are fallen from heauen Onely teache they the shining charytie of God the feruent zeale and burninge desyre towardes mans saluation Neyther aduance they ceremonies nor rytes holy dayes nor offeringes dirges nor masses purgatory nor reliques And as concerning their lyues more GOD desyreth not of the Christian minister then to expende hys whole study labour and time to the lyghtening of other He neyther commaundeth them to be shauen nor disguised to be popishe Prieste nor Monke to saye mattens nor Euensong to fast fryday nor vigill to abhorre maryage nor meates Onely he wylleth them to edyfye his flock with none other learninge then hys Godly trueth This is theyr onely office 6 The féete of this Angell were in similitude as pillers of fyer Stronge sustentacles and sure staies hath god made the vpholders of his true church Feruent affections hath he geuen them constant stomaks and so inuincible a power as no violeÌ„ce can resist Douty stronge is the administration where the verytie remayneth for it bringeth with it the magestie of God O how bewtifull saith Esay are the feete of the Embassadours of the Lord which bringeth the message of peace and the tidinges of health vnto Syon 7 He had in his hand a little booke open In their administration are the scriptures euydent and cléere opened by the Lambe and much godlye knowledge is receiued of other by them Blessed be the Lorde whiche hath opened the booke Now may the creple stand vp the blind sée their way the poore féede be satified Desire therfore with faithfull Dauid from the very hart to haue vnderstaÌ„ding to know the testimonies of god Are méekely and haue séeke wisely and finde knocke gently and the dore wyll be opened Uery lyke is it that the Lorde God doth minde plentuouslye to spreade the doctrine of his spirite in this sixt age of his churche this booke beynge thus opened And that all the worlde shall receiue it rebell the hypocrits neuer so sore When the Gospell appeared in Christes tyme the Iewes were the first that receiued it after the Greks and last of all the Latines Now in this later time it openeth to the Latines by the administration of this mighty Angel and his affinitie and from them is going to the Gréekes for many of them now of late hath graciouslye receiued it as we haue harde And laste of all it shall returne agayne to the Iewes as now very apt also to receiue it That Christes prophecye may be founde true The last to be the fyrst and the fyrst the last For he that hath dispersed Israell shall bringe him againe to his folde as Heiremy recordeth Thus shal the glory of God be within few yeares séene the world ouer to the comfort of many 8 This Angell set his righte foote vpon the sea and his left foote vpoÌ„ the earth As well shall the weake people receiue this verytie as the strong the poore as the rich the lowe as the high the sicke as the whole the sinner as the rightuous the begger as the king the vnlearned as the learned the laboring man as the priest and much rather For the right foote is towardes them The I le that is speared vp with the maine sea yea and they also which be vpon the sea shall so well haue it as the open wide country or as they which dwell vpon the most pleasaunt lande From none shall the Booke be speared Euery where shall the trueth be open as well by writings as wordes and as well by bookes as preachinges Upon both shall thys Angell treade Both sortes of people shall be subiectes to that verytie whiche those Godly messengers shall bringe submitting themselues as fooâ—sâ—ooles vnto it Some vngodly rulers there be both by sea and lande both in the Iles and the open countrye that wyll none of this Angell with this open Booke In no wise will they suffer hym to set footeinge within their regions but commaundeth vnder payne of death that no man teach his doctrine nor heare it that no man prynte his bookes bye them sell them reade them holde them fauour them nor beare them vpoÌ„ hym But al is in vayne Let theÌ„ wax mad swell and fret themselues to death yet wyll he treade vppon theyr ground Let them persecute fetter stock famish slea hange head burne drowne yea and buâ—y quicke with all other mischife and tyranny yet will the trueth abroad 9 For the Angell crieth with so loude a voyce as the Lyon when he roareth So mighty and strong is the worde that they preach and the verytie that they shewe as was the sharpe lyuinge worde that Christe spake which was the inuincible Lyon of Iuda And so mighty is that as made both heauen and earth so stronge as destroyeth the power of hell so sharp as deuideth the soule from the spirit and the ioyntes from the marye and so waighty as when it falleth grindeth to powder all pryde power magnificence wisedome ryches and vaine pollycye of this worlde none shall be able to abyde it 10 And when the Angell had cryed and vttered this terryble noyse seauen thounders spake their voyces The fearefull iudgementes of the wrath of GOD whiche are infinite and can neyther be numbered nor yet measured of the creatures opened their terrible misteries which shall at their times appoynted of hym light vppon the children of vnbeléeue The tyrauntes which hath resisted the heauenly verytie of the Lorde wyll once be punished as was the â—ost of Senacherih kinge of Assur Once wyll he fearefully visit theyr multitude in the thunder of hys yre Once shall the terrible sound of hyâ— crack stryk the earth smothe reuenging the contempt of his worde In Italye Spaine Fraunce Germany and other christian regions the Angell hath shewed the booke open and roared out the voyce of the Gospell with stomacke as doth the Lyon yet will it not be taken but some they haue beaten for it and some moste spightfully murthered Let them not thinke but after the lightning the thunderclap will folow The verytie opened and thus dispised most gréeuous plagues of derth warre or pestilence wyll shortlye fal by the great vengeaunce of God Principles hath bene séene in some quarters of the worlde let them not thinke but much more is comminge and wyll not cease tyll Chryste hath made of his enimies hys footeâ— stoole 11 And when the seuen thonders had spoken their voyces or shewed theyr certentie that they shoulde so surely as God lyueth come to passe at their time appoynted 12 I was about sayth Saint Iohn to take penne and inke in hande and to wryte them I thought to register them in a booke to the admonishmeÌ„t and warning of them that shoulde folow And anone I heard a very earnest voyce from heauen saying vnto mée in this maner 13 Seale vp those things which the seauen thunder spake and in no wise
worke which coÌ„tayneth the first .x. Chapters are all these godlye maâ—ters of Sainct Iohns Reuelation in course comprehended Fyrst of all is the high legacie and message of the sayde Sainct Iohn vnto the .vij. congregacions of Aâ—ta in the first Chapter mencyoned Wherin they are also vnto vij golden Candelstickes compared and their preachers vnto vij shyning starres in the right hand of Christ. In the seconde and third Chapters are the sayd vij congregacions seuerally ech one by it selfe discribed and warned to the vniuersall premonishment of the whole Christian Church in the vij partes or clymates of the worlde Marke those three Chapters diligently and ye shall perceyue that the true Christian church is alone goâ—uerned by the preaching of gods word an only office of Christ commaunded and not by dead ceremonies coÌ„maunâ— by the Pope of whom there is no specialtie Consider howe those preachers throughout all this booke are compared vnto starres and Angels their coÌ„gregacions called the right spouse of Christ. The other be assembled vnto most filthie locustes bréeding of the smoke of the pit bottomles vnto hatefull byrdes foule spirites and diuils their church called the proude Sinagoge of Sathan and the most execrable whore of Babilon In the iiij Chapter is heauen made open and the secrets therof manifested vnto the christian beléeuer whom Iohn also representeth thys whole booke ouer For not only are the mysteries therof in the vniuersall church performed but also in the particular churches of nacions and in the pryuate consciences of men In the v.vj and vij Chapters the Lambe Christ openeth the vij seales of the booke of the most hidden mysteries of God for the vij ages of the christian church In the meane season are the true seruantes of God sealed vnto saluacioÌ„ solaced in their troubles and reléeued in their sorowes notwithstanding the great violence of the truthes aduersaries In the viij and ix Chapters the vij Angels blowe their trumpettes Signifying the preachers to shewe foorth their messages appoynted of God for the vij ages of the churche many wonderfull plages folowing in the people for their vnbeléeues sake they obstinately resisting it or els vnthankefully receiuing it In the tenth Chapter commeth the mightie Angell from heauen with a booke in his hand all open and Iohn deuoureth the same Which betokeneth the earnest preachers of this latter age of the church wherein the true seruauntes of God shall gréedily receiue and also digest the scriptures Take thys for a bréefe sum of all that is spoken in the other volum the residue shall follow hereafter in course In the mergent of that first parte or volume put I many allegacions both of the scriptures and doctors And there vnto was I first prouoked by this saying of Sainct Hierome in a certayne Epistle of his ad Paulinum monachum The Apocalips of Sainct Iohn sayeth he hath so many mysteries as it hath wordes or for euerie word a mysterie whither ye will I mynded also thereby my labours to ease the readers for search of the places and to signify vnto them that I dyd nothing therin without aucthoritie And vndoubtedly the gatheryng of those places was so laborious vnto me as the making of the commentarie which neuerthelesse I thought well bestowed for the comfort of my bretheren But two cruell enimyes haue my iust labours had in that behalfe of whome the one hath them falsifyed the other blasphéemed Which hath caused me to leaue theÌ„ out in all that héere foloweth The Printers are the fyrst whose headie hast negligence and couetousnesse commonly corrupteth all bookes These haue both dysplased them and also chaunged theyr numbers to the truthes derogacion what though they had at their hands ij learned correctours which tooke all paynes possible to preserue them The other is Momus or Zoylus yea rather one whiche playeth both partes vnder the cloake of a Christian This cruell carper and malicious quarreller leaueth no mans worke vnrebuked minister it neuer so much godlinesse But lyke as rust mothes maggottes cankers catterpyllers with other vyle vermyne corrupteth all that is to the vse of man so doeth this enimy to distroy both name and worke only for the auauncement of his owne precious person His working tooles are suche vnsauerie sophismes problemes eleÌ„ches corolaries quydities subtylties seconde intentions intrincycall moods wyth other prodygious sorceryes whom he sometime sucked out of hys mothers brestes the vniuersitie These hath he not yet all as vnsauerie morselles euometed for Christ diffyning rather with Aristotle than with Paul in his dayly disputations Of this ryall Rabi is Peter iudged a foole and Iohn an vnlearned Idiote Yet shall his reader finde small learning at his hande vnlesse he take an heape of barbarous tearmes and vnsowed togither sentences for matters of excelent learning But surely Iohn will one day come from Ephesus to visite this proude Diotrephes shew him of his arrogant brags to his dyspleasure vnlesse he leaue of in tyme. All Aristotles prouision shal not help hym Sathan vpon the pynnacle of the Temple neuer bestowed his alleged scripture more peruersely than thys Momus interpreted certayne of my allegacioÌ„s nor yet farther from their right vnderstanding But I forgiue it him with this forewarning for this time thoughe it bée not the fyrst lewde poynt that he hath playd in case that â—e so leaue his quareling My second allegation vpon the Preface .1 Cor. 6 is not set there to authorise the Apocalips as he most falsly and all contrary to my meaning hath interpreted it but affirmeth that the Christian beléeuers are Christs members which ought of necessitie by the holy ghostes appointment to heare and to read the wordes of the sayde Booke For I know that the epistle vnto the Corinthians was written of Paule ten yeares at the least before Saint Iohns Apocalips No lesse is he than a false Prophet that resisteth Ieremy rebuking Babilon for hir wickednes To much it were to answere his other quarellings and to tedious vnto the christian readers and therfore I passe them ouer least I shoulde be to plenteous in aunsweringe a foole according to hys foolishnesse Thus by these cruell handelynges of these two vngratious enemies haue I iust occasion to leaue out the allegations in the margent obseruing this wholsome counsell of Christ concerning such as they be Geue not that is holy vnto Dogs nor yet that is precious vnto swine For the one of his churlish nature teareth and deuoureth the other like a swine treadeth it vnder his filthy féete The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with thée euermore good christian Reader and with all theÌ„ that séeketh of the scriptures the sauing health in them conteined withoute quarelling Amen The second part of the Image of both Churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly reuelation of Saint Iohn the Euangelist c. Compiled by Iohn Bale The .xi. Chapter VNto Iohn was deliuered after that he had thus deuoured the booke a réede not vnlyke to the mete
sainct Iohn the Euangelist were these mysteries of the whole Trinitie reueled as I shewed afore such tyme as he was of the Emperour Domicianus exyled for his preaching into the yle of Pathmos at the cruell complayntes of the Idolatrous priestes and bishops of him so written sent out of the same exile into the congregations In one day were all these marueils seene and in the same written as witnesseth Haymo with dyuers other expositours and as seemeth agreeable to the text which is a great wonder in tokeÌ„ that the Lord as Dauid reporteth hym is a very swift writer which at the same time earnestly occupied the hand of the sayd Iohn Of suche a nature is the message of this boke with the other contentes therof that from no place is it sent more freely opened more cleerely nor tolde foorth more boldely than out of exyle And this should seeme to be the cause thereof In exyle was it first written as a little before is mencyoned In exyle are the powers thereof most earnestly proued of theÌ„ that hath faith As appeareth yet by Iustinus the martyr Militon the Asiane Hireneus Hipolytus Victorinus and other which were there of the first expositours in the primatiue church and in the ende suffered for it the death of their bodyes And though it were than the laste booke of the Byble and hath bene euer since fardest from knowledge least regarded of them all yet was it the first that receiued any mans expositioÌ„ as a booke thought most necessary to be knowne of the Christians Into the deserte sendeth the Lorde hys church when the filthy spirite by his spightful spiritualtie speweth out his execrable waters throwyng the thyrd parte of the starres into the earth with his tayle He giueth hyr two Egles wings to flye thither with which are the light precepts examples of Christ to declyne their mischieues For he both â—â—ed his selfe when occasions were giuen him and commaunded hys disciples to flee from citie to citie in time of their persecutions He prouideth hir there a resting place for iij. yeares and an halfe which are the dayes of Helyas Danyell and Iohn And all this is not that shee should there be ydle Flattery dwellyng at home and sucking there styll his mothers brestes may neuer tell out the truth he seeth so many dauÌ„gers on euery side as displeasur of frindes decaye of name losse of goodes offence of great men punishment of body ieopardy of lyfe wyth such other lyke The forsaken wretched sort hath the Lorde prouided alwayes to rebuke the worlde of sinne for want of true fayth of hipocrisie for want of perfect ryghtuousnesse of blyndnesse for lacke of Godly iudgement For nought is it not therfore that he hath exiled a certen number of beleuing brethren the realme of Englande of the which afflicted family my fayth is that I am one Where vpon I haue considered it no lesse then my bounde dutie vnder payne of damnation to admonyshe Christes flocke by thys present reuelation of theyr perills past and the dauÌ„gers to come for contempt of the Gospell whych now reygneth there aboue all in the clergy I am not the fyrst which hath attempted thys offyce or taken vpon mee thys odyous enterpryse full of rebukes and slaunders and that maketh mee the boulder Iustinus becomming of a prophane philosopher a perfect chrystian wrote an exposicion vpon this Apocalips and was slayne for the veritie in the yeare from Christs incarnatyon a. C. and liiii Melyton the Byshoppe of Sardis in Asia which was one of the vii congregatioÌ„s vnto whome Iohn wrote made also a booke of the same lyued about the same tyme in the yeare of our lord a .c.lx. Hyreneus a discyple of Polycarpe byshope of Smyrna which was also one of the sayde congregations left behinde hym a commentary vpon the same booke and suffred stronge martyrdome for the truth in the yeare of our lorde a c.lxxv Hypolytus a byshope in Aphrica a man of much godly wysdome and learning wrote vpon the same about the yeare of our lorde .cc. .xx. In lyke maner Uictorinus the byshop of Pictauis about the yeare of our lorde cc .lxx. Ticonius the Aphricane anno dom ccc xc Saynct Hierome to Anatholius Anno. Dom. cccc .x. And saynt Austin also Anno dom cccc .xx. with dyuerse other more Primasius byshoppe of Vâ—icina wrote .v. lytle bookes vpoÌ„ this Apocalyps vnto Castorius whereof this is the beginning Tuis vir illustris et religiose castori which volume I haue redde and he lyued in the yeare of our Lord cccc .xl. Aprigius byshop of PaceÌ„ in Spayne made a notable work vpon the same about the yeare of our lorde ccccc .xxx. So did Cassiodorus Apulus as Petrus Equilinus calleth him anno dom ccccc lxx called his booke complexiones in Apocalipsim So did Isidorus iunior the bishop of Hispalis in Spaine Anno Do. DC.xxx with all those that here foloweth Of whom I haue sene almost so many as haue there beginnings here registred Ex benedictinis monachis â—edas presbiter Anglus li. iii apocalipsis saneti Iohannis inqua Alcuinus monachus Anglus li. i. Haymo HirsueldeÌ„sis Germanus li. vii Legimus in ecclesiastica historia Strabus fuldensis Germanus lib. i. Sicut in secularibus literis Rabanus maurus Germanus li. i. Ambrosius Ansbertus Gallus li x. de illustratione afflatus Robertus Tuiciensis Germanus lib. xii Vt tu quoque venerabilis colo Ioachim Abbas Calaber li. viii Quia profunda libri huius Monachus quidam Cantuariensis li. i. Legitur Genesis .xxviii. Vidit Easterton monachus Anglus lib. i. Posuit castra sua in medio Ex Canonicis regularibus Richardus de sancto Victore Scotus libro primo Gaufredus Antisiodorensis Gallus lib. i. Ex Carthusianis monachis Henricus de Hassia Germanus lib. i Dionisius Rikel Germanus lib. i. Ecce puer meus electus Ex sacerdotibus prophaenis Ambrosius de septem tubis li. i. Tempus autem arbitror Berengarius Thuronensis Gallus lib. i. Gilbertus porreta Gallus li. i. Omnes qui piâ— volunt viuere Author a centum annis Anglus libro i. Ioannes Hus Bohemus li. i. Cum finierinâ— testimonium Paulus Burgensis Iudeus lib. i. Licet opinio expositorum Mathias Dorinck Germanus lib. i. Costasie doctor Anglus lib. i. Ecce de scripsieam tibi triplic Iacobus Stralen Germanus lib. i. Vidit Iacob in somno schalam Ex Carmelitanis Ioannes Baconthorpe Anglus lib. i. Apocalipsis Iesu Christi c. Ioannes Tytleshale Anglus li. i. Est autem Apocalipsis Grecus sermo Thomas de ylleya Anglus li. i. Apocalipsis reuelacio dicitur Ioannes Barath Hannonius lib. i. Ego Ioannes vidi ostium Ioannes de Vernone Gallus lib. i. Nicolaus de Alsacia Germanus lib. i. Ioannes
haue Gods word Christ wylled all faythfull beléeuers to searche the Scriptures to vnderstand the prophecies and to perceiue the misteries of theÌ„ And for the performance of hys wyll therin he hath sent in this age this peculyer Angell beside the common preachers betokning those singuler lerned meÌ„ whoÌ„ now he hath endueâ— with most high knowledge Of their hands he mâ—ndeth vs to receiue the scriptures and not of the blasing star nor yet of the smoky Locustes Their faithfull sincere and godly interpretacions he willeth vs to take specially in bookes for so much as in person they can in no wyse be euery where present for that it is a booke heere named For by them in these dayes doeth he make open his sauing health and in the sight of all people declareth his rightuousnesse Let theÌ„ therefore whose hartes God moueth to instruct other in the wayes of the Lorde diligently peruse the labours of such whom he hath so plentuously replenished with his spirite But in thus dooing let them not to much depend vpoÌ„ no mans person but proue all things by the scriptures least they fall into errours as other hath done afore for so dooyng Uerye lightly is he deceiued that measureth the veritie by mans iudgements In the search therefore of godly mysteries not the wit nor the learning of the man is to be sought but rather the right meaning of God working in the man 3 This Angell standeth vpon the sea and vpon the lande As well is the true messenger of God for the weak as for the strong for the low as for the high for the poore as for the riche for the simple as for the learned for the sicke as for the whole for the foule as for the fayre Yea and rather for them than the other hauing his right foote vpon the water 4 And I sayeth S. Iohn obeying the voyce of the Lord or the heauenly mocion of his spirit went vnto the Angell and instantly desired hym to giue me that little swéete booke 5 None other is this booke theÌ„ the holy scripture whose openynge is a pure and right interpretation therof This he receiueth open at his hand which diligently readeth or heareth any sincere declaration of it by anye faithfull minister None other is this booke fitte for nor none other retayneth it in this age but meeke Iohns or men of a gentile spirit hauing the grace of God and obeying his heauenly voice For the wicked must euer be blinde Wisdom shall not enter into a froward soule nor dwel in the body that is giuen to sin Iohn went to the Aungell and receyued the booke for hée that will séeke shall fynde 6 For the Angel said vnto him Take it vnto thée eate it vp cleane The belly shall it make very bitter but it will be in the mouth so swéete as hony With good harte ought the scriptures to be receyued of all men in faith deuoured in a pure loue disgested In continual studie meditacion therof ought ech maÌ„ after his calling to perseuer the King in his raign the Iudge in his office the merchaunt in his occupying the labourer in hys worke the maryner vpon the sea and the bishop in his cure Nothing but idelnesse worketh the man which hath it not grafted within him though he both fast pray Uayne are all polycies actes constitucions and lawes wtout it For it is the life of our soules the lanterne of our féete the light of our passage and rule our workes 7 Bitter it is in the belly swéete in the mouth When the knowledge of trueth is is once receyued and surely setteled in the harte it engendreth a spiritie of indignation and a zeale of God very bitter agaynst all wickednesse It maketh vs with Ieremie to detest all vice and with Ezechiell to abhorre all sinne It prouoketh vs also with Moyses Helias Dauid and the Prophets gréeuously to complayne of the worldes abhominations with Christ his Apostles dolorously to lament the sore decaye of the wicked 8 Yet is nothing so swéet in the mouth as it is Nothing was to Paule so delicious when he once sauored it No nothing so pleasauÌ„t Neither colours of rhetorike paintings of poets wisedome of Philosophers nor holy tradicions of fathers coulde then delight him All were but darnal tares stubble chaffe filth rust dreames lyes and vnprofitable vanities Nothyng was in his mouth than but that delectable veritie that swéet Gospell of God That tooke hée with hym as the vessel of election in many an hard iorney and beare it foorth before the gentiles the kings the children of Israell yea for that to dye he thought it than aduauntage 9 And I tooke the little booke sayth sainct Iohn out of the Angels hande with méeknesse I receiued the scriptures of God I did eate it vp clean I dygested them in faith 10 And it was in my mouth so swéet as hony Oh how delicious saith Dauid are thy sayings vnto my throte More dulcet then honye are thy wordes Lord to my mouth 11 So soone as I had eaten it sayth Sainct Iohn so soone as I had incorporate it in my mynde rooted it in my soule my bellye was bitter my harte was gréeued much to sée the euils of the world my spirit was troubled to see the abusions of men and much I pittied the losse of their soules 12 Yet dyd not the Angell so leaue me but he said thus vnto me Thou must prophecie again amoÌ„g the people 13 As thou hast receyued thou must reÌ„der as thou hast bene taught thou must teach againe least thou hyding the treasure of thy Lord become an vnprofitable seruaunt 14 Thou must publish the trueth to the vnbeleuers thou must open it to people of dyuers nacions languages and finally manifest it to Kings of many regions that they sée theyr people instructed in the same As a truÌ„pet therefore exalt thy voyce shewe fréely the ioyfull message of saluatioÌ„ Refuse none that will come vnto it poore nor blynde halte nor lame CoÌ„sider that no man lighteth a candle to hyde it but to set it vp that men may see by it None other are fit to prophecie but they whiche haue deuoured the booke They must now declare the gospell in this latter age of the church by the appointment of the Lord. For necessarie it is that by the strength thereof all pryde of this worlde and blasphemie agaynst God bée distroyed ¶ In the nexte volume shall follow the reste The second part of the Image of both Churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly reuelation of Saint Iohn the Euangelist c. Compiled by Iohn Bale The same Disciple whom Iesus loued hath witnessed and written these things and vve knovve that hys testimonie is true Ioannes .xxj. ¶ A small Preface vnto the Christian Reader IN the first part or volume of thys
vnderstande the Godly misteries that they comprehend 9 The greatnesse of a cytie is to bée considered to the multitude of the dwellers therein Than who can thynk◠Christes congregation small measuringe it by the scriptures from the first begynning of the worlde to the latter ending A furlonge is the eyghte parte of a myle and contayneth a hundreth and twenty fiue paces whych is in lēgth vi hundreth xxv foote here it betokēoth the cōtinuall course of labour and paynefull sufferaunce in the kyngdome of Christ after saynt Paul They that ronne for the wager in this course laboureth not for a thynge vncertaine But for an incorruptible crowne they holde their bodyes in subieccion to the spirite Such are the inhabitours of this citie whose number is greate whole and perfect vniuersally taken O Israell sayth Baruch howe greate is the house of God and how large is the compasse of hys possession Exceding great is it hath none end highout of measure can not be ouer reached 10 The heyght of thys Cytie from the foundatyon was all one in measure wyth the length and breadth For euerye way was it equall and square in compasse Rounde about was it stronge mighty and sure the gates of hell in no wyse able to preuayle agaynst it Upon euery parte faythfull perfect and godly séekynge those thinges onelye whych are aboue where Christ is sittyng at the rygyt hande of God Yea all spirituall hygh and heauenly are they hauynge their daily conuersacion not here but in heauen frō whēce they wayte for their sauioure Iesus Christ. So hygh also is the spirit that gouerneth thys congregation in rewardynge as it is eyther large in geuinge or longe in continuall working Neuer had Iohn séene the heyghte bredth and length of thys wonderfull cytie for our vniuersall comfort had he not ben raysed vp by the secret purpose of God into the mountayne of thys spirite inestimable hyght and great 11 After thys measured the Angell the wall of the cytie and it came fully to an hundred and .xliiii. cubites whych is .xii. tymes .xii. in number as we had afore here in the vii and xiiii Chapiters And it cōprehendeth the whole number of the elect multitude only for the vniuersall perfectnesse thereof A cubytte after the common sorte is in length but a foote an half but after the course of Geometry it is six times so much which commeth too .ix. foote iustly Nowe an hundreth and .xliiii. cubites wanteth after the first rekening CC. and .ix foote of a furlonge And after the rules of Geometrye it passeth not .xlvi. foote more than ii furlonges which stretcheth nothing towardes .xii. thousande furlonges Therefore we may not here reken the cubytes wyth the furlonges after a worldly sorte but we must spiritually measure them accordinge to the scriptures So that they maye agrée togither after the meaning of the mystery the course with the gifte and the workinge wyth the power The cubyte of a man is the fore parte of hys arme wyth the hande and it betokeneth here in mistery Iesus christ whych is the strong arme of the father To whome is the arme of the Lord knowen sayth Esaye and Iohn or who perceyueth the power of hys worde Such might saieth Mary sheweth he in hys arme as will scatter abrod his obstinate enimies That hande is he wher with god created al things in the beginning In this arme hath he redemed hys people the posteritie of Iacob and Ioseph With thys hande preserueth he them in the life that can not fayle whome the enymies hath marked out vnto cruell death Through the myghty power of this arme shall most terrible feare and dred lighte vpon the wycked at the latter daye After thys cubyte must they be measured whych are of this spiritual building specially they that are the wall therof as the Godly preachers princes maiestrates and other lawefull ministers Agréeable to his doctrine ought theyr conuersatyon to be in all poyntes As hys true minysters should they shewe them selues in méekenesse konwledge longe sufferaunce in loue vnfayned in the worde of truth in the power of GOD by the armoure of rightuousnesse and so forth Necessary is it for thē to do on Iesus Christ to walke worthely in theyr vocaciō obseruing the vnytie of the spirite in the yoke of peace As the chosē holy and welbeloued of God to take vpon them a tender pyttie kyndnesse lowlynesse softnesse swifte forgiuing wyth other fruites of the spirite acknowledging alwaye Christs for theyr onely wysdom rightuousnesse and redemption for theyr kéeper sauer and stronge bulwarke of defēce Thus in this spirituall rekeninge is it to be considered that by the furlonges is the cytie measured and by the cubytes the wall the furlonges comprehendyng them that haue runne in the true course of a christiā lyfe and the cubites them that haue iustly ministred the power of Christes worde and doctrine Some writers haue taken the one sort here for martiers for valiauntlye performinge their moste sharp course and the other for them that haue peaceably rested in Christ. But I am contented here wyth my coniecture consideringe there haue bene martiers in both the afore named degrées And as for the vnequalnesse of length in the furlonges cubits it onely respecteth the persons or peoples among whom the people taught haue excéeded the teachers in number y◠cōmunalty the gouernours and the flocke the shepardes or els the gentyls the Iewes Yet are they both twelue both great whole perfect vniuersal numbers one Hierusalem or one perfect kingdōe of Christ. Thus doth also the xii twelues corresponde to the xii thousandes as the Iewes to the gētyles in one faith though their limites were much larger extēding to the endes of the world and are made one shepefolde or flocke Christ being one shepeherde of saluatiō to thē both 12 Consequently the golden measure which the Angell had was much after the measure that man customably vseth And this signifieth that the word of god which measureth all thinges perteyninge to hys churche is geuen vnto vs vnder such worldly similitudes likilihodes as we are beste acquainted with for our weaknesse sake Not onely in thys reuelation but also in all other bookes of the scriptures doth the holy ghost at his appoyctment alure vs to hys kingdōe by the example and parables of such thinges as we haue in dayly custome As of mountaynes gardens welspringes vyneyardes fygge trées tabernacles temples buyldynges maryages stewards vyrgyns merchādise tyllynge haruest talentes pearles nettes suppers shéepe lambes lyghte wheate salte gootes doues serpentes menne keyes lanternes swerdes roddes trauelinge women mustarde séede beastes and here of furlonges and cubytes wyth such other lyke and all to make vs to perceyue them Nowe sée we onely by such darke simylitudes But in the regeneratyon whan all thynges is cleare shall we haue néede of no such nyght shaddowes wythout vayle or coueryng shall we then sée and béeholde our Lorde God as he
by my onely reuelation or shewing whiche am the eternall spouse of the church hath he receiued them to their singular health and comforte 3 And as cōcerning me without faile I am the originall roote or grounde of saluation in Dauid after the word and after the flesh I am of his stocke or generation For in mée are fulfilled all promises of health that euer god made for that faythfull housholde By mee had Dauid his beginning for I made him and by me shall he and all other true Israelites in him haue for euer a glorious continuaunce for I saued them in that fleshe 4 To all them which walke after Dauids fayth am I the bright mornyng starre of grace remouyng the filthye cloudes of errour The shyning clearenesse of godly vnderstanding finishing the darke night of ignoraunce I bring with me the day of mercy health and rightuousnesse and the Sabboth of full reconciliation to God I giue light vnto them that sate in darkenesse directing their féete in the path way of peace 5 For my worde is spirite and veritie resurrection and lyfe And where as it shyneth in the hartes of mortall men it maketh them the children of light To séeke vnto this necessarye light the eternall spirite of God the holy Ghost dayly moueth and prouoketh by many inwarde callings vpon saying alwayes 6 Come with a sincere fayth Drawe nygh vnto him and be lightened and your frayle consciences shall neuer be confounded Resorte vnto him all you that are loaden and he shall refreshe you The bryde or congregation of the Lorde thus taught sturred and prycked forewarde of his spirite sayth also in hyr heart euermore with a feruent desyre Oh come my moste delectable spouse lord Iesus Christ my health ioye and swéetnesse Apply that the immortall glory of the chosen children of God may be séene of all creatures iniquitie cōdempned for euer Accomplish the mariage appointed from the worlds beginning Permit the prepared spouse with hir appoynted number to enter into thy eternall tabernacle of rest 7 Moreouer sayth the Lord whatsoeuer they be that shall heare and beleue this prophecie let them desire the consummation therof and so conforme them selues vnto Christ his church saying also 8 Come moste mercifull sauiour and redéemer and fulfill the godly promyses of this booke to the eternall comforte of man Make hast to the iudgement seat for a full deliuerance of the whole chosen number that thy seruaunts may be where as thou art in perfecte glory and ioy 9 Fynally let him sayth the Lorde that in faith is a thirst or that hath in him a desire to be saued hast him selfe forewarde and come also Let hym onely beleue For the plentuous fountaynes of the lyuyng waters mencioned afore are withholden from no seruaunt of God Nothing is denyed vnto him that asketh in fayth In prayer are all spiritual commodities graūted 10 Whosoeuer therfore hath a wil◠conformable vnto Gods will let hym take fréely without price or payment without satisfaction or merite the pleasaunt water of the lyfe for euer refreshing hys soule in the plentuousnesse thereof 11 Of grace and fauour is saluation in Christ layde forth Onlye is héere required but a will to séeke for it Not that it shall so be deserued For neyther is it of hym that willeth nor yet of him that runneth But the gracious Lorde whiche calleth men to these waters putteth into thē a stomake thirst desire to couet them Yea he mynistreth strēgth to the séeking of thē least some of the glory therof shuld remayn vnto their deseruings and not all to his mercy alone Thus standeth the doctrine of our worke braggers voyde which neither féedeth nor satisfieth considering that not for our rightuous doings but alone for his owne mercyes sake hath he saued vs. The text 1 But I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the vvordes of prophecie of this booke 2. if any man shall adde vnto these things 3. God shall adde vnto him the plagues 4. that are vvrittē in this booke 5. And if any man shall mynish of the vvordes of the booke of thys prophecie 6. God shall take avvay hys parte out of the booke of life 7. and out of the holy citie 8. from the things vvhich are vvritten in this booke 9. He vvhich testifieth these things sayeth 10. Yea 11. I come quickely 12. Amen 13. Euē so 14. come lord Iesus 15. The grace of our Lorde Iesus 16. be vvith you all 17. Amen The Commentary 1 As my dutie is sayeth saint Iohn to premonish afore hande I faithfully proteste by this my present testimony vnto all those men that shall hereafter receyue the wordes of this wonderful prophecy here written in thys booke eyther by reading or hearing 2 That if any of them shall presumptuously take vpon him to adde any thing thervnto in purpose to peruert the truth or cōtrary to the holy ghostes meaning as Carpocras Hebion Cerinthus and other antichristes hath done with the other scriptures 3 Be certayn and sure of it that the eternall god from whom nothing can be hid shal adde vnto him for so doing the most terrible and woful plages regestred afore in thys worke 4 That is to say he shall suffer him to runne in to moste déepe errours giue him ouer for euer into the sinne against the holy ghost whervpon all other plages of dampnation dependeth Ye shall put nothing sayth the Lorde vnto the worde that I haue giuen you neither shall ye take any thing from it Put thou nothinge vnto his sayinges sayth Salomō of thine owne imaginytion least he reproue thée for a dāpnable liar Nothing is this against thē which by the other scriptures and histories doth expounde thys reuelacyon to make it to theyr vnderstandynge more playne For than should Saynt Augustyne saint Hierome Isydorus Beda Rabanus dyuers other great pillars of the church be vnder these plages for doeing that charitable office So should also the doctrine of this booke be against it self in the .xiii. chapter where as libertie is giuen to hym that hath writ to count the number of the beast in other places els But this is here spoken from them that corrupteth the text to mayntaine their blasphemous lyes for aduauntage or that séeketh to blemish the right sence therof least men should behold thē in their right colours as the wicked papists hath don euer since their begīning so drownning the authoritie maiestie thereof 5 Moreouer sayth saynt Iohn if any mortall man shal presume to deminish the wordes contayned in the volume of this heauenly Prophecye vnreuerently so controuling the wysdome of God 6 The sayd omnypotent god and reuenger of al vngodlinesse shall clerely wype away his porcion out of the booke of lyfe so that he shal be none of theyr number whych are predestinated to the glory of his children 7 Neyther shall such be alowed for cityzens with the saintes in the holy cōgregation of hys newe Hierusalem nor yet be accepted
for hys shousholde seruauntes enioying the swéet coÌ„modyties mencioned in thys booke as pertayning to hys peculyar people 8 Lyke as are the bewtyfull trée of lyfe wyth his manyfolde fruites and leaues of wholsomnesse the swéet running ryuer of the lyuing waters and the holy citye sufficiently discribed afore with such other els None that contendeth for a mastry saith Paule shal be crowned vnlesse hée contende lawfully Arrius toke away from the tenth of Iohn this setence I the father are one Photinus added this clause to the gospell as a voyce froÌ„ the father I giue vnto Iesu his original of Mary And both their inteÌ„tes were to destroy our faith concerning christs godhede lyke as the papystes doth also our iustificacyon in hys bloude vnlesse we haue theyr lowsie masses merites A lyke adiuratioÌ„ to this hath Hireneus in the ende of his octonarie requiring al them that shal coppy out that booke to doo it truly as they will aunswers it béefore god their rightuous iudge In like case doth saint Hierome before the abreuiacioÌ„s of Eusebius chronicle coÌ„mauÌ„d that in anye wyse the veritie therof be dilygently reserued So doth also Cyrillus the Gréeke in the preface of his prophecy vnto Ioachim Abbas desiring the writings therof in no case to be corrupted of il writers which diuers other 9 In confirmatioÌ„ of the I haue sayd afore saith S. Iohn the eternall son of god which hath ratified these former things with his mighty word saith here also as one subscribing to it 10 Yea it is so or els thus Like as thou hast said Iohn shal these blasphemers here after finde it the presumeth eyther to adde or to deminish froÌ„ these scriptures for any carnall purpose 11 And to perform the promyse of thyne I wyll not long tarry I come by by to reward the wicked which swift dampnatioÌ„ for not beleuing the truth For nowe are the last dayes the endes of the worlde yea the very laste houre Ready is the Lord sayth saint Peter to iudge the quicke and dead and the ende of all things is at hande 12 Sainct Iohn hearing this of hys mercifull Lorde and sauiour lifte vp his heade and handes towardes heauen as one desirous of the perfourmaunce of Gods appoynted will and of the full deliuerance of the faythfull he sayde Amen Or be it fulfilled in effect For that is the thing which my soule dayly desireth and inwardly coueteth to the full manifestation of thy glorious kingdome 13 Consequently in the voyce of the whole congregation cryeth Iohn as did Symeon the iust Yea euen so might it be as thou hast here promised that thou mightest come out of hande 14 Oh come most merciful redemer gracious Lord Iesu Christ to iudge the vniuersall worlde Come come or hie thée hether apace to seperate the wheate from the chaffe and the lambes from the Goates so bringing them into thy eternall tabernacle Wo is mée that my banishmeÌ„t endureth so long I dwelling in the tabernacles of the sorowfull My soule hath a thurstie desire for God the fountaine of lyfe Oh whan shall I come and beholde hys face Lyke are we to those faythfull seruaunts which wayte for the return of their Lorde from the wedding very ready to open at his knocking 15 The grace of our mercifull Lorde Iesus Christ sayth saynct Iohn wherby commeth saluation to them that truly beléeueth bée with you all so many as are of that godlye expectation and desire 16 Or the fauour mercy and acceptation of God the father through his blessed death euermore preserue you in the vnitie of his godly spirite that yée may hereafter in this holye citie bée partakers of his gloryous heritage in the worlde to come 17 Let all them say Amen vnto this which myndeth the glory of the Lorde vnfaynedly So be it A conclusion of the vvhole vvorke HEre hast thou good christian reader to thy soules consolation from the eternall Trinitie the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost three distincte persons in one euerlasting godhead the vniuersall estate of the church from Christes ascencion to the ende of the world in wonderfull mysteries discrybed directed vnto thee of him by the most holy Apostle and Euangelist Saint Iohn Wherein it is fully by all due circumstances manifested of the sayde holy Ghost what the innocent Christian church is with all hir iustifications blessings to the singular comforte of the Lords true electes and what the proude Synagoge of Antichrist is with hyr filthy superstitions and plagues to their fore warning also This is specially done here of the sayde holy ghost that no true beleuer should professe him selfe a citizen of this wretched world with Cain Nemroth other reprobate vessels at the execrable doctrine of men but at the pure voyce of God with Abell and Abraham to seeke for that heaueÌ„ly heritage which is purchased for them in Christes bloud Marke heere the condition of Iohn being in most paynefull exile for he in misterie through all this booke representeth euery godly beleuer By this shall ye well knowe in this reuelation the one church from the other for the one is mayntayned by the onely preaching of Gods pure worde the other by all kyndes of Iewishe ceremonyes and heathenish superstitions And by this they also differ that Christ wold haue all of loue Antichrist of tyrannous constraint as euidently appeareth in Mahomete and the Pope For that only cause are many necessary thynges here written in mysterie that they should bee hid from the worldly wyse Hypocrites and that the iust or Gods meeke spirited seruauÌ„ts should aske them of their Lorde in fayth and prayer In the which dayly prayer is that most worthy minister of God Kyng Henry the eight afore all other to thée remembred which hath so sore wounded the beast that he may before his departure or Prynce Edwarde after him throw all his supersticions into the bottomlesse lake agayne froÌ„ whence they haue commen to the comforte of his people The grace and peace dyrected from God the Father his Son Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost in the beginning of this reuelatyon be vnto all them which vnfaynedly loue hys veritie Amen ¶ Printed at London by Thomas East Apoc. 22. 1. Cor. 6. Rom. 12 Apoc. 1. Apoc. 22. Apoc. 4. 1. Iohn 5. Mat. 16. Apoc. 14. Hebr. 7. Apoc. 1. Iohn 7. Apoc. 21. Apoc. 18. Apoc. 15. Ephe. 5. Apoc. 21. Apoc. 17. Apoc. 2. VVhy this booke is called the Image of both churches Apoc. 11. Apoc. 18. 2. Pet. 3. 2. Timo. 3. Eccle. 2. 1. Pet 5. Ephe. 6. A brief sum is this boke of the whol scriptures Luc. 24. Esay 9. Apoc. 21. Ephe. 4. Iohn 16. Hebr. 2. Apoc. 18. Col. 1. Apoc. 4. Apoc 12. Apoc. 21. Ephe. 3. August Apoc. 21. Hier. 50. Iohn 5. Mat. 7. Mat. 13. Rom. 15. Luce. 10. Iohn 21. Apoc. 1. Iohn 12. Apoc. 22. Gilbertus porreâ—a Mat. 25. Lucc 11 Mat. 5. Mark 4. Iacobus faber super Dionisium VVhat
THE IMAGE of both Churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly Reuelation of sainct Iohn the Euangelist contayning a very fruitfull exposition or Paraphrase vpon the same Wherin it is conferred vvith the other scriptures and most auctorised histories Compyled by Iohn Bale an exyle also in thys lyfe for the faithfull testimony of Iesu. Goe ye out of Sodome for the Lord will destroy that Citie Gen. 19. Come away my people least ye be partakers of hir sinnes Apoc. 18. Flee from filthie Babilon and go cleane away from the lande of the Caldees Hier. 50. ¶ Printed at London by Thomas East ¶ A Preface vnto the Christian Reader SO highly necessary good Christian Reader is the knowledge of S. Iohns Apocalips or Reuelation whether thou wilt to him that is a true member of Christes church as of any other booke of the sacred Byble For in none of them all are the faythfull diligent hearers and readers more blessed nor more liuely so declared obseruing the contentes thereof thē in this one booke No wher is it more clerely specified the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to bee one euerlastyng God and Iesus Christ to be the eternall sonne of that lyuing Father which are the fyrst and chiefe groundes of our Christian faith then here No where is the durable kingdome and priesthoode of the sayde Iesus Christ more plentuously spred more playnly proued and more largely vttered thē in this holy oracle No where is the doctryne of healthe more purely taught fayth more throughly commēded nor yet rightuousnesse more highlye rewarded then heere No where are heresies more earnestly condempned blasphemous vices more vehemētly rebuked nor yet their iuste plagues more fiercelye threatened then in this compendious worke Herein is the true christian church which is the meeke spouse of the Lambe without spot in hir right fashyoned colours discribed So is the proud church of hypocrites the rose coloured whore the paramour of Antichrist and the sinfull sinagoge of Sathan in hir iuste proporcion depaynted to the mercifull forewarning of the Lordes electes And that is the cause why I haue here intituled thys booke the Image of both Churches Neyther heere spareth the holy Ghost theyr hypocrisie nor pryde their Idolatrie nor whoredome theyr couetousnesse nor most cruell tyranny with theyr other outragious myscheues No he toucheth them so nyghly that we should the better know them and be the more ware of them that he sheweth them to be such a spirituall sorte as maketh dayly marchaundise of the bodyes and soules of men Let vs neuer looke to haue a more open marke of that wicked generation take heede of them if we lust He that will lyue godly in Christ and be a pacyent sufferer He that will stande in Gods feare prepare him selfe to temptacyon He that will be stronge when aduersitie shall come auoyde all assaultes of Antichrist and the diuill let him giue him selfe wholly to the study of this prophecy Not one necessary poynt of beleife is in all the other scriptures that is not heere also in one place or other The very complet summe and whole knitting vp is this heauēly booke of the vnyuersall verities of the Bible All that Moyses taught in the lawe Dauid in the Psalmes and the Prophetes in theyr wrytinges concernyng Christes spyrituall kyngdome both here aboue meete for thys present knowledge are heerein briefly comprehended So is hys eternall vyctory for vs ouer sinne death hell and the dyuill with hys perpetuall cleerenesse aucthoritie and empyre world without ende compendiously here expressed Hee that knoweth not thys booke knoweth not what the church is whereof he is a member For herein is the estate thereof from Christes ascention to the ende of the world vnder pleasaunte figures and elegant tropes decyded no where els throughly but heere the tymes alwayes respected He that delighteth not to beholde the condition of his own citie is therevnto no louing citizen And after the true opinion of sainct Austen eyther wee are citizens in the new Hierusalem with Iesus Christ or els in the old supersticious Babylon with Antichrist the vicar of sathā He that with diligēce shall serch that matter specially in this presēt reuelatiō shal throughly perceiue the certaintie thereof Consider the dignytie and worthinesse of this most precious Iewel that the Lord hath left here to our cōsolatiō Fyrst God the eternall father gaue it vnto Christ his welbeloued sonne in our māhood Christ now glorified committed it vnto the holy Ghost which is here called an Angell or messenger The holy Ghost deliuered it vnto Iohn the peculiarly beloued disciple of Iesu. And Iohn last of all lefte it with the vnyuersall church to theyr christian eruditiō Mark now if any other treatise of the sacred Bible had euer so worthy a foreward setting forth This is not that it should be altogither neglected and not looked vpon No man lighteth a candle sayth Christ and conueyeth it vnder a bushell that men should not see therby Neuer was this gracious gift giuen of God to be hidden as it hath bene of longe tyme but to be opened to all the congregations A more necessary doctrine to the christian erudition is not in the whole scriptures all cyrcumstaunces considered For besides all that is afore expressed it containeth the vniuersal troubles persecutions and crosses that the church suffred in the primatyue spring what it suffreth now and what it shall suffer in the latter tymes by the subtile satellytes of Antichrist which are the cruell mēbers of Sathā It manifesteth also what premyes what crownes and what glory the sayd cōgregatiō shall haue after this present conflict with the enimyes that the promysed rewardes myght quicken the hartes of those that the tormēts feareth A prophecye is this Apocalips called and is much more excellent thē all the other prophecies Lyke as the lyght is more precious then the shadowe the veritie then the figure the new testament then the olde and the gospell then the lawe so is this holy oracle more precyous then they That Esay Hieremie Ezechiell Danyell Oseas with all the other Prophets warneth afore hande to follow concerning Christ and hys churche this mystery declareth effectually fulfilled It is a full clerenesse to all the cronicles and most notable histories which hath bene written since Christes ascension opening the true natures of their ages tymes and seasons He that hath store of them and shall diligentlye serch them ouer conferring the one with the other time with tyme and age with age shal perceyue most wonderfull causes For in the text are they onely proponed in effecte and promised to folow in their seasons and so ratified with the other scriptures but in the cronicles they are euidently seene by all ages fulfilled Yet is the text a lyght to the cronycles and not the cronicles to the text Unto
though he had ben killed 13 which had seuen hornes 14 and seuen eyes which are the seuen spirits of God sent vnto all the worlde 15. And hee came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sate vpon the seat The Paraphrase AFter the forsayde vysion I saw saieth saint Iohn in the right hande or mighty power and wyll of hym that sate on the throne with maiestye a wonderfull Booke in the which both man and Angell were desirous to looke This booke is Gods heauenly ordinance contayning not onely all that hath bene created of God visible and inuisible but also the vniuersall contents of the holy scripture This boke hath the mercifull Lorde prouided that men should know him partly by his creatures partly by his Scriptures This booke he hath in his right hand For heauen he measureth with his spanne and the whole world he comprehendeth vnder his three â—ingers In his hande or power is the vniuersal earth bothe hills valleyes At his onely wil pleasure is the sincere vnderstanding of the scriptures and true interpretacion of the same 2 This booke is written within without The world coÌ„tayneth creatures visible and inuisible powers open hidden that men in theÌ„ should reade and vnderstand that there is a liuing God and that they should acknowledge him and worship him as the Lorde and creator of all The holy scripture hath hir figure history hir mistery and veritie hir parable plaine doctrine her night and day her letter and sence her voyce and word her flesh and spirit her shadow and cleare light her death and lyfe her law and gospell her Moyses and Christ to bring all men also vnto the knowledge of God 3 But that Booke is surely sealed with seauen stronge seales from the fleshlye vnderstanding of man not hauinge the spirite of Christ that he can neither vse the creatures of God a right nor yet perceiue the Scriptures according to their true meanning Muche hath the doctours fantasied of these seuen claspes or spearynges of thys booke wythout the aucthoritie of Gods word calling theÌ„ all maner of obscurities darkenesses Where as in verie déed they are nothing els but the strong and vnuariable decrée or set diffinition of God before the constitucion of the world that none should be able to read rightly therin nor know the iust meaning therof without the spirit of his sonne and vnles it be méekly asked in faith And this one decrée of god so oft locketh vp these heaueÌ„ly secrets froÌ„ maÌ„ as it findeth hym carnall couetous wilfull blinde malicious proude and false with such other lyke The number of seuen doeth onely respect the opening of the seales in all ages For in euery age hath God opened the trueth vnto some Godly men by his spirite with Abell and Enoch with Noe and Sem with Abraham and Iob with Moyses and Samuel with Dauid and Helias with Hieremie and Daniel with Iohn Baptist Peter 4 And I sawe sayeth S. Iohn a strong Angell which betokeneth euerie faithful minister of gods word coueting all men to be taught of god and sending them only vnto Christ for they are the Angels of the Lorde of hostes Which Angell cryed with a loude voyce with an earnest zeale of the glorie of God and with a feruent desire of his neighbours health 5 Who is worthie to opeÌ„ this booke and to vndoo the claspes thereof As though he should say None but he alone Séeke him therfore that he may open it vnto you els are yée lyke alwayes to be blynde foolishe and vnlearned lyers before the Lord séeme ye neuer so wyse eloquent and well learned in the sight of men 6 And in déede no man was founde able to doe it neyther in heauen nor in earth nor vnder the earth yet was there a diligent search made many did attempt it The Angels that by apostasie fell from God when they were in heauen wrought maistryes about it And in the earth héere the Philosophers among the Gentiles the religious fathers amoÌ„g the Iewes the Pharisies and Scribes the lawyers and priests and amoÌ„g the Christians the false Apostles Antichrists the Sophisters and Papists the sectes and scoole doctors with all the worldly wyse hath craftily compassed the thing Yea the messeÌ„gers of Sathan whose dampnation is certayne subtily to perswade and fraudelently to deceiue the innocent soules haue also done their parte But what hath folowed After their vayne enterpryse they haue bene so astonyed at the maiestie or sight of the booke that neyther were they able to open it nor yet to looke thervpon So high were the mysteries thereof so vnserchable the iudgements so inuestigable the wayes therevnto 7 And I fell in sore wéeping sayth Sainct Iohn muche dolour was it to my heart to see that none was found worthie no creature able neyther Angell nor man good spirit nor diuil to open and to read the booke which is cléerely to know the will of God therein nor yet once to looke therevpon that is sincerely to perceyue the least veritie coÌ„tayned therin No creature vnderstanding could attayn vnto it All were ignorant all darke all blynde 8 And as I was thus mournyng one of the elders euen Iacob by name comforted mée with his prophecie of Iuda Esay Micheas Esdras bearing witnesse to the same 9 These with other ascertained me that he was the Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda which should ouercome the world haue the victorie ouer death and hell for in déed they with Abraham sawe it a farre of and much reioysed He is the strong inuincible Lyon that subdued the prince of this world tooke from him the pray and hathe deuyded the spoyle 10 He is the verie roote of Dauid the ground and originall cause of all godly promises made vnto him of deliuerance victorie and raygne and alone in him are they fulfilled Only hath he obtayned by his death resurrection and ascension to make open the hydden mysteries of thys booke or whole ordinaunce of God and to loose the seuen seales thereof or to take away the vniuersall impediments wherby the said booke could in no case be séene as is carnalitie ignorance darkenesse blindenesse wilfulnesse couetousnesse malice hypocrisie lyes with such lyke So was it afore speared by the decrée of God that none could reade in it till he remoued the vntowardnesse from their heartes 11 All this I beheld saieth S. Iohn and as I looked further I sawe that in the midst of the seate which is the vniuersall congregation of God of the foure beasts which are the constaunt ministers of his worde also in the middest of the auncient elders whych hath bene the sincere witnesses of hys veritie since the beginning 12 There stood a fayre méeke most innocent Lambe as though he had bene newly slain I knew that Christ was this Lambe for he was wounded for
trusting vpon longer continuance whan they sée his heade restored agayne in their rulers the godly teachers burned and the preachers put to silence 5 They worship also the beaste so many as worshipped the DragoÌ„ For as they which worship Christ worship his father also so they the worship Antichrist agréeing to his lawes and decrées doth also worship the diuil of whom he receiued his pryde They wonder with the Iewes that séeketh cauilations to coÌ„teÌ„pne Christes doctrine as doth the filthie family of the dotyng dodipolles priestes vnlerned lawyers They worship with the HeatheÌ„ that admitteth their power and alloweth their faces as doeth the foolysh multitude that neuer will be godly wyse None other iudgement remayneth in these dayes to these wonderers and worshippers of the newlye restored head of the beast then did vnto them that with double deuotioÌ„ agréed to the abhominatioÌ„s of Mahomet the pope 6 And this will be their saying as foloweth in the text spoken in the time past for the certaintie of the thing as the maner of the scripture is 7 Who is lyke vnto the beaste in outward glittering workes or in the externo obseruations of counterfayt religion 8 Who is able to war with hir the worldly powers now so déeply maintainiÌ„g hir quarel All seketh the papists that they can in the world imagine to vpholde the glory magnificence and beautie of their holy whorish church or malignauÌ„t muster No cautels nor craftes leaue they vnsought nor vnsearched out to cause the people to estéeme hyr of incoÌ„parable power No small labour tooke standyshe in hand in Whittington College when he made his more theÌ„ foolish booke of reproch against Barnes being dead Nor no lesseÌ„ diligeÌ„ce the wise poet Iohn HuÌ„tiÌ„gtoÌ„ wheÌ„ he registred in his genealogy of heritikes with out grace wit learning the names onely of such godly men as were the Popes enimyes no heretike agaynst God once mentioned No more dyd Thomas Smith Richard Dallison WilliaÌ„ Stawne SteueÌ„ Prowet Fryer AdriaÌ„ Quarrie the Pardoner with suche other blynde Popish Poetes and dyrtye metristes when they vttered theyr shitton rymes and poesies And sure I am that many moe be yet abroade of the same wicked zeale and spirite to the great blasphemie both of God and his trueth now that the beastes wounde is made whole agayne by so many new actes so many new titled Bishops so fresh sale of benifices maisterships and dignities spiritual offices degrées and aucthorities as pleÌ„tuous as euer was in Rome And least we should be depryued of our new pleasaunt Euphrates and so bée compelled by the word of God to follow the Monks Chanons Nunnes and Fryers in theyr banyshments We haue procured certaine actes to be made for our commoditie and those only to be published among the people once in a quarter or so oft as shall please vs to blemishe all Godly preachings of the scriptures Thus séeke we our selues and not God our owne strength and not his our owne glorie and not Iesus Christs But let vs not thynke that he sléepeth with Baall the false God knowyng the most hydden thoughtes of the harte but that he will within shorte space sende foorth his lightnyngs and scater vs brynging our heathenishe deuises to nought For the kyngdome of one faith in vs and the Pope thus manifestly in certayne points deuyded must surely decay THE TEXT 1 And there vvas giueÌ„ vnto him a mouth 2. to speake great things and blasphemies 3. And povver vvas giuen vnto him to doe xlij moneths 4. And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dvvell in heauen 5. And it vvas gyuen vnto him to make vvarre vvith the Sainctes 6. and to ouercom them 7. And povver vvas giuen him ouer all kinreds tongue nacion 8. And all that dvvelt vpon the earth vvorshipped him 9. vvhose names are not vvritteÌ„ in the booke of life 10. of the lambe 11. vvhich vvas killed from the beginning of the vvorld 18. If any man haue an eare let him heare 13. he that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie 14. Hee that killeth vvith a svvearde must be killed vvith a svvearde 15. Heere is the patience and the faith of the sainctes The Paraphrase 1 To this beast saith sainct Iohn was giuen a mouth not of God but of Sathan to speake great mightie things and blasphemies So well is this spoken of the one as the other so many as hath done vpon the Antichrstâ—s liuery title power aucthoritie or name When the veritie of the Lord was opened before them they gaue no thankes for it but became vaine in their thoughts wherfore god gaue them ouer into a leude mynde darkening their hartes So that now thinking them selues wise they appeare more foolish then afore 2 Now speake they great thyngs in their conuocations seanes sermons and all are sore blasphemyes against God his Christ. Now must they serue God by most straite commaundement with olde Romish beggerry though he most highly abhorreth it no scriptures may be reade in the time thereof For the scriptures must onely passe as we wil haue theÌ„ How shuld the beasts hed els be healed again or howe should our church be known els to be his own Image Oh beastly abhominatioÌ„ most hellish decree Now must Christ be takeÌ„ for no sauior at all wtout our deseruiÌ„gs The supper of the lord that was somtime a mutual perticipatioÌ„ of Christes body and bloud must now be a new crucifying of him one traitour playing al parts Iudas Annas Caiphas Herode Pylate the Iews Matrimony must be iudged vncleanes though it be the earnest institutioÌ„ of god No popish vow may be dissolued though it be well knowen a matter so diuilish as hath made an huÌ„dreth thousaÌ„d Sodmites The Eucharisti may not be receiued in both kindes though it be the expresse commaundement of Christ so to bée vsed Without the blynde bussings of a Papist may no sinne be soluted for that is the vpholdyng of their kyngdome with many other lyke blasphemies Certayne other great thyngs are vttered by thys mouth whiche now I passe ouer least I shoulde bée tedious to the reader How be it thys one great blasphemy that is spokeÌ„ I can not leaue vntouched Where as they boast them selues yet still alone to be the holy church by the onely vertue of theyr vnctions and shauings receiued first of the Pope the laitie secluded And vnder thys most falsely vsurped title they will still be taken for the redéemers of mens soules For they say that their masses are satisfactorie sacrifices for the quicke and the deade iustifying reléeuing and sauing them both from dampnation ex opere operato And ouer that abhominable swarme of Antichristes filthie ministers make they nowe their Kyngs the heades most blasphemouslye onely to be by them vpholden now in all their mischiues Truth it is that a king is the politique head supreme gouernour great stay vnder God of the people
wonder For they are so blinded with hyr foppryes tangled with hir toies that they iudge all that she doth holy religeous and perfect And al this suffereth God for their vnbeleues sake destroyinge neuerthelesse the wysdome of the wise and prudence of the prudent in his 13 Hir very name agréeing to hir fruites is this Great BabiloÌ„ in mischiefe far aboue the citie of the ChaldeaÌ„s and much more full of confusion For shée is the originall mother the cause the bginnyng the roote the spryng and the fountaine of all spirituall fornications and in a maner of all fleshly abhominations also done vpon the earth This is to the faithfull sort as a written name of hir euident cleare open and manifeste But to the vnfaithfull it is onely as a mistery hidden darke obscure and neclect For so are the secrets that God openeth to babes hydeth from the wise 14 And I saith Iohn perceiued it euidentlye in my fore vnderstandinge that this woman the very wife of the deuill and of his beastly body for the bysshâ—ps are the husbandes of theyr romyshe churches was all dronken in the bloudy slaughter of the Saincts or ernest christian beléeuers and in the excéedinge tyrannous murther of the faithfull witnesses of Iesu or sincere preachers of his word For neither of both she spareth Besides all Godlye wisdome is she and forgetfull of hyr selfe through this same blouddye dronknes so great exces hath she takeÌ„ 15 And when I perceyued and sawe hir with all hir adders whelpes so beastyshe sayth saynt Iohn with exceading wonder I marueyled Not only that she was thus ouerset with bloud drinking or outragious murthering of inocentes but also of hyr excéeding great abhominacions 16 And most of all I wondered that the almighty God could with so much paciâ—nce suffer hir in such mischiefe The texte 1 And the Angell sayde vnto me 2. Wherefore merueilest thou 3. I wyll shew thee the misterye of the woman and of the beast that beareth hyr which hath seauen heades and ten hornes 4. The beast that thou seeste was 5. And is not 6. And shall ascende out of the bottomlesse pit 7. And shall goe into perdicion 8. And they that dvvel on the earth shal vvoÌ„der 9 whose names are not vvritteÌ„ in the booke of lyfe from the beginninge of the vvorld 10. vvhen they beholde the beaste that was and is not The Paraphrase 1 And as I was thus with my selfe marueilynge the Angell or afore named decrée of the Lord sayde vnto me these words 2 Wherfore doest thou thus maruel thou mortall man 3 For thy gentle and méeke expectation I shall shew vnto thée the mystery of this wretched woman and of the cruell beaste that beareth hir whiche hath seauen heades and ten hornes By this shalt thou know the true churche from the â—alse the iust preachers from the hipocrites the sincere doctrine from their subtile sophismes their lawful authority from their cruelly vsurped presumcions For that sheweth the Lord vnto his electes that he will not haue knowne of all men 4 The execrable beast or carnal kiÌ„gdom of Antichrist which thou hast sene here in mistery was as concerninng his beginning in Caine first of al so continue forth in the fleshly children of men in the chaplaines of Pharao Hieroboam Baal and Bel in the cruell bishopes pristes and lawiers with such other like til the death of Christ and so forth 5 And now the said beast is not in power and authority as he hath bene For in Iohns time certayn yeares before the writing of this reuelacion was the proud clergy of the Iewes vtterly destroyed by Titus and Uespasian in the terrible siege of Hierusalem Notwithstanding yet shal this beaste rise againe in the Romishe Pope and Mahomet and in their false prelates and doctours 6 He shal assend out of the bottomles pit from the stinking denne of sathan exalting him selfe in worship aboue al that is called God But in the conclsiuon he shall haue an end 7 Into perdicion shal he go without fail The Lorde shall firste vtter his wickednesse as now in this age and than with the spirit of his mouth consume him and destroy him So that his high climing vp shal at the laste be the chefe cause of his fal Yet shal his wicked reÌ„nauÌ„t once again set vp their Christes persecute a fresh but that shal be no full raise vnto hym 8 And the rable of reprobates which dwel on the earth or for earthly commodities conteÌ„neth Gods truth shall wonder once again not without much inward reioyce that their Churche riseth againe out of the olde hipocrisyes 9 Whose names are not registred in Christe which is the large booke of life and hath bene both the life the lyght of men since the first constitucion of the mouable world No they are not numbred amoÌ„g those rightuous that shall raigne with hym in glory 10 These aduersaries of God and his worde shall haue much gladnesse in their wicked hartes whan they beholde the beast thus comminge vp agayne that was of such magnificence and now is but a thinge of noughte that was estéemed aboue GOD and now is proued dampnacion So longe is this beastly Antichriste as he worketh the misterie of iniquitie in the reprobate vesselles and whan he leaueth that workinge than is he no longer Marke in this processe past the nature of GODS eternall decrée for this age of his Church Fyrst it sheweth and than it condempneth the curssed Sinagog of the diuel In signification whereof the true preachers of our time haue manifeâ—â—ly opened hir wickednesse vnto all the worlde wherevpon her vtter destruction must shortely follow Watch good Christian Reader and pray earnestly THE TEXT 1 And here is a minde that hath vvisdome 2. The seauen heades are seuen mountaines 3. Whereon the vvoman sitteth 4. They are also seuen kings 5 Fiue are fallen 6 And one is 7. And the other is not come 8. Whan he commeth he must continue a space 9. And the beast that vvas and is not is euen the eight 10. And is one of the seauen 11. And shall go into destruction The Paraphrase 1 Here is a meaning which comprehendeth wisdom A sincere vnderstanding shal herein be requisit Necessary it is therfore to take héed lest thou holde the harlot and beast for that they boast them selues to be to thy dampnacion 2 The seauen heades of the beast aforemencioned by the plaine diffinicion of the holy ghost are here to be taken for seuen mountaines or the vniuersall princly monarchies of the .vij. climates of the world 3 Upon these the woman that Babilonish harlot Rome from whom hathe issued all spirituall whordome in moste proud maner sitteth hauynge ouer them a vnyuersall domynyon For in Iohns time to Rome was all the worlde subiecte Onder whose cruell reigne was Christe done to death so hath his faythfull members bene euer since by a new raised kingdome in the same 4 These heads are also vii kynges or
abhominations of this whorish church till the words and promises of God by his Apostles and Prophets which can neuer fayle be wholly fulfilled in effecte and till his last iudgemeÌ„t doe finish all But thus doe not all they which haue done of the yoke of the Popes obedyence or blotted out his name For the greater number of them retaineth still the blasphemous obseruacions cerimonies of hys Romish relygyon some making new lawes of deth for the establishmeÌ„t of the same as is in England the acte of the .vj. Articles with diuers other more And for this remayneth here stil the beast as receiuing the rendred kingdome of the whore In whom is also comprehended the wicked remnant that shal worke the last mischiefe whom the Lorde shall ende with his saide iudgement This beast is not without his liuely Image still working the same féetes that him selfe wrought afore though his head be greuouslye wounded in diuers quarters of the world Neyther is he without craftye phisitions to minister life to the same Who euer forswore the Pope more ernestly than did Stokislye and Samson Gardyner and Tunstall Wylson and fryer Wattes with such other holy prelats yet labour they toth and nayle to haue BabiloÌ„ stil BabiloÌ„ Sodome Sodom and Egipt Egipt But maruail not of the ordinance of the Lord which all at on time prouyded Moyses to guide his people yet hardened Pharao against theÌ„ which sent his sonne Iesus Christ to saue them and yet suffered the pristes to murther him considering he is the potter which maketh both the vessels of honouer and dishonour 31 Brifly to conclud the whole of thys matter saith the angel the gorious aparreled woman or glittering church of Antichrist which thou sawest here of late in mistery is also in receÌ„blance the great citty BabiloÌ„ the mother of al the spiritual abhominacions Idolatries don vpon the earth For like as froÌ„ Sion hath the laue coÌ„men forth the word of god from HieruseleÌ„ so hath isswâ—d forth froÌ„ this Babilonish Rome such a false religioÌ„ into Emperours princes peoples as with filthy superstitions hath poysoned all the world 14 For a kingdoÌ„ she hath ouer the kings or noble gouernours of the earth a false power a vsurped authority a seat of very pestelence Alas for pitty that so worthy potentates shoulde bée in subiection to so stinking an whore to so vyle an harlot being so the seruaunts of sinne and captiue slaues to all wickednesse from the whiche the Lorde once deliuer them Amen Thus endeth the second part The Contentes of the seconde parte THe xj Chap. beginneth wherin Iohn measureth the Temple the Aulter and them that worship therein The .ij. witnesses doe their appointed offices the beast making warre against them and sleying them A great Earthquake followeth and the second woe is past The xij Chapter beginneth wherin the seuenth Angell bloweth his trompet In heaueÌ„ appeareth a woman all cloathed with the sun whom the Dragon diuersly vexeth Mychaell fighteth with the Dragon and ouercommeth him The woman flyeth into the wildernesse and there is preserued The xiij Chapter beginneth wherin a beast ryseth out of the sea with seuen heades and ten hornes receyuing authority of the Dragon One of his heades is wounded and healed agayne An other beast commeth out of the earth with .ii. hornes which deceiueth the earthly dwellers and raiseth vp an Image like vnto the beast In the ende is counted the number of the beast The .xiiij. Chapter beginneth wherin the Lambe standeth vpoÌ„ the mount Sion and the vndefiled congregacion with him An Angell sheweth the euerlasting Gospel an other declareth the fal of the great whore An other is commauÌ„ded with his sikle to cut down the grapes of the vineyard The .xv. Chap. beginneth wherein Iohn séeth the seuen Angels hauing the seuen last plages of the wrath of God On the glassy sea standeth men hauing the harpes of God they sing the song of Moyses and the songe of the lambe The tabernacle of testymony is séene in heauen The .xvi. Chapter beginneth where in the seuen Angels power out theyr vials of gods wrath The first vpon the earth The secoÌ„d vpoÌ„ the sea The third vpon the riuers The fourth vpon the suÌ„n The fift vpon the seat of the beast The vj. vpon the great floud Euphrates And the seuenth into the ayre The xvij Chapter beginneth wherin an Angell sheweth vnto Iohn the iudgement of the great whore which sitteth vpon the beast Hée discrybeth both hir and the beast at large Finally he sheweth the meaning both of hys heades and hornes with other great mysteries more The poore persecuted church of christ or immaculate spouse of the Lambe Apoca. 12. The DragoÌ„ was wroth with the woman which fled into the wildernesse and went and made warre with the remnaunt of hir séede which kept the commaundement of god and haue the testimone of Iesus Christ. The proude painted Church of the Pope or sinfull Sinagoge of Sathan Apoca. 17. I sawe woman sitte vpon a Rose coloured beast full of names of blasphemye decked with golde precious stone and pearles with whom the Kinges of the earth committed whordome and the inhabiters of the earth are dronken with the wyne of hir fornication ¶ THE THIRDE parte of the Image of both churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly reuelation of saint Iehn the Euangelist c. Compiled by Iohn Bale Apoca 1. ¶ I Ihon your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdome of pacience which is in Christe Iesu was in the I le of Pathmos for the worde of God A small Preface vnto the Christen Reader FOr so muche as this Image of both churchs or exposition vpon S. Iohns Apocalipsis seemed vnto me as it came vnto the printing to be farre to much for one volume I thought to deuide it by equall porcions into three smal bookes as I haue now done in deede Of whom the firste contayneth x. Chapter the second vii the third v. onely which maketh out the whole number of the xxii Some peraduenture wil maruel that the smaller nuÌ„ber of the chapters should comprehend so much of that commeÌ„tarie as the greater number But if they marke in the text the aboundinge of misteries euermore as the matter thereof aboundeth they will soone leaue their marueiling The nature of this reuelation is the further it goeth the more wonders it sheweth openeth vnto hym that after praier shal in faith reade it and deserne it Neuer therin are the principles well perceiued till the conclusion thervpon folowinge doth playnely with the other scriptures conferred declare them In these v. last chapters are the two churches wherevpon resteth the whole argumeÌ„t of this booke fully by all dew circumstaunces described theÌ„ turned ouer into a moste fearefull and terrible destruction vnder title of the olde whorish Babilon the other obtayning a moste glorious rayse vnder the name of the holy new Hierusalem In the xvijâ— Chapter is that execrable churche of
antichrist with hyr filthye wares and occupings painted out hereof the holye Ghost with hir most horrible fal in the end hir worldly fauours shewing gret heanies and the seruants of God an excedyng reyse In the .xix. Chapter is that reyoice of elect number ouer the tirryble iudgments of that whore much more highly discribed the deth of Christes holy witnesses most plentyously reuenged and how the Angel in no case will of Iohn be worshiped In the .xx. Chapter is the dragon tied vp for a thousand years the chosen sort reigning with Christ. Gog and Magog gather theÌ„ to battayle and are ouercoÌ„men The dead after that ariseth and receiueth iudgement In the xxi Chapter is the church of the chosen or the new Hierusalem prepared to to hir spouse That citie commeth downe from heauen and is of the holy ghoste here after most wonderfull circumstaunces in hir right proportion described In the xxii Chapter the riuer of lyuinge waters proceedeth from the throne of God Iohn sealeth vp the sayinges of this prophecy Christ concludeth what his kingdome is and who shall be therevnto receyued admonishyng that vnto his worde nothing be added of men in payne of dampnation Some hatefull and vngodly blasphemers there are and euer hath bene whiche wyll in no wise this Booke to be of equall authorytie with the other scriptures of christes testament But damnably wretched 〈◊〉 are they in the vaine imaginations of their sinful hâ—rts The most high Theologye and secret wisdome of God the eternall father is the blessed doctrine there of geuen vnto hys onely sonne in our humanytie and after that of him so coÌ„mited vnto Iohn by the holy ghost to be distributed taught by hym to the vniuersal christen coÌ„gregation which is a most sufficient argument of the authoritie therof what so euer mad Momus shall quarrell to the contrary Iames Faber Stapulensis in his preface prefixed to the woorkes of Dionise the Ariopagyt doubted neuer a deale to prefer this heauenly prophesie to all the other writings of the other Apostles confessing that in worthines it farre passed them all the due circumstances there of considered The more nigher saith he the light be to the sun the more strength it hath and the more clernesse it ministreth vnto men But Momus hath not yet done away the madde mistes of his monkery nor yet the darke dregges of his sophistry which both are great blemyshing vneo his eye sight The wisdom of Plato Homerus Cicero auaileth nothing in this Aristotle Uirgil if thei were aliue could herein do little or nothing In estimably more maketh the poore fishers learning to the vnderstanding of these misteryes theÌ„ the prowd painted eloquence or far set resoÌ„s of the philosophers The Lord geue vs grace from the barne of his most plentuous scriptures to fetche the fat feedyng of our feble hungry soules that we may by theÌ„ obtayne his strength into the lyfe euerlasting The third part of the Image of both chruches after the most wonderfull heauenly reuelacion of saint Iohn the Euangeliste Compiled by Ihhn Bale The xviij Chapter VNder the title of Babilon is here in this chapter folowing described the feareful iudgment of the malignant church with the ruinous fal of Antichrist and his kingdom prefigured afore in Esay and Hiremye THE TEXT 1 And after that I savve an other angell 2 Com dovvne froÌ„ heauen 3. hauing great povver 4. And the earth vvas lightned vvith his brightnes 5 And he cried mightely vvith a strong voyce saying 6. She is falen she is fallen 7 Euen greate Babilon 8. And is become the habitacion of Deuils 9. And the holde of al foule spirites 10. And a cage of all vnclene and hatefull birdes 11. For all nacions haue dronk of the vvine 12. of the vvrath of hyr vvhordom 13. And the kinges of the earthe haue commited fornicacioÌ„ vvith hyr 14. And hyr marchauntes are vvaxen ryche 15. of the abundance of hir pleasurs The Commentarie 1 After these manifolde visions sayeth S. Iohn was I yet ware of an other aungel or heauenly messenger of the Lord coÌ„myng downe from heauen whnch is the habitacle of God For from aboue al goodenesse coÌ„meth This Aungell betokeneth the faythfull preachers of our age and is all one wiih the Angel that had the seale of the liuing God in the vii Chapter wyth him that was clothed with a cloude in the x Chapter and with him thai procllamed the fal of Babylon in the .xiiii. chapter 2 In that he is sayd here to come downe from heauen is signified that they are sente 〈◊〉 God hauing great power with constaunt feruentnesse of spyrit strongelye to declare hys wil to the vtter destruction of the whore For like as the father hath lyf in hym selfe so hath his sonne Iesus and â—o hath in hym his Godlye ministers 3 His power is an euerlasting power retayninge both lyfe and death 4 With the brightnes not of this angell which was but a messeÌ„ger but of the power that was geuen vnto him was the vniuersal earth abundantlye lightned Full is all the world of the glory of God where as his word 〈…〉 his verity is once spred by yâ— true Godly prechers 5 In this strong power crâ—ed he mightâ—ly in this clere light was his earnest voice herd vttering this sentence to the world 6 She is falen clean down that was so proud she is turned ouer that was so glorious an whore yea euen the great BabiloÌ„ hyr self or blasphemous church of the Hipocrites 7 By the iudgement of God is â—he brought to vtter confusion Firste haâ— she a â—al by the death of Christ when the prince of this world was throweÌ„ forth Mark the distruction of Hierusalem wher the church of the Iews dyd cease the material temple of SalamoÌ„ and clearelye ouerthrowen not one stone vpon an other remayning Now shall she haue an other much worse by the playne â—â—nifestation of hys word to the comfort of all his elects And both are of one certenty though the one he paâ—te and the other yet to come Confer with this place the ouerthrowe of the monasteries in England Denmarke the free cities of Germany certaine other regions thinke that more sorowes are yet comming 8 These are the causes of hyr fall and occasions of hyr ruyne before the Lord. She is become the filthy habitacion of deuils much more than before hir first faâ—l for now they enter in by heaps yea seuen for â—n afore 9 Now is she the stinking hold of all vnclene spirites For ther haue al the kinds of Idolatry their earnest maintenance by hir spiritual occupiers the bishops priestes and religious There regneth Simony Sacrilege Usury fraud ambition mallice glotony auaryce pryde filthynes all mischiefes beysde 10 Now is she the corrupt cage of all vnclene fowles and â—atefull byrdes For in hyr dwelleth the aduouterous Cardinals the buggery bishops the prostibulous prelates and pristes the Gomorreane monks chanons friers and nonnes an
quiet shall hée lyghten them throughlye with his most glorious presence and with him shall they raigne for euer and euer in full felicitie and glory cōtinuing In this life beginneth the kingdome through fayth but there shall it be perfourmed in the perfecte sight of the godhead The proude raigne of tyrauntes is here but for a time the lesse it is to be feared The méeke raign of the rightuous continueth for euer the more it is to be sought for and desired The fruites that are here very harde and sower vnto them shall there bée inestimable swéete gentile beautiful perfecte and pleasaunt hauing theyr full rypenesse No neede shall it be thā to run by sea and lande for the wysedome power and glory of Christ for in that day shal they be with euery one present Here haue they but little pretie beames of the light very small drops of the water and a smel of the fruites a farre of Likelihoodes figures mysteries haue they only now of the beatitude to come But there shall they be sure to haue them in full sight tast and sauer and plentuously to be satisfied with them Scarse is it here in cōparison to that it shal be there as one droppe of water to the whole sea or as an hādful of sād is to the whole earth The texte 1 And he sayd vnto me 2. These sayings are faithfull and true 3. And the Lorde God 4. of the holy Prophets 5. sen◠his Angell to shev◠vnto his seruaunts 6. the things which shortly must be fulfilled 7. Beholde I come shortly 8. Happy is he that kepeth the saying 9. of the prophecie of this booke The Commentary 1 In the conclusion of these most wōderfull reuelations saith sainct Iohn the Angell that communed with mée all this time which was the very spirite of Christ sayde thus vnto me hys poore exyled seruaunt 2 It shall become no man to dispise these wordes nor to reiecte these sayings whome thou hast here séene and harde since the first beginning of thys reuelation For they are most faythfull and true sure and perfect shall without faile at their appoynted times in euery iote be fulfylled for the true churches commoditie and profit This is here spoken for the conseruation of the hygh mysteries of thys booke least any false Antichrist hereafter as many such hath bene in déede should cōdempne them depraue them and as of none aucthoritie reporte them As the most deare treasures of God therfore doth the holy Ghost here wrappe them vp togither to preserue them vnder hys power setteth vnto them the seale of hys owne witnesse that they should euermore be taken for his After this sort did the Prophets vse their prophecies concluding alwayes thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes So did the Lord his selfe whan he sayde Uerely verely I say vnto you we speake that we knowe My doctrine is not myne but his that sent mée Of my selfe I speak not the words that I vtter The father dwellyng in mée perfourmeth the workes I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true with suche other lyke Paule doth also name him selfe the Apostle of Iesus Christ. Not I commaunde this sayth he but the Lorde The gospell that I preache haue I learned of no man but by the shewing of Iesus Christ. The Lorde that is blessed for euer knoweth that I lye not and such like So is the ende of this booke as was the begynnyng sealed with many wonderfull strong sentences of the Lorde as his whole mynde perfect will and purposed decree concernyng hys church héere in earth 3 And the same Lorde God eternall sayeth Christ vnto Iohn which hath diuersly afore tyme spoken in the holy Prophets and fathers hath now laste of all sent the Angel of his euerlasting couenaunt by him to vtter the secrets of his mynde by whom he created the world Him hath he hither dyrected in these latter dayes of the world to shewe cléerely vnto his true seruauntes of whom thou arte in these dayes princypall those wonderfull things in mysterie which must within shorte space effectually come to passe and be fulfilled in déede As the manyfolde persecutions of his churche the prosperous raigne of the beast and his shorlings with the glorious rayse of the one and dampnable fall of the other That whan troublous crosses doe come they may be the more ioyfully taken cōsidering the tyme of them short the rewarde of their sufferaunce euerlasting 4 For none other cause is God héere called the Lord God of the Prophets but that they haue through his spirite truly beleued in him the same spirit declared his mynde and pleasure 5 In the beginning of this reuelation was this Angell sent vnto Iohn alone here is he sent also vnto his other seruauntes in token that the Lord in Iohn respecteth his congregation 6 The things that must shortly follow are his iudgements in rewarding the rightuous and condempning the reprobates For a thousande yeares are but as a day before him as the tyme that is in a maner past Let euery man take héede sayeth the Lorde leaste I come vpon him vnlooked for Let them watch in fayth and pray in spirite and veritie hauing theyr weddyng garmēts with the oyle of Christian loue in their lampes 7 For beholde whan I shall come eyther to the particular ende of anye man or to the latter iugdement I wil come sodainlye neyther the day nor yet the houre of my comming knowne afore least men as they are ill of nature should dryue of till that daye to liue according to faith Of this admonition may the faythfull sorte be glad being here in aduersitie consideryng their deliueraunce is at hande theyr crowne of immortalitie not farre of 8 Happy is that man whatsoeuer he be high or lowe rich or poore learned or vnlearned that obserueth in his cōuersation and lyfe the godly sayings contayned in the prophecie of thys present booke 9 Yea blessed is he that so receyueth the premonishments thereof that neyther false prophet can deceyue him nor yet any cruell Antichrist with terrour dryue him from the righte vnderstanding and followyng of Christes pure doctrine For neyther to dogges nor swine are they here lefte to be neglected or disdayned but vnto his faythful seruauntes to be reuerently followed and had in remembraunce The text 1 I am Iohn 2. which sawe these thinges 3. and haerde them 4. And vvhan I had hearde and seene them 5. I fell dovvne to vvorshippe before the feete of the Angell 6. vvhich shevved me these thinges 7. And he sayde vnto me 8. See thou doe it not 9. For I am thy fellovv seruaunt 10. and the felovv seruaunt of thy brethen the Prophetes 11. and of them vvhich keepe the sayinges of this booke 12. Worship God The Commentary 1 Consequently bicause ye shall not suppose this matter lyght sayth sainct Iohn as many thinketh that whiche hath not the testimony of men besides the aucthoritie of God I
wryte them Register the thunders but not the voyces Note the figures but vtter not the misteries till God appoynt it It is not for all men to know the times which God hath in his power Many secret thinges hearde Paule which was lawfull for no man to vtter The outwarde sounde of Gods secrets may be heard of all men but the inward workinge is reserued to the spirit The Lorde alwaies with the holy ghost so informeth them inwardly that they perceiue the effect of many thinges the other heareth but a noyse For so much as the voice of gods thundrings is vnsearchable and his secret iudgementes the most mighty depth they are not open but to such as he electeth 14 Therfore was Iohn commanded in no case to writ them or to open the secret meaning of them That point the Lord reserueth peculyerly to him selfe to open to whom what or how much him lusteth Much wide ar thâ—â— which thinketh that they can of their owne wit and industry declare such causes vnles God openeth them by his worde or some euident signe as he hath done in this age most plentuously to many Lesse can we not gather of these thunders wheÌ„ the message of God is dispised abused forsaken neclected troden vnder foote 〈◊〉 damnable lyes preferred vnto it thaâ— that his wrath must folow Somewhat hath bene séene already much more wil appeere wheÌ„ they geue ful 〈◊〉 THE TEXT 1 And the Angel which I saw stand vpoÌ„ the sea vpoÌ„ the earth 2. Lyft vp his hande to heauen 3. And swore by hym that liueth for euermore 4. Which created heauen and the things that therin are 5. And the earth and the thinges that are in it 〈◊〉 And the sea and the thinges which are therin 7. That there shal be no more time but in the dayes of the voyce of the seauenth Angell 8. When he shall begin to blow 9. Euen the misterie of God shall be finished 10. As he preached by his seruantes the Prophets The Paraphrase 1 And the Angell saieth Saincte Iohn whom I saw in this wonderfull reuelation thus standynge with one foote vppon the sea an other vppon the lande after the sorte afore named 2 Lyft vp his hand towardes heauen so stroÌ„gly to affirme hys message to be true as the Lorde lyueth and to promise it so in fallibly iust as god siteth in heauen 3 What do the true preachers els in this age but maintaine their doctrine by the mighty word of God after the example of Christ and his Apostles which alleged the lawe prophecies and Psalmes to confirme their sayings with They neither alledge decrée nor decretall constitution nor Synodall Legende nor fable monks rule nor saintes lyfe doctors nor fathers Gregory nor Anselme Thomas nor Dons Plato nor Arystotle nor such lyke filthy dregs But they come to the verye true touchestoane with Iohn they proue the spirits whether they be of God or no coÌ„sidering that all men are lyers and haue erred one except 4 He sware by him that lyueth in himselfe with incomprehencible magesty power and glory for euermore which in the beginning created the heaueÌ„ aboue with the inuisible things that are therin contained 5 Which formed the poÌ„derous earth beneth and the visible creatures that are therin remaining 6 Which fashioned the flowing seas and the corruptible thinges that are there in continuinge 7 With an earnest constant spirite he protested and by the strong worde of God he affirmed so taking hym to witnesse that there shall be no more time no more leasure no more sinful occuping héere froÌ„ henceforth but in the dayes of the voyce of the seauenth Angell This othe is none other than a sure assercion that all shall be finished in this seauenth age of the church This wold not be hidden from the congregations Necessary it is that both good and badde knew it The faithfull to be assartened that their finall redemption is at hande to their consolation The vnfaithfull to haue knowledge that their iudgemente is not farre of that they may repent and be saued Not vnlyke is this othe to the othe in Daniell of time times and halfe a time whereof the time was from him to Christe The times were the ages from Christ to the seauenth seale opening or the seauenth trumpet blowing The halfe time from thence forth wherin the dayes shall be shortned for the chosen sake So much mischief shal not the enimies dâ— thaÌ„ Their tiranny shall be as waged 8 For when the vii Angel shall begin to blow or the ministers of that age sincerely declare the word 9 Euen the mistery of God shall be finished and the full meaning therof fulfilled 10 Like as he afore time both taught and promised by his peculyer chosen seruants the prophets No time shal be after this but that which will be of all times the ende But when that time shall begin we know not tyll God shall open it by his seuenth angel Of the thing we are certaine and sure but the time of it is euermore in gods hande That is sealed vp in the booke til he shal please to open it the rightuous shall not sée til it coÌ„meth but rest stil in their lot w e Daniell And the vngodly shal haue no vnderstanding then They shall builde and plant bye sel ryot banket as in the daies of Noe Loth yea they shall geue themselues to al filthy lustes couetuousnes And vnbewares shall death come vpon them the terrible iudge shal cal them to accoumpt and to the euerlasting fire condemne them thus shal their daies also be shortned when they think nothing lesse for the time shal be but halfe after Daniell THE TEXT 1 And the voyce which I harde from heauen spake vnto me againe and sayd 2. go take the litle booke which is opeÌ„ in the haÌ„d of the angel 3. vvhich staÌ„deth vpoÌ„ the sea vpoÌ„ the earth 4. And I vvent vnto the Angell and said vnto him 5. Geue me the litle booke And he said vnto me 6. Take it and eate it vp 7. And it shall make thy belly bitter But it shall be in thy mouth as svveet as hony 11. And I tooke the litle booke out of his hand and did eate it vp 10. And it vvas in my mouth as svveete as hony 11. And as soone as I had eaten it my belley vvas bitter 12. And he said vnto me 13 Thou must prophecie again vnto the people 14. And to the Heathen and Tunges and to manye Kinges The Paraphrase 1 And the voyce saieth sainct Iohn which I harde afore from heauen spake vnto me againe Gods holy spirit touched me moued me compelled me It graciously admonished me taught me and sayde thus vnto me 2 Goe thy waies foorth Iohn and take the lytle booke which is now open in the hand of the Angell Euery man hauinge grace with Iohn is héere commaunded to