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
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
vp to God the father the body bloud of Christ a propiciatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead But Ireney and Tertullian speake not of such a sacrifice but of the oblation of prayers which the massemonging Prieste offereth not vp alone but the whole cōgregation of Christ sanctified in his bloud geuynge thankes in the lordes supper to God the father for theyr free redemption These holy fathers neuer knewe the sale Masses of these Chananites Againste praying to sainctes in Heauen Of this same place of S. Iohn the selfe same Papistes go aboute to proue and to establishe the praying to Sainctes in heauen Beholde saye they the Sainctes are sayed to praye openly in heauē But they nede not to praye for them selues and therefore as intercessours and Patrones they praye for their clientes and worshippers in Earth I aunswer that the Sainctes in dede praye in heauen but that you addyng the kinde and maner of praying do expounde it to be intercession patchyng to a piece of your owne do forge and coūtrefet the same and maliciously and falsely do belye it S. Iohn here expoundeth him selfe so that he nedeth not your patchyng For he addeth and they singe a newe songe Yea and he reciteth the whole fourme of this song leeste any mā should corrupte that whiche he had sayed of prayers And that same fourme conteyneth prayse and blessing or thankes geuyng and not intercession or inuocation For certayne it is euen by the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Timoth. 2. and to the Philipp 4. that there be two chiefe kindes of prayer inuocation and prayse or thankes geuyng But the thing it selfe playnly proueth that S. Iohn speaketh here of the latter and not of the first The shadowes of the lawe are expoūded And where as this place expoundeth certen Tipes shadowes or misteries of Gods lawe by the same we maye rather confute the intercession of Sainctes in Heauen for their worshippers For in the lawe is permitted one onlye golden Aultar of incense And the same represented a figure of Christ For one Christe is the mediatour and intercessour betwixt God and man It was not laweful for the people of God to burne incense but vpon this Aultar only It was not laweful for any man to prepare or make for him selfe an odour of those kinde of gumes whereof the diuine incense consisted and to smell to it as appereth in the .30 of Exodus Whie than doe not these vnderstande that prayers belonge to God alone and that the Sainctes in Heauen woulde not smell of suche incense Dauid in the .141 psalm sayeth let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sighte the listynge vp of my handes an euening sacrifice The Deuill desireth to haue suche maner of incenses to be made vnto him As appereth in the .4 of Matth. and in S. Austen of the Citie of God But our heauenly Sainctes are not Deuilles Whie vnderstonde they not that this Aultar of incense standeth nowe in Heauen on the ryght hande of the father and there maketh intercession for vs and that for his sake the father is reconciled to vs and we are accepted of God and that by him alone we muste offer vp our prayers vnto God whiche are els abominable Whie see they not the heauenly Sainctes at this present to attribute al things to the only lambe alone and to chalenge nothyng to them selues Finally that they make no mention of their worshippers but plainely testifie that the only lambe was and is worthie whiche should take the boke c. And the praise or thankes geuing of the heauenly sainctes he hath called a newe songe What is a newe song whiche in the Scriptures is no newe thynge For the Sainctes saye that they will singe in Earth vnto God a newe songe Psalm xxxiii.xcvi.xcviii.cxliiii Esaye .xlij. And newe songes be called these newe balades or verses in meter whyche are made of some newe benefite or noble acte done And because the minde of manne is delighted greately with newe benefites they synge a newe songe whyche with a ioyefull mynde prayse GOD and geue him thankes with theyr inwarde affections Finallye they synge a newe songe whiche wyth purified myndes and renewed with the Spirite doe laude GOD whiche thynge was chiefely geuen to those heauenly Sainctes Whereof we learne agayne howe it behoueth our mindes to be affected and furnisshed in the prayers and prayses of GOD. This same sayeth Aretas I cal a new songe by whose benefite we whiche beyng lighted in al partes of the earth departing from the antiquitie of the lawe written and walkynge in the newnes of life are taught by the holy ghost to singe a geuing of thankes The himne or prayse geuing of the sainctes in heauen To these thynges nowe is added the Himne of Sainctes that we might also haue a fourme howe to prayse God And in the Hymne they singe that al things are subiecte to christ and al thinges ordered by his gouernment that he humbled him selfe to the deathe and was therefore exalted aboue all thinges Now are also the vertues or effectes and wonderful benefites of his death cōmended vnto vs that estemyng the gouernour of his benefites done to vs we maye beleue also that his gouernement shal be holesome for vs and therefore maye submitte our selues to him willingly in faythe and patience Whiche verely is the chiefest ende of those thinges whiche here are treated with so great diligence Christe alone is worthy to open the boke Firste they cōmende the Maiestie and dignitie of Christ that he alone is founde in the whole vniuersal world whiche hath rule ouer al which is the only sauiour of the world the reuealer also of godly misteries and gouernour of all For this is to take and to open the boke whiche we haue nowe oft times repeted Secondly they annexe the cause why this glory should be only of the lambe or sonne of God because saye they thou waste killed And they vnderstande by the lesse the more to witte his whole incarnation and the whole misterie of our redemption death resurrection and ascensiō into heauen and the residewe He therefore is the true and only mediatour of God and men he is the only sauiour as he that alone was incarnate crucified for vs he is the only gouernour whiche by his humilitie deserued to be exalted Philipp 2. And he is a most fitte gouernour of al thinges as of whome al men maye as of their most faithful sauiour and euen their brother hope well what thinges so euer chaunce vnto them through his gouernement c. The vertu effecte of the death of Christe In the meane time they cōmende most highly the vertue or effecte of Christes death For this beynge rightly vnderstande we are more ready to submitte our selues to that gouernour whom we knowe to be our sauiour whiche loueth vs derely and would haue al saued And the chiefest effect of Christes death is redemption Redēption redeminge
the passion of Christ and therfore to reste now vnder the Aultar Christ For they that are pertakers with him in passion doe cōmunicate also with him in glory The aulter and bosom of Abrahā For like as the bosome of Abrahā is called a receptacle and that porte and hauon of Saluatiō into the whiche the soules of thē are receiued which had the faith of Abraham so do we vnderstande the aultar to be a place of blessednes in heauen wherin they rest which with true faith haue acknowledged Christ the aultar propiciation sanctification and satisfaction and haue moreouer in suffering offered them selues to God in Christ through patience an acceptable sacrifice to God Vnder this Aultar was gathered the first martyr Abel and after as many as haue died for religiō and shal begathered who so euer in bearing the crosse through tribulation enter with Christ into glory The saītes crye vnder the Aulter Now is also declared what they do vnder the Aultar The very martirs I saye crye not the beastes as they haue done hitherto and they crie out with a lowde voyce No man shal Imagine that the blessed soules in Heauen doe complayne be sorowfull doe accuse and be troubled These thinges are fayned to an other ende to the intent we should gather therof that God forgetteth not his that he putteth not out al reuengement that he seeth feleth and regardeth the iniuries and deathes of his seruauntes Where the vengeaunce followeth not immediately God is thought of many to slepe and to haue no respect vnto his We heare therfore that the holy Martirs crie and that with a lowde voyce He appereth to haue alluded to that same in the .4 of Genesis The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me to witte for vengeaunce Crying sinners For the Diuines call certen sinnes criyng as those whiche are red in the Scriptures to crie vnto God as is at this present the shedyng of bloud the sinne of Sodome in the .9 of Genes the oppression of widowes and orphanes in the .22 of Exodus wages for worke deteyned Deuteron 24. and Iames the .5 How longe so euer therfore God differreth vengeaunce be it neuer so many yeres yet is not the bloud of the iuste forgotten before God S. Paule in the .12 to the Hebrewes crieth out and sayeth that the bloud of Abell speaketh In the .18 of Luke the Lord sayeth that the afflicted do crie bothe daye and nighte for deliueraunce Would God they would wayegh these thinges whose feete are swifte to shede bloud God would not in times paste be mercifull to his people for that much innocent bloud was shed emonges them by the meane of Manasses theyr kinge as appereth in the .4 boke of Kinges Therefore dere bretherne let vs consider wel at this daye what we doe and let vs not shede rashly innocent bloud Certenly the wordes are expressed of S. Iohn Whether the Saincts in heauē desire vēgeāce whiche the Martirs cried to the Lorde howe longe saye they Lord whiche arte holy and trewe c. They put God in remembraunce not as ignoraunt or inconstaunt but as knowyng and moste stedfastely mindefull of holines and trueth For in asmuche as the Lorde is holy he hateth all prophane and vncleane persones and spareth them not For as muche as he is true he maynteyneth and defendeth his chosen and punnissheth and oppresseth his enemies as he hath promised by his worde Sins therefore thou arte suche saye they O God why doest thou not iudge and auēge our bloud of them which in earth as in their kingdome exercise tiranny and oppresse euery good man Al this signifieth none other thing than that God for his owne sake whiche is holy and true will neuer forget the iniuries of his seruauntes Therefore we vnderstande these thinges to be spoken by a figure called Prosopopeia that is the fayning of a persone not that the Sainctes in Heauen do expostulate with God but that we by suche a figure might vnderstande that God hath care of Martirs because he is holy and true S. Austen in the .68 question vpon the newe Testamente Seynge the Lorde sayeth he hath taught vs to praye for our enemies what is the cause that the soules of those that are slayne crye out as doeth the bloud of Abell and require that they maye be auenged And he maketh aunswer Sainctes be not impatient that they should vrge that thing to be done now which they know shal come to passe in the time prefixed which neither can be preuented nor yet delayed but by this saying he woulde shewe howe God will auenge the bloud of his seruauntes leest bycause he semeth now so patient that wicked warre shuld be thought vnpunished which is made against the Sainctes that both he might driue a feare into them that persecute the seruauntes of God and might also exhorte the sufferers vnto patience Thus sayeth he And this in dede semeth the playnest sense of al others especially if we consider the things that follow in the lordes aūswer and it was sayed vnto them that they should rest c. Primasius Bishop of Vtica expoundyng this place of S. Iohn Sainctes not incensed with carnal vnderstāding it is not to be thought saieth he that the Sainctes are incensed with a carnall vnderstanding and stoutenes to be auenged sins we knowe that through the aboundaunce of charitie the very enemies are of thē also in this case beloued but it is euident that they prayed agaynst the kingedome of sinne and to haue ernestly desired the other thinges of that kingdom wherof we saye thy kingdome come For it is not lawful to thinke that they woulde couet any thinge agaynst the pleasure of God sins their desires depende vpon his wil c. And S. Gregory what is it sayeth he that the soules make request of reuengement but that they desire the laste daye of iudgement and the resurrection of bodies slayne Aretas noteth here also out of the commentaries of S. Andrew bishop of Cesaria moreouer the Sainctes appere hereby to wisshe for the ende of the worlde Wherfore they are commaunded patiently to abide vntill the accomplishement of their bretherne Hebr. 11. leest they should be fulfilled with out them after the holy Apostle Vēgeaūce is desired two waies Howbeit Thomas of Aquine in the exposition of the Apocalipse sheweth that vengeaunce is required of god two waies First in dede with an euil and malliciouse affectiō which the Scripture doeth vtterly represse Secondely by a Zeale of rightuousnes and after the wil of God is iudgement required agaynst them that be vncurable After he annexeth this therfore do the blessed soules require vengeaūce of their enemies albeit they intende it not chiefly bicause of a Zeale of rightuousenes and affection of godly loue they grudge as also doeth god him self at the wickednes of the persecutours who impugne God him self and seke to hinder his religion and tourment suche as worshippe him wherfore they would
the deuil many times sendeth instructeth and helpeth his false prophetes So Christ leaueth not his church destitute and geueth to this ministers habilitie of teachyng and doyng luckely For in the Gospel also he promysed and sayde I will geue you a mouth and wisedome which they shal not resist so many as be agaynst you These thinges ought to comforte vs in the greuouse consultatiōs trayhisones assaultes of the enemies of the Gospell Christ wil not forsake his ministers so thei be faithful and depende vpon Christ alone The time of the preachyng of the prophetes Now is also declared the time of the preaching of the gospel agaynst Antichrist verely al that time wherin Antichrist shal treade the Temple and holy citie For a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes make .xlii. monethes yf you put to euery moneth .xxx. dayes But we hearde before that Antichrist should treade the church .xlii. monethes Agayne therfore is a certaine nōbre put for an vncertaine And here is signified and that with a misterie is here defined the time of daies not of monethes or yeres For though the function of the ministerie be neuer so harde and daungerouse yet so shal God comforte and confirme them that they maye appere a fewe dayes only not monethes or yeres to suffer persecutiō to trauel in this laboriouse worke of the Lord. And where I haue sayed that those nombred dayes are put for an vncertentie of time this hath moued me that by and by in the .12 chapt the same nombre of dayes shall be assigned for the which yet he hath set before for a time and times and halfe a time Whiche appereth playnely to be taken out of the .7 and .12 chapt of Daniel I knowe that the same is expounded of many for three yeres and a halfe that the time should signifie a yere times two yeres and halfe a time half a yere But euery manne maye perceyue that the thing it selfe is repugnaunt to that nombre of yeres if he be at the leeste any thing sene in stories In the .7 of Daniel the other beastes sayeth he gaue ouer their rule and spaces of life were graunted for a time and a time But who will expounde these thinges of two yeres only sins it is euident that the Babilonians Persians and Macedonians reigned many yeres he signifieth therfore that those kingdomes should reigne so long as God would permitte them and geue them power to reigne We saye in Dutche where yet we appoynt no time prefixed In the same chapt of Daniel is put the same phrase of speache that the Sainctes shal be deliuered into the hande of Antichriste for a tyme tymes and halfe a tyme. And in the .12 chapt he sayeth that his Prophecie shal be fulfilled in a time times and halfe a time But who shall beleue that within three yeres and an halfe all those thinges shoulde be accomplisshed which he declared in the whole worke Whie than doe they restrayne the times of Antichrist to three yeres and an halfe especially his persecution whie see they not the destruction of Antichrist and the peace of Sainctes and the daye of iudgement to be the same daye For Daniel sayeth that the beaste should be caste downe hedlong into Hell when the seates be furnisshed And Paul sayeth whome he shal destroye with his comyng and who shall shewe vnto vs the certayne daye of iudgement It is knowen to the father alone Lette them leaue therefore with their supputations to striue with the Gospell It appereth therefore that the Lord by that kinde of speakyng as it were by a riddle to haue diffined no tyme certayne but rather to haue admonisshed the godly of longe sufferyng of patience and constancie and to haue cōmaunded that we should not ouer curiousely searche the instaūt of this time but should rather permitte it to christ him selfe in an other place saiynge It belongeth not to you to knowe times and the momentes of times whiche the father hath reserued in his owne power but watche that when the Lorde shall come he maye finde you watchyng Therefore whether so euer the Lorde shall differre his iudgement a longe shorte or meane tyme be you constaunt So at this present he sayeth howe the ministers of Christe shal preach al that tyme wherein Antichrist shal persecute And verely if thou reade the stories thou shalt finde that the most vertuouse best learned men haue in all ages now for the space of these seuen hondred yeres and more constantly resisted the Popes enterprises their great abominatiōs and craftie iuggelinges and seducinges of monkes and Freres Of the persecutions that thei haue suffered I wil speake herafter The apparel of the prophetes Furthermore also the apparel of these prophetes is shewed that hereof also maye be gathered the maner of doctrine They shal not be clothed in softe or preciouse apparel as veluet sactin or damasne or crimosine ingrayned but in sackecloth And sackecloth as appereth in the Prophetes is for a mournyng garment and for suche as are penitent Therfore like as S. Iohn was coursely appareled Matth. 3.11 and preached repētaunce So shal these also moue vnto repētaunce and amendement of life and perswade men to frugalitie and riot and al vntemperauncie they shal persecute Certenly al good and learned men nowe these seuen hondreth yeres haue required nothing els of the Pope and Clergie and of the people but repentaunce and a reformation for the which they haue had small thanke at their handes But what the apparell of the Antichristianes is there is no man ignoraunt at this daye Certen of it differeth not much from whorishe Consequently he declareth more fully and more at large of what sorte thei shal be and also their ministerie what also shal be the effecte and vertue of their preachyng And the same he setteth forth and declareth with sondry figures taken out of the scriptures The prophetes be oliues and candelstickes And first he alludeth againe to the .4 chapt of Zacha. These be two oliues c. with oyle lightes are nurrisshed oyle therfore signifieth the matter of preachyng or of Sermons For Candelstickes bearyng lightes are preachers shewyng abroade the light of Christ and of his gospell through out the world And that preachyng of light is taken out of the scripture as also the light of a cādel is nurrisshed with oyle Oyle is a tipe of the holy of al holy Wherfore S. Iohn calleth also the holy ghost vnctiō Certes the holy scripture is the inspiration of the holy ghoste Therefore those preachers shall preach Christ out of the scriptures And so preaching the gospell of Christ through the inspiration of the holy ghost they are sayed to stande before the sight of God of the earth that is to saye these be in the protection in the cure and prouidēce of that God by whose prouidence ar gouerned whatsoeuer are in heauen or in earth The prophetes stād before god For he appeareth to haue alluded
out of this life But contrarywise the Lord here pronounceth and declareth euerlasting rewardes to be for them prepared For theyr soules deliuered from their bodies are streight waye taken vppe into heauen and their bodies reysed at the last iudgement ascende into heaueÌ„ also that there they maie reioyce with Christ for euermore But to the intent that this godly promesse of the euerlastyng and inestimable rewarde might be of more authoritie and credit with al men the Lord propoundeth it not simplely but most gallauÌ„tly decked and â—â—rnisshed for he setteth before that a voyce was sente to the prophetes and that from heauen morouer great or lowde For great is the consent of Patriarches Prophetes and Apostles with the very sonne of god in most assured doctrine wherupoÌ„ we beleue vndoubtedly that those which suffer for the confession of Christ are saued both body and soule And that doctrine was brought froÌ„ heauen that there is no place lefte for doubtfulnes There be testimonies in the scriptures both manifest and many as in .26 of Esaye .12 of Daniel .10 and .16 of Matth .14 of Iohn and diuerse others What shuld we saye that at this present is brought an expresse testimony hereof for a voice soundeth from Heauen ouer the afflicted with the tiranny of Antichrist Come vp hither come vp hither That is asmuch to saye as I see the lewdenes and crueltie of the Antichristians to be such that there is no place lefte you in earth They tourmoyle and persecute you as plagues and vnworthie to liue on the earth come ye therefore hither to me into the heauenly palace whither I my selfe came also after the crosse and opprobriouse death We reade in the Gospel that the iudge shall saye to the godly come the blessed of my father c. They weÌ„t vp into heauen in a clowde Furthermore leeste any man should thinke these wordes to be vayne the lord adioyneth by S. Iohn and they ascended into heauen not for that the resurrection is made already but for the vndoubted certentie of the thing he speaketh of the thing to come as if it were paste of the which sorte are founde many lyke phrases euery where in the Prophetes Helias in times past asceÌ„ded into heaueÌ„ both soule and body as we reade in the .4 boke of Kinges the .2 chapt by the same miracle he shewed than also what rewarde the Lorde hath prepared for the faythfull preachers of Gods worde nother is there any other thing here nowe repeted He addeth how they went vp in a clowde For a clowde toke vp Christe our head from the eyes of the disciples and we shal be also taken vp in a clowde to mete the Lord in the ayre as the scripture reciteth in the .1 of the Actes and the .1 to the Thessalonians the .4 chap. Albeit therfore that preachers those which beleue the preachers be excoÌ„municated of Antichrist through open and shamefull punisshmentes should seme to be sent to the Deuill yet Christ receiueth them deliuered from al euils vnto him into the palace of Heauen Vnto this he addeth an other thing also and their enemies sawe them Their enemies sawe them They saw I saye with an horrible feare for whilest they shall see them whom they haue condeÌ„ned for gods enemies as the trewe and honorable frendes of God to be in glory therof they shal gather that they themselues shal be deputed into the fellowship of Deuilles Reade herof a plentiful coÌ„mentary in the .3 .5 chapt of the boke of wisedome Albeit therfore that the preachers of the Gospell in this present worlde be iudged and seme and appere before the world as damned yet in that same daye wherin all men shal be assembled so many as euer haue ben be now or shall be vnto al it shal be manifest that these be the most dere freÌ„des of God and that their cause is best And herewith wil the lorde haue them comforted which are persecuted condemned dispised and spurned for the preachyng of Gods worde By these thinges he prepareth establissheth the mindes of the faithful that thei be not discouraged with the rebukes reuilinges and oppressions of Antichrist and his limmes Finally the Lorde addeth also certen thinges of the miseries of the Antichristians The calamities of the Antichristians wherwith the rightuouse Lord beginneth to punnish them to interrupte their wicked ioyes that at the last in an other world he maye put the same to tourmeÌ„tes that neuer shal haue ende In that same houre sayeth he the same time doubtles wherin they shall afflicte the prophetes shal be made a great Earthquake the tenth parte of the citie shal fal And the tenth part we vnderstaÌ„d to be great yet so that the more parte shal remaine in errour As S. Peter prophecied should come to passe in the .2 of Peter the .2 And the Lord him selfe also in the .7 of Matth. And he semeth to recite two euilles which haÌ„ge ouer them calamities and reuoltinges For S. Iohn him selfe semeth to adde an exposition and to saye and there were slayne in the Earthquake the names of seuen thousande men And the residewe were affrayed and gaue glory to God of Heauen Therfore I suppose by the Earthquake to be signified excedyng greate alterations SeueÌ„ M. men slaine with the earthquake commotions seditions warres slaughters and distructions And he sayed the names of men after the Hebrewe phrase for a nombre of men And he put 7000. a nombre certayne for an vncertayne as where it is sayed to Helias I haue lefte me seuen thousande men which haue not boughed their knees to Baal For if it signifieth a great multitude Likewise he signifieth here also that no smal nombre of Antichristians shal be dispatched out of the waye by slaughter and sondry or all kindes of calamities Agayne he signifieth that the tenth parte of the world that is to saye the adherentes and fauourers of the Romisshe churche shall reuolte not a fewe of them from the same church beyng feared with the preachyng of God his worde and with plagues inflicted to the enemies of God his worde and so they shal forsake the Romisshe churche that they shal geue all glory to the God of Heauen The tenth part of the citie falleth Hitherto being abused with the Romish trifles and sophisticall opinions they haue not geuen all glory wholy to the trewe God creatour of heauen end earth and the inhabiter and geuer of heauen whilest they haue attributed more vnto creatures mens inuentions and to errours than to the veritie and communicated the glory which they owe to God alone vnto sainctes also and to the workes of their handes but now beyng instructed with the preachyng of the gospel they wil depende of God alone and wil ascribe al glory vnto him through Christ Nowe if ye conferre herwith histories not olde for wherunto shoulde I moleste you with a long rehersall but lately made that with in
as they haue liued which liue no more But with the Grekes it is otherwise at the leeste wise in these wordes To our iudge most iuste most mightie and most rightuouse be prayse and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ The thankes geuyng of the Elders is expounded the Temple is opened in heauen the arcke appereth and there were made lightenynges c. The .li. Sermon ANd the heythen were angrie and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they shoulde be iudged that thou shouldest geue rewarde vnto thy seruauntes the Prophetes and Sainctes and to them that feare thy name smal and great and shouldest distroye them which distroye the Earth And the Temple of God was opened in Heauen and there was sene in his tēple the Arche of his Testament there followed lightnings and voices and thonderinges earthquake and a great hayle I shewed you Of the last iudgemēt howe the Elders did so geue thankes vnto God for their saluation that withall they extolled Gods rightuousenes and excellēt veritie which he sheweth in his iudgement most rightuouse wherein he rewardeth the godly with iust rewardes and plageth the wicked with deserued punnishmentes And vnder this figure of speache they teach vs that both the iudgemēt shall assuredly come and that the same in al thinges shal be most holy and iuste Would God they would dilligently consider these thinges with thēselues which iudge them to talke of tryfles that make mention of that horryble and most dreadfull day of iudgement For we loke for thinges more terrible than any toung beit neuer so eloquent is able to expresse The tyme of wrath is come He rehearseth the wrath or tyranny of infidelles againste the faythfull cruelly and continually executed and so verely that God semed to many to be a blocke and nother coulde nor wolde be angrie But the iudgement ones made the elders extoll Gods veritie and say the wrath is come Doubtles the holy Prophetes of God haue alwayes threatned punishmentes testifieng that God is angrie both with the sinners and with sinnes but where the wrath of god appeared not immediately the Prophets appeared to feare men with vayne terrours and as it were make them affrayde of their shadowes but now say the elders the veritie hath appeared and the wrath of God is come And the wrath of God sheweth it selfe in the iuste vengeaunce of God The tyme of the dead is come Moreouer they extoll in that also the veritie and iustice of God for that the tyme of the dead is commen that they be iudged Hitherto whylest the worlde florished they semed to tel fables and grandames tales which spake of the resurrection of the dead and the lyfe to come For the resurrection of the dead was contemned of Philosophers and men of this worlde But the elders reioyce also that the same tyme is come and that the dead are reuiued that is that the bodies of the dead are rysen agayne and cummen to iudgement Whereof the Apostle speakynge we muste all sayth he appeare openly before the iudgement seate of God that euery one may receiue such things as are done by the body according as it hath done whether it be good or euyll .2 Corrinthi the .5 chapter God in the iudgement wel requyre the hyre Furthermore they moste highly commend Gods iustice and veritie when also they declare exactely howe God by his iust iudgement rendresh to euery one that is his He declareth therfore what he rewardeth whome he rewardeth First he payeth wages or hyre For rewarde is promysed of God vnto good workes For in the .13 of Ieremy the Lorde saith refrayne thy voice from weping for there is a reward for thy worke And the Lorde sayth also in the gospel be glad reioice for your reward is great in heauē And agayne the sonne of manne shal come in the glory of his father with his Angelles and than shall he render to euery one after his doinges So the Apostle sayed that euery one muste ryse in his owne body that euery one may receiue such thinges as are done by the body whether it be good or euill Whylest this world florisheth and the wicked reioice in their voluptuousnes and the godly are afflicted and afflicte themselues with continuall mortifieng the flessh iudgeth that these lose both labour and cost but the other to be very happie Which thing is also declared in the third fourth chapt of Malachie But at the laste iudgement it shall finally appeare that the godly haue not laboured in vaine nother that the wicked haue contemned God vnpunished and dispysed godlines For God rewardeth euery one after the qualitie of his worke the which he calleth wages Neuerthelesse the godly abuse not in the meane time this sayeng acknowledgeing it to be of fre mercie that they haue beleued and wroughte with good fayth that good worke of theirs therfore to be accepted of God because they be in Christ Whereof I haue written in the .3 boke the .10 chapt Of the grace of God iustifieng shewing that of reward desert cannot be proued Secondly thei declare to whome he geueth reward To whome rewarde is geuen I say to two sortes of men to good I mean euil Againe he raccompteth many kyndes of good men First he calleth these the seruaūts of god as thei that be subiecte to the empyre of god alone and obey him in al things By and by he nameth thē prophets techers of churches Of whose state mo things ar spoken in the .11 chap. These some to be more vnfortunate than any others in this world and ar accompted of many as great offēders which being taken out of that way all clearenes shuld seme to come againe Therfore be thei iustlie raccompted in the rigister of them which receiue a reward of the lord to wit in recōpence of their trauell Now into this accompte come also the saints that is to sai al godly which being sanctified through fayth with the spirit bloud of god haue lyued an holy life keping thēselues from al worldly pollutiō Moreouer in the godly reward nōbre of holy saincts are reckened such as fear the name of the lord that is thei that be very holy and religiouse in dede Finally leeste any man should thinke any of the faithfull excluded he addeth to small and greate that is to saye vnto men of al ages state and sexe c. The lorde distroyeth thē whiche distroyed the Earth After he cometh to the euill and addeth and shouldest distroy them that distroyed the earth These thinges seme borrowed of the prophetes with whom is much mention of the distroyers of the earth whom the lord should distroye at the length And vnder the name of distroyers S. Iohn vnderstandeth first Tirauntes Kinges and Princes that be persecutours of the church Also menne of warre and souldiours whiche by vniuste warres distroye all thinges with sworde and fire Secondely he vnderstandeth vniuste
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
aduoutries whoredomes to speake in the meane time of nothing els more filthie And where God forbiddeth lies and false witnes the Pope and his whole doctrine which he setteth forth besides the Scripture is sowed of lies and not only he dispenseth with false witnesses but permitteth also to breake safe conduites and publicke fayth geuen and yf he hate the Prince absolueth the subiectes from the othe of their fidelitie and obedience geueth libertie to al cōcupiscences and maketh lawes which nurrisshe the desires of the flesshe And whiche shall be the Dragons mouth yf this be not it Math. 4. The Dragon moreouer is red to haue spoken and sayed to the Lorde all these thinges will I geue thee for he shewed him the kingedomes of the worlde yf thou wilt falle downe and worshippe me What other thing speaketh the Pope doeth he not inriche his obedient children with the Riches of this worlde especially such as will fall downe and kisse his fete I suppose the Deuill would neuer be so shameles as to offer to the Lorde his fote to kisse but that beaste in the sighte of God and his Aungelles and of al the world dare put out his fote marked not with out a great mockery with the signe of the Crosse and profer it to be kissed of all the childrē of God I can not bring forth the horrible and innumerable blasphemies out of the decrees and decretalles For I am ashamed of such vngodlines Who therefore wil not acknowledge that Sathan him selfe doeth in this beaste reigne and rage God shortely confounde the same Amen Amen ¶ Agayne of the power of Antichrist and howe the fourmer beaste is worshipped The .lix. Sermon ANd he did all that the firste beaste coulde do in his presence And he causeth the yearth and them whiche dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly woūde was healed The secōd beaste executeth the power of the first Agayne he reasoneth of the power of the seconde beaste or Antichrist and of poperie He doeth or executeth sayeth he the power of the fourmer beaste that is to saye exerciseth the same authoritie that the old Romane Empire exercised Where he addeth in his presence Aretas expoundeth in followyng immediately after and euen in imitatyng the same But what power and authoritie they exercised I declared before in his place about the beginnyng of this chapt Therfore as the Romane Emperours supposed all kyngedomes and prouinces to be theirs and to appertayne vnto them so do the Bishops of Rome make their boaste that all realmes are theirs I geue nothing here to affection or hatred There came forth lately a boke printed at Liōs of Augustinus Steuchus keper of the Popes librarie in the which he reciteth out of the register of one Gregory I suppose the .7 all the kingdomes of Europe Spayne Englande Fraunce Denmarke Hongary c. The proprietie whereof apperteyneth to that seate of Rome the vse vnto the Princes Clientes of the same see Ful ofte haue the Popes assayed to bring into subiection to them and to their Sea the kingdomes of the Easte also and that vnder pretence of the holy warre and recoueryng the Lordes sepulchre And like as the olde Romanes vexed with continuall warre the nations that did not acknoweledge or obeye the olde Romane Egles so the See of Rome in our time and in the memory of our forefathers hath put to busines and trouble those kingedomes and nations and people that went aboute to reuolte and would not acknoweldge those double keyes that is to saye two hornes For who knoweth not with what cruel warres he vexed in times past the lande of Boheme who knoweth not what Germany and England hath suffered in fourmer yeres So verely the seconde beaste exerciseth gallauntly the Tiranny of the olde beast The olde beaste set forth proclamations concernyng religion and paiyng of tributes and customes and so impouerished in a maner all realmes their richesse beyng brought to Rome And what other thing doeth that seate at this daye what hath it done nowe to reken the leest these fiue hondreth yeres who therfore doeth not see that the seconde beaste exerciseth most aboūdantly the power of the first beaste A certen man made verses in Latin tauntyng the couetousenes and disceiptes of Rome and where Rome doeth magnifie her selfe to be head of the world which in Latin is Caput thus sayeth he If Caput come of Capio which signifieth to take Than maye Rome well be called so whiche doeth nothing forsake If you decline Capio Capis and to the groundes come Her nettes are large and can not misse to catch both al and some He addeth hereto an other thing Who worship the first beaste that this seconde beaste doeth procure that they that dwell vpon Earth should worshippe the first beaste Which doubtles we see fulfilled in the Popisshe kyngedome two wayes For firste the Papistes haue procured such authoritie and reuerence to the Romane Empire which they cal both sacred holy that as many as liue at this day whē they heare but the name of the Romane Empire spoken of doe Imagine a certen diuine thinge and brought vnto them from Heauen I graunt that there haue ben many right noble Princes godly and al praise worthie in that same Empire as was Constaunt Constantine wyth some of his sonnes Gratiane Valentinian Theodose and diuerse others I graunte that vnder these and such other like the Empire was holy and was in dede thempire of Christ For Christ was acknowledged with a trewe fayth and yet we see how the lord Iesus hath neuerthelesse as Daniel hath done also called that Empire a beaste doubtles figuratiuely and for the tirannes Therfore we must wisely and iustely attribute to euery one that is his and not without respecte to imbrace and reuerence that blouddy Empire for sacred and holy And we haue also declared before in what sorte kingedomes are of God and howe farre their workes are to be allowed that are in kingedomes And hereof shall be spoken a little after yet more plentifully Secondly the seconde beaste causeth men to worship the first herein chiefly Poperie hath reduced gentilisme that Papistrie hath brought agayne the heythennish maner the names only chaunged For I tolde you before that the firste beaste was worshipped in this that sely menne receyued the Romanes religion and worshipped Idolles The heythen did verely confesse the high God almightie but thei ioyned to him many Goddes vnto whom they submitted elementes diseases Artes countries cities the membres and partes of man and such other like things Aeolus was God of the windes and Neptune of the Sea Pluto ruled in Earth Mars was God of warre Minerua and Apollo of artes Aesculapius ouer diseases Hercules and many moe Venus was lady of Loue and the Goddesse Iuno of mariage Nother was there any membre in the body that had not his God so had all Countries and Cities theyr sauyng goddes and euery house their domestical Goddes
perish they shall ryse agayne to the iudgement whole Aretas also Bishop of Cesaria perceiued this and sayed he reciteth these things to the intent he might declare what the finall and vniuersal resurrection shall be For where many beleuyng not that the same shall be do say that it is by no meanes possible to be in those bodies which haue ben long corrupted and broughte to that poincte that they be not at all this sermon nowe correcting this sayeth Lyke as the bodies when they were not began to be not by a certen chaūce or of themselues but of the four elements namely of Water Fyre Ayre and Earth So also beyng reasonably returned agayne into the same may be of the same cōposed againe c. And for a further declaratiō he addeth agayne Death and hel gaue vp them c. and death and hell gaue vp those which were in them dead For he vnderstādeth by death any kynd of death as though he shulde say death it selfe restoreth to the Iudge iudgement whom soeuer after what sort soeuer he hath dispatched Death therfore is fayned to be as it were a person which holdeth the dead in himselfe or in a prison And hel hath yet but a fewe bodies for some we read to haue gone down to hell quicke but the soules of the wicked The same retourne to their bodies that the whole man may be iudged body and soule Others by hell after the Hebrewe phrase vnderstande a sepulture or graue Agayne is repeted that the whole man shal be iudged body and soule after euery mannes workes Thus much hitheto of the resurrectiō of the dead Of euerlasting damnation wherof in our bokes els wher we haue treated more at large In the laste place followith of euerlastinge damnation and who be properly condemned And Hell sayeth he and death are cast in to the lake of fyre Whereof hath ben spoken before And Hell here signifieth not the place of pūnishmēt but those that are inhabiters of Helle to witte whose soules are yet deteined in hel or appointed thither Death also signifieth those that are deade in sinne and they which from the spirituall or tēporall death go straight way to death euerlasting Wherevpon is immediately annexed This is the second death by the which verely they that are dead to Christe are adicted to perpetual fyre and that lyue to Antichrist and the world Others expounde these thinges hereof that after the iudgemēt the Saincts shal nother be buried any more nor die Which S. Paule affirmeth also out of Osee in the firste to the Corinth the .15 chap. Aretas and Primasius make with vs. For Aretas saieth and he calleth death and hel those that haue cōmitted thinges worthie of punnishment as fulfilling the numbre of the second death And Primasius by these names sayeth he he signifieth the Deuil because he is authour of death and paynes in Hell and also the whole fellowship of Deuylles For this is the same that he spake more playnelye before by the way of preuēting and the Deuil which deceaued them was caste in to the lake of fyre and brimstone And that which he added there more obscurely sayeng and the beaste the false prophet here more playnely So much Primasius And who knoweth not that the membres muste followe the head all vngodly the Deuyll the head of all vngodlynes Whych ar not writtē in the boke of lyfe And moste euidētly he expresseth who properly at the iudgement are addicte to fyre euerlasting they that are nother written nor sound in the boke of lyfe Therefore shall the only faythfull in Christe in whome they are predestinated vnto lyfe euerlasting shall be saued All others of what religion so euer they be or what so euer kynd of lyfe they haue lyued be it neuer so strayte shall perish Others referre these words to such as are lefte a lyue at that daye For we beleue that the son of God shall iudge both the quicke and the dead Doubtles whether they be lyuing or whether they be dead certain it is that no man shall be saued in any other but in the fayth of Iesu Christe all the resydewe shall be damned And this is the finall end of the good and euill To Christe Iesu iudge of all and redemer of the faythfull be prayse and glory for euermore Amen ¶ That the worlde shall be renewed the Saincts glorified and made blessed and what that felicitie shall be and howe certeyne The XCj. Sermon AND I sawe a newe Heauen and a newe Earth The .21 chapter For the first Heauen and the first Earth were vanished away there was no more Sea AND I Ihon sawe that holy Citie newe Hierusalem come downe from God oute of Heauen prepared as a bryde garnished for her husband And I heard a great voice from the seat sayeng beholde the Tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them AND they shal be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and shal be their God And God shal wipe awai al teares from their eyes And there shall be no more death nother sorrowe nother shal ther be any more payne For the ould thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seat saide behold I make al things newe And he saied vnto me wryte for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is done I admonished you aboute the begynning of the .15 The order chap. of this boke that the fifte parte of this worke began at the .15 chap. and treated of the iudgementes of God righteous and iuste And forasmuch as the iudgementes of God are of two sortes in this that he requyteth the euyll according to their wickednes and rewardeth the good with rewards I sayed howe this place consisted of two parts For first I sayed that S. Ihon most plentifully treated of torments to be inflicted to Antichrist and all vngodly secondly of rewardes especially in the end of the world to be imployde vpon al sainctes For ofte times haue we heard in this boke that the soules seperated from the body are immediatly after the corporall death taken vp in to lyfe euerlaking but that the felicitie of al most complete chaūceth to the faithfull in the ende of the worlde what time the bodies now raised againe receiue the rewards of glory euerlasting And this place is treated through oute al the .21 chap. beginning of the .22 cha And lyke as in the former parte he hath set hel in a maner wyde opē shewed the euerlasting torments as it were to be sene presently so in this later part he vnlocketh after a fort or openeth heauen it selfe that with the eyes of faith we shulde se what hope and glory abydeth for Sainctes And with all is most clerely expoūded the article of our faith ¶ I beleue lyfe euerlasting I beleue lyfe auerlasting And agayne for the more perspecuitie he declareth these things by a visiō Which others
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
nor other mo doctrines and to haue no nede of other Reuelations For the churche ys already instructed with a most complete doctrine There is it taught also what we ought to do with corrupte doctrines and teachers And where it is easy to fall into vices this boke doth dilligently and plentifully minister medicines teaching how the churche falling downe maie be set vp and repared againe And here it treateth much of true repentauÌ„ce of the fruites of repentaunce of the duties of Saincts or of very good workes Moreouer it exhorteth the afflicted to patience and constantie and to the confession of Christes name withoute feare and to all godlynes many times settyng forth the most ample rewardes of god And also affirming that tourmentes are prepared for the disobedient and reuoltes By this waie meane S. Iohn sheweth to the church how our Lorde Iesus Chryst being in heauen on the righthande of his father in the meane tyme neuerthelesse worketh in the middes of the congregation of his faithful inspiring quickenyng kepyng and gouernyng it And agayne how the church liuing in this world may lâ—ue notwithstanding in Christ and be quickened of him of whom it dependeth wholye whom only it regardeth and in whom it is preserued And who wyll not acknowledge this handlyng of the matter to be all together Apostolicke and right well grounded in the doctryne of Chryst But in the worke it selfe all and euery thynge shall to vs be muche more euidently declared But where as Christ in the Gospel hath said that the church his welbeloued spouse shulde be exercised with sondry afflictions in the whiche notwithstanding The church is subiect to teÌ„ptations persecutions he wolde neuer faile her Nowe in dede froÌ„ the right hand of his Father he recompteth moste plentifully and in a most goodly order of all the dollefull destenies of the churche to thintent that whilest the churche is subiecte to sundry euilles she may remember these thinges and coumfort her selfe lest she beyng discouraged with aduersitie she begin to doubte of the good wyll of God towardes vs and fall againe to Idolatrye forsaken into the errours of theyr Fathers and into the slippery pleasures of this worlde but rather that she go forewarde in the Religion of Chryste once receyued that she holde on throughe constante patience to professe Chryste to cleaue vnto him vnseparably that at the length we maye also be ioyned with the same in the heaueÌ„ly countrey Which is verely the marke and ende of our lyfe the course of all faithful in this miserable world Howebeit Chapter .iiii. wheras in the calamities and persecutions of the faithful and in the felicitie triumphing of the infidels the minde euen of the holyest seruaunt of God is sore moued and greuously tempted before he come to declare the heauy and miserable destenies of the church he setteth foorth vnto them a moste beautifull type or figure of the reuerende holy â–ª and euermore blessed Trinitie wherin is setforthe to be sene of theyes of all men the vnspeakeable wisdome of God power maiestie the iuste gouernement of the same and holy iudgement in all thinges And is also declared that almightie God the father by that Lambe that is by hys sun our onely redemer in the vertu of the holy Gost doth gouern well althinges what soeuer they be eyther in heauen or in earth And also the very destenies of the churche which are written in the boke of his eternal prouidence closed with seueÌ„ seales There appereth the Lamb of God The seuen hornes of the Lambe Chap. v. setforth with seuen hornes That is furnished with most ful power aswel princely as priestly the greatest of al and in all the most absolute The Lamb receyueth that boke of the ryght hand of hym that sitteth in the Throne and vndoeth and openeth in order those seuen seales For he receyueth of hys father all power bothe in heauen and in earth And that the Lambe alone openeth those seuen seales it conteyneth a swete mistery and ministreth a singular comfort to the faithfull For where we beleue that the LaÌ„be of God our redemer Iesus Christ doth loue mankind so excedyngly that neyther in heauen nor in earthe maye any thyng be founde that loueth vs more intierly And now see the very same and none other to open the seuen seales Seuen seales which opened sondry calamities issew out by and by into the worlde Who wold double the same to be sent to him for his health since they are sent not without his prouidence and disposition who directeth al thinges for the saluation of his chosen vnto all the which thinges that notable matter is added that al the spirites Angelicall thelders also and all heauenlye creatures worshyp God and the Lambe prayse and commende his righteousnes and for his excedyng good gouernement geue him immortall thankes For therof we miserable mortall men inuironed with synful fleshe ought to learne that we shuld acknowledg also the iustice of God in all hys workes and not mumer at his gouernement and most rightfull iudgmentes but rather to worship God to submit vs vnto him to prayse his righteousnes and geue thankes for his moste holy gouernmente and to crye with the prophet thou art iust O Lorde in all thy wayes Chap. vi and holy in all thy workes These thinges being on this wise promysed and the mindes of the faithfull thus instructed and prepared in the opening of the seuen seales seuerally is accompted and rekned vp what and how greate euils shuld inuade men from the which not somuch as the faithful liuing in this world shuld be free Wares slaughters famine pestilences are recyted and suche other lyke plages Agayne persecutions seditions Gospel or Consolation and a great deale worse then al these the seducyng and distroying of men through corrupt doctryne But because this boke of the Apocalippes is most euangelicall apostolical it mingleth doubtles in all that declaration often tymes ioyfull thinges with sorrowful and comforteth the faithfull excedingly in moste and greatest daungers And therefore in the calamities Chap. vii troubles euils and corruptions declared hitherto the Aungel of God is brought in who marketh the elect of God in theyr foreheades and all they in dede throughe the goodnes and custodye of God are saued from perdition And of these are accompted innumerable thousandes Wherby we learne that the mercy of God is moste ample in sauing of men and that we ought to hope well of the saluation of oure elders We must hope wel of the saluation of oure forefathers wherof though the most part lyued vnder the corrupt tyme of Papistrie yet followeth not thereof theyr saluation to be doubtfull at the least euen for this cause that we see that God had hath his church at all tymes euen when they be most daungerous To haue hys sealed to haue suche as worship hym whiche like as in times paste haue not bowed
was cruelly rent in peaces and troden vnder foote And that for no other cause then for that she woulde not worship the beaste that is that she wold not receyue the superstions and heathen rites of the Romane Empire I meane the false Gods and idolatrie of the Heathen And for that she worshipped one God alone through Chryst and cleaued to him seruid him after his Gospell Here therfore are excepted Constance Constantine Gracian Theodose and other godly and christen princes or Emperours which be not rekened vnder the deuelish beast For an Empire or kingdom of it selfe as S Paule sayeth is of God wherfore yf good men rule and geue not ouer themselues to be ruled of the Deuill they shall verely appertaine to the body of holy church and not to the abominable bodi of the beast In the meane time whilest that olde Rome wold not seriously repēt and tourne to Chryst forsaking theyr false gods and superstitions at the last it was condemned of Chryst by the law of like penaltie For with the same measure that the Romanes met to other nations with the selfe same did other nations measure agayne to Rome Wherfore the Persians Hunnes Frenchemē Alemans west Gothians Vādalles and East Gothians invaded thempire rent the whole Empire in pieces And at the last beseged Rome it self brake in to it toke it spoyled sacked burnt destroyed it And so at the length the Lord Iesus by iust iudgement reuenged the bloud of his seruauntes And Rome lay and yet lyeth in ruine and shall neuer be repared to the aūcient beautie And it behoueth the ruine of it to remayne in token of the veritie and reuengment of Christ Iesus that euen therof al godly may gather the God wyll be most true in thother promeses of Christ also as yet not fulfilled Moreouer the Romane Empire westward laye neglecte without an Emperoure aboue thre hundreth and twentie yeares from Augustulus whom Odacer a Germane oppressed til Charles the great king of Fraunce And in these times of desolation that is of thempire oppressed and extinguished in the west The Bisshop of Rome began by little and little to gather to him no smal power and possessions by the authorytie which he toke vpō him vnder the pretence of Chryst and the Apostles Peter and Paule tyll such time as he began to reygne also The falle of tholde Empire is the rysyng of a new But tholde Popes his predecessours wer not Princes in the Churche ruling vnder pretence of Religion but were ministers of the churche simple pastours and poore And Saint Paule prophecied that of the ruine of the Empire and destruction of the citie Antichrist shulde spryng vp For he sayd only this holdyng now or only thys let that now deteyneth tyll it come to passe that it be taken a waye and then shall that wicked be reuayled He signifye◠therfore that Antichrist shuld not reygne com nor appere before tha◠olde Romane empire were taken away For this being ouerthrowē that the same See of Rome shulde be erected For Tertullian who lyued a thousand and three huddreth yeres past in hys boke of the resurrection of the fleshe Who sayeth he shall be taken out of the way but the state of Rome whose departing being dispersed in to ten kings shall bryng in Antichrist And. S. Hierom in the .xi. question to Algasia The Romane Empire sayth he which now possesseth al natyons depart and shal be taken away and then shal Antichrist come the welspryng of iniquitie The same authours by Babylon in this boke of S. Iohn The two horned beast vnderstand Roome And Iohn hym selfe in this boke sheweth that the seuen headed and mighty olde empire of Rome being taken away an other beaste shal aryse and that with two hornes that is to witte suche a Prynce whyche shall chalenge to hymselfe a double rule or kingdome fulnes I say of power aswell in thynges spirituall as temporall And this same doth the whole worlde at thys daye acknowledge to be the Byshop of Rome decked with his triple crowne vndoubtedly of the three hornes which accordyng to the prophecie of Daniell Daniel .vii. eyther brought lowe or toke away this base contemned horne and Armed with two keyes signifieng hym to be king and Byshop the most myghty Monarke in matters spiritual temporall Christes vicar in earthe hauyng full power in Heauen and in earth He hym selfe in tymes past caused men to set vp the Image of the beast that is to set vp a new empire after the Image and the Imitation of the olde Romane Empire Whych thing after it was begon in Charles the great a right noble prince and furthermore auaūced and commen from the kings of Fraunce to the Germans which in dede were stoute Godly and worthye Prynces The Byshop of Rome was not ashamed in straunge wise to vexe trouble excomunicate depose and to substitute others in theyr place to styre vp wars in many Realmes at ones and set them together by the eares so long till those kynges did frame themselues after hys wyll and appetyte and wolde fall downe to kisse hys fete And he hym selfe at the length toke vpō him thempire publishing his decrees to the whole world boasted hymselfe to be the Monarche or soule ruler of the world who myght at hys pleasure bothe depose kinges and set them vp in kyngdomes Finally that he was supreme iudg in earth whych may iudg al men but he hym selfe may in nowyse be iudged of any man Therfore lyke as in tholde empire we sequestred from the cōmunion of the beastes all good men which were or liued vnder thempire so in this new also we do alwayes except the graue and witty the good godly men and al religious people which mixed among them not only abyde styll in Chryst but also eyther abhorre and comtemne the beast or to theyr power fight against him The Characte of the beaste Wherby they come not in the accompt of the beast And this two horned beast marketh his worshippers with a Characte And those that refuse thys characte he excommunicateth out of al mens company so that it is lawful for them neither to by nor sel Yea more he condemneth them for hereticks schismaticks for damned and lost creatures If thou confesse thy self now to be a Christian and professe with a syncere and loyall hart the belefe or crede of the Apostles one holy church of Christ and of al saincts and dost not aboue all thinges confesse the Pope to be Chrystes vicar in earth with the fulnes of power and the Romish churche which is the mother of all churches and can not erre thou shalte seme as yet to haue confessed nothyng but shalt be sayed rather to be suspected of heresy and therfore to be more straytely examined This thing can not be dissembled for it is knowen to all men in the whole world But to thintent we shuld not erre in a matter so nedefull to be
which in tymes past the lord Iesus him self by S. Iohn hath prepared for these hard things times by reuealing this Apocalips And in dede these things here haue a singular grace and vertu which ar reuealed to vs of God Neyther shal the aduersary and enemy of Christ be ouerthroweÌ„ with any corporal weapons saue only with the sword of Gods word For now it is nedeful that antichrist shuld waxe vile perish in the minds of men that Christ alone might liue again and be glorified for euer And thys my exposition I haue diuided into sermones bothe for that I haue nowe Conefonsor sermones these yeares of a .1555 and .1556 expounded thys boke to the faithful church of Christ which I serue making in a maner these same sermons to the people and also that being requested I wold deliuer som copy to such as wil read and expound the same boke to the churches committed to their credit also Where not withstanding I admonish the readers that they loke not for all thines of thys my work or think that these things are to be rehearsed word for word to theyr auditours For certen thinges which I propounded to the people for the consideration of the time and place I haue not setforth in these my sermons studieng much for breuitie And other thynges namely such as concerne the conferring of tongs and the kind maner of speakyng and such other lyke I rehersed not to the congregation but haue written them here in my sermons to the profit of those that wyl confer these things together more dilligeÌ„tly It shal be the part of the preacher to haue a respect chiefly to such thynges as make both for the plaines of speache that he may be vnderstand euen of the grossest sort and also for the edifyeng of the audience that he brynge nothyng that shuld little profit Let euery man therfore applye these things to the edifieng of the church where he is hauing consideratioÌ„ of the place time and persons Yet alwayes obseruing the true sence of the boke or of Gods words For violeÌ„t wrestings and long digressions far from the pourpos deserue no prayse in preachynge or what tyme swaruing ouer muche from the playne sence of the scripture we boult out I wot not what mysteryes The dedicating of the worke And all this work compiled not without my great labour trauel but chiefly by the grace of God to the glory of Iesu Chryste and written to the saluation and confirmation of his afflicted churche I dedicate to you banished men as many of you as comyng or driueÌ„ out of Fraunce England Italy other realmes and nations for Iesus Christ and the gospels sake dwel in Germany Swisserland other places where God hath permitted you And also I dedicate this my worke to all you which dispersed in sondry realmes and nations are consecrated only to Christ our Lorde loking for his coming to iudgement In the which we shall vndoubtedly be delyuered at the last froÌ„ all euils and then shall be made that long loked for and in al ages and most fortunate restitution most expressely constantly promised both of the prophets and Apostles Actes .iii. And surely your Godly zeale banished brethern which had rather forsake your countrey then the Gospell to want your temporal coÌ„modities then to be polluted with a religioÌ„ estraunged from Christe deserueth no small prayse Iames .i. Math. xxiiij But you haue nede of constancie and wonderfull patience that after you haue ben tried you may receyue the crowne of lyfe which the Lorde hath promised to them which perseuer vnto th ende The heauenly regeneration doeth not so chaunge vs but that some doubtefull trouble some dregges of olde Adam remayne Therfore alwayes the regenerated fele sundry temptations and harde conflicts then especiallye when suche things chaunce as they had leaste looked for The godly therfore had euermore nede of consolation But this booke of the Apocalypse doeth minister the same with greate plentie whiche if you wyll reade ouer diligently you shall finde all things that happen to you that vexe you nowe with painefulnes to haue ben already so prophecied in this boke as they nowe come to passe Whereunto are added oftentymes most comfortable and swete consolations Moreouer ye are not ignoraunte right honorable and dere bretherne what chauÌ„ced to oure fathers the holyeste of all others Howe they wandered in mansions vncerten and howe they demeaned them selues in those most paynefull flittings you vnderstande me to speake of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and Ioseph whose peregrinations out of Chaldey into Palestine from thence into Egypt and agayne into Palestine from thence againe into Syria and agayn into Palestine Egypte are well knowen to the whole worlde Nowe what bannishements and perills abode that woorthie seruauÌ„t of God and most excelleÌ„t prophet Moses is not vnknowen so much as to those that be ignoraunte in matters of antiquitie Whose faith the vessell of election S. Paule commendynge By faith saith he Moses when he was greate Heb. xij refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter And chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to in ioye the pleasures of sinne for a season And estemed the rebuke of Christe greater richesse then the treasures of Egypte for he had respecte vnto the rewarde What shall we saye that our Lorde Iesus Christe hym selfe was constreyned in his infancie to flee into Egypte euen from hys swaddlynge cloutes teachinge his to suffer exile who is red also in the Gospell to haue sayed Foxes haue holes and the byrdes thayre haue nestes But the sonne of man hath not wher on to reste his head Dan. xi Of Antechriste we reade in dede that Daniel prophecied whom who so will acknowledge he will promote him to greate honours and make him the lorde of many and shall distribute the earth for mony Contrarywise we shall heare in the .xii. chapter of this Booke that both Christe and the Churche his spouse suffer greuouse persecutioÌ„ of the dragoÌ„ That Christ is takeÌ„ vp into heaueÌ„ a blessed hath opened heaueÌ„ also for the fartheful And there sheweth a place permaneÌ„t countrey to them that haue in maner no habitation in earth From thence he will come to Iudge the quicke and dead and to assumpte vnto hym the faithfull into ioye euerlastynge and to geue them what thyngs so euer he him selfe in the Gospell and the Prrphets and Apostles haue promysed Of the which most â—mple hope this boke of Apocalypse most plentifully and goodly discourseth instructyng all that desyre to heare certayne things and most full of comforte vnto all you therfore exiles and godly throughout the whole worlde desyringe the comynge of Christe our Lorde and iudge of all I offer and coÌ„mende and dedicate this my labour Receyue it with louing minds which I setfoorthe to non other ende but that fleenge Antichriste you shoulde cleaue to Christe alone fixinge
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
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
were shewed me The some of thinges to be sayd Now also is compiled an argument of things that should be tolde I will shewe thee what thinges muste be done herafter For after the Tipe of God orderyng or gouernyng al thinges iustely through Christe immediately are declared the destenies of the churche by seuen seales and seuen trompettes in the which are euery where interlaced moste comfortable consolations and ful of efficacitie A tipe of God workynge all thinges iustely And first of al before the Seales and troÌ„pettes is set forth a figure or tipe of God and his moste rightuouse iudgement and gouernement in al thinges and that through out the 4. and 5. chapt wholy that it mighte prepare vs to the reading or hearyng of those thinges whiche shal followe in the 6. 7. and 8. chapt And seme to others and to mans iudgement to be greuouse harde and vniuste And the Tipe or vision was after this sorte The some of the visioÌ„ generall order of the same In heauen it selfe appered a seate or throne of Maiestie He that sitteth therin holdeth in his right hande a boke closed with Seales By him that sate stode a lambe whiche taketh the boke and openeth the Seales therof And out of this Throne also procedeth a seuenfolde spirite wonderfully vtteryng his vertues Before the seate appeareth a glassie Sea bright and euen like Christal The throne it selfe resteth like a wagon vpoÌ„ foure beastes ful of eyes winges beneath appering rounde about and inuirunnyng or compasing the throne A rainebowe like a smaragde goeth rouÌ„de about the same Aboute the Throne by a circle appere xxiiii Seates and so manye elders sittyng in them crowned and in white arraye This is the order of this seconde vision In their place shal be declared what the LaÌ„be what the beastes what the Elders and the other partes did It sufficeth nowe to haue touched the chiefest poinctes of the vision and a shadowyng some of the same Visions exhibited many times befor Secondely we must see what euery thyng signifieth For herof dependeth a greate parte of the whole misterie as concernyng the maner of vision S. Ihon bringeth no newe thing of the reuelation of Christ For we reade that such maner of visions were exhibited for the moste parte to the prophetes as to Esaye in the 6. chapt To Ezechiel 1. and 11. chapt And to Daniel in the 7. chapt c. A Throne And a Throne signifieth a maiestie imperiall administration iudicial And because the Throne is not in earth but is sene in heauen we shal thinke that the prouidence and administration of gods iudgementes be celestial sounde most holy and cleane voyde of al corruption And vpon this same Throne is one sitting sitting I saye Sitting in the Throne not lyinge or standinge For God the iudge of all is of a quiet minde neyther is he moued with any affections like men Here is none affection iniurie vnrightuousnes in the vniuersal gouernement of al thinges to be thought vpon Elihu in the 34. chapt of Iob sayeth Farre from God be wickednes and iniquitie from the Almightie For the worke of maÌ„ wil he render to him and accordynge to the wayes of euery one he wil rewarde them For verely God will not condeÌ„ne in vaine neyther will the almightie subuerte iudgement c. And Aretas Bishop of Cesaria an olde expositour admonissheth God is presented by no humane shape that of pourpos the shape of man was not attributed to him that sitteth in the seate For albeit that afterwarde mention be made of a righthande holdyng the boke yet is here no shape of manne exhibited But he sayeth also simply one sitting he geueth him no name The cause is ready for God by his nature caÌ„ not be defined as he that is inuisible and vnmeasurable After the maner of men in dede humane membres are attributed to him but to be expounded by a trope Moreouer when the same God appered to the people of Israel in Sina they hearde a voyce only but the Israelites sawe no shape As Moses witnesseth in the 4. chapt of Deuteron Doubtles that they shoulde not expresse with an Image the incomprehensible and shoulde coÌ„mitte idolatrie the greate sinne and wickednes S. Paul in the 17. of the Actes denieth that the deitie is like the forging of men To the Romanes He ascribeth to the greatest folye Idolles made after the shape of men whiche shoulde represente God Wherof we haue spoken els where In the meane season are rehearsed two preciouse stones whiche by theyr collours do after a sorte shaddowe the nature of our God and admonishe the godly of greater and more excellente thinges A Iasper is a grene stone like an Emeraude Grenes signifieth the perpetuitie of God and that he quieâ—teneth and kepeth in life all thinges But the Sardine loketh with a fine coulour like a bright red For God dwelleth in light inaccessible The same is a consumyng fire and also charitie it selfe For the nature of stones reade Plinie c. The rainebowe smaragdine But a raynebowe inuironeth the Throne rounde aboute a raynebowe for the moste parte is of diuerse coulours but here it is of one coulour and that of a Smaragde to witte grene The raynebowe is a token of a perpetuall grace and couenauÌ„t made after the fludde as is declared in the 9. chapt of Genes And verely the Throne of the hyghe iudge mighte put vs wretched menne in feare Therefore the raynebowe putteth vs in remembraunce of Godes grace and that God whiche by his prouidence gouerneth all thinges hath bouÌ„de him selfe in leage to man kinde to whome verely he wissheth well That leage is still grene and alwayes of force The goodnes of God towardes menne is perpetuall For though heauen shoulde fall and out of this Throne procede moste greuouse thonderboltes and calamities shoulde fall vpon vs like a storme yet is God in leage with vs and loueth vs derely xxiiii Elders in seates Aboute the Throne are sene sette .xxiiii. seates and in them sitte xxiiii Elders as Senatours of the moste mightie kingdome of God and fathers of the Hierarchie celestiall This nombre is made of xii and xii But xii Patriarches signifie the whole people of Israell and the olde churche before Christe The Christen churche was planted and sprange vp of the twelue Apostles after the incarnation of Christ wherupon that xii numbre comprehendeth the whole churche of the newe people Therefore is the whole vniuersalitie of Sainctes assembled in heauen and triumphing with Christ theyr king And therefore be they clothed in white rayment to witte pourged by Christe and pure and cleane from all corruption Crowned also bycause they haue ouercomen and nowe reigne in eternal glory verely kinges and priestes through Christe The description also of theyr behauour admonissheth that in them is nothynge wauntinge but to be truely blessed and therefore they be shewed sitting not that they are iudges or iudge for Christe
the Apostolical maner fewe thinges were taught of Christe and of our redemption Let vs praye vnto the Lorde that he would vouchesafe to illumine our mindes Amen ¶ Here is described adoration and prayse geuyng or an Himne songe vnto Christ of the beasts and Elders The .xxviij. Sermon ANd when he had taken the boke the foure beastes and .xxiiii. Elders fel downe before the lambe hauynge Harpes and golden Vialles ful of odours which are the prayers of Sainctes and they sange a newe songe saiyng Thou arte worthy to take the boke and to open the Seales therof for thou waste killed haste redemed vs by thy bloud out of all kinredes and tongues and people and natiōs and haste made vs vnto our God Kinges and Priestes and we shall reigne on the earth We haue hearde Christ is the true only monarche that the lambe hath receyued the boke of the hande of him that sitteth in the Throne that he might open it and lowse the seales of the same that is we haue vnderstande that Christ is the only and eternall Sauiour and Lorde vnto whome all power is geuen in heauen and earth that he than only and euermore saueth that he reuealeth to vs the misteries and iudgementes of God that he finally gouerneth and disposeth al thinges in the worlde It followeth moreouer how al the creatures of God behaued them selues towardes this sonne of God the monarche and gouernour of al thinges This thing is set forth with a maruelouse figuratiue and plentiful speache in the Tipe of the .iiii. beasts and xxiiii Elders c. Certenly that we might of their gestures wordes and workes vnderstande what it is mete for vs to do in the iudgementes of God For this example is verely manifolde and euen of sixe partes suche as you shall hardely finde propounded in any other matter An exāple manifolde whereby we learne how to behaue oure selues towardes the gouernour of al thīgs And in this matter is of very greate force First in dede we haue hearde in the .iiii. chapt that the foure beastes cried out before the Throne of him that sate holy holy holy lord God omnipotent Seconde we vnderstande that the .xxiiii. Elders fel doune worshipped cast away their crownes and sange an Himne Nowe followeth the thirde degree of this example For as firste the beastes and Elders did these thinges seuerally so now ioyntly with one accorde the beastes and Elders fal downe together before the lābe Let vs therefore fall downe also in all the iudgementes and workes of God before the lambe gouernour of al and let vs worship For although it be not here added and they worshipped yet are they to be vnderstand for this intent to haue fallen downe that they might worship For to fal downe is to worship Whiche thing is also perceiued by this that foloweth The lābe is worshipped For they offer praiers to the lambe that is to witte singe an Himne whiche is a parte of godly worshippinge Morouer it foloweth immediately that euery creature sang an Himne to him that setteth in the Throne and to the lābe c. And verely two thinges especially and diligently S. Iohn treateth in this example For first he painteth out gallauntly the behauiour of the beastes and elders After he annexeth the Himne prayse geuyng or songe And so much as apperteyneth their behauiour Afore al thinges they fal downe before the lambe as euen nowe I sayed Christe is very God to be worshipped with the father in the same glory And this place is of efficacitie enough to proue the deitie of our Sauiour Christe For these thinges ought to be conferred with those whiche are written vpon the same wordes in the .iiii. chapt The .xxiiii. Elders fell downe before him that sitteth in the Throne and worshippe him that liueth for euer and euer And now it is sayed that the selfe same elders haue fallen downe before the lambe wherupon it followeth that he that liueth for euer and the lambe be worshipped with like glory culte and honour And that the sonne is coequall with the father to be worshipped for euer Wherby now is opēly perceyued the abominable and detestable errour of Arius and Seruetus Seruetus renewed the blasphemy of Arrius confuted at this present not only of the beastes but also of the whole cōgregation of Sainctes in heauē Idle men reason subtilly and peruerte wraste gods worde after their wonted giantly boldenes at their pleasure we wil rather followe the examples of all sainctes and creatures in the worlde and will worship the lambe with hym that sitteth in the throne blessed for euermore Agayne there are obiecte to vs the Elders liyng prostrate on the pauement holding in their hādes harpes and vialles Harpes vialles An harpe in the Psalmes and holy historie is an instrument of musicke cōsecrate to prayses diuine Of the vialle of what shape or fashion the cuppe was the writers of vesselles treate muche I vnderstande it to be simply a cuppe or a bolle suche as we reade there were many in the tabernacle and temple appoincted bothe for drinke offeringes and also for swete odours and incense Neuerthelesse these thinges in the holy heauenly dwellers be not to be taken corporally but spiritually after a suffiguration For what the spirite of God vnderstode the reuealer of secrettes S. Iohn him selfe addeth which be the prayers of Sainctes Therfore is signified that Sainctes offer prayers to God whiche are muche more acceptable to him Musicke incense prayer than the swete melodie of Musicall instrumentes is to man or pleasaunt sauour of swete gumes or of incense Aretas the expositour in that they haue Harpes sayeth he it sheweth a concorde and agrement in geuynge God thankes And herof we learne agayne what we should do in the contemplation vnderstanding of the iudgementes and workes of God The lord is to be praysed blessed because he is good and his mercy indureth for euer But if thankes must be geuen to God if his workes and iudgmentes are to be praysed why do certen men expostulate with God blamyng or bringing in suspicion his iudgemētes let vs learne moreouer that Organes and those corporall incenses do no longer become the churche of God Of this place S. Ireney in the 4. boke agaynste heresies The true sacrifice of Christiās in the .33 and .34 chapt sheweth that the prayers and thankes geuyng of Sainctes be the same oblation whiche Malachie prophecied to be offered vp through out the whole worlde And shortely after Tertullian followed the same exposition agyynst the Iewes and in the iiii boke agaynste Marcion whom other doctours of the Churche haue followed But those pleasaunt sophisticall triflers I meane the popisshe diuines do as it were triumph in those thinges yet leade they in the meane time a shadowyng and a most vaine triumphe For they applie these thinges to their sacrifice wherin they fayne them selues vnder the some of bread wine to offer
we reade in the .1 of Iob howe Sathan had power geuen him of God agaynst Iob. Vnto blouddy soldiours is geuen a great sword great power to hurte a wonderfull force of fighting As also Nahum expoundeth it Nother is it a rare thinge in the scriptures for Monarkes tirannes and mightie men of warre to be called a sworde For so Ezechiel called Nabuchodonosor and Esaye called Sinacherib king of Assyrians a whetstone And the chiefest rightuousenes is God is of good thiÌ„â—s the deuiâ—l authour of euill to geue euery man his owne Therfore this place doeth iustely ascribe that which is good vnto God and that whiche is euill to the Deuill But thou sayest if God permitte the same that he doeth not prohibite he doeth He prohibiteth not warre for because iustice wil not suffer him so to doe but he coÌ„mauÌ„deth him by warre to punish the wicked and to trie the good but in permittyng warres God offendeth nothinge seyng that for moste iuste causes he permitteth the same For they would not imbrace peace offered them by the preachers of the Gospell therfore were they worthy to be intangled with warres The Iewes knew not the daye of Christes visitation therfore were they worthely visited of the Romanes and distroyed And this thing is in the world perpetuall that they that wil not obeye the Gospell muste obeye the Captayne of the warres they that wil not heare christ must heare Antichrist Thou mayest not contende with God whic he doeth this and permitteth that Worship God rather as thou hast ben taught in the .4 and .5 chapt Let vs peruse ouer stories and see and suche warres be not founde wherin men haue slaine themselues with mutuall woundes and haue killed one an other like beastes If you wil reade Herodiane Orosius and other good Historiographers you maye finde that the Romane Emperours haue ben troubled with moste greuouse warres for none other cause than that thei refused peace offered to them by the gospell For none other cause was Rome it selfe at the last taken by the Westgothians of the Eastgothians burnte and distroyed The lord had geueÌ„ them Christen Princes but they loued more Idols For Simmachus gouernour of the citie was so bolde to require a restitution of Idolatrie I speake nothing now of Athila nothing of the Persian and Affricane warres And what time there was a wonderful strife emoÌ„gs the Bisshoppes about the supremacie the Saracenes sprang vp and became mightie After the Thousande yere beganne the holy warre whiche as it was most bloudy so was it of longest continuance Neuer any suche warre was made in al the world Boniface the .8 instituted firste the yere of Iubiley a moste wicked manne who also did exhibite him selfe to be sene of the people both Pope Emperour But the same yere of a thousand and three hondreth wherin he did these thinges arrose vp in Asia the whippe or scourge of God Ottoman the original of themperours of Turkes which reigne at this daye For so when Salomon buylded places of Idolatrie his enemies sprang vp which wonderfully vexed and afflicted the kingdom of Salomon What warres are made now a dayes and what be the causes of warres al wise men do see We wil not receaue the peaceable gospel It is reason therfore that the Turkissh Armies should inuade vs that we maye both fele Antichrist to be a stoute warriour and maye al abhorre and deteste him But what other thing remayneth here than that beyng conuerted to God through Christ we maye serue the lord in syncere fayth and holy puretie for except we conuerte the are is layde at the tree roote c. ¶ Here is opened the .iii. and .iiii. Seale and is declared what the world shall suffer of honger and Pestilence The .xxxi. Sermon ANd when he opened the thirde Seale I hearde the thirde beaste saie come and see And I behelde and lo a black horse and he that sate on him had a paire of Balaunces in his hande And I hearde a voyce in the middes of the foure beastes say A measure of wheate for a penny and three measures of barley for a peny and oyle and wine see thou hurte not And when he opened the fourth Seale I hearde the voice of the fourth beast saye come and see And I loked and beholde a pale Horse and his name that sate on him was Death and Hell followed after him and power was geuen vnto them ouer the fourth parte of the Earth to kyll with sworde and with honger and with death of the beastes of the Earth Christ exalted aboue all thinges A repetitioÌ„ and Lord of all in heauen and in earth openeth the seales of the boke diuine that is to witte disposeth and gouerneth with great rightuousnes the ordenaunces and iudgementes of God and firste in dede he geueth a prosperouse course to the preaching of the gospell sendyng alwayes faythefull ministers preachyng the Gospel of the kyngdome of God peace and concorde But for asmuche as euyll men do contemne the Euangelical peace they are certenly worthy to be molested with cruell warres Therfore the lambe openeth the second seale and there rushe out cruel warres slaughters seditions and robberies Attention But before the thirde Seale is opened the thirde beast resemblyng the countenaunce of man exhorteth vs to take most diligent hede that when we see these thinges come to passe whiche are here spoken of before we shoulde consider from whence they come and for what causes they are sente and that they maye be tourned away by dewe repentaunce Certen referre these thinges absolutely to chaunce and fortune some agayne to the naturall causes of God and the diuine operation no respect had at al Where we knowe that God vseth natural causes after his good wil and pleasure Let vs watch therfore loke and consider and know that the rightuouse God worketh al thinges for the saluation of the chosen and the ouerthrowe of his enemies That blacke horse with his rider shewyng a balaunce in his hande signifieth the vnfortunate or sorrowfull time of scarsetie famine and penurie of al thinges The thirde seale is opened For it is a worthie and a coÌ„digne punishment that they that do nothing esteme the bread of life nor haue no consideration of the foode of soules but both reiect it themselues and by their tirannical proclamations bringe to passe that it is not receiued of others finally whiche for the bread of life do spoyle the godly of their goodes and most wickedly waste the same in all kinde of riot should be driuen to bie thinges necessary at excessiue prices yea and can not finde things necessarie but should pine for honger We know that the black colour is vsed in mourning and heuinesse The black horse and that when the fleshe and bloud are consumed for wante of meate the skinne groweth blacke and euill fauoured and therefore this horse is blacke The rider of this horse holdeth in his hande a balaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
slowe and to make those cleane that are couered with ruste and maye fine the corrupte Golde For so the Scripture defineth in the .11 chapt of Daniel and the Apostle .1 Peter Chapter .4 Christe therfore not to distroie but to trie permitteth very many things to Tirannes agaynst the Church The godly men also procure to themselues the heauy hande of the Lorde whilest in dede they beleue rightly in the sonne of God and depende only of him but neuerthelesse are intangled with sondry and euill affections and committe suche actes as not becometh them This maye you see declared at large in the beginnyng of the eight boke of the Ecclesiastical story of Eusebius whiche I lately alledged And the Tirannes that persecuted had an other respect as Sinacherib and Antiochus than our Bisshoppes and Princes haue at this daye For these nowe are moued with the hatred of Religion and are pricked forewarde of Sathan They will haue in any wise their Idolatrouse religion mainteyned and the religion of the Gospell vteerly distroyed They can not abide to haue their Idolles or other sinnes reproued for this cause are they mad at the faithfull and suche as frankely speake agaynst blame ther Idolles and wickednes And thus doeth the persecutiō arrise boyle vp and procede The whiche when the faithfull see increase thus Mutining in persecution and fele themselues sore oppressed they maruel howe longe the lord wil winke at this Many crie out the Lorde neglecteth his matters The Lorde semeth to deale vniustely with his seruauntes he semeth vtterly to forget them Neither is there any doubte but that many by murmuryng offende the Lord greuously Now therfore are we taught that we might haue hope and patience And at this present Heauen is opened to vs and shewed vs to beholde The sum of such thīgs as are opened to vs in this seale where as be the soules of them that are slaine in persecutions and what is their state is declared morouer that God forgetteth not to be reuenged whie also he differreth the same and how long These thinges are spoken to the consolation of al the faithful that are now afflicted with persecutiō Farre other thinges are exhibited here vnto vs than painters instructed or rather corrupted of with monkes and Freres set forth to vs to wit a great company of Monkes and Nunnes couered in Heauen with our ladies coule as though the greatest parte of them should be saued S. Iohn sheweth vs neuer a Frere but rather many martirs whom the Freres at this daye make before other men Herof therfore as of the doctrine of veritie we shal learne what state or degree is most plentifull in heauē not that we should thinke no man but only Martirs to be saued for so many as truely beleue in Christe and crucifie their fleshe with the concupiscences of the same shal be associated with holy Martirs and reioyse with Christ for euer but that chiefly the holy Martirs are saued whome the madde world supposeth to be lost Soules seperated frō the body be immortal But al thinges here must be examined of vs most diligētly For this place as it is most manifeste so is it ful of moste holesome doctrines First S. Iohn seeth and sheweth vs as it were poynting with his fingar the soules that of those that were slaine to wit the spiritual immortal substaunces which the body beyng lost and consumed do remaine a liue The body may be killed the soule can not be killed Whiche our Sauiour hath liuely expressed in the .10 of Matth. In the 12. of Luke he sayeth be not affrayde of them which sleye the body and after this haue nothing that they can do more c. Therfore tirānes might wel kil the bodies of Martirs they had no power ouer their soules This place witnesseth manifestly the soules of men not only to be immortall but also liuing or watcheful not slepyng to remayne liue in Heauē For there be that thinke the soules departed from the body to slepe The cause maketh martyrs not the punishment which thing is most vayne Nowe also the cause is shewed for the which the Martirs are slayne for the worde of God and for the testimony that they had they were not put to death for their wickednes or euill doynges but for the trewe religion wherby they confessed and preached that word of God which was in the beginning and was made fleshe and the Gospell which they had committed vnto them the testimony of God and eternal life which also thei ministred and preached Of the word of God and testimony of Iesu Christ I haue spoken in the first Chapt. For no other cause at this day are slaine innumerable of Bisshoppes kinges and princes Yf they were aduouterers vsurers blasphemers wicked doers they shuld be in some estimation nowe where they professe the onely sonne of God and preache the Gospell they are murthered without mercy Here haue we also certenly defined who be very Martirs in dede not they that suffer tourmentes but they that are tourmented for gods word For the cause maketh the Martir But where are the soules of them that are slayne for the word of God shewed vnto vs vnder the Aultar Where the place is of the soules slayne for gods word the Aultar is after in the .8 chapt set in heauē before the throne of God Therfore the soules of al Sainctes are in Heauen before the Throne of God which was also signified before in the Tipe of the .xxiiii. Elders The Lord hath sayed also where I am there shal be also my seruaunt But the lord is in heauē therfore the soules of the faithful whose bodies haue ben slayne The souls vnder the Aultar or buried without slaughter be no where els but in Heauen Neuerthelesse it waunteth not a singular misterie that they are layed vnder the Aultar as vnder a shadow through whose benefite the soules may be wel at ease I told you before and here againe repete that the aultar signifieth Christ For he is also the golden aultar intercessour and propiciation for our sinnes For the propiciation and mediation of Christ we are receiued into the Ioyes celestial And Christ is our life saluatiō Vnder him we lie hidde as vnder a couer or a shadow Thomas of Aquine expounding this place of S. Iohn by the aultar sayeth he is signified Christ in whom and by whome we should offer to the father what good so euer we doe and through him is made acceptable what so euer is pleasaunte to God Vnder this Aultar namely vnder christ be the soules not only in the state of life to witte whilest we liue here in earth but also in the state of our countrie to wit in heauē as vnder him of whome they are couered as vnder a shadowe agaynst all euill Thus sayeth Thomas But I suppose that there is an other thing also signified that martirs are made confourmable to the Aultar that is to
for vs. It behoueth vs therefore to gather certen sure saiynges wherwith to comfort our selues as with the moste certayne sentences of God pronounced First that God is trewe and iuste and therfore not to neglecte his but to tender with fatherly care And if he caste vs into any daunger or difficultie the same verely shall tourne the godly to great profit Yf he shal take vs awaye by tourmentes that he deliuereth vs frō euilles from miseries and corruption of this world and rendereth for the same euerlastingnes Secondly it is certen sins that God is iuste and trewe that he will requite the wicked after theyr desertes Agayne if he make menne fortunate in this worlde that the same in dede apperteyneth to their destruction Where he is slowe to punish that is done through Gods long suffering but that God recompenseth this slownes with the weightines of the punisshement in case they be incurable Where as these thinges vndoubtedly are moste certayne what remayneth there but that we shoulde committe our selues and al ours to the Lord our God He knoweth the time and meane wherby to auenge his and to plague his enemies To him be glory for euermore Amen ¶ The sixte seale is opened and the corruptyng of the sincere doctrine is exhibited The .xxxiij. Sermon ANd I sawe when he had opened the sixte seale and beholde there was a greate earth quake And the Sunne was as blacke as a sacke cloth made of heere and the Moone waxed euen as bloud and the starres of Heauen fel vnto the earth euen as a figge tree casteth from her her figges when she is shaken of a mightie winde and Heauen vanished awaye as a scroll when it is rolled together The sixte seale opened of the lambe Corruptīg of the sound doctryne in the church openeth vnto vs generally and setteth forth to be sene of the eyes of all men the corruption of the doctrine in the church with this mourning terrible effecte of the same Nother is there any other thing sayed here in the sixt seale as also in the fiue fourmer seales than that which was prophecied before of the same our lord Iesus Christ in the .24 of Matth. that the Gospell should be preached through out the world and how there should come warres famines pestilences persecutions most greuouse and false prophetes whiche should disceaue men whom also they should drowne in moste greuouse sorrowes Neuerthelesse these thinges must religiousely be expounded For it is not to be thought Chryste is not author of the corrupt doctrine for that the lambe openeth the sixte seale and the Sonne by and by waxeth blacke that Christ is authour of the corrupte euill doctrine For Christ it is that soweth in the fielde good sede the hostile man soweth darnell As the Lord him self expoundeth it Matth. the .13 For Christe teacheth sownde doctrine by the Apostles and sincere preachers which whē it semeth vile to the world and can not please of his iuste iudgement he leaueth the contemners to their affections and as the Apostle S. Paull sayeth 2. Thess 2. he sendeth vpon them the efficacitie of illusion that they may beleue lies and so maye be iudged all whiche had rather beleue a lie than the veritie And the seducing through corrupte doctrine is a more hurteful euill than are the blouddy persecutions Yea and the seducers and false prophetes haue done more hurte to the churche than haue cruell tirauntes Finally men are more greuousely punished what time they are relinquisshed to be seduced of disceauers than when they are obiected to be torne in pecs of their murtherers Therfore is it a most greuouse plague of god and vtterly to be abhorred for the simple veritie dispised to be deliuered to liyng disceauers which after the demerites maye with reuerence be it spoken al to be shite and be pisse thee For where the gospell is purely preached vnto many these men saye I vnderstand not what these men teache vs out of the Gospell but this I can see that the olde haue all to be rayde vs and these newe bothe to be pisse and beshite vs. Therefore shalt thou haue teachers which shal perfourme to thee in dede the same that thou talkest Would God we waunted examples and did not see certen nations which haue here tofore had the free pure preaching of the gospel and now spoiled of al veritie to sigh vnder the pleasure and boldenes of most wicked disceauers whiche treade Gods worde vnder fote and condemne it for heresie and stoppe the mouthes of the wretched people ful of mans dunge This is the punishment of the veritie dispised The deprauatiō of the doctrine in the church And this place maye not be expounded of one certen age sins as yet things are rehearsed in general but of that whole time which reacheth from the age of the Apostles vnto the laste iudgement It conteineth therfore the corrupte doctrine of Valentine Marcion Manichaeus Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches Donatus Pelagius Priscillians and finally of all Heretikes and the mingle mangle of Mahomet composed of the same and chiefly the sophistrie and moste corrupt doctrine of Antichrist and of his ministers But what time the lambe opened the sixte seale there was not hearde now as before the voyce of the Beastes Elders or Martirs but a terrible earthquake An earthquake An Earthquake in the Scriptures doeth signifie a wonderfull commotion of all thinges troubles tumultes and greate alterations And verely greater darkenes arriseth of nothing els than by alteryng of Godly religion and receyuyng of wicked doctrine For so arrise sectes seditions warres You maye see many examples hereof in the story of the auncient people whiche are redde to haue ben greuously shaken so ofte as they haue chaunged theyr religion and kynde of doctrine By this Earthequake therefore is signified that exceadynge great trouble shal arrise herof for that a new and a straunge kinde of doctrine should be brought into the world of men amisse incensed Authours of tumults troubles Here haue you that you maye aunswere vnto them whiche impute to the Gospell and to the Preachers thereof what so euer troubles seditions and commotions be at this daye in the worlde Helias hath ones made aunswere for vs whiche maye serue for all times the place is in the thirde boke of Kinges .18 Chapter I haue not troubled Israell but thou and thy fathers house whiche haste forsaken God c. Hereunto apperteyneth also the story of Ieremie in the .44 Chapter Where al the euilles that than vexed the wicked are imputed to the sinsere doctrine and to the Prophet Ieremie without cause Learne here morouer what to aunswer them whiche saye it is like that God hath permitted his Church so many yeres to lie and rotte in errours c. And the corrupte doctrine is described by partes euen from the toppe to the toe The sunne waxeth darke and the effecte also of the corrupte doctrine is annexed
And firste of all the sunne a planet most bright not only waxeth darke but blacke also And immediatly is added an Image or a parable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like an heery sacke which is wouen or made of heere 's or of bristels The sunne lighteth and geueth life to the worlde And thorowe Christ which is the life of the world we are illumined and quickened He casteth abroade from him the bright beames of the Euangelicall veritie And like as Christ is not darkened in him selfe so nother the veritie of the Gospell whiche of nature is with out pollution By reason of the blacke clowdes that ouer ride it the lighte of the Sunne waxeth black and is impeched and of the traditions of men and deprauing of the scripture arriseth darkenes and blackenes in matters of religion The Gospell of it selfe is bright and holeâ—ome Christ is lighte full redemption helth and life most perfit But when menne had rather seke of others doctrine life and saluation than of Christ and his holesome Gospell moste thicke and grosse darkenesse arrise in the mindes of those menne For there is establisshed an other doctrine rightuousenes intercession redemption saluation and life than that of Christ They that receyue that doctrine A sacke of heere seme to haue put on them a shirte of heere whiche pricketh burneth and vexeth continually For there is no reste quietnes securitie or spirituall pleasure and repaste of corrupte doctrine but only tediousenes Christ pure and sincerely receiued is to man a ioye vnspeakeable and a most bright and ioyefull light After is added that the whole moone not a parte only the moone is as bloud is become blouddy For an image is again annexed as bloud The moone receiueth light of the sunne is subiect to courses or chaunges whilest one while it increaseth an other while decreaseth and signifieth the church The church set vpon the rocke is not vnstable but by reason of the variable fortune is subiecte to moste diuerse chaunces For now the churche triumpheth streight wayes beyng oppressed she mourneth nowe she increaseth in nombre by and by she is diminished And the church is lighted of Christ But whilest the Sunne it selfe is darkened the moone can not chose but be most obscure Bloud Bloud in the scriptures betokeneth great wickednes chiefly Idolatry and false worshipping of God The Lord in the .17 of Leuit. sayeth that he will accompte straunge worshipping for bloud Therfore when faith and knowledge are darkened in Christes churche it can not be chosen but that bloud shal arrise in the vniuersal church that is to witte the corrupte worshipping of God which the Lorde estemeth as murther there must nedes innumerable sinnes and wickednes spring therof For the liuely doctrine of Christ beyng corrupted al thinges must of necessitie be most corrupte and swarme ful of superstitions and iniquities To these is added an other thinge whiche helpeth these thinges that are spoken starres fal from Heauen Starres fall from Heauen vnto the earth Daniel called starres preachers in the .12 chapt As also S. Peter .2 Peter .2 Therfore do the preachers of churches reuolte from the heauenly doctrine of Christ brought and reuealed from heauen and reducyng men to Heauen and keping them in heauenly conuersation And receyue earthly that is the doctrine of men By the which thing it commeth to passe that both the sunne is obscured and the moone is made blouddy Starres shine preachers should set forth to the whole world Christe the trewe light but this haue they neglected beynge addicte to their owne traditions To these is also added an Image The starres fel vpoÌ„ the yearth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the figge tree casteth of her figges beyng shaken of a vehemeÌ„t winde Here is signified the corruption of preachers and that a great numbre of them For the figge tree was made to bring forth swete fruictes so was the ministerie of the worde ordeined for the saluatioÌ„ of men Howbeit the figges did ripe Therfore they remayne grene or vntimely fruictes Wherby is signified that the preachers were not ripe in trewe knowledge of Christ and therfore to be shaken downe with euery winde of doctrine that bothe they haue admitted and set forth earthly things The plentie of false teachers is signified to come in that the vntimely figges fal downe in great plentie Of these thinges nowe followeth an other HeaueÌ„ vâ—nisheth awaye and Heauen went awaie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were fled out of mens sight and vanisshed awaye Agayne is added an Image or a similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a scrolle folden vp or rolled together Heauen in the Gospell signifieth many times the kingdome of God Therefore the kingdom windeth vp it selfe in earth and the church doeth as it were hide her selfe not that at the last there should be no church at al for the churche shal be alwayes vnto the worldes ende but for as much as in the ende of the world the church shal lie hidde neyther shal it be thought to be the trewe churche which is the trewe churche in dede The letters wordes are not wipte out of the boke but are not sene yea rather are hidde when it is rolled vp It is manifest at this daie what S. Iohn ment by this parable For al in a maner iudge that newe starte vp Romish church to be the trewe church which in very dede is not the church of Christ and the church which is the spouse of Christ is iudged to be heretical therfore is the church wrapped vp and as rolled together The Lord vnfolde preserue the same AmeÌ„ ¶ The effecte of corrupte doctrine is expounded and that the Aungels let that the winde blowe not The .xxxiiij. Sermon ANd al mountaines and Iles were moued out of their places And the Kinges of the earth and the great men and the riche men and the chiefe Captaynes and the mightie men and euery bondeman and euery free man hidde themselues in dennes and in rockes of the hilles and sayed to the hilles and rockes fal vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the seate and froÌ„ the wrath of the lambe for the great daie of his wrath is come And who can indure it Chapt. 7. And after this sawe I .iiii. Aungels stand on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the Earth that the windes should not blowe on the earth nother on the See nor on any tree Hilles and Iles are moued out of their place Now followeth the effect of the corrupte doctrine in men And hilles and Ilondes are moued out of their place wherin is also a respecte had to the earthquake as though by the earthquake thei were remoued from their place And mountains and Iles do betoken realmes nations and people so stedfast in faith that as mouÌ„taines and Iles be immouable are not shaken with the stormes of the Sea so these might seme to
spake the Lord in the gospel when they shall saye sayeth he Christ is in the wildernes goe not forth c. And I doubte not but that some simple also at this day for this intent take vpon thē the monastical life but they shall finde also the same that S. Iohn here sayed they should proue and trie by experience Furthermore this place might seme that it should be expounded of the tokens which go before the last iudgement The place is to be expoūded of the laste iudgemēt and of the terrour of the wicked of whom the Lord preached in maner to the same effect in the .21 of Luke But of the laste iudgement shal be spoken more at large and in his place in the .11 and .19 Chapter of this boke and els where And as I do not discōmende that same exposition so seme there nowe to me the generall destenies of the church to be here set together in the which where the corrupte doctrine occupieth not the last place there should nothing be spoken herof in general wherof many thinges in particular shal be spoken in the 8. chapter and others followyng vnlesse this present place should after the same sorte be expounded as it is Furthermore those thinges that followe shall better be ioyned together which shall haue no place in the laste iudgement as the thing it selfe wil proue And the thinges that follow in the 7. Chapt. apperteyne to the exposition of the sixte seale or vnto the treatise thereof And three thinges chiefly it reciteth howe the Aungelles let the windes that they shoulde not blowe an innumerable company to be sealed in the middes of the corrupt doctrine which shuld not perish And what the state of them is which are departed out of this world eyther by martirdom or els beyng either vndefiled with the corruption so ful of enormitie or deliuered pourged from the same which are annexed because of cōsolation For this boke of Apocalipse is wōderful Euangelical most ful not only of prophecies but also of admonitions exhortations and most cōfortable consolations What winde is in the Scriptures First is to be expounded that whiche is spoken of the restreinte of the windes by the Aungels that they should not blowe Winde as also leauē in the scriptures is vsed both in good and euil parte For winde is called vaine and false doctrine and an hope conceyued of erroneouse doctrine As in Osee the .12 and the .5 and .22 of Ieremie So is leauen called the Pharisaicall doctrine and hipocrisie springyng thereof S. Paul in the .4 to the Ephes forbiddeth that we be not caried about with euery winde of doctrine And the holy ghost is shaddowed by winde in the .3 chapt of S. Iohn And in the 2. chapt of the Actes Winde is subtile it pearseth is felte and is not sene greate is the force thereof it doeth refrigerate it drieth gathereth clowdes whiche rayne and make the earth fertile Full rightly therfore by winde is signified the spirite of God and the sounde doctrine whiche is of the spirite of God Therfore is it one winde the spirit of God whiche inspireth and there be foure windes that is to witte many by the corners of Heauen and partes of the earth that is to wit preachers dispersed through out the whole world Therfore the doctrine of the Gospell inspired from all partes of the world bloweth or is preached so that ther be many windes yet all procedyng of one For there is one and the same spirite whiche speaketh by the ministers and geueth them sundry graces .1 Corinth 12. Briefly by the blaste of windes we vnderstand the free preachyng taken out of the holy Scriptures The preachyng of gods word is prohibited Secondely we muste knowe that there be both good and euil Aungels in the Scriptures Aungels as appered before are called ministers And there be good and euill ministers the good inspired of God and the good Aungell and the euil of the euil Aungell And the enemie of the trueth stireth vp men in al places of the world in the Courtes of Kinges in the places of Iudgement in Scholes in Colledges in Cities Townes and Villages whiche may let the free course of Gods worde Therefore the proclamations of Kinges and Bisshoppes flye to and froe are proclamed and set vp prohibiting the readyng of the Bible the preaching of the Gospell c. And to the intent to haue some pretence of their euill doyng they forge that the Bible is corrupte in a thousande places that heresie is learned and taught out of the same Therefore also they prohibite and condemne the Bible and the bokes of the Gospell of the vnworthines of the whiche thing it can not worthely enough be spokē before the church They do the same that in times paste Antiochus Epiphanes Dioclesian and other men of the same sorte are red to haue done The expositours of the Bible in times paste deserued excedyng great prayse nother was there any faythfull that sayed the holy boke to be corrupted for that al translations agreed not emonges themselues We liue therefore at this daye in a time most corrupt and most vnthankefull And the restrainte of reading holy Scripture is the foundation of the corrupte doctrine and of intanglyng the conscience and of dispayre that followeth on the same And by the Earth he vnderstandeth men dwellyng in Earth by the Sea and Iles men of Ilandes and that dwell on the Sea by trees men shadowed euery where in the Scripture by trees For vnlesse the windes blowe the trees florishe not neyther the earth waxeth grene The Prophet sayeth sende forth thy spirite and they shal be created and thou shalt renewe the face of the earth And excepte the worde of God be preached the mindes of men waxe not grene nother are the fruictes of good workes brought forth of men And therfore the Aungelles prohibiting winde are sayed to hurt as in dede there is nothing more pestilent nor perniciouse than the suppressing of the free preachyng of Gods worde The Lorde by his spirite renewe all partes of the worlde Amen ¶ The faithful are sealed to saluatiō which they obteyne by the grace of God in Christ Iesu The .xxxv. Sermon ANd I sawe an other Aungell ascēde from the rising of the sonne which had the seale of the liuing God and he cried with a lowde voyce to the foure Aungelles to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth and the See saying hurte not the earth nother the See nother the trees till we haue sealed the Seruauntes of our God in their forheades And I hearde the numbre of them which were sealed and there were sealed an C. and .xliiii. thousand of al the tribes of the Childrē of Israell Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Ruben were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Gad were sealed xii M. of the tribe of Asser were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Neptali were sealed .xii. M.
are signified by trees Trees appereth by the .9 chapt where it is sayed they had cōmaundement that they shuld not hurte the grasse of the earth nother any tree sauing only men whiche are not c. After he had sayed saue only those trees which were not marked but he had rather saye men that he might as it were with this keye vnlocke the misterie Nother is it rare to shadowe men in the scriptures by trees floures and grasse as we maye gather of the .1 Psalme the. 40. of Esaye and the .12 chapt of S. Matthew But that latter poincte that al grene grasse was brent muste be fauourably expounded For who can beleue that al men were distroyed by those first heresies we vnderstād therfore that the mindes of the faithful were diuersely afflicted and tourmoyled with those errours and troubles but yet as the Golde tried in the fixe not to be vtterly consumed The secōd trompet The second Aungel soundeth the trompet signifiyng that newe warres are nowe a brewyng and therfore exhorteth that al the godly would defende themselues with weapons And there is cast into the Sea not a Mountaine but as it were a Mountaine burning with fire The sea beareth a figure of the world A burning moūtaine than the which there is nothing more vnstable It is a thing most frequented in the prophetes to call this our world wherin we liue a sea By mountaines are signified kingdomes witnesse Esaye in the .2 chapt Daniel the 2. And Zacharie in the .4 chapt And Christ him selfe in the .7 of Matth. By remouing of hilles or mountaines signifieth any harde thinge and by the opinion of many impossible Nowe therfore springeth vp an heresie and a doctrine in the church as it were a burnyng Mountaine as the which was in dede most furnished and as it semed inuincible We reade that such was the heresie of the Valentinians Valentinians whose secte the holy martir Ireneus teached to be diuided into many Suche was the fury of the Manicheis Manicheis and Montanistes Montanistes They semed to many to burne with the spirite of God and to be whole nothinge els but the spirite and all their oracles to be of the holy ghoste Manichaeus called him selfe the Apostle of Iesu Christ The Montanistes bragged of a newe holy ghost Ther was moste greate plenty of this darnell throughout the vniuersall church Nother was the successe therof small For the thirde parte of the Sea was made bloud The Apostle signifieth the wickednes of sectes For howe vile and impudent were the heretikes called Gnostici the valentinians and Manicheis Ireneus S. Austen and Epiphanius doe testifie And a great part of the creatures in the Sea perisshed And he speaketh of such as haue soules not of fishes in dede but menne Many shippes moreouer were lost to witte Mariners and Ilonde men beyng corrupte with these heresies That time those heresies sprange vp in dede of those Authours which I named but as yet thei be not vtterly extinct corrupte men buddyng vp in a maner at euery time and renewyng the olde errour Wherupō a bitter strife remayneth yet at this daye in the church and we are dayly admonished that we should beware of those corruptions The thirde Aungell bloweth his trompet proclaymyng new warres The third trompet and behold a great Starre fell doune from heauen burning like a cresset and infecteth the thirde parte of riuers and fountaines of waters A burning cresset that starre is called wormwood I tolde you in the .1 Chapter that Starres are called Preachers Bisshoppes and notable men in the churche It signifieth therefore that some notable man should fall awaye from the trewe faith into heresie wherwith he should infecte a great parte of the world in corrupting the Scriptures and sounde doctrine of fayth And these thinges seme to be fulfilled in Paulus Samosatenus Paul Samosatenus and Arrius Arrius This creshet burned horribly and inflamed the whole worlde without recouerie That pestilence denied the deitie of Christe and made the whole Gospel to vs moste bitter For if Christe be not very God how is he a Sauiour King Bishop intercessour mediatour and saluation of the faithful He quenched the light that denied the deitie of Christ Therefore is he called by the name of wormwood The prophet Ieremie vsed the selfe same allegorie or metaphore or allusion in the .9 and .23 chapt And Amos in the .6 where he sayeth that the Iudges haue tourned iudgement into Wormwood The Scripture and doctrine whiche is trimly figured by riuers and fountaines corrupted of the Arrians was to many the occasion of death The Scripture and doctrine of the Gospel is of it selfe mortal to no man but rather liuely to al◠corruption maketh it deadly Poyson put in wine maketh the wine deadly the wine of it self killeth no man but rather gladdeth and reioseth al men Reade the Ecclesiastical stories of Eusebius Theodoretus Sozomenus Socrates and others and ye shal perceyue howe aptely S. Iohn hath written all these thinges and how rightly they are al fulfilled No smal parte of that bitternes hath flowed vnto our time whilest that old errour is often times by the instigatiō of the deuil renewed For what that vncleane beaste Michell Seruetus Michell Serueto a spaniarde vomited against the Sonne of God for his impenitent wickednes and continuall plasphemie burnte at Geneua the world knoweth We muste praye therfore to the Lorde that in suche daungerouse conflictes he would kepe vs safe and sounde Amen ¶ The fourth and fifte trompet is expounded of the opening of the botomlesse pitte and of grasse hoppers creping out into the Earth The .xxxix. Sermon ANd the fourth Aungel blewe and the third parte of the sunne was smitten and the thirde parte of the Moone and the thirde parte of starres so that the third parte of thē was darkened And the daye was smitten that the third part of it should not shine and likewise the night And I behelde and hearde an Aungell fliyng thorow the middes of Heauen and saiyng with a lowde voyce wo wo wo to the inhabiters of the Earth because of the voyces to come of the trompe of the thre Aūgels which were yet to blowe The .9 chapter And the fifte Aungel blewe and I sawe a starre fall from Heauen vnto the Earthe And to him was geuē the keye of the botomlesse pitte And he opened the botomles pitte and there arrose a smoke of the pitte as it were the smoke of a greate fornace And the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by the reason of the smoke of the pitte And there came out of the smoke locustes vpō the earth and vnto thē was geuen power as the Scorpions of the Earth haue power And it was sayed vnto them that they should not hurte the grasse of the Earth nother any grene thing nother any tree but only those menne which haue not the seale in theyr forheades and to
the olde translation in all thinges But the Egle is swifte and of moste sharpe sight signifiyng the almightie knowledge of God and expedition vnspeakeable in doyng of thinges The fifte trompe The fifte trompet comprehendeth a moste cruell battell whiche the Pope stired vp in admitting errours into the world yea rather bringyng in settyng forth and defendyng them by his vngratiouse Locustes that eate vp all thinges He lasteth to the worldes ende Of whome he will agayne discourse more plentifully and more properly in the .13 and 14. chapter c. A starre falleth from heaueÌ„ into the Earth The Original of this euil is referred to the fal of a starre For a starre hath fallen from Heauen to the earth Starres as I shewed you in the beginnyng of this boke aboute the ende of the .1 chapt represente vnto vs the state of Ministers or Bisshoppes For as the starres shine in Heauen so Bisshoppes illumined with heauenly light ought to shine in the church aswell in doctrine as honeste lyfe And hitherto they stande in Heauen so long as they doe theyr duetie they fall to the Earth what time forgetting the heauenly conuersation and doctrine they thinke vpon earthly things speake and followe honoures pleasures and such like corruptions A little after will he cal him an Aungell whome now he calleth a starre Of the churche of Rome The Churche of Rome was notable and pure coÌ„mended also ones by the prayse of the Apostle The same had Bisshoppes that is to saye ministers of the church vnto the emperour Constantine about .32 for the most part very well learned moste holy yet men and moste gloriouse martirs of Christ Againe from the emperour Constantine vnto Gregory the great are accompted Bisshoppes or pastours of the church of Rome about .32 emonges whom there were not a few diligeÌ„t enough learned and godly but yet emoÌ„ges these were founde also whiche blinded with the euill of Ambition began more to incline to seke honours and gloriouse titles than the doctrine of Christ concernyng humilitie and simplicitie and the example of Christ and apostles hath permitted Christ fled when the people would haue chosen and made him king He sayed that kinges should reigne that Apostles and their successours should serue If kings therfore had offered them realmes and riches they should not haue receyued them What certen Bishoppes of Rome practised with the churches of Affricke and how they would haue ruled ouer them the stories doe plainely declare Notwithstanding there were founde emonges the latter Bishops as Pelagius and Gregory surnamed great which greuousely accused the Bishops of ConstaÌ„tinople for that thei went about to establish the church of Constantinople as chiefe of al others in the world and the Bishop thereof vniuersall Nother was Gregory asshamed to saye expressely that he is the vauntcurrour of Antichrist who so euer would couet the name or title of the vniuersal bishop But Boniface the .3 of that name moued nothing herwith required and obteyned of themperour Phocas no long time after the death of Gregory that the church of Rome might be called and taken for the chiefe and head of al churches Bishops of Rome a starte falleÌ„ froÌ„ heauen Wherby the Bishopes of Rome plucked out of heauen and caste to the earth vtterly began to cleaue vnto earthly thinges to care for earthly thinges yea euen to aspire to the empire and chiefe rule and gouernement Here haue you what starre fell from heauen to the Earth And to this starre he calleth him afterward the Aungel of the botomlesse pitte or Bishop I name one I vnderstande all of that state and succession in that seate was geuen the keye of the botomlesse pitte A keye is geuen to the starre or Aungel Christe verely kepeth the keye of Dauid as I shewed in the .2 chapt of this boke The same gaue to the Apostles the keyes of the kingedome of heauen power to open or to shut heaueÌ„ that is to wit the ministerie of preaching the Gospell wherby is shewed assuredly promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes and eternall life to beleuers and the reteyning of sinnes certaine damnation is threatened to the vnbeleuers No godly maÌ„ doubteth but that these keyes were geuen also vnto Bisshoppes of Rome agayne euery man knoweth that the latter popes would not vse theÌ„ lawfully but corrupting the Euangelicall veritie and infecting the lawefull ministerie haue gotten them counterfetted keyes Therfore is geuen to them of the Prince of darkenes the keye of the botomles pitte to witte corrupt and counterfet doctrine and not the Apostolical but apostaticall ministerie wherby as it were from hell set open they haue brought forth outrageouse errours and superstitions and vngodlines of all sortes The popes keyes And I suppose it hath chaunced not with out Gods prouidence that Bisshoppes of Rome are called Clauigers or keye bearers and weare keyes in their Armes But you shall not vnderstande them to be the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but of the botomlesse pitte rather sins he is a teacher of errours and of all abomination Authour moreouer of all warres and dissentions leadyng them euen vnto Hell God is a liuely fouÌ„tayne God is in dede the fountaine of perpetuall goodnes and of all veritie whiche opened in Christ by the Apostles in the preachyng of the Gospel refressheth with holesome water al that thirste for eternal saluation Of this fouÌ„taine Esaye maketh mention in the .55 chapt And Ieremie in the .2 chap. The Lorde also in the Gospel after Iohn in the .4 .7 chapt and in diuerse other places The botoÌ„lesse pitte Against this liuely fountaine of euerrunnyng waters is set the botomlesse pitte vnsearchable I saye by reason of the mallice of Sathan full of vngodlines abomination and aâ—â— kinde of liyng From hence blubbereth vp into the world by false teachers and ministers of Antichrist what errour and abomination so euer is in the world For Sathan the father of lies spreadeth abroade in the worlde by his instrumentes what darkenes so euer there is The botoÌ„les pitte is opened Therfore the starre or Aungel of the botomles pitte that is the Pope or Bishop of Rome openeth the bottomles pitte with a keye and by by ascendeth vp the smoke of the pitte For I haue spoken hitherto of the beginnyng of euill nowe shal follow of the proceding and setting forth of the same The Pope by his corrupt ministerie openeth Hel Smoke out of the botomlesse pitte and not Heauen Out of hell ascendeth or riseth a smoke Smoke in some places of the Scripture is a token of the presence and wrath and vengeauÌ„ce of God as where in the time of Esaye a smoke rose in the Temple of Salomon 3. boke of Kinges 8. chapt Esaye 6. In the .19 of Exod. We reade smoke ascended from the mouÌ„taine as out of a fornace You reade in the .18 psalm Smoke wente vp in the wrath of God fire burnte from before his face At
this present smoke semeth to signifie hurteful and deuillish opiniōs Smoke hurteth the eyes and suffereth not clerely to see the trueth So doeth also peruerse doctrine it daseleth the eyes taketh away iudgement blindeth with errour And worthely do they suffer these thinges of the smoke of God his wrath of the lies of disceaueable men whiche haue forsaken the light of the Gospell and the grace and perspicuitie of Gods veritie Vnder the name of this smoke infernal are conteyned the opinions and abominable doctrine that the Bishop of Rome as he is the prelate of the chiefe churche and Sea Apostolicke so to be pastour vniuersal and Apostolical and morouer the head of the church militaunt the vicar of Christ in earth whose voyce muste be hearde aswel as Christes him self that he hath full power in the church the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. And the reste of the like sorte That the same ordeyneth and geueth to al churches Bisshops or Pastours which should gouerne al other churches after the prescripte of the church of Rome c. But how great this smoke is and howe effectuall How great smoke of what effecte it is liuely expressed it ascendeth sayeth he as the smoke of a great fournace And signifieth that the popish opinions and doctrine are thicke or grosse manifolde and apparent where in dede they be nothing but smoke and vanitie puffed vp and vayne But it is of such a power that it darkeneth the sunne and the ayer I haue tolde you ofte times nowe that Christ is the sunne of rightuousenes And we cal the ayer the holesome doctrine wherwith the soules of the faithful are refresshed Therfore by the popishe doctrine the sunne the ayer that is Christ and the Gospell are obscured Christ is the pastour vniuersall the high and only Bisshop the head helth of the faithfull whiche freely forgeueth sinnes the whiche is preached by the Gospell This doctrine waxeth vile what time the Pope is admitted for head of the churche with the ful power of graunting indulgences for all sinnes Thus is the sunne darkened Howebeit the euil procedeth further and setteth vp it selfe in the churche a greate deale more effectuall Of the smoke arrise locustes For out of the smoke came forth Locustes vpon the Earth For what time through the false perswation of corrupt doctrine the eyes of al men were blinded and loked not rightly vpon Christ and his only gospell and all men reuerenced the Pope as the vicar of Christ the head of the church and a man Apostolicall and as it were the mouth of God and he nowe made Bisshoppes and priestes and nurrished auaunced and establisshed Monkes and Freres an infinite multitude of the clergie increased moste luckely I meane by a moste plentiful increase and numbre that coulde not be numbred For he him selfe immediately in the wordes that followe and with a fuller exposition declareth that he speaketh nothing of those little wormes the Locustes For he sayeth and it was commaunded them that they should not hurte the grasse or haye of the earth verely the clergie liueth not with haye nother any grene thing nor any tree but menne only As though he should saye I speake nothing of grassehoppers suche as in times past distroyed Aegipte but I speake of pestilent men affliccyng men with the poyson of doctrine But a little after they are so described in euery poincte that no man nede to doubte that the false clergie thereby is signified What are Locustes The whiche thing Primasius also sawe which in his commentaries vpon this boke sayed he putteth thauthours of euil doctrine For like as the Locuste hurteth with her mouth so do they teare with theyr preachinges as we reade gready Wolues not sparyng the flocke c. Thus sayeth he There be also other causes wherefore he likened the false clergie to Locustes Yf the locuste be alone he semeth to be moste contemptible so there is nothing more vile than a solitarie Monke or Frere priest or sophister but if they swarme together they be a terrour to men neither can they be driuē away with any force they eate distroye all When the prophet Ioel would shewe a great euil to come he saieth that the Locustes wil come In somer they singe leape lyue at ease and pleasure to the losse and hinderaunce of husbandmen The same thinges mayest thou see also in the clergie An excuse exceptiō I speake nothing here of holy priestes that is lawful ministers of the church of good men honest and learned I speake nothing of the auncient holy Monkes whiche were burthenouse or greuouse to no man and wer no preachers but very lay men getting their liuing with their handes in the churche subiecte with other faythful to the pastours of the churche c. I speake of the vnlawful sluggerds Idle bealies deuourers of vitaile but chiefly of false teachers And doubtles the Popes clergie is moste rightly cōpared to grassehoppers or catarpillers The clergy is innumerable For both they are innumerable and they occupie and cōsume al thinges In times past the ministers of the churches mighte be numbred For the nombre was but smal nother were vnprofitable or vnnecessarie persones nurrished of the church goodes There remaineth a constitution of themperour Iustinian where emongs other things we ordeyne that there be not at any time in the sacred great church aboue .lx. Priestes men Deacons an C. Subdeacons lxxxx and readers an hondreth and ten nor aboue .xxv. singers that the whole nūbre of the clergie of the greater churche maye consiste in ccccxxv persones and besides an C. dore kepers as they terme them Therefore in the moste holy great church of this our noble Citie of Constantinople and in those three churches to the same vnited to witte in the churche of our Ladie S. Theodore and S. Irenes let there be so great a multitude of the clergie This some of the ministers of this imperiall citie and moste large churche establisshed fiue hondreth and twentie and fiue persones But how many at this daye may you finde at Rome or in an other greate Citie Priestes Monkes Freres and Nunnes They excede this numbre foure times and more And to leaue out many thinges that mighte here be brought in Pope Pius Sabellicus sheweth in the .9 booke of Aeneidos the .7 Chapter That the secte of graye freres was so greately multiplied through out the worlde that than they helde and possessed .xl. prouinces and vnder euery one diuerse Cloysters and conuentes wardens they call the rulers and exceded the numbre of three score thousande men in so much that the master of the whole order whome they call general hath ben hearde many times to offer the pope preparing an Armye against the Turkes thirtie thousand fighting men of the order of S. Fraunces which should be well able to serue in the warres and yet be no hinderaunce or let to theyr religion or seruice And
a whoremonger entreth not into the kingdome of God Ephes 5. Finally is set thefte with all his partes Thefte Wherof I spake ones in the exposition of the .x. coÌ„maundementes The Lord Iesus preserue vs from all defilyng of sinnes c. Amen ¶ Christ a strong Aungell is set agaynst Antichrist and is excellently described shinyng againe in the darkenes of the church with consolation The .xliij. Sermon ANd I sawe an other mightie angell come downe from Heauen The .10 chapter clothed with a clowde and the raynebowe vpoÌ„ his head and his face was as the Sunne and his fete as it were pillers of fire he had in his hand a little boke open and he put his right foote vpon the sea and his lefte foote on the Earth And cried with a lowde voyce as wheÌ„ a lion roareth And when he had cried seuen thonders spake theyr voices and when the seuen thonders had spoken theyr voyces I was about to write And I hearde a voice froÌ„ heaueÌ„ saiyng vnto me seale vp those things whiche the seuen thonders spake and write them not Hitherto haue we hearde many things of the most daungerouse conflictes against the christen pietie and veritie but nothing hath ben spoken of the defence and maynteiners of the trewe religion but rather the successe and wonderfull felicitie of the wicked hath ben preached especially in the fifte and sixte trompet to witte vnder Papistrie Mahometrie Therfore it might seme to many that the veritie it selfe was not only oppressed loste but also that the veritie of Gods promesses began to fainte decaie A greuouse teÌ„ptatioÌ„ in the felicitie of the AntichristiaÌ„s For the godly oppressed iniquitie triuÌ„pheth in al places the veritie being trodeÌ„ vnder fote liyng reigneth euery where Who therfore would not thinke that the thinges be in maner vaine which are spoken euery where of the rewardes of good men and punnishmeÌ„t of euill doubtles the children of Israell doubted of the fayth of Gods promesses when the terme of their captiuitie was extended only to three score and ten yeres What maruell is it than if the faithful at this daye also seyng the seruitude or bondage of Mahomet and the tiranny of the Pope or Antichrist hath continewed nowe many yeres beginne also to be tempted as also the Sainctes were tempted in olde time witnes Asaph Psalme .73 And verely ye shall haue at this daye which wil say perauenture this world shal be alwaies shal neuer haue ende papistrie shall reigne for euer the Mahometanes shal conquer for euer the godly shal be miserable for euer therfore it is better to frame theÌ„selues to the world we haue nowe loked for thy iudgement a long time yea our fathers D.CCC. and a thousande yeres since had thought the last day of the Lord had ben at hand but none ende appereth any where but all thinges are dayly renewed therefore shal the same face of the world be alwaies the courses of times dewly retourning Who therefore knoweth whether a rewarde be prepared for the godly or punnishmeÌ„t for the wicked For there chaunce farre other thinges vnto holy men than many loke for They loking for blessing life felicitie beholde they are ouerwhelmed with the curses of al menne caried to executioÌ„ and seme the most vnfortunate of all men He that cleaueth to the papistes Turkes and enemies of the Gospell goeth through luckely enough c. Therfore as euery where in this boke ioyfull thinges are mixed with sorrowfull so here also after moste greuouse battels of the .v. and .vi. trompet and moste stronge temptations he ioyneth a most ioyouse gospel for the consolation coÌ„firmation of the faithful leest they should any where doubte of the fidelitie of gods promesses or reuolte from the trewe religioÌ„ to the false therfore against Antichrist the blacke Aungell of the botomles pitte is set the bright or shining Angel of heaueÌ„ the lord Christ Here is gallauntly described is sayed to retourne vnto his the same sweareth solemnely that there shal be none other time but that in the .vii. trompet the very misterie of God should be fulfilled Moreouer the lorde Christ coÌ„maundeth S. Iohn to eate the open boke which Christ held in his hande to prophecie againe By al the which thinges to the coÌ„fort of al godly is signified that Christ shal retourne into the church out of the which he semed by his enemie and vicar to be cast out with great glory and power nother the hope and expectation of the faithful to be vaine how so euer the last daye of iudgement be differred into many ages and the godly fele of great aduersitie Finally that punnishment and rewarde is prepared of God and that this shal be geuen to the godly and that inflicted to the wicked For to the intent we might herof be most assured Christ taketh a solemne othe And sayeth it shal come to passe that the catholicke and christian veritie shall agayne come into the fielde and fighte valeauntly against the Antichristian and Mahometical doctrine Herof therfore shal we learne not to despeire in the loÌ„g persecutions of Antichrist and Mahomet We shall learne also howe to fight agaynst Antichrist and howe he muste be ouercomen not with warlicke but spiritual weapons These is not he able to match He whetteth one sworde on an other And hitherto in dede in these two last chapt hath ben spoken of the warres of heretikes and of the vngodly and of Antichrist the head of al euil hereafter shal follow of the contrary fight of the godly and maynteynaunce of Godlynes Before these is set a description of Christ most elegaunt A goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ moste holesome and moste full of consolation declaryng his force in the ministerie by the ministers of the worde whoÌ„ he hath clothed with vertue from aboue by the weake things of this world ouercoÌ„meth and beateth together the stroÌ„gest things of this world and the which semed inuincible Christ king and Bisshop animateth al his faythfull with his spirite and word indifferently alwaies and euery where worketh many things by his vertue so that he is now felte of al meÌ„ to be coÌ„men againe vnto whoÌ„ he semed hitherto to haue absented him self some what to long And I doubt whether ther be in all the canonical bokes aâ—ter the prophecie of Esaye after the story of the Gospell and especially after the gospell of blessed S. Iohn any other boke which hath mo and more goodly descriptions of Christ than hath this boke They are disceyued and much abused which suppose a rare gospell to be preached in this boke But let vs see the descriptioÌ„ of Christ by partes Christ a mighty Angell We haue shewed in the .v. and .vi. trompe that Antichrist the Pope and Mahomet are stroÌ„g Now is set agaynst them a mightie Aungel the lord Christ him selfe an Angel in dede not in nature or dignitie For he toke not the nature of an Aungel but
to Baal In them hath he a moste strong and moste purified kingdome figured by the firie pillers Certes thapostle calleth the churche a piller and base of veritie .1 Timoth. 2. And Christ him self also sayeth that his kingdome in the world is vnmouable howe so euer it be assayled of Antichriste The gates of hel shal not preuaile agaynst it and his church And like as Antichrist coueteth to haue the boke of the gospel shutte and closed obscure and vnperfit The Angel holdeth in his hand a boke open so the lord Christ holdeth the boke open in his hande He openeth and no man shutteth You vnderstaÌ„d therfore wherof it cometh that Antichrist although he be of moste great power can not at this day shut the gospel boke which he seketh with al his force to do Of christ his spirite we haue the word bright clere By the grace of Christ we haue the bright preaching of the gospel coÌ„trariwise a darke an intricate sophistrie of Antichrist of this boke shal follow herafter more pleÌ„tiâ—ul thinges Herunto apperteineth the worthie inuention and godly benefite of Printing neuer coÌ„mended enough This openeth bokes Printing and sendeth them abroade into the world in dispite of all the enemies of Gods veritie and scattereth them abroade in euery corner of the world So that they whiche can not heare preachers to them come godly bokes not without fruicte The sownde of Antichristes winges The Angel roareth like a lion is as the noise of charettes when many horses runne into battel therefore Christ also maketh a noise and crieth in dede with a lowde voice S. Iohn addeth a parable He roareth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he loweth which is asmuch as if he had sayed he roareth For Erasmus perauenture saieth he the Grekes kepe not the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the latines doe betwene Rugire and Mugire that is to roare to lowe as a Lion We haue hearde before how Christ is called a lion of the tribe of Iuda Therfore like as when a lioÌ„ reareth as Amos noteth in the .3 chap. Al are affrayed of themselues so when the Lord Christ crieth by his word al the wicked are amased Wherby is signified that the gospell shal be preached agaynst Antichrist constantly and with Authoritie to the terrour of Gods enemies And doubtlesse although the princes aswel spirituall as temporall seme to contemne and vtterly to dispise the preaching of the Gospell yet is it certayne by many tokens and coniectures that they are excedingly fore affrayed of that preachyng whiche as vile they dispise For they indeuour with all force of minde and herunto applye all theyr counselles that thei might abolish that same preaching But in case thei suppose it to be of no force whie are they so affraied therof whie are they at so great charges whie can they neuer be at rest herunto apperteineth the common prophecie which telleth that whilest antichrist reigneth Helias shal come which with a sharpe liuely manly preaching shal confute the triflings of Antichrist Therefore the spirite of Helias and his ernest preachyng is that roarynge of the Lion whiche roareth out Christes veritie The voyces of the seuen thoÌ„ders And as soone as that roaryng was hearde the seueÌ„ thonders vtter also theyr voyces By the which voyces are signified the sondry graces of the holy ghost and chiefly the terrible preachyng out of the veritie of the canonicall scriptures as appered in the .4 chapt of this boke For with the gospel in the latter ages shal be expounded agayne the Scripture of the prophetes whiche semeth as it were to thonder agaynst Antichrist agaynst sinnes and wicked people Verely Iames and Iohn bretherne and Apostles of Christ of the free plaine ernest preachyng of the trueth are called of the lorde Boanerges that is the sonnes of thonder thonderers that is to witte excellently sharpe in preaching and to be feared He is forboden to write the voices of thoÌ„ders he is coÌ„maunded to seale them And S. Iohn would by and by haue written the voices oâ— preachyng of the thonders but he is forbidden so to do bâ—â— is coÌ„mauÌ„ded to seale them only For sins the holy scripture through the inspiration of the holy ghost was writteÌ„ and 〈◊〉 forth already by the seruauntes of God the Prophetes and Apostles what nede were it to wryte and set it forth againe Those thinges are sufficient for the godly that are written Therof maye the preachers take vnto theÌ„ agaynst Antichrist and al sectes thonderinges lightenings and thonderboltes And where he is coÌ„maunded to seale vp the thinges set forth already it alludeth to the laste chapt of Daniel and that sealyng is referred aswell to the godly as vngodly Sealed letters are doubtles of most authoritie S. Iohn therfore by his sealyng maketh not now the Scriptures authenticall but in sealyng them declareth that they are authenticall enough so to the full scriptures no godly man goeth about eyther to adde or diminish Thus I saye the Scriptures are sealed to the godly as to theÌ„ that are most perswaded that the scriptures are most perfit and Authentical which may most fully suffice in the church for trewe pietie against all vngodlynes Where the wicked will not see this seke not for al thinges of godly religion in the Scriptures nother care greatly for the scriptures what maruell is it though the Scriptures be sealed to them that is shutte vp whiche they neyther greatly care for nother vnderstand nor yet wil vnderstande And on this wise is Christ sette against Antichrist and recouereth agayne his church discomfiteth and subdeweth Antichrist to whom be malediction for euer ¶ The Lord Christ perfourmeth an othe and confirmeth his electe that they should not doubt of the fayth of Gods promesses c. The .xliiij. Sermon ANd the Angel which I sawe staÌ„de vpon the sea and vpon the earth lift vp his hande to Heauen and swore by him that liueth for euer more whiche created heauen and the things which therin are and the sea and the thinges which are therin that there shal be no more time but in the daies of the voice of the seuenth Angell when he shal beginne to blowe euen the mistery of God shal be finisshed as he preached by his seruauntes the Prophetes But whilest the wicked triuÌ„phed and thenemies of God Antichrist Mahomet ouercame with most lucky successe whilest al good men were oppressed and disceipte and liyng reigned euery where many men will thinke that there shall neuer be an ende nother of these euilles nor yet of the world For the Apostle S. Peter knowe this sayeth he that in the latter dayes shal come mockers which wil walke after their owne concupiscences and wil saye where is the promesse of his coÌ„ming Of whom Malachias also reasoneth in the .3 and 4. chapt But to the intent the goodnes of God might heale the wouÌ„des of the godly and might auaunce
Helias cried out how long halte ye on both sides As though he should saye it is not lawful to part your hartes betwixt two Gods nother is it lawful to atttribute al thinges of life of saluation but vnto God alone The fellowship of the kingdom is in this case enuiouse in dede The Helianes shal crie if rightuousenes be of the lawe Christ died in vaine No man can serue two maisters Christ shall profit you nothing which seke saluation in the traditions of men Come ye vnto Christ he is the perfection of the faithfull in him we are complete And like as Helias greuousely accused Achab Iezabel and the Baalamites righte so shall the Helians most sharpely inueye against kinges and Bishoppes Idolaters and Antichristians Thus I saye Helias cometh againe hath commen and shal come before the iudgement Nother shal S. Iohn prophecie otherwise before the iudgement Before the iudgement Iohn came against antichrist He shal not retourne into the Earth in his body out of Heauen but the preachers indewed with the doctrine of S. Iohn shal renewe al his doctrine thei shal expounde such thinges whiche he hath lefte vnto the church written in his Gospell in his Epistles and in the Apocalipse This booke hath a while layne hidde contemned also of good and learned men yet preachyng the same that is conteyned and set forth in this boke but it shal be brought to light of others be set by as it is playne that in this our memorie is done of many And of al these thinges we doe clerely perceyue how Antichrist muste be impugned and slayne not with carnall Armures but with spirituall to witte by sincere doctrine framed after the example of Enoch Helie and Iohn and taken out of the holy scriptures Wherof we shal speake more fully in the .11 Briefly the doctrine of Iohn about the laste iudgement shal be renewed agayne and be knowen to the worlde in despite and agaynst theyr will And vnder the doctrine of Iohn we vnderstande the whole euangelical and Apostolical doctrine in the writing settyng forth wherof S. Iohn also imployde a singular trauell amongs the most excellent What thei must be with what qualiâ—ies furnisshed that preache against antichrist And in the meane season in the same vision is figured the whole maner of the faithfull and lawefull Preachers to be matched with Antichrist what thei ought to be with what qualities furnisshed First S. Iohn is called by a voyce spoken to him from heauen with a coÌ„maundement goe Therfore is Gods vocation chiefly necessary leest any maÌ„ should take vpon him this office with an euill affection Moses was called the prophetes and Apostles were called some in dede immediately from God not of men nother by men some of God also but yet by men and of men The apostles of Christ were not called of men boasting the lawfull succession from Caiaphas Annas colledge of priestes neuerthelesse had their vocation of Christ and approued their vocation in dede to wil by preachyng of the veritie Therefore albeit we cannot at this daye referre our vocation to the Pope and Bisshops braggyng of the lawful succession yet for asmuch as we are able to approue it in very dede and by the testimonies of Christ that our doctrine is Christes doctrine therfore that our ministerie is lawful we care not a whit for theyr opprobriouse and rayling words which crie that we be not called that we be not ordeyned by the Pope To the called is geueÌ„ a sure coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to take the boke of the haÌ„de of the Angel But to him that is called is geuen a sure coÌ„maundement to witte that he take the boke not euery boke but the booke open and that of the hande of the Aungel and agayne of the Aungel standyng vpon the sea lande That Angel is Christ the Lord Lord of the whole Earth of the Sea and al thinges conteyned therein He with his hande offereth to his ministers a boke open to witte the holy scripture and chiefly his sacred holy gospel wrapped with no darkenes nother closed but right manifest to theÌ„ that wil see For albeit that for thantiquitie of the tongue for the proprietie of speach for the figures rites places things stories out of memory some places maie appere somwhat harde what doeth this darken or obscure the misterie of fayth and saluation neuerthelesse most open plaine who vnderstandeth not what he should beleue what he should do how he should pray euen of the Articles of the faith of the .x. coÌ„maundementes and the lordes praier The some of faith and of doctrine is certaine plaine Esaye 29 2. Cor. 4. This boke therfore opened Christ offereth to his ministers And S. Iohn hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little boke not a boke For if ye compare the holy bible especially the gospel boke with other lawes bokes and especially the decrees and decretalles of the Pope the little boke of the holy gospel shal seme very smal Primasius expoundyng this place he semeth sayeth he to vnderstande the veritie of the lawe and prophetes manifested in Christ therfore he sayeth not now as before that he taketh the sealed but the open boke For Christ is the ende of the lawe for rightuousnes to al that beleue and so forth Therefore the lord Christ him selfe geueth vnto the sincere preachers none other preaching than his owne to witte the Euangelicall For he is the light and redemer of the worlde rightuousenes and life nother is there saluatioÌ„ in any other This preaching is not fetched nor takeÌ„ of others than of the handes of the Angel not of the handes of the Pope or Bishops Christ sayeth go forth into the whole worlde and preache the Gospel to euery creature teachyng them to kepe al thinges which I haue coÌ„maunded you Now is also required obedience of the ministers The obedience of the ministers that they obeye the coÌ„maundement of God and that they craue and receyue that which they are coÌ„maunded to axe and receyue In vayne doe some loke for a drawyng and working of saluatioÌ„ outwardely and with out then to be finisshed through the only inuisible operation of God Yf God will haue me blessed and iuste saye they let him worke in me what he wil. Moreouer they themselues are not careful how they should applie themselues to the grace of God workyng by grace Agaynst their vngodlines is it that we heare now howe S. Iohn applieth him self to the coÌ„maundementes of God not without grace For he goeth to the Aungell and sayeth geue me the boke For the Lord must be prayed we must reade diligently as S. Paul also coÌ„maundeth we muste learne and obeye the commaundementes of God The Lord denieth nothing to theÌ„ that are and not tary til God without vs do drawe vs. And the lord denieth nothing to them that are willing do are and are dilligent
vnderstand that is to saye al that same time that is rekened frō the fatall yeres .666 wherof is mentioned in the .13 chapt of thapocalipse vntil the last iudgemēt And whie I do expounde a certen time by an vncerten these be the causes First for asmuch as the same nombre of monethes is put here in the .13 chapt And is ascribed to the olde Romane Empire verely that in their tribulations the Sainctes might vnderstand comfort themselues that there is an ende appoincted to their tirāny which is knowen of God and that the Sainctes should no more be sorrowful than if they should be cōstreyned to abide their tiranny a fewe monethes only Otherwise if ye should accompte from the firste yere of Iulius Cesar and bring the course of time vntil that yere wherin Odacer at Rome al emperours of the weste beyng takē awaye was acknowledged for King you shal not finde only three yeres and an half but about fiue hondreth and .xvii. yeres Yf you shal bring the accompte from Iulius to the empire taken awaye and geuen to the pope you shal finde about .767 yeres The later cause for that Daniel the Lorde Christe and the Apostle S. Paule agreablely do saye that the persecution of Antichrist should last vnto the iudgemēt But who shal rekē vnto vs the yeres and dayes of the last iudgement And therefore must the nōbre certayne be expounded by the vncerten and must thinke that al thinges are nombred prefixed in the counsel of god which neuer neglecteth his faithfull To him be glory for euermore Amen ¶ Of the two prophetes fightyng manfully agaynst Antichrist and of their power The .xlvij. Sermon ANd I will geue power to my two witnesses thei shal prophecie a M. cc. and .lx. daies cloted in sacke cloth These are two oliue trees two cādelstickes stādyng before the God of the Earth And if any man wil hurt them fire shal come forth of their mouth deuour their enemies And if any man will hurt thē this wise must he be killed these haue power to shut heauē that it raigne not in the dayes of their propheciyng and haue power ouer waters to tourne them to bloud and to smite the earth with al maner plagues as oftē as they will These thinges apperteyne also to the consolation of the faithful Prophetes are promised For the lord promiseth that he wil sende prophetes that is preachers whiche shall mayneteyne and defende the veritie of the Gospel and glory of Christ assayle Antichrist and distroye his kingdome and auaunce the saluation of the faythfull In the fourmer chapt 8. and .9 was described the fight of Antichrist and heretikes agaynst God his Christ and against his church now at fewe wordes is set agaynst the same the cōtrary fight the army of Christ is munstred Two prophetes And he bringeth forth two Prophetes that is preachers not for that there shal be two only but for that he wil so signifie that the power of Christ in the worlde should be and seme to worldly men small as I shal tel you anone in the meane time he vnderstandeth al faithful preachers and pastours of al times whiche offer themselues to resiste Antichrist and heretikes There be that expounde these thinges of Enoch and Helie which shal come corporally before the iudgemēt Howbeit S. Hierome in the epistle to Marcella doeth referre that opinion to Iewish fables signifiyng that these thinges must de spiritually expounded of those prophetes as are also the most things of this boke And in maner al expositours with great concorde doe interprete all these thinges of these Prophetes spiritually and not corporally after the lettre I suppose that for two causes there be two Prophetes only here rehersed First for that he would allude to the olde Historie or prophecie of Zacharie which is in the .4 chapt It was thought than also to the people of Israel retourned from Babylon that the reparyng of the Tēple was vnpossible for that they had many and mightie aduersaries and they were weake and fewe and their gouernours Zorobabel and Iehosua contemned but through the mightie hande of God and his faithful ayde it came to passe that the power of their aduersaries vanisshed awaye as vayne and they indespite of hell gates buylded vp their Temple right so the Lorde sayeth it shal be in that later age that the ministers most contēptuous and very fewe in nombre shal buylde vp Christ his temple and repare it shake the most mighty power of Antichrist Herunto I suppose belongeth that saiyng of Daniel and when they shal fal they were holpen with smal ayde c. Secondely for this cause chiefly he accompteth only two witnesses for that it is red written in the Lawe in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery worde shal stande It is iudged therfore a full testimony whiche shall be confirmed with the agreable declaration of two Where therfore the lord sayeth that he wil geue two Prophetes it is asmuch to saye as that he wil geue so many ministers as shal suffice which shal both builde vp his church and also plucke downe and rēt a sonder the kingdome of Antichrist There be of the expositours which thinke that by two witnesses are vnderstande two testamētes Howbeit we see that the Lord speaketh here of witnesses not of the thing testified or to be witnessed which neuerthelesse we separate not from the witnesses The Apostles and Apostolicall men are called witnesses euery where in the Gospel and in the .1 Who be witnesses chapt of the Actes of Apostles Witnesses are ordeyned in iudgement that they should faithfully vtter that whiche they haue sene or hearde that they should forge nothing of themselues to the things that should be testified should nother adde or put any thing nor take awaye any thing So likewise are placed of God in the church of God the witnesses of God that is to saye ministers and of them is required that they Imagine nothing of their owne braine nother put to nor take away any thing from Gods worde but simply declare to the church of God the thinges they haue sene in the story of the Gospell and hearde of the prophetes and Apostles Therfore are thei false witnesses nother worthie to be called the witnesses of God and of Christ which bryng not the Gospell They be rather the Popes witnesses whose decrees decretalles they bring forth and beare witnes of them to the folish people Therefore shal those two prophetes be witnesses of Christ and shal bryng witnes for Christ out of the most trewe Scriptures And the beginnyng of them is here referred to God and to his Christ as the original of Antichrist is reduced to the deuil him self The original of prophetes I wil geue sayeth the lord to my two witnesses and they shal prophecie Christ sendeth preachers geueth to them also that they can preach The which is a wonderful comforte For like as
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
inuadeth not only the auncient churche but euen the very head of the church and redemer Christ howebeit with his furie outrageouse he could nothyng preuayle therefore he shal no more preuaile agaynst his membres Now he retourneth againe to the church and sayeth the church fleeth into wildernes after the dragon could bringe nothing to passe agaynst the sonne of God he wente and made warre agaynst the church and the churche fled into wildernes Certenly Iewrie in the prophetes is compared to a place most frequented the gentiles are called a deserte or wildernes Therefore after Christes ascention the Apostles departyng out of Iewrie repared to the gentiles yea and the Iewes inspired of the red dragon caste out the church out of their limites which was constreined as appereth in the Actes of Apostles to flee vnto the gētiles And where the Lorde hath prepared a place for his churche and the churche was greately augmented emongs the gentiles certenly it was through his grace and by no merite of man whiche prepared the place whiche calleth directeth and kepeth his shepe the same hath disposed and yet doeth dispose for this churche ministers or pastours which may fede it as the rauens did Helias al the time that shal be vnto the worldes ende For as for the nōbre of those daies I discoursed before And by this exposition is signified that the dragon shal fight stoutely against the church so that she shal be cōpelled to flee but how much so euer he shal rage against the churche the lorde God shal yet prepare a place in earth wherin she maye dwell safe and will euer sende pastours to fede He sheweth moreouer that the flight shall not alwayes be reprochable The Lord saue and kepe vs. Amen ¶ The description of the conflicte of Christe and the Church with the Dragon the dragō is ouercome the heauenly dwellers sing prayses The .liij. Sermon ANd there was a great battell in heauē Michaell his Angels fought with the dragon the dragō fought his Angels preuailed not nother was their place foūde any more in heauē And the dragon that olde serpent called the deuil and Sathanas was cast out Which deceaued all the world And he was cast into the Earth his Angels were cast out with him also And I hearde a lowde voice which sayed in Heauen nowe is saluation and strength and the kingdome become our Gods the power is Christes for he is caste downe which accused them before God daie night And thei ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe and by the worde of their testimony and they loued not their liues vnto the death Therfore reioyce ye heauens and ye that dwell therin Wo vnto the inhabiters of the earth and the sea for the deuill is comen doune vnto you which hath great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Thapostle hath spoken of the partes of the notable fight worthie battel he hath spoken also of attēptes pourpos of the dragō which verely applieth al his coūsels to this intēt that he may deuoure al godlines that is might distroy it vtterly he hath shewed how he began to moue warre agaynst the church which fled into the wildernes now as it were leauing the womā in the wildernes he semeth to bring forth other soldiours whiche geue battel to the dragon most valeauntly do impugne also discōfit him al his power S. Iohn therfore describeth the singular fight of one most excellent to witte Michaell which ouercame the Dragon and describeth the general fight annexed with that particular For he addeth that al the Angels of Michael fought agaynst the dragon And first is heauē shewed to be the place of the fight or cōflicte For in heauen sayeth he was fought a great battaile The place of conflict And it is euidēt that Sathan was at the beginning of al things cast out of heauē into the earth and therfore that he moueth no warre in heauē nor reiseth any tumulte there For heauē is a place of rest ioye not of debate and contention Therefore this must be attributed to the visiō For the lord hath in heauen by signes represented this battaile to be sene whiche in dede is fought in earth in the middes of the church But here is set forth an image of a notable fight wherby is shewed what hath ben what is yet done in earth I saied euen now that this cōbat was in dede particular but to haue a general fight annexed For Michael fighteth whiche is as captaine of this warre and Michaelles Angelles fight also Who fight which must be wel discerned although that Michaell his Angels make but one parte only On the other side fighteth the dragō as emperour of this warre his angels fight also And these verely make non other partes thā we haue heard before in the beginning of this chapt That the partie of this fight were the church the deuil Neuertheles leest the victory should be attributed to the church not rather to Christ the womā must now be omitted and Michael brought in fighting Whereupon there is in these thinges some difficultie but it shal be easie enough for him that will marke euery thing in order Who is that Michaell captaine of the warre against the Dragon First we must see what that Michael is there is in dede no doubte but that the Angel Michell appered in the vision with an Army of Angels fighting And that on the contrary parte against thē fought the Dragon with an hoste of deuils But for asmuch as we hearde in the beginning that these were tokens they must nedes signifie betoken other thinges I suppose here therefore to be signified Christ the head of his church king protectour with his mēbres Apostles Martirs faithful Nother is it a rare thing that Christ should be figured to vs by Angels but is euen moste accustomed that Angelles are called the ambassadours of God the faithful seruaūtes of Iesus Christ Christ therfore head of the church the faithfull membres of Christ fight against the Dragon yet after a diuerse sort For christ ouercame him alone in the cōbat with out helpe of any creature whilest in temptations he discomfited him at the last also by diyng on the crosse rising agayne from the dead How christ hath fought with the dragō he al to brake his head This is the only trewe singular victory wherby afterwardes are obteyned the victories of Christes mēbres goten of that general fight wherein Christ fighteth not now only hande to hande with the Deuill but all the membres of Christe at all times vnder Christ their Captayne fight against the Deuill and in the vertue or victory of Christ fight and ouercome as we shal heare by and by in the songe of prayse Why Michael is Christ But for great and sondry causes we affirme Christe to be figured and
shall discourse more at large of the distruction of Rome in the .17 chap. Wherfore within the space of .136 yeares Rome came seuen tymes into straungers handes and was sacked most cruelly and fell on the edge of the sworde and was led into captiuitie Councell how the godly shall demeane theÌ„selues in so great euils which hath long stricken with the swoorde and led away all nations prisoners This was the iust iudgement of God And S. Ihon annexeth a doctrine howe the godly shulde behaue theÌ„selues in so greate troubles and aduersities Here that is to wit whilest the Romanes reigne and rage also in those blouddy and cruel alterations and destruction of the Romane Empire the Sainctes shall nede to haue patience or perseueraunce and fayth These two vertues shal kepe the faithfull that they perish not also Of patience the lord speaketh in S. Luke the .21 chapt In your patience shal you possesse your soules Of faith speaketh blessed Iohn and this is the victory that ouercometh the world euen your faith Impatience and incredulitie hath led away many into the deniyng of the faith to idolatrie and to al vngodlines So learne we also how to arme our selues in our dayes against all vngodlines The lord deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ Of an other beast which cometh vp out of the Earth that is to saye of Antichrist The .lviij. Sermon ANd I behelde an other beaâ—â— câ—â—â—â—â— vp out of the Earth and he had two hornes like a lambe and he spake as did the Dragon The Apostle S. Paule playnely testifieth What is th ende of this prophecie Rom. 15. such thinges as are written to be written for our learnyng that through the patience consolation of the scriptures we maye haue hope wherfore we must also applie therunto these things present For Christ the lord of all when he foresawe how greatly sathan should by his chosen membres the olde and newe Romane Empire afflicte the church would haue vs dilligently admonished of euery thing to the intent that al afflicted persones should hereof learne patience and conceaue comforte and hope and not be discouraged with the heauy burthen of euilles Like as he hath therfore diligently described the olde Romane Empire and shewed as it were pâ—yntyng with the fingar what mischief it should worke to the church admonisshed al to haue faith patience right so wil he from hence forth describe poperie or Antichristianisme in the which descriptioÌ„ he setteth forth before our eyes what so euer the sainctes shall suffer that beyng warned before they maye abide more manfully persecution and lesse yelde to mischauntes The secoÌ„d beaste cometh not forth tyll the first be taken awaye And in goodly order beginneth he to sette forth Antichrist after the Romane Empire torne and taken awaye For Daniel sayeth that a little and small horne shoulde arrise vp emonges the ten hornes and three of those hornes to poole downe plucke of and caste awaye and so to atteyne vnto greate power For he signifieth that the Romane Empire beyng diuided and brought now vnto decaie Antichrist shal arrise whiche should procure to himselfe a newe and countrefet Empire And S. Paule sayeth also that Christe shall not come vnto iudgement till Antichrist haue gone before and that he shall not come nother vnlesse this be firste taken awaye whiche hindereth and letteth that he can not come The whiche S. Hierome and other holy expositours do vnderstande of the Romane Empire 2. Thess 2. whiche muste be plucked vp and taken awaye and that then shall Antichrist arrise But the Maiestie of the Empire was distroyed aboute the yere of our Lorde .480 when Odacer inuaded Rome For from that time by the space of .300 yeres and more ther was no Emperour of the Weste after Augustulus And besides this vnder the Emperour Iustinian Rome was brente and layde waste of Totila Sins the whiche time the Bisshoppes of Rome haue begonne to loke a lofte and to thinke vpon a newe kingedome The secoÌ„d beaste of the Earth And therefore the Lorde sayeth that this beaste arriseth of the very earth The kyngedome of our lorde Iesus Christe cometh from heauen and bringeth to heauen Papistrie cometh nother of Christ nor of his doctrine but cometh out of the Earth that is to witte of euill meanes Ambition auarice treason and crueltie What ministers of the churche Christ ordeyned is easely perceyued by the Gospell of Iesu Christ That he forbadde them gouernement supremacie superiorite and maioritie as they terme it appereth of the .18 and .20 chapt of S. Matthew and .22 of Lukâ— Therefore do the Actes of Apostles and the doctrine of Peter testifie that Peter was a Minister and not Lorde of the Apostles muche lesse Prince of the citie or Empire of Rome For they lye lowde that saye howe Rome and Italy are the Patrimonie of S. Peter geuen him of the Lorde At the first the Apostles and Apostolicall men ministers of churches gouerned the churches equallye neyther ded one take vpon him more preheminence than an other Which thyng I am able to proue by many testimonies of auncient wryters yf nede requyred Aboute the counsell of Nice and a litle before that tyme when churches were greatly multiplied were ordeyned and custumably receyued Metropolitanes instituted in dede by a laudable but yet mannes ordinaunce that is to witte in a certen prouince or head citie was ordeyned a Byshop or Pastor which shoulde haue as it were theÌ„ ouersighte of the reste and shoulde serue for the calling of Synodes or assemblees Yet was it than dilligently prouided that he shoulde not be called Primate leeste any manne should thinke himselfe preferred before others in power but in order Nother was the Byshop of Rome at that tyme exalted aboue all others but there were dyuerse Metropolitanes whereof the byshop Rome was one The Niceyue counsell confyrmed that same custome and woulde haue it ratified Socrates in his ecclesiastical Historie the .5 boke the .8 chapt reciteth many Metropolitane churches in Asia S. Hierome to Euagrius and in an epistle to Titus sayeth playnely that in oulde tyme churches were gouerned by the common counsell of priestes or elders and that time Byshops and priestes were all one After by the custome of the church not of the veritie of the Lordes ordinauÌ„ce I rehearce Saincte Hieromes wordes Byshops were preferred before priestes yet muste they gouerne churches together And of that same custome Howe the Bisshop of rome came to his supremacie yea rather of the abuse of the custome Antichrist had his beginning For Boniface Bishop of Rome began fyrste to take vppon him dominion ouer the churches of Affricke But he was immediatelye repressed by the sixte Affricane couÌ„cell where at Sainte Austen is red also to haue bene After that began also the Byshop of CoÌ„stantinople to chalenge to himselfe the Supremacie for this cause chiefelie that Constantinople was than the courtelyke Palace and chiefe Citie of the Empyre Howe beit
rules of Italy and deliuer them to the pope whiche he perfourmed in dede For he ouercame kinge Aistulphe toke from him the gouernement of Rauenna and deliuered it to the Bisshop of Rome Herein maye all men see The kings ouerthrowen the Pope him selfe is made a kīg vnlesse it be those which will see nothing how this contemptuouse Bishoppe and very smal horne hath at one pusshe ouerthrowen two hornes For he hath put themperour of Constantinople frō the gouernmēt of Italy and hath put downe the King of Lumbardy caused his people to be driuen out of Italy For a fewe yeres after the Pope by the force of Charlemaigne put downe Desiderius the last king of Lumbardy and distroied withall the whole people of the Lūbardes And thus starte vp the Pope became as it were king of olde Rome of the chiefe parte of Italy And now ar the beginnings of the kingdome laied but as yet he reigned not with full authoritie as is declared before Eberardus therfore Bisshoppe of Salisburge whose wordes I recited in the preface of this boke extendeth these things further But I suppose this our exposition to accorde with the prophet with the thinges times And the pope gaue to king Pipine for so great a donatiō a title as Platina sheweth in the life of Stephen the .2 that al kinges of Fraūce shuld be called moste Christen Afterwarde was the Image of the Empire bestowed vpon Charles whereof is spoken before And leest the Pope should seme to haue receiued nothing whilest king Pipine gaue him therarchate the stories reporte thus The Pope made a most mightie king thexarchate was diuided into two regiones in Pentapolis and Aemilia Pentapolis had fiue cities Rauenna Cesena Classe Forum liuij and Forum popilij In Aemilia were Bononie Rhezo Parma Placence and all the lādes that lie from the borders of the Placentines and Ticinians vnto Adria and frō Adria to Arimine c. But he that liste maye reade the Donation of Ludouicus pius in Volateranes Geographie where he nombreth the kynges of Fraunce We saye nothing yet of this that afterward he vsurped to him self power ouer kings and realmes finally ouer all churches and soules so that we must confesse that a more maruelouse prince neuer liued Thou hast here a briefe and compēdiouse story declaring how the Pope hauing hūbled ouerthrowē three kinges he him self began to be made a king But let vs now apply herunto the nōbre of the name of the beast The popes power augmēted both in spiritualties in temporallies to th ende it maye so be knowen to the whole world that there is no other Antichrist to be loked for than the bishop of Rome that is comē which in dede laied the foundatiō of his kingdom vnder thēperour Phocas did builde it vnder the kings of Fraūce and inlarged the same vnder themperours Henrickes Friderickes finally hath establisshed it vnder themperours followyng reigneth in our time and hath done certen ages already paste c. The supputation of .666 yeres must be rekened from the time wherin S. Iohn sawe the reuelation Ireneus sayeth It was sene no longe time sins but in a maner in our dayes about th ende of the reigne of Domitian And Eusebius in his chronicles saieth that it was in the yere of our lord .97 Therfore there remayne yet thre yeres to accomplish an hondreth yeres from the birth of our lord Adde therfore to an hōdreth yeres The fatall yere of our lord .763 these yeres of the nōbre of the name of the beast .666 substracte those three yeres of the first hondreth and thou shalt haue the yere of our Lord .763 whiche was the .13 yere or there aboutes of king Pipines reigne and the .7 of Pope Paul Notwithstandyng that there be wryters of stories and times which attribute to Paull but one yere c. Now muste we not loke only what thing happened in the very instaunt of the yere .763 but what chaūced in the nexte yeres fourmer and following Whereof I will recite a fewe thinges oute of the writers of stories and tymes Nauclerus in the .16 generat In the yeare of our Lord. Wōders Monsters 750 saieth he vnder Pope Zacharie and vnder themperour Constantine the .5 began the .26 generatiō in the which was made an alteration of the Kingdome of Fraunce an abolyshment of the Kyngs of Lumbardie and a translatiō of the Romane Empire from the Grekes These so greate alterations the wonders dyd happly pourtend which hapned at this tyme. In Mesopotamia the Earth roue a sunder by the space of two myles and a Mule was sayed to haue spoken with a mans voyce Ashes fel downe from heauen Ther were wonderful Earthquakes Crosses appered vpon mens garmēts These things wrote Nauclerus The lyke are red in the storie of Eutropius in the .22 boke vnder the yeare of Cōstantine the .6 moreouer in the Historicall glasse of Vincent in Fasciculo temporū In the yere of our Lord .751 Pipine is made King through the coūsell of Zachary the Pope Pipine the master of the Kyngs household oppressing his lord Hilderych king of Fraūce began to reigne and reigneth .18 yeres This writeth Aemilius in the .2 boke of kings of Fraūce And in the yere .755 Pipine entreth into Italie with an Armie vanquisheth the King of Lumbardes and geueth the whole gouernemente of Rauenna to S. Peter The exarchate is geuen to the Pope against the wil of the Emperour of Constantinople Vespergensis in chronicis You see howe in stead of the Emperour the Pope beginneth after a sort to reigne at Rome and in Italie the hornes be shaken of according to the prophecie Mathew Palmer in his chron vnder the yeare .756 the Romane Empire sayeth he reuolting a pace in the Easte The begynninges and preludies of the Empyre translated and the Emperour persecuting the Christians Idolaters he shoulde haue termed them Pope Stephen gaue to the kynges of Fraunce the Emperiall titles and dignities and cōfirmed Pipine and the successours of his stocke onely for their kyngs al others vtterly excluded and in the name of the people of Rome called hym Patricium Hitherto Palmer Ihon Functius in his Chron. In the yeare of our Lord .756 the rites and ceremonies of the church of Rome The Romish religion obtruted were caried into Fraunce first receiued In the yeare of our Lord .757 Paule is made Pope and immediately followeth that fatall yeare of our Lord .763 as the middle poinct betwixt the yere 750. .770 or .773 Wherein these thinges haue all together chaūced which both geue the name to Antichrist and whereof as euery thing els is knowen by his name so hath he also his name and is knowen In the yeare of our Lorde .768 Stephen the .3 helde a counsell at Rome in the church Laterane of the byshops of Fraūce of Italie Idolatry is confirmed and decreed that none
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
let him busily praie vnto God that if he fele them the lord would confirme them if he fele them not that the Lord would printe them depely in their mindes ¶ The Aungel preacheth the eternall gospel of Christe The .lxiij. Sermon ANd I sawe an AuÌ„gell fliyng in the middes of heaueÌ„ hauing an euerlastyng Gospell to preache vnto them that sit dwel on the earth and to all nations kinredes and tunges people saiyng with a lowde voice feare God and geue honour to him for the houre of his Iudgement is come and worshippe him that made heauen and earth and the See and the fountaines of water Antichrist desireth nothing so much to be oppressed as the preaching of the Gospell For euen therfore hath he instituted the inquisitours of hereticall prauitie for hâ— dare calle the Gospel heresie Therfore he burneth the Gospel bokes and preachers of the gospel and euery where restreyneth the readyng of the gospel and Euangelical bokes Wherefore the simple suppose that it can not be but that gospel with all his adherentes should perish vtterly Now therfore in the lordes consolation is brought in a vision of an Angel for he is stil in the vision fliyng in the middes of heauen hauing the euerlasting gospel and preachyng to the world Whereby is signified that the gospell shal be preached vnto men in despite of al the enemies therof And he gathereth a briefe some of such thinges as by the gospell are preached to the worlde Those same appertaine also to the coÌ„forte of the church whiche vnder the olde beaste suffered persecutions for the Gospel We will briefly consider euery thing The angel is a figure of the preachers Firste it is euident euen by the fourmer thinges that by thangel is signified the ministers of the worde and the very ministerie of the gospel Certes the scripture calleth preachers Angelles For so is S. Iohn Baptiste named of the prophet Malachie Wherof is spokeÌ„ before And the ministers by this honourable title are admonished of puretie of most sincere faith For Angels be gods ministers whoÌ„ thei only regarde loue and honour whose coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes thei execute most faithfully sincerely and dilligeÌ„tly Such it besemeth preachers to be in their kinde and office And like as Angels cannot be hurte through the treasons and iniuries of men so God defendeth his ministers vntill the houre appointed So is Peter deliuered out of prison in the .12 of thactes So is Paul in Shippewreake c. And he sayeth an other Angell for that he hath brought in already sondry visioÌ„s of diuerse Angels Notwithstanding that other semeth to be put for the firste For he annexeth to this yet two angels moe The first wherof he calleth an other the later the thirde He flieth through the middes of Heauen And this Angell flieth in the middes of heauen By this thinge is signified the lucky course and procedyng of the preachyng of the gospell It is also written in the prophetes his worde runneth swiftely Psalm .19 Dauid compareth the runnyng of the preachyng of the gospell to the course of the sunne ioyefull as a giaunt he runneth his waye iâ— the vttermost parte of heauens he arriseth and runneth againe to the same neyther can any man stoppe him nor hide him self froÌ„ the heate thereof The sunne shineth in all places Therefore shal the preaching be free For as we caÌ„ nother plucke backe nor hinder the thinges that are aboue vs in thayre skie so shall we nother plucke downe nor hinder him that flieth in the middes of heauen The wordes and writinges flie they flie farre wide where Nother can the veritie be oppressed God hath geuen to the world Printyng wherby the gospel is preached and runneth farre wide and most swiftely And this Angell hath the euerlastyng gospell The gospell euerlasting Wherin is the greatest coÌ„forte For it signifieth that the veritie shal be in the world inuincible And for many causes is the Gospell called euerlastyng Firste because the veritie is immortall which can not be bounden how so euer the ministers are fettered slayne .2 Timoth. 2. secondely the gospel is eternal for bicause it was shewed to our firste fathers prophecied in the lawe prophetes fulfilled of Christ declared by thapostles by the grace of God brought vnto vs. Yea before al times was predestinated Reade the .1 to the Ephes For eueÌ„ for this cause is it called euerlasting for asmuch as it apperteineth to vs to our posteritie vnto the worldes ende and not only to our elders And because it is euerlastyng they lie whiche at this daye calle it a newe doctrine or learnyng Papistrie is newe whiche hath his originall what time euery thing was ordeyned c. Moreouer the Apostle sayeth yf I or an Angel from heaueÌ„ shal preach any other gospell or besides the same that ye haue receyued let him be accursed And we heare expressely that the Aungel had not only the Gospell but that he had preached the gospell The angel preacheth Many in dede haue the gospel but dumme and written in bokes The gospel must be shewed forth and pronounced He declareth also vnto whom the gospel must be vttered and preached to the inhabiters of the earth for it must be cried out to such as are drowned in earthly matters and they muste be reysed out of their slepe And after his maner and imitation of blessed Daniel in the .7 chapt He rekeneth vp nations kinredes tunges and people and thus signifieth that the gospell shal be preached â—â—â—ough out the whole worlde Whiche thing the lord sayde also should come to passe in the .24 of Matth. and than that the ende should come And we see at this daye that the gospel hath in a maner thondered through out the whole world And here I geue warning leeste any disceaue him self Thapostle in the .1 Timoth. 3. and .1 Coloss that the gospell was preached through out the whole world in his time Howbeit al men had not than receyued it but a fewe Do not therfore Imagine with thy selfe that the Gospel is not preached vnlesse al receyue it There shal no more be made one sheperde one shepefolde They are abused that promise to theÌ„selues before the iudgement a concorde of all nations for that it is writteÌ„ that there should be ons one sheperde and one shepefolde For the same was accoÌ„plisshed whilest of the Iewisshe Synagoge and dispersion of the gentiles the lord prepared to him selfe one church wherof Christ is head and pastour and Antichrist shal at the length by his laste comyng be abolished Therfore shall he alwayes resiste Christe He preacheth with a lowde voice Furthermore where he seeth heareth this Angell preach the gospel with a lowde voice he meaneth that the preachers shall with great constancie and frankenes also with shrylle voices and most ernestenes preach the gospell agaynst Antichrist And we see at this daye that the more cruelly the faithful are
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
to be loked for in the world to come most dilligently and most certenly he treateth of the state of soules and of the felicitie and blesse of soules which as sone as they die they atchieue assuredly and streightwaye flitting out of this worlde into life euerlasting But they that know these thinges and haue conceaued them by a true faith how thei shal vndoubtedly slitte frō the corporal death into the blessed life it can not be chosen but that they shal more boldely contemne the life present Most certē tables of saluation are to vs exhibited And this holesome doctrine is comprised in three poincts For first he sheweth the certentie therof secōdly he declareth what it is laste he setteth forth and lighteth the same by circūstaunces At the first verely he semeth to allude to the maner accustomably receyued of al nations that such thinges as they wuld haue thought to be certen and vndoubted they would also cōmitte to writing to leaue them vnto posteritie But the certentie veritie or Authoritie of the thing is estemed of thauthours which first haue dispatched any matters emonges thēselues and after haue caused the same to be put in writyng At this present therfore is God shewed to be authour For S. Iohn saieth and I hearde a voice from heauen And by and by addeth ye the spirite sayeth Therefore there is no doubte but that the sonne of God him self hath spoken and reuealed these things Our lord Iesus Christ For him he sawe at the beginning of this reuelation after he seeth diuerse kindes of Aungelles but he seeth not Christ speaking to him But he heareth now his voice from Heauen he heareth the spirite speakyng by whom the lord sayed whilest he was yet cōuersaunt in earth with his disciples that he would treate and speake al thinges in the churche Let vs beleue therefore that the wordes which are here recited by christes doyng to be a celestiall oracle certen and trewe whereof we ought not to doubte And S. Iohn thapostle Euangelist is cōmaūded to write the saiynges of Christ from the heauēly seate Which thing he doeth so at Christes cōmaundement sendeth them vnto al posterie vnto vs also to our ofspring euen to the worldes ende But if tables written by the chaūcelours or secretaries of kinges and Princes beyng notable men deserue credit we maye much more iustely rightly beleue this writing which the sonne of God inditeth from heauen that beloued disciple of Christ the apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn writeth Thou hadst ones a confidence in the Popes bulles they maye well be called bulles sins thei be more vaine than bulles or blabbers in the water sent from the See of Rome wherein thou as one assured didst put ful truste to haue remission of sinnes and blessed life And shalt thou not nowe be accompted madde and out of thy witte in case thou wilt not beleue this heauenly writyng That other was indited by the spirite of Antichrist by the Pope the man of sinne and childe of perdition written of some disceauer infected with Simony and sacrilege which in life and maners was filthines it self But in Iohn is nothing but cleanes puretie integritie and the very sonne of God which prescribeth these things to S. Iohn is the very veritie and life This writing is frely geuen the light of the world lord of heauen and Earth of life death See than how safely thou mayest laine to this heauenly writyng which here is offered geuen thee frely Thou nedest not to disburce for the same one farthing The Pope instituted in the church biyng selling deuelish bargayning about perdōs other things which were plaine disceiptes illusions playne mocheries and open blasphemies therfore accursed for euer as S. Peter also pronoūceth in the .8 of the Actes God him selfe diswadeth al men from such tromperies and bargaines wicked vayne in the .55 chapt of Esaye where he promiseth agayne that he wil geue to the godly al plentie of al good thinges And now let vs heare what the writte is Blessed at the dead whiche die in the lord what S. Iohn is cōmaunded from heauen to put in writing It is a shorte sentēce as also in many places the wisedome of God cōprehēdeth in fewe wordes the true some of blessednes so prouiding for our infirmitie that we nede not to cōplaine that the doctrine were ouer longe which we with our slender vnderstandyng are not able to attayne to The Lord therefore pronounceth them to be blessed whiche die in the Lord then we must see what he vnderstandeth by blessednes and who thei be that die in the lord blessednes is that high felicitie which chaunceth to the faithfull in an other world in the which we shall see God him selfe as he is and haue the fruition of him vnto a ioyefull and neuer lothsomefulnes We shall liue in the same with all the Sainctes for euer and shall haue ioynes that can not be expressed with tunges of men Of the whiche shall followe more afterwarde They shal reste from their labours And more plentifully in the .21 chapt And they dye in the Lorde whiche by faith greffed in Christe layne to him alone depende wholy vpon him only regarde him and desire nothynge els but hym alone For they are sayed to liue in Christe in whome Christ liueth by faith they that liue in Christ do frame their whole life after the will of Christ And they die in the lord chiefly and before all whiche for the confession of the lordes faith suffer death and offer thēselues to tourmentes And not they alone but those also whiche although they die of the sworde of the persecutours yet die when the Lorde calleth them in the trewe christen fayth For these are also blessed as the Lord in S. Iohn verely verely I saye vnto you yf any man kepe my worde he shall not see death for euer Howebeit they die not in the lorde which eyther deny god that they might not be slaine or trust to their owne merites intercessions of Sainctes or to other mens workes be they monkes freres or massemonging priestes and so departe out of this life thinking that thei shal be holpen by other mēs workes To be briefe the veritie of the lord pronoūceth them al blessed and fortunate which departe out of this world in true faith Finally the Lord him self adioyneth a notable declaration of this his briefe sentence For he sette forth the circumstaūce of the time When and how saluation commeth to the dead and the maner of the blessednes For it is wonte to be demaunded what time saluatiō and felicitie happeneth to the dead whether incontinently or after a time that is whether our soules flitte by and by and immediately after the death of the body to the blessed seates or whether they be intercepted for a certen time so that they might be pourged in purgatorie before thei enter into
heauen or whether they be holden with a slepe and loke for the resurrectiō of the bodies to the intent they might than awake and together with their bodies enter into heauen vnto all the which things the celestial oracle aunsweryng forth with sayeth he that is by by cometh vnto soules that same felicitie In the latin copies this place is poincted thus blessed are th◠dead which dye in the lorde Forthwith nowe sayeth the spirite that they maye reste from their labours In like maner readeth the Spanish or Complutēsian copie But Aretas and the Greke copies and also the exampler of Paris is thus poincted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be the ende of the sentence as Erasmus noteth After followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is yee verely certēly sayeth the spirite The sense is therfore that the faithfull beyng dead shal streight wayes immediately atchieue saluation For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word S. Iohn vseth signifieth from the very instaunt from that houre immediately incōtinētly This suffereth no space betwixte but expresseth that which we are wonte to note by the dutch phrase beyng admonisshed therfore by a diuine oracle and confirmed by a writte brought from heauen let vs al be assured that the soules of al faithfull do flitte from the bodily death into life euerlasting These thinges are confirmed and made playne also by other places of Scriptures innumerable I wil chouse out only a certen fewe and those also the testimonies of our sauiour whiche is the light of the worlde and the worde of life In the .3 chapter of S. Iohn he sayeth expressely that the faythfull are so deliuered frō death by his crosse as in times paste by the sight of the brasen Serpent the Israelites were deliuered from the deadly sting of venemouse poison And playne it is that they were deliuered incontinently and most fully In the .5 of Iohn the same sayeth he hath passed from death to life Let this place be waied dilligently and it shal appere the same alone to satisfie in this matter In the .6 of Iohn he sayeth openly and I will reyse him in the laste daye But he reyseth not the bodies only at the laste iudgemente but in euery mans laste daye that is in the death of euery one he preserueth the soules that they should not perish or be tormented c. We haue in the gospel examples moste clere to witte of Lazarus the beggar which was by and by after his death caried vp of thaungelles into the bosome of Abraham and of the thiefe whiche hearde of the lord this daye shalt thou be with me in Paradise and of Stephen saiyng Lord Iesus receyue my spirite but especially of our Sauiour saiyng on the crosse father into thy handes I commende my spirite c. By these are quite ouerthrowen what thinges so euer the monkisshe and Antichristiane doctrine hath buylded of purgatory of trētalles and of the miserable state of soules in an other world Whereof they made a moste shamefull gayne They are also confuted which beleue that soules be mortall moreouer that soules slepe in another world Where they cā not so muche as here in this infirmitie slepe Therefore you wil saie it is madnes to thinke that soules slepe beyng quitte of the burthen of the body But cōcernyng the maner of the blessednes of Sainctes they reste from their labours Blessednes reste frō al labours Saluation therfore is a moste ioyeful tranquillitie Awaye go at ones diseases sickenesses griefes affections sorrowe famine thirste colde briefly all thinges that vexe or trouble men Rest and tranquillitie ioye and blesse come in place And sins the dead reste from theyr labours who can beleue that they be vexed with tormentes but leeste any man should neuer so little doubte herof he annereth a confirmation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee or certenly verely sayeth the spirite the dead shal be quiet from al their griefes Let no mā therfore doubte Theyr workes follow them And he addeth an other thing that the workes of sainctes followe thē that is to saie after that the sainctes be departed hence than are they rewarded in another world if they haue done any thing wel if they haue suffered harde thinges For there is a rewarde prepared for vertues The which the sainctes do hope for and receyue without boasting of their owne deserte and not in contēpte of the merite of Christ For they acknoweledge that God in his sainctes crowneth his owne giftes And this is spoken of the rewarde of workes for the consolatiō of them which suffer many things in this world So sayed the lord in the Gospell your rewarde is plentifull in heauen And the Apostle affirmeth euery where that rewardes are prepared for them that are crucified here with Christ And here let vs marke dilligently that these thinges are spoken also of the spirite of Christe vnder the religion of an othe For the worlde dispiseth religiouse persones suche as suffer for religiō and obiecteth that they lose their labour and coste Cōtrarywise the spirite by an othe auoucheth that rewarde is prepared for vertue Followe them Lette vs marke also this that is sayed theyr workes and not other mens also followe them and are not by others sent after them Let no man therefore disceaue him selfe let no man thinke that after his death there should be sente to him into purgatory by soule priestes a fardell of other mens merites Those are not good workes which ar done by priestes freres besides and against Gods worde but prouocations of Gods wrath And be they not in the gospel shut out of the kingdome of God which runne to others to bye them oyle The Scripture in an other place Lette vs doe good whilest we haue time the time wil come that no man can worke Let vs watch therfore and of faith do good workes in dede ¶ The Iudgement of the Lorde is described vnder the paraboles of haruest and vintage The .lxvi. Sermon ANd I loked and beholde a white clowde and vpon the clowde one sittyng like vnto the Sonne of man hauing on his head a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe sickle And an other Aungell came out of the Temple criyng with a lowde voyce to him that sat on the clowde Thruste in the sickle and reape for the corne of the Earth is ripe And he that sate on the clowde thruste in his sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped And an other Aungell came out of the Temple whiche is in Heauen hauyng also a sharpe sickle And an other Angell came out from the Aultar whiche had power ouer fire and cried with a lowde voyce vnto him that had the sharpe sickle and sayde thruste in thy sharpe sickle and gather the clusters of the Earth for hyr grapes are rype And the Angell thruste in his sickle on the earth and cutte downe the grapes of the vineyarde of the Earth and caste them into the greate wine fatte of the
in heauen And where the crier of the iudgement cometh out of the temple it signifieth that no vnrightuousnes of the iudge is here to be imagined For the temple is cōsecrated to holines rightuousenes and is called the house of God Iustely therfore he iudgeth in iuste time he iudgeth iustely executeth al things Thangel biddeth the iudge do that thing which he of himself was aboute to do Thrust in the sickle saieth he and reape Two causes are alleaged Firste for the howre is come that thou shuldest reape Therfore a certeine howre of iudgemēt is appointed which when it cometh the iudgemēt shal be most certenly And it is commen for thee saieth he for all iudgimēt is geuen to the sonne Than for the corne of the earth is ripe As though he shulde say the iniquitie of earthly men is growen vp to the highest therfore is it reason that it shulde be cut downe And God alone knoweth when the iniquitie of the Earth is fulfilled c. †A moste quicke iudgement But when it shal come thereunto there shall nede no great preparation deciding or pondering of causes At one word he finisheth the iudgemēt and the execution of the same and as it were swalloweth vp and deuoureth the whole earth in a momēt saieng herewith he thrust in his sickle which sate vpon the clowde on the earth and the earth was reaped The rest of the things which seme to belong here vnto take out of the .13 chapt of Math. And that which he hath saied hitherto he repeteth and beateth in by an other parable For bi this he shadoweth the same which the other parable did commend That plentie maketh for the playner euidence and beateth in most dilligently the certentie and veritie of the iudgement leest herin we shulde doubte anything and wauer with the vnfaithful world The parable is takē of vintage The same is vsed very oft of the prophets speaking of the destruction of any nation And the Lord also in the gospel compareth his people to a vyne And the Angel holdeth in his hand a sharpe sickle He representeth a fygure of Christ which hath al power of iudgement alone A sharpe sickle is the straight iudgement as was spoken of the sickle before This Angell cometh oute of the temple also to witte a iudge moste rightuouse Vnto him crieth an other Angell which had power ouer fyer which cometh out from the Aulter For before we heard that ther is an aulter in the temple and that vnder this Aulter do reste the soules of the blessed Martirs Here therefore is fygured Vēgeance vpō the vngodly that God doth nowe remembre the bludshed of his seruauntes which for the profession of the onely Aulter that is Christ the priest onely sacrifice were slaine and nowe to procede to take vengeaūce The angel hauing power ouer fyer hytherto long delayed Therfore this Aungell is sayed to haue power ouer fier Fier many times in the Psalmes fignifieth Gods vengeaunce This Aungell therfore is here as it were Maister of execution and captayne of vengeaunce For Angels in Daniell also as Gods ministers ar saied to haue rule ouer thinges not that we shulde worship and honour these ministers but the Lorde that worketh by them The sun and moone are the lightes of the world but therfore no wiseman wil worship them Here is signified playnely that vēgeance is certainely prepared for them which shed innocent blud on the earth and that this vengeance shal chiefly be executed in the end of this worlde Albeit that he punnysh neuerthelesse greuousely before the end also here in earth namely parricides in so moch that the Psalmograph sayeth men of bloud shall not lyue halfe their tyme. c. And as in the parable of harueste harueste was finished with a shorte sentence So is here also vintage ended at few wordes For so soone as the vngodly shall see Christe in the clowdes with the printes of his woundes and his Sainctes with him whom thei haue contemned hated persecuted and slayne they wyll gather streight wayes that they by their iust desert must be alotted with Deuylles whome they haue folowed and serued Therfore shal there nede no long discussing of the matter Euery mans conscience shall accuse him and the sinnes of euery man shal be manifest to al creatures The vngodly shall stand before the iudge with great confusion in vtter contempte in payne and feare and sorrowes not to be expressed and shall go streight wayes into paynes and tourmentes that shall neuer haue end See the .3 .5 chapt of the boke of wisdom Hereof I say it behoueth ofte tymes to make mention hereof it becometh many tymes to warne all men that they may beware in tyme and take hede to themselues Howe beit S. Ihon himselfe at fewe wordes fygureth the euerlasting dānation and vengeaūce which God executeth vpon his enemies A wyne fat wythoute the Citie And he fameth a wine presse or a winefat that he may so tary in the allegory and that made withoute the citee And by exposition he calleth it the great wynefat of Gods wrath For the same is hel or the place of pūnishment and condemnation Into this wynefat shall be gathered the clusters of the Earth or grapes of the earth I mean the earthly and vngodly men And the citie of God is heauē it self the seate of the blessed which shall afterwarde be descrybed moste aboundauntly in the .21 chapter But that wine presse is set without the Citie For in an other place of the Gospell the Lorde sayeth also that the wicked muste be caste oute into the vttermost darkenesse where is weping and gnashing of teth But this wynefat is rightlie called the wynefat of Gods yre For the wrath of God is executed therin and they with whome God is angrie for their sinnes are shutte vp therin that there they may according to their demerits be tormented and vexed for euer and withoute ende And he calleth it great for that the place is wyde enough to receiue all the vngodlie As also Esaye hath admonished in the end of the .xxx. chapter Others reade of the great wrath of God There is added that out of the fatte or wyne presse there runneth no wyne but blud and that in most plentie Which he shadoweth by a maruelouse and horrible Hypperbole The bloud flowed far and broad by the space of a thousand and sixe hūdreth furlongs Againe it was very depe For it came vp to the brydles of the horses of them I meane which went and wrastled in the bloud to wit in their owne bloud By the which Hyperbolical speach is signified that the multitude of the vngodlie shal be greatest and that God wil most aboundauntly reuenge that vnmeasurable blud which the wicked haue spilte in earth They were delighted whilest they lyued in earth with warres slaughter persecutiōs martirdomes Therfore will God moste iust powre vnto them in an other worlde blud enough Thou hast
aboundauntly which neuerthelesse in the meane season persecute Christes church moste greuousely The Lorde sende peace And nowe where the godly might maruell ¶ God is righteouse in his iudgementes why God so suffereth the worlde to be shaken and tourmoyled with mutuall warres the Angelles preuent the marueling and complainte and shewe not onlie the cause but also praise the iustice of God in these iudgements And he bringeth in two Angels as mete and sufficient witnesses of this businesse Angels gouernoures of things The one he maketh ruler of waters the other speaking out of the aulter He semeth here in to followe Daniell which also in the tenth chapter sayeth that Angelles as gouernours were set to rule ouer Prouinces Not that God doeth not worke and gouerne al things in waters in all elements and Regions but for that he vseth the trauell of Angelles as his ministers But where the Papistes gather hereof that Sainctes rule ouer elements diseases limmes cities and euery part in man it is folish and superstitious and smelling of Idolatrie For the maner of Angelles and of blessed soules is cleane diuerse moreouer the Scripture attributeth vnto them farre other things than it doeth to these Thou shalt read nothing of the blessed soules as hauyng any thyng to do with men here in Earth in the whole Scripture But in sondry places of the Scriptures you shall reade that Angelles are set to be mens kepers and to serue them with dyuers ministeries Agayne ye read not that the godlie haue for this cause geuen any godly honour to the Angelles no we shall heare in this booke howe Saincte Ihon woulde haue worshipped an Angell but was prohibited of the Angell ones or twyse Chap. 19. and .21 Moreouer here the Angell rendreth a reason why the water is tourned into bloude and commendeth here in Gods iustice For turning his talke vnto God thou art inste sayeth he O Lord which arte and which wast c. He pronounceth him righteouse as he that will do no man any wrong and therefore calleth him also holy In the mean time he signifieth his euerlastingnes and that he geueth being vnto all thinges where he sayeth which arte and which waste c. Of this phrase of speache is spoken in the first chapter And the true righteousnes geueth to euery one his Therefore the Angell sayeth Therfore Lord thou arte righteouse and declareste thy righteousnes to the world in that thou hast geuen them bloude to drinke which haue shed the bloude of the Prophetes that is of preachers for preaching of the truth And not their bloud only but haue shed also the bloude of thy holy faythful I meane whom for the true professing of the faithe they haue vexed and at laste slayne Therfore are they worthie that they theÌ„selues shuld agayne drinke the bloude of them and theirs that is shulde fall by mutuall warres tumultes and slaughters verely before recited The Angel speketh oute of the aultâ—r These thinges are confirmed by an other Aungell which speaketh from th aulter and not without cause from the aulter For we heard before in the .6 chap. that vnder the aulter the soules of them that are killed crie out and say how long is it that thou auengest not our bloud on them c. Therfore nowe is the talke vttered out of the Aultar to the ende we should vnderstaÌ„de that God forgetteth not the bloud of his sainctes but reueÌ„geth it in iuste and dewe season Now here in also coÌ„mended as it were by the waye the omnipoteÌ„cie of God that the vngodly maye vnderstande howe in the time of affliction and vengeaunce there shal be no power able to resiste the almightie To him alone be glory Amen The .iiii. and .v. Angelles shed theyr vialles The .lxx. Sermon ANd the fourth Angell powred out his vialle on the Sunne power was geuen to him to vexe menne with heate of fire And the men raged in great heate and spake euill of the name of God whiche had power ouer those plagues and they repented not to geue him glory And the fifte Angell powred out his viall vpon the seate of the beast his kingedome waxed darke they gnewe their tungues for sorrowe and blasphemed the God of heauen for sorrowe payne of their sores and repented not of their dedes The godly esteme not their afflictioÌ„s sent by the iuste iudgement of God as the punnishmeÌ„tes of sinners The afflictions of the godly and vngodly but as exercises of the fayth how so euer they acknowledge themselues to be iustely afflicted for their sinnes committed yet here they commende neuerthelesse the grace of God conuertyng the punnishementes of sinners into the exercises of fayth To the vngodly punnisshementes are plagues whiche nother they can suffer patiently nor glorify God but rather blaspheme him suppose that they suffer vnworthely Therfore are the plages of god to theÌ„ most greuouse where neuerthelesse much more cruel things are for theÌ„ prepared to wit that they should suffer in an other worlde euerlastyng damnation Therefore the plagues of this worlde infliâ—â—ed to the vngodly are as it were certen preparatiues and preambles of more greuouse tourmentes Drought the iiii plage The fourth Angel poureth out his viall on the sunne and to the same was geuen power to plague men with heate or fire This plage do many expounde allegorically vnderstandyng by the sunne Christ exhilaratyng the consciences of the faithfull and the fame to be darkened in the mindes of men chosing rather the darkenes of Antichriste than the light of Christ and therefore do the consciences erryng and seduced with errour burne with sondry lustes desperations wherby they be driueÌ„ at the length to sondry blasphemies Which exposition as I do not vtterly reiecte so after my iudgemeÌ„t the sense shal be more playne yf we vnderstande the fourth plague to be an heate and great drought a barrennes of the Earth and scarsetie of Corne finally an intollerable thurste afflictyng both men and beastes and laste bredyng and ingeÌ„dring hoate diseases For so we haue red in the threatenings of the lawe I will geue an heauen of brasse and an earth of yron In the time of Helias for contemnyng and reiectyng the worde of the lord God plaged Israel with a sore drought as you maye see in the .3 boke of Kinges the .17 and .18 chap. Ieremie also describeth the like drought and heate in the .14 chapt Agayne the lorde defended Israell with a pillar of a cloude by the daye and a pillar of fire by night Moreouer we haue hearde heretofore in the Apocalipse the sunne shall not fal vpoÌ„ them nother any heate And iustely is this world plaged with burnyng heate as the which offendeth greuously burneth with sondry lustes and also by wicked proclamations prohibiteth the coulyng refressyng of Gods worde Theffecte of this plague is greate For the effecte of this plage followeth And meÌ„ sayeth he burned with great heate At the first
sayeth he beyng inflamed with a exceding great heate they were euen ragyng madde For we reade in stories that mē beyng afflicted with ouer much heate haue felte greuouse displeasures and tormentes bothe of body and minde Than he addeth that followeth of the fourmer membre the impatiēcie of the heate prouoked them to blaspheme God and euen him that had power ouer these plagues to witte for that hauyng full power so to do he will not deliuer them so vexed with burning heate Cōtrarywise the children of Israel in their tentes beyng stongen with serpentes inflamyng the whole body with the stinge Nume 22. did repente nother did they blaspheme God But comyng vnto Moses they sayed we haue sinned for we haue spokē against the Lord and agaynst thee Praye the lord that he will take awaie from vs these serpentes They blaspheme therfore the name of the lord so many as through vnpatientnes do murmure against the iudgementes of God nother wil acknowledge themselues to be rightly and iustely pūnished crauing perdon finally is added nother did they repente that they might geue glory to God c. For the lord plageth vs to the ende that beyng afflicted we should repente and geue God the glory confessing as I sayed before that we be punnished iustely Howe the godly vngodly behaue them selues in afflictiōs and ought with wepyng and waylyng to tourne to the lord strikyng vs. But these like Pharao nother acknoweledge theyr sinne nother praye vnto God nor yet are amended but many times ouercome thēselues in malliciousenes Hereof we learne the diuersitie betwixte the godly and vngodly and howe both vse themselues in afflictiōs For they geue glory vnto God and amende their life these geue not God the glory but become worse than themselues To geue God the glory is to geue place vnto God not to resiste but to acknoweledge their sinne and Gods rightuousenes and not this only but also the mercy of God and clemencie towardes the penitent and the same to require humbly The darknes of the romish see the .v. plague The fifte Aungell powreth his cuppe vpon the seate of the beaste That a seate or trone is vsed for a kingdome is more manifeste than that it nede to be proued by testimonies sins that S. Iohn himself doeth by by for a seate place a kingdome And also in times paste the maisters or rather ministers of churches taught sitting had their stoles chaires in holy assemblees That saiyng in the gospel is knowen In the chayre of Moses sitte the scribes and Phariseis c. It is knowē that in aūcient time ther were seates of Patriarches Hierusalem Antioche Rome Alexandria Constantinople and others and that the same are called Apostolicall seates forasmuch as the Apostles haue taught there And so is the Apostolicall seate vsed for the Apostolicall doctrine it selfe That seate erected and established at Rome by the Apostles and Apostolicke men the beast that is the Pope hath subuerted and in the place therof erected the seate of pestilēce which he dare neuerthelesse cal the seate of Christe Thapostolicall seate of Christ S. Peter and the seate of S. Peter Christe hath no more any seate in Earth saue that he dwelleth in the hartes of the faithfull church Otherwyse the trewe seate of Christ is the right hād of the father The trewe seate of Peter is heauen it selfe Rome is no longer his seate for the Apostolicall doctrine and Patriarchall chayre is destroyed and troden vnder fote in steade therof is an earthly Empire or kingedome set vp by the Pope Yea more he pourseweth the Apostolical seates by force of armes Nowe therefore God hauyng cōpassion vpon his poureth out his wrath and plague on the see of Rome illuminyng men with the light of the Gospel to the ende they might know and see the wickednes and abomination of the Romisshe See The which is a wonderfull benefite to them that be lighted and a greate griefe and tormente to the Romish sorte For theffecte of the plage followeth and his kyngdome was made darke This plague aunswereth to the .9 of Aegipte For like as thicke darkenes plaged the Aegyptians bright light reioyced the Israelites so were the Papistes tourmēted with shameful errours than shall it grieue them also to haue their errours detected and their glory obscured the faithful shall reioyce in the light of Christ For now beginneth and already hath begonne the maiestie of the seate and of him that sitteth therein to be obscured That which was ones called an holy seate is now of the godly learned called wicked Rome the whore of Babylon the mother of al fornications the denne of theues Sodome Aegipte the red harlot by reason of the pourple senate of Cardinalles which weare red and purple It is comonly sayed and truely the nerer Rome the further from Christe They call and that moste rightly the Cardinalles bishoppes and spiritual fathers the familie limmes of Antichrist men disceaued and disceauers with Symony and filthie lust moste corrupte Therfore the kingdome of the beast so he expoundeth the seate was made darke There is added furthermore howe the worshippers of the seate of the beaste haue and do behaue themselues Firste for payne and sorrowe indignation wrath and enuie they gnawe or bite their tunges which is the gesture of angry mē and that impotently angry I meane that burne infuriouse rage The furie of the papistes againste the gospellers It is a phrase of speach signifiyng howe they will rage with greate furie agaynst the trewth opened which they would haue vtterly hidde and oppressed Agayne they blaspheme the Lorde of heauen maker of al both for that he afflicteth them with botches and sondry plagues also for that he casteth a darknes vpon their kingdome For euen therfore the Romish cal the preachers of the gospel disceauers heretikes and the very doctrine of the gospel heresie But this reproche redoundeth to him which is authour of the same doctrine Finally thei do not repent them of their doynges of theyr Simony of their craftie iuggelyng sacrileges idolatrie and al vngodlines And the apostle sayeth howe euill men and disceauers will waxe worse and worse disceauing and beyng disceaued Therfore is it no maruel though you see the papistes at this daye with a stiffenecke to procede obstinately in their errours But the greatest plague is to be forsaken of God and stubbernely to mayneteyne their errours vngodlines and therin to perseuer The Lord deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ The sixte Angell shedeth his vialle The .lxxj. Sermon ANd the sixte Angell powreth out his vialle vpon the great riuer of Euphrates and the water dried vp that the waye of these kynges of the Easte shoulde be prepared And I sawe three vncleane spretes like frogges come out of the mouthe of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beaste and out of the mouthe of the false prophet For they are the spretes of the
.5 chapter And verely that same soden commyng of the Lorde exciteth the mindes of vs all and prouoketh to watch leeste we shuld at vnwares be oppressed He adioyneth also immediately a profit prepared for them that watche Happy sayeth he is that man that watcheth He addeth morouer how the godly should demeane themselues in watchyng Kepe thy garmâ—ntes that thou go not naked Howe they must kepe their garmentes that they be not defiled and take hede moreouer that they walke not naked leeste their filthines be espied Touchyng garmentes I haue spoken moste largely in an other place of this boke He kepeth his garmeÌ„tes that kepeth his life and conuersation vnspotted of worldely filthines He walketh not naked which putteth on Christ But his shame is sene that sinneth impudently But chiefly is their shame sene whose whoredomes aduoutries and fleshly lustes are knowen and open to the eyes of al menne And here is the state of them to be lamented that are called spirituall and rather in dede to be detested than to be described Blessed are they whose sinnes are couered and happy are they that haue learned to be ashamed Vnhappy are as many as caÌ„ not blushe but set such a face of the matter that they glory in their sinnes and wickednes The destructioÌ„ of the frogges After this he toucheth at few wordes the destruction both of the legates and also of them that are deceaued of the legates and suche as fight agaynst God and trewe religion for the mayneteyning of the Romisshe maiestie The legates in dede doe assemble menne of their faction vnto battel against the Godly but the lorde hath gathered the same into a place whiche is called in Hebrewe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche some interprete the distruction of the Riuer and some the armie of desolation But howe so euer that is the sense semeth easie they are in dede assembled of the legates that they mighte withstande or prohibite the destruction of the Riuer and ruine of Rome But the Lorde shall also assemble the selfe same that in the very same place and worke they maye be destroyed of the Lorde Which finally at the laste iudgement we beleue shall be accomplisshed To the Lord Christ our redemer and reuenger be prayse and glory Amen ¶ The seuenth Aungell powreth out his vialle The .lxxij. Sermon ANd the seueÌ„th Angel powreth out his Viall into the Ayre And there came a great voyce out of Heauen from the seate sayeng it is done And there folowed voyces thonderinges and lightnings and there was a great Earthquake suche as was not synce men were vpon the Earth so mightye an Earthquake and so great And the great Citie was diuided into thre partes And the cities of nations fell And great Babilon came in remeÌ„braunce before God to geue vnto her the cup of wyne of fearcenes of his wrath And euery I le fled awaye and Mountaynes were not founde And there fell a great haile as it had bene talentes out of Heauen vpon the men and the men blasphemed God because of the hayle for it is great and the plague of it was sore The seuenth and last cup poured out into the ayre The laste iudgement of God fygured by the seueÌ„th Angell signifieth the parturbation and alteration of all elementes and the horrible but yet iuste iudgemente of God and fynallye the ende of all thinges paynes euerlasting The thinges be inclosed wyth fyguratyue speaches taken for the moste parte out of the Prophetes and by a priuie comparison brought oute of the holy storie Which is done for this consideration that all thinges might be more full of Maiestie and that euery man shoulde more dilligentelie search for the sence of an excelleÌ„t matter which found ones he might kepe and retaine in perfecte memorie And what tyme the Ayre is moued Sore tempestes sondry and horrible tempestes arryse in the ayre And the Lorde Iesus in the gospell after Mathew testifieth that aboute the last comming of Christe the powers of heauen shall be moued And as soone as the cuppe was powred out into the ayer and a great tempest arrysen a voice sounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is done By the which voyce is signified An ende is at hande howe all thinges are at an end euen of the whole world moch more of wicked papistrie And this voice is heard out of the very temple of heauen and trone of God leest we should doubte any thing of the veritie and certentis of the sentence geuen and againe of the vertue and power of him that doeth pronounce it Therfore are they shamefullye disceaued so many as affirme the worlde to be euerlastinge and that they shal reigne alwayes vpon earth and inioy the pleasures therof A voyce from heauen out of the most holy temple of God and euen oute of the moste sincere trone of the Almightie speaketh that it is done For he speaketh of the time to come as though it were paste that we might as certenly knowe that all worldlie and popish thinges shoulde haue an ende as we vndoubtedly knowe the thinges to be done which are already past Let vs therfore watch and put no confidence in the thinges of this worlde which are moste deceiptful All thinges shal fal to decay and come to naught men onely and the blessed spirites remayning through the grace of God the vnhappie also remayning perpetually appointed to perpetuall punnishment by the iustice of God A fygure of Goddes iudgement And lyke as the holy Prophetes ded by fygures set forth the iudgemente of God to be sene of mennes eyes so nowe here the Lord Iesus by Saincte Ihon in a figuratiue speach shaddoweth the terrour of that horrible iudgemente For he sayeth howe ther shal be thonderinges voyces lightninges and thoÌ„derbolts an earthquake so terrible that the world hath neuer at any tyme felte the lyke For Saincte Peter also in the ende of his latter epistle reciteth terrible thinges of the laste day and burnyng of all worldlie thinges But the quaking and terrour of mennes myndes shal be yet a great deale more terrible than al these The godly are exempted frome cruell terrours The Lord in S. Mat. gospel Than shal wayle sayeth he all the kinreds of the earth For the vngodly whose coÌ„scieÌ„ces are wicked corrupt shall fele those terrours tourmeÌ„ts vnspekable The godly like as according to the saieÌ„g of our sauiour thei com not into iudgemeÌ„t so although that thei also by reason of the infirmitie of the flesh be some what astonied at the sodaine alteration of things and the terrible tearing and crashing of all elementes yet forasmoch as they haue knowen before that the same shulde come to passe and beleue the Sauiour sayeng your redemption draweth nere they gather vp their spirites and comfort themselues in Christ and reioyce in him comming to iudge or condemne the vngodly but to saue the godly And herein is alluded to sondry stories of the holy scriptures
thousandes naye millions of Martirs through the instigation meanes of the Bishop and churche of Rome haue ben executed with moste extreme and horrible punnisshmentes with in these sixe or fiue hondreth yeres histories make mention What hath ben done and what plentie of mans bloud hath benne shed euen within these .30 yeres whiche our memory doeth attayne to my harte grudgeth to recite Great is this crime also for the whiche Babilon is plagued of God by iuste and moste greuouse tourmentes And ful aptely is here mention made of Martirs that is of the witnesses of Iesu For they that coÌ„fesse the Euangelical doctrine of Christ to be the true absolute doctrine that christ is the only head of the church the only priest and Bisshop mediatour and facrifice and shal not ioyne with all in the meane time that the doctrine of the churche of Rome is also moste perfit to be had in like reuerence with the doctrine of the gospell that the Pope is head of the church militaunt and in earth the true vicar of Christ and pastour generall and that the Sametes in heauen praye for vs and that the masse is a trewe and real sacrifice for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead they are condemned for heretikes and Schismatikes with sworde and fire to be rooted out of the Earth And hitherto reacheth the misterie of the vision by horrible sightes set before our eyes wherein is liuely described both the olde Romane Empire and chiefly the Poperie of Rome with their sinnes and crimes heynouse and full of enormitie Hereafter shall followe an exposition of the vision to the whiche at the laste shall be annexed the punnishement to be taken of Antichriste and the whole Antichristiane Citie But in case ye shall applie all these thinges whiche are spoken of the woman to olde Rome I will not be agaynst it For there was also a religion at Rome whiche consisted in golde and preciouse things Olde Rome had a cuppe of false wisedome wherewith she made dronken and infected al nations She was therefore the mother of abominations and whoredomes as of whome the prouinces learned superstitions c. Howebeit these thinges peculiarly do concerne the Pope Notwithstandyng that olde Rome also was dronken with the bloud of Sainctes c. S. Iohn maruayleth at the sight of the â—east S. Iohn maruaileth excedingly when he saw the womaÌ„ For Daniel also maruailed till his harte almoste failed him when he sawe that Romish beast as appereth in the .7 chapt of Daniel All godly in a maner maruayle also at this daye when they see so great things grauÌ„ted or permitted of God to the church of Rome agaynst the pure sincerenes For the prelates of the church are fortunate victoriouse puissaunt and in sauour with al princes bryng to passe what so euer they imagine or liste Happy is he that is not in them offended Reade the .73 Psalme Howe good is God to Israell to them that be right in harte â—hâ—xposition of the vâ—sion c. The Aungell as chiefe minister vttereth the misterie to S. Iohn and the whole Churche that is to saye openeth the secrete and true meanynge of the vision by partes moste dilligently And he speaketh in dede of the whole bodie of the beaste notwithstanding that the beaste hath certen thinges peculier and likewise the whore yet the Angel himselfe sayeth I will shewe thee the misterie of the woman and of the beast that beareth her Neuerthelesse this same is also a darke speaking where in the beginning of the exposition he saieth the beast which thou saweste was and is not The Romane Empire was yet whylest Domitian ruled but it was no more such as it had ben before For from the first Monarch Iulius it was as it were by inheritauÌ„ce in the house of Caesars vntill Nero. For in him the beaste receaued a deadlie wounde but it was healed and dyuerse Emperours reigned not of any one familie The Empire therefore had ben in the power of one house before but after Nero it was not so Agayne the Romanes possessed the Empyre after Nero. From Nerua which is the .7 after Nero the Empire was deuolted to Traiane vnder whome it was puissaunt and strong Therfore it was and it was not Whereof S. Ihon himselfe will speake a litle after Moreouer the Stories testifie that the Empyre of Rome was extinguisshed and in his place sprang vp an other which is also called the Romane Empire whereof you may say moste truelie it was and is not For that oulde Romane Empire was the most ample and noblest Empire in the world but this newe nowe erected of the Pope is none such but rather an Image of the beaste as I sayed in the .13 chapt a shadowe and a dreame Therfore we doubt nothing but that in this vision is exhibited to vs a type both of the oulde and newe Empire but chieflye of Poperie And nowe he sheweth none other originall of the beaste The originall of the beaste but hellyshe and deuelysh For he sayeth howe he shall come vp oute of the bottomelesse pitte Whereof is spoken before All Empyres verely as witnesseth Daniell in the .2 chapter be of God But in case the gouernours be corrupted the begynnyng or original is referred to the Deuil not of the Empyre in dede but of the corruption Here is added moreouer what ende that vnhappy Empyre is lyke to haue at the last and goeth into perdition For it is cutte vp by the rootes in earth and addicte in an other worlde to payne euerlasting Who be the woorshippers of the beaste But lyke as he shewed in the thirtene chapt who shoulde wonder at that is should honour and worshippe the beaste so here he repeteth the same not the chosen children of God but earthly men and reprobates whose names are not written in the booke of lyfe Whereof we haue spoken before He annexeth an acclamation and here aduerbiallie is a mynd that hath wisedome The Lorde exciteth all the hearers to the dilligent consideration of these things leeste being disceaued we perish They be fooles that maruel at the beastes felicitie victories poÌ„pes maiestie riches and pleasures and submit theÌ„selues to him They be verely wyse that vnderstand the Empyre to be taken awaye and nowe that vnder the shaddowe of an Empyre lurketh Antichriste the Chylde of perdition and man of sinne to be eschewed of al the godlie For these are conuerted to Christe In whome they knowe that they haue all things of lyfe and saluation and to liue in him To him be prayse and glory ¶ The godly vision is yet more playnely declared The .lxxv. Sermon THE seuen heads are seuen mountaynes on which the woman sitteth they are also seuen Kinges Fyue are fallen and one is the other is not come WheÌ„ he cometh he must continue a space And the beaste that was and is not is euen the eight and is one of the seuen and shal go into destructioÌ„ And
Romanes into a reprobate minde to do those thinges which God alloweth not And so are the wordes of God prophecied by the Prophets and Apostles on this wise fulfilled Doubtlesse they be the wordes of God and not of men which are red of this matter in Daniell and in all this booke of reuelation The woman is the great citie Finally the Angell expoundeth what is signified by the woman sitting on the beast to wit that great citie of Rome the head and Lady maistresse of the worlde and the Romish church Popery and power stretching oute her selfe and her Kyngdome ouer the Kinges of the Earth Of whom already hath bene spoken enough To God be glorie ¶ He sheweth that Rome shall assuredly fall and addeth the causes of her fall The .lxxvij. Sermon The .18 chapter AND after that I sawe an Angell come down from Heauen hauing greate power and the Earth was lightned with his brightnes and he cryed mightelye with a stronge voyce sayeng she is fallen she is fallen euen great Babilon and is become the habitation of Deuilles and the holde of all vncleane spirites a cage of vncleane and hateful birds for all nations haue dronken of the wyne of the wrath of her whoredome And the kyngs of the earth haue cōmitted fornication with her and her marchauntes are waxed rych of the aboundaunce of her pleasures He pourseweth through out al the .18 chap. the destructiō of olde and new Rome also of Heithennes and Antichristianisme that with a maruelouse plentie euidence of speach euen so that ye would thinke that you sawe al thing presently And he vseth also a most godly order The some of the .18 chapter For first the Angell declareth the destruction of Rome with moste apte wordes Secondly coūsel is geuen to the godly how to behaue themselues in so great daungers Than is added the maner of the desolation that like as Rome hath gredely and cruelly spoyled and destroyed other nations euen so it shal chaunce vnto her also After this a lamentation is made wherein the Princes and marchaūts do mourne for the ruine of Rome where they also resyte the richesse and pleasures of Rome Finally the Apostles and Prophetes reioyce at the moste iust iudgement of God Agayne the Angell of the Lord cast a milstone into the bottome of the sea that so the most certaine vnrecouerable and moste weightie destruction of Rome mighte be signified Wherunto agayne are anexed the causes of so great euilles and the same finished with the prayse and gratulation of all the heauenly dwellers And most luckely doeth he imitate the holy Prophetes of God wherof two in a maner after the same forte S. Ihon imitateth the prophetes do describe the destruction of old Babilon Esaye in the .13.14 .21 chap. And Ieremy in the .50 and .51 And Ezechiell the ouerthrowe of Tirus in the .26.27 and .28 chapt For as the lot and end of all the vngodly is lyke so doeth the canonicall Scripture in painting out their destruction right well agree with it selfe The Apostles moreouer The maiestye of the holy tung although they spake and wrote to the gentyles in greke yet altered they nothing of their naturall phrase of speakyng and euen constrayned straunge tungues to serue the holy and not the Hebrew to serue vnto heathen langages For speakyng greke they obserued the naturall phrase of the Hebrew speach as first diuine and holy And where they coulde speake all langages yet ded they neuer speake and write any foreyne langage so but that in the same the Hebrew phrase might be perceyued The curiositie of the readers in the translations of the Bible Let some therfore beware at this daie that thei be not to deintie cared and followe the puretie of the latine speach so that in expressing the same they fal not in the meane whyle from the simplicitie of the holye tongue and lose not a fewe misteries They that be not froward had rather frame themselues to the holy langage and learne the phrases therof than to subdue the same againste the heare to straunge tongues and cōpell it to serue our delicate eares Moreouer we haue already admonished oftentimes what is the end vse of this treatise concerning the iudgemēts or pūnishments of God For the veritie and iustice of God is cōfirmed the afflicted receiue comfort and the wicked and all Gods enemies are made affrayde c. The vngodly deride the oracles of god But when S. Ihon published these thinges and prophesied of the destruction of Babilon which al men at that time by reason of the late subuersion of Ierusalem and most greuouse captiuitie of the Iewes which had lately chaunced vnder Vespasian ded clerely vnderstand to signifie Rome For right so had Babilon in times past vexed the holy Citie and natiō as nowe had Vespasian the Romane The godly in dede beleued thē to be true that they shulde vndoubtedly come to passe The vngodly as dotages laughed them to scorne The same had their elders done For when the Prophetes also prophesied the subuersion of Niniue Babilon and most mightie Monarchies they semed to them to be mad Notwithstāding euen as they had saied so came it to passe Therfore the faithfull beleue the Oracles of God howe long so euer they be differred which are prophesied to come how vnpossible so euer they appeare vnto the worlde For to God speakyng and willing nothing is harde The Authour of this oracle And going about to shewe the subuersion of Rome he prepareth his hearers and winneth credit to the prophesie whileste before all thinges he sheweth the authour of the Oracle or prophesie the very Angell of God And verely he cōmendeth highly the same Angel to vs to the end we shuld doubt nothinge of the veritie of those thinges which he speaketh For he sayeth howe he came from Heauen Wherupon we gather those things that he bringeth to be diuine and celestial the same is saied to haue great power lest verely we shuld thinke those thinges to be vnpossible which he sayeth shall come to passe For yf the Angel Gods minister be of so great power what may we thinke the Lorde to be which sente the Angel One Angell before the walles of Hierusalem killed an hondreth fourescore and fiue thousande menne of warre One Aungell in a night slewe all the firste borne of Aegipt Therfore seyng the most mightie Angel prophecieth the destruction of olde newe Rome we nede not to doubte but that it shall vtterly perisshe Moreouer the Earth was lightened with the glory that is to saye with the brightenes or light of this Aungell For this prophecie is nother darke nother will it be hidde but chiefly and most clerely preachrd through out the world Wherefore the same Aungell crieth with all his force We muste preach frely clerely agaynste Antichrist and that with a greate voyce For it behoueth these oracles of God wherein is treated of
is repeted of the marchauntes and saylers Moreouer are touched here also the causes of destructiō The riot voluptuousnes pleasures of Rome the riot and voluptuousnes wherin Rome flowed And likewise are rehersed the welth riches maiestie pride and pleasures of either Rome And here by the way are warned what all worldely men maye loke for in case they addicte thēselues to the pleasures voluptuousenes of this world which was at Rome and is vnmeasurable Nother haue we red in any stories that natiōs haue long continued which haue ben geuen or vanquisshed of worldly pleasures To builde to eate to drinke to be clothed and to haue seruauntes men and wemen is lawefull but a measure muste be kepte in these as in al other thinges the benefites of God muste be acknowledged those may not be more set by than vertu but at Rome in the world passing ouer godlines meane these thinges are only regarded desired and beloued In buildinges and householde stuffe al thinges were sumptuouse vnmeasurable They are of golde which might haue ben well of earth or tinne of siluer where wood or iron might haue serued And when wood was chosen it was not euery wood by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thynen that is to saie most excellenste was chosen Thynen appereth to be named of Thyia a tree to the which Theophraste attributeth great honour reporting that the famouse bildinges of olde temples were made therof a certen immortalitie of mater incorrupt induring on houses against all wethers c. Plinie hath this in the .13 boke the .16 cha In seruice also they vse men like beastes nother haue they any beastes for their owne vse but most chosē Thei haue horses mules exceding fine They haue their horselitters Cochees charettes right notable al thinges glister with golde preciouse stones purple and al thinges are wrought and diuised for pride sumptuousnes What shall we saie that the wholt bandes of their men go al in silkes veluet wearing their maisters colours The lord himself of al sitting on the shulders of his Belphouiers is borne on high and is caried on mens bodies as the most noble charette In the meate and drinke of these menne all thinges are moste delicate exquisite and variable Their drinke is costely straunge and immoderate The apparell of their body is also ouersumptuouse Their garmentes glister with golde and are stiffe with pearle Their cōmon garment is of Crimosin satten They vse also oinctemētes and apples of desire which maye both be vnderstande of the fruictes of trees and also of Pomanders conteinyng musche and smellyng swete and of odoriferouse sauours Th ende of pleasures Finally in al thinges is to be considered what the ende or windyng vp is of riot pride and voluptuousenes and howe vnstable is the fauour and frendeship of men Here all things perish ones nothing remayneth safe And they perish verely in one houre that haue ben prouided for many yeres They flee from vs in daunger whiche haue receyued great gayne at our handes Yea they stāde a farre of and out of daunger and lamente the dollefull chaunce no man commeth nere to helpe or deliuer vs. Euery mā is afraide of his owne skinne Let vs learne therfore to truste in God to despise pleasures to put no confidence in fleshe and frendeshippe of men For whilest thou art fortunate thou shalt haue many frendes yf the world beginne to froune on thee they wil al forsake thee in whom thou puttest thy trust and leaue thee in the breres And this is the chiefe ende of all these thinges as I shewed at the first Rome shall fall and be made desolate for euer The lord our God restrayne al euill Amen ¶ The reioycyng of Sainctes for the ouerthrowe of Babilon the drownyng of the fame and the causes of drowning or destruction are rehersed The .lxxx. Sermon REioyce ouer her thou heauen and ye holy Apostles and prophetes for God hath geuen your iudgement on her And a mightie Angell toke vp a greate Milstone and caste it into the sea saiyng with such violence shall that great citie Babilon be caste and shal be founde no more And the voice of harpes and musiciās and of pipers and trompettes shall be hearde no more in thee no craftes man of what so euer crafte he be shal be founde no more in thee and the sounde of a Mille shall be hearde no more in thee and the light of a cādel shal shine no more in thee and the voice of the bridegrome and of the bryde shall be hearde no more in thee for thy marchauntes were princes of the Earth and with thine in chauntementes were deceaued all nations and in her was founde the bloud of the Prophetes and of the sainctes of all that were slaine vpon the Earth In the fifte place of this chapter the Angell of the Lorde exhorteth al the sainctes of Heauen to reioyce The reioycynge of Sainctes for the destructiō of Rome and that for the ouerthrowe of Babilon And this reioycyng of Sainctes is set agaynst the wayling of the wicked For as they lamente for the causes of pleasures taken from them so the Sainctes reioice ouer vngodlines oppressed and the glory of God reuenged We are verely forboden in the Prouerbes of Salomō and in the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles that we shuld not be glad of the calamities of our enemies nother that we should saye euill or do euill to our enemies Whiche thing is perpetuall and commaunded to all men neuer to be altered by any dispensation but we must obserue in the meane time that men doe reioyce diuerse wayes Menne are glad many times of the destruction of their enemies and that of hatred mallice which is not done without sinne Others are glad agayne of the calamities and plages of the vngodly yet bearyng no mallice towardes them whiche are in this miserie vnto whom thei wold doubtlesse haue wished a better state if they might haue ben perswaded to haue tourned but they reioyce rather ouer iustice reuenged and the godly deliuered from the tiranny of the wicked Whereof we reade that the prophet sayde in the .58 Psalme The rightuouse shal reioice when he shal see vengeaunce he shall wasshe his fete in the bloud of the vngodly to witte he shall pourge his affections and euill maners That the Sainctes reioyce at the destruction of the wicked what time he shall see the bloud of the vngodly spilte which he beleueth to be done for a documēt lest we should follow our euill affections that our bloud shuld be shed also of the moste iuste God by his ministers and a man wil saie verely there is a rewarde for the rightuous verely god iudgeth the earth Therfore are the rightuouse glad reioyce when they see vengeaunce And it is not sayde that they couet or wishe for vengeaunce Vengeaunce is mine sayeth the lord I wil rewarde When the lorde therefore rewardeth
they are glad for the deliueraunce and for the veritie established and confirmed and reioyce not of an hatred they heare towarde the oppressours whom they haue wished lost and destroyed The godly wisshe euermore the wicked to be conuerted and to retourne into fauour with God But whē they see them moued with no repētaunce but obstinately to procede and falle into their owne destruction and that God doeth intercepte them for the saluation of the faythfull and deliueraunce of the godly the godly reioyce at this deliueraunce and prayse the iustice of God Notwithstanding that they had alwayes rather if it mighte haue ben that the loste had otherwise led their life but nowe sins it can be no otherwise through their owne obstinate mallice they speake not against the iudgementes of God but rather commende the same These thinges verely do the sainctes in Earth And the Sainctes in heauen sins they be purified now from all affections their reioycing is altogether most pure so that it were superfluouse to reason curiousely therof But where the heauenly reioyce at the destruction of the wicked we maye easely iudge howe muche they erre whiche truste to the helpe or prayers of Sainctes where neuerthelesse they alter nothing at all of their wicked life It shall be easie also to discusse their doubte and carefulnes which feare leest they should be sory also seyng their bretherne sisters frendes and kinsfolkes cōdemned For the Sainctes do plainely consent to the will of God and extolle the iudgementes of God and reioyce therat and can be sory no more And he biddeth heauē reioyce Reioyce thou heauen as many times in the Psal we reade the like phrase vnlesse you had rather by Heauen vnderstande heauēly dwellers such as we beleue thapostles prophetes to be For at the same time when S. Iohn wrote these thinges all thapostles in a maner were slaine And here is to be knowen that the Romish beast had deuoured that is to saye afflicted slaine not only the sonne of God our lord Iesus Christ but also Iohn the Baptist all the Apostles of God and al the martirs of Christ By the prophetes we vnderstande not only those olde but all the faithful preachers of the gospel For we haue hearde oftener than ones before that the faithful preachers of the worde be called prophetes He annexeth more ouer a reason whie they ought to reioyce for God hath geuen your iudgement of her For in the .6 chapt the soules of Martirs crie vnder the Aultar howe longe Lord auengest thou not our bloud on them that be on Earth nowe therefore they prayse Gods iustice whiche as he than promised that he would auenge so hath he nowe auenged in dede And by this place we learne Sainctes do not pūnishe the wicked that all iudgement is geuen to the sonne and that no Saincte in heauen can iudge or pūnish an euil man on Earth For it is moste false that Sainctes are sayed to punnisshe their enemies S. Anthony with the holy fire Valentine with the fallyng sickenes and other with other diseases God alone as in the .16 chapt is declared at large punnissheth and sendeth and taketh away sickenes And moste certayne it is aswel by this as also by many other places of this boke that God slepeth not but will whē he seeth time reuenge and punnish most certenly The martirs when they should die had cōmitted all their iudgement to the Lorde their God He iudgeth nowe the iudgement of Sainctes of Rome that is after his iuste iudgement taketh punnishment of Rome for that she had with wrōgfull iudgement oppressed the Sainctes In the sixte place of this chapter he retourneth to the description of the subuersion of Babylon And it is a moste clere and euē a certen eyely and euident demonstration by a similitude For takyng vp a greate stone in quantitie like a Milstone he casteth the same into the Sea and makyng a declaration of his so doyng Babilō is drouned in the Sea sayeth thus sodaynely and with such a violence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shal Babilon be cast downe c. This place is taken out of the ende of the .51 chapt of Ieremie where you reade in a maner the like thinges worde for worde And here is now brought in a strong Angell leest we shoulde thinke that the force of Rome were happly stronger than that it could be broken But it shal be broken of a strōg Aungell And the thinges that be sodainely drowned appere no more Here is signified therefore that with a sodayne destruction Rome shal falle that there shal no token thereof be lefte that it shal falle without any difficultie it shal be made to plumpe and neuer more be sene And the Lorde in the gospell affirmeth that the crime or sclaunder must be punnished with a Milstone hanged aboute the necke yea and that same not to be punnishment greuous enough although emonges the Syrians it was accompted for vile and shamefull sins the crime deserueth to be punnished with a much more greuouse or crueller paine Wherefore Primasius supposed that here by the waye is signied how Babilon for offences geuen to the worlde should be drowned in the Sea as it were with a milstone tied fast to her necke Doubtles if euer any citie if euer any kingedome were hateful by reason of greatest offences and geuen to the Christians innumerable sclaunders Rome and the Romane Empire and euen the Popishenes of the church hath hurte most by sclaūder and yet hurteth Wherefore it is no doubte but that it hath bē plaged most greuously and shal be yet more punnished of the Lorde Agayne by propheticall and figuratiue speaches he signifieth a notable desolation and that the same place should neuer after be inhabited for euer Such like maners of speaches shall ye finde in the .24 of Esaye and .26 of Ezech. and in diuerse other places Al pleasure sayeth he shal perish especially which was wont to be taken of Musicke All craftes shall be layde downe Briefely there shal be no more any habitation for men The causes of her desolatiō In the seuenth and last place are set forth agayne the causes of this subuersion and that more notable three The first Thy marchauntes were princes of the Earth For they that haue occupied marchandise in the church of Rome and yet do are in a maner princes Of whom I haue spoken before Here is noted therfore their pride auarice and sumptuousenes Aretas he calleth them marchauntes sayeth he whiche tourmoyle and trouble the whole worlde as it were certen fayres c. The seconde for with thine inchauntementes all nations haue ben seduced There is no doubte but that inchauntyng and magicke raigne in Babilon and that there is founde plentie of fortune readers necromanciers and inchaunters yet here appereth chiefly to be signified seducing Idolatrie and impietie or errour of doctrine Suche an inchaunter was Iezabel as appereth in the .4 booke of Kinges the .9 chapt
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
as be thus sanctified the seconde death hath no place nor power And the firste death is the death of sinne therefore is the seconde death eternall damnation See what I haue spoken hereof before in the .2 chapt of this boke in the Epistle to the church of Smyrna Finally the faythfull are made the priestes of God and of Christ the electe I meane segregated notable excellent bothe of God and Christ moste derely beloued which in eternall life might offer eternal prayses to God It is repeted agayne and they shal raygne with him a thousande yeres And this signifieth that al Sainctes shal raigne with Christ for euer but chiefely the soules euen olso before the iudgement Primasius Bisshoppe of Vtica expoundyng this place it is not spoken sayeth he not only of Bisshoppes and Priestes but like as we cal al christes by reason of the mistical chrisme or oynctement so are all priestes for that they be membres of a Prieste of whom the Apostle S. Peter an holy people sayeth he a royall priesthood thus saieth he But this whole place of the bindyng and lowsing of the Deuill of the thousande yeres and of the firste resurrection and seconde death S. Austen hath wel and dilligently for his time and for so much as he coulde see discoursed at large in the .20 boke De ciuit dei I propounde these thinges of mine to be dilligētly considered of the faithful Let euery mā holde that which he shal thinke most consonaunt to the trewth To the lord our God be praise glory now and euermore Amen ¶ What shall be done when the thousande yeres are expired of the worlde deceaued of warre and greuous persecution of the godly and of the euerlasting payne of the wicked The .lxxxix. Sermon AND when the thousande yeares are expired Sathā shal be lowsed out of his pryson and shall go out to deceaue the people whiche are in the foure quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battaile whose nombre is as the sande of the Sea And they wente vpon the playne of the earth and cōpassed the tentes of the sainctes aboute and the beloued citie And fire came downe from God out of heauē and deuoured them And the Deuil that deceaued thē was caste into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were and shal be tormented daye and night for euermore He declareth herby What shal be done after the thousāde yeres what shal happē after those thousande yeres And he sayeth chiefely two thinges that the deuill shal be lowsed out of his prison that he maye deceaue the people in the worlde and may assemble Gog and Magog vnto battaile To the which agayne he annexeth other two a moste cruell persecution of the church and payne of the wicked and euerlasting damnation of the deuil and his membres And the seducyng of the world must againe be expounded by the figure Sinecdoche Howe the worlde is deceaued agayne For the sense of the scripture will not permit vs to vnderstāde that there shuld be no godly lefte at that time For we beleue all that there is a church that an holy church shal be alwayes in the worlde vntil the iudgement And we haue hearde morouer in this boke how many thousandes are sealed that they should not perish And also that the dragon must be lowsed for a little season Like as therfore we reade in the gospel that Sathan is cast out and his kingdome taken frō him where neuerthelesse S. Peter warneth sayeth that the deuil goeth about like a roring Lion seketh whom he maye deuoure verely for that the greatest force of Sathan is for the faythful infringed by Christ that mightie champion and noble conquerour the Deuill not withstandyng goyng about and aspiryng agayne to the Empire and to be restored to his former place so at this present we vnderstande that Sathan lowsed after those thousande yeres raungeth now abroade more frely exerciseth greater authoritie seduceth more people in the worlde and ruleth further thā he hath raygned these thousande yeres yet so that there shal be neuerthelesse in the world a fellowshippe of Sainctes dispersed and vexed miserablely For immediately S. Iohn sayeth that the beloued citie of God is besieged of the enemies Therefore shal the church be in the middes of the enemies Wherefore al that same place muste be expounded not of the veritie religion wholy extinguisshed but of the more large ample power and seduction of sathan the old serpent The deuil cōmeth out of pryson Wherefore he sayeth that when the thousande yeres shal be expired the Deuill shall be lowsed out of that his prison whereinto through the power might of Christ or preachyng of the Apostles he had ben shutte For the chayne ones broken to witte the sincere doctrine and preachyng of the gospel corrupted and depraued he came out and to this ende he came out that he might deceaue the gētiles that is to saye al people and nations which are dwelling in the foure quarters or partes of the Earth I meane in the whole vniuersall worlde and to the ende he mighte allure Gog and Magog namely fierse men barbarouse worldly mocking and contemnyng the true religion addicte to robberies and geuen to euill thinges and regardyng only corruption and naughtines that he might drawe I saye suche men to vnrightuousenes and kepe them still in errours For such doeth Ezechiell signifie Gog and Magog to be But those whiche through the diuine grace be not such shal not be deceaued of Sathan but groūded on Christ shal perseuer in the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles and shall rightly worship Christ shall abhorre Antichrist and al naughtines in the world But that a deuelisshe deceauyng hath passed through the world farre and nere sins the thousande yeres expired What deceauynge shal be in the worlde after the thousāde yeres experience teacheth and Histories witnesses of times testifie For it is playne that duryng those thousande yeres there were famouse churches of Christe in the Easte whiche not withstandyng to haue ben distroyed within these fiue hondreth yeares we lament Therefore the wicked and abominable secte of Mahomet began sixe hondreth yeres after the birth of Christe and from that time forth was auaunced by the Saracenes but preuailed at the last after those thousande fatall yeres For howe great is the power of Turkes nowe in Affricke Asia and Europe no man is ignoraunt And Papistrie had his beginnyng and procedyng ouer soone but after a thousande yeres it was of full force For Bisshoppes of Rome through the abuse of excōmunicatyng haue oppressed euē most mightie Emperours Kinges For who knoweth not with what shameles boldenes the popes haue withstād both Kinges and Keysars Henries Fridderickes Lewysses and many other Princes whom their lewdenes hath vexed vanquished and ouercome After muche and greuouse contention the Popes extorted to themselues the consecratyng of Bishoppes Thei vsurped
tabernacle of his palace betwixte two Seas to wit the Hadriatical Sea called now the goulfe of Venise and the Tirrhene or Tuscane Sea in the mounte of desire of holines that is to saye in the pleasaunt and holy hille We haue hearde certenly that the palace of S. Peter is preferred both before mounte Zion and also Sinai There sitteth the most holy in the seate of holines There is moste full remission of al sinnes There is the mouther supreme head of al churches There is the high courte and iudgemeÌ„t from wheÌ„ce maie no maÌ„ appeale There sitteth the king of kinges and high Bisshop whiche so farre excelleth in brightnes and Maiestie the Emperour and other kinges as the sunne doeth the Moone and Starres There is thought to be perfit holines and al the treasures of Christ and of his Sainctes Therefore saide Daniel rightly that Antichriste shall dwell in the noble and holy hille namely in the seuen hilly Rome as we hearde also in the .17 chapt Finally he prophecieth also of the ende of this most puissaunt prince Antichrist sayeth and what time he shall come to his ende no man shall helpe him For Christ comming to iudgement shal thrust him out of his seate And Daniel in the .12 chap. followyng describeth the iudgement To Christ alone be glory Lette vs consequently procede to adde to a fewe thinges concerning the paynes of the vngodly and the euerlastyng condemnation of the Deuil and his membres S. Iohn and fire came downe from heauen and deuoured them And the prophet Amos in the .1 chapt calleth Gods vengeaunce fire as the others do also Wherfore S. Iohn signifieth that the vengeaunce of God shall falle vpon all the enemies of the church In times paste also fire commyng downe from heauen burnt vp Sodome and Gomorrhe and also consumed the enemies of Helias And although corporally fire doeth not alwayes falle from heauen yet shall the persecutours of the church neuer escape vnpunnisshed in that they haue vexed the Sainctes of Christ Doubtles yf we will beholde and coÌ„sider what was done in that holy warre and what chauÌ„ceth dayly we will saye that the vengeaunce of God is most present bothe agaynst the Turkes and the Papistes But if any man vnderstande that aboute the ende of the world fire shall rage and consume the wicked as also S. Peter mentioneth of fire and burnyng out of the prophetes .2 Pet. 3. I will not be agaynsâ— it Laste of all he toucheth also the euerlastynge damnation of Sathan and all his membres For where the Lorde sayde in the Gospell yf the blinde leade the blinde bothe shal falle into the ditche it followeth that both Sathan the deceauer and the people of him seduced shoulde be caried together to helle where S. Iohn nowe placeth and as it were ioyneth to gether the deuil Gog and Magog the Saracenes Turkes briefely all nations deceaued the Beaste and false Prophet and all the Antichristians We see therefore that the iudgement of God is rightuouse the which to describe he retourneth nowe agayne And we admonisshed before by this speache they shall be tormented daye and nighte c. The perpetuitie of damnation to be signified From the whiche the Lorde our God deliuer vs to whome be glory for euermore Amen ¶ The Iudge and laste iudgement is described with the resurrection of the dead The XC Sermon AND I sawe a greate white seate and him that sat on it froÌ„ whose face fled awaye both the Earth and heauen and their place was no more founde And I sawe the dead both great and smal stande before God and the bokes were opened an other boke was opened whiche is the boke of life and the dead were iudged of the thinges whiche were writteÌ„ in the bokes according to their dedes And the Sea gaue vp her dead whiche were in her and death and helle deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery maÌ„ according to his dedes And death and hel were caste into the lake of fire This is the seconde death and who so euer was not fownde written in the booke of life was caste into the lake of fire The order or disposiâ—ioÌ„ of this place S. Iohn had begonne to speake of the vniuersall and laste iudgement about the ende of the .11 chapt And resumed the same to be finisshed in the .19 chapt Where we hearde that Antichrist shuld be throweÌ„ downe out of his seate and glory into helle Where chaunced a question to arrise of theÌ„ which although they cleaue not to Antichrist yet are they not ioyned with Christe what shal become of them at the last iudgement That same when he had soluted and shewed the equitie of Gods iudgementes he retourneth as it were with an after songe to the description of the generall and laste iudgement and compeÌ„diousely describeth thesame and that more generally now than before in the .19 chap. Where he semeth chiefly to haue treated of the destruction of Antichriste yet so that he shewed after a sorte also what should happeÌ„ to the other vngodly Now he handleth more generally the self same iudgement shewing that al shal be iudged herein and setteth forth the same wholy as it were paincted to be sene of our eyes For after his wonted maner he expouÌ„deth al this matter by an heauenly vision that he might not seme only to tel the thing to our eares but also to shewe it forth to be sene of our eyes to thintent it might be more depely printed in our mindes And al these thinges are most certen and vndoubted as I also admonisshed you before reuealed of the iudge Christ him self But the iudge and Lord himself can be ignoraunt in nothinge of this matter Nother can we perceyue that S. Iohn hath hitherto ben deceaued or abused in any thing that he hath set forth to vs but hath hitte rightly al and singular poinctes as we see that caÌ„ testifie his prophecies to be fulfilled whie than should we so muche as doubte ones of suche thinges as are spoken of the iudgement Therefore let vs credite these thinges and not be emonges the mockers whom the Apostle S. Peter prophecied should come saye where is the promesse of his commyng The consideratioÌ„ of the laste iudgement is of greatest in iâ—portaunce doubtles this matter is of greatest importaunce the foundation and rote of our faith Here are to vs expouÌ„ded not a fewe articles of our sincere and catholicke fayth chiefely these I beleue that Christ shal come to iudge the quicke the dead I beleue the coÌ„munion of Sainctes the resurrection of the fleshe and life euerlastyng Let vs therfore be dilligent in hearyng and marking these thinges leeste we be accompted of their nombre which heare with out any fruicte the misteries of the kingedome of God but lette vs rather prepare our selues to goe mete the iudge to the ende we maye with the wise virgins enter with the brydegrome to the mariage and ioyes
euerlastyng And the description or demonstration of this vision hath these thinges chiefely what the iudge shal be The principall articles of this â—â—ace who shal be iudged how they shal be iudged of what sorte shal be the â—â—surrection of the dead and of euerlastyng damnation finally who shal be properly damned Which things I shal in order accordyng to the grace that God hath geuen me declare as playnely as I can ¶ What iudge at the last iudgement What maner of iudge there shal be we haue vnderstaÌ„d before at this preseÌ„t he is shadowed by certeÌ„ notes or markes These thinges agree with the same vision which is described of Daniel in the .7 chapt Where by the waye we see agayne how this boke hath his testimonies of the prophetes of whoÌ„ it is coÌ„mended to vs like as Iohn also expoundeth to vs the prophets S. Iohn seeth a seate and that white great For the iudge him self sayde that he would come in glory maiestie to witte with great light And we beleue also that his iudgemeÌ„tes are rightuouse iust white And Aretas an expositour sayeth the seate is great because he sitteth therin of whoÌ„ the prophet sayde great is the Lord great is his power c. And in the seate as iudge of al that moste rightuouse he sitteth furnisshed with all power vertue For al this signifieth the worde of sittyng They that are to be iudged staÌ„de he sitteth Therfore he calleth him that sitteth as you would say iudge For other name he geueth not But we beleue that al iudgement is geuen to the sonne and that he is appoincted iudge ouer all S. Iohn therfore seeth and also sheweth vs to beholde the Lord Iesus Christ commyng in the clowdes of the ayre a rightuouse mightie iudge S. Paule also in the .2 to Titus calleth him a great God not that there is one great god and an other little God but that the Maiestie of our Lorde Iesu Christ shal at that daye moste euidently be sene and the lord him selfe shal than shewe him selfe to the world with greater glory and power than euer heretofore FroÌ„ whose fight heauen fleeth The same shall appere also moste seuere and moste iuste Wherupon S. Iohn sayeth figuratiuely from whose face fled awaye both heauen and Earth For if those thinges whiche haue not sinned dare not come in the iudges sight but seke as it were to saue themselues by Sight where I praye thee shal appere the vngodly sumer And doubtles the prophet Malachie also who sayeth he shal abide the daye of his commyng or who is able to stande when he shal appere So in the sixte chapter we hearde that heauen fled backe and was folden vp like a scrolle that the mountaynes also and Iles flitted and that Kinges and Princes and other men hidde themselues in caues and sayde to the hilles and rockes falle vpoÌ„ vs hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the seate and from the wrath of the lambe c. By whiche wordes although be described the effecte of a desperate coÌ„science out of corrupte doctrine yet the same shall appere chiefely in this iudgement what time the seuere and moste rightuous iudge shall appere A muche like figure is red in the .18 Psalme Where is added and their place was no more fownde it is annexed to amplifie the matter not that Heauen and Earth shal be no where but for so muche as they dare not whiche is spoken by a figure appere in the iudgement of God By al these thinges therfore is signified that the vngodly beyng destitute of all counsell shal not knowe at that daye whither to tourne them or what to doe but trembling and despayryng to be vexed with vnspeakeable tormentes before the seate It might be thought in the meane season that S. Iohn signifieth this also howe heauen and earth should at the coÌ„myng of the iudge be renewed The whiche also the Apostle S. Peter more playnely expresseth in the .3 chapt of the seconde Epistle whiche neuerthelesse referreth and applieth al those his sayinges to the same sense that we haue touched before For he sayeth seyng than that all these thinges shall be disolued what ought you to be in holy conuersation loking for and hasting the coÌ„myng of the day of God Aretas of Cesaria the flight of heauen and earth sayeth he signifieth no chaungyng of place for whither should they flee but flight flittyng from corruption to incorruption and the laste coÌ„myng of the lord vnder the which this mortal body of ours shal putte on immortalitie and the face of the Earth shal be renewed This sayeth he a like phrase of speach is had in the 12. of the Apocalipse of the Angelles caste downe out of heauen nother was their place founde any more in heauen c. Nowe toucheth he also who shall be iudged Who shall be iudged verely the dead For he sayeth and I sawe the dead And shorteth after we shall heare that the dead shal be reysed vp Therfore they shal be iudged that rise from the dead Neuertheles the liuing are not exeÌ„pted whome the Apostle sayeth most manifestly shal be iudged in the .4 of the first to he Thess But these he nameth not at this present the dead he nameth for that the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead is more hardely beleued more easely beleued that those which remayne in flesh should be iudged at that daye And verely the soules neuer die the bodies die Therfore where it is sayde here that the dead shal be iudged we meane that al those which are dead at that daie shal come in their owne bodies to the iudgement of Christ And al men must be iudged All meÌ„ are iudged Wherefore S. Iohn seeth great and smalle that is to witte men of all sortes state sexe and age Kinges and princes are not excepted the common people shall not escape nother children nor olde folkes men nor wemen All these seeth he standyng before the face or iudgement seate of God The gilty or accused or to be accused shal be set before the iudgemente seate of God And S. Paule also testifiyng expressely of this matter we must al sayeth he appere before the iudgement seate of Christe that euery one maye receaue in his body accordyng to that he hath done whether it be good or euil .2 Corinth 5. chapt but after a diuerse maner appere both good euill For the wicked as giltie are brought to be iudged and punnished and that their giltines maye be openly knoweÌ„ to al creatures The vngodly are iudged not the godly The good for asmuch as they be iustified and quitte haue nowe no more gilte nor crime by reason of Christes satisfaction appere in iudgement with glory ready to iudge the vngodly after their fashioÌ„ and maner and not to be iudged of any And this thinge is singular that he sayeth that we shall be iudged in the sighte of God For who
noÌ„bre the seueÌ„th laste Therfore ar al things figured spiritually not carnally to be vnderstand and taken Doubtles the matters are excelleÌ„t vnderstand euen after the letter howbeit we must thinke of spiritual matters and greater alwayes than the speach of man can atteine to For we know as taught by the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles to be alwaies true that is said that the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath not hearde nor ascended in to the hart of man those things which god hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2 The chiefe articles of this place of the gâ—orye of the blessed And the chefest poincts of this place be these First he sheweth that the world shal be renewed SecoÌ„dly he signifieth that the Saincts shal be glorified blessed And declareth in general what that same fiticitie shal be And incoÌ„tineÌ„tly he confirmeth these things by many reasons moreouer he describeth the place the courte Palace of the blessed and lykewise the glory and felicitie of Saincts The which in the beginning of the .20 chap. he finisheth vp excedingly wel vnder the figure of a râ—uer â—ree of lyfe And lyke as he hath for the most part borowed al his things out of the bokes of prophets the which S. Ihon also with his reuelation lighteneth so hath he also at this present borrowed these out of the .65 and .66 chapt of Esaye And .37 of Ezâ—chiel and the laste chapters of the same Of the renewyng of the world he speaketh plainely Of the renewyng of the world as doeth also thapostle S. Peter in his later Epistle the .3 chap. that al thinges verely shuld be purged by fire not wholy abolished adnichilated but should doubtles be purified from all corruptioÌ„ for Aretas he signifieth not sayeth he thextinguisshing of the creature but a renewyng for the better Therfore sayeth S. Iohn expressely that he sawe a newe heaueÌ„ a newe earth wherunto he addeth by exposition that the first heaueÌ„ the first earth are vanisshed awaye to wit they are chauÌ„ged in their qualities so that the corruptible thinges are now gone created for corruptible vses For euen so is the Sea no more also doubtles subiecte to corruptioÌ„ but chauÌ„ged into better S. Austen and his scollar Primasius suppose that the troublesome state of the world signified not seldome in the scriptures by the Sea about th ende of the world shal cease Reade the .17 chap. of the .20 boke De ciuitate dei ExpouÌ„ding this place he reasoneth likewise at large of this innouatioÌ„ of the world in the same .20 boke De ciuitate dei .18 chap. other places I thinke mere in this matter to put awaie al curiositie if any hid thing appere therin that it be reserued vnto that daie in the which we shal see al thinges euidently And I suppose that these things coÌ„cerning the renewyng of heaueÌ„ earth ar not therfore spokeÌ„ that so ther shuld any place be prepared for vs which we shuld inhabite again in these inferiours partes vnder heaueÌ„ for we beleue that we shal flie vp into heaueÌ„ go mete the lord in the clowdes according to the doctrine of thapostle 1. Thess 4. but for the our mindes are thus confirmed that the faithful shal vndoubtedly be renewed glorified For if heauen and earth made for man be renewed purefied who wil doubte now that men themselues shal be moste chiefely clarified For coÌ„sequently now S. Iohn declareth Sainctes muste be glorified that the Sainctes shall both be renewed glorified placed in blessed seates signifieth yet generally what the glory of saincts shal be After he will declare more at large and seuerally all those thinges moste dilligently For he heareth an Angel sayeng come I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the lambe c. The same now figuratiuely he nameth a citie that in dede holy new Hierusalem And a citie signifieth aswel the place habitatioÌ„ as them that dwelle in the place I meane the citezens themselues This citie therfore is not only the place of the blessed but also the very coÌ„munion of sainctes in olde time prefigured in the citie of Hierusalem But he putteth a greate difference betwixte this of our newe and that visible and corporall Hierusalem HierusaleÌ„ For he calleth ours holy that other in the lande of Palestine was prophane polluted with the bloud of Christ prophetes and Apostles for the same cause destroyed vtterly Ours is also called newe For the coÌ„munion of Sainctes shal be renewed at the same daye And therefore by interpretation followeth coÌ„myng downe from heauen not that the habitation of Sainctes after iudgement shall againe be in earth but that the glory and renewyng shal be grauÌ„ted from heauen of the diuine maiestie power As also S. Iames is red to haue sayde euery good gifte and euery perfit gifte is from aboue commyng downe from the father of lightes And S. Paule also in the .4 to the Galath sayde that the free church is the heauenly HierusaleÌ„ The same in the .1 Corinth the .15 The firste man sayeth he of the earth earthly the seconde man the lord himself from heaueÌ„ Such as that earthly was suche are they also that be earthly and suche as that heauenly was such are they also that be heaueÌ„ly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly maÌ„ so shal we beare also the Image of the heauenly Therfore sayed S. Iohn most rightly that the churche of Sainctes commeth downe from heauen to witte froÌ„ heauen receauing her glory For againe by a demonstration prepared of God sayeth he as a bryde garnished for her husbande For the Apostle in the .2 to the Corinth the .5 We know sayeth he that yf our earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroied we haue bildyng of god a mansion not made with hande euerlastyng in heauen And anone he that hath prepared vs for the same is God He remoueth from his sainctes al corruptioÌ„ but geueth and teacheth to be purified with al giftes of the body that so they may be garnisshed worthely and maye dwell in the euerlastyng bryde chamber with their brydegrome Christe Wherefore this garnisshynge consisteth in the abolishinge of all corruption and mortalitie and in the gifte of vncorruption immortalitie and glory Of the purefying and deckyng of the bryde speaketh the Apostle S. Paule also in the .5 chapter to the Ephesians And in this worlde beginneth the purgyng and trimmyng and finally at the ende is finisshed most perfitly For than shal the church haue nother spotte nor wrincle al corruption verely wiped awaie and al glory receyued And here learne by the waye that the Sainctes are prepared of God therefore saluation to be of mere grace And he procedeth to declare yet more playnely What shal be the eternall felicitie what the glory shal be whereof in this worke he hath ben occasioned to speake oftener than ones Blessednes chiefely
same he declareth by fiue partes of membres the walles Firste the walles are of Iaspar Let no man here forge to him self carnal thinges The Iaspar is grene The celestial Citie alwayes florisheth God his protection neuer fayleth 2. The citie it self that is to say the buildynges in the citie the palaces and houses are pure golde For al things be purefied in the eternall countrie There is no vncleanes Habitations no euil affectiōs there shal be no trouble or payne As the lord sayde also in the .19 chapt of Matth. Disputyng agaynst the Sadduceis Therfore like as golde is most tried and pure so shal the celestial habitation be most cleane Therfore must the bodies also that shal dwell in heauen be clarified or glorified He addeth that this golde most pure is not glasse but in brightnes doeth represent most pure and shinyng glasse For in heauen al thinges are clere There we shal be sene face to face There we shal moste perfitly know al thinges 3. Foundations And first he sayeth generally that the foundatiōs of the citie are beaultified with al maner of precious stones after particularly he reciteth by name the stones that are most excellent Doubtles nothing is more preciouse nothing more excellent than Christ the foundatiō of our saluatiō than thapostolical doctrine wherby we are induced to the knowledge of Christ of our saluatiō And he setteth in order .xii. stones to thintent we shuld vnderstand that there is not one precious stone alone placed for the foūdatiō but a rowe of one sorte in such a lēgth as the side is square so cōsequently likewise in al partes of the squadre For the first order therfore is placed a Iaspar stone that is to saye in the first place of the foūdatiō Iaspar stones are set in their ranke agayne in the next rowe vpon the Iaspars are laide Saphyres through out the whole space in such length as the foundation was so consequētly the other stones were couched and layde in order By all the which is signified that the foundation of our saluatiō is both most excellēt and sure Which we ought of right to set more bie thā by the price of al the Iewelles in the earth And there are founde men godly beneficiall which bestowyng or sellyng these earthly Iewelles according to the Apostles doctrine in the .1 to Timo. the .6 prepare for themselues a good foundation in an other world There are foūde fooles which are ouer much in loue with Iewelles many times in stead of precious stones that coste very much beyng polished thei bie glasse Ful worthie doubtles to be deceaued Verely precious stones haue their vse vertues nother were thei made of God in vaine But we must alwayes remembre that saying of the wise man al thinges are not mete for al men Precious stones 4 By the register of preciouse stones he semeth to haue alluded to the precious stones that were set in the attire of the high bishop in the .28 of Exod. Nother doubte I that S. Iohn toke these things partely out of the .54 of Esaye which place S. Hierome expoūding sendeth thē that desire to knowe more of stones to Epiphanius to the .37 boke of the Natur. Hist of Plinie Aretas in his commentaries applieth the twelue precious stones to the .12 Apostles of Christ There remaine moreouer the writynges of Bede vpon this place out of whō toke Thomas of Aquine such things as he hath in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse I see not howe I can with any great fruicte tary longer in this treatise Wherfore I referre the curiouse reader to these Authours it is enough for me to haue shewed that by these costely Iewelles is signified the excellencie of the foundation of our helth and saluation The gates Morouer in the fourth place is declared the matter of the gates They were of one whole pearle euery of them whereof the price is excedyng greate The gate of heauen is Christ and the porters of heauen are Apostles as is declared before Therfore are the gates most preciouse and most strong In the .13 chap. of S. Mathewes gospel Christ himself and the saluation that is of him are compared to a Pearle which the marchaūt selling al that he hath byeth for himselfe thinking himselfe rich enough yf he may haue this Pearle 5. In the fift place is also described the Strete what it is Strete In the Cities here in Earth the stretes are many times myrie though otherwyse the cities be neuer so famouse noble Where they be notable they are paued with stone or bricke but the Strete of our Citie is paued with golde both cleane and bright For in heauen is founde no noysomenes no obscure darkenes All these thinges doubtles are spoken moste beaultifully but yet must far greater thinges be vnderstand and imagined and we muste indeuour with all our myght that the thinge which the tung of man can not vtter nor our mynde here for the greatnes excellencie conceaue we may at the length beholde the same in Heauen presentlie and may experience the same in those our glorified bodies throughe Iesus Christe our Lorde ¶ Furthermore yet is described the euerlasting countrie in Heauen The .xcv. Sermon AND I sawe no temple therin For the Lorde God almightie and the lambe is the temple of it and the Citie hath no nede of the Sunne nother of the Moone to lightē it For the brightnes of God doth lighten it and the lambe is the light therof And the people which are saued shal walke in the light of it the kinges of the earth shal bring their glory honour vnto it And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day For there shal be no night there And they shal bring the glory honour of the Gētiles to it And there shal enter into it none vncle an thing nother what soeuer worketh abomination or maketh lyes but they which are written in the lambes boke of life The Aposte procedeth in the descriptiō of the diuine or celestiall Citie to comfort and kepe the faithful in all temptations and afflictions Therfore in the seuenth place he discourseth of the temple The tēple For in famouse Cities ther is no smal cōsideration and prayse of churches This is manifeste by all writers of stories places and times What temple is than in heauen none at all For S. Iohn and I sawe saith he in the citie of God no temple This place repugneth not with those thinges which are in the .11 and .15 chapters of the temple in Heauen For the temple is there exhibited in a figure and vision not that there is in dede any temple in Heauen but that thus mighte be signified Gods iustice and certayne saluation promised in the Scriptures lyke as we haue in those places declared No temple in Heauen And what is the cause that there appeareth no temple in heauen The diuine reuelation aunswereth for
chapt sayeth for we be your glory as you shal be oures also in the daye of our Lorde Iesu And agayne in the .1 to the Thess the .2 chapt the same Apostle sayeth for what is our hope ioye or crowne of reioycyng are not you in the sight of our Lorde Iesu Christe at his commyng for you are our glory and ioye Ful wel therefore sayeth Aquinas S. Iohn speaketh after the maner of coÌ„querours which bryng their spoyles into Cities Therefore he fayneth that Princes preachers and parentes bryng with them into heauen such as they haue wonne whiche to them shal be an honour and glory These thinges alwayes let vs thinke vpon and do our duety inioyned vs of God which we perceyue in the euerlasting countrie to haue so great rewarde For it shal be the greatest glory that maye be to stande with so many wonne in the presence of the eternal God LaÌ„be and al sainctes Contrarywise the greatest shame to stande with so great a multitude of men lost and that loste through our faulte and negligence Reade what thinges are written in the .1 chapt of the boke of wisedome c. In the tenth place followeth the custody of the gates celestiall The gates are not shut in the daye Certenly in greate Cities there is greate and dilligent watching and wardynge hede taken to the gates that they be shutte and opened in dewe time and season But in heaueÌ„ there shall nede no such carefulnes The reason is The gates are not wonte to be shutte in the day but at night But in the euerlastyng countrie there is no night therfore are the gates neuer shutte There is doubtles no night but continual day There is no treason no Ambusshes or wayte laide no perils or daungers all thing in generall are safe peaceable quiet sicker and sure The same thinges are red also in Esaye but some thing in a diuerse sense Aretas here is a double vnderstandyng sayeth he for eyther he meaneth that there shal be peace and securitie and that so great that it shall not nede to kepe the citie by shuttyng of the gates Or els that there also the godly gates of the Apostolicall doctrine are open for all men vnto their learnyng which haue more perfection c. Certenly they shal nede no teachers nor guides which see al misteries now presently are brought into heauen it self The cleanes of the heauenly â—â—tie And especially cleanes in Cities is highly commended if there shewe or appere nothing that offendeth the sighte hearyng and smellyng which is lothsome to loke vpon and to be abhorred And in priuate houses the chiefe prayse is yf all thinges shyne and stande euery thing in order and lie not scattered and stinke Now therefore in the eleuenth place he sheweth that there shal be nothing in heauen that maye offende that is to saye which shall not be pleasaunt and delectable moste cleane and nete absolute and complete The same place also muste be referred to the personnes For it followeth saue they that are written in the lambes boke of life We vnderstande therfore how into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ shal not enter whoremongers Idolaters liars deceauers what so euer is vncleane and not purged with the bloud of the sonne of God through fayth This same the Apostle affirmeth in the .1 to the Corint the .5 and .6 chapt and to the Ephes the .5 chapt Dauid also demaundeth Lord who shal dwell in thy tabernucle or who shal reste in thy holy hille And aunswereth incontinently he that walketh without spotte and worketh rightuousnes and that which insueth in the .15 Psalm Finally here shal be fulfilled suche thinges as are written in the .23 chapt of Deuter. Touching theÌ„ which are prohibited to enter into the church Wherfore this place hath a secret doctrine and priuie admonishment instructyng vs that if we wil or couet to be heyres of the euerlasting couÌ„trie we should al applie our selues whilest we liue here in Earth to rightuousenes and Innocencie For it shal followe in the .22 chapt For without are dogges and inchaunters and whoremongers c. The Lord bryng vs by the waye of rightuousenes vnto life euerlastyng ¶ He continueth yet in describyng the blessed seates The .xcvi. Sermon AND he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life cleare as Chrystall The .22 chapt proceding out of the seate of God and of the Lambe In the middes of the strete of it of eyther side of the riuer was there wood of life whiche bare twelue maner of fruictes gaue fruicte euery moneth the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withal And ther shal be nomore curse but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it and his seruauntes shall serue him And they shal see his face and his name shal be in their foreheades And there shal be no night there and they nede no candle nor light of Sunne for the lorde God geueth them light and they shall raygne for euermore In the twelfth place is described of Iohn the pleasauntnes The pleasauntenes of the citie of God trymnes the plentuousenes and abouÌ„dance of foode in the Citie of God Riuers make cities pleasaunt and delectable Without fountaynes sprynges and holesome waters cities decaye and are scarsely worthy the names of Cities But in case they waunte victualles they are wholy loste Therefore this our heaueÌ„ly Citie excelleth and is most noble in al these thinges nother hath it vitayle only but geueth the same vnto vs with greate pleasure and finesse moste pleasaunt For trees in this Citie doe not only beare fruicte but geue also a pleasauÌ„tnes vnspeakable inestimable The riuer moreouer runneth through the middes of the stretes on the bankes of eyther side are trees moste beautiful to beholde bearing the fruictes of life And as I haue many times in this description intimated so I repete now the same againe that those things are not to be vnderstande after the letter as the Millenaries take them For the Lord talketh with vs and euen lispeth to the ende we might after the imbecillitie of our witte coÌ„ceaue these thinges Yf any shuld wisshe for earthly things I wene he could couet no greater thinges thaÌ„ be here described We shall thinke therefore if the Lorde coulde geue these earthly thinges yf he woulde whie can he not geue greater to the soules of the godly and bodies glorified yea the Lorde will that beyng withdrawen from the contemplation of earthly thinges we shoulde loke altogether for celestiall and diuine worthie of blessed soules and bodies clarified Whiche verely howe greate and what they shall be no tunge of manne can expresse to vs be it neuer so eloquente For the Lord hath prepared greater thinges for his seruauntes than here we can comprehende Therefore he bringeth forth here matterâ— moste ample that after a certen maner we mightie conceaue heauenly thinges muche more excellent than they be Therfore the sense and meanyng of all those
thinges whiche are spoken here of the riuer of life and wood of life by an amplification right excellent is none other but that the blessed in the heauenly countrie shall be quickened of God and preserued in that happie life with highe delectation for euermore And there is no doubte but the S. Iohn hath borrowed these thinges as he doeth all the reste sins he is the expositour of the Prophetes out of the Scriptures And therefore hath he alluded to Paradise whose description set forth in the seconde of Genesis doeth with this description of Heauen very well agree For there springeth also a riuer in Paradise whiche immediately is diuided into foure heades and watereth the garden of pleasure moste pleasauntly The very paradise of the faithfull is heaueÌ„ it selfe In the same Paradise is the wood that is the tree of life bryngyng forth liuely fruicte to the eaters as it is expounded of S. Austen in the .13 booke De ciuitate dei The .20 chapter But for the sinne of our firste parente we were caste out of that Paradise and Christe is come to the ende he mighte brynge vs agayne into Paradise that is to saye into high felicitie Now therefore that trewe paradise prepared for vs of Christe is shewed in heauen and is here described into this Paradise entred the Lorde after death and brought with him into the same also the faythfull thiefe to whome he sayed verely I saye vnto thee this daye shalte thou be with me in paradise Therefore ought we not here to forge to our selues the gardens of Aleinous in Earth or in the ayre aboue the globe of the Mone and reason of Paradise terrestriall Our Paradise is celestiall whiche is prepared for vs in heauen as S. Paule hath sayde in the thirde to the Philipp And Paradise is called a garden of pleasure as at this presente it is called a golden Citie or of preciouse stones verely by a trope on eyther side Hereunto apperteyneth also a place of Zacharie in the .14 chapter There is also an other place of Scripture in the .47 chapt of Ezechiel Whiche is this and translated or written out by S. Iohn into this place in a maner worde for worde by the riuer sayeth he on eyther side of it shall growe vp all maner trees that beare fruicte whose leaues shall not falle nor the fruictes fayle but euery moneth shal they bring forth newe fruictes For their waters flowe out of the sanctuarie and their fruictes shal be meate and their leaues medicinable And Ezechiel vnder a figure seeth that same blessed life and happie seates whiche S. Iohn at this present seeth by the shewyng of the Angell And eyther of them both seeth the happie seates after the same sorte vnder the like figure For there is one only blessednes common to al the faythfull of the whole world The Patriarches Prophetes Apostles and Martirs atchieue all one felicitie They see the Riuer on eyther side and the same runnyng out of the Sanctuarie or seate of God They see on eyther side the riuer trees planted that bryng forth the fruictes of life They bring forth fruictes euery moneth fresshe and newe and the leaues of eyther do heale I suppose the olde Poetes borrowed out of the Scriptures suche thinges as they wrote in verses concerning Ambrosia and Nectar the meate and drinke of the Goddes the meates drinkes of goddes That shorte verse of Martiall is knowen Ambrosia is the meate and Nectar drynke of Ioue And Grammarians deriue those vocables of immortalitie But our S. Iohn here reasonyng more elegantly better of these matters sayeth how the Aungel shewed him a riuer which he commendeth vnto him by such properties as water is wonte to be coÌ„mended of the purenes brightnes and clearenes He addeth a parable whiche geueth light to that he hath sayde and sayeth cleare as a christal After he addeth that this riuer is the riuer of the water of life to witte liuely water which preserueth the drinkers therof in life Finally he sheweth also the originall or springe head of this riuer deriuyng the same from the seate of God of the whiche seate or Trone I haue spoken in the .4 and .5 chapter of this booke And by all these thinges is signified nothing els but that life procedeth of God alone which he geueth to theÌ„ that serue him in that blessed countrie pure cleare bright moste tried and most perfit and altogether diuine Touchyng the liuely springes and fountaynes of waters we haue touched some what in the ende of the .7 chapt of this boke Marke againe that God the lambe are so ioyned together againe that no man vnlesse he be madde wil denie the sonne to be of the same substaunce with the father The vitaile of this citie Now followeth the victual of this diuine citie The meate in the couÌ„trie euerlastyng is the tree of life And it is the Hebrewe phrase the woode of life for the tree of life or liuely meate For there is added bearing fruicte And whether you vnderstande that S. Iohn sawe one only tree as also in paradise was one tree only or mo as in Ezechiel so that by the general word we maye vnderstande the particular kindes of trees it shal be all one The Situation of the tree he sheweth dilligently to be sette in the middes of the strete of the Citie and on eyther side the riuer whereby doubtles is gathered that there were many trees to witte on the bankes of the riuer that they maye sucke vp liuely iuyce out of the riuer which floweth froÌ„ the Trone And hereby I suppose is signified that the heauenly fode is common and free for all not locked vp or kepte for a fewe It is founde in the middes of the strete of the citie than doeth the meate stande opeÌ„ and is not hidde And it draweth a liuely force out of the riuer whiche springeth out of the seate For that heauenly life is 〈◊〉 God floweth to al his electe Moreouer it is also declared moste dilligently what maner of fruicte this shal be the tree of life sayeth he The fruicâ— doeth fructifie or bring forth fruicte twelue times in the yere so that euery moneth it beareth fruicte freshe and newe The first fruictes to men are deintie and they that doe coÌ„monly abhorre olde fruicte had rather haue newe Therefore in that blessed couÌ„trie of oures shal nothing be tediouse vnpleasaunt lothesome or in any wise to be reiected but all thinges shal be most pleasaunt most delicate or deintie fresh and delectable Nowe also he neglecteth not the leaues as Ezechiel did The leâ—ues sheweth some vse of the same They serue saieth he for a medicine to heale the people Not that ther shal be diseases or sores in that heaueÌ„ly couÌ„trie but that the blessed shal haue continual perpetual helth These people he calleth geÌ„tiles not that the geÌ„tiles are yet vncleane but for that thei were ones suche but nowe beyng
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
head with a lase Vndoubtedly in the heauenly countrie the glory of the children of God shal be wonderfull greate of those chiefely that haue confessed the name of Christ in earth for these the celestial father shal glorifie God lightneth the chosen In the sixte mēbre is repeted agayne which hath ones or twise ben spokē before that the electe in heauē are illumined with the glory diuine wherof hath ben spokē enough before In the last and seuenth membre comprisyng as it were all thinges of life and felicitie and vttering with one word they shal raygne They shal raigne sayeth he for euer more The lord Iesus graunt to vs his faithful that suche thinges as we haue now hearde plentifully of his mouth we may shortely experience in our soules and bodies and may crie with ioye to God the father most mercifull and to Iesu Christ the redemer most mightie and benigne and to the holy ghost the most swete comforter be prayse and glory for euer more Amen ¶ The conclusion of this worke wherein is established the autoritie of the same and the some collected briefely The XCvij Sermon AND he sayde vnto me these sayinges are faithfull and true And the lord God of the holy prophets sente his Angell to shew vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche muste be shortely fulfilled Beholde I come shortely Happy is he that kepeth the saying of the prophecie of this booke I am Iohn which saw these things and I hearde them And whē I had hearde and sene I fel downe to worship before the fete of the Angel which shewed me these thinges And he saide vnto me see thou do it not For I am thy fellowe seruaunt and of thy bretherne the prophets and of them which kepe the sayinges of this boke Worship God The sixte last parte of this worke conteyneth the conclusion The conclusion of this worke which affirmeth the thinges which we haue heard to be diuine certayne and vndoubted for he collecteth the chiefest thinges moueth al men to faith study of godlines that in stedfaste hope we shuld loke for the iudge of al to come shortly and to iudge the quicke the dead And in goodly order this laste boke of the Canonical scripture finisheth the godly narration doctrine with the iudgement ende of all thinges The Apocalipse is the laste boke of the canonical bokes of the scripture For the holy Scripture beginneth at the firste originall of al thinges and continueth a narration vntill the ende of all thinges conteyning in it self the vniuersalitie of things and al such thinges as are requisite to be knowē of matters nedeful and profitable And al those thinges hath our good Lord geuen vs to be knowen in the holy scripture that is to say in the Canonical bokes For they be false harlottes that saye that al thinges which apperteyne to the true full godlines saluation of the faithful are not set forth in holy writinges and therefore to haue nede of traditions They in dede haue nede of those traditions which wil vtter their craftie wares we nede none which esteme al their wares not worth a gally halfpenny to be bought of any man For Esaye hath sufficiently diswaded vs from their disceauable craftie iuglinges in the .55 chapt And this conclusion conteyneth aboute .16 Articles Which we shal discusse in order Immediately after the beginning is set a graue asseueration That these thinges be true vndoubted that the thinges which he hath sayde or writtē hitherto are true sure certaine vndoubted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath in a maner the same sentēce also in the .19 chapt of this booke And he calleth faythful sayinges whiche are stable ratified stedfaste and vndoubted And the sentence is referred in the thinges whiche he hath spoken of the blessed life to the world to come leest we shuld be lefte in any doubtfulnes Agayne it is referred to the whole narration of this boke And this sentence semeth to be a clause of assertiō and confirmyng the certentie of the matter propounded as be those also in the prophets for the lord hath spoken againe thus sayeth the Lord of hoostes and that same moste vsed in the gospel verely verely I saye vnto you And that in the Epistles apostolical God is my witnes that I lie not And the goodnes of god doeth succour our infirmitie wherby many times we doubting of the veritie of Gods words do wauer confirmeth our hope with these as it were ankers Wherefore these must be dilligently beaten in vrged in the ecclesiastical doctrine Aretas expoundyng this place as the wōted maner of this holy Euangeliste is alwayes so is it here also For like as in his gospel in token of loyaltie he sayeth we know that his testimony is true so in this place also setting to his seale he sayeth these sayinges are faithful and trewe Hitherto he Therfore shal it be an vnworthie thing to doubt be it neuer so little of the thinges that are writtē in this boke and in other bokes of the canonical Scripture The Authour of this worke God of the holy Prophetes Secondly he repeteth who is the Authour of this worke and all these thinges are reuealed to him And verely there is none other Authour but the lorde God him selfe and that the God of the holy Prophetes The which hath a great efficacitie for he sheweth him not only to be one the same god of both Testamentes whiche by his spirite hath inspired the prophetes Apostles but also biddeth vs secretly to esteme the veritie certētie of this boke of the prophetical matters For if he coulde in olde time telle his people before of things to come vtter al thinges by the prophetes what maruell is it yf he nowe also perfourme the same by S. Iohn And if all those thinges came to passe which the prophetes did prophesie to come nother did there any word no nor one iote fal vnto the grounde which was not fulfilled there is no man also that wil doubt of the veritie of this boke yf at leest he cōsider that the same God which in times past was with the prophets is nowe also with blessed Ihon. The Prophets said howe the land of Chanaan shulde be deliuered in to the possession of the children of Israel it was deliuered The selfe same prophecied that the people of Israel shulde for their sinnes be cast out agayne of the same land in to Babilon thei were cast oute After thei prophecied againe that thei shulde be deliuered shuld repare the Citie to the which Christ wolde come which shuld redeme mankynd cal into the fellowship of life and blesse all nations They were deliuered they repared their Citie Christ came and redemed mankind and the gospel was preached through out the whole world What thyng than remayneth but that the church shuld be turmoiled Antichrist shuld come and raigne and that the true Christians and