sturdye and dysobedyent nacion The vncircumcised giauntes sayth Ezechiell wyth theyr weapons are gone downe to hell whose swerdes are layed vnder theyr heades theyr wyckednesse vpon theyr bones Of the wycked onely is all thys spoken héere if ye marke well the text and in no wyse of the Godly what though many of them hath bene drowned in the sea burned béeheadded and hanged vpon the lande and buryed quicke in the earth 17 For it foloweth also that they were iudged of the iudge and receiued euery one accordynge to theyr deseruinges Accordynge to the fleshely fruites of theyr owne inuentions shall they bée rewarded theyr vnfaythfulnesse iustly measured vnto them Theyr bodyes shall than take parte wyth theyr wretched soules in the euerlastynge cursse of dampdamnacion the elect numbre rewarded wyth perpetuall felicytye 18 And as concerninge death it self which is the vniuersall enimye of man it shal be destroyed for euer 19 Hell also whych is here taken for sinne shall neuer more be séene amonge the creatures of God 20 For both shal be throwne into the great lake of boylinge fyre and brymstone The victorie of death shal be swallowed vp and hys stinge done cleane away which is sinne That is nowe corruptyble shall put on vncorruptiō that is nowe mortall immortalitie Thus that the Lord at the houre make of all hys enimies hys fotestole according to his promyse by Oseas the Prophet O death I wil be thy death O hell I will bée thy destruction 21 This tirrible appoyntmēt of the iudge sayth saynt Iohn is the second death or perpetuall depriuation of the sight of God yea the vtter fall from his fauour grace and mercy This death is the whole vengeaunce of all innocent bloud which hath bene shed vpon earth from iuste Abell to the last faythfull witnesse Yea thys sentence is the stone that shall grinde the enimies to pouder the very eternall dampnation both of body and soule 22 Now for a conclusion of the whole matter whatsoeuer he be king or Emperour Priest or prelate laye or religious that shall not be founde writtē in the booke of lyfe which is the eternall predestination of god for that he hath worshipped the beast and his Image he shal be cast by the irreuocable sentence of the iudge into the stynking lake of fyre perpetully there to burne with the Diuell and hys Angels So that he which hath had no parte in the fyrst resurrection shal be sure to taste of this seconde death which is dampnation 23 He that beléeueth not the gospell whan it is faythfully taught hym repenting hys former lyfe but refuseth the grace thereof fréely offered shall for euer be damned Neuer shall his sin be remitted neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come that reststeth the holy ghost withstanding the open verytie Onely remaineth a fearfull expectatiō of iudgement vnto thē that here treadeth Christ vnder fote not regarding his bloud shedding but doeing iniury to the spirite of grace for their owne inuention The .xxj. Chapter In thys laste vision of Iohan is both discribed the prosperous estate of the true church or kingdōe of Christ here and also the perpetuall Sabboth of the chyldren of God All the other visions were mixte with labours afflictions and paynes This is full of peace tranquilitie and ioye incorruption glorie and felycitie THE TEXT 1 And I savve a nevve heauen 2. a nevve earth 3. for the first heauen 4. and the firste earth vvere vanished avvaye 5. and there vvas no more sea 6. And I Iohan savve that 7. holy Cytie 8. nevve 9. Hierusalem 10. come downe from God out of heauen 11. prepared as a bryde 12. garnished for hir husdande 13. And I hearde a great voyce from the seate saying 14 Beholde the tabernacle of God 15. is wyth men 16. and he vvyll dvvell vvith them 17. And they shall be hys people 18. and God hym selfe shall be vvith them 19. and shall be theyr God 20 And God shall vvype avvaye 21. all teares from theyr eyes 22. And there shal be no more death 23. neither sorovve 24. neyther shall there be any more payne 25. for the olde thinges are gone The Commentary 1 Besides the afore rehersed reuelations I behelde now last of all saith saynt Iohan that heauen was cleane altered from that it was afore and became all newe and so was the earth also and became the same Not onely become they nowe spirituall by a true beléeue in the Gospell that afore were carnall but also in the ende of the world shall the whole bodyes of heauen and of earthe as golde in the fornace be purged from fylthynesse by fyre goyng before the yudge which both are nowe defiled wyth the wickednesse of the creatures 2 After both sortes shall they be delyuered from the corruption here of sinne and thereof death and dampnatyon and so be restored vnto the glorious lybertie of Gods children 3 The first heauen defiled through y◠pryde of Angell and the first earth also corrupted by the sinnefull vsage of manne shall vanyshe cleane away and no more be séene Not that the substaunce of them shall vtterly perysh but that theyr nature shape and figure shal chaunge into a much more pure and perfect similytude A custome it was amonge the prophetes whan thy aduertysed the afflycted Israelytes of prosperite peace or renouation of the glory of God cōming towards thē to promis al things new 4 Beholde sayth the Lorde in Esay I make you new heauens and a new earth and as for the olde shall neuer more be though vpon Newe is the true church of Christ so are the people pertayning to the same In no poynt are they lyke to the Popes holy orders nor yet vnto Mahometes religion Clere are their hartes which haue rereceiued the verytie from all supersticions and theyr outwarde lyues from idell obseruations perfect are theyr consciences and theyr conuersacions godly And thys in the regeneration shal be fully accomplished Not onely shall that which is now mortall becō immortal the is now corruptible than incorrupted as the very Angels of the Lorde but also the vniuersall heauen shal be than renewed so shall the whole face of the earth and appere more beutyfull than now 5 And from that tyme fourth shall there be no more sea whych signifieth people vnstedfast vaine and fickle Whereas the peace of Christ is surely grounded no more is there anye troubled conscience No more is there any diffydence wan hope or dispayre Al bitternesse sorow anguish is turned into swéetnes ioy in the holy ghost We knowe sayth saynt Paule the all thinges are taken to the best in them that loue God Frō the Apostles whō Christ fyrst also called from the Sea vanished this waueringe Sea away whan they went from the mallicious counsell of the Bishoppes reioysinge that they were founde worthy to suffer rebuke for hys names sake In lyke case all impediments and néedes all daungers and doubtes all fearefull mouings and outragings
readeth they that hear the vvords of the prophecie keepe those things vvhich are vvritten therein 7. for the tyme is at hande The Paraphrase OF Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God this is the wonderfull reuelation concerning the diuers and doubtfull estate of the Christian church from the Apostles tyme to the latter ende of the world 2 Which reuelation with all iudgement and power God the euerlasting father hath wholly giuen vnto hym now takeÌ„ vp from the earth glorified and set aboue all the workes of hys handes 3 Euidently to declare yea to make manifest and knowne vnto hys true faythfull seruauntes beleuing in hys words and walking in his wayes the tokens signes marueils which must by hys vnchaungeable ordinaunce shortly in this latter tyme folow in effect without premonishment or warning taken of the wicked sort 4 And the sayd Iesus Christ sittyng on the right hande of the maiestie of God and being muche more excellent then the angels hath according to his former promise sent forth his spirit of truth most specially vnto his déerely beloued Apostle and peculyar dyscyple sainct Iohn the Euangelist not only to deduce him into all knowledge and veritie but also to manifest vnto him the secrete misteries of thinges to come 5 Which Iohn hath already as an earnest doer in his masters cause most constantly wytnessed his eternall godhead in the euerlasting worde against the Hebionites which denied him to com in the fleshe and hath faithfully affirmed his naturall manhode in all that he sawe being conuersaunt with him agaynste Carpocras and Cerinthus which blasphemed the same in the vtter confusion of all such Antichristes 6 Blessed is he saith Saint Ihon which after méeke prayer and godly meditacyon hauinge the gyfte of vnderstanding and grace of interpreting the scripturs doth sincerly faithfully without crafte or coloure publyshe declare the mistycall wordes of thys heauenly prophecye Blessed are they also which in a feruent faith hongeriÌ„g thristinge for the rightuousnes and with Simeon and Anna desirous of the glorye of God doth louingly heare and earnestly marke the wholsome words of the same sayd godly prophecye and that will deligently applye theÌ„ selues to obserue the rules and take the premonishementes of Godly doctrine ther in written 7 For the perelous dayes are come that the disceytfull swarme of Antichrist peruertinge the trueth shal bring the world into pernicious and dampnable errours And the Ieopardous time is at hande that the wrath of god shal be declared from Heauen vpon all vngodlynesse of these seducers that with hold his trueth in vnrightuousensse set hiâ— coÌ„maundementes at nought for their owne vile traditions The texte 1 Ihon vnto the seuen congregacions which are in Asia 2. Grace be vvith you 3. And peace from him wich is and which vvas and which is to come 4. from the seuen spirites which are present before his throne 5. and from Iesus Christe vvhich is a faythfull vvytnesse 6. and fyrst begotten of the dead 7. and prince ouer the kinges of the earthe 8. Vnto him that loued vs and vvashed vs from our sinnes in his ovvne bloud 9. and made vs kinges and Priestes vnto God his father 10. euen vnto him be glorye and dominion for euermore Amen The Paraphrase 1 Iohn the electe Apostle of Iesus Christ sendeth these greatinges to the vii churches or christian congregations which are in the land of Asia the lesse 2 Grace which is the mercy fauour and acceptacion of God be with you 3 And also peace which is the trauquilitie of conscience in them that beleue in Christ dwel euer among you from god the father euerlasting which is essencially in and of himselfe and which was before the constitucion of the world and which shall be after the worlde be finished for euer and euer without ende 4 The same grace and peace agayne be vnto you from God the holy Ghost here mencioned vnder the tytle of .vij. spirites for that he is manifolde and plentuous in gyftes 5 The thyrd tyme also the same said grace and peace be vnto you from the Lorde Iesus Christ the onely sonne of God which being the eternall veritie it selfe was in preaching his Gospell a wytnesse therof both faythful true and perfect and in no wyse could lye that ye should the rather beleue him 6 He was the fyrst of all men that euer were in this mortall nature or body of death recouering againe the fauour of God lost in Adam and that with victory ouer sinne hell deathe and the diuell ascended into Heauen and became in that fleshe glorifyed the sonne of God that ye should bée the bolder of him and the rather take him for your onely aduocate 7 He is also a mâ—ste mighty Lorde ouer the kinges rulers and magistrates of this worlde hauing now all power geuen him in heauen in earth with a wryting vpon his vesture that he is Kinge of Kinges and Lorde of Lords and that of his kingdome ther shall be no ende that the wicked tyrauntes should the rather feare least they féele him a terryble iudge at the latter day 8 For so much as he hath so intyrely loued vs as to be smytten and wouÌ„ded for our offencest and as to geue his lyfe for our wycked wretchednes yea for so much as he of most natural kyndenesse would be cruelly slayne to washe vs purifie vs and clense vs in his owne most innocent bloud from the moste cankred vylenesse of our sinnes to prouoke vs to loue him agayne 9 For so much also as he hath made vs a liuing kingedome to god through fayth in him and consecrate vs priestes to offer vp our bodies by a newe Christian life as a sacrifyce holy and acceptable vnto God his euerlastinge father 10 Unto him wyth the said father with the holy ghost be perpetual praise glorye power and dominyon for euermore Amen The text 1 Beholde he commeth with cloudes 2. and all eyes shall see him 3. and they also which pearsed him 4. And all kynredes of the earth shall vvayle 5. Euen so Amen 6. I am Alpha and Omega the beginninge and the ending sayth the Lorde almightie 7. vvhich is vvhich vvas and vvhich is to come The Paraphrase 1 Take hede for moste certayne it is though Christe in his fyrste comminge as a merciful sauiour apered here vpon earth poore simple ignominious yet shal he in his latter comminge appere in the cloudes of heauen with maiestie power and glorye accoÌ„panyed with the infinite hoste of angels as a rigorous iudge 2 And vpon him shall all eyes looke both man and angell shal behold him and stande before hys terrible iudgemente seate no creature good nor bad exempt 3 Yea thâ—se cruell tyrauntes also shal at that houre appeare befere him which did not only flée his moste innocente body but also
Gospel was as the sound or noyse of many waters For many peoples of diuers and sundrie nations kynreds and languages hath confessed and still doeth confesse hym God and man by the same though the one vnderstand not the other 10 And he had in his right hande which is his mightie power seuen starres which are not only the seuen preachers of his vij congregations in Asia but also all the true minysters of hys word the worlde ouer For them hath he in his right hand They are vnder hys gouernaunce wil protection custodie So long as he retayneth them they are wyse godly and profitable but if hee once throw theÌ„ forth then are they blind wicked and accursed yea and good for nothing but to be cast out to be troden vnder foote Blessed are they therfore which fal not besides that haÌ„d 11 Out of his mouth which is hys holy spirite procéeded a sharpe two edged sweard This is hys strong mightie and quicke worde or hys sacred scrypture so sharpe that it pearceth through euen to the diuyding a sunder of the soule and the spirit and of the Ioynts the mary And is a iudger of the thoughts and intentes of the harte whom finally nothing shall be able to resist 12 And his face which is the eternitie of his Godheade glorified nature and spirituall kingdome shone euen as the cleere sonne in his most strength whose brightnesse no creature can behold without the pure sight of an vncorrupt faith For the fleshly carnall man in no wise vnderstandeth thinges belonging to the spirit of god but iudgeth them folishnesse THE TEXT 1 And vvhen I savve him I fell at his feete euen as dead 2. And he layed his right haÌ„d vpon me saying vnto me 3. Feare not I am the first the last 4. And am a lyue vvas dead 5. And behold I am a lyue for euermore 6. And haue the keyes of Hell of Death 7. Wryte therefore the thinges vvhich thou hast seene 8. And the things vvhich are and the thinges vvhich shal be fulfilled hereafter 9. And the mystery of the seuen Starres vvhich thou savvest in my right hand 10. And the seuen golden Candelstickes 11. The seuen Starres are the Angells of the seuen Congregacions 12. And the seuen Candelstickes vvhich thou sawest are the seuen Congregacions THE PARAPHRASE 1 And when I had thus séene him sayth saint Iohn dilygently marked all these poyntes in him I fell down at his féete as one almost dead for feare Consider in this that the nature of the true knowledge of christ is to throw downe to mortifie the fleshe with his corrupte affections and to cast vs in fear tyll his hidden misteries be throughly perceyued 2 And he sayth saint Iohn to coÌ„fort my weaknesse layd hys ryghte hand vpon me He releued me with his power grace and helpe when he saw me humbled before his face and fearfully astonyed at the woonderfull brightnesse of his high misteries And not without his worde for he sayd vnto me 3 Let not fearefulnesse ouercome thée nor doutfull dread oppresse thée But take vnto thée fayth which is the chiefe remedie in feare know that I am the first and the laste the maker the restorer of all creatures I am he of whoÌ„ all things depeÌ„d and vnto whom all things belong 4 I am now alyue as thou séest euydently and the very lyfe it selfe yet was I slayne now of late and my body dead and buryed 5 Behold me therfore earnestly for now in a gloryfied nature in a bodie impassyble and immortall I am a lyue for euer euer readie to make interpellatioÌ„ to obtaine mercy for all the worldes sinnes death hauing ouer me no more dominion 6 I haue in my hands vnder my power the keyes both of hel death that neither hell nor sin death nor the diuil shall be froÌ„ heÌ„ceforth able to preuayle agaynst my electes No coÌ„demnation shall be vnto them that are surely grafted in me 7 Take penne and incke therfore and seriously wryâ—e the thinges which thou hast alreadie séene 8 And note faythfully the meruayls which are by the power of God accomplyshed and the wonders also which shall be fulfilled hereafter 9 Marke first of all with due cyrcumspection the secrete mystery of the vij shyning starres which thou sawest now of late in my right hand 10 And diligently consider the seuen golden Candelstickes also 11 The vij starres in signification are the messengers of Gods word or the Apostolike preachers appointed to the vij congregatioÌ„s in Asia and in them to all the world These ought in the church as the starres in the firmameÌ„t to shine in holsome doctrine and in godly conuersatioÌ„ and as the lightes of the world neyther in life nor preachyng to mynistre any maner of darkenesse 12 Consider also the seuen golden Candelstickes which thou sawest about me to be the sayd .vij. coÌ„gregations Upon whom I ought to shine which am the lyght of the worlde In whose workes I oughte to appere which am the clerenesse of the Gentiles They are called here .vij. Golden Candelsticks as most precious in value for so much as they ar precious in the sight of God were also redéemed and boughte with a great price euen with the precious bloud of the vndefiled lambe Iesus Christ. The second Chapiter THE TEXT 1 Vnto the Angell of the congregation of Ephesus vvryte 2. These things saieth he that holdeth the seueÌ„ starres in his right hand vvalketh in the middest of the seuen Golden Candelstickes 3. I knovv thy vvorkes and thy labour and thy pacience 4 And howe thou canste not forbeare them vvhich are euil 5. And examinest them vvhich say they are Apostles and are not 6. And hast found them lyars 7. And hast suffred and hast patience and for my names sake haste laboured and haste not faynted 8. Neuerthelesse I haue somevvhat against thee for thou haste lefte the first loue 9 Remember therfore from vvhence thou art fallen and repent 10. And doe the first vvorkes 11. Or els I will come vnto thee shortly 12. And will remoue thy Candelsticke out of his place excepte thou repent 13. But this thou hast bicause thou hatest the deedes of the Nicolaitans 14. Which deedes I also hate 15. Let him that hath eares heare vvhat the spirite saith vnto the congregations 16. To him that ouercommeth wil I giue to eate of the tree of lyfe 17. vvhich is in the middest of the Paradyse of my God THE PARAPHRASE MY dearely beloued seruant Iohan sayeth the Lord Iesus my will is that thou shalte signifie by writing vnto the messenger or preacher of the Christian congregation of Ephesus which dwelling in this earthly mansion is as was Daniel ful of wholsome desires Shée looketh for the Kingdom shée séeketh for the glorie shée hungreth for the rightuousnesse of God she thursteth for the liuing waters shée
then ryse disprophet then profite 9 For the tenth parte of the city fell to the grounde Their buildinge vpon sand will in no case endure That God hath not planted must vp by the rootes Their holy whoryshe church which is heere called Sodom and Egipt is ruinously decaied their monasteries of monkes their houses of friers their coleges of idle priests with theyr Nuns Chanons chantryes in many places are downe Tythes are not as they haue bene nor Trentals nor other deuocions Images are not sought nor pardons in confession The people inclineth to new learning and goeth from their olde beléeue of holy church They yâ— were moÌ„ks priests friers are now become gospell teachers Such as afore were dead standeth vp now against them boldely This fallen part is heare the tenth for it is the Lords by the law It is the same shéepe that afore was loste and nowe is brought to Christes folde These were called away from thence by the witnesses the other stande yet styll and are euery daye worse and worse 10 In the earthquake were slaine names of men to the number of seueÌ„ thousaÌ„d An innumerable multitude hath ben sent out of the way by these Antichristes in their fury but yet nothinge haue they slayne but their names Onely haue they hurt their bodyes vpon their soules haue they had no power no more than had Sathan vpon the soule of Iob. Yet haue their not names perished befor god for of him are they writen in the booke of lyfe In no case are the wicked of the godly héere put to death though some do so vnderstand it but rather of the wicked the godlie For they neuer retaile their wronges but rather pray for their enimies 11 And the remnaunt or residue were feared saith saint Iohn and gaue glory to God of heauen Of such as were left in their earthquakes or terrible persecutions some remayned in pryson Some were beggered some were exiled some fled some lost their estimacion and friends and yet gaue prayse vnto God 12 In all their aduersities they gloryfied the name of their heauenly father and Lorde Thus haue we héere what is done already and what is it to come vnder this sixt trompet blowyng where vnder we are now which al belongeth to the second wo. 13 And these thinges once accomplished the second woe wyll be past And then looke by and by for the third woe for it wyll folow anone after without faile yea so soone as this second woe is done 14 In the later age of all shall this third woe raigne such time as Gog and Magog most extremly shall rage And the vninuersall iudgement shall finishe that woe as héere after more euidently wyll appeare But consider that these woes are to the infideles The faithfull feareth them not but receiuinge the worde in a pure hart they bringe forth fruite in pacient sufferaunce The xij Chapter NNw foloweth in order the seueÌ„th trumpet blowinge or the pure declaration of Christes ioyfull tydynges for the laste age of the Church vnder the seuenth seale openynge with the wounders and maruayles that there after ensueth THE TEXT 1 And the seuenth Aungell blew 2. And there were made great voyces in heauen 3. Saying The kindomes of this worlde are our Lordes and his Christes 4. And he shall rayne for euermore 5. And the xxiiii elders vvhich sate before God on their seates 6. Fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying 7. We geue thee thankes Lorde God almighty whiche art and waste and art to come 8. For thou hast receiued thy greate might and hast raigned 9. And the nationâ— were angry 10. And thy wrath is to come 11. And the time of the dead that they should be iudged 12. And that thou shouldest geue rewarde vnto thy seruantes the Prophets and sayntes 13. And to them that feare thy name small and great 14. And shouldest distroy them which destroye the earth The Paraphrase 1 And the seauenth Angel blewe sayeth Sainct Iohn The seuenth sort of sincere prechers shall vtter their message accordinge to the will of God they shall declare his pleasure as he hath appointed them For though it be spoken heare as past and done for the certentie of the thing yet is it not fulfilled in effecte The word of God was without beginning and his promyse euerlasting yet is it not all perfourmed in his creatures but many things are yet to come 2 After this blaste of the Angell were made great voyces in heauen Many the congregation or kingdom of God his Gospell once purely publyshed by the preachers shall speake godly thinges to the edification of other The simple poore weaklings idotes and infants shall vtter the hydden wisdome of god to the confusion of the great wise men and sage seniours of this world Yea the stones in the streat the outcastes of the world the forsaken people shall wonderfully prayse the Lord. 3 And these shal be their sayings when they shall sée the Antichristes coÌ„fused and not able to speake again The kingdomes of this worlde that were somtime wicked cruel and vnfaithfull are now become the Lords and his Christes of his onely grace and goodnesse Now fall they to the worde that afore thought it foolishnesse Now cleaue they to the trueth that somtime did abhorre it Now haue they in hand the Gospel that afore dyd persecute it as sedicious learning and heresy 4 And in this congregation shal he raigne euermore Continually is he with them that in faith retaineth hys verytie All this shall they vtter with no small reioyce For doubtles after the seauenth seale opening and the gospell preaching then a peaceable time shall be and figured it is by the halfe houre spoken of afore For it shal not continue to the ende Long may not the church of Christ be vnpersecuted But yet this peace for the time shall â—ot onely be an inward peace in the conscience as is alwayes among the faithful but an outward quiet also or a season wtouâ— persecution abroade 5 And the xxiiij elders saith S. Iohn or the great number of saincts departed whiche sitteth before God on their seats or resteth in his swéet peace in such graces of the spirit as he gaue them by their lyfe time as charite stedfastnesse loue ioy peace méekenesse rightuousnesse and such other lyke fell downe flat vpon their faces 6 Most humblye haue they euer submitted themselues referryng vnto god the father the benfite of their creation and vnto Iesus Christ hys sonne the frée gyft of their redemption Yea sepcialli at this time being vnder the Antler of God knowyng by hys méere goodnesse the number of their bretheÌ„ shortly to be fulfilled and them selues with theÌ„ to be at a gloryous liberty after their gostly sorte they laud hym saying 7 From the verye depth of our spirituall hartes we render vnto thée most hygh thankes Lorde god almighty eternall Father sonne and holy ghost which art one essenciall God and wast without beginninge and shalt be
any more 22 In hir moreouer shall be no more death for it shall be destroyed for euer No more shal mennes consciences dispayre here But haue ioye in the holy ghost No more shal they die through sinne but lyue vnto God by fayth And there shall no more the rose coloured whore be dronken in the bloud of martyrs Hir tyrauntes shal be closed vp in the stinking lake of fyre from the slaughter of them they than becomming immortall and impossible Moreouer thaÌ„ this he that beléeueth in christ shal neuer die nor yet come into iudgement but passe cleane froÌ„ death vnto lyfe 23 Neyther shall there be any sorow nor crying any more For all maner of displeasure of the bodye as pouertye sicknesse losses emnytie vexacions and yll reportes are here paciently borne of the faythfull And ther shal be founde nothynge to minister any suche occasions Here is neyther age doubted nor yet persecution feared in them that reckeneth death aduantage hauinge in desire wyth Paule to be hence and wyth Christ. Nor yet shal be there where all is in ioye and peace durable for euer 24 Neyther shall there be felt any more payne Such hath bene the constauncye of the martirs here that litle haue the tormentes greued them Eleazarus paciently suffered all punyshmente Steuen reyosed to sée heauen open Andrewe woulde in no case be delyuered from deathe Laurentius offred his brent fleshe to be eaten The burnynge coles were so sweete vnto Tiburcius as the fragraunt roses So desyrous were the terryble tormeÌ„ts vnto Uincent as a moste pleasaunt banket Angelus desired the people in Sicilia to esteme the tyraunt hys frynde What the exceding constauncy was of Iohn Husse and Hieronime of Prage dyuers Chronycles mencyoneth And in our tyme George Baynham in the fyre dyd neuer complayne Ihon Frith neuer shewed him self once greued in countenaunce Barnes neuer moued as hys enymyes doth report Peter Franke in Colchester sang ioyfully to the Lorde The thrée young men of Southfolk reioysed at the death with such other many And how farre they shal be from paines after this the great daye of the Lorde shall declare 25 For the olde thynges are paste sayth the text All that afore was tedious heauy and fearefull to the flesh is nowe become easie light and pleasaunt through that they haue learned of Christ. His word refresheth them in spirit and is a swéet rest vnto their soules And in the regeneration shall hunger thirst werinesse labour heat colde rayne winde thunder earthquakes with all other discommodities be taken cleane from them Neyther shal they haue ther néede of meat nor drinke foode nor rayment beddes nor buildings féeldes nor medowes welspringes nor riuers gardens nor vineyardes The Text. 1 And he that sate vppon the seate sayde 2. Behold I make all thinges nevve 3. And he sayde vnto me 4 Wryte 5. for these vvordes are faythfull and true 6. And he sayde vnto me 7. it is done 8. I am Alpha and Omega 9. the beginning and the ende 10. I will giue to him that is a thirst 11. of the vvel of the vvater of lyfe free 12. He that ouercoÌ„meth shall inherite all thynges 13. I vvill be his God and he shall be my sonne 14 but the fearefull 15. vnbeleuing 16. the abhominable 17. murtherers 18. and vvhoremongers 19. and sorcerets 20. and Idolatrs 21. all lyars 22. shall haue their part in the lake 23. that burneth With fire and brimston 24. vvhich ys the seconde beath The commentary 1 And the omnypotent Lorde whych sate vpon the eternall throne concluded thus with me Hys holy spirite of promise assertayned my spyryte by hys heauenly word that all these thynges should be true 2 Behoulde sayth he I wyll make all thynges freshe and newe Heauen earthe the Sea and the vnyuersall Cytye of peace I wyll delyuer from all corrupcyon I make all pure cleane holy immortall vncorrupt impassible clere heauenly spirituall and glorious Neuer more shall they bee as they were afore whan they were yet olde Neuer shall be more eating nor drinking wyuing nor â—anketing traueling nor sléeping â—or other such doeinges pertayninge to the corruptible lyfe The rightuous shall than shyne as the red fyre sparkes So bright as the sunne shall they be in the kingdome of theyr father 3 Thus hath the Lorde here midsts meruielously described vnto Iohn and by hym vnto vs the misticall Sabboth of his people here the eternal Saboth after this lyfe oÌ„maÌ„ding him to 〈◊〉 it as foloweth Much to fro hath bene amoÌ„g the 〈◊〉 doctours is 〈◊〉 to thâ—â— day whether the saued multiâ—â—â—â— shall reygne here vpon earth 〈◊〉 Christ or aboue in heauen afteâ— the iudgement dayâ— Which is easy to be perceiâ—ed if the scriptures hée truâ—â— conferred Therefore serâ—h dâ—lygently the scriptures for they hearâ— witnesse of all truth Christ hath in Math. the they shal be thaÌ„ as the Angels are nowâ— in heauen whose office is hath to be hâ—re â— there And so muche 〈…〉 the they shal be as thaÌ„ all one 〈◊〉 wâ—ll shall the earth be new as the heauens And nedes it must be to some purpose Neuer woulde Esay Peteâ— haue said the rightuousâ—sse should dwelt in theÌ„ if they shuld not occupy theÌ„ both It is said here also the the new Hierusalem shall come downe froÌ„ heaueÌ„ But not so that it shall not vp againe For Christes electes shal be whereas he is Whan they shal be vpoÌ„ the earth no let nor impedimeÌ„t shal they haue to be also in heaueÌ„ both they being one 〈…〉 agyltie perfectioÌ„ shall be thaÌ„ in their bodies as is now in the glorified body of Christ or in the spirituall nature of the angels Which are nowhere now theâ— And whether they be here or ther alwaies they sée God â— are 〈…〉 absent from him Manye scriptures myght be brought in to declare thâ—â— matâ—er more at large but it wold 〈◊〉 much tyme. What mutuall feloship heauenly amyte glorious pastyme will be betwixt them the angels at that day it fare passeth al capacities to diffine I couÌ„sail 〈◊〉 to be curious in the serch of high misteris â—s this here is one without the feare of God least he ouercoÌ„meÌ„ of their exceding 〈◊〉 whoredom with many kinges by many false worshippinges This for hir méekenesse is commended of God the other proudely boasteth hir 〈◊〉 through holy tradicions merites and deseruinges to bâ—â— a riche quâ—ene With many such other 4 And the Lorde sayth saint Iohn which worketh all thinges by his onely word and commaundement 〈◊〉 thus vnto me Emprente first in thy hart that I haue here sheweâ— theâ— than leaue it in writing to the 〈◊〉 of those that than folow theâ— 5 And if thou wyll kâ—owe a reason why thou shalt thus doe take this 〈◊〉 sentence with thee I assure the so 〈◊〉 as I am God yâ— the wordes which I haue shewed in this present ReuelatioÌ„ are effectually most faithfull and ruste In no manner of
longeth for to be deliuered from this bodie of death shée coueteth to be dissolued and to be with Christ yea ferueÌ„tly she desireth to rest in the armes of hir almightie spouse 2 Tell hir therefore that these sayings hath he which holdeth the vij starres in his right hand walketh in the middest of the vij golden Candelstickes which hath in his power all ministers of his worde to retain theÌ„ or to cast theÌ„ out remaineth among the congregations to beholde their actes and reward them according to their doings 3 I know thy workes sayth hée I perceue thy labour thy anguish thy affliction thy payne for vnto me nothing can be hid I consider also thy pacient sufferance in aduersitie and thy troublous crosse for my wordes sake thy constant fayth and thy vnbroken spirite 4 And I ponder thy feruent and godly zeale wherin thou canst in no wyse forbeare theÌ„ that are wicked and euill but thou hatest blasphéemers abhorrest the enemies of god 5 I much commend thée for that thou diligeÌ„tly examinest them which call them selues Apostles and are none which boast theÌ„ selues to be christian teachers and are nothing lesse 6 And by thy diligent searche hast not only proued them false and deceiptfull Antichristes but also thou hast expelled theÌ„ least they shuld do harm 7 And though thou haste bene gréeuously vexed and persecuted of those false Prophets yet hast thou paciently suffred and firmly stand by the truth for my names sake Thou hast taken paynes and not faynted in thy labours so strong hath the spirit of God bene with thée And all these pointes in thée I greatly allow 8 Yet haue I somewhat agaynst thée for so much as thou arte fallen from thy first charitie the fruites of true faith not being so abundant and plentifull in thée as they were in the beginning of the Gospell nor thou so effectuall in working mercy pittie 9 Call therefore to thy remembrauÌ„ce from what perfectioÌ„ thou art fallen and repent thy slipper weakenesse and slothfull negligence which hath not suffered thée to perseuer in thy first calling 10 And return to thy first works agayne walking in that ferueÌ„t faith in that godly spirite and in that swéete loue of thy neighbour that thou diddest walke in before diminish not but increase euermore in al goodnes 11 Els wil I come shortly vnto thée as a straight looker vpon thée 12 And except thou repent from the hart with ful purpose of amendmeÌ„t I will remoue thy Candelsticke out of hir place I shall take away from thence the sincere doctrine and pure preaching of my word suffer mens fantastical traditions olde womens dreames the spirites of errour the doctrine of diuels the lyes of hypocrites with all blyndnesse darknes abhominatioÌ„ and idolatrie there to remayne For where as my word is not sincerely taught beléeued and obserued but vncharitably dispised hated and persecuted there shall not my church remayne but in hir place shal stand vp the Sinagoge of Sathan with blyndnesse and induration For that congregatioÌ„ is not myne which hath not my worde No longer is it my church then it hath my veritie Turne back againe therefore to Abraham Isaac Iacob to the Prophetes and Apostles and exercyse the first workes leauing all papistrie 13 This warning hast thou of mée for that thou hatest the vnséemely déeds of the Nicolaytanes so called of one Nicolas a proselitie of Antioche and one of the vij Deacons ordayned by the Apostles Whose corrupte custome was among other to defile holy wedlock in making their wyues common in boasting them selues lawfully so to do by the example of the sayde Nicolas 14 Whose vncomely actes I hate and abhorre also hauing matrimonye in honor and the chamber therof vndefiled This premonishement haue I giuen thée also least thou in processe of tyme shouldest fall to Apostasie vtterly decline froÌ„ the truth 15 Let him that hath eares sayeth the Lord which is iudgement and discretion in the spirit diligeÌ„tly heare and earnestly marke what the holy ghost speketh what premonishmeÌ„ts he giueth what reward he promiseth to the faithfull congregations 16 To him that by the spirit of Christ and by faith victoriously ouercoÌ„meth the world sin hell death the diuil I wil giue to eate of the trée of lyfe to haue reioyce here in the holy ghost to haue comfort peace and gladnesse in mée 17 And after this life eternall beatitude which is in the midst of the beautiful paradise or the triumphant church of my Lord my God and my celestial father yours also by mée THE TEXT 1 And vnto the Angel of the congregation of Smyrna wâ—yte 2. These things saith he that is the first the last 3 which was deade and is aliue 4. I knowe thy works and tribulatioÌ„ 5. And pouertie but thou arte rich 6. And I knowe the blasphemie of theÌ„ which call theÌ„selues Iewes and are not but are the congregation of Sathan 7. Feare none of the things which thou shalt suffer 8. Behold the diuill shal cast some of you into prison to tempt you 9. And ye shal haue tribulation ten dayes 10. Be faithfull vnto the death 11. and I will giue thee a crowne of lyfe 12. Let him that hath eares heare vvhat the spirite saith to the congregations 13 He that ouercommeth shall not be hurt of the secoÌ„d death THE PARAPHRASE 1 Apply thée also my friend Iohn with all festination to write vnto the faithfull mynister of the congregacion of Smyrna which trauaylyng in thys vayle of myserie as the odoriferous myrrha giueth forth the swéete smell of all good christian workes and distrybuteth fréelye the precyous treasure of godly examples Shée beleueth in God shée séeketh his onely glorie shée foloweth his word shée rebuketh sinne with pacieÌ„ce she openeth hir haÌ„ds to the poore she giueth meate to the huÌ„gry drinke to the thirstie lodging to the straunger clothes to the naked comfort to the sicke and reliefe to the prisoner Shée is méeke gentle obedyent pacient and mercifull 2 Infourme hir therfore that these things sayeth he which is the fyrst and the laste the maker and redéemer the founder and restorer of all creatures 3 Which was once dead to redeme hir from eternall death and now is alyue to restore hir to lyfe euerlasting Let hir not doubt therefore to suffer héere lyke as hée hath suffred For as he is now immortall hath the ouer hande of death so shall shée be and haue the same 4 I know thy works saith the Lord to spring onely of fayth and to bée fashioned according to the word of God I perceyue thy manyfolde trybulations how thou arte outwardly afflicted by continuall persecution of enimyes and inwardly crucyated in conscience to beholde the damnable errours frowardnesse blindnes and vtter contempt of Gods trueth which raigneth in the wicked 5 I consider thy pouertie in the spirite that
nothing thou estéemest the pryde the ryches the vayne glorie and the wanton desires of this worlde yet arte thou rych for the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is thyne For with Abraham Iob Moyses and Helyas in thy hart thou séekest the only glorie of God and with all these things most highly am I pleased 6 But this pleaseth me not that thou for my wordes sake arte so blasphemed of vngodly hypocrites which call themselues Iewes and are not which boast theÌ„selues for the peculyar people choseÌ„ childreÌ„ of God are nothyng lesse but are without fayle the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of Sathan the tyraÌ„nous rable of rauenous ruffyans 7 Certayne it is that by such spyrituall tyrauntes thou must sustain opprobrious rebukes with manifold afflictions and paynes But let neyther their subtile sleights nor their cruell snares be troublous vnto thy mynde Neyther doubt thou their false practises nor yet their vengeable lyes whoÌ„ both thou must suffer with hate slaunder reuylings false witnesse spight shame and vengeauÌ„ce Considering this paciently to lyue in Christ is to suffer persecution and that among those belly gods nothing is more to be looked for theÌ„ the crosse of contradiction and death 8 And take this for a warning afore haÌ„d The diuil doubtlesse which is the common aduersarie and the head capitayne of their empyre shall with vyolence bryng some of you not only vnder the captiuitie of cruel gouernours but also into the thraldome of wicked lawes and damnable constitutions yea and consequeÌ„tly throw you into prison chaynes sorow hunger thirst colde pouertie care and wretchednesse to tempte your hartes to trie your pacience to prooue your sufferaunce to trouble your faith least ye shuld els stedfastly stand by Christes doctrine to his glorie and profite of your brethren 9 But let this solase you for the time Theyr malice shall not alwayes endure Their mischiefe will haue an ende For though ye haue here trybulation and suffer gréeuous persecution he ye sure it shall no longer continue then .x. dayes The terme of mans lyfe is but shorte And that once finished God shall wype away from him all teares and take away all sorowes and bodily paynes 10 Perseuer therefore stedfastlye and be strong in the spirite vnto the ende Let not faith faile thée vnto the departing from this transitorious life 11 And I shall replenishe thée with the reward of faythful perseueraÌ„ce I will giue thée the crowne of eternall lyfe with full tranquilitie ioye and beatitude 12 Let him that hath eares of vnderstaÌ„ding with diligence attend not what the Hipocrites hath fantasied for lucre but what the holy spirite of God doth here graciously vtter vnto the christian congregations 13 He that so constantly perseuereth in the trueth of God that neyther flattering persuasion worldely promotion nor cruel tormeÌ„t can plucke his mynde from it shall neuer take harme of the second death For the death of them which truly beleueth is precious in the sight of the Lord their God Neither shal sinne be imputed to him that hath faith nor yet dampnation to them which are in Christ Iesu. THE TEXT 1 And vnto the Angell of the congregation in Pergamos vvryte 2. This saith he vvhich hath the sharp svverd vvith the tvvo edges 3. I knovv thy vvorkes vvhere thou dvvellest Euen vvhere Sathans seat is 4 And thou keepest my name and haste not denyed my faith 5. And in those dayes Antipas vvas a faithfull vvitnesse of myne vvhich vvas slayn among you vvhere Sathan dvvelleth 6. But I haue a fevve things against thee 7. That thou hast there them that maynteyne the doctrine of Balaam vvhich taught Balaac to put occasioÌ„ of sinne before the children of Israell that they shoulde eate of the meate dedycate vnto Idols and to commit fornication 8. Euen so hast thou them that maintein the doctrine of the Nicolaytans vvhich thyng I hate 9. But be conuerted or els I vvill come vnto thee shortlye 10. And vvill fight against them vvith the svverd of my mouth 11. Let him that hath eares heare vvhat the spirite sayeth vnto the congregations 12. To him that ouercommeth vvil I giue to eate Manna that is hid 13. And vvill giue him a vvhyte stone 14. And in the stone a nevv name vvritten 15. Which no man knovveth sauyng hee that receyueth it THE PARAPHRASE 1 Fayle in no wyse good Iohn sayd the sayd Lorde Iesus Christ consequently to make known to the christian Preacher of the congregation of Pergamos which though shée remayne here beneth vpon earth yet is she the very high building of God many times assaulted and striken of the wicked for confessing his truth but neuer yet ouerthrowen nor vtterly distroyed This Church is not only highe through grace fayth the word of God the spirite of God the inuincible veritie and all other graces and gifts of the holy ghost but also for the glorie of the name of god for the strength of his power for the secret misteries of his heauenly iudgements for the most constant assertion of his godly truth 2 Shew hir this heauenly message from him which hath froÌ„ his mouth procéeding a fine sweard sharpe edged on both the sides whereby is meant his mightie worde so effectuall quicke and strong in operation that the infallible iudgements therof doeth not only condemne but also distroy vtterly all falsehood filthines lyes lewdnesse and wickednesse 3 By my euerlasting foresight saith the Lord I know thy christeÌ„ works and for thy faithes sake I allow theÌ„ and prayse them I perceyue also where thou doest remayne dwell euen where as is the resting place of Sathan and the verie kingdome of the diuill whereas Gods heauenly word is oppressed contemned and blasphemed of the infidels tyrants and hypocrites 4 But I much commend thée that thou dwellyng among them and sustayning dayly persecution and rebukes hast so strongly perseuered in the truth that thou hast neither denyed my name nor forsaken my fayth 5 And speciallye in those terryble dayes wherein that godly preacher and faythfull witnesse of myne called Antipas among other was most cruelly murdred and slayne yea before your faces to put you the more in feare least ye should still confesse my name word to the hindraunce of Sathans kingdome for there hée dwelleth in déed There is his seate his trone his habitacle 6 Notwithstanding all these faithfull poyntes yet haue I somewhat against thée wherin thou art rebuke worthie 7 For thou arte conuersaunt with them that contrarie to their christen profession support the execrable doctryne of that subtile sothsayer cursed â—harmer BalaaÌ„ which by pestilent couÌ„sel caused kiÌ„g Balaac to prouoke the children of Israell to work wickednesse and so to haue the cursse of God through this occasion He shuld set before their eyes the most fayre damsels of the Madianytes precyously apparelled And they once tangled with their wanton beautie should not only defile
the lawes of theyr fathers by the eatyng of meats dedicate to vncleane Idols but also fall into the high displeasure of god for committing with them most vile fornication Suche vnholsome teachers are among thy people take héede if thou list 8 Thou arte also verye familiar with such vngodly Apostates false Apostles as mayntayne the vncomely examples teachings of the Nycolaytanes which corruptyng godly maryage not only permit their own wyues to be common but also they abashe not to defyle the wyues of other men Whose damnable doyngs I detest and abhorre 9 I counsell thée therefore to repent in tyme and to bee conuerted frō the errors of those couetous gluttōs rauenous lechours which cōdemyning holy matrimony permit all kyndes of vncleannesse and nothing more gréedily deuour thā that is offred vp to Idolles in their dedycations and feastes Call backe these abuses with swéete teachings exhortations desires and patient rebukes els will I within a while visite thée to thy displeasure 10 Yea and I will valiauntly fight agaynst those Balaamitanes which giue false coūsel for filthie rewards and agaynst those Nicolaytanes that chaunge holy wedlocke for whoredome And with the swerde of my mouth which is the inuincible veritie shall I iudge them condemne them and vtterly distroy them with all those shauen Madyanites that with their whorishe inuentions paynted traditions and ceremonyall supersticions hath takē from me my most deare Israelytes bought with my precious bloud With the breath of my mouth shal I consume thée and bring thée to naught 11 Let him that hath but one eare of iust vnderstandyng take gentle warnyng by such charitable premonishments as the holy spirite of God giueth vnto the christen cōgregations 12 To him that through constante fayth in the name doctrine of God neither feareth the world sin death hel nor the diuil will I giue to tast eate and sauer an hidden manna a secret sweetnesse a wisdome in the spirite that he shall féele the goodnesse thereof and reioyce to knowe how swéete the Lord is and what an heauenly treasure it is to trust in him Which manna is hid from the wyse of this world 13 I will also giue him for a token of perpetuall peace and loue that pure and precious stone Iesus Christ so white as the lillie floure innocent and cleane frō all contagious vices to be his only whole wisdom rightuousnesse light health and redemption 14 And in the said white stone Iesus Christ which is also the booke of lyfe will I gyue him a newe name written I shall register him for the chyld of God and the heyre of lyfe euerlasting For in him alone must ye be accepted saued and glorified 15 Of this no man is certayne but he that is taught of the spirit of God No man can say Iesus is the Lorde but in the holy ghost By the spiryte of adoption ye cry Abba father The onely spirit of the Lord ascertaineth your spirit that ye are the sonnes of God THE TEXT 1. And vnto the Angell of the congregation of Thiatyra vvryte 2. This saith the sonne of God vvhich hath his eyes lyke vnto a flame of fyre 3. vvhose feete are lyke brasse 4. I knovve thy vvorkes and thy loue and thy seruice and thy faith and thy pacience and thy deeds 5. vvhich are mo at the last then at the first 6. Notvvithstanding I haue a fevv things agaynst thee 7. that thou suffrest that vvoman Iesabell vvhich calleth hyr selfe a Prophetisse 8. To teache and to deceyue my seruauntes to make them commytte fornication and to eate meates offered vp vnto Idols 9. And I gaue hir space to repent of hir fornication and shee repented not 10. Beholde I will caste hir into a bed 11. And them that commit fornication with hir 12. Into great aduersitie excepte they turne from their deedes 13. And I wil kil hir children with death 14. And all the congregations shall know that I am he which sercheth the reynes and hartes 15. And I will giue vnto euerie one of you according to your workes THE PARAPHRASE 1 Delay not cōsequently my louing friende Iohn sayeth the Lorde expresly to manifest with penne vnto the pastour of the elect congregation of Thiatyra which is frō these low partes here a sweete smellyng sacrifice vnto God of labour and contrytion in the olde aged man and bodie of death For shee detesteth the vanities of this world shée forsaketh the fruites of the fleshe shée renounceth the cōcupiscēce of the eyes shée mortifieth hir mortall mēbers she slayeth hir sensuall affects and rendreth vp hir selfe vnto hir Lord God as a lylyuing holy and acceptable offering 2 Geue vnto that contrite and feruent congregacion this comfort Tel hir that this saythe the dearely beloued and natural sonne of god which hath his eyes of godly wysdome and knowledge so lyuely effectuall as a flame of fyre that he séeth all thinges and nothing can passe from his righteousnesse in iudgement 3 Whose féete or charitable affections towardes man are lyke vnto Brasse brent in a fornace For his most innocent manhoode by his own agréement suffred here for his sake manyfolde affllictions and paines 4 For so much as all thinges are open to myne eyes and nothing can be hid from me saith that lord I perceue thy fruitefull workes I sée thy neighbourly christen loue I cōsider thy liberall heart and hande to the poore thy faythfull exhortacions thy feruent spirit in the Lorde thy pacient sufferaunce in aduersitie for the truethes sake and thy other godly déedes beside 5 I marke it also that thou shrinkest not in them but rather goest forward with increase For now at the last are they more effectual plēteous then they were at the fyrst which greatly delighteth mée 6 Neuerthelesse yet I haue somewhat to say against thée For though I iudge thée much to be cōmended yet finde I thée not without faulte 7 Thou peaceably permittest without resistance that cruel woman and abhominable strūpet Iesabel which is the malignaunt church and Sinagoge of Sathan which is not ashamed to boast hir selfe a prophetisse a publisher of the truth and maynteiner of Gods seruyce yea the mother of holy church hir selfe 8 Under that pretence to set foorth diuilish doctrine to aduaunce pernicious errours and colour false lyes in hypocrisie To the intent shee might therewith not only deceyue my faithful seruaūts but also bring them into such trade of wyckednes that they should not force to commit whoredome in the spirite by fallyng vnto straunge worshippings and to eate of Idoll offerings in consenting to wicked lawes and blasphéemous tradytions of olde dotyng Hypocrytes 9 I haue giuen to that wicked congregatiō many holsome premonishments and warnings with conuenient respyte to remember hir follie and repent hir detestable wayes of liuing least she should perish but she will in no wyse bee sorie repent
as one mynding thée good to bye of me golde tryed in the fyre Come vnto me with faith and aske in the feruentnesse of soule If thou be féeble harted say Lorde increase my fayth Desire my heauenly word to thy comforte with vnderstanding to perceiue it and know it It is treasure much more precious then golde it is sweetenesse more dulcet thē honie And tryed it is moste pure and cleane by the holy Ghost Thou shalt haue it without payment Thy good harte shall only suffyse mée 11 Diligently procure it that thou mayest be riche in fayth and righteousnesse in the merits of Iesus Christ and in the fauour of God by them and that thou mayest be cloathed in white rayment of innocencie cleannesse not only before men but also before God 12 Be neuer without veritie fayth righteousnesse and charitie with other giftes of the holy Ghost least the filthie nakednesse of hypocrisie and sin for all thy paynted colours appeare to thy confusion Let thyne owne dyrtie merites alone decke thée with the precious deseruings of the sonne of God that thou mayest haue thy sinnes wyped away cléerely forgiuen couered and neuer more imputed vnto thée by him 13 And to auoyde the blyndenesse sée thou anoynt thine eyes thy mind or affection thy iudgement or knowledge with the eye salue of clerenes which is Iesus Christ the swéete smelling oyntment of health 14 Consider that he alone was borne for thée and dyed for thée And take him for thy only wisdome satisfaction holinesse and redemption that thou mayst hereafter sée Let this precious lycour take from thine eyes all filthie corruptiō and whatsoeuer thou shalt hereafter do in word or in déed doe all in the name of that Lorde gyuyng thankes vnto God the father by him For he is the salue that shall heale thée and the lighte that shall cléere thée THE TEXT 1 As many as I loue I rebuke and chasten 2. Bee feruent therefore and repent 3. Behold I stand at the doore and knock 4. If any man heare my voice and open the doore I vvill come in vnto him 5. and vvil suppe vvith him and he vvith mee 6. To him that ouercommeth vvill I graunt to sit on my seate 7. euen as I ouercame and haue sitten vvith my father on his seate 8. Let hym that hath eares heare vvhat the spirite sayeth vnto the congregations THE PARAPHRASE 1 So many as I loue I rebuke earnestly least they shoulde perish with the wicked And those that I fauour I chastē in this life least they should be dampned for euer Woe is the man that hath of me here neither chastisement nor rebuke but is left without restraynte wallowyng in the concupiscence and desires of his fleshe A great signe it is of the indignation of God where as the other is an euident token of loue 2 From henceforth therfore be feruent in the trueth Earnestly embrace it kéepe it and follow it Abhorre thy olde superstitions and repent from the harte that thou haste béene so longe neyther whotte nor colde 3 Beholde I stande at the doore of thy harte as one ready to helpe thy weakenesse And I knocke at the portall of thy conscience as one that would gladly comfort thée I send forth my heauenlye worde to succoure thée lighten thée raise thée vp saue thée 4 If any man with a glad harte wil heare my voyce or the true preaching of my word and opē the doore of his fayth thankefully to receyue it I wil come in vnto him enduing with all spirituall delights as rightuousnesse peace loue and ioy in the holy Ghost 5 Yea to hym shall I make manyfest as to my friend the hidden misteryes of the scripture and secret coūsels of my father And he shall finallie suppe with me and with him in the eternall habitacle of God where no harte can estéeme what hee hath prepared for them that loue him 6 That man which through the earnest zeale of Gods trueth distroyeth hypocrisie and ouercommeth sin wil I admit to reigne with mée in the kingdome of my father and graunt him to sitte with me in the seate of euerlasting peace as a déere member of myne owne body declaring him a tryumphaunt conquerour in mée ouer dampnation hell death and the diuill in a glorified nature 7 Euen as my selfe was before sitting with my celestiall father in the seate of his eternitie And to haue with mée that health that blessyng that ioye that victorie that honour power and glorie that I haue 8 Let him that God hath giuē eare◠vnto apply them to his mynde and marke what the spirite hath héere spoken to the Christen cōgregatiōs for therevpon resteth his lyfe or his death his saluacion or his dampnation The fourth Chapiter THE TEXT 1 After this I looked and behold a dore vvas open in heauen 2. and the first voice vvhich I hearde vvas as it vvere of a Trumpet talking vvith me vvhich sayd 3. Come vp hither and I vvill shevv thee thynges vvhich must be fulfilled hereafter 4. And immediatly I vvas in the spirite 5. and behold a seate vvas set in heauen and one sat on the seate 6. And hee that sate vvas to looke vpon lyke vnto a Iasper stone and a Sardine stone 7. And there vvas a reyne bovve about the seate in sighte lyke a Smaragde 8. And about the seate vvere .xxiiij. seates 9. And vpon the seates .xxiiij. elders sitting 10. clothed in vvhyte rayment 11. and had on their heads crovvnes of golde 12. And out of the seate proceeded lyghtnings and thundrings and voyces 13. And there vvere seuen lampes of fyre burnyng before the seate vvhich are the seuen spirits of God 14. And before the seate there vvas a sea of glasse lyke vnto Christall 15. And in the middest of the seate and rounde about the seate vvere foure beastes 16. full of eyes before and behynde THE PARAPHRASE 1 After thys speciall iniunction of my Lorde and maister Iesus Christ sayth saint Iohn I did cast vp mine eyes towards the skye lifting vp my hart to giue thankes vnto God And anon as I seriously beheld the face of the fyrmament or maiestie of Gods works I saw a doore open in heauē Which was a significatiō to me that God mynded to opē certain high misteries of the scripture hidden secretes concerning his kingdome or church vnto me his simple seruaunt 2 And the first thyng that ascertained me of the same from thēce was a mightie great voyce as it had bene the stoute noyse of a Trompe or the vehement blaste of an horne The which voyce though it were fearfull vnto my fleshe as commonly the commaundement of God is yet was it solatious vnto my spirite for so much as it familiarly talked with mée and sayde these wordes 3 Come thou vp hyther Suspende thyne owne wil wit studie practise and iudgement Condempne that thou hast of nature Lift vp thy self aboue thy self
the fleshe els but death What are theyr practises but fighting weapons against lyfe They had licence to deceyue and leysure to doe mischief in outward things as had Sathan vpon the body of Iob. But no doubt the goodnesse of God yet preserued the inwarde soules of many simple Iobbes for tyme of that daungerous world 5 And whē they had opened the bottomlesse pit with the key of their false doctrine there wēt vp a black filthie ayre as it had bene the smoke of a great fornace There arose all errours lyes heresies supersticions idolatrie couetousnesse pryde incontinencie falsehood hypocrisie with all other filthinesse which are the fruits of hell and they wēt abroad the world ouer Thus hath these cursed Apostates the pope his Chaplaynes the keyes in deed not of heauen but of hell They may open but they can not spear againe vnlesse they spear from heauē as they doe alwayes They may hurt but they can not heale they may distroy but they can not help they may well dampne but they can not saue For the nature of their keye is onely to make blinde obstinate foolyshe harde harted and euer more worse and worse He onely giueth light grace faith health He taketh away all darkenesse and sinne which hath the keye of Dauid For he alone hath trodē down the wyne presse hauyng the whole victorie ouer death sinne hell and the diuill He hath power onely to speare vp both death and hell The fyre of Gods wrath they be not able to quench The smoke of the dyuils malyce and continuall wickednesse they be not able to kéepe downe Eua could not wtstād one simple suggestiō of Sathan A smal taste of this smoke lost Adam with his whole posteritie And now these Antichristes hath filled the world with it For what is it els but wicked perswasions a learning of diuilles and a doctryne contrarie to y◠doctryne of God poysoning all destroying all leading vnto hell 6 The sun by this smoke was darkened so was the holesome ayre The Gospell they defiled with their false interpretacions Gods word they corrupted with their gloses cōmentaries and postilles They myngled the scriptures with the dirtie dregges of their own lawes tradicions and olde rotten customes of their popishe fathers So that in the church no good ayre could be had no swéete smell of the truth could be found There was much ydoll worshipping strange crying and lippe labouring sensing fooling charming crossing mowyng and iugling gasing knéeling knockyng but no true Gospell preaching 7 Out of this pestilent smoke came innumerable locustes a verie monstruous vermyne and horrible to behold créeping ouer all the earth These were the disguised swarme of Cardynalles mytred Bishoppes doctours shauen priestes Abbottes Moonkes Chanons Fryers Nunnes sisters and heremites in read white russet graie blacke blewe and all other colours Of these were the Benedictines the Bernardines Gerondines Gilbertines Celestines Scopetines Grādimontensers Camaldulensers Cruniacensers Premonstratensers Carthusianes Carmelitanes Ambrosianes Rhodianes Gregorianes Purgatoryanes Guilhelmytes Iesuites Iohannites Hieronimites Niniuits Cellites Thaborits Templars Hospitelers Crucigers Augustinianes Dominicianes Franciscanes Brygydanes Basilianes of Iosaphats valley and of the dark alley and suche other with innumerable swarmes of them euerie where Peter prophecyed afore of thys smokie multitude when hée gaue warnyng that there should come into the Christen church false teachers which priuily should bring in damnable sectes denying the Lord that bought them and many should follow their damnable wayes thorough whom the truth should haue ill reporte But fewe hath marked that warning 8 And vnto these noysome locustes was poure giuen but yet none other poure then haue the scorpyons of the earth whose craftie nature is fyrst to créepe softely then gréeuouslye to sting last of all to venim Thys pestilent vermine God hath suffred for the wickednes of his people first flatteringly to créepe to dissemble glose glose and speak fayre promising prosperitie victorie long lyfe and heauen after this departing And by such meanes gote they vnder them Emperours Kings gouernours and all the world besides 9 Then did they sting their consciences with terrible dreames and visions and with fearefull reuelacions of purgatorie and of hell to buylde them vp faire houses and to lyue in wealth and pleasure Fynally they venimed their fayth with their poisoned counsayles and promyses and so tooke they from them the true hope in Christ making marchandise of them through couetousnesse faire words Thus cloistering togither like locusts they haue left nothing gréene but all they haue withered and distroyed No workes might then be vsed of Gods prescription but such as were fantasied by them for aduantage as masse founding chaunteries building priest singing Image gilding kissing of relyques prayinge to death men and such lyke And when they were once frank and fatte they stood vp togither proudly agaynst the Lord and his word THE TEXT 1 And it vvas sayde vnto them that they should not hurte the grasse of the earth neither any greene thing neyther any tree 2. but only those men vvhich haue not the seal in their foreheades 3. And to them vvas it cōmaunded that they shuld not kil them 4. but that they shuld be vexed fyue monethes 5. And their payne vvas as the payne that commeth of a Scorpion vvhen he hath stung a man 6. And in those dayes shall men séeke death and shall not finde it 7. and shall desire to dye and death shall flie from them The Paraphrase 1 Yet were they commaunded that they should in no case hurt the grasse of the earth neyther any gréen thing nor trée Though they were permytted by the sufferaunce of God to doe much mischiefe yet could they harme none but such as wanted fayth He ordayned from the beginning alwayes to saue his Neuer could Sathan hynder the soule of Iob onely did he vexe the outward carkasse and goods Where as fayth is growing true hope in Christ springing and workes of charitie fructifying they shall doe no hurte by the promyse of God Where the gift of the spirite aboundeth they can in no wyse preuayle If any hinderaunce doeth fall it is where fayth is wanting 2 For onely had they power vpon those men which had not the seale of God in their foreheades They onely are in perill that haue not the sure fayth And the more want they haue therof the more is their seathe when it commeth 3 Yet had those locusts in commaundement that in no wise they shoulde kill them whom they had noyed For the wil of God is that no wicked person should perishe vnlesse he resisted the holy ghost but rather to turne frō sinne and to liue 4 Onely was it permytted that they should be vexed v. moneths Only for their lyfe tyme were they suffered to ouer loade their poore consciences with their beggerly tradicions to trouble them with their trumperie to
chosen sake Thus after S. Paul also before the Lordes cōming There must be a departing The quier or chauncell must be cast out that the man of sin the sun of perdition the aduersary exaltinge hymself aboue God may be known in his colours It may not be motē or alowed by gods word but reiected as that plant which the heauenly father hath not planted that the mistery of iniqutye may be vttered and perceiued of thē which shal be saued It must be geuen to the gentiles or addict to their supersticions with al lying power signes and wonders in all deceiuable doctrine by the subtile working of sathan They must also be permitted to do al mischif in vnrightuousnes vpō the citizens of God til he vtterly consūe thē with the mighty breath of his mouth THE TEXT 1 And I wyll geue power 2. Vnto my two witnesses 3. And they shall prophecie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes 4. Clothed in sack clothe 5. These are two oliue Trees 6. And two Candlestickes 7. Standing before the God of the earth The Paraphrase 1 And I will geue powre saith the Lorde vnto my faithfull witnesses and they shall prophesye a thousande two hundred and lx dayes against those enimies to the comforte of my people So that though my citie be troden downe by their cruel lawes of persecution to death yet shall it not be forsaken And though my people be ouer loaded with their heathen supersticions and blasphemous worshippinges yet shall they not be lost nor left all wtout succour 2 They shal haue my two witnesses with thē to solace thē in their troubles to comfort them in their cares Both Moyses and Christ both the law and the Gospell both the Prophets and the Apostles shal stande vppon theyr side and be vpon their parte yea for so much time as their enimies shall vexe them and for so much space as their aduersaries sholl trouble them Euen a thousand two hundred and thréeskore dayes which maketh thrée yeares and an halfe and is more thē the two and fourty monthes by iiii skore dayes and fowre Which signifieth that the enimies shal not euermore kepe down his word but their daies shall be shortned for his electe sake The schoole Doctours with their sophestry hath fantasied the sayd two witnesses to be Enoch and Helyas and that they should come then frō Paradice terrestre for the same purpose because that Enoch was taken away of God and Helias was carried hence in a fyery Charet neither vnderstanding what Paradice is nor yet knowing what it is to be taken from hence Paradice is the swéete rest of God appoynted vnto them that departe hence in faith The peculier translations of Enoch and Helias were not only for a confirmation or strenthning of the faith of the fathers for their times but also that they shuld be figuers of Christes assention And what godly wise man can geue more to the figuer than to the verytie More were not they priuiledged frō death then was Christe though God wold not then haue it so openly knowen to declare his wonderfull power Unlike is it that god should cal witnesses frō the dead not promising it by his word hauing power also frō stones to raise vp Abrahās children and to geue the spirit of Helias to whō he pleaseth like as he dyd to Iohn Baptist as he doth now to many other more in our age as al the world may sée and heare These witnesses are two for so much as the truth of the Lorde in the mouth of two or thrée godly persons ought to stand 3 These two witnesses or faithfuli protestours of the aforsayde two testaments hath continued with the people of god since the death of Stéeuē for the more part secretly vnknowne to the world But now they are come abroade by the appointment of God to the vtter confusion of the great aduersary and man of sin as Paule doth call hym And vnto them in this sixt age of the church the Lord hath geuen the great power of his liuinge worde or the spirit of his inuincible verytie in much more ample wise then aforetime for the abatement of the sayd enimies or synagoge of perdition 4 Clothed they shall be in sackcloth sayth the Lord No pomp shal appeare in their apparrell no glorye of the world in their behauiour Neither shall they be accompanied with a garde of ruffelynge rutters Neyther shall they with Annas and Caiphas sit vpon life and death Neither shal they blesse in the streate with miter crosse and cope Neither claim the higher seates in side gownes shauen crownes and tippetes Neyther shall their be sack Fryers nor Franciscans monks Chanons nor Hypocrits They shall not disfigure themselues to séeme religious nor say long prayers to appere holy but in a sober conuersacion auoyding superfluitie they shall constantly witnesse the trueth of god to the vniuersall world to his glory and their edification For sackcloth in the scriptures is a signe of sobrietie sadnesse and temperaunce as in Helias and Iohn Baptist. 5 These witnesses are two swéete oliue trées shedding forth the fatnes of the scriptures and dulset sanour of the spirit God hath so blessed them that their lyps are full of grace He hath annoynted them with the oyle of gladnesse aboue their felowes of Myrre Bawme and Aloes they delectably smell None other thinges vtter thei but his infallible verities 6 They are also two shininge Candlesticks setting forth the light or clearly opening of the hidden misteries of the scriptures to the comfort of the gētiles glory of the Israelits They are not the light it self but only instrumēts ordeined to beare witnes of the light For there is but one light for al. Only are they the vessels of electiō as was Paule to carrie that lyght the world ouer 7 They stand in the presence of the God of the earth or the Lorde of all as men of moste high acceptacion before him readie to doe his will and to fulfill his commaundement and pleasure hauyng the oyle of hys spirite and the light of his eternall veritie THE TEXT 1 And if any man vvill hurt them 2. Fyre shall proceed out of their mouthes 3. cōsume their enimies 4. And if any man vvill hurte them this vvise must he bee killed 5. These haue povver to shut heauen 6 that it rayne not in the dayes of their prophesying 7. and haue povver ouer vvaters to turn them to bloud 8. and to smyte the earth 9. vvith all maner plagues as often as they vvill The Paraphrase 1 If any man will attempte to doe them scathe or presumptuouslie séeketh by craftie colours subtile reasōs and deceiptful arguments vpō daungers doubtes doctours old customes and aucthoritie of fathers to hynder their office blemishe their message and darken their light such fyre shall procéede out of their mouthes as shal consume their enimies 2 The eternall word of the Lorde that they shall declare which is the consuming fyre
shall vtterly distroye them So that nothing shall be séene of that they were afore Neyther cut shooe nor corde coule nor gray cote boote nor blacke hood rochet nor scapler myter nor crosier sandale nor frocke shauen crown nor anointing For all these are their enimies 3 Consumed are they to their saluation that with Mathewe become of Publicans true Apostles and with Paule of fierce persecutors charitable teachers Contrariwise are they consumed to their dampnatiō which being ouercome by the manifest veritie wilfully persist in their diuilish errours with Antiochus Pharao with the Scribes and Pharisies 4 For it foloweth And if any man will hurte them this wyse must hée be killed Eyther must he be mortifyed from the olde Adam and changed into a new man in Christ or els by the sayd worde must he both be iudged and condempned for the vtter aduersarie of God with Sathan hys auncient captayn So must he be killed And no death will be founde lyke vnto that death come they once to the féeling of it though they accompt it now verie light 5 For these witnesses haue power as had Helias to shut vp heauen that it rayne not in the dayes of their prophecying but yet none other wyse then by the aforesayd word For the word of God is the verie key of Dauid which openeth the kingdome of god to them that faithfully beléeueth and that speareth it vp also from thē which dwellith in vnfaithfulnes For it is said in the dayes of their prophecying This power therefore is of the word and not of the men The word speareth and openeth losoneth bindeth saueth and dampneth He that beléeueth sayth Christ shal be saued he that beleueth not is iudged alreadie No moysture of grace nor godly wisedō can light where sturdie frowardnesse is rooted The dayes of their prophesying in figure is non other thē the aforesaid tyme times and halfe tyme or the thrée yéeres and vj. monethes of Helias 6 In those dayes shall it not rayne vpon the wicked they shall haue no grace to receyue the veritie In parables and figures shal that be hidden from them that shall bée euydent inough vnto the faithful With eares shall they heare and not vnderstand with eyes shall they sée and not deserne So blynde will their harts be For such speake the Prophets in fygures Christ in parables and the Apostles in mysteries The open truth of this reuelation shall not the wicked perceyue till they tast the plages thereof Such is the nature of Gods wisedom that though it be not in glorious wordes fyne paynted termes nor in perswasible reasons of mans witte but in playne simple speaking yet can it not be knowē of the worldly wise The swéete dewe therof wil not be receiued of them in the aforesayde dayes of prophecie but hée that is blynde shall be blynde still 7 These witnesses haue also power ouer waters to turne thē into bloud When they interprete and sincerely declare the pure verities of God which are those holesome waters that restraineth the dampnable drynesse of the soule that refresheth the conscyence and clenseth the harte of the sinner they can not choose but earnestly condempne the peruerse iudgemēts the couetous lawes and hipocrityshe workes of the vngodly And then is all vncleane vnto them then is all bloudie The Gospell which was a stumbling stone to the Iewes made foolishnesse vnto the Gentiles is also now vnto them naughtie newe learning seditious doctrine and abhomynable heresie Yea they iudge them worthie to be burned that doth teach it Thus is it abhorred of them that shall perishe neuerthelesse to them that beléeue it is the power of God vnto saluation 8 Fynallie they haue power to smite the earthe with all maner of plagues as ofte as they will Uery earth are they that regard not Gods trueth as the Lord saide vnto Adam after his offence Earth thou art and vnto earth shalte thou returne Nothing they estéeme but that which is earthly Nothing they desire but that is carnal The froward creature will in no case knowe that is of the spirit The light is hatefull vnto sore eyes Uery painfull is bread to the mouth that is not whole A great mote was Christ to the Iewes as his true preachers are vnto the blynd world yet to this day For they smite the earth 9 They touch their liuing they rebuke their falshoode they condempne their wickednesse They reprooue thē of sinne of rightuousnesse of iudgement They force not to tell to him of theyr vnfaithfulnesse fraud and hipocrisiie of their Philosophers prelats religious No greater plague is it vnto the vngodly thē to hear of their euill dooings No greater paine nor yet greater punishment then to haue theyr faultes opened and theyr clonyng colours condempned That fretteth them at the verie heart Death must be sought out for such preachers No wōder is it though this be here written for this age of the churche For neuer were more earnest witnesses then are now more are lyke héereafter to follow till the man of sinne be fully knowne and his kingdome clearely ouerthrowen THE TEXT 1 And whan they haue fynished theyr testimonie 2. the beast that came out of the bottomlesse pitte 3. shal make war against them 4. and shall ouer come them 5. And theyr bodyes shall lye in the streetes of the great citie 6. which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypte 7. where our Lorde is crucified The Paraphrase 1 And when they haue once finished their testimonie sayeth the Lord the beast that came out of the bottomlesse pit shall make warre against them No sooner shall the witnesses of gods veritie in all ages be taken from the worlde then he hath prefixed After none other sorte shall they bée sent hence then he hath appoynted by hys eternall decrée Iohn Baptist was not imprisoned nor beheaded tyll hée had done his office Christ was not taken condempned and crucified tyll his houre was come Paule was not put vnto death til he had fulfilled his course 2 The beast of the bottomlesse pitte is the cruel craftie and curssed generation of Antichriste the Pope wyth his Bishoppes prelates priestes and religious in Europa Mahomite with his dotyng doucipers in Affrica and so foorth in Asia Iudia all beastly carnall and wicked in their dooings 3 These maketh war against Gods witnesses when they hate them cursse them blaspheme them persecute them When they withstande them with theyr craftes impugne them with their lyes and vexe them with their diuilishnesse as necessary it is they should doe For if they haue troubled the head they must vexe also the members If the housholder be called Belzebub the hosholde muste suffer the same No better is the seruaunt then his Lord nor the messenger then he that sent him 4 They shall also ouercome them not with the scriptures but with their beggerly customs cōstitutiōs lawes decrées and traditions They shall shall scourge them or disgarde them in their
conclude like as in the body of Christ dwelth the whole fulnesse of the godhed corporally so dwelleth their in this body of Sathan the whole fulnesse of falshoode crafte sutiltye mallice with power to work al maner of mischife effectually really substancially and corporally THE TEXT 1 And I sawe one of his heades as it were wounded to death 2. his deadly wound was healed 3. and all the vvorld vvondered at the beast 4. And they worshipped the Dragon vvhich gaue povver vnto the beast 5. and they vvorshipped the beast 6. saying 7. Who is lyke vnto the beast 8. Who is able to vvarre vvith him The Paraphrase 1 And one of his heads saith Saint Iohn séemed vnto mée as it had béene wounded vnto death And it was not so indéed for his dedly woūd was healed againe Euident it is that in Iohns tyme Rome the mother of all whordome hadde subiecte vnto hir the .vij. clymates or vniuersall parts of the world with all their powers gouernours kinges possessiōs pōpes false worshippinges and such lyke Whom some wryters suppose méete to be takē here for the .vii. heads of this beaste But I finde an other thing in it the body of these .vii heads being but one stil cōtinuing so For though all were at that time vnder hir yet is it not so now yet stil remayneth this beast Therefore I doo take it for one vniuersall Antichrist as I did afore cōprehēding in him so well Mahomet as the Pope so wel the raging tyrant as the stil hipocrite all the wickedly worketh ar of the same body The .vii. heads of the beast may so wel be his presumptuous doings for the .vij ages of the church as any thing els yet no preiudice done to that hath ben said afore What should ayle this woūded head here not to signifie his supremite suppressed his vsurped authoritie power diminished his whole prodigious occupying cōdemned in this latter age of the church I suppose nothing more manifest vnlesse we haue eies will not sée Are not now in may parts of Germany in England also the Popes pardons layed aside His power put downe his name abolished his Purgatorye pilgrimages other peltries vtterly exiled and so lyke to be within short space in other regions also If this be not a deadly wounding of one of the beastes heads I think there is none If this be not an apparent likelihood of his fall there is none to be looked for 2 But the healing againe of this mortall wound is lyke to mar all make the last errour worse than the first In many places where as the Gospell hath béene preached the bishoppe of Rome deposed sectes shrynes sanctuaries destroyed monasteries priories and fryers turned ouer remayneth still theyr poyson with those same instrumentes wherewith they haue wrought all mischiefe Stil cōtinueth their more then Iewish ceremonies their priestybulous priesthoode theyr vowing to haue no wiues and their sodomitical chastitie Stil remineth their sale masses of all abhominations the principall their prodigious sacrifices their sensing of of Idoles their boyesh processions thieir vncōmaunded worshippings their confessiōs in the eare of all trayterie the fountayne with many other strange obseruatiōs whom the scripture of God knoweth not Nothing is brought as yet to Christes instituciō sincere ordinance but all remaineth still as the Antichristes left it Nothing is tryed by gods word but by the aūcient auctority of fathers Now passeth all vnder theyr title Though the olde bishops of Rome were of late yeares proued Antichristes and their names raced out of our bookes yet must they thus properly for old acquaintāce be called still our Fathers If it were naught afore I thinck it is now much worse for nowe are they become laudable cerimonies wheras before time they were but cerimonies alone Now are they become necessary rites godly cōstituciōs séemely vsages ciuill ordinances where as afore they had no such names And he that disobeieth them shall not onely be iudged a fellon and worthy to be hanged by their newe forged lawes but also condemned for a traytour against his king though he neuer in his lyfe hindred but rather to his power hath furthered the common wealth To sée this also with such like put in execucion the Bishoppes haue authoritie euery moneth in the yeare if they list to call a cession to hange and burne at theyr pleasure And this is ratyfied and confirmed by acte of Parliament to stande the more in effect If this be no healing of Antichristes wounded head neuer is lyke to be any Whan men shall defende frée wyll allow theyr popish masse to be a sacrifice satisffactory for the quick and the dead labour they any other thincks you than the healing of this wound He lykewyse that in an open audience mayntayneth our owne workes to iustifie by Dimitte nobis and other not rightly vnderstanded scriptures doth he any other than prepare a salue for the same Nay surely No lesse also dooth he that setteth men to open penāce at Pauls crosse for holy water making for processiō and sensing with other Popetish gauds constrayning them to promise the anauncement of the old fayth of holy church by such fantastical fopperyes as Bonner bishoppe of London dyd now of late to the lawhinge game wonderment of all the world Alas how is the people abused None other doo they but mock Christen Princes with flattery that giue them olde popish titles and blasphemous names of antichrist As to call thē most christen kinges and defenders of the catholike faith meaning the Popes old tradicions to heale the head of the beaste This is surely none other but with the sayde beast to receiue authoritie seate and power of sathan Lette them therefore take héede least they be founde the same antichristes that they haue condemned and so throwe thēselues double vnder the same plage Necessarye it is they beware what they drinke or what titles they take vpon them at their appointmēt least they forgetting them selues be foūde dronken by taking excesse of the Babilonish cup and so perishe with the wicked Marke here diligently thys word head and ye shal well perceyue how wonderfully the story agréeth wyth the mysterie 3 And all the world sayeth Sainct Iohn wondred at the beast All foolishe carnall and worldly people not vnderstanding the wisdome of Gods holy spirit dependeth all vpon theyr beastly baggage thinking all that they doe to be godly meritorious and spirituall They magnifie it prayse it and haue it in most hygh estimation yea they haue it in much more pryce than any thing that is of God In no wyse will they from theyr olde frenesie such is their excéeding blyndenesse For whan they heare tell their customes shall continue their gouernours agréeing to the same they clap their hands for ioye and sing Gaudeamus with the priestes 4 Yea they worship the Dragon which gaue such power to the beast With their hartes they reioyce
promises 9 And therfore are not their names written of the lamb in the booke of life which lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world Christ hath not alowed them by his word promise With the rightuous are they not regestred as members of one misticall body in hym In the similitude of hys death are they not grafted vnto hym as the braunches vnto the vine to be partners of his resurrection Their porcion is not in the lande of the lyuing with him They are none of those whom the father hath geuen hym to participate with hym in one spirit Predestinate they are not vnto life by hym nor so written vp in the foreknowledge of God Chosen they were not of the lord before the worlds constitution to be his vndefiled children in Christ. 10 He is the méeke lamb that was slaine He alone taketh away the sins of the world In hym only is the life for he is the life it self Yet is he the life of none other but of those that only beleue in him 11 In that he was killed from the worlds beginning is signified that he dyed for all them whiche were create to be saued and that his onely death is all their health raise and remedy by the promise of God For all they haue eaten of one spiritual meat and dronke of one spirituall rocke though it came in the fleshe longe after them He onely trode downe the head of the serpent Since the beginning hath he bene slaine in his membres also as manifest it is in rightuous Abell Hieremy Iohn Baptist such other like They that are not written of the lambe in the booke of life for the children of God are registred in the booke of death for the children of perdicioÌ„ reserued to eternal death for their infidelytie with the deuill his Angels 12 He that hath an eare sayeth the text let him take good héede He that hath an vnderstanding let hym be admonished by that which foloweth héere Or he that hath receiued the wisdome of the spirit let hym iudge hereof according vnto it Thus doth the holy ghost aduertise the faithfull to consider that whatsoeuer thinges are writteÌ„ they are writteÌ„ vnto our learning 13 He that leadeth into captiuity shall go into captiuyty And he that killeth with a sworde must with a sworde be slaine This warning geueth the lord take it if they lyst For he will haue his right iudgments known He that vexeth or aflicteth the iuste beléeuers in body by outward punishments he shall be aflicted in the spirit with an inwarde darknes or blindnes of the soule that he may be the more captiue to sinne and to sathan God wyll deliuer hym vp vnto a lewde mind and wyll geue him stronge delusion to beléeue all maner of lyes that he might be damned 14 He that killeth the poore innoceÌ„t for his faith with the yron sword or slaieth hym with any other torment with the sword of the spirit which is the Lords word shall he be both iudged condemned The word that I haue spoken saith Christ shall iudge them at the latter day And this is in manner all one with that was saide in the xi chapter afore If any maÌ„ wyl hurt them fyre shall procéede out of their mouthes and consume their enemies 15 Neuerthelesse to the christian is persecution necessary For héere in this lyfe is the pacience of the saints proued and their faith required Here was AbrahaÌ„ tempted Iob sore vexed and both they were founde Gods true faithfull seruants Here were the apostles contemned reioysinge that they were found worthy for christes sake to suffer rebuke The rightuous the lorde trieth as gold in the furnace He chasteneth euery seruant that he loueth and scourgeth euery son that he receiueth Onely is it faith that al the euils of this worlde by pacience ouercommeth so obtaineth the victory The fruit which riseth to eternal lyfe is peaceable sufferance in faith And that must be heare in this lyfe where as we are vnperfect to make vs perfect THE TEXT 1 And I beheld an other beast 2. comming vp out of the earth 3. and he had two horns lyke a lamb 4. and he spake as dyd the Dragon 5. and he dyd all that the firste beaste could do 6. in his presence 7. And he caused the earth and them which dwell therein 8. To worship the firste beaste vvhose deadly vvounde vvas healed 9. And he dyd great wonders 10. So that he made fyre come downe from heauen 11. In the sight of meÌ„ 12. And deceiued them that dwelt on the earth by the meanes of those signes which he had povver to doe in the sighte of the beast 13. Saying to them that dvvelt on the earth that they should make an image 14. Vnto the beast vvhich had the vvounde of a svvord and dyd liue The Paraphrase 1 And I behelde saieth S. Iohn in this secret reuelation of my Lord an other beast arising out of the earth A figure is this of al false prophets and vngoly preachers Beastly are they euermore vaine carnal and corrupt in their studies abhominable in the practisings of their wicked harts not séeking God but their belleyes not Christes glory but their owne pride and vaine glory 2 From the earth they aryse all geuen to erthly wisdome The only affectes of this worlde doth moue them to teach no good zeale of the truth Either are they tickled with ambition pricked with auarice or els stirred with mallice to inuei These are the common affects of the wicked This goinge vp haue they from wickednesse to wickednesse and shall haue still till the Lorde destroy them like as haue the iust beléeuers from vertue to vertue in the spirit till such time as they sée him face vnto face in the euerlasting Syon From the worlds beginning hath this beast risen vp in Cayne the first murtherer in the fleshlye Children of men in Cham the shamelesse childe of Noe in Ismael Esau in Iannes Iambres in Balaham Baals prophets in the Beniamits Bels chaplains in Phasur Semeias in Iudas Annas and Caiphas in Bariehu Diâ—trephes And now seÌ„s their time most of all in Mahometes doctoures and the popes queristers Yea stil they are aloft in their beastly beggerye will be till their mischif be finished Who séeth not now a daies that hath light in the spirit the malignite hipocrisy fraud craft deceit in certen fals prophets at pauls crosse in London in other places els 3 This beast had ii hornes like the lambe at a blush but all counterfet â— fals in very déede for he spake as did the dragon the hornes of Christ are his high kingdom in the world Only ariseth his Churche by faith in the glad tidinges and promises of god That word is the scepture of Christes power and the rod of right order wheras he reigneth None other strange sceptures are there neither tradicions nor customes Seuen hornes had Christ for
therefore I passe it ouer here Onely haue I rehearsed their names as I could doe yet many more to put â—ée in remembraunce that God hath alwayes had some in the world which hath not in all poynts coÌ„sented to their blasphemies though they haue not had the lyght of this trueth so open as wée haue it now Many godly Emperours and CouÌ„seilâ— general haue attemted this reformacion in the church but euermore haue they fouÌ„d vngodly princes against theÌ„ to houlde the Antichristes stil in their wickednes Yet doubt I not but Pharao with his hoast shall perishe in the sea and the proud Iewishe priestes in the cittie for theyr manyfolde blasphemyes at the tyme now appointed of the Lord. 5 For the sinnes of this whore or abhominacions without number of the false religion hyr stinkeing Idolatry and slaughter of InnoceÌ„ts are gone vp vnto heauen against hyr requiring the great vengeaÌ„ce of God The filthines of theÌ„ hath moued him to wrath and kinled his displesure towards hir putting hym in rememberaunce of his eternal decrée coÌ„cerning hir destructyon The greatnes of hir mischiefs hath touched heauen and hath axed with Sodome and Gomor the fearfull plages threatned hyr 6 And the merciful Lorde beholding the affliction of his people pittying their miserable thraldoÌ„ in the spiritual Egipt hath coÌ„sidered hir vngodly behauiour wayed hir wilfull wretchednesse and measured hir vnmerciful murther coÌ„maunding his appointed ministers to execute vpoÌ„ hir his iudgmentes without mercy 7 Rewarde hir nowe saith he in euery coÌ„dicioÌ„ as she hath rewarded you afore Measure agayne vnto hir lyke as she hath measured to you nowe that ye haue the iudgement seates Crye out vpon hir as she hath cried out vpon you Snare hir as she hath snared you Destroy hir as she hath destroyed you As she hath taken vengeaunce of you so take you vengeaunce againâ— of hir Lyke as she hath afflicted you Iudgeâ— you and condemned you by the lawes of meÌ„ so scurge you hir againe iudge hir an harlot and condemne hir to hell by the mightie worde of God 8 Sée that you giue hir two folde in punishment according to hir wicked deseruings Where as she hath taken from you no more but the life of the bodie take you away from hir againe the lyfe both of bodie and soule 9 Into the same bitter cuppe of sorowâ— that she hath filled vnto you in hir mallice powre you in double again to hir Where as she hath geuen you a temporal death giue hir the death euerlasting doubling vnto hir both the griefes and continuance of them 10 Yea consider how greatly she hath glorified hir selfe against God in blasphemous errours in pride in pleasures and in wanton liuing 11 And so muche let hir tast of moste terrible punishmentes sorowfull plages waylinges gnashinges of téeth An holy priesthod hath she pretended a regal dignitie hath she vsurped and both those powers moste shamefully hath she so abused therefore let hir haue the penalties dew vnto such presumption Take from hir hir plesauÌ„t Euphrates with the spoyles and profites wherein she hath inordinatlye delighted and throwe hir into mostâ— depe wretchednesse here besides that shal follow in an other worlde THE TEXTE 1 For she sayth in hir hart 2. I sitte beyng a queene 3. am no widovv 4. and shal see no sorovv 5. Therefor shal hir plages coâ— at on day 6. death and sorovv and honger 7. And she shal be brent with fyre 8. For stronâ— is the Lord God 9. vvhich shall iudge hyr The commentary 1 For hyghlye shée standeth in hyr owne conseit as yet boasting hyr selfe to be the great goodnesse of the earth 2 I sit here in wealth and pleasure saith she being a glorious quéene yea the holy church hir self hauing authoryty in heauen in earth and in hel with power to lose and bynd saue damne With me is it not as with them that are not of this world or haue no dwelling place here for all is at my wyll and pleasure 3 I am no desolate widow The powers of this world standeth by me The mighty princes and potentates defendeth me with the death of innocente peple Neuer was Nero Domicianus Traianus nor Marencius with other cruel tirrauntes more sure vpon my side in defence of supersticions than they are yet still to this houre 4 Therefore I can take no seathe nor yet féele of any sorrowe I shal be lady for euer Neuer shall my seate be remoued Neuer shall I fall nor any mâ—shappe light vpon me Such are the bold bragges of the papistes that Peters lytle shippe may well be moued with the tempest of heretiques but neuer shall it be ouerthrowen thynking therby the whorish church shal euermore continue and neuer come to naught 5 They coÌ„sider not how stroÌ„g the Lamb is against whoÌ„ they dayly fight And therfore shall the terrible plages which God hath appointed hir to suffer heauily light vpon hir and all in one day 6 At once shall he powre vpon that wicked congregation death sorowe hunger lyke as he did fyre and brimstone vpon the sinfull cyties Perpetually shall they be depriued of the lyfe which is in Christ Iesu. Continuall wéeping and téeth gnashing shall they haue their worme neuer dying Still shal they inwardly famish and neuer with felicitie be satisfied 7 With vnquencheable fire shall this whore be brent with hyr whole generation of hypocrites prepared for the diuil and his Angels 8 Effectual and trwe is the sentence for mightye is the Lorde that shall iudge hir condemne hir by his word 9 Iust is he in his promise true in his sayings gloryous in his works holye terrible and fearefull in his iudgements against the wicked None shall be founde able at that day to restrayne the least part of his purposed vengeance neyther Mary throwyng in hir beades into saint Michaels balaunce Iohn Baptist with his Lamb Peter with his key nor yet Paule with his long sword Though Moyses and Samuell the chosen Prophetes of the Lorde yea with Noe Daniell and pacient Iob should stand before hym at that day yet should they not be haâ—d THE TEXT 1 And the kings of the earth shall be vvepe hyr 2. and vvayle ouer hyr 3. vvhich haue coÌ„mitted fornication 4. and lyued vvantonlye vvith hir 5. vvhan they shall see the smoke of hir burning 6. and shall stand a farre of 7. for feare of hir punishment saying 8. Alas alas that great citie 9. Babilon 10. that mightie citie 11. For at one houre commeth thy iudgement The Commentary 1 Moreouer the carnally mynded kings of the earth sayth the aforesayde Angell which hath for hyr pleasure abused their aucthoritie and power shall take hyr sodayne distruction in thys lyfe very heauily 2 Yea they shall moste sorrowfully bewayle them selues ouer hir as men very ill contented with that ordinance of God They shall be sorie in their heartes that his worde is become so stronge agaynst hyr that they can resist it with
beleue his word which are the déere members of hys mitticall body No blasphemies false myracles lyes nor obprobryous slaunders rebukes spare they to blemish thy opinion to the worlde besides the most cruell kyndes of death The captaine of this wicked army is that tirrible beast whom Danyell also beheld in a vysiō with yron téeth deuouring and with nayles of brasse distroying and stamping the residue vnder hys féete 7 This horrible beast saith S. Iohn this filthy body of Antichrist comprehending all the great aduersaries of the Lord was taken sodainly 8 And with hym the false Prophet or beast rysing out of the earth betokening his false preachers 9 Which wrought vayne myracles before him as did Iannes Iambres the sorcerers of Egipt before Pharao in counterfaiting Moyses and Aaron Yea by their trāsubstauntiaciōs they can take from bread the substaūce the accydents still remayning They can hold the shadow whan the body is gone besides that they can doe in Purgatorie and hell by theyr sacrifices of satisfaction 10 With such deceitful myracles and lying signes shall those be deceyued by them that hath by a false beleue receiued into theyr cōsciences the vnwholsome mark of the beast or such a corrupt fayth as shall cause their damnacion 11 And they in lyke case shal be seduced by thē that hath worshipped the beastly Image of that great Antichriste or inclyned to any worldly potentate in the vpholdinge of hys false religion So sealed Cayphas the hartes of the wauerynge multytude of the Iewes wyth that markynge yron of Sathan that they coulde be but hys ministers In no case coulde they saue Iesus but Barrabas the murtherer Though they receiued him ioyfully not long afore into the citie with Benedictus qui venit in nomine domini yet could they at that time but crye Crucifige Crucifige eum No they had powre to doe none other but to crucifie him in déede whiche is to worship the beastes Image or to folow the wicked intēt of that beastly generation as their faithfull clyants doth yet still to this day 12 Both these twayne saith the text the head and the body the beast with hys false prophete were cast quicke by the mighty iudgment of god into a déepe lake of most terrible fyre boylynge with stinkinge brimstone For vnbewares shall destruction light vpon that cursed generatiō according to the faithfull request of Dauid and sodenly shal they fall into their owne mischiefe 13 Without warning shall the great day of the Lordes indignation light vpon them and bring thē to nought for euer Hastely shall death attache thē for their wickednesse sake and quicke shall they droppe into hel with Chore Dathan and Abyron As a waightye stone or leade shall they sinke to the bottome and the pit shal swallowe them vp for their exceding rebellion For like as they stode vp against Moyses Aaron so hath this beastely generatiō against God and his Christ. Therfore are they here specifyed after a moste strange terrible sort to be throwen foorth For thrée causes may it be that they are called here quick One is in that their stinking remnaunt shall at that dreadfull daye bée a liue after the doctrine of Paule An other in that they haue wilfully vpon a set mallyce resisted the knowen verytie detortinge it to their owne propre lust If I had not sayth Christ done among them such workes as neuer man did they should be fautelesse But they haue certienly knowen thē yet haue they hated both me and my father The Paganes not beleuing are iudged all ready and go to hell dead where as they knowing the will of their Lorde and not doeing it shall after an other sort be plaged Fyre shall they haue with heate and brimstone with stinke The thirde is in that they shall haue palpable darkenesse with weping and gnashinge of téethe their worme neither dying nor yet their fyre going out And lyke as the Diuell was throwne forth at the death of Christ and soone after that the prelates and Pharises of the Iewes as the head with the body so shall at that tyme Antichrist with his church the Pope with his clergy and Mahomete with his sectes as the head with the body also 14 The residue sayth saynt Iohan as Kinges captaynes strong weake high lowe greate and small were slaine with the sharpe two edged sword of hym that yet to this houre sytteth vpō the horse which is Christ Iesus in the gloryfied nature of his manhode 15 This mighty sworde proceded out of his reuerende mouth For it is the stronge worde of him that lyueth for euer and hath in it both sprit and life Necessary it is for thē that hath bene eyther seduced by their crafts or coacted by their threateninges to be towched with his sword For he that is not therby slayne from sinne the world shall not ryse vp to the lyfe which is in Christ. Hée that is not with hym dead from the ordinaunces of menne but styll is ledde with tradicions can not be clere from the cursse nor yet be the heyre of promise Therfore must they be slayne dead with this sword eyther to repentaunce amendement of life or else by the harde iudgements of the same to eternall dampnation 16 Which waye so euer it be all the aforesayd foules or peoples whome God hath raysed from this worlds affections shall be fulfylled with their fleshe Whether they be saued or dāpned they wil most highly reioyse cōsidringe it is the pleasure of GOD. Both wayes shall they be satisfied I◠they be saued than must they be glad for that their number is so muche the more increased and for the their selues hath escaped lyke daunger If they bée dampned than must they reioyce also to se the right iustice of God For the rightuous shall make mirth beholding the vengeaunce and shall washe their handes in the bloud of the wicked all fleshe abhorring to loke vpon them The xx Chapter THe laste enterprise of Sathan the common aduersary of mā doth this chapter folowing declare fetching an originall from the béeginning of Christes spiritull kingdōe to conclude with the whole for our necessarie instruction As a briefe rehearsall of all that is in a maner spoken afore was this vnto Iohn leaste hée shoulde of obliuiousnesse forget as mannes nature is forgetful these wōderfull misteries and singuler premonishments of the Lorde most expediēt to be knowen of his church That she might by them s◠aforehande the wily craftes of the diuell and his members and to beware of them Besids that to take courage patiently to suffer their cruell persecucions For a thing oft rehersed departeth not so soone the memory as that is but once tolde Which caused this Euangelist not onely here in this place but also in his Gospell first Epistle ofte to repeate the sayinges least he shoulde seme fayntely to passe them ouer and bycause the reader shoulde the more earnestly marke them THE TEXT 1 And I savve an Angell
there were of both sortes So well was he accepted that mortyfied the desires of the fleshe and offered himselfe a lyuinge sacryfyce vnto God as hée that gaue his life for the veritie 14 But the residue sayth saint Iohn or the other sort called the deade men for that they were not numbred with the ryghtuous neyther among them that sate vpon the seates nor yet amonge them that were slayne for the witnesse of Iesu lyued not agayne after they were once dead tyll the thousand yeres of their death was throughly fulfilled The time was whan they which wer dead through sin did heare the voyce of the sonne of God They fatihfuly beleued the word therof so it reuiued in him vnto the lyfe euerlasting which was both the life light of men Wher as the froward conâ—eÌ„ners of the lyuing word hauing their coÌ„scieÌ„ces sealed with the beasts marke remained stil in their infidelitie which is the very death of the soule so were by the right iudgemeÌ„t of God lost for euer For the sin against the holy ghost which is a resistaÌ„ce against the manifest truth shal neither be forgeuen in this worlde nor yet in the world to come 15 A time without end doth this word till cause this thousand here to be after the commoÌ„ vsage of the scripture Noe sent forth a Rauen out of the arke whiche returned not agayne tyl the waters were dryed vp that is to say he neuer returned again Ioseph knew not Mary til she had brought forth hir first borne sonne That is to say he neuer bodely knew hir Thou shalte not out of prison till thou hast payde the vttermost mite .i. thou shalte neuer out With an hundreth of suche places in the Bible THE TEXT 1. This is that first resurrection 2. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection 3. For on suche shall the seconde death haue no povver 4. But they shall be the prists of God and of Christ. 5. And shal raign vvith him a thousand yeares The commentary 1 This is the first resurrection vnto lyfe to ryse from sin to repentaunce from ignoraunce to godly knowledge and from darknesse to faith Through the offence of one man entred sin into the world and through sin death Necessary it is therefore to dye vnto sin and to liue vnto rightuousnesse And so to rise togither with Christ séekyng the things which are aboue not vpoÌ„ earth For neuer shal they come to the seconde resurrection which is vnto the lyfe euerlasting that will not ryse by repentaunce vnto a new lyfe in hym which is both resurrection and lyfe 2 Blessed is that man of the Lord yea holy iust and perfect may he be reported also of all men which hath porcion conuenient in the first resurrection with Dauid Magdalene Zacheus and Peter Happy are they which hearing the word of God retayneth it in theyr lyuing For they being renued with the glad tydinges of lyfe are depured by the spirite of Christ sanctified and so made the habitacles of the holy Ghost 3 Upon such Godly dysposed persons hath the seconde death of the soule which is eternal dampnatioÌ„ no maner of power nor effectual iurisdiction For no damnation can be vnto them which are in Christ Iesu not walking after the fleshe Though they haue bene great sinners yet shall not theyr sinnes be to them imputed but in the resurrectioÌ„ of the wrightuous shall they ryse to immortalyte and be as the very Angels in heauen He that hath taken froÌ„ theÌ„ the poore of death shall make theÌ„ sure of eternal inheretauÌ„ce with god 4 They shall surely bée the chosen priestes of God the euerlasting father and of his eternall sonne Iesus Christ whiche are of the firste resurrection Though they be here in the flesh yet fight they not after the flesh but they shall folow the gouernaunce of the spirit geue ouer their bodis for a liuing sacryfice holy and acceptable vnto God 5 And thus shall they reigne with christ their merciful sauiour redemer for the space of the thousaÌ„d yeres afore named None other toke they all that longe seasoÌ„ for theyr spiritual Messyas their eternall King their hygh Bishop for all their mayster their Lorde their gyde their lyght and the shepeherde of theyr soules None other wold they acknowledge but him for their mediatoure attonement maker neyther Moyses nor Samuell Noe Daniell nor Iob Iohan Baptist Mary nor Peter Hée onely was vnto them all wysedome ryghtuousnesse holynesse and redeÌ„ption In none other name coulde they fynde health and saluation but alone in hys Nothing pertayneth this vnto the Popes masse sayers for they call vpon many names wyth Ora pro nobis and are of a far other priesthode as we haue declared afore In christes kyngdoÌ„ is none outwarde Priesthode nor sacryfice to be made for sin For he hath with one oblacioÌ„ for all fully satysfied for the sins of his electe number for euer The office of a ChristeÌ„ man now is onely to offer vp himselfe by the deniall of himselfe and by the mortificatioÌ„ of his fleshe In the holy supper of the Lorde which is a mutuall participacioÌ„ of his bodi bloud is no new sacrifice to be made but onely a faithfull remembrauÌ„ce to be taught of that full and perfect sacrifice that he made once for all vnlesse we will betray him and crucifie him againe The dutie of a minister in Christes coÌ„gregation is with all study and diligence to labour in the holy worde of God be he bishop priest Chaplayne Pastour or preacher Hys ministration is great labour no dygnitie payne and not pryde or arrogancie And hauing his foode and rayment he ought to require no more THE TEXT 1 And vvhan the thousande yeares are expyred 2. Sathan shall be loosed out of prison 3. and shall go out 4. to diseeiue the people 5. vvhich ar in the foure quarters of the earth 6. Gog Magog 7. to gather them togither to battle 8 vvhose number is as the sande of the sea 9. And they vvent vpon the plaine of the earth 10. and compassed the tentes of the sayntes about 11. and the beloued Citie 12. And fyre came dovvne from God out of heauen 13. and deuoured them 14. And the Diuell that deceyued them 15. vvas cast into a lake of fyre and brymstone 26. vvhere the beast and the false Prophet vvere 17. and shall be tormented daye and nighte for euermore The Commentary 1 After the plentnous description of the true church of Christe which is vnknowen to the worlde for the glorious doughter of the eternall Kinge is from within sayth Dauid now foloweth in course the pernicious kingdome of Antechrist whan it was in the hyghest pryde so soone as the afore rehersed thousande yeares sayth saynt Iohn are fully accoÌ„plished or brought to an ende 2 Sathan the common aduersarie of man shal be loosed out of his darke pryson and so shal be set at large by the sufferance
according to hys deades 18. And death 19 and hell vvere cast 20. into the lake of fyre 21. This is the second death 22. And vvhosoeuer vvas not found vvritteÌ„ in the booke of lyfe 23. vvas caste into the lake of fyre The commentary 1 A none after this I behelde saith Saynt Iohan in secrete mysterye an imperiall throne or seat of estate faire splendaunte and bewtyfull None other is this than the iudgement seate of the Lorde 2 Great it is for the Maiestie and power of hym that shall syt therevpoÌ„ is of inestimable magnificence greatnesse Fayre and whyte both for the celestyall cléerenesse that shall at that houre apere with hym and also for the purenesse equitie and ryght of his vniuersal iudgementes 3 From the aspect of whose fearefull countenaunce shall both the earth beneath and the other elemeÌ„tes aboue flée awaye All the creatures of his creacion shall wyth reuerence tremble quake at his mighty aperaunce The SuÌ„ne shall thaÌ„ be darkened the Mone shall not giue hir lyght The Starres shall fall downe from aboue the powers of heauen shal be moued The elementes shall melte wyth heate and the whole earth shall teare in péeces lyke a ragge 4 A terryble fyre shall go before the iudge to burne vp hys enimyes on euery syde The places of them that lyued here supersticiously and voluptuously shall no more after that be founde Neuer shall they resort agayne hither to theyr olde wantoÌ„ pleasurs Of their bewtyfull Cyties shall not one stone be lefte vpon an other Their proude paynted Synagoges as duste in the wynde shal be scattred away from the earth Neither shall the skye nor yet the ground beneth be as it was but both they shal be renewed chaunged They shal be deliuered from corruption and so appere both a newe heauen and a newe earth according to the expectation of the creatures 5 Immediatly after that sayth saint Iohn the iudge thus sitting vpoÌ„ the scaâ—e of his eternall Maiestie I sawe styll in mysterye after the blast of the truÌ„pet that all they which were deade arose out of the earth And that both hygh and lowe great and small good and badde King and begger prelate and plough man tirant and perscecuted innocent Yea the sucking babe the died in the cradell so well as the aged maÌ„ 6 All they séemed vnto me to stande before their generall iudge Iesus Christ to whome the euerlasting father had giuen ouer his whole iudgementes which there appeared as hée was in dede a verie omnipotent god All we shall appere sayth Paule before the iudgement seat of Christ that euery one of vs maye receyue according to that he hath done be it good or ill 7 And the bookes of reckennings which are the seuerall consciences of men were open before the iudge That afore was hidde will thaÌ„ be manyfest and that was secret wyll than come to light be disclosed Euident it wil be vnto him who hath fulfilled the commaunded works of mercy who hath left them vndone their owne constences bearing witnesse to the same For what can be hid from him which seeth both the inwarde reynes and the secret thoughtes of the harte In this generall rekening yet shall prayse with the eternall rewarde redowne vnto them from the mercyfull Lorde whose walking here hath bene accordinge vnto fayth There shall they be reproued to haue bene pitiful to the poore hongry thursty nedy naked sicke in prison 8 After this was an other booke opeÌ„ed of a farre diuerse nature froÌ„ the other bokes for it was the swéet boke of lyfe wherin be regestred al that were predestinate to be saued froÌ„ the worlds beginning And this boke is the eternal predestinatioÌ„ of God 9 Before the worlds fouÌ„datioÌ„ saith s. Paule the lord predestinate vs into the addoptioÌ„ of his childreÌ„ through Iesus Christe Of this booke made Moyses mencion whan he said Eyther pardon thys people or els race me out of thy booke which thou haste written And Christ also to his seuentie disciples Be glad sayth he that your names are written in heauen Moreouer Iosue called this the booke of the ryghtuous and Iohn here the boke with seuen claspes This sheweh the holy ghost here vnto vs much after the custome dayly vsed among vs. For of the most notable men and women our maner is bothe longe to remember the names and also to speake of them as occasion giueth So equall is thys eternall iudge that no personage respecteth he in iudgment neither of Emperours nor Pope Kinge nor Byshope Lorde nor prieste But as he is ryghtuous of himselfe so iudgeth he rightuously 10 For they that were dead sayeth saynt Iohan or that had ledde their lyues here without fayth and the spirite of Christ were iudged of hym there according to the thinges which were regestred in the bokes of their coÌ„scieÌ„ces 11 That is to say according to the fylthy workes wherof their desperat coÌ„ciences accused them Onely are the wicked to be takeÌ„ here for the dead For the rightuous shall thaÌ„ haue nothinge wherof their coÌ„scieÌ„ce may accuse them Neyther shall the euill doers as witnesseth Dauid be of couÌ„sell with theÌ„ at the day They hauing the lyfe euerlasting shall not than be iudged though they than appere but shall sit with Christ in iudgement and reioyce in the condempnation of the vngodly blasphemers The rewarde of their vnfaythfulnesse shall thaÌ„ be powred vpon theÌ„ to their perpetuall care At that daye shall none bée absent but all shal be séene eyther to honour or els to reprofe 12 Neyther shall the depth of the sea nor the darkenesse of death nor yet hell that is bottomelesse bée able to hide any froÌ„ the face of this iudge For the sea sayth saynt Iohn that is myghty and greate shall at that daye delyuer vp cleane hir deade or those whome the Lorde suffered hyr to swallowe in for their outragious sinnes 13 Lyke as were the giauntes in the floude of Noe the great host of Pharao in the red sea and such other more 14 So shall gréedy death doe also which after many strange sortes hath consumed the enimies of God As for an example Cain by a chaunce vnsought Nadah and Abyn by fyre Achan by standing Holofernes Saull by the swerde Naball by excesse of wyne Iesabell by treading of horses Daniels accusers by the lyons Menelaus by breaking his necke Iudas by hanging himselfe Herod by wormes the children of Israell by swerd fyre serpentes and soden death and such other lyke 15 Hell whych is insaciable shall in lyke case render vp the innumerable swarme of the dead whom he wyth open mouth hath swallowed in quicke for their abhominations 16 Of whose number were Chore Dathan and Abiron with their affinitye the Cytyes of Sodome and Gomorre the vncircumcised gyauntes the ryche rourer and the ryche glotton in Luke Symon Magus wyth dyuerse other Hell hath gaped meruelouslye wyde sayeth Esaye and hath rauenouslye deuoured the hygh mynded
that we nowe haue of the sea shall cease in that day of the Lorde whan we shall beholde hym face to face No longer shall it be subdued vnto vanitie no more than the other creatures but clerely depured from fylthy corruption No more shall it be the same to sée to being frō thens forth so claer◠as cristall though it styll be the same in substaunce 6 Heauen earth the sea wyth all other creatures in mistery thus renewed I Iohan the sonne of Zebede the same dysciple whom Christ loued being here in exyle for hys worde testimony perceyued in the saue mystery by the singular gyfte of the spirite the the selfe holy cytie or congregation of the Lorde whych is worthely called the new Hierusalem of peace descended downe out of heauen from hir omnipotēt creator God eternall 7 Holy is this cyty For both is she here the vndefiled spouse of the lambe and shal be hereafter more perfectly in the regeneracion Here admytteth she nothing in faithe that is prohpane and carnal but cleaneth to his only worde There shal she folowe his steppes in a much more pure estate clearly delyuered from all that is ill 8 Here is she newe in that she hath here by his godly spririte done of the olde man wyth hys fylthy workes And ther shal she also be new through hys gifte by throwinge awaye the bodye of sinne wyth death and corrupcion 9 Hierusalem is she called both here and there or peceable city of the Lord in that all hir cytizens are here of one faith and ther shal be of one glorious vnity and concorde Here are hir dwellers citizens with the saintes the househould seruants of god Ther shall they be both hys chyldren and heires togyther wyth Christ. 10 From God came she downe and out of heauen fyrste of all Neyther out of flesh nor bloud hath spronge hir Christen beléeue but frō the gracyous openinge of the father which is in heauē That Hierusalem saith Paul which is frée our mother is from aboue She is that Cytie whose builder and maker is God With none other lawes is she gouerned but with hys eternall testament and Gospell of peace With the constitutions of men hath she nothing to doe be they neuer so holy and precious For alone she dependeth on God and hys spirite 11 Of hym is she prepared through the gyft of fayth She is clensed with the fountayne of water in the worde of lyfe to séeme a glorious congregation without blemysh or wrincle From hir sinnes is she purely washed in his bloud 12 And so garnyshed as a beutifull bryde to hir husbande with loue ioye peace paciēce méekenesse long suffering other glorious fruites of the spirit Upon thy right hand Lorde sayth Dauid standeth a quene in a garmēt of most fyne golde compassed with diuersitie But euery man shall not se this hir apparell for it wil be rather a rayment of the harte than of the outwarde body Figured was this decking of hir at large in the wonderfull adourning of the temple and tabernacle of God in the dayes of Moyses and Salomon whose mysticall meting also he describeth in his cantycles How maruelous this newe Hierusalē wyll be in the regeneration whan shée meteth hir spouse in the ayre and how glorious hir countinaunce wyth him it lyeth not in vs to declare in all poyntes considering that neyther eye hath séene nor eare harde neyther can the hearte coniecture what God hath there prepared for them that loue hym but of this are we sure that wyth the glorye of him she shal be replenished Here is hir estate vnperfect and there perfect here mortall there immortal here sower ther sweet here harde there pleasaunt here paynfull there dilectable here Godly there inestimable glorious 13 And as Iohn had séene these wonderfull thinges and mused much vpō them a great voyce came vnto hym from the seate of God declaring the mistery thereof I hard sayth he in the middest of this last reuelation as I was in doubt what it ment a mightie voyce from the throne of my euerlasting Lorde saying thus vnto mée 14 Beholde Ihon beholde marke it both for thyne owne erudicion and also for the instruction of others The holy tabernacle or restyng place of the euerlastinge God of heauen is wyth men in the worlde beneth Not onely in that the eternall sonne of the Lorde toke vpon him the shape of a man callyng it the temple of hys body but also in that the soule of euery faythfull man is become the habitacle of the holy ghost He that loueth me sayth Christ obserueth my word In hym will both I and my father prouide vs a resting place He that is in loue abideth in god and God dwelleth in hym 15 This voice might Iohn well heare from the mouth of God in Esechiell I will make sayth he ther a perpetuall couenaunt wyth man to dwell with hym euermore My tabernacle shal be amonge them So that I wyll be their God and they shal be my people 16 For why it foloweth here in this voyce that he hath determined of fauourable loue mercy to dwell with them assisting them here in thys lyfe by hys spirite and in the lyfe to come shall he satysfye them by his eternall presence For here doe we sée hym in a similytude farre of there shall wee beholde hym lyke as he is in dede and shall eternally reioyce therein 17 Here are they his people through fayth for Israell is his heritage There shall they be his familiar housholde through loue and he their Lord for euer Here shall they be his chyldren and he theyr eternall father Ther shall they be his heyers Christ being the right heyer for them all 18 Thus God his owne selfe of hys inestimable goodnesse being presētly with them shall here by his grace and therby inestymable benefites shewe him selfe in all poyntes to be theyr moste mercyfull and louing God Here doth he strongly assist thē agaynst all temptations of enimyes There shall be endue them wyth full perfection and clerenesse 19 So shall he be theyr god that neither here nor yet ther shal they knowledge any other but hym alone Hée shall so comfort them here by his spirite and ther by his glorious presēce that neyther shall they here forsake hym nor there be deuyded from hym 20 And thys euerlasting god shall so wype away all teares from their eyes here that no vexacion shall make thē sorowfull nor yet aduersitie pensyue But all maner of slaunders and persecutions shall they take for most suffren consolations for his names sake For if he be wyth them who can preuaile against them 21 And after that day can no wepings be whereas shal be full ioye with immortalitie both of soule and body Beholde sayth the Lorde in Esayes prophecye I shall make a ioyfull Hierusalem yea and my selfe will reioyce there with them From thence forth shall neyther waylyng nor weping be harde in hir
Iohan Boanerges an earnest thunderer out of the gospell a stirrer vp mens hartes to the study of heauenly things Yea a man knowne not only to you Afianes but also the whole Christianitie for that Apostle whom Christ peculyarlye loued 2 Euen I am the same selfe Iohan which haue both heard these wonderfull things with myne eares and also haue séene them through the great goodnesse of my lord God with myne eyes for your singular commoditie and profite 3 None other matter doe I héere wryte vnto you at the commaundement of Iesus Christ for your healthe and saluation but such as I haue both heard and séene for the same beleue them if ye wil. In my other writings as are my gospell and my fyrst Epistle whervnto I neuer subscribed ye haue throughly beleued mée Giue no lesse credence now than vnto this whervnto I subscribe my name For so haue I done here that ye should the rather beleue it and receyue it as most wholesome doctrine of saluation After thys sort did Paule adde his name to hys sayings that they should be the more earnestly receyued 4 And as concerning my parte truly whan I had thus harde them séene them the wonderfull mysteryes of them so rauyshed my spirites that I in a maner clearely forgate my selfe 5 Yea I was so farre from my right remembraunce for the vehemency of them that I fell downe flatte to the grounde prostrate before the féete of the Angell mynding to giue vnto him the whole homage of my soule which is onely due vnto God that created my soule 6 And what though this Angel which had thus opened vnto me all these woÌ„derfull mysâ—eries afore where Iesus Christ him selfe as I thought him no lesse in déede yet sought I not to haue worshipped him in that similitude coÌ„sidering also the God will haue no part of his honour giuen to any other than vnto himselfe onely 7 Wherefore he charitably admonished me of it and sayd thus vnto me 8 In any wise beware thou doe no such homage vnto me which apere here to thée but a creature least therby thou offende the Lord god For daunger may be in such case though the intent bée godly if any part thereof shoulde remayn to the creature as thou knowest wel inough Nothing maiest thou worshippe that thy outwarde syght offreth vnto thée for in them hath fayth no place whych is a substaunce of things vnséene And God hath taught thée to worshipe him in no creatures neither in breade nor wyne man nor angell but in spirit and veritie onely muche lesse than to worshippe the selfe creatures or Idols in their stede whych is much worse 9 Though I be the sonne of God and sauiour of the world yet am I in this office but a creature and thy fellow seruaunt A sent messenger from God as thou art an opener of his godly minde and pleasure as thou art to sygnifie yâ— vnto thée which he wolde haue thée againe to signifie vnto his people 10 And in this point am I not onely thy companion or in this message ioyned fellowe with thée for so well is it my reuelation as thyne but also I am a lyke companion to thy former brethreÌ„ Ezechiell Daniell Zacary and such other which had the gyft of prophecie and were prophetes in déede as thou art now doing lyke office with them thus vttering gods mind in misteries 11 Yea farthermore I am a fellowe seruaunt likewise and a companioÌ„ togither of all theÌ„ yâ— with reuerence obserue the faithfull testymonies of this present booke or prophecy In token wherof I toke the shappe of a seruaunt I fulfylled the lawe and was conuersaÌ„t among men 12 So thou worshippe not me therefore but worship thy onely Lord god For alone shouldest thou seke him and loue him honour him and serue hym prayse hym and glorifie him None other gods shalt thou haue in my sight saith the eternall and omnipoteÌ„t Lord. Obserue the same rule in worshipping that I taught thée to obserue in prayer Remember I taught thée not to pray vnto me whome thou séest nor yet vnto any dead sainct whome thou séest not but vnto thy lorde God whom thou hast only in beleue saying our father which arte in heauen I tolde thée also that God was a spirite and that he would only be sought in spirite and in nothing that thou séest with thyne eyes Therefore worship God not mée Consider here good reader the vngodly vyolence of the papistes enforcing the simple multitude to worship a drye wafer cake to knele vnto it to holde vp their handes to make theyr prayers to it and to call it their God making them to beleue that it is gods commaundement they shoulde so doe Oh abhominable Antichristes Oh filthie Balaamites séeking your owne bellyes glory to your confusioÌ„ Way this place throughlye with the other scriptures be once ashamed of your beastly and blasphemous madnesse Ye will peraduenture say it is Christes body But truly that is all false For thereof is no mutuall perticipation where one eateth vp all No shewyng is there of the Lordes death til he come where all is done in a foren language and nothing vnderstanded Christ breathed not vpon the bread with hoo hée haue at all as you doe He only tooke it in his holy handes and gaue thankes vnto God The wordes of thankesgyuing he lefte not behinde him for you to â—unger with for he knew yée afore for subtile workers He kept not that bread to him selfe nor yet closed it vp in a boxe as you doe But he brake it and distributed it vnto other In lyke case the disciples did neyther worship it nor him at that season For if they had he would haue forbidden it them and haue taught the same self doctrine that he sheweth here vnto Iohan. Only did they take it eate it in his remeÌ„braunce and that was his institution And where as it is this vsed there is both his body and bloud receiued But otherwise not The breade that was lefte of this consecration or breaking which was so holy as the other was neyther housed nor churched boxed nor pixed but remayned there styll to the housholders to be eateÌ„ of whom soeuer lusted Neyther doth the diuinitie of your senteÌ„cioners as of Thomas of Aquine Dons Dorbel Guido Baconthorp and such other appoynt thervnto that kynde of honour that ye suffer the people to giue vnto it but a far meaner honour called Hiperdulia But you can wynke at such matters suffer both them and your selues to go to the diuell for worldly lucer Nothyng holdeth long with you neither christes doctryne nor your owne But that yée make now ye marre to morowe And that at one tyme is a lawe at an other tyme shal be none at al. Such are your wauering wonders The Text. 1 And he sayde vnto me 2. Seale not thy sayinges of the prophecy of this booke 3. For the tyme is at hande 4. He that doth euill let
that hath euer since spightfully persecuted his faithful members vnto death for the truths sake 4 And all kinredes of the earth that is to saye whoremongers glouttons extorcioners ydolatours murtherers and tyrauntes shall bewayle them selues for the sight of him 5 Whose ryghtfull iudgemente is not so heatefull vnto them but it is as greatly desired of the faithful multitude saying in their hartes continually Euen so be it Amen For they at that houre shall be wholly delyuered gloryfyed and sealled vp wyth Christe for the euerlasting children of God 6 I am he sayth the Lord God almighty which hath begun all thinges and finished the same being signifyed by Alpha which is the first letter of the Greke Alphabete and Omega which is the last because this present reuelacion was written in Greke and vnto theÌ„ which only knewe the Greke tonge 7 I am the same saith the sayde Lord God euerlastinge the father the sonne and the holy ghoste .iii. distincte persones in one essenciall Godhede which is essencially in and of him selfe only which was without beginning and begunne all thynges and which shall be whithout endinge and finyshe all thinges alone able to exhibyte all vertue power and strength and alone vnable to execute errours lyes and sinne which is of fragilite weaknes and vnperfectnesse The Texte 1 I Ihon your brother companion in tribulacion 2 and in the kingdom of pacience which is in Iesu Christ. 3. was in the yle of Pathmos for the word of God and for the witnessing of Iesu Christ. 4. I was in the spirit on a Sonday 5. and heard behynde me a great voyce as it had bene of a troÌ„pe saying 6. I am Alpha and Omega the first the last 7. That thou seist write in a booke 8. sende it vnto the congregacioÌ„s which are in Asia 9. vnto Ephesus vnto Smyrna and vnto Pergamos vnto Thiatyra 10. and vnto Sardis vnto Philadelphia and vnto Laodicia The Paraphrase 1 I the faythful wryter of this present reuelacion called Iohn the Apostle your naturall louing brother so inferly caueting your soules helth as 〈…〉 companion of yours also in aduersitie trouble and persecucion for the truthes sake 2 And a partaker with you in the afflicted kingedome and in the pacient crosse of sâ—ffereÌ„ce in Christ Iesu. 3 Was now of late in a certaine yle of Licia called Pathmos exiled for the Gospel preaching made a vile abiect for testifying the name word of the sayd Iesus Christ the onely 〈◊〉 of the world 4 I being thus carefully afflicted and driuen from all solase and bodily comfort on a certayne sunday or day dedicate to the Lordes remembraunce was in the spirit rapte and clearly takeÌ„ vp from all worldly affects so swéetly did the Lord releue his poore persecuted seruaunt 5 And I heard certainly with mine eares a loude shirle voyce behynde mée as I was in this swéete heaueÌ„ly traunse which was so vehement and stoute to my iudgement as it had bene the noyse of a great trompe vttering these wordes vnto mée 6 I am the first and the last the originall beginner and the 〈◊〉 finisher of all thinges vnder Aâ—pha and Omega the first and last Gréeke letters as vnder an allegorie to bée vnderstand 7 With all dilygence therefore write that thou shalte sée here and make a perfect registre of the same 8 And that done sende it louingly vnto the vij Christen congregatioÌ„s which are in the land of Asia coÌ„mitted of the Lorde vnto thy administration in his word 9 Send it vnto Ephesus sende it vnto Smyrna directe it vnto Pergamos commit it vnto Thyatyra 10 And vnto Sardis vnto Phyladelphia and vnto Laodicia and finally by them to the .vij. Climates of the vniuersall worlde For though it be heere to them only lymitted yet is it to all people vnyuersally ment THE TEXT 1 And I turned backe to see the voyce that spake to me 2. And vvhen I vvas turned I savve seuen golden Candelstickes 3. And in the middest of the CaÌ„delsticks one lyke vnto the sonne of man 4. Clothed vvith a lynnen garment dovvne to the grounde 5. And gyrded about the brest vvith a golden gyrdle 6. His head and his heyres vvere vvhyte as vahite vvoll and as Snow 7. And hys eyes vvere as a flame of fyre 8. And hys feete lyke vnto brasse as thoughe they brent in a fornace 9. And hys voyce as the noyse of many vvaters 10. And he had in his right hand vii starres 11. And out of his mouth vvent a sharpe two edged svvorde 12 And his face shone euen as the sonne in his strength The Paraphrase 1 And sodenly I turned back saith sainct Iohn ernestly to behold from whence this voyce should come or who it should be that should speake these wordes vnto me 2 And as I had turned my selfe anon I beheld .vij. goldeÌ„ Candelsticks betokening not only the sayd vij congregatioÌ„s in Asia but also the vniversall Christianitie of the whole world For vij in the scripture most coÌ„monly signifieth all or the whole of that it comprehendeth 3 And in the midst of the saide .vij. Candelstickes I sawe one like vnto Christ which when he was conuersaunt here among vs not onely called him selfe the sonne of man but also appeared in shape and apparel as the same And this betokeneth Christ alwayes to be present and assisteÌ„t to his coÌ„gregations as a shepehard and aduocate a teacher and a redéemer to kepe them helpe them informe them and saue them 4 I sawe him clothed with a syde linnen garmeÌ„t downe to the grouÌ„de signifying his aboundant rightuousnesse wherwith all his faithfull beleuers are in this world largely replenished 5 Hee was gyrded also about the pappes with a golden gyrdle Hys pappes are his most swéete wordes and promises replenishing our souls with most suffrane consolation and gladnesse And they are speared vp togither fast vnto him with the shynyng cheane of charitie or loue Which in the whole betokeneth that he is of rightuousnesse loue fast sure vnto vs in his word promise 6 His heade which is his eternall Godhead and his heares which are his infallible verities therof procéeding are both so purely whyte as snowe in the incomprehensible mysteries of his diuyne maiestie and so perfectly white as wooll which is of a meaner sorte in the lower mysteryes of our redemption 7 Hys eyes which are hys Godlye wisdome and knowledge were as a burning flame of fyre most effectual pure and quicke in working 8 And his féete which are hys humane affections most swéet desires of our health were lyke vnto brasse most beutiful clean precious to beholde and as though they had bene proued tryed and depured in a whot burnyng fornace For in them was his frayle tender and mortall flesh by manifolde troubles sore vexed persecuted and slayne 9 Hys voice which is his holy Testament or