Whose bloud prohibited the Aungel distroier from the houses and tentes represented the figure of Christ by whose preciouse bloud we are reconciled to God This expositiō of the Paschal lambe S. Peter him self in the .1 Pet. 1. and S. Paull in the .1 to the Corinth 5. haue brought Esaye accordeth with them in the .53 chapter And so expounded by the Apostle S. Philip in the 8. of the Actes Finally S. Iohn Baptist whiche with the fingar stretched out and poinctyng to Christ exclamed beholde the Lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Let vs therfore beleue that the same Iesus Christ vnto whom al power is geuē of the father to be our deliuerer our expiation reconciliation innocencie sanctification iustification and euerlastyng saluation as he whom we shal heare in the xiii chapt to haue bē slayne from the beginning of the world for so much as his only death one oblation made from the beginning of the world and continually to the worlds ende doeth sanctifie al those that are sanctified Which the Apostle also affirmeth in the .10 to the Hebrewes Howebeit this lambe or sauiour of the worlde is sayed to stand in the middes of the throne verely for that now he executeth thoffice of a catholicke kinge and priest gouernour beynge alwayes ready and prepared to saue So S. Stephen also in the .7 of the Actes seeth him standing Or els in other places we reade that Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father To the which this place gayne saieth not considering that to sitte is bothe to rest and to reigne Moreouer this our Lambe appereth in the Throne of the diuine maiestie The lamb appeareth as slayne as if he were killed not for that he was not slayne in dede and dead for that same is a little after excessed moste exactely but for that he remayned not in deathe but the thirde daye rose agayne from the dead to th ende he mighte so declare him selfe to be the life and resurrection of the faythful Or verely for that after his humanitie he is red to be slayne after his deitie to be immortall and subiecte to no reproche Wherfore in the old lawe the one of the goates in the 16. of Leuitic is slayne but the other is not killed but by the worke of a man herunto appoynted is led forthe into the deserte Neuertheles there is of the expositours which expounde it thus he is sayed as though he were slaine for asmuche as after S. Chrisostome and S. Austen he hath reserued as yet the seares of the woundes of his death in token of his victory c. Furthermore this lambe Christ Iesus our lord hath .vii. The lābe hath seuen hornes hornes not that in dede he carieth so many hornes like a goate of Iude. An horne as appereth by Daniel and by the songe of Zacharie in the 1. of Luke signifieth power and kingdome The .vii. nombre is the nombre of fulnes It is therfore signified that Christ is indued with al kinde of power diuine humane imperial pontifical roiall briefly moste absolute In the 13. chapt we shal heare that the beaste hath taken to him two hornes as it were of the lambe whereof I shal speake in his place Daniel in the 7. chapt And rule sayeth he was geuen him and honour and kyngedome that al nations and tounges mighte worship him whose rule is an euerlastinge rule which shal not perish nor decaye at any time Now hath he seuen eyes also These he expoundeth and sayeth The lābe hathe .vii. eyes whiche are the .vii. spirites of God sente into the whole worlde I shewed you before that the .vii. spirites are called a seuenfold spirite Here therfore is signified the fulnes of the spirite which the lord powereth out vpon al flesh Here is signified the vniuersal knowledge of the sonne in whose sighte are present what thinges so euer are done in heauen and in earth opēly priuely For the spirite of Christ that vnmeasurable force incomprehensible and most diuine searcheth and pearseth al thinges nothinge is hidde from his eyes whiche viewe the whole world And such is Christ as we haue hearde described hitherto What is the gouernour of all and who openeth the seales whome the Patriarches haue before sayed shoulde come a victour and triumphant cōquerour alone verely inuincible very man of our owne substaūce and also our very brother yet very God neuerthelesse of the same substaunce with the father and the holy ghoste the reconciler redemer and the only saluatiō of the world hath suffered for vs and the same risen agayne from the dead and ascended into heauē hauing al power in heauen and in earth whiche seeth al thinges cōmunicateth his spirite vnto men and is the most faithful keper and defender of al mā kinde This Christ Iesus our lord came and receiued he conueyed not or stale it away but toke that boke of the prouidence diuine of the iudgementes of God of the vniuersal gouernmēt of al things that he might open and lowse the Seales thereof that is to saye that he might reueale to vs that are redemed with his bloud the iudgementes of God and mighte dispose and order al thinges in heauen and in earth Therfore sins we know that the gouernour of al thinges is geuen to vs a redemer Kyng Bishop and our only saluation who will not from hence forth willingly submitte himself to his gouernement And seyng we nowe vnderstande certenly how that vnder the seale of faith and veritie al things are done by Christ who dare hereafter more curiousely inquire of his workes and iudgmentes vnto whose credite and gouernement we should nowe cōmitte althinges Howe the sonne is saied to receiue the boke at his fathers hande in case they were in our power Notwithstanding we shall obserue that the sonne doeth not so receyue these thinges of the father that the father is depriued therof For in the .5 chapt of S. Iohns Gospel the Lorde sayeth my father worketh vnto this time I worke c. Certes the sonne is called the worde mouth and arme of the father c. or that after the humanitie the sonne mighte seme lesse than the father For very godly Aretas where the lambe sayeth he receyued the boke of the right hande of him that sitteth on the Throne it must be vnderstande on the behalfe of his humanitie As also that he was slayne For concernyng his deitie none of all those thinges that maye worthely be spoken or thought of God is seuerally assigned to three persones sauing the maner of bringyng forth of him that begetteth and of him that is begotten and of hym that procedeth c. This description of Christ is singular moste excellent very euangelicall and ful of consolation and therfore is it chiefly to be layde vp in the botome of our hartes Where we finde also that they were disceaued in theyr iudgment which were not affrayde to saye that in this boke besides
pietie wherein they had excelled hitherto And he sayeth two thinges holde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holde faste that thou hast They had the gospell of Christe and the worde of eternal life the true fayth and godly religion These thinges he commaundeth to holde faste and to persist in the religion ones receyued And whilest he commaunded them to kepe that they had he signifieth by the waie that no new or other doctrine is to be loked for but that this one 's receyued doeth suffice Let vs not thinke therefore in the gouernement of the church vpon other lawes vpon other traditions than of the Gospell of Iesu Christe This is sufficient for the churche After reasonynge as it were of the losse he sayeth Therfore must thou watche diligently and holde strongly the gospel for this beyng taken away thou arte spoyled of thy crowne The crowne is a token of vertue and victory We saye Conquerours and worthie of the Empire are crowned The virgin loseth her crowne that is defiled Therfore heretikes false prophetes and seducers take awaye the crowne what time they seduce and corrupte therefore sayeth the Lorde Thou haste gotten honour and glory see that no man take it from thee So we reade that S. Paull spake in the 2. to the Coloss Let no man take from you the victory In the 18. of Ezechiel the Lorde testifieth that he will not impute rightuousnes to the iuste in case he forsake and leaue his rightousenes let vs praye therefore that we maye euermore perseuer in the worde of the Lorde ¶ He procedeth in recityng moste great rewardes The .xix. Sermon HIm that ouercometh wil I make a piller in the temple of my God and he shall goe no more out And I will wryte vpon him the name of my God and the name of the citie of my God newe IerusaleÌ„ which commeth downe out of Heauen from my God and I will wryte vpon him my newe name Lette him that hathe eares heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations Our Lorde procedeth in raccomptynge muche more ample rewardes whiche he woulde geue to them that ouercome And so he tempereth his wordes that we maye easely perceyue this promesse not onlye to apperteyne to the congregation of Philadelphia but to all the Churches in the whole worlde yea and to euerye of the faythefull And as we haue oftentymes repeted already for I am not asshamed to repete seynge that the Lorde him selfe so greately vrgeth the victorye agayne we saye that those thynges are promised not to suche as fighte lightly or negligently for diuerse fighte The warfare victorye of ChristiaÌ„s and by and by runne awaye but to those that ouercome and perseuer to the ende For our life is a warfare vpon earthe whiche Iob also hath confessed The soldiour hath a sure purpose to ouercome his enemies Our enemies are the deuil the world and the fleshe Against these we muste ernestly fight of none other intent but that we may ouercome The Apostle in the 6. to the Ephes described the armour of the faithful In victory the Sainctes consider sinceries and integritie that we lose nothyng of the veritie knowen but let vs reteyne the pure worde of God and sincere fayth and let vs kepe our bodies our soules cleane from all pollution and that to our liues ende He propoundeth moste ample rewardes by promesse The maner of erectiÌ„g pillers Wherby he alludeth to the maner of Grekes and Romanes who decreed Images to suche as deserued wel of the coÌ„mon welthe in the whiche also they wrote theyr vertues for whose cause they were set vp eyther in the court or market place or els where They semed by this meane to deliuer to theyr posteritie as it were by hande the glory of their elders whiche they made also as it were euerlastyng Piller in that scriptures Otherwise the vse of this vocable Columne or piller is diuerse Ieremie is called of God a piller for his constancie The Apostles are called of S. Paull in the 2. to the Galath chiefe pillers for their excellencie and that the churches leaned vpon them for the preaching of the veritie The church it self also is called the piller base of veritie for asmuch as it is grouÌ„ded vpon the sure rocke Christ In the Temple of SalomoÌ„ stoode two columnes or pillers figures of the euerlasting kingdome of Christ â— Timo. 3. and of the holy churche In this place a piller is taken for a man in glory and beautie excellent For he sayeth not that he will erecte a piller for a godly man but I wil sayeth he make him a piller that is to saye I wil beautifie him with honours and glory euerlastyng But where shall this piller be set where shall the glory of Sainctes be famouse The piller is set in the Temple not in Courte or market place but in the Temple of my God And the Temple of God is heauen it selfe and in our worlde the holy Churche Gloriouse therfore shal he be in the churche of Sainctes aswel militaunt as triumphaunt Albeit therfore that the very godly heare euill in this worlde yet this worlde shall peryshe Christe shall reigne for euer and the Sainctes shall reigne with him Their glorye then shall remayne for euer and euer And where he sayeth of my God Aretas expoundeth and saieth This saiynge of my God taketh not awaye the diuine nature that is sene in Christ but establisheth as I may say the consubstantialitie For it declareth the vnion of two natures whiche are in the persone of our Lord Iesu to witte of his deitie and humanitie euen after vnderstanding yet not confusely to be indissobible For they aunswer mutualy one another because of the assumptioÌ„ of the humane nature the diuine to the humane and likewise the humane to the diuine proprieties c. Moreouer the perpetuitie and stablenes of the glory of the sainctes and faithful is signified where it is added Stable glâ—ry and he shall go no more out For many times pillers are brokeÌ„ and cast down and renowne ones gotten perisheth and fadeth away But Christ promiseth to them that ouercome that they shall neuer be cast out of the fellowship of Sainctes neyther that the glory of the faithfull should be obscured at any time And thus farre of the piller it selfe Here followeth of the inscription of the piller The inscription of the piller of what sort it shal be Thre thinges chiefly are wrytten in the Sainctes to witte the name of God the name also of the citie of God and the new name of God or of Christ Whiche we shal discusse in order First the name of God is ascribed to the godly that is they them selues are called by the name of God be the children and heires of God Whiche is discoursed at large in the first of Iohn and the .viii. to the Romains Ouercomers be the childreÌ„ of God And what can you deuise to be more honorable than to
be and be called the sonne not of kyng nor Emperour but of the liuing God But this same noble grace the Lorde graunteth to thē that ouercome In the first of Iohn the .iii. and .v. Victours be citezens of the citie of God Chap. Secondly to the ouercomers is inscribed the name of the citie of God that is to say the Godly man is wrytten in the nōber of the citez ns of the citie of God and is verely a citezen of the citie of God I saye euen of the citie of God It was a great matter in tymes past to be a citezen of Rome But it is farre greater to be a citezen of the citie of God The citezens inioye all priuileges and commodities finally the glory of the citie the church is described what i◠is But this is greater and more than that it can be declared at fewe wordes But the churche is the citie of God And the citie of God is the churche Whiche is here set forth with thre epithetes or titles of the whiche it is easy to iudge what the churche is or what we shuld thinke therof The church is the citie of God For lyke as the citie is the fellowship of citezens Euen so is the churche the communion of sainctes The Prince of thē is Christ the head of the churche The rounde worlde it selfe was a figure of this churche and the very setting vp of the tentes in the middes wherof was sene the Tabernacle a token of the deitie present as it were a cohabiter c. For the Lorde is in the middes of the churche As we haue red in the xxvi of Leuit. And in the .2 to the Corinth the .6 Secondly the churche is called new Hierusalem For the olde was a figure of the newe This corporall churche is new Hierusalē that is to say spirituall Whiche S. Paul also affirmeth in the iiii to the Galath For in the thirde place is expounded that newnes It is not builded of men but cometh downe from heauen aboue For vnlesse we be borne from aboue of spirite and of sede immortall to witte the word of God we can not be members of the churche And we are borne by a spirituall regeneration the children of Christ of the church Wherof the Lorde himselfe discourseth at large in the .iii. of Iohn 1. Petri. 1. And S. Paul the first to the Corinthians the .iii. iiii There shall be more sayd of the new Hierusalem in th end of this boke But of these ye vnderstande what is the churche of Christ the fellowship of the faithfull regenerated by the worde of God c. The viccours get a new name Finally in them that ouercome is wrytten a new name and that in dede the new name of Christe Not only that they should be called Christians of Christ but because the name is a brief description of euery thyng and nature and a newe name is promysed It followeth that we should vnderstande that men shall be renewed chiefly by glorifiyng He promyseth therfore a glorifiyng to the Godly Wherof is spokē els where in the .xvii. of S. Math. 1. Cor. xv Phil. iii. And the first of Iohn the .iii. These most ample rewardes the sainctes may verely loke for if they fight that they may ouercome Hereunto is annexed the wonted acclamation by the whiche both this doctrine is applied and communicated to all churches through out the worlde And is declared that it came not of men as vayne but of the very spirite of God moste true This spirite the Lorde graunt vs. ¶ The Lorde blameth sore the churche of Laodicea The .xx. Sermon AND vnto the Aungell of the congregation which is in Laodices write This saith Amen the faithfull and true witnes the beginning of the creatures of God I know thy workes that thou art nother colde nor hoat I would thou were colde or hoate So then because thou art betwene both and nother colde nor hoate I wyll spew thee out of my mouth Because thou sayst I am riche and increased with goodes and haue nede of nothīg And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable poore blinde and naked The seuenth and last Epistle of our Sauiour Christe The argument of the epistle to the Laodiceās is written by the hand of S. Iohn to the Byshop of Laodicea The same is a great reproche of that people in nothing commendable And neuerthelesse a faithfull admonition or exhortation to repentaunce And after his accustomed maner he signifieth to whome he wryteth and from whom the Epistle procedeth The Epistle is indited of Christ to the Byshop of Laodicea and to the whole congregation Therfore some thing is to be said of the Laodiceans wherby the reste may the better be vnderstande and considered Laodicea the chiefe citie of Caria after Strabo Plinie standeth by the riuer of Lycus Antiochus Theos Laodicea builded the citie and named it after his wyfe It was the welthiest citie of Asia Whiche Vadiane also hath noted in his Epitome It had by makynge of wollen clothe a moste plentifull gayne Vnto whome S. Paule semeth also to haue preached the gospel For he mentioneth of Laodicea from whence also some men thinke he wrote the first Epistle vnto Timothee Colos 4 Certenly it appereth that the Laodiceās had receiued the gospel euen by this Epistle but corruptely For they went about to matche the worlde and the churche together and to ioyne together Christ and Mammon And as it is sayd at this daye The sinne of the Laodiceans Therfore they layd not aside their auarice and their immoderate trafficke to vse moderatly the trade of marchaundise without disceptfulnes no religion doeth forbid and exceading great riot and pride neyther semed they to wante any thing but to haue and seme to haue all thinges for that they were riche Against these mē the Lord inueigheth greuously declaring them to be very miserable and more than nedy plaine beggars For as in the churche of Philadelphia he blamed nothing so in this he commendeth nothing at all Laodicea a figure of many churches at this day You shall finde at this daie many lyke to whome this is common and euer in their mouth I haue learned both to be a gospeller and to be a souldiour to drinke to play the whoremonger and liue at pleasure You shall finde like churches seruing both Christ and Mammon or marchaundise Bacchus Venus and God of battel Both they and al these here are confuted and are called to repentaunce Which argueth that the mercy of God is greatest not forsaking nor reiecting so corrupt churches and men full of so great filthines Wo be to them that cōtemne this vnmeasurable mercy and goodnes of God and long suffering and continewe in their mischiefe The description of Christ Christ is here againe most plentifully described who he is as in the fourmer titles Certes it may be gathered of al that this is the best and moste perfit
He propoūdeth also thexāple of the cōquerour Christ For we must ouercome as he hath ouercomē He in dede ouercame most perfitly we after our litle strēgth fight and ouercome And verely the true victory in vs is the liuely vertu of Christ that is to say by him they ouercom whosoeuer ouercome And like as he hauing ouercome death vanquished the world the deuill ascended into heauen sate on the right hand of the father so he promiseth vs also ouercomming that he wil geue vs the seat of his father not that we sitting on the right hande of God should iudge ouer al flesh beyng made Christes but that beynge made pertakers of euerlasting glory and deliuered from all iudgement we maye appere in glory when he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead We reade of a like promise made to the disciples Matth. 19. and Luke 22. And so assuredly shall this glory come vnto vs as Christ him selfe did verely ascende into Heauen and sate in the glory celestiall And here we must note a speciall thing that Christ geueth here that thing whiche in the 20. of Matth. he denieth that he can geue to Iames and Iohn that is to sitte in the glory celestiall Therfore this place expoundeth that The diuinitie of Christ For Christ after his deitie geueth that whiche after his humanitie he denieth that he cā geue This place then proueth that Christe is very God geuer of eternall life c. He addeth after his maner an acclamation wherby he applieth this epistle to al congregations and affirmeth it to be inspired of the spirite of Christe Whereof we haue spoken before And we haue treated hitherto of the seconde parte of this worke wherin are declared the moste excellent poinctes of our religion who of what sorte is Christ The sum sittyng in the glory of the father howe he is presente in his churche and gouerneth the same as kynge and priest by his spirite by his worde and Sacraments What also and of what sorte is the church of Christ what is the true and righte doctrine of the churche what opiniōs are wicked What is to be done with erroneouse doctrines and seducers howe the churche fallen and afflicted maye be repared what is true repētaunce and what are the dueties of the godly and many other thinges of like sorte To God the father be prayse thankes geuinge and glory through Iesus Christe our Lorde ¶ The seconde vision is shewed to S. Iohn wherin he seeth God in his Throne with Elders whome he describeth gallauntly The .xxiij. Sermon AFter this I loked and beholde a dore was open in heauen and the first voice whiche I hearde was as it were a trōpet talkyng with me whiche saied come vp hither and I will she we thee thinges whiche muste be fulfilled herafter And immediatly I was in the spirite and beholde a seate was set in heauē and one sate on the seate And he that sate was to loke vpō like a Iasper stone and a Sardine stone and there was a rainebowe aboute the seate in sighte like a Smaragde And about the seate were xxiiii seates And vpon the seates xxiiii Elders sittinge clothed in white raymente and had on theyr heades crownes of Golde The thirde parte of this worke reacheth from the beginning of the 4. chapter vnto the beginning of the 12. chapter And conteyneth a notable vision moste holesome and of muche fruicte The first vision which we hearde expounded in the 3. chap. exhibiteth a figure of Christ and of his church and howe the Lord reigneth in the same how also the church behaueth or oughte to demeane her selfe In the seconde vision S. Iohn declareth howe by a most iuste and most holy gouernement God gouerneth all thynges by Christ which chaunce and are done to the churche in the worlde and of the worlde The argumēt of the seconde vision In these are rehearsed the most sorrowful destenies of the church calamities plages and destructions famines persecutions reuoltinges heresies conflictes and other euilles moste greuouse of the same sorte c. Who also and what and howe iuste God is rightuouse and holy in all his iudgementes here is described That he is Authour of all That God throughe the moste wittie and excellent gouernement of Christe ruleth all thinge that the holy Aungelles also and al creatures do acknoweledge him and geue glory vnto God For so it teacheth vs also in al our doynges Th ende of this visiō and euen in the very greuouse calamities and persecutiōs wherof it shall prophecie moreouer the acknoweledge the prouidence and good wil of God towardes vs and his most iuste gouernement This if we shal do with quiet mindes we shal beare also moste heauy burthens patiently we shall cease with curiouse questions to inquire whye God permitteth Antichrist to spring vp to increase and reigne to oppresse the religion and Sainctes of God Then shal cease also the blasphemouse mutinyng of those which are not affraide to saye God is in dede the Lorde he is almightie he doeth what he will and as he will we are bonde seruauntes and rather worse than bondemen We are forced to beare what so euer he wil laye vpon vs c. As thoughe God were vniuste and after a tirannicall feare terrible and ruled after a carnal lust It is most shameful to thinke thus much more to speake it This vision shal declare that God by his prouidence gouerneth althinges and that the same is iust in al his wayes and holy in al his workes And firste S. Iohn is prepared to receyue this vision A preparatiō to this vision yea and we also are prepared in him For when he had sene the dore in heauen to be wyde open he hearde withall come vp hither c. It is surely a benefite not to be expressed with tonge that the Lorde openeth heauen for vs miserable men mortall and suffereth vs to see what is done therin or what he him selfe doeth there and what his workes or iudgments be towardes men Let no man saye herafter that God doeth in Heauen what thinges he liste not passinge vpon vs that crepe vpon earthe and who also muste suffer that we woulde not For nowe he maketh as it were an accompte of his workes and beyng assured admitteth thee as a looker on of the matter And here he declareth with a godly voice The mīde muste be lifted vp what Iohn shuld do and how he should behaue him self Christ biddeth Iohn ascende into supercelestial places not in body but in minde Therefore muste our minde be lifted vp into the contemplation of Heauenlye thinges and be pourged as muche as maye be from earthely affections that we maye beholde heauenly thinges with an heauenly contemplation What will we saye that the example of Iohn followeth immediatly And incontinently I was in the spirite that is in a spirituall cōtemplation or rauished with the spirite into the faithful consideration of those thinges whiche
but because they reste from their labours and be of most quiet and pure affectiōs sitting with the high iudge But what thing doe these They geue God no counsell what he should do or by what meane or waye he maye doe this or that but they allowe his iudgementes For they know all his workes to be iuste and holy The whiche shal immediatly follow What shal we do than shal it be mete for vs to inquire of the iudgementes of God or prescribe what he shoulde do or not do I thinke not you haue in this vniuersalitie of sainctes al patriarches al iudges and kinges al princes the whole people of God you haue emonges these king Salomon him selfe and the moste excellent and wittiest Princes of the world you haue the Apostles and men Apostolical Martirs and the wise men of the whole vniuersal worlde Wilte thou condemne their iudgementes following therfore theyr example busy not thy selfe to moue curiouse questions prayse the iuste iudgementes of God and know that the Lord is iust in al his wayes and holy in all his workes To whom be glory ¶ Here is described the procedynge of the holye spirite and operation the almightie knoweledge of God and howe the Throne of God is borne vp or susteyned of the foure beastes and what the beastes doe The .xxiiij. Sermon ANd oute of the Seate proceded lightenynges and thonderinges and voices and there were seuen lampes of fire burnynge before the seate whiche are the seuē spirites of God And before the seate there was a Sea of glasse like vnto Christal And in the middes of the seate and rounde aboute the seate were foure Beastes full of eyes before and behinde And the first beast was like a Lion the seconde beast like a calf and the thirde beaste had a face like a man and the fourth beaste was like a fliyng Egle. And the foure beastes had eche one of them sixe wynges and rounde about without and within they were full of eyes And they had no reste daye nother night saiyng holy holy holy is the lord God almightie whiche was and is and is to come The marke ende of the firste parte of this vision Our Lorde Iesus Christe as the faithefull pastour of his church wil vtter the destenies and wōderful calamities that wil come vpon the churche Therfore to the intent he might stoppe the mouthes of suche as mutiue and be inquisitiue of the iudgementes of God and might perswade al mē to haue patience in these stormes of euilles he setteth forth a treatise before wherein he sheweth that all thinges are done or permitted to be done of God by his most iuste prouidence and are gouerned or ordered by the Lambe with a iudgement most rightuouse and holy For who so beleueth and remembreth this in what chaūces so euer he happen he submitteth him self humbly and lowly and obediently to his God and crieth alwayes the Lorde is rightuouse in all his mayes and holy in al his workes And this is the moste true state of the first parte of this vision which is done in the 4. and 5. chapt And is more ouer most elegaunt moste pleasaunt and moste full of consolation Althinges are more liuely set forthe and perceyued in suche fitte and heauenly representations than they can be vnderstande in bare wordes A recapitulatiō or brief rehersall First is recited a Throne that in dede a celestial throne leeste in the workes in the prouidence and iudgementes of God we shoulde Imagine any thynge carnall or corrupte Secondly he that sitteth on the throne is represented vnto vs by two coulours Grene and red For God is an eternal essence geuyng to al their greues or beyng The same burneth in loue towardes man kinde and willeth wel vnto man but to the disobedient and rebelles he is a consumyng fire And the throne is inuironed with a raynbow grener than grasse comfortyng vs that we should not be dismayed at the sight of that Godly throne but should remembre alwaies that he whiche sitteth in the throne iudge gouernour of al is most true and kepeth his promesses to be that same leage frende of oures .xxiiii. Elders sitte rounde aboute the throne which already are signified what they be and as it were shadowed streight waye in the ende of the iiii chapt and in the fifte shal be declared what they doe or what they saye Doubtles all the Sainctes in heauen are lokers on of the iudgemētes and workes of God For the iudgementes of God be not sutch that they should flee the light and knoweledge of Sainctes Now followeth out of the Throne proceded lightninges c. In the throne is he that sitteth and the lambe that is the father and the sonne and frō them bothe procedeth the holy ghoste For by interpretatiō it followeth immediatly which are the seuen spirites of God For the lightenyngs the signes of the holy ghoste thonderings other thinges rehearsed signifie or be tokens of the holy spirite whiche els where is red also to be shadowed by fire water and winde and by firie tounges But no man wil thinke that the holy ghost whiche is one in substaunce and of the simple nature diuine should be plucked into seuen partes For I tolde you in the first chapt how the seuen spirites of God are put for the seuenthfolde most ful and most perfit spirite of God We haue in the beginning of this visiō the whole misterie of the blessed Trinitie so much as is nedeful for vs to know The holy Trinitie beleue professe There is one Seate in that one seate are conteined the sitter lambe spirite therfore there is one diuine essence nature and thereof is one power and maiestie one rule because ther is one throne briefly there is one god true eternal for euermore blessed As Moses also in the 6. of Deuter. and al the prophetes and Apostles haue euery where taught Howbeit in this only vndiuided substaunce is sene a most plaine distinction of persones For there is he that sitteth in the throne the lambe and from bothe procedeth the holy ghoste This misterie of the Trinitie we professe in the Crede This appereth openly in the incarnation of our lord whilest the aungell sayeth to the virgin the holy ghoste shal come vpon thee and the power of the hiest shal ouershadow thee And that which shal be borne of thee shal be called the sonne of God Likewise in the baptisme of Christ is hearde a voice from heauen vpon the Lord This is my wel beloued sonne The holy ghost also appereth in the likenes of a doue Wherupon the lord cōmaunded vs also to be baptized in the name of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost This professiō is certaine true and so set foorth by the most manifest scriptures liuely preaching of the apostles like as Tertullian declareth against the heretike Praxeas We ought rather beleue cleaue vnto
vp to God the father the body bloud of Christ a propiciatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead But Ireney and Tertullian speake not of such a sacrifice but of the oblation of prayers which the massemonging Prieste offereth not vp alone but the whole cōgregation of Christ sanctified in his bloud geuynge thankes in the lordes supper to God the father for theyr free redemption These holy fathers neuer knewe the sale Masses of these Chananites Againste praying to sainctes in Heauen Of this same place of S. Iohn the selfe same Papistes go aboute to proue and to establishe the praying to Sainctes in heauen Beholde saye they the Sainctes are sayed to praye openly in heauē But they nede not to praye for them selues and therefore as intercessours and Patrones they praye for their clientes and worshippers in Earth I aunswer that the Sainctes in dede praye in heauen but that you addyng the kinde and maner of praying do expounde it to be intercession patchyng to a piece of your owne do forge and coūtrefet the same and maliciously and falsely do belye it S. Iohn here expoundeth him selfe so that he nedeth not your patchyng For he addeth and they singe a newe songe Yea and he reciteth the whole fourme of this song leeste any mā should corrupte that whiche he had sayed of prayers And that same fourme conteyneth prayse and blessing or thankes geuyng and not intercession or inuocation For certayne it is euen by the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Timoth. 2. and to the Philipp 4. that there be two chiefe kindes of prayer inuocation and prayse or thankes geuyng But the thing it selfe playnly proueth that S. Iohn speaketh here of the latter and not of the first The shadowes of the lawe are expoūded And where as this place expoundeth certen Tipes shadowes or misteries of Gods lawe by the same we maye rather confute the intercession of Sainctes in Heauen for their worshippers For in the lawe is permitted one onlye golden Aultar of incense And the same represented a figure of Christ For one Christe is the mediatour and intercessour betwixt God and man It was not laweful for the people of God to burne incense but vpon this Aultar only It was not laweful for any man to prepare or make for him selfe an odour of those kinde of gumes whereof the diuine incense consisted and to smell to it as appereth in the .30 of Exodus Whie than doe not these vnderstande that prayers belonge to God alone and that the Sainctes in Heauen woulde not smell of suche incense Dauid in the .141 psalm sayeth let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sighte the listynge vp of my handes an euening sacrifice The Deuill desireth to haue suche maner of incenses to be made vnto him As appereth in the .4 of Matth. and in S. Austen of the Citie of God But our heauenly Sainctes are not Deuilles Whie vnderstonde they not that this Aultar of incense standeth nowe in Heauen on the ryght hande of the father and there maketh intercession for vs and that for his sake the father is reconciled to vs and we are accepted of God and that by him alone we muste offer vp our prayers vnto God whiche are els abominable Whie see they not the heauenly Sainctes at this present to attribute al things to the only lambe alone and to chalenge nothyng to them selues Finally that they make no mention of their worshippers but plainely testifie that the only lambe was and is worthie whiche should take the boke c. And the praise or thankes geuing of the heauenly sainctes he hath called a newe songe What is a newe song whiche in the Scriptures is no newe thynge For the Sainctes saye that they will singe in Earth vnto God a newe songe Psalm xxxiii.xcvi.xcviii.cxliiii Esaye .xlij. And newe songes be called these newe balades or verses in meter whyche are made of some newe benefite or noble acte done And because the minde of manne is delighted greately with newe benefites they synge a newe songe whyche with a ioyefull mynde prayse GOD and geue him thankes with theyr inwarde affections Finallye they synge a newe songe whiche wyth purified myndes and renewed with the Spirite doe laude GOD whiche thynge was chiefely geuen to those heauenly Sainctes Whereof we learne agayne howe it behoueth our mindes to be affected and furnisshed in the prayers and prayses of GOD. This same sayeth Aretas I cal a new songe by whose benefite we whiche beyng lighted in al partes of the earth departing from the antiquitie of the lawe written and walkynge in the newnes of life are taught by the holy ghost to singe a geuing of thankes The himne or prayse geuing of the sainctes in heauen To these thynges nowe is added the Himne of Sainctes that we might also haue a fourme howe to prayse God And in the Hymne they singe that al things are subiecte to christ and al thinges ordered by his gouernment that he humbled him selfe to the deathe and was therefore exalted aboue all thinges Now are also the vertues or effectes and wonderful benefites of his death cōmended vnto vs that estemyng the gouernour of his benefites done to vs we maye beleue also that his gouernement shal be holesome for vs and therefore maye submitte our selues to him willingly in faythe and patience Whiche verely is the chiefest ende of those thinges whiche here are treated with so great diligence Christe alone is worthy to open the boke Firste they cōmende the Maiestie and dignitie of Christ that he alone is founde in the whole vniuersal world whiche hath rule ouer al which is the only sauiour of the world the reuealer also of godly misteries and gouernour of all For this is to take and to open the boke whiche we haue nowe oft times repeted Secondly they annexe the cause why this glory should be only of the lambe or sonne of God because saye they thou waste killed And they vnderstande by the lesse the more to witte his whole incarnation and the whole misterie of our redemption death resurrection and ascensiō into heauen and the residewe He therefore is the true and only mediatour of God and men he is the only sauiour as he that alone was incarnate crucified for vs he is the only gouernour whiche by his humilitie deserued to be exalted Philipp 2. And he is a most fitte gouernour of al thinges as of whome al men maye as of their most faithful sauiour and euen their brother hope well what thinges so euer chaunce vnto them through his gouernement c. The vertu effecte of the death of Christe In the meane time they cōmende most highly the vertue or effecte of Christes death For this beynge rightly vnderstande we are more ready to submitte our selues to that gouernour whom we knowe to be our sauiour whiche loueth vs derely and would haue al saued And the chiefest effect of Christes death is redemption Redēption redeminge
haue their mallice and power at an ende Thus farre he But where as the Scripture euery where agreably witnesseth that the sainctes in heauen are free from greues affections and to liue nowe a newe life moste farre from all payne and perturbatiō and that they haue submitted their willes to the will of God whom they maye followe in al thinges approuyng all his iudgementes saiynges and doynges yea and reuerencing the same I suppose we nede not to reason more subtily hereof at this present but simply to vnderstande that by this figuratiue speache as criyng is also els where attributed to the bloud of martirs shed is signified that the bloud of the oppressed shal neuer be forgotten of God and that before him the iuste iudgement and vengeaunce is prepared to be executed in his time against the enemies and cōtemners of God but chiefly agaynst the persecutours of the worde and the murtherers of Sainctes Which thing is more fully declared by this that followeth For by the same that followeth such aūswer was made to the complaincte of Martirs What was aunswered to the martirs requiringe vengeaunce that we may vnderstand what is the state glory of sainctes in heauen which haue offered their bodies for the Testament of God and that God hath not forgottē the bloud spilte but that he wil at length requite those bloud sheders when he seeth time But where he hath reserued this time to him self when he wil rewarde the bloud suckers it is not our parte to inquire curiousely therof but rather to be in a readines that if he will that we also should suffer for the Testimony of Iesus Christ we should runne spedely and cherely through afflictions vnto glory doubting nothing but that we shall be ioyned to the blessed Martirs in heauen and that the iuste iudge in that daye wil render to al the enemies ol God the Churche and Gods worde after their demerites And albeit the time of persecution doe seme a world to the flesh yet is it here and els where in the scriptures called shorte The state of soules in heauē is moste happy But these thinges muste be sene and considered by partes First doubtles the state of soules in heauen is in al things most fortunate The which is figured by the white garmēts For the glory of the blessed is signified that are nowe in light and fele nothinge of darkenes of this garmente I haue spoken before And it is sayd expressely and white garments are geuen to euery one of them For euery soule receiueth his rewardes And the body also at th end of the world shal receiue his owne garmente S. Gregory Saintes as yet sayeth he haue the fruition only of the blesse of the soules but in th end of the world they shal receiue two stoles or garmentes for with the perfecte ioye of the soules they shall be clothed also wyth the incorruption of bodyes Hereof shall be reasoned more dilligently about th ende of the .vii Chapter where this place shal be declared more at large After it was sayde to the blessed soules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should rest Therfore they be altogether in quiet and fele no perturbation whiche in the .xii. Chapter shall more plainely be declared Notwythstanding that it may be referred to delay and breathinge as though he should haue sayd It was signifyed to the soules that they should yet differ and abyde For it followeth yet a lytle whyle Therfore God signifyeth that after a little tyme he wyl delyuer hys and punnishe the aduersaryes The tyme of persecutiō is short And the noting of the time semeth to be taken of the .2 Chapt. of Abacuk whiche place is also alledged of the Apostle in the .11 to the Hebrew For yet a little while for bicause he that shall come wil come and wil not tary And the iust shal liue of his faith c. In the .26 of Esaye we reade these wordes after he hath shewed the resurrection to come and the laste ende of the worlde goe therefore my people and enter into thine inner chābers and shut thy dores after thee hide thee a litle while euen for a momente till the indignation be past And likewise S. Peter called all this time of affliction vnto the iudgement a shorte time that we mighte take comforte therin .1 Peter .1 And .2 Peter .3 To these also is ioyned an other thing whiche more fully accomplissheth the time till three fellowes and bretherne were fulfilled whiche should also be slayne for the worde of God Therfore let vs no more herafter inquire when persecution shal haue an ende or whie the Lorde differreth vengeaunce and howe longe For we heare that the numbre of the electe muste be accomplisshed But where that time is knowen to God alone lette not vs be curiouse but lette vs thinke of suche thinges as concerne our dewetie that if the case so require we maye also die strongly for the Testament of our Lorde God that we maye be associated to our bretherne and our fellowes and haue the fruition of the blessed sight of our redemer The numbre shal be accomplisshed in the ende of the world at the last iudgement Hitherto therfore shal last the persecution but than assuredly wil the Lord requite it as also the Prophet Malachie hath wittenessed in the .3 and .4 chapter Hereof we learne also What we should iudge of the saintes ī heauē what we shoulde iudge of the holy Martirs in Heauen and blessed soules the same that we learne here of Gods worde Bretherne and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowe seruauntes as also Aungelles in the .19 and .22 of the Apocalipse they are expressely called not Lordes and founders For although the wordes muste be vnderstande of vs yet liuyng yet is there a relation For if we be theyr bretherne and fellowe seruauntes they be verely our bretherne also and Gods seruauntes with vs and euen fellowe seruauntes Now though we graunt that they praye in Heauen what I praye you praye they here but that God would auenge and punnisshe and what doe they obteyne As we reade that Christe sayed to his mother requiryng wine at the mariage womā what haue I to do with thee my houre is not yet comen so likewise are the Martirs here cōmaunded to tary abide the time of God appoincted The which we beleue that the Sainctes doe What can we saye than of their intercession and praying for sinners vnto God there is one only mediatour geuen euen the Lorde Christe let vs goe vnto him in al our necessities he alone shal suffice al and in all These thinges are spoken hitherto of the persecutions of al times so that in the meane time they haue ministred most comfortable consolations to all that suffer persecution to the ende of the worlde and haue likewise cutte of curiouse questions and sette vs saue and whole in the will of God wherein we only restynge maye knowe that the same is best
iudges moreouer oppressours of the poore which afflicte widowes and the fatherles more ouer whiche in vsurie thefte disceiptefulnes extorsion and euill meanes are hurteful to all men and by their vnsatiable couetousenes brede a darth of al thinges Finally which by whoredome and aduoutrie defile breake holy matrimony Laste heretikes distroye the earth suche as infecte men with corrupte doctrine that dwell vpon the Earth into the which numbre come also seditiouse persons and traitours and other wicked men Perdition is not to abolish These shall the Lord distroye with euerlastyng perdition wherby they cease not to be that perish but become muche more miserable whilest they are vexed with tourmeÌ„tes that neuer shall haue ende Vnthriftes and prodigall persons are sayed to be loste yet in perisshyng thus they cease not to be but procede dayly to be more miserable which is perdition it selfe God openeth Heauen to his that they loke vp to him Furthermore S. Iohn doubteth this doctrine of the reâ—arde of the godly that whiche before he treated vnder the fourme of a thankeful prayse and a ioyouse triumphyng he propoundeth now consequeÌ„tly the same as it were to be sene with the eyes by a vision celestiall And gallauntly he endeth this vision with the opening of the Temple which he began with the opening of Heauen For the louing lorde openeth to his seruauntes heauen it selfe to be sene of the eyes of our minde to the ende we should no where doubte of the glory prepared for vs in Heauen nother should saie who hath sene those celestiall thinges that are promised vs For like as the blessed fathers the Prophetes and Apostles haue had very many visions of this sorte effectuall trewe and godly So maye euery one of vs with the eyes of our minde through trewe fayth loke into Heauen it selfe I knowe well that the worldely men passe nothing vpon such visions as of whom the Lord in the Gospell hath sayed the world can not receiue the spirite of trueth for that he seeth him not nother knoweth him Let not vs care for their contempt Let vs see therfore The temple of god open in heauen what is prepared for the seruauntes of God in an other worlde Firste S. Iohn sawe heauen open now in heauen it self he seeth also the very temple of god open to witte to all the godly By the Temple of God he vnderstandeth the secretes of God the inwarde priuie partes of Heauen whereinto he will receyue to the fruition of him selfe al beleuers But in that diuine temple of heaueÌ„ was sene the Arche of his Testamente Arcke in the Temple For God made a conuenaunte or leage with the faythful that he would be theyr God their fulnes and a most pleÌ„tiful Sea of al goodnes a most aboundaunt and moste sufficient plentie of all thinges The confirmation testimony and declaration wherof is the Arke of coÌ„uenaunte the very sonne of God in whome dwelleth all fulnes of deitie and in whom we be made perfit For he is the Arke in whom are layde vp al celestial treasours ful of grace and veritie This Arke of good thinges and of eternal felicitie appereth in heaueÌ„ For the sonne of God is in the throne of God The liberall and bountiful father celestial wil powre out this Arke vpon his children graunting to them through Christ his only sonne all heauenly giftes that we mighte be partakers of al Christes benefites euen to the deitie wherin he excelleth his bretherne Hereby it appereth howe Moses prepared the Arke after the example of the same whiche he sawe in Heauen and the figure whereof was the Arke of the conuenaunt c. Otherwise we shal heare in the .21 chapt of this boke that there is no temple in heauen c. These moste beautiful thinges to be sene and moste pleasaunt to be hearde the sonne of God hath set forth to be sene and hearde of vs. Consequently he addeth that punnishementes are prepared for the wicked and expouÌ„deth the same also diuersely and propouÌ„deth the same to be sene Hitherto were made in the worlde lighteninges And lightninges were made voices and thonderinges c. The holy ghost shining to the world and drawing through the doctrine of the veritie mouing and fearing but the madde worlde would not vnderstande no nor so muche as heare the maner and waye of saluatioÌ„ therfore the diuine iustice requireth that they should be talked with all in an other langage and therefore by the iuste iudgemente of God are made now lightenings c. And by this heape of wordes he signifieth the horrible punnishement that God will take of the wicked And he appereth to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome also to the wordes of the godly Prophet it shall raygne vpon sinners snares of fyre brimestone and spirite of tempeste in the .11 Psalm Therefore is this vision concluded as the story of S. Matthewes Gospell and these shall goe into euerlastyng punnishement and the iuste into life euerlastyng We haue in these eight laste chapters the thirde parte of this boke and an notable abridgement of the Ecclesiasticall storie froÌ„ the time of S. Iohn vnto the worldes ende wherwith we are instructed in the trewe fayth and are admonisshed of all perilles and traysons whereby the trewe fayth is assailed to the intent that beyng watcheful we maye beware of all corruption and craftie seducing and may be made safe To God be praise and glory ¶ The description of the churche and of the red Dragon fighting agaynst the Church The .lij. Sermon ANd there appered a great tokeÌ„ in Heauen a woman clothed with the sunne and the Moone vnder her fete vpoÌ„ her head a crowne of .xii. starres And she was with childe and cried trauailing in birth payned ready to be deliuered And there appered an other token in heaueÌ„ and beholde a great red Dragon hauing seueÌ„ heades .x. hornes and seuen crownes vpon his heades and his tayle drewe the thirde parte of starres of heauen cast them to the Earth And the dragon stode before the woman which was ready to be deliuered for to deuoure her childe as sone as it were borne And she brought forth a maÌ„childe which should rule all nations with a rodde of yron hyr sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his seate And the woman fled into wildernes where she had a place prepared of God that they shoulde fede her there a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes The fourth parte of this boke exhibiteth to vs the thirde vision which others that diuide the seconde into two The order dispositioÌ„ of thinges of this boke make the fourth The lord hath often times and much made mention in the seconde vision of the persecution and fight of the faythfull with Antichrist and wicked enemies of God especially in the .6.9 and .11 chapters He procedeth therefore nowe in the thirde vision and that aboundantly to discourse of the same conflicte and
is in you thā he is that is in the worlde And this is the victory that ouercame the world euen your fayth And by the waye he expoundeth The nature of the deuil is figured by certen wordes what we shoulde vnderstande by the dragon of whō he hath spoken hitherto to wit the olde enemie of man kinde He setteth him foorth with his titles attributinge to him foure names that hereby also we may vnderstande his nature the better and maye beware of that wicked murtherer Firste he calleth him the olde Serpent For at the beginnyng by the Serpent he infected with the poyson of death and sinne our first Parentes and by thē the whole vniuersal world as is to be sene in the .3 of Genes and the .5 to the Romains Therfore I sayed in the beginning of this chapt that he is called a Dragon After he calleth him the Deuill that is to saye a sclaunderer or a false accuser For by and by it followeth which may expoūde this word for the accuser of our bretherne is caste out c. A goodly exāple of this thing is declared in the .1 and .2 chapt of Iob. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to accuse or blame and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an accusation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a crime or complaincte Thirdly he calleth him Sathanas in the Hebrewe word to witte an aduersarie for that he is in al things against god and obiecteth him selfe and resisteth men in holy matters yf happely he might hinder or corrupte them Laste he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seducer disceauer or he that supplāteth and betrayeth the whole world For this the Lord attributeth to him in the .8 of Iohn for that he hath ben a lier from the beginning and is the father that is the foūtaine and original of al liyng disceipte of errours and seducyng and of al euill For all errours and heresies al deceiptes and all leasinges finally all kinde of euils haue flowed out of this most filthy welspring And who is he that heareth these thinges which wil not abhorre that vile beast they must nedes be starke madde that seke by al meanes to be in fauour with that wicked spirite He should now here consequently annexe the residewe of this fight to witte how the Dragon persecuteth assaulteth the woman and she agayne by fliyng resisteth and ouercometh through Christ But he suspendeth the same narration yet a little while A songe of victory placeth now a songe of victory and triūphe of sainctes in heauen of the Angelles and blessed soules The some wherof is that Christ hath ouercomen that the faithful do ouercome in Christ and therfore muste heauens themselues and al that dwel therin reioyce and singe And I repete that these things are interlased in the daūgerous Antichristian and Romish sight for a cōsolation leest the saincts should in those great daungers by reason of their natural infirmitie be discouraged but callyng vpō the name of Christ should fight manfully when they vnderstande vnder whose banner they fight and with whome they fight verely wyth one ouercomen vnder Christes stādart And when we heare that the Dragons force is broken we shal thinke that the furies of eyther beast aswell the ten horned as the two horned are weakened in the faith of christ This geueth also no smal courage in this conflicte that we see that the Dragon hath no power ouer them that are sprinkled and purified with the bloud of Christ but ouer earthly and worldly men And this triumphe is heauenly For voices are hearde out of heauen singyng a mery note to the intent that the reioycing of the blessed spirites might haue more authoritie grace and efficacitie emonges the pore afflicted Thei al with one voice singe merely that saluatiō power is now made perfit for by the Lordes death and resurrectiō Perfit saluation by Christ God hath wrought power and made perfit the saluatiō promised to the fathers to witte whilest he trode downe the serpentes head abolisshed sinne death and restored life Thus is the kingedome of God in this worlde establisshed in the electe whilest euen by the power of Christ the Prince of this worlde is caste out and ouercome For the cause followeth wherfore we must so reioyce and what vertue and power of Christ hath shewed it selfe or howe saluation is made perfit because sayeth he through Christ the Deuill is cast downe that is to saye ouercome and vāquisshed that he can no more accuse mankinde before the iudgement seate of God Hereunto belongeth that S. Paule wrote Rom. 8. Who shall accuse the electe of God It is God that iustifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ whiche died yea whiche rose agayne which is also on the right hande of God which maketh intercession for vs. Moreouer the heauenly dwellers do not only preach the victory of Christ but of all the faythfull Christ hath made also the faithfull victours which they obteyne agaynst Sathan in the fayth of Iesu Christ that it maye herof at the leest appere what we should vnderstande before by Michael and by his Angelles And he beateth in dilligently that Christians ouercome not Sathan by their owne merites force or strēgth but by the merite and grace of Christe And they sayeth he to witte the Angelles of Michael ouercame the Dragon by the bloud of the Lambe For in asmuch as the faythful are purified by the bloud of Christe Sathan hath nothing against them but sins they haue the spirite and fayth of Christ they ouercome the Deuill also So in times paste the distroyer had no power ouer those houses whiche were marked with the bloud of the Lambe Exod. 12. And he addeth an other thinge for the which the faithful ouercame for the worde of the testimony of Christ which is the gospel Which because it is inuincible eternal they ouercome all thinges of this worlde who so euer abide in the liuely and eternal word of the veritie And euen in the gospel most trewe the lorde himselfe hath promised that he wil not forsake his and wil fight for thē Therfore must the faithful nedes ouercome To these thinges is added more the effecte of Christes purifiyng They loued not their life more than Christe and therfore haue thei geuen it for Christ vnto death and so haue ouercomen For many are vanquisshed by this one thing that they wil not hasarde their life for Christ For these great benefites of God they exhorte nowe heauens themselues and all the inhabiters of Heauen that is to saye they exhorte one an other to singe a ioyeful songe And that which the heauēly sainctes saye they do here they teach the sainctes in Earth to doe also and instructe of what maner and sorte they ought to be which shal ouercome Sathan in battaile to witte purified by the bloud of Christ cleauing to the testimonie of Iesu Christe and contemners of their own life to whom it
Romish church shall be damned who am I to say the coÌ„trary or what men will pronouÌ„ce otherwyse Let vs heare therfore the sentence of the iuste iudge and let vs beleue the worde of the sonne of God and let vs beware of the popysh religion What it is to worship the beaste his Image and what it is to receiue the marke in the forehead and on the right hand I haue sufficiently declared before in the .13 chapt Brieflye they worship and receyue the marke of the beaste which do participate with the Popish church or religioÌ„ finally which obey the wycked decrees of the Empire and perseuer in the obedience of the See without repentaunce Aretas expounding this place to worship the beast saieth he and to receaue his seale is to esteme Antichrist to be God and in word and woâ—ke to set forth such thinges as he coueteth And here in an horrible wise with propheticall wordes The descriptioÌ„ of eternall damnatioÌ„ is described euerlasting damnation prepared for them who forsaking Christ the sauiour cleaue vnto Antichrist the distroier Like as they haue dronkeÌ„ of the corrupte doctrine infused of the Pope so againe shal they drinke that the iust lord shal powre out of the cuppe of wrath And the wine that is powred in the cuppe of Gods wrath is the strayte exquisite moste greuouse iudgement of God wherin beyng angrie he inflicteth to the Antichristians horrible vnspeakeable punnishement A like maner of speach is red in Ieremie the .25 chapt And like as pure wine not delayed is of most efficacitie and pearseth so the iudgement of God wherein he will procede against the Antichristians shal be most greuouse such as no tongue be it neuer so eloquent can expresse And for a further declaratioÌ„ shortely after followeth what they muste drinke of verely fire and brimstone Perauenture the Lorde alluded to these wordes of Dauid in the .11 Psalm VpoÌ„ the vngodly he shal rayne snares fyre brimstone storme and tempeste this rewarde shall they haue to drinke He semeth moreouer to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome and to the .30 chapt of Esaye in the ende whereof is shewed that hell shall be wide enough to receyue all the vngodly and that matter shal neuer waunte to nurrishe the fire neuer to be quenched He expresseth moreouer a greuouse payne where he sayeth that they shall be tourmented and that in the sight of the lambe and holy Angelles that so they maye receyue condigne punnishement for euer of their contempte wherby they haue despised the lambe and messages of Angels Likewise in the .13 of Luke the Lord sayeth there shal be wepyng and gnashing of teth when ye shal see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the prophetes in the kingedome of God and you to be shutte out c. And that same apperteyneth also vnto euidence Hipotiposis to stire vp a terrour in the mindes of all men where he addeth by a figuratiue speach and the smoke of their tourmeÌ„t ascendeth vp euermore Therfore shal the burning and punnisshement of the vngodly be euerlasting and neuer to be finished world without ende And we seme here at this description as it were before our eyes to see the flames of eternall damnation caried vp on highe and caste vp with them greate heapes of smoke to rolle vp and disperse them farre and wide I remeÌ„bre here that of Virgill The wastefull fire gan crepe and cracke a pace Til to the toppe through helpe of winde it came Out burst the blase brake downe and did deface The skie flieth full of sparkes of smoke and flame Euerlastyng punnisshment And that no kinde of terrour might waunte moste aptely and most aboundantly he expresseth the perpetuitie of euerlasting punnishment saiyng nother haue they reste daie nor night So sayeth the Lord in the .9 of Marke Their fire is neuer queÌ„ched and their worme shal neuer die They erre therfore which promise to the damned after many worldes deliueraunce from their tourmentes And not in vayne he repeteth that which he had sayed before how thei that worship the beast shal suffer these thinges And therfore he repeteth it leste as it happened we should esteme it as a light matter They shal be damneth sayeth the veritie which receyue the Popish culte and religioÌ„ and perseuere in the same Epiphonema To all this is annexed an acclamation or double sentence notable and holesome For in as much as the wisedome of God did foresee what aduersitie remayned for the godly in this world which they might surely loke for at Antichristes hande whiche professed the trewth therefore for a comforte and consolation he addeth here is the patieÌ„ce of Sainctes which is asmuch as if he had saied and here shal patience take place wherby the Sainctes maye ouercome al euilles Here had we nede to haue a stoute courage a sure and coÌ„staunt minde In the .12 of Luke the Lord likewise requireth patience in persecutions Here therfore is counsel geuen howe the sainctes should behaue themselues to wit that they should suffer patiently those euilles that Antichrist shall worke agaynst them And there followeth an other sentence which lighteth this here are they that kepe the commaundementes of God and faith of Iesus Thei shal ouercome thorowe patience in so great euilles and daungers whiche kepe the coÌ„maundementes of God the foundation wherof is the faith of Iesus Christ which verely put al their trust in christ heare the worde of the gospell and kepe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of God not of men The like vnto these are red in the .24 of Matth. and the .10 to the Hebrew Aretas in this same time of Antichrist saieth he the patience of Sainctes is shewed ThaÌ„ is the speache figured as it were by a question moued And who be they whome he calleth patient After as though he should aunswere they that kepe the commaundementes of God and faith of Iesu For thei when perilles approche wil set more by God than by death and temporall euilles This sayeth he I praye God these things be as faithfully perfourmed of vs as they are easely vnderstande The Lorde graunt vs his spirite ¶ The faithfull assuredly and streight waye flitte from the corporal death vnto life euerlastyng The .lxv. Sermon ANd I hearde a voice from heauen saiyng vnto me wryte blessed are the dead whiche hereafter die in the Lorde Yea the sprite sayeth that they reste froÌ„ their labours But theyr workes follow them Albeit he hath oftener thaÌ„ ones spokeÌ„ of the state of soules in an other world Of the certayne saluation of the faithful and of the felicitie of the faithfull which are killed for religions sake yet was it here chiefly requisite to treate of the same matter For I sayed howe many must be killed of the beaste Now leeste they for feare of death should chouse rather to worshippe the beaste than to be slayne leest happly hauyng lost this life there were no other life
to be loked for in the world to come most dilligently and most certenly he treateth of the state of soules and of the felicitie and blesse of soules which as sone as they die they atchieue assuredly and streightwaye flitting out of this worlde into life euerlasting But they that know these thinges and haue conceaued them by a true faith how thei shal vndoubtedly slitte frō the corporal death into the blessed life it can not be chosen but that they shal more boldely contemne the life present Most certē tables of saluation are to vs exhibited And this holesome doctrine is comprised in three poincts For first he sheweth the certentie therof secōdly he declareth what it is laste he setteth forth and lighteth the same by circūstaunces At the first verely he semeth to allude to the maner accustomably receyued of al nations that such thinges as they wuld haue thought to be certen and vndoubted they would also cōmitte to writing to leaue them vnto posteritie But the certentie veritie or Authoritie of the thing is estemed of thauthours which first haue dispatched any matters emonges thēselues and after haue caused the same to be put in writyng At this present therfore is God shewed to be authour For S. Iohn saieth and I hearde a voice from heauen And by and by addeth ye the spirite sayeth Therefore there is no doubte but that the sonne of God him self hath spoken and reuealed these things Our lord Iesus Christ For him he sawe at the beginning of this reuelation after he seeth diuerse kindes of Aungelles but he seeth not Christ speaking to him But he heareth now his voice from Heauen he heareth the spirite speakyng by whom the lord sayed whilest he was yet cōuersaunt in earth with his disciples that he would treate and speake al thinges in the churche Let vs beleue therefore that the wordes which are here recited by christes doyng to be a celestiall oracle certen and trewe whereof we ought not to doubte And S. Iohn thapostle Euangelist is cōmaūded to write the saiynges of Christ from the heauēly seate Which thing he doeth so at Christes cōmaundement sendeth them vnto al posterie vnto vs also to our ofspring euen to the worldes ende But if tables written by the chaūcelours or secretaries of kinges and Princes beyng notable men deserue credit we maye much more iustely rightly beleue this writing which the sonne of God inditeth from heauen that beloued disciple of Christ the apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn writeth Thou hadst ones a confidence in the Popes bulles they maye well be called bulles sins thei be more vaine than bulles or blabbers in the water sent from the See of Rome wherein thou as one assured didst put ful truste to haue remission of sinnes and blessed life And shalt thou not nowe be accompted madde and out of thy witte in case thou wilt not beleue this heauenly writyng That other was indited by the spirite of Antichrist by the Pope the man of sinne and childe of perdition written of some disceauer infected with Simony and sacrilege which in life and maners was filthines it self But in Iohn is nothing but cleanes puretie integritie and the very sonne of God which prescribeth these things to S. Iohn is the very veritie and life This writing is frely geuen the light of the world lord of heauen and Earth of life death See than how safely thou mayest laine to this heauenly writyng which here is offered geuen thee frely Thou nedest not to disburce for the same one farthing The Pope instituted in the church biyng selling deuelish bargayning about perdōs other things which were plaine disceiptes illusions playne mocheries and open blasphemies therfore accursed for euer as S. Peter also pronoūceth in the .8 of the Actes God him selfe diswadeth al men from such tromperies and bargaines wicked vayne in the .55 chapt of Esaye where he promiseth agayne that he wil geue to the godly al plentie of al good thinges And now let vs heare what the writte is Blessed at the dead whiche die in the lord what S. Iohn is cōmaunded from heauen to put in writing It is a shorte sentēce as also in many places the wisedome of God cōprehēdeth in fewe wordes the true some of blessednes so prouiding for our infirmitie that we nede not to cōplaine that the doctrine were ouer longe which we with our slender vnderstandyng are not able to attayne to The Lord therefore pronounceth them to be blessed whiche die in the Lord then we must see what he vnderstandeth by blessednes and who thei be that die in the lord blessednes is that high felicitie which chaunceth to the faithfull in an other world in the which we shall see God him selfe as he is and haue the fruition of him vnto a ioyefull and neuer lothsomefulnes We shall liue in the same with all the Sainctes for euer and shall haue ioynes that can not be expressed with tunges of men Of the whiche shall followe more afterwarde They shal reste from their labours And more plentifully in the .21 chapt And they dye in the Lorde whiche by faith greffed in Christe layne to him alone depende wholy vpon him only regarde him and desire nothynge els but hym alone For they are sayed to liue in Christe in whome Christ liueth by faith they that liue in Christ do frame their whole life after the will of Christ And they die in the lord chiefly and before all whiche for the confession of the lordes faith suffer death and offer thēselues to tourmentes And not they alone but those also whiche although they die of the sworde of the persecutours yet die when the Lorde calleth them in the trewe christen fayth For these are also blessed as the Lord in S. Iohn verely verely I saye vnto you yf any man kepe my worde he shall not see death for euer Howebeit they die not in the lorde which eyther deny god that they might not be slaine or trust to their owne merites intercessions of Sainctes or to other mens workes be they monkes freres or massemonging priestes and so departe out of this life thinking that thei shal be holpen by other mēs workes To be briefe the veritie of the lord pronoūceth them al blessed and fortunate which departe out of this world in true faith Finally the Lord him self adioyneth a notable declaration of this his briefe sentence For he sette forth the circumstaūce of the time When and how saluation commeth to the dead and the maner of the blessednes For it is wonte to be demaunded what time saluatiō and felicitie happeneth to the dead whether incontinently or after a time that is whether our soules flitte by and by and immediately after the death of the body to the blessed seates or whether they be intercepted for a certen time so that they might be pourged in purgatorie before thei enter into
heauen or whether they be holden with a slepe and loke for the resurrectiō of the bodies to the intent they might than awake and together with their bodies enter into heauen vnto all the which things the celestial oracle aunsweryng forth with sayeth he that is by by cometh vnto soules that same felicitie In the latin copies this place is poincted thus blessed are th◠dead which dye in the lorde Forthwith nowe sayeth the spirite that they maye reste from their labours In like maner readeth the Spanish or Complutēsian copie But Aretas and the Greke copies and also the exampler of Paris is thus poincted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be the ende of the sentence as Erasmus noteth After followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is yee verely certēly sayeth the spirite The sense is therfore that the faithfull beyng dead shal streight wayes immediately atchieue saluation For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word S. Iohn vseth signifieth from the very instaunt from that houre immediately incōtinētly This suffereth no space betwixte but expresseth that which we are wonte to note by the dutch phrase beyng admonisshed therfore by a diuine oracle and confirmed by a writte brought from heauen let vs al be assured that the soules of al faithfull do flitte from the bodily death into life euerlasting These thinges are confirmed and made playne also by other places of Scriptures innumerable I wil chouse out only a certen fewe and those also the testimonies of our sauiour whiche is the light of the worlde and the worde of life In the .3 chapter of S. Iohn he sayeth expressely that the faythfull are so deliuered frō death by his crosse as in times paste by the sight of the brasen Serpent the Israelites were deliuered from the deadly sting of venemouse poison And playne it is that they were deliuered incontinently and most fully In the .5 of Iohn the same sayeth he hath passed from death to life Let this place be waied dilligently and it shal appere the same alone to satisfie in this matter In the .6 of Iohn he sayeth openly and I will reyse him in the laste daye But he reyseth not the bodies only at the laste iudgemente but in euery mans laste daye that is in the death of euery one he preserueth the soules that they should not perish or be tormented c. We haue in the gospel examples moste clere to witte of Lazarus the beggar which was by and by after his death caried vp of thaungelles into the bosome of Abraham and of the thiefe whiche hearde of the lord this daye shalt thou be with me in Paradise and of Stephen saiyng Lord Iesus receyue my spirite but especially of our Sauiour saiyng on the crosse father into thy handes I commende my spirite c. By these are quite ouerthrowen what thinges so euer the monkisshe and Antichristiane doctrine hath buylded of purgatory of trētalles and of the miserable state of soules in an other world Whereof they made a moste shamefull gayne They are also confuted which beleue that soules be mortall moreouer that soules slepe in another world Where they cā not so muche as here in this infirmitie slepe Therefore you wil saie it is madnes to thinke that soules slepe beyng quitte of the burthen of the body But cōcernyng the maner of the blessednes of Sainctes they reste from their labours Blessednes reste frō al labours Saluation therfore is a moste ioyeful tranquillitie Awaye go at ones diseases sickenesses griefes affections sorrowe famine thirste colde briefly all thinges that vexe or trouble men Rest and tranquillitie ioye and blesse come in place And sins the dead reste from theyr labours who can beleue that they be vexed with tormentes but leeste any man should neuer so little doubte herof he annereth a confirmation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee or certenly verely sayeth the spirite the dead shal be quiet from al their griefes Let no mā therfore doubte Theyr workes follow them And he addeth an other thing that the workes of sainctes followe thē that is to saie after that the sainctes be departed hence than are they rewarded in another world if they haue done any thing wel if they haue suffered harde thinges For there is a rewarde prepared for vertues The which the sainctes do hope for and receyue without boasting of their owne deserte and not in contēpte of the merite of Christ For they acknoweledge that God in his sainctes crowneth his owne giftes And this is spoken of the rewarde of workes for the consolatiō of them which suffer many things in this world So sayed the lord in the Gospell your rewarde is plentifull in heauen And the Apostle affirmeth euery where that rewardes are prepared for them that are crucified here with Christ And here let vs marke dilligently that these thinges are spoken also of the spirite of Christe vnder the religion of an othe For the worlde dispiseth religiouse persones suche as suffer for religiō and obiecteth that they lose their labour and coste Cōtrarywise the spirite by an othe auoucheth that rewarde is prepared for vertue Followe them Lette vs marke also this that is sayed theyr workes and not other mens also followe them and are not by others sent after them Let no man therefore disceaue him selfe let no man thinke that after his death there should be sente to him into purgatory by soule priestes a fardell of other mens merites Those are not good workes which ar done by priestes freres besides and against Gods worde but prouocations of Gods wrath And be they not in the gospel shut out of the kingdome of God which runne to others to bye them oyle The Scripture in an other place Lette vs doe good whilest we haue time the time wil come that no man can worke Let vs watch therfore and of faith do good workes in dede ¶ The Iudgement of the Lorde is described vnder the paraboles of haruest and vintage The .lxvi. Sermon ANd I loked and beholde a white clowde and vpon the clowde one sittyng like vnto the Sonne of man hauing on his head a golden crowne and in his hande a sharpe sickle And an other Aungell came out of the Temple criyng with a lowde voyce to him that sat on the clowde Thruste in the sickle and reape for the corne of the Earth is ripe And he that sate on the clowde thruste in his sickle on the Earth and the Earth was reaped And an other Aungell came out of the Temple whiche is in Heauen hauyng also a sharpe sickle And an other Angell came out from the Aultar whiche had power ouer fire and cried with a lowde voyce vnto him that had the sharpe sickle and sayde thruste in thy sharpe sickle and gather the clusters of the Earth for hyr grapes are rype And the Angell thruste in his sickle on the earth and cutte downe the grapes of the vineyarde of the Earth and caste them into the greate wine fatte of the
thursted for bloud drīke blud in so moch that being drowned in their owne blud vp to the chin thei may seme to bath them in their owne bloud And here we must remēbre the horses prepared to battaile of whō we spake in the .9 chap. shal be drowned in euerlasting tormēts Thus thus at the last wil the lord auenge himselfe vpon his enemies Let vs call vpon him and abyde patiently and valeauntly The Lorde graunte vs his grace ¶ The Angels of seuen plagues are brought forth Moreouer the triumph and prayse of Christes holye Maritrs is described The .lxvij. Sermon The .15 Chapter AND I saw an other signe in heauen great and wonderful Seuen Angels hauing the seuen laste plagues For in them is fulfylled the wrath of God And I sawe as it were a glassye sea mingled with fyer and them that had gottē victory of the beast and of his Image and of his marke and of the nombre of his name stand on the glassy Sea hauing the harpes of God and they sung the song of Moses the seruaunt of God and the song of the lambe sayeng great and maruelouse are thy works Lord God almightie iust and true are thy wayes thou King of Sainctee Who shal not fear O Lord and glorifie thy name For thou onely art holy for all gentiles shall come and worshippe before the for thy iudgementes are made manifeste The argument of the fifte parte Vpon occasion of harueste and vintage expounded in the laste parte of the fourmer vision is annexed the fifte parte of this godly worke which represēteth vnto vs the fourth visiō of this worke whiche some make the fifte The same is of the iudgemēts of God it hath two parts wherfore it might also be deuided into mo visiōs but we had rather vse fewer For first he discourseth most largely of the paynes or tourments prepared of God to be executed vpon Antichrist his membres and all the vngodlye here is treated of the iudgement of the whore of Babilon of the destinies and ruine of Rome and the church of Rome of the reioicing and song of saincts of the comming of the iudge vnto iudgement of the payne and euerlasting destruction of all wicked And these are intreated in the .15.16.17.18.19 and .20 chap. Than also he reasoneth most excellētly of the reward of saincts and of the euerlasting filicitie thorow out the whole .21 chap. and a good part of the .22 euery where is set open hel it selfe and heauen it selfe And is geuen vs in maner to loke in this fleshe mortall euen into very hell it self into the very palace of Heauen Nother shal you finde any where in all the Scriptures with a continual treatise so plenteouse a disputation of the iudgementes of God of the tormentes of the wicked of the felicitie and ioyes of the godly as in this presente And ful necessarie is this treatise especially in this our last and vngraciouse world A most plētiful dilligent treatise of the iudgemēts of God wherein men neglectyng the spirite of God are become like brute beastes altogether carnall regarde the flesh and wholy depende thereof Happy are al the victoriouse welthie honorable and gloriouse Antichristians miserable are the pore and dispised trewe christians and subiecte to the iniuries persecutions of al men Therfore do the carnall men esteme al thinges of the present fortune and crie it out that their religion and conuersation pleaseth God and the Christiās to displease The godly are here also greuously tempted as they were also in times past reade Psalm 73. and the .1 chapt of Abacucke The vngodly promise themselues that they shal reigne for euer at the length also they contēne the iudgementes of God nother thinke they that euer it wil come to passe that they shal be punnisshed The talke of punnishementes to be diuised of melancholicke persones and to be vttered of mallice and therfore they saye and thinke them not to be regarded but to be mery in this worlde Therefore it behoued the place of Gods iudgementes to be most largely and dilligently decided and to be set as it were before the eyes of the hearers to the ende al might rightly vnderstāde what should be assuredly the ende of good and euill But the punnishmētes of the vngodly are diuerse to witte of this life present and to come And the punnishmentes of this present life are almost innumerable and the tourmentes of the life to come are eternall and vnspeakeable and as there is no comparison betwixte the paincted and trewe fire so is there none betwixte the punnishementes of this present life and that to come But in case men would ernestly beleue that vnspeakeable ioyes and euerlastyng tormentes are prepared of God for good and euill doubtles al would sinne lesse serue God more dilligently But let vs see nowe what is the treatyse of S. Iohn concernyng the same The originall of the doctrine of the iudgementes of God First he sheweth the original of al things that follow not to be earthly but heauenly For he seeth an other token in heauen He saieth an other for that in the .12 chapt we heard that mention was made of an other certen signe And he calleth that a signe or token which signifieth an other thing and therefore not to be considered of it selfe but in asmuche as it bringeth into knoweledge an other certen thinge and that much greater thā it sheweth at the firste sight He calleth this signe that is to witte that same visiō great and maruelouse For the iudgementes of God are greatest and moste wonderful Whilest thei are executed the vngodly maruel which had thought such thinges should neuer haue comen to passe the godly also maruell at the great power of God his moste iuste rightuousnes and his ripenes and faythfulnes in deliuering and sauing his people Than he declareth what signe was shewed him in Heauen and by that celestiall vision he sawe seuen Angels hauyng in seuen cuppes plages That is he perseyued God prepared and furnisshed with power diuine wherewith he both might and would sende plages and condigne punnishementes aswell vpon Antichrist him selfe as vpon his membres and all the vngodly men in Earth for their wickednes committed agaynst God Seuen angelles seuē plages And as we haue many times warned you in this boke the seuēth nombre is the nōbre of fulnes Wherefore God hath ministers enough and enough by whose seruice he maye plague and distroye the vngodly And therefore seuen plagues are all maner of plagues Temporall plagues are aboundantly recited in the 26. of Leuit. and .28 of Deuter. Riche is the Lord and in euerlastyng plagues of most diuerse kindes also For the Scripture in certen places reherseth a gnawyng worme a fyre vnquenchable weping and gnasshing of teth outwarde darkenes and many other of like sorte But these seuen plagues he calleth the laste and immediately sheweth the reason for in them is the wrathe of God
nor other mo doctrines and to haue no nede of other Reuelations For the churche ys already instructed with a most complete doctrine There is it taught also what we ought to do with corrupte doctrines and teachers And where it is easy to fall into vices this boke doth dilligently and plentifully minister medicines teaching how the churche falling downe maie be set vp and repared againe And here it treateth much of true repentauÌ„ce of the fruites of repentaunce of the duties of Saincts or of very good workes Moreouer it exhorteth the afflicted to patience and constantie and to the confession of Christes name withoute feare and to all godlynes many times settyng forth the most ample rewardes of god And also affirming that tourmentes are prepared for the disobedient and reuoltes By this waie meane S. Iohn sheweth to the church how our Lorde Iesus Chryst being in heauen on the righthande of his father in the meane tyme neuerthelesse worketh in the middes of the congregation of his faithful inspiring quickenyng kepyng and gouernyng it And agayne how the church liuing in this world may lâ—ue notwithstanding in Christ and be quickened of him of whom it dependeth wholye whom only it regardeth and in whom it is preserued And who wyll not acknowledge this handlyng of the matter to be all together Apostolicke and right well grounded in the doctryne of Chryst But in the worke it selfe all and euery thynge shall to vs be muche more euidently declared But where as Christ in the Gospel hath said that the church his welbeloued spouse shulde be exercised with sondry afflictions in the whiche notwithstanding The church is subiect to teÌ„ptations persecutions he wolde neuer faile her Nowe in dede froÌ„ the right hand of his Father he recompteth moste plentifully and in a most goodly order of all the dollefull destenies of the churche to thintent that whilest the churche is subiecte to sundry euilles she may remember these thinges and coumfort her selfe lest she beyng discouraged with aduersitie she begin to doubte of the good wyll of God towardes vs and fall againe to Idolatrye forsaken into the errours of theyr Fathers and into the slippery pleasures of this worlde but rather that she go forewarde in the Religion of Chryste once receyued that she holde on throughe constante patience to professe Chryste to cleaue vnto him vnseparably that at the length we maye also be ioyned with the same in the heaueÌ„ly countrey Which is verely the marke and ende of our lyfe the course of all faithful in this miserable world Howebeit Chapter .iiii. wheras in the calamities and persecutions of the faithful and in the felicitie triumphing of the infidels the minde euen of the holyest seruaunt of God is sore moued and greuously tempted before he come to declare the heauy and miserable destenies of the church he setteth foorth vnto them a moste beautifull type or figure of the reuerende holy â–ª and euermore blessed Trinitie wherin is setforthe to be sene of theyes of all men the vnspeakeable wisdome of God power maiestie the iuste gouernement of the same and holy iudgement in all thinges And is also declared that almightie God the father by that Lambe that is by hys sun our onely redemer in the vertu of the holy Gost doth gouern well althinges what soeuer they be eyther in heauen or in earth And also the very destenies of the churche which are written in the boke of his eternal prouidence closed with seueÌ„ seales There appereth the Lamb of God The seuen hornes of the Lambe Chap. v. setforth with seuen hornes That is furnished with most ful power aswel princely as priestly the greatest of al and in all the most absolute The Lamb receyueth that boke of the ryght hand of hym that sitteth in the Throne and vndoeth and openeth in order those seuen seales For he receyueth of hys father all power bothe in heauen and in earth And that the Lambe alone openeth those seuen seales it conteyneth a swete mistery and ministreth a singular comfort to the faithfull For where we beleue that the LaÌ„be of God our redemer Iesus Christ doth loue mankind so excedyngly that neyther in heauen nor in earthe maye any thyng be founde that loueth vs more intierly And now see the very same and none other to open the seuen seales Seuen seales which opened sondry calamities issew out by and by into the worlde Who wold double the same to be sent to him for his health since they are sent not without his prouidence and disposition who directeth al thinges for the saluation of his chosen vnto all the which thinges that notable matter is added that al the spirites Angelicall thelders also and all heauenlye creatures worshyp God and the Lambe prayse and commende his righteousnes and for his excedyng good gouernement geue him immortall thankes For therof we miserable mortall men inuironed with synful fleshe ought to learne that we shuld acknowledg also the iustice of God in all hys workes and not mumer at his gouernement and most rightfull iudgmentes but rather to worship God to submit vs vnto him to prayse his righteousnes and geue thankes for his moste holy gouernmente and to crye with the prophet thou art iust O Lorde in all thy wayes Chap. vi and holy in all thy workes These thinges being on this wise promysed and the mindes of the faithfull thus instructed and prepared in the opening of the seuen seales seuerally is accompted and rekned vp what and how greate euils shuld inuade men from the which not somuch as the faithful liuing in this world shuld be free Wares slaughters famine pestilences are recyted and suche other lyke plages Agayne persecutions seditions Gospel or Consolation and a great deale worse then al these the seducyng and distroying of men through corrupt doctryne But because this boke of the Apocalippes is most euangelicall apostolical it mingleth doubtles in all that declaration often tymes ioyfull thinges with sorrowful and comforteth the faithfull excedingly in moste and greatest daungers And therefore in the calamities Chap. vii troubles euils and corruptions declared hitherto the Aungel of God is brought in who marketh the elect of God in theyr foreheades and all they in dede throughe the goodnes and custodye of God are saued from perdition And of these are accompted innumerable thousandes Wherby we learne that the mercy of God is moste ample in sauing of men and that we ought to hope well of the saluation of oure elders We must hope wel of the saluation of oure forefathers wherof though the most part lyued vnder the corrupt tyme of Papistrie yet followeth not thereof theyr saluation to be doubtfull at the least euen for this cause that we see that God had hath his church at all tymes euen when they be most daungerous To haue hys sealed to haue suche as worship hym whiche like as in times paste haue not bowed
cost nothing But the Monkes selle theirs dere They be therfore disceauers and seducers After he calleth him selfe partaker in affliction or oppression and persecution as he that was euen now bannished by the Emperour Domitian and liued in exile And he ioyneth together and not separateth him selfe in the euill That is coÌ„mon to all the faithfull brethren The persecution of Iohn and of the whole churche And verely it is one and the same persecution that vexed the Apostles and tourmenteth vs at this day Let vs therfore reioyce that we haue the Apostles and all the Martyrs of Christ fellowes of our trouble and affliction that we be broken and bruised with the heauy burthen of euils Let vs therfore be pacieÌ„t and long suffring For it is not enough to be afflicted and vexed with all kinde of euils for many without any fruicte or prayse at all indure moste greuous paines But it becometh vs also to be patieÌ„t in aduersitie Therfore S. Iohn at this present ioyneth with all patince For the Lorde sayd in the Gospell In your patience shall you possesse your soules After he addeth vnto tribulation patience a kingdom that an heauenly not a terrestrial kingdom A kingdoÌ„ prepared for the pacient And he bringeth in the kingdom for the comfort of the patient people For also the Apostle S. Paul said a certen and sure saying For if we die with Christ we shall lyue also with hym If we suffer we shall reygne with hym c. Let vs alwayes here with comfort our selues in aduersitie For we are thruste downe that we might ones be exalted againe .ii. Corinthians .iiii. And all these thinges are concluded in Christ Iesus by whoÌ„ we be both the children brethren of God and suffer many thinges patiently and are made partakers of his kingdom For euen for these thinges must we thanke him and his mâ—rites and not our own deserte The state of humilitie of thapostle Let vs here note also what and howe great hath bene the humilitie of the greatest and worthie Apostle of God whâ— was his state Not plesaunt but harde yet in the pacience 〈◊〉 Christ ioyfull But where be they nowe that glory in thâ— name of Apostles Who in the meane time swellyng witâ— pride are addicte to filthie pleasures Whiche I warne thâ— we flee from them as from Apostataes The place wherin the reuelation was shewed And now he sheweth the place where this diuine reuelation was made him where also he was coÌ„maunded of Goâ— to wryte the same The place was the I le of Patmos Thâ— same is accompted amonges the Ilondes called Sporadâ— of Plinie in the fourth boke and .xii. cha It lay ouer againâ— Asia and the citie of Ephesus and was in thu sight boeth 〈◊〉 Europe and Affricke so that it semed to be as it were a miâ—dle seate or holy chaire out of the which Christ preached 〈◊〉 Iohn from heauen to the whole worlde And in dede the coâ—selles of God are wonderfull and his goodnes is vnspekeable which reuealeth so great misteries as it were in thâ— Romish pryson or Babilonicall captiuitie to his faithfull Iohn persecuted for the Gospel Neyther hideth he the cause of his comming into the samâ— Iland I was there saieth he for the worde of God and thâ— testimony of Iesu Christ The word of God is the very soâ— of God called of Iohn by a singular proprietie of speache the worde or sermon of God as appeareth the first of Iohn and the testimony of Iesu Christ is the Gospell if self whicâ— Iesus testified and the whiche his disciples haue testified oâ— Iesu Therfore for the confession and preaching of Iesâ—â— Christ and of his holsome Gospell for so he expoundetâ— also how he is made partaker of thafflictioÌ„ Iohn was apprâ—hended in Asia by soldiours led to Rome that he might pleaâ— his cause before themperour Domitian who of his cruel nature condeÌ„ned the inuoceÌ„t And he was put into a cawdroÌ„ oâ— hote boiling oyl Out of the whiche when he escaped withouâ— harme he was caried into Patmos He aunswered no other matter before themperour than Paul did .27 yeres past before Nero. This was done in that .xiiii. or .xv. yere of DomitiaÌ„ And the .xxiiii. yeare after the destructioÌ„ of the citie HierusaleÌ„ and after the birth of our Lorde .lxvi. Domician who would seme and be called a God being slaine of his own men after many murthers cruel actes died himself a shameful death the .xv. yeare of his reigne The authours hereof are Suetonius in the life of Domitian Tertullian in the heretic prescript Eusebius in his chronicles and in the third boke of the ecclesiastical history in the .xvii. and .xviii. chapter And hereto is added the common consent of all writers Moreouer he noteth the tyme also The time of the reuelation and of the sonday in the whiche these misteries began to be reuealed to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that solemne day of the Lord namely the sonday For so haue the auncient fathers called one of the sabbothes that is to say the first day in the weke wherin Christ rose again froÌ„ the dead Math. xxviii and Mark .xvi. And this day haue the churches chosen to them selues in stead of the Sabboth day as holy in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ wherin they might kepe their sacred and solemne assemblees For that this day was solemnised and coÌ„secrated for assemblees in the congregation of Corinthe appereth manifestly in the xvi Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corintians where the Apostle commaundeth to lay a part their collections in one of the sabbothes The same day also the faithful did celebrate their seruice with S. Paul in the .xx. of the Actes Wher Sozomenus reporteth in the .viii. chapt of the first booke of the story tripertite that great Constantine made certen holy daies and euen the Lordes daie for one whiche is called of the Heathen the sonday it is to be vnderstande that he renewed rather the custome of the Apostles catholique church than to haue newly instituted the same And frely of their own accord haue the churches receiued that day for we read not that it was any where commaunded And the congregations sawe how it was altogether necessary that there shuld be a certen tyme in the whiche the sainctes should mete and come together They chose therfore the day of the resurrection nether did they maliciously contende among theÌ„selues for these thinges as the histories testifie was done in the churche afterward And at this day verely the supersticious holy days being abrogated it is better to obserue certain and moderat daies and to kepe peace and quietnes in the churche But where this Apostle knewe that the faithfull on the soâ—day serued God in all assemblees where he could not be pâ—sent in body The Sonday ought to be kept in spirit and contemplation he was with theâ— And as he was thus in the spirite and
of Thyatira that beleued rightly in Christ and healeth their diseases Wherin appeareth the vnspeakeable mercy of God whiche ceaseth not to speake vnto suche as are yet intangled with heresie and to heale their pestiferous diseases And he admonisheth all men that thei loke for no new reuelations but know rather that God hath through Christ and his Apostles set forth a moste perfit doctrine wherunto he wyll adde nothing And therfore that they kepe faste in memory suche thynges as they had learned already and wherin they were nowe exercised A new holy ghost and a new reuelation For the Cataphrigians called also Montanistes bragged of a newe comforter and a newe reuelation As though al things had not ben fully set forth by the Apostles but that many thynges were lefte as yet to be reuealed of them As also at this day the maynteiners of the Popishe churche most stifly do affirme And lyke as the Cataphrygians couered their trifles vnder the pretence of the holy ghost So do the Papistes lykewyse cloake the vayne constitutions of men and set theÌ„ forth vnder a false colour of the holy ghost As though the Lorde spake of their decrees when he sayd I haue yet many thinges to say vnto you which now ye can not beare Neuerthelesse the faithful people of Thyatira which had not the doctrine of Iezabell but rather detested it notwithstanding as doubtfull said that the Deuil was a certen depenes and had a thousand craftes which could also transforme him into an aungel of light And that they were but simple men who being ignoraunt of these his wonderful craftes and subtilties knew not what they might chiefly follow whilest the false Prophetes also make their boast of the holy ghost and shine in miracles and with great coÌ„stancie auouch their doctrine to be true Ye shal finde at this day which wil say I am a plaine simple man know not whether part I shuld cleaue to since the doctours of both partes affirme with great coÌ„staÌ„cie that they haue the truth on their side therfore will some say thei shal agre better or euer I wil beleue any of theÌ„ al. c. What this in the diuersitie of opinions the godly shuld followe The Lord therfore answering to both sheweth what they should do To you saith he I say that follow the doctrine of Iezabel I say also to the rest of the ThyatiremaÌ„s that follow not the Iezabelisme yet neuerthelesse complaine in such dissentions and wonderful craftes of the deuill that they se not what is best To you all I say if ye be simple in dede as you pretende if ye will with al your harte imbrace the truth geue your selues to the simplicitie Apostolical cleauing fast to suche thinges as you haue once learned of the Apostles neither loking for nor receiuing any new religions or additions constitucions or any other thing moreouer than that you haue learned of the Apostles For these thinges whiche you haue receiued are sufficient to obteine saluation The Lord layth none other burthen vpon the church And these wordes of the Lord must be wayed more dilligently to the ende we may perceiue the great fruicte that is in theÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I wil lay vpon you none other weight or burtheÌ„ besides this that you haue The Lord affirmeth that he wil adde nothing more to the doctrine euangelical set forth by the Apostles as to that which is most perfit Certes if the doctrine of Moises were so perfit that the Lord him self did prohibite that no maÌ„ shuld adde or take away any thing froÌ„ the same but only shuld doe that which was coÌ„maunded as we reade in the .4 and .12 Chap. of Deut. Who would doubt that there should wante any thing in the doctrine of Christ the sonne of God He therfore now affirmeth that he wil lay nothing vpon them more then he had laid and the which they beare at that time What burthen is A burthen in the sermons of the Prophets is takeÌ„ for doctrine of graue weightie matters The Apostles also call the lawe a yocke burthen Where therfore the Lord saith that he wil not lay vpon the church any other burthen he saith howe he will not reueale any other doctrine nor further charge theÌ„ with other rites or ceremonies than such as he had ordeined imposed already And with these wordes of Christ accord those things very wel which are red in thapostles epistle Sinodical Act .xv. For by the coÌ„mon consent of the congregation after the minde of the holy ghost they say they wil impose nothing moreouer vpoÌ„ the church thaÌ„ such things as they had receiued already of S. Paul a few things that they added for a declaratioÌ„ of the same WherupoÌ„ S. Paul said to the Galath If an angel from heauen preache vnto you an other Gospel besides that which is preached let him be accursed What than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holde fast The doctrine of christ is perpetuall namely that which you haue receiued suffering it not to be plucte out of your haÌ„des Hold fast I say with touth nayle til I come that is to say vnto the last iudgemeÌ„t Therfore he testifieth expresly that this doctrine shal be perpetual vnchangeable therfor to be kept most stifly of al meÌ„ not to be shroÌ„ke froÌ„ though al the world crie out perswade the coÌ„trary Aretas Bish of Cesaria He required of theÌ„ nothing els saith he but that thei wold kepe safely the godly pledge of faith vntil his coming This if we shal do we may easely eschew the craftes of the deuil disceauable cloudes For whatsoeuer they shall bringe forth whatsoeuer they shal forge faine or die with the couÌ„terfeited colour of the holi ghost we shal haue always recours to the simple doctrine of Christ set forth by thapostles wherin alone we shal rest reiecting althiÌ„gs that shal not acerd with the same And this holsome doctrine of Christ confoundeth al traditions Against the tradiâ—ions of men subuerteth al constinitioÌ„s made since the time of the Apostles The godly may always obiect this sayin of Christ to the traditioners I wil lay none other burtheÌ„ vpoÌ„ you besides that you haue That same hold fast vntill the last iudgement They shal alledge that same also that the Apostles deny that they will adde nothing more Act. 15. Christ spake this in the tyme of S. Iohn in the yeare of our Lord lxxxxvii Therfore what so euer lawes traditioÌ„s decrees haue bene made since that time we know they were not imposed of Christ which saith so expressely that he will lay none other burthen on the faithfull Where then become the decrees and constitutions of worshipping Images in the churche for the consecration and celebrating of masses What shall we say to the decretalles of the Byshop of Rome They are all ouerthrowen and stricken downe as it were with a thonderbolte by this
were shewed me The some of thinges to be sayd Now also is compiled an argument of things that should be tolde I will shewe thee what thinges muste be done herafter For after the Tipe of God orderyng or gouernyng al thinges iustely through Christe immediately are declared the destenies of the churche by seuen seales and seuen trompettes in the which are euery where interlaced moste comfortable consolations and ful of efficacitie A tipe of God workynge all thinges iustely And first of al before the Seales and troÌ„pettes is set forth a figure or tipe of God and his moste rightuouse iudgement and gouernement in al thinges and that through out the 4. and 5. chapt wholy that it mighte prepare vs to the reading or hearyng of those thinges whiche shal followe in the 6. 7. and 8. chapt And seme to others and to mans iudgement to be greuouse harde and vniuste And the Tipe or vision was after this sorte The some of the visioÌ„ generall order of the same In heauen it selfe appered a seate or throne of Maiestie He that sitteth therin holdeth in his right hande a boke closed with Seales By him that sate stode a lambe whiche taketh the boke and openeth the Seales therof And out of this Throne also procedeth a seuenfolde spirite wonderfully vtteryng his vertues Before the seate appeareth a glassie Sea bright and euen like Christal The throne it selfe resteth like a wagon vpoÌ„ foure beastes ful of eyes winges beneath appering rounde about and inuirunnyng or compasing the throne A rainebowe like a smaragde goeth rouÌ„de about the same Aboute the Throne by a circle appere xxiiii Seates and so manye elders sittyng in them crowned and in white arraye This is the order of this seconde vision In their place shal be declared what the LaÌ„be what the beastes what the Elders and the other partes did It sufficeth nowe to haue touched the chiefest poinctes of the vision and a shadowyng some of the same Visions exhibited many times befor Secondely we must see what euery thyng signifieth For herof dependeth a greate parte of the whole misterie as concernyng the maner of vision S. Ihon bringeth no newe thing of the reuelation of Christ For we reade that such maner of visions were exhibited for the moste parte to the prophetes as to Esaye in the 6. chapt To Ezechiel 1. and 11. chapt And to Daniel in the 7. chapt c. A Throne And a Throne signifieth a maiestie imperiall administration iudicial And because the Throne is not in earth but is sene in heauen we shal thinke that the prouidence and administration of gods iudgementes be celestial sounde most holy and cleane voyde of al corruption And vpon this same Throne is one sitting sitting I saye Sitting in the Throne not lyinge or standinge For God the iudge of all is of a quiet minde neyther is he moued with any affections like men Here is none affection iniurie vnrightuousnes in the vniuersal gouernement of al thinges to be thought vpon Elihu in the 34. chapt of Iob sayeth Farre from God be wickednes and iniquitie from the Almightie For the worke of maÌ„ wil he render to him and accordynge to the wayes of euery one he wil rewarde them For verely God will not condeÌ„ne in vaine neyther will the almightie subuerte iudgement c. And Aretas Bishop of Cesaria an olde expositour admonissheth God is presented by no humane shape that of pourpos the shape of man was not attributed to him that sitteth in the seate For albeit that afterwarde mention be made of a righthande holdyng the boke yet is here no shape of manne exhibited But he sayeth also simply one sitting he geueth him no name The cause is ready for God by his nature caÌ„ not be defined as he that is inuisible and vnmeasurable After the maner of men in dede humane membres are attributed to him but to be expounded by a trope Moreouer when the same God appered to the people of Israel in Sina they hearde a voyce only but the Israelites sawe no shape As Moses witnesseth in the 4. chapt of Deuteron Doubtles that they shoulde not expresse with an Image the incomprehensible and shoulde coÌ„mitte idolatrie the greate sinne and wickednes S. Paul in the 17. of the Actes denieth that the deitie is like the forging of men To the Romanes He ascribeth to the greatest folye Idolles made after the shape of men whiche shoulde represente God Wherof we haue spoken els where In the meane season are rehearsed two preciouse stones whiche by theyr collours do after a sorte shaddowe the nature of our God and admonishe the godly of greater and more excellente thinges A Iasper is a grene stone like an Emeraude Grenes signifieth the perpetuitie of God and that he quieâ—teneth and kepeth in life all thinges But the Sardine loketh with a fine coulour like a bright red For God dwelleth in light inaccessible The same is a consumyng fire and also charitie it selfe For the nature of stones reade Plinie c. The rainebowe smaragdine But a raynebowe inuironeth the Throne rounde aboute a raynebowe for the moste parte is of diuerse coulours but here it is of one coulour and that of a Smaragde to witte grene The raynebowe is a token of a perpetuall grace and couenauÌ„t made after the fludde as is declared in the 9. chapt of Genes And verely the Throne of the hyghe iudge mighte put vs wretched menne in feare Therefore the raynebowe putteth vs in remembraunce of Godes grace and that God whiche by his prouidence gouerneth all thinges hath bouÌ„de him selfe in leage to man kinde to whome verely he wissheth well That leage is still grene and alwayes of force The goodnes of God towardes menne is perpetuall For though heauen shoulde fall and out of this Throne procede moste greuouse thonderboltes and calamities shoulde fall vpon vs like a storme yet is God in leage with vs and loueth vs derely xxiiii Elders in seates Aboute the Throne are sene sette .xxiiii. seates and in them sitte xxiiii Elders as Senatours of the moste mightie kingdome of God and fathers of the Hierarchie celestiall This nombre is made of xii and xii But xii Patriarches signifie the whole people of Israell and the olde churche before Christe The Christen churche was planted and sprange vp of the twelue Apostles after the incarnation of Christ wherupon that xii numbre comprehendeth the whole churche of the newe people Therefore is the whole vniuersalitie of Sainctes assembled in heauen and triumphing with Christ theyr king And therefore be they clothed in white rayment to witte pourged by Christe and pure and cleane from all corruption Crowned also bycause they haue ouercomen and nowe reigne in eternal glory verely kinges and priestes through Christe The description also of theyr behauour admonissheth that in them is nothynge wauntinge but to be truely blessed and therefore they be shewed sitting not that they are iudges or iudge for Christe
the maner of praising where he addeth he hath ordeyned them that they should indure for euer he gaue them an ordenaunce neither is it transgressed As if he should haue sayed Where they neglecte no parte of those things wherunto thei are made but are ready in their place order and time and do their duety exceadingly well do they not preache vnto men the wonderfull wisedome and power of God For in an other Psalme also dauid sayeth the heauens shewe forth the glory of God and the firmament declareth the workes of his handes c. Thus I saye the creatures with out life do praise and coÌ„mende the name of God vnto men what time they are moued worke wonderfully and obediently do the thing were vnto they are appoincted The Hymne of al creatures like as that was of the beasts An Himne sayed vnto Christ of al creatures and Elders and Aungels is here also trimmely described although briefly But where it hath nothing that hath not beÌ„ declared before I wil not by oft repetyng and speakyng the same thinges molest and werie the gentle hearers Howbeit that one thing semeth chiefly to be obserued that they ioyne him that sitteth in the throne and the lambe together so acknowledging the sonne to be coequall with the father and they both to be worshipped with like honour and with like praises to be celebrated and coÌ„mended They attribute peculiarly to the lambe Empire or kingdome for that he receiued the boke of the father as is declared before to wit al power and authoritie to gouerne al thinges The foure beastes singe to it Amen A coÌ„sâ—nt is approued dissente is reproued eyther so confirmyng the Hymne of the creatures or thus declaryng their consent with them To the intent we should with one minde praye together and prayse God blessed for euermore With these are moreouer confuted the dessensions of men The Lord alloweth the concorde and agrement of menne and requireth vtterly especially in prayers and godly prayses For he coÌ„maundeth in the Gospell to laye downe thyne oblation whiche thou wouldest offer in case thou doest remeÌ„bre any discorde betwixt thee and thy brother to goe vnto him and to renewe amitie and than to retourne to thine offeringe which in the prophetes is called an abomination in case it be offered of myndes possessed with rancour and mallice c. Thelders worshippe agayne Finally the elders fal doune agayne and worshippe him that liueth for euer doubtles that by their ofte worshipping al we in earth might be moued vnto obedience For if these thinges be done in heaueÌ„ of the blessed spirites what I praye you is mete for vs to do here in earth And marke that they are sayed to worship him that liueth for euer who neuerthelesse fell downe firste also before the lambe and before the Throne out of the which the spirite proceded and wherupoÌ„ sate he that sitteth wherof we gather that the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost are in dede distincte in persones yet these three not to be three Gods but one God liuing for euer A medicine agaynst all heresies And verely this notable vision and treatise maye be in the steade of a moste effectuall remedy agaynst sondry poysons of heresies especially of the Arrians and Seruetanes or rather perdetanes moreouer agaynst diuerse and curiouse disputations and temptations touchyng the workes iudgmentes and prouidence of God Yf we be wise we will obediently submitte our selues to the liuing God with all the creatures and Sainctes of God worshipping him and with the Prophet criyng thou art iust Lord in al thy wayes and holy in al thy workes Thou hast created vs al thinges are thine Thou gouernest al thinges in best order Thou louest man Thou hast geuen vs thy sonne Thou by thy sonne our redemer gouernest al thinges vprightly We worship thee the father the sonne and the holy ghost one very god To thee is dewe the kingdom honour and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ Two seales are opened and the directe course of Gods worde is and a cruel course of warres against the disobedient The .xxx. Sermon ANd I sawe when the lambe opened one of the seales The .6 chapter and I heard one of the foure beastes saye as it were the voice of thonder come and see And I sawe and beholde a white horse And he that sate on him had a bowe and a crowne was geuen vnto him And he went forth conquering and to ouercome And when he opened the seconde seale I hearde the seconde beast saye come and see And there went out an other horse that was red and power was geuen to him that sate there on to take peace from the earth that they should kill one an other And there was geuen vnto him a great sworde Hitherto hath thapostle prepared the auditours to heare with a quiet minde the iudgementes of God and fatal destenies of the church and patiently to beare all aduersitie and that we should worship him in al thinges and geue glory to his name consequently he expoundeth in a most goodly order the iudgementes of God and destenies of the Church shewyng how the sonne of God gouerneth the ordenauÌ„ces of God and his eternall prouidence And this is as it were a Prognostication for all times and Ages vnto the worldes ende A coÌ„tinual prognostecatioÌ„ of al times froÌ„ the birth of Christ For we shal not thinke that here are rehersed only the actes of one age or two but of al. And first al thynges are generally described by partes afterwarde particularly when we come to the openyng of the seueÌ„th seale The some is the lord sendeth forth the preaching of the trueth into the world which when men refuse and dispise they are distroyed with warres and other calamities innumerable Attentiuenes here is necessarie But before al thinges S. Iohn is excited and in him all we to be attentife And one that is to wit the first of the beastes doeth excite him One of the Sabbat is set for the firste daye in the weke that same is verely the sondaye The voice of the beast is like vnto thonder Wherby is signified that here is treated of greate most weighty matters For most great and terrible thinges followe whiche shake the whole world Therfore let vs not playe the slepy sluggardes let vs not be blinde and deafe Doubtles the sloughtfulnes of our time is such that we little consider the workes of God and what is done in our time The storkes swallowes Turtels and the rest of liuing thinges passe vs which ful wel obserue their time Therfore are we here wel stired vp that we shuld not be slouthful but should marke what thinges are declared and shewed vs of the Lord. The firste seale is opened And when S. Iohn had diligeÌ„tly marked what was don he seeth the lambe Christ I meane our redemer open one seale that is to saye the first And streight wayes came forth a white
the passion of Christ and therfore to reste now vnder the Aultar Christ For they that are pertakers with him in passion doe cōmunicate also with him in glory The aulter and bosom of Abrahā For like as the bosome of Abrahā is called a receptacle and that porte and hauon of Saluatiō into the whiche the soules of thē are receiued which had the faith of Abraham so do we vnderstande the aultar to be a place of blessednes in heauen wherin they rest which with true faith haue acknowledged Christ the aultar propiciation sanctification and satisfaction and haue moreouer in suffering offered them selues to God in Christ through patience an acceptable sacrifice to God Vnder this Aultar was gathered the first martyr Abel and after as many as haue died for religiō and shal begathered who so euer in bearing the crosse through tribulation enter with Christ into glory The saītes crye vnder the Aulter Now is also declared what they do vnder the Aultar The very martirs I saye crye not the beastes as they haue done hitherto and they crie out with a lowde voyce No man shal Imagine that the blessed soules in Heauen doe complayne be sorowfull doe accuse and be troubled These thinges are fayned to an other ende to the intent we should gather therof that God forgetteth not his that he putteth not out al reuengement that he seeth feleth and regardeth the iniuries and deathes of his seruauntes Where the vengeaunce followeth not immediately God is thought of many to slepe and to haue no respect vnto his We heare therfore that the holy Martirs crie and that with a lowde voyce He appereth to haue alluded to that same in the .4 of Genesis The voyce of thy brothers bloud crieth vnto me to witte for vengeaunce Crying sinners For the Diuines call certen sinnes criyng as those whiche are red in the Scriptures to crie vnto God as is at this present the shedyng of bloud the sinne of Sodome in the .9 of Genes the oppression of widowes and orphanes in the .22 of Exodus wages for worke deteyned Deuteron 24. and Iames the .5 How longe so euer therfore God differreth vengeaunce be it neuer so many yeres yet is not the bloud of the iuste forgotten before God S. Paule in the .12 to the Hebrewes crieth out and sayeth that the bloud of Abell speaketh In the .18 of Luke the Lord sayeth that the afflicted do crie bothe daye and nighte for deliueraunce Would God they would wayegh these thinges whose feete are swifte to shede bloud God would not in times paste be mercifull to his people for that much innocent bloud was shed emonges them by the meane of Manasses theyr kinge as appereth in the .4 boke of Kinges Therefore dere bretherne let vs consider wel at this daye what we doe and let vs not shede rashly innocent bloud Certenly the wordes are expressed of S. Iohn Whether the Saincts in heauē desire vēgeāce whiche the Martirs cried to the Lorde howe longe saye they Lord whiche arte holy and trewe c. They put God in remembraunce not as ignoraunt or inconstaunt but as knowyng and moste stedfastely mindefull of holines and trueth For in asmuche as the Lorde is holy he hateth all prophane and vncleane persones and spareth them not For as muche as he is true he maynteyneth and defendeth his chosen and punnissheth and oppresseth his enemies as he hath promised by his worde Sins therefore thou arte suche saye they O God why doest thou not iudge and auēge our bloud of them which in earth as in their kingdome exercise tiranny and oppresse euery good man Al this signifieth none other thing than that God for his owne sake whiche is holy and true will neuer forget the iniuries of his seruauntes Therefore we vnderstande these thinges to be spoken by a figure called Prosopopeia that is the fayning of a persone not that the Sainctes in Heauen do expostulate with God but that we by suche a figure might vnderstande that God hath care of Martirs because he is holy and true S. Austen in the .68 question vpon the newe Testamente Seynge the Lorde sayeth he hath taught vs to praye for our enemies what is the cause that the soules of those that are slayne crye out as doeth the bloud of Abell and require that they maye be auenged And he maketh aunswer Sainctes be not impatient that they should vrge that thing to be done now which they know shal come to passe in the time prefixed which neither can be preuented nor yet delayed but by this saying he woulde shewe howe God will auenge the bloud of his seruauntes leest bycause he semeth now so patient that wicked warre shuld be thought vnpunished which is made against the Sainctes that both he might driue a feare into them that persecute the seruauntes of God and might also exhorte the sufferers vnto patience Thus sayeth he And this in dede semeth the playnest sense of al others especially if we consider the things that follow in the lordes aūswer and it was sayed vnto them that they should rest c. Primasius Bishop of Vtica expoundyng this place of S. Iohn Sainctes not incensed with carnal vnderstāding it is not to be thought saieth he that the Sainctes are incensed with a carnall vnderstanding and stoutenes to be auenged sins we knowe that through the aboundaunce of charitie the very enemies are of thē also in this case beloued but it is euident that they prayed agaynst the kingedome of sinne and to haue ernestly desired the other thinges of that kingdom wherof we saye thy kingdome come For it is not lawful to thinke that they woulde couet any thinge agaynst the pleasure of God sins their desires depende vpon his wil c. And S. Gregory what is it sayeth he that the soules make request of reuengement but that they desire the laste daye of iudgement and the resurrection of bodies slayne Aretas noteth here also out of the commentaries of S. Andrew bishop of Cesaria moreouer the Sainctes appere hereby to wisshe for the ende of the worlde Wherfore they are commaunded patiently to abide vntill the accomplishement of their bretherne Hebr. 11. leest they should be fulfilled with out them after the holy Apostle Vēgeaūce is desired two waies Howbeit Thomas of Aquine in the exposition of the Apocalipse sheweth that vengeaunce is required of god two waies First in dede with an euil and malliciouse affectiō which the Scripture doeth vtterly represse Secondely by a Zeale of rightuousnes and after the wil of God is iudgement required agaynst them that be vncurable After he annexeth this therfore do the blessed soules require vengeaūce of their enemies albeit they intende it not chiefly bicause of a Zeale of rightuousenes and affection of godly loue they grudge as also doeth god him self at the wickednes of the persecutours who impugne God him self and seke to hinder his religion and tourment suche as worshippe him wherfore they would
spake the Lord in the gospel when they shall saye sayeth he Christ is in the wildernes goe not forth c. And I doubte not but that some simple also at this day for this intent take vpon thē the monastical life but they shall finde also the same that S. Iohn here sayed they should proue and trie by experience Furthermore this place might seme that it should be expounded of the tokens which go before the last iudgement The place is to be expoūded of the laste iudgemēt and of the terrour of the wicked of whom the Lord preached in maner to the same effect in the .21 of Luke But of the laste iudgement shal be spoken more at large and in his place in the .11 and .19 Chapter of this boke and els where And as I do not discōmende that same exposition so seme there nowe to me the generall destenies of the church to be here set together in the which where the corrupte doctrine occupieth not the last place there should nothing be spoken herof in general wherof many thinges in particular shal be spoken in the 8. chapter and others followyng vnlesse this present place should after the same sorte be expounded as it is Furthermore those thinges that followe shall better be ioyned together which shall haue no place in the laste iudgement as the thing it selfe wil proue And the thinges that follow in the 7. Chapt. apperteyne to the exposition of the sixte seale or vnto the treatise thereof And three thinges chiefly it reciteth howe the Aungelles let the windes that they shoulde not blowe an innumerable company to be sealed in the middes of the corrupt doctrine which shuld not perish And what the state of them is which are departed out of this world eyther by martirdom or els beyng either vndefiled with the corruption so ful of enormitie or deliuered pourged from the same which are annexed because of cōsolation For this boke of Apocalipse is wōderful Euangelical most ful not only of prophecies but also of admonitions exhortations and most cōfortable consolations What winde is in the Scriptures First is to be expounded that whiche is spoken of the restreinte of the windes by the Aungels that they should not blowe Winde as also leauē in the scriptures is vsed both in good and euil parte For winde is called vaine and false doctrine and an hope conceyued of erroneouse doctrine As in Osee the .12 and the .5 and .22 of Ieremie So is leauen called the Pharisaicall doctrine and hipocrisie springyng thereof S. Paul in the .4 to the Ephes forbiddeth that we be not caried about with euery winde of doctrine And the holy ghost is shaddowed by winde in the .3 chapt of S. Iohn And in the 2. chapt of the Actes Winde is subtile it pearseth is felte and is not sene greate is the force thereof it doeth refrigerate it drieth gathereth clowdes whiche rayne and make the earth fertile Full rightly therfore by winde is signified the spirite of God and the sounde doctrine whiche is of the spirite of God Therfore is it one winde the spirit of God whiche inspireth and there be foure windes that is to witte many by the corners of Heauen and partes of the earth that is to wit preachers dispersed through out the whole world Therfore the doctrine of the Gospell inspired from all partes of the world bloweth or is preached so that ther be many windes yet all procedyng of one For there is one and the same spirite whiche speaketh by the ministers and geueth them sundry graces .1 Corinth 12. Briefly by the blaste of windes we vnderstand the free preachyng taken out of the holy Scriptures The preachyng of gods word is prohibited Secondely we muste knowe that there be both good and euil Aungels in the Scriptures Aungels as appered before are called ministers And there be good and euill ministers the good inspired of God and the good Aungell and the euil of the euil Aungell And the enemie of the trueth stireth vp men in al places of the world in the Courtes of Kinges in the places of Iudgement in Scholes in Colledges in Cities Townes and Villages whiche may let the free course of Gods worde Therefore the proclamations of Kinges and Bisshoppes flye to and froe are proclamed and set vp prohibiting the readyng of the Bible the preaching of the Gospell c. And to the intent to haue some pretence of their euill doyng they forge that the Bible is corrupte in a thousande places that heresie is learned and taught out of the same Therefore also they prohibite and condemne the Bible and the bokes of the Gospell of the vnworthines of the whiche thing it can not worthely enough be spokē before the church They do the same that in times paste Antiochus Epiphanes Dioclesian and other men of the same sorte are red to haue done The expositours of the Bible in times paste deserued excedyng great prayse nother was there any faythfull that sayed the holy boke to be corrupted for that al translations agreed not emonges themselues We liue therefore at this daye in a time most corrupt and most vnthankefull And the restrainte of reading holy Scripture is the foundation of the corrupte doctrine and of intanglyng the conscience and of dispayre that followeth on the same And by the Earth he vnderstandeth men dwellyng in Earth by the Sea and Iles men of Ilandes and that dwell on the Sea by trees men shadowed euery where in the Scripture by trees For vnlesse the windes blowe the trees florishe not neyther the earth waxeth grene The Prophet sayeth sende forth thy spirite and they shal be created and thou shalt renewe the face of the earth And excepte the worde of God be preached the mindes of men waxe not grene nother are the fruictes of good workes brought forth of men And therfore the Aungelles prohibiting winde are sayed to hurt as in dede there is nothing more pestilent nor perniciouse than the suppressing of the free preachyng of Gods worde The Lorde by his spirite renewe all partes of the worlde Amen ¶ The faithful are sealed to saluatiō which they obteyne by the grace of God in Christ Iesu The .xxxv. Sermon ANd I sawe an other Aungell ascēde from the rising of the sonne which had the seale of the liuing God and he cried with a lowde voyce to the foure Aungelles to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth and the See saying hurte not the earth nother the See nother the trees till we haue sealed the Seruauntes of our God in their forheades And I hearde the numbre of them which were sealed and there were sealed an C. and .xliiii. thousand of al the tribes of the Childrē of Israell Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Ruben were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Gad were sealed xii M. of the tribe of Asser were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Neptali were sealed .xii. M.
painefulnes And thei serue God in the temple as God is wonte to be serued in the Temple For they kepe holy dayes they are glad reioyse be mery prayse and so they offer vp sacrifices and are refresshed with heauenly repaste And this ioye shall be euerlastyng and perpetuall which is signified by daie and night Otherwise in the blesse euerlasting there is no mighte at all nor anye chaungeable course of time Hereunto is added that he that sitteth in the seate that is the diuine maiestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will dwell in them that is to witte God wil be al in al or he wil leane ouer them and as it were a tente or tabernacle will ouershadowe them defende and kepe them and geue him selfe whole to be inioyed of them as moste familiar and frendely to them Moreouer they shall honger no more nother shall they thirste For all infirmitie and miserie is taken awaye from the blessed soules and bodies glorified They are filled with al good thinges without any lothsomnes with a most ioyeouse fulfillynge Nowe the sunne falleth not vpon them nor the heate whiche phrase of speache betokeneth that they are put to no trauel nor paine but are deliuered at ones from all displeasure and all paynefulnes and to be at moste pleasaunt reste Agayne is set in the cause of so greate felicitie Christ the lambe that is to saye Christ mediatour and redemer in the middes of the seate that is very God For he as both Ezechiel in .34 chapt and the lord also him selfe in the .10 of Iohn Wittenesseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie wil fede them Christ fedeth and quikneth like a sheperde and as a Captaine of life will leade them to the fountaines of liuely water that is to witte will quicken them for euer preserue all his in that felicitie He vseth in this treatise wordes of the prophetes most accustomed and vsed euery where that climyng vnto higher thinges we might after some sorte esteme heauenly giftes Hereunto he ioyneth as yet a notable benefite and the Lord will wipe al teares from their eyes Which wordes he hath borrowed of Esaye For Sainctes in this world tourmoyled with sondry euils haue shed most plentiful teares but in the world to come the Lord comforteth them gladdyng them with ioye euerlasting nother geuyng thē at any time any occasion of grefe Iacob 16 And therfore he sayed in the Gospel verely I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and lament but agayne the world shall reioyse and ye shal mourne but your mournyng shal be tourned into ioye And your harte shal reioyse and your ioye shal no man take from you We shall heare the like thinges vnto these also in 21. of the Apocalipse c. Against the cōtemners of the blessed lyfe Hereof they perceiue howe shamefully they transgresse which haue alwaies in their mouth if I should contene this life present for religiōs sake who shal tel me what is that other other life to come perauenture if I neglecte this in an other world I shal get nothing For here we haue a most manifest testimony that as most assured saluatiō is prepared of God in heauen for the faithful so is it also moste ample and great in so much that the Apostle in an other place sayeth that th◠afflictions of this time present are not egall to the glory which shal be reuealed to vs. The Lord graunt vs that we maye acknowledge these thinges ¶ Whilest the .vii. Seale is opened and the Aungels with trompettes come forth Christ the intercessour of his church offereth vp before his father the praiers of his faithful The .xxxvij. Sermon ANd when he had opened the .vii. The .8 chapt seale there was silēce in Heauen about the space of half an houre And I sawe seuen Aungels standyng before God to them were geuen seuen trompettes And an other Aungell came and stoode before the Aultar hauing a golden censer much of odoures was geuen vnto him that he shoulde offer of the prayers of al sainctes vpon the goldē aultar whiche was before the seate And the smoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of al sainctes ascended vp before God out of the Aungels hand And the Aungel toke the censer and filled it with fire of the Aultar and caste it into the earth and voices were made and Thonderinges and Lightninges and Earthquake I suppose ther be no bokes in the world of whomsoeuer The excellency of the bookes of holy scripture or when soeuer they were written which maye cōpare with the bokes of holy scripture as concerning the sincere veritie pure simplecitie and plaine order Nother perauenture that maye seme any maruell to any man knowing that the same are written in dede of men but inspired of the holy ghoste There be edifices most skilfully builded of men and framed and cōtriued in a most goodly order But what beaultie wil you iudge them to haue in case ye compare them with the creation of the worlde and with that most beaultifull order whiche we see dayly in all thinges created and chaungeable course of times the moste excellent workes of men haue nothyng in them yea seme vile in case you compare them with the workemanship of God the creatour A recapitulation But for the moste bright order and most playne treatise this boke of the Apocalipse hath emonges others moste notable an excellent and wonderfull prayse S. Iohn promised a some of the matter signifiyng that he wold speake of those thinges which shuld be done in the church from his time vntil the iudgemēt And the faithfull doe knowe to what ende they should take those thinges not to thintent their curiositie might be mainteined or satisfied but that they sufficiently warned before shuld not fal but take hede to themselues hold faste the true saluatiō And forasmuch as there is muche talke emonges men whie God doeth thus or permitteth that and whie he prohibiteth not these or those thinges S. Iohn hath exhibited to vs a most holesom visiō by the which we may learne not to talke against God not to contende with him but to acknowledge al his iudgments to be rightuouse iust Which thing verely both al the Sainctes in heauen and also angelicall spirites do acknowledge and attribute to God al glory And thus hauing prepared the mindes of the Auditours he cometh to the thing it self and declareth the fatall destenies of the church Vnder the .vi. seale he toucheth generally the corruptiō of doctrine which sins it is more perillouse more pestilent than al daūgers of mans body or outwarde perilles he reasoneth yet more fully therof and nowe particularly vnder the opening of the .vii. seale reciteth howe farre the same stretcheth For he declareth how many how great what maner of sectes heresies and troubles shall arrise in the church howe hurtful they shal be to the churche And this place conteyneth an Historie of the
corrupte doctrine of heresies or sectes and troubles euer sins the time of S. Iohn vnto the last iudgemēt It is extended through out the .8.9.10.11 chapt A consolation euen euāgelical Neuerthelesse before the trompettes come forth for a consolation as it were by a little digression is placed a remedy which the faithful in al ages may vse in that pestiferouse corruption to kepe safe their soules the integritie of the same For many times in this boke are broughte in moste strong consolatiōs in maters of most difficultie For al the .10 chap. shall serue also to this Argument And the remedy that he sheweth is this that we muste flee vnto Christe redemer of of mankynde intercessour propiciatour And that we shall be safe vnder his defence that we muste offer vp to him our prayers continually And verely the Lord in the Gospel reasoninge of the greatest daungers of the Deuill prepared for the company of Apostles and beyng at hand Yet addeth he by and by that whiche mighte comforte their sorrowfull mindes I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy fayth should not faile c. Beholde we are saued in greatest distresse thorow Christes protection that we should not fainte in fayth Howbeit as euery where the Euangelicall and Apostolicall letters do intimate our continual prayers which we offer to God through Christ must be ioyned to our truste in Christ And in fewe wordes the intercession of Christ at the righte hande of God and effecte and maner of the prayer of the faithfull are here set forth to beholde But we shal declare euery thing in order He spake in general vnder the .vi. seale of corrupt doctrine in the seuenth he wil declare the same particularly and most aboūdantly And whileste the seuenth seale was opened there was silence in heauen almost halfe an howre Of this silēce the expositours write diuersely But as I thinke the hearers are excited by this silence to a diligent and attentiue hearyng For silence hath an admiration and an expectation of matters moste weightie Salomon sayeth in the .9 of Ecclesiast the wordes of wise menne are hearde in silence When weightie matters should be proclaymed and set forth the crier is woonte to proclayme silence And in dede they be matters of great importaunce that followe which vnlesse we obserue with great attentiuenes we shal perish in sectes and seductions Those spirituall wickednesses be more daungerouse than corporall perilles And nowe whilest in silence they loke for with an admiraration what should come the last seale beyng opened behold there appere seuen Aungelles trompetters of these we shall speake afterwarde Nowe is placed set forth a remedy to be taken in so great euils as I sayed The whiche A remedie agaynst all kinde of sectes trōperies and troubles to the intent it might be more liuely and maye be printed more depely in our brestes is set forth to be sene with a moste godly vision Before the seate and in the compasse almoste of the seate appereth a golden Aultar And there came an Aungell and standeth at this Aultar the same hath in his hande a golden censer into this the Sainctes put their offeringes He offereth thē before the seate and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth vp from the hande of the Aungel before God Christe is the golden Aultar We sayed in an other place that the golden Aultar of incense was the Lord Christ him selfe whiche is bothe Aultar and sacrifice and priest as S. Paule witnesseth to the Hebre. The same is called an Aungell to witte the same of whome both Esaye maket mention in the .9 Malach. 3. Chapt. and also Malachie saying beholde I sende mine Aungel which shal prepare the waye before me and sodenly the Lorde shall come vnto his temple whom you seke for and the Aungel of the couenaūt whō you desire beholde he cometh saieth the lord of hostes The fourmer Aungell that is to saye messenger or Ambassadour was Iohn Baptiste whiche prepared the waye for the Lord. Marke 1. He to witte the later Aungel came immediately after the preachyng of Iohn and made complete that euerlasting couenaunt The same nowe appereth on the right hande of God in Heauen what christ doeth at the righthand of the father And two thinges of him are vttered Firste that he stode before or in or vpon the Aultar We may here Imagine nothing corporally but we must thincke that by this maner of speakyng is signified the priesthood of Christ He appereth alwayes in the sighte of his father for vs As S. Paull hath taught the .8 to the Romains and .9 Chapter to the Hebrewes He pleadeth therfore the cause of his church before God and is aduocate for the faithfull The same morouer standeth before the Aultar the same standeth in the middes of the seate For he is coequall with the father after his deitie after the which he standeth in the seate and after his humanitie is of the same substaunce with vs according to the which dispensation he is red as Bishop and very man to stande before the Aultar The latter which is to be obserued is this that christ holdeth in his hande a golden censer For he hath taken our very nature without sinne that he might make intercession for vs and offer vp our prayers to God the father Christ offeceth vp our prayers And leeste any man should doubte that he receyueth our prayers and offereth them to God finally that the true office of the Church might also appere offeryng vp al thinges by Christe there is added to him are geuen many odours But to what ende that he might geue them vpō the golden Aultar and that before the seate as though you should saye that he might bring them into the sight of God And because of a further declaration leeste we should not know the trewe odours whiche please God and whiche the faithful offer vnto God through Christ The trewe odoures be the praiers of saintes ones or twise he addeth that those odoures be the prayers of Sainctes And he meaneth by Sainctes not those that dwel in heauen but vs in the earth which are sanctified with the spirit of our God with the bloud of Christ baptisme faith and worde Iohn .13 Philip. 4. And the prayers be inuocatiōs and geuyng of thankes And he saieth expressely of al Sainctes leest any should feare that he and his prayers offered by Christ were excluded Yf thou beleue thou arte holy and thy prayer is of God accepted What the prayers of Sainctes be it appereth in the Lordes prayer which we offer vp to the father in the name words of Christ hallowed be thy name thy kyngedome come and the residewe which all fight with those sectes and corruptiōs of trewe doctrine Ireneus alledgeth this place in the .31 and .32 chapt of the .4 booke And by this meane he calleth Eucharistia whiche is geuing of thankes the sacrifice of Christians For the mainteyners of papistrie do
them in the veritie agaynst liyng and reuolting and establisshe them in the same Christ cōmeth abroade and sweareth in the sight of al men solemnely Which thing must be expounded by all circumstaunces For it is a thing of moste weight moste ful of comforte and right holesome and necessarie for al men Christe sweareth There is no doubt but that he alludeth to the laste chapt of Daniel wherin also the Angel of the lord sweareth confirming by a solemne othe that such thinges as haue hitherto ben tolde to the Prophet by prophecie shal be all fulfilled in their times therfore this mightie Angel sweareth now also yea euen Christ him selfe whiche set his fete on the Sea and Lāde For by the state and behauour of the body he sheweth stedfastnes leeste we shoulde doubte any thing of his fayth and veritie whiche sins he is lorde of all standeth moreouer vpon fete not fleshely but of firie pillers Al thinges therfore of Christ be certayne sure and vnmouable He that resteth on him standeth surely he that beleueth his wordes shal not be confounded And it is no newe thing that Christe sweareth For we reade very ofte in the Scripture that God hath sworne We reade in the Gospell that the same Lord Christ hath moste ofte repeted verely I saye vnto you verely verely I saye vnto you Whiche is an othe of one swearyng When Caiaphas adiured the lord in iudgement Christ did not conceale and by holding his peace dissembled but with expresse wordes confessed the veritie Whereof thou mayest learne that the Lord when he forbadde to sweare at al mente not the sacrament of swearyng Which where the bussardely Anabaptistes wil not vnderstande they styre vp wonderful trouble worthie to be put to silence with more seueritie But whie or to what ende othes be made or taken the Apostle out of the lawe in the .22 why othes are taken hath declared at large in the .6 to the Hebrewes to witte that menne waueryng and doubtful might be confirmed and certified and made quiet Doeth any manne doubte whether thou deale faythefully with him God commaundeth to auouch it by a sacrament to the ende al diffidence maye be taken awaye Apostle men sayeth he sweare by him whiche is greater and is to the same an ende of al controuersie in case it be confirmed by a◠othe In the whiche consideration God mindyng more aboundantly to shewe vnto the heyres of promission the vnchaungeable stedfastenes of his counsell expresseth an othe Euen so at this present where the diuine prouidence did forsee that vnder the kingedome of Antichrist the hartes of the faythfull should be moste greuousely tempted and that many by reason of the moste prosperouse fortune of Antichrist and all the wicked shoulde be harde harted to beleue Gods promesses and that many The stedfastenes certētie of Gods promesses whiche thing also Daniel in the .11 chapt Prophecied should reuolte to Antichrist it semed to God good to confirme his promesses by an othe and that a solemne othe by his sonne to the intente that suche as will be wise maye thinke if an honeste man and a trewe should cōfirme his promesse to thee by an othe thou woldest thinke it an vnworthie thinge to doubte of his promesses howe much lesse shall it be laweful for thee to doubt of that promesses of the Sonne of God and of all his wordes by a solemne othe confirmed beleue therfore the sonne of God sworne beleue his Gospell moste confirmed although the skye shoulde fall and the Earth gape neuer so wide God can not lie whiche is the veritie and that the eternall veritie whiche nother disceaueth nor is disceaued whiche is mercifull and loueth menne so that he tempereth him selfe also after their capacitie For euen for vs and for our infirmitie he perfourmeth a Sacrament leest he should seme not to satisfie vs in all thinges and that all occasions of incredulitie and reuoltyng to Antichrist and to the filthie worlde might be cutte awaye Nowe come we also to waye the maner or fourme of the othe Two things are here recited the maner of the swearer the maner or fourme of Christe his othe and the solemne wordes of the swearer For he sayeth howe the Angel lifted vp his hande towarde heauen which in dede is the moste auncient rite and holy ceremonie of swearers For we reade the same of Abraham in the .14 of Genes And in the .12 To lift vp handes of Daniel is written of an Aungell which liftyng vp to heauen his right hande his lefte swore We verely holde vp our right hande But where we saye that geuing of voyces we wil holde vp both our handes we signifie that we wil vtterly be of that sentence that we heare there propounded Therefore the holdyng vp of bothe handes doeth signifie a most perfit fidelitie and moste assured confirmation of the thing sworne Certenly in the holy scriptures the lifting vp of the hande is oftener than ones put for an othe Whereof perauenture we Germanes haue borrowed where we say that is to saye thou shalt confirme me this by an othe And in matters most seriouse and graue we are wont to vse some outwarde ceremonie wherby we maye make the wordes and the thing it self as it were more notable graue Wherupon when we praie vnto God we lifte vp our handes And verely an othe is as it were the calling vpō the name of god Wheruppon it is cōmonly accustomed with great feare to perfourme othes For al men arrise and put of their cappes as they were ready to fall on their knees before the sighte of God him selfe When bargayne or contracte is made with wordes the right handes are ioyned together also in token of fidelitie Therefore when we take a solemne othe we lifte vp our hand towarde heauen where we beleue that the Lord sheweth him self gloriouse to the faithful from whom we fele that al good thinges come vnto vs from whēce we perceiue also that vengeaunce doeth fall vpon the periured and contemners of God Hitherto therfore Christ applieth him selfe vnto vs and after the maner of men to the ende that menne maye be made the quieter he lifteth vp his handes vnto heauen Solemne wordes to sweare by him that liueth for euermore And the solemne wordes of the swearer be these he sware by him that liueth for euermore whiche made Heauen and the thinges that are therin c. So reade we of Abrahā in the 14. of Genes I lifte vp my hande to the high lord God possessour of Heauen earth And in the .12 of Daniel He sware by him that liueth for euermore Also in the .4 of Ieremie And thou shalt sweare the Lorde lyueth We say so truly as God lyueth and againe so God helpe me And this is a trew maner of swearing God the creatour is here most plentifullye and most properly expressed and here are all creatures seuerallye expressed He alone is the creatour he alone is
the deuil many times sendeth instructeth and helpeth his false prophetes So Christ leaueth not his church destitute and geueth to this ministers habilitie of teachyng and doyng luckely For in the Gospel also he promysed and sayde I will geue you a mouth and wisedome which they shal not resist so many as be agaynst you These thinges ought to comforte vs in the greuouse consultatiōs trayhisones assaultes of the enemies of the Gospell Christ wil not forsake his ministers so thei be faithful and depende vpon Christ alone The time of the preachyng of the prophetes Now is also declared the time of the preaching of the gospel agaynst Antichrist verely al that time wherin Antichrist shal treade the Temple and holy citie For a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes make .xlii. monethes yf you put to euery moneth .xxx. dayes But we hearde before that Antichrist should treade the church .xlii. monethes Agayne therfore is a certaine nōbre put for an vncertaine And here is signified and that with a misterie is here defined the time of daies not of monethes or yeres For though the function of the ministerie be neuer so harde and daungerouse yet so shal God comforte and confirme them that they maye appere a fewe dayes only not monethes or yeres to suffer persecutiō to trauel in this laboriouse worke of the Lord. And where I haue sayed that those nombred dayes are put for an vncertentie of time this hath moued me that by and by in the .12 chapt the same nombre of dayes shall be assigned for the which yet he hath set before for a time and times and halfe a time Whiche appereth playnely to be taken out of the .7 and .12 chapt of Daniel I knowe that the same is expounded of many for three yeres and a halfe that the time should signifie a yere times two yeres and halfe a time half a yere But euery manne maye perceyue that the thing it selfe is repugnaunt to that nombre of yeres if he be at the leeste any thing sene in stories In the .7 of Daniel the other beastes sayeth he gaue ouer their rule and spaces of life were graunted for a time and a time But who will expounde these thinges of two yeres only sins it is euident that the Babilonians Persians and Macedonians reigned many yeres he signifieth therfore that those kingdomes should reigne so long as God would permitte them and geue them power to reigne We saye in Dutche where yet we appoynt no time prefixed In the same chapt of Daniel is put the same phrase of speache that the Sainctes shal be deliuered into the hande of Antichriste for a tyme tymes and halfe a tyme. And in the .12 chapt he sayeth that his Prophecie shal be fulfilled in a time times and halfe a time But who shall beleue that within three yeres and an halfe all those thinges shoulde be accomplisshed which he declared in the whole worke Whie than doe they restrayne the times of Antichrist to three yeres and an halfe especially his persecution whie see they not the destruction of Antichrist and the peace of Sainctes and the daye of iudgement to be the same daye For Daniel sayeth that the beaste should be caste downe hedlong into Hell when the seates be furnisshed And Paul sayeth whome he shal destroye with his comyng and who shall shewe vnto vs the certayne daye of iudgement It is knowen to the father alone Lette them leaue therefore with their supputations to striue with the Gospell It appereth therefore that the Lord by that kinde of speakyng as it were by a riddle to haue diffined no tyme certayne but rather to haue admonisshed the godly of longe sufferyng of patience and constancie and to haue cōmaunded that we should not ouer curiousely searche the instaūt of this time but should rather permitte it to christ him selfe in an other place saiynge It belongeth not to you to knowe times and the momentes of times whiche the father hath reserued in his owne power but watche that when the Lorde shall come he maye finde you watchyng Therefore whether so euer the Lorde shall differre his iudgement a longe shorte or meane tyme be you constaunt So at this present he sayeth howe the ministers of Christe shal preach al that tyme wherein Antichrist shal persecute And verely if thou reade the stories thou shalt finde that the most vertuouse best learned men haue in all ages now for the space of these seuen hondred yeres and more constantly resisted the Popes enterprises their great abominatiōs and craftie iuggelinges and seducinges of monkes and Freres Of the persecutions that thei haue suffered I wil speake herafter The apparel of the prophetes Furthermore also the apparel of these prophetes is shewed that hereof also maye be gathered the maner of doctrine They shal not be clothed in softe or preciouse apparel as veluet sactin or damasne or crimosine ingrayned but in sackecloth And sackecloth as appereth in the Prophetes is for a mournyng garment and for suche as are penitent Therfore like as S. Iohn was coursely appareled Matth. 3.11 and preached repētaunce So shal these also moue vnto repētaunce and amendement of life and perswade men to frugalitie and riot and al vntemperauncie they shal persecute Certenly al good and learned men nowe these seuen hondreth yeres haue required nothing els of the Pope and Clergie and of the people but repentaunce and a reformation for the which they haue had small thanke at their handes But what the apparell of the Antichristianes is there is no man ignoraunt at this daye Certen of it differeth not much from whorishe Consequently he declareth more fully and more at large of what sorte thei shal be and also their ministerie what also shal be the effecte and vertue of their preachyng And the same he setteth forth and declareth with sondry figures taken out of the scriptures The prophetes be oliues and candelstickes And first he alludeth againe to the .4 chapt of Zacha. These be two oliues c. with oyle lightes are nurrisshed oyle therfore signifieth the matter of preachyng or of Sermons For Candelstickes bearyng lightes are preachers shewyng abroade the light of Christ and of his gospell through out the world And that preachyng of light is taken out of the scripture as also the light of a cādel is nurrisshed with oyle Oyle is a tipe of the holy of al holy Wherfore S. Iohn calleth also the holy ghost vnctiō Certes the holy scripture is the inspiration of the holy ghoste Therefore those preachers shall preach Christ out of the scriptures And so preaching the gospell of Christ through the inspiration of the holy ghost they are sayed to stande before the sight of God of the earth that is to saye these be in the protection in the cure and prouidēce of that God by whose prouidence ar gouerned whatsoeuer are in heauen or in earth The prophetes stād before god For he appeareth to haue alluded
aduoutries whoredomes to speake in the meane time of nothing els more filthie And where God forbiddeth lies and false witnes the Pope and his whole doctrine which he setteth forth besides the Scripture is sowed of lies and not only he dispenseth with false witnesses but permitteth also to breake safe conduites and publicke fayth geuen and yf he hate the Prince absolueth the subiectes from the othe of their fidelitie and obedience geueth libertie to al cōcupiscences and maketh lawes which nurrisshe the desires of the flesshe And whiche shall be the Dragons mouth yf this be not it Math. 4. The Dragon moreouer is red to haue spoken and sayed to the Lorde all these thinges will I geue thee for he shewed him the kingedomes of the worlde yf thou wilt falle downe and worshippe me What other thing speaketh the Pope doeth he not inriche his obedient children with the Riches of this worlde especially such as will fall downe and kisse his fete I suppose the Deuill would neuer be so shameles as to offer to the Lorde his fote to kisse but that beaste in the sighte of God and his Aungelles and of al the world dare put out his fote marked not with out a great mockery with the signe of the Crosse and profer it to be kissed of all the childrē of God I can not bring forth the horrible and innumerable blasphemies out of the decrees and decretalles For I am ashamed of such vngodlines Who therefore wil not acknowledge that Sathan him selfe doeth in this beaste reigne and rage God shortely confounde the same Amen Amen ¶ Agayne of the power of Antichrist and howe the fourmer beaste is worshipped The .lix. Sermon ANd he did all that the firste beaste coulde do in his presence And he causeth the yearth and them whiche dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly woūde was healed The secōd beaste executeth the power of the first Agayne he reasoneth of the power of the seconde beaste or Antichrist and of poperie He doeth or executeth sayeth he the power of the fourmer beaste that is to saye exerciseth the same authoritie that the old Romane Empire exercised Where he addeth in his presence Aretas expoundeth in followyng immediately after and euen in imitatyng the same But what power and authoritie they exercised I declared before in his place about the beginnyng of this chapt Therfore as the Romane Emperours supposed all kyngedomes and prouinces to be theirs and to appertayne vnto them so do the Bishops of Rome make their boaste that all realmes are theirs I geue nothing here to affection or hatred There came forth lately a boke printed at Liōs of Augustinus Steuchus keper of the Popes librarie in the which he reciteth out of the register of one Gregory I suppose the .7 all the kingdomes of Europe Spayne Englande Fraunce Denmarke Hongary c. The proprietie whereof apperteyneth to that seate of Rome the vse vnto the Princes Clientes of the same see Ful ofte haue the Popes assayed to bring into subiection to them and to their Sea the kingdomes of the Easte also and that vnder pretence of the holy warre and recoueryng the Lordes sepulchre And like as the olde Romanes vexed with continuall warre the nations that did not acknoweledge or obeye the olde Romane Egles so the See of Rome in our time and in the memory of our forefathers hath put to busines and trouble those kingedomes and nations and people that went aboute to reuolte and would not acknoweldge those double keyes that is to saye two hornes For who knoweth not with what cruel warres he vexed in times past the lande of Boheme who knoweth not what Germany and England hath suffered in fourmer yeres So verely the seconde beaste exerciseth gallauntly the Tiranny of the olde beast The olde beaste set forth proclamations concernyng religion and paiyng of tributes and customes and so impouerished in a maner all realmes their richesse beyng brought to Rome And what other thing doeth that seate at this daye what hath it done nowe to reken the leest these fiue hondreth yeres who therfore doeth not see that the seconde beaste exerciseth most aboūdantly the power of the first beaste A certen man made verses in Latin tauntyng the couetousenes and disceiptes of Rome and where Rome doeth magnifie her selfe to be head of the world which in Latin is Caput thus sayeth he If Caput come of Capio which signifieth to take Than maye Rome well be called so whiche doeth nothing forsake If you decline Capio Capis and to the groundes come Her nettes are large and can not misse to catch both al and some He addeth hereto an other thing Who worship the first beaste that this seconde beaste doeth procure that they that dwell vpon Earth should worshippe the first beaste Which doubtles we see fulfilled in the Popisshe kyngedome two wayes For firste the Papistes haue procured such authoritie and reuerence to the Romane Empire which they cal both sacred holy that as many as liue at this day whē they heare but the name of the Romane Empire spoken of doe Imagine a certen diuine thinge and brought vnto them from Heauen I graunt that there haue ben many right noble Princes godly and al praise worthie in that same Empire as was Constaunt Constantine wyth some of his sonnes Gratiane Valentinian Theodose and diuerse others I graunte that vnder these and such other like the Empire was holy and was in dede thempire of Christ For Christ was acknowledged with a trewe fayth and yet we see how the lord Iesus hath neuerthelesse as Daniel hath done also called that Empire a beaste doubtles figuratiuely and for the tirannes Therfore we must wisely and iustely attribute to euery one that is his and not without respecte to imbrace and reuerence that blouddy Empire for sacred and holy And we haue also declared before in what sorte kingedomes are of God and howe farre their workes are to be allowed that are in kingedomes And hereof shall be spoken a little after yet more plentifully Secondly the seconde beaste causeth men to worship the first herein chiefly Poperie hath reduced gentilisme that Papistrie hath brought agayne the heythennish maner the names only chaunged For I tolde you before that the firste beaste was worshipped in this that sely menne receyued the Romanes religion and worshipped Idolles The heythen did verely confesse the high God almightie but thei ioyned to him many Goddes vnto whom they submitted elementes diseases Artes countries cities the membres and partes of man and such other like things Aeolus was God of the windes and Neptune of the Sea Pluto ruled in Earth Mars was God of warre Minerua and Apollo of artes Aesculapius ouer diseases Hercules and many moe Venus was lady of Loue and the Goddesse Iuno of mariage Nother was there any membre in the body that had not his God so had all Countries and Cities theyr sauyng goddes and euery house their domestical Goddes
firste miracle done in Cana of Galiley and sayeth This is the firste token that Iesus did at Cana in Galiley and shewed his glory and his disciples beleued on him This token was trewe and suspected of no iuggelyng it was a benefite bestowed vpoÌ„ pore folkes newely maried by the same God was glorified His disciples moued herewith and the sprite of God workyng also inwardely beleued on Christ So do all trewe miracles testifie Christ to be helthful and beneficiall therefore alone to be called vpon and worshipped So doe Iohn and Peter interprete the signes or miracle that their theÌ„selues wrought in the .3 of the Actes of Apostles And of such miracles we haue greate plentie in the Euangelicall Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall storie nother haue al those any other ende thaÌ„ that we must beleue in the sonne of God as which alone geueth life and al good thinges And false signes I calle those that are done through deuelishe crafte or inchauntement Of falsâ— signes or miracles or by the craftie iuggelyng and subtill sleight of wicked men as be those of witches and inchaunters such as the wise men of Pharao were and Symon Magus and those wherof mention is made in the .13 of Deuâ—ter Finally suche were the miracles of the Freres brent at Bernes in Swisserlande and greately it is to be feared leest such haue ben the most parte of the miracles of al Mounkes and Eremites Likewise those are called false also whiche although they be done in dede yet beare they witnes to a lie agaynste the trewth confirmyng the Pope to be head of the church that images are to be worshipped that we must pray vnto Sainctes and go a pilgrimage for religion yea rather for superstitions sake that we must worshippe a newe God liynge hidde vnder fourme of Bread and Wine that God muste be honoured with vowes and Monkish conuersatioÌ„ and yf there be any other thing of like sorte With suche disceauable signes are filled at this daye all Temples churches and chapelles These haue perswaded much euen wise men and do also at this daye Whiche thing the Lord prophecied should come to passe saiynge there shal arrise false Christes and false Prophetes and shal shewe great signes and wonders that euen if it were possible the elect should be brought into errour And S. Paule also the comyng of Antichriste sayeth he shal be after the workyng of Sathan with al power and signes and liyng wonders and the reste whiche is red in the .2 to the Thessal 2. And we knowe that many Bisshoppes of Rome haue wrought signes but that same is not so excellent but that the Bisshoppe of Rome hath confirmed what miracles so euer haue ben wrought in al ChristeÌ„dome and augemented the same with his bulles and indulgences Doubtles all had a contrary ende to the miracles of Christ and yet haue for they do not profite men but emptie their purses put men to sondry charges and leade them awaye from the faith of Christ to the faith of Antichrist confirming his religion superstitioÌ„ and doctrine Nother doeth he place these his miracles emongs the last of his argumentes what time the simplicitie of the gospell is impugned But if we be wise we will beware of them as of a most present pestilence He maketh fire to come down c heaueÌ„ And emonges his miracles the lord by S. Iohn reherseth that aboue all thinges he causeth fire to come downe to the Earth and that in the presence of meÌ„ And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of Helias wherof we reade in the .4 boke of Kinges the .1 chapt and whereof we mentioned in the .11 chapt We reade that it was no smal miracle in the Actes of the Apostles that al the laiyng on of thapostles handes the holy ghost was geuen Symon Magus also did couet the same grace but he was sore reiected of S. Peter the Apostle as we reade in the .8 chapt of the Actes of Apostles And here is to be obserued as also S. Austen hath admonished in the .15 boke de trinit the .26 chapt that thapostles gaue not the holy ghost for it is God alone that geueth the holy ghost therfore at the prayers of thapostles at the imposition of haÌ„des the holy ghost was geuen from heaueÌ„ Wherfore S. Iohn Baptiste saied how he baptised with water but that Christ shuld baptise with fire and with holy ghost And by fire is figured the holy ghost The Pope geueth grace But Antichrist the Pope shal make his boaste that he hauing power geuen him froÌ„ heauen graunteth the grace of the holy ghost Doubtles in the time of coÌ„secrating he saieth that he geueth the holy ghost So likewise in auricular coÌ„fessions absolutions they bragge that thei geue full absolutioÌ„ of sinnes which in dede is a great miracle Thei laie their haÌ„des vpon the sinner that confesseth and saye howe they absolue him from the payne and crime and that by the power receyued of that moste holy See of Rome Primasius expounding this place It is no maruell sayeth he though that beaste which fainedly vsurpeth to him selfe the name of the Lambe killed and yet liuyng doe fraudulently chalenge to him selfe also this gifte of the holy ghost colourably by ImitatioÌ„ and fayne a donation to his ministers as we remembre that Symon Magus coueted but coulde not obteyne Hitherto he There is an other fire also The Pope casteth a thoÌ„derbolt at his enemies which Antichrist calleth doune from heauen and casteth and throweth at his enemies to be reuenged on them to wit the darte and thonderbolte of cursing this was terrible to kinges princes people And these haue so much feared the thonderbolte of excoÌ„munication that they haue done graunted many thinges which otherwise no maÌ„ shuld haue gote of theÌ„ The story is knoweÌ„ of themperour Henry the .4 For Platina in the life of Gregory the .7 sheweth that this Emperour was excoÌ„municated by the Pope After he addeth these things of themperour he came spedely to Canosse where the bishop was with Mathilda and by and by laiyng a side his royal robes went bare foted to the gates of the citie and humbly required to be let in His entring denied he toke in good parte notwithstanding that the winter was sharpe and al was frosen harde Remaynyng thre daies in the suburbes of the Towne and continually crauing perdon at the length at request of Mathilda and the Erle of Sauoye the Abbot of Clunies he is absolued Fridericke Barbarouse that he mighte be reconciled to the Pope layed his necke vnder his fete to be troden on full manifeste are the iniuries done of this beaste to other kinges also and people I wil yet tel of one The Venetians besieged Farrare which payeth tribute to the Churche of Rome for the whiche cause they were excommunicated by Clement the .5 Therefore Fraunces Dandalus which was after created Duke wente into Fraunce where that time the Bisshop was
Therfore how so euer their hartes be made sorrowfull in perilles and aduersities yet their spirite reioyceth in the Lord. For no mā coulde learne that same songe saue thelecte For like as none of the heauenly dwellers can expresse or vnderstande the excellencie of the ioyes of the life to come and the praises of God excepte he dwell emonges the heauēly inhabiters be pertakers of the moste godly life so excepte any man liuyng yet here in Earth be regenerated he nother seeth how great is the felicitie of the faithful nother cā he iustely esteme the prayses which they offer vnto God Touching the newe songe I haue spoken in the .5 chapt And certenly to wordly men the thinges seme as they were newe whiche the faithfull bring forth of Gods worde The true markes of the faithful Nowe doeth S. Iohn describe also what maner ones the shepe of Christ shal be which shal continewe in the church of Christ dispising the furies of the beastes Vnto whome also the marke of his fathers name in their forcheades is expounded They are redemed from the Earth We shall perceyue moreouer what be the true markes of the faithful First they are redemed frō the earth Doubtles al we bearing the earthly Image of the earthly mā were solde vnder sinne for the whiche cause we are also subiecte to maledictiō But the lord hath bought vs with the price of redemption payed vpon the crosse so that now we are shapen newe after the Image of the heauenly man to with beyng adopted for the children of God Of the which redemption the Apostle hath spoken in the .1 Corinth the .7 and to the Roma the .3 in other places S. Peter also .1 Pet. 1. And for asmuch as the faithful knowe themselues to be bought and adopted by Christe to the heauenly inheritaunce they are addicte to serue their redemer only and inseperablely cleaue to him Morouer they are virgins They are virgins not defiled with women in expoūding the which thinges thauncientes torment thēselues leeste any thing here should seme to redounde to the derogation of holy matrimony wherby doubtles witnes thapostle in the .1 Corinth 7. and .13 to the Hebr. no man is defiled I am here asshamed to bring forth the trifles of the Papistes For who cā heare the vncleanest of al mē reasoning any thing of cleanes They wil hereby mainteyne colour that single life of theirs but al men see neuerthelesse excepte they be blinder than betelles what filthines hath ben cōmitted and is cōmitted dayly vnder the pretence of this vngraciouse most vncleane singlenes But the Lord speaketh nothing at this present of corporal mariage but rather spiritual For it is manifest that thapostles as the brideleaders of our sauiour haue brought the churche to our Sauiour a chaste virgin whiche hath not had to do with any straunge or foreine womā that is to saye which is not defiled with the participation of euill doctrine Reade Salomon reasonyng of that woman grauely in the .4 chapt of the Prouerb Reade moreouer thapostle in the .2 to the Corint 11. excedingly wel teaching that the faithful are an vndefiled virgin the spouse of Christ The faithfull therfore which liued vnder the tiranny of the beastes receyued no straunge doctrine of Idolles and of other prophane cultes nother do at this daye admitte the popish infectiō but kepe their maydenly mindes for their husbāde Christ beyng despowsed vnto him by faith most sincere These follow the lāb whether so euer he goeth They follow the lābe whither so euer he goeth That is to saie they care for no man but Christ they desire no man but Christ in him they repose al their ayde al their cōfort al their ioye al saluation to him alone haue alwayes respecte in him they know themselues to be complete which one and alone is to them al thinges Moreouer whither so euer Christe calleth the faithful by doctrine and exāple yf it be to very death and moste cruell butcherie they followe willingly and cherely Whereby it cometh to passe that in the world to come they cā neuer be seuered from him For where so euer Christ is there is also Christes minister as he him selfe hath witnessed in the .12 and .14 chapt of Iohn They are also redemed frō men Redemed from men deliuered verely through the grace of Christ that they should not follow this corrupte and vncleane world by all kinde of pollution For Christ by his spirite and worde calleth his out of this worlde that although in body we are cōuersaunte in the world yet should we with al our minde abhorre the worlde the thinges that are therin Furthermore for this intente hath he chosen and redemed his from the bondage of men or of the worlde First fruices to god that they should be first fruictes to God the father to his sonne Which place the moste godly and excellent learned man D. Fraunces Lamberte expounding in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse it is manifest saieth he by the .23 of Leuit. the .15 of Numeri and .18 of Deuter. what firste fruictes be and that they were gathered for the Lord and went to the high priest But Christ is that high priest vnto whome the spiritual first fruictes apperteyne to witte the godly sanctified to God These things are confirmed of the Apostle which sayed that Christ gaue him selfe for vs to the ende he might redeme vs from all iniquitie and might purifie vs to him selfe an especial people a follower of good workes Therefore do the true faithfull singularly applie them to godlynes and that they maye be the first fruictes a most excellēt present of the lord sins they know themselues to be redemed for this ende that all the reste of the time of their life they might serue God In their mouth no gyle In their mouth is founde no gile He sayeth not no cōcupiscence or euil motiō to be founde in the hartes of the faithfull but denieth that there is any gile in their mouth For albeit that the faithful be troubled and vexed with the affectiōs of the fleshe yet so loue they the trewth that to their knoweledge they wil disceaue no man And chiefly do dissemble nothing that apperteyneth to the confession of the trewth and veritie nor vse any gile in the doctrine of the Gospell They be morouer with out spotte before the trone of god They be without spotte not by their owne vertue but by the sanctification of Christ which S. Paule also affirmeth in the .5 chapt to the Ephesi And he hath spoken it aptly before the trone For S. Austen sayed that our sanctification should at laste be made perfit in the world to come These I say be the trewe markes of the trewe faithful and of the trewe church of Christ Let euery man search here the secret corners of his harte consider dilligētly in his minde whether he be marked with these signes and
fulfilled For on those laste and most corrupte ages the Lorde wil powre out his plague and that the plagues of his iuste wrath and shall powre them out most fully to the ende and shall execute his ful wrath against the vngodly for euermore Yet now he suspendeth a while that narration begonne of the Angelles masters of the plagues The ioyes triūphes of the godly and placeth or sendeth before the greate ioyes of the blessed Martirs triumphes songe of praise reioycynge and thankes geuynge And this Ioye is interlased here in the treatise of punnishementes for the consolation of the faithful that they should knowe themselues deliuered from punnishmentes And if it fortune whilest the wicked are punnisshed that any displeasure touch thē also as it can not be chosen but the wicked beyng plaged some discōmoditie must also arrise vnto the faithful that thei maye vnderstande yet that the daungers of the discōmodities must with the excellent aboūdaunce of ioyes be recompensed For hereby is signified how the godly reioyce whilest the lord executeth his iustice To be also the chaungeable course of thinges that those that haue ones wepte in the world should now be glad and ioyefull accordyng to the saiyng of our sauiour in the .16 of Iohn Morouer it behoued by the testimony of all Sainctes to be declared to the Sainctes that dwell in Earth that the iudgementes of God be rightouse and true whiche thing vnderstande questions and sondry mutininges agaynst God do cease First he seeth them which ouercame Antichrist and haue had nothing to doe with him as we saye in dutch for this I suppose be signified by that plentiful rehersal of certen membres the declaration wherof is setforth before in heauen not in some dortour or no where as some men gather He sawe I saye in heauen the blessed soules stande vpon a glassy See A glassy See mixed with fire mixed with fire And in an other place I haue tolde you that the See figureth the worlde by reason of the rage and vnstablenes therof Certenly Daniel so taketh in the .7 chapt And it is called glassy because of the frailetie and bricklenes For worldely thinges shine but they are soone broken Whereupon it is sayed that wordely things are as brickel as glasse whiche whilest they shine breake And not with out cause is fire mixed with worldely thinges For the Sainctes whilest they be conuersaunt in Earth fele alwayes in a maner the fire of affliction Whereof spake S. Peter 1. Pet. 4. And they stande vpon a glassy See mingled with fire For cōquerours treade vpon the worlde and vpon al the tourmentes mockeries of the world as triūphyng ouer all worldely thinges The Prophet in the .66 Psalm bringeth in the Sainctes singyng a ioyeful songe vnto God and emonges other things saiyng thou hast brought vs into snares thou hast layde tribulations vpon our backe thou haste set men in our neckes We haue passed through fire and water thou hast brought vs out into a place of reliefe Therefore do there followe alterations in an other world Wherfore Aretas expoūdyng this place the glassy See sayeth he semeth to intimace nothyng els than by the Sea verely the multitude and by the glasse the brightnes by fire the puretie of them which are worthie that blessed life And certenly the same wordes in diuerse respectes maye signifie diuerse thinges and make the sense agreable Hitherto we haue hearde that the sainctes are in heauen where they triumphe ouer the world vanquisshed but nowe we shal heare more clerely what they do in heauen and how they singe vnto the lord a songe of thankes prayses which fully agreeth with the Psalm 66. The harps of God And he attributeth to the blessed martirs harpes as he did to the Elders These he calleth of God as you would saye diuine and celestiall mete to set forth the prayses of God For a celestial Iubeley is signified whereof is spoken in the .5 chapt He addeth moreouer to expresse the musicke and they singe And declareth also the maner of their singyng The songe of Moses the lābe the songe of Moses the seruaunt of God and the songe of the Lambe Therfore this songe of the Sainctes is reioycyng ditty triumphaunt and of thankes geuyng For like as in times paste Marie with the cōpany of virgins Israeliticall at the appoinctement of Moses sange a songe when the Israelites were deliuered out of the bondage of Aegypte and Pharao was drowned in the red Sea with his whole armie whereof you maye reade more in the 14. and .15 chapt of Exod. So the blessed soules in Heauen prayse God whiche hath deliuered them from Sathan Antichrist and the worlde And the songe of the Lābe is the christiane thankes geuing by the which the vertue of Christ and his redemption is praysed of the Sainctes For like as the olde fathers after the eatyng of the Paschalle lambe made a iubiley gaue God thankes So the blessed Sainctes nowe infraunchised with the full libertie of the children of God geue thankes vnto Christ theyr deliuerer Finally reciteth the order and fourme of their songe Kinge of Sainctes God is highly commended herein which is called the Lord God almightie Kynge of Sainctes as for whome the Sainctes warre by whome also they be gouerned and whiche defendeth mayneteyneth and kepeth the Sainctes And he is called holy in whome is no spotte no iniquitie And before all thinges they prayse his workes whiche they call greate and maruelouse These are manifest in Heauen and in Earth They declare the power wisedome iustice of God Therefore they inferre by and by that the wayes that is the considerations of God which he followeth in gouerning and doyng of thinges be trewe and iuste For he disceaueth not he doeth no man wronge Therfore God is iuste in punnishing the Antichristiās and deliueryng his For although he seme to neglecte his yet kepeth he fayth to the godly as a kynge that neuer neglecteth his Now they alledge what it becometh all men in the Earth to do also it is reoson that al men feare thee and glorifie thee in all thinges nother to accuse and murmure at thy iudgementes There is added an other reason for he alone is holy without sinne and with out spotte None of all the creatures hath this Although many gentiles nowe cōtemne God yet shal they ones come and worship shal knowe their owne filthines and the holines and rightuousenes of God For the iustice and iudgement of God whiche are not yet reuealed and therefore are contemned shal be ones reuealed that all the godly of al natiōs may attribute glory to the rightuouse God These thinges verely prepare also the reader and hearer to the treatise nowe followynge concernynge the iudgementes of God and pūnishmentes of the vngodly The lord open the eyes of our mindes that we maye see these thinges with fruicte plentifull ¶ The seuen Angelles are described coming forth to execute the seuen
plagues The .lxviij. Sermon ANd after that I loked beholde the Temple of the Tabernacle of testimony was open in Heauen and the seuen Angelles came out of the Temple whiche had the seuen plagues clothed on pure and bright linnen and hauynge their brestes gyrded with golden girdels And one of the foure beastes gaue vnto the seuen Aungelles seuen golden vialles ful of the wrath of God which liueth for euermore And the teÌ„ple was ful of smoke for the glory of God and for his power and no man was able to enter into the Temple till the seuen plagues of the seuen Angelles were fulfilled The fruictes of the treatise of Gods iudgementes He retourneth now to the description of the iudgementes of God from the which he had made a little digressioÌ„ This treatise hath much fruicte For the iudgementes of God be the punnishmentes or paynes of the wicked the testimonies of Gods rightuousenes and veritie Againe the godly are herwith confirmed in their hope For they see that one Iote doeth not fall from the wordes and threateninges of God although he be of longe suffering winketh at them long and euen semeth to fauour and to spare the vngodly The godly therefore perceyue that their hope is not vayne They learne also to feare God and to praye continually leeste beyng dronken with the pleasures and felicities of this world they reuolte froÌ„ God to vngodlines Finally the wicked are feared with paynes are prouoked to repetaunce which whilest they refuse they fele vndoubtedly plagues as Pharao felte The description of the seuen Aungelles But before the Angelles powre out the cuppes of plages receyued they are most gallauÌ„tly and dilligently described And is shewed from whence they came out that is what is the originall of the iudgementes of God They come out of the temple set open and that out of the temple of the Tabernacle of witnes which is in heaueÌ„ For Moses sawe a temple on the mounte and that also in heauen after the similitude whereof he was commaunded of God to make the tabernacle of witnes Therefore was the tabernacle of witnes facioned and builte after the shape exhibited and sene in heauen which the blessed Apostle to the Hebrewes calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit the very example or patron For it was sayed to Moses see that thou makest euery thinge accordyng to the Patron which was shewed thee on the Mounte Which thing Moses did accordingly But such thinges as came forth of the Tabernacle of witnes made in earth semed to the Israelites iuste and holy Herof were ared the oracles and aunswers of God which it was not lawefull to speake agaynst Therfore when we heare nowe that the very iudgementes of God agaynst the wicked world Thangels come forth of the teÌ„ple paynes and punnishmentes come out of the trewe temple it selfe the patron I meane and that celestial who should herafter doubte that al the iudgemeÌ„tes of God wherwith he plageth the vngodly be sacred holy And whilest the vngodly are plaged that we muste thinke nothing els but that a sentence as it were an oracle is comen or pronounced from heauen whiche it is vnlawefull to gayne saye to conclude the diuine iudgementes do procede out of the very trâ—ne of God wherefore they can not but be moste holy Otherwise we shal heare in the .21 chapt that there is no temple in heaueÌ„ These be therfore Tipes and figures not matters trewe and permanent but after they haue signified this for the which they were instituted passyng and fadyng awaye Hereunto also apperteyneth the apparell of Angelles Aungelles clothed in brighte white lineÌ„ that hereof â—oe maye also esteme the iudgementes of God They are sayed to be clothed in pure lynen or cleane and white or bright 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherby is signified that the iudgementes of God are vnspotted and bright For we haue hearde that these thinges which S. Iohn sawe were signes Therfore we maye not Imagine carnal thinges in heauenly matters but spiritually to expounde suche thinges as in the signe seme to be as it were corporall The garment in this worlde is chaunged with the state of thinges For they vse white garmentes in victories and triumphes blacke at burialles and mourninges red in battel Here is signified therfore that the iudgementes of God are most pure that God ouercometh and triumpheth ouer the vngodly At the resurrection and ascention of our lord Angelles appered in white garmentes shyning bright to signifie the glory of Christ Now is the very breste girded with a girdel and that in dede with a golden girdell Golde is a token of purenes In the breste is the seate of affections The girdell byndeth moreouer prepareth for the iourney Therefore it betokeneth that the iudgementes of God are prepared and in a readines the same to waunt affections that is to saye not to be pronounced or done of enuie or mallice loue or fauour but to be iuste moderate and vpright One of the beastes geueth vials And one of the beastes gaue vnto the seuen Angels reuengers punnishers seuen bolles the same ful of gods wrath Now although God nedeth not the helpe of creatures nother receiueth any thing of them as wauÌ„ting any thing yet sins he made not his creatures in vaine doeth thinges in order al creatures doubtles for I sayed in the .4 chapt how by the beastes the vniuersalitie of creatures is signified bestowe their labour agaynst the wicked and what so euer they haue of God and they haue al thinges at his wil and coÌ„maundement they imploye willyngly and franckely to execute the iudgementes of God Thus fire fallyng from heauen vpon Sodome and the cities aboute it did minister the plage or cup of Gods wrath to the Aungel reuenger So the water ouerwhelmed Pharao and his hoste So the Earth opening swallowed vp the company of Chore Dathan and Abyron c. Thus the Armies of the gentiles imploye themselues to take punnishement of the vngodly The walles of Iericho fall the hayle distroyeth the Chananites Thus God without any difficultie punnisheth his enemies seyng al creatures are ready to ayde and assiste And the viall or cuppe is of golde For againe is signified the iustice equitie of Gods iudgementes And where God is called a reueÌ„ger liuyng for euer his eternitie and maiestie is signified whiche neuer the transitorie thinges of this worlde and humane infirmities shall ouercome In the sight of the liuyng God all the wicked shal fall and perish euerlastingly After this the Apostle seeth The temple ful of smoke the temple filled with smoke for the maiestie of God and for his power That smoke is a signe of Gods presence it appereth by many places of the Scripture but chiefly in the .8 chap. of the .3 boke of Kinges Than is it also a token of Gods wrath For Aretas smoke sayeth he is a tokeÌ„ of Gods wrath according as it is sayed smoke ascended in
Romanes into a reprobate minde to do those thinges which God alloweth not And so are the wordes of God prophecied by the Prophets and Apostles on this wise fulfilled Doubtlesse they be the wordes of God and not of men which are red of this matter in Daniell and in all this booke of reuelation The woman is the great citie Finally the Angell expoundeth what is signified by the woman sitting on the beast to wit that great citie of Rome the head and Lady maistresse of the worlde and the Romish church Popery and power stretching oute her selfe and her Kyngdome ouer the Kinges of the Earth Of whom already hath bene spoken enough To God be glorie ¶ He sheweth that Rome shall assuredly fall and addeth the causes of her fall The .lxxvij. Sermon The .18 chapter AND after that I sawe an Angell come down from Heauen hauing greate power and the Earth was lightned with his brightnes and he cryed mightelye with a stronge voyce sayeng she is fallen she is fallen euen great Babilon and is become the habitation of Deuilles and the holde of all vncleane spirites a cage of vncleane and hateful birds for all nations haue dronken of the wyne of the wrath of her whoredome And the kyngs of the earth haue cōmitted fornication with her and her marchauntes are waxed rych of the aboundaunce of her pleasures He pourseweth through out al the .18 chap. the destructiō of olde and new Rome also of Heithennes and Antichristianisme that with a maruelouse plentie euidence of speach euen so that ye would thinke that you sawe al thing presently And he vseth also a most godly order The some of the .18 chapter For first the Angell declareth the destruction of Rome with moste apte wordes Secondly coūsel is geuen to the godly how to behaue themselues in so great daungers Than is added the maner of the desolation that like as Rome hath gredely and cruelly spoyled and destroyed other nations euen so it shal chaunce vnto her also After this a lamentation is made wherein the Princes and marchaūts do mourne for the ruine of Rome where they also resyte the richesse and pleasures of Rome Finally the Apostles and Prophetes reioyce at the moste iust iudgement of God Agayne the Angell of the Lord cast a milstone into the bottome of the sea that so the most certaine vnrecouerable and moste weightie destruction of Rome mighte be signified Wherunto agayne are anexed the causes of so great euilles and the same finished with the prayse and gratulation of all the heauenly dwellers And most luckely doeth he imitate the holy Prophetes of God wherof two in a maner after the same forte S. Ihon imitateth the prophetes do describe the destruction of old Babilon Esaye in the .13.14 .21 chap. And Ieremy in the .50 and .51 And Ezechiell the ouerthrowe of Tirus in the .26.27 and .28 chapt For as the lot and end of all the vngodly is lyke so doeth the canonicall Scripture in painting out their destruction right well agree with it selfe The Apostles moreouer The maiestye of the holy tung although they spake and wrote to the gentyles in greke yet altered they nothing of their naturall phrase of speakyng and euen constrayned straunge tungues to serue the holy and not the Hebrew to serue vnto heathen langages For speakyng greke they obserued the naturall phrase of the Hebrew speach as first diuine and holy And where they coulde speake all langages yet ded they neuer speake and write any foreyne langage so but that in the same the Hebrew phrase might be perceyued The curiositie of the readers in the translations of the Bible Let some therfore beware at this daie that thei be not to deintie cared and followe the puretie of the latine speach so that in expressing the same they fal not in the meane whyle from the simplicitie of the holye tongue and lose not a fewe misteries They that be not froward had rather frame themselues to the holy langage and learne the phrases therof than to subdue the same againste the heare to straunge tongues and cōpell it to serue our delicate eares Moreouer we haue already admonished oftentimes what is the end vse of this treatise concerning the iudgemēts or pūnishments of God For the veritie and iustice of God is cōfirmed the afflicted receiue comfort and the wicked and all Gods enemies are made affrayde c. The vngodly deride the oracles of god But when S. Ihon published these thinges and prophesied of the destruction of Babilon which al men at that time by reason of the late subuersion of Ierusalem and most greuouse captiuitie of the Iewes which had lately chaunced vnder Vespasian ded clerely vnderstand to signifie Rome For right so had Babilon in times past vexed the holy Citie and natiō as nowe had Vespasian the Romane The godly in dede beleued thē to be true that they shulde vndoubtedly come to passe The vngodly as dotages laughed them to scorne The same had their elders done For when the Prophetes also prophesied the subuersion of Niniue Babilon and most mightie Monarchies they semed to them to be mad Notwithstāding euen as they had saied so came it to passe Therfore the faithfull beleue the Oracles of God howe long so euer they be differred which are prophesied to come how vnpossible so euer they appeare vnto the worlde For to God speakyng and willing nothing is harde The Authour of this oracle And going about to shewe the subuersion of Rome he prepareth his hearers and winneth credit to the prophesie whileste before all thinges he sheweth the authour of the Oracle or prophesie the very Angell of God And verely he cōmendeth highly the same Angel to vs to the end we shuld doubt nothinge of the veritie of those thinges which he speaketh For he sayeth howe he came from Heauen Wherupon we gather those things that he bringeth to be diuine and celestial the same is saied to haue great power lest verely we shuld thinke those thinges to be vnpossible which he sayeth shall come to passe For yf the Angel Gods minister be of so great power what may we thinke the Lorde to be which sente the Angel One Angell before the walles of Hierusalem killed an hondreth fourescore and fiue thousande menne of warre One Aungell in a night slewe all the firste borne of Aegipt Therfore seyng the most mightie Angel prophecieth the destruction of olde newe Rome we nede not to doubte but that it shall vtterly perisshe Moreouer the Earth was lightened with the glory that is to saye with the brightenes or light of this Aungell For this prophecie is nother darke nother will it be hidde but chiefly and most clerely preachrd through out the world Wherefore the same Aungell crieth with all his force We muste preach frely clerely agaynste Antichrist and that with a greate voyce For it behoueth these oracles of God wherein is treated of
him after whose will and lawe she frameth her selfe wholly For she is the body of a liuely head As S. Paul saieth in the .5 to the Ephe. The bride leaders be the prophets patriarkes Apostles So Ihon Bapt. in the .3 of Ihon calleth himselfe the frend of the brydegrome He addeth to be the spouse of Christ S. Paul 2. Cor. 11 I haue maried you to one man a chaste Virgin c. Hereunto the .16 chapter of Ezechiell semeth to appertayne And the ioyninge together of eyther partie is made after they be affiaunced with certen ceremonies to wit by taking ech other by the handes and certen wordes spoken there is geuen a token or a ring c. But immediatly after the beginning was a league or bonde made betwixte God and men which is ofte tymes red of not withoute ceremonies certen wordes and sacrifices repared as by Abraham Moses and others God byndeth himselfe to men and men to him and that notwithout Sacramentes Hereunto belonge all those thinges that God woulde be in league with man and haue men bounden to him and all his thinges communicated to vs. And this mariage of all others is most straightly ioyned and made whyleste the sonne of God hath vnited our fleshe into one and the same person with him and hath commaunded the Apostles to preach vnto all that he wyll haue a communion with the faithful Of the which communion are red many things euery where in the scriptures And he hath geuen a pledge of faith and perpetual amitie A pledge not a ring of gold but rather the sacramentes yea euen the holy ghost as S. Paule sayeth in the .2 to the Cor. 1. and to the Ephesi the first And the mariage Mariage shall be solemnized in the resurrection of the dead The soules verely passe from the death corporal into lyfe euerlasting but yet the full restitution and saluation of man is not made perfect except the body come also Therfore at the resurrection cometh the mariage of the lambe that is of Christ our redemer Than are we caried to mete Christ in the ayer than he bringeth in his wyfe into the bed chamber of eternall glory and blesse than shall be holden that feast and deintie supper than shal the bryde inioy for euer the loue of the brydegrome This shall be verely the mariage of the lambe And the mariage shal be the merier for that the whore beinge caste oute and condemned the wyfe and honeste matrone shal haue the ful and perfect ioy alone At this ioy and at this mariage the holy inhabiters of heauen do reioyce The preparation of the bryde to yeâ—ariage Moreouer the Sainctes resite here also a certen preparation of the Bryde that by the waye the godly maye vnderstande what thinge beste becommeth them and whereunto they shoulde apply themselues in the last age Let vs prepare our selues to mete the Bridegrome For we loke for the iudge euery howre And we prepare our selues not in one howr or day but all our lyfe time And howe we shoulde be prepared the Lord himself sheweth by the parable of ten Virgins Let vs decke our selues with true fayth againste Antichriste in the later dayes Math. 25 Luke 21. Let vs beautifie our selues with the works of charitie the works also of righteousnes chastitie and temperauncie Let vs not be corrupted and defiled with droÌ„kennes bloude and cares of this worlde Furthermore leest any shoulde ascrybe this preparation to his owne merite strength and vertue The bryds araye and that we shoulde see also that the same preparatioÌ„ doth chiefly consiste in prouyding of the garment S. Ihon addeth incontinently and to her was graunted that she shoulde aray or apparell her selfe Yf it be geueÌ„ than is it not by our force or meanes prepared 1. Corinth 4. chapter Yf it be geuen than is it not bought by popish trafficke Reade the .8 to the Actes And he expresseth also the kinde of garmeÌ„t of cleane or pure silke shyning or brighte For we reade also in the gospell of the wedding garment The Apostle ful oft exhorteth vs that we shuld put vpon vs the Lorde Iesus These things be in alligorie But he by and by expounding nowe this kynde of garment sayeth that silke is the righteousnes of sainctes ¶ Iustifications or ryghteousenesse Sainctes he calleth the faithfull But where there is one only iustificatioÌ„ of faith through Christe S. Ihon speaketh iustifications in the plurall nombre For they that be freely through Christe iustified by fayth onely doe incontinently sondry and many workes of righteousnes For he that is iuste as the same Ihon saieth 1. Ihon. 3 the same worketh righteousnes Therfore be ther iustifications to witte the righteousnes of fayth iustifieng and the righteousenes of workes iustifieng that is to saye declaring vs to be iustified by fayth alone For we are purified by the bloud of Christe freely the which we receyue by fayth and be fully iustified witnesse Paule in the .3 to the Romanes Agayne they that be righteouse do sondry workes of righteousenes and coÌ„mend themselues vnto God So do they not appeare naked but clothed with ther wedding garmeÌ„t as we touched also in the thirde chapter of this booke A pure and bright garment And full aptely is the garment of the bryde called pure or cleane not for her selfe whome we knowe to be alwaies hindered and weakened by the fleshe but for the spirite sanctifieng and bloude of the sonne of God as Saincte Paule testifieth Ephesians the fifte and fyrste of Ihon the fyrste The garment is sayed moreouer to be shyning and bryght and that for the glorifieng of Sainctes to come Whereof is made mention in the .12 of Daniell and .13 chapter of Mathew For of righteousnesse followeth glory For whome he hath iustified Roma 8 the same hath he also glorified Vnto him be prayse honour and glory ¶ Of the certeÌ„tie of the saluation of Sainctes and what blesse or Saluation is The .lxxxiij. Sermon AND he sayed vnto me wryte blessed are they which are called vnto the lambes supper And he said vnto me these are the true sayenges of God Of the certeÌ„tie of the saluatioÌ„ of the faithfull The second place of this chapter is of the certentie of the saluation of the faithful where is signified in the meane season what and of what maner is the blesse of the faithful For ther is saied enough already of the mariage of the lamb and that is to say of the glory and blesse of the chosen but many thinges are suggested to man in this lyfe which bring saluation in doubt and go aboute as it wer to make it vncertaine and therefore waueryng myndes are here nowe confyrmed This doctrine is profitable for afflicted and troubled coÌ„sciences and ouerthroweth and beateth downe the doctrine of sophisters affirming that man is neuer assured of his saluatioÌ„ for that in an other place the wise man saieth man knoweth not whether
euerlastyng And the description or demonstration of this vision hath these thinges chiefely what the iudge shal be The principall articles of this â—â—ace who shal be iudged how they shal be iudged of what sorte shal be the â—â—surrection of the dead and of euerlastyng damnation finally who shal be properly damned Which things I shal in order accordyng to the grace that God hath geuen me declare as playnely as I can ¶ What iudge at the last iudgement What maner of iudge there shal be we haue vnderstaÌ„d before at this preseÌ„t he is shadowed by certeÌ„ notes or markes These thinges agree with the same vision which is described of Daniel in the .7 chapt Where by the waye we see agayne how this boke hath his testimonies of the prophetes of whoÌ„ it is coÌ„mended to vs like as Iohn also expoundeth to vs the prophets S. Iohn seeth a seate and that white great For the iudge him self sayde that he would come in glory maiestie to witte with great light And we beleue also that his iudgemeÌ„tes are rightuouse iust white And Aretas an expositour sayeth the seate is great because he sitteth therin of whoÌ„ the prophet sayde great is the Lord great is his power c. And in the seate as iudge of al that moste rightuouse he sitteth furnisshed with all power vertue For al this signifieth the worde of sittyng They that are to be iudged staÌ„de he sitteth Therfore he calleth him that sitteth as you would say iudge For other name he geueth not But we beleue that al iudgement is geuen to the sonne and that he is appoincted iudge ouer all S. Iohn therfore seeth and also sheweth vs to beholde the Lord Iesus Christ commyng in the clowdes of the ayre a rightuouse mightie iudge S. Paule also in the .2 to Titus calleth him a great God not that there is one great god and an other little God but that the Maiestie of our Lorde Iesu Christ shal at that daye moste euidently be sene and the lord him selfe shal than shewe him selfe to the world with greater glory and power than euer heretofore FroÌ„ whose fight heauen fleeth The same shall appere also moste seuere and moste iuste Wherupon S. Iohn sayeth figuratiuely from whose face fled awaye both heauen and Earth For if those thinges whiche haue not sinned dare not come in the iudges sight but seke as it were to saue themselues by Sight where I praye thee shal appere the vngodly sumer And doubtles the prophet Malachie also who sayeth he shal abide the daye of his commyng or who is able to stande when he shal appere So in the sixte chapter we hearde that heauen fled backe and was folden vp like a scrolle that the mountaynes also and Iles flitted and that Kinges and Princes and other men hidde themselues in caues and sayde to the hilles and rockes falle vpoÌ„ vs hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the seate and from the wrath of the lambe c. By whiche wordes although be described the effecte of a desperate coÌ„science out of corrupte doctrine yet the same shall appere chiefely in this iudgement what time the seuere and moste rightuous iudge shall appere A muche like figure is red in the .18 Psalme Where is added and their place was no more fownde it is annexed to amplifie the matter not that Heauen and Earth shal be no where but for so muche as they dare not whiche is spoken by a figure appere in the iudgement of God By al these thinges therfore is signified that the vngodly beyng destitute of all counsell shal not knowe at that daye whither to tourne them or what to doe but trembling and despayryng to be vexed with vnspeakeable tormentes before the seate It might be thought in the meane season that S. Iohn signifieth this also howe heauen and earth should at the coÌ„myng of the iudge be renewed The whiche also the Apostle S. Peter more playnely expresseth in the .3 chapt of the seconde Epistle whiche neuerthelesse referreth and applieth al those his sayinges to the same sense that we haue touched before For he sayeth seyng than that all these thinges shall be disolued what ought you to be in holy conuersation loking for and hasting the coÌ„myng of the day of God Aretas of Cesaria the flight of heauen and earth sayeth he signifieth no chaungyng of place for whither should they flee but flight flittyng from corruption to incorruption and the laste coÌ„myng of the lord vnder the which this mortal body of ours shal putte on immortalitie and the face of the Earth shal be renewed This sayeth he a like phrase of speach is had in the 12. of the Apocalipse of the Angelles caste downe out of heauen nother was their place founde any more in heauen c. Nowe toucheth he also who shall be iudged Who shall be iudged verely the dead For he sayeth and I sawe the dead And shorteth after we shall heare that the dead shal be reysed vp Therfore they shal be iudged that rise from the dead Neuertheles the liuing are not exeÌ„pted whome the Apostle sayeth most manifestly shal be iudged in the .4 of the first to he Thess But these he nameth not at this present the dead he nameth for that the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead is more hardely beleued more easely beleued that those which remayne in flesh should be iudged at that daye And verely the soules neuer die the bodies die Therfore where it is sayde here that the dead shal be iudged we meane that al those which are dead at that daie shal come in their owne bodies to the iudgement of Christ And al men must be iudged All meÌ„ are iudged Wherefore S. Iohn seeth great and smalle that is to witte men of all sortes state sexe and age Kinges and princes are not excepted the common people shall not escape nother children nor olde folkes men nor wemen All these seeth he standyng before the face or iudgement seate of God The gilty or accused or to be accused shal be set before the iudgemente seate of God And S. Paule also testifiyng expressely of this matter we must al sayeth he appere before the iudgement seate of Christe that euery one maye receaue in his body accordyng to that he hath done whether it be good or euil .2 Corinth 5. chapt but after a diuerse maner appere both good euill For the wicked as giltie are brought to be iudged and punnished and that their giltines maye be openly knoweÌ„ to al creatures The vngodly are iudged not the godly The good for asmuch as they be iustified and quitte haue nowe no more gilte nor crime by reason of Christes satisfaction appere in iudgement with glory ready to iudge the vngodly after their fashioÌ„ and maner and not to be iudged of any And this thinge is singular that he sayeth that we shall be iudged in the sighte of God For who
perish they shall ryse agayne to the iudgement whole Aretas also Bishop of Cesaria perceiued this and sayed he reciteth these things to the intent he might declare what the finall and vniuersal resurrection shall be For where many beleuyng not that the same shall be do say that it is by no meanes possible to be in those bodies which haue ben long corrupted and broughte to that poincte that they be not at all this sermon nowe correcting this sayeth Lyke as the bodies when they were not began to be not by a certen chaūce or of themselues but of the four elements namely of Water Fyre Ayre and Earth So also beyng reasonably returned agayne into the same may be of the same cōposed againe c. And for a further declaratiō he addeth agayne Death and hel gaue vp them c. and death and hell gaue vp those which were in them dead For he vnderstādeth by death any kynd of death as though he shulde say death it selfe restoreth to the Iudge iudgement whom soeuer after what sort soeuer he hath dispatched Death therfore is fayned to be as it were a person which holdeth the dead in himselfe or in a prison And hel hath yet but a fewe bodies for some we read to haue gone down to hell quicke but the soules of the wicked The same retourne to their bodies that the whole man may be iudged body and soule Others by hell after the Hebrewe phrase vnderstande a sepulture or graue Agayne is repeted that the whole man shal be iudged body and soule after euery mannes workes Thus much hitheto of the resurrectiō of the dead Of euerlasting damnation wherof in our bokes els wher we haue treated more at large In the laste place followith of euerlastinge damnation and who be properly condemned And Hell sayeth he and death are cast in to the lake of fyre Whereof hath ben spoken before And Hell here signifieth not the place of pūnishmēt but those that are inhabiters of Helle to witte whose soules are yet deteined in hel or appointed thither Death also signifieth those that are deade in sinne and they which from the spirituall or tēporall death go straight way to death euerlasting Wherevpon is immediately annexed This is the second death by the which verely they that are dead to Christe are adicted to perpetual fyre and that lyue to Antichrist and the world Others expounde these thinges hereof that after the iudgemēt the Saincts shal nother be buried any more nor die Which S. Paule affirmeth also out of Osee in the firste to the Corinth the .15 chap. Aretas and Primasius make with vs. For Aretas saieth and he calleth death and hel those that haue cōmitted thinges worthie of punnishment as fulfilling the numbre of the second death And Primasius by these names sayeth he he signifieth the Deuil because he is authour of death and paynes in Hell and also the whole fellowship of Deuylles For this is the same that he spake more playnelye before by the way of preuēting and the Deuil which deceaued them was caste in to the lake of fyre and brimstone And that which he added there more obscurely sayeng and the beaste the false prophet here more playnely So much Primasius And who knoweth not that the membres muste followe the head all vngodly the Deuyll the head of all vngodlynes Whych ar not writtē in the boke of lyfe And moste euidētly he expresseth who properly at the iudgement are addicte to fyre euerlasting they that are nother written nor sound in the boke of lyfe Therefore shall the only faythfull in Christe in whome they are predestinated vnto lyfe euerlasting shall be saued All others of what religion so euer they be or what so euer kynd of lyfe they haue lyued be it neuer so strayte shall perish Others referre these words to such as are lefte a lyue at that daye For we beleue that the son of God shall iudge both the quicke and the dead Doubtles whether they be lyuing or whether they be dead certain it is that no man shall be saued in any other but in the fayth of Iesu Christe all the resydewe shall be damned And this is the finall end of the good and euill To Christe Iesu iudge of all and redemer of the faythfull be prayse and glory for euermore Amen ¶ That the worlde shall be renewed the Saincts glorified and made blessed and what that felicitie shall be and howe certeyne The XCj. Sermon AND I sawe a newe Heauen and a newe Earth The .21 chapter For the first Heauen and the first Earth were vanished away there was no more Sea AND I Ihon sawe that holy Citie newe Hierusalem come downe from God oute of Heauen prepared as a bryde garnished for her husband And I heard a great voice from the seat sayeng beholde the Tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them AND they shal be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and shal be their God And God shal wipe awai al teares from their eyes And there shall be no more death nother sorrowe nother shal ther be any more payne For the ould thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seat saide behold I make al things newe And he saied vnto me wryte for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is done I admonished you aboute the begynning of the .15 The order chap. of this boke that the fifte parte of this worke began at the .15 chap. and treated of the iudgementes of God righteous and iuste And forasmuch as the iudgementes of God are of two sortes in this that he requyteth the euyll according to their wickednes and rewardeth the good with rewards I sayed howe this place consisted of two parts For first I sayed that S. Ihon most plentifully treated of torments to be inflicted to Antichrist and all vngodly secondly of rewardes especially in the end of the world to be imployde vpon al sainctes For ofte times haue we heard in this boke that the soules seperated from the body are immediatly after the corporall death taken vp in to lyfe euerlaking but that the felicitie of al most complete chaūceth to the faithfull in the ende of the worlde what time the bodies now raised againe receiue the rewards of glory euerlasting And this place is treated through oute al the .21 chap. beginning of the .22 cha And lyke as in the former parte he hath set hel in a maner wyde opē shewed the euerlasting torments as it were to be sene presently so in this later part he vnlocketh after a fort or openeth heauen it selfe that with the eyes of faith we shulde se what hope and glory abydeth for Sainctes And with all is most clerely expoūded the article of our faith ¶ I beleue lyfe euerlasting I beleue lyfe auerlasting And agayne for the more perspecuitie he declareth these things by a visiō Which others
noÌ„bre the seueÌ„th laste Therfore ar al things figured spiritually not carnally to be vnderstand and taken Doubtles the matters are excelleÌ„t vnderstand euen after the letter howbeit we must thinke of spiritual matters and greater alwayes than the speach of man can atteine to For we know as taught by the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles to be alwaies true that is said that the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath not hearde nor ascended in to the hart of man those things which god hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2 The chiefe articles of this place of the gâ—orye of the blessed And the chefest poincts of this place be these First he sheweth that the world shal be renewed SecoÌ„dly he signifieth that the Saincts shal be glorified blessed And declareth in general what that same fiticitie shal be And incoÌ„tineÌ„tly he confirmeth these things by many reasons moreouer he describeth the place the courte Palace of the blessed and lykewise the glory and felicitie of Saincts The which in the beginning of the .20 chap. he finisheth vp excedingly wel vnder the figure of a râ—uer â—ree of lyfe And lyke as he hath for the most part borowed al his things out of the bokes of prophets the which S. Ihon also with his reuelation lighteneth so hath he also at this present borrowed these out of the .65 and .66 chapt of Esaye And .37 of Ezâ—chiel and the laste chapters of the same Of the renewyng of the world he speaketh plainely Of the renewyng of the world as doeth also thapostle S. Peter in his later Epistle the .3 chap. that al thinges verely shuld be purged by fire not wholy abolished adnichilated but should doubtles be purified from all corruptioÌ„ for Aretas he signifieth not sayeth he thextinguisshing of the creature but a renewyng for the better Therfore sayeth S. Iohn expressely that he sawe a newe heaueÌ„ a newe earth wherunto he addeth by exposition that the first heaueÌ„ the first earth are vanisshed awaye to wit they are chauÌ„ged in their qualities so that the corruptible thinges are now gone created for corruptible vses For euen so is the Sea no more also doubtles subiecte to corruptioÌ„ but chauÌ„ged into better S. Austen and his scollar Primasius suppose that the troublesome state of the world signified not seldome in the scriptures by the Sea about th ende of the world shal cease Reade the .17 chap. of the .20 boke De ciuitate dei ExpouÌ„ding this place he reasoneth likewise at large of this innouatioÌ„ of the world in the same .20 boke De ciuitate dei .18 chap. other places I thinke mere in this matter to put awaie al curiositie if any hid thing appere therin that it be reserued vnto that daie in the which we shal see al thinges euidently And I suppose that these things coÌ„cerning the renewyng of heaueÌ„ earth ar not therfore spokeÌ„ that so ther shuld any place be prepared for vs which we shuld inhabite again in these inferiours partes vnder heaueÌ„ for we beleue that we shal flie vp into heaueÌ„ go mete the lord in the clowdes according to the doctrine of thapostle 1. Thess 4. but for the our mindes are thus confirmed that the faithful shal vndoubtedly be renewed glorified For if heauen and earth made for man be renewed purefied who wil doubte now that men themselues shal be moste chiefely clarified For coÌ„sequently now S. Iohn declareth Sainctes muste be glorified that the Sainctes shall both be renewed glorified placed in blessed seates signifieth yet generally what the glory of saincts shal be After he will declare more at large and seuerally all those thinges moste dilligently For he heareth an Angel sayeng come I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the lambe c. The same now figuratiuely he nameth a citie that in dede holy new Hierusalem And a citie signifieth aswel the place habitatioÌ„ as them that dwelle in the place I meane the citezens themselues This citie therfore is not only the place of the blessed but also the very coÌ„munion of sainctes in olde time prefigured in the citie of Hierusalem But he putteth a greate difference betwixte this of our newe and that visible and corporall Hierusalem HierusaleÌ„ For he calleth ours holy that other in the lande of Palestine was prophane polluted with the bloud of Christ prophetes and Apostles for the same cause destroyed vtterly Ours is also called newe For the coÌ„munion of Sainctes shal be renewed at the same daye And therefore by interpretation followeth coÌ„myng downe from heauen not that the habitation of Sainctes after iudgement shall againe be in earth but that the glory and renewyng shal be grauÌ„ted from heauen of the diuine maiestie power As also S. Iames is red to haue sayde euery good gifte and euery perfit gifte is from aboue commyng downe from the father of lightes And S. Paule also in the .4 to the Galath sayde that the free church is the heauenly HierusaleÌ„ The same in the .1 Corinth the .15 The firste man sayeth he of the earth earthly the seconde man the lord himself from heaueÌ„ Such as that earthly was suche are they also that be earthly and suche as that heauenly was such are they also that be heaueÌ„ly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly maÌ„ so shal we beare also the Image of the heauenly Therfore sayed S. Iohn most rightly that the churche of Sainctes commeth downe from heauen to witte froÌ„ heauen receauing her glory For againe by a demonstration prepared of God sayeth he as a bryde garnished for her husbande For the Apostle in the .2 to the Corinth the .5 We know sayeth he that yf our earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroied we haue bildyng of god a mansion not made with hande euerlastyng in heauen And anone he that hath prepared vs for the same is God He remoueth from his sainctes al corruptioÌ„ but geueth and teacheth to be purified with al giftes of the body that so they may be garnisshed worthely and maye dwell in the euerlastyng bryde chamber with their brydegrome Christe Wherefore this garnisshynge consisteth in the abolishinge of all corruption and mortalitie and in the gifte of vncorruption immortalitie and glory Of the purefying and deckyng of the bryde speaketh the Apostle S. Paule also in the .5 chapter to the Ephesians And in this worlde beginneth the purgyng and trimmyng and finally at the ende is finisshed most perfitly For than shal the church haue nother spotte nor wrincle al corruption verely wiped awaie and al glory receyued And here learne by the waye that the Sainctes are prepared of God therefore saluation to be of mere grace And he procedeth to declare yet more playnely What shal be the eternall felicitie what the glory shal be whereof in this worke he hath ben occasioned to speake oftener than ones Blessednes chiefely
excuse themselues before God and men and prouyde rather to saue their soules How be it all these thinges thei wype away as it were with one word and say we worship not the signes but the things signified Than yf the signes were taken away wold ye returne to the Idolles on pilgrimage do ye not thinke it done in a maner to God himselfe that you se done to the Idolles do ye not punnish am Image breaker as a traitour againste the diuine maiestie For he shal not seme to haue cut a sunder wood but to haue defiled God himselfe Therfore ye acknowledge somewhat more in this wood than wood alone For you thinke that some diuine thing is hid therin and therfore is this wood accompted of you no comoÌ„wood Which thing you declare also by sundry tokens otherwise Moreouer the geÌ„tiles excused themselues after the same maner saieng that thei worshipped the thinges and not the signes But this semed not a sufficieÌ„t excuse vnto godly men as it is to be red in Lactancius and Athanasius in their bokes againste the gentiles But God hath at one word cofuted you and saied who hath requyred these thinges at your handes yf any will exhibite to me worship let him worship after the prescripte of my moste Holy lawe They worshippe me in vaine teaching the doctrines of men These things haue I declared somwhat more at large to the intent that such as wil yet hear any reason and in whom the word and lawe of God hath any place might know auoide that grosse and mortall sinne of Idolatrie And lyars comprehend men that are lighte of their tung Lyars sclaunderers taletellers whisperers deceauers couetouse persons theues vsurers bribers and al maner of hypocrites and slipperie persons For as God is veritie so loueth he veritie simplicitie constancie integritie This vice of lyeng reigneth at this daie farre and wyde For there is the leeste or rather no faith at al in the earth The Lord be merciful to vs. And touchynge the lake or ponde burnyng with fyre and brimestone and of the second death I haue spoken before in the nynetene and twentie chapters And els where And he signifieth that all these and the lyke shall be caste downe of the Lorde into the euerlastinge fyre of Hell For he putteth here part for inheritaunce as also in the eleuenth Psalme he shall rayne vpon the vngodlye fyre and brymstone and this is part of their cuppe And in the .24 of Mathew And shall put his part with hipocrites And we say also he hath noâ—e obtayned his righte or he is puÌ„nished as he is worthy Like as Sainctes therfore obteyne the Kyngdome of Heauen by inheritaunce so are euerlasting tourments in steade of inheritaunce to the vngodlie To the Lorde the righteouse Iudge be prayse and glorie Amen ¶ Here is set foorth a goodly picture a discription or figure of the blessed seate and of the heaueÌ„ly lyfe and glory euerlasting The .xciij. Sermon AND there came vnto me one of the seuen Angelles which had the seuen vyalles full of the seuen laste plagues and talked with me sayeng come hither I wil shew the the bryde the lambes wyfe And he caried me away in spirite to a great and an high mouÌ„tayne and he shewed me the greate Citie holy Hierusalem desceÌ„ding out of heauen from God hauing the brightnesse of God And her shyning was lyke to a stone most preciouse eueÌ„ a Iaspar clere as a Cristal and had great and high walles and had twelue gates and at the gates twelue Angels names writteÌ„ which ar the twelue tribes of the children of Israell on the East part three gates and on the North syde three gates and towarde the South three gates and on the west syde thre gates and the walle of the Citie had twelue foundations and in them the names of the Lambes twelue Apostles S. Iohn retourneth to the description of the citie celestial A description of the heauenly citie whiche in the beginnyng of this chapter he had attempted He hath inferred certen thinges in place righte necessarie touchyng the certayne hope of the faythfull whiche after he hath finisshed he semeth afterwarde to vnlocke and set open Heauen that the godly with the eyes of fayth mighte as it were loke herein and see clerely what is the hope and glory of Sainctes to come For vnder the tipe of a moste beautiful citie he setteth forth a picture or description moste euident of the blessed seate or palace citie of God or of the euerlasting countrie and church triumphant We shal not here faine and forge to our selues thinges earthly and corporall but spirituall and celestiall For the sprete of God will haue vs by occasion of temporall thinges with our mindes to ascende to eternal and by temporal thinges more excellent Therefore are al thinges figured with amplifications Hiperbolies and ful of other figures We shall therefore imagine in these farre greater thinges as we are wonte to do what time we reade or heare such thinges as our lorde hath taught vnder the parables of weddynges and feastes And firste is declared vnto vs The shewer of the heaueÌ„ly visioÌ„ who is the shewer of this godly and wonderfull vision that is to saye who is the opener of the misteries verely an Aungell of God and the very same whiche before in the .17 chapter to the same Iohn sayde come I will shewe thee the damnation of the greate whore c. For it is the same God whiche punnissheth the vngodly and geueth rewardes to the godly and denounceth vnto menne by his ministers those his rightuouse iudgementes Moreouer sins we see them to be moste certen and partely also accomplisshed whiche he shewed before of the iudgemente of Rome who would not gather that the same shall be also moste certayne whiche the same nowe vttereth and sheweth of the euerlastynge glory of the faythfull And gatheryng a some of the thinges whiche he will shew him he setteth before and exhorteth him to follow him sayeng come I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the laÌ„be Of her hath ben ofte times spoken before He signifieth the congregation of Sainctes coupled by fayth to our Sauiour Christe And not only sheweth to Iohn and in the same to vs al the spowse but the glory also geueÌ„ her of God The meanyng therefore is this come I will shewe thee what shal be the glory of the church of Christ in the life to come what shal be the state of the life euerlasting Certes he speaketh also very many thinges of the churche but chiefely of her glory in the world to come The maner of the reuelatioÌ„ ThaÌ„ toucheth he also brefely the maner of reuealyng For he addeth and he toke me vp in sprete into a greate and high mountayne Therefore like as in the fourmer visions he was caried awaie in sprete his body remayning in Pathmos and as we haue red and admonisshed before that suche maner of visions and rauishmentes
happened to Ezechiel euen so sayeth he nowe also that he is caried awaye in sprete in minde to haue sene the thinges which the Angel shewed Wherfore if we will also reade or heare these thinges to any profit we must lifte vp our mindes and be caried vp in our sprete and thinke that al these thinges must spiritually be vnderstande Aretas rightly sayeth he in the mountayne was shewed the heauenly life conuersation of the Sainctes For with them is nothing earthly lowe or abiecte but all thinges loftie and high This he Certenly what time in the Gospell the Lorde Christe would exhibite to his disciples a certen taste and saye of the glory to come he conueyed them vp into a Mounte and was transfigured before them which thing S. Matthewe affirmeth in the .17 chapt to haue chaunced to Peter Iames and Iohn And now he annexeth the vision it selfe and generally and briefely describeth or shaddoweth the blessed seate and glory of the life to come afterwarde he amplifieth the same more largely particularly and as it were by partes and so enlarged and beaultified he setteth it forth as it were to be sene of the godly The citie of God the great citie And he calleth the heauenly countrie and habitation of sainctes the great Citie For it is the citie of the great king and in it shal dwell an innumerable nombre of the blessed and of Aungelles thousandes infinite and shal haue the fruition of greate glory nother is there any feare leefte the place should not suffice so great an hoste of men and spretes or that it shal be ouer strayte Great is the citie of God which is verely able to receyue all good men aboundantly In the gospel of Iohn the Lord sayeth in my fathers house are many mansions and so forth the .14 chapt The selfe same place is called holy Hierusalem For like as no filthines shal there be espied so shal there no vncleane persone there appere Of the heauenly Hierusalem is spoken before Thomas of Aquine sayeth She is sayde to haue descended from heauen for that what goodnes so euer the holy church hath she acknoweledgeth her selfe to haue receyued it of the grace of God But of this matter I haue spoken in the laste Sermon Hauyng the glory of God And the citie of God I meane heaueÌ„ hath the seates of God and the blessed the glory of God that is to saye the diuine maiestie and brightnes and what great thing so euer the minde of manne can thinke or imagine or in all thinges the vnspeakeable excelleÌ„cie of God such as nother the eye hath sene nor the eare hath hearde nor yet hath ascended into the harte of manne 1. Corintb the .2 chapt These thinges hath he sommarely and generally touched hitherto And coÌ„sequently he declareth by particulars and at large that celestâ—all glory and blessed seates The citie of God most ample large For what thinges so euer are â—mple what so euer are in cities commendable the same aâ—â— playnely founde in this our citie moste excellent as the largenes strength maiestie surenes excellencie beaultie pleasauntnes and plentie of thinges These thinges I saye and al other like do woÌ„derfully excelle in the citie of our god and in our fathers house and where as these thinges are on this wise set forth and amplified moste liberally yet semeth there nothing at al sayde in case a maÌ„ consider the vnspeakeable maiestie of the glory celestial To what ende these things are spoken But al these things are alledged of the lorde by S. Iohn to this ende verely that we should be taken with the desire of so worthie a life and shuld thinke in our tribulations and troubles that the afflictions of this present worlde are nothing beyng compared with so excellent souerayne glory finally that al are maddâ— which beginne to doubte of the eternal hope of the faythfull Vâ—ry many thinges of this sorte are red also in Ezechiel in â—â—t 40. chapt and after We will touche euery parte of this treatise vsyng neuerthelesse a succincte breuitie leest we should be tediouse to any man And verely he toucheth the principal and moste commendable thinges of Cities and in them sheweth that the citie of God excelleth The light of this Citie In cities and houses the chiefest prayse is if all thinges be light and clere for darkenes is horrible vnpleasaunt Therfore is an excellent light declared to be in the citie or house of the lord There is added a parable whereby is shewed the excelleÌ„cie of this light It is like a most preciouse stone suppose a Iaspar as it is coÌ„monly called or a Chrysolithe or some like stone moste brighte And S. Iohn him selfe addeth more as it were a Iaspar stone like a Christal This is a newe maner of speakyng but it hath a maruelouse grace if we vnderstaÌ„de it rightly For a Iaspar is grene a christal is bright He semeth therefore to saye howe that celestial brightnes is continually grene whithereth neuer that is to witte that the heauenly light is euerlasting in it self after a sorte waryng grene and in growyng grene wareth bright and reioyceth all heauenly dwellers For herafter followeth for the glory of God hath lightened her the Lambe is her light This brightnes and most ioyeful light the Lord in the gospel of Iohn promiseth in sondry places and the whole blessed life of this not the leste parte is called coÌ„monly blessed light light euerlastyng or light of heauen It semeth to haue ben prefigured in the golden caÌ„delsticke of the tabernacle c. For if it were not harde for our Lord God to geue vnto precious stones wonderfull colours brightnes yf he illumine this world full of naughtie men wyth moste goodly lyghtes the Sunne Moone Starres what a lighte I praye thee maye we thinke to haue in heaueÌ„ where no man shal dwell but the beste and of God most derely beloued Of this light muche mention is made with Esaye and in the Psalmist the walles of the citie Walles in Cities are moste notable and excellent in case they be high thicke and strong able to abide all force of enemies and defende the Citezens from al iniuries and to kepe them in peace and securitie The heaueÌ„ly walles therfore are both great or strong and also high or vnpregnable Hereby is signified that the protection of Sainctes in heauen shal of God be most safe and sure so that the Saintes shal be inperfit securitie and exempte from all feare There shall no man trouble or take awaye their ioyes as the lord in the .16 of S. Iohns gospel hath affirmed For there shal be perpetual securitie and gladnes in heauen moste perfit and euerlastyng Moreouer in the walles are placed gates The gates of the citie by the whiche meÌ„ go into the citie In the wall therfore of the heaueÌ„ly couÌ„trie shal be twelue gates that is to saye a most large entryng into eternal
hande of God The Angel had shewed Ihon expressely before that he shoulde not do that he than did and now repeteth it againe For hauing as it were forgotten those things by reason of the excellencie of the Angel he wold surely haue done him some worship For so we permit to our selues more than is decēt especially toward nobler personages whom for thexcellēt gyfts of God we esteme worthie whom we may also without the offence of God euen worship That opiniō deceaueth in our time the most part of them which against the comlines of syncere religion worship and honour Saincts But the Angel of the Lorde here nother forgeth nor bringeth foorth any newe doctrine but that olde in forme as thei terme it to the intent we shuld vnderstād that the will of God is alwayes one and perpetuall which will not haue the most excellent creatures to be worshipped but one God alone to be honoured He repeteth therefore the same causes which he also obiected before Therfore be they alwaies of force with all at al times S. Ihon in the meane time semeth that he wold commend vnto vs the excellencie of this vision or reuelation and that the Angel did admonish him cōstantlie of his dutie and vs al by him that the thing which is proper to God we shulde transpose to no creatures and it deserueth exceding great prayse here that S. Ihon here discembleth nothing but by expresse wordes committeth to writing his fall and rebukyng of the Angell moste euidently For by his fall he wolde admonish that the godly shulde not fall in lyke cases but geue all glory to God Here semeth also to be obserued a maruelouse affection in the maner of speakyng For the Angell crieth out to Ihon being ready to fall downe nowe yea prostrate already and nowe aboute to worwip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See thou do it not that thou verely intendest to do Here is expressed the carefulnes of mynd and haste wherwith he goeth about to preuent the enterprise of Ihon. And thus diligent are the Holy spirirites in heauē in letttyng al things that by any meanes do tourne vs frō God to the worshipping of creatures much lesse would they thēselues be worshipped or to haue the things attributed to them which the Papistes at this day attribute by force of Armes The Lorde of clemencie mercie conuerte them to a right minde that thei maye attribute al glory to God Amē ¶ S. Iohn is commaunded not to seale this boke but to publishe it hauyng respecte to no man The XCviij Sermon AND he sayd vnto me seale not the sayenges of the prophecie of this boke For the time is at hande He that doeth euill let him doe euill stil he which is filthie let him be filthie still and he that is rightuouse let him be more rightuouse and he that is holy let him be more holy 7 The seuenth place that is treated in this conclusion forbiddeth Iohn that he seale not the boke written Seale not the boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayeth the Angel seale it not And certenly letters and bokes are wonte to be sealed eyther for credit confirmatiōs sake or els that they should not be openly red of al men but those only to whom they are assigned An Angell sayeth to Daniel in the .12 chapt And thou Daniel close the wordes and seale the boke vntil the laste time He is commaunded to shut his boke that is to saye to make an ende nother to loke for any more reuelatiō finally he is cōmaunded to shut it for the vngodly vnto whom assuredly this boke shal seme darke closed For it followeth for many shal erre knowledge shal be manifolde For thei that are not ruled by the certayne sure word of God haue nothing at al certenly tried knowē but wander through manifolde or sondry vncertayne opiniōs iudgementes and traditions of men For Daniel sayeth that knowledge shal be variable that is to say there shal be innumerable opiniōs sectes of the religion seruing of god where neuerthelesse there is but one only trewe opinion doctrine fayth or religion the fame I saye whiche Daniel set forth in his boke which boke also he sealed that is to saye cōfirmed it as it were with godly seales as authenticall or authorised and which was worthie to be credited howebeit at this present S. Iohn is not commaunded in the same sense and meanyng not to seale his boke which we know to be altogether autenticall This boke shoulde be open for al men but such a thing as this is the Angel meaneth cōceale or couer not hide not this boke whom God therfore would haue to be writtē that it might be a publicke doctrine in the whole world wherby al men might be instructed in the thinges that are reuealed from heauen that they be not thorowe the craftes and tiranny of Antichrist withdrawen from the kingdome of Christ vnto the kingdome of Antichrist for God would that al these thinges should to all men be moste common and manifestly knowen And this sense hath Aretas opened also sayeng Seale them not sayeth he that is kepe them not sealed to thy self but publishe them to all The reason is annexed for the time is at hande wherein verely these thinges which I haue sayde shal come to passe Wherfore the faythful had nede of warnyng cōfirmyng and comforte Consideryng therefore that this boke is set forth that it might admonishe strengthen and comforte the faythfull the same ought not to be shutte but wide open For this is the good will of God that this his word should be preached in his church to the profit of al faithfull Let them loke therefore what they doe whiche would haue this booke not only shutte vp but cleane taken awaie nother thinke it can be vnderstande as obscure and full of darke speakynges But to God be prayse and thankes geuyng whiche hath vouchsaued to prouide for vs faythfully in time by this most profitable and moste necessarie boke ¶ These thīgs must be beatē in both to the hearers to suche as will not heare 8 The eight place of this conclusion semeth to treate of a certen preuention For some man here might saye thou wilt haue this boke to be open and come vnto al men of al states sexe and ages but there shal be some whiche wil vtterly contemne the same In vayne therefore shall it be preached in vayne shall we vrge these writynges with them especially which shal deride the same and expounde them this waye or that waye at their pleasure But he semeth to preuent this saye doubtles there shall be vnrightuouse innumerable whiche shal procede vnbridled in their iniquities and shall more and more excede and passe themselues but yet there shall be also rightuouse whiche perseueryng in al rightuousenes shal increase in holy vertues and herein also shal surmounte themselues wherfore spare not thou to vtter to thē al such things
that the preaching of the Gospell can not be so oppressed but that it shall rather be preached with great Constancie through out all the worlde And that Rome also shal fal and al the vngodly be pūnished He exhorteth therfore most ernestly that we haue not to do with Antichrist leeste also we be made pertakers of his damnation And to thintent there might waunt nothing that cōcerned a full comforte he addeth that thinge whiche maye chiefly confirme the mindes of al the godly euen in the greatest daungers howe they that die in Christ doe flitte streight wayes from the corporall death vnto lyse euerlastynge Whiche finisshed he tourneth to the description of the punnishement to be taken assuredly of the Antichristians Wherfore if the Bokes of the Gospell and newe Testament be to be estemed for the manifolde description of Christe and of saluation by him obteyned for the faythefull yf they are to be estemed of the comforte and preaching of the gospel this is doubtles a boke most gospel like as that which by a cōtinuall tenour to perillouse thinges annexeth consolation The Lābe standeth on mounte Sion S. Iohn therfore seeth the Lambe standyng vpon Moūte Sion Christ therfore slepeth not he is not ignoraunt of the perilles and conflictes of his churche but he standeth as prepared to ayde and succour his He standeth as a king inuincible whome nother the Dragon nor the olde nor the newe beast hath ouerthrowen For I haue tolde you oftener than ones especially in the .5 chapt that by the Lambe is vnderstande Christ For he is the lambe and price of our redemption vntill the iudgement but than laiyng a parte the office of an intercessour he shall be a moste seuere and also a moste holy iudge And Christ standeth not in the sande as did the Dragon but on a Mounte and that vpon mounte Sion Mounte Sion was a figure of Christes kingdome as appereth playnely in the .2 Psalme and the .2 of Esaye And the kingedome of Christe is the church aswell triumphante as militaunt therefore in the felloweship of Sainctes standeth Christ the ioye and glory of them that are in heauen and the life and helper of them whiche fight as yet in Earth Let vs beleue therfore that in the Antichristiane persecutiōs Christ wil neuer faile his faythfull as he is red neuer to haue fayled the olde Sainctes vnder the olde Romane Empire afflicted For this consolation serueth chiefly for vs which are vexed of Antichrist and serued for them also whiche suffered martirdome vnder the olde Romane Empire Nother is there any doubt but that they cōfirmed themselues herewith in the greatest persecutions With the lambe are 144000. But that same is moste full of consolation that the lambe is not alone but hath with him an hondreth and foure and fourtie thousande that is to saye a most ample church How so euer therfore the beaste rageth and sleyeth the confessours of Christ yet shal there be alwayes a church that shall neuer be plucked vp euen in the Earth He setteth a nombre certen for vncerten and yet certaine and determinate for that the nombre of them that shal be saued shal seme small in comparison of them which shal worshippe the beastes and perisshe Howebeit we vnderstande that the nombre of them shal neuertheles be greatest which shal be the body of the Church vnder their head Christ euen than also what time the Pope with all the limmes of Antichrist shall haue powred out all their furie Of this nombre of the electe I haue spoken in the 7. chapt where the selfe same nombre is set And as the Antichristians beare the marke of Antichrist in the righthande and foreheades so verely the shepe of Christ Thei haue the name of the father in theyr foreheads and which shal be the church the spouse of christ vnder their head Christ shal haue their marke also in their foreheades to witte the name of the father of the Lambe For Eius is to be referred to the Lambe And he speaketh not of an externall marke whiche should be printed on their foreheades but of the marke of their mindes The same is faith the signe of all Gods children And the fayth in the Father and the Sonne whiche are not without the holy ghost And howe shouldest thou beleue that almightie God is thy father vnlesse thou vnderstande the same to be obteined of the sonne This faith therfore is here vnderstande to be a christen not a Iewish or Turkishe fayth whiche yet confesseth God to be the father But sins they haue not the sonne as sayed S. Iohn in his Epistle they nother haue the father Therfore the true membres of the church of Christ the trewe shepe doe beleue that they haue a mercifull father through the sonne by whome they knowe that the father beyng pacified hath geuen all thinges of life and of saluation in his sonne They that seke not for saluation and all goodnes in the only mediatour the sonne of God haue not doubtles the right marke of the children of God in their foreheades At this daye all will be christiās but neglectyng Christ thei depēde wholy of Sainctes Therfore their faith is not the trewe marke of the children of God No they nother knowe the father nor the sonne And therfore they persecute those that cleaue wholy to the father by the sonne And seyng Christ is with his church what nedeth the church a vicar Certēly it can not be the true church whiche hath a vicar of Christe for than it waunteth Christe whom the trewe church can not waunte It was not enough for the Apostle to haue sayed that the church was vnited with Christe vnlesse he had added moreouer with many wordes howe he hath sene the churche affected and how she demeaned her self than verely when the beastes did afflicte her that euen we may learne therof what is the hope of Sainctes in greatest daungers of what sorte it behoueth vs to be in persecutions and temptations He heareth the voice of many waters First he heareth a voice from heauē as the voice of many waters Waters in the Scriptures many times doe signifie people We vnderstande therfore herby that the church shal be populouse and speaking to thintēt to dissemble nothing but frely to professe Christ And therefore he heareth also the sounde of a great thonder For the church getteth from heauen power to preache and shewe forth the Gospell grauely though the worldes bowelles burste And verely of the frāke constaunt preaching of the gospel Iohn and Iames are called with Marke the sonnes of thōder And cōcerning the preachyng of the gospell shall followe more afterwarde He heareth moreouer a melodiouse harmonie of menne singyng to their harpes singing as it were a newe song The which is chiefly referred to the sainctes in heauen singing eternall prayses to God secōdely to the sainctes liuing here yet in earth which also offer vnto God continually prayses thankes geuyng