and of all thinges that he sawe Happye is he that readeth and they that heare the wordes of the prophesye kepe those thinges which are wrytten therin For the tyme is at hande VNto our sauiour Iesus Christe after his manhode was geuen of god his father not onely all sufficiencie and fulnes of grace but also the knowledge and reuelacion of all suche secret mysteries as shoulde happen from tyme to tyme in Christendome vntyll suche tyme as he shoulde come againe vnto the lattre iudgement whiche secretes our sauiour Christ dyd reuele and open throughe his angels vnto his electe seruauntes and specially vnto holy S. Iohn I meane vnto that Iohn whiche bare wytnes of the worde of god and of Iesus Christ and dyd recorde all suche matters and doctrine as he himselfe had sene and lerned Whiche doctrine shall be very profytable vnto euery one that shall reade vnderstande this prophecye so far as he shal endeuer himselfe to lyue therafter preparinge appointynge himselfe thorowe a true faith and a christen conuersacion to please the lorde in this lyfe whiche is shorte and transitorye and the ende therof vncerten ▪ The texte ¶ Iohn to the seuen congregacions in Asia Grace be vnto you peace from him whiche is and whiche was and whiche is to come and from the seuen spirites whiche are before his trone and from Iesus Christ whiche is a faythful witnes and first begotten of the dead and Lorde ouer the Kynges of the earth Vnto him that loued vs wasshed vs from our synnes in his awne bloude and made vs kynges and prestes vnto god his father be glorye and dominion for euermore Amen In lytle Asia were notable churches and congregacions set vp institute of the holy apostles speciallye of S. Paule vnto whiche also S. Peter wryteth confirmeth them in the faythe and vnto the same dothe S. Iohn wryte specially in consyderacion that this doctrine shoulde concerne all churches generally whiche were at that tyme standynge or shoulde afterwarde be institute thorowe out the whole world And he wysheth vnto them all as muche good as he can thincke or dyuyfe from god whiche is onely the gyuer of all good thinges is and remayneth for euer vnmutable ruleth gouerneth all thinges wherunto he vseth the ministraciō seruice of his angels which are infynyte in nombre whiche thing the nombre of seuen dothe sygnifye accordynge vnto the vse of holy scripture And with this eternall father holy spirite one god reygneth our lord Iesus Christ which is appointed to be the ruler of al thīges in heauen earth of al sensyble creatures both gostly as the spirites are bodily He in his mans nature for very loue toward mankinde was sēt for the comforte and wealth of y◠who le world testifyed most faithfully vnto al the world the wil of his father in the gospel accordyng as it was before promysed in all the prophetes that he shoulde be the founder and performer of the newe testament and should be offered vp and dye for the synnes of the whole world and in the resurrectiō or vprisynge againe of the bodye and soule he shoulde goe before all the resydue of the faythfull and be their guyde vnto euerlastynge lyfe whiche lyfe he onely hath meryted and purchaced thorowe his perfyte obedyence vpon the erosse vnto death And therefore is he exalted as concernynge his manhode aboue all creatures and hath receyued the moost worthiest and hyghest name and tytle that can be named eyther in this world or in the worlde to come And he hath purchaced and deserued for all the holy elect children of god the honour and glorye of the euerlastynge kyngdome and also grace to rule and gouerne our selues vertuouslye and to offre vp dayly and continually a pleasant sacryfyce of thanckes geuynge in true faith in god thorow Iesus Christ Vnto hym therfore alone parteyneth all honour and glorye The texte ¶ Beholde he commeth with cloudes and al eyes shal see him and they also which pearsed him And all kynreds of the earth shall wayle ouer him Euen so Amen Euen in despyte and against the wyll and mynde of all them that crucifyed Christ and woulde not take nor knowledge him for a kyng yet he commeth in the hyghest maiestye whiche excelleth all glorye and power of all otherkynges that euer were and nowe sheweth hym selfe and appeareth thorowe fayth vnto all his electe as the very messias and sauiour of the worlde whiche was so long desyered and loked for And whan he shal come at the latter daye to iudge the quycke and the deade than shall all the Iewes and vnfaythful whiche despysed him at his first commynge whan he came with suche humblenes crucyfyeng and putting him to death and woulde not receyue nor knowledge hym for a sauioure and a messias they shall than see him with feare and tremblyng and he shall appeare dreadfull vnto them The texte ¶ I am Alpha and Omega the begynnynge and the endynge sayeth the Lorde almighty whiche is and whiche was and whiche is to come I Iohn your brother and companion in tribulacion and in the kyngdome and pacience in Iesu Christe was in the yle that is called Pathmos for the word of god and for the witnessynge of Iesus Christ This doth Christ speake to declare his godly maiestye and his eternall substaunce his almyghtye power without ende or begynnynge And he speaketh after the maner of the grecians amonge the whiche Alpha is the first letter Omega the last And after this speaketh S. Iohn the Euangelist again of his owne parson without any worldly boasting reioysyng as it becommeth a Christē man not in any honour or ryches of the world nor yet in any holynes the is in himselfe but onely in the affliccions persecuciōs pacience mysery partycypacion of the rightuousnes in Christ wherof he is a witnes a partener in sufferyng for Christes sake which thing hapned vnto him for the gospel by the procurement commaundemēt of Domicianus the Emperour which would haue bene honoured for a God where as Iohn taught that the onely lyuynge god and none els ought to be honoured and called vpon For y◠whiche cause Iohn was banyshed sent into Pathmos where god dyd shewe this reuelacion vnto him bad him wryte it so by that meanes thorow his wryting to set furth to further the glorye of Christ in his banyshemēt more thā euer he had bene able to haue done with his wordes or preachinge onely yf he had styll remayned amonge his frendes in his countrey The texte I was in the spirite on a sondaye and hearde be hynde me a great voyce as it had bene a trempe saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the sast That thou seest wryt in a booke and sende it vnto the seuen congregacions whiche are in Asia vnto Ephesus and vnto Smyrna and vnto Pergamos and vnto Thiatira and vnto Sardis and vnto Philadelphia
their wickednes without repentaunce and neuer returning backe vntil their last howre vntyll their very death than is it not possyble but that their damnacion begon here in this worlde in all myschefe wickednes and without sorowe repentance or amendment leauynge example vnto their posterite to committe and to maynteyne lyke wickednes it is not possible I saye but that the smoke of their payne torment shall ascende vp from euerlasting to euerlastinge without any maner of rest daye or night with all those which dyd euer helpe vnto suche vngodlynes or consent vnto it opened such a dore vnto wickednes and woulde be extolled and praysed therfore with their Antichristes marke contrarye to the holy token of gods electe whiche they haue in their foreheades namely the holy worde of God for the whiche they haue suffered muche payne and opprobrye but with excedynge great pacience for Iesus sake The texte ¶ And I hearde a voyce from heauen sayinge vnto me wryte Blessed are the deed which herafter dye in the Lorde euen so sayth the spirite that they rest from their laboures but their worckes folowe them In so great danger of the faithful vnder the iurisdiccion of Antichristes abhominacion with his .ii. hornes and vnlawfull vsurped power vpon bodye and soule vtterly against the worde of god whiche is the onely comforte of al faithfull soules is it necessary that some comforte come vnto them from heauen aboue whiche the lambe sendeth vnto all true christians thorowe the holy gospell which the spirite of God writeth in their hartes to beleue stedfastlye that it can not be otherwyse in this worlde but that all they whiche wyll folow Christ must beare the crosse euen vnto death as Christe the innocent lambe dyd but afterwardes shall they see nothing but euerlastinge saluacion merited purchased vnto them thorowe the passion and death of Christe to the iustificacion and merite of eternall saluacion of all the electe Whiche comforte shall be muche greater in their soules in the kynkdome of Christe than is possible for al the merites of man to deserue or obteyne And speciallye at suche tyme as the glorified bodye shall be ioyned and vnited againe vnto the blissed soule after the latter daie And therfore the good workes of the faithful as thei doe not goe before their faith and loue but are onely the frutes of them euen so shall they not preuent the merite of Christ for all electe from euerlastinge but as the spirit of Christ saythe they folowe and come after them whan they haue obteyned rest and peace thorowe the free grace and mercye of God and thorowe the merite of Christes rightuousnes after this I saye thorowe faithe haue folowed good workes out of an humble and obedient heart whiche workes the lorde wyl graciouslye crowne as his gyftes and receyue and rewarde them as acceptable vnto him The texte ¶ And I loked and beholde a whyte cloude and vpon the cloude one syttinge lyke vnto the sonne of man hauinge on his heed a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe spckle And another angell came out of the temple cryinge with a loude voyce to him that sate on the cloude Christ in thy syckle and reape for the tyme is come to reape for the corne of the earthe is rype And he that sate on the cloude thrust in his syckle into yâ— earth and the â—arth was reaped Althoughe the right faithfull garnyshed with good workes after yâ— worde of God were euermore sure of their saluacion yet not withstandynge the iudgement of God whan his tyme is come goeth forwarde against all suche thinges as are set vp against the worde of God As it was readye at hande at one tyme by reason of the obscuringe and blyndinge of gods worde amonge yâ— Iewes thorowe the cursed Talmud wherunto they gaue more faith and credence and cleaued more earnestly vnto it than vnto the lawe of God and to the prophetes And lykewyse among the christians specially among the hyghe bysshops and prelates with their glorious tytles of Popes Patriarkes Cardinals Primates and suche other orders of the whiche one euer desiered to be aboue a nother sekyng alwayes their owne glorye lust pompe honour and dignitie and not the wil of God faithe godlynes of lyfe nor yet the gospell whiche they haue alwayes pretended falsely and craftilye to colour and cloke their myschefe and wickednes As concerninge the Turkes faithe we can saye but lytle what their greatest faut wickednes and beastlynes is we haue had more knowledge by writinges than by any profe or experience But it is to be feared yf God be not mercifull vnto vs we shall learne it soner than we woulde In the myddest of all this thorowe the trompet of the gospel beyng blowen out in our tyme after a wonderfull sorte thorowe the spirite of Helyas whiche appeareth commeth abrode plentuouslye and effectuouslye is rysen and daylye ryseth suche a mouynge and sterringe vp of mens hartes suche a knowledge of the truth such a lyght and lanterne of doctrine and such a iudgement of Antichristes workes suche a feare of the wrathe of God so that there is a good hope that yâ— holy and holsome seede of gods worde so plentiously sowne and spred abrode shall not returne againe without great frute and edifâ—enge of the faithe and the lyfe of men For as for the Iewes whether they wyll or no they must nedes despaire of their workinge their faithe their doctrine and of all their state whan as they see that the whole kyngdome of heauen whiche they take to be theirs peculiarely to be taken from them and to be made common vnto all them that feare God thorowe the whole worlde more than euer was founde by them Euen so also amonge the christians the doctrine and profession of the holy gospell true faythe and all godlye vertues shall waxe and increase in the heades and rulers of the christendome as it shall also be ioyfullye receyued of all true Christen subiectes notwithstandynge that the nomber of them shall alwayes be least And also the knowledge vnderstandinge lernynge and readynge of the holy scripture shall somwhat increase amonge the spirituall prelates as it shoulde be hoped for and with most earnest and feruent prayer desired and called for of god And it is well to be thought and to be beleued that the Lord wyll doe his parte also euen in suche wyse as is here promysed so yâ— Antichrist beyng thus put to shame but yet remayninge styll impenitent shall be reaped downe with the syckle of gods worde thorowe the spirite of Helyas and shall be cut downe thresshed not to the destruccion but to the profyte edificacion and saluacioÌ„ of the world This hath our Lorde and sauiour Christ brought to passe whiche is alwayes the heade of the churche who is not onely present therwith but also doth graciouslye rule and gouerne it edifieth and helpeth it and he with and roteth out the enemies and aduersaries with the sickle of his
godlynes oppressours of the innocent frendes of God To be shorte all they whiche beare the marke token of the dragon of the beast whiche is infidelyte misbelefe in Christ lyke as faith in yâ— crucified Christ is the sure marke and token of al the electe These vnfaithfull must lyue eternally in the ponde of fyre and they shall be ponisshed vexed painfully with vnspeakeable sorowe and heuines euen yâ— deuel his seruaÌ„tes together And although some come out of this life with yâ— sworde without faith yet their damnacioÌ„ did begin here shal continue euerlastingly ¶ The .xx. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe an Angell come downe from heauen hauynge the kaye of the bottomlesse pit and a great chayne in his hande And he toke the dragon that olde serpent whiche is the deuil and Satanas he bounde him a thousande yeares cast him into yâ— bottomlesse pit he bounde him and set a seale on him that he shoulde deceaue the people nomore tyl the thousande yeares were fulfylled And after that he must be loced for a lytell season THis chapter maye be taken as it wer for a rehersal of the visions reuelacions that were before mencioned And by the waie it describeth againe yâ— honour and maiestie of Christ of gods worde and the power of the holy gospell and the benefites of Christ addeth therunto the last iudgemeÌ„t of the deade whiche shall dye .ii. deathes This angel that commeth from heauen is Christ whiche shoulde come in to this worlde as was promised vnto the firste man in the beginnynge of the worlde that he shoulde treade the old serpent vpon the heade Whiche is nothing els but that he shoulde take his power from him whiche the iust and rightuous God hath suffered him to exercise againste man for the synne of the first dysobedience and transgression Whiche power Sathan hath alwayes exercised and practised with all wicked disceyte and dyuerse errours and specially with ydolatrye after the whiche doe folow blindnes and all maner of synnes This power hath Christ mightily and with force taken from Sathan the deuyll thorowe his rightuousnes and humblenes euen vntyll the crosse satisfieng for all the pryde transgression disobedience and vnfaithfulnes of Adam and Eue. And thus he hath bounde him with the chayne of his well deserued power that is to say hath hindered him of his proude tyrannye shameful wicked power against the faithful electe of god This band should indure a thousande yeares yâ— is to say a long tyme namely euen yâ— tyme of the right Christen faith which after yâ— saying of yâ— olde fathers should indure for .ii. thousande yeares but it is vncerten from what tyme men should begin to teken these yeares that the faith in this tyme should be sore assaulted whiche hath alwayes bene at this point euen in the tyme of yâ— Iewes in yâ— olde testameÌ„t and amoÌ„g gods owne people hath sometime increased and somtime fallen dedecaied And according therunto might SathaÌ„ exercise his power at some tyme more thaÌ„ at a nother And thus thorow Christ Sathan is alwaies bonde vnto the right faithfull But whan the faithe decayeth and goeth backewarde and the falsehede desceite and dysobedience of man increaseth so that gods word is more and more contemned and forsaken than dothe Sathans power increase againe as it hath ofte come to passe that he maye deceyue the people the heathen the vnfaithfull againe and so vse his power and tyranny againe as loÌ„g as there is lacke and want of true faithe in this worlde The texte ¶ And I sawe seates and they sat vpon them and iudgement was geuen vnto them and I sawe the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesses of Iesu and for the worde of God whiche had not worshipped the beast nether his ymage neyther had taken his marke vpon their forheades or on their handes and they lyued and raygned with Christ a M. yere but the other of the dead men lyued not againe vntyll the thousande yere were finysshed This is that first resurreccioÌ„ Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the first resurreccion For on suche shall the seconde death haue no power but they shal be the Prestes of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousande yeres The seates to iudge Sathan and his companye are appointed of Christ vnto the holy apostles and vnto other electe the soules of them whiche for the lambes sake wer beheaded that is to say after diuers maners and fasshions put to death for the gospelles sake whiche woulde not make any oblacions vnto ydols nor false goddes nor woulde not worship the beast that is to saye Antichrist nor woulde not feare nor honour his ymage but dyd manfully fight for the holy gospell and for the true doctrine and religion of the Apostles All these shall haue seates in the kyngdome of Christ to iudge the whole companye and courte of Sathan and to conuince them of their wickednes blasphemies and damnable errours whiche shal be open and manifest vnto the worlde thorowe the gospel And this their condemnacion beyng openly and manifestly knowen and their godles tyrannye shall â–ª be their death from the whiche they shall not ryse vp againe tyll a thousande yeares be past This manifest iudgement victory and honour obteyned with Christ is vnto them the first resurreccion namely a great honour and felicitie not onely in heaueÌ„ with Christ but also vpon earth in the kingdom of Christ which he hath vpon earth with his spirite in the congregacion of the holy electe And they are happy and blessed and their lyfe is euerlasting both in the heuenly company and also in the holy churche congregacion of the faithful godly soules vpon earth For they are the most deare beloued the most acceptable and of highest reputacion with Christ the lord and kynge of heauen as right prestes and ministers ought to be amonge vs and they shall rule and reigne with Christe vnto the ende of the worlde vntyll the last daye of the latter iudgement and in the seconde resurreccion and vntil the last and eternall iudgement of the wicked and damned blasphemers The texte ¶ And when the thousande yeares are eâ—piâ—ed SathaÌ„ shal be losed out of his preson and shal go out to beceaue the people whiche are in the foure quarters of the earth Gog and Magog togather them together to battayle whose nombre is as yâ— sande of the see they went vp in the playne of yâ— earth and compassed the centes of the sainctes about the beloued citie And fire came downe from God out of heauen and deuoured them and the deuyll that deceaued them was cast into a lake of fyre and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet shal be tormented daye and night for euer more A lytle tyme before the last day shall Sathan obteyne power againe tyll the ende of the worlde and shal exercyse and practyse it and
the mount that is touched and vnto burnynge fyer nor vnto storme and darkenes and tempestes of wether and sounde of a trompe and the voyce of wordes whych voyce they that heard it wished awaye that the communicacion should not be spoken to them For they could not abide that which was commaunded Yf a beast touche the mountaygne it shal be stoned or thruste thorowe with a darte so terryble was the syght whych appeared Moses said I feare quake But ye are come vnto the mount Syon and to the cyrie of the liuing god the celestial Dierusalem and to an innumerable syght of angeles and to the congregacion of the firste borne sonnes whych are wrytten in heuen to god the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfecte men to Iesus the mediator of the new testamēt and to the sprinkeling of the bloud that speaketh better then the bloude of Abell For ye are not come vnto the mount of Syna whiche maye be touched with bodye as youre forefathers came once what tyme Moyses publyshed the lawe and vnto a burnynge fyre whiche is felte and perceyued with mannes senses nor vnto a storme and darkenesse and vnto tempestes of weddre and sounde of a trompe all the whiche thynges are perceyued with the cares and eyes nor to the voyce of wordes which although they myght haue bene hearde with mennes cares by reason they were pronounced with breath and dyd lytle or nothyng represent the true voyce of God yet had they suche a Maiestie in them that the people hearynge the terrible noyse of the same were greatly afeard and desyred almyghtie God that he would not him selfe speake anye more vnto them but that Moyses would with his voyce publyshe suche thinges as God had commaunded Els shoulde that voyce of God haue bene more terryble then the weakenesse of mannes eares had bene able to awaye with all Suche a reuerende feare and dreade had those thynges whiche were done onely to fygure the lawe of the gospell that the people was kepte a lofe not suffred to touche the mounte also a proclamation made by commaundement that what beast soeuer touched the same should be stoned or thrust thorowe with a darte For so terrible was the sight of the thinges which were shewed vnto the corporall senses that Moyses himselfe was abashed quaked for feare therof Howbeit you are not come to suche a sensible sighte whiche was a shadowe and figure of farre better thynges but to thinges that haue in thē more veritie then is conteyned herin forasmuche as they are perceiued with the mynd or soule not with bodely senses Ye are come I saye to the spirituall mounte of Syon which is touched with the spirite not with handes to heauenly Ierusalem the Citie of the lyuyng God where is peace euerlasting to an vnnumerable syght of angels the heade peares inhabitauntes thereof to the congregation of the children of god who haue not lost their byrthright with Csau but by cleauynge vnto Christe haue deserued to be regestred in heauen where they are made citizens to God the iudge of all who is the soueraigne personage of that common wealth to the spirites and soules of rightuous men who for their perfite godlynes and good lyuynge are ioyned to the companye and felowshyp of heauen and associat with the iudge to Iesus the hye priest of the newe testament who doth not destroy vs but restore vs vnto fauoure to his bloud by whose sprynklyng soules are pourged the whiche speaketh bettre then the bloud of Abel For y◠bloud desyred vengeaūce but this obteyneth pardon The texte Se that ye despyse not hym that speaketh For if they escaped not which refused him that spake on yerth muche more shall we not escape yf we turne awaye from hym that speaketh from heauen whose voice then shoke the yerth and now hath declared saying yet once more wyll I shake not the yearth onely but also heauen Where as he saith yet once more it signifieth the remouinge awaye of those thynges whiche are shaken as of thinges which haue ended their course that the thinges whiche are not shaken moye remayne Wherefore yf we receyue the kyngdom whyche can not be moued we haue grace wherby we may so serue God and that we may please hym with reuerence godly feare ▪ For our God is a consumyng fire The more mercifully louingly his bloud speaketh for vs the more oughte we to beware lest we despise him who speaketh so for vs. For if they escaped not punishment for despysyng of the worde who refused Moyses a man speakyng on earth then shall we suffre muche greuouser punishment yf we tourne awaye from Christ speakyng vnto vs from heauen whose voyce then shoke the earth to feare them by sensible feare from synnyng But what threateneth he nowe to do from heauen by the prophet Aggeus yet once more sayeth he will I shake not the earth only but also heauen to the entent thou not only earthly men but also heauenly thynges maye quake feare Now where he sayeth yet once more it signifieth the remouyng away of those thinges which are shaken of such thynges I saie as are made with mens handes as the temple and citie of Ierusalem to th ende that those thinges which are not made with mennes handes therfore inasmuche as they are eternall can not be shaken maye contynue The Iewes do glory take pride in their tēple they glorye in their holy citie but the time shall come when these thinges shal not be They loke after a kyngdome but we see it translated and remoued to an other place Let vs therfore who thorowe the benifite and grace of the holy gost haue begonne to endeuour our selfes to attayne the kyngdome of heauen the whiche can in nowyse be shaken perseuer in the benifite of almyghtie God Let vs continue in this heauenly temple serue God with suche reuerence and feare that we may with puritie of minde and conscience please him who requireth not from hence forth any other kynde of sacrifice If our forefathers were afearde to do any thyng whiles they were makyng of their sacrifices wher with they shuld offend the eyes of men how much more hede thē ought we to take in these spirituall sacrifices lest we do any thyng whyche maye offende the eies of almyghtie God If in tymes past he were in daunger who came vnto the holy places without due obseruation of certayne ceremonies how much greater peryll then shall we be in yf we presume to come with vncleane myndes vnto God who is not a bodely fyre the which as it is kyndled so may it be quenched agayne but a fyre ful of strengthe and efficacie and also suche a one as bryngeth to nought and destruction what thyng soeuer it lusteth ¶ The .xiii. Chapter The texte Let brotherly loue continue Be not forgetfull to lodge straungers For therby haue diuerse men lodged angels vnwates Remember them that are in
the seuen starres and is the gouernoure of heauen and earth is all one thinge Namely yâ— Messias whiche was before the beginninge of the world the sauiour of al the faithfull our Lorde Iesus Christ Thiatira is a Cathedrall churche and one of the most notable cities in Lydia This churche dothe yâ— spirite of Christ commende and prayse as well for dyuerse vertues as also for waxing bygge and increasyng in them But he rebuketh the synne of the heades and ouerseets which are so neglygent that they doe not roote out nor reforme certen wyckednes As are the seruice and honouring of ydols and fals goddes and other hyghe blasphemies which doe alwayes accompany and wayte vpon ydolatrye Whiche thing is sygnified by the wycked and supersticious woman Iesabell Of this woman reade more in the first of the kynges in the. xviii and. xxii Chapter and in the. ii of the kynges in the. ix and. x. Chapter How she al her posteritie were so greuously punished of god And againe reade the. xiiii Chapter of ye. v. boke of Eusebyus concernynge Montanus his heresies and than shalte thou vnderstande this place muche better The texte And all the coÌ„gregacyons shal knowe that I am he which searcheth yâ— reynes and hertes And â— wyll geue vnto euery one of you accordinge vnto his worckes Vnto you I saye and vnto other of them of Thyatira as many as haue not this learnynge and which haue not knowen the depâ—nes of Satan as they saye I wyl put vpon you none other burthen but that whiche ye haue alreadye Holde fast tyll I come and whosoeuer ouercommeth and kepeth my worckes vnto the ende to him wyl I geue power ouer nacions and he shal rule them with a rodde of yron and as the vessels of a porter shal they be brokeÌ„ to sheuers â—â—uen as I receaued of my father so wyll I geue him the mornynge starre Let him yâ— hathe eares heare what the sprete sayth to the congregacions This rightuous dreadfull and seuere iudgement of god shall the faithfull knowledge and prayse And shal kepe them selues from suche blasphemies and preuent the wrath and indignacioÌ„ of god and obey folowe his wel for as muche as they heare and parceaue that god is one that knoweth the pryuities of all hartes and all the wycked frutes that spryng out of them and that they shall with all iustyce and equite be punyshed But those whiche eyther at Thiatira or els where do stycke and cleaue stedfastly vnto the worde and wyll of god forsakynge the wycked fynde and refusynge to haue any thing with hym to doe those woulde I not haue ouerladen sayeth god with outwarde ceremonyes and with Iewyshe ordinaunces For faith and loue accordynge vnto the doctrine of the gospell and agreable vnto the same shall be sufficient for them before me bothe for their saluacion and also for a christen and a godly lyfe For that is the seruice which pleaseth me and whiche I wil rewarde Whiche seruice also the very heathen whan they see it shal confesse and knowledge it to be good and godly and to be the very true and ryght gods seruice and beyng ouercome in their infidelyte and mysbelefe they shall fynde in their hartes to consent vnto it and to receyue it and so shall be obedient vnto the gospell forsakynge all their heathnysshe maners and al false gods seruice Euen as the holy prophetes haue sayde long synce that it should come to passe and that the grace and mercy of god was also promysed vnto the heathen thorowe Christe that was to come That they also at length with one harte and mynde should beholde yâ— mornyng starre Christ and his holsome gospell and shoulde in this lyfe thorowe faithe and after this lyfe in the euerlastynge kyngdome of Christ in the heauenly Ierusalem receyue the fruicion of euerlastynge and eternall riches with god and al his electe And in the ende he geueth them an earnest exhortacion to doe good and to esche we euyll that they maye obteyne saluacion and auoyde damnacion as he dothe lykewyse in other places The .iii. Chapter The texte ¶ And wryte vnto the messenger of the congregacion that is at Sardis this sayeth he that hathe the seuen spirires of god and the seuen starres I know thy worckes thou hast a name that thou lyuest and thou art dead Be awake and strength the thinges whiche remayne that are readie to dye For I haue not founde thy worckes perfecte before my god Remember therfore how thou hast receaued and hearde and holde fast and repente If thou shalt not watche I wyll come on the as a theâ—e and thou shalte not knowe what houre I wyll come vpon the. AL this dothe Christe speake which is ful of al gyftes of yâ— holy goost without measure dystributeth the same gyftes thorow his spirite vnto all churches to all faythfull ouerseers of the christeÌ„ congregacioÌ„ No hipocrisye nor outwardeshyne of godnes thoughe it be neuer so ful of pompe or solemnitie is of any value before god He wyll haue faith and loue whiche are the pythe and strength of lyfe as infydelitie is of death But this faythe loue must no man vse nor haue for him selfe a lone but he must also moue and further other men vnto the same thorow his instruccioÌ„ good example of lyfe and thorow praier But alas there is great lacke of true faith in the churche whiche thynge maye well be perceyued by the workes and fruites which are sene and appeare For there is but lytle earnest zeale and feruentnes sene in furtherynge of true vertue and godlynes and of the true honour of god done of a pure conscience or in folowynge and practisynge the doctrine of the gospell receyued of the apostles There is but lytle zeale I say in professynge folowynge of this gospell in worde and lyfe together There are but fewe whiche whan they spye any thing amysse in them selues doe earnestlye studye to reforme and amende it or inforce them selues with dilygence to lyue in all godlynes and continuallye to be founde wakynge in vertuous exercyses as it were necessarye for al faythfull to be seyng the glorious commynge of Christ shal sodenly come vpoÌ„ them they can not tell howe soone The texte ¶ Thou hast a few names in Sardis whiche haue not defyled theyr garmentes and they shall walke with me in whyte for they are worthye He that ouercometh shal be thus clothed in whyte araye and I wyll not put out his name out of the booke of lyfe and I wyl confesse his name before my father and before his angels Let him that hathe eares heare what the spirite sayth vnto the congregacions There is but a small nomber amonge you whiche doe lyue innocently and godlye studyeng dyligently to lyue after my wyll and pleasure But this small nombre is worthye of great honour wherwith I shal also indewe them as with blessed immortalitie eternall saluacion of my mere grace mercye aboue al desertes
of the faithfull of all creatures the begynnynge without begynnynge y◠euerlastyng wysdome of god Here marke how hyghly god is dyspleased with suche as be indyfferent neyther who◠nor colde whiche wyll and wyll not not consyderynge the earnest wil and commaūdement of god And wyll suffer nothynge for his sake but are content with the onely shyne and shadowe of godlynes and with the onely name of faythe and obedyence to god Where as Christ wyll haue a more feruent and earnest zeale namely the golde of a stedfast and a constante fayth in all maner of affliccion aduersitie the whyte garmētes of innocencie and purenes of lyfe in their whole conuersacion before god and man y◠bryght and clere iyes of Christen doctrine without any manner of errour That a man beyng riche after this maner may walke before god in his churche with worshyp and honestye and without all dread Whan any mysfortune of this worlde dothe happen vnto the faythfull they ought to thynke vpon these wordes and to be thankefull vnto god in true faythe and charite alwayes studyeng to amende their lyues This is the true repentaunce The lorde is muche more ready to gyue than we are to desyre or to receyue And he delyghteth in vertuous and godly hartes and gyueth them comforte loue and hope and strengthneth their faith that they maye be able to continue and remayne without dreade in the grace and fauour of god This is the very ryght supper of y◠spirite of god withal faithfull beleuers in this world But in the blysse of heauen there shal be the very fruicion and possession of all goodnes and of the most hyghest honour with vnspeakable ioye in god withal the holy sainctes whiche euer haue lyued vertuously in the fauour of god ¶ The .iiii. Chapter The texte ¶ After this I loked and beholde a dore was open in heauen and the first voyce which I hearde was as it were of a trompet talkynge with me whiche sayde come vp hyther and I wyll shewe the thinges which must be fulfylled herafter And immediatly I was in the spirite and beholde a seate was set in heauen and one sate on the seate And he that sate was to loke vpon lyke vnto a Iaspar stone and a Sardyne stone And there was a raynebowe about the seate in syght lyke to an Emeralde And about the seate were foure and twentye seates And vpon the seates foure and twenty elders syttyng clothed in whyte rayment and had on their heades crownes of golde HEre doth Iohn looke and see in spirite as all y◠prophetes dyd Beholde the fygure whiche representeth vnto thee what heauenly mysteries of the kyngdome of Christ and of the thinges that should happen afterwarde Iohn dyd see in the heauen beyng opened To be in the spirite is asmuche as to be rapte of the spirite of god into an heauēly traunce aboue al mans witte power or capacyte Gods stoole or seate in heauen sygnified the euerlastynge state and continuaunce of the power myght blisse and ryghtuousnes of god The bryghtnes of the precious stones sygnified y◠hyghe maiestye and glory of god bewtyfyed with the knowledge of al thinges The raynebowe sygnifyeth his mercye and pacient sufferynge yet not without mete and condigne reuengeaunce and iustice The .xxiiii. seates and the .xxiiii. elders doe sygnifye y◠most hyghest iustyce and vnsearcheable councell and iudgement of god and that the most speciall frendes of god bothe of the olde and new testament are incorporate into y◠kyngdome of god bothe Patryarkes Kynges Prophetes Apostles and bysshops All are subiect vnto the lorde in all holynes and ready to honour him eternally And al these doe knowledge that they receyued all goodnes and commendacion that they haue of the bountyfull grace of god The texte And out of the seate proceded lyghtnynges and thondrynges and voyces and there were .vii. lampes of fyre burnynge before the seate whiche are the .vii. spirites of god And before the seate there was a sea of glasse lyke vnto Cristall and in the myddes of the seate and rounde aboute y◠seate were foure beastes full of eyes before and behynde And the first beaste was lyke a lyon and the seconde beaste lyke a calfe and the thirde beaste had a face as a man and the fourthe beaste was lyke a flying Egle. And the .iiii. beastes had echone of them syre wynges about him and they were full of eyes within And they had no rest daye nether nyght sayinge Holy holy holy Lord god almightye which was and is and is to come The earnest iudgement and commaundement of god shall be opened and made manyfest vnto all the worlde thorowe the gospell whiche shall be fearful and heauy vnto the wycked but ioyfull and welcome vnto the faithfull godly For vnto them it shall come with the gyftes of the plentifull spirite of God whiche shall appeare in their fruites The sea of glasse maye sygnifye vnto vs the aduersityes of this lyfe whiche serue both to y◠glorye of god and also to the syngular profyte of the faithfull for the frutefull exercyse of their faythe The iiii sondry beastes are interpreted by some of the olde doctours but not by all to sygnifye the .iiii. Euangelystes They maye betoken the .iiii. special mysteries of the Christen faythe As the manhode of Christ maye be sygnified by the face of the man And the passion and death of Christ by the calfe appoynted to be slayne and offered And the resurrection from death by the lyon And the ascencion into heauen by the Egle. All whiche misteries of Christ are plentuously set furth in the holy gospelles and Christ and his kyngdome is descrybed in them vnto all the world as a necessarye and a perfyght doctrine The wynges which are spoken of doe sygnifye here lyke as they doe in the .vi. Chapter of Esaye the obedience and reuerence whiche all creatures doe owe of duty vnto y◠lorde whiche vertues the faythful both willyngly and dylygently doe declare withall redynes and swyftnes of their godly and deuout heartes The multitude of the eyes dothe sygnifye the Christen doctrine and wysedome of god wherof is no want nor scarsenes in the churche And this doctrine must be learned and taken out of the holy scripture geuen by god For the whiche cause al godly and blessed myndes as well of the angels as of men shal neuer cease to prayse and exalt the almightye god to be holy in al his workes onely one in his godly substance and yet a Trinite of persons as it is wonderfully declared and expressed bothe by al holy scriptures and also by the heauenly wysedome of the prophetes and other holy men secretely inspired and lyghtned of god euē certein of the heathē also whiche thorowe true fayth doe knowledge and confesse that there is but one onely god creatour of all thinges and ruler and gouernoure foreuer and immutable The texte ¶ And when those beastes gaue glorye and honour and
also all that is abhominacion vnto the lorde as ydolatry abhominable blasphemies forged lyes false doctrine shall haue no place in the right churche For vnto the right holy churche which is knoweÌ„ onely vnto God and inuisible vpon earthe doe onely the electe children of God perteyne whose names are wrytten in heauen in the booke of the lyuynge ¶ The .xxii. Chapter The texte ¶ And he shewed me a pure ryuer of water of lyfe clere as Christ all procedyng out of the seate of God and of the lambe In the myddes of the strete of it and of eâ—her â—yde of yâ— ryuer was ther wood of lyfe which bare twelue maner of frutes gaue frute euery moneth and yâ—â—eues of the wood serued to heale the people with al. And ther shal be no more cuâ—se but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it and his seruauntes shall serue him And they shal se his face his name shal be in their forheades And ther shal be no night there and they nede no candle nether lyght of the sunne for the Lorde geueth them lighte and they shall raygne for euermore CHrist openeth vnto Iohn his deare beloued disciple the secrete misteries of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ expoundeth the visions of the other prophetes as farre furth as is requisite necessary for the christen doctrine And thus Iohn seeth here a pure ryuer of water very clere whiche is the holy scripture the worde of god the doctrine of Christ the holy gospel of our saluacioÌ„ That same is clere vnto al them that haue a pure heart mynde not defyled nor blemished with transitorye loue care of yâ— worlde nor with any temptacions of the flesshe This holy doctrine procedeth commeth out froÌ„ the holy spirite of god and of Christ For he is one God with yâ— father the sonne He is the seate of glorye of omnipotencie of the godheade He procedeth out from the welspring of all wysedom grace mercye and floweth throughe the myddes of al streates of Christes churche which is the citie of god of the lambe And of both sides of yâ— riuer doe staÌ„de glorious bewtiful trees of lyfe which receyue their increase their leaues and frute of the moysture of the riuer And these trees are the holy fathers of the faithful christen churche of the olde new testament whiche by their faith and by their vnderstandynge and readyng of the holy scripture of the lawe of the prophetes and of the gospell haue lyued taught and wrought very frutefully in the holy citie of the churche and haue brought forthe twelue maner of frutes that is to saye many frutes and haue serued god without ceasynge with muche frute and profyte in right and true good woâ—kes and vertuous exercises The leaues frute and sappe of these holy trees were very holsome and soueraine as were also the frutes of the dysciples of the prophetes and apostles For the holy bysshops and preachers of Gods worde dyd make repentance faithfull holy and christen people by their preachinge â—eachinge wrytinge prayers and christen example of lyfe of them whiche were before very hethen And in this churche there is no cursed frute and no meate is vncleane vnto the faithfull For they shall receyue and inioy all maner of frutes and meates with thanckes geuynge and with all temperatenes and measure Neyther shall the holy goost be extingwysshed in the holy churche of God but he shall prouyde ministers of God and shall incorage and comforte them with his ayde and assystence that they shall profyte goe forwarde and procede frutefully in all goodnes and thorowe true faithe they shall knowe the face of God his gracious and mercifull wyll and pleasure in this militant warrfarynge churche but in the heauenly Ierusalem they shall knowe him face to face euen as he is and shall laude and prayse him euerlastingly And these ministers and seruantes of God shall not be ashamed to knowledge and to confesse the name of god the christen faith the holy gospel They shal beare about preache and glorifie the name of Christ openly with ioy delyght and pleasure And neyther Sunne nor Moone shal helpe or adde any thing to this cleare and bright daye of gods knowledge for the spirite of God shall doe all together And the blissed soules in heauen haue their Sunne and Moone the glasse of the godheade the excellent bewty of the glorified and exalted manhode of Christe wherby they shall reygne in blisse for euermore The texte ¶ And be sayde vnto me these sayinges are faithful and true And the Lorde God of saintes and prophetes sent his angell to shewe vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche must shortly be fulfylled Beholde I come shortly Happy is he that kepeth the sayinge of the Prophecy of this boke I am Iohn whiche saw these thinges and hearde them And wheÌ„ I had hearde sene I fell downe to worship before yâ— fete of the angel which shewed me these thinges And he said vnto me sâ— thou â—â— it not for I am thy felow seruaunt the felowe seruaunt of â—hy brethren the prophetes and of them which kepe the saynges of this booke But worshippe God Christ speaketh vnto Iohn and geueth witnesse and testimonye vnto this booke of Reuelacion of secrete misteries that al whiche is written in this booke is certen and true and not to be contemned and taken as any trifle or fable For this booke was ordeyned of God to be spoken thorow an angell vnto Iohn that he should write it and should leaue it behynde him in yâ— faithfull and holy churche of Christ Euen yâ— same god whiche reueled vnto other holy prophetes and men of God thinges that were to come the very same God hath now sent his angel geuen him in commission to open reuele vnto Iohn these visions and prophecies of thinges to come whiche should happen come to passe be fulfilled very shortly yâ— is to say they should shortly begin so happen and come to passe one after another vntil they be all fulfylled Beholde with certen thinges wil I come very shortly The comming of Christ is prophecied vnto vs after suche sorte forme yâ— we should carfully diligently wayte for it continuallye lyke as true faithful seruantes doe waite watche vpoÌ„ yâ— returning of theyr masters doe neuer slepe as Christ teacheth in yâ— gospel And because this boke shoulde not be contemned nor lyghtly estemed in the christen churche therfore Christ sayethe by his messenger and angell that he is happye that is to saye he is the seruaunte of God and pleaseth the Lorde well and shall be partaker of grace and saluacion whiche beleueth this booke â–ª taketh all thinges that are written therin for true holy and estemeth yâ— prophecies of this boke whiche are many and diuerse no lesse than other holy bookes of the prophetes and euangelistes other holy prophecies And where as he saieth â–ª I
worke faith in thyne herte for else shalt thou remaine euermore faithlesse fayne thou ymagin thou enforce thou wrastle with thy selfe and do what thou wilt or canst Righteousnes is euen suche fayth and is called Goddes righteousnes or righteousnes that is of valoure before God For it is Goddes gyfte and it altereth a man and chaungeth him to a newe spirituall nature and maketh him fre and liberall to paye euery manne his duetie For thorow faith is a manne purged of his sinnes and obteineth luste vnto the lawe of God wherby he geueth God his honour and paieth him that he oweth him and vnto men he doeth seruice willingly wherwith soeuer he can and payeth euery man his dutie Such righteousnes can nature fre will and our owne strength neuer bring to passe For as no maÌ„ can geue him selfe fayth so can he not take away vnbelefe howe then can he take awaye any thyng at all Wherfore all is false ypocrisy syn what soeuer is done without faith or in vnbelefe as it is euident in the xiiiâ— Chap. vnto yâ— Romains though it appere neuer so glorious or beautifull outwardes Flesh spirite mayst thou not here vnderstand as though flesh were only that which pertaineth vnto vnchastitie the spirite that whiche inwardly pertaineth to the hearte but Paul calleth flesh here as Christ doth Iohn .iii. Al that is borne of flesh the is to were the whole man with life soule body witte wil reason whatsoeuer he is or doth within without because that these al and all that is in man study after the worlde and the fleshe Call fleshe therfore whatsoeuer as longe as we are without the spirite of God we thinke or speake of God of fayth of good workes and of spirituall matters Call fleshe also all workes whiche are done withoute grace and without the workynge of the spirite howsoeuer good holy and spirituall they seme to bee as thou mayest proue by the .v. Chap. vnto the Galathians wher Paul numbreth worshipping of ydols witchecrafte enuy and hate amonge the dedes of the fleshe and by the .viii. vnto the Romaynes where he sayeth that the lawe by the reason of the fleshe is weake Whiche is not vnderstande of vnchastitie onely but of all sinnes and moste specially of vnbelefe whiche is a vice moste spirituall and ground of all sinnes And as thou callest him which is not renewed with the spirite and borne againe in Christ flesh and all his dedes euen the very mocions of his heart and minde his learning doctrine contemplacion of hie thinges his preachinge teaching and study in the scripture bildinge of churches foundinge of abbeys geuyng of almes masse mattence whatsoeuer he doth though it seme spirituall after the lawes of God So contrary wyse call him spirituall which is renewed in Christ and al his dedes which springe of faith seme they neuer so grosse as the washynge of the disciples fete done by Christ and Peters fishing after the resurreccion yea and all the dedes of matrimony are pure spirituall yf they proceade of fayth and whatsoeuer is done with iÌ„ the lawes of God though it be wrought by the body as the very wiping of shoes such lyke how soeuer grosse they appeare outward Without suche vnderstandyng of these wordes canste thou neuer vnderstande this epistell of Paul nether any other place in the holy scripture Take hede therfore for whosoeuer vnderstandeth these wordes otherwise the same vnderstandeth not Paul whatsoeuer he bee Nowe will we prepare oure selues vnto the epistle For as muche as it becometh the preacher of Christes glad tydynges fyrst thorowe openinge of the lawe to rebuke all thinges and to proue all thinges synne that procede not of the spirite and of fayth in Christ and to proue all men sinners and children of wrath by inheritaunce and how that to synne is theyr nature and that by nature they cannot otherwise do then to synne and therwith to abate the pryde of man and to brynge hym vnto the knowledge of him selfe and of his miserye and wretchednes that he might desyre helpe Euen so doeth saynct Paul and beginneth in the fyrst Chapter to rebuke vnbelefe and grosse synnes whiche all men se as ydolatrye and as the grosse synnes of the hethen were and as the synnes nowe are of all them whiche liue in ignorance without fayth and without the fauoure of God and sayeth The wrathe of God of heauen appereth thorow the Gospell vpon all men for their vngodlynes and vnholye liuynge For though it be knowen and dayly vnderstande by the creatures that there is but one God yet is nature of her selfe without the spirite grace so corrupt so poisoned that men nether can thanke him nether worshippe him nether geue him his due honour but blinde them selues fall without ceasing into worse case euen vntyll they come vnto worshyppyng of ymages and workyng of shamefull synnes which are abominable and agaynst nature and moreouer suffre the same vnrebuked in other hauing delectacion and pleasure therin In the .ii. Chapter he proceadeth further and rebuketh all those holye people also whiche without luste and loue to the lawe lyue well outwardly in the face of the worlde and condemne other gladly as the nature of al ypocrites is to thinke them selues pure in respecte of open sinners and yet hate the lawe inwardly and are full of couetousnes and enuye and of all vnclennes Mat .xxiij. These are they whiche despise the goodnes of God and according to the hardenes of theyr heartes heape together for them selues the wrathe of God Furthermore saynct Paul as a true expounder of the lawe suffreth no man to be without sinne but declareth that al they are vnder synne whiche of fre wil and of nature will liue well and suffreth them not â—o be better then the open synners yea he calleth them harde herted and suche as cannot repente In the .iii. Chapter he mingleth both together both the Iewes and the gentiles and sayth that the one is as the other both sinners no difference betwene them saue in this onelye that the Iewes had the worde of God committed vnto them And though many of them beleued not theron yet is goddes trueth and promise thereby nether hurte nor minished and he taketh in hys waye and allegeth the sayinge of the L. Psal that God myght abyde true in hys woordes and ouercome when he is iudged After that he returneth to hys purpose agayne and proueth by the scripture that all men without difference or excepcion are synners and that by the workes of the lawe no man is iustified but that the lawe was geuen to vtter and to declare synne onely Then he beginneth and sheweth the righte waye vnto rightewesnes by what meanes men must be made righteous and safe and sayeth They are all synners and without prayse before God and muste without their own deseruinges be made righteous thorow faith in Christ whiche hathe deserued suche ryghteousnes for vs and is become vnto
this theyr knowledge in euery place and without consideracion engorge and pamper vppe themselues with flesh offered to idolles iudgyng not a mysse of the matter in dede but yet forgettyng the lawe of charitie whiche geueth no maunne occasion of mysse thynkyng and slaundre but confourmeth herselfe to suche as are weake vntyll that by lytle and lytle they growe vppe to more knowledge What greate matter is it yf they vnderstande that an image hath in it no godly power What christian manne is there that vnderstandeth not that whiche euen the very painyms vnderstande yf they bee any thyng wyser than the commen sorte But yet better is it oftetymes to folowe the rule of charitie than the rule of knowledge Knowledge doeth oftetymes hurte beyng suche a thyng as maketh a manne to swell and to bee disdaynfull but the endeuer of charitie in all tyme and place is to doe good and hurte no manne Albeit in very dede suche seme to lacke a great parte of knowledge also whiche knowe not howe to vse theyr knowledge That poynte teacheth charitie whiche measureth and iudgeth all thinges by the weale of his neyghbour He therfore that in such thinges as he doeth will seme perfitly learned must call charitie to councell For he that without charitie swelleth with a vayne persuasion that he is learned is so far from knowledge that he is not come so far as to knowe howe he should vse his knowledge He that to Godwarde is wyse thesame man is the very wyse man in dede But he that pleaseth hymselfe and seketh his owne glory without regarde of his brothers ieopardie his learning God alloweth not But he that vnfaynedly loueth God must also loue his neighbour Such one therfore God acknowledgeth as his owne disciple because that as God humbled his hygh Godhead to saue mankynde so doeth suche one submitte his knowledge and compell it to serue the commoditie of his neyghbour To returne therfore to our purposed matter we knowe in maner all that albeit the Gentyles wurshyp idoles as though in them there were some diuine power and Godhead yet is an idole in dede nothing els but either a piece of tymber or a stone and hathe nomore Godhead in it than an other vnsquared piece of tymber or an vnwrought stone and therfore in the fleshe that to them is offered there is nomore goodnes or hurte than is in suche as is solde in the shambles For where as ye see a stone wrought vnto yâ— image of a man or some other beast since there is but one God which hath none image for he cannot be couÌ„terfaited what els represent idols but deuils to whom miserable people offer vnto in stede of god These men therfore are defiled with suche meates whiche receyue them as holy whereas they bee vnholye and prophane As for christians suche fleshe defileth not whiche eate them not as holye but vse them as creatures made by god to apease hunger And vse them for sustenaunce and not for deuocion with hymself laughing at the folyshe rable of heathen goddes beeyng fullye perswaded that there is no god but one to whome all thynges are holye For albeit some there be whiche are called goddes whether they bee in heauen whome they call heauenlye or els in earth whome they call goddes earthlye of whiche sorte there be manye goddes and many lordes yet are these by name onely gods and lordes and are to them onely suche as erroniously beleue them so to be and haue taken them for theyr goddes and lordes But to vs christians there is but onely one god that is to saye the father of Iesus the creatoure and gouernour of the worlde of whome we receyue all goodnes to whome onely beyng addicte we ought to serue with al honour and reuerence We haue also one lorde Iesus Christe by whome onely the father hath geuen vs all thynges throughe whose onelye benefite we confesse the true god so that with the false and cursed heathen goddes we now haue nothyng to do at all whiche shoulde nomore be estemed than yf there were none suche in dede Whosoeuer therfore through christian strength nothyng passeth vpon an ydole nor vpon that whiche is to them offered surely iudgeth well and mighte without gilte eate the fleshe offered vnto them aswell as any other meate were it so that euery manne were so perswaded and knewe this for trueth as it is true in dede for then woulde no man be offended The texte But euery man hath not knowledge Some hauyng conscience because of the ymage vntyll this houre eate as a thyng offered vnto ymages so theyr conscience beyng weake is defiled But meate maketh not acceptable to god Neither yf we eate are we the better Neyther yf we eate not are we the worse But take hede leste by any meanes this libertie of yours be an occasion of fallyng to them that are weake For yf some man se the whiche haste knowledge syt and eate of meate offred vnto ymages shal not the conscience of him whiche is weake be boldened to eate those thynges whiche are oâ—fered to ymages And so thorowe thy knowledge shall the weake brother peryshe for whom Christ dyed When ye synne so agaynst the brethren and wounde theyr weake conscience ye synne agaynste Christ Wherfore yf meate hurte my brother I wyll neuer eate fleshe leste I shoulde offende my brother But nowe some sytte at the feaste whiche by the lawes of theyr elders euen from theyr chyldehode are in this perswaded and throughlye grounded that an ydoll is an holy thyng and thynke that as many as sitte at one feaste are all of lyke supersticion nor can be broughte in mynde that suche thynges shoulde so greatly be despised whiche they haue in suche great a we and reuerence And wyll take the thyng that thou doest vpon a right iudgement and conscience this wyse reasonyng with themselues synce christian menne do not somuche abhorre our sacrifices lykely it is that the wurshippyng of ydolles is not so deuilishe a thing as they make it There sitteth or standeth by also paraduenture some christian man whiche albeit he hath professed Christ is not yet in strength of fayth become perfite but is by reason of the infeccion of his olde lyfe receyued of his elders by long and common custome weake and feble nor can without grudge of mynde eate fleshe offered to ydolles some thyng trustyng or fearyng leste that deuyll whatsoeuer he bee maye by some meane either do hym good or harme For what maruayle is it yf this chaunce to some of the Grecians synce we se manye christened Iewes here with to be entangled A matier of great difficultie is it vtterly and by the roote to plucke that out of mennes myndes whiche is therein euen from youthe by common vse and long custome bredde and engendred No man is there that sodenlye becommeth a perfite christian For as in nature there is a processe so are there in religion certayne degrees As therfore we that are
say not to be seen as thinges are seen in a dreame or vision so that a man might doubt whether it were so or not but openly before euery mannes iyen to be a man borne of a woman vnder the weakenes of our natures to the entent he would readyly heale our wretchednes whom God would haue to be circumcised suffre all the bondage of the lawe to th ende he would deliuer the Iewes from the burdaine of the lawe whom he founde therto subiecte that noman should thencefoorth like a childe within age liue vnder gouernours but be all called to the libertie of children for bondage is contrary to the name of a childe The texte Because ye are sonnes God hath sent the spirit of his sonne into our heartes which cryeth abba father And because God would of his goodnes euidently declare that we are restored into the fredome of children he puttyng away all feare of punishement hath powred euen into the bottome of our heartes the spirit of his only sonne who is to vs a most certaine witnes that we are Gods children The spirite of seruage sauoreth and cryeth out after one sorte the loue and good mynde of children after an other The one desireth to escape the displeasure of his maister thother with a great confidence crieth O father father The texte Wherfore now thou art not a seruaunt but a sonne If thou be a sonne thou arte also an heyre of God through Christ Wherin it is not to be doubted but that God doeth muche more thākefully knowledge the name of godly loue and charitie than the name of feare If this were not as I say neither would Christ haue called his scholers brethren nor haue taught menne to praye vnto God vnder the name of a father when he teacheth vs to say O our father whiche art in heauen To whom soeuer therfore God geueth the spirite of his sonne the same man is no lenger a seruaunt but a sonne And if he be through Christ his sonne by him likewyse must he be Gods heyre Namely synce whoso by adopcion receiueth an other into the name of his sonne he in so doyng geueth him a right to his inheritaunce The texte Notwithstandyng when ye knewe not God ye did seruice vnto them whiche by nature are no Gods But now after that ye haue knowen God yea rather are knowē of God how is it that ye turne againe vnto the weake and beggerly ordinaunces whervnto againe ye desyre afreshe to be in bondage Ye obserue dayes and monethes and tymes and yeres I am in feare of you lest I haue bestowed on you labor in vain But as the Iewes for a season were with a grosse religion or rather supersticion kept vnder because they should not vtterly slyde from al religion so what tyme the true God was vnknowen vnto you accordyng to the ordinaunces of your elders ye worshipped deuils beleuyng them to be Goddes whiche are in dede none because he semeth muche nigher true religion which is vnder a false than is he that thinketh there is no God at all dispisyng all religion God layeth not to the Iewes charge because they for a tyme liued vnder theyr elders lawes frō whom when they were taught better learnyng they turned to the very right trade of godly conuersacion Nor is your worshippyng of idolles whom ye erroniously supposyng to haue an heauenly power in them had in honour layde against you synce the tyme that by preachyng of the gospell ye knewe the liuyng God or els to speake it better synce the tyme ye were knowen of God ye found him not but he by his holy spirite drewe you vnto him euen as that whereas ye nowe tenderly loue him as a father cōmeth by none other meanes but because he fyrst loued you God fauorably and gentilly forgatte your olde errour but of your owne accorde from the trueth once knowen wylfully to returne againe to the same that offence is outragious and damnable The Iewes beyng taught the true religion forsake theyr ceremonies and wyll ye beyng called frō idolatrie taught by preachyng the gospell what perfite religion is after the receiuyng of the holy ghost cast your selfe againe headlong into a Iewishe bondage so that wheras ye are fre ye had rather to be vnder the grosse beginnynges of this worlde whiche neither are able to make you righteous nor been effectual to saluacion Fall ye not to them againe when Iewishely ye obserue daies monethes and yeres with other suche differences of tyme as though the Iewishe sabboth day the feastes of the newe moone holy dayes and other tymes wherin the Iewes either do certain thinges or abstaine from certaine other as from vnlawful actes any thyng healped onward to saluacion when to christian men all tymes are free to honour God in If ye haue in Christ a sure confidence whence is this supersticion If ye haue not then teare I lest I haue in vaine bestowed so muche labor vpon you for your instruccion Ye fall from Christ if ye myngle with him Iewishenes Suffer not that either I whiche haue by suche great and sundry troubles taught you the gospel lose therin my labor or that ye in vaine haue suffered for Christ sake suche affliccions The texte Brethren I beseche you be ye as I am for I am as ye are Ye haue not hurt me at all Ye knowe how through infirmitie of the fleshe I preached the gospel vnto you at the first And my tēptacion whiche was in the fleshe ye dispised not neither abhorred but receiued me as an angel of God euen as Christ Iesus But rather regarde not the ceremonies of the lawe as ye see me to do but put my trust in Christ onely My selfe sometyme was suche one as ye now he iudgyng that it was an high pointe of godlynes to be circumcised to kepe the Iewishe sabboth day to obserue differences in meates to sacrifice beastes for zeale of whō I then persecuted the churche of God all whiche pointes now reaken I for trifles Wheras I brethren somewhat vehemently complaine vpō you surely this may ye beleue me I seke not myne owne weale but yours I might with the quiet vprightnes of myne owne conscience be with my selfe contented I am not displeased with you for ye haue done me no wronge I pitie to see you go from suche good beginnynges looke rather that ye be stable and constant encreasyng styl from better to better rather than from better to worse What tyme I fyrst preached vnto you the gospell of Iesus Christ I submitted my selfe to your weakenes now an other while rise ye vppe to my strength lose not the gloriouse praise of your fayth Of late when I preached vnto you y◠gospel ye knewe I toke no great royal state vpō me but euen the behauour of a lowe simple and abiecte person I pray you what saw ye me but a sealy mā ready to take harme hated of many for Christes name vnder diuerse troubles and
eche one hating an other and not onlye helpe not eche one another but also backbite and gnawe one another and not onlye backbyte and gnawe but lyke outragiouse wylde beastes asmuche as in you is deuoure other great cause surelye haue ye to feare leste ye lyke beastes tearyng one another be with eythers woundes destroyed To this inconuenience fall they whiche beyng withoute the charitie taught by the gospell stycke styll to the carnall law whyles they measure al thynges by theyr priuate commodities wheras contrary christian charitie is in a readynes to do other men good The texte I say â–ª walke in the spirite and fulfill not the lustes of the fleshe For the fleshe lusteth contrary to the spirite and the spirite contrarye to the fleshe these are contrarye one to an other so that ye cannot do whatsoeuer ye would But and if ye be led of the spirite then are ye not vnder the lawe The whole effecte of my woordes drawe to this ende that forsomuche as ye are deliuered from the bondage of Moses carnal lawe ye should leade your life accordyng to the spiritual lawe of charitie as ye shall in dede do if ye neither esteme perfite righteousnes to stande in Iewishe ceremonies nor liue vnder carnal desires If ye liue vnder carnal lustes ye shal alway be vnder the lawe Endeuour ye therfore to leade a spiritual life if ye thus do then shal ye abstaine froÌ„ suche actes as the fleshe shal prouoke you vnto For as â–ª in one manne there is a grosse and heauy body and a soule that is heauenly and immortal and as in one law there is a grosse parte whom we call the letter and again a heauenly thyng whiche is called the spirite so in one mannes soule one power there is whiche styl calleth to goodnes and an other to this power contrary like vnto the body the letter of the law whiche prouoketh vs to dishonestie Betwene these partes there is a coÌ„tinual battaile whiles the fleshe fighteth against the spirite and the spirite against the fleshe Well may the fleshe be restrained froÌ„ her desyres but yet wyll it not be so oppressed but that it wyl labor and striue against the spirite And if the fleshe happen to haue the vpper hand it is sometyme seen that where a man hath a desyre to godlines yet beyng ouercomen by the fleshe he doth suche thinges as he knoweth should be auoyded And if the spirite of Christ sufficiently moue you to do willyngly suche thynges as are good godly then hath Moses lawe vpon you none authoritie The texte The dedes of the fleshe are manyfest whiche are these adultrie fornicacion vnclennes wantonnes worshippyng of idolles witchecrafte hatred variaunce zeale wrath strife sedicion sectes enuiyng murder droÌ„kennes glotonie and suche like of the whiche I tel you before as I haue tolde you in tyme past that they whiche committe suche thinges shal not be inheritors of the kyngdome of God But because ye shal not be ignorant the spirite wherof we now speake is a thyng that cannot be seen the fleshe may be seen And yet is it not hard to coniecture whether a man be seruaunt to the fleshe or be ledde by the spirite of God For as the welsprynges be suche are the waters and other that flowe from thence A mannes life maners doynges plainly shewe what a man is within But because we wyl not at this tyme speake of doubtful or hidden matters these be they that make plaine profe that a man is styl seruaunt to the fleshe notwithstannyng he be baptised and haue shaken of the bondage of the lawe aduoutry I say fornicacion vnclennes waÌ„tonnes idolatry witchecrafte hatred variance zeale wrath strise sedicion sectes enuy murder dronkennes glotony To these whosoeuer be bonde albeit the same man be baptised yet is he not throughly â–ª free but bondslaue to naughtie desyres Nor be ouer bolde because ye are baptised or for your workyng of myracles What tyme I was among you I warned you and now by my letter I earnestly warne you againe that al they whiche do suche thinges shal be excluded from the enheritaunce of the kyngdome of heauen The texte Contraryly the fruite of the spirite is loue ioy peace long sufferyng gentlenes goodnes faythfulnes mekenes temperancie Against suche there is no lawe They truely that are Christes haue crucified the fleshe with the affeccions and lustes On the othersyde suche as are perfitely free and ruled by the spirite of God are knowen by these fruites For with this spirite are ioyned charitie ioy peace long sufferyng gentlenes goodnes faythfulnes mekenes temperancie They that of theyr owne good wyll do these haue no nede to be pricked foorth with compulsories of the lawe for them theyr owne innocencie maketh free from it Besyde this they that truely are Christes as it besemeth spiritual people haue crucified the fleshe with all the vices and desires therof For by baptisme we dye with Christ and are buried also with him The texte If we liâ—e in the spirite let vs walke in the spirite Let vs not be desirous of vayne glory prouokyng one an other enuiyng one at an other We may not stande doubtfully betwene the fleshe and the spirite whether of both we should folowe If the spirite geue life to the body reason it is that the body be vnder the gouernaunce of the spirite If we haue receiued life through the spirite of Christ and not by the law let vs liue accordyng vnto the inclinacion of the same spirite If we haue truely tasted of the spirit of Christ let vs bryng foorth the fruites of it and abstaine from al carnal workes Let vs not be desyrous of vainglory for the same prouokyng eche one an other of vs to debate and strife enuiyng one an other of vs. For euen them that professe the rule of godly life these vices oftetymes trouble whiche yet are in very dede the pestilence and destruccion of true godlynes The vi Chapiter The texte Brethren if a man also be taken in any faulte ye whiche are spiritual healpe to amende him in the spirite of mekenes consideryng thy selfe lest thou also be tempted HItherto haue I shewed you brethren to what ende all they that haue taken Christes religion vpon them must enforce theÌ„ selfes Yet because baptisme taketh not from vs but that we are men styl if any among you by reason of weakenes fal into any offence your part is which are stroÌ„ger by the spirit of God haue not geueÌ„ place to fleshly desyres with gentle and meke wordes to restore him againe encouragyng him vp that he may rise againe not with rough speache causing him to despayre Hipocrites vse suche proud lokes and high wordes but Christes spirite forasmuche as it desyreth al mens saluacion with meke and gentle meanes calleth men to amendement And oftetymes it chaunceth that whoÌ„ a sharpe earnestnes withdraweth vtterly them gentle and brotherly correccion maketh humble and boweth Moses law after suche sorte
delicates regardynge neyther ordre nor coÌ„mune wealth sparyng nether place nor time ne yet geuing god any thaÌ„kes at al ether for fleshe or fishe meate or drinke as it may appeare by their impudent abominable lyuinge couetous gredynes of worldly pleasures in swearyng whoring dyceing cardyng braullyng raylyng braggyng querelling fighting â–ª piking stealing robbing bawdy talkyng in al kyndes elles of hellishe iniquitie And so by that reason ouer their own daÌ„nable estate the poore symple vntaught weake brother for whom Christe died seyng thys lybertie and thys iniquitie ioyned together is by and by offended and defyeth the worde of God because of that rashe beastly bellyed mannes wyckednesse whiche prateth of the worde and lyueth cleane contrarie agaynst it Thus the deuyll I saye purchaseth to him selfe and to the fyre of hell as many or rather mo slaues by his countrefaite ghospellyng than he did before with open idolatrous popery mayntenyng Nowe therfore goe downe in to thy selfe good reader and see what case thou standest in for thou seest by experience that the dayes are euyll Loâ—e not the good oportunytie that God hath lent thee For all that saye Lorde Lorde shal not entre into the kyngdome of heauen but he that doeth the fathers wyll whiche is in heauen Althoughe we are made ryghteous before God throughe onely fayth yet we muste expresse our fayth by suche charitable workes before men as God commaundeth or els our faythe is deade and become no faythe And thoughe we are saued throughe grace yet we may not abide in synne stil that grace maye abounde For lyke as whan a synner repenteth there is a merye heauen the Angelles reioycing for gladnes euen so whan a man repenteth not but lyueth styll in infidelitie and synne he maketh the holy ghost sadde and a sorowfull heauen And thoughe we are quyckened together with Christe of his owne fre mercye without our deseruynges yet we are commaunded by his holy worde to mortyfie oure carnal membres vpon earth that lyke as we haue in tymes past made them seruauntes of vngodlynes from one naughtynes to an other so we shoulde henceforth make them seruauntes of puritie into santtification For he that gaue vs Christ to be our newe garmente badde vs by his Apostle Paule put of the olde Adam or elles Christe woulde not stycke cleane on our backes onlesse olde Adam be stryped cleane of wyth all his ragged rotten patches of infidelitie and sinfulnes And he that sayeth Let us put on the armour of lyghte sayeth fyrste Let us cast aâ—uaye the uuorkes of darknes For lyke as God loueth to be wourshypped onelye accordynge to his owne worde and byddyng so he curfeth all them that inuent or vse other kyndes of worshyppyng or seruyng of him besydes his worde And lyke as God filleth them with his grace that reuerently and truly vse his holy name so he fylleth them also full of wikednes that be swearours and maketh his plague of vengeaunce to hang styll ouer their houses that abuse Goddes name And lyke as God promyseth reward to them that helpe their pore neyghbours at their nede so he threateneth punishement to them also that hurte their neyghbours by worde or by dede And like as the holy goste alloweth chaste wedlocke for holy and honourable among all men so doeth he pronounce whoredom and bawldrye to be cursed and abominable among all men Christe that geueth the peny to the diligent workers byddeth auaunt I knowe you not to them that are loyterours The Prophete Dauid that sayeth Prope est dnÌ„s oiÌ„bus eum inuocantibus sayeth also Longe a peccatoribus salus And that ghospell which is the power of God to saue all that beleue it shall also be a witnesse at the last daye against all them that shewe them selues in this worlde vnbeleuers by the frutes of their vngodly behauyour Assure thy selfe of thys good reader that lyke as there is God so is there the deuyll As there is heauen so is there hel As there is lyfe and eternall saluation so is there death and eternall damnacion Therfore cast of careles securitie and be diligent in readynge or hearynge Goddes worde If Christe be thy sauiour make no moe mediatours for thee but onely him For lyke as he wyl not geue away the glory of his passion to any other so wyl he not geue awaye the glory of his intercession to any other Cast of feyned custome and laye holde vpon vnfailyng veritie Forsake blynde broade byewayes â–ª and folowe the streight narowe pathe way Awaye with fylthy whoremonging and take thee to chaste wedlocke If thou wilte be chosen make sure thy vocation If thou defyest the deuyll meddle not with false teachers and deuely she lyuyng If thou louest not the deuylles sauour dwell not vpon hys donghill of stynkyng ydolatrie and supersticioÌ„ If thou be the sonne of Abraham doe the workes of Abraham If thou be iustified throughe onely faythe in Christ leade the lyfe and doe the dedes of a faythfull iustifyed christen man If Christe be thy Lorde be thou his true seruaunt If thou wylte take vpon the to be Christes disciple see that thou weare his badge Christen charitie If Christe be thy good shepeherde herken to his voyce and none other If Christe haue borne the on his owne shoulders into his shepefolde whan thou wast runne astraye see thou runne not oute agayne lest thou droppe into the pitte and be drowned throughe thyne owne folye If thou wylte take God for thy father see thou be holy as he is holy If thou wylte haue the holy spirite of God to be thy comfortoure make him not sadde with the resisting waiwardnes of thy spirite And than mayest thou be surely bolde to preace vnto the throne of hys grace and shalte be sure to fynde mercye in conuenient tyme. Take hede by tyme for nowe is the tyme and verye howre for vs to ryse vp from sleape and therfore I saye take tyme of repentaunce whyle tyme is for tyme wyll awaye But and yf thou wylte not aryse and heare the voyce of thy Shepeherde Christ hauing the lybertie of Goddes woorde the rather by the ample enterpretyng of these Godly Paraphrases to teache thee and to be thy warraunt thexample of the Kynges Maiestie with hys gracious Vncle the lord Protectour the test of his most honorable Counsail to encourage ayde and defende thee but wylt tomble and walowe styll in wylful ignoraunce and errour stickyng to olde heathenyshe idolatrous worshippinges supersticious deuisinges masse meritinges beade droppinges popyshe customes disobedyence agaynst superiours and parentes blasphemous swearyng aduouterous lyuing theuyshe stealyng â–ª murder and robbynge couetous cloynynge bawdye talkyng holoweharted flateryng false witnesse bearyng vntrue dealyng craftye deceauyng dronken drinkyng paunche pampryng subtyl vnderminynge and other wyckednesses and vilanies against the wrytten word and commauÌ„dement of God and so differrest repentaunce from daye to daye and heapyng synne vpon synne sayest the mercye of God is greate Tushe let God sende me a mery lyfe
with God long ago yea euen afore the world was made and in a maner opened vnto the prophetes by inspiracion albeit it was not playnly opened to the world as it is now by me that the Gentiles through onely fayth of the Gospel without helpe of Moses law should attayn saluacion yea in so much that the chiefest of the Apostles durst not admit suche as were not circumcised vnto baptisine But nowe it is playnely opened vnto the holye Apostles of Christe and to hys prophetes by inspiracion of the holy goste that the Gentiles through faith are so vnited vnto the Iewes that they are comen in to the felowship of yâ— selfe same enheritaunce and growe in to all one bodye reioycyng in theyr common head Christe and by reason therof are becomen partiners of all the proinisses that abyde suche as beleue the Ghospel of Christ to preache the which Ghospell autoritie is commytted vnto me and I ceasse not to dooe my commaunded office labouring constauntly hitherto in the Ghospels busines euen vnto emprisonmeÌ„tes and fetters not that I am any thing mete of mine owne strength for so painful a busines but he that appoynted that office to me hath laied his owne helping hande to the same And so it is that I being as concerning myne owne habilitie feble and weake am by his benefite strong and full of courage agaynst the stormes of al mischiefes I boast not myne own worthines for I coÌ„fesse that I am the least of Saintes but yet as litle as I am it hath pleased the goodnes of God to putte me in trust with this businesse of moste weightie importaunce that I shoulde publishe and preache among the Gentiles whiche before this time knewe nothyng of God the vnsearcheable richesse of Christ which he offereth plenteously to all men and bryng to lyght the thyng that before was hidden that the benefit of the ghospell is to be dispensed and ministred to all maner of nacions whiche beefore was supposed to be geuen onely to the Iewes although it was otherwyse decreed eternally of God the maker and gouernour of all thynges notwithstanding his will was to haue thys Counsayll of hys diuyne intente to be yet hitherto kepte secrrete whiche in these tymes he woulde so openly manifeste and that by the congregacion wherinto he powred suche aboundaunce of spirituall giftes that his manifolde wisedome whiche with wounderfull deuises disposeth all thinges through death geuyng life through shame exaltyng to glorye through humilitie aduauncyng Goddes maiestie whiche no man in times paste coulde haue Imagined shoulde nowe bee brought to lyght not onely to the brode worlde but euen to prynces and chiefeste of Angelles and deuilles that haue to dooe in the skyes and in the vppermoste parte of the ayer whiche thynges albeit they myght gesse should come to passe that mankynde should once be redemed yet this was not knowen by what reason the wisedome of God had eternallye decreed to bringit to passe whiche thing now at length was openlye knowen whan he sent his sonne into the world who hauing taken vpon him an humain bodye would by vnspeakeable meanes vnite and couple the congregacion to hymselfe whereof our lorde Iesus Christe should bee the head by whome like as Innocencie chaunced vnto vs in that that our sinnes were doen a waye euen so chaunced vnto vs an assured truste also that as children we shoulde not be afraied to approche vnto the father whose displeased countenaunce we durst not afore beholde For what shoulde we bee afrayed of hauyng suche a heade that in no wise suffreth any of his membres to perishe albeit here in the meane season we suffre sum affliccion The texte â–ª Wherfore I desire that ye faint not because of my tribulacions that I suffre for your sakes whiche is your praise For this cause I bowe my knees vnto the father of our lorde Iesus Christ which is father ouer all that is called father in heauen and in earth that he would graunt you accordyng to the riches of his glorie that ye maye bee strengthed with might by his spirite in the â—â—â—er man that Christe maie dwell in your hertes by faith that ye beyng rooted and grounded in loue mighte bee hable to comprehende with al sayntes what is that bredth aâ—d length depth and height and to knowe the excellente loue of the knoweledge of Christ that ye mighte bee fulfilled with all fulnes which cummeth of God Vnto him yâ— is hable to doe exceading aboundantly aboue al that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs be prayse in yâ— congregacion by Christe Iesus thorowâ—â—t al generacious from tune to tyme. Amen This secrete counsayle of God forasmuch as I preache boldely in euery place I suffre exceadyng punishemente of such as yet cannot possibly be perswaded of this matter But I beseche you let not myne affliccions whiche I suffre for your sakes anythyng disquiete or dismaye you For there is no cause why you shoulde be ashamed of suche an Apostle though I bee laden with fetters For like as the crosse of Christe is our glorie euen so my fetters which I we are not for any euill dedes but for the sinceritie of the Ghospel are for your honestie and no rebuke For the more displeasures we suffre with a constaunt mynd for the Ghospell of Christe the more entierly we cause the people to beleue that the promises of Christe are not vayne inasmuch as through assured hope of them we faint not for any displeasures of this life And it is not Ioyous to me onely to suffre for the ghospelles businesse but it also becommeth al men that are entred vnto Christe to folowe the example of their autour and head And truely for this cause sake I bowe my knees and praye earnestly euen from the botome of myne harte vnto God our father and the same the father of our lorde Iesus Christe of whome as the supreme head dependeth all spirituall kynred wherby by are incorporated together whether they bee angelles in heauen or faithfull people vpon earth and of whome onely as of the fountaine springeth whatsoeuer is belongyng to true felicitie that like as he hath begonne to declare hys aboundaunte glorye in you so he maye more and more augmente his liberall goodnesse to you ward that as you are engraffed to Christ through baptisme and as it were borne newe agayne so you maye gather courage and strengthe with daylye encrease not accordong to the bodye but accordyng to the mynde and soule that is to saye by the gyfte of the spirite of the father continually encreacyng in vs by whome we are made stronge and valiaunt to withstande al dredes of persecucion and that the constancie of your fayth maye be suche that you thynke surelye that Christe will neuer fayle you but rather dwelle in wardly in your hertes for the faythful trustes sake wherwith you commit your selues wholy vnto him For with such is he most specially presente as distruste theyr owne
also these thynges equally with the father Certaynly this is the thyng that the Psalmiste by the inspiracion of the holy gost spake of so long agoe For Christe hauyng all ready conquered the helles is ascended alyue agayne into the hygh kyngdome of the father and hath caryed with him the ensigne of his conqueste euen the flocke of vs myserable captiues whom he hath frely deliuered from the tyranny of the deuyl and synne And from thence of the fathers liberalitie he hathe geuen throughe the holye ghoste soondrye kyndes of gyftes and bestowed them among menne as it is the solemne manner of suche as wynne the maistrye in a tryumphe to throwe downe tokens of tryumphe abrode among the people He sente downe giftes from heauen and heauenly thynges they were that he sente To be briefe where it is sayed he ascended doeth it not consequently folowe that he before descended And there is no descencion but from aboue so that the descencion is before and the ascencion after For none deserueth worthelye to bee exalted on hyghe but onelye throughe lowlinesse and humbleyng of hymselfe To conclude after moste lowe humblyng foloweth moste hygh aduauncing From the moste hyghe heauen than the whiche nothyng can be higher Christ deiected himself euen vnto the helles than the which nothyng can be lower And for this cause sake he was worthily exalted aboue the higheste of all the heauens and so tooke his bodily presence out of oure syghte to the intente to accomplishe all thynges from aboue wyth heauenly giftes and after an other maner of reason to be now more effectually presente with vs than whan he was conuersaunt emong vs vpon earth He forsoke not his body but deuyded his gyftes vnto euery of his membres after suche wyse as none of them all should want anye thyng albeeit some were endued with more excellent giftes than some For some he would haue to be chief as Apostles ryng leaders autours of the Gospel preahing some to be prophetes that coulde expounde the hidde meanynges of Moses lawe some to be euangelistes to occupye the Apostles roumes and to carrye aboute the gospell from place to place And some to be pastours and doctours as byshoppes to feede the flocke of Christe with the meate of holy doctryne and holsome example of goodlyfe And the teste he instructed some with one gyfte and some with an other to the intente that of all these conferred together the coumpanye of saynctes shoulde bee perfeitelye consummate and furnyshed to the vse of euerye good offyce and that the perfeit bodye of Christe beyng fully growen together in all his menbres shoulde so bee cherished one with the succour of an other and that the stronger membre shoulde beate for the tyme with the weaker and the weaker marke and folowe the exaumple of the stronger vntill we maye all at length cumme to equall strength of fayth and with lyke perfeccion knowe the sonne of God throughe whose helpe we maye waxe bygge and lustye in the secrete encrease of mynde after such sorte that at length we may growe vnto a perfeit manne and accordyng to oure measure frame oure selues aunswerably to our most perfite head In whome was neither imbecillitie nor erroure neyther yet any defaulte The texte That the hence forth should be nomore children waueryng caried about with euery winde of doctryne by the wylmes of men thorowe craftyues whereby they laye awayte tor vs to deceyue vs. But let vs folowe the trueth in loue and in all thynges growe in hym whiche is the head euen Christe in whome yf all the bodye be coupled and knitte together thorowoute euery ioynt wherwith one ministreth to an other accordyng to the operacion as euerye parte hath his measure he encreaseth the bodye vnto the edifiyng of it selâ—e thorowe loue There is an age of the bodye that geueth full strength to all the membres and putteth away the tendernesse of chyldehood And in semble ble wyse vnto this there is a lyke procedyng in the ordre of godlinesse whereunto we ought all to geue diligent endeuour that we be not from hencefoorth as we haue been waueryng lyke children in vncertayne opinious not addicte to any certayne decrees to attayne saluacion but as men voyde of trueth catryed about now into this nowe into that iudgemente with euery wynde of doctryne submittyng our selues as it were pieuishe chyldren to the subtiltie and crafte of some certayne men whiche trauayle not to teache vs Christe sincerely but to catche vs through theyr subtill artes and to snare vs with their craftie deceates or with philosophicall reasons to bryng vs in doubte of those thynges which by faith ought in no wise to be doubted of or elles in stede of the Gospelles veritye to set before vs the shadowes of Moses lawe But no we hauyng once embraced the veritie of the Gospel lette vs rather ioyne vnto it sincere charitable loue towardes al men enforcing our cominuall studye to this ende that we maye profite not onelye in the knowledge of the trueth but also in the continual diligente workes of charitie so as all we beyng membres maye be answerably like vnto our head And truely Christe is our head who also is the trueth selfe and hathe so loued vs that he hath geuen hymselfe to make vs safe To this head it is requisite that the membres be agreable Inasmuche as from hym the spirite of lyfe floweth into all the whole bodye beyng compacte and set together of sondrye membres ioyned ordrelye one to an other and pearcyng throughe euerye ioynt of the lymmes which coulde not be excepte the partes of the bodye were ioyned agreably one to an other that lyfe may haue passage into theÌ„ from one membre to an other For the hande or the fote beeyng cutte of cannot possiblye haue any parte of the vertue that commeth from the toppe of the heade But forasmuche as the whole bodye is perfeitly conglutinate in it self it commeth to passe that the spirite of Christe practiseth his efficacie in euerye membre accordyng to their seuerall capacitie and ordre and forasmuche as all the membres studye through mutuall loue to profite euerye one other the whole bodye wareth bygger and bygger and is made lustye and stronge so as it wyll not geue place in any condicion to the wyndes of false opinions alluryng this way and that ware to bryng it out of the trueth The texte This I saye therefore and testifie thorowe the Lord that ye hence forth walke not as other Beutiles walke in banitie of theyr minde while they are blinded in their vnderstanding being farte from a godly lyfe by the meanes of the ignorauncie that is in theÌ„ and because of the blindenes of their hartes whiche being paste repentaunce haue geuen themselues ouer vnto wantonnes to worke all maner of vnclennes euen with gredines But ye haue not so learned Christe If so bee that ye haue hearde of hym and haue beene taught in him as the trueth is in Iesu as
him perishe were they not by him mainteined Thus see ye the excellencie and preeminence of Christ whiche thing I tel you of lest any manne of Angels thinke more than he should The texte And he is the head of the body euen of the congregacion he is the beginnyng and first begotten of the dead that in all thinges he might haue the preeminence And lest perauenture his glorious and excellent maiestie so feare you away from him that to aspire and comevnto the fauor of God the father ye thinke it necessarie to seeke vpon some other meane heare againe and learne to knowe how good he is Christ is in suche sorte chiefe ruler and Lorde of Angels as I sayd that he nethelesse vouchesaueth also to be head of the churche whom he hath so ioyned vnto him that it cleaueth is coupled vnto him euen as the natural body cleaueth vnto the head Whatsoeuer therfore is alreadye done in the heade the same must to vs be coÌ„men He fyrst of all other rose againe from death not to the intent he would be immortall onely him selfe but to the ende he might enhaunce vs his membres to the felowship of his immortal life Loke what is in the fyrst fruites of grayne offered the same is generally in the whole heape He is in dede prince and author of resurreccion and so shall we through him also rise againe And as among thynges create he is chiefe in suche sorte yet that himself was not create and made so is he in testoryng creatures chiefe so that as we are for our beyng byrth bounde vnto his goodnes so should we for oure seconde byrthe baptisme to liue euerlastyngly be muche more beholdyng vnto him The texte For it pleased the father that in him should all fulnes dwell and by him to reconcile al thinges vnto him selfe and to set at peace by him through the bloud of his crosse both thinges in heauen and thinges in yearth For so hath it pleased the father that the sonne should with all fulnes of godly power and goodnes be replenished which shuld in him so abide and dwel that we should nede no where to borowe any thyng synce the father neither wyll nor can do any thing but that the sonne can do and will And syth the fathers pleasure was that so it should be it besemeth not vs curiously to demaunde and serche why fynce it can not be but best whatsoeuer his wysedome hath once decreed This wyse to do I say God the father thought beste bothe for oure weale and saluacion and most for his owne glory to reconcile al thinges vnto him not by the ministerie of Angels but by his owne sonne whiche with his bloud sheddyng and tourmentyng vpon the crosse should abolishe synne whiche broke the peace and concorde betwixte heauenly and yearthly creatures set all thinges at peace bothe heauenly yerthly makyng them in Christ to agre together and to be at an vnitie one with an other The texte And you whiche were sometyme farre of and enemies because your myndes were set in euil workes hath he now yet reconciled in the body of his fleshe through death in make you holy vnblameable without fault in his owne sight if ye continue grouÌ„ded and stablished in the fayth and be not moued awaye from the hoope of the gospel wherof ye haue heard how that it is preached among all creatures whiche are vnder heauen wherof I Paule am made a minister Of this numbre so reconciled are ye now becomen ye I saye whiche in yeres past were in suche sorte straungers to God that in steede of him ye worshipped images of deuils not only wilfully dissentyng from him but also vsing your selfes as his cruel aduersaries whom he hath yet to him selfe reconciled beyng suche as neither loked for so much at his haÌ„d and muche lesse deserued it and made of you his enemies his frendes sonnes not by the ministery of Aungels but by the bodily death of his onely begotten sonne whom for that purpose his pleasure was that he shuld take our mortal fleshe vpon him And because there can be betwixte God and synners no peace it hath pleased him frely to forgeue al the offences of our former liâ—e to th entent he would in his sight make you holy vnblameable and faultles Who I pray you can lay your olde debtes to your charge if he be once coÌ„tented And surely coÌ„tented wyl he be if once vpoÌ„ his fre receiuyng of you vnto the fayth of the gospel ye continually abide in your profession leanyng vpon this sure and sounde foundacion she we your selfes so stedfast and stable that neither man nor angel be able to moue you froÌ„ Christ of whoÌ„ ye must hope to receiue all suche giftes as the gospel promiseth whet vnto ye gaue credence whiche hath not onely been preached vnto you but also to all nacions contained vnder heauen Unstedfastnes it is to fal away froÌ„ that whiche ye haue once allowed an impudent and a shameles point to reken and coumpte that thing for vaine in belief wherof al the worlde agreeth and finally to flit from that whose preacher and minister I Paule am whiche would not leaue and forgoe infâ—â—e owne countreys law chaunge it with the gospel of Christ were I not fully persuaded that this geare is heauenly and commeth froÌ„ God The texte Now ioy I in my sufftynges for you fulfil that whiche is behynd of the passions of Christ in my fleshe for his bodies sake which is the coÌ„gregacion wherof I am made a minister accordyng to the ordinaunce of God which ordinaunce was geuen me vnto you warde to fulfil the worde of God yâ— ministerie whiche hath been hid synce yâ— world begunne and synce the beginnyng of generacions but now is opened to his saiutes to whoÌ„ God would make knowen what the glorious riches of this misterie is among the gentiles which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preache warâ—yng all men and teachyng all men in al wysedome to make all men perfite in Christ Jesu Wherin I also labor striue eueÌ„ as farfourth as his streugth worketh in me mightely Now am I so throughly persuaded yâ— the gospel is a thyng of trueth that I not onely am so farre from beyng ashamed or repentyng my selfe therof that I wyll also ioyfully suffre coumpte stripes emprisonment and chaynes euen matier to reioyse and glorie of which tormentynges I endure not for any offence of myne but suffer them for your weale whom I saye though the Iewes neuer so muche saye naye haue no lesse righte to the benefite of the gospell than haue the Iewes themselues And why should I not saye that I for your weale suffer for whom Christ suffered Why should the Apostle be lothe to do that whiche Christ our prince and maister disdayned not to do Christ suffered for vs not onelye in his owne body but also in maner suffereth in oures eueÌ„ as
feare you away from hun that to aspire and come vnto the fauor of God the father ye thinke it necessarie to seeke vpon some other meane heare againe and learne to knowe how good he is Christ is in suche sorte chiefe ruler and Lorde of Angels as I layd that he nethelesse vouchesaueth also to be head of the churche whom he hath so ioyned vnto him that it cleaueth is coupled vnto him euen as the natural body cleaueth vnto the head Whatsoeuer therfore is alreadye done in the heade the same must to vs be coÌ„men He fyrst of all other rose againe from death not to the intent he would be immortall onely him selfe but to the ende he might enhaunce vs his membres to the felowship of his immortal life Loke what is in the fyrst fruites of grayne offered the same is generally in the whole heape He is in dede prince and author of resurreccion and so shall we through him also rise againe And as among thynges create he is chiefe in suche sorte yet that himself was not create and made so is he in restoryng creatures chiefe so that as we are for our beyng byrth bounde vnto his goodnes so should we for oure seconde byrthe baptisme to liâ—e euerlastyngly be muche more beholdyng vnto him The texte For it pleased the father that in him should all fulnes dwell and by him to reconcile al thinges vnto him selfe and to set at peace by him through the bloud of his crosse both thinges in heauen and thinges in yearth For so hath it pleased the father that the sonne should with all fulnes of godly power and goodnes be replenished which shuld in him so abide and dwel that we should nede no where to borowe any thyng synce the father neither wyll nor can do any thing but that the sonne can do and will And syth the fathers pleasure was that so it should be it besemeth not vs curiously to demaunde and serche why synce it can not be but best whatsoeuer his wysedome hath once decreed This wyse to do I say God the father thought beste bothe for oure weale and saluacion and most for his owne glory to reconcile al thinges vnto him not by the ministerie of Angels but by his owne sonne whiche with his bloud sheddyng and tourmentyng vpon the crosse should abolishe synne whiche broke the peace and concorde betwixte heauenly and yearthly creatures set all thinges at peace bothe heauenly yerthly makyng them in Christ to agre together and to be at an vnitie one with an other The texte And you whiche were sometyme farre of and enemies because your myndes were set in euil workes hath he now yet reconciled in the body of his fleshe through death in make you holy vnblameable without fault in his owne sight if ye continue grouÌ„ded and stablished in the fayth and be not moued awaye from the hoope of the gospel wherof ye haue heard how that it is preached among all creatures whiche are vnder heauen wherof I Paule am made a minister Of this numbre so reconciled are ye now becomen ye I saye whiche in yeres past were in suche sorte straungers to God that in steede of him ye worshipped images of deuils not only wilfully dissentyng from him but also vsing your selfes as his cruel aduersaries whom he hath yet to him selfe reconciled beyng suche as neither loked for â—o much at his haÌ„d and muche lesse deserued it and made of you his enemies his frendes sonnes not by the ministery of Aungels but by the bodily death of his onely begotten sonne whom for that purpose his pleasure was that he shuld take our mortal fleshe vpon him And because there can be betwixte God and synners no peace it hath pleased him frely to forgeue al the offences of our former life to th entent he would in his sight make you holy vnblameable and faultles Who I pray you can lay your olde debtes to your charge if he be once coÌ„tented And surely coÌ„tented wyl he be if once vpoÌ„ his fre receiuyng of you vnto the fayth of the gospel ye continually abide in your profession leanyng vpon this sure and sounde foundacion shewe your selfes so stedfast and stable that neither man nor angel be able to moue you froÌ„ Christ of whoÌ„ ye must hope to receiue all suche giftes as the gospel promiseth whervn to ye gaue credence whiche hath not onely been preached vnto you but also to all nacions contained vnder heauen Vnstedfastnes it is to fal away froÌ„ that whiche ye haue once allowed an impudent and a shameles point to reken and coumpte that thing for vaine in belief wherof al the worlde agreeth and finally to flit from that whose preacher and minister I Paule am whiche would not leaue and forgoe mine owne countreys law chaunge it with the gospel of Christ were I not fully persuaded that this geare is heauenly and commeth froÌ„ God The texte Now ioy I in my suffrynges for you fulfil that whiche is behynd of the passions of Christ in my fleshe for his bodies sake which is the coÌ„gregacion wherof I am made a minister accordyng to the ordinaunce of God which ordinaunce was geuen me vnto you warde to fulfil the worde of God yâ— ministerie whiche hath been hid synce yâ— world begunne and synce the beginnyng of generacions but now is opened to his saintes to whoÌ„ God would make knowen what the glorious riches of this misterie is among the gentiles which riches is Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preache warnyng all men and teachyng all men in al wysedome to make all men perfite in Christ Iesu Wherin I also labor striue eueÌ„ as farfoorth as his strength worketh in me mightely Now am I so throughly persuaded yâ— the gospel is a thyng of trueth that I not onely am so farre from beyng ashamed or repentyng my selfe therof that I wyll also ioyfully suffre coumpte stripes emprisonment and chaynes euen matier to reioyse and glorie of which tormentynges I endure not for any offence of myne but suffer them for your weale whom I saye though the Iewes neuer so muche saye naye haue no lesse righte to the benefite of the gospell than haue the Iewes themselues And why should I not saye that I for your weale suffer for whom Christ suffered Why should the Apostle be lothe to do that whiche Christ our prince and maister disdayned not to do Christ suffered for vs not onelye in his owne body but also in maner suffereth in oures eueÌ„ as one supplying and fulfilling by his ministers suche thynges as mighte in his affliccions seeme vnperfecte not that his death of it selfe is insufficient but because the affliccions and punishmentes of the head and members of the prince and ministers are in maner one These punishmeÌ„tes the greater and more vehemente they be the more redounde and make they to the fulnes and perfeccion of your saluacion And not for your saluacioÌ„ onely
of al such thinges as we tolde you before and testified For God hath not called vs vnto vnclennes but vnto holynes He therfore that despiseth despiseth not man but God whiche hath sente his holy spirite among you MOreouer brethren we beseche and exhorte you by the Lorde Iesus forasmuche as you are nowe sufficiently taught of vs after what sorte you ought to behaue your selues and with what endeuours to please God geue your diligence not only to perseuer still in that you haue learned but also to excede your selues in dayly encreaces of forewardenesse For you knowe and remembre what preceptes I gaue not by the autoritie of my selfe but by the autoritie of our Lorde Iesus Christe I gaue none of these thynges in commaundement that the false Apostles cloute in among you of the ceremonies of Moses lawe of the excellencie and visions of Angels as though there were entraunce by them vnto saluacion but those thynges only that I knewe certaynly to be acceptable vnto God For this is the wyll of God that you kepe your selues holy and vnspotted and not onely to be chaste in soule but also in body that you may abstayne from whoredome wherwith the bodies are defiled The body is the dwellyng house of the soule and the soule is the Inne of God Than lyke as it is necessarie for the soule to be pure because of the geaste God so is it decente for the bodye to be pure because of the enhabitour the soule Therfore let euery one knowe howe to geue this honoure to his sely carcas as a frayle vessel that he kepe it cleane and vndefiled and not suffre it to be spotted with the disease of filthy desyres and lustes whiche thyng is so farre vnworthy the state of Christians that it is the state of no nacion of people but of them that haue no knowlage of God but thinke that euery one may lawfully doe what he lusteth without punishment and that all is honest that is pleasaūt to the body But the mischiefe of lust doubleth his mischiefe in case a man Ioyne it with the Iniurie of his brother as whan a man vsurpeth an other mannes wyfe Let no manne therfore eyther in this case or in other matters in vsurpyng ouermuche to hymselfe defraude his brother inasmuche as God wil suffer none of these thinges vnreuenged and seyng that baptisme shal not onely not availe them that commit these offences but also make to their more greuouse punishemente lyke as we haue tolde recorded vnto you before For God hath not called vs from the ordinaunce of our former lyfe to the entente that beyng once washen cleane we should be walowed into the same filthinesse again but to mainteyne in holynesse and puritie of lyfe the innocencie that was once freely geuen vs. And that we should not through filthy desyres cast awaye from vs the holy ghoste whiche is the louer of Chastitie These matters I say I haue both recorded and doe recorde again that they are not the preceptes of me but of God so that whosoeuer contemneth them contemneth not man which is the warning geuer but God that is the commaundement maker who hath emparted his holy spirite vnto you for this purpose that you should by his inspiracion embrace godlinesse Against this holy spirite euery one worketh dispite that through filthy lustes polluteth his owne body The texte But as touchyng brotherly loue ye nede not that I wryte vnto you For ye are taught of God to loue one an other ye and that thing verily ye doe vnto all the brethren whiche are in all Macedonia We beseche you brethren that ye encrease more and more that ye study to be quiete and to medle with your owne busines and to worke with your handes as we commaunded you that ye may behaue your selues honestly toward them that are without and that nothing be lackyng vnto you Furthermore as concernyng the loue that christians owe to christians I thinke it not necessarie for me to admonishe you by these my letters For you are taught immediatelye from heauen by the spirite of Christ whereof you haue tasted that ye should loue one another Whiche thing you declare in very dede in that you loue all the brethren with a christian loue not onelye that are at Thessalonica but also in al Macedonia Myne exhortacion therfore shall not be vnto you to do the thyng that you do of your owne accorde but in that that you do by admonicion of the spirite to excede your selues and go forwarde alwayes better and better And looke you geue circumspect hede that your quietnesse be not interrupted by meanes of idle persōs and suche as be curious meddlers of other mennes mattiers but let euerye one applie his owne businesse And yf any want substaunce wherof to lyue let hym prouide with his owne handes so as he maye bothe helpe hymselfe and releue them that be nedie like as we commaunded you before to the intent ye mighte behaue your selues honestlye towardes them that haue not professed Christ at whose handes it were shame for your profession either to begge or to do any vncomelier thyng for nede But rather let euery one get with his handes so as he want no necessary thyng And that man is easely satisfied that is content with a litell The texte I woulde not brethren that ye shoulde be ignoraunte concernyng them whiche are fallen aslepe that ye sorowe not as other do whiche haue no hope For yf we beleue that Iesus dyed and rose agayne euen so them also whiche slepe by Iesus wyll God bryng agayne with hym For this saye we vnto you in the worde of the Lorde that we which shal lyue and shall remayne in the commyng of the Lorde shall not come ere they which slepe For the Lorde hymselfe shall descende from heauen with a showte and the voyce of the Archangell and trompe of God And the dead in Christ shall aryse fyrst then we whiche shall lyue eucn we which shal remayne shall be caught vp with them also in the cloudes to meete the Lorde in the ayer And so shall we euer be with the Lorde Wherfore comforte your selues one another with these wordes Finally as touchyng the mistery of the resurreccion I cannot be contēt to haue you ignoraunt leste you should make importune sorowfull mourning for them that slepe in the truste of the promyses of the ghospell as thoughe they perished that you should not mourne I saye after the example of the gentiles whiche bewayle the death of theyr frendes because they haue no hope of theyr resurreccion But the death of christians is nothyng els but a slepe from the whiche they shall awake agayne at the commyng of Christ to lyue a great deale more blissefully For why shoulde we not truste the same thyng to come to passe in the membres that we knowe alreadye perfourmed in the head For if we beleue verely that Iesus was deade after y◠manier of man rose agayne to
But than they myght hurte vs in dede if they could make vs couetous yf they coulde make vs afrayed of deathe yf they coulde make vs desyrous of life if they could make vs ambicious if they could make vs desyrous of reuengement yf they coulde make vs to distrust Christ Therefore Prynces are neyther vnhonestly to be slattered nor sediciously repugned And in case it be godlye requisite at anye tyme in the ghospelles behalfe â—o contemne theyr commaundementes yet it muste be done with suche a temperauÌ„ce that they may perceaue vs to doe it not for the displeasure of them but for a good wyll vnto godlynes Notwithstandynge â–ª I geue not monicion hereof for this purpose that where wee are farre vnhable to matche them in worldlye powers we shoulde prouoke their puyssaunce vpon vs to our owne harme but that in this kinde of lenitie we shoulde resemble Christe oure prince who whan he coulde alone haue done more than all the Prynces and rulers of this worlde yet had leauer wynne the worlde to himselfe in sufferyng of euill than in repellyng or requityng of euyll he had leauer wynne the conquest with gentle dealynge than with reuengyng he had leauer heale than destroye â–ª he had leauer entice than oppresse By this waye wonne he the victorie of this fashion it was the fathers pleasure that the sonne shoulde beare the bell awaye â–ª His example it behoueth vs to folowe in case we wyll haue oure prayers in case we wyll haue our sacrifices welcome and acceptable vnto him He woulde rather be a sauioure vnto vs than a vengeaunce taker with greaâ—e gentilnes he suffred our impietie tyll we came to repentaunce And the thynge that is come to passe in vs the same lyke as he is of a passyng greate goodnes he woulde also haue come to passe in all men yf it were possible He is the sauiour of all he excludeth none from saluation he bryngeth the lyghte of the ghospell vnto all And he that refuseth it he that wythdraweth hymselfe leat hym blame hymselfe for his owne blyndnes and he that perisheth perisheth throughe his owne faulte For what can the Phisician doo yf the sicke doo refuse holsome medicines Verilye it is not long of him that men atteyne not saluation and suppressyng the blyndnesse of the lyfe paste come to the lyght of the euangelycall trueth Christe is the trueth and he that confesseth him â–ª shal be safe from what kynde of lyfe soeuer he come to hym Saluation is all one thynge and commeth all of one and by one alone it is offred vnto all Ther is no thyng in this behalfe that the Iewe maye chalenge to himselfe as his owne There is but one God not peculyaâ— to thys or that sorte of people but the commen God indifferently of all There is but one that reconsyleth mankinde vnto God God and man Christ Jesus For it was conuenient that he whiche shoulde make the arbitreuâ—ente of concorde bytwene God and menne shoulde haue some thynge commen wyth bothe the parties so as beyng God he myghte make intercessyon to God and beynge man myghte reduce men agayne into fauour Why than doeth any man chalenge him properly to hym selfe If the commune father of all sent him to saue al and if he gaue him selfe for the redemption of all it is mete for vs to endeuour by all meanes that hys death maye be indifferently auayleable vnto all In case he died euen for the Ethnikes why shoulde it yrke vs to offre sacrifices of prayers to God for theyr saluation And if it haue bene doubted of at any tyme that Christe came for the vniuersall saluation of the Gentiles nowe it is certaynly manifest and proued matier in dede that Christes death belongeth aswell to the gentiles as to the Jewes In tymes paste the Iewes partiâ—â—cie was somwhat borne withal bycause they should not fynd fault that they were contemned or caste of but anone gods will was to haue it most playnely protested that there is no difference at al of nation of supersticion or condicion of them that flee to the doctrine of the gospel Of this matier goddes pleasure was to haue me chiefely a preacher In this behalf he would haue me be a messagier where as the rest of the Apostles before slowlye wyth leasure and wyth muche a doe admytted the gentyles vnto the grace of the ghospell And at this daye there be not all wantynge that saye there is no entraunce vnto the ghospell but by the lawe of Moses Notwithstandyng Christe hathe appointed the office bothe of a preacher and of an Apostle vnto me that I shoulde preache vnto all men eternall saluation without ayde of the lawe and that we are all bounden to thanke hym for the same and none but him I doe not take this autoritie falslye to my selfe for Christe commaunded me to it And it is no vayne geare that I preache but the thinges that I speake are true and I preache lyke the doctor of the gentiles I vse not arrogauntly to set oute myselfe with vanyties of greate hyghe titles as the false Apostles are wont to do for I haue tryed my selfe vnfeynedly the apostle of yâ— Gentiles which haue not trust in Moses constitucions among them as they doo but the faithe of the ghospell nor castynge before their eies mystes of vayne questions but plaine symple pure veritie teaching those thynges onely that make auayleably vnto true godlynes rather than vnto priuate lucre or vayne ostentacion The texte I wil therfore that the men pray euery where liftyng vp pure handes without wrathe â–ª or doubtyng Likwyse also yâ— women that they araye themselfes in cumly apparel wyth shamefasâ—nesse and discreaâ—e behauiour not with broyded heare ether golde or pearles or rostlye araye but as becommeth women that professe godlynesse throughe good workes Let the wemen learne in silence with al subiection I suffre not a woman to teache neyther to vsurpe aurthoryte ouer the man but to be in sylence For Adam was fyrste fourmed and then Eue â–ª Adam also was not deaceaued but the woman was deceaued â–ª â— was subdued to the transgressyon â–ª Notwithstandynge thorow bearyng of chyldren she shal be saued yf they contynue in fayth and loue and holynes with discrecyon Nowe to thintent we maye returnâ— to the purpose that we communed of afore I woulde haue men to pray not onely in the congregacioÌ„ but also wheresoeuer occasion requyreth The Ieâ—es praye to god in no place but at Hierusalem The Samaritanes pray on mountaines and in groaues But vnto the Christians al places are pure and holy to offer vp sacrifices of prayers They esteme euery place to be an holy teÌ„ple to God and whan they offre as it were a sacrifice they lift vp pure haÌ„des euery where to heauen They haue no nede to wishe for yâ— mercy seate or most holy place called sanctuÌ„ sanctoruÌ„ of yâ— temple for God wyll graciouslye heare them in euery place wheresoeuer they be that pray vnto him They nede not to
and shewed hym selfe somtimes in a clowde somtymes in fire otherwhiles in a softe whistling winde nowe vnder one likenesse and nowe vnder an other somewhiles by Angels somewhiles by secrete inspiracion of mynde at the length in these laste dayes because he would more manyfestly declare his charitie towardes vs and put vs in more assuraunce he dayned to speake vnto vs not by Angell nor yet by a man Prphete but by hys onely sonne Iesus Christ whome he hath by his eternall appoyntmente and determinacion made heyre and Lorde not alonely of the Iewyshe nacion but of the whole worlde as hym that is his true only sonne who is the Lord of all thinges that are made in heauen in earth according as the father promised before in yâ— psalmeÌ„s Neither is it any merueyle if he would haue the seignory of the whole world commen betwene hys sonne and hym syth that by him he made the same By worde he made the worlde and the sonne is the eternal worde of the euerlastyng father neither made he the worlde by hys sonne as by an instrument or seruaunte but all thynges were so wrought in the creacion therof that there was one the selfe same power of the father creating it and the some For Iesus Christ is not so the sonne of God as godly men are oftetymes called the children of God because they obey gods commaundementes but because he was begotteÌ„ God of God the father and so begotten that he is of the same nature with the father And where as he was the euerlasting bryghtnesse of the fathers glory as light procedyng from light and the very image and resemblaunce of hys substaunce lyke in all poyntes and equall vnto him of whome he was be gotten and where he is not alonely the maker of all creatures but also gouerneth and turneth aboute all thinges that are made and created with his becke and almyghty commaundement together with almighty God the father yet marke whitherto he abased him selfe for our cause He toke vpoÌ„ him mans nature subiecte to al the iniuries of our wretched state and conditioÌ„ and dying offred vp him selfe a sacryfice for our sinnes in the aulter of the crosse wheras before the priest of Moses lawe was woonte to pourge synnes by the offryng of a beastes bloude he purged the offences of all mankynd by shedyng of his owne holy bloude and by this abasyng and humblyng of hymselfe gate so greate glory that after he was reliued and retourned into heauen he sate on the ryght side of the maiestie of God the father wherin he was alwayes egall vnto hym as touching his diuyne nature But his maiestie more plainly appeared vnto the worlde thorowe his humilitie in somuche that he who semed before more lowe and abiecte then the loweste is nowe greater and so takeÌ„ not only then the prophetes but also then the Angels selfes and so much the greater as the name of a sonne hath in it more dignitie then the name of a seruaunt For this worde angell is a vocable or worde signifying a ministre and is a name agreyng to an inferioâ—re Vndoubtedly high and great is the dignitie of aungels for that they alwayes assyste the father and beholde hys visage And amonge them there are some that excell the rest in dignytie The texte For vnto which of the Aungels sayed he at any tyme Thou art my sonne thys daye haue I begotten the. And agayneÌ„ â–ª I wyll be hys father and he shal be my sonne And agayne when he bringeth in the first begotten sonne into the world he sayeth And â—eraâ— the Aungels of God worshyppe hym And vnto the Aungels he sayeth He maketh his angels spyrites his mynisters a flame of fire But vnto the sonne he saith Thy seate O God shal be for euer and euer The scepter of thy kyngdome is a ryght scepter Thou hast loued ryghtewesnes and hated iniquytie Wherfore God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy felowes But vnto what Aungell dyd God euer geue so great honour that he vouchesafed to call hym by the name of his sonne wheras he speaketh vnto Christe in the misticall psalme in this wyse thou art my sonne I haue begotten thee to day And again I will be his father he shal be my soÌ„ne For he made angels of nought but his sonne he begate of his owne proper substaunce lyke in euery thing egall vnto hymselfe Agayne when in the mistycall psalme he bryngeth his sonne into the worlde hauing vpon hym the habite of mans body he speaketh in this manour And let al the angels of God worshyp hym True it is that seruauntes are honoured but the soÌ„ne who is egall with the father is adored worshypped But where holy scripture expresseth the dignitie of aungels what sayeth it â–ª who maketh sayth the scripture his angels spyrites his ministers a flame of fyer That angels were created that haue they commen with other thinges which were likewise created of almighty God That they were made spirites and mindes free from the mortalytie corrupcion of mans body that they alwaies burning with godly charitie assiste their maker as quicke and nimble ministers of his godly wyll commauÌ„dement therin vndoubtedly they excell vs. But howe much greater are the wordes that he speaketh vnto the sonne Thy seate o God shalde for euer and euer the scepâ—re of thy kyngdome is a right scepter Ye heare how the name of God is geuen vnto the soÌ„ne ye heare howe the seare of a kingdome is geuen him of a kingdome I saye that neuer shall haue ende It foloweth in the same Psalme Thou hast loued ryghtuousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath enoynted the with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy felowes Ye heare that he was specially enoiâ—ted of God the father aboue all hys felowes eyther men or aungels The texte And thou Lorde in the begynning haste layde the foundacion of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes They shal perishe but thou endurest But they all shall wexe olde also as doth a garment as a vesture shalt thou chaunge them and they shal be chaunged But thou arte euen the same and thy yeâ—es shall not fayle Vnto whych of the aungels sayd he at any tyme sitte on my right hande tyll I make thyne enemyes thy fore stole Are they not all ministryng spyrites that are sente to minister for theyr sakes which shal be heyres of saluacion And agayne marke howe muche autorytâ—e is geuen the sonne in an other Psalme and thou Lord sayth the Prophete in the begynning haste layed the foundacions of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes They shall peryshe but thou endureste and they all shall waxe olde as doth a garmente and as a vesture shalt thou winde them aboute and they shall sodaynly be chaunged but thou art euen the same and thy yeares shal not fayle To what aungell were these
yâ— mystical psalme should be said to be instituted not after the ordre of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedech For seeyng the auctoritie and fourme of the lawe is ioyned with the fourme of priesthood it is nedefull if priesthood be translated into an other fourme that the fourme of the lawe bee lyke wyse translated and chaunged Certes the chaunging of the tribe sufficiently declareth that the manour or fourme of priesthood must nedes be chaunged For he whome the prophecie of the psalme speaketh of was none of the tribe of Leut but of thatâ—â—â—be wherof neuer man as yet serued at the aulter because it is euydent that our lorde Iesus sprong of the trybe of Iuda But when Moses did institute the rite and auctoritie of priesthood he made no mencion of thys priesthoode whiche shoulde bee of the same kynred with the tribe of Iuda Furthermore that the priesthood whereof the psalme speaketh is not the same manoure of priesthood that Moses priesthood is of it doeth appeare more manifestly in that the prophecie playnely addeth these woordes folowing After the order of Melchisedech signifying therby a priest vnly â—e vnto Aaron and like to Melchisedech to thentente we shoulde vnderstande that there is no lesse difference betwene the one persone and the other then is betwene the rite or ceremonte and efficacie of priesthood What meaneth this after the ordre of Melchisedech nothing els but which doeth not sacrifice beastes prescrybed â—y the grosse and carnall lawe but can by heauenlye grace bryng vs to lyfe euerlasting For the law did purifie the fleshe by washinges and diuers purgacions but grace purifieth our soules with a sacrifice of more strength and efficacy For as Aaron contineweth not for euer so his priesthood was not euerlastyng and as it is sayde of Melchisedech that he continueth for euer so hys priesthoode shall haue no ende And that these thynges verelye agreeth with Christ the mistical psalme declareth saying Thou art a priest for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech The priesthood that contineweth but for a season geueth place to the euerlastyng priesthood and the mortall hye prieste geueth place vnto the immortall Certes as the vâ—â—perfiter priesthood geueth place vnto the perfiter euen so the vnperfit lawe geueth place to the perfiter lawe of the gospell wherby the constitucions and lawes of Moses conteyned in the olde testament be as it were dyssanulled for that they were not of strength sufficiente nor so profitable as they shoulde haue been The texte For the lawe brought nothyng to perfeccion but was an introduccion to a better hope by the whiche we drawe uye vnto god And therefore is it a better hope because the thyuge was not done without an oth For those priestes wer made without an othe but this priest with an othe by him that sayde vnto hym The Lorde sware and will not repente Thou art a priest for euer after the ordre of Melthisedech And for that cause was Iesus a stabliâ—her of a better testamente For god woulde vs to be made perfite but that lawe broughte nothyng to perfeccion neyther was it geuen for that purpose yet was it not geuen in vayne Truelye it was geuen for a season to thentente it shoulde be a certaine griece or stayre to bring vs at the length to a better hope For it promysed a fruitfull lande wherein they shoulde lyue a quietlyfe who had kepte the commaundementes of Moses lawe The law was grosse and so was the rewarde but thus god prouided for the grosse capacities of menne that by sensible thinges they shoulde by litle and litle fall in vrewith thinges spiritual It was coÌ„maunded that they should not sâ—ey that they should not steale that they shoulde pourge the handeling of carayne with certayne ceremonies A lande was promised them wherein they should liue quietly a few yeres but vnto vs heauen is promised where we may liue in euerlasting ioye and felicitie and in the meane while we are commaunded to loue euen oure very enemies Theyr prieste when he was most deuoutly occupyed about sacrifice to make intercession vnto God for the people went into the inwarde partes of the vayle But our priest entred euen into the very heauens there to pleade our cause before god the father whome we are made nye vnto by our ambassadour Christ Iesu who is the head of the churche For it is not possyble that the bodye be awaye where the head is present And by reason of suche an hye prieste we haue a surer hope then the Iewes had by meanes of theyr hye priestes because theyr priestes were ordeined without an othe and ours with an oth the which god would haue made to thentente we shoulde haue a more sure confidence in hys promises if the priest by whose mediacion we hope after the immortall felicitie promised vs were by an othe approued an euerlastyng hye prieste and that of god which elsewise can not lye For thus speaketh he in the propheticall psalme The lorde sware and will not repent thou art a priest foreuer after the ordre of Melchisedech Therefore looke howe muche difference there is betwene heauen and yearth betwene thynges that lasteth for a tyme and thinges eternall betwene those that are mortal and such as are immortal betwene worldlye thynges and heauenlye of so muche a better testamente was oure hye pryeste Iesus made promiser and so much the certayner promyser as the promyse among men confyrmed with an othe is of more certaintye then a simple promyse The texte And among them manye were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by the reason of death But this man because he endureth euer hath an euerlasting priesthode Wherfore he is able also euer to saue them to the vttermost that come vnto God by hym seyng he euer lyueth to make intercession for vs. For suche an hye Priest it became vs to haue which is holy haemiesse vndefiled separate from sinners made hier then heauen Which nedeth not dayly as yoâ—der hye priestes to offer vp sacryfyce Fyrst for his owne synnes and then for the peoples synnes For that did he once when he offered vp himselfe For the lawe maketh menne priestes whiche haue infirmitie but the worde of the oth that came synce the lawe maketh the sonne prieste whiche is perfecte for euermore Moreouer vnder the law of Moses it was needefull to haue manye priestes instituted eyther because they shoulde execute the priestes offyce by tournes appoynted eyther because that death woulde not suffer them alwayes to continue in theyr ministracion and by that meanes the promiser oftentymes chaunged was verye vncertayne of hys promise But thys our prieste is one for all and needeth not anye successoure but by reason he endureth for euer he hath a continuall priesthood Wherfore he is hable to bring those vnto saluacioÌ„ whom he hath begun to saue because they haue hym alwayes a redy prieste by whose meanes they may come vnto god For Christ liueth euer to thinteÌ„te
It is nede then that the simily tudes of heuenly thinges be purified wyth such thinges but that the heuenly thinges themselfes be purified wyth better sacrifices then are those For Christ is not entred into the holye places that are made with handes whyche â—e similitudes of true thinges but is entred into very heuen for to appere nowe in the sight of god for vs not to offre himself often as the hye priest entreth into the holy place euery yere wyth strange bloud for theÌ„ must he haue often suffred sence the worlde began But now in the ende of the worlde hath he apeted once to put synne to slyght by the offeryng vp of hymselfe And as it is apoynted vnto all men that they shall once dye and than coÌ„meth the iudgement euen so Christe was once offered to take awaye the synnes of many and vnto them that loke for hym shall he appere agayne withoute syune vnto â—â—luation And truely it was conuenient that suche thynges as in earth represented the similitude and shadowe of heauenly thynges shoulde be done with suche manour of grosse and carnall purifications But when veritie was once come to lyght then was it mete that the heauenly sacrifices them selfes should be made with better oblacions and cause a trewer puritie For as I haue sayde euen all that Christe did in earth is heauenly For trewely he entred not in to the holye places made with handes whiche are rather supposed holye then be holy in dede and maye be tourned vnto a prophane vse and were nothyng els but certayne shadowes and fygures of thynges that were verelye holye but entred into verye heauen where as dwellethe God immortall wyth hys holy angels before whom he as a leful Byshoppe maketh intercessyon for all mennes synnes purchasyng hymselfe fauourable audience wyth hys owne bloude whiche of his mere and free charitie he shedde for vs and that dyd he with so effectuall a sacrifice that it shall not be nedefull for hym euery yeare to do the same agayne as the hye pryest of the olde testamente entred in to the moste secrete parte of the temple yearely Nether is it anye marueyll that the sacryfice made by the hye prieste of Moyses was not of lyke efficacye sence he was bothe subiecte vnto synnes and offred vp a beastes bloud and not his owne If Christe had bene suche an hye prieste then sythe there hathe soo manye ages and yeares begonne agayne sence the creation of the worlde he shoulde of necessytye often tymes haue offred vp a sactifyce lyke as the priestes of the olde testament dyd Nowe was he suche a one that it was sufficieute for hym once to offre vp himselfe and once with the sprinkeling of his own blode to take awaye the synnes of all ages vntill the worldes ende And that was done not from the begynnynge of the woorlde but nye the ende of the same when it was openly knowen to euery man that al the world was defyled with synne and that there was no remeady but of God onelye bycause it shoulde manyfestly appeare howe effectuall a pryest and of what greate vertue and power he was who with one sacrifice pourged so greate an heape of synnes and lefte behynde him a ready and an easye remedye whych was that the same sacrifice shoulde be sufficient for al menne tyme once of measure that woulde not make them selfes vn worthye therof For he toke vpon hym not only their synnes who manye yeares byfore put hope of saluatyon in hym but also theyrs who would manye yeares after beleue his ghospel Wherefore there is not why the worlde shoulde loke after an other priest or an other sacrifice to pourge synnes but as it is appoynted to al men that they shall once dye without hope to retourne agayne into this lyfe wherein we ofttymes fall and ofttymes are pourged agayne and as there is nothynge loked for after euerye mannes deathe but that extreme iudgement wherby endelesse rewardes shal be adiudged bothe to good and badde so lyke wyse Christe who dyeng once was offered vp for all the world takyng vpon him as moch as in hym laye all mennes synnes bycause he woulde be punyshed for all woulde haue nothyng remayne after this lyfe but that last iudgement wherin he shall appeare agayne vnto the world not as before lyke a sacrifice appoynted to be slayne or lyke a worker of myschiefe and one worthy of punishement but as a glorious persone and one that knoweth no maner of synne he shall I saye appeare to their blysse and saluation who beyng nowe purified thorow his death perseuer in good and vertuous lyuyng tyll he come agayne not to be offred vp but a iudge desired of the good and dreadefull to the wicked ¶ The .x. Chapiter The texte For the lawe hauygâ— the shadowe of good thinges to come not the very fashion of the thinges themselfes can neuer with those sacrifices which they offer yere by yere comynually make the commers thereunto perfect For woulde then not those sacryfices â—â—â—â—eased to haue bene offered bicause that the offerers once purged shoulde haue had no more conscience of synnes Neuertheles in those sacrifyces is there no mencion made of synnes euery yere For the bloud of oxen and of goates cannot take a way synnes FVrthermore the cause why the hye priest of the olde testament coulde not do the lyke was by reason that that lawe forasmuche as it had not the lyuely and true fashion but onely a certayne shadowe of good thynges whiche rather sygnyfyed somewhat then brought anything to effecte could neuer wyth her vsuall sacrifice of beastes all though they were by those priestes contynually offred yeare by yeare make suche perfite as came to pacifie God wyth vneffectuall oblacions by the mediacion of weake priestes For yf perfeccyon myghte haue bene attayned thereby â–ª shoulde not the same sacrifices once offreo haue ceased tobe offred any more Now in these sacrifices when so euer they be offred agayne there is mention made a freshe of the former synnes whiche thyng playnly declareth that they haue no confydence in one sacrifyce Els for what purpose dyd they euerye yeare offre agayne newe sacrifices if one had so pourged from all synne that no conscience therof had remayned in those whiche had once offred and bene pourged For seyng that synne is the maladie of the soule and not of the bodie a grosse and bodely sacrifice as is the bloude of Oxen and Goates can in no wyse take awaye the dysease of the mynde The onely spirituall and heauenly sacrifyce of Christe is able to doe this thynge sufficiently the whiche thorowe fayth and Baptisme so taketh awaye at once all the synnes of our former lyte be they neuer so manye neuer so heynous that there remayneth no feate or reâ—â—orse in conscience so that we wyl only beware that we fal not agayne into out olde enormyties and detestable dedes For soo farre wyde is it from the trewth that God was made mercifull by reason that
which ye reioyce though now for a season if nede requyre ye are in â—euâ—nes thorow manyfold temptacions that â—he tryall of your fayth being muche more precious then golde that perysheth though it be tryed with fyre might be founde vnto laude glory and honour at the appering of Iesus Christe whom ye haue not seen and yet loue hym in whom euen nowe though ye see him not yet doe you beleue and reioyce with say vnspeakable and gloryous receiuing the ende of your fayth euen the saluacion of your soules For this so passing a great benefite his liberalitie is to be praysed of whom by Christ coÌ„meth vnto vs whatsoeuer it be that maketh vs truly blessed And that is not Moses but God himselfe the same the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which whan we were lytle fortunately borne of Adam that is to say borne to synne borne to death hath begotten vs new againe into innocencie and hath begotten vs vnto life that neuer shall dye being prouoked by no merites of ours but stiered frely of his owne mercye wherin he most chiefly exceadeth and this hath he done not by yâ— ayde of Moses lawe but by the costeous gyft of his owne soÌ„ne Iesus Christ whom he would haue to suffre death to thintent where we were els desperate wretches he might diliuer vs froÌ„ the tyranny of synne death And him he called anon froÌ„ death to lyfe that we beyng in this worlde dead to worldly lustes hauing remembraunce as it were before our tyes of the resurreccioÌ„ after his exaÌ„ple in vprightnes of conuersacion might haue an assured a ready hope that we also shal once be exempt out of these sorowes atteine with Christ vnto yâ— euerlasting enheritaunce whiche lyke as he beyng our head hath already atteyned so shal al we also folowe as many as be engraffed to yâ— meÌ„bres of Christ are made worthy by folowing of his craÌ„ple to be called his brethren the chyldreÌ„ of yâ— selfe same father that he is that like as we suffre commune affliccions with him so should we haue reward also together with him As long as we were the sonnes of the synful Adam an infortunate enheritauÌ„re abode vs. But as sone as we were made yâ— sonnes of God we make spedy haste to yâ— enheritauÌ„ce of heauen For it besemeth yâ— seing we are borne from heauen we should behold heaueÌ„ly thinges seing we are borne of God we should folo we nothing but godlines They yâ— serue the world goe about to haue rewardes yâ— are transitory wage that is slyppery but for vs there remayneth yâ— happyâ— enheritaunce after these temperal affliccioÌ„s which can neither be corrupted with death ne defited with wearines or heauines ne yet fade a way by age or sluttishnes There is no cause for vs to be afrayed of leste any man should in the meane whyle take this so plenteous an heritage out of our handes We haue an assured fayth full promyse maker And in his haÌ„des it is safely kept layed vp in stoare for vs in heauen howbeit after suche sort that for al that there must an assured hope and as it were a certayne pledge remayne in the meane time with men vpoÌ„ earth not with al maner of men but with you such like as you are buto whom the spirite of Christ is geuen in stede of a gage which albeit ye are for yâ— time tossed on euery syde with condry stormes of sorowes yâ— the frailtie of maÌ„is vtterly vnhable of himselfe to beare out yet by the succour of God which is mighty in al thinges you are preserued not through your owne merites but by fayth vnfained trust wherby you dout not but froÌ„ the last time after yâ— which there shal be no more of this confusion of humayne matters but the euill meÌ„ being appointed to their tormeutes shal be hable to do no body harme the good being safe froÌ„ al inuasions of sorowes shal haue the fruicioÌ„ of euerlasting rest For now yâ— rewardes lye hiddeÌ„ many times after the coÌ„mune peoples estimacioÌ„ thei are in wurse condicioÌ„ yâ— be of yâ— better those seme to perish which are most specially in sanegarde thei seme to florish which most chiefly goe to naught In this worlde there is time to exercise godlines the reward hath his time prescribed vnto it which it behoueth not to preueÌ„t In yâ— meane seasoÌ„ let it be ynough for vs yâ— euerlasting felicitie is kept in safegarde for vs which neither mannor deuil can be hable to take away froÌ„ vs before haÌ„d so yâ— we shrinke not from yâ— fayth wherby we ought to condeÌ„ne mortal mens matters depende wholy of heauen Let there be in yâ— meane seasoÌ„ fearce folkes which being rebels to god trust to the aydes of yâ— world let theÌ„ for yâ— time stampe stare ouer you as though you wer ouercomeÌ„ left succoutles But whan yâ— day shal come the discourse of thiges turned vp side down they shal be tormeÌ„ted you shal reioyce like coÌ„querours yea you ought to reioyce eueÌ„ now also through yâ— vndoubted lokiÌ„g for of so passig a great felicitie For it ought not to seme vnto you a greate or a greuous matter though by affliccions and griefes that are but shorte and shall soone haue an ende you come to the blissed that neuer shall decaye And perchaunce these persecucions also shall once haue an end which notwithstanding as often as they come in vre are to be borne with a myghtye stoute stomake and without dismaying for the glory of God in hope of the lyfe to come For after suche wyse doeth the wysedom of God in prouiding for your commodities permitte that the sinceritie and stedfastnes of your faith may be tried through sondry assaultes of sorowes For yf golde which elles were a thing both lost and would goe to naught be tryed out not only by the touche stone but also is assayed by the fire to thintente it maye thenceforth bee had in so muche the more price as it is the more exactely fyned much more wil God haue your faith wherunto so high honour of duetie belongeth to be tried with sondry experimentes to thintent that whan it shal glister out of these flames of sorowes and affliccions and being farre more pure and more glittering than any golde though it be neuer so fyne it may be precious in the syght of God and that all the matter at length may grow in to cleane contrary condicion that is to were that the thyng which semed to be layed vpon you in this worlde vnto reproche may chaunce vnto prayse and that which semed vnto vilany may be turned vnto glory that whiche semed to be layed vpon you to put you to dishonestie may be turned in to habuÌ„daunce of honour in that day whan Iesus Chrst whose power worketh nowe in you by secrete meanes shal she we forth him selfe openly vnto all men and rendre vnto euery man rewarde
accordyng to hys desartes For what is a more gloryous thyng than to be praysed of Christes owne mouthe whan you shall heare Come you blessed of my father what thyng is more honorable than to be receaued of God the father into the felowshippe of the kyngdome of heauen together with the sonne But thys glory although it shall be the comen glory of all godly folkes yet it shall chaunce more haboundauntly vnto them that haue suffered greater thynges vpon earth for Christes sake Whiche rewardes in case they were nome presently apparent the strength of faythe should bee no maruclous matter But nowe the special chiefe prayse of good folkes consisteth in this point that where you neuer sawe Christ with your bodyly eies yet with the eies of fayth you see him and loue him and wher as the violence of sorowes doeth openly presently grate vpon you but the rewardes which are kept till a daye doe not nowe appeare yet puttyng assured confidence in hys promisses you suffre these thynges with none other stomacke than yf the glory were presently furnyshed before your iyes neither doe you suffre only with boldenesse but also in the mydle of affliccions you reioyce with an vnspeakable ioy beyng ful of glory before God that is to say of a well hoping conscience and full of a certayne vnfeyned confidēce that where you suffre suche thynges vndeseruedly you shall by the will of God haboundauntly receyue a great fruyte of your fayth that is to wete the eternall saluacion of your soules For it is a great vauntage whan through the loosyng of the mortall body the immortall soule is preserued Thus it was decreed by the eternal counsayle of God that menne should atteyne saluacion by these meanes whereby euen Christe hymselfe came to euerlasting blessednesse The texte Of which saluacion haue the Prophetes enquired and searched which proheryed of the grace that should come vnto you searchyng when or at what tyme the spyryte of Christe which was in them should signifie which spyrite testified before the passiōs that should happen vnto Christ and the glory that should folow aftet vnto which Prophetes it was also declared that not vnto them selues but vnto vs they shoulde minister the thyuges which are nowe shewed vnto you of them which by the holy ghoste sent doune from heauen haue in the gospel preached vnto you the thinges which the Angels desyre to behold For these matters are not by chaunce brought to passe at all auentures but the selfe same thyng that we haue alreadye sene the olde Prophetes which prophecied before hand that you should be saued through faith and the grace of the gospell without the ayde of Moses lawe haue diligently sought and searched out not beyng contenteo to see as it were through a myste what shoulde be to come but they haue also with a godly curiositie searched out of the spirite of Christ which than presently signified vnto the by secret inspiracion what Christe should suffre and vnto what excellente glory he shoulde byanby be aduaunced vnto than what or what maner of tyme that shoulde come to passe forsomuche as theyr myndes were vehemently desirous of his sauing helth And vnto them it was also manifested that these thynges which they prophecied beforehand should come to passe should not be exhibited in their tymes but in yours and the thynges that they opened in their prophecies they opened vnto you not to them felues In dede they would haue wisshed to see that you haue chaunced to see but theyr prophecies were spoken before to thintent that we Apostles should be more certaynly credited which declare nowe vnto you the thynges already done that they had spoken beforehande should come to passe And that you shoulde also not stande in doubt the same spirite of Christe in tymes paste taught them with secret still inspiracions what he had determined to doe which lately cūmyng doune from heauen in fyrietongues instructed vs to thintent we should be preachers in al the whole worlde of the thinges that are come to passe For we preache Christ that became man foral our saluaciō sake was conuersaunt on earth was afflicted with reproches torments finally was nayled on the crosse suffered death for oure sakes and anon ratsed agayne to lyfe was exalted vnto heauen where now he glistreth in maiestie and glory with the father which before semed vpon earth to be but a vile rascall and an abiecte and thither also will he exalte those that his be These mattersinasmuch as they were done by the vnspeakable counsaill of God it is no maruell though the prophetes desired to see them seyng it is so excellently pleasant and acceptable a sight euen to the angels them selues to loke vpon with the beholding wher of they cannot be fulfilled The greater the benefite is which is offred vnto you the more gredyly you ought to embrace it that it be not through your owne fault that you atteyne it not The rewarde is certayn but it shal be your dueties for all that to behaue your selues so that you seme not vnworthy the promises The day that is loked for wil come which shal openly bryng forth the rewardes both of the godly and of the vngodly It wyll come once whansoeuer it shal be and it shal come pleasant and happy to suche as it shall fynde readyly prepared on the contrary parte it shall come fearfully to them that it shall fynde vnfaithfull sluggardes and carelesly mynded The texte Wherfore gyrde vp the loynes of your myndes be sobet trust pefectly on the grace that is brought vnto you by the declaryng of Iesus Christ as obedient chyldrcu that ye geue not your selues ouer vnto your olde lustes by whiche ye were led whau as yet ye were ignoraunte of Christe but as he which called you is holy euen so be yeholy also in all maner of conuersacion because it is writen ▪ Be ye holy for I am holy And if so be that ye call on the father which without respecte of person iudgeth accordyng to euery mannes worke se that ye passe the tyme of your pylgremage in feare And forasmuche as Chryst woulde haue that daye to be vncertayn vnto vs it behoueth you not to be in a securitie at any tyme but alwayes hauing the loynes of your myndes girded as menne readyly furnished to mete theyr Lordes comming watchyng and sober being alwayes stiered vp and put in mynde with the certayn and sure loking for of the euerlasting felicitie which now is offred vnto all men that obey the Gospell but yet it shal be possessed at length at suche tyme as our Lorde Iesus Christ shall openly shewe hys maiestie vnto al men and vnto angelles and deuiles howbeit they shall not come to that immortalitie but onely those that in a maner forecast the same in this worlde and according to the example of Iesus being deade to the lustes of this worlde lyue agayne agayne with him vnto innocencie and contynue stedfastly in it like laufull
rather sticke still vnto Moses than vnto him and haue reiected him not willyng to haue hym put in the buylding that they purposed to buylde he is contrary wise a reproche and a very destruccion For him that they disdeyned to haue in their buylding god wold haue to be head stone of the corner by whom he might knyt together and conteyne as it were the wall on eithersyde that is to saye both the sortes of people of the Gentiles and of the Iewes by whose strong defence the buylding should be safely preserued against all assaultes him should who so euer were aduersaries vnto this new buylding stumble at and â—â—ne against And they stumble whosoeuer be offended at the worde of the Gospell and beleue it not seing Moses lawe made them ready before hande to this ende that they shoulde beleue the gospell as sone as the thing was truly performed in dede that the lawe signified in shadow Therfore those that haue disallowed Christ god hathe also disallowed them agayne But as for you whom they reiecte with Christ he hath made that chosen kynred wherof Moses spake in tymes past that holy nacion and peculiar people whom god hath take to him selfe with an excellent price that like as the people of the Hebrues being deliuered in tymes paste by Moses leading from the tyranye of Egipt and conueied through so many daungerous matters into the lande that they had long hoped vpon preached vnto the worlde the goodnes of god shewed to them warde euen so you hauing in remembraunce his fre liberalitie towardes you also should glorifie among al men the wonderfull power of god which by a new meane hauyng conquered the enemies of your saluacion hathe deliuered you out of the darkenes of ignoraunce and vicious lyuing into his woÌ„derful light of the gospels trueth by the which all the errours of the gentiles and shadowes of the Iewes are cleane wyped away Vnto you therfore hathe chaunced this honour that they which persecuted Christ surely reckoned vpoÌ„ to them selues yet cleane contrary the matters being turned vpside downe the thing chaunced that Osee sayd before should come The people which before were the most abiectes that is to say far of from god is now a peculiar people vnto god And the people whom god had reiected as vnworthy of his mercy hath felt by experience the mercy of god without helpe of circâ—cision of the lawe and is receiued through the only gospel like faith into the felowship of the sonne of god The texte Dearlye beloued I beseche you as straungers and pylgrems abstayue â–ª from fleshly Iustes whiche fyght agayâ—ste the soule and se that ye haue honeste conuersacyon amonge the Gentyles that where as they backbyte you as ouyll docâ—s they maye se youre good woorkes and prayse God in the daye of disitacyon Submytte youre selues therfore vnto all manner ordynaunce of manne for the Lordes sake whether it â—ee vnto the Kynge as vnto the â—heâ—e heed other vnto rulars as vnto them that are sent of hym for the punishment of euel dowars but for the laude of them that do well For so is the wyl of God that with wel doyng ye maye stoppe the mouthes of foulyshe and ignoraunte men â–ª as fre and not as hauyng the libertye for a cloke of malicyousnes but euen as the seruauntes of God Honoure all men Loue brotherly felowshipe Feate God honoure the kyng Seruauntes obey your masters with feare not onely yf they be good and courteous but also though they be frowarde For this is thaÌ„ke worthy yf a man for conseyence towarde God endure grefe and suffer wronge vndeserued For what prayse is it yf whell ye be buffeâ—ed for your fautes ye take it paciently But and yf when ye do wel ye suffer wrong and take it paciently then is there thanke with God Than sence ye acknowlege the singular liberalitie of god towardes you whome he hathe redemed with the price of bloud whom he hathe reconsyled vnto himselfe by the deathe of his sonne whome his will was to haue to bee the membres of his onely begotten and the lyuyng stones of the heauenly buylding whome he hathe chosen into the right of children and called into the enheritaunce of immortalitie I beseche you deately beloued to frame youre selues in holynes of life like vnto your owne dignitie like vnto the gentil goodnes of god and vnto so high a rewarde You are regenerate vnto heauen being in this woorlde as foryners and straungers make spede thither where your countrey is where the enheritaunce of heauen is layed vp in stoare for you that you be not called away froÌ„ this desyre by earthlye and grosse appetites which with all manner of engynes make warre and â—atail agaynste the spirite which is gredyly desyrous of heauenly thinges Let your conuersacion accorde with your profession that your maners may allure vnto Christe other folkes also that are paganes among whome you lyue vnto whome it is so muche requisite for you to geue no maner of occasion that they maye rightfully iudge euil of the ghospelles doctrine yf they shoulde perceaue you in the commune custome of life to bee no whit better than other be that the entier vprightenes of your manners and wel doing towardes all menne may stoppe theyr backbyting reportes wherwith they speake euil of you for malice that they beare to Christ and for the hate of religion whiche they suppose to be wicked supersticion whiche thinges euidently perceaued they shal repent also and acknowlege their owne errour being inspired with the mercye of god whan it shal please him whiche hathe chosen you to draw them to him also and that they maye than by your godly workes glorifie him whome before they abhorred because they knew him not This worlde hathe also an order of his owne whiche by occasion of religioÌ„ ought not to be disturbed as much as may be sauing the glory of christ Euen so Christ would haue you to be free from synnes that you shoulde neuertheles suffer euery thing willingly for the gospelles busynes sake obeying and submytting your selues not only vnto Christian magistrates but vnto the heathen magistrates also whether he be a kyng you must obey him as most excellent in the publike autoritie whether they be rulers you muste obey them as by whom being sent to trauail abroade the king administreth the matters of the coÌ„mon wealth Nether let it moue you that they bee heathens that thei be Idolatours but acknowledge their office that is necessarye vnto the coÌ„mune wealthe which consisteth of sondry kyndes of men and religions For they beare rule with autoritie to restrayne offenders and wicked persones by feare of punyshement to allure those that bee good with rewardes to doe theyr duetie You haue not nede of their fearing inasmuch as you do of your owne accorde more than mans lawes require They haue no nede of mannes commendacion whom the rewarde of heauen maketh feruent and yet it is requisite also to acknowlege
they that reade them consider that yâ— scripture of prophecyinge before hande is darkly hydden vnder couerte of figures can not be vnderstaÌ„den without interpretacioÌ„ And that is not euery mannes interpretaccion nor after euery mannes arbitrement For the prophetes whiche spake of thinges before hande did not speake after their owne braine nor after the deuyse of their owne mynde but where they were holy men and pure from al humaine lustes yâ— holy gost inspired their hartes vsing them as his instrumeÌ„tes he signified his mynde vnto vs by theÌ„ accordingly The thing yâ— men set forth by mannes deuyse may be perceaued by mannes wytte But yâ— thing the is set forthe by the inspiracion of the holy gost requireth an interpretoure inspired with the lyke spirite They that applye the thing whiche is spoken of Christe vnto any worldlye king they that drawe the thing that is spoken of the lyfe of heauen vnto the felicitie of this worlde they that interprete the thing that is spoken of the treasures of the mynde of the commodities of this worlde doe very farre swerue from the misticall meanyng of the prophecy Nether are they easely perswaded that Christ is come in that by false interpretacion of the prophecie they imagine to them selues a certaine earthlye Messias suche a one as he shewed not him selfe to be And for that cause they acknowledge him not not that he varieth from the spirituall ymage of the prophecye but that he differeth from the ymagined ydole of faslye feyned interpretacion ¶ The .ii. Chapter The texte ¶ There were false prophetes also amonge the people euen as there shal be false teachers amonge you whiche preuely shall brynge in damnable sectes euen denyinge the Lorde that hathe bought them and bryng vpon them selues swyfte damnacion and many shal folowe their damnable wayes by whome the waye of trueth shal be euyll spoken of and thorowe couetousnes shall they with fained wordes make marchaundyse of you whose iudgement is now not farre of and their damnacion slepeth not WHosoeuer he be that prophecieth after thaffeccion of his owne mynde is falsely named a prophete Whosoeuer he be that interpreteth the prophetes sayinge vnto his owne couetous appetites is a false interpretoure There were in tymes past false prophetes euen amonge the Iewes whiche eyther to pyke a thanke at yâ— princes hande or elles for vauntage sake or for hatred of other prophecied the thinge whiche the spirite of God spake not but that they had in their assemblyes imagined them selues They countrefaicting their behauiour as thoughe they had ben true prophetes deceaued folyshe people and repyned against the true prophetes with their lyinges And so after my deccasse also there shall aryse suche as shall falsely boaste them selues to be teachers of the gospell where as they shall be nothinge elles but maisters of falseheade They shall swarue from the doctrine of the gospell and bringe in mennes gloses in stede of the trueth that bringeth saluacioÌ„ they shall cloute in pernicious sectes for their owne gayne that partaine rather to their owne glorye and their owne tyrannye than vnto Christes afaires and they shall goe on styll into so great madnesse that they shall not be afrayed vnkyndlye to denye euen their Lorde Iesus by whose bloude they were redemed and whose name they once professed and shall be more wicked than the very heathens whiche neuer professed Christ By the whiche their dooinges they shall prouoke the vengeaunce of God vpon them selues and it shall not onely nothinge auayle them that they once professed Christ but they shall also pull vpon them selues spedy destruccion God taking vengeaunce vpon them Howbeit it were but a small matter yf none were lost but onely they which are already loste but they shall also drawe many with them into destruccion For false doctrine teachers shall fynde disciples of their owne and bearinge them selues boldely vpon theÌ„ they shall not be afrayed to rayle vpon the gospelles trueth whiche you haue receaued of vs nether shall they purely handle the worde of the gospel because they see it maketh nothinge auayleably to their gredynes but beyng bent vnto their owne priuate lucre they shall begyle your simple playnesse with feyned communicacion not going about to wynne you vnto Christe but to plucke to them selues the greatest gayne they can from you For they see that the gospels doctrine is smally pleasaunt vnto them whiche are cralled with the delyces of this worlde they see it is no nyce delycate matter to doe as wee doe defeÌ„de the synceritie of the gospelles doctrine constauntly against the wicked through all deathes Therfore shall they defyle the true doctrine of Christ and in stede of it they shall teache those thinges that are pleasaunt to the grosse hearers rather than holsome and those thinges that purchase theim substaunce and renoume in the worlde and not with God For they shall couet rather for glorye and pleasure that shal last but a while to purchase euerlastinge destruccion bothe to them selues and to others than throughe shorte tormentes of the body to thrust out vnto felicitie that neuer shal die Beware you folow not those guides excepte that you wyll goe streight waye into destruccion Nether let it deceaue you in that they are alofte in hyghe estate in this worlde in that they are riche in that they lyue at their owne ease They shall not long haue the fruicion of this continuaunce of false felicitie For lyke as the godly shal in a while atteyne their rewardes which God hath alreadye decreed long agoe euen so these mennes peyne maketh spedy hast vnto them nether doeth their destruccion slepe that shall sodainlye oppresse those that be careles and lyue in a securitie They maye deceaue mennes iudgementes but they can not beguyle God Howsoeuer men ouer whome they haue autoritie doe forgeue them God which is afrayed of no mans myght wyll not forgeue them The texte ¶ For yf God spared not the aungels that synned but cast them downe into hell and delyuered them into chaynes of darcknes to be punished to be kept vnto iudgement nether spared the olde worlde but saued Noe the eight preacher of rightewysnes and brought in the floude vpon the worlde of the vngodly and turned the cities of zodom and Gomor into asshes ouerthrew them damned them and made on them an ensample vnto those that after shoulde lyue vngodlye And iust Lot vexed with the vnclenly conuersacion of the wicked delyuered he For he beynge righteous and dwelling among them in seyng and hearing vexed his righteous soule from daye to daye with their vnlawfull dedes The Lorde knoweth howe to delyuer the godly out of temptacion and to reserue the vniuste vnto the daye of iudgement for to be punyshed but cheâ—â—y them that walke after the flesshe in the lust of vnclennes despyse auctoritie Presumpteous are they stubborne whiche feare not to speake euyll of them that excell in worshippe When the angels whiche are greater bothe in power and
day by day in vayne For they shal thinke surely that he shall neuer come bycause hys commyng is put of for a tyme. What token saye they is there of the resurreccion Our fathers are dead one after an other and neuer one hathe risen agayn to life yet hytherto And like as sence the creacion of the worlde all thinges are engendred by the enterchaungable courses of the dyeng and of the lyuing euen so vnto thys tyme remayneth the same course of nature where as by mutacion of the worlde that hathe ben before we may gather that there shal be a newnes hereafter And like as the mutacion chaunced what tyme they loked not for it that lyued after theyr owne fylthy lustes euen so shall the nouacion happen whether we beleue it or not beleue it For thys thyng they are not ware of or as I suppose rather they dissemble to knowe that the heauens were created long a goe and also the earthe which the waters wherwith it was couered made bare a great power of waters also hanging alofte And whan mankynde was almoste altogether defiled with vices God being offended sent the flood and destroyed the world of that tyme reseruing only eight persons which had folowed InnoceÌ„cy This vniuersall iudgement God exercised at that tyme in pourgeing and renewing the earth through water Than the heauens contynue yet still as they were created and they are reserued to fyre by the whiche they shall also be purged in the daye of iudgement whan the wicked shal be destroyed by fyre like as in times paste they perished by water Forasmuche than as it is a thing moste certayn that that daye shall come it maketh no matter whether it come later or sooner This only standeth vs in hande to prouide for that when so euer it coÌ„meth it fynde not vs vnready We in out conceytes thinke some thinges leng some thinges shorte but vnto God there is nothing neyther shorte nor long In his promisses he foloweth not the appetites of vs but his owne eternall vnchaungeable decreed counsail vnto whome nothyng is â—â—â—â—er paste nor to come but al thinges are present But vnto vs what so euer he hâ—â—h promised he exhibeteth in the tune that he hath appointed before hande to him self For elles with him al is one whether there be one day past or a thousand yeares With the same faithful assurednes doeth he performe the thing whiche he performeth the later that he doeth the thyng he doeth more spedilyer For as concernyng him selfe he hathe performed euen nowe the thing that he hathe purposed to performe For he dooeth not chaunge his purpose and after the maner of delayers prorogue and put of his promyse as some falsly iudge of him measuring God after their own condicions but he prescribeth the space to be longer somtymes for your sake because vpon his tendre mercye and gentilnes he woulde haue none to perysh but is desitous to haue all men once to repent that those whiche peryshe haue no cause to fynde fault that they wanted space to chaunge their life in to better And that daye shall come vnloked for and shall come creping vpon men none otherwise than a thefe in the night cometh vpon them that are a sleape In that daye there shall be so greate violence of fyre that the heauens shall passe with a mightie greate force in to an other kinde But the elementes whervpon this lower world consisteth shal be dissolued with heate and fynally the earthe and the thinges therin conteyned shal bee butned with fyre and all the whole nature of thinges shal bee cleane purged And if it bee of necessitie that all thinges shal be so pure that these thinges shall also be dissolued whiche offende not howe muche standeth it vs in hande diligently to endeuour that that daye maye fynde vs throughly purged and vpright in all holynes of life and in all studious affayres of godlynes In the meane season this muste bee with muche spedynes forecaste that you be alwaye in a readynes whan so euer that daye shall come whose straight iudgement no manne shal bee hable to escape whiche shall suffre no thyng to be impure so muche that the heauens must be dissolued with fyre and the elementes constrayned to melt with heate And after this we loke accordyng to hys promisse for new heauens and a newe earthe that haue no corrupcion no fault that we in whome shal be no corrupt mynde maye haue the fruicion of them being vncorrupt The texte ¶ Dearly beloued be not ignoraunt of this one thing howe that one daye is with the Lorde as a thousande yeare and a thousande yeare as one daye The Lorde yâ— hath promised is not slacke as some men count slacknes but is pacient to vs warde for asmuch as he would haue no man lost but wyll receaue all men to repentaunce Neuertheles the day of the Lorde wyll come as a thefe in the night in the whiche daye the heauens shall passe awaye in maner of a tempeste and the elementes shall melte with heate the carthe also and the worckes that are therin shall burne Seyng then that all these thinges shall perysshe what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersacion and godlynes lokyng for and vasting vnto the commynge of the daye of God by whome the heauens shal perisshe with fyre and the elementes shall melt with heare Neuertheles we accordynge to his promes loke for a newe heauen and a new earth wherin dwelleth rightewesnes Wherfore dearly beloued seyng that ye loke for suche thinges be diligent that ye maye be fouÌ„de of him in peace without spotte and vndefyled And suppose that the longe sufferynge of the Lorde is faluacion euen as our dearely beloued brother Paule also accordinge to the wysedome geuen vnto him hath wrytten vnto you yea almoost in euery epistle speaking of suche thinges amonge whiche are many thinges harde to be vnderstande whiche they that are vniearned and vnstable peruert as they do also the other scriptures vnto their owne destruccion Ye therfore beloued seyng ye be warned afore hande beware lost ye with other men be also plucked awaye thorowe the erroure of the wycked and fal from your owne stedfastnes But growe in grace and in the knowledge of our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ To whome be glory bothe nowe and for euer Amen Wherfore most dearely beloued brethren haue this so fearfull a iudgemeÌ„t alwayes before your eyes and geue dilygence that whan the lorde commeth he maye fynde you pure and vnblameable not onely before menne whose iudgemeÌ„tes are many tymes deceaued but also before hi. For he is pure in dede that is pure in the iudgement of God And althoughe paraduenture it be long ere that daye come construe it not so as thoughe he woulde not come at all but consydre that this tender sufferaunce of the lorde wherwith he geueth all men space to repent doeth care for mennes saluacion of whiche matters our mooste deare brother and folowe in office
losse of his onely begotten sōne If we loue our neighbour in a semblable wyse than the loue of God is perfite in vs declaryng also that God hymselfe is in vs. Lyke as all one spirite knytteth the membres of the body together and maketh them one body euen so the spirite of god doeth in a maner glue together and knytte bothe vs with hym and euery one to other and as it were dryueth perforce all into one And yf the spirite of god which inspireth into our heartes y◠loue of our neighbour be stronge in vs doubtles we knowe by thys token bothe that we abyde in God and God lykewyse in vs. Therefore he is an enemie vnto loue that denyeth Iesus to be the sonne of God whiche gaue hymselfe to redeme mankind But of this matter we were euen lookers vpō we sawe it with our eies we hearde it with our eares we handled it with our handes and of a matter so many waies prouedly knowē we beare witnes to the whole worlde that god sent his sonne to saue the world with his death in case it woulde repent from his olde errours and ordre the life of it from henceforthe accordyng to the rule of the gospell For he dyd not onely sende hym to saue the nacion of the Iewes but he gaue hym also to be a sauiour to al the whole worlde He therfore that confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of god whom the prophetes had prophecied before shoulde come he abydeth in God and god in him For he knoweth the trueth and embraceth loue He acknowlageth not the loue of God towarde him that doeth no expresse it in his neighbour But as for vs we haue both knowen by experience and beleue with our harte and confesse wyth oure mouthe and expresse in oure workes the dedes that God hath bestowed vnto vs. It remaineth that we shoulde perseuer in that whiche is begonne and not to offende so as God be not bothe plucked awaye from vs and wee drawen awaye from God God as I sayed before is loue Therfore he that continueth styll in loue continueth styll in God and God lykewyse in hym because the mutuall knotte of the spirite of God abideth Wyl you also haue an other token geuen you whereby you maye trye whether the loue of god bee perfite in you If we know our owne conscience to be good and that we dreade not the daye of iudgement wherein they shall be seperated from Christe that haue not folowed Christ They shall quake when they shal heare that horrible voyce Departe from me But we looke for that daye with a trusty boldenes that is to were knowyng to our selues y◠lyke as he was conuersaunt in the world euen so are we also in the worlde He toke no maner of spotte of the worlde but cleansed the worlde from it owne fylthynes and drewe it as muche as in hym was into hys purenes Euen so wee also to oure powers are not onely not mingled with y◠worlde but also we rather driue it with teachyng of the gospell and chaste examples of lyfe vnto Christe The dreade of goddes iudgemente spryngethe out of an euyll conscience Feare therfore agreeth not with loue For loue encreaseth assured confidence which yf it be perfite shal dryue quite out of minde al feare But it is glad as often as that daye of iudgemente commeth in his mynde first hauyng a very good opinion of the good God and hauing it selfe a good conscience Loue causeth gladnes feare causeth formentynge sorowefulnes Moreouer he that is afrayed declareth hymselfe therin not yet to be perfite in loue As much as wāteth vnto loue so much encreaseth to feare For he is afrayed lest he shall not fynde God the iudge mercyfull vnto hym seyng he shewed hymselfe vntractable vnto his neighbour That daye shal openly declare who hath bene a true louer in thys worlde We loue God and no meruaile seyng he first loued vs. For we coulde not be hable to loue hym excepte he drewe vs vnto hymselfe with hys loue Thys same therefore that we loue God is hys benefite Finally in that we loue God we testifie it in louinge oure neighbour in whome he wyll be loued If a man wyll saye I loue God when he hateth hys brother he is a lyar For when the wycked of whom for the moste parte they doe not onely not loue God but also they beleue not that God is yet for al y◠they after a sort loue their neighbour either because he is their kynsman or ailiaunce or because he is acquaynted and familiar with them or at the leaste because man seeth the other to be a man lyke as the very beastes loue euery one hys own kynd by the instincte of nature howe shall he loue God whome he hath not sene at any tyme whan he hateth hys neyghboure whom he seeth Furthermore howe standethe it together that he loueth God that passeth not vpon the commaundementes of God If a man woulde crye I loue the kyng and for al y◠setteth naught by the kynges proclamacions would there any man beleue hym we haue thys speciall commaundement of oure Emperoure that he whiche loueth God shoulde also loue hys brother whether he bee good or badde Yf he be good let hym loue Christ in hym yf he be badde let hym loue hym to thys ende that he maye be conuerted vnto Christ The .v. Chapter The texte Whosoeuer beleueth that Iesus is Christ is borne of God And euery one that loueth hym whiche begat loueth hym also whiche was begotten of hym By thys we knowe that we loue the children of God when we loue God and kepe his commaundementes For thys is the loue of God that we kepe hys commaundementes and hys commaundementes are not greuous For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde And thys is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde euen our fayth Who is it that ouercommeth the worlde but he whiche beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God This Iesus Christ is he that came by water and bloud not by water onely but by water and bloude And it is the spirite that beareth witnes because the spirite is trueth For there are thre whiche beare recorde in heauen the father the worde and the holy ghost And these thre are one And there are thre whiche beare recorde in earth the spirite and water and bloud and these thre are one Yf we receyue the witnes of men the witnes of God is greater For thys is the witnes of God that is greater whiche ▪ he testifie of his sonne He that beleueth on the sonne of God hath the witnes in himselfe He that beleueth not god hath made hym a lyar because he beleued not the record that god gaue of his son And thys is the recorde howe that God hath geuen vnto vs eternall lyfe and this lyfe is in hys sonne He that hath the sonne hath lyfe he that hath not the sonne of god hath not lyfe WHo soeuer beleueth that Iesus is
Christ that is to say him of whom we must nedes aske al the succoures of our salnacion and beleueth that in his hearte he is borne of god and is called alredy into the nūmbre of the sonnes of God In dede he can not chose but loue the is a sonne Thā whosoeuer loueth him heartely that is y◠father loueth him also the was borne of him that is to wete his brother with whome he hath all one commune father By this tokē we proue that we doe truly loue y◠children of God yf we first loue God him selfe heartely For there is nothing truely loued except it be loued for his sake Than that we loue God it shall euidently so appeare yf we kepe his commaundementes and kepe them chearfully and gladly for his commaundementes are none otherwyse greuous For what is greuous to the louer what is greuous to him that goeth post haste to suche maner rewardes The worlde obiecteth terrible appearaunces of euilies pouertie vanyshement slaunder enprisonmentes whippinges deathes It is a great fraye but the victorie is made readye For what soeuer is borne of God ouercommeth the worlde But with what furnitures doeth he ouercome y◠worlde with riches with garisons of men with engines of warre with worldly learning no no they ouercome the worlde as cruelly rageing as it is throughe a stedfast onely faithe wherwith they committe them selues wholy vnto God their protectour Thy riches are snatched awaye yea but what sayeth faithe to that Thou haste a treasure in heauen Thou art throwen out to be a vanished man yea but the countrey of heauen loketh for his countreyman Thy body is turmoyled with tormentes yea but with them are bought euerlasting ioyes Death is deuised for the yea but after it shall folowe lyfe that neuer shall dye Who is it than that ouercometh the worlde not a lorde not the riche man not a philosopher not a kyng but he who soeuer he be that beleueth verely that Iesus is the sonne of God Beleue that which he hath promised and it shal nothing moue thee whatsouer the worlde purposeth against thee He ouercame the world first atteyned immortalitie he came into this world hauīg takē our mortal body to get the victorye for vs to shew the meane of victorye getting to cause y◠rewardes to be certaynely reckoned vpon But with what furnitures came he armed withall He came by water and bloude euen Iesus Christe by water that he myght washe vs cleane from our synnes by bloude that he myght geue vs immortall lyfe Hys owne wyll was to be baptised beinge cleane voyde from all synne that he myght frelye geue vnto vs innocencye hys owne wyll was to dye on the crosse that he myght open vnto vs the waye vnto immortalitie He dyd not onelye testifie by these two tokens that he was Christ and the sauiour of the worlde in that he receyued baptisme as a synfull man in that he dyed as a malefactour where he one onely none among all but he was Innocent from all synne but the spirite also appearynge in the likenes of a doue bare recorde of him that it was he whō the father had geuen to be the sauyour of the worlde For the spirite is also the trueth as the father and the sonne is there is one trueth of all like as there is one nature of all For there are three in heauen that beare recorde vnto Christ the father the worde and the spirite the father whiche sending once and eftsones a voice downe from heauen testified openly that he is his dearly beloued sonne in whom nothing coulde doe amisse the worde whiche hauing done so many miracles whiche in his death and resurreccion declared him selfe to be the true Christ bothe God and man the peacemaker betwene God and men the holy gooste whiche descended vpon his head whan he was baptised and that after his resurreccion fell vpon his disciples And of these three there is all one most perfite agrement the father is the autor the sonne the messanger the holy goost the remembrauncer There are three thinges also on earthe that beare recorde vnto Christ his humayne spirite whiche he put from him one the crosse the water and the bloode that ranne out of his syde whan he was deade And these three witnesses doe agree The other declared him to be God these recorde that he was man Iohn also bare witnesse And yf we receyue witnesse of men it is reason that the witnesse of God be of more importaunce with vs. For the testimonie of God the father is manifest Thys is my VVelbeloued Sonne in VVhom I am pleased heare him What thing can be spoken more plainly or more fully he that beleueth truly in goddes sonne Iesus Christ and hath reposed al the succours of his lyfe in him so that trusting in his promisses he contemneth all thinges that this worlde can make a shewe of whether they be amiable or dreadfull hathe a witnesse in him selfe and beareth witnesse vnto the sonne of God For whan throughe thinspiracion of the spirite of Christe he defieth euen deathes for his loue he beareth no trifling witnesse vnto mē that they are no vaine thīges that Christ hath taught and promised He that trusteth not in god but putteth his trust in the worlde he as muche as in him is maketh god a lyer whiche hath promised felicitie vnto them that woulde herkē vnto his sonne Iesu Christ where as he in his conuersaciō teacheth that felicitie is to be asked of the worlde cleaueth so vnto the cōmodities of this lyfe as thoughe nothing of a man remayned after the deathe of the bodye The father cryeth Heare him And his lyfe that beleueth not sayeth Heare the worlde For whan the sonne prayed the father that those whiche beleued or shoulde beleue in him might haue eternall lyfe the fathers voyce was heard testifiyng as by the sound of a trompet that his prayers should be allowed The father therfore hath geuen vs euerlastyng lyfe shewinge of whome it should be asked euen of his sonne Iesus Christe His doctrine who soeuer embraceth his example whosoeuer foloweth hys promises whosoeuer trusteth vnto he bothe possedeth the sonne and hath life the pledge wherof he kepeth in the meane time euen the spirite of god throughe the vndoubted confidence whereof he is bolde to call God father He that is a straunger from the sonne is estraunged also from lyfe The texte These thinges haue I written vnto you that beleue on the name of the sonne of god that ye maye knowe howe that ye haue eternall lyfe and that ye maye beleue on the name of the sonne of god And thys is the trust that we haue in hym that yf we aske any thyng accordinge to hys wyll he heareth vs. And yf we knowe that he heare vs whatsoeuer wee aske we knowe that we haue the peticions that we desire of hym If any man see his brother sinne a synne not vnto death let hym aske and he shall geue hym
lyfe for them that sinne not vnto death There is a synne vnto death for whiche saye I not that a man shoulde praye All vnrighteousnes is sin and ther is a synne not vnto death We knowe that whosoeuer is borne of god synneth not but he that is begotten of god kepeth himselfe and that wicked toucheth hym not We know that we are of god and the worlde is all together set on wickednes We knowe that the sonne of god is come and hath geuen vs a mynde to knowe hym whiche is true and wee are in him that is true through his sonne Iesus Christ This same is very god and eternal lyfe Babes kepe your selues from images Amen These thinges therfore doe I repete and beate vnto you with so many wordes lest any man shoulde persuade vnto you the contrarye But take it for a sure and an vndoubted certayntie that it is true whiche you haue beleued that euerlastynge lyfe is ordayned for you throughe Iesus Christe whose ioyned felowe heires you are You haue already the ryght clayme and gage and shall haue possession of the thyng selfe in hys tyme. Therefore you that beleue in the sonne of God beleue stedfastlye and put youre sure trust in hym daylye more and more He wyll not fayle you in the promyses of euerlastyng lyfe that fayleth you not nowe euen in thys lyfe For in dede the spirite of Christe geuethe this confidence vnto you that whatsoeuer you shal aske in y◠name of the sonne you should obtaine it if ye aske according to hys wyll that is yf you be suche when you come to praye as he woulde haue you to come that is to saye pure from all maner hate of your brother For he obteyneth nothyng at goddes hande of whom his neyghbour obteyneth not forgeuenes of his fault And if you aske those thinges that are auaileable to the lyfe of heauen and make to the glorye of Christ Or elles we for the moste parte knowe not what we shoulde aske of God and many tymes for holsome thynges we desire hurtfull thynges yf the spirite of Christe put vs not in mynde what were expedient for vs to aske but as ofte as we aske after thys sorte we are sure that god heareth oure prayers we are sure that he wyll frely geue vs whatsoeuer we shall aske So hath he promised vs and is hable to performe whatsoeuer he promiseth and wyll performe whatsoeuer is holsome for vs. Neither shall he onely encrease his giftes in vs being prouoked therunto by oure prayers but also he wyll pardon vs oure daylye offences without whome the feblenes of mans nature can scarcely be hable to endure longe and he shall not onely pardon euery one hys offences yf he desire pardon but he shall also heare the brother praying for the brothers offences so that the sinne bee of suche sorte that it doeth not quenche out brotherly loue althoughe it doe somewhat obscure it For there is a synne that cannot bee imputed vn to weakenes nor be healed with lyght and easye remedies as whan a manne vpon a sette malyce persecuteth the christen felowshyppe where he hymselfe hath professed Christe and in pretence of religion goeth aboute to subuert religiō The desperate frowardnes of suche a one deserueth not the prayer of godly menne and yet perfite charitie prayeth also for suche wyshynge for those thynges that cannot possiblye be done There is no manne that prayeth for the deuyll because he doeth wittynglye throughe malyce oppugne them whome God woulde well vnto Perhappes no prayer should also be made for them that are translated into hys affeccion and are rather to be shunned that they doe no harme than to bee releued with prayers excepte they shewe an hope of their repentaunce Suche a disease nedeth more strong remedies and is greater than can bee taken away by dayly praiers wherby lighter offences are taken away which are done of feble weakenes not of purposed frowardenes Whatsoeuer is committed besyde perfite righteousnes is sin but there be many differences of synnes There is some synne whiche althoughe it demynyshe and blotte innocencye yet it vtterlye quencheth not out christian charytye as whan by occasion we ouershote a worde agaynste oure frende whiche we are sory for by and by that it ouer shot vs whan a sodayne angre hath russhed out at a worde that wee woulde wyshe by and by myghte bee called backe agayne whan throughe the swetenes of meate or drynke receyuyng wee take somewhat more then the necessitie of nature doeth require And to pardon these offences God is easie yf he bee called vpon with mutual prayers Suche maner of faultes of children those that be gentyll parentes doe for the moste parte wynke at whiche woulde not suffre greater offences Albeit there is none so lyght a faulte that ought to be neclected Whatsoeuer is done amysse is euyll and to bee eschewed of godlye folkes and yf it bee neclected it drawethe by lytell and lytell vnto deathe But lyke as spedye remidy oughte to be had for these lighter offences whiche men are scarce hable to auoyde euen so god forbydde that he whiche hath once renounced the worlde and dedicated hymselfe vnto god shoulde be tombled backe agayne into anye greate notable cryme By professing of the gospel we are made the childrē of God and membres of Christ And it is not conuenient that the children should diffre so greatly from the father and the membres from the head Therfore he that throughlye vnderstandeth that he is borne of god taketh more hede that he doe no euyl than of deathe it selfe and kepeth hymselfe that he haue nothynge a doe with that naughtie lorde deuill whom he serued before together with the worlde Lyke as Christe beynge once dead rose agayne to lyfe and rose agayne to lyfe neuer to dye any more euen so he that throughe baptisme is once dead vnto the worlde and risen againe to newnes of lyfe with Christ it is not mete for hym to doe that thynge agayne for the whyche Christe must dye agayne Let them be affrayed of the worlde whiche are not truely borne againe of god which haue not with al the pith of their whole heartes receyued the seede of the gospelles doctrine We knowe that wee are truely of god whome neyther the euyll thynges nor the good thynges of thys world can seperate from Christe The whole world is set all together on naughtines Whiche waye soeuer a man turneth hym there is occasion offred of thynges to turne vs awaye quite from the innocent vpryghtnes of lyfe But from the worldes enchauntmentes the sonne of god hathe once delyuered vs whiche came into the worlde for thys cause to exempte vs out of the contagious infeccion of the worlde He hathe dryuen awaye the darkenes of oure former ignoraunce and hathe geuen vs an vnderstandyng that is lyghtened with the lyght of the gospell to thintent we should knowe the true god the free geuer of al righteousnes who onely had nothyng a doe
of theirs whiche are all vnperfyte yf they shoulde be tryed and examined by the iust iudgement of god althoughe thorowe grace they shal be taken for acceptable and worthye The whyte araye dothe sygnifye an innocent lyfe without all maner of blemyshe whiche neyther can be obteyned in this lyfe nor yet is it in the vertue or power of any man But the innocencye and purenes of Christ whiche hath the ouerhande in them that be his thorowe gods spirite shal be dystrybuted vnto the faithfull in suche wyse as they shal be partakers therof The texte ¶ And wryte vnto the angel of the congregacion of Philadelphia this saythe he that is holy and true whiche hathe the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth no maÌ„ openeth I know thy worckes Beholde I haue set before thee an opeÌ„ dore and no man can shut it for thou hast a lytell strength and hast kept my sayinges and hast not denyed my name Beholde I make them of the congregacion of Sathan whiche call them selues Iewes and are not but doe lye Beholde I wyll make them that they shall come and worshpype before thy fete and shal knowe that I haue loued the. Because thou haste kepte the wordes of my pacience therfore I wyll kepe the from the houre of temptacion whiche wyll come vpon all the worlde to tempte them that dwell vpon the earthe Beholde I come shortly Holde that whiche thou haste that no man take awaye thy crowne Him that ouercommeth wyll I make a pyllar in the temple of my god and he shall go nomore out And I wyll wryte vpon him the name of my god and the name of the cytie of my god newe Ierusalem which commeth downe out of heauen from my god and I wyâ—â—â—yâ—â— vpon him my newe name Let him that hath eares heare what yâ— spirite sayth vnto the congregacions For the more perfyght vnderstanding of this booke we lacke dyuers stories which were eyther nothyng at all or elles littell regarded in the fyrste beginnyng of the chrystendome Els shoulde we haue hearde and read muche coÌ„mendacion written of this churche Whiche as it maye here be well perceyued dyd wonderfull excellentlye handle it selfe in the faithe and doctrine of the gospell and suffred muche also therfore But alwaies it ouercame yâ— assaultes of the Iewes heretykes and false teachers whiche at length it dyd confounde so thorowe the helpe of god proceded and went forwarde in godlynes For the whiche it is thus commended of Christe in this place But Christe himselfe onely hath power thorowe his spirite to assure and stablyshe the conscience of man in true doctrine and in the right faythe also in quietnes of mynde And all other vnto whome he hathe geuen the same spirite are to be taken as instrumentes ministers onely accordynge vnto the same spirite and no nother wyse For the which cause without the same spirite that onely doth serche and iudge the secretes of mans harte no suche matter parteynynge vnto the faythe and relygion of god and quietnes of mans conscience can well and rightly be determyned The open doore wherof he speaketh is the worde of god and the holy gospell by the whiche the churche maye worke and bryng to passe muche profyte and honour vnto our god and lorde by them whiche shall be conuerted thereby vnto yâ— true christen fayth as well out of the Iewes as also out of the heathen And that shall not all the enemyes of god be able to hynder withall theyr myghte and power how symple and weake soeuer the ministers of god in that behalfe shall seme and appeare to be For he that worketh in them is strong myghtie and can not be ouercome And he whan he shall see his tyme shall not onely humble and brynge downe the heathen and turne them vnto the true fayth but he shall also dysmaye the Iewes whan as they shall see theyr honour their temple and their gods seruyce vtterly destroyed and ouerthrowen and the word and knowledge of god yâ— onely creator of all thinges to be sprede abrode thorowout al yâ— world At that tyme shall they be compelled to confesse not onely those to be the children of Abraham whiche are circumcised in theyr bodyes but those that in true faith in spirite and trueth doe honour and inuocate god that is creator of heauen and earth and the god of yâ— Patriarkes offeringe vp vnto him euerywhere and at euerye season continually that sacrifice that is onely lefte to be offred namely the sacrifyce of thankes geuynge But this fayth beyng garnyshed with the workes of godlynes shall appeare and be made manyfest thorow the pacience of the holy martirs whiche in so many congregacions haue suffered and dayly are persecuted of the tyrannes for gods sake and for denyeng the false gods seruyce beyng greuouslye assaulted thorowout the whole world and not onely at Philadelphya whiche is mencioned and named onely for an example vnto all suche as are lyke vnto the same Wherefore whosoeuer hathe yâ— grace to be constant and stedfast in faythe let him praye vnto god for perseueraunce that he maye obteyne the croune whiche god hath promysed vnto him Suche stedfast postes that doe not onely stande fast and sure but also are able and wyllyng to vpholde the whole foundacion and byldyng of the churche they shall be set in the heuenly tabernacles of god and shal be garnyshed with names and tytles of honour in euerlastynge blisse whiche shall be the newe Ierusalem the heueÌ„ly golden citye where all the blyssed and holy citizyns shall dwell in the kyngdome of Christe The texte ¶ And vnto the messenger of the congregacion whiche is in Laodicia wryte This sayth Amen the faythfull and true wytnesse the begynnynge of the creatures of god I know thy worckes that thou art nether colde nor hotte I woulde thou were colde or hotte So then because thou arte betwene bothe and nether colde nor hotte I wyll spewe the out of my mouthe because thou sayest I am ryche and increasyd with goodes and haue neade of nothinge and knowest not how thou art wretched and myserable and poore blynde and naked I councell the to bye of me golde tryed in yâ— fyre that thou mayest be riche and whyte rayment that thou mayest be clothed that thy fylthy nakednesse do not appeare and anoynt thyne eyes with eye salue that thou mayest se As manye as I loue I rebuke and chasten Be feruent therfore and repent Beholde I stande at the dore and knocke If eny man heare my voyce and open the dore I wyll come into him and wyll suppe with him and he with me To him that ouercommeth wil I graunt to syt with me in my seate eueÌ„ as â— ouercame and haue sitten with my father in his seate Let him that hath eares heare what the spirite sayeth vnto the congregacions Our sauiour Christe hath many sondry names Here he is called Amen faithfulnes and trueth the refuge and safegarde
kingdome of Christ set forwarde thorowe the infynite mercye grace of god whiche beareth rule in all the children of the kyngdome of Christ in all the electe both in this lyfe in the kyngdome of heauen For the kyngdome of heueÌ„ taketh his begynnyng here in this world in the coÌ„gregacion of the faythful it shal dayly increase thorow the word of god vntyl it be made perfyght in the euerlastynge kyngdome of god with all the electe in heauen The texte ¶ And I behelde and I hearde the voyce of many angels about the throne and about the beastes and the elders and I hearde thousande thousandes sayinge with a loude voyce Worthy is yâ— lambe that was kylled to receyue power ryches wysdom and strength and honour glorye blessing And al the creatures which are in heauen on the earth vnder the earth and in the see and all that are in them hearde I saying blessyng honour glorye power be vnto him that sytteth vpon the seate vnto the lambe for euer â—ore And the foure beastes sayd Amen And the .xxiiii. elders fell vpon their faces and worshypped him that lyueth for euermore The very meanyng of S. Iohn is here in this place as it is in his gospell to proue the faythe of the godheade of Christ against all heretyckes And for this cause he ascrybeth vnto Christ in this place so many dyuine names and properties apperteynyng onely to yâ— godheade first yâ— he shal be inuocate prayed vnto not onely of yâ— patryarkes prophetes but also of al angels whoÌ„ no creature doth excel in worthynes but onely yâ— euerlastyng the very true onely one god And thus he setteth furthe yâ— godly worthines of yâ— meeke crucified Christ of the Lambe yâ— was slayne offered vp Vnto whoÌ„ for his humblenes eueÌ„ vnto yâ— crosse suche a name is geueÌ„ as is aboue all names And therfore the knees of all creatures both in heaueÌ„ in earth in hel shal bowe vnto him For vnto him perteyneth all power yâ— is to saye all omnipotency or all myghtines all ryches and spiritual treasures to distrybute yâ— same accordynge vnto his wil all wysdome whiche is lyke equall with yâ— omniscieÌ„ce ful knowledge of al thinges of the father All strength ouer aboue al yâ— might power of all this wyde world All honour prayse laud for his excedyng mercy goodnes for his infynite benefites Vnto whome as vnto their creatour al creatures are made subiect Not onely vnto him yâ— sitteth vpoÌ„ yâ— stoole but also vnto yâ— Lambe whiche is Christe very true god maÌ„ And vnto him with yâ— father the holy gost apperteyneth al laud and honour for euer and euer whiche is the onely one god Whiche thing shall be also ascrybed and geuen vnto hym with the vnyforme and full assent of all the holy electe bothe in heauen and in earth ¶ The .vi. Chaptre The texte ¶ And I saw when yâ— lambe opened one of yâ— seales I hearde one of the .iiii. beastes say as it were the noyse of thonder come see I saw And beholde there was a white horse and he yâ— sat on him had a bowe a crowne was geuen vnto him he went forthe conqueryng and for to ouercome And when he had opened the seconde seale I hearde the seconde beaste say come se And there went out another horse that was redde power was geueÌ„ to him yâ— sat theron to take peace from the earth and that they shoulde kyll one another And there was geuen vnto him a great swearde THe seuen special articles and misteries of yâ— christen faith maye be opened eueÌ„ lyke as .vii. seales thorow yâ— holy goost in yâ— holy scripture of yâ— olde newe testameÌ„t As yâ— excellent clerke Erasmus doth proue by diuerse testimonies in his paraphrases vpon the .xxiiii. Chapter of luke But yet we maye vnderstande the openynge of these seales after an other maner First by yâ— white horse may be vnderstaÌ„de yâ— first state of yâ— christeÌ„ churche which was altogether pure without blemyshe or faut holy well armed ready prepared yea also as swyfte as an horse vnto al godlines At yâ— which tyme yâ— kyngdome of Christ did most floryshe and increase in yâ— who le world He yâ— sytteth vpoÌ„ this horse hathe a crowne vpoÌ„ him of yâ— kyngdome of heaueÌ„ with a bowe of yâ— euangelycal doctrine wherwith he hath conquered ouercome blessedly yâ— errors of ydolatry slayne them with a glorious triumphe victorye By yâ— seconde seale vnderstaÌ„de yâ— state of yâ— kyngdome of Christ in yâ— tyme of yâ— martirs froÌ„ the time of S. SteueÌ„ vntil the tyme of CoÌ„stantyne the Emperour Whan as yâ— churche was paynted with bloode thorow out yâ— hole world thorow yâ— tyrannye of the Romyshe Emperour Not with standynge yâ— at the same tyme also yâ— Iewes suffred extreme calamities great plages of death vnder the reygne of Tytus Vespasyan Adriane All which maye be sygnified by yâ— deade horse by yâ— great sworde For the Romyshe Emperours did coÌ„tinually slaye one an other besydes yâ— diuerse of theÌ„ peryshed otherwise also And this may be wel vnderstaÌ„deÌ„ by him yâ— sitteth vpoÌ„ yâ— red horse The texte ¶ And when he had opened the thirde seale I hearde yâ— thirde beaste say come and se and I behelde lo a blacke horse he that sate on him had a payre of balances in his hande And I heard a voyce in yâ— myddes of the foure beastes say a measure of wheate for a peny and thre measures of barly for a peny and oyle and wyne se thou hurte not By the thirde seale the beast by the blacke horse thou mayest vnderstande the great dearth which happened vnto the christians the heathen yâ— Iewes and the Romaines at suche tyme as eyther Claudius or Traianus reygned Emperours Althoughe the prouidence of god did alwaye prouyde sufficieÌ„t noryshement for those yâ— were his as it appeareth euydently to them yâ— reade the Cronycles of that tyme. The balances maye betoken the penury want of vytels for as muche as they were compelled to wey measure how much euery one should haue dayly for his parte to lyue with For the measure of wheate is vnderstande to be the porcion that was allowed for one man for his dayes spending The texte ¶ And when he had opened the fourth seale I hearde the voyce of the fourth beaste saye come se and I looked And beholde a pale horse his name yâ— sate on him was death â—ell folowed after him power was geuen vnto them ouer the fourthe parte of the earth to kyl with swearde with honger and with death that commeth of vermen of the earth By the fourthe seale the beast the voyce and the pale horse mayst thou vnderstande the heretykes whiche dyd dyuerse wayes and a longe tyme vexe the holy churche with false
looke for Suche men are the very true seruauntes of god fully stablysshed in the right faythe and true loue From the whiche thorowe the grace of god they shall neuer fall For as muche as god is their father and ouerseâ—r whose deare and louynge children they are And they can lacke no treasure neyther corporall nor spirituall eyther in this worlde or in the worlde to come And they lyue blessedly in peace and quientnes of conscience before god readye at the pleasure of god to goe thorowe welthe and woo in this worlde whome no maner of creature can hurte for as muche as the lorde fauoreth them vnto whome they haue vtterly geueÌ„ and committed them selues and haue offred vp vnto him a pleasant sacrifice oblacion in faythe in true Christen loue and perfyght hope For Christ that suffered death for them and redemed them with his bloude will not forsake them but graciously rule gouerne them and thorowe the holy gospel wil instructe them in all rightuousnes which they begynne here in this world and shal enioye the frute therof in the lyfe euerlastyng And thus thorowe yâ— grace mercye of god they shal ouercome al woe and vexacion and remayne pacient in persecucion yea and mery and ioyfull also in him that can strengthen and comforte them whiche dystrybuteth his plentifull grace vnto them to worke al holy vertuous workes For the which also beyng his owne workes he wyll yet crowne and rewarde them as S. Austen sayeth in the kyngdome of heauen eternaliy The .viii. Chapter The texte ¶ And when he had opened the seuenth seale there was sylence in heauen about the space of halfe an houre And I sawe vii angelles standynge before god to them wer geuen seuen trompertes And another angel came and stode before the aulter hauinge a goldeÌ„ senser and muthe of odoures was geuen vnto him that he should offce of the prayers of all saâ—â—â—res vpon the golden aulter which was before the seate And yâ— smoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of all saâ—â—â—res ascended vp before god out of the Angelles hande And the Angell toke the senser and fylled it with fyre of the aulter and caste it into the earth and voyces were made and thondrynges and lyghtnynges and earthquake IT hathe ofte bene sene that after great troubles and muche vexacion thorowe the prouysion of god rest and quietnes hath folowed in all tymes And thus shall it continue euen from the ascencion of Christe vntyll the worldes ende that after rayne the sunne shal shyne and afterwarde it wyll be cloudye darcke againe Euen so whan the faythfull haue once ioy in god after the victorye of the dragon then commeth a new dysquietnes and perplexite whan as the wycked Angels and spirites thorowe their membres mynisters shall set vp all abhominacion synne wyckednes hurtefull and noysome vnto the soule as Sathan dyd vnto Iob what tyme he came and accompanyed him selfe with the children of god Here come vii that is to saye very many and those mightye and stronge with power graunted and permitted vnto them to doe harme But Christ the true and faythfull kyng and father of his kyngdome churche and children commeth and standeth as an hyghe pryest at the alter of god with the oblacion of his owne bodye For Christ the lorde is bothe priest altar and the oblacion himselfe and he standeth for his faythfull electe with the golden censers the hyghest loue and humilyte thorowe the whiche he gaue him selfe for the synnes of al the world into the moost bytter and standerous death for a perpetuall reconciliacion for all those that beleue in him Vnto this onely one and eternall priest Christ doe all faythfull holy and blessed christians render and gyue their vnperfyte deuocion thanck es geuynge feruent peticions and prayers their hope loue and fayth All whiche he receyueth in good parte and maketh them acceptable vnto the father with the censers of his prayers and with his swete smellynge rightuousnes and holynes wherwith he is full and aboundant plentuous and sufficient for all the electe from the begynnynge of the worlde vntyll the ende therof And by this meanes and no nother wyse may the prayers of all the holy and faythfull come vnto god namely thorowe the handes and merites of his passioÌ„ so that they take the same with them pleating with god thorowe the same Whiche thing dilyghteth and pleaseth the lord god right well Nowe yf the holy electe shal thus offre vp their necessities praiers vnto god thorowe Christ whiche is the onely medyatour betwene god the father and mankynde than wyll the mercifull god heare them â–ª and shall punyshe the wycked tyrannes and oppressours of the faythfull with his fyerye dartes and thonderboltes and other plages whiche he can and is wont to vse dyuers wayes for the terryble punyshemeÌ„t of the wycked godlesse prynces tyrannes bothe bodely and gostly in so muche that Sathan with his whole kyngdome shal be amased therat The texte ¶ And the seuen Angels which had the seuen trompettes prepared them selues to blowe The first Angell blewe and there was made hadle and fyre whiche were myngled with bloude and they were caste into the earth and the thirde parte of yâ— earth was set on fyre and the thirde parte of trees was burnt and all greue grasse was brente And the seconde angell blewe and as it were a great mountayne burnyng with fyre was caste into the see and yâ— thirde parte of the sea turned to bloude and the thirde parte of the creatures which had lyfe dyed and the thirde parte of shyppes were destroyed Christ bringeth his punyshementes to passe thorowe good and euyll angels euen at his owne pleasure For vnto the lorde there is nothing euell nor vnprofytable for as muche as he onely can make good of euyll well ynoughe The first plage of the churche of Christ was in the vnderstandynge and interpretacion of holy scripture whiche euen at the first was assaulted with dyuerse dangerous heresyes whiche sprang vp by reason of yâ— dyuersytie of vnderstandyng amonge the wryters and teachers by reason wherof infynite Schisemes disseÌ„cions â–ª perels and dangerous vproures did sprynge aryse And for this cause were so many councels holden For the christendome suffred great decaye and many swarued there from at suche tyme as god of his mercye gaue peace and quietnes in the churche but for a small season as I sayde before By the trees we shall vnderstande people of all maner of nacions and degrees in yâ— christendome of no small nomber as in the tyme of Athanasius and after The seconde plage foloweth afterwarde against the whote and natural strength and fearcenes of men and specially that whiche was betwene princes and rulers that were assaulted of the wycked fyende with ambicion for power and dominion The whiche the wycked fyende dyd rayse vp after that the godly and holy teachers had rooted out all errours and heresyes This contencion and
clothed with a cloude and the raynebowe vpon his hed And his face as it were yâ— Sunne and his feâ—e as it were pyllers of fyre and he had in his hande a lytle boke open and he put his right fote vpon the sea and his lefte fote on the yearth And cried with a loude voyce as when a Lion roreth And when he had cried vii thonders spake their voyces And when the seuen thonders had spoken their voyces I was about to write And I hearde a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Seale vp those thinges which the. vii thonders spake and write theÌ„ not THis strong angel can sygnifye none other thing but our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche reueled suche a vision vnto S. Iohn for the profyte and comfort of the faithfull churche and congregacion and for a warnyng vnto the synfull world For he it is whiche in suche an euil tyme and in suche great perplexyte and dangerous warrefare of the christen churche vpon earth commeth downe from heauen to ayde and succour it according vnto his promes And he appeareth vnto S. Iohn euen as thoughe he were commynge downe from heauen clothed with a very manyfest and visible cloude whiche signifyeth his holy manhode euen as he went vp also vnto heauen and dwelleth with vs with his grace ayde and prouydence The raynebowe sygnifieth his heauenly imperious crowne and his gracious gouernauÌ„ce ouer his faithful electe for the whiche he is carefull and sorowfull with mercye and daylye ayde in all thinges necessarye and expedient for them His face and countenaunce is bryght pleasant and full of mercye euen lyke vnto the sonne For he himselfe is the sonne of the worlde that is to saye the comfort delyght ioye and felicitie of all faithful And againe mighty stronge and rightuous in all his iudgementes towardes yâ— godlesse and wicked whiche he stampeth in peces and burneth them with fire that can neuer be quenched This same Iesus Christ our Lorde and sauiour is come againe from heauen with his lytle meke euangelycall booke namely with the newe testament in the whiche the olde is also comprehended This booke is contemptuous and of no estimacion vnto the sage wyse philosophers highe lerned doctors and pompous proude prelates in so muche that it was cleane lost out of the tempelles for a great space euen as it was in yâ— tyme of Ieremye the prophete beyng songe yearely in their monasteries colleges as their vowes and rules wherunto they were sworne required but without all maner of vnderstandynge or feruentnes of the spirite whiche should be sought and necessarilie required in holy scripture This boke dothe Christ bring â–ª being garnisshed not outwardly with golde siluer and precious stones for a face and a shewe onely so that no man can reade in it as thoughe it were sufficient onely to kysse it but he shal bring it open that euery man maye reade and vnderstaÌ„de it in their owne mother tong and also in all scholes where children are taught He it is that is come into this worlde and hath set his feete vpon al the earth and also in the Iles of the sea whiche were before vnknowen â–ª euen lyke as the true faithe also was which was readyly ioyfully receyued of them whiche before knewe nothing at all and were more ignorant and vnlearned than they that came from the grecians and Romaynes Whiche thing maye be vnderstanden by the left and the right foote And what maye better be vnderstanden by the loude voyce than the great noyse which the holy Byble maketh at suche tyme as it is spred abrode in all speches and tonges ouer hundrethes and thousandes of people in so short tyme to the great wonder and meruell of all faithfull and to the hyghe furtheraunce and edyfieng of the christen doctrine and of the knowledge of God and to the vtter confusion and feare of the whole diuilyshe and hellyshe flocke and congregacion euen as a Lyon of the stocke of Iuda And immediately therupon came vii thonders that is to saye the moost godly and christen interpreters of holy scripture were famous throughout the whole worlde as were these Ambrose Austen Ierom Gregory Cypriane Hylarie and diuerse other whiche in our tyme haue written and taught as excelleÌ„tly and profytablye in the churche and congregacion of Christ as euer they dyd These haue taught and brought into lyght the worde of God very purely and sincerely notwithstandyng whatsoeuer the schole writers and sophysters the pompous byshops and monkyshe mumry haue many yeres decreed dyuised to the contrary with their vncerten and vnstable doctrine fayned ceremonyes fonde tradicions newe strange articles of the faythe whiche haue no grounde in gods worde and cleane contrarye bothe to the vsage and also to the doctrine of the holy auncient fathers in the prymatiue churche And where it is nowe added that it shoulde not be written what these thonders spake let other vnderstande it as they wyll I thinke and coniecture that it is a prophecye of the noble and excellent gyfte of God yâ— science of Prynting geuen first vnto the Germaynes whiche were estemed the moost rude and barbarous people By and thorowe whome not onely the newe testament hath bene renewed interpreted translated euen out of the very naturall fountaine tong wherin it was wrytten but also the whole olde testament out of yâ— holy Hebrew tong Besydes this all these before named many other teachers and wryters of the holy churche went first out into the worlde and bothe with worde and deede noysed abrode the power of the gospell so that the renewynge therof can not be ascribed vnto those onely whiche preache and teache in our tyme but vnto the holy bysshops of the primatyue churche whiche preached and taught first of all throughout the whole christendome where as now all our bysshops for the moost parte are domme and blynde in all godly doctrine vtterly drowned in worldly pompe lustes pleasures and in all wicked dyssolutenes The texte ¶ And the Angell whiche I sawe stande vpon the sea vpon the earth lyfte vp his hande to heauen and sware by him that lyueth for euer more whiche created heauen the thinges that therin are and the sea and the thinges whiche therin are that there should be no lenger tyme but in the dayes of the voyce of the seuenth Angell when he shall begynne to blowe euen the mysterye of God shal be fynished as he preached by his seruauntes the prophetes Christe taketh anothe and sweareth by God his heauenly father euen with great earnest feruencye and holynes that the tyme of his glorious laste comminge to iudge all the worlde bothe quicke and dead is nowe alreadye nighe and at hande And whan the victorye that was prophecyed to be fulfylled of Antichrist which victorye the seuenth angel Christ him selfe or his spirite that was yet to come in Helyas before the last daye must blowe forth accordinge vnto his office were once past than
him But this temple of God is the holy christen churche and congregacion in this tyme of trouble dyscencion and batell and participacion of the blisse of heauen and euerlastinge lyfe vnto them that wynne and beare awaye the victorye The Arke of the testamente is the blessed and holy manhode of Christ vnited and knit in one with the godlye nature of the euerlasting word of God which is and euer hath bene yâ— Mercye stoole of all the worlde and of al men and the onely comforte refuge and ioye of the faythfull electe But the lyghtenynge the noyse of the voices the thonderynge and earthequake with the great hayle maye sygnifie the terryble damnacion of the wicked for euer or els it maye sygnifie a synguler ernest and wonderfull preparacion of the hearer or of the reader lyke as was of the holy Apostle S. Iohn whiche sawe it to marke and consyder it the more dilygentlye For it is necessarye to marke and consyder suche reuelacions and visions as doe folowe vpon suche tokens the lyke whereunto happened sometymes also vnto the prophetes as the holy scripture declareth The texte ¶ And there appeared a great wonder in heauen a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moâ—e vnder her fete vpoÌ„ her heade a crowne of .xii. starres And she was with childe cried trauayling in birthe and pained ready to be delyuered And there appeared another wonder in heaueÌ„ for beholde a great red dragon hauing .vii. heddes ten hornes .vii. crounes vpon his heades his tayle drue yâ— thirde part of yâ— starres cast them to yâ— earth As in the prophetes of the olde testament the first dyd write more plainely and manifestly than the last whiche are muche harder to be vnderstanded as Ezechiel Daniel and zacharie are muche harder than Esaye and Ieremy EueÌ„ so in the new testament in this prophetycall boke the latter prophecies reuelacions and visions are more playne and easy to be vnderstanded thaÌ„ the first in so muche as this vision maye in manner be an interpretacioÌ„ of those visions that went before This heauen wherin this great token dyd appeare must nedes be the kyngdome of heauen the christen churche congregacion and felowshyp of all faithfull from the begynnynge of the worlde vntyll the ende therof as Christ him selfe doth interprete it The woman of whome the angell here speaketh is the euerlasting mighty and blissed worde of god whiche is bryght and mightye as the Sunne wherunto all the vnderstanding of man and of all fleshe is subiecte And it is clothed and garnysshed with the faith and confession of the patriarkes â–ª prophetes Apostles and martirs bothe of the olde and of the newe testament This word of God the holy gospel promised vnto vs from the begynnynge and beleued hath performed and thorowe the mercye and goodnes of God hath brought forthe and borne vnto vs Christe the sauiour of the worlde or the true faith in Christ But this came not to passe before suche time as nonother saluacion coulde in any wyse be founde thorow the workes of the lawe throughe the sacrifices nor throughe all other good workes For none of them all had power to satisfye or to make holy but onely the righteousnes of the worde of God that became man namely our sauiour Christe the sonne of God and of Marye whiche had bothe the nature of God and of man in one onely person whiche made satisfaccion for al mankynde This beyng with childe is in this place as muche as an earnest lust and desyre The cryeng is prayer As the holy prophetes dyd euermore desyre this saluacion trusted throughe belefe in yâ— worde of God vnto the promes yâ— was made vnto the whole worlde Against this holy worde of God and this christen faithe dyd appeare an other token in the congregacioÌ„ of the churche beyng called of God namely a bloudy dragon and enemye of mans saluacion and of the true faithe in Christ whiche is yâ— wicked spirite Lucifer his felowshyp by whose .vii. heades is sygnified all blasphemies and wickednes wherwith he worketh all myschiefe And the .x. hornes doe sygnifye his great and manyfolde tyrannye wherby he worketh to hynder and hurt the true faythe and the gospell of Iesus Christ the onely sauiour wherunto he is an enemye an aduersarye with all his might power so farre as almightye God wyll permyt and suffer him whiche he taketh to helpe him namely the louers frendes and gredy folowers of this worlde vngodlye tyrannes againste all godly innocencye and christen faithe This dragons tayle sygnifieth the might power and ministers of the deuell wherby he dysyreth to hurt the electe yf God woulde suffer it as it is possible that he maye that they shoulde fall from the heauenly vertue and godlines vnto the loue of this worlde and vnto earthly and fleshely lustes and affeccions The texte ¶ And the dragon stode before the woman whiche was readye to be delyuered for to deuourt her chylde as sone as it were borne And she brought forthe a man childe whiche shoulde rule all nacions with a rodde of yron And her 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 M.ii. hundred and .lx. dayes The wycked spirite dyd bestowe all his might and power that the promyse of God thorowe the dysobedience of the children of Israell whome he alwayes stirred vp might come to none effecte and that yâ— trueth of God might be dysappoynted and that the faythe in Christ in whome our saluacion dothe consyste might be blemysshed and confounded and also that the gospell might be myxed with mans doctrine interpretacions and errours But the goodnes truth mercye faythfulnes and loue of God is greater than the power and wickednes of the deuell and of al his subtilties and ministers For the childe was borne goddes worde became man truth had the victorye and falsehede laye on yâ— grounde vnder fote The craft and subtiltie of the deuell was defeated by the wysdome of God and was opened and dysclosed vnto the worlde This childe Christ the euerlasting worde of God whiche became man in the moost holy wombe of the virgin Marye was receyued and taken of God the father throughe grace for the satisfaccion of the synne of al the world and he dyd merite and deserue with his highe and most perfyte obedience and humblenes the glorye of yâ— heauenlye father and the kyngdome of heauen wherin he ruleth for euer and euer But the truth of the christen faith religion and of the gospell of Christ dyd alwaies suffre extreme sorowe and payne beyng persecuted euen at the first of the Iewes of the false Apostles of false and coloured christians of Emperours and Kynges of workemongers of false and wicked bysshops of Sorcerers and nigromansers of Sarasens of ydolaters and Epicures of philosophers of the louers
of this world of spiritual prelates and religious monkes and friers c. For all these and other suche lyke are the hornes crounes and the great tayle of this dragon whiche watcheth studieth and seketh all wayes and meanes to hurte and hynder the true faithe the christen lyfe and the holsome doctrine that is to saye our sauiour Christ in the faithfull And for this cause the doctrine of the gospell and the christen faithe hathe bene fayne to suffer muche continually euen from the beginnyng of the worlde and immediately after the christen faith was first taught preached And therfore many holy and faithfull christianes haue bene fayne to flee and yâ— trueth of the gospel in continuaunce of tyme was straunge and vnknowen vnto the moost parte of the hyghe learned doctours and potentates throughout the worlde Althoughe the true christen faithe was alwayes preserued thoughe it were in fewe and in abiecte persons of slender reputaâ—ion And this continued a longe space namely from the tyme of Constantine the Emperour whan as the christen churche semed in maner to haue escaped all daunger and perill of decaye and destruccion vntil our tyme wherin she appeareth againe wonderfully after a straunge maner in despite of al tirannes and of all the power of hell And nombring from that tyme of Constantine I meane vntyll our tyme euen this nomber of yeares shall euydentlye appeare reckenynge dayes for yeares as it is a commune thing in scripture If any man can finde out any plainer vnderstanding of this place for in suche darke and obscure places of scripture no man ought to be frowarde or contencious let them take it and folowe it The texte ¶ And there was a great batayle in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and preuayled not nether was their place founde any more in heauen And the great dragon that olde serpent called the deuell and Sathanas was cast out Whiche deceaueth all the worlde And he was cast into the earth and his angels were cast our also The power of God the holy worde of God and the spirite of Christ which we maye vnderstande by Mychaell who by interpretacion is who is lyke god and Gabriel the strength of God hath in all ages and tymes bene dryuen to holde batel with Lucifer and Sathan with the pryde of mans wysdome whiche haue hindred the true honour of God the true seruice religioÌ„ of God the true faith and haue euer withstanden the holy and pure gospell But this worde of God hath alwayes had the victorie althoughe with muche labour and daunger and sometyme not without harme and losse but not of the electe whiche thing shall continue vntyll suche tyme as our sauiour shall haue his wil and pleasure of this battell and with the breath of his mouthe shall slaye the sonne of the dragon the damnable Antichrist For the whiche thing we ought continuallye to call vpon the mercye and goodnes of God in a stedfast and perfight hope and confidence as he hath taught vs halowed bee thy name Thy kingdome come Thy wyll be done no lesse in earth than it is infalliblye in heauen For the haÌ„de of God is not shortened but is able to gyue whatsoeuer he hath commaunded vs to aske and â—o praye for The peace also and quietnes of the elect and faithfull to lyue in godlynes maye be wysshed to be more perfight as is also promysed thorowe the prophetes than it hath bene hitherto for lacke of the true sounde doctrine of the gospel no smal space althoughe the very perfyght peace can not be obteyned but onely in heauen in the eternall quiet kyngdome of Christe The texte ¶ And I hearde a loude voyce saying in heauen is nowe made saluacion and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ For the accuser of oure brethren is caste downe whiche accused them before our God daie and night And they oeurcame him by the bloude of the lambe and by the worde of their testimonye and they loued not their lyues vnto the death Therfore reioyce heauens and ye that dwell in them Wo to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea for the deuil is come downe vnto you whiche hathe great wrathe because he knoweth that he hath but a shorte tyme. Thus throughe the spirite of Christ with the continual and sincere preaching of the gospel Sathan and his champioÌ„ Antichrist are ouercome And thus shal the voyce prayse and thankesgeuing of the faythful be heard in the churche as it is here written now is Saluacion thorowe faithe and the strength thorow loue and the kyngdome or dominion in the churche become gods Nowe maye all men see the power of gods worde the iudgement of Christ against the deuel whiche would haue roted out yâ— rightuosnes of faith in Christ would haue directed and appointed christen men vnto the rightuosnes of workes and to the hope of their owne satisfaccion wherby he woulde alwayes haue founde occasion to accuse all men before God vnder a false pretence But the preachinge of the gospell hath disclosed this suttell falsehede and all suche lyke and declareth that onely the bloude of the lambe and nothing els can wype and washe awaye the synnes of all the worlde yf they trust in god thorowe Christ with a true lyuely faith thorowe the grace and mercye of God and the rightuousnes of Christ which he dystributeth vnto al his faithfull electe and maketh them partakers therof That by this meanes Sathan can haue no quarell against the workes of the faithfull whiche lyke thankfull parsons remayne and continue stedfastly in their true faith in al maner of affliccion aduersitie eueÌ„ vnto very death And therfore the true ioye of all godly consciences waxeth and increaseth in the churche And so their blisse and saluacion beginneth in this worlde thorow faith which faith worketh an innocent and a godly lyfe thus continueth euerlastingly in heauen But on yâ— contrarye parte woo vnto them whiche seeke their rightuousnes by men at certen places certaine times certaine workes and certaine meates for they can neuer fynde any true rightuousnes but thorowe the falsehede wickednes of yâ— deuil they fall eyther into desperacion or els into presumpcioÌ„ wherunto SathaÌ„ applieth al his study yâ— they fall not froÌ„ his kingdoÌ„ nor escape out of his fingers For he seketh nothing but yâ— damnacioÌ„ of such The texte ¶ And when the dragon saw that he was caste vnto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forthe the man childe And to yâ— woman were geuen two winges of a great Egle yâ— she might flye into yâ— wildernes into her place where she is nourished for a tyme times and halfe a tyme from the presence of the serpent And the dragon caste oute of his mouthe water after the woman as it had bene a ryuer because she shoulde haue bene caught of the floude And the earth holpe the
vnto the lorde desierous of his mercye and grace and beloued of him from euerlastinge and ordeyned vnto his kingdome as ioyfull and desierous first frutes whiche men doe eate with a great lust desire and appetite with highe praise and thankes geuynge as it ought to be Their faithe is so acceptable and pleasant before God as it was geuen them of his plentifull grace that it beyng accompanyed with true loue and hope without the which it can not be decketh and hydeth all thâ—ir synnes howe many howe great and howe greuous so euer they were And vnto them all euyls and misfortunes euen their synnes also and all maner of thinges hapned and ended vnto the best As it hapned vnto Dauid Peter Paule and Marie Magdalene and vnto al holy sainctes and elect sanctified through the bloude of the innocent lambe Christ our sauiour For althoughe all men and all sainctes are synners before God yet for the lambes sake in whome they truste they are reputed without spot and blame before the iudgement seate of God The 〈◊〉 ¶ And I sawe another angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge the euerlastinge gospell to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth and to all nacions kynredes and tonges and people saying with a loude voyce Feare God and geue honoure to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worshyp him that made heauen and earth and the sea and fountaines of water And there folowed an other angell sayinge Babilon is fallen is fallen that great citie for she made all nacions drincke of the wyne of her fornicacion The true and faithfull preachers of the holy gospell are ofte called angels as they maye well be Of the whiche the kyng Christ sendeth manye in to the kingdome of heauen accordinge as the state of the worlde at dyuerse times requireth That the holy and sincere doctrine the gospell might sone and frutefully flye throughe the christen churche Whiche thing the wicked dragon doth sore haâ—e and is greuouslye dyspleased therwith and therfore he persecuteth it with muche falsehede and with great power throughe his ministers and deputies And yet notwithstanding the gospell of God remayneth euerlastinglye in his churche euen from the beginninge of the worlde vntyll the ende wherof no man in the worlde can excuse him selfe For the voyce and trueth therof is this bothe open and cleare that God onely is the lorde and that we must serue him in trueth and innocencye of lyfe and shewe all loue and trueth towarde our neighbour as the very naturall reason teacheth and all right and pure consciences lyghtned with gods worde do confesse And the loude voyce of the gospell soundeth thus Feare God as godly children doe their moost louynge father honour him onely for all grace and goodnes can come from none but from him onely and feare his iust and rightuous iudgement that it be not resisted against all wickednes vngodlines vngraciousnes And worship him onely with inuocacion that hath made heaueÌ„ and earth and al that is therin Against this gospell dothe the dragon euermore speake with his first borne and eldest sonne Antichristes whiche syns Caims tyme hath euer continued euen vntyll the aduersaries whiche at this tyme doe openly resist the manifest and open knowen trueth because they thincke and imagine that it wyll be an hinderauÌ„ce vnto their pompe pryde vngodly and abhominable lyuinge But this trueth and worde of God can not be hindered nor suppressed Soner and rather must all that fall and be destroyed whiche the dragon hath imagined and dyuised against this lambe the worde of God against this trueth and against all maner of right godlynes as well the Babilonicall confusion as all maner of wycked lawes and decrees and all maner of falsehede and tyrannye The holy gospell rightly vnderstande shall beate downe confounde and vtterly destroye that cursed and abhominable Babilon how mightye and strong so euer it hath bene for the great whoredome wherof she hath made all the worlde to drincke is nowe come to lyght and knowen The texte ¶ And the thirde angell folowed them saying with a loude voyce If any man worship the beast and his ymage and receaue his marke in his forheade or on his hande the same shall drincke the wyne of the wrathe of God whiche is powred in the cuppe of his wrath And he shal be punyshed in fire and brymstone before yâ— holy angels and before the lambe And the smoke of their tormente ascendeth vp euermore And they haue no rest daye nor night whiche worshyp the beast and his ymage and whosoeuer receaueth the print of his name Here is the pacience of sainctes Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith of Iesu Here foloweth the iudgement and sentence of God against all them whiche worship this beast of Antichrist resisting and withstandinge the gospell and enuye and hate the lambe and wil robbe him of his honour dewe vnto him and wyll dyffeate Christ of his kingdome whiche God the father hath geuen him that he shoulde be kynge of all kynges and also an euerlasting onely priest and immortall whome Antichrist with his .ii. hornes goeth aboute studieth to banysshe expell and ouerthrowe and to set him selfe vp in the temple of the christeÌ„ churche as thoughe Christ shoulde nothinge care for his churche but were absent and had forsaken it and had broken his promisse And as thoughe the gospell were in his I meane Antichristes power and in suche an hart as is rather possessed with a deuyll of pryde infydelitie and of abhominable presumpcion to condemne the holy gospel and to stablyshe and set vp al suche thinges as maye subuerte and ouerthrowe the gospell as ydolatreous and supersticious ymages to be honoured in the churche hethenishe ceremonies onely inuented for pompe couetousnes pleasure pastime and to bleare and deceaue the simple He geueth vnto his sworne champions his marke of supersticious orders wherwith he bewitcheth and inchanteth them wherof neyther S. Peter nor S. Paule neuer made mencion nor neuer knewe And besydes this he byndeth them with a wicked othe and a deuillyshe vowe against all godlynes and all to confirme and stablyshe his pompe and abhominable pryde against all heauenly and earthlye power institute and ordeyned of god without all maner of shame and feare Al they whiche consent vnto this damnable beast or eyther worship or maynteyne him they shall surely suffer the wrathe of God whiche is alreadye prepared in the Babilonicall cup powred out of God and redye at hande wherof they shall drincke not onely in the botomles pit of hell but also euen here in this worlde accordinge to the effecte and doctrine of gods worde and to the preachinge of the holy prophetes of Christ him selfe and of the apostles with as muche shame opprobry and destruccion as is possyble for them to haue in this worlde And yf their vnrepentant harte shall heape vnto them selues the treasure of yâ— wrath of God goyng forwarde in
rightuous iudgemente and shall vtterly banyshe and consume them accordinge vnto his moost victorious and muincible worde The texte ¶ And another angell came out of the temple which is in heauen hauynge also a sharpe syckle And another angell came out from the aultar whiche had power euer fyre and cryed with a loude crye to him that had the sharpe sickle and sayde thruste in thy sharpe sickle and gaddre the clusters of the earthe for her grapes are rype And the angel thruste in his syckle on the earth and cut downe the grapes of the vyneyarde of the earthe and caste them into the great wynefat of the wrath of god and the wynefat was troden without the cytie and bloude came out of the fat euen vnto the horse brydels by the space of a thousande and syce hundred furlonges Lyke as before the iudgement of Antichrist and his felowship was prophecied in this world with the spirite of Helias and with the syckle of the gospel euen so doth the spirite of god in this place prophecie further of y◠other iudgement which shal happē afterwarde at the latter daye vnto these obstinate impenitent and blynde contemners of gods iudgemēt in euerlastinge damnacion after the latter iudgement Whiche damnaciō or hell is here vnderstande and signified by the great fat of gods wrathe where all the wicked shall come together and with one stampe treadinge of gods iudgement sentence and rightuousnes shal be euerlastingly trodē as muche more greuouslye thā by y◠worldly and temporall punishement in this lyfe as the heate of the fyre is more painefull and intollerable vnto the bodye of man than are the cloudes vnto y◠earthe or any darkenes vnto the eyes Whiche so greuous damnacion and destrucciō is sygnified by the feareful bloude whiche floweth ouer the earth that the horses treade therin euen vnto their brydles Thus vseth the holy scripture to descrybe and paynt the greuous and terryble iudgement of God by suche greate vgsome and terryble figures ¶ The .xv. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe another sygne in heauen great and maruellous seuen angels hauynge the seuen last plages for in them is fulfylled the wrathe of god And I saw as it were a glassy see myngled with fyre and them that had gotten victorye of the beaste and of his ymage and of his marke and of the nomber of his name stande on the glassye sea hauynge the harpes of God and they songe the song of Moses the seruaunt of God and the songe of the lambe sayinge Greate and maruellous are thy workes Lorde God almightye iuste and true are thy wayes thou kyng of sainctes Who shall not feare O Lorde and glorifie thy name For thou onely art holy and al Gentiles shal come and worship before thee for thy iudgementes are made manifest THis is a nother prophecye of the holy apostle S. Iohn reueled and opened vnto him of god that against all the wyt and reason of man against al worldly power against the diuises ymaginacions and hinderances of all enemyes and of all the wicked the gospell shall ryse vp in the dominion of the Romaynes thorowe the dysciples of Christ thorow the holy goost and thorowe the wonderfull and meruelous power of God And also many heuy plages shall come vpon those wicked and vngodlye people and vpon the myghtie rulers of this worlde whiche studye and go about to hynder the procedynge of the gospell All these plages are rekened one after a nother thorowe the .vii. angels and the .vii. vyalles This sea of glasse myxed with fyre sygnifieth the wickednes of this worlde and al wicked enemyes and aduersaries of the trueth and doctrine of the gospell and of all Christen and innocent conuersacion and of all godlye liuynge Against whiche enemyes at all tymes in this worlde and specially at the first beginnynge and springynge vp of the gospell and christen religion the holy electe were fayne to lye in felde and to warre Against the Iewes with miracles against the heathen with holy scripture against the suttell Philosophers and worldlye wyse men with the faythe that the gospel teacheth and with an innocent and a godly lyfe against the tyrannes and the violence of the Romaines with pacience Against ydolatrye false seruice of God with stedfast constantnes euen vnto death cleauynge vnto the vnderstandynge and sentence of the trueth And thus thorowe the power of Christ and thorowe the spirite of Helias they haue gone thorowe them and gotten the victorye against the olde dragon and his wicked spirites and against all vnfaythfull in y◠who le worlde and in al nacions And the laude honoure and triumphe of this victorie they ascribed to no creature but onely to Christ whiche alone can ouercome the wickednes of the worlde all lyes and falsehede the deuyll with all infidels in spyte of all their tyrannye And therfore as Moyses dyd synge a song of prayse and thankes geuynge after the destruccion of Pharao after the ioyfull victorye of the children of Israell euen so also dyd they synge vnto him the song of the lambe whiche belongeth and is dewe vnto him onely sayinge It is gods worcke and not ours whiche the almightye hathe wonderfullye and graciously wrought for vs for his owne glorious sake whiche is rightuous in his iudgementes and true in his promyses whose wayes are iudgement grace rightuousnes and trueth whiche onely preserueth the faithfull electe as a puyssaunt and mighty lorde and as a faithfull and louynge father whome all men ought to feare with suche reuerence as godly childrē geue vnto their fathers and with all hartye obedience other wyse than the wicked whiche lyke vnfaithfull contemptuous children doe despyse and contemne their omnipotent and almightye God and father and rightuous Lorde and iudge whiche knoweth all thinges And therfore he is to be praysed and most highly exalted in the congregacion of the faithfull as he is euerlastingly hated and cursed of the wicked and damned sort to their vtter and eternal damnacion And no man can hynder or auoyde it howe strong and mightye so euer the Emperour of Rome is as Domicianus Nero and other but that al nacions shal heare beleue and receyue the holy gospel whan the tyme is ones come and shall honour and worship the onely eternall almightie God and his Messias promysed vnto them the sauiour of the whole worlde and the redemer of all faithfull electe The texte ¶ And after that I loked and beholde the temple of the tabernacle of testimony was opē in heauen and the seuen angels came out of the temple whiche had the seuen plages clothed in pure and bright lynnen and hauynge their brestes girded with golden girdels And one of the foure beastes gaue vnto the seuen angels seuen golden vyalles full of the wrath of God whiche lyueth for euermore And the temple was full of the smoke of the glorye of God and of his power and no man was able to enter into the temple til y◠seuen
of Christ that the proud seate of Rome her adherentes Thus may yâ— be the eight beast as yâ— papacie or see of Rome is the seuenth but it shal sone be iudged vnto damnacion The .x. kynges receyue not yâ— kyngdome of God vntil they receyue the gospel of Christ not of Antichrist but of the spirite of Christe But in the meane tyme they shall receyue power and aucthorite of the beast whiche power they shall exercyse and practyse to ouercome yâ— lambe to oppresse the gospell for the pleasure of the. ii horned beast But yâ— lambe the worde of God yâ— reuelacion of yâ— holy and godly doctrine and truth the grace of God the lorde Christ shall ouercome them For they shall vnderstaÌ„de and beleue that there is a lorde of al lordes and a kyng of al kynges To whose kyngdome the electe which are called of God from euerlastinge doe apperteine And thus shal the. x. kynges shortly hate the whore with her court and shal turne her naked out of yâ— florishyng and bewtifull rayment wherwith they and their auncientries haue garnished annowrned this whore her harlottes by yâ— meanes haue geueÌ„ occasioÌ„ vnto suche pryde vnchristen pompe I might wel say vnto suche Luciferyshe pryde for as muche as he wyl be like and equall vnto Christ and the brydegrome of the holy churche where as he hath geuen a great offence and slander vnto the holy churche in maner hathe shamed her and oppressed her thorowe his tyrannye In as muche as they the kynges and princes them selues must cfoÌ„esse yâ— the grauntes whiche this whore receyued of the Emperours Constantine Charles and Lewes beyng deceyued by her was the poyson and confusion of the christen churche This hatred and enuye against suche an whore shall the spirite of Helias styre vp in the hartes of kynges to doe with one accorde as yâ— trueth beyng knowen shall require as they dyd before indewe her with suche power And thus shall the worde of God be fulfylled The woman in the great citye is he which hath exalted himselfe for a byshop ouer all byshops and a regent and Lorde ouer all Emperours and kynges sittinge also in the place and seate of Christ whiche onely alone hath receyued power of the father ouer heauen and earth whiche he neuer gaue vnto any other as it is written Et gloriam meaâ— Alterinon dabo I wyll geue my gloto no nother Esaye xlii ¶ The .xviii. Chapter The texte ¶ And after that I sawe another angell come from heauen hauynge greate power and the earth was lyghtened with his britnesse And he cried mightely with a stronge voyce sayinge Great Babilon is fallen is fallen and is become the inhabitacion of deuils and the holde of all foule spirites and a cage of all vncleane and hateful byrdes for al nacioÌ„s haue droncken of the wyne of the wrathe of her fornicacion And the kynges of the earthe haue committed fornicacion with her and the marchauntes of the earthe are wexed riche of the aboundaunce of her pleasures THis chapter maye be taken for a songe of triumphe of al faithfull against all tyrannous kyngdoms which haue contemned the faithe trueth religion and all godlynes and woulde not abyde any of them And speciallye against the kyngdome and power of Rome by reason of the tyrannes whiche from the beginninge haue martired tormented murthered the holy professours of the onely one God And moâ—t principally against the seconde regyment of Rome whiche vnder the pretence of the name of Christe hath dealte so cruellye against all faithful Christianes and against the euangelical kingdom of god And yâ— former chapter nexte goyng before being wel vnderstaÌ„de there is no great difficultnes nor hardnes in this For this chapter is as it were an exposicion and declaracion of the former Christ the angell of yâ— great councel lyke as at his first coÌ„mynge he came in the moost highest humilitie and lowlynes became man suffered and dyed euen so at his last commynge he shal come in most bright glorye not into a virgins bodye but into the whole worlde with mooste hyghe brightnesse and proclamynge his gospell vnto the whole worlde to riche and poore wyse and symple in euyll A ioyfull gospell is it Babylon yâ— great and worishe citie she is fallen she is fallen She hathe no suche honour more that she wyll take vpon her as she hath done Nowe is it knowen that she hath bene an habitacion for the wicked vnfaithful desceightfull and of Sodomites whiche haue made all the worlde druncken and mad with her poyson and infectuous drincke And hath committed Simony withal spirituall thinges whiche euen as the cursed Simon magus dyd she hath solde for muche monye and for great riches And as for the hyghe humilitie and lowlynes of Christ whose meryte she hath pretended to be her owne she hath chopped and changed it yea she hath solde it for princely and lordly honour to be exhibite done vnto her feete and with moost deuely she pryde receyued The texte ¶ And I hearde another voyce from heauen saye come a waye from her my people that ye be not partakers of her synnes and that ye receaue not of her plages For her synnes are gone vp to heauen and God hath remembred her wickednes Rewarde her euen as she rewarded you and geue her double accordynge to her workes And poure in double to her in the same cuppe whiche she fylled vnto you And asmuche as she glorified her selfe and lyued wantonly somuche poure ye in for her of punysshment and sorowe for she sayde in her selfe I syt beynge a quene and am no wyddowe and shal see no sorowe Therfore shal her plages come in one dayâ— death and sorow and honger and she shal be brente with fyre for stronge is the Lorde God whiche shall iudge her These wordes speaketh Christ thorowe his spirite from heauen vnto his people that they shoulde forsake the companye and felowshyp of Antichriste that they make not them selues partakers of yâ— horrible synne of the double indignacion and also of the plages whiche shall lighten vpon him For the synne is greater than that goddes rightuousnes coulde suffer it any longer vnpunisshed And therfore he wyll recompence her with punishment as she hath deserued and that by heapes one in a nothers necke For there woulde no long sufferyng of God nor no warninge of the word of God helpe Thus hapneth it vnto all vyolent and tyrannous kyngdoms euen from the Assirians vnto the last of the Romaynes Great pryde and pompe must be subdued and vanquysshed with great shame and bondage This prophecye is lyke vnto the holy prophetes Esay and Daniel although it perteineth vnto a nother kingdom but lyke vnto that bothe in wickednes and in punishment The texte ¶ And the kynges of the earthe shal bewope her and wayle ouer her which haue committed fornicacion with her and haue lyued want onlye with her when they shall se yâ— smoke of her burnynge
and shall stande a farte of for feare of her punishmeÌ„t saying Alas alas that great citie BabiloÌ„ that mighty citie for at one houre is thy iudgemeÌ„t come And the merchauntes of the earth shal wepe and wayle in them selues for no man wyll bye theyr ware any more the ware of golde and syluer and precious stones nether of pearle raynes and purple and skarlet and al thynne wod and al maner of vessels of yuery and all maner vessels of moost precious wodâ—e and of brasse yron and synamon and odoures and oyntmentes and franckynsence and wyne and oyle and fyne â—â—ouâ—e and wheate beastes and shepe and horsses and charettes and bodyes and soules of men With this Babylon haue princes and prelates yea whole kyngdoms coÌ„mitted whordome For she hathe receyued and geuen them yea hathe set them in and out And all for worldly gayne and for honour sake without any respect of rightuousnes onely for money brybes For there was neuer founde more shamefull marchandyse than that whiche they of the Popes courte specially the Curtysans haue exercysed many yeares with other mennes goodes and with nothing els but with leade and syluer with parchement and byshoprikes with sellyng of their Pallium and Robes whiche shoulde be a spirituall iurisdiccioÌ„ and with first frutes c. Yea there is no ende of suche marchaundyse lyke as in the texte all thinges are named whiche are of any pryce So that in the Popes churche there was nothinge but for mony not so muche as the water or salte of the see nor oyle nor breade nor creame c. All must serue for holynes and for the maintenaunce of the couetousnes of the spiritualtye To be shorte reade but onely a boke that is called the Popes Fayre there is his marchandyse well descrybed and proued by the customes and lawes of the Romaynes The texte ¶ And the apples that thy soule lusted after are departed from the. And al thinges which were deâ—â—tie and had in pryce are departed from the and thou shalte fynde them nomore The maâ—ch aunâ—es of these thinges whiche were wexed ryche shall stande a farre of from her for feare of the punishment of her wepinge and waylinge and saying Alas alas that great cytie that was clothed in raines and purple and scarlet and decked wâ—tâ— golde and precious stones and pearles for at one houre so great riches is come to naught First of all there was muche holynes and muche good example and doctrine in the holy churche of Rome as S. Paule testifieth in his Epistle to the Romaynes and there were many holy byshops and martirs which loued yâ— trueth vnto whome the gospell was a synguler ioy delyght comforte and glorye But in processe of tyme it was turned vpsyde downe So yâ— there was nothing lefte in the rulers and heades of that churche but onely the name of the churche Al that was perfyght godlye and holy was lost and gone And at length their marchandyse whiche they inuented woulde no more be estemed amonge yâ— true godly christianes For they haue inoughe of those thinges whiche these marchauntes doe promyse of the grace and mercye of God and of his word And therfore the Romanystes doe meruell and frete againste the gospel because it bringeth no nother ware with it but her olde ware that is to saye humylite lowlynes pouertye sorowe contempte whiche all men doe flee and abhorte And it maketh an ende also of all worldlye pompe and honour ioy and pleasure ydlenes and wantonnes The outwarde and glorious supersticous wil bryng no more profyte or aduantage precious garmentes and perles wyll not become the professours of the gospell Coules and shauen crounes wyll no longer be taken for holynes of them that haue any vnderstandynge and knowledge Peter and Iohn and all the Apostolicall ministers of Christ wyll contemne and despyse golde and syluer For Christ hath taught them faith loue and truth pouertye and lowlynes The texte ¶ And euery shyppe gouerner and all they that occupyed shyppes and shypmen whiche worke in the see stode a farre of and cryed when they sawe the smoke of her burnynge sayinge what citie is lyke vnto this great citie And they â—ast dust on their heades cryed wepynge and waylynge and sayde Alas alas thaâ— great citye wherin were made riche all that had shyppes in the see by the reason of her costlynes for aâ— one â—oure is she made desolate Reioyce ouer her thou heauen and ye holy Apostles and prophetes for god hath geuen you iudgement vpon her Thus dothe the lorde God shewe and aduenge him selfe of all violent and tyrannous pryde and presumpcion of them whiche perswade them selues that there is no God but they or els that he hath no care of those thinges that are vpon earth Wheras it is euident and manifest out of gods worde what hathe alwayes bene the ende of all proude and presumptuous kyngdoms Whiche the spiritualtye should best haue knowen and haue taught other also And speciallye he that hath had and woulde haue suche a byshoprike And woulde also kepe it vntyll he shoulde peryshe together with it because he hathe not ordered him selfe therin after the wil of god nor after the right rule and square of gods worde and of holy scripture nor hath not done that thinge that his offyce and vocacion hath required as he ought to haue done as it is euident vnto all men They haue desyred and studyed onely to haue great power and dominion vpon yâ— who le earth in all nacions and yles onely for honour and gayne with very small studye or dilygence to rule the worlde well and godlye or to further gods honour and the saluacion of the soule onely And for this cause doeth all the worlde wonder at suche a great and horrible fall And they that seke study after dignite honour and auctorite after worldly lucre they tremble for feare and mourne and bewayle the heuy iudgement of God and their worldly hynderance But the holy and faithfull whiche not onely vpon earth regarde and seke the honour and glorye of God whiche they doe chefely desyre but also in heauen whiche haue the fruicion and perfyght syght and knowledge of the rightuousnes of God they prayse God hartely for the rightuous iudgement whiche is reueled vnto the worlde The texte ¶ And a mightie angell toke vp a stone lyke a great milstone and cast it into the see sayinge with suche violence shall that great citye Babilon be cast and shal be founde no more And the voyce of harpers and musicions and of pypers and tromperters shal be hearde no more in the and no craftes man of whatsoeuer crafte he be shal be founde any more in the. And the sounde of a myll shal be hearde no more in the and the voyce of the brydgrome and of the bryde shal be hearde no more in the for thy marchauntes were the great men of the earth And with thyne â—â—ch auntment were deceaued al ancions and in
her was founde the bloude the prophetes and of the sainctes and of all that wer slayne vpon the earthe Suche a nother thing dyd Ieremy also prophecye of the kingdome of BabiloÌ„ and euen as he prophecied so came it to passe And euen so doubtles shall â—â— lykewyse come to passe vnto this proude presumpcion and lykewyse vnto all vngodly tyrantes whether they be of the spiritualtye or of the temporaltie An heuy and greuous iudgement shall take and ouerthrowe the mightye of the worlde whiche mysuse their power and might Yea and it shall vtterly fall and decaye with all their ioy lust pryde and tyrannye whiche they haue vsed in the tyme of their gouernaunce And specially the spirituall ministers of god whiche for their office and vocacions sake ought to haue done and taught otherwyse And lykewyse suche handy craftes as haue serued ydols ydolatrie and maynteined false goddes and false goddes seruyce inuented onely for lucre and for no godlynes shall also haue an ende And lykewyse the ydel priestes with suche as depende vpon them an vnprofytable kynde of people and al suche thinges as haue ministred occasion vnto worldly lustes pleasures and delyciousnes shall haue lyke end and fall as Tyrus Babilon and Nynyue of the whiche the prophetes make mencion As Rome the Romyshe Empire also had once Muche more shall it happen lykewyse vnto the Papacye and yâ— courte of Rome and to yâ— prelates whiche ought to be spiritual as they also name them selues but in very in dede are more carnall and worldly than any other What godly men haue bene destroyed for the truthes sake in councels and at Rome it is so euydent that it neadeth not here to be rehersed ¶ The .xix. Chapter The texte ¶ And after that I herde the voyce of muche people in heauen sayinge Alleluya Saluacion and glorye and honour power be ascribed to the Lorde out God for true and righteous are his iudgementes for he hath iudged the great whore whiche dyd corrupte yâ— earth with her fornicacion and hath auenged the bloude of his seruauntes of her hande And againe they sayde Alleluia And smoke rose vp for euermore And the xxiiii elders and the foure beastes fell downe and worshypped God that sate on the seate sayinge Amen Alleluya And a voyce came out of the seare sayinge prayse our Lorde God all ye that are his seruauntes and ye that feare him bothe small and great IF a man might so say what dothe the punishment of the wicked tyrantes and their damnacion helpe or profyte the godlye and faithfull christians whiche are persecuted of the dragon of the beast and of yâ— false prophetes for the true faithe and religions sake euen vnto deathe Hete in this place is a sufficient and perfight answer vnto this question For thus it is sayde the same godly ministers and faithfull witnesses of Christe the crucified and slaine lambe they doe nothynge els in heauen in their immortall soules but synge thankes and laudes vnto God almightie styrring prouokyng and exhortynge one a nother with lyke affeccion and zeale to prayse God For Alleluia is nothinge els but prayse God Allelu is as muche to saye as prayse ye And ya is one of the names of the lorde God wherby he is named of whiche names there are dyuerse Nowe here maye we learne with what maner of wordes we shoulde and shall prayse God bothe here and also in heauen Namely thus all saluacion and goodnes whiche may be profitable vnto vs and maye be desyred of God and againe all laude and prayse for al maner of benefites and goodnes perteyneth onely vnto the mooste mercyfull eternall and almightye onely one God and must be ascribed vnto him Honour whiche is a profession and a declaracion of al vertue and godly kindnes and loue and of al mighte power and omnipotencye is due onely vnto the true onely and eternall God creatour and maker of all creatures For all his workes and iudgemeÌ„tes are right commendable holy and true without all maner of parcialitye and specially for as much as he hathe subdued and brought downe the glorious and proude tyrantes bothe of the spiritualtie and of the temporaltie and hath sent them to eternall damnacion And hathe caused their wickednes and abhominacion also to come to lyght in this worlde to the synguler comforte of the faithfull electe that were oppressed of them And thus they cease not to gyue lawdes and thanckes vnto God saying continually Alleluia But the smoke is the true oblacion and the right sacrifice whiche the holy sainctes doe offer in heauen euerlastinglye and performe also vpon earthe in the holy churche euen vntyll the latter daye I meane geuynge of thanckes and acknowledging the goodnes of God as is before sayd This oblacioÌ„ sacrifice is made coÌ„tinually without ceasynge with infynite and vnspeakeable ioy of al holy patriarkes prophetes Apostles mattirs and of the whole heauenly felowship and of all them whiche euer from the beginning haue pleased the lord God with faith loue hope and obedience But the maner and the ceremonies with the wordes reuerence and ioy whiche the holy and faithfull electe do vse dothe the holy scripture describe after the maner capacite of men in suche wyse as may be best vnderstande and perceyued of vs. Amen is as muche as that God is the trueth faithful in keping of all his promises and wordes And here maye we learne that we shoulde not name nor esteme the holy and faithfull saintes as princes and rulers of heaueÌ„ for as muche as they name them selues but seruantes of God and are no better and that also not by merite and deserte but onely by the grace and eleccion of god And also some are also greater and higher than other as Abraham parauenture than Isaac and Ioseph than Simeon Peter than Philip but that ought not curiously to be serched out of man In heauen shall we see and knowe perfitely the cause and occasion of the iudgement of God but not in this lyfe The texte ¶ And I hearde the voyce of muche people euen as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of stronge thoâ—dringes saying Alleluia For the Lorde our god omnipotent raigneth Let vs be glad and reioyce and geue honour to him for the mariage of the lambe is come and his wyfe made her selfe readye And to her was graunted that she should be aâ— rayed with pure goodly raynes For the raynes is the rightewesnes of saintes And he said vnto me write happy are they which are called vnto the lambes supper And he said vnto me these are the true sayinges of God And I tell at his fete to worship him And he said vnto me se thou do it not For I am thy felow seruaunt and one of thy brethren euen of them that haue the testimony of Iesus Whorship God For the testimonye of Iesus is the spirite of prophecye This maye be vnderstande of yâ— holy faithful saintes vpon earth whiche
or in securitie after the lustes of the fleshe rightuously and vnrightuouslye For there shall no colour crafte lyes dissimulacion violence might anger or respecte of parsons auayle or helpe but euery man shall there be iudged accordynge to hys workes And thus shall hell with all suche that belong vnto it shall be damned be nothing els but a fyery lake a terryble and heuy state of damnacion ordeyned and prepared of all the myserie sorowe wickednes and euyll that can be thought or ymagyned This is the seconde death the rewarde punyshment and recompence of all them whiche are not founde writen in the boke of lyfe which shall remayne perpetually with Christ in heauen with all the holy angels and electe in the ioyfull perfyght and eternall blisse and fruicion of all the grace and goodnes that is prepared of God and of Christ our heuenly kynge for all faithfull beleuers But this is incomprehensyble vnto all reason wytte and sense of man onely to consyder it generallye as S. Austen saith saluacion is a state wherin is all perfyghtnes aboundantly of all those thinges that are good and to be desyred eyther in heauen or in earth wherunto God of his mercye will helpe and bryng vs. ¶ The .xxi. Chapter The texte And I sawe a newe heauen and a newe erth For the fyrst heauen and the fyrst erth were vanysshed away there was nomore See And I Iohn saw that holy cytie new Ierusalem come down from God out of heauen prepared as a bride garnisshed for her husband And I harde a great voyce out of heauen saying beholde the tabernacle of God is with men he wyll dwell with them And they shal be his people God himselfe shal be with them and be their God NOwe from this place forth the holy Apostle and Euangelyst S. Iohn describeth the saluation of al suche as are electe their state and the kyngdome of heauen and finally the euerlasting blisse wherof he wrote somewhat in the fyfte chapter but here he wryteth more playnely plentuosly and largely of it As concernynge the newe heauen and newe earth after what maner they shall be it is no place here to dyspute or to contende muche aboute it The testymony of the holy apostle S. Peter and of S. Iohn in thys place is suffycient for vs S. Peter in the thyrde chapter of hys seconde Epistle sayth as Iohn doeth here that thorow the worde of God wherby heauen and earth are created and made shall there be a newe heauen and a newe earthe agayne whiche the faithfull elect shall well see whyche had rather beleue the worde of God than all the weake and deceyueable reason of the phylosophers whiche haue taken in hande to dyspute and discusse such thynges but lytle to the purpose But S. Paule dyscusseth the matter with one worde saying we shal be alwayes with the lord in that same state where Christ our lord the euerlastyng kyng is namely with all them whiche shall be saued both angels and soules and also withal those men whiche dyd ryse and wente vp to heauē with Christ This is certen that like as thorow the synne of Adam thys world is corrupte and infect and the earth also with weedes and vnprofytable thynges whyche hynder and hurte the pleasaunt and good frutes whiche myght serue and be profitable vnto the worlde and the see lykewyse with hir vnquietnes and ragyng doth muche harme so shall the earth and water no more be but altogether with out faute lyke as mankynde shall lykewyse be without any maner of faute in perfyte ioye pleasure and blisse Euen so I saye shall the whole earth be garnyshed after suche a sort that it maye be a very paradyse wythout any maner of labor that the blessed shall wyshe to lyne vpon it but that they are in their contrye in heauen The same heauen whiche was made wyth one worde may likewise be prepared of God with one worde for the whole and persyte blisse of the faythfull electe Let vs content and satysfye oure selfes with this ▪ in this doubte and dysputacyon whiche can not be comprehended nor discussed with any reason of man But the holy citie that Iohn sawe is nothyng els but the state of all the faithfull electe in eternall and full saluation withoute anye maner of imperfeccion with aboundance of all goodnes where nothing more can be desired and with sure and quiet possessyon of all heuenly treasures in the syght and fruicion of God the hyghest and the onely goodnes and felicitie as he can gyue himselfe to be inioyed and that most louingly most cōmfortably and moste blissedly vnto all treatures of knowlege and vnderstandyng And that thorowe the cleare and blissed glasse of the excellent holy and excedyng blessed manhode of Christ the kyng of all honoure and blisse vnto all faithfull elect Whose blessed and sacred body and soule vnited and knytte in one with the holy godhed is a perfite and a cleare glasse wherin hys moste pleasaunte gloryfied manhode maye be beholden In whiche glasse all the blissed sayntes that is to say all that are saued doe beholde and haue the perfite fruicion of all that goodnes whiche the Lorde God is in him selfe and of all benefites that he will gyue vnto all his creatures euerlastyngly This glasse is sygnified by the tabernacle of God wherein God wyll abyde and remayne with man with all grace and louing kyndnes and that in the newe Ierusalem whiche is buylded altogether of moste precious stones of the blyssed frendes of God in whom God hath a pleasure and a delyght to dwell and to remayne and to deale and distribute his ioye felicitie and blisse vnto the faithfull elect For Ierusalem is not the myserable and wretched citie of the Iewes whiche is called Ierusalem and Iebus and I can not tell with howe manye more names besyde whiche was so ofte ouerthrowen for the rebellyon and disobedience of their citizens and for that they forsoke God in the whyche cytie the blynde proude frowarde and obstynace Iewys doe fyxe and set all their hope and felicitie where they hope and desyre to be lordes and to reigne ouer al men with their Messias whom they vaynely beyng grossely deceyued doe looke and gape for but it is that Ierusalem whiche is neyther heauenlye nor earthly but a spirituall Ierusalem a generall felowshyp and brotherhoode of all faythfull seruaūtes of God whiche haue a ryghte Christen fayth and a perfyte loue thorowly furnyshed with all good and holy workes the bondes and lymites whereof are thorout the whole compase of the earth wheresoeuer the Lorde God is rightly knowen and truely serued after his owne wyll expressed in his worde So that there are .iii. maner of Ierusalems But saynct Iohn speaketh in this place of the heauenly and newe cytie of those which are blissed in God whiche citie is in heauen prepared of God and made readye of Christ the brydegrome of all faythfull for them his spouse Whiche spouse is garnished not
of her selfe but of God with all heauenly graces and vertues and with the ornamentes of all perfeccion In this citie of the heauenly and eternall Ierusalem shall the lorde God in Christ dwell as it were with and among his people and deare beloued spowse and well garnyshed or floryshyng bryde with moste hyghe ioye and delyght and endles blisse and felycitie The texte And God shall wipe awaye all teares from their eyes And there shal be nomore death nether sorowe nether criyng nether shall there bee any more payne for the olde thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seate sayed beholde I make al thinges newe And he sayed vnto me Write for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is doen I am Alpha and Omega the beginninge and the ende I wyll geue to hym that is a thirst of the well of the water of lyfe free He that ouercommeth shal inherite all thinges and I wylbe his God and he shal be my sonne Howe and what this blisse shall be can no man expresse But what thynges shall not be there that doeth he declare First there shall be no teares For there shall no maner of aduersitie trouble or vexacion happen vnto any man There is also no maner of decaye nor weakenes neither of the body nor of the soule no maner of sycknes nor infirmitie of complexions no bodyly hurte nor affliccion no dreade nor feare of death no heuy nor greuous temptacioÌ„ no lacke of any thing no myschanuce no weeping nor waylyng nor payne smart nor impediment For in the state of blisse and saluacion is no thought nor sorowe to be taken for any of these thinges For the first and originall occasion of all these miseries the synne of Adam and Eue for whose sake the worlde was created is altogether past and vtterly ceased ended and finyshed together with death and the deuyll thorowe the rightuousnes of our sauiour Christ Thorowe the whiche rightuousnes all mankynde so many as are faithful is reconciled vnto God for euermore Thus hath Christ syttyng vpon the stoole of his kyngdom and glorye ordeyned all thinges newe This must be stedfastlye confessed and beleued of all faithfull christians as an infallyble trueth therfore it is gods commaundement that it shoulde be wrytten for an euerlasting remembraunce for an holsome doctrine and consolacion that all men should beleue the trueth and so beleuynge obteyne blisse and saluacion For this is the ende of all thinges the blisse and saluacion of mankynde in God whiche wyll declare and dystribute his glorye mercye and louynge kyndnes vnto them whiche he hath chosen from euerlasting vnto his honour and glorye whiche is the begynnynge and ende of all thinges that are euer were or euer shal be Vnto all them which in this vale of mysery dyd thirst after rightuousnes and after the glory of god vnto them wyll the grace and fauorable mercye of God gyue the liuing wel and fountayne of all goodnes and the eternal springynge floode of refreshment vnto saluacion and to perpetuall ioy and felicitie in God But these giftes and rewardes must be obteyned with muche labour and trauell yet not properly as desert or merite for suche great euerlastynge rewarde the hyghest goodnes and felicitie can not be purchased with any labour or trauell of man but it must be obteyned and enherited of and by the free grace and mercye of God Vnto them all whiche shall be thus eternally blessed shall Christ the spouse bryde grome of the churche be their Iesus and sauiour and also their God and theyr perfyte satisfaccion in suche maner and wyse that they shall be as his deare children and louyng sonnes and he Christ shall be their father brother God and their euerlastinge kyng and captayne The texte ¶ But the fearfull and vnbeleuynge and the abhominable and murdrers and whormongers and sorcerers and ydolatres and all lyars shal haue their parte in the lake whiche burneth with fyre and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Here foloweth now also the contrary part what Christ the iudge shall ordeine and make with them whiche in this worlde were fearfull and cruell vnto all godly humble and lowly men hiche haue hurte and noyed all men whiche neuer woulde credite nor beleue the holy gospell the holy scripture the euerlastinge worde of God whiche haue handled and dealte abhominably against al kynde and nature and against al loue whiche euen against their natural kynd of very set purpose haue bene murtherers and shedders of innocent bloude whiche haue defyled and stayned the naturall state ordeyned of God with fylthy vnchastnes And haue practised sorcery and witchcrafte contrarye to yâ— honour and lawe of god not without makinge some bande or couenanut with the wicked spirite the arche nemny of God whome they haue serued and obeyed his pleasure and commaundement in setting vp of chapels and altares in seruing honouring worshippinge praying vnto and callynge vpon false goddes vnder the name of sainctes whome they haue sought farre and nere to make their oblacions vnto them against whom the holy prophetes haue alwaies cried out against the false teachers false prophetes and false apostles Theirs and all other lyars and wicked doers part shall be in eternall damnacioÌ„ where nothing is but sorowe angwishe weping and waylyng heuines dystresse delpaite with euerlasting contempt and hatred of God All whiche is the seconde death vnto the whiche men doe come thorowe these forenamed synnes and blasphemies coÌ„mitted in the world without repentance or amendmeÌ„t For the first death is the corporall death of the bodye layed vpon all men of almightye God by reason of synne The texte ¶ And there came vnto me one of the seuen Angels whiche had yâ— seuen vyalles ful of the seuen laste plages and talked with me sayinge come hither I wyll shewe â—hee the bryde the lambes wyfe And he caried me awaie in the spirite to a great and an hye mountaine and he shewed me the great citie holy Ierusalem descending out of heauen from God hauinge the brightnes of God And her shynyng was like vnto a stone most precious euen lyke a Iasper clere as Christ all and had walles great and hye and had twelue gates and at the gates twelue Angels and names wrytten whiche are the names of the twelue tribes of Israel on the East parte thre gates and on the Northsyde thre gates and towardes the Southe thre gates and from the west thre gates and the wall of the citie had twelue foundacions and in them the twelue names of the lambes .xii. apostles Christ is the angell of the great councell whiche thorowe his angels that serue him worketh and bringeth to passe the ordinances of God with punyshmentes and plages of the wicked and vnfaithfull whiche doe hynder and let his ordinances The rewarde dothe he pay him selfe For he him selfe is the rewarde and the crowne of the blessed This Christ our lorde and sauiour talketh here with Iohn his beloued and of a
speciall trust and loue towardes him he sheweth him his spouse and wyfe and nameth her the lambes wyfe but it is the christen churche the felowship of all saintes and holy electe This christen churche is in .ii. maner of states In the first state she is mylitant euer striuynge and fightyng euer in warrefare assaulted with much trouble and vexacion sorowfull vnperfyte and euer waxyng and increasynge And in the other state she is triumphant victorious euer triumphinge quiet free without care or sorowe for any vexacion perfyte heauenly blessed and euerlasting Of bothe these states for certen fewe properties the earthly Ierusalem the citie of the Iewes is set for a figure comparison example and counterpane Whiche Ierusalem of the Iewes lyeth vpon an hyll hath .xii. gates and great hyghe walles and lyeth on highe towarde the whole lande rounde about on euery behalfe Of the whiche they that wyll knowe more maye reade Iosephus which writeth largely therof Nowe here speaketh Christ of the spirituall Ierusalem in her double state It lyeth also highe for as muche as it is highly indewed with gods grace and glorious giftes for whose sake almightie God sent his onely begotten sunne vpon earth to clense and to make her pure to bylde her to bewtifie and to garnyshe her and to make her glorious euen for an euerlastynge kingdome and for a deare beloued spouse for him selfe This citie is great for it reacheth vnto all the endes and coastes of the worlde and it is also holy for it is sanctified with the holy and blessed presence of Christ with his precious hearte bloode which was shedde in the highest loue and obedience towarde god and mankynde and that washeth a waye the synnes of all the worlde in that are al the faythful purged clensed This descending of the heuenly citie Ierusalem or holy chrysten churche sygnifieth the comon felowshyp and participacion of the churche â—riumphant that reygnyth in victory with the churche mylytant that contyneweth and remaineth in battel and warrefare For they bothe are one churche deuided and sondred in .ii. onely in this worlde by reason of the tyme. For that churche whiche is nowe militant and lyeth in warrefare vpon earthe shal shortly be in heaueÌ„ victorious and triumphant This churche both vpon earthe and in heauen hathe one godly glorye al honour vertue prayse might and blisse commeth vnto her from God The light of this churche is the most precious stone namely vpon earth faythe with loue and in heauen trueth and saluacioÌ„ in Christ The walles which defende preserue and kepe this citie is the faith and belefe in the holy worde of god by the whiche the faithfull beleuers are kept and preserued The .xii. gates maye we take and vnderstande for the .xii. articles of the holye Christen faythe vpon the gates the xii apostles or patriarkes or prophetes whiche haue their glorious and holy names not onely written in heauen aboue all other holy saintes but also vpoÌ„ earth in the militant or warrefaring chutch These gates of the articles are wel and orderly set and appointed of the father of the sunne of the holy gost of the grace and rewarde of redempcion The .xii. foundacions of these walles maye be taken for the bokes of the olde and newe testament vpon the whiche the wall of the christen churche the holy faithe whiche is but one bothe of the christianes of the olde and of the newe testament bothe of the prophetes and of the Apostles is and ought to be founded and grounded And where as the Apostles are here more named than the prophetes it is done for this purpose for as much as thorow the Apostles the doctrine of the prophetes and the gospell promysed in the prophetes was spredde abrode and publyshed in the whose wyde worlde whiche gospell the prophetes dyd preache and wryte onely vnto the children of Israel and to their neighbours the people nexte about them of the lande of Israell and againe because the apostles were witnesses in their owne parsons of the slaying and death of the lambe The texte ¶ And be that talked with me had a golden rede to measure the citie with all and the gates therof and the wal therof And the citie was buylt foure square and the length was as large as the bredth and he measured the citie with the rede twelue â—â— furlonges and the length and the bredth the heyght of it were equall And he measured the wall therof an cxliiii câ—bytes the measure that the angell had was after the measure that man vseth And the buildyng of the wal of it was of Iasper And the citie was pure golde lyke vnto cleare glasse and the foundacions of the wall of the citie were garnished with all maner of precious stones The first foundacion was Iaspis the seconde Saphire the thirde a Calcedony the fourthe an Emeralde the fyfte Sardoniâ— the syrie Sardoes the seuenth Crysolite the eight Beral the nynth a Topas the tenth a Chrisoprasos the eleeuenth a Iaciute the twelue than Amâ—chist In the .xliiii. of Ezechiell and lykewyse in zacharie doe we reade of yâ— mystery of this holy citie whiche is here described as thoughe it shoulde be measured how long how brode and howe highe it were But it is done of Christ after the maner of a vision and as it were in a misterie For Christ knoweth his churche well inoughe and all whiche are the rin or belong therunto The golden reed is as it were a golden met wonde and it signifieth the right square of the holy scripture whiche onely declareth and sheweth certenly and truly what is ryghte or croked wel or amisse in the religion and doctrine ceremonies and dyscipline of the churche And where as the citie lyeth foure square it sygnifieth the .iiii. quarters of the worlde in the whiche the almightie God hath alwayes had his peculier electe faithful folowers and obseruers of the true loue of God and of the neighbour wherin consisteth the lawe and the prophetes and also the commaundement of Christ the sauiour of the whole worlde The length is from the east to the west the bredth is from the northe to the south and the higth is euen from the earth to the heauen So that heauen and earth and the whole churche both triumphant in heauen militant vpon earth are full of the glory of God of the power and kyngdome of Christ whiche the father gaue him whan as he dyd set him at his right hande in the moost hyghe honour glorye and blisse for a mirrour vnto all faithfull and holy electe An hundreth and .xliiii. is a full and a perfite nomber euen .xii. tymes .xii. And it signifieth all perfeccion of the grace of God the holy goost and of all true and perfite vertues whiche true faithe onely preserueth and maketh good and perfight and also acceptable vnto God The true faithe and belefe which hath alwaies bene preached and preserued in the holy churche as well by the Israelites as by the
the spirit and the bryde say come And let him that heareth say also come And let him that is a thirste come And let whosoeuer wyll take of the water of lyfe free Lyke as almightie God saieth vnto Moyses I am the God of thy fathers â–ª c. euen so saieth the angell here in the person of Christe by the inspiracion of Christes spirite that this prophecy was opened and reueled euen of Christ him selfe thorowe the angell vnto holy Iohn and therfore all men ought to credyte and beleue all these sightes visions and reuelacions And they ought also to be propouned and preached vnto the congregacions for their edifienge that the faithfull maye take diligent hede and beware of the terryble and shameful perels daungers and euyls which shal preuayle in the christen church and shortly aryse and beginne as is alredy happened and shall daylye be fulfylled more and more one after a nother as is before sayd But now howe Christ is yâ—â—oole of Dauid marke this wel for as much as for his sake Dauids kingdom was preserued and his posterite also was preserued in the extreme and troblesome affliccions of the Iewishe nacion vntyll suche tyme as Christ our lorde sautout was borne of the stocke and progeny of Dauid For not withstandynge all the synnes wherwith Dauid dyspleased God and dyd in maner greater and more heynous synnes than Saule dyd yet coulde he vse the helpe of no nother thing fauynge onely of faith in the promes of God whiche assured and promised him that Christ the lorde and promised Messâ—as should be borne of his seede wherin he might well reioyse bothe for him selfe and also for al his posteritie other Kynges and Lordes And therfore our lord sauiour Christ is the tooâ—e and generacion of Dauid by reason of his manhode but concernyng his godheade he hath an vnknowen rysinge vp and begynnynge and an vnknowen commynge furthe of an euerlastinge birthe And lykewyse Christ accordynge to his manhode is a bryght mornynge starre whiche should drawe and allure the eyes of al men vnto him as vnto the risyng vp vnto blisse and vnto all saluacion All this is the voyce of Christ â–ª the brydegrome And now foloweth the voyce and desyre of the bryde and spouse whiche out of a true faithe and an heartye desyre and zeale in all faithfull and electe desireth and wyssheth after the seconde comminge of Christ vnto the latter iudgement and so consequently to inioy the participacion of the blessed and perfyte kyngdome in heauen with all faithfull electe bothe with bodye and soule For all the electe children of God doe hunger and thirst after the honour and glorye of Christ in the kingdome of heauen as well they that are vpon earthe as they that are already in heauen â–ª for they wyshe and desyre in their spirite the fulfyllyng of gods wyll and pleasure wherunto with all humblenes and submission they doe vtterly submitte their wyll for they knowe that his wyll is best and moost perfyte And this desire and wyshe of the faithfull electe â–ª pleaseth God well And althoughe he wyl not heate them at suche tyme as they desyre euen at the very same Moment yet he dothe promyse vnto them his gracious ayde and mercye in the meane tyme whiche he wyll doutles performe And all of mere grace and mercye without any maner of deserte The texte ¶ I testifye vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophecye of this booke yf any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plages that are written in this booke And yf any man shall minishe of the workes of this prophecye God shal take awaye his patre out of the dooke of lyfe and out of the holy â—â—â—â—e and from the thinges whiche are written in this boke He whiche testifieth these thinges saithe be it I come quâ—â—ly Amen Euen so come Lorde Iesu The grace of our Lord Iesu Christe be with you all Amen In this place first after the speakynge of Christ and againe after the speakynge of the holy bryde and of the christen churche maye the holy Apostle S. Iohn speake these wordes in his owne parson as he dyd in the begynnynge of the booke to warne and exhorte al men there by yâ— no man adde any thing vnto this booke as a new vision no more than to any other booke of holy scripture nor take any thing there from as thoughe any thing might be mysunderstande therin and so refused as vnholy and not good For God wyll not suffer any suche thing to be vnpunysshed nor vnaduenged this is the very intent meanyng of these wordes And therfore such men doe amysse and synne very greatly whiche doe refuse this whole booke as thoughe it were not autentical where as it is euident yâ— it hath bene alwayes songe and reade in yâ— holy churche from the begynnynge to the ende Now are those bookes called Apocripha and vnautenticall whiche men might well reade out of the churche priuately by them selues but not in the churche and congregacion Nor it is not lawfull to confirme and mainteyne any maner of doctrine concerninge our faithe and relygion by the auctoritie of any suche vnautenticall bookes except it were in all pointes conformable vnto other holy scriptures And now that that foloweth here after where as he sayeth he which testifieth these thinges saieth c. These wordes maye be referred vnto that that goeth before where Christ speaketh of the callynge of the bryde Euen the same Christe sayeth here at the last ende againe yea I come without doubte take no thought nor thincke it not long the tyme is not long vnto me whiche am that I am Amen that is to saye without any doubt After this dothe holy S. Iohn conclude and ende this booke after the maner of the apostles desiring eâ—nestly the commynge of the kyngdome of Christ â–ª very quickely as all faithfull Christians doe The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with all faithfull electe Christians whiche shall be vntyll the ende of the worlde and specially with them whiche reade this booke with faithe and an holy Christen desyre and mynde Amen ¶ The ende of the Reuelacion of S. Iohn thus brefely expounded by the seruaunt of Christ Leo Iude a minister in the churche of Tigury and translated out of the high Duche by Edmonde Alen. Num. xii Eccle. xlv Hebr. iii. Marke xii Luâ— xxi â— Cor. viii Put aparte for yâ— gospel By whoÌ„ we haue receiued grace and Apostleship c. Grace be with you c. For I loue to see you that I might c. I am debter bothe to the grekes and vngrekes For I am not ashamed of the gospel Abacuâ— â—â— Which withhold yâ— truthe â—n vnrighteousnes c. Because that whan they knew god c. And as they regarded not to knowe God c. Whiche men though they knewe the righteousnes of God c. But we are sure that the iudgement of God c. Either dispisest thou
euen as Christe is yâ— head of the congregacioÌ„ Ye housbaÌ„des loue your wiues as Christ al to hath louedtde congregacion He that Loueth his wife loueth himself Ye seruauÌ„tes be obedieÌ„t to your bodely masters c We haue heard of your fayth i Christ Iesu c. Of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel Whiche also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue in the spirite Ye might be fulfilled with the knowledge c Strengthed with al might through his glorious power c. Whiche hath made vs mete to be partakers of the inheritaunce of sainctes in light For by him were all thinges created He is the begâ—nnyng and first begotten of the dead c That in him should all fulnes dwell c. Now ioye I in my suffâ—riÌ„ges for you c. For his bodies sake whiche is the congregacioÌ„ Whome we preache warnyns all men and teaching c. â— That theyr hertes might be comforted c. Thoughe I be absente in the fleshe c. And disceitfull van tie after the tradicion of meÌ„ c. In him dwelleth all yâ— fulnes of yâ— godhead bodelye â—c In whom ye are also râ—seÌ„ again through fayth â—â— And hath â—ut out the hâ—nâ—wryâ—ing â—â—â—t was agaâ—â—â—t vs c Whiche are shadowes of thynges to come c. In the thynges which he neuer sawe Touche not taste not haÌ„dle not whiche all â–ª c. And â—â—uetonsnes whiche is worshippyng of idols And image of him that made hâ—m Take hede to thy office We haue heard of your fayth i Christ Iesu c. Of whiche hope ye heard before by the trae worde of the gospel Whiche also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue in the spirits Ye might be fulfilled with the knowledge c. Strengthed with al might through his glorious power c. Whiche hath made vs meâ—e to be partakers of the inheritaunce of sainctes in light For by him were all thinges created He is the beginnyng and first begotten of the dead â— That in him should all fulnes dwell c. Now ioyâ— I in my sufâ—â—riÌ„geâ— fo◠〈◊〉 c. For his bodies sake â— whiche is â—â—e congregacioâ— Whome we preache warnyng all men and teaching c. That theyr hertes might be comforted c. Thoughe I be absente in the fleshe c. And disceitfull vanitie after the tradicion of meÌ„ c. In him dwelleth all yâ— fulnes of yâ— godhead bodelye c. In whom ye ate also riseÌ„ again through fayth c. And hath put out the handwryting that was against vs. c. Whiche aâ—â— shadowâ—s â—â— thynges to come c. In the thynges which he neuer sawe Touche not taste not haÌ„dle not whiche all c. And couetousnes whiche is worshippyng of idols And image of him that made him Take hede to thy office Thessalonica God make vs Englishmen â—â—ght Thessalonians God sende vs suche preachers This is the will of god euen your holynesse By the coÌ„mission of god our sauiour To his natural sonne In the faith Grace mercy peace As I besought the. That thou commaunde some The ende of the lawe is loue The law is good The lawe is not geueÌ„ vnto a righteous man We haue the lyke aduersaries but not the lyke diligeÌ„t preachers Paul made a priest by layeng on of haÌ„des without anoputynge Faith and conscience The cause of the decay of faith and good conscience The chiefe pollicie that bringeth meÌ„ to Christ is christian charitie Elders as we in oure commen speche vse to cal them Aldermen All prelates maye learne diligence at this mooste diligeÌ„t preachinge prelate the deuyll The charitie of the Gospel maketh one to be as glad of an others good to be as sory for an others hurt as though it were to him self not al worldly suâ— staunce to be thinune as the â—hant asâ—icall Anabaptistes do wikedly dreame The tree of lyfe The seconde death The fyrste death Manna The whyte stone Iesabel The whyte araye The open dore To be in the spirite Gods seate The precious stones The raynebowe The .xxiiii. seates and the .xxiiii. elders The sea of glasse The foure sondry beastes The face of the man The calfe The lyon The Egle. The wynges The eyes Foure angels The earth the sea and the trees The holy angell A certen nomber put for to signifye an vncerten multitude The trees Locustes The raynebowe vii thonders The quier xlii monethes The .ii. witnesses The great citie The temple of God The Arke The lyghtnyng thondering c. Heauen The womaÌ„ with childe The crienge The dragoÌ„ The .vii. heades The .x. hornes â—â—e tayle The taile of the dragon or of the deuyll The wynges The catte The Beare Tabernacle Ludouicus pius .viii. hundreth lvi The lambe This name is nowe turned and called al sainctes