rules of Italy and deliuer them to the pope whiche he perfourmed in dede For he ouercame kinge Aistulphe toke from him the gouernement of Rauenna and deliuered it to the Bisshop of Rome Herein maye all men see The kings ouerthrowen the Pope him selfe is made a kīg vnlesse it be those which will see nothing how this contemptuouse Bishoppe and very smal horne hath at one pusshe ouerthrowen two hornes For he hath put themperour of Constantinople frō the gouernmēt of Italy and hath put downe the King of Lumbardy caused his people to be driuen out of Italy For a fewe yeres after the Pope by the force of Charlemaigne put downe Desiderius the last king of Lumbardy and distroied withall the whole people of the Lūbardes And thus starte vp the Pope became as it were king of olde Rome of the chiefe parte of Italy And now ar the beginnings of the kingdome laied but as yet he reigned not with full authoritie as is declared before Eberardus therfore Bisshoppe of Salisburge whose wordes I recited in the preface of this boke extendeth these things further But I suppose this our exposition to accorde with the prophet with the thinges times And the pope gaue to king Pipine for so great a donatiō a title as Platina sheweth in the life of Stephen the .2 that al kinges of Fraūce shuld be called moste Christen Afterwarde was the Image of the Empire bestowed vpon Charles whereof is spoken before And leest the Pope should seme to haue receiued nothing whilest king Pipine gaue him therarchate the stories reporte thus The Pope made a most mightie king thexarchate was diuided into two regiones in Pentapolis and Aemilia Pentapolis had fiue cities Rauenna Cesena Classe Forum liuij and Forum popilij In Aemilia were Bononie Rhezo Parma Placence and all the lādes that lie from the borders of the Placentines and Ticinians vnto Adria and frō Adria to Arimine c. But he that liste maye reade the Donation of Ludouicus pius in Volateranes Geographie where he nombreth the kynges of Fraunce We saye nothing yet of this that afterward he vsurped to him self power ouer kings and realmes finally ouer all churches and soules so that we must confesse that a more maruelouse prince neuer liued Thou hast here a briefe and compēdiouse story declaring how the Pope hauing hūbled ouerthrowē three kinges he him self began to be made a king But let vs now apply herunto the nōbre of the name of the beast The popes power augmēted both in spiritualties in temporallies to th ende it maye so be knowen to the whole world that there is no other Antichrist to be loked for than the bishop of Rome that is comē which in dede laied the foundatiō of his kingdom vnder thēperour Phocas did builde it vnder the kings of Fraūce and inlarged the same vnder themperours Henrickes Friderickes finally hath establisshed it vnder themperours followyng reigneth in our time and hath done certen ages already paste c. The supputation of .666 yeres must be rekened from the time wherin S. Iohn sawe the reuelation Ireneus sayeth It was sene no longe time sins but in a maner in our dayes about th ende of the reigne of Domitian And Eusebius in his chronicles saieth that it was in the yere of our lord .97 Therfore there remayne yet thre yeres to accomplish an hondreth yeres from the birth of our lord Adde therfore to an hōdreth yeres The fatall yere of our lord .763 these yeres of the nōbre of the name of the beast .666 substracte those three yeres of the first hondreth and thou shalt haue the yere of our Lord .763 whiche was the .13 yere or there aboutes of king Pipines reigne and the .7 of Pope Paul Notwithstandyng that there be wryters of stories and times which attribute to Paull but one yere c. Now muste we not loke only what thing happened in the very instaunt of the yere .763 but what chaūced in the nexte yeres fourmer and following Whereof I will recite a fewe thinges oute of the writers of stories and tymes Nauclerus in the .16 generat In the yeare of our Lord. Wōders Monsters 750 saieth he vnder Pope Zacharie and vnder themperour Constantine the .5 began the .26 generatiō in the which was made an alteration of the Kingdome of Fraunce an abolyshment of the Kyngs of Lumbardie and a translatiō of the Romane Empire from the Grekes These so greate alterations the wonders dyd happly pourtend which hapned at this tyme. In Mesopotamia the Earth roue a sunder by the space of two myles and a Mule was sayed to haue spoken with a mans voyce Ashes fel downe from heauen Ther were wonderful Earthquakes Crosses appered vpon mens garmēts These things wrote Nauclerus The lyke are red in the storie of Eutropius in the .22 boke vnder the yeare of Cōstantine the .6 moreouer in the Historicall glasse of Vincent in Fasciculo temporū In the yere of our Lord .751 Pipine is made King through the coūsell of Zachary the Pope Pipine the master of the Kyngs household oppressing his lord Hilderych king of Fraūce began to reigne and reigneth .18 yeres This writeth Aemilius in the .2 boke of kings of Fraūce And in the yere .755 Pipine entreth into Italie with an Armie vanquisheth the King of Lumbardes and geueth the whole gouernemente of Rauenna to S. Peter The exarchate is geuen to the Pope against the wil of the Emperour of Constantinople Vespergensis in chronicis You see howe in stead of the Emperour the Pope beginneth after a sort to reigne at Rome and in Italie the hornes be shaken of according to the prophecie Mathew Palmer in his chron vnder the yeare .756 the Romane Empire sayeth he reuolting a pace in the Easte The begynninges and preludies of the Empyre translated and the Emperour persecuting the Christians Idolaters he shoulde haue termed them Pope Stephen gaue to the kynges of Fraunce the Emperiall titles and dignities and cōfirmed Pipine and the successours of his stocke onely for their kyngs al others vtterly excluded and in the name of the people of Rome called hym Patricium Hitherto Palmer Ihon Functius in his Chron. In the yeare of our Lord .756 the rites and ceremonies of the church of Rome The Romish religion obtruted were caried into Fraunce first receiued In the yeare of our Lord .757 Paule is made Pope and immediately followeth that fatall yeare of our Lord .763 as the middle poinct betwixt the yere 750. .770 or .773 Wherein these thinges haue all together chaūced which both geue the name to Antichrist and whereof as euery thing els is knowen by his name so hath he also his name and is knowen In the yeare of our Lorde .768 Stephen the .3 helde a counsell at Rome in the church Laterane of the byshops of Fraūce of Italie Idolatry is confirmed and decreed that none
hereunto the life maners and conuersation of those legates laterall and of theyr families you shal finde in maner nothyng els but extreme vncleanes filthines and beastelynes monstrouse luste whoredome and aduoutrie and detestable fornications wonderful surfettyng blouddy craftes and counselles Therefore the thing it selfe speaketh and the thinges that the legates do euery where are a commentary of this place And where there be three vncleane spretes rekened some doe expounde it of diuines laweyers and religiouse as monkes and freres of the which thre sortes for the most parte ar chosen the Popes ambassadours I vnderstande simplely by the thirde nombre that those legates shal be most furnished with all hostile authoritie that they shall all agree wel emonges themselues and all helpe one an other that what so euer one semeth to lacke an other maye supplie Salomon in Ecclesiastica a threfolde rope or line sayeth he wil not lightly breake But now that no man shuld finde any lacke of light They be like frogges by a parable brought in he setteth as it were before our eies what maner ones these legates shal be verely frogges of the marrishe or fenne and criers importune and tediouse foule and filthie And he sayeth not that they be frogges in dede but like frogges For like as frogges by their importune criyng are moste tediouse and troublesome and the fennie are also filthie so doe those legates loue earthly thinges and filthynes and by their complainetes accusations prouocations wrytinges and disputations altogether froggelyke and fenlyke be hatefull bothe to God and men They are nothing asshamed yf they be interrupted a little by and by they retourne to their olde songe Aristophanes in ranis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For there is no other tune with them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primasius reasoneth very muche of Frogges Emonges other thinges it is mete for those false Prophetes like frogges criynge in the nighte to make a damnable noyse by barkynge of errours For frogges bothe by reason of the place sight and troublesome noyse are so hatefull as the Deuill wyth his is knowen to be abominable to the trewth and wyth iuste fyre to bee rightely condemned c. Thus sayeth he And lyke as the Frogges of Aegypte reysed out of the duste by the Deuelisshe arte of the Magiciens cryed out agaynste Gods veritie callynge agayne by Moses and Aaron the people of GOD to the trewe libertie and worshippyng of God right so doe the Popes legates moleste with talke the preachyng of the gospell the free deliueraunce the christiane libertie and trewe seruice of God And like as the frogges doubble and reiterate euen to make one wery to heare that same their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen so these fennish beastes of Rome haue euermore in their mouth the most holy See the most holy father the holy church of Rome The holy churche of Rome erreth not the holy churche of Rome muste be obeyed He that will not obeye her is an heretike and a schismatike These thinges full many times and ofte and to al menne and in all and singular causes will they reiterate and repete that their one and the same songe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sprite of Deuils The Lorde annexeth by S. Iohn and so yet more clerely declareth for they be spretes of Deuilles workyng miracles c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is here vsed in Greke for deuill hath his name of sondry knoweledge and skilfulnes of thinges and semeth to be in a maner indifferēt although it be commonly put for the Deuill Neuerthelesse for a difference they are called Eudaimones and Cacodaimones as it were good and euill workers For the Grekes saye that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is knowyng or skilfull For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called an experte Artificer The Lord therefore signifieth that the Popes legates shal be spretes of Deuilles that is to saye spiritual fathers but indewed with the spirite of Sathan wise men or skilfull craftie workers to bryng their matters to passe And therefore he annexeth workyng wonders Whereby he semeth to allude to the Magiciens of Aegipt who also wrought miracles and deteyned kyng Pharao in lies against the veritie S. Paule moreouer in the .2 to Timoth. the .3 chapt compareth the wise men and ministers of Antichrist to the Magiciēs of Aegipt And right well knowen it is that the legates doe euery where boaste of miracles which haue bē done in their church and religion and so kepe stil the hartes of kinges and princes in popish errours Of miracles speaketh S. Paule in the .2 to the Thess 2. And I haue sayed some thing hereof in the .13 chapt Here is shewed moreouer the ende of all the treatise and counselles of the Popes legates that they might go forth to the kynges of the whole earth to assemble them to battaile The legates are in all kynges courtes c. Thei shal crepe into the courtes of al kinges and princes Ye shall haue doubtles in all kinges courtes in a maner the Popes legates And what do they Thei inuironne kinges princes They see that no faithfull manne be admitted to the kinges speache they learne to know al the kinges counsell which they write and signifie to Rome and yf they mislyke any thing that they maye infringe and subuerte the same and that they alwayes beate in that songe of theires to witte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is verely obedience which all menne owe to the holy Sea finally that they arme kynges and princes to defende the churche of Rome and distroye heresies This I saye is the battel of that same daye of the great God almightie that is to saye whiche shal be parted by the commyng of the sonne of God vnto iudgement and the whiche shall indure to the commyng of Christ vnto iudgement which shal than auenge the bloud of his from the handes of that vgly beaste And he calleth the daye of iudgement the daye of the great God as doeth also S. Paule in the .2 to Tit. And the daye of God almightie as he that shal than shewe his omnipotencie and euen his power diuine whiche semeth now to the vngodly by reason of his long sufferaunce to slepe This necessarie and moste profitable description S. Iohn hath set in here by the reuealyng of Iesus Christ to the ende that we should watche and beware of them Hereafter followeth a faythfull admonition and exhortation to watchyng An exhortation to watchyng leeste we fall a slepe and perishe with the Antichristians in the cares and pleasures of this worlde And he sayeth howe that daye of the lord wyll come sodenly and when we shall leest loke for it For the lord here repeteth that thyng whiche he sayde also in the Gospell beholde I come like a thefe These thinges are red in the .24 of Matth. and are repeted of the Apostle in the .1 to the Thess the
Doctrin of Rome new 443 Doctryn peruers is vncleanneâ— of hoordum 51â— Doctryn hereticall compared to hail darnel leuen chaff c. 242 Dogges in holy script 687 Domz day 575 Domitian 194 Domitian banished Ihon. 27 would be called a God 29 Donec for euer 604 Door open 113 Dragon the great 351 Dragon fighteth 357 Drught and heat 488 Drunkennes 82 Drunkennes of Rome 513 Drawing 135 Drawing to God 129 Duleia and latreia 570 Dwelling emongst the il is dauÌ„gerous but not simply wicked 75.76 Dying in the Lord. 459 E Earthquak in the script 206.334 Earth helpeth the godlye persecuted .366 shal be burnt 530 Eating of a bouk 302 Egles wings 364 Elders xxiiij in seats 142 Elders whether they be saued or no. 217 Electors assigned 411 Eliachim a figure of Christ 43. Elias cuminge before the iudgement 298 Emperour Client to the Pope 405.416 Emperour warring on Gods enemies in the east the Pope sets vpon him in the west 615 Emperours vnder the beast sum good 407 Emperours excoÌ„municated 307 Emperours reins from Charles how long 411 Empyre coÌ„uerted from the freÌ„ch to the Germains .410 made desolate .418 wurshipped how 376. is the image of the beast 420. new and image of the old 403 Empyres be of God 380.406 515. End well all well 223 End of the worlde .575 most corrupt 599 End at hand 295.500 Enemies who .119 of the church 347. of religion .114.116 praid for .199 theyr harmes reioyst at 553 Englands fall reioysed at 328 Enoch and Elias cumming 298 312 Epicurism in the papists 308 Epicurz carlesnes in God confuted 64 Epicurs confuted 502 Ephesus light of Asia 48 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 371 Equalitie of the citie heueÌ„ly 656 Errors of saints 571 Euerlastingnes of God 340 Euerlastingnes signified by grieÌ„nes 142 Eucharistia sacrifise how 237 Euil vsed vnto the good and profit of the elect 407 Euphrates riuer .270 dryed vp 492. Exarchat geueÌ„ to the Pope 435 Exarchat of Italie 431 Excommunicacion 306 Excommunication strongst link of the popish tyranny 307 Excommunicaion Popes thunderbolt 399 Exposicion of the scripturz best alowed 3 Eye salue 132 Eyes of Christ lyke fyer .578 see all thiÌ„gs perfytly .165.87 quik sighted 36. F Face of Christ shyning 285.286 Face of man sign 149 Faces of men for humanitie 261 Faith of Rome mark of the beast 424 Faith or promis keping .88 consisteth in the cause of ij meÌ„ 249 requireth fighting and victory 640. wher it appereth 626 is not without the word 219. necessary in troubles 385. is the badge of Gods children 422 441. affects therof 640 Faithfull only shal be saued 628. Falling down is wourshipping 168. 678. Fals prophet a tail 274. 351. Fals profets wels without water 483 Fals preachers figs vntymlye 208. locustz 254. 260 Fals teachers scorpions 256 Famin and penury 189 Father described 20. 21 Fear of God 448 Fear of God what is foundacioÌ„ therof 72 Fear of God of ij sorts 212 Fear of princes in a preacher is to be cast away 368 Fear that is to be auoyded 67. Fear in professing treuth oght to be banished 77 Fearfull 641 Felicitie chief to sie to God 671. Felicitie of this worlde no dew estimacion of religion 323 Feruencie in godlines is necessary 55 Few good at Sardis 107 Fiet of the Pope kist 521 Fiet lyk bras 87 Figs fals prechers 208 Fight against wyckednes lefull 119 Figurs vtilitie and profit 2 First and socond death 70 First fruits 444 Flattery figured in a tail 351 Flight from Rome 540 Fluds of sectes discencions c. 365 Foundacion of the church 652 Fountain lyuly is Christ 252 Forfathers damd or not 217 Forgetting of God 624 Forgiuenes of sinnes 23. wherby 247 Forgiuenes a whyt stoon 84 Forhed representeth the mynd 220 Fornication 60 Fornication what 506 Fornication simple sum take no sinne 102. â—03 Fornication of diuers kinds 280 Fote setting on figureth possessioÌ„ 286 Four sign many 214 Fourth number 149 Frailnes of mankynd to fall 678 Fraternities of saints 572 Frauncis Petratche of Rome 537 Frederik Barbaros Emperour trod vnder Popes fiet 416 Frechmen defend the Pope 432 Frie will 159. 247. 248. c. Frie willmen confuted in that Christ is the beginnyng of the creat c. 125 Frie iustification 639 Frienes of speach against Rome 506 Friely sign 639 Friers gray innumerable 255 Friers and Nuns 196 Frogs for papists 496 Furlong what it conteineth 655 Fyer sign Gods vengeaunse 467. c. Fyr figure of puritie 286 Fyr from heuen 399 Fyr sent into therth 238 Fyr out of preachers mouthes 317. c. G Garments keeping clean 498 Garments whyt wer 229 Garment to miet the Lorde in 565 GarmeÌ„ts pure or defyled 107 Garnishing of the church 510 Gats of the heuenly citie 651 Generall Bish Antichrists foor runner 388 Gentilz called to the kingdum of Christ 20 Gentils wildernes 364. 353 Gentilism broght in by the Pope 393 Gensericus inuadeth Rome 527 Germain princes coÌ„mended 413 Germains emperours 412 Glassie sea figur of the frail world and brittle 473 Glory belongeth to God how we shall giue it vnto him 24. 151 Glory of the saints 632. 633 Glori of the church of christ 648 Gnostici 59. heretikz 244 God one 180. authour of good 185. no author of sinne 531. no blok 342. faultes when we receyue him not 135. redy to receiue repentaunt sinners 134. by his nature can not be diffyned 141. is to be praysed why 562. c. is creator of all things 155. Gods properties 376. remembraÌ„se of sinne forgetfulnes 544. honor standith not in gold siluer 511. word shal not be stopt 331. worde weapon of preachers 317 Godhed of Christ 137 Godhed of Christ euery wher 34 Godlines must increase not stand at a stay 89 Godlye lyfe is necessary and hatred of papistry or Mahometry c. is not inough 277 Godly mens beginning 125 Godly men subiect to euill also why 192. 193. Godli are they that kiep not that hear or read only the commaundements of God 686 Godfrey of Bulloin 613 God and Magod 608. 610 Good intent 226 Good men louk Saintz Good wourks 89 Gold to honoure God wythall 510 Gold siluer and precious things in the temple is gentilitye 308 Gold tryed 130 Gospell is euerlastynge 447. is new doctryn 590. was preached thrugh the world a thousand yeres 589. 447. had euer sum folders 600. causeth no ill in the word 527. is no heresie 445. Gospels contentes 448. c. Gospell preaching shal be restored 297 Gothz burn Rome 526 Gouernanse of God 148 Grace of God is originall of all our goodnes 116. 117. is it that iustifyeth vs. 640. is compared to rain 319. is not giuen for any desert of man 248. comprehendith al gyftes of Christ 698. what it is 20 Grek tung called hereticall of the Papists 428 Griennes sign eternitie 142 Grudging at Gods gouernemeÌ„t rebuked 178 H Habergions hart inflexible 263 Heretyk Pope 604 Heretikes aungelicall 177. principall 268 Heresie how it oght to
be confuted 80 Heresye oght nether to be maynteyned nor born wyih 79 Heresyes of diuers sortes 244 Heretikes maye be punyshed otherwyse then by the wordes 318 Heretikz muste be examined 52. 53. ordred .iij. waies of iij. statz 53 Hail resembleth corrupt doctryn 242. 243 Hail lyk talents 503 Hand of Christe is a token of c 50 HaÌ„ds holding vp for an oth 292 Hand fasting or coÌ„tract of matrimony 563 Happy or vnhappy who are 343 Harp in the scrip 169 Harps of God 474 Hart of maÌ„noÌ„ knowz but god 96 Harts inflexible habergions 263 Haruest 465 Hatred must be toward the diedz not the parson 58 Heads seuen are 7. hils 517 Head of the churches 519 Head of the churches 253 Head of the church must be c. 51 Hear of wemeÌ„ for waÌ„tuÌ„nes 262 Hebeon 52 Hebrew tuÌ„g called Iewish of the papists 4â—8 Hebrew tungs maiestie 533 Heithen are all papists 380 Heithennish religion broght in by the Pope 393 Hel what 627 Hel figured by a wyn fat 468 Hel tormeÌ„ts euerlasting 455. c Helias cumming 288 Heuen in the script 209 Heuen is atcheued with the mynd in this world not with the body 139 HeueÌ„ opened to the faithful 344 139 Hid can nothinge be from Gods fyry eyes 87 Hierom for praiyng to saiÌ„ts 595 Hierusalem new 122. 632. HierusaleÌ„ ruin what it teacheth 530 High priestz ministry 5â— Hildebrand Pope touk vpoÌ„ him the authoritie of themperour 414 History of corrupt doctrin 234. of Rome 525. c. of the church 183 Hodgpotch of papistry the gospell 126 Holy ghostz proceding 20 Holy ghost is seueÌ„ spirits 20. 21 Holy ghosts mystery 146 Holy ghosts signes thunder c. 145 Holy ghosts operacions 147 Holy ghost did not the Apostles geue but God 399 Holines of God 150 Homicids 643 Honor of God 449 Honor dew to God 152 Honoring or worshipping of saiÌ„ts 154 Hoordum 82. what 506 Hoordum better then matrimony with papistz 81 Hoordum vnclennes by Baaâ— religion 91 Hoormongers and their kindes 643. 281 Hoot and could 126 Hope of the faithfull is not vayn 283 Horn sign power and kyngdum 165 Horns sign kingdums power 371 Hornz ij of the lamb 44 Hors an image of pryde 260 Hors red 185 Horses of sundry colors 182 Hour day munth and yere 271 Hour for the same tym 519 Humanity of Chryst 22 Human body of Christ in on place 34 Humanitye figured by faces of men 261 Humility to be lerned 340 Humility shal find comfort at the Lords hand 40 Humility of Saints 153 Humilitie of an apostle 28 Hunz inuade Rome 527 Hungary lost to the Turk 275 Hussis death reioysed at 328 Hymne of Saints 172. 560 Hypocrites 127 Hypocritz alwaies suÌ„ in the church 79 Hyre vnto euery one 343 I Iacobyts heretiks 268 Iamz Syrus heretiks 268 Iasper stoon 142 Idol what 644 Idols of theÌ„ Gentils and Chrystians differ not 280 Idolaters 644. their excuses for images 374 Idolatry Nicolas falt 60. prohibited 280. reducid by what men 394. confirmed 436 Iesus diffined 21 Iesus face lyuely painted by Pilate 60 Iewes conuersion 223 Iewes fals 115 Iezabel cast into a bed 94 Iezabelism 90 Ignoranse without a teacher 229 Ignoranse of Christ without all confort 159 Ignoranse is a great ill 128 IgnoranÌ„se of the Turks c. shal not excuse them 589 Iles be token nacions c. 210 Image or shap is not attributed vnto God 141 Image of Christ not in colours 33 Image of the beast set vp 402. the propertie therof 403 Image wourshipynge agaynst God 280. excused 374. forbodeÌ„ 432 Images of fame 120 ImpacieÌ„s what it wurketh 89 Impenitent sinners 278 Imperfytnes in Saints 104 Impossible things thre 37 Imprisonment and bonds 67 Incarnacion of Christ 352 Incens 169 InchauÌ„ting 280. in Rome 557 Inconstancie figured by a ball or bowl 655. by waters 524 Inheritauns spokeÌ„ bi parte 646 Intent good 226. 375 Intercession of saints 84 Intercession of saints in heuen 170 IntercessioÌ„ of saints is noon 203 Interpretacion of the script best allowed 3 Inuencions of men 97. 375. 299 Inuincible is Christ 162 InuocatioÌ„ is but part of praiers 170 Inuocacion of saints 573 Iohn the eighth Pope a womaÌ„ 507 Iohn theuaÌ„gelists prais 17. banished by Domician 27. returneth from exyl 297. erreth 571 wourshippeth the aungel 677. dyed at Ephesus 49. shall returne into the world befor the iudgement how 299 Ioyes triumphes of the godly 473 Ioyes of heauen 633. c. vndoutedly certain 635 Irun rod. 580 Israell all faithfull 222 Israels restoring 222 Italy no patrimony of S. Peter 386. c. Iubiley of Saints 559 Iudge inexorable Rhadamantus 212 Iudge of the last iudgement 622 Iudge câ—meth to iudgemeÌ„t 576 Iudging the quik and dead 25 Iudgement of Christ 24 Iudgement beloÌ„geth to god 555 Iudgement of God 449 Iudgements of God of ij sorts 629 Iudgements of God are paines of the wiked 476 Iudgement last 575. 621. 465. 466. c. is at hand 295. is assured iust 341. is certein and spedie 675. 676. is vnknown to vs. 337. is known to the father alone 315. is coueted of the church 692. 698 Iulius Maximinus 194 Iustice of God commended 342 IustificacioÌ„ 565. falsly attributed 52 Iustification where it is to be sought 299 Iustification by the law whoo 's heresy 243 Iustificacions sequels 640 K Keeping of Christes word 116 Key of Dauid 112. of the botoÌ„les pit 261 Keyes signify charge and gouernement of the hous 43 Keyes of the Apostles 112. of biding and lawsing 590. of hell and death are in Chrysts haÌ„ds 43. of the Pope 252 Killing gostly 317 King of Fraunce most Christen 433 King of Saints 475. of locustes the Pope 264 Kings 662 Kings we are 24 Kings clients to the Pope 416 Kingdums are of God 370 Kingdums are all Christs 338 Kingdumes all theyr proprietye belongeth to the Pope vse to theyr princes 419 Kingdum and priesthod chaleÌ„ged by the Pope 389 Knoking that God vseth 134 Knowledge of God necessary to be perswaded to the people 72 Knowledge of Christ 73. 74 L Labours effects 51 LaÌ„b is fought against not christ 521. is maried 563. is a figure of innocencie 163. is slain 164. kylled from the beginnynge 381 Laodicea 123 Latin church 428 Latreia and Duleia 570 Lawe of God signifyed by tan 220 Leage figured by the rainbow 285 Leag of God with vs perpetuall 142 Legats a latere 493 Leo Bishop of Rome 387 Luke warme 126 Libertie of speakinge the truth 368 Light heuenly what 650 Linsie wulsie 126 Lyar who 52 Lyars with theyr kynde 645 Lying 688 Lyfe of ij sortes 605. ought to be loued aboue Christ 362. procedeth from God alone 668. is figured by the riuer of the celestiall Citye 666. single 443. present how it may be conteÌ„ned 457. spirituall 103. after thys lyfe 70. euerlastyng 629. 648 Lyon described 372 Lyons teeth figure cruelty 262 Lyon in the scripturs 162 Locusts authours of ill doctryn 254. of locusts 257 Long
also augmeÌ„ted the eating of meates offered vnto idols all idolatrie throughout the whole kingdom Euen than also what time the lord in a solemne sacrifice by miracle in mount Carmel through the ministery of Helias had declared to that whole Realme that the religion of Baal was moste vaine false that the religioÌ„ of thonly God of Israel was most sincere true For Iezabel neuerthelesse persecuted the truth and established falshod Yea moreouer she toke vpon her gouernemeÌ„t in ciuile matters For she vsurped the kings seale countrefetied letters sent them in the kinges name to put Naboth to death a right good and innocent man Such in dede was filthy Iezabel Now after thexample of this defiled woman Women Prophetes that is heretikes were womeÌ„ in the church of Thyatira which chaleÌ„ged to theÌ„ selues a prerogatiue in the religion teaching in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ taking vpon theÌ„ the spirite of prophecie wherof they taught in dede but corrupt doctrine seducing theÌ„ whoÌ„ God by his doctrine had prepared to be his seruauÌ„ts But these false prophetisses corrupted their mindes brought forth a new doctrine prophecie many thinges not set forth in the scriptures but fetched out of their own deuelish dreames disceiptfulnes And amoÌ„gs other things thei coÌ„municated with the Nicolaitans in whordoÌ„ participating of meates offred to idols Wherof hath ben spokeÌ„ before And the lord semeth plainly to speake of the CataphrygiaÌ„s or MoÌ„tanistes whose foundatioÌ„ being laid in the time of S. Iohn after in processe of time especially in thempire of Antoninus .lx. yeares after the Apocalipse set forth brake out more strongly plentifully They say howe Montanus had prophetisses Priscilla Maximilla whiche had visions brought in woÌ„derful reuelatioÌ„s into the church Of whom Eusebius treateth at large in the fift boke of theccles story Chap. 16. And Epiphanius in the .48 heresie in Panario Certes Iohn or Christ him self by Ihon going about at the first beginning to pluck vp distroy the rotes of this heresie by thexample of that wicked woman Iezabel hath coÌ„demned that same heresie The scripture also elswhere prohibiteth a womaÌ„ to rule teache or minister in the congregatioÌ„ By and by the Lorde hym selfe wyl confute the new prophecies when he shall admonishe vs that he will reueale none other new kinde of doctrine besides that whiche he hath coÌ„mitted or deliuered to his churche Nowe also fornication the eating of meates offered to Idolles are condemned els wherein the scripture moste seueeely as before is sayd But since that those thinges so afflicted and troublâ—â—he churche of God in the time of the Apostles it is not hard to gether how vndiscrete they be whiche at this daye as I shewed you before for the hatred of the true religion restored accuse it of sectes whiche boyle vp in suche plentie as though that filthines did proue that the Gospel that we preach were not the Gospell For the Gospell that was preached of Iohn and the reste of the Apostles was the moste true and moste pure Gospel how so euer of the false Gospellers crept vp the Nicolaitans Cataphrygians and other sectes innumerable Where neuerthelesse the Gospell impugneth and condemneth all suche maner of sectes and mainteineth the Christian veritie and vnitie of the catholique church Prayse be to the Lorde our God Amen ¶ The Lorde threatneth sore the impenitent as he that rendreth to euery man after his workes The .xiij. Sermon ANd I gaue her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not Behold I will caste her in to a bed and them that commit fornication with her into great aduersitie except they tourne from their dedes And I will kill her children with death And all congregations shall knowe that I am he whiche searcheth the reines and hartes and I will geue vnto euery one of you according to your workes To the fourmer errours and sinnes of Iezabell he addeth an other sinne nothing light to witte The abuse or conteÌ„pt of Gods longanimitie the abuse and euen the contempt of God his long suffering God doeth not by and by and out of hande destroy such as be in errour and sinnes also moste greuous But sinners are wonte for the most part to abuse that long animitie of God vnto the occasioÌ„ and pretence of sinning more impudeÌ„tly saying If god did so much abhorre these offences he had distroyed vs long or this But now he norisheth vs benignly therfore doth he not so greatly mislike it But this is an abuse of Gods long suffring For the Lorde saith at this present I haue geuen Iezabell a tyme to repent her and to leaue her fornication and tourne to the Lorde Howbeit she hath not conuerted Which thing the Lorde taketh in moste euill parte that his grace shoulde be verely dispised and set at naught Wherfore S. Paul to the Romains Whether doest thou contemne the ryches of God his goodnes long suffering and lenitie knowing not that the goodnes of God prouoketh thee to repentaunce c. If than the Lorde hath not sodenly in our sinnes oppressed vs let vs not therof take vnto vs a libertie to sinne but let vs rather amende S. Peter saith the Lord is patient towardes vs whilest he wil destroy none but receiue all to repentauÌ„ce ii Petri. iii. Certes Iezabel her self when after the death of her husband Achab and the mortal fal of her sonne Ocosias she did not amende nor within the .xii. yeares of her sonne Ioram wherin he is red to haue reigned did repeÌ„t her Felt the wrath of God so muche more greuouse for that it was long or it came And in the text followyng the Lord Iesus in dede threateneth moste greuously the Iezabelines that is to witte Sore threateninges the Cataphrigians or Montanistes vnlesse they wyll yet repeÌ„t in tyme. For he openeth againe the gates of his grace to the penitent reciting how he will plage the impeniteÌ„t Wherby verely he assayeth to driue them into repentaunce by threateninges For in reciting the kyndes or degrees of punishementes he sheweth also diuerse kindes of them that be in errours and declareth to euery one his iudgement which they may by repentaunce eschewe And he is thought to haue rehersed those kindes for this coÌ„sideration least any man happely should thinke him selfe giltles and free in case he be neuer so litle partaker with Iezabel Iezabel shal be cast into a bed First the Lord threateneth Iezabel her selfe that he wyll cast her into a bed He speaketh of the first authours of the euil and of the heresie vpon whom he menaceth to send a sicknes For the bed in many times in the scripture taken for the very diseases wherwith they be vexed that lie in bed And we Germaines say that he is taken with a moste greuous and deadly disease And the Lorde plageth the archheretickes with sicknes of body soul In the meane seasoÌ„ also he weakneth the force of therrour to
condemned exiled excomunicated shut vp in prisons vexed with sondrie tourments at the length also cruelly slayne whosoeuer shall refuse to worshippe both the beaste and his Image The Lorde Iesus the true Kyng and Byshoppe of his church succour vs and restrayne the crueltie of the vngraciouse beaste Amen ¶ Of the marke and numbre of the name of the beaste The .lxj. Sermon ANd he made all both smal and great rych and poore free and bonde to receyue a marke in their ryghte handes or in their foreheads And that no man might by or sell saue hee that hath the marke or the name of the beaste eyther the numbre of his name Here is wisdome Let him that hath witte count the numbre of the beaste For it is the nuÌ„bre of a man and his nuÌ„bre is sixe hondreth threscore and sixe He annexeth the rest wherby Antichrist may be knowen and shunned And verely he maie chiefly be knowen of these thinges that folowe And he speaketh of the subiectes of Antichriste The subiects of Antichriste and of this newe Kynge and Byshoppe He wyll procure to hymselfe saieth he an infinite multitude of al kynd of men of al states and degrees For his Kyngdome shall be ample and large Therfore doth the Lord resite here certeine kynds and states of men And vnder the same vnderstandeth whatsoeuer is of the same state in the whole world The Romish Antichrist brought vnder his subiection smal and great rich and poore free to witte nobles and bond For we see that Emperours Kynges Dukes Marquesses Earles and Baronnes Realmes Countries Cities Patriarches Archbishops and Byshops Prelates Doctours Clarks and Laie men obey him also men of greatest power riches wisedom together with the poore people There is none such a kingdome so diuersly coÌ„pacte in the world no not emonges the Mahometistes And al these verely willingly are subiect to the seate yea thei haue perswaded with theÌ„selues that thei cannot wel liue that they cannot be saued vnlesse they be subiecte to the See of Rome The marke of Antichr And lyke as Princes discerne their subiects seruauntes by culloures and cognisaunces and the common people also their cattell by seueral brands and marks wherby thei may be knowen whose they are or whom they serue For euery man hath his cullours he white and blacke he red blewe an other white red some blacke yelow which they geue their soldiours seruauntes to weare thei professe thereby to be reteined to him or him And as they marke their horses with their brand and set their marks vpon household vessel So shall Antichriste doubtles haue also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit his marke whereby he may both bynde wen to him and so bouÌ„den shal marke that they may be discerned from others and by this meane maie weare the badge and as it were the cullours of their Lorde and Maister And he wyll geue his marke on the right hand or on their foreheades The mark in the right hand or foreheades Aretas and Primasius finally all expositours agreablie do expounde it the confession of the mouth and studie and operation of a good woorke We haue hearde verely howe Christe in the seuenth chapt ded imprinte on the foreheades of his seruaunts faith by effectual charitie And in very dede the signe of Gods children is fayth and loue that cometh of the same fayth So do the writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles testifie Neuerthelesse Christ hath also the externall marke of his seruauntes those holesome Sacramentes of the church Baptisme and the Lordes Supper Howebeit yf any be baptized at this day and be partaker of the Lords supper cal vpoÌ„ God the father with the Lordes praier and vtter his faith by a sincere coÌ„fession of thapostels Crede morouer confesse those to be good workes which are done in faith after the rule of the ten coÌ„maundementes and besides this doe shine in good workes shall he be taken for a true catholicke and right christen maÌ„ In olde fime doubtles al men would haue imbraced him for a Brother But what shuld he be at this daye in the Popes kingdome Thou shalt seme by al these things to haue confessed nothing at al of the true faith except thou plainely professe that thou beleuest after the faith tradition of the church of Rome that thou doest acknowledge those for good workes whiche the churche of Rome hath approued Vnlesse thou beleue professe on this wise in vaine shalt thou confesse al the fourmer matters No though thou saiest moreouer that thou beleuest the lawe the prophetes the gospel Apostles They will like thee a great deale better if thou sayest thou arte an obedient childe of the Apostolicall See and church of Rome than if thou shouldest saye that thou arte the childe of God a christen manne that thou puttest thy whole truste in the sonne of God whiche is the only saluation and rightuousenes Yea ye shall finde theÌ„ which wil by and by at these wordes crie out that they smell of heresie a minde infected with poyson I fayne nothing experience it selfe wil witnesse that I saye trewth And thus doeth the Pope marke his men both in the forehead righthande Thus are the Romishe whelpes discerned from other faythfull as it were by markes Besides this there is an other thing Al papistâ—s do plainely testifie that vnlesse a man be marked in the forehead with Chresme by the Bishoppes hande he is no christian how so euer he be baptised beleue in Christ Iesus Whereof it followeth that they attribute more to their confirmation annoincting of the Bishop than to the christen faith Reade the boke called Summa angelica in the title of confirmation This therefore is a sealyng of the Popisshe religion the Christen markes of Christ are sufficient The Pope also by an other waye imprinteth his marke in the righthande of meÌ„ by heâ—ting of vowes perfourming of othes as they terme it For they that make a vowe in entryng into any religion as they call it as it were by a stipulation made do binde themselues to the Pope and See of Rome Furthermore Antichrist the Pope by othes also to be perfourmed by the holdyng vp of the right hande doeth binde and bring in daunger to him Emperours Kinges Archbisshoppes Princes Bishoppes Doctours Vniuersities and all states They promesse that they will attempte nothing agaynst the church of Rome nor agaynst the high Bisshop thereof nor yet agaynst the priuileges and statutes of the See There remayne the maner of othes in the decrees and decretalles I touche these thinges briefly They see more that shutte not their eyes And al men beholde how the Pope hath set his marke on the righthand and forehead of men He forbiddeth that no man bée nor selle There followeth againe of the fierse crueltie and blouddy tiranny which Antichrist practiseth agaynst the Christians that is to saye agaynste them whiche will not receyue
harlot and for that cause was called an harlot Furthermore olde Rome had power to do these thinges She sâ—teth vpoÌ„ many watâ—rs for she sate vpon many waters that is had dominion rule ouer many people and sondry nations Ye alâ—o the kinges of the Earth haue coÌ„mitted whoredome with her whâ— lest they haue submitted themselues to the Romanes bonden themselues in leage The princes â—â—miâ—te whoredom and receyued of them superstitions and Idolatrie For the children of Israell were also sayed to haue committed whoredome wyth the Aegiptians for that they had ioyned amitie with them and were become fellowes in prophane religions And so newe Rome the Popes kingdome stretcheth farre and wide and the Kinges and Princes of the Earth committe whoredome with her Therefore doeth the worde of the Lorde calle it filthye whoredome whiche the Romisshe name an holy bonde and obedience There is added and they that dwell vpon Earth are made dronkeÌ„ For he signifieth that beyng infected with errours yea rather asotted cleane out of their wittes they haue ben madde in Idolatrie and yet rage in their superstitions like droÌ„kardes and can not for furie receaue the preaching of the gospel Touchyng this wine of fornication and whoredome and of that dronkennes I haue spoken in the .14 chap. And it is aptly spoken that dwellers vpoÌ„ Earth are made dronkeÌ„ not so much for that menne dwellyng vpon Earth are made dronken as for that earthly meÌ„ and choked with earthly desires shall become faithfull worshippers of the Romish See Thirdely he expoundeth the maner of the vision The maner of the vision thus I was caried awaye in sprete Wherfore with his body remayning in Patmos in spirite he sawe a womaÌ„ sittyng on a beast and distroyed with fire Such be many visioÌ„s and sightes in the prophetes And he noteth also the place wherein he sawe the beaste not in heauen nother in the temple or tabernacle or in a fruictful place The beast in the wildernesse but in the wildernesse Esaye calleth the gentiles and heythenes wildernesse And verely tholde Romanes and newe with their superstitions haue had no place in the church but are without the church God forbidde thaÌ„ that we should acknowledge the churche of Rome to be head of al faithful churches And at this daye many of them which are called most holy and most reuerent differ nothing from the gentiles their titles and hipocrisie only excepted Wherof is spoken before in the .11 chapt Fourthly and laste he exhibiteth this vision or tipe of olde and newe Rome and the ruine and destructioÌ„ of them both and with all describeth most dilligently the wickednes of eyther of them And first must the beaste be considered after the woman sittyng on the beaste The beaste representeth the figure of olde Rome the woman of the newe and of Poperie And the woman sitteth vpon the beast For the image of the beast hath succeded and hath placed her seate in olde Rome For Daniel also affirmeth that Antichrist shal pitche his seate or palace betwixte two Seas The beast is rose coloured to witte the Hadriatical Sea called commonly the goulfe of Venise and the Tyrrhene or Tuscane Sea And the beaste is rose coloured it is of a red and bright colour like Crimosine For Rome hath ben moste cruell and blouddy and swimmyng altogether in the bloud of al meÌ„ but especially of Christians How much bloud shed Marius Sylla Pompey Iulius and others after histories Plinie hath reported Rome hath with sworde fire distroyed the whole world The ten persecutions of Christians before the Empire of Constantine are most commonly knowen Howe the beaste was full of the names of blasphemie I shewed in the .13 chapt Rome abounded with chapelles and Idolles Dayly it blasphemed God Christe the gospell and rente the church a sonder Of the .7 heades and ten hornes is spoken also in the .13 chapt And certen thinges shall followe in this same chapter playne enough And thus muche hitherto of the olde beaste here followeth of the woman sittyng vpon the beast ¶ The same matter is yet still treated of and the vision is expounded The .lxxiiij. Sermon ANd the womaÌ„ was arayed in purple and rose colour decked with gold preciouse stone and pearles and had a cup of golde in her haÌ„d ful of abominations and filthinesse of hyr whoredome And in hyr forehead was a name written a misterie great Babilon the mother of whoredome and abominations of the Earth And I sawe the woman dronken with the bloud of Sainctes with the bloud of the witnesses of Iesu And when I sawe her I maruailed with a greate wonder And the Angel sayde vnto me wherefore maruailest thou I wil shewe thee the misterie of the woman and of the beaste that beareth her whiche hath seuen heades and ten hornes The beast that thou seest was and is not and shall ascende out of the botomlesse pitte and shal go into perditioÌ„ and they that dwel on the earth shal wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life from the beginnyng of the worlde when they beholde the beast that was and is not And here is a minde that hath wisedome He describeth excedingly well and liuely and setteth forth to be sene of the eyes of all men that same woman before named the great whore About th ende of the chapter he expouÌ„deth himselfe sayeth and the woman which thou sawest is the great citie The womaÌ„ is the greate citie lady of kinges great verely as she that beareth rule ouer the kinges of the Earth He meaneth therefore the very citie of Rome and euen the popish and Romish church and the pope himself with al his creatures and chapplaynes whiche make a great and strong citie rulyng ouer al kinges and princes of the Earth For who knoweth not that Rome the prelates of the church doe rule euen aboue magistrates and princes consider what is done in the courtes of kinges princes and by whose aduise and counselles the princes of the Earth are chiefly gouerned And in callyng papistrie a woman he alludeth to the .5 and .7 chapt of the Prouerbes of Salomon who also likeneth craftie disceiptful philosophie worldly wisedome to a faire woman full of sondry craftes and giles The apparell of the woman And now also he painteth out gallauntly and euideÌ„tly the apparell or clothing and very whorish behauiour of this woman She is furnisshed with no good qualities inwardely wherby she maye coÌ„mende her selfe to the world to her louers therfore she excelleth in outwarde deckyng of herselfe where she is inwardely full of all abominations for all the world like vnto the Phariseis and hipocrites whom the lord saieth are without liâ—e shinyng tumbes of marble but within replenisshed with all corruption and filthines and euen stinkyng And hereby is signified chiefly that the church of Rome and kingdome of Antichrist setteth forth it self altogether with worldly furniture to witte
emonges those ten hornes one other little horne should grow vp whiche shoulde strike of three and take their place and reigne wantonly crwelly and wickedly Wherefore the Popes Empire and those sondry kingdomes grewe vp in a maner aboute one and the same time The kings haue one minde He sheweth moreouer what maner of kingdomes those shal be and how they shal demeane thēselues towardes that latter beast namely towarde the church of Rome thei saieth he haue al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one opinion they beleue al one thing be of the same religion He speaketh chiefly of the westerne kynges For they al receyue the decrees of the Bishoppe of Rome and honor them as most obedient childrē of the most sacred holy church of Rome They shal deliuer to the beaste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their authoritie or kyngedome For they submitte themselues to the See of Rome Yf the church of Rome haue nede of an Armie or force of armes the kinges sende their power gladly to hym which the most noble kingdome of Boheme felte about an hondreth yeres sins though it were to no great commoditie and beautifull triumphes of the inuaders Yea morouer they acknowledge thēselues to owe homage and feaultie to the moste holy and supreme Bishop in al the world Hereunto chiesly apperteyneth that which Augustin Stewchus in his boke against Laurence valla concernyng the donation of Constantine in the .94 Section hath written on this wise Gregory the .7 vnto Geusa king of Hungarie we suppose it is not vnknowen to thee sayeth he that the kingdome of Hungarie like as other most noble realmes also ought to be in the state of his owne libertie nother that it ought to be subiecte to any kyng of an other realme saue to the holy and vniuersall mother church of Rome which hath her subiectes not as seruauntes but as children Hereunto addeth Steuchus thou hearest with what gouernement the church ruleth that she maye interteyne her subiectes not as seruauntes but as childrē She putteth not kinges out of their possession but permitteth them to reigne as her sonnes who reignyng she reigneth her selfe also Neuerthelesse she will be knowen for Quene and Lady Quene Lady Thou hearest how al the moste noble realmes be subiecte to the Apostolical See Euen there he sheweth that the moste noble kingdomes of Spaine Fraūce England Denmarke Russelande Croatie Dalmatia Arragonie Sardinia Portugalle Bohemia Sweuia and Norwaye be subiecte tributaries to the church of Rome In the Section .97 He addeth moreouer although the kinges reigned and continued in possession yet are they wonte to acknowledge her as Quene and trewe Lady and gyuer of their kingdomes And in the Sect. 105. The old monumentes of all Popes are full of highe authoritie A mouth verely speaking great thinges whereby they haue with their Empires gouerned the whole worlde hauing the rule and order of al landes which power and authoritie that impudente praiser of the Romishe See is not asshamed to call omnipotent or almightie And doubtles we see at this daye great Ambassades sent to Rome by the westerne kinges newely elected crowned to the intent to kisse the Popes fete or too of Antichrist and to offer dewe obedience as they cal it Therefore did he calle them before not kinges absolutely but as kinges For they acknowledge a superiour and be euen as it were seruauntes or wardes of the seruaunt of seruauntes Of whome he hath made proper verses The vulgare people brought from farre ende of the worlde The seruaunt of seruauntes O Rome is now thy Lorde Hereunto the Apostle addeth a thing yet more greuouse The fight with the lambe These Kinges I meane the confederates of the Pope and obedient children of the Church of Rome indewed with the spirite of the beaste shall fight with the Lambe Whereby is signified the tiranny which kinges and princes and certen other states of the Romane Empire do practise long haue practised agaynst Christ his gospel Concerning the lambe we haue already spokē enough before Iohn Baptist poinctyng with his fingar to Christ sayeth beholde the lambe of God which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Therfore shal the Romish princes fight not agaynste Christ himselfe for they will be christians but agaynst the Lambe that is the sanctification iustification and satisfaction of Christ For yf any man saye at this daye that the sonne of God is most holy by whome alone sinnes are forgeuen and we are sanctified and saye not also that the Bisshop of Rome is moste holy also whiche purgeth by pardons graunted but shall saye rather that perdons are playne disceiptfulnes and the Pope most vncleane of all he shal doubtles nother be takē for right catholicke nother shal he be spared for confessyng the lambe of God Yf any man shal confesse that iustification is only in the sonne of God alone and that men are iustified by fayth only and not also by our workes and merites he shal be caried to death or to prison nother shal the confession of the lambe of God preuayle him any thing Yf any man shal say that he is fully purged through the only oblation of Christe on the crosse as of a lambe without spotte and sacrificed frō the beginnyng neyther that he nedeth any popish Masses wherby the shauelynges boaste that they make a dayly offering for the sinnes of the quicke and dead whiche in dede is both false and blasphemouse he is streight wayes hurried to prison and from thence drawen to the stake and brente We can not denye but that this is true seyng there be at this daie innumerable exāples of Romishe kinges and princes in this behalfe We shall not nede therefore to fetche our exposition farre of how these kinges which wholy depēde of the Pope shal fight with the lambe I speake here nothinge of others which cleaue whole vnto Christ And therefore for a comforte is consequently annexed and the Lambe shall ouer come them The lābe shall ouercome thē For albeit that Popish kinges and Princes seme to ouercome the Sainctes whom they burne murther and distroye yet Christ liueth for euer the redemption of Christe florissheth As moste godly that good poete hath songe Christ liueth yet and shal do still His trewth eke shall remayne Whilst al that doeth this world fulfill Shall perish and be vayne Kinges perish kingdomes perish or be chaunged but the trewth is neuer chaunged Christ perisheth neuer He adioyneth a most strong reason for he is Lord of Lordes and king of kinges Therfore shal they be made a fote stole for the fete of the Lambe as many as shall striue agaynst him You see agayne whie S. Iohn sayed before they receiue power as kinges For all kinges are vnder Christ whiche excelleth all lordes in the worlde For to him is geuen power in Heauen and in earth Let vs therfore be of bold courage For the lord is Emperour and our
yeares to rage Therfore these things ar spoken by a cōparison and not absolutely And the thing it selfe or experiēce teacheth that they are not to be vnderstand absolutely and after the bare lettre Although therfore that Sathan hath in these thousand yeares also blowen his poyson vpō many and hath troubled the world yet this is nothing in comparison of those thinges that haue followed after the thousand yeares euen vntill this day and shall followe hereafter vnto the worlds end In oulde time also he raigned fully emongs the Gentiles through Idolatry But a thousand yeares fell downe their temples and Idolles with all other instrumentes of vngodlynesse We reade truely Certen articles of religiō assayled howe there were in the Apostles time that affirmed that men are iustified by the lawe and workes Whereupon sprange vp the doctryne of satisfaction and merites But the same doctryne was confuted by the Apostle Saincte Paule aboue other Apostles Saincte Austen also and after him Bede moste constantlie haue defended the doctrine of grace and redemption by Christ The same continued safe by the space of a thousande whoale yeares But afterwarde Freres getting the vpper hande the doctryne of satisfaction and mannes merites ded preuayle whereupon was vtterly obscured the doctrine of Iesu Christe conserning the free remissiō of sinnes imputing of righteousnes Ther grewe vp an opinion with certen of Sainctes makyng intercession or prayeng in heauen for their worshyppers The relicques began to be worshipped ouer soone Neuerthelesse such as wer illumined claue fast to the onely intercessour Christ and honored not relicques But after those thousande fatal yeares many attributed more to Saincts than to the very holy one of Sainctes We see what is done at this day The writings of Monkes and Freres testifie how much the worshipping of creatures hath increased within these .iiii. hondreth yeres or there aboutes Who wyl deny that exceding many haue ben deceaued of Heretikes But who can gather thereby that the Gospell hath bene vtterlie loste that Sathan hath raigned fullye The Byshoppe of Rome hath ascended in to the toppe of Mounte Zion and will be called the head and Pastour generall of the whole catholique church Howbeit the Easte most constantlie resisted and so ded other partes of the world also At the lengthe after a thousande yeares he made his boaste most impudently that the fulnesse of power was geuen him which he got by hoke and croke and after vsurped the same Mahomet seduced many yet neuerthelesse the Patriarchall churches persisted and the Easte honoured Christ lykewise South and North so that the thousande yeares agayne had their lighte nother hath Sathan in these raged so much as he hath since those yeares were complete Doubtelesse since the Turkes begāne to rule and raigne al matters of religion grewe euery daye worse and worse And the warre into the Holy land ded very much hurte to religion and gaue greate courage to the Saracenes and vngodlye whereof I shall speake afterwardes And Images beganne to be sette vp in temples and to be defended But the Histories testifie that the same was done with greate difficultie and hardlie could the vse of them be obtayned all good men moste constantlie resisting And what time they were now admitted yet were not the Idolaters so starke mad as we se they are nowe and haue ben certen yeares paste Wherefore it is rightly sayed howe after a thousand yeares Sathan shulde be loosed from his chaynes which before also moued the vnbeleuers yet fynally rageth more furiously S. Ihon assigned to Antichrist a certen numbre of yeares to wit .666 Whereof we myghte vnderstande the name of Antichriste But therefore it foloweth not that the Deuyll was than quyte lowsed or the lyght of the Gospell vtterly extinguisshed For the Apostle in his time speakyng of him The misterie sayeth he of iniquitie nowe worketh Antichriste therefore hath his seedes he hath his beginnyng he hath his rysing vp his growyng and increaces But after a thousand yeares he went to worke moste impudently and most boldly which before also had vttered his maliciousnes but nowe moste venemously of al he speweth oute his poyson oppressing Kynges and all that speake neuer so little againste him We knowe moreouer that in these thousande yeares paste the Deuill hath raygned in many by murder periurie and innumerable and vnspeakeable euilles But if ye consider what hath ben done sins those thousande yeres and what is done at this daye you will saye those ages of the thousande yeres to haue ben Golden and Siluer worldes and oures nowe for these fiue hondreth yeres to be of brasse Iron leed The corruption of the last age and claye Lactantius in the seuenth booke of Instit the .15 chapter towardes the laste ende of the worlde sayeth he the state of worldly matters muste nedes be altered and iniquitie preuayling to incline to the worse so that these our times in the which iniquitie and mischiefe is growen to the highest degree yet in comparison of that vncurable euil maye be accompted fortunate and in maner Golden ages For iustice shall than ware so thinne vngodlines couetousenes wilfulnes and luste shall be so common that if there shal be than happly any good menne they shal be a praye to the wicked and euery where vexed of the vnrightuouse And euil menne only shall be welthie and the good tourmoyled in all vexation and miserie All righte shall be confounded and lawes shall perisshe Than shall no man haue any thinge saue that whiche is eyther euil gotten or euill kepte Goldenes and violence shal haue all There shal be no faith in men no peaxe no humanitie no shamefastnes no trewth And the remnaūt which are red there By all the whiche our dayes nowe seme to be paincted liuely But what is that whiche is annexed He muste be loused a little season that the Deuill must belowsed for a little season semeth this a little season whiche continueth nowe fiue hondreth yeres And this place we expoūde so as that same in the gospel vnlesse those dayes were shortened no fleshe should be saued For it is euidently by stories that nother the Deuil nor Antichriste hath inioyed that his kingedome longe quiet For euermore and in all ages haue sprong vp some holy and learned menne which beyng illumined and comforted or God like Enoch and Helie haue resisted the vngodly and vngodlines and haue maineteyned the true religion Wherby consciences afflicted of Antichrist haue receyued comforte God of his mercy so temperyng matters that the chosen shuld not despeyre into great temptations errours and darkenes Therefore both Sathan and the Pope could inioye these matters but a small season For immediately after the thousande yeres sprange vp the Waldois whiche constantly impugned the Pope and his vngodlines The lord hath reysed vp certen kinges emōges whom be the Friderickes Germane Emperours Lewis of the house of Bauier many others The Popes also haue ben at dissention emōges themselues
A HVNDRED Sermons vpō the Apocalips of Iesu Christe reueiled in dede by Thangell of the Lorde but seen or receyued and written by thapostle and Euāgelist S. Iohn Compiled by the famous and godly learned man Henry Bullinger chief Pastor of the Congregation of Zuryk ¶ Newly set forth and allowed according to the order appoynted in the Quenes maiesties Iniuntions ¶ Th argument wurthines commoditie and vse of this worke thou shalt fynd in the Preface After which thou hast a most exact Table to leade thee into all the princypall matters conteyned therin Math. 17. ☞ This is my welbeloued sun in whom I take pleasure heare hym Anno. 1561 TO THE RIGHT HOnorable Syr Thomas Wentworth knight Lorde VVentworth Lorde Lifetenaunt of the Quenes Maiesties Countie of Suffolk c. Hys singular good Lorde and Master Iohn Daus his obedient Seruaunt wissheth health and peace in the Lorde with thincrease of honor and dignitye IF we waigh and consider aswell this present pece of Scripture intitled the Reuelatiō as also the whole body of the same Ryghte honorable and my singular Lorde we shall fynde that the trewe Churche of Chryst hath ben euer from the first creation of the world is now and still shall be to the consumation therof subiecte to greate aduersities persecutions and troubles out of the which notwithstanding the Lord when he seeth it good deliuereth and preserueth the same and suffereth her not to perysh Wherupon the Romish haue a trew saying that Peters ship may with billowes and waues of tempestuous stormes be ouer whelmed but can neuer be drowned which saying is doubtlesse most true although thei thē selues sayle not therein but rather seke to dround the same by ouerfraighting her with the heauy burthen of mens traditions For certēly the Shippe of Peter whiche is the figure of Chrystes Churche is in dede ofte tossed and tourmoyled with outragious stormes and tempestes but can neuer be drenched or swallowed vp of the same For Christ bothe Master and owner therof can and wyll for his mercy truthes sake appeace all rages at his pleasure Herin both the Papistes and Gospellers do agree But whether of them are the trewe Church◠thys matter is yet in controuersie hangeth before the Iudg which this present worke shall discerne and put out of all doubt And to enter a little into the matter as it were with a certen preamble the true Churche of Chryste is not called the stony temple wherin we assemble to heare Gods worde receyue the Sacramentes and to praye in for suche are builded with handes and with handes are destroyed a 〈…〉 nether yet is it called the congregation of certen Byshops of al nations assembled in a generall Counsell for they all though in the firste lawfull and godly counselles were many good men and excellent mēbers of Christes Church yet were they not the whole church which could not erre and the which had authoritie to make new Articles of the faith but the Church is called the whole societie of people that acknowledge the Gospell of Christe and beleue in him And this Churche not to be of one time only but of all tymes ages as Adam with Eue hys wife his sun Abel his familie was the church Noah with his familie was the churche Melchizedec with his familie was the Churche Abraham also with his familie Likewyse Isaac Iacob Dauid the Prophetes and Apostles with theyr Auditours that beleued in the Gospell of Christ were the churche and where soeuer at this daye the Gospel of Christ is receyued and beleued there is also the church of Christ which by a figuratiue speache may be aptly called the Ship of Peter or Arcke of Noe. Now let vs consider the state of the churche vnder Adam wherof the chiefest member was righteous Abel but him doth his brother Cain persecute for Religion and slayeth hym And this was the beginning of the tempest that arose a-against the Ship of Peter the beginning I meane of the persecution of the church which shal last to the worldes ende Lykewyse dyd the churche vnder Abraham suffer persecution by Ismaell vnder Isaac by Esau vnder Moses of Pharao vnder Eli the high Priest the Arke of the Lorde was taken by the Philistines and then it was thought that the church shulde haue quyte perished vnder Achab and wicked Iezabel the Churche was not onlye afflicted and sore oppressed but also in a maner extinguished where the Prophet Helias complayned that he was lefte alone Vnder Ieremie the Citie of Ierusalem was destroyed of the Babylonians and the churche was not lyke then to perish but rather vtterly lost already when Christ the head of the Churche was crutified it was iudged that the churche had then ben cleane destroied We had thought say they that he shoulde haue redemed Israell what tyme king Pharao with his host had inclosed the Israelites that is to witte the churche betwene the mountaines and the Red Sea it was lyke that the churche shulde haue perished but Moses prayed the Lorde miraculously deliuered them Againe the churche semed to be in extreme daunger when Sennacherib spoyled the kyngdome of Iuda and ment to destroy Ierusalem but througe the prayer of Ezechias the Kyng God sent his Angell and distroyed the host of the Assyrians The church semed to tende vnto ruine when Herod had killed Iames with the sweard and minded also Peter but the congregation contynewyng in prayer the Lorde sent his Angel to deliuer Peter And to be short in those ten greuous persecutions which followed immediatly after the Apostles time the church many times semed brought vnto vtter decay but alwayes when God saw it good it was reuiued and as it were refreshed agayne What shuld I recite the persecutions of the churche in the time of Athanasius wherin the Arrian Bishoppes so preuayled that the Emperour and his whole Armye so persecuted Athanasius that the good Bishop was fayne to lye hyd in an holle where he saw no sunne by the space of sixe yeares And who wold then haue thought that euer the trew churche of Christ shulde haue flourished agayne I nede not here to reherse the cruell persecutions of the church vnder the Romish antichrist which neuerthelesse haue ben and be yet styll most tyranicall and blouddye For that the same shall in this present worke more clerely appere then that I nede to make any discourse therof only I wolde shewe briefely as dothe my Author at large that Christes trewe churche is alwayes subiect to persecutions To thintent therfore to passe ouer many thynges vntouched and to come nerer our fathers memorye in the tyme of the Emperoure Sigismunde there was holden a counsell at Constaunce wherein the Bishops so conspired to extinguish Christes veritie that contrary to thauncient libertie of a free and general Counsel and cōtrary to the Emperours saufconduit they not only burned there Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage professours of Chrystes Gospell but decreed also that the bones of
Fraunce England Italy and of other Realmes or nations and generally to all the faithfull where soeuer they be abiding and lokyng for the coÌ„myng of Christe oure Lorde and Iudge THat this Apocalips was reueled of Iesus christ king of kinges and high Bishop our lord from the right hand of the Father and setforth by thapostolical spirite for the saluatioÌ„ of al faithfull chieflye of those that shall be in the latter dayes before the last iudgment both the matter it selfe whiche is treated right necessary to be knoweÌ„ holsom and excelleÌ„t proueth And also the simple maner meane wherby it is handled being euident and plaine declareth I will speake of ether briefly Collectyng those thinges only which seme to be more profitable and more necessary Iohn .xvi. The Lorde had sayd in the Gospell how he wold ascende into heauen and froÌ„ thence wold send to his Apostles the holy Gost the comforter which shulde leade them into all truth and shew them the thinges that ar to come And that which he sayd he wolde do in wordes the same verely hath he also perfourmed in dede aboundantly The holy Gost beyng sent to his Apostles which induced them into all truthe and opened to them the thinges that were to come especially to the Apostle and Euangelyst S. Iohn who receiued this ReuelatioÌ„ exibited to him of Christ from the ryght hand of the Father by the mistery of an AuÌ„gel in the holy Gost who also by Chryste his commaundement committed the same to wryting The summe and ende of the which wryting is this The summe ende of the Apocalipse That Christ Iesus our Lord wil neuer fayle hys churche in earth but will gouerne it with his spirite and worde through thecclesiasticall ministery But that the church it self whilest it remaineth in this worlde shall suffer many thinges and that for Chryst and the truthe of his Gospell professed And it openeth al and singular euils in a maner that the church shal suffer shewing how it must be exercised with common Calamities as warre plage famyne and suche other lyke What it shall priuately suffer of the false bretherne through heresies schismes and greuous and continuall stryfes contentions corruptions in the matter of religion Finally how terribly it shulde be vexed by the most cruell persecutions of tholde Romane Empire And laste by the wicked crafts extreme Tyranny of Antichrist Al the which thinges apperteyne to this ende that all the chosen being sufficiently warned before and prouided in all ages whilest this worlde shall indure may with true faith alone cleaue vnto Christ our redemer king and high prieste only and eternall and may purely and syncerely professe hym call vpon him in the innocencie of lyfe serue him and patiently attend after him commyng to Iudgemente and to delyuer and saue the godly But contrarywise that they dispise all superstitions and the worlde it selfe with those his sondrye religions felicities and pleasures and bewar of al vngodlines And chiefly that they flee Antichrist which shall com in th ende of the worlde vsurping to himselfe most vniustly the kingdom and Priesthod of Chryst and greuouslye persecuting the churche of Christ euen to the laste Iudgemente In the whiche at the laste he with all his adherentes shall be throwen downe hedlonge into Hell And. S. Iohn beginneth this holsome matter of Chryste hymselfe The fyrste Chapter of the Apocalips Lorde king and high Bishop whose wonderful and most goodly description after the Apostolicke maner he placeth in the very begynnyng as the foundation of the whole worke The same descriptioÌ„ dooeth so â—â—ately setfoorthe the Lorde that all the churche may easely know What thinges are treated in this boke in what order dispersed throughout the whole worlde in Chryst oure Lorde all thinges to be accomplished what so euer he had sayd before shulde be fulfilled in him namely that he shulde be exalted one to the ryghthand of his father into all celestiall glory power and maiestie there to be kinge of kinges of all other most mightye and the true and only hygh Byshop Sauiour gouernour Lorde and generall defendour of the Catholycke churche For blessed S. Iohn not only saw him such him selfe but also exhibiteth him such to be sene of vs all in thys hys wryting so godly by a most bryght and goodly vision And moreouer to thintent it myght be knowne to vs all in what sorte our Lord Iesus Chryst king and priest sitting or working in Heauen on the right hande of his Father is neuerthelesse in the middes of the catholycke church wherof he hath a faithfull care how louingly and fully he preserueth it in best order gouerneth it S. Iohn sheweth in this his vision that Christ walketh amonge the seuen golden candlestickes holdeth in his right hande seuen starres And streyghtway declareth what thing he vnderstandeth by the candelstickes and starres calling the candelstickes churches and the starres Aungels of the churches That is to witte Seuen churches Messagers ministers and pastours For the Lord chose vnto him selfe seuen famouse churches in Asia with whom he treateth nowe generally and compendiously vsing S. Iohn for hys interpretour which he doth perpetually in all churches throughoute the world and will neuer cease to do tyll the worldes ende For the seuenth number whiche is most vsed in this boke Chap. 2 and .3 and is the numbre of fulnes comprehendeth in it all churches Wherfore S. Iohn doeth so propounde moderate and temper all thynges that he treateth with these seuen churches that they may be applied vnto all the Churches that shal be in the worlde vntyl the worldes ende for theyr learnynge and edifiyng And for the same cause these seueÌ„ churches may be exaÌ„ples of all other churches For loke what thing then did please or displease the Lord in those seuen churches what tyme these thyngs wer reuealed the selfe same in all other churches shall please or displease him so long as the worlde shall laste And as he wolde haue those instructed and taught so wyl he that all and singular be instructed at all seasons Therefore in these seuen churches we haue examples of churches moste excellent in dede and of God derely beloued And agayne of moste corrupte meane also and finally mixed And in these al is shewed what is or shall be the disposition maners and vertues of all the churches in the whole world and of al tymes and seasons likewise the vices of them and remedies of the same Therfore the Lorde in these instructeth reproueth chideth threatneth exhorteth comforteth promiseth Wherfore in these we shall see as it were in a table set before vs what the true and ryght doctrine of the churche is And againe which is the false and the corrupt doctrine We shall heare and learne that the churche beloued of God must stande styll in the preachyng of the Gospell once receyued of the Apostles of oure Lord Iesus Chryst and muste loke for no new
was cruelly rent in peaces and troden vnder foote And that for no other cause then for that she woulde not worship the beaste that is that she wold not receyue the superstions and heathen rites of the Romane Empire I meane the false Gods and idolatrie of the Heathen And for that she worshipped one God alone through Chryst and cleaued to him seruid him after his Gospell Here therfore are excepted Constance Constantine Gracian Theodose and other godly and christen princes or Emperours which be not rekened vnder the deuelish beast For an Empire or kingdom of it selfe as S Paule sayeth is of God wherfore yf good men rule and geue not ouer themselues to be ruled of the Deuill they shall verely appertaine to the body of holy church and not to the abominable bodi of the beast In the meane time whilest that olde Rome wold not seriously repēt and tourne to Chryst forsaking theyr false gods and superstitions at the last it was condemned of Chryst by the law of like penaltie For with the same measure that the Romanes met to other nations with the selfe same did other nations measure agayne to Rome Wherfore the Persians Hunnes Frenchemē Alemans west Gothians Vādalles and East Gothians invaded thempire rent the whole Empire in pieces And at the last beseged Rome it self brake in to it toke it spoyled sacked burnt destroyed it And so at the length the Lord Iesus by iust iudgement reuenged the bloud of his seruauntes And Rome lay and yet lyeth in ruine and shall neuer be repared to the aūcient beautie And it behoueth the ruine of it to remayne in token of the veritie and reuengment of Christ Iesus that euen therof al godly may gather the God wyll be most true in thother promeses of Christ also as yet not fulfilled Moreouer the Romane Empire westward laye neglecte without an Emperoure aboue thre hundreth and twentie yeares from Augustulus whom Odacer a Germane oppressed til Charles the great king of Fraunce And in these times of desolation that is of thempire oppressed and extinguished in the west The Bisshop of Rome began by little and little to gather to him no smal power and possessions by the authorytie which he toke vpō him vnder the pretence of Chryst and the Apostles Peter and Paule tyll such time as he began to reygne also The falle of tholde Empire is the rysyng of a new But tholde Popes his predecessours wer not Princes in the Churche ruling vnder pretence of Religion but were ministers of the churche simple pastours and poore And Saint Paule prophecied that of the ruine of the Empire and destruction of the citie Antichrist shulde spryng vp For he sayd only this holdyng now or only thys let that now deteyneth tyll it come to passe that it be taken a waye and then shall that wicked be reuayled He signifye◠therfore that Antichrist shuld not reygne com nor appere before tha◠olde Romane empire were taken away For this being ouerthrowē that the same See of Rome shulde be erected For Tertullian who lyued a thousand and three huddreth yeres past in hys boke of the resurrection of the fleshe Who sayeth he shall be taken out of the way but the state of Rome whose departing being dispersed in to ten kings shall bryng in Antichrist And. S. Hierom in the .xi. question to Algasia The Romane Empire sayth he which now possesseth al natyons depart and shal be taken away and then shal Antichrist come the welspryng of iniquitie The same authours by Babylon in this boke of S. Iohn The two horned beast vnderstand Roome And Iohn hym selfe in this boke sheweth that the seuen headed and mighty olde empire of Rome being taken away an other beaste shal aryse and that with two hornes that is to witte suche a Prynce whyche shall chalenge to hymselfe a double rule or kingdome fulnes I say of power aswell in thynges spirituall as temporall And this same doth the whole worlde at thys daye acknowledge to be the Byshop of Rome decked with his triple crowne vndoubtedly of the three hornes which accordyng to the prophecie of Daniell Daniel .vii. eyther brought lowe or toke away this base contemned horne and Armed with two keyes signifieng hym to be king and Byshop the most myghty Monarke in matters spiritual temporall Christes vicar in earthe hauyng full power in Heauen and in earth He hym selfe in tymes past caused men to set vp the Image of the beast that is to set vp a new empire after the Image and the Imitation of the olde Romane Empire Whych thing after it was begon in Charles the great a right noble prince and furthermore auaūced and commen from the kings of Fraunce to the Germans which in dede were stoute Godly and worthye Prynces The Byshop of Rome was not ashamed in straunge wise to vexe trouble excomunicate depose and to substitute others in theyr place to styre vp wars in many Realmes at ones and set them together by the eares so long till those kynges did frame themselues after hys wyll and appetyte and wolde fall downe to kisse hys fete And he hym selfe at the length toke vpō him thempire publishing his decrees to the whole world boasted hymselfe to be the Monarche or soule ruler of the world who myght at hys pleasure bothe depose kinges and set them vp in kyngdomes Finally that he was supreme iudg in earth whych may iudg al men but he hym selfe may in nowyse be iudged of any man Therfore lyke as in tholde empire we sequestred from the cōmunion of the beastes all good men which were or liued vnder thempire so in this new also we do alwayes except the graue and witty the good godly men and al religious people which mixed among them not only abyde styll in Chryst but also eyther abhorre and comtemne the beast or to theyr power fight against him The Characte of the beaste Wherby they come not in the accompt of the beast And this two horned beast marketh his worshippers with a Characte And those that refuse thys characte he excommunicateth out of al mens company so that it is lawful for them neither to by nor sel Yea more he condemneth them for hereticks schismaticks for damned and lost creatures If thou confesse thy self now to be a Christian and professe with a syncere and loyall hart the belefe or crede of the Apostles one holy church of Christ and of al saincts and dost not aboue all thinges confesse the Pope to be Chrystes vicar in earth with the fulnes of power and the Romish churche which is the mother of all churches and can not erre thou shalte seme as yet to haue confessed nothyng but shalt be sayed rather to be suspected of heresy and therfore to be more straytely examined This thing can not be dissembled for it is knowen to all men in the whole world But to thintent we shuld not erre in a matter so nedefull to be
knowen and that we might more easely flee Antichrist once knowne The nombre of the name of the beaste S. Iohn also addeth the nomber of the name of the beast 666 by the whiche we verely come to the name or knowledg of Antichrist For if we accōpt from the settyng forth of the Apocalips syxe hundreth threscore syxe yeres we shal come to the yeare of our Lord .763 To the same time I say wherin the Bishop of Rome forgettyng his humilitie simplicicitie pouertie and also his office and ministerie set his mynd to beare rule and receyued exceading great rewards of king Pipine and of other Princes and prepared him selfe away wherby afterward he climeth to the high dignitie of thempire Which thynge in the worke it selfe shall appere more playnely out of historyes And as he did once or twise before so now also S. Iohn after the Apostolicke maner comforteth the afflicted and faithfull Churche least haply in this distresse and continuall persecutions of Antichriste it shoulde falle Comforte Chap. xiiij and shoulde thinke that religion and the church were cleane forsaken He sheweth therfore howe cruelly so euer bothe the ten horned beaste and the two horned beaste do rage yet stondeth the lambe neuerthelesse in mounte Sion not as the Dragon in the sāde And that Christ hath in this wicked worlde polluted of Antichrist his chosen churche which he will moste faithfully preserue euermore and mainteyne he addeth that howe muche so euer the beast coueteth to haue the sacred and holye preachinge of the Gospell oppressed the Gospell shal neuerthelesse be preached and that clerely and that Babylon shall certenly falle and the churche of Christe be established He addeth moreouer for a comforte that the soules of Saints that at in daunger or suffer for Christe do assuredly and streightwaye flitte from this corporall death to eternall lyfe Agayne that the Lorde is ready to take vengeaunce of all his enemies to requyte them aboūdantly which he sheweth trymly by the parables of vintage haruest Of the rewards punishments of good euyll And these things handled on this wyse he procedeth to declare dilligently not the laste place of thys booke of thendes of good and euyll men of moste ample rewardes to be geuen to the worshyppers of Christe and of moste greuouse paines and tormentes to be inflicted to the adherentes of Antichrist Men of no smalle estimation sticke in these things doubtefull and the common people herin erre more than shamefully whilest for the present felicitie of the wicked and continuall miserie of the Godly they doubte whether paynes be appoynted for the wycked or so greate rewardes for the godly For euen for thys cause fewe kepe theyr standynge and more laugh at Chryste and hys woorde and imbrace the presente pleasures of thys present woorlde followynge the more happie and victoriouse parte Chap. xv Seuen vials Therfore blessed Saint Iohn not wythout cause the Lorde commaundinge him bestoweth very muche diligence in declaringe these thyngs exactely And firste after hys maner he bringeth foorthe seuen Aungels hauynge cuppes of the plages of God and thaungels come out of the temple signifienge the iudgements of God in punisshynge the wycked to be most ryghtuouse And the seuenth nombre comprehendeth agayne all maner and the most ful plages of God The Aungels powre out these vialles vpon the Antichristianes Chap. xvi the enemies of Gods woorde and the hard harted that can not repente For God moste rightuouse plageth the impenitēt woorlde with sondry tormentes reseruinge yet more greuouse then these to punishe them in the woorld to come Chap. xvij But especially he exhibiteth the iudgement that is to witte the punishement of the harlot in pourple I meane of the Pope and the beaste to be sene Firste he brought foorth an honeste and noble matrone to witte the very spouse of Chryste Nowe as it wer by opposition he setteth against her a proude whore that false newe start vp Romishe Churche who extollinge her selfe braggeth more of her outwarde apparell then of inwarde furniture And he affirmeth that she shall perish for her greate offences lyke as it is euident that tholde beaste was torne in pieces and burnt And that strompet that is called the whore of Babilō sitteth on the beaste For Rome is the seate of the same church that is called both the Romane and most holy church Wherby all men maye see that S. Iohn hath spoken so skylfully that he hath as it were pointed with the fingarre as they comonly saye whom he meaneth and of whō he speaketh doubtles thauncient wryters as I tolde you a little before vnderstoode by Babylon Rome it selfe But afterwarde he discourseth at length the destruction of Babylon wyth a maruelouse plentye of playne woordes as it were powringe out a certen fludde of eloquēce Chap. xviij and compendiously collectynge all amplifications and figures that beautifie the speache which are any where to be founde amonges the Prophets But by the way he placeth among these certen most pleasant thyngs of the mariage of the lambe Chap. xix and of the bryde preparynge her selfe to the mariage and of the certenty of the saluation of the godly and what maner a thinge that blessed felicity is Whiche finished he descendeth immediately to the same laste iudgement whiche I suppose is no where els in the whole scripture as it is here not only so described but also painted out with liuely couloures For here is described the persone of the Iudge comynge to Iudgement with his saints with greate power and gloryes There stonde against him the ranks of his enemies breathing most cruell thinges againste the Saints of God By and by succedeth the most terrible iudgement but yet most iuste For the false prophet is throwen downe into hell downe is the beaste throwen and down are cast all wycked and impenitent persons There is shewed here moreouer the iustice and equitie of thys vniuersall Iudgement in th ende of the worlde Chap. xx wherin is punishmēt taken of all persones of what nation religion degree or state sexe so euer they be that are sequestred and alienated from the true religion of Christe Where both the resurrection of the dead is touched and the processe of the whole iudgement is figured Herunto he annexeth a most ioyfull disputation of the blessed lyfe shewyng firste generally what it is and that it shall most certenlye be geuen to the faithfull by the which treatise most strongely is beaten downe the distruste or diffidence that is naturally greffed in vs. After pryuatly and plentifully vnder the Type or Image of a most beautifull Citie Chap. xxi xxij he shadoweth after a sorte the place palace of the blessed omitting vtterly nothing at all that is either ioyouse cōfortable delectable or preciouse which he affirmeth not to be in the court celestiall most aboundantly worlde without ende Notwithstāding we know well inough that touching the ioy
189 Chosen affiāsed to the lamb 563 Chosen people lyuely temple of God 305 Christians worldly 124 Christ described 21.124.162.32 283.577 Christ hath all power c. geuen him .161.165 is king of kings and Lord of lordes .522.581 is owner of all kyngdomes .338 sunne of god .87 God mā 87 very God 36.96.16.137.163 168.661.675 is very mā 162 163.42 his power .43 is a lāb 162.440 greter thē Aungels saints c. 163.177 Lord of angels .16 was slain from the beginnyng .382 figured by Aungels .356 by Eliachim .43 is head of the Churche .36 prelat of the Churche .47 an aultar 197.236 a mighty Angel .284 236. offreth vp our prayers sitting on the right hand of God 237. of the same substanse wyth the father coequall .41.42.668 670. is not authour of corrupting the treuth thogh he opē the sixt seal .205 cast out of the church by the Pope Mahomet shall return with glory .283 is not fought against but the lāb 521 author of thapocalyps .688 very God lord of angels .689 author of saluatiō .218 begottē in vs .350 no creature .125 our best apparil .108 king priest 35. trew .112 holy .111 a lyuely foūtain .252 word of God .579 most necessari to be known 159 Christ hath charge of seuē cādles 50.51 receiueth things of the father how .166 shal be subiect to the father .339 must be honored 449. is not al or sufficiēt to sum 210. is set forth in thapocalyps 9. hath the kei of Dauid .112 is the trew māna .84 fiedeth leadeth quikneth 232 receiueth power reineth .340 openeth the bouk 158. knoweth our wurks 64. nieds no vicar .35 hys beginninge .125 his cumming of ij sorts .223 his cūming to iudgemēt .24 his image setforth 33 his body suffred .268 hys humain body in one place .34 godhed euery wher 34 Church descrybed .350 is the citie of God .121 is both mother and doghter .366 is figured by the moon .207 bi a womā 348 is belouid of God .116 dwels when Satās seat is .73 shal be in the midst of troubles .305 hydeth it selfe .209 flyeth into wildernes .353 is emong the gentils .365 shal be alwaies in the world .183 hath alwaies in this lyfe that may be reprehendid .79 traueleth and bringeth forth ij wais .350 remoued whē 57. the garnishinge therof .510 glorye therof is to cum .648 chief enemies therof .347 hystory therof discoursid 183 Churche old of Rome distinguisshed 542 Church of Rome church of Rom c. 496 Churchs fallible notz peas and tranquility 194 Churchs how they wer gouerned at the beginning 387 Circes of Rome 512 Citie great or heuenly 648. c. Citye great diuyded into thre 501 Citye great is the romish church 510 Citye of God and name therof 121 Cityes greatest commendacion 650 Citizens of the kingdum of God who 109 Clamitat in celis vox sang c. 198 Cleannes fygured by fyre 266 Clergye compared to locuste 256. Clergie innumerable 255 Clergie authors of warres 260 Clermont counsel 613 Clothed in whyt what they be 229 Cloud in the script 285 Columnz erecting 120 Comfort excieding in thapocalips 12 Comfort in tribulacion 27 Committing of hordum in the script 507 Commocions 524 Commotions and theyr causes 206 Commodities of thapocalyps 12 Condemned are iustly condemned 589 Confessing of beleuerz bp Chryst 109 Cōfessing of trespas is beginning of repentaunse 56 Confusion of Romishe Religion 512 Congregacions how they may be kept 115 Consolacion of the faithfull 305. 306. Consolacion in affliction 62 Consolation in the Apocalyps 12 Consolation foloeth humility 40 Constancy 73 Constantin emperour abhorred Rome 383 Constitucions of man nied not 299 Constancie and continans figured by a square 655 Constantinoples destructyon 275 Constans in faith 113 Constitucions of men 69. 100 Contemners of the blessed lyfe 232 Contencion for tryfles oght not to be 29 Contracting of matrimony 563. Conuersacion is our garment 108 Copz and gorgious things in the church 510 Corn prospering or perishing cūmeth by God 190 Coronacion of a Pope 511 Corrupt doctryns hystorie 234 Couetous ryche men are poore 128 Couetousnes of the Romains 393 Could nor hoot 126 Coulor pale sign c. 190 Counsel can not iudge the Pope 406 Councels generall iiij 268 Counsel holsum 129 Counsel of Clermont 613 Counsels of God insearcheable 380 Counsels to condemn impuritye nied not 80 Countenanse of Christ 38 Cowl of our lady 132 Creaturs al submit thē to Christ 178 Creatures are not to be worshypped 175.177.678 Creatures of Gods beginnyng 125 Croun 183 Croun of lyfe what 69 Croun token of a kyngdum 349 Croun for honor glory victory 118.110 Crosse foloeth Godes worde 303 Crueltie of Rome 508 Crueltie of Antichrist 324 Crueltie of the Romainns 369 Crueltie figured by Lyons tieth 262 Crying for vengeaunse 198 Comfort in persecution 204.333 326 Comfort gospellyk 234 Comfort againste Antechryst 285 Cumming of Chryst of ij sorts 223 Curius inquirie of Gods iudgements 144 Curiositie in serching Gods coūsels repressed 380 Curiosity repelled by reurrense submission vnto God 152 Curs banished 670 Cursing of the Pope 399 D Damnacion eternall described 455 Damnacion euerlasting 628 Damnacion eternall for seducing 584 Damned are iustly damned 589 Damned parsons 641 Dauid is called Christ 357 Day last or end of the world 575 Death of ij sorts .605 spirituall 103 Death after this death 70 Death for trewthz sake 69 Death of Christ 22.172 Death geues vp the dead 627 Dead ryse again 626 Decay and spiedy ruin compared to sand 367 Decius Traianus 194 Decretals .404 decrees and decretalles 100 Defectyue reason 277 Defence figured by egles wings 364 Degrees of punishment 585 Decking of the church 510 Delais of returning to God 224 Delay of Gods help 118 Deliuerans in persecutiō 364. c Deniall of God 460 Denyall of Christ and hys gospel many wayes 76 Denyall of Christs name 114 Derth and famin 189 Descending of Christ from heuē 284. Desert of man 248 Deuill author of ill .185 a sclaunderer .356 vanquished 591 bound .596 cast out how 595 608. where he reygneth .362 his four names .359 c. wourshiped 279 Dioces 403. c Dioclecian 194 Dionysius Alexandrinus of the authoriti of thapocalyps 6 Dianaz temple 48 Disciplin 133 Diseaseas of churches howe they shold be holpen 104 Dispair of ill men what causeth 210.211.212 Dispair remoued 278 Disposition or order of thapocalyps 347 Disputacions clamorus 264 Dissemblers .541.66 Iewls warm 126 Dissentiō in the church no news 52 Distroyers of the earth of diuers sorts 344 Distroyer Popes name 265 Destruction of reames thrugh reuolting from trewe religion 271 Diuersitie of opinions 98 Diuinitie of Christ 64 13◠Do as ye would be doone vnto 383 Doctryn resembled by wynd by leuen 214 Doctryn holsum figured by air 253 Doctryn euangelicall shal be restored 297 Doctryn newe is not to be loukt for 118 Doctryn of Christ perpetual 99 Doctryn corrupted 205 Doctrin peruers figured bi smoke 253 Doctryn new 447
suffring of God 128 Lōg suffring of god contēned 93 Loue of God goes before our loue 116 Loue of God originall of all verteuz 116 Loue of Chryste incomparable 22 Loue of our neibour perteyneth also to christianitie 277 Lumbards planted in Italye 431 M Magik of Rome 557 Magistrats office toward heretiks 53 Magistrats how far they are to be obeied 370 Magog Iaphets sun 610 Mahomets beginnynge 269. lawes 270. religion patched 126 Mahometrye when it began 608 Mammon 124 Manhod of Christ 162. 163 Manicheus heresy 244. 248 Mankind deuided in to Iewes and Gentils 223 Manna hid are secret 83 Marchaundiez leful 124 Marchaundiez of the Pope 549 Marcus Anthonius verus 194 Mariage corporall and spirituall 443 Mariage in the script 563. of the lamb 564 Markes of the faithfull 442. of Antichrist 422 Martyrs most plentiful in heuē 196 Martyrs ought to be honored not called vpon 78 Martyrs what maketh 77 Martyr cause maketh not turment 197 Maruelling of Iohn Daniel the godly 514 Mary the virgin 352. inferior to popish priests 263 Masse 170. patched 126. 127 Masking and bankets 81 Matrimonie 563 Matrimonye defileth no man 443 Maximila prophetis 91 Maximian 194 Mayzim a God 609 Measur for measure 544 Measuring for entēding to build 305 Mediator only Christ 203 Members how they are attributed to God 141 Men of ij sorts 256 Mercy of God trusty only 224 Mercy of God toward sinners 134 Mercy of God exceding 97 Mercy God forgets not euen in the extremity of hys punishmēt 190 Mercy of God iustifieth vs no merits of man 639 Merits 565. of man 248 Merits of man haue no place in our iustificacion 639 Merits of our owne or others 460. 462 Merits and intercession of saints 84 Metropolitās first ordeined 387 Michael Seruetus 246 Michael captain against the Dragon 356 Michael typ of Christ 356 Millan warres 190 Millenaries error 221 Milston drowned 556 Milston cast into the sea 536 Mingle mangle christianitie 126 Ministers of the Churche are Aungels 589. are figured by wytnesses 313. are defended and preserued by Chryste 103. are forbodden Gouernement c. 386. they re dewtye and office 300. c. 590. to be obedient 305. to be feruent 302 Ministeries effect 302 Ministerie of the Thyatirenians 88 Miracles trew and fals 397 Mixture vnlawfull 126 Mockers of religion 643 Modestie preposterous 506 Monarchies figured 372 Mone token of alteracions 349 Mone as blud 207 Moneths .xlij. 310. fyue 257 Monotelitans heretiks 269 Monsters and wunders 435 Montanists 90. 91 Montanistes heresy 244 Morning star knoledge increasing 101 Mount for spirituall meaninge 648 Mountains seuen 517 Mountains betoken reames c. 210 Mountains figures of kingdums 244 Mouablenes figured by waters 524 Mourning 550 Multitude is no good defense of errour 107 Multitude no dew prouf of religion 524 Mungrels gospellers 127 Munks honest lay men 255 Murmuring in persecucion 195 Murmuring at God remoued 150. 152 Murther of diuers kinds 280 Murtherers 643 Musik 169 Mutinie in persecution 195 Myters of Bishops 261. 389 N Nakednes 128 Nakednes of the papistes open 498 Name of the wryter of thapocalyps why it is added 677 Name new what 84 Names of men for nomber 334 Names for notable men 106 Name and estimacion 66 Name of the beast 424 Name of God 578. of the iudge 579 Name of God wryten in forheds 671. geuen to the faithfull 121 Name of Christ is faith of Christ 76 Nazarians heresy 52 Nero persecutor 194 New doctryn is not to be lookt for 118 New lerning 447 New lerning of Rome 453 New name 122 New name what it sign 84 New song signifi c. 171 Newter 127. 501. how they shal be orderd in the last iudgement 588 Nicodemits 541 Nicolas a filthy heretik 59 Nicolaitans errour 80 Nicolaitans of our tyme. 81 Notes and markes of the elect 443. 444. c Number certain for vncertain 334. 272 Number of the name of the beast 424. 426 Nuns and friers 196 O Obediens to whom it is dew how far 370 Odacer king of Rome 528 Odours ar praiers of saints 237 Oecolampadius for authoritye of thapocalys 4 Offens punished 556 Omnipotencie of God 487 Oppression sign by treading vnder foot 309 Order of thapocalyps 347 Organes 169 Originall sinne 247 Oth what 292. 294 Oth or swearing of God 290 Ox and Asse yoked together 126 Oyl figureth matter of preching 31◠P Paciens 62. 117. necessarye in trobles 385. of saints 456. of the Thyatirenians 89. lefull vnlefull 51. 54 Paintings of the last iudgement 584 Paintings proffit and commoditie 2 Paines of the vngodly after thys lyfe 619 Pains of hel euerlasting 455. c Pale hors 190 Palme token of victorie 225 Papists ar gentils 308. are figured by froggs 495. are exhorted to turne to Christ 425. are Cataphrygians 97. fals wytnesses 313. if they be saued or no. 226. theyr coūterfait Christianitie 66. 67. errour about power of saīts 154. their pride and bragges intollerable 338. their idolatry 644. their stubbernes 441 Papists described 347. c. beginneth 386. is new 447. passeth far all gentilitie 610. is way to perdicion 226. is figured by a womā why 510. shall fal 546 oght to be shūd vertuous lyfe also practyzed 277. first chief principle therof 390 Paradys 666 Paradys is euerlasting bles 61 Pardons 640 Parricidie of Antichrist 513 Part for inheritaunce 646 Part second of thapocalyps 32 Passion of Christ not feyned 268 Pastours dewtie 113. to watch 104. theyr office toward heretiks 53◠Patmos the Ile 28 Paulus Samosatenus 245 Peas and quietnes in the church regarded 29 Pelagians confuted 640 Pelagius doctryn 247 Penauns 55. 55 Peny sign a great prys 189 Perdicion is not to adnihilate 344 Perfytnes and imperfytnes in saints 104 Perfytnes in non 110 Pergamos churche 71. Seat of satan 74 Permission of God 185. 532. c. Persecutions premonished 303. from whens they cum 323. by the Dragon 364. by the Romains ten 379. by Antichrist 309. 321. maketh not a martyr 77. of the churche 193. causes therof 195. when they shal end 451. shall neuer ceas till the worlds end 584. theyr tyme is short 202 Persecutors set on by the Deuill 68 Perseuerās 119. in godlines 118 in faith 319 Persons thrie 180 Persons of the trinity discerned 20 Pestilens or plage 191. 43 Peter heretik 268 Peters seat is heuen 490 Petrarch of Rome 537 Phocas emperour made the Pope head of churches 519 Philadelphia a citie of Lydia 111 Philosophers patriarks of heretiks 243 Phrase of scripture 45 Pictures of the last iudgement 584 People compared to waters 524 Peoples office toward heretiks 53 Pillers figure of treuth 286 Pillers erectīg to what end 120 inscripcion 12 Pipin captain of the frēch kings garde 430. begins to rein 435 is author of the Popes kyngdum 409 Pit bottumles 252 Plages 320. 191. theyr cause 481 Pleasures what they brynge 538 Pleasurs of Rome 551. c. Pledges of Christ 564 Poderes a priestly garment 35 Poks
117 Ten hornes 524 Ten tymes for often 68 Ten number for many 518 Tents of saints for the churche 611. afflicted 616 Testimony of christ 125. 572. c. Testimony is syncere preaching 322 Thanks geuing for victory 340 Thanks geuing praiers 237 Theft and his parts 281 Third number for strength 495 Thirst for ardaunt desyr 640 This is my bodi figuratiu spiech 45 Thoghtz knowen only to God 96 Thomas an Inglish preacher 604 Thousand yeres 593. 601 Thretningz of Christ 57 Threatningz against the impenitent 82 Throon signifieth c. 141 Throon of God 136 Thunders .vij. preachers 288 Thunderbolt of the Pope 399 Thyatira described 86 Title of thapocalyps 13 Torment maketh not martyrz 77 Torments of the wicked perpetuall 582 Totila brent Rome 528 Tradicions of men 97. nothyng niedful 118. 673. 99. 100. 390. bring darknes 207 Traian persecutor 194 Translators of the script 533. c Transubstantiacion is called god Mayzim 609 Treading vnder foot 309 Trew religion corrupted 205 Treuth figured by pillers 286 Treuth of Christ 112 Treuth neglected all misery foloweth 190 Treuth of the Gospel most heynous to impugn 584 Treuth is not to be kept in sylēs 368 Treuth alwaies preached 183 Treuth had euer sum patrons 600 Treuth in Polycarpz opinion 63 Tribulacion of diuers sorts 229 Tribut of a dead man 550 Trinitie 163. described 145. distincted into persons 14 Tries sign men 243 Trouble in churchs 51 Troubles and tumultes authors 206 Trumpets vse 241 Trustines of the Thyatirenians 88 Tryall or temptacion of Saints 68 Tumultes 206 Turks imagin bankets in heuen 136 Turks aid pernicious 275 Turkes receyue the religion of Mahomet 270 Turkish emperours beginning 273 Turning to God proffitable 3◠Two number 312. c Tym certain for vncertain 310. 326 Tym past for tym to cum 535 Tym tyms and half a tym 314 Tyranny of Antichrist 513 Tyranny of the Bish of Rome 425 V Valentinians heretiks 244 Vandals inuade Rome 527 Vengeauns of God figured by fyer 467 Vengeauns of God against Papists 464. 468 Vengeauns is desyred ij waies 200 Vengeauns reioysed at 553 Vertew we haue hoolly of God 153 Verteuz rewarde 108 Vertuous lyfe necessary hatred only of papistry other heresye is not inough 277 Vial a cup. 169 Vicar of Christ 253. niedeth not 35 Vicar Christ neuer appointed 389 Vicar of Christ no trew church hath 441 Victory of Christ and christians 358 Victory of the faithfull 136. 119 Victory of preachers is spiritual 317 Victories and felicitye of thys world 274 Victory of ouer the world 100 Violent vocacion 129 Virgins 443 Visions vtilitie 2 Visions of thapocalyps diuided 11 Visions godly terrible to weak naturs 40 Vision second 138. 140. third 347. fourth 470 Vnbeleuers 642 Vnderstanding of man is weak 228 Vncleannes hated of God 82 Vncleannes of hordum peruers doctryn 512 Vnction or anointing 316. c. Vngodlines or wickednes must be hated not permitted or winked at 90 Vnity of God with man 135. 136 Vnitie of faith shal neuer be vniuersall as sumthink 606 Vniuersall Bishop 251 Vntil put for euer 604 Vocatiō of ministers diuers 300 Vocation violent 129 Voluptuousnes 538 Voluptuousnes of Rome 551 Voluptuousnes of the papists 308 Vomiting out of mungrels 127 Voyce of Christ 37 Voyce lowd or low to prais god withall 176 W Wagis of euery one 343 Walles of the heuenly citie 650 Wantunnes figured by wemens lokz 262 Wantūnes vnclennes 81. look mor in fornication and adultry Wars occasioned by the Deuell 185 Wars are bicause men receiue not the gospell 186 Wars moued by Popes 484 Wars betwen Popes Emperors lasted 200. yeres 419 Wars of heretiks 243. 244. c. Wars of the holy land 611. 612. 613. c. did hurt 598 Warfar and victory of Christiās 119 Warm lewk 126 Warnings that God vseth 134 Was and is not 515. 518. Water of lyfe 638. c. 668 Water into blud grace into punishment 319 Water in abundans sign a sea of all illes 365 Water for doctryn 483 Waters kingdūs dispersed 524 Waters sign people 442 Watching exhorted 497 Weak in faith ordred a right 51. 52 Weapons of preachers Gods word 317 Wel of lyfe 638 Welth of Rome cōpared to Euphrates 492 Wemen prophets 91 Whyt aray 108 Whyt color 182 Whyt stoon is remission of sinnez 84 Wicked oght to be hated with a holy hatred and in no wis nourished or wenkt at 79 Weping of the ignoraunt 159 Will frye 129 Wil of man what it helpeth to saluacion 694 Wildernes figure of the Gentils 353 Wildernes for heithennes gentilesm 508 Wildernes Christ is in 213 Winning of brethern how 115 Winged locusts 263 Wishing perteined only to ministers 19 Witnes of Christ 125 Witnesses Apostles 573 Witnesses figure ministers 313 Witch craft .280 of Rome 557 Wo wo wo. 249 Wo third 336 Woman Pope 507 Womā figure of the church 348 Woman precher prohibited 91 Worde of God beginning of repentauns 105 Word of god Christ al one 579 Word of God is tryed gould 130 is sweet and better 302 Word of God and faith are not without the holy ghost 219 Word of God contemned cause of all misery 190 Word of God broght in doubt by the Pope as by the Deuell at the first in paradise 390 Word of Christ contemned 38 Word of Christ what 114. how it is kept 114 Word of paciens and of the crose 117 World figured by the sea 473 World is not euerlasting 500 World shal be renewed 631 Worlds end at hand 295 World frail as glas 147 Worldlinges 124 Wounds of Antechrist healed 395 Wrytings 636 Wryting of the scripturs to what end 567. 31. Wryting why it is vsed 45◠Wullen cloth of Laddicea 123 Wunders and monsters 435 Wurks taken for heel conuersacion of men in words dieds both 104 Wurks of the faithfull 462 Wurkes shall we be iudged by 625 Wurks good of God il of the Deuell 373 Wurks of mens hands 279 Wurks of Christ in opposition to the wurks of men 100 Wurks must be preached in the church 640 Wurks of euery man rewarded accordingly by God 96 Wurinwud 245 Wourshipping signified by falling down 168 Wourship God only 340. 450. 573. no creature 175 Wurship of God is not ingould siluer 510. c. is partly praies 168. externall and in spirit 153 lawfull and vnleful 645. of Idols 644. c. of aungels and Saintes 678. of the Deuel 279 Wurthynes of saints 108 Wurthines figured by wynges 263 Wurthines we haue all of God 153 Wyn new in old bottels 126 Wyn fat figure of hel 468 Wynd in the script 214 Y Yers thre and a half 310 Z Zeal godly 55 Zeal feruent against heresies necessary 86 Zeal and feruentnes remedy of warmnes or neutralitie 133 FINIS RITHMI E VETVSTO CODICE DESCRIPTI Romanum quendam cognomento Lefranco taxantes PRopter Sion non tacebo Sed ruinas Romae flebo Quoadusque iusticia Nobis rurfus oriatur Et vt lampas accendatur Iustus
in ecclesia Sedet vilis in luto Princeps facta sub tributo Quod solebam dicere Romam esse derelictam Desolatam afflictam Expertus sum opere Vidi vidi caput mundi Instar maris profundi Vorax guttur siculi Ibi mundum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibi sorbet aurum Crassus Et argentum seculi Ibi latet Scilla rapax Et Charibdis auri capax Potius quam nauium Ibi pugna galearum Et conflictus piratarum Id est Cardinalium Syrtes insunt huic profundo Et Syrenes toti mundo Minantes naufragium Os hominis foris patet In oculis cordis latet In forme demonium Habes iuxta rationem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfranconem Ne me credas friuolum Ibi duplex mare feruet A quo non est qui reseruet Sibi valens obulum Ibi-venti colliduntur Ibi panni submerguntur Byssum Ostrum Purpura â—bi mundus sepeditur 〈◊〉 totus dâ—gâ—â—itur Aâ— France 〈◊〉 Franco nulli miseretur Nullum sexum reueretur Nulli parcit homini Omnes illuc dona ferunt Illuc enin ascenderunt Tribus tribus domini Canes scyllae possunt dici Veritatis inimici Aduocati curiae Qui latrando falsa fingunt MerguÌ„t simul coÌ„fringunt Carmina pecuniae Iste probat se legistam Iste vero decretistam Iudicem Gelasium Ad probandam questionem Hic intendit actionem Regendorum finium Vti reum prosequatur Hic Charibdis debaccatur Idem cancellaria Ibi nemo gratus gratis Nulli datur absque datis Gratiarum gratia Plumbum quod hic informatur Super aurum dominatur Et massam argenteam Aequitatis phantasia Sedet teste Zoecharia Super Bullam plumbeam Qui sunt Syrtes Syrenes Qui sermone blando lenes Attrahunt Bysantium Speciem praetendunt leuitatis Sed Charibdi parcitatis Superant marsupium Dulci cantu blandiuntur Vt Syrenes loquuntur Primo quaedam dulcia Frater bene te cognosco Certe nihil ate posco Nam tu es de Francia Terra vestra bene cepit Et benigne nos excepit In portu concilij Nostri estis nostri cuius Sacrosancte sedis huius Spirituales filij Ita dicunt Cardinales Ita solent dij carnales In primis allicere Sic Iustillaim fel draconis Et in fine lectionis Coguntrursum vomere Tales regunt Petri nauem Tales habent Petri clauem Ligandi potentiam Hi nos docent sed indocti Hi nos docent sed nox nocti Indicat scientiam Cardinales vt praedixi Nouo iure crucifixi Vendunt patrimonium Foris Petrus intus Nero Iulus Lupi foris vero Sicut agni ouium In galea sedet vna Mundi lues importuna Camelos deglutiens Inuoluta Cameleo Cuncta vorat sicut Leo Rapulus rugiens Hic pyratis principatur Et Iohannes nuncupatur Sedens in insidijs Ventre grosso lota cute Grande monstruÌ„ nec virtute Sed totum cinctum vicijs Maris huius non est dea Thetis mater Achillea De qua sepe legimus Imo vero Carlmorum Sancta soror loculorum Quam nâ—s bursam dicimus Nam si bursa detumescit Surgunt venti mare crescit Et Carina deperit Sic a ventis circumlata Et a scopulis vexata periculo suberit Et occurrunt cautes rati Donec omnes sunt priuati Tam nuÌ„mis quam vestibus Tum securus fit viator Quia nudus cantator Fit coram latronibus Quod si verum placet scribi Duo portus tamen ibi Due tamen insulae Ad quas licet applicari Et iacturam reparari Confracte nauiculae Petrus enim papiensis Qui electus est Meldensis Portus recte dicitur Nam cum mare fluctus tolliâ— Ipse solus mare mollit Et ad ipsum fugitur Est ibi maior portus Foetus ager florens hortus Pietatis Balsamum Alexander ille meus Meus inquam cui det Deâ— Paradisi thalamum Ille fouet litteratos Omnis mali incuruatos Si posset cerneret Verus esset cultor Dei Nisi latus Olisei Giesi corrumperet Sed mo rursus in boc mari Ne contingat naufragari Dictis finem faciam Quia dum securuseo Ne submergar ori meo Posui custodiam FINIS SERMONS OF HENRI BVLLINger vpon the Apocalipse reuealed to the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn ☞ Of the authour of the boke of Apocalipse of the argument and partes therof Finally of the sondry vse and moste profitable commoditie of the same ¶ The first Sermon THe Prophetes of God of the olde Testament What wer the old prophets and their doctrine were God his messengers to the people expositours of Moyses or of Gods lawe and euen ecclesiastical preachers which applied the doctrine taken out of the lawe of God to the people and tymes wherin they liued to thedifiyng of Congregations And they al with one â—ccorde haue chiefly handled two thinges in their SermoÌ„s For first theâ— haue reproued the corrupt maners of al states â—n their tyme alledging the rule and prescript of Gods law And exhorting all men to repentaunce vnto God moste acceptable And to many that were vncurable they threatened all kynde of plages which they setting forth with all beauâ—ie of speache shewed them plainly to be sene with the eye if â—aply they myght so be made afrayd and healed Secondly â—hey promysed and set forth by the mouth of God the Lord Christ the true Messias Whom also they described liuely â—nd with all his holy churche teaching the faith in Christ â—oth what good thinges are prepared for the faithfull in Christ And also what be the true duties of pietie godlines Neither haue they concealed suche thinges as were nedefull â—o be knowen of Antichrist Admonishing vs most dilligeÌ„tly â—hat we should beware of that wolfe or rather the most depe â—ongeon of all abominations and that we should stand fast â—n the sincere faith of Christ c. I haue taken vpoÌ„ me through the help of God and your â—rayers to expouÌ„d vnto you the Apocalipse The Apocalipse which is a docâ—rine concerning the matters of Christes churche reuealed â—rom heauen of Christ in glory and a som of all godly religion an exposition and brief declaration of the Prophetes a prophecie of the newe Testament and story of the church Howbeit forasmuche as this booke is dispised of maâ— good and well learned men and for that all men for 〈◊〉 most part ar fully perswaded that it is an vnprofitable boâ— I wyll speake here somwhat of the same matter This boke is full of figures First many abhorre this boke for this cause only that is full of visions types and figures for they suppose hoâ— this becometh not the Euangelicall and Apostolicall dâ—trine of the newe Testament But by the same meane a goâ— part of Daniell should be cast away Whiche neuertheleâ— is commended to vs of Christ hymselfe in Mathewe Math. 24. 〈◊〉 greatest matter of all namely the callyng of the Gentils shewed to S.
God but of Sathan inspireth lyes iuggelinges disceiptes blasphemies fyres and deathes Therfore let it not greue thee at this daye â—n case it be thy fortune to be condemned for the Gospell of those that call them selues moste holy moste shining moste reuerent and most irreprehensible Prelates and Patrones of the olde churche religion and catholique faith whiche haue on their syde counselles fathers so many successions of Bishoppes the prescript of so long time and consent of so many Realmes They be nothynge lesse than that they desyre to be called But rather the champions of Antichriste and the professed ennemies and treaders vnder feete of all christen pietie For whome is prepared euerlasting destruction After this he putteth an exhortation and a consolation moste euident before the whiche setting also the sonne Feare not he sayth feare nothyng of all that thou shalt suffer The sonne of God hym selfe feared the crosse and death and it is a naturall thyng to feare euilles and death Therfore we are not commaunded that we shoulde non be men and that lyke â—toickes we shoulde saye howe the same thynges greue vs not whiche neuerthelesse tourment vs exceadingly but â—he faithfull are incouraged that they should stande strong â—n the fayth neyther that they should doe any thyng vnworâ—hy the same for feare of punishement We be therfore comâ—aunded boldly and cherely to contemne or suppresse feare â—nd to craue strength by the spirite of God and to exercise it 〈◊〉 temptations There followe reasons He prophecieth the euilles to come wherby he may obteine that he â—ath perswaded may confirme comforte and exhorte them 〈◊〉 pacience and constancie He prophecieth therfore to the Godly what thing they shall suffer And toucheth also the â—hird kynde of affliction imprisonment and bondes vnder â—hiche we vnderstande all punishementes wherby our boâ—ies are tourmented But to be warned before of the euill is great benefite We are more easely ouercome of vnprouiâ—ed perilles And therfore the Lorde in the Gospell after S. â—ath the .x. Chapt. and after Iohn in the xv and .xvi. Chapters â—lleth his disciples of many euilles that should come vnto them and addeth therto These thinges haue I spoken to you that when the tyme shall come ye myght remembrâ— them that I haue tolde you before So nowe also faithfully warneth the faithfull in this Epistle The deuil afflicted the faithfull And he toucheth the authour of these euilles saying Thâ— Deuill wyll cast some of you into pryson Therfore we perceiue that those euillies arise of the commoÌ„ ennemy of mankynde and of the saluation of the faythfull Wherof we may coniecture that he goeth about to intercept our saluation and that we ought therfore to stande more earstly agaynst hym The souldiours when they heare that their olde ennemy is at hande waxe not sluggyshe but cherefull But the Deuyll inspireth euill men corrupteth Princes and Magâ—strates whiche attempte persecution against the churche Sâ— we reade that Sathan afflicted Iob that is to haue prouâ—ked the Chaldeis and Sabeis to kill his seruauÌ„tes and driâ—â— away his cattell Here therfore they may see with what sâ—â—rite they are incouraged whiche at this daye persecute tâ— churche of Christ for the profession of the veritie The Goâ—ly haue that whiche may comfort them For they heare thâ— the same filthie beast is set against them whiche so oft beâ— vanquyshed of Christ the Prince of the faithfull and of tâ— faithfull through Christes ayde may without any difficulâ— be ouercome And verely the Lorde permitteth to the Deâ—â— and deuelyshemen power ouer his seruauntes If thou mâ—uell why Chende of afflictions heare That you may be tempted God permitteâ— not his to Sathan that they should peryshe but that tâ—â— should be tempted and tried Therfore to a good ende are 〈◊〉 deliuered to the fyre that we might be pourged from our thines that the vertu of our faith mought shine and Gâ—â— might be glorified and we made the purer Who therfâ— wyll hereafter be impatient when we heare that we for tâ— great good are put to euill We reade in the .iii. of Wisdoâ— As golde is tried in the fire so are the faythfull proued Tâ— parable hath S. Peter expounded at large in the .iiii. Chaâ— of the first Epistle The tyme of the afflictions of yeâ—aithfull Where he that wyll may haue it morâ— boundauntly Moreouer the tyme also of tribulation is assigned 〈◊〉 that for ten dayes The tenth nombre signifieth a multituâ— For Iacob sayeth to his father in Lawe Ten tymes haste thou chaunged my wages Genesis .xxxi. and Numeri .xiiii. He sayth he was tempted ten tymes that is often and many tymes Iob also affirmeth hym selfe in the .xxix. chapter To haue bene iniuried ten tymes The Lorde therfore sayth at this present You shal be diuersly and muche molested with euilles Notwithstanding forasmuche as he putteth not monethes yeares nor ages but dayes he prophecieth that the euilles shall not be continuall but that there shall always be spaces be twirte to breathe in verely for the shortnes of persecution firste Esay the .26 Chapter Secondly S. Peter in the first Petri. 1. Do comforte the faithfull It is the parte of the faithfull not to prescribe God But whether we be put to payne a long tyme or shorte to take it patieÌ„tly Let vs thinke rather that in the long continuaunce of euilles there is some ende also forsene of the Lorde And that in the same tyme of breathing we muste repare the euylles and retourne vnto battell Laste Promesse of lyfe are the Godly incouraged by a moste ample and large promyse in the whiche is also included the fourth and moste greuouse kind of affliction also the bitter death it selfe through fyre halter sword water c. But in case thou be not affraide of death but vanquishing it also shall offer vp thy selfe vnto God than wil I geue thee saith the Lord a crown of life Hereunto is annexed the state of the Epistle and some of all Therfore be thou faithfull cherefull constant euen to the very death For the Lorde saith also in the Gospel Who so perseuereth to the end he shal be saued And we reade that the Apostel hath sayd if we die with Christ we shal liue with hym And truely the crowne of lyfe is none other thynge than eternall lyfe and that euerlasting celestiall and vnspeakeable ioye And the Lorde alluded to conflictes after the whiche luckely finished the victours are crowned Blessed is the man sayth the Apostle S. Iames that suffereth temptation because that when he shall be tried he shall receyue a crowne of lyfe whiche the Lorde hath promysed to those of whome he is loued Lyke thynges hath the Apostle S. Paul wrytten also in the first to the Corinthians the .ix. and in the seconde to Timothee the .iiii. Chapter Therfore let it be harde hereafter for no man to lose this temporal life Wherâ— as the same being lost for Christ we shall receiue eternall life and
For he is said to haue the seuen spirites of God that is to haue the seuen fourmed spirit whom he also powreth out vpon the faithful or els he is one only spirit and not seuen but seuen that is to witte his graces be many and diuerse as I declared in the first chapter for the same hath also in his right hand seuen starres to witte the whole multitude of all preachers and ministers keping and instructing theÌ„ And this beginning agreeth not amisse with this argument which he treateth in this Epistle For of the spirite of Christ is life Of the want of the spirit death Christ preserueth the ministers how angrie so euer meÌ„ ar in the churche with theÌ„ for accusing their wickednes Priuely therfore he warneth them to craue the spirite to norishe the lyfe spirituall And to trust in Christe which wil defende the ministers and auaunce them After the same that he testifieth in all other Epistles he repeateth here also I knowe thy workes Wherof I haue spoken before The Loâ—de is ignoraunt of nothyng that is done in the churche whiche is also the searcher of hartes And especially he blameth this in this Churche The sickenes of this church that she thought her selfe a lyue where she was dead He speaketh not of the corporall but of the spirituall lyfe and death For Christe lyueth by his spirite in his sainctes and faythfull and sheweth lyuely workes by them Lyke as the Lorde teacheth in the .vi. of Iohn and in many other places of the Gospel of S. Iohn The Apostle said also that he liued not now Galat. 2 1 Tim. 5 but that Christ liued in him The same Apostle said that wydowes liuing in waÌ„tones being aliue were dead They be dead therfore which haue not Christ liuing in theÌ„ by faith spirit Which haue not the vertue of Christ workyng in theÌ„ that is which bringeth not forth liuely workes Math. 8 For the Lord is red to haue said also in the Gospel Suffer the dead to bury their dead The Sardensians therfore had the name of men liuing that is to say they were called Christians spirituall regenerated and holy worshippers of God but they were dead to witte hipocrites in whome no spirite nor Christen life appered The fleshe the world and corruption as yet liued in theÌ„ But such churches displease Christ There be many suche at this day But whether doth Christ reiect them Verely he blameth such but not to confounde them for so the worlde blameth but that they should repent For he willeth not the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue And therfore consequently he prepareth a medicine for the disease A medicine prepared for the sicknes And first he prescribeth to the starres or Byshops what they should do in this case Then telleth he also the whole coÌ„gregation their dutie Wherof we learne howe like diseases of churches are to be holpen That beloÌ„geth to the Pastours that he commaunded them to watche verely ouer the flock And to confirme that remained of the flock not yet in dede lost but next vnto perdition vnlesse it be holpeÌ„ in time with sound and holsome doctrine He alluded doubtles to that cure and charge pastorall whiche the Lorde describeth in the xxxiiii chapt of Ezechiel The flock is confirmed by the word of God by the same it is retyred from death and preserued in lyfe c. The workes of that church not ful before God Now also he addeth the reason why he commaundeth to confirme the flocke least they slyde in to death For I haue not found thy workes full or perfit before God The Greke copie Complutensian and Aretas haue my God By workes he vnderstaÌ„deth al things that are done wordes works and the whole conuersation of men The workes doubles euen of Sainctes be euermore vnperfit if we haue respecte to humane imbecillitie For always so long as we lyue here the flesh fighteth against the spirite In so muche that Iob sayd how he feared all his workes and therfore fled to the clemeÌ„cie of the iudge Notwithstanding they be perfit and full in respect of Christ For he is our fulnes and in hym we are coÌ„plete Iohn 1. Ephes 1. Coloss the 12. And he maketh vs pertakers of his fulnes by faythe They of Sardis were destitute of trewe fayth wherfore euery worke of theirs muste nedes be vnperfit before God whiche alloweth nothinge but that is of the sonne and moste pure Therfore the Lorde coÌ„maundeth to teache faith diligently and beate it in that they maye bâ— made perfit in Christe This is the beste medicine for the deadly disease of Christes churche Here followeth the dutie of the people The true apostolike repentauÌ„ce how they may be healed by the apostolicall repentaunce Whereof the chiefe poincte is to remember the lordes wordes in what we haue hearde and receiued the same We are not commaunded to diuise newe formes of religion and repentaunce but we are sent to the olde tradition not of men but the which we haue in the Scriptures of Euangelistes and Apostles These I saye we oughte to remembre For throughe custome of sinning we forget Gods worde And truely the beginnyng of Peters repentaunce was to haue remembred the wordes of the Lorde Therfore such as will not be reproued and instructed by gods worde shall neuer come to or attayne the trewe repentaunce Furthermore it is necessarie that we kepe and reteyne the wordes of God that is the trewe doctrine of Christ leeste we forget it streight wayes or that we sette it in vayne contemplation and not in effectuall worke The doctrine of Christ must be kept and perfourmed in worke For in the laste place it followeth and repente Trew repentauÌ„ce consisteth in worke that in minde body we should tourne awaie from euil and tourne vnto God and do good beyng sorie for our wicked dedes paste this is the trewe Apostolicall repentaunce Vnto the whiche repentaunce nowe By threatninges he exhorteth to repentaunce after the diuine prophetical apostolical maner he draweth theÌ„ by the threatnings Whiche are in dede to be referred aswell to the ministers as to the people in the congregation Againe the Lord vseth parables whiche we reade that he vsed in S. Matth. 24. Where with the same he exhorteth to watchyng sobrietie Whiche place sins it is there expounded at large I nede not to vse many wordes aboute it here To the Lorde be prayse and thankes geuyng for euermore ¶ He alloweth and commendeth those that couet to liue godly in the Churche of Sardis exhorting them that they would so holde on and procede The .xvi. Sermon BVt thou haste a fewe names in Sardis whiche haue not defiled their garmentes And they shall walke with me in white for they are worthie He that ouercometh shall be clothed in white araye and I will not put out his name out of the boke of life And I will confesse his name before my Father
not had or shal haue but he hath now For he alone hath this power which he cōmunicateth with no man els The Pope of Rome lieth whiche sayeth that he hathe this power The only sonne of God excelleth in this prerogatiue Keyes geuen to the Apostles Thapostles as ministers and preachers haue receyued the keyes of knoweledge and of vtteraunce of learning instruction and introduction by the whiche also in threatening they exclude infidels out of the kingdome of God binde them in their sinnes almightie God whiche hath the highe power ratifiyng the iudgement of the minister whiche he pronounced not of him self but of Christes wordes But these thinges agree righte well with those that follow of the opened dore which no man can shut and so to the whole matter For now the Lorde procedeth to tell what he would And as he hathe sayed in all epistles he repeteth in this also that he knoweth al things of this and of al other congregations And he commendeth so the perseueraunce in faithe in this congregation Thou hast no power that he signifieth with all that the same also did procede of the grace of Christ Thou haste sayeth he litle power and as it were no force and strēgth which this world regardeth as power riches wordly wisedom lucky successe plentie of frendes and such other like things Therfore thou canste attribute nothing to thy selfe nothinge to thine owne strength not so much as this that thou arte a churche that the veritie of the gospell is freely preached with thee I haue set before thee an open dore For I set opē this dore And by my strength I kepe open the same that no man can shut the same dore to witte the preachinge and grace ones graunted by any meanes to prohibite let or take away To open the dore is a cōmon phrase of speaking vsed of thapostle in the 1. to the Corinth 16. and the 2. Corinth the 2. He openeth the dore whiche geueth an occasion and prepareth the waye to enter in By the worde therefore was opened the dore of life The faithful might enter in the infidels coulde not stoppe this waye For the hande of Christe helde the dore open And these thinges in dede do declare No mā cā shut the dore whereof it is that in cities townes and villages not greatly furnished with any force or power the course of the gospel procedeth with so lucky successe And where many go about by layng waite craftes and policies threateninges and persecutions to shut the dore they cā not These things are not done through our cunning wisedome but of the grace of God Howbeit if any man list to vnderstand those thinges and such as follow herafter peculiarly of the pastour or bishop of the church I wil not be against it For where he was hūble and instruct with no worldly wisedome yet furnished with God his grace he opened the waye of saluation which now they coulde not shut vp as many as soughte to abrogate the preaching of the gospel The vertue of Christ kept him And nowe more expressely he preacheth or cōmendeth the faithfull constauncie in faithe of the pastour congregation The commendation of perseueraunce in faythe Thou hast kept saieth he my worde and hast not denied my name When the Lorde opened the dore lighted the candel gaue heauenly giftes the pastour with the congregation receiued them and receiued kepte thē and so kept denied them not nother trode thē vnder foote This is an excellent praise Would God there were many such churches founde at this daie Here mayest thou learne also O thou church of Christ here maye you learne all and singular what is the duty of pastours of the churche and of all and singular godly men and women Thy merite was none at all God of his grace shone vnto thee Thy worthines was non thy desert power nor authoritie Christe of his mercy hath reuealed him selfe vnto thee Imbrace him therefore that offereth him selfe to thee holde fast and neuer at any time let him go c. The word of Christ is to be kepte And note that the Lord sayeth my worde not euery mans worde but mine What the worde of Christ is it is knowen to al men For that which is written in the Gospel and first in dede by the Prophetes and after by the Apostles was set forth in holy writte is the worde of christ It is not Christes worde that striueth with the same although it be set forth by Counsels and holy fathers Christe doeth not acknowledge that worde he acknowledgeth his for his owne And this must be obserued and kept The word of Christ is obserued what time it is not corrupted with additions The word of Christ is kepte howe detractions and wrastinges but in case it be kepte sincere in his naturall sense It is not kepte when it is corrupted or depraued with mens inuentions and peruerse interpretations The worde of Christ is kepte when it is cōmended not with the mouth alone but is also expressed with godly workes in the whole life beautified with holines It is not obserued when with out repentaunce men liue most filthily Finally the word of Christ is obserued kept when it is not with any lothesomnesse of ours or impatiēce cast awaye denied forsaken And therfore he annereth incōtinently and thou hast not denied my name I haue spoken els where largely of confessing and deniyng of Christes name These things verely did the Philadelphiās with these vertues through faith pleased the lord By these also maye we cōmende our selues to our Sauiour The Lord conuerteth thenemies vnto the churche Furthermore the Lord sheweth with how great a reward he would honour that constauncie of the godly in faithe Ye haue nowe sayeth he many enemies by reason of your pure religion but in case ye thus holde one I wil cause that those same enemies shal become your frēdes and finally fellowes of your religion In so muche that they that haue hitherto condemned you for wicked doers and heretikes shal come vnto you with great humilitie to axe you forgeuenes ready to receiue your religion to worship him whome they haue blasphemed And they shall come in moste humble wise and with the greatest humilitie that maye be For so sayed Esaye before that it shoulde so come to passe in 49. chap. wherunto the Lord alluded at this present In the meane season he toucheth the Iewes the singular enemies of the sayth False Iewes whom he calleth the Sinagoge of Sathan For their teacher was none other but the Deuill as in dede they haue no better at this daye He calleth them false Iewes and liars For neyther they confessed the Lorde nor glorified god nor beleued in Christ their Messias But they that are Iewes in dede be not suche as the Apostle S. Paull saied in the 2. Chapter to the Romans The power of God cōstreyned many of them forsaking their
Iewishenesse to goe to the Christen religion Therefore if we couet or goe about to reteyne also in our Churches the pure worde of God Howe congregatiōs maye be kepte to receiue our enemies humble we shall not atteyne to these thinges by warres or wronges by raylyng and approbriouse wordes but by constaunte faith But if eyther we professe our faith not purely or beautifie not the same with vertues what maruell is it though enemies abide enemies still and continewe to hate vs euery daie more haynously than other and at length oppresse vs and extinguishe the lighte of God his worde with many let vs learne dere bretherne by godlynes constancie and holines to winne our bretherne The Lord Iesus graunt vs his grace to perfourme the same ¶ He exhorteth them to perseuer in the true fayth propoundyng most ample rewardes The .xviij. Sermon ANd they shall knowe that I haue loued thee because thou hast kept the wordes of my patience therefore will I kepe thee from the houre of temptacion whiche wil come vpon all the worlde to tempte them that dwell vpon the earthe beholde I come shortely Holde fast that thou hast that nomā take awaye thy crowne To kepe the worde of Christ An excellent vertue is commended in the congregation of Philadelphia that they haue kepte the worde of Christ not euery worde but the worde of Christe and haue not denied it And he hath begonne to rehearse moste large rewardes whiche bothe he hath geuen to this church and is also ready to geue to any other like in the zeale of godly religion For we are allured by rewardes Enemies are made frendes Firste I will conuerte sayeth he thine enemies that they may be made thy frendes bretherne that cōming into the congregation they maye worship Christ whome they haue blasphemed hitherto yea that they shal submit them selues hūbly lowely As we reade of S. Paull which in the 15. chapt of the 1. epistle to the Corinthians sayeth that he is vnworthie to be called an Apostle c. And this is a wonderfull benefite For God is glorified by such as are cōuerted the trueth is set forth liyng and superstition are confounded Wherof the Sainctes can not but be exceadingly glad The faythful also are deliuered out of the Deuils clawes and are saued The church of God beloued Than followeth an other benefite of God Thenemies of God shal know finde that the church and euery mēbre of the same be the wel beloued children of God Thenemies of the church suppose the faithful to be wicked gods enemies heretikes churchrobbers hated of god vnworthy to liue But they shal vnderstand that nothing is derer to God than the church as for the which he gaue his sonne which he chose also for his spouse and hath made pertaker of his kingdome Of the loue of god cum vertues But of this loue of God wherby he prouoked by no desertes of ours but of his only grace natiue goodnes hathe ioyned him selfe to the churche al vertues doe procede That chiefly which immediatly followeth that the church hath kept the worde of patiēce The same Iohn in his canonical epistle not that we sayeth he haue loued God but that he hath loued vs c. Therfore where the obseruation of the worde of patience is annexed as the cause of loue it muste be religiousely expoūded that the fauour of god al our giftes be verely of grace but yet that he of the same grace doeth as it were requite and rewarde vs for our paynes Wherof the Sainctes are not proude but humbly acknowledge and preache grace euery where and in al thinges Agayne he cōmendeth the perseueraunce of the faithfull in the true religion Thou hast kept sayeth he What is the worde of patience the worde of my patience The worde of patience is the Gospel of eternal saluation whiche is otherwise called of S. Paull the worde of the crosse and that for two considerations First for bicause he describeth the crosse and patience of Christe wherby we are saued And again he perswadeth vs also to beare the crosse and patiently to suffer with Christe Matth. 16.2 Timoth. 2. Neyther muste any man loke for any perseueraunce of him that is impatient The Lord sayeth in the 12. of Luke in your patience you shal possesse your soules Therfore hath eyther the pastour or the church of Philadelphia kept the worde of patience to witte in reteyning in their hartes the patience of Christ through fayth and in shewyng patience in wordes or saiynges and susteyning muche trauel in body Whiche in dede is the beste waye to kepe churches safe and sounde and euery one of the faythful Let them kepe I saye the worde of Christe his patience and the rest commit to the Lord. For it followeth And I will kepe thee agayne from the houre of temptation c. The houre of temptation The houre of temptation is expoūded two wayes For eyther he speaketh of heresies and of heretikes by whose talke and craftie iuggelynge leudenes and disceiptfulnes is tempted the faythe simplicitie and integritie of the faytheful Wherof the Lorde treateth muche in the 13. Chapter of Deuteronomie Or els he speaketh verely of the persecutions whiche the emperours of Rome haue inflicted emonges whome Traiane a most mightie Prince set forth sore proclamations agaynste the Christians Wherof Plinie also made mention in the 10. boke of Epistles the hōdreth and one But Christ preserued the churche of Philadelphia and kepeth also at this daye the faythfull by his worde and power in the perilles of heretickes and heresies and finally of persecutions also so that the faythfull maye stande sure in all controuersies and receyue nothing of heretikes that is straunge from gods worde and also geue no place in persecutions Christ causeth many times that the burthen of persecution presseth not so heauily Therfore let vs alwayes be constaunt in gods worde and permitte the defence to our Lorde God He wil not neglecte vs c. The Lord helpeth in time But for as muche as in temptations and afflictions the Lord semeth many times to our fleshe to tary ouerlong and in maner to neglect his for we saye the Lord preuenteth and addeth beholde I come shortly Shortly I say that is to say in time not to late nor to hastely The which we saie neither to soone nor to late but in dewe time and season If the lorde therfore shal seme to be ouer slowe dispaire not for he will come timely enough when he shal see it good Doe not thou prescribe vnto him the maner and meane of deliueraunce but abide the Lordes leasure Reade what goodly and holesome thinges S. Paull hath written concernyng this matter in the ende of the 10. chapter to the Hebrewes where a place also out of the 2. Chapt. of Abachuc is alledged Holde fast that thou haste And nowe he exhorteth in fewe but most euident wordes to perseueraunce in
be and be called the sonne not of kyng nor Emperour but of the liuing God But this same noble grace the Lorde graunteth to thē that ouercome In the first of Iohn the .iii. and .v. Victours be citezens of the citie of God Chap. Secondly to the ouercomers is inscribed the name of the citie of God that is to say the Godly man is wrytten in the nōber of the citez ns of the citie of God and is verely a citezen of the citie of God I saye euen of the citie of God It was a great matter in tymes past to be a citezen of Rome But it is farre greater to be a citezen of the citie of God The citezens inioye all priuileges and commodities finally the glory of the citie the church is described what i◠is But this is greater and more than that it can be declared at fewe wordes But the churche is the citie of God And the citie of God is the churche Whiche is here set forth with thre epithetes or titles of the whiche it is easy to iudge what the churche is or what we shuld thinke therof The church is the citie of God For lyke as the citie is the fellowship of citezens Euen so is the churche the communion of sainctes The Prince of thē is Christ the head of the churche The rounde worlde it selfe was a figure of this churche and the very setting vp of the tentes in the middes wherof was sene the Tabernacle a token of the deitie present as it were a cohabiter c. For the Lorde is in the middes of the churche As we haue red in the xxvi of Leuit. And in the .2 to the Corinth the .6 Secondly the churche is called new Hierusalem For the olde was a figure of the newe This corporall churche is new Hierusalē that is to say spirituall Whiche S. Paul also affirmeth in the iiii to the Galath For in the thirde place is expounded that newnes It is not builded of men but cometh downe from heauen aboue For vnlesse we be borne from aboue of spirite and of sede immortall to witte the word of God we can not be members of the churche And we are borne by a spirituall regeneration the children of Christ of the church Wherof the Lorde himselfe discourseth at large in the .iii. of Iohn 1. Petri. 1. And S. Paul the first to the Corinthians the .iii. iiii There shall be more sayd of the new Hierusalem in th end of this boke But of these ye vnderstande what is the churche of Christ the fellowship of the faithfull regenerated by the worde of God c. The viccours get a new name Finally in them that ouercome is wrytten a new name and that in dede the new name of Christe Not only that they should be called Christians of Christ but because the name is a brief description of euery thyng and nature and a newe name is promysed It followeth that we should vnderstande that men shall be renewed chiefly by glorifiyng He promyseth therfore a glorifiyng to the Godly Wherof is spokē els where in the .xvii. of S. Math. 1. Cor. xv Phil. iii. And the first of Iohn the .iii. These most ample rewardes the sainctes may verely loke for if they fight that they may ouercome Hereunto is annexed the wonted acclamation by the whiche both this doctrine is applied and communicated to all churches through out the worlde And is declared that it came not of men as vayne but of the very spirite of God moste true This spirite the Lorde graunt vs. ¶ The Lorde blameth sore the churche of Laodicea The .xx. Sermon AND vnto the Aungell of the congregation which is in Laodices write This saith Amen the faithfull and true witnes the beginning of the creatures of God I know thy workes that thou art nother colde nor hoat I would thou were colde or hoate So then because thou art betwene both and nother colde nor hoate I wyll spew thee out of my mouth Because thou sayst I am riche and increased with goodes and haue nede of nothīg And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable poore blinde and naked The seuenth and last Epistle of our Sauiour Christe The argument of the epistle to the Laodiceās is written by the hand of S. Iohn to the Byshop of Laodicea The same is a great reproche of that people in nothing commendable And neuerthelesse a faithfull admonition or exhortation to repentaunce And after his accustomed maner he signifieth to whome he wryteth and from whom the Epistle procedeth The Epistle is indited of Christ to the Byshop of Laodicea and to the whole congregation Therfore some thing is to be said of the Laodiceans wherby the reste may the better be vnderstande and considered Laodicea the chiefe citie of Caria after Strabo Plinie standeth by the riuer of Lycus Antiochus Theos Laodicea builded the citie and named it after his wyfe It was the welthiest citie of Asia Whiche Vadiane also hath noted in his Epitome It had by makynge of wollen clothe a moste plentifull gayne Vnto whome S. Paule semeth also to haue preached the gospel For he mentioneth of Laodicea from whence also some men thinke he wrote the first Epistle vnto Timothee Colos 4 Certenly it appereth that the Laodiceās had receiued the gospel euen by this Epistle but corruptely For they went about to matche the worlde and the churche together and to ioyne together Christ and Mammon And as it is sayd at this daye The sinne of the Laodiceans Therfore they layd not aside their auarice and their immoderate trafficke to vse moderatly the trade of marchaundise without disceptfulnes no religion doeth forbid and exceading great riot and pride neyther semed they to wante any thing but to haue and seme to haue all thinges for that they were riche Against these mē the Lord inueigheth greuously declaring them to be very miserable and more than nedy plaine beggars For as in the churche of Philadelphia he blamed nothing so in this he commendeth nothing at all Laodicea a figure of many churches at this day You shall finde at this daie many lyke to whome this is common and euer in their mouth I haue learned both to be a gospeller and to be a souldiour to drinke to play the whoremonger and liue at pleasure You shall finde like churches seruing both Christ and Mammon or marchaundise Bacchus Venus and God of battel Both they and al these here are confuted and are called to repentaunce Which argueth that the mercy of God is greatest not forsaking nor reiecting so corrupt churches and men full of so great filthines Wo be to them that cōtemne this vnmeasurable mercy and goodnes of God and long suffering and continewe in their mischiefe The description of Christ Christ is here againe most plentifully described who he is as in the fourmer titles Certes it may be gathered of al that this is the best and moste perfit
to Baal In them hath he a moste strong and moste purified kingdome figured by the firie pillers Certes thapostle calleth the churche a piller and base of veritie .1 Timoth. 2. And Christ him self also sayeth that his kingdome in the world is vnmouable howe so euer it be assayled of Antichriste The gates of hel shal not preuaile agaynst it and his church And like as Antichrist coueteth to haue the boke of the gospel shutte and closed obscure and vnperfit The Angel holdeth in his hand a boke open so the lord Christ holdeth the boke open in his hande He openeth and no man shutteth You vnderstaÌ„d therfore wherof it cometh that Antichrist although he be of moste great power can not at this day shut the gospel boke which he seketh with al his force to do Of christ his spirite we haue the word bright clere By the grace of Christ we haue the bright preaching of the gospel coÌ„trariwise a darke an intricate sophistrie of Antichrist of this boke shal follow herafter more pleÌ„tiâ—ul thinges Herunto apperteineth the worthie inuention and godly benefite of Printing neuer coÌ„mended enough This openeth bokes Printing and sendeth them abroade into the world in dispite of all the enemies of Gods veritie and scattereth them abroade in euery corner of the world So that they whiche can not heare preachers to them come godly bokes not without fruicte The sownde of Antichristes winges The Angel roareth like a lion is as the noise of charettes when many horses runne into battel therefore Christ also maketh a noise and crieth in dede with a lowde voice S. Iohn addeth a parable He roareth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he loweth which is asmuch as if he had sayed he roareth For Erasmus perauenture saieth he the Grekes kepe not the difference betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the latines doe betwene Rugire and Mugire that is to roare to lowe as a Lion We haue hearde before how Christ is called a lion of the tribe of Iuda Therfore like as when a lioÌ„ reareth as Amos noteth in the .3 chap. Al are affrayed of themselues so when the Lord Christ crieth by his word al the wicked are amased Wherby is signified that the gospell shal be preached agaynst Antichrist constantly and with Authoritie to the terrour of Gods enemies And doubtlesse although the princes aswel spirituall as temporall seme to contemne and vtterly to dispise the preaching of the Gospell yet is it certayne by many tokens and coniectures that they are excedingly fore affrayed of that preachyng whiche as vile they dispise For they indeuour with all force of minde and herunto applye all theyr counselles that thei might abolish that same preaching But in case thei suppose it to be of no force whie are they so affraied therof whie are they at so great charges whie can they neuer be at rest herunto apperteineth the common prophecie which telleth that whilest antichrist reigneth Helias shal come which with a sharpe liuely manly preaching shal confute the triflings of Antichrist Therefore the spirite of Helias and his ernest preachyng is that roarynge of the Lion whiche roareth out Christes veritie The voyces of the seuen thoÌ„ders And as soone as that roaryng was hearde the seueÌ„ thonders vtter also theyr voyces By the which voyces are signified the sondry graces of the holy ghost and chiefly the terrible preachyng out of the veritie of the canonicall scriptures as appered in the .4 chapt of this boke For with the gospel in the latter ages shal be expounded agayne the Scripture of the prophetes whiche semeth as it were to thonder agaynst Antichrist agaynst sinnes and wicked people Verely Iames and Iohn bretherne and Apostles of Christ of the free plaine ernest preachyng of the trueth are called of the lorde Boanerges that is the sonnes of thonder thonderers that is to witte excellently sharpe in preaching and to be feared He is forboden to write the voices of thoÌ„ders he is coÌ„maunded to seale them And S. Iohn would by and by haue written the voices oâ— preachyng of the thonders but he is forbidden so to do bâ—â— is coÌ„mauÌ„ded to seale them only For sins the holy scripture through the inspiration of the holy ghost was writteÌ„ and 〈◊〉 forth already by the seruauntes of God the Prophetes and Apostles what nede were it to wryte and set it forth againe Those thinges are sufficient for the godly that are written Therof maye the preachers take vnto theÌ„ agaynst Antichrist and al sectes thonderinges lightenings and thonderboltes And where he is coÌ„maunded to seale vp the thinges set forth already it alludeth to the laste chapt of Daniel and that sealyng is referred aswell to the godly as vngodly Sealed letters are doubtles of most authoritie S. Iohn therfore by his sealyng maketh not now the Scriptures authenticall but in sealyng them declareth that they are authenticall enough so to the full scriptures no godly man goeth about eyther to adde or diminish Thus I saye the Scriptures are sealed to the godly as to theÌ„ that are most perswaded that the scriptures are most perfit and Authentical which may most fully suffice in the church for trewe pietie against all vngodlynes Where the wicked will not see this seke not for al thinges of godly religion in the Scriptures nother care greatly for the scriptures what maruell is it though the Scriptures be sealed to them that is shutte vp whiche they neyther greatly care for nother vnderstand nor yet wil vnderstande And on this wise is Christ sette against Antichrist and recouereth agayne his church discomfiteth and subdeweth Antichrist to whom be malediction for euer ¶ The Lord Christ perfourmeth an othe and confirmeth his electe that they should not doubt of the fayth of Gods promesses c. The .xliiij. Sermon ANd the Angel which I sawe staÌ„de vpon the sea and vpon the earth lift vp his hande to Heauen and swore by him that liueth for euer more whiche created heauen and the things which therin are and the sea and the thinges which are therin that there shal be no more time but in the daies of the voice of the seuenth Angell when he shal beginne to blowe euen the mistery of God shal be finisshed as he preached by his seruauntes the Prophetes But whilest the wicked triuÌ„phed and thenemies of God Antichrist Mahomet ouercame with most lucky successe whilest al good men were oppressed and disceipte and liyng reigned euery where many men will thinke that there shall neuer be an ende nother of these euilles nor yet of the world For the Apostle S. Peter knowe this sayeth he that in the latter dayes shal come mockers which wil walke after their owne concupiscences and wil saye where is the promesse of his coÌ„ming Of whom Malachias also reasoneth in the .3 and 4. chapt But to the intent the goodnes of God might heale the wouÌ„des of the godly and might auaunce
they alledged for thēselues but that same rather which God iudgeth and the veritie of the thinge pronounceth and sayeth and they worshipped the Deuill or the Dragon So Paule in the .1 to the Corinth the .10 chapt The thinges sayeth he that the heythen offer vp they offer thē not to God but to Deuilles But this did the gētiles denie But God in this case passeth not vpon the iudgemētes and intentes and denialles of men but pronounceth after his owne iudgement In the .17 of Leuit. He sayeth yf ye offer vnto me oblations otherwise than I haue prescribed ye shal defile your selues with bloud Let now the massemōgyng priestes crie out till they be hoarse againe we offer to the Lorde God not to straunge Goddes yet shal the Lordes sentence stande moste trewe for euer that they transgresse with vnlaweful worshipping no lesse than if thei committed parricidie As also Esaye beareth witnes in .66 chapt The lord god alloweth the sincere obediēce which we shewe vnto his lawes he careth nothing for our inuentions good intentes Thus at this present he sheweth at fewe wordes as the thing is in dede that all idolaters worship the Deuill Yf we would at this daye esteme these things rightly we shuld not so contende as it were for life and landes aboute maineteyning of Images in the church The Lord Iesus light our hartes and mindes to see his trewth ¶ The beaste is worshipped and he blasphemeth the name of God and the Sainctes of God and finally maketh warre with the Sainctes The .lvj. Sermon ANd they worshipped the beaste sayyng who is like vnto the beaste who is able to warre wyth hym And there was geuen to him a mouthe to speake great thinges and blasphemies and power was geuen vnto him to do .xlii. Monethes And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against god to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen And it was geuen vnto him to make warre with the sainctes to ouercome thē The beaste is worshipped how He sayed that the world worshipped the dragon now he addeth that the same worshippeth the beast Howbeit seyng the beast is the empire some mā might maruel how the empire might be worshipped But we at fewe wordes say how they worshippe the empire which receyue the decrees rites and superstitiouse ordenaunces of thempire and of them depende whole And there were not a fewe at that time who in fauour of the Romane Empire denied the faith of christ and reuoltyng from the churche ioyned themselues in religion and sacrifices to the felloweship of the Empire They in very dede worshipped the beaste Moreouer that thing which is only dewe vnto one God the same did the Romanes attribute to their empire But who so euer ascribeth vnto any thing diuine properties doeth verely deifie and worshippe the same And the properties of god be these to haue no match or pere that he alone is greatest and best immortall eternal most mightie moste inuincible For so saye the Prophetes who is like vnto thee O God in heauen and in earth who is as thou who can resist God But the Romanes did attribute all these thinges to their Emperours and to their empire sayng as S. Iohn also reciteth who is like vnto Rome who is able to warre with it they called their Emperours Goddes best greatest most puissaunt and most inuincible Thempire it self they called eternal Ye may see these thinges yet in most auncient authors and coynes So many therfore as were not asshamed to attribute these thinges to the Romane Princes and kingdome are saied rightly to haue worshipped the beast And what other thing I praye you is done at this daye whilest for the fauour of Emperours Kinges Popes and their realmes the veritie is denied or wrasted after the affections of men These worship the beast also Nowe is geuen also the beaste a mouth speakinge greate thinges and blasphemies A mouth speakyng great thinges Of blasphemies we shall speake more anone But for asmuch as the Romane Empire obteyned greatest victories and helde most gallaunt and solemne triumphes it semeth to haue occasion geuē to boaste proudely of the victories to chalenge those thinges to themselues whiche were in dede wrought through the power of God And doubtlesse there do yet remayne the greatest and moste licentiouse bragges of the Romanes that they are conquerours and lordes of the world But such pride was greuously punnisshed in Nabuchodonozor the King Whereof you maye see in the .4 chapt of Daniel S. Peter affirmeth that God resisteth the proude and geueth grace to the humble God hateth the arrogant and taketh awaye their names frō the Earth And where some man might demaunde How long shal Rome be thus prowde◠But what ende shal there be of iniuries pride finally of intollerable arrogātie and blasphemies S. Iohn preuenteth and sayeth and power was geuen him to do that is to worke violence xlii monethes that is to saye so longe time as it semeth good to the Lorde whiche neuertheles although he would haue the time to be to vs vnknowen yet is knowē to him so that the godly maye promise themselues that this euill shall indure but a fewe monethes of this nombre haue I reasoned in the 11. chapt and .xlvi. Sermon And haue shewed in the former places that those nombres were equiualent to wit the thousande two hōdreth and three score dayes the .xlii. monethes the time two times and half a time God therfore admonisshyng vs as it were by a riddle will not haue vs curiousely to inquire after times which he hath kept in his own power it is sufficient to vs that he hath assigned all thinges in their luste limittes Now followeth a plētiful treatise of Romish blasphemies Of the blasphemies of old Rome First he sayeth by a trope he hath opened his mouth wherby he hath signified his boldenes and libertie yea licētiousenes of speakyng For we saye he would not ones open his mouth whē we signifie any mā that wil not speake frākely But the Romanes and companions of the Romish superstition blaspheme God thre manner of wayes For fyrste they blaspheme the holy name of God in this that they do prefer their false Gods and their superstitions to the true God to the true and most holy religion For where they ded admit in the citie of Rome the Gods of al nations and their religions the religion of the only God of Israell they vtterly refused for that they vnderstoode howe he wolde be worshipped alone and by non other rite than that which he himself had prescribed But they had rather reteyne wickedly those their many gods and their religion although most absurde than to commit themselues into the tuition of one and to reseaue a moderate simple religion Authour Aurel. August I raccoumpte not nowe the blasphemouse wordes of them vttered against the true God about that tyme chiefly when Vespasian and Titus triumphed after the Iewysh war
To them afterwarde they framed Idolles that is tokens and memorialles whiche might bryng those heauenly goddes into the memorie of the Earthly dwellers They builded for thē chapelles and churches they instituted priestes holy daies rites and Ceremonies These things are foūde in the bokes of the gentiles in our histories and also in their writinges which haue cōfuted the heythen Idolaters But in the popish kingdome at this day the names beyng only chaunged who can denie that the same culte the same religion naye very superstitiō is not renewed of these thinges I haue treated at large in my booke De origine erroris The Papistes teache that the Sainctes in heauen reigne with God and that to them are subiecte sickenesses artes limmes or membres cities and althinges and muste therfore be called vpon and worshipped Sainctes are expressed and represented by Images to these Images are erected Aultars and churches briefly it is done to them that was done to the Goddes and Idolles of the Heythen Who therefore vnderstandeth not nowe that Antichrist hath procured that the first beaste might be worshipped that is to witte mighte be of force agayne and that the olde Idolatrie and superstitiouse worshippyng might be renewed and frequented Who worship the first beaste vnder the seconde And as we haue red it to be sayed before and they worshipped him all that dwell in Earth whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lābe so sayeth he also here plainely and he causeth the Earth and the inhabiters of the Earth that is they that seke regarde only earthly thinges to worshippe the firste beaste For all be not polluted with popish Idolatrie For hereunto apperteyneth the noble historie of Leo the thirde Emperour and Gregory the seconde and of other Popes through whose wickednes Idolatrie was agayne brought into the church which I wrote of long sins in my worke De origine erroris Nother with out a misterie is this hereunto annexed Whose deadly wounde is healed whose deadly plague was healed For he semeth to compare together the firste and seconde beaste and to shewe the lickenes of the same And I tolde you howe many menne at the firste were kepte still in the Romanes errours and Idolatrie for that the Goddes by Vespasians meanes were sayed to haue preserued the common welth whiche els with ciuile warres was as it were brought to ruine Finally we reade in stories that the Empire of Rome hath many times receiued deadly woundes but yet by and by through the wisedome and valeauntnes of some noble men the Goddes as they speake so willyng haue ben healed againe In that nōbre are rekened Lucius Septimius Seuerus Valerius Aurelianus C. Aurel. Val. Diocletian c. By whose lucky successe triumphes and victories to the Empire restored many haue ben moued to saye who seeth not that Rome shal be eternal and that the Romane religion is to the Goddes most acceptable and that the Emperours also and publicke weale is indued with a certen deitie and is to be honoured after the same sorte the kyngedome of the Pope or Antichrist hauing tried moste diuerse chaunces hath very ofte escaped out of desperate daungers Force and policie hath afflicted it and also the religion of Henry the .3 Emperour and of his sonne Henry the .4 Fridericke the first and second vexed the popes There were also other mightie Princes whiche inflicted mortall woundes to the See of Rome Agane there were Bishoppes of Rome which with singular craftes haue cured their woundes agayne The woūdes of Antichriste healed of the whiche sorte was Gregory the .7 Vrbane the .2 Paschalis the .2 Calixtus the .2 Alexander the .3 Innocentius the .3 Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 Clement the .4 .5 Boniface the .8 Iohn the .22 and diuerse others But was not that feate in greatest perill in times paste when three Popes were created at ones whereof one was resident at Rome the seconde went to Auignon in Fraunce and the thirde liued in Spayne But all these three putte downe by the power diligence authoritie and policie of the Emperour Sigismunde and the counsel of Constaūce that deadly wounde was fayre healed in Martin the .5 And this felicitie and restoryng the Popish kingedome perswadeth many effectually that poperie is of God and the popishe religiō to be most certen and trewe as that which hath so ofte ben of mightie princes assayled might in dede be shaken but neuer yet ouerthrowen The acclamation of all the Romishe is knowen the shippe of S. Peter is tossed in dede with stormes but can neuer be drouned But Daniel him self also hath prophecied that this shuld so come to passe saiyng and he shall prosper and shal doe what he will and shall kill the strong and holy people at his pleasure and guyle shal be directed in his hande Whiche thinges they doe not marke whiche are at this daye so much offended with the felicitie of that chayre of pestilence and the beaste therof Therfore like as the dayes of mourning and soden destruction came vpon olde Rome and vtterly destroied both the citie and Empire euen so shal we heare in the .17 and .18 chapt That Babilon shal haue her fatall destenies The Lorde Iesus confirme vs in the faith of Iesus Christe and deliuer vs from the guiles lucky successe and felicitie of that Romish Antichrist Amen ¶ Of the signes of Antichrist and Image of the beaste of him reysed The .lx. Sermon ANd he did great wonders so that he made fyre come downe from heauē into the yearth in the sight of men and deceaued them that dwelt on the earth by the meanes of those signes whiche he had power to do in the sight of the beaste saiyng to them that dwelte on the Earth that they should make an Image vnto the beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and did liue And he had power to geue a sprite vnto the image of the beaste and that the image of the beast should speake And should cause that as many as would not worshippe the Image of the beast should be killed He procedeth moste dilligently to describe Antichrist and his kingdome which so greatly impugneth the faith of Christ and afflicteth his church to the intent he mighte be knowen and eschewed of al men He sayeth nowe he shall do great wonders Of trewe miracles by the whiche he vnderstandeth miracles Wherof some be true and some false I call those trewe miracles which are done in dede and are not by any craftie iuggelyng countrefeted and the which allure mē to the veritie and set forth the veritie Of the which sorte out of doubte were the miracles of the Prophetes and Apostles holy Martirs and chiefly of Moses and Christe These do good vnto men hurte not nor emptye pore mens purses yea more they glorifie God and make the treweth to be beleued in drawyng men only vnto God as to the fountayne of all goodnes So Iohn testifieth of the lordes
firste miracle done in Cana of Galiley and sayeth This is the firste token that Iesus did at Cana in Galiley and shewed his glory and his disciples beleued on him This token was trewe and suspected of no iuggelyng it was a benefite bestowed vpoÌ„ pore folkes newely maried by the same God was glorified His disciples moued herewith and the sprite of God workyng also inwardely beleued on Christ So do all trewe miracles testifie Christ to be helthful and beneficiall therefore alone to be called vpon and worshipped So doe Iohn and Peter interprete the signes or miracle that their theÌ„selues wrought in the .3 of the Actes of Apostles And of such miracles we haue greate plentie in the Euangelicall Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall storie nother haue al those any other ende thaÌ„ that we must beleue in the sonne of God as which alone geueth life and al good thinges And false signes I calle those that are done through deuelishe crafte or inchauntement Of falsâ— signes or miracles or by the craftie iuggelyng and subtill sleight of wicked men as be those of witches and inchaunters such as the wise men of Pharao were and Symon Magus and those wherof mention is made in the .13 of Deuâ—ter Finally suche were the miracles of the Freres brent at Bernes in Swisserlande and greately it is to be feared leest such haue ben the most parte of the miracles of al Mounkes and Eremites Likewise those are called false also whiche although they be done in dede yet beare they witnes to a lie agaynste the trewth confirmyng the Pope to be head of the church that images are to be worshipped that we must pray vnto Sainctes and go a pilgrimage for religion yea rather for superstitions sake that we must worshippe a newe God liynge hidde vnder fourme of Bread and Wine that God muste be honoured with vowes and Monkish conuersatioÌ„ and yf there be any other thing of like sorte With suche disceauable signes are filled at this daye all Temples churches and chapelles These haue perswaded much euen wise men and do also at this daye Whiche thing the Lord prophecied should come to passe saiynge there shal arrise false Christes and false Prophetes and shal shewe great signes and wonders that euen if it were possible the elect should be brought into errour And S. Paule also the comyng of Antichriste sayeth he shal be after the workyng of Sathan with al power and signes and liyng wonders and the reste whiche is red in the .2 to the Thessal 2. And we knowe that many Bisshoppes of Rome haue wrought signes but that same is not so excellent but that the Bisshoppe of Rome hath confirmed what miracles so euer haue ben wrought in al ChristeÌ„dome and augemented the same with his bulles and indulgences Doubtles all had a contrary ende to the miracles of Christ and yet haue for they do not profite men but emptie their purses put men to sondry charges and leade them awaye from the faith of Christ to the faith of Antichrist confirming his religion superstitioÌ„ and doctrine Nother doeth he place these his miracles emongs the last of his argumentes what time the simplicitie of the gospell is impugned But if we be wise we will beware of them as of a most present pestilence He maketh fire to come down c heaueÌ„ And emonges his miracles the lord by S. Iohn reherseth that aboue all thinges he causeth fire to come downe to the Earth and that in the presence of meÌ„ And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of Helias wherof we reade in the .4 boke of Kinges the .1 chapt and whereof we mentioned in the .11 chapt We reade that it was no smal miracle in the Actes of the Apostles that al the laiyng on of thapostles handes the holy ghost was geuen Symon Magus also did couet the same grace but he was sore reiected of S. Peter the Apostle as we reade in the .8 chapt of the Actes of Apostles And here is to be obserued as also S. Austen hath admonished in the .15 boke de trinit the .26 chapt that thapostles gaue not the holy ghost for it is God alone that geueth the holy ghost therfore at the prayers of thapostles at the imposition of haÌ„des the holy ghost was geuen from heaueÌ„ Wherfore S. Iohn Baptiste saied how he baptised with water but that Christ shuld baptise with fire and with holy ghost And by fire is figured the holy ghost The Pope geueth grace But Antichrist the Pope shal make his boaste that he hauing power geuen him froÌ„ heauen graunteth the grace of the holy ghost Doubtles in the time of coÌ„secrating he saieth that he geueth the holy ghost So likewise in auricular coÌ„fessions absolutions they bragge that thei geue full absolutioÌ„ of sinnes which in dede is a great miracle Thei laie their haÌ„des vpon the sinner that confesseth and saye howe they absolue him from the payne and crime and that by the power receyued of that moste holy See of Rome Primasius expounding this place It is no maruell sayeth he though that beaste which fainedly vsurpeth to him selfe the name of the Lambe killed and yet liuyng doe fraudulently chalenge to him selfe also this gifte of the holy ghost colourably by ImitatioÌ„ and fayne a donation to his ministers as we remembre that Symon Magus coueted but coulde not obteyne Hitherto he There is an other fire also The Pope casteth a thoÌ„derbolt at his enemies which Antichrist calleth doune from heauen and casteth and throweth at his enemies to be reuenged on them to wit the darte and thonderbolte of cursing this was terrible to kinges princes people And these haue so much feared the thonderbolte of excoÌ„munication that they haue done graunted many thinges which otherwise no maÌ„ shuld haue gote of theÌ„ The story is knoweÌ„ of themperour Henry the .4 For Platina in the life of Gregory the .7 sheweth that this Emperour was excoÌ„municated by the Pope After he addeth these things of themperour he came spedely to Canosse where the bishop was with Mathilda and by and by laiyng a side his royal robes went bare foted to the gates of the citie and humbly required to be let in His entring denied he toke in good parte notwithstanding that the winter was sharpe and al was frosen harde Remaynyng thre daies in the suburbes of the Towne and continually crauing perdon at the length at request of Mathilda and the Erle of Sauoye the Abbot of Clunies he is absolued Fridericke Barbarouse that he mighte be reconciled to the Pope layed his necke vnder his fete to be troden on full manifeste are the iniuries done of this beaste to other kinges also and people I wil yet tel of one The Venetians besieged Farrare which payeth tribute to the Churche of Rome for the whiche cause they were excommunicated by Clement the .5 Therefore Fraunces Dandalus which was after created Duke wente into Fraunce where that time the Bisshop was
parte of the nobles of Germany of Italy There was also a Counsell assembled at Wormz where Kinge Henry beyng presente all the Germane Bishoppes excepte they of Saxonie deposed the Pope from his function The Epistles and fragmentes of these Coūselles are founde in the Cronicles of Verspergens -chiefly He is accused by these openly of all wickednes and vngodlines of Hypocrisie and crueltie We haue rehersed a little before what Cardinall Benno a wryter of his time hath committed to wrytinge There remayne also testimonies of Sigisbert an olde wryter concernynge this Pope Who so will maye reade the .5 booke of Auentinus from the .162 and so forth And also the preface of the .6 booke The same Authour in the .7 booke reportynge the wordes of Eberharde Bisshoppe of Salisburge had in the Counsell of Regenspurge Hildebrande sayeth he 170. yeres sins vnder pretence of religion layde firste the foundation of Antitichristes kingedome This wycked warre he him selfe firste beganne whiche by his successours is continewed hitherto Firste they haue excluded the Emperour from the Popes election and referred the same to the people and priestes of Rome After they also mocked thruste out they goe about now also to bring vs in subiection bondage to thintent thei might reigne alone And the things that follow But the thing it self declareth that there haue not liued many Popes more bolde and impudent than this whiche haue auaunced more highly the maiestie of the seate He excōmunicated themperour Henry the .4 and depriued him of the dignitie imperial moreouer he stired vp his subiectes agaynste hym and absolued the rebelles and traytours from their othe of fidelitie and he him selfe like a Monarke gaue the Crowne of the Empire vnto others at his pleasure The powre therefore and Treasoure of the Empire hath be so worne and wasted what wyth ciuile and what wyth foreyne warres that these many yeres nowe the kinges of Almaigne haue neyther ben able to recouer their force nor yet to resiste the most arrogaunt tiranny of Popes And thus at the laste the Pope is become a Monarch and Emperours Kinges and and Princes are made their Clientes and wardes When Gregory the .7 was dead there succeded .4 Mōkes of Hildebrandes secte and faction of his maners kankred nature as it were heires and sonnes that go nothing out of kinde Victor the .3 Vrbane the .2 Paschal the .2 And Gelasius the .2 Anno. 1119 Paschalis caused the sonne Henry the .5 oh wicked and detestable parricidie to warre agaynst the father that miserable Henry the .4 And shortely also Gelasius the .2 and Callistus the .2 do excōmunicate also Henry the .5 And cease not to vexe this prince also till they had wronge out of his hādes the gifte or electiō of Bisshopperickes The gifte of Bishoprikes takē frō themperours And that to the great and inestimable profit of the See of Rome and to the vnrecouerable losse of Germany c. These thinges are described more at large of Vrspergens in the Cronicle of the yere .1122 In the times followyng the audacitie power of Popes increasing hourely the Germane kinges haue resisted them stoutely enough but yet with small successe Where in the meane season we must remembre the wordes of the Lord vttered by Daniel saiyng and there shall arrise a Kinge of a shameles face and vnderstanding propositions his strēgth shall be fortfied but not in his owne force and it can not be beleued howe he wil distroye al thinges and he shal prosper and do c. the tirāny of Popes against emperours Anno. 1178 I wil touche therfore in fewe wordes what thinges in the times followyng Popes haue attempted agaynste kinges and boldely done for the establisshyng of their Empire and Monarchie Pope Alexander the .3 did excommunicate Fridericke the .1 called Barbarousse trode him vnder his fete And where the good Prince sayed how he sheweth this obedience to S. Peter the beaste exclamed settyng him selfe also before Peter and sayed both to me and to Peter and stamped on him Pope Innocentius the .3 coulde not abide much lesse allowe Philippe the sonne of Fridericke Anno. 1189 created Emperour but commaunded the electours to chouse an other I meane Ottho Duke of Saxon whome notwithstandyng shortely after he excommunicated also That proude beast sayed that he would take from Philippe the emperial crowne or lose his Apostolicke Miter Vnto this Innocent are ascribed those most proude wordes which are red in the decretal of Gregory the .9 de Elect. in the .6 title .34 chapt on this wise that the princes haue right and authoritie to chouse a king and afterwarde to auaūce him to be Emperour we acknowledge as we ought as to whome of righte and auncient custome it is knowē to appertayne especially sins that such right and authoritie came vnto them from the Apostolicall Seate which translated the Romane Empire frō the Grekes to the Germanes in the persone of greate Charles See howe thei vsurpe all power to themselues Howbeit the Princes must know agayne that the right and authoritie to examine the person chosen kyng and to be promoted to the empire belongeth vnto vs which do annoincte consecrate and crowne him c. The same in the first boke the .33 Titl de maior obedient Wryting to the Emperour Constantine So much diuersitie sayeth he as there is betwixte the sunne and the Mone so great a difference is there betwene Popes and Kinges in Gods name But the Emperour Fridericke the .2 Fridericke the .2 well langaged Nephewe to Barbarousse an excellent prince many Popes did excommunicate Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 and Innocentius the .4 And in dede Gregory the .9 whilest Fridericke that excellent Prince made warre in Syria for religion with the Soldane inuaded and kept the prouinces of Fridericke An. 1227. 1228. 1247. There were most cruell warres and discordes betwixte the Popes and this Fridericke The same Innocentius the .4 excommunicateth Conrade the .4 of that name and Sonne of Fridericke the .2 and stireth vp the Prince of Thuringe agaynst him And when the Emperour Conrade was dead the Pope obteyned the good willes of the Neapolitanes to yelde themselues to the See of Rome Conrade had lefte a Sonne and heire Conradine and Manfrede his bastarde brother whiche would be called king of Sicilie Wherefore Pope Vrbane the fourth some haue Clement the .4 agaynste Manfrede sente for Charles brother to kinge Lewis the Frenche kynge Erle of Prouince and of Saunte to come with an Armie into Italy Anno. 1263 and called him King of both Sicilies Who ouercome and slewe Manfred at Beneuent receiued the kingdomes of Sicilie of the Pope to do him homage But Conradinus Duke of Swauelande accōpanied with Fridericke Duke of Austrich leadeth out of Germany a right wel furnished Armie into Italy against Charles for the recoueryng of his olde and fatherly kingdome But vanquisshed of Charles at the lake
And in dede it were foloyshnes Babilon to expounde these thinges of the ould Babilon in Asia which was fallen long sins scarcely any token thereof beinge leste Rome we muste therefore vnderstande it of an other which is in her flowres and euen by a figuratiue speach we must vnderstande it of Rome Antonomasia For there is a greate Cozinnage as it were betwixte both Babilon was the first Monarchie Rome is the laste Babilon sore afflicted the people of God So doeth Rome greuouselye vexe the church of God Babylon burthened Israell wyth a greueouse captiuitie So Rome vexeth the church wyth more than a long captiuitie Babilon ouercame the people of God and burning the Citie of Hierusalem and destroieng the temple led away Israell captiue so Rome also hauing rased the citie of Hierusalē and subuerting the temple triumphed of Israell Babilon planted Idolatrie superstition and all abhomination auaunced maintained and set forth the same vnto al men but at the length when she woulde haue thought leest of it the people of God being sodeynely delyuered she was vtterly subuerted So is Rome also the mother nurse and reuyuer of all abominations in the church of the laste tyme wherein she shall perish at the last all those that beleue truly in Christe being delyuered And especiallie it is called great For howe greate and mightie the church of Rome is all we see and by experience knowe at this daye Nother am I the firste that vnderstand by Babilon Rome For many expositours reading the first Epistle of Saincte Peter in the end of the epistle do vnderstand by Babilon Rome Certes Oecumenius sayeth And here he calleth Babilon Rome for the excellencie and brightnesse of the Empire the which Rome obteined a long tyme sins But this the more auncient wryters expound more playnelie as Turtullian in his boke againste the Iewes which sayeth so Babilon with sainct Ihon beareth the fygure of the Citie of Rome therfore also great and proude in her kingdom and a murtherer of the saincts The same words in a maner he repeteth in the thirde booke against Marcion And no lesse playnely Saincte Hierome calleth Rome Babilon and that same Babilon wherof S. Ihon speaketh in the Apocalipse Read the epistle of Paula and Eustochium written to Marcella by the helpe of sainct Hierome Reade himself in the .11 questiō to Algasia Againe in the preface to the boke of Didymus of the holy ghoste to Pauliniane Also in the end of the .2 boke against Iouinian The same in the life of S. Marke Peter saith he in the first epistle vnder the name of Babilon doth figuratiuely signify Rome But S. Ihon wil expounde himselfe in the .17 chapter And we vnderstande that the Citie of Rome shall fall chiefly with all her vngodlynes And with the same also the Romish superstition and abomination through oute the worlde And the Aungell in dede sayeth she is fallen which is yet to fall And that by the propheticall maner of speaking Anadiplosis wherein that which shal assuredly come to passe is vttered as though it wer now done To signifie the certentie thereof that reduplication or iterating of the worde also apperteineth she is fallen she is fallen she is fallē she is fallē This is also repeated in the .18 chap. where it shal be shewed howe it is taken out of the Prophetes c. Notwithstanding both a desyre and Ioye also might seme here to be signified For such thinges as we haue longe and with a desyre loked for we receiue them nowe cumming and saie thou art come thou arte come at the laste longe loked for and nowe makest me glad For the sainctes with a great desyre loke and long for the distruction of that most wicked most vyle and most troublesome kyngdome of Antichriste The cause is shewed also of the destructiō of the commonwelth and church of Rome Why the Romyshe Church shoulde fal for that she hath caused all nations to drinke and hath made them dronken wyth wyne of wrath of her fornication And verelye the effecte of wyne in men is greateste Therefore doctrine is compared to it in the Prophetes Therefore Rome with her vncleane and corrupt opinions hath made all people dronken And it is called the wyne of the wrath For loke with whome God is angry he suffereth them to erre in the way of the Romish church For in asmoch as God hath reuealed the sincere doctrine of lyfe by his onely sonne and moste chosen Apostles and men receaue not the same God is iustely offended with them and geueth them ouer into a reprobate mynde that thei may followe shamefull errours As Saincte Paule also prophisied shuld come to passe in the .2 to the Thess 2. chapt This wyne is called moreouer the wyne of her fornication whereby she her selfe hauing firste played the harlot is become nowe also the Maistres of fornicatiō and as it wer bawde to al others This maner of speakyng is right well knowen euen oute of the Prophetes Rome ded not persiste in the doctryne of the Gospell and of the Apostles but inuented a newe and that contarry to the Gospel of the vycar of Christ in earth The deuilysh doctrin of Rome of the power of keyes of indulgences and pardons of iustification of works and merits of satisfactiōs cōfessions of worshipping of Images prayeng to saincts of celebrating masses and worshipping of the sacramēt of the aulter as thei terme it of monkery and vowes and such other innumerable This doctrine as Apostolicall auncient and chresten she drinketh of to all people and so plucketh them from Christ withdraweth them from the Gospell seduceth them from the oulde christianitie and destroyeth innumerable soules Therefore God powreth oute to her also of the cuppe of his wrath and bryngeth her also to destruction for euer He disswadeth all frō the fellowship of the Romysshe church And vpon this occasion he disswadeth all men from the felowship of the Romish church or papistrie that we haue nothing to do with the Romish religion vnlesse we will be part takers also of the euerlasting pūnishmēt He reasoneth therfore of the losse and punnishments and descrybeth greuouse and horrible paines yf happlie men might so be feared from that vngodlines The Angell therfore crieth and that with a loude voice Wherefore let al ecclesiasticall preachers learne that they must earnestly and tirribblie crye oute in this case that all flee the communion of the Romish or popish church I know doubtles what the common people beleue and saie that all shall be saued at the laste daye what religion so euer they be of and namelie yf any remaine an open papist But we can nother condemne nor absolue any man sette them in Heauen or cast them to Hell God liueth a rightouse iudge He alone knoweth who shal be saued or damned We ought therfore of right to credit his iudgements But where as he pronoūceth openly that the fauourers of the
Romish church shall be damned who am I to say the coÌ„trary or what men will pronouÌ„ce otherwyse Let vs heare therfore the sentence of the iuste iudge and let vs beleue the worde of the sonne of God and let vs beware of the popysh religion What it is to worship the beaste his Image and what it is to receiue the marke in the forehead and on the right hand I haue sufficiently declared before in the .13 chapt Brieflye they worship and receyue the marke of the beaste which do participate with the Popish church or religioÌ„ finally which obey the wycked decrees of the Empire and perseuer in the obedience of the See without repentaunce Aretas expounding this place to worship the beast saieth he and to receaue his seale is to esteme Antichrist to be God and in word and woâ—ke to set forth such thinges as he coueteth And here in an horrible wise with propheticall wordes The descriptioÌ„ of eternall damnatioÌ„ is described euerlasting damnation prepared for them who forsaking Christ the sauiour cleaue vnto Antichrist the distroier Like as they haue dronkeÌ„ of the corrupte doctrine infused of the Pope so againe shal they drinke that the iust lord shal powre out of the cuppe of wrath And the wine that is powred in the cuppe of Gods wrath is the strayte exquisite moste greuouse iudgement of God wherin beyng angrie he inflicteth to the Antichristians horrible vnspeakeable punnishement A like maner of speach is red in Ieremie the .25 chapt And like as pure wine not delayed is of most efficacitie and pearseth so the iudgement of God wherein he will procede against the Antichristians shal be most greuouse such as no tongue be it neuer so eloquent can expresse And for a further declaratioÌ„ shortely after followeth what they muste drinke of verely fire and brimstone Perauenture the Lorde alluded to these wordes of Dauid in the .11 Psalm VpoÌ„ the vngodly he shal rayne snares fyre brimstone storme and tempeste this rewarde shall they haue to drinke He semeth moreouer to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome and to the .30 chapt of Esaye in the ende whereof is shewed that hell shall be wide enough to receyue all the vngodly and that matter shal neuer waunte to nurrishe the fire neuer to be quenched He expresseth moreouer a greuouse payne where he sayeth that they shall be tourmented and that in the sight of the lambe and holy Angelles that so they maye receyue condigne punnishement for euer of their contempte wherby they haue despised the lambe and messages of Angels Likewise in the .13 of Luke the Lord sayeth there shal be wepyng and gnashing of teth when ye shal see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the prophetes in the kingedome of God and you to be shutte out c. And that same apperteyneth also vnto euidence Hipotiposis to stire vp a terrour in the mindes of all men where he addeth by a figuratiue speach and the smoke of their tourmeÌ„t ascendeth vp euermore Therfore shal the burning and punnisshement of the vngodly be euerlasting and neuer to be finished world without ende And we seme here at this description as it were before our eyes to see the flames of eternall damnation caried vp on highe and caste vp with them greate heapes of smoke to rolle vp and disperse them farre and wide I remeÌ„bre here that of Virgill The wastefull fire gan crepe and cracke a pace Til to the toppe through helpe of winde it came Out burst the blase brake downe and did deface The skie flieth full of sparkes of smoke and flame Euerlastyng punnisshment And that no kinde of terrour might waunte moste aptely and most aboundantly he expresseth the perpetuitie of euerlasting punnishment saiyng nother haue they reste daie nor night So sayeth the Lord in the .9 of Marke Their fire is neuer queÌ„ched and their worme shal neuer die They erre therfore which promise to the damned after many worldes deliueraunce from their tourmentes And not in vayne he repeteth that which he had sayed before how thei that worship the beast shal suffer these thinges And therfore he repeteth it leste as it happened we should esteme it as a light matter They shal be damneth sayeth the veritie which receyue the Popish culte and religioÌ„ and perseuere in the same Epiphonema To all this is annexed an acclamation or double sentence notable and holesome For in as much as the wisedome of God did foresee what aduersitie remayned for the godly in this world which they might surely loke for at Antichristes hande whiche professed the trewth therefore for a comforte and consolation he addeth here is the patieÌ„ce of Sainctes which is asmuch as if he had saied and here shal patience take place wherby the Sainctes maye ouercome al euilles Here had we nede to haue a stoute courage a sure and coÌ„staunt minde In the .12 of Luke the Lord likewise requireth patience in persecutions Here therfore is counsel geuen howe the sainctes should behaue themselues to wit that they should suffer patiently those euilles that Antichrist shall worke agaynst them And there followeth an other sentence which lighteth this here are they that kepe the commaundementes of God and faith of Iesus Thei shal ouercome thorowe patience in so great euilles and daungers whiche kepe the coÌ„maundementes of God the foundation wherof is the faith of Iesus Christ which verely put al their trust in christ heare the worde of the gospell and kepe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of God not of men The like vnto these are red in the .24 of Matth. and the .10 to the Hebrew Aretas in this same time of Antichrist saieth he the patience of Sainctes is shewed ThaÌ„ is the speache figured as it were by a question moued And who be they whome he calleth patient After as though he should aunswere they that kepe the commaundementes of God and faith of Iesu For thei when perilles approche wil set more by God than by death and temporall euilles This sayeth he I praye God these things be as faithfully perfourmed of vs as they are easely vnderstande The Lorde graunt vs his spirite ¶ The faithfull assuredly and streight waye flitte from the corporal death vnto life euerlastyng The .lxv. Sermon ANd I hearde a voice from heauen saiyng vnto me wryte blessed are the dead whiche hereafter die in the Lorde Yea the sprite sayeth that they reste froÌ„ their labours But theyr workes follow them Albeit he hath oftener thaÌ„ ones spokeÌ„ of the state of soules in an other world Of the certayne saluation of the faithful and of the felicitie of the faithfull which are killed for religions sake yet was it here chiefly requisite to treate of the same matter For I sayed howe many must be killed of the beaste Now leeste they for feare of death should chouse rather to worshippe the beaste than to be slayne leest happly hauyng lost this life there were no other life
with golde siluer preciouse stones al costely arraye These thinges are founde in the olde people beyng vnder the discipline of the lawe they are founde also emōges the gentiles which suppose not god to be rightly honoured but with the preciouse things of this world But we know that the leuitical priesthood is abrogated with al the outwarde araye that now the church decketh her self with vertues hateth and abhorreth outwarde garnisshing Lactantius confuteth at large the externall deckyng in religiō or godly worshippyng in his boke of Institut de vero cultu c. Moreouer all olde writers shewe that God is not worshipped of the christians with golde siluer but with faith charitie rightuousnes What wil ye say that Daniel in the .11 chap. sheweth that Antichrist shal worship God with golde siluer precious things which thing he cōdēneth reiecteth And doeth it not appere here plainely The Pope paincted forthe is shewed to the world that the lord Iesus himself hath setforth to vs the Pope or Antichrist painted as it were in a table For he appereth altogether such in such like apparell he sheweth him selfe to be sene of all men as the whore of Babilō is decked with at this present And he chalengeth to him selfe this apparell by a certen right For the Papistes bring forth a false fained donation of Constantine emonges other thinges pronouncyng thus in the Distinct 96. The donatiō of Cōstantine fained We geue and dimise to blessed Siluester and to all his successours the palace laterane of our Empire moreouer the Diademe to witte the royal crowne of our head whiche the Pope calleth a kingdome hath made it triple and also our purple robe and coate of Crimosine and all our imperiall araye c. I can not here omitte but must nedes wryte out a fewe thinges of Platina the Popes secretarie de vitis pontif For describyng the life of Clement the .5 at the Popes coronation sayeth he were present Philippe kyng of Fraūce and Charles his brother Iohn Duke of Britaine which ouerwhelmed with the fallyng of a walle dieth see the diuine and iust iudgement of God with many others whilest the pompe of the Coronation as the maner is was led through the citie Kyng Philippe also by the same ruine was sore hurte and lamed the Pope stricken of his horse loste a Rubie out of his myter that coste sixe thousande Ducates This he This whore moreouer drynketh to all nations of the cup of Circes whiche the lorde calleth of Golde She drinketh to thē carouse And it signifieth doctrine For to geue drinke is to teache Ezechiel .34 Golde betokeneth sincerenes and purenes of doctrine Doubtles vnder pretence of sincerenes and veritie diuine Rome hath easely perswaded all people to receyue the doctrine of the Romish Sea For the Pope hath both named him self Apostolicall and the church of Rome also Apostolical And in the Canones hath lefte wrytten right so are all the lawes of the See Apostolicke to be taken as though they were confirmed by the godly mouth of S. Peter him selfe Distinct 19. Reade the .20.21.22 Distinct Therefore the more simple sorte of the world haue supposed that they receiue the very worde and lawes of God what time they receyued the decrees and doctrine of the church of Rome But our lorde Iesus Christ doeth here declare vnto vs what hath ben and what is euen at this daye their doctrine and sayeth ful of abominations and vncleanes of her filthie luste And the scripture calleth abomination Idolatrie Deuter. 7. chapt Moreouer the false worshippyng of God superstition and suche other thinges like The vncleanes of whoredome in the Prophetes is nothing els but peruerse doctrine and peruerse religion not attributing al good things to God alone by his sonne but rather diuiding the harte and appliyng them bothe vnto creatures to wicked worshippynges But suche is the doctrine and religion of the Romish See Therefore is her great sinne here recited that she hath with her euill and venemouse doctrine seduced and infected al nations and euen nowe also reteyneth them in superstition and Idolatrie A lyke place is in the .16 chapt of Ezechiel And I suppose that our lorde Iesus Christ vsed here now wordes very filthy to the intent he might plucke awaye from the Romish decrees and Canons their authoritie and viserne that their filthines mighte appere vnto al men and be knowen and eschewed Furthermore leeste any shoulde be ignoraunt what the same woman were A name written in the forehead which may open the mistery or vnderstandyng whiche is here setforth to be sene and that all might flee that greate witche Circes he wryteth her owne name in her very forehead that al men might reade it and that she might by no meanes be vnknowen For he calleth a misterie the vnderstandyng or signification of a secret for by a trope is Rome called Babylon Wherof I haue spoken before And after the true signification of the worde Babel soundeth confusiō And Rome hath brought an exceding greate confusion into the church For like as the primatiue church of Rome set forth the gospell in the weste countrie so the first simplicitie and purenes ones extinguished the later Bisshoppes regardyng more ambition and couetousenes than humilitie liberalitie and godlines haue brought into the whole world al maner of Idolatrie and superstition Certenly she is called of the Lorde expressely the mother of the whoredomes and abominations of the earth For we maye thanke the church of Rome for all the corrupte doctrine and vngodlines that is in the church She is the original of idolles Masse and other abominations Therfore is she moste worthie to be punnisshed with moste greuouse tourmentes And this verely is the moste worthie title of the Romish churche Others calle her Apostolicall diuine chiefe and of all moste holy The Lord Christe calleth her Babylon and that great a moste common harlot and euen the mother of the abominations and whoredomes of the whole worlde fightyng agaynst God and his annoyncted Therefore lette al the holy and obedient children of God the father flee from her I wil not here make rehersal how she is also the mother of al abominatiōs and whoredomes euen after the flesh For whilest the church of Rome hath prohibited lawful mariages and of God permitted to ecclesiasticall persones it hath opened the gates to fornications adulteries whoredomes lustes abominable There nede no wordes the thing it self speaketh Vnto these he annexeth a crime of al other most greuouse Dronken which the bloud of Sainctes dronkennes tiranny and parricidie And here also he vseth an amplification For he sayeth howe that greate Circes the moste venemouse witche and Sorcerer is not sprinkled or imbrewed or wette but dronkē with the bloud of saincts I meane of holy martirs which haue borne witnes to Iesu Christ by preachyng of the gospell and ascribyng al thinges of saluation to Christe alone But howe many
and fraternities of Sainctes vnlesse they had ben the Apostles of that great abominable Antichrist The testimony of Iesus Christe Moreouer the Angell him selfe expoundyng agayne his owne wordes sheweth what is the testimony of Iesu Christ For the testimony of Iesu is the sprete of Prophecie And the sprete signifieth reuelation or vnderstandynge and prophecie the propheticall and Apostolical doctrine And therefore the sense is the testimony of Iesu Christ is no other thing but the reuealyng of the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles in the minde of the godly through the holy ghost and fayth And therfore the Apostles in the gospel are called witnesses and the gospell a testimony And to testifie is to preach Of the whiche exposition such an argument maye be gathered the cause of thy worshippyng Iohn is doubtles that excellent reuelation and prophecie vnto thee by me reuealed But yf I should therefore seme worthie to be worshipped for that there is in me an excellent sprete of Prophecie by the like reason shalt thou worship al thy bretherne in whome is the same sprete of prophecie to witte the testimony of Iesu the true fayth But where thou seest and thy selfe art compelled to graunt the same to be very absurde I perceiue it to be absurde if thou shouldest worship an Angell The laste and strōgest reason Worship God whie he would not be worshipped is this worship God It is taken out of the authoritie and Lawe of God perpetuall and immutable reuealed in the .6 of Deuter. and repeted of our sauiour Christ in the .4 of Matth. if we would obeye the lawe of God al culte and worshipping and inuocation of Sainctes had ben long sins bannished and exiled out of the church Furthermore ther be other places also Angels are not to be worshypped nor called vpon which commende the ministeries and vertues of Angelles teachyng neuerthelesse to honour and call vpon God himself Reade the goodly Psalmes .34 and .91 And yf any man liste to haue also the consente of the fathers let him reade S. Austen sayeng that Angelles must nother be worshipped nor called vpō nother ought there sacrifice to be made vnto them nor churches erected The chiefe places be of the true religion the .55 chap. against Maximine an Arriane Bishop first boke leafe .77 De ciuit dei .8 boke laste chapt 10. chapt 16.19.20 To God be the glory ¶ The description of Christe the Iudge commyng to the laste iudgement The .lxxxv. Sermon AND I sawe heauen open and beholde a white horse and he that sat vpon him was called faithful true and in rightuousenes dyd he iudge and make battaile His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes he had a name written that no man knewe but him selfe And he was clothed with a vesture dipte in bloud and his name is called the worde of God And the warriers which were in heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed with white and pure silke And out of his mouthe went a sharpe sworde that with it he should smite the heythen And he shall rule thē with a rod of yron and he trode the winefatte of the fearecenesse and the wrath of almightie God And hath on his vesture on his thighe a name written kynge of kinges and Lorde of Lordes Hitherto we haue hearde many thinges of the sondry pūnishementes of the vngodly Of the last iudgemēt and because it is manifeste that God taketh punnishment of the mischeuous and wicked at sondry times and diuersely but most fully and most seuerely in that same laste iudgement and from thence forth euermore and S. Iohn hath ones twise thryse begonne to treate of the laste iudgement as in the ende of the .11 and .14 chapt And yet hath euer differred suspended and reserued to an other place at the last thinkyng it time to set before al mens eyes a description chiefely necessarie at the length he taketh it in hande and nowe finissheth it vp as a matter of all other greateste He annexeth therefore to a plentifull treatise of the tourmentes of the vngodly a moste full and euident description of the iudge moste rightuous and greatest and of that laste iudgement and moste straite of all others wherein moste fully and seuerely the paynes shal be executed vpon al Antichristians and vngodly for euermore This place which is the fourth of this chapt and this treatise stretcheth vnto the .21 chapter The elocution is great smellyng of the propheticall maiestie and Apostolicall perspicuitie and efficacitie You shall finde not a fewe of this sorte in the prophetes especially in the .24.25.26 and .27 chapt of Esaye And verely this doctrine is very profitable and necessary to be learned and vnderstande moste dilligently of all and singular faythfull A profitable necessarie doctrine of the laste day of iudgemēt as the whiche with muche dilligence and moste plentifull abondaunce was set forth to this ende of the Prophetes and Apostles but chiefely of the Lorde Iesus Christe him selfe bothe in the Gospell and also in this moste godly reuelation For vnlesse thou be kepte in thy duetie for feare of the iudgement and Iudge to come it is no maruell though thou runneste madde and perisshe with this folishe and wicked worlde In the treatise of the laste iudgement is sene the ende of al menne life and death felicitie and miserie payne or tourment and vnspeakable and heauēly rewarde He that remembreth these thinges well abhorreth wickednes and walketh in holy feare before God And we haue learned of the doctrine of the Gospell That daye is knowen to no man that the same daye of the restoryng of all and oppression of the vngodly and also of all vngodlines is knowen to no mortall man but to the father alone and therefore to inquire of the houre and momente thereof to be most folishely done much more wickedly Notwithstandyng the good Lord hath shewed and signified tokens whiche when we shall see to be fulfilled and accomplished we might lifte vp our heades knowyng that our redemption draweth nere Beholde your redemption sayeth he not your tourment For he speaketh of the godly lokyng for their redemption frō heauen at the retourne of our sauiour and redemer our lord Christe whiche shal also inflicte to his enemies reuēgement as S. Paule sayeth in the .2 Thess the .1 Therfore let vs not here be curiouse which search for things vnsearchable but rather let vs watch and praye after the holesome precepte of our sauiour iudge and reuenger let vs haue our loynes gyrded and let lightes burne in our handes let vs loke for him stedfaste in faith and and soūde in holy hope Let vs rather take hede that the care of this world possesse not our hartes and beware of drōkennesse and surfettyng and that we be not of the nombre or cōuersation of them whiche in the dayes of Noe and Loth regarded worldely thinges only dispised heauenly laughed them to skorne
as be thus sanctified the seconde death hath no place nor power And the firste death is the death of sinne therefore is the seconde death eternall damnation See what I haue spoken hereof before in the .2 chapt of this boke in the Epistle to the church of Smyrna Finally the faythfull are made the priestes of God and of Christ the electe I meane segregated notable excellent bothe of God and Christ moste derely beloued which in eternall life might offer eternal prayses to God It is repeted agayne and they shal raygne with him a thousande yeres And this signifieth that al Sainctes shal raigne with Christ for euer but chiefely the soules euen olso before the iudgement Primasius Bisshoppe of Vtica expoundyng this place it is not spoken sayeth he not only of Bisshoppes and Priestes but like as we cal al christes by reason of the mistical chrisme or oynctement so are all priestes for that they be membres of a Prieste of whom the Apostle S. Peter an holy people sayeth he a royall priesthood thus saieth he But this whole place of the bindyng and lowsing of the Deuill of the thousande yeres and of the firste resurrection and seconde death S. Austen hath wel and dilligently for his time and for so much as he coulde see discoursed at large in the .20 boke De ciuit dei I propounde these thinges of mine to be dilligētly considered of the faithful Let euery mā holde that which he shal thinke most consonaunt to the trewth To the lord our God be praise glory now and euermore Amen ¶ What shall be done when the thousande yeres are expired of the worlde deceaued of warre and greuous persecution of the godly and of the euerlasting payne of the wicked The .lxxxix. Sermon AND when the thousande yeares are expired Sathā shal be lowsed out of his pryson and shall go out to deceaue the people whiche are in the foure quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battaile whose nombre is as the sande of the Sea And they wente vpon the playne of the earth and cōpassed the tentes of the sainctes aboute and the beloued citie And fire came downe from God out of heauē and deuoured them And the Deuil that deceaued thē was caste into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were and shal be tormented daye and night for euermore He declareth herby What shal be done after the thousāde yeres what shal happē after those thousande yeres And he sayeth chiefely two thinges that the deuill shal be lowsed out of his prison that he maye deceaue the people in the worlde and may assemble Gog and Magog vnto battaile To the which agayne he annexeth other two a moste cruell persecution of the church and payne of the wicked and euerlasting damnation of the deuil and his membres And the seducyng of the world must againe be expounded by the figure Sinecdoche Howe the worlde is deceaued agayne For the sense of the scripture will not permit vs to vnderstāde that there shuld be no godly lefte at that time For we beleue all that there is a church that an holy church shal be alwayes in the worlde vntil the iudgement And we haue hearde morouer in this boke how many thousandes are sealed that they should not perish And also that the dragon must be lowsed for a little season Like as therfore we reade in the gospel that Sathan is cast out and his kingdome taken frō him where neuerthelesse S. Peter warneth sayeth that the deuil goeth about like a roring Lion seketh whom he maye deuoure verely for that the greatest force of Sathan is for the faythful infringed by Christ that mightie champion and noble conquerour the Deuill not withstandyng goyng about and aspiryng agayne to the Empire and to be restored to his former place so at this present we vnderstande that Sathan lowsed after those thousande yeres raungeth now abroade more frely exerciseth greater authoritie seduceth more people in the worlde and ruleth further thā he hath raygned these thousande yeres yet so that there shal be neuerthelesse in the world a fellowshippe of Sainctes dispersed and vexed miserablely For immediately S. Iohn sayeth that the beloued citie of God is besieged of the enemies Therefore shal the church be in the middes of the enemies Wherefore al that same place muste be expounded not of the veritie religion wholy extinguisshed but of the more large ample power and seduction of sathan the old serpent The deuil cōmeth out of pryson Wherefore he sayeth that when the thousande yeres shal be expired the Deuill shall be lowsed out of that his prison whereinto through the power might of Christ or preachyng of the Apostles he had ben shutte For the chayne ones broken to witte the sincere doctrine and preachyng of the gospel corrupted and depraued he came out and to this ende he came out that he might deceaue the gētiles that is to saye al people and nations which are dwelling in the foure quarters or partes of the Earth I meane in the whole vniuersall worlde and to the ende he mighte allure Gog and Magog namely fierse men barbarouse worldly mocking and contemnyng the true religion addicte to robberies and geuen to euill thinges and regardyng only corruption and naughtines that he might drawe I saye suche men to vnrightuousenes and kepe them still in errours For such doeth Ezechiell signifie Gog and Magog to be But those whiche through the diuine grace be not such shal not be deceaued of Sathan but groūded on Christ shal perseuer in the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles and shall rightly worship Christ shall abhorre Antichrist and al naughtines in the world But that a deuelisshe deceauyng hath passed through the world farre and nere sins the thousande yeres expired What deceauynge shal be in the worlde after the thousāde yeres experience teacheth and Histories witnesses of times testifie For it is playne that duryng those thousande yeres there were famouse churches of Christe in the Easte whiche not withstandyng to haue ben distroyed within these fiue hondreth yeares we lament Therefore the wicked and abominable secte of Mahomet began sixe hondreth yeres after the birth of Christe and from that time forth was auaunced by the Saracenes but preuailed at the last after those thousande fatall yeres For howe great is the power of Turkes nowe in Affricke Asia and Europe no man is ignoraunt And Papistrie had his beginnyng and procedyng ouer soone but after a thousande yeres it was of full force For Bisshoppes of Rome through the abuse of excōmunicatyng haue oppressed euē most mightie Emperours Kinges For who knoweth not with what shameles boldenes the popes haue withstād both Kinges and Keysars Henries Fridderickes Lewysses and many other Princes whom their lewdenes hath vexed vanquished and ouercome After muche and greuouse contention the Popes extorted to themselues the consecratyng of Bishoppes Thei vsurped
Emperour shal he haue Rome shal he haue Italie the oulde seat of the Empyre shal he haue Fraunce Spayne Hongarie Germanie For although Germanie be nowe taken for the seate of the Empyre yet hath shee her owne Princes her owne free Cities and the which inioye their Priuileges although they be called Emperiall Theodorycke of Niem a Germayne and a familiar friende of certen Popes which wrote also the lyues of certen Byshoppes of Rome which were last before the counsell of Constaunce in the thyrde booke the .xliii. chapt of his Stories Of what magnificēce sayeth he the Romaine Empyre is at the leestwyse openlye sene in Germanie For you shal haue there an Archbyshop or a Byshop which hath of yearely reuenewes twyse so much more The pouerty and barenes of the Romayne Empyre as the Kyng of Romaynes receyueth in all his dominions And agayne a temporall Prince that hath more landes than hath the Emperour And so forth Moreouer in the ould Empire ther was some mightie monarke which vsed full Aucthoritie and was honoured of all men as a God in Earth As Caius Domitian Dioclesian and others His Image representeth the Pope Byshoppe and Kynge and as it were a certeine God terristrial the greatest Monarke with fulnesse of power Furthermore Rome or the oulde beaste had a mooste honorable Senate So hath the Byshppe of Rome also a Princelyke Senate of prowde purpled Cardynalles For they bee in maner all Princes The booke of the Romayne gouernementes reciteth the Vicar or Lieutenaunte of the Diocesse of Asia a Diocesse in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a disposition administration dispēsation gouernemente or iurisdiction the Vycar of the Diocesse of Thracia and of Pontus So was there a noble man president of the gouernementes in Italie He had manye Diocesses vnder And no fewer had the Lieutenaunt of Fraunce And lyke as the Counte of Strasbourgh the Captayne generall of the soldiours at Spires and the General of the soldiours at Woormes ded acknowledge the Duke of Mentz a Proconsull So at this daye the Byshoppes of those Cities are subiectes to the Archebyshoppe of Mentz The Byshoppes therefore seme by the Popes ordinaunce to succede in the place of the Romayne gouernementes Certeinelie you shall see the moste parte of these Byshops called not onely moste reuerend fathers in Christe but also most Noble myghty Dukes and Princes of the Empyre And this is also manifeste that the Emperour of the oulde beaste had his legions the Romaine Egles or enseignes and moste expert and puissaunt Captaynes of warre But the high Bishop and kyng of Rome hath in that Imagerie Empyre obedient children kinges and Princes in Europe not to be dispised Tharmies and power of the Popes sworde whom he may cōmaunde yf nede requyre to stretch foorth the secular power For so thundreth Boniface the .8 in the firste boke de Maior Obedient doubtles sayeth he whosoeuer denieth the temporall sworde to be in the power of Peter he vnderstandeth a misse the worde of the Lorde sayeng put vp thy swoorde into thy sheath howe subtiilie and howe aptelie Therefore are both swords in the power of the church to wit both the spiritual and materiall sword but this must in dede be exercised for the church the other of the church The spirituall by the prieste the materiall by the hande of kinges and soldiours but at the will and patience of the high prieste c. The oulde beaste had his lawes written and published daylie in a maner newe Decretals The Popes therefore after the imitation of the emperiall lawes haue written decretalles and many tymes make newe lawes Yea moreouer they saie howe the voice precepts or cōmaundemēts of the pope are aswel to be receiued taken as the words of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God and Apostle S. Peter They adde moreouer these things also that we muste stand to the popes determinatiō That where the pope is there is the generall counsell Where the Pope is there is our common countrie He is compelled or reproued of no man althoughe he be called an heretike He hath all lawes in his breast or in the scroll of his breaste he may interprete or expound all thinges The same doth ratifie no sentence and it is in him alone to take away one mans right and geue it to an other He maie take awaye priuileges and at his wyll and pleasure not onely to chaūge bishops but also to depose the emperour himselfe and to declare no sentence of themperour All the world is the Popes diocesse and the pope is the ordinarie of al hauing fulnes of power aswell in spiritual matters as tēporall For he is Lord of Lordes and hath the righte of the King of Kinges ouer all subiects For he hath no pere and is all thinges and aboue all and it is necessarie to saluation to be vnder the byshop of Rome For ther is one consistorie or iudgement seat of God and of the Pope These thynges haue I taken oute of their owne books to witte of their Decretalles and gloses There is a boke of Antony Russell of Aretine of the power of the Pope and the emperour where in you may read innumerable things of the same sort But of these thinges which I haue noted hitherto I suppose it be made playne enough how the Pope which is here also called the false prophete hath sette vp the Image of the beaste Hereunto Ihon addeth an other thyng And he had power to geue a spirite to the Image of the beaste that the empyre thus establyshed and all thynges sette in order the beaste or false prophete doeth moue all that weighte and putteth lyfe into the Image so that it can speake to witte the same that the false prophete hath geuen it to speake For excepte the pope do confyrme the election of the Kyng of Romaines he shall not be thoughte worthie of the name of Emperour .22 quest .5 de forma in the glose thēperour sweareth to the pope as the Client to his Lord. The same maiste thou reade in the firste boke the .9 title de iure iurando in Clementinis Moreouer who seeth not how aswell the Emperour as other Princes are inuironed wyth a cōpanie of Byshoppes whych inspyre them what they shoulde speake or doe and howe they shoulde behaue themselues in all thinges For this cause are sent also the Legates that are called Legati a latere And it is not vnknowen that in all Princes counselles for the moste parte the spirituall haue the chiefe rule They be for the most parte Chancelours Secretaries Ambassadours and what not And their Pope King sayeth openlie howe he ought to iudge al men but to be iudged of no man Yea and his creatures also vsurpe the same vnto themselues Yf ther be any assemblee there the Byshop of Rome commonly ruleth by his spirite and gouerneth the chiefeste matters especiallye matters of religiō For vnlesse the decrees please the fathers
they threaten that theye wyll abrogate suche thinges as the States haue decreed But yf there be called a counsell generall or nationall it is wholly ruled by the popes spirite This speaketh and determineth as it pleaseth the Pope For vnlesse it decree after the Popes pleasure he wil go aboute to abolysh all to gether For we hearde of late that the Synode or counsell is there where the Pope is And Innocentius the .9 in the .3 The Pope is aboue the coūsell but the coūsell of Basil reasoneth the contrary quest The iudge sayeth he shall be iudged nother of themperour nother of the whole Clergie nother of kings nor of the people And the glose vpon the same place noteth the counsell cannot iudge the Pope c. Wherefore yf the whole worlde shulde geue sentence in any matter against the Pope it appeareth that we ought to stand to the Popes sentence against them al. Yea the same glosier in an other place The Pope yf he wyll sayeth he maye dispence againste the Counsell For he is more than the Counsell Moste trewely therefore sayde the Lorde at this present howe the beast had power to geue a spirite to the beaste and that the Image of the beaste shuld speake For whosoeuer shewe not themselues obedient and willinge instrumentes vnto this beaste in all his affayres are accoumpted for dead and rotten membres and therefore to be cutte of from this vitall bodye Yea for sooth Empyres at of God the corruptiōs of empyres of euyll Howbeit in the meane tyme leest I shuld blame any man prayse worthie or seme ouer much to taunt them that haue deserued none euyll or should be sayde not to acknowledge the goodnes of God workyng in Empyres but rather to fynde faulte with the same and to confounde and put to gether all thinges both good and euyll without any choyce or respecte certeine thinges are here by a long yet necessary digression to be admonished and better declared I admonish therefore and repete that the Lorde our God is the authour of Empires and ordeyneth the same for the welth of menne but that the Deuill ioyneth him selfe with the good ordinaunces of God and accordyng to his euill nature corrupteth those good ordinaunces of God by mouyng mens affections diuersly and appliyng them to euil matters Wherupon in gouernementes very many thinges arrise whiche are to be mislyked of the Godly as are tiranny alteration of the state and suche other like Neuerthelesse albeit God hateth all wickednes nother can allowe any euill we see that he of his infinite goodnes vseth the euill gouernementes of menne vnto the good or profit of his For God loueth his churche excedingly and seketh to relieue and comforte al man kinde by Empires although not altogether or in all thinges commendable I wil not therfore denie Gouernemēt not to be discommended good princes vnder the Image of the beaste that sins the Empire of the weste was renewed that is to saie sins the Image of the beast was sette vp these seuen hondreth yeres they haue many times gouerned so that it hath easely appered that god hath wrought the helth of his people in the gouernementes Daniel figured by beastes the foure Monarchies of the worlde whiche neuertheles supposed not that al their Princes were beastes nother condemned he al Princes neither thought that there hath bene or should be no good thing in them although the most parte were moste corrupted There were founde in the olde Romane beaste to speake nothynge in the meane time of the Princes of Assiria Bavilon Medes Persia or Macedonie whiche haue set forth profitable lawes sette in the bookes of Iustinian There haue bene founde vnder that moste cruell olde beaste whiche haue auaunced the trewe religion of Christe and defended moste ernestely the churche of God suche as before we sayed was Constaunce Constantine Theodose and diuerse others whiche come all vnder the nombre of the Empire but not of the beaste but in as muche as the beaste signifieth the Empire So maye there be founde Princes vnder the Image of the beaste not a fewe whiche haue bothe set forth holesome lawes and haue imployde greate benefites vpon mankynde as haue done Charles Lewis and Lotharie of Saxon and others Notwithstanding that thei themselues in many thinges cannot be allowed of the godly There are founde emonges the later kinges of the newe Empire whiche in power and maiestie were not muche vnlike the olde in vertues not muche behinde them but in certen thinges egall There are founde whiche haue assayed to pourge thempire from Popishe corruptions and to bryng the Popes vnder Corum but with no great or good successe For what the Otthones Henrickes Lodouickes Friderickes briefly many Frenche Princes Saxones Sweuians Bauarians and of Austrich haue ben many notable testimonies of histories do reporte which testifie that certen Kinges both of Fraunce and of other realmes also haue not bowghed their knees to this Baal or if thei haue done at any time yet haue they repented and haue shewed some token at the leeste wise wherby the wise might perceiue that they set not much by that beaste Holy men are excused excepted Here therfore are to be excused al holy and excellent men which haue liued in the whole course of time wherein the Image of the beaste erected hath reigned And I meane Emperours Kinges Princes Bishops States Cities people of the empire and other realmes whiche liued but yet were not vnder the vnhappie image of the beaste for because they offered not themselues to the sprete of the beaste to be therof moued and gouerned nother haue spoken expressely that thing whiche the beaste gaue to speake but rather haue spoken against the beast and haue much mislyked his doyngs Therfore as I haue not comprised in the olde Monarchies and namely in the olde Romane beaste the godly prynces and good gouernement nother haue condemned them of beastialitie if I maye so terme it so nowe nother in bayting the Image of the beaste do I confounde the good and godly princes and people and their gouernement not euill with the corrupte doynges of Antichrist For euer I excepte moderate and profitable empires honeste men and godly how so euer they liue vnder the Image of the beaste yet not after the inspiration of the beast or false prophet A prophecie is to be expounded after the cōsideration of thinges times Hereunto I adioyne this also that thempire was not sodenly establisshed after the will and pleasure of the Bisshop but by diuerse spaces of times sondry attēptes and traysons innumerable therfore at the length it was deuolued to an extremitie of corruption and as I may saye bestialitie Wherby it appereth that the prophecie of S. Iohn is to be applied to the thinges themselues and to the times after the state malliciousenes and corruption of euery thing time That same is moste certayne and by comon consente of all historiographers playnely testified
that in Charles the greate through the meanes of Pope Leo the thirde thempire in the weste decayed was renewed and that thus the image of the beaste that is to witte of the Romane Empire was erected And albeit that at this time thempire decayed in the weste was restored by the Pope yet is it euideÌ„t that the Popes in the beginning of this Empire by certen donatioÌ„s and giftes much in riched did not as yet vse so greate power as they vsurped to themselues afterwarde when they had ouerthrowen and deposed certen Emperours For al though the donatioÌ„ seme to be made by king Pipine and the pope is red than to haue receiued the beginning of his kingdome yet that he was subiecte to Emperours and kings with the Citie of Rome also this same emoÌ„ges other thinges proueth that in the French Cronicles of the Actes of king Charles in the yere of our lord eight hoÌ„dreth and one thus it is founde written afterwarde hauyng set in order the matters of the citie and Bishoppe of Rome and of al Italie therefore did Italy than also obey the Emperour not only publicke but also marke ecclesiasticall and priuate for all the winter themperour did nothing els departing froÌ„ Rome with his sonne Philip he came to Spolet The same authour in the Actes of the yere eight hoÌ„dreth and 16. Stephen sayeth he elected in the place of Leo the .3 taketh as greate iourneyes as he could to come to the Emperour sendyng in the meane time two Ambassadours which might treate with themperour Ludouicus pius for his consecratioÌ„ So likewise in thactes of the yere eight hondreth and .17 is shewed howe Paschalis beyng chosen sente an Ambassade to Lewis the Emperour In thactes of the yere .823 the same Bishop stode at the examination and iudgement of themperour You maye finde in thactes of the next yere that themperour Lotharie establisshed the matters of Italy and Rome Yet doeth the same authour againe make mention of the donation of King Pipine which gaue to S. Peter Rauenna and Pentapolis and all the gouernemente Yet doeth he make no mention of the donation other of Charlemaygne or of Ludouicus pius The .43 distinct maketh mention thereof I Lewis c. in the glose is written thus There Lewis geueth Rome and diuerse other thinges to S. Peter and to Paschale the Pope All historiographers in maner make mention of the donation of the Kinges of Fraunce An Abridgement of all gathereth out of the librarie Dolaterane in the third boke of Geographie in the actes of Pipine and Charles Wherby ye maye easely coniecture what maner of Canon is set forth in the .96 distinct in these wordes Constantine the Emperour hath geuen and graunted to the Apostolical See the Crowne and all the Emperiall dignitie is the Citie of Rome and in Italy and in the weste partes Which by and by after he discourseth with a longe exposition out of the life of S. Siluerster wrytten as they saye by Gelasius in the chapt followynge But Antony Bysshoppe of Florence denieth in his History that this donation doeth remayne in any olde bokes Cusanus and Laurence Valla haue impugned the same nother hath Ottho Bisshoppe of Frisyng in the .3 chapt of the .4 booke of his storie nor Marsilius Pataninus in the defence of peace nor Raphael Volaterane allowed the same nor many mo that I coulde reherse Moreouer in the Cronicles of Kinges of Fraunce set before the story of Paulus Aemilius of the actes of Kinges of Fraunce in the yere 755. thus you maye reade Pipine agayne entred into Italy and Aistulphus subdued he gaue giftes to Maximus Bisshop of Rome also the Dukedom of Rauenna of very great laÌ„des leeste any man should vnthankefully vniustely take awaye this larges from the French Kinges ascribyng to themperour Constantine which Pipine gaue to the church of Rome agaynst the wil of the Greke Emperour affirming the same possessions to be the right of the Empire From thence Pipine first receiued and brought into Fraunce the Ecclesiasticall rites of the Romanes and ceremonies of songes Thempire conueyed from the FrenchmeÌ„ to the Germenes c. Howebeit the gouernement of thempire Charles posteritie was not very stable and permanent For from the firste yere of Charles wherein he was created Emperour vnto the seuenth yere of Conrade whiche was Nephewe to Lewis the .3 by his Brother the laste of the house of Charles are accompted aboute an hondreth and .19 yeres For Charlemaigne reigned Emperour .14 yeres Lewis .26 Lotharius .15 Lewis the seconde .21 Charles two yeres Caluus surnamed the seconde Charles .3 Crassus .12 Arnulphe .12 Lewis the .3.10 Conrade .7 Conrade liyng on his death bed nominateth Kinge Henry Duke of Saron surnamed Falconer And thus was the Empire translated to the Germanes This Henry called the firste came neuer in Italy neuer was consecrate or crowned of the Pope His Sonne Ottho the firste of that name sente for in Italy is red to haue gone thither with a greate Armie beyng receyued at Rome and saluted of the people Emperour and Auguste Ottho Frisinge in the .6 boke of Histories the .17 chapt affirmeth out of the decrees that Pope Leo the .8 of that name did coÌ„secrate this Ottho the firste King of Germanes For his father Henry refused it Albert Krantz in the .10 and .11 chapt of the fourth booke of Saxon matters affirmeth that Pope Leo made a surrender of all suche thinges as the Popes had receyued of the kinges of Fraunce and the authour defendeth this surrender made to be trewe Howebeit the keper of the Librarie testifieth that Ottho confirmed the donatian of the kinges of Fraunce Pipine Charles and his sonnes There remayneth morouer in the decrees a copie of the othe the .43 distinct wherby kyng Ottho bindeth him self to the Pope that he shall intermeddle with nothyng that coÌ„cerneth the Pope and the Romanes secondely that he shal restore al the landes of S. Peter that shal come into his handes Which thing let the reader iudge what they are Shortely after this time about the yere of our lord .996 Electours They saye how by the decree of Pope Gregory the .5 and by the consent of Ottho the .3 Emperour the seueÌ„ princes Electours were assigned vnto whoÌ„ the defence of the church as sayeth Wimpelingius and the Romane Empire was committed In the whiche thing all Historiographers and wryters doe agree and that of the Italianes Blondus Platina Sabellicus Volaterane Egnâ—tius and others of Germanes Albertus Nauclerus Carion Functius and certen others diuerse haue made no mention of this ordinaunce Wherefore Auentinus in the .5 booke of Cronicles Folio .510.707 sayeth that he knoweth I can not tel how certeÌ„ly that after the death of Fridericke the .2 the Electours were instituted and confirmed of Gregory the .10 But how so euer that matter standeth certayne it is that there hath ben many amonge the seuen princes electours both feruent and earneste in true religion and
excellent in all kinde of vertues and especially the seculars as they tearme them who hath muche misliked the tiranny and impietie of the Popes of Rome in so muche that they haue stoutely oftentimes withstande them Our age doubtles is muche bounde to this order or state that a good parte of the preachyng of the holy gospel is reformed the which both they with other princes of Germany moste worthie of praise do by Gods inspiration valiaūtly against the furies of Antichrist defende and mantayne The Lord increase in them in other godly Princes through the whole world his giftes and mercifully kepe and preserue thē But to returne to the prosis and order of the Historie certayne it is that immediately after Gregory the .5 the Deuill inuaded the see of Rome Nother could Platina dissemble this thing a writer of Popes liues knowen to all men See what he sayeth of Popes in the life of Syluester .3 which hath very fauourably spared his lordes and maisters and many times hath couered their abominable actes yet writyng of the successour of Gregory the .5 Siluester the .2 sayeth he before called Gilberte a Monke of Florey forsakyng his monasterie followed the Deuil vnto whom he gaue him self whole And by and by he addeth Gilbert moued with Ambition and a deuelish desire to rule through briberie gote firste the Archbisshopricke of Reyns after of Rauenna and after with greater suite the Deuill furtheryng him he obteyned to be pope yet vnder this cōdicion that after his death he should be the Deuilles wholy c. He that would knowe the full story and abridgement taken out of Antoninus The See of Rome vtterly corrupted Nauclerus and others lette him reade the .9 boke of Funccius Cronicles vnder the yere .998 Beno a Cardinall supposeth at this time to be fulfilled those thousande yeres after the which the Deuill breakyng lowse beganne agayne to rage in the worlde Wherof shall followe certen thinges in the .20 chapt of this booke Notwithstandyng I shall not refuse to gather here certen thinges out of this Benone Cardinall and briefly to recite them here for the declaration of our matter Therefore Beno in the life and actes of Hildebrande The mallice of the Popes vexyng the emperours called Gregory the .7 one Gerbertus which had infected the citie with sorcerie sayeth he after the thousand yeres fulfilled coming vp out of the botōlesse pitte of Gods permission was Pope 4. yeres and chaungyng his name was called Siluester the 2. And after Gilberte the yere .25 I suppose it should be red .32 And howe they reigned these yeres Stories testifie and that very euyl Theophilactus his schollar atchieued the seate violently called Benedict the .9 He had a dere frende and priuie to all his doynges one Gratiane Archeprieste of S. Iohn porte latin Vnto whome Hildebrande a Monke of Cluney forsakyng his abbeye did familiarely cleaue and became a familiar frende of his But Benedict fearyng him selfe solde his seate to Gratiane Maister of Hildebrande receiuyng of him fiue hondred thousande poūdes which promoted to the office was called Gregory the .6 Neuerthelesse they had shortly a thirde Pope Sabinus and he was called Siluester the .3 Themperour therefore Henry the .2 a godly man valeaunt wise and stoute goyng to Rome to pourge the church for as yet the Bisshoppes vsed not full authoritie compelled Benedicte or Theophilacte the Magician to flee cast Gregory in pryson and sent a waye Siluester to his olde Bisshoprike And he holdyng a Counsell placed the Bisshop of Bamberge whom he called Clement in the seate of whome also he receyued the crowne And he brought Gregory with his disciple Hildebrande with him into Germany In the meane time Benedict retournyng to Rome from flight vexeth Clement and with much inchauntynge infecteth the Citie and by letters receyued from Hildebrande out of Germany he learneth what is done in the Emperours court Gregory dieth there in prison and lefte Hildebrande his heire both of his false packyng and of his monie Clement dieth also Whom Damasus the .2 succedeth immediately but streight wayes poisoned by reason of the tumulte that was in the citie the Emperour sendeth Bruno Bisshoppe of Tully commen of the noble house of the Erles of Holst a worthy mā Here Beno annexeth in whose trayne through the ouer much sufferaūce of the Emperour Hildebrande was permitted to retourne by this permission to subuerte bothe the Bisshoprycke and Empire vnder pretence of religion And this Beno herein was a trewe prophet whiche sayeth thus also in the storie of Hildebrande and telling Bruno many things by the waie crepte into his fauour and as sone as he came to Rome obteyned of him that he was made one of the kepers of S. Peters Aultar And in a shorte time he filled his coffers And he also recōciled his olde Lord and maister Benedicte fayning repentaunce disceiptfully to Leo the .9 for so Bruno beyng made Pope was called and through the counsell of Benedicte otherwise called Theophilacte he armed Leo agaynst the Normannes and betrayed him vnto them The Germanes therefore slayne by treason scarsely the Pope all desolate escaped This sayeth Beno And certē it is that this Monke Hildebrande Gregory the .7 from that time forewarde aspired to gette the seate and in the meane time whilest it was gouerned of others he incensed and ruled the Popes as Leo the .9 Victour the .2 Stephen the .9 Benedicte the .10 Nicolas the .2 and Alexander the .2 But they smell of Hildebrandes stile that are set forth in the name of Leo Nicolas and Alexander But at the length he him self clome vp into the chayre in the whiche he so vsed him selfe that no man vnlesse he were starke blinde but might see that his deuelish gouernement hath requited most aboūdantly Henry the .4 the sonne of Henry the thirde his fathers cariyng of him into Germany And he beganne openly and impudently to take vpon him the power of the emperour Nother can it be tolde at fewe wordes in what detestable wise this beaste did afflicte bothe the Emperour and empire al the while he was Pope for the space of .12 whole yeres An Abridgement of that story hath Iohn Functius compiled in the .10 boke vnder the yere of our Lorde .1074 Diuerse opinions of Gregory the .7 I know that Platina and many Italian wryters yea and some Germanes also doe highly cōmende the religion and vertues of this Gregory the .7 by the whiche thyng the Popishe tiranny vnder the pretence of religion is wonderfully augmented and confirmed and many blynded Yet is it comen to passe agayne through the grace of God that men of graue authoritie religion and vertues haue fayre and wel plucked of the visure from this beaste Therefore haue Synodes and Counselles not to be cōtemned condemned this Gregory and first in dede the Coūsell of Mentz wherein were 19. famous Byshopes Than was assembled at Brixia a Synode of .30 Bisshoppes and of the moste