the seate vvhich lyueth for euer and euer 9. The xxiiij elders fell dovvne before him that sate on the trone vvorshipped him that lyueth for euer 10. and cast their crovvnes before the trone saying 11. Thou art vvorthie Lord to receyue glorie and honour and povver 12. For thou hast created all things and for thy vvilles sake they are and vvere created THE PARAPHRASE 1 These iiij beastes hath iiij diuers exteriour similitudes which are not els but the outward tokens testimonyes and signes of faith or the fruitfull workes thereof only procéeding For fayth is neuer without hir holesome fruites The first beast was in similitude lyke vnto a Lyon strong and mightie in power And that are they which hath layde asyde the olde man of sinne with his féeble faynte workes and conuerted them selues into the ghostly image of Christ which is the mightie stronge Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda for that they myght haue the victorie ouer sinne 2 The seconde beast was fashyoned lyke vnto a Calfe much vsed in the olde lawe to bée offered vp in sacryfice And suche are they which forsaking them selues and mortifying the corrupte lustes of theyr fleshe doeth walke in a newe Christian lyfe and offer vp them selues vnto God as a lyuing sacrifice readie to suffer all kyndes of persecution and death for his names sake 3 The third beast had a face in fauour lyke a man hauing reason wit and discrecion And those are they which through pollicie of fayth and prudencie in the spirit so wysely and discretely order them selues in that they goe aboute that nothyng is against the glorie of God but al things worketh for the best in them 4 The fourth beast was lyke vnto a flying Egle which buyldeth hir neast very highe in the harde rocke stone Which are those godly persōs that liuing héere in this mortall bodie by the counsell of the holy Ghost haue their conuersation in heauen They séeke for those thinges which are aboue where as Christ is sitting on the right hand of God In whom only as in the sure rocke they buylde all their whole hope and trust By these foure similitudes is the true congregation of God knowne from the painted sinagoge and coūterfaict church of Sathan glorifiyng hir selfe in vaine glorie pompe crueltie rape simonie lyes hatred sectes murther Idolatrie sedition and tirannie with other fruites of the flesh whose God is their bellie and theyr ende dampnation And though these iiij simylitudes be diuers yet doe they respect one congregation after Ezech. which euer more applyeth all .iiij. vnto one beast And euerie one of the sayd iiij beastes had .vj. winges about him 5 The winges whereby Gods people are raysed vp vnto him is fayth hope charitie iustice mercie veritie with such other vertues as euer more accompanyeth them By these are they lifted vp vnto heauenlye thinges By these auoyde they the common mischieues of the world By these obtayne they a plentuous quyetnesse in God abyding their sauiour and redéemer Iesus Christ. And wher as in Ezechiell the sayd winges appearing but iiij are here founde sixe we may gather this That the gospel now published the giftes of the holy ghost are more high plentifull and open vnder christ then afore time vnder Moyses 6 Round aboute them without and within the sayde beastes were ful of eyes The seruants of the Lord hath Godly wisdome and knowledge euery where inwardly to consider heauenly things durable sure and perfite and neuer to perish Outwardly agayne to iudge earthly things corruptible wretched and vaine and shortly to be ended 7 Neither day nor night could the sayde beastes cease from the praise of their Lord God saying Holy holy holy Or blessed art thou almightye father blessed art thou almightie sonne blessed art thou almighty holy ghost distinct thrée persons in trinity and in substaunce one Lorde God almighty which was withoute beginning and is of him selfe onely and shall be for euer euer euerlasting And what is this els but that the righteous feruently eprayinge geueth continnuall thankes vnto GOD reioysinge amonge them selues in psalmes in hymnes and in spiritusonges praysinge hym euermore in their harts 8 And when those .iiij. beastes or faithfull feruent sincere and pure beleuers héere beléeuing in the flesh gaue glory honour and thanks from the iiij quartes of the earth in professing the verity in teaching it vnto other and in liuinge accordinge to the same And that vnto hym which sate on the seat which is god almighty reigning ouer that congregation which lyueth for euer and euer and hath of his kyngdome none end 9 Anone stepped forth the .xxiiij. elders or the whole perfit and vniuersall number of them which hath rested in the Lorde and they with all méekenes fel down before him which sate on the throne They submitted themselues vnto him ackowleginge him for theyr onely Lorde They worshipped him also with dew reuerance gaue high thankes vnto him as vnto their eternal liuīg god 10 Yea finally they threwe downe their crowns before the throne of his eternal maiestie They cōfessed their owne good workes merites and deseruinges to be nothyng at all But their whole health wisdome knowledge vertue holines rightuousnes and redemption to be onely of his lyberall gift and vndeserued goodnesse 11 And as men most highly reioysing they cryed vnto him saying thus It is thou O Lord God most mightie creator that is alone worthie to receyue all glory all honour and all thankes for that hath bene wrought in heauen in earth and none other els but thou 12 For thou hast alone by thy vnsercheable wisedome created all things and brought them foorth out of nothing And for the onely pleasure of thy will they are now at this present tyme in substance and fashyon and were created of thée at the beginning not onely to be at thy commaūdemēt but also to be euermore thākefull vnto thée and to laude thée and prayse thée for euer The fift Chapter THE TEXT 1 And I sawe in the right hande of him that sate on the throne a booke 2 written with in and on the back syde 3. sealed with seuen seales 4. and I sawe a strong Angell preaching with a loude voyce 5. Who is worthie to open the booke and loose the seales thereof 6. And no man in heauen nor in earth neyther vnder the earth vvas able to open the booke neyther to looke thereon 7. And I wept much bycause no man was found worthie to open to read the booke neither to looke thereon 8. And one of the elders sayd vnto me Weepe not 9. Beholde the Lyon which is of the trybe of Iuda 10 the roote of Dauid hath obtayned to open the booke and to loose the seuen seales thereof 11. And I beheld and lo in the middest of the seat and of the iiij beastes and in the middest of the elders 12. stoode a Lambe as
though he had ben killed 13 which had seuen hornes 14 and seuen eyes which are the seuen spirits of God sent vnto all the worlde 15. And hee came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sate vpon the seat The Paraphrase AFter the forsayde vysion I saw saieth saint Iohn in the right hande or mighty power and wyll of hym that sate on the throne with maiestye a wonderfull Booke in the which both man and Angell were desirous to looke This booke is Gods heauenly ordinance contayning not onely all that hath bene created of God visible and inuisible but also the vniuersall contents of the holy scripture This boke hath the mercifull Lorde prouided that men should know him partly by his creatures partly by his Scriptures This booke he hath in his right hand For heauen he measureth with his spanne and the whole world he comprehendeth vnder his three â—ingers In his hande or power is the vniuersal earth bothe hills valleyes At his onely wil pleasure is the sincere vnderstanding of the scriptures and true interpretacion of the same 2 This booke is written within without The world coÌ„tayneth creatures visible and inuisible powers open hidden that men in theÌ„ should reade and vnderstand that there is a liuing God and that they should acknowledge him and worship him as the Lorde and creator of all The holy scripture hath hir figure history hir mistery and veritie hir parable plaine doctrine her night and day her letter and sence her voyce and word her flesh and spirit her shadow and cleare light her death and lyfe her law and gospell her Moyses and Christ to bring all men also vnto the knowledge of God 3 But that Booke is surely sealed with seauen stronge seales from the fleshlye vnderstanding of man not hauinge the spirite of Christ that he can neither vse the creatures of God a right nor yet perceiue the Scriptures according to their true meanning Muche hath the doctours fantasied of these seuen claspes or spearynges of thys booke wythout the aucthoritie of Gods word calling theÌ„ all maner of obscurities darkenesses Where as in verie déed they are nothing els but the strong and vnuariable decrée or set diffinition of God before the constitucion of the world that none should be able to read rightly therin nor know the iust meaning therof without the spirit of his sonne and vnles it be méekly asked in faith And this one decrée of god so oft locketh vp these heaueÌ„ly secrets froÌ„ maÌ„ as it findeth hym carnall couetous wilfull blinde malicious proude and false with such other lyke The number of seuen doeth onely respect the opening of the seales in all ages For in euery age hath God opened the trueth vnto some Godly men by his spirite with Abell and Enoch with Noe and Sem with Abraham and Iob with Moyses and Samuel with Dauid and Helias with Hieremie and Daniel with Iohn Baptist Peter 4 And I sawe sayeth S. Iohn a strong Angell which betokeneth euerie faithful minister of gods word coueting all men to be taught of god and sending them only vnto Christ for they are the Angels of the Lorde of hostes Which Angell cryed with a loude voyce with an earnest zeale of the glorie of God and with a feruent desire of his neighbours health 5 Who is worthie to opeÌ„ this booke and to vndoo the claspes thereof As though he should say None but he alone Séeke him therfore that he may open it vnto you els are yée lyke alwayes to be blynde foolishe and vnlearned lyers before the Lord séeme ye neuer so wyse eloquent and well learned in the sight of men 6 And in déede no man was founde able to doe it neyther in heauen nor in earth nor vnder the earth yet was there a diligent search made many did attempt it The Angels that by apostasie fell from God when they were in heauen wrought maistryes about it And in the earth héere the Philosophers among the Gentiles the religious fathers amoÌ„g the Iewes the Pharisies and Scribes the lawyers and priests and amoÌ„g the Christians the false Apostles Antichrists the Sophisters and Papists the sectes and scoole doctors with all the worldly wyse hath craftily compassed the thing Yea the messeÌ„gers of Sathan whose dampnation is certayne subtily to perswade and fraudelently to deceiue the innocent soules haue also done their parte But what hath folowed After their vayne enterpryse they haue bene so astonyed at the maiestie or sight of the booke that neyther were they able to open it nor yet to looke thervpon So high were the mysteries thereof so vnserchable the iudgements so inuestigable the wayes therevnto 7 And I fell in sore wéeping sayth Sainct Iohn muche dolour was it to my heart to see that none was found worthie no creature able neyther Angell nor man good spirit nor diuil to open and to read the booke which is cléerely to know the will of God therein nor yet once to looke therevpon that is sincerely to perceyue the least veritie coÌ„tayned therin No creature vnderstanding could attayn vnto it All were ignorant all darke all blynde 8 And as I was thus mournyng one of the elders euen Iacob by name comforted mée with his prophecie of Iuda Esay Micheas Esdras bearing witnesse to the same 9 These with other ascertained me that he was the Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda which should ouercome the world haue the victorie ouer death and hell for in déed they with Abraham sawe it a farre of and much reioysed He is the strong inuincible Lyon that subdued the prince of this world tooke from him the pray and hathe deuyded the spoyle 10 He is the verie roote of Dauid the ground and originall cause of all godly promises made vnto him of deliuerance victorie and raygne and alone in him are they fulfilled Only hath he obtayned by his death resurrection and ascension to make open the hydden mysteries of thys booke or whole ordinaunce of God and to loose the seuen seales thereof or to take away the vniuersall impediments wherby the said booke could in no case be séene as is carnalitie ignorance darkenesse blindenesse wilfulnesse couetousnesse malice hypocrisie lyes with such lyke So was it afore speared by the decrée of God that none could reade in it till he remoued the vntowardnesse from their heartes 11 All this I beheld saieth S. Iohn and as I looked further I sawe that in the midst of the seate which is the vniuersall congregation of God of the foure beasts which are the constaunt ministers of his worde also in the middest of the auncient elders whych hath bene the sincere witnesses of hys veritie since the beginning 12 There stood a fayre méeke most innocent Lambe as though he had bene newly slain I knew that Christ was this Lambe for he was wounded for
worke which coÌ„tayneth the first .x. Chapters are all these godlye maâ—ters of Sainct Iohns Reuelation in course comprehended Fyrst of all is the high legacie and message of the sayde Sainct Iohn vnto the .vij. congregacions of Aâ—ta in the first Chapter mencyoned Wherin they are also vnto vij golden Candelstickes compared and their preachers vnto vij shyning starres in the right hand of Christ. In the seconde and third Chapters are the sayd vij congregacions seuerally ech one by it selfe discribed and warned to the vniuersall premonishment of the whole Christian Church in the vij partes or clymates of the worlde Marke those three Chapters diligently and ye shall perceyue that the true Christian church is alone goâ—uerned by the preaching of gods word an only office of Christ commaunded and not by dead ceremonies coÌ„maunâ— by the Pope of whom there is no specialtie Consider howe those preachers throughout all this booke are compared vnto starres and Angels their coÌ„gregacions called the right spouse of Christ. The other be assembled vnto most filthie locustes bréeding of the smoke of the pit bottomles vnto hatefull byrdes foule spirites and diuils their church called the proude Sinagoge of Sathan and the most execrable whore of Babilon In the iiij Chapter is heauen made open and the secrets therof manifested vnto the christian beléeuer whom Iohn also representeth thys whole booke ouer For not only are the mysteries therof in the vniuersall church performed but also in the particular churches of nacions and in the pryuate consciences of men In the v.vj and vij Chapters the Lambe Christ openeth the vij seales of the booke of the most hidden mysteries of God for the vij ages of the christian church In the meane season are the true seruantes of God sealed vnto saluacioÌ„ solaced in their troubles and reléeued in their sorowes notwithstanding the great violence of the truthes aduersaries In the viij and ix Chapters the vij Angels blowe their trumpettes Signifying the preachers to shewe foorth their messages appoynted of God for the vij ages of the churche many wonderfull plages folowing in the people for their vnbeléeues sake they obstinately resisting it or els vnthankefully receiuing it In the tenth Chapter commeth the mightie Angell from heauen with a booke in his hand all open and Iohn deuoureth the same Which betokeneth the earnest preachers of this latter age of the church wherein the true seruauntes of God shall gréedily receiue and also digest the scriptures Take thys for a bréefe sum of all that is spoken in the other volum the residue shall follow hereafter in course In the mergent of that first parte or volume put I many allegacions both of the scriptures and doctors And there vnto was I first prouoked by this saying of Sainct Hierome in a certayne Epistle of his ad Paulinum monachum The Apocalips of Sainct Iohn sayeth he hath so many mysteries as it hath wordes or for euerie word a mysterie whither ye will I mynded also thereby my labours to ease the readers for search of the places and to signify vnto them that I dyd nothing therin without aucthoritie And vndoubtedly the gatheryng of those places was so laborious vnto me as the making of the commentarie which neuerthelesse I thought well bestowed for the comfort of my bretheren But two cruell enimyes haue my iust labours had in that behalfe of whome the one hath them falsifyed the other blasphéemed Which hath caused me to leaue theÌ„ out in all that héere foloweth The Printers are the fyrst whose headie hast negligence and couetousnesse commonly corrupteth all bookes These haue both dysplased them and also chaunged theyr numbers to the truthes derogacion what though they had at their hands ij learned correctours which tooke all paynes possible to preserue them The other is Momus or Zoylus yea rather one whiche playeth both partes vnder the cloake of a Christian This cruell carper and malicious quarreller leaueth no mans worke vnrebuked minister it neuer so much godlinesse But lyke as rust mothes maggottes cankers catterpyllers with other vyle vermyne corrupteth all that is to the vse of man so doeth this enimy to distroy both name and worke only for the auauncement of his owne precious person His working tooles are suche vnsauerie sophismes problemes eleÌ„ches corolaries quydities subtylties seconde intentions intrincycall moods wyth other prodygious sorceryes whom he sometime sucked out of hys mothers brestes the vniuersitie These hath he not yet all as vnsauerie morselles euometed for Christ diffyning rather with Aristotle than with Paul in his dayly disputations Of this ryall Rabi is Peter iudged a foole and Iohn an vnlearned Idiote Yet shall his reader finde small learning at his hande vnlesse he take an heape of barbarous tearmes and vnsowed togither sentences for matters of excelent learning But surely Iohn will one day come from Ephesus to visite this proude Diotrephes shew him of his arrogant brags to his dyspleasure vnlesse he leaue of in tyme. All Aristotles prouision shal not help hym Sathan vpon the pynnacle of the Temple neuer bestowed his alleged scripture more peruersely than thys Momus interpreted certayne of my allegacioÌ„s nor yet farther from their right vnderstanding But I forgiue it him with this forewarning for this time thoughe it bée not the fyrst lewde poynt that he hath playd in case that â—e so leaue his quareling My second allegation vpon the Preface .1 Cor. 6 is not set there to authorise the Apocalips as he most falsly and all contrary to my meaning hath interpreted it but affirmeth that the Christian beléeuers are Christs members which ought of necessitie by the holy ghostes appointment to heare and to read the wordes of the sayde Booke For I know that the epistle vnto the Corinthians was written of Paule ten yeares at the least before Saint Iohns Apocalips No lesse is he than a false Prophet that resisteth Ieremy rebuking Babilon for hir wickednes To much it were to answere his other quarellings and to tedious vnto the christian readers and therfore I passe them ouer least I shoulde be to plenteous in aunsweringe a foole according to hys foolishnesse Thus by these cruell handelynges of these two vngratious enemies haue I iust occasion to leaue out the allegations in the margent obseruing this wholsome counsell of Christ concerning such as they be Geue not that is holy vnto Dogs nor yet that is precious vnto swine For the one of his churlish nature teareth and deuoureth the other like a swine treadeth it vnder his filthy féete The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with thée euermore good christian Reader and with all theÌ„ that séeketh of the scriptures the sauing health in them conteined withoute quarelling Amen The second part of the Image of both Churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly reuelation of Saint Iohn the Euangelist c. Compiled by Iohn Bale The .xi. Chapter VNto Iohn was deliuered after that he had thus deuoured the booke a réede not vnlyke to the mete
them heard I saying 9. Blessing honour glory and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the seate 10. And vnto the Lambe for euee more 11. And the fowre beastes said amen 12. And the .xiiii. elders fell vpon their faces 13. and vvorshipped hym that liueth for euer more The Paraphrase 1 Furthermore saith Saint Iohn I saw an infinit host of Angels beholding the face of the heauenly father 2 I heard also the voyce of a great number of them about the throne of God geuing laude and prayse vnto hym and about the beastes and auncient elders For they are not onely the immediate ministers of God but also the seruantes of those men which shall be the heyres of saluation Where â—â—ould they be els than but about them that feare the Lord to sée to them and preserue them in all their wayes lyke as he hath geuen them in commaundement 3 And the number of them was a thousande thousandes or a number beyond our estimation And they cryed with a loude voyce signifiyng in their sort no corporall noyse but for so much as they are but spirits but a vehement zeale of most perfect loue and reioyce for the glory of God the victory of Christ the redempcion delyuerance and helth of man It betokeneth also their excéedinge gladnesse in the openinge of the veritie and conuertion of the sinner 4 Worthy is the most méek Lamb sayd they which was cruelly done vnto death and by his death ouercame the worlde hell death and the deuill to take vpon hym the title of all power heritage wisdom streÌ„gth honour glory and blessing and to be called of all creatures most mightye most rich most wise most valiaunt most worshipfull most gloryous and most blessed conueniente names for the king ouer al. Yea finally to haue â—he vniuersall aucthorytie in heauen and in the earth to gouerne euery where and al to be subiect vnto hym 5 I hard also saith saint Iohn all the creatures that God euer created as the angeles in heauen the sunne the Moone the planites the starres the fyrmament the fyre the water the ayre 6 And all that was vppon the earth as man beast foule fish mountaines valleys welsprings floudes windes wethers times trées herbs fruits 7 And al that was vnder or within the earth as rootes wormes serpentes vermine 8 And all that was in the sea or that moued in the waters with all that are conteined in these eche one in his kinde saying 9 The euerlastinge God whiche sytteth vppon the eternall throne with power and maiestie be euermore blessed worshiptfull gloryous and almightie 10 And vnto the Lambe which is his onely sonne Iesus christ be blessing honour glorye and power from him for euermore And in this al creatures desireth no longer to be subdued vnto the vanitie of the wicked nor yet to serue the same But to be wholy deliuered from the bondage of corruption and in libertie to serue the children of God to the glorye of of hym that made them 11 To this the fowre beastes or al the true seruants of God here liuing answered Amen or so might it be in effect as ye haue desired 12 And the .xxiiij. elders as the patriarks the Prophetes the Apostles with other that hath passed this life fell downe flat vpon their faces they submitted them selues 13 They worshipped lauded and gloryfied him that lyueth for euer and euer one God in thrée persons the father the sonne and the holy ghost This signified the Angels and Sainctes euermore to be ioyous as any thinge is done in the creatures to the manyfest glory of God The sixt Chapter THE TEXT 1 And I sawe vvhen the Lambe opened one of the seales 2 and I heard one of the iiij beastes say as it were the noyse of thunder 3. Come and see 4. And I savve and behold there was a whyte horse 5 and he that sate on him had a bovve 6. and a crovvne vvas giuen vnto hym 7. and hee vvent forth coÌ„quering for to ouercome The Paraphrase 1 COnsequently sayeth sainct Iohn as I was beholdyng these wonders I sawe that the Lambe which is the sonne of God opened the first of the seuen seales declaring the first misterie of the booke These openings betokeneth not onely the manifestation of Gods trueth for seauen ages of the world but also for the .vij. seuerall times and after vij diuers sortes from Christes death to the latter end of the world The first seale was remoued and the mysterie there vnder contayned made open when the Apostles disciples of Christ abouÌ„daÌ„tly replenished with the holy Ghost did coÌ„stantly preach the gospel ouer the vniuersall world 2 And at the openyng of the sayde seale sayeth hée I hearde one of the beasts in shape lyke a Lion by whom are signified the strong witnesses of Gods veritie by constancie of fayth resembling Christ the verie Lyon of the stocke of Iuda whose voice was mightie and strong as it had bene the noyse of a thundering and vehemently it sayde vnto me 3 Come hither and sée drawe nigh and be taught beléeue and thou shalt vnderstand 4 And anon I saw euidently that there was a white horse which signifieth the Apostles and first disciples of Christ for why the scripture doeth so call theÌ„ These horses were white they were made pure rightuous and cleane by Iesus Christ and bare him by their preaching the worlde ouer Such a whyte horse to the glorie of God was Paule whan he beare the name of Christ before the Gentiles the Kings and the children of Israell 5 He that sate vpoÌ„ this white horse which was Christ him selfe had in his hande a bowe which figured the hartes of the foresayd Apostles and disciples out of whom he fiercely seÌ„t foorth the arrowes of his word into his chosen people Their hearts were in his hand for that his verities myght the more effectually passe foorth and the more surely lyght vppon hys elects For without his spirit nothing could they doe 6 From God the father vnto hym was giuen a crown of magnificence honour worthinesse and victorie in his resurrection and ascention 7 And when he had stomaked them by the holy Ghost to shoote foorth hys word without feare he weÌ„t forward with them by his grace conqueryng in them the prince of this worlde in processe of tyme by their doctryne so to ouercome him and all his wycked armie Were the Antichristes neuer so madde torment they neuer so sore slea they neuer so fast Christ wil ouercome them Let them inhibit his trueth and forbid his Gospell take spoyle imprison exyle murther haÌ„g head drowne burne yet wil Christ haue the victorie ouer them though it otherwyse séeme to the fleshly children of darknesse In many couÌ„treis Cities and townes hath Gods word bene taught where as it is now forbidden vnder the payne of death Is Christ therefore the weaker which chose the weake to confounde the strong
No truely It hath wrought in theÌ„ whoÌ„ he hath called and roâ—ted in them whom he hath sought So that the faithfull children of Abraham and true Isralites in no wise can perish nor be taken from Christ. THE TEXT 1 And vvhen he opened the second seale 2. I harde the second beast say 3. Come and see 4 And there vvent out an other horse that vvas red 5. And povver vvas geuen to him that sate thereon 6. to take peace from the earth 7 that they shuld kil one an other 8. And there vvas geuen vnto hym a great svvord The Paraphrase 1 What the estate of the ChristiaÌ„ churh was immediatly after the Apostels time it is vnder misterie declared in the openinge of the seconde seale For so soone as the sayde Apostles and fyrste Disciples of Christe were taken from the world yea and partly in their time also many pernicious errours did springe and increase by craftie teachers and subtile seducers in dyuers quarters Some coupled the lawe with the gospel and circumcision with baptime to bring Christian libertie into bondage Some sayd the generall resurrection was past to subuert the wayes of the Lorde Some denyed hym to come in the fleshe Some brought in ceremonies and beggerly shadowes to yoke vs with Iewishe supersticions Some forbad mariage as an vncleane thing to bring in all abhominations and filthinesse Some dyd inhibite meates sanctified of God vnder colour of abstinence to set vp hypocrisie Some called Sainct Paule an Apostata from the lawe Some taught the Gospell carnally denying Mathew and Iohn and fantasied gospels vpon their owne brayne vnder the names of Peter Andrew Thomas Barthelmew Mathias Thadeus Barnabas And of this sorte in the Apostles tyme was Nicolas of Antioche Hermogenes Hymeneus Philetus Alexander Elymas Carpocras Cerinthus Hebion Helion with their affinytie And after theyr tyme Basilides Ualentinus Heracleon Cerdon MercioÌ„ Apelles Tacianus Menander Montanus and other 1 In significatioÌ„ of this the Lambe opened this second seale of the booke He remoued once agayne the darke cloudes of ignorance he replenyshed with hys grace strengthened with his spirite certayn of the Gréeks and Gentiles which beléeued to confute the errours condempne the lyes of those false teachers deceiuable Antichristes Of this number was Ignacius Policarpus Theophilus Antiochenus Iustinus Martyr Agrippa Castorius Aristides Quadratus Meliton Apollenaris Theodocion Hyrenius Appollonius Melcyades Rhodon diuers other These boldely coÌ„fessed Christ they taught his veritie they put aside the darknes they ministred the light they confounded the aduersaries both with tonge pen. 2 And when the Lambe had thus opened this seconde seale declaryng the misterie thereof I heard the second beast saith S. Iohn which was to my sight a calfe signifiyng those ministers which had mortified and wholly giuen vp them selues as a sacrifice for the preaching of the same saying also vnto mée 3 Approch nigher looke perceiue and take héed mark beare it away 4 And sodeinly I saw that there went foorth an other horse all diuers from the first for he was outwardly read This horse resembleth the sayd false teachers borne brought vp in flesh and bloud taught of the same Such went from the Apostles were not of them they cursed the true preachers out of their sinagogs they persecuted them from citie to citie they accused them as the sturrers vp of sedicioÌ„ they caused the rulers to imprisoÌ„ theÌ„ scorge theÌ„ flea them thinking therby they did God high seruyce They turned the grace of god into beastlines brought in lying sectes These were those false bretheren deceitfull maysters whom the scripture calleth strauÌ„gers hirelings théeues scorners and rauening wolues not sparing the flock These were those bloud thirstie doctours and puffed vp prelates which are partakers with their fathers in the bloud of the Prophets whose succession for a token of the same is clothed in read scarlet to this day Such a red horse was Barichu which resisted Paul Barnabas at Paphos So was Alexander the copper smith which did Paule much displeasure So was Demetrius which moued sedicion against him so was Ananias the high priest that commaunded hym to bée smitten so was Tertullus the Oratour that accused hym to the debitie so was Diotrephes that sought the préeminence and reproued Iohn 5 And power was gyuen to hym that sate vpon this horse By the sufferance of God to trye his electes the wicked rulers and Prynces of thys world perswaded and set forward by these bloudie beastes hath exercysed all crueltie fircenesse and tyrannie 6 To take from the earth the swéet peace of God ChristiaÌ„ vnitie which made of the Iewes and Gentiles one people knit vs altogither through fayth and baptime as members of one bodie in Christ Iesu. This peace haue they broken this vnitie of faith haue they torne this coate of Christ without seame haue those souldiours deuyded abusing the power which is the high ordinaunce of God they haue mayntayned the manifold sects of diuision 7 Of whome one hath kylled an other as in the distruction of Hierusalem the vnchristian gentile slewe the vnfaithful Iew. And now in the church of Antichrist one Bishop poysoneth an other one priest an other one religious as other 8 And vnto this terrible horse man was there giuen a great swerd LoÌ„g hath the Lord suffred those tyrantes to raygne much mischiefe to worke great crueltie to vse Much was the persecution tyrannie and murther vnder Nero Domicianus Traianus Aurelius Seuerus Maximinus Decius Ualerianus Aurelianus Dioclecianus Maxencius Iulianus and such like muche christian bloud in their time was shedde THE TEXT 1 And when he opened the third seale 2. I heard the third beast say 3. Come and see 4. And I beheld and lo a black horse 5. And he that sate on him had a payre of Balaunces in his hand 6. And I heard a voyce in the middest of the .iiij. beastes say 7. A measure of wheat for a penny 8. and three measures of barley for a penny 6. And oyle and wyne see thou hurte not The Paraphrase 1 Under trope or secret misterie of the thyrd seale opening is specyfied the estate generall of the chrystian church after the tyme of the martirs and strong witnesses of Iesu which were most cruelly afflicted and slayne for confessing hys name and trueth Not that the Martyres were onely and that tyme and not afore and after but for so much as they did than most abound For in the Rome churche besides other were slayne all the mynisters of the word or Byshoppes as they call them from the tyme of Peter vnto the dayes of Siluester to the number of xxxij not one of them escaped After theyr tyme as the tyrannie of rulers was stilled and theyr gagyng crueltye pacyfyed there arose an other fashioned sorte all diuers from the other giuen to
for newe promotions Euermore they compassed to augment their dignyties Continuall was their study to get prehemineÌ„ce to win honour and to obtayne superiorytie not withoute the destruction of kingdomes the vtter decay of communalties and vnspeakeable murther of peoples Iohn the Archebyshoppe of Constantinople contended to be the vniueâ—sal Patriarke Boniface the thirde of that name Byshoppe of Rome tooke vpon hym to be the head Byshoppe of all the worlde and Gods onely Uicar in earth Mahomet boasted hym selfe to be the great Prophete and messenger of GOD. Thus was Christes coate withoute seame among them deuided and his church most rufully dispersed Thus out of the corrupted depraued scriptures tooke the Iewes their Talmud the Saracens their Alchorane and the Byshops their popish lawes and decrées Then folowed innumerable sectes of perdicion vnder the romishe pope in Europa vnder Mahomet the false Prophet in Afryca and vnder prester Iohn in Asia whiche with their execrable tradicions and rules banished Christ and his pure doctrin for euer Than set they vp songe in the church with Latine seruice bell ringing and Organ playinge Than builded they monasteries auaunced Images inuented purgatorye not without many strange reuelacions Than came in that ceremony that as sensing of Images Procession and holy water with candles ashes and palmes Than were shauen crownes commaunded holy ornaments deuised mariage and meates inhibited and hallowing of churches practised At the last crepte in the worshipping of reliques and shrines with holy oyle and creame with the paschall and paxe with feastes and dedications with latines masses dirges for the dead and many great miracles followed ThaÌ„ were kings deposed and made Moonkes Emperours put downe and parrish priests set vp No gospell might then be taught but to maintaine this ware for aduantage Uniuersities were then builded and generall studies founded the worlde ouer with all kindes of crafty learning to vpholde this new Christen relygyon or prestish supersticion The Antichristes thus spred and theyr kyngdome well set forwarde the light was cléerely extincted and darknesse ouer wente the whole worlde 1 Much meruayled alwayes the poore chosen flock of christ and were greatlye troubled in their mindes to beholde this great confusion tyll the Lorde opened vnto them the fourth seale of his booke in the which all was written from the begining In that Seale openinge the Lorde shewed what the head rulers of his Church were euen very hypocrites rightly compared vnto a pale Horse For after their dissembling manner they shewed sad countinaunces outwardlye to appeare fastinge and babled very much to séeme deuonte men 2 And as the Lambe had opened the fowrth Seale sayeth Saincte Iohn I hard the voyce of the fowrth beast which séemed vnto me an Egle representing those godly beléeuers that are most highly desirous of the glorye of GOD. 3 Come hyther sayde that voice Note what thou shalt sée here enprent it well in thy minde 4 And sa I looked foorth I behelde a pale Horse whome I tooke for the vniuersall Synagoge of hypocrites or dissembling church of Antichriste pale as men without health bleyk as men without that freshe lyfe which is in Christ Iesu. 5 The name of hym which sate vpon this pale Horse was death for their doctrine is death and dampnation What bringeth hypocrisye with hym but destruction of health What carrieth dissimulation but the vtter decay of lyfe Are their last fruites any other then confusion and dyspayre 6 For why hell commeth after them to swallowe in those that are taught by them Eternall dampnation doth folow them to eate them vp for euer whome they shall deceiue Such is the finall rewarde of those cursed hypocrits that treadeth down Gods truth and destroyeth his word vnder a fayned pretence of the contrarye God graunt them therefore once to open their eyes and to consider it that they are the Horses of death least Hell héere after deuoure them 7 Unto these gaudish hypocrites and beastly Antichristes whith are the horse of death and carieth all to darknesse and dampnation power is geuen whiche is the sufferaunce of God vpon the fourth parte of the earth A great part of the world shall they destroy much people by theÌ„ shal perish and be lost 8 After diuers sortes shall they depriue them of the lyfe euerlastyng Some shal they slay with the sword of their false doctrine hauing a glorious shine of wisdome in supersticion and deuilishnesse Some shall they famishe for wante of GODS true worde whiche is the bread of Chyldren and the lyuinge foode of the soule 9 Some will they also poyson with the contagious leauen of their pestilent lawes and tradicions which are dayly ministred taught by the vile vermine of the earth their suffraganes Archedecons officials doctors ministers false preachers curates persons parrish priests and religions verye beastly both of lyfe and studye Lorde ones delyuer from these deceiptfull and rauenous wolues whiche are neuer satisfied thy poore seruants that confesse thy holy name Amen THE TEXT 1 And when he opened the fift seale 2 I saw vnder the aulter 3. The soules of them that were killed for the word of God and for the testimony which they had 4. And they cried with a loude voyce saying 5. How long taryest thou 6 Lord holy and true to iudge 7. And to auenge our bloude on them that dwell on the earth 8. And loÌ„g white garments were geuen vnto euery one of theÌ„ 9. And it vvas saide vnto theÌ„ 10. That they shoulde rest for a litle season 11. vntill the number of their felowes and brethren 12. And of them that shoulde be killed as they were were fulfilled The Paraphrase 1 Euident it is by that hath ben séene and sayde afore in these fowre horses what the estate of the christen church was is now in these latter dayes Such horrible confusion hath the Antichristes made with their wicked lawes and decrées and with their deceiptfull doctrine of errours and lies to vpholde their filthy kingdome of pryde slouth hypocrisie and beastlynes that scarcely is any thing cleane pure and godly Now do they nothing but slea None other studye haue they in these dayes but to persecut emprison and famish to burn head and hang. Now haue they obtayned to enter the iudgement hall and to syt vpon lyfe death without defiling of theÌ„selues Now may they both a accuse and iudge both indite and condempne yet not soyle their consecrate handes If any controle their customes or say against their witchcraftes they are ready to run ouer hym with death whom they carye to slea both soule and bodye 1 This hath the Lord shewed in mistery vnto Iohn in the fift seale openinge by whom are ment the true Christen beléeuers at this time so well as at al other times sence Christes assension 2 And when the Lambe opened the fift seale or declared in
figure what should be the estate of that time to assertaine his chosen friendes therof I saw saieth Saincte Iohn vnder the Aulter of God which is Christe vpon whom the whole sacrifice of our redempcion was offered 3 The soules or spirits of those constant beléeuers whiche through the violent handlynge of the afore sayde false prelats and Antichristes were cruelly put to death by diuers maner of tormeÌ„ts not only for the vndefiled word of god but also for the sincere testimonye of Iesu which they had by the gift of his only spirit Under this Aulter remaine all they which haue bin killed for that witnesse of truth In his faith they slept and still rest now in his hope In him now they liue for whom they once dyed Under his shadow they dwell Under his winges they flocke vnder hys couerte they cloyster He is their comforte kéeper and defender With hym are they now whose presence they euermore coueted 4 In that they cried with a lowde voice is signified that their innocent death fercely asketh and requireth the great indignation vengance and terrible iudgement of GOD vppon those tirauntes lyke as dyd the bloude of Abell vppon that murther Cayne 5 And this is their daylye crye O Lorde God almighty so holy thou art that thou hatest all euill so true and so iust that thou abhorrest al lies and peruerse doctrine so manifest is the filthy lyfe of the spirituall antichristes that thou séest it so euidente is their vnshamefast crueltie vpon thy seruantes that thou knowest it Yet doest thou leaue them vnpunished and suffer them vncorrected Howe long time wil it be ere thou iudge them to dampnation What yeares wilt thou take ere thou reuenge our bloud 6 Sure it is that thy lawes are holy and thy wordes are faithfull and true Why doest thou then permitte these proud homicides and spightfull murtherers to defyle them with their errours and blaspheme them with their lyes Kyllyng vp thy seruants without pittie for holdynge with them and reigning héere as Gods vpon earth in ambiciousnesse vayne glory pompe glotony and leâ—herye with other abhomynable vices Thus these beastly bellye Gods doth dayly dispise thée They treade downe thy testimonies and shed innocent Christen bloud in despight of thée 7 Looke once vpon them therefore according to thy promisse and sée thou rewarde them according to their wickednesse Thys reuengement doe we not aske for our scath but for the contempt of thy truethe Not for our harme but for the blasphemy of thy name 8 And longe white garmentes sayth Sainct Iohn very large and comely were geuen vnto euery one of them A full innocencye perfectnesse and cléerenesse was powred ouer them and abundantly spred vpon them Indued they were with an inestimable purenesse by Christe for whose veryties sake they dyed With him they are now in peace ioy and swéetnesse But whether they be in full glory afore God or no that wyll we not temerously define Sure we are that they be deliuered from all payne sorrow and care and that they clearely be assertayned so haue that glory complet both in body and soule at the latter day More swéete is their estate for the time yea more delycious and pleasaunt then all the delightes prosperytye and wealth that euer was yet in thys worlde 9 And as they were in this swéete solace much desirous of their bodyes delyueraunce from corruption they were requyrâ—d by these secrete heauenlye mocyon of Christe as we are in this life by the outwarde word 10 Paciently to pause for a while and quietously to rest for a season 11 Untill such time as the complet nuÌ„ber of their coÌ„stant fellowes and faithfull brethren 12 Yea and of all those poore creatures that shoulde be kylled by these vnsaciat blud suckers for his truthes sake like as they were afore shuld be fulfilled and wholy accomplished according to the eternall prediffinition of God And so much the rather to content themselues with their peaceable and quietous estate for their brethrens sake that it should not belonge ere their death were reuenged and they restored to a full tranquillitie For nothing in comparison are the sufferinges of this time to that glorye whiche shall be shewed vnto the chosen sort in that day Let no man think where as Christ hath willed those soules to rest that they sléepe in death for they rest in hym which is lyfe Out of hym they are not he is their Aulter he is theyr couert They lyue they decerne and in swéetenesse they abide the latter day and all vnder him Their white garment of innocencie they haue onely by him Worship him then and not them Pray and call vpon him and not vpon them For he is the onely meditour and generall aduocate to God the father so wel for them as for you Nothyng can they doe but by hym Their office is not to heare suters causes nor to goe to and fro but still to rest abyding the glad day of theyr deliuerance It is Christes onely office to receyue all complayntes to pleate them and to iudge them THE TEXT 1 And I beheld when he opened the sixâ— seale 2. lo there was a great earth quake 3. and the sunne was as black as a sack cloth made of heare 4. And the moone vvaxed euen as bloud 5. And the starres of heauen fell vnto the earth 6. euen as a figge tree casteth from hir hir figges vvhen it is shaken of a mightie wynde 7. And heauen vanyshed avvay as a scroull vvhen it is rolled togither 8. And all mountaynes and yles vvere moued out of their places 9. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the riche men 10. and the chiefe captaynes and the mightie men and euery bond man and euerie free man 11. hid themselues in dennes and in rockes of the hilles 12. and sayde to the hilles and rockes 13. Fall on vs 14. and hyde vs from the presence of hym that sitteth on the seate 15. and from the vvrathe of the Lambe 16. for the great day of hys vvrath is come 17. And vvhoÌ„ can endure it The Paraphrase 1 This know they well whome the lambe hath deliuered from their dark sinagoge to whom he hath in these dayes opened the sixte seale of the booke raysing vp the spirites of many to detect by his holy worde theyr shamefull abhominations Blessed be the name of that Lord which hath now so mercifully vysited hys poore people from aboue sending his word vnder the tipe or figure of this Lambe to open vnto them at this sixt time of darkenesse the vj. seale of the hydden misteries of the booke I looked yet farther sayeth sainct Iohn and as the Lambe Christ disclosed the sixte seale to manifest the cléernesse of his truth to shewe the estate of his church anon I behelde a merueylous earthquake arise Most liuely was this fulfilled such tyme as William Courteney the Archbishoppe
are fallen from heauen Onely teache they the shining charytie of God the feruent zeale and burninge desyre towardes mans saluation Neyther aduance they ceremonies nor rytes holy dayes nor offeringes dirges nor masses purgatory nor reliques And as concerning their lyues more GOD desyreth not of the Christian minister then to expende hys whole study labour and time to the lyghtening of other He neyther commaundeth them to be shauen nor disguised to be popishe Prieste nor Monke to saye mattens nor Euensong to fast fryday nor vigill to abhorre maryage nor meates Onely he wylleth them to edyfye his flock with none other learninge then hys Godly trueth This is theyr onely office 6 The féete of this Angell were in similitude as pillers of fyer Stronge sustentacles and sure staies hath god made the vpholders of his true church Feruent affections hath he geuen them constant stomaks and so inuincible a power as no violeÌ„ce can resist Douty stronge is the administration where the verytie remayneth for it bringeth with it the magestie of God O how bewtifull saith Esay are the feete of the Embassadours of the Lord which bringeth the message of peace and the tidinges of health vnto Syon 7 He had in his hand a little booke open In their administration are the scriptures euydent and cléere opened by the Lambe and much godlye knowledge is receiued of other by them Blessed be the Lorde whiche hath opened the booke Now may the creple stand vp the blind sée their way the poore féede be satified Desire therfore with faithfull Dauid from the very hart to haue vnderstaÌ„ding to know the testimonies of god Are méekely and haue séeke wisely and finde knocke gently and the dore wyll be opened Uery lyke is it that the Lorde God doth minde plentuouslye to spreade the doctrine of his spirite in this sixt age of his churche this booke beynge thus opened And that all the worlde shall receiue it rebell the hypocrits neuer so sore When the Gospell appeared in Christes tyme the Iewes were the first that receiued it after the Greks and last of all the Latines Now in this later time it openeth to the Latines by the administration of this mighty Angel and his affinitie and from them is going to the Gréekes for many of them now of late hath graciouslye receiued it as we haue harde And laste of all it shall returne agayne to the Iewes as now very apt also to receiue it That Christes prophecye may be founde true The last to be the fyrst and the fyrst the last For he that hath dispersed Israell shall bringe him againe to his folde as Heiremy recordeth Thus shal the glory of God be within few yeares séene the world ouer to the comfort of many 8 This Angell set his righte foote vpon the sea and his left foote vpoÌ„ the earth As well shall the weake people receiue this verytie as the strong the poore as the rich the lowe as the high the sicke as the whole the sinner as the rightuous the begger as the king the vnlearned as the learned the laboring man as the priest and much rather For the right foote is towardes them The I le that is speared vp with the maine sea yea and they also which be vpon the sea shall so well haue it as the open wide country or as they which dwell vpon the most pleasaunt lande From none shall the Booke be speared Euery where shall the trueth be open as well by writings as wordes and as well by bookes as preachinges Upon both shall thys Angell treade Both sortes of people shall be subiectes to that verytie whiche those Godly messengers shall bringe submitting themselues as fooâ—sâ—ooles vnto it Some vngodly rulers there be both by sea and lande both in the Iles and the open countrye that wyll none of this Angell with this open Booke In no wise will they suffer hym to set footeinge within their regions but commaundeth vnder payne of death that no man teach his doctrine nor heare it that no man prynte his bookes bye them sell them reade them holde them fauour them nor beare them vpoÌ„ hym But al is in vayne Let theÌ„ wax mad swell and fret themselues to death yet wyll he treade vppon theyr ground Let them persecute fetter stock famish slea hange head burne drowne yea and buâ—y quicke with all other mischife and tyranny yet will the trueth abroad 9 For the Angell crieth with so loude a voyce as the Lyon when he roareth So mighty and strong is the worde that they preach and the verytie that they shewe as was the sharpe lyuinge worde that Christe spake which was the inuincible Lyon of Iuda And so mighty is that as made both heauen and earth so stronge as destroyeth the power of hell so sharp as deuideth the soule from the spirit and the ioyntes from the marye and so waighty as when it falleth grindeth to powder all pryde power magnificence wisedome ryches and vaine pollycye of this worlde none shall be able to abyde it 10 And when the Angell had cryed and vttered this terryble noyse seauen thounders spake their voyces The fearefull iudgementes of the wrath of GOD whiche are infinite and can neyther be numbered nor yet measured of the creatures opened their terrible misteries which shall at their times appoynted of hym light vppon the children of vnbeléeue The tyrauntes which hath resisted the heauenly verytie of the Lorde wyll once be punished as was the â—ost of Senacherih kinge of Assur Once wyll he fearefully visit theyr multitude in the thunder of hys yre Once shall the terrible sound of hyâ— crack stryk the earth smothe reuenging the contempt of his worde In Italye Spaine Fraunce Germany and other christian regions the Angell hath shewed the booke open and roared out the voyce of the Gospell with stomacke as doth the Lyon yet will it not be taken but some they haue beaten for it and some moste spightfully murthered Let them not thinke but after the lightning the thunderclap will folow The verytie opened and thus dispised most gréeuous plagues of derth warre or pestilence wyll shortlye fal by the great vengeaunce of God Principles hath bene séene in some quarters of the worlde let them not thinke but much more is comminge and wyll not cease tyll Chryste hath made of his enimies hys footeâ— stoole 11 And when the seuen thonders had spoken their voyces or shewed theyr certentie that they shoulde so surely as God lyueth come to passe at their time appoynted 12 I was about sayth Saint Iohn to take penne and inke in hande and to wryte them I thought to register them in a booke to the admonishmeÌ„t and warning of them that shoulde folow And anone I heard a very earnest voyce from heauen saying vnto mée in this maner 13 Seale vp those things which the seauen thunder spake and in no wise
our offences tooke away the sinnes of the world He was that méek Lambe prefigured in the law whom the faithfull fathers so earnestly desired He was that gentle Lamb that was caried away to be slayne and that opened not his mouth before the shearer This Lambe standeth vp euermore for vs before God as our onely medyator aduocate peace maker Sauiour helper counsellour defender and teacher 13 This Lambe had seuen hornes which betokeneth his stronge and infinit power vertue victory kingdom glory bounteousnesse and maiestie with such lyke and in the whole his vniuersall reigne 14 He had also seauen eyes whiche are all the powers graces fruites of the holy ghost called héere the seuē spirits of God For so much as they are the singuler gifts of him whiche is his essenciall spirit And them he hath sent by his apostles other godly preachers into the seuen climates of the erth or vniuersal world the people with them to be replenished These are wisdome vnderstandinge counsell strength knowledge pittie the fear of god These are also loue ioy peace pacience gentlenesse goodnes fayth méekenesse long suffering cleannes and temperance with diuersitie of tongues interpretacion prophecie cures healings miracles and iudgement of spirits 15 And the sayd Lambe came foorth as one through méekenesse hauyng victorie ouer sinne death hell hée reuerently tooke the sayd booke from the right hand of him that sate vpon the throne Which made me anon to consider that the heauenly father had giuen vp vnto him the whole admynistration of his spirituall kingdom with all aucthoritie power in heauen and earth to open or to speare to choose or to reiect to take or to refuse to saue or to loose to rewarde or to dampne For he it was that first opened the vnderstanding of men that they might perceyue the scriptures He it was that sent the holy spirite of God to deduce them into all veritie and gaue them grace to instructe all people He it is also that shall thorowe them into euerlasting fire with the diuil his Angels that resist the same THE TEXT 1 And when he had taken the booke the liij beastes and the .xxiiij. elders 2. fel dovvn before the Lambe hauing harpes 3. golden vialles full of odours vvhich are the prayers of the Saincts 4. they sung a nevv song saying 5 Thou arte vvorthie to take the booke 6. and to open the seales therof 7. For thou wert killed 8. and hast redemed vs by thy bloud out of all kinreds tongs and people and nacions 9. and hast made vs vnto our God Kings and priestes 10. and vve shall reigne on the earth The Paraphrase 1 And when he had receyued the sayd booke of the hande of God with full authoritie and power the iiij beasts or the present protestours of the veritie here liuing in the world and the xxiiij Elders or auncient witnesses of the same departed cleane from thys worlde as were the olde fathers the Patryarkes Prophetes and Apostles méekly submitted them selues before the Lamb much reioysinge in his triumphant victorye for them 2 They fell downe before him they praysed hym they worshipped hym they gaue thanks and recognised him for their mercifull Lorde and Sauiour hauing in their handes harmonious harpes which there represented the melody of their faithfull soules or the inward reioyce that they had in faith of the eternal verytie of god For that is the agréeable concord and swéet harmony that he most delighteth in And as well had they harpes that were long afore Christe as had they that folowed hym the effecte of hys death being equall to them both So wel reioysed Abraham which saw him a farre of as did Iohn Baptist which shewed him persent 3 Each one of them had also in hys hand a golden viall full of swéete odours whiche is a faithfull harte to God full of swéete desires and wholsome praiers whiles they liued here And these vessels of prayer or harts of the faithfull beléeuers couetinge mercy to themselues and all other were very precious pleasaunt and beautifull in the sighte of the Lorde which onely desireth the harte 4 They sang also with their instruments a new songe of reioyce recording the great benefit of God They vttered the glad tidinges of peace They published the Gospel of Christ. They told of his comming They declared him present past This songe was euer new vnto flesh bloud It séemed very strange yea and folish to the children of this worlde yet is it the power of God vnto saluation for euery one that beléeueth Now it is also for so much as it nothing alloweth in our aged man of sinne but alwayes calleth vpon renouation in the spirite 5 This was the conclusion of that song Thou alone swéete Lord sayde they art founde worthye to take the Booke to receiue power and administration of the kingdome of God 6 Thou only art able to opē the seale◠thereof to take from vs all impediments of darknesse hypocrisie lyes ignoraunce wilfulnesse blindnesse and sinne and to deduce vs into all godly knowledge 7 For thou wert not only despised and wounded but most cruelly slaine for our offences whereby thou hast obtained our perpetuall peace and attonement with god 8 Thou hast clerely redéemed vs out all spirituall bondage by the price of thy bloude and by the vertue of thy passion and death thou hast gathered vs together into one kingdom of God from all the nacions of the world and hast chosen vs out of all kinreds languages peoples of the vniuersall earth Thou hast made vs also pertakers with thée in thy peculyer vnction that we are now called Christians 9 Thou hast annoynted vs Kinges by the gift of true faith to haue victory ouer sinne death the deuil and cōsecrate vs priests by the grace of thy holy spirite to offer vp our selues and vndefiled sacrifice vnto our euerlasting God So that we are now the chosen kinred the kingely pristhoode the holy generation the peculyer peple that should manifest the workes of thée which hast called vs out of darknesse into the merueilous light 10 And by the benifit of thy onely grace and goodnesse we shall raigne prosperously on the earth not héere wher as is sorow care penury scarsnesse and death but our porcion shal be in the pleasant land of the lyuing where as is the peace ioy tranquilitie comfort and life euerlasting THE TEXT 1 And I behelde 2. And herde the voyce of many angelles about the throne and about the beastes and the elders 3. And I harde thousand thousandes saying with a loude voyce 4. Worthye is the Lambe that was killed to receaue power and riches and wisdome and strength and honoure and glorye and blessinge 5. And all creatures vvhiche are in Heauen 6. And on the earth 7 And vnder the earth 8 And in the sea and all that are in
wryte them Register the thunders but not the voyces Note the figures but vtter not the misteries till God appoynt it It is not for all men to know the times which God hath in his power Many secret thinges hearde Paule which was lawfull for no man to vtter The outwarde sounde of Gods secrets may be heard of all men but the inward workinge is reserued to the spirit The Lorde alwaies with the holy ghost so informeth them inwardly that they perceiue the effect of many thinges the other heareth but a noyse For so much as the voice of gods thundrings is vnsearchable and his secret iudgementes the most mighty depth they are not open but to such as he electeth 14 Therfore was Iohn commanded in no case to writ them or to open the secret meaning of them That point the Lord reserueth peculyerly to him selfe to open to whom what or how much him lusteth Much wide ar thâ—â— which thinketh that they can of their owne wit and industry declare such causes vnles God openeth them by his worde or some euident signe as he hath done in this age most plentuously to many Lesse can we not gather of these thunders wheÌ„ the message of God is dispised abused forsaken neclected troden vnder foote 〈◊〉 damnable lyes preferred vnto it thaâ— that his wrath must folow Somewhat hath bene séene already much more wil appeere wheÌ„ they geue ful 〈◊〉 THE TEXT 1 And the Angel which I saw stand vpoÌ„ the sea vpoÌ„ the earth 2. Lyft vp his hande to heauen 3. And swore by hym that liueth for euermore 4. Which created heauen and the things that therin are 5. And the earth and the thinges that are in it 〈◊〉 And the sea and the thinges which are therin 7. That there shal be no more time but in the dayes of the voyce of the seauenth Angell 8. When he shall begin to blow 9. Euen the misterie of God shall be finished 10. As he preached by his seruantes the Prophets The Paraphrase 1 And the Angell saieth Saincte Iohn whom I saw in this wonderfull reuelation thus standynge with one foote vppon the sea an other vppon the lande after the sorte afore named 2 Lyft vp his hand towardes heauen so stroÌ„gly to affirme hys message to be true as the Lorde lyueth and to promise it so in fallibly iust as god siteth in heauen 3 What do the true preachers els in this age but maintaine their doctrine by the mighty word of God after the example of Christ and his Apostles which alleged the lawe prophecies and Psalmes to confirme their sayings with They neither alledge decrée nor decretall constitution nor Synodall Legende nor fable monks rule nor saintes lyfe doctors nor fathers Gregory nor Anselme Thomas nor Dons Plato nor Arystotle nor such lyke filthy dregs But they come to the verye true touchestoane with Iohn they proue the spirits whether they be of God or no coÌ„sidering that all men are lyers and haue erred one except 4 He sware by him that lyueth in himselfe with incomprehencible magesty power and glory for euermore which in the beginning created the heaueÌ„ aboue with the inuisible things that are therin contained 5 Which formed the poÌ„derous earth beneth and the visible creatures that are therin remaining 6 Which fashioned the flowing seas and the corruptible thinges that are there in continuinge 7 With an earnest constant spirite he protested and by the strong worde of God he affirmed so taking hym to witnesse that there shall be no more time no more leasure no more sinful occuping héere froÌ„ henceforth but in the dayes of the voyce of the seauenth Angell This othe is none other than a sure assercion that all shall be finished in this seauenth age of the church This wold not be hidden from the congregations Necessary it is that both good and badde knew it The faithfull to be assartened that their finall redemption is at hande to their consolation The vnfaithfull to haue knowledge that their iudgemente is not farre of that they may repent and be saued Not vnlyke is this othe to the othe in Daniell of time times and halfe a time whereof the time was from him to Christe The times were the ages from Christ to the seauenth seale opening or the seauenth trumpet blowing The halfe time from thence forth wherin the dayes shall be shortned for the chosen sake So much mischief shal not the enimies dâ— thaÌ„ Their tiranny shall be as waged 8 For when the vii Angel shall begin to blow or the ministers of that age sincerely declare the word 9 Euen the mistery of God shall be finished and the full meaning therof fulfilled 10 Like as he afore time both taught and promised by his peculyer chosen seruants the prophets No time shal be after this but that which will be of all times the ende But when that time shall begin we know not tyll God shall open it by his seuenth angel Of the thing we are certaine and sure but the time of it is euermore in gods hande That is sealed vp in the booke til he shal please to open it the rightuous shall not sée til it coÌ„meth but rest stil in their lot w e Daniell And the vngodly shal haue no vnderstanding then They shall builde and plant bye sel ryot banket as in the daies of Noe Loth yea they shall geue themselues to al filthy lustes couetuousnes And vnbewares shall death come vpon them the terrible iudge shal cal them to accoumpt and to the euerlasting fire condemne them thus shal their daies also be shortned when they think nothing lesse for the time shal be but halfe after Daniell THE TEXT 1 And the voyce which I harde from heauen spake vnto me againe and sayd 2. go take the litle booke which is opeÌ„ in the haÌ„d of the angel 3. vvhich staÌ„deth vpoÌ„ the sea vpoÌ„ the earth 4. And I vvent vnto the Angell and said vnto him 5. Geue me the litle booke And he said vnto me 6. Take it and eate it vp 7. And it shall make thy belly bitter But it shall be in thy mouth as svveet as hony 11. And I tooke the litle booke out of his hand and did eate it vp 10. And it vvas in my mouth as svveete as hony 11. And as soone as I had eaten it my belley vvas bitter 12. And he said vnto me 13 Thou must prophecie again vnto the people 14. And to the Heathen and Tunges and to manye Kinges The Paraphrase 1 And the voyce saieth sainct Iohn which I harde afore from heauen spake vnto me againe Gods holy spirit touched me moued me compelled me It graciously admonished me taught me and sayde thus vnto me 2 Goe thy waies foorth Iohn and take the lytle booke which is now open in the hand of the Angell Euery man hauinge grace with Iohn is héere commaunded to
abhominations of this whorish church till the words and promises of God by his Apostles and Prophets which can neuer fayle be wholly fulfilled in effecte and till his last iudgemeÌ„t doe finish all But thus doe not all they which haue done of the yoke of the Popes obedyence or blotted out his name For the greater number of them retaineth still the blasphemous obseruacions cerimonies of hys Romish relygyon some making new lawes of deth for the establishmeÌ„t of the same as is in England the acte of the .vj. Articles with diuers other more And for this remayneth here stil the beast as receiuing the rendred kingdome of the whore In whom is also comprehended the wicked remnant that shal worke the last mischiefe whom the Lorde shall ende with his saide iudgement This beast is not without his liuely Image still working the same féetes that him selfe wrought afore though his head be greuouslye wounded in diuers quarters of the world Neyther is he without craftye phisitions to minister life to the same Who euer forswore the Pope more ernestly than did Stokislye and Samson Gardyner and Tunstall Wylson and fryer Wattes with such other holy prelats yet labour they toth and nayle to haue BabiloÌ„ stil BabiloÌ„ Sodome Sodom and Egipt Egipt But maruail not of the ordinance of the Lord which all at on time prouyded Moyses to guide his people yet hardened Pharao against theÌ„ which sent his sonne Iesus Christ to saue them and yet suffered the pristes to murther him considering he is the potter which maketh both the vessels of honouer and dishonour 31 Brifly to conclud the whole of thys matter saith the angel the gorious aparreled woman or glittering church of Antichrist which thou sawest here of late in mistery is also in receÌ„blance the great citty BabiloÌ„ the mother of al the spiritual abhominacions Idolatries don vpon the earth For like as froÌ„ Sion hath the laue coÌ„men forth the word of god from HieruseleÌ„ so hath isswâ—d forth froÌ„ this Babilonish Rome such a false religioÌ„ into Emperours princes peoples as with filthy superstitions hath poysoned all the world 14 For a kingdoÌ„ she hath ouer the kings or noble gouernours of the earth a false power a vsurped authority a seat of very pestelence Alas for pitty that so worthy potentates shoulde bée in subiection to so stinking an whore to so vyle an harlot being so the seruaunts of sinne and captiue slaues to all wickednesse from the whiche the Lorde once deliuer them Amen Thus endeth the second part The Contentes of the seconde parte THe xj Chap. beginneth wherin Iohn measureth the Temple the Aulter and them that worship therein The .ij. witnesses doe their appointed offices the beast making warre against them and sleying them A great Earthquake followeth and the second woe is past The xij Chapter beginneth wherin the seuenth Angell bloweth his trompet In heaueÌ„ appeareth a woman all cloathed with the sun whom the Dragon diuersly vexeth Mychaell fighteth with the Dragon and ouercommeth him The woman flyeth into the wildernesse and there is preserued The xiij Chapter beginneth wherin a beast ryseth out of the sea with seuen heades and ten hornes receyuing authority of the Dragon One of his heades is wounded and healed agayne An other beast commeth out of the earth with .ii. hornes which deceiueth the earthly dwellers and raiseth vp an Image like vnto the beast In the ende is counted the number of the beast The .xiiij. Chapter beginneth wherin the Lambe standeth vpoÌ„ the mount Sion and the vndefiled congregacion with him An Angell sheweth the euerlasting Gospel an other declareth the fal of the great whore An other is commauÌ„ded with his sikle to cut down the grapes of the vineyard The .xv. Chap. beginneth wherein Iohn séeth the seuen Angels hauing the seuen last plages of the wrath of God On the glassy sea standeth men hauing the harpes of God they sing the song of Moyses and the songe of the lambe The tabernacle of testymony is séene in heauen The .xvi. Chapter beginneth where in the seuen Angels power out theyr vials of gods wrath The first vpon the earth The secoÌ„d vpoÌ„ the sea The third vpon the riuers The fourth vpon the suÌ„n The fift vpon the seat of the beast The vj. vpon the great floud Euphrates And the seuenth into the ayre The xvij Chapter beginneth wherin an Angell sheweth vnto Iohn the iudgement of the great whore which sitteth vpon the beast Hée discrybeth both hir and the beast at large Finally he sheweth the meaning both of hys heades and hornes with other great mysteries more The poore persecuted church of christ or immaculate spouse of the Lambe Apoca. 12. The DragoÌ„ was wroth with the woman which fled into the wildernesse and went and made warre with the remnaunt of hir séede which kept the commaundement of god and haue the testimone of Iesus Christ. The proude painted Church of the Pope or sinfull Sinagoge of Sathan Apoca. 17. I sawe woman sitte vpon a Rose coloured beast full of names of blasphemye decked with golde precious stone and pearles with whom the Kinges of the earth committed whordome and the inhabiters of the earth are dronken with the wyne of hir fornication ¶ THE THIRDE parte of the Image of both churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly reuelation of saint Iehn the Euangelist c. Compiled by Iohn Bale Apoca 1. ¶ I Ihon your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdome of pacience which is in Christe Iesu was in the I le of Pathmos for the worde of God A small Preface vnto the Christen Reader FOr so muche as this Image of both churchs or exposition vpon S. Iohns Apocalipsis seemed vnto me as it came vnto the printing to be farre to much for one volume I thought to deuide it by equall porcions into three smal bookes as I haue now done in deede Of whom the firste contayneth x. Chapter the second vii the third v. onely which maketh out the whole number of the xxii Some peraduenture wil maruel that the smaller nuÌ„ber of the chapters should comprehend so much of that commeÌ„tarie as the greater number But if they marke in the text the aboundinge of misteries euermore as the matter thereof aboundeth they will soone leaue their marueiling The nature of this reuelation is the further it goeth the more wonders it sheweth openeth vnto hym that after praier shal in faith reade it and deserne it Neuer therin are the principles well perceiued till the conclusion thervpon folowinge doth playnely with the other scriptures conferred declare them In these v. last chapters are the two churches wherevpon resteth the whole argumeÌ„t of this booke fully by all dew circumstaunces described theÌ„ turned ouer into a moste fearefull and terrible destruction vnder title of the olde whorish Babilon the other obtayning a moste glorious rayse vnder the name of the holy new Hierusalem In the xvijâ— Chapter is that execrable churche of
the Princes of the earth 8 Whose excéeding number saith saynct Iohn is as the drye sande that hath bene bast vp wyth the sea which can in no wyse be numbred In thys full well maye it be â—onsidred what a small thynge Christes flocke was in comparison of these souldiours of Gog and Magog after sathans going forth for the tyme of their battayle Innumerable were the sectes of the Pope with those that they brought to that false fayth and obedience And so were the Prophetes of Mahomete with the peruerted mulytude Theyr power was great for the tyme and their malice vengeable yet were they as sande drye and vnfruitefull 9 They rose vp in pryde ryches and ryalty and alwaies went ouer where as they sée the earth made playne and smoth and that in euery lande compasse Their generall iourney was all the worlde ouer towardes them that were poore in spirite or whose lâ—stes were mortified from the worldeâ— Consider them for an example whom they haue cruelly burned and slaine where as they perceiued their croked custoÌ„es throwen doune and the streight rule of Gods worde faythfullye receyued there persecuted they moste â—ierâ—â—sy there weâ—ed they furious and mayde sparing neyther swerde fyre gybbet nor other torment such heretykes as woulde not beleue as holy church commaunded Thys hath bene theyr order for the tyme of Sathans lybertie And this haue they taken for an hygh poynt of Christan religion For thys is that houre that Christ prophecyed of wherein men shold think to do vnto god gret good seruice whaÌ„ thei put one of his vnto deth 11 Thus haue they wyth all prodigious tyranny compassed the derely beloued Citie of God or the holy coÌ„gregaton for whom Christ dyed vtterly to ouerthrowe it By all maner of craftes and diuelyshe circumuentioÌ„s haue they gone about at that tyme as they woulde doe yet styll to destroye that samll remnaunte or church of the Lord builded without materiall stone morter yâ— swéete spouse of his with out spot or wrincle Not onely sought they in the enterprise to bring to naught the particular coÌ„gregatioÌ„s but for as much as lay in theÌ„ the vniuersal church of god thaÌ„ liuing Blessed be our lorde god though it hath ben since the loosing of sathaÌ„ but a pore wretched neglected thing of no reputatioÌ„ before the world yet hath it bene alwayes before hym a beloued Cytie and hath defended it so mightely that nothing hath peryshed of it No not one heire of theyr heades What the Turke wyth Mahomets host hath done for hys parte in Egipt Gréece Palestyne Hierusalem Bulgary in the borders of Italy Spayne at the Rhodes in the kingdom of HuÌ„garye Ludouirus the king there rufully slaine nowe last of all against the citie of UyeÌ„ I thinke it is knoweÌ„ vnto all meÌ„ We may se by that is here writteÌ„ of these two enimies Gog Magog the daily experiments confirming the same that they are farre aboue vs in number and power being as the saÌ„des in the sea Most vainely are we occupied if we assertaine our selues to haue the victorye ouer them by any other way than the Lorde hath appoynted Let vs pray therefore vnto the Lorde for grace and than amende our liues and the plage shall cease Onely hath he promysed to destroy them all wyth the breath of his mouth and wyth no bodely armoure nor strength of men as here after foloweth Let vs in the meane tyme giue our selues vnto feruent prayer to compassion of our brethern to dedes of charytie pitty to abstinence from synne and to the forsaking of our owne desires For sure we are that he shall shorten their dayes of mischiefe for his electes sake 12 In the processe folowing must we take for the tyme past the tyme to come for the clere declaration of the mistery considering euer more the vsage of the scriptures for tymes Whan these enimies Gog and Magog shal be at the hyghest in their vengeable enterprises agaynst the elect Citie or peaceable congregation of Christ a consumyng fyre sayth Saint Iohn which is the eternal worde of the Lorde shall come downe fréelye out of heauen from the mouth of the great omnipotent God 13 As a fearefull lyghtninge shall it fall vpoÌ„ theÌ„ and as terrible fyre shall it deuoure them lyke as the materyall fyre did eate vp Sodome and Gomorre rebellions in the desert the enimyes that sought Helias The fyre that is kindled in the wrath of God shall burne vnto the bottome of hel coÌ„sume vp those terrible termagauntes 14 That worde of the lordes indignation shall with great violeÌ„ce throwe the diuel that wiâ—y serpeÌ„t which deceiued gog Mogog with their innumerable souldyours into a foule stynking lake or boyling pit of wylde fyre brimstoÌ„ 15 Upon the wicked saith Dauid shall the lorde rayne snars Wyld fyre brimstone with tirrible storme teÌ„peste shall they haue to rewarde for theyr etarnall punishment Herein are to be marked considered both the intollerable greuousnesse of the paines also the euerlasting continuaunce of them 16 In the same place of intollerable torment were the beastly generatioÌ„s of Antechrist al their scholemaisters of hipocrites doctrine Or eternallye of god were they therevnto appointed as the vngodly communaltie wyth theyr capitaine and as the bodye and members with their wicked heade for all readie is it done by his worde but thaÌ„ shall it folow in effect wheras they shal be as the Lord hath appoynted most sharpely afflicted with vnspeakeable tormentes both day and night without pause or ceasing for euer and euer without ende 17 Neuer shall their fyre be quenched sayth Esaie noâ— yet theyr gnawinge worme be taken from them For all maner of griefes wherwith God vexed the wicked may this fyre here be taken after the scriptures For as witnesseth saint Augustine in his xx booke and xii chapter De ciuitate Dei not onely is this punishmeÌ„t to be referred to the latter iudgement but alo to the extermination of Antichristes hâ—st by the worde of God the worlde ouer Be the Gospell once purely taught amoÌ„g men it will condemne all that they haue done vpon their owne presumption without the grounde of Gods veritie be it ceremony or Sacramente priesthode or sacryfice reseruinge the deceiuers to his most fearefull iudgement THE TEXT 1 And I savve a great vvhite seate 2. him that satte on it 3. from vvhose face fled avvay both the earth heaueÌ„ 4. theyr places was no more founde 5. And I sawe the dead both great and small 6. stand before God 7. And the bookes were opened 8. And an other boke vvas opened 9 vvhych is the booke of lyfe 10. And the dead vvere iudged of those thinges 11. vvhyche vvere vvrytten in the bookes according to theyr deedes 12. And the sea gaue vp hir dead 13. vvhych vvere in hir 14. And death 15. and hell delyuered vp the dead 16. vvhiche vvere in them 17. and they vvere iudged euery man
according to hys deades 18. And death 19 and hell vvere cast 20. into the lake of fyre 21. This is the second death 22. And vvhosoeuer vvas not found vvritteÌ„ in the booke of lyfe 23. vvas caste into the lake of fyre The commentary 1 A none after this I behelde saith Saynt Iohan in secrete mysterye an imperiall throne or seat of estate faire splendaunte and bewtyfull None other is this than the iudgement seate of the Lorde 2 Great it is for the Maiestie and power of hym that shall syt therevpoÌ„ is of inestimable magnificence greatnesse Fayre and whyte both for the celestyall cléerenesse that shall at that houre apere with hym and also for the purenesse equitie and ryght of his vniuersal iudgementes 3 From the aspect of whose fearefull countenaunce shall both the earth beneath and the other elemeÌ„tes aboue flée awaye All the creatures of his creacion shall wyth reuerence tremble quake at his mighty aperaunce The SuÌ„ne shall thaÌ„ be darkened the Mone shall not giue hir lyght The Starres shall fall downe from aboue the powers of heauen shal be moued The elementes shall melte wyth heate and the whole earth shall teare in péeces lyke a ragge 4 A terryble fyre shall go before the iudge to burne vp hys enimyes on euery syde The places of them that lyued here supersticiously and voluptuously shall no more after that be founde Neuer shall they resort agayne hither to theyr olde wantoÌ„ pleasurs Of their bewtyfull Cyties shall not one stone be lefte vpon an other Their proude paynted Synagoges as duste in the wynde shal be scattred away from the earth Neither shall the skye nor yet the ground beneth be as it was but both they shal be renewed chaunged They shal be deliuered from corruption and so appere both a newe heauen and a newe earth according to the expectation of the creatures 5 Immediatly after that sayth saint Iohn the iudge thus sitting vpoÌ„ the scaâ—e of his eternall Maiestie I sawe styll in mysterye after the blast of the truÌ„pet that all they which were deade arose out of the earth And that both hygh and lowe great and small good and badde King and begger prelate and plough man tirant and perscecuted innocent Yea the sucking babe the died in the cradell so well as the aged maÌ„ 6 All they séemed vnto me to stande before their generall iudge Iesus Christ to whome the euerlasting father had giuen ouer his whole iudgementes which there appeared as hée was in dede a verie omnipotent god All we shall appere sayth Paule before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery one of vs maye receyue according to that he hath done be it good or ill 7 And the bookes of reckennings which are the seuerall consciences of men were open before the iudge That afore was hidde will thaÌ„ be manyfest and that was secret wyll than come to light be disclosed Euident it wil be vnto him who hath fulfilled the commaunded works of mercy who hath left them vndone their owne constences bearing witnesse to the same For what can be hid from him which seeth both the inwarde reynes and the secret thoughtes of the harte In this generall rekening yet shall prayse with the eternall rewarde redowne vnto them from the mercyfull Lorde whose walking here hath bene accordinge vnto fayth There shall they be reproued to haue bene pitiful to the poore hongry thursty nedy naked sicke in prison 8 After this was an other booke opeÌ„ed of a farre diuerse nature froÌ„ the other bokes for it was the swéet boke of lyfe wherin be regestred al that were predestinate to be saued froÌ„ the worlds beginning And this boke is the eternal predestinatioÌ„ of God 9 Before the worlds fouÌ„datioÌ„ saith s. Paule the lord predestinate vs into the addoptioÌ„ of his childreÌ„ through Iesus Christe Of this booke made Moyses mencion whan he said Eyther pardon thys people or els race me out of thy booke which thou haste written And Christ also to his seuentie disciples Be glad sayth he that your names are written in heauen Moreouer Iosue called this the booke of the ryghtuous and Iohn here the boke with seuen claspes This sheweh the holy ghost here vnto vs much after the custome dayly vsed among vs. For of the most notable men and women our maner is bothe longe to remember the names and also to speake of them as occasion giueth So equall is thys eternall iudge that no personage respecteth he in iudgment neither of Emperours nor Pope Kinge nor Byshope Lorde nor prieste But as he is ryghtuous of himselfe so iudgeth he rightuously 10 For they that were dead sayeth saynt Iohan or that had ledde their lyues here without fayth and the spirite of Christ were iudged of hym there according to the thinges which were regestred in the bokes of their coÌ„scieÌ„ces 11 That is to say according to the fylthy workes wherof their desperat coÌ„ciences accused them Onely are the wicked to be takeÌ„ here for the dead For the rightuous shall thaÌ„ haue nothinge wherof their coÌ„scieÌ„ce may accuse them Neyther shall the euill doers as witnesseth Dauid be of couÌ„sell with theÌ„ at the day They hauing the lyfe euerlasting shall not than be iudged though they than appere but shall sit with Christ in iudgement and reioyce in the condempnation of the vngodly blasphemers The rewarde of their vnfaythfulnesse shall thaÌ„ be powred vpon theÌ„ to their perpetuall care At that daye shall none bée absent but all shal be séene eyther to honour or els to reprofe 12 Neyther shall the depth of the sea nor the darkenesse of death nor yet hell that is bottomelesse bée able to hide any froÌ„ the face of this iudge For the sea sayth saynt Iohn that is myghty and greate shall at that daye delyuer vp cleane hir deade or those whome the Lorde suffered hyr to swallowe in for their outragious sinnes 13 Lyke as were the giauntes in the floude of Noe the great host of Pharao in the red sea and such other more 14 So shall gréedy death doe also which after many strange sortes hath consumed the enimies of God As for an example Cain by a chaunce vnsought Nadah and Abyn by fyre Achan by standing Holofernes Saull by the swerde Naball by excesse of wyne Iesabell by treading of horses Daniels accusers by the lyons Menelaus by breaking his necke Iudas by hanging himselfe Herod by wormes the children of Israell by swerd fyre serpentes and soden death and such other lyke 15 Hell whych is insaciable shall in lyke case render vp the innumerable swarme of the dead whom he wyth open mouth hath swallowed in quicke for their abhominations 16 Of whose number were Chore Dathan and Abiron with their affinitye the Cytyes of Sodome and Gomorre the vncircumcised gyauntes the ryche rourer and the ryche glotton in Luke Symon Magus wyth dyuerse other Hell hath gaped meruelouslye wyde sayeth Esaye and hath rauenouslye deuoured the hygh mynded
quiet shall hée lyghten them throughlye with his most glorious presence and with him shall they raigne for euer and euer in full felicitie and glory cōtinuing In this life beginneth the kingdome through fayth but there shall it be perfourmed in the perfecte sight of the godhead The proude raigne of tyrauntes is here but for a time the lesse it is to be feared The méeke raign of the rightuous continueth for euer the more it is to be sought for and desired The fruites that are here very harde and sower vnto them shall there bée inestimable swéete gentile beautiful perfecte and pleasaunt hauing theyr full rypenesse No neede shall it be thā to run by sea and lande for the wysedome power and glory of Christ for in that day shal they be with euery one present Here haue they but little pretie beames of the light very small drops of the water and a smel of the fruites a farre of Likelihoodes figures mysteries haue they only now of the beatitude to come But there shall they be sure to haue them in full sight tast and sauer and plentuously to be satisfied with them Scarse is it here in cōparison to that it shal be there as one droppe of water to the whole sea or as an hādful of sād is to the whole earth The texte 1 And he sayd vnto me 2. These sayings are faithfull and true 3. And the Lorde God 4. of the holy Prophets 5. sen◠his Angell to shev◠vnto his seruaunts 6. the things which shortly must be fulfilled 7. Beholde I come shortly 8. Happy is he that kepeth the saying 9. of the prophecie of this booke The Commentary 1 In the conclusion of these most wōderfull reuelations saith sainct Iohn the Angell that communed with mée all this time which was the very spirite of Christ sayde thus vnto me hys poore exyled seruaunt 2 It shall become no man to dispise these wordes nor to reiecte these sayings whome thou hast here séene and harde since the first beginning of thys reuelation For they are most faythfull and true sure and perfect shall without faile at their appoynted times in euery iote be fulfylled for the true churches commoditie and profit This is here spoken for the conseruation of the hygh mysteries of thys booke least any false Antichrist hereafter as many such hath bene in déede should cōdempne them depraue them and as of none aucthoritie reporte them As the most deare treasures of God therfore doth the holy Ghost here wrappe them vp togither to preserue them vnder hys power setteth vnto them the seale of hys owne witnesse that they should euermore be taken for his After this sort did the Prophets vse their prophecies concluding alwayes thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes So did the Lord his selfe whan he sayde Uerely verely I say vnto you we speake that we knowe My doctrine is not myne but his that sent mée Of my selfe I speak not the words that I vtter The father dwellyng in mée perfourmeth the workes I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true with suche other lyke Paule doth also name him selfe the Apostle of Iesus Christ. Not I commaunde this sayth he but the Lorde The gospell that I preache haue I learned of no man but by the shewing of Iesus Christ. The Lorde that is blessed for euer knoweth that I lye not and such like So is the ende of this booke as was the begynnyng sealed with many wonderfull strong sentences of the Lorde as his whole mynde perfect will and purposed decree concernyng hys church héere in earth 3 And the same Lorde God eternall sayeth Christ vnto Iohn which hath diuersly afore tyme spoken in the holy Prophets and fathers hath now laste of all sent the Angel of his euerlasting couenaunt by him to vtter the secrets of his mynde by whom he created the world Him hath he hither dyrected in these latter dayes of the world to shewe cléerely vnto his true seruauntes of whom thou arte in these dayes princypall those wonderfull things in mysterie which must within shorte space effectually come to passe and be fulfilled in déede As the manyfolde persecutions of his churche the prosperous raigne of the beast and his shorlings with the glorious rayse of the one and dampnable fall of the other That whan troublous crosses doe come they may be the more ioyfully taken cōsidering the tyme of them short the rewarde of their sufferaunce euerlasting 4 For none other cause is God héere called the Lord God of the Prophets but that they haue through his spirite truly beleued in him the same spirit declared his mynde and pleasure 5 In the beginning of this reuelation was this Angell sent vnto Iohn alone here is he sent also vnto his other seruauntes in token that the Lord in Iohn respecteth his congregation 6 The things that must shortly follow are his iudgements in rewarding the rightuous and condempning the reprobates For a thousande yeares are but as a day before him as the tyme that is in a maner past Let euery man take héede sayeth the Lorde leaste I come vpon him vnlooked for Let them watch in fayth and pray in spirite and veritie hauing theyr weddyng garmēts with the oyle of Christian loue in their lampes 7 For beholde whan I shall come eyther to the particular ende of anye man or to the latter iugdement I wil come sodainlye neyther the day nor yet the houre of my comming knowne afore least men as they are ill of nature should dryue of till that daye to liue according to faith Of this admonition may the faythfull sorte be glad being here in aduersitie consideryng their deliueraunce is at hande theyr crowne of immortalitie not farre of 8 Happy is that man whatsoeuer he be high or lowe rich or poore learned or vnlearned that obserueth in his cōuersation and lyfe the godly sayings contayned in the prophecie of thys present booke 9 Yea blessed is he that so receyueth the premonishments thereof that neyther false prophet can deceyue him nor yet any cruell Antichrist with terrour dryue him from the righte vnderstanding and followyng of Christes pure doctrine For neyther to dogges nor swine are they here lefte to be neglected or disdayned but vnto his faythful seruauntes to be reuerently followed and had in remembraunce The text 1 I am Iohn 2. which sawe these thinges 3. and haerde them 4. And vvhan I had hearde and seene them 5. I fell dovvne to vvorshippe before the feete of the Angell 6. vvhich shevved me these thinges 7. And he sayde vnto me 8. See thou doe it not 9. For I am thy fellovv seruaunt 10. and the felovv seruaunt of thy brethen the Prophetes 11. and of them vvhich keepe the sayinges of this booke 12. Worship God The Commentary 1 Consequently bicause ye shall not suppose this matter lyght sayth sainct Iohn as many thinketh that whiche hath not the testimony of men besides the aucthoritie of God I