him But this temple of God is the holy christen churche and congregacion in this tyme of trouble dyscencion and batell and participacion of the blisse of heauen and euerlastinge lyfe vnto them that wynne and beare awaye the victorye The Arke of the testamente is the blessed and holy manhode of Christ vnited and knit in one with the godlye nature of the euerlasting word of God which is and euer hath bene yâ— Mercye stoole of all the worlde and of al men and the onely comforte refuge and ioye of the faythfull electe But the lyghtenynge the noyse of the voices the thonderynge and earthequake with the great hayle maye sygnifie the terryble damnacion of the wicked for euer or els it maye sygnifie a synguler ernest and wonderfull preparacion of the hearer or of the reader lyke as was of the holy Apostle S. Iohn whiche sawe it to marke and consyder it the more dilygentlye For it is necessarye to marke and consyder suche reuelacions and visions as doe folowe vpon suche tokens the lyke whereunto happened sometymes also vnto the prophetes as the holy scripture declareth The texte ¶ And there appeared a great wonder in heauen a woman clothed with the Sunne and the Moâ—e vnder her fete vpoÌ„ her heade a crowne of .xii. starres And she was with childe cried trauayling in birthe and pained ready to be delyuered And there appeared another wonder in heaueÌ„ for beholde a great red dragon hauing .vii. heddes ten hornes .vii. crounes vpon his heades his tayle drue yâ— thirde part of yâ— starres cast them to yâ— earth As in the prophetes of the olde testament the first dyd write more plainely and manifestly than the last whiche are muche harder to be vnderstanded as Ezechiel Daniel and zacharie are muche harder than Esaye and Ieremy EueÌ„ so in the new testament in this prophetycall boke the latter prophecies reuelacions and visions are more playne and easy to be vnderstanded thaÌ„ the first in so muche as this vision maye in manner be an interpretacioÌ„ of those visions that went before This heauen wherin this great token dyd appeare must nedes be the kyngdome of heauen the christen churche congregacion and felowshyp of all faithfull from the begynnynge of the worlde vntyll the ende therof as Christ him selfe doth interprete it The woman of whome the angell here speaketh is the euerlasting mighty and blissed worde of god whiche is bryght and mightye as the Sunne wherunto all the vnderstanding of man and of all fleshe is subiecte And it is clothed and garnysshed with the faith and confession of the patriarkes â–ª prophetes Apostles and martirs bothe of the olde and of the newe testament This word of God the holy gospel promised vnto vs from the begynnynge and beleued hath performed and thorowe the mercye and goodnes of God hath brought forthe and borne vnto vs Christe the sauiour of the worlde or the true faith in Christ But this came not to passe before suche time as nonother saluacion coulde in any wyse be founde thorow the workes of the lawe throughe the sacrifices nor throughe all other good workes For none of them all had power to satisfye or to make holy but onely the righteousnes of the worde of God that became man namely our sauiour Christe the sonne of God and of Marye whiche had bothe the nature of God and of man in one onely person whiche made satisfaccion for al mankynde This beyng with childe is in this place as muche as an earnest lust and desyre The cryeng is prayer As the holy prophetes dyd euermore desyre this saluacion trusted throughe belefe in yâ— worde of God vnto the promes yâ— was made vnto the whole worlde Against this holy worde of God and this christen faithe dyd appeare an other token in the congregacioÌ„ of the churche beyng called of God namely a bloudy dragon and enemye of mans saluacion and of the true faithe in Christ whiche is yâ— wicked spirite Lucifer his felowshyp by whose .vii. heades is sygnified all blasphemies and wickednes wherwith he worketh all myschiefe And the .x. hornes doe sygnifye his great and manyfolde tyrannye wherby he worketh to hynder and hurt the true faythe and the gospell of Iesus Christ the onely sauiour wherunto he is an enemye an aduersarye with all his might power so farre as almightye God wyll permyt and suffer him whiche he taketh to helpe him namely the louers frendes and gredy folowers of this worlde vngodlye tyrannes againste all godly innocencye and christen faithe This dragons tayle sygnifieth the might power and ministers of the deuell wherby he dysyreth to hurt the electe yf God woulde suffer it as it is possible that he maye that they shoulde fall from the heauenly vertue and godlines vnto the loue of this worlde and vnto earthly and fleshely lustes and affeccions The texte ¶ And the dragon stode before the woman whiche was readye to be delyuered for to deuourt her chylde as sone as it were borne And she brought forthe a man childe whiche shoulde rule all nacions with a rodde of yron And her sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his seate And the woman fled into wildernes where she had a place prepared of god that they shoulde fede her there a M.ii. hundred and .lx. dayes The wycked spirite dyd bestowe all his might and power that the promyse of God thorowe the dysobedience of the children of Israell whome he alwayes stirred vp might come to none effecte and that yâ— trueth of God might be dysappoynted and that the faythe in Christ in whome our saluacion dothe consyste might be blemysshed and confounded and also that the gospell might be myxed with mans doctrine interpretacions and errours But the goodnes truth mercye faythfulnes and loue of God is greater than the power and wickednes of the deuell and of al his subtilties and ministers For the childe was borne goddes worde became man truth had the victorye and falsehede laye on yâ— grounde vnder fote The craft and subtiltie of the deuell was defeated by the wysdome of God and was opened and dysclosed vnto the worlde This childe Christ the euerlasting worde of God whiche became man in the moost holy wombe of the virgin Marye was receyued and taken of God the father throughe grace for the satisfaccion of the synne of al the world and he dyd merite and deserue with his highe and most perfyte obedience and humblenes the glorye of yâ— heauenlye father and the kyngdome of heauen wherin he ruleth for euer and euer But the truth of the christen faith religion and of the gospell of Christ dyd alwaies suffre extreme sorowe and payne beyng persecuted euen at the first of the Iewes of the false Apostles of false and coloured christians of Emperours and Kynges of workemongers of false and wicked bysshops of Sorcerers and nigromansers of Sarasens of ydolaters and Epicures of philosophers of the louers
this worlde as he is also in the hartes of the vngodly and supersticious heathen and ydolaters whiche knowe nothing of the onely true lyuynge God The texte ¶ And I sawe one of his heedes as it were wounded to death and his deadly wounde was healed And all the worlde wondred at the beaste and they worshipped the dragon whiche gaue power vnto the beaste and they worshipped the beaste sayinge who is lyke vnto the beaste who is able to warre with him This Empire of Rome dyd suffer muche at the beginning and was ofte tymes very feble and many tymes deadly sycke by the meanes of the daylye continuall vproares and sedicions of the nobilitie against the commons and againe of the kynges against them bothe In so muche as at length they made and suffered great battels amonge them selues vntil the dominion at the laste came in to one hande and so was thought to be healed and safe againe As than had they y◠who le earth vnder them but they honoured and serued the deuyll and false goddes the enemies of God of all truth and true godlynes Vnto these goddes of theirs dyd they ascribe the fortune and successe of their power and of their kingdome And so dyd their subiectes lykewyse whiche dyd honour the Romaynes for goddes and toke and estemed them for inuincible The texte ¶ And there was geuen vn to him a mouthe that spake great thinges and blasphemyes and power was geuen vnto him to do two fourtye monethes And he opened his mouthe vnto blasphemye against God to blaspeme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen And it was geuē vnto him to make warre with the sainctes and to ouercome them And power was geuen him ouer all kinred and tonge and nacion and all that dwell vpon the earth worshipped him whose names are not wrytten in the boke of lyfe of the lambe whiche was kylled from the beginning of the worlde Bothe Iewes and false christians of very pryde malice and obstinacye haue blasphemed and persecuted the God of Israell and the christen faith Christe him selfe also the sauiour of y◠worlde with deede worde statutes lawes and that a great deale ouerlong Through Pilate their depute thei put our sauiour Christ vnto death and all the Apostles also vnder their regiment and iurisdiccion vntill the tyme of Constantyne and also more than .iii. hundred yeares afterwarde Here haue we again .xlii. monethes for .iii. yeares an halfe and by these .iii. yeares an halfe is vnderstanded thre hundred yeares an halfe in whiche time y◠name of the true God of our sauiour Christ hath bene wonderfully manyfolde wayes blasphemed shamefully dyshonoured in his moste faithful seruantes ministers whom they haue most cruelly tormented put to most painful death throughout y◠who le Romishe Empire onely for the true faithes sake in y◠onely one god His tabernacle that is to say y◠temple of Ierusalem did they pollute breake downe withall y◠seruice religion of God And after that they began a sore battel persecuciō against the christen faithe against al faithful beleuers throughout y◠who le world by their deputes In so muche that all the worlde must honour the kyngdome dominion of Rome and be obedient therunto onely the holy electe excepte whiche obserued y◠word of God and his wyll and refused their ydolatrie And therfore a great nomber dyd suffer and were put to death by them The texte ¶ If any man haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captiuite shall goe into captiuitie he that kylleth with a swearde muste be killed with a swearde Here is the pacience and the faithe of the sainctes As thoughe he woulde saye wilt thou heare howe the pryde abhominacion and tyrannye hath or shall haue an ende Than heare in one worde howe the Assirians Bybylonians Medes and the Grecians had an ende And euen so shall Rome also Lyke as y◠hath ouercome robbed spoiled murthered shamed and condemned all the world euē so shall it be serued againe also And so shall it happen vnto all them that doe lyke vnto them as Christ sayde in the garden And therfore the angell and S. Iohn exhorte all christians that are combred and oppressed with persecucion and him selfe also whiche was banysshed into Pathmos condemned of Domicianus for God and the true faithes sake vnto pacience in perfyte faithe in God whiche shall once geue and sende a prosperous a blissed ende vnto al suche afflicciōs And shal eyther reforme y◠rageing Romyshe kingdome or els shal vtterly destroye it as he hath done the other The texte ¶ And I behelde another beast comminge vp out of the earth and he had two hornes lyke a lambe and he spake as did the dragon And he dyd all that the first beast could do in his presence and he caused the earth and them whiche dwel therin to worship the first beast whose dedly wounde was healed And he dyd great wonders so that he made fyre come downe from heauen in the syght of men And deceaued them that dwelte on the earthe by the meanes of those signes whiche he had power to doe in the syght of the beaste saying to them that dwelt on the earthe that they shoulde make an ymage vnto the beaste which had the wounde of a swearde and dyd lyue Whan as the Romyshe kyngdome after the tyme of Iulyanus began to be diuided into the east and west and to diminishe for a ceason than began a newe Romyshe kingdome and iurisdiccion namely the Popes pompe which was not onely in the spirituall iurisdiccion as he dyd first pretende with his wordes but also in secular power and toke vpon him this power euen with the sworde And for this cause this beast hath .ii. hornes not with out a cause And yet he wyll be named lyke the lambe and Christes deputie or vicar and wyll haue all power as Christ hathe bothe in heauen and in earthe This beastes dragonishe speache maye well be estemed and taken for none other but for y◠bloudye murtheringe suspendynge excommunicatinge and banysshinge of the good Emperour of the Grecians because he dyd take al ymages out of the churches and also the godlye byshoppes of the Grecians because they woulde haue kepte their Easter as they had learned of saincte Iohn the Apostle This dyd no angell commaunde hym to doe nor yet the worde of God but onely this dragon or destroyer This kingdome of papacie toke vpon it all the power of the first beast the romyshe Emperour and compelleth the christians to ydolatrye and the seruice of false goddes vnder a priuie colour and a secret pretēce as to further the true faithe the honour of the holy sainctes of the martirs of the seruauntes of Christ and of Christ him selfe By the meanes of the whiche pretence it came to passe in processe of tyme that men did honour and worship euen the very deuyll in
so diligent to coÌ„tinue aduaunce their popyshe pryuate masses other straunge tounged seruice to passe awaye the tyme to kepe both theÌ„selues the people blynde styll yet myne vnfeyned hope trust is that lyke as yâ— almyghtie euerlyuing God the father of our lorde Iesu Christe by Christe of al perfite christians hath of his owne vnspeakeable mercye to this mooste Emperiall Realmewarde geuen so gracious so godly so vertuous so learnedly toward and so faythful a Christen Kyng and most worthy supreme head eueÌ„ our most soueraine lord king Edward yâ— .vi. to rule gouerne nourishe defend it who by thaduise ministery and trauaile of his victorious most noble vncle the Lorde Protectours grace other of his moste honourable Counsayll seketh the kyngdome of heauen and the righteousnes therof aswell in free settyng forth of the most holy sacred scriptures by iniunccions and visitoures as in diligent placeing and sendyng abroade of moste excellently learned readers and preachers to instructe his subiectes in the true knowledge of them selues and of God and in theyr bounden dueties to theyr superiors and also in christian charitie to their neighbours so he will also of his moste haboundaunte ryches of mercye and inscrutable power contynue wyth daylye encreace suche forewarde hertynes and hertye forewardenes of earnest godly procedynges in the Kynges moste Roial Maiestie by the aduise ministerie and trauayle foresayed as the ignoraunt ministers being charitably amoued from their ecclesiasticall cures hauyng competent in other trades of lyfe to rest vpon and reasonable necessarie prouision for the honest mayntenaunce of learnyng good ministers beyng had that father of mercies and Lorde of glorye whose waies are vnsearcheable and iudgementes incomprehensyble by whose wisedome all thynges are swetely disposed and ordred wyll in case we be seruent in hearâ—â—e prayer and not slacke in rendryng thankes vnto him for his excedynge manifolde benefites sende conuenient wâ—llyng and lâ—stye forewarde workemen into this his most copious great haruest of Englande aswel to the extirpacion banyshement and â—oâ—yng out of popyshe faythe false religion cankred opinions heathnyshe rites idoiatrous worshyppynges supersticious deuoucions disguysed myssall sacrificeinges aduouterous conuersacion and other grosse vile iniquities arysyng and growing to the contempt and dishonour of the liuyng God as braunches out of the roote of the Romyshe Antichristian religion as also to the plantyng settyng forth and glorifyeng of the moste vndefyled lawe of the Lorde that conuerteth soules from naughtynes to godlynes to the syncere teaching of the most sacred religion of Christ and the true wourshyp of God to the reformacion of maners and also to the expressyng of godly behauiour in outwarde conuersacion both in the ministre and parisheneâ— to walke in loue as Christ hathe loued vs in Christen almose dedes in scripturely fastyng in ghospellike prayer in rendryng thankes in lifting vp pure handes in pacience long suffryng perfite charitie temperaunce sobrietie chastitie brotherly compassion and true obedience towardes the Kynges maiestie and all other set in autoritie vnder hym and in other offices workes dedes and vertues that God requireth and commaundeth by his actes proclamacions and decrees most earnestlye and straightely mentioned in his mooste holy perfite boke the Byble so as God I doubt not shall vouchesafe long to preserue vnto thys Realme yâ— most vnspeakable worthy Iewel yâ— kynges hyghnes and defendyng it froÌ„ the daungerous plagues curses due vnto the wicked children of vnbelefe shall vouchesafe also to powre vpon it the mercies blessynges in most pleyntuous habundaunce that he hath promised by the same boke to the beleuing chyldren of obedience Vpon these respectes hope consideracion and seing thaforenamed seuen Epistles whiche in dede are as necessarye requisite pieces of scripture to the furtheraunce of Christes religion christen maners as yâ— rest of the newe testameÌ„t is to be left vntraÌ„slated I toke in haÌ„de to traÌ„slate theÌ„ at such seldome leasures as I possiblie could froÌ„ mine other prophane trauailes incideÌ„t to my drudging vocacioÌ„ spare now at last haue finished theÌ„ not doubting albeit I coÌ„fesse my self eueÌ„ froÌ„ yâ— botome of mine heâ—t as vnmete for this kinde of office as a cartes of husbaÌ„dry to be a caruer at a noble mans table yet yâ— this my rude traÌ„slacioÌ„ is bothe accordyng to yâ— texte in euerye sentence agreably to the Paraphrastes mynde and playnlye Englished to the vnderstandyng of the moste vnlearned Englyshe men for whose erudicion I did take vpon me thys laboure For althoughe curious soughte termes of Rhetoricall Englishe in thys translacion woulde better please the delicate eares and fyne wyttes of men fynely broughte vp in trickynge of termes and tounges yet in asmuche as these translated Paraphrases are set forth for the informacion and playne teaching of the Kynges maiesties playne Englyshe subiectes that vnderstande none other but theyr owne natiue barayne tongue I thoughte it rather better to seke the edification of the playne vnlearned by playne termyng of wordes than by tedious circumâ—ocucion to make a Paraphrase vpon a Paraphrase and by that meanes not onelye to leaue the simple vulgare people vntaught or neuer the better but also in vayne sekynge after curiositie to be iustly laught to scorne for bunglyng at the thyng that is ferre aboue my capacitie Therefore where vnnecessary fynesse wanteth accept true meanyng playnesse And good reader be not of the noÌ„bre of those men whiche leade and get an easye and a wealthye lyfe almoste altogether by deprauinge comptrollyng querellyng mysreportyng and fault fyndyng at other mennes doynges whose studye is to doe some good and loyter the tyme them selues and do no good at all But in case thou chauncest to fynde any notable faulte in this my grosse translacion whiche hathe escaped me either for lacke of leasure or learnynge I beseche thee correcte it charitably with aduysednes so as the readers and hearers thereof maye the better and more expressely perceaue the Paraphrastes mynde â–ª considrynge howe profitable doctrine for these oure present daungerous dayes the Paraphrases doe importe aswell in teachynge Christ sincerely and in settyng forthe of Christen manners playnlye as in rebukyng vice wicked customes sharpely I ment not by thys my translation to hunt after worldly commendacion or temporall rewardes God is my witnes but to do good to the best of my poore vnlearned talente vnto the symple vulgare sort who I perceiued by most euident experience at yâ— kynges highnes visitacion wherin I vnworthye was a wayting ministre were glad conformablye willyng to heare the pure word of God obedient to receyue the Kynges most godly iniuÌ„ccions traynyng them to yâ— same so they would contynue in case theyr ordinaries Curates ministers were not tryâ—lers and hynderours therof and if they were not seduced and taught by sedicious earewhisperours contrary to the worde of God the Kynges hyghnes mooste godly gracious procedinges onely for pelfe belycheare ease and lucre But take me not that
I meane all them to be triflers hynderours or sinistre resisters that are ordinaries curates or ministres For there are some of the chiefe Byshoppes ordinaries which with all their possible earnest labour and paynes tendre the gospelles affaires god be thanked for them And sondry other curates ministres whoÌ„ I know althoughe to fewe are honest and diligently well wyllynge towardes the trueth in diuerse shyres where I wayted vpon the kynges hyghnes visitours especyally in Lincolneshyre and in other shires of that Diocese And I verayly trust in God that the nombre of the honest sorte shall dayly encreace there aboute more and more by the industruous ministerie and vniforme concurrence in holsome doctryne of the Byshoppe and Deane of Lincolne and the rather by the helpynge forewardnes and forewardyng helpe of the deuoute woman of God the Duchesse of Suffolke But I meane onely certaine sortes of ministers whom ouâ— noble learned Paraphrast Erasmus paynteth notablye out in the person of the Euangelistes and apostles of whoÌ„ one sort are those that beyng altogether vnlearned had leauer coÌ„tinue styl like Horses and Mules without vnderstanding than to acknowlege their ignoraunces and blyndenes and laboure for better knowledge to become the chyldren of lyght These are dogges yâ— can not backe ouerseers that can not see These are also the blynde guydes whom whan the blynde doe folowe not the blynde guydes onely but the blynde folowers also as our sauiour Christ him selfe testifieth doe fall bothe in to the ditche of errour endles daÌ„nacion The seconde sorte are they which beyng noseled roted in worldly pelfe belycheare promocioÌ„ obteined by couÌ„trefaite crouching hipocritical lowting by meanes of their courtely freÌ„des wil rather obstinately resyst murmure agaynst yâ— kinges maiesties most godly trauailes procedinges as much as in theÌ„ lyeth with slauÌ„derous dissuasions perplexe impertineÌ„t interpretacioÌ„s go about to bryng the most pure playne worde of God in to contempte yea and to inceÌ„se the people to tumultes sedicions rumours and rebellions as practiced experience hath of late dayes mooste lamentably taughte vs than they woulde lose or forgoe any iote of their worldely wicked pompous Mammon or for conscience sake submytte theÌ„ selues to the trueth of yâ— scriptures or any syncere godly quietnes These are the cursed shepeherdes of Israell that eate vp the fatte of the shepe and clothe them selues with the wolle that slea the best â—edde and nourishe not the flocke These are the damnable hipocrites that shute vp the kyngdome of heauens before men in forbyddyng dissuading and discourageing them from readynge or meddlyng with the scriptures whiche be the breade of the soule and wyll nether entre â–ª in them selues ne suffre them that woulde These are yâ— false doctours that S. Peter prophecied of before hand which slyghtyly bryng in pernicious sectes amonge the people denyeng euen yâ— lord that bought them and throughe couetousnes by feyned woordes make marchaundise of men These are the incarnate angelles of Satan which with theyr fyne maner of crepe a bosome and outwarde pretence of holynes transforme them selues into the angeles of lyght These are the yâ—ching eared maisters and spirites of errour that teache doctrines of deuilles and inconuenient thynges for fylthy lucres sake hauing their consciences marked with an hoâ—e yron and teaching genealogies endles riedles that engendre questions more than edifie to Godwarde These are the Antichristes that against al the whole scripture to the vndenyable deâ—ogation of the merite dignitie of Christes death blodsheading done once for all take vpon theÌ„ dayly to sacrifice for the â—emyssion of synnes of the quycke and the deade teache swete to be sowre sowre swete lyght to be darknes darknes light These are also yâ— right sonnes of their right father the deuill that hath bene a murtherour alyer froÌ„ the begynnyng Finally these are the whelpes of the roaring Lyon the deuil yâ— goeth about sekyng by their ministery whoÌ„ he may deuour A thrid sorte there is whiche for the sauetie of their pelfe and promocion employe their studyes and forecastyng pollycies to please all partes thynkynge in their owne phantasies that to be possible to them that Christ our most true doctour sayth is impossible to serue both god MaÌ„moÌ„ These are they by whose occasion yâ— people halt betwene two opinioÌ„s not knowyng what is best for theÌ„ to folow whethâ—â— God or Baal These are the messagiers of Laodicia whose workes are nother colde nor whote but betwene bothe smellyng neither to muche of the ghospel nor to lytell of popeâ—ie And yet they must be called fauourours of the trueth for they woulde fayne all thynges were well so it were not long of them These woulde fayne haue Goddes corne to come vp but yet they dare sowe none longer than the worlde as they saye maketh faire wether And notwythstandyng the more parte yea and to muche the more parte of ecclesiastical parsons be of these three sortes that is to saye eyther of blockeheaded asses plaine professed enemyes or doublefaced frendes Yet God of the habundaunt riches of his exceding great mercies hath reserued vnto him selfe some syncere Bysshoppes and preachers in this Emperiall Realme to erecte and confirme the towardenes of the true meanyng fauourours to comforte the weakeharted to confounde the stowâ—e rebelles the golden cupped courteours of the prowde whore of Babylon with â—he myghtye swearde of the spirite whiche is the word of God And for theuidenter declaracion of his mercies to his Englishe flocke and for the glorouseâ— enhaunceyng of hys own kyngdome and glorie in thys Realme in forewardyng the godly labours and industruous trauailes of hys faythfull ploughmen the ministres in despighte of all hys enemyes God in whose hande all kynges heartes are hathe put in to the hearte of oure mooste Royall worthye kynge Edwarde the. vi not onely lyke a moste Christen Iosias by the ministerie trauaile and studious endeuours of his moste faythfull deare Vncle the lorde Protectours grace other of his most honorable CouÌ„sayle to abolyshe idolatrous sacrificeinges and supersticious customes and to restore the true worship religion and gospell of Christe in to his pristine sinceritie purenes and lybertie agayne but also lyke a moste prudent yong Salomon to buylde vp perfitely the Lordes house and to walke after thexample of the olde Salomon as it were before the porche of the temple lyke Goddes true minister to expell and kepe out all false worshyppinges popishe Goddes seruice vayne ceremonies pernicious sectes sedicious tumultes fylthye errours and noughtie lurkyng hereticall opinions from amonge hys Christen Englyshe subiectes whiche is the lyuing temple of God and to trayne ordre and gouerne them with the rule of holsome lawes to the banishemente of vngodly licencious libertie that men are nowe a dayes to muche geuen and bent vnto and to the nourishement of vertues whiche God requireth and also to kepe and defende them from all intestine tumultes daungers and
by an othe and to th entent also that we beeyng stablished in a sure belefe myght haue a strong consolacion in the aduersities of thys worlde we I saye that haue not sette our felicitie in the pleasures of thys presente lyfe but haue fled hytherto to obteyne the hope that is sette before vs in the worlde to come the whiche hope wee holde fast in the meane tyme in the stormes of this worlde as a stedfaste and sure ancre of the soule not fasteued in transitorye thynges but in heauen for that it stretcheth it selfe euen to those thynges that are wythin the vayle whereas no mutacion is but all thynges are stable and euerlastyng Thys is that in warde parte of the temple into the which Iesus Christe runnyng thyther before vs and shewing vs the way hath entred to make intercession for vs vnto the father who is made an hye priest for euer after the ordre as I sayde in the begynnyng of Melchisedech The vii Chapter The texte This Melchisedech kyng of Salem whiche beyng prieste of the moste hye God met Abraham as he returned agayne from the slaughter of the kinges and blessed hym to whoÌ„ also Abraham gaue tythes of al thynges fyrst is called by interpritacion kyng of righteousnes after that kyng of Salem that is to saye kyng of peace withoute father without mother without kynne and hathe neyther beginnyng of dayes ueyther yet ende of lyfe but is likened vnto the sonne of God and contynueth a priest for euer NOwe sens the processe of our wordes hath broughte vs agayne to the mencion of Melchisedech lette vs consider what a man he was by what reason he bare the fygure of our prieste For wee reade that this Melchisedech king of the Citie called Salem was au hye pryest of the most hye God the whiche Melchisedech mette Abraham in hys retourne from the slaughter of the three kynges and blessed hym for his valiaunte acte vnto whome Abraham also gaue tythes of all hys goodes Fyrste Melchisedech by verye interpretacion of name is called the kynge of ryghteousnesse then by the tytle of his kyngdome he is called kyng of Salem that is to saye kyng of peace who as it is said had neyther father nor mother nor pedigrew nor begynning of dayes nor end of lyfe But of hym it is spoken whiche verelye agreeth wyth the sonne of god that he contineweth a prieste for euer And so farfoorth eueryethyng agreeth derye well wyth our hye pryeste Christ who ordained the kyngdome of ryghtuousnesse who is the prynce of peace who as touchyng his deitye had neither father in earth nor mother whose pedigrew no manne is hable to declare who had neyther begynnyng nor shall haue ending whose priesthoode continueth for euer and purifyeth all that beleue in hym vnto the worldes ende Nowe let vs consider the dignitie of the same Melchisedech and ho we farre he excelled the pristes of Moses lawe Abraham so greate a patriarke dyd not onley vouchesafe to receyue blessyng of hym after he had sleyne the kynges but also gaue hym tythes of the syoyles The texte Consider what a man this was vnto whome also the patriarke Abraham gaue tithes of the spoyles And verelye those children of Leui whiche receyue thoffice of the priestes haue a commauÌ„dement to take according to the lawe tithes of the people that is to saye of theyr brethren yea thoughe they sprong out of the loynes of Abraham But he whose kinred is not counted among them receiued tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the promises And no man denyeth but that he whiche is lesse receyueth blessyng of hym whiche is greater And here men that dye receiue tithes But there he receiueth tithes of whom it is witnessed that he liueth And to say the trueth Leuy himselfe also which vseth to receiue tithes payed tithes in Abraham For he was yet in the loynes of hys father when Melchisedech mette Abraham And the lawe of Moyses commaunded this that they whiche came of the linage of Leui shoulde succede in the ministracion of priesthoode and receiue tithes but of theyr brethren alonely that is to saye of the posteritie of Abraham neither doeth the auctoritie and dignitie of the Leuites stretch any further but Melchisedech where he was an alyaunt from the Iewishe nacion receyued tithes of Abraham the very auctour of the whole nacion and blessed him of whome according vnto Gods promise the nacion of the Iewes shoulde issue It is out of contouersie that the lesse receiueth blessing of the greater For whose blesseth doeth as it were allowe by hys autoritie that whiche is done Nowe thauctoritie to allowe is wont to remayne in the superiour and not in him that is eguall or inferioure And in the tribe of Leui they receiued tithes who were also mortall menne themselues and by whose death thesame auctoritie came vnto other But it is sayde of Melchisedech that he liueth and continueth for euer in the preeminence of perpetuall priesthood To conclude whereas thauctoritie to demaund tithes came from leuy the chiefe priest vnto other priestes yet in that that Abraham payed tythes to Melchisedech it semeth that Leuye also hymselfe was made bonde to paye tythes notwythstandyng that he was wonte to receyue the same of other Therefore as they are counted of lesse authoritie that paye tythes vnto Leuy so was Leuy inferioure vnto Melchisedech vnto whome he gaue tythes Some man wyll here saye howe gaue he tythes who was not yet borne at what tyme Melchisedech mette Abraham But forasmuche as the posteritie is in manoure counted to bee in the auctoure of the nacion therfore I sayed after this intelleccion that Leuy who came of Abraham gaue tithes vnto Melchisedech The texte If nowe therefore perfeccion came by the priesthood of the leuites for vnder that priesthood the people receyued the lawe what neded it furthermore that another priest shoulde ryle to bee called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the ordre of Aaron For yf the priesthood bee translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also For he of whome these thinges are spoken pertaineth vnto an other tribe of whom neuer man serued at the aultare For it is euidente that our Lorde sprong of the tribe of Iud a of which tribe spake Moses nothing concerning priesthod And it is yet a mere euideÌ„t thing it after the similitude of Melchisedech there arise an other priest which is not made after the lawe of the carnall commaundemente but after the power of the endeles lyfe For after this maner doth he testifie thou art a priest foreuer after the ordre of Melchisedeche Then the commaundemente that wente afore is dissanulled because of weakenes and vnprofitablenesse Yf so be that perfyte religion and holinesse dyd depende vpon the Lâ—â—iticall priesthood as it semeth vnto the Iewes because the lawe was geue vnder Aaron who was of the trybe of Leuy what needed then agayne another priest to rise who as it is writen in
before the iudgement seates Do not they speake euyll of that good name whiche is called vpon ouer you HE that loueth his neighbour for Goddes sake and he that loueth God in his neighbour doeth not in this case respecte him because he is a man of greate power or of riches or of nobilitie but in that he is abundauntlie full of diuine goodes But to thys maner of Iudgement a kyng or a riche man is not better of one Iote than any manne howe basse or poore so euer he bee Christe died for all indifferentlie and all are indifferentlye called to thenherytaunce of Immortalitie Therfore my brethren if you doe truly put your trust in the promisses of our Lord Iesu Christ make no difference of persones after the estimacion of worldly thinges For Christ him selfe as touchyng the world was basse and poore But yet it was the fathers will that he shoulde be prince of all glorye He promised the kingdome of heauen not to the wealthie but vnto the pore Now if there come in to youre company a Ioly felowe with a golde ring or ruffling in gaye apparaill and there come in withall a pore manne nether wearing ring on hys fyngers and clothed in pore homely araye and by and by you caste your eies vpon the riche man for none other respecte but that he obseureth the pore manne with hys gorgrous rayment and geue hym the more honourable place saying Sytte thou here VVell And agayne you saye vnto the pore manne as though you lothed him and for no cause elles but for his ouer homely apparaill Stande thou there or sitte thou there under my fote stole would not your harte by and by grudge and secretly condemne your doing in that through flattery you attribute vnto golde and galaunte aray the honour that is due vnto vertue contemnyng him for lacke of chose thinges whiche is muche more acceptable to God for the true riches of the soule than that riche manne The riche mannes fynger glisteryng with the ring and precious stone and his bodye decked in silke maketh you to regarde hym â–ª and doe not you regarde the pore man for hys synceritie of fay the modestie of mynde sobrenes chastitie and other giftes of virtue whiche make a man greate and gorgious in dede Why doeth your iudgement disagree from the iudgement of God Heare me indifferently my welbeloued brethren the thyng that euidentlie appeareth matter in dede to be certaynly true How muche sâ— euer the worlde setteth by the ryche God hym selfe hathe preferred the poore the poore I meane after the worlde whiche nether haue nor seke after autorâ—â—â—e nor kingdomes in this world God hathe let alone the riche with their statelynes and chosen these which are but sely pore folkes for lacke of present substaunce but yet riche and mightye in the lokynge for the kyngdome of heauen and theuerlastynge enherytaunce in that they put their truste in hym that promysed them â–ª whiche nether can deceaue if he woulde and is hable to performe what he will But vnto whome hathe he promised this wonderfull â—â—licitie â–ª â—â— kinges and wealthy folkes no in dede but to them whiche loue him trouly who soeuer they bee whether they be bonde seruauntes or free men whether they be riche or poore And you hauing desired the riche manne to the highest seâ—te and appoynting the pore man to the lowe fotestoles haue preferred hym whome God setteth the lesse by and contemned him that in the sight of God is bothe rich and honourable He hathe honour done vnto him that perchaunce hauyng gotten hys ryches by fraude or rauine auaunceth himselfe and this is contemned whiche had rather be poore than with losse of godlynes to bee riche and hauing spent vp his riches to the releuing of the pore is become poore of hys owne accorde that he myght bee riche in godlynes In dede euery one is not vngodly that is riche not withstanding the riche of this worlde are not very rashe in agreeing with the godlynes of the Gospell but they be of that kynde of men moste chiefly that repugne the Gospell of Christe For who are they that practice tyranny against you for malice of godlynes are they not the riche menne who are they that accuse you and drawe you before Iudgement seates are they not the riche for the moste parte Who are they that speake euill and curse the holy name of our lorde Iesu Christe by Inuocacion wherof you haue atteyned saluacyon and in whom you reioyce Are they not the riche Yea they hate your profession so muche chat the name whiche geueth saluacion and is honourable vnto you is euen deathe and abominable vnto them But the profession of this name is begonne to be healthesome vnto you so as for all that you may through your owne faulte fall from the saluacion that is promised The texte ¶ If ye fulfyll the royall lawe according to the scripture Thou shalt loue thyne neighbour as thy self ye do well But yf ye regarde one person more then another ye commit synne are rebuked of the lawe as transgressours Who soeuer shall kepe the whole lawe and yet fayle in one poynt he is giltie of all For be that sayde Thou shalt not commes adulterye say de also thou shalt not kyl Though thou do no adultery yet if thou â—â— thou arts become a traunsgressour of the lawe So speake ye and so do as they that shal be iudged by the lawe of libertye For he shal haue iudgement with our mercy that sheweth no mercy and mercâ—â— reioyceth against iudgement A kynge promiseth rewarde ycâ— but to him that in his dedes accomplysheth the lawe royall wherof no man can be ignoraunte seing it was expreste in writing long agooe and it is on this maner Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Doeth he loue his neighbor after this rule that preferreth the wicked rych manne before the godly pore man The lawe of the Gospell is the lawe of loue and what soeuer is done contracy to it although it be not forbydden by speciall name yet it is synne and that lawe doeth secretly reproue you which hath coinmauÌ„ded almen and in al thinges that thou oughtest to loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe Who soeuer swarueth from this rule is a conuicte transgressour of the lawe Nether yet let any manne â—urry fauell with him selfe after this wise The faule is but light the law is broken in nothing but in this parte But the law of the Gospell is suche a lawe that except it be kept in euery parte wholy it semeth to be broken all together on euery parte For inasmuche as the totall Sunnue of all the whole lawe is coutcyned in the loue of God of the neighbour who soeuer he be that swarueth from charitée which is the rote of all the whole lawe he hathe doubtles broken the whole lawe and offended the autor of the lawe vnto whome he is become giltie of all in that he whiche hathe eâ—â—ed from the
of the faithfull of all creatures the begynnynge without begynnynge y◠euerlastyng wysdome of god Here marke how hyghly god is dyspleased with suche as be indyfferent neyther who◠nor colde whiche wyll and wyll not not consyderynge the earnest wil and commaūdement of god And wyll suffer nothynge for his sake but are content with the onely shyne and shadowe of godlynes and with the onely name of faythe and obedyence to god Where as Christ wyll haue a more feruent and earnest zeale namely the golde of a stedfast and a constante fayth in all maner of affliccion aduersitie the whyte garmētes of innocencie and purenes of lyfe in their whole conuersacion before god and man y◠bryght and clere iyes of Christen doctrine without any manner of errour That a man beyng riche after this maner may walke before god in his churche with worshyp and honestye and without all dread Whan any mysfortune of this worlde dothe happen vnto the faythfull they ought to thynke vpon these wordes and to be thankefull vnto god in true faythe and charite alwayes studyeng to amende their lyues This is the true repentaunce The lorde is muche more ready to gyue than we are to desyre or to receyue And he delyghteth in vertuous and godly hartes and gyueth them comforte loue and hope and strengthneth their faith that they maye be able to continue and remayne without dreade in the grace and fauour of god This is the very ryght supper of y◠spirite of god withal faithfull beleuers in this world But in the blysse of heauen there shal be the very fruicion and possession of all goodnes and of the most hyghest honour with vnspeakable ioye in god withal the holy sainctes whiche euer haue lyued vertuously in the fauour of god ¶ The .iiii. Chapter The texte ¶ After this I loked and beholde a dore was open in heauen and the first voyce which I hearde was as it were of a trompet talkynge with me whiche sayde come vp hyther and I wyll shewe the thinges which must be fulfylled herafter And immediatly I was in the spirite and beholde a seate was set in heauen and one sate on the seate And he that sate was to loke vpon lyke vnto a Iaspar stone and a Sardyne stone And there was a raynebowe about the seate in syght lyke to an Emeralde And about the seate were foure and twentye seates And vpon the seates foure and twenty elders syttyng clothed in whyte rayment and had on their heades crownes of golde HEre doth Iohn looke and see in spirite as all y◠prophetes dyd Beholde the fygure whiche representeth vnto thee what heauenly mysteries of the kyngdome of Christ and of the thinges that should happen afterwarde Iohn dyd see in the heauen beyng opened To be in the spirite is asmuche as to be rapte of the spirite of god into an heauēly traunce aboue al mans witte power or capacyte Gods stoole or seate in heauen sygnified the euerlastynge state and continuaunce of the power myght blisse and ryghtuousnes of god The bryghtnes of the precious stones sygnified y◠hyghe maiestye and glory of god bewtyfyed with the knowledge of al thinges The raynebowe sygnifyeth his mercye and pacient sufferynge yet not without mete and condigne reuengeaunce and iustice The .xxiiii. seates and the .xxiiii. elders doe sygnifye y◠most hyghest iustyce and vnsearcheable councell and iudgement of god and that the most speciall frendes of god bothe of the olde and new testament are incorporate into y◠kyngdome of god bothe Patryarkes Kynges Prophetes Apostles and bysshops All are subiect vnto the lorde in all holynes and ready to honour him eternally And al these doe knowledge that they receyued all goodnes and commendacion that they haue of the bountyfull grace of god The texte And out of the seate proceded lyghtnynges and thondrynges and voyces and there were .vii. lampes of fyre burnynge before the seate whiche are the .vii. spirites of god And before the seate there was a sea of glasse lyke vnto Cristall and in the myddes of the seate and rounde aboute y◠seate were foure beastes full of eyes before and behynde And the first beaste was lyke a lyon and the seconde beaste lyke a calfe and the thirde beaste had a face as a man and the fourthe beaste was lyke a flying Egle. And the .iiii. beastes had echone of them syre wynges about him and they were full of eyes within And they had no rest daye nether nyght sayinge Holy holy holy Lord god almightye which was and is and is to come The earnest iudgement and commaundement of god shall be opened and made manyfest vnto all the worlde thorowe the gospell whiche shall be fearful and heauy vnto the wycked but ioyfull and welcome vnto the faithfull godly For vnto them it shall come with the gyftes of the plentifull spirite of God whiche shall appeare in their fruites The sea of glasse maye sygnifye vnto vs the aduersityes of this lyfe whiche serue both to y◠glorye of god and also to the syngular profyte of the faithfull for the frutefull exercyse of their faythe The iiii sondry beastes are interpreted by some of the olde doctours but not by all to sygnifye the .iiii. Euangelystes They maye betoken the .iiii. special mysteries of the Christen faythe As the manhode of Christ maye be sygnified by the face of the man And the passion and death of Christ by the calfe appoynted to be slayne and offered And the resurrection from death by the lyon And the ascencion into heauen by the Egle. All whiche misteries of Christ are plentuously set furth in the holy gospelles and Christ and his kyngdome is descrybed in them vnto all the world as a necessarye and a perfyght doctrine The wynges which are spoken of doe sygnifye here lyke as they doe in the .vi. Chapter of Esaye the obedience and reuerence whiche all creatures doe owe of duty vnto y◠lorde whiche vertues the faythful both willyngly and dylygently doe declare withall redynes and swyftnes of their godly and deuout heartes The multitude of the eyes dothe sygnifye the Christen doctrine and wysedome of god wherof is no want nor scarsenes in the churche And this doctrine must be learned and taken out of the holy scripture geuen by god For the whiche cause al godly and blessed myndes as well of the angels as of men shal neuer cease to prayse and exalt the almightye god to be holy in al his workes onely one in his godly substance and yet a Trinite of persons as it is wonderfully declared and expressed bothe by al holy scriptures and also by the heauenly wysedome of the prophetes and other holy men secretely inspired and lyghtned of god euē certein of the heathē also whiche thorowe true fayth doe knowledge and confesse that there is but one onely god creatour of all thinges and ruler and gouernoure foreuer and immutable The texte ¶ And when those beastes gaue glorye and honour and
kingdome of Christ set forwarde thorowe the infynite mercye grace of god whiche beareth rule in all the children of the kyngdome of Christ in all the electe both in this lyfe in the kyngdome of heauen For the kyngdome of heueÌ„ taketh his begynnyng here in this world in the coÌ„gregacion of the faythful it shal dayly increase thorow the word of god vntyl it be made perfyght in the euerlastynge kyngdome of god with all the electe in heauen The texte ¶ And I behelde and I hearde the voyce of many angels about the throne and about the beastes and the elders and I hearde thousande thousandes sayinge with a loude voyce Worthy is yâ— lambe that was kylled to receyue power ryches wysdom and strength and honour glorye blessing And al the creatures which are in heauen on the earth vnder the earth and in the see and all that are in them hearde I saying blessyng honour glorye power be vnto him that sytteth vpon the seate vnto the lambe for euer â—ore And the foure beastes sayd Amen And the .xxiiii. elders fell vpon their faces and worshypped him that lyueth for euermore The very meanyng of S. Iohn is here in this place as it is in his gospell to proue the faythe of the godheade of Christ against all heretyckes And for this cause he ascrybeth vnto Christ in this place so many dyuine names and properties apperteynyng onely to yâ— godheade first yâ— he shal be inuocate prayed vnto not onely of yâ— patryarkes prophetes but also of al angels whoÌ„ no creature doth excel in worthynes but onely yâ— euerlastyng the very true onely one god And thus he setteth furthe yâ— godly worthines of yâ— meeke crucified Christ of the Lambe yâ— was slayne offered vp Vnto whoÌ„ for his humblenes eueÌ„ vnto yâ— crosse suche a name is geueÌ„ as is aboue all names And therfore the knees of all creatures both in heaueÌ„ in earth in hel shal bowe vnto him For vnto him perteyneth all power yâ— is to saye all omnipotency or all myghtines all ryches and spiritual treasures to distrybute yâ— same accordynge vnto his wil all wysdome whiche is lyke equall with yâ— omniscieÌ„ce ful knowledge of al thinges of the father All strength ouer aboue al yâ— might power of all this wyde world All honour prayse laud for his excedyng mercy goodnes for his infynite benefites Vnto whome as vnto their creatour al creatures are made subiect Not onely vnto him yâ— sitteth vpoÌ„ yâ— stoole but also vnto yâ— Lambe whiche is Christe very true god maÌ„ And vnto him with yâ— father the holy gost apperteyneth al laud and honour for euer and euer whiche is the onely one god Whiche thing shall be also ascrybed and geuen vnto hym with the vnyforme and full assent of all the holy electe bothe in heauen and in earth ¶ The .vi. Chaptre The texte ¶ And I saw when yâ— lambe opened one of yâ— seales I hearde one of the .iiii. beastes say as it were the noyse of thonder come see I saw And beholde there was a white horse and he yâ— sat on him had a bowe a crowne was geuen vnto him he went forthe conqueryng and for to ouercome And when he had opened the seconde seale I hearde the seconde beaste say come se And there went out another horse that was redde power was geueÌ„ to him yâ— sat theron to take peace from the earth and that they shoulde kyll one another And there was geuen vnto him a great swearde THe seuen special articles and misteries of yâ— christen faith maye be opened eueÌ„ lyke as .vii. seales thorow yâ— holy goost in yâ— holy scripture of yâ— olde newe testameÌ„t As yâ— excellent clerke Erasmus doth proue by diuerse testimonies in his paraphrases vpon the .xxiiii. Chapter of luke But yet we maye vnderstande the openynge of these seales after an other maner First by yâ— white horse may be vnderstaÌ„de yâ— first state of yâ— christeÌ„ churche which was altogether pure without blemyshe or faut holy well armed ready prepared yea also as swyfte as an horse vnto al godlines At yâ— which tyme yâ— kyngdome of Christ did most floryshe and increase in yâ— who le world He yâ— sytteth vpoÌ„ this horse hathe a crowne vpoÌ„ him of yâ— kyngdome of heaueÌ„ with a bowe of yâ— euangelycal doctrine wherwith he hath conquered ouercome blessedly yâ— errors of ydolatry slayne them with a glorious triumphe victorye By yâ— seconde seale vnderstaÌ„de yâ— state of yâ— kyngdome of Christ in yâ— tyme of yâ— martirs froÌ„ the time of S. SteueÌ„ vntil the tyme of CoÌ„stantyne the Emperour Whan as yâ— churche was paynted with bloode thorow out yâ— hole world thorow yâ— tyrannye of the Romyshe Emperour Not with standynge yâ— at the same tyme also yâ— Iewes suffred extreme calamities great plages of death vnder the reygne of Tytus Vespasyan Adriane All which maye be sygnified by yâ— deade horse by yâ— great sworde For the Romyshe Emperours did coÌ„tinually slaye one an other besydes yâ— diuerse of theÌ„ peryshed otherwise also And this may be wel vnderstaÌ„deÌ„ by him yâ— sitteth vpoÌ„ yâ— red horse The texte ¶ And when he had opened the thirde seale I hearde yâ— thirde beaste say come and se and I behelde lo a blacke horse he that sate on him had a payre of balances in his hande And I heard a voyce in yâ— myddes of the foure beastes say a measure of wheate for a peny and thre measures of barly for a peny and oyle and wyne se thou hurte not By the thirde seale the beast by the blacke horse thou mayest vnderstande the great dearth which happened vnto the christians the heathen yâ— Iewes and the Romaines at suche tyme as eyther Claudius or Traianus reygned Emperours Althoughe the prouidence of god did alwaye prouyde sufficieÌ„t noryshement for those yâ— were his as it appeareth euydently to them yâ— reade the Cronycles of that tyme. The balances maye betoken the penury want of vytels for as muche as they were compelled to wey measure how much euery one should haue dayly for his parte to lyue with For the measure of wheate is vnderstande to be the porcion that was allowed for one man for his dayes spending The texte ¶ And when he had opened the fourth seale I hearde the voyce of the fourth beaste saye come se and I looked And beholde a pale horse his name yâ— sate on him was death â—ell folowed after him power was geuen vnto them ouer the fourthe parte of the earth to kyl with swearde with honger and with death that commeth of vermen of the earth By the fourthe seale the beast the voyce and the pale horse mayst thou vnderstande the heretykes whiche dyd dyuerse wayes and a longe tyme vexe the holy churche with false
of the churche and to the true vnderstandynge of the truth in all landes and nacions of the earth than euer they dyd in their lyfe tyme as it is euydent that it so happened vnto the holy prophetes and martirs And than shal all the wicked enemies and contemners of the worde of god and of Christes true religion treÌ„ble and feare the iudgement of god not vnworthely and they shall vndoutedly receiue their due rewarde that they haue deserued for the extreme cruelty whiche they haue shewed and declared against the faythfull ministers and seruauntes of God Whiche rewarde they shal receyue with feare tremblynge sorowe smart and paine despaire and with euerlasting shame and confusion folowing Whether any suche thinge hath hitherto or maye hereafter happen let euery true christen harte that trusteth in the mercye of god well consyder and wey by him selfe ¶ The .xii. Chapter The texte ¶ And the seuenth angell blewe and there were made great voyces in heauen saying the kyngdoms of this worlde are our lordes and his Christes he shall raygne for euer more And the .xxiiii. elders whiche syt before God on their seates fell vpon their faces worshipped God sayinge we geue the thankes O Lorde God almightye which arte and wast and art to come for thou hast receaued thy great might and hast raigned And the nacions were angry and thy wrath is come and the tyme of the dead that they shoulde be iudges and that thou shouldest geue rewarde vnto thy seruauntes the prophetes Sainctes and to them that feare thy name small and great and shouldest destroye them whiche destroye the earth AL this maye be well referred vnto the texte and vision that went before to this purpose that after all matters before mencioned once past there shoulde be an vniuersall godlynes and christen order eyther thorowe the generall preaching of the gospel thorow out yâ— who le world or els thorow the godly lyfe peace and felicitie whiche maye be at that tyme vpon earth As it is possible inoughe thorowe the grace of god and many good christen heartes doe trust and hope that it shall come to passe Or els it maye be vnderstande after the last iudgement of our sauiour Christ of the quietnes whiche shall than immediately folowe after the cruell persecucion of Antichrist as this blessed and comfortable angel preacheth and declareth with his trompet For sure it is that before the latter daye the kyngdome of Christ shall appeare and be receyued of all nacions and yles of the earth euen of the Iewes also whiche at length shal receyue knowledge of their errour and shall confesse their obstinacy and the wickednes of their belefe and conuersacion whaÌ„ they shall see the grace and knowledge of God manifestly reueled in all tongues and speches thorowe the holy worde of god and shal perceyue the kyngdome of Christ the true Messias not to consist in the strayght and narow corner of Canaan nor in the vnhappy citie of Ierusalem whiche is vnhappye by reason of the dyuision and vnquietnes that is in it but in the whole wyde worlde wherin shall be one onely felowshyp and congregacion of the seruauntes of the onely one and almyghtie god whom alone all the holy prophetes of whose faythe the Iewes haue alwayes made so highe boast haue honoured and praysed and lyke wyse the whole regiment and flocke of theirs and the whole worldes Messias and Sauiour whiche was before the creation of the worlde and hath appeared in the worlde in al humylite more than .xv. hundreth yeares almoost longer than the lawe of Moyses dyd endure and continue among the Iewes from the tyme of their delyueraunce out of Egipte vntyll the commynge of Christ whan he toke his manhode in the tyme of the reygne of Herode whan as their regiment and gouernaunce toke an ende What lyes soeuer they feyne of their lande and regyment in Vtopia whiche they name Caspâ—a wherof they must shortly be a shamed and holde their peace and confesse their deceyte falsehede presumpcion damnable lyes of their Talmude of all their false myserable blynde guydes and Rabbynes whose falsehede is nowe open and manyfest vnto all the worlde for as muche as their bokes are made common thorowe the benefyte of printynge vnto all men of learnynge and knowledge So that this myserable people as the holy apostle S. Paule prayeth hath that thing fulfylled vnto them whiche they hoped for and whiche was promysed of God in their tyme vnto their generacion Euen so maye it come to passe vpon earth and that right sone that the honour and glorye of the kyngdome of Christ and of God shall appeare which shal rule for a tyme vpon earth and after yâ— latter iudgement in heauen in euerlastynge blisse As than al holy patriarkes prophetes apostles and all the martirs that euer haue bene shall haue honour and glorye whiche they shall offre vp vnto the euerlastinge and very true God in the sight of all Goddes electe in euerlastinge blisse in yâ— kyngdome of God and of his Messias our sauiour Iesus Christ according to the doctrine of the infallyble moost true word of god But the wicked and vngodly heathen shall haue no part of this honour glorye and blisse but shall suffer and be damned euerlastingly in eternall wrath enuy hatred malyce and despayre For suche is the righteous iudgement of God ouer all men bothe quicke and deade good and bad Euery one shall be rewarded accordyng to his workes and desertes after the iust iudgement of almyghtye God without all maner of parcialytie or respecte of persons whether they be of high or lowe estimacion in the worlde whether they be riche or poore and of what lande or contrey so euer they be For than the holy and faithful shal receiue of Christ euerlasting saluacion for their trust faith and loue towarde God and contrarye wyse the wicked and vngodly tyrannes aduersaries persecutours of the faithfull seruantes of God for their obstinate blyndnes infydelitie and contemninge of Goddes holy wyll and worde shall peryshe for euer and shall remayne euerlastingly cursed and damned withal wicked spirites Thus farre as semeth vnto me doe the visions and prophecies reache that are hetherto past and mencioned in this boke But nowe that whiche foloweth is another reuelacion pertayning to an other tyme. For a man must not seeke any other order of yâ— scripture in this boke whiche is compact together of many and diuerse visions without any obserued order than in other writinges of the prophetes as they that are learned doe knowe well ynoughe The texte ¶ And the temple of god was opened in heauen and there was sene in his temple the arcke of his testament and there folowed lyghtnynges and voyces and thondrynge and earthquake and muche hayle Here might the .xii. chapter well begynne and these wordes myght be vnderstande and taken for a preparacion vnto the very glorious and newe reuelacioÌ„ which is nowe as I sayde before opened vnto
woman and the earth opened her mouth and swalowed vp the ryuer which the dragon cast out of his mouth And y◠dragon was wroth with y◠woman wēt and made warre with the remnaunt of her sede which kepe y◠cōmaundementes of God and haue the testimonye of Iesus Christe And I stode on the sea sande After that Sathan whiche is a spirite of lyes marketh the power of faithe whiche commeth springeth of gods worde howe Christ beyng borne in the faithful doth waxe increase in them thorowe holy godly workes acceptable vnto god than he goeth about to persecute y◠gospel the true holsom doctrine and the spirite of Christ in the electe But the circumspecte quickesyghted and highe flyeng Eagle of gods spirite resisteth the dragō geueth might power with his grace vnto the Christen soule to flee into a sure place whiche is y◠contempt of this worlde the loue of the world to come the solitarines of a quiet conscience in y◠crosse of Christ the comfort in y◠remembraunce of gods word With these wynges she escapeth from Sathan and from al his spirites snares and suggestions This foode noryshment is geuē throughe the grace mercy of god vnto all the electe children of God from such time as the word was firste writen throughe Moyses and afterwarde declared throughe y◠prophetes and fulfilled through Christ preached in al y◠world throughe y◠apostles in our tyme throughe the mercye goodnes of God renewed againe for a thousande and .ii. thousande yeares y◠is .iii. thousande yet lōger how lōg so euer it please God which wil not haue it hidden vnknowen vnto vs. And for this cause the nombre of the yeares both in this boke in other is obscure not without a synguler cōsideracion As y◠disciples of Helyas receyuing it of their maister also sayde y◠.ii. thousande yeares were past before the lawe that the lawe of Moyses should continue lykewyse .ii. thousande yeares the kingdome of Messias vpō earth also about .ii. thousande yeares not so precisely reckened nor fullye accomplyshed as the Rabbines interpreters of y◠Iewes doe for the most part cōfesse declare But the serpēt which he named before a dragō doth neuer seace since y◠tyme of Adam Eue to persecute y◠faith in y◠worde of God the secret misterie of Christ For y◠merciful rightuous god taketh vseth y◠falsehede wickednes o◠Sathan euē for a game a sport as a mā may say And the more y◠Sathan goeth about to hinder the worcke grace of god the performaunce of his promises the more doeth his damnacion his wrath enuy and malyce increase and gods grace throughe his mercye is the more aboundantlye multiplyed in all men and the true rightuousnes of the holy and blessed seede our sauiour Christ is the more perfight and effectuous and maketh more hast to the full and perfyght blisse and saluacion of all faithfull electe Althoughe notwithstandinge the infinite wickednes of Sathan neuer ceaseth and is euer more angrye deuyseth continually one mischefe vpon anothers necke against the faithful but all to their furtheraūce honour profite at length yea to the preseruacion of y◠trueth of the eternal worde of God to the furtheraunce and confirmacion of y◠true faith loue hope against y◠whiche the olde serpente is wont continually to fight with al his felowship companie of wicked spirites and of all kyndes of blasphemies and vices whiche are his seede generacion lyke as all maner of vertues grace holynes innocencye saluaciō are y◠frutes of gods worde of the spirite of Christ out of the whiche dothe spring obediēce and obseruacion of the cōmaundementes of God so farre as the weakenes and imperfightenes of man is able The whiche weakenes y◠sauiour of mankynde and y◠first borne of y◠children of God doth accomplyshe helpeth the lacke of mans weakenes for y◠which cause he became man our brother y◠he might the better knowe our infirmitie and weakenes And thus was this vision reueled vnto me as I thought standinge vpon the sande of the sea ¶ The .xiii. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe a beast ryse out of y◠sea hauing seuen heades and ten hornes and vpon his bornes ten crownes and vpon his heade the name of blasphemye And the beaste whiche I saw was lyke a catte of the mountayne his fete were as the fete of a beare his mouth as y◠mouth of a lion And the dragon gaue him his power and his feare great auctorite BY this beast which was sene to ryse vp in the raging sea of this worlde is signified y◠kingdome of Rome vnder y◠dominion of whiche kingdom Christ was borne suffred his passion vnder y◠same kyngdōe also S. Iohn did write both this boke and his holy gospel For this kingdom obteyned power dominion ouer many nacions landes and ouercame very many kinges Whiche thinges came not to passe for y◠vertue godlines of y◠Romaynes for they knew not their Lord God much lesse did they honour him For they dyd ascribe their wealth good fortune successe their victorie not vnto y◠true lyuing God but vnto their false goddes And diuerse Emperours of Rome haue set out them selues also for goddes haue suffred oblacions sacrifices to be made done vnto them And thus haue they blasphemed y◠true god creatour gouernour of al thīges whose seruice religiō yea his temple priesthode and sacrifices they did vtterly abolishe subuert most spitefully contemptuously and set vp al false religiō ydolatrie to please y◠people For whose pleasure they buylded set vp a churche of Pantheon for y◠honour of all sainctes goddes whiche remaineth at Rome vntil this day The errours riches blasphemous vices of y◠who le world which wer gotten in batel are like vnto a cat of y◠mountayne with her many speckles spottes whiche with her smacke souour draweth many beastes vnto her which she destroieth Euē as the Romaynes vnder y◠pretēce of their glorious name title haue gottē great power auctoryte wherby they haue oppressed hurt y◠who le world in so much y◠at length it was intollerable The Beare hath a weake heade but very strōg feete which signifieth y◠power of his tyrannye the weakenes feblenes of their captaines of their Emperours which for y◠most part haue had shamful endes after their wicked shameful liues And it was as spoilful gredy to deuour as a Liō had his power might strēgth of all mighty god but yet they haue not cōfessed it nor ascrybed it vnto him but vnto their own ydolles and false goddes and vnto Lucifer the kyng and head of their false goddes whiche is here named a dragon and wyll be estemed and taken for a Lorde of
vnto the lorde desierous of his mercye and grace and beloued of him from euerlastinge and ordeyned vnto his kingdome as ioyfull and desierous first frutes whiche men doe eate with a great lust desire and appetite with highe praise and thankes geuynge as it ought to be Their faithe is so acceptable and pleasant before God as it was geuen them of his plentifull grace that it beyng accompanyed with true loue and hope without the which it can not be decketh and hydeth all thâ—ir synnes howe many howe great and howe greuous so euer they were And vnto them all euyls and misfortunes euen their synnes also and all maner of thinges hapned and ended vnto the best As it hapned vnto Dauid Peter Paule and Marie Magdalene and vnto al holy sainctes and elect sanctified through the bloude of the innocent lambe Christ our sauiour For althoughe all men and all sainctes are synners before God yet for the lambes sake in whome they truste they are reputed without spot and blame before the iudgement seate of God The 〈◊〉 ¶ And I sawe another angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge the euerlastinge gospell to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth and to all nacions kynredes and tonges and people saying with a loude voyce Feare God and geue honoure to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worshyp him that made heauen and earth and the sea and fountaines of water And there folowed an other angell sayinge Babilon is fallen is fallen that great citie for she made all nacions drincke of the wyne of her fornicacion The true and faithfull preachers of the holy gospell are ofte called angels as they maye well be Of the whiche the kyng Christ sendeth manye in to the kingdome of heauen accordinge as the state of the worlde at dyuerse times requireth That the holy and sincere doctrine the gospell might sone and frutefully flye throughe the christen churche Whiche thing the wicked dragon doth sore haâ—e and is greuouslye dyspleased therwith and therfore he persecuteth it with muche falsehede and with great power throughe his ministers and deputies And yet notwithstanding the gospell of God remayneth euerlastinglye in his churche euen from the beginninge of the worlde vntyll the ende wherof no man in the worlde can excuse him selfe For the voyce and trueth therof is this bothe open and cleare that God onely is the lorde and that we must serue him in trueth and innocencye of lyfe and shewe all loue and trueth towarde our neighbour as the very naturall reason teacheth and all right and pure consciences lyghtned with gods worde do confesse And the loude voyce of the gospell soundeth thus Feare God as godly children doe their moost louynge father honour him onely for all grace and goodnes can come from none but from him onely and feare his iust and rightuous iudgement that it be not resisted against all wickednes vngodlines vngraciousnes And worship him onely with inuocacion that hath made heaueÌ„ and earth and al that is therin Against this gospell dothe the dragon euermore speake with his first borne and eldest sonne Antichristes whiche syns Caims tyme hath euer continued euen vntyll the aduersaries whiche at this tyme doe openly resist the manifest and open knowen trueth because they thincke and imagine that it wyll be an hinderauÌ„ce vnto their pompe pryde vngodly and abhominable lyuinge But this trueth and worde of God can not be hindered nor suppressed Soner and rather must all that fall and be destroyed whiche the dragon hath imagined and dyuised against this lambe the worde of God against this trueth and against all maner of right godlynes as well the Babilonicall confusion as all maner of wycked lawes and decrees and all maner of falsehede and tyrannye The holy gospell rightly vnderstande shall beate downe confounde and vtterly destroye that cursed and abhominable Babilon how mightye and strong so euer it hath bene for the great whoredome wherof she hath made all the worlde to drincke is nowe come to lyght and knowen The texte ¶ And the thirde angell folowed them saying with a loude voyce If any man worship the beast and his ymage and receaue his marke in his forheade or on his hande the same shall drincke the wyne of the wrathe of God whiche is powred in the cuppe of his wrath And he shal be punyshed in fire and brymstone before yâ— holy angels and before the lambe And the smoke of their tormente ascendeth vp euermore And they haue no rest daye nor night whiche worshyp the beast and his ymage and whosoeuer receaueth the print of his name Here is the pacience of sainctes Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith of Iesu Here foloweth the iudgement and sentence of God against all them whiche worship this beast of Antichrist resisting and withstandinge the gospell and enuye and hate the lambe and wil robbe him of his honour dewe vnto him and wyll dyffeate Christ of his kingdome whiche God the father hath geuen him that he shoulde be kynge of all kynges and also an euerlasting onely priest and immortall whome Antichrist with his .ii. hornes goeth aboute studieth to banysshe expell and ouerthrowe and to set him selfe vp in the temple of the christeÌ„ churche as thoughe Christ shoulde nothinge care for his churche but were absent and had forsaken it and had broken his promisse And as thoughe the gospell were in his I meane Antichristes power and in suche an hart as is rather possessed with a deuyll of pryde infydelitie and of abhominable presumpcion to condemne the holy gospel and to stablyshe and set vp al suche thinges as maye subuerte and ouerthrowe the gospell as ydolatreous and supersticious ymages to be honoured in the churche hethenishe ceremonies onely inuented for pompe couetousnes pleasure pastime and to bleare and deceaue the simple He geueth vnto his sworne champions his marke of supersticious orders wherwith he bewitcheth and inchanteth them wherof neyther S. Peter nor S. Paule neuer made mencion nor neuer knewe And besydes this he byndeth them with a wicked othe and a deuillyshe vowe against all godlynes and all to confirme and stablyshe his pompe and abhominable pryde against all heauenly and earthlye power institute and ordeyned of god without all maner of shame and feare Al they whiche consent vnto this damnable beast or eyther worship or maynteyne him they shall surely suffer the wrathe of God whiche is alreadye prepared in the Babilonicall cup powred out of God and redye at hande wherof they shall drincke not onely in the botomles pit of hell but also euen here in this worlde accordinge to the effecte and doctrine of gods worde and to the preachinge of the holy prophetes of Christ him selfe and of the apostles with as muche shame opprobry and destruccion as is possyble for them to haue in this worlde And yf their vnrepentant harte shall heape vnto them selues the treasure of yâ— wrath of God goyng forwarde in
suttyltie falsede crafte of suche miracles as are or haue ben done wherby as it hath ben is euident inoughe they haue begyled bothe riche kinges princes and yâ— who le world of their goods possessions thorow their false doctrine And they fight and kepe batel alwayes against yâ— holy gospel as Gog and Magog did against Ierusalem with dyuerse victories and triumphes but they shal be ouercome at length thorowe the power of gods worde and of yâ— gospell reueled and come to light thorowe the spirite of Enoche Helyas of the whiche is before mencioned in the great daye of God the almighty which shall come at suche tyme as no man is ware of and whan all men thincke to be most sure eueÌ„ at suche tyme as the wickednes of these .iii. spirites shal be most strong and at the highest As than shall the godly ministers of the gospel indewed and strengthned with the spirite of Helias ioyfully come furthe against these deuils and against al maner of errours bothe of the faith and of the outwarde lyfe As than shall those be happye whiche watche and are careful with great diligence for the christen doctrine and religion whiche are clothed with the power of the holy goost and with a right zeale whiche set furthe the workes of God as dyd Helyas not onely with wordes and wrytinges but also with lyfe deedes examples continuaunce and constantnes in goodnes without any pryde or desyre of vayne glorye that no man shall euer see any shame by them But the iudgemeÌ„t of God hath gathered the .iii. vncleane spirites into one place into the eternall fyre of damnacion and euerlastinge shame payne and confusion whiche is prepared and promysed to the deuyll and his angels For Harmagdon maye sygnifye as muche as the iudgement of curse The texte ¶ And yâ— seuenth angel powred out his vyalle into the ayre And there came a voyce out of heauen from the seate sayinge it is done And there folowed voyces thonderynges and lightninges and there was a great earthquake suche as was not sence men were vpoÌ„ the earth so mightye an earthquake and so great And the great citie was deuyded into thre parties and the cyties of al nacions fell And great BabiloÌ„ came in remembraunce before God to geue vnto her the cuppe of the wyne of the featcenes of his wrathe Euery yle also fled awaye and the mountaynes were not founde And there fâ—ll a great hayle as it had bene talentes out of heauen vpon the men and the men blasphemed God because of the plage of the hayle for it was great and the plage of it sore This seuenth angell is more harde vncerten to interprete and to expounde than all the other Lyke as it is more vncerten to wryte of thinges to come than of suche thinges as are alredy past It may wel be a great feare in tyme to come that yâ— kyngdom of the Turkes for a short space shal be a great plage sorow an heuy iudgemeÌ„t ouer the corrupte decayed christeÌ„dome Whiche plage may here be founde marked out of these wordes yâ— it shal happeÌ„ come to passe before suche tyme as the Lambe his ministers shal rule vpon yâ— earth that both Iewes heathen shal be conuerted vnto Christ yâ— it may be sayde it is al done and so vp yâ— the full end of the worlde to come the terrible iudgement of God to fal vpoÌ„ one sorte parte of men whiche shall than be a lyue whiche is yâ— first parte And the other part is of them whiche shall ryse vp vnto euerlastynge saluacion And yâ— thirde is of them which are already damned which is and shal be the greatest part Vnto whom this iudgemeÌ„t all that shal goe before or come after it shal be more fearful terrible thaÌ„ any hart can thincke or any toung expresse which terrible heuy thing is here sygnified as muche as is possyble by the terryble voyces thonders lightninges earthquakes ouerthrowing of the greatest mightiest cities kingdomes as BabiloÌ„ Rome were What thing can be thought or ymagined more terrible fearfull Whiche thing this cursed and damnable worlde shall and muste suffer by the rightuous iudgemente of God and it muste fele the great wrathe of God forasmuche as it hath alwayes despised the blessed gospel and Christ our sauiour and redemer And therfore the great and heauye stroke and plage of gods rightuous iudgement shal fal vpon the worlde and yet shall it not amende them but as damned parsons shall cast and set them into euerlastinge blasphemye of God wherin they are hardened and wil not amende Whiche is the highest greatest plage that the lorde God maye or wil sende vpon his enemies ¶ The .xvii. Chapter The texte ¶ And there came one of the seuen angels which had the seuen vialles talked with me saying vnto me come I wil shewe thee yâ— iudgement of the great whore that sytteth vpon many waters with whome haue committed fornicacion the kynges of the earthe and the inhabiters of the earth are droncken with the wyne of her fornicacion And the spirit caried me away into the wildernes And I saw a woman syt vpon a rose coloured beast full of names of blasphemye whiche had seuen heades and ten hornes And the woman was arayed in purple and rose coloure and decked with golde precious stone and perles and had a cup of golde in her hande full of abhominacions and fylthines of her fornicacion And in her forheade was a name wrytten a mistery great Babilon the mother of whordome and abhominacions of the earth And I saw the wyfe droncken with the bloude of sainctes and with the bloude of the witnesses of Iesu And when I sawe her I wondred with great marueyle ONe of the seuen angels whiche spake of the seconde kyngdome and iurisdiccion of Rome of yâ— beast with .ii. hornes commeth now againe wyll speake more largely sufficiently of Antichrist whiche is his chiefe pricke â–ª marke wherat he wil shote Whom he nameth here with a new name the great whore whiche wil be yâ— head chiefe gouernour of many nacioÌ„s whose special abiding is in yâ— lande named Italy which lieth in yâ— see in maner as yâ— lesser Asia dothe With this pompous suttil deceightfull shameles lecherous proude state of yâ— papacy haue kinges coÌ„mitted whordoÌ„ almost these thousaÌ„de yeares beyng sometyme frendes together and sometyme enemyes sometyme one in his chiefe fauour and sometyme another And thus haue all Christen kyngdoms suffred them selues to be ruled and ledde yea to be put in feare and againe in coÌ„forte and ioy by him what with his suspendinge and cursynge vntyll he crepte so farre into the churche of God and became the highest desolacion and decaye therof that euer was This woman vpon the rose coloured beast is not onely arayed with red scarlet robes â–ª lyke as his Cardinales are otherwyse than euer Christ or his
humble Apostles bysshops and spirituall ministers were and like bloudâ— thurstye soudyers but rather with muche Christen bloude sheddynge vnder yâ— pretence of the punyshement of heresy as all that must be named which hath bene spoken or written against the pompe vsurped power and tyranny of the papacye This woman is also arrayed with suche infinite variable colours and ornamentes of monkery and with dyuerse lyueres of religious orders by whome she would haue had both honour and profyte whiche with their names and sectes haue obscured and blemysshed the name of Christ wherof S. Paule doth complayne to the Chorinthians as an vnsemynge thinge as it is in dede a great blasphemye that the names of S. Benet S. Austen saincte Fraunces shoulde obscure the name and honour of Christ our onely sauiour and redemer This woman besyde her variable garmentes hath also taken vpon her for to set furth her pryde dignite and estimacion withall to rule ouer all Christen Kynges and Princes whiche she hath brought vnder her and made subiect and contributorye vnto her with falsehede and lyes vtterly against the doctrine of the holy gospell Vox autem nonsic So shall not yee And also against the example of Christes fetewasshynge And lykewyse against the holy order and commendacion of saincte Peter whiche had neyther golde nor syluer And against the order of the holy Apostle saincte Paule whiche to auoyde offence and to opeÌ„ the gospell woulde erne his breade with his handes as other of the apostles also dyd This whoryshe woman hath garnished and decked her selfe farre otherwyse not with diuerse and many vertues but with precious stones golde and siluer c. The cuppe of golde is not the loue of Christ the christen faith nor the lawe of God but muche rather all the Popes decrees decretalles bulles patentes dyspensacions suspensions and cursynges This is the very abhominacion of whordome that she might playe the whore at her pleasure after this fasshion with pompe aucthorite and lust without any shame or feare beyonde all measure And all this vnder the name and pretence of Christ and of holynes in the honour of God and for the welth of the soule whiche thorow him are yâ— longer the more vnblessed and vnhappye And therfore for the name of the christen churche he hath deserued a nother name that is to be called more worthylye the whore of Babilon the mother of all abhominacion ydolatrye and of all fallyng vnto hethenyshe supersticions The innocent bloude of the holy godly prophetes and preachers whiche the right christen churche hath neuer lâ—cked hath this whore the proude glorious papacye shed so without nomber or measure tyll she was so dronken therwith that she toke and estemed suche tyrannye for a godlye zeale and feruencye and hathe perswaded her selfe that men must suffer it and be content therwith what soeuer she dyd yea althoughe she shoulde sende faithfull soules vnto hell by heapes Is not this a great meruell vnto all men of vnderstanding and an offence and slander vnto al vnfaithful as Turkes Iewes and other and an intollerable violence oppressioÌ„ vnto the whole world I wyll not say euen vnto the very inhabitours of Rome and to all right faithfull hartes The texte ¶ And the angel sayde vnto me wherfore merueylest thou I wyl shewe thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that beareth her which hath seuen heades and ten hornes The beast that thou seest was is not and shal ascende out of the botomles pit and shal go into perdicion and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names are not written in the boke of lyfe from the begynnynge of the worlde when they beholde the beaste that was and is not And here is a mynde that hath wysdome In this exposicion and declaracion good christen reader hast thou this comfort that this woman the cursed damnable papacie shall haue an ende not in the worlde wherin Antichrist shal haue his place so long as the worlde shal coÌ„tinue and endure but in the hartes and conscieÌ„ces of the faithful Christianes in all states and degrees whiche shall withstande and reproue him and shall hynder and let his presumpcion and no more feare his thonderboltes neyther regarde nor esteme his suspencions and cursynges nor take no power nor auctorite at his hande any more And as for the beast whiche beareth her whiche signifieth the Romyshe prescripcions the papall seate his indulgence pardoÌ„ and excommunicacion shall be taken and estemed as it is and as it is knowen to be vnto all the worlde out of the holy and manifest gospell And therfore he shall not cease to persecute with the helpe of suche kynges as are as good and vertuous as him selfe and he shal couet alwayes to clyme vp and to be hygher and hygher vntyll at length he shall fall downe into euerlasting perdicion before God and all the worlde whiche shall wonder therat and speciallye yâ— wycked and vngodlye whiche are not electe vnto saluacion whiche had pleasure and delyght in suche pompe pryde dygnite tyrannye and abhominacion as he dyd vse They shall wonder and meruell I saye whan they shall see the papacy to be throwen downe from heauen into the damnacion and pit of hell lyke as it hapned vnto his father the great dragon the deuyl luke the .x. Now the knowledge of the iudgement of God and of his trueth by the gospell whiche teacheth vs to knowe bothe Christ and Antichrist is a syngular wysedome and a great gyfte of God The texte ¶ The seuen heades are seuen mountaynes on whiche the woman sytteth they are also seuen kynges Fyue are fallen and one is and another is not yet come And when he commeth he must continue a short space And the beaste that was and is not is euen the eight and is one of the seuen and shall go into destruccion And the ten hornes whiche thou sawest are ten kynges whiche hath receaued no kyngdome as yet but shal receyue power as kynges at one houre with the beaste These haue one mynde and shall geue their power and strength vnto the beaste These shal fyght with yâ— lambe and the lambe shal ouercome them For he is Lordâ— of lordes and kynge of kynges and they that are on his side are called and chosen and faithfull This vision of the seuen hylles agreeth well vnto the seuen hylles whiche are in the citie of Rome of the whiche she hath made her boast and triumph as she hath also done of the seuen heade churches And howe many the kingdoms are wherupon he hath sytten appeareth by the chronicles And whiche of them are fallen from him and forsake him we see daylye But he that shall come and remayne for a shorte space that same parauenture shall be the kynge of yâ— Turkes whose infidelite and tyrannye maye soner be reformed mollyfied and altered after mans iudgemente by the gospel by the instruccion of gods word may soner be brought vnto the religion and true faith
of Christ that the proud seate of Rome her adherentes Thus may yâ— be the eight beast as yâ— papacie or see of Rome is the seuenth but it shal sone be iudged vnto damnacion The .x. kynges receyue not yâ— kyngdome of God vntil they receyue the gospel of Christ not of Antichrist but of the spirite of Christe But in the meane tyme they shall receyue power and aucthorite of the beast whiche power they shall exercyse and practyse to ouercome yâ— lambe to oppresse the gospell for the pleasure of the. ii horned beast But yâ— lambe the worde of God yâ— reuelacion of yâ— holy and godly doctrine and truth the grace of God the lorde Christ shall ouercome them For they shall vnderstaÌ„de and beleue that there is a lorde of al lordes and a kyng of al kynges To whose kyngdome the electe which are called of God from euerlastinge doe apperteine And thus shal the. x. kynges shortly hate the whore with her court and shal turne her naked out of yâ— florishyng and bewtifull rayment wherwith they and their auncientries haue garnished annowrned this whore her harlottes by yâ— meanes haue geueÌ„ occasioÌ„ vnto suche pryde vnchristen pompe I might wel say vnto suche Luciferyshe pryde for as muche as he wyl be like and equall vnto Christ and the brydegrome of the holy churche where as he hath geuen a great offence and slander vnto the holy churche in maner hathe shamed her and oppressed her thorowe his tyrannye In as muche as they the kynges and princes them selues must cfoÌ„esse yâ— the grauntes whiche this whore receyued of the Emperours Constantine Charles and Lewes beyng deceyued by her was the poyson and confusion of the christen churche This hatred and enuye against suche an whore shall the spirite of Helias styre vp in the hartes of kynges to doe with one accorde as yâ— trueth beyng knowen shall require as they dyd before indewe her with suche power And thus shall the worde of God be fulfylled The woman in the great citye is he which hath exalted himselfe for a byshop ouer all byshops and a regent and Lorde ouer all Emperours and kynges sittinge also in the place and seate of Christ whiche onely alone hath receyued power of the father ouer heauen and earth whiche he neuer gaue vnto any other as it is written Et gloriam meaâ— Alterinon dabo I wyll geue my gloto no nother Esaye xlii ¶ The .xviii. Chapter The texte ¶ And after that I sawe another angell come from heauen hauynge greate power and the earth was lyghtened with his britnesse And he cried mightely with a stronge voyce sayinge Great Babilon is fallen is fallen and is become the inhabitacion of deuils and the holde of all foule spirites and a cage of all vncleane and hateful byrdes for al nacioÌ„s haue droncken of the wyne of the wrathe of her fornicacion And the kynges of the earthe haue committed fornicacion with her and the marchauntes of the earthe are wexed riche of the aboundaunce of her pleasures THis chapter maye be taken for a songe of triumphe of al faithfull against all tyrannous kyngdoms which haue contemned the faithe trueth religion and all godlynes and woulde not abyde any of them And speciallye against the kyngdome and power of Rome by reason of the tyrannes whiche from the beginninge haue martired tormented murthered the holy professours of the onely one God And moâ—t principally against the seconde regyment of Rome whiche vnder the pretence of the name of Christe hath dealte so cruellye against all faithful Christianes and against the euangelical kingdom of god And yâ— former chapter nexte goyng before being wel vnderstaÌ„de there is no great difficultnes nor hardnes in this For this chapter is as it were an exposicion and declaracion of the former Christ the angell of yâ— great councel lyke as at his first coÌ„mynge he came in the moost highest humilitie and lowlynes became man suffered and dyed euen so at his last commynge he shal come in most bright glorye not into a virgins bodye but into the whole worlde with mooste hyghe brightnesse and proclamynge his gospell vnto the whole worlde to riche and poore wyse and symple in euyll A ioyfull gospell is it Babylon yâ— great and worishe citie she is fallen she is fallen She hathe no suche honour more that she wyll take vpon her as she hath done Nowe is it knowen that she hath bene an habitacion for the wicked vnfaithful desceightfull and of Sodomites whiche haue made all the worlde druncken and mad with her poyson and infectuous drincke And hath committed Simony withal spirituall thinges whiche euen as the cursed Simon magus dyd she hath solde for muche monye and for great riches And as for the hyghe humilitie and lowlynes of Christ whose meryte she hath pretended to be her owne she hath chopped and changed it yea she hath solde it for princely and lordly honour to be exhibite done vnto her feete and with moost deuely she pryde receyued The texte ¶ And I hearde another voyce from heauen saye come a waye from her my people that ye be not partakers of her synnes and that ye receaue not of her plages For her synnes are gone vp to heauen and God hath remembred her wickednes Rewarde her euen as she rewarded you and geue her double accordynge to her workes And poure in double to her in the same cuppe whiche she fylled vnto you And asmuche as she glorified her selfe and lyued wantonly somuche poure ye in for her of punysshment and sorowe for she sayde in her selfe I syt beynge a quene and am no wyddowe and shal see no sorowe Therfore shal her plages come in one dayâ— death and sorow and honger and she shal be brente with fyre for stronge is the Lorde God whiche shall iudge her These wordes speaketh Christ thorowe his spirite from heauen vnto his people that they shoulde forsake the companye and felowshyp of Antichriste that they make not them selues partakers of yâ— horrible synne of the double indignacion and also of the plages whiche shall lighten vpon him For the synne is greater than that goddes rightuousnes coulde suffer it any longer vnpunisshed And therfore he wyll recompence her with punishment as she hath deserued and that by heapes one in a nothers necke For there woulde no long sufferyng of God nor no warninge of the word of God helpe Thus hapneth it vnto all vyolent and tyrannous kyngdoms euen from the Assirians vnto the last of the Romaynes Great pryde and pompe must be subdued and vanquysshed with great shame and bondage This prophecye is lyke vnto the holy prophetes Esay and Daniel although it perteineth vnto a nother kingdom but lyke vnto that bothe in wickednes and in punishment The texte ¶ And the kynges of the earthe shal bewope her and wayle ouer her which haue committed fornicacion with her and haue lyued want onlye with her when they shall se yâ— smoke of her burnynge
after the manifest ioyfull preachinge of the gospell as muche as is possible in the whole world whan as both Iewes and Turkes shal become Christen shal prayse thancke the almighty God for suche syngular grace and mercie which hath hitherto bene hindered kept downe with such force and violence by Antichrist As thaÌ„ shal the glory prayse of god increase in yâ— christen churche which is the kingdome of Christ And thorow the gospell promysed vnto Christ the bridegrome â–ª which church as a faithful and deare beloued spouse which here in this world loueth honoureth Christ as muche as she can shall be fylled and satisfied with all goodnes in eternall blisse and saluacion The sylken aray is the innocency of lyfe in this world thorow yâ— grace of Christ and in heauen it is the immortal glorificacion of body soule For than shall man be right blissed whaÌ„ as he shal be fully satisfied in god thorow Christ with aboundaÌ„ce plentuousnes of all benefites and goodnes which can be desiered or wyshed That same is yâ— euerlasting supper of the mariage of Christ wherwith Christ shal honour his electe make them blissed And in al this whiche Iohn seeth in this vision it is said also vnto him yâ— al these thinges visions reuelacions came vnto him from God to the honour of God whiche he as a true faithfull minister should further with al diligence But as Iohn would haue worshipped yâ— parson of yâ— angel whiche spake vnto him yâ— angel would in no wyse suffer him like as no saint neither in heaueÌ„ nor in earth wil suffer any such thiÌ„g nor take it vpoÌ„ theÌ„ nor yet in good worth For god onely must be worshipped froÌ„ whoÌ„e onely al goodnes commeth and must be desired and looked for of him onely The angels wil be takeÌ„ estemed for nothiÌ„g els but for brethreÌ„ freÌ„des felow seruauÌ„tes of yâ— onely one coÌ„mon general lord felowes withal them yâ— beleue in Christ are ready for his sake vnto al goodnes to suffer al maner of thiÌ„ges eueÌ„ vnto death But this is the right perfyte and sure wysedome which the worldly wyse doe not knowe neyther desyre nor regarde The texte ¶ And I sawe heauen open and beholde a white horse and he that sat vpon hym was called faythfull and true in ryghteousnesse dyd iudge make barrell His eyes were as a frame of fire and on his head were many crownes he had a name written that noman knew but he himselfe And he was clothed with a vesture dypt in bloude and his name is called the worde of God And the warriers whiche were in heauen folowed him vpon whyte horses clothed with white pure raynes and out of his mouth went out a sharpe two edged swerde that with it he should smyte the hethen And he shall rule them with a rodde of yron and he trode the wynefat of fearsnes and wrathe of almightie God And hath on his vesture on his thighe a name writteÌ„ King of Kinges and Lorde of Lordes The spirite of God must speake with men after the maner of men yf he should be vnderstande And therfore he describeth the maiestie of Christ euen after the maiestie of an Emperour For the highe powers are wont to be honoured euen as Christ is here described with his honour laude and name For he is yâ— word of God wherwith this S. Iohn beginneth his gospel and wherby all thinges are made whiche is also God and manne the obiecte of faith that is to saye the thing wherunto yâ— faith of al electe hath her respecte And he is also the rightuous iudge ouer all that euer is in heauen or in earth whiche hath a fyerye and burning zeale and hate against all wicked whiche contemne and despyse his worde but crowneth all the godly and faithfull with the crowne of his rightuousnes His name is vnknowen vnto all the world the trueth wherof he would not expresse before Pilate and yet trueth gods worde is all one thing This rightuousnes of Christ is signified by the sworde althoughe the worde of God also doth perce thorowe the inwarde harte and mynde of the faithfull as it is written in the .iiii. to the Hebrues But here the sworde is taken for the rightuousnes in gods kyngdome wherwith Christ ruleth the kingdom whych hys father hath geuen hym for his herytage as Dauid sayth For like as he hath ioy in euerlastynge blisse with his wariers hoost that folowe him euen so doth he presse and treade downe all the wicked with eternall damnacion before whome also he trode yâ— presse vntil his vesture was blody But they toke it for a mocke and a folyshe yesâ— as it was vnto the Iewes a slander But yet their knees must bowe vnto him not onely the angels and men in heaueÌ„ and earth but also they that are in hell shall be troden of him with the wrathe of God almightie For without dout he is the king of all kynges and lorde of all lordes The texte ¶ And I sawe an Angel stande soche sonne and he cryed with a loude voyce saying to all the foules that flye by the myddes of heauen come and gather your selues together vnto the supper of the great God that ye maye eate the fleshe of kynges and the fleshe of â—ye captaines and the fleshe of mightie men and the fleshe of horses and of them that syt on them and the fleshe of all fre â—â—â— and bonde men and of small and great And I sawe the beast and the kinges of the earth and their warriers gathered together to make batayle against him that sat on the horse and against his souldiers And the beast was taken and with him that false prophet that wrought miracles before him with whiche he deceaued them that receaued the beastes marke and them that worshipped his ymage These bothe were cast into a ponde of fire burnynge with brimstone and the remnaunt wer slayne with the swearde of him that sat vpon the horse whiche swearde proceaded out of his mouthe â–ª and all the foules were fulfylled with their fleshe Lyke as Chryst maketh a supper vnto hys chyldren and seruauntes in heauen euen so doth he also beynge the sonne of ryghtuousnes make a supper vnto the deuylles to al dampned sowles In euerlasting supper of al bitternes vnblessydnes wherof they maye eate and be partakers altogether And there is than desperacion hate enuye wrathe and murmuringe againste God and all kyndes of euil whiche are sygnified by corporall thinges accordynge to our capacite and after suche wyse as men maye be most moued therby yâ— they must of necessitie marke and consyder it And it is to be noted that S. Iohn seeth these gestes of the deuell in hell that they are the destrâ—yers of yâ— worlde tyrantes of all maner of degrees the beast with .ii. hornes the dragon false prophete all enemyes of gods trueth religion and of all maner of
the spirit and the bryde say come And let him that heareth say also come And let him that is a thirste come And let whosoeuer wyll take of the water of lyfe free Lyke as almightie God saieth vnto Moyses I am the God of thy fathers â–ª c. euen so saieth the angell here in the person of Christe by the inspiracion of Christes spirite that this prophecy was opened and reueled euen of Christ him selfe thorowe the angell vnto holy Iohn and therfore all men ought to credyte and beleue all these sightes visions and reuelacions And they ought also to be propouned and preached vnto the congregacions for their edifienge that the faithfull maye take diligent hede and beware of the terryble and shameful perels daungers and euyls which shal preuayle in the christen church and shortly aryse and beginne as is alredy happened and shall daylye be fulfylled more and more one after a nother as is before sayd But now howe Christ is yâ—â—oole of Dauid marke this wel for as much as for his sake Dauids kingdom was preserued and his posterite also was preserued in the extreme and troblesome affliccions of the Iewishe nacion vntyll suche tyme as Christ our lorde sautout was borne of the stocke and progeny of Dauid For not withstandynge all the synnes wherwith Dauid dyspleased God and dyd in maner greater and more heynous synnes than Saule dyd yet coulde he vse the helpe of no nother thing fauynge onely of faith in the promes of God whiche assured and promised him that Christ the lorde and promised Messâ—as should be borne of his seede wherin he might well reioyse bothe for him selfe and also for al his posteritie other Kynges and Lordes And therfore our lord sauiour Christ is the tooâ—e and generacion of Dauid by reason of his manhode but concernyng his godheade he hath an vnknowen rysinge vp and begynnynge and an vnknowen commynge furthe of an euerlastinge birthe And lykewyse Christ accordynge to his manhode is a bryght mornynge starre whiche should drawe and allure the eyes of al men vnto him as vnto the risyng vp vnto blisse and vnto all saluacion All this is the voyce of Christ â–ª the brydegrome And now foloweth the voyce and desyre of the bryde and spouse whiche out of a true faithe and an heartye desyre and zeale in all faithfull and electe desireth and wyssheth after the seconde comminge of Christ vnto the latter iudgement and so consequently to inioy the participacion of the blessed and perfyte kyngdome in heauen with all faithfull electe bothe with bodye and soule For all the electe children of God doe hunger and thirst after the honour and glorye of Christ in the kingdome of heauen as well they that are vpon earthe as they that are already in heauen â–ª for they wyshe and desyre in their spirite the fulfyllyng of gods wyll and pleasure wherunto with all humblenes and submission they doe vtterly submitte their wyll for they knowe that his wyll is best and moost perfyte And this desire and wyshe of the faithfull electe â–ª pleaseth God well And althoughe he wyl not heate them at suche tyme as they desyre euen at the very same Moment yet he dothe promyse vnto them his gracious ayde and mercye in the meane tyme whiche he wyll doutles performe And all of mere grace and mercye without any maner of deserte The texte ¶ I testifye vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophecye of this booke yf any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plages that are written in this booke And yf any man shall minishe of the workes of this prophecye God shal take awaye his patre out of the dooke of lyfe and out of the holy â—â—â—â—e and from the thinges whiche are written in this boke He whiche testifieth these thinges saithe be it I come quâ—â—ly Amen Euen so come Lorde Iesu The grace of our Lord Iesu Christe be with you all Amen In this place first after the speakynge of Christ and againe after the speakynge of the holy bryde and of the christen churche maye the holy Apostle S. Iohn speake these wordes in his owne parson as he dyd in the begynnynge of the booke to warne and exhorte al men there by yâ— no man adde any thing vnto this booke as a new vision no more than to any other booke of holy scripture nor take any thing there from as thoughe any thing might be mysunderstande therin and so refused as vnholy and not good For God wyll not suffer any suche thing to be vnpunysshed nor vnaduenged this is the very intent meanyng of these wordes And therfore such men doe amysse and synne very greatly whiche doe refuse this whole booke as thoughe it were not autentical where as it is euident yâ— it hath bene alwayes songe and reade in yâ— holy churche from the begynnynge to the ende Now are those bookes called Apocripha and vnautenticall whiche men might well reade out of the churche priuately by them selues but not in the churche and congregacion Nor it is not lawfull to confirme and mainteyne any maner of doctrine concerninge our faithe and relygion by the auctoritie of any suche vnautenticall bookes except it were in all pointes conformable vnto other holy scriptures And now that that foloweth here after where as he sayeth he which testifieth these thinges saieth c. These wordes maye be referred vnto that that goeth before where Christ speaketh of the callynge of the bryde Euen the same Christe sayeth here at the last ende againe yea I come without doubte take no thought nor thincke it not long the tyme is not long vnto me whiche am that I am Amen that is to saye without any doubt After this dothe holy S. Iohn conclude and ende this booke after the maner of the apostles desiring eâ—nestly the commynge of the kyngdome of Christ â–ª very quickely as all faithfull Christians doe The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with all faithfull electe Christians whiche shall be vntyll the ende of the worlde and specially with them whiche reade this booke with faithe and an holy Christen desyre and mynde Amen ¶ The ende of the Reuelacion of S. Iohn thus brefely expounded by the seruaunt of Christ Leo Iude a minister in the churche of Tigury and translated out of the high Duche by Edmonde Alen. Num. xii Eccle. xlv Hebr. iii. Marke xii Luâ— xxi â— Cor. viii Put aparte for yâ— gospel By whoÌ„ we haue receiued grace and Apostleship c. Grace be with you c. For I loue to see you that I might c. I am debter bothe to the grekes and vngrekes For I am not ashamed of the gospel Abacuâ— â—â— Which withhold yâ— truthe â—n vnrighteousnes c. Because that whan they knew god c. And as they regarded not to knowe God c. Whiche men though they knewe the righteousnes of God c. But we are sure that the iudgement of God c. Either dispisest thou