Romish church shall be damned who am I to say the coÌ„trary or what men will pronouÌ„ce otherwyse Let vs heare therfore the sentence of the iuste iudge and let vs beleue the worde of the sonne of God and let vs beware of the popysh religion What it is to worship the beaste his Image and what it is to receiue the marke in the forehead and on the right hand I haue sufficiently declared before in the .13 chapt Brieflye they worship and receyue the marke of the beaste which do participate with the Popish church or religioÌ„ finally which obey the wycked decrees of the Empire and perseuer in the obedience of the See without repentaunce Aretas expounding this place to worship the beast saieth he and to receaue his seale is to esteme Antichrist to be God and in word and woâ—ke to set forth such thinges as he coueteth And here in an horrible wise with propheticall wordes The descriptioÌ„ of eternall damnatioÌ„ is described euerlasting damnation prepared for them who forsaking Christ the sauiour cleaue vnto Antichrist the distroier Like as they haue dronkeÌ„ of the corrupte doctrine infused of the Pope so againe shal they drinke that the iust lord shal powre out of the cuppe of wrath And the wine that is powred in the cuppe of Gods wrath is the strayte exquisite moste greuouse iudgement of God wherin beyng angrie he inflicteth to the Antichristians horrible vnspeakeable punnishement A like maner of speach is red in Ieremie the .25 chapt And like as pure wine not delayed is of most efficacitie and pearseth so the iudgement of God wherein he will procede against the Antichristians shal be most greuouse such as no tongue be it neuer so eloquent can expresse And for a further declaratioÌ„ shortely after followeth what they muste drinke of verely fire and brimstone Perauenture the Lorde alluded to these wordes of Dauid in the .11 Psalm VpoÌ„ the vngodly he shal rayne snares fyre brimstone storme and tempeste this rewarde shall they haue to drinke He semeth moreouer to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome and to the .30 chapt of Esaye in the ende whereof is shewed that hell shall be wide enough to receyue all the vngodly and that matter shal neuer waunte to nurrishe the fire neuer to be quenched He expresseth moreouer a greuouse payne where he sayeth that they shall be tourmented and that in the sight of the lambe and holy Angelles that so they maye receyue condigne punnishement for euer of their contempte wherby they haue despised the lambe and messages of Angels Likewise in the .13 of Luke the Lord sayeth there shal be wepyng and gnashing of teth when ye shal see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the prophetes in the kingedome of God and you to be shutte out c. And that same apperteyneth also vnto euidence Hipotiposis to stire vp a terrour in the mindes of all men where he addeth by a figuratiue speach and the smoke of their tourmeÌ„t ascendeth vp euermore Therfore shal the burning and punnisshement of the vngodly be euerlasting and neuer to be finished world without ende And we seme here at this description as it were before our eyes to see the flames of eternall damnation caried vp on highe and caste vp with them greate heapes of smoke to rolle vp and disperse them farre and wide I remeÌ„bre here that of Virgill The wastefull fire gan crepe and cracke a pace Til to the toppe through helpe of winde it came Out burst the blase brake downe and did deface The skie flieth full of sparkes of smoke and flame Euerlastyng punnisshment And that no kinde of terrour might waunte moste aptely and most aboundantly he expresseth the perpetuitie of euerlasting punnishment saiyng nother haue they reste daie nor night So sayeth the Lord in the .9 of Marke Their fire is neuer queÌ„ched and their worme shal neuer die They erre therfore which promise to the damned after many worldes deliueraunce from their tourmentes And not in vayne he repeteth that which he had sayed before how thei that worship the beast shal suffer these thinges And therfore he repeteth it leste as it happened we should esteme it as a light matter They shal be damneth sayeth the veritie which receyue the Popish culte and religioÌ„ and perseuere in the same Epiphonema To all this is annexed an acclamation or double sentence notable and holesome For in as much as the wisedome of God did foresee what aduersitie remayned for the godly in this world which they might surely loke for at Antichristes hande whiche professed the trewth therefore for a comforte and consolation he addeth here is the patieÌ„ce of Sainctes which is asmuch as if he had saied and here shal patience take place wherby the Sainctes maye ouercome al euilles Here had we nede to haue a stoute courage a sure and coÌ„staunt minde In the .12 of Luke the Lord likewise requireth patience in persecutions Here therfore is counsel geuen howe the sainctes should behaue themselues to wit that they should suffer patiently those euilles that Antichrist shall worke agaynst them And there followeth an other sentence which lighteth this here are they that kepe the commaundementes of God and faith of Iesus Thei shal ouercome thorowe patience in so great euilles and daungers whiche kepe the coÌ„maundementes of God the foundation wherof is the faith of Iesus Christ which verely put al their trust in christ heare the worde of the gospell and kepe the coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes of God not of men The like vnto these are red in the .24 of Matth. and the .10 to the Hebrew Aretas in this same time of Antichrist saieth he the patience of Sainctes is shewed ThaÌ„ is the speache figured as it were by a question moued And who be they whome he calleth patient After as though he should aunswere they that kepe the commaundementes of God and faith of Iesu For thei when perilles approche wil set more by God than by death and temporall euilles This sayeth he I praye God these things be as faithfully perfourmed of vs as they are easely vnderstande The Lorde graunt vs his spirite ¶ The faithfull assuredly and streight waye flitte from the corporal death vnto life euerlastyng The .lxv. Sermon ANd I hearde a voice from heauen saiyng vnto me wryte blessed are the dead whiche hereafter die in the Lorde Yea the sprite sayeth that they reste froÌ„ their labours But theyr workes follow them Albeit he hath oftener thaÌ„ ones spokeÌ„ of the state of soules in an other world Of the certayne saluation of the faithful and of the felicitie of the faithfull which are killed for religions sake yet was it here chiefly requisite to treate of the same matter For I sayed howe many must be killed of the beaste Now leeste they for feare of death should chouse rather to worshippe the beaste than to be slayne leest happly hauyng lost this life there were no other life
kinges But of these celestial seates we must conceaue greater diuine and spiritual matters They sitte in thē not for that they doe nothing els but sitte on a cusshion but they raygne triumphe rest liue and haue fruitiō of the comforte ioye and glory euerlasting This I saye is the maner of the soules and spirites to sitte He addeth moreouer howe to those soules was geuen iudgement verely for that they ar exempted from iudgement and come not into iudgement euen as our sauiour sayeth but haue passed frō death to life It is also declared in an other place in what sense the saincts are sayed to sitte vpon the seates and iudge the world where it is manifeste in dede that all the iudgement of God is geuē to the sonne It is euident therfore by this vnfallible place of scripture that the soules of saincts slepe not after the death of the body vntill the laste iudgement but to liue in Heauen with Christe But at the iudgemente they shall retourne to their bodies reysed agayne and together with their bodies shal be receyued into blessed seates And this is the state of the faythfull From this hope lette vs neuer suffer ourselues to be withdrawen In my Decades I haue discoursed more at large of the soules separated from their bodies and haue shewed that they do not slepe A towle errour of Iohn the 22. pope And here I can not refrayne but must nedes set forth and recite that whiche D. Iohn Funceius a learned man dilligent and one that hath red much sheweth in the .10 booke of his Chronologie vnder the yere of our Lord .1332 in these wordes aboute this time the moste holy father Pope Iohn the .22 of that name felle into this heresie which also he professed opēly and taught that the soules sawe not God before the laste daye For so had his father taught him deceaued by the visions of Tantalus which were cōmonly caried abroade in writyng And Pope Iohn sent two preachers to Paris to witte a couple of Freres one of the order of preachers an other Minorite whiche might professe his errour there But one Thomas a preacher of Englande resisted the Pope stoutely whome the Pope committed to pryson And the Kinge of Fraūce called a Synode in his palace in the foreste Vitinian where all that were assembled subscribed agaynst the Pope Than the kinge sent Ambassadours to the Pope exhortyng him to recante his errour and that he would deliuer Thomas out of prison Which inlarged the prisonier and also as it is sayde following the admonitiōs of his frendes at the houre of death repented So much Funccius It is a shame therefore for some which at this day in so great light of the gospel dare renewe that moste folishe errour affirmyng that soules separated from their bodies lie snoring I know not in what dormitorie or dortour nother to fele any thing till at the daye of Iudgement they be ioyned agayne to their bodies and rife agayne The remnaunt of the dead liued not againe S. Iohn addeth and the remnaunt of the dead liued not agayne til the thousande yeres were accomplished Not that they liued afterwarde but that they reuiued neuer at all As the Scripture speaketh in an other place Michol Dauid his wise remayned barren vntill the daye of her death not that she had childe after her death But whom doeth he meane by the rēnaunt of the dead surely all we that descende of Adam are dead As S. Paul right wel declareth in the .5 chapt to the Romanes But we haue hearde how some through faith haue receyued Christe and so beyng quickened haue shed their bloud for Christ and would not worshippe the beast nor his Image Now is added to this membre but the remnaunt of the dead whiche are nother regenerated through fayth nor would bestowe their life for Christe but had rather worship the beast and his Image these I saye for their vnbeliefe liued not For without faith there is no trewe life in this worlde A double life double death We speake nothing here of the vital or naturall life And we saye that life is double or of two sortes to witte the one spiritual which is of faith and of the sprete of God and of Christ whiche is by fayth receyued and liueth in the hartes of his and his life in him For the Lorde him selfe sayeth he that eateth me he shal liue also for me Thother life is euerlasting to witte of an other world in the whiche we shal see God as he is and shall be as he is liuyng in God and with God for euermore Cōtrariwise death is of two sortes spiritual wherby wauntyng Christe and his sprete and voide of fayth we liue in sinne The Apostle speakyng of this death sayeth that a widdowe liuyng wauntonly beyng a liue is dead And the Lord also to the disciple that wold retourne home and burie his parētes sayeth suffer the dead to burie their dead There is also a death euerlastyng that is euerlastyng wretchednes and miserie whiche followeth the spiritual Yet see what we haue sayde of double death in the .3 chapt of this boke in expoundyng the Epistle to them of Sardis Wherefore S. Iohn here signifieth that there shall be many in these thousande yeres which shuld not receyue the gospel with a liuely faith and therfore should remayne in death as the Lorde sayde in the .8 of Iohn Therfore they erre shamefully which suppose that al nations in the whole vniuersal world shal come ones to an vnitie of fayth and most assured peace in this life And S. Iohn himself agayne expoundyng himself sayeth This is that firste resurrection Whiche I praye you by the which menne receyue Christ by the true fayth Of the firste resurrectiō and the seconde and rise from sinne in the newnes of life Of this thapostle speaketh muche in the .6 to the Romanes The same to the Ephes out of Esaye awake sayeth he that slepeth and rise from the dead christ shal shine vnto thee Therfore be they not pertakers of the first resurrection so many as nother acknowledge their sinnes nor be regenerated nother are quickened by fayth in Christ nor rise againe with Christ in the newnes of life The seconde resurrection is that vniuersall resurrection of al flesh wherein shall all menne arrise in dede but with vnlike state for the faithfull rise vnto life euerlastyng the vnfaythfull to death euerlastyng Whiche the Lord him selfe also hath repeted out of the .12 chapt of Daniel in Iohn the .5 chapt Theffecte of the first resurrectiō And he sheweth by occasion and after an Apostolicke maner a threfolde fruicte or effecte of the first resurrection First sayeth he blessed and holy is he which is pertaker of the first resurrection He is bleste sayeth he happy and heyre of celestiall and eternall life Holy that is to saye purified sanctified and iustified For fayth in Christe doeth sanctifie and make blessed Than in such
Iohn Wickleffe sumtime Person of Lutterworth here in Englande shuld be taken vp and brent whose bestiall crueltie of raging against dead men our popishe prelacie of late dayes rightly Imitatynge as the children of one father that was a murtherer frō the beginning practysed lyke tyranny with the bones of Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius at Cambridge Such raging surges of late dayes did beate against the Ship of Peter Blessed be the Lorde Iesus that hath sent vs a goodly caulme accordyng to the saying of the Prophet Dauid The Iuste shall suffer muche tribulotion but the Lorde delyuereth them out of all And this is verely the argument sum of this boke that Chrystes churche shall suffer greuous persecution but shall neuer be left destitute For where the dragon fighteth on the sand the Lambe Chryst like a conquerour standeth on Mount Sion right hable to succour all his to the great comfort and consolation of his chosen whiche of necessitie muste suffer with Chryst yf with him we will be glorifyed And as Christ him selfe when he was rayled vpon gaue no euil words again So is the true church of Christ knowen in this that it suffereth persecution and doeth not persecute agayne Wherfore lyke as wise kinge Salomon iudged her to be the true mother of the childe which had suche compassion on it that she had rather forgo the whole then haue it diuided and dismembred the other to be the harlot that had ouerlayne her childe whiche had also consented to the death of thother Right so maye we discerne euidently the whorish churche of Antichrist by her bluddy persecutions from the true churche and spouse of Chryst the one with sweard and fyre seketh alwayes to quenche the treuth the other through the sperite of lenitie to winne men to the same the one by compulsion and violent oppression thother by perswasion and meke intercessiō the one by the sworde the other by the worde the one goeth aboute to peruert and depraue the other seketh all meanes to conuerte and saue But lest I shulde excede here the iuste measure of an Epistle and through prolexitie be to your honour tediouse which cā as the prouerbe sayeth discerne a Lion by his clawes I will breake of the thred of my discourse notwithstāding that the matter is so ample large that it wold require an other worke wherin it is harder to fynde an ende then it was a beginning contented by these fewe examples of sondry tymes to haue signified not to your Lordship which knowe them much better then I And haue red this present work in Latin as you do all others right diligently But through your ientil patience to the plaine English Reader that the true church of Chryst hath ben in all ages persecuted and that this present worke written vpon the Reuelation of S. Iohn into an hundred Sermons digested declareth no lesse and is as it were an Ecclesiastical History of the troubles and persecutions of the Churche especially from the Apostles tyme vntill the last day wherin Chryst the head of the same shall come a righteous Iudge to condemn Antichrist and all Antichristian hipocrites bluddy persecutours But to receyue his electe people and to crowne them with glory And shall deliuer vp his kingdome to his Father God shall be all in all Which worke vnderstanding right well that it shuld to your honour be acceptable I dedicate and consecrate to your name as you best haue deserued Which in this and other like enterprises haue ben to me a golden spurre that by you all others may receyue commoditie therof to the glory of God and saluation of theyr owne soules The Lorde Iesus with his principall spirite strengthen and confirme youre good Lordeshyp in all youre Godly desires From Ipsewich the kalendes of March Anno. Do 1561. A Sixain touching the contentes of thys booke WHo list to moue his lippes and hereon loke and rede In thys Apocalyppes these thynge shall fynde in dede What Antichrist first is who and where he doth dwell And that his comming is from the depe pitte of hell Then what is tholde Serpent the Dragon and the rest And also what is ment by the Image of the beest That Roome is Babylon the beastes with her heades all The whore sitting theron is Pope that downe shall fall The three foule sprets like frogs are Legates of the syde And shal haue parte with dogges though now Prelates of pride The Locustes to declare as flies in Summer ryfe The Popish clergie are a people full of stryfe Theyr songe is nothing els but alwayes coaxe coaxe Holy church holi masse holi bells holy bread holy oyle holy waxe By the marke of the Beest they may both by and sell And as they saye at least redeme soules out of hell Theyr wayres yet shall decaye and perishe in an houre All shall be take away their oyle wyne and fyne floure And Rome shall downe be cast and drowned in the depe 〈…〉 marchaunts then at last 〈…〉 ll wayle and wepe The Dragon and the beast Sathan that Serpent olde Antichrist and the rest in paynes shal aye ben holde All ye that Godly be from Rome quickly depart or els with her you see of plages ye must haue parte Thys booke shall eke declare of Sunne Mone and of starres Candelstickes what they are of battell and of warres Whiche Antichryst shall meue against Christes church to fight And those that will beleue in Christ to death will dight But Chryst on Sion Mounte the Lamb shall aye preuayle Of his maketh accompte and will them neuer fayle The sealed are the elect whom God hath chosen free All others are reiect and condemned shall be The Raynebow and white cloude and maruels many one Thaungels crie aloude blessed be God in trone Thangels and spretes holy thelders and Beastes foure Prayse God continually so shuld we euermore The elect with good intent praye come Lorde Iesu comes vnto the last Iudgement to iudge both all and summe They that dye in the Lorde streyght waye do passe to blysses This scripture doth recorde where ioye and glory is The troumps that Angels sound and vialles of Gods ire Declare God to confounde that withstande his desire The Haruest and vintage do playnely signifye That sinne is ripe of age and ought of right to die The woman clad with sunne with starres eke crowned bryght The church is and her sunne our Sauiour Christ a ryght The newe Ierusalem of Chryst the spouse so pure The churche of faithfull men in ioye shall styll indure In it no temple is no Sunne no mone at all for Chryste her glory is and God is all in all Then Reader by thys boke thou shalt thee not repent yf thou wilt heron loke nor mony better spent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE PREFACE OF Henry Bullinger vpō the Apocalips of Iesu Christ setforth by the Apostle and Euangelist s Iohn vnto all thexiles for the name of Christ in Germany and Swyserland of
out with worldly furniture 510. is the great Citie 510. is Sodome and Aegypte 327. is daungerous to be spok against 321. is no trew churche 209. shall fall 451 Roring of a Lyon figured preaching 288 Root of Dauid 162 Root of a trie nurs of it compared vnto Chryst 690 Rypenes to the sickle 466 Ryot of Rome 551 S Sabboth chaunged into sunday 29 Sacrament externall markes of christians 422 Sacrifices of Christians 169. is thanks geuing 237 Sacrifice signe of Christ 382 Sacrifice propitiatory for quik dead 170 Saint of saints 111 Saints giue power to God and take it not to them selues 154. theyr knoledge in heuen 479. what they do in heuen 670. 143. 474. what is theyr state 230. are no greater then men wherfore not to be sworne by 293. they haue no administracion of thinges 158. nor rewl ouer the elements c. 486. are no intercessors 238. do not punish the wiked 555. theyr humility in heauen 153. they are briethern and felo seruāts 203 are not to be wourshiped 571. 573. 394. nor praid vnto 170. theyr examples may we folo safely 169 Saintes fall 56. how they desyr vengeaunce 199. they shal be renewed and glorified 631. are neuer separated frō their head 579 Sak of hear 207 Sakcloth morning apparel 316 Saluaciō ascribed to whom 225. of God thrugh Christ 227. where it is to be soght 299. whens it cums 229. perfyt how 361. what it is 225. is of mear grace 633. cums to vs friely 639. is certein and seuer 566. 457. that streght after death 460. shall not be geuen to all 456. 454. but to the faithfull only 628 Saluation of thapostles what 19 Sand figure of swift ruin 367 Saracens came out of Spain 272 Sardin ston 142 Sardis head city of Lydia 102 Sardis churchez infirmity 103 Sathanas an aduersary 360 Sathanas cast out how 595. loused 598. c. 608 Satisfaction trew 57 Satisfaction of our own deuysing 210 Saued be ther sum of all naciōs 225. Saued ar many at point of death 224 Schisme obiected to the protestaunts answered 542 Scourgz of Gods wrath 191 Scorpions nature 256 Sclaūderz against the godly 66 Sclaunder punished 556 Scripturs is Gods word 568. sealed signi authenticall and shut vp 289. an authentik 49 theyr authoritie 567. 30. certeintie 674. sufficiencie 673. that without councelles 689. ar agreable with thēselues 86 are perfit and sufficient to saluacion 98. theyr phrase 45. the reading of thē restreined causeth c. 215. they are swiet and better 302. that they are vnperfit is first ground of poprie 390. are not obscure 45. doutful vncertain c. to whō 308. broght in doubt by the Pope 390. Sea of Rome chair of pestilens 396 Sea of Rome inuaded by the deuel 412 Sea glassy 147 Sea shal be no mor. 631 Sea figure of the world 244. 473 Seals wherto they serue 157 Seal first opened 182 Seal second 185 Seal third opened 188 Seal fourt opened 190 Seal fift opened 193 Seal of the liuing God is Christ 218 Sealing 288. vsed for ij endes 679 Seat described 148 Seats celestiall 603 Seat of Antichrist where 508. 618. of the Deuell where 75 Seat of the beast 489. of Christ and Peter 490 Second death 70 Securitie from Antichrist none whyls the world lasteth 221 Sedicions and theyr causes 206 Seducer 360 Seing of God is chief felicitye 671 Selling of all things in the church 308. 309 Septicollis Roma 517 Septimus seuerus 194 Seruant an aunciēt title of gods wourshipers 16 Seruetus renewed the heresy of Arrius 168 Seruetus vrged 163 Seruetans heresy 42 Serpentold 359 Seuenth number 19. frequent in thapocalyps 11. sig perfectiō and fulnes 165. 472 Seuen formed spirit 103 Seuen fold spirit of God 145 Seuen heads hils kings c. 370 371. c. Seuen spirits is holy ghost 21 Seuerus heretik 268 Shap of God is ther none 141 Shauing popish 261 Ship of S. Peter 396 Sibylla of thoriginal of antichrist 436 Sickle sharp 466 Sied of God and of the woman 366 Sight restored 132 Signes for thynges signifyed 382 Signes look miracles Signes wherwith men are sealed 219 Siknesses 191 Silk is the iustification of saints 580 Simonie of the Pope 492 Simony 130. 131 Sinnes of saints 571 Sinners shal be punished of God and not only Papistes Mahometans c. 277 Single lyf 443 Sitting in the throne 141 Sitting in a throne sign c. 156 Sitting sign gouernement 148 Sitting in glory how Christe geueth and geueth not 137 Slain ghostly 317 Sleeping of souls 460 Smoke figur of the wrath of god 253. of Gods presens 479. c. Smoke presumeth fyre 560 Sodom and Egypt 327 Song new sign 171 Song of all creatures 150 Song of victory 360 Sorcery 280 Sorcerers and their kinds 644 Souls and Aungel differ 486 Soul from death of the body 34 Souls state after deth befor iudgement 603 Souls state after this lyfe 457. they sliep not 460. 225. 604 Souls seperated from the body immortal 196. where they remain 197. in bles 201 Spewing out of newters 127 Spirit seuen formed 103 Spirit how men are in 140 Spirituall vnderstanding figured by a mount 648 Spiritually of the Pope described 259 Spous of Christ 563 Square fygure of constancye 655 Standing sign ministring 240 Star of the morning compared to Christ 691 Stars fall from heauen 208 Stars figure preachers Bish 250. 351 State of saints what 230 State of lyfe euerlasting 648 Ston whyt what it meaneth 84 Story of Rome 525. c Stryf in churchs 52 Subiects of Antichryste who 421 Submissiō vnto god in all things 150. 151. 153 Suffering of vngodlines is punishable 90 Sun of perdicion 265 Suns of the Pope are all kings 419 Sun of God must be beleued vpō 449 Sun of man is Christ 34 Sun coequall with the Father 179 Sun token of Christ 349 Sun waping dark 207 Sune third parte darkned 248 Sun passeth the mone and popes kings 417 Sunday how it oght to be obserued 30 Sunday in stead of the Sabath 29 Supper for souls c. 582 Supper of the lamb 568 Supping with God 136 Supremacie 409. 410 Supremacie forbodden to ministers 386. c. Surfitting c. 82 Surrēder of the popes power 411 Swearing of Christ 290 Sword sign power to hurt 185 Sword of the Iudge 580 Sword two edged 38. out of Christes mouth 73 Swordes both in the power of the church 404 Swords ij of the Pope 389 Sylens tokē of attentiuenes 235 Syluester the ij Pope foloweth the Deuel 412 Synagoge of Sathan 115 Sines receyue the names of thinges 45 Sion mount figure of Christes kingdum 440 T Tables of the law both are to be regarded 277 Tail figure of a fals prophet 274 351 Tartarians receiue Mahomets religion 270 Tau letter sign the law 220 Temples vse 660 Temple of God is heuen 120 Temple of God for secrets of god 345 Temple for church of God 305 Temptacions grieuous 282 Temptacō of the godly hath his defens
we reade in the .1 of Iob howe Sathan had power geuen him of God agaynst Iob. Vnto blouddy soldiours is geuen a great sword great power to hurte a wonderfull force of fighting As also Nahum expoundeth it Nother is it a rare thinge in the scriptures for Monarkes tirannes and mightie men of warre to be called a sworde For so Ezechiel called Nabuchodonosor and Esaye called Sinacherib king of Assyrians a whetstone And the chiefest rightuousenes is God is of good thiÌ„â—s the deuiâ—l authour of euill to geue euery man his owne Therfore this place doeth iustely ascribe that which is good vnto God and that whiche is euill to the Deuill But thou sayest if God permitte the same that he doeth not prohibite he doeth He prohibiteth not warre for because iustice wil not suffer him so to doe but he coÌ„mauÌ„deth him by warre to punish the wicked and to trie the good but in permittyng warres God offendeth nothinge seyng that for moste iuste causes he permitteth the same For they would not imbrace peace offered them by the preachers of the Gospell therfore were they worthy to be intangled with warres The Iewes knew not the daye of Christes visitation therfore were they worthely visited of the Romanes and distroyed And this thing is in the world perpetuall that they that wil not obeye the Gospell muste obeye the Captayne of the warres they that wil not heare christ must heare Antichrist Thou mayest not contende with God whic he doeth this and permitteth that Worship God rather as thou hast ben taught in the .4 and .5 chapt Let vs peruse ouer stories and see and suche warres be not founde wherin men haue slaine themselues with mutuall woundes and haue killed one an other like beastes If you wil reade Herodiane Orosius and other good Historiographers you maye finde that the Romane Emperours haue ben troubled with moste greuouse warres for none other cause than that thei refused peace offered to them by the gospell For none other cause was Rome it selfe at the last taken by the Westgothians of the Eastgothians burnte and distroyed The lord had geueÌ„ them Christen Princes but they loued more Idols For Simmachus gouernour of the citie was so bolde to require a restitution of Idolatrie I speake nothing now of Athila nothing of the Persian and Affricane warres And what time there was a wonderful strife emoÌ„gs the Bisshoppes about the supremacie the Saracenes sprang vp and became mightie After the Thousande yere beganne the holy warre whiche as it was most bloudy so was it of longest continuance Neuer any suche warre was made in al the world Boniface the .8 instituted firste the yere of Iubiley a moste wicked manne who also did exhibite him selfe to be sene of the people both Pope Emperour But the same yere of a thousand and three hondreth wherin he did these thinges arrose vp in Asia the whippe or scourge of God Ottoman the original of themperours of Turkes which reigne at this daye For so when Salomon buylded places of Idolatrie his enemies sprang vp which wonderfully vexed and afflicted the kingdom of Salomon What warres are made now a dayes and what be the causes of warres al wise men do see We wil not receaue the peaceable gospel It is reason therfore that the Turkissh Armies should inuade vs that we maye both fele Antichrist to be a stoute warriour and maye al abhorre and deteste him But what other thing remayneth here than that beyng conuerted to God through Christ we maye serue the lord in syncere fayth and holy puretie for except we conuerte the are is layde at the tree roote c. ¶ Here is opened the .iii. and .iiii. Seale and is declared what the world shall suffer of honger and Pestilence The .xxxi. Sermon ANd when he opened the thirde Seale I hearde the thirde beaste saie come and see And I behelde and lo a black horse and he that sate on him had a paire of Balaunces in his hande And I hearde a voyce in the middes of the foure beastes say A measure of wheate for a penny and three measures of barley for a peny and oyle and wine see thou hurte not And when he opened the fourth Seale I hearde the voice of the fourth beast saye come and see And I loked and beholde a pale Horse and his name that sate on him was Death and Hell followed after him and power was geuen vnto them ouer the fourth parte of the Earth to kyll with sworde and with honger and with death of the beastes of the Earth Christ exalted aboue all thinges A repetitioÌ„ and Lord of all in heauen and in earth openeth the seales of the boke diuine that is to witte disposeth and gouerneth with great rightuousnes the ordenaunces and iudgementes of God and firste in dede he geueth a prosperouse course to the preaching of the gospell sendyng alwayes faythefull ministers preachyng the Gospel of the kyngdome of God peace and concorde But for asmuche as euyll men do contemne the Euangelical peace they are certenly worthy to be molested with cruell warres Therfore the lambe openeth the second seale and there rushe out cruel warres slaughters seditions and robberies Attention But before the thirde Seale is opened the thirde beast resemblyng the countenaunce of man exhorteth vs to take most diligent hede that when we see these thinges come to passe whiche are here spoken of before we shoulde consider from whence they come and for what causes they are sente and that they maye be tourned away by dewe repentaunce Certen referre these thinges absolutely to chaunce and fortune some agayne to the naturall causes of God and the diuine operation no respect had at al Where we knowe that God vseth natural causes after his good wil and pleasure Let vs watch therfore loke and consider and know that the rightuouse God worketh al thinges for the saluation of the chosen and the ouerthrowe of his enemies That blacke horse with his rider shewyng a balaunce in his hande signifieth the vnfortunate or sorrowfull time of scarsetie famine and penurie of al thinges The thirde seale is opened For it is a worthie and a coÌ„digne punishment that they that do nothing esteme the bread of life nor haue no consideration of the foode of soules but both reiect it themselues and by their tirannical proclamations bringe to passe that it is not receiued of others finally whiche for the bread of life do spoyle the godly of their goodes and most wickedly waste the same in all kinde of riot should be driuen to bie thinges necessary at excessiue prices yea and can not finde things necessarie but should pine for honger We know that the black colour is vsed in mourning and heuinesse The black horse and that when the fleshe and bloud are consumed for wante of meate the skinne groweth blacke and euill fauoured and therefore this horse is blacke The rider of this horse holdeth in his hande a balaunce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
that he is assayled he wil streight waye beginne to thonder and lighten finally to craue styre vp the secular power againste Heretikes For he sheweth expressely who shall be this enemie of these prophetes and preaching to witte the beast The beast stired vp persecutioÌ„ that is the Bisshop of Rome notable by his most cruell tiraÌ„nicall and beastly power Of the beast shal be spoken more aboundantly in the .13 and .17 chapt where we shall heare that she cometh out of the earth out of the botoÌ„lesse pitte out of the depe pitte of hell For the originall of that wickednes is referred to non other parente than the deuil the prince of hel a lier murtherer And the thing it selfe speaketh at this daye that al persecutions conflictes are moued stired inferred of the Pope of his blouddy ministers of mischiefe Of the same Authours arrose al the calamities of fourmer times And he fighteth with the ministers and ministerie of christ with sophistrie with craftie and subtile practises The beast fighteth with the Prophetes excoÌ„munication deathes and terrours Haymo Antichrist will put in vre sondry kindes of tourmentes sayeth he such as he can not ouercome he wil assaye to vanquisshe with doctrine He will geue rewardes and wil promise swete wordes and shal shewe also false miracles c. And seyng it hath pleased the lord to call that seate the beast wherfore should we call it the holy See yf the Pope be that bloubdy beaste whie should we salute him most holy father He sheweth morouer with what lucke Antichrist ouercommeth and howe he killeth and with what â—â—â—tesse antichrist shal sight with the prophetes He shal ouercome sayeth he and kill them The same the lord sayed playnely in the Gospel Matth. 10. and Iohn 16. And before also Daniel in the .7 and .11 chapt Some thinges are spoken also before in this boke of the holy martirs The lord geueth this warning in time leest if we should see the preachers of the euangelicall veritie slayne we should doubte of the veritie of the preachyng or esteme the matter of religion after the felicitie of this worlde Whiche neuerthelesse many doe at this daye For most men saye yf this were the preachyng of the veritie as it is sayed to be the most true God would not forsake his owne cause But nowe sins the preachers are oppressed and distroyed whie should we not gather that their matter is false and theirs trewe that ouercome But if we might so reason than the Prophetes Christ and the Apostles defended a very euill cause For all in a maner beyng oppressed of their enemies in the ende were slayne also Full good than was the quarell of the Iewes Phariseis and the moste wicked enemies of Gods worde Howbeit thou wilt saye sins the veritie is inuincible how is antichrist saied to ouercome He shal not ouercome doubtles by sure testimonies by holy Scriptures or strong reasons but by force imprisonment sworde and fire For therfore by interpretation immediatly followeth and he wil kill them Therfore by killyng he shall seme a conquerour For if in a combat Aeneas shal ouercome and sleye Turnus Aeneas shal be called a victour And hitherto in dede Antichrist ouercommeth and although the Martirs be slayne yet doe they before God receyue the rewarde of victours because their cause is iuste and the veritie ouercometh in them The enemies ouercome with the multitude pompe authoritie power fauour richesse and other like thinges we in the goodnes and excellencie of the cause and finally by better testimonies of the Prophetes and Apostles The crueltie of Antichrist We haue now the maner of the fight and victorie He shal fight and ouercome by carnall weapons and shal be subdewed with spirituall armure Hereunto is added what crueltie he wil vse against the Prophetes The which he expresseth in two sentences and their bodies shall lie in the stretes of the citie and they shall not suffer their bodies to be put in the graues Theyr â—oarses lie in the stretes The firste sentence betokeneth an extreme crueltie ioyned with an vtter contempte For all filthie thinges are caste out into the strete yea the Dunge of all stretes is troden vnder fete Antichrist therefore shall handle the Prophetes moste shamefully in so muche that all will beleue that they haue power ouer them and shall as it were spurne them wyth theyr feete and take them for outcastes wicked persons which beyng taken out of the way al thinges shal be safe Certes the maner is in some cities to caste into the stretes the bodies of them that are executed to the intent that al meÌ„ might treade on them and driue cartes ouer them for the terrour of others and to signifie that those men executed were moste detestable and put to death for no small crimes And herunto apperteyneth that Antichrist by secular power hangeth vp some ministers of the churche openly in Cities vpon the gallouse and fasteneth others with chaynes to a poste and so burneth theÌ„ with a slowe fire and at laste killeth them and they are so terribly tied to the pale in chaynes that he maye hoyste them vp and let theÌ„ downe into the fire agayne and so singe them and lifte them vp agayne to the terrour of al that loke on What wil ye saie that he iudgeth them vnworthie of the laste honour The dead coarses are not buried burial is the laste honour that is done vnto man but he wil not suffer the bodies of the faithful to be buried Thus perauenture he expoundeth that he saied before and their bodies shal lie in the stretes At this daye not only sepulture is denied to suche as suffer for the gospel but also thei digge vp burne the bones of the dead This dyd watson by Bucer at Cambr. whiche liuing would not receyue the Popish sacramentes For in case any man departe and hath whispered the priest in the eare confessyng to him al his sinnes and hath not axed absolution of him nor receyued his God of bread or suffered him selfe to be regenerated with extreme vnction although he departed in the trewe sayth yet for as much as he hath not vsed those Popish ceremonies and huÌ„bled him self to the Pope the partie shal not come in christen buriall but is buried on the dunge hill with dogges The thing it self speaketh at this day Morouer these Antichristes wil seke by this meane to abolisshe al memorie of the godly For Monumentes are made to reteyne the honeste memorie of the dead But the rightuouse shal be in eternall memorie c. And they in dede thinke that they do like good catholickes but the lord Iesus expouÌ„deth their worke and sayeth it is extreme crueltie Than what shall you thinke of them which blinded with the hatred of the true religion like wolues and Rauens flie vpon the bodies of the dead Martirs and poole them a peces and handle them most shamefully But
cruel and blouddy is that crueltie it shal continewe by the space of three dayes and an halfe Three dayes and an halfe the whiche al the expositours vnderstande for a shorte time certaine in dede but yet vncertayne as I tolde you before of the monethes and yeres Therefore I suppose this shortenesse of time to be brought for a consolation We saye also for the Lord geueth to the afflicted spaces to breath in shorteneth the sorrowful dayes to the ende we might be able to abide it Yf therefore our patience be tempted in a greuouse cruell persecution of Antichrist let vs thinke that our Lorde God hath in a rekenyng al the dayes of our calamitie and that he hath shortened the same for the consolation of the weake The place is tolde where the prophetes muste be slayne And the very place where this crueltie muste be wrought agaynst the prophetes he expresseth playnely as it were poincteth it with the fingar To witte the great citie And it is the citie of God and is also the citie of the deuil it is the citie of Abel an innocēt it is also the citie of Cain the parricide it is the catholicke citie of sainctes it is also the Sinagoge of Antichrist These cities are opē through out the whole world and are inclosed with no strayte walles thou might call this citie the lordeshippe dominion kingdome or empire or fellowship of the wicked Where so euer therefore Antichrist or Pope of Rome hath iurisdiction and euen in the Romisshe church it selfe through out al nations people these thinges whiche we haue hearde shal be done agaynst Martirs For settyng forth that citie with more playne tokens their bodies sayeth he shal lie in the stretes of the great Citie And by an expositiō he addeth which is called spiritually Sodome and Aegipte Moreouer where also our Lord was crucified And agayne and they shall see of people and kinreddes and tongues and natiōs therfore by this he vnderstode not any strayte nor yet any large citie inclosed with walles but that citie stretcheth through out the world wherin dwel nations kinreddes people c. Sodome and Aegipte are farre a sonder nother can they be ioyned together with any walles Againe our Lorde was crucified in the citie of Hierusalem whiche is also called of the Prophetes Sodome and Gomorrha but he is crucified dayly in his membres through out the world And there is one and the same citie and societie of al the wicked in the worlde as there is one body of the godly Let vs knowe therfore how that citie wherin the bodies of the prophetes lie in the stretes is the citie of Cain and the Romish church scattered ouer the world The same is called Aegipte and Sodome but spiritually Spiritually Where we see this vocable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritually to be vsed in a sense farre from the lettre for otherwise there is no spirite at all eyther in Sodome or in Aegypte for they be altogether flesh Therefore insense of a parable and by a comparison this citie is called Sodome Aegypte Sodome Aegipte What Sodome was appereth of the .19 chapt of Genes and .16 of Ezechiel Her sinnes went vp to heauē But what maner one is at this daye a longe time hath ben the churche of Rome all men know excepte it be they that wil not know And the Apostle in the .1 to the Romaines hath expounded And Aegipte robbed the children of God of their libertie oppressed them with vile bōdage and prohibited them from the trewe worshippyng of God So likewise the Romish church hath spoyled the church of Christ of the libertie gotten by Christ hath wrapped her in filthie seruitude that she might serue in the dirte of mens tradicions It prohibiteth moreouer by all force and power that she shall not in retournyng to the gospel serue God truely And verely our lord Iesus Christ was crucified on Mounte Caluarie at the citie of Hierusalē Where our Lorde was crucified and also the articles of our fayth expounding the same saye that he suffered vnder Pōce Pilate He was the Romane gouernour it is manifest therefore that Christ suffered vnder the Romane Empire Vnder the same Empire and vnder the iudgement thereof were executed the Apostles and auncient Martirs Vnder the Empire of newe Rome fal that prophetes also at this daye by sworde and fire Also people kinreddes tongues and nations obeye this Empire nowe called the churche so that preachers in all places the beaste so willyng and commaundyng are aprehended and slayne with cruell deathes people kinreddes and nations lokyng on To the augementation and moste aptely expressyng the crueltie that thinge apperteyneth chiefly The wicked reioyse at the calamities of the godly that these earthly men possessyng in these landes a church all together carnall shall reioyse and be glad ouer the calamities and miserable deathes of Prophetes The same did also the Lorde him selfe prophecie before in the .16 of Iohn Verely verely I saye vnto you you shal wepe lamēt but the world shal reioyce c. Yea they shal sende giftes saieth he and letters of reioycing That this was done in the counsel of Constaunce what time Iohn Husse Bankettes were made for the fal of England and Hierome of Prage were burnt Histories make mention We haue hearde very lately howe after Englande was fallen agayne to the Romishe religion what ioye and gladnes what bankettes and triumphes the Papistes made in all places So ofte as the ministers or other faithfull are burnt the selfe same kepe solemne chere and pleasaunte bankettyng singyng Te deum Laudamus And letters of reioycing flye to froe in some other places with sollemne procession they reioyce at the miserie of the faithfull but the Lorde seeth these thinges which tolde lōg sins that the same things should now come to passe They are glad they are lighted of theyr burthen And the cause of this excedyng gladnes is non other than that those prophetes vexed them that dwell vpon earth For they that loue the earth and couet earthly thinges are sore offended with the free preachyng of the veritie whiche they hate more than dogge and snake For they desire eyther to atcheue honours riches and pleasures or if they haue them to kepe stil the same but they are sore affrayed leeste through preachyng the same should be shrewedly shakē or wholy taken from them Therefore they desire nothyng more than to be ridde and deliuered of their clamours and immediately to haue them taken out of the waye For so thinke they that they shal be safe and inioye their pleasures at wil. With like affection and Counsell in the feaste of Herode was coueted nother kingedom nor great some of Golde but the head of Iohn Baptiste The Popes had rather at this daye haue the heades of certen ministers of the churche than so many thousande crownes Yea moreouer the ministers of churches are called plagues
vpon the woman For God neuer fayled his afflicted churche In so much which a man may maruayle at that the earth opened her mouth and swallowed vp the floude powred oute of the serpents mouth This earth dranke vp in oulde time and couered the bloud of Abell And here is signified that the godly abyding persecution haue helpe from whence they loke not for as Dauid in times past is red to be deliuered by the help of the Palestines thinking nothing les than to delyuer Dauid oute of the handes of King Saule but yet whyleste they go aboute an other thing they bring to passe that which semed good to the Lorde which can turne the euil counselles of euil men to the profyte of the godlie And doubtles we see many tymes in the Actes of the Apostles that the earth hath swallowed vp a floude of euylles that is to say that earthly and worldly men doing in the meane tyme an other thing haue procured peace to the church So doeth that Towne clarke or recorder of Ephesus pacifie the multitude of the Ephesians which were all on a roare and worse than madde Lysias the head Captayne taketh away Paule out of the blouddy handes of the Iewes so doth the Centurian defend Paule that he shoulde not be slaine of the souldiours in the shipwreake The ciuile warres begonne immediatelie after the death of Nero gaue peace vnto the church vntyll the Empyre of Domitian But the oulde Serpent that can neuer reste attempteth newe warres For nowe beyng wood madde with the church he goeth to make warre against the remnaunt of the womans seede which verely is to be borne vntyll the iudgement of the church by the worde And so maketh way to the Romayne persecutions which folowed incontinentely after the tyme of Saincte Ihon in the Empyre of Rome and the Antichristiane persecutions reysed after the Empyre subuerted Whereof shall be spoken in the .13 chapt c. the church begetteth Galath 4. Neuerthelesse hereof it appeareth chiefely what Saincte Ihon vnderstandeth by the woman the same verely which engendreth the seede of God The church is called both the Mother and daughter The daughter because she is engendred by the worde preached in the church The mother for that by the worde she bryngeth soorth spirituall chyldren to Chryste For the seede of God and the seede of the woman be all those which kepe the commaundementes of God and haue the testimonie of Iesu Chryste They kepe the commaundementes of God which make much of Gods lawe and frame all parts of theyr lyfe according to the same They kepe not Goddes commaundements which sette nothyng by the lawe or worde of God nother frame theyr lyfe after the same Of this matter is spoken at large in the fourtenth The testimony of Iesu Christ is nothing els but the gospell of Iesu Christ preaching vnto vs the free remissiō of sinnes They haue this which possesse it by fayth And where he sayeth The dragō stādeth on the sea sand that the Dragon stode on the Sea sande it is a preparation to thinges that followe for by by he sayeth how the beast the principall instrument of the dragon came out of the Sea by the deuilles meanes And it hath a consolation that the dragon is sayed to stande on the sande and not on the rocke For it signifieth that the furies of Sathan shall not longe indure agaynst the church and that the kingedome of the Deuill shal be rumouse and fall to decaye whose foundations are layde vpon the sande ¶ He exhibiteth a noble instrumente of the Dragon to be sene the olde Romane Empire which describeth what maner a one it is c. The .lv. Sermon ANd I sawe a beast rise out of the see hauing seuen heades The .13 chapter and ten hornes and vpon his hornes ten crownes and vpon his head the names of blasphemie And the beaste whiche I sawe was like a Cat of the Mountane and his fete were as the fete of a beare and his mouth as a lion And the dragon gaue him his power his seate great authoritie I sawe one of his heades as it were wounded to death his deadly wounde was healed and al the world wōdered at the beast and they worshipped the Dragō which gaue power to the beaste Instrumēts by the whiche the deuil hath wrought worketh S. Iohn procedeth to describe by the reuelatiō of Iesus christ the notable instrumentes of the deuill wherby he hath afflicted the church of Christ with continual most greuouse persecution And he speaketh of the olde and the newe Romane Empire S. Iohn could not without excedyng great daūger vtter much lesse describe those thinges a man not furnished with any mans helpe and therto bannished and driuen into exile For the Romane Empire was takē for godly inuincible most sacred and euerlastyng Neuerthelesse the Apostle both speaketh and writeth hereof in such sorte that it semeth that he can not eschewe the title of a seditious person and offende against the holy maiestie both of the emperour and Empire But what I praye thee woldest thou do God cōmaunding thee so to speake and write The vnpatientnes boldenes of the world against the crewth Math. 21. The world also rageth at this daye when they heare realmes and policies chastised by Gods word for sinne and wickednes cōmitted and lordely enough some Princes set forth proclamations commaundyng that no such thing be hearde any more But the Lord sayeth in the gospell yf these holde their peace stones shall speake signifiyng vtterly that the trueth muste be preached nother that it can be oppressed or quenched with any decrees threatenynges force of Armes or punnishmentes Therfore if they should at this daye kepe silence vnto whom the office of preachyng is committed the lord wil stire vp other preachers which though al the world saye naye wil beare witnesse to the trueth Therfore I would counsell princes that thei vexe not themselues in vayne with those their sondry attēptes agaynst Gods trueth For they shal not preuaile The veritie shal vanquish For he that then furnisshed Iohn agaynste the Romane Empire that time most florisshyng and puissaunt the self same also at this daye reuealyng his trueth to the world nowe broken and waxen olde wil ouercome doubtles Wo to those stifnecked natures which loue to seduce Let al preachers learne by the exāple of the Apostle S. Iohn to vtter frely such things as they haue receiued in commaundement and to feare no man He is greater which is in vs as the same S. Iohn saied in the .1 Iohn 4. than he that is in the world The beast is the Rom. Empire And the beast he calleth the Romane Empire of great authoritie and as it were godly notwithout most weightie cōsiderations For the lorde kepeth still the phrase of the scripture imitatyng Daniel which in the .7 chapt attributeth the name of beaste to the Romane Empire And S. Hierome expoundynge the
to be loked for in the world to come most dilligently and most certenly he treateth of the state of soules and of the felicitie and blesse of soules which as sone as they die they atchieue assuredly and streightwaye flitting out of this worlde into life euerlasting But they that know these thinges and haue conceaued them by a true faith how thei shal vndoubtedly slitte frō the corporal death into the blessed life it can not be chosen but that they shal more boldely contemne the life present Most certē tables of saluation are to vs exhibited And this holesome doctrine is comprised in three poincts For first he sheweth the certentie therof secōdly he declareth what it is laste he setteth forth and lighteth the same by circūstaunces At the first verely he semeth to allude to the maner accustomably receyued of al nations that such thinges as they wuld haue thought to be certen and vndoubted they would also cōmitte to writing to leaue them vnto posteritie But the certentie veritie or Authoritie of the thing is estemed of thauthours which first haue dispatched any matters emonges thēselues and after haue caused the same to be put in writyng At this present therfore is God shewed to be authour For S. Iohn saieth and I hearde a voice from heauen And by and by addeth ye the spirite sayeth Therefore there is no doubte but that the sonne of God him self hath spoken and reuealed these things Our lord Iesus Christ For him he sawe at the beginning of this reuelation after he seeth diuerse kindes of Aungelles but he seeth not Christ speaking to him But he heareth now his voice from Heauen he heareth the spirite speakyng by whom the lord sayed whilest he was yet cōuersaunt in earth with his disciples that he would treate and speake al thinges in the churche Let vs beleue therefore that the wordes which are here recited by christes doyng to be a celestiall oracle certen and trewe whereof we ought not to doubte And S. Iohn thapostle Euangelist is cōmaūded to write the saiynges of Christ from the heauēly seate Which thing he doeth so at Christes cōmaundement sendeth them vnto al posterie vnto vs also to our ofspring euen to the worldes ende But if tables written by the chaūcelours or secretaries of kinges and Princes beyng notable men deserue credit we maye much more iustely rightly beleue this writing which the sonne of God inditeth from heauen that beloued disciple of Christ the apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn writeth Thou hadst ones a confidence in the Popes bulles they maye well be called bulles sins thei be more vaine than bulles or blabbers in the water sent from the See of Rome wherein thou as one assured didst put ful truste to haue remission of sinnes and blessed life And shalt thou not nowe be accompted madde and out of thy witte in case thou wilt not beleue this heauenly writyng That other was indited by the spirite of Antichrist by the Pope the man of sinne and childe of perdition written of some disceauer infected with Simony and sacrilege which in life and maners was filthines it self But in Iohn is nothing but cleanes puretie integritie and the very sonne of God which prescribeth these things to S. Iohn is the very veritie and life This writing is frely geuen the light of the world lord of heauen and Earth of life death See than how safely thou mayest laine to this heauenly writyng which here is offered geuen thee frely Thou nedest not to disburce for the same one farthing The Pope instituted in the church biyng selling deuelish bargayning about perdōs other things which were plaine disceiptes illusions playne mocheries and open blasphemies therfore accursed for euer as S. Peter also pronoūceth in the .8 of the Actes God him selfe diswadeth al men from such tromperies and bargaines wicked vayne in the .55 chapt of Esaye where he promiseth agayne that he wil geue to the godly al plentie of al good thinges And now let vs heare what the writte is Blessed at the dead whiche die in the lord what S. Iohn is cōmaunded from heauen to put in writing It is a shorte sentēce as also in many places the wisedome of God cōprehēdeth in fewe wordes the true some of blessednes so prouiding for our infirmitie that we nede not to cōplaine that the doctrine were ouer longe which we with our slender vnderstandyng are not able to attayne to The Lord therefore pronounceth them to be blessed whiche die in the Lord then we must see what he vnderstandeth by blessednes and who thei be that die in the lord blessednes is that high felicitie which chaunceth to the faithfull in an other world in the which we shall see God him selfe as he is and haue the fruition of him vnto a ioyefull and neuer lothsomefulnes We shall liue in the same with all the Sainctes for euer and shall haue ioynes that can not be expressed with tunges of men Of the whiche shall followe more afterwarde They shal reste from their labours And more plentifully in the .21 chapt And they dye in the Lorde whiche by faith greffed in Christe layne to him alone depende wholy vpon him only regarde him and desire nothynge els but hym alone For they are sayed to liue in Christe in whome Christ liueth by faith they that liue in Christ do frame their whole life after the will of Christ And they die in the lord chiefly and before all whiche for the confession of the lordes faith suffer death and offer thēselues to tourmentes And not they alone but those also whiche although they die of the sworde of the persecutours yet die when the Lorde calleth them in the trewe christen fayth For these are also blessed as the Lord in S. Iohn verely verely I saye vnto you yf any man kepe my worde he shall not see death for euer Howebeit they die not in the lorde which eyther deny god that they might not be slaine or trust to their owne merites intercessions of Sainctes or to other mens workes be they monkes freres or massemonging priestes and so departe out of this life thinking that thei shal be holpen by other mēs workes To be briefe the veritie of the lord pronoūceth them al blessed and fortunate which departe out of this world in true faith Finally the Lord him self adioyneth a notable declaration of this his briefe sentence For he sette forth the circumstaūce of the time When and how saluation commeth to the dead and the maner of the blessednes For it is wonte to be demaunded what time saluatiō and felicitie happeneth to the dead whether incontinently or after a time that is whether our soules flitte by and by and immediately after the death of the body to the blessed seates or whether they be intercepted for a certen time so that they might be pourged in purgatorie before thei enter into
whilest many haue ben chosen and euery one of them wil be the vicar of Christ and so teare al that ecclesiasticall body of theirs with Schismes There rise vp agaynst these preachers erneste vehement Wycliffe Husse Hierome of Prage and diuerse others What is done at this day hath ben now these 30. yeres and more agaynst superstitions and idolatrie agaynst the Pope and al his clergie the Papistes themselues crie out and al partes of the world can testifie Therfore is the Deuill lowsed a little season The Lord Iesus treade him vnder our fete shortely ¶ What those thousande yeres shall be and of the certayne felicitie of soules after the death corporall and of the firste resurrection and seconde death The .lxxxviij. Sermon ANd I sawe seates and they that sate vpon thē and the iudgement was geuen vnto them and I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Iesu and for the word of God which had not worshipped the beaste nother his Image nother had taken his marke vpon their foreheades or in their hādes and they liued and raigned with Christ a thousande yeare but the other of the dead men liued not agayne vntill the thousande yeres were finisshed This is the first resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the first resurrection On suche hath the seconde death no power but they shal be the priestes of God and of Christe and shal raigne with him a thousande yeres By these S. Iohn declareth him selfe Here is declared what those thousande yeres shall be expoundyng what those thousande yeres shal be Not suche doubtles as very many emongs whom are accompted also the Millenaries or Chiliastes do Imagine with themselues in the whiche they saye there should be tranquillitie vpō earth and in the which yeres the sainctes here in Earth shal raigne corporally with Christ in moste exquisite pleasures and ioyes For S. Iohn himselfe confuteth this opinion whilest he sheweth how the sainctes should be beheaded of the beaste and of his Image and that the others which remayne in death should not liue agayne or receyue the gospel of Christ It is manifest therefore that the beaste his Image shal be in those thousandes yeres It is euident that the Gospell of Christe shall by those thousande yeres so shine that Sathan shoulde be so strayte tied in chaynes that neuerthelesse all should not receyue the gospell nother shuld there be quiet tranquillitie but that the Sainctes for Christes veritie should suffer persecution of the beaste and that many shuld not beleue the gospel but rather withstande the same and perisshe Yet that the Deuill in the meane time shall not haue so great power as he hath obteyned sins the thousande yeres were finisshed nother that the gospel should in those thousande yeres be so darkened as it was after corrupted and depraued And he toucheth with all certen opinions righte notable and necessarie and openeth the same to witte what should be the state of them which eyther are killed for Christ or reiecte Antichrist verely for that their soules do not slepe til the iudgemēt but liue with Christ in heauen He treateth moreouer of the first resurrection and seconde death Thus vnto them that maruaile where the soules of the dead shal become and what they shal do immediately after the corporal death he aunswereth and so much as is requisite to know declareth The soules of thē that be beheaded Therefore S. Iohn seeth seates and those that sitte on them And who be those that sitte he addeth by an exposition and sayeth and the soules of them that are beheaded For by an exposition it is taken as though you should saye they that sat on the Heauenly seates were the soules of them that are beheaded Soules are not beheaded but bodies the soules remayne in their state and life Wherefore he sayeth the soules of them whose bodies were beheaded or slayne And here lette vs note that S. Iohn speaketh not of the bodies reassumpted chaūged or reysed againe at the last iudgement but of the soules deliuered from the bodies of the martirs For he speaketh of soules lowsed frō the bodies before the Iudgement accordynge as euery one in his time liueth here in this worlde and is called from hence by death For Aretas also Bishop of Cesarea expoundeth this of the soules of Martirs yet thinketh he not neuerthelesse that no man should be saued vnlesse he die by the tirauntes sworde For he addeth this moreouer or verely he nameth to be beheaded tropically which haue mortified their membres that are on Earth Hitherto he And we also haue shewed before that first and chiefly the holy martirs are rewarded with eternal life secondely all they that haue honoured God truely and haue done penaunce and crucified their flesh with al the concupiscences thereof Beheaded for Christ And he sayeth expressely that the sainctes were beheaded not for thefte murder and mischiefe as also Saincte Peter teacheth 1. Peter 4. But for the worde of God and testimony of Iesu Christ The word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the very sonne of God our Sauiour and the testimony is that holesome gospell and the very preachyng and professyng of the same lyke as by the conference of Scriptures we haue declared before They are rekened moreouer emonges the Sainctes whiche haue not worshipped the beaste c. And suche are the Martirs beheaded or slayne for that they haue worshipped God but the beast and his Image would they not worship Howbeit al are not slaine that reiecte Antichrist and therfore particularly as a peculiar membre he rehersed thē also But what it is to worshippe the beaste and his Image and to receyue his marke c. I haue declared before at large in the .13 chapt Nowe lette vs see what their state is that shede their bloud for Christ and abhorre Antichrist with all his inchaūtmentes they liued sayeth he Of the state of soules after death before the iudgemēt to witte by fayth in this presente worlde As S. Paule sayde also I liue not I nowe but Christe liueth in me And of that same life followeth life euerlastyng in an other worlde Wherefore S. Iohn hath annexed and they raigned with Christe a thousande yeres to witte all that whole processe of time Not for that they raigned not liued with Christe afterwarde but for that their soules hitherto or to the iudgement haue not slept but haue liued rather in Heauen a blessed life The whiche also from the beginnyng he declareth by an other notation For he seeth a seate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set and the soules sitting in them And by a figuratiue speache he signifieth that certen seates and honourable places are prepared in heauē for the blessed soules as also the Lorde him self sayeth in the gospel In my fathers house are many mansions and nowe I goe to prepare you a place He calleth the seates thrones alludyng to the royall Trones of