preseruer of al thinges and by Dia thy wil they are were created This glory of God is woÌ„derful vnmeasurable How great say they thou art that al power glory is dewe vnto thee appereth of the making creation of the world vniuersal No man was with thee at the creation therof no maÌ„ gaue thee couÌ„sel what or how thou shuldest do no man helped thee thus much Who than shuld approch vnto thee to be partaker in power who shuld glory before thee God maker of al things Thou alone madest al things alone preseruest al alone gouernest al. Thou willest they were made Thou saidest they were created It was enough to haue said it was enough to haue willed And in dede al thinges at this day haue their being through thy wil without any painefulnes trauel of thine Thou gouernest al thing in best most goodly order This testifieth the wonderful course of the stars the plesaunt chauÌ„ge of things the most swete plentiful fruites spring of the same Who thaÌ„ wold not gladly submit both him self al his to thee to thy gouernment who wold not coÌ„mit al his thinges vnto thee Who wold not acknowledge the power glory to be thyne Let vs marke these thinges with attentiue mindes that we may also appere such before God as we sethe sainctes in heauen appere God graunt vs this ¶ Of him that sitteth in throne holdeth the boke in his right hand sealed with .vii. seales What that sealed boke is The .xxvj. Sermon AND I sawe in the right hand of him that sate on the throne a boke written within and on the backe side sealed with seueÌ„ seales And I sawe a strong angel preaching with a loud voice who is worthy to open the boke lose the seales therof And no man in heauen nor in earth nother vnder the earth was able to open the boke to ioke theron And I wept much because no man was fouÌ„d worthy to open and reade the boke nother to loke theron He now procedeth to describe more fully hym that sitteth on the Throne Of whome he had touched certen and a fewe thinges before In this pece is no smal force of this our matter For now wyll he shewe that whiche in this treatise is principall that all thinges whiche are done in the worlde through God his prouidence are moste iustly and holily gouerned by Christ Whiche thing all the sainctes of God and creatures acknowledging for an exaÌ„ple to vs that we shuld do the lyke do prayse and celebrate him that liueth for euer And it shall behoue vs to way euery worde synce that in euery one are greate misteries nothing is spoken in vaine And verely that God almighty sitteth in a Throne God sitteth in a throne And by sitting is signified not only the power of iudging rulyng gouerning But also a quiet mynde not troubled with any euill affections after the maner of iudges of this world and great equitie in all thinges Secondly a booke is sene in the right hande of hym that sitteth of the whiche boke we must speake more at large Here appereth an allusion made as ther is in many other places of the scripture to the princes of this worlde whiche haue bokes of the lawes of priuileges of institutes what thing is done and is to be done finally of secretes of actes of condemned and of citezens of lyfe and of death For so is both the boke and bokes assigned to God Moises saith in in the .33 of Exodus Put me out of the boke of lyfe c. In the Psalmes is muche mention of these bokes of God In the Psalm 56.69.139 In the seuenth of Daniel bokes are opened wherof mentioÌ„ is made also in the .20 of the Apocalipse We reade in the .3 of Malach. of a boke of remembraunce before God Therfore this boke of God conteineth all the counsels of God al his workes and iudgementes For we shall heare by and by The booke in the right haÌ„d of him that sitteth that all thinges that are done in the worlde come out of this boke as it were out of a fountaine or wel spring And thre thinges are chiefly spoken of this boke Firste that it lieth not in the Throne or in the bosome of hym that sitteth or vnder the Throne or that it hangeth before or behinde the Throne But it is in the right hand of God Herby is signified the operation or power of God the same moste iust and moste mightie The booke writteÌ„ wtin and without For the boke is not sene in the lefte hande God therfore worketh and conteineth or ministreth all his workes and iudgementes moste holily Secondly that boke is written within and without or on the back side For in the prouidence and iudgementes of God all thinges are conteined both good and euil lucky and vnlucky sharpe and softe swete and sewer visible and inuisible priuie and aparte and all thinges in generall Finally the boke is sealed with seueÌ„ seales For it is most strongly closed and fastened The booke sealed with seueÌ„ seales For the iudgementes works of God are firme true iust and such as can not be withstaÌ„d The vse of seales amonges men is diuerse notwithstanding it may be contriued in two poinctes The vse of seales First Seales are set to because of fidelitie truth and rightuousnes And a great deliberation is had in setting to of seales For they are not put to vniust matters vayn or false Therfore seales be tokens of a certentie and testimonies of a right It semeth an vnworthi thing to speake against sealed wrytinges By the seales therfore that are set to the boke of God is signified that the iudgementes and workes of God are moste firme true and iust what so euer are done by his prouidence and ar ordeined by Christ It shal therfore be a shame to finde fault with the iudgementes of God or to speake euill of his workes Againe by seales are secretes kept that they be not sene of euery maÌ„ but of them only to whome they are appointed The iudgementes therfore and workes of God are for the moste parte hidde and not open to all men sauing to suche as the Lorde hath appointed namely to the faithfull and obedient SeueÌ„ sâ—â—les But there be seueÌ„ seales only for that in them the fulnes of times and of thinges to be done in these times throughout the world and churche and of the iudgementes and misteries of God are comprehended Now therfore the opening of the boke The opening of the boke and seales and the vnsealyng therof is nothing els but the reuealing of God his iudgementes and the declaring or vttering of his most secret counselles Finally the moste holy and iust operation dispensation and execution of his will Nothing in that opening is done against the veritie fayth loue and iustice of God Who is worthy to opeÌ„ the boke and seales therof
tabernacle of his palace betwixte two Seas to wit the Hadriatical Sea called now the goulfe of Venise and the Tirrhene or Tuscane Sea in the mounte of desire of holines that is to saye in the pleasaunt and holy hille We haue hearde certenly that the palace of S. Peter is preferred both before mounte Zion and also Sinai There sitteth the most holy in the seate of holines There is moste full remission of al sinnes There is the mouther supreme head of al churches There is the high courte and iudgemeÌ„t from wheÌ„ce maie no maÌ„ appeale There sitteth the king of kinges and high Bisshop whiche so farre excelleth in brightnes and Maiestie the Emperour and other kinges as the sunne doeth the Moone and Starres There is thought to be perfit holines and al the treasures of Christ and of his Sainctes Therefore saide Daniel rightly that Antichriste shall dwell in the noble and holy hille namely in the seuen hilly Rome as we hearde also in the .17 chapt Finally he prophecieth also of the ende of this most puissaunt prince Antichrist sayeth and what time he shall come to his ende no man shall helpe him For Christ comming to iudgement shal thrust him out of his seate And Daniel in the .12 chap. followyng describeth the iudgement To Christ alone be glory Lette vs consequently procede to adde to a fewe thinges concerning the paynes of the vngodly and the euerlastyng condemnation of the Deuil and his membres S. Iohn and fire came downe from heauen and deuoured them And the prophet Amos in the .1 chapt calleth Gods vengeaunce fire as the others do also Wherfore S. Iohn signifieth that the vengeaunce of God shall falle vpon all the enemies of the church In times paste also fire commyng downe from heauen burnt vp Sodome and Gomorrhe and also consumed the enemies of Helias And although corporally fire doeth not alwayes falle from heauen yet shall the persecutours of the church neuer escape vnpunnisshed in that they haue vexed the Sainctes of Christ Doubtles yf we will beholde and coÌ„sider what was done in that holy warre and what chauÌ„ceth dayly we will saye that the vengeaunce of God is most present bothe agaynst the Turkes and the Papistes But if any man vnderstande that aboute the ende of the world fire shall rage and consume the wicked as also S. Peter mentioneth of fire and burnyng out of the prophetes .2 Pet. 3. I will not be agaynsâ— it Laste of all he toucheth also the euerlastynge damnation of Sathan and all his membres For where the Lorde sayde in the Gospell yf the blinde leade the blinde bothe shal falle into the ditche it followeth that both Sathan the deceauer and the people of him seduced shoulde be caried together to helle where S. Iohn nowe placeth and as it were ioyneth to gether the deuil Gog and Magog the Saracenes Turkes briefely all nations deceaued the Beaste and false Prophet and all the Antichristians We see therefore that the iudgement of God is rightuouse the which to describe he retourneth nowe agayne And we admonisshed before by this speache they shall be tormented daye and nighte c. The perpetuitie of damnation to be signified From the whiche the Lorde our God deliuer vs to whome be glory for euermore Amen ¶ The Iudge and laste iudgement is described with the resurrection of the dead The XC Sermon AND I sawe a greate white seate and him that sat on it froÌ„ whose face fled awaye both the Earth and heauen and their place was no more founde And I sawe the dead both great and smal stande before God and the bokes were opened an other boke was opened whiche is the boke of life and the dead were iudged of the thinges whiche were writteÌ„ in the bokes according to their dedes And the Sea gaue vp her dead whiche were in her and death and helle deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery maÌ„ according to his dedes And death and hel were caste into the lake of fire This is the seconde death and who so euer was not fownde written in the booke of life was caste into the lake of fire The order or disposiâ—ioÌ„ of this place S. Iohn had begonne to speake of the vniuersall and laste iudgement about the ende of the .11 chapt And resumed the same to be finisshed in the .19 chapt Where we hearde that Antichrist shuld be throweÌ„ downe out of his seate and glory into helle Where chaunced a question to arrise of theÌ„ which although they cleaue not to Antichrist yet are they not ioyned with Christe what shal become of them at the last iudgement That same when he had soluted and shewed the equitie of Gods iudgementes he retourneth as it were with an after songe to the description of the generall and laste iudgement and compeÌ„diousely describeth thesame and that more generally now than before in the .19 chap. Where he semeth chiefly to haue treated of the destruction of Antichriste yet so that he shewed after a sorte also what should happeÌ„ to the other vngodly Now he handleth more generally the self same iudgement shewing that al shal be iudged herein and setteth forth the same wholy as it were paincted to be sene of our eyes For after his wonted maner he expouÌ„deth al this matter by an heauenly vision that he might not seme only to tel the thing to our eares but also to shewe it forth to be sene of our eyes to thintent it might be more depely printed in our mindes And al these thinges are most certen and vndoubted as I also admonisshed you before reuealed of the iudge Christ him self But the iudge and Lord himself can be ignoraunt in nothinge of this matter Nother can we perceyue that S. Iohn hath hitherto ben deceaued or abused in any thing that he hath set forth to vs but hath hitte rightly al and singular poinctes as we see that caÌ„ testifie his prophecies to be fulfilled whie than should we so muche as doubte ones of suche thinges as are spoken of the iudgement Therefore let vs credite these thinges and not be emonges the mockers whom the Apostle S. Peter prophecied should come saye where is the promesse of his commyng The consideratioÌ„ of the laste iudgement is of greatest in iâ—portaunce doubtles this matter is of greatest importaunce the foundation and rote of our faith Here are to vs expouÌ„ded not a fewe articles of our sincere and catholicke fayth chiefely these I beleue that Christ shal come to iudge the quicke the dead I beleue the coÌ„munion of Sainctes the resurrection of the fleshe and life euerlastyng Let vs therfore be dilligent in hearyng and marking these thinges leeste we be accompted of their nombre which heare with out any fruicte the misteries of the kingedome of God but lette vs rather prepare our selues to goe mete the iudge to the ende we maye with the wise virgins enter with the brydegrome to the mariage and ioyes
can appere in the sight of the tremblable God and fire consumyng all thinges saue he that is purged with the bloud of Christe and what shall we thinke can be hidde or escape the sight of God seyng all thinges How men shall be iudged in the laste iudgemēt S. Iohn moreouer declareth howe the dead shoulde be iudged bokes sayeth he are opened and an other booke is opened c. Therefore by the bokes after by the boke of life that is to saye of such thinges as are written in those bokes the dead are iudged For the Scripture ascribeth vnto God the maner of men wherby men are wonte to write for themselues remembraunces leest they should forget thinges but with God al things are ones and alwayes present he nother forgetteth The forgettyng remēbryng of God nor remembreth not withstanding the Scripture attributeth to him both Howebeit God is sayde to forgette when he helpeth not or punnissheth not agayne he is sayde to remēbre what time he helpeth or pūnisheth In Malachie the vngodly saye howe God hath no care of mens matters nother doeth he for the godly nor yet pūnisheth the wicked But immediately aūswere is made than thei that feared the lord spake euery one to his neighbour the lord gaue eare and hearde a boke of remembraunce was made in his presence c. As followeth Therfore their bokes opened that is to say the secrettes of al mē brought to light or made manifest the lord shal iudge what so euer hath ben thought saide done or lefte vndone The bokes also of consciences for the cōscience is in stead of a thousande witnesses shal be opened in iudgement God reuealyng and iudging al thinges For S. Paule speakyng of the gentiles they sayeth he shewe the worke of the lawe written in their hartes their cōscience also bearyng witnes their thoughtes accusing one au other or also excusing in that daye wherein the lord shal iudge the secrettes of menne according to my gospell through Iesus Christ And these are in dede the bookes whiche shall be vnclosed in the iudgement Whereof it appereth that the iudgement shal be done with most expedition nother shall euery man be reasoned with all by bookes written to make the iudge wery as the ignoraunt might imagine hereby But what is that singular boke of life The boke of life which also shal be opened in the iudgemēt of the boke of life is spokē in the .3 cha There you may see To be brefe the boke of life hath but one article he that beleueth in the sonne of god hath life euerlasting And therfore mē are iudged of this that is writtē in the boke of life For they that beleue are saued they that beleue not are already iudged that is to saye are most assuredly damned And for asmuch as faith sheweth it selfe by workes Euery mā is iudged of his workes incredulitie also hidde in the harte bewrayeth her self by workes therefore S. Iohn addeth incontinently accordyng to their workes For man in the Scriptures is likened to a tree And the tree is iudged of the fruicte whether it be good or euill A tree hath a growing or increasing life which in latin is called Anima vegetatiua a nature or disposition bringyng forth fruicte after his nature kinde But that soule vegetatiua that good dispositiō bringing forth in vs good fruicte that is to saye good workes is a liuely faith in Christ where the same is there the man is regenerated hath a good disposition therfore cā he not scharse by reasō of his good dispositiō but bring forth good fruictes Therfore after our workes we shal be iudged al. For the iudgemēt must be open manifest but faith appereth not but in workes For it is the gifte of God is of it selfe inuisible to witte a sure truste in the promesses of God And it is sene in workes Howbeit therof it followeth not that men ar iustified by workes also not by faith only but that by workes faith is declared which purifieth iustifieth that afterwarde we may be able to bring forth the workes of rightuousenes It followeth how in iudgemēt no pretēce no hipocrisie shal be allowed For many say thei beleue whiche declare their faith by no good workes We learne herof that no boke shal be of force at the last iudgemēt saue the bokes of God or the bokes of cōsciēces wherin god writeth with his fingar finally the boke of life writtē of God before the worlds were made through his diuine predestinatiō wherby he hath predestinated vs that he might adopt vs for his childrē by christ Iesus And the rest which S. Paul reciteth in the .1 to the Ephes Therefore shal the hurtefull bookes of Iewes Christians in title only and Turkes as the Thalmud decretalles and Alcorane perishe These shal be of no force at al in the iudgement Of the resurrection of the dead Now he retourneth to the dead of whō he had made mentiō before leest any mā shuld saie how shal the dead be iudged which were drowned in the sea whith were swallowed vp of fishes deuoured of wilde beastes which were consumed with fire or in the earth were brought into duste he preuenteth declareth that the bodies of the dead rise agayne beyng so restored come to iudgement saieth and the sea gaue vp the dead that were therin that is to saie which had perished in the Sea And by these wordes also hath he touched the maner meane of the resurrectiō of the dead hath sent vs withal to the .1 of Genes The maner of the resurrection is gods omnipotēcie as S. Paul also witnesseth in the .3 to the Philip. For god by his omnipotencie reiseth vp calleth those things that are not that thei may be Yf this thing seme vnto thee new or vnpossible beholde the beginnyng of things therof esteme the small restitution Was not the Sea or water frō the beginnyng but is it writtē to haue had any fishes frō the beginning none at al. But God cōmaūded that the water shuld be replenished with fish And did not streight at gods cōmaūdement all maner of fishes appere where before there was not one what maruell is it thā yf god in th ende of things cōmaund the Sea other elemēts also to yeld again their dead thei obey their maker Verely the Lord in the gospel saieth that they which are in their graues also Ihon 5 shal heare the voice or cōmaūdemēt of the sonne of God and shal ryse againe The bodies moreouer of them that dye are turned for the most parte in to the same elements from whence they were taken oute There is that putrifieth in the earth and is cōuerted in to earth Ther are some consumed with fyre There are some that perishe in water Some hang in the ayre and are there consumed But at the Lordes commaundent by what kynd of death so euer they
he shulde wage battaile together and the Iudge come at the last vnto iudgement and reward euery one according to his doinges And this place proueth the diuinitie of Christ infalliblie Christe very God For what can be spoken more plainly than was saide The Lord God of holy Prophetes sent forth his Angel So in the first chapter is saide The reuelation of Iesu Christ which God gaue him And a little after he saieth I Iesus sent my Angel that he might testifie vnto you c. Herein therfore is shewed the vnitie of the substauÌ„ce diuine and destruction of persons And the maner of the reuelation is shewed Howe this booke was reuealed or repeted and collected rather he sent his Angell Christe therefore by his Angell sheweth all thinges to S. Ihon. For no man hath sene God at any time nother shal the Lorde come downe againe from heauen before the iudgement Wherfore this whole vision was exhibited and declared bi the Angel which was the messager of Christ the Lorde Wherefore all thinges are properly referred to Christ which sent the Angell But to whom ded he shew or reueale these thinges To his seruaunts For the coÌ„temners of God laugh at these thinges and take them for fables But God loueth his worshippers and warneth them of all thinges in due season 3. The some of this booke in two poincies Now he gathereth the some of such things as he hath treated hitherto The same ar chiefly coÌ„nteyned in two poincts For he sheweth hitherto what thinge must be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shorâ—â— For this boke conteineth the destinies of the church from the Apostles time to the worldes end Therfore he prophesied not a farre of but the thinges that began in the very time of S. Ihon. And yf they muste be done who shall resiste Not that I wyll establyshe the necessitie of the Stoyckes but that I acknowledge the mightie workyng of God after his prouidence and righteousnes After he addeth another membre Beholde I come quickely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this boke comprehendeth many things which concerne the iudgemeÌ„t it selfe and the last iudgement to the which I will come so swiftely and vnloked for that the wicked and light men shall loke for nothing lesse For the Lorde sayeth in the Gospell it shall be as in the dayes of Noe and Loth. And in the howre that you thinke not the sonne of man wyll come Item as the brightnesse cometh foorth of the Easte and shyneth in the Weste so shall be the comming of the sonne of man And therfore the Lorde sayeth nowe also at this present Beholde I comme quickely For sodaynely whyleste he seemeth in the meane tyme to doe an other thyng at vnwares he bryngeth in the Lorde speakyng and that a matter wonderfull as this particle Beholde importeth For S. Paule hath written also whileste they shall saie peace and securitie sodayne destruction shall come vpon them The coÌ„moditie of this booke 4. But what profit shall the seruauntes of God loke for of this boke In a short sentence he coÌ„priseth much and saieth happie is he that kepeth the woordes of the prophesie of this boke Felicitie blessednes is the fruict that is taken of this boke In this present worlde being lincked with Christe wâ— shall walke in the way of righteousnes and eschew the craftes of Antichriste and shall not fele the tourmeÌ„tes which arrise in the conscience of the corruption of religion depraued And when we depart hence we shal go straight to those blessed seates This is the highe blessednes and felicitie And let vs marke that it is not enough either to haue sene or heard or red this boke it muste nedes be kepte For we muste beware that it goeth not in at one eare and oute the other that we forget not the things that are told vs but that we rather frame our whole lyfe after the doctryne of this boke And he attributed to it the title of prophecie All the Scripture is called a prophecie as much as to say diuine But consyderyng howe this boke for the more parte therof sheweth things to come vnto the church it is rightly called a prophecie 5. He repeteth againe and beateth uâ— The writer of this boke Ihon which repeteth his name both his name and also that he is a witnes that sawe and heard who maie surely be credited And thus he wil get authoritie to this boke For it muste nedes be had in greate estimation that which was conceaued and written of the Apostle and EuaÌ„gelist S. Ihon. Many accompt a faulte in Iohn that he so dilligently expresseth his name But maruell it is that they obserue not the same also els where and of others not withoute prayse Ded not the selfe same Ihon repete and inculke the name of a Disciple in the story of the Gospell who shulde reprehend this I see not therfore what he hath offended herein But rather sins he foresaw in the spirite that many wold speake against this boke not withoute great cause and with much fruicte and also of extreme necessitie he importuned his name And the Apostle S. Paule also to the Galathians Beholde I Paule say vnto you sayeth he in ease ye be circumcised Christe shal profite you nothing The same also to moue affection inculketh his name to Philemon Aretas therefore very aptely expounding this place And this sayeth he a certen proprietie of speach in this Apostolicall soule For euen as he ded in the Gospell also where he sayth And he that sawe hath borne witnes and his testimonie is true the same doeth he in this place also testifieng that he was both an hearer and beholder of these things which are prophicied For hereby he winneth credit to the things which had ben sene Thus much he Others haue thought that not without cause S. Ihon hath in this boke repeted his name oftener than in his story for that men wil more hardlye beleue a prophecie speaking of things yet to come than a story which telleth of matters paste 6. In the sixte place he annexeth whie Ihon wolde worship the Angel agayne what chaunced to him agayne with the Angell reuealing vnto him these huge misteries A lyke story for all the worlde had we in the ninetene chapter where also we expounded the same where he that liste may see And yet the expositours demaund howe chauÌ„ceth it that agayne Ihon doeth the same that he did before and was prohibited of the Angel Thomas of Aquine weneth that S. Ihon being besydes himselfe by reason of the excellencie of visions dyd this as one astonied The glose before sayeth he the Angell forbadde that he should not worshippe him with Latria here he prohibiteth that he worshippe him not with Dulia But to me appereth preferring alwayes the better iudgemeÌ„t of others In S. Ihon to be shewed to all the godly howe great is the frailnes of man to fall vnlesse he be restrained and drawen backe by the mightie
trewe flesshe of Christe all Senewes moste strongely prouyng that he after the fleshe is of our owne nature Whereof he is called also in the Scripture the fruicte of the wombe of Dauid and he that is rysen of his loynes Moreouer it is sayed to the Dauidicates virgin and mother of God thou shalte conceaue in thy wombe and bryng forth a sonne Therefore he calleth him selfe also both the roote and generation of Dauid And the phrase of speache is to be marked For the like is red in the .16 of Ezechiel Thy roote and thy generation is of the lande of Chanaan that is to saye thy birth is of the Chananites or thy of sprynge is of people polluted yet semeth here neuerthelesse also an other certen thyng to be signified For the rote beareth a tree and nurrisheth or quickeneth the same The roote is not borne or nurrisshed of the tree and Christe the Lord is the foundatiō and preseruation of the house of Dauid and Churche of the faythfull That Dauid is preserued that the ofspryng of Dauid is not rooted out whiche ofte times hath deserued to be it is done in respecte or merite of Christe the Lorde Christe hath saued them the same saueth also so many as are saued as he that is of al the promesses made vnto Dauid the head vertue add some and euen perfection as in whome is perfit saluation and all fulnes as the clere testimonies of the Prophet Esaye beare witnes in the .7 and .37 cha and els where also in the 3. of Osee 34. 37. of Ezechiel And not a much vnlike place is in the .3 boke of Kinges the .15 chap. Iohn also the .1 Christ is the bright morning starre chap. of this boke named Christ the rote of Dauid c. Agayne the Lorde calleth hym selfe a Starre and that not obscure but shynynge and brighte and euen the mornyng Starre When he called hym selfe a Starre he had respecte to the moste auncient Oracle of Balaam that most wise Prophet in the Easte He prophecied that a Starre shulde arryse out of Israell that is to say a celestial starre and euen the very sonne of God shoulde be borne of a woman And that the same starre did arrise the magiciens being also of the Easte testifie in the .2 chap. of S. Mathew And it is called bright because Christe is the light illumining all men that come in to the world Of the which matter the same S. Ihon hath treated much in the first eight and nynth chapt of his Euangelicall story The same our Lorde is also the morning starre so called of S. Peter 2. Pet. 1. And of this our S. Ihon in the .2 chapt of the Apoca. For lyke as Lucifer arrising draweth the daye starre after him so Christ shyning in the hartes of the faithfull doth lighten them more and more in this present world also and in the lyfe to come doth cloth them whole with the light celestiall Thomas of Aquine expounding this place the morninge Starre sayeth he is to witte the messager of the day that is the euerlasting felicitie through his resurrection And these thynges haue we hearde hitherto of the mouth of Christe concerning Christe who and howe great he is and what treasures we haue layde vp in store in him He is very God and man was incarnate for vs that he might be our roote vertue lyfe light and saluation Therfore haue we reposed in him all fulnes of Saluation And so we see agayne that this boke is written with the Apostolicall spirite which spirite verely so ofte as occasion serueth reasoneth excellently of Christe and preacheth his saluation and commendeth the fayth in him vnto all the faithfull The same spirite therfore hath inspyred eyther booke both of the Gospell and Apocalipse of Saincte Ihon and caused them to be written of the same Authour 11. In the eleuenth place is brought in speaking the church The desire of the church for the cōmyng of Christ wyshing the comming of Christe vnto iudgement For sins our Lorde Iesus Christe is so good so benigne and holsome whome all this booke hath promysed to come and to delyuer the church of Sainctes afflicted in this worlde nowe is resited the desire of the same his church wyshing and calling the Lorde sayeng come For anone we shall heare the Lorde promising and saieng be it I come quickely And the church agayne reporting Amen Euen so come Lord Iesu And that the spirite within our body crieth busily to the Lorde for our deliueraūce and glorifieng the Apostle mentioneth much in the .8 to the Romanes Notwithstanding that by the spirite may be vnderstand euery spirituall man also And therefore Aretas he nameth them spirite sayeth he which are accompted worthie of the spirituall mariage And the bryde the church it selfe Thus sayeth he Of the bryde we haue spokē many times in this worke so that we nede not to be tediouse in repeting the same Howe be it with a wonderfull desyre all the godly couet that the Lorde wolde come vnto iudgement To the wicked that daye is terrible abhorred to the godly moste ioyfull and wysshed for For the godly perceaue that they shall ones be deliuered from all euylles and plentifully rewarded with all good thynges that the glory and veritie of God shall be auaunced and established that all vngodlynes shall be abolished and the wicked by the iust iudgement of God tormented Wherupon S. Peter in the .3 chapt of the Actes calleth this day the restoring perfourming of all such things as God hath at any time spoken by the mouth of his Prophets In that same day therfore shall all the promesses of God euen of the greateste matters be fulfilled througely Therfore sayeth the Lord in the gospell lifte vp your heads for your redemption draweth nere They that mourne and are desperate like cast downe their heads The Lord biddeth vs lifte vp our heades to be cherefull and of good hope For we shall certenly be delyuered and glorified which haue ben in the world a laughing stocke and had in derisiō of all men Therfore muste the places be expoūded fyguratiuely which pourport the exceding great lamentation and howling that shall be in that day For the wicked for anguyshe and payne and vtter desperation shall crye oute and teare themselues The godly shall reioyce in him whome they see comming shewynge the woundes wherewith they are redemed Lyke as therefore the desyre of Sainctes was greateste when the first commyng of our sauiour approched nere as in Symeon alone appeareth Luke the second right so at the second comming of Christe vnto iudgement all Saincts with vncessable voyces shall crie and continually do crye come Lorde Iesu come and delyuer vs come and maynetayne thy glorie and church almoste broughte to naught come our redemer and Sauiour so wished and loked for dispatch vs from euilles graunt vs the good thinges promised c. Wherfore the things that follow Come may be referred eyther to the
all your truste in him alone where we loke already from heauen for the selfe same Lorde Philip. iij. whiche shall chaunge our vile bodye that it maye be lyke fashioned vnto his gloryouse bodye accordynge to the woorkynge whereby he is able to subdew all thinges to hym selfe he blesse vs all and brynge vs in that daye into the sight of hys father that we maye see hys glorye whych he had before thys woorlde was made to him alone be glorye From Zurick the moneth of Ianuarie in the yere of our Lorde 1557. An Index or table of the most notable thinges and wordes conteined in thys work A ABbadon 265 Abominable parsons 643 Abomination is Idolatry 512 Abrahams Bosum 198 Absens presens of Christ 284 Accusacion of Christ is for amēdement 56 Acknowledging of beleuers by God 109 Adding or minishinge from the script 695. c. Adoration externall and inward 153. Aduersities remedies 385 Aduersitie conforted 27 Adultry Nicolas fault 60 Egypt for Rome 327 Affians of mariage 563 Affliction is fourfold .64 is sum tyme for tryall .68 is felt of the godly vngodlye also 487 is comforted 27 Age last corrupt 599 Aid of the Turks pernicious 275 Air figure of holsū doctryne 253 Alarik captain of the westgoths 526 Alleluya 559 Al shal not be saued but the faith full only 221.222.454.456 628. Alteration figured by the moone 349 Ambassadore of the Pope 493 Amen 124.125 Amendement of lyfe requyreth c. 56 Amires Princis of Mahomete 273 Anabaptistes .662 c. wourthy to be sharply loukt vnto .290 theyr counterfeit paciens 53 Anadyplosis 453 Anathema 696 Antichrists beginninge .387 holines .111 kingdū cōtinews til the worlds end .221 shall haue an end .451 foundacion therof laid by Hyldebrand .415 hys palace where .618 his power 388. his speach .389.390 hys subiects .421 he shall wourship God with gold and siluer .511 he hath reined Christe shall reine .339 shal be slaine howe 318. his seat betwē ii seas 508 he is set forth by the Prophets 1. he ouercumeth and killeth 323. c. he is lyuelye painted 348. his tyme .434 his vaūtcurror 388 Antipas martired .77 is praised 77. Apocalyps neglected of manye why .2 made by Iohn theuangeliste .4 approuid by iudgement of many olde wryters .5 oght to be commended to all men 697. to be known and not hid .680 belongeth to all ages 30. to the hool church .19 to all churchs .61 serueth chiefly for our tyme .8 is euangelical .214 is gospellyke .284.439 is the last boke of the canonical scripturs why .673 expositiō therof taken out of the scripture .348 doctryne therof what it is 1. methode and perspicuitie .233 diuision .10.11 Commodities 676. a prophecie .677 the end therof .14 to know Antichrist and beware .259 whē wher it was wrytten .26 whens it came .14 doctryn therof is generall 83 Appollyon 265 Apostles doctryn perfyt .98 how they are the foundation of the Churche .652 c. theyr humilitie .28 counterfeited and fals 52 Apostolicall Pope Rome and sea 511 Apparill of the faithfull 132. to miet the Lord in .565 defyled or vndefiled .107 the vse therof 107. of thehoore .510 of popish priestes .262 of the Antechristians 316 Ark of the testament is Christe 345 Armie of great number 272 Armour of the faithfull 120 Arrius 245 Arrianz 125 Asia 48 Ascension of Christ 22 Asseueration of the scrip 673. c. Assistauns of Christ 50 Attila inuadith Rome 527. Augustinus Steuchus a papist 338. Augustus began and ended the Roman Monarch 528 Aultar signifieth Christ 197 Aultar golden .267 is Christe 236. Aungels good and bad .214 are ministers .651 ar mens kepers 486. ar pastors of churchs 45. are fugurs of preachers .446 their excellencie .569 c. 570. they oght not to be nourshyp 571.573.175 are our felo seruaūts .572 their office dewtie 176. they prayes Christe .175 theyr description .175 do differ from blessed souls 486 Aungell signifieth c. 589. for a hool nacion .271 wourshipped of Iohn 677 Aungell of the botumles pit 265 Aungelicall heretiks 177 Aurelianus 194 B Babel confusion 512 Babylon title of the Romyshe Churche 513 Babylon for Rome 451.502 Badge of Antechrist 422 Badge of Gods children is faith 422. and the sacraments Balans token of right and equitie 188 Balaams doctryne 80 Bankets and masking 81 Banishment of Iohn 27 Bastards threatened 94 Bawl or gloob figure of inconstancie 655 Boastings of victories 274. Bear Persian monarchie 372 Beast and image of the beast 515 Beasts .iiij. sign al creaturs 149 Bed in the script vsed for siknes wherwith c. 94 Beginning God hath noon 637 Beginning of creatures of God 125 Beheaded for Christ 602 Beleuers who 109 Benedict abbot of Cassinea 269 Beno a Cardinall againste the Pope 412 Bible forbiddē .214 vncorrupted 695 Bishopriks geuīg wrōgout of the emperours hāds by the Pope 416 Bishops and Priests ol an 387 Bishop of Rome head of churchs 519. chief murtherer 643 Blak coulor 188 Blaming of sines by Christ is for repentaunce 104 Blamles lyf not to be trusted vnto 224 Blasphemies of the wicked .503 against the faithfull .66 of Rome 508 of the Romains iii. wayes 378 Blessednes of the faithfull what 568.459 consisteth in ii thyngs 633. what it is 230 Blessed how they shal be occupied heuen 670 Blessing what it is .19 for praise 227 Blis of the soul 457 Blis is rest from all labour 462 Blok man is not 135 Blud in the scrip 208 betokneth offens and punishment 319 Blud sheding of Rome 557 Blud how it maketh whyt 230 Bludy garment token of a conquerour 579 Blyndnes 128 Blyndnes cured 132 Bookz of lyfe .109.625 of God 156. open and shut .287 to eat a booke 302 Books of the holy scripture most excellēt .232 vncorrupted .695 why they wer put in writīg 31 Body humain of Christe in one place 34 Boldnes necessary for a preacher 681 Bonarges 288 Boniface Bishop of Rome 387 Bosum of Abraham 198 Bottumles pit 252 Bow 182 Bretherne of Iohn and Christe 572 Brotherhod in Christianity 26 27 Brotherhods of Saints 572 Bryd of the lamb 563 Buls of the Pope 458 Buryall denied by papists to the godly 325 Burthen taken for doctryne 98 Bying and barganing 130 Bying and selling forboddē 424 Bying and sellyng of pardons c 45◠C Called who 567 Calling of ministers 300 Cādelz watched by chryst 50. 51 Candlestiks what they signifye 46. 34 Capacitie of man very small 228 Cardinals leaders of armies 260. Carpocratytz 59 Casting out 307 Cat of the mountain 372 Cataphrygians 90 Cataphrygianz bragz of new reuelacions 97 Catholik churche communion of saints 24 Cerinthus heretike 52 Certentie of the scrip 674. c. Chalcolibanum 37 Chariot of God 148 Charitie 88 Charles the great renewed the Empire of the west decaied 409 Chastisment of the Lord. 133 Chein token of captiuitie 591 Chein that bynd the deuel sincere doctrin 608 Cherubin 148 Children of God who 109 Choinix a mesure
Eusebius in the .xviii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Iustine sayth he mentioneth of the Apocalypse of Iohn saying playnly that it is the Apostles S. Hierom also in the lyfe of blessed Iustine wryteth that Iustine expounded the Apocalypse of S. Iohn but the same exposition remayneth not so farre forth as I knowe The same authour wryteth that Ireney Ireney set forth the Apocalypse of S. Iohn with a commentary whiche also is not to be had He hym selfe who is red to haue lyued about the yeare of our Lorde 160. Witnesseth playnly in the fift boke against the Valentinians that this reuelation was exhibited to Iohn the Apostle a lytle before his dayes We alledge certen wordes of his in the .xiii. Chapter of this boke Tertullian TertulliaÌ„ who lyued about the yeare of our Lorde two hundred and .xx. in the fourth boke against Marcion Albeit sayth he that Marcion refuseth the Apocalypse of Iohn yet shall the order of Byshoppes rekened vp to the very begynnyng affirme S. Iohn to be authour therof In graue matters and reasoning against heretickes he vseth gladly the testimonies of this boke The same thinges are also recited of the blessed Martyr S. Cyprian S. CypriaÌ„ vnder the title of Iohn the Apostle in this Epistles treatises and Sermons Eusebius also in the .xviii. Chapter of the fift booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie Apolloni sheweth that Appollonius a moste auncient wryter vseth the testimonies of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn Theophi And lykewyse Theophilus Byshop of Antioche Whiche he affirmeth in the .xxiiii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Also Origen Origen a great man in the churche of God in the .xxv. Chapter of the sixt boke of the same Eusebius And he wrote sayeth he the Apocalypse whiche rested vpon the Lordes breste c. I haue hytherto recited the opinions of the most auncieâ— Martyrs and Doctours of the christen churche touchynâ— the Apocalypse I meane Iustine Ireney Tertullian â—â—prian Appolonius Theophilus and Origen I wyll shorâ—ly after brynge yet moo iudgementes boeth of the 〈◊〉 and Latin wryters of moste authoritie in the churche agâ—yng with the myndes of them that we haue alledged 〈◊〉 therto Howbeit I wyll fyrst touche briefly suche thyng as Dionisius of Alexandria Dionisius AlexaÌ„dria left wrytten of the same booâ— in the fyue and twenty Chapter of the seuenth booke of â—sebius whome I suppose they haue followed as manyâ— after hym haue spoken against this booke He sayeth hâ—â— diuerse that were his predecessours dyd vtterly reprâ— and reiecte this booke Neyther hydeth he the cause wâ—â— they so dyd for that the kyngdome of Christe is affyrmâ— therin to be earthly Wherunto doubtlesse they reserâ—â— that precious citie and the reste whyche vnder terrestrâ—â— kyndes figured spirituall thynges Whiche when we 〈◊〉 in the treatynge therof haue dissolued declaryng thys boâ— not to edifie the earthely kyngdome of Christe but a spiâ—â—tuall and celestiall no man I trowe wyll reiecte a good aâ—â— Godly booke for bycause certen abusyng the testimonâ—â— therof geue vnto it a wrong sense Heretickes haue wrasted verey many places of 〈◊〉 scripture Chiliastes or Millenaries to the defence of their errour shoulde therfore authoritie of the scripture it selfe be brought in doubte Iâ—â— fauoureth nothing at all the Chiliastes or Millenaries this boke He geueth them no weapons Eusebius saieth very well in the ende of the third boâ—â— speakyng of Papias the first authour of the Millenaries He thought saieth he that after the resurrection Chriâ—â— should reigne here corporally with his a thousand yeaâ—â— in earth Whiche I suppose he thought for that he vndeâ—stode not well the Apostles woordes neither that he coâ—â—â—dered not well those thynges that were spoken of hym â—â—der figures for that he was indewed with a small iudgâ—ment But in the meane tyme Dionisius hym self I sayth hâ— dare not reiecte this booke He addeth by and by that he thynketh it not yet to be the booke of Iohn the Apostle but of some other but yet who that should be he knewe not He gathereth also by certen coniectures by the phrase of speach and handlyng of the booke and by the vnlykenes of wytte that this boke should be an other mans than his that wrote the Gospell and Epistle But seing that the argumentes of the story and Epistle be so diuerse that neyther they two be lyke and the argument of the booke of Reuelation moste diuerse of all Why shoulde it seme maruell though it agreeth not with them in all thynges This can no man denie but that in consent of doctrine there is great agremeÌ„t The Epistle to the Hebrewes semed to many to fauour in the syxt and tenth Chap. The Nouatians or Catharites The diuersitie of style was noted to differ from the rest of Saint Paules Epistles But if we should so iudge of holy scriptures I knowe not what shuld be firme and sure enough Leauing therfore this disputation in suspence I wyll nowe procede to bryng foorth the iudgementes of other olde wryters concerning this boke Eusebius Eusebius surnamed Pamphilus Byshop of Cesarea lyuing in the tyme of great Constantine the Emperour and a moste dilligent reader of olde wryters whome many suppose in deminishing the authoritie of this boke to fauour them ryght eloquently in the eighteÌ„th Chapter of the third booke of his story tauntyng the Tyranny of Domitian affirmeth that Iohn exiled into Pathmos wrote there hys Reuelation And where other Historiographers doe also the same He againe in the .xxiiii. Chapter in the thyrd booke concerning the Apocalipse saith he the opinion of men is diuerse some approuing and others reprouing the same Again wheÌ„ he should bring forth his opinion touching the Canon of the new Testament in the .xxv. Chapter He ioyneth the Apocalipse with the bokes vndoubted although he dissembleth not that he wyll shew in another place what other men thinke therof Whilest he this performeth he recoÌ„pteth many more better which iudged the Apocalipse to be of S. Iohn thapostle and imbraced it as a moste Godly booke than those which denied or reproued the same Epipha Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cypres a Greke Authour also doeth manifestly ascribe this boke to S. Iohn the Apostle Reade that he hath left wrytten against Thelogians in the .xv. heresie And S. Hierome attributeth very muche to this Epiphanius Hierome And S. Hierome hym selfe ascribeth this boke to Iohn the Apostle to Paulinus Thâ— Apocalypse of S. Iohn sayth he hath so many Sacramentes as it hath wordes Moreouer Philastrius Byshop oâ— Griria Philastri whome S. Austen sayth he sawe with S. Ambroâ—â— at Millan accompteth them for Heretickes that reiecte thâ— Apocalypse of Iohn and saye that it is not of Iohn the Apostle but of Cerinthus an Hereticke Verely S. Ambrosâ— Ambrose hym selfe alledgeth in his bokes testimonies of the Apocalypse vnder the name of S. Iohn the Apostle S. Austen
thiÌ„gs must be done Or that the wycked dyd euyll not through their owne faulte but by Gods compulsion Good thynges must be done bycause God wyllyngly byndyng hym selfe to vs by hys promesse can not but doe that he doeth and promyseth Neuerthelesse he worketh frely Good thynges must be done in the Godly for bycause the nature of grace and faith is suche lyke as the propertie of vngodlines is to contemne and transgresse Wherfore they must also be punysshed And bycause the worlde is suche as it is there must needes bee Heresies and calamities innumerable And he sayeth these thynges must shortly be done that are reuealed for bycause certen thynges began in the very tyme of S. Iohn And although many thynges are founde to be doone a thousande yeares after 2 Pet. 3 yet sayeth the Apostle saynt Peter A thousande yeares before the Lorde be as it were yesterday Therfore this Reuelation apperteyneth to the tymes of the primatiue and last Churche And declareth what thynges so euer shal happen vnto it tyll the last iudgement Yea and howe it shall reigne for euer Moreouer the maner of reuealyng is also touched The maner of reuealing For Christ reuealed those thynges sendyng by hys Aungell or his Aungell sent forth vnto whome he gaue in commaundement what he should saye and doe Whereupon thys Aungell is after also called Christe bycause he represented the persone of Christe Therfore must not the Aungell in this booke but Christ alwayes be considered the trewe Authour of all these thynges And in dede the Diuinitie of Christ is here commended vnto vs what tyme we heaâ— that Christ is the Lord of aungels Wherof S. Paul to the Hebrues hath reasoned more at large Hebre. 1 Moyses in the .xii. â— Numbres setteth forth chiefly thre maners of propheciynâ— or reuelation Thre kyndes of propheciyng Act. 16. First by vision of the which sorte many are â—scribed to Daniell one notable to S. Peter in the .x. of thâ— Actes and likewyse to S. Paul And into this forme Inferre also the Apocalipse Secondly by dreame of the whicâ— sorte were those of Pharao and Nabuchodonozer kynges wherof Ioseph and Daniel were interpretours Gen. 41 Daniel 4. The Prophet Ioel in the second chapter mentioneth of visions and dreames For in the newe Testament also there be very many holy and prophetical dreames Last of all Moyses reheâ—seth a skylfull exposition as many were made to Moyses â–ª to the Apostles Into whose fellowship the Apocalipse commeth after a sorte also where visions are openly expoundeâ— Here appereth the vnspekeable goodnes of God whiche 〈◊〉 many wayes procureth and worketh our saluation and sâ— pleasauntly prepared offereth it vnto vs to inioye Vnhappy is he that knoweth not these thinges To whom it was reuealed and by whom it was writteÌ„ Besides this much mencion is made vnto whome Chrisâ— hath opened this diuine and most excellent reuelation euâ— to Iohn He commendeth hym that is himself for so was iâ— expedient for the confuting of his aduersaries seing that Pauâ— also many tymes mainteined his authoritie against the falâ— Apostles by foure Epithetes For first he calleth himself thâ— seruaunt of Christ This is the eldest and noblest title whicâ— the fathers Prophetes and Apostles haue vsed For they bâ— addicte and consecrate to God Secondly Iohn testified thâ— worde of God amongst the Apostles most expressely declaring the diuinitie of Christ especially where he testified said In the beginning was the worde Iohn 1 c. Moreouer he testifieâ— the witnes of Iesu Christ Vnder the which name the Lordâ— himself in the Gospell and S. Iohn in the .xii. chapt of his Gospel coÌ„prised the whole Euangelicall doctrine And was a seing witnesse of all these thinges For in the first Chapter we haue sene sayth he his glory And in the .xix. Chapter he sawe water and bloud gusse out of the Lordes syde In his Epistle 1 Iohn 1 that we haue sene sayth he and haue heard c. Aretas noteth that in certen Greke copies is added that whiche is had also in the Greke copie of Spayne And what thinges soeuer he hath heard and what so euer be and what so euer must be done after this That same Iohn therfore is authour of this boke The coÌ„meÌ„dation of Iohn whiche as he sawe the Lorde in flesh vpon earth so he sawe the same in spirite reuealing these thinges in heauen and propoundeth to the churche sightes most certen and sure This Iohn was that beloued disciple of the Lord whiche in the last supper rested vpon his breste vnto whom in his last will he bequeathed his mother on the crosse one virgin to another He alone stode by at the aultar of the crosse wheÌ„ Christ died witnes of the true death and of our purification He lyued til the tyme of the Emperour Traiane which thing Eusebius in his cronicles citeth out of Ireney in the noting of the yeare from the birth of Christ an hondreth and thre Dorotheus a most auÌ„cient wryter affirmeth the Iohn liued .vi. score yeares Last is touched also the profit of this godly worke or reuelation The coÌ„modite of this reuelation that hereby the readers and hearers might be prouoked to diligence Where this boke is called also a prophecie For this boke by reason of the telling before of thinges to come is the prophecie of the newe Testament Moreouer a prophecie that is an exposition This boke is a prophecie whiche openeth and and expoundeth the olde Prophetes And promiseth blessednes to the readers hearers and kepers of the things that are wrytten in this boke Blessednes comprehendeth the benefites of the life present so farre forth as the Lorde permitteth them to the godly but chiefly of the lyfe to come If the profit of this boke hath bene also spoken before in the first Sermon And marke that it is not enough to reade or heare this boke It must be perfourmed in dede and kept dilligently For the Lord sayd also in the Gospell Blessed are they that heare the word of God and kepe it They therfore that shall frame their lyfe after this boke are happie For both they flie the seducing of Antichriste abide in the faith of Christ liue for euer more c. And he finisheth the Title with an acclamation by the whiche he moueth the hearers exceadingly For the tyme is at hande as thouge he should saie Let no man thinke here that straunge thinges and the which concerne him nothâ—â— are tolde here which shal come to passe at length after maâ— worldes they belong to euery one of vs. For they be wrâ—ten of matters that chiefly concerne vs and euen of our oâ— affaires So sheweth he that this booke is profitable for a worldes men ages God the father by his sonne teachâ— profitable thinges and admonishing tyme enough and dewe season be praysed worlde without end Amen OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS boke and the Apostles salutation wherin are declared the misteries
contemplation of mâ—ters diuine and in holy prayers he heard a voice whereof 〈◊〉 wyll speake hereafter But here we are presently taughâ— what is the religion of the sonday and how it is mete to oâ—serue it Finally wordly men are reproued whiche pollutâ— breake it with prophane workes and affaires Dauid wâ— time he suffered persecution of Saul lamenteth chiefly tâ— he might not come to the Lordes tabernacle Our men aâ—compt it a great felicitie neuer to enter into the felloship Sainctes And to abuse the sonday in gamenyng drinkinâ— dauncing and worldly businesse By whose commaundement he wrote and sent the Apocalipse These thinges on this wyse declared he cometh at lenâ—â— to the reuelation setting forth before the expresse commauâ—dement of God wherby he was commaunded both to wâ— the thinges â—euealed also to send theÌ„ to the seuen churchâ— of Asia To the maner and maiestie of the reuelatioÌ„ that saâ— chiefly apperteineth that he heard a voice and that notabâ— as the sound of a trompet For so we reade it was done the law geuing at the mount Sinay Now is declared who voyce it was and who was the authour of the reuelation Verely the eternall God which calleth hym selfe Alpha â— Omega that is the beginning and the ende Or as it is saâ— in Esay first and last Wherof els where Now followeth the commaundement whiche hath â—partes For first the Lord commaundeth S. Iohn to wâ—â— And to wryte suche thinges as he sawe that is to witte 〈◊〉 Apocalipse And that he should wryte nother in the sanâ— nor on the walle but in a boke Verely for the edifiyngâ— profit of the churche present and of all posteritie After heâ— also commaunded to sende those writinges to seuen congâ—â—gations and verely to all the churches of the whole worldâ— al times ages Therfore al these thinges belong to the proâ— of congregations and that of al that be haue bene or shalâ— Thautoritie of the Scripture Here of we learne how great is the authoritie of the sâ—â—turs It was not written nor coÌ„piled in bokes but by Goâ— coÌ„maundment There be notable testimonies of the bokâ— of Moyses in the .xxxiiii. of Exod. and .xxxi. of Deuter. And to say nothing of the residue of the Propetes is not Ieremy commaunded to wryte his Sermons againe whiche kyng Ioachim had cut in pieces and burnt The scriptures are ours Doubtes S. Peter beareth manifest witnes that the Prophetes receiued the misteries of God to none other ende than thei shuld reueale them to vs Which in dede might only be done by the scriptures Now is Iohn moste apertly commaunded to wryte What wyl we say that he is also commaunded to sende his wrytinges to the congregations Wherof againe we gather that God willeth right well to the congregations and euen to euery one of vs. Let vs beware and take hede that we put not from vs vnworthely so great benefites of God to whoÌ„ be prayse and glory ¶ THE BEGINNING OF THE worke is made a moste goodly description to vs exhibited of Christe kyng and byshop in glory neuertheles woorkyng in the Churche The fifth Sermon ANd I tourned me that I myght see the voice that spake with me And when I was tourned I sawe seuen golden candelstickes And in the middes of the seuen candelstickes one like vnto the sonne of man clothed with a linnen garmeÌ„t â—owne to the grounde and gyrde about the pappes with a golden girdell His head and his eares were whyte as whyte wolle and â—nowe And his eyes were as a flame of fyre â—nd his feete like vnto brasse as though they brent in a fournace and his voice as the sound of many waters And he had in his ryght and seuen Starres and out of his mouthe went out a sharpe two edged sworde and hiâ— face shone euen as the SuÌ„ne in his strength Suche thinges as haue bene treated of hitherto in thâ—â— boke be in stead of the prologue or preface as they termeâ— Now at last shall the matter it selfe be propouÌ„ded to vs. The som of these things vnto the .iiii. Chapter Hâ— therfore followeth the second part of this boke whiche râ—cheth to the fourth chapter In the which is Christ describe vnto vs with his catholike churche For first in dede is set â—fore vs the moste sacred Image of Christ our Lord teachiâ—â— what a one he is on the right hande of his father in glorâ— how he sittyng on the right hand of his father worketh nâ—uerthelesse in his churche continually neuer absent preseâ— alwayes Of what sorte moreouer the churche is hereâ— earth is figured in those seuen congregations Here therfoâ— are shewed the excellent giftes of churches and agayne iâ— shamefull errours How the Lord Christ confirmeth suchâ— are sliding and ready to fall establisheth those that standeâ— forteth the weake harted restreyneth the folyshe hardy aâ— preserueth thinges that are corrupt Finally how faithful â—stours of the churche must worke and trauell with the peâ—ple committed to their credit For here is exceadingly wâ— taught what is the reparing and preseruation of churchâ— Where also a briefe somme of the whole ecclesiastical and 〈◊〉 some doctrine brought in to an abridgement shal be set beâ— vs. For here is repeted from heauen of Christ in glory 〈◊〉 doctrine of true religion whiche he had set forth more plâ—tifully when he was yet here in earth And here most apâ— applieth it to churches after consideration of the same And in most goodly order the wordes are knit togetheâ— as likewyse the whole boke is wrytten with playne worâ— and hanging right well together they are disceaued that thiâ—â— it to be lose besomes or broomes vnbounde Iohn heard voice behind him criyng Wherupon he tourned backwaâ— that he might se the voyce speaking that is to wit hym tâ— spake For Aretas also admonissheth that there is a tropeâ— the wordes For no man seeth but heareth the voyce Aâ— tourning him to see he sawe a figure of Christ our sauioâ—â— Therfore when the Lorde speaketh let vs tourne also wâ— all our harte Let vs turne to the lord speaking that we may lykewyse deserue to se the misteries of the kingdom of God for he gladly reuealeth him selâ— to suche as tourne and desire heauenly thinges And from those that neglecte the misteries of the kingdome of God al thinges of saluation are hidde Further more S. Iohn exhibiteth to vs the Image of Christ our catholike kyng and high bishop sitting in glory Thimage of Christ is set befor vs. in the whiche description are comprised the chiefest matters of Christ For suche a taste of Christ is here geuen vs as in this world may be of our weake flesh perceiued But we shal se hym at the length in the world to come such as he is in the fulnes of his maiestie wherin shal be ioye life euerlasting But this in this corrupt world is yet graunted to no man So much therfore is permitted vnto vs that liue yet
and before his Aungelles He that hath eares let him heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations The argumēt of this parte The seconde parte of this heauenly epistle is conteined in these poinctes in the whiche is praised and cōmended the innocencie holines and integritie of the faithful in the congregation of Sardis in true religion He exhorteth them by a promesse moste large vnto perseueraunce Last he propoundeth agayne vnto them moste ample rewardes euen to the corrupte sorte in case they amende and to the faithful if they continewe as they be The complutensiā boke hath thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thou haste a fewe names in Sardis Whiche is as much as if he had saied they be not al corrupt and dead with thee although in dede those be very fewe And so Aretas readeth it in Greke and the cōmon translation in Latin other copies haue whiche Erasmus followeth thou haste a fewe names also at Sardis that is euen in Sardis hast thou names Names but fewe And he put names for notable men Which maner of speaking is also in our langage For we saye there is no man of name for no excellent or noble personage he signifieth therefore that there be in the same Churche noble personages and that noble in soundenes of faith and holynes of life but very fewe Few good if they shoulde be referred or compared to the numbre of Hipocrites or dead whiche in dede are a greate deale more Nother oughte we here at to maruel For the Lorde sayeth also in the Gospell that many be called fewe chosen And that the greater parte of this world walketh in that broade and wide waye of perdition Matth. 20. and 7. The whiche also S. Peter repeted in the 2. chapter of his latter epistle That they are rather to be hissed at than confuted whiche seke to defende theyr errour by a multitude You shall heare very ofte at this daye You are but a fewe in nombre we are innumerable and therfore our matter is the better But that same excellent thinge is chiefly to be obserued What is cōmended the church of Sardis that although they were but fewe good yet neuertheles the Lorde cōmendeth and extolleth those fewe doubtles for the example and imitation of al other churches The wordes in dede are shorte but the praise moste ample and large That they had not defiled their garmentes whiche is as muche as if he had sayed you haue not polluted your soules with straunge opinions or spottes of heresie For you haue remayned sincere in the true faythe your bodies also and the whole conuersation of your life you haue not defiled with filthie lustes with fleshely pleasures and voluptuousenes Doubtles this is the greatest prayse and most certaine signe of perfit godlines wherewith I would wishe that mo of vs were marked But the maner of speache here requireth also an exposition The allegorie of apparell in the scripture The allegorie of garments is often and much vsed in holy scripture The vse of apparell inuented of God him selfe and shewed to our forefathers hath this chiefe propertie to hide the priuie partes of our body to beautife and set forth the body and kepe of heate and colde And therfore Christ him self is called the garment of Christiās and in the gospel in dede the wedding garment Whervpon thapostle aduiseth vs to put on the new mā which is made after God euen Christ him selfe Roman 13. Ephes 4. Coloss 3. For Christ couereth not only our priuie partes but all the filthines also of the soule he adorneth and beautifieth vs and driueth frō vs all iniurie and all euill And we defile this garment when neither in faith nor in holines of life we do aunswer to our professiō For Christe is our garment and Christianitie sincere faithe and holines of life are our apparell And euen faithe and our conuersation is our garmente For asmuche therfore as the Sardensians were of a sincere fayth and vncorrupte maners they are saied to haue kepte their garmēts cleane and vndefiled The lorde also geueth nowe a rewarde vnto vertu To walke with christ in where graye And they shal walke with me sayeth he in white araye These excellent things verely doeth he rehearse to reteyne the Sardensians in theyr dutie to nourrishe them to greater things and to moue other also to sinceritie and integritie Sainctes walke with Christ in white araye that is to saye haue fruitiō of the same glory wherin we beleue Christ to shine For he desireth his father that he will graunt to the faithfull that where so euer he is they may be with him and see his glory c. in the 17. of Iohn And with S. Matth. in the transformatiō or clarifiyng the face of Christ appered bright like the sunne his apparell and rest of his body as light So appered Christ vnto Iohn in the first chapt of this boke clothed in white araye Nowe therfore sayeth he the godly that haue not defiled their garmente shal accompany me hauing put on light also Sainctes be worthy of glory He addeth an other thing for they be worthie This is the greatest prayse when the Captaine sayeth that the soldiour is worthy of honour and glory The greatest shame or ignomie is when it is sayed with vs thou arte vnworthy The first kind of speache sheweth him to be most excellent in al kinde of vertue whiche is sayed to be worthie of eternal light by the later is signified that he whiche is accompted vnworthy of a good and excellent thing is maruelouse negligent and vngraciouse But here we nede not to reason of the merite and deserte of worthines God pronoūceth his to be worthie of glory the godly referre al the goodnes that is in them vnto grace and still complaine of theyr vnworthines Not to reproue God of liyng but to prayse and cōmende the excellent goodnes that is in him acknowledging in dede that he rewardeth good workes and dignifieth the worthines of sainctes but they are nothing proude hereof but acknowledge al this to come of grace This appereth in the doctrine of the Gospell Luke 17. Matth. 25. where Sainctes cōmended of God for the workes of mercy seme the acknowledge nothing therof Howbeit he declareth more at large the most ample promesses of God Greate rewardes of vertue wherby he maye not onlye reteyne in their duty the Sainctes and vndefiled Sardensians but mighte also reduce al others that go astray at al times into the waye of repentaunce integritie and holines And three thinges he promiseth first in dede white apparell that is to saye gloryfiyng and light euerlastinge and the gloriouse company of Christ wherof I haue spoken already Secondly and I wil not sayeth he put out his name out of the boke of life For like as Cities haue bokes wherin the names of theyr Citizens are written The boke of life righte so is God in the scriptures sayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 after the maner of men to haue a boke of life or of his electe What that boke is and whose name is red in the same none of vs can tell sins none hath loked therein We must learne of the scriptures who be the citezeÌ„s of the kingdome of God For that theyr names be written in the boke of life no man nede doubt And S. Iohn sayeth so many as haue beleued he hath geuen them power that they maye be made the children of God S. Paull saieth He that hath not the spirite of Christe he is none of his And the spirite crieth in the mindes of the godly Abba father The same Apostle sayeth God hath predestinated vs that he might adopte vs for his children through Iesus Christe Moreouer he hath chosen vs in Christ before the fouÌ„dations of the world were layde Therefore are al beleuers written in that numbre celestiall Who so euer therefore beleue not or perseuere not in the faith eyther they are not written in the boke of life or els they be put out againe of the boke of lyfe Finally the sonne acknowledgeth the beleuers and such as perseuer in the true faythe before his heauenly father and his Aungelles And here he repeteth theuangelicall doctrine out of the 10. chapt of S. Matth. and 8. of S. Marke And doubteles it is a greate matter in that vniuersall iudgement to be knowen of the sonne of God of the highe iudge to be saluted and frendely spokeÌ„ to of him and that to our greate prayse If any Prince would in a great assemble of people knowe thee yea imbrase and coÌ„mende thee howe happie and fortunate woldest thou thinke thy selfe But then shall imbrase thee the very sonne of God king of kinges and lorde of lordes Let vs thinke of these thinges in time and amende our maners For that all these thinges apperteyne to vs that laste and wounted acclamation of S. Iohn proueth let him that hathe eares heare c. Wherof we haue spoken els where To the Lord be prayse and glory ¶ The Lord coÌ„mendeth the vertues namely the constancie of the congregation of Philadelphia c. The .xvij. Sermon ANd write vnto the Aungel of the congregation of Philadelphia this sayeth he that is holye and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth And shutteth and no man openeth I knowe thy workes Beholde I haue sette before thee an open dore and no manne can shutte it for thou hast a little strength And haste kepte my worde and haste not denied my name Beholde I shall geue some of the congregation of Sathan whiche call them Iewes and are not but do lie Behold I wil make them that they shal come and worship before thy feete the church is not blamed but yet is it not therefore perfit 1. Iohn 1. Rom. 3. In al other congregations the Lord at the leest fouÌ„d some faulte in the only churche of Philadelphia he blameâ—h nothing not that any man is founde in this flesh so perfit that he hath not nede of the grace of God For Dauid crieth out enter not Lord into iudgement with thy seruaunt for no maÌ„ liuing shall be iustified in thy sighte But S. Iohn and S. Paull also make all meÌ„ subiect to sinne which thing also S. Austen discourseth learnedly agaynst the Pelagians Therfore that blameth nothing in this congregation it is not to be vnderstand as though it were not defiled with dayly faultes but therfore he imputeth nothinge for because the sinceritie and integritie of faithe couereth hideth what vice so euer there be For there is no coÌ„demnation to them that are graffed in Christe Iesu And albeit that other churches haue also the right faith yet this excelleth especially c. It might be referred chiefly to the Bisshop of the same Churche In this sixte epistle he coÌ„mendeth the sincere faith and coÌ„stancie of faith and admonissheth to perseuer propounding ample rewardes And it hath muche learning and diuerse whiche shall appere in the treatise therof And the lord herin followeth the same order which we see he hath followed in others For it is one the same kinde of doctrine with all churches and in al times Firste therfore is shewed vnto whom the epistle is written or dedicated to the pastour and whole coÌ„gregation of Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia was a citie of Lydia neither very famouse nor yet obscure We reade how it hath beÌ„ oft shakeÌ„ with earthquakes and repared againe Strabo mentioneth therof in the 12. boke of Geographie and so haue other authours also Yet it made it self famouse by vertues After is the Lorde Christ signified to be Authour of this epistle who at other times also hath tolde S. Iohn what he should write And to Christ are attributed three things or rather Christ attributeth three things to him selfe that he is holy true hath the keye of Dauid The which he hath borrowed of the Image of the first Chapt. Christe is holy Christe holy because he is pure cleane from al filthines from al vnrightuousnes very God a coÌ„suming fire doyng no man any wroÌ„g hauing nothing at all that may be blamed For to him the Seraphin sayng rightly holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth Esaye 7. Christe the Saincte of Sainctes Christ is also the holy one of the Sainctes a sanctification I saye that sanctifieth all that be sanctified The same loueth holines in sainctes Christ therfore is moste truely called Antichrist the Pope hath taken vpon him this title and so filthy sitteth on this beaste as if you should call a priuie or a Iakes a Rosier Spitte vpon that vile and filthy beast whiche suffereth him self to be called the most holy father and worship Christ the holy one of all holy vnlesse you had rather vnderstande by that holines not euery holines but pope holines that is to witte stinking swimming full of al abominations Christe is like wise called trewe Christe is true because he is eternall and faithfull euermore constaunt and incorrupte He can neyther disceiue nor be disceiued The same moste constantly kepeth his promesses All his wordes be vndoubted and trewe Albeit that fleshe that can abide no delaye begin many times to doubt yet no one poincte or iote of them falleth awaye The trueth of the Lorde indureth for euer Thou standest vpon a moste sure foundation if thou leane vnto Christe whiche in the 14. of Iohn also calleth him selfe the veritie The keye of Dauid Laste he addeth whiche hath the keye of Dauid I spake of the keye in the firste chapter He alludeth to the 22. Chapt. of Esaye Wherby is signified the diuine almightie power of Christ by the which he bringeth vs purified into the kingdome of heauen whiche worke verely nother deuilles nor any power can let The same casteth doune the vncleane into hel nother is there that can deliuer or differ the same He sayeth therfore aptely and expressely he hath
a whoremonger entreth not into the kingdome of God Ephes 5. Finally is set thefte with all his partes Thefte Wherof I spake ones in the exposition of the .x. coÌ„maundementes The Lord Iesus preserue vs from all defilyng of sinnes c. Amen ¶ Christ a strong Aungell is set agaynst Antichrist and is excellently described shinyng againe in the darkenes of the church with consolation The .xliij. Sermon ANd I sawe an other mightie angell come downe from Heauen The .10 chapter clothed with a clowde and the raynebowe vpoÌ„ his head and his face was as the Sunne and his fete as it were pillers of fire he had in his hand a little boke open and he put his right foote vpon the sea and his lefte foote on the Earth And cried with a lowde voyce as wheÌ„ a lion roareth And when he had cried seuen thonders spake theyr voices and when the seuen thonders had spoken theyr voyces I was about to write And I hearde a voice froÌ„ heaueÌ„ saiyng vnto me seale vp those things whiche the seuen thonders spake and write them not Hitherto haue we hearde many things of the most daungerouse conflictes against the christen pietie and veritie but nothing hath ben spoken of the defence and maynteiners of the trewe religion but rather the successe and wonderfull felicitie of the wicked hath ben preached especially in the fifte and sixte trompet to witte vnder Papistrie Mahometrie Therfore it might seme to many that the veritie it selfe was not only oppressed loste but also that the veritie of Gods promesses began to fainte decaie A greuouse teÌ„ptatioÌ„ in the felicitie of the AntichristiaÌ„s For the godly oppressed iniquitie triuÌ„pheth in al places the veritie being trodeÌ„ vnder fote liyng reigneth euery where Who therfore would not thinke that the thinges be in maner vaine which are spoken euery where of the rewardes of good men and punnishmeÌ„t of euill doubtles the children of Israell doubted of the fayth of Gods promesses when the terme of their captiuitie was extended only to three score and ten yeres What maruell is it than if the faithful at this daye also seyng the seruitude or bondage of Mahomet and the tiranny of the Pope or Antichrist hath continewed nowe many yeres beginne also to be tempted as also the Sainctes were tempted in olde time witnes Asaph Psalme .73 And verely ye shall haue at this daye which wil say perauenture this world shal be alwaies shal neuer haue ende papistrie shall reigne for euer the Mahometanes shal conquer for euer the godly shal be miserable for euer therfore it is better to frame theÌ„selues to the world we haue nowe loked for thy iudgement a long time yea our fathers D.CCC. and a thousande yeres since had thought the last day of the Lord had ben at hand but none ende appereth any where but all thinges are dayly renewed therefore shal the same face of the world be alwaies the courses of times dewly retourning Who therefore knoweth whether a rewarde be prepared for the godly or punnishmeÌ„t for the wicked For there chaunce farre other thinges vnto holy men than many loke for They loking for blessing life felicitie beholde they are ouerwhelmed with the curses of al menne caried to executioÌ„ and seme the most vnfortunate of all men He that cleaueth to the papistes Turkes and enemies of the Gospell goeth through luckely enough c. Therfore as euery where in this boke ioyfull thinges are mixed with sorrowfull so here also after moste greuouse battels of the .v. and .vi. trompet and moste stronge temptations he ioyneth a most ioyouse gospel for the consolation coÌ„firmation of the faithful leest they should any where doubte of the fidelitie of gods promesses or reuolte from the trewe religioÌ„ to the false therfore against Antichrist the blacke Aungell of the botomles pitte is set the bright or shining Angel of heaueÌ„ the lord Christ Here is gallauntly described is sayed to retourne vnto his the same sweareth solemnely that there shal be none other time but that in the .vii. trompet the very misterie of God should be fulfilled Moreouer the lorde Christ coÌ„maundeth S. Iohn to eate the open boke which Christ held in his hande to prophecie againe By al the which thinges to the coÌ„fort of al godly is signified that Christ shal retourne into the church out of the which he semed by his enemie and vicar to be cast out with great glory and power nother the hope and expectation of the faithful to be vaine how so euer the last daye of iudgement be differred into many ages and the godly fele of great aduersitie Finally that punnishment and rewarde is prepared of God and that this shal be geuen to the godly and that inflicted to the wicked For to the intent we might herof be most assured Christ taketh a solemne othe And sayeth it shal come to passe that the catholicke and christian veritie shall agayne come into the fielde and fighte valeauntly against the Antichristian and Mahometical doctrine Herof therfore shal we learne not to despeire in the loÌ„g persecutions of Antichrist and Mahomet We shall learne also howe to fight agaynst Antichrist and howe he muste be ouercomen not with warlicke but spiritual weapons These is not he able to match He whetteth one sworde on an other And hitherto in dede in these two last chapt hath ben spoken of the warres of heretikes and of the vngodly and of Antichrist the head of al euil hereafter shal follow of the contrary fight of the godly and maynteynaunce of Godlynes Before these is set a description of Christ most elegaunt A goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ moste holesome and moste full of consolation declaryng his force in the ministerie by the ministers of the worde whoÌ„ he hath clothed with vertue from aboue by the weake things of this world ouercoÌ„meth and beateth together the stroÌ„gest things of this world and the which semed inuincible Christ king and Bisshop animateth al his faythfull with his spirite and word indifferently alwaies and euery where worketh many things by his vertue so that he is now felte of al meÌ„ to be coÌ„men againe vnto whoÌ„ he semed hitherto to haue absented him self some what to long And I doubt whether ther be in all the canonical bokes aâ—ter the prophecie of Esaye after the story of the Gospell and especially after the gospell of blessed S. Iohn any other boke which hath mo and more goodly descriptions of Christ than hath this boke They are disceyued and much abused which suppose a rare gospell to be preached in this boke But let vs see the descriptioÌ„ of Christ by partes Christ a mighty Angell We haue shewed in the .v. and .vi. trompe that Antichrist the Pope and Mahomet are stroÌ„g Now is set agaynst them a mightie Aungel the lord Christ him selfe an Angel in dede not in nature or dignitie For he toke not the nature of an Aungel but
finished both of the Citie distroyed and the people of God ouercome There were caried aboute in the triumph the holy vessels of the Temple and euen the God of the Iewes as vanquished and bounden was sene led into the Capitoll house to make his supplication to their great God Iupiter as it pleased them Whereupon we vnderstande that the name of God was no whit lesse outrageously blasphemed at that tyme than it was in olde time of the Palestines or Philistians what tyme they set the Arcke in the temple of their God Dagon lykewyse of Rapsake and Synnacherib moreouer of Balthazar Kyng of Babylon in the .5 chapter of Daniel But the offendours are founde out at the laste Secondely the Romaines blasphemed the Tabernacle of God That same oulde Tabernacle of the people of Israell was not onelye the offyce or place of religion and worshyppyng but also a token of Gods presence For God is nowe presente in the myddes of his Churche a fygure of whome the Tabernacle of witnesse represented But the Romaynes called the Christen church wycked foolysh seditiouse whorysh and detestable whych they also moste greuouselie ded persecute and sought to destroy by al meanes hereunto also they bent their whole power Finally they blasphemed also the heauenly dwellers Gods Sainctes ouerwhelmed with reproches the happie and blessed soules of Sainctes Propheies and Apostles whom thei called wicked seducers peace breakers blasphemers heretikes and sinnefull persons For at this time whilest S. Iohn wrote these things diuerse Apostles vnder the Romane Empire had nowe ben executed and slayne as plagues of the worlde yea their memorial and doctrine condemned But hereof you perceyue how displeasauntly God taketh it if any man raile vpon godly preachers and holy ministers of churches For the Lord taketh the reproche spoken as it were agaynst him selfe There remayne yet at this daye certen blasphemies of this sorte with Cornel. Tacitus in the .21 booke of Augustallus written agaynste Moses and the people of God Morouer God permitteth the beast that he should warre vpon the Sainctes and ouercome them The beaste maketh war with the sainctes For the Romane Empire vnto the time of Constantine the greate stired vp ten most greuouse persecutions against the church Wherof you maye reade Eusebius bisshop of Cesaria and Orosius in the history which he wrote to S. Austen And this place chiefly apperteyneth to the instruction and comforte of the churche For the Lord also in the Gospell prophecieth of the destenies of the church to the consolation and information of the godly as appereth in the .15 and .16 chapt of S. Iohn And how the Sainctes be ouercome I declared in the .11 chapt The Lord Iesus preserue his church Amen ¶ Of the power of the Romane Empire and who worshippe the beast and of the destruction of Rome and the Romane Empire The .lvij. Sermon ANd power was geuen him ouer all kinrede tongue and nation and al that dwel vpon the Earth worshypte hym whose names are not wrytten in the Booke of life of the lambe whiche was killed from the beginnyng of the world Yf any mā haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie he that killeth with a sword must be killed with the sworde Here is the patience and the fayth of Sainctes Of the power of the Rom. Empire The Apostle by the reuelation of Christe speaketh also of the power maiestie of the Romane Empire The Romane Empire was in dede of greatest power in the time of Octauius Augustus also in the time of Domitian his empire and in the reigne of Traiane also vnder Hadrian Aureliane Diocletian and Constantine The greater parte of the worlde inhabited obeied therunto as al Europe in a maner Asia Africke as both latin and Greke histories do testifie Howbeit herof the lord warneth vs that we should not curiousely search the counselles of God beyng inquisitiue whie God gaue so great power to the Romanes whom he knewe would abuse the same to the oppression of Christes Church for where he saieth that the power was geuen to Rome he stilleth and appeaseth all murmuringes For Empires be of God But he is most wise rightuouse and holy Where therfore he made the kingdomes of the world subiecte to Rome he did it wisely iustely and holily In that the Romanes corrupte Gods ordenaunce and committe themselues to be gouerned of the Deuill it cometh of euill Let our disputations here cease for the wise man sayeth also that wicked men and hipochrites reigne for the sinnes of the people And that he reherseth kinreddes tōgues and nations he doeth after the imitation of the Prophet Daniel which by such a phrase of speach is wonte to signifie a moste large and puissaunt Empire But what apperteyneth this to vs or what profit sayest thou cometh to vs herby that the Romane Empire is so far extended through out the worlde This verely we see howe this prophecie hath hitte euery thing rightly that wente before therefore is there lefte no place to doubte of the thinges that followe Let vs consider moreouer that moste puissaunt kingdomes which seme to men inuincible maye of God be disolued without any difficultie lette vs therefore learne to feare God and to walke in his commaundementes and to dispise these earthly thinges Now also he declareth more expressely who shall worship the beast Who worshippe the beaste for he sayed that men in the world should be taken with admiration of the beaste and shal worship the beast he now declareth the same and so placeth the word of worshipping that he maye vnderstāde it as wel of those that are present as also to come For he speaketh not only of men of his time but of al which rauished with the admiration of thempire and maiestie thereof shal eyther denye or contemne the fayth of Christ And he sayeth that al shal worship the beaste that dwell vpon Earth and leeste any man should referre it absolutely vnto al as though non of the trewe worshippers of God shoulde be any he annexeth whose names are not written in the boke of life of the lābe to wit the reprobates not the chosen the vnbeleuers I say which cōtemne the word of the gospel disdaigne to heare it and be rebelles to Christ Aretas the expositour they dwell vpon the earth sayeth he which are moued with no care of heauenly things nor of the glory that there is or geue themselues to earthly habitation and applie themselues to a beastly life according to the same Thomas of Aquine bringeth also a testimony out of the .17 of Ieremie They that departe from me shall be written in the Earth For they haue forsaken the veyne of liuely waters euen the lord him selfe Of the boke of life I haue spoken in the .3 and .5 chapt and wil speake of the same in the .19 and 20. chapt of the Apocalipse Hereunto he annexeth a notable thing after the maner of Apostles which
I know rightwell that the proper names of great men haue ben sealed by prophecies and signified before as Iosias Cyrus Iesus But here thou canst gather no such thing but forceably and as it were agaynst the heere I vnderstande therefore by the nombre of the name of Antichrist or beaste the very accōpte wherby we come vnto his name And a name is a briefe definition or description of any thing whereby it is knowen of what sorte and maner it is Which thing in this our cause the nōbre supplieth whiche bringeth vs vnto those times which geue him his name whereof he taketh his name that is whiche times reueale vnto vs Antichrist spoken of before in the prophetes and shewe vs who and what he is or whō we should take for Antichrist euen him verely whiche hauing brought lowe three kinges he him selfe starteth vp of naught and to the distruction of the true religion beginneth to reigne And nowe he sheweth vs expressely this nombre nominall as I maye calle it The nōbre of .666 yeres is expounded and vocalle which maye leade vs vnto Antichriste that we maye knowe who it is and when we knowe him we maye beware of him and commaundeth vs to nombre the yeres sixe hondreth sixtie and sixe For so many importe these Greke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In expoundyng of the which nombre the expositours haue varied wonderfully I like best the exposition of the blessed Martir S. Ireney which perauenture an hondreth yeres after the setting forth of the Apocalipse wrote his boke against heresies saw some whiche hearde S. Iohn preach with S. Ireney maketh also Andreas the good bishop of Cesaria which with Aretas speaketh thus the perfit rekening iuste accompte of the nōbre as likewise other thinges which are written of the same Antichriste the oportunitie of time shall open Time shal reueale antichrist and very experience to suche as will watche dilligently For if it were necessary as some of the Doctours suppose that this name should be manifestly knowē he that sawe him would doubtles haue reuealed But the diuine grace allowed it not that the name of this pestiferous beaste should in this godly boke be rehersed Thus farre Andreas The exposition of Ireneus After the same sorte also the holy Martir of Christ Ireneus before Andreas lefte written in the .5 boke agaynst Heresies For aboute the ende of the booke it is surer sayeth he and with out daunger to abide and tary for the fulfillyng of the prophecie than to suspecte and gesse at euery name where as many names maye be founde hauing the foresayde nombre whereby notwithstanding the question is not aunswered Yet by and by he sayeth the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteineth the nōbre of .666 And very like it is to be true For this vocable hath a very kingdome For thei be latines that now raigne This sayeth he Antichriste shal be a latine as also Sibilla prophecied And doubtles this good doctour erred not one whit indued with the holy spirite of God For we see that the church of Rome is called the latin churche and the Pope the high Bisshop of the latin church We see al seruice in churches sayde in the latin tongue In Courtes al iudgementes of Bisshoppes the latin tōgue only vsed Moreouer no man shall serue in this churche excepte he be a latiniste What wil you saie that these latinistes cal the Hebrewe that is to wit the holy tongue by an opprobriouse name Iewish the Grece Church tongue heretical The Bibles in Greke and Hebrewe be of them suspected For they will haue the latin Bibles only to be authenticall and to be red of all men as authenticall But these thinges are better knowen than that I nede to admonisshe and recite them here with many wordes Neuertheles this holy mā Ireneus doeth not wholy affirme this his coniecture as moste certayne whiche notwithstandyng he sayed yet was moste probable and like to be trewe For he addeth notwithstandyng we will not be in hazarde herein for he recited also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the royall or tirannicall name of Nimrod nother will we affirmatiuely pronounce that he shal haue this name knowing that in case it were requisite that his name shuld be manifestly preached at this present time it should doubtles haue ben vttered by him whiche had sene also the reuelation But this nombre of the name hath he shewed that we mighte beware of him when he cometh knowyng who he is And he concealed his name for that is not worthy to be preached of the holy ghost and so forth Neuerthelesse the same before this sheweth vs away A place of Daniel in the .7 chapt lighteth this place how to accompte those .666 yeres For thus he sayeth knowyng the sure nombre whiche is shewed vs of the Scripture that is to saye of .666 let the godly abide or loke for firste the diuisiō of the kingdome into ten afterwarde the same reigning and beginnyng to refourme their matters and to augment their kingedome he that cometh vpon the sodayne chalenge to him selfe a kingdome and shal put the foresayde kinges in feare hauyng a name conteyning the foresayde nombre to knowe him verely for the abomination of desolation This agayne sayeth he But who seeth not that the holy Martir sendeth vs to the prophecie of Daniel whiche in the .7 chapt sayeth howe the Romane Empire shall be diuided into many kingedomes how in the middes of those kinges shuld rise vp a litle horne whiche should ouerthrowe and abase three hornes and that the same shoulde beginne to reigne prowdely tirannically and wickedly agaynst bothe God and menne but chiefly to the faithfull intollerable Let vs see than how and when these thinges are fulfilled The Romane Empire falleth Where the Romane Empire had godly Emperours nother yet would wicked Rome bowe her styffe necke vnto Christ but alwaies most obstinately aspired to her olde and wonted Idolatrie which it coueted to haue restored and finally whē the fatal time was at hande wherin the lord most rightuouse thought to requite blouddy Rome he armed against her the Gothians Vandales and Germanes which subdued distroied the lady of the whole worlde and distroyed the whole Empire of the which matter seke more in the .57 Sermō and in the sermons followyng Many hornes or kinges arrise And it is euident by Histories that the Romane Empire the Gothians beginnyng to inuade it did slide prouinces reuolting in euery place and was seuered in many kingdome For to speake nothing of Asia and Affricke the Persians wasting that and this the Vandalles al Grece followed the Emperour of Constantinople and likewise other nations nere The Westegothes possessed all Spayne and the French mē of Franconie subdued Gaulles and Germany and the nations adioynyng to the same The Eastegothes and Lumbardes obteyned Italy Thus verely mere establisshed many kingdomes in steade of Rome reygned many
perish they shall ryse agayne to the iudgement whole Aretas also Bishop of Cesaria perceiued this and sayed he reciteth these things to the intent he might declare what the finall and vniuersal resurrection shall be For where many beleuyng not that the same shall be do say that it is by no meanes possible to be in those bodies which haue ben long corrupted and broughte to that poincte that they be not at all this sermon nowe correcting this sayeth Lyke as the bodies when they were not began to be not by a certen chaūce or of themselues but of the four elements namely of Water Fyre Ayre and Earth So also beyng reasonably returned agayne into the same may be of the same cōposed againe c. And for a further declaratiō he addeth agayne Death and hel gaue vp them c. and death and hell gaue vp those which were in them dead For he vnderstādeth by death any kynd of death as though he shulde say death it selfe restoreth to the Iudge iudgement whom soeuer after what sort soeuer he hath dispatched Death therfore is fayned to be as it were a person which holdeth the dead in himselfe or in a prison And hel hath yet but a fewe bodies for some we read to haue gone down to hell quicke but the soules of the wicked The same retourne to their bodies that the whole man may be iudged body and soule Others by hell after the Hebrewe phrase vnderstande a sepulture or graue Agayne is repeted that the whole man shal be iudged body and soule after euery mannes workes Thus much hitheto of the resurrectiō of the dead Of euerlasting damnation wherof in our bokes els wher we haue treated more at large In the laste place followith of euerlastinge damnation and who be properly condemned And Hell sayeth he and death are cast in to the lake of fyre Whereof hath ben spoken before And Hell here signifieth not the place of pūnishmēt but those that are inhabiters of Helle to witte whose soules are yet deteined in hel or appointed thither Death also signifieth those that are deade in sinne and they which from the spirituall or tēporall death go straight way to death euerlasting Wherevpon is immediately annexed This is the second death by the which verely they that are dead to Christe are adicted to perpetual fyre and that lyue to Antichrist and the world Others expounde these thinges hereof that after the iudgemēt the Saincts shal nother be buried any more nor die Which S. Paule affirmeth also out of Osee in the firste to the Corinth the .15 chap. Aretas and Primasius make with vs. For Aretas saieth and he calleth death and hel those that haue cōmitted thinges worthie of punnishment as fulfilling the numbre of the second death And Primasius by these names sayeth he he signifieth the Deuil because he is authour of death and paynes in Hell and also the whole fellowship of Deuylles For this is the same that he spake more playnelye before by the way of preuēting and the Deuil which deceaued them was caste in to the lake of fyre and brimstone And that which he added there more obscurely sayeng and the beaste the false prophet here more playnely So much Primasius And who knoweth not that the membres muste followe the head all vngodly the Deuyll the head of all vngodlynes Whych ar not writtē in the boke of lyfe And moste euidētly he expresseth who properly at the iudgement are addicte to fyre euerlasting they that are nother written nor sound in the boke of lyfe Therefore shall the only faythfull in Christe in whome they are predestinated vnto lyfe euerlasting shall be saued All others of what religion so euer they be or what so euer kynd of lyfe they haue lyued be it neuer so strayte shall perish Others referre these words to such as are lefte a lyue at that daye For we beleue that the son of God shall iudge both the quicke and the dead Doubtles whether they be lyuing or whether they be dead certain it is that no man shall be saued in any other but in the fayth of Iesu Christe all the resydewe shall be damned And this is the finall end of the good and euill To Christe Iesu iudge of all and redemer of the faythfull be prayse and glory for euermore Amen ¶ That the worlde shall be renewed the Saincts glorified and made blessed and what that felicitie shall be and howe certeyne The XCj. Sermon AND I sawe a newe Heauen and a newe Earth The .21 chapter For the first Heauen and the first Earth were vanished away there was no more Sea AND I Ihon sawe that holy Citie newe Hierusalem come downe from God oute of Heauen prepared as a bryde garnished for her husband And I heard a great voice from the seat sayeng beholde the Tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them AND they shal be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and shal be their God And God shal wipe awai al teares from their eyes And there shall be no more death nother sorrowe nother shal ther be any more payne For the ould thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seat saide behold I make al things newe And he saied vnto me wryte for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is done I admonished you aboute the begynning of the .15 The order chap. of this boke that the fifte parte of this worke began at the .15 chap. and treated of the iudgementes of God righteous and iuste And forasmuch as the iudgementes of God are of two sortes in this that he requyteth the euyll according to their wickednes and rewardeth the good with rewards I sayed howe this place consisted of two parts For first I sayed that S. Ihon most plentifully treated of torments to be inflicted to Antichrist and all vngodly secondly of rewardes especially in the end of the world to be imployde vpon al sainctes For ofte times haue we heard in this boke that the soules seperated from the body are immediatly after the corporall death taken vp in to lyfe euerlaking but that the felicitie of al most complete chaūceth to the faithfull in the ende of the worlde what time the bodies now raised againe receiue the rewards of glory euerlasting And this place is treated through oute al the .21 chap. beginning of the .22 cha And lyke as in the former parte he hath set hel in a maner wyde opē shewed the euerlasting torments as it were to be sene presently so in this later part he vnlocketh after a fort or openeth heauen it selfe that with the eyes of faith we shulde se what hope and glory abydeth for Sainctes And with all is most clerely expoūded the article of our faith ¶ I beleue lyfe euerlasting I beleue lyfe auerlasting And agayne for the more perspecuitie he declareth these things by a visiō Which others
in that laste iudgement shal be caste out Dogges and the residewe whiche are recited in the register of the condeÌ„ned The vocable of Dogs is not alwayes taken in the holy Scriptures in the euill parte but yet for the moste parte Abner the Prince of kyng Saulles warres am I the head of a Dogge sayeth he to Isboseth whiche defende the house of Saull agaynste Iuda Signifiyng that he had incurred the displeasure of the tribe of Iuda for that he had reteined ten tribes yet in their duetie and vnder the dominion of the house of kinge Saule Els where as in the .15 of Matthewe the gentiles or heythen or estraunged from the people of God seme to be called Dogges As some at this daye call the Turkes namyng them Turkish do good that is to saye turkish infidelles Now also the prophet Esaye calleth the false Prophetes dogges shamelesse rauening vnsatiable not able to barke and defende the lords Shepefâ—lde or els vnwillyng and slepie After the same signification the Apostle sayeth to the Philippians beware of dogges beware of euill workers c. Moreouer in the holy Scriptures are called dogges angrie men fierse cruell contemners of godly thinges barkers at the trewth sclaunderers and persecuters thereof and blasphemers For in the .22 Psalme Dauid a figure of Christ the lorde crieth Dogges haue inuironned me rounde aboute the counsell of the malignaunt hath compassed me Whom he now calleth Dogges by and by he nameth malignaunt And when Semei cursed Dauid Abisai the sonne of Zaruia sayeth whie doeth this dogge that shall die curse my Lorde the kynge Math. 27. And the lorde in the Gospell forbiddeth to caste that is holy to dogges or pearles to Swine Finally they are called dogges these filthie men vncleane without repentaunce wallowyng themselues in the dungehill of sinne and wickednes For S. Peter calleth suche dogges retournyng to their vomite And the lord prohibiteth 2. Peter 2. that no man bring the price of a strompet or dogge into the Temple For euen therfore the Iewishe Priestes refused the price of bloud offered of Iudas Therefore vnder the name of dogges we vnderstande heythen or infidelles false Prophetes or deceauers cruell men blasphemers persecuters of the veritie cursed speakers contemners of the trewth vncleane and filthie c. And as for the membres that followe haue ben expouÌ„ded before to witte in the .9 chapt and about the beginnyng and in the ende of the .21 He loueth maketh lesinges chapt To a lie he addeth here he that loueth and maketh For many make them not opeÌ„ly but they loue fauour and auaunce them Many both loue and make them They loue a lesyng chiefely whiche mainteyne liyng learnyng and delighte therein But hereof moste purposely Primasius Bishoppe of Vtica to all these thinges sayeth he must be geuen not dilligence of expouÌ„ding but carefulnes of auoyding the euils The lord Iesus saue vs froÌ„ al euill AmeÌ„ ¶ Christ is shewed agayne to be Authour of this booke how great he is here Here is also declared the desire of the church wisshyng for the commyng of Christ and the liberall promesse of the Lorde The C. Sermon I Iesus sent mine Angell to testifie vnto you these thinges in the coÌ„gregations I am the rote and generatioÌ„ of Dauid and the bright mornyng Starre And the spirite and the bryde sayde come And lette him that heareth saye also come And let him that is a thirste come And let who so euer will take of the water of life free The Authour of this booke Christ The tenth place of this conclusion sheweth againe the authour of this worke to be Iesus Christ whiche is brought in here of S. Iohn speakyng to the intent the thing that is spoken maye haue the more authoritie and credit be geueÌ„ more easely of the Auditours to the whole worke Wherefore nothing is to be ascribed to S. Iohn but the writing of the worke that is to wit that he first saw al these thinges indited committed them to writing And the maner also of the reuelation is repeted Christ himselfe came not downe into the earth or into these lower partes but sent forth his Angel which from Christ in Christes name opened shewed these thinges to S. Iohn The ende also of the Angelles sendyng or reuelatioÌ„ is specified that he should testifie these thinges in congregations and to you al that are in the world vnto th ende of the world And we learne of those fewe wordes that credit muste be geuen to this boke as that which is propouÌ„ded of the very sonne of God by his Angel and Apostle and that in dede propounded to all that are in the church Agayne that Iesus Christ is very God the lord of Angelles as S. Paule also affirmeth in the .1 chap. to the Hebrewes Christ very God Of the which thing is spoken also before And these moste clere testimonies of the scripture ought to moue the faithful more thaÌ„ al the dotages of Seruetus the Spaniarde and Seruetanes playing the Arrians and Iewes Let vs obserue moreouer that Christe sente his Angell not to Iudge or to teache but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy writinges are AutheÌ„ticall that is to testifie Testimonies lawefully taken or committed to wryting and sealed it is not lawefull to speake agaynst For they are altogether taken for Authentical But all this boke was written by S. Iohn and is a witnes or the testimony of the Angell of God Therefore is it vnlawefull to doubte any thynge thereof And also ought to haue the same opinion of all other bookes of the olde and newe Testamente For the Prophetes and Apostles are called the witnesses of God and the Gospell and doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles the witnes or testimonie He is madde that thinketh not the Canonicall Scripture to be of it selfe Authenticall vnlesse it be first made authenticall by the approbation of the church and Counselles Moreouer we vnderstande that the doctrine of this whole boke belongeth not only to the seuen churches of Asia but to all dispersed through out the whole worlde and therefore to apperteyne chiefely and singularly vnto vs whiche liue at this daye at Zuricke or in Swycerlande Englande Fraunce or Germany Aretas Bisshoppe of Cesaria that he should testifie saieth he that is to saye that â—e should proteste not priuely nor obscurely but in the audience of all Churches dispersed in all the worlde that no man pretendynge wilfull ignoraunce shoulde remayne vncorrected And incontinently the Lord him selfe also sheweth and declareth Christe is the roote stocke of Dauid who and howe greate he is and what we faythfull haue layde vp in store in him And he vseth agayne parables and allusions for the more perspicuitie And firste he calleth him selfe the roote and generation of Dauid that is to saye a trewe and naturall man For we hearde before that he was very and naturall God And he cutteth of from al Heretikes deniyng and impugnyng the
church or to S. Ihon that eyther the church or S. Ihon shulde say And let him that heareth say come Aretas expouÌ„ding this place briefely and well by these wordes he insinuateth them saieth he which ar not yet assuÌ„pted to the flocke yet ready to heare godly matters and geue their dilligence to knowe the Lorde So much he And doubtelesse the desyre of the godlye is so greate that they couet that all creatures shoulde praye the Lorde to come vnto iudgement as many times we se in the Psalmes the godly to exhorte the Sun and Moone all creatures to praise and speake wel of the Lorde 12. The .12 place of the conclusion conteineth a most large promesse and comforte of Christe †And leâ— him that is a thyrste come For he promiseth agayne frankelie As thoughe he shulde saie I knowe what thinges the faithfull shall suffer vnder Antichrist what also and howe great crafte the same shall practise All thinges will he sell for money Heauen and Earth and those things also which are not in his power And he shal deceaue many and shal spoyle many And al the godly shall he vexe and oppresse with greuouse persecution Therfore yf I tary long and come not incontinently in asmuch as the wisshes of Sainctes couet the same you that loue and beleue in me flee Antichriste geue not your selues to be spoiled of him loke ye for me haue recourse vnto me He that is a thirst that is he that desyreth an heauenly gyfte or he that is in angwysh or tourmented with cares and sondry euilles let him come to me to me I say let him come I shall fyll him with good thinges delyuer from euyll and wyll comforte him and strengthen him with my spirite in al maner dauÌ„gers that he may paciently beare and ouercome all euylles And he semeth to haue borrowed these holsome wordes and most ful of consolation of the doctrine of Esaye which is in the .55 chapter and in the seuenth chap. of Ihon. Hereof are spoken certen thinges aboute the beginning of the .21 chapt Where we reâ—de â—he Lord to haue saide And to him that is a thirste wil I geue of the well of the water of life frely And he that wille But where he sayeth and he that will he meaneth not as many mistake him that it standeth in our will that we maye be saued For we knowe that the Apostle hath sayde it is not in the wille nor in the ruÌ„ning but in the mercy of God The Lord of his owne good wil saueth vs yet not withstanding he saueth not the vnwillyng but the willyng But he geueth vs that we maye will accordyng to that saying of thapostle it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to accomplish Primasius by no good giftes sayeth he goyng before he receyueth the water of life frely For what haste thou sayeth the Apostle that thou haste not receyued Therefore haue we receyued of God frely the wil of coÌ„myng also vnto whome we gaue nothing firste that we should be much lesse that we should of sinners be made rightuouse Thus sayeth he Not withstandyng it might seme to be such a maner of speakyng as is emonges the Germanes which is I make it free for al to come I doe clerely exclude no man I bid al come so and he that will that is to saye come al and receiue water c. To the lorde be glory ¶ Punnishment is decreed to the corrupters of this boke The lord sayeth that he wil certenly come to Iudgement The church wissheth for his commyng The Cj. Sermon I Testifie vnto euery man that heareth the words of the prophecie of this boke if any manne shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plages that are written in this boke And if any man shal minish of the wordes of the booke of this Prophecie God shal take away his parte out of the boke of life and out of the holy citie and from the thinges which are written in this boke He which testifieth these thinges sayeth be it I come quickely Amen EueÌ„ so come lord Iesu The grace of our lorde Iesu Christe be with you al. Amen 13. In the .13 A penaltie for the contemners corrupters of this boke parte of this conclusion is decreed a paine for the contemners of this boke but especially for counterfetter or forgers which as D. Bibliander hath sayde full well godly dare attempte to corrupte or falsefie this godly instrumeÌ„t and holy charter of thempire and Bisshopricke of Christ by addyng any thing or takyng awaye or alteryng the trewe meanyng and sense thereof This place is taken out of the common vsage of men For Princes are wonte in th ende of their writynges to establishe the same agaynst deprauers by menacinges and threatenings Antichrist the Ape of our lord Christ about the ende of his Bulles addeth yf any man shall rasshely presume to go agaynst this our coÌ„maundement or malapertly to infringe the same let him knowe that he shal incurre the indignatioÌ„ of Almightie God and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and our high displeasure And likewise in keping of treasures and publicke things where dauÌ„ger is feared they set on writinges and sealyng with waxe For the whiche cause verely where the Lorde was not ignoraunt that there would be some which wold seke to oppresse and abolish this boke he sendeth it wel Armed to all posterities We reade in olde Authours that certen heretikes in the beginnyng of the church toke very muche vpon them in corruptyng of the scriptures yea and that some of them to haue reiected whole bokes of the holy Scripture And Tertullian imputeth the same vnto Marcion whiche also depraued holy bokes Howebeit through the goodnes of God it came to passe that we haue neuerthelesse receyued the holy bookes whole and vncorrupted Whiche thing S. Hierome sheweth playnely in his commentaries vpon Esaye the .3 booke And Erasmus of Roterodam in the Apologie of the newe TestameÌ„t and also in his Apologie agaynst Iames Latomus c. Howebeit the Lorde at this present doeth no newe thing Nothing to braddeâ—â— nothing to be minisshed whilest he commaundeth that nothing shoulde be added or taken awaye For ones or twise he commaunded by Moses Thou shalt adde nothing to my worde nother take froÌ„ it any thing And Salomon in the .30 of the Prouerbes coÌ„maundeth the same But many maruell and finde faulte that he hath threatened so many plages to the corrupters Whie than do not the same meÌ„ blame and reproue in S. Paule that he hath in one worde comprised as many plagues and displeasures as S. Ihon hath here recited where he sayde vnto the Galath Although I or an Angel from heauen shal preach vnto you a gospel other than this that we haue preached vnto you let him be an outcaste or accursed And the same wordes againe he doubleth repeteth Wherefore if they graunt that Paule hath herein so little
offended that he hath deserued prayse also let them leaue blamyng of those thinges whiche are here moste pourposely placed of our lord Iesu Christ him selfe by S. Ihon in their place time dewe Verely Anathema whiche worde S. Paule vsed is he that is cutte of from the felowship of al good men deuoued to extreme punnishement and euen subiecte to all the euilles bothe of this present life and the life to come Whiche thinge maye be gathered of Deuteronomie and other holy bokes Who adde who take â—waye And he addeth and taketh awaye not whiche vseth other diuerse and playner wordes in expoundyng a sentence of the reuelation but he that putteth in any thinge contrary to the true sense and variyng from those thinges which are here of the lord expressed or he that taketh awaye any thing obscureth or peruerteth which here the lord himself hath expresely signified Wherupon Thomas of Aquine he addeth to sayeth he which putteth to a lie he minissheth which taketh awaye any thing of that which is written therein or also in deniyng gayne sayeth the same Thus much he Therefore this addition and substraction consisteth not in wordes only but rather in sense For nother the prophetes in expoundynge the lawe at large are thought to haue added any thing to God his worde nother the Apostles preachyng the libertie of the gospel are saide to haue taken any thing away froÌ„ the lawe And to testifie To testifie is vnder the religion of a testimony to affirme any certen thing or with a protestation to vrge beate in any thing ernestly and eueÌ„ as it were to binde the hearer that he shuld certenly know that these thinges that are spokeÌ„ do haÌ„ge ouer him that God wil plage vnlesse he do obey Concernyng the paynes or plages which he threateneth at this present is spokeÌ„ in the .15 16. 17. and .18 chap. c. Likewise is declared before that might be here spoken of the boke of life and of the holy citie Moreouer he coÌ„prehendeth here also all good thinges in like maner whiche are promised in this boke to the godly and obedient seruauntes of God of al the whiche thinges the contemner falsifier and corrupter of this boke shal be depriued With how great euilles and dauÌ„gers than do they intangle themselues whiche would haue this boke vtterly suppressed and let that it shoulde not be expounded openly and come in to the handes of al meÌ„ agayne it is most certayne that they shall obteyne of God all maner of blessing so many as haue a good opinion and thinke deuoutely of this boke and wil set forth and commende vnto al men the thinges that are written in the same to the glory of God and saluation of the faithfull 14. In the fouretenth place is sealed Thus saieth he that testifieth these thinges and euen signed as it were with a subscription the authoritie of this boke For it followeth he sayeth that beareth witnes of these thinges or he that testifieth these thinges For in maner all the expositours suppose those to be Christes words as though he him selfe for a confirmation had putte to the same and sayde I Iesus haue propounded al these thinges and especially such as concerne the threatenynges agaynste the corrupter as a true witnes and the same to be vndoubted For Aquinas here sayeth he is brought in Christe affirmyng the foresayde menacyng and approuing al thinges that are written in this boke But I for my parte reseruyng the iudgementes of others safe suppose this to be the subscription of S. Iohn the writer of this boke For the Notaries Secretaries or chauncelers of Princes are wonte at the ende of the kinges or Emperours letters or writynges to subscribe their name And verely S. Iohn in the Historie of the Gospell hath obserued the same maner For in the .19 chapt he sayeth and he that sawe bare witnes and his testimony is trewe And at th ende of the Historie he subscribeth and signeth vnderneth with these wordes this is that disciple whiche beareth witnes of these thinges and wrote them and we knowe that his testimony is trewe For al the church knewe and confessed this In like maner he semeth at this presente to haue subscribed these thinges also in his owne name to haue sayed He that testifieth these thinges sayeth Christ cometh certeynely to Iudge 15. In the .15 place he bringeth in agayne the lorde Iesus himselfe speakyng and promising that he wil certenly come to iudgement verely to redeme and glorifie the godly and to punnishe the wicked Therefore with a great asseueration he sayeth euen so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surely and doubtles I come quickely although I seme to tarye longe and to some not to come at al. Neuerthelesse yet moste certenly and in time doe I come as before also is sayde and declared And the same thing is repeted in maner with the same wordes oftener as a thinge most worthie to be marked and knowen He annexeth immediately the fayth and wisshe and great desire of S. Iohn and of the faythfull church or of any godly submittyng him selfe to the promesse and sayeng Amen euen so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye we acknoweledge it to be moste certayne and vndoubted that thou promisest that thou wilt come Therfore doe we loke for thee the Iudge of the quicke and the dead yea praye with our inwarde bowelles come lorde Iesu For els where also we praye dayly Thy kingedome come And al the godly with sighes vnspeakeable wish for the commyng of the Iudge for glory Whereof the Apostle treateth in the .8 chapter to the Romanes and we haue touched the same matter before The Apostles blessing In the laste place of the conclusion he wissheth after the Apostolicke maner the grace of our Lord Iesu Christe to all the hearers and readers of this boke S. Paule in the .2 Epistle to the Thess the .3 chapt Thus I wryte sayeth he in euery Epistle the grace of our lord Iesu Christe be with all you Amen He therefore here agreeth to him selfe as the Apostolicall sprete doeth euery where Grace comprehendeth the whole matter of the redemption and giftes of Christe He wissheth therefore to vs al the blessyng whiche we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord. Whereof moste plentifully and besiâ— hath discoâ—â—â—ed â—he vessel of election S. Paule in the .1 chap. to the Ephes◠〈◊〉 â—he lord Iesus whiche hath reuealed to vs these holy misteries write the same in our mindes and deliuer vs from Antichriste and from all euilles and kepe vs in the true faith and in his grace Vnto him be honour and glory prayse and thankes geuyng together with the father and the holy ghoste for euermore Amen Come Lorde Iesu our redemer and onlie Sauiour and gloryfie them that loke for thy commyng moste wisshed for that we maye gloryfie thee for euer Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VIVET TAMEN POST FVNERA VIRTVS ET SI MORS INDIES ACCELERAT ⧠IMPKINTED AT at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Saincte Martins Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Septennium These bokes are to be sold at his shoppe 〈◊〉 the gate
to come albeit s Iohn hath hitherto spokē neuer so largely yet hath there nothīg be sayd worthy so greate a matter wher both the prophetical Apostolicalscrip saith that which the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath hard nor yet hath ascended into the harte of man the same hath God prepared for those that loue him But those things whiche I haue hitherto drawen into an abridgement the title and conclusion of the woorke omitted the order of the booke shewed also by the way S. Iohn in his Apocalypse deliuered by Christe as ofte I haue said through the ministery of a most excellent Aungel commendeth to the vniuersall Churche of Chryst and chiefly to vs in whom th ende of the world hathe chaunced wherin he hath taught nothyng at all contrary to that which he hath taught in his euangelicall story and his epistles The doctrin of the Apocalypse is the apostolicall doctrine Iohn .v. In his story he resiteth certen thinges concernynge the persecutions of the church by the wordes of our Sauiour Christ Of Antechrist nothing vnlesse he sayd this only which many vnderstode to be spoken of Antechrist I came in my fathers name and you receyue me not If an other shall come in hys owne name hym ye wil receyue In thepistle he touched by the way Antechristes matter sayde 1 Ioan. ij dere children the last tyme is at hand and as you haue hearde that Antechrist shall come euen now many Antechristes haue begon to be But in this last boke of his S. Iohn toke vpō hym to declare peculiarly and in dew order and plentifully such things as oure lord Iesus Chryste had distinctly and playnly reuealed to hym of that great Antechrist and of the perills and persecutiōs of the church And for that cause he appereth to haue vsed more plētiful copie and a kind of speach better furnished more painted variable and polished so that it is no maruell though the phrase of this boke vary somewhat from the style of his other bokes Wherof we shal touche somewhat also in this that followeth In the meane time you wil say there wanteth nothing in this boke if you way euery thing more dilligently whiche you shulde require of a boke moste euangelicall and apostolicall We haue in the same not only expressed but also well expounded the chief articles of our belefe Moreouer innumerable places of the prophets are expounded in this boke For the whiche cause this S. Iohn was called of Iohn Decolampadius The apocalypse is the paraphrasis of the Prophets not without cause thexpositour of the prophets And as the Apostles had this peculiar to themselues to cōfirme such thinges as they taught by the wrytinges of the prophets So in thexposition of the boke it shall appere that this holy wryter S Iohn hathe either borrowed all his thinges of the scriptures or to beautifie and confirme his writhinges by the scripture What excellent and profitable things ar treated in this boke Bat chiefly this boke of S. Iohn setteth forth the kingdom and priesthode of oure Lord and sauioure Iesus Christ the power glory and maiestie of his deitie and humanitie the mistery and veritie of his redemptiō And I doubt whether after the Gospel there may be founde in anye other boke of the scripture more goodly and more godly fit descriptions of Chryste Neither do I desire that credit shulde be geuen to these my wordes let the triall be made of the thinge it selfe Yea the church also the chosen spouse of Christ is painted out most beautifully and she with her vertues and vices is touched also the fall of her and likewise the reparation and reformation and the conflict or fight of the same here be moreouer described the perils ayde and victories that you may seme to haue herein an abridgemente of the story of the church Moreouer it appereth by this boke what is the true and sincere doctrine in the church of God which is false corrupted Furthermore it sheweth vs also sondry descriptions figuratiōs of matters most weyghtie but first and chiefly of that honorable Trinitie of Chryst also as I said before our sauiour and iudge Finally protectour and president gouerning all thinges most iustely in most goodly order for the saluation of his chosen watching ouer his worde and ouer his church and ministers of the same Iustifieng also sanctifieng and preseruing all the faithfull in the felowship of the churche Punishyng lykewyse all the wicked with all superstition and vngodlynes Briefly no where neglecting the chosē no where sparyng thenemies Besides this it setteth forth to vs the description also of the Deuil of al his mallice and warre And setteth before oure eyes also the horrible torments and paynes that they suffer in hell It setteth open to vs heauen it selfe and sheweth what may be the hope of the faithfull And affirmeth the true resurrectiō of al flesh In this boke is taught how great is the grace and mercy of almighty God howe rightuous he is true Here is taught what is the true repētaunce of the faithfull here are taught the true good workes of the true faythe what be the duties of true pietie and what be the holy exercises dew to God acceptable of Sainctes in earth Here are shewed also most diligently those wicked dedes whiche are to God most hatefull Here is shewed most plenteously what shal at the length be th end of good men and euyll what shal be the souerayne felicitie and what the extreme misery and infelicitie In somuche that this boke maye euen by the thinge it selfe or matter that it treateth and setteth forthe commende it selfe to all godly people and may shew and proue in dede that it was writtē by the spirite of thapostle Now all these matters are setforth and handled after the Apostolicke maner and accustomed facion of holy scripture By what meane and in what sort these are setforth playne and ful of perspicuitie At the beginning God propounded diuine matters and the which concerned our saluation as it were vnder a veale and vnder figures not to thintente to darken or obscure them but rather to vnfolde them and set them foorth For this maner of declaryng inuisible thyngs by visible is more fit to teache more mete to moue more apt for perspicuitie and most conuenient and sitting that things may be more depely imprinted in minde and the lesse fall out of the same And therfore we rede that sondry visions were exhibited to the Patriarches as to Abraham Israell Ioseph Moses and others Certes yf you take frō the bokes of the Prophetes the visions parables and sundry figures of speache how much I pray you shall you leaue of theyr doctryne emongs these be more notable in visions Ezechiel Daniel and Zacharie Neyther is thys maner of teachyng by visions parables and sundry figures takē away in the new testament lyke as I haue shewed els where The very story of the
Gospel doth figurate and teache most thinges by parables And. S. Iohn himself in his Gospel is veri much in the mention of light darknes of bread water of a Sheperd and shepe and suche other lyke In the meane while I am not ignorant howe great a difference there is betwene parables Metaphores or Allegories and visions But who agayne knoweth not that in teaching and setting forth of matters the maner of either to be after a sort al one and of the same effect For they serue for plainnes and perspicuitie But let suche as think not a misse that Parables taken of earthly things differ very muche from heauenlye visions Consider how these celestial visions ar exhibited to the Apostle S Iohn by Christ now remayning in heauē and requiring that his seruauntes hauing theyr mindes lifted vp to heauenly thinges shuld learne to sauour spirituall matters Where he yet neuerthelesse hath obserued plaines and perspicuitie The boke is plaine and may be vnderstand I suppose verely this boke to be simple and playne to the faithful that wil read it attētiuely with deuotion I graūt that thold expositours of this boke haue sticked ful oft in expounding the same could not alwayes wind thēselues out but in the meane season it is euident that the same men haue said oftner thē once that hardely shuld this boke be vnderstand before it wer fulfilled And in dede to those auncient fathers the vision of Daniell semed vtterly most obscure But whē such things wer accomplished as he had hid vnder figures there wanted not that sayde how he had wrytten a story of things don and not a prophecie of things to be don And our lord him self also in the Gospel of S. Matthew When you shall see sayth he thabomination of desolation which was spokē of by Daniel the Prophet stāding in the holy place he that readeth let him vnderstand Doth not Esay also in a maner in all his prophecies after the comming of Christ and most of the misteryes of the kyngdom of God accomplished seme likewise to haue compiled a most playn history And doubtles if we reade with diligence this same boke of the Apocalips confer those things which he speaketh vnder a shadow with the same that stories testifie to be done We shall say also that he telleth plaine histories I haue verely loued this boke from my youth vpward I haue gladly red in it bestowed much labour ther vpon obseruing what things it had out of the bokes of the prophets howe the prophecies herof did agree with thother prophesies of the prophets doctrins of the Apostls I haue searched finally after the capacitie of my sklēder wit diuers stories which I thought to make for the openyng of the sence of this prophecie I haue searched also thopinions of other expositours And haue diligentli compared domestical matters which ar don now in our tyme with this narration of Iohn of al the which things and chiefly being ayded by the helpe of God whiche I called for I haue gathered such things as I now do cōmunicate here to the godly readers Hereunto came also the singular learnyng diligence and aptnes in expounding the holy scriptures of the most godly man D. Theodore Bibliander doctour of Diuinitie in the vniuersitie of Zurick Doctour Theodore Bibliander who thirtine yeres past red openly and to his greate praise this boke of reuelation of whō vnlesse I wold confesse my self to be very much holpē I were excedingly vnthankful There remaineth as yet a faithful relation of the same imprinted at Basyl the yere of our Lord .1545 Wherin he disposeth this boke of S. Iohn geueth a light to it with his scoles And bothe of thold and new that I could get I haue red ouer Aretas the successor of Andreas bishop of Casaria Who haue written vpon the Apocalips whose expositions vpō this boke he allegeth oftner thē once S. Austen also bishop of Hippon and Primasius Bishop of Vtica Neither haue I contemned Thomas of Aquine nor dispised the ordinary glose as they terme it of the newer sort s Sebastian Meter-minister of the church of Bernes .xx. yeres since a man of great vertu and learnyng hath faithfully and not without great fruite traueled in expowndyng this boke whose commentaries vpō the Apocalips wer imprinted many yeres since at Zurick by my frend Froschouer And D. Fraunces Lambart of Auenion a most godly and excellent learned man hath laboured in expoundyng the same boke who had fyrste red it at Marsepurge the noble vniuersitie of Hessia And after in the same citie he caused to be printed and setforth seuen bokes of thexposition therof the yere of our Lord .1528 Moreouer there was imprynted at Wittēberg in Saxony a commentary vpon thapocalipse written an hundreth yeres past and sent to D. Luther out of the furthermost parts of Germany namely out of Sarmatia and tartaria which I red also as likewise certen thyngs of D. Leuthers vpon this boke of Reuelation And here I may not forget the most excellent learned men and the which haue right wel deserued of learnyng Erasmus of Roterdame and Laurence Valla who haue also lefte theyr annotations vpon thys boke By all whose labours I confesse my selfe to be very much holpen whiche I recite franckly for this pourpos that I would dissemble nothyng nor seme toffend against ciuilitie or defraud any man wrongfully of his deserued praise And therfore wold admonish the godly that if I seme to any man to haue don any thing in this work prayse worthy he may know that I haue don nothyng without coadiutours And that he refer thys whole benefite to God thauthor and fountain of all goodnes geue hym thanks therfore And al these thinges of myne I propound to be iudged of the godly readers auditours that they may take that shall seme good herin and where I seme to haue erred frō the right rule they may eschew the same Neyther wil I contend with any man neither will I enuy better learned or better exercised wherof som haue promised already commentaryes vpō this boke if they shal bring forth better thīgs yea I am alwaies ready my self not only to receiue better thynges but also to geue them thanks that offer the same In the meane season I put out my talent which I haue receyued of the Lord that I may win som lucre with it for my Lord. And I beseche the Lord that he wold prosper it wel and blesse thys my simple trafficke Here moreouer I take God to witnes that I haue takē this pain for no priuat hatred towards any man for no desire of raylyng That these cōcions are frēdly wretten nor for any intent to procure any mās displeasure but simply to expound this excellent and right profitable boke of the new Testament which haue lately with my commentaries setforth al the residue of the boks of the new Testament And besides all this many godly learned men
out of sondry places in their letters writteÌ„ to me haue required my expositioÌ„ vpoÌ„ the Apocalips To whose iudgmeÌ„t sins I gaue very much I did in dede more easely consent to this editioÌ„ And wherin the meane time the hatfull cause of Antichriste as many men cal it came in the beginnyng of the worke to be handled I neyther ought nor myghte dissemble it Moreouer this is playne that I haue brought forth nothing in this matter that is new straung or hath not ben heard of nor that I role this stone alone Now al the world crieth out that no other antichrist shall come into the world then he that is commen already in the Bisshops of Rome Who shal in the meane time be slaine with the sword of God his word in the harts of the faithful and shortly shal be wholy abolished by the glorious comming of Christe vnto iudgement If I shall suppresse and conceale this thing the stones wyl cry out For now is the time fulfilled and the kingdom of God is coÌ„mâ—n Blessed and for euer blessed be those Theldest and most common doctrine is that the Pope is Antichrist Gregory the first Pope that watche and loke for Christ vnto saluation Ireney an holy Bishop sayde a thousand and foure hundred yeres sins Antichrist where he is but a seruaunt will be worshipped as God Tertullian and. S Hierom as I haue said now oftner theÌ„ once haue expounded this prophecie of S. Iohn touching Babilon of Rome plainly Gregory the first of that name who was also Bisshop of Rome was not affrayd to pronounce openly that he was the vauntcurour of Antichrist that wolde suffer him selfe to be called the vniuersal and high Bishop But then did the bishop of Constantinople vsurpe to himselfe this title who ran before the latter bishops of Rome And in the xxxv epistle to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople Al thinges saieth he that are spoken before are don The king of prid to wit antichrist is at hand And the which is not lawfull to be spokeÌ„ An army of priestes is prepared for him For they serue in the bande of prid Arnulphus bishop of Orleaunce which wer placed to be guides of humilitie And these things wrote Gregory nine hundreth fiftie yeres synce Arnulphus a maÌ„ very godly lerned Bishop of Orleance .550 yeres since in the couÌ„sel of Reins speaking openly of the Bishop of Rome brake out at the last into these wordes What thinke you him to be that sitteth in the high seat in the pourple garment glistering with gold whom I say think you him to be Vereli if he be destitute of Charitie and be puffed vp extolled with only knowledg he is Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God and boasting himselfe as though he were God But if he be neyther grounded vpon charitie nor yet exalted with knoweledg he is in the TeÌ„ple of God as an Idoll Thus far he who semeth by these his wordes to haue alluded to the places of holy scripture Apocalips xix.ii Thessa ii Zacha. xi S. Barnard Albeit that by reason of the infelicitie of his time he agreeth not with him selfe in all thinges Yet inueyhed so against the Pope bishops and clergie of his time that if any shuld at this day omitting his name vse his words he shuld be called the greatest heriticke that lyueth Where notwithstanding al things ar now more corrupted theÌ„ they wer in the time of s Barnard His sermon which he had to the clergie in the counsell of Reines remayneth In his bokes of consideration he is moste vehement especially in the .ii. and fourth boke He liued about the yeare of our Lord .1150 In the yere of our Lord 1240. was suÌ„moned a couÌ„sel of Princes and Bishops at Regenspurge Eberhard bisshop of Salisburge and that for the TiraÌ„ny of bishops of Rome most greuously oppressinge the godly Emperour Friderick the second of that name In the whiche Eberharde Archebishop of Salisburg standing dp Vnder the Title fayth he of the greatest Bishop we perceiue in a Sheperds clothynge a moste cruell wolfe vnlesse we be blind Bishops of Rome haue war against al Christians by attempting disceyuing makyng war vpon war waxing great they kil and murther the pore shepe peace and concord they dryue out of the earth Ciuile warres domestical vprores they coniure out of hell dayly more and more they weaken the forces of al men that they may treade them all vnder foote may deuoure all and bring all into bondage HildebraÌ„d an hundreth and threscore and ten yeres past first vnder the pretence of religion layed the foundation of Antichristes kingdom He first began this wicked war which by his successours hath ben continued hitherto And by and by The bishops of Babilon couet to reigne alone they can not abide they re pere beleue me for my experience they wil not cease til hauyng brought theÌ„peroure vnder and the dignitie of the Romane empire dissolued the true pastours oppressed they may on this wise extinguish all thinges tread al thinges vnder theyr fete and sit in the Temple of God and be exalted aboue al that is worshipped He that is seruaunt of seruaunts seketh to be Lord of Lordes in like case as if he were God He hathe new deuises in his hart that he may establish thempire for him selfe He chaungeth the lawes setteth forth his owne lawes That loste man whom they are wont to cal Antichrist polluteth Robbeth spoileth defraudeth sleyeth in whose forhead is written the name of reproche I am God I can not erre he sitteth in the temple of god and ruleth far nere And a little after the maiestie of the people of Rome wherwith in times past the world was gouerned is takin out of the earthe The kingdome is multiplyed the gouernment dispersed into many cut of lessened I wyl not say rent in pieces Themperoure is a vayne calling is only a shadow There be ten kings atones which haue parted the world which in times was the Romaine empire not to gouerne it but to consume it The ten hornes which thing to S AusteÌ„ semed incredible Turks Greks Egiptians affricans Spaniards Frence men Englishmen GermaÌ„s Sicilians Italians do posesse the Romane prouinces in them haue distroyed the Roman inhabiters And a little horne hath growen vp vnder these that hath eyes and a mouth speaking great things It hath brought in subiection especially three kingdoms of Sicilie Italy and Germany compelled them to serue him with intollerable tyranny it vexeth the people of Christ and the saincts of God it confoundeth all thinges concerning God and man and attempteth deuelish things And the residew which is to be red in the .685 leafe in the seuenth boke of Auentines cronicles which in the yere of our Lord .1554 were printed at Ingolstad by themperours priuilege out of the which I wrot word for word al that I haue hitherto recited in the name of Eberhard Archbishop of Salisburge About the same time
Abbot Ioachim FrauÌ„ces Potrarch liued Abbot Ioachim of Calabria who likewise calleth the Pope Antichriste and setforthe thapocalips with prophetical pictures scolies in ItaliaÌ„ FrauÌ„ces Petrark a man excellently learned most worthy mortall fame flourished about the yeare of our Lorde .1350 Who also least suche wrytyngs behynd hym agaynst the See of Rome against the court there and agaynst the Pope that yf they wer comparde with these things whych in our tyme D. Luther wrote most bitterly against Rome he may seme to be vtterly vaÌ„quished of him In the .xx. epistle he calleth the Popes court both Babilon and also the whore of Babilon syttyng vpon the waters the mother of all Idolatry and fornicatyon There is moreouer a learned boke of Marsilyus Patauinus Marsilius Patauinus writteÌ„ for Lewis the .4 Emperour agaynst the Pope wherin he inueyeth sharply against the bishop of Rome and his tirannicall lawes In the same age to wyt two hundreth yeres past flourished also Micael Cosenas Michell Cesenas general of the Minories who openly accused the Pope as Antichryste and the church and See of Rome as the whore of Babylon dronken with the blod of saincts An hundreth yeres since liued Laurence Valla a gentleman of Rome of a noble house who also obiected him self to the Pope and the Romish See Laurence Valla. Hieronimus Sauonarola for the which cause he was dryuen into exile but of the kyng of Naples he was honorably receyued Moreouer Hieronymus Sauonarola of Farrare an excellente diuine and Philosopher in hys time a man in holynes of lyfe as he is sayde of many notable preached openly in Italy that the Pope was Antychist for the whych cause he was most cruelly burnt at FloreÌ„ce by Pope Alexander the sixt Thys is had yet in the Fresh memorye of men where it was don about the yere of our lord .1499 Yet Iohn Fraunces Picus Counte of Mirandula calleth the same Sauonarola an holy prophet Albeit that Nawclerus signyfieth in hys story that he did many thyngs for ambition sake and for vayne glyrye And Marsilyus Ficinus attributeth to the same Sauonarola the spiryte of prophecye in a certeyn epistle Furthermore Philippus CoÌ„mines an Historiographer witnesseth that he was an holy man and to haue had the spiryte of Prophecye For they say how he prophecied of the sackyng of Florence and Rome and the restauratyon or reformatyon of the church and of many other thynges that shuld chaunce vnto Italy whych came to passe there in the meane season I remembre wheÌ„ I was yonge and followed my study in sondry vniuersityes to haue hearde certen blacke Freers say that Sauonarola prouoked the indygnatyon of Alexander the sixt the courte of Rome agaynst hym by nothing more then for that he preached against them in Italy the Apocalips of S. Iohn What shuld I say that the Waldensians foure hundreth yeres past in Fraunce Itali Germany Boheme Poland and in other parts of the world professing the gospel of Iesus Christ accused the bishop of Rome with diuers wrytings and continual prechings as the verey Antichrist prophecied by S. Iohn thapostle and therfore to be abhorred They themselues beyng put to most greuous torments haue constantly testifyed theyr fayth by gloryous martyrdoms and stil do at this day For they could neuer be roted out which thing notwithstanding hathe ben full oft attempted by most myghtye kings and princes inspired by the bishop of Rome the wyl of God beâ—â—g otherwise But why rehearse I these thynges synce thys yeare 1556. was printed at Basill a register of the witnesses of the veritie All good men at all times haue spoken against the pope which before our time haue spoke against the Pope wherof the nomber in dede is great and the more parte of them called the Byshop of Rome with out any prouerbe that Antichrist which shuld come into the world Therfore it is manyfest that I in this my worke brynge forthe no vnwonted thing or that hathe not ben heard of before wher now we do plainly vnderstand that this song hath in so many ages bâ— songen written painted printed and beaten in of the best holyest and most excellently learned men yea and confirmed to with the vnmeasurable bloud of martirs Furthermore yf any remayne that be desirous of good thinges emongs the bishops or prelates of the churche in the clergie it selfe let theÌ„ not be offended with me in case any where in expounding the Apocalips I bryng foorth theyr sayings doings and compare theÌ„ with the Apostls words Let them rather be â—ipleased with theyr owne wordes and dedes spoken and done â—esydes and against Gods word Let them leaue doing that they do Yea Daniel .xii. let them do penaunce so shall they haue prayse in the churche of Saincts But yf they hold on euen against their conscience to defend and maintayne their kinde of lyfe theyr pleasures theyr riches theyr honours dignities and to accuse persecute and murther the preachers yf the veritie as enemies of the church let them take hede it chaunce not to theÌ„ sodenly that the Gospel resiteth of the dronkeÌ„ seruaunt Math. xxiiii who did vexe and beate his fellow seruaunts but was of the chief Lord him self oppressed when he thought least of it and hewen al to pieces But yf there were euer any tyme heretofore Thapocalips in oure tyme is not only profitable but necessary wherin it behoued to setforth to vrge and beate in this doctryne to al the people This is chiefly necessary to be don in this our tyme. For this age of ours hath in the Popes kingdom sharpe and quick wittes which coÌ„mend with maruelous prayses both the Pope and the popish church perswade and dryue into the heads of the sort vnlearned cleane contrary things to theuangelical and Apostolicall doctryne Moreouer they haue woÌ„derfull crafts wherwith the wittier number are also disceaued They haue welth and riches authoritie armure munitioÌ„ threatnings promesses and torments wherby some strong also are made wery and ar halâ—d away to the popish parte There be many without experience whych esteme not this thing as it ought to be estemed suche care not nor passe not what religion be preached whether it be euangelicall or popish or what thynge be of eyther beleued or not beleued For they suppose all these things to concerne them nothyng In the meane season many perish and are in daunger not a few fall away diuerse stick in perplexitie and the kingdom of Christ is abbreuiated For the papistes omit nothing which may make for reparing of theyr kingdom and pullyng downe of the kingdome of Christ Therfore where these fellowes spare in this case nether paines nor cost that they may conuerte all thynges to oppresse the faythe of the Gospell and to dryue the sympler sorte to forsake it We oughte not to suffer that the Churche and the symple people afflycted and tempted in the same shulde want that comfort admonition and doctryne
Peter by a vision as appereth in the actes Actes 10. And the Prophet Ioel sayd also howe the people of 〈◊〉 newe Testament should see visions And so doeth the blâ—sed Apostle S. Peter expounde the same place in the Aâ—â— of the Apostles speakyng of the people of the newe Tesâ—ment And our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell propounâ— and declared to the people the moste part of the misteries parables and in maner by fayned fables as they call thâ— And how much thinke you doe these visions types and â—gures of S. Iohn differ from the same This kynd of spâ—â— doth not darken matters but maketh them plaine And â—â—keth much for the efficacitie and perspicuitie and for the câ—firming of the memory For by this meane matters be 〈◊〉 only declared with wordes and heard with the eares 〈◊〉 are set forth also to be sene of the eies and after a sort be fiâ— in the memory The plaines of the scripture Many for this cause attribute much to paâ—ting But I suppose that I may much more rightli attribuâ— very much to this maner of speaking and teaching wherâ— the matter is vttered not by a coulored domme dead paâ—ting but as it were with a speaking liuely maner set foâ— to be sene of the eies Whiche is therfore propounded thâ— men myght rightly and exactly vnderstand the same Albâ— therfore that this whole boke in a maner consisteth of visioâ— and figures What shall be the expositioÌ„ of this boke Yet shall we in dede through the inspiration 〈◊〉 Gods grace shew in our exposition that all that same mâ—keth for the perspicuitie and plainenes and not for the obseâ—ring or darkening of most high and godly matters I wyâ— bring my exposition out of the very scriptures by coÌ„ferring ioyning therunto the rule of faith and charitie I will searche out the circumstaunces the thinges that follow go before I wil bring similitudes dissimilitudes I wil adde also ther vnto the experience of things the faith of histories Which maner of expounding the scriptures all interpretours haue always graunted to be sound true 1 Cor. 14 1 Tess 5 If better thinges shal be reuealed to others I wil gladly after the precept of the apostle geue place vnto my betters For I offer these my doings to be wayed of the godly vpon this conditioÌ„ that they shuld trie al things that which they shal find to be good to hold fast Secondly they obiect that aswel new men as olde How men of late days haue doubted of thauthoritie of this boke of no smal authoritie haue both doubted of this boke of the authour therof also haue contemned it as full of fables vnworthy to be rekened canonical Let those that so thinke geue me thesame libertie I desire them which they vsurpe tho theÌ„ selues and thinke it lawful For if the boke of the Apocalipse â—hould therfore seme worthy to be contemned for that some notable men both old new haue doubted of the authoritie â—herof Why may it not recouer his authoritie againe if I â—hew that the best doctours of the church both old new haue â—ad a right good opinion of this boke And here to thintent 〈◊〉 wold dissemble nothing at al I am not ignorant that doctor Martin Luther a man right notably learned D. Luther in his first ediâ—ion of the new Testament in dutch with a sharp preface set â—efore hath sticked this boke as it wer with a dagger Howe â—e it good wel learned meÌ„ were offended with him for this â—is iudgement which in the same found lack both of wit moâ—estie The same maÌ„ therfor waying al things more vprightâ—y diligeÌ„ly what time he corrected his dutch Bible c. My â—orshipful maister semeth also not to haue set very much by his boke to haue ascribed it not to Iohn the Apostle but to Iohn whoÌ„ thei called a diuine But herein there is no doubt but that he folowed plainly Erasmus of RoterdaÌ„ who is his annotations vpon the new TestameÌ„t In al the Greke copies â—aith he that I haue sene the title was not of Iohn thapostle â—ut of Iohn the diuine Erasmus addeth that amongest the Grekes certen old wryters men doubted of this authour whiche thing he declareth by the testimonies of Eusebius and Hierom of whose opinion shal be spoken streightways But the exempler or Spanishe coppie whiche is set foorth after the faith of the moste auncient and approued Grekes exhibiteth to vs suche a title of ths boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Apocalipse of the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn Diuine For the auncient writers say how S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste for his excellent wryting of the sonne of God was commonly called Diuine Wherof it followeth thaâ— this title doeth attribute and not take from S. Iohn this booke Certes Aretas was also a Greke Aucthour anâ— byshop of Cesaria Of the auncientes saieth he certen hauâ— plucked this Apocalipse from the tongue of that welbeloueâ— Iohn ascribing it to another but it is not so For that samâ— Gregory which as well as he is called a Diuine accomâ—teth this amongst those scriptures whiche vtterly want a suspicion of counterfeiting saying as the Apocalipse of Sâ— Iohn teacheth me And the same man a litle after But thâ— this boke was written by the mouth of the holy ghost S. Bâ—sil Cyril Papias and Hippolytus Hippolitus fathers of the church a mete men to be credited Thus saith he What shal we sayâ— that Erasmus confesseth that the consent of the worlde an authoritie of the churche to be of suche force with hym thâ— he dare not refuse this boke Let vs heare now the iudgement of that moste excellenâ— best man D. Ioh. Oecolampadius Oecolampadius the moste faithfull pâ—stour of the churche of Basill and excellently learned in 〈◊〉 prophetical and in al the Canonicall scriptures concerning this boke which he left vs written in the .xii. Chap. of theiâ—â—â—cond boke of his commentaries vpon Daniel But S. Ioâ— the Paraphraste or expositour of the Prophetes saith he 〈◊〉 how muche he doth attribute to this our authour whom maruel why certen with so rasshe a iudgement doe reiect as a dreamer and franticke and an vnprofitable wryterâ— the church Where neuerthelesse he propoundeth and setteâ— forth very many of the most secret hid things of the oldâ—â—â—stament and of the Prophetes But those great men do bâ—wray what a wening they haue of themselues Whose iuâ—gementes I would verely rather contemne as prophanâ— than I would cast away such a treasure I could here bringe forth goodly testimonies of other newe wryters but that I make haste to the iudgementes of the auncient fathers The eldest of all after the Apostles The iudgementes of thauncient doctours of the church of the Apocalypse Iustine whose wrytynges as yet remayne Iustine and Ireney the noble Martirs of Christ ascribe this boke to Iohn the Apostle For
chiefly of Christ secondly of our whole faith redemption The third Sermon IOhn to the seuen coÌ„gregatioÌ„s Asia Grace be with you peaâ— from him whiche is and whicâ— was whiche is to come and 〈◊〉 the seuen spirites which are prâ—sent before his throne And froÌ„ Iesus Chriâ—â— which is a faithful witnes and first begotâ— of the dead And Lord ouer the kinges of tâ— earth Vnto hym that loued vs and wasshâ— vs from sinnes in his own bloud And maâ— vs kynges and priestes vnto God his fatheâ— be glory and dominion for euermore Ameâ— Behold he cometh with cloudes And al eyâ— shal se him And thei also which pearsed hiâ— al kinredes of the earth shal wayle ouer him Euen so AmeÌ„ I am Alpha Omega the beginning thending saith the Lord almightâ— which is which was which is to come The beginning or preface of the wâ—rke Another pece of the first part of this boke conteineth tâ— beginning or preface wherin is the Apostles salutation 〈◊〉 the whiche he discribeth first the whole mistery of Christ â—â—condly of our faith redemption For so were the Apostles wont in the beginning of their writinges to comprise a brief some of salutation Which thing in Paules Epistles is euery where to be sene By the same description he getteth the beneuolence and attentiuenes of al men The Apostles salutation or greting is nothing els What is the Apostles salutation but a blessing Blessing is an old accustomed order by the whiche the Patriarkes wished of God to their children al maner of good thinges both of body soul Which verely in Genesis is described at large And also the high priest had coÌ„maundement geuen to blesse the people As we reade in the sixt of NuÌ„bres especially he commaundeth to put his name vpon the people Therfore it is a supersticion to say God verely from whome euery good gifte descendeth froÌ„ aboue blesseth that is geueth good thinges but ministers or men wishe only And the Lord in dede in the lawe promiseth that he will grauÌ„t those thinges to the people whiche the high priestes shoulde wishe them Therfore nother wordes nor shauen crownes but the truth power of God geue the giftes We ought not therfore to doubt but that God wil grauÌ„t to vs also thapostolical blessing that being reconciled accepted of God we might haue peace And first S. IhoÌ„ repeteth his name left we shuld any thing doubt of thautour Iohn interpretour of Christ towardes the congregations whoÌ„ we see Christ to haue vsed as scribe interpretour vnto al coÌ„gregatioÌ„s But he repeteth not himself to be that seruauÌ„t of god witnesse or Apostle of Iesu Christ It sufficed to haue heard that at the first beginniÌ„g Therfore he teacheth theÌ„ modestie humilitie also which haue obteined great giftes Afterward he signifieth to whoÌ„ he wryteth to whoÌ„ this boke apperteineth to the seuen churches of Asia the names wherof he will vtter shortly after And Aretas bishop of Cesaria by the .vii. churches saith he by the .vii. nuÌ„bre he signified the multitude of churches that be in al places So also Primasius bish of Vtica in Affrick expouÌ„deth the .vii. nuÌ„ber Therfor this salutatioÌ„ this boke the whole doctrine of Iesu Christ writteÌ„ by s IhoÌ„ To whom this booke apperteineth apperteineth to the whole vniuersal church of Christ throughout al the world in all times ages WherupoÌ„ it beloÌ„geth to all vs also as many as be of vs in the church of Christ For albeit thepistles be intitled to the Romains Galath yet followeth it not therfore that they be not ours And he wryteth expressely to the churches of Asia not to tâ— churches of Hierusalem or Iewery that he might so shewâ— that the kingdome of Christ is comen also already to the gâ—tiles And as God from the beginning chose Israell in whiâ—he myght set forth a perfit example of the church and coÌ„mâ—wealth so froÌ„ the beginning of the new TestameÌ„t he chose thosâ— seuen churches of Asia which he might set forth to the whâ—â— Christen world But in case Rome had ben set in the first plaâ— amongest the churches as Ephesus is good God hoâ— much wold the Romish sort make of it for the estabishingâ— their supremacie The forme of the Apostles bessing And the maner of the Apostles saluting wysheth granâ— peace Grace is the fauour of the deitie and the reconcâ—ment wherby God the father for Christ his sake is madeâ— one with vs our sinnes pardoned we adopted for his chiâ—dren Therof arriseth the peace and tranquillitie of myndâ— and the desire of concorde with all men And here he sheweth aboundantly who geueth the churcâ— his blessing that is to witte grace reconcilement peaâ— God and God thre in persons the father the sonne and thâ— holy ghost one God in essence But here he discerneth thâ— persones very well From him that is to witte the fatheâ— And from the seueÌ„ spirites that is from the holy ghost And froâ— Iesu Christ this is the diuersitie of persons And the signification of the vnitie is when after the proprieties of persons dâ—clared The holy gost is placed in the middes he addeth I am Alpha omega c. And that the hoâ— ghost is set here in the middes it disordereth not the misteâ— of the Trinitie but appeareth to be an argument that he 〈◊〉 the spirite as well of the father as of the sonne and that hâ— procedeth from both As it is also proued by the wordes 〈◊〉 our lord the xiiii.xv and .xvi. of Iohn Here is also describeâ— the whole holsome mistery first of Christ than of the catholike faith and of our redemptioÌ„ so that herein you may findâ— the chiefest articles of the Apostles crede haue here a mosâ— goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ our Lord. Hereof al meÌ„ shall iudgâ— how truly some men say The father whiche is which was c. that this boke contrary to the â—â—stome of thapostles maketh litle mentioÌ„ of Christ of faith The father as fountain original of whom the son is ingendred is first described for that it is he whiche is which was and which is to come Those wordes toke Iohn out of Moyses in the .iii. and .xxxiiii. chap. of Exod. out of many testimonies of Esay And he saith nothing but that God the father is an eternall ensence which coÌ„sisteth by and of it self and is and geueth life to all and in all preserueth the same And that this essence is suche that it hath bene always with out beginning For this is it that he ioyneth to being or existing was He addeth and he that shall come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which shal be and shal remaine euen to the ende and to euerlastingnes without end The Grekes deriue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of running for that conning and running he medleth with all matters is euery where present bringing help to the godly or
cost nothing But the Monkes selle theirs dere They be therfore disceauers and seducers After he calleth him selfe partaker in affliction or oppression and persecution as he that was euen now bannished by the Emperour Domitian and liued in exile And he ioyneth together and not separateth him selfe in the euill That is coÌ„mon to all the faithfull brethren The persecution of Iohn and of the whole churche And verely it is one and the same persecution that vexed the Apostles and tourmenteth vs at this day Let vs therfore reioyce that we haue the Apostles and all the Martyrs of Christ fellowes of our trouble and affliction that we be broken and bruised with the heauy burthen of euils Let vs therfore be pacieÌ„t and long suffring For it is not enough to be afflicted and vexed with all kinde of euils for many without any fruicte or prayse at all indure moste greuous paines But it becometh vs also to be patieÌ„t in aduersitie Therfore S. Iohn at this present ioyneth with all patince For the Lorde sayd in the Gospell In your patience shall you possesse your soules After he addeth vnto tribulation patience a kingdom that an heauenly not a terrestrial kingdom A kingdoÌ„ prepared for the pacient And he bringeth in the kingdom for the comfort of the patient people For also the Apostle S. Paul said a certen and sure saying For if we die with Christ we shall lyue also with hym If we suffer we shall reygne with hym c. Let vs alwayes here with comfort our selues in aduersitie For we are thruste downe that we might ones be exalted againe .ii. Corinthians .iiii. And all these thinges are concluded in Christ Iesus by whoÌ„ we be both the children brethren of God and suffer many thinges patiently and are made partakers of his kingdom For euen for these thinges must we thanke him and his mâ—rites and not our own deserte The state of humilitie of thapostle Let vs here note also what and howe great hath bene the humilitie of the greatest and worthie Apostle of God whâ— was his state Not plesaunt but harde yet in the pacience 〈◊〉 Christ ioyfull But where be they nowe that glory in thâ— name of Apostles Who in the meane time swellyng witâ— pride are addicte to filthie pleasures Whiche I warne thâ— we flee from them as from Apostataes The place wherin the reuelation was shewed And now he sheweth the place where this diuine reuelation was made him where also he was coÌ„maunded of Goâ— to wryte the same The place was the I le of Patmos Thâ— same is accompted amonges the Ilondes called Sporadâ— of Plinie in the fourth boke and .xii. cha It lay ouer againâ— Asia and the citie of Ephesus and was in thu sight boeth 〈◊〉 Europe and Affricke so that it semed to be as it were a miâ—dle seate or holy chaire out of the which Christ preached 〈◊〉 Iohn from heauen to the whole worlde And in dede the coâ—selles of God are wonderfull and his goodnes is vnspekeable which reuealeth so great misteries as it were in thâ— Romish pryson or Babilonicall captiuitie to his faithfull Iohn persecuted for the Gospel Neyther hideth he the cause of his comming into the samâ— Iland I was there saieth he for the worde of God and thâ— testimony of Iesu Christ The word of God is the very soâ— of God called of Iohn by a singular proprietie of speache the worde or sermon of God as appeareth the first of Iohn and the testimony of Iesu Christ is the Gospell if self whicâ— Iesus testified and the whiche his disciples haue testified oâ— Iesu Therfore for the confession and preaching of Iesâ—â— Christ and of his holsome Gospell for so he expoundetâ— also how he is made partaker of thafflictioÌ„ Iohn was apprâ—hended in Asia by soldiours led to Rome that he might pleaâ— his cause before themperour Domitian who of his cruel nature condeÌ„ned the inuoceÌ„t And he was put into a cawdroÌ„ oâ— hote boiling oyl Out of the whiche when he escaped withouâ— harme he was caried into Patmos He aunswered no other matter before themperour than Paul did .27 yeres past before Nero. This was done in that .xiiii. or .xv. yere of DomitiaÌ„ And the .xxiiii. yeare after the destructioÌ„ of the citie HierusaleÌ„ and after the birth of our Lorde .lxvi. Domician who would seme and be called a God being slaine of his own men after many murthers cruel actes died himself a shameful death the .xv. yeare of his reigne The authours hereof are Suetonius in the life of Domitian Tertullian in the heretic prescript Eusebius in his chronicles and in the third boke of the ecclesiastical history in the .xvii. and .xviii. chapter And hereto is added the common consent of all writers Moreouer he noteth the tyme also The time of the reuelation and of the sonday in the whiche these misteries began to be reuealed to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that solemne day of the Lord namely the sonday For so haue the auncient fathers called one of the sabbothes that is to say the first day in the weke wherin Christ rose again froÌ„ the dead Math. xxviii and Mark .xvi. And this day haue the churches chosen to them selues in stead of the Sabboth day as holy in the remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of the Lordes resurrectioÌ„ wherin they might kepe their sacred and solemne assemblees For that this day was solemnised and coÌ„secrated for assemblees in the congregation of Corinthe appereth manifestly in the xvi Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corintians where the Apostle commaundeth to lay a part their collections in one of the sabbothes The same day also the faithful did celebrate their seruice with S. Paul in the .xx. of the Actes Wher Sozomenus reporteth in the .viii. chapt of the first booke of the story tripertite that great Constantine made certen holy daies and euen the Lordes daie for one whiche is called of the Heathen the sonday it is to be vnderstande that he renewed rather the custome of the Apostles catholique church than to haue newly instituted the same And frely of their own accord haue the churches receiued that day for we read not that it was any where commaunded And the congregations sawe how it was altogether necessary that there shuld be a certen tyme in the whiche the sainctes should mete and come together They chose therfore the day of the resurrection nether did they maliciously contende among theÌ„selues for these thinges as the histories testifie was done in the churche afterward And at this day verely the supersticious holy days being abrogated it is better to obserue certain and moderat daies and to kepe peace and quietnes in the churche But where this Apostle knewe that the faithfull on the soâ—day serued God in all assemblees where he could not be pâ—sent in body The Sonday ought to be kept in spirit and contemplation he was with theâ— And as he was thus in the spirite and
liuing and was dead wherby he signifieth that he toke the true humane nature The whiche many also at the same time denied In like case as theâ— be some at this daye whiche do playnely derogate from thâ— humanitie of Christe Agaynste all suche maner of heresies the Lorde him selfe confesseth that he was dead Wherby it is now manifest that he is very maÌ„ as he is also very God of the same esseÌ„ce with his father in deitie as he is also of the same substaunce with vs in humanitie like vnto vs in all thinges sinne excepted For he toke not the nature of Aungelles but the sede of Abraham And it behoued in dede thaâ— the sonne of man shuld be incarnate that bothe he might diâ— shede bloud Hebr. 9. For the Testament in the dead is finally ratified neither is there any remission made without bloud sheâ—ding The Lord therfore dieth and shedeth bloud to the intâ— he might geue full remissioÌ„ of sinnes and confirme the newâ— Testament Yet euen he that was thought to be dead nowe liueth Christ that was dead liueth and is that same liuing who hauing vaÌ„quished death the iii. daye rose againe from the dead and repared life for aâ—â— beleuers and inspireth into them his owne very life And therefore addeth immediatly beholde I am liuingâ— world without ende For nowe Christ dieth no more deathâ— shal not rule ouer him But rather he is the life of al his faitâ—full who in rising againe brought agayne life and that life euerlastinge induringe I saye worlde without ende As he him selfe declareth more at large Iohn 5.6.10 chapter And thapostle to the Rom. 4.1 Corinth 15. and 2. Timoth. 1. Moreouer where many were woÌ„te to doubte of this life gotten and repared by Christe the Lorde him selfe confirmeth that he saied by an othe and sayeth Amen As though he should saye this is altogether trewe and vndoubted that I saye Finally he addeth Christ hath the keyes of hell and of death and I haue the keyes of Hell and of death By the whiche woordes againe he comforteth exceadingly and expresseth his power and declareth howe great he is and what we haue of him Here must we speake by the waie of the kepe The ordinary glose saieth very wel he that hath the keyes of any house sayeth he letteth in whome he wil and kepeth backe whom he will from entring in Therfore Christ possesseth the keyes of death hel for that whom he will he deliuereth from perpetual coÌ„demnation of death And whom he wil The keyes he suffereth to remaine iustely in the same daunger of damnation And verely Esaye in the 22. speaking of Eliachim whome he sayeth shoulde be made Iudge in the courte of Ezechias I wil laye sayeth he the keye of the house of Dauid vpon his shulder whiche shal open and no manne shall shutte shall shutte and no man shal open Therfore are the keyes put in the Scripture for the charge and gouernement of the house Eliachim shall gouerne all thinge in the Courte of Ezechias vprightly What soeuer he shall determine no manne shal infringe that whiche he shall abrogate no manne shall restore Christe therfore a figure of whome Eliachim represented shal him selfe haue also the chiefe gouernment in the house or kingdome of God so that whom he will he may quickeÌ„ and plucke backe from hel and from damnation And againe whom he liste to condemne he may distroie by his iuste iudgement For he hath most ful power ouer death and hell Ose 13. 1. Cor. 15. For bothe two hath he ouercomen and made weake And these thinges comforte the faithfull moste strongely and reteyne them in all Godly duties And that same is chiefly to be obserued that he sayeth not he had the keyes or shall haue but I haue sayeth he I haue I saye He gaue not his power to the Bishoppe of Rome but hath iâ— him selfe and will kepe it still for euer And he gaue not to the Apostles ful power of life death of saluation and damnation The keyes of heauen geueÌ„ to the Apostles and so vnarmed him selfe but he gaue the keyes of opening and shutting heauen as it were to his Ministers seruitours by the preaching of the Gospell by the whiche he promised life to all that beleued Christ him selfe shoulde geue that life for the truth of the promise To whom so euer they should threaten damnation Christ him selfe shuld condemne for the truth of his woorde We see therfore that the Lord kepeth stil exerciseth the power and his ministers the ministerie by preaching not by absolute power Therfore the Pope is Antichrist The keyes of the bishop of Rome which vsurpeth and taketh vpon him this full power and authoritie in Heauen and in Earth and in the middes of the earth also or beyonde all the earth iâ— those vnfortunate Ilandes I meane purgatory By the whicâ— craftie deuise he hath subtilly emptied the purses Cofferâ— garuers and wine cellers Apoc. 13. of foolish people that swarne from the articles of their beliefe to wit I beleue the forgeuenes oâ— sinnes the resurrection of the fleshe life euerlasting Thâ— beaste dare vsurpe the two hornes of the Lambe Daniel 7. namely thâ— authoritie of King Bishop therfore to hange two keyeâ— vnder his triple Crowne that euen by these Armes all the world maye perceyue that this is very he whiche hauinâ— subdued three kinges or hornes is cropeÌ„ vp chalengeth tâ— him selfe all power in heauen in earth signified by the twâ— keies And surely the blindnes of our time is wonderful anâ— to be lameÌ„ted that hauing eyes it seeth yet nothing Let sucâ— as be wise remeÌ„ber that Christe hath yet the keyes of deatâ— and Hell his ministers the denouncyng of life and death Iohn is coÌ„maunded to write And nowe when he had declared these greate and mosâ— holesome matters and had comforted the minde of Iohn hâ— addeth the commaundement write the vision exhibited fâ—nally write those thinges also whiche muste be done shorteâ— after this He placeth in the middes and those that be thâ— is whiche are in dede and trewe and be not false And thesâ— things are to get authoritie to this boke finally to the whoâ— scripture whiche is reuealed with like truth of the selfe samâ— Author And as Iohn is coÌ„maunded to write without fearâ— so are we coÌ„maunded to Preache publish the same boldly though the world be neuer so madde therat He addeth moreouer the exposition that remaineth and sayeth The misterie of the seuen starres c. The reason semeth almost vnpersit Therfore muste we vnderstande this is the mistery or sacrament of the seuen Starres and Candelstickes that it maye be as it were a proposition SacrameÌ„t and that the exposition shoulde folow immediatly the seuen starres are seuen Messengers c. And by Sacrament vnderstande a secret mistery and the very exposition of the mistery As yf you woulde sâ—â—â— here is to
are allowed of Christ and he praiseth the same to th ende he might geue a spurre vnto suche as runne in his waye For firste he alloweth the labour and patience bothe of the Bishop and Church Labour patience Labour compriseth thought and care in the waie of God mortifiyng of the flesh study of good workes but chiefly the crosse persecution whiche the story testifieth to haue ben extreme and cruell in the time of Domitian And excepte the persecuted haue patience they can not indure the labour Holy patience kepeth vs in worke and holy labour But leeste that patience shuld be stretched to those things wherein to be impatient is accompted prayse worthy Not to beare euil he addeth the seconde poincte that he prayseth in them that thou canst not beare euill men And by these euill he meaneth not weaklings or such as erre without maliciousnes But the prophet Dauid saieth also Psalm 119. I haue hated the wicked thy law haue I loued What we shuld do with the weake in the faith or with them that erre of ignorauÌ„ce rather than of oâ—stinate stubbernes the Apostle hath taughte vs in the 14. 〈◊〉 the Romanes The example of our Sauiour Hath thaughâ—â— also bringing againe that strayed Shepe vpon his shuldeâ— into the shepefolde Therefore the lord speaketh here of tâ—â— obstinate of the disceauers which delight to erre theÌ„ selueâ— and to drawe others with them into errours no ChristeÌ„ pâ—tience biddeth to beare with suche men And in the woordes followyng he declareth of what sorâ— those euill men were And thou haste examined them whiâ—â— saye they be Apostles and be not and haste founde themâ—ayrs Of false apostles in the time of S. Iohn Lo he speaketh of the false apostles of whom in s Iohâ— time there was exceadyng great plentie For they were â—â—zareans mixing the lawe with grace and attributing Iâ—â—fication to the lawe and to our owne rightuousnes Whâ— the holy and great counsell at Ierusalem condemned aâ—â—pereth in the xv chapter of the actes of the Apostles Sâ—â— a false Apostle was Hebion Eusebius mentioneth in thâ— boke of the Ecclesiasticall story the xxvii chapter Here 〈◊〉 was added Cerinthus that hereticke not Apostle There 〈◊〉 more also whereof some denied the humanitie of Chriâ—â— some his deitie Against whome wrote Iohn in his Gosâ—â—â— and in his Epistle And Ireney in the firste boke against hâ—â—â—tickes These the Lorde denieth to be Apostles or Apostâ—â—â—call which the Apostles haue also denied Actes 15. And â—â—wise the Apostle S. Iohn in his epistle canonicall who 〈◊〉 liar sayeth he but he that denieth Iesus to be Christe But if suche trouble were in Churches whilest the Aposâ—â—â— were yet liuynge TroubliÌ„g of Churches if there were than so manye disceaueâ— what maruell is it thoughe in the dregges of the worlde witte in this our laste time there be not a fewe sounâ— where be they nowe that wraste dissentions and troubles the defence of theyr errour The Gospellers them selâ—â— saye they are at dissention God is God of concorde heâ— than shoulde I beleue that God is amonge those that 〈◊〉 sent So might the Sophisters also haue reasoned in thâ—â—postles time And here haue we a pefitte waye in what sorte the châ—ches shoulde worke whileste troublesome persons like fâ— Apostles attempte to diuide the Churche a sonder Howe we shuld deale with heretickes For such ringeleaders muste be tried and examined And tried muste they be after the christen belefe and doctrine of the Apostles and inquisition muste be made whether they be Apostles and trewe men or false Apostles and lyars When we shall haue founde them to be false Apostles and liars and that they go forewarde obstinately in theyr wickednes they be not to be suffered as in dede the Ephesians did not vouche safe to beare with suche trompers And we muste know that the Pastors ought one waye and the Christen Magistrate another waye and the people the thirde waye not to abide open heretikes For the Pastour not only beareth not with them in dissemblyng and takinge hede to him selfe of those wolues but assayleth them with holesome doctrine and reâ—ulseth them from the shepefoldes of Christe But the Magistrate bicause he is a christen Magistrate and by his duty also not only as a priuate person but also as a Magistrate â—ught to serue Christe he aught also with the swoorde of â—ustice to driue awaye poyson from the churche and to puâ—ishe manifeste blasphemies The hatred that the godly bear to the wicked And the people are commaunâ—ed neyther to heare them nor receiue them nor to haue â—ny thinge to do with heretickes and so not to abide them They maye therfore be ashamed of their naughtinesse and â—retence of their peruerse patience which thinke it no shame â—o maynteyne Heretickes and to flatter the manifeste eneâ—ies of Christe and the Churche Psalm 15. He is praysed â—hiche maketh not muche of the wicked that is to witte â—n whose sighte the wicked manne is vile Therefore is he â—â—ghtly blamed who so euer flattereth the vngodly And 〈◊〉 the hatred in dede is rather agaynste wickednes than aâ—aynste the person of the wicked whiche of it selfe is comâ—aunded to be loued The Deuil at this daye reyseth vp the â—de heresies of Hebion Cerinthus and of others in Terueto a â—paniarde and in the Anabaptistes Libertines and other â—onsters so that the thinge it selfe and the daunger therâ—â— commaundeth vs to watche and to driue away the moste â—uell wolues from the holy Church of Christe whiche neâ—erthelesse do set forth nothing more than patience and chaâ—â—tie for this intente verely that they might be spared and might vnpunished teache what they lifte against Christ aâ—â— worke against his churche yea teare it in pieces with thâ—â— wicked tethe But when these euil men are not suffered but impugnâ—â— whiche seduce and are seduced Patience coÌ„stauncie in batteil a greate conflicte arriseâ—â— wherof againe are labours thoughtes carefulnes watcâ—ynges iniuries to be suffered for the name of Christ and dâ—fence of the veritie For vnlesse we be here diligent and pâ—tient the disceauers ouer come But herin did the churcâ— of the Ephesians behaue them notably wel in so muche thâ— the Lorde nowe commendeth exceadingly the magnaniâ—â—tie patience and constancie of the pastour and of his churcâ— For neyther ought these thinges to be expounded that 〈◊〉 shoulde referre them vnto that patience wherby euil meâ—â— are suffered and permitted to procede in theyr malice aâ—â— disceiptfulnesse For so should this place striue agaynst thâ— thinges whiche went a little before Whiche thinge the â—â—mon interpretour minded as it semeth to haue eschewâ—â— For thus he readeth and thou haste patience and hast suffâ—red where it is in the Greke and hast suffered and hast pâ—tience He altered the order and would not set haste sufferâ— before but haste patience leste any manne shoulde vndâ—â—stande that they had suffered the false Apostles But set bâ—fore patience and put after sufferaunce
be and be called the sonne not of kyng nor Emperour but of the liuing God But this same noble grace the Lorde graunteth to thē that ouercome In the first of Iohn the .iii. and .v. Victours be citezens of the citie of God Chap. Secondly to the ouercomers is inscribed the name of the citie of God that is to say the Godly man is wrytten in the nōber of the citez ns of the citie of God and is verely a citezen of the citie of God I saye euen of the citie of God It was a great matter in tymes past to be a citezen of Rome But it is farre greater to be a citezen of the citie of God The citezens inioye all priuileges and commodities finally the glory of the citie the church is described what i◠is But this is greater and more than that it can be declared at fewe wordes But the churche is the citie of God And the citie of God is the churche Whiche is here set forth with thre epithetes or titles of the whiche it is easy to iudge what the churche is or what we shuld thinke therof The church is the citie of God For lyke as the citie is the fellowship of citezens Euen so is the churche the communion of sainctes The Prince of thē is Christ the head of the churche The rounde worlde it selfe was a figure of this churche and the very setting vp of the tentes in the middes wherof was sene the Tabernacle a token of the deitie present as it were a cohabiter c. For the Lorde is in the middes of the churche As we haue red in the xxvi of Leuit. And in the .2 to the Corinth the .6 Secondly the churche is called new Hierusalem For the olde was a figure of the newe This corporall churche is new Hierusalē that is to say spirituall Whiche S. Paul also affirmeth in the iiii to the Galath For in the thirde place is expounded that newnes It is not builded of men but cometh downe from heauen aboue For vnlesse we be borne from aboue of spirite and of sede immortall to witte the word of God we can not be members of the churche And we are borne by a spirituall regeneration the children of Christ of the church Wherof the Lorde himselfe discourseth at large in the .iii. of Iohn 1. Petri. 1. And S. Paul the first to the Corinthians the .iii. iiii There shall be more sayd of the new Hierusalem in th end of this boke But of these ye vnderstande what is the churche of Christ the fellowship of the faithfull regenerated by the worde of God c. The viccours get a new name Finally in them that ouercome is wrytten a new name and that in dede the new name of Christe Not only that they should be called Christians of Christ but because the name is a brief description of euery thyng and nature and a newe name is promysed It followeth that we should vnderstande that men shall be renewed chiefly by glorifiyng He promyseth therfore a glorifiyng to the Godly Wherof is spokē els where in the .xvii. of S. Math. 1. Cor. xv Phil. iii. And the first of Iohn the .iii. These most ample rewardes the sainctes may verely loke for if they fight that they may ouercome Hereunto is annexed the wonted acclamation by the whiche both this doctrine is applied and communicated to all churches through out the worlde And is declared that it came not of men as vayne but of the very spirite of God moste true This spirite the Lorde graunt vs. ¶ The Lorde blameth sore the churche of Laodicea The .xx. Sermon AND vnto the Aungell of the congregation which is in Laodices write This saith Amen the faithfull and true witnes the beginning of the creatures of God I know thy workes that thou art nother colde nor hoat I would thou were colde or hoate So then because thou art betwene both and nother colde nor hoate I wyll spew thee out of my mouth Because thou sayst I am riche and increased with goodes and haue nede of nothīg And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable poore blinde and naked The seuenth and last Epistle of our Sauiour Christe The argument of the epistle to the Laodiceās is written by the hand of S. Iohn to the Byshop of Laodicea The same is a great reproche of that people in nothing commendable And neuerthelesse a faithfull admonition or exhortation to repentaunce And after his accustomed maner he signifieth to whome he wryteth and from whom the Epistle procedeth The Epistle is indited of Christ to the Byshop of Laodicea and to the whole congregation Therfore some thing is to be said of the Laodiceans wherby the reste may the better be vnderstande and considered Laodicea the chiefe citie of Caria after Strabo Plinie standeth by the riuer of Lycus Antiochus Theos Laodicea builded the citie and named it after his wyfe It was the welthiest citie of Asia Whiche Vadiane also hath noted in his Epitome It had by makynge of wollen clothe a moste plentifull gayne Vnto whome S. Paule semeth also to haue preached the gospel For he mentioneth of Laodicea from whence also some men thinke he wrote the first Epistle vnto Timothee Colos 4 Certenly it appereth that the Laodiceās had receiued the gospel euen by this Epistle but corruptely For they went about to matche the worlde and the churche together and to ioyne together Christ and Mammon And as it is sayd at this daye The sinne of the Laodiceans Therfore they layd not aside their auarice and their immoderate trafficke to vse moderatly the trade of marchaundise without disceptfulnes no religion doeth forbid and exceading great riot and pride neyther semed they to wante any thing but to haue and seme to haue all thinges for that they were riche Against these mē the Lord inueigheth greuously declaring them to be very miserable and more than nedy plaine beggars For as in the churche of Philadelphia he blamed nothing so in this he commendeth nothing at all Laodicea a figure of many churches at this day You shall finde at this daie many lyke to whome this is common and euer in their mouth I haue learned both to be a gospeller and to be a souldiour to drinke to play the whoremonger and liue at pleasure You shall finde like churches seruing both Christ and Mammon or marchaundise Bacchus Venus and God of battel Both they and al these here are confuted and are called to repentaunce Which argueth that the mercy of God is greatest not forsaking nor reiecting so corrupt churches and men full of so great filthines Wo be to them that cōtemne this vnmeasurable mercy and goodnes of God and long suffering and continewe in their mischiefe The description of Christ Christ is here againe most plentifully described who he is as in the fourmer titles Certes it may be gathered of al that this is the best and moste perfit
to come S. Iohn here moste expressely speaketh of them The faithfull in heauē reioyse which are not to be saued but already haue atchieued saluation and are in Heauen to the intent we should not doubte of their saluation And also shaddoweth the maner of saluation and blesse euerlastinge This treatise confuteth those which suppose the soules to slepe not to haue the fruition of the godhead before the iudgement nor to be as yet in heauē First he sayeth howe they stande before the Throne and in the sighte of the lambe For the firste felicitie in the blessed life is to see God as he is and to inioye his glory to be with Christe in glory Iohn .17.1 Iohn .3 white stoles are the garmentes of triumphant and cleane persones As herafter shal be declared more at large and hath ben noted ones or twise before It betokeneth that the blessed soules are decked with light c. And the Palme also is a token of victory The palme Plinie treateth much of the Palme in the .4 Chapt. of the .13 booke Al men write that the Palme was the moste auncient badge of a conquerour And wherefore this tree chiefly was chosen for this vse of men of most antiquitie Aulus Gellius sheweth the cause in the .6 Chapt. of the .3 boke of Noct. Att. Writing that in a Palme tree there is a certen peculiar thing whiche agreeth with the nature of stoute and noble men For if you laye sayeth he greate weightes vpon the wood thereof the Palme geueth not place downewarde but riseth vp against the weight and beareth vpwarde And for this he alledgeth the authoritie of Aristotel and Plutarche vnto whome you maye adde also Plinie .16 boke .24 Chapter Vnto al these thinges is annexed an exceding great noise wherby not only they geue God thankes and prayse his mercy To whom thei impute theyr saluation but also shewe and testifie moste manifestly whome they maye thanke for their saluation And they saye saluation to him c. For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rather as also Erasmus hath noted For they signifie that God is not blessed in him self only but to haue cōmunicated this saluation vnto them and saued them Of the Throne or seate of God was spoken before in the .4 chapt God the father him selfe sitteth on the seate It is therfore a phrase of speach which hath this cense we owe this our saluatiō and blessednes to our God which sitteth in his Throne Agayne they cōmunicate this saluation to the lambe also that is to Christ For God by his grace through Christe saueth the beleuers And where as Christ is called the lamb the whole misterie of the incarnation and redemption is remembred in the word Lambe that beyng in dede reconciled to God by the bloud of the hoste Iohn .6 Ephes 1. Rom. 3. we be nowe the heires of God and the sonnes of God c. Therefore the Sainctes in Heauen and our fathers already saued and dwelling in heauen doe testifie and in testifiyng teache that they be iustified and saued not by Mahometrie or Poperie or any other obseruaunces but by the mere grace of God in Christ Errours ar cōfuted Hereby are confuted two opiniōs right hurtefull to the whole worlde The first weneth that the Papistes be saued for their simplicitie and seuere discipline For bycause saye they they know no better things and the workes that they doe they doe them of a good intente therfore are they saued by the same That is moste vayne and moste vngodly They adde vnlesse we shuld iudge thus doubtles there should not one of the Papistes be saued Certenly I saye playnely that no man is saued by papistrie no more thā by Mahometrie For it is called the waye of perdition euen of S. Peter him selfe 2. Pet. 2. Howebeit I thinke not therfore that no man of the nūbre of Papistes is saued But I beleue that innumerable as I sayed before haue at the lēgth sene the filthines of papistrie through the illumination of God and the papistry forsakē to haue imbraced the sincere Gospell and so by Christ alone to be saued The latter supposeth that euery manne in euery and what so euer his religion be shall be saued Agaynste these the Sainctes here crie how they that are saued are saued by the grace of God through Christ Euery mā is not saued in his religion Therfore none other religion saueth There is non other name geuen to men wherin they must be saued but that of Christ Iesus None other waye is open into heauen nor any other dore he that affirmeth any other is called of the veritie a thiefe and a murtherer Yea they vtterly abolishe Christ and the whole scripture who so euer contende that euery man is saued by his owne religiō Neyther can I tel whether any other thing so hurtful can be Imagined Therfore lette vs holde that thing whiche all the Sainctes in heauen haue taught vs that saluatiō is of God through Christ All the Aungelles in Heauen confirme these thinges The cōfirmation of Aungelles example songe leest any thing should waunte which belongeth to a sure and certayne testimony and also teache vs by theyr example what we should doe They sing together Amen wherby they also testifie that saluatiō is of only grace through Christ Againe they fall downe and worship God But howe muche more ought we men mortall by worshippyng to attribute to him this honour And by singing an himne they exhibite to vs a forme of seruing God finally of iudginge rightly of God that we attribute nothing to any creature to the reproche of the creatour whiche belongeth to God alone but ascribe all thinges to God wholy The wordes of this Hymne are expounded in the .4 and .5 chapt that I nede not here to tary aboute them They putte blessing for prayse the reste of the wordes are playne And nowe lette vs learne beyng taught by so many testimonies and examples of all Sainctes forsaking al vayne wicked opinions to geue al glory to God through Christ to whom be prayse and thankes geuyng Amen ¶ Here is expounded who they be that are are clothed in white from whence is saluation and what is the trewe blessednes The .xxxvi. Sermon ANd one of the elders aunswered saying vnto me what are these which are arayed in longe white garmentes whence came they And I sayed vnto him lorde thou wotest And he sayed vnto me these are they whiche came out of greate tribulation and made their garmentes large and made them white in the bloud of the lambe therfore are they in the presence of the seate of God and serue him daye and night in his temple and he that sitteth in the seate will dwel emong thē They shal honger no more nother thirst nother shall the sunne light on them nother any heate For the lambe whiche is in the middes of the seate shall fede them and shall leade them to fountaynes
painefulnes And thei serue God in the temple as God is wonte to be serued in the Temple For they kepe holy dayes they are glad reioyse be mery prayse and so they offer vp sacrifices and are refresshed with heauenly repaste And this ioye shall be euerlastyng and perpetuall which is signified by daie and night Otherwise in the blesse euerlasting there is no mighte at all nor anye chaungeable course of time Hereunto is added that he that sitteth in the seate that is the diuine maiestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will dwell in them that is to witte God wil be al in al or he wil leane ouer them and as it were a tente or tabernacle will ouershadowe them defende and kepe them and geue him selfe whole to be inioyed of them as moste familiar and frendely to them Moreouer they shall honger no more nother shall they thirste For all infirmitie and miserie is taken awaye from the blessed soules and bodies glorified They are filled with al good thinges without any lothsomnes with a most ioyeouse fulfillynge Nowe the sunne falleth not vpon them nor the heate whiche phrase of speache betokeneth that they are put to no trauel nor paine but are deliuered at ones from all displeasure and all paynefulnes and to be at moste pleasaunt reste Agayne is set in the cause of so greate felicitie Christ the lambe that is to saye Christ mediatour and redemer in the middes of the seate that is very God For he as both Ezechiel in .34 chapt and the lord also him selfe in the .10 of Iohn Wittenesseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie wil fede them Christ fedeth and quikneth like a sheperde and as a Captaine of life will leade them to the fountaines of liuely water that is to witte will quicken them for euer preserue all his in that felicitie He vseth in this treatise wordes of the prophetes most accustomed and vsed euery where that climyng vnto higher thinges we might after some sorte esteme heauenly giftes Hereunto he ioyneth as yet a notable benefite and the Lord will wipe al teares from their eyes Which wordes he hath borrowed of Esaye For Sainctes in this world tourmoyled with sondry euils haue shed most plentiful teares but in the world to come the Lord comforteth them gladdyng them with ioye euerlasting nother geuyng thē at any time any occasion of grefe Iacob 16 And therfore he sayed in the Gospel verely I saye vnto you ye shall wepe and lament but agayne the world shall reioyse and ye shal mourne but your mournyng shal be tourned into ioye And your harte shal reioyse and your ioye shal no man take from you We shall heare the like thinges vnto these also in 21. of the Apocalipse c. Against the cōtemners of the blessed lyfe Hereof they perceiue howe shamefully they transgresse which haue alwaies in their mouth if I should contene this life present for religiōs sake who shal tel me what is that other other life to come perauenture if I neglecte this in an other world I shal get nothing For here we haue a most manifest testimony that as most assured saluatiō is prepared of God in heauen for the faithful so is it also moste ample and great in so much that the Apostle in an other place sayeth that th◠afflictions of this time present are not egall to the glory which shal be reuealed to vs. The Lord graunt vs that we maye acknowledge these thinges ¶ Whilest the .vii. Seale is opened and the Aungels with trompettes come forth Christ the intercessour of his church offereth vp before his father the praiers of his faithful The .xxxvij. Sermon ANd when he had opened the .vii. The .8 chapt seale there was silēce in Heauen about the space of half an houre And I sawe seuen Aungels standyng before God to them were geuen seuen trompettes And an other Aungell came and stoode before the Aultar hauing a golden censer much of odoures was geuen vnto him that he shoulde offer of the prayers of al sainctes vpon the goldē aultar whiche was before the seate And the smoke of the odoures whiche came of the prayers of al sainctes ascended vp before God out of the Aungels hand And the Aungel toke the censer and filled it with fire of the Aultar and caste it into the earth and voices were made and Thonderinges and Lightninges and Earthquake I suppose ther be no bokes in the world of whomsoeuer The excellency of the bookes of holy scripture or when soeuer they were written which maye cōpare with the bokes of holy scripture as concerning the sincere veritie pure simplecitie and plaine order Nother perauenture that maye seme any maruell to any man knowing that the same are written in dede of men but inspired of the holy ghoste There be edifices most skilfully builded of men and framed and cōtriued in a most goodly order But what beaultie wil you iudge them to haue in case ye compare them with the creation of the worlde and with that most beaultifull order whiche we see dayly in all thinges created and chaungeable course of times the moste excellent workes of men haue nothyng in them yea seme vile in case you compare them with the workemanship of God the creatour A recapitulation But for the moste bright order and most playne treatise this boke of the Apocalipse hath emonges others moste notable an excellent and wonderfull prayse S. Iohn promised a some of the matter signifiyng that he wold speake of those thinges which shuld be done in the church from his time vntil the iudgemēt And the faithfull doe knowe to what ende they should take those thinges not to thintent their curiositie might be mainteined or satisfied but that they sufficiently warned before shuld not fal but take hede to themselues hold faste the true saluatiō And forasmuch as there is muche talke emonges men whie God doeth thus or permitteth that and whie he prohibiteth not these or those thinges S. Iohn hath exhibited to vs a most holesom visiō by the which we may learne not to talke against God not to contende with him but to acknowledge al his iudgments to be rightuouse iust Which thing verely both al the Sainctes in heauen and also angelicall spirites do acknowledge and attribute to God al glory And thus hauing prepared the mindes of the Auditours he cometh to the thing it self and declareth the fatall destenies of the church Vnder the .vi. seale he toucheth generally the corruptiō of doctrine which sins it is more perillouse more pestilent than al daūgers of mans body or outwarde perilles he reasoneth yet more fully therof and nowe particularly vnder the opening of the .vii. seale reciteth howe farre the same stretcheth For he declareth how many how great what maner of sectes heresies and troubles shall arrise in the church howe hurtful they shal be to the churche And this place conteyneth an Historie of the
expedition and celeritie the principall vertue in warres They are euer sayeth he ready at euery momente to execute the iudgementes of God Therfore he reherseth al partes of time euē euery houre of the daye And so there is no securitie frō them thou canst be neuer in suretie They are by by in armure come vnloked for they inuade spede theyr matters most luckely He addeth that through their most cruell spedy armures the third parte of men in the world should be slayne Verely Asia Affricke and Europe haue felte of the moste cruell slaughters and distructions of the Saracenes Turkes and Tartariās euer sins the time of Mahomet vnto our dayes about the space of .ix. hondreth and .xx. yeres And also the priestes of Mahomet are very quicke and diligent to allure men into theyr errours neyther waunte they lucky successe The nombre Nombre is also noted in a maner infinite and the nōbre sayeth he of the armie of horsemen is twenty times ten thousande 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Mirias is the nombre of ten thousande so that two myriades of myriades should make twenty times a thousande Myriades And so the olde translatour hath red or translated it and Erasmus twenty times ten thousande The dutche translation hath many thousande thousandes Laurence Valla in his annotatiōs vpan the newe Testament doeth interprete as hath the dutche translation thousande thousandes But howe so euer it be certayne it is by the conference of other places that a certen nombre is put for vncertayne that is to saye for exceadynge great and to be signified that the horsemen of the Saracenes Turkes and Tartarians should be innumerable For we reade in the .7 of Daniel thousande thousandes serued him and ten thousande millions stode before him And he speaketh of Aungelles whome he signifieth to be innumerable and of theyr ministerie So also in the fifte of the Apocalipse I hearde sayeth he the voice of many Aungelles and thousande thousandes sayng with a lowde voyce c. Certēly the stories testifie that the Saracenes came out of Spaine into Fraunce in nombre foure hondreth thousande Paulus Aemilius in the .2 boke of thactes of Frenchmē reciteth that Charles Martell ouercame three hondreth three score and .xv. thousande Saracenes And Matthias a Michon in the .1 booke 8. chapt of Sarmatia in Asia Tamerlanes sayeth he had an armie of .12 hondreth thousande Moreouer it is playne that there were neuer in any age or memorie greater Armies of horsemen led out of any nation than of Turkes Saracenes and Tartarians S. Iohn addeth that he hearde their nōbre eyther for that he would so confirme that he had sayed how theyr power should be greatest or for that he would partely signifie that theyr victories also were nombred and should haue an ende That in Daniel is most notable Mene Thekel pheres that is hath nombred hath wayed hath diuided He hath nombred sayeth he thy kingdome and hath brought it to an ende And at the beginning and also in the times that followed the matters of Mahomet increased exceadingly After Mahomet him selfe they had in order .xxv. The power successe of Mahometanes Amires for so they called theyr kings or princes which ruled with great power vnto the yere eight C. three score ten About this time the .xv. Amiras called Mahomet went aboute to driue out and oppresse Imbrael gouernour of Babilon which sent for Muchulet the Turke out of Scythia agaynst Amirā And the Turke dispatched his matters and droue many of the Saracenes out of Asia and the Turkes began to reigne in the East And the Saracenes expulsed out of those parties came into Affricke from thence sayling into Sicilie and other Ilandes they possessed Spaine also and ouer rode other natiōs nere and inuaded Italy spoiling Rome and consuming with fire many goodly buildynges Concerning the which matter ye may reade Volaterane in the .12 boke of Geograph in the threfolde Arabie About the yere of our lord M.CCC the Turkishe emperours had theyr beginning of Ottoman who possesse at this daye a great parte of Asia Affricke and Europe Herof hath writen Baptista Ignatius in th ende of the .2 boke of the Romane emperours and Paulus Iouius Many of the Tartarians receiued the religion of Mahomet haue most greuousely plaged the world wherof Mathias a michon writeth in Sarmatia of Asia And doubtles the people of Mahomet haue ben of very greate power and be so still euen at this daye Now are painted out also the horsemen and horses wherupon they ride Horsmen Horses that is to witte the maners and power of the Mahometanes are described The Horsemen had on habergions not of yron but firie of yelow and brimstony colour Therfore fire Hiacinth and sulphur were in stead of the brest plate theyr Armure For the Hiacinth he putteth by and by smoke For Hiacinth in colour resembleth smoke nexte vnto fire flame And the horses had Lions heades Serpentes tailes with heades The horses breathed out of their mouths fire smoke sulphur With these plagues sayeth he to wit fire smoke brimstone the thirde parte of men were slayne Thei did hurt also mē with the Serpētine tailes He addeth theyr power was in their mouth hurt in the tayle These appere to be vnderstand and expounded spiritually and corporally For the Mahometanes by their wicked doctrine which is aptly compared to fire distroiyng to smoke blinding and to stinking sulphure haue distroyed innumerable Finally with a lionish or tirannical force they haue cōstreyned many people to receyue theyr Alcorane and moreouer what time their false prophetes seme to flatter for Esaye sayeth a false prophet is a taile they playe the serpente and infecte menne with the moste corrupte poyson of doctrine Out of their mouthes procede not only blasphemous lawes but also maruelouse prayses greate boastinges of victories abominable blasphemies Where saye they is your christen faith our religion of Mahomet ouerōmeth al. Al your things are miserable Beyng vaunquished ye serue like boūde slaues euery where The thing it self declareth that our religion is true and yours starke false And in dede the Mahometanes reigne in a maner euery where in victories riches they are fortunate noble That thing maketh the Christians affraide causeth many to reuolte For what is done emōgs vs is to manifest to al mē The gospellers haue ones or twise fought vnluckly and abide euery houre great persecutions the papistes ouercome reioyse There are foūde therfore many thousandes which say how the thing it self speaketh whether religion is better Doubtles this great felicitie holdeth many still in errour which would els be gētle tractable Therfore it is no maruel though turkes or mahometanes preuaile very much with their mouth sins emōgs christians victories the felicitie of this world is of so great force in maner with al men And yet they excell with their mouth boastinges in the thing it self and in veritie
iudges moreouer oppressours of the poore which afflicte widowes and the fatherles more ouer whiche in vsurie thefte disceiptefulnes extorsion and euill meanes are hurteful to all men and by their vnsatiable couetousenes brede a darth of al thinges Finally which by whoredome and aduoutrie defile breake holy matrimony Laste heretikes distroye the earth suche as infecte men with corrupte doctrine that dwell vpon the Earth into the which numbre come also seditiouse persons and traitours and other wicked men Perdition is not to abolish These shall the Lord distroye with euerlastyng perdition wherby they cease not to be that perish but become muche more miserable whilest they are vexed with tourmeÌ„tes that neuer shall haue ende Vnthriftes and prodigall persons are sayed to be loste yet in perisshyng thus they cease not to be but procede dayly to be more miserable which is perdition it selfe God openeth Heauen to his that they loke vp to him Furthermore S. Iohn doubteth this doctrine of the reâ—arde of the godly that whiche before he treated vnder the fourme of a thankeful prayse and a ioyouse triumphyng he propoundeth now consequeÌ„tly the same as it were to be sene with the eyes by a vision celestiall And gallauntly he endeth this vision with the opening of the Temple which he began with the opening of Heauen For the louing lorde openeth to his seruauntes heauen it selfe to be sene of the eyes of our minde to the ende we should no where doubte of the glory prepared for vs in Heauen nother should saie who hath sene those celestiall thinges that are promised vs For like as the blessed fathers the Prophetes and Apostles haue had very many visions of this sorte effectuall trewe and godly So maye euery one of vs with the eyes of our minde through trewe fayth loke into Heauen it selfe I knowe well that the worldely men passe nothing vpon such visions as of whom the Lord in the Gospell hath sayed the world can not receiue the spirite of trueth for that he seeth him not nother knoweth him Let not vs care for their contempt Let vs see therfore The temple of god open in heauen what is prepared for the seruauntes of God in an other worlde Firste S. Iohn sawe heauen open now in heauen it self he seeth also the very temple of god open to witte to all the godly By the Temple of God he vnderstandeth the secretes of God the inwarde priuie partes of Heauen whereinto he will receyue to the fruition of him selfe al beleuers But in that diuine temple of heaueÌ„ was sene the Arche of his Testamente Arcke in the Temple For God made a conuenaunte or leage with the faythful that he would be theyr God their fulnes and a most pleÌ„tiful Sea of al goodnes a most aboundaunt and moste sufficient plentie of all thinges The confirmation testimony and declaration wherof is the Arke of coÌ„uenaunte the very sonne of God in whome dwelleth all fulnes of deitie and in whom we be made perfit For he is the Arke in whom are layde vp al celestial treasours ful of grace and veritie This Arke of good thinges and of eternal felicitie appereth in heaueÌ„ For the sonne of God is in the throne of God The liberall and bountiful father celestial wil powre out this Arke vpon his children graunting to them through Christ his only sonne all heauenly giftes that we mighte be partakers of al Christes benefites euen to the deitie wherin he excelleth his bretherne Hereby it appereth howe Moses prepared the Arke after the example of the same whiche he sawe in Heauen and the figure whereof was the Arke of the conuenaunt c. Otherwise we shal heare in the .21 chapt of this boke that there is no temple in heauen c. These moste beautiful thinges to be sene and moste pleasaunt to be hearde the sonne of God hath set forth to be sene and hearde of vs. Consequently he addeth that punnishementes are prepared for the wicked and expouÌ„deth the same also diuersely and propouÌ„deth the same to be sene Hitherto were made in the worlde lighteninges And lightninges were made voices and thonderinges c. The holy ghost shining to the world and drawing through the doctrine of the veritie mouing and fearing but the madde worlde would not vnderstande no nor so muche as heare the maner and waye of saluatioÌ„ therfore the diuine iustice requireth that they should be talked with all in an other langage and therefore by the iuste iudgemente of God are made now lightenings c. And by this heape of wordes he signifieth the horrible punnishement that God will take of the wicked And he appereth to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome also to the wordes of the godly Prophet it shall raygne vpon sinners snares of fyre brimestone and spirite of tempeste in the .11 Psalm Therefore is this vision concluded as the story of S. Matthewes Gospell and these shall goe into euerlastyng punnishement and the iuste into life euerlastyng We haue in these eight laste chapters the thirde parte of this boke and an notable abridgement of the Ecclesiasticall storie froÌ„ the time of S. Iohn vnto the worldes ende wherwith we are instructed in the trewe fayth and are admonisshed of all perilles and traysons whereby the trewe fayth is assailed to the intent that beyng watcheful we maye beware of all corruption and craftie seducing and may be made safe To God be praise and glory ¶ The description of the churche and of the red Dragon fighting agaynst the Church The .lij. Sermon ANd there appered a great tokeÌ„ in Heauen a woman clothed with the sunne and the Moone vnder her fete vpoÌ„ her head a crowne of .xii. starres And she was with childe and cried trauailing in birth payned ready to be deliuered And there appered an other token in heaueÌ„ and beholde a great red Dragon hauing seueÌ„ heades .x. hornes and seuen crownes vpon his heades and his tayle drewe the thirde parte of starres of heauen cast them to the Earth And the dragon stode before the woman which was ready to be deliuered for to deuoure her childe as sone as it were borne And she brought forth a maÌ„childe which should rule all nations with a rodde of yron hyr sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his seate And the woman fled into wildernes where she had a place prepared of God that they shoulde fede her there a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes The fourth parte of this boke exhibiteth to vs the thirde vision which others that diuide the seconde into two The order dispositioÌ„ of thinges of this boke make the fourth The lord hath often times and much made mention in the seconde vision of the persecution and fight of the faythfull with Antichrist and wicked enemies of God especially in the .6.9 and .11 chapters He procedeth therefore nowe in the thirde vision and that aboundantly to discourse of the same conflicte and
to are perdon for that offence Lōg it was or euer he was admitted to come in the Popes sight At the last he was led with an yrō chaine aboute his necke to the Bisshoppes table lyke a Dogge and there fayne to lie vnder the table emongs the dogges so lōg til the wrath of Clement without all clemencie beyng ouer paste he put out that ignominie from his countrie And was therefore alwayes after called dogge of his owne countriemē for that he had layne like a dogge at the Popes table for to gette absolution This is written in Sabellicus in the ende of the .9 Aeneid the .7 boke The Pope in excommunicatinge vseth tapers or candelles of waxe burning which he throweth downe to the grounde from on highe that euen thereby we might perceyue that it is he that calleth downe the feareful fire from Heauen vpon men in earth And these thinges doeth the beast in the presence of men to wit with great confidence boldenes finally to make mē affrayde and to kepe them in awe For after the same kinde of speaking S. Paule commaundeth also to rebuke a great man offendyng before all men that others maye be affrayed 1. Timoth. 5. He disceaueth by signes Howbeit the Lord addeth the vse and effect of Antichristes wonders to th ende the church might iudge rightly of them and he deceaueth sayeth he the dwellers on the Earth by reason of the miracles c. He shall seduce by these signes or miracles to wit by that grace of the spirite whiche he faineth that he geueth and with those his excommunications wherwith he would seme to caste men downe into hell that dwell vpon Earth that is to saye more geuen to earthly than to heauenly thinges And he shall leade them from the fayth of Christ vnto his tromperies Therefore must we iudge of the tokens and doctrine of Antichrist for that they seduce men Leaue maruelyng therefore howe it hath chaunced that the Pope hath allured to his side so many menne of wisedome and learnyng You haue hearde already by what meanes this is done Therefore be not you alwayes fooles learne take hede and beleue Christe and his Gospell and cleaue thereunto Agayne he sayeth The beaste doeth miracles in the sight of the beaste that power is geuen to the beast verely by the iuste iudgement of God that according to thapostles saiyng they maye be iudged whiche had rather beleue lies than the veritie that he shoulde worke those miracles in the sight of the beaste What is it to worke miracles in the sight of the beaste but to do them in the presence of all men boldely and with out feare euen to feare disceaue the very beast Here therfore nowe we heare of two beastes The beaste that doeth the wonders and that later beaste in whose sight that other fourmer beaste doeth those signes In the .19 chapt Yea it shall followe hereafter that both the beaste and the false Prophet whiche doeth these miracles before the beaste by the whiche he also deceaued the beaste shall be caste bothe into fire euerlasting Who therfore is the former and the two horned beaste but the Pope the very same is the false prophet also And who is the beaste in whose sight the Pope worketh wonders but the Image of the beaste and therfore a beaste also in asmuch as thempire is reysed of the beaste and gouerned by the spirite of the beaste For it followeth that the beast setteth vp an Image of the beaste The beaste setteth vp an Image of the beast and that of the same beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and liueth that is to wit of that olde Romane Empire Now therfore is erected a new Romane Empire which neuerthelesse is not called playnely a beaste but the Image of the beast that is to saye an Empire in dede but the which cometh not so nere to the olde by as farre as an Image differeth from the true example For the olde Romane Empire is as it were an example whereof thempire set vp by the Romish Antichrist is only an Image representation shaddowe and as it were a dreame hauyng neuerthelesse some sumilitude of the same Howe the Image of the beaste was set vp I tolde before and shewed out of stories howe the olde Romane Empire was torne and rent in pieces taken quite awaye In times paste the one Emperour gouerned in the Easte at Constantinople the other in the Weste at Rome or at Rauenna But from Augustulus by the space of thre hondreth yeres and more there was no Emperour of the Weste And suche landes as were the Emperours were now possessed of others and the Empire was vtterly loste Therefore about the yere of our lorde eyght hondreth what time Charles the greate Kynge of Fraunce came to Rome vpon Christemas daye Leo the .3 of that name Bisshoppe of Rome setting the Crowne vpon Charles head made him Emperour all the people saiyng with a lowde voice to Charles the Emperour crowned of God be long life and victory These thinges are red in all stories especially in the .4 booke of Auentinus his Cronicles of Bourbonois The beaste sayeth to the inhabiters of the Earth that they shuld make an Image to the beast Agayne when this Empire semed to wauer and to slide and therefore lyke shortely to falle the Bisshoppe of Rome instituted seuen Princes Electours Some referre this ordenaunce to Gregory the .5 whiche was Pope when Otth◠was Emperour And some to Gregory the .10 whiche called Rafe of Abspurge to the Empire Whereof shal be more sayed anone But the Lorde by S. Iohn sayeth expressely howe the beast sayed to the inhabiters of the Earth that thei shuld make an Image of the beaste For the Popes haue by speakyng and not by fightyng as appereth in the stories of Bisshoppes of Rome especially of Leo the .3 erected a new Empire For by preachyng perswadyng and practysing they brought the Empire to Kinge Charles Certenly Platina in the life of Leo the .3 The Bisshop sayeth he minding to gratifie by some meane king Charles which had deserued right well of the churche in the churche of S. Peter after solemne seruice done by the voyces and prayers of the people of Rome with a lowde voyce declareth Charles Emperour and crowneth him c. But nowe we muste see more dilligentlie What is properlie the Image of the beaste wherefore the newelie erected empyre is called of the Pope the Image of the oulde beaste And here in dede myghte manye thynges be alledged but I shall recyte of many things onely a fewe Aboue all thinges it is called the Image both for that it is named the Empyre it selfe and wolde be taken for the oulde Empyre where it is in dede a name wythoute the thynge and a vayne tytle wythoute that aunciente power maiestie and glorie For vnlesse the Emperour haue the Kyngdome of his owne by inheritaunce what Kyngdome shal he haue by the name of
that in Charles the greate through the meanes of Pope Leo the thirde thempire in the weste decayed was renewed and that thus the image of the beaste that is to witte of the Romane Empire was erected And albeit that at this time thempire decayed in the weste was restored by the Pope yet is it euideÌ„t that the Popes in the beginning of this Empire by certen donatioÌ„s and giftes much in riched did not as yet vse so greate power as they vsurped to themselues afterwarde when they had ouerthrowen and deposed certen Emperours For al though the donatioÌ„ seme to be made by king Pipine and the pope is red than to haue receiued the beginning of his kingdome yet that he was subiecte to Emperours and kings with the Citie of Rome also this same emoÌ„ges other thinges proueth that in the French Cronicles of the Actes of king Charles in the yere of our lord eight hoÌ„dreth and one thus it is founde written afterwarde hauyng set in order the matters of the citie and Bishoppe of Rome and of al Italie therefore did Italy than also obey the Emperour not only publicke but also marke ecclesiasticall and priuate for all the winter themperour did nothing els departing froÌ„ Rome with his sonne Philip he came to Spolet The same authour in the Actes of the yere eight hoÌ„dreth and 16. Stephen sayeth he elected in the place of Leo the .3 taketh as greate iourneyes as he could to come to the Emperour sendyng in the meane time two Ambassadours which might treate with themperour Ludouicus pius for his consecratioÌ„ So likewise in thactes of the yere eight hondreth and .17 is shewed howe Paschalis beyng chosen sente an Ambassade to Lewis the Emperour In thactes of the yere .823 the same Bishop stode at the examination and iudgement of themperour You maye finde in thactes of the next yere that themperour Lotharie establisshed the matters of Italy and Rome Yet doeth the same authour againe make mention of the donation of King Pipine which gaue to S. Peter Rauenna and Pentapolis and all the gouernemente Yet doeth he make no mention of the donation other of Charlemaygne or of Ludouicus pius The .43 distinct maketh mention thereof I Lewis c. in the glose is written thus There Lewis geueth Rome and diuerse other thinges to S. Peter and to Paschale the Pope All historiographers in maner make mention of the donation of the Kinges of Fraunce An Abridgement of all gathereth out of the librarie Dolaterane in the third boke of Geographie in the actes of Pipine and Charles Wherby ye maye easely coniecture what maner of Canon is set forth in the .96 distinct in these wordes Constantine the Emperour hath geuen and graunted to the Apostolical See the Crowne and all the Emperiall dignitie is the Citie of Rome and in Italy and in the weste partes Which by and by after he discourseth with a longe exposition out of the life of S. Siluerster wrytten as they saye by Gelasius in the chapt followynge But Antony Bysshoppe of Florence denieth in his History that this donation doeth remayne in any olde bokes Cusanus and Laurence Valla haue impugned the same nother hath Ottho Bisshoppe of Frisyng in the .3 chapt of the .4 booke of his storie nor Marsilius Pataninus in the defence of peace nor Raphael Volaterane allowed the same nor many mo that I coulde reherse Moreouer in the Cronicles of Kinges of Fraunce set before the story of Paulus Aemilius of the actes of Kinges of Fraunce in the yere 755. thus you maye reade Pipine agayne entred into Italy and Aistulphus subdued he gaue giftes to Maximus Bisshop of Rome also the Dukedom of Rauenna of very great laÌ„des leeste any man should vnthankefully vniustely take awaye this larges from the French Kinges ascribyng to themperour Constantine which Pipine gaue to the church of Rome agaynst the wil of the Greke Emperour affirming the same possessions to be the right of the Empire From thence Pipine first receiued and brought into Fraunce the Ecclesiasticall rites of the Romanes and ceremonies of songes Thempire conueyed from the FrenchmeÌ„ to the Germenes c. Howebeit the gouernement of thempire Charles posteritie was not very stable and permanent For from the firste yere of Charles wherein he was created Emperour vnto the seuenth yere of Conrade whiche was Nephewe to Lewis the .3 by his Brother the laste of the house of Charles are accompted aboute an hondreth and .19 yeres For Charlemaigne reigned Emperour .14 yeres Lewis .26 Lotharius .15 Lewis the seconde .21 Charles two yeres Caluus surnamed the seconde Charles .3 Crassus .12 Arnulphe .12 Lewis the .3.10 Conrade .7 Conrade liyng on his death bed nominateth Kinge Henry Duke of Saron surnamed Falconer And thus was the Empire translated to the Germanes This Henry called the firste came neuer in Italy neuer was consecrate or crowned of the Pope His Sonne Ottho the firste of that name sente for in Italy is red to haue gone thither with a greate Armie beyng receyued at Rome and saluted of the people Emperour and Auguste Ottho Frisinge in the .6 boke of Histories the .17 chapt affirmeth out of the decrees that Pope Leo the .8 of that name did coÌ„secrate this Ottho the firste King of Germanes For his father Henry refused it Albert Krantz in the .10 and .11 chapt of the fourth booke of Saxon matters affirmeth that Pope Leo made a surrender of all suche thinges as the Popes had receyued of the kinges of Fraunce and the authour defendeth this surrender made to be trewe Howebeit the keper of the Librarie testifieth that Ottho confirmed the donatian of the kinges of Fraunce Pipine Charles and his sonnes There remayneth morouer in the decrees a copie of the othe the .43 distinct wherby kyng Ottho bindeth him self to the Pope that he shall intermeddle with nothyng that coÌ„cerneth the Pope and the Romanes secondely that he shal restore al the landes of S. Peter that shal come into his handes Which thing let the reader iudge what they are Shortely after this time about the yere of our lord .996 Electours They saye how by the decree of Pope Gregory the .5 and by the consent of Ottho the .3 Emperour the seueÌ„ princes Electours were assigned vnto whoÌ„ the defence of the church as sayeth Wimpelingius and the Romane Empire was committed In the whiche thing all Historiographers and wryters doe agree and that of the Italianes Blondus Platina Sabellicus Volaterane Egnâ—tius and others of Germanes Albertus Nauclerus Carion Functius and certen others diuerse haue made no mention of this ordinaunce Wherefore Auentinus in the .5 booke of Cronicles Folio .510.707 sayeth that he knoweth I can not tel how certeÌ„ly that after the death of Fridericke the .2 the Electours were instituted and confirmed of Gregory the .10 But how so euer that matter standeth certayne it is that there hath ben many amonge the seuen princes electours both feruent and earneste in true religion and
parte of the nobles of Germany of Italy There was also a Counsell assembled at Wormz where Kinge Henry beyng presente all the Germane Bishoppes excepte they of Saxonie deposed the Pope from his function The Epistles and fragmentes of these Coūselles are founde in the Cronicles of Verspergens -chiefly He is accused by these openly of all wickednes and vngodlines of Hypocrisie and crueltie We haue rehersed a little before what Cardinall Benno a wryter of his time hath committed to wrytinge There remayne also testimonies of Sigisbert an olde wryter concernynge this Pope Who so will maye reade the .5 booke of Auentinus from the .162 and so forth And also the preface of the .6 booke The same Authour in the .7 booke reportynge the wordes of Eberharde Bisshoppe of Salisburge had in the Counsell of Regenspurge Hildebrande sayeth he 170. yeres sins vnder pretence of religion layde firste the foundation of Antitichristes kingedome This wycked warre he him selfe firste beganne whiche by his successours is continewed hitherto Firste they haue excluded the Emperour from the Popes election and referred the same to the people and priestes of Rome After they also mocked thruste out they goe about now also to bring vs in subiection bondage to thintent thei might reigne alone And the things that follow But the thing it self declareth that there haue not liued many Popes more bolde and impudent than this whiche haue auaunced more highly the maiestie of the seate He excōmunicated themperour Henry the .4 and depriued him of the dignitie imperial moreouer he stired vp his subiectes agaynste hym and absolued the rebelles and traytours from their othe of fidelitie and he him selfe like a Monarke gaue the Crowne of the Empire vnto others at his pleasure The powre therefore and Treasoure of the Empire hath be so worne and wasted what wyth ciuile and what wyth foreyne warres that these many yeres nowe the kinges of Almaigne haue neyther ben able to recouer their force nor yet to resiste the most arrogaunt tiranny of Popes And thus at the laste the Pope is become a Monarch and Emperours Kinges and and Princes are made their Clientes and wardes When Gregory the .7 was dead there succeded .4 Mōkes of Hildebrandes secte and faction of his maners kankred nature as it were heires and sonnes that go nothing out of kinde Victor the .3 Vrbane the .2 Paschal the .2 And Gelasius the .2 Anno. 1119 Paschalis caused the sonne Henry the .5 oh wicked and detestable parricidie to warre agaynst the father that miserable Henry the .4 And shortely also Gelasius the .2 and Callistus the .2 do excōmunicate also Henry the .5 And cease not to vexe this prince also till they had wronge out of his hādes the gifte or electiō of Bisshopperickes The gifte of Bishoprikes takē frō themperours And that to the great and inestimable profit of the See of Rome and to the vnrecouerable losse of Germany c. These thinges are described more at large of Vrspergens in the Cronicle of the yere .1122 In the times followyng the audacitie power of Popes increasing hourely the Germane kinges haue resisted them stoutely enough but yet with small successe Where in the meane season we must remembre the wordes of the Lord vttered by Daniel saiyng and there shall arrise a Kinge of a shameles face and vnderstanding propositions his strēgth shall be fortfied but not in his owne force and it can not be beleued howe he wil distroye al thinges and he shal prosper and do c. the tirāny of Popes against emperours Anno. 1178 I wil touche therfore in fewe wordes what thinges in the times followyng Popes haue attempted agaynste kinges and boldely done for the establisshyng of their Empire and Monarchie Pope Alexander the .3 did excommunicate Fridericke the .1 called Barbarousse trode him vnder his fete And where the good Prince sayed how he sheweth this obedience to S. Peter the beaste exclamed settyng him selfe also before Peter and sayed both to me and to Peter and stamped on him Pope Innocentius the .3 coulde not abide much lesse allowe Philippe the sonne of Fridericke Anno. 1189 created Emperour but commaunded the electours to chouse an other I meane Ottho Duke of Saxon whome notwithstandyng shortely after he excommunicated also That proude beast sayed that he would take from Philippe the emperial crowne or lose his Apostolicke Miter Vnto this Innocent are ascribed those most proude wordes which are red in the decretal of Gregory the .9 de Elect. in the .6 title .34 chapt on this wise that the princes haue right and authoritie to chouse a king and afterwarde to auaūce him to be Emperour we acknowledge as we ought as to whome of righte and auncient custome it is knowē to appertayne especially sins that such right and authoritie came vnto them from the Apostolicall Seate which translated the Romane Empire frō the Grekes to the Germanes in the persone of greate Charles See howe thei vsurpe all power to themselues Howbeit the Princes must know agayne that the right and authoritie to examine the person chosen kyng and to be promoted to the empire belongeth vnto vs which do annoincte consecrate and crowne him c. The same in the first boke the .33 Titl de maior obedient Wryting to the Emperour Constantine So much diuersitie sayeth he as there is betwixte the sunne and the Mone so great a difference is there betwene Popes and Kinges in Gods name But the Emperour Fridericke the .2 Fridericke the .2 well langaged Nephewe to Barbarousse an excellent prince many Popes did excommunicate Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 and Innocentius the .4 And in dede Gregory the .9 whilest Fridericke that excellent Prince made warre in Syria for religion with the Soldane inuaded and kept the prouinces of Fridericke An. 1227. 1228. 1247. There were most cruell warres and discordes betwixte the Popes and this Fridericke The same Innocentius the .4 excommunicateth Conrade the .4 of that name and Sonne of Fridericke the .2 and stireth vp the Prince of Thuringe agaynst him And when the Emperour Conrade was dead the Pope obteyned the good willes of the Neapolitanes to yelde themselues to the See of Rome Conrade had lefte a Sonne and heire Conradine and Manfrede his bastarde brother whiche would be called king of Sicilie Wherefore Pope Vrbane the fourth some haue Clement the .4 agaynste Manfrede sente for Charles brother to kinge Lewis the Frenche kynge Erle of Prouince and of Saunte to come with an Armie into Italy Anno. 1263 and called him King of both Sicilies Who ouercome and slewe Manfred at Beneuent receiued the kingdomes of Sicilie of the Pope to do him homage But Conradinus Duke of Swauelande accōpanied with Fridericke Duke of Austrich leadeth out of Germany a right wel furnished Armie into Italy against Charles for the recoueryng of his olde and fatherly kingdome But vanquisshed of Charles at the lake
Fucine he was taken with duke Fridericke Anno. 1266 There were slaine as it is saied .12 thousand The occasion of so greate an euill were the Popes chiefly Clement the .4 which beyng demaunded of Charles the worthie Prince what he should do with his prisoners aunswered so that the Frenche men vnderstode that they must suffer Therfore he put them both to the sworde In whome the house and posteritie of the moste noble Dukes of Austriche and Swauelande is sayde to haue failed Paulus Aemilius discourseth this gere more at large in the .7 booke of Frenche Actes and Auentinus in the .7 booke But yet might not the Ire and furie of those moste holy fathers be so pacified conceiued hereof that the most noble Dukes of Swauelande had for gods glory and the comon welthes sake most godly and most constantly resisted the Romish Bisshoppes Wolues I would haue saied Thempire made desolate But these Parricidies and blouddy warres displeased all good meÌ„ euery where and chiefly the wise and godly Princes so that they vnderstode how they must eschew that Empire and flee from it as from the plage as the which was not only but a shaddowe but moreouer would vtterly consume his yerely reuenewes and treasour which should receiue the office For now was it knowen through out the world what the moste valeaunt and excellent Princes of Germany had nowe about .119 yeres from Henry the .4 to the Sonnes of Fridericke the .2 suffered of the bolde ambition and vncredible mallice of the Popes and that many of them had loste both their liues with their auncient kingdomes and their â—ibertie most excellent of all And here was thempire with out any Emperour for certeÌ„ yeres which I am wont to cal a desolation of the kingdome or Empire For the Popes with their inuincible and intollerable pryde and tyrannie had so weakened the force of the Emperours that the empire semed subuerted destroyed nother coulde there any be easely founde which ded set by it or thoughte it worthie to be desyred At the laste at the commaundement of Gregory the .10 which helde a Counsell at Lions was chosen Counte Rodulph of Abspurg which although he forsoke not the thing offered yet being oft requested to come to Rome is sayed to haue aunswered the waywarde steppes of fete do feare me sore meaning by this dixaine that he trusted not the Popes which by their craftes had destroyed both many Prences of Germanie and also innumerable people comming to Rome And this Rafe is red to haue ben crowned Kyng in the yeare of our Lorde .1273 the .200 yeare after Gregory the .7 And so longe time lasted the fight of Popes and Emperours A little whyle after whyleste Alberte the sonne of Rafe was chosen Emperoure and the election was referred to Boniface the .8 of that name he stoutely reiected the same and shewed by and by in word and dede that he was both Pope and Emperour which by right had both swordes Which I expounded in the .58 sermon the same doth Albert Krantz declare excedingly well in the .8 boke .36 ch of Saxon matters In the place of King Albert was substituted Henry Prince of Lucemburge But what authoritie ouer him thempire chaleÌ„ged Clement the .5 pope he that list may know of the ClemeÌ„tines For there is a long treatise therof in the .2 boke .9 tit I could also rehearce many other lyke things of pope Ihon the .22 and of others if I ded not thinke it superfluouse For of these things which I haue rehersed hitherto The proprietie of kingdomes is the popes but the vse of Kings and Princes it appereth sufficieÌ„tly that the popes theÌ„selues by a mischeuouse boldnes haue takeÌ„ to theÌ„selues thempire do boast theÌ„selues for monarkes do abuse the seruice ministerie of kinges as their wards clieÌ„tes yet to pretend the name of soÌ„nes to the intent thei may haue them the more obedieÌ„t For so in times past wrote Gregory the .7 to Geusas king of Hongary which place read in the .17 chap. of this boke the sermoÌ„ .75 yet vnderstaÌ„d we in the meane time that the gretest part of Princes Nobles haue not knowen the same beast but haue rather impugned him therfore not to come in the nombre of the beast but in asmuch as they lyued vnder the Empire yet estraunged farre from the beaste By this I woulde haue them aunswered which wyll exclame and saie who can take it in good parte to haue the holy Empire called the Image of the beast and so many noble Kings and Princes Cities and people praise worthie But I nother oughte nor wyll chaunge the manner of speakinge which the scripture vseth They be the Lordes woordes all which Daniell in oulde tyme and nowe Ibon haue reuealed to vs but I maie excepte and excuse such as are excused by the testimonie of scripture The way is ready briefe whosoeuer wyll be free from the beaste let him take hede that he be not inspired withe the Popes spirite and that he speake not and doe that the Pope commauÌ„deth against godlynes Let him rather be ruled with the spirite of Christ and so shal it come to passe that dwelling in the middes of Babilon he shal not lyue after the iniquities of Babilon but in the Kingdome of Christe They that shall not worship the beaste shal be slain It foloweth and the beast shal cause that whosoeuer shal not worship the Image of the beast shall be slayne And it is all one offence to worship that oulde beaste and to worship the Image of the newe beaste Of the worshipping of him I haue spoken a little before Therfore doe they worshippe the Image of the beaste which admitte the decrees and those ordinaunces of the seate and Empire speaking the inspiration of the beaste which allowe the Romish religion which fall to the kyssing of the feeâ—e and shew themselues in all things obedient chyldren of the seate and are faithfull to the popish Empire Nowe yf any wyll not be suche a one and woulde be content with Christianitie would abhorre Rome the seat of the beast and detest the Image of the beast he lyke a church robber and traytour is iudged vnworthie of lyfe There is a Canon in the .5 boke of Decret the .7 tit of heret Wherein withoute any circumstaunce of wordes Lucius the thirde of that name determyneth playnelye that heretykes are strycken with an euerlastinge curse whosoeuer beleue and teache otherwyse of the Sacraments than the church of Rome beleueth and teacheth He commaundeth moreouer that such beynge depryued of all dignitie shall be committed to the iudgement of the secular powers to be punished with dewe correction But yf the temporall maiestrate wyll not punish so defend the church that than he shal be also depriued of al honour c. But why do I tary in rehearsyng these thinges All men at this daie knowe and see what thynges are done daylie They are
the marke of the beaste that is whiche will not prostitute themselues to the luste of the Pope and the seate of pestilēce Antichrist sayeth the lorde by his power shall brynge to passe that none maye by or selle saue he that hath the marke of the beaste c. And these come all to one effecte the marke of the beaste the name of the beaste and the nombre of the name of the beast For he hath the marke of the beast which acknowledgeth the seate and professeth the faith of Rome and euen to whom the christen faith is not enough He hath the name of the beaste who so euer he be that will be named an obedient childe of the holy See of Rome and acknowledgeth the Pope to be head of the vniuersall church He hath the nombre of the name of the beaste whiche hath a societie with the beaste whiche societie that nombre bewrayeth or sheweth Therfore excepte thou acknowledge the Pope to be supreme head of the churche in Earth with the fulnes of power vnlesse thou professest to followe the fayth of the holy church of Rome and to deteste all thinges what so euer that See hath condemned thou arte forbidden fire and water That same hath the lord called to prohibite that thou mayest nother bie nor selle We saye in dutche signifiyng one that is bannished out of al mens company He vnderstandeth therfore excommunication that horrible thonderbolte of the Pope wherewith are stricken all those that haue set more by Christ than by the Pope or the which haue lothed the Popes decrees in comparison of the Gospell Let him reade that liste the sixte decretall of Boniface the .8 in the .5 boke the .2 titl de hereticis Also Clement the .5 booke .3 Title de hereticis But he that will knowe exactely a compendiouse treatise of tiranny and a glasse of butcherie let him reade the Bulle of Martin the .5 whiche is subiecte to the Sessions of the Counsell of Constaunce and is written to Bishoppes and inquisitours of heretical prauitie Emonges other thinges there is one which geueth a wonderfull lighte to this place whiche we nowe expounde where it cōmaundement that they do not permitte them that dispise the communion of the churche of Rome to kepe or dwell in any house or lodgynge to make any bargaynes or occupie any trafficke or trade of Marchandise or to haue any cōforte of humanitie with the faithfull of Christ Reade thou the reste leafe .134 Herunto maye be added that in Popishe churches is the greateste biyng and sellynge of all But vnlesse his crowne be shauen and his handes imbrewed with oyle that is except he hath receiued in the foreheade or head and in the righthande the marke indelible for so they terme it that can not be put out he hath no marchandise lefte him in the house nor so much as a little corner But Christ whipped these marchaūtes or byers and sellers ones or twise out of the temple Antichrist hath brought them in agayne And this is verely a wonder thei shewe more fauour at this daye to Iewes Turkes and heathen than to Christians For vnto the only gospellers is no place permitted verely for that they ascribe al to Christe preache Christe only leaue nothing to the Pope but rather accuse him moste constantly and bitterly But what shall we saye to them Counsell for the seduced whose handes and foreheades haue ben defiled with the marke I bid them to wash themselues with the bloud of Christ forsake Antichriste and tourne vnto Christe in relinquisshyng their errours and repenting them In case thou haste bounden thy selfe to Antichriste by an othe doe not perfourme that rashe and wicked othe by vngodly speakyng agaynst the gospel Do penaūce make thy purgation retourne vnto Christ and thou shalt be saued Here is wisedome Nowe leest any man here should chatter that we maye be Christians aboundantly instructed in heauenly wisedom although we do heare or speake nothing of the pope and popishe matters that those disputations are vnprofitable yea odiouse and to apperteyne to the stiring vp of troubles and therfore to be hurteful and foolishe that same our Lorde preuenteth and sayeth expressely here is wisedom in the knowledge and righte iudgemente of these thinges consisteth the trewe heauenly and godly wisedome Vnlesse we be wise in this thing we shal be fooles and not wise The Lord therfore exciteth the hearers to the study of inquyringe after Antichriste and to beware of him when he is founde For in the 14. chapt we shall heare that they shall drinke of the Wine of Gods wrath as many as haue receyued the marke of the beaste and worshipped his Image Wherefore they shall drinke at the same table with Christe of the cuppe of lyfe and of the grace of God so many as haue dispised Poperie And who shall denye it to be the trewe wisedome by the whiche we maye come from the wrath of God to the grace felloweshippe and participation of the same Moreouer the lord adioyneth that men indewed with vnderstandyng not witles and ful of hurtful follye should recken the name of the beast that is to saye should be dilligently occupied in this matter that those thinges should be dilligently searched for whiche worldely menne affirme to be curiousely sought and inquired after We are cōmaunded diligētly to seke after Antichrist not only without any profit but with losse also Moreouer the Lorde commaundeth to accompte the nombre of the name of the beaste He addeth that the same is not harde to do For this nombre to be the nombre of a man to witte which a dilligēt man maye easely by fayth industrie attaine to For so doeth Aretas expounde it also saiyng that nombre is comon and knowen to men Let them leaue than to trouble our godly studies which blame our sermōs made against the Pope and laugh at our dilligence such as it is in expoundyng popishe abominations finally whiche suppose we spende our time in vayne in the accompte of times They do heare here excepte they will heare nothing that we haue receiued cōmaundement of the lord so to do moreouer that the lord testifieth that wisedome is herein And here I geue warnyng that the maner of speakyng is to be obserued The nōbre of the name of the beast that we wery not in vayne bothe our selues and our auditours through the inquisition of a certen name in the nombres For that it is sayed to be the nombre of his name as though he wold a certaine name shuld be gathered composed of these charactes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as for the most part is gathered of these thre lettres or charactes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this name Christ Nother waūt they which thinke how by these thre charactes no other thing is signified than the name of christ which the lord him selfe in the .24 of Matth. prophecied that Antichriste should vse Certes he calleth him self Christes vicar
And in dede it were foloyshnes Babilon to expounde these thinges of the ould Babilon in Asia which was fallen long sins scarcely any token thereof beinge leste Rome we muste therefore vnderstande it of an other which is in her flowres and euen by a figuratiue speach we must vnderstande it of Rome Antonomasia For there is a greate Cozinnage as it were betwixte both Babilon was the first Monarchie Rome is the laste Babilon sore afflicted the people of God So doeth Rome greuouselye vexe the church of God Babylon burthened Israell wyth a greueouse captiuitie So Rome vexeth the church wyth more than a long captiuitie Babilon ouercame the people of God and burning the Citie of Hierusalem and destroieng the temple led away Israell captiue so Rome also hauing rased the citie of Hierusalē and subuerting the temple triumphed of Israell Babilon planted Idolatrie superstition and all abhomination auaunced maintained and set forth the same vnto al men but at the length when she woulde haue thought leest of it the people of God being sodeynely delyuered she was vtterly subuerted So is Rome also the mother nurse and reuyuer of all abominations in the church of the laste tyme wherein she shall perish at the last all those that beleue truly in Christe being delyuered And especiallie it is called great For howe greate and mightie the church of Rome is all we see and by experience knowe at this daye Nother am I the firste that vnderstand by Babilon Rome For many expositours reading the first Epistle of Saincte Peter in the end of the epistle do vnderstand by Babilon Rome Certes Oecumenius sayeth And here he calleth Babilon Rome for the excellencie and brightnesse of the Empire the which Rome obteined a long tyme sins But this the more auncient wryters expound more playnelie as Turtullian in his boke againste the Iewes which sayeth so Babilon with sainct Ihon beareth the fygure of the Citie of Rome therfore also great and proude in her kingdom and a murtherer of the saincts The same words in a maner he repeteth in the thirde booke against Marcion And no lesse playnely Saincte Hierome calleth Rome Babilon and that same Babilon wherof S. Ihon speaketh in the Apocalipse Read the epistle of Paula and Eustochium written to Marcella by the helpe of sainct Hierome Reade himself in the .11 questiō to Algasia Againe in the preface to the boke of Didymus of the holy ghoste to Pauliniane Also in the end of the .2 boke against Iouinian The same in the life of S. Marke Peter saith he in the first epistle vnder the name of Babilon doth figuratiuely signify Rome But S. Ihon wil expounde himselfe in the .17 chapter And we vnderstande that the Citie of Rome shall fall chiefly with all her vngodlynes And with the same also the Romish superstition and abomination through oute the worlde And the Aungell in dede sayeth she is fallen which is yet to fall And that by the propheticall maner of speaking Anadiplosis wherein that which shal assuredly come to passe is vttered as though it wer now done To signifie the certentie thereof that reduplication or iterating of the worde also apperteineth she is fallen she is fallen she is fallē she is fallē This is also repeated in the .18 chap. where it shal be shewed howe it is taken out of the Prophetes c. Notwithstanding both a desyre and Ioye also might seme here to be signified For such thinges as we haue longe and with a desyre loked for we receiue them nowe cumming and saie thou art come thou arte come at the laste longe loked for and nowe makest me glad For the sainctes with a great desyre loke and long for the distruction of that most wicked most vyle and most troublesome kyngdome of Antichriste The cause is shewed also of the destructiō of the commonwelth and church of Rome Why the Romyshe Church shoulde fal for that she hath caused all nations to drinke and hath made them dronken wyth wyne of wrath of her fornication And verelye the effecte of wyne in men is greateste Therefore doctrine is compared to it in the Prophetes Therefore Rome with her vncleane and corrupt opinions hath made all people dronken And it is called the wyne of the wrath For loke with whome God is angry he suffereth them to erre in the way of the Romish church For in asmoch as God hath reuealed the sincere doctrine of lyfe by his onely sonne and moste chosen Apostles and men receaue not the same God is iustely offended with them and geueth them ouer into a reprobate mynde that thei may followe shamefull errours As Saincte Paule also prophisied shuld come to passe in the .2 to the Thess 2. chapt This wyne is called moreouer the wyne of her fornication whereby she her selfe hauing firste played the harlot is become nowe also the Maistres of fornicatiō and as it wer bawde to al others This maner of speakyng is right well knowen euen oute of the Prophetes Rome ded not persiste in the doctryne of the Gospell and of the Apostles but inuented a newe and that contarry to the Gospel of the vycar of Christ in earth The deuilysh doctrin of Rome of the power of keyes of indulgences and pardons of iustification of works and merits of satisfactiōs cōfessions of worshipping of Images prayeng to saincts of celebrating masses and worshipping of the sacramēt of the aulter as thei terme it of monkery and vowes and such other innumerable This doctrine as Apostolicall auncient and chresten she drinketh of to all people and so plucketh them from Christ withdraweth them from the Gospell seduceth them from the oulde christianitie and destroyeth innumerable soules Therefore God powreth oute to her also of the cuppe of his wrath and bryngeth her also to destruction for euer He disswadeth all frō the fellowship of the Romysshe church And vpon this occasion he disswadeth all men from the felowship of the Romish church or papistrie that we haue nothing to do with the Romish religion vnlesse we will be part takers also of the euerlasting pūnishmēt He reasoneth therfore of the losse and punnishments and descrybeth greuouse and horrible paines yf happlie men might so be feared from that vngodlines The Angell therfore crieth and that with a loude voice Wherefore let al ecclesiasticall preachers learne that they must earnestly and tirribblie crye oute in this case that all flee the communion of the Romish or popish church I know doubtles what the common people beleue and saie that all shall be saued at the laste daye what religion so euer they be of and namelie yf any remaine an open papist But we can nother condemne nor absolue any man sette them in Heauen or cast them to Hell God liueth a rightouse iudge He alone knoweth who shal be saued or damned We ought therfore of right to credit his iudgements But where as he pronoūceth openly that the fauourers of the
but chieflly to the burning of Sodome to the drowning of Pharao in the red sea and ruine of Iericho c. Those were verelie but seueral destructions and yet terrible aboue measure therfore what thinke we that laste destruction will be which shall be generall Than shall that great Citie be cut a sunder The great citie shal be deuided in to .3 parts the vniuersalitie of men in the great church deuided into thre partes that is to saie in the end shal there thre kindes of menne be found in the Church There be true Christians which attribute to Christe his true glorie that is all thinges of true saluation and cleaue to him alone by sincere fayth There be Papistes which after the lettre ascribe vnto Christe many thinges but not as became them for they ascribe those thinges to Antichriste which belong to Christe alone and in coÌ„municating with him such thinges as be not to be coÌ„municated they deny Christ For yf the Pope be head of the church vniuersall yf he be king and priest c. Wherfore is Christe preached to haue those thinges alone There be moreouer Newters which will not seme to denie Christe and yet attribute not a litle to Antichriste whome yet neuerthelesse in many things they contemne and despyse vtterly These haue no certayne religion but established and conceaued at their pleasure as it liketh or pleaseth them to beleue this or that There is a great numbre of these men at this day deryding and mockyng whatsoeuer is not tuned after their moste light and wanton Lucianicall wittes You may fynde also in the gospell a felde sowen with sondrie seede to bring forth moste dyuerse fruictes yea euen cockle and darnell which at length in the ende of the worlde shal be gathered c. Math. 13. Moreouer the Cities of the Gentiles sayeth he shall fal The cities of the Heathen fall by the which I vnderstanÌ„d the Iewish Turkish and straunge religions plucked into sondry sectes or heresies But euery one of these haue their societies rytes and lawes which they commend to be the beste and such as shall endure for euer but they shal fal also The only religion or faith of Christ shall preuayle and ouercome Aretas expounding this place after the same sorte The Cities of the heathen sayeth he falling downe be dyuerse opinions of faith about religion c. They I say are fallen all Great Babilon came into 〈◊〉 remeÌ„braunce of God But especially it was mete and requisite he affirmeth and sheweth diligently that the Citie and church of Rome shuld be destroyed and committed to perpetuall tourments I declared sufficientlie before that Babilon is Rome whiche in very dede is greate not in Italie onelie but through out all Fraunce Spayne Germanie and other Realmes the citie and church of Rome hath seemed to many that it shoulde be euerlasting and triumphaunte for euer Herein the Epicures crie that God careth not for these inferiour thinges but that euery man liueth here eyther happelie or vâ—happelie according as he hath discretelie and wittelie framed his lyfe that knoweth not of our pleasures and displeasures and our conuersation But contrariwise Sainct Ihon affirmeth that the Lorde hat remembred Babilon and so to haue remembred her that he hath determined to commit her to tourmentes The which he vttereth by a prophetical phrase of speach that he might geue vnto her the cup of wyne of indignation or fearcenesse of his wrath that is to say that he might puÌ„nish her accordinglie as the great indignation and wrath of God requyreth Therefore she shall haue no small punnishmente for the wrath of God is not lighte but moste greueouse and hotte For he requireth and recompenceth the slackenesse of punnishment with the extremitie of payne and tourmente The lyke thinges you may reade in the .3 of Malachie howe God hath bokes written Touching the cup also of the wyne of Gods furie to spoken of before oute of the Prophetes †â—l Iles flee Nowe also emonges other thinges by a figuratiue speach he sheweth that the vngodlye haue no refuge nor way to escape Otherwise wolde the richer soâ—te in dauÌ„gers hyde theÌ„selues farre of in Ilandes that they might be out of gunshot many flee into the Mountaines that they maye there lurke safely But nowe he sayeth howe the very Ilandes flee and therefore that fleyng they can not be ouertaken He addeth that the Mountaynes that is to saye no places of refuge or lurking can be founde Therfore there remaineth nothing but that al vngodly in general beyng taken should be put to tormentes Furthermore he addeth that hayle as bygge as talentes should be caste downe from heauen vpon wicked men and that suche as hath not ben remembred to haue fallen in no memory of meÌ„ Hayle like talentes And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of the Chananites which is in the .10 cha of Iosua To be short here is signified that the greuouse and ineuitable iudgement of God pronounced agaynst al vngodly shal at the general iudgemeÌ„t tormente the wicked with such an extremitie that no eloquence of men no sence nor vnderstandyng caÌ„ attaine vnto for it is alwaies more greuouse Primasius expounding this place sayeth he setteth the wrath of reueÌ„gemeÌ„t in haile Whereof we reade the wrathe of the Lorde falleth downe like hayle Nother doeth he without cause mention of a talente weight For with equitie wil he inflicte iudgement c. Here is shewed the obstinate and vncurable mutining and impatiencie of the wicked The wicked blaspheme god in their tormentes wherby they are incensed against Gods iudgementes vomiting out blasphemies agaynst the Iudge him selfe and his iudgement I haue handled these thinges more briefly for that we haue hearde in a maner the same before aboute the ende of the .11 chapt To the Lorde be prayse and glory ¶ The Iudgement or punnishement of the pourple whore is described and also the sinne and vngodlines of the same The .lxxiij. Sermon ANd there came one of the seuen Aungelles whiche had the seuen vialles The .17 chapt talketh with me saiyng vnto me come I wil shewe thee the iudgemeÌ„t of the greate whore that sitteth vpon many waters with whome the kinges of the earth haue coÌ„mitted whoredome and the inhabiters of the earth are dronken with the wine of hyr fornication And he caried me awaye into the wildernesse in the sprete And I saw a woman sittyng vpon a rose coloured beast ful of names of blasphemie which had seuen heades and ten hornes He hath hitherto discoursed in generall of the iuste iudgemeÌ„tes of God albeit that in the meane time he hath touched some particular matters concernyng Babylon or Rome rather than reasoned And nowe consequently seuerally and euidently he handleth the destruction or ende of the beast and of his Image of olde Rome and newe I meane both thempire and papistrie which he semeth to poinct as it were with the fingar In the .13.14 and
emonges those ten hornes one other little horne should grow vp whiche shoulde strike of three and take their place and reigne wantonly crwelly and wickedly Wherefore the Popes Empire and those sondry kingdomes grewe vp in a maner aboute one and the same time The kings haue one minde He sheweth moreouer what maner of kingdomes those shal be and how they shal demeane thēselues towardes that latter beast namely towarde the church of Rome thei saieth he haue al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one opinion they beleue al one thing be of the same religion He speaketh chiefly of the westerne kynges For they al receyue the decrees of the Bishoppe of Rome and honor them as most obedient childrē of the most sacred holy church of Rome They shal deliuer to the beaste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their authoritie or kyngedome For they submitte themselues to the See of Rome Yf the church of Rome haue nede of an Armie or force of armes the kinges sende their power gladly to hym which the most noble kingdome of Boheme felte about an hondreth yeres sins though it were to no great commoditie and beautifull triumphes of the inuaders Yea morouer they acknowledge thēselues to owe homage and feaultie to the moste holy and supreme Bishop in al the world Hereunto chiesly apperteyneth that which Augustin Stewchus in his boke against Laurence valla concernyng the donation of Constantine in the .94 Section hath written on this wise Gregory the .7 vnto Geusa king of Hungarie we suppose it is not vnknowen to thee sayeth he that the kingdome of Hungarie like as other most noble realmes also ought to be in the state of his owne libertie nother that it ought to be subiecte to any kyng of an other realme saue to the holy and vniuersall mother church of Rome which hath her subiectes not as seruauntes but as children Hereunto addeth Steuchus thou hearest with what gouernement the church ruleth that she maye interteyne her subiectes not as seruauntes but as childrē She putteth not kinges out of their possession but permitteth them to reigne as her sonnes who reignyng she reigneth her selfe also Neuerthelesse she will be knowen for Quene and Lady Quene Lady Thou hearest how al the moste noble realmes be subiecte to the Apostolical See Euen there he sheweth that the moste noble kingdomes of Spaine Fraūce England Denmarke Russelande Croatie Dalmatia Arragonie Sardinia Portugalle Bohemia Sweuia and Norwaye be subiecte tributaries to the church of Rome In the Section .97 He addeth moreouer although the kinges reigned and continued in possession yet are they wonte to acknowledge her as Quene and trewe Lady and gyuer of their kingdomes And in the Sect. 105. The old monumentes of all Popes are full of highe authoritie A mouth verely speaking great thinges whereby they haue with their Empires gouerned the whole worlde hauing the rule and order of al landes which power and authoritie that impudente praiser of the Romishe See is not asshamed to call omnipotent or almightie And doubtles we see at this daye great Ambassades sent to Rome by the westerne kinges newely elected crowned to the intent to kisse the Popes fete or too of Antichrist and to offer dewe obedience as they cal it Therefore did he calle them before not kinges absolutely but as kinges For they acknowledge a superiour and be euen as it were seruauntes or wardes of the seruaunt of seruauntes Of whome he hath made proper verses The vulgare people brought from farre ende of the worlde The seruaunt of seruauntes O Rome is now thy Lorde Hereunto the Apostle addeth a thing yet more greuouse The fight with the lambe These Kinges I meane the confederates of the Pope and obedient children of the Church of Rome indewed with the spirite of the beaste shall fight with the Lambe Whereby is signified the tiranny which kinges and princes and certen other states of the Romane Empire do practise long haue practised agaynst Christ his gospel Concerning the lambe we haue already spokē enough before Iohn Baptist poinctyng with his fingar to Christ sayeth beholde the lambe of God which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Therfore shal the Romish princes fight not agaynste Christ himselfe for they will be christians but agaynst the Lambe that is the sanctification iustification and satisfaction of Christ For yf any man saye at this daye that the sonne of God is most holy by whome alone sinnes are forgeuen and we are sanctified and saye not also that the Bisshop of Rome is moste holy also whiche purgeth by pardons graunted but shall saye rather that perdons are playne disceiptfulnes and the Pope most vncleane of all he shal doubtles nother be takē for right catholicke nother shal he be spared for confessyng the lambe of God Yf any man shal confesse that iustification is only in the sonne of God alone and that men are iustified by fayth only and not also by our workes and merites he shal be caried to death or to prison nother shal the confession of the lambe of God preuayle him any thing Yf any man shal say that he is fully purged through the only oblation of Christe on the crosse as of a lambe without spotte and sacrificed frō the beginnyng neyther that he nedeth any popish Masses wherby the shauelynges boaste that they make a dayly offering for the sinnes of the quicke and dead whiche in dede is both false and blasphemouse he is streight wayes hurried to prison and from thence drawen to the stake and brente We can not denye but that this is true seyng there be at this daie innumerable exāples of Romishe kinges and princes in this behalfe We shall not nede therefore to fetche our exposition farre of how these kinges which wholy depēde of the Pope shal fight with the lambe I speake here nothinge of others which cleaue whole vnto Christ And therefore for a comforte is consequently annexed and the Lambe shall ouer come them The lābe shall ouercome thē For albeit that Popish kinges and Princes seme to ouercome the Sainctes whom they burne murther and distroye yet Christ liueth for euer the redemption of Christe florissheth As moste godly that good poete hath songe Christ liueth yet and shal do still His trewth eke shall remayne Whilst al that doeth this world fulfill Shall perish and be vayne Kinges perish kingdomes perish or be chaunged but the trewth is neuer chaunged Christ perisheth neuer He adioyneth a most strong reason for he is Lord of Lordes and king of kinges Therfore shal they be made a fote stole for the fete of the Lambe as many as shall striue agaynst him You see agayne whie S. Iohn sayed before they receiue power as kinges For all kinges are vnder Christ whiche excelleth all lordes in the worlde For to him is geuen power in Heauen and in earth Let vs therfore be of bold courage For the lord is Emperour and our
dilligent labour and godlines he disclosed the furies and ragyng idolatrie of the Heythen and also restored and established the true religion But as in the time of Iosias the olde kankred errour and abominable idolatrie coulde not be rooted out of their hartes but that the greater parte had rather haue still the abominatians of the Amorrheans so the Romanes both in the citie and in the prouinces aspired gredely to the restitution of tholde idolatrie Therefore like as he tamed at the length with greuouse warres the inuincible vngodlines of the Iewes and destroyed the citie of Hierusalem so by the warre of Gothes and Vandales and inuasions of Barbarous nations so the stories terme them he destroyed prowde and wicked Rome with her prouinces The Gothes burne Rome and finally consumed the citie with the sworde and fire of the Gothes The very name of the enemie cried out that the vengeaunce was not executed by men but of God himselfe For the Germane vocable of Gothes doeth signifie the people of God or Gods people For God in highe dutch is called Gott thereof coÌ„meth the gotthes Die gotther the people of God Therfore God and not man did chasten tourmoyle and at last distroye Rome Which thing S. Iohn at this present speaketh most expressely Alaricke a westgotth First in thempire of Honorius Arcadius the westgothes by the conduit of Alaricke besiege the citie assaulte it take it spoyle it S. Hierome to Principia doeth greately lament this chaunce of Rome in the Epitaph of Marcella but Orosius as I also rehearsed in the .57 sermon doeth in my iudgement more rightly coÌ„mende the iuste iudgement of God in Rome afflicted It is playne that Rome was than for the grenousenes of her sinnes chastised with mercy but where the Romanes would not acknowledge the hande of the striker it came to passe that Alaricke beyng dead the victorious army hauyng now Adolphe to their captaine retourned out of Lucania spoyled the riches of Rome much more gredely now than they did before From the whiche time was graunted agayne to Rome a space of repentaunce about .42 yeres Atthâ—la king of Hunnes In the meane time by distructioÌ„s ouerthrowes geuen by the Hunnes in their prouinces that great and wonderfull they are admonished to be wise What will they saye that Athila him selfe with his Hunnes inuadeth now Italy it self now hangeth ouer the necke of Rome There chaunced than a thing which had ben able to haue tourned the Romanes to the seruice of the true God in case there had remayned in theÌ„ one sparke of thankfulnes For the minister of the church of Rome Bisshoppe Leo the ambitiouse pride of Popes was not yet knowen a preacher of the Christiane fayth and a stewarde of Christes misteries making supplicatioÌ„ to Athila obteyneth peace for Rome by a manifeste oration tourneth awaye the blouddy enemie from the neckes of the Romanes This was an exceding great benefite which God by his seruauÌ„t would shewe to the Romanes in case they would yet cease to hate the religion of Christ and to sclaunder Christ as though he poured out euilles into the worlde and that there came no good nor quietnes of the preachyng of the gospell For euen now not to speake of others innumerable he hath imploide vpoÌ„ come a benefite inestimable and that by the preacher of the gospel This was done in the yere of our Lord .454 Howebeit whilest the Romanes proceded after their accustomed maner GeÌ„serich a Vandal and nowe also Valentinian a Prince not euill was murthered and by a tumulte many vnworthie thinges were done nother did there any token of thankefulnes towardes Christ appere or signe of trewe conuersion through the meanes of one woman Eudoxia the wife of Valentinian whyche her selfe also suffered many vnworthie thynges in that Tumulte it was broughte to passe that Genserichus kynge of Vandalles sayled out of Affricke with three hondreth thousande to Rome and toke it and by the space of fouretene whole dayes he gathered vp the treasures brought thither out of al partes in a maner of the world inhabited Than coulde the intercession of Leo doe nothing saue that the Vandalles absteyned from killyng and burnynge which was also a benefite of God not to be contemned The firste king of Westgothes which brake into Rome was called Alrich others cal him Atalarich but this king of Vandalles is named Genserych and so Rome an whore is made desolate and naked spoyled I saye whiche beyng inriched with the spoyles of all nations was hitherto prowde Howbeit it was not nowe altogether defaced and brent the whiche was no small benefite which Christ agayne shewed to Rome for an amendement And yet moreouer are grauÌ„ted aboute twentie yeres in the which neuertheles as in the ten tribes of Israel before the destruction of Samaria 4. boke of kinges were practised continuall murthers whilest teÌ„ princes raigne at Rome yet so for al that that there was neuer one of these whiche was not of an other eyther slayne murthered or expulsed Augustulus emoÌ„ges these was the laste For as Augustulus succeding Iulius gaue the beginning to the Romane monarchie so Augustulus ended the same Odacer a Germane For the Romane legions beyng extinguished the name imperiall by the Germanes Odacer whiche toke his name of destroiyng of landes Oedacher and was called as it were a distroyer wanne Rome and in it raigned kinge aboute .15 yeres Yet is he expulsed agayne and slayne at the iustigation of Zenon Emperour of Constantinople by Theodoricke Prince of the Eastegothes Theodoricke an Eastgoth And the Eastegotthes raigne at Rome about fiftie yeres til the Emperour Iustinian sent Bellisarius into Italy with a greke armye to recouer the same whom the Eastgothes beyng ayded with a power of Germanes sent vnto them by Theodoper kyng of Fraunce valeauntly resisted They warred in Italy by the space of .18 yeres continually with fortune variable Totila Balduffe or balduill At the laste Totila Baldeuille ouercome He toke and burnt the citie of Rome and yet not sodainely For he gaue a time to deliberate But where he could not so preuayle he distroyed Rome and as S. Iohn hath prophecied burnte her with fire Al stories make meÌ„tion of this destructioÌ„ Iohn Auentine in the .3 boke of Cronicles of the same matter hath written this Totilas besegeth Rome taketh it the .16 kaleÌ„des of Ianuarie 17. of Decembre in the yere of the christen saluation 548. Totila gaue all the goodes to the soldiours but he commaunded by proclamation that their bodies should be free FroÌ„ thence he sent ambassadours with his pleasure to newe Rome CoÌ„staÌ„tinople vnto Iustinian He required of themperour Italy the leage as it had beÌ„ vnder themperour Anastase Theodoricke king Which if he might not obteyne Totila threatened that he would rase the citie whiche he coulde not kepe abolish the Romane name Iustinian answered how Bellisarius was in Italy vnto whom he had
required vengeaunce So we reade in the .51 of Ieremie that the sinnes of Babilon ascēded vp to the clowdes For S. Iohn in a maner euery where vseth the places of Scripture to the intent he mighte get his boke more authoritie although otherwise inspired of the holy ghost And in dede the olde Satyrical poetes as Horace Iuuenall and others wrote sore agaynst the sinnes and vices of old Rome There remayne also at this daye many sharpe writinges agaynst Rome and the Cardinalles and Prelates of the Romish churche and Pasquillis innumerable Pasquille at this daye is a Satyrical writer one in stead of many that as well at this daye as in times paste the sinnes of Rome crie vp vnto heauen it selfe Rewarde her as she hath rewarded you He procedeth after this to raccompte agayne the plagues and most certayne destruction of Rome whiche is the thirde place of this chapt where also is excedingly well described the most horrible and cruell maner of destructiō and subuersion thereof For God is brought in callyng on and exhorting the soldiours and the cōmissaries and executours of his iudgement vnto vengeaunce and that they should punnishe her moste extremely and spare her not but rewarde her moste aboundantly and mete vnto her by the same measure wherwith Rome hath measured to others For here taketh place that same of the Lorde and cōmon saying with all nations with the same measure wherewith you mete others shall mete vnto you agayne and there shall be geuen good measure pressed shaken and runnyng ouer Therfore seyng that Rome hath robbed the whole worlde and seduced the whole worlde rightly and by the iuste wrath of God was she spoiled and vtterly subuerted The which things did the Gotthes with great faith and dilligence so that we can not doubte also but that newe Rome and that See Apostaticall muste of her enemies whom the Lord hath prepared and of the Aungelles gatheryng the tares be plucked all to peces And what shal become of her in an other world we maye gather hereof that he beateth in so ofte that her euilles shal be doubled without mercy her payne also mourning and greuouse tormentes These thinges doubtles are greuouse and horrible Would God they might be perceyued of faythfull mindes And agayne this place is written out as it were worde for worde of the .50 chap. of Ieremie where you reade to this effecte be auenged on Babilon and as she did do ye vnto her Spoile and destroye sayeth the Lord and accōplish all that I haue cōmaunded thee Destroye her that nothing remaine Intrench rounde aboute that no man escape Rewarde her after her worke according to al thinges that she hath done do ye vnto her For she hath ben prowde agaynst the Lord and agaynst the holy one of Israel Thus sayed the lord in Ieremie Thou seest therefore where the lord hath borrowed his owne at this present Thou seest what euery citie or cōmon welth or man maye promise himselfe yf beyng inriched by the losse of others he liue voluptuousely proudly in this world For God is the same alwayes and his iudgementes are egall agaynst al vngodly And he hath meddled withal the causes of subuersion The vaine glory pride securitie of Rome crueltie couetousenes extorsions slaughters burninges wherwith Rome hath made desolate the whole world But he procedeth more expressely to recite other causes to witte pride glorying ond boastyng securitie riot pleasures and voluptuousenes For it followeth as muche as she hath glorified her selfe and liued wantonly c. And agayne for in her hart she sayeth I sitte a Queene c. He hath borrowed these thinges also out of the .47 of Esaye Where Babylon glorieth thus also and with so many wordes Rome in times past gloried her selfe to be Lady of the worlde and that she shuld be euerlastynge For they stāped in Siluer coynes of Rome eternall They had thought that the kingedomes should neuer haue ben plucked from her She thought therefore that she should neuer haue ben a widdowe And I doubte not but the Germanes borrowed of the Romanes that Germane worde Romen by the whiche they meane to boaste or bragge stoutely whiche semeth to haue ben peculiar and proper to the Romanes She was careles or insecuritie She had not thought to haue bē subuerted She saied I shal see no mournyng I will haue no mournyng chere I wil alwayes singe Gaudeamus The Romanistes at this daye also full brauely make their boaste that no Emperours no Kinges no people no heretikes and Schismatikes for so they terme the enemies of the Romisshe wickednes men godly and learned haue yet luckely assayled Rome That the enemies of the churche of Rome haue alwayes ben oppressed that she hath alwayes triumphed ouer her enemies these seuen or eyght hondreth yeres and more That the shippe of S. Peter maye be sore tourmoyled tossed and ouerwhelmed with Waues and billowes but can not be drowned and therefore that the See of Rome shal be perpetual quene and lady of al realmes and churches c. Rome shal perish vpō a sodayne But heare nowe the iudgement of God for as muche as she is prowde vayne gloriouse carelesse and wicked in one daye shal come her plagues Aretas noteth that by one daye is signified a sodayne destruction and that she shoulde than perish when she would haue thought leste And her plagues he reciteth in order death mournyng famine and fire And stories testifie that these thinges were by the Gotthes fulfilled accordingly in olde Rome whereof I haue spoken before Therfore we doubte nothyng at al but that newe Rome also shall by menne and by Gods Aungelles be torne a sonder and pluckte vp by the rotes And leest any manne should thinke this vnpossible for greate is the power and maiestie of eyther Rome in so muche that he that should haue sayed in S. Iohn his time Rome shall falle should haue semed to haue spoken a thynge as much impossible as if he had sayde the skye shall falle he annexeth incontinently for stronge is the Lorde God that shall iudge her Therefore lette vs not doubte of the falle of Papistrie For the Lorde is trewe iuste and almightie To whome be glorye for euer and euer Amen ¶ A doleful song or mourning and lamentation of Rome which the Princes and Marchaunts make for her The .lxxix. Sermon AND the Kynges of the earth shall be wepe her and wayle ouer her which haue committed fornication and liued wantonly with her when they shal se the smoke of her burning and shal stand a farre of for feare of her pūnishmēt saieng alas alas that great citie Babilon that mightye citie for at one howre is thy iudgement come And the marchauntes of the Earth shall wepe and wayle in themselues because no man wyll by their ware any more the ware of golde and siluer and of preciouse stone of pearle and silke and purple and skarlet and al thynen wood and all maner vesselles of Iuory
he be worthy of loue or hatred Where he hath spoken that vpon an other occasion and to an other ende as I haue declared in my booke of the grace of God c. ¶ Ihon is coÌ„mauÌ„ded to wryte At this present therfore is shewed that the saluation of the faythfull is most certayne For first the Angell comaundeth the Euangelist to wryte This is taken of the maner of men which put in writing their Testamentes conuenauntes and bargaines than seale the same for the cause of credit and for a perpetual memorial of the thing And they that haue suche kinde of writinges are of a quiet minde thinke themselues safe and assured agaynst al craftes and subtill practises And therfore to the intent that the minde of maÌ„ might be quieted in the matter of saluation he causeth as it were an instrumeÌ„t to be written wherby al the godly might be assured of certaine saluation The same maner of writyng our lord in other places followeth in weightie matters As we maye see in the .8 and .30 chapt of Esaye and in the .2 of Abacuke Wherefore it is lesse to be marueled whie the Apostle S. Pvule so ofte alledged that same out of Abacuke that rightuouse shal liue by faith For this only testimony of God as that whiche is cited out of the godly instrument might be in stead of all And where God coÌ„maunded openly Moses and Ieremie to write whereof we maye doubtles iudge The authoritie of holy Scripture and certenly gather that other Prophetes also Apostles and EuaÌ„gelistes wrote not without commaundement we see of what authoritie the bokes of tholde newe Testament be with al the godly For they be diuine autenticall they be the instrument and testament of God the bokes of God himselfe which are rightly beleued without any other helpe or coÌ„firmation We beleue the testamentes and sealed writinges of meÌ„ how much more ought we beleue the bokes of the Scripture canonicall Againe is manifestly declared to S. Iohn what he should wryte The called are blessed blessed are they which are called to the mariage of the Lambe Therefore it is euident that nowe it is coÌ„firmed both by the diuine oracle lawefull instrument that those whiche are called to the Lambes supper be and shall be blessâ—d This same was pronounced by oracle diuine and written Autentically What place than of doubtefulnes is lefte vndoubtedly blessed are the faythfull greffed in Christe For they be nowe called vnto whome the gospell is preached by the which thei are called to the participatioÌ„ of the giftes of God but chiefely to eternal life through Christ and thei which not only heare the verâ—â—e of the gospel but that also receyue it beleue it with their harâ—e For many be called and fewe chosen For the gospel is preached to many the grace of God is offered in christ but they receyue it not But such as through the grace of God doe receyue it with true fayth are blessed For they are not only called to the Mariage but also come vnto the mariage and inioye that weddyng supper These thinges seme to be taken out of the doctrine of our sauiour which he taught in the .14 of Luke of them that were bidden to the mariage Reade that same place What that blesse is Neuerthelesse by the waye is declared what that blessednes of the faithfull is nothing els verely than the fruition of the supper of the lambes mariage A supper is made wheÌ„ the daye draweth towardes an ende So is full saluation geuen to the godly about the ende of the worlde at the resurrection of the dead as in the fourmer sermon is expounded And verely all those thinges be altogether allegoricall which represente vnto vs a certen signification of eternall life and glory Otherwise we haue learned of the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles whiche the eare hath not hearde nor the eye hath sene nor haue entred into the hart of maÌ„ the same hath God himselfe prepared for them that loue him These saiynges of God be trewe Finally is annexed agayne a moste weightie assertion or confirmation hereof For he heareth it vttered by an oracle from heauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These wordes or saiynges of God be true They be verely true and be of God Or els they be trewe for thei be of God Erasmus hath translated these wordes of God are true And so hath the vulgare translation these sayenges of God are true By a double reason therefore are these thinges confirmed whiche are here propounded both for that they be true and because they be of God Although they come bothe to one poincte For sins they be of God whiche is veritie they can not but be true Therefore let vs beleue these thinges and leaue no place vnto doubtefulnes The scripture is gods word Here is cutte of the occasion of subtile reasonyng that the scriptures and preachynges set forth of men out of the scriptures are not the worde of God for that they be written on Paper with Inke and pronounced with mans voice with a sounde passyng awaye where the worde of God is nother humane nor corruptible nor passyng awaye For the celestiall oracle doeth here pronounce manifestly that the saiynges were written into the boke of S. Iohn and pronounced of the Aungell and to be true and to be gods worde So Paule affirmeth also in the .1 Thess 2. chapt that the worde that he preached of him was the very worde of God Likewise S. Peter in the .1 Peter 1. Therfore let curiouse men leaue bringyng forth of these Paradoxes cease from their disputing that the word of God written and preached is not the word of God Than is not verely the worde of God what time such thinges are written or spoken agree not with the holy Scripture of God The mindes of the faithfull are rather to be allured to this poincte that thei beleue and cleane vnto al wordes of the scripture declared in their righte sense as the most certen wordes of God For els to what thing shall we trust what thing after this shal we haue vndoubted and certayne To God be glory ¶ The facte of S. Iohn is declared whiche woulde haue worshipped the Angell and of the Angell prohibityng The .lxxxiiij. Sermon AND I felle at his fete to worship him And he sayde to me see thou do it not For I am thy fellow seruaunte and one of thy bretherne and of theÌ„ that haue the testimony of Iesus Worship God For the testimony of Iesu is the sprete of Prophecie Here is added the thirde place of this chapter to witte the doyng of the Apostle S. Iohn and the Aungel of God S. Iohn would haue worshipped the Aungell Thexcelâ—â—cie of Aungelles but he is prohibited of the Angel whiche biddeth him worship God And before al this acte and enterprise of Iohn semeth chiefly to be considered Angelles are surely right noble creatures and of greate power by
the Lorde himselfe saieth in the gospel no man hath knowen the sonne but the father nother hath any man knowen the father saue the sonne and to whome the son hath pleased to reueale Besydes this we se here vnperfitly and the glory of the diuine maiestie is so great as euen nowe I sayed that mannes capacitie is vnable to conceyue such a glory No man therefore saue God alone knoweth his name 6. The vesture of our Iudge was sprinckled with bloude A blouddie garment Whereby is signified victory and slaughter of his enemies which shall anone be added aboute the ende of the chap. And he toke this note of our iudge out of the .63 chap. of Esay He alludeth to cōquerours returning from battayle whose garments armours are imbrewed with the blud of the slaine And betokeneth the iuste seueritie of the Iudge and greate slaughter of the enemies 7. The name of the iudge is nowe expressed The name of the iudge the worde of God which is vtterly vnknowen to the vngodly And the Iudge is called the worde of God For the son is the word and speach of God the expresse marke of the diuine substaūce in whome the father himselfe is expressed and of whome as of the worde the true messager of the hart we vnderstand the wyll and mynd of the father These holy wordes of the gospell are knowen In the begynnyng was the worde 1. Ihon. Hebre. and the worde was with God c. Therefore Christe the worde was made fleshe the Lorde God and Iudge of all 8. To the Iudge is added an Army not of Angels only The Army of the Iudge is whyte with whom he ofte repeted in the gospell that he wold come vnto iudgement but of al the faithful or saincts which at no time no not here ar sequestred from their head For first at the soūde of the trumpe blowē vp the Archangell the Sainctes arryse and the liuing also with the dead are chaūged and are taken vp to mete Christ in the Ayre Here here in the clowdes and bryghte Ayre appeare with Christe the happye and blessed victours By and by the vngodly ryse also and those that lyued at that day are chaunged with them that ryse agayne to payne and confusiō But they se the Saincts with Christe in heauen and in glory and fele incontinently vnspeakeable tourmentes They come to passe doubtlesse and are fulfilled which thinges are described it the .3 .5 chapt of Wysedome Saincte Ihon therfore sayeth that this Armie is in Heauen not in Earth He sayeth howe they followe Christe For the same sayed the Apostle also in the firste to the Thessalonians the .4 Moreouer he addeth that they wer clothed and appeared not naked and expresseth the kynde of garment They were clothed sayeth he in silke whyte and cleane For sainctes in Christe obtayne righteousenesse and glory are made cleane and are glorified Sanctifieng glorifieng And this sense hath Sainct Ihon himselfe a little before opened to vs sayeng silke is the iustifications of Sainctes 9. Oute of the Iudges mouth procedeth a two edged and sharpe sworde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sworde oute of the iudges mouth which cutteth on eyther syde It is not sharpe on one syde and blunte on an other it cutteth on both sydes indifferently Whereby is signified a iust sentēce pronounced of Gods mouth againste the wicked For againste them the sentence of God is a sworde pearsing euen to their heartes Wherefore it is also called sharpt The iudgemente of our iudge is streighte and seuere but yet iuste and righteouse What that sworde is in the gospell is declared verely that heauy and immutable sentence get you hence in to fyre euerlasting Math. 25. Whereupon it foloweth in the words of the Euangelist that with the same he may stryke the heathen to witte that he may damne and put to perpetuall tourmentes all vnbeleuers ¶ He shall rule them with an Iron rod. 10. And he shall rule them with a rod of Iron By the same kynde of speach in a maner he sayeth the same that he sayde before For they that woulde not receyue or acknoweledge with repentaūce the staffe of instruction and discipline postorall shal fynde in iudgement and fele the Iron sceptre wherwith he shall breake them all to shyuers lyke potters vessell Nother shall any power resist or preuayle againste him And this maner of speaking is taken out of the Psalme .110 For Saincte Ihon vseth gladly the wordes of Scripture to the ende to make his booke more cōmendable or more pleasaūt and acceptable 11. He treadeth the wynefatte of the wyne of wrath c. Agayne he sayeth the same that he ded before He nedeth the winefa◠but by an other parable nowe vttered the same taken out of the scriptures to witte out of the .63 chapter of Esaye The effecte or some is he wyll powre out his wrath vpon the vngodly and punnyshe them moste extremely with his almightie hande whereunto all things geue place geuing their heads a blow See what is sayed here of in the .14 chapter of this boke 12. Againe is shewed the name of this iudge ¶ King of kings and Lorde of Lordes in the name is maiestie power of all others greatest He hath the name written on his garment and on his thigh By these is declared the true humanitie of Christe after the which he is exalted as the Apostle saieth in the second to the Philippians And to him is geuen a name which is aboue al names Here he is called King of Kinges and Lorde of Lords very God Lord monarke and iudge of all men For so do the other Apostles speake also in the .2 .17 of the Actes And there might seme in this name of the Iudge as it were a cawse to be shewed wherefore he is here appoincted Iudge ouer all Because he is Kyng and Lord of all To whome be glory for euer Amen ¶ The description of the iudgement wherin punnishment is taken of Antichristians and vngodly The .lxxxvi. Sermon AND I sawe an Angel stand in the Sunne and he cryed with a loude voyce sayeng to al the foules that fly by the mids vnder the heauen come gather your selues together vnto the supper of the great God that you may eate the flesh of Kyngs and of high captaynes and the flesh of mightie men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the fleshe of all free men and bonde men both of small and great And I saw the beast and the Kinges of the Earth and their warriours gathered together to wage battayle against him that sat on the horse and againste his soldiours And the beast was taken and with him that false prophete that wrought miracles before him with which he deceaued them that receyued the beastes marke and them that worshypped his Image These bothe were cast quicke in to a pond of fyre burnyng with brimstone and the
noÌ„bre the seueÌ„th laste Therfore ar al things figured spiritually not carnally to be vnderstand and taken Doubtles the matters are excelleÌ„t vnderstand euen after the letter howbeit we must thinke of spiritual matters and greater alwayes than the speach of man can atteine to For we know as taught by the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles to be alwaies true that is said that the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath not hearde nor ascended in to the hart of man those things which god hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2 The chiefe articles of this place of the gâ—orye of the blessed And the chefest poincts of this place be these First he sheweth that the world shal be renewed SecoÌ„dly he signifieth that the Saincts shal be glorified blessed And declareth in general what that same fiticitie shal be And incoÌ„tineÌ„tly he confirmeth these things by many reasons moreouer he describeth the place the courte Palace of the blessed and lykewise the glory and felicitie of Saincts The which in the beginning of the .20 chap. he finisheth vp excedingly wel vnder the figure of a râ—uer â—ree of lyfe And lyke as he hath for the most part borowed al his things out of the bokes of prophets the which S. Ihon also with his reuelation lighteneth so hath he also at this present borrowed these out of the .65 and .66 chapt of Esaye And .37 of Ezâ—chiel and the laste chapters of the same Of the renewyng of the world he speaketh plainely Of the renewyng of the world as doeth also thapostle S. Peter in his later Epistle the .3 chap. that al thinges verely shuld be purged by fire not wholy abolished adnichilated but should doubtles be purified from all corruptioÌ„ for Aretas he signifieth not sayeth he thextinguisshing of the creature but a renewyng for the better Therfore sayeth S. Iohn expressely that he sawe a newe heaueÌ„ a newe earth wherunto he addeth by exposition that the first heaueÌ„ the first earth are vanisshed awaye to wit they are chauÌ„ged in their qualities so that the corruptible thinges are now gone created for corruptible vses For euen so is the Sea no more also doubtles subiecte to corruptioÌ„ but chauÌ„ged into better S. Austen and his scollar Primasius suppose that the troublesome state of the world signified not seldome in the scriptures by the Sea about th ende of the world shal cease Reade the .17 chap. of the .20 boke De ciuitate dei ExpouÌ„ding this place he reasoneth likewise at large of this innouatioÌ„ of the world in the same .20 boke De ciuitate dei .18 chap. other places I thinke mere in this matter to put awaie al curiositie if any hid thing appere therin that it be reserued vnto that daie in the which we shal see al thinges euidently And I suppose that these things coÌ„cerning the renewyng of heaueÌ„ earth ar not therfore spokeÌ„ that so ther shuld any place be prepared for vs which we shuld inhabite again in these inferiours partes vnder heaueÌ„ for we beleue that we shal flie vp into heaueÌ„ go mete the lord in the clowdes according to the doctrine of thapostle 1. Thess 4. but for the our mindes are thus confirmed that the faithful shal vndoubtedly be renewed glorified For if heauen and earth made for man be renewed purefied who wil doubte now that men themselues shal be moste chiefely clarified For coÌ„sequently now S. Iohn declareth Sainctes muste be glorified that the Sainctes shall both be renewed glorified placed in blessed seates signifieth yet generally what the glory of saincts shal be After he will declare more at large and seuerally all those thinges moste dilligently For he heareth an Angel sayeng come I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the lambe c. The same now figuratiuely he nameth a citie that in dede holy new Hierusalem And a citie signifieth aswel the place habitatioÌ„ as them that dwelle in the place I meane the citezens themselues This citie therfore is not only the place of the blessed but also the very coÌ„munion of sainctes in olde time prefigured in the citie of Hierusalem But he putteth a greate difference betwixte this of our newe and that visible and corporall Hierusalem HierusaleÌ„ For he calleth ours holy that other in the lande of Palestine was prophane polluted with the bloud of Christ prophetes and Apostles for the same cause destroyed vtterly Ours is also called newe For the coÌ„munion of Sainctes shal be renewed at the same daye And therefore by interpretation followeth coÌ„myng downe from heauen not that the habitation of Sainctes after iudgement shall againe be in earth but that the glory and renewyng shal be grauÌ„ted from heauen of the diuine maiestie power As also S. Iames is red to haue sayde euery good gifte and euery perfit gifte is from aboue commyng downe from the father of lightes And S. Paule also in the .4 to the Galath sayde that the free church is the heauenly HierusaleÌ„ The same in the .1 Corinth the .15 The firste man sayeth he of the earth earthly the seconde man the lord himself from heaueÌ„ Such as that earthly was suche are they also that be earthly and suche as that heauenly was such are they also that be heaueÌ„ly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly maÌ„ so shal we beare also the Image of the heauenly Therfore sayed S. Iohn most rightly that the churche of Sainctes commeth downe from heauen to witte froÌ„ heauen receauing her glory For againe by a demonstration prepared of God sayeth he as a bryde garnished for her husbande For the Apostle in the .2 to the Corinth the .5 We know sayeth he that yf our earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroied we haue bildyng of god a mansion not made with hande euerlastyng in heauen And anone he that hath prepared vs for the same is God He remoueth from his sainctes al corruptioÌ„ but geueth and teacheth to be purified with al giftes of the body that so they may be garnisshed worthely and maye dwell in the euerlastyng bryde chamber with their brydegrome Christe Wherefore this garnisshynge consisteth in the abolishinge of all corruption and mortalitie and in the gifte of vncorruption immortalitie and glory Of the purefying and deckyng of the bryde speaketh the Apostle S. Paule also in the .5 chapter to the Ephesians And in this worlde beginneth the purgyng and trimmyng and finally at the ende is finisshed most perfitly For than shal the church haue nother spotte nor wrincle al corruption verely wiped awaie and al glory receyued And here learne by the waye that the Sainctes are prepared of God therefore saluation to be of mere grace And he procedeth to declare yet more playnely What shal be the eternall felicitie what the glory shal be whereof in this worke he hath ben occasioned to speake oftener than ones Blessednes chiefely
the Trone speaketh and testifieth saying beholde I make al thinges newe God is true and in him is no leasyng And seyng he testifieth so playnely that life euerlasting shal be and we see him declare it also of what sorte it shal be no place for doubtefulnes hereafter is relinquisshed And the thinges that he hath shewed and declared of the happie life he coÌ„maundeth immediately to wryte Thinges are written for a perpetuall memorial of the thing which we knowe to be true and substantial For wrytinges or testimonialles whiche are written or made and sealed by the lawe of nations and common custome of men haue the force of an vndoubted testimony But such letters or testimonialles are made and sealed at the commaundement of God For God commaundeth S. Iohn to write those same which ar taught of the blessed life and therefore they be true vndoubted and infallible As he himself immediately annexeth and saieth for these wordes are faythful true stable I saye immutable what can be spoken more euident than these here is also the authoritie of holy Scripture establisshed But he addeth an other thing almost more vehement and he sayde vnto me it is done By the which maner of speaking is signified eyther that the ende is commen and all thinges accomplisshed like as it is vsed in the .16 chap. or els that the thing which is spoken and beleued to come to be so certaine as though it were done already We Germanes so ofte as we will signifie that the thing whiche we haue pourposed or promised and sayde to be sure we are wonte to saye Es ist gemacht it is done Let vs therefore beleue assuredly these and all Gods wordes Moreouer let vs geue our lorde God moste hartie thankes which with so great faith and dilligence susteyneth confirmeth our hope and hath commaunded these misteries of our saluation to be put in writyng and publisshed to the whole world in all ages To him be glory for euermore Amen ¶ It is furthermore declared that the hope of the euerlastyng and blessed felicitie and glory to be certayne and vndoubted The .xcij. Sermon I Am Alpha and Omega the beginnyng and the ende I wil geue to him that is a thirste of the wel of the water of life freely He that ouercommeth shall inherite all thinges I will be his God and he shal be my sunne But the feareful and vnbeleuing and the abominable and murtherers whoremongers and sorcerers idolaters and liars shall haue their parte in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Vnto all the former commeth nowe the sixte testimony of the certentie of the true felicitie of the faythfull God is beginnyng ende taken of the very nature of God For he pronouÌ„ceth of himself and sayeth I am α and ω And immediately by exposition the beginnyng and ende This he toke out of Esaye with whoÌ„ the lord sayeth oftener than ones I am firste and laste And here let no man imagine that God is firste in order referryng the beginnyng to the consequences as though he had a beginnyng or that he is called the laste or ende as though he shuld ones haue an ende but the contrary rather in this fourme of speakyng is to be vnderstand to witte that God hath no beginnyng no ende but to be euerlastyng of whom al thinges haue their beyng by whose decree al things haue an ende where he himself indureth for euer and his yeres neuer fade like as in an other place the prophet sayeth and the Apostle also And for asmuche as he is eternall without beginnyng and without ende which liueth alwayes and al thinges that liue he quickeneth and preserueth in life howe I praye you should not he quicken the faithfull So certayne therefore is the life saluation and felicitie of the faythfull as it is certaine that God is life and that in dede life euerlastyng For he is euerlastyng the life of the faithful Of the phrase of speach I am α and ω I haue spoken in the first chapt and third Concion or Sermon God hath promised euerlastiÌ„g saluation The seuenth testimony of our vndoubted saluation is taken of the veritie of God and his promesses hath a certen cosygnage with the former For that which God hath promised the same also caÌ„ he perfourme with no paine He hath promised a blessed life moste assuredly therefore will he perfourme the same to the faithful And he alledgeth the promise of God in dede at this present bringeth in God speakyng to Iohn and to vs also in these wordes to him that thirsteth I will geue of the wel of liuely water that is to saye I that am life and eternal and euen eternal life will geue the faithful to drynke the water of life that is to saye I will quicken him preserue him in life and deliuer him from death and al euils and wil rewarde him with al heauenly giftes Who can here doubte of the veritie of him that promiseth especially sins this place or this promise is red in mo places than one Dauid in the .36 Psalme singeth plaine thy mercy O lord reacheth vnto the very Heauens and thy faythfulnesse vnto the clowdes thy rightuousenes is like the strong mountaynes thy iudgementes are like the great deepe Thou lorde sauest both manne and beast How excellent is thy mercy O God And the children of menne shal put their truste vnder the shadowe of thy winges Thei shal be satisfied with the pleÌ„tuousnes of thy house and thou shalt geue them drynke out of the riuer of thy pleasures For with thee is the wel of life and in thy light shal we see light Full many of these thinges are in the Prophetes and are expounded of our sauiour him selfe in the .4.6 and .7 chapter of S. Iohn Where he sheweth that he geueth water and holesome drynke to the faythfull whiche at the length shoulde sprynge vp into life euerlastynge Moste certayne it is therefore that the faythfull are quickened by Christe and therefore the blessed lyfe of the faithful is and shal be moste assured and certayne as promised by so many expresse promesses of God Of this water of life we had some things in the .7 chapt of this boke towarde the ende and shall haue certen playne matters in the beginnyng of the .22 chapt But in the meane while and by the waye How eâ—eâ—nall lâ—fe is coÌ„municated to vs. he sheweth and declareth vnto vs after the Apostolicke maner who willingly and ofte declare vnto vs the maner of our saluation howe eternall life is communicated to vs to witte free 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely whiche notwithstandyng for the doubtefulnes of speach or vnderstandyng of wordes we expresse not properly the force of the greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are iustified sayeth the Apostle in the .3 to the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely through his grace that is to saye by the mere mercy
thinges whiche are spoken here of the riuer of life and wood of life by an amplification right excellent is none other but that the blessed in the heauenly countrie shall be quickened of God and preserued in that happie life with highe delectation for euermore And there is no doubte but the S. Iohn hath borrowed these thinges as he doeth all the reste sins he is the expositour of the Prophetes out of the Scriptures And therefore hath he alluded to Paradise whose description set forth in the seconde of Genesis doeth with this description of Heauen very well agree For there springeth also a riuer in Paradise whiche immediately is diuided into foure heades and watereth the garden of pleasure moste pleasauntly The very paradise of the faithfull is heaueÌ„ it selfe In the same Paradise is the wood that is the tree of life bryngyng forth liuely fruicte to the eaters as it is expounded of S. Austen in the .13 booke De ciuitate dei The .20 chapter But for the sinne of our firste parente we were caste out of that Paradise and Christe is come to the ende he mighte brynge vs agayne into Paradise that is to saye into high felicitie Now therefore that trewe paradise prepared for vs of Christe is shewed in heauen and is here described into this Paradise entred the Lorde after death and brought with him into the same also the faythfull thiefe to whome he sayed verely I saye vnto thee this daye shalte thou be with me in paradise Therefore ought we not here to forge to our selues the gardens of Aleinous in Earth or in the ayre aboue the globe of the Mone and reason of Paradise terrestriall Our Paradise is celestiall whiche is prepared for vs in heauen as S. Paule hath sayde in the thirde to the Philipp And Paradise is called a garden of pleasure as at this presente it is called a golden Citie or of preciouse stones verely by a trope on eyther side Hereunto apperteyneth also a place of Zacharie in the .14 chapter There is also an other place of Scripture in the .47 chapt of Ezechiel Whiche is this and translated or written out by S. Iohn into this place in a maner worde for worde by the riuer sayeth he on eyther side of it shall growe vp all maner trees that beare fruicte whose leaues shall not falle nor the fruictes fayle but euery moneth shal they bring forth newe fruictes For their waters flowe out of the sanctuarie and their fruictes shal be meate and their leaues medicinable And Ezechiel vnder a figure seeth that same blessed life and happie seates whiche S. Iohn at this present seeth by the shewyng of the Angell And eyther of them both seeth the happie seates after the same sorte vnder the like figure For there is one only blessednes common to al the faythfull of the whole world The Patriarches Prophetes Apostles and Martirs atchieue all one felicitie They see the Riuer on eyther side and the same runnyng out of the Sanctuarie or seate of God They see on eyther side the riuer trees planted that bryng forth the fruictes of life They bring forth fruictes euery moneth fresshe and newe and the leaues of eyther do heale I suppose the olde Poetes borrowed out of the Scriptures suche thinges as they wrote in verses concerning Ambrosia and Nectar the meate and drinke of the Goddes the meates drinkes of goddes That shorte verse of Martiall is knowen Ambrosia is the meate and Nectar drynke of Ioue And Grammarians deriue those vocables of immortalitie But our S. Iohn here reasonyng more elegantly better of these matters sayeth how the Aungel shewed him a riuer which he commendeth vnto him by such properties as water is wonte to be coÌ„mended of the purenes brightnes and clearenes He addeth a parable whiche geueth light to that he hath sayde and sayeth cleare as a christal After he addeth that this riuer is the riuer of the water of life to witte liuely water which preserueth the drinkers therof in life Finally he sheweth also the originall or springe head of this riuer deriuyng the same from the seate of God of the whiche seate or Trone I haue spoken in the .4 and .5 chapter of this booke And by all these thinges is signified nothing els but that life procedeth of God alone which he geueth to theÌ„ that serue him in that blessed countrie pure cleare bright moste tried and most perfit and altogether diuine Touchyng the liuely springes and fountaynes of waters we haue touched some what in the ende of the .7 chapt of this boke Marke againe that God the lambe are so ioyned together againe that no man vnlesse he be madde wil denie the sonne to be of the same substaunce with the father The vitaile of this citie Now followeth the victual of this diuine citie The meate in the couÌ„trie euerlastyng is the tree of life And it is the Hebrewe phrase the woode of life for the tree of life or liuely meate For there is added bearing fruicte And whether you vnderstande that S. Iohn sawe one only tree as also in paradise was one tree only or mo as in Ezechiel so that by the general word we maye vnderstande the particular kindes of trees it shal be all one The Situation of the tree he sheweth dilligently to be sette in the middes of the strete of the Citie and on eyther side the riuer whereby doubtles is gathered that there were many trees to witte on the bankes of the riuer that they maye sucke vp liuely iuyce out of the riuer which floweth froÌ„ the Trone And hereby I suppose is signified that the heauenly fode is common and free for all not locked vp or kepte for a fewe It is founde in the middes of the strete of the citie than doeth the meate stande opeÌ„ and is not hidde And it draweth a liuely force out of the riuer whiche springeth out of the seate For that heauenly life is 〈◊〉 God floweth to al his electe Moreouer it is also declared moste dilligently what maner of fruicte this shal be the tree of life sayeth he The fruicâ— doeth fructifie or bring forth fruicte twelue times in the yere so that euery moneth it beareth fruicte freshe and newe The first fruictes to men are deintie and they that doe coÌ„monly abhorre olde fruicte had rather haue newe Therefore in that blessed couÌ„trie of oures shal nothing be tediouse vnpleasaunt lothesome or in any wise to be reiected but all thinges shal be most pleasaunt most delicate or deintie fresh and delectable Nowe also he neglecteth not the leaues as Ezechiel did The leâ—ues sheweth some vse of the same They serue saieth he for a medicine to heale the people Not that ther shal be diseases or sores in that heaueÌ„ly couÌ„trie but that the blessed shal haue continual perpetual helth These people he calleth geÌ„tiles not that the geÌ„tiles are yet vncleane but for that thei were ones suche but nowe beyng
purged by Christe liue hoale sounde for euer more And by those allegories hath he hitherto figured by partes those blessed seates To what ende these are writteÌ„ prepared for the faithfull in that euerlasting countrie vnder the Image of a moste noble citie which after he hath shewed vs he semeth as it were to haue opened heauen it selfe and set forth the eternall felicitie to be sene in a maner with mortall eyes and eueÌ„ to haue poincted with the fingar to no other ende than that we should be stronge and constant in the fayth of our lord Iesus Christ should neuer thinke ones who hath euer sene those blessed seates whereunto we are called by the deniyng of all pleasures what yf thou shouldest dispise the pleasures presente and shuldest obteyne none in time to come This thought is wicked Faith teacheth thee otherwise But what sayest thou more desirest thou to know and see such things as God hath shewed thee Thou hast sene enough and abouÌ„dantly at this present The lord hath sheweth thee aboundantly enough of life and pleasure celestial at this present Indeuour now only that the deuill the world Antichrist troden vnder thou mayest aspire and be lifted vp into those heaueÌ„ly seates Moreouer beware thou be not more curiouse than is mete or requisite and that thou sekest not to knowe mo and more exacte thinges of the heauenly towre and perpetuall ioyes than the Lord himself which only knoweth these things hath to thee reuealed Let this euident demonstration of eternal life suffice vs. I beleue neuer none hath disputed better or more rightly more elegantly and more euidently of the blessed life thaÌ„ here S. Iohn hath done Let vs therefore repose our selues in God let vs beleue his wordes let his reuelation suffice vs and let vs desire to be ioyned with him in this heauenly courte in all felicitie and eternal life most perfit A â—ome collected of the doctrine of the blessed life And now S. Iohn recollectyng the chiefest poinctes of this matter and concludynge this place of eternall life he finissheth this euerlastyng felicitie in seuen membres whiche we will but touche only for that many thinke we haue spoken hereof already sufficiently and plentifully enough And to beginne with al there shal be no curse no execration no malediction nother warre nor famine nor diseases nor yet any suche thing There shal be no more curse as is recited of Moses emonges the curses in the 27. and .28 of Deuter. Not that all are accursed whiche are subiecte to the same For Iob and other holy menne were tormented with sickenes but that commonly the accursed vnbeleuers and wicked are plaged there with Not that they should be exercised and profit in godlines but that thei shuld first be afflicted here so by certen degrees passe vnto greater tormentes What than The seate of God in the citie The second membre inseweth but the Trone of God and of the Lambe shal be in that citie To witte the kingdome of God shal be there and God shal raygne and al blessyng no malediction in the chosen Therefore what ioyefull thinges so euer the Prophetes Christ and the Apostles haue spokeÌ„ of the kingedome of God the same shal be in heauen and the blessed shal haue the fruition thereof And agayne are ioyned together inseperablely the father and the sonne in the vnitie of essence which neuerthelesse in the distauÌ„ce of persones are excedingly wel not diuided but discerned These misteries of the blessed Trinitie are knowen vnto the faythful His seruaÌ„tes shall serue him Here followeth the third membre Some may maruaile what the blessed shal do in the world euerlastyng Therefore S. Iohn sayeth and his sâ—â—uauntes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall serue him God I saye and the Lambe they shall worshippe him in honouryng praysing magnifiyng him for euer Therefore shal they wholy addicte themselues to godly worshippyng Whiche thing shall in dede be to him great pleasure As also S. Austen sheweth in an other place Fourthly they shal see the face of God They shall see the face of God S. Austen treateth much of seyng of God to Paulina and warneth godly that we shoulde not here Imagine to our selues carnall thinges Moses in the .33 of Exodus And Philippe the Apostle in the .14 of Iohn haue accompted it for the highe felicitie to see God as he is and as it is commonly sayde face to face And there is vndoubtedly in this sighte and fruition highe felicitie and ioye euerlastyng and moste complete howebeit in this present world as the lorde sayde to Moses it chaunceth to no maÌ„ The holy fathers haue in dede sene God but by a shape and so farre forth as he hath vouchesaued to reueale and shewe himselfe to them to be sene Like as Tertullian sheweth in the boke agaynste Praxeas but with full eye to see the full glory of God with ioye inestimable is than firste graunted vs what time beyng deliuered from miserie and purged froÌ„ corruption we shal also in body be clarified than at the laste as S. Iohn sayde also in the .1 of Iohn the .3 we shall see him as he is Iob moste rightuouse speakyng of this vision of God Iob. 19. sayde when they shal haue put aboute or clothed to wit the father sonne holy ghoste this namely my body with my fleshe I shall beholde God out of my flesshe whome I shall see to my selfe and mine eyes shall loke vpon and no other The which is my only desire Of this seyng spake Paule also the Doctour of Gentiles and sayde nowe we see in a glasse 1. Corinth 13. euen in a darke speaking but then shall we see face to face c. And of this vision S. Austen hath also disputed in his booke De ciuitate dei aboute the ende Fiftely they shal haue the name of God in their foreheads The name of God written in their foreheades eyther because they shal be the children of God as we haue hearde in the Epistle to the Philadelphians in the .3 chapter of this boke And verely in the couÌ„trie celestiall it shal be manifestly knowen to all who be the children of God In this world they are commonly taken for the children of the deuill which in very dede are the childreÌ„ of god But this shal clerely appere in an other world to the great glory of the chosen And verely the brightnes of God shal shine from the foreheades or countenances of the electe as in times past the brightnes of the lord shone from the face of Moses Christe Or because al Sainctes shal knowe one an other sins the vertue of God resteth in their countenaunces which sense I perceyue hath pleased Primasius Or for that they shal be priestes before the Lord for euermore as the prophetes haue taught of the chosen In olde time the high prieste bare the very name of God in his forehead in a plate of golde bounden to his
head with a lase Vndoubtedly in the heauenly countrie the glory of the children of God shal be wonderfull greate of those chiefely that haue confessed the name of Christ in earth for these the celestial father shal glorifie God lightneth the chosen In the sixte mēbre is repeted agayne which hath ones or twise ben spokē before that the electe in heauē are illumined with the glory diuine wherof hath ben spokē enough before In the last and seuenth membre comprisyng as it were all thinges of life and felicitie and vttering with one word they shal raygne They shal raigne sayeth he for euer more The lord Iesus graunt to vs his faithful that suche thinges as we haue now hearde plentifully of his mouth we may shortely experience in our soules and bodies and may crie with ioye to God the father most mercifull and to Iesu Christ the redemer most mightie and benigne and to the holy ghost the most swete comforter be prayse and glory for euer more Amen ¶ The conclusion of this worke wherein is established the autoritie of the same and the some collected briefely The XCvij Sermon AND he sayde vnto me these sayinges are faithfull and true And the lord God of the holy prophets sente his Angell to shew vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche muste be shortely fulfilled Beholde I come shortely Happy is he that kepeth the saying of the prophecie of this booke I am Iohn which saw these things and I hearde them And whē I had hearde and sene I fel downe to worship before the fete of the Angel which shewed me these thinges And he saide vnto me see thou do it not For I am thy fellowe seruaunt and of thy bretherne the prophets and of them which kepe the sayinges of this boke Worship God The sixte last parte of this worke conteyneth the conclusion The conclusion of this worke which affirmeth the thinges which we haue heard to be diuine certayne and vndoubted for he collecteth the chiefest thinges moueth al men to faith study of godlines that in stedfaste hope we shuld loke for the iudge of al to come shortly and to iudge the quicke the dead And in goodly order this laste boke of the Canonical scripture finisheth the godly narration doctrine with the iudgement ende of all thinges The Apocalipse is the laste boke of the canonical bokes of the scripture For the holy Scripture beginneth at the firste originall of al thinges and continueth a narration vntill the ende of all thinges conteyning in it self the vniuersalitie of things and al such thinges as are requisite to be knowē of matters nedeful and profitable And al those thinges hath our good Lord geuen vs to be knowen in the holy scripture that is to say in the Canonical bokes For they be false harlottes that saye that al thinges which apperteyne to the true full godlines saluation of the faithful are not set forth in holy writinges and therefore to haue nede of traditions They in dede haue nede of those traditions which wil vtter their craftie wares we nede none which esteme al their wares not worth a gally halfpenny to be bought of any man For Esaye hath sufficiently diswaded vs from their disceauable craftie iuglinges in the .55 chapt And this conclusion conteyneth aboute .16 Articles Which we shal discusse in order Immediately after the beginning is set a graue asseueration That these thinges be true vndoubted that the thinges which he hath sayde or writtē hitherto are true sure certaine vndoubted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath in a maner the same sentēce also in the .19 chapt of this booke And he calleth faythful sayinges whiche are stable ratified stedfaste and vndoubted And the sentence is referred in the thinges whiche he hath spoken of the blessed life to the world to come leest we shuld be lefte in any doubtfulnes Agayne it is referred to the whole narration of this boke And this sentence semeth to be a clause of assertiō and confirmyng the certentie of the matter propounded as be those also in the prophets for the lord hath spoken againe thus sayeth the Lord of hoostes and that same moste vsed in the gospel verely verely I saye vnto you And that in the Epistles apostolical God is my witnes that I lie not And the goodnes of god doeth succour our infirmitie wherby many times we doubting of the veritie of Gods words do wauer confirmeth our hope with these as it were ankers Wherefore these must be dilligently beaten in vrged in the ecclesiastical doctrine Aretas expoundyng this place as the wōted maner of this holy Euangeliste is alwayes so is it here also For like as in his gospel in token of loyaltie he sayeth we know that his testimony is true so in this place also setting to his seale he sayeth these sayinges are faithful and trewe Hitherto he Therfore shal it be an vnworthie thing to doubt be it neuer so little of the thinges that are writtē in this boke and in other bokes of the canonical Scripture The Authour of this worke God of the holy Prophetes Secondly he repeteth who is the Authour of this worke and all these thinges are reuealed to him And verely there is none other Authour but the lorde God him selfe and that the God of the holy Prophetes The which hath a great efficacitie for he sheweth him not only to be one the same god of both Testamentes whiche by his spirite hath inspired the prophetes Apostles but also biddeth vs secretly to esteme the veritie certētie of this boke of the prophetical matters For if he coulde in olde time telle his people before of things to come vtter al thinges by the prophetes what maruell is it yf he nowe also perfourme the same by S. Iohn And if all those thinges came to passe which the prophetes did prophesie to come nother did there any word no nor one iote fal vnto the grounde which was not fulfilled there is no man also that wil doubt of the veritie of this boke yf at leest he cōsider that the same God which in times past was with the prophets is nowe also with blessed Ihon. The Prophets said howe the land of Chanaan shulde be deliuered in to the possession of the children of Israel it was deliuered The selfe same prophecied that the people of Israel shulde for their sinnes be cast out agayne of the same land in to Babilon thei were cast oute After thei prophecied againe that thei shulde be deliuered shuld repare the Citie to the which Christ wolde come which shuld redeme mankynd cal into the fellowship of life and blesse all nations They were deliuered they repared their Citie Christ came and redemed mankind and the gospel was preached through out the whole world What thyng than remayneth but that the church shuld be turmoiled Antichrist shuld come and raigne and that the true Christians and
hande of God The Angel had shewed Ihon expressely before that he shoulde not do that he than did and now repeteth it againe For hauing as it were forgotten those things by reason of the excellencie of the Angel he wold surely haue done him some worship For so we permit to our selues more than is decēt especially toward nobler personages whom for thexcellēt gyfts of God we esteme worthie whom we may also without the offence of God euen worship That opiniō deceaueth in our time the most part of them which against the comlines of syncere religion worship and honour Saincts But the Angel of the Lorde here nother forgeth nor bringeth foorth any newe doctrine but that olde in forme as thei terme it to the intent we shuld vnderstād that the will of God is alwayes one and perpetuall which will not haue the most excellent creatures to be worshipped but one God alone to be honoured He repeteth therefore the same causes which he also obiected before Therfore be they alwaies of force with all at al times S. Ihon in the meane time semeth that he wold commend vnto vs the excellencie of this vision or reuelation and that the Angel did admonish him cōstantlie of his dutie and vs al by him that the thing which is proper to God we shulde transpose to no creatures and it deserueth exceding great prayse here that S. Ihon here discembleth nothing but by expresse wordes committeth to writing his fall and rebukyng of the Angell moste euidently For by his fall he wolde admonish that the godly shulde not fall in lyke cases but geue all glory to God Here semeth also to be obserued a maruelouse affection in the maner of speakyng For the Angell crieth out to Ihon being ready to fall downe nowe yea prostrate already and nowe aboute to worwip 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See thou do it not that thou verely intendest to do Here is expressed the carefulnes of mynd and haste wherwith he goeth about to preuent the enterprise of Ihon. And thus diligent are the Holy spirirites in heauē in letttyng al things that by any meanes do tourne vs frō God to the worshipping of creatures much lesse would they thēselues be worshipped or to haue the things attributed to them which the Papistes at this day attribute by force of Armes The Lorde of clemencie mercie conuerte them to a right minde that thei maye attribute al glory to God Amē ¶ S. Iohn is commaunded not to seale this boke but to publishe it hauyng respecte to no man The XCviij Sermon AND he sayd vnto me seale not the sayenges of the prophecie of this boke For the time is at hande He that doeth euill let him doe euill stil he which is filthie let him be filthie still and he that is rightuouse let him be more rightuouse and he that is holy let him be more holy 7 The seuenth place that is treated in this conclusion forbiddeth Iohn that he seale not the boke written Seale not the boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayeth the Angel seale it not And certenly letters and bokes are wonte to be sealed eyther for credit confirmatiōs sake or els that they should not be openly red of al men but those only to whom they are assigned An Angell sayeth to Daniel in the .12 chapt And thou Daniel close the wordes and seale the boke vntil the laste time He is commaunded to shut his boke that is to saye to make an ende nother to loke for any more reuelatiō finally he is cōmaunded to shut it for the vngodly vnto whom assuredly this boke shal seme darke closed For it followeth for many shal erre knowledge shal be manifolde For thei that are not ruled by the certayne sure word of God haue nothing at al certenly tried knowē but wander through manifolde or sondry vncertayne opiniōs iudgementes and traditions of men For Daniel sayeth that knowledge shal be variable that is to say there shal be innumerable opiniōs sectes of the religion seruing of god where neuerthelesse there is but one only trewe opinion doctrine fayth or religion the fame I saye whiche Daniel set forth in his boke which boke also he sealed that is to saye cōfirmed it as it were with godly seales as authenticall or authorised and which was worthie to be credited howebeit at this present S. Iohn is not commaunded in the same sense and meanyng not to seale his boke which we know to be altogether autenticall This boke shoulde be open for al men but such a thing as this is the Angel meaneth cōceale or couer not hide not this boke whom God therfore would haue to be writtē that it might be a publicke doctrine in the whole world wherby al men might be instructed in the thinges that are reuealed from heauen that they be not thorowe the craftes and tiranny of Antichrist withdrawen from the kingdome of Christ vnto the kingdome of Antichrist for God would that al these thinges should to all men be moste common and manifestly knowen And this sense hath Aretas opened also sayeng Seale them not sayeth he that is kepe them not sealed to thy self but publishe them to all The reason is annexed for the time is at hande wherein verely these thinges which I haue sayde shal come to passe Wherfore the faythful had nede of warnyng cōfirmyng and comforte Consideryng therefore that this boke is set forth that it might admonishe strengthen and comforte the faythfull the same ought not to be shutte but wide open For this is the good will of God that this his word should be preached in his church to the profit of al faithfull Let them loke therefore what they doe whiche would haue this booke not only shutte vp but cleane taken awaie nother thinke it can be vnderstande as obscure and full of darke speakynges But to God be prayse and thankes geuyng whiche hath vouchsaued to prouide for vs faythfully in time by this most profitable and moste necessarie boke ¶ These thīgs must be beatē in both to the hearers to suche as will not heare 8 The eight place of this conclusion semeth to treate of a certen preuention For some man here might saye thou wilt haue this boke to be open and come vnto al men of al states sexe and ages but there shal be some whiche wil vtterly contemne the same In vayne therefore shall it be preached in vayne shall we vrge these writynges with them especially which shal deride the same and expounde them this waye or that waye at their pleasure But he semeth to preuent this saye doubtles there shall be vnrightuouse innumerable whiche shal procede vnbridled in their iniquities and shall more and more excede and passe themselues but yet there shall be also rightuouse whiche perseueryng in al rightuousenes shal increase in holy vertues and herein also shal surmounte themselues wherfore spare not thou to vtter to thē al such things