.16 chapt he signified somewhat hereof nowe he pourseweth euery thinge with a notable plentie and euidence And the same that I sayed in the beginning of this place I repete here agayne that hereby are affirmed howe the iustice of God is shewed to be the ende of good and euill The profit of this place coÌcerning the destruction of Rome that the godly are confirmed and the iudgement to come establisshed as we confesse expressely in the apostles crede The some of al is this tholde and newe Rome the Empire and Popish kingdome which is the kyngdome of Antichrist shall perish for sinnes great enormities For he ioyneth together the beaste and the Image of the beaste the beast and one sittyng on the beaste a prowde strompet so that they can not be separated Therefore muste the place be expounded of both Empires That S. Iohn speaketh of Rome And leste any man should thinke me to be led with an euil affection for vnderstandyng these thinges of Rome I will shewe by the testimony both of god man that the same exposition is olde and not newe true and not affectated For streight waye the Angel him selfe as we shal heare expoundeth these thinges of Rome Aretas also an olde expositour of this boke diuerse expositours sayeth he vnderstande by the whore olde Rome And the same by and by whilest he saieth the mother of whoredome whether so euer you will other olde Rome or newe or the time of the coÌmyng of Antichriste beholde the time of Antichriste he sayeth you can not erre from the trewth for that bothe cities Rome and Constantinople hath occupied thempire and euery of them hath ben satiated with the bloud of holy martirs c. Hitherto he And what the moste auncient wryter Tertullian and S. Hierome hath spoken oftener than ones of Babylon and the purple whore I haue heretofore reported in the .14 chapt The order of this chapt And in this order he procedeth Firste he sheweth the authour of this reuelatioÌ after he gathereth the some of the reuelation or vision For agayne he treateth by visions to the ende al thinges might be more liuely euident And in dede some make this seuenth chapt vnto the .21 chapt the sixte vision As I admonished in the beginning of this worke Than noteth he the place and maner of the vision Finally he propoundeth the vision it selfe and immediately adioyneth the exposition thereof And in the processe of this matter he vseth a iudicial kinde of pleadyng and that after a prophetical maner For the Prophetes moste often and in the beginnyng set forth the sinnes and wickednesses of the people before the eyes of al men thaÌ they annexe vnto it the iudgemeÌt paine or punnishement For so doeth S. Iohn also at this present First thauthour of this horrible vision who sheweth this vision is the lord Christ himselfe but he vseth the ministerie of an Angell and that of one which comyng out of the temple of the diuine maiestie was appoincted with sixe others to powre out plagues and vialles This is the head minister And it was semely that the iudgement of Babilon should be vttered by an Aungell that had the rule ouer tormeÌtes The lord Iesus himselfe wil take punnishment of the beaste for whom this triumphe is reserued And we vnderstande that suche thinges as are set forth and treated here haue proceded from the highe Bisshop him selfe Iesus Christ and the maners of speakyng to be Angelicall heauenly and godly Who shall than blame vs yf we vsing the wordes of Angelles and of Christ himself shal saye that the Bisshop of Rome and all Popery to be that purple and great and most comon harlot It appereth also to many that seme godly that moderation is neglected whan these thinges are repeted of the preachers Free mouthes agaiÌst Rome whiche are playnely set forth to vs by the expresse wordes of Angelles and of Christ It semeth that they woulde shutte and stoppe the mouth of Christ him selfe Howbeit they attempte that in vayne For if the preachers holde their peace the stones wil crie For it behoueth that like as the glory of Christ so the shame of Antichrist should be knowen to the whole worlde But they offende moste greuousely which in the sermons made against Antichrist require I know not what modestie As though he ought to be spared which spareth no good man As though that doctrine were not modeste which is taken and receiued of the mouth and wordes of Christ After in the .18 chapter We shal heare the lorde commaunde render vnto her as she hath rendred vnto you c. The some of the visioÌ Secondly he compriseth in fewe wordes the some of all and sheweth whereunto we should referre al thinges Come sayeth the Angell to S. Iohn and I wil shew thee ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the iudgement condemnation and punnishement of the greate whore And where he sayeth of the great whore he doeth intimate what the crime is or cause of punnishement fornication infidelitie or vngodlines This vision also apperteineth hereunto that we might vnderstande how Rome should be punnished or destroyed that is to saye the Romane Empire or the kingedome of the Pope or of Antichrist and wherfore or howe it deserueth to be destroyed Rome is a whore She is a whore and a great and an erraunt whore And who knoweth not that a mariage is contracted betwene God and all and singular faythfull that God is the brydegrome and the churche his spouse she is bounden than coupled to her husbande alone in faith and trouth Yf she breake this faith and loue others geue her to them cal vpoÌ and honour them she is a whore Whereof I haue spoken many times both in this boke and els where And a moste common thing is it in the Scriptures to call reuolting vnfaithfulnes impietie superstition and Idolatrie fornication or whoredome Yf any man desire testimonies hereof he shal finde in the .8 of Iudges 1. of Esaye 2. and 3. of Ieremie the .16 of Ezechias in the .1.2 and .3 of Osee and other places Rome therefore was a greate strompet and is also at this daye a moste stynkyng harlot For whic she is full of Idolatrie worshippyng of creatures and abominable superstitions Nother is she herselfe only polluted with all filthines but compelleth morouer the whole world to serue and that to serue in Idolatrie and superstitions What will you saye that through the wonderfull prouidence of God it came to passe that a woman fayning herselfe a manne dyd clyme vp to the See of Rome was created Bisshoppe and called Iohn the .8 whyche was one Gylberta a greate whore borne at Mentz For thus woulde God declare that the Bysshoppe of Rome sitteth a whore vpon the beaste And herein I follow the constant consent of al Historiographers Neuerthelesse I am not ignoraunt that there be some which haue thought howe this Iohn was intruded into the seate vp an
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 substauÌce 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 coÌtemners 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 coÌnteyned in two poincts For he sheweth hitherto what thinge must be done ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shorââ 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã For this boke comprehendeth many things which concerne the iudgemeÌt 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 coÌmoditie of this booke 4. But what profit shall the seruauntes of God loke for of this boke In a short sentence he coÌpriseth 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 tourmeÌtes 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 EuaÌgelist 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 chauÌceth 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 iudgemeÌt 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
Fraunce England Italy and of other Realmes or nations and generally to all the faithfull where soeuer they be abiding and lokyng for the coÌmyng of Christe oure Lorde and Iudge THat this Apocalips was reueled of Iesus christ king of kinges and high Bishop our lord from the right hand of the Father and setforth by thapostolical spirite for the saluatioÌ of al faithfull chieflye of those that shall be in the latter dayes before the last iudgment both the matter it selfe whiche is treated right necessary to be knoweÌ holsom and excelleÌt proueth And also the simple maner meane wherby it is handled being euident and plaine declareth I will speake of ether briefly Collectyng those thinges only which seme to be more profitable and more necessary Iohn .xvi. The Lorde had sayd in the Gospell how he wold ascende into heauen and froÌ thence wold send to his Apostles the holy Gost the comforter which shulde leade them into all truth and shew them the thinges that ar to come And that which he sayd he wolde do in wordes the same verely hath he also perfourmed in dede aboundantly The holy Gost beyng sent to his Apostles which induced them into all truthe and opened to them the thinges that were to come especially to the Apostle and Euangelyst S. Iohn who receiued this ReuelatioÌ exibited to him of Christ from the ryght hand of the Father by the mistery of an AuÌgel in the holy Gost who also by Chryste his commaundement committed the same to wryting The summe and ende of the which wryting is this The summe ende of the Apocalipse That Christ Iesus our Lord wil neuer fayle hys churche in earth but will gouerne it with his spirite and worde through thecclesiasticall ministery But that the church it self whilest it remaineth in this worlde shall suffer many thinges and that for Chryst and the truthe of his Gospell professed And it openeth al and singular euils in a maner that the church shal suffer shewing how it must be exercised with common Calamities as warre plage famyne and suche other lyke What it shall priuately suffer of the false bretherne through heresies schismes and greuous and continuall stryfes contentions corruptions in the matter of religion Finally how terribly it shulde be vexed by the most cruell persecutions of tholde Romane Empire And laste by the wicked crafts extreme Tyranny of Antichrist Al the which thinges apperteyne to this ende that all the chosen being sufficiently warned before and prouided in all ages whilest this worlde shall indure may with true faith alone cleaue vnto Christ our redemer king and high prieste only and eternall and may purely and syncerely professe hym call vpon him in the innocencie of lyfe serue him and patiently attend after him commyng to Iudgemente and to delyuer and saue the godly But contrarywise that they dispise all superstitions and the worlde it selfe with those his sondrye religions felicities and pleasures and bewar of al vngodlines And chiefly that they flee Antichrist which shall com in th ende of the worlde vsurping to himselfe most vniustly the kingdom and Priesthod of Chryst and greuouslye persecuting the churche of Christ euen to the laste Iudgemente In the whiche at the laste he with all his adherentes shall be throwen downe hedlonge into Hell And. S. Iohn beginneth this holsome matter of Chryste hymselfe The fyrste Chapter of the Apocalips Lorde king and high Bishop whose wonderful and most goodly description after the Apostolicke maner he placeth in the very begynnyng as the foundation of the whole worke The same descriptioÌ dooeth so ââately setfoorthe the Lorde that all the churche may easely know What thinges are treated in this boke in what order dispersed throughout the whole worlde in Chryst oure Lorde all thinges to be accomplished what so euer he had sayd before shulde be fulfilled in him namely that he shulde be exalted one to the ryghthand of his father into all celestiall glory power and maiestie there to be kinge of kinges of all other most mightye and the true and only hygh Byshop Sauiour gouernour Lorde and generall defendour of the Catholycke churche For blessed S. Iohn not only saw him such him selfe but also exhibiteth him such to be sene of vs all in thys hys wryting so godly by a most bryght and goodly vision And moreouer to thintent it myght be knowne to vs all in what sorte our Lord Iesus Chryst king and priest sitting or working in Heauen on the right hande of his Father is neuerthelesse in the middes of the catholycke church wherof he hath a faithfull care how louingly and fully he preserueth it in best order gouerneth it S. Iohn sheweth in this his vision that Christ walketh amonge the seuen golden candlestickes holdeth in his right hande seuen starres And streyghtway declareth what thing he vnderstandeth by the candelstickes and starres calling the candelstickes churches and the starres Aungels of the churches That is to witte Seuen churches Messagers ministers and pastours For the Lord chose vnto him selfe seuen famouse churches in Asia with whom he treateth nowe generally and compendiously vsing S. Iohn for hys interpretour which he doth perpetually in all churches throughoute the world and will neuer cease to do tyll the worldes ende For the seuenth number whiche is most vsed in this boke Chap. 2 and .3 and is the numbre of fulnes comprehendeth in it all churches Wherfore S. Iohn doeth so propounde moderate and temper all thynges that he treateth with these seuen churches that they may be applied vnto all the Churches that shal be in the worlde vntyl the worldes ende for theyr learnynge and edifiyng And for the same cause these seueÌ churches may be exaÌples of all other churches For loke what thing then did please or displease the Lord in those seuen churches what tyme these thyngs wer reuealed the selfe same in all other churches shall please or displease him so long as the worlde shall laste And as he wolde haue those instructed and taught so wyl he that all and singular be instructed at all seasons Therefore in these seuen churches we haue examples of churches moste excellent in dede and of God derely beloued And agayne of moste corrupte meane also and finally mixed And in these al is shewed what is or shall be the disposition maners and vertues of all the churches in the whole world and of al tymes and seasons likewise the vices of them and remedies of the same Therfore the Lorde in these instructeth reproueth chideth threatneth exhorteth comforteth promiseth Wherfore in these we shall see as it were in a table set before vs what the true and ryght doctrine of the churche is And againe which is the false and the corrupt doctrine We shall heare and learne that the churche beloued of God must stande styll in the preachyng of the Gospell once receyued of the Apostles of oure Lord Iesus Chryst and muste loke for no new
to come albeit s Iohn hath hitherto spokeÌ neuer so largely yet hath there nothiÌg be sayd worthy so greate a matter wher both the prophetical Apostolicalscrip saith that which the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath hard nor yet hath ascended into the harte of man the same hath God prepared for those that loue him But those things whiche I haue hitherto drawen into an abridgement the title and conclusion of the woorke omitted the order of the booke shewed also by the way S. Iohn in his Apocalypse deliuered by Christe as ofte I haue said through the ministery of a most excellent Aungel commendeth to the vniuersall Churche of Chryst and chiefly to vs in whom th ende of the world hathe chaunced wherin he hath taught nothyng at all contrary to that which he hath taught in his euangelicall story and his epistles The doctrin of the Apocalypse is the apostolicall doctrine Iohn .v. In his story he resiteth certen thinges concernynge the persecutions of the church by the wordes of our Sauiour Christ Of Antechrist nothing vnlesse he sayd this only which many vnderstode to be spoken of Antechrist I came in my fathers name and you receyue me not If an other shall come in hys owne name hym ye wil receyue In thepistle he touched by the way Antechristes matter sayde 1 Ioan. ij dere children the last tyme is at hand and as you haue hearde that Antechrist shall come euen now many Antechristes haue begon to be But in this last boke of his S. Iohn toke vpoÌ hym to declare peculiarly and in dew order and plentifully such things as oure lord Iesus Chryste had distinctly and playnly reuealed to hym of that great Antechrist and of the perills and persecutioÌs of the church And for that cause he appereth to haue vsed more pleÌtiful copie and a kind of speach better furnished more painted variable and polished so that it is no maruell though the phrase of this boke vary somewhat from the style of his other bokes Wherof we shal touche somewhat also in this that followeth In the meane time you wil say there wanteth nothing in this boke if you way euery thing more dilligently whiche you shulde require of a boke moste euangelicall and apostolicall We haue in the same not only expressed but also well expounded the chief articles of our belefe Moreouer innumerable places of the prophets are expounded in this boke For the whiche cause this S. Iohn was called of Iohn Decolampadius The apocalypse is the paraphrasis of the Prophets not without cause thexpositour of the prophets And as the Apostles had this peculiar to themselues to coÌfirme such thinges as they taught by the wrytinges of the prophets So in thexposition of the boke it shall appere that this holy wryter S Iohn hathe either borrowed all his thinges of the scriptures or to beautifie and confirme his writhinges by the scripture What excellent and profitable things ar treated in this boke Bat chiefly this boke of S. Iohn setteth forth the kingdom and priesthode of oure Lord and sauioure Iesus Christ the power glory and maiestie of his deitie and humanitie the mistery and veritie of his redemptioÌ And I doubt whether after the Gospel there may be founde in anye other boke of the scripture more goodly and more godly fit descriptions of Chryste Neither do I desire that credit shulde be geuen to these my wordes let the triall be made of the thinge it selfe Yea the church also the chosen spouse of Christ is painted out most beautifully and she with her vertues and vices is touched also the fall of her and likewise the reparation and reformation and the conflict or fight of the same here be moreouer described the perils ayde and victories that you may seme to haue herein an abridgemente of the story of the church Moreouer it appereth by this boke what is the true and sincere doctrine in the church of God which is false corrupted Furthermore it sheweth vs also sondry descriptions figuratioÌs of matters most weyghtie but first and chiefly of that honorable Trinitie of Chryst also as I said before our sauiour and iudge Finally protectour and president gouerning all thinges most iustely in most goodly order for the saluation of his chosen watching ouer his worde and ouer his church and ministers of the same Iustifieng also sanctifieng and preseruing all the faithfull in the felowship of the churche Punishyng lykewyse all the wicked with all superstition and vngodlynes Briefly no where neglecting the choseÌ no where sparyng thenemies Besides this it setteth forth to vs the description also of the Deuil of al his mallice and warre And setteth before oure eyes also the horrible torments and paynes that they suffer in hell It setteth open to vs heauen it selfe and sheweth what may be the hope of the faithfull And affirmeth the true resurrectioÌ of al flesh In this boke is taught how great is the grace and mercy of almighty God howe rightuous he is true Here is taught what is the true repeÌtaunce of the faithfull here are taught the true good workes of the true faythe what be the duties of true pietie and what be the holy exercises dew to God acceptable of Sainctes in earth Here are shewed also most diligently those wicked dedes whiche are to God most hatefull Here is shewed most plenteously what shal at the length be th end of good men and euyll what shal be the souerayne felicitie and what the extreme misery and infelicitie In somuche that this boke maye euen by the thinge it selfe or matter that it treateth and setteth forthe commende it selfe to all godly people and may shew and proue in dede that it was writteÌ by the spirite of thapostle Now all these matters are setforth and handled after the Apostolicke maner and accustomed facion of holy scripture By what meane and in what sort these are setforth playne and ful of perspicuitie At the beginning God propounded diuine matters and the which concerned our saluation as it were vnder a veale and vnder figures not to thintente to darken or obscure them but rather to vnfolde them and set them foorth For this maner of declaryng inuisible thyngs by visible is more fit to teache more mete to moue more apt for perspicuitie and most conuenient and sitting that things may be more depely imprinted in minde and the lesse fall out of the same And therfore we rede that sondry visions were exhibited to the Patriarches as to Abraham Israell Ioseph Moses and others Certes yf you take froÌ the bokes of the Prophetes the visions parables and sundry figures of speache how much I pray you shall you leaue of theyr doctryne emongs these be more notable in visions Ezechiel Daniel and Zacharie Neyther is thys maner of teachyng by visions parables and sundry figures takeÌ away in the new testament lyke as I haue shewed els where The very story of the
out of sondry places in their letters writteÌ to me haue required my expositioÌ vpoÌ the Apocalips To whose iudgmeÌt sins I gaue very much I did in dede more easely consent to this editioÌ And wherin the meane time the hatfull cause of Antichriste as many men cal it came in the beginnyng of the worke to be handled I neyther ought nor myghte dissemble it Moreouer this is playne that I haue brought forth nothing in this matter that is new straung or hath not ben heard of nor that I role this stone alone Now al the world crieth out that no other antichrist shall come into the world then he that is commen already in the Bisshops of Rome Who shal in the meane time be slaine with the sword of God his word in the harts of the faithful and shortly shal be wholy abolished by the glorious comming of Christe vnto iudgement If I shall suppresse and conceale this thing the stones wyl cry out For now is the time fulfilled and the kingdom of God is coÌmân Blessed and for euer blessed be those Theldest and most common doctrine is that the Pope is Antichrist Gregory the first Pope that watche and loke for Christ vnto saluation Ireney an holy Bishop sayde a thousand and foure hundred yeres sins Antichrist where he is but a seruaunt will be worshipped as God Tertullian and. S Hierom as I haue said now oftner theÌ once haue expounded this prophecie of S. Iohn touching Babilon of Rome plainly Gregory the first of that name who was also Bisshop of Rome was not affrayd to pronounce openly that he was the vauntcurour of Antichrist that wolde suffer him selfe to be called the vniuersal and high Bishop But then did the bishop of Constantinople vsurpe to himselfe this title who ran before the latter bishops of Rome And in the xxxv epistle to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople Al thinges saieth he that are spoken before are don The king of prid to wit antichrist is at hand And the which is not lawfull to be spokeÌ An army of priestes is prepared for him For they serue in the bande of prid Arnulphus bishop of Orleaunce which wer placed to be guides of humilitie And these things wrote Gregory nine hundreth fiftie yeres synce Arnulphus a maÌ very godly lerned Bishop of Orleance .550 yeres since in the couÌsel of Reins speaking openly of the Bishop of Rome brake out at the last into these wordes What thinke you him to be that sitteth in the high seat in the pourple garment glistering with gold whom I say think you him to be Vereli if he be destitute of Charitie and be puffed vp extolled with only knowledg he is Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God and boasting himselfe as though he were God But if he be neyther grounded vpon charitie nor yet exalted with knoweledg he is in the TeÌple of God as an Idoll Thus far he who semeth by these his wordes to haue alluded to the places of holy scripture Apocalips xix.ii Thessa ii Zacha. xi S. Barnard Albeit that by reason of the infelicitie of his time he agreeth not with him selfe in all thinges Yet inueyhed so against the Pope bishops and clergie of his time that if any shuld at this day omitting his name vse his words he shuld be called the greatest heriticke that lyueth Where notwithstanding al things ar now more corrupted theÌ they wer in the time of s Barnard His sermon which he had to the clergie in the counsell of Reines remayneth In his bokes of consideration he is moste vehement especially in the .ii. and fourth boke He liued about the yeare of our Lord .1150 In the yere of our Lord 1240. was suÌmoned a couÌsel of Princes and Bishops at Regenspurge Eberhard bisshop of Salisburge and that for the TiraÌny of bishops of Rome most greuously oppressinge the godly Emperour Friderick the second of that name In the whiche Eberharde Archebishop of Salisburg standing dp Vnder the Title fayth he of the greatest Bishop we perceiue in a Sheperds clothynge a moste cruell wolfe vnlesse we be blind Bishops of Rome haue war against al Christians by attempting disceyuing makyng war vpon war waxing great they kil and murther the pore shepe peace and concord they dryue out of the earth Ciuile warres domestical vprores they coniure out of hell dayly more and more they weaken the forces of al men that they may treade them all vnder foote may deuoure all and bring all into bondage HildebraÌd an hundreth and threscore and ten yeres past first vnder the pretence of religion layed the foundation of Antichristes kingdom He first began this wicked war which by his successours hath ben continued hitherto And by and by The bishops of Babilon couet to reigne alone they can not abide they re pere beleue me for my experience they wil not cease til hauyng brought theÌperoure vnder and the dignitie of the Romane empire dissolued the true pastours oppressed they may on this wise extinguish all thinges tread al thinges vnder theyr fete and sit in the Temple of God and be exalted aboue al that is worshipped He that is seruaunt of seruaunts seketh to be Lord of Lordes in like case as if he were God He hathe new deuises in his hart that he may establish thempire for him selfe He chaungeth the lawes setteth forth his owne lawes That loste man whom they are wont to cal Antichrist polluteth Robbeth spoileth defraudeth sleyeth in whose forhead is written the name of reproche I am God I can not erre he sitteth in the temple of god and ruleth far nere And a little after the maiestie of the people of Rome wherwith in times past the world was gouerned is takin out of the earthe The kingdome is multiplyed the gouernment dispersed into many cut of lessened I wyl not say rent in pieces Themperoure is a vayne calling is only a shadow There be ten kings atones which haue parted the world which in times was the Romaine empire not to gouerne it but to consume it The ten hornes which thing to S AusteÌ semed incredible Turks Greks Egiptians affricans Spaniards Frence men Englishmen GermaÌs Sicilians Italians do posesse the Romane prouinces in them haue distroyed the Roman inhabiters And a little horne hath growen vp vnder these that hath eyes and a mouth speaking great things It hath brought in subiection especially three kingdoms of Sicilie Italy and Germany compelled them to serue him with intollerable tyranny it vexeth the people of Christ and the saincts of God it confoundeth all thinges concerning God and man and attempteth deuelish things And the residew which is to be red in the .685 leafe in the seuenth boke of Auentines cronicles which in the yere of our Lord .1554 were printed at Ingolstad by themperours priuilege out of the which I wrot word for word al that I haue hitherto recited in the name of Eberhard Archbishop of Salisburge About the same time
Peter by a vision as appereth in the actes Actes 10. And the Prophet Ioel sayd also howe the people of ãâã newe Testament should see visions And so doeth the blâsed Apostle S. Peter expounde the same place in the Aââ of the Apostles speakyng of the people of the newe Tesâment 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 âgures of S. Iohn differ from the same This kynd of spââ doth not darken matters but maketh them plaine And ââketh much for the efficacitie and perspicuitie and for the câfirming of the memory For by this meane matters be ãâã only declared with wordes and heard with the eares ãâã 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 paâting 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 paâting 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 ãâã Gods grace shew in our exposition that all that same mâketh for the perspicuitie and plainenes and not for the obseâring or darkening of most high and godly matters I wyâ bring my exposition out of the very scriptures by coÌferring 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 âhould therfore seme worthy to be contemned for that some notable men both old new haue doubted of the authoritie âherof Why may it not recouer his authoritie againe if I âhew that the best doctours of the church both old new haue âad a right good opinion of this boke And here to thintent ãâã wold dissemble nothing at al I am not ignorant that doctor Martin Luther a man right notably learned D. Luther in his first ediâion of the new Testament in dutch with a sharp preface set âefore hath sticked this boke as it wer with a dagger Howe âe it good wel learned meÌ were offended with him for this âis iudgement which in the same found lack both of wit moâestie The same maÌ therfor waying al things more vprightây diligeÌly what time he corrected his dutch Bible c. My âorshipful 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 TestameÌt In al the Greke copies âaith he that I haue sene the title was not of Iohn thapostle âut 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 accomâteth 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. Bâsil 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 pâstour of the churche of Basill and excellently learned in ãâã prophetical and in al the Canonicall scriptures concerning this boke which he left vs written in the .xii. Chap. of theiâââcond boke of his commentaries vpon Daniel But S. Ioâ the Paraphraste or expositour of the Prophetes saith he ãâã 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 oldâââstament and of the Prophetes But those great men do bâwray what a wening they haue of themselues Whose iuâgementes 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
thiÌgs 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 âscribed 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 reheâseth a skylfull exposition as many were made to Moyses ⪠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 ãâã 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 coÌprised 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 coÌmeÌdation 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 auÌcient wryter affirmeth the Iohn liued .vi. score yeares Last is touched also the profit of this godly worke or reuelation The coÌmodite 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 nothââ are tolde here which shal come to passe at length after maâ worldes they belong to euery one of vs. For they be wrâten 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
chiefly of Christ secondly of our whole faith redemption The third Sermon IOhn to the seuen coÌgregatioÌs Asia Grace be with you peaâ from him whiche is and whicâ was whiche is to come and ãâã the seuen spirites which are prâsent before his throne And froÌ Iesus Chriââ which is a faithful witnes and first begotâ of the dead And Lord ouer the kinges of tâ earth Vnto hym that loued vs and wasshâ vs from sinnes in his own bloud And maâ vs kynges and priestes vnto God his fatheâ be glory and dominion for euermore Ameâ Behold he cometh with cloudes And al eyâ shal se him And thei also which pearsed hiâ al kinredes of the earth shal wayle ouer him Euen so AmeÌ I am Alpha Omega the beginning thending saith the Lord almightâ which is which was which is to come The beginning or preface of the wârke Another pece of the first part of this boke conteineth tâ beginning or preface wherin is the Apostles salutation ãâã the whiche he discribeth first the whole mistery of Christ ââcondly of our faith redemption For so were the Apostles wont in the beginning of their writinges to comprise a brief some of salutation Which thing in Paules Epistles is euery where to be sene By the same description he getteth the beneuolence and attentiuenes of al men The Apostles salutation or greting is nothing els What is the Apostles salutation but a blessing Blessing is an old accustomed order by the whiche the Patriarkes wished of God to their children al maner of good thinges both of body soul Which verely in Genesis is described at large And also the high priest had coÌmaundement geuen to blesse the people As we reade in the sixt of NuÌbres especially he commaundeth to put his name vpon the people Therfore it is a supersticion to say God verely from whome euery good gifte descendeth froÌ aboue blesseth that is geueth good thinges but ministers or men wishe only And the Lord in dede in the lawe promiseth that he will grauÌt those thinges to the people whiche the high priestes shoulde wishe them Therfore nother wordes nor shauen crownes but the truth power of God geue the giftes We ought not therfore to doubt but that God wil grauÌt to vs also thapostolical blessing that being reconciled accepted of God we might haue peace And first S. IhoÌ repeteth his name left we shuld any thing doubt of thautour Iohn interpretour of Christ towardes the congregations whoÌ we see Christ to haue vsed as scribe interpretour vnto al coÌgregatioÌs But he repeteth not himself to be that seruauÌt of god witnesse or Apostle of Iesu Christ It sufficed to haue heard that at the first beginniÌg Therfore he teacheth theÌ modestie humilitie also which haue obteined great giftes Afterward he signifieth to whoÌ he wryteth to whoÌ this boke apperteineth to the seuen churches of Asia the names wherof he will vtter shortly after And Aretas bishop of Cesaria by the .vii. churches saith he by the .vii. nuÌbre he signified the multitude of churches that be in al places So also Primasius bish of Vtica in Affrick expouÌdeth the .vii. nuÌber Therfor this salutatioÌ this boke the whole doctrine of Iesu Christ writteÌ by s IhoÌ To whom this booke apperteineth apperteineth to the whole vniuersal church of Christ throughout al the world in all times ages WherupoÌ it beloÌgeth to all vs also as many as be of vs in the church of Christ For albeit thepistles be intitled to the Romains Galath yet followeth it not therfore that they be not ours And he wryteth expressely to the churches of Asia not to tâ churches of Hierusalem or Iewery that he might so shewâ that the kingdome of Christ is comen also already to the gâtiles And as God from the beginning chose Israell in whiâhe myght set forth a perfit example of the church and coÌmâwealth so froÌ the beginning of the new TestameÌt he chose thosâ seuen churches of Asia which he might set forth to the whââ Christen world But in case Rome had ben set in the first plaâ amongest the churches as Ephesus is good God hoâ much wold the Romish sort make of it for the estabishingâ their supremacie The forme of the Apostles bessing And the maner of the Apostles saluting wysheth granâ peace Grace is the fauour of the deitie and the reconcâment wherby God the father for Christ his sake is madeâ one with vs our sinnes pardoned we adopted for his chiâdren Therof arriseth the peace and tranquillitie of myndâ and the desire of concorde with all men And here he sheweth aboundantly who geueth the churcâ his blessing that is to witte grace reconcilement peaâ God and God thre in persons the father the sonne and thâ holy ghost one God in essence But here he discerneth thâ persones very well From him that is to witte the fatheâ And from the seueÌ spirites that is from the holy ghost And froâ Iesu Christ this is the diuersitie of persons And the signification of the vnitie is when after the proprieties of persons dâclared The holy gost is placed in the middes he addeth I am Alpha omega c. And that the hoâ ghost is set here in the middes it disordereth not the misteâ of the Trinitie but appeareth to be an argument that he ãâã the spirite as well of the father as of the sonne and that hâ procedeth from both As it is also proued by the wordes ãâã our lord the xiiii.xv and .xvi. of Iohn Here is also describeâ the whole holsome mistery first of Christ than of the catholike faith and of our redemptioÌ so that herein you may findâ the chiefest articles of the Apostles crede haue here a mosâ goodly descriptioÌ of Christ our Lord. Hereof al meÌ shall iudgâ how truly some men say The father whiche is which was c. that this boke contrary to the ââstome of thapostles maketh litle mentioÌ of Christ of faith The father as fountain original of whom the son is ingendred is first described for that it is he whiche is which was and which is to come Those wordes toke Iohn out of Moyses in the .iii. and .xxxiiii. chap. of Exod. out of many testimonies of Esay And he saith nothing but that God the father is an eternall ensence which coÌsisteth by and of it self and is and geueth life to all and in all preserueth the same And that this essence is suche that it hath bene always with out beginning For this is it that he ioyneth to being or existing was He addeth and he that shall come ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which shal be and shal remaine euen to the ende and to euerlastingnes without end The Grekes deriue ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of running for that conning and running he medleth with all matters is euery where present bringing help to the godly or
cost nothing But the Monkes selle theirs dere They be therfore disceauers and seducers After he calleth him selfe partaker in affliction or oppression and persecution as he that was euen now bannished by the Emperour Domitian and liued in exile And he ioyneth together and not separateth him selfe in the euill That is coÌmon to all the faithfull brethren The persecution of Iohn and of the whole churche And verely it is one and the same persecution that vexed the Apostles and tourmenteth vs at this day Let vs therfore reioyce that we haue the Apostles and all the Martyrs of Christ fellowes of our trouble and affliction that we be broken and bruised with the heauy burthen of euils Let vs therfore be pacieÌt and long suffring For it is not enough to be afflicted and vexed with all kinde of euils for many without any fruicte or prayse at all indure moste greuous paines But it becometh vs also to be patieÌt in aduersitie Therfore S. Iohn at this present ioyneth with all patince For the Lorde sayd in the Gospell In your patience shall you possesse your soules After he addeth vnto tribulation patience a kingdom that an heauenly not a terrestrial kingdom A kingdoÌ prepared for the pacient And he bringeth in the kingdom for the comfort of the patient people For also the Apostle S. Paul said a certen and sure saying For if we die with Christ we shall lyue also with hym If we suffer we shall reygne with hym c. Let vs alwayes here with comfort our selues in aduersitie For we are thruste downe that we might ones be exalted againe .ii. Corinthians .iiii. And all these thinges are concluded in Christ Iesus by whoÌ we be both the children brethren of God and suffer many thinges patiently and are made partakers of his kingdom For euen for these thinges must we thanke him and his mârites and not our own deserte The state of humilitie of thapostle Let vs here note also what and howe great hath bene the humilitie of the greatest and worthie Apostle of God whâ was his state Not plesaunt but harde yet in the pacience ãâã Christ ioyfull But where be they nowe that glory in thâ name of Apostles Who in the meane time swellyng witâ pride are addicte to filthie pleasures Whiche I warne thâ we flee from them as from Apostataes The place wherin the reuelation was shewed And now he sheweth the place where this diuine reuelation was made him where also he was coÌmaunded of Goâ to wryte the same The place was the I le of Patmos Thâ same is accompted amonges the Ilondes called Sporadâ of Plinie in the fourth boke and .xii. cha It lay ouer againâ Asia and the citie of Ephesus and was in thu sight boeth ãâã Europe and Affricke so that it semed to be as it were a miâdle seate or holy chaire out of the which Christ preached ãâã Iohn from heauen to the whole worlde And in dede the coâselles of God are wonderfull and his goodnes is vnspekeable which reuealeth so great misteries as it were in thâ Romish pryson or Babilonicall captiuitie to his faithfull Iohn persecuted for the Gospel Neyther hideth he the cause of his comming into the samâ Iland I was there saieth he for the worde of God and thâ testimony of Iesu Christ The word of God is the very soâ of God called of Iohn by a singular proprietie of speache the worde or sermon of God as appeareth the first of Iohn and the testimony of Iesu Christ is the Gospell if self whicâ Iesus testified and the whiche his disciples haue testified oâ Iesu Therfore for the confession and preaching of Iesââ Christ and of his holsome Gospell for so he expoundetâ also how he is made partaker of thafflictioÌ Iohn was apprâhended in Asia by soldiours led to Rome that he might pleaâ his cause before themperour Domitian who of his cruel nature condeÌned the inuoceÌt And he was put into a cawdroÌ oâ hote boiling oyl Out of the whiche when he escaped withouâ harme he was caried into Patmos He aunswered no other matter before themperour than Paul did .27 yeres past before Nero. This was done in that .xiiii. or .xv. yere of DomitiaÌ And the .xxiiii. yeare after the destructioÌ of the citie HierusaleÌ and after the birth of our Lorde .lxvi. Domician who would seme and be called a God being slaine of his own men after many murthers cruel actes died himself a shameful death the .xv. yeare of his reigne The authours hereof are Suetonius in the life of Domitian Tertullian in the heretic prescript Eusebius in his chronicles and in the third boke of the ecclesiastical history in the .xvii. and .xviii. chapter And hereto is added the common consent of all writers Moreouer he noteth the tyme also The time of the reuelation and of the sonday in the whiche these misteries began to be reuealed to him ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in that solemne day of the Lord namely the sonday For so haue the auncient fathers called one of the sabbothes that is to say the first day in the weke wherin Christ rose again froÌ the dead Math. xxviii and Mark .xvi. And this day haue the churches chosen to them selues in stead of the Sabboth day as holy in the remeÌbrauÌce of the Lordes resurrectioÌ wherin they might kepe their sacred and solemne assemblees For that this day was solemnised and coÌsecrated for assemblees in the congregation of Corinthe appereth manifestly in the xvi Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corintians where the Apostle commaundeth to lay a part their collections in one of the sabbothes The same day also the faithful did celebrate their seruice with S. Paul in the .xx. of the Actes Wher Sozomenus reporteth in the .viii. chapt of the first booke of the story tripertite that great Constantine made certen holy daies and euen the Lordes daie for one whiche is called of the Heathen the sonday it is to be vnderstande that he renewed rather the custome of the Apostles catholique church than to haue newly instituted the same And frely of their own accord haue the churches receiued that day for we read not that it was any where commaunded And the congregations sawe how it was altogether necessary that there shuld be a certen tyme in the whiche the sainctes should mete and come together They chose therfore the day of the resurrection nether did they maliciously contende among theÌselues for these thinges as the histories testifie was done in the churche afterward And at this day verely the supersticious holy days being abrogated it is better to obserue certain and moderat daies and to kepe peace and quietnes in the churche But where this Apostle knewe that the faithfull on the soâday serued God in all assemblees where he could not be pâsent in body The Sonday ought to be kept in spirit and contemplation he was with theâ And as he was thus in the spirite and
contemplation of mâters diuine and in holy prayers he heard a voice whereof ãâã wyll speake hereafter But here we are presently taughâ what is the religion of the sonday and how it is mete to oâserue 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 aâcompt 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 lenââ to the reuelation setting forth before the expresse commauâdement of God wherby he was commaunded both to wâ the thinges âeuealed 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 âpartes For first the Lord commaundeth S. Iohn to wââ And to wryte suche thinges as he sawe that is to witte ãâã 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 congââgations 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 sââturs It was not written nor coÌpiled in bokes but by Goâ coÌmaundment 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 garmeÌt âowne to the grounde and gyrde about the pappes with a golden girdell His head and his eares were whyte as whyte wolle and ânowe And his eyes were as a flame of fyre ând 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 SuÌne in his strength Suche thinges as haue bene treated of hitherto in thââ boke be in stead of the prologue or preface as they termeâ Now at last shall the matter it selfe be propouÌded to vs. The som of these things vnto the .iiii. Chapter Hâ therfore followeth the second part of this boke whiche râcheth to the fourth chapter In the which is Christ describe vnto vs with his catholike churche For first in dede is set âfore vs the moste sacred Image of Christ our Lord teachiââ 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 nâuerthelesse 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 âstours of the churche must worke and trauell with the peâple 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 ãâã some doctrine brought in to an abridgement shal be set beâ vs. For here is repeted from heauen of Christ in glory ãâã doctrine of true religion whiche he had set forth more plâtifully 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 thiââ 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 sauioââ 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 âwipt 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 sââgular diligence The matter is very playne An aungell represeÌteth Christ First we are taught who it is whose Image is to vs exââbited Not the sonne of man him selfe in his own substaunââ 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 substaunââ 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 ãâã 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 oââ 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 ãâã the candelstickes must be vnderstande the churches Chriââ is than in the middes of the churche He sitteth verely onâ ryght hand of the father and after the proprietie of this ââmane body he is but in one place and in no mo As S. Aâgustin declareth aboundauntly in the .lvii. Epistle to Dorânus Yet for as muche as he is also very God he is lykewâââ in the myddes of the churche as he promised in the Gospââ Whersoeuer two or three be gathered in my name Mat. 18.28 theâ am in the myddes of them And agayne behold I am wâââ you vnto the worldes ende Therfore by his power diuiââ Christ remayneth and worketh in the churche present aâ not absent Leaue therfore to inquire what Christ doth ãâã the ryght hand of his father whether he sitte continually And he is verely in the myddes of the churches fyxed to ãâã 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 amoÌgst the apparell of Aaron and it is a priestly garment Whereof S. Hierome writeth to Fabiola of the priestly garmeÌt 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 coÌcupiscences 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 ãâã more excellent priesthod and kyngdome induring for eueâ To accomplishe
Whose bloud prohibited the Aungel distroier from the houses and tentes represented the figure of Christ by whose preciouse bloud we are reconciled to God This expositioÌ of the Paschal lambe S. Peter him self in the .1 Pet. 1. and S. Paull in the .1 to the Corinth 5. haue brought Esaye accordeth with them in the .53 chapter And so expounded by the Apostle S. Philip in the 8. of the Actes Finally S. Iohn Baptist whiche with the fingar stretched out and poinctyng to Christ exclamed beholde the Lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Let vs therfore beleue that the same Iesus Christ vnto whom al power is geueÌ of the father to be our deliuerer our expiation reconciliation innocencie sanctification iustification and euerlastyng saluation as he whom we shal heare in the xiii chapt to haue beÌ slayne from the beginning of the world for so much as his only death one oblation made from the beginning of the world and continually to the worlds ende doeth sanctifie al those that are sanctified Which the Apostle also affirmeth in the .10 to the Hebrewes Howebeit this lambe or sauiour of the worlde is sayed to stand in the middes of the throne verely for that now he executeth thoffice of a catholicke kinge and priest gouernour beynge alwayes ready and prepared to saue So S. Stephen also in the .7 of the Actes seeth him standing Or els in other places we reade that Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father To the which this place gayne saieth not considering that to sitte is bothe to rest and to reigne Moreouer this our Lambe appereth in the Throne of the diuine maiestie The lamb appeareth as slayne as if he were killed not for that he was not slayne in dede and dead for that same is a little after excessed moste exactely but for that he remayned not in deathe but the thirde daye rose agayne from the dead to th ende he mighte so declare him selfe to be the life and resurrection of the faythful Or verely for that after his humanitie he is red to be slayne after his deitie to be immortall and subiecte to no reproche Wherfore in the old lawe the one of the goates in the 16. of Leuitic is slayne but the other is not killed but by the worke of a man herunto appoynted is led forthe into the deserte Neuertheles there is of the expositours which expounde it thus he is sayed as though he were slaine for asmuche as after S. Chrisostome and S. Austen he hath reserued as yet the seares of the woundes of his death in token of his victory c. Furthermore this lambe Christ Iesus our lord hath .vii. The laÌbe hath seuen hornes hornes not that in dede he carieth so many hornes like a goate of Iude. An horne as appereth by Daniel and by the songe of Zacharie in the 1. of Luke signifieth power and kingdome The .vii. nombre is the nombre of fulnes It is therfore signified that Christ is indued with al kinde of power diuine humane imperial pontifical roiall briefly moste absolute In the 13. chapt we shal heare that the beaste hath taken to him two hornes as it were of the lambe whereof I shal speake in his place Daniel in the 7. chapt And rule sayeth he was geuen him and honour and kyngedome that al nations and tounges mighte worship him whose rule is an euerlastinge rule which shal not perish nor decaye at any time Now hath he seuen eyes also These he expoundeth and sayeth The laÌbe hathe .vii. eyes whiche are the .vii. spirites of God sente into the whole worlde I shewed you before that the .vii. spirites are called a seuenfold spirite Here therfore is signified the fulnes of the spirite which the lord powereth out vpon al flesh Here is signified the vniuersal knowledge of the sonne in whose sighte are present what thinges so euer are done in heauen and in earth opeÌly priuely For the spirite of Christ that vnmeasurable force incomprehensible and most diuine searcheth and pearseth al thinges nothinge is hidde from his eyes whiche viewe the whole world And such is Christ as we haue hearde described hitherto What is the gouernour of all and who openeth the seales whome the Patriarches haue before sayed shoulde come a victour and triumphant coÌquerour alone verely inuincible very man of our owne substauÌce and also our very brother yet very God neuerthelesse of the same substaunce with the father and the holy ghoste the reconciler redemer and the only saluatioÌ of the world hath suffered for vs and the same risen agayne from the dead and ascended into heaueÌ hauing al power in heauen and in earth whiche seeth al thinges coÌmunicateth his spirite vnto men and is the most faithful keper and defender of al maÌ kinde This Christ Iesus our lord came and receiued he conueyed not or stale it away but toke that boke of the prouidence diuine of the iudgementes of God of the vniuersal gouernmeÌt of al things that he might open and lowse the Seales thereof that is to saye that he might reueale to vs that are redemed with his bloud the iudgementes of God and mighte dispose and order al thinges in heauen and in earth Therfore sins we know that the gouernour of al thinges is geuen to vs a redemer Kyng Bishop and our only saluation who will not from hence forth willingly submitte himself to his gouernement And seyng we nowe vnderstande certenly how that vnder the seale of faith and veritie al things are done by Christ who dare hereafter more curiousely inquire of his workes and iudgmentes vnto whose credite and gouernement we should nowe coÌmitte althinges Howe the sonne is saied to receiue the boke at his fathers hande in case they were in our power Notwithstanding we shall obserue that the sonne doeth not so receyue these thinges of the father that the father is depriued therof For in the .5 chapt of S. Iohns Gospel the Lorde sayeth my father worketh vnto this time I worke c. Certes the sonne is called the worde mouth and arme of the father c. or that after the humanitie the sonne mighte seme lesse than the father For very godly Aretas where the lambe sayeth he receyued the boke of the right hande of him that sitteth on the Throne it must be vnderstande on the behalfe of his humanitie As also that he was slayne For concernyng his deitie none of all those thinges that maye worthely be spoken or thought of God is seuerally assigned to three persones sauing the maner of bringyng forth of him that begetteth and of him that is begotten and of hym that procedeth c. This description of Christ is singular moste excellent very euangelicall and ful of consolation and therfore is it chiefly to be layde vp in the botome of our hartes Where we finde also that they were disceaued in theyr iudgment which were not affrayde to saye that in this boke besides
the Apostolical maner fewe thinges were taught of Christe and of our redemption Let vs praye vnto the Lorde that he would vouchesafe to illumine our mindes Amen ¶ Here is described adoration and prayse geuyng or an Himne songe vnto Christ of the beasts and Elders The .xxviij. Sermon ANd when he had taken the boke the foure beastes and .xxiiii. Elders fel downe before the lambe hauynge Harpes and golden Vialles ful of odours which are the prayers of Sainctes and they sange a newe songe saiyng Thou arte worthy to take the boke and to open the Seales therof for thou waste killed haste redemed vs by thy bloud out of all kinredes and tongues and people and natioÌs and haste made vs vnto our God Kinges and Priestes and we shall reigne on the earth We haue hearde Christ is the true only monarche that the lambe hath receyued the boke of the hande of him that sitteth in the Throne that he might open it and lowse the seales of the same that is we haue vnderstande that Christ is the only and eternall Sauiour and Lorde vnto whome all power is geuen in heauen and earth that he than only and euermore saueth that he reuealeth to vs the misteries and iudgementes of God that he finally gouerneth and disposeth al thinges in the worlde It followeth moreouer how al the creatures of God behaued them selues towardes this sonne of God the monarche and gouernour of al thinges This thing is set forth with a maruelouse figuratiue and plentiful speache in the Tipe of the .iiii. beasts and xxiiii Elders c. Certenly that we might of their gestures wordes and workes vnderstande what it is mete for vs to do in the iudgementes of God For this example is verely manifolde and euen of sixe partes suche as you shall hardely finde propounded in any other matter An exaÌple manifolde whereby we learne how to behaue oure selues towardes the gouernour of al thiÌgs And in this matter is of very greate force First in dede we haue hearde in the .iiii. chapt that the foure beastes cried out before the Throne of him that sate holy holy holy lord God omnipotent Seconde we vnderstande that the .xxiiii. Elders fel doune worshipped cast away their crownes and sange an Himne Nowe followeth the thirde degree of this example For as firste the beastes and Elders did these thinges seuerally so now ioyntly with one accorde the beastes and Elders fal downe together before the laÌbe Let vs therefore fall downe also in all the iudgementes and workes of God before the lambe gouernour of al and let vs worship For although it be not here added and they worshipped yet are they to be vnderstand for this intent to haue fallen downe that they might worship For to fal downe is to worship Whiche thing is also perceiued by this that foloweth The laÌbe is worshipped For they offer praiers to the lambe that is to witte singe an Himne whiche is a parte of godly worshippinge Morouer it foloweth immediately that euery creature sang an Himne to him that setteth in the Throne and to the laÌbe c. And verely two thinges especially and diligently S. Iohn treateth in this example For first he painteth out gallauntly the behauiour of the beastes and elders After he annexeth the Himne prayse geuyng or songe And so much as apperteyneth their behauiour Afore al thinges they fal downe before the lambe as euen nowe I sayed Christe is very God to be worshipped with the father in the same glory And this place is of efficacitie enough to proue the deitie of our Sauiour Christe For these thinges ought to be conferred with those whiche are written vpon the same wordes in the .iiii. chapt The .xxiiii. Elders fell downe before him that sitteth in the Throne and worshippe him that liueth for euer and euer And now it is sayed that the selfe same elders haue fallen downe before the lambe wherupon it followeth that he that liueth for euer and the lambe be worshipped with like glory culte and honour And that the sonne is coequall with the father to be worshipped for euer Wherby now is opeÌly perceyued the abominable and detestable errour of Arius and Seruetus Seruetus renewed the blasphemy of Arrius confuted at this present not only of the beastes but also of the whole coÌgregation of Sainctes in heaueÌ Idle men reason subtilly and peruerte wraste gods worde after their wonted giantly boldenes at their pleasure we wil rather followe the examples of all sainctes and creatures in the worlde and will worship the lambe with hym that sitteth in the throne blessed for euermore Agayne there are obiecte to vs the Elders liyng prostrate on the pauement holding in their haÌdes harpes and vialles Harpes vialles An harpe in the Psalmes and holy historie is an instrument of musicke coÌsecrate to prayses diuine Of the vialle of what shape or fashion the cuppe was the writers of vesselles treate muche I vnderstande it to be simply a cuppe or a bolle suche as we reade there were many in the tabernacle and temple appoincted bothe for drinke offeringes and also for swete odours and incense Neuerthelesse these thinges in the holy heauenly dwellers be not to be taken corporally but spiritually after a suffiguration For what the spirite of God vnderstode the reuealer of secrettes S. Iohn him selfe addeth which be the prayers of Sainctes Therfore is signified that Sainctes offer prayers to God whiche are muche more acceptable to him Musicke incense prayer than the swete melodie of Musicall instrumentes is to man or pleasaunt sauour of swete gumes or of incense Aretas the expositour in that they haue Harpes sayeth he it sheweth a concorde and agrement in geuynge God thankes And herof we learne agayne what we should do in the contemplation vnderstanding of the iudgementes and workes of God The lord is to be praysed blessed because he is good and his mercy indureth for euer But if thankes must be geuen to God if his workes and iudgmentes are to be praysed why do certen men expostulate with God blamyng or bringing in suspicion his iudgemeÌtes let vs learne moreouer that Organes and those corporall incenses do no longer become the churche of God Of this place S. Ireney in the 4. boke agaynste heresies The true sacrifice of ChristiaÌs in the .33 and .34 chapt sheweth that the prayers and thankes geuyng of Sainctes be the same oblation whiche Malachie prophecied to be offered vp through out the whole worlde And shortely after Tertullian followed the same exposition agyynst the Iewes and in the iiii boke agaynste Marcion whom other doctours of the Churche haue followed But those pleasaunt sophisticall triflers I meane the popisshe diuines do as it were triumph in those thinges yet leade they in the meane time a shadowyng and a most vaine triumphe For they applie these thinges to their sacrifice wherin they fayne them selues vnder the some of bread wine to offer
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 theÌ 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 Aâ 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 hoÌdreth 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 souÌde 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 theÌ 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 maÌ than should haue saied heâ 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 froÌ the time of the Apostles vntil themperour CoÌstantine 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 persecutioÌ 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 mentioÌ 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 thaÌ 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
spake the Lord in the gospel when they shall saye sayeth he Christ is in the wildernes goe not forth c. And I doubte not but that some simple also at this day for this intent take vpon theÌ the monastical life but they shall finde also the same that S. Iohn here sayed they should proue and trie by experience Furthermore this place might seme that it should be expounded of the tokens which go before the last iudgement The place is to be expouÌded of the laste iudgemeÌt and of the terrour of the wicked of whom the Lord preached in maner to the same effect in the .21 of Luke But of the laste iudgement shal be spoken more at large and in his place in the .11 and .19 Chapter of this boke and els where And as I do not discoÌmende that same exposition so seme there nowe to me the generall destenies of the church to be here set together in the which where the corrupte doctrine occupieth not the last place there should nothing be spoken herof in general wherof many thinges in particular shal be spoken in the 8. chapter and others followyng vnlesse this present place should after the same sorte be expounded as it is Furthermore those thinges that followe shall better be ioyned together which shall haue no place in the laste iudgement as the thing it selfe wil proue And the thinges that follow in the 7. Chapt. apperteyne to the exposition of the sixte seale or vnto the treatise thereof And three thinges chiefly it reciteth howe the Aungelles let the windes that they shoulde not blowe an innumerable company to be sealed in the middes of the corrupt doctrine which shuld not perish And what the state of them is which are departed out of this world eyther by martirdom or els beyng either vndefiled with the corruption so ful of enormitie or deliuered pourged from the same which are annexed because of coÌsolation For this boke of Apocalipse is woÌderful Euangelical most ful not only of prophecies but also of admonitions exhortations and most coÌfortable consolations What winde is in the Scriptures First is to be expounded that whiche is spoken of the restreinte of the windes by the Aungels that they should not blowe Winde as also leaueÌ in the scriptures is vsed both in good and euil parte For winde is called vaine and false doctrine and an hope conceyued of erroneouse doctrine As in Osee the .12 and the .5 and .22 of Ieremie So is leauen called the Pharisaicall doctrine and hipocrisie springyng thereof S. Paul in the .4 to the Ephes forbiddeth that we be not caried about with euery winde of doctrine And the holy ghost is shaddowed by winde in the .3 chapt of S. Iohn And in the 2. chapt of the Actes Winde is subtile it pearseth is felte and is not sene greate is the force thereof it doeth refrigerate it drieth gathereth clowdes whiche rayne and make the earth fertile Full rightly therfore by winde is signified the spirite of God and the sounde doctrine whiche is of the spirite of God Therfore is it one winde the spirit of God whiche inspireth and there be foure windes that is to witte many by the corners of Heauen and partes of the earth that is to wit preachers dispersed through out the whole world Therfore the doctrine of the Gospell inspired from all partes of the world bloweth or is preached so that ther be many windes yet all procedyng of one For there is one and the same spirite whiche speaketh by the ministers and geueth them sundry graces .1 Corinth 12. Briefly by the blaste of windes we vnderstand the free preachyng taken out of the holy Scriptures The preachyng of gods word is prohibited Secondely we muste knowe that there be both good and euil Aungels in the Scriptures Aungels as appered before are called ministers And there be good and euill ministers the good inspired of God and the good Aungell and the euil of the euil Aungell And the enemie of the trueth stireth vp men in al places of the world in the Courtes of Kinges in the places of Iudgement in Scholes in Colledges in Cities Townes and Villages whiche may let the free course of Gods worde Therefore the proclamations of Kinges and Bisshoppes flye to and froe are proclamed and set vp prohibiting the readyng of the Bible the preaching of the Gospell c. And to the intent to haue some pretence of their euill doyng they forge that the Bible is corrupte in a thousande places that heresie is learned and taught out of the same Therefore also they prohibite and condemne the Bible and the bokes of the Gospell of the vnworthines of the whiche thing it can not worthely enough be spokeÌ before the church They do the same that in times paste Antiochus Epiphanes Dioclesian and other men of the same sorte are red to haue done The expositours of the Bible in times paste deserued excedyng great prayse nother was there any faythfull that sayed the holy boke to be corrupted for that al translations agreed not emonges themselues We liue therefore at this daye in a time most corrupt and most vnthankefull And the restrainte of reading holy Scripture is the foundation of the corrupte doctrine and of intanglyng the conscience and of dispayre that followeth on the same And by the Earth he vnderstandeth men dwellyng in Earth by the Sea and Iles men of Ilandes and that dwell on the Sea by trees men shadowed euery where in the Scripture by trees For vnlesse the windes blowe the trees florishe not neyther the earth waxeth grene The Prophet sayeth sende forth thy spirite and they shal be created and thou shalt renewe the face of the earth And excepte the worde of God be preached the mindes of men waxe not grene nother are the fruictes of good workes brought forth of men And therfore the Aungelles prohibiting winde are sayed to hurt as in dede there is nothing more pestilent nor perniciouse than the suppressing of the free preachyng of Gods worde The Lorde by his spirite renewe all partes of the worlde Amen ¶ The faithful are sealed to saluatioÌ which they obteyne by the grace of God in Christ Iesu The .xxxv. Sermon ANd I sawe an other Aungell asceÌde from the rising of the sonne which had the seale of the liuing God and he cried with a lowde voyce to the foure Aungelles to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth and the See saying hurte not the earth nother the See nother the trees till we haue sealed the Seruauntes of our God in their forheades And I hearde the numbre of them which were sealed and there were sealed an C. and .xliiii. thousand of al the tribes of the ChildreÌ of Israell Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Ruben were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Gad were sealed xii M. of the tribe of Asser were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Neptali were sealed .xii. M.
Millenaries vnlesse we iudge here vprightly I beleue therfore that the same restoring wherof the Prophetes speake muste be diuided into three times that the first be so be called historicall which extendeth froÌ king Cyrus vnto great Pompey the which Ezras Nehemias and the Authour of the boke of the Machabeis describe and teache to be fulfilled The second to beginne at the comming of our Sauiour and procede vnto Antichrist and to his distroying which in dede the Apostles and Euangelistes haue moste diligently described and wherin they testifie many thinges to be accomplisshed And that the thirde time should beginne from the gospel restored and the last iudgment and continewe foreuermore whiche restitution verely semeth to be of al other most perfit complete wherin God wil geue vnto man most fully what things so euer he hath promised by the mouthes of the prophetes and Apostles Hereof hath S. Peter most manifestly made mention in the actes the .3 chapt saying it behoueth Christ to take heauen vntil the time of restoring of al things which god hath spoken by the mouth of al his sainctes froÌ the time of the prophetes And the Lord him selfe in the gospel speaking of the last iudgement sayed lifte vp your heades because your redemption draweth nere Or happely we may on this wise diuide this matter perauenture more plainely the restoring of Israel or of al faithful is verely either corporall or spiritual The corporal maye be called historicall and was perfourmed by Cyrus Zorobabel Iehosua Ezras Nehemias and the Machabeis And the spirituall is fulfilled or shal be yet accomplisshed by the coÌming of our holesome Messias our lord Iesus Christ And the coÌming of the lorde is of two sortes the firste in dede is in the flesh in the which we beleue many things the Apostles bearing witnes to haue ben fulfilled of Christe in the latter he shal come agayne from Heauen into iudgement In that comyng he shal most fully accomplisshe such thinges as we see as yet not perfourmed And doubtles al our hope is herunto referred and comforted by this comyng Those thinges that are spoken of the Apostle in the .11 to the Romains of the conuersion of the Iewes are fulfilled partly and partely are fulfilled dayly and as yet shal be fulfilled Now we retourne to the plenty of them that shal be saued and are already saued from the middes of the kingdome of Antichrist to be declared Many thousands of Iewes be saued S. Iohn diuideth the vniuersalitie of man kinde into Iewes and gentiles Of the Iewes are raccompted an hondreth and fourtie and foure thousande And after our iudgement of a thousand Iewes there semeth scarsely one or two to be saued but where by the testimony of our sauiour him selfe so great a numbre is saued there is lefte verely of this numbre certayne an infinite multitude of this stifnecked people to be gathered which shal be saued And they are not saued by the Lawe or by circumcision or by their damnable obstinacie but vp the grace of God in Christ their Messias the only redemer reuealed to them of God mercifully and of them receyued faithfully For if the thefe on the crosse mighte be saued nowe leauinge his lyfe what shal lette innumerable Iewes to be saued by the same meane neuerthelesse I will here determine no measure Neyther will I also by this meane make frustrate the ministerie of the worde and Sacramentes Howbeit I know the thinges to be trewe that here are spoken the measure or maner is knowen to God neither is there any thing with him vnpossible And hereunto serueth the Apostles doctrine in the .11 to the Romains You wil saye If the ende be good al is good this doctrine wil make men to neglect their owne Saluacion where already nowe there are that saye if the ende be well then is all well As though they shoulde haue sayed how soeuer thou liuest in this world drowned in pleasures and bloud and geuen to gloutonny beleue only at the last ende of thy life and thou shalt be saued Doubtles I am not ignoraunt that there be many vncleane hogges and filthie swine abusing the worde of the veritie and consolation of the Gospell but shal the abuse of prophane men take awaye the veritie from vs The childreÌ of God which know that there is none other propiciation or satisfactioÌ for sinnes but the oblation of Christ cease not therfore to renewe their life dayly by repentaunce The godly abuse not gods mercy to the libertie of sinnynge Thus although the godly doubte nothing but that innumerable at the last ende of their life are conuerted and saued of the Lorde yet do they not abuse this mercy of God to the libertie of the flesh but are affraied For ther be other places diuerse which reteyne them in order and duety For the lord sayeth thou arte made hole go and sinne no more leest some worse thing happen to thee Item let vs do good whilest we haue time the time will come when we can not worke The parable of ten virgins declareth vnto vs the same Also if the iuste shall vnneth be saued where shal the sinner and wicked appere moreouer tempte not the Lord thy God And innumerable others of like sorte And when the Sainctes shall haue all their life time demeaned themselues blamelesse in the rightuousenes of God yet in the laste time of theyr life thei trust not to the same but to God his mere mercy through Christ They remember alwayes howe greuousely he was rebuked in the Gospel first in dede he that inuied the good lucke of him that laboured with him in the vineyarde for that he had receyued so muche wages coming into the vineyarde about the laste houre of the daye as he had receyued that had laboured al daie long and agayne the thriftie sonne for that he was sory that his wastefull and prodigall brother was receyued agayne of his father a feeste also made him and for him that was alwaies obedient and toke paynes coÌtinually no such thing was prepared Innumerable people of al parts of the world are saued But the gentiles he contriueth not into any certen numbre but saieth how he sawe a great multitude which no man could tel no more thaÌ they coulde the starres sande herbes or grasse how many they were in nuÌbre He signifieth therfore that in al the worlde at al times innumerable are saued by Christe neuerthelesse leeste any man should thinke that it should preuaile or hinder him to saluation to be borne of this or that nation tribe or tonge S. Iohn addeth incontinently of al tribes people and tonges to be ordeyned to saluation indifferently Therfore this difference hindereth saluation nothing but are founde in Inde Aethiopia Barbaria and in the furthest parte of Libia in Scythia Tartaria and in the vttermost endes of the worlde whiche are saued by the grace of Christ And because it hath much doubtfulnes to reason of things
painefulnes And thei serue God in the temple as God is wonte to be serued in the Temple For they kepe holy dayes they are glad reioyse be mery prayse and so they offer vp sacrifices and are refresshed with heauenly repaste And this ioye shall be euerlastyng and perpetuall which is signified by daie and night Otherwise in the blesse euerlasting there is no mighte at all nor anye chaungeable course of time Hereunto is added that he that sitteth in the seate that is the diuine maiestie ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã will dwell in them that is to witte God wil be al in al or he wil leane ouer them and as it were a tente or tabernacle will ouershadowe them defende and kepe them and geue him selfe whole to be inioyed of them as moste familiar and frendely to them Moreouer they shall honger no more nother shall they thirste For all infirmitie and miserie is taken awaye from the blessed soules and bodies glorified They are filled with al good thinges without any lothsomnes with a most ioyeouse fulfillynge Nowe the sunne falleth not vpon them nor the heate whiche phrase of speache betokeneth that they are put to no trauel nor paine but are deliuered at ones from all displeasure and all paynefulnes and to be at moste pleasaunt reste Agayne is set in the cause of so greate felicitie Christ the lambe that is to saye Christ mediatour and redemer in the middes of the seate that is very God For he as both Ezechiel in .34 chapt and the lord also him selfe in the .10 of Iohn Wittenesseth ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is to saie wil fede them Christ fedeth and quikneth like a sheperde and as a Captaine of life will leade them to the fountaines of liuely water that is to witte will quicken them for euer preserue all his in that felicitie He vseth in this treatise wordes of the prophetes most accustomed and vsed euery where that climyng vnto higher thinges we might after some sorte esteme heauenly giftes Hereunto he ioyneth as yet a notable benefite and the Lord will wipe al teares from their eyes Which wordes he hath borrowed of Esaye For Sainctes in this world tourmoyled with sondry euils haue shed most plentiful teares but in the world to come the Lord comforteth them gladdyng them with ioye euerlasting nother geuyng theÌ at any time any occasion of grefe Iacob 16 And therfore he sayed in the Gospel verely I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and lament but agayne the world shall reioyse and ye shal mourne but your mournyng shal be tourned into ioye And your harte shal reioyse and your ioye shal no man take from you We shall heare the like thinges vnto these also in 21. of the Apocalipse c. Against the coÌtemners of the blessed lyfe Hereof they perceiue howe shamefully they transgresse which haue alwaies in their mouth if I should contene this life present for religioÌs sake who shal tel me what is that other other life to come perauenture if I neglecte this in an other world I shal get nothing For here we haue a most manifest testimony that as most assured saluatioÌ is prepared of God in heauen for the faithful so is it also moste ample and great in so much that the Apostle in an other place sayeth that thâ afflictions of this time present are not egall to the glory which shal be reuealed to vs. The Lord graunt vs that we maye acknowledge these thinges ¶ Whilest the .vii. Seale is opened and the Aungels with trompettes come forth Christ the intercessour of his church offereth vp before his father the praiers of his faithful The .xxxvij. Sermon ANd when he had opened the .vii. The .8 chapt seale there was sileÌce in Heauen about the space of half an houre And I sawe seuen Aungels standyng before God to them were geuen seuen trompettes And an other Aungell came and stoode before the Aultar hauing a golden censer much of odoures was geuen vnto him that he shoulde offer of the prayers of al sainctes vpon the goldeÌ aultar whiche was before the seate And the smoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of al sainctes ascended vp before God out of the Aungels hand And the Aungel toke the censer and filled it with fire of the Aultar and caste it into the earth and voices were made and Thonderinges and Lightninges and Earthquake I suppose ther be no bokes in the world of whomsoeuer The excellency of the bookes of holy scripture or when soeuer they were written which maye coÌpare with the bokes of holy scripture as concerning the sincere veritie pure simplecitie and plaine order Nother perauenture that maye seme any maruell to any man knowing that the same are written in dede of men but inspired of the holy ghoste There be edifices most skilfully builded of men and framed and coÌtriued in a most goodly order But what beaultie wil you iudge them to haue in case ye compare them with the creation of the worlde and with that most beaultifull order whiche we see dayly in all thinges created and chaungeable course of times the moste excellent workes of men haue nothyng in them yea seme vile in case you compare them with the workemanship of God the creatour A recapitulation But for the moste bright order and most playne treatise this boke of the Apocalipse hath emonges others moste notable an excellent and wonderfull prayse S. Iohn promised a some of the matter signifiyng that he wold speake of those thinges which shuld be done in the church from his time vntil the iudgemeÌt And the faithfull doe knowe to what ende they should take those thinges not to thintent their curiositie might be mainteined or satisfied but that they sufficiently warned before shuld not fal but take hede to themselues hold faste the true saluatioÌ And forasmuch as there is muche talke emonges men whie God doeth thus or permitteth that and whie he prohibiteth not these or those thinges S. Iohn hath exhibited to vs a most holesom visioÌ by the which we may learne not to talke against God not to contende with him but to acknowledge al his iudgments to be rightuouse iust Which thing verely both al the Sainctes in heauen and also angelicall spirites do acknowledge and attribute to God al glory And thus hauing prepared the mindes of the Auditours he cometh to the thing it self and declareth the fatall destenies of the church Vnder the .vi. seale he toucheth generally the corruptioÌ of doctrine which sins it is more perillouse more pestilent than al dauÌgers of mans body or outwarde perilles he reasoneth yet more fully therof and nowe particularly vnder the opening of the .vii. seale reciteth howe farre the same stretcheth For he declareth how many how great what maner of sectes heresies and troubles shall arrise in the church howe hurtful they shal be to the churche And this place conteyneth an Historie of the
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 maÌ 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 toÌgues 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 vnderstaÌde 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 laÌbe to wit the reprobates not the chosen the vnbeleuers I say which coÌtemne 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
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 stroÌgest 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 vpoÌ 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 theÌ 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 puÌnishementes of the vngodly Of the last iudgemeÌt 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 iudgemeÌt 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 heaueÌly 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 froÌ heauen at the retourne of our sauiour and redemer our lord Christe whiche shal also inflicte to his enemies reueÌgement 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 souÌde in holy hope Let vs rather take hede that the care of this world possesse not our hartes and beware of droÌkennesse and surfettyng and that we be not of the nombre or coÌuersation of them whiche in the dayes of Noe and Loth regarded worldely thinges only dispised heauenly laughed them to skorne
he propoundeth maye haue the more perspicuitie he not only declareth the matter in words but setteth them forth by visions as things present to be sene with the eyes and that to the faithful For to the vnfaithfull al these thinges although moste godly diuine seme starke trifles and fables But the wisedome of God shall laugh at them also when she seeth her time as she threateneth in the Prouerbes of Salomon And also soluteth certeÌ questioÌs which are wonte about this matter to be moued What shal become of them that he nother ChristiaÌs nor Antichristians And he sayde how the beaste with the false prophet and all his adherentes should be caste at the laste daye into hell but where the firste parte is nother Antichristiane nor yet Christian but rather of their owne sense and arbitrement to be a rule and lawe to themselues such as be verely the NestoriaÌs Iacobites Georgians c. Or those that be heythen yet or gentiles moreouer Iewes and Turkes some man might maruaile and demaunde what shal be done with them or what shal come of them S. Iohn maketh aunswere and the remnaunte were slayne with the sworde of him that sat on the horse c. Agayne where a godly man might maruaylle how they should be condeÌned which borne emongs the Turkes heretikes Iewes and gentiles neuer hearde the Christian veritie S. Iohn preuenteth this imagination and by the beginnyng of the .20 chapt sheweth with what a Maiestie perspicuitie and euidence the veritie of Christes gospell was notified to the world with what a maiestie the veritie of Christ was set forth to the world howe also al force and power was takeÌ awaye from the deuill and that by the space of a thousande yeres wherein the preachyng of the gospel thondered continually so that they be vtterly inexcusable so many as haue not receyued the gospell of Christ For the preachyng of the gospell was not obscure but most clere manifest nor shorte and contracted but published by the space of a thousande yeres it was not receyued of a fewe little ones but of al people and natioÌs vnder the sunne Therfore is it a grosse ignoraunce of the Turkes Heretikes Iewes and gentiles For although in times paste the veritie semed to haue ben notably knowen now it is not so yet certayne it is that the maiestie of the gospel hath ben so great in the worlde that there is nowe also mention with al men therof and by their owne mallice they hide their eyes which vnderstande nothyng of Christ Therefore is that sayeng of the Apostle euen nowe of force also yf our gospell be hidde in those that perisshe is it hidde vnto whome the God of this worlde hath blinded the mindes of them which beleue not that the light of the gospel should not shine vnto them c. 2. Corinth the .4 They that are condeÌned are iustely coÌdemned chap. Wherupon we now gather that none of them whiche are damned in the world are damned with out deseruyng Which thing the Apostle also S. Paule hath touched in the Epistle to the Romanes in the .1 and .2 chapt Here therefore is a profitable and necessarie place treated of the famouse preachyng of the gospell through out the world the course thereof induryng a thousande yeres And this treatise procedeth in this order First is thangell described after his worke or effecte is declared And laste is the sealyng of the time Touchyng the description of the Angell first in dede he is named an Angel The angel signifieth the order or state apostolicall and commeth forth abroade howebeit the whole state Apostolicall is hereby vnderstande in the which shineth excedingly S. Paule the doctour of gentiles nother is it maruaile that the order of Apostles is signified by an Angell For an Angel signifieth a messager ambassadour or an Apostle And therefore the prophet Malachie called Iohn Baptist the vauntcurrour of our lord an Angel beholde I sende my Angel before thee c. And ministers of the church are oftener thaÌ ones in this boke called Angelles But in case the worthines nobilitie of the name please the ministers let the Angelicall puretie and excellent faith please them also An ambassadour doeth and sayeth nothing saue that which he hath receyued in coÌmission of him that sent him so also let the ministers set forth nothing saue that which he hath receyued of the Lord in the Scriptures ¶ The angell came downe froÌ heauen Secondly this excellent Aungell is sayde to come downe from heauen not that the bodies of Apostles came from heauen but for as much as their vocation and office was geuen them froÌ heauen For the sonne of God which came downe from heauen chose the Apostles and sent them forth into the worlde Which thing is declared in the .10 of Matth. and .20 of Iohn Marke .16 and Luke .24 And S. Paule sayeth to the Galathians that he was called and ordeyned an Apostle nother by men nor of men but of God through Christ Wherupon it appereth howe greate is the authoritie of Apostles For they be not they which speake but the spirite of Christ and of the father which speaketh in them Therefore he that dispiseth their doctrine despiseth God the father the sonne They lie moreouer that saye how the gospell is a newe doctrine forged of wittie men Reade the .1 chapter of the fourmer and later epistle of S. Peter Thangell holdeth in his hande the keye chayne After this the Aungell is sayde to holde in his hande those two excellent instrumentes the keye and chayne Let vs see what is mente by the same Doubtles by these two instrumentes S. Iohn vnderstaÌdeth nothing els but the free trewe holy liuely preaching of the gospel by the which it came to passe that both hell was locked from the faithfull the deuil was holden and kept faste bouÌden in chaines that he coulde not hurte the godly so much as he would and seduce whom he liste For so hereafter S. Iohn will expounde him self And the keyes Keyes of bindyng lowsing the apostles receiued of the Lord in the .16 of Matth. and .20 chapt of Iohn They open by the preaching of the gospel the botomlesse pitte and helle it self to the vngodly when they shewe vnto them their damnation in hell for their vngodlines They shutte vp helle from the godly whilest by the preachyng of the gospell they open heauen and bring the faythfull to the ioyes celestiall I haue spoken of the keyes at large in an other place A chayne is the signe of captiuitie Chayne By the preachyng of Gods worde the Deuill is taken and bounde Whereof it coÌmeth to passe that the common painters haue painted the Deuil bounden with chaynes to certen notable preachers By thinges that followe this keye He taketh the dragoÌ and significatioÌ of the chayne is better declared whilest the effecte of the Apostolicall preachyng is expounded For he addeth and
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 meÌbre is repeted agayne which hath ones or twise ben spokeÌ before that the electe in heaueÌ are illumined with the glory diuine wherof hath ben spokeÌ 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 wheÌ 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 knoweÌ 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 writteÌ hitherto are true sure certaine vndoubted ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he hath in a maner the same senteÌce 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 assertioÌ 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 woÌted 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 writteÌ 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 certeÌtie 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 coÌsider 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
in that laste iudgement shal be caste out Dogges and the residewe whiche are recited in the register of the condeÌned The vocable of Dogs is not alwayes taken in the holy Scriptures in the euill parte but yet for the moste parte Abner the Prince of kyng Saulles warres am I the head of a Dogge sayeth he to Isboseth whiche defende the house of Saull agaynste Iuda Signifiyng that he had incurred the displeasure of the tribe of Iuda for that he had reteined ten tribes yet in their duetie and vnder the dominion of the house of kinge Saule Els where as in the .15 of Matthewe the gentiles or heythen or estraunged from the people of God seme to be called Dogges As some at this daye call the Turkes namyng them Turkish do good that is to saye turkish infidelles Now also the prophet Esaye calleth the false Prophetes dogges shamelesse rauening vnsatiable not able to barke and defende the lords Shepefâlde or els vnwillyng and slepie After the same signification the Apostle sayeth to the Philippians beware of dogges beware of euill workers c. Moreouer in the holy Scriptures are called dogges angrie men fierse cruell contemners of godly thinges barkers at the trewth sclaunderers and persecuters thereof and blasphemers For in the .22 Psalme Dauid a figure of Christ the lorde crieth Dogges haue inuironned me rounde aboute the counsell of the malignaunt hath compassed me Whom he now calleth Dogges by and by he nameth malignaunt And when Semei cursed Dauid Abisai the sonne of Zaruia sayeth whie doeth this dogge that shall die curse my Lorde the kynge Math. 27. And the lorde in the Gospell forbiddeth to caste that is holy to dogges or pearles to Swine Finally they are called dogges these filthie men vncleane without repentaunce wallowyng themselues in the dungehill of sinne and wickednes For S. Peter calleth suche dogges retournyng to their vomite And the lord prohibiteth 2. Peter 2. that no man bring the price of a strompet or dogge into the Temple For euen therfore the Iewishe Priestes refused the price of bloud offered of Iudas Therefore vnder the name of dogges we vnderstande heythen or infidelles false Prophetes or deceauers cruell men blasphemers persecuters of the veritie cursed speakers contemners of the trewth vncleane and filthie c. And as for the membres that followe haue ben expouÌded before to witte in the .9 chapt and about the beginnyng and in the ende of the .21 He loueth maketh lesinges chapt To a lie he addeth here he that loueth and maketh For many make them not opeÌly but they loue fauour and auaunce them Many both loue and make them They loue a lesyng chiefely whiche mainteyne liyng learnyng and delighte therein But hereof moste purposely Primasius Bishoppe of Vtica to all these thinges sayeth he must be geuen not dilligence of expouÌding but carefulnes of auoyding the euils The lord Iesus saue vs froÌ al euill AmeÌ Â¶ Christ is shewed agayne to be Authour of this booke how great he is here Here is also declared the desire of the church wisshyng for the commyng of Christ and the liberall promesse of the Lorde The C. Sermon I Iesus sent mine Angell to testifie vnto you these thinges in the coÌgregations I am the rote and generatioÌ of Dauid and the bright mornyng Starre And the spirite and the bryde sayde come And lette him that heareth saye also come And let him that is a thirste come And let who so euer will take of the water of life free The Authour of this booke Christ The tenth place of this conclusion sheweth againe the authour of this worke to be Iesus Christ whiche is brought in here of S. Iohn speakyng to the intent the thing that is spoken maye haue the more authoritie and credit be geueÌ more easely of the Auditours to the whole worke Wherefore nothing is to be ascribed to S. Iohn but the writing of the worke that is to wit that he first saw al these thinges indited committed them to writing And the maner also of the reuelation is repeted Christ himselfe came not downe into the earth or into these lower partes but sent forth his Angel which from Christ in Christes name opened shewed these thinges to S. Iohn The ende also of the Angelles sendyng or reuelatioÌ is specified that he should testifie these thinges in congregations and to you al that are in the world vnto th ende of the world And we learne of those fewe wordes that credit muste be geuen to this boke as that which is propouÌded of the very sonne of God by his Angel and Apostle and that in dede propounded to all that are in the church Agayne that Iesus Christ is very God the lord of Angelles as S. Paule also affirmeth in the .1 chap. to the Hebrewes Christ very God Of the which thing is spoken also before And these moste clere testimonies of the scripture ought to moue the faithful more thaÌ al the dotages of Seruetus the Spaniarde and Seruetanes playing the Arrians and Iewes Let vs obserue moreouer that Christe sente his Angell not to Iudge or to teache but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The holy writinges are AutheÌticall that is to testifie Testimonies lawefully taken or committed to wryting and sealed it is not lawefull to speake agaynst For they are altogether taken for Authentical But all this boke was written by S. Iohn and is a witnes or the testimony of the Angell of God Therefore is it vnlawefull to doubte any thynge thereof And also ought to haue the same opinion of all other bookes of the olde and newe Testamente For the Prophetes and Apostles are called the witnesses of God and the Gospell and doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles the witnes or testimonie He is madde that thinketh not the Canonicall Scripture to be of it selfe Authenticall vnlesse it be first made authenticall by the approbation of the church and Counselles Moreouer we vnderstande that the doctrine of this whole boke belongeth not only to the seuen churches of Asia but to all dispersed through out the whole worlde and therefore to apperteyne chiefely and singularly vnto vs whiche liue at this daye at Zuricke or in Swycerlande Englande Fraunce or Germany Aretas Bisshoppe of Cesaria that he should testifie saieth he that is to saye that âe should proteste not priuely nor obscurely but in the audience of all Churches dispersed in all the worlde that no man pretendynge wilfull ignoraunce shoulde remayne vncorrected And incontinently the Lord him selfe also sheweth and declareth Christe is the roote stocke of Dauid who and howe greate he is and what we faythfull haue layde vp in store in him And he vseth agayne parables and allusions for the more perspicuitie And firste he calleth him selfe the roote and generation of Dauid that is to saye a trewe and naturall man For we hearde before that he was very and naturall God And he cutteth of from al Heretikes deniyng and impugnyng the
nor other mo doctrines and to haue no nede of other Reuelations For the churche ys already instructed with a most complete doctrine There is it taught also what we ought to do with corrupte doctrines and teachers And where it is easy to fall into vices this boke doth dilligently and plentifully minister medicines teaching how the churche falling downe maie be set vp and repared againe And here it treateth much of true repentauÌce of the fruites of repentaunce of the duties of Saincts or of very good workes Moreouer it exhorteth the afflicted to patience and constantie and to the confession of Christes name withoute feare and to all godlynes many times settyng forth the most ample rewardes of god And also affirming that tourmentes are prepared for the disobedient and reuoltes By this waie meane S. Iohn sheweth to the church how our Lorde Iesus Chryst being in heauen on the righthande of his father in the meane tyme neuerthelesse worketh in the middes of the congregation of his faithful inspiring quickenyng kepyng and gouernyng it And agayne how the church liuing in this world may lâue notwithstanding in Christ and be quickened of him of whom it dependeth wholye whom only it regardeth and in whom it is preserued And who wyll not acknowledge this handlyng of the matter to be all together Apostolicke and right well grounded in the doctryne of Chryst But in the worke it selfe all and euery thynge shall to vs be muche more euidently declared But where as Christ in the Gospel hath said that the church his welbeloued spouse shulde be exercised with sondry afflictions in the whiche notwithstanding The church is subiect to teÌptations persecutions he wolde neuer faile her Nowe in dede froÌ the right hand of his Father he recompteth moste plentifully and in a most goodly order of all the dollefull destenies of the churche to thintent that whilest the churche is subiecte to sundry euilles she may remember these thinges and coumfort her selfe lest she beyng discouraged with aduersitie she begin to doubte of the good wyll of God towardes vs and fall againe to Idolatrye forsaken into the errours of theyr Fathers and into the slippery pleasures of this worlde but rather that she go forewarde in the Religion of Chryste once receyued that she holde on throughe constante patience to professe Chryste to cleaue vnto him vnseparably that at the length we maye also be ioyned with the same in the heaueÌly countrey Which is verely the marke and ende of our lyfe the course of all faithful in this miserable world Howebeit Chapter .iiii. wheras in the calamities and persecutions of the faithful and in the felicitie triumphing of the infidels the minde euen of the holyest seruaunt of God is sore moued and greuously tempted before he come to declare the heauy and miserable destenies of the church he setteth foorth vnto them a moste beautifull type or figure of the reuerende holy ⪠and euermore blessed Trinitie wherin is setforthe to be sene of theyes of all men the vnspeakeable wisdome of God power maiestie the iuste gouernement of the same and holy iudgement in all thinges And is also declared that almightie God the father by that Lambe that is by hys sun our onely redemer in the vertu of the holy Gost doth gouern well althinges what soeuer they be eyther in heauen or in earth And also the very destenies of the churche which are written in the boke of his eternal prouidence closed with seueÌ seales There appereth the Lamb of God The seuen hornes of the Lambe Chap. v. setforth with seuen hornes That is furnished with most ful power aswel princely as priestly the greatest of al and in all the most absolute The Lamb receyueth that boke of the ryght hand of hym that sitteth in the Throne and vndoeth and openeth in order those seuen seales For he receyueth of hys father all power bothe in heauen and in earth And that the Lambe alone openeth those seuen seales it conteyneth a swete mistery and ministreth a singular comfort to the faithfull For where we beleue that the LaÌbe of God our redemer Iesus Christ doth loue mankind so excedyngly that neyther in heauen nor in earthe maye any thyng be founde that loueth vs more intierly And now see the very same and none other to open the seuen seales Seuen seales which opened sondry calamities issew out by and by into the worlde Who wold double the same to be sent to him for his health since they are sent not without his prouidence and disposition who directeth al thinges for the saluation of his chosen vnto all the which thinges that notable matter is added that al the spirites Angelicall thelders also and all heauenlye creatures worshyp God and the Lambe prayse and commende his righteousnes and for his excedyng good gouernement geue him immortall thankes For therof we miserable mortall men inuironed with synful fleshe ought to learne that we shuld acknowledg also the iustice of God in all hys workes and not mumer at his gouernement and most rightfull iudgmentes but rather to worship God to submit vs vnto him to prayse his righteousnes and geue thankes for his moste holy gouernmente and to crye with the prophet thou art iust O Lorde in all thy wayes Chap. vi and holy in all thy workes These thinges being on this wise promysed and the mindes of the faithfull thus instructed and prepared in the opening of the seuen seales seuerally is accompted and rekned vp what and how greate euils shuld inuade men from the which not somuch as the faithful liuing in this world shuld be free Wares slaughters famine pestilences are recyted and suche other lyke plages Agayne persecutions seditions Gospel or Consolation and a great deale worse then al these the seducyng and distroying of men through corrupt doctryne But because this boke of the Apocalippes is most euangelicall apostolical it mingleth doubtles in all that declaration often tymes ioyfull thinges with sorrowful and comforteth the faithfull excedingly in moste and greatest daungers And therefore in the calamities Chap. vii troubles euils and corruptions declared hitherto the Aungel of God is brought in who marketh the elect of God in theyr foreheades and all they in dede throughe the goodnes and custodye of God are saued from perdition And of these are accompted innumerable thousandes Wherby we learne that the mercy of God is moste ample in sauing of men and that we ought to hope well of the saluation of oure elders We must hope wel of the saluation of oure forefathers wherof though the most part lyued vnder the corrupt tyme of Papistrie yet followeth not thereof theyr saluation to be doubtfull at the least euen for this cause that we see that God had hath his church at all tymes euen when they be most daungerous To haue hys sealed to haue suche as worship hym whiche like as in times paste haue not bowed
Abbot Ioachim FrauÌces Potrarch liued Abbot Ioachim of Calabria who likewise calleth the Pope Antichriste and setforthe thapocalips with prophetical pictures scolies in ItaliaÌ FrauÌces Petrark a man excellently learned most worthy mortall fame flourished about the yeare of our Lorde .1350 Who also least suche wrytyngs behynd hym agaynst the See of Rome against the court there and agaynst the Pope that yf they wer comparde with these things whych in our tyme D. Luther wrote most bitterly against Rome he may seme to be vtterly vaÌquished of him In the .xx. epistle he calleth the Popes court both Babilon and also the whore of Babilon syttyng vpon the waters the mother of all Idolatry and fornicatyon There is moreouer a learned boke of Marsilyus Patauinus Marsilius Patauinus writteÌ for Lewis the .4 Emperour agaynst the Pope wherin he inueyeth sharply against the bishop of Rome and his tirannicall lawes In the same age to wyt two hundreth yeres past flourished also Micael Cosenas Michell Cesenas general of the Minories who openly accused the Pope as Antichryste and the church and See of Rome as the whore of Babylon dronken with the blod of saincts An hundreth yeres since liued Laurence Valla a gentleman of Rome of a noble house who also obiected him self to the Pope and the Romish See Laurence Valla. Hieronimus Sauonarola for the which cause he was dryuen into exile but of the kyng of Naples he was honorably receyued Moreouer Hieronymus Sauonarola of Farrare an excellente diuine and Philosopher in hys time a man in holynes of lyfe as he is sayde of many notable preached openly in Italy that the Pope was Antychist for the whych cause he was most cruelly burnt at FloreÌce by Pope Alexander the sixt Thys is had yet in the Fresh memorye of men where it was don about the yere of our lord .1499 Yet Iohn Fraunces Picus Counte of Mirandula calleth the same Sauonarola an holy prophet Albeit that Nawclerus signyfieth in hys story that he did many thyngs for ambition sake and for vayne glyrye And Marsilyus Ficinus attributeth to the same Sauonarola the spiryte of prophecye in a certeyn epistle Furthermore Philippus CoÌmines an Historiographer witnesseth that he was an holy man and to haue had the spiryte of Prophecye For they say how he prophecied of the sackyng of Florence and Rome and the restauratyon or reformatyon of the church and of many other thynges that shuld chaunce vnto Italy whych came to passe there in the meane season I remembre wheÌ I was yonge and followed my study in sondry vniuersityes to haue hearde certen blacke Freers say that Sauonarola prouoked the indygnatyon of Alexander the sixt the courte of Rome agaynst hym by nothing more then for that he preached against them in Italy the Apocalips of S. Iohn What shuld I say that the Waldensians foure hundreth yeres past in Fraunce Itali Germany Boheme Poland and in other parts of the world professing the gospel of Iesus Christ accused the bishop of Rome with diuers wrytings and continual prechings as the verey Antichrist prophecied by S. Iohn thapostle and therfore to be abhorred They themselues beyng put to most greuous torments haue constantly testifyed theyr fayth by gloryous martyrdoms and stil do at this day For they could neuer be roted out which thing notwithstanding hathe ben full oft attempted by most myghtye kings and princes inspired by the bishop of Rome the wyl of God beââg otherwise But why rehearse I these thynges synce thys yeare 1556. was printed at Basill a register of the witnesses of the veritie All good men at all times haue spoken against the pope which before our time haue spoke against the Pope wherof the nomber in dede is great and the more parte of them called the Byshop of Rome with out any prouerbe that Antichrist which shuld come into the world Therfore it is manyfest that I in this my worke brynge forthe no vnwonted thing or that hathe not ben heard of before wher now we do plainly vnderstand that this song hath in so many ages bâ songen written painted printed and beaten in of the best holyest and most excellently learned men yea and confirmed to with the vnmeasurable bloud of martirs Furthermore yf any remayne that be desirous of good thinges emongs the bishops or prelates of the churche in the clergie it selfe let theÌ not be offended with me in case any where in expounding the Apocalips I bryng foorth theyr sayings doings and compare theÌ with the Apostls words Let them rather be âipleased with theyr owne wordes and dedes spoken and done âesydes and against Gods word Let them leaue doing that they do Yea Daniel .xii. let them do penaunce so shall they haue prayse in the churche of Saincts But yf they hold on euen against their conscience to defend and maintayne their kinde of lyfe theyr pleasures theyr riches theyr honours dignities and to accuse persecute and murther the preachers yf the veritie as enemies of the church let them take hede it chaunce not to theÌ sodenly that the Gospel resiteth of the dronkeÌ seruaunt Math. xxiiii who did vexe and beate his fellow seruaunts but was of the chief Lord him self oppressed when he thought least of it and hewen al to pieces But yf there were euer any tyme heretofore Thapocalips in oure tyme is not only profitable but necessary wherin it behoued to setforth to vrge and beate in this doctryne to al the people This is chiefly necessary to be don in this our tyme. For this age of ours hath in the Popes kingdom sharpe and quick wittes which coÌmend with maruelous prayses both the Pope and the popish church perswade and dryue into the heads of the sort vnlearned cleane contrary things to theuangelical and Apostolicall doctryne Moreouer they haue woÌderfull crafts wherwith the wittier number are also disceaued They haue welth and riches authoritie armure munitioÌ threatnings promesses and torments wherby some strong also are made wery and ar halâd away to the popish parte There be many without experience whych esteme not this thing as it ought to be estemed suche care not nor passe not what religion be preached whether it be euangelicall or popish or what thynge be of eyther beleued or not beleued For they suppose all these things to concerne them nothyng In the meane season many perish and are in daunger not a few fall away diuerse stick in perplexitie and the kingdom of Christ is abbreuiated For the papistes omit nothing which may make for reparing of theyr kingdom and pullyng downe of the kingdome of Christ Therfore where these fellowes spare in this case nether paines nor cost that they may conuerte all thynges to oppresse the faythe of the Gospell and to dryue the sympler sorte to forsake it We oughte not to suffer that the Churche and the symple people afflycted and tempted in the same shulde want that comfort admonition and doctryne
which in tymes past the lord Iesus him self by S. Iohn hath prepared for these hard things times by reuealing this Apocalips And in dede these things here haue a singular grace and vertu which ar reuealed to vs of God Neyther shal the aduersary and enemy of Christ be ouerthroweÌ with any corporal weapons saue only with the sword of Gods word For now it is nedeful that antichrist shuld waxe vile perish in the minds of men that Christ alone might liue again and be glorified for euer And thys my exposition I haue diuided into sermones bothe for that I haue nowe Conefonsor sermones these yeares of a .1555 and .1556 expounded thys boke to the faithful church of Christ which I serue making in a maner these same sermons to the people and also that being requested I wold deliuer som copy to such as wil read and expound the same boke to the churches committed to their credit also Where not withstanding I admonish the readers that they loke not for all thines of thys my work or think that these things are to be rehearsed word for word to theyr auditours For certen thinges which I propounded to the people for the consideration of the time and place I haue not setforth in these my sermons studieng much for breuitie And other thynges namely such as concerne the conferring of tongs and the kind maner of speakyng and such other lyke I rehersed not to the congregation but haue written them here in my sermons to the profit of those that wyl confer these things together more dilligeÌtly It shal be the part of the preacher to haue a respect chiefly to such thynges as make both for the plaines of speache that he may be vnderstand euen of the grossest sort and also for the edifyeng of the audience that he brynge nothyng that shuld little profit Let euery man therfore applye these things to the edifieng of the church where he is hauing consideratioÌ of the place time and persons Yet alwayes obseruing the true sence of the boke or of Gods words For violeÌt wrestings and long digressions far from the pourpos deserue no prayse in preachynge or what tyme swaruing ouer muche from the playne sence of the scripture we boult out I wot not what mysteryes The dedicating of the worke And all this work compiled not without my great labour trauel but chiefly by the grace of God to the glory of Iesu Chryste and written to the saluation and confirmation of his afflicted churche I dedicate to you banished men as many of you as comyng or driueÌ out of Fraunce England Italy other realmes and nations for Iesus Christ and the gospels sake dwel in Germany Swisserland other places where God hath permitted you And also I dedicate this my worke to all you which dispersed in sondry realmes and nations are consecrated only to Christ our Lorde loking for his coming to iudgement In the which we shall vndoubtedly be delyuered at the last froÌ all euils and then shall be made that long loked for and in al ages and most fortunate restitution most expressely constantly promised both of the prophets and Apostles Actes .iii. And surely your Godly zeale banished brethern which had rather forsake your countrey then the Gospell to want your temporal coÌmodities then to be polluted with a religioÌ estraunged from Christe deserueth no small prayse Iames .i. Math. xxiiij But you haue nede of constancie and wonderfull patience that after you haue ben tried you may receyue the crowne of lyfe which the Lorde hath promised to them which perseuer vnto th ende The heauenly regeneration doeth not so chaunge vs but that some doubtefull trouble some dregges of olde Adam remayne Therfore alwayes the regenerated fele sundry temptations and harde conflicts then especiallye when suche things chaunce as they had leaste looked for The godly therfore had euermore nede of consolation But this booke of the Apocalypse doeth minister the same with greate plentie whiche if you wyll reade ouer diligently you shall finde all things that happen to you that vexe you nowe with painefulnes to haue ben already so prophecied in this boke as they nowe come to passe Whereunto are added oftentymes most comfortable and swete consolations Moreouer ye are not ignoraunte right honorable and dere bretherne what chauÌced to oure fathers the holyeste of all others Howe they wandered in mansions vncerten and howe they demeaned them selues in those most paynefull flittings you vnderstande me to speake of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and Ioseph whose peregrinations out of Chaldey into Palestine from thence into Egypt and agayne into Palestine from thence againe into Syria and agayn into Palestine Egypte are well knowen to the whole worlde Nowe what bannishements and perills abode that woorthie seruauÌt of God and most excelleÌt prophet Moses is not vnknowen so much as to those that be ignoraunte in matters of antiquitie Whose faith the vessell of election S. Paule commendynge By faith saith he Moses when he was greate Heb. xij refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter And chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to in ioye the pleasures of sinne for a season And estemed the rebuke of Christe greater richesse then the treasures of Egypte for he had respecte vnto the rewarde What shall we saye that our Lorde Iesus Christe hym selfe was constreyned in his infancie to flee into Egypte euen from hys swaddlynge cloutes teachinge his to suffer exile who is red also in the Gospell to haue sayed Foxes haue holes and the byrdes thayre haue nestes But the sonne of man hath not wher on to reste his head Dan. xi Of Antechriste we reade in dede that Daniel prophecied whom who so will acknowledge he will promote him to greate honours and make him the lorde of many and shall distribute the earth for mony Contrarywise we shall heare in the .xii. chapter of this Booke that both Christe and the Churche his spouse suffer greuouse persecutioÌ of the dragoÌ That Christ is takeÌ vp into heaueÌ a blessed hath opened heaueÌ also for the fartheful And there sheweth a place permaneÌt countrey to them that haue in maner no habitation in earth From thence he will come to Iudge the quicke and dead and to assumpte vnto hym the faithfull into ioye euerlastynge and to geue them what thyngs so euer he him selfe in the Gospell and the Prrphets and Apostles haue promysed Of the which most âmple hope this boke of Apocalypse most plentifully and goodly discourseth instructyng all that desyre to heare certayne things and most full of comforte vnto all you therfore exiles and godly throughout the whole worlde desyringe the comynge of Christe our Lorde and iudge of all I offer and coÌmende and dedicate this my labour Receyue it with louing minds which I setfoorthe to non other ende but that fleenge Antichriste you shoulde cleaue to Christe alone fixinge
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 ââprian Appolonius Theophilus and Origen I wyll shorâly after brynge yet moo iudgementes boeth of the ãâã and Latin wryters of moste authoritie in the churche agâyng with the myndes of them that we haue alledged ãâã therto Howbeit I wyll fyrst touche briefly suche thyng as Dionisius of Alexandria Dionisius AlexaÌdria left wrytten of the same booâ in the fyue and twenty Chapter of the seuenth booke of âsebius whome I suppose they haue followed as manyâ after hym haue spoken against this booke He sayeth hââ diuerse that were his predecessours dyd vtterly reprâ and reiecte this booke Neyther hydeth he the cause wââ they so dyd for that the kyngdome of Christe is affyrmâ therin to be earthly Wherunto doubtlesse they reserââ that precious citie and the reste whyche vnder terrestrââ kyndes figured spirituall thynges Whiche when we ãâã in the treatynge therof haue dissolued declaryng thys boâ not to edifie the earthely kyngdome of Christe but a spiââtuall and celestiall no man I trowe wyll reiecte a good aââ Godly booke for bycause certen abusyng the testimonââ therof geue vnto it a wrong sense Heretickes haue wrasted verey many places of ãâã scripture Chiliastes or Millenaries to the defence of their errour shoulde therfore authoritie of the scripture it selfe be brought in doubte Iââ 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 boââ speakyng of Papias the first authour of the Millenaries He thought saieth he that after the resurrection Chriââ should reigne here corporally with his a thousand yeaââ in earth Whiche I suppose he thought for that he vndeâstode not well the Apostles woordes neither that he coâââdered not well those thynges that were spoken of hym ââder figures for that he was indewed with a small iudgâment 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 agremeÌt 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 eighteÌth 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 recoÌpteth 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. Ambroââ 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 reââ the same to his churche leauing certen treatises vpon thâ same Primasius also Byshop of vtica in Africke expouâded 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 Apâstle 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 ãâã 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 obscuââ 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 seââ 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 fââmyshe Tyranny both old and newe and verey Antichrist hym selfe is trymly paynted foorth in his coulours Nâwithstandyng 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
to the .xxi. Chapter and disputeth of the moste iust iudgement of God against Babylon the whore of Babylon and the Antichristians finally against all wycked and impenitent persones The seuenth and last vision propoundeth to the eyes of all the faythfull the glory and blysse euerlastyngâ of Sainctes And verely thys diuision of the woorke hath a great grace and affinite with the rest of the thynges which in this boke are all in a maner treated by the seuenth nuÌbrâ Let the reader followe whiche he wyll What profit is in the Apocalipse Nowe of these thynges euery man may perceyue the thys booke is altogether Apostolicall and exceadynge profitable to vs all especially whome the ende of the worldâ hath ouertaken And this booke shall bee easier for vs fâ that all thynges nowe are in a maner accomplyshed Daniell was thought to haue tolde of starke dreameâ when before the Monarchies he prophecied the Monaâchies But after those thynges were accomplished whicâ he prophecied he semed vnto many to haue compiled an hâstory The selfe same I am sure thou wylt iudge also thys same boke of Saint Iohn A fewe profittes only of mâny we shall recite First we haue in this booke a moste full discription Christ reignyng in glory our kyng I saye and Byshop And howe he gouerneth the Churche and is the Sauioâ of all faythfull We haue also a moste gallaunte descriâtion of Christes Churche and howe the same maye be buâded repared and maynteyned Than haue we a perfâ description of Antichrist of his members and Synagogâ of his counselles craftie deuises kyngdome crueltie aâ destructions of the same From the whiche it byddeth ãâã beware Moreouer we haue an abrydgement of Historâ from Christes tyme vnto the worldes ende Finally an absolute and certayne prophecie of thyngâ to come that we neede not to haue the prophecies of Mâthodius Cyrill Merline Briget Nolhard certen triflers Furthermore we haue a great consolation and comfort of the churche in aduersitie whylest boeth we see thâ Lambe to open the Seales and that all thynges are doâ by Gods prouidence and that there is an ende of euylleâ And that the churche shall bee euermore in dispitee of all thâ Deuyls in hell Last we haue a moste plentifull and sure doâtrine of the Iudge and last iudgement of paynes and of tâwardes All these thinges I say shal the treatise it selfe shewe plainly for our edefiyng through Iesus Christ our Lord. OF THE TITLE OF THE whole worke and exposition therof The second Sermon â I said the whole boke was conteined in sixe partes Thre membres of the first part Now must we loke on the first part Which hath chiefly three members The title beginning and brief narration For this present we wyll only speake of the Title whiche is thus THe reuelatioÌ of Iesu Christ The first Chapter whiche God gaue vnto him for to shew vnto his seruauntes thinges whiche must shortly come to passe And he sent and shewed by his aungell vnto his seruaunt Iohn which bare recorde of the word af God and of the testimony of Iesus Christ and of all thinges that he sawe Happy is he that readeth and they that heare the wordes of the prophecie kepe those thinges which are written therin For the time is at hand This title is plentifull The title of the worke and vttereth all profitable circumstaunces that are to be declared in the beginnings of bokes First is set the Title or inscription of the whole worke that is the Apocalipse or reuelation of Iesus Christ whiche verely was opened or reuealed by Christ Iesus him selfe This title streightway proueth The reuelation of Iesu Christ that this worke is no mans inuention but a godly doctrine As that whiche was opened by our Lord kyng and priest Iesus Christ out of heauen from the right hand of the father executing there the office of the high Byshop as yet teaching vs profitable thinges and albeit it be called also the reuelatioÌ of Iohn yet is it chalenged to hym for none other cause than for that as scribe he wrote and set it forth FroÌ wheÌce is that reuelation Againe it is yet more playnly declared from whence this Reuelation is Euen of God hym selfe For he saieth which God namely the Father gaue vnto hym to wytte to Christ For in the holy and blessed Trinitie there is a distinction of persones And albeit that all thinges of the father be the sonnes also And all thynges of the sonne the fathers lykewyse Yet the scripture mentioneth the father to geue vnto the Sonne and the Sonne to receyue of the Father Whiche thynge all the auncient wryters haue full Godly expounded to be done by the mistery of dispensation For the Sonne receyued somewhat of the Father as man whiche otherwyse as the very Sonne of God sayeth Father Iohn 17 glorifie thou me with the glory which I had with thee before this worlde was Moreouer the Sonne is the wysdome word and mouth of the Father by whome God in tymes paste and nowe spake and speaketh to the Fathers Prophetes Apostles and to the vniuersall churche The Father by dispensation gaue to his Sonne this office that he should be Byshop For no man hath sene God at any tyme The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the Father he hath reuealed vnto vs. Let vs knowe therfore this same to be a Reuelation Diuine whiche God the Father louynge mankynde hath reuealed by the only Byshop Christ vnto hys Churche And so it ioyneth together the Father and the Sonne that neuerthelesse the holy distinction of persones remayneth safe To what vse and to whom it is reuealed Nowe also is added to what ende God the Father hath reuealed or geuen the gyft of reuealing to wytte the office of priesthod to his Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ to the intent verely that the same beyng reuealed he myght shewe it and as it were set it before the eyes of his seruauntes to wytte his worshippers and Christians which are called the seruauntes of God for theyr wyllyng obedience And as the seruaunt of a Lorde is a seruaunt and oweth to his Lord all that he hath or is worth So we owe vnto God our selues whole and all ours or els we be free and not bounde Here is also declared vnto whom this reuelation is opened Iohn 8 To all the seruauntes of God If therfore thou be glad to be called the seruaunt of God heare this boke and remember it And knowe that this boke is prepared for thee of God After he compryseth in fewe wordes What thinges are reuealed what Christe reuealed to Iohn thynges that must shortly come to passe The destenies therfore of the Churche are recited what good and euyll thynges shall happen to the Godly and lykewyse what punysshementes must be inflicted to the wicked And let no man gather of this woorde must necessitie as though God wrought not freely How good and euyll
the spirit we be the kingdoÌ of God The which thing S. Paul handleth at large in the sixt chap. to the Romains Moreouer we be made kings that is free We be kinges by Christ that we should not serue the deuill thâ flesh and the world according to that saying of Zacharie ãâã being deliuered from the handes of our enemies we mighâ serue him without feare in holines and rightuousnes befoââ hym al the daies of our life We be priests And Christe hath consecrated vâ priestes with his spirite and bloud that we should offer vp tâ God spirituall sacrifices our selues pure prayers and praâses 1 Pet. 2 Ro. 12.15 Philip. 4. Hebr. 13 Exod. 19 and almosdedes For that these be spirituall oblationâ Peter and Paul do testifie And these thinges toke S. Iohâ out of Exodus For we of the Gentils that haue beleueâ haue succeded in the place of the people of Israell reiectiâ Christ through incredulitie And these thinges geue a lygââ to that article of the Crede I beleue the holy catholick church the communion of sainctes For we be as many of vs as bâleue the fellowship of Gods people sanctified through Chrisâ to the seruice of God Of whome be these thinges hitherto In the sixt place in the discriptioÌ of Christ he sheweth the glory and rule is dewe vnto God alone through Christ ãâã the churche for euermore The glory and kingdome is of God We geue glory vnto God whââ we ascribe to his goodnes our saluation and all goodneâ not to our own strength and merites We geue hym ruââ when we acknowledge hym to be Lord head in the churcâ workyng by hym selfe not by the sainctes in heauen to whâ he hath graunted power Not by the Pope whom he haââ constitute Vicar in earth The whole glory rule is Christs Seuenthly in the description followeth the commyng ãâã Christ vnto iudgemeÌt Christ will com to iudgement and the maner of his comming Fâ as a cloude toke him vp from the eyes of the Apostles eâ so shall he come in cloudes to iudge the quicke and the deaâ The scripture witnessing And he addeth that the eyes of aâ men shal se the iudge Math. 24 Act. 1 1 Tessa 4. euen of those which haue peased hym Wherof we gather two thinges first that the iudgemeÌt shaâbe vniuersall Wherin men arrising shall se Christ with thââ owne eies An other thing that Christ shall come to iudgâment in the same fleshe Iob. 19 in the whiche he was wounded and sticked honge vpon the Crosse was buried and rose again This place is taken out of Zacharie and is cited also in S. Iohns Gospel zacha 13 Iohn 19 And it behoueth that his body be shewed to the whole world full of printes and markes that herof may be iudged the Godly and also the vngodly They that then haue beleued in such a redemer These that then haue reiected and contemned suche a one Of these we vnderstande that is added And they shall wayle for that in dede thei haue neglected their owne saluation Which the wise man discourseth at large Sap. 3.5 Moreouer lest any may should doubt of those thinges that are spoken of the iudgement and of the lamentation of the wycked as S. Peter said Thinges spoken of the iudgement are certain 2 Pet. 3 the contemners and mockers of the iudgement should be he addeth a kynde of a confirmation euen so Amen In them also is expouÌded the article of the crede of Christ that shall iudge the quicke and the dead He concludeth this place with these wordes I am Alpha Omega that whiche followeth the beginning and end is omitted in some copies As though that interpretation of that same I am Alpha and Omega crept in out of the margent It is a prouerbe of S. Iohn the Apostle I am Alpha and Omega Heretickes as Basilides and Valentine were wonderfully delighted in letters But against those lettered Heretickes Iohn speaketh plainly by the mouth of Christ I am Alpha and Omega If any thing ought to be ascribed to letters I am al this whole that euerlasting vertue essence and eternitie For the sense is that God is the beginning and ende that is eternall vnspeakeable best and greatest Those things are repeted He that is which was c. Which were expouÌded before There is added almightie For hereby is declared the vnitie and maiestie of God of whom the Trinitie was opened also before Hereby also the authoritie of this boke is confirmed the authour wherof is shewed to be that God eternal and almighty To whom be glory ¶ Of the Narration of this boke where also is discoursed of the place and tyme and of the authour of this Reuelation The fourth Sermon I Iohn your brother and companioÌ in tribulation and in the kingdoÌ patieÌce which is in Iesu Christ was in the I le of Pathmos for the word of God testimony of Iesâ Christe I was in the spirite on the Sonday and heard behind me a great voice as it haâ bene of a trompe saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last That thou seeâ wryte in a boke and send it to the congregations whiche are in Asia vnto Ephesus anâ vnto Smyrna and vnto Pergamos Thyatire and vnto Sardis and vnto Philadeâphia and vnto Laodicia Narration The last place of the first sheweth vnto vs a brief narratiâ wherin the Apostle S. Iohn declareth the tyme and place this Reuelation and by whose commaundement he wrouâ sent the same to the seuen churches in Asia And againe now the third time is the name of Iohn reheaâsed He sawe vndoubtedly that there would be some which to the ende they might take away the vse and fruite of thâ boke wold doubt of the authour Against whom he repetââ and reiterateth his name so oft leest we should doubt lacâ the great commoditie of so worthy a boke S. Iohn is the brother of the faithful He addeth to his name certen thinges whiche instructâ touching the state of the Apostle and certen profitable maâters First he calleth him self a brother namely of those sââ churches and of al ours As where I haue admonished yoâ that in the seuenth number are comprised all churches of ãâã times throughout the whole worlde We are all so many ãâã beleue the children of one heauenly father And therfore all spiritual brethren in Christ coinheriters with Christ heires of God Which thing S. Paul taught after Christ Rom. 8 Math. 23 And seing our dignitie is so great let vs ones be ashamed of our misdedes least our memory be put out of this moste noble and celestiall familie It is a shame the brother of Christ of S. Iohn all the Apostles should degenerate c. But why haue not they so instantly vrged this brotherhood as the Munkes haue beaten in their forged fraternities the Rosaries of the virgin Mary and of Sainctes Bycause that was fre
reprehension of the NicolaitaÌs he procedeth like as in the fourmer epistles to exhorte them to amendement or repentauÌce For where he saieth repent he vnderstandeth or coÌprehendeth all penaunce or repentauÌce That we sayed to be a conuersion vnto God wherby we amende euil thinges for good relinquisshing that is euill in stead therof placing that is good that of faith in the sincere loue scare of God Thou shalt amende therfore in case thou doest absteine froÌ meates offered vp to Idolles from fornication receiuest the true religioÌ of Christ instituted doest possesse thy body in honour not in the lust of coÌcupisceÌce as S. Paul sayeth 1. Thessalon 4. The church of Pergamos repeÌted in case they disseÌbled not nor winked at the filthines of the NicolaitaÌs but stoutely with stode the same The NicolaitaÌs repented if laiyng their filthines a side they receiued againe the puretie of faith life And to al singular is saied repent Threateninges againste the impeniteÌt The Lord driueth them now also to repentauÌce with greuouse threatnings except thou amende sayeth he I wil come to thee shortely of the whiche maner of speakinge hath ben treated before He addeth and I will fight with theÌ with the sworde of my mouthe With whom with the impeniteÌt and especially with the Nicolaitans He threatened not vtter distruction or desolatioÌ to the church wherof there was great hope that they should pourge the olde leuen but he threateneth the people impenitent And like as a iudge or magistrate or soldiour vseth the sworde so doeth Christ his worde And the worde in dede woundeth or sleyeth no man but in the meane time it sheweth Gods worde so doeth the executioÌ of Gods power insewe Therfore Christ euen as he sheweth with his word he sheweth that he wil iudâe idolaters beâââ gods hogs dogs whoremoÌgers not only iudge but punish theÌ And as he threatneth he doeth Christ fighteth with his sword Thus fighteth he with the sworde of his mouth We haue an example in the Israelites of whom were distroyed for that they had followed the doctrine of BalaaÌ 25000. men After were distroyed also the Moabites and Madianites neither were the corrupte women spared Whiche Moses in the 31. of Numeri discourseth at length We see also at this day the sword of God to go through out the world and to ouerthrow now these now them for none other causes than for the which the Lord slewe and distroied Balaam with his adherentes Therfore let vs feare the lord and walke in his coÌmaundements For he will strike a farre of more greuousely with his sworde when he shal pronouÌce in iudgement go ye cursed into fire euerlasting c. Math. 25. And he sayeth not expressely I wil cutte you with the sword of my mouth For we are many times and ofte seuered and cut with the word of God to our great profit and discipline for our amendement At this present he sayeth he wil fight beholde he will fight namely agaynst his enemies Therfore he threateneth destruction And we doubte nothing but that the impenitents of those of al times shall be distroyed For as I saied euen nowe at this daye we want not examples Agayne leest that notable holsome doctrine should seme to apperteyne to a fewe men of Pergamos This doctrine is comon or generall and not to all in the whole worlde he applieth this profitable doctrine to all churches Of the whiche application we haue spoken ones or twise in the former epistles Finally after his maner to th entent we should al be more strongly moued to repentaunce obedience he propouÌdeth a promesse most ample and that to them that striue ouercome the flesh the world the deuil not to sluggardes nor to such as lie in the mire of mischiefe We are incouraged therefore with that promisse whiche is of three sortes First he promiseth to them that fight manfully ouercome and do their duety Manna that secret or hidde Manna hidde That externall Manna to all men knowen is not the trewe Manna For the vnthankful Israelites do lothe it as a meat most light had rather haue the flesh pottes of Aegipte full of meate onions leekes and garlicke that they mought eate theyr fille They see not the Manna celestial figured by this outwarde Manna geuyng al sweetnes and spirituall pleasure The faithful see that this hidde Manna is Christ as he him selfe expoundeth it in the 6. of Iohn Christ therfore geueth him self to them that ouercome geueth him to them in meate which filleth in dede He that shal ones with trewe faith haue tasted Christ wil wishe to haue none other meate geuen him For in Christ he hath al thinges in Christ he is complete with all good thinges fully satistised O that our subtil disputers vnderstoode these things they would reason nothing at all of the merites intercession of Sainctes suche other thinges wherof whilest they reason after theyr wooÌted maner thei declare theÌselues not to haue tasted as yet howe good and swete is the Lord. A white stone After he promiseth to geue vnto the victours a white stone to wit absolution remission of al sinnes that ful vndoubtedly For Christ doeth verely absolue vs from our sinnes from the paines dewe for the same and from coÌdemnation And he alluded to thee custome of the auÌcient men in iudgementes in the whiche they condemned with blacke stones quitte menne with white For these verses of Ouide are well knowen in the 15. boke of Metamorphos The maner was in old time loÌg agone to cast with blacke quitte with a white stone and here we geue warning that the remissioÌ of sinnes is not graunted to men liuing for theyr worke or merite but that faithe is the victory that ouercometh the worlde The which S. Iohn him self testifieth And that faith in dede fighteth stoutely in our hartes but in the meane time it acknowledgeth in all things the grace of God neither maketh it voide the merite of christ For as it is not slouthful so is it againe fearful A newe name Laste of all he promiseth that he will write in the stone a new name that such as no maÌ knoweth sauing he that inioyeth the same Christ wil not geue vs only remissioÌ of our sinnes but the glory morouer coÌmunion of his heaueÌly ioye vnspeakable Of this newe name bothe Esaye other Prophets haue made meÌtion CoÌquerours had famouse names If we ouercome we inioye the glory celestial That is so vnmesurable that it may only be perceiued by feling not by speaking For what so euer thou shalt say be it neuer so great famous or excellent that is greater that shall be geuen to the ouercoÌmers For the Apostle S. Paull citeth out of Esaye That whiche the eye hath not sene nor the eare hearde God hath prepared for those that loue him And in this present
only sentence of Christ I wil impose none other burthen theÌ that you haue kepe that vntill the iudgement Beholde he sayth vnto the iudgement least any shoulde imagine in the meane season that another thing had pleased the holy ghost Let vs therfore perseuer in the same Most large promesses Hereunto he annexeth after his wonted maner most ample promesses that through hope of so great rewardes he might pluck them from errours ioine them to the true religion And like as in the fourmer epistles he hath said he that ouercometh so here he repeteth the same admonishing vs not to slepe but to watche fight maÌfully And he ouercometh that kepeth the workes of Christ vnto the ende The workes of Christ by a priuie opposition are set against the inuentions workes of men The workes of Christ The workes of Christ fignifie both doctrine and faith and whatsoeuer good workes insew vpon the same the seruice of worshipping of God the obseruatioÌ of Gods word For in the .28 chap. of S. Math. The Lorde saith to his disciples teace you them to kepe those thinges which I haue commaunded you He speaketh with an emphasie whiche I haue commaunded you not such as you shall haue inuented of your own braine For the Lord alledgeth out of the Propheth in the .xv. of the same S. Math. saiyng In vaine do thei worship me teaching the doctrines of men Therfore these workes haue no promesse But the workes of Christ whiche he him selfe hath ordeined the which are done of his spirit and of true faith whilest we forsake our errours cleaue to the truth they haue a promesse moste ample The victory of the hâad Christ and his meÌbres And promiseth two notable thinges The first lyke as my father hath promysed me victory and perfourmed it that I ouercome all my ennemies and triumphed ouer them the same being brokeÌ in pieces lyke vessels of clay or earth with out any difficultie so wyll I geue vnto you also power and victory against all vngodly And that same promesse at the last shal be fully accomplished in the last iudgement in the which all the ennemies of Godlines shal be caste vnder the feete of Christ As it is declared in the Psalmes especially in the .ii. and Cx. Psalme And in this world also Christ affirmeth that his seruauntes shall spiritually rule ouer his ennemies Like as Christ although he were tormented and died yet neuerthelesse he ouercame his ennemies The holy and ecclesiasticall stories beare witnes of these thinges sufficiently The latter I will geue him the morning starre And he vnderstode the knowledge of Christ increasing dayly more and more and so euen Christ himselfe The morning star in lyke case as the day in the rysing of the morning starre waxeth brighter and brighter In the whiche sense the Apostle S. Peter is red to haue vsed this allegory in the .ii. Epistle first Chapter or at the least he promised a clerenes most bright For Daniel sayth howe the faithful in the resurrection shall shine like the firmament The whiche thing also the Lord Christ alledgeth the .xiii. of Math. And the Apostle alluding hereunto sayd that one star was brighter then an other So lykewyse in the resurrection one shal be made brighter then an other These promisses be most great neither can I thinke that any greater can be geuen vs. God graunte vs grace that we may be made partakers of so great thinges Finally he applieth this epistle to al churches and ages of the world Wherof since we haue spoken oftener than once there is no cause that by oft repeating I should be tediouse to any man To the Lorde our God be praise and glory ¶ He blameth certen thinges in the congregation of Sardis notwithstanding he sheweth streight wayes a remedy wherby they may be healed be safe The .xv. Sermon AND write to the messenger of the congregatioÌ of Sardis this saith he that hath the spirites of God and the .vii. starres I knowe thy workes Thou hast a name that thou liuest and thou art dead Be awake and strength the thinges which remaine that ar redy to die For I haue not founde thy works perfit before God Remember therfore howe thou hast receiued and heard and holde fast repent If thou shalt not watche I wil come on thee as a thefe and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wyll come vpon thee Two kindes of men in one churche In one congregation of Sardis were two sortes of people professing on either side the name of Christ But some in dede answered but litle to the holy profession liuing more licenciously than became them And the others in holines of lyfe set forth the doctrine of our sauiour that they professed The first sort the Lord Iesus accuseth in this Epistle by S. Iohn And sheweth also a medicine for the disease And the later he exhorteth to perseueraunce commending their integritie Therfore this Epistle is deuided in two partes verey fit and profitable for our time The first part of the Epistle coÌteineth those things which we haue now recited Nether doth he procede herein in other order than we haue sene him to haue proceded hitherto For first he sheweth to whom it is dedicated and sent Namely to the Pastour of the congregation of Sardis Sardis and therfore also to the whole church Sardis is said to haue ben the head citie of Lydia or of Maonia the metropolitane citie of Cresus the most riche king of Lydia whom Herodotus writeth that king Cyrus ouercame a towne most famous and pricked and painted with pride that it was a woÌder And addicte to voluptuousnes For Strabo in the .xiii. boke of Geographie testifieth that al the maidens therof were harlots who mentioneth more of the same citie Certes it semeth to haue kept his olde wonte euen at suche time also as it had receiued the name of the Lord And therfore to haue bene more geuen to fornication and al maner of filthy lust The which thing the Lord semeth to haue blamed in them as S. Paul likewyse persecuted the self same vise in the Corinthians The worlde can hardly beleue that simple fornication is sinne wherupon in that great counsel of the Apostles Actes 15. both thei and the elders and the whole assemblie with one minde decreed that the geÌtiles should absteine from fornication The deuill at this day goeth about many times to defile the church again with fornication to set vp stewes and that by authoritie and openly whordom might be practised For so being cast out he taketh seuen worse spirites enterprising to possesse that place again out of the whiche he was exiled by the preaching of the Gospel We must therfore resist him least the Lorde Iesus him self do accuse vs as he doth here accuse them of Sardis most greuously Christ hath and seÌdeth the spirite Then is the Lord Iesus declared to be authour of the Epistle not without praise
ãâã after the maner of men to haue a boke of life or of his electe What that boke is and whose name is red in the same none of vs can tell sins none hath loked therein We must learne of the scriptures who be the citezeÌs of the kingdome of God For that theyr names be written in the boke of life no man nede doubt And S. Iohn sayeth so many as haue beleued he hath geuen them power that they maye be made the children of God S. Paull saieth He that hath not the spirite of Christe he is none of his And the spirite crieth in the mindes of the godly Abba father The same Apostle sayeth God hath predestinated vs that he might adopte vs for his children through Iesus Christe Moreouer he hath chosen vs in Christ before the fouÌdations of the world were layde Therefore are al beleuers written in that numbre celestiall Who so euer therefore beleue not or perseuere not in the faith eyther they are not written in the boke of life or els they be put out againe of the boke of lyfe Finally the sonne acknowledgeth the beleuers and such as perseuer in the true faythe before his heauenly father and his Aungelles And here he repeteth theuangelicall doctrine out of the 10. chapt of S. Matth. and 8. of S. Marke And doubteles it is a greate matter in that vniuersall iudgement to be knowen of the sonne of God of the highe iudge to be saluted and frendely spokeÌ to of him and that to our greate prayse If any Prince would in a great assemble of people knowe thee yea imbrase and coÌmende thee howe happie and fortunate woldest thou thinke thy selfe But then shall imbrase thee the very sonne of God king of kinges and lorde of lordes Let vs thinke of these thinges in time and amende our maners For that all these thinges apperteyne to vs that laste and wounted acclamation of S. Iohn proueth let him that hathe eares heare c. Wherof we haue spoken els where To the Lord be prayse and glory ¶ The Lord coÌmendeth the vertues namely the constancie of the congregation of Philadelphia c. The .xvij. Sermon ANd write vnto the Aungel of the congregation of Philadelphia this sayeth he that is holye and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth And shutteth and no man openeth I knowe thy workes Beholde I haue sette before thee an open dore and no manne can shutte it for thou hast a little strength And haste kepte my worde and haste not denied my name Beholde I shall geue some of the congregation of Sathan whiche call them Iewes and are not but do lie Behold I wil make them that they shal come and worship before thy feete the church is not blamed but yet is it not therefore perfit 1. Iohn 1. Rom. 3. In al other congregations the Lord at the leest fouÌd some faulte in the only churche of Philadelphia he blameâh nothing not that any man is founde in this flesh so perfit that he hath not nede of the grace of God For Dauid crieth out enter not Lord into iudgement with thy seruaunt for no maÌ liuing shall be iustified in thy sighte But S. Iohn and S. Paull also make all meÌ subiect to sinne which thing also S. Austen discourseth learnedly agaynst the Pelagians Therfore that blameth nothing in this congregation it is not to be vnderstand as though it were not defiled with dayly faultes but therfore he imputeth nothinge for because the sinceritie and integritie of faithe couereth hideth what vice so euer there be For there is no coÌdemnation to them that are graffed in Christe Iesu And albeit that other churches haue also the right faith yet this excelleth especially c. It might be referred chiefly to the Bisshop of the same Churche In this sixte epistle he coÌmendeth the sincere faith and coÌstancie of faith and admonissheth to perseuer propounding ample rewardes And it hath muche learning and diuerse whiche shall appere in the treatise therof And the lord herin followeth the same order which we see he hath followed in others For it is one the same kinde of doctrine with all churches and in al times Firste therfore is shewed vnto whom the epistle is written or dedicated to the pastour and whole coÌgregation of Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia was a citie of Lydia neither very famouse nor yet obscure We reade how it hath beÌ oft shakeÌ with earthquakes and repared againe Strabo mentioneth therof in the 12. boke of Geographie and so haue other authours also Yet it made it self famouse by vertues After is the Lorde Christ signified to be Authour of this epistle who at other times also hath tolde S. Iohn what he should write And to Christ are attributed three things or rather Christ attributeth three things to him selfe that he is holy true hath the keye of Dauid The which he hath borrowed of the Image of the first Chapt. Christe is holy Christe holy because he is pure cleane from al filthines from al vnrightuousnes very God a coÌsuming fire doyng no man any wroÌg hauing nothing at all that may be blamed For to him the Seraphin sayng rightly holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth Esaye 7. Christe the Saincte of Sainctes Christ is also the holy one of the Sainctes a sanctification I saye that sanctifieth all that be sanctified The same loueth holines in sainctes Christ therfore is moste truely called Antichrist the Pope hath taken vpon him this title and so filthy sitteth on this beaste as if you should call a priuie or a Iakes a Rosier Spitte vpon that vile and filthy beast whiche suffereth him self to be called the most holy father and worship Christ the holy one of all holy vnlesse you had rather vnderstande by that holines not euery holines but pope holines that is to witte stinking swimming full of al abominations Christe is like wise called trewe Christe is true because he is eternall and faithfull euermore constaunt and incorrupte He can neyther disceiue nor be disceiued The same moste constantly kepeth his promesses All his wordes be vndoubted and trewe Albeit that fleshe that can abide no delaye begin many times to doubt yet no one poincte or iote of them falleth awaye The trueth of the Lorde indureth for euer Thou standest vpon a moste sure foundation if thou leane vnto Christe whiche in the 14. of Iohn also calleth him selfe the veritie The keye of Dauid Laste he addeth whiche hath the keye of Dauid I spake of the keye in the firste chapter He alludeth to the 22. Chapt. of Esaye Wherby is signified the diuine almightie power of Christ by the which he bringeth vs purified into the kingdome of heauen whiche worke verely nother deuilles nor any power can let The same casteth doune the vncleane into hel nother is there that can deliuer or differ the same He sayeth therfore aptely and expressely he hath
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 prouideÌce For an Aungell and that not of the coÌmon 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 coÌmende 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 beloÌgeth the kingdome and the power of gouernemeÌt 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 meditatioÌ 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 theÌ 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 prouideÌce 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 vpoÌ 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 vpoÌ it that is to saye coulde not loke attentiuely on the iudgments of God and so forth And the coÌtexte of the whole place proueth sufficiently that S. Iohn speaketh here of the iudgmeÌts 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 laÌbe 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
vp to God the father the body bloud of Christ a propiciatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead But Ireney and Tertullian speake not of such a sacrifice but of the oblation of prayers which the massemonging Prieste offereth not vp alone but the whole coÌgregation of Christ sanctified in his bloud geuynge thankes in the lordes supper to God the father for theyr free redemption These holy fathers neuer knewe the sale Masses of these Chananites Againste praying to sainctes in Heauen Of this same place of S. Iohn the selfe same Papistes go aboute to proue and to establishe the praying to Sainctes in heauen Beholde saye they the Sainctes are sayed to praye openly in heaueÌ But they nede not to praye for them selues and therefore as intercessours and Patrones they praye for their clientes and worshippers in Earth I aunswer that the Sainctes in dede praye in heauen but that you addyng the kinde and maner of praying do expounde it to be intercession patchyng to a piece of your owne do forge and couÌtrefet the same and maliciously and falsely do belye it S. Iohn here expoundeth him selfe so that he nedeth not your patchyng For he addeth and they singe a newe songe Yea and he reciteth the whole fourme of this song leeste any maÌ should corrupte that whiche he had sayed of prayers And that same fourme conteyneth prayse and blessing or thankes geuyng and not intercession or inuocation For certayne it is euen by the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Timoth. 2. and to the Philipp 4. that there be two chiefe kindes of prayer inuocation and prayse or thankes geuyng But the thing it selfe playnly proueth that S. Iohn speaketh here of the latter and not of the first The shadowes of the lawe are expouÌded And where as this place expoundeth certen Tipes shadowes or misteries of Gods lawe by the same we maye rather confute the intercession of Sainctes in Heauen for their worshippers For in the lawe is permitted one onlye golden Aultar of incense And the same represented a figure of Christ For one Christe is the mediatour and intercessour betwixt God and man It was not laweful for the people of God to burne incense but vpon this Aultar only It was not laweful for any man to prepare or make for him selfe an odour of those kinde of gumes whereof the diuine incense consisted and to smell to it as appereth in the .30 of Exodus Whie than doe not these vnderstande that prayers belonge to God alone and that the Sainctes in Heauen woulde not smell of suche incense Dauid in the .141 psalm sayeth let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sighte the listynge vp of my handes an euening sacrifice The Deuill desireth to haue suche maner of incenses to be made vnto him As appereth in the .4 of Matth. and in S. Austen of the Citie of God But our heauenly Sainctes are not Deuilles Whie vnderstonde they not that this Aultar of incense standeth nowe in Heauen on the ryght hande of the father and there maketh intercession for vs and that for his sake the father is reconciled to vs and we are accepted of God and that by him alone we muste offer vp our prayers vnto God whiche are els abominable Whie see they not the heauenly Sainctes at this present to attribute al things to the only lambe alone and to chalenge nothyng to them selues Finally that they make no mention of their worshippers but plainely testifie that the only lambe was and is worthie whiche should take the boke c. And the praise or thankes geuing of the heauenly sainctes he hath called a newe songe What is a newe song whiche in the Scriptures is no newe thynge For the Sainctes saye that they will singe in Earth vnto God a newe songe Psalm xxxiii.xcvi.xcviii.cxliiii Esaye .xlij. And newe songes be called these newe balades or verses in meter whyche are made of some newe benefite or noble acte done And because the minde of manne is delighted greately with newe benefites they synge a newe songe whyche with a ioyefull mynde prayse GOD and geue him thankes with theyr inwarde affections Finallye they synge a newe songe whiche wyth purified myndes and renewed with the Spirite doe laude GOD whiche thynge was chiefely geuen to those heauenly Sainctes Whereof we learne agayne howe it behoueth our mindes to be affected and furnisshed in the prayers and prayses of GOD. This same sayeth Aretas I cal a new songe by whose benefite we whiche beyng lighted in al partes of the earth departing from the antiquitie of the lawe written and walkynge in the newnes of life are taught by the holy ghost to singe a geuing of thankes The himne or prayse geuing of the sainctes in heauen To these thynges nowe is added the Himne of Sainctes that we might also haue a fourme howe to prayse God And in the Hymne they singe that al things are subiecte to christ and al thinges ordered by his gouernment that he humbled him selfe to the deathe and was therefore exalted aboue all thinges Now are also the vertues or effectes and wonderful benefites of his death coÌmended vnto vs that estemyng the gouernour of his benefites done to vs we maye beleue also that his gouernement shal be holesome for vs and therefore maye submitte our selues to him willingly in faythe and patience Whiche verely is the chiefest ende of those thinges whiche here are treated with so great diligence Christe alone is worthy to open the boke Firste they coÌmende the Maiestie and dignitie of Christ that he alone is founde in the whole vniuersal world whiche hath rule ouer al which is the only sauiour of the world the reuealer also of godly misteries and gouernour of all For this is to take and to open the boke whiche we haue nowe oft times repeted Secondly they annexe the cause why this glory should be only of the lambe or sonne of God because saye they thou waste killed And they vnderstande by the lesse the more to witte his whole incarnation and the whole misterie of our redemption death resurrection and ascensioÌ into heauen and the residewe He therefore is the true and only mediatour of God and men he is the only sauiour as he that alone was incarnate crucified for vs he is the only gouernour whiche by his humilitie deserued to be exalted Philipp 2. And he is a most fitte gouernour of al thinges as of whome al men maye as of their most faithful sauiour and euen their brother hope well what thinges so euer chaunce vnto them through his gouernement c. The vertu effecte of the death of Christe In the meane time they coÌmende most highly the vertue or effecte of Christes death For this beynge rightly vnderstande we are more ready to submitte our selues to that gouernour whom we knowe to be our sauiour whiche loueth vs derely and would haue al saued And the chiefest effect of Christes death is redemption RedeÌption redeminge
ãâã ãâã What zygon is with two scales hanging at either ende of the beame which we cal a paire of weightes Aretas sayeth that a balaunce is a token of right and equitie For thou hast sitten sayeth Dauid vpoÌ thy Throne which iudgest rightuousnes therfore is a balaunce the iudgement of the iust iudgment of God Aretas hath not alledged these things amisse howbeit we ought rather to preferre the exposition of S. Iohn him selfe For a voice is hearde from the middes of the beastes which expoundeth to vs the ballaunce For it soundeth a measure A measure of wheate for a peny and thre measures of barly for a peny And this measured called Choinix signifieth a diet or dayly meate as Erasmus hath in his prouerbe sitte not vpon thy measure The same in his annotations vpon this place Choinix sayeth he is a measure of wheate or other breadcorne which is sufficient for one dayes meate Budaeus thinketh that it wayeth .iiii. pounde Pollux iii. The worde therfore signifieth that a very little meate shal coste a great price and yet not to be gotten for monie Which chauÌceth in the time of famine What the Romane peny is worth Budaeus sheweth we vnderstande by it playnly a great price Therfore two things are signified scarsitie or derth of corne and famine Dearth reiseth the price beyond reason Famin hath nothing to bie though he hath neuer so muche monye liyng by him but hongreth waunteth pineth and at the last miserably consumeth to naught wherin verely dearth and famine do differ The Germanes discerne them by seuerall wordes calling dearth scarsetie and famine honger Yet are they for the most parte indiuisible And we reade in the olde storie of the Bible Darth and famine that for the contempte of the preaching of Gods lawe and the bringing in of a straunge kinde of worshipping God the Israelites in the times of Helias and Helisaeus were most greuousely punished with honger and penurie These things be plentifully declared in the .3 boke of Kinges the .17 and .18 Chapt. Also in the .4 of Kinges the .6 and .7 Chapt. Moreouer in the time of the Emperour Claudius whilest the Apostles preached the Gospel faithfully and the Iewes and Gentiles stoutely repulsing it famine moste greuousely afflicted the Romane Empire whiche thing S. Luke reherseth in the Actes of the Apostles .11 chapt Which thinges were done in dede before this reuelatioÌ was to S. Iohn exhibited Sins that time the Historiographers recite sondry and innumerable famines dearthes and penuries in diuerse countries sent of God for contempte of the trueth Nauclerus mentioneth of a famine in the yere of our lord D.xxxix wherin mothers also deuoured their owne children What hath chaunced in our memory in those warres of Millan and els where it is no nede to reherse They be yet fresshe in memory and written in the stories of Galeacius Capella We felt some parte herof also in the yere of our Lorde M.D.XXIX and the yeres followyng The iuste Lord punissheth and more will punisshe the greate ingratitude and contempte of his Godly worde as he did in the destruction of Ierusalem woulde God it would please the worlde moste blinde through repentaunce to conuerte vnto God when he punisheth and with free and willing mindes imbrace the worde of veritie for so should ther be more felicitie and lesse miserie God forgetteth not his mercy in punisshyng Howebeit for a comforte at the ende of this Seale is added and Oyle and Wine see thou hurte not He nameth the kindes moste necessarie for the vse of manne and meaneth that God doeth mercifully reserue some thinges that be chiefly necessarie for mans vse especially for the electes sake that all should not perishe and pine in generall Wherby we vnderstande that the lorde forgetteth not his mercy euen in the middes of afflictioÌ and plagues that he sendeth Thus in times paste mindyng to punish Aegipte and other nations with famine he sent before Ioseph by whome he might preserue the house of Iacob and other people innumerable You see herein most clerely that it is of God that sometime the corne is blasted and the vines and oliues perish and to be of him that the corne increaseth and wine also So hath he also before protested in the lawe Leuitic 26. And Deuteron 28. the fourth seale is opened We are comen nowe to the fourth Seale at the opening whereof and to beholde the operation we are excited of the Egle the fourth beaste Of whome we haue spoken before ones or twise And the pale Horse The pale horse commeth forth in Greke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whyche coulour resembleth withered grasse and Herbes Salomon in the .12 Chapt. of Eccles calleth the coulour apperyng in dead bodies and their countenaunces Golden licour All Poetes call death Pale And the rider in dede is expressely called Death We vnderstande the course of the plage and of all diseases and euen of death it selfe whome Hell followeth that is to saye a pitte or a graue For Scheol in Hebrewe signifieth a pitte or a graue But if you will nedes vnderstande it of the place of them that be damned doubtles they be caried headlong into Hel so many as here with sickenes consumed die with out fayth and repentauÌce Therfore hell followeth death rightly But if thou hadst rather by hel vnderstande a graue it signifieth that all shal be ful of coarses and sepulchres And that in dede plagues and pestileÌces most mortal haue sore afflicted the Romane Empire Plague diseases Orosius is wittenes in his seuenth boke in the Actes of L. Aurel. Verus and Decius Emperours the most cruell persecutours of our fayth Euagrius in the .29 Chapter of the .4 Boke of the Ecclesiast story telleth of a maruelouse plague that lasted about .50 yeres And all men knowe with what a pestilence and soden death Italy was wasted in the time of Maurice Emperour And Gregory bishoppe of Rome The time would fayle me in case I would recite out of Histories al the plagues and calamities of all times What is done at this daye and hath ben done in our memorie you your selues knowe beste There are spronge vp newe diseases whose names to our elders were neuer knowen With these euilles and calamities God wasteth the worlde and euer hath done to the intente that by plagues he might call vs agayne to repentaunce Thus verely we shall iudge alwayes of calamities Yf any iudge otherwise they are not amended therfore are they punished here and after this shal burne in perpetual tourmentes To these moreouer is added an other thinge also Foure scourges against the incurable and power was geuen them c. For when menne will not amende with simple Calamities the euilles or plagues of God are doubled The same are raccompted in the lyke order and nombre with the Prophetes Ieremie the .15 Chapt. and Ezechiel in the .14 Chapter For they be these Sworde Famine Death or Pestilence
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 qualiâies 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 coÌmaundement 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 coÌmaundemeÌt to take the boke of the haÌde of the Angel But to him that is called is geuen a sure coÌmaundement 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. coÌmaundementes 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 coÌmaunded you Now is also required obedience of the ministers The obedience of the ministers that they obeye the coÌmaundement of God and that they craue and receyue that which they are coÌmaunded 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 coÌmaundementes 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 coÌmaundeth 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 tiraÌnicall 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 botoÌlesse 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 excoÌmunication 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 âââtesse 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 âoarses 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 huÌbled 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 expouÌdeth 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
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 tourmeÌtes 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 reâarde of the godly that whiche before he treated vnder the fourme of a thankeful prayse and a ioyouse triumphyng he propoundeth now consequeÌtly 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 pleÌtiful Sea of al goodnes a most aboundaunt and moste sufficient plentie of all thinges The confirmation testimony and declaration wherof is the Arke of coÌuenaunte 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 expouÌdeth the same also diuersely and propouÌdeth 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 maÌchilde 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
Prophecie of Daniel by the beaste vnderstandeth the Romane Empire and supposeth that therfore it is not called a Lion nor a Beare nor Libarde but a beaste that what crueltie some euer ye canne Imagine in beastes by the same ye maye vnderstande the Romanes doubtles in maners they haue shewed themselues beastes Mithridates the moste renoumed kynge of Pontus speakyng of the Romanes in the .xxxviii. booke of Iustine As they themselues reporte sayeth he that their founders were nurrisshed by suckyng of a Wolfe so haue all that people Wolues mindes neuer satisfised wyth bloud of rule and Riches Hongry and emptie And nowe howe filthy beastes many Romane Princes haue ben theyr owne wryters testifie chiefely Suetonius and others that haue written of the Emperours liues And that the people of Rome were also of beastely maners the .1 chapt of the Epistle to the Roma proueth You will saye I knowe well The good godly are excepted sins S. Iohn comprehendeth vnder this Image the whole body of the Romane Empire shal we cal Conustant Constantine Theodosius and other godly Emperours beastes I saye howe the Scriptures vse this maner of speakyng and by beastes in dede vnderstande Empires all though they calle not all those that dwell in those Empires beastes with out any difference therfore we vnderstande them exempted in all Empires that liue a life to God acceptable and know assuredly that nother Daniel nor S. Ihon woulde haue defiled with wordes suche innocent men and al prayse worthie Yea in all this treatise of the Empire and of Antichrist we excepte alwayes such men as are innocent and excelle in vertue Wherof we shal happely speake more hereafter And firste he sheweth the beginnyng of this Empire The original of the Empire A beaste commeth out of the Sea on the sande whereof standeth the Dragon and in the .17 chapt it is sayed howe the beaste came out of the botomlesse pitte Therefore the beginnynge hereof is referred to Sathan Notwithstandyng we muste here take dilligent hede that we take awaye nothing from the lorde our God the whiche he chalengeth to him self The Scripture in sondry places but chiefly by two moste excellent witnesses by Daniel in the .3 chapt and S. Paule in the .13 chapt to the Romaines hath set forth that kyngedomes and Empires are of the Lorde and that he setteth vp deposeth kinges There is no power sayeth thapostle Nowe the Rom. Empire is of God of the dragoÌ but of God And hitherto in dede thapostles coÌmaunde to obeye Princes and magistrates Howe is it than that we heare that the Romane Empire came out of the botoÌles pit sins the Apostle speaketh of the same doubtles the Romane Empire is not absolutely of the Deuil For God is the authour of Monarchies and preserueth realmes and policies geuing therunto certen faithful seruauÌtes But sathan medleth with mens matters and corrupteth both kinges kingdomes and so long they be of the Deuil The Christianes in all politike matters obeyed Emperours but coÌmaundyng Idolatrie they obeied them not 3. Kings 11 Certaine it is that God did institute the kingdome of Israell or of ten tribes by the prophet Ahiab yet neuerthelesse the lorde crieth out in an other prophet Amos. 8. they haue reigned in dede but not by me For the lord would haue had those kinges to haue framed al thinges after his word and to reigne in the feare of God and where they did not so but followyng the instigation of Sathan ordered al thinges after their owne luste they are rightly saied to reigne not of God but of the deuill Therfore haue the godly obeyed kinges but they obeyed them not coÌmaundyng wicked thinges although they toke them for their kinges God had instituted the order of priestes not withstandyng Christe calleth the doynges of the same priestes the workes of darkenes And S. Peter sayeth we muste rather obeye God than men So verely the Romane Empire which was of God came also out of the Sea as Daniel sayeth also out of the troublesome world and euen out of Hell beyng made great through slaughter murther seditioÌ and treason For the people of Rome with the moste parte of Emperours regarded the Deuil and the world and not God The Rom. Empire of seueÌ heads And what the empire of Rome is at this daye he figureth now also it hath seuen heades ten hornes and euery horne had his crowne signifiyng verely that by hornes are signified kingedomes Nother doe we here bring in any newe or farre fetched exposition In the .17 chapt the Angel expoundeth him selfe and sayeth that by seuen heades are signified seuen mountaines or hilles and euen kinges also In Rome are accompted many hilles but there be seuen notable For there is mounte Palatine Capitoline Auentine Coelius Esquiline Viminalle and Quirinalle Propertius expouÌding the same in one verse whiche I haue expressed in two sayeth Septem vrbs alta ingis toto quae praefidet orbe A citie set alofte on seuen hilles Whose people rule the world at theyr owne willes And therfore is called of the Grekes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã of seueÌ hilles And verely the citie is taken for the whole Empire So haue there ben also many kinges Emperours which are coÌprised in the seuenth noÌbre but yet is it certayne that the seueÌth nombre of kinges also is exactely founde in the historie For at the beginning wheÌ Rome was first builded there reigned seueÌ kinges in order Romulus Numa Tullus Hostilius Aucus Martius Tarquinius Priscus Seruius Tullius Tarquius Superbus who expulsed by reason that Lucrese was rauished of the kinges sonne they were ruled by confulles by ten men by Dictatours vnto the time of Iulius Caesar who first vsurped to him selfe againe a kynges crowne after whome reigned Antony Octauian called Augustus Tiberius Caius Claudius and Nero againe seuen In Nero thempire receiueth a plage From thence againe are accoÌpted seuen Ottho Galba Vitellius Vespasiane Titus Domitian Nerua From him was the Empire deuolued to Vlpius Traiane a Spaniarde Therefore the Romane Empire could not by plainer markes be expressed To this Empire also Daniel attributed ten hornes aswel for that it was collected of many kingedomes as also that it was disparsed agayne into many Wherof shal be spoken in the .17 chapt And it is a comon thing to the Scriptures by hornes to signifie kingedomes and power And to this kingdome the lord Iesus ascribeth open wickednes ye he calleth it blasphemouse For he addeth The Romane Empire blasphemouse and vpoÌ his heades the name of blasphemie that is to saye what plasphemie so euer may at any time be any where diuised al that same shall be founde manifeste in this Empire and chiefely in the heades For yf ye beholde the hilles of Rome chiefly the Mounte Capitoline ye shall finde it called of Cicero the mansion place of the Gods verely for that it conteyned in a maner the Images of all the Goddes For on
to are perdon for that offence LoÌg it was or euer he was admitted to come in the Popes sight At the last he was led with an yroÌ chaine aboute his necke to the Bisshoppes table lyke a Dogge and there fayne to lie vnder the table emongs the dogges so loÌg til the wrath of Clement without all clemencie beyng ouer paste he put out that ignominie from his countrie And was therefore alwayes after called dogge of his owne countriemeÌ for that he had layne like a dogge at the Popes table for to gette absolution This is written in Sabellicus in the ende of the .9 Aeneid the .7 boke The Pope in excommunicatinge vseth tapers or candelles of waxe burning which he throweth downe to the grounde from on highe that euen thereby we might perceyue that it is he that calleth downe the feareful fire from Heauen vpon men in earth And these thinges doeth the beast in the presence of men to wit with great confidence boldenes finally to make meÌ affrayde and to kepe them in awe For after the same kinde of speaking S. Paule commaundeth also to rebuke a great man offendyng before all men that others maye be affrayed 1. Timoth. 5. He disceaueth by signes Howbeit the Lord addeth the vse and effect of Antichristes wonders to th ende the church might iudge rightly of them and he deceaueth sayeth he the dwellers on the Earth by reason of the miracles c. He shall seduce by these signes or miracles to wit by that grace of the spirite whiche he faineth that he geueth and with those his excommunications wherwith he would seme to caste men downe into hell that dwell vpon Earth that is to saye more geuen to earthly than to heauenly thinges And he shall leade them from the fayth of Christ vnto his tromperies Therefore must we iudge of the tokens and doctrine of Antichrist for that they seduce men Leaue maruelyng therefore howe it hath chaunced that the Pope hath allured to his side so many menne of wisedome and learnyng You haue hearde already by what meanes this is done Therefore be not you alwayes fooles learne take hede and beleue Christe and his Gospell and cleaue thereunto Agayne he sayeth The beaste doeth miracles in the sight of the beaste that power is geuen to the beast verely by the iuste iudgement of God that according to thapostles saiyng they maye be iudged whiche had rather beleue lies than the veritie that he shoulde worke those miracles in the sight of the beaste What is it to worke miracles in the sight of the beaste but to do them in the presence of all men boldely and with out feare euen to feare disceaue the very beast Here therfore nowe we heare of two beastes The beaste that doeth the wonders and that later beaste in whose sight that other fourmer beaste doeth those signes In the .19 chapt Yea it shall followe hereafter that both the beaste and the false Prophet whiche doeth these miracles before the beaste by the whiche he also deceaued the beaste shall be caste bothe into fire euerlasting Who therfore is the former and the two horned beaste but the Pope the very same is the false prophet also And who is the beaste in whose sight the Pope worketh wonders but the Image of the beaste and therfore a beaste also in asmuch as thempire is reysed of the beaste and gouerned by the spirite of the beaste For it followeth that the beast setteth vp an Image of the beaste The beaste setteth vp an Image of the beast and that of the same beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and liueth that is to wit of that olde Romane Empire Now therfore is erected a new Romane Empire which neuerthelesse is not called playnely a beaste but the Image of the beast that is to saye an Empire in dede but the which cometh not so nere to the olde by as farre as an Image differeth from the true example For the olde Romane Empire is as it were an example whereof thempire set vp by the Romish Antichrist is only an Image representation shaddowe and as it were a dreame hauyng neuerthelesse some sumilitude of the same Howe the Image of the beaste was set vp I tolde before and shewed out of stories howe the olde Romane Empire was torne and rent in pieces taken quite awaye In times paste the one Emperour gouerned in the Easte at Constantinople the other in the Weste at Rome or at Rauenna But from Augustulus by the space of thre hondreth yeres and more there was no Emperour of the Weste And suche landes as were the Emperours were now possessed of others and the Empire was vtterly loste Therefore about the yere of our lorde eyght hondreth what time Charles the greate Kynge of Fraunce came to Rome vpon Christemas daye Leo the .3 of that name Bisshoppe of Rome setting the Crowne vpon Charles head made him Emperour all the people saiyng with a lowde voice to Charles the Emperour crowned of God be long life and victory These thinges are red in all stories especially in the .4 booke of Auentinus his Cronicles of Bourbonois The beaste sayeth to the inhabiters of the Earth that they shuld make an Image to the beast Agayne when this Empire semed to wauer and to slide and therefore lyke shortely to falle the Bisshoppe of Rome instituted seuen Princes Electours Some referre this ordenaunce to Gregory the .5 whiche was Pope when Otthâ was Emperour And some to Gregory the .10 whiche called Rafe of Abspurge to the Empire Whereof shal be more sayed anone But the Lorde by S. Iohn sayeth expressely howe the beast sayed to the inhabiters of the Earth that thei shuld make an Image of the beaste For the Popes haue by speakyng and not by fightyng as appereth in the stories of Bisshoppes of Rome especially of Leo the .3 erected a new Empire For by preachyng perswadyng and practysing they brought the Empire to Kinge Charles Certenly Platina in the life of Leo the .3 The Bisshop sayeth he minding to gratifie by some meane king Charles which had deserued right well of the churche in the churche of S. Peter after solemne seruice done by the voyces and prayers of the people of Rome with a lowde voyce declareth Charles Emperour and crowneth him c. But nowe we muste see more dilligentlie What is properlie the Image of the beaste wherefore the newelie erected empyre is called of the Pope the Image of the oulde beaste And here in dede myghte manye thynges be alledged but I shall recyte of many things onely a fewe Aboue all thinges it is called the Image both for that it is named the Empyre it selfe and wolde be taken for the oulde Empyre where it is in dede a name wythoute the thynge and a vayne tytle wythoute that aunciente power maiestie and glorie For vnlesse the Emperour haue the Kyngdome of his owne by inheritaunce what Kyngdome shal he haue by the name of
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 magnificeÌce 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is a disposition administration dispeÌsation 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 coÌmaunde 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 coÌmaundemeÌts 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 determinatioÌ 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 chauÌge 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 teÌporall 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 theÌperour 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 coÌpanie 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 religioÌ For vnlesse the decrees please the fathers
excellent in all kinde of vertues and especially the seculars as they tearme them who hath muche misliked the tiranny and impietie of the Popes of Rome in so muche that they haue stoutely oftentimes withstande them Our age doubtles is muche bounde to this order or state that a good parte of the preachyng of the holy gospel is reformed the which both they with other princes of Germany moste worthie of praise do by Gods inspiration valiauÌtly against the furies of Antichrist defende and mantayne The Lord increase in them in other godly Princes through the whole world his giftes and mercifully kepe and preserue theÌ But to returne to the prosis and order of the Historie certayne it is that immediately after Gregory the .5 the Deuill inuaded the see of Rome Nother could Platina dissemble this thing a writer of Popes liues knowen to all men See what he sayeth of Popes in the life of Syluester .3 which hath very fauourably spared his lordes and maisters and many times hath couered their abominable actes yet writyng of the successour of Gregory the .5 Siluester the .2 sayeth he before called Gilberte a Monke of Florey forsakyng his monasterie followed the Deuil vnto whom he gaue him self whole And by and by he addeth Gilbert moued with Ambition and a deuelish desire to rule through briberie gote firste the Archbisshopricke of Reyns after of Rauenna and after with greater suite the Deuill furtheryng him he obteyned to be pope yet vnder this coÌdicion that after his death he should be the Deuilles wholy c. He that would knowe the full story and abridgement taken out of Antoninus The See of Rome vtterly corrupted Nauclerus and others lette him reade the .9 boke of Funccius Cronicles vnder the yere .998 Beno a Cardinall supposeth at this time to be fulfilled those thousande yeres after the which the Deuill breakyng lowse beganne agayne to rage in the worlde Wherof shall followe certen thinges in the .20 chapt of this booke Notwithstandyng I shall not refuse to gather here certen thinges out of this Benone Cardinall and briefly to recite them here for the declaration of our matter Therefore Beno in the life and actes of Hildebrande The mallice of the Popes vexyng the emperours called Gregory the .7 one Gerbertus which had infected the citie with sorcerie sayeth he after the thousand yeres fulfilled coming vp out of the botoÌlesse pitte of Gods permission was Pope 4. yeres and chaungyng his name was called Siluester the 2. And after Gilberte the yere .25 I suppose it should be red .32 And howe they reigned these yeres Stories testifie and that very euyl Theophilactus his schollar atchieued the seate violently called Benedict the .9 He had a dere frende and priuie to all his doynges one Gratiane Archeprieste of S. Iohn porte latin Vnto whome Hildebrande a Monke of Cluney forsakyng his abbeye did familiarely cleaue and became a familiar frende of his But Benedict fearyng him selfe solde his seate to Gratiane Maister of Hildebrande receiuyng of him fiue hondred thousande pouÌdes which promoted to the office was called Gregory the .6 Neuerthelesse they had shortly a thirde Pope Sabinus and he was called Siluester the .3 Themperour therefore Henry the .2 a godly man valeaunt wise and stoute goyng to Rome to pourge the church for as yet the Bisshoppes vsed not full authoritie compelled Benedicte or Theophilacte the Magician to flee cast Gregory in pryson and sent a waye Siluester to his olde Bisshoprike And he holdyng a Counsell placed the Bisshop of Bamberge whom he called Clement in the seate of whome also he receyued the crowne And he brought Gregory with his disciple Hildebrande with him into Germany In the meane time Benedict retournyng to Rome from flight vexeth Clement and with much inchauntynge infecteth the Citie and by letters receyued from Hildebrande out of Germany he learneth what is done in the Emperours court Gregory dieth there in prison and lefte Hildebrande his heire both of his false packyng and of his monie Clement dieth also Whom Damasus the .2 succedeth immediately but streight wayes poisoned by reason of the tumulte that was in the citie the Emperour sendeth Bruno Bisshoppe of Tully commen of the noble house of the Erles of Holst a worthy maÌ Here Beno annexeth in whose trayne through the ouer much sufferauÌce of the Emperour Hildebrande was permitted to retourne by this permission to subuerte bothe the Bisshoprycke and Empire vnder pretence of religion And this Beno herein was a trewe prophet whiche sayeth thus also in the storie of Hildebrande and telling Bruno many things by the waie crepte into his fauour and as sone as he came to Rome obteyned of him that he was made one of the kepers of S. Peters Aultar And in a shorte time he filled his coffers And he also recoÌciled his olde Lord and maister Benedicte fayning repentaunce disceiptfully to Leo the .9 for so Bruno beyng made Pope was called and through the counsell of Benedicte otherwise called Theophilacte he armed Leo agaynst the Normannes and betrayed him vnto them The Germanes therefore slayne by treason scarsely the Pope all desolate escaped This sayeth Beno And certeÌ it is that this Monke Hildebrande Gregory the .7 from that time forewarde aspired to gette the seate and in the meane time whilest it was gouerned of others he incensed and ruled the Popes as Leo the .9 Victour the .2 Stephen the .9 Benedicte the .10 Nicolas the .2 and Alexander the .2 But they smell of Hildebrandes stile that are set forth in the name of Leo Nicolas and Alexander But at the length he him self clome vp into the chayre in the whiche he so vsed him selfe that no man vnlesse he were starke blinde but might see that his deuelish gouernement hath requited most abouÌdantly Henry the .4 the sonne of Henry the thirde his fathers cariyng of him into Germany And he beganne openly and impudently to take vpon him the power of the emperour Nother can it be tolde at fewe wordes in what detestable wise this beaste did afflicte bothe the Emperour and empire al the while he was Pope for the space of .12 whole yeres An Abridgement of that story hath Iohn Functius compiled in the .10 boke vnder the yere of our Lorde .1074 Diuerse opinions of Gregory the .7 I know that Platina and many Italian wryters yea and some Germanes also doe highly coÌmende the religion and vertues of this Gregory the .7 by the whiche thyng the Popishe tiranny vnder the pretence of religion is wonderfully augmented and confirmed and many blynded Yet is it comen to passe agayne through the grace of God that men of graue authoritie religion and vertues haue fayre and wel plucked of the visure from this beaste Therefore haue Synodes and Counselles not to be coÌtemned condemned this Gregory and first in dede the CouÌsell of Mentz wherein were 19. famous Byshopes Than was assembled at Brixia a Synode of .30 Bisshoppes and of the moste
Fucine he was taken with duke Fridericke Anno. 1266 There were slaine as it is saied .12 thousand The occasion of so greate an euill were the Popes chiefly Clement the .4 which beyng demaunded of Charles the worthie Prince what he should do with his prisoners aunswered so that the Frenche men vnderstode that they must suffer Therfore he put them both to the sworde In whome the house and posteritie of the moste noble Dukes of Austriche and Swauelande is sayde to haue failed Paulus Aemilius discourseth this gere more at large in the .7 booke of Frenche Actes and Auentinus in the .7 booke But yet might not the Ire and furie of those moste holy fathers be so pacified conceiued hereof that the most noble Dukes of Swauelande had for gods glory and the comon welthes sake most godly and most constantly resisted the Romish Bisshoppes Wolues I would haue saied Thempire made desolate But these Parricidies and blouddy warres displeased all good meÌ euery where and chiefly the wise and godly Princes so that they vnderstode how they must eschew that Empire and flee from it as from the plage as the which was not only but a shaddowe but moreouer would vtterly consume his yerely reuenewes and treasour which should receiue the office For now was it knowen through out the world what the moste valeaunt and excellent Princes of Germany had nowe about .119 yeres from Henry the .4 to the Sonnes of Fridericke the .2 suffered of the bolde ambition and vncredible mallice of the Popes and that many of them had loste both their liues with their auncient kingdomes and their âibertie most excellent of all And here was thempire with out any Emperour for certeÌ yeres which I am wont to cal a desolation of the kingdome or Empire For the Popes with their inuincible and intollerable pryde and tyrannie had so weakened the force of the Emperours that the empire semed subuerted destroyed nother coulde there any be easely founde which ded set by it or thoughte it worthie to be desyred At the laste at the commaundement of Gregory the .10 which helde a Counsell at Lions was chosen Counte Rodulph of Abspurg which although he forsoke not the thing offered yet being oft requested to come to Rome is sayed to haue aunswered the waywarde steppes of fete do feare me sore meaning by this dixaine that he trusted not the Popes which by their craftes had destroyed both many Prences of Germanie and also innumerable people comming to Rome And this Rafe is red to haue ben crowned Kyng in the yeare of our Lorde .1273 the .200 yeare after Gregory the .7 And so longe time lasted the fight of Popes and Emperours A little whyle after whyleste Alberte the sonne of Rafe was chosen Emperoure and the election was referred to Boniface the .8 of that name he stoutely reiected the same and shewed by and by in word and dede that he was both Pope and Emperour which by right had both swordes Which I expounded in the .58 sermon the same doth Albert Krantz declare excedingly well in the .8 boke .36 ch of Saxon matters In the place of King Albert was substituted Henry Prince of Lucemburge But what authoritie ouer him thempire chaleÌged Clement the .5 pope he that list may know of the ClemeÌtines For there is a long treatise therof in the .2 boke .9 tit I could also rehearce many other lyke things of pope Ihon the .22 and of others if I ded not thinke it superfluouse For of these things which I haue rehersed hitherto The proprietie of kingdomes is the popes but the vse of Kings and Princes it appereth sufficieÌtly that the popes theÌselues by a mischeuouse boldnes haue takeÌ to theÌselues thempire do boast theÌselues for monarkes do abuse the seruice ministerie of kinges as their wards clieÌtes yet to pretend the name of soÌnes to the intent thei may haue them the more obedieÌt For so in times past wrote Gregory the .7 to Geusas king of Hongary which place read in the .17 chap. of this boke the sermoÌ .75 yet vnderstaÌd we in the meane time that the gretest part of Princes Nobles haue not knowen the same beast but haue rather impugned him therfore not to come in the nombre of the beast but in asmuch as they lyued vnder the Empire yet estraunged farre from the beaste By this I woulde haue them aunswered which wyll exclame and saie who can take it in good parte to haue the holy Empire called the Image of the beast and so many noble Kings and Princes Cities and people praise worthie But I nother oughte nor wyll chaunge the manner of speakinge which the scripture vseth They be the Lordes woordes all which Daniell in oulde tyme and nowe Ibon haue reuealed to vs but I maie excepte and excuse such as are excused by the testimonie of scripture The way is ready briefe whosoeuer wyll be free from the beaste let him take hede that he be not inspired withe the Popes spirite and that he speake not and doe that the Pope commauÌdeth against godlynes Let him rather be ruled with the spirite of Christ and so shal it come to passe that dwelling in the middes of Babilon he shal not lyue after the iniquities of Babilon but in the Kingdome of Christe They that shall not worship the beaste shal be slain It foloweth and the beast shal cause that whosoeuer shal not worship the Image of the beast shall be slayne And it is all one offence to worship that oulde beaste and to worship the Image of the newe beaste Of the worshipping of him I haue spoken a little before Therfore doe they worshippe the Image of the beaste which admitte the decrees and those ordinaunces of the seate and Empire speaking the inspiration of the beaste which allowe the Romish religion which fall to the kyssing of the feeâe and shew themselues in all things obedient chyldren of the seate and are faithfull to the popish Empire Nowe yf any wyll not be suche a one and woulde be content with Christianitie would abhorre Rome the seat of the beast and detest the Image of the beast he lyke a church robber and traytour is iudged vnworthie of lyfe There is a Canon in the .5 boke of Decret the .7 tit of heret Wherein withoute any circumstaunce of wordes Lucius the thirde of that name determyneth playnelye that heretykes are strycken with an euerlastinge curse whosoeuer beleue and teache otherwyse of the Sacraments than the church of Rome beleueth and teacheth He commaundeth moreouer that such beynge depryued of all dignitie shall be committed to the iudgement of the secular powers to be punished with dewe correction But yf the temporall maiestrate wyll not punish so defend the church that than he shal be also depriued of al honour c. But why do I tary in rehearsyng these thinges All men at this daie knowe and see what thynges are done daylie They are
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 accoÌpte 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 noÌbre 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 whoÌ 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 noÌbre 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 noÌbre 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 knoweÌ 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã conteineth the noÌbre 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 toÌgue 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 maÌ 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 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 diuisioÌ 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 wheÌ 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 SermoÌ 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 meÌ 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
rules of Italy and deliuer them to the pope whiche he perfourmed in dede For he ouercame kinge Aistulphe toke from him the gouernement of Rauenna and deliuered it to the Bisshop of Rome Herein maye all men see The kings ouerthrowen the Pope him selfe is made a kiÌg vnlesse it be those which will see nothing how this contemptuouse Bishoppe and very smal horne hath at one pusshe ouerthrowen two hornes For he hath put themperour of Constantinople froÌ the gouernmeÌt of Italy and hath put downe the King of Lumbardy caused his people to be driuen out of Italy For a fewe yeres after the Pope by the force of Charlemaigne put downe Desiderius the last king of Lumbardy and distroied withall the whole people of the LuÌbardes And thus starte vp the Pope became as it were king of olde Rome of the chiefe parte of Italy And now ar the beginnings of the kingdome laied but as yet he reigned not with full authoritie as is declared before Eberardus therfore Bisshoppe of Salisburge whose wordes I recited in the preface of this boke extendeth these things further But I suppose this our exposition to accorde with the prophet with the thinges times And the pope gaue to king Pipine for so great a donatioÌ a title as Platina sheweth in the life of Stephen the .2 that al kinges of FrauÌce shuld be called moste Christen Afterwarde was the Image of the Empire bestowed vpon Charles whereof is spoken before And leest the Pope should seme to haue receiued nothing whilest king Pipine gaue him therarchate the stories reporte thus The Pope made a most mightie king thexarchate was diuided into two regiones in Pentapolis and Aemilia Pentapolis had fiue cities Rauenna Cesena Classe Forum liuij and Forum popilij In Aemilia were Bononie Rhezo Parma Placence and all the laÌdes that lie from the borders of the Placentines and Ticinians vnto Adria and froÌ Adria to Arimine c. But he that liste maye reade the Donation of Ludouicus pius in Volateranes Geographie where he nombreth the kynges of Fraunce We saye nothing yet of this that afterward he vsurped to him self power ouer kings and realmes finally ouer all churches and soules so that we must confesse that a more maruelouse prince neuer liued Thou hast here a briefe and compeÌdiouse story declaring how the Pope hauing huÌbled ouerthroweÌ three kinges he him self began to be made a king But let vs now apply herunto the noÌbre of the name of the beast The popes power augmeÌted both in spiritualties in temporallies to th ende it maye so be knowen to the whole world that there is no other Antichrist to be loked for than the bishop of Rome that is comeÌ which in dede laied the foundatioÌ of his kingdom vnder theÌperour Phocas did builde it vnder the kings of FrauÌce and inlarged the same vnder themperours Henrickes Friderickes finally hath establisshed it vnder themperours followyng reigneth in our time and hath done certen ages already paste c. The supputation of .666 yeres must be rekened from the time wherin S. Iohn sawe the reuelation Ireneus sayeth It was sene no longe time sins but in a maner in our dayes about th ende of the reigne of Domitian And Eusebius in his chronicles saieth that it was in the yere of our lord .97 Therfore there remayne yet thre yeres to accomplish an hondreth yeres from the birth of our lord Adde therfore to an hoÌdreth yeres The fatall yere of our lord .763 these yeres of the noÌbre of the name of the beast .666 substracte those three yeres of the first hondreth and thou shalt haue the yere of our Lord .763 whiche was the .13 yere or there aboutes of king Pipines reigne and the .7 of Pope Paul Notwithstandyng that there be wryters of stories and times which attribute to Paull but one yere c. Now muste we not loke only what thing happened in the very instaunt of the yere .763 but what chauÌced in the nexte yeres fourmer and following Whereof I will recite a fewe thinges oute of the writers of stories and tymes Nauclerus in the .16 generat In the yeare of our Lord. WoÌders Monsters 750 saieth he vnder Pope Zacharie and vnder themperour Constantine the .5 began the .26 generatioÌ in the which was made an alteration of the Kingdome of Fraunce an abolyshment of the Kyngs of Lumbardie and a translatioÌ of the Romane Empire from the Grekes These so greate alterations the wonders dyd happly pourtend which hapned at this tyme. In Mesopotamia the Earth roue a sunder by the space of two myles and a Mule was sayed to haue spoken with a mans voyce Ashes fel downe from heauen Ther were wonderful Earthquakes Crosses appered vpon mens garmeÌts These things wrote Nauclerus The lyke are red in the storie of Eutropius in the .22 boke vnder the yeare of CoÌstantine the .6 moreouer in the Historicall glasse of Vincent in Fasciculo temporuÌ In the yere of our Lord .751 Pipine is made King through the couÌsell of Zachary the Pope Pipine the master of the Kyngs household oppressing his lord Hilderych king of FrauÌce began to reigne and reigneth .18 yeres This writeth Aemilius in the .2 boke of kings of FrauÌce And in the yere .755 Pipine entreth into Italie with an Armie vanquisheth the King of Lumbardes and geueth the whole gouernemente of Rauenna to S. Peter The exarchate is geuen to the Pope against the wil of the Emperour of Constantinople Vespergensis in chronicis You see howe in stead of the Emperour the Pope beginneth after a sort to reigne at Rome and in Italie the hornes be shaken of according to the prophecie Mathew Palmer in his chron vnder the yeare .756 the Romane Empire sayeth he reuolting a pace in the Easte The begynninges and preludies of the Empyre translated and the Emperour persecuting the Christians Idolaters he shoulde haue termed them Pope Stephen gaue to the kynges of Fraunce the Emperiall titles and dignities and coÌfirmed Pipine and the successours of his stocke onely for their kyngs al others vtterly excluded and in the name of the people of Rome called hym Patricium Hitherto Palmer Ihon Functius in his Chron. In the yeare of our Lord .756 the rites and ceremonies of the church of Rome The Romish religion obtruted were caried into Fraunce first receiued In the yeare of our Lord .757 Paule is made Pope and immediately followeth that fatall yeare of our Lord .763 as the middle poinct betwixt the yere 750. .770 or .773 Wherein these thinges haue all together chauÌced which both geue the name to Antichrist and whereof as euery thing els is knowen by his name so hath he also his name and is knowen In the yeare of our Lorde .768 Stephen the .3 helde a counsell at Rome in the church Laterane of the byshops of FrauÌce of Italie Idolatry is confirmed and decreed that none
let him busily praie vnto God that if he fele them the lord would confirme them if he fele them not that the Lord would printe them depely in their mindes ¶ The Aungel preacheth the eternall gospel of Christe The .lxiij. Sermon ANd I sawe an AuÌgell fliyng in the middes of heaueÌ hauing an euerlastyng Gospell to preache vnto them that sit dwel on the earth and to all nations kinredes and tunges people saiyng with a lowde voice feare God and geue honour to him for the houre of his Iudgement is come and worshippe him that made heauen and earth and the See and the fountaines of water Antichrist desireth nothing so much to be oppressed as the preaching of the Gospell For euen therfore hath he instituted the inquisitours of hereticall prauitie for hâ dare calle the Gospel heresie Therfore he burneth the Gospel bokes and preachers of the gospel and euery where restreyneth the readyng of the gospel and Euangelical bokes Wherefore the simple suppose that it can not be but that gospel with all his adherentes should perish vtterly Now therfore in the lordes consolation is brought in a vision of an Angel for he is stil in the vision fliyng in the middes of heauen hauing the euerlasting gospel and preachyng to the world Whereby is signified that the gospell shal be preached vnto men in despite of al the enemies therof And he gathereth a briefe some of such thinges as by the gospell are preached to the worlde Those same appertaine also to the coÌforte of the church whiche vnder the olde beaste suffered persecutions for the Gospel We will briefly consider euery thing The angel is a figure of the preachers Firste it is euident euen by the fourmer thinges that by thangel is signified the ministers of the worde and the very ministerie of the gospel Certes the scripture calleth preachers Angelles For so is S. Iohn Baptiste named of the prophet Malachie Wherof is spokeÌ before And the ministers by this honourable title are admonished of puretie of most sincere faith For Angels be gods ministers whoÌ thei only regarde loue and honour whose coÌmaundemeÌtes thei execute most faithfully sincerely and dilligeÌtly Such it besemeth preachers to be in their kinde and office And like as Angels cannot be hurte through the treasons and iniuries of men so God defendeth his ministers vntill the houre appointed So is Peter deliuered out of prison in the .12 of thactes So is Paul in Shippewreake c. And he sayeth an other Angell for that he hath brought in already sondry visioÌs of diuerse Angels Notwithstanding that other semeth to be put for the firste For he annexeth to this yet two angels moe The first wherof he calleth an other the later the thirde He flieth through the middes of Heauen And this Angell flieth in the middes of heauen By this thinge is signified the lucky course and procedyng of the preachyng of the gospell It is also written in the prophetes his worde runneth swiftely Psalm .19 Dauid compareth the runnyng of the preachyng of the gospell to the course of the sunne ioyefull as a giaunt he runneth his waye iâ the vttermost parte of heauens he arriseth and runneth againe to the same neyther can any man stoppe him nor hide him self froÌ the heate thereof The sunne shineth in all places Therefore shal the preaching be free For as we caÌ nother plucke backe nor hinder the thinges that are aboue vs in thayre skie so shall we nother plucke downe nor hinder him that flieth in the middes of heauen The wordes and writinges flie they flie farre wide where Nother can the veritie be oppressed God hath geuen to the world Printyng wherby the gospel is preached and runneth farre wide and most swiftely And this Angell hath the euerlastyng gospell The gospell euerlasting Wherin is the greatest coÌforte For it signifieth that the veritie shal be in the world inuincible And for many causes is the Gospell called euerlastyng Firste because the veritie is immortall which can not be bounden how so euer the ministers are fettered slayne .2 Timoth. 2. secondely the gospel is eternal for bicause it was shewed to our firste fathers prophecied in the lawe prophetes fulfilled of Christ declared by thapostles by the grace of God brought vnto vs. Yea before al times was predestinated Reade the .1 to the Ephes For eueÌ for this cause is it called euerlasting for asmuch as it apperteineth to vs to our posteritie vnto the worldes ende and not only to our elders And because it is euerlastyng they lie whiche at this daye calle it a newe doctrine or learnyng Papistrie is newe whiche hath his originall what time euery thing was ordeyned c. Moreouer the Apostle sayeth yf I or an Angel from heaueÌ shal preach any other gospell or besides the same that ye haue receyued let him be accursed And we heare expressely that the Aungel had not only the Gospell but that he had preached the gospell The angel preacheth Many in dede haue the gospel but dumme and written in bokes The gospel must be shewed forth and pronounced He declareth also vnto whom the gospel must be vttered and preached to the inhabiters of the earth for it must be cried out to such as are drowned in earthly matters and they muste be reysed out of their slepe And after his maner and imitation of blessed Daniel in the .7 chapt He rekeneth vp nations kinredes tunges and people and thus signifieth that the gospell shal be preached âââough out the whole worlde Whiche thing the lord sayde also should come to passe in the .24 of Matth. and than that the ende should come And we see at this daye that the gospel hath in a maner thondered through out the whole world And here I geue warning leeste any disceaue him self Thapostle in the .1 Timoth. 3. and .1 Coloss that the gospell was preached through out the whole world in his time Howbeit al men had not than receyued it but a fewe Do not therfore Imagine with thy selfe that the Gospel is not preached vnlesse al receyue it There shal no more be made one sheperde one shepefolde They are abused that promise to theÌselues before the iudgement a concorde of all nations for that it is writteÌ that there should be ons one sheperde and one shepefolde For the same was accoÌplisshed whilest of the Iewisshe Synagoge and dispersion of the gentiles the lord prepared to him selfe one church wherof Christ is head and pastour and Antichrist shal at the length by his laste comyng be abolished Therfore shall he alwayes resiste Christe He preacheth with a lowde voice Furthermore where he seeth heareth this Angell preach the gospel with a lowde voice he meaneth that the preachers shall with great constancie and frankenes also with shrylle voices and most ernestenes preach the gospell agaynst Antichrist And we see at this daye that the more cruelly the faithful are
And in dede it were foloyshnes Babilon to expounde these thinges of the ould Babilon in Asia which was fallen long sins scarcely any token thereof beinge leste Rome we muste therefore vnderstande it of an other which is in her flowres and euen by a figuratiue speach we must vnderstande it of Rome Antonomasia For there is a greate Cozinnage as it were betwixte both Babilon was the first Monarchie Rome is the laste Babilon sore afflicted the people of God So doeth Rome greuouselye vexe the church of God Babylon burthened Israell wyth a greueouse captiuitie So Rome vexeth the church wyth more than a long captiuitie Babilon ouercame the people of God and burning the Citie of Hierusalem and destroieng the temple led away Israell captiue so Rome also hauing rased the citie of HierusaleÌ and subuerting the temple triumphed of Israell Babilon planted Idolatrie superstition and all abhomination auaunced maintained and set forth the same vnto al men but at the length when she woulde haue thought leest of it the people of God being sodeynely delyuered she was vtterly subuerted So is Rome also the mother nurse and reuyuer of all abominations in the church of the laste tyme wherein she shall perish at the last all those that beleue truly in Christe being delyuered And especiallie it is called great For howe greate and mightie the church of Rome is all we see and by experience knowe at this daye Nother am I the firste that vnderstand by Babilon Rome For many expositours reading the first Epistle of Saincte Peter in the end of the epistle do vnderstand by Babilon Rome Certes Oecumenius sayeth And here he calleth Babilon Rome for the excellencie and brightnesse of the Empire the which Rome obteined a long tyme sins But this the more auncient wryters expound more playnelie as Turtullian in his boke againste the Iewes which sayeth so Babilon with sainct Ihon beareth the fygure of the Citie of Rome therfore also great and proude in her kingdom and a murtherer of the saincts The same words in a maner he repeteth in the thirde booke against Marcion And no lesse playnely Saincte Hierome calleth Rome Babilon and that same Babilon wherof S. Ihon speaketh in the Apocalipse Read the epistle of Paula and Eustochium written to Marcella by the helpe of sainct Hierome Reade himself in the .11 questioÌ to Algasia Againe in the preface to the boke of Didymus of the holy ghoste to Pauliniane Also in the end of the .2 boke against Iouinian The same in the life of S. Marke Peter saith he in the first epistle vnder the name of Babilon doth figuratiuely signify Rome But S. Ihon wil expounde himselfe in the .17 chapter And we vnderstande that the Citie of Rome shall fall chiefly with all her vngodlynes And with the same also the Romish superstition and abomination through oute the worlde And the Aungell in dede sayeth she is fallen which is yet to fall And that by the propheticall maner of speaking Anadiplosis wherein that which shal assuredly come to passe is vttered as though it wer now done To signifie the certentie thereof that reduplication or iterating of the worde also apperteineth she is fallen she is fallen she is falleÌ she is falleÌ This is also repeated in the .18 chap. where it shal be shewed howe it is taken out of the Prophetes c. Notwithstanding both a desyre and Ioye also might seme here to be signified For such thinges as we haue longe and with a desyre loked for we receiue them nowe cumming and saie thou art come thou arte come at the laste longe loked for and nowe makest me glad For the sainctes with a great desyre loke and long for the distruction of that most wicked most vyle and most troublesome kyngdome of Antichriste The cause is shewed also of the destructioÌ of the commonwelth and church of Rome Why the Romyshe Church shoulde fal for that she hath caused all nations to drinke and hath made them dronken wyth wyne of wrath of her fornication And verelye the effecte of wyne in men is greateste Therefore doctrine is compared to it in the Prophetes Therefore Rome with her vncleane and corrupt opinions hath made all people dronken And it is called the wyne of the wrath For loke with whome God is angry he suffereth them to erre in the way of the Romish church For in asmoch as God hath reuealed the sincere doctrine of lyfe by his onely sonne and moste chosen Apostles and men receaue not the same God is iustely offended with them and geueth them ouer into a reprobate mynde that thei may followe shamefull errours As Saincte Paule also prophisied shuld come to passe in the .2 to the Thess 2. chapt This wyne is called moreouer the wyne of her fornication whereby she her selfe hauing firste played the harlot is become nowe also the Maistres of fornicatioÌ and as it wer bawde to al others This maner of speakyng is right well knowen euen oute of the Prophetes Rome ded not persiste in the doctryne of the Gospell and of the Apostles but inuented a newe and that contarry to the Gospel of the vycar of Christ in earth The deuilysh doctrin of Rome of the power of keyes of indulgences and pardons of iustification of works and merits of satisfactioÌs coÌfessions of worshipping of Images prayeng to saincts of celebrating masses and worshipping of the sacrameÌt of the aulter as thei terme it of monkery and vowes and such other innumerable This doctrine as Apostolicall auncient and chresten she drinketh of to all people and so plucketh them from Christ withdraweth them from the Gospell seduceth them from the oulde christianitie and destroyeth innumerable soules Therefore God powreth oute to her also of the cuppe of his wrath and bryngeth her also to destruction for euer He disswadeth all froÌ the fellowship of the Romysshe church And vpon this occasion he disswadeth all men from the felowship of the Romish church or papistrie that we haue nothing to do with the Romish religion vnlesse we will be part takers also of the euerlasting puÌnishmeÌt He reasoneth therfore of the losse and punnishments and descrybeth greuouse and horrible paines yf happlie men might so be feared from that vngodlines The Angell therfore crieth and that with a loude voice Wherefore let al ecclesiasticall preachers learne that they must earnestly and tirribblie crye oute in this case that all flee the communion of the Romish or popish church I know doubtles what the common people beleue and saie that all shall be saued at the laste daye what religion so euer they be of and namelie yf any remaine an open papist But we can nother condemne nor absolue any man sette them in Heauen or cast them to Hell God liueth a rightouse iudge He alone knoweth who shal be saued or damned We ought therfore of right to credit his iudgements But where as he pronouÌceth openly that the fauourers of the
in heauen And where the crier of the iudgement cometh out of the temple it signifieth that no vnrightuousnes of the iudge is here to be imagined For the temple is coÌsecrated to holines rightuousenes and is called the house of God Iustely therfore he iudgeth in iuste time he iudgeth iustely executeth al things Thangel biddeth the iudge do that thing which he of himself was aboute to do Thrust in the sickle saieth he and reape Two causes are alleaged Firste for the howre is come that thou shuldest reape Therfore a certeine howre of iudgemeÌt is appointed which when it cometh the iudgemeÌt shal be most certenly And it is commen for thee saieth he for all iudgimeÌt is geuen to the sonne Than for the corne of the earth is ripe As though he shulde say the iniquitie of earthly men is growen vp to the highest therfore is it reason that it shulde be cut downe And God alone knoweth when the iniquitie of the Earth is fulfilled c. â A moste quicke iudgement But when it shal come thereunto there shall nede no great preparation deciding or pondering of causes At one word he finisheth the iudgemeÌt and the execution of the same and as it were swalloweth vp and deuoureth the whole earth in a momeÌt saieng herewith he thrust in his sickle which sate vpon the clowde on the earth and the earth was reaped The rest of the things which seme to belong here vnto take out of the .13 chapt of Math. And that which he hath saied hitherto he repeteth and beateth in by an other parable For bi this he shadoweth the same which the other parable did commend That plentie maketh for the playner euidence and beateth in most dilligently the certentie and veritie of the iudgement leest herin we shulde doubte anything and wauer with the vnfaithful world The parable is takeÌ of vintage The same is vsed very oft of the prophets speaking of the destruction of any nation And the Lord also in the gospel compareth his people to a vyne And the Angel holdeth in his hand a sharpe sickle He representeth a fygure of Christ which hath al power of iudgement alone A sharpe sickle is the straight iudgement as was spoken of the sickle before This Angell cometh oute of the temple also to witte a iudge moste rightuouse Vnto him crieth an other Angell which had power ouer fyer which cometh out from the Aulter For before we heard that ther is an aulter in the temple and that vnder this Aulter do reste the soules of the blessed Martirs Here therefore is fygured VeÌgeance vpoÌ the vngodly that God doth nowe remembre the bludshed of his seruauntes which for the profession of the onely Aulter that is Christ the priest onely sacrifice were slaine and nowe to procede to take vengeauÌce The angel hauing power ouer fyer hytherto long delayed Therfore this Aungell is sayed to haue power ouer fier Fier many times in the Psalmes fignifieth Gods vengeaunce This Aungell therfore is here as it were Maister of execution and captayne of vengeaunce For Angels in Daniell also as Gods ministers ar saied to haue rule ouer thinges not that we shulde worship and honour these ministers but the Lorde that worketh by them The sun and moone are the lightes of the world but therfore no wiseman wil worship them Here is signified playnely that veÌgeance is certainely prepared for them which shed innocent blud on the earth and that this vengeance shal chiefly be executed in the end of this worlde Albeit that he punnysh neuerthelesse greuousely before the end also here in earth namely parricides in so moch that the Psalmograph sayeth men of bloud shall not lyue halfe their tyme. c. And as in the parable of harueste harueste was finished with a shorte sentence So is here also vintage ended at few wordes For so soone as the vngodly shall see Christe in the clowdes with the printes of his woundes and his Sainctes with him whom thei haue contemned hated persecuted and slayne they wyll gather streight wayes that they by their iust desert must be alotted with Deuylles whome they haue folowed and serued Therfore shal there nede no long discussing of the matter Euery mans conscience shall accuse him and the sinnes of euery man shal be manifest to al creatures The vngodly shall stand before the iudge with great confusion in vtter contempte in payne and feare and sorrowes not to be expressed and shall go streight wayes into paynes and tourmentes that shall neuer haue end See the .3 .5 chapt of the boke of wisdom Hereof I say it behoueth ofte tymes to make mention hereof it becometh many tymes to warne all men that they may beware in tyme and take hede to themselues Howe beit S. Ihon himselfe at fewe wordes fygureth the euerlasting daÌnation and vengeauÌce which God executeth vpon his enemies A wyne fat wythoute the Citie And he fameth a wine presse or a winefat that he may so tary in the allegory and that made withoute the citee And by exposition he calleth it the great wynefat of Gods wrath For the same is hel or the place of puÌnishment and condemnation Into this wynefat shall be gathered the clusters of the Earth or grapes of the earth I mean the earthly and vngodly men And the citie of God is heaueÌ it self the seate of the blessed which shall afterwarde be descrybed moste aboundauntly in the .21 chapter But that wine presse is set without the Citie For in an other place of the Gospell the Lorde sayeth also that the wicked muste be caste oute into the vttermost darkenesse where is weping and gnashing of teth But this wynefat is rightlie called the wynefat of Gods yre For the wrath of God is executed therin and they with whome God is angrie for their sinnes are shutte vp therin that there they may according to their demerits be tormented and vexed for euer and withoute ende And he calleth it great for that the place is wyde enough to receiue all the vngodlie As also Esaye hath admonished in the end of the .xxx. chapter Others reade of the great wrath of God There is added that out of the fatte or wyne presse there runneth no wyne but blud and that in most plentie Which he shadoweth by a maruelouse and horrible Hypperbole The bloud flowed far and broad by the space of a thousand and sixe huÌdreth furlongs Againe it was very depe For it came vp to the brydles of the horses of them I meane which went and wrastled in the bloud to wit in their owne bloud By the which Hyperbolical speach is signified that the multitude of the vngodlie shal be greatest and that God wil most aboundauntly reuenge that vnmeasurable blud which the wicked haue spilte in earth They were delighted whilest they lyued in earth with warres slaughter persecutioÌs martirdomes Therfore will God moste iust powre vnto them in an other worlde blud enough Thou hast
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 wheÌ they see them moued with no repeÌtaunce 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 coÌdemned 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 heaueÌ reioyce Reioyce thou heauen as many times in the Psal we reade the like phrase vnlesse you had rather by Heauen vnderstande heaueÌly 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 puÌnishe the wicked that all iudgement is geuen to the sonne and that no Saincte in heauen can iudge or puÌnish 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 wheÌ he seeth time reuenge and punnish most certenly The martirs when they should die had coÌmitted 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 wroÌgfull 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 eueÌ 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 BabiloÌ is drouned in the Sea sayeth thus sodaynely and with such a violence ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 stroÌg 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 sclauÌder and yet hurteth Wherefore it is no doubte but that it hath beÌ 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 desolatioÌ 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
which practised inchauntementes in very dede and bewitched men with corrupt religion And euen so hath Rome seduced the whole worlde and yet seduceth For the which cause she deserueth most greuouse punnishment The last cause of subuersion for in thee is fouÌde the bloud Bloud shed can not be whipte awaye nor clensed from them that shede innocent bloud The sheding of bloud And although it be not streight waye required yet will there come a time when it shal be required of God and than is it founde And he maketh meÌtion of thre sortes of bloud Firste of the bloud of Prophetes of them I meane which haue preached the Gospell and haue ben the fathers of the faithfull Secondely of Sainctes to witte holy martirs Finally of al menne that haue ben slayne in earth to witte dwelling here and there through out the world whom we vnderstande to haue ben dispatched and taken out of the waye by the warres seditions and tiranny of Rome So we reade also in the first oratioÌ of Ieremie that God straitely requyreth the bloud of his seruauntes spilte Doubtles all shedyng of bloud is greuouse the same excepted which is iustely done of the magistrate yet is one more heynouse than another For he that killeth a preacher of the gospell more greuousely sinneth than he that dispatcheth a priuate person and he whiche for religion sake slayeth a man and maketh a martir sinneth more heynousely than he that killeth a man in the warre Therefore al the bloud shed of Rome after any sort shal be required of Rome is required Thus the lorde spake also of the citie of HierusaleÌ Matth. 23. The lord Iesus haue mercy on vs loke vpoÌ vs with theyes of his mercie Amen ¶ The reioycinges and Himnes of sainctes are recited for Rome destroyed and all vngodlines taken awaye The .lxxxj. Sermon Chapt. 19. AND after that I hearde the voice of muche people in Heauen saying Alleluya SaluatioÌ and glory and honour power be ascribed to the Lord our God For true and rightuouse are his iudgemeÌtes because he hath iudged the greate whore whiche did corrupte the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruauntes of her hande And agayne they sayde Alleluya And the smoke of her ascended for euer more And the .xxiiii. Elders and the foure beastes fell downe and worshipped God that sate on the seate saiyng AmeÌ Alleluya And a voyce came out of the seate saiyng Praise our lord God al ye that are his seruauÌtes and ye that feare him both smal and great And I hearde the voice of much people euen as the voice of many waters and as the voice of great thoÌderinges saiyng Alleluya For our lord God omnipotent raigneth Let vs be glad and reioyce geue honour vnto him for the marriage of the Lambe is come God neuer forsaketh his seruauntes For as much as the Apostle in this boke most plentifully hath described the oppression of Sainctes and the cruell mischeuouse and prowde assaultes of the persecutours of the Gospell whereby they both mocke God and tourment his sainctes whereupon euermore at all times the complainctes euen of the godly men are red to haue risen as though God through his longe sufferyng and great patience should seme to neglecte the oppressed he discourseth also moste at large nowe the reioycinges and prayses of Sainctes wherby thei extolle the veritie and iustice of God neuer neglectyng his and most greuousely punnishing the vngodly persecutours Howebeit they reioyce here chiefely and prayse God for the taking awaye of Antichriste and all vngodlines with him Whiche verely is the first place of this chapter The seconde confirmeth al Sainctes leeste they should doubte any thing of the saluation of the faythfull which he sheweth to be most certayne The thirde place reciteth the sinne of blessed Iohn and the faithfull doctrine of the holy Aungel that we should worshippe no creatures be they neuer so holy In the laste place is described the iudge or reuenger Iesus Christe commyng to iudgement there is moreouer described the perdition or punnishement of al vngodly which the iuste and holy lord taketh of them Which place verely begoÌne in the .11 chapt of this boke and suspeÌded hitherto repeted somewhat in the .14 is now at the last finisshed And verely the Iubiley of Sainctes is diuerse plentifull and manifolde ouer the loste and condemned enemies of the godly Firste he heareth a voyce and that a greate of much people in heauen He sheweth therfore in generall that all heauenly the Aungelles not excepted synge prayses to God in heauen Whiche we vnderstande shal be at the laste iudgement all vngodly troden vnder fote And before these thinges be done they are rehersed and described that hereby the godly maye in daungers and tourmeÌtes comforte themselues and maye abide stedfaste in the true sayth beleuynge that they also though nowe oppressed shall singe prayses of thankes to God And verely he hath here compiled the whole Himne saide in the prayse of God the reuenger He placeth formoste Alleluya Alleluya after he annexeth the prayses Saluation and glory c. And Alleluya signifieth prayse ye the Lorde He vseth a most common and of all men beste knowen in the primitiue church For certen Psalmes haue this title Halleluyah For the chauÌter so exhorted stired vp the people to praise God So after the same maner now also the saincts as it were coÌprising the argument of their songe saye Alleluia And these vocables haue more grace in ours and straunge langages than translated So haue remayned in the churche Osanna Amen Saela Maranatha and diuerse others Whereof also writeth S. Hierome to Marcella and Damasus The himne of sainctes Now followeth the himne saluation and glory honour c. And those thinges they prayse in God ascribe vnto him wholy Whereof I spake in expoundhng the .4 and .5 chapt of this boke Moreouer they prayse God of that whiche in this cause is principall for his iudgementes are iuste true Which saying semeth worthie to be printed moste depely in the hartes of al men as the which in temptations maye not a little erecte them And wherefore the iudgementes of God be iust and true he addeth because he hath iudged the great whore that is to saye taken worthie and condigne punnishment of the greate whore Hitherto the Lorde hath semed to many ouer slowe and to much fauourable to Rome and the Romish church but than shall they see that God is most iust Of the whore is spoken before Yet doeth he repete here agayne her moste heynouse and greatest sinnes Firste corruption through whoredome and inchauntement Whereby is signified seducyng by corrupte and wicked doctrine The later the shedyng of the bloud of holy Martirs Wherof we haue already spokeÌ many times Therefore God punnissheth the corruption of doctrine and crueltie of the Romish churche practised agaynst the sainctes of God The prayses of god to god are
yeares to rage Therfore these things ar spoken by a coÌparison and not absolutely And the thing it selfe or experieÌce teacheth that they are not to be vnderstand absolutely and after the bare lettre Although therfore that Sathan hath in these thousand yeares also blowen his poyson vpoÌ many and hath troubled the world yet this is nothing in comparison of those thinges that haue followed after the thousand yeares euen vntill this day and shall followe hereafter vnto the worlds end In oulde time also he raigned fully emongs the Gentiles through Idolatry But a thousand yeares fell downe their temples and Idolles with all other instrumentes of vngodlynesse We reade truely Certen articles of religioÌ assayled howe there were in the Apostles time that affirmed that men are iustified by the lawe and workes Whereupon sprange vp the doctryne of satisfaction and merites But the same doctryne was confuted by the Apostle Saincte Paule aboue other Apostles Saincte Austen also and after him Bede moste constantlie haue defended the doctrine of grace and redemption by Christ The same continued safe by the space of a thousande whoale yeares But afterwarde Freres getting the vpper hande the doctryne of satisfaction and mannes merites ded preuayle whereupon was vtterly obscured the doctrine of Iesu Christe conserning the free remissioÌ of sinnes imputing of righteousnes Ther grewe vp an opinion with certen of Sainctes makyng intercession or prayeng in heauen for their worshyppers The relicques began to be worshipped ouer soone Neuerthelesse such as wer illumined claue fast to the onely intercessour Christ and honored not relicques But after those thousande fatal yeares many attributed more to Saincts than to the very holy one of Sainctes We see what is done at this day The writings of Monkes and Freres testifie how much the worshipping of creatures hath increased within these .iiii. hondreth yeres or there aboutes Who wyl deny that exceding many haue ben deceaued of Heretikes But who can gather thereby that the Gospell hath bene vtterlie loste that Sathan hath raigned fullye The Byshoppe of Rome hath ascended in to the toppe of Mounte Zion and will be called the head and Pastour generall of the whole catholique church Howbeit the Easte most constantlie resisted and so ded other partes of the world also At the lengthe after a thousande yeares he made his boaste most impudently that the fulnesse of power was geuen him which he got by hoke and croke and after vsurped the same Mahomet seduced many yet neuerthelesse the Patriarchall churches persisted and the Easte honoured Christ lykewise South and North so that the thousande yeares agayne had their lighte nother hath Sathan in these raged so much as he hath since those yeares were complete Doubtelesse since the Turkes begaÌne to rule and raigne al matters of religion grewe euery daye worse and worse And the warre into the Holy land ded very much hurte to religion and gaue greate courage to the Saracenes and vngodlye whereof I shall speake afterwardes And Images beganne to be sette vp in temples and to be defended But the Histories testifie that the same was done with greate difficultie and hardlie could the vse of them be obtayned all good men moste constantlie resisting And what time they were now admitted yet were not the Idolaters so starke mad as we se they are nowe and haue ben certen yeares paste Wherefore it is rightly sayed howe after a thousand yeares Sathan shulde be loosed from his chaynes which before also moued the vnbeleuers yet fynally rageth more furiously S. Ihon assigned to Antichrist a certen numbre of yeares to wit .666 Whereof we myghte vnderstande the name of Antichriste But therefore it foloweth not that the Deuyll was than quyte lowsed or the lyght of the Gospell vtterly extinguisshed For the Apostle in his time speakyng of him The misterie sayeth he of iniquitie nowe worketh Antichriste therefore hath his seedes he hath his beginnyng he hath his rysing vp his growyng and increaces But after a thousand yeares he went to worke moste impudently and most boldly which before also had vttered his maliciousnes but nowe moste venemously of al he speweth oute his poyson oppressing Kynges and all that speake neuer so little againste him We knowe moreouer that in these thousande yeares paste the Deuill hath raygned in many by murder periurie and innumerable and vnspeakeable euilles But if ye consider what hath ben done sins those thousande yeres and what is done at this daye you will saye those ages of the thousande yeres to haue ben Golden and Siluer worldes and oures nowe for these fiue hondreth yeres to be of brasse Iron leed The corruption of the last age and claye Lactantius in the seuenth booke of Instit the .15 chapter towardes the laste ende of the worlde sayeth he the state of worldly matters muste nedes be altered and iniquitie preuayling to incline to the worse so that these our times in the which iniquitie and mischiefe is growen to the highest degree yet in comparison of that vncurable euil maye be accompted fortunate and in maner Golden ages For iustice shall than ware so thinne vngodlines couetousenes wilfulnes and luste shall be so common that if there shal be than happly any good menne they shal be a praye to the wicked and euery where vexed of the vnrightuouse And euil menne only shall be welthie and the good tourmoyled in all vexation and miserie All righte shall be confounded and lawes shall perisshe Than shall no man haue any thinge saue that whiche is eyther euil gotten or euill kepte Goldenes and violence shal haue all There shal be no faith in men no peaxe no humanitie no shamefastnes no trewth And the remnauÌt which are red there By all the whiche our dayes nowe seme to be paincted liuely But what is that whiche is annexed He muste be loused a little season that the Deuill must belowsed for a little season semeth this a little season whiche continueth nowe fiue hondreth yeres And this place we expouÌde so as that same in the gospel vnlesse those dayes were shortened no fleshe should be saued For it is euidently by stories that nother the Deuil nor Antichriste hath inioyed that his kingedome longe quiet For euermore and in all ages haue sprong vp some holy and learned menne which beyng illumined and comforted or God like Enoch and Helie haue resisted the vngodly and vngodlines and haue maineteyned the true religion Wherby consciences afflicted of Antichrist haue receyued comforte God of his mercy so temperyng matters that the chosen shuld not despeyre into great temptations errours and darkenes Therefore both Sathan and the Pope could inioye these matters but a small season For immediately after the thousande yeres sprange vp the Waldois whiche constantly impugned the Pope and his vngodlines The lord hath reysed vp certen kinges emoÌges whom be the Friderickes Germane Emperours Lewis of the house of Bauier many others The Popes also haue ben at dissention emoÌges themselues
kinges But of these celestial seates we must conceaue greater diuine and spiritual matters They sitte in theÌ not for that they doe nothing els but sitte on a cusshion but they raygne triumphe rest liue and haue fruitioÌ 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 froÌ 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 geueÌ 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 opeÌly 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 coÌmonly 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 FrauÌce 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 admonitioÌs 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 reÌnaunt 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 CoÌtrariwise 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 pareÌtes 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 resurrectioÌ 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 resurrectioÌ 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
Easte and Weste And to the intente I may note somewhat hereof and may rehearse for those that be ignoraunte in stories it is playne that vnder that Chylde of pardition Pope Gregory the .7 there were many most famouse churches in the Easte and that Patriarchall churches yet safe but whileste this Pope aboue all others dealte wickedly againste Christ the son of God and his holy church lyke as we read in the time of Salomon that after he had reuolted many enemies arrose against him and that moste cruell so in the wicked and tyrannicall raigne of Gregory the seuenth In the tyme of pope gregory the .7 euyls begaÌ to ouerflo Solymanne the Turke inuaded Antioch at the whyche time the Emperours of Grece are sayed to haue ben dispatched of the East countrie And the Turkes marching forewarde are sayde to haue inuaded and vexed first the straits or ports of the Caspiane hilles and the countrie of Armenia aboute the yeare of our Lorde .764 Whereof there is nowe no time to speake After Solyman succedeth Belchiaroke the Turkyshe Prince whome others call Belzet which also inuaded Grece it selfe the Emperours of Constantinople dispised Alexius which then was Emperour is sayd to haue demaunded aide of the westerne men against the Turks And also one Peter an Heremite whoÌ certeÌ Historiographers blame most greuouslie not without cause comming oute of the Easte and running through oute the Weste crieth Alarme Vrbane the seconde whome some call Turbane and disciple of Gregory the .7 calleth a great counsell at Cleremounte in Fraunce The counsell of Cleremounte wherin he propoundeth a question of the recouering of the holy lande and deliuering the Lordes sepulture oute of the hands of the Infidelles That counsell putteth me in remeÌbraunce of that which is described in the .8 booke of Kinges the .22 chapter vnder Achab and Iosaphat for the recouering of Ramoth Galaad oute of the hands of the Syrians For ther was in this also a deceauing spirit there were Achabbes there were Iosaphats and many other thinges lyke And to the intente not to make many wordes a iourney is decreed against the barbarous infideles of the East This was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1095 In the meane time Peter the Heremite bestirred him a pase and gathered certen thousandes which he leadeth through Hongarie in to Asia And immediately after followe the vnlucky captaines Folkemar and Gottschalke priestes which by the way distroying all with fyre and sworde are slaine The fyrste voiage into the holy lande At the last Godfrey and Baldwyne most noble Princes with certen excellent Captaynes and Noble warriours with an innumerable multitude of men traÌsported into Asia which they say was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1096 And within .4 yeares space at the moste or thre they had taken by assault or surreÌdrie the Cities of Nice Heraclea Tarsus Antioch and Hierusalem The Abbot of Vrspurge reporteth that there was so much bloude shed in the Citie of Hierusalem that in the very temple it selfe the horses stode vp to the knees in the blud of the slayne there The same man telleth of a notable battayle foughten at Askalon A notable battayle in the which aboute fiftene thousand footemen and fyue thousand horsemen of Christians ouerthrewe and discomfited Solimanne of Babilon furnisshed with an hondreth thousande horsemen and four hondreth thousand footemen and that there were slayne in that battaile aboue an hondreth thousaÌd men And this iourney of Godfrey was the first emonges the woorthy voiages of Syria or Asia 2. After this voiage folowed others mo and that beste furnished For whilest the victorie and good lucke of them that went firste into the East was highlie extolled and commended through out the West William Prince and Duke of Poictiers beinge put in greate hope leadeth also about an hondreth thousand footemen in to the Easte countrie The yeare of our Lord was accompted .1101 But of so great a nombre scarcely one thousande are written to haue retourned home in safetie 3. After in the yeare of our Lorde .1147 through the exhortation of Barnarde Clareualle Lewis Kynge of Fraunce and Conrade Kyng of Germanie and Fredericke Prince of Swaland toke their iourney in to the Easte which led with them an Armie almoste innumerable but the same died in a maner all scarcely the Princes lefte on lyue 4. In the yeare of our Lorde .1189 what time the Citie of Hierusalem was taken by the Soldane King of Persia where the Christians had kept it onely about .89 yeares The Emperour Fredericke surnamed Barbarousse Philippe Kynge of FrauÌce Richard Kyng of England and other Princes most puissaunte leuied an exceding greate Armie of Christen people to recouer the Citie and Holy lande and very luckelye transported their Armie in to Asia but after had moste euyll lucke For the Emperour Fredericke was drowned and the whole Armie as Vrspurgens testifieth died of the plague 5. The fifte and that famouse indede voiage in Syria made the moste mightie Kinges Philippe of Fraunce and Richard of Englande surnamed Coeur de Lion The same was done in the yeare of our Lord .1191 Howbeit they retourned withoute any woorthy exploicte done wauntinge not a fewe of their menne 6. And Palmerius a Cronographer Henry sayeth he the sonne of the Emperour Barbarousse sent an Armie in to Syria which retourneth agayne the nexte yeare The Christians therefore being destitute of ayde in Syria loste vtterly all the dominion that they had lefte He seaketh these things in the yere of our Lorde .1198 7 Agayne in the yere of our lord .1213 Pope Innocent the .3 of that name sendeth his letters publicke to al the faythful of Christ wherein he exhorteth them to take armour agaynste the infidelles whiche possessed the holy lande Innocente the .3 as did Vrbane the 2. ringeth a larme Yf any manne haue leasure and liste to reade the letters he shall finde them in the Chronic. of Vrspurg And not longe after in the yeare of our Lorde .1215 he holdeth a generall couÌsel in Laterane wherein warre is decreed agaynst the Easterlinges And also Honorius the .3 aboute the yere of our Lord .1217 treateth and confirmeth the same thinge Whereupon many christen Princes mette at Accon whiche some time was called Ptolemais and made mortall warre vpon the Easterlynges Wherein they toke the noble citie Damiata Yet nother the ende nor fruicte aunswered so great enterprises and costes perilles and losses 8 Therefore Fridericke the .2 and Emperour moste excellent hopyng to doe some good marcheth also with an enge and well furnisshed armie into the Easte whiche they saye was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1234 In the meane season whilest he doeth valeauntly in the Easte the Bisshoppe of Rome Gregory the .9 of that name takyng an occasion I vse the wordes of Vrspurgens of the absence of the Emperour sente a greate armie into Apulia The pope setteth vpon themperour in the west whilest he warreth in
perish they shall ryse agayne to the iudgement whole Aretas also Bishop of Cesaria perceiued this and sayed he reciteth these things to the intent he might declare what the finall and vniuersal resurrection shall be For where many beleuyng not that the same shall be do say that it is by no meanes possible to be in those bodies which haue ben long corrupted and broughte to that poincte that they be not at all this sermon nowe correcting this sayeth Lyke as the bodies when they were not began to be not by a certen chauÌce or of themselues but of the four elements namely of Water Fyre Ayre and Earth So also beyng reasonably returned agayne into the same may be of the same coÌposed againe c. And for a further declaratioÌ he addeth agayne Death and hel gaue vp them c. and death and hell gaue vp those which were in them dead For he vnderstaÌdeth by death any kynd of death as though he shulde say death it selfe restoreth to the Iudge iudgement whom soeuer after what sort soeuer he hath dispatched Death therfore is fayned to be as it were a person which holdeth the dead in himselfe or in a prison And hel hath yet but a fewe bodies for some we read to haue gone down to hell quicke but the soules of the wicked The same retourne to their bodies that the whole man may be iudged body and soule Others by hell after the Hebrewe phrase vnderstande a sepulture or graue Agayne is repeted that the whole man shal be iudged body and soule after euery mannes workes Thus much hitheto of the resurrectioÌ of the dead Of euerlasting damnation wherof in our bokes els wher we haue treated more at large In the laste place followith of euerlastinge damnation and who be properly condemned And Hell sayeth he and death are cast in to the lake of fyre Whereof hath ben spoken before And Hell here signifieth not the place of puÌnishmeÌt but those that are inhabiters of Helle to witte whose soules are yet deteined in hel or appointed thither Death also signifieth those that are deade in sinne and they which from the spirituall or teÌporall death go straight way to death euerlasting Wherevpon is immediately annexed This is the second death by the which verely they that are dead to Christe are adicted to perpetual fyre and that lyue to Antichrist and the world Others expounde these thinges hereof that after the iudgemeÌt the Saincts shal nother be buried any more nor die Which S. Paule affirmeth also out of Osee in the firste to the Corinth the .15 chap. Aretas and Primasius make with vs. For Aretas saieth and he calleth death and hel those that haue coÌmitted thinges worthie of punnishment as fulfilling the numbre of the second death And Primasius by these names sayeth he he signifieth the Deuil because he is authour of death and paynes in Hell and also the whole fellowship of Deuylles For this is the same that he spake more playnelye before by the way of preueÌting and the Deuil which deceaued them was caste in to the lake of fyre and brimstone And that which he added there more obscurely sayeng and the beaste the false prophet here more playnely So much Primasius And who knoweth not that the membres muste followe the head all vngodly the Deuyll the head of all vngodlynes Whych ar not writteÌ in the boke of lyfe And moste euideÌtly he expresseth who properly at the iudgement are addicte to fyre euerlasting they that are nother written nor sound in the boke of lyfe Therefore shall the only faythfull in Christe in whome they are predestinated vnto lyfe euerlasting shall be saued All others of what religion so euer they be or what so euer kynd of lyfe they haue lyued be it neuer so strayte shall perish Others referre these words to such as are lefte a lyue at that daye For we beleue that the son of God shall iudge both the quicke and the dead Doubtles whether they be lyuing or whether they be dead certain it is that no man shall be saued in any other but in the fayth of Iesu Christe all the resydewe shall be damned And this is the finall end of the good and euill To Christe Iesu iudge of all and redemer of the faythfull be prayse and glory for euermore Amen ¶ That the worlde shall be renewed the Saincts glorified and made blessed and what that felicitie shall be and howe certeyne The XCj. Sermon AND I sawe a newe Heauen and a newe Earth The .21 chapter For the first Heauen and the first Earth were vanished away there was no more Sea AND I Ihon sawe that holy Citie newe Hierusalem come downe from God oute of Heauen prepared as a bryde garnished for her husband And I heard a great voice from the seat sayeng beholde the Tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them AND they shal be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and shal be their God And God shal wipe awai al teares from their eyes And there shall be no more death nother sorrowe nother shal ther be any more payne For the ould thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seat saide behold I make al things newe And he saied vnto me wryte for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is done I admonished you aboute the begynning of the .15 The order chap. of this boke that the fifte parte of this worke began at the .15 chap. and treated of the iudgementes of God righteous and iuste And forasmuch as the iudgementes of God are of two sortes in this that he requyteth the euyll according to their wickednes and rewardeth the good with rewards I sayed howe this place consisted of two parts For first I sayed that S. Ihon most plentifully treated of torments to be inflicted to Antichrist and all vngodly secondly of rewardes especially in the end of the world to be imployde vpon al sainctes For ofte times haue we heard in this boke that the soules seperated from the body are immediatly after the corporall death taken vp in to lyfe euerlaking but that the felicitie of al most complete chauÌceth to the faithfull in the ende of the worlde what time the bodies now raised againe receiue the rewards of glory euerlasting And this place is treated through oute al the .21 chap. beginning of the .22 cha And lyke as in the former parte he hath set hel in a maner wyde opeÌ shewed the euerlasting torments as it were to be sene presently so in this later part he vnlocketh after a fort or openeth heauen it selfe that with the eyes of faith we shulde se what hope and glory abydeth for Sainctes And with all is most clerely expouÌded the article of our faith ¶ I beleue lyfe euerlasting I beleue lyfe auerlasting And agayne for the more perspecuitie he declareth these things by a visioÌ Which others
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 abouÌdantly 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 heaueÌly 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 âome 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 distauÌce of persones are excedingly wel not diuided but discerned These misteries of the blessed Trinitie are knowen vnto the faythful His seruaÌtes 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 sââuauntes ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 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 couÌtrie 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
hande of God The Angel had shewed Ihon expressely before that he shoulde not do that he than did and now repeteth it againe For hauing as it were forgotten those things by reason of the excellencie of the Angel he wold surely haue done him some worship For so we permit to our selues more than is deceÌt especially toward nobler personages whom for thexcelleÌt gyfts of God we esteme worthie whom we may also without the offence of God euen worship That opinioÌ deceaueth in our time the most part of them which against the comlines of syncere religion worship and honour Saincts But the Angel of the Lorde here nother forgeth nor bringeth foorth any newe doctrine but that olde in forme as thei terme it to the intent we shuld vnderstaÌd that the will of God is alwayes one and perpetuall which will not haue the most excellent creatures to be worshipped but one God alone to be honoured He repeteth therefore the same causes which he also obiected before Therfore be they alwaies of force with all at al times S. Ihon in the meane time semeth that he wold commend vnto vs the excellencie of this vision or reuelation and that the Angel did admonish him coÌstantlie of his dutie and vs al by him that the thing which is proper to God we shulde transpose to no creatures and it deserueth exceding great prayse here that S. Ihon here discembleth nothing but by expresse wordes committeth to writing his fall and rebukyng of the Angell moste euidently For by his fall he wolde admonish that the godly shulde not fall in lyke cases but geue all glory to God Here semeth also to be obserued a maruelouse affection in the maner of speakyng For the Angell crieth out to Ihon being ready to fall downe nowe yea prostrate already and nowe aboute to worwip ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã See thou do it not that thou verely intendest to do Here is expressed the carefulnes of mynd and haste wherwith he goeth about to preuent the enterprise of Ihon. And thus diligent are the Holy spirirites in heaueÌ in letttyng al things that by any meanes do tourne vs froÌ God to the worshipping of creatures much lesse would they theÌselues be worshipped or to haue the things attributed to them which the Papistes at this day attribute by force of Armes The Lorde of clemencie mercie conuerte them to a right minde that thei maye attribute al glory to God AmeÌ Â¶ S. Iohn is commaunded not to seale this boke but to publishe it hauyng respecte to no man The XCviij Sermon AND he sayd vnto me seale not the sayenges of the prophecie of this boke For the time is at hande He that doeth euill let him doe euill stil he which is filthie let him be filthie still and he that is rightuouse let him be more rightuouse and he that is holy let him be more holy 7 The seuenth place that is treated in this conclusion forbiddeth Iohn that he seale not the boke written Seale not the boke ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sayeth the Angel seale it not And certenly letters and bokes are wonte to be sealed eyther for credit confirmatioÌs sake or els that they should not be openly red of al men but those only to whom they are assigned An Angell sayeth to Daniel in the .12 chapt And thou Daniel close the wordes and seale the boke vntil the laste time He is commaunded to shut his boke that is to saye to make an ende nother to loke for any more reuelatioÌ finally he is coÌmaunded to shut it for the vngodly vnto whom assuredly this boke shal seme darke closed For it followeth for many shal erre knowledge shal be manifolde For thei that are not ruled by the certayne sure word of God haue nothing at al certenly tried knoweÌ but wander through manifolde or sondry vncertayne opinioÌs iudgementes and traditions of men For Daniel sayeth that knowledge shal be variable that is to say there shal be innumerable opinioÌs sectes of the religion seruing of god where neuerthelesse there is but one only trewe opinion doctrine fayth or religion the fame I saye whiche Daniel set forth in his boke which boke also he sealed that is to saye coÌfirmed it as it were with godly seales as authenticall or authorised and which was worthie to be credited howebeit at this present S. Iohn is not commaunded in the same sense and meanyng not to seale his boke which we know to be altogether autenticall This boke shoulde be open for al men but such a thing as this is the Angel meaneth coÌceale or couer not hide not this boke whom God therfore would haue to be writteÌ that it might be a publicke doctrine in the whole world wherby al men might be instructed in the thinges that are reuealed from heauen that they be not thorowe the craftes and tiranny of Antichrist withdrawen from the kingdome of Christ vnto the kingdome of Antichrist for God would that al these thinges should to all men be moste common and manifestly knowen And this sense hath Aretas opened also sayeng Seale them not sayeth he that is kepe them not sealed to thy self but publishe them to all The reason is annexed for the time is at hande wherein verely these thinges which I haue sayde shal come to passe Wherfore the faythful had nede of warnyng coÌfirmyng and comforte Consideryng therefore that this boke is set forth that it might admonishe strengthen and comforte the faythfull the same ought not to be shutte but wide open For this is the good will of God that this his word should be preached in his church to the profit of al faithfull Let them loke therefore what they doe whiche would haue this booke not only shutte vp but cleane taken awaie nother thinke it can be vnderstande as obscure and full of darke speakynges But to God be prayse and thankes geuyng whiche hath vouchsaued to prouide for vs faythfully in time by this most profitable and moste necessarie boke ¶ These thiÌgs must be beateÌ in both to the hearers to suche as will not heare 8 The eight place of this conclusion semeth to treate of a certen preuention For some man here might saye thou wilt haue this boke to be open and come vnto al men of al states sexe and ages but there shal be some whiche wil vtterly contemne the same In vayne therefore shall it be preached in vayne shall we vrge these writynges with them especially which shal deride the same and expounde them this waye or that waye at their pleasure But he semeth to preuent this saye doubtles there shall be vnrightuouse innumerable whiche shal procede vnbridled in their iniquities and shall more and more excede and passe themselues but yet there shall be also rightuouse whiche perseueryng in al rightuousenes shal increase in holy vertues and herein also shal surmounte themselues wherfore spare not thou to vtter to theÌ al such things
is restreined and the preaching of the Gospell obscured yet that the mindes of many shal so be furnisshed with gods worde and with godly inspiration which may so liue and be of such efficacitie in them that seducing can either haue no place in theÌ or if it haue any at al can not abide or perseuer to the ende There be also two other places of the scripture Howe the auncients in tymes past were Sealed testifiyng that signets were geuen to men wherwith they were sealed were exempte or deliuered from the present euil neyther be they repugnauÌt to this our seale of the liuing god In Exod. 12. the postes or dore chekes of the Israelites were springled with the bloud of the laÌbe The signe of it selfe should haue preuailed nothing vnlesse the vertu of God instituting a coÌsecrating the signe with his word had tourned away thaungel distroyer neither hath the signe waunted faith beyng vsed of the holy meÌ of god For the godly receiueth not the ordenauÌces of god wtout faith Therfore the same power of Christ preserued the Israelites froÌ distructioÌ which now kepeth the faithful froÌ the infectioÌ of Antichrist Ezechiel .9 one sealeth the foreheades of that faithful hauing the tipe of a scribe priest Verely Christ hath at al times defended his And he sealeth by imprintyng or writing this marke or letter Tau That marke signifieth that is to say the Law or direction or Rule For in whom so euer is ingrauen the law of God the word of God euen the rule of faith in the very hart he is safe sure from al euil The auncients in olde time called the rule of faith direction the very articles of the christen faith I beleue in God c. Ye see therfore how al those signes come in dede all to one poincte For thei be safe and sure from euil whom the spirite of God hath inspired and illumined with faithe by the worde This much of the seale Who be sealed Now let vs also consider who they are that be sealed We reade in Ezechiel passe through the citie of IerusaleÌ marke Tau in the foreheades of meÌ mourning and lamenting for al thabominatioÌs done in the middes therof And here it is saied til we seale the seruauÌts of our God Therfore are the seruauÌts of god and they that are sory for abominable wickednes are sealed The contemners of God hogs dogs are neglected It is shewed moreouer in what part of theÌ they be sealed In what part of them they be sealed In time paste the bloud of the lambe was annoincted on the dore postes In Ezechiel Tau is marked in their foreheades Here also is imprinted the seale of the liuing God in the forheades of the faithful And the forehead representeth a tipe of the minde the chiefest and most excellent parte in man The spirite and faith is put into the mindes of the faithful Neuerthelesse the marke is aptly fixed to the forehead not to the hinder part of the head backe or shoulders For they that be lighted with the worde spirite and haue faith do coÌfesse the same dissemble nothing and much lesse are ashamed but desire that their glory that is their faith might be knowen of al men We cal most notable things written in our forhead that is most manifest things wherof we be not ashamed Examples of such as are sealed with the seal of the lyuing god Yf we now applie these things to such as were done in old time and now also at this daie they wil bring a great light to them There were founde good men faythfull and fearynge God mourning or sorrowing and seruauntes of God And there be fouÌde at this day also in the middes of Mahometrie and Papistrie which expressely condemne and haue coÌdemned this kinde of life openly confessing that the same is not the trewe waye of life that there is no more wicked kinde of men liuyng than be their priestes that they would not committe themselues and their saluation to them but rather to coÌsecrate themselues wholy to God his mercy And others whiche haue spent a great parte of their life of a good zeale doubtles but not accordyng to knowledge in those trifles and superstitions when they are comen to the ende of their life they dispise al together yea and freely professing the veritie they condemne al those trifles and committe theÌselues wholy to the christian faith estemyng nothing more excellent or surer than the rule of fayth which also they couet to heare recited to them as a trewe confession die in the same Al these hath the mercy of God sealed with the seale of the liuing God and deliuereth from al spotte of Antichrist and sathan from corruption and distruction through Iesus Christ our Lord. But leest we should gather in euery age only here one and there one A great nuÌbre are saued euen in the kyngdome of Antichrist the lorde him selfe nowe maketh here a great accompte and firste of the Iewes by euery tribe he gathereth twelue thousande and after by multiplication an hondreth fourtie and foure thousande and of the gentiles a multitude innumerable Wherfore in euery time and age innumerable obteyne saluation how muche so euer errour seducyng and distruction reigne and rule in the world These thinges doe highly coÌmende God his mercy and comfort vs excedingly And where certen gather herof that there shal be yet in this world before the iudgemeÌt a Saturnical or golden age wherin these thinges should be fulfilled and that all menne should come to the kingdome of God it alludeth ouer much to the grosse errour of the Millenaries which is already expulsed out of the churche of God These thinges were fulfilled in olde time and are at this daye and shal be fulfilled likewise so longe as the worlde shal indure The kingdome of Sathan and of Antichrist shall continewe alwayes to the last iudgemeÌt and shal stil impugne the kingdom of Christ and seme euen to oppresse the same much lesse ought they to promise vs so great securitie When the sonne of man shall come saieth the sonne of man him self in the Gospel thinke you shal he finde any fayth vpon earth And agayne it shal be as in the dayes of Noe and Loth the wordes of the gospel are knoweÌ as be also those of the blessed Apostels Peter and Paule 2. Pet. 3. 1. Thess 4. By the waie is reasoned of the restoring of Israel But suche as like not this our exposition or minde vrge briefly that the promesses of the prophetes for the restoring of Israel are not yet fulfilled but that according to the veritie of the eternall God they muste be fulfilled They suppose therfore yea and contende also that thee must a certayne or prefixed time remaine wherin al these thinges may be accoÌplished Hereunto I aunswer plainely that we shal shamefully erre with Papias Iustine Ireney Tertull. and Lactance and with those that are called
are alwayes wonte so ofte as they haue occasioÌ to celebrate and intimate Christ and the misterie of his redemption S. Iohn therefore sayeth howe the lambe hath ben killed and offered vp from the beginnyng of the world And it is with out controuersie The lambe slayne froÌ the beginning of the world that by the lambe is vnderstande Christ It is therefore demaunded howe he was slaine from the beginning of the world Many here tourmente themselues at the length they expounde that Christ was slaine in Abel and in all sainctes by perticipation not by passion Certenly we maye not expounde this place after the lettre For Christ coulde not be slayne before he was borne Moreouer the Apostle affirmeth that Christ sins the beginning of the world hath not ben slaine oftener than ones Reade what he sayeth in the .9 chapt to the Hebrew And yet can not the most and trewe worde of God be contrary or repugnaunt to it selfe Therefore saye we after the comon rule of expoundyng the Scriptures that the signes haue the names of the thinges signified For the Lambe was called a passouer or passyng by wherof it was a signe Circumcision was called the leage or conuenaunt it selfe sacrifices are named sinnes So verely from the beginnyng of the worlde sacrifices were slayne whiche were simbolles or signes of Christe to be incarnated and offered vp ones for the clensyng of sinnes We vnderstande therfore by this testimony of Christe that all the sacrifices of the auncient fathers were sacrameÌtes of Christ and that the redemption of Christe hath from the begynnyng of the worlde ben of efficacitie to all the faythful Therfore this place is notable and worthie to be obserued Hitherto apperteyneth the Apostles testimony in the .1 to the Corinth the .10 That al our forefathers haue eaten of the same spirituall meate wyth vs and dronken of the same drynke and that they dranke of the rocke followyng them whiche was Christ Of the destructioÌ of the Romane Empire And hitherto hath he spokeÌ of the maiestie of the Romane Empire blasphemies sinnes Nowe followeth of the distruction of so great an Empire punnishmeÌts of sinnes Wherof notwithstanding shal be spoken againe in the .17 chapt And with an AcclamatioÌ most comonly vsed in the gospell as it were peculiar to Christ he stireth vp al his auditours and crieth out he that hath an eare to heare lette him heare Verely it was to men a wonder and semed vncredible that so great a Maiestie coulde falle but yet it falleth The faythfull marueled also what shoulde be the ende of blasphemies slaughters iniuries abominations Moreouer the doctrine that followeth is notable excellent and worthie to be kepte in memory Therefore he stireth vp all men to attentiuenes and than he sayeth whosoeuer shall leade into captiuitie shall go into captiuitie whosoeuer striketh with the sworde c. For in such sort he declareth the destructioÌ of Rome and the Romane empire that he confirmeth with al the iustice of gods iudgemeÌt And also with a maruelouse breuitie of goddes sentence geuen or pronouÌced against Rome he suppeth of that vnmeasurable power And this is both by the law of God by the law of nature and by the law of al natioÌs receiued as a thing most iust that euery man shulde loke to haue the same done to him that he doth to an other For to this be longeth the sentence rehersed of Noe in the .9 of Gen. He that shedeth bloud his bloud shal be shed The same is repeted in the .33 of Esay Wo to the that spoilest shalt not thou be spoiled A testimonie wherof is Niniue with the Prophet Nahum and Babilon with al the prophets Therfore hath the Lorde taught in the gospell whatsoeuer ye wold that men shuld do to you do you the same vnto them also With what mesure you meat vnto others with the same shall others meat vnto you agayne Whosoeuer stryketh with the sworde with the sword shall perish Therefore it is moste reasonable that sins Rome hath spoiled the whole world and iniuried al nations and made cruel war vpon al men it shuld be againe of al nations inuaded spoyled torne and troden vnder foote Let vs marke this iudgemeÌt of God let vs fear god and do good vnto men For here is sentence geuen against al men that do iniurie to their neighbours but especialli those which inuade innoceÌts with vniust wars which thei be hired to make c. And here muste we repeate some thyng out of Hystories The destructioÌ of Rome and the Romane Empyre whereby the veritie of this prophesie may be better knowen and vnderstand When the most excelleÌt Prince Constantine had receiued the gouernment of thempire as it were abhorring Rome he builded Constantinople and made it the seate or mansion of thempire And from that time the Maiestie of Rome began to fal vnto ruine Vnder themperour Gratiane a Prince moste wittie the Barbarians were a great terrour to the Romanes wherupoÌ Gratiane made a leage with them Stilico father in lawe to Honorius a Vandall borne deminished the wages of the Gothians and other leage fellowes of the people of Rome for the which cause they toke Armour yet beinge pacified agayne they were stirred vp afterwarde through the mallice of Stilico of Duke Saule vnder the coÌduite of Athalaricus their King they hast them to Rome lay seige to it besiege it by the space of two yeares at the leÌgth toke and spoiled it Which seige and spoyle S. Hierome in his Epistle bewayleth much Orosius writeth much christianly hereof in the .29 chapter of the .7 boke of Histories It is reported that Rome was taken the fyrste day of Apryll in the yeare .412 Yet the Gothians immediately leauyng the Citie remoue into other places there by neuerthelesse beynge agayne inflamed with fury they returne and vnder their captayne Athaulphus they plagued spoyled Rome worse then they ded before The Kynge had determined extinguyshing the name of Romaynes to haue called the Citie Gothia if he had not ben disswaded of Galla Placidia daughter to Honorius A fewe yeares after Rome was taken agayne of Genserychus King of Vandalles and that which was inryched and replinished with the robberies of al natioÌs was by fourtene dayes together emptied cleane After came Odacer with the Germanes and putting downe the name of Emperour reigned ouer the citie himselfe as king by the space of .15 yeares Whom Theodorichus of Verona expulsed and slew And there reigned with his East Gothes about .50 yeares Than was it recouered of Bellisarius for Iustinian Emperour of Grece but to the vtter destruction of Rome For Totilas Kynge of Gothia discomfyted both the Greke and Romayne Armie at Placence after he beseiged Rome scaled toke sacked ouerthrew and set it on fyre The citie burned thirtene dayes Nother was there any man in it by the space of fourtie dayes Reade the .4 boke of Sabellicus the .8 Aeneade Perauenture I
shall discourse more at large of the distruction of Rome in the .17 chap. Wherfore within the space of .136 yeares Rome came seuen tymes into straungers handes and was sacked most cruelly and fell on the edge of the sworde and was led into captiuitie Councell how the godly shall demeane theÌselues in so great euils which hath long stricken with the swoorde and led away all nations prisoners This was the iust iudgement of God And S. Ihon annexeth a doctrine howe the godly shulde behaue theÌselues in so greate troubles and aduersities Here that is to wit whilest the Romanes reigne and rage also in those blouddy and cruel alterations and destruction of the Romane Empire the Sainctes shall nede to haue patience or perseueraunce and fayth These two vertues shal kepe the faithfull that they perish not also Of patience the lord speaketh in S. Luke the .21 chapt In your patience shal you possesse your soules Of faith speaketh blessed Iohn and this is the victory that ouercometh the world euen your faith Impatience and incredulitie hath led away many into the deniyng of the faith to idolatrie and to al vngodlines So learne we also how to arme our selues in our dayes against all vngodlines The lord deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ Of an other beast which cometh vp out of the Earth that is to saye of Antichrist The .lviij. Sermon ANd I behelde an other beaââ câââââ vp out of the Earth and he had two hornes like a lambe and he spake as did the Dragon The Apostle S. Paule playnely testifieth What is th ende of this prophecie Rom. 15. such thinges as are written to be written for our learnyng that through the patience consolation of the scriptures we maye haue hope wherfore we must also applie therunto these things present For Christ the lord of all when he foresawe how greatly sathan should by his chosen membres the olde and newe Romane Empire afflicte the church would haue vs dilligently admonished of euery thing to the intent that al afflicted persones should hereof learne patience and conceaue comforte and hope and not be discouraged with the heauy burthen of euilles Like as he hath therfore diligently described the olde Romane Empire and shewed as it were pâyntyng with the fingar what mischief it should worke to the church admonisshed al to haue faith patience right so wil he from hence forth describe poperie or Antichristianisme in the which descriptioÌ he setteth forth before our eyes what so euer the sainctes shall suffer that beyng warned before they maye abide more manfully persecution and lesse yelde to mischauntes The secoÌd beaste cometh not forth tyll the first be taken awaye And in goodly order beginneth he to sette forth Antichrist after the Romane Empire torne and taken awaye For Daniel sayeth that a little and small horne shoulde arrise vp emonges the ten hornes and three of those hornes to poole downe plucke of and caste awaye and so to atteyne vnto greate power For he signifieth that the Romane Empire beyng diuided and brought now vnto decaie Antichrist shal arrise whiche should procure to himselfe a newe and countrefet Empire And S. Paule sayeth also that Christe shall not come vnto iudgement till Antichrist haue gone before and that he shall not come nother vnlesse this be firste taken awaye whiche hindereth and letteth that he can not come The whiche S. Hierome and other holy expositours do vnderstande of the Romane Empire 2. Thess 2. whiche muste be plucked vp and taken awaye and that then shall Antichrist arrise But the Maiestie of the Empire was distroyed aboute the yere of our Lorde .480 when Odacer inuaded Rome For from that time by the space of .300 yeres and more ther was no Emperour of the Weste after Augustulus And besides this vnder the Emperour Iustinian Rome was brente and layde waste of Totila Sins the whiche time the Bisshoppes of Rome haue begonne to loke a lofte and to thinke vpon a newe kingedome The secoÌd beaste of the Earth And therefore the Lorde sayeth that this beaste arriseth of the very earth The kyngedome of our lorde Iesus Christe cometh from heauen and bringeth to heauen Papistrie cometh nother of Christ nor of his doctrine but cometh out of the Earth that is to witte of euill meanes Ambition auarice treason and crueltie What ministers of the churche Christ ordeyned is easely perceyued by the Gospell of Iesu Christ That he forbadde them gouernement supremacie superiorite and maioritie as they terme it appereth of the .18 and .20 chapt of S. Matthew and .22 of Lukâ Therefore do the Actes of Apostles and the doctrine of Peter testifie that Peter was a Minister and not Lorde of the Apostles muche lesse Prince of the citie or Empire of Rome For they lye lowde that saye howe Rome and Italy are the Patrimonie of S. Peter geuen him of the Lorde At the first the Apostles and Apostolicall men ministers of churches gouerned the churches equallye neyther ded one take vpon him more preheminence than an other Which thyng I am able to proue by many testimonies of auncient wryters yf nede requyred Aboute the counsell of Nice and a litle before that tyme when churches were greatly multiplied were ordeyned and custumably receyued Metropolitanes instituted in dede by a laudable but yet mannes ordinaunce that is to witte in a certen prouince or head citie was ordeyned a Byshop or Pastor which shoulde haue as it were theÌ ouersighte of the reste and shoulde serue for the calling of Synodes or assemblees Yet was it than dilligently prouided that he shoulde not be called Primate leeste any manne should thinke himselfe preferred before others in power but in order Nother was the Byshop of Rome at that tyme exalted aboue all others but there were dyuerse Metropolitanes whereof the byshop Rome was one The Niceyue counsell confyrmed that same custome and woulde haue it ratified Socrates in his ecclesiastical Historie the .5 boke the .8 chapt reciteth many Metropolitane churches in Asia S. Hierome to Euagrius and in an epistle to Titus sayeth playnely that in oulde tyme churches were gouerned by the common counsell of priestes or elders and that time Byshops and priestes were all one After by the custome of the church not of the veritie of the Lordes ordinauÌce I rehearce Saincte Hieromes wordes Byshops were preferred before priestes yet muste they gouerne churches together And of that same custome Howe the Bisshop of rome came to his supremacie yea rather of the abuse of the custome Antichrist had his beginning For Boniface Bishop of Rome began fyrste to take vppon him dominion ouer the churches of Affricke But he was immediatelye repressed by the sixte Affricane couÌcell where at Sainte Austen is red also to haue bene After that began also the Byshop of CoÌstantinople to chalenge to himselfe the Supremacie for this cause chiefelie that Constantinople was than the courtelyke Palace and chiefe Citie of the Empyre Howe beit