seates of the Elders were sette rounde about the Throne in whiche they sate clothed with white rayment crowned with crownes of Golde liuynge with him that liueth for euer They first arise out of their seates or chaires The senanatours fall downe before god and fal down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falle vpon their knees or on their face before god And in falling or kneling down they shewe a submission or lowlines of mynde that we might learne with great humilitie and reuerence to submitte our soules and bodies to our God submitting I say our selues and all our thinges to his good wyll and pleasure But if the blessed soules now purified and already hauing the fruition of the sight of God fall down before the Lorde What should not a wretched man do miserable mortall and a synner Let hym be ashamed of rebellion and slouthfulnes whiche seeth so great submission in the moste noble and Godly soules of heauenly dwellers Than the sainctes worship The saīcts worship and worship in dede none other but him that sitteth on the seate and liueth for euer the father the sonne and the holy ghost God thre and one euerlasting almighty Therfore let vs also worship this God followyng the example of all sainctes To worship adoration We worship God with externall adoration if we vncouer our heades knele bowe before him In spirite and truth and with inwarde worshypping if we depend wholy of him consecrate vs whole vnto hym and wholy loke vpon him as one the only soul incomprehensible moste wyse beste and greatest moste rightuous and moste mercifull And they that thus fall down before the throne of God and so worship him they do not contende with God about his workes they do not expostulate with God vnpatiently why he doth this and permitteth that Vnto all these thinges is added The saicts cast of their crownes that they plucke of the crownes of their heades cast them away before the throne at the fete of hym that sitteth in the throne This is not only a notable modestie but also an humble humilitie wantinge an example Primasius an expositour of the Apocalypse assigning verely vnto God sayth he whatsoeuer vertue and whatsoeuer dignitie they haue For to hym is attributed rightly whatsoeuer is wonne or gotten Of whome he that ouercometh is ayded Thus saith he They testifie and signifie also that they would not take vpon them any Godly power that they would not reigne they would not as the counsellours of God geue counsell to God or prescribe vnto him the least thing in the worlde But to submitte vnto God all power all rule and the whole gouernment them selues and all others to be gouerned For they haue experience and see no man in the worlde vniuersall in heauen or in earth to be wyser mightier greater that none doeth more faithfully more dilligently more safely and better gouerne all thinges Let vs reste therfore O brethren to the iudgement of sainctes and let vs consent herein with them in all thinges Yea with expresse wordes they testifie why they threwe away their crownes Not that being vnthankefull to God they esteme not highly his giftes But for that they playnly acknowledge al glory to be dew to him alone Therfore they accorde very well with the beastes and all the creatures of God and saiyng an Himne to the high Prince they confesse him to be worthy to receiue glory c. And he said to receiue not that he had it not before But for that it shuld seme a most vnworthy thing if either they or any other creature woulde chalenge vnto them those thinges which apperteine to God alone To receiue glory These thinges apperteine to no creature c. And they commende God highly whom they call their Lorde God Some copies adde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which art holy For thei do agree in all things with the beastes which cried also holy holy holy Lord God omnipotent To the same gaue they also glory honour wherof before So also the elders ascribe to him nowe the selfsame thinges And especially they attribute to God power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and take it from thē selues Why than doe the Papistes attribute power and operation to the sainctes in heauen Which neuerthelesse here plainly them selues attribute this to God alone Sainctes geue power to God take it not to them selues S. Ihō Peter liuing toke it not in good part that the people semed to attribute to them somwhat of godly power For when they had restored one that halted before the tēple the people were in admiratiō therof they said ye men of Israel what maruel you at this or why loke ye vpon vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as though through our owne power or holines we haue brought to passe that this man should walke The God of our fathers hath done this c. But how much lesse shall we now thinke that being deliuered from al corruption they would require any godly power to be geuen or diuine honour attributed c. They adde also or render a reason why they submit both them selues al theirs vnto God attribute to the same glory honor power For thou say thei hast created al things God that creatour
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
salute and cal him most blessed father moste holy Pope c. Christ setteth forth with an other stile and geueth him other titles His name sayeth he was Abbadon in Hebrewe and in Greke Apollyon He publissheth his name in eyther tounge for none other cause than for that in eyther Testament wherof the one is written in Hebrew the other in greke this title is attributed to him Abbadon or Abbaddon or Apollyon signifieth a waster or destroyer But Daniel in the .7.8 and .11 The childe of perditiō chapt And Zachar. in the .11 doe attribute to Antichrist this vertue and propertie S. Paul calleth him the sonne of perdition to wit most lost most damnable and the greatest Authour of perdition and damnation whiche finally shall be vnto many Authour of slaughter by sondry warres For through false doctrine he distroyeth soules and with tiranny by fire and sworde he wasteth the lande and those that refuse to obeye him moste cruelly Let the Popes actes be considered and the practises of spirituall fathers lette them be applied to these oracles of God and than let a cōparison and iudgement be made And this is as it were the keye openyng to vs the sense of this place and that it should be expounded of Antichrist whome S. Paull called the sonne of perdition Habad in Hebrewe signifieth is loste or distroied And therof cometh Habbaedon perdition or destruction So in Greke Apoleo and Apollyme signifieth to lose and distroy herof is Apollyon The Lord Iesus slaye this destroyer with the breath of his mouth take him away vtterly by his gloriouse commyng ¶ The sixte trompet is expounded where is created of Saracenes and turkishe matters The .xli. Sermon ONe wo is paste and beholde two woes come yet after this And the sixte Aungel blewe and I hearde a voyce from the foure corners of the golden Aultar whiche is before the eyes of God saiyng to the sixt angel which had the trompet lowse the foure Angels which are bound in the great riuer Euphrates And the foure Angels were lowsed which were prepared for an houre for a daie for a moneth and for a yeare for to slaye the the thirde parte of men And the nombre of Horsemen of warre were twenty times ten thousande And I hearde the nombre of thē And thus I sawe the horses in a vision and them that sate on them hauing firie habbergions of a yalowe and brimstony colour and the heades of the horses were as the heades of Lions And out of theyr mouthes wente forth fire smoke and brimstone And of these three was the third part of mē killed that is to say of fire smoke brimstone whiche proceded out of the mouthes of them For their power was in their mouths in their tailes for their tailes were like vnto serpentes hauing heades and with them did they hurt The sixte cōflicte or fight is of Mahometrie by the Saracenes Turkes Tartariās most cruelly foughten and with muche wo. And would God it were foughten For we perceiue dayly by the thinges themselues the misterie of the prophecie and see the fulfilling and euen experience it also At the sounde of the trompe of the sixte Aungell S. Iohn heareth a voice from the foure corners of the golden Aultar The some of the vision that is to saye from the middes of the Aultar neither is there any cause why we should seke a misterie in the fourth nōbre And he speaketh of that Aultar whiche is before the eyes of God That voice commaundeth the Aungell trompetter to lowse the foure Aungels bounden in the great riuer of Euphrates Whiche thing as soone as it was done an innumerable armie of horsemen marched forwarde and sleyeth and distroyeth the third parte of the earth that is the third parte of men And those horsemen and the force or power therof is most diligently described We learned of late that the golden Aultar The goldē Aultar doeth signifie Christ sitting on the right hād of the father He is purer and more preciouse than golde he is priest and sacrifice of all the faithful standing before the eyes of God to witte pleasyng God wherin or in whome his soule is pleased with al faythfull whose vertue suffiseth all And suche a one God the father would haue him to be preached and beleued of all the faythfull in the worlde Such a one also the auncient church instituted of the Apostles beleued and taught him vntill by the worke and instigation of the Deuill menne moste corrupt sprange vp in the churche whereof these deny the deitie of Christe those the humanitie others plucked a sonder the persone consisting of God and manne and others confounded the natures or proprieties of natures The goodnes of God suffered this longe patiently many times sendynge faythfull and open defenders of the veritie whiche mighte roote out those blasphemouse errours the whiche we haue red to be done by seuerall Bisshoppes or Preachers of the church or by ecclesiastical assemblees which we call coūsels such as were the counsells Nicene Constantinopolitane Ephesine and Chalcedonian In the whiche were cōdemned Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches and other monstres of heretikes which impugned Christ Howebeit the vncurable peruersenes of men gettyng the vpper hande there was none ende of alteration and blasphemies For two great Bishops of no smal churches Peter and Seuerus deny thaultar Christ to be dead Peter patriarche of Antioche and Seuerus of Constantinople springyng vp in the reigne of the emperour Iustinian impudently and moste wickedly affirmed as the actes of the .5 counsell of Constantinople doe plentifully enough declare that the body of Christ was vtterly in corruptible and verely deified neyther subiecte to any affections as oures are For that the worde was so made fleshe that by and by it began to be one nature to wit diuine that Christ was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is incorruptible These thinges should seme to procede out of the most wicked schole of Valentinian Marcion and Manicheus Iames Syrus Iames Sirus surnamed Zāzalus of whom at this day the Iacobites are named in the east countrie toke vpon him to defende the doctrine of Seuerus He taught that Christ for that he was incorruptible neyther to haue suffered nor ben crucified but that some other was put to tormētes for Christ Christ only standing by inuisibly and loking on This opinion was madde by many testimonies of the Scripture and finally repulsed and ouerthrowen with the articles of our fayth Christ suffered verely For we professe in our belefe suffered vnder Ponce pilate was crucified dead and buried The prophetes tolde expressely before that he should suffer and die that he hath suffered and died the Apostles haue witnessed of whom S. Iohn behelde the death and passion of Christ on the crosse Nother reade we that the Lorde was euer so much offended with his disciples as he was with Peter goyng about to diswade the passion as vnworthie the sonne of God For he
world intollerable thei haue oppressed the godly bragged of their victories and haue boasted of theyr owne felicitie with full chekes and as we shall heare in the .18 chapt of this boke that beaste hath sayed I sitte as Quene am no widowe and shal neuer see any sorrow For voices are hearde from Rome al Empires are oures It is knowen what maner of thinges Augustinus Steuchus an Italian and chiefe champion of the Popes holines hath set forth in this cause against Laurâ—â—ce Valla about the donation of CoÌ„stantine And dayly are hearde the brags reioycings of the papistes of the euerlasting coÌ„tinuauÌ„ce of the See of Rome of her victories oppression of the preachyng of the Gospell that the same hath her power stretched through out the world c. But in that day what time verely our lord Iesus Christ shal abolish al power rule authoritie shal haue made al his enemies his fote stoole accordyng to the scripture in the .110 Psalme And in the .1 to the Corinth the .15 Ther shal be hearde againe the voyces of the gladde and ioyeful singing trewe and eternal triumphing songes in heauen For Angelles and sainctes shal sing together wherfore the voices shal be greater more durable thaÌ„ the voices of Christes enemies which last but a smal season The songe of the Elders Nowe also he rehearseth the songe or triumphaunt dittie and reioycyng the kingdomes of this worlde are made our lordes his Christes and he shal raigne for euer more AmeÌ„ He sheweth two thinges that all kingedomes are made the fathers and the sonnes and that he shal raigne for euermore Al kingdomes were before also our lord Iesus Christes but the same appered not so plainely to al men what time the bisshop of Rome also vsurped the same to him selfe oppressed theÌ„ which did only celebrate the name of Christ But in that it shal truely appere and that to all fleshe that al kingdomes were euer and yet remayne of one the eternal God Christ therfore ouercometh the veritie ouercometh the gospel ouercometh the churche ouercometh they that are vanquished shal be led to hel Mahomet with his the Bishop of Rome with his There is added that Christ shal raigne for euer more Antichrist in dede hath raigned and the wicked haue reioyced in this worlde but a very shorte time but nowe shall the godly reigne with christ for euer more Nother doeth he now diuide the kingdome of the father the sonne but sheweth it to be comon where he sayeth that the kingdomes are made that is to saye it is openly declared that al kingedomes are of God the father and the sonne and that he shal reigne with his electe for euermore So you may see that the place of S. Paule maye not be expounded after the lettre which is writteÌ„ in the .1 to the Corinth the .15 chapt of that the sonâ—â— must be subiected shall deliuer the kingdome to his father For he shall deliuer the kingdome to witte the church that is to saye shal bring and present it to the father and in his membres shal be subiecte to the father with whom not withstanding he him selfe shal reigne for euer Thaffirmatiue vocable is annexed Amen Leeste any man should doubt one whitte of these celestial misteries Howbeit he doeth more playnely expounde afterwarde what those voices are that were spokeÌ„ in Heauen whilest he annexeth the narration of the .xxiiii. Elders and of such thinges wherwith they praysed God And here the most goodly beautifull order of this boke semeth to me worthie to be obserued In the beginning of this visioÌ„ he brought in the same elders teaching vs by their exaÌ„ple himnes what we should do the same therefore he bringeth againe also in the ende of this vision that we might be instructed againe by their wordes doynges not only concernyng the last iudgement of what sorte it shal be most rightouse doubtles as al his iudgementes are which the whole visioÌ„ approueth but that also we shuld vnderstaÌ„d what becometh vs what we shuld do verely that we should worship god submit our selues whole vnto him beleue stedfastly that both the iudgement shal assuredly come that also it shal be most iuste A geuynge of thankes The himne or prayer which they offer vp vnto God is a kynde of prayse For it is a thankesgeuyng or reioysing for victory For in such sort they geue God thanks that neuerthelesse they celebrate god highly and reioyce to themselues and to al godly for their saluatioÌ„ For they geue god thanks for their saluation And coÌ„mend his iustice and veritie which he sheweth in this his iudgement rewarding the good with good things and the euil with euil Therfore like as they rise out of their chayres and fal downe before almighty God euen so aught we also both nowe and euer to do Whereof is spoken more in the .4 chap. Here we should learne humilitie and that God alone is to be worshipped that to him alone al praiers or inuocatioÌ„s or geuing of thaÌ„ks must be offered the which thing is cleane repugnauÌ„t to the popish doctryne We se now the very thankesgeuing than the which no better can be found They geue thankes vnto God Let vs therfore thanke him also And also coÌ„mend exalte him whylest they call him the Lord and God almightie and also they celebrate his maiestie where they say which arte and which waste and which arte to come They allude to the wordes of God spoken in oulde tyme to Moses in the .3 of Exodus By the diuersitie of tymes the eternitie of God is fygured But of this kynd of speach I haue spoken more in the first chapt Christe in iudgement receyueth power and kingdome And nowe they declare wherefore they geue thankes for thou haste receiued thy great power and hast reigned God verely neuer laide asyde his power that he nedeth to receiue it agayne but what time he sheweth not the same and permittith very much to the vngodly that they by their power can infringe preuayl against gods word he semeth to haue layde it away Therfore now that he oppresseth the wicked and as a iudge auauÌ„ceth the godly maintayneth the veritie and destroyeth lying he is truly sayed to haue receyued his great power Lykewise now is he said to reigne not because he reigned not before but forasmoch as the lord hath reigned in the mids of his ennemies so that some time it was doubtfull and vncertayne whether Christe reigned or Antichriste yea that he hath had the vpper hand and Christ hath ben oppressed now that Christ hath broken al the power of his aduersaries he is said most truly to reigne And very wel Erasmus admonissheth in his annotations vpoÌ„ the newe Testament that the translatour had tourned more aptely Ebacilensas yf he had sayed thou hast obteyned a kingdome For the latin men saye Regnauit He hath reigned whiche hath lefte reignyng
iudges moreouer oppressours of the poore which afflicte widowes and the fatherles more ouer whiche in vsurie thefte disceiptefulnes extorsion and euill meanes are hurteful to all men and by their vnsatiable couetousenes brede a darth of al thinges Finally which by whoredome and aduoutrie defile breake holy matrimony Laste heretikes distroye the earth suche as infecte men with corrupte doctrine that dwell vpon the Earth into the which numbre come also seditiouse persons and traitours and other wicked men Perdition is not to abolish These shall the Lord distroye with euerlastyng perdition wherby they cease not to be that perish but become muche more miserable whilest they are vexed with tourmeÌ„tes that neuer shall haue ende Vnthriftes and prodigall persons are sayed to be loste yet in perisshyng thus they cease not to be but procede dayly to be more miserable which is perdition it selfe God openeth Heauen to his that they loke vp to him Furthermore S. Iohn doubteth this doctrine of the reâ—arde of the godly that whiche before he treated vnder the fourme of a thankeful prayse and a ioyouse triumphyng he propoundeth now consequeÌ„tly the same as it were to be sene with the eyes by a vision celestiall And gallauntly he endeth this vision with the opening of the Temple which he began with the opening of Heauen For the louing lorde openeth to his seruauntes heauen it selfe to be sene of the eyes of our minde to the ende we should no where doubte of the glory prepared for vs in Heauen nother should saie who hath sene those celestiall thinges that are promised vs For like as the blessed fathers the Prophetes and Apostles haue had very many visions of this sorte effectuall trewe and godly So maye euery one of vs with the eyes of our minde through trewe fayth loke into Heauen it selfe I knowe well that the worldely men passe nothing vpon such visions as of whom the Lord in the Gospell hath sayed the world can not receiue the spirite of trueth for that he seeth him not nother knoweth him Let not vs care for their contempt Let vs see therfore The temple of god open in heauen what is prepared for the seruauntes of God in an other worlde Firste S. Iohn sawe heauen open now in heauen it self he seeth also the very temple of god open to witte to all the godly By the Temple of God he vnderstandeth the secretes of God the inwarde priuie partes of Heauen whereinto he will receyue to the fruition of him selfe al beleuers But in that diuine temple of heaueÌ„ was sene the Arche of his Testamente Arcke in the Temple For God made a conuenaunte or leage with the faythful that he would be theyr God their fulnes and a most pleÌ„tiful Sea of al goodnes a most aboundaunt and moste sufficient plentie of all thinges The confirmation testimony and declaration wherof is the Arke of coÌ„uenaunte the very sonne of God in whome dwelleth all fulnes of deitie and in whom we be made perfit For he is the Arke in whom are layde vp al celestial treasours ful of grace and veritie This Arke of good thinges and of eternal felicitie appereth in heaueÌ„ For the sonne of God is in the throne of God The liberall and bountiful father celestial wil powre out this Arke vpon his children graunting to them through Christ his only sonne all heauenly giftes that we mighte be partakers of al Christes benefites euen to the deitie wherin he excelleth his bretherne Hereby it appereth howe Moses prepared the Arke after the example of the same whiche he sawe in Heauen and the figure whereof was the Arke of the conuenaunt c. Otherwise we shal heare in the .21 chapt of this boke that there is no temple in heauen c. These moste beautiful thinges to be sene and moste pleasaunt to be hearde the sonne of God hath set forth to be sene and hearde of vs. Consequently he addeth that punnishementes are prepared for the wicked and expouÌ„deth the same also diuersely and propouÌ„deth the same to be sene Hitherto were made in the worlde lighteninges And lightninges were made voices and thonderinges c. The holy ghost shining to the world and drawing through the doctrine of the veritie mouing and fearing but the madde worlde would not vnderstande no nor so muche as heare the maner and waye of saluatioÌ„ therfore the diuine iustice requireth that they should be talked with all in an other langage and therefore by the iuste iudgemente of God are made now lightenings c. And by this heape of wordes he signifieth the horrible punnishement that God will take of the wicked And he appereth to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome also to the wordes of the godly Prophet it shall raygne vpon sinners snares of fyre brimestone and spirite of tempeste in the .11 Psalm Therefore is this vision concluded as the story of S. Matthewes Gospell and these shall goe into euerlastyng punnishement and the iuste into life euerlastyng We haue in these eight laste chapters the thirde parte of this boke and an notable abridgement of the Ecclesiasticall storie froÌ„ the time of S. Iohn vnto the worldes ende wherwith we are instructed in the trewe fayth and are admonisshed of all perilles and traysons whereby the trewe fayth is assailed to the intent that beyng watcheful we maye beware of all corruption and craftie seducing and may be made safe To God be praise and glory ¶ The description of the churche and of the red Dragon fighting agaynst the Church The .lij. Sermon ANd there appered a great tokeÌ„ in Heauen a woman clothed with the sunne and the Moone vnder her fete vpoÌ„ her head a crowne of .xii. starres And she was with childe and cried trauailing in birth payned ready to be deliuered And there appered an other token in heaueÌ„ and beholde a great red Dragon hauing seueÌ„ heades .x. hornes and seuen crownes vpon his heades and his tayle drewe the thirde parte of starres of heauen cast them to the Earth And the dragon stode before the woman which was ready to be deliuered for to deuoure her childe as sone as it were borne And she brought forth a maÌ„childe which should rule all nations with a rodde of yron hyr sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his seate And the woman fled into wildernes where she had a place prepared of God that they shoulde fede her there a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes The fourth parte of this boke exhibiteth to vs the thirde vision which others that diuide the seconde into two The order dispositioÌ„ of thinges of this boke make the fourth The lord hath often times and much made mention in the seconde vision of the persecution and fight of the faythfull with Antichrist and wicked enemies of God especially in the .6.9 and .11 chapters He procedeth therefore nowe in the thirde vision and that aboundantly to discourse of the same conflicte and
signified to vs vnder the tipe of Michaell We know by the scriptures as many of vs as be learned that Michael as also Gabriel be the names of good Angels of god Michael signifieth who as God And who I praye you is such as God but in whome thexpresse Image of the fathers substaunce which is the Image inuisible and worde of the father from the beginnyng I meane the very sonne of God Iesus Christ Michael in the .10 .12 chapt of Daniel is president protectour Patrone of the Iewish nation And it is plaine that the people of Israel had from the beginning non other tutour and patrone but Messias him selfe the blessed sede This appereth in the .7 of Esaye were we reade that the lord spared the people of Iuda and the princelicke Citie for Christ In an other place he sayeth moste openly I will defende that citie for my selfe and for my seruaunt Dauid And Dauid is called Christ in the .34 of Ezechiel Christ is therefore in very dede gouernour of his people whiche neuerthelesse in defendyng and deliueryng his vseth the ministerie of Angelles who also attribute nothing to themselues but all glory to God alone Morouer that excellent victory cā not with out offence of godlines be ascribed to Michael the archangel For so omitting our Messias Christ we should cōmende Angels being made worthie to be called Angelical rather than Christians In the lawe was written the sede of the womā shal breake the serpentes head But the lord neuer toke the nature of an Angel but the sede of Abraham and by sinne hath condemned sinne There shal followe anone in the songe Now is saluation and power c. And there is added for the Deuil is cast out And this saluatiō hath Christ alone accomplisshed wherfore it is necessary that Christ the conquerour of Sathan be signified by Michael And the Dragon fought hande to hande agaynst the lord The dragō his Angels fight not only matched with him in the deserte but also neuer ceased to tempte and assayle him so longe as he liued here on earth he stired vp also agaynst him the Phariseis Princes of the people kinges and the Romane gouernour and so at the laste brake the lordes heele This was the greatest fight of the Dragon The same Dragon inspireth now kinges and Princes wicked Priestes and cruel men his Angelles which maye warre vpon the churche And all these verely do persecute and vexe the churche in the power of the red Dragon Stories declare the same to be done before Christes time the same testifie and experiēce proueth the like to be done from the ascension of Christ into Heauen vnto this present daye and vnto the worldes ende Now is also declared with what lucke they fought with what lucke they sought on eyther side to witte most luckely concernyng Christ most vnluckely as touchyng the Deuill or red Dragon And in this fight as also in the songe immediately following is cōteined the whole fruicte of this disputatiō For herof al godly may learne that Sathan our enemie is vnarmed and that Christ in this conflict is on our syde as our Emperour captayne at all tymes by whome all the godly maie easely in all conflictes ouercome Therfore this matter of battel and victory is set by and by after the beginning of the moste daūgerouse battaile wyth Antichriste and Antichristians whych are the broode or tailes and scales of the serpent and champions of the Dragon for a comfort and consolation And the naturall order is here altered which treateth nothyng of the successe of the battaile til he hath set forth al the conflicte before But this battaile shall be continewed hereafter in the reste of the 12. and all the .13 chapter Christ ouer commeth and christianes ouercome also He declareth at thre wordes first the victorie of Chryste secondly of al christians The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they preuayled not they had no strength Doubtles the force of the deuyll is greate if God permitte and clerely greatest in consideration of the iuste iudgement of God as also appeareth in Iob that he is able to slake breake the strongest thinges But the Lorde sayth in the gospel Ihon .14 Math. 16 The Prince of this world came and against me he hath nothing Again in the gospel The gates of Hell shall not preuayle againg her the rocke I meane and secondly againste the church Although therfore the Deuyl make an horrible vprore and cruelly rage against Christ and his church yet is he without force For the vertue of Christe preuayleth The seconde parte is nother was theyr place any more founde in heauen which maner of speach signifieth no other thing than that the reprobate Angell is put from al dignitie glory power moreouer that he hath no more any place in the church or emonges the electe of God not that the deuil should not retourne or should not tempte or renewe warre but because he hath no place parmanent Herunto apperteyneth that the Lord so ofte repeateth in the Gospel and now the Prince of this worlde is caste oute in the .12.14 and .16 chapters of Sainct Ihon. Moreouer by other places of the Scripture it is manifeste that the Deuyll is shut out of heauen And it shall be easie for vs to shutte him oute which being cast out by the sonne of God hath no place in vs vnlesse we our selues geue place to him Which we shoulde not do the Lord admonisheth vs dilligently that we should watch The story is knowen in the .12 of Matth. of the Deuill pourposing to retourne and therfore toke vnto him seuen worse spirites But wherefore doest thou heare him whie doest thou obeye him whome thou seest shut out of Heauen Notwithstanding that herby is signified also that the Deuil was so fully vanquished of Christ that he was also driuen to forsake the place of the battayle For the thirde membre Sathan cast downe to the earth as it were expoundyng the seconde addeth and he was caste to the Earth For they that are throwen to the groūde are iudged to be ouercome Therfore a full victory and perfit conqueste is signified Howbeit he was ones most valeauntly throwen to the Earth Of our lord Iesus Christ in the misterie of our redemption and in the vertue of the same is dayly cast to the Earth of the faithfull And like as the Deuill hath no place permanent in heauen nor in the chosen so verely doeth he inhabite all earthly that is to saye menne sauouring the earth and contemnyng heauenly thinges Yea and we heare that his Angels are cast out with him For the Lord in the gospel of S. Iohn the .16 chapt sayeth In the world you haue afflictiō but be of good there I haue ouercome the worlde And S. Iohn in his Canonical epistle you are of God little children sayeth he 1. Iohn .4 2. Iohn .5 and you haue ouercome them for he is greater that
Therfore how so euer their hartes be made sorrowfull in perilles and aduersities yet their spirite reioyceth in the Lord. For no mā coulde learne that same songe saue thelecte For like as none of the heauenly dwellers can expresse or vnderstande the excellencie of the ioyes of the life to come and the praises of God excepte he dwell emonges the heauēly inhabiters be pertakers of the moste godly life so excepte any man liuyng yet here in Earth be regenerated he nother seeth how great is the felicitie of the faithful nother cā he iustely esteme the prayses which they offer vnto God Touching the newe songe I haue spoken in the .5 chapt And certenly to wordly men the thinges seme as they were newe whiche the faithfull bring forth of Gods worde The true markes of the faithful Nowe doeth S. Iohn describe also what maner ones the shepe of Christ shal be which shal continewe in the church of Christ dispising the furies of the beastes Vnto whome also the marke of his fathers name in their forcheades is expounded They are redemed from the Earth We shall perceyue moreouer what be the true markes of the faithful First they are redemed frō the earth Doubtles al we bearing the earthly Image of the earthly mā were solde vnder sinne for the whiche cause we are also subiecte to maledictiō But the lord hath bought vs with the price of redemption payed vpon the crosse so that now we are shapen newe after the Image of the heauenly man to with beyng adopted for the children of God Of the which redemption the Apostle hath spoken in the .1 Corinth the .7 and to the Roma the .3 in other places S. Peter also .1 Pet. 1. And for asmuch as the faithful knowe themselues to be bought and adopted by Christe to the heauenly inheritaunce they are addicte to serue their redemer only and inseperablely cleaue to him Morouer they are virgins They are virgins not defiled with women in expoūding the which thinges thauncientes torment thēselues leeste any thing here should seme to redounde to the derogation of holy matrimony wherby doubtles witnes thapostle in the .1 Corinth 7. and .13 to the Hebr. no man is defiled I am here asshamed to bring forth the trifles of the Papistes For who cā heare the vncleanest of al mē reasoning any thing of cleanes They wil hereby mainteyne colour that single life of theirs but al men see neuerthelesse excepte they be blinder than betelles what filthines hath ben cōmitted and is cōmitted dayly vnder the pretence of this vngraciouse most vncleane singlenes But the Lord speaketh nothing at this present of corporal mariage but rather spiritual For it is manifest that thapostles as the brideleaders of our sauiour haue brought the churche to our Sauiour a chaste virgin whiche hath not had to do with any straunge or foreine womā that is to saye which is not defiled with the participation of euill doctrine Reade Salomon reasonyng of that woman grauely in the .4 chapt of the Prouerb Reade moreouer thapostle in the .2 to the Corint 11. excedingly wel teaching that the faithful are an vndefiled virgin the spouse of Christ The faithfull therfore which liued vnder the tiranny of the beastes receyued no straunge doctrine of Idolles and of other prophane cultes nother do at this daye admitte the popish infectiō but kepe their maydenly mindes for their husbāde Christ beyng despowsed vnto him by faith most sincere These follow the lāb whether so euer he goeth They follow the lābe whither so euer he goeth That is to saie they care for no man but Christ they desire no man but Christ in him they repose al their ayde al their cōfort al their ioye al saluation to him alone haue alwayes respecte in him they know themselues to be complete which one and alone is to them al thinges Moreouer whither so euer Christe calleth the faithful by doctrine and exāple yf it be to very death and moste cruell butcherie they followe willingly and cherely Whereby it cometh to passe that in the world to come they cā neuer be seuered from him For where so euer Christ is there is also Christes minister as he him selfe hath witnessed in the .12 and .14 chapt of Iohn They are also redemed frō men Redemed from men deliuered verely through the grace of Christ that they should not follow this corrupte and vncleane world by all kinde of pollution For Christ by his spirite and worde calleth his out of this worlde that although in body we are cōuersaunte in the world yet should we with al our minde abhorre the worlde the thinges that are therin Furthermore for this intente hath he chosen and redemed his from the bondage of men or of the worlde First fruices to god that they should be first fruictes to God the father to his sonne Which place the moste godly and excellent learned man D. Fraunces Lamberte expounding in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse it is manifest saieth he by the .23 of Leuit. the .15 of Numeri and .18 of Deuter. what firste fruictes be and that they were gathered for the Lord and went to the high priest But Christ is that high priest vnto whome the spiritual first fruictes apperteyne to witte the godly sanctified to God These things are confirmed of the Apostle which sayed that Christ gaue him selfe for vs to the ende he might redeme vs from all iniquitie and might purifie vs to him selfe an especial people a follower of good workes Therefore do the true faithfull singularly applie them to godlynes and that they maye be the first fruictes a most excellēt present of the lord sins they know themselues to be redemed for this ende that all the reste of the time of their life they might serue God In their mouth no gyle In their mouth is founde no gile He sayeth not no cōcupiscence or euil motiō to be founde in the hartes of the faithfull but denieth that there is any gile in their mouth For albeit that the faithful be troubled and vexed with the affectiōs of the fleshe yet so loue they the trewth that to their knoweledge they wil disceaue no man And chiefly do dissemble nothing that apperteyneth to the confession of the trewth and veritie nor vse any gile in the doctrine of the Gospell They be morouer with out spotte before the trone of god They be without spotte not by their owne vertue but by the sanctification of Christ which S. Paule also affirmeth in the .5 chapt to the Ephesi And he hath spoken it aptly before the trone For S. Austen sayed that our sanctification should at laste be made perfit in the world to come These I say be the trewe markes of the trewe faithful and of the trewe church of Christ Let euery man search here the secret corners of his harte consider dilligētly in his minde whether he be marked with these signes and
wrath of God and the wine fat was troden without the citie And the bloud came out of the fatte euē vnto the horse bridelles by the space of a thousande and sixe hondreth furlonges The vengeaunce of god agaīst the Antichristians Now goeth he to the description of gods iudgement especially agaynst the Antichristians and agaynst al the vngodly This parte might be ioyned with the matter followyng and chapters followyng as that which is of the same argument And it apperteyneth to the consolation and confirmation of the faithfull persecuted of Antichrist There be that thinke how there shal neuer be any iudgement Howe so euer therefore thei oppresse their neighbours they thinke neuer to fele any displeasure of that matter Moreouer the faythfull are tēpted also whilest they see the wicked florish and thēselues to wither dayly Therefore they thinke also that the lorde carieth ouerlong Ye more they expostulate with the lorde and saye whā shal there be an ende of iniuries if Christ wil come to iudgement whie doeth he differ it so longe and to so great molestyng of his The lord therefore sheweth nowe that the iudgement shal certenly be and shall be than what time all thinges shal be ripe to witte whē the iniquities of the Amorrheans shall be complete and the measure of iniquitie filled When wicked menne therefore are waxed ripe the Lord will come to iudge In the meane time we muste abide in cōstancie and patience As husbande men tary for haruest and vintage If any through impatiencie reuolte he is not allowed of the Lorde as the Apostle alledgeth out of the Prophete in the .10 chapt to the Hebrewes And as we maye haue a desire and a longyng after haruest and vintage so maye we not expostulate with God because he tarieth longer thā our wishe is likewise we ought not to contende with the same whie he cometh so late vnto iudgement And like as haruest and vintage are certenly loked for and come so without all doubte God will punnish the wicked and saue the godly And these are verely as it were tastes of all that followe plentifully and are more expressely declared and are annexed to the fourmer matters for that they apperteyne to the consolation of the godly And to the intent al thinges might be more manifeste by parables brought in be setteth forth al thinges to be sene before our eyes And he vseth in dede two parables borrowed out of the Prophetes and doctrine of the Gospell For the prophetes ful oft do figure the iudgemēt of God by haruest and vintage Certes in the .3 of Ioel the lorde sayeth I will sitte in the vale of Iosaphat to iudge al natiōs Thruste in the sickle for haruest is ripe c. And it is also most knowē what is red touchyng the same matter in the story of the Gospell We muste therefore wryte out these thinges more inwardely into our hartes and feare God and abide his redemption in patience First is treated the parable of haruest than the parable of vintage Haruest bothe two shewe that the Lord wil be iudge and that in his moste dewe time agaynste all those whiche eyther thinke there shall be no iudgemente or expostulate with the Lorde that he commeth so slowely and late c. And firste in dede is described the owner of the haruest the Lord him selfe and iudge Iesus Christ He is sayde to be like vnto the sonne of manne not for that he is not now the very sonne of man and for that he shall not come vnto iudgement in the very humane nature whiche he hath ones taken of vs and neuer put it of for he is verely the sonne of manne The description of the Iudge Iesus christ and remayneth on the right hande of the father and shall verely come in the humane nature to iudge the quicke and the dead but he semeth to haue alluded to Daniel to haue expressed his phrase of speach saiyng I loked in the mightly vision and lo there came one in the clowdes as it were the sonne of manne c. Where we reade also the description of the iudgemente agaynst the beaste And therefore he hath here made mention also of a clowde and I sawe a white clowde and one sitting on the clowde c. Moreouer the Aungelles in the actes saie so he shal come as ye haue sene him goe vp into heauen And they sawe him taken vp and a clowde to receyue him and conueye hym out of theyr sight Therefore shall he come agayne in a clowde vnto iudgement We reade oftentimes in the Psalmes that God sitteth on a white clowde By the waye therefore is signified the deitie of the iudge Therefore is this iudge very God and very manne the Sauiour of the faythful the reuenger and iudge of the infideles We are sent therefore by S. Iohn to the .7 chapt of Daniel A golden crowne on his head Then he weareth a Golden crowne on his head not that there is any corruptible golde in Heauen but for corruptible men so he speaketh that they maye vnderstande their iudge to be the hygh kynge and maye gather thereof that no man is able to resiste the power of this kyng For otherwise our Lord hath no nede of any corruptible golde A sharpe sickle Finally our lord here hath a sickle and that right sharpe Wherby is signified his iudgement excedyng strayte and distruction of the wicked In the .3 of Matth. The iudgemente of the Lord is cōpared to a fanne of blessed Iohn He addeth that the axe is layde at the roote of the tree wherby he signified that certaine iudgement was at hande or rather destruction Corne ripe to the sickle Now followeth an expositiō of the proceding of the iudgement he perseuereth in the parable For he speaketh as if a seruaunt retournyng home out of the feldes did shewe vnto his Maister whiche loked for the houre of haruest that the Corne was now ripe the hardenes of the grayne is a token of rypenes and that it is time to be reaped For els it is no nede to admonish him that knoweth al thing of any thing that he remēbreth not much lesse of the howre of iudgemēt which none of thaungels knoweth but the father alone Therefore we ascribe this wholy to the parable and we vnderstād that a certen houre of iudgemente is appoincted whiche when it shal come the godly with out delaye shall be deliuered the vngodly condemned An other Angel sayeth he came forth For before we hearde how diuerse came forth This crieth with a lowde voice as one that wil tel of a matter most greate and certayne to be declared in the church with excedyng great out cries to the cōforte of the faithfull which ought nothing to doubt of the iudgemēt to the terrour of the wicked which seme to contēne the same And this criyng angel cometh out of the tēple For we hearde before that S. Iohn sawe a temple
acceptable And like as in the beginnyng they sange Alleluia so in the ende also they repete the same By this repetition declaring that the prayses whiche also we powre out to God in Earth be to God most acceptable And by and by is added a sentence whiche might seme to be put to eyther of S. Iohn or of the diuine heauenly dwellers themselues Wherby is signified that the burning of the vngodly shal be perpetual and shal neuer haue ende as likewise Esaye hath sayed in the .30 and .46 chap. And the lord himself in the .25 of Matth. and .9 chapt of Marke The smoke â—ose by For when he sayeth smoke he vnderstaÌ„deth that there is fire there vnderneth Lette vs ernestly thinke of these thinges so oft as the pleasures and coÌ„modities of Antichrist do flatter vs. For this perpetual fire is prepared for all vngodly especially AntichristiaÌ„s And thaÌ„ seuerally he bringeth in praisyng God the .xxiiii. Elders and foure beastes by the whiche the vniuersalitie of creatures is vnderstande Touching the which thing see what is sayde in the .4 and .5 chapt of this boke And first not only they knele but also fal downe to th ende we should vnderstande what we ought to do in earth And thei worship God that sitteth in the throne nother Aungelles nor spirites nor yet any creatures Furthermore with two wordes he shaddoweth their himne For they singe Amen and Alleluya For they coÌ„firme God to be iuste and his iudgementes to be rightuouse and that iustely he puÌ„nisheth the whore And therfore that he is to be praised Nowe coÌ„meth also a voyce out of the trone A voice coÌ„meth out of the throne to witte from God him selfe but by the ministerie of an Aungell For it followeth singe prayse to our God Beholde he sayeth our God Therfore he accompteth himself here in the nombre of them which haue God coÌ„mon with men Therefore he was an Angel which recited those thinges of God Therfore that the sainctes do now they are commaunded to do For in the middes of the prayses this voice is hearde from God by the Angell And he coÌ„maundeth to prayse and that the true and only God He sheweth moreouer who should praise him all the sainctes that is al the feare God whether they be great or small By this commaundement therefore is signified that God is delighted with the prayses of holy menne and liketh them Wherof we now that dwell in Earth learne to praise the lord without ceasyng and with a sincere hart We learne that no maÌ„ is excepted of what so euer degree or age sexe or condicion he be of Agayne an other Himne is annexed The diuine prayses are greatest as it were an example of obedience For God by the Angell commaundeth the sainctes to prayse Now therfore they obey God and offer to him praises And howe great these prayses were he sheweth by a double comparison and by a maruelouse breuitie and euident maner For he sayeth how the voices of the singers were shrille as the gusshing and noyse of many waters also like the clappyng or crackyng of greate thonders Yf suche breuitie and perspicuitie were founde in Homere or Virgill it shoulde haue many maruailers thereof whiche would extolle and commende the elegancie But no man marueleth no man setteth forth or commendeth the holy Scriptures and elegancie and efficacitie of the same wauntyng example And agayne is annexed an Hymne the beginnyng whereof as of the fourmer is also Alleluya And like as in the fourmer himne the Sainctes haue celebrated that God doeth iustely punnishe the wicked so in this they preache that God raigneth and shall seme euen freely to saue the Sainctes They commaunde therefore to prayse the Lorde The reason for bicause sins he is omnipotent he raigneth He hath verely raygned euermore but sins so many thinges haue ben permitted by him to the vngodly many haue thought that the vngodly and chiefely Antichrist hath reigned but now sins he hath oppressed him and auenged his glory and his seruauntes it is made manifeste to all menne that God alone raigneth for euermore They alledge also an other cause whie God should be praysed ye rather whie the godly shuld be glad and reioyce for the mariage of the Lambe is come For as much as that time is nowe come wherein the lambe him selfe will bryng in the children of God his wel be loued spowse those I meane whome by his bloudshed he hath redemed to ioyes euerlastyng Of the mariage shal be spoken a little after at large Prayse and glory be to our redemer Christ Iesus the Lord. Amen ¶ Of the mariage of the Lambe and of the makyng ready of the Lambes wife The .lxxxij. Sermon AND his wife made her selfe ready And to her was grauÌ„ted that she shuld be arayed with pure and goodly silke For the silke is the rightuousenes of Sainctes The sainctes celebrate the Lord with prayses reioycinges and Himnes There be causes innumerable yet two notable aboue others The first for the Lord hath iudged the whore and auenged the bloud of Sainctes The second for the mariage of the lambe is come They reioyce therefore at the iustice of God whereby he hath punnished the vngodly and at his mercy or grace by the whiche he geueth to the godly a blessed lyfe But here muste we speake of the mariage Ther is very much mention made in the holy Scriptures both of the oulde and newe testamente Matrimony and mariage of matrimonie and mariage The which may not be expounded after the letter but by an allegory leest with the Turks and mahometistes we fall in shameful and moÌ„strouse absurdities For spiritual things are figured by corporal matters Of the spiritual this is the some God the father the louer of mankinde wil saue men by his son This thing is declared by a parable of wedlocke and mariage And in matrimonie there is a contract or makynge sure there is coupling or handfaste makyng of eyther partie and finally mariage In the contracte not onely the yong man and the mayde ar affiauÌ„ced The contract or makyng sure but also the whole maner of the mariage to com is appoincted and an order taken For the lawyers say that affiauncyng is a promesse of the mariage to come This contracte was made at the beginning of the world where God promiseth that he wyll delyuer mankynde by his sonne and receiue him into glory Hereunto appertaine all the promises of Christe of the remission of sinnes and euerlastinge lyfe Moreouer the duties of the spouse are prescrybed She promeseth to be obedient and other thinges c. Christe the sonne of God the father brydegrome affiauÌ„ceth to himselfe al the chosen through his free grace he promiseth them his righteousnes all heaueÌ„ly gyftes and eternall lyfe He taketh vpon him moreouer al the infirmities of the bride and pourgeth her filthines And the bryde is affiauÌ„ced to him by faith as it is with Osee and byndeth her selfe wholly to
the Lorde himselfe saieth in the gospel no man hath knowen the sonne but the father nother hath any man knowen the father saue the sonne and to whome the son hath pleased to reueale Besydes this we se here vnperfitly and the glory of the diuine maiestie is so great as euen nowe I sayed that mannes capacitie is vnable to conceyue such a glory No man therefore saue God alone knoweth his name 6. The vesture of our Iudge was sprinckled with bloude A blouddie garment Whereby is signified victory and slaughter of his enemies which shall anone be added aboute the ende of the chap. And he toke this note of our iudge out of the .63 chap. of Esay He alludeth to cōquerours returning from battayle whose garments armours are imbrewed with the blud of the slaine And betokeneth the iuste seueritie of the Iudge and greate slaughter of the enemies 7. The name of the iudge is nowe expressed The name of the iudge the worde of God which is vtterly vnknowen to the vngodly And the Iudge is called the worde of God For the son is the word and speach of God the expresse marke of the diuine substaūce in whome the father himselfe is expressed and of whome as of the worde the true messager of the hart we vnderstand the wyll and mynd of the father These holy wordes of the gospell are knowen In the begynnyng was the worde 1. Ihon. Hebre. and the worde was with God c. Therefore Christe the worde was made fleshe the Lorde God and Iudge of all 8. To the Iudge is added an Army not of Angels only The Army of the Iudge is whyte with whom he ofte repeted in the gospell that he wold come vnto iudgement but of al the faithful or saincts which at no time no not here ar sequestred from their head For first at the soūde of the trumpe blowē vp the Archangell the Sainctes arryse and the liuing also with the dead are chaūged and are taken vp to mete Christ in the Ayre Here here in the clowdes and bryghte Ayre appeare with Christe the happye and blessed victours By and by the vngodly ryse also and those that lyued at that day are chaunged with them that ryse agayne to payne and confusiō But they se the Saincts with Christe in heauen and in glory and fele incontinently vnspeakeable tourmentes They come to passe doubtlesse and are fulfilled which thinges are described it the .3 .5 chapt of Wysedome Saincte Ihon therfore sayeth that this Armie is in Heauen not in Earth He sayeth howe they followe Christe For the same sayed the Apostle also in the firste to the Thessalonians the .4 Moreouer he addeth that they wer clothed and appeared not naked and expresseth the kynde of garment They were clothed sayeth he in silke whyte and cleane For sainctes in Christe obtayne righteousenesse and glory are made cleane and are glorified Sanctifieng glorifieng And this sense hath Sainct Ihon himselfe a little before opened to vs sayeng silke is the iustifications of Sainctes 9. Oute of the Iudges mouth procedeth a two edged and sharpe sworde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sworde oute of the iudges mouth which cutteth on eyther syde It is not sharpe on one syde and blunte on an other it cutteth on both sydes indifferently Whereby is signified a iust sentēce pronounced of Gods mouth againste the wicked For againste them the sentence of God is a sworde pearsing euen to their heartes Wherefore it is also called sharpt The iudgemente of our iudge is streighte and seuere but yet iuste and righteouse What that sworde is in the gospell is declared verely that heauy and immutable sentence get you hence in to fyre euerlasting Math. 25. Whereupon it foloweth in the words of the Euangelist that with the same he may stryke the heathen to witte that he may damne and put to perpetuall tourmentes all vnbeleuers ¶ He shall rule them with an Iron rod. 10. And he shall rule them with a rod of Iron By the same kynde of speach in a maner he sayeth the same that he sayde before For they that woulde not receyue or acknoweledge with repentaūce the staffe of instruction and discipline postorall shal fynde in iudgement and fele the Iron sceptre wherwith he shall breake them all to shyuers lyke potters vessell Nother shall any power resist or preuayle againste him And this maner of speaking is taken out of the Psalme .110 For Saincte Ihon vseth gladly the wordes of Scripture to the ende to make his booke more cōmendable or more pleasaūt and acceptable 11. He treadeth the wynefatte of the wyne of wrath c. Agayne he sayeth the same that he ded before He nedeth the winefa◠but by an other parable nowe vttered the same taken out of the scriptures to witte out of the .63 chapter of Esaye The effecte or some is he wyll powre out his wrath vpon the vngodly and punnyshe them moste extremely with his almightie hande whereunto all things geue place geuing their heads a blow See what is sayed here of in the .14 chapter of this boke 12. Againe is shewed the name of this iudge ¶ King of kings and Lorde of Lordes in the name is maiestie power of all others greatest He hath the name written on his garment and on his thigh By these is declared the true humanitie of Christe after the which he is exalted as the Apostle saieth in the second to the Philippians And to him is geuen a name which is aboue al names Here he is called King of Kinges and Lorde of Lords very God Lord monarke and iudge of all men For so do the other Apostles speake also in the .2 .17 of the Actes And there might seme in this name of the Iudge as it were a cawse to be shewed wherefore he is here appoincted Iudge ouer all Because he is Kyng and Lord of all To whome be glory for euer Amen ¶ The description of the iudgement wherin punnishment is taken of Antichristians and vngodly The .lxxxvi. Sermon AND I sawe an Angel stand in the Sunne and he cryed with a loude voyce sayeng to al the foules that fly by the mids vnder the heauen come gather your selues together vnto the supper of the great God that you may eate the flesh of Kyngs and of high captaynes and the flesh of mightie men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the fleshe of all free men and bonde men both of small and great And I saw the beast and the Kinges of the Earth and their warriours gathered together to wage battayle against him that sat on the horse and againste his soldiours And the beast was taken and with him that false prophete that wrought miracles before him with which he deceaued them that receyued the beastes marke and them that worshypped his Image These bothe were cast quicke in to a pond of fyre burnyng with brimstone and the
he propoundeth maye haue the more perspicuitie he not only declareth the matter in words but setteth them forth by visions as things present to be sene with the eyes and that to the faithful For to the vnfaithfull al these thinges although moste godly diuine seme starke trifles and fables But the wisedome of God shall laugh at them also when she seeth her time as she threateneth in the Prouerbes of Salomon And also soluteth certē questiōs which are wonte about this matter to be moued What shal become of them that he nother Christiās nor Antichristians And he sayde how the beaste with the false prophet and all his adherentes should be caste at the laste daye into hell but where the firste parte is nother Antichristiane nor yet Christian but rather of their owne sense and arbitrement to be a rule and lawe to themselues such as be verely the Nestoriās Iacobites Georgians c. Or those that be heythen yet or gentiles moreouer Iewes and Turkes some man might maruaile and demaunde what shal be done with them or what shal come of them S. Iohn maketh aunswere and the remnaunte were slayne with the sworde of him that sat on the horse c. Agayne where a godly man might maruaylle how they should be condēned which borne emongs the Turkes heretikes Iewes and gentiles neuer hearde the Christian veritie S. Iohn preuenteth this imagination and by the beginnyng of the .20 chapt sheweth with what a Maiestie perspicuitie and euidence the veritie of Christes gospell was notified to the world with what a maiestie the veritie of Christ was set forth to the world howe also al force and power was takē awaye from the deuill and that by the space of a thousande yeres wherein the preachyng of the gospel thondered continually so that they be vtterly inexcusable so many as haue not receyued the gospell of Christ For the preachyng of the gospell was not obscure but most clere manifest nor shorte and contracted but published by the space of a thousande yeres it was not receyued of a fewe little ones but of al people and natiōs vnder the sunne Therfore is it a grosse ignoraunce of the Turkes Heretikes Iewes and gentiles For although in times paste the veritie semed to haue ben notably knowen now it is not so yet certayne it is that the maiestie of the gospel hath ben so great in the worlde that there is nowe also mention with al men therof and by their owne mallice they hide their eyes which vnderstande nothyng of Christ Therefore is that sayeng of the Apostle euen nowe of force also yf our gospell be hidde in those that perisshe is it hidde vnto whome the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them which beleue not that the light of the gospel should not shine vnto them c. 2. Corinth the .4 They that are condēned are iustely cōdemned chap. Wherupon we now gather that none of them whiche are damned in the world are damned with out deseruyng Which thing the Apostle also S. Paule hath touched in the Epistle to the Romanes in the .1 and .2 chapt Here therefore is a profitable and necessarie place treated of the famouse preachyng of the gospell through out the world the course thereof induryng a thousande yeres And this treatise procedeth in this order First is thangell described after his worke or effecte is declared And laste is the sealyng of the time Touchyng the description of the Angell first in dede he is named an Angel The angel signifieth the order or state apostolicall and commeth forth abroade howebeit the whole state Apostolicall is hereby vnderstande in the which shineth excedingly S. Paule the doctour of gentiles nother is it maruaile that the order of Apostles is signified by an Angell For an Angel signifieth a messager ambassadour or an Apostle And therefore the prophet Malachie called Iohn Baptist the vauntcurrour of our lord an Angel beholde I sende my Angel before thee c. And ministers of the church are oftener thā ones in this boke called Angelles But in case the worthines nobilitie of the name please the ministers let the Angelicall puretie and excellent faith please them also An ambassadour doeth and sayeth nothing saue that which he hath receyued in cōmission of him that sent him so also let the ministers set forth nothing saue that which he hath receyued of the Lord in the Scriptures ¶ The angell came downe frō heauen Secondly this excellent Aungell is sayde to come downe from heauen not that the bodies of Apostles came from heauen but for as much as their vocation and office was geuen them frō heauen For the sonne of God which came downe from heauen chose the Apostles and sent them forth into the worlde Which thing is declared in the .10 of Matth. and .20 of Iohn Marke .16 and Luke .24 And S. Paule sayeth to the Galathians that he was called and ordeyned an Apostle nother by men nor of men but of God through Christ Wherupon it appereth howe greate is the authoritie of Apostles For they be not they which speake but the spirite of Christ and of the father which speaketh in them Therefore he that dispiseth their doctrine despiseth God the father the sonne They lie moreouer that saye how the gospell is a newe doctrine forged of wittie men Reade the .1 chapter of the fourmer and later epistle of S. Peter Thangell holdeth in his hande the keye chayne After this the Aungell is sayde to holde in his hande those two excellent instrumentes the keye and chayne Let vs see what is mente by the same Doubtles by these two instrumentes S. Iohn vnderstādeth nothing els but the free trewe holy liuely preaching of the gospel by the which it came to passe that both hell was locked from the faithfull the deuil was holden and kept faste boūden in chaines that he coulde not hurte the godly so much as he would and seduce whom he liste For so hereafter S. Iohn will expounde him self And the keyes Keyes of bindyng lowsing the apostles receiued of the Lord in the .16 of Matth. and .20 chapt of Iohn They open by the preaching of the gospel the botomlesse pitte and helle it self to the vngodly when they shewe vnto them their damnation in hell for their vngodlines They shutte vp helle from the godly whilest by the preachyng of the gospell they open heauen and bring the faythfull to the ioyes celestiall I haue spoken of the keyes at large in an other place A chayne is the signe of captiuitie Chayne By the preachyng of Gods worde the Deuill is taken and bounde Whereof it cōmeth to passe that the common painters haue painted the Deuil bounden with chaynes to certen notable preachers By thinges that followe this keye He taketh the dragō and significatiō of the chayne is better declared whilest the effecte of the Apostolicall preachyng is expounded For he addeth and
the Easte and toke awaye the landes of the Emperour Whiche was absent in the seruice of Christe whiche is moste wicked to be spoken and kepte them thus subdued to his owne vse and by no meanes wold suffer those whiche had taken the holy crosse that is to saye whiche should go a warfare to the Emperour to take shippyng or passage but letted them to his power aswel in Apulia as in Lumbardie And more such stuffe whiche they maye reade that haue leasure in the same Wherefore themperour constreyned his matters there lefte vnperfit to falle to a coÌ„position with the enemie retourned that he might recouer such thinges as the Pope had taken from him 9 And no longe time after to witte in the yere of our Lord 1248. Lewis Kinge of Fraunce with his bretherne Roberte and Charles and a moste puissaunt army sayleth into Syria where Robarte is slaine and Charles taken of the Soldane is hardely deliuered at the laste and with a fewe escapeth The same king Lewis of Fraunce in the yere of our Lord 1270. imbarketh himself with his three sonnes at Marselles to sayle into Affricke The plague light vpoÌ„ his Armie in the enemies lande wherwith both the father and the sonne died and the whole Armie receyued an excedyng great calamitie And agayne although they had but euill fauoured lucke in the warres against the Barbarians yet was it neuerthelesse treated agayne in the counsell of Lions vnder Gregory the .10 about the yere of our Lord .1273 of recouering the holy land But Palmerius in the yere of our Lorde .1291 Where many thousandes of the Christians sayeth he were slaine in Syria by the Saracenes al the reste for feare fled out of the countrie And the Chronicle of kinges of FrauÌ„ce Aemilius sayeth he made here an ende of the holy warre to witte in the yere of our Lord .1291 Ptolemais in the Easte beyng destroyed by the Soldane It is manifeste therefore that this Barbarous and gogical warre hath lasted aboute .195 yeares So longe time as I knowe no other warre in the world that euer was made with such obstinate mindes with so great armies and so muche shedyng of mans bloud We see in the meane time the tentes of sainctes and the citie of God beloued to witte the faithful church through out the world in the Easte especially and in the west also to be most greuousely afflicted and more than oppressed and destroyed a fewe smal remnauntes only remaynyng that not with out cause we maye perceiue that the lord sayed in the gospell but when the sonne of man shal come shal he finde any fayth in the Earth Here is a place of Daniell treated by the waye 11. chapt The moste holy and wise Prophet of God Daniel semeth to haue foresene and prophecied al those thinges as he did al the reste concernyng Antichrist which after he had spoken at large of the power of Antichrist worshippyng of the God Mayzim against the Apostles institution he adioyneth in the 11. chapt And in the time of the ende to witte the ende of the world and laste iudgement approachyng shal sette vpon him namely vpon Antichrist the king of the South and the king of the North shal fall vpoÌ„ him like a whirlewinde with charettes and horsemen with a strong and greate Nauie and shall inuade his realmes he shall ouerflowe with armies to witte innumerable and he shal passe through that is to saye he shal ouercome all like a conquerour doyng what he liste For we haue perceyued that the armies sent into the Easte by the counselles and motion of the Bisshop of Rome haue molested by Sea and lande the turkes and also the Soldane of Babilon Aegipte What will ye saye that Daniel poincting as it were with his fingar the war called holy addeth He shal come also into the chosen lande and inuade the lande of desire namely Iewrie whiche some time was called the chosen delectable and pleasaunt lande And many shal falle in the warre verely that shal be made for the recoueryng of the holy lande It followeth in Daniel these shal be deliuered out of his hande Aedom and Moab the Princes of the children of Ammon For those nations are not red to haue ben so destroyed as the reste were by the Saracenes and after by the Turkes for that they framed themselues to them in time Daniel annexeth and he shal laye his handes vpon realmes nother shal the laÌ„de of Aegipte escape For it is euident that the same also was possessed of the Soldanes princes of Babilon and of themperours of Turkes It followeth and he shal haue the rule of the treasures of golde and siluer and all the preciouse thinges of the Aegiptians By the whiche the prophet hath signified the inestimable treasures and richesse and excellent maiestie of the Soldanes and Turkish Emperours All the whiche thinges euen so as the Prophet hath sayde experience proueth to haue ben and as yet to be fulfilled The Prophet addeth finally the Libians and Aethiopians shal be in his iourneyes Which tholde traÌ„slatour hath tourned He shal passe also through Lybia and Aethiopia or as others haue traÌ„slated it they shal be in his waye And he meaneth that those regions shall be open to those Barbarous Soldanes and emperours of Turkes by leage vicinitie and amitie S. Hierome expounding this place when Aegipte sayeth he was taken those landes were also affrayde Wherfore he sayeth not that he toke them but passed through Lybia Aethiopia Whether sense of these so euer thou chousest tâ—ou shalt not erre as I thinke froÌ„ the trewth And Daniel addeth the brute from the Easte and froÌ„ the North shal trouble hiâ— in so much that he shall goe forth in a great furie to distroye and kill many The whiche S. Hierome sheweth muste be vnderstaÌ„de of Antichrist The Pope of Rome affirmeth that the seates Patriarchall are subiecte to him as Hierusalem Antioche and Alexandria and the holy laÌ„de to be his right And he heareth out of the East and out of the North that al those partes are possessed of the Soldanes and Emperours of Turkes he calleth therefore great counselles and decreeth warre against them He heareth moreouer that CoÌ„stantinople is taken that the Rhodes is wonne Dalmatia subdued Bulgarie and Hongarie vanquissed c. Agayne therefore he sommoneth couÌ„selles he armeth kinges he leadeth forth soldiours he moueth warre and decreeth that warre shall be made for the recouering of the holy laÌ„de and to roote out the Turkes So verely this Gogmagog warre is not yet ended or appeased at this daye Whereby it coÌ„meth to passe that an infinite multitude of men are slayne on eyther side Furthermore at the ende of this Prophecie the prophet sheweth and as it were with his fingar poincteth the palace or seate of Antichrist by Antiochus figured before leeste any manne should not know The seate palace of Antichrist where Antichrist were to be founde And he shall plante sayeth he or sixe the
Doubtles it is a fowle shame to feare more a moste wicked manne than moste holy God But men offende in this behalfe at these dayes most greuousely For some attribute so muche to wicked and cruell persecutours that euen for them they will commaunde to peruerte the preachyng of the Gospell or to kepe silence al together There is that will sette more by the Kinge Prince Erle Baron Citezen or plowmā Bishop or Abbot or some flatteryng Frere or vile massemongyng Prieste and will fayne and dissemble for his fauour rather than he will frely confesse the trewth and feare and glorifie God to be feared only Vnto them sayeth Esaye saye ye not conspiracie and be not affrayde of terrour of the enemies nother be you discouraged But rather sanctifie the lord of hostes let him be your terrour let him be your feare He shal be the sanctuarie and stumblyng stone and the reste in the .8 chapt of Esaye For vnlesse we put awaye this vayne and wicked feare and goe about to funisshe vp the Lordes worke valeaūtly constauntly and without feare we shall surely be caste downe to helle Let timorouse menne thinke hereof and calle vpon the Lord and take vnto them the sprete of strength and of wise and godly boldenes and do the worke of the Lord not negligently but dilligently valeauntly and constantely He is greater that is in vs sayeth S. Iohn in his Canonicall thā is he that is in the worlde Vnbeleuers Vnbeleuers are not weake in the fayth modeste fearing God but such as beleue not gods word promising cōmaūding threatening nother follow God nor his Christ but rather follow straunge Gods had rather beleue fables haue withdrawen their hartes from God And of these is there a great multitude at this day which notwithstāding haue al in their mouth that they beleue God his worde but they beleue not the preachers thinking verely that their incredulitie is thus sufficiently excused But where the preachers shewe nothing els but the word of God thei cānot but contēne gods word whilest they dispise the Sermons of the preachers In the thirde place followeth Abominable that the tourmentes of Hell are dewe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the abominable detestable For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth abomination and stench He noteth therfore abominable and detestable men to whom al religion is a mockerie which deride God and his word and blaspheme all holy thinges the children of Beliall vncurable and spurners These although thei knowe the truth yet thei knowe it to their owne condemnation seing thei contemne it knowē and with dogs and hogs returne to their vomite and wallowyng in the myre Whom also the Apostles haue noted Peter in the second epistle the .2 3. cha S. Paule in the .3 to Titus and .12 to the Hebrewes Iudas Thaddeus through out the chefest parte of his epistle S. Ihon himselfe about the end of the .22 chapt reciting in a maner the same register calleth them dogges And would God we wanted examples at this daye of abominable men and such kynde of dogges But there is no cawse why we shoulde maruayle hereat considering that we liue in the time of all other most corrupt of Noe and Loth Mathew the .24 Of Homicides ther be sondry kyndes Murtherers or Homicides For we kil with the hart mouth worke Whereof you may se thexpositours of the .x. cōmaūdemēts chieflie D. Musculus But I thinke the world had neuer a more notable mor cruel and more shameles murderer yea paricide most verely according to the word of Christ in the .8 of Iohn the firste begotten child of the Deuyll than the Bysshoppe of Rome For he in a maner at all times for these fyue hondreth yeares and more hath blowen the trumpet to all the greuouse warres of Europe or Christēdome and agayne hath graunted to murderers especiallie warring for the See of Rome most large ample pardons and promised heauen to them that die in that warfare al the which being many of them excellent men had not the great mercy of God ben he had destroyed bothe body and soule Than S. Ihon raccompteth whoremōgers Whoremongers And he nameth the lowest kynd to the end we shulde vnderstand the higher and vyler as rape adultrie incest and Sodomitical nother that we shoulde exclude here glottonie dronkennes and all kynde of riorousenes and nourryshing of voluptuousenes Where doubteles we see that S. Paule vnder the vocable of whoredome cōprehendeth all filthy lust and riot But in our dayes whorehūting is made so cōmon that euery most shamefull whoremonger is admitted to the aulter a maried priest that kepeth holy matrimonie is expelled from the same For the which we may thanke Syricius and other Popes whom the Apostle hath greuously noted in the first to Timothe 4. Sorcerers Of Sorcerers is spoken in the .9 chap. of this boke S. Ihon hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he meaneth magiciēs inchaūters sothsayers witches and by deuillish craftes loue makers The latin men vnderstand them also that geue poyson to drinke Idolaters Idolaters be worshippers of Idolles And maruayle it is that the Papists at this day deny thēselues to be Idolaters For what other thing is an Idol but a shape or image made of any matter visible representing the fourme of God or a Saincte but without spirite An Idoll therfore is an Image of wood stone or metall representing the shape of God the father of God the sonne or of S. Peter c. Dauid describeth an Idoll sayeth the Idolles of the heythen are siluer and golde euen the worke of mennes handes They haue mouth and speake not eyes haue they and see not c. Psal 113. And I wolde fayne knowe what the Idolles of the Papistes differ from these Concerning worshippinge of them they can not denye but that they worship those Idolles of wood and clay For thei attribute to them holy names and euen the sacred name of God to be cōmunicated to none other saieng this is pointing to stone or wood that is an Idol of wood God the father this is God the son this is S. Peter I tremble in my minde whylest I report these things especially sins the lord himself hath said whom wil ye make me like Esay 40. And S. Paule calleth this plainly coūterfeting folishnes and expresly denieth the godhead to be like a stone artificially polished Ro. 1. Act. 17. Againe these Images which thei call their gods saincts made with mens hands thei bring into the churches namely a place of worshipping and set them vpon the altars vnto these they go on pilgrimage fall downe before them and worship sence them offer oblations to them and hang Iewels on them And moreouer attribute to them also a parte of the heauenly doctrine and instruction sayeng that the vnlearned sort are taught and admonished by these And what is to worship yf this be not Let them se therfore whether thei can herein
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