the Lord God almightie and the lambe is the temple in that our heauenly coūtrie The vse of temples is this The Lord first instituting the tabernacle after the temple wold haue it testified that he wil be present in the middes of his people a father Lord and defender And therfore ar thei saied in the scriptures to come vnto the Lord which came either to the tabernacle or temple of the Lord. The temple moreouer was erected for preaching and praier and the externall seruice of God for receauing of the Sacramēts or offering vp of sacrifices But the Saincts in the heauēly coūtrie haue no nede of all these things Therfore thei nede no tēple Therfore is no temple sene in heauen For the Lord god nowe sheweth himself to them to be inioyed of the same the saincts ar now with him wherfore thei nede no tokē of his presēce We ar taught by doctrine what God is what is his wil and that we be saued by the lambe but now that we se god himselfe face to face and that saluatiō is cōmen by the lambe of God what nedeth there a temple in heauen By praier we require life and ioyes euerlasting now since these are happened to the electe what nedeth any house of prayer The Sainctes nowe withoute any temple offer vp eternall praises vnto God And seing that sacrifices and sacraments haue no further place in the euerlasting coūtrie I se not why there should be any temple in Heauen We rest and kepe in Heauen an euerlasting Sabboth This place moreouer proueth that Christ is very God coequall with the father as to whome he is ioyned inseperablie in all glory Nother is the Holy ghoste seperated from the father and the sonne which els where is saide to dwell in vs for the which cause we are called the temples both of God and of the Holy ghost of the Apostle in the first to the Corinth the .3 and the second Cor. 6. The eight place of this description is repeted of the lyght celestial The lyght of the citie God and that not without great cause yea and the same light is agayne cōmended in the .22 chap. For in buildinges there is nothing more excellent than light Otherwise without light all things are blynde Furthermore he sayeth not that the Sunne and Moone shulde be nomore but that the Citie of God shoulde not nede those lightes He sheweth the reason for the glory of God hath lightned it And the glory of God is the diuine celestial and vnspeakable brightnes of his vnapprochable light which he inhabiteth and according to his good pleasure cōmunicateth to the chosen The Lorde Christe which here is called the lambe for the misterie of redemption illumineth the blessed For by him we ar clarified and inioy that eternall moste beaultifull and celestial light S. Ihon hath borowed this place out of the .60 chap. of Esay where we read The Sunne shall not be there for the lighte of the daie And the brigtnesse of the Moone shall not shyne there but the Lord shall be to the thee a perpetuall light and thy God shall be thy brightnes Furthermore the seates of the blessed are thoughte to be fixed aboue the Sphere of the Sunne and Moone and also the brightnes of Saincts to excell farre the light of the Sunne and starres The same hath Esay testified also in the .24 and .30 chap. To God almightie and light eternall be praise and thankes geuing which hath prepared so great things for vs and geueth vs giftes such as no tung can exprsse He sheweth in places mo than one ¶ Who be Citizēs of this Citie who are partakers of that light or who be Citizens of this celestiall citie and what is the state of the Citizens All nations people saued are citizens of the eternal coūtrie Here ar two things to be noted First that the gentiles are made inheritours of glory and that without any choise For here excelleth not the Iewe nor the Greke nother Romane nor Barbarian Agayne yet not all without respect and confusely obteine euerlasting light but the saued only that is to sai whom Christ hath saued and redemed from sin the Deuil Antichrist and from the curse and the world And Christ saueth thelect and faithful They therfore shal in dede be partakers of the light These ar the citizens of the countrie euerlasting But what is their state and inhiritaunce Thei shal walke in the light of God the father the lambe that is to say they shall haue the fruition of the light and of God himselfe to their ioiful swetnes and fill For it is a figuratiue speach to walke in the light for that which is to inioy light Verely in the .88 Psalme is red with a figure not much vnlyke Lorde thei shall walke in the light of thy countenance And againe Thou shalt make knowen vnto me the fote path of lyfe the fulfilling of ioyes is in thy sight gladnes in thy right hand for euermore Kinges are in the courte of heauen But especially the places in heauen and in that Palace diuine are for Kings Kinges ar gouernours and captaines of the people as they be which are called Kynges and Princes gouernours Magistrates rulers aswel of the politique as ecclsiasticall gouernement Doctours maisters teachers Artificers and Parentes For their dutie is vertuouslye to gouerne their subiectes scollers or childrē to kepe them vnder awe or discipline to chastise and directe them to the dueties of life and all godlines This yf they do they shall haue a worthie place prepared in Heauen For Daniell saieth also in the .12 chapter But the teachers shall shine as the brightnes of the firmamēt and they that bring many to righteousnes as the starres euerlastingly O therefore O happie are you yf ye bringe many to execute the office of righteousnes But wo be to you Princes and teachers and maisters and Parentes yf herein you be negligent There is prepared for you in hell a place moste horrible and myserable as also Ezechiell hath testified But yf Kynges haue their place and the same right honourable in Heauen wherefore do the Anabiptistes teache naye whie doe they lie that a Christiane can not execute the office of a Magistrate For here are Kinges mentioned to be in heauē not only as men but as thei were kinges that is as they were good kynges and executed their office duely and not forsaking their place haue liued a priuate life For it followeth they shall brynge their glory and honour vnto it And what is that glory and what is the honour it followeth agayne and they shal bring the glory and honour of nations into it that is to saye they shal bryng into heauen with them the very nations their people and subiectes whō they haue holpen in trewe godlines and saluation in teachyng correctyng defendyng alluryng or drawyng c. And these be their glory and honour for S. Paule in the .2 to the Corinth the .1
117 Ten hornes 524 Ten tymes for often 68 Ten number for many 518 Tents of saints for the churche 611. afflicted 616 Testimony of christ 125. 572. c. Testimony is syncere preaching 322 Thanks geuing for victory 340 Thanks geuing praiers 237 Theft and his parts 281 Third number for strength 495 Thirst for ardaunt desyr 640 This is my bodi figuratiu spiech 45 Thoghtz knowen only to God 96 Thomas an Inglish preacher 604 Thousand yeres 593. 601 Thretningz of Christ 57 Threatningz against the impenitent 82 Throon signifieth c. 141 Throon of God 136 Thunders .vij. preachers 288 Thunderbolt of the Pope 399 Thyatira described 86 Title of thapocalyps 13 Torment maketh not martyrz 77 Torments of the wicked perpetuall 582 Totila brent Rome 528 Tradicions of men 97. nothyng niedful 118. 673. 99. 100. 390. bring darknes 207 Traian persecutor 194 Translators of the script 533. c Transubstantiacion is called god Mayzim 609 Treading vnder foot 309 Trew religion corrupted 205 Treuth figured by pillers 286 Treuth of Christ 112 Treuth neglected all misery foloweth 190 Treuth of the Gospel most heynous to impugn 584 Treuth is not to be kept in sylēs 368 Treuth alwaies preached 183 Treuth had euer sum patrons 600 Treuth in Polycarpz opinion 63 Tribulacion of diuers sorts 229 Tribut of a dead man 550 Trinitie 163. described 145. distincted into persons 14 Tries sign men 243 Trouble in churchs 51 Troubles and tumultes authors 206 Trumpets vse 241 Trustines of the Thyatirenians 88 Tryall or temptacion of Saints 68 Tumultes 206 Turks imagin bankets in heuen 136 Turks aid pernicious 275 Turkes receyue the religion of Mahomet 270 Turkish emperours beginning 273 Turning to God proffitable 3◠Two number 312. c Tym certain for vncertain 310. 326 Tym past for tym to cum 535 Tym tyms and half a tym 314 Tyranny of Antichrist 513 Tyranny of the Bish of Rome 425 V Valentinians heretiks 244 Vandals inuade Rome 527 Vengeauns of God figured by fyer 467 Vengeauns of God against Papists 464. 468 Vengeauns is desyred ij waies 200 Vengeauns reioysed at 553 Vertew we haue hoolly of God 153 Verteuz rewarde 108 Vertuous lyfe necessary hatred only of papistry other heresye is not inough 277 Vial a cup. 169 Vicar of Christ 253. niedeth not 35 Vicar Christ neuer appointed 389 Vicar of Christ no trew church hath 441 Victory of Christ and christians 358 Victory of the faithfull 136. 119 Victory of preachers is spiritual 317 Victories and felicitye of thys world 274 Victory of ouer the world 100 Violent vocacion 129 Virgins 443 Visions vtilitie 2 Visions of thapocalyps diuided 11 Visions godly terrible to weak naturs 40 Vision second 138. 140. third 347. fourth 470 Vnbeleuers 642 Vnderstanding of man is weak 228 Vncleannes hated of God 82 Vncleannes of hordum peruers doctryn 512 Vnction or anointing 316. c. Vngodlines or wickednes must be hated not permitted or winked at 90 Vnity of God with man 135. 136 Vnitie of faith shal neuer be vniuersall as sumthink 606 Vniuersall Bishop 251 Vntil put for euer 604 Vocatiō of ministers diuers 300 Vocation violent 129 Voluptuousnes 538 Voluptuousnes of Rome 551 Voluptuousnes of the papists 308 Vomiting out of mungrels 127 Voyce of Christ 37 Voyce lowd or low to prais god withall 176 W Wagis of euery one 343 Walles of the heuenly citie 650 Wantunnes figured by wemens lokz 262 Wantūnes vnclennes 81. look mor in fornication and adultry Wars occasioned by the Deuell 185 Wars are bicause men receiue not the gospell 186 Wars moued by Popes 484 Wars betwen Popes Emperors lasted 200. yeres 419 Wars of heretiks 243. 244. c. Wars of the holy land 611. 612. 613. c. did hurt 598 Warfar and victory of Christiās 119 Warm lewk 126 Warnings that God vseth 134 Was and is not 515. 518. Water of lyfe 638. c. 668 Water into blud grace into punishment 319 Water in abundans sign a sea of all illes 365 Water for doctryn 483 Waters kingdūs dispersed 524 Waters sign people 442 Watching exhorted 497 Weak in faith ordred a right 51. 52 Weapons of preachers Gods word 317 Wel of lyfe 638 Welth of Rome cōpared to Euphrates 492 Wemen prophets 91 Whyt aray 108 Whyt color 182 Whyt stoon is remission of sinnez 84 Wicked oght to be hated with a holy hatred and in no wis nourished or wenkt at 79 Weping of the ignoraunt 159 Will frye 129 Wil of man what it helpeth to saluacion 694 Wildernes figure of the Gentils 353 Wildernes for heithennes gentilesm 508 Wildernes Christ is in 213 Winning of brethern how 115 Winged locusts 263 Wishing perteined only to ministers 19 Witnes of Christ 125 Witnesses Apostles 573 Witnesses figure ministers 313 Witch craft .280 of Rome 557 Wo wo wo. 249 Wo third 336 Woman Pope 507 Womā figure of the church 348 Woman precher prohibited 91 Worde of God beginning of repentauns 105 Word of god Christ al one 579 Word of God is tryed gould 130 is sweet and better 302 Word of God and faith are not without the holy ghost 219 Word of God contemned cause of all misery 190 Word of God broght in doubt by the Pope as by the Deuell at the first in paradise 390 Word of Christ contemned 38 Word of Christ what 114. how it is kept 114 Word of paciens and of the crose 117 World figured by the sea 473 World is not euerlasting 500 World shal be renewed 631 Worlds end at hand 295 World frail as glas 147 Worldlinges 124 Wounds of Antechrist healed 395 Wrytings 636 Wryting of the scripturs to what end 567. 31. Wryting why it is vsed 45◠Wullen cloth of Laddicea 123 Wunders and monsters 435 Wurks taken for heel conuersacion of men in words dieds both 104 Wurks of the faithfull 462 Wurkes shall we be iudged by 625 Wurks good of God il of the Deuell 373 Wurks of mens hands 279 Wurks of Christ in opposition to the wurks of men 100 Wurks must be preached in the church 640 Wurks of euery man rewarded accordingly by God 96 Wurinwud 245 Wourshipping signified by falling down 168 Wourship God only 340. 450. 573. no creature 175 Wurship of God is not ingould siluer 510. c. is partly praies 168. externall and in spirit 153 lawfull and vnleful 645. of Idols 644. c. of aungels and Saintes 678. of the Deuel 279 Wurthynes of saints 108 Wurthines figured by wynges 263 Wurthines we haue all of God 153 Wyn new in old bottels 126 Wyn fat figure of hel 468 Wynd in the script 214 Y Yers thre and a half 310 Z Zeal godly 55 Zeal feruent against heresies necessary 86 Zeal and feruentnes remedy of warmnes or neutralitie 133 FINIS RITHMI E VETVSTO CODICE DESCRIPTI Romanum quendam cognomento Lefranco taxantes PRopter Sion non tacebo Sed ruinas Romae flebo Quoadusque iusticia Nobis rurfus oriatur Et vt lampas accendatur Iustus
and fraternities of Sainctes vnlesse they had ben the Apostles of that great abominable Antichrist The testimony of Iesus Christe Moreouer the Angell him selfe expoundyng agayne his owne wordes sheweth what is the testimony of Iesu Christ For the testimony of Iesu is the sprete of Prophecie And the sprete signifieth reuelation or vnderstandynge and prophecie the propheticall and Apostolical doctrine And therefore the sense is the testimony of Iesu Christ is no other thing but the reuealyng of the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles in the minde of the godly through the holy ghost and fayth And therfore the Apostles in the gospel are called witnesses and the gospell a testimony And to testifie is to preach Of the whiche exposition such an argument maye be gathered the cause of thy worshippyng Iohn is doubtles that excellent reuelation and prophecie vnto thee by me reuealed But yf I should therefore seme worthie to be worshipped for that there is in me an excellent sprete of Prophecie by the like reason shalt thou worship al thy bretherne in whome is the same sprete of prophecie to witte the testimony of Iesu the true fayth But where thou seest and thy selfe art compelled to graunt the same to be very absurde I perceiue it to be absurde if thou shouldest worship an Angell The laste and strōgest reason Worship God whie he would not be worshipped is this worship God It is taken out of the authoritie and Lawe of God perpetuall and immutable reuealed in the .6 of Deuter. and repeted of our sauiour Christ in the .4 of Matth. if we would obeye the lawe of God al culte and worshipping and inuocation of Sainctes had ben long sins bannished and exiled out of the church Furthermore ther be other places also Angels are not to be worshypped nor called vpon which commende the ministeries and vertues of Angelles teachyng neuerthelesse to honour and call vpon God himself Reade the goodly Psalmes .34 and .91 And yf any man liste to haue also the consente of the fathers let him reade S. Austen sayeng that Angelles must nother be worshipped nor called vpō nother ought there sacrifice to be made vnto them nor churches erected The chiefe places be of the true religion the .55 chap. against Maximine an Arriane Bishop first boke leafe .77 De ciuit dei .8 boke laste chapt 10. chapt 16.19.20 To God be the glory ¶ The description of Christe the Iudge commyng to the laste iudgement The .lxxxv. Sermon AND I sawe heauen open and beholde a white horse and he that sat vpon him was called faithful true and in rightuousenes dyd he iudge and make battaile His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes he had a name written that no man knewe but him selfe And he was clothed with a vesture dipte in bloud and his name is called the worde of God And the warriers which were in heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed with white and pure silke And out of his mouthe went a sharpe sworde that with it he should smite the heythen And he shall rule thē with a rod of yron and he trode the winefatte of the fearecenesse and the wrath of almightie God And hath on his vesture on his thighe a name written kynge of kinges and Lorde of Lordes Hitherto we haue hearde many thinges of the sondry pūnishementes of the vngodly Of the last iudgemēt and because it is manifeste that God taketh punnishment of the mischeuous and wicked at sondry times and diuersely but most fully and most seuerely in that same laste iudgement and from thence forth euermore and S. Iohn hath ones twise thryse begonne to treate of the laste iudgement as in the ende of the .11 and .14 chapt And yet hath euer differred suspended and reserued to an other place at the last thinkyng it time to set before al mens eyes a description chiefely necessarie at the length he taketh it in hande and nowe finissheth it vp as a matter of all other greateste He annexeth therefore to a plentifull treatise of the tourmentes of the vngodly a moste full and euident description of the iudge moste rightuous and greatest and of that laste iudgement and moste straite of all others wherein moste fully and seuerely the paynes shal be executed vpon al Antichristians and vngodly for euermore This place which is the fourth of this chapt and this treatise stretcheth vnto the .21 chapter The elocution is great smellyng of the propheticall maiestie and Apostolicall perspicuitie and efficacitie You shall finde not a fewe of this sorte in the prophetes especially in the .24.25.26 and .27 chapt of Esaye And verely this doctrine is very profitable and necessary to be learned and vnderstande moste dilligently of all and singular faythfull A profitable necessarie doctrine of the laste day of iudgemēt as the whiche with muche dilligence and moste plentifull abondaunce was set forth to this ende of the Prophetes and Apostles but chiefely of the Lorde Iesus Christe him selfe bothe in the Gospell and also in this moste godly reuelation For vnlesse thou be kepte in thy duetie for feare of the iudgement and Iudge to come it is no maruell though thou runneste madde and perisshe with this folishe and wicked worlde In the treatise of the laste iudgement is sene the ende of al menne life and death felicitie and miserie payne or tourment and vnspeakable and heauēly rewarde He that remembreth these thinges well abhorreth wickednes and walketh in holy feare before God And we haue learned of the doctrine of the Gospell That daye is knowen to no man that the same daye of the restoryng of all and oppression of the vngodly and also of all vngodlines is knowen to no mortall man but to the father alone and therefore to inquire of the houre and momente thereof to be most folishely done much more wickedly Notwithstandyng the good Lord hath shewed and signified tokens whiche when we shall see to be fulfilled and accomplished we might lifte vp our heades knowyng that our redemption draweth nere Beholde your redemption sayeth he not your tourment For he speaketh of the godly lokyng for their redemption frō heauen at the retourne of our sauiour and redemer our lord Christe whiche shal also inflicte to his enemies reuēgement as S. Paule sayeth in the .2 Thess the .1 Therfore let vs not here be curiouse which search for things vnsearchable but rather let vs watch and praye after the holesome precepte of our sauiour iudge and reuenger let vs haue our loynes gyrded and let lightes burne in our handes let vs loke for him stedfaste in faith and and soūde in holy hope Let vs rather take hede that the care of this world possesse not our hartes and beware of drōkennesse and surfettyng and that we be not of the nombre or cōuersation of them whiche in the dayes of Noe and Loth regarded worldely thinges only dispised heauenly laughed them to skorne
the Easte and toke awaye the landes of the Emperour Whiche was absent in the seruice of Christe whiche is moste wicked to be spoken and kepte them thus subdued to his owne vse and by no meanes wold suffer those whiche had taken the holy crosse that is to saye whiche should go a warfare to the Emperour to take shippyng or passage but letted them to his power aswel in Apulia as in Lumbardie And more such stuffe whiche they maye reade that haue leasure in the same Wherefore themperour constreyned his matters there lefte vnperfit to falle to a coÌ„position with the enemie retourned that he might recouer such thinges as the Pope had taken from him 9 And no longe time after to witte in the yere of our Lord 1248. Lewis Kinge of Fraunce with his bretherne Roberte and Charles and a moste puissaunt army sayleth into Syria where Robarte is slaine and Charles taken of the Soldane is hardely deliuered at the laste and with a fewe escapeth The same king Lewis of Fraunce in the yere of our Lord 1270. imbarketh himself with his three sonnes at Marselles to sayle into Affricke The plague light vpoÌ„ his Armie in the enemies lande wherwith both the father and the sonne died and the whole Armie receyued an excedyng great calamitie And agayne although they had but euill fauoured lucke in the warres against the Barbarians yet was it neuerthelesse treated agayne in the counsell of Lions vnder Gregory the .10 about the yere of our Lord .1273 of recouering the holy land But Palmerius in the yere of our Lorde .1291 Where many thousandes of the Christians sayeth he were slaine in Syria by the Saracenes al the reste for feare fled out of the countrie And the Chronicle of kinges of FrauÌ„ce Aemilius sayeth he made here an ende of the holy warre to witte in the yere of our Lord .1291 Ptolemais in the Easte beyng destroyed by the Soldane It is manifeste therefore that this Barbarous and gogical warre hath lasted aboute .195 yeares So longe time as I knowe no other warre in the world that euer was made with such obstinate mindes with so great armies and so muche shedyng of mans bloud We see in the meane time the tentes of sainctes and the citie of God beloued to witte the faithful church through out the world in the Easte especially and in the west also to be most greuousely afflicted and more than oppressed and destroyed a fewe smal remnauntes only remaynyng that not with out cause we maye perceiue that the lord sayed in the gospell but when the sonne of man shal come shal he finde any fayth in the Earth Here is a place of Daniell treated by the waye 11. chapt The moste holy and wise Prophet of God Daniel semeth to haue foresene and prophecied al those thinges as he did al the reste concernyng Antichrist which after he had spoken at large of the power of Antichrist worshippyng of the God Mayzim against the Apostles institution he adioyneth in the 11. chapt And in the time of the ende to witte the ende of the world and laste iudgement approachyng shal sette vpon him namely vpon Antichrist the king of the South and the king of the North shal fall vpoÌ„ him like a whirlewinde with charettes and horsemen with a strong and greate Nauie and shall inuade his realmes he shall ouerflowe with armies to witte innumerable and he shal passe through that is to saye he shal ouercome all like a conquerour doyng what he liste For we haue perceyued that the armies sent into the Easte by the counselles and motion of the Bisshop of Rome haue molested by Sea and lande the turkes and also the Soldane of Babilon Aegipte What will ye saye that Daniel poincting as it were with his fingar the war called holy addeth He shal come also into the chosen lande and inuade the lande of desire namely Iewrie whiche some time was called the chosen delectable and pleasaunt lande And many shal falle in the warre verely that shal be made for the recoueryng of the holy lande It followeth in Daniel these shal be deliuered out of his hande Aedom and Moab the Princes of the children of Ammon For those nations are not red to haue ben so destroyed as the reste were by the Saracenes and after by the Turkes for that they framed themselues to them in time Daniel annexeth and he shal laye his handes vpon realmes nother shal the laÌ„de of Aegipte escape For it is euident that the same also was possessed of the Soldanes princes of Babilon and of themperours of Turkes It followeth and he shal haue the rule of the treasures of golde and siluer and all the preciouse thinges of the Aegiptians By the whiche the prophet hath signified the inestimable treasures and richesse and excellent maiestie of the Soldanes and Turkish Emperours All the whiche thinges euen so as the Prophet hath sayde experience proueth to haue ben and as yet to be fulfilled The Prophet addeth finally the Libians and Aethiopians shal be in his iourneyes Which tholde traÌ„slatour hath tourned He shal passe also through Lybia and Aethiopia or as others haue traÌ„slated it they shal be in his waye And he meaneth that those regions shall be open to those Barbarous Soldanes and emperours of Turkes by leage vicinitie and amitie S. Hierome expounding this place when Aegipte sayeth he was taken those landes were also affrayde Wherfore he sayeth not that he toke them but passed through Lybia Aethiopia Whether sense of these so euer thou chousest tâ—ou shalt not erre as I thinke froÌ„ the trewth And Daniel addeth the brute from the Easte and froÌ„ the North shal trouble hiâ— in so much that he shall goe forth in a great furie to distroye and kill many The whiche S. Hierome sheweth muste be vnderstaÌ„de of Antichrist The Pope of Rome affirmeth that the seates Patriarchall are subiecte to him as Hierusalem Antioche and Alexandria and the holy laÌ„de to be his right And he heareth out of the East and out of the North that al those partes are possessed of the Soldanes and Emperours of Turkes he calleth therefore great counselles and decreeth warre against them He heareth moreouer that CoÌ„stantinople is taken that the Rhodes is wonne Dalmatia subdued Bulgarie and Hongarie vanquissed c. Agayne therefore he sommoneth couÌ„selles he armeth kinges he leadeth forth soldiours he moueth warre and decreeth that warre shall be made for the recouering of the holy laÌ„de and to roote out the Turkes So verely this Gogmagog warre is not yet ended or appeased at this daye Whereby it coÌ„meth to passe that an infinite multitude of men are slayne on eyther side Furthermore at the ende of this Prophecie the prophet sheweth and as it were with his fingar poincteth the palace or seate of Antichrist by Antiochus figured before leeste any manne should not know The seate palace of Antichrist where Antichrist were to be founde And he shall plante sayeth he or sixe the
places thou stickest daungerously vpō the stony rockes wherupon thou mayest chaunce at the laste to suffer Shipwreake Religion muste be holdē fast And two thinges he alloweth chiefly in this churche first that they holde the name of Christ For the Greke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to touche lightly but to holde fast so that it can not with force be plucked awaye that thou holdest And so they helde Christe moste depely fixed in their mindes The name of Christ is the holsome workyng of our redemption and sanctification besides the which there is no other name as S. Peter sayeth wherby we maye be saued They cleaued therfore vnto Christ as we reade of thapostles in the 6. of Iohn And necessary it is that euery one of vs holde faste the misterie of saluation rooted in our hartes Religion muste be professed Secondly it is not ynough to retaine the misterie of saluation in our harte vnlesse we professe it also with full and open mouth Wherupō he addeth streighte waies and haste not denied my faythe Beholde how he calleth it faith nowe which of late he called the name of Christ And he calleth it properly his fayth that is not diuised or inuented by men but set foorth of Christe him selfe by the woorde of his veritie This trewe right and catholicke faith must we confesse and not denye and professe it expressely aswel in wordes as in workes The maners of deniyng the Lorde Christ and his Gospel are denied by mo wayes than one They are denied by silence when we holde our peace what time we shoulde speake chiefly for the glory of God Christ agayne is denied through dissimulatiō as where Peter sayeth I wote not what thou sayest For he knewe right well what the mayde sayed but feare caused him to dissemble He is denied what time plainely with expresse woordes Christ and his veritie is denied He is denied with a figuratiue confession what tyme in dede we confesse some what but yet so darkely and so diffusely that it is vnknowen what it is that thou professest He is denied when we fayne in our harte that we kepe the true doctrine and denie it in our workes in bowynge our selues before Idolles goynge to prophane churches cōmunicating with the ceremonies of Antichrist kneling on the grounde and worshipping that thing whiche our conscience gaue vs and the faith set forth by the apostles taught vs to be no God And verely all this deniall arriseth of feare and of our corrupte affections If there where so assuredly a rewarde propounded of men for the confessing of him as thou arte sore affraide to be put to paine in case thou do confesse there wolde seme no difficultie at all to professe Christ sincerely Where therfore thou deniest or dissemblest thou doest it for feare But suche timorouse and fearefull deniers the lord shutteth out of his kingdome The world therfore beyng dispised the name of the Lorde muste be confessed boldely without feare accordyng to the doctrine of Christ Matth. 10. Marke 8. And this confession of the congregation of Pergamos is amplified and highly cōmended by reason of the time We muste than professe when persecutiō is hote For it is a great matter to professe Christ in no quiet but in most troublesome times But it is manifest that the churche of Pergamos confessed Christ in the middes of the persecutiō in the whiche was executed the holy martir of Christe Antipas Wherof it followeth that the profession was noble It is comonly saied but these men sawe Antipas slaine and yet could not be feared from the true faith and these thinges in dede are set forth in fewe wordes but in sense most ample to be followed of all churches Some others reade here in my dayes But the complutensian copie is better whiche hathe in the dayes wherin Antipas c. As though he should saye And thou haste confessed my name in those dayes wherin Antipas was my faithfull witnes whiche for the same cause was slaine also Antipas is cōmended The praise of Antipas of martirs and as it were canonised of the very sonne of God And he is praysed that he was a witnes that is a martir And that in dede a faithfull witnes by testifiyng teaching confessing and keping his faith to the Lord euen to the ende Actes 13. Perauenture he was pastour of this Churche or some other man of singular constauncie amonges the faithfull Certes fayth and not torment maketh martirs And because this martir is praysed of Christe we vnderstand that the agonies and cōflictes of martirs should be preached in the church of Christ and many be excited and exhorted to followe their steppes Therefore we affirme that the holy martirs of God are honoured but not to be worshipped or called vpon We condemne al those that speake against holy martirs and associate them with those that slew them But touchinge the worshippinge of Sainctes I haue spoken els where more at large we learne hereof also that they die not for euer that die in this worlde for the name of Christ neither that the martirs be polluted with worldly reproche considering how they be commended by the mouth of God To christ therfore king of martirs be honour praise and glory worlde without ende Amen ¶ The latter parte of the third Epistle is expounded wherein is spoken of the Nicolaitans whiche are damned And exhortation is made to repentaunce The .xi. Sermon BVt I haue a fewe thinges against thee Nume 24 that thou hast the there that mainteine the doctrine of Balaā which taught in Balacke to put occasion of sinne before the children of Israel that they should eate of meate dedicate vnto Idolles cōmitte fornicatiō Euen so haste thou them that mainteine the doctrine of the Nicolaitans whiche thing I hate But be conuerted or els I wil come to thee shortely will fight against them with the sworde of my mouth Let him that hathe eares heare what the spirite sayeth to cōgregations To him that ouercometh wil I geue to eate Māna that is hidde geue him a white stone in the stone a new name writē which no mā knoweth sauing he that receiueth it In the first parte of this epistle the Lorde cōmendeth many thinges in the church of Pergamos The lorde reprehendeth a few things in the churche of pergamos howe in the seconde parte he will reprehende a fewe And he sayeth a fewe thinges not that the errour of the Nicolaitans is a light offence but that the sinne is in others rather than in the trewe Church it self to witte in them whiche notwithstandinge that they were not of the bodye of the churche in dede yet did they ioyne with the churche outwardely and would be taken for membres of the same After he speaketh modestly least by exasperatinge ouer muche the sinne and errour in the faithfull he shoulde trouble theyr mindes and discourage them vtterly There is a measure in al thinges as
vp to God the father the body bloud of Christ a propiciatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead But Ireney and Tertullian speake not of such a sacrifice but of the oblation of prayers which the massemonging Prieste offereth not vp alone but the whole cōgregation of Christ sanctified in his bloud geuynge thankes in the lordes supper to God the father for theyr free redemption These holy fathers neuer knewe the sale Masses of these Chananites Againste praying to sainctes in Heauen Of this same place of S. Iohn the selfe same Papistes go aboute to proue and to establishe the praying to Sainctes in heauen Beholde saye they the Sainctes are sayed to praye openly in heauē But they nede not to praye for them selues and therefore as intercessours and Patrones they praye for their clientes and worshippers in Earth I aunswer that the Sainctes in dede praye in heauen but that you addyng the kinde and maner of praying do expounde it to be intercession patchyng to a piece of your owne do forge and coūtrefet the same and maliciously and falsely do belye it S. Iohn here expoundeth him selfe so that he nedeth not your patchyng For he addeth and they singe a newe songe Yea and he reciteth the whole fourme of this song leeste any mā should corrupte that whiche he had sayed of prayers And that same fourme conteyneth prayse and blessing or thankes geuyng and not intercession or inuocation For certayne it is euen by the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Timoth. 2. and to the Philipp 4. that there be two chiefe kindes of prayer inuocation and prayse or thankes geuyng But the thing it selfe playnly proueth that S. Iohn speaketh here of the latter and not of the first The shadowes of the lawe are expoūded And where as this place expoundeth certen Tipes shadowes or misteries of Gods lawe by the same we maye rather confute the intercession of Sainctes in Heauen for their worshippers For in the lawe is permitted one onlye golden Aultar of incense And the same represented a figure of Christ For one Christe is the mediatour and intercessour betwixt God and man It was not laweful for the people of God to burne incense but vpon this Aultar only It was not laweful for any man to prepare or make for him selfe an odour of those kinde of gumes whereof the diuine incense consisted and to smell to it as appereth in the .30 of Exodus Whie than doe not these vnderstande that prayers belonge to God alone and that the Sainctes in Heauen woulde not smell of suche incense Dauid in the .141 psalm sayeth let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sighte the listynge vp of my handes an euening sacrifice The Deuill desireth to haue suche maner of incenses to be made vnto him As appereth in the .4 of Matth. and in S. Austen of the Citie of God But our heauenly Sainctes are not Deuilles Whie vnderstonde they not that this Aultar of incense standeth nowe in Heauen on the ryght hande of the father and there maketh intercession for vs and that for his sake the father is reconciled to vs and we are accepted of God and that by him alone we muste offer vp our prayers vnto God whiche are els abominable Whie see they not the heauenly Sainctes at this present to attribute al things to the only lambe alone and to chalenge nothyng to them selues Finally that they make no mention of their worshippers but plainely testifie that the only lambe was and is worthie whiche should take the boke c. And the praise or thankes geuing of the heauenly sainctes he hath called a newe songe What is a newe song whiche in the Scriptures is no newe thynge For the Sainctes saye that they will singe in Earth vnto God a newe songe Psalm xxxiii.xcvi.xcviii.cxliiii Esaye .xlij. And newe songes be called these newe balades or verses in meter whyche are made of some newe benefite or noble acte done And because the minde of manne is delighted greately with newe benefites they synge a newe songe whyche with a ioyefull mynde prayse GOD and geue him thankes with theyr inwarde affections Finallye they synge a newe songe whiche wyth purified myndes and renewed with the Spirite doe laude GOD whiche thynge was chiefely geuen to those heauenly Sainctes Whereof we learne agayne howe it behoueth our mindes to be affected and furnisshed in the prayers and prayses of GOD. This same sayeth Aretas I cal a new songe by whose benefite we whiche beyng lighted in al partes of the earth departing from the antiquitie of the lawe written and walkynge in the newnes of life are taught by the holy ghost to singe a geuing of thankes The himne or prayse geuing of the sainctes in heauen To these thynges nowe is added the Himne of Sainctes that we might also haue a fourme howe to prayse God And in the Hymne they singe that al things are subiecte to christ and al thinges ordered by his gouernment that he humbled him selfe to the deathe and was therefore exalted aboue all thinges Now are also the vertues or effectes and wonderful benefites of his death cōmended vnto vs that estemyng the gouernour of his benefites done to vs we maye beleue also that his gouernement shal be holesome for vs and therefore maye submitte our selues to him willingly in faythe and patience Whiche verely is the chiefest ende of those thinges whiche here are treated with so great diligence Christe alone is worthy to open the boke Firste they cōmende the Maiestie and dignitie of Christ that he alone is founde in the whole vniuersal world whiche hath rule ouer al which is the only sauiour of the world the reuealer also of godly misteries and gouernour of all For this is to take and to open the boke whiche we haue nowe oft times repeted Secondly they annexe the cause why this glory should be only of the lambe or sonne of God because saye they thou waste killed And they vnderstande by the lesse the more to witte his whole incarnation and the whole misterie of our redemption death resurrection and ascensiō into heauen and the residewe He therefore is the true and only mediatour of God and men he is the only sauiour as he that alone was incarnate crucified for vs he is the only gouernour whiche by his humilitie deserued to be exalted Philipp 2. And he is a most fitte gouernour of al thinges as of whome al men maye as of their most faithful sauiour and euen their brother hope well what thinges so euer chaunce vnto them through his gouernement c. The vertu effecte of the death of Christe In the meane time they cōmende most highly the vertue or effecte of Christes death For this beynge rightly vnderstande we are more ready to submitte our selues to that gouernour whom we knowe to be our sauiour whiche loueth vs derely and would haue al saued And the chiefest effect of Christes death is redemption Redēption redeminge
slowe and to make those cleane that are couered with ruste and maye fine the corrupte Golde For so the Scripture defineth in the .11 chapt of Daniel and the Apostle .1 Peter Chapter .4 Christe therfore not to distroie but to trie permitteth very many things to Tirannes agaynst the Church The godly men also procure to themselues the heauy hande of the Lorde whilest in dede they beleue rightly in the sonne of God and depende only of him but neuerthelesse are intangled with sondry and euill affections and committe suche actes as not becometh them This maye you see declared at large in the beginnyng of the eight boke of the Ecclesiastical story of Eusebius whiche I lately alledged And the Tirannes that persecuted had an other respect as Sinacherib and Antiochus than our Bisshoppes and Princes haue at this daye For these nowe are moued with the hatred of Religion and are pricked forewarde of Sathan They will haue in any wise their Idolatrouse religion mainteyned and the religion of the Gospell vteerly distroyed They can not abide to haue their Idolles or other sinnes reproued for this cause are they mad at the faithfull and suche as frankely speake agaynst blame ther Idolles and wickednes And thus doeth the persecutiō arrise boyle vp and procede The whiche when the faithfull see increase thus Mutining in persecution and fele themselues sore oppressed they maruel howe longe the lord wil winke at this Many crie out the Lorde neglecteth his matters The Lorde semeth to deale vniustely with his seruauntes he semeth vtterly to forget them Neither is there any doubte but that many by murmuryng offende the Lord greuously Now therfore are we taught that we might haue hope and patience And at this present Heauen is opened to vs and shewed vs to beholde The sum of such thīgs as are opened to vs in this seale where as be the soules of them that are slaine in persecutions and what is their state is declared morouer that God forgetteth not to be reuenged whie also he differreth the same and how long These thinges are spoken to the consolation of al the faithful that are now afflicted with persecutiō Farre other thinges are exhibited here vnto vs than painters instructed or rather corrupted of with monkes and Freres set forth to vs to wit a great company of Monkes and Nunnes couered in Heauen with our ladies coule as though the greatest parte of them should be saued S. Iohn sheweth vs neuer a Frere but rather many martirs whom the Freres at this daye make before other men Herof therfore as of the doctrine of veritie we shal learne what state or degree is most plentifull in heauē not that we should thinke no man but only Martirs to be saued for so many as truely beleue in Christe and crucifie their fleshe with the concupiscences of the same shal be associated with holy Martirs and reioyse with Christ for euer but that chiefly the holy Martirs are saued whome the madde world supposeth to be lost Soules seperated frō the body be immortal But al thinges here must be examined of vs most diligētly For this place as it is most manifeste so is it ful of moste holesome doctrines First S. Iohn seeth and sheweth vs as it were poynting with his fingar the soules that of those that were slaine to wit the spiritual immortal substaunces which the body beyng lost and consumed do remaine a liue The body may be killed the soule can not be killed Whiche our Sauiour hath liuely expressed in the .10 of Matth. In the 12. of Luke he sayeth be not affrayde of them which sleye the body and after this haue nothing that they can do more c. Therfore tirānes might wel kil the bodies of Martirs they had no power ouer their soules This place witnesseth manifestly the soules of men not only to be immortall but also liuing or watcheful not slepyng to remayne liue in Heauē For there be that thinke the soules departed from the body to slepe The cause maketh martyrs not the punishment which thing is most vayne Nowe also the cause is shewed for the which the Martirs are slayne for the worde of God and for the testimony that they had they were not put to death for their wickednes or euill doynges but for the trewe religion wherby they confessed and preached that word of God which was in the beginning and was made fleshe and the Gospell which they had committed vnto them the testimony of God and eternal life which also thei ministred and preached Of the word of God and testimony of Iesu Christ I haue spoken in the first Chapt. For no other cause at this day are slaine innumerable of Bisshoppes kinges and princes Yf they were aduouterers vsurers blasphemers wicked doers they shuld be in some estimation nowe where they professe the onely sonne of God and preache the Gospell they are murthered without mercy Here haue we also certenly defined who be very Martirs in dede not they that suffer tourmentes but they that are tourmented for gods word For the cause maketh the Martir But where are the soules of them that are slayne for the word of God shewed vnto vs vnder the Aultar Where the place is of the soules slayne for gods word the Aultar is after in the .8 chapt set in heauē before the throne of God Therfore the soules of al Sainctes are in Heauen before the Throne of God which was also signified before in the Tipe of the .xxiiii. Elders The Lord hath sayed also where I am there shal be also my seruaunt But the lord is in heauē therfore the soules of the faithful whose bodies haue ben slayne The souls vnder the Aultar or buried without slaughter be no where els but in Heauen Neuerthelesse it waunteth not a singular misterie that they are layed vnder the Aultar as vnder a shadow through whose benefite the soules may be wel at ease I told you before and here againe repete that the aultar signifieth Christ For he is also the golden aultar intercessour and propiciation for our sinnes For the propiciation and mediation of Christ we are receiued into the Ioyes celestial And Christ is our life saluatiō Vnder him we lie hidde as vnder a couer or a shadow Thomas of Aquine expounding this place of S. Iohn by the aultar sayeth he is signified Christ in whom and by whome we should offer to the father what good so euer we doe and through him is made acceptable what so euer is pleasaunte to God Vnder this Aultar namely vnder christ be the soules not only in the state of life to witte whilest we liue here in earth but also in the state of our countrie to wit in heauē as vnder him of whome they are couered as vnder a shadowe agaynst all euill Thus sayeth Thomas But I suppose that there is an other thing also signified that martirs are made confourmable to the Aultar that is to
in heauen And where the crier of the iudgement cometh out of the temple it signifieth that no vnrightuousnes of the iudge is here to be imagined For the temple is cōsecrated to holines rightuousenes and is called the house of God Iustely therfore he iudgeth in iuste time he iudgeth iustely executeth al things Thangel biddeth the iudge do that thing which he of himself was aboute to do Thrust in the sickle saieth he and reape Two causes are alleaged Firste for the howre is come that thou shuldest reape Therfore a certeine howre of iudgemēt is appointed which when it cometh the iudgemēt shal be most certenly And it is commen for thee saieth he for all iudgimēt is geuen to the sonne Than for the corne of the earth is ripe As though he shulde say the iniquitie of earthly men is growen vp to the highest therfore is it reason that it shulde be cut downe And God alone knoweth when the iniquitie of the Earth is fulfilled c. †A moste quicke iudgement But when it shal come thereunto there shall nede no great preparation deciding or pondering of causes At one word he finisheth the iudgemēt and the execution of the same and as it were swalloweth vp and deuoureth the whole earth in a momēt saieng herewith he thrust in his sickle which sate vpon the clowde on the earth and the earth was reaped The rest of the things which seme to belong here vnto take out of the .13 chapt of Math. And that which he hath saied hitherto he repeteth and beateth in by an other parable For bi this he shadoweth the same which the other parable did commend That plentie maketh for the playner euidence and beateth in most dilligently the certentie and veritie of the iudgement leest herin we shulde doubte anything and wauer with the vnfaithful world The parable is takē of vintage The same is vsed very oft of the prophets speaking of the destruction of any nation And the Lord also in the gospel compareth his people to a vyne And the Angel holdeth in his hand a sharpe sickle He representeth a fygure of Christ which hath al power of iudgement alone A sharpe sickle is the straight iudgement as was spoken of the sickle before This Angell cometh oute of the temple also to witte a iudge moste rightuouse Vnto him crieth an other Angell which had power ouer fyer which cometh out from the Aulter For before we heard that ther is an aulter in the temple and that vnder this Aulter do reste the soules of the blessed Martirs Here therefore is fygured Vēgeance vpō the vngodly that God doth nowe remembre the bludshed of his seruauntes which for the profession of the onely Aulter that is Christ the priest onely sacrifice were slaine and nowe to procede to take vengeaūce The angel hauing power ouer fyer hytherto long delayed Therfore this Aungell is sayed to haue power ouer fier Fier many times in the Psalmes fignifieth Gods vengeaunce This Aungell therfore is here as it were Maister of execution and captayne of vengeaunce For Angels in Daniell also as Gods ministers ar saied to haue rule ouer thinges not that we shulde worship and honour these ministers but the Lorde that worketh by them The sun and moone are the lightes of the world but therfore no wiseman wil worship them Here is signified playnely that vēgeance is certainely prepared for them which shed innocent blud on the earth and that this vengeance shal chiefly be executed in the end of this worlde Albeit that he punnysh neuerthelesse greuousely before the end also here in earth namely parricides in so moch that the Psalmograph sayeth men of bloud shall not lyue halfe their tyme. c. And as in the parable of harueste harueste was finished with a shorte sentence So is here also vintage ended at few wordes For so soone as the vngodly shall see Christe in the clowdes with the printes of his woundes and his Sainctes with him whom thei haue contemned hated persecuted and slayne they wyll gather streight wayes that they by their iust desert must be alotted with Deuylles whome they haue folowed and serued Therfore shal there nede no long discussing of the matter Euery mans conscience shall accuse him and the sinnes of euery man shal be manifest to al creatures The vngodly shall stand before the iudge with great confusion in vtter contempte in payne and feare and sorrowes not to be expressed and shall go streight wayes into paynes and tourmentes that shall neuer haue end See the .3 .5 chapt of the boke of wisdom Hereof I say it behoueth ofte tymes to make mention hereof it becometh many tymes to warne all men that they may beware in tyme and take hede to themselues Howe beit S. Ihon himselfe at fewe wordes fygureth the euerlasting dānation and vengeaūce which God executeth vpon his enemies A wyne fat wythoute the Citie And he fameth a wine presse or a winefat that he may so tary in the allegory and that made withoute the citee And by exposition he calleth it the great wynefat of Gods wrath For the same is hel or the place of pūnishment and condemnation Into this wynefat shall be gathered the clusters of the Earth or grapes of the earth I mean the earthly and vngodly men And the citie of God is heauē it self the seate of the blessed which shall afterwarde be descrybed moste aboundauntly in the .21 chapter But that wine presse is set without the Citie For in an other place of the Gospell the Lorde sayeth also that the wicked muste be caste oute into the vttermost darkenesse where is weping and gnashing of teth But this wynefat is rightlie called the wynefat of Gods yre For the wrath of God is executed therin and they with whome God is angrie for their sinnes are shutte vp therin that there they may according to their demerits be tormented and vexed for euer and withoute ende And he calleth it great for that the place is wyde enough to receiue all the vngodlie As also Esaye hath admonished in the end of the .xxx. chapter Others reade of the great wrath of God There is added that out of the fatte or wyne presse there runneth no wyne but blud and that in most plentie Which he shadoweth by a maruelouse and horrible Hypperbole The bloud flowed far and broad by the space of a thousand and sixe hūdreth furlongs Againe it was very depe For it came vp to the brydles of the horses of them I meane which went and wrastled in the bloud to wit in their owne bloud By the which Hyperbolical speach is signified that the multitude of the vngodlie shal be greatest and that God wil most aboundauntly reuenge that vnmeasurable blud which the wicked haue spilte in earth They were delighted whilest they lyued in earth with warres slaughter persecutiōs martirdomes Therfore will God moste iust powre vnto them in an other worlde blud enough Thou hast