Sinagoges They shall delyuer them vp to Iustices debites and rulars making them their bochers and slaues so washing theyr owne holy handes from the sheading of innocentes bloud 5 They shall kill them also by their counsell to fulfil the measure of their fathers that all rightuous bloude may light vpon them which hath ben shed vpon earth Yet shall they not hurte their soules but thorowe fayth they shall haue victorie both ouer theÌ„ and the diuill 6 And their bodyes shall lye in the stréetes of the great citie In this world shall their carkasses remayne where as they haue rule and dominion Here shall they be iudged and condemned At their pleasure shall it be to hange them head them or burne them And though they lay no handes vpoÌ„ them for soyling their consecrate fingers yet muste it be done by their ghostly counsell and ordred also after theyr spirituall appointment None other is it to lye in the stréets of their great citie then after suche lawes as they haue practysed to bée brought vnto death 7 For spiritually is theyr citie called A glorious name vsurpe they as though they were none of the world They will be called the holy church good ghostly fathers godly dyuines and spirituall men not consideryng of what spirite they are spirituall They are those into whome the vncleane spirit hath entred with vij other spirites worse than hym selfe With the spirite of falshood the spirit of witchcraft the spirite of crueltie And of these onely with such lyke are they spirituall of no godly spirit as their fruites declareth And therfore the spirit of God doth iudge here this great citie not to bée called Hierusalem but stinking Sodome and most myserable Egypt the prophecies and other scriptures agréeing to the same For looke what filthinesse and abhomination was in Sodom what Idolatrie and diuilishnesse was in Egipt the same is now reigning in this painted spiritualtie is accompted theyr great holinesse 8 Among this consecrate multitude or smered sort is Christ yet crucified as he was among the Iewes which knewe hym not and yet boasted them selues outwardly for the peculiar chosen people of God Not only is Christ amonge them persecuted scourged punyshed put vnto death in his members but also he is proued of theÌ„ an vnsuffitient Sauiour without their dayly doings Their masses must be satisfactorie sacrifices profyting both the quicke and the deade And that muste men beléeue vnder payne of death and dampnatioÌ„ Thus crucifie they Christ again and make a mocke of hym as witnessed Paule and yet doe they call him their Lord not vnlyke to the tormentours which crowned him with thorne and saluted him with Aue rex Iudeorum THE TEXT 1 And some of the people and kinreds and tongues and of the nations 2. shall see their bodies iij. dayes and an half 3. shall not suffer theyr bodyes to be put in graues 4. And they that dwel vpon the earth 5. shal reioyce ouer them and be glad 6. and shall send giftes one to an other 7. for these two Ptophetes vexed them that dwelte on the earth The Paraphrase 1 And as they lye thus dead in the stréetes or are contempned as heretikes and dispised as wicked dooers some of the people peruerted by these enimies some of the kinreds or sects of diuision some of the tonges or blasphemous bablers and some of the nacions of all wicked workers shall be hold their bodyes thrée dayes and an halfe 2 They shall from all ages abhorre them hate them reuyle them and spightfully report them In their cronicles shal they wryte them for seducers of the people and in their stories regester them for damnable heretikes For the iij. dayes and an half diuided into vij values betokeneth the vij ages of the churche wherein they haue and shal still both persecute and blaspheme 3 And these wicked sortes of people kinreds tonges and nacions or of false Iustices priestes Lawyers religious shall not suffer their bodies to be put in graues But be these witnesses once iudged heretikes by the clargie and so condempned by the laitie eyther shall their bodies be resolued into ashes by fyre or els coÌ„sumed by the foules of the ayre Seldome shall ye sée a knowne heretike buried amoÌ„g them but most coÌ„monly burned Examples of this hath ben lately séene here in England by Thomas Hitton Thomas Bilney Iohn Frith George Bainham William Tindale Iohn Lambert Roberte Barnes William Hierome Thomas Garade Richard Spenser and in Partrick Hamilton of Scotlande with many other more And long afore our tyme in sir Iohn old Castle the Lorde Cobham syr Roger Acton knighte syr Reynold Pecoke Bishop of Chichester mayster Iohn Ashton syr William Thorpe syr Willyam Sawtre syr Richard With sir Iohn Bale sir William Taylour and syr WilliaÌ„ white priests with diuers other The body of Formâ—sus was first takeÌ„ vp by SteueÌ„ the vj. bishop of Rome and disgraded After was it beheadeâ— mangled throwne into the floud of Tyber by Sergius the third Sainct Herman after .xx. years from his buriall was taken vp burned at Ferraria in Italy by Boniface the eight The bones of mayster Iohn 〈◊〉 were taken vp and burned also the .xl. year after his death as Walden witnesseth in his booke de Sacramentalibus Li. ix Capi. lxxxix So was of late yeares in Worcester dyoces the body of maister WilliaÌ„ Trace esquier in LondoÌ„ the body of Richard Honne merchauÌ„t tailour Moreouer Iohn Colet deane of Poules in LondoÌ„ also was not far from the same for reading of Pauls Epistls by his life had not other waightie matters been in the way Such heretikes shall not rest in their citie they shal not be buried among them They shall not bée shrined cannonised nor allowed for Saincts for they builded no monasteries they set vp no chaunteries they subdued no Princes nor yet dyed for the liberties of holy churche They stood not in defence that priestes dooing Idolatrie theft murther witchcrafte whoredome buggerie with other abhominations should remaine vnpunyshed But rather to the contrarie and that they should worship but one God liue by their labours take wyues of their owne and teach nothing but Gods lawes 4 And they that dwell vpon the earth sayeth the Lord or haue their felicitie here with the riche glutton shal reioyce ouer them and be glad 5 They shall clappe theyr handes when they sée godlye witnesses bée brought out of the way They shall common ryote and bancket hauyng among them selues ioy without measure that the heretikes bée gone so hatefull is the light to their eyes and the veritie to theyr wicked hartes 6 And they shall sende giftes or presentes one to an other for gladnesse as for example My Lord byshop hath had a sum of monye of the priestes for doing his part so wel My Abbot and maister doctour haue had phesanâ—es plouers and parâ— riches pigges geese and capons for disputing their matters so valyauntly Master parson hath ben commended for
sainct Iohn the Euangelist were these mysteries of the whole Trinitie reueled as I shewed afore such tyme as he was of the Emperour Domicianus exyled for his preaching into the yle of Pathmos at the cruell complayntes of the Idolatrous priestes and bishops of him so written sent out of the same exile into the congregations In one day were all these marueils seene and in the same written as witnesseth Haymo with dyuers other expositours and as seemeth agreeable to the text which is a great wonder in tokeÌ„ that the Lord as Dauid reporteth hym is a very swift writer which at the same time earnestly occupied the hand of the sayd Iohn Of suche a nature is the message of this boke with the other contentes therof that from no place is it sent more freely opened more cleerely nor tolde foorth more boldely than out of exyle And this should seeme to be the cause thereof In exyle was it first written as a little before is mencyoned In exyle are the powers thereof most earnestly proued of theÌ„ that hath faith As appeareth yet by Iustinus the martyr Militon the Asiane Hireneus Hipolytus Victorinus and other which were there of the first expositours in the primatiue church and in the ende suffered for it the death of their bodyes And though it were than the laste booke of the Byble and hath bene euer since fardest from knowledge least regarded of them all yet was it the first that receiued any mans expositioÌ„ as a booke thought most necessary to be knowne of the Christians Into the deserte sendeth the Lorde hys church when the filthy spirite by his spightful spiritualtie speweth out his execrable waters throwyng the thyrd parte of the starres into the earth with his tayle He giueth hyr two Egles wings to flye thither with which are the light precepts examples of Christ to declyne their mischieues For he both â—â—ed his selfe when occasions were giuen him and commaunded hys disciples to flee from citie to citie in time of their persecutions He prouideth hir there a resting place for iij. yeares and an halfe which are the dayes of Helyas Danyell and Iohn And all this is not that shee should there be ydle Flattery dwellyng at home and sucking there styll his mothers brestes may neuer tell out the truth he seeth so many dauÌ„gers on euery side as displeasur of frindes decaye of name losse of goodes offence of great men punishment of body ieopardy of lyfe wyth such other lyke The forsaken wretched sort hath the Lorde prouided alwayes to rebuke the worlde of sinne for want of true fayth of hipocrisie for want of perfect ryghtuousnesse of blyndnesse for lacke of Godly iudgement For nought is it not therfore that he hath exiled a certen number of beleuing brethren the realme of Englande of the which afflicted family my fayth is that I am one Where vpon I haue considered it no lesse then my bounde dutie vnder payne of damnation to admonyshe Christes flocke by thys present reuelation of theyr perills past and the dauÌ„gers to come for contempt of the Gospell whych now reygneth there aboue all in the clergy I am not the fyrst which hath attempted thys offyce or taken vpon mee thys odyous enterpryse full of rebukes and slaunders and that maketh mee the boulder Iustinus becomming of a prophane philosopher a perfect chrystian wrote an exposicion vpon this Apocalips and was slayne for the veritie in the yeare from Christs incarnatyon a. C. and liiii Melyton the Byshoppe of Sardis in Asia which was one of the vii congregatioÌ„s vnto whome Iohn wrote made also a booke of the same lyued about the same tyme in the yeare of our lord a .c.lx. Hyreneus a discyple of Polycarpe byshope of Smyrna which was also one of the sayde congregations left behinde hym a commentary vpon the same booke and suffred stronge martyrdome for the truth in the yeare of our lorde a c.lxxv Hypolytus a byshope in Aphrica a man of much godly wysdome and learning wrote vpon the same about the yeare of our lorde .cc. .xx. In lyke maner Uictorinus the byshop of Pictauis about the yeare of our lorde cc .lxx. Ticonius the Aphricane anno dom ccc xc Saynct Hierome to Anatholius Anno. Dom. cccc .x. And saynt Austin also Anno dom cccc .xx. with dyuerse other more Primasius byshoppe of Vâ—icina wrote .v. lytle bookes vpoÌ„ this Apocalyps vnto Castorius whereof this is the beginning Tuis vir illustris et religiose castori which volume I haue redde and he lyued in the yeare of our Lord cccc .xl. Aprigius byshop of PaceÌ„ in Spayne made a notable work vpon the same about the yeare of our lorde ccccc .xxx. So did Cassiodorus Apulus as Petrus Equilinus calleth him anno dom ccccc lxx called his booke complexiones in Apocalipsim So did Isidorus iunior the bishop of Hispalis in Spaine Anno Do. DC.xxx with all those that here foloweth Of whom I haue sene almost so many as haue there beginnings here registred Ex benedictinis monachis â—edas presbiter Anglus li. iii apocalipsis saneti Iohannis inqua Alcuinus monachus Anglus li. i. Haymo HirsueldeÌ„sis Germanus li. vii Legimus in ecclesiastica historia Strabus fuldensis Germanus lib. i. Sicut in secularibus literis Rabanus maurus Germanus li. i. Ambrosius Ansbertus Gallus li x. de illustratione afflatus Robertus Tuiciensis Germanus lib. xii Vt tu quoque venerabilis colo Ioachim Abbas Calaber li. viii Quia profunda libri huius Monachus quidam Cantuariensis li. i. Legitur Genesis .xxviii. Vidit Easterton monachus Anglus lib. i. Posuit castra sua in medio Ex Canonicis regularibus Richardus de sancto Victore Scotus libro primo Gaufredus Antisiodorensis Gallus lib. i. Ex Carthusianis monachis Henricus de Hassia Germanus lib. i Dionisius Rikel Germanus lib. i. Ecce puer meus electus Ex sacerdotibus prophaenis Ambrosius de septem tubis li. i. Tempus autem arbitror Berengarius Thuronensis Gallus lib. i. Gilbertus porreta Gallus li. i. Omnes qui piâ— volunt viuere Author a centum annis Anglus libro i. Ioannes Hus Bohemus li. i. Cum finierinâ— testimonium Paulus Burgensis Iudeus lib. i. Licet opinio expositorum Mathias Dorinck Germanus lib. i. Costasie doctor Anglus lib. i. Ecce de scripsieam tibi triplic Iacobus Stralen Germanus lib. i. Vidit Iacob in somno schalam Ex Carmelitanis Ioannes Baconthorpe Anglus lib. i. Apocalipsis Iesu Christi c. Ioannes Tytleshale Anglus li. i. Est autem Apocalipsis Grecus sermo Thomas de ylleya Anglus li. i. Apocalipsis reuelacio dicitur Ioannes Barath Hannonius lib. i. Ego Ioannes vidi ostium Ioannes de Vernone Gallus lib. i. Nicolaus de Alsacia Germanus lib. i. Ioannes
here to socour vs they must hyde vnder the ground and the candle that he light vs to sée ouer the house conuay vnderneath the bushell 11 And these wōders shal they work in the presence of men Already haue they takē in England from the Bibles the annotacions tables prefaces to performe this their dāpnable enterprise They haue straitely forbiddē the reading therof for time of their Romish seruice Som haue they burned some put to silence all in the face of the people Yea they raised the maides of Ipswhich and of Kent to worke wonders maruels now of late the folish Northē men to fight for their Church What practises they haue had in that eare and that eare to fetch away the true fauorers preachers of the Gospell at diuers times he that wel cōsidereth may say that the holy ghost hath here rightly described them calling thē workers of wōders The discréet cittizē of Londō master Packyngton was slain with a gun at saynt Thomas of Acres as they call it not without their priuy legerdemaine But this with other of their miracles I intend to declare more at large in an other tretise the Lorde lending me life It is not long ago also since Alexāder Seyton an excelent learned mā with poore master Tolwin recanted at Paules crosse Nor yet long a fore sens good doctor Crome was complleed to doo the same And now last of all to take the scripture cleane away they haue sought out great faultes in the translation of it there vpon taken them awaye from the common peoples reading Great paines they take to put it doun but they neuer swet yet in the settīg vp of it Thus mind they to work their wōders till they haue buried it all in the earth They lack now but iiii knights to hier to kepe it down stil that it rise no more vp O veri imps of hel lims of the diuil how vaine are your studies how wicked are your practises I haue no doubt but wtin shorte space God will distroy the counsailes dissipate the strength of them that please men Yet let no mā meruail though they do these feates for the time For if the Gospell were taught without checke in a whyle should nothing remain of that generation neither myter nor rochet shauē croun nor anointīg that know they wel inogh For the word of the lord is the breth of his mouth that shal distroy them and the deuouring fyre that shall consume them 12 By the means of these signes saith the texte which this beast had power to doe in the sight of the other beast or wher his abusiōs doth raign without checke he deceiued them that dwelt on the earth Many in this age are wonderfully abused through the deceiptful werking of Sathan in these horned whoremōgers but yet non other thā are earthly mynded Of some men in déed the eyes are bleared with theyr crafts of some mē the weak iudgemēts blemyshed with their subtilties for wāt of discerning the scriptures Some men are tangled with doubts some trobled with terrour some tormēted with feare cōsidering that for this new learning as they wil haue it called some haue ben hāged as were the thrée poore yong men of Southfolke for the rotten roode of Douercourt Some burned some be headed for thinges of nought as is knowne to all the world These thyngs daseth theyr wittes and amaseth their myndes And earth is the cause of al this were it not that they much more loued this worlds pleasures than God it should neuer be so 13 All the perswasions of Antichristes prelates and preachers hath euermore ben and are now still vnto such earthlye inhabitantes that they shoulde make an Image lyke vnto this beast which is alwaies to chose such an Emperour with other worldly gouernours as shal be for their commodytie He must by the worldly people be compelled to take aucthorytie sceptur and crowne at their hands so sworne to maintaine their fleshly lyberties He must also be fashioned by their wicked doctrines and false counsels in confessions lyke them in all sustersticious lyuinge and in the tirrānous murther of innocent Christen men Where such an head ruler is appoynted there is his owne figure made and where such a Gouernour is constitute there is his owne Image set vp For we must consider that this reuelatiō is in all poīts no story specially here as many writers haue thought it to be in supposing an Antichrist to be borne at the latter ende of the world But it is a mistery cōprehīding in it but one generall Antichrist for all which hath reigned in the church in a manner since the Ascencion of Christe And in this one poynt are al the commentours that I haue séene most fowly deceyued yea the best learned of them I know wel if ther be ani yet to come he shal be but a mēber of this Againe to our purpose 14 Speciallye muste they make a right Image of that beast which had the wounde of a sword and did liue This betokeneth that in these dayes they shall sturre about them leaue no cautels vnsought nether any fals counsels vnfet from other realmes to doe their feats with and to fashion the Christen Gouernours to their myndes As Winchester did the last time he was in France After whose comming home many great wonders were wrought in Englande and fyre was made to come downe from heauen Cōsider the story afore for the storye declareth the misterie That wounded head now healed must be vpholden 15 He had a gréeuous wype with the sword which is the liuing word of the Lord when he lost his Monks chanons and fryers hys purgatory pilgrimages and shrynes Yet was he not all dead For though their coules cootes and rochetes were of yet had they still the same popishe hartes and the same supersticious frowardnes that they were wonte to haue This might haue bin found true if it had bin searched when certen popish priests of maister Whartons retinue not far from Bongay in Souffolke did calk for Cromwel for other els if the worlde had not chaunged to their mindes I write not this thinking they can harme by theyr calkinge where as faith is resydent but onely to shew that theyr hartes are yet alyue and how vertuously they are occupied Many things I cōsider at this instāt poynt concerning Prince Edward whō I dout not but the lord hath sent for the singuler comfort of England Not that I temerouslye diffine any thing to come concerning hym considering it onely in the Lords power But I desire the saide Lorde to preserue his bringing vp from the contagious drinkes of these false Phisicians And this is to be prayed for of all men if ye ponder well the text marke their wonderfull workings where the beastes head is restored THE TEXT 1 And he had povver to giue spirit vnto the Image of the beast 2. And to make that the image of the beast
winchester the winker of wiles largely declaring theÌ„selues to be déeply of the same profession and marke 4 But I fynde yet an other thyng in it For it is called here the number of man whose number lyeth all in vj. God created all things for maÌ„s commoditie in vj. dayes in the seueÌ„th rested After this creation continued man the space of .vj. ages til the commyng of Christ which brought with him the sabboth of the spirit And this is signified by the greater number which is the vj. huÌ„dred For not vnlike is it to the tyme tymes halfe tyme of Danyel Iohn to the yeares moneths dayes of Helyas Iohn also as we had afore Since Christes ascention hath the church continued by vj. other ages of much lesse tyme coÌ„prehended in the .vj. seales in the latter end of whom we are now And this shall conclude with suche a sabboth of peace in the fréedome of Gods worde as hath not bene since the beginning Sathan shall be tyed vp and the true beléeuers shall occupye in much quietnesse the beast coÌ„dempned with all hys false Prophetes And this is the nâ—mber of the sixt But this peace shall not thus in quietnesse long continue For longe can not Christes church be without persecution Sathan shal be loosed againe and the beleauings of the beast shall set vp their bristles and persecute the Sainctes a fresh Agayn shal they plant builde rauish kepe whores ryot and ruffle as though they should long continue But sodainly shall the latter iudgement day of the Lord light vpoÌ„ them vnbewares the perpetuall Sabboth of ioye shyning to the electe flocke of Christ. And this is the least number of all compared here vnto six And may well be signified by the xlij moneths afore which is ryghtly vj. seuenthes in the which they shall treade downe the holy citie or coÌ„gregation of the Lord once againe This latter accounte was founde out by a certayne vnnamed disciple of Iohn Wycleue and I suppose it most agréeing to the truth The second sabboth here or libertie of Gods truth hath had his shew in England alreadie if ye marke it well And whither it wil yet appeare more open or nay it is in the Lords handes let vs pray and hope for it hath great lykelihoode of a much farther appearaunce 5 Since the worlds beginning hath the misterie of iniquitie wrought in Caine and in his posteritie and so coÌ„tinued in the beastly members of Antichrist and so shall doe still to the latter day Therefore is it no lesse than the number of men six hundred sixtie and sixe Thus is he tokened with all wickednesse that admitteth the false fayth of this beast and folowith the same in his liuing by the subtile perswasions of the bishops and their lying Prophets is sealed vp to eternall dampnacion vnles the Lord cal him in time Not only in England is healed the beastes wounded heade but also in ohter certain regions But for so much as it is most liuely don there and this booke written in that language I haue onely brought forth héere examples thereof in that purpose The xiiij Chapter IN this present chapter declareth the Lord vnto Iohn and vnto his faithfull seruants by him the degrée estate coÌ„dicioÌ„ of his true beléeuing church now after he hath afore lyuely described the beastiall churche of Antichrist of his horned spiritualitye by the afore named ii moÌ„strous beastes And this is that his louers should know what they be which are of his houshold what an helper they haue of him in the midst of their aduersities to the comfort of their soules And though they bee heere amonge those raging tirantes in tirrible agonies paines persecutions troubles he is neuer absent from theÌ„ nor will not be till he hath rewarded them with vnspeakeable Ioyes THE TEXT 1 And I looked and lo a Lambe stoode in the mount Sion 2. and with him an C. and xliiij thousand 3. hauing his fathers name written in their foreheads 4. And I hearde a voice from heauen 5. as the sound of many waters 6. and as the voice of a great thuÌ„der 7. And the voice that I hearde was 8. as the harpers that playe vpon their harpes 9. And they sang as it were a nevve song 10. before the seat 11. and before the foure beasts 12. and the Elders 13. And no man could learn that songe 14. but the hundereth and xliiij thousand 15. vvhich vvere redeemed from the earth 16. These are they vvhich vvere not defiled vvith vvomen 17. for they are Virgynes 18. These follovve the Lambe vvhither so euer he goeth 19. These were redeemed from men 20. being the first fruites vnto God and to the Lambe 21. and in their mouthes was found no guile 22. for they are without spotte before the trone of God The Paraphrase 1 I looked saith Sainct Iohn on the other side in a thought as it were I behelde that a Lambe stoode vpon mount Sion Euen the Lambe of God Iesus Christ that alone tooke away the sinnes of the world Alone doeth he gouerne his faythfull church as the onely and immediate head therof hauing none other to assist him in that office For who is the King ouer SioÌ„ but he Who shall reduce Israell again to his folde but he Only is hée with his congregation to ayde them with his word to bolden them with his spirite to strengthen them with his grace 2 And with him were presente an hundreth and .xliiij. thousand hauing his fathers name written in theyr foreheads So many as haue in hart receiued his word and in faith digested his verity are the very children of Abraham and are marked vp for the sonnes of god by the seale of the holy Ghost 3 For power haue they geuen theÌ„ to be Gods children that beleue in his name And this is it to haue his name written in thir foreheads For their faith declareth theÌ„ Gods sonnes Let this set number be none impedimeÌ„t to the reader to be taken here for the vniuersall multitude of the faithful as well of the gentiles as of the Iewes that beleueth though it otherwise appeareth in the viii Chapter of this booke For so well is the gentle that hath faith a perfecte Israeltie as is the Christen Iew. Yea much rather was Zachius for his faith iudged Abrahams childe thaÌ„ was Simon for fulfilling the workes of the lawe For God is not parciall Whatsoeuer he be yâ— feareth him worketh rightuousenesse is accepted with him And so is it ment heare And therefor is not the difference written here as in the other place but al is ioyned in one to comprehende all vnder one And as touching the equall certaintie in nuÌ„ber both here and there Like as it is there certainly knowne vnto God euen so is it here thoughe it be vnto vs both innumerable vncertaine Not as concerninge the number it selfe but the common vnderstanding thereof in the scriptures For if
hath their hartes in his hand and iudgeth their thoughts Both may he giue them his spirite and also take it from them and of his enimyes hée shall make his footestoole He is the same â—â—one after Daniell that without any handes was cutte out of the mounte which breaketh the Iron the copper the earth the siluer and the Golde in péeces By whom are ment the vniuersall kingdomes of this world 12 Of this his victory are all they parteners with him which are vpon hys syde by fayth Most specially those true seruaunts of his which after they are called by grace and chosen by fayth perseuer still constant feruent faythfull and sure in hys veritie to the latter ende of theyr liues 13 Not only the Lambe therfore shal â—uercome the beast but they also after the doctrine of Paule that are called and chosen in him not falling from his truth for any temptation or grief but standing fast by it vnto the very death For those that the Lorde hath prefixed afore he hath called iustified and allowed These auanceth not them selues with the proude but méekly they submit theyr crownes referring all victory to the Lambe as men that could haue done nothing in yâ— behalf without him THE TEXT 1 And he said vnto me 2. The vvaters vvhich thou savvest vvhere the vvhore sitteth 3. are people and folke and nations and tongues 4. And the ten hornes vvhich thou savvest vpon the beast 5. are they vvhich shall hate the vvhore 6. and shall make hir desolate naked 7. and shall eate hyr flesh 8. and burn hyr vvith fyre 9. For God hath put in their harts to fulfill his vvill 10. and to doe vvith one coÌ„sent 11. for to giue hir kingdome vnto the beast 12. vntil the words of God be fulfilled 13. And the vvomaÌ„ vvhich thou savvest is the great citie 14. vvhich reigneth ouer the kingâ— of the earth The Paraphrase 1 And after thys long communicatioÌ„ sayth Sainct Iohn the afore sayd Angell sayde thus vnto me to make vp his tale with 2 The wauering waters which thou sawest héere now of late in misterye where as the Babilonish whore sitteth vpon the rose coloured beast are in signification all maner of peoples of the carnall nations and the supersticious folke of many sundry tongues 3 Not onely in one place of the worlde ruleth this wanton religion of Antychrist but in euery lande in euery dominion in euery company among all occupacions languages The foolysh multitude euery where being blynded by their subtile sorceryes and neyther hauing fayth nor yet the feare of God before theyr eyes as a raging flood the banckes broken downe runneth headlings into all blasphemy and diuillishnesse 4 Moreouer the a fore named ten hornes sayeth the Angell which thou by the wil of God beholdest here in spirite vpon the sayd beast of distructioÌ„ are those very persoÌ„s which also shal hate the whore Hir abhominations once knowne by the Gospel preaching they shall abhorre hir lawes dispise hyr authoritie coÌ„tempne hir customs They shal defeat hir of those lands possessions which now shée vniustly holdeth 5 They that afore were hir friends shal than be hir mortall enymies denying hir both tribute obedience seruice so leauing hir without all comfort Not only are these the temporal gouernours as the King of England the Kyng of Denmarke the Duke of Saxon the LaÌ„dgraue of Hesse and other Princes of Germany with such other as wil here after followe the same principles but also the Metropolitanes and bishops the Doctors and Prelates As are already Thomas Cranmere the Archebishop of Caunterbury Hermanus de Weda the Archbishop of Coleyn Godrick the Bishop of Hely Barlow the bishop of Sainct Dauids Byrde the Bishop of Chester Thurleby bishop of Westminster Hugh Latimer Nicolas Shaxton of late yeares Bishop of Worcester and Salisbury with such other lyke as will here after followe theyr trade Though they were afore the horns of the beast for defence of the whore yet are they now fallen from him more shall euery day to make hir desolate of honour and naked of rentes and possessyons 6 So shal they chase that Babilonish harlot Rome with their prechers that neyther shal they leaue hir couler nor yet bewty Consider what Iohn Reuclin Martin Luther Erasmus Ocolampadious Zwinglius Pomeran Bucer Capito Melanthon Grineus Caluinous Brencius Frances Lamberte Bullinger and such other hath don against hir alredy Likewise here in EinglaÌ„d Bilnee Tindale Frith Barnes Cromwel Couerdale Turner Gorge Ioy Rose Ridley Ward Becon and other els leauing her neither Reliques nor Robes sectes nor Shrynes Abbeyes nor Priores many more comming after them of the same sort These shal make her so desolat that no man shall in proses of tyme regard hir They shall leue hir so naked that all the worlde shall abhorre hyr that shal loke vpon hir Yea in the conclusion they shal eat hyr fleshe 7 Besides the taking away of hir carnall prophites and plesuers they shal confound hir fleshly vnderstanding of the scriptuers utterly consume the superfluous obseruacions of hir whorishe cerimonies 8 Finally with fyre shal they burne hir in bringing vnto nought al hir abhomynable rules customes and kindes of idolatry All these once plucked away by the euident worde of God no lenger shall this harlot appere For no lenger continueth the whore then the whoredom is in price Take away the rites and cerimonies the Iewels and ornaments the Images and lightes the Lordeshippes and fatherhodes the aulters and masses with the Bishops and Priestes and what is their holye whorishe church any more Not onely is this flesh eating and burÌ„ing declared now a daies in outwarde experimentes as in the rebellious Monkes and Priestes of Englande and in theÌ„ that arose there in the North specially in fryer Forest and Margarete Cheny which were for their church coÌ„sumed like as were Baales chaplayns at the broke of Cison by Helyas but also mistically in that is spoken of hir afore 9 For God hath saith the Angel al blindenesse secluded put it into the hartes of those and such other godlye meÌ„ by the infusioÌ„ of his spirit to fulfil his decréed wil pleasure in this behalf as vtterly to distroy the popish religioÌ„ or filthy abhominations of Antichrist 10 He hath giueÌ„ it theÌ„ moreouer to doe these thiÌ„gs to his glory throgh the agréement of faith that they haue in the vnitie of his godly truth to the abolishment of all sects false prophets coÌ„iurers of egipt 11 Finally by his grace he hath moued them through knowledge of his word to reÌ„der vp hir blasphemous kingdom whom sometime of ignorance they vsurped vnto the malignaunt beast again as the horns of his pestilent heads After this sorte did good Latimer Shaxton giue ouer their bishoppricks so haue diuers other godly men their promocions liuings as many more yet here after will doe 12 For as they haue begonne so shall they coÌ„tinue in diminishyng the
the lambe Iesus Christe which is his eternall sonne is the holy full and perfect temple therof None outwarde priesthoode ceremonye nor sacrifyce for fiue coÌ„maundeth Christes doctrine to his congregation The golden measure of his word which diffyneth and iudgeth all thinges necessary therevnto appointeth no such matter For in no teÌ„ples made with stone dwelleth God which wil be all in all Only is required of them a sacrifice from the soule which is the very temple of God In his onely name shoulde the faithful sort ther offer vp themselues And therefore Christ appoynted Uespasian and Titus to turne ouer the great temple of Hierusalem and vtterly to destroy that priesthoode because we should put no trust in suche thinges nor yet be addict or bound to places A damnable inuencion is it of Antichrist that the suffragans halloweth the sinagogs to bringe them into al kinds of superstition They constitute also a feastfull daye to the honour and worshipe therof called the dedication which is most abhominable wickednesse Truthe it is that after the Apostles time ther were places appointod where as the congregacion met together once in the weake for the hearinge of Gods word and for the holy communion and that was called the oratorie or house of praier But that house was not exercysed nor coniured crossed nor smered blessed nor be sprinkled wyth water Neyther was there at that time anye aulter set vp in it anointed with oyle creme to offer any newe sacrifice vpon Consider also that the appoinmente of this bare house withoute aulter or images was lefte to mans ordinaunce without any exprest commaundement of Christ that it should be thought of no reputacion For in spirite and veritie wyll god only be worshiped And for this cause after that Christ had dryuen the byers and sellers out of the temple he commended none other temple vnto vs but his body which he raysed vp in the daye of his resurection to our behoue 6 God therfore is our temple and his Christ. In them ought we to do sacryfice and in none other In their faith should our workes labours studies be grounded only if we couet them to profit vs. Iohn for his time could sée none other temple but this The Lord of his tender mercye graunt vs to be Iohns in this behalfe Iohn beheld also at the Angels demonstration that this Citie had neither néede of Sunne nor Moone to minister light vnto it as the olde Hierusalem had Neither hath Christes congregation néede of mans naturall reason nor yet of hys worldly wisdom coniectures nor practises subtilties nor wiles polices nor witts inuencions nor traditions No neither of their philosophy nor sophystrie the decrées nor sentences of the great Lawyers Schoolemen which all is but darknesse and blindnesse 8 For the brightnesse of God sheweth theÌ„ light sufficient His shining verytie his pure gospell and his vndefiled lawes cleareth their vnderstandings A lanterne to their féete is hys heauenly word Only doth that clerenesse suffise them whiche faith offereth vnto them 9 Onely are they contented with the light they haue of the Lambe which is the bright Sunne of rightuousnes He is the Lamp the Candle and the flaming Cresset of this citie None other admonisher haue they néede of none other counseller nor teacher Accursed holde they him that bringeth any other doctrine than his though he were an Angell from heauen For he is the only light of the world the brightnesse euerlasting the vndefiled myrrour of the maiestie of God and the Image of his infinite goodnesse Whoso euer foloweth him can in no wise walke in the darknesse The dayes wyll come saith the Lorde in Hieremy that a man shall not néede to teach his neighbour or brother for they shal know me froÌ„ the highest to the lowest I shall plante my lawe in their inwarde partes and write it in theyr hartes 10 And the people of al maner of regions which are predestinate of God to be saued shall walke in the clearnesse of the light None other wisdome helth rightuousnesse and redemption shall they seke than they finde in him Neither shal they care for Mary nor Ihon rodes nor reliques hedes nor holy water masses nor merites For so shall he shyne vpon them and his glorie apere in them that the cloudes of Antichrist and his false prophits shal take no place So liuely shall the rightuous waxe in that faith of saluacion that they shall become not only the children of clernesse but also very lyghtes in the Lorde 11 Morouer vnto this heauenly light shall the myghty kynges of the earth bringe their glory magnifycence and honour as did the wise men of the East which offred rewardes vnto Chryste They shal be conuerted from their erroures to a sincer beleue in the Lord as were in the Apostles tyme Abagarus Egippus and Gundoforus And since their dayes the mighty Emperour great ConstaÌ„tine Iouinian Theodosius and diuerse other Yea some were so feruent in that faith that gladly they suffred death for it Of whose numher were here in Englande saint Edmound Oswalde Ethelbert Edwyne and Fremonde with a greate sorte more in other Christian regions All kinges saith Deuid shall worshipe him and all paganes shal do him seruyce Amonge these are not they to be rekâ—ned which leauing their kingdomes hath made them selues monks and friers or hath founded masses and monastaries to be praied for For they neuer brought theire glorye to thys light No more haue they done which hath enriched the cleargye gluttinge them with possessioÌ„s and setting them vp in a glitteryng pompe But rather haue they sought darknesse than light blyndenesse than to be taught of god Some haue thought them selues in our age clearly coÌ„uerted to thys lyght But ryghtly hath their iniquitie lyed vnto them For nothynge haue they done lesse than broughte vnto Chryste theyr glorye Truthe it is that they haue discharged them selues of the Pope and to some of hys sects They haue plucked downe shrynes and Images that receaued offeringes and dayly worshippings with a fewe superstitions besides but still bringing vp whelps of the same false generation both bishops prists Stil haue they to this day the same wicked rits and ceremonies that they had afore And when thei should bring ani thing to a right christian order according to Christes first institution they cannot away with it Great is the vengeance terrible heuy and fearefull the iudgement that abideth them 12 And as concerning the great gates of this Citie which are the true vnderstandings of the Lordes verities they shall not be shut vp by day Hidden shall they not be to them the walke in this light All that Christ hath receiued of his heauenly father leaueth he manyfest and plaine vnto his faithfull leuers Not only openeth he their feble vnderstandings but also sendeth them his spirit to deduce them into al godly knowledge 13 For in that citie shal be no night No doctrine of darknesse nor fylthye mist of