nor other mo doctrines and to haue no nede of other Reuelations For the churche ys already instructed with a most complete doctrine There is it taught also what we ought to do with corrupte doctrines and teachers And where it is easy to fall into vices this boke doth dilligently and plentifully minister medicines teaching how the churche falling downe maie be set vp and repared againe And here it treateth much of true repentauÌ„ce of the fruites of repentaunce of the duties of Saincts or of very good workes Moreouer it exhorteth the afflicted to patience and constantie and to the confession of Christes name withoute feare and to all godlynes many times settyng forth the most ample rewardes of god And also affirming that tourmentes are prepared for the disobedient and reuoltes By this waie meane S. Iohn sheweth to the church how our Lorde Iesus Chryst being in heauen on the righthande of his father in the meane tyme neuerthelesse worketh in the middes of the congregation of his faithful inspiring quickenyng kepyng and gouernyng it And agayne how the church liuing in this world may lâ—ue notwithstanding in Christ and be quickened of him of whom it dependeth wholye whom only it regardeth and in whom it is preserued And who wyll not acknowledge this handlyng of the matter to be all together Apostolicke and right well grounded in the doctryne of Chryst But in the worke it selfe all and euery thynge shall to vs be muche more euidently declared But where as Christ in the Gospel hath said that the church his welbeloued spouse shulde be exercised with sondry afflictions in the whiche notwithstanding The church is subiect to teÌ„ptations persecutions he wolde neuer faile her Nowe in dede froÌ„ the right hand of his Father he recompteth moste plentifully and in a most goodly order of all the dollefull destenies of the churche to thintent that whilest the churche is subiecte to sundry euilles she may remember these thinges and coumfort her selfe lest she beyng discouraged with aduersitie she begin to doubte of the good wyll of God towardes vs and fall againe to Idolatrye forsaken into the errours of theyr Fathers and into the slippery pleasures of this worlde but rather that she go forewarde in the Religion of Chryste once receyued that she holde on throughe constante patience to professe Chryste to cleaue vnto him vnseparably that at the length we maye also be ioyned with the same in the heaueÌ„ly countrey Which is verely the marke and ende of our lyfe the course of all faithful in this miserable world Howebeit Chapter .iiii. wheras in the calamities and persecutions of the faithful and in the felicitie triumphing of the infidels the minde euen of the holyest seruaunt of God is sore moued and greuously tempted before he come to declare the heauy and miserable destenies of the church he setteth foorth vnto them a moste beautifull type or figure of the reuerende holy â–ª and euermore blessed Trinitie wherin is setforthe to be sene of theyes of all men the vnspeakeable wisdome of God power maiestie the iuste gouernement of the same and holy iudgement in all thinges And is also declared that almightie God the father by that Lambe that is by hys sun our onely redemer in the vertu of the holy Gost doth gouern well althinges what soeuer they be eyther in heauen or in earth And also the very destenies of the churche which are written in the boke of his eternal prouidence closed with seueÌ„ seales There appereth the Lamb of God The seuen hornes of the Lambe Chap. v. setforth with seuen hornes That is furnished with most ful power aswel princely as priestly the greatest of al and in all the most absolute The Lamb receyueth that boke of the ryght hand of hym that sitteth in the Throne and vndoeth and openeth in order those seuen seales For he receyueth of hys father all power bothe in heauen and in earth And that the Lambe alone openeth those seuen seales it conteyneth a swete mistery and ministreth a singular comfort to the faithfull For where we beleue that the LaÌ„be of God our redemer Iesus Christ doth loue mankind so excedyngly that neyther in heauen nor in earthe maye any thyng be founde that loueth vs more intierly And now see the very same and none other to open the seuen seales Seuen seales which opened sondry calamities issew out by and by into the worlde Who wold double the same to be sent to him for his health since they are sent not without his prouidence and disposition who directeth al thinges for the saluation of his chosen vnto all the which thinges that notable matter is added that al the spirites Angelicall thelders also and all heauenlye creatures worshyp God and the Lambe prayse and commende his righteousnes and for his excedyng good gouernement geue him immortall thankes For therof we miserable mortall men inuironed with synful fleshe ought to learne that we shuld acknowledg also the iustice of God in all hys workes and not mumer at his gouernement and most rightfull iudgmentes but rather to worship God to submit vs vnto him to prayse his righteousnes and geue thankes for his moste holy gouernmente and to crye with the prophet thou art iust O Lorde in all thy wayes Chap. vi and holy in all thy workes These thinges being on this wise promysed and the mindes of the faithfull thus instructed and prepared in the opening of the seuen seales seuerally is accompted and rekned vp what and how greate euils shuld inuade men from the which not somuch as the faithful liuing in this world shuld be free Wares slaughters famine pestilences are recyted and suche other lyke plages Agayne persecutions seditions Gospel or Consolation and a great deale worse then al these the seducyng and distroying of men through corrupt doctryne But because this boke of the Apocalippes is most euangelicall apostolical it mingleth doubtles in all that declaration often tymes ioyfull thinges with sorrowful and comforteth the faithfull excedingly in moste and greatest daungers And therefore in the calamities Chap. vii troubles euils and corruptions declared hitherto the Aungel of God is brought in who marketh the elect of God in theyr foreheades and all they in dede throughe the goodnes and custodye of God are saued from perdition And of these are accompted innumerable thousandes Wherby we learne that the mercy of God is moste ample in sauing of men and that we ought to hope well of the saluation of oure elders We must hope wel of the saluation of oure forefathers wherof though the most part lyued vnder the corrupt tyme of Papistrie yet followeth not thereof theyr saluation to be doubtfull at the least euen for this cause that we see that God had hath his church at all tymes euen when they be most daungerous To haue hys sealed to haue suche as worship hym whiche like as in times paste haue not bowed
restreining and punishing the wycked And the holy ghost where he is but one Seuen spirites for the seuenfolde that is all maner of grace and giftes manifold is here called as I may say Septenarie or of the seuenth numbre And from the seuen spirites sayth Iohn that is from that spirite whiche is indewed with the seuenfolde grace Those diuerse giftes are after a sorte declared of Esay in the .xi. Chapt. and els where in the scriptures He is sayd to be in the sight of the throne that is before the throne of God ioyned verely in gouernement with the father and the sonne For the throne is many tymes vsurped for the kingdom The holy ghost therfore is of the same glory power and maiestie with God Now is he commen to Christ The description of Christ whom by his properties he describeth moste aboundantly You know that Iesus is the proper name of Christ which Matthew expoundeth a Sauiour Christ is the surname of his office and dignitie as you would say annoynted that is byshop and kyng 1 First he calleth Christ our Lord a faithfull wytnes Christ a faithfull witnes and that out of the .xlix. and .l. chapter of Esay For he was sent of the father to the world out of heauen an Apostle whiche should testifie the wil of God what he wold haue done with men To witte that he would saue the worlde by his sonne Math. 18. 2 Petr. 3 Iohn 3 Math. 7.1 by faith in him which is obedient to the law of God For he must do the will of his father This Christ is a faithfull witnes that is sure constaunt and trewe Of whose doctrine no man ought to doubt No man hath seene God at any tyme The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the father Math. 17. 2 Pet. 1 he hath reuealed This therfore is the byshop and catholick dâ—tour of the church Who so euer dissent from him are to 〈◊〉 eschewed Heare him saith the father Christ is the first fruits of theÌ„ that ryse 2 He is the first begotten of the dead For he died for oâ—â— sinnes verely and rose again from the dead was made tâ— first begotten of the dead Lorde conquerour of death Iâ— whom we se that we shall also ryse again in what sorte 〈◊〉 whom the first of the Corinth xv And like as in the first prâ—pertie he shaddoweth the humanitie of Christe wherin hâ— taught also his deitie in that he was the faithfull true â—â—tholique byshop and is yet at this day So in the second thâ— articles of our belefe concerning the death of Christ and hâ— resurrection are confirmed To these also may be added tâ— article of the resurrection of the dead Christ is Prince of kynges 3 Christ is prince ouer the kinges of the earth a monarâ— verely and Lord of all rulers Whiche hath taken a name â—boue all names the Lord of aungels and of all creatures 〈◊〉 whom al things be subiect As thapostle expouÌ„deth Colosâ— Philip. 2. And he doeth not abolishe lawes Magistratâ— which wil be king of kinges and Lord of lordes For if thaâ— wer no kings how shuld Christ be king of kings The moâ— sacred Emperours Constance Constantine Theodose anâ— Iustinian knew them selues to be clientes of Christ Thaâ— kingdom was Christes they to be subiectes These Chriâ—â— acknowledgeth for his by whoÌ„ he gouerneth those he haâ—â— redemed with his bloud They that proudly rule ouer the people boast theÌ„ selues to be lordes of althings acknowledâ—â— not Christ to be monarch ouer all be starke mad And herâ— are comprehended such thinges as we confesse in tharticles of our faith that Christ ascended into heauen sitteth on thâ— right hand of the father that is that he hath receiued high pâ—wer of al things in heauen and earth Ephe. 1. Act. 2. Christ loued vs. 4 Christ hath loued vs with incoÌ„parable loue For he hiâ— self saith greater loue hath no man than that a man shoulâ— leaue his life for his freÌ„des This loue the Apostle amplefietâ— in the fift to the Romains And it was exceading great loue 〈◊〉 moued Christ to come downe from heauen and be incarnaâ—â— and to redeme vs by his death With a free loue he loueâ— vs prouoked by no desert of ours For as this same Iohn in his Epistle canonicall speaketh the same of the father In this is charitie not that we haue loued God but that he hath loued vs sent his son a propiciation for our sinnes So is it to be vnderstaÌ„d of the son the he hath doth bear vs great good will not moued thereto through our loue wherewith we haue imbraced him And of the fre loue to mankinde he gaue him self vnto death washed vs froÌ„ our sinnes For streight waies is added by his bloud Christ washeth Where thre thinges seme of vs to be obserued First that Christ washeth purgeth purifieth or cleÌ„seth the faithful that most fully not partly He alluded to the washings of the law which he expouÌ„ded also For Dauid saith Pourge me with Hysope I shal be made cleane washe me I shal be whiter than snow The same phrase of speache repeteth Esay in the first chap. Micheas also sayth Miche 7. The Lord wil returne wil haue mercy on vs he wil treade vnder fete our iniquities And thou shalt throw into the depth of the Sea al their sinnes And the Lord saith Ezech. 36 I wil cast vpon you cleane waters and you shall be mundified from al your filthines The Lord Christ these thinges accomplishing washeth vs purgeth and clenseth throughly aswell from the falte as the paine He clenseth vs from our sinnes Christ washeth all synnes not from one but from al. The which thing is proued both by former testimonies again in the first second Epistle of S. Iohn Last the maner also of purifiyng is set forth by bloud For without the sheding of bloud no remission was made Therfore through the mediation of death and bloudsheding there was full remissioÌ„ of all sinnes obteined for the faithfull He washeth by bloud Hebr. 9 They that bring forth any other maner of forgeuenes of synnes ar iniurious to the death and bloud of the sonne of God And here we may se plainly set forth an article of the Apostolicall crede I beleue the forgeuenes of synnes In the fift place is shewed theffect of our redeÌ„ption purifiyng For Christ hath brought to passe Theffect of Christs redemptioÌ„ in the faithfull that as many of vs as beleue in the father by the son of God shuld be kinges prists to God to his father Aretas the copie of complute reade not kinges but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is kyngdome the which is not red amisse For we be the kingdoÌ„ of God for bicause God by his spirit not the flesh nor the worlde ought to reigne in vs And when we permitte the gouernment to
in thys worlde to be sene as is profitable 1 Iohn 2 and as our infirmitie may perceiue But this same is not litle or nothing but great and large and moste full of spirituall pleasure I meane if we beholde these misteries of God with a faithfull eye and mynde desyrous of Godly matters And doubtles they be thynges certayn and true that here are reuealed vnto vs. For they be reuealed by the very sonne of God Let vs not wysh than to se more or desyre greater thinges than these are But take pleasure in those which Christ hath graunted vs. And let vs knowe for certentie that a wonderful benefite of God is geuen vs in this vision For who would not couet to se Christ in glory sitting on the ryght hand of the father Who desyreth not to knowe what our Sauiour doth in heauen And home being in heaueÌ„ is neuertheles present with his church in earth But this sacred and holy Image instructeth in all these poinctes all the faithfull of Christe moste fully Howebeit this Image of Christ is not to be set forth with colours synce that colours can not atteine to the maiestie therof but with the ecclesiasticall doctrine whiche hath the promesse of the spirite of Christe And is therfore more euident and only mete for the true expressing therof Let vs also prynt the same Image not vpon any dead table with colours that wyll peryshe and fade but in our hartes through the liuely spirite of God whiche may also kepe it in our myndes neuer to be â—wipt out And such thinges as are spoken in the seconde and third chap. Of this boke are deriued of this descriptionâ— Christ that the maiestie of the thing might inuite vs to a sâ—â—gular diligence The matter is very playne An aungell represeÌ„teth Christ First we are taught who it is whose Image is to vs exâ—â—bited Not the sonne of man him selfe in his own substaunâ—â— but lyke the sonne of man The sonne of man after the phrâ— of the Gospell is called Christ hym selfe very God and mâ— Here he shewed not hym selfe to be sene of Iohn in his ouâ— substaunce but in the fourme of an Aungell that representâ— Christ Whiche thyng is oftener then once founde in thâ— boke We shal therfore referre all these thinges vnto Chrisâ— not to the Aungell whiche is the minister of Christ in thâ— mistery And we shall see Christ in his owne substaunâ—â— what tyme our base body shall flitte from hence and beyâ— reysed from the dead shall be glorified In the meane tyâ— the soull from the death of the body tyll it ryse agayne shâ— clearely haue the fruition of the sight of Christ Wherein 〈◊〉 I sayd before shall be the chief ioye and felicitie We shâ— nowe therfore see Christ as it were in a glasse and so mucâ— as shall suffice vs. The Lorde open to vs the eyes of oâ—â— mynde Where Christ is abiding He telleth moreouer where he sawe Christ in the middâ— of seuen candelstickes By and by we shall perceiue that 〈◊〉 the candelstickes must be vnderstande the churches Chriâ—â— is than in the middes of the churche He sitteth verely onâ— ryght hand of the father and after the proprietie of this â—â—mane body he is but in one place and in no mo As S. Aâ—gustin declareth aboundauntly in the .lvii. Epistle to Dorâ—nus Yet for as muche as he is also very God he is lykewâ—â—â— in the myddes of the churche as he promised in the Gospâ—â— Whersoeuer two or three be gathered in my name Mat. 18.28 theâ— am in the myddes of them And agayne behold I am wâ—â—â— you vnto the worldes ende Therfore by his power diuiâ—â— Christ remayneth and worketh in the churche present aâ— not absent Leaue therfore to inquire what Christ doth 〈◊〉 the ryght hand of his father whether he sitte continually And he is verely in the myddes of the churches fyxed to 〈◊〉 place but shewyng hym selfe indifferently to all egall as helpefull For he neyther accepteth persones nor slepeâ— He is not paynted he is not Idle nothyng regardyng matters of the churche But is chiefly and only attentiue to the saluation of the same Suche a one he promysed him selfe to be in the .14.15 and .16 of Iohn And seyng Christ is in the myddes of the churche what Vicar moreouer shall he haue Shall he haue that ennemy whiche is directly against hym Christ hath no vicar 2 Tessa 2. For a Vicar is in steade of one absent But Christ is in the middell of the churche present not absent In the text followyng Christ is described moste plentifully many thynges are ascribed vnto him And is declared in what sort Christ is in the mids of the church And first indede is shewed what garment he hath on To wit both priestly princely By the which thing is figured what maner of one Christ is in heauen in earth To wit bishop and king intercessour mediatour sacrifice a moste perfit sanctification iustification a redemer and deliuerer of the faithful to his father euermore working the saluation of his faithfull As S. Paul teacheth Roma 8. Hebr. 7. Poderes Poderes is found amoÌ„gst the apparell of Aaron and it is a priestly garment Whereof S. Hierome writeth to Fabiola of the priestly garmeÌ„t The second vesture of linnen is a coate downe to the fote of double launde Which Iosephus calleth Bissina And it is called in Hebrew ketheneth in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This cleaueth iust to the body and is so narrowe and strayte sleued that there is no wryncle at al in the garment and came downe to the legges This was verely whyte and cleane Girdel or a belte For the Lorde Christ is an vndefiled Priest Hebre. 7. Neyther weareth he agayne a foule vesture as he did Zachar. 3. Nor a purple as in the .19 of Iohn But a bright one as he that hath obteyned a name aboue all names But his gyrdell or belte is worne of Souldiours and triumphaunt persones And it signifieth in Christ the dignitie roiall For Christ is king delyuerer and redemer of the faythfull His victory is ours He hath ouercome Sathan Helle synne and death But the belte or girdle of Christe is not set in the wonted place to wytte about the loynes For as Aretas hath also admonished ther ar no coÌ„cupiscences to be restrained in Christ Therefore is he not gyrded after the maner of synners but about the pappes or brestes to thintent we should vnderstande by the girding that he is kyng of kynges voydâ— of all affections Moste rightuous and holy in iudgements and gouernement But yet in the meane tyme furnyshed foâ— the defence of his church as we haue red it written in the 9â— Psalme The Lord hath put on strength girded hymself c. Christ might seme to haue girded him selfe not after the maner that priestes or kynges vse for that he hath obteyned 〈◊〉 more excellent priesthod and kyngdome induring for eueâ— To accomplishe
And with many wordes and also moste dilligently and goodly is treated here of the openyng of the seales who verely might be thought worthie to open to the churche the secret iudgementes of God and to execute and minister his holy workes that is to saye to whome the kingdome is geuen and gouernement of the diuine prouidēce For an Aungell and that not of the cōmon sorte but a stronge and worthie one with a loude voice crieth to make vs all attentiue and that we shoulde note diligently who he is that shoulde both open the boke and vnloose or vndoe the seales And he holdeth longe in suspence the hearer beholder or reader before he will shewe him to the intent verely to cōmende him to vs exceadingly No man sayeth he in the whole vniuersal world neither emonges the Aungelles sainctes in heauen nor emongs earthly men and vnder the earth was founde whiche coulde eyther open or vnseale the boke To Christ alone belōgeth the kingdome and the power of gouernemēt is taken from others Let vs obserue that there is none that can open the boke and open the seales besides Christ alone Whie than is the administration of thinges attributed or communicated to sainctes none can open to vs the counselles and iudgements of God no man can gouerne those iudgements workes of God that he worketh in the world saue only Christ the lord whie than are so great benefites sought for of Sainctes and be imputed to them if eyther the sicke be restored to helthe or that a mortall man do receiue any other gifte or benefite ▪ many will saye I receyued this in dede of gods benefite but through the meditatiō and power and merite of this or that saincte vnto whome God graunted this that he should rule ouer suche a disease and might heale suche as calle vpon the name of the Saincte or the name of God by the Saincte These are here confuted now by the wordes of the Lord and S. Iohn saying that no man in heauen or in earth is founde whiche coulde open the boke Yet neuerthelesse aboute the Throne sate the xxiiii Elders representinge the Type of all Sainctes in glory not one of al thē was found which could open the boke Therfore be thei a great deale madder which do attribute the gouernement of things in the church to the Pope a most corrupte and filthie man Only Christ receiued al power in Heauen and in Earth as we shall incontinently more fully vnderstande S. Iohn wepeth The weping of S. Iohn for that he vnderstode a weightie matter to consiste in the openinge of this godly boke and yet sawe he no man at al which coulde eyther open or vnseale it Neyther did he as yet fully vnderstande the matter And he bare the figure of them which vnderstande not the iudgementes of God nor know not that al thinges are through God his prouidēce holyly gouerned by Christ For in them nothing els remaineth but mourning and heauines Certenly withoute Christ and his opening wherby he reuealeth to vs the diuine misteries and iudgements no man can rightly iudge of the same For vnlesse we vnderstand the seales to be opened by Christ and that al thinges are done by his order whiche loued vs and gaue him selfe for vs what thinge shall be lefte in vs but sighinge But he rehersed three thinges to open rede and loke vpō No man liuing openeth for that no man is mete for so great a charge saue only the sonne of God No manne readeth or vnderstandeth fully the iudgements of God but the sonne and to whom he hath reuealed so muche as any man hathe No man loketh on it that is to saye can beholde the workes and iudgementes of God but he shal be offended excepte he be indewed with the spirite purified with the same Therefore we must axe grace of him that we maye vnderstande so muche of Gods iudgementes as shal suffice and may iudge wel of the same Aretas Bishop of Cesaria an expositour of this boke neither any sayeth he of those that lacke fleshe nor any of them that are in the fleshe nor yet of suche as are deperted leauing their fleshe behinde them hath receiued a perfit knoweledge of godly matters And by and by after nother only is there any which could open it but also not so much as loke vpō it that is to saye coulde not loke attentiuely on the iudgments of God and so forth And the cōtexte of the whole place proueth sufficiently that S. Iohn speaketh here of the iudgmēts verely but chiefly of the gouernement of thinges The Lord Iesus be glorified for euer Amen ¶ Here is liuely described the Lambe in the throne of God receiuing the boke of the hand of him that sitteth and opening it The .xxvij. Sermon AND one of the Elders sayd vnto me wepe not Beholde the Lion whiche is of the tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid hath obteyned to open the boke to lowse the seuen seales therof And I behelde and lo in the middes of the seate and of the foure beastes and in the middes of the Elders stode a lābe as though he had bene killed whiche had seuen hornes and seuen eies which are the seuen spirites of God sent into all the worlde and he came toke the boke out of the right hand of him that sate on the Throne By Christ all thinges are gouerned Forasmuch as Iohn had wept that no man was worthy so muche as to loke on the boke of him that sate on the seate muche lesse to open it One of the .xxiiii. Elders comforteth hym His name is not expressed wherfore it semeth to be required both vaynely and curiously Notwithstanding there be some of the expositours which suppose hym to be the patriarch Iacob Verely for that shortly after his oracle or prophecie is recited And so the authour descendeth in a moste goodly order vnto the description also of the sonne of God by whome the celestial father as al the scripture euery where approueth gouerneth al thinges Hitherto hath he described hym that sitteth on the seate and before that the holy ghoste Wherfore these are holsome and moste profitable doctrines for the churche wherby the true faith is confirmed The comfort of this elder and verely the heauenly most Godly doctrine tendeth to this ende that we should vnderstande that all the complaintes weping grudging and the sondry tourmoylinges of our minde can not be quenched appeased quieted vnlesse we see and beleue that to Christ as here is moste playnely and manifestly set forth is geuen of the father al power in heauen and in earthe and therfore to be constituted like as the only redemer so also the head Prince and gouernour of al whiche vnder the seale of fayth and veritie shoulde gouerne all thinges that are by God his prouidence ordeyned and euen now dispiseth them and reuealeth vnto vs so muche of God his iudgmentes as do suffice vs. This if we beleue with a
Whose bloud prohibited the Aungel distroier from the houses and tentes represented the figure of Christ by whose preciouse bloud we are reconciled to God This expositiō of the Paschal lambe S. Peter him self in the .1 Pet. 1. and S. Paull in the .1 to the Corinth 5. haue brought Esaye accordeth with them in the .53 chapter And so expounded by the Apostle S. Philip in the 8. of the Actes Finally S. Iohn Baptist whiche with the fingar stretched out and poinctyng to Christ exclamed beholde the Lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Let vs therfore beleue that the same Iesus Christ vnto whom al power is geuē of the father to be our deliuerer our expiation reconciliation innocencie sanctification iustification and euerlastyng saluation as he whom we shal heare in the xiii chapt to haue bē slayne from the beginning of the world for so much as his only death one oblation made from the beginning of the world and continually to the worlds ende doeth sanctifie al those that are sanctified Which the Apostle also affirmeth in the .10 to the Hebrewes Howebeit this lambe or sauiour of the worlde is sayed to stand in the middes of the throne verely for that now he executeth thoffice of a catholicke kinge and priest gouernour beynge alwayes ready and prepared to saue So S. Stephen also in the .7 of the Actes seeth him standing Or els in other places we reade that Christ sitteth on the right hande of the father To the which this place gayne saieth not considering that to sitte is bothe to rest and to reigne Moreouer this our Lambe appereth in the Throne of the diuine maiestie The lamb appeareth as slayne as if he were killed not for that he was not slayne in dede and dead for that same is a little after excessed moste exactely but for that he remayned not in deathe but the thirde daye rose agayne from the dead to th ende he mighte so declare him selfe to be the life and resurrection of the faythful Or verely for that after his humanitie he is red to be slayne after his deitie to be immortall and subiecte to no reproche Wherfore in the old lawe the one of the goates in the 16. of Leuitic is slayne but the other is not killed but by the worke of a man herunto appoynted is led forthe into the deserte Neuertheles there is of the expositours which expounde it thus he is sayed as though he were slaine for asmuche as after S. Chrisostome and S. Austen he hath reserued as yet the seares of the woundes of his death in token of his victory c. Furthermore this lambe Christ Iesus our lord hath .vii. The lābe hath seuen hornes hornes not that in dede he carieth so many hornes like a goate of Iude. An horne as appereth by Daniel and by the songe of Zacharie in the 1. of Luke signifieth power and kingdome The .vii. nombre is the nombre of fulnes It is therfore signified that Christ is indued with al kinde of power diuine humane imperial pontifical roiall briefly moste absolute In the 13. chapt we shal heare that the beaste hath taken to him two hornes as it were of the lambe whereof I shal speake in his place Daniel in the 7. chapt And rule sayeth he was geuen him and honour and kyngedome that al nations and tounges mighte worship him whose rule is an euerlastinge rule which shal not perish nor decaye at any time Now hath he seuen eyes also These he expoundeth and sayeth The lābe hathe .vii. eyes whiche are the .vii. spirites of God sente into the whole worlde I shewed you before that the .vii. spirites are called a seuenfold spirite Here therfore is signified the fulnes of the spirite which the lord powereth out vpon al flesh Here is signified the vniuersal knowledge of the sonne in whose sighte are present what thinges so euer are done in heauen and in earth opēly priuely For the spirite of Christ that vnmeasurable force incomprehensible and most diuine searcheth and pearseth al thinges nothinge is hidde from his eyes whiche viewe the whole world And such is Christ as we haue hearde described hitherto What is the gouernour of all and who openeth the seales whome the Patriarches haue before sayed shoulde come a victour and triumphant cōquerour alone verely inuincible very man of our owne substaūce and also our very brother yet very God neuerthelesse of the same substaunce with the father and the holy ghoste the reconciler redemer and the only saluatiō of the world hath suffered for vs and the same risen agayne from the dead and ascended into heauē hauing al power in heauen and in earth whiche seeth al thinges cōmunicateth his spirite vnto men and is the most faithful keper and defender of al mā kinde This Christ Iesus our lord came and receiued he conueyed not or stale it away but toke that boke of the prouidence diuine of the iudgementes of God of the vniuersal gouernmēt of al things that he might open and lowse the Seales thereof that is to saye that he might reueale to vs that are redemed with his bloud the iudgementes of God and mighte dispose and order al thinges in heauen and in earth Therfore sins we know that the gouernour of al thinges is geuen to vs a redemer Kyng Bishop and our only saluation who will not from hence forth willingly submitte himself to his gouernement And seyng we nowe vnderstande certenly how that vnder the seale of faith and veritie al things are done by Christ who dare hereafter more curiousely inquire of his workes and iudgmentes vnto whose credite and gouernement we should nowe cōmitte althinges Howe the sonne is saied to receiue the boke at his fathers hande in case they were in our power Notwithstanding we shall obserue that the sonne doeth not so receyue these thinges of the father that the father is depriued therof For in the .5 chapt of S. Iohns Gospel the Lorde sayeth my father worketh vnto this time I worke c. Certes the sonne is called the worde mouth and arme of the father c. or that after the humanitie the sonne mighte seme lesse than the father For very godly Aretas where the lambe sayeth he receyued the boke of the right hande of him that sitteth on the Throne it must be vnderstande on the behalfe of his humanitie As also that he was slayne For concernyng his deitie none of all those thinges that maye worthely be spoken or thought of God is seuerally assigned to three persones sauing the maner of bringyng forth of him that begetteth and of him that is begotten and of hym that procedeth c. This description of Christ is singular moste excellent very euangelicall and ful of consolation and therfore is it chiefly to be layde vp in the botome of our hartes Where we finde also that they were disceaued in theyr iudgment which were not affrayde to saye that in this boke besides
vp to God the father the body bloud of Christ a propiciatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead But Ireney and Tertullian speake not of such a sacrifice but of the oblation of prayers which the massemonging Prieste offereth not vp alone but the whole cōgregation of Christ sanctified in his bloud geuynge thankes in the lordes supper to God the father for theyr free redemption These holy fathers neuer knewe the sale Masses of these Chananites Againste praying to sainctes in Heauen Of this same place of S. Iohn the selfe same Papistes go aboute to proue and to establishe the praying to Sainctes in heauen Beholde saye they the Sainctes are sayed to praye openly in heauē But they nede not to praye for them selues and therefore as intercessours and Patrones they praye for their clientes and worshippers in Earth I aunswer that the Sainctes in dede praye in heauen but that you addyng the kinde and maner of praying do expounde it to be intercession patchyng to a piece of your owne do forge and coūtrefet the same and maliciously and falsely do belye it S. Iohn here expoundeth him selfe so that he nedeth not your patchyng For he addeth and they singe a newe songe Yea and he reciteth the whole fourme of this song leeste any mā should corrupte that whiche he had sayed of prayers And that same fourme conteyneth prayse and blessing or thankes geuyng and not intercession or inuocation For certayne it is euen by the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Timoth. 2. and to the Philipp 4. that there be two chiefe kindes of prayer inuocation and prayse or thankes geuyng But the thing it selfe playnly proueth that S. Iohn speaketh here of the latter and not of the first The shadowes of the lawe are expoūded And where as this place expoundeth certen Tipes shadowes or misteries of Gods lawe by the same we maye rather confute the intercession of Sainctes in Heauen for their worshippers For in the lawe is permitted one onlye golden Aultar of incense And the same represented a figure of Christ For one Christe is the mediatour and intercessour betwixt God and man It was not laweful for the people of God to burne incense but vpon this Aultar only It was not laweful for any man to prepare or make for him selfe an odour of those kinde of gumes whereof the diuine incense consisted and to smell to it as appereth in the .30 of Exodus Whie than doe not these vnderstande that prayers belonge to God alone and that the Sainctes in Heauen woulde not smell of suche incense Dauid in the .141 psalm sayeth let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sighte the listynge vp of my handes an euening sacrifice The Deuill desireth to haue suche maner of incenses to be made vnto him As appereth in the .4 of Matth. and in S. Austen of the Citie of God But our heauenly Sainctes are not Deuilles Whie vnderstonde they not that this Aultar of incense standeth nowe in Heauen on the ryght hande of the father and there maketh intercession for vs and that for his sake the father is reconciled to vs and we are accepted of God and that by him alone we muste offer vp our prayers vnto God whiche are els abominable Whie see they not the heauenly Sainctes at this present to attribute al things to the only lambe alone and to chalenge nothyng to them selues Finally that they make no mention of their worshippers but plainely testifie that the only lambe was and is worthie whiche should take the boke c. And the praise or thankes geuing of the heauenly sainctes he hath called a newe songe What is a newe song whiche in the Scriptures is no newe thynge For the Sainctes saye that they will singe in Earth vnto God a newe songe Psalm xxxiii.xcvi.xcviii.cxliiii Esaye .xlij. And newe songes be called these newe balades or verses in meter whyche are made of some newe benefite or noble acte done And because the minde of manne is delighted greately with newe benefites they synge a newe songe whyche with a ioyefull mynde prayse GOD and geue him thankes with theyr inwarde affections Finallye they synge a newe songe whiche wyth purified myndes and renewed with the Spirite doe laude GOD whiche thynge was chiefely geuen to those heauenly Sainctes Whereof we learne agayne howe it behoueth our mindes to be affected and furnisshed in the prayers and prayses of GOD. This same sayeth Aretas I cal a new songe by whose benefite we whiche beyng lighted in al partes of the earth departing from the antiquitie of the lawe written and walkynge in the newnes of life are taught by the holy ghost to singe a geuing of thankes The himne or prayse geuing of the sainctes in heauen To these thynges nowe is added the Himne of Sainctes that we might also haue a fourme howe to prayse God And in the Hymne they singe that al things are subiecte to christ and al thinges ordered by his gouernment that he humbled him selfe to the deathe and was therefore exalted aboue all thinges Now are also the vertues or effectes and wonderful benefites of his death cōmended vnto vs that estemyng the gouernour of his benefites done to vs we maye beleue also that his gouernement shal be holesome for vs and therefore maye submitte our selues to him willingly in faythe and patience Whiche verely is the chiefest ende of those thinges whiche here are treated with so great diligence Christe alone is worthy to open the boke Firste they cōmende the Maiestie and dignitie of Christ that he alone is founde in the whole vniuersal world whiche hath rule ouer al which is the only sauiour of the world the reuealer also of godly misteries and gouernour of all For this is to take and to open the boke whiche we haue nowe oft times repeted Secondly they annexe the cause why this glory should be only of the lambe or sonne of God because saye they thou waste killed And they vnderstande by the lesse the more to witte his whole incarnation and the whole misterie of our redemption death resurrection and ascensiō into heauen and the residewe He therefore is the true and only mediatour of God and men he is the only sauiour as he that alone was incarnate crucified for vs he is the only gouernour whiche by his humilitie deserued to be exalted Philipp 2. And he is a most fitte gouernour of al thinges as of whome al men maye as of their most faithful sauiour and euen their brother hope well what thinges so euer chaunce vnto them through his gouernement c. The vertu effecte of the death of Christe In the meane time they cōmende most highly the vertue or effecte of Christes death For this beynge rightly vnderstande we are more ready to submitte our selues to that gouernour whom we knowe to be our sauiour whiche loueth vs derely and would haue al saued And the chiefest effect of Christes death is redemption Redēption redeminge
greued and oppressed the more feruently and lowder they crie and that also they be called clamorouse criers What the Aungell preacheth Moreouer he compriseth in a briefe some what thinges are to be set forth in the preaching of the gospel chiefly in the laste times First he sayeth feare God The feare of God is the beginning of wisedome therfore not to feare God is the beginnyng of foolishenes The feare of God of al errours The feare of God hath nothing comon with the feare of the world The godly man is not affrayed of God as a gilty seruaunt feareth his maister and that more punnisshment than his maister whō he hateth rather For the feare of God hath the reuerēce and loue of God It attributeth to God the supreme Maiestie imbraceth faith and hath a faithful care wherby it awayteth vpon God worshippeth prayseth and professeth the same Doubtles because we more feare men than God we feare more the Pope and the mallice and hatred of him and his therefore do we not execute iustice vprightly nor professe the trewth frankely nother yet set forth the gospel But the lord in the Gospel sayeth feare ye not them which maye kill the body haue no power ouer the soule rather feare ye him which condemneth both body soule to hell fire Certes the feare of God is not only the beginnyng but also the bonde of al vertue Hereafter we shall heare that the feareful shal be caste into hel with the beaste with the false prophet Therfore let God be our feare like as Esaye teacheth in the .8 cha Let vs feare God for our sinnes committed Here fewe are affraide but many are affraide to speake the trueth to mainteyne godlines and to rebuke wickednes Secondely the preachyng of the Gospell comprehendeth the honour of God For he sayeth and geue him honour the honour of God And thou doest not seperate the sonne from the father For he in the .5 of Iohn sayeth thus the father hath geuē al iudgement to the sonne that al shuld honour the sonne as thei honour the father He that honoureth not the sonne honoureth not the father which sent him And in very dede the father cā not be honoured but by the sonne For we honour him when we beleue him to be true receyue Christ the sonne of God as the only rightuousnes perfection of al faithful By faith therfore chiefly we honour God than reuerēcyng him only by faithful obedience walking in his commaundementes S. Iohn in his Canonic he that beleueth not the sonne sayeth he maketh God a liar see howe ye maye highly dishonour God which beleueth not the testimony which God hath testified of his sonne And this is the testimony that God hath geuē to vs eternal life this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life he that hath not the sonne hath not life We are therefore forbidden els where than in Christ alone to seke life al goodnes But the papistes honour the Pope and his cōstitutions his Sainctes also and honour not God alone They in graue in theyr cuppes Soli deo gloria to God alone be glory but yet in the meane season thei persecute thē whiche will not ascribe the glory dewe to God alone vnto their folish trifles But the Gospell wil crie out that to God alone al glory is dewe Hereunto is added a spurre The iudgemēt of the sonne of God whiche maye pricke them to feare glorifie God for the houre of his iudgement is come The Gospel therefore in the latter dayes shal beate into men the last iudgement This hath a wonderful effecte to obteine of men amendement of life And it is pourposely sayed it is come and not the houre of his iudgement shal come For so is the certentie of his iudgement expressed and we are warned to loke for that same daye euery moment The Apostle vsed the same argument in the .17 chapt of the Actes to them of Athens and to the Corinth the .2 Epist 5. chapt Lette vs remembre O bretherne that strayte iudgement let vs amende our faith and maners and al thinges that agree not with the gospell For certenly we shal die certenly we shal be iudged But then when we shal promise our selues peace shall come sodayne destruction Watche To worship God Finally the Gospell teacheth to worshippe God alone Than doe not the faithfull worshippe Idolles to whome so euer they be erected They worship not the Pope ouerwhelmed with wickednesse much lesse doe they kisse and by kissinge worshippe his vngraciouse and stinkyng fete They worshippe not the God Mauzim of the wafer makers Daniel 11. the God in the boxe which is worshipped in palaces churches as shutte vp in the pixe They worshippe not Sainctes but God alone Therefore lifte vp your hartes vnto heauen and worshippe We haue here in Earth wōderful workes which maie moue vs to worshippe this God alone He is maker of heauen and Earth and of the See Who is greater who is mightier Therefore worshippe him the trewe God Matth. 4. He annexeth here fountaynes of water for that the miracle and benefite of waters is greate For if we consider the originall sprynge substaunce pleasauntenes and commoditie of fountaynes we shal be compelled to wonder God be praysed ¶ An other Angell preacheth that Babilon shall fal and an other diswadeth all men from the felloweshippe of the religion of the beaste The .lxiiij. Sermon ANd there followed an other Aungel saiyng she is fallen she is fallen euen Babylon that greate Citie for she made all nations drinke of the wine of her whoredome And the thirde Angell followed them sayeng with a loude voyce yf any man worship the beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wyne of the wrath of God which is powred in the cup of his wrath And he shal be punished in fyre brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe and the smoke of their tourmente ascendeth vp euermore And thei haue no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his Image and whosoeuer receyued the prynte of his name Here is the patience of Saincts Here ar thei that kepe the cōmaundements and the faith of Iesu For the comfort of the faithful flocke of Christ †The Romysh Churche shall fal is brought forth an other Aungell a type of all godly preachers which preacheth with great constancie that the kyngdome of Anti-Christ shall fall howe soeuer it promiseth to it selfe euerlastingnesse And hereof the Sainctes gather that persecutions shall with all be finisshed with all other abominations through out the worlde For where for the continuall persecutions of the wicked all the Saincts cannot but be maruelouselye sadde They muste nedes verely hereof receyue no small ioye and comforte that they here howe they shall not indure alwayes and here it is sayed that Babilon shall fall
Fraunce England Italy and of other Realmes or nations and generally to all the faithfull where soeuer they be abiding and lokyng for the coÌ„myng of Christe oure Lorde and Iudge THat this Apocalips was reueled of Iesus christ king of kinges and high Bishop our lord from the right hand of the Father and setforth by thapostolical spirite for the saluatioÌ„ of al faithfull chieflye of those that shall be in the latter dayes before the last iudgment both the matter it selfe whiche is treated right necessary to be knoweÌ„ holsom and excelleÌ„t proueth And also the simple maner meane wherby it is handled being euident and plaine declareth I will speake of ether briefly Collectyng those thinges only which seme to be more profitable and more necessary Iohn .xvi. The Lorde had sayd in the Gospell how he wold ascende into heauen and froÌ„ thence wold send to his Apostles the holy Gost the comforter which shulde leade them into all truth and shew them the thinges that ar to come And that which he sayd he wolde do in wordes the same verely hath he also perfourmed in dede aboundantly The holy Gost beyng sent to his Apostles which induced them into all truthe and opened to them the thinges that were to come especially to the Apostle and Euangelyst S. Iohn who receiued this ReuelatioÌ„ exibited to him of Christ from the ryght hand of the Father by the mistery of an AuÌ„gel in the holy Gost who also by Chryste his commaundement committed the same to wryting The summe and ende of the which wryting is this The summe ende of the Apocalipse That Christ Iesus our Lord wil neuer fayle hys churche in earth but will gouerne it with his spirite and worde through thecclesiasticall ministery But that the church it self whilest it remaineth in this worlde shall suffer many thinges and that for Chryst and the truthe of his Gospell professed And it openeth al and singular euils in a maner that the church shal suffer shewing how it must be exercised with common Calamities as warre plage famyne and suche other lyke What it shall priuately suffer of the false bretherne through heresies schismes and greuous and continuall stryfes contentions corruptions in the matter of religion Finally how terribly it shulde be vexed by the most cruell persecutions of tholde Romane Empire And laste by the wicked crafts extreme Tyranny of Antichrist Al the which thinges apperteyne to this ende that all the chosen being sufficiently warned before and prouided in all ages whilest this worlde shall indure may with true faith alone cleaue vnto Christ our redemer king and high prieste only and eternall and may purely and syncerely professe hym call vpon him in the innocencie of lyfe serue him and patiently attend after him commyng to Iudgemente and to delyuer and saue the godly But contrarywise that they dispise all superstitions and the worlde it selfe with those his sondrye religions felicities and pleasures and bewar of al vngodlines And chiefly that they flee Antichrist which shall com in th ende of the worlde vsurping to himselfe most vniustly the kingdom and Priesthod of Chryst and greuouslye persecuting the churche of Christ euen to the laste Iudgemente In the whiche at the laste he with all his adherentes shall be throwen downe hedlonge into Hell And. S. Iohn beginneth this holsome matter of Chryste hymselfe The fyrste Chapter of the Apocalips Lorde king and high Bishop whose wonderful and most goodly description after the Apostolicke maner he placeth in the very begynnyng as the foundation of the whole worke The same descriptioÌ„ dooeth so â—â—ately setfoorthe the Lorde that all the churche may easely know What thinges are treated in this boke in what order dispersed throughout the whole worlde in Chryst oure Lorde all thinges to be accomplished what so euer he had sayd before shulde be fulfilled in him namely that he shulde be exalted one to the ryghthand of his father into all celestiall glory power and maiestie there to be kinge of kinges of all other most mightye and the true and only hygh Byshop Sauiour gouernour Lorde and generall defendour of the Catholycke churche For blessed S. Iohn not only saw him such him selfe but also exhibiteth him such to be sene of vs all in thys hys wryting so godly by a most bryght and goodly vision And moreouer to thintent it myght be knowne to vs all in what sorte our Lord Iesus Chryst king and priest sitting or working in Heauen on the right hande of his Father is neuerthelesse in the middes of the catholycke church wherof he hath a faithfull care how louingly and fully he preserueth it in best order gouerneth it S. Iohn sheweth in this his vision that Christ walketh amonge the seuen golden candlestickes holdeth in his right hande seuen starres And streyghtway declareth what thing he vnderstandeth by the candelstickes and starres calling the candelstickes churches and the starres Aungels of the churches That is to witte Seuen churches Messagers ministers and pastours For the Lord chose vnto him selfe seuen famouse churches in Asia with whom he treateth nowe generally and compendiously vsing S. Iohn for hys interpretour which he doth perpetually in all churches throughoute the world and will neuer cease to do tyll the worldes ende For the seuenth number whiche is most vsed in this boke Chap. 2 and .3 and is the numbre of fulnes comprehendeth in it all churches Wherfore S. Iohn doeth so propounde moderate and temper all thynges that he treateth with these seuen churches that they may be applied vnto all the Churches that shal be in the worlde vntyl the worldes ende for theyr learnynge and edifiyng And for the same cause these seueÌ„ churches may be exaÌ„ples of all other churches For loke what thing then did please or displease the Lord in those seuen churches what tyme these thyngs wer reuealed the selfe same in all other churches shall please or displease him so long as the worlde shall laste And as he wolde haue those instructed and taught so wyl he that all and singular be instructed at all seasons Therefore in these seuen churches we haue examples of churches moste excellent in dede and of God derely beloued And agayne of moste corrupte meane also and finally mixed And in these al is shewed what is or shall be the disposition maners and vertues of all the churches in the whole world and of al tymes and seasons likewise the vices of them and remedies of the same Therfore the Lorde in these instructeth reproueth chideth threatneth exhorteth comforteth promiseth Wherfore in these we shall see as it were in a table set before vs what the true and ryght doctrine of the churche is And againe which is the false and the corrupt doctrine We shall heare and learne that the churche beloued of God must stande styll in the preachyng of the Gospell once receyued of the Apostles of oure Lord Iesus Chryst and muste loke for no new
chiefly of Christ secondly of our whole faith redemption The third Sermon IOhn to the seuen coÌ„gregatioÌ„s Asia Grace be with you peaâ— from him whiche is and whicâ— was whiche is to come and 〈◊〉 the seuen spirites which are prâ—sent before his throne And froÌ„ Iesus Chriâ—â— which is a faithful witnes and first begotâ— of the dead And Lord ouer the kinges of tâ— earth Vnto hym that loued vs and wasshâ— vs from sinnes in his own bloud And maâ— vs kynges and priestes vnto God his fatheâ— be glory and dominion for euermore Ameâ— Behold he cometh with cloudes And al eyâ— shal se him And thei also which pearsed hiâ— al kinredes of the earth shal wayle ouer him Euen so AmeÌ„ I am Alpha Omega the beginning thending saith the Lord almightâ— which is which was which is to come The beginning or preface of the wâ—rke Another pece of the first part of this boke conteineth tâ— beginning or preface wherin is the Apostles salutation 〈◊〉 the whiche he discribeth first the whole mistery of Christ â—â—condly of our faith redemption For so were the Apostles wont in the beginning of their writinges to comprise a brief some of salutation Which thing in Paules Epistles is euery where to be sene By the same description he getteth the beneuolence and attentiuenes of al men The Apostles salutation or greting is nothing els What is the Apostles salutation but a blessing Blessing is an old accustomed order by the whiche the Patriarkes wished of God to their children al maner of good thinges both of body soul Which verely in Genesis is described at large And also the high priest had coÌ„maundement geuen to blesse the people As we reade in the sixt of NuÌ„bres especially he commaundeth to put his name vpon the people Therfore it is a supersticion to say God verely from whome euery good gifte descendeth froÌ„ aboue blesseth that is geueth good thinges but ministers or men wishe only And the Lord in dede in the lawe promiseth that he will grauÌ„t those thinges to the people whiche the high priestes shoulde wishe them Therfore nother wordes nor shauen crownes but the truth power of God geue the giftes We ought not therfore to doubt but that God wil grauÌ„t to vs also thapostolical blessing that being reconciled accepted of God we might haue peace And first S. IhoÌ„ repeteth his name left we shuld any thing doubt of thautour Iohn interpretour of Christ towardes the congregations whoÌ„ we see Christ to haue vsed as scribe interpretour vnto al coÌ„gregatioÌ„s But he repeteth not himself to be that seruauÌ„t of god witnesse or Apostle of Iesu Christ It sufficed to haue heard that at the first beginniÌ„g Therfore he teacheth theÌ„ modestie humilitie also which haue obteined great giftes Afterward he signifieth to whoÌ„ he wryteth to whoÌ„ this boke apperteineth to the seuen churches of Asia the names wherof he will vtter shortly after And Aretas bishop of Cesaria by the .vii. churches saith he by the .vii. nuÌ„bre he signified the multitude of churches that be in al places So also Primasius bish of Vtica in Affrick expouÌ„deth the .vii. nuÌ„ber Therfor this salutatioÌ„ this boke the whole doctrine of Iesu Christ writteÌ„ by s IhoÌ„ To whom this booke apperteineth apperteineth to the whole vniuersal church of Christ throughout al the world in all times ages WherupoÌ„ it beloÌ„geth to all vs also as many as be of vs in the church of Christ For albeit thepistles be intitled to the Romains Galath yet followeth it not therfore that they be not ours And he wryteth expressely to the churches of Asia not to tâ— churches of Hierusalem or Iewery that he might so shewâ— that the kingdome of Christ is comen also already to the gâ—tiles And as God from the beginning chose Israell in whiâ—he myght set forth a perfit example of the church and coÌ„mâ—wealth so froÌ„ the beginning of the new TestameÌ„t he chose thosâ— seuen churches of Asia which he might set forth to the whâ—â— Christen world But in case Rome had ben set in the first plaâ— amongest the churches as Ephesus is good God hoâ— much wold the Romish sort make of it for the estabishingâ— their supremacie The forme of the Apostles bessing And the maner of the Apostles saluting wysheth granâ— peace Grace is the fauour of the deitie and the reconcâ—ment wherby God the father for Christ his sake is madeâ— one with vs our sinnes pardoned we adopted for his chiâ—dren Therof arriseth the peace and tranquillitie of myndâ— and the desire of concorde with all men And here he sheweth aboundantly who geueth the churcâ— his blessing that is to witte grace reconcilement peaâ— God and God thre in persons the father the sonne and thâ— holy ghost one God in essence But here he discerneth thâ— persones very well From him that is to witte the fatheâ— And from the seueÌ„ spirites that is from the holy ghost And froâ— Iesu Christ this is the diuersitie of persons And the signification of the vnitie is when after the proprieties of persons dâ—clared The holy gost is placed in the middes he addeth I am Alpha omega c. And that the hoâ— ghost is set here in the middes it disordereth not the misteâ— of the Trinitie but appeareth to be an argument that he 〈◊〉 the spirite as well of the father as of the sonne and that hâ— procedeth from both As it is also proued by the wordes 〈◊〉 our lord the xiiii.xv and .xvi. of Iohn Here is also describeâ— the whole holsome mistery first of Christ than of the catholike faith and of our redemptioÌ„ so that herein you may findâ— the chiefest articles of the Apostles crede haue here a mosâ— goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ our Lord. Hereof al meÌ„ shall iudgâ— how truly some men say The father whiche is which was c. that this boke contrary to the â—â—stome of thapostles maketh litle mentioÌ„ of Christ of faith The father as fountain original of whom the son is ingendred is first described for that it is he whiche is which was and which is to come Those wordes toke Iohn out of Moyses in the .iii. and .xxxiiii. chap. of Exod. out of many testimonies of Esay And he saith nothing but that God the father is an eternall ensence which coÌ„sisteth by and of it self and is and geueth life to all and in all preserueth the same And that this essence is suche that it hath bene always with out beginning For this is it that he ioyneth to being or existing was He addeth and he that shall come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which shal be and shal remaine euen to the ende and to euerlastingnes without end The Grekes deriue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of running for that conning and running he medleth with all matters is euery where present bringing help to the godly or
contemplation of mâ—ters diuine and in holy prayers he heard a voice whereof 〈◊〉 wyll speake hereafter But here we are presently taughâ— what is the religion of the sonday and how it is mete to oâ—serue it Finally wordly men are reproued whiche pollutâ— breake it with prophane workes and affaires Dauid wâ— time he suffered persecution of Saul lamenteth chiefly tâ— he might not come to the Lordes tabernacle Our men aâ—compt it a great felicitie neuer to enter into the felloship Sainctes And to abuse the sonday in gamenyng drinkinâ— dauncing and worldly businesse By whose commaundement he wrote and sent the Apocalipse These thinges on this wyse declared he cometh at lenâ—â— to the reuelation setting forth before the expresse commauâ—dement of God wherby he was commaunded both to wâ— the thinges â—euealed also to send theÌ„ to the seuen churchâ— of Asia To the maner and maiestie of the reuelatioÌ„ that saâ— chiefly apperteineth that he heard a voice and that notabâ— as the sound of a trompet For so we reade it was done the law geuing at the mount Sinay Now is declared who voyce it was and who was the authour of the reuelation Verely the eternall God which calleth hym selfe Alpha â— Omega that is the beginning and the ende Or as it is saâ— in Esay first and last Wherof els where Now followeth the commaundement whiche hath â—partes For first the Lord commaundeth S. Iohn to wâ—â— And to wryte suche thinges as he sawe that is to witte 〈◊〉 Apocalipse And that he should wryte nother in the sanâ— nor on the walle but in a boke Verely for the edifiyngâ— profit of the churche present and of all posteritie After heâ— also commaunded to sende those writinges to seuen congâ—â—gations and verely to all the churches of the whole worldâ— al times ages Therfore al these thinges belong to the proâ— of congregations and that of al that be haue bene or shalâ— Thautoritie of the Scripture Here of we learne how great is the authoritie of the sâ—â—turs It was not written nor coÌ„piled in bokes but by Goâ— coÌ„maundment There be notable testimonies of the bokâ— of Moyses in the .xxxiiii. of Exod. and .xxxi. of Deuter. And to say nothing of the residue of the Propetes is not Ieremy commaunded to wryte his Sermons againe whiche kyng Ioachim had cut in pieces and burnt The scriptures are ours Doubtes S. Peter beareth manifest witnes that the Prophetes receiued the misteries of God to none other ende than thei shuld reueale them to vs Which in dede might only be done by the scriptures Now is Iohn moste apertly commaunded to wryte What wyl we say that he is also commaunded to sende his wrytinges to the congregations Wherof againe we gather that God willeth right well to the congregations and euen to euery one of vs. Let vs beware and take hede that we put not from vs vnworthely so great benefites of God to whoÌ„ be prayse and glory ¶ THE BEGINNING OF THE worke is made a moste goodly description to vs exhibited of Christe kyng and byshop in glory neuertheles woorkyng in the Churche The fifth Sermon ANd I tourned me that I myght see the voice that spake with me And when I was tourned I sawe seuen golden candelstickes And in the middes of the seuen candelstickes one like vnto the sonne of man clothed with a linnen garmeÌ„t â—owne to the grounde and gyrde about the pappes with a golden girdell His head and his eares were whyte as whyte wolle and â—nowe And his eyes were as a flame of fyre â—nd his feete like vnto brasse as though they brent in a fournace and his voice as the sound of many waters And he had in his ryght and seuen Starres and out of his mouthe went out a sharpe two edged sworde and hiâ— face shone euen as the SuÌ„ne in his strength Suche thinges as haue bene treated of hitherto in thâ—â— boke be in stead of the prologue or preface as they termeâ— Now at last shall the matter it selfe be propouÌ„ded to vs. The som of these things vnto the .iiii. Chapter Hâ— therfore followeth the second part of this boke whiche râ—cheth to the fourth chapter In the which is Christ describe vnto vs with his catholike churche For first in dede is set â—fore vs the moste sacred Image of Christ our Lord teachiâ—â— what a one he is on the right hande of his father in glorâ— how he sittyng on the right hand of his father worketh nâ—uerthelesse in his churche continually neuer absent preseâ— alwayes Of what sorte moreouer the churche is hereâ— earth is figured in those seuen congregations Here therfoâ— are shewed the excellent giftes of churches and agayne iâ— shamefull errours How the Lord Christ confirmeth suchâ— are sliding and ready to fall establisheth those that standeâ— forteth the weake harted restreyneth the folyshe hardy aâ— preserueth thinges that are corrupt Finally how faithful â—stours of the churche must worke and trauell with the peâ—ple committed to their credit For here is exceadingly wâ— taught what is the reparing and preseruation of churchâ— Where also a briefe somme of the whole ecclesiastical and 〈◊〉 some doctrine brought in to an abridgement shal be set beâ— vs. For here is repeted from heauen of Christ in glory 〈◊〉 doctrine of true religion whiche he had set forth more plâ—tifully when he was yet here in earth And here most apâ— applieth it to churches after consideration of the same And in most goodly order the wordes are knit togetheâ— as likewyse the whole boke is wrytten with playne worâ— and hanging right well together they are disceaued that thiâ—â— it to be lose besomes or broomes vnbounde Iohn heard voice behind him criyng Wherupon he tourned backwaâ— that he might se the voyce speaking that is to wit hym tâ— spake For Aretas also admonissheth that there is a tropeâ— the wordes For no man seeth but heareth the voyce Aâ— tourning him to see he sawe a figure of Christ our sauioâ—â— Therfore when the Lorde speaketh let vs tourne also wâ— all our harte Let vs turne to the lord speaking that we may lykewyse deserue to se the misteries of the kingdom of God for he gladly reuealeth him selâ— to suche as tourne and desire heauenly thinges And from those that neglecte the misteries of the kingdome of God al thinges of saluation are hidde Further more S. Iohn exhibiteth to vs the Image of Christ our catholike kyng and high bishop sitting in glory Thimage of Christ is set befor vs. in the whiche description are comprised the chiefest matters of Christ For suche a taste of Christ is here geuen vs as in this world may be of our weake flesh perceiued But we shal se hym at the length in the world to come such as he is in the fulnes of his maiestie wherin shal be ioye life euerlasting But this in this corrupt world is yet graunted to no man So much therfore is permitted vnto vs that liue yet
only sentence of Christ I wil impose none other burthen theÌ„ that you haue kepe that vntill the iudgement Beholde he sayth vnto the iudgement least any shoulde imagine in the meane season that another thing had pleased the holy ghost Let vs therfore perseuer in the same Most large promesses Hereunto he annexeth after his wonted maner most ample promesses that through hope of so great rewardes he might pluck them from errours ioine them to the true religion And like as in the fourmer epistles he hath said he that ouercometh so here he repeteth the same admonishing vs not to slepe but to watche fight maÌ„fully And he ouercometh that kepeth the workes of Christ vnto the ende The workes of Christ by a priuie opposition are set against the inuentions workes of men The workes of Christ The workes of Christ fignifie both doctrine and faith and whatsoeuer good workes insew vpon the same the seruice of worshipping of God the obseruatioÌ„ of Gods word For in the .28 chap. of S. Math. The Lorde saith to his disciples teace you them to kepe those thinges which I haue commaunded you He speaketh with an emphasie whiche I haue commaunded you not such as you shall haue inuented of your own braine For the Lord alledgeth out of the Propheth in the .xv. of the same S. Math. saiyng In vaine do thei worship me teaching the doctrines of men Therfore these workes haue no promesse But the workes of Christ whiche he him selfe hath ordeined the which are done of his spirit and of true faith whilest we forsake our errours cleaue to the truth they haue a promesse moste ample The victory of the hâ—ad Christ and his meÌ„bres And promiseth two notable thinges The first lyke as my father hath promysed me victory and perfourmed it that I ouercome all my ennemies and triumphed ouer them the same being brokeÌ„ in pieces lyke vessels of clay or earth with out any difficultie so wyll I geue vnto you also power and victory against all vngodly And that same promesse at the last shal be fully accomplished in the last iudgement in the which all the ennemies of Godlines shal be caste vnder the feete of Christ As it is declared in the Psalmes especially in the .ii. and Cx. Psalme And in this world also Christ affirmeth that his seruauntes shall spiritually rule ouer his ennemies Like as Christ although he were tormented and died yet neuerthelesse he ouercame his ennemies The holy and ecclesiasticall stories beare witnes of these thinges sufficiently The latter I will geue him the morning starre And he vnderstode the knowledge of Christ increasing dayly more and more and so euen Christ himselfe The morning star in lyke case as the day in the rysing of the morning starre waxeth brighter and brighter In the whiche sense the Apostle S. Peter is red to haue vsed this allegory in the .ii. Epistle first Chapter or at the least he promised a clerenes most bright For Daniel sayth howe the faithful in the resurrection shall shine like the firmament The whiche thing also the Lord Christ alledgeth the .xiii. of Math. And the Apostle alluding hereunto sayd that one star was brighter then an other So lykewyse in the resurrection one shal be made brighter then an other These promisses be most great neither can I thinke that any greater can be geuen vs. God graunte vs grace that we may be made partakers of so great thinges Finally he applieth this epistle to al churches and ages of the world Wherof since we haue spoken oftener than once there is no cause that by oft repeating I should be tediouse to any man To the Lorde our God be praise and glory ¶ He blameth certen thinges in the congregation of Sardis notwithstanding he sheweth streight wayes a remedy wherby they may be healed be safe The .xv. Sermon AND write to the messenger of the congregatioÌ„ of Sardis this saith he that hath the spirites of God and the .vii. starres I knowe thy workes Thou hast a name that thou liuest and thou art dead Be awake and strength the thinges which remaine that ar redy to die For I haue not founde thy works perfit before God Remember therfore howe thou hast receiued and heard and holde fast repent If thou shalt not watche I wil come on thee as a thefe and thou shalt not knowe what houre I wyll come vpon thee Two kindes of men in one churche In one congregation of Sardis were two sortes of people professing on either side the name of Christ But some in dede answered but litle to the holy profession liuing more licenciously than became them And the others in holines of lyfe set forth the doctrine of our sauiour that they professed The first sort the Lord Iesus accuseth in this Epistle by S. Iohn And sheweth also a medicine for the disease And the later he exhorteth to perseueraunce commending their integritie Therfore this Epistle is deuided in two partes verey fit and profitable for our time The first part of the Epistle coÌ„teineth those things which we haue now recited Nether doth he procede herein in other order than we haue sene him to haue proceded hitherto For first he sheweth to whom it is dedicated and sent Namely to the Pastour of the congregation of Sardis Sardis and therfore also to the whole church Sardis is said to haue ben the head citie of Lydia or of Maonia the metropolitane citie of Cresus the most riche king of Lydia whom Herodotus writeth that king Cyrus ouercame a towne most famous and pricked and painted with pride that it was a woÌ„der And addicte to voluptuousnes For Strabo in the .xiii. boke of Geographie testifieth that al the maidens therof were harlots who mentioneth more of the same citie Certes it semeth to haue kept his olde wonte euen at suche time also as it had receiued the name of the Lord And therfore to haue bene more geuen to fornication and al maner of filthy lust The which thing the Lord semeth to haue blamed in them as S. Paul likewyse persecuted the self same vise in the Corinthians The worlde can hardly beleue that simple fornication is sinne wherupon in that great counsel of the Apostles Actes 15. both thei and the elders and the whole assemblie with one minde decreed that the geÌ„tiles should absteine from fornication The deuill at this day goeth about many times to defile the church again with fornication to set vp stewes and that by authoritie and openly whordom might be practised For so being cast out he taketh seuen worse spirites enterprising to possesse that place again out of the whiche he was exiled by the preaching of the Gospel We must therfore resist him least the Lorde Iesus him self do accuse vs as he doth here accuse them of Sardis most greuously Christ hath and seÌ„deth the spirite Then is the Lord Iesus declared to be authour of the Epistle not without praise
slowe and to make those cleane that are couered with ruste and maye fine the corrupte Golde For so the Scripture defineth in the .11 chapt of Daniel and the Apostle .1 Peter Chapter .4 Christe therfore not to distroie but to trie permitteth very many things to Tirannes agaynst the Church The godly men also procure to themselues the heauy hande of the Lorde whilest in dede they beleue rightly in the sonne of God and depende only of him but neuerthelesse are intangled with sondry and euill affections and committe suche actes as not becometh them This maye you see declared at large in the beginnyng of the eight boke of the Ecclesiastical story of Eusebius whiche I lately alledged And the Tirannes that persecuted had an other respect as Sinacherib and Antiochus than our Bisshoppes and Princes haue at this daye For these nowe are moued with the hatred of Religion and are pricked forewarde of Sathan They will haue in any wise their Idolatrouse religion mainteyned and the religion of the Gospell vteerly distroyed They can not abide to haue their Idolles or other sinnes reproued for this cause are they mad at the faithfull and suche as frankely speake agaynst blame ther Idolles and wickednes And thus doeth the persecutiō arrise boyle vp and procede The whiche when the faithfull see increase thus Mutining in persecution and fele themselues sore oppressed they maruel howe longe the lord wil winke at this Many crie out the Lorde neglecteth his matters The Lorde semeth to deale vniustely with his seruauntes he semeth vtterly to forget them Neither is there any doubte but that many by murmuryng offende the Lord greuously Now therfore are we taught that we might haue hope and patience And at this present Heauen is opened to vs and shewed vs to beholde The sum of such thīgs as are opened to vs in this seale where as be the soules of them that are slaine in persecutions and what is their state is declared morouer that God forgetteth not to be reuenged whie also he differreth the same and how long These thinges are spoken to the consolation of al the faithful that are now afflicted with persecutiō Farre other thinges are exhibited here vnto vs than painters instructed or rather corrupted of with monkes and Freres set forth to vs to wit a great company of Monkes and Nunnes couered in Heauen with our ladies coule as though the greatest parte of them should be saued S. Iohn sheweth vs neuer a Frere but rather many martirs whom the Freres at this daye make before other men Herof therfore as of the doctrine of veritie we shal learne what state or degree is most plentifull in heauē not that we should thinke no man but only Martirs to be saued for so many as truely beleue in Christe and crucifie their fleshe with the concupiscences of the same shal be associated with holy Martirs and reioyse with Christ for euer but that chiefly the holy Martirs are saued whome the madde world supposeth to be lost Soules seperated frō the body be immortal But al thinges here must be examined of vs most diligētly For this place as it is most manifeste so is it ful of moste holesome doctrines First S. Iohn seeth and sheweth vs as it were poynting with his fingar the soules that of those that were slaine to wit the spiritual immortal substaunces which the body beyng lost and consumed do remaine a liue The body may be killed the soule can not be killed Whiche our Sauiour hath liuely expressed in the .10 of Matth. In the 12. of Luke he sayeth be not affrayde of them which sleye the body and after this haue nothing that they can do more c. Therfore tirānes might wel kil the bodies of Martirs they had no power ouer their soules This place witnesseth manifestly the soules of men not only to be immortall but also liuing or watcheful not slepyng to remayne liue in Heauē For there be that thinke the soules departed from the body to slepe The cause maketh martyrs not the punishment which thing is most vayne Nowe also the cause is shewed for the which the Martirs are slayne for the worde of God and for the testimony that they had they were not put to death for their wickednes or euill doynges but for the trewe religion wherby they confessed and preached that word of God which was in the beginning and was made fleshe and the Gospell which they had committed vnto them the testimony of God and eternal life which also thei ministred and preached Of the word of God and testimony of Iesu Christ I haue spoken in the first Chapt. For no other cause at this day are slaine innumerable of Bisshoppes kinges and princes Yf they were aduouterers vsurers blasphemers wicked doers they shuld be in some estimation nowe where they professe the onely sonne of God and preache the Gospell they are murthered without mercy Here haue we also certenly defined who be very Martirs in dede not they that suffer tourmentes but they that are tourmented for gods word For the cause maketh the Martir But where are the soules of them that are slayne for the word of God shewed vnto vs vnder the Aultar Where the place is of the soules slayne for gods word the Aultar is after in the .8 chapt set in heauē before the throne of God Therfore the soules of al Sainctes are in Heauen before the Throne of God which was also signified before in the Tipe of the .xxiiii. Elders The Lord hath sayed also where I am there shal be also my seruaunt But the lord is in heauē therfore the soules of the faithful whose bodies haue ben slayne The souls vnder the Aultar or buried without slaughter be no where els but in Heauen Neuerthelesse it waunteth not a singular misterie that they are layed vnder the Aultar as vnder a shadow through whose benefite the soules may be wel at ease I told you before and here againe repete that the aultar signifieth Christ For he is also the golden aultar intercessour and propiciation for our sinnes For the propiciation and mediation of Christ we are receiued into the Ioyes celestial And Christ is our life saluatiō Vnder him we lie hidde as vnder a couer or a shadow Thomas of Aquine expounding this place of S. Iohn by the aultar sayeth he is signified Christ in whom and by whome we should offer to the father what good so euer we doe and through him is made acceptable what so euer is pleasaunte to God Vnder this Aultar namely vnder christ be the soules not only in the state of life to witte whilest we liue here in earth but also in the state of our countrie to wit in heauē as vnder him of whome they are couered as vnder a shadowe agaynst all euill Thus sayeth Thomas But I suppose that there is an other thing also signified that martirs are made confourmable to the Aultar that is to
corrupte that place and vtter it so as though it mente that the prieste should sacrifice the real body of Christ for the quicke and the dead But the holy Bisshop of Lions knew this filthie errour Away with them and their sophistrie whither they are worthie I haue spoke also befor something of the same matter And that it might clerely appere vnto all menne the smoke of the odours ascendeth that the prayers of the faythfull offered to God through Christ are pleasaunt and acceptable ther is added and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth that is to saie the prayers of the faithful were of God accepted Therfore let vs offer dilligently our prayers vnto God through Christ For he heareth vs and deliuereth vs from euill And the scripture many times calleth our prayers an acceptable sacrifice to God The plaâ—es are in Osee 14. in the .50 Psalme And in many other places In the .141 the prophet sayeth Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight the lifting vp of my handes an euenyng sacrifice Primasius expoundyng this place sayed how Christ is sayed to haue taken of the prayers of Sainctes For bycause through him the praiers of al maye come swetely vnto God Hebrew 13 Herof the Apostle by him we offer vp alwayes a sacrifice of prayse vnto God that is to saye the fruicte of lippes confessyng his name Agaynste praiyng of Sainctes Herby is coÌ„futed the opinion of them which suppose that the Sainctes in heauen be the intercessours of the faithfull which should coÌ„mende their prayers vnto God make the waye open to God For what nede haue they to procure to theÌ„selues other intercessours or aduocates what lacke finde they in Christ or whom maie they preferre or compare with Christ what shal we say that eueÌ„ at this present the odours are offered vp by the hande of the Aungel The celestial sainctes were present with the Lorde and were sene aboute the seate but which of them taking the censer and gathering the prayers of the faithfull offered them vnto God It tourned Ozias or Asarias the king to displeasure that he toke in hand the censer minding to sacrifice and to execute the priestes office the same would be worse for the heaueÌ„ly dwellers naye they should not remayne in Heauen in case they toke vpon them the office of the only Bisshoppe c. He filleth the censer with fire sendeth it into the Earth After this we haue heard that Christ filled the censer with fire taken from the Aultar and sent it downe into the Earth By the whiche narration he retourneth agayne to finish the exposition of the trompettes This fire is the grace of the holy ghoste That is put into the censer is taken of the Aultar is sent doune into Earth For Christe toke the fulnes of the spirite as S. Iohn sheweth in the â— and .3 chapt Christ is Aultar and censer Of the Aultar here is takeÌ„ fire For the holy ghoste is the spirite of the Father and of the Sonne Whom sayeth he I will sende you from my father Him he sente into earth vnder the shape of firie tounges he sendeth him also at this daye into the hartes of the faithfull that he maye inflame them This is the same fire which the Lord in the gospell of Luke sayeth Luke .12 that he will sende into the Earth and would that it should burne Moreouer the effecte of this fire followeth immediately For there were made thonderinges and voices and lightninges and Earthquake By the voices of the Gospell the woundes of sinners are healed and the hartes of men lighted by the illumination of the holy spirite c. Of the whiche thinges we haue spoken also in the .4 chapt and .24 SermoÌ„ Of the preaching of the Gospell as Haggeus also prophecied it should come to passe insewed a wonderfull commotion of all nations c Sathan also was stired whiche reysed vp his ministers through out the worlde agaynst holesome preachyng of the Gospell For there sprange vp sectes whome the mayneteyners of the veritie resisted fightynge with them Whereof nowe he wil reason at large The Lord geue grace that these thinges maye bothe be spoken and hearde with much fruicte ¶ Of the seuen Aungelles trompetters and of the trompettes and of the first .ii. and .iii. trompet The .xxxviij. Sermon ANd the seuen Aungels which had the seuen trompettes prepared themselues to blowe The firste Aungell blewe And there was made hayle and fire which were mingled with bloud and they were caste into the Earth and the thirde parte of trees was burnt and all grene grasse was breÌ„t And the second Aungell blewe and as it were a great Mountaine burnyng with fire was caste into the See the third part of the See tourned to bloud and the third parte of creatures whiche had life died and the thirde parte of Shippes were distroyed And the thirde Aungell blewe and there fell a great starre from Heauen burnyng as it were a cresset and it felle into the thirde parte of the Riuers and into the fountaines of waters and the name of the starre is called Worme wood and the thirde parte of the waters was tourned to Worm wood And many menne died of the waters because they were made bitter Our lord Iesus Christ hath kindeled in earth a bright and holesome fire which the Apostles and men Apostolical haue euery foote more and more inflamed But contrary wise sathan seketh to quenche this holesome fire not only to corrupte and depraue this doctrine of saluation but also to abolish it and ouerwhelme it with lies The meaner and maner herof is at this present described and euen paynted out gallauntly to none other ende but that the faithful beyng warned and fully taught might be wel ware of that pestilent infection For the scope or ende of this boke is to preserue the church safe and sounde from corruptions or at leest to repare the same beyng corrupted The seuen Aungelles stande in the sighte of God S. Iohn therefore sawe seuen Aungels stande in the sight of God To stande signifieth to minister and compriseth the faith and diligence of Ministers Seruauntes stande before kinges ready to do seruice and to execute al theyr commauÌ„dementes We reade in the .1 chapter of Iob. The sonnes of God came and stoode before the Lord and Sathan came also into the middes of them The blessed Aungelles are called the children or sonnes of God They come to doe seruice before God Sathan preaseth in emongs them forasmuch as he is also the minister of God for the executioÌ„ of those things whiche apperteyne to the wrath and indignation of God agaynst the wicked Al elementes be Gods ministers and finally al the creatures of god For he is the lord of Sabaoth the God of hostes whiche for the saluation and iudgement of men vseth wel and rightly all his creatures euery one accordyng to his nature and disposition For he vseth the ministerie of Aungels
Therfore how so euer their hartes be made sorrowfull in perilles and aduersities yet their spirite reioyceth in the Lord. For no mā coulde learne that same songe saue thelecte For like as none of the heauenly dwellers can expresse or vnderstande the excellencie of the ioyes of the life to come and the praises of God excepte he dwell emonges the heauēly inhabiters be pertakers of the moste godly life so excepte any man liuyng yet here in Earth be regenerated he nother seeth how great is the felicitie of the faithful nother cā he iustely esteme the prayses which they offer vnto God Touching the newe songe I haue spoken in the .5 chapt And certenly to wordly men the thinges seme as they were newe whiche the faithfull bring forth of Gods worde The true markes of the faithful Nowe doeth S. Iohn describe also what maner ones the shepe of Christ shal be which shal continewe in the church of Christ dispising the furies of the beastes Vnto whome also the marke of his fathers name in their forcheades is expounded They are redemed from the Earth We shall perceyue moreouer what be the true markes of the faithful First they are redemed frō the earth Doubtles al we bearing the earthly Image of the earthly mā were solde vnder sinne for the whiche cause we are also subiecte to maledictiō But the lord hath bought vs with the price of redemption payed vpon the crosse so that now we are shapen newe after the Image of the heauenly man to with beyng adopted for the children of God Of the which redemption the Apostle hath spoken in the .1 Corinth the .7 and to the Roma the .3 in other places S. Peter also .1 Pet. 1. And for asmuch as the faithful knowe themselues to be bought and adopted by Christe to the heauenly inheritaunce they are addicte to serue their redemer only and inseperablely cleaue to him Morouer they are virgins They are virgins not defiled with women in expoūding the which thinges thauncientes torment thēselues leeste any thing here should seme to redounde to the derogation of holy matrimony wherby doubtles witnes thapostle in the .1 Corinth 7. and .13 to the Hebr. no man is defiled I am here asshamed to bring forth the trifles of the Papistes For who cā heare the vncleanest of al mē reasoning any thing of cleanes They wil hereby mainteyne colour that single life of theirs but al men see neuerthelesse excepte they be blinder than betelles what filthines hath ben cōmitted and is cōmitted dayly vnder the pretence of this vngraciouse most vncleane singlenes But the Lord speaketh nothing at this present of corporal mariage but rather spiritual For it is manifest that thapostles as the brideleaders of our sauiour haue brought the churche to our Sauiour a chaste virgin whiche hath not had to do with any straunge or foreine womā that is to saye which is not defiled with the participation of euill doctrine Reade Salomon reasonyng of that woman grauely in the .4 chapt of the Prouerb Reade moreouer thapostle in the .2 to the Corint 11. excedingly wel teaching that the faithful are an vndefiled virgin the spouse of Christ The faithfull therfore which liued vnder the tiranny of the beastes receyued no straunge doctrine of Idolles and of other prophane cultes nother do at this daye admitte the popish infectiō but kepe their maydenly mindes for their husbāde Christ beyng despowsed vnto him by faith most sincere These follow the lāb whether so euer he goeth They follow the lābe whither so euer he goeth That is to saie they care for no man but Christ they desire no man but Christ in him they repose al their ayde al their cōfort al their ioye al saluation to him alone haue alwayes respecte in him they know themselues to be complete which one and alone is to them al thinges Moreouer whither so euer Christe calleth the faithful by doctrine and exāple yf it be to very death and moste cruell butcherie they followe willingly and cherely Whereby it cometh to passe that in the world to come they cā neuer be seuered from him For where so euer Christ is there is also Christes minister as he him selfe hath witnessed in the .12 and .14 chapt of Iohn They are also redemed frō men Redemed from men deliuered verely through the grace of Christ that they should not follow this corrupte and vncleane world by all kinde of pollution For Christ by his spirite and worde calleth his out of this worlde that although in body we are cōuersaunte in the world yet should we with al our minde abhorre the worlde the thinges that are therin Furthermore for this intente hath he chosen and redemed his from the bondage of men or of the worlde First fruices to god that they should be first fruictes to God the father to his sonne Which place the moste godly and excellent learned man D. Fraunces Lamberte expounding in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse it is manifest saieth he by the .23 of Leuit. the .15 of Numeri and .18 of Deuter. what firste fruictes be and that they were gathered for the Lord and went to the high priest But Christ is that high priest vnto whome the spiritual first fruictes apperteyne to witte the godly sanctified to God These things are confirmed of the Apostle which sayed that Christ gaue him selfe for vs to the ende he might redeme vs from all iniquitie and might purifie vs to him selfe an especial people a follower of good workes Therefore do the true faithfull singularly applie them to godlynes and that they maye be the first fruictes a most excellēt present of the lord sins they know themselues to be redemed for this ende that all the reste of the time of their life they might serue God In their mouth no gyle In their mouth is founde no gile He sayeth not no cōcupiscence or euil motiō to be founde in the hartes of the faithfull but denieth that there is any gile in their mouth For albeit that the faithful be troubled and vexed with the affectiōs of the fleshe yet so loue they the trewth that to their knoweledge they wil disceaue no man And chiefly do dissemble nothing that apperteyneth to the confession of the trewth and veritie nor vse any gile in the doctrine of the Gospell They be morouer with out spotte before the trone of god They be without spotte not by their owne vertue but by the sanctification of Christ which S. Paule also affirmeth in the .5 chapt to the Ephesi And he hath spoken it aptly before the trone For S. Austen sayed that our sanctification should at laste be made perfit in the world to come These I say be the trewe markes of the trewe faithful and of the trewe church of Christ Let euery man search here the secret corners of his harte consider dilligētly in his minde whether he be marked with these signes and
which practised inchauntementes in very dede and bewitched men with corrupt religion And euen so hath Rome seduced the whole worlde and yet seduceth For the which cause she deserueth most greuouse punnishment The last cause of subuersion for in thee is foūde the bloud Bloud shed can not be whipte awaye nor clensed from them that shede innocent bloud The sheding of bloud And although it be not streight waye required yet will there come a time when it shal be required of God and than is it founde And he maketh mētion of thre sortes of bloud Firste of the bloud of Prophetes of them I meane which haue preached the Gospell and haue ben the fathers of the faithfull Secondely of Sainctes to witte holy martirs Finally of al menne that haue ben slayne in earth to witte dwelling here and there through out the world whom we vnderstande to haue ben dispatched and taken out of the waye by the warres seditions and tiranny of Rome So we reade also in the first oratiō of Ieremie that God straitely requyreth the bloud of his seruauntes spilte Doubtles all shedyng of bloud is greuouse the same excepted which is iustely done of the magistrate yet is one more heynouse than another For he that killeth a preacher of the gospell more greuousely sinneth than he that dispatcheth a priuate person and he whiche for religion sake slayeth a man and maketh a martir sinneth more heynousely than he that killeth a man in the warre Therefore al the bloud shed of Rome after any sort shal be required of Rome is required Thus the lorde spake also of the citie of Hierusalē Matth. 23. The lord Iesus haue mercy on vs loke vpō vs with theyes of his mercie Amen ¶ The reioycinges and Himnes of sainctes are recited for Rome destroyed and all vngodlines taken awaye The .lxxxj. Sermon Chapt. 19. AND after that I hearde the voice of muche people in Heauen saying Alleluya Saluatiō and glory and honour power be ascribed to the Lord our God For true and rightuouse are his iudgemētes because he hath iudged the greate whore whiche did corrupte the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruauntes of her hande And agayne they sayde Alleluya And the smoke of her ascended for euer more And the .xxiiii. Elders and the foure beastes fell downe and worshipped God that sate on the seate saiyng Amē Alleluya And a voyce came out of the seate saiyng Praise our lord God al ye that are his seruaūtes and ye that feare him both smal and great And I hearde the voice of much people euen as the voice of many waters and as the voice of great thōderinges saiyng Alleluya For our lord God omnipotent raigneth Let vs be glad and reioyce geue honour vnto him for the marriage of the Lambe is come God neuer forsaketh his seruauntes For as much as the Apostle in this boke most plentifully hath described the oppression of Sainctes and the cruell mischeuouse and prowde assaultes of the persecutours of the Gospell whereby they both mocke God and tourment his sainctes whereupon euermore at all times the complainctes euen of the godly men are red to haue risen as though God through his longe sufferyng and great patience should seme to neglecte the oppressed he discourseth also moste at large nowe the reioycinges and prayses of Sainctes wherby thei extolle the veritie and iustice of God neuer neglectyng his and most greuousely punnishing the vngodly persecutours Howebeit they reioyce here chiefely and prayse God for the taking awaye of Antichriste and all vngodlines with him Whiche verely is the first place of this chapter The seconde confirmeth al Sainctes leeste they should doubte any thing of the saluation of the faythfull which he sheweth to be most certayne The thirde place reciteth the sinne of blessed Iohn and the faithfull doctrine of the holy Aungel that we should worshippe no creatures be they neuer so holy In the laste place is described the iudge or reuenger Iesus Christe commyng to iudgement there is moreouer described the perdition or punnishement of al vngodly which the iuste and holy lord taketh of them Which place verely begōne in the .11 chapt of this boke and suspēded hitherto repeted somewhat in the .14 is now at the last finisshed And verely the Iubiley of Sainctes is diuerse plentifull and manifolde ouer the loste and condemned enemies of the godly Firste he heareth a voyce and that a greate of much people in heauen He sheweth therfore in generall that all heauenly the Aungelles not excepted synge prayses to God in heauen Whiche we vnderstande shal be at the laste iudgement all vngodly troden vnder fote And before these thinges be done they are rehersed and described that hereby the godly maye in daungers and tourmētes comforte themselues and maye abide stedfaste in the true sayth beleuynge that they also though nowe oppressed shall singe prayses of thankes to God And verely he hath here compiled the whole Himne saide in the prayse of God the reuenger He placeth formoste Alleluya Alleluya after he annexeth the prayses Saluation and glory c. And Alleluya signifieth prayse ye the Lorde He vseth a most common and of all men beste knowen in the primitiue church For certen Psalmes haue this title Halleluyah For the chaūter so exhorted stired vp the people to praise God So after the same maner now also the saincts as it were cōprising the argument of their songe saye Alleluia And these vocables haue more grace in ours and straunge langages than translated So haue remayned in the churche Osanna Amen Saela Maranatha and diuerse others Whereof also writeth S. Hierome to Marcella and Damasus The himne of sainctes Now followeth the himne saluation and glory honour c. And those thinges they prayse in God ascribe vnto him wholy Whereof I spake in expoundhng the .4 and .5 chapt of this boke Moreouer they prayse God of that whiche in this cause is principall for his iudgementes are iuste true Which saying semeth worthie to be printed moste depely in the hartes of al men as the which in temptations maye not a little erecte them And wherefore the iudgementes of God be iust and true he addeth because he hath iudged the great whore that is to saye taken worthie and condigne punnishment of the greate whore Hitherto the Lorde hath semed to many ouer slowe and to much fauourable to Rome and the Romish church but than shall they see that God is most iust Of the whore is spoken before Yet doeth he repete here agayne her moste heynouse and greatest sinnes Firste corruption through whoredome and inchauntement Whereby is signified seducyng by corrupte and wicked doctrine The later the shedyng of the bloud of holy Martirs Wherof we haue already spokē many times Therefore God punnissheth the corruption of doctrine and crueltie of the Romish churche practised agaynst the sainctes of God The prayses of god to god are
noÌ„bre the seueÌ„th laste Therfore ar al things figured spiritually not carnally to be vnderstand and taken Doubtles the matters are excelleÌ„t vnderstand euen after the letter howbeit we must thinke of spiritual matters and greater alwayes than the speach of man can atteine to For we know as taught by the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles to be alwaies true that is said that the eye hath not sene nor the eare hath not hearde nor ascended in to the hart of man those things which god hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2 The chiefe articles of this place of the gâ—orye of the blessed And the chefest poincts of this place be these First he sheweth that the world shal be renewed SecoÌ„dly he signifieth that the Saincts shal be glorified blessed And declareth in general what that same fiticitie shal be And incoÌ„tineÌ„tly he confirmeth these things by many reasons moreouer he describeth the place the courte Palace of the blessed and lykewise the glory and felicitie of Saincts The which in the beginning of the .20 chap. he finisheth vp excedingly wel vnder the figure of a râ—uer â—ree of lyfe And lyke as he hath for the most part borowed al his things out of the bokes of prophets the which S. Ihon also with his reuelation lighteneth so hath he also at this present borrowed these out of the .65 and .66 chapt of Esaye And .37 of Ezâ—chiel and the laste chapters of the same Of the renewyng of the world he speaketh plainely Of the renewyng of the world as doeth also thapostle S. Peter in his later Epistle the .3 chap. that al thinges verely shuld be purged by fire not wholy abolished adnichilated but should doubtles be purified from all corruptioÌ„ for Aretas he signifieth not sayeth he thextinguisshing of the creature but a renewyng for the better Therfore sayeth S. Iohn expressely that he sawe a newe heaueÌ„ a newe earth wherunto he addeth by exposition that the first heaueÌ„ the first earth are vanisshed awaye to wit they are chauÌ„ged in their qualities so that the corruptible thinges are now gone created for corruptible vses For euen so is the Sea no more also doubtles subiecte to corruptioÌ„ but chauÌ„ged into better S. Austen and his scollar Primasius suppose that the troublesome state of the world signified not seldome in the scriptures by the Sea about th ende of the world shal cease Reade the .17 chap. of the .20 boke De ciuitate dei ExpouÌ„ding this place he reasoneth likewise at large of this innouatioÌ„ of the world in the same .20 boke De ciuitate dei .18 chap. other places I thinke mere in this matter to put awaie al curiositie if any hid thing appere therin that it be reserued vnto that daie in the which we shal see al thinges euidently And I suppose that these things coÌ„cerning the renewyng of heaueÌ„ earth ar not therfore spokeÌ„ that so ther shuld any place be prepared for vs which we shuld inhabite again in these inferiours partes vnder heaueÌ„ for we beleue that we shal flie vp into heaueÌ„ go mete the lord in the clowdes according to the doctrine of thapostle 1. Thess 4. but for the our mindes are thus confirmed that the faithful shal vndoubtedly be renewed glorified For if heauen and earth made for man be renewed purefied who wil doubte now that men themselues shal be moste chiefely clarified For coÌ„sequently now S. Iohn declareth Sainctes muste be glorified that the Sainctes shall both be renewed glorified placed in blessed seates signifieth yet generally what the glory of saincts shal be After he will declare more at large and seuerally all those thinges moste dilligently For he heareth an Angel sayeng come I wil shewe thee the bryde the wife of the lambe c. The same now figuratiuely he nameth a citie that in dede holy new Hierusalem And a citie signifieth aswel the place habitatioÌ„ as them that dwelle in the place I meane the citezens themselues This citie therfore is not only the place of the blessed but also the very coÌ„munion of sainctes in olde time prefigured in the citie of Hierusalem But he putteth a greate difference betwixte this of our newe and that visible and corporall Hierusalem HierusaleÌ„ For he calleth ours holy that other in the lande of Palestine was prophane polluted with the bloud of Christ prophetes and Apostles for the same cause destroyed vtterly Ours is also called newe For the coÌ„munion of Sainctes shal be renewed at the same daye And therefore by interpretation followeth coÌ„myng downe from heauen not that the habitation of Sainctes after iudgement shall againe be in earth but that the glory and renewyng shal be grauÌ„ted from heauen of the diuine maiestie power As also S. Iames is red to haue sayde euery good gifte and euery perfit gifte is from aboue commyng downe from the father of lightes And S. Paule also in the .4 to the Galath sayde that the free church is the heauenly HierusaleÌ„ The same in the .1 Corinth the .15 The firste man sayeth he of the earth earthly the seconde man the lord himself from heaueÌ„ Such as that earthly was suche are they also that be earthly and suche as that heauenly was such are they also that be heaueÌ„ly And as we haue borne the Image of the earthly maÌ„ so shal we beare also the Image of the heauenly Therfore sayed S. Iohn most rightly that the churche of Sainctes commeth downe from heauen to witte froÌ„ heauen receauing her glory For againe by a demonstration prepared of God sayeth he as a bryde garnished for her husbande For the Apostle in the .2 to the Corinth the .5 We know sayeth he that yf our earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroied we haue bildyng of god a mansion not made with hande euerlastyng in heauen And anone he that hath prepared vs for the same is God He remoueth from his sainctes al corruptioÌ„ but geueth and teacheth to be purified with al giftes of the body that so they may be garnisshed worthely and maye dwell in the euerlastyng bryde chamber with their brydegrome Christe Wherefore this garnisshynge consisteth in the abolishinge of all corruption and mortalitie and in the gifte of vncorruption immortalitie and glory Of the purefying and deckyng of the bryde speaketh the Apostle S. Paule also in the .5 chapter to the Ephesians And in this worlde beginneth the purgyng and trimmyng and finally at the ende is finisshed most perfitly For than shal the church haue nother spotte nor wrincle al corruption verely wiped awaie and al glory receyued And here learne by the waye that the Sainctes are prepared of God therefore saluation to be of mere grace And he procedeth to declare yet more playnely What shal be the eternall felicitie what the glory shal be whereof in this worke he hath ben occasioned to speake oftener than ones Blessednes chiefely