like Aungels and so the seruice of Deuils as Deuils in dede But where as the seuēth numbre is the numbre of fulnes conteyning in it self al times for there be seuen dayes of creation and rest there be seuen worldes or ages certenly seuen Aungelles appere before God for that they betoken all battels that shall be foughten to the ende of the world For to these seuen Aungels are geuen seuen trompettes and the Aungels already had the trompettes and euen prepared themselues to blowe the on set The vse of trompets Where chiefly the vse of trompettes is to be searched for The same is most plentifully described of Moses in the .10 of Nombres The vse of trompettes was diuerse as it is also at this daie First by the sounde of the trompet the people of Israel were called together to consult of the cōmon welth Agayne at the sounde of thē the Senate of princes of the people did assemble Moreouer they were warned by the trompet when who should remoue their tentes Furthermore the trompets blewe vnto battel what time they ioyned to fight as maye be sene in the .20 of Deuter. The people moreouer were called together with trompettes on the holy dayes to publicke and diuine seruice Sounde with the trompet in Zion call the congregation sayeth Iohel gather the people There was more ouer a feaste of trompettes and a Iubiley hauing the name of the blowyng and sounde of trompets as appereth in the .25 of Leuit. Finally the preachyng of the veritie was figured by the sounde of trompettes neyther might any other blow the same but priestes For it forceth much to whom you cōmitte or deliuer the signes publicke Of this sundry vse of trompettes none shall agree better to our mater than the warlicke For this world hath a shape of warre In it are the campes of good men and the campes of euill the tentes of Catholickes and tentes of heretickes The chiefrayne of these is Sathan and of those Christe the Captaine and Emperour of these is the Deuill of the other the sonne of God And now the Aungels sounde their trompettes and blowe the onset not that the good Aungels and God him selfe is the Authour of heresies and of heretickes whose original is referred to Sathan and sinne but soūding their trompettes they geue in dede warnyng to all men and signifie that most greuouse warres shal arrise in the worlde and euen in the church it selfe But diuerse men are diuersely moued and worke in warre accordyng to their natures The trewe catholikes beyng warned by the trompet take heade to themselues praye and finally taking in hande spirituall weapons prepare themselues vnto battel and māfully fight for Christ and for maynteinyng and defending the veritie Heretickes sectaries and menne of corrupte mindes accordyng to theyr mallice takyng to them also Armour runne sorth and fighte agaynst Christ and the veritie defende lies and such as be weakelynges they take spoyle beate downe and distroye The good shepardes are the trompets of God and of Christ the Deuill bloweth vp Archeheretickes and beginners of sectes Of the good and of their fight we shal heare in the .11 and in the chapt following Neuertheles in euery cōflict we must vnderstād that the sainctes slepe not nor be any where idle but to doe their duetie euery where It was nowe in dede enough for the lord to shewe vs the heretikes sectaries sighting to declare how much they maye hurt that we might watche more dilligently and beware of all corruption The firste trompet or fight The first Aungel soundyng the first trompet denounceth vnto vs the first conflict All and singular battels haue some thing like and diuerse It is like in that all heresies doe impugne Christ and would haue the trueth of the Gospell eyther extinguisshed or wrasted out of the true sense And that same is singular or diuerse that at an other time Sathan assayling other doctrines hath spred abroade in the Churche sundry heresies Therefore whilest the Aungell soundeth the trompet that is to saye proclaymeth warre he warneth the Sainctes to watche Therfore as he is yet blowing through Gods permission accordyng to his iuste iudgement by the meane and suggestion of Sathan ther was made hayle and fyre mixed with bloud the whiche beyng so tempered was sente or fell vpon the Earth For S. Paule acknowledgeth spiritual policies in the heauenly spirites And the Scripture in a certen place doeth figure rightwell the sounde and holesome doctrine by the heauēly dewe and showre that maketh the earth fruictefull most rightly therfore S. Iohn cōpareth the false and hereticall doctrine to hayle For that destroyeth the fruictfull places of the earth and marreth vtterly the plētiful fruicte of the earth Wherfore like as els where the peruerse doctrine is called darnell leuen chaffe c. so is it here called haile But this hayle is tempered and of a wonderful mixture For it hath fire and bloud ioyned with it These thinges muste be expounded after an allegorie not after the letter Haile is water congeled with colde Hayle is corrupte doctrine And water they haue called the wisedom of the scripture haile therfore shal be false wisedom Yet fire is put vnto it The pretense of the scriptures and inspiration of the holy ghost wherunto is added bloud the euil affection of man to witte the vice of Ambitiō wrath contention hatred and like affections Of these is compounded an haylie doctrine hurtfull doubtlesse and pestilent For when false doctrine ruleth or depraueth the Scriptures and wicked affections of teachers are ioyned with all a pestilent doctrine arriseth Such was frō the beginnyng the doctrine of the Nazareans or Mimeorites and of the Hebionites cōtending that iustification came not by the only faithe of Christ but by the law Our men fought sharpely to wit S. Paule thother Apostles against this perniciouse doctrine And frō the beginning many corrupt with Philosophie Diuinitie corrupt by Philosophie others blinded with mens traditions haue brought forth most corrupt opinions Histories beare witnes herof And Tertulliane not without cause called Philosophers the patriarches of heretickes For S. Paule most diligently warned that the godly shuld be ware of Philosophie They that haue not kepte thēselues from it haue set more by Philosophie I know not what traditions they in stead of the heauenly dewe swete showres haue cast into the church great heauy haylestones And haue verely hurte the church very much For the .iii. part of trees was burnt and also al grene grasse This nūbre is intimated in foure trōpets and in fixe likewise And it semeth to signifie that a greate parte of men inconstaunte and vnstable are seduced lofte geuing thēselues to be distroyed of wicked men agayne the best part of the saythful to be saued The lord him self knoweth the numbre exactely It is enough for vs to know these thinges which he hath reuealed vnto vs nother to searche curiousely any further That men
vnderstand that is to saye al that same time that is rekened frō the fatall yeres .666 wherof is mentioned in the .13 chapt of thapocalipse vntil the last iudgemēt And whie I do expounde a certen time by an vncerten these be the causes First for asmuch as the same nombre of monethes is put here in the .13 chapt And is ascribed to the olde Romane Empire verely that in their tribulations the Sainctes might vnderstand comfort themselues that there is an ende appoincted to their tirāny which is knowen of God and that the Sainctes should no more be sorrowful than if they should be cōstreyned to abide their tiranny a fewe monethes only Otherwise if ye should accompte from the firste yere of Iulius Cesar and bring the course of time vntil that yere wherin Odacer at Rome al emperours of the weste beyng takē awaye was acknowledged for King you shal not finde only three yeres and an half but about fiue hondreth and .xvii. yeres Yf you shal bring the accompte from Iulius to the empire taken awaye and geuen to the pope you shal finde about .767 yeres The later cause for that Daniel the Lorde Christe and the Apostle S. Paule agreablely do saye that the persecution of Antichrist should last vnto the iudgemēt But who shal rekē vnto vs the yeres and dayes of the last iudgement And therefore must the nōbre certayne be expounded by the vncerten and must thinke that al thinges are nombred prefixed in the counsel of god which neuer neglecteth his faithfull To him be glory for euermore Amen ¶ Of the two prophetes fightyng manfully agaynst Antichrist and of their power The .xlvij. Sermon ANd I will geue power to my two witnesses thei shal prophecie a M. cc. and .lx. daies cloted in sacke cloth These are two oliue trees two cādelstickes stādyng before the God of the Earth And if any man wil hurt them fire shal come forth of their mouth deuour their enemies And if any man will hurt thē this wise must he be killed these haue power to shut heauē that it raigne not in the dayes of their propheciyng and haue power ouer waters to tourne them to bloud and to smite the earth with al maner plagues as oftē as they will These thinges apperteyne also to the consolation of the faithful Prophetes are promised For the lord promiseth that he wil sende prophetes that is preachers whiche shall mayneteyne and defende the veritie of the Gospel and glory of Christ assayle Antichrist and distroye his kingdome and auaunce the saluation of the faythfull In the fourmer chapt 8. and .9 was described the fight of Antichrist and heretikes agaynst God his Christ and against his church now at fewe wordes is set agaynst the same the cōtrary fight the army of Christ is munstred Two prophetes And he bringeth forth two Prophetes that is preachers not for that there shal be two only but for that he wil so signifie that the power of Christ in the worlde should be and seme to worldly men small as I shal tel you anone in the meane time he vnderstandeth al faithful preachers and pastours of al times whiche offer themselues to resiste Antichrist and heretikes There be that expounde these thinges of Enoch and Helie which shal come corporally before the iudgemēt Howbeit S. Hierome in the epistle to Marcella doeth referre that opinion to Iewish fables signifiyng that these thinges must de spiritually expounded of those prophetes as are also the most things of this boke And in maner al expositours with great concorde doe interprete all these thinges of these Prophetes spiritually and not corporally after the lettre I suppose that for two causes there be two Prophetes only here rehersed First for that he would allude to the olde Historie or prophecie of Zacharie which is in the .4 chapt It was thought than also to the people of Israel retourned from Babylon that the reparyng of the Tēple was vnpossible for that they had many and mightie aduersaries and they were weake and fewe and their gouernours Zorobabel and Iehosua contemned but through the mightie hande of God and his faithful ayde it came to passe that the power of their aduersaries vanisshed awaye as vayne and they indespite of hell gates buylded vp their Temple right so the Lorde sayeth it shal be in that later age that the ministers most contēptuous and very fewe in nombre shal buylde vp Christ his temple and repare it shake the most mighty power of Antichrist Herunto I suppose belongeth that saiyng of Daniel and when they shal fal they were holpen with smal ayde c. Secondely for this cause chiefly he accompteth only two witnesses for that it is red written in the Lawe in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery worde shal stande It is iudged therfore a full testimony whiche shall be confirmed with the agreable declaration of two Where therfore the lord sayeth that he wil geue two Prophetes it is asmuch to saye as that he wil geue so many ministers as shal suffice which shal both builde vp his church and also plucke downe and rēt a sonder the kingdome of Antichrist There be of the expositours which thinke that by two witnesses are vnderstande two testamētes Howbeit we see that the Lord speaketh here of witnesses not of the thing testified or to be witnessed which neuerthelesse we separate not from the witnesses The Apostles and Apostolicall men are called witnesses euery where in the Gospel and in the .1 Who be witnesses chapt of the Actes of Apostles Witnesses are ordeyned in iudgement that they should faithfully vtter that whiche they haue sene or hearde that they should forge nothing of themselues to the things that should be testified should nother adde or put any thing nor take awaye any thing So likewise are placed of God in the church of God the witnesses of God that is to saye ministers and of them is required that they Imagine nothing of their owne braine nother put to nor take away any thing from Gods worde but simply declare to the church of God the thinges they haue sene in the story of the Gospell and hearde of the prophetes and Apostles Therfore are thei false witnesses nother worthie to be called the witnesses of God and of Christ which bryng not the Gospell They be rather the Popes witnesses whose decrees decretalles they bring forth and beare witnes of them to the folish people Therefore shal those two prophetes be witnesses of Christ and shal bryng witnes for Christ out of the most trewe Scriptures And the beginnyng of them is here referred to God and to his Christ as the original of Antichrist is reduced to the deuil him self The original of prophetes I wil geue sayeth the lord to my two witnesses and they shal prophecie Christ sendeth preachers geueth to them also that they can preach The which is a wonderful comforte For like as
the marke of the beaste that is whiche will not prostitute themselues to the luste of the Pope and the seate of pestilēce Antichrist sayeth the lorde by his power shall brynge to passe that none maye by or selle saue he that hath the marke of the beaste c. And these come all to one effecte the marke of the beaste the name of the beaste and the nombre of the name of the beast For he hath the marke of the beast which acknowledgeth the seate and professeth the faith of Rome and euen to whom the christen faith is not enough He hath the name of the beaste who so euer he be that will be named an obedient childe of the holy See of Rome and acknowledgeth the Pope to be head of the vniuersall church He hath the nombre of the name of the beaste whiche hath a societie with the beaste whiche societie that nombre bewrayeth or sheweth Therfore excepte thou acknowledge the Pope to be supreme head of the churche in Earth with the fulnes of power vnlesse thou professest to followe the fayth of the holy church of Rome and to deteste all thinges what so euer that See hath condemned thou arte forbidden fire and water That same hath the lord called to prohibite that thou mayest nother bie nor selle We saye in dutche signifiyng one that is bannished out of al mens company He vnderstandeth therfore excommunication that horrible thonderbolte of the Pope wherewith are stricken all those that haue set more by Christ than by the Pope or the which haue lothed the Popes decrees in comparison of the Gospell Let him reade that liste the sixte decretall of Boniface the .8 in the .5 boke the .2 titl de hereticis Also Clement the .5 booke .3 Title de hereticis But he that will knowe exactely a compendiouse treatise of tiranny and a glasse of butcherie let him reade the Bulle of Martin the .5 whiche is subiecte to the Sessions of the Counsell of Constaunce and is written to Bishoppes and inquisitours of heretical prauitie Emonges other thinges there is one which geueth a wonderfull lighte to this place whiche we nowe expounde where it cōmaundement that they do not permitte them that dispise the communion of the churche of Rome to kepe or dwell in any house or lodgynge to make any bargaynes or occupie any trafficke or trade of Marchandise or to haue any cōforte of humanitie with the faithfull of Christ Reade thou the reste leafe .134 Herunto maye be added that in Popishe churches is the greateste biyng and sellynge of all But vnlesse his crowne be shauen and his handes imbrewed with oyle that is except he hath receiued in the foreheade or head and in the righthande the marke indelible for so they terme it that can not be put out he hath no marchandise lefte him in the house nor so much as a little corner But Christ whipped these marchaūtes or byers and sellers ones or twise out of the temple Antichrist hath brought them in agayne And this is verely a wonder thei shewe more fauour at this daye to Iewes Turkes and heathen than to Christians For vnto the only gospellers is no place permitted verely for that they ascribe al to Christe preache Christe only leaue nothing to the Pope but rather accuse him moste constantly and bitterly But what shall we saye to them Counsell for the seduced whose handes and foreheades haue ben defiled with the marke I bid them to wash themselues with the bloud of Christ forsake Antichriste and tourne vnto Christe in relinquisshyng their errours and repenting them In case thou haste bounden thy selfe to Antichriste by an othe doe not perfourme that rashe and wicked othe by vngodly speakyng agaynst the gospel Do penaūce make thy purgation retourne vnto Christ and thou shalt be saued Here is wisedome Nowe leest any man here should chatter that we maye be Christians aboundantly instructed in heauenly wisedom although we do heare or speake nothing of the pope and popishe matters that those disputations are vnprofitable yea odiouse and to apperteyne to the stiring vp of troubles and therfore to be hurteful and foolishe that same our Lorde preuenteth and sayeth expressely here is wisedom in the knowledge and righte iudgemente of these thinges consisteth the trewe heauenly and godly wisedome Vnlesse we be wise in this thing we shal be fooles and not wise The Lord therfore exciteth the hearers to the study of inquyringe after Antichriste and to beware of him when he is founde For in the 14. chapt we shall heare that they shall drinke of the Wine of Gods wrath as many as haue receyued the marke of the beaste and worshipped his Image Wherefore they shall drinke at the same table with Christe of the cuppe of lyfe and of the grace of God so many as haue dispised Poperie And who shall denye it to be the trewe wisedome by the whiche we maye come from the wrath of God to the grace felloweshippe and participation of the same Moreouer the lord adioyneth that men indewed with vnderstandyng not witles and ful of hurtful follye should recken the name of the beast that is to saye should be dilligently occupied in this matter that those thinges should be dilligently searched for whiche worldely menne affirme to be curiousely sought and inquired after We are cōmaunded diligētly to seke after Antichrist not only without any profit but with losse also Moreouer the Lorde commaundeth to accompte the nombre of the name of the beaste He addeth that the same is not harde to do For this nombre to be the nombre of a man to witte which a dilligēt man maye easely by fayth industrie attaine to For so doeth Aretas expounde it also saiyng that nombre is comon and knowen to men Let them leaue than to trouble our godly studies which blame our sermōs made against the Pope and laugh at our dilligence such as it is in expoundyng popishe abominations finally whiche suppose we spende our time in vayne in the accompte of times They do heare here excepte they will heare nothing that we haue receiued cōmaundement of the lord so to do moreouer that the lord testifieth that wisedome is herein And here I geue warnyng that the maner of speakyng is to be obserued The nōbre of the name of the beast that we wery not in vayne bothe our selues and our auditours through the inquisition of a certen name in the nombres For that it is sayed to be the nombre of his name as though he wold a certaine name shuld be gathered composed of these charactes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as for the most part is gathered of these thre lettres or charactes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this name Christ Nother waūt they which thinke how by these thre charactes no other thing is signified than the name of christ which the lord him selfe in the .24 of Matth. prophecied that Antichriste should vse Certes he calleth him self Christes vicar
greued and oppressed the more feruently and lowder they crie and that also they be called clamorouse criers What the Aungell preacheth Moreouer he compriseth in a briefe some what thinges are to be set forth in the preaching of the gospel chiefly in the laste times First he sayeth feare God The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome therfore not to feare God is the beginnyng of foolishenes The feare of God of al errours The feare of God hath nothing comon with the feare of the world The godly man is not affrayed of God as a gilty seruaunt feareth his maister and that more punnisshment than his maister whō he hateth rather For the feare of God hath the reuerēce and loue of God It attributeth to God the supreme Maiestie imbraceth faith and hath a faithful care wherby it awayteth vpon God worshippeth prayseth and professeth the same Doubtles because we more feare men than God we feare more the Pope and the mallice and hatred of him and his therefore do we not execute iustice vprightly nor professe the trewth frankely nother yet set forth the gospel But the lord in the Gospel sayeth feare ye not them which maye kill the body haue no power ouer the soule rather feare ye him which condemneth both body soule to hell fire Certes the feare of God is not only the beginnyng but also the bonde of al vertue Hereafter we shall heare that the feareful shal be caste into hel with the beaste with the false prophet Therfore let God be our feare like as Esaye teacheth in the .8 cha Let vs feare God for our sinnes committed Here fewe are affraide but many are affraide to speake the trueth to mainteyne godlines and to rebuke wickednes Secondely the preachyng of the Gospell comprehendeth the honour of God For he sayeth and geue him honour the honour of God And thou doest not seperate the sonne from the father For he in the .5 of Iohn sayeth thus the father hath geuē al iudgement to the sonne that al shuld honour the sonne as thei honour the father He that honoureth not the sonne honoureth not the father which sent him And in very dede the father cā not be honoured but by the sonne For we honour him when we beleue him to be true receyue Christ the sonne of God as the only rightuousnes perfection of al faithful By faith therfore chiefly we honour God than reuerēcyng him only by faithful obedience walking in his commaundementes S. Iohn in his Canonic he that beleueth not the sonne sayeth he maketh God a liar see howe ye maye highly dishonour God which beleueth not the testimony which God hath testified of his sonne And this is the testimony that God hath geuē to vs eternal life this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne hath not life We are therefore forbidden els where than in Christ alone to seke life al goodnes But the papistes honour the Pope and his cōstitutions his Sainctes also and honour not God alone They in graue in theyr cuppes Soli deo gloria to God alone be glory but yet in the meane season thei persecute thē whiche will not ascribe the glory dewe to God alone vnto their folish trifles But the Gospell wil crie out that to God alone al glory is dewe Hereunto is added a spurre The iudgemēt of the sonne of God whiche maye pricke them to feare glorifie God for the houre of his iudgement is come The Gospel therefore in the latter dayes shal beate into men the last iudgement This hath a wonderful effecte to obteine of men amendement of life And it is pourposely sayed it is come and not the houre of his iudgement shal come For so is the certentie of his iudgement expressed and we are warned to loke for that same daye euery moment The Apostle vsed the same argument in the .17 chapt of the Actes to them of Athens and to the Corinth the .2 Epist 5. chapt Lette vs remembre O bretherne that strayte iudgement let vs amende our faith and maners and al thinges that agree not with the gospell For certenly we shal die certenly we shal be iudged But then when we shal promise our selues peace shall come sodayne destruction Watche To worship God Finally the Gospell teacheth to worshippe God alone Than doe not the faithfull worshippe Idolles to whome so euer they be erected They worship not the Pope ouerwhelmed with wickednesse much lesse doe they kisse and by kissinge worshippe his vngraciouse and stinkyng fete They worshippe not the God Mauzim of the wafer makers Daniel 11. the God in the boxe which is worshipped in palaces churches as shutte vp in the pixe They worshippe not Sainctes but God alone Therefore lifte vp your hartes vnto heauen and worshippe We haue here in Earth wōderful workes which maie moue vs to worshippe this God alone He is maker of heauen and Earth and of the See Who is greater who is mightier Therefore worshippe him the trewe God Matth. 4. He annexeth here fountaynes of water for that the miracle and benefite of waters is greate For if we consider the originall sprynge substaunce pleasauntenes and commoditie of fountaynes we shal be compelled to wonder God be praysed ¶ An other Angell preacheth that Babilon shall fal and an other diswadeth all men from the felloweshippe of the religion of the beaste The .lxiiij. Sermon ANd there followed an other Aungel saiyng she is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that greate Citie for she made all nations drinke of the wine of her whoredome And the thirde Angell followed them sayeng with a loude voyce yf any man worship the beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wyne of the wrath of God which is powred in the cup of his wrath And he shal be punished in fyre brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe and the smoke of their tourmente ascendeth vp euermore And thei haue no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his Image and whosoeuer receyued the prynte of his name Here is the patience of Saincts Here ar thei that kepe the cōmaundements and the faith of Iesu For the comfort of the faithful flocke of Christ †The Romysh Churche shall fal is brought forth an other Aungell a type of all godly preachers which preacheth with great constancie that the kyngdome of Anti-Christ shall fall howe soeuer it promiseth to it selfe euerlastingnesse And hereof the Sainctes gather that persecutions shall with all be finisshed with all other abominations through out the worlde For where for the continuall persecutions of the wicked all the Saincts cannot but be maruelouselye sadde They muste nedes verely hereof receyue no small ioye and comforte that they here howe they shall not indure alwayes and here it is sayed that Babilon shall fall
can appere in the sight of the tremblable God and fire consumyng all thinges saue he that is purged with the bloud of Christe and what shall we thinke can be hidde or escape the sight of God seyng all thinges How men shall be iudged in the laste iudgemēt S. Iohn moreouer declareth howe the dead shoulde be iudged bokes sayeth he are opened and an other booke is opened c. Therefore by the bokes after by the boke of life that is to saye of such thinges as are written in those bokes the dead are iudged For the Scripture ascribeth vnto God the maner of men wherby men are wonte to write for themselues remembraunces leest they should forget thinges but with God al things are ones and alwayes present he nother forgetteth The forgettyng remēbryng of God nor remembreth not withstanding the Scripture attributeth to him both Howebeit God is sayde to forgette when he helpeth not or punnissheth not agayne he is sayde to remēbre what time he helpeth or pūnisheth In Malachie the vngodly saye howe God hath no care of mens matters nother doeth he for the godly nor yet pūnisheth the wicked But immediately aūswere is made than thei that feared the lord spake euery one to his neighbour the lord gaue eare and hearde a boke of remembraunce was made in his presence c. As followeth Therfore their bokes opened that is to say the secrettes of al mē brought to light or made manifest the lord shal iudge what so euer hath ben thought saide done or lefte vndone The bokes also of consciences for the cōscience is in stead of a thousande witnesses shal be opened in iudgement God reuealyng and iudging al thinges For S. Paule speakyng of the gentiles they sayeth he shewe the worke of the lawe written in their hartes their cōscience also bearyng witnes their thoughtes accusing one au other or also excusing in that daye wherein the lord shal iudge the secrettes of menne according to my gospell through Iesus Christ And these are in dede the bookes whiche shall be vnclosed in the iudgement Whereof it appereth that the iudgement shal be done with most expedition nother shall euery man be reasoned with all by bookes written to make the iudge wery as the ignoraunt might imagine hereby But what is that singular boke of life The boke of life which also shal be opened in the iudgemēt of the boke of life is spokē in the .3 cha There you may see To be brefe the boke of life hath but one article he that beleueth in the sonne of god hath life euerlasting And therfore mē are iudged of this that is writtē in the boke of life For they that beleue are saued they that beleue not are already iudged that is to saye are most assuredly damned And for asmuch as faith sheweth it selfe by workes Euery mā is iudged of his workes incredulitie also hidde in the harte bewrayeth her self by workes therefore S. Iohn addeth incontinently accordyng to their workes For man in the Scriptures is likened to a tree And the tree is iudged of the fruicte whether it be good or euill A tree hath a growing or increasing life which in latin is called Anima vegetatiua a nature or disposition bringyng forth fruicte after his nature kinde But that soule vegetatiua that good dispositiō bringing forth in vs good fruicte that is to saye good workes is a liuely faith in Christ where the same is there the man is regenerated hath a good disposition therfore cā he not scharse by reasō of his good dispositiō but bring forth good fruictes Therfore after our workes we shal be iudged al. For the iudgemēt must be open manifest but faith appereth not but in workes For it is the gifte of God is of it selfe inuisible to witte a sure truste in the promesses of God And it is sene in workes Howbeit therof it followeth not that men ar iustified by workes also not by faith only but that by workes faith is declared which purifieth iustifieth that afterwarde we may be able to bring forth the workes of rightuousenes It followeth how in iudgemēt no pretēce no hipocrisie shal be allowed For many say thei beleue whiche declare their faith by no good workes We learne herof that no boke shal be of force at the last iudgemēt saue the bokes of God or the bokes of cōsciēces wherin god writeth with his fingar finally the boke of life writtē of God before the worlds were made through his diuine predestinatiō wherby he hath predestinated vs that he might adopt vs for his childrē by christ Iesus And the rest which S. Paul reciteth in the .1 to the Ephes Therefore shal the hurtefull bookes of Iewes Christians in title only and Turkes as the Thalmud decretalles and Alcorane perishe These shal be of no force at al in the iudgement Of the resurrection of the dead Now he retourneth to the dead of whō he had made mentiō before leest any mā shuld saie how shal the dead be iudged which were drowned in the sea whith were swallowed vp of fishes deuoured of wilde beastes which were consumed with fire or in the earth were brought into duste he preuenteth declareth that the bodies of the dead rise agayne beyng so restored come to iudgement saieth and the sea gaue vp the dead that were therin that is to saie which had perished in the Sea And by these wordes also hath he touched the maner meane of the resurrectiō of the dead hath sent vs withal to the .1 of Genes The maner of the resurrection is gods omnipotēcie as S. Paul also witnesseth in the .3 to the Philip. For god by his omnipotencie reiseth vp calleth those things that are not that thei may be Yf this thing seme vnto thee new or vnpossible beholde the beginnyng of things therof esteme the small restitution Was not the Sea or water frō the beginnyng but is it writtē to haue had any fishes frō the beginning none at al. But God cōmaūded that the water shuld be replenished with fish And did not streight at gods cōmaūdement all maner of fishes appere where before there was not one what maruell is it thā yf god in th ende of things cōmaund the Sea other elemēts also to yeld again their dead thei obey their maker Verely the Lord in the gospel saieth that they which are in their graues also Ihon 5 shal heare the voice or cōmaūdemēt of the sonne of God and shal ryse againe The bodies moreouer of them that dye are turned for the most parte in to the same elements from whence they were taken oute There is that putrifieth in the earth and is cōuerted in to earth Ther are some consumed with fyre There are some that perishe in water Some hang in the ayre and are there consumed But at the Lordes commaundent by what kynd of death so euer they
Gospel doth figurate and teache most thinges by parables And. S. Iohn himself in his Gospel is veri much in the mention of light darknes of bread water of a Sheperd and shepe and suche other lyke In the meane while I am not ignorant howe great a difference there is betwene parables Metaphores or Allegories and visions But who agayne knoweth not that in teaching and setting forth of matters the maner of either to be after a sort al one and of the same effect For they serue for plainnes and perspicuitie But let suche as think not a misse that Parables taken of earthly things differ very muche from heauenlye visions Consider how these celestial visions ar exhibited to the Apostle S Iohn by Christ now remayning in heauē and requiring that his seruauntes hauing theyr mindes lifted vp to heauenly thinges shuld learne to sauour spirituall matters Where he yet neuerthelesse hath obserued plaines and perspicuitie The boke is plaine and may be vnderstand I suppose verely this boke to be simple and playne to the faithful that wil read it attētiuely with deuotion I graūt that thold expositours of this boke haue sticked ful oft in expounding the same could not alwayes wind thēselues out but in the meane season it is euident that the same men haue said oftner thē once that hardely shuld this boke be vnderstand before it wer fulfilled And in dede to those auncient fathers the vision of Daniell semed vtterly most obscure But whē such things wer accomplished as he had hid vnder figures there wanted not that sayde how he had wrytten a story of things don and not a prophecie of things to be don And our lord him self also in the Gospel of S. Matthew When you shall see sayth he thabomination of desolation which was spokē of by Daniel the Prophet stāding in the holy place he that readeth let him vnderstand Doth not Esay also in a maner in all his prophecies after the comming of Christ and most of the misteryes of the kyngdom of God accomplished seme likewise to haue compiled a most playn history And doubtles if we reade with diligence this same boke of the Apocalips confer those things which he speaketh vnder a shadow with the same that stories testifie to be done We shall say also that he telleth plaine histories I haue verely loued this boke from my youth vpward I haue gladly red in it bestowed much labour ther vpon obseruing what things it had out of the bokes of the prophets howe the prophecies herof did agree with thother prophesies of the prophets doctrins of the Apostls I haue searched finally after the capacitie of my sklēder wit diuers stories which I thought to make for the openyng of the sence of this prophecie I haue searched also thopinions of other expositours And haue diligentli compared domestical matters which ar don now in our tyme with this narration of Iohn of al the which things and chiefly being ayded by the helpe of God whiche I called for I haue gathered such things as I now do cōmunicate here to the godly readers Hereunto came also the singular learnyng diligence and aptnes in expounding the holy scriptures of the most godly man D. Theodore Bibliander doctour of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Zurick Doctour Theodore Bibliander who thirtine yeres past red openly and to his greate praise this boke of reuelation of whō vnlesse I wold confesse my self to be very much holpē I were excedingly vnthankful There remaineth as yet a faithful relation of the same imprinted at Basyl the yere of our Lord .1545 Wherin he disposeth this boke of S. Iohn geueth a light to it with his scoles And bothe of thold and new that I could get I haue red ouer Aretas the successor of Andreas bishop of Casaria Who haue written vpon the Apocalips whose expositions vpō this boke he allegeth oftner thē once S. Austen also bishop of Hippon and Primasius Bishop of Vtica Neither haue I contemned Thomas of Aquine nor dispised the ordinary glose as they terme it of the newer sort s Sebastian Meter-minister of the church of Bernes .xx. yeres since a man of great vertu and learnyng hath faithfully and not without great fruite traueled in expowndyng this boke whose commentaries vpō the Apocalips wer imprinted many yeres since at Zurick by my frend Froschouer And D. Fraunces Lambart of Auenion a most godly and excellent learned man hath laboured in expoundyng the same boke who had fyrste red it at Marsepurge the noble vniuersitie of Hessia And after in the same citie he caused to be printed and setforth seuen bokes of thexposition therof the yere of our Lord .1528 Moreouer there was imprynted at Wittēberg in Saxony a commentary vpon thapocalipse written an hundreth yeres past and sent to D. Luther out of the furthermost parts of Germany namely out of Sarmatia and tartaria which I red also as likewise certen thyngs of D. Leuthers vpon this boke of Reuelation And here I may not forget the most excellent learned men and the which haue right wel deserued of learnyng Erasmus of Roterdame and Laurence Valla who haue also lefte theyr annotations vpon thys boke By all whose labours I confesse my selfe to be very much holpen whiche I recite franckly for this pourpos that I would dissemble nothyng nor seme toffend against ciuilitie or defraud any man wrongfully of his deserued praise And therfore wold admonish the godly that if I seme to any man to haue don any thing in this work prayse worthy he may know that I haue don nothyng without coadiutours And that he refer thys whole benefite to God thauthor and fountain of all goodnes geue hym thanks therfore And al these thinges of myne I propound to be iudged of the godly readers auditours that they may take that shall seme good herin and where I seme to haue erred frō the right rule they may eschew the same Neyther wil I contend with any man neither will I enuy better learned or better exercised wherof som haue promised already commentaryes vpō this boke if they shal bring forth better thīgs yea I am alwaies ready my self not only to receiue better thynges but also to geue them thanks that offer the same In the meane season I put out my talent which I haue receyued of the Lord that I may win som lucre with it for my Lord. And I beseche the Lord that he wold prosper it wel and blesse thys my simple trafficke Here moreouer I take God to witnes that I haue takē this pain for no priuat hatred towards any man for no desire of raylyng That these cōcions are frēdly wretten nor for any intent to procure any mās displeasure but simply to expound this excellent and right profitable boke of the new Testament which haue lately with my commentaries setforth al the residue of the boks of the new Testament And besides all this many godly learned men
are signified by trees Trees appereth by the .9 chapt where it is sayed they had cōmaundement that they shuld not hurte the grasse of the earth nother any tree sauing only men whiche are not c. After he had sayed saue only those trees which were not marked but he had rather saye men that he might as it were with this keye vnlocke the misterie Nother is it rare to shadowe men in the scriptures by trees floures and grasse as we maye gather of the .1 Psalme the. 40. of Esaye and the .12 chapt of S. Matthew But that latter poincte that al grene grasse was brent muste be fauourably expounded For who can beleue that al men were distroyed by those first heresies we vnderstād therfore that the mindes of the faithful were diuersely afflicted and tourmoyled with those errours and troubles but yet as the Golde tried in the fixe not to be vtterly consumed The secōd trompet The second Aungel soundeth the trompet signifiyng that newe warres are nowe a brewyng and therfore exhorteth that al the godly would defende themselues with weapons And there is cast into the Sea not a Mountaine but as it were a Mountaine burning with fire The sea beareth a figure of the world A burning moūtaine than the which there is nothing more vnstable It is a thing most frequented in the prophetes to call this our world wherin we liue a sea By mountaines are signified kingdomes witnesse Esaye in the .2 chapt Daniel the 2. And Zacharie in the .4 chapt And Christ him selfe in the .7 of Matth. By remouing of hilles or mountaines signifieth any harde thinge and by the opinion of many impossible Nowe therfore springeth vp an heresie and a doctrine in the church as it were a burnyng Mountaine as the which was in dede most furnished and as it semed inuincible We reade that such was the heresie of the Valentinians Valentinians whose secte the holy martir Ireneus teached to be diuided into many Suche was the fury of the Manicheis Manicheis and Montanistes Montanistes They semed to many to burne with the spirite of God and to be whole nothinge els but the spirite and all their oracles to be of the holy ghoste Manichaeus called him selfe the Apostle of Iesu Christ The Montanistes bragged of a newe holy ghost Ther was moste greate plenty of this darnell throughout the vniuersall church Nother was the successe therof small For the thirde parte of the Sea was made bloud The Apostle signifieth the wickednes of sectes For howe vile and impudent were the heretikes called Gnostici the valentinians and Manicheis Ireneus S. Austen and Epiphanius doe testifie And a great part of the creatures in the Sea perisshed And he speaketh of such as haue soules not of fishes in dede but menne Many shippes moreouer were lost to witte Mariners and Ilonde men beyng corrupte with these heresies That time those heresies sprange vp in dede of those Authours which I named but as yet thei be not vtterly extinct corrupte men buddyng vp in a maner at euery time and renewyng the olde errour Wherupō a bitter strife remayneth yet at this daye in the church and we are dayly admonished that we should beware of those corruptions The thirde Aungell bloweth his trompet proclaymyng new warres The third trompet and behold a great Starre fell doune from heauen burning like a cresset and infecteth the thirde parte of riuers and fountaines of waters A burning cresset that starre is called wormwood I tolde you in the .1 Chapter that Starres are called Preachers Bisshoppes and notable men in the churche It signifieth therefore that some notable man should fall awaye from the trewe faith into heresie wherwith he should infecte a great parte of the world in corrupting the Scriptures and sounde doctrine of fayth And these thinges seme to be fulfilled in Paulus Samosatenus Paul Samosatenus and Arrius Arrius This creshet burned horribly and inflamed the whole worlde without recouerie That pestilence denied the deitie of Christe and made the whole Gospel to vs moste bitter For if Christe be not very God how is he a Sauiour King Bishop intercessour mediatour and saluation of the faithful He quenched the light that denied the deitie of Christ Therefore is he called by the name of wormwood The prophet Ieremie vsed the selfe same allegorie or metaphore or allusion in the .9 and .23 chapt And Amos in the .6 where he sayeth that the Iudges haue tourned iudgement into Wormwood The Scripture and doctrine whiche is trimly figured by riuers and fountaines corrupted of the Arrians was to many the occasion of death The Scripture and doctrine of the Gospel is of it selfe mortal to no man but rather liuely to al◠corruption maketh it deadly Poyson put in wine maketh the wine deadly the wine of it self killeth no man but rather gladdeth and reioseth al men Reade the Ecclesiastical stories of Eusebius Theodoretus Sozomenus Socrates and others and ye shal perceyue howe aptely S. Iohn hath written all these thinges and how rightly they are al fulfilled No smal parte of that bitternes hath flowed vnto our time whilest that old errour is often times by the instigatiō of the deuil renewed For what that vncleane beaste Michell Seruetus Michell Serueto a spaniarde vomited against the Sonne of God for his impenitent wickednes and continuall plasphemie burnte at Geneua the world knoweth We muste praye therfore to the Lorde that in suche daungerouse conflictes he would kepe vs safe and sounde Amen ¶ The fourth and fifte trompet is expounded of the opening of the botomlesse pitte and of grasse hoppers creping out into the Earth The .xxxix. Sermon ANd the fourth Aungel blewe and the third parte of the sunne was smitten and the thirde parte of the Moone and the thirde parte of starres so that the third parte of thē was darkened And the daye was smitten that the third part of it should not shine and likewise the night And I behelde and hearde an Aungell fliyng thorow the middes of Heauen and saiyng with a lowde voyce wo wo wo to the inhabiters of the Earth because of the voyces to come of the trompe of the thre Aūgels which were yet to blowe The .9 chapter And the fifte Aungel blewe and I sawe a starre fall from Heauen vnto the Earthe And to him was geuē the keye of the botomlesse pitte And he opened the botomles pitte and there arrose a smoke of the pitte as it were the smoke of a greate fornace And the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by the reason of the smoke of the pitte And there came out of the smoke locustes vpō the earth and vnto thē was geuen power as the Scorpions of the Earth haue power And it was sayed vnto them that they should not hurte the grasse of the Earth nother any grene thing nother any tree but only those menne which haue not the seale in theyr forheades and to
semeth not greuouse to dye for Christes sake In whome the Deuâ—ll hath place Finally aboute the songes ende they declare in whome the Deuill shal raigne and take place to witte in earthly and fleshely menne who verely mocke at godly thinges and only set by these worldly thinges and suche as shall perisshe for the getting and keping whereof they will not sticke to doe any thing be it neuer so harde where for Christes cause they will abide to do or suffer nothing Vnto these they denounce an horrible wo to wit the curse of this present and of the life to come But in whome the Deuill possesseth his kingdome in the same also he vttereth his mallice against the elect that his great mallice For he rageth most cruelly against the godly and against godlines He rageth also most extremely against those his worshippers whom he polluteth with all kinde of filthines and with al shame and reproche defileth Agayne I suppose that same to apperteyne to the comfort of the godly that is spoken of a shorte time For Sathan in dede through Antichrist shall moste cruelly rage agaynst the church but those dayes shal be shortened for the electes sake By the way is noted also the wicked nature of sathaÌ„ which knowing that the last iudgemeÌ„t is at hande wherin he must be throwen headlong into hell thinketh to requite recompence the shortnes of time with the crueltie of his wrath and deuelish furie And hitherto of the victory of Christ and his Sainctes nowe followe with lesse terrour yet horrible thinges of the warre which the dragon moste gredely and fiersely moueth against the Matrone of God The lord Iesus bryng him in subiection vnder our fete Amen Amen ¶ The Dragon persecuteth the woman she is defended and preserued of the Lorde The Dragon standeth on the sande c. The .liiij. Sermon ANd when the dragon saw that he was cast to the Earth he persecuted the woman whiche brought forth the man childe And to the womaÌ„ were geueÌ„ two winges of a greate Egle that she might flie into the wildernes into her place where she is nurrished for a time two times half a time from the presence of the serpeÌ„t And the dragoÌ„ cast out of his mouth water after the woman as it had beÌ„ a riuer that he might cause her to be caught of the floude And the earth holpe the woman the earth opened her mouth swalowed vp the riuer which the DragoÌ„ cast out of his mouth And the dragon was wroth with the womaÌ„ and went made warre with the reÌ„naunt of her sede which kepe the coÌ„maundements of God haue the testimony of Iesus Christ and he stode on the Sea sande The persecution of the Dragon That which before he had begonne to speake of the persecution of the Dragon and flight of the church and had differred it a little to declare the victorie of Christe now he resumeth and finnisheth and descrybeth the fyghte liuelie and moste expressely and constauntly annexeth many tymes the help of God which is geuen to the church through the grace of God When Sathan therefore sawe himselfe ouercommen by Christ and quite cast out he begaÌ„ to rage against the church redemed with the bloud of Gods sonne and vexed her with greuouse persecution For immediately after Christes assention a great persecution was styred vp against the Apostles and Apostolicall church For the Apostles put in prisonnes wer greuously rebuked with words and also scourged with roddes and whypped Stephen was stoned Iames beheaded with the sworde Actes 26. finally by the meanes of Paule which than played Saule innumerable were caste in pryson and put to cruell tourmentes On the contrary part he reciteth the present ayde of God which he vttereth by a fyguratiue kynde of speach Gods deliueraunce after the nature of the visioÌ„ for the more efficacitie For he sayth how to the woman I meane the church were geuen two winges of a great Egle by the helpe wherof she fled into the wildernes where she hydde her selfe for a tyme safe from the Dragons sight And here is signified that a large power is grauÌ„ted to the church of fleyng escaping the furies of Christes enemies of setting forth the gospel emonges the gentyles The Egles wynges Wherof you may read in the .11 chapt of the Actes of the Apostles And not without cause he meÌ„tioneth of the Egles wynges and that of a great Egle. For Moses in Deuter. maketh mention vnder this fygure of the defence and ayde of God almyghtie lyke as the Egle sayth he flyeth ouer her yong and stretcheth abroade her wynges and carieth them on her shulders so the Lord hath also kept and auaunced the. A place for the church in desert Furthermore he saith there is a place geuen to the church in wyldernes to witte prouided of Christ which turneth to to him whome he wyll and prepareth for himselfe a spouse And he nourysheth the church emonges the gentyles with his Euangelicall worde as he nourished in oulde tyme his people in the deserte with Manna And the time of the church he prescrybeth not For he vseth agayne a kynde of speach as it wer a riddle borowed out of Daniel which God vsurpeth when he wyll haue the tyme to vs vnknowen which since we knowe that good and iuste thinges consiste in him we should not curiously inquyre after Whereof I haue spoken before Doubtles it is playne that the church emonges the gentyles shall continue remaine to the last iudgement But the day of iudgement can no man diffyne Agayne he declareth He vomiteth a floude after the woman with what furyes the Deuyll inflamed shall make a newe and a continuall warre against the church When he sawe the church emonges the gentyles to be daylie increased and established he vomited after the woman water and that we might know the fygure he addeth as it were a ryuer For he signifieth that the Deuyll hath powred a sea of euylles into the church sectes I meane discentions tumultes seditions persecutions wherewith the whole worlde hath ouerflowed Verely he raysed vp euery where al magistrates and priestes against the Apostles and Apostolical doctrine Reade the Actes of the Apostles the .13.14.15 and the chapt folowyng Nother is it a rare thyng in the Psalmes by waters flouds and riuers to vnderstand all kynde of afflictions And to this end he raysed vp those great euylles and powred them on the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he myghte cause the church to be caryed awaie wyth the floude that is that he myght take awaie the godlie and the doctryne of pietie And this is the continuall endeuoyre of Sathan herunto he applieth all his consultations and doinges So in th empyre of Nero and Domitian he studied to wash away the church by the bloude of Sainctes but yet in vaine For therfore I suppose it is sayed he vomited a floude of euyls after the woman not
finished both of the Citie distroyed and the people of God ouercome There were caried aboute in the triumph the holy vessels of the Temple and euen the God of the Iewes as vanquished and bounden was sene led into the Capitoll house to make his supplication to their great God Iupiter as it pleased them Whereupon we vnderstande that the name of God was no whit lesse outrageously blasphemed at that tyme than it was in olde time of the Palestines or Philistians what tyme they set the Arcke in the temple of their God Dagon lykewyse of Rapsake and Synnacherib moreouer of Balthazar Kyng of Babylon in the .5 chapter of Daniel But the offendours are founde out at the laste Secondely the Romaines blasphemed the Tabernacle of God That same oulde Tabernacle of the people of Israell was not onelye the offyce or place of religion and worshyppyng but also a token of Gods presence For God is nowe presente in the myddes of his Churche a fygure of whome the Tabernacle of witnesse represented But the Romaynes called the Christen church wycked foolysh seditiouse whorysh and detestable whych they also moste greuouselie ded persecute and sought to destroy by al meanes hereunto also they bent their whole power Finally they blasphemed also the heauenly dwellers Gods Sainctes ouerwhelmed with reproches the happie and blessed soules of Sainctes Propheies and Apostles whom thei called wicked seducers peace breakers blasphemers heretikes and sinnefull persons For at this time whilest S. Iohn wrote these things diuerse Apostles vnder the Romane Empire had nowe ben executed and slayne as plagues of the worlde yea their memorial and doctrine condemned But hereof you perceyue how displeasauntly God taketh it if any man raile vpon godly preachers and holy ministers of churches For the Lord taketh the reproche spoken as it were agaynst him selfe There remayne yet at this daye certen blasphemies of this sorte with Cornel. Tacitus in the .21 booke of Augustallus written agaynste Moses and the people of God Morouer God permitteth the beast that he should warre vpon the Sainctes and ouercome them The beaste maketh war with the sainctes For the Romane Empire vnto the time of Constantine the greate stired vp ten most greuouse persecutions against the church Wherof you maye reade Eusebius bisshop of Cesaria and Orosius in the history which he wrote to S. Austen And this place chiefly apperteyneth to the instruction and comforte of the churche For the Lord also in the Gospell prophecieth of the destenies of the church to the consolation and information of the godly as appereth in the .15 and .16 chapt of S. Iohn And how the Sainctes be ouercome I declared in the .11 chapt The Lord Iesus preserue his church Amen ¶ Of the power of the Romane Empire and who worshippe the beast and of the destruction of Rome and the Romane Empire The .lvij. Sermon ANd power was geuen him ouer all kinrede tongue and nation and al that dwel vpon the Earth worshypte hym whose names are not wrytten in the Booke of life of the lambe whiche was killed from the beginnyng of the world Yf any mā haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie he that killeth with a sword must be killed with the sworde Here is the patience and the fayth of Sainctes Of the power of the Rom. Empire The Apostle by the reuelation of Christe speaketh also of the power maiestie of the Romane Empire The Romane Empire was in dede of greatest power in the time of Octauius Augustus also in the time of Domitian his empire and in the reigne of Traiane also vnder Hadrian Aureliane Diocletian and Constantine The greater parte of the worlde inhabited obeied therunto as al Europe in a maner Asia Africke as both latin and Greke histories do testifie Howbeit herof the lord warneth vs that we should not curiousely search the counselles of God beyng inquisitiue whie God gaue so great power to the Romanes whom he knewe would abuse the same to the oppression of Christes Church for where he saieth that the power was geuen to Rome he stilleth and appeaseth all murmuringes For Empires be of God But he is most wise rightuouse and holy Where therfore he made the kingdomes of the world subiecte to Rome he did it wisely iustely and holily In that the Romanes corrupte Gods ordenaunce and committe themselues to be gouerned of the Deuill it cometh of euill Let our disputations here cease for the wise man sayeth also that wicked men and hipochrites reigne for the sinnes of the people And that he reherseth kinreddes tōgues and nations he doeth after the imitation of the Prophet Daniel which by such a phrase of speach is wonte to signifie a moste large and puissaunt Empire But what apperteyneth this to vs or what profit sayest thou cometh to vs herby that the Romane Empire is so far extended through out the worlde This verely we see howe this prophecie hath hitte euery thing rightly that wente before therefore is there lefte no place to doubte of the thinges that followe Let vs consider moreouer that moste puissaunt kingdomes which seme to men inuincible maye of God be disolued without any difficultie lette vs therefore learne to feare God and to walke in his commaundementes and to dispise these earthly thinges Now also he declareth more expressely who shall worship the beast Who worshippe the beaste for he sayed that men in the world should be taken with admiration of the beaste and shal worship the beast he now declareth the same and so placeth the word of worshipping that he maye vnderstāde it as wel of those that are present as also to come For he speaketh not only of men of his time but of al which rauished with the admiration of thempire and maiestie thereof shal eyther denye or contemne the fayth of Christ And he sayeth that al shal worship the beaste that dwell vpon Earth and leeste any man should referre it absolutely vnto al as though non of the trewe worshippers of God shoulde be any he annexeth whose names are not written in the boke of life of the lābe to wit the reprobates not the chosen the vnbeleuers I say which cōtemne the word of the gospel disdaigne to heare it and be rebelles to Christ Aretas the expositour they dwell vpon the earth sayeth he which are moued with no care of heauenly things nor of the glory that there is or geue themselues to earthly habitation and applie themselues to a beastly life according to the same Thomas of Aquine bringeth also a testimony out of the .17 of Ieremie They that departe from me shall be written in the Earth For they haue forsaken the veyne of liuely waters euen the lord him selfe Of the boke of life I haue spoken in the .3 and .5 chapt and wil speake of the same in the .19 and 20. chapt of the Apocalipse Hereunto he annexeth a notable thing after the maner of Apostles which
shuld be ordeined bishop of Rome but a Cardinal He condemned moreouer the Greke counsell of the Emperour CoÌ„stantine against Images which he coÌ„maunded both to be had and worshipped These things writeth Antoninus in Chron. tit 14. Cap. 1. .5 After this that great Charles the sonne of Pipine sent for into Italie by pope Adriane Charles coÌ„fyrmeth al thinges taketh Desiderius King of Lumbardes and putteth downe the Kyngdome of Lumbardes This was done in the yeare of our Lorde .773 and also the two hondreth fourth yeare after that the Lumbardes were arryued in Italie And he confirmed and augmented the donatioÌ„ of Pipine his father As many Historiographers make relation Ihon Functius in Cron. addeth that through out the whole Realme of Fraunce Euen so was the masse obtruted to the Germaines at the coÌ„maundement of Charles the Ceremonies of the Romish church were instituted We haue nowe than the name of Antichrist of the nombre .666 We knowe who he is and whome we shoulde beware of I can not here omitte but at fewe wordes muste note the supputation of Sibilla concerning the originall of Antichrist to my iudgement very agreable to the fourmer accoumpte For the .8 bokes of Sibelles oracles taken out of the librarie of the honorable coÌ„mon welth of Auspurg were set forth by the moste godly and learned man D. Xistus Betuleius in the yeare of our Lorde .1545 and that in Greke And this Sibilla Erythreae or whatsoeuer she were prophesieth in the .8 boke that Rome shal fal and be burnt with fier The wordes of Sibelle in Greke are to this effecte The plague of God vpon the ones shall fall Prowde Rome vnto the grounde thou shalte be caste Vnto thy foes made first captiue and thrall And than with flaming fier be burnt at laste And this thing was accoÌ„plished at what time Totilas Kynge of Gothes fyred the Citie as we haue rehearsed before And shortelie after in the same Oracles are these annexed When Emperours that haue the worlde oppreste With bondage great from the east vnto the weste The numbre haue fulfilled of fiftene A King shall come in white hatte to be sene Which vnto Ponti his name shall nere annex As he that shall be called Pontifex To worldelie pleasures geuen shall he lyue And with his wicked fote rewardes will geue and the residue which are read there She byddeth accoumpte from the burninge of Rome fiftene Kinges After whome shall come a newe Kinge whome she describeth And it is manifest that Rome was taken spoyled and burnt vnder the Emperour Iustinian After ar accoumpted from Iustine the yonger to the Emperour Theodosius 15. After Theodose succedeth Leo the .3 whose name was Isauricus she calleth those kings delicatos that is geueÌ„ to pleasures Because the most parte of them were not very valiaunt but vnder Leo .3 Italie reuolteth from themperour And shortlie also the gouernement called the Exarchate was geuen to the pope of Kinge Pipine againste the Emperours mynde We se therfore that the supputations do agree For we haue also brought to kinge Pipine the yeares .666 And so a newe kynge ariseth whome Sibille nameth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notable by reason of his whyte hat or myter For so she noteth the Byshop which in oulde tyme dyd weare on their heades whyte miters that shuld be a king She geueth him a name also For she sayeth how he hath a name nere vnto Ponti For adde to the worde Ponti fex and you haue Pontifex She annexeth certen notes or marks also that he shall regard earthly things and not heauenly and that he shal also prouide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and geue rewardes with his vngraciouse fote And that is rightly spoken sins that after Domitian and Dioclesian none of all the Kynges saue the Pope hath offered his fote to be kissed whereby fooles thinke they receyue greate rewardes But omitting these thinges let vs retourne into the waye The blessed marter Ireneus speakyng of this Kyng in the same .5 boke In the beast comming sayeth he ther is made a recapitulation of all iniquitie and of all deceipte to the end that al Apostatical power concurring and concluded in him Antichriste is the sinke of al vngodlynâ—sse and wickednes might be throwen into a fournace of fyer And that he hath spoken this thing by the spirite of prophesie all men wil confesse that haue red the lyues of the Byshops of Rome but especially of Siluester the .2 Benedictus the .9 Gregory the .6 Gregory the .7 Vrbanus the .2 Paschalis the .2 Alexander the .3 Innocentius the .3 Gregory the .9 Boniface the .8 Clement the .5 Ihon the .22 to speake nothing of diuers others What in our dayes haue done Iulies ClemeÌ„tes Leos and Paules Spayne FrauÌ„ce England HoÌ„garie and Germanie and other Realmes speake which haue ben set together by the eares and intangled emongs theÌ„selues with most cruel wars The bloud of martirs shed speaketh which crieth vnto the Lord. What remaineth therfore but that we shuld take hede to our selues beware of this man of sin and cleaue to our redemer Christ our Lorde beseching him that he wold come shorty and delyuer vs from all euyll Amen Amen ¶ Christe standeth vpon Mounth Sion hauynge his churche and is deserbed by notes which and what shall be the shepe of Christe The .lxij. Sermon The .14 Chapter ANd I loked and lo a lambe stode on the mouÌ„t Sion and with him 144000. hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads And I heard a voice from heauen as the sounde of many waters and as the voise of a great thonder And the voyce that I hearde was as the harpers that play vpon their harps And they soung as it wer a newe song before the seat and before the foure beastes and the elders and no man coulde learne that song but the hondreth and .xliiii. thousand which were redemed from the earth These are they which were not defiled with wemen for thei are virgins These followe the Lambe whither so euer he goeth These were redemed from men beyng the first fruictes vnto God and to the Lambe in their mouthes was founde no gyle For they are without spotte before the trone of God Like as he hath hitherto mixed ioyefull thinges with sorrowfull A consolation and preachyng of the gospel and annexed a consolation to moste harde cruell chaunces so nowe he adioyneth also to the tirannie of the Romane Empire an exposition hauing bothe a consolation and an exhortation moste graue and weightie Vndoubtedly by the description of the Romishe tiranny and reigne of Antichrist it might haue semed that the Church and the preachynge of the Gospell had ben vtterly loste and that vngodlines should haue triumphed for euer he declareth therefore by a most excellent vision howe Christ shall reigne notwithstandyng in his chosen and shal ouercome and shal haue his churche continually and that righte famouse He describeth what the electe shal be He addeth
that the preaching of the Gospell can not be so oppressed but that it shall rather be preached with great Constancie through out all the worlde And that Rome also shal fal and al the vngodly be pūnished He exhorteth therfore most ernestly that we haue not to do with Antichrist leeste also we be made pertakers of his damnation And to thintent there might waunt nothing that cōcerned a full comforte he addeth that thinge whiche maye chiefly confirme the mindes of al the godly euen in the greatest daungers howe they that die in Christ doe flitte streight wayes from the corporall death vnto lyse euerlastynge Whiche finisshed he tourneth to the description of the punnishement to be taken assuredly of the Antichristians Wherfore if the Bokes of the Gospell and newe Testament be to be estemed for the manifolde description of Christe and of saluation by him obteyned for the faythefull yf they are to be estemed of the comforte and preaching of the gospel this is doubtles a boke most gospel like as that which by a cōtinuall tenour to perillouse thinges annexeth consolation The Lābe standeth on mounte Sion S. Iohn therfore seeth the Lambe standyng vpon Moūte Sion Christ therfore slepeth not he is not ignoraunt of the perilles and conflictes of his churche but he standeth as prepared to ayde and succour his He standeth as a king inuincible whome nother the Dragon nor the olde nor the newe beast hath ouerthrowen For I haue tolde you oftener than ones especially in the .5 chapt that by the Lambe is vnderstande Christ For he is the lambe and price of our redemption vntill the iudgement but than laiyng a parte the office of an intercessour he shall be a moste seuere and also a moste holy iudge And Christ standeth not in the sande as did the Dragon but on a Mounte and that vpon mounte Sion Mounte Sion was a figure of Christes kingdome as appereth playnely in the .2 Psalme and the .2 of Esaye And the kingedome of Christe is the church aswell triumphante as militaunt therefore in the felloweship of Sainctes standeth Christ the ioye and glory of them that are in heauen and the life and helper of them whiche fight as yet in Earth Let vs beleue therfore that in the Antichristiane persecutiōs Christ wil neuer faile his faythfull as he is red neuer to haue fayled the olde Sainctes vnder the olde Romane Empire afflicted For this consolation serueth chiefly for vs which are vexed of Antichrist and serued for them also whiche suffered martirdome vnder the olde Romane Empire Nother is there any doubt but that they cōfirmed themselues herewith in the greatest persecutions With the lambe are 144000. But that same is moste full of consolation that the lambe is not alone but hath with him an hondreth and foure and fourtie thousande that is to saye a most ample church How so euer therfore the beaste rageth and sleyeth the confessours of Christ yet shal there be alwayes a church that shall neuer be plucked vp euen in the Earth He setteth a nombre certen for vncerten and yet certaine and determinate for that the nombre of them that shal be saued shal seme small in comparison of them which shal worshippe the beastes and perisshe Howebeit we vnderstande that the nombre of them shal neuertheles be greatest which shal be the body of the Church vnder their head Christ euen than also what time the Pope with all the limmes of Antichrist shall haue powred out all their furie Of this nombre of the electe I haue spoken in the 7. chapt where the selfe same nombre is set And as the Antichristians beare the marke of Antichrist in the righthande and foreheades so verely the shepe of Christ Thei haue the name of the father in theyr foreheads and which shal be the church the spouse of christ vnder their head Christ shal haue their marke also in their foreheades to witte the name of the father of the Lambe For Eius is to be referred to the Lambe And he speaketh not of an externall marke whiche should be printed on their foreheades but of the marke of their mindes The same is faith the signe of all Gods children And the fayth in the Father and the Sonne whiche are not without the holy ghost And howe shouldest thou beleue that almightie God is thy father vnlesse thou vnderstande the same to be obteined of the sonne This faith therfore is here vnderstande to be a christen not a Iewish or Turkishe fayth whiche yet confesseth God to be the father But sins they haue not the sonne as sayed S. Iohn in his Epistle they nother haue the father Therfore the true membres of the church of Christ the trewe shepe doe beleue that they haue a mercifull father through the sonne by whome they knowe that the father beyng pacified hath geuen all thinges of life and of saluation in his sonne They that seke not for saluation and all goodnes in the only mediatour the sonne of God haue not doubtles the right marke of the children of God in their foreheades At this daye all will be christiās but neglectyng Christ thei depēde wholy of Sainctes Therfore their faith is not the trewe marke of the children of God No they nother knowe the father nor the sonne And therfore they persecute those that cleaue wholy to the father by the sonne And seyng Christ is with his church what nedeth the church a vicar Certēly it can not be the true church whiche hath a vicar of Christe for than it waunteth Christe whom the trewe church can not waunte It was not enough for the Apostle to haue sayed that the church was vnited with Christe vnlesse he had added moreouer with many wordes howe he hath sene the churche affected and how she demeaned her self than verely when the beastes did afflicte her that euen we may learne therof what is the hope of Sainctes in greatest daungers of what sorte it behoueth vs to be in persecutions and temptations He heareth the voice of many waters First he heareth a voice from heauē as the voice of many waters Waters in the Scriptures many times doe signifie people We vnderstande therfore herby that the church shal be populouse and speaking to thintēt to dissemble nothing but frely to professe Christ And therefore he heareth also the sounde of a great thonder For the church getteth from heauen power to preache and shewe forth the Gospell grauely though the worldes bowelles burste And verely of the frāke constaunt preaching of the gospel Iohn and Iames are called with Marke the sonnes of thōder And cōcerning the preachyng of the gospell shall followe more afterwarde He heareth moreouer a melodiouse harmonie of menne singyng to their harpes singing as it were a newe song The which is chiefly referred to the sainctes in heauen singing eternall prayses to God secōdely to the sainctes liuing here yet in earth which also offer vnto God continually prayses thankes geuyng
let him busily praie vnto God that if he fele them the lord would confirme them if he fele them not that the Lord would printe them depely in their mindes ¶ The Aungel preacheth the eternall gospel of Christe The .lxiij. Sermon ANd I sawe an AuÌ„gell fliyng in the middes of heaueÌ„ hauing an euerlastyng Gospell to preache vnto them that sit dwel on the earth and to all nations kinredes and tunges people saiyng with a lowde voice feare God and geue honour to him for the houre of his Iudgement is come and worshippe him that made heauen and earth and the See and the fountaines of water Antichrist desireth nothing so much to be oppressed as the preaching of the Gospell For euen therfore hath he instituted the inquisitours of hereticall prauitie for hâ— dare calle the Gospel heresie Therfore he burneth the Gospel bokes and preachers of the gospel and euery where restreyneth the readyng of the gospel and Euangelical bokes Wherefore the simple suppose that it can not be but that gospel with all his adherentes should perish vtterly Now therfore in the lordes consolation is brought in a vision of an Angel for he is stil in the vision fliyng in the middes of heauen hauing the euerlasting gospel and preachyng to the world Whereby is signified that the gospell shal be preached vnto men in despite of al the enemies therof And he gathereth a briefe some of such thinges as by the gospell are preached to the worlde Those same appertaine also to the coÌ„forte of the church whiche vnder the olde beaste suffered persecutions for the Gospel We will briefly consider euery thing The angel is a figure of the preachers Firste it is euident euen by the fourmer thinges that by thangel is signified the ministers of the worde and the very ministerie of the gospel Certes the scripture calleth preachers Angelles For so is S. Iohn Baptiste named of the prophet Malachie Wherof is spokeÌ„ before And the ministers by this honourable title are admonished of puretie of most sincere faith For Angels be gods ministers whoÌ„ thei only regarde loue and honour whose coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes thei execute most faithfully sincerely and dilligeÌ„tly Such it besemeth preachers to be in their kinde and office And like as Angels cannot be hurte through the treasons and iniuries of men so God defendeth his ministers vntill the houre appointed So is Peter deliuered out of prison in the .12 of thactes So is Paul in Shippewreake c. And he sayeth an other Angell for that he hath brought in already sondry visioÌ„s of diuerse Angels Notwithstanding that other semeth to be put for the firste For he annexeth to this yet two angels moe The first wherof he calleth an other the later the thirde He flieth through the middes of Heauen And this Angell flieth in the middes of heauen By this thinge is signified the lucky course and procedyng of the preachyng of the gospell It is also written in the prophetes his worde runneth swiftely Psalm .19 Dauid compareth the runnyng of the preachyng of the gospell to the course of the sunne ioyefull as a giaunt he runneth his waye iâ— the vttermost parte of heauens he arriseth and runneth againe to the same neyther can any man stoppe him nor hide him self froÌ„ the heate thereof The sunne shineth in all places Therefore shal the preaching be free For as we caÌ„ nother plucke backe nor hinder the thinges that are aboue vs in thayre skie so shall we nother plucke downe nor hinder him that flieth in the middes of heauen The wordes and writinges flie they flie farre wide where Nother can the veritie be oppressed God hath geuen to the world Printyng wherby the gospel is preached and runneth farre wide and most swiftely And this Angell hath the euerlastyng gospell The gospell euerlasting Wherin is the greatest coÌ„forte For it signifieth that the veritie shal be in the world inuincible And for many causes is the Gospell called euerlastyng Firste because the veritie is immortall which can not be bounden how so euer the ministers are fettered slayne .2 Timoth. 2. secondely the gospel is eternal for bicause it was shewed to our firste fathers prophecied in the lawe prophetes fulfilled of Christ declared by thapostles by the grace of God brought vnto vs. Yea before al times was predestinated Reade the .1 to the Ephes For eueÌ„ for this cause is it called euerlasting for asmuch as it apperteineth to vs to our posteritie vnto the worldes ende and not only to our elders And because it is euerlastyng they lie whiche at this daye calle it a newe doctrine or learnyng Papistrie is newe whiche hath his originall what time euery thing was ordeyned c. Moreouer the Apostle sayeth yf I or an Angel from heaueÌ„ shal preach any other gospell or besides the same that ye haue receyued let him be accursed And we heare expressely that the Aungel had not only the Gospell but that he had preached the gospell The angel preacheth Many in dede haue the gospel but dumme and written in bokes The gospel must be shewed forth and pronounced He declareth also vnto whom the gospel must be vttered and preached to the inhabiters of the earth for it must be cried out to such as are drowned in earthly matters and they muste be reysed out of their slepe And after his maner and imitation of blessed Daniel in the .7 chapt He rekeneth vp nations kinredes tunges and people and thus signifieth that the gospell shal be preached â—â—â—ough out the whole worlde Whiche thing the lord sayde also should come to passe in the .24 of Matth. and than that the ende should come And we see at this daye that the gospel hath in a maner thondered through out the whole world And here I geue warning leeste any disceaue him self Thapostle in the .1 Timoth. 3. and .1 Coloss that the gospell was preached through out the whole world in his time Howbeit al men had not than receyued it but a fewe Do not therfore Imagine with thy selfe that the Gospel is not preached vnlesse al receyue it There shal no more be made one sheperde one shepefolde They are abused that promise to theÌ„selues before the iudgement a concorde of all nations for that it is writteÌ„ that there should be ons one sheperde and one shepefolde For the same was accoÌ„plisshed whilest of the Iewisshe Synagoge and dispersion of the gentiles the lord prepared to him selfe one church wherof Christ is head and pastour and Antichrist shal at the length by his laste comyng be abolished Therfore shall he alwayes resiste Christe He preacheth with a lowde voice Furthermore where he seeth heareth this Angell preach the gospel with a lowde voice he meaneth that the preachers shall with great constancie and frankenes also with shrylle voices and most ernestenes preach the gospell agaynst Antichrist And we see at this daye that the more cruelly the faithful are
king almightie immortall and inuincible He wil come shortely in the clowdes of thayre to iudge the quicke and the dead c. Moreouer victory is promised assuredly to vs that be seruauntes of Christe Called chosen faythfull And they that be with him or on his side called chosen and faithful We be chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were layde that we should beleue in him be saued the first to the Ephes Hereunto we be called by the preachyng of the gospel Reade the .2 to the Thess the .2 chapt And we ought to geue thankes vnto God for euer c Let vs holde faste these thinges be in the troubles of this world constant and without feare To God be glory ¶ Agayne this vision is more fully declared and the punnishment of the beast is shewed The .lxxvj. Sermon ANd he sayde vnto me the waters whiche thou sawest where the whore sitteth are people folke and natiōs and tunges And the tē hornes which thou sawest vpō the beast are they which shall hate the whore and shal make her desolate and naked shall eate her flesshe and burne her with fire For God hath put in their hartes to fulfill his will and to do with one consente for to geue her kingdome vnto the beast vntil the words of God be fulfilled And the woman whiche thou sawest is that great citie whiche reigneth ouer the kinges of the Earth The Angel sent of the lord Christ vttereth to Iohn and the whole world the misterie of the beast reuealed but especially her iudgement or punnishement for her heynouse crimes Which he wil pursewe also in the chapt followyng And nowe he expoundeth the signification of waters ouer the which the whore ruleth to witte the Romish power Waters signifie Waters vpon waters the whore sitteth kingdomes dispersed through out the world Which he expoundeth after his maner altogether propheticall as was also noted before by three vocables For in namyng people folke nations and tunges he comprehendeth as it were innumerable natiōs distincte with sondry langages and maners But where nothing is more mouable or vnconstaunt than waters and when they be ones stired vp more furiouse and outrageouse the cōmon folke or people are rightly compared to waters whiche are also for their vnstablenes called mouable or vnconstaunt and for their rage both furiouse and madde Cōmotiōs Therefore not without cause al wise men haue greuousely condemned seditions which we are wonte to calle tumultes or vprores as by the whiche are assembled many naughtie natures and occasion is geuen them to breake out at their luste and to hurte But seyng that so many natiōs were subiecte to the Romane Empire and haue erred neuerthelesse in the trewe fayth what shall it preuayle hereafter to reken vp many and sondry kingdomes which should consente in any religion as though the sincerenes veritie of religion should depende vpon a multitude of men agreyng in the same The iudgemente of God agaīst Rome Nowe followeth the iudgement of God agaynst blouddy Rome which is the chiefest thing in this vision the some of al is Rome shal be rent in pieces and burnt with fire as we hearde also in the .13 chapt like as she hath done to others so shal be done vnto her And these thinges are to be expoūded first of olde Rome and after of new and in the same must the wordes be firste considered than a conference of stories must be had out of the whiche the trewth of the prophecie maye appere Ten hornes signifie kynges which haue risen of the tearyng a sonder of the Romane Empire The hatred of ten hornes against the whore suche as were the kinges of Westgothes Eastgothes of Germaynes Frēchmen Lumbardes Hunnes Vandalles c. These nations serued ones the Romanes and toke their wages they fauoured them and to their owne losse brought their matters to passe no otherwise than as an erneste louer serueth some one harlot from whome he can by no meanes be withdrawen as whom he loueth moste feruently but at laste perceyuing her vntrewe dealyng he beginneth to hate the same most deadly So these nations and others beganne so to persecute the name of Romanes that they would haue no monumētes or fote steppes of them any where to abide or remayne All the prouinces of the Romanes were filled ful of Romane posies Images pillers tittles and writinges but in the same especially in Germany the borders therof how many I praye you of so great plentie remayne The cities wherein the Romanes had their garnisons ar vtterly destroied that scarsely there appere any fote steppes therof at this daye And like as an honeste man hauyng a whore to his wife a shameles strompet doeth not only hate but also forsaketh the same troubleth her tourneth her naked hauyng plucked from her al her wifely apparell and ornamentes Ezech. 16 Osee 2. for so God in his prophetes threateneth to doe vnto his people for their vnfaithfulnes so nations reuolted from the Romane Empire distroyed and impouerished the same spoyling the riches thereof which the Romanes had heaped together by the robberie of al nations They shal eate her flesh they spoyled euery where also the Romane prouinces And where it is sayed that those kinges shal deuoure the flesh of the beaste it is to be vnderstande of the maner of speakyng For so are we wonte to saye what time we signifie extreme crueltie and mallice without mercy therfore like as Rome hath ben moste cruell towardes all nations euen so shal al nations most cruelly teare her and finally shal burne her with fire Nowe let vs compare with these thinges the historie A story of the destruction burnyng of Rome and see how they were fulfilled in tholde Rome and maye be yet fulfilled in the newe And first we will speake of olde Rome after of newe And verely olde Rome grewe many yeres and practised robberies through out the whole worlde and distroyed the Sainctes of the most highest wherfore it was worthy that the punnishment thereof should extende and indure many yeres and so as it were by degrees to descende to the last burnyng and destruction thereof There be gathered the yeres of her punnishmentes about .136 in the whiche she beyng impenitent was vexed and tourmoyled with continual calamities slaughters and vexatiōs And herof I compiled an abridgement in the .57 Sermon of this worke the. 13. chapt And here I will repete a fewe thinges and will reherse certen other things more playnely and at large As the Lorde in punnishyng the Niniuites and Hierosolomitanes declared his longe sufferyng and clemēcie and also his streight iustice right so in procedyng slowely to distroye Rome he lefte them mercifully space to repente in which seyng thei refused to do he wasted and destroyed them terriblely as impenitent He gaue therfore to Rome excellent good Princes Constaunce Constantine Iouiane Valentinian Gratiane Theodose c. By whose
which practised inchauntementes in very dede and bewitched men with corrupt religion And euen so hath Rome seduced the whole worlde and yet seduceth For the which cause she deserueth most greuouse punnishment The last cause of subuersion for in thee is foūde the bloud Bloud shed can not be whipte awaye nor clensed from them that shede innocent bloud The sheding of bloud And although it be not streight waye required yet will there come a time when it shal be required of God and than is it founde And he maketh mētion of thre sortes of bloud Firste of the bloud of Prophetes of them I meane which haue preached the Gospell and haue ben the fathers of the faithfull Secondely of Sainctes to witte holy martirs Finally of al menne that haue ben slayne in earth to witte dwelling here and there through out the world whom we vnderstande to haue ben dispatched and taken out of the waye by the warres seditions and tiranny of Rome So we reade also in the first oratiō of Ieremie that God straitely requyreth the bloud of his seruauntes spilte Doubtles all shedyng of bloud is greuouse the same excepted which is iustely done of the magistrate yet is one more heynouse than another For he that killeth a preacher of the gospell more greuousely sinneth than he that dispatcheth a priuate person and he whiche for religion sake slayeth a man and maketh a martir sinneth more heynousely than he that killeth a man in the warre Therefore al the bloud shed of Rome after any sort shal be required of Rome is required Thus the lorde spake also of the citie of Hierusalē Matth. 23. The lord Iesus haue mercy on vs loke vpō vs with theyes of his mercie Amen ¶ The reioycinges and Himnes of sainctes are recited for Rome destroyed and all vngodlines taken awaye The .lxxxj. Sermon Chapt. 19. AND after that I hearde the voice of muche people in Heauen saying Alleluya Saluatiō and glory and honour power be ascribed to the Lord our God For true and rightuouse are his iudgemētes because he hath iudged the greate whore whiche did corrupte the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruauntes of her hande And agayne they sayde Alleluya And the smoke of her ascended for euer more And the .xxiiii. Elders and the foure beastes fell downe and worshipped God that sate on the seate saiyng Amē Alleluya And a voyce came out of the seate saiyng Praise our lord God al ye that are his seruaūtes and ye that feare him both smal and great And I hearde the voice of much people euen as the voice of many waters and as the voice of great thōderinges saiyng Alleluya For our lord God omnipotent raigneth Let vs be glad and reioyce geue honour vnto him for the marriage of the Lambe is come God neuer forsaketh his seruauntes For as much as the Apostle in this boke most plentifully hath described the oppression of Sainctes and the cruell mischeuouse and prowde assaultes of the persecutours of the Gospell whereby they both mocke God and tourment his sainctes whereupon euermore at all times the complainctes euen of the godly men are red to haue risen as though God through his longe sufferyng and great patience should seme to neglecte the oppressed he discourseth also moste at large nowe the reioycinges and prayses of Sainctes wherby thei extolle the veritie and iustice of God neuer neglectyng his and most greuousely punnishing the vngodly persecutours Howebeit they reioyce here chiefely and prayse God for the taking awaye of Antichriste and all vngodlines with him Whiche verely is the first place of this chapter The seconde confirmeth al Sainctes leeste they should doubte any thing of the saluation of the faythfull which he sheweth to be most certayne The thirde place reciteth the sinne of blessed Iohn and the faithfull doctrine of the holy Aungel that we should worshippe no creatures be they neuer so holy In the laste place is described the iudge or reuenger Iesus Christe commyng to iudgement there is moreouer described the perdition or punnishement of al vngodly which the iuste and holy lord taketh of them Which place verely begōne in the .11 chapt of this boke and suspēded hitherto repeted somewhat in the .14 is now at the last finisshed And verely the Iubiley of Sainctes is diuerse plentifull and manifolde ouer the loste and condemned enemies of the godly Firste he heareth a voyce and that a greate of much people in heauen He sheweth therfore in generall that all heauenly the Aungelles not excepted synge prayses to God in heauen Whiche we vnderstande shal be at the laste iudgement all vngodly troden vnder fote And before these thinges be done they are rehersed and described that hereby the godly maye in daungers and tourmētes comforte themselues and maye abide stedfaste in the true sayth beleuynge that they also though nowe oppressed shall singe prayses of thankes to God And verely he hath here compiled the whole Himne saide in the prayse of God the reuenger He placeth formoste Alleluya Alleluya after he annexeth the prayses Saluation and glory c. And Alleluya signifieth prayse ye the Lorde He vseth a most common and of all men beste knowen in the primitiue church For certen Psalmes haue this title Halleluyah For the chaūter so exhorted stired vp the people to praise God So after the same maner now also the saincts as it were cōprising the argument of their songe saye Alleluia And these vocables haue more grace in ours and straunge langages than translated So haue remayned in the churche Osanna Amen Saela Maranatha and diuerse others Whereof also writeth S. Hierome to Marcella and Damasus The himne of sainctes Now followeth the himne saluation and glory honour c. And those thinges they prayse in God ascribe vnto him wholy Whereof I spake in expoundhng the .4 and .5 chapt of this boke Moreouer they prayse God of that whiche in this cause is principall for his iudgementes are iuste true Which saying semeth worthie to be printed moste depely in the hartes of al men as the which in temptations maye not a little erecte them And wherefore the iudgementes of God be iust and true he addeth because he hath iudged the great whore that is to saye taken worthie and condigne punnishment of the greate whore Hitherto the Lorde hath semed to many ouer slowe and to much fauourable to Rome and the Romish church but than shall they see that God is most iust Of the whore is spoken before Yet doeth he repete here agayne her moste heynouse and greatest sinnes Firste corruption through whoredome and inchauntement Whereby is signified seducyng by corrupte and wicked doctrine The later the shedyng of the bloud of holy Martirs Wherof we haue already spokē many times Therefore God punnissheth the corruption of doctrine and crueltie of the Romish churche practised agaynst the sainctes of God The prayses of god to god are
acceptable And like as in the beginnyng they sange Alleluia so in the ende also they repete the same By this repetition declaring that the prayses whiche also we powre out to God in Earth be to God most acceptable And by and by is added a sentence whiche might seme to be put to eyther of S. Iohn or of the diuine heauenly dwellers themselues Wherby is signified that the burning of the vngodly shal be perpetual and shal neuer haue ende as likewise Esaye hath sayed in the .30 and .46 chap. And the lord himself in the .25 of Matth. and .9 chapt of Marke The smoke â—ose by For when he sayeth smoke he vnderstaÌ„deth that there is fire there vnderneth Lette vs ernestly thinke of these thinges so oft as the pleasures and coÌ„modities of Antichrist do flatter vs. For this perpetual fire is prepared for all vngodly especially AntichristiaÌ„s And thaÌ„ seuerally he bringeth in praisyng God the .xxiiii. Elders and foure beastes by the whiche the vniuersalitie of creatures is vnderstande Touching the which thing see what is sayde in the .4 and .5 chapt of this boke And first not only they knele but also fal downe to th ende we should vnderstande what we ought to do in earth And thei worship God that sitteth in the throne nother Aungelles nor spirites nor yet any creatures Furthermore with two wordes he shaddoweth their himne For they singe Amen and Alleluya For they coÌ„firme God to be iuste and his iudgementes to be rightuouse and that iustely he puÌ„nisheth the whore And therfore that he is to be praised Nowe coÌ„meth also a voyce out of the trone A voice coÌ„meth out of the throne to witte from God him selfe but by the ministerie of an Aungell For it followeth singe prayse to our God Beholde he sayeth our God Therfore he accompteth himself here in the nombre of them which haue God coÌ„mon with men Therefore he was an Angel which recited those thinges of God Therfore that the sainctes do now they are commaunded to do For in the middes of the prayses this voice is hearde from God by the Angell And he coÌ„maundeth to prayse and that the true and only God He sheweth moreouer who should praise him all the sainctes that is al the feare God whether they be great or small By this commaundement therefore is signified that God is delighted with the prayses of holy menne and liketh them Wherof we now that dwell in Earth learne to praise the lord without ceasyng and with a sincere hart We learne that no maÌ„ is excepted of what so euer degree or age sexe or condicion he be of Agayne an other Himne is annexed The diuine prayses are greatest as it were an example of obedience For God by the Angell commaundeth the sainctes to prayse Now therfore they obey God and offer to him praises And howe great these prayses were he sheweth by a double comparison and by a maruelouse breuitie and euident maner For he sayeth how the voices of the singers were shrille as the gusshing and noyse of many waters also like the clappyng or crackyng of greate thonders Yf suche breuitie and perspicuitie were founde in Homere or Virgill it shoulde haue many maruailers thereof whiche would extolle and commende the elegancie But no man marueleth no man setteth forth or commendeth the holy Scriptures and elegancie and efficacitie of the same wauntyng example And agayne is annexed an Hymne the beginnyng whereof as of the fourmer is also Alleluya And like as in the fourmer himne the Sainctes haue celebrated that God doeth iustely punnishe the wicked so in this they preache that God raigneth and shall seme euen freely to saue the Sainctes They commaunde therefore to prayse the Lorde The reason for bicause sins he is omnipotent he raigneth He hath verely raygned euermore but sins so many thinges haue ben permitted by him to the vngodly many haue thought that the vngodly and chiefely Antichrist hath reigned but now sins he hath oppressed him and auenged his glory and his seruauntes it is made manifeste to all menne that God alone raigneth for euermore They alledge also an other cause whie God should be praysed ye rather whie the godly shuld be glad and reioyce for the mariage of the Lambe is come For as much as that time is nowe come wherein the lambe him selfe will bryng in the children of God his wel be loued spowse those I meane whome by his bloudshed he hath redemed to ioyes euerlastyng Of the mariage shal be spoken a little after at large Prayse and glory be to our redemer Christ Iesus the Lord. Amen ¶ Of the mariage of the Lambe and of the makyng ready of the Lambes wife The .lxxxij. Sermon AND his wife made her selfe ready And to her was grauÌ„ted that she shuld be arayed with pure and goodly silke For the silke is the rightuousenes of Sainctes The sainctes celebrate the Lord with prayses reioycinges and Himnes There be causes innumerable yet two notable aboue others The first for the Lord hath iudged the whore and auenged the bloud of Sainctes The second for the mariage of the lambe is come They reioyce therefore at the iustice of God whereby he hath punnished the vngodly and at his mercy or grace by the whiche he geueth to the godly a blessed lyfe But here muste we speake of the mariage Ther is very much mention made in the holy Scriptures both of the oulde and newe testamente Matrimony and mariage of matrimonie and mariage The which may not be expounded after the letter but by an allegory leest with the Turks and mahometistes we fall in shameful and moÌ„strouse absurdities For spiritual things are figured by corporal matters Of the spiritual this is the some God the father the louer of mankinde wil saue men by his son This thing is declared by a parable of wedlocke and mariage And in matrimonie there is a contract or makynge sure there is coupling or handfaste makyng of eyther partie and finally mariage In the contracte not onely the yong man and the mayde ar affiauÌ„ced The contract or makyng sure but also the whole maner of the mariage to com is appoincted and an order taken For the lawyers say that affiauncyng is a promesse of the mariage to come This contracte was made at the beginning of the world where God promiseth that he wyll delyuer mankynde by his sonne and receiue him into glory Hereunto appertaine all the promises of Christe of the remission of sinnes and euerlastinge lyfe Moreouer the duties of the spouse are prescrybed She promeseth to be obedient and other thinges c. Christe the sonne of God the father brydegrome affiauÌ„ceth to himselfe al the chosen through his free grace he promiseth them his righteousnes all heaueÌ„ly gyftes and eternall lyfe He taketh vpon him moreouer al the infirmities of the bride and pourgeth her filthines And the bryde is affiauÌ„ced to him by faith as it is with Osee and byndeth her selfe wholly to
chapt sayeth for we be your glory as you shal be oures also in the daye of our Lorde Iesu And agayne in the .1 to the Thess the .2 chapt the same Apostle sayeth for what is our hope ioye or crowne of reioycyng are not you in the sight of our Lorde Iesu Christe at his commyng for you are our glory and ioye Ful wel therefore sayeth Aquinas S. Iohn speaketh after the maner of coÌ„querours which bryng their spoyles into Cities Therefore he fayneth that Princes preachers and parentes bryng with them into heauen such as they haue wonne whiche to them shal be an honour and glory These thinges alwayes let vs thinke vpon and do our duety inioyned vs of God which we perceyue in the euerlasting countrie to haue so great rewarde For it shal be the greatest glory that maye be to stande with so many wonne in the presence of the eternal God LaÌ„be and al sainctes Contrarywise the greatest shame to stande with so great a multitude of men lost and that loste through our faulte and negligence Reade what thinges are written in the .1 chapt of the boke of wisedome c. In the tenth place followeth the custody of the gates celestiall The gates are not shut in the daye Certenly in greate Cities there is greate and dilligent watching and wardynge hede taken to the gates that they be shutte and opened in dewe time and season But in heaueÌ„ there shall nede no such carefulnes The reason is The gates are not wonte to be shutte in the day but at night But in the euerlastyng countrie there is no night therfore are the gates neuer shutte There is doubtles no night but continual day There is no treason no Ambusshes or wayte laide no perils or daungers all thing in generall are safe peaceable quiet sicker and sure The same thinges are red also in Esaye but some thing in a diuerse sense Aretas here is a double vnderstandyng sayeth he for eyther he meaneth that there shal be peace and securitie and that so great that it shall not nede to kepe the citie by shuttyng of the gates Or els that there also the godly gates of the Apostolicall doctrine are open for all men vnto their learnyng which haue more perfection c. Certenly they shal nede no teachers nor guides which see al misteries now presently are brought into heauen it self The cleanes of the heauenly â—â—tie And especially cleanes in Cities is highly commended if there shewe or appere nothing that offendeth the sighte hearyng and smellyng which is lothsome to loke vpon and to be abhorred And in priuate houses the chiefe prayse is yf all thinges shyne and stande euery thing in order and lie not scattered and stinke Now therefore in the eleuenth place he sheweth that there shal be nothing in heauen that maye offende that is to saye which shall not be pleasaunt and delectable moste cleane and nete absolute and complete The same place also muste be referred to the personnes For it followeth saue they that are written in the lambes boke of life We vnderstande therfore how into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ shal not enter whoremongers Idolaters liars deceauers what so euer is vncleane and not purged with the bloud of the sonne of God through fayth This same the Apostle affirmeth in the .1 to the Corint the .5 and .6 chapt and to the Ephes the .5 chapt Dauid also demaundeth Lord who shal dwell in thy tabernucle or who shal reste in thy holy hille And aunswereth incontinently he that walketh without spotte and worketh rightuousnes and that which insueth in the .15 Psalm Finally here shal be fulfilled suche thinges as are written in the .23 chapt of Deuter. Touching theÌ„ which are prohibited to enter into the church Wherfore this place hath a secret doctrine and priuie admonishment instructyng vs that if we wil or couet to be heyres of the euerlasting couÌ„trie we should al applie our selues whilest we liue here in Earth to rightuousenes and Innocencie For it shal followe in the .22 chapt For without are dogges and inchaunters and whoremongers c. The Lord bryng vs by the waye of rightuousenes vnto life euerlastyng ¶ He continueth yet in describyng the blessed seates The .xcvi. Sermon AND he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life cleare as Chrystall The .22 chapt proceding out of the seate of God and of the Lambe In the middes of the strete of it of eyther side of the riuer was there wood of life whiche bare twelue maner of fruictes gaue fruicte euery moneth the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withal And ther shal be nomore curse but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it and his seruauntes shall serue him And they shal see his face and his name shal be in their foreheades And there shal be no night there and they nede no candle nor light of Sunne for the lorde God geueth them light and they shall raygne for euermore In the twelfth place is described of Iohn the pleasauntnes The pleasauntenes of the citie of God trymnes the plentuousenes and abouÌ„dance of foode in the Citie of God Riuers make cities pleasaunt and delectable Without fountaynes sprynges and holesome waters cities decaye and are scarsely worthy the names of Cities But in case they waunte victualles they are wholy loste Therefore this our heaueÌ„ly Citie excelleth and is most noble in al these thinges nother hath it vitayle only but geueth the same vnto vs with greate pleasure and finesse moste pleasaunt For trees in this Citie doe not only beare fruicte but geue also a pleasauÌ„tnes vnspeakable inestimable The riuer moreouer runneth through the middes of the stretes on the bankes of eyther side are trees moste beautiful to beholde bearing the fruictes of life And as I haue many times in this description intimated so I repete now the same againe that those things are not to be vnderstande after the letter as the Millenaries take them For the Lord talketh with vs and euen lispeth to the ende we might after the imbecillitie of our witte coÌ„ceaue these thinges Yf any shuld wisshe for earthly things I wene he could couet no greater thinges thaÌ„ be here described We shall thinke therefore if the Lorde coulde geue these earthly thinges yf he woulde whie can he not geue greater to the soules of the godly and bodies glorified yea the Lorde will that beyng withdrawen from the contemplation of earthly thinges we shoulde loke altogether for celestiall and diuine worthie of blessed soules and bodies clarified Whiche verely howe greate and what they shall be no tunge of manne can expresse to vs be it neuer so eloquente For the Lord hath prepared greater thinges for his seruauntes than here we can comprehende Therefore he bringeth forth here matterâ— moste ample that after a certen maner we mightie conceaue heauenly thinges muche more excellent than they be Therfore the sense and meanyng of all those