can appere in the sight of the tremblable God and fire consumyng all thinges saue he that is purged with the bloud of Christe and what shall we thinke can be hidde or escape the sight of God seyng all thinges How men shall be iudged in the laste iudgemēt S. Iohn moreouer declareth howe the dead shoulde be iudged bokes sayeth he are opened and an other booke is opened c. Therefore by the bokes after by the boke of life that is to saye of such thinges as are written in those bokes the dead are iudged For the Scripture ascribeth vnto God the maner of men wherby men are wonte to write for themselues remembraunces leest they should forget thinges but with God al things are ones and alwayes present he nother forgetteth The forgettyng remēbryng of God nor remembreth not withstanding the Scripture attributeth to him both Howebeit God is sayde to forgette when he helpeth not or punnissheth not agayne he is sayde to remēbre what time he helpeth or pūnisheth In Malachie the vngodly saye howe God hath no care of mens matters nother doeth he for the godly nor yet pūnisheth the wicked But immediately aūswere is made than thei that feared the lord spake euery one to his neighbour the lord gaue eare and hearde a boke of remembraunce was made in his presence c. As followeth Therfore their bokes opened that is to say the secrettes of al mē brought to light or made manifest the lord shal iudge what so euer hath ben thought saide done or lefte vndone The bokes also of consciences for the cōscience is in stead of a thousande witnesses shal be opened in iudgement God reuealyng and iudging al thinges For S. Paule speakyng of the gentiles they sayeth he shewe the worke of the lawe written in their hartes their cōscience also bearyng witnes their thoughtes accusing one au other or also excusing in that daye wherein the lord shal iudge the secrettes of menne according to my gospell through Iesus Christ And these are in dede the bookes whiche shall be vnclosed in the iudgement Whereof it appereth that the iudgement shal be done with most expedition nother shall euery man be reasoned with all by bookes written to make the iudge wery as the ignoraunt might imagine hereby But what is that singular boke of life The boke of life which also shal be opened in the iudgemēt of the boke of life is spokē in the .3 cha There you may see To be brefe the boke of life hath but one article he that beleueth in the sonne of god hath life euerlasting And therfore mē are iudged of this that is writtē in the boke of life For they that beleue are saued they that beleue not are already iudged that is to saye are most assuredly damned And for asmuch as faith sheweth it selfe by workes Euery mā is iudged of his workes incredulitie also hidde in the harte bewrayeth her self by workes therefore S. Iohn addeth incontinently accordyng to their workes For man in the Scriptures is likened to a tree And the tree is iudged of the fruicte whether it be good or euill A tree hath a growing or increasing life which in latin is called Anima vegetatiua a nature or disposition bringyng forth fruicte after his nature kinde But that soule vegetatiua that good dispositiō bringing forth in vs good fruicte that is to saye good workes is a liuely faith in Christ where the same is there the man is regenerated hath a good disposition therfore cā he not scharse by reasō of his good dispositiō but bring forth good fruictes Therfore after our workes we shal be iudged al. For the iudgemēt must be open manifest but faith appereth not but in workes For it is the gifte of God is of it selfe inuisible to witte a sure truste in the promesses of God And it is sene in workes Howbeit therof it followeth not that men ar iustified by workes also not by faith only but that by workes faith is declared which purifieth iustifieth that afterwarde we may be able to bring forth the workes of rightuousenes It followeth how in iudgemēt no pretēce no hipocrisie shal be allowed For many say thei beleue whiche declare their faith by no good workes We learne herof that no boke shal be of force at the last iudgemēt saue the bokes of God or the bokes of cōsciēces wherin god writeth with his fingar finally the boke of life writtē of God before the worlds were made through his diuine predestinatiō wherby he hath predestinated vs that he might adopt vs for his childrē by christ Iesus And the rest which S. Paul reciteth in the .1 to the Ephes Therefore shal the hurtefull bookes of Iewes Christians in title only and Turkes as the Thalmud decretalles and Alcorane perishe These shal be of no force at al in the iudgement Of the resurrection of the dead Now he retourneth to the dead of whō he had made mentiō before leest any mā shuld saie how shal the dead be iudged which were drowned in the sea whith were swallowed vp of fishes deuoured of wilde beastes which were consumed with fire or in the earth were brought into duste he preuenteth declareth that the bodies of the dead rise agayne beyng so restored come to iudgement saieth and the sea gaue vp the dead that were therin that is to saie which had perished in the Sea And by these wordes also hath he touched the maner meane of the resurrectiō of the dead hath sent vs withal to the .1 of Genes The maner of the resurrection is gods omnipotēcie as S. Paul also witnesseth in the .3 to the Philip. For god by his omnipotencie reiseth vp calleth those things that are not that thei may be Yf this thing seme vnto thee new or vnpossible beholde the beginnyng of things therof esteme the small restitution Was not the Sea or water frō the beginnyng but is it writtē to haue had any fishes frō the beginning none at al. But God cōmaūded that the water shuld be replenished with fish And did not streight at gods cōmaūdement all maner of fishes appere where before there was not one what maruell is it thā yf god in th ende of things cōmaund the Sea other elemēts also to yeld again their dead thei obey their maker Verely the Lord in the gospel saieth that they which are in their graues also Ihon 5 shal heare the voice or cōmaūdemēt of the sonne of God and shal ryse againe The bodies moreouer of them that dye are turned for the most parte in to the same elements from whence they were taken oute There is that putrifieth in the earth and is cōuerted in to earth Ther are some consumed with fyre There are some that perishe in water Some hang in the ayre and are there consumed But at the Lordes commaundent by what kynd of death so euer they
And firste of all the sunne a planet most bright not only waxeth darke but blacke also And immediatly is added an Image or a parable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like an heery sacke which is wouen or made of heere 's or of bristels The sunne lighteth and geueth life to the worlde And thorowe Christ which is the life of the world we are illumined and quickened He casteth abroade from him the bright beames of the Euangelicall veritie And like as Christ is not darkened in him selfe so nother the veritie of the Gospell whiche of nature is with out pollution By reason of the blacke clowdes that ouer ride it the lighte of the Sunne waxeth black and is impeched and of the traditions of men and deprauing of the scripture arriseth darkenes and blackenes in matters of religion The Gospell of it selfe is bright and holeâ—ome Christ is lighte full redemption helth and life most perfit But when menne had rather seke of others doctrine life and saluation than of Christ and his holesome Gospell moste thicke and grosse darkenesse arrise in the mindes of those menne For there is establisshed an other doctrine rightuousenes intercession redemption saluation and life than that of Christ They that receyue that doctrine A sacke of heere seme to haue put on them a shirte of heere whiche pricketh burneth and vexeth continually For there is no reste quietnes securitie or spirituall pleasure and repaste of corrupte doctrine but only tediousenes Christ pure and sincerely receiued is to man a ioye vnspeakeable and a most bright and ioyefull light After is added that the whole moone not a parte only the moone is as bloud is become blouddy For an image is again annexed as bloud The moone receiueth light of the sunne is subiect to courses or chaunges whilest one while it increaseth an other while decreaseth and signifieth the church The church set vpon the rocke is not vnstable but by reason of the variable fortune is subiecte to moste diuerse chaunces For now the churche triumpheth streight wayes beyng oppressed she mourneth nowe she increaseth in nombre by and by she is diminished And the church is lighted of Christ But whilest the Sunne it selfe is darkened the moone can not chose but be most obscure Bloud Bloud in the scriptures betokeneth great wickednes chiefly Idolatry and false worshipping of God The Lord in the .17 of Leuit. sayeth that he will accompte straunge worshipping for bloud Therfore when faith and knowledge are darkened in Christes churche it can not be chosen but that bloud shal arrise in the vniuersal church that is to witte the corrupte worshipping of God which the Lorde estemeth as murther there must nedes innumerable sinnes and wickednes spring therof For the liuely doctrine of Christ beyng corrupted al thinges must of necessitie be most corrupte and swarme ful of superstitions and iniquities To these is added an other thinge whiche helpeth these thinges that are spoken starres fal from Heauen Starres fall from Heauen vnto the earth Daniel called starres preachers in the .12 chapt As also S. Peter .2 Peter .2 Therfore do the preachers of churches reuolte from the heauenly doctrine of Christ brought and reuealed from heauen and reducyng men to Heauen and keping them in heauenly conuersation And receyue earthly that is the doctrine of men By the which thing it commeth to passe that both the sunne is obscured and the moone is made blouddy Starres shine preachers should set forth to the whole world Christe the trewe light but this haue they neglected beynge addicte to their owne traditions To these is also added an Image The starres fel vpoÌ„ the yearth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the figge tree casteth of her figges beyng shaken of a vehemeÌ„t winde Here is signified the corruption of preachers and that a great numbre of them For the figge tree was made to bring forth swete fruictes so was the ministerie of the worde ordeined for the saluatioÌ„ of men Howbeit the figges did ripe Therfore they remayne grene or vntimely fruictes Wherby is signified that the preachers were not ripe in trewe knowledge of Christ and therfore to be shaken downe with euery winde of doctrine that bothe they haue admitted and set forth earthly things The plentie of false teachers is signified to come in that the vntimely figges fal downe in great plentie Of these thinges nowe followeth an other HeaueÌ„ vâ—nisheth awaye and Heauen went awaie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were fled out of mens sight and vanisshed awaye Agayne is added an Image or a similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a scrolle folden vp or rolled together Heauen in the Gospell signifieth many times the kingdome of God Therefore the kingdom windeth vp it selfe in earth and the church doeth as it were hide her selfe not that at the last there should be no church at al for the churche shal be alwayes vnto the worldes ende but for as much as in the ende of the world the church shal lie hidde neyther shal it be thought to be the trewe churche which is the trewe churche in dede The letters wordes are not wipte out of the boke but are not sene yea rather are hidde when it is rolled vp It is manifest at this daie what S. Iohn ment by this parable For al in a maner iudge that newe starte vp Romish church to be the trewe church which in very dede is not the church of Christ and the church which is the spouse of Christ is iudged to be heretical therfore is the church wrapped vp and as rolled together The Lord vnfolde preserue the same AmeÌ„ ¶ The effecte of corrupte doctrine is expounded and that the Aungels let that the winde blowe not The .xxxiiij. Sermon ANd al mountaines and Iles were moued out of their places And the Kinges of the earth and the great men and the riche men and the chiefe Captaynes and the mightie men and euery bondeman and euery free man hidde themselues in dennes and in rockes of the hilles and sayed to the hilles and rockes fal vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the seate and froÌ„ the wrath of the lambe for the great daie of his wrath is come And who can indure it Chapt. 7. And after this sawe I .iiii. Aungels stand on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the Earth that the windes should not blowe on the earth nother on the See nor on any tree Hilles and Iles are moued out of their place Now followeth the effect of the corrupte doctrine in men And hilles and Ilondes are moued out of their place wherin is also a respecte had to the earthquake as though by the earthquake thei were remoued from their place And mountains and Iles do betoken realmes nations and people so stedfast in faith that as mouÌ„taines and Iles be immouable are not shaken with the stormes of the Sea so these might seme to
they are glad for the deliueraunce and for the veritie established and confirmed and reioyce not of an hatred they heare towarde the oppressours whom they haue wished lost and destroyed The godly wisshe euermore the wicked to be conuerted and to retourne into fauour with God But whē they see them moued with no repētaunce but obstinately to procede and falle into their owne destruction and that God doeth intercepte them for the saluation of the faythfull and deliueraunce of the godly the godly reioyce at this deliueraunce and prayse the iustice of God Notwithstanding that they had alwayes rather if it mighte haue ben that the loste had otherwise led their life but nowe sins it can be no otherwise through their owne obstinate mallice they speake not against the iudgementes of God but rather commende the same These thinges verely do the sainctes in Earth And the Sainctes in heauen sins they be purified now from all affections their reioycing is altogether most pure so that it were superfluouse to reason curiousely therof But where the heauenly reioyce at the destruction of the wicked we maye easely iudge howe muche they erre whiche truste to the helpe or prayers of Sainctes where neuerthelesse they alter nothing at all of their wicked life It shall be easie also to discusse their doubte and carefulnes which feare leest they should be sory also seyng their bretherne sisters frendes and kinsfolkes cōdemned For the Sainctes do plainely consent to the will of God and extolle the iudgementes of God and reioyce therat and can be sory no more And he biddeth heauē reioyce Reioyce thou heauen as many times in the Psal we reade the like phrase vnlesse you had rather by Heauen vnderstande heauēly dwellers such as we beleue thapostles prophetes to be For at the same time when S. Iohn wrote these thinges all thapostles in a maner were slaine And here is to be knowen that the Romish beast had deuoured that is to saye afflicted slaine not only the sonne of God our lord Iesus Christ but also Iohn the Baptist all the Apostles of God and al the martirs of Christ By the prophetes we vnderstande not only those olde but all the faithful preachers of the gospel For we haue hearde oftener than ones before that the faithful preachers of the worde be called prophetes He annexeth more ouer a reason whie they ought to reioyce for God hath geuen your iudgement of her For in the .6 chapt the soules of Martirs crie vnder the Aultar howe longe Lord auengest thou not our bloud on them that be on Earth nowe therefore they prayse Gods iustice whiche as he than promised that he would auenge so hath he nowe auenged in dede And by this place we learne Sainctes do not pūnishe the wicked that all iudgement is geuen to the sonne and that no Saincte in heauen can iudge or pūnish an euil man on Earth For it is moste false that Sainctes are sayed to punnisshe their enemies S. Anthony with the holy fire Valentine with the fallyng sickenes and other with other diseases God alone as in the .16 chapt is declared at large punnissheth and sendeth and taketh away sickenes And moste certayne it is aswel by this as also by many other places of this boke that God slepeth not but will whē he seeth time reuenge and punnish most certenly The martirs when they should die had cōmitted all their iudgement to the Lorde their God He iudgeth nowe the iudgement of Sainctes of Rome that is after his iuste iudgement taketh punnishment of Rome for that she had with wrōgfull iudgement oppressed the Sainctes In the sixte place of this chapter he retourneth to the description of the subuersion of Babylon And it is a moste clere and euē a certen eyely and euident demonstration by a similitude For takyng vp a greate stone in quantitie like a Milstone he casteth the same into the Sea and makyng a declaration of his so doyng Babilō is drouned in the Sea sayeth thus sodaynely and with such a violence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shal Babilon be cast downe c. This place is taken out of the ende of the .51 chapt of Ieremie where you reade in a maner the like thinges worde for worde And here is now brought in a strong Angell leest we shoulde thinke that the force of Rome were happly stronger than that it could be broken But it shal be broken of a strōg Aungell And the thinges that be sodainely drowned appere no more Here is signified therefore that with a sodayne destruction Rome shal falle that there shal no token thereof be lefte that it shal falle without any difficultie it shal be made to plumpe and neuer more be sene And the Lorde in the gospell affirmeth that the crime or sclaunder must be punnished with a Milstone hanged aboute the necke yea and that same not to be punnishment greuous enough although emonges the Syrians it was accompted for vile and shamefull sins the crime deserueth to be punnished with a much more greuouse or crueller paine Wherefore Primasius supposed that here by the waye is signied how Babilon for offences geuen to the worlde should be drowned in the Sea as it were with a milstone tied fast to her necke Doubtles if euer any citie if euer any kingedome were hateful by reason of greatest offences and geuen to the Christians innumerable sclaunders Rome and the Romane Empire and euen the Popishenes of the church hath hurte most by sclaūder and yet hurteth Wherefore it is no doubte but that it hath bē plaged most greuously and shal be yet more punnished of the Lorde Agayne by propheticall and figuratiue speaches he signifieth a notable desolation and that the same place should neuer after be inhabited for euer Such like maners of speaches shall ye finde in the .24 of Esaye and .26 of Ezech. and in diuerse other places Al pleasure sayeth he shal perish especially which was wont to be taken of Musicke All craftes shall be layde downe Briefely there shal be no more any habitation for men The causes of her desolatiō In the seuenth and last place are set forth agayne the causes of this subuersion and that more notable three The first Thy marchauntes were princes of the Earth For they that haue occupied marchandise in the church of Rome and yet do are in a maner princes Of whom I haue spoken before Here is noted therfore their pride auarice and sumptuousenes Aretas he calleth them marchauntes sayeth he whiche tourmoyle and trouble the whole worlde as it were certen fayres c. The seconde for with thine inchauntementes all nations haue ben seduced There is no doubte but that inchauntyng and magicke raigne in Babilon and that there is founde plentie of fortune readers necromanciers and inchaunters yet here appereth chiefly to be signified seducing Idolatrie and impietie or errour of doctrine Suche an inchaunter was Iezabel as appereth in the .4 booke of Kinges the .9 chapt
and fraternities of Sainctes vnlesse they had ben the Apostles of that great abominable Antichrist The testimony of Iesus Christe Moreouer the Angell him selfe expoundyng agayne his owne wordes sheweth what is the testimony of Iesu Christ For the testimony of Iesu is the sprete of Prophecie And the sprete signifieth reuelation or vnderstandynge and prophecie the propheticall and Apostolical doctrine And therefore the sense is the testimony of Iesu Christ is no other thing but the reuealyng of the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles in the minde of the godly through the holy ghost and fayth And therfore the Apostles in the gospel are called witnesses and the gospell a testimony And to testifie is to preach Of the whiche exposition such an argument maye be gathered the cause of thy worshippyng Iohn is doubtles that excellent reuelation and prophecie vnto thee by me reuealed But yf I should therefore seme worthie to be worshipped for that there is in me an excellent sprete of Prophecie by the like reason shalt thou worship al thy bretherne in whome is the same sprete of prophecie to witte the testimony of Iesu the true fayth But where thou seest and thy selfe art compelled to graunt the same to be very absurde I perceiue it to be absurde if thou shouldest worship an Angell The laste and strōgest reason Worship God whie he would not be worshipped is this worship God It is taken out of the authoritie and Lawe of God perpetuall and immutable reuealed in the .6 of Deuter. and repeted of our sauiour Christ in the .4 of Matth. if we would obeye the lawe of God al culte and worshipping and inuocation of Sainctes had ben long sins bannished and exiled out of the church Furthermore ther be other places also Angels are not to be worshypped nor called vpon which commende the ministeries and vertues of Angelles teachyng neuerthelesse to honour and call vpon God himself Reade the goodly Psalmes .34 and .91 And yf any man liste to haue also the consente of the fathers let him reade S. Austen sayeng that Angelles must nother be worshipped nor called vpō nother ought there sacrifice to be made vnto them nor churches erected The chiefe places be of the true religion the .55 chap. against Maximine an Arriane Bishop first boke leafe .77 De ciuit dei .8 boke laste chapt 10. chapt 16.19.20 To God be the glory ¶ The description of Christe the Iudge commyng to the laste iudgement The .lxxxv. Sermon AND I sawe heauen open and beholde a white horse and he that sat vpon him was called faithful true and in rightuousenes dyd he iudge and make battaile His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes he had a name written that no man knewe but him selfe And he was clothed with a vesture dipte in bloud and his name is called the worde of God And the warriers which were in heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed with white and pure silke And out of his mouthe went a sharpe sworde that with it he should smite the heythen And he shall rule thē with a rod of yron and he trode the winefatte of the fearecenesse and the wrath of almightie God And hath on his vesture on his thighe a name written kynge of kinges and Lorde of Lordes Hitherto we haue hearde many thinges of the sondry pūnishementes of the vngodly Of the last iudgemēt and because it is manifeste that God taketh punnishment of the mischeuous and wicked at sondry times and diuersely but most fully and most seuerely in that same laste iudgement and from thence forth euermore and S. Iohn hath ones twise thryse begonne to treate of the laste iudgement as in the ende of the .11 and .14 chapt And yet hath euer differred suspended and reserued to an other place at the last thinkyng it time to set before al mens eyes a description chiefely necessarie at the length he taketh it in hande and nowe finissheth it vp as a matter of all other greateste He annexeth therefore to a plentifull treatise of the tourmentes of the vngodly a moste full and euident description of the iudge moste rightuous and greatest and of that laste iudgement and moste straite of all others wherein moste fully and seuerely the paynes shal be executed vpon al Antichristians and vngodly for euermore This place which is the fourth of this chapt and this treatise stretcheth vnto the .21 chapter The elocution is great smellyng of the propheticall maiestie and Apostolicall perspicuitie and efficacitie You shall finde not a fewe of this sorte in the prophetes especially in the .24.25.26 and .27 chapt of Esaye And verely this doctrine is very profitable and necessary to be learned and vnderstande moste dilligently of all and singular faythfull A profitable necessarie doctrine of the laste day of iudgemēt as the whiche with muche dilligence and moste plentifull abondaunce was set forth to this ende of the Prophetes and Apostles but chiefely of the Lorde Iesus Christe him selfe bothe in the Gospell and also in this moste godly reuelation For vnlesse thou be kepte in thy duetie for feare of the iudgement and Iudge to come it is no maruell though thou runneste madde and perisshe with this folishe and wicked worlde In the treatise of the laste iudgement is sene the ende of al menne life and death felicitie and miserie payne or tourment and vnspeakable and heauēly rewarde He that remembreth these thinges well abhorreth wickednes and walketh in holy feare before God And we haue learned of the doctrine of the Gospell That daye is knowen to no man that the same daye of the restoryng of all and oppression of the vngodly and also of all vngodlines is knowen to no mortall man but to the father alone and therefore to inquire of the houre and momente thereof to be most folishely done much more wickedly Notwithstandyng the good Lord hath shewed and signified tokens whiche when we shall see to be fulfilled and accomplished we might lifte vp our heades knowyng that our redemption draweth nere Beholde your redemption sayeth he not your tourment For he speaketh of the godly lokyng for their redemption frō heauen at the retourne of our sauiour and redemer our lord Christe whiche shal also inflicte to his enemies reuēgement as S. Paule sayeth in the .2 Thess the .1 Therfore let vs not here be curiouse which search for things vnsearchable but rather let vs watch and praye after the holesome precepte of our sauiour iudge and reuenger let vs haue our loynes gyrded and let lightes burne in our handes let vs loke for him stedfaste in faith and and soūde in holy hope Let vs rather take hede that the care of this world possesse not our hartes and beware of drōkennesse and surfettyng and that we be not of the nombre or cōuersation of them whiche in the dayes of Noe and Loth regarded worldely thinges only dispised heauenly laughed them to skorne
tabernacle of his palace betwixte two Seas to wit the Hadriatical Sea called now the goulfe of Venise and the Tirrhene or Tuscane Sea in the mounte of desire of holines that is to saye in the pleasaunt and holy hille We haue hearde certenly that the palace of S. Peter is preferred both before mounte Zion and also Sinai There sitteth the most holy in the seate of holines There is moste full remission of al sinnes There is the mouther supreme head of al churches There is the high courte and iudgemeÌ„t from wheÌ„ce maie no maÌ„ appeale There sitteth the king of kinges and high Bisshop whiche so farre excelleth in brightnes and Maiestie the Emperour and other kinges as the sunne doeth the Moone and Starres There is thought to be perfit holines and al the treasures of Christ and of his Sainctes Therefore saide Daniel rightly that Antichriste shall dwell in the noble and holy hille namely in the seuen hilly Rome as we hearde also in the .17 chapt Finally he prophecieth also of the ende of this most puissaunt prince Antichrist sayeth and what time he shall come to his ende no man shall helpe him For Christ comming to iudgement shal thrust him out of his seate And Daniel in the .12 chap. followyng describeth the iudgement To Christ alone be glory Lette vs consequently procede to adde to a fewe thinges concerning the paynes of the vngodly and the euerlastyng condemnation of the Deuil and his membres S. Iohn and fire came downe from heauen and deuoured them And the prophet Amos in the .1 chapt calleth Gods vengeaunce fire as the others do also Wherfore S. Iohn signifieth that the vengeaunce of God shall falle vpon all the enemies of the church In times paste also fire commyng downe from heauen burnt vp Sodome and Gomorrhe and also consumed the enemies of Helias And although corporally fire doeth not alwayes falle from heauen yet shall the persecutours of the church neuer escape vnpunnisshed in that they haue vexed the Sainctes of Christ Doubtles yf we will beholde and coÌ„sider what was done in that holy warre and what chauÌ„ceth dayly we will saye that the vengeaunce of God is most present bothe agaynst the Turkes and the Papistes But if any man vnderstande that aboute the ende of the world fire shall rage and consume the wicked as also S. Peter mentioneth of fire and burnyng out of the prophetes .2 Pet. 3. I will not be agaynsâ— it Laste of all he toucheth also the euerlastynge damnation of Sathan and all his membres For where the Lorde sayde in the Gospell yf the blinde leade the blinde bothe shal falle into the ditche it followeth that both Sathan the deceauer and the people of him seduced shoulde be caried together to helle where S. Iohn nowe placeth and as it were ioyneth to gether the deuil Gog and Magog the Saracenes Turkes briefely all nations deceaued the Beaste and false Prophet and all the Antichristians We see therefore that the iudgement of God is rightuouse the which to describe he retourneth nowe agayne And we admonisshed before by this speache they shall be tormented daye and nighte c. The perpetuitie of damnation to be signified From the whiche the Lorde our God deliuer vs to whome be glory for euermore Amen ¶ The Iudge and laste iudgement is described with the resurrection of the dead The XC Sermon AND I sawe a greate white seate and him that sat on it froÌ„ whose face fled awaye both the Earth and heauen and their place was no more founde And I sawe the dead both great and smal stande before God and the bokes were opened an other boke was opened whiche is the boke of life and the dead were iudged of the thinges whiche were writteÌ„ in the bokes according to their dedes And the Sea gaue vp her dead whiche were in her and death and helle deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery maÌ„ according to his dedes And death and hel were caste into the lake of fire This is the seconde death and who so euer was not fownde written in the booke of life was caste into the lake of fire The order or disposiâ—ioÌ„ of this place S. Iohn had begonne to speake of the vniuersall and laste iudgement about the ende of the .11 chapt And resumed the same to be finisshed in the .19 chapt Where we hearde that Antichrist shuld be throweÌ„ downe out of his seate and glory into helle Where chaunced a question to arrise of theÌ„ which although they cleaue not to Antichrist yet are they not ioyned with Christe what shal become of them at the last iudgement That same when he had soluted and shewed the equitie of Gods iudgementes he retourneth as it were with an after songe to the description of the generall and laste iudgement and compeÌ„diousely describeth thesame and that more generally now than before in the .19 chap. Where he semeth chiefly to haue treated of the destruction of Antichriste yet so that he shewed after a sorte also what should happeÌ„ to the other vngodly Now he handleth more generally the self same iudgement shewing that al shal be iudged herein and setteth forth the same wholy as it were paincted to be sene of our eyes For after his wonted maner he expouÌ„deth al this matter by an heauenly vision that he might not seme only to tel the thing to our eares but also to shewe it forth to be sene of our eyes to thintent it might be more depely printed in our mindes And al these thinges are most certen and vndoubted as I also admonisshed you before reuealed of the iudge Christ him self But the iudge and Lord himself can be ignoraunt in nothinge of this matter Nother can we perceyue that S. Iohn hath hitherto ben deceaued or abused in any thing that he hath set forth to vs but hath hitte rightly al and singular poinctes as we see that caÌ„ testifie his prophecies to be fulfilled whie than should we so muche as doubte ones of suche thinges as are spoken of the iudgement Therefore let vs credite these thinges and not be emonges the mockers whom the Apostle S. Peter prophecied should come saye where is the promesse of his commyng The consideratioÌ„ of the laste iudgement is of greatest in iâ—portaunce doubtles this matter is of greatest importaunce the foundation and rote of our faith Here are to vs expouÌ„ded not a fewe articles of our sincere and catholicke fayth chiefely these I beleue that Christ shal come to iudge the quicke the dead I beleue the coÌ„munion of Sainctes the resurrection of the fleshe and life euerlastyng Let vs therfore be dilligent in hearyng and marking these thinges leeste we be accompted of their nombre which heare with out any fruicte the misteries of the kingedome of God but lette vs rather prepare our selues to goe mete the iudge to the ende we maye with the wise virgins enter with the brydegrome to the mariage and ioyes
Peter by a vision as appereth in the actes Actes 10. And the Prophet Ioel sayd also howe the people of 〈◊〉 newe Testament should see visions And so doeth the blâ—sed Apostle S. Peter expounde the same place in the Aâ—â— of the Apostles speakyng of the people of the newe Tesâ—ment And our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell propounâ— and declared to the people the moste part of the misteries parables and in maner by fayned fables as they call thâ— And how much thinke you doe these visions types and â—gures of S. Iohn differ from the same This kynd of spâ—â— doth not darken matters but maketh them plaine And â—â—keth much for the efficacitie and perspicuitie and for the câ—firming of the memory For by this meane matters be 〈◊〉 only declared with wordes and heard with the eares 〈◊〉 are set forth also to be sene of the eies and after a sort be fiâ— in the memory The plaines of the scripture Many for this cause attribute much to paâ—ting But I suppose that I may much more rightli attribuâ— very much to this maner of speaking and teaching wherâ— the matter is vttered not by a coulored domme dead paâ—ting but as it were with a speaking liuely maner set foâ— to be sene of the eies Whiche is therfore propounded thâ— men myght rightly and exactly vnderstand the same Albâ— therfore that this whole boke in a maner consisteth of visioâ— and figures What shall be the expositioÌ„ of this boke Yet shall we in dede through the inspiration 〈◊〉 Gods grace shew in our exposition that all that same mâ—keth for the perspicuitie and plainenes and not for the obseâ—ring or darkening of most high and godly matters I wyâ— bring my exposition out of the very scriptures by coÌ„ferring ioyning therunto the rule of faith and charitie I will searche out the circumstaunces the thinges that follow go before I wil bring similitudes dissimilitudes I wil adde also ther vnto the experience of things the faith of histories Which maner of expounding the scriptures all interpretours haue always graunted to be sound true 1 Cor. 14 1 Tess 5 If better thinges shal be reuealed to others I wil gladly after the precept of the apostle geue place vnto my betters For I offer these my doings to be wayed of the godly vpon this conditioÌ„ that they shuld trie al things that which they shal find to be good to hold fast Secondly they obiect that aswel new men as olde How men of late days haue doubted of thauthoritie of this boke of no smal authoritie haue both doubted of this boke of the authour therof also haue contemned it as full of fables vnworthy to be rekened canonical Let those that so thinke geue me thesame libertie I desire them which they vsurpe tho theÌ„ selues and thinke it lawful For if the boke of the Apocalipse â—hould therfore seme worthy to be contemned for that some notable men both old new haue doubted of the authoritie â—herof Why may it not recouer his authoritie againe if I â—hew that the best doctours of the church both old new haue â—ad a right good opinion of this boke And here to thintent 〈◊〉 wold dissemble nothing at al I am not ignorant that doctor Martin Luther a man right notably learned D. Luther in his first ediâ—ion of the new Testament in dutch with a sharp preface set â—efore hath sticked this boke as it wer with a dagger Howe â—e it good wel learned meÌ„ were offended with him for this â—is iudgement which in the same found lack both of wit moâ—estie The same maÌ„ therfor waying al things more vprightâ—y diligeÌ„ly what time he corrected his dutch Bible c. My â—orshipful maister semeth also not to haue set very much by his boke to haue ascribed it not to Iohn the Apostle but to Iohn whoÌ„ thei called a diuine But herein there is no doubt but that he folowed plainly Erasmus of RoterdaÌ„ who is his annotations vpon the new TestameÌ„t In al the Greke copies â—aith he that I haue sene the title was not of Iohn thapostle â—ut of Iohn the diuine Erasmus addeth that amongest the Grekes certen old wryters men doubted of this authour whiche thing he declareth by the testimonies of Eusebius and Hierom of whose opinion shal be spoken streightways But the exempler or Spanishe coppie whiche is set foorth after the faith of the moste auncient and approued Grekes exhibiteth to vs suche a title of ths boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Apocalipse of the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn Diuine For the auncient writers say how S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste for his excellent wryting of the sonne of God was commonly called Diuine Wherof it followeth thaâ— this title doeth attribute and not take from S. Iohn this booke Certes Aretas was also a Greke Aucthour anâ— byshop of Cesaria Of the auncientes saieth he certen hauâ— plucked this Apocalipse from the tongue of that welbeloueâ— Iohn ascribing it to another but it is not so For that samâ— Gregory which as well as he is called a Diuine accomâ—teth this amongst those scriptures whiche vtterly want a suspicion of counterfeiting saying as the Apocalipse of Sâ— Iohn teacheth me And the same man a litle after But thâ— this boke was written by the mouth of the holy ghost S. Bâ—sil Cyril Papias and Hippolytus Hippolitus fathers of the church a mete men to be credited Thus saith he What shal we sayâ— that Erasmus confesseth that the consent of the worlde an authoritie of the churche to be of suche force with hym thâ— he dare not refuse this boke Let vs heare now the iudgement of that moste excellenâ— best man D. Ioh. Oecolampadius Oecolampadius the moste faithfull pâ—stour of the churche of Basill and excellently learned in 〈◊〉 prophetical and in al the Canonicall scriptures concerning this boke which he left vs written in the .xii. Chap. of theiâ—â—â—cond boke of his commentaries vpon Daniel But S. Ioâ— the Paraphraste or expositour of the Prophetes saith he 〈◊〉 how muche he doth attribute to this our authour whom maruel why certen with so rasshe a iudgement doe reiect as a dreamer and franticke and an vnprofitable wryterâ— the church Where neuerthelesse he propoundeth and setteâ— forth very many of the most secret hid things of the oldâ—â—â—stament and of the Prophetes But those great men do bâ—wray what a wening they haue of themselues Whose iuâ—gementes I would verely rather contemne as prophanâ— than I would cast away such a treasure I could here bringe forth goodly testimonies of other newe wryters but that I make haste to the iudgementes of the auncient fathers The eldest of all after the Apostles The iudgementes of thauncient doctours of the church of the Apocalypse Iustine whose wrytynges as yet remayne Iustine and Ireney the noble Martirs of Christ ascribe this boke to Iohn the Apostle For
Eusebius in the .xviii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Iustine sayth he mentioneth of the Apocalypse of Iohn saying playnly that it is the Apostles S. Hierom also in the lyfe of blessed Iustine wryteth that Iustine expounded the Apocalypse of S. Iohn but the same exposition remayneth not so farre forth as I knowe The same authour wryteth that Ireney Ireney set forth the Apocalypse of S. Iohn with a commentary whiche also is not to be had He hym selfe who is red to haue lyued about the yeare of our Lorde 160. Witnesseth playnly in the fift boke against the Valentinians that this reuelation was exhibited to Iohn the Apostle a lytle before his dayes We alledge certen wordes of his in the .xiii. Chapter of this boke Tertullian TertulliaÌ„ who lyued about the yeare of our Lorde two hundred and .xx. in the fourth boke against Marcion Albeit sayth he that Marcion refuseth the Apocalypse of Iohn yet shall the order of Byshoppes rekened vp to the very begynnyng affirme S. Iohn to be authour therof In graue matters and reasoning against heretickes he vseth gladly the testimonies of this boke The same thinges are also recited of the blessed Martyr S. Cyprian S. CypriaÌ„ vnder the title of Iohn the Apostle in this Epistles treatises and Sermons Eusebius also in the .xviii. Chapter of the fift booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie Apolloni sheweth that Appollonius a moste auncient wryter vseth the testimonies of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn Theophi And lykewyse Theophilus Byshop of Antioche Whiche he affirmeth in the .xxiiii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Also Origen Origen a great man in the churche of God in the .xxv. Chapter of the sixt boke of the same Eusebius And he wrote sayeth he the Apocalypse whiche rested vpon the Lordes breste c. I haue hytherto recited the opinions of the most auncieâ— Martyrs and Doctours of the christen churche touchynâ— the Apocalypse I meane Iustine Ireney Tertullian â—â—prian Appolonius Theophilus and Origen I wyll shorâ—ly after brynge yet moo iudgementes boeth of the 〈◊〉 and Latin wryters of moste authoritie in the churche agâ—yng with the myndes of them that we haue alledged 〈◊〉 therto Howbeit I wyll fyrst touche briefly suche thyng as Dionisius of Alexandria Dionisius AlexaÌ„dria left wrytten of the same booâ— in the fyue and twenty Chapter of the seuenth booke of â—sebius whome I suppose they haue followed as manyâ— after hym haue spoken against this booke He sayeth hâ—â— diuerse that were his predecessours dyd vtterly reprâ— and reiecte this booke Neyther hydeth he the cause wâ—â— they so dyd for that the kyngdome of Christe is affyrmâ— therin to be earthly Wherunto doubtlesse they reserâ—â— that precious citie and the reste whyche vnder terrestrâ—â— kyndes figured spirituall thynges Whiche when we 〈◊〉 in the treatynge therof haue dissolued declaryng thys boâ— not to edifie the earthely kyngdome of Christe but a spiâ—â—tuall and celestiall no man I trowe wyll reiecte a good aâ—â— Godly booke for bycause certen abusyng the testimonâ—â— therof geue vnto it a wrong sense Heretickes haue wrasted verey many places of 〈◊〉 scripture Chiliastes or Millenaries to the defence of their errour shoulde therfore authoritie of the scripture it selfe be brought in doubte Iâ—â— fauoureth nothing at all the Chiliastes or Millenaries this boke He geueth them no weapons Eusebius saieth very well in the ende of the third boâ—â— speakyng of Papias the first authour of the Millenaries He thought saieth he that after the resurrection Chriâ—â— should reigne here corporally with his a thousand yeaâ—â— in earth Whiche I suppose he thought for that he vndeâ—stode not well the Apostles woordes neither that he coâ—â—â—dered not well those thynges that were spoken of hym â—â—der figures for that he was indewed with a small iudgâ—ment But in the meane tyme Dionisius hym self I sayth hâ— dare not reiecte this booke He addeth by and by that he thynketh it not yet to be the booke of Iohn the Apostle but of some other but yet who that should be he knewe not He gathereth also by certen coniectures by the phrase of speach and handlyng of the booke and by the vnlykenes of wytte that this boke should be an other mans than his that wrote the Gospell and Epistle But seing that the argumentes of the story and Epistle be so diuerse that neyther they two be lyke and the argument of the booke of Reuelation moste diuerse of all Why shoulde it seme maruell though it agreeth not with them in all thynges This can no man denie but that in consent of doctrine there is great agremeÌ„t The Epistle to the Hebrewes semed to many to fauour in the syxt and tenth Chap. The Nouatians or Catharites The diuersitie of style was noted to differ from the rest of Saint Paules Epistles But if we should so iudge of holy scriptures I knowe not what shuld be firme and sure enough Leauing therfore this disputation in suspence I wyll nowe procede to bryng foorth the iudgementes of other olde wryters concerning this boke Eusebius Eusebius surnamed Pamphilus Byshop of Cesarea lyuing in the tyme of great Constantine the Emperour and a moste dilligent reader of olde wryters whome many suppose in deminishing the authoritie of this boke to fauour them ryght eloquently in the eighteÌ„th Chapter of the third booke of his story tauntyng the Tyranny of Domitian affirmeth that Iohn exiled into Pathmos wrote there hys Reuelation And where other Historiographers doe also the same He againe in the .xxiiii. Chapter in the thyrd booke concerning the Apocalipse saith he the opinion of men is diuerse some approuing and others reprouing the same Again wheÌ„ he should bring forth his opinion touching the Canon of the new Testament in the .xxv. Chapter He ioyneth the Apocalipse with the bokes vndoubted although he dissembleth not that he wyll shew in another place what other men thinke therof Whilest he this performeth he recoÌ„pteth many more better which iudged the Apocalipse to be of S. Iohn thapostle and imbraced it as a moste Godly booke than those which denied or reproued the same Epipha Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cypres a Greke Authour also doeth manifestly ascribe this boke to S. Iohn the Apostle Reade that he hath left wrytten against Thelogians in the .xv. heresie And S. Hierome attributeth very muche to this Epiphanius Hierome And S. Hierome hym selfe ascribeth this boke to Iohn the Apostle to Paulinus Thâ— Apocalypse of S. Iohn sayth he hath so many Sacramentes as it hath wordes Moreouer Philastrius Byshop oâ— Griria Philastri whome S. Austen sayth he sawe with S. Ambroâ—â— at Millan accompteth them for Heretickes that reiecte thâ— Apocalypse of Iohn and saye that it is not of Iohn the Apostle but of Cerinthus an Hereticke Verely S. Ambrosâ— Ambrose hym selfe alledgeth in his bokes testimonies of the Apocalypse vnder the name of S. Iohn the Apostle S. Austen
Austen imbraced this boke as Apostolicall and reâ—â— the same to his churche leauing certen treatises vpon thâ— same Primasius also Byshop of vtica in Africke expouâ—ded the same as Apostolicall Primass Bede Of Bede and the residue oâ— that sorte I speake nothyng synce his opinion is knowâ— to all men Andreas Aretas Andreas also Byshop of Cesaria wrote vpoâ— this boke As Aretas reporteth in his commentaries who opinion I declared before Me thinketh I haue sufficiently confirmed the authoritiâ— of this boke against them that diminishe the same But thâ— same semeth strongest of all that the thinge it selfe and tâ— handlyng therof proueth that it did procede from the Apâ—stle Whiche thyng we shall proue in the treatise it selfe But in case those blessed fathers in their tyme did expound the Apocalypse to theyr churches The Apoclipse must be expounded to the churches why should it not be lawfull for vs also in our time to expounde it to our men whicâ— are in the ende of the worlde where nowe all thynges 〈◊〉 more fully then they were than accomplyshed Yea theâ— thynges serue moste chiefly for vs and for our tyme fyne that we trauell and be exercised vnder Antichriste In vayne therfore many prattell that this boke is obscuâ—â— and can not bee vnderstande And for the same cause to bâ— read in the Churche without any profit or fruite For to speake nothyng hereof that nothyng is set forth in holy scripture whiche hath not an excellent fructe Neyther must we by and by dispayre of the true vnderstanding although at the fyrst sight of the holy scripture it be obscure whiche is opened of God hymselfe and to be opened is obteyned by prayers and Godly exercises Certes we are not ignoraunt that many had rather nothyng were spoken of Antichriste to the intent he myght reygne more carelesly and they them selues be lesse subiecte to perilles But Christ commaundeth vs to trouble hym Let vs therfore go forward in the worke of the Lorde And where it offendeth them Iohn maketh much mention of Christ that Iohn maketh little mencion or none of Christ where notwithstanding the maner of Apostles is to intimate alwayes Christ and the grace of redemption We suppose this same boke more throughly loked vpon to proue the contrary Whose argument nowe I wyll recite The Prophet Zacharie in the thirde Chapter A full description of Christ obiecteth the whole misterie of Christe to all mens eyes in a moste euident figure to be sene For he seeth Iesus the hygh priest appareled in vile garmentes and lyke a coale that is taken out of the fyre to suffer muche contradiction of the Deuyll by and by the same to haue put of the vyle clothynge and put on whyte garmentes to be glorified and proclamed kyng and priest and Sauiour of all This fygure the Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn expoundeth And first in deede the Gospell beyng set forth he describeth Christ in vyle apparell howe muche contradiction beyng taken he suffered of the wycked tyll at the length he was nailed to the crosse He toucheth there also his glory Whiche notwithstanding the Apocalypse therto annexed he declareth more at large shewyng the same vnto vs in a whyte garment and in glory howe verely after this humblyng being exalting he obteyned a name aboue all names And now being in glory howe he worketh neuerthelesse in the churche the sauiour of all the faithfull in the churche In his Epistle he commendeth this whole mistery of pietie and beateth in to all men For the whole booke is diuided into syxe partes The diuition particion of the Apocalips 1 For first is set the title with the begynnyng and some oâ— the worke and with a briefe narration And all this in thâ— first part of the first chapter 2 Secondly from the myddes of the first Chapter to thâ— fourth Chapter is described Christ reignyng in glory oâ— the ryght hand of the Father and is declared howe he iâ— conuersaunt in the Churche by his spirite and ministery oâ— hys woorde What thynge he teacheth from heauen and what is the syncere doctrine of the churche what is also thâ— reparing of Churches that are fallen and the preseruatioâ— of thesame 3 Than from the fourth Chapter to the .xii. Christ still admonisheth his Churche diligently by seuen Seales and seuen trompettes what thynges shall happen to the Churchâ— all the whiche are moste iustly gouerned of God hym seâ—â— by the Lambe Christ 4 Moreouer from the .xii. Chapter to the .xv is more fully described the conflict of the Churche with the olde Serpent and with the olde and newe beaste Where also the fâ—â—myshe Tyranny both old and newe and verey Antichrist hym selfe is trymly paynted foorth in his coulours Nâ—withstandyng that afterwarde also these thynges are agayâ— more playnly declared 5 And from the fiftenth Chapter to the two and twentiâ— Chapter are recited the paynes and tourmentes of Antichriste and Antichristians and the destruction of the samâ— and the condempnation of all the wycked Also the Iudgâ— Christe is sette foorth and the processe of an external iudgement is fygured There is also rehearsed the triumphe Ioie and rewarde of Sainctes Where also heauen it selfe is opened to bee seene of our eyes that nowâ— we maye by faythe looke in to the same The depthe oâ— Hell is opened that we maye looke in to it also And maye take good heade that we bee not throwen thether headlong 6 Finally in the ende of the .xxii. Chapter followeth the conclusion and commendation of the woorke with the sealing vp of the same And here I wyll not hyde an other diuision of thys woorke not to bee contempned The boke diuided by visions which I see the expositours haue followed For fyrst they rehearse the Title and begynnyng After they annexe the whole woorke it selfe diuided by seuen visions And in dede the seuenth numbre is moste frequent and as it were peculiar to this booke Finally they adde to the conclusion of the woorke in a maner comprised in the last Chapter And these visions be compassed within their limites In the thre fyrst Chapters the first vision is expounded exhibityng Christ vnto vs reigning in glory gouerning ordering correcting and preseruing his churche The second vision beginneth in the fourthand reacheth to the eight Chapter That setteth forth God him selfe and his Christe to be loked vpon whose moste iuste gouernment of all thynges in the worlde it commendeth and openeth seuen Seales The thyrde vision hath seuen Aungelles soundynge with seuen Trompettes Whiche treatise stretcheth to the xii Chapter The fourth Vision sheweth the fighte of the woman wyth the Serpent and setteth foorth to vs the olde seuen headed and the newe two horned beaste to be seene the description of Antichriste and this in the .xii. xiii and .xiiii. Chapter In the fift vision seuen Aungels power out seuen vials of Gods wrath vnto the .xvii. chapter From thence begynneth the sixt vision and extendeth
thiÌ„gs must be done Or that the wycked dyd euyll not through their owne faulte but by Gods compulsion Good thynges must be done bycause God wyllyngly byndyng hym selfe to vs by hys promesse can not but doe that he doeth and promyseth Neuerthelesse he worketh frely Good thynges must be done in the Godly for bycause the nature of grace and faith is suche lyke as the propertie of vngodlines is to contemne and transgresse Wherfore they must also be punysshed And bycause the worlde is suche as it is there must needes bee Heresies and calamities innumerable And he sayeth these thynges must shortly be done that are reuealed for bycause certen thynges began in the very tyme of S. Iohn And although many thynges are founde to be doone a thousande yeares after 2 Pet. 3 yet sayeth the Apostle saynt Peter A thousande yeares before the Lorde be as it were yesterday Therfore this Reuelation apperteyneth to the tymes of the primatiue and last Churche And declareth what thynges so euer shal happen vnto it tyll the last iudgement Yea and howe it shall reigne for euer Moreouer the maner of reuealyng is also touched The maner of reuealing For Christ reuealed those thynges sendyng by hys Aungell or his Aungell sent forth vnto whome he gaue in commaundement what he should saye and doe Whereupon thys Aungell is after also called Christe bycause he represented the persone of Christe Therfore must not the Aungell in this booke but Christ alwayes be considered the trewe Authour of all these thynges And in dede the Diuinitie of Christ is here commended vnto vs what tyme we heaâ— that Christ is the Lord of aungels Wherof S. Paul to the Hebrues hath reasoned more at large Hebre. 1 Moyses in the .xii. â— Numbres setteth forth chiefly thre maners of propheciynâ— or reuelation Thre kyndes of propheciyng Act. 16. First by vision of the which sorte many are â—scribed to Daniell one notable to S. Peter in the .x. of thâ— Actes and likewyse to S. Paul And into this forme Inferre also the Apocalipse Secondly by dreame of the whicâ— sorte were those of Pharao and Nabuchodonozer kynges wherof Ioseph and Daniel were interpretours Gen. 41 Daniel 4. The Prophet Ioel in the second chapter mentioneth of visions and dreames For in the newe Testament also there be very many holy and prophetical dreames Last of all Moyses reheâ—seth a skylfull exposition as many were made to Moyses â–ª to the Apostles Into whose fellowship the Apocalipse commeth after a sorte also where visions are openly expoundeâ— Here appereth the vnspekeable goodnes of God whiche 〈◊〉 many wayes procureth and worketh our saluation and sâ— pleasauntly prepared offereth it vnto vs to inioye Vnhappy is he that knoweth not these thinges To whom it was reuealed and by whom it was writteÌ„ Besides this much mencion is made vnto whome Chrisâ— hath opened this diuine and most excellent reuelation euâ— to Iohn He commendeth hym that is himself for so was iâ— expedient for the confuting of his aduersaries seing that Pauâ— also many tymes mainteined his authoritie against the falâ— Apostles by foure Epithetes For first he calleth himself thâ— seruaunt of Christ This is the eldest and noblest title whicâ— the fathers Prophetes and Apostles haue vsed For they bâ— addicte and consecrate to God Secondly Iohn testified thâ— worde of God amongst the Apostles most expressely declaring the diuinitie of Christ especially where he testified said In the beginning was the worde Iohn 1 c. Moreouer he testifieâ— the witnes of Iesu Christ Vnder the which name the Lordâ— himself in the Gospell and S. Iohn in the .xii. chapt of his Gospel coÌ„prised the whole Euangelicall doctrine And was a seing witnesse of all these thinges For in the first Chapter we haue sene sayth he his glory And in the .xix. Chapter he sawe water and bloud gusse out of the Lordes syde In his Epistle 1 Iohn 1 that we haue sene sayth he and haue heard c. Aretas noteth that in certen Greke copies is added that whiche is had also in the Greke copie of Spayne And what thinges soeuer he hath heard and what so euer be and what so euer must be done after this That same Iohn therfore is authour of this boke The coÌ„meÌ„dation of Iohn whiche as he sawe the Lorde in flesh vpon earth so he sawe the same in spirite reuealing these thinges in heauen and propoundeth to the churche sightes most certen and sure This Iohn was that beloued disciple of the Lord whiche in the last supper rested vpon his breste vnto whom in his last will he bequeathed his mother on the crosse one virgin to another He alone stode by at the aultar of the crosse wheÌ„ Christ died witnes of the true death and of our purification He lyued til the tyme of the Emperour Traiane which thing Eusebius in his cronicles citeth out of Ireney in the noting of the yeare from the birth of Christ an hondreth and thre Dorotheus a most auÌ„cient wryter affirmeth the Iohn liued .vi. score yeares Last is touched also the profit of this godly worke or reuelation The coÌ„modite of this reuelation that hereby the readers and hearers might be prouoked to diligence Where this boke is called also a prophecie For this boke by reason of the telling before of thinges to come is the prophecie of the newe Testament Moreouer a prophecie that is an exposition This boke is a prophecie whiche openeth and and expoundeth the olde Prophetes And promiseth blessednes to the readers hearers and kepers of the things that are wrytten in this boke Blessednes comprehendeth the benefites of the life present so farre forth as the Lorde permitteth them to the godly but chiefly of the lyfe to come If the profit of this boke hath bene also spoken before in the first Sermon And marke that it is not enough to reade or heare this boke It must be perfourmed in dede and kept dilligently For the Lord sayd also in the Gospell Blessed are they that heare the word of God and kepe it They therfore that shall frame their lyfe after this boke are happie For both they flie the seducing of Antichriste abide in the faith of Christ liue for euer more c. And he finisheth the Title with an acclamation by the whiche he moueth the hearers exceadingly For the tyme is at hande as thouge he should saie Let no man thinke here that straunge thinges and the which concerne him nothâ—â— are tolde here which shal come to passe at length after maâ— worldes they belong to euery one of vs. For they be wrâ—ten of matters that chiefly concerne vs and euen of our oâ— affaires So sheweth he that this booke is profitable for a worldes men ages God the father by his sonne teachâ— profitable thinges and admonishing tyme enough and dewe season be praysed worlde without end Amen OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS boke and the Apostles salutation wherin are declared the misteries
contemplation of mâ—ters diuine and in holy prayers he heard a voice whereof 〈◊〉 wyll speake hereafter But here we are presently taughâ— what is the religion of the sonday and how it is mete to oâ—serue it Finally wordly men are reproued whiche pollutâ— breake it with prophane workes and affaires Dauid wâ— time he suffered persecution of Saul lamenteth chiefly tâ— he might not come to the Lordes tabernacle Our men aâ—compt it a great felicitie neuer to enter into the felloship Sainctes And to abuse the sonday in gamenyng drinkinâ— dauncing and worldly businesse By whose commaundement he wrote and sent the Apocalipse These thinges on this wyse declared he cometh at lenâ—â— to the reuelation setting forth before the expresse commauâ—dement of God wherby he was commaunded both to wâ— the thinges â—euealed also to send theÌ„ to the seuen churchâ— of Asia To the maner and maiestie of the reuelatioÌ„ that saâ— chiefly apperteineth that he heard a voice and that notabâ— as the sound of a trompet For so we reade it was done the law geuing at the mount Sinay Now is declared who voyce it was and who was the authour of the reuelation Verely the eternall God which calleth hym selfe Alpha â— Omega that is the beginning and the ende Or as it is saâ— in Esay first and last Wherof els where Now followeth the commaundement whiche hath â—partes For first the Lord commaundeth S. Iohn to wâ—â— And to wryte suche thinges as he sawe that is to witte 〈◊〉 Apocalipse And that he should wryte nother in the sanâ— nor on the walle but in a boke Verely for the edifiyngâ— profit of the churche present and of all posteritie After heâ— also commaunded to sende those writinges to seuen congâ—â—gations and verely to all the churches of the whole worldâ— al times ages Therfore al these thinges belong to the proâ— of congregations and that of al that be haue bene or shalâ— Thautoritie of the Scripture Here of we learne how great is the authoritie of the sâ—â—turs It was not written nor coÌ„piled in bokes but by Goâ— coÌ„maundment There be notable testimonies of the bokâ— of Moyses in the .xxxiiii. of Exod. and .xxxi. of Deuter. And to say nothing of the residue of the Propetes is not Ieremy commaunded to wryte his Sermons againe whiche kyng Ioachim had cut in pieces and burnt The scriptures are ours Doubtes S. Peter beareth manifest witnes that the Prophetes receiued the misteries of God to none other ende than thei shuld reueale them to vs Which in dede might only be done by the scriptures Now is Iohn moste apertly commaunded to wryte What wyl we say that he is also commaunded to sende his wrytinges to the congregations Wherof againe we gather that God willeth right well to the congregations and euen to euery one of vs. Let vs beware and take hede that we put not from vs vnworthely so great benefites of God to whoÌ„ be prayse and glory ¶ THE BEGINNING OF THE worke is made a moste goodly description to vs exhibited of Christe kyng and byshop in glory neuertheles woorkyng in the Churche The fifth Sermon ANd I tourned me that I myght see the voice that spake with me And when I was tourned I sawe seuen golden candelstickes And in the middes of the seuen candelstickes one like vnto the sonne of man clothed with a linnen garmeÌ„t â—owne to the grounde and gyrde about the pappes with a golden girdell His head and his eares were whyte as whyte wolle and â—nowe And his eyes were as a flame of fyre â—nd his feete like vnto brasse as though they brent in a fournace and his voice as the sound of many waters And he had in his ryght and seuen Starres and out of his mouthe went out a sharpe two edged sworde and hiâ— face shone euen as the SuÌ„ne in his strength Suche thinges as haue bene treated of hitherto in thâ—â— boke be in stead of the prologue or preface as they termeâ— Now at last shall the matter it selfe be propouÌ„ded to vs. The som of these things vnto the .iiii. Chapter Hâ— therfore followeth the second part of this boke whiche râ—cheth to the fourth chapter In the which is Christ describe vnto vs with his catholike churche For first in dede is set â—fore vs the moste sacred Image of Christ our Lord teachiâ—â— what a one he is on the right hande of his father in glorâ— how he sittyng on the right hand of his father worketh nâ—uerthelesse in his churche continually neuer absent preseâ— alwayes Of what sorte moreouer the churche is hereâ— earth is figured in those seuen congregations Here therfoâ— are shewed the excellent giftes of churches and agayne iâ— shamefull errours How the Lord Christ confirmeth suchâ— are sliding and ready to fall establisheth those that standeâ— forteth the weake harted restreyneth the folyshe hardy aâ— preserueth thinges that are corrupt Finally how faithful â—stours of the churche must worke and trauell with the peâ—ple committed to their credit For here is exceadingly wâ— taught what is the reparing and preseruation of churchâ— Where also a briefe somme of the whole ecclesiastical and 〈◊〉 some doctrine brought in to an abridgement shal be set beâ— vs. For here is repeted from heauen of Christ in glory 〈◊〉 doctrine of true religion whiche he had set forth more plâ—tifully when he was yet here in earth And here most apâ— applieth it to churches after consideration of the same And in most goodly order the wordes are knit togetheâ— as likewyse the whole boke is wrytten with playne worâ— and hanging right well together they are disceaued that thiâ—â— it to be lose besomes or broomes vnbounde Iohn heard voice behind him criyng Wherupon he tourned backwaâ— that he might se the voyce speaking that is to wit hym tâ— spake For Aretas also admonissheth that there is a tropeâ— the wordes For no man seeth but heareth the voyce Aâ— tourning him to see he sawe a figure of Christ our sauioâ—â— Therfore when the Lorde speaketh let vs tourne also wâ— all our harte Let vs turne to the lord speaking that we may lykewyse deserue to se the misteries of the kingdom of God for he gladly reuealeth him selâ— to suche as tourne and desire heauenly thinges And from those that neglecte the misteries of the kingdome of God al thinges of saluation are hidde Further more S. Iohn exhibiteth to vs the Image of Christ our catholike kyng and high bishop sitting in glory Thimage of Christ is set befor vs. in the whiche description are comprised the chiefest matters of Christ For suche a taste of Christ is here geuen vs as in this world may be of our weake flesh perceiued But we shal se hym at the length in the world to come such as he is in the fulnes of his maiestie wherin shal be ioye life euerlasting But this in this corrupt world is yet graunted to no man So much therfore is permitted vnto vs that liue yet
in thys worlde to be sene as is profitable 1 Iohn 2 and as our infirmitie may perceiue But this same is not litle or nothing but great and large and moste full of spirituall pleasure I meane if we beholde these misteries of God with a faithfull eye and mynde desyrous of Godly matters And doubtles they be thynges certayn and true that here are reuealed vnto vs. For they be reuealed by the very sonne of God Let vs not wysh than to se more or desyre greater thinges than these are But take pleasure in those which Christ hath graunted vs. And let vs knowe for certentie that a wonderful benefite of God is geuen vs in this vision For who would not couet to se Christ in glory sitting on the ryght hand of the father Who desyreth not to knowe what our Sauiour doth in heauen And home being in heaueÌ„ is neuertheles present with his church in earth But this sacred and holy Image instructeth in all these poinctes all the faithfull of Christe moste fully Howebeit this Image of Christ is not to be set forth with colours synce that colours can not atteine to the maiestie therof but with the ecclesiasticall doctrine whiche hath the promesse of the spirite of Christe And is therfore more euident and only mete for the true expressing therof Let vs also prynt the same Image not vpon any dead table with colours that wyll peryshe and fade but in our hartes through the liuely spirite of God whiche may also kepe it in our myndes neuer to be â—wipt out And such thinges as are spoken in the seconde and third chap. Of this boke are deriued of this descriptionâ— Christ that the maiestie of the thing might inuite vs to a sâ—â—gular diligence The matter is very playne An aungell represeÌ„teth Christ First we are taught who it is whose Image is to vs exâ—â—bited Not the sonne of man him selfe in his own substaunâ—â— but lyke the sonne of man The sonne of man after the phrâ— of the Gospell is called Christ hym selfe very God and mâ— Here he shewed not hym selfe to be sene of Iohn in his ouâ— substaunce but in the fourme of an Aungell that representâ— Christ Whiche thyng is oftener then once founde in thâ— boke We shal therfore referre all these thinges vnto Chrisâ— not to the Aungell whiche is the minister of Christ in thâ— mistery And we shall see Christ in his owne substaunâ—â— what tyme our base body shall flitte from hence and beyâ— reysed from the dead shall be glorified In the meane tyâ— the soull from the death of the body tyll it ryse agayne shâ— clearely haue the fruition of the sight of Christ Wherein 〈◊〉 I sayd before shall be the chief ioye and felicitie We shâ— nowe therfore see Christ as it were in a glasse and so mucâ— as shall suffice vs. The Lorde open to vs the eyes of oâ—â— mynde Where Christ is abiding He telleth moreouer where he sawe Christ in the middâ— of seuen candelstickes By and by we shall perceiue that 〈◊〉 the candelstickes must be vnderstande the churches Chriâ—â— is than in the middes of the churche He sitteth verely onâ— ryght hand of the father and after the proprietie of this â—â—mane body he is but in one place and in no mo As S. Aâ—gustin declareth aboundauntly in the .lvii. Epistle to Dorâ—nus Yet for as muche as he is also very God he is lykewâ—â—â— in the myddes of the churche as he promised in the Gospâ—â— Whersoeuer two or three be gathered in my name Mat. 18.28 theâ— am in the myddes of them And agayne behold I am wâ—â—â— you vnto the worldes ende Therfore by his power diuiâ—â— Christ remayneth and worketh in the churche present aâ— not absent Leaue therfore to inquire what Christ doth 〈◊〉 the ryght hand of his father whether he sitte continually And he is verely in the myddes of the churches fyxed to 〈◊〉 place but shewyng hym selfe indifferently to all egall as helpefull For he neyther accepteth persones nor slepeâ— He is not paynted he is not Idle nothyng regardyng matters of the churche But is chiefly and only attentiue to the saluation of the same Suche a one he promysed him selfe to be in the .14.15 and .16 of Iohn And seyng Christ is in the myddes of the churche what Vicar moreouer shall he haue Shall he haue that ennemy whiche is directly against hym Christ hath no vicar 2 Tessa 2. For a Vicar is in steade of one absent But Christ is in the middell of the churche present not absent In the text followyng Christ is described moste plentifully many thynges are ascribed vnto him And is declared in what sort Christ is in the mids of the church And first indede is shewed what garment he hath on To wit both priestly princely By the which thing is figured what maner of one Christ is in heauen in earth To wit bishop and king intercessour mediatour sacrifice a moste perfit sanctification iustification a redemer and deliuerer of the faithful to his father euermore working the saluation of his faithfull As S. Paul teacheth Roma 8. Hebr. 7. Poderes Poderes is found amoÌ„gst the apparell of Aaron and it is a priestly garment Whereof S. Hierome writeth to Fabiola of the priestly garmeÌ„t The second vesture of linnen is a coate downe to the fote of double launde Which Iosephus calleth Bissina And it is called in Hebrew ketheneth in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This cleaueth iust to the body and is so narrowe and strayte sleued that there is no wryncle at al in the garment and came downe to the legges This was verely whyte and cleane Girdel or a belte For the Lorde Christ is an vndefiled Priest Hebre. 7. Neyther weareth he agayne a foule vesture as he did Zachar. 3. Nor a purple as in the .19 of Iohn But a bright one as he that hath obteyned a name aboue all names But his gyrdell or belte is worne of Souldiours and triumphaunt persones And it signifieth in Christ the dignitie roiall For Christ is king delyuerer and redemer of the faythfull His victory is ours He hath ouercome Sathan Helle synne and death But the belte or girdle of Christe is not set in the wonted place to wytte about the loynes For as Aretas hath also admonished ther ar no coÌ„cupiscences to be restrained in Christ Therefore is he not gyrded after the maner of synners but about the pappes or brestes to thintent we should vnderstande by the girding that he is kyng of kynges voydâ— of all affections Moste rightuous and holy in iudgements and gouernement But yet in the meane tyme furnyshed foâ— the defence of his church as we haue red it written in the 9â— Psalme The Lord hath put on strength girded hymself c. Christ might seme to haue girded him selfe not after the maner that priestes or kynges vse for that he hath obteyned 〈◊〉 more excellent priesthod and kyngdome induring for eueâ— To accomplishe
and howe he is in hys churche In these thinges are all the misteries of the Gospell comprehended For what can you say of Christ that you haue not herein comprysed Let vs therfore remembre them and wryte them in our myndes that we may imbrace Christ kyng and byshop and that we neuer let hym departe out of our armes To hym be glory ¶ How Iohn was affected towardes the vision to hym exhibited the comfort of Iohn and the exposition of the vision applied vnto consolation The sixt Sermon ANd when I sawe hym I fel at his fete euen as dead And he layd his right hand vpon me saying vnto me Feare not I am the first and the laste and am alyue and was â—ead And beholde I am alyue for euer more â—nd haue the keyes of hel and of death write â—herfore the thinges whiche thou haste sene â—nd the thinges whiche are and the thinges whiche shal be fulfilled hereafter And the mistery of the seuen Starres which thou sawest in my right hand and the seuen golden candelstickes The seuen Starres are the messengers of the seuen congregations And â—he seuen candelstickes whiche thou sawest â—re the seuen congregations It followeth how blessed S. Iohn was moued with that celestiall and wonderfull vision And how he receiued consolation more ouer the exposition of the vision applied to his comfort with a commaundement to indite all these thingâ— diligently Iohn falleth downe lieth like one were dead What tyme he had fully sene this diuine and heauenly sight of Christ our Lord sitting on the right hand of God iâ— glory his strength failing him he falleth down on the earth and liyng at the fete of the Lorde is lyke a dead body Wâ— reade that the same chaunced to Daniel in the .x. Chapt. And other men of God also haue bene feared with the visions oâ— Aungels The women also in the new Testament trembleâ— at the sepulchre seing Aungels Peter was amased at thâ— greatnes of the miracle Luke .v. And falling at the knees 〈◊〉 the Lord crieth out go from me Lord for I am a synful mâ—â— For Godly visions bewray our infirmitie The weakenes of mans vnderstaÌ„ding Neyther be â—apte or sufficiently pourged to behold those supercelestâ— thinges with eyes and myndes sicke and not yet well puâ—â—fied Therfore must the elect be glorified in an other lyfe thâ— they may be made partakers of the glory celestiall In thâ— meane season here al godly are humbled and abased by hygâ— visions and reuelations 2 Cor. 12 For they auaunce not them selueâ— proudly through the glory of reuelatioÌ„ But perceiuing thâ— naturall corruption they craue pardon and the augmentation of the supercelestiall grace and light For vnlesse we bâ— illumined with the spirite of God we shal lye like dead folkâ— how so euer we receyue with our corporall senses the visioâ— celestiall Humilitie is comforted of the Lord. But they that humble them selues before the Lorde fyndâ— a moste present consolation at the Lordes hande Wherfoâ— there came to S. Iohn immediatly both in worde and deâ— a full consolation For the Aungell representing the personâ— of Christ layeth his right hand vpon Iohn The whiche is token of amitie protection and of present helpe For in 〈◊〉 pressing this maner of speaking in dutche we say therfore 〈◊〉 laiyng on the hand is signified that Christ is good to Iohn ready to helpe him Which incontinently he maketh playâ— by the addition of wordes saiyng feare not Feare not Whiche saiyâ— is common euery where in the story of the Gospel And thâ—â—fore is most gospel like that is to saye most lucky For God commaundeth the humbled to be of good hope and to liue assured vnder the protectioÌ„ of the highest Which verely we vnderstand to be spoken not to Iohn alone but to al vs also that we in like maner albeit that we fele the infirmitie of our fleshe should yet hope well of the goodnes mercy of God Here followeth that cause more fully declared why Iohn shold not be affrayed For the vision shewed was not exhibited for the terrour of him but that Iohn might perceiue how great and mightie he is which is prepared for the defence of him al the faithfull As though he shoulde saye Where thou seest how great he is which hath taken vpoÌ„ him to defende thee who finally protecteth and gouerneth the whole Churche there is no cause why thou shouldest be affraide But rather execute boldely that he coÌ„maundeth thee Wryte that he coÌ„maundeth to be written Be not affrayed of men feare God rather For if good meÌ„ be so sore afrayde at the sight of him where shal the enemies and contemners of God appere Therfore consequently he expouÌ„deth the vision teaching who he is which was sene like to the sonne of man walking emonges the golden Candelstickes And he applieth this expositioÌ„ vnto comforte that both Iohn euery faithful maye perceiue how mightie Christ is what the faithfull haue by him obteined For the Aungell tempereth his speach so that we maie seme to heare al things spokeÌ„ to vs not by the mouth of the Aungell but of Christ him selfe A diuisioÌ„ And this exposition hath his partes For first he declareth as I said euen nowe whose Image it was that was shewed Than is annexed a coÌ„maundement to write this boke After that is opened the misterie of the starres Finally the secretnes of the caÌ„delsticks is reuealed And al these thinges right plainly and briefly First thou hast sene saieth the Lord a vision Christe is represented by the same vision what he is and how great he is wherat thou waste amased but feare thou not For thou hast not sene any euill or fearful spirite boding any misfortune but my shape whiche am thy redemer and Lorde I am first and laste And this maner of speakyng as I warned a little before he toke out of the Prophecies of Esaye as it is to be seene in the .xli. xliiii xlv and xlviii chapters And he signifieth him selfe to be coequall and of the same substaunce with the father in all thinges very God eternall and incoÌ„prehensible For loke what thinges the father attributeth to himself the same also doth the sonne vsurpe But there is no order or time certain to be vnderstaÌ„de in first and last but plainly euerlastingnes Therfore Christ here signifieth Christ is egall with the father that he is very God egalle and of the same essence with the father from all eternitie As the same is also muche confirmed in Iohn 1.5.10.14 and 17. chapter This fighteth against the Heretickes which at that time also as at this daye the Seruetanes denie the eternall deitie of Christ the Lorde And thus when the trewe God is of vs acknoweledged and beleued he maye be for our Saluation Yf Christe be not very God he is not our saluation For I am God sayeth the veritie And besides me there is no God no Saluation Secondly he sayeth I am
worlde also is geuen vs a quiet cōscience and ioye vnspeakeable which they in deede fele that do in ioye the same They that haue not tasted therof can neuer beleue that it is so much as it is in dede Wherupon S. Paull sayed and the peace of God whiche passeth all vnderstanding c. suche mindes so affected our Sauiour Christ graunte vs. Amen ¶ The Epistle of Thyatirena is expounded wherin are sondry vertues commended and the vice of Iesabell reprehended The .xii. Sermon ANd vnto the Messenger of the cōgregatiō of Thiatira write This sayeth the sonne of God whiche hath his eyes like vnto a flāme of fire and his fete are like brasse I knowe thy workes thy loue seruice faith and thy patiēce and thy dedes which are mo at the last then at the first Notwithstāding I haue a fewe things against thee that thou sufferest that woman Iesabell whiche called her self a prophetisse to teache disceaue my seruaunts to make them cōmit fornication and to eate meates offered vp vnto Idolles The fourth epistle written to the Thyatirenians The argumēt of the fourthe epistle is more plentifull then the residue and with manifolde fruites replenished For it cōmendeth and praiseth in that churche excellent vertues and singular giftes not a fewe Streight wayes he reproueth in them that they suffer ouer gētly the Iezabelisme whiche he describeth what and howe filthie it is He threateneth them sore vnlesse with perfit repentaunce they amende theyr sinnes and wickednes Further more he warneth that they loke for no newe reuelations but that they perseuer abide in those which they had learned hitherto in the which they nowe are Hither also with most large promisses he allureth them finally cōmunicateth cōmendeth this doctrine to al churches And there is a wōderful likenes and correspondaunce in al epistles As the same may be sene also in al the bokes of the prophetes in the story of the euangelistes The scripture is in al thinges like agreable to it selfe in Paules epistles Wherof it maye easely be gathered that the doctrine of the vexitie is most absolute perfit and plaine and agreable to it selfe in al thinges In so muche that if al the writinges of all other Apostles and Prophetes did remaine we should haue had no more in those many and most plētuouse bokes then we now haue in the holy Bible God prouided wel for vs and for our infirmitie by this briefe waye Here be seuen Epistles set in the 2. Chapter but it is maruell to see howe like they be all teachinge in a maner all one thinge The vse of this epistle This fourth is chiefly profitable for those congregations whiche are sounde in the purenes of doctrine and are pure moreouer in holines of life but doe not with a feruent zeale enough persecute open heresies There be other fruictes and cōmodities whiche we shall speake of in order But like as in al other epistles that goo before first is set forth to whom the epistle is sent and from whom it cōmeth So also in this epistle Thyatirene both the superscription as they terme it The superscriptiō of this epistle the subscriptiō is expressely set It is sent to the Messenger of the church of Thyatira so to the whole churche as I haue tolde you before oftētimes And Thyatira is a noble and famouse citie of Lydia Thyatira in Asia on the riuer of Hermus where we reade that the woman was borne that solde purple whiche was conuerted to Christ by s Paull in the 16. of the Actes it was a populouse citie much frequēted so that it is no maruell though mē diuersly geuē vncleane curiouse heretikes did associate ioyne them selues to the churche of God The Geographers wryte many thinges of that famouse citie of Asia Thautour of the epistle And the author of thepistle is the Lord Christ him self the high king Bishop which vseth thapostle his pen or blessed s Iohn for his Scribe or Secretarie by whome he will haue those things published through out the whole world And he getteth the epistle authoritie whilest repeting certen mēbres of the former image descriptiō he sheweth him self in such sorte to be sene of the church to be viewed in faithe that they help the matter wōderfully He seeth here heresies the secrets of hartes and treadeth vnder his moste pure and cleane fete what so euer auaūceth it selfe against Gods glory veritie He calleth him selfe therfore the sonne of God Christe the sonne of God and man whome before we hearde to be the sonne of man He is therfore and remaineth both euen in glory aswel the sonne of God as mā In the diuine nature of the same substaunce with the father in the humane nature cōmunicating with vs in al things except sinne the other nature is not swallowed vp in glory but two distinct seueral natures without any permixtiō abide in one persone vndiuided which in dede be one Christ very God very mā to be worshipped world without end Herof we haue testimonies in the 1. of Luke in the 1. of Iohn the 1. chapt to the Romanes And whiche of the heretickes or persecutours wil make warre with the liuing sonne of God After he attributeth to him selfe eyes His eyes 〈◊〉 flamme of fire casting out fire and flamme For nothing escapeth the knowledge iudgement of Christe our Iudge he beholdeth the raynes and hartes Moreouer he lighteth some and some he cōmitteth to euerlasting fire therin to burne for euer Nowe then if anye doe imagine with them selues that they can hide heresies and malice in theyr hartes they are disceiued For in the eyes of Christ the darkenes it selfe is light also The same Lorde also hathe fete moste pourged and cleane he treadeth downe all vngodlines And where so euer he walketh with his shining feete of brasse he consumeth immediatly all heresies and corrupte life Therfore this prelate moste pure and moste fitte and apte to pourge finally beste furnisshed to boulte out the secrettes of hartes sheweth to the cōgregations these things that followe he himselfe walketh and is conuersaunt in the middes of the churche bothe Kinge and Prieste And like as he hath in all epistles testified that he knewe the workes of the same church euen so he repeteth here also to the intent we shoulde neuer admitte wicked securitie as though the almightie and alwitting God knewe not vs and al ours of the which matter I haue spoken sufficiētly before Now doeth he set forth gallaūtly euery worke of this congregation and cōmendeth fiue most notable giftes or brightest vertues Charitie 1 Firste Charitie whiche compriseth the loue of God and our neighbour wherby is broughte to passe that we preferre nothing in the world before God neither hurte our neighbour but rather heape vpon him all duties benefites This we owe to God and all our bretherne in the
thintent it might by litle litle vanish away They that meddle with Iezabel shal be afflicted Secondly he threatneth great affliction to such as haue to do with Iezabel that is to say to such as cleaue vnto false doctrine receiue errours delight in heresies and go about to set forth the same To these I say he threateneth most greuous afflictioÌ„s to witte of body and soul of this present and of the life to come He semeth to haue said somwhat more than if he had recited certen kindes of punishment The children of Iezabel shal be slayne Finally he menaceth death to the children borne of this copulation and fornicatioÌ„ to witte whore sonnes bastardes And those are chiefly the childreÌ„ of heretickes which stire vp a freshe and restore newly again heresies already condeÌ„ned meakened and wearing away These the Lord distroied with temporal and eternal death And the ecclesiasticall story doth testifie that the Lord hath in dede punished most greuously not only the heresie of the CataphrigiaÌ„s but al heresies in general And certen thinges coÌ„cerning the CataphrygiaÌ„s or MoÌ„tanistes are touched of Euseb lib. 1. of the cl story Cap. 16. The destruction of Achab and Iezabel with al their posteritie The Lorde semeth here to me to haue alluded to the olde story of Iezabel Achab for them as it were cast in a bed froÌ„ day to day euer since they began to worship Baal he vexed with sicknes and brought them lowe And the people that receiued the religion of Baal be put to much sorow euils and afflictions Finally their children he brought to a shamefull death Their partakers also were slaine that would haue had Baal his religion safe and sounde and euen to haue bene restored again For after the death of Achab his father not many daies after Ochosias the sonne of Achab and Iezabel bruised with an vnhappy fall and cast in bed died .iiii. Reg. Cap. 1. And Ioram an other sonne of Achab and Iezabel stricken through with an arrowe of Iehu was slaine Athalia the daughter of Achab and Iezabel the wife of Ioram kyng of Iuda the sonne of Iosaphat being diuided with that sweard of Ioiadas fell down before the gates of the temple And Ochosias king of Iuda the sonne of Athalia and Ioram was slaine also by the power of Iehu And after were put to death by the same Iehu the .lxx. sonnes of Achab And all the pristes of Baal are slaine together in the temple and before the Aultar of Baal and not one of so great a nombre escaped Yea the temple the idol and the seruice of Baal were quite and cleane ouerthrowen This olde maruelouse and wonderfull history the Lord calleth to memory signifiyng that he lyueth yet a reuenger and a punisher Who will neither ouerpasse the iust limite nor touche the same out of time For he addeth and all congregations shal know c. Notwithstanding this thing is notable and moste worthy to bee remembred and no lesse full of comforte Hope is seâ— open for the penitent that in this rehersall of punishementes he putteth in as it were in the middes a mention of repentaunce as though he should say let no man thinke him selfe that he must be distroyed and perishe through a certen fatall necessitie For if any wil repent the gates of the grace of God are set open his synnes shal be forgeuen and he shal be taken in to fauour and shall be deliuered from all those euilles And after this sorte haue taught also the Prophetes Ieremy in the .xviii. Chapter and Ezech. in the .xviii. Chapter But where as the punishement is not by and by executed vpon the impenitent persones you shall haue them that wyll exclame that God is a slepe that he seeth or heareth nothyng Therfore the Lorde hym selfe aunswereth them and sayth And all congregations shall knowe c. The Lord declareth that he is reueÌ„ger of the churche When I shall doubtles at the laste execute my vengeaunce in dewe season For then shall all men learne that I neyther slepe nor neglecte my seruauntes at any tyme or wyll suffer those that deserue euyll of me and of my Churche to escape vnpunyshed Furthermore Christe testifieth that he searcheth the â—eynes and heartes of all men And he meaneth that he knoweth all thoughtes and deuises of the harte finally the appetite it selfe and all the desires of man so that he can iudge truly therof for nothing be it neuer so secret is hidde from Christ Christ is God Therfore is he very God For it is the propertie of God belongeth to him alone to know the hartes of tho children of men As Salomon testifieth in the iii. boke of kinges Chap. viii Christ therfore seeth the priuie filthie workes both of the Nicolaitans and all other beastly men Whiche S. Paul saith are vnworthy to come to light or to be expressely declared to men Ephes v. Christ geueth to euery man after his workes Nother doth Christ know only all the thoughtes of men whatsoeuer they be but geueth moreouer to euery man after his owne workes And so the Apostle S. Paul teacheth saying The iust iudgement of God shall be opened whiche wyll rewarde euery man according to his dedes that is to saie Prayse honor and immortalitie to them whiche continue in well doing and seke eternall life But vnto them that are rebelliouse and disobey the truth and followe iniquitie shall come indignation wrath tribulatioÌ„ and angwish c. In the .ii. to the Roma For workes be the touchstones of faith and infidelitie And workes whether they be good or euyll be iudged of God and the Godly men according as they procede of faith or of infidelitie Therfore what so euer any of vs shall sowe the same shall he reape also For God is the moste iust rewarder of good and reuenger of euill The same sentence as it is moste true so is it the foundation of the true and Godly Religion Glory be to God ¶ That the doctrine of pitie is so fully sâ—â— forth to the churche that there nedeth no newe Reuelations And of the moste large promesses of Christ made vnto the churche The .xiiij. Sermon ANd to you I say and to others that be of Thiatira Who so euer haue not this doctrine and whiche haue not knowen the depenes of Sathan as they say I will put vpon you none other burthen but that whiche ye haue already Holde fast till I come And whosoeuer ouercometh and kepeth my workes vnto the ende to him wil I geue power ouer nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron And as the vessels of a potter shall he breake theÌ„ to sheuers Euen as I receiued of my father so wyll I geue hym the morning starre Let hym that hath eares heare what the spirite saieth to the congregations He speaketh here now to the Cataphrygians The great mercy of God and also to the faithfull of the churche
preseruer of al thinges and by Dia thy wil they are were created This glory of God is woÌ„derful vnmeasurable How great say they thou art that al power glory is dewe vnto thee appereth of the making creation of the world vniuersal No man was with thee at the creation therof no maÌ„ gaue thee couÌ„sel what or how thou shuldest do no man helped thee thus much Who than shuld approch vnto thee to be partaker in power who shuld glory before thee God maker of al things Thou alone madest al things alone preseruest al alone gouernest al. Thou willest they were made Thou saidest they were created It was enough to haue said it was enough to haue willed And in dede al thinges at this day haue their being through thy wil without any painefulnes trauel of thine Thou gouernest al thing in best most goodly order This testifieth the wonderful course of the stars the plesaunt chauÌ„ge of things the most swete plentiful fruites spring of the same Who thaÌ„ wold not gladly submit both him self al his to thee to thy gouernment who wold not coÌ„mit al his thinges vnto thee Who wold not acknowledge the power glory to be thyne Let vs marke these thinges with attentiue mindes that we may also appere such before God as we sethe sainctes in heauen appere God graunt vs this ¶ Of him that sitteth in throne holdeth the boke in his right hand sealed with .vii. seales What that sealed boke is The .xxvj. Sermon AND I sawe in the right hand of him that sate on the throne a boke written within and on the backe side sealed with seueÌ„ seales And I sawe a strong angel preaching with a loud voice who is worthy to open the boke lose the seales therof And no man in heauen nor in earth nother vnder the earth was able to open the boke to ioke theron And I wept much because no man was fouÌ„d worthy to open and reade the boke nother to loke theron He now procedeth to describe more fully hym that sitteth on the Throne Of whome he had touched certen and a fewe thinges before In this pece is no smal force of this our matter For now wyll he shewe that whiche in this treatise is principall that all thinges whiche are done in the worlde through God his prouidence are moste iustly and holily gouerned by Christ Whiche thing all the sainctes of God and creatures acknowledging for an exaÌ„ple to vs that we shuld do the lyke do prayse and celebrate him that liueth for euer And it shall behoue vs to way euery worde synce that in euery one are greate misteries nothing is spoken in vaine And verely that God almighty sitteth in a Throne God sitteth in a throne And by sitting is signified not only the power of iudging rulyng gouerning But also a quiet mynde not troubled with any euill affections after the maner of iudges of this world and great equitie in all thinges Secondly a booke is sene in the right hande of hym that sitteth of the whiche boke we must speake more at large Here appereth an allusion made as ther is in many other places of the scripture to the princes of this worlde whiche haue bokes of the lawes of priuileges of institutes what thing is done and is to be done finally of secretes of actes of condemned and of citezens of lyfe and of death For so is both the boke and bokes assigned to God Moises saith in in the .33 of Exodus Put me out of the boke of lyfe c. In the Psalmes is muche mention of these bokes of God In the Psalm 56.69.139 In the seuenth of Daniel bokes are opened wherof mentioÌ„ is made also in the .20 of the Apocalipse We reade in the .3 of Malach. of a boke of remembraunce before God Therfore this boke of God conteineth all the counsels of God al his workes and iudgementes For we shall heare by and by The booke in the right haÌ„d of him that sitteth that all thinges that are done in the worlde come out of this boke as it were out of a fountaine or wel spring And thre thinges are chiefly spoken of this boke Firste that it lieth not in the Throne or in the bosome of hym that sitteth or vnder the Throne or that it hangeth before or behinde the Throne But it is in the right hand of God Herby is signified the operation or power of God the same moste iust and moste mightie The booke writteÌ„ wtin and without For the boke is not sene in the lefte hande God therfore worketh and conteineth or ministreth all his workes and iudgementes moste holily Secondly that boke is written within and without or on the back side For in the prouidence and iudgementes of God all thinges are conteined both good and euil lucky and vnlucky sharpe and softe swete and sewer visible and inuisible priuie and aparte and all thinges in generall Finally the boke is sealed with seueÌ„ seales For it is most strongly closed and fastened The booke sealed with seueÌ„ seales For the iudgementes works of God are firme true iust and such as can not be withstaÌ„d The vse of seales amonges men is diuerse notwithstanding it may be contriued in two poinctes The vse of seales First Seales are set to because of fidelitie truth and rightuousnes And a great deliberation is had in setting to of seales For they are not put to vniust matters vayn or false Therfore seales be tokens of a certentie and testimonies of a right It semeth an vnworthi thing to speake against sealed wrytinges By the seales therfore that are set to the boke of God is signified that the iudgementes and workes of God are moste firme true and iust what so euer are done by his prouidence and ar ordeined by Christ It shal therfore be a shame to finde fault with the iudgementes of God or to speake euill of his workes Againe by seales are secretes kept that they be not sene of euery maÌ„ but of them only to whome they are appointed The iudgementes therfore and workes of God are for the moste parte hidde and not open to all men sauing to suche as the Lorde hath appointed namely to the faithfull and obedient SeueÌ„ sâ—â—les But there be seueÌ„ seales only for that in them the fulnes of times and of thinges to be done in these times throughout the world and churche and of the iudgementes and misteries of God are comprehended Now therfore the opening of the boke The opening of the boke and seales and the vnsealyng therof is nothing els but the reuealing of God his iudgementes and the declaring or vttering of his most secret counselles Finally the moste holy and iust operation dispensation and execution of his will Nothing in that opening is done against the veritie fayth loue and iustice of God Who is worthy to opeÌ„ the boke and seales therof
And with many wordes and also moste dilligently and goodly is treated here of the openyng of the seales who verely might be thought worthie to open to the churche the secret iudgementes of God and to execute and minister his holy workes that is to saye to whome the kingdome is geuen and gouernement of the diuine prouidēce For an Aungell and that not of the cōmon sorte but a stronge and worthie one with a loude voice crieth to make vs all attentiue and that we shoulde note diligently who he is that shoulde both open the boke and vnloose or vndoe the seales And he holdeth longe in suspence the hearer beholder or reader before he will shewe him to the intent verely to cōmende him to vs exceadingly No man sayeth he in the whole vniuersal world neither emonges the Aungelles sainctes in heauen nor emongs earthly men and vnder the earth was founde whiche coulde eyther open or vnseale the boke To Christ alone belōgeth the kingdome and the power of gouernemēt is taken from others Let vs obserue that there is none that can open the boke and open the seales besides Christ alone Whie than is the administration of thinges attributed or communicated to sainctes none can open to vs the counselles and iudgements of God no man can gouerne those iudgements workes of God that he worketh in the world saue only Christ the lord whie than are so great benefites sought for of Sainctes and be imputed to them if eyther the sicke be restored to helthe or that a mortall man do receiue any other gifte or benefite ▪ many will saye I receyued this in dede of gods benefite but through the meditatiō and power and merite of this or that saincte vnto whome God graunted this that he should rule ouer suche a disease and might heale suche as calle vpon the name of the Saincte or the name of God by the Saincte These are here confuted now by the wordes of the Lord and S. Iohn saying that no man in heauen or in earth is founde whiche coulde open the boke Yet neuerthelesse aboute the Throne sate the xxiiii Elders representinge the Type of all Sainctes in glory not one of al thē was found which could open the boke Therfore be thei a great deale madder which do attribute the gouernement of things in the church to the Pope a most corrupte and filthie man Only Christ receiued al power in Heauen and in Earth as we shall incontinently more fully vnderstande S. Iohn wepeth The weping of S. Iohn for that he vnderstode a weightie matter to consiste in the openinge of this godly boke and yet sawe he no man at al which coulde eyther open or vnseale it Neyther did he as yet fully vnderstande the matter And he bare the figure of them which vnderstande not the iudgementes of God nor know not that al thinges are through God his prouidēce holyly gouerned by Christ For in them nothing els remaineth but mourning and heauines Certenly withoute Christ and his opening wherby he reuealeth to vs the diuine misteries and iudgements no man can rightly iudge of the same For vnlesse we vnderstand the seales to be opened by Christ and that al thinges are done by his order whiche loued vs and gaue him selfe for vs what thinge shall be lefte in vs but sighinge But he rehersed three thinges to open rede and loke vpō No man liuing openeth for that no man is mete for so great a charge saue only the sonne of God No manne readeth or vnderstandeth fully the iudgements of God but the sonne and to whom he hath reuealed so muche as any man hathe No man loketh on it that is to saye can beholde the workes and iudgementes of God but he shal be offended excepte he be indewed with the spirite purified with the same Therefore we must axe grace of him that we maye vnderstande so muche of Gods iudgementes as shal suffice and may iudge wel of the same Aretas Bishop of Cesaria an expositour of this boke neither any sayeth he of those that lacke fleshe nor any of them that are in the fleshe nor yet of suche as are deperted leauing their fleshe behinde them hath receiued a perfit knoweledge of godly matters And by and by after nother only is there any which could open it but also not so much as loke vpō it that is to saye coulde not loke attentiuely on the iudgments of God and so forth And the cōtexte of the whole place proueth sufficiently that S. Iohn speaketh here of the iudgmēts verely but chiefly of the gouernement of thinges The Lord Iesus be glorified for euer Amen ¶ Here is liuely described the Lambe in the throne of God receiuing the boke of the hand of him that sitteth and opening it The .xxvij. Sermon AND one of the Elders sayd vnto me wepe not Beholde the Lion whiche is of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid hath obteyned to open the boke to lowse the seuen seales therof And I behelde and lo in the middes of the seate and of the foure beastes and in the middes of the Elders stode a lābe as though he had bene killed whiche had seuen hornes and seuen eies which are the seuen spirites of God sent into all the worlde and he came toke the boke out of the right hand of him that sate on the Throne By Christ all thinges are gouerned Forasmuch as Iohn had wept that no man was worthy so muche as to loke on the boke of him that sate on the seate muche lesse to open it One of the .xxiiii. Elders comforteth hym His name is not expressed wherfore it semeth to be required both vaynely and curiously Notwithstanding there be some of the expositours which suppose hym to be the patriarch Iacob Verely for that shortly after his oracle or prophecie is recited And so the authour descendeth in a moste goodly order vnto the description also of the sonne of God by whome the celestial father as al the scripture euery where approueth gouerneth al thinges Hitherto hath he described hym that sitteth on the seate and before that the holy ghoste Wherfore these are holsome and moste profitable doctrines for the churche wherby the true faith is confirmed The comfort of this elder and verely the heauenly most Godly doctrine tendeth to this ende that we should vnderstande that all the complaintes weping grudging and the sondry tourmoylinges of our minde can not be quenched appeased quieted vnlesse we see and beleue that to Christ as here is moste playnely and manifestly set forth is geuen of the father al power in heauen and in earthe and therfore to be constituted like as the only redemer so also the head Prince and gouernour of al whiche vnder the seale of fayth and veritie shoulde gouerne all thinges that are by God his prouidence ordeyned and euen now dispiseth them and reuealeth vnto vs so muche of God his iudgmentes as do suffice vs. This if we beleue with a
and beastes so are they recited in the Lawe also With these as it were sent in from the iiii partes of the world God most rightuouse executeth his iudgementes And let vs obserue this chiefly that power is geuen thē of God to kil and that ouer the fourth parte of the Earth For we learne that God alone is he that quickeneth and sleyeth and that he worketh the same moste iustely by his instrumentes finally that al his thinges are numbred and done in order Wherupon he powreth out his furie vpon the thirde parte of the world For he knoweth whom he shuld punish and whom he should nurrishe tenderly A◠misery Certenly stories testifie how in desperate matters when all thinges are brought to an extremitie of mischiefe God hath brought in sworde pestilence famine beastes which haue plaged men And ful aptly here doeth Aretas recite the wordes of his predecessour S. Andrew Bisshop of Cesaria out of the Eccles story of Eusebius in the .9 boke .8 chapt And verely with in the fiue hōdreth last yeres Historiographers tel of many suche like thinges and we haue sene some Therfore if we couet to be quitte of so great euilles let vs serue God in trueth annd make muche of his worde which he hath sent to heale vs. And reason it is that such as reiecte soūde doctrine should be vexed with sondry diseases of soule and body c. The good are also subiecte to these euils You wil saye but these euilles inuade also the best that is So they doe in dede Whie God permitteth this S. Austen sheweth at large in the first boke of the citie of God Certenly to the godly al thinges tourne to the best The theues suffered the same death of the crosse that Christ did and he as they but the consideration of them is farre diuerse The apostles and innumerable Martirs dye of the sworde likewise do soldiours in the warres but with vnlike lot The Godly are made pertakers of the passion of the sonne of God The vngodly are punisshed for their wickednes and their sufferyng is without glory yea rather this is the begynning vnlesse thei acknowledge him that striketh them of euerlasting tourmentes The Lorde preserue vs from euyll ¶ The fifth Seale is opened and the persecution of the faythfull set before our eyes and also the state of Martirs in an other world The .xxxij. Sermon ANd when he had opened the fifth seale I saw vnder the Aultar the soules of them that were killed for the worde of God And for the testimony whiche they had and they cried with a lowde voice saiyng howe long tariest thou lorde whiche arte holy and trewe to iudge and to auenge our bloud on them that dwel on the earth and long white Garmentes were geuen vnto euery one of them and it was sayed vnto them that they should reste for a little season vntil the nombre of their felowes and bretherne and of thē which shuld be killed as they were were fulfilled The fifte Seale beyng opened of the lambe he exhibiteth to our eyes or rather obiecteth to be sene the continuall persecutions of the churche and sheweth vnto vs diligently what is the state of them whiche die in persecutions Verely the Lorde Christ sendeth forth ministers and preachers for the saluation of men And they vnthankefull ouerwhelme with al kinde of iniuries the faythefull messengers of God and at length most cruelly slaye them Of the whiche matter sins the talke of men emonges themselues is diuerse the very sonne of God at this present doeth gallauntly instructe his church declaryng what the godly shal suffer And first in expounding the same Of the persecution of the church we shal speake generally of the persecutions wherwith aswell the ministers as all the faithful church also is diuersely exercised The lord Christ hath shewed vs before in the Gospel many things touching the persecutions to come verely that he mighte prepare the mindes of all the faithful to battell and patience The places be in the .10 and .24 of Matthew In the .12 and .21 of Luke in the .14.15 and .16 of Iohn And also the actes of the Apostles tel of many thinges whiche the godly suffered in that most holy primitiue Church should he haue ben thought to haue ben well in his wittes if any mā than should haue saied he◠of it appereth that thapostolical church is not the church for that it is subiect to al the mockeries iniuries and slaughters of al men whie than doe we not acknowledge at this daye that they are fowly disceaued which measure the church by the outwarde peace and tranquillitie of thinges Paulus Orosius in the .7 boke of histories raccompteth ten greuouse persecutions reysed agaynst the church frō the time of the Apostles vntil themperour Cōstantine which time did not fully accomplish the space of .ccc. yeres The first was stired vp by Nero a monstrouse man wherof also Tacitus mentioneth in his Chronicles This same rid out of the waie Peter Paul the most holy Apostles of Christ The seconde destruction of the church brought in Domitian which in the same his persecutiō most greuously afflicted both this our S. Iohn and the whole churche also and when he was brought to Rome banished him into the I le of Pathmos The thirde raysed Traiane wherof Plinie gouernour of Asia maketh mentiō in the 10. boke of Epistles In this was Ignatius an holy Bishoppe cast and deuoured of wilde beastes And M. Antoninus verut molested the church with the fourth persecution consumed with fire Polycarpus a bishop most worthie Septimus Seuerus moued the fifte persecution which Eusebius pourseweth in the .6 boke of the Ecclesiastical story Iulius Maximinus killed Pamphilus martir and Sextus raged cruelly againste the church And Decius Traianus beganne the seuenth persecution and executed very many that professed Christ And Licinius Valerian Emperour beheaded S. Cyprian the good Bishoppe of Carthage and was the eight persecutour of the churche Aurelianus verius began the .ix. persecution whiche he but litle auaunced for God most iuste toke him away immediately But Diocletian and Maximian shed more christen bloud thā any other of the Romane Emperours Reade I praye you the beginning of the .8 boke of the Eccles story of Eusebius Compare those things with our time and iudge and coniecture what will shortely come to passe and what our state will be Persecutions are agayne renewed after Constantine vnder Constantius and Iulian. But the moste terrible and greuouse of all haue boyled vp vnder Antichrist and haue indured nowe by the space of fiue hondreth yeres and more What is done at this daye al the world seeth The grounde is wete with the bloud of Martirs Which things S. Iohn foresawe And the causes of persecution The causes of persecution do arrise partely of the gouernement of Christ whiche openeth here the fifte Seale and partely of menne The Lord sendeth vnto his the Crosse and fire to quicken suche as are
corrupte that place and vtter it so as though it mente that the prieste should sacrifice the real body of Christ for the quicke and the dead But the holy Bisshop of Lions knew this filthie errour Away with them and their sophistrie whither they are worthie I haue spoke also befor something of the same matter And that it might clerely appere vnto all menne the smoke of the odours ascendeth that the prayers of the faythfull offered to God through Christ are pleasaunt and acceptable ther is added and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth that is to saie the prayers of the faithful were of God accepted Therfore let vs offer dilligently our prayers vnto God through Christ For he heareth vs and deliuereth vs from euill And the scripture many times calleth our prayers an acceptable sacrifice to God The plaâ—es are in Osee 14. in the .50 Psalme And in many other places In the .141 the prophet sayeth Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight the lifting vp of my handes an euenyng sacrifice Primasius expoundyng this place sayed how Christ is sayed to haue taken of the prayers of Sainctes For bycause through him the praiers of al maye come swetely vnto God Hebrew 13 Herof the Apostle by him we offer vp alwayes a sacrifice of prayse vnto God that is to saye the fruicte of lippes confessyng his name Agaynste praiyng of Sainctes Herby is coÌ„futed the opinion of them which suppose that the Sainctes in heauen be the intercessours of the faithfull which should coÌ„mende their prayers vnto God make the waye open to God For what nede haue they to procure to theÌ„selues other intercessours or aduocates what lacke finde they in Christ or whom maie they preferre or compare with Christ what shal we say that eueÌ„ at this present the odours are offered vp by the hande of the Aungel The celestial sainctes were present with the Lorde and were sene aboute the seate but which of them taking the censer and gathering the prayers of the faithfull offered them vnto God It tourned Ozias or Asarias the king to displeasure that he toke in hand the censer minding to sacrifice and to execute the priestes office the same would be worse for the heaueÌ„ly dwellers naye they should not remayne in Heauen in case they toke vpon them the office of the only Bisshoppe c. He filleth the censer with fire sendeth it into the Earth After this we haue heard that Christ filled the censer with fire taken from the Aultar and sent it downe into the Earth By the whiche narration he retourneth agayne to finish the exposition of the trompettes This fire is the grace of the holy ghoste That is put into the censer is taken of the Aultar is sent doune into Earth For Christe toke the fulnes of the spirite as S. Iohn sheweth in the â— and .3 chapt Christ is Aultar and censer Of the Aultar here is takeÌ„ fire For the holy ghoste is the spirite of the Father and of the Sonne Whom sayeth he I will sende you from my father Him he sente into earth vnder the shape of firie tounges he sendeth him also at this daye into the hartes of the faithfull that he maye inflame them This is the same fire which the Lord in the gospell of Luke sayeth Luke .12 that he will sende into the Earth and would that it should burne Moreouer the effecte of this fire followeth immediately For there were made thonderinges and voices and lightninges and Earthquake By the voices of the Gospell the woundes of sinners are healed and the hartes of men lighted by the illumination of the holy spirite c. Of the whiche thinges we haue spoken also in the .4 chapt and .24 SermoÌ„ Of the preaching of the Gospell as Haggeus also prophecied it should come to passe insewed a wonderfull commotion of all nations c Sathan also was stired whiche reysed vp his ministers through out the worlde agaynst holesome preachyng of the Gospell For there sprange vp sectes whome the mayneteyners of the veritie resisted fightynge with them Whereof nowe he wil reason at large The Lord geue grace that these thinges maye bothe be spoken and hearde with much fruicte ¶ Of the seuen Aungelles trompetters and of the trompettes and of the first .ii. and .iii. trompet The .xxxviij. Sermon ANd the seuen Aungels which had the seuen trompettes prepared themselues to blowe The firste Aungell blewe And there was made hayle and fire which were mingled with bloud and they were caste into the Earth and the thirde parte of trees was burnt and all grene grasse was breÌ„t And the second Aungell blewe and as it were a great Mountaine burnyng with fire was caste into the See the third part of the See tourned to bloud and the third parte of creatures whiche had life died and the thirde parte of Shippes were distroyed And the thirde Aungell blewe and there fell a great starre from Heauen burnyng as it were a cresset and it felle into the thirde parte of the Riuers and into the fountaines of waters and the name of the starre is called Worme wood and the thirde parte of the waters was tourned to Worm wood And many menne died of the waters because they were made bitter Our lord Iesus Christ hath kindeled in earth a bright and holesome fire which the Apostles and men Apostolical haue euery foote more and more inflamed But contrary wise sathan seketh to quenche this holesome fire not only to corrupte and depraue this doctrine of saluation but also to abolish it and ouerwhelme it with lies The meaner and maner herof is at this present described and euen paynted out gallauntly to none other ende but that the faithful beyng warned and fully taught might be wel ware of that pestilent infection For the scope or ende of this boke is to preserue the church safe and sounde from corruptions or at leest to repare the same beyng corrupted The seuen Aungelles stande in the sighte of God S. Iohn therefore sawe seuen Aungels stande in the sight of God To stande signifieth to minister and compriseth the faith and diligence of Ministers Seruauntes stande before kinges ready to do seruice and to execute al theyr commauÌ„dementes We reade in the .1 chapter of Iob. The sonnes of God came and stoode before the Lord and Sathan came also into the middes of them The blessed Aungelles are called the children or sonnes of God They come to doe seruice before God Sathan preaseth in emongs them forasmuch as he is also the minister of God for the executioÌ„ of those things whiche apperteyne to the wrath and indignation of God agaynst the wicked Al elementes be Gods ministers and finally al the creatures of god For he is the lord of Sabaoth the God of hostes whiche for the saluation and iudgement of men vseth wel and rightly all his creatures euery one accordyng to his nature and disposition For he vseth the ministerie of Aungels
a whoremonger entreth not into the kingdome of God Ephes 5. Finally is set thefte with all his partes Thefte Wherof I spake ones in the exposition of the .x. coÌ„maundementes The Lord Iesus preserue vs from all defilyng of sinnes c. Amen ¶ Christ a strong Aungell is set agaynst Antichrist and is excellently described shinyng againe in the darkenes of the church with consolation The .xliij. Sermon ANd I sawe an other mightie angell come downe from Heauen The .10 chapter clothed with a clowde and the raynebowe vpoÌ„ his head and his face was as the Sunne and his fete as it were pillers of fire he had in his hand a little boke open and he put his right foote vpon the sea and his lefte foote on the Earth And cried with a lowde voyce as wheÌ„ a lion roareth And when he had cried seuen thonders spake theyr voices and when the seuen thonders had spoken theyr voyces I was about to write And I hearde a voice froÌ„ heaueÌ„ saiyng vnto me seale vp those things whiche the seuen thonders spake and write them not Hitherto haue we hearde many things of the most daungerouse conflictes against the christen pietie and veritie but nothing hath ben spoken of the defence and maynteiners of the trewe religion but rather the successe and wonderfull felicitie of the wicked hath ben preached especially in the fifte and sixte trompet to witte vnder Papistrie Mahometrie Therfore it might seme to many that the veritie it selfe was not only oppressed loste but also that the veritie of Gods promesses began to fainte decaie A greuouse teÌ„ptatioÌ„ in the felicitie of the AntichristiaÌ„s For the godly oppressed iniquitie triuÌ„pheth in al places the veritie being trodeÌ„ vnder fote liyng reigneth euery where Who therfore would not thinke that the thinges be in maner vaine which are spoken euery where of the rewardes of good men and punnishmeÌ„t of euill doubtles the children of Israell doubted of the fayth of Gods promesses when the terme of their captiuitie was extended only to three score and ten yeres What maruell is it than if the faithful at this daye also seyng the seruitude or bondage of Mahomet and the tiranny of the Pope or Antichrist hath continewed nowe many yeres beginne also to be tempted as also the Sainctes were tempted in olde time witnes Asaph Psalme .73 And verely ye shall haue at this daye which wil say perauenture this world shal be alwaies shal neuer haue ende papistrie shall reigne for euer the Mahometanes shal conquer for euer the godly shal be miserable for euer therfore it is better to frame theÌ„selues to the world we haue nowe loked for thy iudgement a long time yea our fathers D.CCC. and a thousande yeres since had thought the last day of the Lord had ben at hand but none ende appereth any where but all thinges are dayly renewed therefore shal the same face of the world be alwaies the courses of times dewly retourning Who therefore knoweth whether a rewarde be prepared for the godly or punnishmeÌ„t for the wicked For there chaunce farre other thinges vnto holy men than many loke for They loking for blessing life felicitie beholde they are ouerwhelmed with the curses of al menne caried to executioÌ„ and seme the most vnfortunate of all men He that cleaueth to the papistes Turkes and enemies of the Gospell goeth through luckely enough c. Therfore as euery where in this boke ioyfull thinges are mixed with sorrowfull so here also after moste greuouse battels of the .v. and .vi. trompet and moste stronge temptations he ioyneth a most ioyouse gospel for the consolation coÌ„firmation of the faithful leest they should any where doubte of the fidelitie of gods promesses or reuolte from the trewe religioÌ„ to the false therfore against Antichrist the blacke Aungell of the botomles pitte is set the bright or shining Angel of heaueÌ„ the lord Christ Here is gallauntly described is sayed to retourne vnto his the same sweareth solemnely that there shal be none other time but that in the .vii. trompet the very misterie of God should be fulfilled Moreouer the lorde Christ coÌ„maundeth S. Iohn to eate the open boke which Christ held in his hande to prophecie againe By al the which thinges to the coÌ„fort of al godly is signified that Christ shal retourne into the church out of the which he semed by his enemie and vicar to be cast out with great glory and power nother the hope and expectation of the faithful to be vaine how so euer the last daye of iudgement be differred into many ages and the godly fele of great aduersitie Finally that punnishment and rewarde is prepared of God and that this shal be geuen to the godly and that inflicted to the wicked For to the intent we might herof be most assured Christ taketh a solemne othe And sayeth it shal come to passe that the catholicke and christian veritie shall agayne come into the fielde and fighte valeauntly against the Antichristian and Mahometical doctrine Herof therfore shal we learne not to despeire in the loÌ„g persecutions of Antichrist and Mahomet We shall learne also howe to fight agaynst Antichrist and howe he muste be ouercomen not with warlicke but spiritual weapons These is not he able to match He whetteth one sworde on an other And hitherto in dede in these two last chapt hath ben spoken of the warres of heretikes and of the vngodly and of Antichrist the head of al euil hereafter shal follow of the contrary fight of the godly and maynteynaunce of Godlynes Before these is set a description of Christ most elegaunt A goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ moste holesome and moste full of consolation declaryng his force in the ministerie by the ministers of the worde whoÌ„ he hath clothed with vertue from aboue by the weake things of this world ouercoÌ„meth and beateth together the stroÌ„gest things of this world and the which semed inuincible Christ king and Bisshop animateth al his faythfull with his spirite and word indifferently alwaies and euery where worketh many things by his vertue so that he is now felte of al meÌ„ to be coÌ„men againe vnto whoÌ„ he semed hitherto to haue absented him self some what to long And I doubt whether ther be in all the canonical bokes aâ—ter the prophecie of Esaye after the story of the Gospell and especially after the gospell of blessed S. Iohn any other boke which hath mo and more goodly descriptions of Christ than hath this boke They are disceyued and much abused which suppose a rare gospell to be preached in this boke But let vs see the descriptioÌ„ of Christ by partes Christ a mighty Angell We haue shewed in the .v. and .vi. trompe that Antichrist the Pope and Mahomet are stroÌ„g Now is set agaynst them a mightie Aungel the lord Christ him selfe an Angel in dede not in nature or dignitie For he toke not the nature of an Aungel but
Helias cried out how long halte ye on both sides As though he should saye it is not lawful to part your hartes betwixt two Gods nother is it lawful to atttribute al thinges of life of saluation but vnto God alone The fellowship of the kingdom is in this case enuiouse in dede The Helianes shal crie if rightuousenes be of the lawe Christ died in vaine No man can serue two maisters Christ shall profit you nothing which seke saluation in the traditions of men Come ye vnto Christ he is the perfection of the faithfull in him we are complete And like as Helias greuousely accused Achab Iezabel and the Baalamites righte so shall the Helians most sharpely inueye against kinges and Bishoppes Idolaters and Antichristians Thus I saye Helias cometh againe hath commen and shal come before the iudgement Nother shal S. Iohn prophecie otherwise before the iudgement Before the iudgement Iohn came against antichrist He shal not retourne into the Earth in his body out of Heauen but the preachers indewed with the doctrine of S. Iohn shal renewe al his doctrine thei shal expounde such thinges whiche he hath lefte vnto the church written in his Gospell in his Epistles and in the Apocalipse This booke hath a while layne hidde contemned also of good and learned men yet preachyng the same that is conteyned and set forth in this boke but it shal be brought to light of others be set by as it is playne that in this our memorie is done of many And of al these thinges we doe clerely perceyue how Antichrist muste be impugned and slayne not with carnall Armures but with spirituall to witte by sincere doctrine framed after the example of Enoch Helie and Iohn and taken out of the holy scriptures Wherof we shal speake more fully in the .11 Briefly the doctrine of Iohn about the laste iudgement shal be renewed agayne and be knowen to the worlde in despite and agaynst theyr will And vnder the doctrine of Iohn we vnderstande the whole euangelical and Apostolical doctrine in the writing settyng forth wherof S. Iohn also imployde a singular trauell amongs the most excellent What thei must be with what qualiâ—ies furnisshed that preache against antichrist And in the meane season in the same vision is figured the whole maner of the faithfull and lawefull Preachers to be matched with Antichrist what thei ought to be with what qualities furnisshed First S. Iohn is called by a voyce spoken to him from heauen with a coÌ„maundement goe Therfore is Gods vocation chiefly necessary leest any maÌ„ should take vpon him this office with an euill affection Moses was called the prophetes and Apostles were called some in dede immediately from God not of men nother by men some of God also but yet by men and of men The apostles of Christ were not called of men boasting the lawfull succession from Caiaphas Annas colledge of priestes neuerthelesse had their vocation of Christ and approued their vocation in dede to wil by preachyng of the veritie Therefore albeit we cannot at this daye referre our vocation to the Pope and Bisshops braggyng of the lawful succession yet for asmuch as we are able to approue it in very dede and by the testimonies of Christ that our doctrine is Christes doctrine therfore that our ministerie is lawful we care not a whit for theyr opprobriouse and rayling words which crie that we be not called that we be not ordeyned by the Pope To the called is geueÌ„ a sure coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to take the boke of the haÌ„de of the Angel But to him that is called is geuen a sure coÌ„maundement to witte that he take the boke not euery boke but the booke open and that of the hande of the Aungel and agayne of the Aungel standyng vpon the sea lande That Angel is Christ the Lord Lord of the whole Earth of the Sea and al thinges conteyned therein He with his hande offereth to his ministers a boke open to witte the holy scripture and chiefly his sacred holy gospel wrapped with no darkenes nother closed but right manifest to theÌ„ that wil see For albeit that for thantiquitie of the tongue for the proprietie of speach for the figures rites places things stories out of memory some places maie appere somwhat harde what doeth this darken or obscure the misterie of fayth and saluation neuerthelesse most open plaine who vnderstandeth not what he should beleue what he should do how he should pray euen of the Articles of the faith of the .x. coÌ„maundementes and the lordes praier The some of faith and of doctrine is certaine plaine Esaye 29 2. Cor. 4. This boke therfore opened Christ offereth to his ministers And S. Iohn hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little boke not a boke For if ye compare the holy bible especially the gospel boke with other lawes bokes and especially the decrees and decretalles of the Pope the little boke of the holy gospel shal seme very smal Primasius expoundyng this place he semeth sayeth he to vnderstande the veritie of the lawe and prophetes manifested in Christ therfore he sayeth not now as before that he taketh the sealed but the open boke For Christ is the ende of the lawe for rightuousnes to al that beleue and so forth Therefore the lord Christ him selfe geueth vnto the sincere preachers none other preaching than his owne to witte the Euangelicall For he is the light and redemer of the worlde rightuousenes and life nother is there saluatioÌ„ in any other This preaching is not fetched nor takeÌ„ of others than of the handes of the Angel not of the handes of the Pope or Bishops Christ sayeth go forth into the whole worlde and preache the Gospel to euery creature teachyng them to kepe al thinges which I haue coÌ„maunded you Now is also required obedience of the ministers The obedience of the ministers that they obeye the coÌ„maundement of God and that they craue and receyue that which they are coÌ„maunded to axe and receyue In vayne doe some loke for a drawyng and working of saluatioÌ„ outwardely and with out then to be finisshed through the only inuisible operation of God Yf God will haue me blessed and iuste saye they let him worke in me what he wil. Moreouer they themselues are not careful how they should applie themselues to the grace of God workyng by grace Agaynst their vngodlines is it that we heare now howe S. Iohn applieth him self to the coÌ„maundementes of God not without grace For he goeth to the Aungell and sayeth geue me the boke For the Lord must be prayed we must reade diligently as S. Paul also coÌ„maundeth we muste learne and obeye the commaundementes of God The Lord denieth nothing to theÌ„ that are and not tary til God without vs do drawe vs. And the lord denieth nothing to them that are willing do are and are dilligent
that he is assayled he wil streight waye beginne to thonder and lighten finally to craue styre vp the secular power againste Heretikes For he sheweth expressely who shall be this enemie of these prophetes and preaching to witte the beast The beast stired vp persecutioÌ„ that is the Bisshop of Rome notable by his most cruell tiraÌ„nicall and beastly power Of the beast shal be spoken more aboundantly in the .13 and .17 chapt where we shall heare that she cometh out of the earth out of the botoÌ„lesse pitte out of the depe pitte of hell For the originall of that wickednes is referred to non other parente than the deuil the prince of hel a lier murtherer And the thing it selfe speaketh at this daye that al persecutions conflictes are moued stired inferred of the Pope of his blouddy ministers of mischiefe Of the same Authours arrose al the calamities of fourmer times And he fighteth with the ministers and ministerie of christ with sophistrie with craftie and subtile practises The beast fighteth with the Prophetes excoÌ„munication deathes and terrours Haymo Antichrist will put in vre sondry kindes of tourmentes sayeth he such as he can not ouercome he wil assaye to vanquisshe with doctrine He will geue rewardes and wil promise swete wordes and shal shewe also false miracles c. And seyng it hath pleased the lord to call that seate the beast wherfore should we call it the holy See yf the Pope be that bloubdy beaste whie should we salute him most holy father He sheweth morouer with what lucke Antichrist ouercommeth and howe he killeth and with what â—â—â—tesse antichrist shal sight with the prophetes He shal ouercome sayeth he and kill them The same the lord sayed playnely in the Gospel Matth. 10. and Iohn 16. And before also Daniel in the .7 and .11 chapt Some thinges are spoken also before in this boke of the holy martirs The lord geueth this warning in time leest if we should see the preachers of the euangelicall veritie slayne we should doubte of the veritie of the preachyng or esteme the matter of religion after the felicitie of this worlde Whiche neuerthelesse many doe at this daye For most men saye yf this were the preachyng of the veritie as it is sayed to be the most true God would not forsake his owne cause But nowe sins the preachers are oppressed and distroyed whie should we not gather that their matter is false and theirs trewe that ouercome But if we might so reason than the Prophetes Christ and the Apostles defended a very euill cause For all in a maner beyng oppressed of their enemies in the ende were slayne also Full good than was the quarell of the Iewes Phariseis and the moste wicked enemies of Gods worde Howbeit thou wilt saye sins the veritie is inuincible how is antichrist saied to ouercome He shal not ouercome doubtles by sure testimonies by holy Scriptures or strong reasons but by force imprisonment sworde and fire For therfore by interpretation immediatly followeth and he wil kill them Therfore by killyng he shall seme a conquerour For if in a combat Aeneas shal ouercome and sleye Turnus Aeneas shal be called a victour And hitherto in dede Antichrist ouercommeth and although the Martirs be slayne yet doe they before God receyue the rewarde of victours because their cause is iuste and the veritie ouercometh in them The enemies ouercome with the multitude pompe authoritie power fauour richesse and other like thinges we in the goodnes and excellencie of the cause and finally by better testimonies of the Prophetes and Apostles The crueltie of Antichrist We haue now the maner of the fight and victorie He shal fight and ouercome by carnall weapons and shal be subdewed with spirituall armure Hereunto is added what crueltie he wil vse against the Prophetes The which he expresseth in two sentences and their bodies shall lie in the stretes of the citie and they shall not suffer their bodies to be put in the graues Theyr â—oarses lie in the stretes The firste sentence betokeneth an extreme crueltie ioyned with an vtter contempte For all filthie thinges are caste out into the strete yea the Dunge of all stretes is troden vnder fete Antichrist therefore shall handle the Prophetes moste shamefully in so muche that all will beleue that they haue power ouer them and shall as it were spurne them wyth theyr feete and take them for outcastes wicked persons which beyng taken out of the way al thinges shal be safe Certes the maner is in some cities to caste into the stretes the bodies of them that are executed to the intent that al meÌ„ might treade on them and driue cartes ouer them for the terrour of others and to signifie that those men executed were moste detestable and put to death for no small crimes And herunto apperteyneth that Antichrist by secular power hangeth vp some ministers of the churche openly in Cities vpon the gallouse and fasteneth others with chaynes to a poste and so burneth theÌ„ with a slowe fire and at laste killeth them and they are so terribly tied to the pale in chaynes that he maye hoyste them vp and let theÌ„ downe into the fire agayne and so singe them and lifte them vp agayne to the terrour of al that loke on What wil ye saie that he iudgeth them vnworthie of the laste honour The dead coarses are not buried burial is the laste honour that is done vnto man but he wil not suffer the bodies of the faithful to be buried Thus perauenture he expoundeth that he saied before and their bodies shal lie in the stretes At this daye not only sepulture is denied to suche as suffer for the gospel but also thei digge vp burne the bones of the dead This dyd watson by Bucer at Cambr. whiche liuing would not receyue the Popish sacramentes For in case any man departe and hath whispered the priest in the eare confessyng to him al his sinnes and hath not axed absolution of him nor receyued his God of bread or suffered him selfe to be regenerated with extreme vnction although he departed in the trewe sayth yet for as much as he hath not vsed those Popish ceremonies and huÌ„bled him self to the Pope the partie shal not come in christen buriall but is buried on the dunge hill with dogges The thing it self speaketh at this day Morouer these Antichristes wil seke by this meane to abolisshe al memorie of the godly For Monumentes are made to reteyne the honeste memorie of the dead But the rightuouse shal be in eternall memorie c. And they in dede thinke that they do like good catholickes but the lord Iesus expouÌ„deth their worke and sayeth it is extreme crueltie Than what shall you thinke of them which blinded with the hatred of the true religion like wolues and Rauens flie vpon the bodies of the dead Martirs and poole them a peces and handle them most shamefully But
world intollerable thei haue oppressed the godly bragged of their victories and haue boasted of theyr owne felicitie with full chekes and as we shall heare in the .18 chapt of this boke that beaste hath sayed I sitte as Quene am no widowe and shal neuer see any sorrow For voices are hearde from Rome al Empires are oures It is knowen what maner of thinges Augustinus Steuchus an Italian and chiefe champion of the Popes holines hath set forth in this cause against Laurâ—â—ce Valla about the donation of CoÌ„stantine And dayly are hearde the brags reioycings of the papistes of the euerlasting coÌ„tinuauÌ„ce of the See of Rome of her victories oppression of the preachyng of the Gospell that the same hath her power stretched through out the world c. But in that day what time verely our lord Iesus Christ shal abolish al power rule authoritie shal haue made al his enemies his fote stoole accordyng to the scripture in the .110 Psalme And in the .1 to the Corinth the .15 Ther shal be hearde againe the voyces of the gladde and ioyeful singing trewe and eternal triumphing songes in heauen For Angelles and sainctes shal sing together wherfore the voices shal be greater more durable thaÌ„ the voices of Christes enemies which last but a smal season The songe of the Elders Nowe also he rehearseth the songe or triumphaunt dittie and reioycyng the kingdomes of this worlde are made our lordes his Christes and he shal raigne for euer more AmeÌ„ He sheweth two thinges that all kingedomes are made the fathers and the sonnes and that he shal raigne for euermore Al kingdomes were before also our lord Iesus Christes but the same appered not so plainely to al men what time the bisshop of Rome also vsurped the same to him selfe oppressed theÌ„ which did only celebrate the name of Christ But in that it shal truely appere and that to all fleshe that al kingdomes were euer and yet remayne of one the eternal God Christ therfore ouercometh the veritie ouercometh the gospel ouercometh the churche ouercometh they that are vanquished shal be led to hel Mahomet with his the Bishop of Rome with his There is added that Christ shal raigne for euer more Antichrist in dede hath raigned and the wicked haue reioyced in this worlde but a very shorte time but nowe shall the godly reigne with christ for euer more Nother doeth he now diuide the kingdome of the father the sonne but sheweth it to be comon where he sayeth that the kingdomes are made that is to saye it is openly declared that al kingedomes are of God the father and the sonne and that he shal reigne with his electe for euermore So you may see that the place of S. Paule maye not be expounded after the lettre which is writteÌ„ in the .1 to the Corinth the .15 chapt of that the sonâ—â— must be subiected shall deliuer the kingdome to his father For he shall deliuer the kingdome to witte the church that is to saye shal bring and present it to the father and in his membres shal be subiecte to the father with whom not withstanding he him selfe shal reigne for euer Thaffirmatiue vocable is annexed Amen Leeste any man should doubt one whitte of these celestial misteries Howbeit he doeth more playnely expounde afterwarde what those voices are that were spokeÌ„ in Heauen whilest he annexeth the narration of the .xxiiii. Elders and of such thinges wherwith they praysed God And here the most goodly beautifull order of this boke semeth to me worthie to be obserued In the beginning of this visioÌ„ he brought in the same elders teaching vs by their exaÌ„ple himnes what we should do the same therefore he bringeth againe also in the ende of this vision that we might be instructed againe by their wordes doynges not only concernyng the last iudgement of what sorte it shal be most rightouse doubtles as al his iudgementes are which the whole visioÌ„ approueth but that also we shuld vnderstaÌ„d what becometh vs what we shuld do verely that we should worship god submit our selues whole vnto him beleue stedfastly that both the iudgement shal assuredly come that also it shal be most iuste A geuynge of thankes The himne or prayer which they offer vp vnto God is a kynde of prayse For it is a thankesgeuyng or reioysing for victory For in such sort they geue God thanks that neuerthelesse they celebrate god highly and reioyce to themselues and to al godly for their saluatioÌ„ For they geue god thanks for their saluation And coÌ„mend his iustice and veritie which he sheweth in this his iudgement rewarding the good with good things and the euil with euil Therfore like as they rise out of their chayres and fal downe before almighty God euen so aught we also both nowe and euer to do Whereof is spoken more in the .4 chap. Here we should learne humilitie and that God alone is to be worshipped that to him alone al praiers or inuocatioÌ„s or geuing of thaÌ„ks must be offered the which thing is cleane repugnauÌ„t to the popish doctryne We se now the very thankesgeuing than the which no better can be found They geue thankes vnto God Let vs therfore thanke him also And also coÌ„mend exalte him whylest they call him the Lord and God almightie and also they celebrate his maiestie where they say which arte and which waste and which arte to come They allude to the wordes of God spoken in oulde tyme to Moses in the .3 of Exodus By the diuersitie of tymes the eternitie of God is fygured But of this kynd of speach I haue spoken more in the first chapt Christe in iudgement receyueth power and kingdome And nowe they declare wherefore they geue thankes for thou haste receiued thy great power and hast reigned God verely neuer laide asyde his power that he nedeth to receiue it agayne but what time he sheweth not the same and permittith very much to the vngodly that they by their power can infringe preuayl against gods word he semeth to haue layde it away Therfore now that he oppresseth the wicked and as a iudge auauÌ„ceth the godly maintayneth the veritie and destroyeth lying he is truly sayed to haue receyued his great power Lykewise now is he said to reigne not because he reigned not before but forasmoch as the lord hath reigned in the mids of his ennemies so that some time it was doubtfull and vncertayne whether Christe reigned or Antichriste yea that he hath had the vpper hand and Christ hath ben oppressed now that Christ hath broken al the power of his aduersaries he is said most truly to reigne And very wel Erasmus admonissheth in his annotations vpoÌ„ the newe Testament that the translatour had tourned more aptely Ebacilensas yf he had sayed thou hast obteyned a kingdome For the latin men saye Regnauit He hath reigned whiche hath lefte reignyng
iudges moreouer oppressours of the poore which afflicte widowes and the fatherles more ouer whiche in vsurie thefte disceiptefulnes extorsion and euill meanes are hurteful to all men and by their vnsatiable couetousenes brede a darth of al thinges Finally which by whoredome and aduoutrie defile breake holy matrimony Laste heretikes distroye the earth suche as infecte men with corrupte doctrine that dwell vpon the Earth into the which numbre come also seditiouse persons and traitours and other wicked men Perdition is not to abolish These shall the Lord distroye with euerlastyng perdition wherby they cease not to be that perish but become muche more miserable whilest they are vexed with tourmeÌ„tes that neuer shall haue ende Vnthriftes and prodigall persons are sayed to be loste yet in perisshyng thus they cease not to be but procede dayly to be more miserable which is perdition it selfe God openeth Heauen to his that they loke vp to him Furthermore S. Iohn doubteth this doctrine of the reâ—arde of the godly that whiche before he treated vnder the fourme of a thankeful prayse and a ioyouse triumphyng he propoundeth now consequeÌ„tly the same as it were to be sene with the eyes by a vision celestiall And gallauntly he endeth this vision with the opening of the Temple which he began with the opening of Heauen For the louing lorde openeth to his seruauntes heauen it selfe to be sene of the eyes of our minde to the ende we should no where doubte of the glory prepared for vs in Heauen nother should saie who hath sene those celestiall thinges that are promised vs For like as the blessed fathers the Prophetes and Apostles haue had very many visions of this sorte effectuall trewe and godly So maye euery one of vs with the eyes of our minde through trewe fayth loke into Heauen it selfe I knowe well that the worldely men passe nothing vpon such visions as of whom the Lord in the Gospell hath sayed the world can not receiue the spirite of trueth for that he seeth him not nother knoweth him Let not vs care for their contempt Let vs see therfore The temple of god open in heauen what is prepared for the seruauntes of God in an other worlde Firste S. Iohn sawe heauen open now in heauen it self he seeth also the very temple of god open to witte to all the godly By the Temple of God he vnderstandeth the secretes of God the inwarde priuie partes of Heauen whereinto he will receyue to the fruition of him selfe al beleuers But in that diuine temple of heaueÌ„ was sene the Arche of his Testamente Arcke in the Temple For God made a conuenaunte or leage with the faythful that he would be theyr God their fulnes and a most pleÌ„tiful Sea of al goodnes a most aboundaunt and moste sufficient plentie of all thinges The confirmation testimony and declaration wherof is the Arke of coÌ„uenaunte the very sonne of God in whome dwelleth all fulnes of deitie and in whom we be made perfit For he is the Arke in whom are layde vp al celestial treasours ful of grace and veritie This Arke of good thinges and of eternal felicitie appereth in heaueÌ„ For the sonne of God is in the throne of God The liberall and bountiful father celestial wil powre out this Arke vpon his children graunting to them through Christ his only sonne all heauenly giftes that we mighte be partakers of al Christes benefites euen to the deitie wherin he excelleth his bretherne Hereby it appereth howe Moses prepared the Arke after the example of the same whiche he sawe in Heauen and the figure whereof was the Arke of the conuenaunt c. Otherwise we shal heare in the .21 chapt of this boke that there is no temple in heauen c. These moste beautiful thinges to be sene and moste pleasaunt to be hearde the sonne of God hath set forth to be sene and hearde of vs. Consequently he addeth that punnishementes are prepared for the wicked and expouÌ„deth the same also diuersely and propouÌ„deth the same to be sene Hitherto were made in the worlde lighteninges And lightninges were made voices and thonderinges c. The holy ghost shining to the world and drawing through the doctrine of the veritie mouing and fearing but the madde worlde would not vnderstande no nor so muche as heare the maner and waye of saluatioÌ„ therfore the diuine iustice requireth that they should be talked with all in an other langage and therefore by the iuste iudgemente of God are made now lightenings c. And by this heape of wordes he signifieth the horrible punnishement that God will take of the wicked And he appereth to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome also to the wordes of the godly Prophet it shall raygne vpon sinners snares of fyre brimestone and spirite of tempeste in the .11 Psalm Therefore is this vision concluded as the story of S. Matthewes Gospell and these shall goe into euerlastyng punnishement and the iuste into life euerlastyng We haue in these eight laste chapters the thirde parte of this boke and an notable abridgement of the Ecclesiasticall storie froÌ„ the time of S. Iohn vnto the worldes ende wherwith we are instructed in the trewe fayth and are admonisshed of all perilles and traysons whereby the trewe fayth is assailed to the intent that beyng watcheful we maye beware of all corruption and craftie seducing and may be made safe To God be praise and glory ¶ The description of the churche and of the red Dragon fighting agaynst the Church The .lij. Sermon ANd there appered a great tokeÌ„ in Heauen a woman clothed with the sunne and the Moone vnder her fete vpoÌ„ her head a crowne of .xii. starres And she was with childe and cried trauailing in birth payned ready to be deliuered And there appered an other token in heaueÌ„ and beholde a great red Dragon hauing seueÌ„ heades .x. hornes and seuen crownes vpon his heades and his tayle drewe the thirde parte of starres of heauen cast them to the Earth And the dragon stode before the woman which was ready to be deliuered for to deuoure her childe as sone as it were borne And she brought forth a maÌ„childe which should rule all nations with a rodde of yron hyr sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his seate And the woman fled into wildernes where she had a place prepared of God that they shoulde fede her there a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes The fourth parte of this boke exhibiteth to vs the thirde vision which others that diuide the seconde into two The order dispositioÌ„ of thinges of this boke make the fourth The lord hath often times and much made mention in the seconde vision of the persecution and fight of the faythfull with Antichrist and wicked enemies of God especially in the .6.9 and .11 chapters He procedeth therefore nowe in the thirde vision and that aboundantly to discourse of the same conflicte and
finished both of the Citie distroyed and the people of God ouercome There were caried aboute in the triumph the holy vessels of the Temple and euen the God of the Iewes as vanquished and bounden was sene led into the Capitoll house to make his supplication to their great God Iupiter as it pleased them Whereupon we vnderstande that the name of God was no whit lesse outrageously blasphemed at that tyme than it was in olde time of the Palestines or Philistians what tyme they set the Arcke in the temple of their God Dagon lykewyse of Rapsake and Synnacherib moreouer of Balthazar Kyng of Babylon in the .5 chapter of Daniel But the offendours are founde out at the laste Secondely the Romaines blasphemed the Tabernacle of God That same oulde Tabernacle of the people of Israell was not onelye the offyce or place of religion and worshyppyng but also a token of Gods presence For God is nowe presente in the myddes of his Churche a fygure of whome the Tabernacle of witnesse represented But the Romaynes called the Christen church wycked foolysh seditiouse whorysh and detestable whych they also moste greuouselie ded persecute and sought to destroy by al meanes hereunto also they bent their whole power Finally they blasphemed also the heauenly dwellers Gods Sainctes ouerwhelmed with reproches the happie and blessed soules of Sainctes Propheies and Apostles whom thei called wicked seducers peace breakers blasphemers heretikes and sinnefull persons For at this time whilest S. Iohn wrote these things diuerse Apostles vnder the Romane Empire had nowe ben executed and slayne as plagues of the worlde yea their memorial and doctrine condemned But hereof you perceyue how displeasauntly God taketh it if any man raile vpon godly preachers and holy ministers of churches For the Lord taketh the reproche spoken as it were agaynst him selfe There remayne yet at this daye certen blasphemies of this sorte with Cornel. Tacitus in the .21 booke of Augustallus written agaynste Moses and the people of God Morouer God permitteth the beast that he should warre vpon the Sainctes and ouercome them The beaste maketh war with the sainctes For the Romane Empire vnto the time of Constantine the greate stired vp ten most greuouse persecutions against the church Wherof you maye reade Eusebius bisshop of Cesaria and Orosius in the history which he wrote to S. Austen And this place chiefly apperteyneth to the instruction and comforte of the churche For the Lord also in the Gospell prophecieth of the destenies of the church to the consolation and information of the godly as appereth in the .15 and .16 chapt of S. Iohn And how the Sainctes be ouercome I declared in the .11 chapt The Lord Iesus preserue his church Amen ¶ Of the power of the Romane Empire and who worshippe the beast and of the destruction of Rome and the Romane Empire The .lvij. Sermon ANd power was geuen him ouer all kinrede tongue and nation and al that dwel vpon the Earth worshypte hym whose names are not wrytten in the Booke of life of the lambe whiche was killed from the beginnyng of the world Yf any mā haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie he that killeth with a sword must be killed with the sworde Here is the patience and the fayth of Sainctes Of the power of the Rom. Empire The Apostle by the reuelation of Christe speaketh also of the power maiestie of the Romane Empire The Romane Empire was in dede of greatest power in the time of Octauius Augustus also in the time of Domitian his empire and in the reigne of Traiane also vnder Hadrian Aureliane Diocletian and Constantine The greater parte of the worlde inhabited obeied therunto as al Europe in a maner Asia Africke as both latin and Greke histories do testifie Howbeit herof the lord warneth vs that we should not curiousely search the counselles of God beyng inquisitiue whie God gaue so great power to the Romanes whom he knewe would abuse the same to the oppression of Christes Church for where he saieth that the power was geuen to Rome he stilleth and appeaseth all murmuringes For Empires be of God But he is most wise rightuouse and holy Where therfore he made the kingdomes of the world subiecte to Rome he did it wisely iustely and holily In that the Romanes corrupte Gods ordenaunce and committe themselues to be gouerned of the Deuill it cometh of euill Let our disputations here cease for the wise man sayeth also that wicked men and hipochrites reigne for the sinnes of the people And that he reherseth kinreddes tōgues and nations he doeth after the imitation of the Prophet Daniel which by such a phrase of speach is wonte to signifie a moste large and puissaunt Empire But what apperteyneth this to vs or what profit sayest thou cometh to vs herby that the Romane Empire is so far extended through out the worlde This verely we see howe this prophecie hath hitte euery thing rightly that wente before therefore is there lefte no place to doubte of the thinges that followe Let vs consider moreouer that moste puissaunt kingdomes which seme to men inuincible maye of God be disolued without any difficultie lette vs therefore learne to feare God and to walke in his commaundementes and to dispise these earthly thinges Now also he declareth more expressely who shall worship the beast Who worshippe the beaste for he sayed that men in the world should be taken with admiration of the beaste and shal worship the beast he now declareth the same and so placeth the word of worshipping that he maye vnderstāde it as wel of those that are present as also to come For he speaketh not only of men of his time but of al which rauished with the admiration of thempire and maiestie thereof shal eyther denye or contemne the fayth of Christ And he sayeth that al shal worship the beaste that dwell vpon Earth and leeste any man should referre it absolutely vnto al as though non of the trewe worshippers of God shoulde be any he annexeth whose names are not written in the boke of life of the lābe to wit the reprobates not the chosen the vnbeleuers I say which cōtemne the word of the gospel disdaigne to heare it and be rebelles to Christ Aretas the expositour they dwell vpon the earth sayeth he which are moued with no care of heauenly things nor of the glory that there is or geue themselues to earthly habitation and applie themselues to a beastly life according to the same Thomas of Aquine bringeth also a testimony out of the .17 of Ieremie They that departe from me shall be written in the Earth For they haue forsaken the veyne of liuely waters euen the lord him selfe Of the boke of life I haue spoken in the .3 and .5 chapt and wil speake of the same in the .19 and 20. chapt of the Apocalipse Hereunto he annexeth a notable thing after the maner of Apostles which
Emperour shal he haue Rome shal he haue Italie the oulde seat of the Empyre shal he haue Fraunce Spayne Hongarie Germanie For although Germanie be nowe taken for the seate of the Empyre yet hath shee her owne Princes her owne free Cities and the which inioye their Priuileges although they be called Emperiall Theodorycke of Niem a Germayne and a familiar friende of certen Popes which wrote also the lyues of certen Byshoppes of Rome which were last before the counsell of Constaunce in the thyrde booke the .xliii. chapt of his Stories Of what magnificēce sayeth he the Romaine Empyre is at the leestwyse openlye sene in Germanie For you shal haue there an Archbyshop or a Byshop which hath of yearely reuenewes twyse so much more The pouerty and barenes of the Romayne Empyre as the Kyng of Romaynes receyueth in all his dominions And agayne a temporall Prince that hath more landes than hath the Emperour And so forth Moreouer in the ould Empire ther was some mightie monarke which vsed full Aucthoritie and was honoured of all men as a God in Earth As Caius Domitian Dioclesian and others His Image representeth the Pope Byshoppe and Kynge and as it were a certeine God terristrial the greatest Monarke with fulnesse of power Furthermore Rome or the oulde beaste had a mooste honorable Senate So hath the Byshppe of Rome also a Princelyke Senate of prowde purpled Cardynalles For they bee in maner all Princes The booke of the Romayne gouernementes reciteth the Vicar or Lieutenaunte of the Diocesse of Asia a Diocesse in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a disposition administration dispēsation gouernemente or iurisdiction the Vycar of the Diocesse of Thracia and of Pontus So was there a noble man president of the gouernementes in Italie He had manye Diocesses vnder And no fewer had the Lieutenaunt of Fraunce And lyke as the Counte of Strasbourgh the Captayne generall of the soldiours at Spires and the General of the soldiours at Woormes ded acknowledge the Duke of Mentz a Proconsull So at this daye the Byshoppes of those Cities are subiectes to the Archebyshoppe of Mentz The Byshoppes therefore seme by the Popes ordinaunce to succede in the place of the Romayne gouernementes Certeinelie you shall see the moste parte of these Byshops called not onely moste reuerend fathers in Christe but also most Noble myghty Dukes and Princes of the Empyre And this is also manifeste that the Emperour of the oulde beaste had his legions the Romaine Egles or enseignes and moste expert and puissaunt Captaynes of warre But the high Bishop and kyng of Rome hath in that Imagerie Empyre obedient children kinges and Princes in Europe not to be dispised Tharmies and power of the Popes sworde whom he may cōmaunde yf nede requyre to stretch foorth the secular power For so thundreth Boniface the .8 in the firste boke de Maior Obedient doubtles sayeth he whosoeuer denieth the temporall sworde to be in the power of Peter he vnderstandeth a misse the worde of the Lorde sayeng put vp thy swoorde into thy sheath howe subtiilie and howe aptelie Therefore are both swords in the power of the church to wit both the spiritual and materiall sword but this must in dede be exercised for the church the other of the church The spirituall by the prieste the materiall by the hande of kinges and soldiours but at the will and patience of the high prieste c. The oulde beaste had his lawes written and published daylie in a maner newe Decretals The Popes therefore after the imitation of the emperiall lawes haue written decretalles and many tymes make newe lawes Yea moreouer they saie howe the voice precepts or cōmaundemēts of the pope are aswel to be receiued taken as the words of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God and Apostle S. Peter They adde moreouer these things also that we muste stand to the popes determinatiō That where the pope is there is the generall counsell Where the Pope is there is our common countrie He is compelled or reproued of no man althoughe he be called an heretike He hath all lawes in his breast or in the scroll of his breaste he may interprete or expound all thinges The same doth ratifie no sentence and it is in him alone to take away one mans right and geue it to an other He maie take awaye priuileges and at his wyll and pleasure not onely to chaūge bishops but also to depose the emperour himselfe and to declare no sentence of themperour All the world is the Popes diocesse and the pope is the ordinarie of al hauing fulnes of power aswell in spiritual matters as tēporall For he is Lord of Lordes and hath the righte of the King of Kinges ouer all subiects For he hath no pere and is all thinges and aboue all and it is necessarie to saluation to be vnder the byshop of Rome For ther is one consistorie or iudgement seat of God and of the Pope These thynges haue I taken oute of their owne books to witte of their Decretalles and gloses There is a boke of Antony Russell of Aretine of the power of the Pope and the emperour where in you may read innumerable things of the same sort But of these thinges which I haue noted hitherto I suppose it be made playne enough how the Pope which is here also called the false prophete hath sette vp the Image of the beaste Hereunto Ihon addeth an other thyng And he had power to geue a spirite to the Image of the beaste that the empyre thus establyshed and all thynges sette in order the beaste or false prophete doeth moue all that weighte and putteth lyfe into the Image so that it can speake to witte the same that the false prophete hath geuen it to speake For excepte the pope do confyrme the election of the Kyng of Romaines he shall not be thoughte worthie of the name of Emperour .22 quest .5 de forma in the glose thēperour sweareth to the pope as the Client to his Lord. The same maiste thou reade in the firste boke the .9 title de iure iurando in Clementinis Moreouer who seeth not how aswell the Emperour as other Princes are inuironed wyth a cōpanie of Byshoppes whych inspyre them what they shoulde speake or doe and howe they shoulde behaue themselues in all thinges For this cause are sent also the Legates that are called Legati a latere And it is not vnknowen that in all Princes counselles for the moste parte the spirituall haue the chiefe rule They be for the most parte Chancelours Secretaries Ambassadours and what not And their Pope King sayeth openlie howe he ought to iudge al men but to be iudged of no man Yea and his creatures also vsurpe the same vnto themselues Yf ther be any assemblee there the Byshop of Rome commonly ruleth by his spirite and gouerneth the chiefeste matters especiallye matters of religiō For vnlesse the decrees please the fathers
that in Charles the greate through the meanes of Pope Leo the thirde thempire in the weste decayed was renewed and that thus the image of the beaste that is to witte of the Romane Empire was erected And albeit that at this time thempire decayed in the weste was restored by the Pope yet is it euideÌ„t that the Popes in the beginning of this Empire by certen donatioÌ„s and giftes much in riched did not as yet vse so greate power as they vsurped to themselues afterwarde when they had ouerthrowen and deposed certen Emperours For al though the donatioÌ„ seme to be made by king Pipine and the pope is red than to haue receiued the beginning of his kingdome yet that he was subiecte to Emperours and kings with the Citie of Rome also this same emoÌ„ges other thinges proueth that in the French Cronicles of the Actes of king Charles in the yere of our lord eight hoÌ„dreth and one thus it is founde written afterwarde hauyng set in order the matters of the citie and Bishoppe of Rome and of al Italie therefore did Italy than also obey the Emperour not only publicke but also marke ecclesiasticall and priuate for all the winter themperour did nothing els departing froÌ„ Rome with his sonne Philip he came to Spolet The same authour in the Actes of the yere eight hoÌ„dreth and 16. Stephen sayeth he elected in the place of Leo the .3 taketh as greate iourneyes as he could to come to the Emperour sendyng in the meane time two Ambassadours which might treate with themperour Ludouicus pius for his consecratioÌ„ So likewise in thactes of the yere eight hondreth and .17 is shewed howe Paschalis beyng chosen sente an Ambassade to Lewis the Emperour In thactes of the yere .823 the same Bishop stode at the examination and iudgement of themperour You maye finde in thactes of the next yere that themperour Lotharie establisshed the matters of Italy and Rome Yet doeth the same authour againe make mention of the donation of King Pipine which gaue to S. Peter Rauenna and Pentapolis and all the gouernemente Yet doeth he make no mention of the donation other of Charlemaygne or of Ludouicus pius The .43 distinct maketh mention thereof I Lewis c. in the glose is written thus There Lewis geueth Rome and diuerse other thinges to S. Peter and to Paschale the Pope All historiographers in maner make mention of the donation of the Kinges of Fraunce An Abridgement of all gathereth out of the librarie Dolaterane in the third boke of Geographie in the actes of Pipine and Charles Wherby ye maye easely coniecture what maner of Canon is set forth in the .96 distinct in these wordes Constantine the Emperour hath geuen and graunted to the Apostolical See the Crowne and all the Emperiall dignitie is the Citie of Rome and in Italy and in the weste partes Which by and by after he discourseth with a longe exposition out of the life of S. Siluerster wrytten as they saye by Gelasius in the chapt followynge But Antony Bysshoppe of Florence denieth in his History that this donation doeth remayne in any olde bokes Cusanus and Laurence Valla haue impugned the same nother hath Ottho Bisshoppe of Frisyng in the .3 chapt of the .4 booke of his storie nor Marsilius Pataninus in the defence of peace nor Raphael Volaterane allowed the same nor many mo that I coulde reherse Moreouer in the Cronicles of Kinges of Fraunce set before the story of Paulus Aemilius of the actes of Kinges of Fraunce in the yere 755. thus you maye reade Pipine agayne entred into Italy and Aistulphus subdued he gaue giftes to Maximus Bisshop of Rome also the Dukedom of Rauenna of very great laÌ„des leeste any man should vnthankefully vniustely take awaye this larges from the French Kinges ascribyng to themperour Constantine which Pipine gaue to the church of Rome agaynst the wil of the Greke Emperour affirming the same possessions to be the right of the Empire From thence Pipine first receiued and brought into Fraunce the Ecclesiasticall rites of the Romanes and ceremonies of songes Thempire conueyed from the FrenchmeÌ„ to the Germenes c. Howebeit the gouernement of thempire Charles posteritie was not very stable and permanent For from the firste yere of Charles wherein he was created Emperour vnto the seuenth yere of Conrade whiche was Nephewe to Lewis the .3 by his Brother the laste of the house of Charles are accompted aboute an hondreth and .19 yeres For Charlemaigne reigned Emperour .14 yeres Lewis .26 Lotharius .15 Lewis the seconde .21 Charles two yeres Caluus surnamed the seconde Charles .3 Crassus .12 Arnulphe .12 Lewis the .3.10 Conrade .7 Conrade liyng on his death bed nominateth Kinge Henry Duke of Saron surnamed Falconer And thus was the Empire translated to the Germanes This Henry called the firste came neuer in Italy neuer was consecrate or crowned of the Pope His Sonne Ottho the firste of that name sente for in Italy is red to haue gone thither with a greate Armie beyng receyued at Rome and saluted of the people Emperour and Auguste Ottho Frisinge in the .6 boke of Histories the .17 chapt affirmeth out of the decrees that Pope Leo the .8 of that name did coÌ„secrate this Ottho the firste King of Germanes For his father Henry refused it Albert Krantz in the .10 and .11 chapt of the fourth booke of Saxon matters affirmeth that Pope Leo made a surrender of all suche thinges as the Popes had receyued of the kinges of Fraunce and the authour defendeth this surrender made to be trewe Howebeit the keper of the Librarie testifieth that Ottho confirmed the donatian of the kinges of Fraunce Pipine Charles and his sonnes There remayneth morouer in the decrees a copie of the othe the .43 distinct wherby kyng Ottho bindeth him self to the Pope that he shall intermeddle with nothyng that coÌ„cerneth the Pope and the Romanes secondely that he shal restore al the landes of S. Peter that shal come into his handes Which thing let the reader iudge what they are Shortely after this time about the yere of our lord .996 Electours They saye how by the decree of Pope Gregory the .5 and by the consent of Ottho the .3 Emperour the seueÌ„ princes Electours were assigned vnto whoÌ„ the defence of the church as sayeth Wimpelingius and the Romane Empire was committed In the whiche thing all Historiographers and wryters doe agree and that of the Italianes Blondus Platina Sabellicus Volaterane Egnâ—tius and others of Germanes Albertus Nauclerus Carion Functius and certen others diuerse haue made no mention of this ordinaunce Wherefore Auentinus in the .5 booke of Cronicles Folio .510.707 sayeth that he knoweth I can not tel how certeÌ„ly that after the death of Fridericke the .2 the Electours were instituted and confirmed of Gregory the .10 But how so euer that matter standeth certayne it is that there hath ben many amonge the seuen princes electours both feruent and earneste in true religion and
I know rightwell that the proper names of great men haue ben sealed by prophecies and signified before as Iosias Cyrus Iesus But here thou canst gather no such thing but forceably and as it were agaynst the heere I vnderstande therefore by the nombre of the name of Antichrist or beaste the very accōpte wherby we come vnto his name And a name is a briefe definition or description of any thing whereby it is knowen of what sorte and maner it is Which thing in this our cause the nōbre supplieth whiche bringeth vs vnto those times which geue him his name whereof he taketh his name that is whiche times reueale vnto vs Antichrist spoken of before in the prophetes and shewe vs who and what he is or whō we should take for Antichrist euen him verely whiche hauing brought lowe three kinges he him selfe starteth vp of naught and to the distruction of the true religion beginneth to reigne And nowe he sheweth vs expressely this nombre nominall as I maye calle it The nōbre of .666 yeres is expounded and vocalle which maye leade vs vnto Antichriste that we maye knowe who it is and when we knowe him we maye beware of him and commaundeth vs to nombre the yeres sixe hondreth sixtie and sixe For so many importe these Greke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In expoundyng of the which nombre the expositours haue varied wonderfully I like best the exposition of the blessed Martir S. Ireney which perauenture an hondreth yeres after the setting forth of the Apocalipse wrote his boke against heresies saw some whiche hearde S. Iohn preach with S. Ireney maketh also Andreas the good bishop of Cesaria which with Aretas speaketh thus the perfit rekening iuste accompte of the nōbre as likewise other thinges which are written of the same Antichriste the oportunitie of time shall open Time shal reueale antichrist and very experience to suche as will watche dilligently For if it were necessary as some of the Doctours suppose that this name should be manifestly knowē he that sawe him would doubtles haue reuealed But the diuine grace allowed it not that the name of this pestiferous beaste should in this godly boke be rehersed Thus farre Andreas The exposition of Ireneus After the same sorte also the holy Martir of Christ Ireneus before Andreas lefte written in the .5 boke agaynst Heresies For aboute the ende of the booke it is surer sayeth he and with out daunger to abide and tary for the fulfillyng of the prophecie than to suspecte and gesse at euery name where as many names maye be founde hauing the foresayde nombre whereby notwithstanding the question is not aunswered Yet by and by he sayeth the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteineth the nōbre of .666 And very like it is to be true For this vocable hath a very kingdome For thei be latines that now raigne This sayeth he Antichriste shal be a latine as also Sibilla prophecied And doubtles this good doctour erred not one whit indued with the holy spirite of God For we see that the church of Rome is called the latin churche and the Pope the high Bisshop of the latin church We see al seruice in churches sayde in the latin tongue In Courtes al iudgementes of Bisshoppes the latin tōgue only vsed Moreouer no man shall serue in this churche excepte he be a latiniste What wil you saie that these latinistes cal the Hebrewe that is to wit the holy tongue by an opprobriouse name Iewish the Grece Church tongue heretical The Bibles in Greke and Hebrewe be of them suspected For they will haue the latin Bibles only to be authenticall and to be red of all men as authenticall But these thinges are better knowen than that I nede to admonisshe and recite them here with many wordes Neuertheles this holy mā Ireneus doeth not wholy affirme this his coniecture as moste certayne whiche notwithstandyng he sayed yet was moste probable and like to be trewe For he addeth notwithstandyng we will not be in hazarde herein for he recited also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the royall or tirannicall name of Nimrod nother will we affirmatiuely pronounce that he shal haue this name knowing that in case it were requisite that his name shuld be manifestly preached at this present time it should doubtles haue ben vttered by him whiche had sene also the reuelation But this nombre of the name hath he shewed that we mighte beware of him when he cometh knowyng who he is And he concealed his name for that is not worthy to be preached of the holy ghost and so forth Neuerthelesse the same before this sheweth vs away A place of Daniel in the .7 chapt lighteth this place how to accompte those .666 yeres For thus he sayeth knowyng the sure nombre whiche is shewed vs of the Scripture that is to saye of .666 let the godly abide or loke for firste the diuisiō of the kingdome into ten afterwarde the same reigning and beginnyng to refourme their matters and to augment their kingedome he that cometh vpon the sodayne chalenge to him selfe a kingdome and shal put the foresayde kinges in feare hauyng a name conteyning the foresayde nombre to knowe him verely for the abomination of desolation This agayne sayeth he But who seeth not that the holy Martir sendeth vs to the prophecie of Daniel whiche in the .7 chapt sayeth howe the Romane Empire shall be diuided into many kingedomes how in the middes of those kinges shuld rise vp a litle horne whiche should ouerthrowe and abase three hornes and that the same shoulde beginne to reigne prowdely tirannically and wickedly agaynst bothe God and menne but chiefly to the faithfull intollerable Let vs see than how and when these thinges are fulfilled The Romane Empire falleth Where the Romane Empire had godly Emperours nother yet would wicked Rome bowe her styffe necke vnto Christ but alwaies most obstinately aspired to her olde and wonted Idolatrie which it coueted to haue restored and finally whē the fatal time was at hande wherin the lord most rightuouse thought to requite blouddy Rome he armed against her the Gothians Vandales and Germanes which subdued distroied the lady of the whole worlde and distroyed the whole Empire of the which matter seke more in the .57 Sermō and in the sermons followyng Many hornes or kinges arrise And it is euident by Histories that the Romane Empire the Gothians beginnyng to inuade it did slide prouinces reuolting in euery place and was seuered in many kingdome For to speake nothing of Asia and Affricke the Persians wasting that and this the Vandalles al Grece followed the Emperour of Constantinople and likewise other nations nere The Westegothes possessed all Spayne and the French mē of Franconie subdued Gaulles and Germany and the nations adioynyng to the same The Eastegothes and Lumbardes obteyned Italy Thus verely mere establisshed many kingdomes in steade of Rome reygned many
that the preaching of the Gospell can not be so oppressed but that it shall rather be preached with great Constancie through out all the worlde And that Rome also shal fal and al the vngodly be pūnished He exhorteth therfore most ernestly that we haue not to do with Antichrist leeste also we be made pertakers of his damnation And to thintent there might waunt nothing that cōcerned a full comforte he addeth that thinge whiche maye chiefly confirme the mindes of al the godly euen in the greatest daungers howe they that die in Christ doe flitte streight wayes from the corporall death vnto lyse euerlastynge Whiche finisshed he tourneth to the description of the punnishement to be taken assuredly of the Antichristians Wherfore if the Bokes of the Gospell and newe Testament be to be estemed for the manifolde description of Christe and of saluation by him obteyned for the faythefull yf they are to be estemed of the comforte and preaching of the gospel this is doubtles a boke most gospel like as that which by a cōtinuall tenour to perillouse thinges annexeth consolation The Lābe standeth on mounte Sion S. Iohn therfore seeth the Lambe standyng vpon Moūte Sion Christ therfore slepeth not he is not ignoraunt of the perilles and conflictes of his churche but he standeth as prepared to ayde and succour his He standeth as a king inuincible whome nother the Dragon nor the olde nor the newe beast hath ouerthrowen For I haue tolde you oftener than ones especially in the .5 chapt that by the Lambe is vnderstande Christ For he is the lambe and price of our redemption vntill the iudgement but than laiyng a parte the office of an intercessour he shall be a moste seuere and also a moste holy iudge And Christ standeth not in the sande as did the Dragon but on a Mounte and that vpon mounte Sion Mounte Sion was a figure of Christes kingdome as appereth playnely in the .2 Psalme and the .2 of Esaye And the kingedome of Christe is the church aswell triumphante as militaunt therefore in the felloweship of Sainctes standeth Christ the ioye and glory of them that are in heauen and the life and helper of them whiche fight as yet in Earth Let vs beleue therfore that in the Antichristiane persecutiōs Christ wil neuer faile his faythfull as he is red neuer to haue fayled the olde Sainctes vnder the olde Romane Empire afflicted For this consolation serueth chiefly for vs which are vexed of Antichrist and serued for them also whiche suffered martirdome vnder the olde Romane Empire Nother is there any doubt but that they cōfirmed themselues herewith in the greatest persecutions With the lambe are 144000. But that same is moste full of consolation that the lambe is not alone but hath with him an hondreth and foure and fourtie thousande that is to saye a most ample church How so euer therfore the beaste rageth and sleyeth the confessours of Christ yet shal there be alwayes a church that shall neuer be plucked vp euen in the Earth He setteth a nombre certen for vncerten and yet certaine and determinate for that the nombre of them that shal be saued shal seme small in comparison of them which shal worshippe the beastes and perisshe Howebeit we vnderstande that the nombre of them shal neuertheles be greatest which shal be the body of the Church vnder their head Christ euen than also what time the Pope with all the limmes of Antichrist shall haue powred out all their furie Of this nombre of the electe I haue spoken in the 7. chapt where the selfe same nombre is set And as the Antichristians beare the marke of Antichrist in the righthande and foreheades so verely the shepe of Christ Thei haue the name of the father in theyr foreheads and which shal be the church the spouse of christ vnder their head Christ shal haue their marke also in their foreheades to witte the name of the father of the Lambe For Eius is to be referred to the Lambe And he speaketh not of an externall marke whiche should be printed on their foreheades but of the marke of their mindes The same is faith the signe of all Gods children And the fayth in the Father and the Sonne whiche are not without the holy ghost And howe shouldest thou beleue that almightie God is thy father vnlesse thou vnderstande the same to be obteined of the sonne This faith therfore is here vnderstande to be a christen not a Iewish or Turkishe fayth whiche yet confesseth God to be the father But sins they haue not the sonne as sayed S. Iohn in his Epistle they nother haue the father Therfore the true membres of the church of Christ the trewe shepe doe beleue that they haue a mercifull father through the sonne by whome they knowe that the father beyng pacified hath geuen all thinges of life and of saluation in his sonne They that seke not for saluation and all goodnes in the only mediatour the sonne of God haue not doubtles the right marke of the children of God in their foreheades At this daye all will be christiās but neglectyng Christ thei depēde wholy of Sainctes Therfore their faith is not the trewe marke of the children of God No they nother knowe the father nor the sonne And therfore they persecute those that cleaue wholy to the father by the sonne And seyng Christ is with his church what nedeth the church a vicar Certēly it can not be the true church whiche hath a vicar of Christe for than it waunteth Christe whom the trewe church can not waunte It was not enough for the Apostle to haue sayed that the church was vnited with Christe vnlesse he had added moreouer with many wordes howe he hath sene the churche affected and how she demeaned her self than verely when the beastes did afflicte her that euen we may learne therof what is the hope of Sainctes in greatest daungers of what sorte it behoueth vs to be in persecutions and temptations He heareth the voice of many waters First he heareth a voice from heauē as the voice of many waters Waters in the Scriptures many times doe signifie people We vnderstande therfore herby that the church shal be populouse and speaking to thintēt to dissemble nothing but frely to professe Christ And therefore he heareth also the sounde of a great thonder For the church getteth from heauen power to preache and shewe forth the Gospell grauely though the worldes bowelles burste And verely of the frāke constaunt preaching of the gospel Iohn and Iames are called with Marke the sonnes of thōder And cōcerning the preachyng of the gospell shall followe more afterwarde He heareth moreouer a melodiouse harmonie of menne singyng to their harpes singing as it were a newe song The which is chiefly referred to the sainctes in heauen singing eternall prayses to God secōdely to the sainctes liuing here yet in earth which also offer vnto God continually prayses thankes geuyng
.5 chapter And verely that same soden commyng of the Lorde exciteth the mindes of vs all and prouoketh to watch leeste we shuld at vnwares be oppressed He adioyneth also immediately a profit prepared for them that watche Happy sayeth he is that man that watcheth He addeth morouer how the godly should demeane themselues in watchyng Kepe thy garmâ—ntes that thou go not naked Howe they must kepe their garmentes that they be not defiled and take hede moreouer that they walke not naked leeste their filthines be espied Touchyng garmentes I haue spoken moste largely in an other place of this boke He kepeth his garmeÌ„tes that kepeth his life and conuersation vnspotted of worldely filthines He walketh not naked which putteth on Christ But his shame is sene that sinneth impudently But chiefly is their shame sene whose whoredomes aduoutries and fleshly lustes are knowen and open to the eyes of al menne And here is the state of them to be lamented that are called spirituall and rather in dede to be detested than to be described Blessed are they whose sinnes are couered and happy are they that haue learned to be ashamed Vnhappy are as many as caÌ„ not blushe but set such a face of the matter that they glory in their sinnes and wickednes The destructioÌ„ of the frogges After this he toucheth at few wordes the destruction both of the legates and also of them that are deceaued of the legates and suche as fight agaynst God and trewe religion for the mayneteyning of the Romisshe maiestie The legates in dede doe assemble menne of their faction vnto battel against the Godly but the lorde hath gathered the same into a place whiche is called in Hebrewe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche some interprete the distruction of the Riuer and some the armie of desolation But howe so euer that is the sense semeth easie they are in dede assembled of the legates that they mighte withstande or prohibite the destruction of the Riuer and ruine of Rome But the Lorde shall also assemble the selfe same that in the very same place and worke they maye be destroyed of the Lorde Which finally at the laste iudgement we beleue shall be accomplisshed To the Lord Christ our redemer and reuenger be prayse and glory Amen ¶ The seuenth Aungell powreth out his vialle The .lxxij. Sermon ANd the seueÌ„th Angel powreth out his Viall into the Ayre And there came a great voyce out of Heauen from the seate sayeng it is done And there folowed voyces thonderinges and lightnings and there was a great Earthquake suche as was not synce men were vpon the Earth so mightye an Earthquake and so great And the great Citie was diuided into thre partes And the cities of nations fell And great Babilon came in remeÌ„braunce before God to geue vnto her the cup of wyne of fearcenes of his wrath And euery I le fled awaye and Mountaynes were not founde And there fell a great haile as it had bene talentes out of Heauen vpon the men and the men blasphemed God because of the hayle for it is great and the plague of it was sore The seuenth and last cup poured out into the ayre The laste iudgement of God fygured by the seueÌ„th Angell signifieth the parturbation and alteration of all elementes and the horrible but yet iuste iudgemente of God and fynallye the ende of all thinges paynes euerlasting The thinges be inclosed wyth fyguratyue speaches taken for the moste parte out of the Prophetes and by a priuie comparison brought oute of the holy storie Which is done for this consideration that all thinges might be more full of Maiestie and that euery man shoulde more dilligentelie search for the sence of an excelleÌ„t matter which found ones he might kepe and retaine in perfecte memorie And what tyme the Ayre is moued Sore tempestes sondry and horrible tempestes arryse in the ayre And the Lorde Iesus in the gospell after Mathew testifieth that aboute the last comming of Christe the powers of heauen shall be moued And as soone as the cuppe was powred out into the ayer and a great tempest arrysen a voice sounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is done By the which voyce is signified An ende is at hande howe all thinges are at an end euen of the whole world moch more of wicked papistrie And this voice is heard out of the very temple of heauen and trone of God leest we should doubte any thing of the veritie and certentis of the sentence geuen and againe of the vertue and power of him that doeth pronounce it Therfore are they shamefullye disceaued so many as affirme the worlde to be euerlastinge and that they shal reigne alwayes vpon earth and inioy the pleasures therof A voyce from heauen out of the most holy temple of God and euen oute of the moste sincere trone of the Almightie speaketh that it is done For he speaketh of the time to come as though it were paste that we might as certenly knowe that all worldlie and popish thinges shoulde haue an ende as we vndoubtedly knowe the thinges to be done which are already past Let vs therfore watch and put no confidence in the thinges of this worlde which are moste deceiptful All thinges shal fal to decay and come to naught men onely and the blessed spirites remayning through the grace of God the vnhappie also remayning perpetually appointed to perpetuall punnishment by the iustice of God A fygure of Goddes iudgement And lyke as the holy Prophetes ded by fygures set forth the iudgemente of God to be sene of mennes eyes so nowe here the Lord Iesus by Saincte Ihon in a figuratiue speach shaddoweth the terrour of that horrible iudgemente For he sayeth howe ther shal be thonderinges voyces lightninges and thoÌ„derbolts an earthquake so terrible that the world hath neuer at any tyme felte the lyke For Saincte Peter also in the ende of his latter epistle reciteth terrible thinges of the laste day and burnyng of all worldlie thinges But the quaking and terrour of mennes myndes shal be yet a great deale more terrible than al these The godly are exempted frome cruell terrours The Lord in S. Mat. gospel Than shal wayle sayeth he all the kinreds of the earth For the vngodly whose coÌ„scieÌ„ces are wicked corrupt shall fele those terrours tourmeÌ„ts vnspekable The godly like as according to the saieÌ„g of our sauiour thei com not into iudgemeÌ„t so although that thei also by reason of the infirmitie of the flesh be some what astonied at the sodaine alteration of things and the terrible tearing and crashing of all elementes yet forasmoch as they haue knowen before that the same shulde come to passe and beleue the Sauiour sayeng your redemption draweth nere they gather vp their spirites and comfort themselues in Christ and reioyce in him comming to iudge or condemne the vngodly but to saue the godly And herein is alluded to sondry stories of the holy scriptures
harlot and for that cause was called an harlot Furthermore olde Rome had power to do these thinges She sâ—teth vpoÌ„ many watâ—rs for she sate vpon many waters that is had dominion rule ouer many people and sondry nations Ye alâ—o the kinges of the Earth haue coÌ„mitted whoredome with her whâ— lest they haue submitted themselues to the Romanes bonden themselues in leage The princes â—â—miâ—te whoredom and receyued of them superstitions and Idolatrie For the children of Israell were also sayed to haue committed whoredome wyth the Aegiptians for that they had ioyned amitie with them and were become fellowes in prophane religions And so newe Rome the Popes kingdome stretcheth farre and wide and the Kinges and Princes of the Earth committe whoredome with her Therefore doeth the worde of the Lorde calle it filthye whoredome whiche the Romisshe name an holy bonde and obedience There is added and they that dwell vpon Earth are made dronkeÌ„ For he signifieth that beyng infected with errours yea rather asotted cleane out of their wittes they haue ben madde in Idolatrie and yet rage in their superstitions like droÌ„kardes and can not for furie receaue the preaching of the gospel Touchyng this wine of fornication and whoredome and of that dronkennes I haue spoken in the .14 chap. And it is aptly spoken that dwellers vpoÌ„ Earth are made dronkeÌ„ not so much for that menne dwellyng vpon Earth are made dronken as for that earthly meÌ„ and choked with earthly desires shall become faithfull worshippers of the Romish See Thirdely he expoundeth the maner of the vision The maner of the vision thus I was caried awaye in sprete Wherfore with his body remayning in Patmos in spirite he sawe a womaÌ„ sittyng on a beast and distroyed with fire Such be many visioÌ„s and sightes in the prophetes And he noteth also the place wherein he sawe the beaste not in heauen nother in the temple or tabernacle or in a fruictful place The beast in the wildernesse but in the wildernesse Esaye calleth the gentiles and heythenes wildernesse And verely tholde Romanes and newe with their superstitions haue had no place in the church but are without the church God forbidde thaÌ„ that we should acknowledge the churche of Rome to be head of al faithful churches And at this daye many of them which are called most holy and most reuerent differ nothing from the gentiles their titles and hipocrisie only excepted Wherof is spoken before in the .11 chapt Fourthly and laste he exhibiteth this vision or tipe of olde and newe Rome and the ruine and destructioÌ„ of them both and with all describeth most dilligently the wickednes of eyther of them And first must the beaste be considered after the woman sittyng on the beaste The beaste representeth the figure of olde Rome the woman of the newe and of Poperie And the woman sitteth vpon the beast For the image of the beast hath succeded and hath placed her seate in olde Rome For Daniel also affirmeth that Antichrist shal pitche his seate or palace betwixte two Seas The beast is rose coloured to witte the Hadriatical Sea called commonly the goulfe of Venise and the Tyrrhene or Tuscane Sea And the beaste is rose coloured it is of a red and bright colour like Crimosine For Rome hath ben moste cruell and blouddy and swimmyng altogether in the bloud of al meÌ„ but especially of Christians How much bloud shed Marius Sylla Pompey Iulius and others after histories Plinie hath reported Rome hath with sworde fire distroyed the whole world The ten persecutions of Christians before the Empire of Constantine are most commonly knowen Howe the beaste was full of the names of blasphemie I shewed in the .13 chapt Rome abounded with chapelles and Idolles Dayly it blasphemed God Christe the gospell and rente the church a sonder Of the .7 heades and ten hornes is spoken also in the .13 chapt And certen thinges shall followe in this same chapter playne enough And thus muche hitherto of the olde beaste here followeth of the woman sittyng vpon the beast ¶ The same matter is yet still treated of and the vision is expounded The .lxxiiij. Sermon ANd the womaÌ„ was arayed in purple and rose colour decked with gold preciouse stone and pearles and had a cup of golde in her haÌ„d ful of abominations and filthinesse of hyr whoredome And in hyr forehead was a name written a misterie great Babilon the mother of whoredome and abominations of the Earth And I sawe the woman dronken with the bloud of Sainctes with the bloud of the witnesses of Iesu And when I sawe her I maruailed with a greate wonder And the Angel sayde vnto me wherefore maruailest thou I wil shewe thee the misterie of the woman and of the beaste that beareth her whiche hath seuen heades and ten hornes The beast that thou seest was and is not and shall ascende out of the botomlesse pitte and shal go into perditioÌ„ and they that dwel on the earth shal wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life from the beginnyng of the worlde when they beholde the beast that was and is not And here is a minde that hath wisedome He describeth excedingly well and liuely and setteth forth to be sene of the eyes of all men that same woman before named the great whore About th ende of the chapter he expouÌ„deth himselfe sayeth and the woman which thou sawest is the great citie The womaÌ„ is the greate citie lady of kinges great verely as she that beareth rule ouer the kinges of the Earth He meaneth therefore the very citie of Rome and euen the popish and Romish church and the pope himself with al his creatures and chapplaynes whiche make a great and strong citie rulyng ouer al kinges and princes of the Earth For who knoweth not that Rome the prelates of the church doe rule euen aboue magistrates and princes consider what is done in the courtes of kinges princes and by whose aduise and counselles the princes of the Earth are chiefly gouerned And in callyng papistrie a woman he alludeth to the .5 and .7 chapt of the Prouerbes of Salomon who also likeneth craftie disceiptful philosophie worldly wisedome to a faire woman full of sondry craftes and giles The apparell of the woman And now also he painteth out gallauntly and euideÌ„tly the apparell or clothing and very whorish behauiour of this woman She is furnisshed with no good qualities inwardely wherby she maye coÌ„mende her selfe to the world to her louers therfore she excelleth in outwarde deckyng of herselfe where she is inwardely full of all abominations for all the world like vnto the Phariseis and hipocrites whom the lord saieth are without liâ—e shinyng tumbes of marble but within replenisshed with all corruption and filthines and euen stinkyng And hereby is signified chiefly that the church of Rome and kingdome of Antichrist setteth forth it self altogether with worldly furniture to witte
kinges But of these celestial seates we must conceaue greater diuine and spiritual matters They sitte in thē not for that they doe nothing els but sitte on a cusshion but they raygne triumphe rest liue and haue fruitiō of the comforte ioye and glory euerlasting This I saye is the maner of the soules and spirites to sitte He addeth moreouer howe to those soules was geuen iudgement verely for that they ar exempted from iudgement and come not into iudgement euen as our sauiour sayeth but haue passed frō death to life It is also declared in an other place in what sense the saincts are sayed to sitte vpon the seates and iudge the world where it is manifeste in dede that all the iudgement of God is geuē to the sonne It is euident therfore by this vnfallible place of scripture that the soules of saincts slepe not after the death of the body vntill the laste iudgement but to liue in Heauen with Christe But at the iudgemente they shall retourne to their bodies reysed agayne and together with their bodies shal be receyued into blessed seates And this is the state of the faythfull From this hope lette vs neuer suffer ourselues to be withdrawen In my Decades I haue discoursed more at large of the soules separated from their bodies and haue shewed that they do not slepe A towle errour of Iohn the 22. pope And here I can not refrayne but must nedes set forth and recite that whiche D. Iohn Funceius a learned man dilligent and one that hath red much sheweth in the .10 booke of his Chronologie vnder the yere of our Lord .1332 in these wordes aboute this time the moste holy father Pope Iohn the .22 of that name felle into this heresie which also he professed opēly and taught that the soules sawe not God before the laste daye For so had his father taught him deceaued by the visions of Tantalus which were cōmonly caried abroade in writyng And Pope Iohn sent two preachers to Paris to witte a couple of Freres one of the order of preachers an other Minorite whiche might professe his errour there But one Thomas a preacher of Englande resisted the Pope stoutely whome the Pope committed to pryson And the Kinge of Fraūce called a Synode in his palace in the foreste Vitinian where all that were assembled subscribed agaynst the Pope Than the kinge sent Ambassadours to the Pope exhortyng him to recante his errour and that he would deliuer Thomas out of prison Which inlarged the prisonier and also as it is sayde following the admonitiōs of his frendes at the houre of death repented So much Funccius It is a shame therefore for some which at this day in so great light of the gospel dare renewe that moste folishe errour affirmyng that soules separated from their bodies lie snoring I know not in what dormitorie or dortour nother to fele any thing till at the daye of Iudgement they be ioyned agayne to their bodies and rife agayne The remnaunt of the dead liued not againe S. Iohn addeth and the remnaunt of the dead liued not agayne til the thousande yeres were accomplished Not that they liued afterwarde but that they reuiued neuer at all As the Scripture speaketh in an other place Michol Dauid his wise remayned barren vntill the daye of her death not that she had childe after her death But whom doeth he meane by the rēnaunt of the dead surely all we that descende of Adam are dead As S. Paul right wel declareth in the .5 chapt to the Romanes But we haue hearde how some through faith haue receyued Christe and so beyng quickened haue shed their bloud for Christ and would not worshippe the beast nor his Image Now is added to this membre but the remnaunt of the dead whiche are nother regenerated through fayth nor would bestowe their life for Christe but had rather worship the beast and his Image these I saye for their vnbeliefe liued not For without faith there is no trewe life in this worlde A double life double death We speake nothing here of the vital or naturall life And we saye that life is double or of two sortes to witte the one spiritual which is of faith and of the sprete of God and of Christ whiche is by fayth receyued and liueth in the hartes of his and his life in him For the Lorde him selfe sayeth he that eateth me he shal liue also for me Thother life is euerlasting to witte of an other world in the whiche we shal see God as he is and shall be as he is liuyng in God and with God for euermore Cōtrariwise death is of two sortes spiritual wherby wauntyng Christe and his sprete and voide of fayth we liue in sinne The Apostle speakyng of this death sayeth that a widdowe liuyng wauntonly beyng a liue is dead And the Lord also to the disciple that wold retourne home and burie his parētes sayeth suffer the dead to burie their dead There is also a death euerlastyng that is euerlastyng wretchednes and miserie whiche followeth the spiritual Yet see what we haue sayde of double death in the .3 chapt of this boke in expoundyng the Epistle to them of Sardis Wherefore S. Iohn here signifieth that there shall be many in these thousande yeres which shuld not receyue the gospel with a liuely faith and therfore should remayne in death as the Lorde sayde in the .8 of Iohn Therfore they erre shamefully which suppose that al nations in the whole vniuersal world shal come ones to an vnitie of fayth and most assured peace in this life And S. Iohn himself agayne expoundyng himself sayeth This is that firste resurrection Whiche I praye you by the which menne receyue Christ by the true fayth Of the firste resurrectiō and the seconde and rise from sinne in the newnes of life Of this thapostle speaketh muche in the .6 to the Romanes The same to the Ephes out of Esaye awake sayeth he that slepeth and rise from the dead christ shal shine vnto thee Therfore be they not pertakers of the first resurrection so many as nother acknowledge their sinnes nor be regenerated nother are quickened by fayth in Christ nor rise againe with Christ in the newnes of life The seconde resurrection is that vniuersall resurrection of al flesh wherein shall all menne arrise in dede but with vnlike state for the faithfull rise vnto life euerlastyng the vnfaythfull to death euerlastyng Whiche the Lord him selfe also hath repeted out of the .12 chapt of Daniel in Iohn the .5 chapt Theffecte of the first resurrectiō And he sheweth by occasion and after an Apostolicke maner a threfolde fruicte or effecte of the first resurrection First sayeth he blessed and holy is he which is pertaker of the first resurrection He is bleste sayeth he happy and heyre of celestiall and eternall life Holy that is to saye purified sanctified and iustified For fayth in Christe doeth sanctifie and make blessed Than in such
euerlastyng And the description or demonstration of this vision hath these thinges chiefely what the iudge shal be The principall articles of this â—â—ace who shal be iudged how they shal be iudged of what sorte shal be the â—â—surrection of the dead and of euerlastyng damnation finally who shal be properly damned Which things I shal in order accordyng to the grace that God hath geuen me declare as playnely as I can ¶ What iudge at the last iudgement What maner of iudge there shal be we haue vnderstaÌ„d before at this preseÌ„t he is shadowed by certeÌ„ notes or markes These thinges agree with the same vision which is described of Daniel in the .7 chapt Where by the waye we see agayne how this boke hath his testimonies of the prophetes of whoÌ„ it is coÌ„mended to vs like as Iohn also expoundeth to vs the prophets S. Iohn seeth a seate and that white great For the iudge him self sayde that he would come in glory maiestie to witte with great light And we beleue also that his iudgemeÌ„tes are rightuouse iust white And Aretas an expositour sayeth the seate is great because he sitteth therin of whoÌ„ the prophet sayde great is the Lord great is his power c. And in the seate as iudge of al that moste rightuouse he sitteth furnisshed with all power vertue For al this signifieth the worde of sittyng They that are to be iudged staÌ„de he sitteth Therfore he calleth him that sitteth as you would say iudge For other name he geueth not But we beleue that al iudgement is geuen to the sonne and that he is appoincted iudge ouer all S. Iohn therfore seeth and also sheweth vs to beholde the Lord Iesus Christ commyng in the clowdes of the ayre a rightuouse mightie iudge S. Paule also in the .2 to Titus calleth him a great God not that there is one great god and an other little God but that the Maiestie of our Lorde Iesu Christ shal at that daye moste euidently be sene and the lord him selfe shal than shewe him selfe to the world with greater glory and power than euer heretofore FroÌ„ whose fight heauen fleeth The same shall appere also moste seuere and moste iuste Wherupon S. Iohn sayeth figuratiuely from whose face fled awaye both heauen and Earth For if those thinges whiche haue not sinned dare not come in the iudges sight but seke as it were to saue themselues by Sight where I praye thee shal appere the vngodly sumer And doubtles the prophet Malachie also who sayeth he shal abide the daye of his commyng or who is able to stande when he shal appere So in the sixte chapter we hearde that heauen fled backe and was folden vp like a scrolle that the mountaynes also and Iles flitted and that Kinges and Princes and other men hidde themselues in caues and sayde to the hilles and rockes falle vpoÌ„ vs hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the seate and from the wrath of the lambe c. By whiche wordes although be described the effecte of a desperate coÌ„science out of corrupte doctrine yet the same shall appere chiefely in this iudgement what time the seuere and moste rightuous iudge shall appere A muche like figure is red in the .18 Psalme Where is added and their place was no more fownde it is annexed to amplifie the matter not that Heauen and Earth shal be no where but for so muche as they dare not whiche is spoken by a figure appere in the iudgement of God By al these thinges therfore is signified that the vngodly beyng destitute of all counsell shal not knowe at that daye whither to tourne them or what to doe but trembling and despayryng to be vexed with vnspeakeable tormentes before the seate It might be thought in the meane season that S. Iohn signifieth this also howe heauen and earth should at the coÌ„myng of the iudge be renewed The whiche also the Apostle S. Peter more playnely expresseth in the .3 chapt of the seconde Epistle whiche neuerthelesse referreth and applieth al those his sayinges to the same sense that we haue touched before For he sayeth seyng than that all these thinges shall be disolued what ought you to be in holy conuersation loking for and hasting the coÌ„myng of the day of God Aretas of Cesaria the flight of heauen and earth sayeth he signifieth no chaungyng of place for whither should they flee but flight flittyng from corruption to incorruption and the laste coÌ„myng of the lord vnder the which this mortal body of ours shal putte on immortalitie and the face of the Earth shal be renewed This sayeth he a like phrase of speach is had in the 12. of the Apocalipse of the Angelles caste downe out of heauen nother was their place founde any more in heauen c. Nowe toucheth he also who shall be iudged Who shall be iudged verely the dead For he sayeth and I sawe the dead And shorteth after we shall heare that the dead shal be reysed vp Therfore they shal be iudged that rise from the dead Neuertheles the liuing are not exeÌ„pted whome the Apostle sayeth most manifestly shal be iudged in the .4 of the first to he Thess But these he nameth not at this present the dead he nameth for that the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead is more hardely beleued more easely beleued that those which remayne in flesh should be iudged at that daye And verely the soules neuer die the bodies die Therfore where it is sayde here that the dead shal be iudged we meane that al those which are dead at that daie shal come in their owne bodies to the iudgement of Christ And al men must be iudged All meÌ„ are iudged Wherefore S. Iohn seeth great and smalle that is to witte men of all sortes state sexe and age Kinges and princes are not excepted the common people shall not escape nother children nor olde folkes men nor wemen All these seeth he standyng before the face or iudgement seate of God The gilty or accused or to be accused shal be set before the iudgemente seate of God And S. Paule also testifiyng expressely of this matter we must al sayeth he appere before the iudgement seate of Christe that euery one maye receaue in his body accordyng to that he hath done whether it be good or euil .2 Corinth 5. chapt but after a diuerse maner appere both good euill For the wicked as giltie are brought to be iudged and punnished and that their giltines maye be openly knoweÌ„ to al creatures The vngodly are iudged not the godly The good for asmuch as they be iustified and quitte haue nowe no more gilte nor crime by reason of Christes satisfaction appere in iudgement with glory ready to iudge the vngodly after their fashioÌ„ and maner and not to be iudged of any And this thinge is singular that he sayeth that we shall be iudged in the sighte of God For who
noÌ„bre the seueÌ„th laste Therfore ar al things figured spiritually not carnally to be vnderstand and taken Doubtles the matters are excelleÌ„t vnderstand euen after the letter howbeit we must thinke of spiritual matters and greater alwayes than the speach of man can atteine to For we know as taught by the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles to be alwaies true that is said that the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath not hearde nor ascended in to the hart of man those things which god hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2 The chiefe articles of this place of the gâ—orye of the blessed And the chefest poincts of this place be these First he sheweth that the world shal be renewed SecoÌ„dly he signifieth that the Saincts shal be glorified blessed And declareth in general what that same fiticitie shal be And incoÌ„tineÌ„tly he confirmeth these things by many reasons moreouer he describeth the place the courte Palace of the blessed and lykewise the glory and felicitie of Saincts The which in the beginning of the .20 chap. he finisheth vp excedingly wel vnder the figure of a râ—uer â—ree of lyfe And lyke as he hath for the most part borowed al his things out of the bokes of prophets the which S. Ihon also with his reuelation lighteneth so hath he also at this present borrowed these out of the .65 and .66 chapt of Esaye And .37 of Ezâ—chiel and the laste chapters of the same Of the renewyng of the world he speaketh plainely Of the renewyng of the world as doeth also thapostle S. Peter in his later Epistle the .3 chap. that al thinges verely shuld be purged by fire not wholy abolished adnichilated but should doubtles be purified from all corruptioÌ„ for Aretas he signifieth not sayeth he thextinguisshing of the creature but a renewyng for the better Therfore sayeth S. Iohn expressely that he sawe a newe heaueÌ„ a newe earth wherunto he addeth by exposition that the first heaueÌ„ the first earth are vanisshed awaye to wit they are chauÌ„ged in their qualities so that the corruptible thinges are now gone created for corruptible vses For euen so is the Sea no more also doubtles subiecte to corruptioÌ„ but chauÌ„ged into better S. Austen and his scollar Primasius suppose that the troublesome state of the world signified not seldome in the scriptures by the Sea about th ende of the world shal cease Reade the .17 chap. of the .20 boke De ciuitate dei ExpouÌ„ding this place he reasoneth likewise at large of this innouatioÌ„ of the world in the same .20 boke De ciuitate dei .18 chap. other places I thinke mere in this matter to put awaie al curiositie if any hid thing appere therin that it be reserued vnto that daie in the which we shal see al thinges euidently And I suppose that these things coÌ„cerning the renewyng of heaueÌ„ earth ar not therfore spokeÌ„ that so ther shuld any place be prepared for vs which we shuld inhabite again in these inferiours partes vnder heaueÌ„ for we beleue that we shal flie vp into heaueÌ„ go mete the lord in the clowdes according to the doctrine of thapostle 1. Thess 4. but for the our mindes are thus confirmed that the faithful shal vndoubtedly be renewed glorified For if heauen and earth made for man be renewed purefied who wil doubte now that men themselues shal be moste chiefely clarified For coÌ„sequently now S. Iohn declareth Sainctes muste be glorified that the Sainctes shall both be renewed glorified placed in blessed seates signifieth yet generally what the glory of saincts shal be After he will declare more at large and seuerally all those thinges moste dilligently For he heareth an Angel sayeng come I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the lambe c. The same now figuratiuely he nameth a citie that in dede holy new Hierusalem And a citie signifieth aswel the place habitatioÌ„ as them that dwelle in the place I meane the citezens themselues This citie therfore is not only the place of the blessed but also the very coÌ„munion of sainctes in olde time prefigured in the citie of Hierusalem But he putteth a greate difference betwixte this of our newe and that visible and corporall Hierusalem HierusaleÌ„ For he calleth ours holy that other in the lande of Palestine was prophane polluted with the bloud of Christ prophetes and Apostles for the same cause destroyed vtterly Ours is also called newe For the coÌ„munion of Sainctes shal be renewed at the same daye And therefore by interpretation followeth coÌ„myng downe from heauen not that the habitation of Sainctes after iudgement shall againe be in earth but that the glory and renewyng shal be grauÌ„ted from heauen of the diuine maiestie power As also S. Iames is red to haue sayde euery good gifte and euery perfit gifte is from aboue commyng downe from the father of lightes And S. Paule also in the .4 to the Galath sayde that the free church is the heauenly HierusaleÌ„ The same in the .1 Corinth the .15 The firste man sayeth he of the earth earthly the seconde man the lord himself from heaueÌ„ Such as that earthly was suche are they also that be earthly and suche as that heauenly was such are they also that be heaueÌ„ly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly maÌ„ so shal we beare also the Image of the heauenly Therfore sayed S. Iohn most rightly that the churche of Sainctes commeth downe from heauen to witte froÌ„ heauen receauing her glory For againe by a demonstration prepared of God sayeth he as a bryde garnished for her husbande For the Apostle in the .2 to the Corinth the .5 We know sayeth he that yf our earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroied we haue bildyng of god a mansion not made with hande euerlastyng in heauen And anone he that hath prepared vs for the same is God He remoueth from his sainctes al corruptioÌ„ but geueth and teacheth to be purified with al giftes of the body that so they may be garnisshed worthely and maye dwell in the euerlastyng bryde chamber with their brydegrome Christe Wherefore this garnisshynge consisteth in the abolishinge of all corruption and mortalitie and in the gifte of vncorruption immortalitie and glory Of the purefying and deckyng of the bryde speaketh the Apostle S. Paule also in the .5 chapter to the Ephesians And in this worlde beginneth the purgyng and trimmyng and finally at the ende is finisshed most perfitly For than shal the church haue nother spotte nor wrincle al corruption verely wiped awaie and al glory receyued And here learne by the waye that the Sainctes are prepared of God therefore saluation to be of mere grace And he procedeth to declare yet more playnely What shal be the eternall felicitie what the glory shal be whereof in this worke he hath ben occasioned to speake oftener than ones Blessednes chiefely
same he declareth by fiue partes of membres the walles Firste the walles are of Iaspar Let no man here forge to him self carnal thinges The Iaspar is grene The celestial Citie alwayes florisheth God his protection neuer fayleth 2. The citie it self that is to say the buildynges in the citie the palaces and houses are pure golde For al things be purefied in the eternall countrie There is no vncleanes Habitations no euil affectiōs there shal be no trouble or payne As the lord sayde also in the .19 chapt of Matth. Disputyng agaynst the Sadduceis Therfore like as golde is most tried and pure so shal the celestial habitation be most cleane Therfore must the bodies also that shal dwell in heauen be clarified or glorified He addeth that this golde most pure is not glasse but in brightnes doeth represent most pure and shinyng glasse For in heauen al thinges are clere There we shal be sene face to face There we shal moste perfitly know al thinges 3. Foundations And first he sayeth generally that the foundatiōs of the citie are beaultified with al maner of precious stones after particularly he reciteth by name the stones that are most excellent Doubtles nothing is more preciouse nothing more excellent than Christ the foundatiō of our saluatiō than thapostolical doctrine wherby we are induced to the knowledge of Christ of our saluatiō And he setteth in order .xii. stones to thintent we shuld vnderstand that there is not one precious stone alone placed for the foūdatiō but a rowe of one sorte in such a lēgth as the side is square so cōsequently likewise in al partes of the squadre For the first order therfore is placed a Iaspar stone that is to saye in the first place of the foūdatiō Iaspar stones are set in their ranke agayne in the next rowe vpon the Iaspars are laide Saphyres through out the whole space in such length as the foundation was so consequētly the other stones were couched and layde in order By all the which is signified that the foundation of our saluatiō is both most excellēt and sure Which we ought of right to set more bie thā by the price of al the Iewelles in the earth And there are founde men godly beneficiall which bestowyng or sellyng these earthly Iewelles according to the Apostles doctrine in the .1 to Timo. the .6 prepare for themselues a good foundation in an other world There are foūde fooles which are ouer much in loue with Iewelles many times in stead of precious stones that coste very much beyng polished thei bie glasse Ful worthie doubtles to be deceaued Verely precious stones haue their vse vertues nother were thei made of God in vaine But we must alwayes remembre that saying of the wise man al thinges are not mete for al men Precious stones 4 By the register of preciouse stones he semeth to haue alluded to the precious stones that were set in the attire of the high bishop in the .28 of Exod. Nother doubte I that S. Iohn toke these things partely out of the .54 of Esaye which place S. Hierome expoūding sendeth thē that desire to knowe more of stones to Epiphanius to the .37 boke of the Natur. Hist of Plinie Aretas in his commentaries applieth the twelue precious stones to the .12 Apostles of Christ There remaine moreouer the writynges of Bede vpon this place out of whō toke Thomas of Aquine such things as he hath in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse I see not howe I can with any great fruicte tary longer in this treatise Wherfore I referre the curiouse reader to these Authours it is enough for me to haue shewed that by these costely Iewelles is signified the excellencie of the foundation of our helth and saluation The gates Morouer in the fourth place is declared the matter of the gates They were of one whole pearle euery of them whereof the price is excedyng greate The gate of heauen is Christ and the porters of heauen are Apostles as is declared before Therfore are the gates most preciouse and most strong In the .13 chap. of S. Mathewes gospel Christ himself and the saluation that is of him are compared to a Pearle which the marchaūt selling al that he hath byeth for himselfe thinking himselfe rich enough yf he may haue this Pearle 5. In the fift place is also described the Strete what it is Strete In the Cities here in Earth the stretes are many times myrie though otherwyse the cities be neuer so famouse noble Where they be notable they are paued with stone or bricke but the Strete of our Citie is paued with golde both cleane and bright For in heauen is founde no noysomenes no obscure darkenes All these thinges doubtles are spoken moste beaultifully but yet must far greater thinges be vnderstand and imagined and we muste indeuour with all our myght that the thinge which the tung of man can not vtter nor our mynde here for the greatnes excellencie conceaue we may at the length beholde the same in Heauen presentlie and may experience the same in those our glorified bodies throughe Iesus Christe our Lorde ¶ Furthermore yet is described the euerlasting countrie in Heauen The .xcv. Sermon AND I sawe no temple therin For the Lorde God almightie and the lambe is the temple of it and the Citie hath no nede of the Sunne nother of the Moone to lightē it For the brightnes of God doth lighten it and the lambe is the light therof And the people which are saued shal walke in the light of it the kinges of the earth shal bring their glory honour vnto it And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day For there shal be no night there And they shal bring the glory honour of the Gētiles to it And there shal enter into it none vncle an thing nother what soeuer worketh abomination or maketh lyes but they which are written in the lambes boke of life The Aposte procedeth in the descriptiō of the diuine or celestiall Citie to comfort and kepe the faithful in all temptations and afflictions Therfore in the seuenth place he discourseth of the temple The tēple For in famouse Cities ther is no smal cōsideration and prayse of churches This is manifeste by all writers of stories places and times What temple is than in heauen none at all For S. Iohn and I sawe saith he in the citie of God no temple This place repugneth not with those thinges which are in the .11 and .15 chapters of the temple in Heauen For the temple is there exhibited in a figure and vision not that there is in dede any temple in Heauen but that thus mighte be signified Gods iustice and certayne saluation promised in the Scriptures lyke as we haue in those places declared No temple in Heauen And what is the cause that there appeareth no temple in heauen The diuine reuelation aunswereth for
purged by Christe liue hoale sounde for euer more And by those allegories hath he hitherto figured by partes those blessed seates To what ende these are writteÌ„ prepared for the faithfull in that euerlasting countrie vnder the Image of a moste noble citie which after he hath shewed vs he semeth as it were to haue opened heauen it selfe and set forth the eternall felicitie to be sene in a maner with mortall eyes and eueÌ„ to haue poincted with the fingar to no other ende than that we should be stronge and constant in the fayth of our lord Iesus Christ should neuer thinke ones who hath euer sene those blessed seates whereunto we are called by the deniyng of all pleasures what yf thou shouldest dispise the pleasures presente and shuldest obteyne none in time to come This thought is wicked Faith teacheth thee otherwise But what sayest thou more desirest thou to know and see such things as God hath shewed thee Thou hast sene enough and abouÌ„dantly at this present The lord hath sheweth thee aboundantly enough of life and pleasure celestial at this present Indeuour now only that the deuill the world Antichrist troden vnder thou mayest aspire and be lifted vp into those heaueÌ„ly seates Moreouer beware thou be not more curiouse than is mete or requisite and that thou sekest not to knowe mo and more exacte thinges of the heauenly towre and perpetuall ioyes than the Lord himself which only knoweth these things hath to thee reuealed Let this euident demonstration of eternal life suffice vs. I beleue neuer none hath disputed better or more rightly more elegantly and more euidently of the blessed life thaÌ„ here S. Iohn hath done Let vs therefore repose our selues in God let vs beleue his wordes let his reuelation suffice vs and let vs desire to be ioyned with him in this heauenly courte in all felicitie and eternal life most perfit A â—ome collected of the doctrine of the blessed life And now S. Iohn recollectyng the chiefest poinctes of this matter and concludynge this place of eternall life he finissheth this euerlastyng felicitie in seuen membres whiche we will but touche only for that many thinke we haue spoken hereof already sufficiently and plentifully enough And to beginne with al there shal be no curse no execration no malediction nother warre nor famine nor diseases nor yet any suche thing There shal be no more curse as is recited of Moses emonges the curses in the 27. and .28 of Deuter. Not that all are accursed whiche are subiecte to the same For Iob and other holy menne were tormented with sickenes but that commonly the accursed vnbeleuers and wicked are plaged there with Not that they should be exercised and profit in godlines but that thei shuld first be afflicted here so by certen degrees passe vnto greater tormentes What than The seate of God in the citie The second membre inseweth but the Trone of God and of the Lambe shal be in that citie To witte the kingdome of God shal be there and God shal raygne and al blessyng no malediction in the chosen Therefore what ioyefull thinges so euer the Prophetes Christ and the Apostles haue spokeÌ„ of the kingedome of God the same shal be in heauen and the blessed shal haue the fruition thereof And agayne are ioyned together inseperablely the father and the sonne in the vnitie of essence which neuerthelesse in the distauÌ„ce of persones are excedingly wel not diuided but discerned These misteries of the blessed Trinitie are knowen vnto the faythful His seruaÌ„tes shall serue him Here followeth the third membre Some may maruaile what the blessed shal do in the world euerlastyng Therefore S. Iohn sayeth and his sâ—â—uauntes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall serue him God I saye and the Lambe they shall worshippe him in honouryng praysing magnifiyng him for euer Therefore shal they wholy addicte themselues to godly worshippyng Whiche thing shall in dede be to him great pleasure As also S. Austen sheweth in an other place Fourthly they shal see the face of God They shall see the face of God S. Austen treateth much of seyng of God to Paulina and warneth godly that we shoulde not here Imagine to our selues carnall thinges Moses in the .33 of Exodus And Philippe the Apostle in the .14 of Iohn haue accompted it for the highe felicitie to see God as he is and as it is commonly sayde face to face And there is vndoubtedly in this sighte and fruition highe felicitie and ioye euerlastyng and moste complete howebeit in this present world as the lorde sayde to Moses it chaunceth to no maÌ„ The holy fathers haue in dede sene God but by a shape and so farre forth as he hath vouchesaued to reueale and shewe himselfe to them to be sene Like as Tertullian sheweth in the boke agaynste Praxeas but with full eye to see the full glory of God with ioye inestimable is than firste graunted vs what time beyng deliuered from miserie and purged froÌ„ corruption we shal also in body be clarified than at the laste as S. Iohn sayde also in the .1 of Iohn the .3 we shall see him as he is Iob moste rightuouse speakyng of this vision of God Iob. 19. sayde when they shal haue put aboute or clothed to wit the father sonne holy ghoste this namely my body with my fleshe I shall beholde God out of my flesshe whome I shall see to my selfe and mine eyes shall loke vpon and no other The which is my only desire Of this seyng spake Paule also the Doctour of Gentiles and sayde nowe we see in a glasse 1. Corinth 13. euen in a darke speaking but then shall we see face to face c. And of this vision S. Austen hath also disputed in his booke De ciuitate dei aboute the ende Fiftely they shal haue the name of God in their foreheads The name of God written in their foreheades eyther because they shal be the children of God as we haue hearde in the Epistle to the Philadelphians in the .3 chapter of this boke And verely in the couÌ„trie celestiall it shal be manifestly knowen to all who be the children of God In this world they are commonly taken for the children of the deuill which in very dede are the childreÌ„ of god But this shal clerely appere in an other world to the great glory of the chosen And verely the brightnes of God shal shine from the foreheades or countenances of the electe as in times past the brightnes of the lord shone from the face of Moses Christe Or because al Sainctes shal knowe one an other sins the vertue of God resteth in their countenaunces which sense I perceyue hath pleased Primasius Or for that they shal be priestes before the Lord for euermore as the prophetes haue taught of the chosen In olde time the high prieste bare the very name of God in his forehead in a plate of golde bounden to his
head with a lase Vndoubtedly in the heauenly countrie the glory of the children of God shal be wonderfull greate of those chiefely that haue confessed the name of Christ in earth for these the celestial father shal glorifie God lightneth the chosen In the sixte mēbre is repeted agayne which hath ones or twise ben spokē before that the electe in heauē are illumined with the glory diuine wherof hath ben spokē enough before In the last and seuenth membre comprisyng as it were all thinges of life and felicitie and vttering with one word they shal raygne They shal raigne sayeth he for euer more The lord Iesus graunt to vs his faithful that suche thinges as we haue now hearde plentifully of his mouth we may shortely experience in our soules and bodies and may crie with ioye to God the father most mercifull and to Iesu Christ the redemer most mightie and benigne and to the holy ghost the most swete comforter be prayse and glory for euer more Amen ¶ The conclusion of this worke wherein is established the autoritie of the same and the some collected briefely The XCvij Sermon AND he sayde vnto me these sayinges are faithfull and true And the lord God of the holy prophets sente his Angell to shew vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche muste be shortely fulfilled Beholde I come shortely Happy is he that kepeth the saying of the prophecie of this booke I am Iohn which saw these things and I hearde them And whē I had hearde and sene I fel downe to worship before the fete of the Angel which shewed me these thinges And he saide vnto me see thou do it not For I am thy fellowe seruaunt and of thy bretherne the prophets and of them which kepe the sayinges of this boke Worship God The sixte last parte of this worke conteyneth the conclusion The conclusion of this worke which affirmeth the thinges which we haue heard to be diuine certayne and vndoubted for he collecteth the chiefest thinges moueth al men to faith study of godlines that in stedfaste hope we shuld loke for the iudge of al to come shortly and to iudge the quicke the dead And in goodly order this laste boke of the Canonical scripture finisheth the godly narration doctrine with the iudgement ende of all thinges The Apocalipse is the laste boke of the canonical bokes of the scripture For the holy Scripture beginneth at the firste originall of al thinges and continueth a narration vntill the ende of all thinges conteyning in it self the vniuersalitie of things and al such thinges as are requisite to be knowē of matters nedeful and profitable And al those thinges hath our good Lord geuen vs to be knowen in the holy scripture that is to say in the Canonical bokes For they be false harlottes that saye that al thinges which apperteyne to the true full godlines saluation of the faithful are not set forth in holy writinges and therefore to haue nede of traditions They in dede haue nede of those traditions which wil vtter their craftie wares we nede none which esteme al their wares not worth a gally halfpenny to be bought of any man For Esaye hath sufficiently diswaded vs from their disceauable craftie iuglinges in the .55 chapt And this conclusion conteyneth aboute .16 Articles Which we shal discusse in order Immediately after the beginning is set a graue asseueration That these thinges be true vndoubted that the thinges which he hath sayde or writtē hitherto are true sure certaine vndoubted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath in a maner the same sentēce also in the .19 chapt of this booke And he calleth faythful sayinges whiche are stable ratified stedfaste and vndoubted And the sentence is referred in the thinges whiche he hath spoken of the blessed life to the world to come leest we shuld be lefte in any doubtfulnes Agayne it is referred to the whole narration of this boke And this sentence semeth to be a clause of assertiō and confirmyng the certentie of the matter propounded as be those also in the prophets for the lord hath spoken againe thus sayeth the Lord of hoostes and that same moste vsed in the gospel verely verely I saye vnto you And that in the Epistles apostolical God is my witnes that I lie not And the goodnes of god doeth succour our infirmitie wherby many times we doubting of the veritie of Gods words do wauer confirmeth our hope with these as it were ankers Wherefore these must be dilligently beaten in vrged in the ecclesiastical doctrine Aretas expoundyng this place as the wōted maner of this holy Euangeliste is alwayes so is it here also For like as in his gospel in token of loyaltie he sayeth we know that his testimony is true so in this place also setting to his seale he sayeth these sayinges are faithful and trewe Hitherto he Therfore shal it be an vnworthie thing to doubt be it neuer so little of the thinges that are writtē in this boke and in other bokes of the canonical Scripture The Authour of this worke God of the holy Prophetes Secondly he repeteth who is the Authour of this worke and all these thinges are reuealed to him And verely there is none other Authour but the lorde God him selfe and that the God of the holy Prophetes The which hath a great efficacitie for he sheweth him not only to be one the same god of both Testamentes whiche by his spirite hath inspired the prophetes Apostles but also biddeth vs secretly to esteme the veritie certētie of this boke of the prophetical matters For if he coulde in olde time telle his people before of things to come vtter al thinges by the prophetes what maruell is it yf he nowe also perfourme the same by S. Iohn And if all those thinges came to passe which the prophetes did prophesie to come nother did there any word no nor one iote fal vnto the grounde which was not fulfilled there is no man also that wil doubt of the veritie of this boke yf at leest he cōsider that the same God which in times past was with the prophets is nowe also with blessed Ihon. The Prophets said howe the land of Chanaan shulde be deliuered in to the possession of the children of Israel it was deliuered The selfe same prophecied that the people of Israel shulde for their sinnes be cast out agayne of the same land in to Babilon thei were cast oute After thei prophecied againe that thei shulde be deliuered shuld repare the Citie to the which Christ wolde come which shuld redeme mankynd cal into the fellowship of life and blesse all nations They were deliuered they repared their Citie Christ came and redemed mankind and the gospel was preached through out the whole world What thyng than remayneth but that the church shuld be turmoiled Antichrist shuld come and raigne and that the true Christians and
he shulde wage battaile together and the Iudge come at the last vnto iudgement and reward euery one according to his doinges And this place proueth the diuinitie of Christ infalliblie Christe very God For what can be spoken more plainly than was saide The Lord God of holy Prophetes sent forth his Angel So in the first chapter is saide The reuelation of Iesu Christ which God gaue him And a little after he saieth I Iesus sent my Angel that he might testifie vnto you c. Herein therfore is shewed the vnitie of the substauÌ„ce diuine and destruction of persons And the maner of the reuelation is shewed Howe this booke was reuealed or repeted and collected rather he sent his Angell Christe therefore by his Angell sheweth all thinges to S. Ihon. For no man hath sene God at any time nother shal the Lorde come downe againe from heauen before the iudgement Wherfore this whole vision was exhibited and declared bi the Angel which was the messager of Christ the Lorde Wherefore all thinges are properly referred to Christ which sent the Angell But to whom ded he shew or reueale these thinges To his seruaunts For the coÌ„temners of God laugh at these thinges and take them for fables But God loueth his worshippers and warneth them of all thinges in due season 3. The some of this booke in two poincies Now he gathereth the some of such things as he hath treated hitherto The same ar chiefly coÌ„nteyned in two poincts For he sheweth hitherto what thinge must be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shorâ—â— For this boke conteineth the destinies of the church from the Apostles time to the worldes end Therfore he prophesied not a farre of but the thinges that began in the very time of S. Ihon. And yf they muste be done who shall resiste Not that I wyll establyshe the necessitie of the Stoyckes but that I acknowledge the mightie workyng of God after his prouidence and righteousnes After he addeth another membre Beholde I come quickely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this boke comprehendeth many things which concerne the iudgemeÌ„t it selfe and the last iudgement to the which I will come so swiftely and vnloked for that the wicked and light men shall loke for nothing lesse For the Lorde sayeth in the Gospell it shall be as in the dayes of Noe and Loth. And in the howre that you thinke not the sonne of man wyll come Item as the brightnesse cometh foorth of the Easte and shyneth in the Weste so shall be the comming of the sonne of man And therfore the Lorde sayeth nowe also at this present Beholde I comme quickely For sodaynely whyleste he seemeth in the meane tyme to doe an other thyng at vnwares he bryngeth in the Lorde speakyng and that a matter wonderfull as this particle Beholde importeth For S. Paule hath written also whileste they shall saie peace and securitie sodayne destruction shall come vpon them The coÌ„moditie of this booke 4. But what profit shall the seruauntes of God loke for of this boke In a short sentence he coÌ„priseth much and saieth happie is he that kepeth the woordes of the prophesie of this boke Felicitie blessednes is the fruict that is taken of this boke In this present worlde being lincked with Christe wâ— shall walke in the way of righteousnes and eschew the craftes of Antichriste and shall not fele the tourmeÌ„tes which arrise in the conscience of the corruption of religion depraued And when we depart hence we shal go straight to those blessed seates This is the highe blessednes and felicitie And let vs marke that it is not enough either to haue sene or heard or red this boke it muste nedes be kepte For we muste beware that it goeth not in at one eare and oute the other that we forget not the things that are told vs but that we rather frame our whole lyfe after the doctryne of this boke And he attributed to it the title of prophecie All the Scripture is called a prophecie as much as to say diuine But consyderyng howe this boke for the more parte therof sheweth things to come vnto the church it is rightly called a prophecie 5. He repeteth againe and beateth uâ— The writer of this boke Ihon which repeteth his name both his name and also that he is a witnes that sawe and heard who maie surely be credited And thus he wil get authoritie to this boke For it muste nedes be had in greate estimation that which was conceaued and written of the Apostle and EuaÌ„gelist S. Ihon. Many accompt a faulte in Iohn that he so dilligently expresseth his name But maruell it is that they obserue not the same also els where and of others not withoute prayse Ded not the selfe same Ihon repete and inculke the name of a Disciple in the story of the Gospell who shulde reprehend this I see not therfore what he hath offended herein But rather sins he foresaw in the spirite that many wold speake against this boke not withoute great cause and with much fruicte and also of extreme necessitie he importuned his name And the Apostle S. Paule also to the Galathians Beholde I Paule say vnto you sayeth he in ease ye be circumcised Christe shal profite you nothing The same also to moue affection inculketh his name to Philemon Aretas therefore very aptely expounding this place And this sayeth he a certen proprietie of speach in this Apostolicall soule For euen as he ded in the Gospell also where he sayth And he that sawe hath borne witnes and his testimonie is true the same doeth he in this place also testifieng that he was both an hearer and beholder of these things which are prophicied For hereby he winneth credit to the things which had ben sene Thus much he Others haue thought that not without cause S. Ihon hath in this boke repeted his name oftener than in his story for that men wil more hardlye beleue a prophecie speaking of things yet to come than a story which telleth of matters paste 6. In the sixte place he annexeth whie Ihon wolde worship the Angel agayne what chaunced to him agayne with the Angell reuealing vnto him these huge misteries A lyke story for all the worlde had we in the ninetene chapter where also we expounded the same where he that liste may see And yet the expositours demaund howe chauÌ„ceth it that agayne Ihon doeth the same that he did before and was prohibited of the Angel Thomas of Aquine weneth that S. Ihon being besydes himselfe by reason of the excellencie of visions dyd this as one astonied The glose before sayeth he the Angell forbadde that he should not worshippe him with Latria here he prohibiteth that he worshippe him not with Dulia But to me appereth preferring alwayes the better iudgemeÌ„t of others In S. Ihon to be shewed to all the godly howe great is the frailnes of man to fall vnlesse he be restrained and drawen backe by the mightie
as in this boke I haue cōmaunded thee being nothing careful for the successe therof let me alone with that execute thou thoffice of preachyng I wil bryng to passe that thy faithfull preachyng shal not be vayne And let them alone if thou see certen that will be altogether filthie and perish in their filthines seyng they contemne al thy faythful labour For thou haste done thy duetie and arte blameles and they perishe through their owne fault Wherfore I wil nother haue thee nor yet no other to be ouer careful what time you see many contemnyng the puretie of Gods word had rather wallowe in filthines And we reade els where also Math. 24. 2. Corin. 2. that the Gospell is preached to many for their condemnation and the sauour of the gospel to be swete vnto some vnto saluatiō and to others an intollerable stēche vnto perdition A like place in a maner is in the .2 chapt of Ezechiel where we reade that the Lorde sayde to the Prophet thou sonne of man I sende thee to the childrē of Israel to a people rebelliouse which haue rebelled agaynst me they and their fathers haue dealte traytorously with me vntil this daye They be childrē of an harde fauour and of a frowarde harte I sende thee vnto them and thou shalt tell them thus sayeth the Lord God whether they will heare or not heare for it is a rebelliouse house that they may knowe yet howe there hath ben a Prophete emongs them And thou sonne of man feare thē not nother be thou affraide of their wordes for they be contentiouse and prickyng like thornes and thy dwellyng is with Scorpions But therfore shalt thou not be affrayde of thē thou shalt speake my words vnto them whether they wil heare them or no. Howbeit we must here take hede God commaundeth not that the wicked shoulde walke still in their wickednes that we vnderstāde not that God cōmaundeth that the vngodly shuld procede to be more vngodly where thangel sayeth he that is vnrightuouse let him be vnrightuouse stil c. For it semeth in maner to be such a saying as that same is in the gospell that thou doest doe it more spedely For he commaundeth him to doe that thing which he knew he would do After the same sorte here also that he knewe the wicked would do he sayeth they shal do nother willeth he that their doynges shuld trouble Iohn the faythfull preacher seyng there shal be also many good whiche shal also applie themselues vnto rightuousenes We are wonte also to saye with a muche like phrase yf it will no otherwise be we muste be content Not that we bidde him that perissheth to perishe but that so we reproche to him his madnes signifie that he perissheth through his owne fault willingly and wittingly Aretas It is no exhortation sayeth he but rather a rebukyng of euery one vnto the whiche study he applieth him selfe And Thomas of Aquine The sense is sayeth he he that hurteth lette him hurte stil That is he will hurte by doyng other euilles that the Angel be vnderstande to haue sayde these thinges in propheciyng not in wisshing c. And so the meanyng were the wicked contēning the prophecie shall continewe to be wicked the godly agayne shall growe in the holy study of rightuousnes Which sense truely semeth moste playnest of al. Nother differ they muche from these that are red in the .12 of Daniel by these wordes go Daniel sayeth the Angel and searche not ouer curiousely the instaunt of the laste time for the sayinges are closed and sealed vntill the laste time Very many shall be purified and made white and caste newe But the wicked shal doe wickedly and al vngodly shal not vnderstande But the learned shal teach From these thinges swarue nothyng at al the wordes of the Apostle ◠Timo. 3. speakyng and propheciyng of the later times all that will liue godly in Christe Iesus shall suffer persecution for rightuousnes Notwithstandyng euill menne and deceauers growe worse and worse whilest they both leade others into errour and erre themselues Therefore seyng the later age of this worlde shal be such let vs which are called to this function procede constantly to auaunce set forth and beate in the very worde of God and reuelation of Iesu Christ vnto al men regardyng nothing what the worlde and worldly men speake agaynst it And ful elegantly he setteth two sortes of men against two others the vnrightuouse agaynst the rightuouse The vnrightuous◠filthy are set against the righteuous and holy and filthie to holy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayeth he he that doeth euill let him do euil or he that is vnrightuous let him be vnrightuous or he that hurteth by persecutīg the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him hurt stil or furthermore Agaynst this he setteth he that is rightuous let him be more rightuous let him procede further grow more more in al godlines go beyōde himself in rightuousnes both of faith and workes For by rightuousenes of faith we are iustified by the rightuousnes of workes we are declared to be rightuouse And thei that be rightuouse not only hurte no man but also profit do good to al. Contrarywise the vnrightuous which waunt true faith waūt light walke therfore in darkenes doe the workes of darkenes persecuting both the rightuouse rightuousnes molestyng al mē And that there should be such men in the later dayes the lord hath also prophecied in the .24 chap. of the gospel after Matthewe An other kinde of men is of vncleane polluted filthie and vile 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that is filthie sayeth he lette him be filthie stille And the interpretours of the Greke tunge admonisshe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is that filthines which we gather with our nailes endes And he signified vncleane persones in body soule Idolaters fornicatours gluttons and suche like Agaynste whome he hath placed the holy pure and cleane that is to saye purified by faith and appliyng thēselues busily to sanctification Therfore like as the filthie do more and more wallowe themselues in the mire and araye and defile thēselues to vilely so the godly doe more and more applie themselues dayly to cleanes and holines of life The lorde Iesus iustifie and sanctifie vs for euermore ¶ He gathereth suche thinges as he hath taught of the laste Iudgement and of the rewardes of the godly and of the tormentes of the wicked The .xcix. Sermon AND beholde I come shortely and my rewarde is with me to geue euery man accordyng as his dedes shal be I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and th ende the first and the laste Blessed are they that kepe his commaundementes that their power maye be in the tree of life And maye enter in through the gates into the citie For without shall be dogges inchaunters and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters who so euerloueth maketh lesinges
offended that he hath deserued prayse also let them leaue blamyng of those thinges whiche are here moste pourposely placed of our lord Iesu Christ him selfe by S. Ihon in their place time dewe Verely Anathema whiche worde S. Paule vsed is he that is cutte of from the felowship of al good men deuoued to extreme punnishement and euen subiecte to all the euilles bothe of this present life and the life to come Whiche thinge maye be gathered of Deuteronomie and other holy bokes Who adde who take â—waye And he addeth and taketh awaye not whiche vseth other diuerse and playner wordes in expoundyng a sentence of the reuelation but he that putteth in any thinge contrary to the true sense and variyng from those thinges which are here of the lord expressed or he that taketh awaye any thing obscureth or peruerteth which here the lord himself hath expresely signified Wherupon Thomas of Aquine he addeth to sayeth he which putteth to a lie he minissheth which taketh awaye any thing of that which is written therein or also in deniyng gayne sayeth the same Thus much he Therefore this addition and substraction consisteth not in wordes only but rather in sense For nother the prophetes in expoundynge the lawe at large are thought to haue added any thing to God his worde nother the Apostles preachyng the libertie of the gospel are saide to haue taken any thing away froÌ„ the lawe And to testifie To testifie is vnder the religion of a testimony to affirme any certen thing or with a protestation to vrge beate in any thing ernestly and eueÌ„ as it were to binde the hearer that he shuld certenly know that these thinges that are spokeÌ„ do haÌ„ge ouer him that God wil plage vnlesse he do obey Concernyng the paynes or plages which he threateneth at this present is spokeÌ„ in the .15 16. 17. and .18 chap. c. Likewise is declared before that might be here spoken of the boke of life and of the holy citie Moreouer he coÌ„prehendeth here also all good thinges in like maner whiche are promised in this boke to the godly and obedient seruauntes of God of al the whiche thinges the contemner falsifier and corrupter of this boke shal be depriued With how great euilles and dauÌ„gers than do they intangle themselues whiche would haue this boke vtterly suppressed and let that it shoulde not be expounded openly and come in to the handes of al meÌ„ agayne it is most certayne that they shall obteyne of God all maner of blessing so many as haue a good opinion and thinke deuoutely of this boke and wil set forth and commende vnto al men the thinges that are written in the same to the glory of God and saluation of the faithfull 14. In the fouretenth place is sealed Thus saieth he that testifieth these thinges and euen signed as it were with a subscription the authoritie of this boke For it followeth he sayeth that beareth witnes of these thinges or he that testifieth these thinges For in maner all the expositours suppose those to be Christes words as though he him selfe for a confirmation had putte to the same and sayde I Iesus haue propounded al these thinges and especially such as concerne the threatenynges agaynste the corrupter as a true witnes and the same to be vndoubted For Aquinas here sayeth he is brought in Christe affirmyng the foresayde menacyng and approuing al thinges that are written in this boke But I for my parte reseruyng the iudgementes of others safe suppose this to be the subscription of S. Iohn the writer of this boke For the Notaries Secretaries or chauncelers of Princes are wonte at the ende of the kinges or Emperours letters or writynges to subscribe their name And verely S. Iohn in the Historie of the Gospell hath obserued the same maner For in the .19 chapt he sayeth and he that sawe bare witnes and his testimony is trewe And at th ende of the Historie he subscribeth and signeth vnderneth with these wordes this is that disciple whiche beareth witnes of these thinges and wrote them and we knowe that his testimony is trewe For al the church knewe and confessed this In like maner he semeth at this presente to haue subscribed these thinges also in his owne name to haue sayed He that testifieth these thinges sayeth Christ cometh certeynely to Iudge 15. In the .15 place he bringeth in agayne the lorde Iesus himselfe speakyng and promising that he wil certenly come to iudgement verely to redeme and glorifie the godly and to punnishe the wicked Therefore with a great asseueration he sayeth euen so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surely and doubtles I come quickely although I seme to tarye longe and to some not to come at al. Neuerthelesse yet moste certenly and in time doe I come as before also is sayde and declared And the same thing is repeted in maner with the same wordes oftener as a thinge most worthie to be marked and knowen He annexeth immediately the fayth and wisshe and great desire of S. Iohn and of the faythfull church or of any godly submittyng him selfe to the promesse and sayeng Amen euen so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye we acknoweledge it to be moste certayne and vndoubted that thou promisest that thou wilt come Therfore doe we loke for thee the Iudge of the quicke and the dead yea praye with our inwarde bowelles come lorde Iesu For els where also we praye dayly Thy kingedome come And al the godly with sighes vnspeakeable wish for the commyng of the Iudge for glory Whereof the Apostle treateth in the .8 chapter to the Romanes and we haue touched the same matter before The Apostles blessing In the laste place of the conclusion he wissheth after the Apostolicke maner the grace of our Lord Iesu Christe to all the hearers and readers of this boke S. Paule in the .2 Epistle to the Thess the .3 chapt Thus I wryte sayeth he in euery Epistle the grace of our lord Iesu Christe be with all you Amen He therefore here agreeth to him selfe as the Apostolicall sprete doeth euery where Grace comprehendeth the whole matter of the redemption and giftes of Christe He wissheth therefore to vs al the blessyng whiche we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord. Whereof moste plentifully and besiâ— hath discoâ—â—â—ed â—he vessel of election S. Paule in the .1 chap. to the Ephes◠〈◊〉 â—he lord Iesus whiche hath reuealed to vs these holy misteries write the same in our mindes and deliuer vs from Antichriste and from all euilles and kepe vs in the true faith and in his grace Vnto him be honour and glory prayse and thankes geuyng together with the father and the holy ghoste for euermore Amen Come Lorde Iesu our redemer and onlie Sauiour and gloryfie them that loke for thy commyng moste wisshed for that we maye gloryfie thee for euer Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VIVET TAMEN POST FVNERA VIRTVS ET SI MORS INDIES ACCELERAT ⧠IMPKINTED AT at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Saincte Martins Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Septennium These bokes are to be sold at his shoppe 〈◊〉 the gate