only sentence of Christ I wil impose none other burthen theÌ„ that you haue kepe that vntill the iudgement Beholde he sayth vnto the iudgement least any shoulde imagine in the meane season that another thing had pleased the holy ghost Let vs therfore perseuer in the same Most large promesses Hereunto he annexeth after his wonted maner most ample promesses that through hope of so great rewardes he might pluck them from errours ioine them to the true religion And like as in the fourmer epistles he hath said he that ouercometh so here he repeteth the same admonishing vs not to slepe but to watche fight maÌ„fully And he ouercometh that kepeth the workes of Christ vnto the ende The workes of Christ by a priuie opposition are set against the inuentions workes of men The workes of Christ The workes of Christ fignifie both doctrine and faith and whatsoeuer good workes insew vpon the same the seruice of worshipping of God the obseruatioÌ„ of Gods word For in the .28 chap. of S. Math. The Lorde saith to his disciples teace you them to kepe those thinges which I haue commaunded you He speaketh with an emphasie whiche I haue commaunded you not such as you shall haue inuented of your own braine For the Lord alledgeth out of the Propheth in the .xv. of the same S. Math. saiyng In vaine do thei worship me teaching the doctrines of men Therfore these workes haue no promesse But the workes of Christ whiche he him selfe hath ordeined the which are done of his spirit and of true faith whilest we forsake our errours cleaue to the truth they haue a promesse moste ample The victory of the hâ—ad Christ and his meÌ„bres And promiseth two notable thinges The first lyke as my father hath promysed me victory and perfourmed it that I ouercome all my ennemies and triumphed ouer them the same being brokeÌ„ in pieces lyke vessels of clay or earth with out any difficultie so wyll I geue vnto you also power and victory against all vngodly And that same promesse at the last shal be fully accomplished in the last iudgement in the which all the ennemies of Godlines shal be caste vnder the feete of Christ As it is declared in the Psalmes especially in the .ii. and Cx. Psalme And in this world also Christ affirmeth that his seruauntes shall spiritually rule ouer his ennemies Like as Christ although he were tormented and died yet neuerthelesse he ouercame his ennemies The holy and ecclesiasticall stories beare witnes of these thinges sufficiently The latter I will geue him the morning starre And he vnderstode the knowledge of Christ increasing dayly more and more and so euen Christ himselfe The morning star in lyke case as the day in the rysing of the morning starre waxeth brighter and brighter In the whiche sense the Apostle S. Peter is red to haue vsed this allegory in the .ii. Epistle first Chapter or at the least he promised a clerenes most bright For Daniel sayth howe the faithful in the resurrection shall shine like the firmament The whiche thing also the Lord Christ alledgeth the .xiii. of Math. And the Apostle alluding hereunto sayd that one star was brighter then an other So lykewyse in the resurrection one shal be made brighter then an other These promisses be most great neither can I thinke that any greater can be geuen vs. God graunte vs grace that we may be made partakers of so great thinges Finally he applieth this epistle to al churches and ages of the world Wherof since we haue spoken oftener than once there is no cause that by oft repeating I should be tediouse to any man To the Lorde our God be praise and glory ¶ He blameth certen thinges in the congregation of Sardis notwithstanding he sheweth streight wayes a remedy wherby they may be healed be safe The .xv. Sermon AND write to the messenger of the congregatioÌ„ of Sardis this saith he that hath the spirites of God and the .vii. starres I knowe thy workes Thou hast a name that thou liuest and thou art dead Be awake and strength the thinges which remaine that ar redy to die For I haue not founde thy works perfit before God Remember therfore howe thou hast receiued and heard and holde fast repent If thou shalt not watche I wil come on thee as a thefe and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wyll come vpon thee Two kindes of men in one churche In one congregation of Sardis were two sortes of people professing on either side the name of Christ But some in dede answered but litle to the holy profession liuing more licenciously than became them And the others in holines of lyfe set forth the doctrine of our sauiour that they professed The first sort the Lord Iesus accuseth in this Epistle by S. Iohn And sheweth also a medicine for the disease And the later he exhorteth to perseueraunce commending their integritie Therfore this Epistle is deuided in two partes verey fit and profitable for our time The first part of the Epistle coÌ„teineth those things which we haue now recited Nether doth he procede herein in other order than we haue sene him to haue proceded hitherto For first he sheweth to whom it is dedicated and sent Namely to the Pastour of the congregation of Sardis Sardis and therfore also to the whole church Sardis is said to haue ben the head citie of Lydia or of Maonia the metropolitane citie of Cresus the most riche king of Lydia whom Herodotus writeth that king Cyrus ouercame a towne most famous and pricked and painted with pride that it was a woÌ„der And addicte to voluptuousnes For Strabo in the .xiii. boke of Geographie testifieth that al the maidens therof were harlots who mentioneth more of the same citie Certes it semeth to haue kept his olde wonte euen at suche time also as it had receiued the name of the Lord And therfore to haue bene more geuen to fornication and al maner of filthy lust The which thing the Lord semeth to haue blamed in them as S. Paul likewyse persecuted the self same vise in the Corinthians The worlde can hardly beleue that simple fornication is sinne wherupon in that great counsel of the Apostles Actes 15. both thei and the elders and the whole assemblie with one minde decreed that the geÌ„tiles should absteine from fornication The deuill at this day goeth about many times to defile the church again with fornication to set vp stewes and that by authoritie and openly whordom might be practised For so being cast out he taketh seuen worse spirites enterprising to possesse that place again out of the whiche he was exiled by the preaching of the Gospel We must therfore resist him least the Lorde Iesus him self do accuse vs as he doth here accuse them of Sardis most greuously Christ hath and seÌ„deth the spirite Then is the Lord Iesus declared to be authour of the Epistle not without praise
of Thyatira that beleued rightly in Christ and healeth their diseases Wherin appeareth the vnspeakeable mercy of God whiche ceaseth not to speake vnto suche as are yet intangled with heresie and to heale their pestiferous diseases And he admonisheth all men that thei loke for no new reuelations but know rather that God hath through Christ and his Apostles set forth a moste perfit doctrine wherunto he wyll adde nothing And therfore that they kepe faste in memory suche thynges as they had learned already and wherin they were nowe exercised A new holy ghost and a new reuelation For the Cataphrigians called also Montanistes bragged of a newe comforter and a newe reuelation As though al things had not ben fully set forth by the Apostles but that many thynges were lefte as yet to be reuealed of them As also at this day the maynteiners of the Popishe churche most stifly do affirme And lyke as the Cataphrygians couered their trifles vnder the pretence of the holy ghost So do the Papistes lykewyse cloake the vayne constitutions of men and set theÌ„ forth vnder a false colour of the holy ghost As though the Lorde spake of their decrees when he sayd I haue yet many thinges to say vnto you which now ye can not beare Neuerthelesse the faithful people of Thyatira which had not the doctrine of Iezabell but rather detested it notwithstanding as doubtfull said that the Deuil was a certen depenes and had a thousand craftes which could also transforme him into an aungel of light And that they were but simple men who being ignoraunt of these his wonderful craftes and subtilties knew not what they might chiefly follow whilest the false Prophetes also make their boast of the holy ghost and shine in miracles and with great coÌ„stancie auouch their doctrine to be true Ye shal finde at this day which wil say I am a plaine simple man know not whether part I shuld cleaue to since the doctours of both partes affirme with great coÌ„staÌ„cie that they haue the truth on their side therfore will some say thei shal agre better or euer I wil beleue any of theÌ„ al. c. What this in the diuersitie of opinions the godly shuld followe The Lord therfore answering to both sheweth what they should do To you saith he I say that follow the doctrine of Iezabel I say also to the rest of the ThyatiremaÌ„s that follow not the Iezabelisme yet neuerthelesse complaine in such dissentions and wonderful craftes of the deuill that they se not what is best To you all I say if ye be simple in dede as you pretende if ye will with al your harte imbrace the truth geue your selues to the simplicitie Apostolical cleauing fast to suche thinges as you haue once learned of the Apostles neither loking for nor receiuing any new religions or additions constitucions or any other thing moreouer than that you haue learned of the Apostles For these thinges whiche you haue receiued are sufficient to obteine saluation The Lord layth none other burthen vpon the church And these wordes of the Lord must be wayed more dilligently to the ende we may perceiue the great fruicte that is in theÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I wil lay vpon you none other weight or burtheÌ„ besides this that you haue The Lord affirmeth that he wil adde nothing more to the doctrine euangelical set forth by the Apostles as to that which is most perfit Certes if the doctrine of Moises were so perfit that the Lord him self did prohibite that no maÌ„ shuld adde or take away any thing froÌ„ the same but only shuld doe that which was coÌ„maunded as we reade in the .4 and .12 Chap. of Deut. Who would doubt that there should wante any thing in the doctrine of Christ the sonne of God He therfore now affirmeth that he wil lay nothing vpon them more then he had laid and the which they beare at that time What burthen is A burthen in the sermons of the Prophets is takeÌ„ for doctrine of graue weightie matters The Apostles also call the lawe a yocke burthen Where therfore the Lord saith that he wil not lay vpon the church any other burthen he saith howe he will not reueale any other doctrine nor further charge theÌ„ with other rites or ceremonies than such as he had ordeined imposed already And with these wordes of Christ accord those things very wel which are red in thapostles epistle Sinodical Act .xv. For by the coÌ„mon consent of the congregation after the minde of the holy ghost they say they wil impose nothing moreouer vpoÌ„ the church thaÌ„ such things as they had receiued already of S. Paul a few things that they added for a declaratioÌ„ of the same WherupoÌ„ S. Paul said to the Galath If an angel from heauen preache vnto you an other Gospel besides that which is preached let him be accursed What than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holde fast The doctrine of christ is perpetuall namely that which you haue receiued suffering it not to be plucte out of your haÌ„des Hold fast I say with touth nayle til I come that is to say vnto the last iudgemeÌ„t Therfore he testifieth expresly that this doctrine shal be perpetual vnchangeable therfor to be kept most stifly of al meÌ„ not to be shroÌ„ke froÌ„ though al the world crie out perswade the coÌ„trary Aretas Bish of Cesaria He required of theÌ„ nothing els saith he but that thei wold kepe safely the godly pledge of faith vntil his coming This if we shal do we may easely eschew the craftes of the deuil disceauable cloudes For whatsoeuer they shall bringe forth whatsoeuer they shal forge faine or die with the couÌ„terfeited colour of the holi ghost we shal haue always recours to the simple doctrine of Christ set forth by thapostles wherin alone we shal rest reiecting althiÌ„gs that shal not acerd with the same And this holsome doctrine of Christ confoundeth al traditions Against the tradiâ—ions of men subuerteth al constinitioÌ„s made since the time of the Apostles The godly may always obiect this sayin of Christ to the traditioners I wil lay none other burtheÌ„ vpoÌ„ you besides that you haue That same hold fast vntill the last iudgement They shal alledge that same also that the Apostles deny that they will adde nothing more Act. 15. Christ spake this in the tyme of S. Iohn in the yeare of our Lord lxxxxvii Therfore what so euer lawes traditioÌ„s decrees haue bene made since that time we know they were not imposed of Christ which saith so expressely that he will lay none other burthen on the faithfull Where then become the decrees and constitutions of worshipping Images in the churche for the consecration and celebrating of masses What shall we say to the decretalles of the Byshop of Rome They are all ouerthrowen and stricken downe as it were with a thonderbolte by this
inuadeth not only the auncient churche but euen the very head of the church and redemer Christ howebeit with his furie outrageouse he could nothyng preuayle therefore he shal no more preuaile agaynst his membres Now he retourneth againe to the church and sayeth the church fleeth into wildernes after the dragon could bringe nothing to passe agaynst the sonne of God he wente and made warre agaynst the church and the churche fled into wildernes Certenly Iewrie in the prophetes is compared to a place most frequented the gentiles are called a deserte or wildernes Therefore after Christes ascention the Apostles departyng out of Iewrie repared to the gentiles yea and the Iewes inspired of the red dragon caste out the church out of their limites which was constreined as appereth in the Actes of Apostles to flee vnto the gētiles And where the Lorde hath prepared a place for his churche and the churche was greately augmented emongs the gentiles certenly it was through his grace and by no merite of man whiche prepared the place whiche calleth directeth and kepeth his shepe the same hath disposed and yet doeth dispose for this churche ministers or pastours which may fede it as the rauens did Helias al the time that shal be vnto the worldes ende For as for the nōbre of those daies I discoursed before And by this exposition is signified that the dragon shal fight stoutely against the church so that she shal be cōpelled to flee but how much so euer he shal rage against the churche the lorde God shal yet prepare a place in earth wherin she maye dwell safe and will euer sende pastours to fede He sheweth moreouer that the flight shall not alwayes be reprochable The Lord saue and kepe vs. Amen ¶ The description of the conflicte of Christe and the Church with the Dragon the dragō is ouercome the heauenly dwellers sing prayses The .liij. Sermon ANd there was a great battell in heauē Michaell his Angels fought with the dragon the dragō fought his Angels preuailed not nother was their place foūde any more in heauē And the dragon that olde serpent called the deuil and Sathanas was cast out Which deceaued all the world And he was cast into the Earth his Angels were cast out with him also And I hearde a lowde voice which sayed in Heauen nowe is saluation and strength and the kingdome become our Gods the power is Christes for he is caste downe which accused them before God daie night And thei ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe and by the worde of their testimony and they loued not their liues vnto the death Therfore reioyce ye heauens and ye that dwell therin Wo vnto the inhabiters of the earth and the sea for the deuill is comen doune vnto you which hath great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time Thapostle hath spoken of the partes of the notable fight worthie battel he hath spoken also of attēptes pourpos of the dragō which verely applieth al his coūsels to this intēt that he may deuoure al godlines that is might distroy it vtterly he hath shewed how he began to moue warre agaynst the church which fled into the wildernes now as it were leauing the womā in the wildernes he semeth to bring forth other soldiours whiche geue battel to the dragon most valeauntly do impugne also discōfit him al his power S. Iohn therfore describeth the singular fight of one most excellent to witte Michaell which ouercame the Dragon and describeth the general fight annexed with that particular For he addeth that al the Angels of Michael fought agaynst the dragon And first is heauē shewed to be the place of the fight or cōflicte For in heauen sayeth he was fought a great battaile The place of conflict And it is euidēt that Sathan was at the beginning of al things cast out of heauē into the earth and therfore that he moueth no warre in heauē nor reiseth any tumulte there For heauē is a place of rest ioye not of debate and contention Therefore this must be attributed to the visiō For the lord hath in heauen by signes represented this battaile to be sene whiche in dede is fought in earth in the middes of the church But here is set forth an image of a notable fight wherby is shewed what hath ben what is yet done in earth I saied euen now that this cōbat was in dede particular but to haue a general fight annexed For Michael fighteth whiche is as captaine of this warre and Michaelles Angelles fight also Who fight which must be wel discerned although that Michaell his Angels make but one parte only On the other side fighteth the dragō as emperour of this warre his angels fight also And these verely make non other partes thā we haue heard before in the beginning of this chapt That the partie of this fight were the church the deuil Neuertheles leest the victory should be attributed to the church not rather to Christ the womā must now be omitted and Michael brought in fighting Whereupon there is in these thinges some difficultie but it shal be easie enough for him that will marke euery thing in order Who is that Michaell captaine of the warre against the Dragon First we must see what that Michael is there is in dede no doubte but that the Angel Michell appered in the vision with an Army of Angels fighting And that on the contrary parte against thē fought the Dragon with an hoste of deuils But for asmuch as we hearde in the beginning that these were tokens they must nedes signifie betoken other thinges I suppose here therefore to be signified Christ the head of his church king protectour with his mēbres Apostles Martirs faithful Nother is it a rare thing that Christ should be figured to vs by Angels but is euen moste accustomed that Angelles are called the ambassadours of God the faithful seruaūtes of Iesus Christ Christ therfore head of the church the faithfull membres of Christ fight against the Dragon yet after a diuerse sort For christ ouercame him alone in the cōbat with out helpe of any creature whilest in temptations he discomfited him at the last also by diyng on the crosse rising agayne from the dead How christ hath fought with the dragō he al to brake his head This is the only trewe singular victory wherby afterwardes are obteyned the victories of Christes mēbres goten of that general fight wherein Christ fighteth not now only hande to hande with the Deuill but all the membres of Christe at all times vnder Christ their Captayne fight against the Deuill and in the vertue or victory of Christ fight and ouercome as we shal heare by and by in the songe of prayse Why Michael is Christ But for great and sondry causes we affirme Christe to be figured and
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
which in tymes past the lord Iesus him self by S. Iohn hath prepared for these hard things times by reuealing this Apocalips And in dede these things here haue a singular grace and vertu which ar reuealed to vs of God Neyther shal the aduersary and enemy of Christ be ouerthroweÌ„ with any corporal weapons saue only with the sword of Gods word For now it is nedeful that antichrist shuld waxe vile perish in the minds of men that Christ alone might liue again and be glorified for euer And thys my exposition I haue diuided into sermones bothe for that I haue nowe Conefonsor sermones these yeares of a .1555 and .1556 expounded thys boke to the faithful church of Christ which I serue making in a maner these same sermons to the people and also that being requested I wold deliuer som copy to such as wil read and expound the same boke to the churches committed to their credit also Where not withstanding I admonish the readers that they loke not for all thines of thys my work or think that these things are to be rehearsed word for word to theyr auditours For certen thinges which I propounded to the people for the consideration of the time and place I haue not setforth in these my sermons studieng much for breuitie And other thynges namely such as concerne the conferring of tongs and the kind maner of speakyng and such other lyke I rehersed not to the congregation but haue written them here in my sermons to the profit of those that wyl confer these things together more dilligeÌ„tly It shal be the part of the preacher to haue a respect chiefly to such thynges as make both for the plaines of speache that he may be vnderstand euen of the grossest sort and also for the edifyeng of the audience that he brynge nothyng that shuld little profit Let euery man therfore applye these things to the edifieng of the church where he is hauing consideratioÌ„ of the place time and persons Yet alwayes obseruing the true sence of the boke or of Gods words For violeÌ„t wrestings and long digressions far from the pourpos deserue no prayse in preachynge or what tyme swaruing ouer muche from the playne sence of the scripture we boult out I wot not what mysteryes The dedicating of the worke And all this work compiled not without my great labour trauel but chiefly by the grace of God to the glory of Iesu Chryste and written to the saluation and confirmation of his afflicted churche I dedicate to you banished men as many of you as comyng or driueÌ„ out of Fraunce England Italy other realmes and nations for Iesus Christ and the gospels sake dwel in Germany Swisserland other places where God hath permitted you And also I dedicate this my worke to all you which dispersed in sondry realmes and nations are consecrated only to Christ our Lorde loking for his coming to iudgement In the which we shall vndoubtedly be delyuered at the last froÌ„ all euils and then shall be made that long loked for and in al ages and most fortunate restitution most expressely constantly promised both of the prophets and Apostles Actes .iii. And surely your Godly zeale banished brethern which had rather forsake your countrey then the Gospell to want your temporal coÌ„modities then to be polluted with a religioÌ„ estraunged from Christe deserueth no small prayse Iames .i. Math. xxiiij But you haue nede of constancie and wonderfull patience that after you haue ben tried you may receyue the crowne of lyfe which the Lorde hath promised to them which perseuer vnto th ende The heauenly regeneration doeth not so chaunge vs but that some doubtefull trouble some dregges of olde Adam remayne Therfore alwayes the regenerated fele sundry temptations and harde conflicts then especiallye when suche things chaunce as they had leaste looked for The godly therfore had euermore nede of consolation But this booke of the Apocalypse doeth minister the same with greate plentie whiche if you wyll reade ouer diligently you shall finde all things that happen to you that vexe you nowe with painefulnes to haue ben already so prophecied in this boke as they nowe come to passe Whereunto are added oftentymes most comfortable and swete consolations Moreouer ye are not ignoraunte right honorable and dere bretherne what chauÌ„ced to oure fathers the holyeste of all others Howe they wandered in mansions vncerten and howe they demeaned them selues in those most paynefull flittings you vnderstande me to speake of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and Ioseph whose peregrinations out of Chaldey into Palestine from thence into Egypt and agayne into Palestine from thence againe into Syria and agayn into Palestine Egypte are well knowen to the whole worlde Nowe what bannishements and perills abode that woorthie seruauÌ„t of God and most excelleÌ„t prophet Moses is not vnknowen so much as to those that be ignoraunte in matters of antiquitie Whose faith the vessell of election S. Paule commendynge By faith saith he Moses when he was greate Heb. xij refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter And chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to in ioye the pleasures of sinne for a season And estemed the rebuke of Christe greater richesse then the treasures of Egypte for he had respecte vnto the rewarde What shall we saye that our Lorde Iesus Christe hym selfe was constreyned in his infancie to flee into Egypte euen from hys swaddlynge cloutes teachinge his to suffer exile who is red also in the Gospell to haue sayed Foxes haue holes and the byrdes thayre haue nestes But the sonne of man hath not wher on to reste his head Dan. xi Of Antechriste we reade in dede that Daniel prophecied whom who so will acknowledge he will promote him to greate honours and make him the lorde of many and shall distribute the earth for mony Contrarywise we shall heare in the .xii. chapter of this Booke that both Christe and the Churche his spouse suffer greuouse persecutioÌ„ of the dragoÌ„ That Christ is takeÌ„ vp into heaueÌ„ a blessed hath opened heaueÌ„ also for the fartheful And there sheweth a place permaneÌ„t countrey to them that haue in maner no habitation in earth From thence he will come to Iudge the quicke and dead and to assumpte vnto hym the faithfull into ioye euerlastynge and to geue them what thyngs so euer he him selfe in the Gospell and the Prrphets and Apostles haue promysed Of the which most â—mple hope this boke of Apocalypse most plentifully and goodly discourseth instructyng all that desyre to heare certayne things and most full of comforte vnto all you therfore exiles and godly throughout the whole worlde desyringe the comynge of Christe our Lorde and iudge of all I offer and coÌ„mende and dedicate this my labour Receyue it with louing minds which I setfoorthe to non other ende but that fleenge Antichriste you shoulde cleaue to Christe alone fixinge
cost nothing But the Monkes selle theirs dere They be therfore disceauers and seducers After he calleth him selfe partaker in affliction or oppression and persecution as he that was euen now bannished by the Emperour Domitian and liued in exile And he ioyneth together and not separateth him selfe in the euill That is coÌ„mon to all the faithfull brethren The persecution of Iohn and of the whole churche And verely it is one and the same persecution that vexed the Apostles and tourmenteth vs at this day Let vs therfore reioyce that we haue the Apostles and all the Martyrs of Christ fellowes of our trouble and affliction that we be broken and bruised with the heauy burthen of euils Let vs therfore be pacieÌ„t and long suffring For it is not enough to be afflicted and vexed with all kinde of euils for many without any fruicte or prayse at all indure moste greuous paines But it becometh vs also to be patieÌ„t in aduersitie Therfore S. Iohn at this present ioyneth with all patince For the Lorde sayd in the Gospell In your patience shall you possesse your soules After he addeth vnto tribulation patience a kingdom that an heauenly not a terrestrial kingdom A kingdoÌ„ prepared for the pacient And he bringeth in the kingdom for the comfort of the patient people For also the Apostle S. Paul said a certen and sure saying For if we die with Christ we shall lyue also with hym If we suffer we shall reygne with hym c. Let vs alwayes here with comfort our selues in aduersitie For we are thruste downe that we might ones be exalted againe .ii. Corinthians .iiii. And all these thinges are concluded in Christ Iesus by whoÌ„ we be both the children brethren of God and suffer many thinges patiently and are made partakers of his kingdom For euen for these thinges must we thanke him and his mâ—rites and not our own deserte The state of humilitie of thapostle Let vs here note also what and howe great hath bene the humilitie of the greatest and worthie Apostle of God whâ— was his state Not plesaunt but harde yet in the pacience 〈◊〉 Christ ioyfull But where be they nowe that glory in thâ— name of Apostles Who in the meane time swellyng witâ— pride are addicte to filthie pleasures Whiche I warne thâ— we flee from them as from Apostataes The place wherin the reuelation was shewed And now he sheweth the place where this diuine reuelation was made him where also he was coÌ„maunded of Goâ— to wryte the same The place was the I le of Patmos Thâ— same is accompted amonges the Ilondes called Sporadâ— of Plinie in the fourth boke and .xii. cha It lay ouer againâ— Asia and the citie of Ephesus and was in thu sight boeth 〈◊〉 Europe and Affricke so that it semed to be as it were a miâ—dle seate or holy chaire out of the which Christ preached 〈◊〉 Iohn from heauen to the whole worlde And in dede the coâ—selles of God are wonderfull and his goodnes is vnspekeable which reuealeth so great misteries as it were in thâ— Romish pryson or Babilonicall captiuitie to his faithfull Iohn persecuted for the Gospel Neyther hideth he the cause of his comming into the samâ— Iland I was there saieth he for the worde of God and thâ— testimony of Iesu Christ The word of God is the very soâ— of God called of Iohn by a singular proprietie of speache the worde or sermon of God as appeareth the first of Iohn and the testimony of Iesu Christ is the Gospell if self whicâ— Iesus testified and the whiche his disciples haue testified oâ— Iesu Therfore for the confession and preaching of Iesâ—â— Christ and of his holsome Gospell for so he expoundetâ— also how he is made partaker of thafflictioÌ„ Iohn was apprâ—hended in Asia by soldiours led to Rome that he might pleaâ— his cause before themperour Domitian who of his cruel nature condeÌ„ned the inuoceÌ„t And he was put into a cawdroÌ„ oâ— hote boiling oyl Out of the whiche when he escaped withouâ— harme he was caried into Patmos He aunswered no other matter before themperour than Paul did .27 yeres past before Nero. This was done in that .xiiii. or .xv. yere of DomitiaÌ„ And the .xxiiii. yeare after the destructioÌ„ of the citie HierusaleÌ„ and after the birth of our Lorde .lxvi. Domician who would seme and be called a God being slaine of his own men after many murthers cruel actes died himself a shameful death the .xv. yeare of his reigne The authours hereof are Suetonius in the life of Domitian Tertullian in the heretic prescript Eusebius in his chronicles and in the third boke of the ecclesiastical history in the .xvii. and .xviii. chapter And hereto is added the common consent of all writers Moreouer he noteth the tyme also The time of the reuelation and of the sonday in the whiche these misteries began to be reuealed to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that solemne day of the Lord namely the sonday For so haue the auncient fathers called one of the sabbothes that is to say the first day in the weke wherin Christ rose again froÌ„ the dead Math. xxviii and Mark .xvi. And this day haue the churches chosen to them selues in stead of the Sabboth day as holy in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ wherin they might kepe their sacred and solemne assemblees For that this day was solemnised and coÌ„secrated for assemblees in the congregation of Corinthe appereth manifestly in the xvi Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corintians where the Apostle commaundeth to lay a part their collections in one of the sabbothes The same day also the faithful did celebrate their seruice with S. Paul in the .xx. of the Actes Wher Sozomenus reporteth in the .viii. chapt of the first booke of the story tripertite that great Constantine made certen holy daies and euen the Lordes daie for one whiche is called of the Heathen the sonday it is to be vnderstande that he renewed rather the custome of the Apostles catholique church than to haue newly instituted the same And frely of their own accord haue the churches receiued that day for we read not that it was any where commaunded And the congregations sawe how it was altogether necessary that there shuld be a certen tyme in the whiche the sainctes should mete and come together They chose therfore the day of the resurrection nether did they maliciously contende among theÌ„selues for these thinges as the histories testifie was done in the churche afterward And at this day verely the supersticious holy days being abrogated it is better to obserue certain and moderat daies and to kepe peace and quietnes in the churche But where this Apostle knewe that the faithfull on the soâ—day serued God in all assemblees where he could not be pâ—sent in body The Sonday ought to be kept in spirit and contemplation he was with theâ— And as he was thus in the spirite and
and v. chapter Therfore wold our Sauiour Christ oueâ—throwe that Throne of the deuill and set vp that his Thronâ— of rightuousnesse and holines Therefore goeth he firsâ— and chiefly to them of Asia that by their example the wholâ— worlde might be corrected and amended Ephesus And amonges other cities of Asia and Iouia Ephesuâ— was most famouse called in the olde time the lighte of Asiâ— And amonges the xii cities of Iouia accompted the princâ—pall The teÌ„ple of Diana Neyther was there any other richer or more beautifuâ— Church sene any where in Asia than the temple of Diana 〈◊〉 Ephesus It stode in the middes of the citie a great wondâ— of the Greke magnificence as writeth Plinie This tempâ— is sayed to haue ben two hundreth and twentie yeres in mâ—king of al Asia And set in a fenny ground that it should fele of no earth quakes nor opening of the earthe The length of â—t was ccccxxv foote the breadth .ccxx. It had pillers an hoÌ„dreth twentie and seuen dedicated of so many kinges Seke the reste oute of the epitome of the famouse D. Ioachim Vadiane The apostle S. Paul firste illumined this citie with the â—eame of the Gospel Whose epistle to the same citie remayneth and a plentifull story in the actes of the Apostles After Paull was executed Iohn went to Ephesus Actes 19. and from theÌ„ce preached to al Asia from theÌ„ce also was he brought to Rome â—o the emperour Domitian To Ephesus he retourned after his exile and there at length as the ecclesiasticall stories do testifie he slepte in the Lord. And before euery epistle muche more to that of the Ephesians is set a commaundement write This scripture is autheÌ„tike This coÌ„maundement geueth authoritie to the writynge so that we maye not axe whether this writing ought to be credited and whie it shuld â—e beleued For here is the expres coÌ„maundement of God â—nd the diuine authoritie whereof curiousely to inquire is â—hought not without cause vnlawfull Moses wrote by the â—ommaundement of God And by the same coÌ„maundement of God wrote also the prophetes and Apostles Whic than are not theyr wrytinges beleued to be Anthenticall Certes Iohn sayed truely and wittely he that knoweth God heaâ—eth vs he that is not of God heareth vs not .1 Iohn .5 Curiouse questioÌ„s cease where the minde of the godly or of any poore shepe knoweth the voice of his Lorde and Sheperde And let no man thinke that this epistle beyng written to one Aungel that is to a Bishop or pastour apperteineth nothing to the Churche For to the ende of the epistle is added an acclamation He that hath an eare let him heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations Therefore the pastour is named but the Shepe are not excluded All degrees states in the church know what is sayd vnto them IgnorauÌ„ce saieth That which is writteÌ„ to the Romanes coÌ„cerneth me nothing Yet neuertheles it is intitled to the Aungel The argumeÌ„t of the epistle to the Ephes to the inteÌ„t they pastours may be admonished what the state of the Church is The argâ—ment of the firste epistle is thus Christ declareth that he ruleth ouer his church that he taketh charge and gouernement of the same Some thinge therin he prayseth and somewhat he blameth In the meane time he exhorteth to repentauÌ„ce threatening greuouse thinges and promising most ioyefull And also he applieth this epistle to al churches and coÌ„municateth it to all coÌ„gregations in the whole worâ—â— But the epistle is exhortatiue for it instructeth the churches exhorteth and directeth And first in dede he sheweth who he is from whome thâ— epistle procedeth that he may geue authoritie therunto anâ— maye declare also that he is the head of his churche the Bâ—shop Duke and gouernour That part is takeÌ„ of the imagâ— set forth in the firste chapter And followeth the propheticâ—â— maner of speaking This sayeth he whiche holdeth the seuâ—â— Starres in his righthaÌ„de For the Prophetes saye likewisâ— Thus sayeth the lorde God of Israell thus sayeth the lorâ— of hostes Thus sayeth the Lorde whiche brought thee out 〈◊〉 Aegipte c. And two especiall thinges he repeteth of the fâ—â—mer description Seuen starres in the righte hande of Christ wherby he wil be knowen and do vs to vâ—derstande howe he beyng Lord and Bishop ruleth and mâ—keth in his churche First he affirmeth that he holdeth in hâ—â— hand the seuen starres The hande is a token of working 〈◊〉 protection or deliuerauÌ„ce The starres we haue hearde to 〈◊〉 the ministers the ministerie of the woorde or the church Therfore Christ holdeth the ministerie in the church and 〈◊〉 ministers worketh the saluation of the faithfull After he â—â—firmeth that he walketh not slepyng or doyng nothing 〈◊〉 the middes of seuen golden candelstickes In the middes 〈◊〉 sayed to the ende we should vnderstand that he geueth hâ—â—selfe indifferently to al men and ruleth ouer al with like 〈◊〉 and gouernement To walke amongs the Candelstickes Fulwel wrote herof D. Fraunces lambeâ—â— What saieth he is to walke or to be in the middes of congâ—â—gations but to assiste them kepe instructe helpe them 〈◊〉 by al meanes to watche ouer them For the whiche cause 〈◊〉 saieth also in the last of S. Matth. Beholde I am with you â—â—waies vnto the worldes ende Hereof you haue a moste 〈◊〉 figure in the lawe wherin amonges other thinges whicâ— apperteined to the ministerie of the highe prieste he had 〈◊〉 charge of oyle and of seuen candels for those must he pourâ—â— and snafte and poure in oyle when it wanted So Chrisâ— the highe and true Bishop hath the charge of the seuen candelles that is to saie of al congregations and is careful that they wante not that oyle whiche is mentioned in the 44. Psalm He watcheth that they wante not the fire and light of the veritie Finally he snafteth and pourgeth by faithe what thinge so euer hath nede to be pourged in them Thus farre he Whiche thinges when they heare whiche make the Bisshop of Rome head of the churche It is maruell if by and by they vnderstande not theyr folly and madnes Here the lord addeth also that he knoweth the workes to witte all bothe good and euil aswell of the Bishop as of his Churche For the Lord knoweth al thinges and is head Bishop of the Catholicke or vniuersall Churche whiche also remembreth the thoughtes of al men in the world at one instaunte who seeth what is donne and what is not donne and what thinges are nedefull nothing escapeth him And suche in dede ought he to be that is head vniuersall of his Church And this senteÌ„ce is repeted I knowe thy workes in the beginninge of euery epistle And verely it is full of comforte when we heare that Christ knoweth all our doynges For we beleue also that he hath a faithfull care of all our matters Now this great Bishop coÌ„mendeth some thinges in this congregation of Ephesus For good workes in dede
are allowed of Christ and he praiseth the same to th ende he might geue a spurre vnto suche as runne in his waye For firste he alloweth the labour and patience bothe of the Bishop and Church Labour patience Labour compriseth thought and care in the waie of God mortifiyng of the flesh study of good workes but chiefly the crosse persecution whiche the story testifieth to haue ben extreme and cruell in the time of Domitian And excepte the persecuted haue patience they can not indure the labour Holy patience kepeth vs in worke and holy labour But leeste that patience shuld be stretched to those things wherein to be impatient is accompted prayse worthy Not to beare euil he addeth the seconde poincte that he prayseth in them that thou canst not beare euill men And by these euill he meaneth not weaklings or such as erre without maliciousnes But the prophet Dauid saieth also Psalm 119. I haue hated the wicked thy law haue I loued What we shuld do with the weake in the faith or with them that erre of ignorauÌ„ce rather than of oâ—stinate stubbernes the Apostle hath taughte vs in the 14. 〈◊〉 the Romanes The example of our Sauiour Hath thaughâ—â— also bringing againe that strayed Shepe vpon his shuldeâ— into the shepefolde Therefore the lord speaketh here of tâ—â— obstinate of the disceauers which delight to erre theÌ„ selueâ— and to drawe others with them into errours no ChristeÌ„ pâ—tience biddeth to beare with suche men And in the woordes followyng he declareth of what sorâ— those euill men were And thou haste examined them whiâ—â— saye they be Apostles and be not and haste founde themâ—ayrs Of false apostles in the time of S. Iohn Lo he speaketh of the false apostles of whom in s Iohâ— time there was exceadyng great plentie For they were â—â—zareans mixing the lawe with grace and attributing Iâ—â—fication to the lawe and to our owne rightuousnes Whâ— the holy and great counsell at Ierusalem condemned aâ—â—pereth in the xv chapter of the actes of the Apostles Sâ—â— a false Apostle was Hebion Eusebius mentioneth in thâ— boke of the Ecclesiasticall story the xxvii chapter Here 〈◊〉 was added Cerinthus that hereticke not Apostle There 〈◊〉 more also whereof some denied the humanitie of Chriâ—â— some his deitie Against whome wrote Iohn in his Gosâ—â—â— and in his Epistle And Ireney in the firste boke against hâ—â—â—tickes These the Lorde denieth to be Apostles or Apostâ—â—â—call which the Apostles haue also denied Actes 15. And â—â—wise the Apostle S. Iohn in his epistle canonicall who 〈◊〉 liar sayeth he but he that denieth Iesus to be Christe But if suche trouble were in Churches whilest the Aposâ—â—â— were yet liuynge TroubliÌ„g of Churches if there were than so manye disceaueâ— what maruell is it thoughe in the dregges of the worlde witte in this our laste time there be not a fewe sounâ— where be they nowe that wraste dissentions and troubles the defence of theyr errour The Gospellers them selâ—â— saye they are at dissention God is God of concorde heâ— than shoulde I beleue that God is amonge those that 〈◊〉 sent So might the Sophisters also haue reasoned in thâ—â—postles time And here haue we a pefitte waye in what sorte the châ—ches shoulde worke whileste troublesome persons like fâ— Apostles attempte to diuide the Churche a sonder Howe we shuld deale with heretickes For such ringeleaders muste be tried and examined And tried muste they be after the christen belefe and doctrine of the Apostles and inquisition muste be made whether they be Apostles and trewe men or false Apostles and lyars When we shall haue founde them to be false Apostles and liars and that they go forewarde obstinately in theyr wickednes they be not to be suffered as in dede the Ephesians did not vouche safe to beare with suche trompers And we muste know that the Pastors ought one waye and the Christen Magistrate another waye and the people the thirde waye not to abide open heretikes For the Pastour not only beareth not with them in dissemblyng and takinge hede to him selfe of those wolues but assayleth them with holesome doctrine and reâ—ulseth them from the shepefoldes of Christe But the Magistrate bicause he is a christen Magistrate and by his duty also not only as a priuate person but also as a Magistrate â—ught to serue Christe he aught also with the swoorde of â—ustice to driue awaye poyson from the churche and to puâ—ishe manifeste blasphemies The hatred that the godly bear to the wicked And the people are commaunâ—ed neyther to heare them nor receiue them nor to haue â—ny thinge to do with heretickes and so not to abide them They maye therfore be ashamed of their naughtinesse and â—retence of their peruerse patience which thinke it no shame â—o maynteyne Heretickes and to flatter the manifeste eneâ—ies of Christe and the Churche Psalm 15. He is praysed â—hiche maketh not muche of the wicked that is to witte â—n whose sighte the wicked manne is vile Therefore is he â—â—ghtly blamed who so euer flattereth the vngodly And 〈◊〉 the hatred in dede is rather agaynste wickednes than aâ—aynste the person of the wicked whiche of it selfe is comâ—aunded to be loued The Deuil at this daye reyseth vp the â—de heresies of Hebion Cerinthus and of others in Terueto a â—paniarde and in the Anabaptistes Libertines and other â—onsters so that the thinge it selfe and the daunger therâ—â— commaundeth vs to watche and to driue away the moste â—uell wolues from the holy Church of Christe whiche neâ—erthelesse do set forth nothing more than patience and chaâ—â—tie for this intente verely that they might be spared and might vnpunished teache what they lifte against Christ aâ—â— worke against his churche yea teare it in pieces with thâ—â— wicked tethe But when these euil men are not suffered but impugnâ—â— whiche seduce and are seduced Patience coÌ„stauncie in batteil a greate conflicte arriseâ—â— wherof againe are labours thoughtes carefulnes watcâ—ynges iniuries to be suffered for the name of Christ and dâ—fence of the veritie For vnlesse we be here diligent and pâ—tient the disceauers ouer come But herin did the churcâ— of the Ephesians behaue them notably wel in so muche thâ— the Lorde nowe commendeth exceadingly the magnaniâ—â—tie patience and constancie of the pastour and of his churcâ— For neyther ought these thinges to be expounded that 〈◊〉 shoulde referre them vnto that patience wherby euil meâ—â— are suffered and permitted to procede in theyr malice aâ—â— disceiptfulnesse For so should this place striue agaynst thâ— thinges whiche went a little before Whiche thinge the â—â—mon interpretour minded as it semeth to haue eschewâ—â— For thus he readeth and thou haste patience and hast suffâ—red where it is in the Greke and hast suffered and hast pâ—tience He altered the order and would not set haste sufferâ— before but haste patience leste any manne shoulde vndâ—â—stande that they had suffered the false Apostles But set bâ—fore patience and put after sufferaunce
Whose bloud prohibited the Aungel distroier from the houses and tentes represented the figure of Christ by whose preciouse bloud we are reconciled to God This expositiō of the Paschal lambe S. Peter him self in the .1 Pet. 1. and S. Paull in the .1 to the Corinth 5. haue brought Esaye accordeth with them in the .53 chapter And so expounded by the Apostle S. Philip in the 8. of the Actes Finally S. Iohn Baptist whiche with the fingar stretched out and poinctyng to Christ exclamed beholde the Lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Let vs therfore beleue that the same Iesus Christ vnto whom al power is geuē of the father to be our deliuerer our expiation reconciliation innocencie sanctification iustification and euerlastyng saluation as he whom we shal heare in the xiii chapt to haue bē slayne from the beginning of the world for so much as his only death one oblation made from the beginning of the world and continually to the worlds ende doeth sanctifie al those that are sanctified Which the Apostle also affirmeth in the .10 to the Hebrewes Howebeit this lambe or sauiour of the worlde is sayed to stand in the middes of the throne verely for that now he executeth thoffice of a catholicke kinge and priest gouernour beynge alwayes ready and prepared to saue So S. Stephen also in the .7 of the Actes seeth him standing Or els in other places we reade that Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father To the which this place gayne saieth not considering that to sitte is bothe to rest and to reigne Moreouer this our Lambe appereth in the Throne of the diuine maiestie The lamb appeareth as slayne as if he were killed not for that he was not slayne in dede and dead for that same is a little after excessed moste exactely but for that he remayned not in deathe but the thirde daye rose agayne from the dead to th ende he mighte so declare him selfe to be the life and resurrection of the faythful Or verely for that after his humanitie he is red to be slayne after his deitie to be immortall and subiecte to no reproche Wherfore in the old lawe the one of the goates in the 16. of Leuitic is slayne but the other is not killed but by the worke of a man herunto appoynted is led forthe into the deserte Neuertheles there is of the expositours which expounde it thus he is sayed as though he were slaine for asmuche as after S. Chrisostome and S. Austen he hath reserued as yet the seares of the woundes of his death in token of his victory c. Furthermore this lambe Christ Iesus our lord hath .vii. The lābe hath seuen hornes hornes not that in dede he carieth so many hornes like a goate of Iude. An horne as appereth by Daniel and by the songe of Zacharie in the 1. of Luke signifieth power and kingdome The .vii. nombre is the nombre of fulnes It is therfore signified that Christ is indued with al kinde of power diuine humane imperial pontifical roiall briefly moste absolute In the 13. chapt we shal heare that the beaste hath taken to him two hornes as it were of the lambe whereof I shal speake in his place Daniel in the 7. chapt And rule sayeth he was geuen him and honour and kyngedome that al nations and tounges mighte worship him whose rule is an euerlastinge rule which shal not perish nor decaye at any time Now hath he seuen eyes also These he expoundeth and sayeth The lābe hathe .vii. eyes whiche are the .vii. spirites of God sente into the whole worlde I shewed you before that the .vii. spirites are called a seuenfold spirite Here therfore is signified the fulnes of the spirite which the lord powereth out vpon al flesh Here is signified the vniuersal knowledge of the sonne in whose sighte are present what thinges so euer are done in heauen and in earth opēly priuely For the spirite of Christ that vnmeasurable force incomprehensible and most diuine searcheth and pearseth al thinges nothinge is hidde from his eyes whiche viewe the whole world And such is Christ as we haue hearde described hitherto What is the gouernour of all and who openeth the seales whome the Patriarches haue before sayed shoulde come a victour and triumphant cōquerour alone verely inuincible very man of our owne substaūce and also our very brother yet very God neuerthelesse of the same substaunce with the father and the holy ghoste the reconciler redemer and the only saluatiō of the world hath suffered for vs and the same risen agayne from the dead and ascended into heauē hauing al power in heauen and in earth whiche seeth al thinges cōmunicateth his spirite vnto men and is the most faithful keper and defender of al mā kinde This Christ Iesus our lord came and receiued he conueyed not or stale it away but toke that boke of the prouidence diuine of the iudgementes of God of the vniuersal gouernmēt of al things that he might open and lowse the Seales thereof that is to saye that he might reueale to vs that are redemed with his bloud the iudgementes of God and mighte dispose and order al thinges in heauen and in earth Therfore sins we know that the gouernour of al thinges is geuen to vs a redemer Kyng Bishop and our only saluation who will not from hence forth willingly submitte himself to his gouernement And seyng we nowe vnderstande certenly how that vnder the seale of faith and veritie al things are done by Christ who dare hereafter more curiousely inquire of his workes and iudgmentes vnto whose credite and gouernement we should nowe cōmitte althinges Howe the sonne is saied to receiue the boke at his fathers hande in case they were in our power Notwithstanding we shall obserue that the sonne doeth not so receyue these thinges of the father that the father is depriued therof For in the .5 chapt of S. Iohns Gospel the Lorde sayeth my father worketh vnto this time I worke c. Certes the sonne is called the worde mouth and arme of the father c. or that after the humanitie the sonne mighte seme lesse than the father For very godly Aretas where the lambe sayeth he receyued the boke of the right hande of him that sitteth on the Throne it must be vnderstande on the behalfe of his humanitie As also that he was slayne For concernyng his deitie none of all those thinges that maye worthely be spoken or thought of God is seuerally assigned to three persones sauing the maner of bringyng forth of him that begetteth and of him that is begotten and of hym that procedeth c. This description of Christ is singular moste excellent very euangelicall and ful of consolation and therfore is it chiefly to be layde vp in the botome of our hartes Where we finde also that they were disceaued in theyr iudgment which were not affrayde to saye that in this boke besides
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What zygon is with two scales hanging at either ende of the beame which we cal a paire of weightes Aretas sayeth that a balaunce is a token of right and equitie For thou hast sitten sayeth Dauid vpō thy Throne which iudgest rightuousnes therfore is a balaunce the iudgement of the iust iudgment of God Aretas hath not alledged these things amisse howbeit we ought rather to preferre the exposition of S. Iohn him selfe For a voice is hearde from the middes of the beastes which expoundeth to vs the ballaunce For it soundeth a measure A measure of wheate for a peny and thre measures of barly for a peny And this measured called Choinix signifieth a diet or dayly meate as Erasmus hath in his prouerbe sitte not vpon thy measure The same in his annotations vpon this place Choinix sayeth he is a measure of wheate or other breadcorne which is sufficient for one dayes meate Budaeus thinketh that it wayeth .iiii. pounde Pollux iii. The worde therfore signifieth that a very little meate shal coste a great price and yet not to be gotten for monie Which chaūceth in the time of famine What the Romane peny is worth Budaeus sheweth we vnderstande by it playnly a great price Therfore two things are signified scarsitie or derth of corne and famine Dearth reiseth the price beyond reason Famin hath nothing to bie though he hath neuer so muche monye liyng by him but hongreth waunteth pineth and at the last miserably consumeth to naught wherin verely dearth and famine do differ The Germanes discerne them by seuerall wordes calling dearth scarsetie and famine honger Yet are they for the most parte indiuisible And we reade in the olde storie of the Bible Darth and famine that for the contempte of the preaching of Gods lawe and the bringing in of a straunge kinde of worshipping God the Israelites in the times of Helias and Helisaeus were most greuousely punished with honger and penurie These things be plentifully declared in the .3 boke of Kinges the .17 and .18 Chapt. Also in the .4 of Kinges the .6 and .7 Chapt. Moreouer in the time of the Emperour Claudius whilest the Apostles preached the Gospel faithfully and the Iewes and Gentiles stoutely repulsing it famine moste greuousely afflicted the Romane Empire whiche thing S. Luke reherseth in the Actes of the Apostles .11 chapt Which thinges were done in dede before this reuelatiō was to S. Iohn exhibited Sins that time the Historiographers recite sondry and innumerable famines dearthes and penuries in diuerse countries sent of God for contempte of the trueth Nauclerus mentioneth of a famine in the yere of our lord D.xxxix wherin mothers also deuoured their owne children What hath chaunced in our memory in those warres of Millan and els where it is no nede to reherse They be yet fresshe in memory and written in the stories of Galeacius Capella We felt some parte herof also in the yere of our Lorde M.D.XXIX and the yeres followyng The iuste Lord punissheth and more will punisshe the greate ingratitude and contempte of his Godly worde as he did in the destruction of Ierusalem woulde God it would please the worlde moste blinde through repentaunce to conuerte vnto God when he punisheth and with free and willing mindes imbrace the worde of veritie for so should ther be more felicitie and lesse miserie God forgetteth not his mercy in punisshyng Howebeit for a comforte at the ende of this Seale is added and Oyle and Wine see thou hurte not He nameth the kindes moste necessarie for the vse of manne and meaneth that God doeth mercifully reserue some thinges that be chiefly necessarie for mans vse especially for the electes sake that all should not perishe and pine in generall Wherby we vnderstande that the lorde forgetteth not his mercy euen in the middes of afflictiō and plagues that he sendeth Thus in times paste mindyng to punish Aegipte and other nations with famine he sent before Ioseph by whome he might preserue the house of Iacob and other people innumerable You see herein most clerely that it is of God that sometime the corne is blasted and the vines and oliues perish and to be of him that the corne increaseth and wine also So hath he also before protested in the lawe Leuitic 26. And Deuteron 28. the fourth seale is opened We are comen nowe to the fourth Seale at the opening whereof and to beholde the operation we are excited of the Egle the fourth beaste Of whome we haue spoken before ones or twise And the pale Horse The pale horse commeth forth in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whyche coulour resembleth withered grasse and Herbes Salomon in the .12 Chapt. of Eccles calleth the coulour apperyng in dead bodies and their countenaunces Golden licour All Poetes call death Pale And the rider in dede is expressely called Death We vnderstande the course of the plage and of all diseases and euen of death it selfe whome Hell followeth that is to saye a pitte or a graue For Scheol in Hebrewe signifieth a pitte or a graue But if you will nedes vnderstande it of the place of them that be damned doubtles they be caried headlong into Hel so many as here with sickenes consumed die with out fayth and repentaūce Therfore hell followeth death rightly But if thou hadst rather by hel vnderstande a graue it signifieth that all shal be ful of coarses and sepulchres And that in dede plagues and pestilēces most mortal haue sore afflicted the Romane Empire Plague diseases Orosius is wittenes in his seuenth boke in the Actes of L. Aurel. Verus and Decius Emperours the most cruell persecutours of our fayth Euagrius in the .29 Chapter of the .4 Boke of the Ecclesiast story telleth of a maruelouse plague that lasted about .50 yeres And all men knowe with what a pestilence and soden death Italy was wasted in the time of Maurice Emperour And Gregory bishoppe of Rome The time would fayle me in case I would recite out of Histories al the plagues and calamities of all times What is done at this daye and hath ben done in our memorie you your selues knowe beste There are spronge vp newe diseases whose names to our elders were neuer knowen With these euilles and calamities God wasteth the worlde and euer hath done to the intente that by plagues he might call vs agayne to repentaunce Thus verely we shall iudge alwayes of calamities Yf any iudge otherwise they are not amended therfore are they punished here and after this shal burne in perpetual tourmentes To these moreouer is added an other thinge also Foure scourges against the incurable and power was geuen them c. For when menne will not amende with simple Calamities the euilles or plagues of God are doubled The same are raccompted in the lyke order and nombre with the Prophetes Ieremie the .15 Chapt. and Ezechiel in the .14 Chapter For they be these Sworde Famine Death or Pestilence
Millenaries vnlesse we iudge here vprightly I beleue therfore that the same restoring wherof the Prophetes speake muste be diuided into three times that the first be so be called historicall which extendeth frō king Cyrus vnto great Pompey the which Ezras Nehemias and the Authour of the boke of the Machabeis describe and teache to be fulfilled The second to beginne at the comming of our Sauiour and procede vnto Antichrist and to his distroying which in dede the Apostles and Euangelistes haue moste diligently described and wherin they testifie many thinges to be accomplisshed And that the thirde time should beginne from the gospel restored and the last iudgment and continewe foreuermore whiche restitution verely semeth to be of al other most perfit complete wherin God wil geue vnto man most fully what things so euer he hath promised by the mouthes of the prophetes and Apostles Hereof hath S. Peter most manifestly made mention in the actes the .3 chapt saying it behoueth Christ to take heauen vntil the time of restoring of al things which god hath spoken by the mouth of al his sainctes frō the time of the prophetes And the Lord him selfe in the gospel speaking of the last iudgement sayed lifte vp your heades because your redemption draweth nere Or happely we may on this wise diuide this matter perauenture more plainely the restoring of Israel or of al faithful is verely either corporall or spiritual The corporal maye be called historicall and was perfourmed by Cyrus Zorobabel Iehosua Ezras Nehemias and the Machabeis And the spirituall is fulfilled or shal be yet accomplisshed by the cōming of our holesome Messias our lord Iesus Christ And the cōming of the lorde is of two sortes the firste in dede is in the flesh in the which we beleue many things the Apostles bearing witnes to haue ben fulfilled of Christe in the latter he shal come agayne from Heauen into iudgement In that comyng he shal most fully accomplisshe such thinges as we see as yet not perfourmed And doubtles al our hope is herunto referred and comforted by this comyng Those thinges that are spoken of the Apostle in the .11 to the Romains of the conuersion of the Iewes are fulfilled partly and partely are fulfilled dayly and as yet shal be fulfilled Now we retourne to the plenty of them that shal be saued and are already saued from the middes of the kingdome of Antichrist to be declared Many thousands of Iewes be saued S. Iohn diuideth the vniuersalitie of man kinde into Iewes and gentiles Of the Iewes are raccompted an hondreth and fourtie and foure thousande And after our iudgement of a thousand Iewes there semeth scarsely one or two to be saued but where by the testimony of our sauiour him selfe so great a numbre is saued there is lefte verely of this numbre certayne an infinite multitude of this stifnecked people to be gathered which shal be saued And they are not saued by the Lawe or by circumcision or by their damnable obstinacie but vp the grace of God in Christ their Messias the only redemer reuealed to them of God mercifully and of them receyued faithfully For if the thefe on the crosse mighte be saued nowe leauinge his lyfe what shal lette innumerable Iewes to be saued by the same meane neuerthelesse I will here determine no measure Neyther will I also by this meane make frustrate the ministerie of the worde and Sacramentes Howbeit I know the thinges to be trewe that here are spoken the measure or maner is knowen to God neither is there any thing with him vnpossible And hereunto serueth the Apostles doctrine in the .11 to the Romains You wil saye If the ende be good al is good this doctrine wil make men to neglect their owne Saluacion where already nowe there are that saye if the ende be well then is all well As though they shoulde haue sayed how soeuer thou liuest in this world drowned in pleasures and bloud and geuen to gloutonny beleue only at the last ende of thy life and thou shalt be saued Doubtles I am not ignoraunt that there be many vncleane hogges and filthie swine abusing the worde of the veritie and consolation of the Gospell but shal the abuse of prophane men take awaye the veritie from vs The childrē of God which know that there is none other propiciation or satisfactiō for sinnes but the oblation of Christ cease not therfore to renewe their life dayly by repentaunce The godly abuse not gods mercy to the libertie of sinnynge Thus although the godly doubte nothing but that innumerable at the last ende of their life are conuerted and saued of the Lorde yet do they not abuse this mercy of God to the libertie of the flesh but are affraied For ther be other places diuerse which reteyne them in order and duety For the lord sayeth thou arte made hole go and sinne no more leest some worse thing happen to thee Item let vs do good whilest we haue time the time will come when we can not worke The parable of ten virgins declareth vnto vs the same Also if the iuste shall vnneth be saued where shal the sinner and wicked appere moreouer tempte not the Lord thy God And innumerable others of like sorte And when the Sainctes shall haue all their life time demeaned themselues blamelesse in the rightuousenes of God yet in the laste time of theyr life thei trust not to the same but to God his mere mercy through Christ They remember alwayes howe greuousely he was rebuked in the Gospel first in dede he that inuied the good lucke of him that laboured with him in the vineyarde for that he had receyued so muche wages coming into the vineyarde about the laste houre of the daye as he had receyued that had laboured al daie long and agayne the thriftie sonne for that he was sory that his wastefull and prodigall brother was receyued agayne of his father a feeste also made him and for him that was alwaies obedient and toke paynes cōtinually no such thing was prepared Innumerable people of al parts of the world are saued But the gentiles he contriueth not into any certen numbre but saieth how he sawe a great multitude which no man could tel no more thā they coulde the starres sande herbes or grasse how many they were in nūbre He signifieth therfore that in al the worlde at al times innumerable are saued by Christe neuerthelesse leeste any man should thinke that it should preuaile or hinder him to saluation to be borne of this or that nation tribe or tonge S. Iohn addeth incontinently of al tribes people and tonges to be ordeyned to saluation indifferently Therfore this difference hindereth saluation nothing but are founde in Inde Aethiopia Barbaria and in the furthest parte of Libia in Scythia Tartaria and in the vttermost endes of the worlde whiche are saued by the grace of Christ And because it hath much doubtfulnes to reason of things
Neyther is there any doubte but that he compriseth vnder these all like or not vnlike more or lesse offences agaynst God and his will Who so euer therfore thou arte yf thou offende against the diuine law thou shalt be punnished Yf thou seme in this world to escape free and to flitte from hence happy the same maye chaunce vnto thee that happened to the riche glutton whose iudgement is described in the .16 of Luke Briefly he shal be punnisshed who so shal offende God God knoweth the maner whether he shal punnish here and in the world to come or in the world to come only and graunt here a voluptuouse life They are dāned that repent not And we must chiefly obserue in this treatise that sinners be not here condemned For we are all sinners so should no man be saued They are damned that doe not repente which verely die in their sinnes without repentaūce Thapostle denieth that Idolaters aduouterers theues couetouse persōs extorcioners c. shal possesse the kingdome of God but he addeth but such were you verely but you are wasshed but you are sanctified but you are iustified by the name of our lord Iesus by the spirite of our god And in case thou doest doubt whether thou mayest come againe into fauour with God if thou beyng ones lighted and iustified doest fall agayne into sinne learne of the fall and sinne of S. Peter that thou maist be restored and the same that we reade written howe seuen times falleth the iust and riseth againe c. Therefore lette vs learne herof how effectuall is repentaunce and howe pestilent lacke of repentaunce Yf thou be or hast ben an idolater thou oughtest not to dispayre tourne vnto the lorde and doe penaunce Yf thou fall againe abide not still in thy wickednes Whereof I haue spoken more in an other place But if thou wilt not retourne vnto God nor leaue the euill custome of sinne neuer loke for any grace of God Thou shalt perish in thy sinnes It remayneth that we declare in fewe words the fourmes of sinnes set forth here of S. Iohn vnder the which as I sayed before he hath doubtles comprised like offences that of like thinges the same iudgemēt be had First he sayeth as it were generally The works of mens handes neither haue thei repented frō the workes of their handes For albeit that with this note or marke idolatrie is condēned in the prophetes yet do I extende it vnto all other dedes proceding of the force of mē For our worke is verely sinne the good worke is of the grace of God and of regeneration And this generall thinge ones setforth he addeth diuerse partes kindes and fourmes two agaynst the firste table and foure or three agaynst the seconde It is agaynst the firste commaundement To worship the deuill to worship Deuilles For our very God will haue him selfe alone taken for God honoured and worshipped And who is so madde sayest thou that will worshippe Deuilles Verely ther be certen people in the East which are sayed to worship Deuilles for none other ende but that they should not hurte thē This is a barbarouse and folisshe people whie doe they not rather worshippe him whiche is only able to restreyne the Deuill that he can not hurte Howebeit this wickednes stretcheth farre For they in dede worshippe the Deuill whiche will seme to worshippe Gods For this matter is estemed not of the opinion or intente of the worshipper but of the lawe maker For the gentiles would not seme that they sacrificed to Deuilles but would haue taken it most displeasaūtly if any should haue sayed that they worshipped the Deuill Thou arte a most vile and moste impudent varlet and sclaunderer they would haue sayed which darest so reproche the goddes and vs. But S. Paule neuerthelesse I saye not sayeth he that an Idolle or that is offered vnto Idolles is any thing but this I saye that the thinges which the gentiles offer vp 2. Cori. 10. they offer them to Deuilles not to God For where there is one only God he alloweth only these sacrifices whiche are offered to him calleth straunge Goddes deuils Idolle offeringes sacrificed to the deuil of this iudgemēt is the thing estemed not of the fonde intente of men King Saul would haue offered to God the burnte offering of Samuel but Samuel tolde him that he should cōmit idolatrie magicke c. This is an harde saiyng but yet trewe Wherof I haue spoken in an other place more at large The worshippyng of Images of God and of the Sainctes is against the precept of the first table To worshi◠images For al Idolatrie is prohibited S. Iohn here with couler defineth Idolles and taunteth them also alludyng to the wordes of the prophet in the Psalme .114 The Idolles of the gentiles are siluer and golde the worke of mens handes a mouth they haue and speake not c. Therfore it appereth of the matter that Images haue nothing of religion For they be of earth of golde brasse stone timbre c. Agayne of the fourme and shape it appereth that Images are vayne For the fourme resembleth a moste grosse shape and euen a leasing For nother God nor the Sainctes were of that shape whiche the Idolles represent And now there is no vertue in them They see not they heare not c. Ho◠than do they represent God or the sainctes I haue spoken of Idolles els where They that thinke how ther is a diuersitie betwixt the Idolles of Christiās and those of the gētiles let them shewe that theyrs are not of wood or that those other doe see heare c. Murther The sinnes that follow are against the secōde table which commaundeth thou shalt do no murther thou shalt cōmitte none adulterie thou shalt not steale There be many kindes of murthers For they sleye moste cruelly whiche haue no sworde but a venemouse tongue Many kill with corrupte doctrine There be māquellers and parricides and murtherers c. Except these repēt they shal not enter into the kingdome of God And they that swell with enuie and mallice are homicides as S. Iohn saied in his canonicall Epistle 1. and .3 chapt Witchcrafte or poisoning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poysun Witchcrafte or sorcerie or inchaunting apperteyneth to murther Poysoning louecuppes and inchauntmentes were in the time of S. Iohn most frequented through out the Romane Empire at this daie those wicked artes are renewed But they shal be punnished of God so many as applye themselues to the same Fornication Fornication hath also diuerse partes To the same belong whoredom inceste adultery and if any other thing be more abominable than these The gentiles supposed that simple fornication that is to witte betwene two single persones was no sinne But the Apostle defineth the contrary in the 1. to the Corinth 6. and .15 of the Actes This pestilent opinion at this daye is reuiued in many But sure it is that
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
firste miracle done in Cana of Galiley and sayeth This is the firste token that Iesus did at Cana in Galiley and shewed his glory and his disciples beleued on him This token was trewe and suspected of no iuggelyng it was a benefite bestowed vpoÌ„ pore folkes newely maried by the same God was glorified His disciples moued herewith and the sprite of God workyng also inwardely beleued on Christ So do all trewe miracles testifie Christ to be helthful and beneficiall therefore alone to be called vpon and worshipped So doe Iohn and Peter interprete the signes or miracle that their theÌ„selues wrought in the .3 of the Actes of Apostles And of such miracles we haue greate plentie in the Euangelicall Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall storie nother haue al those any other ende thaÌ„ that we must beleue in the sonne of God as which alone geueth life and al good thinges And false signes I calle those that are done through deuelishe crafte or inchauntement Of falsâ— signes or miracles or by the craftie iuggelyng and subtill sleight of wicked men as be those of witches and inchaunters such as the wise men of Pharao were and Symon Magus and those wherof mention is made in the .13 of Deuâ—ter Finally suche were the miracles of the Freres brent at Bernes in Swisserlande and greately it is to be feared leest such haue ben the most parte of the miracles of al Mounkes and Eremites Likewise those are called false also whiche although they be done in dede yet beare they witnes to a lie agaynste the trewth confirmyng the Pope to be head of the church that images are to be worshipped that we must pray vnto Sainctes and go a pilgrimage for religion yea rather for superstitions sake that we must worshippe a newe God liynge hidde vnder fourme of Bread and Wine that God muste be honoured with vowes and Monkish conuersatioÌ„ and yf there be any other thing of like sorte With suche disceauable signes are filled at this daye all Temples churches and chapelles These haue perswaded much euen wise men and do also at this daye Whiche thing the Lord prophecied should come to passe saiynge there shal arrise false Christes and false Prophetes and shal shewe great signes and wonders that euen if it were possible the elect should be brought into errour And S. Paule also the comyng of Antichriste sayeth he shal be after the workyng of Sathan with al power and signes and liyng wonders and the reste whiche is red in the .2 to the Thessal 2. And we knowe that many Bisshoppes of Rome haue wrought signes but that same is not so excellent but that the Bisshoppe of Rome hath confirmed what miracles so euer haue ben wrought in al ChristeÌ„dome and augemented the same with his bulles and indulgences Doubtles all had a contrary ende to the miracles of Christ and yet haue for they do not profite men but emptie their purses put men to sondry charges and leade them awaye from the faith of Christ to the faith of Antichrist confirming his religion superstitioÌ„ and doctrine Nother doeth he place these his miracles emongs the last of his argumentes what time the simplicitie of the gospell is impugned But if we be wise we will beware of them as of a most present pestilence He maketh fire to come down c heaueÌ„ And emonges his miracles the lord by S. Iohn reherseth that aboue all thinges he causeth fire to come downe to the Earth and that in the presence of meÌ„ And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of Helias wherof we reade in the .4 boke of Kinges the .1 chapt and whereof we mentioned in the .11 chapt We reade that it was no smal miracle in the Actes of the Apostles that al the laiyng on of thapostles handes the holy ghost was geuen Symon Magus also did couet the same grace but he was sore reiected of S. Peter the Apostle as we reade in the .8 chapt of the Actes of Apostles And here is to be obserued as also S. Austen hath admonished in the .15 boke de trinit the .26 chapt that thapostles gaue not the holy ghost for it is God alone that geueth the holy ghost therfore at the prayers of thapostles at the imposition of haÌ„des the holy ghost was geuen from heaueÌ„ Wherfore S. Iohn Baptiste saied how he baptised with water but that Christ shuld baptise with fire and with holy ghost And by fire is figured the holy ghost The Pope geueth grace But Antichrist the Pope shal make his boaste that he hauing power geuen him froÌ„ heauen graunteth the grace of the holy ghost Doubtles in the time of coÌ„secrating he saieth that he geueth the holy ghost So likewise in auricular coÌ„fessions absolutions they bragge that thei geue full absolutioÌ„ of sinnes which in dede is a great miracle Thei laie their haÌ„des vpon the sinner that confesseth and saye howe they absolue him from the payne and crime and that by the power receyued of that moste holy See of Rome Primasius expounding this place It is no maruell sayeth he though that beaste which fainedly vsurpeth to him selfe the name of the Lambe killed and yet liuyng doe fraudulently chalenge to him selfe also this gifte of the holy ghost colourably by ImitatioÌ„ and fayne a donation to his ministers as we remembre that Symon Magus coueted but coulde not obteyne Hitherto he There is an other fire also The Pope casteth a thoÌ„derbolt at his enemies which Antichrist calleth doune from heauen and casteth and throweth at his enemies to be reuenged on them to wit the darte and thonderbolte of cursing this was terrible to kinges princes people And these haue so much feared the thonderbolte of excoÌ„munication that they haue done graunted many thinges which otherwise no maÌ„ shuld haue gote of theÌ„ The story is knoweÌ„ of themperour Henry the .4 For Platina in the life of Gregory the .7 sheweth that this Emperour was excoÌ„municated by the Pope After he addeth these things of themperour he came spedely to Canosse where the bishop was with Mathilda and by and by laiyng a side his royal robes went bare foted to the gates of the citie and humbly required to be let in His entring denied he toke in good parte notwithstanding that the winter was sharpe and al was frosen harde Remaynyng thre daies in the suburbes of the Towne and continually crauing perdon at the length at request of Mathilda and the Erle of Sauoye the Abbot of Clunies he is absolued Fridericke Barbarouse that he mighte be reconciled to the Pope layed his necke vnder his fete to be troden on full manifeste are the iniuries done of this beaste to other kinges also and people I wil yet tel of one The Venetians besieged Farrare which payeth tribute to the Churche of Rome for the whiche cause they were excommunicated by Clement the .5 Therefore Fraunces Dandalus which was after created Duke wente into Fraunce where that time the Bisshop was
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
he be worthy of loue or hatred Where he hath spoken that vpon an other occasion and to an other ende as I haue declared in my booke of the grace of God c. ¶ Ihon is coÌ„mauÌ„ded to wryte At this present therfore is shewed that the saluation of the faythfull is most certayne For first the Angell comaundeth the Euangelist to wryte This is taken of the maner of men which put in writing their Testamentes conuenauntes and bargaines than seale the same for the cause of credit and for a perpetual memorial of the thing And they that haue suche kinde of writinges are of a quiet minde thinke themselues safe and assured agaynst al craftes and subtill practises And therfore to the intent that the minde of maÌ„ might be quieted in the matter of saluation he causeth as it were an instrumeÌ„t to be written wherby al the godly might be assured of certaine saluation The same maner of writyng our lord in other places followeth in weightie matters As we maye see in the .8 and .30 chapt of Esaye and in the .2 of Abacuke Wherefore it is lesse to be marueled whie the Apostle S. Pvule so ofte alledged that same out of Abacuke that rightuouse shal liue by faith For this only testimony of God as that whiche is cited out of the godly instrument might be in stead of all And where God coÌ„maunded openly Moses and Ieremie to write whereof we maye doubtles iudge The authoritie of holy Scripture and certenly gather that other Prophetes also Apostles and EuaÌ„gelistes wrote not without commaundement we see of what authoritie the bokes of tholde newe Testament be with al the godly For they be diuine autenticall they be the instrument and testament of God the bokes of God himselfe which are rightly beleued without any other helpe or coÌ„firmation We beleue the testamentes and sealed writinges of meÌ„ how much more ought we beleue the bokes of the Scripture canonicall Againe is manifestly declared to S. Iohn what he should wryte The called are blessed blessed are they which are called to the mariage of the Lambe Therefore it is euident that nowe it is coÌ„firmed both by the diuine oracle lawefull instrument that those whiche are called to the Lambes supper be and shall be blessâ—d This same was pronounced by oracle diuine and written Autentically What place than of doubtefulnes is lefte vndoubtedly blessed are the faythfull greffed in Christe For they be nowe called vnto whome the gospell is preached by the which thei are called to the participatioÌ„ of the giftes of God but chiefely to eternal life through Christ and thei which not only heare the verâ—â—e of the gospel but that also receyue it beleue it with their harâ—e For many be called and fewe chosen For the gospel is preached to many the grace of God is offered in christ but they receyue it not But such as through the grace of God doe receyue it with true fayth are blessed For they are not only called to the Mariage but also come vnto the mariage and inioye that weddyng supper These thinges seme to be taken out of the doctrine of our sauiour which he taught in the .14 of Luke of them that were bidden to the mariage Reade that same place What that blesse is Neuerthelesse by the waye is declared what that blessednes of the faithfull is nothing els verely than the fruition of the supper of the lambes mariage A supper is made wheÌ„ the daye draweth towardes an ende So is full saluation geuen to the godly about the ende of the worlde at the resurrection of the dead as in the fourmer sermon is expounded And verely all those thinges be altogether allegoricall which represente vnto vs a certen signification of eternall life and glory Otherwise we haue learned of the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles whiche the eare hath not hearde nor the eye hath sene nor haue entred into the hart of maÌ„ the same hath God himselfe prepared for them that loue him These saiynges of God be trewe Finally is annexed agayne a moste weightie assertion or confirmation hereof For he heareth it vttered by an oracle from heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These wordes or saiynges of God be true They be verely true and be of God Or els they be trewe for thei be of God Erasmus hath translated these wordes of God are true And so hath the vulgare translation these sayenges of God are true By a double reason therefore are these thinges confirmed whiche are here propounded both for that they be true and because they be of God Although they come bothe to one poincte For sins they be of God whiche is veritie they can not but be true Therefore let vs beleue these thinges and leaue no place vnto doubtefulnes The scripture is gods word Here is cutte of the occasion of subtile reasonyng that the scriptures and preachynges set forth of men out of the scriptures are not the worde of God for that they be written on Paper with Inke and pronounced with mans voice with a sounde passyng awaye where the worde of God is nother humane nor corruptible nor passyng awaye For the celestiall oracle doeth here pronounce manifestly that the saiynges were written into the boke of S. Iohn and pronounced of the Aungell and to be true and to be gods worde So Paule affirmeth also in the .1 Thess 2. chapt that the worde that he preached of him was the very worde of God Likewise S. Peter in the .1 Peter 1. Therfore let curiouse men leaue bringyng forth of these Paradoxes cease from their disputing that the word of God written and preached is not the word of God Than is not verely the worde of God what time such thinges are written or spoken agree not with the holy Scripture of God The mindes of the faithfull are rather to be allured to this poincte that thei beleue and cleane vnto al wordes of the scripture declared in their righte sense as the most certen wordes of God For els to what thing shall we trust what thing after this shal we haue vndoubted and certayne To God be glory ¶ The facte of S. Iohn is declared whiche woulde haue worshipped the Angell and of the Angell prohibityng The .lxxxiiij. Sermon AND I felle at his fete to worship him And he sayde to me see thou do it not For I am thy fellow seruaunte and one of thy bretherne and of theÌ„ that haue the testimony of Iesus Worship God For the testimony of Iesu is the sprete of Prophecie Here is added the thirde place of this chapter to witte the doyng of the Apostle S. Iohn and the Aungel of God S. Iohn would haue worshipped the Aungell Thexcelâ—â—cie of Aungelles but he is prohibited of the Angel whiche biddeth him worship God And before al this acte and enterprise of Iohn semeth chiefly to be considered Angelles are surely right noble creatures and of greate power by
the Lorde himselfe saieth in the gospel no man hath knowen the sonne but the father nother hath any man knowen the father saue the sonne and to whome the son hath pleased to reueale Besydes this we se here vnperfitly and the glory of the diuine maiestie is so great as euen nowe I sayed that mannes capacitie is vnable to conceyue such a glory No man therefore saue God alone knoweth his name 6. The vesture of our Iudge was sprinckled with bloude A blouddie garment Whereby is signified victory and slaughter of his enemies which shall anone be added aboute the ende of the chap. And he toke this note of our iudge out of the .63 chap. of Esay He alludeth to cōquerours returning from battayle whose garments armours are imbrewed with the blud of the slaine And betokeneth the iuste seueritie of the Iudge and greate slaughter of the enemies 7. The name of the iudge is nowe expressed The name of the iudge the worde of God which is vtterly vnknowen to the vngodly And the Iudge is called the worde of God For the son is the word and speach of God the expresse marke of the diuine substaūce in whome the father himselfe is expressed and of whome as of the worde the true messager of the hart we vnderstand the wyll and mynd of the father These holy wordes of the gospell are knowen In the begynnyng was the worde 1. Ihon. Hebre. and the worde was with God c. Therefore Christe the worde was made fleshe the Lorde God and Iudge of all 8. To the Iudge is added an Army not of Angels only The Army of the Iudge is whyte with whom he ofte repeted in the gospell that he wold come vnto iudgement but of al the faithful or saincts which at no time no not here ar sequestred from their head For first at the soūde of the trumpe blowē vp the Archangell the Sainctes arryse and the liuing also with the dead are chaūged and are taken vp to mete Christ in the Ayre Here here in the clowdes and bryghte Ayre appeare with Christe the happye and blessed victours By and by the vngodly ryse also and those that lyued at that day are chaunged with them that ryse agayne to payne and confusiō But they se the Saincts with Christe in heauen and in glory and fele incontinently vnspeakeable tourmentes They come to passe doubtlesse and are fulfilled which thinges are described it the .3 .5 chapt of Wysedome Saincte Ihon therfore sayeth that this Armie is in Heauen not in Earth He sayeth howe they followe Christe For the same sayed the Apostle also in the firste to the Thessalonians the .4 Moreouer he addeth that they wer clothed and appeared not naked and expresseth the kynde of garment They were clothed sayeth he in silke whyte and cleane For sainctes in Christe obtayne righteousenesse and glory are made cleane and are glorified Sanctifieng glorifieng And this sense hath Sainct Ihon himselfe a little before opened to vs sayeng silke is the iustifications of Sainctes 9. Oute of the Iudges mouth procedeth a two edged and sharpe sworde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sworde oute of the iudges mouth which cutteth on eyther syde It is not sharpe on one syde and blunte on an other it cutteth on both sydes indifferently Whereby is signified a iust sentēce pronounced of Gods mouth againste the wicked For againste them the sentence of God is a sworde pearsing euen to their heartes Wherefore it is also called sharpt The iudgemente of our iudge is streighte and seuere but yet iuste and righteouse What that sworde is in the gospell is declared verely that heauy and immutable sentence get you hence in to fyre euerlasting Math. 25. Whereupon it foloweth in the words of the Euangelist that with the same he may stryke the heathen to witte that he may damne and put to perpetuall tourmentes all vnbeleuers ¶ He shall rule them with an Iron rod. 10. And he shall rule them with a rod of Iron By the same kynde of speach in a maner he sayeth the same that he sayde before For they that woulde not receyue or acknoweledge with repentaūce the staffe of instruction and discipline postorall shal fynde in iudgement and fele the Iron sceptre wherwith he shall breake them all to shyuers lyke potters vessell Nother shall any power resist or preuayle againste him And this maner of speaking is taken out of the Psalme .110 For Saincte Ihon vseth gladly the wordes of Scripture to the ende to make his booke more cōmendable or more pleasaūt and acceptable 11. He treadeth the wynefatte of the wyne of wrath c. Agayne he sayeth the same that he ded before He nedeth the winefa◠but by an other parable nowe vttered the same taken out of the scriptures to witte out of the .63 chapter of Esaye The effecte or some is he wyll powre out his wrath vpon the vngodly and punnyshe them moste extremely with his almightie hande whereunto all things geue place geuing their heads a blow See what is sayed here of in the .14 chapter of this boke 12. Againe is shewed the name of this iudge ¶ King of kings and Lorde of Lordes in the name is maiestie power of all others greatest He hath the name written on his garment and on his thigh By these is declared the true humanitie of Christe after the which he is exalted as the Apostle saieth in the second to the Philippians And to him is geuen a name which is aboue al names Here he is called King of Kinges and Lorde of Lords very God Lord monarke and iudge of all men For so do the other Apostles speake also in the .2 .17 of the Actes And there might seme in this name of the Iudge as it were a cawse to be shewed wherefore he is here appoincted Iudge ouer all Because he is Kyng and Lord of all To whome be glory for euer Amen ¶ The description of the iudgement wherin punnishment is taken of Antichristians and vngodly The .lxxxvi. Sermon AND I sawe an Angel stand in the Sunne and he cryed with a loude voyce sayeng to al the foules that fly by the mids vnder the heauen come gather your selues together vnto the supper of the great God that you may eate the flesh of Kyngs and of high captaynes and the flesh of mightie men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the fleshe of all free men and bonde men both of small and great And I saw the beast and the Kinges of the Earth and their warriours gathered together to wage battayle against him that sat on the horse and againste his soldiours And the beast was taken and with him that false prophete that wrought miracles before him with which he deceaued them that receyued the beastes marke and them that worshypped his Image These bothe were cast quicke in to a pond of fyre burnyng with brimstone and the