the mount that is touched and vnto burnynge fyer nor vnto storme and darkenes and tempestes of wether and sounde of a trompe and the voyce of wordes whych voyce they that heard it wished awaye that the communicacion should not be spoken to them For they could not abide that which was commaunded Yf a beast touche the mountaygne it shal be stoned or thruste thorowe with a darte so terryble was the syght whych appeared Moses said I feare quake But ye are come vnto the mount Syon and to the cyrie of the liuing god the celestial Dierusalem and to an innumerable syght of angeles and to the congregacion of the firste borne sonnes whych are wrytten in heuen to god the iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfecte men to Iesus the mediator of the new testamēt and to the sprinkeling of the bloud that speaketh better then the bloude of Abell For ye are not come vnto the mount of Syna whiche maye be touched with bodye as youre forefathers came once what tyme Moyses publyshed the lawe and vnto a burnynge fyre whiche is felte and perceyued with mannes senses nor vnto a storme and darkenesse and vnto tempestes of weddre and sounde of a trompe all the whiche thynges are perceyued with the cares and eyes nor to the voyce of wordes which although they myght haue bene hearde with mennes cares by reason they were pronounced with breath and dyd lytle or nothyng represent the true voyce of God yet had they suche a Maiestie in them that the people hearynge the terrible noyse of the same were greatly afeard and desyred almyghtie God that he would not him selfe speake anye more vnto them but that Moyses would with his voyce publyshe suche thinges as God had commaunded Els shoulde that voyce of God haue bene more terryble then the weakenesse of mannes eares had bene able to awaye with all Suche a reuerende feare and dreade had those thynges whiche were done onely to fygure the lawe of the gospell that the people was kepte a lofe not suffred to touche the mounte also a proclamation made by commaundement that what beast soeuer touched the same should be stoned or thrust thorowe with a darte For so terrible was the sight of the thinges which were shewed vnto the corporall senses that Moyses himselfe was abashed quaked for feare therof Howbeit you are not come to suche a sensible sighte whiche was a shadowe and figure of farre better thynges but to thinges that haue in thē more veritie then is conteyned herin forasmuche as they are perceiued with the mynd or soule not with bodely senses Ye are come I saye to the spirituall mounte of Syon which is touched with the spirite not with handes to heauenly Ierusalem the Citie of the lyuyng God where is peace euerlasting to an vnnumerable syght of angels the heade peares inhabitauntes thereof to the congregation of the children of god who haue not lost their byrthright with Csau but by cleauynge vnto Christe haue deserued to be regestred in heauen where they are made citizens to God the iudge of all who is the soueraigne personage of that common wealth to the spirites and soules of rightuous men who for their perfite godlynes and good lyuynge are ioyned to the companye and felowshyp of heauen and associat with the iudge to Iesus the hye priest of the newe testament who doth not destroy vs but restore vs vnto fauoure to his bloud by whose sprynklyng soules are pourged the whiche speaketh bettre then the bloud of Abel For y◠bloud desyred vengeaūce but this obteyneth pardon The texte Se that ye despyse not hym that speaketh For if they escaped not which refused him that spake on yerth muche more shall we not escape yf we turne awaye from hym that speaketh from heauen whose voice then shoke the yerth and now hath declared saying yet once more wyll I shake not the yearth onely but also heauen Where as he saith yet once more it signifieth the remouinge awaye of those thynges whiche are shaken as of thinges which haue ended their course that the thinges whiche are not shaken moye remayne Wherefore yf we receyue the kyngdom whyche can not be moued we haue grace wherby we may so serue God and that we may please hym with reuerence godly feare ▪ For our God is a consumyng fire The more mercifully louingly his bloud speaketh for vs the more oughte we to beware lest we despise him who speaketh so for vs. For if they escaped not punishment for despysyng of the worde who refused Moyses a man speakyng on earth then shall we suffre muche greuouser punishment yf we tourne awaye from Christ speakyng vnto vs from heauen whose voyce then shoke the earth to feare them by sensible feare from synnyng But what threateneth he nowe to do from heauen by the prophet Aggeus yet once more sayeth he will I shake not the earth only but also heauen to the entent thou not only earthly men but also heauenly thynges maye quake feare Now where he sayeth yet once more it signifieth the remouyng away of those thinges which are shaken of such thynges I saie as are made with mens handes as the temple and citie of Ierusalem to th ende that those thinges which are not made with mennes handes therfore inasmuche as they are eternall can not be shaken maye contynue The Iewes do glory take pride in their tēple they glorye in their holy citie but the time shall come when these thinges shal not be They loke after a kyngdome but we see it translated and remoued to an other place Let vs therfore who thorowe the benifite and grace of the holy gost haue begonne to endeuour our selfes to attayne the kyngdome of heauen the whiche can in nowyse be shaken perseuer in the benifite of almyghtie God Let vs continue in this heauenly temple serue God with suche reuerence and feare that we may with puritie of minde and conscience please him who requireth not from hence forth any other kynde of sacrifice If our forefathers were afearde to do any thyng whiles they were makyng of their sacrifices wher with they shuld offend the eyes of men how much more hede thē ought we to take in these spirituall sacrifices lest we do any thyng whyche maye offende the eies of almyghtie God If in tymes past he were in daunger who came vnto the holy places without due obseruation of certayne ceremonies how much greater peryll then shall we be in yf we presume to come with vncleane myndes vnto God who is not a bodely fyre the which as it is kyndled so may it be quenched agayne but a fyre ful of strengthe and efficacie and also suche a one as bryngeth to nought and destruction what thyng soeuer it lusteth ¶ The .xiii. Chapter The texte Let brotherly loue continue Be not forgetfull to lodge straungers For therby haue diuerse men lodged angels vnwates Remember them that are in
doctrine And haue made it as it were pale bleaked for very sorow heuynes And this myschiefe hath preuayled in very many landes and in the whole christendom which was at that tyme as great as euer it was And than were dyuerse godly byshops and other Christians persecuted to death in all places for the true faythes sake The trees ¶ And wheÌ„ he had opened the fyfte seale I sawe vnder the aulter the soules of them that were kylled for the word of god for the testimonye whiche they had they cryed with a loude voyce saying How long tariest thou Lorde holy true to iudge and to auenge our bloude on them yâ— dwel on the earth And long whyte garmentes were geueÌ„ vnto euery one of them And it was sayd vnto them yâ— they should rest yet for a lytle season vntyl the nomber of their felowes brethren of them yâ— should be kylled as they were were fulfylled The fyfte seale and the aulter with the soules vnder it maye sygnifye the ryght godly Christen men whiche syghe crye yâ— they might ones see the true honour of god shyne floryshe al rightuousnes to increase And yâ— to procede of yâ— very true fayth true vnderstandynge of the word of god and againe they crye also against the tyrannous gouernour of yâ— wycked magistrates Vnto them is geuen comforte of conscience stedfast trust coÌ„fidence in yâ— promyses of god which can not deceyue them yf they crye earnestly ferueÌ„tly For yâ— is a token of the redempcioÌ„ great comforte yâ— is at hande And in yâ— meane tyme yâ— very same doe obteyne saluacioÌ„ of their soules immediately after their death in yâ— ioyes of heauen wheras they doe wyllyngly and paciently wayte after the resurreccion of their bodyes at suche tyme as the nomber of their felowes shal be accomplisshed and fulfylled Whiche tyme and nomber is onely knowen vnto the lorde The texte ¶ And I beheld wheÌ„ he had opened the syxt seale and lo there was a great earth quake and the sunne was as blacke as sacke clothe made of heare And the mone wexed all euen as bloude the starres of heaueÌ„ fell vnto the earthe eueÌ„ as a fygge tree casteth from her her fygges when she is shaken of a myghtye wynde And heauen vanysshed awaye as a scroll when it is rolled together And al mountaynes yles were moued out of their places And the kynges of the earth the great men the ryche men the chefe captaynes the myghty men euery bondman euery free man hyd them selues in deÌ„nes in rockes of the hylles sayd to the hylles rockes fall on vs byde vs froÌ„ the preseÌ„ce of him that sytteh on the seate and from the wrathe of the lambe for the great day of his wrathe is come and who is hable to endure This syxte seale maye be vnderstande of the great mysery and affliccion which shal aryse be procured thorow anty christ which shal be a very enuy of Christ and of all true holynes whiche shal esteme make himselfe a god And he shall set furthe in al thinges his owne glorye honour pompe iust pleasure against the holy word of god And all this shall he doe with all wylfulnes tyrannye false doctrine hypocritical and supersticious holynes with mans ordinaunces and he shal haue wonderful successe ther with And therfore there shall great affliccions aryse in the world and terryble earthquakes shal be sene whiche shal euidently declare the greuous myseries whiche shal ensue ther vpon And all these thinges shal be knowne accordyng vnto the maner of the scripture the prophetes and of Christ himselfe also thorow yâ—â—â—lypse darckenyng of the sunne â–ª of the Moone and tokens of bloode thorow the fallynge of the starres WhaÌ„ as in the holy state vnderstande yâ— spiritualty standerous persons shal reygne whiche shall blemyshe that ordre state with wyckednes shal do muche hurt bothe vnto the bodyes and soules of them for whose welth and saluacions sake they ought by dutye and office wyllyngly and gladly to gyue and to loose their owne bodyes and lyues For truth it is yâ— after the tyme of the heretikes the enemye of Christ that hell hounde Mahomet dyd aryse in the East parties of the worlde And the maynteyners of ydols and ymages monkery false religions daÌ„nable perpetuall vowes purgatory byeng sellyng of masses for mony the pryde pompe of the spiritualtie specially of yâ— sea of Rome of her decrees cursyng of Emperors Kynges theft robberies warres murthers in finite without noÌ„ber which brought suche misery slaÌ„der heuines as no tong can expresse these I say did aryse in yâ— west partes of yâ— world And this wyl the holy goost sygnifye expresse in this place with suche wordes as men doe vse whaÌ„ they wyl expresse the hyghest sorowes perplexites myseries of any tyme. ¶ The .vii. Chapter The texte ¶ And after that I sewe foure Angels stande on the foure corners of the earth holdyng the foure wyndes of yâ— earth yâ— the wynde should not blowe on yâ— earth nether on the see nether on eny tree And I saw another angel ascende from the rysinge of the sunne which had the seale of the lyuynge god and he cryed with a loude voyce to the foure Angels to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth the sea saying hurte not yâ— earth nether the sea nether the trees tyll we haue sealed the seruauntes of our god in their forheades THis perteyneth also vnto the syxt seale as a syngular comforte vnto yâ— right faithfull whiche are tossed and persecuted in this worlde for the truthes sake and for godlynes By these iii.angelles are vnderstande noysome ministers whiche goe aboute to hynder bothe the lyfe and doctrine of the gospel and the true faith These are yâ— messengers of Antichrist scattrid thoroweout the whole worlde they doe great hurte vnto al men of euery degre whiche is sygnified by the earth the sea the trees The holy angel which ascendeth from the rysing of yâ— sonne hath the token or seale of the lyuyng god is our lord Iesus Christ which hath not onely coÌ„maunded the gospel to be preached vnto al creatures but also thorowe his godly power he doth hinder such as would stop or let it And this he doth thorow his ordinary ministers as wel of yâ— spirituall as also of the temporall sorte And for this cause some men haue vnderstanden by this angell the good Emperour Constantyne But it maye also be some other by whome out fauiour Christe dothe further and set for the the doctryne of the gospell and a Christen lyfe againste all tyannes and Antychrystes This angell therfore shall delyuer the electe children of god from the myddes of the wycked worlde and shall marke or seale them with the token or marke of the blessed whiche is fayth loue and innocency
vnto the lorde desierous of his mercye and grace and beloued of him from euerlastinge and ordeyned vnto his kingdome as ioyfull and desierous first frutes whiche men doe eate with a great lust desire and appetite with highe praise and thankes geuynge as it ought to be Their faithe is so acceptable and pleasant before God as it was geuen them of his plentifull grace that it beyng accompanyed with true loue and hope without the which it can not be decketh and hydeth all thâ—ir synnes howe many howe great and howe greuous so euer they were And vnto them all euyls and misfortunes euen their synnes also and all maner of thinges hapned and ended vnto the best As it hapned vnto Dauid Peter Paule and Marie Magdalene and vnto al holy sainctes and elect sanctified through the bloude of the innocent lambe Christ our sauiour For althoughe all men and all sainctes are synners before God yet for the lambes sake in whome they truste they are reputed without spot and blame before the iudgement seate of God The 〈◊〉 ¶ And I sawe another angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge the euerlastinge gospell to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth and to all nacions kynredes and tonges and people saying with a loude voyce Feare God and geue honoure to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worshyp him that made heauen and earth and the sea and fountaines of water And there folowed an other angell sayinge Babilon is fallen is fallen that great citie for she made all nacions drincke of the wyne of her fornicacion The true and faithfull preachers of the holy gospell are ofte called angels as they maye well be Of the whiche the kyng Christ sendeth manye in to the kingdome of heauen accordinge as the state of the worlde at dyuerse times requireth That the holy and sincere doctrine the gospell might sone and frutefully flye throughe the christen churche Whiche thing the wicked dragon doth sore haâ—e and is greuouslye dyspleased therwith and therfore he persecuteth it with muche falsehede and with great power throughe his ministers and deputies And yet notwithstanding the gospell of God remayneth euerlastinglye in his churche euen from the beginninge of the worlde vntyll the ende wherof no man in the worlde can excuse him selfe For the voyce and trueth therof is this bothe open and cleare that God onely is the lorde and that we must serue him in trueth and innocencye of lyfe and shewe all loue and trueth towarde our neighbour as the very naturall reason teacheth and all right and pure consciences lyghtned with gods worde do confesse And the loude voyce of the gospell soundeth thus Feare God as godly children doe their moost louynge father honour him onely for all grace and goodnes can come from none but from him onely and feare his iust and rightuous iudgement that it be not resisted against all wickednes vngodlines vngraciousnes And worship him onely with inuocacion that hath made heaueÌ„ and earth and al that is therin Against this gospell dothe the dragon euermore speake with his first borne and eldest sonne Antichristes whiche syns Caims tyme hath euer continued euen vntyll the aduersaries whiche at this tyme doe openly resist the manifest and open knowen trueth because they thincke and imagine that it wyll be an hinderauÌ„ce vnto their pompe pryde vngodly and abhominable lyuinge But this trueth and worde of God can not be hindered nor suppressed Soner and rather must all that fall and be destroyed whiche the dragon hath imagined and dyuised against this lambe the worde of God against this trueth and against all maner of right godlynes as well the Babilonicall confusion as all maner of wycked lawes and decrees and all maner of falsehede and tyrannye The holy gospell rightly vnderstande shall beate downe confounde and vtterly destroye that cursed and abhominable Babilon how mightye and strong so euer it hath bene for the great whoredome wherof she hath made all the worlde to drincke is nowe come to lyght and knowen The texte ¶ And the thirde angell folowed them saying with a loude voyce If any man worship the beast and his ymage and receaue his marke in his forheade or on his hande the same shall drincke the wyne of the wrathe of God whiche is powred in the cuppe of his wrath And he shal be punyshed in fire and brymstone before yâ— holy angels and before the lambe And the smoke of their tormente ascendeth vp euermore And they haue no rest daye nor night whiche worshyp the beast and his ymage and whosoeuer receaueth the print of his name Here is the pacience of sainctes Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith of Iesu Here foloweth the iudgement and sentence of God against all them whiche worship this beast of Antichrist resisting and withstandinge the gospell and enuye and hate the lambe and wil robbe him of his honour dewe vnto him and wyll dyffeate Christ of his kingdome whiche God the father hath geuen him that he shoulde be kynge of all kynges and also an euerlasting onely priest and immortall whome Antichrist with his .ii. hornes goeth aboute studieth to banysshe expell and ouerthrowe and to set him selfe vp in the temple of the christeÌ„ churche as thoughe Christ shoulde nothinge care for his churche but were absent and had forsaken it and had broken his promisse And as thoughe the gospell were in his I meane Antichristes power and in suche an hart as is rather possessed with a deuyll of pryde infydelitie and of abhominable presumpcion to condemne the holy gospel and to stablyshe and set vp al suche thinges as maye subuerte and ouerthrowe the gospell as ydolatreous and supersticious ymages to be honoured in the churche hethenishe ceremonies onely inuented for pompe couetousnes pleasure pastime and to bleare and deceaue the simple He geueth vnto his sworne champions his marke of supersticious orders wherwith he bewitcheth and inchanteth them wherof neyther S. Peter nor S. Paule neuer made mencion nor neuer knewe And besydes this he byndeth them with a wicked othe and a deuillyshe vowe against all godlynes and all to confirme and stablyshe his pompe and abhominable pryde against all heauenly and earthlye power institute and ordeyned of god without all maner of shame and feare Al they whiche consent vnto this damnable beast or eyther worship or maynteyne him they shall surely suffer the wrathe of God whiche is alreadye prepared in the Babilonicall cup powred out of God and redye at hande wherof they shall drincke not onely in the botomles pit of hell but also euen here in this worlde accordinge to the effecte and doctrine of gods worde and to the preachinge of the holy prophetes of Christ him selfe and of the apostles with as muche shame opprobry and destruccion as is possyble for them to haue in this worlde And yf their vnrepentant harte shall heape vnto them selues the treasure of yâ— wrath of God goyng forwarde in
y◠life to come measuring all the whole state of blysful life by worldly commodities say let vs eate drinke for to morow we shal dye That we toke in thys lyfe that and nothyng els is our owne for after death we be nothing The philosophers or false Apostles syng suche songes in your eares paraduenture but beware leste with theyr tales they deceyue you and bryng you into a perylouse erroure alwayes remembring what was truly sayd of a certaine poete of yours euyll woordes corrupte good maners Of idlenes and wanton lyuyng groweth this distruste whyles some knowing their owne enormities deny that there shall any resurreccion be in suche blyndenes of synne are they which lyue wyth out regarde of godly lyfe But awake ye through the study of ryghteousnes leauing your pleasures leste ye fal with other into the greate ieopardye of distrust For albeit there be some amonge you whiche swell and are proude of their worldely wysedome yet are they ignoraunt of the hyghest parte of wysedome in that they knowe not God nor beleue that by his might the dead can be restored to life againe not with standing his almyghtie power nor yet remembre that it is an easyer thing to restore that whiche is decayed than of nothing to make somewhat This tell I you not of any displeasure but to the entente ye should for shame hēcefurth nomore geue eare to such as labour to make you beleue such folishe and deuilishe poyntes The texte But some man wyll saye howe aryse the dead with what body shall they come Thou foole that whiche thou sowest is not quyckened excepte it dye And what sowest thou Thou sowest not that body that shal be but bare corne as of whete or of some other but God geueth it a body at his pleasure to euery sede his owne body All fleshe is not one maner of fleshe but there is one maner of fleshe of beastes another of fishes and another of byrdes There is also celestiall bodyes and there are bodyes terrestriall But the glory of the celestiall is one the glory of the terrestriall is another There is one maner glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone and another glory of the starres For one starre differeth from an other in glory So is the resurrecciō of the dead It is sowen in corrupcion it ryseth againe in incorrupcion It is sowen in dishonour it ryseth againe in honour It is sowen in weakenes it ryseth again in power It is sowen a naturall body it ryseth again a spiritual body There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body as it is also wrytten the fyrst man Adam was made a lyuing soule and the last Adam was made a quickenyng spyrite Howbeit that is not fyrste whiche is spirituall but that whiche is naturall and then that whiche is spirituall The fyrste manne is of the earth erthy the seconde manne is the Lorde from heauen heauenly As is the erthy suche are they that are erthy And as is the heauenly suche are they that are heauenly And as we haue borne the image of the erthy so shal we beare the image of the heauenly This say I brethren that fleshe bloud cannot inherite the kyngdome of God Neither doeth corrupcion inherite vncorrupcion Beholde I shew you a misterie We shall not all slepe but we shall all be chaunged and that in a momente in the twinkling of an lye by the last trompe For the trompe shall blowe and the dead shall ryse incorruptible and we shal be chaunged For this corruptible muste put on incorrupcion and this mortall muste put on immortalytie When this corruptible hath put on incorrupcion and this mortall hath put on immortalytie then shal be brought to passe the saying that is wrytten Death is swalowed vp in victory Death where is thy styng Hell where is thy victory The styng of death is synne and the strength of synne is the lawe But thankes be vnto God whiche hath geuen vs victory thorowe our Lorde Iesus Christe Therfore my deare brethren be ye stedfast and vnmouable alwayes ryche in the worke of the Lorde for as muche as ye knowe howe that your labour is not in vayne in the Lorde But now synce it is certaine that a general resurrecciō shal be some curious persō wil aske after what sort shal it be in what kind of bodies shal men rise synce the bodies whiche we now haue are tourned into ashes earth or into some other thing more vile Thou foole which maruailest howe God can once doe in renyuing bodies again that nature dayly worketh in a sede cast into the grounde Thou sowest a drye dead sede into the earth there agayne thesame beyng putrified semeth to dye so finally growyng out of the earth as it were lyueth agayne and groweth nor coulde thesame in any wyse lyue agayne onlesse it be fyrste dead and buried But nowe groweth the sede vppe in another fourme that it had when it was cast into the earth Into the earth is cast a lytle vyle blacke and drye grayne which beeng by continaunce of tyme putrified there in due season groweth vp and becommeth fyrst a tender grasse and then a stalke and so at the laste an eare Of all whiche three there appeared none in that small grayne which thou before dydest cast into the earth Euery sede hath his power which when it is growen vp appeareth so that it may now seme vtterly to be an other where thou in dede knowest it to be the same saue that it is chaunged into a better forme Seest thou not of a lyttle kernell howe greate a tree groweth howe myghtye a stemme there is howe the rootes spreade howe large boughes what a noumbre of braunches howe pleasaunte blosomes and plentefulnes of fruyte there is Of all which there was nothyng when thou dyd cast that sealye small kernell into the grounde And yet at that tyme all these thinges didest thou hope for vpon trust conceiued of y◠workes of nature ▪ and darest thou not vpon trust of Gods almyghtye power surely looke for the lyke to be done by God A kernell it was that thou sowedste and not a tree and yet geueth God to that kernell once quickned a body suche as his pleasure is which geueth euery kynde of sede a speciall property that wheras all growe agayne yet haue they not in all poyntes thesame forme they had before And after lyke sorte is it in all kyndes of beastes wherof euery one hath his seueral sede so that of euery seed euery beaste can not be engendred And though this to all beastes be commen to haue a fleshy body yet is there betwixte one flesh and an other no small difference For the flesh of men is of one maner and the flesh of beastes fyshes and byrdes is of another Lykewise also though such creatures as lacke lyfe be called bodies yet is there a diuerse forme in heauenly bodies and in earthly as in stones water
nothyng no not with ieopardye of oure lyfe to preache the trueth of the gospell vndoubtedly assuryng our selues that he whiche raysed the lorde Iesus from death wyll throughe hym rayse vs agayne dying for his sake and bryng vs all together to the generall glorie of resurreccion as we are here in lyke fayth knytte together But whether in the meane season we be troubled or deliuered from trouble all is done for your sakes that the trueth of the gospel maye be more spread abrode among you that the more amende theyr lyfe so manye more geue thankes not to vs but to god to whose glorie it appertayneth that his faithe which he would haue cōmen to all men be moste plentifully enlarged In hope and sure cōfidence that it will so be no troubles werye vs but through them we rather ware stronger knowing wel that albeit oure vtwarde body be by litle and litle worne awaye yet our inwarde and better parte in the dayely and continuall decaye of the body becometh more quicke and sustie as it were with miseries growyng yong agayne and beginnyng to taste of before the lyfe euerlastyng to come For albeit the bodely affliction whiche we for the gospelles sake abyde be lyght and transitory yet lyght as it is it prepareth in vs no small but an exceadyng and an vnspeakable weight of glory whyles both for suche transitory tormentes suffered for Christes sake we are made worthy of blysse euerlastyng and for temporall deathe sustayned for hym we receaue the rewarde of euerlastyng lyfe in hope wherof we lytle esteme oure bodyly lyfe not somuche passing vpon suche thynges as are seene with owre bodylye eyes as vpon suche as are not seene but only with the eyes of faythe For suche thinges as are sene here in this world beside that they are thinges neither throughly good nor throughly bad of whiche sorte are lucre honoure pleasure lyfe losse of godes reproche tormentes and deathe are also not continuallye abydyng whereas suche thinges as are sene with the eyes of faythe are bothe trewe ryches and suche as wyll endure for euer The .v. Chapiter The texte For we knowe that yf oute earthly mansyon of thys dwellyng were destroyed we haue a byldyng of God an habitacyon not made with handes but eternall in heauen For therfore sygh we desyryng to bee clothed with oure mansyon whiche is from heauen so yet yf that we be founde clothed and not naked For we that are in thys tabernacie sygh and are greued because we would not be vnclothed but would be clothed vpon that mortalitie myght be swalowed vp of lyfe He that hath ordeyned vs for thys thynge is God whiche very same hathe geuen vnto vs the erneste of the spirite ANd vpon thys sure truste certaynly lytle regarde we euen oure lyfe knowinge well that yf it chaunce our soules in this worlde to be chaced out of the mansion of oure bodye whiche I myght more properly call a tent than a mansion being suche as a manne maye not long tary in though nomanne dryue hym thence that we haue prepared for vs another howse in heauen from whence we shall neuer be excluded As for this howse of oures because it is made of claye and buylded by manne whether we wyll or not decayeth dayly albeit no man pull it downe euen as we see other buyldynges in continuaunce of tyme to be destroyed Mennes workmanshyp can not be of longe continuaunce but that whiche is repayred by god and once becomen heauenly is out of all suche ieoperdies as chaunce by reason of tyme. And so lytle feare we to departe out of this wretched body that vntyl that be we sygh here desyring to be discharged of the burdayne of our mortal carkas wherewith our soule is here in earth much burdeyned and kept downe desyrouse to flye hence to another place and to be clothed with the mansion of a gloryfied body which shall from heauen be gyuen vnto vs so that when we bee vnclothed of this bodye we bee not founde vtterlye naked but through a confidence of our good lyfe clothed with the hope of lyfe immortall For we grone in thys meane season for the heuynes of oure bodye thrall and subiecte to so manye miseries not because it is a thyng of it selfe to bee desyred of any man to departe hence but because we desyre to haue this bodye restored into a better fourme and for mortalitie by rysyng againe to receaue immortalitie so that we seme not vtterly spoyled of the bodye whiche we for a tyme forsoke but better clothed with the same as who for a corruptible bodye shall receaue an incorruptible And albeit this seme neuer so vnlikely that there shall for a mortall body ryse an immortall fre from all miseries yet muste we not mistruste the sonne It is god whiche hathe prepared vs to receaue the glory of lyfe immortall who hathe also in the meane season gyuen vs as a pledge or an earneste peny his holy spirite to confirme and establyshe vs with his present inspiracion in hope of that whiche is to come The texte Therfore we are alwaye of good cheare and knowe that as longe as we are at home in the body we are absent from God For we walke in fayth not after the outwarde appearaunce Neuerthelesse we are of good comforte and had leuer to be absent from the body and to be present with God Wherfore whether we be at home or from home we endeuour our selues to please hym For we must al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue the workes of his body accordyng to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Seyng then that we knowe how the Lorde is to be feared we fate fayre with men For we are knowen wel inough vnto god I trust also that we are knowen in your consciences For we prayse not our selues agayne vnto you but geue you an occasyon to reioyce of vs that ye maye haue somewhat agaynst them which reioyce in the face and not in the hearte For yf we bee to feruente to God are we to feruent Or yf we kepe measure for your cause kepe we measure For the loue of Christ constrayneth vs because we thus iudge that yf one dyed for al then were all dead he dyed for al ▪ that they which lyue should not hence furth lyue vnto themselues but vnto him which dyed for them and rose agayne Wherfore henceforth knowe we no man after the fleshe In somuche though we haue knowen Christ after the flesh now yet hence forth know we him so nomore Therfore yf any man be in Christ he is a newe creature Olde thynges are passed away behold all thynges are become newe Neuertheles all thinges are of God whiche hathe reconcyled vs vnto hymself by Iesus Chryst and hathe geuen to vs the office to preache the attonement For God was in Chryste and made agrement betwene the worlde and hym selfe and imputed not theyr synnes vnto them hath commytted to
strength and depende wholye of his helpe And this shall the rather come to passe yf hauyng a Ghospellike fayth you practyse also a Ghospellike charitie knittyng the oue to thother so as it maie vtterlye reste and take rote in your soules to the entent that being established and grouÌ„ded vpon this sure fouÌ„dacion you maye ware greater and greater in your spirite and after a certayn wise be correspondent to the vnmeasurable spirite of God that you maie grow and go forward so perfitely that not onelye with the Iewes but also with the vniuersall multitude of Sayntes whiche are encorporated to the bodye of Christe through the beliefe of the Ghospell you maie bee hable to comprehend how infinitely the goodnesse of God extendeth it selfe and how it is not restrained within narrowe bondes and limittes in heigth reachyng vp to the angels in depth pearcyng downe to the helles in length and breadth spreadyng it selfe vnto all coastes of the worlde and that you maye be hable also to vnderstand the inestimable charitie of Christe towardes mankynde whose knowledge excelleth all the knowledge of man how excellente so euer it be And that you may in these gyftes so encreace that as perfite and lustye membres you maye bee answerably mete for so noble a heade and so hygh a father For lyke as the bodyly byrth hath degrees of ages hath his encreases and hath his measure as long as his growing time endureth euen so this spiritual generacion also hath his childehood hath his springing time and than his perfite lusty growen age For these thynges I saye I praye often vpon my knees vnto God the father Which thinges in dede although thei be greate and far about mannes power yet I desyre them of hym whose power is so myghty that we cannot possibly Imagyne so great a matter but he is hable to dooe muche greatter and is so good and so gentill that he dooeth not onelye accoumplishe our desyres wyth his owne liberalitye but also geueth vs muche more than we can hope for And yet there is nothyng in this behalfe dooen other throughe our merites or powers For we are nothyng elles but the instrument of the diuyne power that woorketh his owne myghte in vs so that all glorye that florisheth in the congregacion is wholy to be ascribed to hys largesse through Christ Iesus by whose participacion the congregacion is endowed with so excellente gyftes and of this glorye there shall bee no ende but it shall endure through all ages to ternally like as the congregacion of Christ shal also haue none end That that I haue sayed is certayne and vndoubtedly true The .iiii. Chapter The texte I Therfore whiche am a prysoner of the Lordes exhorte you that ye walke worthy of the vocacion wherewith ye are called with al lowlines and mekenes with humblenes of mynde forbearyng one an other thorowe loue and be diligente to kepe the vnitie of the 〈◊〉 thorowe the bonde of peace being one body and one spirite euen as ye are called in one hope of your calling Let there bee but one Lord one fayth one baptisme one God and father of all whiche is aboue all and thorowe all and in you all NOw inasmuche as ye perceiue from how vyle a condicion vnto what great dignitye from how depe desperacion to what excellente benefites you are called I beseche you for these cheines sakes wherwith I am tyed not for mine own faultes but for the glorye of God and your saluacion that asmuche as remaineth behynde you would conforme youre selues in honest coÌ„uersacion answerably to your professioÌ„ to the mercifulnes that God hath shewed to youwardes And that shal be doen in case the excellencye of your profession make you not to hygh minded nor to fearcely stomaked But see that all the custome of your life resemble in all thynges true modestye gentilnesse and lenyte of mynde so that one disdeyne not an other but euerye one suffre other through mutual charitie rather one bearyng with an others weakenesse for the tyme than whan euerye one goeth about to holde his owne with tothe and nayle you breake concorde and vniforme loue wherwith you are made one and vnited together through the bonde of peace For it is not conueniente that such mennes myndes should be deuided among theÌ„selues that haue so many thynges commune You are al one bodye you depende all of one heade you haue all receiued of one selfe spirite of Christ and you are also indifferentely called all into one hope of inheritaunce There is one lord of al Iesus Christ al haue but one profession of faith there is but one baptisme of al that by the meanes of Christes death is indifferently effectuall vnto all that beleue the Ghospell whether they bee circumcised or vncircumcised Finallye there is but one God and father of al that as the prynce autour of all thynges hath dominion ouer vs all in suche sorte that by his spirite wherewith he gouerneth vs he geueth hymselfe vnto all and kepeth continual residence with vs releuyng and helpyng vs in all thynges so that it is the gifte of onely one what good thyng soeuer we haue The texte Unto euery one of vs is geuen â—race according to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Wherefore he saieth when he went vp on hye he led captiuitie captiue gaue gyftes vnto men That he ascended what meaneth it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earthe He that descended is euen the same also that ascended vp aboue all heauens to fulfill all thinges And the verye same made some Aposties some Prophetes some EuaÌ„gelistes some shepeherdes and teachers to yâ— edifiyng of the saintes to the worke and ministracion euen to the edifiyng of the bodye of Christe till we all come to the vnitie of fayth and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfeit man vnto the measure of the full perfeit age of Christe This ought in no wyse to hynder our concorde that the giftes of God bee not all after one sorte nor all alyke appearyng in al menne no more than we see the meÌ„bres of the body not agre or to be racked one froÌ„ an other because thei be not indiffereÌ„tly apte al to one vse or fele not al alike the influence of the head But this maner varietie ought rather to be the occasion of vnitie For inasmuch as no meÌ„bre of the body is hable fully to vphold himself of himself it commeth to passe that euerye one muste haue nede of an others offyce so that one maye not contemne an other But this distribucion of gyftes dependeth not of vs but of the wyll of God who distributeth vnto euerye man lesse or more as it semeth expedient in his owne syghte There is no cause why he shoulde bee disdeyned that hath lesse nor why he shoulde exalte hymselfe that hathe more That one is after Goddes measuryng thys other is after Goddes plenteous enlargyng and all by Christe which geueth
as they that go aboute to please menne but as the seruauntes of Christ dooyng the wyll of God from the hearte with good wyll seruyng the Lorde not menne Knowyng this that whatsoeuer good thyng any manne dooth the same shall he receyue agayne of God whether he be bonde or free And ye masters dooe euen the same thynges vnto them puttyng awaye threatenynges Knoweyng that your master also is in heauen nether is there any respect of person wyth hym LEt autoritie be gouerned by charitie that in any wyse it practise no tirannie And on the other side let reuerent feare holde vnder the lower sort so as through to much sufferaunce they waxe not rebellious For there can no concorde nor quietnes possibly be where all is hauocke without ordre Ouer the wyfe the husband onely hath autoritie But the children are bounden to acknowlege the autoritie both of father and mother Therefore accordyng to this rule you children be curteous and obedient vnto your father and mother at al theyr honeste Christian commaundementes For this doeth euen the equitie of nature also require that we shoulde honour them to whome we are bounden for bringing vs in to the worlde and be kinde vnto thē by whose goodnes we are nourished and broughte vp And to be briefe the very lawe of god commaundeth the same and sayeth honour thy father thy mother And it was not inough to geue that commaundement as it doth in the other commaundementes Thou shalt doe no murther Thou shalt not steale c. But he added also a reward vnto it to allure them the rather to doe theyr duetie although those thinges that are honest ought to be dooen frely without rewarde But what rewarde doeth the scripture promise That it may happen wel vnto the sayth it and that thou mayest be long liued vpon earth Verely it is to be thought that persone not to be worthy of long life that is vnkynde and rebellious agaynst them by whome he hath receiued the vse of his life On the other part you fathers abuse not your autoritie the obedience of your children thinking that you may lawfully do to thē what you lust They are children and not bonde seruauntes Let gentlenes mitigate autoritie You must beware that through waiwardnes of your old age or through strayt dealing or immoderate frowardnes you amend them not but prouoke their stomakes to bee wurse In case they doe amisse by reason of youthe they ought so to be admonished that they may be rather taught than discouraged Let this be the speciallest poynt of your charge so to enforme them with mouicions and instruccions from theyr tender yeares and so to allure them with the exaumples of godlines that it may appeare they were brought vp vnder Christian parentes accordyng to the doctrine of Christe For by this meanes shal they soner be brought to good frame then with threatninges or crueltie if they be taught and not altogether compelled You seruauntes let it appere by you that the profession of the gospel hath made you better and more profitable And the duetie that other doe to their maisters vnto whom they are bounden after the temporall condicion of seruitude loke you on your behalfe doe it much more aboundauntly For the office of baptisme is not to geue this libertie that you shoulde bee in bondage no more but that you shoulde dooe youre bounden seruice the more diligently nor that your will shoulde be to disdayne your maisters because they are become brethren with you in profession but so muche the more you ought to haue them in reuerence and be the more afrayde to offend them Nor do not as the common sorte of seruauntes doth your duetie for feare and in your mynde curse them and watche them but with an vpright sincere conscience obey them considering this with your self that you do this duetie vnto Christ vnto whose wil you are obedient although peraduenture your maisters deserue not that obedience By this meanes shall it come to passe that you shall not be lyke to the common trade of seruauntes that dooe theyr maisters commaundementes while they be presently in syght for feare of displeasure But assone as they thynke no body seeth them than they wil do as they luste In dede thys is to serue vnto the eye and not of a conscience and nothing elles but to couet to please men and not Christe In whose syghte nothing is acceptable that is counterfayetly done or els by coaccion But be you as it becummeth the seruauntes of Christe hartely and faythfully curteous diligent in your dueties doing towardes your maysters not because necessitie enforceth you but because God so willeth you And see you alienate not your selues from doing your dueties albeit you haue croked and wieked mē to your maisters For in dede it is an expediente forwardenes of the Gospell that you shoulde be curteous vnto them so that your obedience turne not vnto vngodlinesse And considre with your selues that you doe that vnto Christ that you doe vnto them for the Gospels sake and that you doe it vnto God and not vnto men inasmuche as you doe it to men for the loue of God And in case you winne them vnto Christe through your diligence it is a righte well bestowed duetie But and if they shew themselues vnthankeful yet know you for a certaintie that no man shall lose the rewarde of his well doing And although he shal not receiue it at mans hand yet he shall once vndoubtedly receyue it of the lord not onely the bondman but also the freeman whatsoeuer good turne he shall hartely bestow vpon an vnthankeful man Now to conclude like as those bondseruauntes that professe Christe ought to be so much the more profitable vnto their maisters euen so is it requisite that christiā maisters be the more gentle in commaunding their seruauntes and in their behauiours to vse themselues in such wise as they may appeare to couet rather to be loued then feared and to be hartely louing vnto theyr bond seruauntes inasmuch as they be receiued into the felow ship of brethren and not alwayes ready to threate and to beate as the common sorte of maisters is accustomed to doe Let your seruauntes perceiue that you are become the more gentle by reason of the Gospel so as they also may the rather be allured vnto that professiō as wel as you if peraduenture they haue not yet alredy professed and considre that maisters autoritie is but a temporali thing and onely established by mans lawe And for all that it becummeth not vs in any wise to disturbe it yet neuertheles there is no respect of persons with god For he maketh neuer a whit the lesse of any mā because he is a bonde seruaunte nor maketh the more of any manne because he is a gentleman borne According to mans lawes you maisters haue power ouer your seruauntes vpon earth but for all that in the meane tyme you haue a maister in heauen as well as they
vnto the prayse of God the father Let not this wycked thought come in any of your myndes why shoulde I beyng the better gyue place wyttynglye and wyllynglye vnto hym that is worse Be not ashamed to folowe the example of Christe For why doth it not become you beyng companyons and but felowe lyke to be so louinglye mynded one to an other as Christe was to vs all In case he haue chalenged superioritie to hym selfe In case he haue gredylye soughte after hys owne gayne than maye you honestlye ynoughe stryue one wyth an other for suche thynges But he where he was veray God by nature and declared hym selfe to be God by expresse dedes in that that he restored dead men vnto lyfe agayne with a becke in that he altred the elementes and natures of thynges in that he maketh deuilles obedyent to his commaundement in that he healeth all kyndes of dyseases wyth a worde yet to the intente he myghte set vs an example of perfite modestie he thoughte it no rauyne to be equall wyth God and neuertheles humbled and made hymselfe basse among men lokynge to receyue glorye of the father the entraunce wherunto his example teacheth to be not by proude ambition but by lowe humilitie And where he was the moste hyghest he humbled him selfe so lowe neuerthelesse that he was not onelye conuersaunt as a man amonge men beyng payned for lacke of slepe and suffryng thurste honger wearynesse pouertie and other daungiers and iniuries after the condicion of vs but also he toke vpon hym the shape of a seruaunte and that of an hurtefull seruaunte wheras he is very innocencie it selfe For what is it elles but the desertes of an hurtefull seruaunte to be taken to be bounden to be scourged with whippes and to be spytte vpon But Christe submitted hym selfe not to abyde thus muche onely but also as thoughe he had bene an euell dooer he humblye suffred the punishement of death and that the mooste shamefull deathe of the crosse Suche was the decreed wyll of the father that Christe shoulde suffre these paynes for oure offences and he shewed hymselfe wyllynglye obedyent in all thynges not shrynkyng in any condition to abyde what so euer was auayleable to our saluation They that are of a worldely affected mynde are corruptelye prouoked vnto feyned boastyng of them selues throughe ambicion and stryfe thoughe other deserue the prayse But he that is a christian and seketh after true glorye that neuer shall decaye muste preace vnto it the same waye that Christe entred into it The waye vnto true glorye is by false feyned slaunders and the entrie vnto immortall thirfte is throughe losse of transitorie thynges that fade awaye in a moment It behoueth not to stryue for commendacion but to deserue commendacion Will you heare what Christe deserued by hys humilytie Certes he vsed not arrogauntlye amonge men to boaste of hys maiestie before the time but God the father aduaunced his sonne vnto mooste excellente hyghnesse and throughe humilitie and shame of the crosse exalted hym and gaue him a name that passeth all the glorye that man can reporte of y◠is to say y◠in the name of y◠same Iesus which was spitte vpō crucified euery knee should bowe make courtesie not only of thynges that that are on earth but of al thinges also y◠are ether vnder the earth or in the heauens aboue And that there should be no kynd of tongue either of men or of aungelles or deuilles but it shoulde confesse that Iesus is the prince and Lorde of all thynges and that he sytteth on God the fathers ryghte hande as equall possessor of all hys kyngdome and glorye and that vnto the glorye of God the father frome whome procedeth and vnto whom redoundeth all the glory of the sonne What mannes ambicion what ryches what kyngdome what humayne diligence dyd euer wynne any man so excellente renoume with men as Christes humilitie wonne vnto hym And as for these thynges he did all for our sakes and not for his owne For he neyther deserued to be brought lowe nor neded to be aduaunced hygher But that you should learne to practise lyke humilitie in asmuche as without it you can not possyblye be preserued The texte Wherfore my dearely beloued as ye haue alwayes obeyed not whē I was presēt only but now much more in myne absence euen so worke our youre owne saluacyon wyth feare and tremblyng For it is God whiche worketh in you bothe the will and also the deede euen of good wyl Do al thynge without murmuring and dysputyng that ye maye be suche as no man can complayne on and vnfained sonnes of god without rebuke in y◠middes of a croked and peruerse nation among whom see that ye shyne as lightes in the world holdyng fast the worde of lyfe that I maye reioyce in the daye of Christ how that I haue not tunne in vayne neither haue laboured in vayne Yea though I be offred vp vpon the offryng and sacrifice of your faith I reioyce reioyce with you all For the same cause also do ye reioyce and reioyce with me Nowe therefore my dearely beloued brethren see that you goe forwarde also in thys behalfe to be lyke youre selues styll that euen lyke as accordyng to the example of Christ you haue alwayes obeied the ghospel preached by vs so loke you do styll herafter not onely whan we shal be present but much more nowe when we are absente and shewe that diligente endeuour one to an other that I would haue bestowed vnto you in case I had ben present with you Doe the businesse of youre saluation not carelesly but with all carefulnes and tremblyng and considre howe weyghtie a cause you muste take in hande to defende and what maner of aduersaties you muste haue to doe with all There is no oportunitie to slepe or to be careles and agayne there is no cause why you shoulde be discouraged For youre parte is to stycke to it with all your possyble powers But it is God that worketh thys habilitie in you that as perteynynge to youre saluation you maye bothe wyll and doe the thyng that your good purpose putteth you in mind that you should not be ignoraunt vu to whom it is to be ascribed yf your will put any thyng in to your mynde It standeth you in hande with all circumspect behauiour to commende the doctrine of the ghospell expressely in your owne conuersacion euen to them that be straungers to it Whiche thing you shall doe in case they see you lyue in perfite concorde and like trusly affiaūce and that what so euer you doe be done without murmurynges and puttyng of doubtes of which the one apperteyneth to them that doe thynges agaynst theyr willes the other commeth of theym that haue none affiaunce in that they doe But be you rather syncerely vyryghte in all thynges and of so pure and vnspotted demeanour that no man be hable iustlye to complayne of you and that it maye euindently appeare vnto
gloryes sake in stede of true godlynesse they teache Iewyshe obseruations circumcision of the foreskynne choyse of meates dyfference of dayes to the intent that other men beyng burthened with these wares they them selues maye reigne and lyue at ease for all that as though after this lyfe they loked after none other But let the ende of them fraye vs awaye from their condicions For lyke as through slaunderous reproche of man we drawe to eternall glorye and by afflictions of this world preace vnto immortall felicitie euen so they by transitorye pleasures of the worlde procure to them selues euerlastyng destruction bycause in stede of God they honour their belye that can not helpe them and by countrefaicte vayne glorye among men whiche they repose not in Christe but in thinges that they ought to be ashamed of they make spede to euerlastynge shame For what soeuer is earthly is but temporall and countrefayte and what so euer is heauenly is true and euerlastynge But they studye for nothynge elles but those thinges that are of the earthe In them they repose their glorye in them they set their pleasure in them they put theyr hope of helpe and so runne astraye ferre from the marke of the gospell But we that folowe Christ aright though our bodyes be deteyned vpon earthe yet in soule our conuersacion is in heaueÌ„ sighing continuallye thither as our head is gonne afore from whence also through faythe we loke for our lorde Iesus Christ whiche shall rayse vs from death and delyuer vs possession of those thinges that he promyseth vs and shall transforme this vyle naughtye bodye of ours and make it lyke vnto his owne glorious bodye for this consyderacion that the membres which wer felowes of his afflictions in this worlde shoulde be called there into the felowshyp of hys felicitye This matter shall not seme vncredible to any man that wyll dyligentlye pondre the great power of him that shall doo this dede For there is nothinge but he can brynge it to passe in whose hande it is also to subdue all thinges to himselfe at his owne pleasure This power he shall openlye shewe than vnto al men although in the meane season he doo many times kepe it close The .iiii. Chapter The texte ¶ Therfore my brethren dearly beloued and longed for my ioye and crowne so continue in the Lorde ye beloued I praye Euodias and beseche Sintiches that they be of â—ne accorde in the Lorde Yee and I beseche the faythfull rockefelowe helpe the wemen whiche laboured with me in the ghospell and with Clement also and with other my labourfelowes whose names are in the boke of lyfe INasmuche therfore as you are established with the hope of such great hyghe matters my dearly beloued brethren and longed for whose good successe I repute to be myne owne ioye whose victorye I take to be my crowne lyke as you haue begonne see yâ— you so continue suffre not your selues to be draweÌ„ away froÌ„ Iesus Christ Moreouer my welbeloued brethren I eftesones beseche Euodias and I desire Sintiches and eyther of them by them selues that they agree in one true concorde of myndes in promotynge the gospell of Christe And I also require the myne owne true naturall wyfe whiche agreist with me in the trauayle of the gospel helpe these women that were partetakers of my labours and daungers in the gospel and Clement also with the rest that wet my labourfelowes in yâ— gospell Whose names what nedeth me to rehearse inasmuche as they are wrytten in the boke of lyfe and shall neuer be scraped out In that boke are the names of all them wrytten that with their dilygences helpe forewarde the businesse of the gospell of whose nombre you are also The texte ¶ Reioyce in the Lorde alwaye and againe I saye reioyce Let youre softenesse be knowen vnto all men The Lorde is euen at hande Be careful for nothinge but in all prayer and supplycacion let youre pericyons be manifest vnto God with geuynge of thanckes And the peace of God whiche passeth all vnderstandynge kepe your hertes and myndes thorow Christ Iesu For these causes sakes reioyce alwayes euen in the myddes of your afflyctions Againe I eftesones saye reioyce and be of good cheare And how hottely so euer the iniquitie of the wicked rage against you yet let youre patience and modest softenes be knowen and seen vnto all maner of men not only vnto the brethren but to them also that are straungers from Christe so that they beyng prouoked the rather by your good demenoure maye be allured vnto the felowshyp of the gospell For gentilnesse of behauioure wynneth and breaketh the vngodly Couet not in any wise to reuenge you of theÌ„ nor yet enuy not them their pleasaunt delytes For the commyng of Christ is at hande whiche shall rendre vnto you the ioyes of immortalitie for contemnyng the commodities of this worlde And as for them they shall suffre the peynes of their owne fonde folyshenes Lyue you for your parte without care for any thinge But care for this onely that whan Christe shall come he maye fynde you readyly prepared of him depende you entierlye with all youre hartes Yf you haue nede of any thinge truste not to the helpe of the worlde but call vpon god with continuall supplicacions and make your moane to him with feruent desires whan you require any thing And geue him thankes what so euer chaunceth to you prosperitie or aduersite beynge certainlye assured that he wyll also turne your aduersitie into prosperitie For he knoweth well ynoughe what is profytable for you althoughe you aske nothynge But yet he loueth to be called vpon with suche manner of intercessions he loueth to be entreated and as it wer enforced with godly besechinges And so the peace wherby you are reconsyled vnto god beyng a thing of more gracious efficacie than mannes reason is hable to perceaue shall strengthen your hartes and your consciences against all terrouts that can possiblye happen in this worlde For what should that man be afraied of whiche knoweth that God loueth him dearly through Iesus Christ Therfore lyke as I woulde haue you without care of those thinges wherwith this worlde either flattereth or maketh afrayed â–ª euen so you must applye your selues with all your diligent endeuours to ware â—iche in vertues whiche maye make you acceptable to God The texte ¶ Furthermore brethren whatsoeuer thinges are true what soeuer thinges are honâ—â—â— whatsoeuer thinges are iust what soeuer thinges are pure what soeuer thinges are coÌ„â—â—nyent what soeuer thinges are of honeste reporte yâ— there be any vertue yâ— there be any prayse of lernynge those same haue ye in youre mynde whiche ye haue both learned and receaued hearde also and sene in me those thinges dâ— and the God of peace shal be with you I reioyce in the Lorde greatly that nowe at the last youre â—are is reuyued againe for me in that wherin ye were also carefull but ye lacked oportunitie I speake out because
and shewed hym selfe somtimes in a clowde somtymes in fire otherwhiles in a softe whistling winde nowe vnder one likenesse and nowe vnder an other somewhiles by Angels somewhiles by secrete inspiracion of mynde at the length in these laste dayes because he would more manyfestly declare his charitie towardes vs and put vs in more assuraunce he dayned to speake vnto vs not by Angell nor yet by a man Prphete but by hys onely sonne Iesus Christ whome he hath by his eternall appoyntmente and determinacion made heyre and Lorde not alonely of the Iewyshe nacion but of the whole worlde as hym that is his true only sonne who is the Lord of all thinges that are made in heauen in earth according as the father promised before in yâ— psalmeÌ„s Neither is it any merueyle if he would haue the seignory of the whole world commen betwene hys sonne and hym syth that by him he made the same By worde he made the worlde and the sonne is the eternal worde of the euerlastyng father neither made he the worlde by hys sonne as by an instrument or seruaunte but all thynges were so wrought in the creacion therof that there was one the selfe same power of the father creating it and the some For Iesus Christ is not so the sonne of God as godly men are oftetymes called the children of God because they obey gods commaundementes but because he was begotteÌ„ God of God the father and so begotten that he is of the same nature with the father And where as he was the euerlasting bryghtnesse of the fathers glory as light procedyng from light and the very image and resemblaunce of hys substaunce lyke in all poyntes and equall vnto him of whome he was be gotten and where he is not alonely the maker of all creatures but also gouerneth and turneth aboute all thinges that are made and created with his becke and almyghty commaundement together with almighty God the father yet marke whitherto he abased him selfe for our cause He toke vpoÌ„ him mans nature subiecte to al the iniuries of our wretched state and conditioÌ„ and dying offred vp him selfe a sacryfice for our sinnes in the aulter of the crosse wheras before the priest of Moses lawe was woonte to pourge synnes by the offryng of a beastes bloude he purged the offences of all mankynd by shedyng of his owne holy bloude and by this abasyng and humblyng of hymselfe gate so greate glory that after he was reliued and retourned into heauen he sate on the ryght side of the maiestie of God the father wherin he was alwayes egall vnto hym as touching his diuyne nature But his maiestie more plainly appeared vnto the worlde thorowe his humilitie in somuche that he who semed before more lowe and abiecte then the loweste is nowe greater and so takeÌ„ not only then the prophetes but also then the Angels selfes and so much the greater as the name of a sonne hath in it more dignitie then the name of a seruaunt For this worde angell is a vocable or worde signifying a ministre and is a name agreyng to an inferioâ—re Vndoubtedly high and great is the dignitie of aungels for that they alwayes assyste the father and beholde hys visage And amonge them there are some that excell the rest in dignytie The texte For vnto which of the Aungels sayed he at any tyme Thou art my sonne thys daye haue I begotten the. And agayneÌ„ â–ª I wyll be hys father and he shal be my sonne And agayne when he bringeth in the first begotten sonne into the world he sayeth And â—eraâ— the Aungels of God worshyppe hym And vnto the Aungels he sayeth He maketh his angels spyrites his mynisters a flame of fire But vnto the sonne he saith Thy seate O God shal be for euer and euer The scepter of thy kyngdome is a ryght scepter Thou hast loued ryghtewesnes and hated iniquytie Wherfore God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy felowes But vnto what Aungell dyd God euer geue so great honour that he vouchesafed to call hym by the name of his sonne wheras he speaketh vnto Christe in the misticall psalme in this wyse thou art my sonne I haue begotten thee to day And again I will be his father he shal be my soÌ„ne For he made angels of nought but his sonne he begate of his owne proper substaunce lyke in euery thing egall vnto hymselfe Agayne when in the mistycall psalme he bryngeth his sonne into the worlde hauing vpon hym the habite of mans body he speaketh in this manour And let al the angels of God worshyp hym True it is that seruauntes are honoured but the soÌ„ne who is egall with the father is adored worshypped But where holy scripture expresseth the dignitie of aungels what sayeth it â–ª who maketh sayth the scripture his angels spyrites his ministers a flame of fyer That angels were created that haue they commen with other thinges which were likewise created of almighty God That they were made spirites and mindes free from the mortalytie corrupcion of mans body that they alwaies burning with godly charitie assiste their maker as quicke and nimble ministers of his godly wyll commauÌ„dement therin vndoubtedly they excell vs. But howe much greater are the wordes that he speaketh vnto the sonne Thy seate o God shalde for euer and euer the scepâ—re of thy kyngdome is a right scepter Ye heare how the name of God is geuen vnto the soÌ„ne ye heare howe the seare of a kingdome is geuen him of a kingdome I saye that neuer shall haue ende It foloweth in the same Psalme Thou hast loued ryghtuousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath enoynted the with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy felowes Ye heare that he was specially enoiâ—ted of God the father aboue all hys felowes eyther men or aungels The texte And thou Lorde in the begynning haste layde the foundacion of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes They shal perishe but thou endurest But they all shall wexe olde also as doth a garment as a vesture shalt thou chaunge them and they shal be chaunged But thou arte euen the same and thy yeâ—es shall not fayle Vnto whych of the aungels sayd he at any tyme sitte on my right hande tyll I make thyne enemyes thy fore stole Are they not all ministryng spyrites that are sente to minister for theyr sakes which shal be heyres of saluacion And agayne marke howe muche autorytâ—e is geuen the sonne in an other Psalme and thou Lord sayth the Prophete in the begynning haste layed the foundacions of the earth and the heauens are the workes of thy handes They shall peryshe but thou endureste and they all shall waxe olde as doth a garmente and as a vesture shalt thou winde them aboute and they shall sodaynly be chaunged but thou art euen the same and thy yeares shal not fayle To what aungell were these
once professed a christian lyfe priuely loueth worldly thinges and doth not with pure minde and affeccion hasten vnto the reste promised The texte Seyng then that we haue a greate hye priest which is entred into heauen euen Iesus the sonne of god let vs holde the profession of our hope For we haue not an hie priest which cannot haue compassion on our infirmities but was in all pointes â–ª tempted like as we are but yet without synne Let us therefore goe boldely vnto the seate of grace that we maye obtayne mercie and finde grace to helpe in tyme of nede Seeyng then we haue an hye priest who is verely great Iesus Christ the sonne of god whiche after the sacrifice made for our reconciliacion entred not into the moste secrete parte of the temple made with handes but into heauen to make the father mercifull vnto vs Let vs abide stil in our professioÌ„ folowing the way that he hath shewed vs and hastening to those thynges whiche he hath promised Let not his greatenesse feare vs but his mercye rather encourage vs. Trueth it is that he dwelleth in heauen but he was before a man conuersaunt in earth Let vs not therefore ymagyne that we haue an hye priest which caÌ„not take compassion on our infirmitie He was tempted withall kynde of euils the which oure lyfe ys combred with all howbeit he retourned agayne into heauen a conquerour to th entent yâ— we trustyng on hys ayde shoulde not be weried or ouercome with affliccions but couragiously goe thorowe vnto the reste of euerlastyng felicitie the whych he came vnto For he was for no other cause afflicted beaten spytte vpon and crucified as an harmfull person where he was innocent and gyltlesse but onely to pourge vs who are in very dede hurtfull caytifes and inners from al oure sinnes and iniquities He hath not thaâ—â—ged hys affeccion towardes vs so that we tourne hym not awaye from vs by oure owne vicyous behauioure and frowardnesse Therfore trustyng on hys mercy let vs goe vnto hys seate not hys terrible but appesable seate whych is ready to helpe and not to destroye vs let vs come boldly putting no doubtes to obtaine mercy at his handes wherby dure synnes maye be pardoned and grace also geuen that maye furnyshe vs with heauenly gyftes and helpe vs so ofte as nede shall require For we muste desire no aydes but of hym onely of whome we truste to haue ouâ— rewardes The .v. Chapter The texte For euery hye presâ—e that is taken from amonge men is ordained for men in thinges pertayning to God to offer giftes and sacrifrces for sinne which can haue compassion on the ignoâ—aâ—â—te and on them that erâ—e out of the waye â—oâ—asmuch as he hym selfe also is compassed with infyrmitie And for the same infyrmities sake he is bounde to offer for sinnes as well for hym selfe as for the people And no man taketh honoure vnto him selfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron FVrthermore it is an vsage amonge the Iewes that euery hye priest chosen from amonge men be ordayned for thys purpose yâ— in such businesses as chaunce betwene God and man he as a mediatoure betwene both maie make intercession for menne in such wise that yf God be any thyng dyspleased wyth mennes offences he may appease his wrath by giftes and sacrifices duely offred the which hie priest for the dignities sake of hye priesthoode canne in suche wise do muche with God that he is not yet free from mannes infirmitie to theâ—tent he maye be the readyer to take compassion on them who haue sinned thorowe erroure and ignoraunce in asmuche as he hym selfe is subiecte vnto the same infirmitie in that he is of the selfe same nature that they he of For suche are sooner sory for other mennes euils and dyspleasures as haue them selues learned mercy and compassion by the tastyng of lyke euils aduersities and he is gladder to reamedy other mennes errours and offences which falleth oftentymes hym selfe or at the leastwyse is in ieopardie to fall And for thys cause Moses priest ought as well to offre sacrifice for hys owne synnes as he offreth for the peoples offences Nowe Christ had so a tommune nature with vs subiecte vnto paynes and death that he was notwithstandyng with out all manour of synne He had experience of payne who neuer knewe any synne Furthermore accordyng to the ordinaunces of Moses lawe no man taketh vpon him and vsurpeth the honourable ministracion of hye priest hod of hys owne accorde but he onely taketh it in hande that is called thereunto by goddes commaundement lykewyse as Aaron was called For he semeth vn worthâ— of honour whoso by reason of ignoraunce ambiciously desireth digintie and that man is not meete for a rowme or ministracion whych intrudeth hym selfe into the same The texte Euen so Christ also glorifyed not him selfe to be made the hye prieste but he that safed vnto hym thou art my sonne thys daye haue I beâ—otten the gloryfyed hym As he saieth also in another place thou art a Prieste for euer after the order of Melchisedech Whâ—che in the dayes of his fleshe when he had offered vp praiers suppsicacions â–ª with strong criyng and teares vnto him that was able to saue â—iâ— from death and was heard because of his reuerence thoughe he were ehe sonne of God yet learned he obedience â–ª by those thynges whych he suffered anâ— he beyng perfecte was the cause of eternall saluacion vnto al them that obeyed hym and is called of God an hye priest after the order of Melchisedech And herein also Christ gaue vs an ensample of a lawfull bishop For he toke not vpon him of his owne accord the glorious dignitie of an hie priest but was allowed of hys father who firste acknowledged Iesus to be hys true sonne when he sayed Thou art my sonne thys daye haue I begotten the. And also he ordeâ—neth hunanon after a true and lawful hie priest when he sayeth Thou art a priest for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech Ye haue hearde howe he was ordeyâ—ed Nowe herken howe he was tempted and proued When as yet he had a mortall body in earth he offred prayers and supplicacions vnto god the father who could haue preserued him from the punyshment of the crosse excepte he had bene more desyrous to prouyde for mannes safetie by the death of hys sonne He offred them with seruent affeccion greate crying and plentifull teares and was hearde by reason of hys charytie and soueraygne dignitie with the father He obteyned hys desyre For hys wyll and desyre was not to escape the punyshment of the crosse but to procure vs soule health by hys death He felte greate feare he felte the torment anguyshe of death but the loue that he bare towardes mankynde preuayled He was the sonne and coulde haue obtayned any thyng of the father if he had desired it but thus was it thought to be more conuenyent for our health that he beyng afflicted with
that whensoeuer nede requireth he may make intercessioÌ„ for his vnto god For he hath not so offered a sacrifice that it should profite a fewe a short while but that it should be auaylable to all men and at al times hable to pacifye gods wrath Therfore sens the lawe was heauenlye and perfite it was meete that oure hye prieste shoulde also be such a one that is to say godly without deceyte vndefyled farre seperate from the coumpanye of synners lyfted vp aboue all the heauens who needeth not dayly to offer oppe sacrifice as Moses priestes did first for his own sinnes and then for the peoples sinnes For what manour of atonemakers were they who themselfes had nede to be made at one with god vnto whome they made intercession for other mennes offences what manour a sacrifice was that which for sundrie sinnes was of necessitie ofte tymes to be made again Our hye priest who had no sinne of his owne toke vnto him the sinnes of the whole worlde and once offered vp a sacrifice for all menne not a beast but hys owne proper persone For Moses lawe as it was weake and vnperfite so dyd it ordayne suche hye priestes as were subiect to infirmitie But the worde of the othe that I spake of right now which declareth that a better lawe shall succede in stede of the olde ordeineth not euery man indifferently but the very sonne of god a priest for euer more ready at all times and mete to make intercession for vs for that neyther death can take him away neither any infirmitie let hym to be a conueniente and perfite besecher for vs. The .viii. Chapter The texte Of the thynges whiche we haue spoken this is the pith that we haue suche an hye prieste as sitteth on the ryght hande of the seate of maiestie in heauen and is a mynister of holye thynges and of the trewe tabernacle whiche God pyght and not manne For euerye hye prieste is ordeined to offer giftes and sacrifices wherfore it is of necessitie that this man haue somewhat also to offer For he were not a priest if he were on the earth where are priestes that according to the lawe offer giftes which serue vnto thensaumple shadow of heauenly thynges euen as the answer of God was geuen vnto Moses when he was about to finishe the tabernacle Take hede said he that thou made al thynges accordyng to the patron whiche is shewed to thee in the mount OF the thynges whiche we haue so largelye entreated of before the chiefe poynte and effecte is that hereafter we haue not in admiracion Moses hye prieste synce wee haue one soe excellente in all poyntes that he sytteth on the ryght syde of the royall seate of god in heauen to the entente he maye duely make not those figuratiue sacrifices prescribed by Moses but the trewe and heauenly sacrifices and bee within the tabernacle I meane not that figuratyue tabernacle pytched of man but in the secrete places of the true tabernacle pitched by almightie God disseuering heauenly thinges from earthly Furthermore sens that euery hye priest is wonte to be ordeyned for this intente that he may offer giftes and sacrifices to God howe were it possible for him to be a lawful hie prieste whiche hath nothyng to offer Nowe if it so be that an earthly priesthood were geuen to Christ after lyke manour as vnto other then were he no priest for that he neuer offered ne offereth any of those sacrifices whiche are accustoinably offered of other priestes according to the prescripcion of the lawe the whiche sacrifices are nothing els but shadowes and certayne figures of the heauenly temple and celestiall sacrifyces For whatsoeuer Christe did euen in earth because it was not done after the fleshe but after the spirite came from heauen and thither reÌ„deth thesame compared vnto the grossenes of Moses priesthood is woorthely called heauenly And this god seemeth to haue signifyed when prescrybyng vnto Moses a forme to buylde a temple he speaketh in thys wise Se thou make all thinges according to the patron whiche was shewed thee in the mounte For Moses sawe with his spiritual iyes an other holyer manour of temple an other manour of sacrifyces and priesthood after the patron whereof â—edrew out in the meane season a certayn grosse figure of thinges till the tyme should come that god woulde haue shadowes geue place vnto trew thynges Nowe is the same tyme already presente The texte But nowe hath he obtained a priesthode so much the more eâ—cellente as he is the mediatour of a better testamente whiche was confirmed in better promises For yf that first testamente had been such that no faute coulde haue bâ—â—e found in it then should no place haue bâ—ne sought for the seconde For in rebukyng them he saieth vnto them Behold the daies come sayth the Lorde and I will finishe vpon the house of Israell and vpon the house of Iuda a newe testamente not lyke the testament that I made with they fathers in that daie when I toke them by the handes to leade them out of the lande of Egypte For they continued not in my testamente and I regarded them not saith the Lorde For this is the testament that I wyll make with the house of Israel After those dayes saith the lorde I wyl put my lawes in theyr myndes and in theyr hertes I wyll write them and I will be there God and they shal be my people And they shall not teache euery man his neighboure and euery man his brother saying â–ª knowe the lorde For they shall knowe me from the leaste to the moste of them For I wil be merciful ouer theyr vnrighteousnes and their sinnes and theyr iniquities wyll I thinke vpon nomore In that he sayth a nowe testamente he hath worne oute the olde For that whiche is worne out and weâ—ed olde is readye to vanishe awaye We haue an heauenly hye priest and a priesthood worthie and conueniente for hym so much more excellent then this other priesthood as the new testamente of the gospell excelleth the olde of Moses and as the promises of the new be more magnificeÌ„te and greater then the promises of the olde There the bodyes were cleansed with the bloude of beastes here soules are purified with the bloude of Christe There a lande is promised here are promised heauenly rewardes And in this testament our heauenly hye priest is a mediatoure betwene god and manne after an heauenly manoure If that fyrst testamente had bene suche a one that nothing hadde lacked therein as the Iewes dooe suppose then should there no place haue beene soughte for the seconde For it was but superfluous to adde anything where al thinges were perfite Nowe God complayneth that that fyrste testamente was vnprofitable and promyseth a better and of more efficacie speakynge in the Prophete Ieremye on thys wyse Beholde the dayes come layeth the Lorde I wyll fynishe vpon the house of Israell and vpon the house of Iuda a newe
accordyng to hys desartes For what is a more gloryous thyng than to be praysed of Christes owne mouthe whan you shall heare Come you blessed of my father what thyng is more honorable than to be receaued of God the father into the felowshippe of the kyngdome of heauen together with the sonne But thys glory although it shall be the comen glory of all godly folkes yet it shall chaunce more haboundauntly vnto them that haue suffered greater thynges vpon earth for Christes sake Whiche rewardes in case they were nome presently apparent the strength of faythe should bee no maruclous matter But nowe the special chiefe prayse of good folkes consisteth in this point that where you neuer sawe Christ with your bodyly eies yet with the eies of fayth you see him and loue him and wher as the violence of sorowes doeth openly presently grate vpon you but the rewardes which are kept till a daye doe not nowe appeare yet puttyng assured confidence in hys promisses you suffre these thynges with none other stomacke than yf the glory were presently furnyshed before your iyes neither doe you suffre only with boldenesse but also in the mydle of affliccions you reioyce with an vnspeakable ioy beyng ful of glory before God that is to say of a well hoping conscience and full of a certayne vnfeyned confidēce that where you suffre suche thynges vndeseruedly you shall by the will of God haboundauntly receyue a great fruyte of your fayth that is to wete the eternall saluacion of your soules For it is a great vauntage whan through the loosyng of the mortall body the immortall soule is preserued Thus it was decreed by the eternal counsayle of God that menne should atteyne saluacion by these meanes whereby euen Christe hymselfe came to euerlasting blessednesse The texte Of which saluacion haue the Prophetes enquired and searched which proheryed of the grace that should come vnto you searchyng when or at what tyme the spyryte of Christe which was in them should signifie which spyrite testified before the passiōs that should happen vnto Christ and the glory that should folow aftet vnto which Prophetes it was also declared that not vnto them selues but vnto vs they shoulde minister the thyuges which are nowe shewed vnto you of them which by the holy ghoste sent doune from heauen haue in the gospel preached vnto you the thinges which the Angels desyre to behold For these matters are not by chaunce brought to passe at all auentures but the selfe same thyng that we haue alreadye sene the olde Prophetes which prophecied before hand that you should be saued through faith and the grace of the gospell without the ayde of Moses lawe haue diligently sought and searched out not beyng contenteo to see as it were through a myste what shoulde be to come but they haue also with a godly curiositie searched out of the spirite of Christ which than presently signified vnto the by secret inspiracion what Christe should suffre and vnto what excellente glory he shoulde byanby be aduaunced vnto than what or what maner of tyme that shoulde come to passe forsomuche as theyr myndes were vehemently desirous of his sauing helth And vnto them it was also manifested that these thynges which they prophecied beforehand should come to passe should not be exhibited in their tymes but in yours and the thynges that they opened in their prophecies they opened vnto you not to them felues In dede they would haue wisshed to see that you haue chaunced to see but theyr prophecies were spoken before to thintent that we Apostles should be more certaynly credited which declare nowe vnto you the thynges already done that they had spoken beforehande should come to passe And that you shoulde also not stande in doubt the same spirite of Christe in tymes paste taught them with secret still inspiracions what he had determined to doe which lately cūmyng doune from heauen in fyrietongues instructed vs to thintent we should be preachers in al the whole worlde of the thinges that are come to passe For we preache Christ that became man foral our saluaciō sake was conuersaunt on earth was afflicted with reproches torments finally was nayled on the crosse suffered death for oure sakes and anon ratsed agayne to lyfe was exalted vnto heauen where now he glistreth in maiestie and glory with the father which before semed vpon earth to be but a vile rascall and an abiecte and thither also will he exalte those that his be These mattersinasmuch as they were done by the vnspeakable counsaill of God it is no maruell though the prophetes desired to see them seyng it is so excellently pleasant and acceptable a sight euen to the angels them selues to loke vpon with the beholding wher of they cannot be fulfilled The greater the benefite is which is offred vnto you the more gredyly you ought to embrace it that it be not through your owne fault that you atteyne it not The rewarde is certayn but it shal be your dueties for all that to behaue your selues so that you seme not vnworthy the promises The day that is loked for wil come which shal openly bryng forth the rewardes both of the godly and of the vngodly It wyll come once whansoeuer it shal be and it shal come pleasant and happy to suche as it shall fynde readyly prepared on the contrary parte it shall come fearfully to them that it shall fynde vnfaithfull sluggardes and carelesly mynded The texte Wherfore gyrde vp the loynes of your myndes be sobet trust pefectly on the grace that is brought vnto you by the declaryng of Iesus Christ as obedient chyldrcu that ye geue not your selues ouer vnto your olde lustes by whiche ye were led whau as yet ye were ignoraunte of Christe but as he which called you is holy euen so be yeholy also in all maner of conuersacion because it is writen ▪ Be ye holy for I am holy And if so be that ye call on the father which without respecte of person iudgeth accordyng to euery mannes worke se that ye passe the tyme of your pylgremage in feare And forasmuche as Chryst woulde haue that daye to be vncertayn vnto vs it behoueth you not to be in a securitie at any tyme but alwayes hauing the loynes of your myndes girded as menne readyly furnished to mete theyr Lordes comming watchyng and sober being alwayes stiered vp and put in mynde with the certayn and sure loking for of the euerlasting felicitie which now is offred vnto all men that obey the Gospell but yet it shal be possessed at length at suche tyme as our Lorde Iesus Christ shall openly shewe hys maiestie vnto al men and vnto angelles and deuiles howbeit they shall not come to that immortalitie but onely those that in a maner forecast the same in this worlde and according to the example of Iesus being deade to the lustes of this worlde lyue agayne agayne with him vnto innocencie and contynue stedfastly in it like laufull
yf throughe repentaunce they would haue aswaged yâ— wrath of god which they had prouoked vpon theÌ„selues by theyr own wickednes And so let your vpryghtenes be ynoughe vnto you let it be ynough for you to haue declared vnto other what rewarde iâ— prepared for them that beleue the gospel what peyne abideth the vnbeleuers If there be but a fewe saued by fayth it shall not be layed to your charge If a great part of men perishe throughe vnbelefe they perishe through their owne faulte After this sorte it was the wyll of God to vtter the difference betwene the good and the badde Baptisme receiued as it ought to be preserueth agaynst destruccion and wassheth awaye the fylthynes not of bodyes but of soules But baptisme beyng broken promisse withall destroyeth for euer and wyndeth into so muche the more haynous rageing streames of wickednessâ— Therfore the thing that is saluacion to some hauing faythe doth bringe destruccion to the vnbeleuers and suche as are rebellions agaynst fayth Notwithstandynge it is not ynough for you that through the floude of baptisme your sinnes are perished and that wicked lustes of the former conuersacion are lost onles ther be present a good conscience also in all the lyfe after correspondent to the benefit of God Christ died howbeit but only once he is risen again neuer to dye and vnto vs the synfulnesses of oure former olde lyfe are in lyâ—â— sort slayne by the death of Christ that we shoulde afterwarde lyue agayne to innocencie and neuer slyde backe agayne in to synnes as muche as lyeth in vs. That shall come to passe if we shall as it were settyng inortalytie apart desiâ—ou sly aspire vnto yâ— countrey of heauen with al our whole hertes the enheritauÌ„ce whâ—rof abydeth them that obey the gospel For so Iesus Christe rose agayne thaâ— he would not make long taringe after that vpon earth but coÌ„ueyed him selfe out of mortall mennes companye vp into heauen and there hauynge the fruicion of the glory of immortalitie sitteth on the fathers right hande not wtout a body but suche a body as death hath now no title to it at all And whyle death goeth about the swalowe vp the innocente it is vtterly swalowed vp it selfe and while death surely reconeth to haue gotten a great praye it became a praye it selfe Finally Christes victorie is our victorye and the glory that went before in him is shewed vnto vs in case we continue styll in the thyng that we haue begon and sticke harde in his fotesteppes Againste him the tormentes of the wicked preuailed nothing at all but in his pacient suffryng of them he gate the victorie he trihumpheth and raigneth alofte sittyng in heauen aboue all aungelles or whatsoeuer vertue and power there is besydes Vnto you he hathe opened the waye into heauen that by the same way that he entred in you maye also thrust in thycke and treefolde into the same place The enheritaunce is ready and certaine the possession wherof he hath also entred for your sakes so that you expresse your selues worthy of it that is to saye if you set your studies vpon the innocencie which he hath frely geuen to do good vnto all men yea euen to the euyll and those that punyshe you as much as vnto you perteyneth ¶ The .iiii. Chapter The texte For as much then as Christ hath suffred for vs in the fleshe arme ye your selues lykewyse with the same mynde for he which suffereth in the fleshe ceaseth from sinne that he hence forwarde shoulde lyue as muche tyme as he remayneth in the fleshe not after the lustes of men but after the wyl of God For it is suffycient for vs that we haue spent the tyme that is past of the life after the will of the Gentils walkyng in wantones lustes in excesse of wines in excesse of eating in excesse of drinking in dronkennes and in abhominable idolatry And it semeth to them an inconuenient thing that ye runne not also with them vnto the same excesse of riot and therfore speake they euil of you which shall geue accomces to him that is ready to iudge quicke dead For vnto this purpose verelie was the Gospel preached also vnto the dead that they shoulde be iudged lyke other men in yâ—â—â—she but should liue before God in the spirit The end of al thinges is at hand â–ª FOr as muche than as Christe your Prynce and head folowed not the pleasures of thys lyfe but throughe suffrynge of afflyceions for a tyme came vnto the glorye of heauen and seing that he hath conquered the aduersaries with the weapons of paciente sufferaunce it is reason that you which professe your selues to be his disciples shoulde arme your selues with the lyke purpose of mynde Innocencie of lyfe is the most surest armour and christian pacience is the fortresse that can not be beaten downe He that is gyrded with pacience is sure that no man can be hable to hurt him Whosoeuer is deade together with Christ after the fleshe hath so geuen ouer the synfulnes of his former conuersacion that he is playnly deade to humayne desyres so that nowe he is not tickled with gredynes of renowme he is not prouoked with desyre of reuengemente but all the reste of hys tyme that is geuen hym in thys sely carkas lyueth all together whole to the wyll of God whom onelye his â—esyre is to please of whom also he lokethe for the rewarde of a good conscience and vnto him he referreth the vengeaunce takyng of the wycked Whosoeâ—er is readily prepared to suffre martyrdome is not touched with the pleasure â— of this worlde For thys he thynketh with him selfe God forbydde that I beyng once done vpon the crosse with my Christ shoulde goe downe to the vices that I haue forsaken and that I beyng once appointed vnto euerlastyng felicitie shoulde be tombled backe agayne to this worldes delices whiche are not only shorte but also folyshe It is euen large ynough that I being a straunger froÌ„ Christe haue spent the tyme past in folyshe lustes whiche the prophane Heathens do filthiely serue beyng addicte and geueÌ„ to wantones to fleshly lustes to dronkenes to excessyue bankettynges and to abomynable image worshyppynges These prankes we are glad we haue left behynde vs by the goodnes of Christe and as often as we loke backe at them we shrugge for feare to remembre suche fylthynes of lyfe and so great blynde darkenes of ignoraunce Nowe in stedde of outragious luste chastitie is pleasaunte for â—iote temperate fare for wynnebybbyng sobrietie for supersticious worshypping of images true godlynes and deuoute worshyppyng of the lyuyng God vnto whoÌ„ the mooste acceptable sacrifice that maye be is a mynde pure and vnspotted from all vncleanes of synne Those that haue theyr blynde darkenes yet styll haue maruaile at this so great a chaungeing of myndes and lyfe in you and thynke scorne that their riotousnes is condemned by your temperate faâ—e and that their lyfe whiche floweth ouer with all kyndes of
asmuche as I am sure that shortly I must put of this my tabernacle â–ª euen as our Lorde Iesus Christ shewed me I wyll euer also geue my diligence that ye maye haue wherwith to stere vp the remembraunce of these thinges after my departinge And therfore brethren let it not make you to lyue in a securitie and to be careles in that the goodnes of God hathe whan you deserued nothing called you vnto the profession of the gospell hauynge once pardoned all the synnes of your former lyfe but endeuour your selues so muche the more that the goodnes of God wherwith he hath called you wherwith he hath chosen you be nâ—t turned to your destruccion and heape of damnacion in case beyng forgetful of his bounteous gentilues you be tombled backe in to yâ— same state from whence he raunsomed you with his owne death But procure rather with well doinges that God seine not to haue called and chosen you in vaine And some parte of this mater lyeth euen in you For yf you consyder from whence God hathe called you to what thinges he hath called you and what rewardes he hathe set forthe for you and yf you wyll preace therunto by these meanes whiche I haue declared a lytell before you shall neuer slyppe out of the right course of godlynes For yf you preace this waye Goddes assistinge helpe shal be plenteouslye present with you and shal succour you with his riche relyefe that at length beynge conquerours of this worlde you maye atteyne to the euerlastinge kyngdome of our Lorde and sauiour Iesu Christ to possesse with him the treasures of heauen for whose sake you haue set naught by the treasures of yâ— earthe The rewarde is exceadynge great but it must be procured with exceadynge greate diligence Wherfore I wyl neuer cease to geue you warnynge of these maters althoughe I suppose it not necessarie seynge you both doe and remembre what you ought to doe and are also confirmed nowe by longe processe of godlynes in the acquainted knowledge of the trueth a great while whiche hauynge embraced you constantlye folowe yet hitherto notwithstandyng to thintent you maye more and more watche styll in that you haue begonne I recken it my parte that remembringe my lordes precepte â–ª whiche commaunded me yâ— beynge conuerted my selfe I shoulde confirme my brethren as longe as I lyue among you beyng a straunger vpon earthe in yâ— tabernacle of this sely body I should stere vp pricke forewarde the studye of godlynes in you and in dede so muche the more because I knowe I shall shortly be stripped out of the dwellynge of this sely bodye and chaunge this exile of the earthe for yâ— fraunchised free citie of heauen For our Lorde Iesus Christ signified so vnto me whome I serue yet hitherto as a souldier in this tabernacle Nowe therfore I shall geue dilygence that these matters maye in the meane space be so surely fixed in youre hartes with often admonicion that you maye remembre them after my deathe whan I can not warne you by worde of mouthe For seyng the thinge is most certaine that you haue receyued of vs it behoueth you not to swarue from it The texte ¶ For we haue not folowed deccatfull fables when we opened vnto you the power and commynge of our Lorde Iesus Christ but with our eyes we sawe his maiestie euen then verely when he receaued of God the father honour and glory and when there came suche a voyce to him from the excellent glorye This is my deare beloued sonne in whome I haue delyte This voyce we hearde come from heaueÌ„ when we were with him in the holy mount We haue also a right sure worde of prophecie wherunto yf ye take hede as vnto a light that shyneth in a darcke place â–ª ye do well vntil the daye dawne and the day starre aryse in your heartes So that ye first knowe this that no prophecye in the scripture hath any priuace enterpretacion For the scripture came neuer by the wyll of man but holy men of God speake as they were moued by the holy ghost For our doctrine was not suche gayre as the philosophers teache whose drifte is to perswade by crafulye conueyed fables and humayne subtilties the thing that they them selues vnderstande not and dysagree also amonge them selues But we haue in no wyse folowed these wayes in openynge vnto you the power and comminge of our lorde Iesu Christ and in preachinge vnto you his maiestie whiche we haue sene with these iyes For he vouchedsafe to exhibite vnto certaine of his owne afore his death some special token with what mightie power and with what glorye he shall once come to iudge the quicke and the dead and what wonderfull felicitie he shal geue vnto them that loue him stedfastlye For where God the father endued him all wholy with glorye and honour insomuche that his countenaunce shoone as bright as the sunne and his clothes were more white than the snowe so farre that mannes iyes coulde not abyde to beholde the heauenly syght and there came also an exceadynge most honourable testimonie of the fathers voyce whiche was brought downe from highe vnto him from the glorious maiestie of yâ— father And it was after this sorte This is my welbeloued sonne whiche hathe delyghted my mynde heare him There coulde haue ben no witnesse geuen eyther more fully or more excellent And it was pronounced not of any prophet but of the fathers owne maiestie These thinges we haue sene with our iyes these haue we hearde with our eares whan we were present with him in the holy mount Thabor If so be that the prophetes playne oracles be in a great weightie estimacion among you which prophecied by figuratyue darke shadowes of Christ of much more grauitie ought so euident a declaracion by the father himselfe of his sonne be The prophetes agree with the fathers voice yf a man doe rightly interprete them They with their promisses prepare as it were mennes myndes to the trueth of his gospell in that they shadowe and as it were couertly poynt out the thing that the gospell doeth openly preache Therfore I doe not disallowe that the Iewes beyng vehementlye geuen to the prophetes prophecienges seke there for the commynge of Messias For it is a steppe somewhat vnto the faythe of the gospel to beleue that Christ shoulde come For a man shall the more soner beleue that Christe is come yf he be parswaded that he shoulde come Therfore there is good hope of him that beynge not yet lightened with the lyght of the Gospell is attentiue vnto the prophetes as to a candell appearinge in a darcke place For it is better to haue some lyght than no light tyll the sunne come and the daye dawne to dryue awaye all darkenes and to obscure euen that candell and that the daye sterre of gospell preachinge maye shyne bryght in your hartes whiche declareth that the sonne is at hande The sayinges of the prophetes are to this vse profytable yf
with het bodyly eies than he saw with yâ— eies of his mynde bicause he was strikâ— blynd through coueiousnes of money The texte These are welles without water cloudes that are caried with a tempest to whom the myst of darckenes is reserued for euer For when they haue spoken the greate swellynge wordes of vanyty they entyse thorowe lustes in the volupteousnes of the fleshe them that were cleane escaped euen them that now lyue in errour while they promes them libertie where as they themselues are the bonde seruauntes of corrupcion For of whom a man is ouercome vnto yâ— same is he brought in bondage For yf they after they haue escaped froÌ„ yâ— fylthines of the world thorow yâ— knowledge of yâ— Lord the sauiour Iesus Christe are yet tangled agayn therin ouercome then is yâ— latter ende worsse with them theÌ„ yâ— beginning For it had bene better for theÌ„ not to haue knowen yâ— way of rightewesnes then after they haue knowen it to turne froÌ„ the holy coÌ„maundement that was geuen vnto them But the same is hapened vnto them yâ— is vsed to be spoken by the true proâ—erbe The dogge is turned to his domet agayn yâ—â—ow yâ— was washed is turned agayn to her waloing in yâ— mier These are they that promyse a certayn wonderfull and news doctrine where as they bryng nothyng worthy the profession of the Gospel being like welles that lacke water whereunto if a manne come athurst he can fynde nothing but mudde and claye and like vnto mysly clowdes that are dryuen hither and thâ—ther with the storme of wyndes and seme as they would geue rayne vnto the thrustye grounde where as for all that not so much as one droppe of holsome doctrine falleth from them They promyse the lyght of the Gospelles doctrine and wrappe those folkes in darkenes of errours whom euerlastyng darkenesse abydeth for in hell For whan with their lyeng woordes they speake of certayn great hygh matters with that hope entice and snare them whiche begynne to amende theyr condicions they deceaue them and wrappe them in the delites of the flesh the voluptuous pleasures of this life promysing that they wil delyuer other froÌ„ errour whaÌ„ they them selues are occupied in the greatest errours of al and promysing other men deliueraunce from synnes whan they them selues are the very bonde slaues of filthynes For of whosoeuer a maÌ„ is ouercome and at whose appoyntement he lyueth his bonde seruaunt he is called by right For it auayleth theÌ„ nothyng at all to haue ben once frely delyuered froÌ„ the bondage of synnes if they fall to the same state agayn by their own accorde but the bondage is so much the more vile and so muche the more wretched bicause it is procured without coÌ„straynt after the tasting of libertie That which was done amysse before the Gospell preached is a great parte long of errour and long of Ignoraunce But they whiche hauing once acknowlaged by the preachyng of the Gospell oure lorde and sauiour Iesu Christe haue through Baptisme renounced the filthynes of this world and professed a pure and an heauenly life if they be ouercome agayn with lustes and wrapped in theyr olde vncleanesse theyr baptisme doeth not only nothing helpe theÌ„ at al but also they are in worse state than they were before they knewe Christe For his offence is the lesse that synneth through ignoraunce And they shal bee the more greuously damned whiche haue enlarged the cryme of wikednes with the vice of vnthankefulnes Therfore it had ben better for them to haue not knowen the Gospelles doctrine at al whiche teacheth Innocencye and purenes than after they knewe and receyued it to swarue from the holy commaundement that was once deliuered vnto them For what other thing is befallen them than that which is truly vsed to bee spoken by a commune prouerbe The dogge â—losseth vp agayn that he hath once caste vp and the washen sowe turneth agayn to walowe her selfe in the myre It is but a lost labour for the dogge to haue purged his stomake with vomite if he take agayn that he cast vp And the sowe hath washed awaye her fowle stynking myre in cleane water in vayne if she by and by after she is washen returne to the soylinges that she had gone from The .iii. Chapter The texte ¶ This is the seconde epistle that I now wryte vnto you beately beloued wherwith I stete vp your sincere mynde by puttyng you in remembraunce that ye maye be myndfull of the wordes which were tolde before of the holy prophetes and also the commaudement of vs whiche be Apostles of the Lorde and sauiour Thys fyrst vnderstande that were shall come in the laste dayes mockers in dysceatefulnes which wyll walke after theyr owne iustes and saye Where is the promes of his comming For sence the fathers â—yed all thinges continue in the same estate wherin they were at the beginnyng For thys they knowe not and that wylfully how that the heauens greate whyle ago were and the erth oure of the water appeared vp thorowe the water by the worde of God by the whiche thynges the worlde that then was peryshed beyng ouer runne with water But the heauens and erth which are now be kept by hys worde in store and reserued vnto fyre agaynst the daye of iudgement and perdicyon of vngodly men DEarely beloued these matters I beate in with many wordes vnto you and euen now in these myne other letters I warne you of the self same thing not that I doubt of the vprightnesse of your mynde but that you may haue in remembraunce more and more the thinge that you know and hold and do that you do with the more harty chearefulnes and constaunt stedfastnes You shall â—e in the lesse peril of hurting by their vngracious doctrine if you remeÌ„bre that it was spoken of by the holy prophetes in tymes paste whiche gaue warnyng to beware of this kynde of men And if you do remembre that we gaue the same precept whiche are the Apostles of the lorde and sauiour Iesu Christ who forhad that nomanne should geue eare to such as in stede of the Gospelles truth bring in pernicious doctrine This therfore knowe you fyrst of all that there shall come hereafter not preachers but mockers being connyngly furnyshed with sleightes and subtill deceates to beguyle the ignoraunt withall whiche shall not folowe those thynges that Christe taught vs but like as their life shall be after the lustes of their owne hart so shall they teache after their owne appetite those thinges that shal be fitte for suche a maner of life For inasmuche as theyr life is filthy they shall not be desyrous of the lordes commyng And for that cause sake shall they perswade bothe to them selues and others that he shal not come agayn and saye where is the promysed resurreccion where is the iudgement where are the sondrye sortes of rewardes according to the desertes of lyuing whan coÌ„meth he that is loked for
day by day in vayne For they shal thinke surely that he shall neuer come bycause hys commyng is put of for a tyme. What token saye they is there of the resurreccion Our fathers are dead one after an other and neuer one hathe risen agayn to life yet hytherto And like as sence the creacion of the worlde all thinges are engendred by the enterchaungable courses of the dyeng and of the lyuing euen so vnto thys tyme remayneth the same course of nature where as by mutacion of the worlde that hathe ben before we may gather that there shal be a newnes hereafter And like as the mutacion chaunced what tyme they loked not for it that lyued after theyr owne fylthy lustes euen so shall the nouacion happen whether we beleue it or not beleue it For thys thyng they are not ware of or as I suppose rather they dissemble to knowe that the heauens were created long a goe and also the earthe which the waters wherwith it was couered made bare a great power of waters also hanging alofte And whan mankynde was almoste altogether defiled with vices God being offended sent the flood and destroyed the world of that tyme reseruing only eight persons which had folowed InnoceÌ„cy This vniuersall iudgement God exercised at that tyme in pourgeing and renewing the earth through water Than the heauens contynue yet still as they were created and they are reserued to fyre by the whiche they shall also be purged in the daye of iudgement whan the wicked shal be destroyed by fyre like as in times paste they perished by water Forasmuche than as it is a thing moste certayn that that daye shall come it maketh no matter whether it come later or sooner This only standeth vs in hande to prouide for that when so euer it coÌ„meth it fynde not vs vnready We in out conceytes thinke some thinges leng some thinges shorte but vnto God there is nothing neyther shorte nor long In his promisses he foloweth not the appetites of vs but his owne eternall vnchaungeable decreed counsail vnto whome nothyng is â—â—â—â—er paste nor to come but al thinges are present But vnto vs what so euer he hâ—â—h promised he exhibeteth in the tune that he hath appointed before hande to him self For elles with him al is one whether there be one day past or a thousand yeares With the same faithful assurednes doeth he performe the thing whiche he performeth the later that he doeth the thyng he doeth more spedilyer For as concernyng him selfe he hathe performed euen nowe the thing that he hathe purposed to performe For he dooeth not chaunge his purpose and after the maner of delayers prorogue and put of his promyse as some falsly iudge of him measuring God after their own condicions but he prescribeth the space to be longer somtymes for your sake because vpon his tendre mercye and gentilnes he woulde haue none to perysh but is desitous to haue all men once to repent that those whiche peryshe haue no cause to fynde fault that they wanted space to chaunge their life in to better And that daye shall come vnloked for and shall come creping vpon men none otherwise than a thefe in the night cometh vpon them that are a sleape In that daye there shall be so greate violence of fyre that the heauens shall passe with a mightie greate force in to an other kinde But the elementes whervpon this lower world consisteth shal be dissolued with heate and fynally the earthe and the thinges therin conteyned shal bee butned with fyre and all the whole nature of thinges shal bee cleane purged And if it bee of necessitie that all thinges shal be so pure that these thinges shall also be dissolued whiche offende not howe muche standeth it vs in hande diligently to endeuour that that daye maye fynde vs throughly purged and vpright in all holynes of life and in all studious affayres of godlynes In the meane season this muste bee with muche spedynes forecaste that you be alwaye in a readynes whan so euer that daye shall come whose straight iudgement no manne shal bee hable to escape whiche shall suffre no thyng to be impure so muche that the heauens must be dissolued with fyre and the elementes constrayned to melt with heate And after this we loke accordyng to hys promisse for new heauens and a newe earthe that haue no corrupcion no fault that we in whome shal be no corrupt mynde maye haue the fruicion of them being vncorrupt The texte ¶ Dearly beloued be not ignoraunt of this one thing howe that one daye is with the Lorde as a thousande yeare and a thousande yeare as one daye The Lorde yâ— hath promised is not slacke as some men count slacknes but is pacient to vs warde for asmuch as he would haue no man lost but wyll receaue all men to repentaunce Neuertheles the day of the Lorde wyll come as a thefe in the night in the whiche daye the heauens shall passe awaye in maner of a tempeste and the elementes shall melte with heate the carthe also and the worckes that are therin shall burne Seyng then that all these thinges shall perysshe what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersacion and godlynes lokyng for and vasting vnto the commynge of the daye of God by whome the heauens shal perisshe with fyre and the elementes shall melt with heare Neuertheles we accordynge to his promes loke for a newe heauen and a new earth wherin dwelleth rightewesnes Wherfore dearly beloued seyng that ye loke for suche thinges be diligent that ye maye be fouÌ„de of him in peace without spotte and vndefyled And suppose that the longe sufferynge of the Lorde is faluacion euen as our dearely beloued brother Paule also accordinge to the wysedome geuen vnto him hath wrytten vnto you yea almoost in euery epistle speaking of suche thinges amonge whiche are many thinges harde to be vnderstande whiche they that are vniearned and vnstable peruert as they do also the other scriptures vnto their owne destruccion Ye therfore beloued seyng ye be warned afore hande beware lost ye with other men be also plucked awaye thorowe the erroure of the wycked and fal from your owne stedfastnes But growe in grace and in the knowledge of our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ To whome be glory bothe nowe and for euer Amen Wherfore most dearely beloued brethren haue this so fearfull a iudgemeÌ„t alwayes before your eyes and geue dilygence that whan the lorde commeth he maye fynde you pure and vnblameable not onely before menne whose iudgemeÌ„tes are many tymes deceaued but also before hi. For he is pure in dede that is pure in the iudgement of God And althoughe paraduenture it be long ere that daye come construe it not so as thoughe he woulde not come at all but consydre that this tender sufferaunce of the lorde wherwith he geueth all men space to repent doeth care for mennes saluacion of whiche matters our mooste deare brother and folowe in office
angrye with hym that counsailed you aright than to acknowlage your faulte you had rather haue folowed wicked outragious luste than ensue those thinges that bring saluacion Now my deare brethren who so will be coumpted a new man let him be slow to speake swyft to heare and ready to learne of any manne Howbeit let no manne rashly nor ouer hastyly take vpon him to be a teacher And like as he is not voyde of peril to fall that is hastye to speake euen so is that manne inclined to doe iniurie whiche is lightly moued in hys mynde For it is requisite that godly menne bee farre of not only from all reuengement but also from all euill speaking For he shal be the more safe from chyding that maketh no aunswer and he shal do no man wrong that whan he is prouoked is not angrye Among men peraduenture he shall seme a iuste man that requiteth one euil worde with an other one euell dede for an other but yet he shal be a greate deale wyde from the iustice of God who by hys sonne hathe taught vs to speake well of them that backbyte vs to wishe well to them that wishe euil to vs to doe good for them that doe euil vnto vs. These thinges he dooeth not that letteth his tongue runne at large whiche is a warbling membre and a slyppery nor he that hathe wrathe secretly These maner of lustes like as they ouerthrowe and cheoke the sede of Goddes woorde that whan it commeth vp it bring forthe no frute in you euen so doe they lette that it canne not bee sowen in to the fielde of the mynde It taketh no rote in a briery place ne in marice nether in the sande that fleeteth awaye but it requireth a pure a trymme and a substaunciall grounde Therfore if ye will that the sede of the worde of the Gospell that is once cast bring frute in you frute I say not for a season or a commune frute wherwith the bodyes may be refreshed but the eternall saluacion of your soules make cleane the fielde of your harte not onely from the tumulte of euil speaking and of wrathe but also from al gredy lustes wherwith mans mynde is defiled from the thornes of coueteousnes from the grauell of rashenes from the slyme of outragious lust from the stones of pride and wilfulnes For in dede the mynde that is burthened with thys geare is not hable to receaue the worde of the Gospell which knocketh in vayne at the tympane of the eares onles it light depe in to the inwarde partes of the harte And if it once settle in to your myndes it shall not bee baren but shote forthe and shewe it selfe with godly workes The texte ¶ And se that ye be doars of the worde and not hearers onely deceauing your owne selues For yf any man heare the worde and declareth not the same by hys workes he is like vnto a man beholdynge hys bodely face in a glasse For assone as he hath toked on him selfe he goeth his waye and forgetteth immediatly what hys fasshyon was But who so loked in the parfayr lawe of libertie and continueth therin yf he be nor a forgetfull hearer but a doar of the worke the same shal be happy in hys dede If any in an amonge you seme to be deuout and refrayneth not hys tongue but deceaueth his owne herte this mannes deuocion is in vayne Pure deuociō and vndefiled before God the father is this to visite the fatherles and widoowes in theyr aduersytie and to kepe hym selfe vnspotted of the worlde The Iewes haue their lawe by harte without boke and yet they expresse it not in their life The philosophers do learne perfitely the lessons howe to lyue wel thinke that to bee ynough farre deceauyng them selues where as the felicitie of manne is not in the speaking but in the lyuing But vnto you it ought not to be ynough that being newely instructed you haue heard the Gospelles doctrine that being baptised you are admitted vnto the harder hidden misteries of the Gospelles doctrine that you haue learned ouer and ouer all the whole philosophie of Christe and all hys life ne that you haue receaued the promysse of Immortall life That whiche Christe taught muste bee expressed in outwarde maners That whiche he did muste bee folowed of vs to the vttermoste of oure possible powers It behoueth vs to dye vnto the desires of this worlde and be buried with hym to rise agayne with hym vnto Innocencye to bee caryed with him in to heauen and finally we ought so to lyue vpon earthe as we appeare not vnworthie the rewardes of heauen Will you heare howe that he yeldeth no frute at all whiche heareth the worde of the Gospell but lightly and vnconfiderately He is moste like vnto a man that beholdeth hys face in a glasse He beholdeth but he doeth nothing els but beholde only For he can not chaunge his naturall face nether goeth he any other maner away from the glasse than he came to it Yea inasmuch as he went only for this purpose to see what fauour his face was of he thinketh not of the amending of the faultes of hys fauour but as sone as he goeth awaye from the glasse he remembreth nothing whiche a one he sawe him selfe to be But the glasse of the Gospelles doctrine sheweth not the blemyshes and outbreakinges of the body but it layeth all the diseases of thy soule before thyne eies nether doeth it only shewe them but also healethe them Moses lawe did rather vtter the sores of the soule than healed them For the lawe as concernyng the lettre was imperfecte and frayed menne from euyll by feare rather than caused menne willingly to folowe the thynges that were good But the lawe of the Gospell obteyneth more of the wyllyng and those that bee at lybertie through loue than the lawe of Moses gat perforce And the lawe of the Gospell maketh perfite that it begynneth where the other bryngeth nothyng to perfectyon Whosoeuer therfore will diligently behold bothe his mynde and his life at this glasse and that should he doe continually neuer mouing his eies from the example and doctrine of Christe that is to say whosoeuer heareth the holy word not after suche light sorte that turnyng him self backe by and by to the cares of this worlde he seme to forget that he hearde but frameth all hys life after the rule of it expressing by godly workes that which he sticked fast in the marye of the soule he shall surely be blessed not because he heard the worde but because he did after it in his affeccions and maners Thou hearest Christ saye that the tormente of hell fyre abydeth for him that sayeth vnto his brother thou foole And yet forgetting by and by what thou heardest thou arte ready for a lyght checking worde to fight with him Thou hearest that those riches are to be set naught by whiche are in daunger of mothes and theues and that true riches ought to be layed vp in
where as lyfe is of it selfe moste shorte so manye casualties so many dyseases make it also moste incertayne and you as though you were at a compacte with death whiske about by sea and by lande to get pelfe for your olde age that peraduenture shall neuer come whan no manne can promyse hym selfe to lyue so much as to morow Whereto put you your confidence so in this life as though it were a stedfaste and a substaunciall matter And what a thyng is this life of yours for the which you set your only care for the which ye labour and forcast and for nothing elles Truelye it is a smoke appearing for a shorte tyme and quyckly vanyshing away Farre be therfore this maner of communicacion froÌ„ Christian folkes mouthes we will go we wil passe of a yeare we will buye and sell we wyll get wynnynge as though it were in your owne handes to knowe the chaunce to come Rather lyue you for the tyme dependyng of Goddes will and saye if the lorde will and if he lende vs life we will dooe this or that These thinges ought lightly to be cared for that make for the shorte and incertayn life of the body but all care ought to be set vpon those thinges that make for the lyfe that neuer shall dye And yet where thys lyfe hath nought to truste surely vnto seing it is subiecte to so many chaunces and so many diseases â—â—ig it is endaungered with so many casualties seinge it is so slyppery and so fugitiue yet you enhaunce your stomackes and are puffed vp with trusting vpon youthe and â—iâ—hes as though you should neuer dye It is right to bee stronge and hartie in the truste of Goddes helpe it is godly to bee chearefull in the loking for heuenly goodes but all thys bragging cheare that you stand in your owne conceate withall of goodes being fyrste false goodes and than goodes that muste shortly be taken from you is not only wycked but also folishe Peraduenture thys were more tolerable in those that were perswaded of theyr elders that there is nothing remaining of man after he is lapped in his wynding sheâ—e and were more excusable in them that gredely vse thys life and loke for none other As for you the Gospelles philosophye hathe taught you that this lyfe is to be contemned and that you ought with all studyous dilygence to make spede to that heauenly life whyche is not prepared by ryches but with godly doynges To conclude he is the more greuous synner whiche whan he knoweth by the Gospelles doctrine what ought to be doone yet being corrupte with euill affections foloweth after â–ª those thinges whiche those men folowe that knowe not Christe The .v. Chapter The texte ¶ Go to nowe ye ryche men Wepe and howle on youre wretchednes that shall come vpon you youre ryches is corrupte youre garmentes are motheaâ—en youre golde and siluer is â—ankâ—ed and the ruste of them shal be a witnes vnto you and shall eate youre fleshe as it were fyre ye haue heaped treasure together euen wrathe to youre selues in youre laste dayes Beholde the hyer of the labourers whiche haue reaped downe youre feldes whiche hyre is of you kepte backe by fraude â—â—yeth and the cries of them whiche haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lorde Sabaoth Ye haue lyued in pleasure on the erthe and bene wanton ye haue nourished your heartes as in a daye of slaughter ye haue condemned and kylled the iuste and he hathe noâ— resisted you GOe to nowe you ryche men that occupye the felycitie and pleasures of lyfe whiche you ought to loke for eternall in heauen poste haste here in this worlde awaye with your synging laye awaye your voluptuousnes and madde pleasures If you haue any witte wepe and howle and thinke vpon those euerlastinge miseries that shortely hange ouer you Imagine that the time is now presently come that shal shortly come aâ— hâ—nde whan those riches wherin now you most folishly put your confidence being twitched awaye you shal be wise to late and acknowlage that those gaye possessions doe not now helpe you but for a counterfaict felicitie a right true and euerlasting sorow is come Where be now your riches that you haue gotten by hoke and by croke you cared not howe Your ryches are rotten youre clothes are endaungered with mothes Your golde and your siluer is maâ—â—ed with rust in the custody of a nygarde slouening heyre And yâ— rusting shal beare record of youre wickednes which had rather haue it be lost with mowling thaÌ„ to lay it out to the vse of the poore nedy With yâ— expense of these thinges you might haue bought euerlasting life now shall the reste of the money that you haue scraped out of the hard earthe gâ—awe out the guttes of your soules euen as it were fire It shall bee to late and in vayne for you to frette your selues with repentaunce of your naughtyly kept money It shall double youre sorowe that you haue naughtly kept that you haue naughtyly gotten In stede of the mercy of God whiche you might with losse of substaunce haue bought you haue heaped vp for your selues the wrathe and vengeaunce of God You were not only not liberall towardes your nedy brother but you haue also defrauded the symple body of hys due wages Beholde the â—eaper that swette with reapyng downe youre corne being defrauded of hys wages cryeth vnto God and asketh vengeaunce yea and he cryeth so that theyr voyce pearceth through in to the eares of the lorde Sabaoth whiche ought also to be dreadde of you They were not hable to reuenge them of them that are bigger thaÌ„ they they were not hearde of any manne that was a iudge whiche for the most parte fauoureth them that are moste wealthy and they them selues helde theyr peace but the wickednes it selfes cryeth out vnto the iudge God whiche is nether afrayed of the wealthie and also reckoneth the wronge of the poore oppressed to belong vnto him But you for all that are not moued with the sorowfull griefe of the hungrye and thurstye poore Other mennes swette hatched vp you Other mennes hunger and thurste made you fatte Theyr teeth hacked in theyr heade they were staruen for colde they were killed with hungre and thurst And you in the meane while passed your lyfe swetely and in pleasures vpon earthe you lyued wantonly fedde your soules with al kindes of voluptuous pleasures keping dayly feastes as gorgeously as other are wont to doe in a soleÌ„ne holy day whan meate offring is slayne Nether thought you it ynough to haue defrauded the poore manne but you haue condemned and killed the Innocente that made no resystence You thought you shoulde haue doone that without punnyshement alwayes whiche you might doo without punnyshment of men It is a kynde of manslaughter to defraude the symple of theyr lyuynge And yet for all that thys crueltie did not suffice your vnreasonable outragiousnes You thyrsted after theyr blood and whan the faultles people
speake As ofte as you denye any thinge denye it with youre whole hearte nether let any thynge elles bee in youre hearte than youre mouthe speaketh that there be no counterfaictynge in you seing you are disciples of the trueth And if there bee any manne sore afflicted amonge you let hym not flee to the remedies of thys worlde to rynges to inchauntmentes to baynes and other easementes of sorowe but let hym turne hym to prayer and lyfte vp hys mynde to God with most assured faithfull trust and he shall fâ—â—de present releaâ—se of his mournyng Agayne if a manne be well content in prosperitie let him not enhaunce him selfe folishely nor behaue hym selfe madlye but let him praise the liberall goodnesse of God in holy songes of thankes geuing Nowe if any manne be punnyshed with syckenes let hym not flee to the remedies of witchecrafte let hym not spende a great sight of money vpon phisicions whose curing is many tymes of suche sorte that it were better pacientlye to departe out of the world but let hym call vnto him the elders of the christian congregacion Let them make theyr prayers to God for the dyseased and annoynte him with oyle not hauyng any prayers of wytchecrafte as the heathen are wont to doe but callyng vpon the name of oure lorde Iesu Christe then the which there is no kinde of enchauntmente more effectuall And let the prayers be done in a trusty faithe and God shall heare and preserue the diseased And there shall not only healthe of bodye bee restored vnto hym if it be expedient for the diseased but also if he bee endaungered with synnes as diseases of bodye spryng for the moste parte of the sorowes of the mynde they shal be forgeuen hym at the elders supplicacions so that the faith of them be commendable that doe praye and of hym for whome they dooe praye The texte Knowledge your fautes one to another and praye one for another yâ— ye may be healed For the feruent prayer of a ryghteous manne auayleth muche Helyas was a man mortall euen as we are and he prayed in hys prayer that it myght not rayne and it rayned not on the earthe by the space of tore yeares and sâ—â—e monethes And he praied againe and the heaueÌ„ gaue raâ—â—â— and the earth brought forth her frute Brethren if any of you do erre from the trueth and anoâ—her conueâ—â—e hym let the same knowe that he whiche conuerteth the synner from goâ—ng astraye out of his waye shal saue a soule from death and shall by de the multytude of synnes And forasmuche as the life of manne consisteth not without light and dayly offences it shal be conuenyentâ— to vse a dayly remedie that you maye bothe releue euery one other with your mutuall prayers and acknowlage euery one hys faulte to other And so shall the remedy be auayleable â–ª if thou acknowlage thy disease and desire helpe Supersticious folkes suppose a secret hydden efficacie to be in theyr enchauntmentes and prayers but in very dede the prayer of a righteous manne is muche worthe whiche through faithe obteyneth what so euer it desireth of God Vpon this condicyon Christe made couenaunt with vs that what so euer we shall aske in a faythfull trusty confidence we shoulde obteyne it onles it be suche a thynge as were beste not to be obteyned Would you fayne haue a doctrine of thys matter Helyas was a pure manne he was a mortall manne as we are and yet at his prayers it rayned not vpon the earthe thre yeares and sixe monethes He prayed agayne that it myght rayne and anone the heauens as hauynge hearde hys prayers gaue rayne and the earthe brought forthe his frute Incase the heauen be obedient to the prayers of one godly manne as though it were bewytched is it any maruayle if God beynge moste readye to forgeue be pleased at the prayers of many Now weight this brethren if it be godly if it be the partes of christyan loue to ease the sickenes of an other mannes bodye through commune prayers how muche more indifferent reason is it that we shoulde succour them that be diseased in mynde For it is no greate matter to obteyne this by prayer that it may be somwhat longer before deathe happen to this man or that man howbeit it muste nedes comme ones but it is a great matter to haue aboyded the disease of minde Therfore if there be any among you that erre from the Gospelles veritie ether to muche cleauyng to the lawe of Moses or be a stubburne folower of heathen relygion deliuered of the elders let no man thinke that he should be dryuen awaye with scoldyng but it behoueth rather to endeuour with all â–ª studies to this ende that he maye turne and reâ—ent from hys errour For who so euer doeth thus shall doo God a greate sacrifice who wisheth not the deathe of a synner but rather that he may turne and lyue For that man doeth a great feate that preserueth the soule from deathe delyuerynge hys brother from synnes wherby he was holden in subieccyon of deathe Nether in the meane â—yme shall he wante hys rewarde for Christe shall forgeue hym hys synnes agayne how many so euer they be that shall kepe his brother from destrucâ—yon ¶ Thus endeth the epistle of S. Iames the apostle The argument vpon the fyrst Epistle of thapostle S. John by Erasmus of Roterodam THat this is Saincte Iohn thapostles epistle whiche wrote the Gospell the very stile of the wordes selfe is a playne argument He maketh muche a dooe in the rehersall of light and darckenes life and deathe hare and loue in often repetinge the wordes as though they were taken out of the sayinge nexte before Of the whiche sorte to open my saying more plainly by example this is one Loue not the Vuorlde nether those thinges that are in the VVorld Yf any manne loue the VVorlde the loue of the father is not in hym for all that is in the VVorlde c. And anon after He is not of the father but of the VVorlde and the Vuorlde passeth aVuaye How often here is the worlde rehearsed Fynally in all hys sayinge there is lesse compendyous shortenes and more open plainesse than in the writynge of the reste of thapostles And as for thepistle it is more euidently plaine than nedeth any argumente like as the two Epistles folowinge are whiche are ascribed to one Iohn a certayne senior and not to Iohn the apostle Thus endeth the Argumente The paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the firste Epistle of Sainct Iohn The fyrste Chapter The texte That which was from the beginnyng which we haue herd which we haue sene with our eyes which we haue loked vpon and oure handes haue handled of the worde of the lyfe And â—he lyfe appeared and we haue sene and beare witnes and shewe vnto you that eternall life whiche was with the father and appeared vnto vs. That whithe we haue sene and hearde declare we vnto you that ye also maye haue felowshyp
deuysion in the churche betwene the rulers of the laytie and clergye hath bene the occasion of very great myseries betwene the grecians and yâ— Romaynes Emperors and Kynges Popes and byshops bothe in the spirituall and temporall regiment For this deuyllyshe burning fyre of pryde hathe bredde infynite and vnspeakeable hurte vnto yâ— churche of Christ For euen out of yâ— sprang so many warres battels burnynges and destroyng of landes And suche common harmes wyll the spirite of god sygnifye by the trouble losse and destruccion in all the elemeÌ„tes yâ— fyre water ayer the earth For there was no man sure and in safegarde The texte ¶ And the thirde angel blew and there fell a great starre from heauen burnyng as it weâ— a lampe and it fell into the thirde parte of the ryuers and into fountaines of waters and the name of the starre is called wormwod And yâ— thirde parte was turned to wormworde And many men dyed of the waters because they were made bytter And the fourth Angell blewe and the thirde parte of the sonne was smytten and the thirde parte of the mone and the thirde parte of starres so that the thyrde parte of them was darckned And yâ— daye was smytten that yâ— thirde parte of it shoulde not shyne and lykewyse the nyght And I behelde and hearde an angell flyinge thorowe the myddes of heauen saying with a loude voyce Woo woo woo to the inhabiters of the earth because of the voyces to come of the trompe of the thre angels whiche were yet to blowe The thirde plage came vpon yâ— starres of heauen that is vpon the most holyest people whiche were taken for the spirituall state and order as monckes fryers and priestes whiche thorowe their hypocrysye haue heaped vnto them selues money goodes and treasures and haue gotten landes and dominions for the whiche great dyuision was among them â–ª And wheras the world should haue learned of them faith loue and knowledge it was nothing but slandered offended deceyued seduced and sore hyndered by them bothe in faythe and in godly lyuynge and behaueour bothe whiche were vtterly decayed in these parsons â–ª to the great vndoyng and dystruccion bothe of bodye and of soule And thus the swete hony of christen loue and concorde among these orders is turned in to bytter wormewoode by the which many soules are destroyed The fourthe plage maye well be vnderstande to be the breakyng in of the Turkes Sarasens whiche is as it were a worthye and well deserued scourge or whyppe whiche shoulde scourge and punyshe the christendome fallyng into synne and dyssolutenes As it hath already happened in the .iii. partes of the earth Asya Europa and Africa All these hath he gotten wholy into his handes And hathe also dyuerse tymes attempted Italy and Spaine And hath alreadye gotten Austry Etschlande and parte of Hungry He yâ— thinketh not this a great losse and a wonderfull destruccion the same hath no vnderstandynge at all Suche great myseries perplexites and destruccions dothe the scripture sygnifye in diuerse places by the darcknes of the Sunne Moone and Starres And where as he sayth that onely the thirde parte was destroyed he syngnifyeth thereby that all this dyd not continue in dyuerse places For men addressyng theÌ„selues vnto repentaunce and amendement haue dysappoynted suche enemyes dyscharged them selues of them But not euery where nor at all tymes For all these myseries and plages returned againe afterwarde and were more dangerous hurtful and intollerable than they were before And bothe these and other plages dyd increase and get the ouerhande daylye more and more lykewyse also the synne against the worde of god against true loue againste peace and quietnes and against all vertue and godlynes dyd not cease but raged contynually against the manyfest and clere gospel euen by the spirituall sort which haue their lyuynge of the gospel wherunto they are the most extreme enemyes bothe in worde and deade a thousande partes more than the secular and laye sorte And yet all vnder the pretence coloure of a Christen good zeale wheras they seke nothing but their owne pryuate lucre as it is euydent manyfest ¶ The .ix. Chapter The texte ¶ And the fyfte angell blewe and I sawe a starre fall from heauen vnto the earth And to him was geuen the kaye of the bottomlesse pyt And he opened the botomlesse pyt and the smoke of the pyt arose as the smoke of a great fornace And the sunne and the ayer were darckned by the reason of the smoke of the pyt And there came out of the smoke locustes vpon the earth vnto them was geuen power as the scorpyons of the earth haue power And it was coÌ„maunded them that they shoulde not hurte the grasse of the earthe nether any grene thinge nether any tree but onely those men whiche haue not the seale in theyr foreheades And to them was commaunded that they should not kyll them but that they should be vexed fyue monethes their payne was as yâ— payne that commeth of a scorpion when he hath stoâ—ge a man LYke as in the openyng of the fourthe seale god is become man to washe away all synnes and wyckednes euen so the deuyll whiche is a counterfetter of gods workes imageneth by all meanes that he can to set vp and stablyshe all maner of intollerable errours and to augment his kyngdome And goeth about to make him selfe a god and to fyght and stryue againste the gospell and against all godlynes But thorowe the iudgement of god he is fallen downe from heauen vnto the earthe and hath receyued thorowe the iudgement of god and thorowe his permission the key of hell and of the botomles pyt of all wyckednesse euen lyke as Christ is ascended and gone vp and thorow his merites and rightuousnes hath opened the heauen and hath receyued the kyngdome of god for all the faithfull electe And out of this hellyshe botomles pyt arose a smoke of worldly wysdome of fleshly lustes by the whiche al godlynes planted of Christ and of the apostles thorow the preachyng of the gospel is obscured and darckened And there are rysen vp locustes that is to say false teachers heretykes and worldly suttell prelates sâ—olemen and sophisters which thorow their proude doctrine and mans ordinances pompe and couetousnes haue done muche harme in the churche in the heartes of the faythful thorow the permission of god And all this is suffered euen for the synne of contemnynge gods worde and for that men haue loued them selues muche more than Christ Whiche worde of god they haue made more to be contemned with their syngyng and fast or swyfte mumblynge vp therof without vnderstandynge than they haue profyted or edyfied eyther them selues or any other therby And also in their hyghe scoles and vniuersyties with their Aristotle and their Phylosophy they haue made yâ— worde of god darcke obscure And with their Philosophical dysputacions they haue made it vncerten and doubtfull and vnprofytable vnto
clothed with a cloude and the raynebowe vpon his hed And his face as it were yâ— Sunne and his feâ—e as it were pyllers of fyre and he had in his hande a lytle boke open and he put his right fote vpon the sea and his lefte fote on the yearth And cried with a loude voyce as when a Lion roreth And when he had cried vii thonders spake their voyces And when the seuen thonders had spoken their voyces I was about to write And I hearde a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Seale vp those thinges which the. vii thonders spake and write theÌ„ not THis strong angel can sygnifye none other thing but our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche reueled suche a vision vnto S. Iohn for the profyte and comfort of the faithfull churche and congregacion and for a warnyng vnto the synfull world For he it is whiche in suche an euil tyme and in suche great perplexyte and dangerous warrefare of the christen churche vpon earth commeth downe from heauen to ayde and succour it according vnto his promes And he appeareth vnto S. Iohn euen as thoughe he were commynge downe from heauen clothed with a very manyfest and visible cloude whiche signifyeth his holy manhode euen as he went vp also vnto heauen and dwelleth with vs with his grace ayde and prouydence The raynebowe sygnifieth his heauenly imperious crowne and his gracious gouernauÌ„ce ouer his faithful electe for the whiche he is carefull and sorowfull with mercye and daylye ayde in all thinges necessarye and expedient for them His face and countenaunce is bryght pleasant and full of mercye euen lyke vnto the sonne For he himselfe is the sonne of the worlde that is to saye the comfort delyght ioye and felicitie of all faithful And againe mighty stronge and rightuous in all his iudgementes towardes yâ— godlesse and wicked whiche he stampeth in peces and burneth them with fire that can neuer be quenched This same Iesus Christ our Lorde and sauiour is come againe from heauen with his lytle meke euangelycall booke namely with the newe testament in the whiche the olde is also comprehended This booke is contemptuous and of no estimacion vnto the sage wyse philosophers highe lerned doctors and pompous proude prelates in so muche that it was cleane lost out of the tempelles for a great space euen as it was in yâ— tyme of Ieremye the prophete beyng songe yearely in their monasteries colleges as their vowes and rules wherunto they were sworne required but without all maner of vnderstandynge or feruentnes of the spirite whiche should be sought and necessarilie required in holy scripture This boke dothe Christ bring â–ª being garnisshed not outwardly with golde siluer and precious stones for a face and a shewe onely so that no man can reade in it as thoughe it were sufficient onely to kysse it but he shal bring it open that euery man maye reade and vnderstaÌ„de it in their owne mother tong and also in all scholes where children are taught He it is that is come into this worlde and hath set his feete vpon al the earth and also in the Iles of the sea whiche were before vnknowen â–ª euen lyke as the true faithe also was which was readyly ioyfully receyued of them whiche before knewe nothing at all and were more ignorant and vnlearned than they that came from the grecians and Romaynes Whiche thing maye be vnderstanden by the left and the right foote And what maye better be vnderstanden by the loude voyce than the great noyse which the holy Byble maketh at suche tyme as it is spred abrode in all speches and tonges ouer hundrethes and thousandes of people in so short tyme to the great wonder and meruell of all faithfull and to the hyghe furtheraunce and edyfieng of the christen doctrine and of the knowledge of God and to the vtter confusion and feare of the whole diuilyshe and hellyshe flocke and congregacion euen as a Lyon of the stocke of Iuda And immediately therupon came vii thonders that is to saye the moost godly and christen interpreters of holy scripture were famous throughout the whole worlde as were these Ambrose Austen Ierom Gregory Cypriane Hylarie and diuerse other whiche in our tyme haue written and taught as excelleÌ„tly and profytablye in the churche and congregacion of Christ as euer they dyd These haue taught and brought into lyght the worde of God very purely and sincerely notwithstandyng whatsoeuer the schole writers and sophysters the pompous byshops and monkyshe mumry haue many yeres decreed dyuised to the contrary with their vncerten and vnstable doctrine fayned ceremonyes fonde tradicions newe strange articles of the faythe whiche haue no grounde in gods worde and cleane contrarye bothe to the vsage and also to the doctrine of the holy auncient fathers in the prymatiue churche And where it is nowe added that it shoulde not be written what these thonders spake let other vnderstande it as they wyll I thinke and coniecture that it is a prophecye of the noble and excellent gyfte of God yâ— science of Prynting geuen first vnto the Germaynes whiche were estemed the moost rude and barbarous people By and thorowe whome not onely the newe testament hath bene renewed interpreted translated euen out of the very naturall fountaine tong wherin it was wrytten but also the whole olde testament out of yâ— holy Hebrew tong Besydes this all these before named many other teachers and wryters of the holy churche went first out into the worlde and bothe with worde and deede noysed abrode the power of the gospell so that the renewynge therof can not be ascribed vnto those onely whiche preache and teache in our tyme but vnto the holy bysshops of the primatyue churche whiche preached and taught first of all throughout the whole christendome where as now all our bysshops for the moost parte are domme and blynde in all godly doctrine vtterly drowned in worldly pompe lustes pleasures and in all wicked dyssolutenes The texte ¶ And the Angell whiche I sawe stande vpon the sea vpon the earth lyfte vp his hande to heauen and sware by him that lyueth for euer more whiche created heauen the thinges that therin are and the sea and the thinges whiche therin are that there should be no lenger tyme but in the dayes of the voyce of the seuenth Angell when he shall begynne to blowe euen the mysterye of God shal be fynished as he preached by his seruauntes the prophetes Christe taketh anothe and sweareth by God his heauenly father euen with great earnest feruencye and holynes that the tyme of his glorious laste comminge to iudge all the worlde bothe quicke and dead is nowe alreadye nighe and at hande And whan the victorye that was prophecyed to be fulfylled of Antichrist which victorye the seuenth angel Christ him selfe or his spirite that was yet to come in Helyas before the last daye must blowe forth accordinge vnto his office were once past than
shoulde all together be fulfylled that all prophetes dyd euer prophecye of the kyngdome of Messias the sauiour of the whole worlde whiche is the hyghest misterye Of the whiche thinges all patriarkes and prophetes yea and the apostles also and Christ him selfe dyd speake namely of the tyme of the kyngdome of heauen that was commyng and of the commynge of Christ in his highest honour and glorye whiche shal be manifest and knowen vnto all men and vnto the whole world The texte ¶ And the voyce whiche I hearde from heauen spake vnto me againe and sayde go and take the lytle boke whiche is open in the hande of the angell which standeth vpon the sea and vpon the earth And I went vnto the angell and sayde to him geue me the lytle boke and he sayd vnto me take it and eate it vp it shal make thy belly bytter but it shal be in thy mouthe as swete as hony And I toke the lytle boke out of his hande and eate it vp and it was in my mouthe as swete as â—onâ— and assone as I hade eaten it my bellye was bytter And he sayde vnto me thou must prophecye againe amonge the people and nacions and tongues and to many kynges At this place myght the begynnyng of the .xi. muche more conueniently haue bene appoincted but it is no matter Iohn in the person of all faithfull christians and specially in the person of them whiche should be teachers in the churche of god as the holy bysshops and other apostolicall men heareth the voyce of God speakinge thus vnto him If thou wylt doe and performe thy office and vocacion truly and iustly than goe thy waye and appointe thy selfe therunto withall thy might and power and take in thy hande the holy open and mooste cleare cronicle booke of the holy gospell and worde of God receyue the same and the holy vnderstandinge therof from the holy goost thorow feruent praier And reade therin with faythe loue and moost earnest zeale of Christ hym selfe But he telleth him before that he shoulde not onely reade or synge it wryte or endyte it but that he shoulde with a moost gredy desyre euen deuoure it vp as a foode from God and as the heauenly breade of all faythfull beleuers and that â—e dygest it in to his bowels as a moost cleane and holsome foode Whiche thing can not come to passe with out bytternes of repentaunce and of sorowe and heuynes of the hearte and conscience And specially vnto him that knoweth so muche of the wyll of God and feleth that his spirite is so weake and frayle and his fleshe so wylde and dysobedient and his mynde so stubbourne and obstinate against the spirite of god Or els it may be thus vnderstandeÌ„ that whan a man vnderstandeth the worde of god and knoweth that it ought to be spred furth vnto other that is to saye to the whole churche of God and that the truth ought to be spoken vnto the blynde worlde and that it can not yet be done with out great perell danger of bodye and lyfe than is it doutles bytter vnto him But yet not withstandinge it is swete in the mouthe thorowe the comforte and ioye of the truth and thorowe the ioyful promes of the gospell of rightuousnes and holynes thorow Christ the sauiour of the whole world in al tymes Al this did Iohn in a vision and toke also further instruccion thereof as foloweth ¶ The .xi. Chapter The texte ¶ And then was geuen me a rede lyke vnto a rodde and it was sayd vnto me Ryse meat the temple of god and the aulter and them that worshyp therin and the quier whiche is within the temple cast out and meate it not for it is geuen vnto the Gentiles the holy citie shall they treade vnder fote xiii monethes And I wyll geue power vnto my two witnesses and they shall prophesye a thousande two hundered and .ix. dayes clothed in sacke clothe These are two olyue trees and two candelstyckes standynge before the God of the earth And yf any man wyll hurte them fyre shall procede out of their mouthes and consume their enemies And yf any man wil hurte them this wyse must he be kylled These haue power to shut heauen that it rayne not in the dayes of their prophesyinge and haue power ouer waters to turne them to bloude and to smite the earth with all maner plages as often as they wyll THe lorde doth teuele and shewe vnto Iohn that he wyll vysyte and reforme his churche beyng so sore fallen and decaied whaÌ„ tyme shal be thorowe apostolical men and godly parsons which haue eaten vp and dysgested the booke of god and with great swetnes and plesantnes haue bene feruent and earnest to further and to set furth the wyl of God And thus he geueth hym a â—eâ—wande in his hande as he dyd also vnto Ezechiell to measure to serche out the rightuousnes of the churches and the state of euery one And specially of them whiche by reason of their office and vocacion ought to haue a speciall respecte and regarde to the seruyce of god among the whiche the bysshops and the highe most speciall doctors and teachers of the churche whiche are vnderstande and ment by the quiere for as muche as they are maisters and rulers of the quiere were the mooste wicked and vngodly And they are compared and lykened vnto the heathen and were geuen and delyuered vp vnto them to be punysshed For the heathen and vngodly and supersticious people geuen to al ydolatrie whether they be spiritual or secular they shal treade down destroy and defyle the churche of Christ a long time whiche is to be vnderstande by the xlii monethes the is to saye .iii. yeares an halfe whiche might well sygnifye .iii. hundreth yeares an halfe from the tyme that muche false doctrine many supersticious ceremonies came first into the churche against the manifest worde of God Whiche thinges sprang vp thorow yâ— pompe pryde couetousnes and presumpcion of the spiritual prelates watchmen as they named them selues and so ought to haue bene in dede by their office callyng The two witnesses of repentaunce amendement of lyfe which should take the gospel in hande againe and should restore bryng forthe the booke againe are Enoche Elyas For in the wicked tyme of the Cainites before Noes floode Enoche studyed went about without doubte bothe with word dede to reforme the world to reduce them vnto the true faith in God perfyght loue to their neyghboure againe Wherunto he was moued by the holy goost whiche did worke speake in him yea parauenture also did write thorowe him For there were once bokes of Enoche whiche nowe are not to be gotten And lyke wyse did Elyas also in yâ— time of the lawe but with a wonderfull zeale feruentnes both in word deed thorow the mocion of the holy goost whiche worketh in the ministers
of god whan he seeth his tyme accordynge as the person place requireth And therfore they bathe receyued one rewarde of saluacion and remayned as it were immortall and are prophecied to come againe in spirite before the latter day of iudgement to resiste and confounde the wycked Antichrist and to heale with the oyle of lenitie suche as are apte to receyue it or els with the fyre of feruente zeale to confounde the wycked enemyes of god bothe with worde deade as Enoche and Elyas dyd by the commaundement and ordinaunce of god in their tyme whan they were vpon the wicked earth Lyke as also suche men might be founde in our tyme with their names writynges and doynges not in one place of the earth moued with the same spirite with the same worde and lyke zeale of god euery one after the gyfte of grace geuen vnto him Moued I saye by the holy goost of a godly mynde and lyke purpose as the nacions people persons and other circumstances required Against these and suche lyke frendes and ministers of god shall many greuous troubles be alwayes deuised and attempted by the wicked malignant churche bothe against their good name bodye lyfe and also against their goodes And they haue no nother refuge succour comforte helpe nor weapon to defende them with but the onely holy eternall and inuyncible worde of god in their mouthes and handes whiche confoundeth all their aduersaries and deadly enemyes whiche euen them selues the longer they mainteyne their euyll and naughtye cause the worse they make it tyll at length they shall vtterly confounde and destroy themselues But these .ii. ministers of the spirite of god workynge in loue and feruentnes with all softnes burnynge zeale lyke vnto Enoche and Elyas they haue power thorowe the spirite of god whiche worketh all thinges in his ministers to procure and obteyne of god grace and vengeaunce accordynge to their faith and zeale to the furtherauÌ„ce of goddes glorye and to the profite and reformacion of the faythfull christen churche as necessitie and conueniencie shall require Euen lyke as Elyas had ouer the water whan as thorowe his prayer he obteyned of god that it shoulde not rayne vpon earth for the space of three yeares And agayne also fyre from heauen against those that mocked and contemned his offyce and testymonie The texte ¶ And when they haue fynisshed their testimonye the beast that came out of the bottomlesse pyt shall make warre against them and shal ouercome them and kyl them And their bodyes shall lye in the stretes of the great citee whiche spiritually is called zodom and Egipte where our Lord was crucified And they of the people and kynredes and tonges and they of the nacions shall se their bodyes thre dayes and an halfe and shall not suffer their bodyes to be put in graues And they that dwel vpon the earthe shall reioyce ouer them and be glad shal sende gyftes one to another for these two prophetes vexed them that dwelt on the earth It hath alwayes from tyme to tyme bene well sene howe this beast hathe behaued hymselfe towarde the messagiers and ministers of god whiche were sent vnto them And specially vnder Achab and Manasses and suche lyke kynges and ydolatrous and hethenysshe priestes whiche serued false goddes whiche persecuted the faythfull ministers of God cursed and contemned them burnt and drowned them so farre as god permytted them Whiche thing was for the best vnto the persons that suffered suche thinges and for the synguler profyte of the faythfull churche and congregacion And yet for all their persecucion the doctrine and workynge of the faythfull was euer vpright and lyuely and their good and holy name with the commendacion of their godly feruent zeale was also wonderfully preserued to the vtter shame and confusioÌ„ of the abhomynable and terryble beast and all his members and lymmes As the examples of the whole world doe testifye and beare wynes And specially euen in our tyme and also the moost true and infallyble storye of the prouydence and of the holy worde of god This citie where Christ is dayly crucified is in figure and symilitude the citie of Ierusalem whiche for sheadyng of the bloude of his Apostles hath receyued her iust and due rewarde as she deserued and lykewyse the wycked churche corrupte and poysoned of Sathan wherin he beareth rule murtheringe the faythfull frendes of God and ministers of the gospell whose holy zeale and truth of God whiche they haue preached they coulde not nor woulde not suffer nor abyde vntyll they were alwayes at length confounded and vtterly destroyed Whiche thinge shall vndoubtedly happen also vnto them whiche doe resist and withstande all christen reformacion of the churche in their state and order Yea they see already before their eyes and smell the indignacion of god his terryble iudgement wherof they haue bene earnestly and faithfully warned but they were neuer affrayd nor abasshed of it At that tyme the holy seruauntes and ministers of god shall be fayne to suffer muche trouble euen the very bytter and moost slanderous death But at length whan all thinges shall be truly discussed all the worlde shall see and perceyue the true doctrine and belefe of the faithfull godly the impietie of the wycked obstinate blinde and vngodly infydels whiche woulde neuer beleue And thus fayth and truth in god shall haue the victorye The texte ¶ And after thre dayes and an halfe the spirite of lyfe from God entred into them And they stode vp vpon their fete and a great feare came vpoÌ„ al them that saw them And they hearde a great voyce from heauen sayinge vnto them Come vp hyther And they ascended vp into heauen in a cloude and their ennemyes sawe them And the same houre was there a great earthquake and the â—enth parte of the citie fell and in the earthquake were slayne names of men seuen M. and the remnaunt wer feared gaue glorye to the god of heauen The seconde woo is past and beholde the thirde woo wyll come anone Howe this beast with her members the wycked hethenyshe prelates and their sworne adherentes haue alwayes in our tyme for a long season cruelly dealt with the ministers of gods word and with the preachers of the truth of the moost sacred gospell it is playne and euident ynoughe at this day vnto all the world and thorowe the cronicles whiche shall be publyshed shall not be hydden vnto our posteritie how whan and by whome dyuerse godlye men haue bene persecuted and murthered and moost shamefully handeled of the spirituall prelates and their sworne adherentes onely for the true doctrine and faythes sake But an other tyme wyll come by the very iudgement and grace of god whan as these holy men and faythfull witnesses of Christ shall be had in hyghe honour and estimacion and shall bryng more to passe with their preaching writinges and monumentes whiche they left behynde them to the profyte and edificacion
of the churche and to the true vnderstandynge of the truth in all landes and nacions of the earth than euer they dyd in their lyfe tyme as it is euydent that it so happened vnto the holy prophetes and martirs And than shal all the wicked enemies and contemners of the worde of god and of Christes true religion treÌ„ble and feare the iudgement of god not vnworthely and they shall vndoutedly receiue their due rewarde that they haue deserued for the extreme cruelty whiche they haue shewed and declared against the faythfull ministers and seruauntes of God Whiche rewarde they shal receyue with feare tremblynge sorowe smart and paine despaire and with euerlasting shame and confusion folowing Whether any suche thinge hath hitherto or maye hereafter happen let euery true christen harte that trusteth in the mercye of god well consyder and wey by him selfe ¶ The .xii. Chapter The texte ¶ And the seuenth angell blewe and there were made great voyces in heauen saying the kyngdoms of this worlde are our lordes and his Christes he shall raygne for euer more And the .xxiiii. elders whiche syt before God on their seates fell vpon their faces worshipped God sayinge we geue the thankes O Lorde God almightye which arte and wast and art to come for thou hast receaued thy great might and hast raigned And the nacions were angry and thy wrath is come and the tyme of the dead that they shoulde be iudges and that thou shouldest geue rewarde vnto thy seruauntes the prophetes Sainctes and to them that feare thy name small and great and shouldest destroye them whiche destroye the earth AL this maye be well referred vnto the texte and vision that went before to this purpose that after all matters before mencioned once past there shoulde be an vniuersall godlynes and christen order eyther thorowe the generall preaching of the gospel thorow out yâ— who le world or els thorow the godly lyfe peace and felicitie whiche maye be at that tyme vpon earth As it is possible inoughe thorowe the grace of god and many good christen heartes doe trust and hope that it shall come to passe Or els it maye be vnderstande after the last iudgement of our sauiour Christ of the quietnes whiche shall than immediately folowe after the cruell persecucion of Antichrist as this blessed and comfortable angel preacheth and declareth with his trompet For sure it is that before the latter daye the kyngdome of Christ shall appeare and be receyued of all nacions and yles of the earth euen of the Iewes also whiche at length shal receyue knowledge of their errour and shall confesse their obstinacy and the wickednes of their belefe and conuersacion whaÌ„ they shall see the grace and knowledge of God manifestly reueled in all tongues and speches thorowe the holy worde of god and shal perceyue the kyngdome of Christ the true Messias not to consist in the strayght and narow corner of Canaan nor in the vnhappy citie of Ierusalem whiche is vnhappye by reason of the dyuision and vnquietnes that is in it but in the whole wyde worlde wherin shall be one onely felowshyp and congregacion of the seruauntes of the onely one and almyghtie god whom alone all the holy prophetes of whose faythe the Iewes haue alwayes made so highe boast haue honoured and praysed and lyke wyse the whole regiment and flocke of theirs and the whole worldes Messias and Sauiour whiche was before the creation of the worlde and hath appeared in the worlde in al humylite more than .xv. hundreth yeares almoost longer than the lawe of Moyses dyd endure and continue among the Iewes from the tyme of their delyueraunce out of Egipte vntyll the commynge of Christ whan he toke his manhode in the tyme of the reygne of Herode whan as their regiment and gouernaunce toke an ende What lyes soeuer they feyne of their lande and regyment in Vtopia whiche they name Caspâ—a wherof they must shortly be a shamed and holde their peace and confesse their deceyte falsehede presumpcion damnable lyes of their Talmude of all their false myserable blynde guydes and Rabbynes whose falsehede is nowe open and manyfest vnto all the worlde for as muche as their bokes are made common thorowe the benefyte of printynge vnto all men of learnynge and knowledge So that this myserable people as the holy apostle S. Paule prayeth hath that thing fulfylled vnto them whiche they hoped for and whiche was promysed of God in their tyme vnto their generacion Euen so maye it come to passe vpon earth and that right sone that the honour and glorye of the kyngdome of Christ and of God shall appeare which shal rule for a tyme vpon earth and after yâ— latter iudgement in heauen in euerlastynge blisse As than al holy patriarkes prophetes apostles and all the martirs that euer haue bene shall haue honour and glorye whiche they shall offre vp vnto the euerlastinge and very true God in the sight of all Goddes electe in euerlastinge blisse in yâ— kyngdome of God and of his Messias our sauiour Iesus Christ according to the doctrine of the infallyble moost true word of god But the wicked and vngodly heathen shall haue no part of this honour glorye and blisse but shall suffer and be damned euerlastingly in eternall wrath enuy hatred malyce and despayre For suche is the righteous iudgement of God ouer all men bothe quicke and deade good and bad Euery one shall be rewarded accordyng to his workes and desertes after the iust iudgement of almyghtye God without all maner of parcialytie or respecte of persons whether they be of high or lowe estimacion in the worlde whether they be riche or poore and of what lande or contrey so euer they be For than the holy and faithful shal receiue of Christ euerlasting saluacion for their trust faith and loue towarde God and contrarye wyse the wicked and vngodly tyrannes aduersaries persecutours of the faithfull seruantes of God for their obstinate blyndnes infydelitie and contemninge of Goddes holy wyll and worde shall peryshe for euer and shall remayne euerlastingly cursed and damned withal wicked spirites Thus farre as semeth vnto me doe the visions and prophecies reache that are hetherto past and mencioned in this boke But nowe that whiche foloweth is another reuelacion pertayning to an other tyme. For a man must not seeke any other order of yâ— scripture in this boke whiche is compact together of many and diuerse visions without any obserued order than in other writinges of the prophetes as they that are learned doe knowe well ynoughe The texte ¶ And the temple of god was opened in heauen and there was sene in his temple the arcke of his testament and there folowed lyghtnynges and voyces and thondrynge and earthquake and muche hayle Here might the .xii. chapter well begynne and these wordes myght be vnderstande and taken for a preparacion vnto the very glorious and newe reuelacioÌ„ which is nowe as I sayde before opened vnto
of this world of spiritual prelates and religious monkes and friers c. For all these and other suche lyke are the hornes crounes and the great tayle of this dragon whiche watcheth studieth and seketh all wayes and meanes to hurte and hynder the true faithe the christen lyfe and the holsome doctrine that is to saye our sauiour Christ in the faithfull And for this cause the doctrine of the gospell and the christen faithe hathe bene fayne to suffer muche continually euen from the beginnyng of the worlde and immediately after the christen faith was first taught preached And therfore many holy and faithfull christianes haue bene fayne to flee and yâ— trueth of the gospel in continuaunce of tyme was straunge and vnknowen vnto the moost parte of the hyghe learned doctours and potentates throughout the worlde Althoughe the true christen faithe was alwayes preserued thoughe it were in fewe and in abiecte persons of slender reputaâ—ion And this continued a longe space namely from the tyme of Constantine the Emperour whan as the christen churche semed in maner to haue escaped all daunger and perill of decaye and destruccion vntil our tyme wherin she appeareth againe wonderfully after a straunge maner in despite of al tirannes and of all the power of hell And nombring from that tyme of Constantine I meane vntyll our tyme euen this nomber of yeares shall euydentlye appeare reckenynge dayes for yeares as it is a commune thing in scripture If any man can finde out any plainer vnderstanding of this place for in suche darke and obscure places of scripture no man ought to be frowarde or contencious let them take it and folowe it The texte ¶ And there was a great batayle in heauen Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and preuayled not nether was their place founde any more in heauen And the great dragon that olde serpent called the deuell and Sathanas was cast out Whiche deceaueth all the worlde And he was cast into the earth and his angels were cast our also The power of God the holy worde of God and the spirite of Christ which we maye vnderstande by Mychaell who by interpretacion is who is lyke god and Gabriel the strength of God hath in all ages and tymes bene dryuen to holde batel with Lucifer and Sathan with the pryde of mans wysdome whiche haue hindred the true honour of God the true seruice religioÌ„ of God the true faith and haue euer withstanden the holy and pure gospell But this worde of God hath alwayes had the victorie althoughe with muche labour and daunger and sometyme not without harme and losse but not of the electe whiche thing shall continue vntyll suche tyme as our sauiour shall haue his wil and pleasure of this battell and with the breath of his mouthe shall slaye the sonne of the dragon the damnable Antichrist For the whiche thing we ought continuallye to call vpon the mercye and goodnes of God in a stedfast and perfight hope and confidence as he hath taught vs halowed bee thy name Thy kingdome come Thy wyll be done no lesse in earth than it is infalliblye in heauen For the haÌ„de of God is not shortened but is able to gyue whatsoeuer he hath commaunded vs to aske and â—o praye for The peace also and quietnes of the elect and faithfull to lyue in godlynes maye be wysshed to be more perfight as is also promysed thorowe the prophetes than it hath bene hitherto for lacke of the true sounde doctrine of the gospel no smal space althoughe the very perfyght peace can not be obteyned but onely in heauen in the eternall quiet kyngdome of Christe The texte ¶ And I hearde a loude voyce saying in heauen is nowe made saluacion and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ For the accuser of oure brethren is caste downe whiche accused them before our God daie and night And they oeurcame him by the bloude of the lambe and by the worde of their testimonye and they loued not their lyues vnto the death Therfore reioyce heauens and ye that dwell in them Wo to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea for the deuil is come downe vnto you whiche hathe great wrathe because he knoweth that he hath but a shorte tyme. Thus throughe the spirite of Christ with the continual and sincere preaching of the gospel Sathan and his champioÌ„ Antichrist are ouercome And thus shal the voyce prayse and thankesgeuing of the faythful be heard in the churche as it is here written now is Saluacion thorowe faithe and the strength thorow loue and the kyngdome or dominion in the churche become gods Nowe maye all men see the power of gods worde the iudgement of Christ against the deuel whiche would haue roted out yâ— rightuosnes of faith in Christ would haue directed and appointed christen men vnto the rightuosnes of workes and to the hope of their owne satisfaccion wherby he woulde alwayes haue founde occasion to accuse all men before God vnder a false pretence But the preachinge of the gospell hath disclosed this suttell falsehede and all suche lyke and declareth that onely the bloude of the lambe and nothing els can wype and washe awaye the synnes of all the worlde yf they trust in god thorowe Christ with a true lyuely faith thorowe the grace and mercye of God and the rightuousnes of Christ which he dystributeth vnto al his faithfull electe and maketh them partakers therof That by this meanes Sathan can haue no quarell against the workes of the faithfull whiche lyke thankfull parsons remayne and continue stedfastly in their true faith in al maner of affliccion aduersitie eueÌ„ vnto very death And therfore the true ioye of all godly consciences waxeth and increaseth in the churche And so their blisse and saluacion beginneth in this worlde thorow faith which faith worketh an innocent and a godly lyfe thus continueth euerlastingly in heauen But on yâ— contrarye parte woo vnto them whiche seeke their rightuousnes by men at certen places certaine times certaine workes and certaine meates for they can neuer fynde any true rightuousnes but thorowe the falsehede wickednes of yâ— deuil they fall eyther into desperacion or els into presumpcioÌ„ wherunto SathaÌ„ applieth al his study yâ— they fall not froÌ„ his kingdoÌ„ nor escape out of his fingers For he seketh nothing but yâ— damnacioÌ„ of such The texte ¶ And when the dragon saw that he was caste vnto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forthe the man childe And to yâ— woman were geuen two winges of a great Egle yâ— she might flye into yâ— wildernes into her place where she is nourished for a tyme times and halfe a tyme from the presence of the serpent And the dragon caste oute of his mouthe water after the woman as it had bene a ryuer because she shoulde haue bene caught of the floude And the earth holpe the
this worlde as he is also in the hartes of the vngodly and supersticious heathen and ydolaters whiche knowe nothing of the onely true lyuynge God The texte ¶ And I sawe one of his heedes as it were wounded to death and his deadly wounde was healed And all the worlde wondred at the beaste and they worshipped the dragon whiche gaue power vnto the beaste and they worshipped the beaste sayinge who is lyke vnto the beaste who is able to warre with him This Empire of Rome dyd suffer muche at the beginning and was ofte tymes very feble and many tymes deadly sycke by the meanes of the daylye continuall vproares and sedicions of the nobilitie against the commons and againe of the kynges against them bothe In so muche as at length they made and suffered great battels amonge them selues vntil the dominion at the laste came in to one hande and so was thought to be healed and safe againe As than had they y◠who le earth vnder them but they honoured and serued the deuyll and false goddes the enemies of God of all truth and true godlynes Vnto these goddes of theirs dyd they ascribe the fortune and successe of their power and of their kingdome And so dyd their subiectes lykewyse whiche dyd honour the Romaynes for goddes and toke and estemed them for inuincible The texte ¶ And there was geuen vn to him a mouthe that spake great thinges and blasphemyes and power was geuen vnto him to do two fourtye monethes And he opened his mouthe vnto blasphemye against God to blaspeme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen And it was geuē vnto him to make warre with the sainctes and to ouercome them And power was geuen him ouer all kinred and tonge and nacion and all that dwell vpon the earth worshipped him whose names are not wrytten in the boke of lyfe of the lambe whiche was kylled from the beginning of the worlde Bothe Iewes and false christians of very pryde malice and obstinacye haue blasphemed and persecuted the God of Israell and the christen faith Christe him selfe also the sauiour of y◠worlde with deede worde statutes lawes and that a great deale ouerlong Through Pilate their depute thei put our sauiour Christ vnto death and all the Apostles also vnder their regiment and iurisdiccion vntill the tyme of Constantyne and also more than .iii. hundred yeares afterwarde Here haue we again .xlii. monethes for .iii. yeares an halfe and by these .iii. yeares an halfe is vnderstanded thre hundred yeares an halfe in whiche time y◠name of the true God of our sauiour Christ hath bene wonderfully manyfolde wayes blasphemed shamefully dyshonoured in his moste faithful seruantes ministers whom they haue most cruelly tormented put to most painful death throughout y◠who le Romishe Empire onely for the true faithes sake in y◠onely one god His tabernacle that is to say y◠temple of Ierusalem did they pollute breake downe withall y◠seruice religion of God And after that they began a sore battel persecuciō against the christen faithe against al faithful beleuers throughout y◠who le world by their deputes In so muche that all the worlde must honour the kyngdome dominion of Rome and be obedient therunto onely the holy electe excepte whiche obserued y◠word of God and his wyll and refused their ydolatrie And therfore a great nomber dyd suffer and were put to death by them The texte ¶ If any man haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captiuite shall goe into captiuitie he that kylleth with a swearde muste be killed with a swearde Here is the pacience and the faithe of the sainctes As thoughe he woulde saye wilt thou heare howe the pryde abhominacion and tyrannye hath or shall haue an ende Than heare in one worde howe the Assirians Bybylonians Medes and the Grecians had an ende And euen so shall Rome also Lyke as y◠hath ouercome robbed spoiled murthered shamed and condemned all the world euē so shall it be serued againe also And so shall it happen vnto all them that doe lyke vnto them as Christ sayde in the garden And therfore the angell and S. Iohn exhorte all christians that are combred and oppressed with persecucion and him selfe also whiche was banysshed into Pathmos condemned of Domicianus for God and the true faithes sake vnto pacience in perfyte faithe in God whiche shall once geue and sende a prosperous a blissed ende vnto al suche afflicciōs And shal eyther reforme y◠rageing Romyshe kingdome or els shal vtterly destroye it as he hath done the other The texte ¶ And I behelde another beast comminge vp out of the earth and he had two hornes lyke a lambe and he spake as did the dragon And he dyd all that the first beast could do in his presence and he caused the earth and them whiche dwel therin to worship the first beast whose dedly wounde was healed And he dyd great wonders so that he made fyre come downe from heauen in the syght of men And deceaued them that dwelte on the earthe by the meanes of those signes whiche he had power to doe in the syght of the beaste saying to them that dwelt on the earthe that they shoulde make an ymage vnto the beaste which had the wounde of a swearde and dyd lyue Whan as the Romyshe kyngdome after the tyme of Iulyanus began to be diuided into the east and west and to diminishe for a ceason than began a newe Romyshe kingdome and iurisdiccion namely the Popes pompe which was not onely in the spirituall iurisdiccion as he dyd first pretende with his wordes but also in secular power and toke vpon him this power euen with the sworde And for this cause this beast hath .ii. hornes not with out a cause And yet he wyll be named lyke the lambe and Christes deputie or vicar and wyll haue all power as Christ hathe bothe in heauen and in earthe This beastes dragonishe speache maye well be estemed and taken for none other but for y◠bloudye murtheringe suspendynge excommunicatinge and banysshinge of the good Emperour of the Grecians because he dyd take al ymages out of the churches and also the godlye byshoppes of the Grecians because they woulde haue kepte their Easter as they had learned of saincte Iohn the Apostle This dyd no angell commaunde hym to doe nor yet the worde of God but onely this dragon or destroyer This kingdome of papacie toke vpon it all the power of the first beast the romyshe Emperour and compelleth the christians to ydolatrye and the seruice of false goddes vnder a priuie colour and a secret pretēce as to further the true faithe the honour of the holy sainctes of the martirs of the seruauntes of Christ and of Christ him selfe By the meanes of the whiche pretence it came to passe in processe of tyme that men did honour and worship euen the very deuyll in
rightuous iudgemente and shall vtterly banyshe and consume them accordinge vnto his moost victorious and muincible worde The texte ¶ And another angell came out of the temple which is in heauen hauynge also a sharpe syckle And another angell came out from the aultar whiche had power euer fyre and cryed with a loude crye to him that had the sharpe sickle and sayde thruste in thy sharpe sickle and gaddre the clusters of the earthe for her grapes are rype And the angel thruste in his syckle on the earth and cut downe the grapes of the vyneyarde of the earthe and caste them into the great wynefat of the wrath of god and the wynefat was troden without the cytie and bloude came out of the fat euen vnto the horse brydels by the space of a thousande and syce hundred furlonges Lyke as before the iudgement of Antichrist and his felowship was prophecied in this world with the spirite of Helias and with the syckle of the gospel euen so doth the spirite of god in this place prophecie further of y◠other iudgement which shal happē afterwarde at the latter daye vnto these obstinate impenitent and blynde contemners of gods iudgemēt in euerlastinge damnacion after the latter iudgement Whiche damnaciō or hell is here vnderstande and signified by the great fat of gods wrathe where all the wicked shall come together and with one stampe treadinge of gods iudgement sentence and rightuousnes shal be euerlastingly trodē as muche more greuouslye thā by y◠worldly and temporall punishement in this lyfe as the heate of the fyre is more painefull and intollerable vnto the bodye of man than are the cloudes vnto y◠earthe or any darkenes vnto the eyes Whiche so greuous damnacion and destrucciō is sygnified by the feareful bloude whiche floweth ouer the earth that the horses treade therin euen vnto their brydles Thus vseth the holy scripture to descrybe and paynt the greuous and terryble iudgement of God by suche greate vgsome and terryble figures ¶ The .xv. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe another sygne in heauen great and maruellous seuen angels hauynge the seuen last plages for in them is fulfylled the wrathe of god And I saw as it were a glassy see myngled with fyre and them that had gotten victorye of the beaste and of his ymage and of his marke and of the nomber of his name stande on the glassye sea hauynge the harpes of God and they songe the song of Moses the seruaunt of God and the songe of the lambe sayinge Greate and maruellous are thy workes Lorde God almightye iuste and true are thy wayes thou kyng of sainctes Who shall not feare O Lorde and glorifie thy name For thou onely art holy and al Gentiles shal come and worship before thee for thy iudgementes are made manifest THis is a nother prophecye of the holy apostle S. Iohn reueled and opened vnto him of god that against all the wyt and reason of man against al worldly power against the diuises ymaginacions and hinderances of all enemyes and of all the wicked the gospell shall ryse vp in the dominion of the Romaynes thorowe the dysciples of Christ thorow the holy goost and thorowe the wonderfull and meruelous power of God And also many heuy plages shall come vpon those wicked and vngodlye people and vpon the myghtie rulers of this worlde whiche studye and go about to hynder the procedynge of the gospell All these plages are rekened one after a nother thorowe the .vii. angels and the .vii. vyalles This sea of glasse myxed with fyre sygnifieth the wickednes of this worlde and al wicked enemyes and aduersaries of the trueth and doctrine of the gospell and of all Christen and innocent conuersacion and of all godlye liuynge Against whiche enemyes at all tymes in this worlde and specially at the first beginnynge and springynge vp of the gospell and christen religion the holy electe were fayne to lye in felde and to warre Against the Iewes with miracles against the heathen with holy scripture against the suttell Philosophers and worldlye wyse men with the faythe that the gospel teacheth and with an innocent and a godly lyfe against the tyrannes and the violence of the Romaines with pacience Against ydolatrye false seruice of God with stedfast constantnes euen vnto death cleauynge vnto the vnderstandynge and sentence of the trueth And thus thorowe the power of Christ and thorowe the spirite of Helias they haue gone thorowe them and gotten the victorye against the olde dragon and his wicked spirites and against all vnfaythfull in y◠who le worlde and in al nacions And the laude honoure and triumphe of this victorie they ascribed to no creature but onely to Christ whiche alone can ouercome the wickednes of the worlde all lyes and falsehede the deuyll with all infidels in spyte of all their tyrannye And therfore as Moyses dyd synge a song of prayse and thankes geuynge after the destruccion of Pharao after the ioyfull victorye of the children of Israell euen so also dyd they synge vnto him the song of the lambe whiche belongeth and is dewe vnto him onely sayinge It is gods worcke and not ours whiche the almightye hathe wonderfullye and graciously wrought for vs for his owne glorious sake whiche is rightuous in his iudgementes and true in his promyses whose wayes are iudgement grace rightuousnes and trueth whiche onely preserueth the faithfull electe as a puyssaunt and mighty lorde and as a faithfull and louynge father whome all men ought to feare with suche reuerence as godly childrē geue vnto their fathers and with all hartye obedience other wyse than the wicked whiche lyke vnfaithfull contemptuous children doe despyse and contemne their omnipotent and almightye God and father and rightuous Lorde and iudge whiche knoweth all thinges And therfore he is to be praysed and most highly exalted in the congregacion of the faithfull as he is euerlastingly hated and cursed of the wicked and damned sort to their vtter and eternal damnacion And no man can hynder or auoyde it howe strong and mightye so euer the Emperour of Rome is as Domicianus Nero and other but that al nacions shal heare beleue and receyue the holy gospel whan the tyme is ones come and shall honour and worship the onely eternall almightie God and his Messias promysed vnto them the sauiour of the whole worlde and the redemer of all faithfull electe The texte ¶ And after that I loked and beholde the temple of the tabernacle of testimony was opē in heauen and the seuen angels came out of the temple whiche had the seuen plages clothed in pure and bright lynnen and hauynge their brestes girded with golden girdels And one of the foure beastes gaue vnto the seuen angels seuen golden vyalles full of the wrath of God whiche lyueth for euermore And the temple was full of the smoke of the glorye of God and of his power and no man was able to enter into the temple til y◠seuen
of Christ that the proud seate of Rome her adherentes Thus may yâ— be the eight beast as yâ— papacie or see of Rome is the seuenth but it shal sone be iudged vnto damnacion The .x. kynges receyue not yâ— kyngdome of God vntil they receyue the gospel of Christ not of Antichrist but of the spirite of Christe But in the meane tyme they shall receyue power and aucthorite of the beast whiche power they shall exercyse and practyse to ouercome yâ— lambe to oppresse the gospell for the pleasure of the. ii horned beast But yâ— lambe the worde of God yâ— reuelacion of yâ— holy and godly doctrine and truth the grace of God the lorde Christ shall ouercome them For they shall vnderstaÌ„de and beleue that there is a lorde of al lordes and a kyng of al kynges To whose kyngdome the electe which are called of God from euerlastinge doe apperteine And thus shal the. x. kynges shortly hate the whore with her court and shal turne her naked out of yâ— florishyng and bewtifull rayment wherwith they and their auncientries haue garnished annowrned this whore her harlottes by yâ— meanes haue geueÌ„ occasioÌ„ vnto suche pryde vnchristen pompe I might wel say vnto suche Luciferyshe pryde for as muche as he wyl be like and equall vnto Christ and the brydegrome of the holy churche where as he hath geuen a great offence and slander vnto the holy churche in maner hathe shamed her and oppressed her thorowe his tyrannye In as muche as they the kynges and princes them selues must cfoÌ„esse yâ— the grauntes whiche this whore receyued of the Emperours Constantine Charles and Lewes beyng deceyued by her was the poyson and confusion of the christen churche This hatred and enuye against suche an whore shall the spirite of Helias styre vp in the hartes of kynges to doe with one accorde as yâ— trueth beyng knowen shall require as they dyd before indewe her with suche power And thus shall the worde of God be fulfylled The woman in the great citye is he which hath exalted himselfe for a byshop ouer all byshops and a regent and Lorde ouer all Emperours and kynges sittinge also in the place and seate of Christ whiche onely alone hath receyued power of the father ouer heauen and earth whiche he neuer gaue vnto any other as it is written Et gloriam meaâ— Alterinon dabo I wyll geue my gloto no nother Esaye xlii ¶ The .xviii. Chapter The texte ¶ And after that I sawe another angell come from heauen hauynge greate power and the earth was lyghtened with his britnesse And he cried mightely with a stronge voyce sayinge Great Babilon is fallen is fallen and is become the inhabitacion of deuils and the holde of all foule spirites and a cage of all vncleane and hateful byrdes for al nacioÌ„s haue droncken of the wyne of the wrathe of her fornicacion And the kynges of the earthe haue committed fornicacion with her and the marchauntes of the earthe are wexed riche of the aboundaunce of her pleasures THis chapter maye be taken for a songe of triumphe of al faithfull against all tyrannous kyngdoms which haue contemned the faithe trueth religion and all godlynes and woulde not abyde any of them And speciallye against the kyngdome and power of Rome by reason of the tyrannes whiche from the beginninge haue martired tormented murthered the holy professours of the onely one God And moâ—t principally against the seconde regyment of Rome whiche vnder the pretence of the name of Christe hath dealte so cruellye against all faithful Christianes and against the euangelical kingdom of god And yâ— former chapter nexte goyng before being wel vnderstaÌ„de there is no great difficultnes nor hardnes in this For this chapter is as it were an exposicion and declaracion of the former Christ the angell of yâ— great councel lyke as at his first coÌ„mynge he came in the moost highest humilitie and lowlynes became man suffered and dyed euen so at his last commynge he shal come in most bright glorye not into a virgins bodye but into the whole worlde with mooste hyghe brightnesse and proclamynge his gospell vnto the whole worlde to riche and poore wyse and symple in euyll A ioyfull gospell is it Babylon yâ— great and worishe citie she is fallen she is fallen She hathe no suche honour more that she wyll take vpon her as she hath done Nowe is it knowen that she hath bene an habitacion for the wicked vnfaithful desceightfull and of Sodomites whiche haue made all the worlde druncken and mad with her poyson and infectuous drincke And hath committed Simony withal spirituall thinges whiche euen as the cursed Simon magus dyd she hath solde for muche monye and for great riches And as for the hyghe humilitie and lowlynes of Christ whose meryte she hath pretended to be her owne she hath chopped and changed it yea she hath solde it for princely and lordly honour to be exhibite done vnto her feete and with moost deuely she pryde receyued The texte ¶ And I hearde another voyce from heauen saye come a waye from her my people that ye be not partakers of her synnes and that ye receaue not of her plages For her synnes are gone vp to heauen and God hath remembred her wickednes Rewarde her euen as she rewarded you and geue her double accordynge to her workes And poure in double to her in the same cuppe whiche she fylled vnto you And asmuche as she glorified her selfe and lyued wantonly somuche poure ye in for her of punysshment and sorowe for she sayde in her selfe I syt beynge a quene and am no wyddowe and shal see no sorowe Therfore shal her plages come in one dayâ— death and sorow and honger and she shal be brente with fyre for stronge is the Lorde God whiche shall iudge her These wordes speaketh Christ thorowe his spirite from heauen vnto his people that they shoulde forsake the companye and felowshyp of Antichriste that they make not them selues partakers of yâ— horrible synne of the double indignacion and also of the plages whiche shall lighten vpon him For the synne is greater than that goddes rightuousnes coulde suffer it any longer vnpunisshed And therfore he wyll recompence her with punishment as she hath deserued and that by heapes one in a nothers necke For there woulde no long sufferyng of God nor no warninge of the word of God helpe Thus hapneth it vnto all vyolent and tyrannous kyngdoms euen from the Assirians vnto the last of the Romaynes Great pryde and pompe must be subdued and vanquysshed with great shame and bondage This prophecye is lyke vnto the holy prophetes Esay and Daniel although it perteineth vnto a nother kingdom but lyke vnto that bothe in wickednes and in punishment The texte ¶ And the kynges of the earthe shal bewope her and wayle ouer her which haue committed fornicacion with her and haue lyued want onlye with her when they shall se yâ— smoke of her burnynge
and shall stande a farte of for feare of her punishmeÌ„t saying Alas alas that great citie BabiloÌ„ that mighty citie for at one houre is thy iudgemeÌ„t come And the merchauntes of the earth shal wepe and wayle in them selues for no man wyll bye theyr ware any more the ware of golde and syluer and precious stones nether of pearle raynes and purple and skarlet and al thynne wod and al maner of vessels of yuery and all maner vessels of moost precious wodâ—e and of brasse yron and synamon and odoures and oyntmentes and franckynsence and wyne and oyle and fyne â—â—ouâ—e and wheate beastes and shepe and horsses and charettes and bodyes and soules of men With this Babylon haue princes and prelates yea whole kyngdoms coÌ„mitted whordome For she hathe receyued and geuen them yea hathe set them in and out And all for worldly gayne and for honour sake without any respect of rightuousnes onely for money brybes For there was neuer founde more shamefull marchandyse than that whiche they of the Popes courte specially the Curtysans haue exercysed many yeares with other mennes goodes and with nothing els but with leade and syluer with parchement and byshoprikes with sellyng of their Pallium and Robes whiche shoulde be a spirituall iurisdiccioÌ„ and with first frutes c. Yea there is no ende of suche marchaundyse lyke as in the texte all thinges are named whiche are of any pryce So that in the Popes churche there was nothinge but for mony not so muche as the water or salte of the see nor oyle nor breade nor creame c. All must serue for holynes and for the maintenaunce of the couetousnes of the spiritualtye To be shorte reade but onely a boke that is called the Popes Fayre there is his marchandyse well descrybed and proued by the customes and lawes of the Romaynes The texte ¶ And the apples that thy soule lusted after are departed from the. And al thinges which were deâ—â—tie and had in pryce are departed from the and thou shalte fynde them nomore The maâ—ch aunâ—es of these thinges whiche were wexed ryche shall stande a farre of from her for feare of the punishment of her wepinge and waylinge and saying Alas alas that great cytie that was clothed in raines and purple and scarlet and decked wâ—tâ— golde and precious stones and pearles for at one houre so great riches is come to naught First of all there was muche holynes and muche good example and doctrine in the holy churche of Rome as S. Paule testifieth in his Epistle to the Romaynes and there were many holy byshops and martirs which loued yâ— trueth vnto whome the gospell was a synguler ioy delyght comforte and glorye But in processe of tyme it was turned vpsyde downe So yâ— there was nothing lefte in the rulers and heades of that churche but onely the name of the churche Al that was perfyght godlye and holy was lost and gone And at length their marchandyse whiche they inuented woulde no more be estemed amonge yâ— true godly christianes For they haue inoughe of those thinges whiche these marchauntes doe promyse of the grace and mercye of God and of his word And therfore the Romanystes doe meruell and frete againste the gospel because it bringeth no nother ware with it but her olde ware that is to saye humylite lowlynes pouertye sorowe contempte whiche all men doe flee and abhorte And it maketh an ende also of all worldlye pompe and honour ioy and pleasure ydlenes and wantonnes The outwarde and glorious supersticous wil bryng no more profyte or aduantage precious garmentes and perles wyll not become the professours of the gospell Coules and shauen crounes wyll no longer be taken for holynes of them that haue any vnderstandynge and knowledge Peter and Iohn and all the Apostolicall ministers of Christ wyll contemne and despyse golde and syluer For Christ hath taught them faith loue and truth pouertye and lowlynes The texte ¶ And euery shyppe gouerner and all they that occupyed shyppes and shypmen whiche worke in the see stode a farre of and cryed when they sawe the smoke of her burnynge sayinge what citie is lyke vnto this great citie And they â—ast dust on their heades cryed wepynge and waylynge and sayde Alas alas thaâ— great citye wherin were made riche all that had shyppes in the see by the reason of her costlynes for aâ— one â—oure is she made desolate Reioyce ouer her thou heauen and ye holy Apostles and prophetes for god hath geuen you iudgement vpon her Thus dothe the lorde God shewe and aduenge him selfe of all violent and tyrannous pryde and presumpcion of them whiche perswade them selues that there is no God but they or els that he hath no care of those thinges that are vpon earth Wheras it is euident and manifest out of gods worde what hathe alwayes bene the ende of all proude and presumptuous kyngdoms Whiche the spiritualtye should best haue knowen and haue taught other also And speciallye he that hath had and woulde haue suche a byshoprike And woulde also kepe it vntyll he shoulde peryshe together with it because he hathe not ordered him selfe therin after the wil of god nor after the right rule and square of gods worde and of holy scripture nor hath not done that thinge that his offyce and vocacion hath required as he ought to haue done as it is euident vnto all men They haue desyred and studyed onely to haue great power and dominion vpon yâ— who le earth in all nacions and yles onely for honour and gayne with very small studye or dilygence to rule the worlde well and godlye or to further gods honour and the saluacion of the soule onely And for this cause doeth all the worlde wonder at suche a great and horrible fall And they that seke study after dignite honour and auctorite after worldly lucre they tremble for feare and mourne and bewayle the heuy iudgement of God and their worldly hynderance But the holy and faithfull whiche not onely vpon earth regarde and seke the honour and glorye of God whiche they doe chefely desyre but also in heauen whiche haue the fruicion and perfyght syght and knowledge of the rightuousnes of God they prayse God hartely for the rightuous iudgement whiche is reueled vnto the worlde The texte ¶ And a mightie angell toke vp a stone lyke a great milstone and cast it into the see sayinge with suche violence shall that great citye Babilon be cast and shal be founde no more And the voyce of harpers and musicions and of pypers and tromperters shal be hearde no more in the and no craftes man of whatsoeuer crafte he be shal be founde any more in the. And the sounde of a myll shal be hearde no more in the and the voyce of the brydgrome and of the bryde shal be hearde no more in the for thy marchauntes were the great men of the earth And with thyne â—â—ch auntment were deceaued al ancions and in
godlynes oppressours of the innocent frendes of God To be shorte all they whiche beare the marke token of the dragon of the beast whiche is infidelyte misbelefe in Christ lyke as faith in yâ— crucified Christ is the sure marke and token of al the electe These vnfaithfull must lyue eternally in the ponde of fyre and they shall be ponisshed vexed painfully with vnspeakeable sorowe and heuines euen yâ— deuel his seruaÌ„tes together And although some come out of this life with yâ— sworde without faith yet their damnacioÌ„ did begin here shal continue euerlastingly ¶ The .xx. Chapter The texte ¶ And I sawe an Angell come downe from heauen hauynge the kaye of the bottomlesse pit and a great chayne in his hande And he toke the dragon that olde serpent whiche is the deuil and Satanas he bounde him a thousande yeares cast him into yâ— bottomlesse pit he bounde him and set a seale on him that he shoulde deceaue the people nomore tyl the thousande yeares were fulfylled And after that he must be loced for a lytell season THis chapter maye be taken as it wer for a rehersal of the visions reuelacions that were before mencioned And by the waie it describeth againe yâ— honour and maiestie of Christ of gods worde and the power of the holy gospell and the benefites of Christ addeth therunto the last iudgemeÌ„t of the deade whiche shall dye .ii. deathes This angel that commeth from heauen is Christ whiche shoulde come in to this worlde as was promised vnto the firste man in the beginnynge of the worlde that he shoulde treade the old serpent vpon the heade Whiche is nothing els but that he shoulde take his power from him whiche the iust and rightuous God hath suffered him to exercise againste man for the synne of the first dysobedience and transgression Whiche power Sathan hath alwayes exercised and practised with all wicked disceyte and dyuerse errours and specially with ydolatrye after the whiche doe folow blindnes and all maner of synnes This power hath Christ mightily and with force taken from Sathan the deuyll thorowe his rightuousnes and humblenes euen vntyll the crosse satisfieng for all the pryde transgression disobedience and vnfaithfulnes of Adam and Eue. And thus he hath bounde him with the chayne of his well deserued power that is to say hath hindered him of his proude tyrannye shameful wicked power against the faithful electe of god This band should indure a thousande yeares yâ— is to say a long tyme namely euen yâ— tyme of the right Christen faith which after yâ— saying of yâ— olde fathers should indure for .ii. thousande yeares but it is vncerten from what tyme men should begin to teken these yeares that the faith in this tyme should be sore assaulted whiche hath alwayes bene at this point euen in the tyme of yâ— Iewes in yâ— olde testameÌ„t and amoÌ„g gods owne people hath sometime increased and somtime fallen dedecaied And according therunto might SathaÌ„ exercise his power at some tyme more thaÌ„ at a nother And thus thorow Christ Sathan is alwaies bonde vnto the right faithfull But whan the faithe decayeth and goeth backewarde and the falsehede desceite and dysobedience of man increaseth so that gods word is more and more contemned and forsaken than dothe Sathans power increase againe as it hath ofte come to passe that he maye deceyue the people the heathen the vnfaithfull againe and so vse his power and tyranny againe as loÌ„g as there is lacke and want of true faithe in this worlde The texte ¶ And I sawe seates and they sat vpon them and iudgement was geuen vnto them and I sawe the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesses of Iesu and for the worde of God whiche had not worshipped the beast nether his ymage neyther had taken his marke vpon their forheades or on their handes and they lyued and raygned with Christ a M. yere but the other of the dead men lyued not againe vntyll the thousande yere were finysshed This is that first resurreccioÌ„ Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the first resurreccion For on suche shall the seconde death haue no power but they shal be the Prestes of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousande yeres The seates to iudge Sathan and his companye are appointed of Christ vnto the holy apostles and vnto other electe the soules of them whiche for the lambes sake wer beheaded that is to say after diuers maners and fasshions put to death for the gospelles sake whiche woulde not make any oblacions vnto ydols nor false goddes nor woulde not worship the beast that is to saye Antichrist nor woulde not feare nor honour his ymage but dyd manfully fight for the holy gospell and for the true doctrine and religion of the Apostles All these shall haue seates in the kyngdome of Christ to iudge the whole companye and courte of Sathan and to conuince them of their wickednes blasphemies and damnable errours whiche shal be open and manifest vnto the worlde thorowe the gospel And this their condemnacion beyng openly and manifestly knowen and their godles tyrannye shall â–ª be their death from the whiche they shall not ryse vp againe tyll a thousande yeares be past This manifest iudgement victory and honour obteyned with Christ is vnto them the first resurreccion namely a great honour and felicitie not onely in heaueÌ„ with Christ but also vpon earth in the kingdom of Christ which he hath vpon earth with his spirite in the congregacion of the holy electe And they are happy and blessed and their lyfe is euerlasting both in the heuenly company and also in the holy churche congregacion of the faithful godly soules vpon earth For they are the most deare beloued the most acceptable and of highest reputacion with Christ the lord and kynge of heauen as right prestes and ministers ought to be amonge vs and they shall rule and reigne with Christe vnto the ende of the worlde vntyll the last daye of the latter iudgement and in the seconde resurreccion and vntil the last and eternall iudgement of the wicked and damned blasphemers The texte ¶ And when the thousande yeares are eâ—piâ—ed SathaÌ„ shal be losed out of his preson and shal go out to beceaue the people whiche are in the foure quarters of the earth Gog and Magog togather them together to battayle whose nombre is as yâ— sande of the see they went vp in the playne of yâ— earth and compassed the centes of the sainctes about the beloued citie And fire came downe from God out of heauen and deuoured them and the deuyll that deceaued them was cast into a lake of fyre and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet shal be tormented daye and night for euer more A lytle tyme before the last day shall Sathan obteyne power againe tyll the ende of the worlde and shal exercyse and practyse it and
shall worke with the wicked and vngodly in the whole worlde according to his nature wickednes And he shall styrte his wicked armye warriers Gog and Magog of whom the Prophetes do muche speake And they are the greate and infinite nomber of the enemyes of God of the holy doctrine of the ghospel and of all holy congregations of true and faythfull Christians whiche are called and are in dede the very true Ierusalem whiche dwell vpon earth as citizens of a fortunate holy quiet and honorable citie and comunaltie Agaynste this holye citie and comunaltie shal sathan fyght a newe batell with his armye and men of warre with all his power myght and wyckednes and shall attempte and goe aboute to ouercome theÌ„ to deceyue them and to make them to forsake the trueth of God and shall worke all meanes to destroye soules And thys shall he doe in the whole worlde He shall spare no laboure to compasse aboute and to besege not the stony citie of Ierusalem in Iewry but as it is sayde before the holye christendome vpon earth the cytie of the faythfull citizins namely the godlye elect But the grace and mercie of God towarde his beloued and the promesse of Christ towarde his churche is greater and stronger than the wickednes and power of Gog and Magog the wycked warrieis agaynst Christ which shall consume them with fyre euen as he did stryke Senacharibs army vpon an hundreth thousande and .iiii. score and .v. thousand in one night thorough one of his aungels and brought them into asâ—hes with the fyre of Goddes vengeaunce and ryghtuous iudgement And euen vpon that shall folowe the generall iudgement of God by the whiche the deuil with all his hoost coÌ„panye shall be throwen into euerlastyng payne damnation which is resembled vnto a lake graue of fyre and brymstone in the whyche the dragon the beast al false prophetes shal be tormented day and nyght that is to say perpetuallye without ende And that shall be the seconde death The texte And I sawe a great white seate and hym that sat on it from whose face fled awaye both the yearth and heauen their place was nomore founde And I saw the dead bothe great and smale stande before God And the bokes were opened another boke was opened which is the boke of lyfe and the dead were iudged of those thynges whyche were writen in the bokes accordyng to their dedes and the sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and death hel deliuered vp the dead which were in theÌ„ they wer iudged euery maÌ„ according to his dedes And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire Thys is the seconde death And whosoeuer was not founde writen in the boke of lyfe was cast into the lake of fyre The great general ryghtuous most iust and last iudgement of God whaÌ„ as yâ— who le world shal be iudged is here described by the great and whit stoole Which shall be greuous heuy and intolerable vnto the rebellious disobedyent wycked and obstinate contemners of Gods holy worde the euerlastynge ghospell of Christ But it shall be ioyfull swete pleasant delectable welcome and acceptable as most hartely desyred and loked for vnto the godly faythful humble elcte of God The iudge vpoÌ„ the stoole is our sauiour Iesus Christ dreadful and feareful vnto al the world vnto such earthly meÌ„ which haue set their marke ende loue hope felicitie vpon the earth in those thinges wherin the worlde deliteth as are fleshely lustes pride of life al wickednes lack of loue both toward god the neighbour And therfore the earth sygnifieth yâ— men that dwel vpoÌ„ the earth the deuils which remayne in earth in the ayer which is also called heaueÌ„ which are thrust out of their places habitacions no more found therin but in the place habitacioÌ„ which the iust iudgemeÌ„t omnipotencie of God hath prepared for theÌ„ in the earth that is most wide distant from the kingdom of heauen Vnto this dredfull and terrible iudgement of God shal come stand before the iudgemeÌ„t seate of God and Christ all those whiche were deade both masters and seruauntes great and small hyghe and lowe myghtie and vnmyghtie men and women yong and olde none excepte Than shal the heartes consciences thoughtes and secretes of al men be opened and dysclosed not onely vnto them whiche shal and must than knowledge them selues giltye and worthye of eternall damnacion but also vnto the other For as than shal all wickednes of the conscience be open euydent and manifest For they shall accuse and condemne them selues without any cloke or excuse whan as they shall beholde all men and shall reade with perfyte vnderstandynge and with feare and tremblynge the other great boke of gods rightuousnes and equite of his warnynges doctrine instruccions and threatnynges whiche they haue had sufficiently in this worlde euery one in their tyme thorowe gods mercyfull and fatherly prouision and sendynge but they haue vtterly contemned and despysed them with all the righteousnes godlynes that they haue taught And they woulde nothing regarde nor esteme the holy worde of God which was geuen vnto the worlde in the holy scripture for a perfyte rule and square but they would neuer credyte nor beleue it but rashly against their owne conscience haue refused and contemned it And therfore shall they be wyped out of the regyster booke of the faithfull and of them whiche shall lyue perpetually with God and withal his peculiar electe in eternal ioy blisse And thus they shal remaine continually in the eternall indignacion of God in euerlasting hate enuy most painfull tormentes and great impacience and continuall sorowe in so muche that their eternall death shall also be with corporall payne and tormente of the bodye euen with the whole felowship of the deuyll and that without any ende or ceasynge This iudgement and heuy daye shall no man be able to escape and auoyde whether he be consumed in the earth in the fyre or in the see For all this standeth in the hande of yâ— almightie power of God whiche with one word wyll and commaundement made all elementes heauen and earth and all that is therin And where he sayeth that the hell shoulde geue vp her deade vnderstande therby as in many other places of holy scripture the graues in yâ— earthe or wheresoeuer they be out of the whiche the deade shall ryse vp and they that shall be than alyue as S. Paule saieth shall be changed in a shorte space in the twincklynge of an eye to stande together before the iudgement seate of God with them whiche shall be iudged to euerlastinge lyfe or death But euery one of them whiche shal appeare and shall know them selues manifestly shal iudge them selues accordynge as they haue done after or against the wyll of God in faith or infydelite in loue or contempt of god in the feare of God
or in securitie after the lustes of the fleshe rightuously and vnrightuouslye For there shall no colour crafte lyes dissimulacion violence might anger or respecte of parsons auayle or helpe but euery man shall there be iudged accordynge to hys workes And thus shall hell with all suche that belong vnto it shall be damned be nothing els but a fyery lake a terryble and heuy state of damnacion ordeyned and prepared of all the myserie sorowe wickednes and euyll that can be thought or ymagyned This is the seconde death the rewarde punyshment and recompence of all them whiche are not founde writen in the boke of lyfe which shall remayne perpetually with Christ in heauen with all the holy angels and electe in the ioyfull perfyght and eternall blisse and fruicion of all the grace and goodnes that is prepared of God and of Christ our heuenly kynge for all faithfull beleuers But this is incomprehensyble vnto all reason wytte and sense of man onely to consyder it generallye as S. Austen saith saluacion is a state wherin is all perfyghtnes aboundantly of all those thinges that are good and to be desyred eyther in heauen or in earth wherunto God of his mercye will helpe and bryng vs. ¶ The .xxi. Chapter The texte And I sawe a newe heauen and a newe erth For the fyrst heauen and the fyrst erth were vanysshed away there was nomore See And I Iohn saw that holy cytie new Ierusalem come down from God out of heauen prepared as a bride garnisshed for her husband And I harde a great voyce out of heauen saying beholde the tabernacle of God is with men he wyll dwell with them And they shal be his people God himselfe shal be with them and be their God NOwe from this place forth the holy Apostle and Euangelyst S. Iohn describeth the saluation of al suche as are electe their state and the kyngdome of heauen and finally the euerlasting blisse wherof he wrote somewhat in the fyfte chapter but here he wryteth more playnely plentuosly and largely of it As concernynge the newe heauen and newe earth after what maner they shall be it is no place here to dyspute or to contende muche aboute it The testymony of the holy apostle S. Peter and of S. Iohn in thys place is suffycient for vs S. Peter in the thyrde chapter of hys seconde Epistle sayth as Iohn doeth here that thorow the worde of God wherby heauen and earth are created and made shall there be a newe heauen and a newe earthe agayne whiche the faithfull elect shall well see whyche had rather beleue the worde of God than all the weake and deceyueable reason of the phylosophers whiche haue taken in hande to dyspute and discusse such thynges but lytle to the purpose But S. Paule dyscusseth the matter with one worde saying we shal be alwayes with the lord in that same state where Christ our lord the euerlastyng kyng is namely with all them whiche shall be saued both angels and soules and also withal those men whiche dyd ryse and wente vp to heauē with Christ This is certen that like as thorow the synne of Adam thys world is corrupte and infect and the earth also with weedes and vnprofytable thynges whyche hynder and hurte the pleasaunt and good frutes whiche myght serue and be profitable vnto the worlde and the see lykewyse with hir vnquietnes and ragyng doth muche harme so shall the earth and water no more be but altogether with out faute lyke as mankynde shall lykewyse be without any maner of faute in perfyte ioye pleasure and blisse Euen so I saye shall the whole earth be garnyshed after suche a sort that it maye be a very paradyse wythout any maner of labor that the blessed shall wyshe to lyne vpon it but that they are in their contrye in heauen The same heauen whiche was made wyth one worde may likewise be prepared of God with one worde for the whole and persyte blisse of the faythfull electe Let vs content and satysfye oure selfes with this ▪ in this doubte and dysputacyon whiche can not be comprehended nor discussed with any reason of man But the holy citie that Iohn sawe is nothyng els but the state of all the faithfull electe in eternall and full saluation withoute anye maner of imperfeccion with aboundance of all goodnes where nothing more can be desired and with sure and quiet possessyon of all heuenly treasures in the syght and fruicion of God the hyghest and the onely goodnes and felicitie as he can gyue himselfe to be inioyed and that most louingly most cōmfortably and moste blissedly vnto all treatures of knowlege and vnderstandyng And that thorowe the cleare and blissed glasse of the excellent holy and excedyng blessed manhode of Christ the kyng of all honoure and blisse vnto all faithfull elect Whose blessed and sacred body and soule vnited and knytte in one with the holy godhed is a perfite and a cleare glasse wherin hys moste pleasaunte gloryfied manhode maye be beholden In whiche glasse all the blissed sayntes that is to say all that are saued doe beholde and haue the perfite fruicion of all that goodnes whiche the Lorde God is in him selfe and of all benefites that he will gyue vnto all his creatures euerlastyngly This glasse is sygnified by the tabernacle of God wherein God wyll abyde and remayne with man with all grace and louing kyndnes and that in the newe Ierusalem whiche is buylded altogether of moste precious stones of the blyssed frendes of God in whom God hath a pleasure and a delyght to dwell and to remayne and to deale and distribute his ioye felicitie and blisse vnto the faithfull elect For Ierusalem is not the myserable and wretched citie of the Iewes whiche is called Ierusalem and Iebus and I can not tell with howe manye more names besyde whiche was so ofte ouerthrowen for the rebellyon and disobedience of their citizens and for that they forsoke God in the whyche cytie the blynde proude frowarde and obstynace Iewys doe fyxe and set all their hope and felicitie where they hope and desyre to be lordes and to reigne ouer al men with their Messias whom they vaynely beyng grossely deceyued doe looke and gape for but it is that Ierusalem whiche is neyther heauenlye nor earthly but a spirituall Ierusalem a generall felowshyp and brotherhoode of all faythfull seruaūtes of God whiche haue a ryghte Christen fayth and a perfyte loue thorowly furnyshed with all good and holy workes the bondes and lymites whereof are thorout the whole compase of the earth wheresoeuer the Lorde God is rightly knowen and truely serued after his owne wyll expressed in his worde So that there are .iii. maner of Ierusalems But saynct Iohn speaketh in this place of the heauenly and newe cytie of those which are blissed in God whiche citie is in heauen prepared of God and made readye of Christ the brydegrome of all faythfull for them his spouse Whiche spouse is garnished not
speciall trust and loue towardes him he sheweth him his spouse and wyfe and nameth her the lambes wyfe but it is the christen churche the felowship of all saintes and holy electe This christen churche is in .ii. maner of states In the first state she is mylitant euer striuynge and fightyng euer in warrefare assaulted with much trouble and vexacion sorowfull vnperfyte and euer waxyng and increasynge And in the other state she is triumphant victorious euer triumphinge quiet free without care or sorowe for any vexacion perfyte heauenly blessed and euerlasting Of bothe these states for certen fewe properties the earthly Ierusalem the citie of the Iewes is set for a figure comparison example and counterpane Whiche Ierusalem of the Iewes lyeth vpon an hyll hath .xii. gates and great hyghe walles and lyeth on highe towarde the whole lande rounde about on euery behalfe Of the whiche they that wyll knowe more maye reade Iosephus which writeth largely therof Nowe here speaketh Christ of the spirituall Ierusalem in her double state It lyeth also highe for as muche as it is highly indewed with gods grace and glorious giftes for whose sake almightie God sent his onely begotten sunne vpon earth to clense and to make her pure to bylde her to bewtifie and to garnyshe her and to make her glorious euen for an euerlastynge kingdome and for a deare beloued spouse for him selfe This citie is great for it reacheth vnto all the endes and coastes of the worlde and it is also holy for it is sanctified with the holy and blessed presence of Christ with his precious hearte bloode which was shedde in the highest loue and obedience towarde god and mankynde and that washeth a waye the synnes of all the worlde in that are al the faythful purged clensed This descending of the heuenly citie Ierusalem or holy chrysten churche sygnifieth the comon felowshyp and participacion of the churche â—riumphant that reygnyth in victory with the churche mylytant that contyneweth and remaineth in battel and warrefare For they bothe are one churche deuided and sondred in .ii. onely in this worlde by reason of the tyme. For that churche whiche is nowe militant and lyeth in warrefare vpon earthe shal shortly be in heaueÌ„ victorious and triumphant This churche both vpon earthe and in heauen hathe one godly glorye al honour vertue prayse might and blisse commeth vnto her from God The light of this churche is the most precious stone namely vpon earth faythe with loue and in heauen trueth and saluacioÌ„ in Christ The walles which defende preserue and kepe this citie is the faith and belefe in the holy worde of god by the whiche the faithfull beleuers are kept and preserued The .xii. gates maye we take and vnderstande for the .xii. articles of the holye Christen faythe vpon the gates the xii apostles or patriarkes or prophetes whiche haue their glorious and holy names not onely written in heauen aboue all other holy saintes but also vpoÌ„ earth in the militant or warrefaring chutch These gates of the articles are wel and orderly set and appointed of the father of the sunne of the holy gost of the grace and rewarde of redempcion The .xii. foundacions of these walles maye be taken for the bokes of the olde and newe testament vpon the whiche the wall of the christen churche the holy faithe whiche is but one bothe of the christianes of the olde and of the newe testament bothe of the prophetes and of the Apostles is and ought to be founded and grounded And where as the Apostles are here more named than the prophetes it is done for this purpose for as much as thorow the Apostles the doctrine of the prophetes and the gospell promysed in the prophetes was spredde abrode and publyshed in the whose wyde worlde whiche gospell the prophetes dyd preache and wryte onely vnto the children of Israel and to their neighbours the people nexte about them of the lande of Israell and againe because the apostles were witnesses in their owne parsons of the slaying and death of the lambe The texte ¶ And be that talked with me had a golden rede to measure the citie with all and the gates therof and the wal therof And the citie was buylt foure square and the length was as large as the bredth and he measured the citie with the rede twelue â—â— furlonges and the length and the bredth the heyght of it were equall And he measured the wall therof an cxliiii câ—bytes the measure that the angell had was after the measure that man vseth And the buildyng of the wal of it was of Iasper And the citie was pure golde lyke vnto cleare glasse and the foundacions of the wall of the citie were garnished with all maner of precious stones The first foundacion was Iaspis the seconde Saphire the thirde a Calcedony the fourthe an Emeralde the fyfte Sardoniâ— the syrie Sardoes the seuenth Crysolite the eight Beral the nynth a Topas the tenth a Chrisoprasos the eleeuenth a Iaciute the twelue than Amâ—chist In the .xliiii. of Ezechiell and lykewyse in zacharie doe we reade of yâ— mystery of this holy citie whiche is here described as thoughe it shoulde be measured how long how brode and howe highe it were But it is done of Christ after the maner of a vision and as it were in a misterie For Christ knoweth his churche well inoughe and all whiche are the rin or belong therunto The golden reed is as it were a golden met wonde and it signifieth the right square of the holy scripture whiche onely declareth and sheweth certenly and truly what is ryghte or croked wel or amisse in the religion and doctrine ceremonies and dyscipline of the churche And where as the citie lyeth foure square it sygnifieth the .iiii. quarters of the worlde in the whiche the almightie God hath alwayes had his peculier electe faithful folowers and obseruers of the true loue of God and of the neighbour wherin consisteth the lawe and the prophetes and also the commaundement of Christ the sauiour of the whole worlde The length is from the east to the west the bredth is from the northe to the south and the higth is euen from the earth to the heauen So that heauen and earth and the whole churche both triumphant in heauen militant vpon earth are full of the glory of God of the power and kyngdome of Christ whiche the father gaue him whan as he dyd set him at his right hande in the moost hyghe honour glorye and blisse for a mirrour vnto all faithfull and holy electe An hundreth and .xliiii. is a full and a perfite nomber euen .xii. tymes .xii. And it signifieth all perfeccion of the grace of God the holy goost and of all true and perfite vertues whiche true faithe onely preserueth and maketh good and perfight and also acceptable vnto God The true faithe and belefe which hath alwaies bene preached and preserued in the holy churche as well by the Israelites as by the
also all that is abhominacion vnto the lorde as ydolatry abhominable blasphemies forged lyes false doctrine shall haue no place in the right churche For vnto the right holy churche which is knoweÌ„ onely vnto God and inuisible vpon earthe doe onely the electe children of God perteyne whose names are wrytten in heauen in the booke of the lyuynge ¶ The .xxii. Chapter The texte ¶ And he shewed me a pure ryuer of water of lyfe clere as Christ all procedyng out of the seate of God and of the lambe In the myddes of the strete of it and of eâ—her â—yde of yâ— ryuer was ther wood of lyfe which bare twelue maner of frutes gaue frute euery moneth and yâ—â—eues of the wood serued to heale the people with al. And ther shal be no more cuâ—se but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it and his seruauntes shall serue him And they shal se his face his name shal be in their forheades And ther shal be no night there and they nede no candle nether lyght of the sunne for the Lorde geueth them lighte and they shall raygne for euermore CHrist openeth vnto Iohn his deare beloued disciple the secrete misteries of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ expoundeth the visions of the other prophetes as farre furth as is requisite necessary for the christen doctrine And thus Iohn seeth here a pure ryuer of water very clere whiche is the holy scripture the worde of god the doctrine of Christ the holy gospel of our saluacioÌ„ That same is clere vnto al them that haue a pure heart mynde not defyled nor blemished with transitorye loue care of yâ— worlde nor with any temptacions of the flesshe This holy doctrine procedeth commeth out froÌ„ the holy spirite of god and of Christ For he is one God with yâ— father the sonne He is the seate of glorye of omnipotencie of the godheade He procedeth out from the welspring of all wysedom grace mercye and floweth throughe the myddes of al streates of Christes churche which is the citie of god of the lambe And of both sides of yâ— riuer doe staÌ„de glorious bewtiful trees of lyfe which receyue their increase their leaues and frute of the moysture of the riuer And these trees are the holy fathers of the faithful christen churche of the olde new testament whiche by their faith and by their vnderstandynge and readyng of the holy scripture of the lawe of the prophetes and of the gospell haue lyued taught and wrought very frutefully in the holy citie of the churche and haue brought forthe twelue maner of frutes that is to saye many frutes and haue serued god without ceasynge with muche frute and profyte in right and true good woâ—kes and vertuous exercises The leaues frute and sappe of these holy trees were very holsome and soueraine as were also the frutes of the dysciples of the prophetes and apostles For the holy bysshops and preachers of Gods worde dyd make repentance faithfull holy and christen people by their preachinge â—eachinge wrytinge prayers and christen example of lyfe of them whiche were before very hethen And in this churche there is no cursed frute and no meate is vncleane vnto the faithfull For they shall receyue and inioy all maner of frutes and meates with thanckes geuynge and with all temperatenes and measure Neyther shall the holy goost be extingwysshed in the holy churche of God but he shall prouyde ministers of God and shall incorage and comforte them with his ayde and assystence that they shall profyte goe forwarde and procede frutefully in all goodnes and thorowe true faithe they shall knowe the face of God his gracious and mercifull wyll and pleasure in this militant warrfarynge churche but in the heauenly Ierusalem they shall knowe him face to face euen as he is and shall laude and prayse him euerlastingly And these ministers and seruantes of God shall not be ashamed to knowledge and to confesse the name of god the christen faith the holy gospel They shal beare about preache and glorifie the name of Christ openly with ioy delyght and pleasure And neyther Sunne nor Moone shal helpe or adde any thing to this cleare and bright daye of gods knowledge for the spirite of God shall doe all together And the blissed soules in heauen haue their Sunne and Moone the glasse of the godheade the excellent bewty of the glorified and exalted manhode of Christe wherby they shall reygne in blisse for euermore The texte ¶ And be sayde vnto me these sayinges are faithful and true And the Lorde God of saintes and prophetes sent his angell to shewe vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche must shortly be fulfylled Beholde I come shortly Happy is he that kepeth the sayinge of the Prophecy of this boke I am Iohn whiche saw these thinges and hearde them And wheÌ„ I had hearde sene I fell downe to worship before yâ— fete of the angel which shewed me these thinges And he said vnto me sâ— thou â—â— it not for I am thy felow seruaunt the felowe seruaunt of â—hy brethren the prophetes and of them which kepe the saynges of this booke But worshippe God Christ speaketh vnto Iohn and geueth witnesse and testimonye vnto this booke of Reuelacion of secrete misteries that al whiche is written in this booke is certen and true and not to be contemned and taken as any trifle or fable For this booke was ordeyned of God to be spoken thorow an angell vnto Iohn that he should write it and should leaue it behynde him in yâ— faithfull and holy churche of Christ Euen yâ— same god whiche reueled vnto other holy prophetes and men of God thinges that were to come the very same God hath now sent his angel geuen him in commission to open reuele vnto Iohn these visions and prophecies of thinges to come whiche should happen come to passe be fulfilled very shortly yâ— is to say they should shortly begin so happen and come to passe one after another vntil they be all fulfylled Beholde with certen thinges wil I come very shortly The comming of Christ is prophecied vnto vs after suche sorte forme yâ— we should carfully diligently wayte for it continuallye lyke as true faithful seruantes doe waite watche vpoÌ„ yâ— returning of theyr masters doe neuer slepe as Christ teacheth in yâ— gospel And because this boke shoulde not be contemned nor lyghtly estemed in the christen churche therfore Christ sayethe by his messenger and angell that he is happye that is to saye he is the seruaunte of God and pleaseth the Lorde well and shall be partaker of grace and saluacion whiche beleueth this booke â–ª taketh all thinges that are written therin for true holy and estemeth yâ— prophecies of this boke whiche are many and diuerse no lesse than other holy bookes of the prophetes and euangelistes other holy prophecies And where as he saieth â–ª I
the spirit and the bryde say come And let him that heareth say also come And let him that is a thirste come And let whosoeuer wyll take of the water of lyfe free Lyke as almightie God saieth vnto Moyses I am the God of thy fathers â–ª c. euen so saieth the angell here in the person of Christe by the inspiracion of Christes spirite that this prophecy was opened and reueled euen of Christ him selfe thorowe the angell vnto holy Iohn and therfore all men ought to credyte and beleue all these sightes visions and reuelacions And they ought also to be propouned and preached vnto the congregacions for their edifienge that the faithfull maye take diligent hede and beware of the terryble and shameful perels daungers and euyls which shal preuayle in the christen church and shortly aryse and beginne as is alredy happened and shall daylye be fulfylled more and more one after a nother as is before sayd But now howe Christ is yâ—â—oole of Dauid marke this wel for as much as for his sake Dauids kingdom was preserued and his posterite also was preserued in the extreme and troblesome affliccions of the Iewishe nacion vntyll suche tyme as Christ our lorde sautout was borne of the stocke and progeny of Dauid For not withstandynge all the synnes wherwith Dauid dyspleased God and dyd in maner greater and more heynous synnes than Saule dyd yet coulde he vse the helpe of no nother thing fauynge onely of faith in the promes of God whiche assured and promised him that Christ the lorde and promised Messâ—as should be borne of his seede wherin he might well reioyse bothe for him selfe and also for al his posteritie other Kynges and Lordes And therfore our lord sauiour Christ is the tooâ—e and generacion of Dauid by reason of his manhode but concernyng his godheade he hath an vnknowen rysinge vp and begynnynge and an vnknowen commynge furthe of an euerlastinge birthe And lykewyse Christ accordynge to his manhode is a bryght mornynge starre whiche should drawe and allure the eyes of al men vnto him as vnto the risyng vp vnto blisse and vnto all saluacion All this is the voyce of Christ â–ª the brydegrome And now foloweth the voyce and desyre of the bryde and spouse whiche out of a true faithe and an heartye desyre and zeale in all faithfull and electe desireth and wyssheth after the seconde comminge of Christ vnto the latter iudgement and so consequently to inioy the participacion of the blessed and perfyte kyngdome in heauen with all faithfull electe bothe with bodye and soule For all the electe children of God doe hunger and thirst after the honour and glorye of Christ in the kingdome of heauen as well they that are vpon earthe as they that are already in heauen â–ª for they wyshe and desyre in their spirite the fulfyllyng of gods wyll and pleasure wherunto with all humblenes and submission they doe vtterly submitte their wyll for they knowe that his wyll is best and moost perfyte And this desire and wyshe of the faithfull electe â–ª pleaseth God well And althoughe he wyl not heate them at suche tyme as they desyre euen at the very same Moment yet he dothe promyse vnto them his gracious ayde and mercye in the meane tyme whiche he wyll doutles performe And all of mere grace and mercye without any maner of deserte The texte ¶ I testifye vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophecye of this booke yf any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plages that are written in this booke And yf any man shall minishe of the workes of this prophecye God shal take awaye his patre out of the dooke of lyfe and out of the holy â—â—â—â—e and from the thinges whiche are written in this boke He whiche testifieth these thinges saithe be it I come quâ—â—ly Amen Euen so come Lorde Iesu The grace of our Lord Iesu Christe be with you all Amen In this place first after the speakynge of Christ and againe after the speakynge of the holy bryde and of the christen churche maye the holy Apostle S. Iohn speake these wordes in his owne parson as he dyd in the begynnynge of the booke to warne and exhorte al men there by yâ— no man adde any thing vnto this booke as a new vision no more than to any other booke of holy scripture nor take any thing there from as thoughe any thing might be mysunderstande therin and so refused as vnholy and not good For God wyll not suffer any suche thing to be vnpunysshed nor vnaduenged this is the very intent meanyng of these wordes And therfore such men doe amysse and synne very greatly whiche doe refuse this whole booke as thoughe it were not autentical where as it is euident yâ— it hath bene alwayes songe and reade in yâ— holy churche from the begynnynge to the ende Now are those bookes called Apocripha and vnautenticall whiche men might well reade out of the churche priuately by them selues but not in the churche and congregacion Nor it is not lawfull to confirme and mainteyne any maner of doctrine concerninge our faithe and relygion by the auctoritie of any suche vnautenticall bookes except it were in all pointes conformable vnto other holy scriptures And now that that foloweth here after where as he sayeth he which testifieth these thinges saieth c. These wordes maye be referred vnto that that goeth before where Christ speaketh of the callynge of the bryde Euen the same Christe sayeth here at the last ende againe yea I come without doubte take no thought nor thincke it not long the tyme is not long vnto me whiche am that I am Amen that is to saye without any doubt After this dothe holy S. Iohn conclude and ende this booke after the maner of the apostles desiring eâ—nestly the commynge of the kyngdome of Christ â–ª very quickely as all faithfull Christians doe The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with all faithfull electe Christians whiche shall be vntyll the ende of the worlde and specially with them whiche reade this booke with faithe and an holy Christen desyre and mynde Amen ¶ The ende of the Reuelacion of S. Iohn thus brefely expounded by the seruaunt of Christ Leo Iude a minister in the churche of Tigury and translated out of the high Duche by Edmonde Alen. Num. xii Eccle. xlv Hebr. iii. Marke xii Luâ— xxi â— Cor. viii Put aparte for yâ— gospel By whoÌ„ we haue receiued grace and Apostleship c. Grace be with you c. For I loue to see you that I might c. I am debter bothe to the grekes and vngrekes For I am not ashamed of the gospel Abacuâ— â—â— Which withhold yâ— truthe â—n vnrighteousnes c. Because that whan they knew god c. And as they regarded not to knowe God c. Whiche men though they knewe the righteousnes of God c. But we are sure that the iudgement of God c. Either dispisest thou
euen as Christe is yâ— head of the congregacioÌ„ Ye housbaÌ„des loue your wiues as Christ al to hath louedtde congregacion He that Loueth his wife loueth himself Ye seruauÌ„tes be obedieÌ„t to your bodely masters c We haue heard of your fayth i Christ Iesu c. Of whiche hope ye heard before by the true worde of the gospel Whiche also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue in the spirite Ye might be fulfilled with the knowledge c Strengthed with al might through his glorious power c. Whiche hath made vs mete to be partakers of the inheritaunce of sainctes in light For by him were all thinges created He is the begâ—nnyng and first begotten of the dead c That in him should all fulnes dwell c. Now ioye I in my suffâ—riÌ„ges for you c. For his bodies sake whiche is the congregacioÌ„ Whome we preache warnyns all men and teaching c. â— That theyr hertes might be comforted c. Thoughe I be absente in the fleshe c. And disceitfull van tie after the tradicion of meÌ„ c. In him dwelleth all yâ— fulnes of yâ— godhead bodelye â—c In whom ye are also râ—seÌ„ again through fayth â—â— And hath â—ut out the hâ—nâ—wryâ—ing â—â—â—t was agaâ—â—â—t vs c Whiche are shadowes of thynges to come c. In the thynges which he neuer sawe Touche not taste not haÌ„dle not whiche all â–ª c. And â—â—uetonsnes whiche is worshippyng of idols And image of him that made hâ—m Take hede to thy office We haue heard of your fayth i Christ Iesu c. Of whiche hope ye heard before by the trae worde of the gospel Whiche also declared vnto vs your loue which ye haue in the spirits Ye might be fulfilled with the knowledge c. Strengthed with al might through his glorious power c. Whiche hath made vs meâ—e to be partakers of the inheritaunce of sainctes in light For by him were all thinges created He is the beginnyng and first begotten of the dead â— That in him should all fulnes dwell c. Now ioyâ— I in my sufâ—â—riÌ„geâ— fo◠〈◊〉 c. For his bodies sake â— whiche is â—â—e congregacioâ— Whome we preache warnyng all men and teaching c. That theyr hertes might be comforted c. Thoughe I be absente in the fleshe c. And disceitfull vanitie after the tradicion of meÌ„ c. In him dwelleth all yâ— fulnes of yâ— godhead bodelye c. In whom ye ate also riseÌ„ again through fayth c. And hath put out the handwryting that was against vs. c. Whiche aâ—â— shadowâ—s â—â— thynges to come c. In the thynges which he neuer sawe Touche not taste not haÌ„dle not whiche all c. And couetousnes whiche is worshippyng of idols And image of him that made him Take hede to thy office Thessalonica God make vs Englishmen â—â—ght Thessalonians God sende vs suche preachers This is the will of god euen your holynesse By the coÌ„mission of god our sauiour To his natural sonne In the faith Grace mercy peace As I besought the. That thou commaunde some The ende of the lawe is loue The law is good The lawe is not geueÌ„ vnto a righteous man We haue the lyke aduersaries but not the lyke diligeÌ„t preachers Paul made a priest by layeng on of haÌ„des without anoputynge Faith and conscience The cause of the decay of faith and good conscience The chiefe pollicie that bringeth meÌ„ to Christ is christian charitie Elders as we in oure commen speche vse to cal them Aldermen All prelates maye learne diligence at this mooste diligeÌ„t preachinge prelate the deuyll The charitie of the Gospel maketh one to be as glad of an others good to be as sory for an others hurt as though it were to him self not al worldly suâ— staunce to be thinune as the â—hant asâ—icall Anabaptistes do wikedly dreame The tree of lyfe The seconde death The fyrste death Manna The whyte stone Iesabel The whyte araye The open dore To be in the spirite Gods seate The precious stones The raynebowe The .xxiiii. seates and the .xxiiii. elders The sea of glasse The foure sondry beastes The face of the man The calfe The lyon The Egle. The wynges The eyes Foure angels The earth the sea and the trees The holy angell A certen nomber put for to signifye an vncerten multitude The trees Locustes The raynebowe vii thonders The quier xlii monethes The .ii. witnesses The great citie The temple of God The Arke The lyghtnyng thondering c. Heauen The womaÌ„ with childe The crienge The dragoÌ„ The .vii. heades The .x. hornes â—â—e tayle The taile of the dragon or of the deuyll The wynges The catte The Beare Tabernacle Ludouicus pius .viii. hundreth lvi The lambe This name is nowe turned and called al sainctes