tabernacle of his palace betwixte two Seas to wit the Hadriatical Sea called now the goulfe of Venise and the Tirrhene or Tuscane Sea in the mounte of desire of holines that is to saye in the pleasaunt and holy hille We haue hearde certenly that the palace of S. Peter is preferred both before mounte Zion and also Sinai There sitteth the most holy in the seate of holines There is moste full remission of al sinnes There is the mouther supreme head of al churches There is the high courte and iudgemeÌ„t from wheÌ„ce maie no maÌ„ appeale There sitteth the king of kinges and high Bisshop whiche so farre excelleth in brightnes and Maiestie the Emperour and other kinges as the sunne doeth the Moone and Starres There is thought to be perfit holines and al the treasures of Christ and of his Sainctes Therefore saide Daniel rightly that Antichriste shall dwell in the noble and holy hille namely in the seuen hilly Rome as we hearde also in the .17 chapt Finally he prophecieth also of the ende of this most puissaunt prince Antichrist sayeth and what time he shall come to his ende no man shall helpe him For Christ comming to iudgement shal thrust him out of his seate And Daniel in the .12 chap. followyng describeth the iudgement To Christ alone be glory Lette vs consequently procede to adde to a fewe thinges concerning the paynes of the vngodly and the euerlastyng condemnation of the Deuil and his membres S. Iohn and fire came downe from heauen and deuoured them And the prophet Amos in the .1 chapt calleth Gods vengeaunce fire as the others do also Wherfore S. Iohn signifieth that the vengeaunce of God shall falle vpon all the enemies of the church In times paste also fire commyng downe from heauen burnt vp Sodome and Gomorrhe and also consumed the enemies of Helias And although corporally fire doeth not alwayes falle from heauen yet shall the persecutours of the church neuer escape vnpunnisshed in that they haue vexed the Sainctes of Christ Doubtles yf we will beholde and coÌ„sider what was done in that holy warre and what chauÌ„ceth dayly we will saye that the vengeaunce of God is most present bothe agaynst the Turkes and the Papistes But if any man vnderstande that aboute the ende of the world fire shall rage and consume the wicked as also S. Peter mentioneth of fire and burnyng out of the prophetes .2 Pet. 3. I will not be agaynsâ— it Laste of all he toucheth also the euerlastynge damnation of Sathan and all his membres For where the Lorde sayde in the Gospell yf the blinde leade the blinde bothe shal falle into the ditche it followeth that both Sathan the deceauer and the people of him seduced shoulde be caried together to helle where S. Iohn nowe placeth and as it were ioyneth to gether the deuil Gog and Magog the Saracenes Turkes briefely all nations deceaued the Beaste and false Prophet and all the Antichristians We see therefore that the iudgement of God is rightuouse the which to describe he retourneth nowe agayne And we admonisshed before by this speache they shall be tormented daye and nighte c. The perpetuitie of damnation to be signified From the whiche the Lorde our God deliuer vs to whome be glory for euermore Amen ¶ The Iudge and laste iudgement is described with the resurrection of the dead The XC Sermon AND I sawe a greate white seate and him that sat on it froÌ„ whose face fled awaye both the Earth and heauen and their place was no more founde And I sawe the dead both great and smal stande before God and the bokes were opened an other boke was opened whiche is the boke of life and the dead were iudged of the thinges whiche were writteÌ„ in the bokes according to their dedes And the Sea gaue vp her dead whiche were in her and death and helle deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery maÌ„ according to his dedes And death and hel were caste into the lake of fire This is the seconde death and who so euer was not fownde written in the booke of life was caste into the lake of fire The order or disposiâ—ioÌ„ of this place S. Iohn had begonne to speake of the vniuersall and laste iudgement about the ende of the .11 chapt And resumed the same to be finisshed in the .19 chapt Where we hearde that Antichrist shuld be throweÌ„ downe out of his seate and glory into helle Where chaunced a question to arrise of theÌ„ which although they cleaue not to Antichrist yet are they not ioyned with Christe what shal become of them at the last iudgement That same when he had soluted and shewed the equitie of Gods iudgementes he retourneth as it were with an after songe to the description of the generall and laste iudgement and compeÌ„diousely describeth thesame and that more generally now than before in the .19 chap. Where he semeth chiefly to haue treated of the destruction of Antichriste yet so that he shewed after a sorte also what should happeÌ„ to the other vngodly Now he handleth more generally the self same iudgement shewing that al shal be iudged herein and setteth forth the same wholy as it were paincted to be sene of our eyes For after his wonted maner he expouÌ„deth al this matter by an heauenly vision that he might not seme only to tel the thing to our eares but also to shewe it forth to be sene of our eyes to thintent it might be more depely printed in our mindes And al these thinges are most certen and vndoubted as I also admonisshed you before reuealed of the iudge Christ him self But the iudge and Lord himself can be ignoraunt in nothinge of this matter Nother can we perceyue that S. Iohn hath hitherto ben deceaued or abused in any thing that he hath set forth to vs but hath hitte rightly al and singular poinctes as we see that caÌ„ testifie his prophecies to be fulfilled whie than should we so muche as doubte ones of suche thinges as are spoken of the iudgement Therefore let vs credite these thinges and not be emonges the mockers whom the Apostle S. Peter prophecied should come saye where is the promesse of his commyng The consideratioÌ„ of the laste iudgement is of greatest in iâ—portaunce doubtles this matter is of greatest importaunce the foundation and rote of our faith Here are to vs expouÌ„ded not a fewe articles of our sincere and catholicke fayth chiefely these I beleue that Christ shal come to iudge the quicke the dead I beleue the coÌ„munion of Sainctes the resurrection of the fleshe and life euerlastyng Let vs therfore be dilligent in hearyng and marking these thinges leeste we be accompted of their nombre which heare with out any fruicte the misteries of the kingedome of God but lette vs rather prepare our selues to goe mete the iudge to the ende we maye with the wise virgins enter with the brydegrome to the mariage and ioyes
can appere in the sight of the tremblable God and fire consumyng all thinges saue he that is purged with the bloud of Christe and what shall we thinke can be hidde or escape the sight of God seyng all thinges How men shall be iudged in the laste iudgemēt S. Iohn moreouer declareth howe the dead shoulde be iudged bokes sayeth he are opened and an other booke is opened c. Therefore by the bokes after by the boke of life that is to saye of such thinges as are written in those bokes the dead are iudged For the Scripture ascribeth vnto God the maner of men wherby men are wonte to write for themselues remembraunces leest they should forget thinges but with God al things are ones and alwayes present he nother forgetteth The forgettyng remēbryng of God nor remembreth not withstanding the Scripture attributeth to him both Howebeit God is sayde to forgette when he helpeth not or punnissheth not agayne he is sayde to remēbre what time he helpeth or pūnisheth In Malachie the vngodly saye howe God hath no care of mens matters nother doeth he for the godly nor yet pūnisheth the wicked But immediately aūswere is made than thei that feared the lord spake euery one to his neighbour the lord gaue eare and hearde a boke of remembraunce was made in his presence c. As followeth Therfore their bokes opened that is to say the secrettes of al mē brought to light or made manifest the lord shal iudge what so euer hath ben thought saide done or lefte vndone The bokes also of consciences for the cōscience is in stead of a thousande witnesses shal be opened in iudgement God reuealyng and iudging al thinges For S. Paule speakyng of the gentiles they sayeth he shewe the worke of the lawe written in their hartes their cōscience also bearyng witnes their thoughtes accusing one au other or also excusing in that daye wherein the lord shal iudge the secrettes of menne according to my gospell through Iesus Christ And these are in dede the bookes whiche shall be vnclosed in the iudgement Whereof it appereth that the iudgement shal be done with most expedition nother shall euery man be reasoned with all by bookes written to make the iudge wery as the ignoraunt might imagine hereby But what is that singular boke of life The boke of life which also shal be opened in the iudgemēt of the boke of life is spokē in the .3 cha There you may see To be brefe the boke of life hath but one article he that beleueth in the sonne of god hath life euerlasting And therfore mē are iudged of this that is writtē in the boke of life For they that beleue are saued they that beleue not are already iudged that is to saye are most assuredly damned And for asmuch as faith sheweth it selfe by workes Euery mā is iudged of his workes incredulitie also hidde in the harte bewrayeth her self by workes therefore S. Iohn addeth incontinently accordyng to their workes For man in the Scriptures is likened to a tree And the tree is iudged of the fruicte whether it be good or euill A tree hath a growing or increasing life which in latin is called Anima vegetatiua a nature or disposition bringyng forth fruicte after his nature kinde But that soule vegetatiua that good dispositiō bringing forth in vs good fruicte that is to saye good workes is a liuely faith in Christ where the same is there the man is regenerated hath a good disposition therfore cā he not scharse by reasō of his good dispositiō but bring forth good fruictes Therfore after our workes we shal be iudged al. For the iudgemēt must be open manifest but faith appereth not but in workes For it is the gifte of God is of it selfe inuisible to witte a sure truste in the promesses of God And it is sene in workes Howbeit therof it followeth not that men ar iustified by workes also not by faith only but that by workes faith is declared which purifieth iustifieth that afterwarde we may be able to bring forth the workes of rightuousenes It followeth how in iudgemēt no pretēce no hipocrisie shal be allowed For many say thei beleue whiche declare their faith by no good workes We learne herof that no boke shal be of force at the last iudgemēt saue the bokes of God or the bokes of cōsciēces wherin god writeth with his fingar finally the boke of life writtē of God before the worlds were made through his diuine predestinatiō wherby he hath predestinated vs that he might adopt vs for his childrē by christ Iesus And the rest which S. Paul reciteth in the .1 to the Ephes Therefore shal the hurtefull bookes of Iewes Christians in title only and Turkes as the Thalmud decretalles and Alcorane perishe These shal be of no force at al in the iudgement Of the resurrection of the dead Now he retourneth to the dead of whō he had made mentiō before leest any mā shuld saie how shal the dead be iudged which were drowned in the sea whith were swallowed vp of fishes deuoured of wilde beastes which were consumed with fire or in the earth were brought into duste he preuenteth declareth that the bodies of the dead rise agayne beyng so restored come to iudgement saieth and the sea gaue vp the dead that were therin that is to saie which had perished in the Sea And by these wordes also hath he touched the maner meane of the resurrectiō of the dead hath sent vs withal to the .1 of Genes The maner of the resurrection is gods omnipotēcie as S. Paul also witnesseth in the .3 to the Philip. For god by his omnipotencie reiseth vp calleth those things that are not that thei may be Yf this thing seme vnto thee new or vnpossible beholde the beginnyng of things therof esteme the small restitution Was not the Sea or water frō the beginnyng but is it writtē to haue had any fishes frō the beginning none at al. But God cōmaūded that the water shuld be replenished with fish And did not streight at gods cōmaūdement all maner of fishes appere where before there was not one what maruell is it thā yf god in th ende of things cōmaund the Sea other elemēts also to yeld again their dead thei obey their maker Verely the Lord in the gospel saieth that they which are in their graues also Ihon 5 shal heare the voice or cōmaūdemēt of the sonne of God and shal ryse againe The bodies moreouer of them that dye are turned for the most parte in to the same elements from whence they were taken oute There is that putrifieth in the earth and is cōuerted in to earth Ther are some consumed with fyre There are some that perishe in water Some hang in the ayre and are there consumed But at the Lordes commaundent by what kynd of death so euer they
preseruer of al thinges and by Dia thy wil they are were created This glory of God is woÌ„derful vnmeasurable How great say they thou art that al power glory is dewe vnto thee appereth of the making creation of the world vniuersal No man was with thee at the creation therof no maÌ„ gaue thee couÌ„sel what or how thou shuldest do no man helped thee thus much Who than shuld approch vnto thee to be partaker in power who shuld glory before thee God maker of al things Thou alone madest al things alone preseruest al alone gouernest al. Thou willest they were made Thou saidest they were created It was enough to haue said it was enough to haue willed And in dede al thinges at this day haue their being through thy wil without any painefulnes trauel of thine Thou gouernest al thing in best most goodly order This testifieth the wonderful course of the stars the plesaunt chauÌ„ge of things the most swete plentiful fruites spring of the same Who thaÌ„ wold not gladly submit both him self al his to thee to thy gouernment who wold not coÌ„mit al his thinges vnto thee Who wold not acknowledge the power glory to be thyne Let vs marke these thinges with attentiue mindes that we may also appere such before God as we sethe sainctes in heauen appere God graunt vs this ¶ Of him that sitteth in throne holdeth the boke in his right hand sealed with .vii. seales What that sealed boke is The .xxvj. Sermon AND I sawe in the right hand of him that sate on the throne a boke written within and on the backe side sealed with seueÌ„ seales And I sawe a strong angel preaching with a loud voice who is worthy to open the boke lose the seales therof And no man in heauen nor in earth nother vnder the earth was able to open the boke to ioke theron And I wept much because no man was fouÌ„d worthy to open and reade the boke nother to loke theron He now procedeth to describe more fully hym that sitteth on the Throne Of whome he had touched certen and a fewe thinges before In this pece is no smal force of this our matter For now wyll he shewe that whiche in this treatise is principall that all thinges whiche are done in the worlde through God his prouidence are moste iustly and holily gouerned by Christ Whiche thing all the sainctes of God and creatures acknowledging for an exaÌ„ple to vs that we shuld do the lyke do prayse and celebrate him that liueth for euer And it shall behoue vs to way euery worde synce that in euery one are greate misteries nothing is spoken in vaine And verely that God almighty sitteth in a Throne God sitteth in a throne And by sitting is signified not only the power of iudging rulyng gouerning But also a quiet mynde not troubled with any euill affections after the maner of iudges of this world and great equitie in all thinges Secondly a booke is sene in the right hande of hym that sitteth of the whiche boke we must speake more at large Here appereth an allusion made as ther is in many other places of the scripture to the princes of this worlde whiche haue bokes of the lawes of priuileges of institutes what thing is done and is to be done finally of secretes of actes of condemned and of citezens of lyfe and of death For so is both the boke and bokes assigned to God Moises saith in in the .33 of Exodus Put me out of the boke of lyfe c. In the Psalmes is muche mention of these bokes of God In the Psalm 56.69.139 In the seuenth of Daniel bokes are opened wherof mentioÌ„ is made also in the .20 of the Apocalipse We reade in the .3 of Malach. of a boke of remembraunce before God Therfore this boke of God conteineth all the counsels of God al his workes and iudgementes For we shall heare by and by The booke in the right haÌ„d of him that sitteth that all thinges that are done in the worlde come out of this boke as it were out of a fountaine or wel spring And thre thinges are chiefly spoken of this boke Firste that it lieth not in the Throne or in the bosome of hym that sitteth or vnder the Throne or that it hangeth before or behinde the Throne But it is in the right hand of God Herby is signified the operation or power of God the same moste iust and moste mightie The booke writteÌ„ wtin and without For the boke is not sene in the lefte hande God therfore worketh and conteineth or ministreth all his workes and iudgementes moste holily Secondly that boke is written within and without or on the back side For in the prouidence and iudgementes of God all thinges are conteined both good and euil lucky and vnlucky sharpe and softe swete and sewer visible and inuisible priuie and aparte and all thinges in generall Finally the boke is sealed with seueÌ„ seales For it is most strongly closed and fastened The booke sealed with seueÌ„ seales For the iudgementes works of God are firme true iust and such as can not be withstaÌ„d The vse of seales amonges men is diuerse notwithstanding it may be contriued in two poinctes The vse of seales First Seales are set to because of fidelitie truth and rightuousnes And a great deliberation is had in setting to of seales For they are not put to vniust matters vayn or false Therfore seales be tokens of a certentie and testimonies of a right It semeth an vnworthi thing to speake against sealed wrytinges By the seales therfore that are set to the boke of God is signified that the iudgementes and workes of God are moste firme true and iust what so euer are done by his prouidence and ar ordeined by Christ It shal therfore be a shame to finde fault with the iudgementes of God or to speake euill of his workes Againe by seales are secretes kept that they be not sene of euery maÌ„ but of them only to whome they are appointed The iudgementes therfore and workes of God are for the moste parte hidde and not open to all men sauing to suche as the Lorde hath appointed namely to the faithfull and obedient SeueÌ„ sâ—â—les But there be seueÌ„ seales only for that in them the fulnes of times and of thinges to be done in these times throughout the world and churche and of the iudgementes and misteries of God are comprehended Now therfore the opening of the boke The opening of the boke and seales and the vnsealyng therof is nothing els but the reuealing of God his iudgementes and the declaring or vttering of his most secret counselles Finally the moste holy and iust operation dispensation and execution of his will Nothing in that opening is done against the veritie fayth loue and iustice of God Who is worthy to opeÌ„ the boke and seales therof
Eusebius in the .xviii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Iustine sayth he mentioneth of the Apocalypse of Iohn saying playnly that it is the Apostles S. Hierom also in the lyfe of blessed Iustine wryteth that Iustine expounded the Apocalypse of S. Iohn but the same exposition remayneth not so farre forth as I knowe The same authour wryteth that Ireney Ireney set forth the Apocalypse of S. Iohn with a commentary whiche also is not to be had He hym selfe who is red to haue lyued about the yeare of our Lorde 160. Witnesseth playnly in the fift boke against the Valentinians that this reuelation was exhibited to Iohn the Apostle a lytle before his dayes We alledge certen wordes of his in the .xiii. Chapter of this boke Tertullian TertulliaÌ„ who lyued about the yeare of our Lorde two hundred and .xx. in the fourth boke against Marcion Albeit sayth he that Marcion refuseth the Apocalypse of Iohn yet shall the order of Byshoppes rekened vp to the very begynnyng affirme S. Iohn to be authour therof In graue matters and reasoning against heretickes he vseth gladly the testimonies of this boke The same thinges are also recited of the blessed Martyr S. Cyprian S. CypriaÌ„ vnder the title of Iohn the Apostle in this Epistles treatises and Sermons Eusebius also in the .xviii. Chapter of the fift booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie Apolloni sheweth that Appollonius a moste auncient wryter vseth the testimonies of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn Theophi And lykewyse Theophilus Byshop of Antioche Whiche he affirmeth in the .xxiiii. Chapter of the fourth boke of the Ecclesiasticall story Also Origen Origen a great man in the churche of God in the .xxv. Chapter of the sixt boke of the same Eusebius And he wrote sayeth he the Apocalypse whiche rested vpon the Lordes breste c. I haue hytherto recited the opinions of the most auncieâ— Martyrs and Doctours of the christen churche touchynâ— the Apocalypse I meane Iustine Ireney Tertullian â—â—prian Appolonius Theophilus and Origen I wyll shorâ—ly after brynge yet moo iudgementes boeth of the 〈◊〉 and Latin wryters of moste authoritie in the churche agâ—yng with the myndes of them that we haue alledged 〈◊〉 therto Howbeit I wyll fyrst touche briefly suche thyng as Dionisius of Alexandria Dionisius AlexaÌ„dria left wrytten of the same booâ— in the fyue and twenty Chapter of the seuenth booke of â—sebius whome I suppose they haue followed as manyâ— after hym haue spoken against this booke He sayeth hâ—â— diuerse that were his predecessours dyd vtterly reprâ— and reiecte this booke Neyther hydeth he the cause wâ—â— they so dyd for that the kyngdome of Christe is affyrmâ— therin to be earthly Wherunto doubtlesse they reserâ—â— that precious citie and the reste whyche vnder terrestrâ—â— kyndes figured spirituall thynges Whiche when we 〈◊〉 in the treatynge therof haue dissolued declaryng thys boâ— not to edifie the earthely kyngdome of Christe but a spiâ—â—tuall and celestiall no man I trowe wyll reiecte a good aâ—â— Godly booke for bycause certen abusyng the testimonâ—â— therof geue vnto it a wrong sense Heretickes haue wrasted verey many places of 〈◊〉 scripture Chiliastes or Millenaries to the defence of their errour shoulde therfore authoritie of the scripture it selfe be brought in doubte Iâ—â— fauoureth nothing at all the Chiliastes or Millenaries this boke He geueth them no weapons Eusebius saieth very well in the ende of the third boâ—â— speakyng of Papias the first authour of the Millenaries He thought saieth he that after the resurrection Chriâ—â— should reigne here corporally with his a thousand yeaâ—â— in earth Whiche I suppose he thought for that he vndeâ—stode not well the Apostles woordes neither that he coâ—â—â—dered not well those thynges that were spoken of hym â—â—der figures for that he was indewed with a small iudgâ—ment But in the meane tyme Dionisius hym self I sayth hâ— dare not reiecte this booke He addeth by and by that he thynketh it not yet to be the booke of Iohn the Apostle but of some other but yet who that should be he knewe not He gathereth also by certen coniectures by the phrase of speach and handlyng of the booke and by the vnlykenes of wytte that this boke should be an other mans than his that wrote the Gospell and Epistle But seing that the argumentes of the story and Epistle be so diuerse that neyther they two be lyke and the argument of the booke of Reuelation moste diuerse of all Why shoulde it seme maruell though it agreeth not with them in all thynges This can no man denie but that in consent of doctrine there is great agremeÌ„t The Epistle to the Hebrewes semed to many to fauour in the syxt and tenth Chap. The Nouatians or Catharites The diuersitie of style was noted to differ from the rest of Saint Paules Epistles But if we should so iudge of holy scriptures I knowe not what shuld be firme and sure enough Leauing therfore this disputation in suspence I wyll nowe procede to bryng foorth the iudgementes of other olde wryters concerning this boke Eusebius Eusebius surnamed Pamphilus Byshop of Cesarea lyuing in the tyme of great Constantine the Emperour and a moste dilligent reader of olde wryters whome many suppose in deminishing the authoritie of this boke to fauour them ryght eloquently in the eighteÌ„th Chapter of the third booke of his story tauntyng the Tyranny of Domitian affirmeth that Iohn exiled into Pathmos wrote there hys Reuelation And where other Historiographers doe also the same He againe in the .xxiiii. Chapter in the thyrd booke concerning the Apocalipse saith he the opinion of men is diuerse some approuing and others reprouing the same Again wheÌ„ he should bring forth his opinion touching the Canon of the new Testament in the .xxv. Chapter He ioyneth the Apocalipse with the bokes vndoubted although he dissembleth not that he wyll shew in another place what other men thinke therof Whilest he this performeth he recoÌ„pteth many more better which iudged the Apocalipse to be of S. Iohn thapostle and imbraced it as a moste Godly booke than those which denied or reproued the same Epipha Epiphanius Byshop of Salamine in Cypres a Greke Authour also doeth manifestly ascribe this boke to S. Iohn the Apostle Reade that he hath left wrytten against Thelogians in the .xv. heresie And S. Hierome attributeth very muche to this Epiphanius Hierome And S. Hierome hym selfe ascribeth this boke to Iohn the Apostle to Paulinus Thâ— Apocalypse of S. Iohn sayth he hath so many Sacramentes as it hath wordes Moreouer Philastrius Byshop oâ— Griria Philastri whome S. Austen sayth he sawe with S. Ambroâ—â— at Millan accompteth them for Heretickes that reiecte thâ— Apocalypse of Iohn and saye that it is not of Iohn the Apostle but of Cerinthus an Hereticke Verely S. Ambrosâ— Ambrose hym selfe alledgeth in his bokes testimonies of the Apocalypse vnder the name of S. Iohn the Apostle S. Austen
thiÌ„gs must be done Or that the wycked dyd euyll not through their owne faulte but by Gods compulsion Good thynges must be done bycause God wyllyngly byndyng hym selfe to vs by hys promesse can not but doe that he doeth and promyseth Neuerthelesse he worketh frely Good thynges must be done in the Godly for bycause the nature of grace and faith is suche lyke as the propertie of vngodlines is to contemne and transgresse Wherfore they must also be punysshed And bycause the worlde is suche as it is there must needes bee Heresies and calamities innumerable And he sayeth these thynges must shortly be done that are reuealed for bycause certen thynges began in the very tyme of S. Iohn And although many thynges are founde to be doone a thousande yeares after 2 Pet. 3 yet sayeth the Apostle saynt Peter A thousande yeares before the Lorde be as it were yesterday Therfore this Reuelation apperteyneth to the tymes of the primatiue and last Churche And declareth what thynges so euer shal happen vnto it tyll the last iudgement Yea and howe it shall reigne for euer Moreouer the maner of reuealyng is also touched The maner of reuealing For Christ reuealed those thynges sendyng by hys Aungell or his Aungell sent forth vnto whome he gaue in commaundement what he should saye and doe Whereupon thys Aungell is after also called Christe bycause he represented the persone of Christe Therfore must not the Aungell in this booke but Christ alwayes be considered the trewe Authour of all these thynges And in dede the Diuinitie of Christ is here commended vnto vs what tyme we heaâ— that Christ is the Lord of aungels Wherof S. Paul to the Hebrues hath reasoned more at large Hebre. 1 Moyses in the .xii. â— Numbres setteth forth chiefly thre maners of propheciynâ— or reuelation Thre kyndes of propheciyng Act. 16. First by vision of the which sorte many are â—scribed to Daniell one notable to S. Peter in the .x. of thâ— Actes and likewyse to S. Paul And into this forme Inferre also the Apocalipse Secondly by dreame of the whicâ— sorte were those of Pharao and Nabuchodonozer kynges wherof Ioseph and Daniel were interpretours Gen. 41 Daniel 4. The Prophet Ioel in the second chapter mentioneth of visions and dreames For in the newe Testament also there be very many holy and prophetical dreames Last of all Moyses reheâ—seth a skylfull exposition as many were made to Moyses â–ª to the Apostles Into whose fellowship the Apocalipse commeth after a sorte also where visions are openly expoundeâ— Here appereth the vnspekeable goodnes of God whiche 〈◊〉 many wayes procureth and worketh our saluation and sâ— pleasauntly prepared offereth it vnto vs to inioye Vnhappy is he that knoweth not these thinges To whom it was reuealed and by whom it was writteÌ„ Besides this much mencion is made vnto whome Chrisâ— hath opened this diuine and most excellent reuelation euâ— to Iohn He commendeth hym that is himself for so was iâ— expedient for the confuting of his aduersaries seing that Pauâ— also many tymes mainteined his authoritie against the falâ— Apostles by foure Epithetes For first he calleth himself thâ— seruaunt of Christ This is the eldest and noblest title whicâ— the fathers Prophetes and Apostles haue vsed For they bâ— addicte and consecrate to God Secondly Iohn testified thâ— worde of God amongst the Apostles most expressely declaring the diuinitie of Christ especially where he testified said In the beginning was the worde Iohn 1 c. Moreouer he testifieâ— the witnes of Iesu Christ Vnder the which name the Lordâ— himself in the Gospell and S. Iohn in the .xii. chapt of his Gospel coÌ„prised the whole Euangelicall doctrine And was a seing witnesse of all these thinges For in the first Chapter we haue sene sayth he his glory And in the .xix. Chapter he sawe water and bloud gusse out of the Lordes syde In his Epistle 1 Iohn 1 that we haue sene sayth he and haue heard c. Aretas noteth that in certen Greke copies is added that whiche is had also in the Greke copie of Spayne And what thinges soeuer he hath heard and what so euer be and what so euer must be done after this That same Iohn therfore is authour of this boke The coÌ„meÌ„dation of Iohn whiche as he sawe the Lorde in flesh vpon earth so he sawe the same in spirite reuealing these thinges in heauen and propoundeth to the churche sightes most certen and sure This Iohn was that beloued disciple of the Lord whiche in the last supper rested vpon his breste vnto whom in his last will he bequeathed his mother on the crosse one virgin to another He alone stode by at the aultar of the crosse wheÌ„ Christ died witnes of the true death and of our purification He lyued til the tyme of the Emperour Traiane which thing Eusebius in his cronicles citeth out of Ireney in the noting of the yeare from the birth of Christ an hondreth and thre Dorotheus a most auÌ„cient wryter affirmeth the Iohn liued .vi. score yeares Last is touched also the profit of this godly worke or reuelation The coÌ„modite of this reuelation that hereby the readers and hearers might be prouoked to diligence Where this boke is called also a prophecie For this boke by reason of the telling before of thinges to come is the prophecie of the newe Testament Moreouer a prophecie that is an exposition This boke is a prophecie whiche openeth and and expoundeth the olde Prophetes And promiseth blessednes to the readers hearers and kepers of the things that are wrytten in this boke Blessednes comprehendeth the benefites of the life present so farre forth as the Lorde permitteth them to the godly but chiefly of the lyfe to come If the profit of this boke hath bene also spoken before in the first Sermon And marke that it is not enough to reade or heare this boke It must be perfourmed in dede and kept dilligently For the Lord sayd also in the Gospell Blessed are they that heare the word of God and kepe it They therfore that shall frame their lyfe after this boke are happie For both they flie the seducing of Antichriste abide in the faith of Christ liue for euer more c. And he finisheth the Title with an acclamation by the whiche he moueth the hearers exceadingly For the tyme is at hande as thouge he should saie Let no man thinke here that straunge thinges and the which concerne him nothâ—â— are tolde here which shal come to passe at length after maâ— worldes they belong to euery one of vs. For they be wrâ—ten of matters that chiefly concerne vs and euen of our oâ— affaires So sheweth he that this booke is profitable for a worldes men ages God the father by his sonne teachâ— profitable thinges and admonishing tyme enough and dewe season be praysed worlde without end Amen OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS boke and the Apostles salutation wherin are declared the misteries
liuing and was dead wherby he signifieth that he toke the true humane nature The whiche many also at the same time denied In like case as theâ— be some at this daye whiche do playnely derogate from thâ— humanitie of Christe Agaynste all suche maner of heresies the Lorde him selfe confesseth that he was dead Wherby it is now manifest that he is very maÌ„ as he is also very God of the same esseÌ„ce with his father in deitie as he is also of the same substaunce with vs in humanitie like vnto vs in all thinges sinne excepted For he toke not the nature of Aungelles but the sede of Abraham And it behoued in dede thaâ— the sonne of man shuld be incarnate that bothe he might diâ— shede bloud Hebr. 9. For the Testament in the dead is finally ratified neither is there any remission made without bloud sheâ—ding The Lord therfore dieth and shedeth bloud to the intâ— he might geue full remissioÌ„ of sinnes and confirme the newâ— Testament Yet euen he that was thought to be dead nowe liueth Christ that was dead liueth and is that same liuing who hauing vaÌ„quished death the iii. daye rose againe from the dead and repared life for aâ—â— beleuers and inspireth into them his owne very life And therefore addeth immediatly beholde I am liuingâ— world without ende For nowe Christ dieth no more deathâ— shal not rule ouer him But rather he is the life of al his faitâ—full who in rising againe brought agayne life and that life euerlastinge induringe I saye worlde without ende As he him selfe declareth more at large Iohn 5.6.10 chapter And thapostle to the Rom. 4.1 Corinth 15. and 2. Timoth. 1. Moreouer where many were woÌ„te to doubte of this life gotten and repared by Christe the Lorde him selfe confirmeth that he saied by an othe and sayeth Amen As though he should saye this is altogether trewe and vndoubted that I saye Finally he addeth Christ hath the keyes of hell and of death and I haue the keyes of Hell and of death By the whiche woordes againe he comforteth exceadingly and expresseth his power and declareth howe great he is and what we haue of him Here must we speake by the waie of the kepe The ordinary glose saieth very wel he that hath the keyes of any house sayeth he letteth in whome he wil and kepeth backe whom he will from entring in Therfore Christ possesseth the keyes of death hel for that whom he will he deliuereth from perpetual coÌ„demnation of death And whom he wil The keyes he suffereth to remaine iustely in the same daunger of damnation And verely Esaye in the 22. speaking of Eliachim whome he sayeth shoulde be made Iudge in the courte of Ezechias I wil laye sayeth he the keye of the house of Dauid vpon his shulder whiche shal open and no manne shall shutte shall shutte and no man shal open Therfore are the keyes put in the Scripture for the charge and gouernement of the house Eliachim shall gouerne all thinge in the Courte of Ezechias vprightly What soeuer he shall determine no manne shal infringe that whiche he shall abrogate no manne shall restore Christe therfore a figure of whome Eliachim represented shal him selfe haue also the chiefe gouernment in the house or kingdome of God so that whom he will he may quickeÌ„ and plucke backe from hel and from damnation And againe whom he liste to condemne he may distroie by his iuste iudgement For he hath most ful power ouer death and hell Ose 13. 1. Cor. 15. For bothe two hath he ouercomen and made weake And these thinges comforte the faithfull moste strongely and reteyne them in all Godly duties And that same is chiefly to be obserued that he sayeth not he had the keyes or shall haue but I haue sayeth he I haue I saye He gaue not his power to the Bishoppe of Rome but hath iâ— him selfe and will kepe it still for euer And he gaue not to the Apostles ful power of life death of saluation and damnation The keyes of heauen geueÌ„ to the Apostles and so vnarmed him selfe but he gaue the keyes of opening and shutting heauen as it were to his Ministers seruitours by the preaching of the Gospell by the whiche he promised life to all that beleued Christ him selfe shoulde geue that life for the truth of the promise To whom so euer they should threaten damnation Christ him selfe shuld condemne for the truth of his woorde We see therfore that the Lord kepeth stil exerciseth the power and his ministers the ministerie by preaching not by absolute power Therfore the Pope is Antichrist The keyes of the bishop of Rome which vsurpeth and taketh vpon him this full power and authoritie in Heauen and in Earth and in the middes of the earth also or beyonde all the earth iâ— those vnfortunate Ilandes I meane purgatory By the whicâ— craftie deuise he hath subtilly emptied the purses Cofferâ— garuers and wine cellers Apoc. 13. of foolish people that swarne from the articles of their beliefe to wit I beleue the forgeuenes oâ— sinnes the resurrection of the fleshe life euerlasting Thâ— beaste dare vsurpe the two hornes of the Lambe Daniel 7. namely thâ— authoritie of King Bishop therfore to hange two keyeâ— vnder his triple Crowne that euen by these Armes all the world maye perceyue that this is very he whiche hauinâ— subdued three kinges or hornes is cropeÌ„ vp chalengeth tâ— him selfe all power in heauen in earth signified by the twâ— keies And surely the blindnes of our time is wonderful anâ— to be lameÌ„ted that hauing eyes it seeth yet nothing Let sucâ— as be wise remeÌ„ber that Christe hath yet the keyes of deatâ— and Hell his ministers the denouncyng of life and death Iohn is coÌ„maunded to write And nowe when he had declared these greate and mosâ— holesome matters and had comforted the minde of Iohn hâ— addeth the commaundement write the vision exhibited fâ—nally write those thinges also whiche muste be done shorteâ— after this He placeth in the middes and those that be thâ— is whiche are in dede and trewe and be not false And thesâ— things are to get authoritie to this boke finally to the whoâ— scripture whiche is reuealed with like truth of the selfe samâ— Author And as Iohn is coÌ„maunded to write without fearâ— so are we coÌ„maunded to Preache publish the same boldly though the world be neuer so madde therat He addeth moreouer the exposition that remaineth and sayeth The misterie of the seuen starres c. The reason semeth almost vnpersit Therfore muste we vnderstande this is the mistery or sacrament of the seuen Starres and Candelstickes that it maye be as it were a proposition SacrameÌ„t and that the exposition shoulde folow immediatly the seuen starres are seuen Messengers c. And by Sacrament vnderstande a secret mistery and the very exposition of the mistery As yf you woulde sâ—â—â— here is to
For he is said to haue the seuen spirites of God that is to haue the seuen fourmed spirit whom he also powreth out vpon the faithful or els he is one only spirit and not seuen but seuen that is to witte his graces be many and diuerse as I declared in the first chapter for the same hath also in his right hand seuen starres to witte the whole multitude of all preachers and ministers keping and instructing theÌ„ And this beginning agreeth not amisse with this argument which he treateth in this Epistle For of the spirite of Christ is life Of the want of the spirit death Christ preserueth the ministers how angrie so euer meÌ„ ar in the churche with theÌ„ for accusing their wickednes Priuely therfore he warneth them to craue the spirite to norishe the lyfe spirituall And to trust in Christe which wil defende the ministers and auaunce them After the same that he testifieth in all other Epistles he repeateth here also I knowe thy workes Wherof I haue spoken before The Loâ—de is ignoraunt of nothyng that is done in the churche whiche is also the searcher of hartes And especially he blameth this in this Churche The sickenes of this church that she thought her selfe a lyue where she was dead He speaketh not of the corporall but of the spirituall lyfe and death For Christe lyueth by his spirite in his sainctes and faythfull and sheweth lyuely workes by them Lyke as the Lorde teacheth in the .vi. of Iohn and in many other places of the Gospel of S. Iohn The Apostle said also that he liued not now Galat. 2 1 Tim. 5 but that Christ liued in him The same Apostle said that wydowes liuing in waÌ„tones being aliue were dead They be dead therfore which haue not Christ liuing in theÌ„ by faith spirit Which haue not the vertue of Christ workyng in theÌ„ that is which bringeth not forth liuely workes Math. 8 For the Lord is red to haue said also in the Gospel Suffer the dead to bury their dead The Sardensians therfore had the name of men liuing that is to say they were called Christians spirituall regenerated and holy worshippers of God but they were dead to witte hipocrites in whome no spirite nor Christen life appered The fleshe the world and corruption as yet liued in theÌ„ But such churches displease Christ There be many suche at this day But whether doth Christ reiect them Verely he blameth such but not to confounde them for so the worlde blameth but that they should repent For he willeth not the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue And therfore consequently he prepareth a medicine for the disease A medicine prepared for the sicknes And first he prescribeth to the starres or Byshops what they should do in this case Then telleth he also the whole coÌ„gregation their dutie Wherof we learne howe like diseases of churches are to be holpen That beloÌ„geth to the Pastours that he commaunded them to watche verely ouer the flock And to confirme that remained of the flock not yet in dede lost but next vnto perdition vnlesse it be holpeÌ„ in time with sound and holsome doctrine He alluded doubtles to that cure and charge pastorall whiche the Lorde describeth in the xxxiiii chapt of Ezechiel The flock is confirmed by the word of God by the same it is retyred from death and preserued in lyfe c. The workes of that church not ful before God Now also he addeth the reason why he commaundeth to confirme the flocke least they slyde in to death For I haue not found thy workes full or perfit before God The Greke copie Complutensian and Aretas haue my God By workes he vnderstaÌ„deth al things that are done wordes works and the whole conuersation of men The workes doubles euen of Sainctes be euermore vnperfit if we haue respecte to humane imbecillitie For always so long as we lyue here the flesh fighteth against the spirite In so muche that Iob sayd how he feared all his workes and therfore fled to the clemeÌ„cie of the iudge Notwithstanding they be perfit and full in respect of Christ For he is our fulnes and in hym we are coÌ„plete Iohn 1. Ephes 1. Coloss the 12. And he maketh vs pertakers of his fulnes by faythe They of Sardis were destitute of trewe fayth wherfore euery worke of theirs muste nedes be vnperfit before God whiche alloweth nothinge but that is of the sonne and moste pure Therfore the Lorde coÌ„maundeth to teache faith diligently and beate it in that they maye bâ— made perfit in Christe This is the beste medicine for the deadly disease of Christes churche Here followeth the dutie of the people The true apostolike repentauÌ„ce how they may be healed by the apostolicall repentaunce Whereof the chiefe poincte is to remember the lordes wordes in what we haue hearde and receiued the same We are not commaunded to diuise newe formes of religion and repentaunce but we are sent to the olde tradition not of men but the which we haue in the Scriptures of Euangelistes and Apostles These I saye we oughte to remembre For throughe custome of sinning we forget Gods worde And truely the beginnyng of Peters repentaunce was to haue remembred the wordes of the Lorde Therfore such as will not be reproued and instructed by gods worde shall neuer come to or attayne the trewe repentaunce Furthermore it is necessarie that we kepe and reteyne the wordes of God that is the trewe doctrine of Christ leeste we forget it streight wayes or that we sette it in vayne contemplation and not in effectuall worke The doctrine of Christ must be kept and perfourmed in worke For in the laste place it followeth and repente Trew repentauÌ„ce consisteth in worke that in minde body we should tourne awaie from euil and tourne vnto God and do good beyng sorie for our wicked dedes paste this is the trewe Apostolicall repentaunce Vnto the whiche repentaunce nowe By threatninges he exhorteth to repentaunce after the diuine prophetical apostolical maner he draweth theÌ„ by the threatnings Whiche are in dede to be referred aswell to the ministers as to the people in the congregation Againe the Lord vseth parables whiche we reade that he vsed in S. Matth. 24. Where with the same he exhorteth to watchyng sobrietie Whiche place sins it is there expounded at large I nede not to vse many wordes aboute it here To the Lorde be prayse and thankes geuyng for euermore ¶ He alloweth and commendeth those that couet to liue godly in the Churche of Sardis exhorting them that they would so holde on and procede The .xvi. Sermon BVt thou haste a fewe names in Sardis whiche haue not defiled their garmentes And they shall walke with me in white for they are worthie He that ouercometh shall be clothed in white araye and I will not put out his name out of the boke of life And I will confesse his name before my Father
and before his Aungelles He that hath eares let him heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations The argumēt of this parte The seconde parte of this heauenly epistle is conteined in these poinctes in the whiche is praised and cōmended the innocencie holines and integritie of the faithful in the congregation of Sardis in true religion He exhorteth them by a promesse moste large vnto perseueraunce Last he propoundeth agayne vnto them moste ample rewardes euen to the corrupte sorte in case they amende and to the faithful if they continewe as they be The complutensiā boke hath thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But thou haste a fewe names in Sardis Whiche is as much as if he had saied they be not al corrupt and dead with thee although in dede those be very fewe And so Aretas readeth it in Greke and the cōmon translation in Latin other copies haue whiche Erasmus followeth thou haste a fewe names also at Sardis that is euen in Sardis hast thou names Names but fewe And he put names for notable men Which maner of speaking is also in our langage For we saye there is no man of name for no excellent or noble personage he signifieth therefore that there be in the same Churche noble personages and that noble in soundenes of faith and holynes of life but very fewe Few good if they shoulde be referred or compared to the numbre of Hipocrites or dead whiche in dede are a greate deale more Nother oughte we here at to maruel For the Lorde sayeth also in the Gospell that many be called fewe chosen And that the greater parte of this world walketh in that broade and wide waye of perdition Matth. 20. and 7. The whiche also S. Peter repeted in the 2. chapter of his latter epistle That they are rather to be hissed at than confuted whiche seke to defende theyr errour by a multitude You shall heare very ofte at this daye You are but a fewe in nombre we are innumerable and therfore our matter is the better But that same excellent thinge is chiefly to be obserued What is cōmended the church of Sardis that although they were but fewe good yet neuertheles the Lorde cōmendeth and extolleth those fewe doubtles for the example and imitation of al other churches The wordes in dede are shorte but the praise moste ample and large That they had not defiled their garmentes whiche is as muche as if he had sayed you haue not polluted your soules with straunge opinions or spottes of heresie For you haue remayned sincere in the true faythe your bodies also and the whole conuersation of your life you haue not defiled with filthie lustes with fleshely pleasures and voluptuousenes Doubtles this is the greatest prayse and most certaine signe of perfit godlines wherewith I would wishe that mo of vs were marked But the maner of speache here requireth also an exposition The allegorie of apparell in the scripture The allegorie of garments is often and much vsed in holy scripture The vse of apparell inuented of God him selfe and shewed to our forefathers hath this chiefe propertie to hide the priuie partes of our body to beautife and set forth the body and kepe of heate and colde And therfore Christ him self is called the garment of Christiās and in the gospel in dede the wedding garment Whervpon thapostle aduiseth vs to put on the new mā which is made after God euen Christ him selfe Roman 13. Ephes 4. Coloss 3. For Christ couereth not only our priuie partes but all the filthines also of the soule he adorneth and beautifieth vs and driueth frō vs all iniurie and all euill And we defile this garment when neither in faith nor in holines of life we do aunswer to our professiō For Christe is our garment and Christianitie sincere faithe and holines of life are our apparell And euen faithe and our conuersation is our garmente For asmuche therfore as the Sardensians were of a sincere fayth and vncorrupte maners they are saied to haue kepte their garmēts cleane and vndefiled The lorde also geueth nowe a rewarde vnto vertu To walke with christ in where graye And they shal walke with me sayeth he in white araye These excellent things verely doeth he rehearse to reteyne the Sardensians in theyr dutie to nourrishe them to greater things and to moue other also to sinceritie and integritie Sainctes walke with Christ in white araye that is to saye haue fruitiō of the same glory wherin we beleue Christ to shine For he desireth his father that he will graunt to the faithfull that where so euer he is they may be with him and see his glory c. in the 17. of Iohn And with S. Matth. in the transformatiō or clarifiyng the face of Christ appered bright like the sunne his apparell and rest of his body as light So appered Christ vnto Iohn in the first chapt of this boke clothed in white araye Nowe therfore sayeth he the godly that haue not defiled their garmente shal accompany me hauing put on light also Sainctes be worthy of glory He addeth an other thing for they be worthie This is the greatest prayse when the Captaine sayeth that the soldiour is worthy of honour and glory The greatest shame or ignomie is when it is sayed with vs thou arte vnworthy The first kind of speache sheweth him to be most excellent in al kinde of vertue whiche is sayed to be worthie of eternal light by the later is signified that he whiche is accompted vnworthy of a good and excellent thing is maruelouse negligent and vngraciouse But here we nede not to reason of the merite and deserte of worthines God pronoūceth his to be worthie of glory the godly referre al the goodnes that is in them vnto grace and still complaine of theyr vnworthines Not to reproue God of liyng but to prayse and cōmende the excellent goodnes that is in him acknowledging in dede that he rewardeth good workes and dignifieth the worthines of sainctes but they are nothing proude hereof but acknowledge al this to come of grace This appereth in the doctrine of the Gospell Luke 17. Matth. 25. where Sainctes cōmended of God for the workes of mercy seme the acknowledge nothing therof Howbeit he declareth more at large the most ample promesses of God Greate rewardes of vertue wherby he maye not onlye reteyne in their duty the Sainctes and vndefiled Sardensians but mighte also reduce al others that go astray at al times into the waye of repentaunce integritie and holines And three thinges he promiseth first in dede white apparell that is to saye gloryfiyng and light euerlastinge and the gloriouse company of Christ wherof I haue spoken already Secondly and I wil not sayeth he put out his name out of the boke of life For like as Cities haue bokes wherin the names of theyr Citizens are written The boke of life righte so is God in the scriptures sayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 after the maner of men to haue a boke of life or of his electe What that boke is and whose name is red in the same none of vs can tell sins none hath loked therein We must learne of the scriptures who be the citezeÌ„s of the kingdome of God For that theyr names be written in the boke of life no man nede doubt And S. Iohn sayeth so many as haue beleued he hath geuen them power that they maye be made the children of God S. Paull saieth He that hath not the spirite of Christe he is none of his And the spirite crieth in the mindes of the godly Abba father The same Apostle sayeth God hath predestinated vs that he might adopte vs for his children through Iesus Christe Moreouer he hath chosen vs in Christ before the fouÌ„dations of the world were layde Therefore are al beleuers written in that numbre celestiall Who so euer therefore beleue not or perseuere not in the faith eyther they are not written in the boke of life or els they be put out againe of the boke of lyfe Finally the sonne acknowledgeth the beleuers and such as perseuer in the true faythe before his heauenly father and his Aungelles And here he repeteth theuangelicall doctrine out of the 10. chapt of S. Matth. and 8. of S. Marke And doubteles it is a greate matter in that vniuersall iudgement to be knowen of the sonne of God of the highe iudge to be saluted and frendely spokeÌ„ to of him and that to our greate prayse If any Prince would in a great assemble of people knowe thee yea imbrase and coÌ„mende thee howe happie and fortunate woldest thou thinke thy selfe But then shall imbrase thee the very sonne of God king of kinges and lorde of lordes Let vs thinke of these thinges in time and amende our maners For that all these thinges apperteyne to vs that laste and wounted acclamation of S. Iohn proueth let him that hathe eares heare c. Wherof we haue spoken els where To the Lord be prayse and glory ¶ The Lord coÌ„mendeth the vertues namely the constancie of the congregation of Philadelphia c. The .xvij. Sermon ANd write vnto the Aungel of the congregation of Philadelphia this sayeth he that is holye and true which hath the keye of Dauid whiche openeth and no man shutteth And shutteth and no man openeth I knowe thy workes Beholde I haue sette before thee an open dore and no manne can shutte it for thou hast a little strength And haste kepte my worde and haste not denied my name Beholde I shall geue some of the congregation of Sathan whiche call them Iewes and are not but do lie Behold I wil make them that they shal come and worship before thy feete the church is not blamed but yet is it not therefore perfit 1. Iohn 1. Rom. 3. In al other congregations the Lord at the leest fouÌ„d some faulte in the only churche of Philadelphia he blameâ—h nothing not that any man is founde in this flesh so perfit that he hath not nede of the grace of God For Dauid crieth out enter not Lord into iudgement with thy seruaunt for no maÌ„ liuing shall be iustified in thy sighte But S. Iohn and S. Paull also make all meÌ„ subiect to sinne which thing also S. Austen discourseth learnedly agaynst the Pelagians Therfore that blameth nothing in this congregation it is not to be vnderstand as though it were not defiled with dayly faultes but therfore he imputeth nothinge for because the sinceritie and integritie of faithe couereth hideth what vice so euer there be For there is no coÌ„demnation to them that are graffed in Christe Iesu And albeit that other churches haue also the right faith yet this excelleth especially c. It might be referred chiefly to the Bisshop of the same Churche In this sixte epistle he coÌ„mendeth the sincere faith and coÌ„stancie of faith and admonissheth to perseuer propounding ample rewardes And it hath muche learning and diuerse whiche shall appere in the treatise therof And the lord herin followeth the same order which we see he hath followed in others For it is one the same kinde of doctrine with all churches and in al times Firste therfore is shewed vnto whom the epistle is written or dedicated to the pastour and whole coÌ„gregation of Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia was a citie of Lydia neither very famouse nor yet obscure We reade how it hath beÌ„ oft shakeÌ„ with earthquakes and repared againe Strabo mentioneth therof in the 12. boke of Geographie and so haue other authours also Yet it made it self famouse by vertues After is the Lorde Christ signified to be Authour of this epistle who at other times also hath tolde S. Iohn what he should write And to Christ are attributed three things or rather Christ attributeth three things to him selfe that he is holy true hath the keye of Dauid The which he hath borrowed of the Image of the first Chapt. Christe is holy Christe holy because he is pure cleane from al filthines from al vnrightuousnes very God a coÌ„suming fire doyng no man any wroÌ„g hauing nothing at all that may be blamed For to him the Seraphin sayng rightly holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth Esaye 7. Christe the Saincte of Sainctes Christ is also the holy one of the Sainctes a sanctification I saye that sanctifieth all that be sanctified The same loueth holines in sainctes Christ therfore is moste truely called Antichrist the Pope hath taken vpon him this title and so filthy sitteth on this beaste as if you should call a priuie or a Iakes a Rosier Spitte vpon that vile and filthy beast whiche suffereth him self to be called the most holy father and worship Christ the holy one of all holy vnlesse you had rather vnderstande by that holines not euery holines but pope holines that is to witte stinking swimming full of al abominations Christe is like wise called trewe Christe is true because he is eternall and faithfull euermore constaunt and incorrupte He can neyther disceiue nor be disceiued The same moste constantly kepeth his promesses All his wordes be vndoubted and trewe Albeit that fleshe that can abide no delaye begin many times to doubt yet no one poincte or iote of them falleth awaye The trueth of the Lorde indureth for euer Thou standest vpon a moste sure foundation if thou leane vnto Christe whiche in the 14. of Iohn also calleth him selfe the veritie The keye of Dauid Laste he addeth whiche hath the keye of Dauid I spake of the keye in the firste chapter He alludeth to the 22. Chapt. of Esaye Wherby is signified the diuine almightie power of Christ by the which he bringeth vs purified into the kingdome of heauen whiche worke verely nother deuilles nor any power can let The same casteth doune the vncleane into hel nother is there that can deliuer or differ the same He sayeth therfore aptely and expressely he hath
them was commaunded that they should not kill them but that they should be vexed fiue monethes and their payne was as the payne that commeth of a Scorpion when he hath stonge a manne And in those dayes shal men seke death and shal not finde it and shall desire to die and death shall flie from them The fourth trompet declareth an hurtful and a long strife The .iiii. trompe whiche arrose in the churche of the doctrine of Pelagius This Pelagius taught that the sinne of Adam hurte him alone and not mankinde and therefore that in the same all men die not That man hath free will so that he maye doe good Nother that he shoulde be free if he nede the helpe of God Which if he hath it he maye the more easely do good The doctrine of pelagius yf he haue it not that he maye yet neuerthelesse worke it by his owne vertue and maye deserue euerlasting life Therefore that our victory is not of the helpe of God but of free will and that remission is not geuen to the penitentes after the grace and mercy of God but after the deserte and workynge of them whiche through repentaunce are worthye of Godes mercy and the residewe whiche Saincte Austen reherseth in the hondreth and sixte Epistle to Boniface that Pelagius had renounced whiche neuerthelesse in an other place he sheweth that the same had taught and retourned to his vomite As in the register of heresie the .88 heresie The same against two epistles of the Pelagiās in the .2 boke 2 chapter to Boniface The Manicheis sayeth he denie that a good man had the beginnyng of euill of free will Whileste fooles eschewe one vice they runne into an other The Pelagians saye also that an euill man hath free will sufficiently to fulfil a good precept The catholicke doctrine reproueth both these and to them sayeth God made man right c. And to these sayeth yf the sonne hath made you free you ate verely free And in the .9 chapt the same Authour Where we saye that the wil of man vnto euil is free to do good that it muste be made free by the grace of God it maketh against the Pelagians And where we saye that the euill whiche was not before is comen of him it is agaynst the Manicheis Moreouer in the .8 chapt Pelagius sayeth that the thing which good is maye soner be accomplisshed if grace helpe therto By the whiche addition that is in adding more easely he signifieth verely that he thinketh thus that although the help of grace waūt he can yet albeit more hardely perfourme that which is good by free will Agayne the same in the .47 Epistle to Valent. Who falle into the errour of the Pelagiās That man saieth he falleth into the errour of the Pelagians whiche supposeth the grace of God to be geuen for any deserte of man whiche grace alone maketh manne free through Iesus Christe our Lorde But agayne he that thinketh when the Lord shal come vnto iudgement that man is not iudged after his workes which might now by reason of his age vse the free choyse of will is neuerthelesse in errour He sayeth in a maner the same thing in the .2 booke the .18 chapt of the merites and remission of sinnes The third part of the sunne of the Moone the starres smitten With this doctrine of Pelagius was stricken that is to saye darkened for so S. Iohn him selfe a little after expoundeth him selfe saying in so much that the third parte of them was obscured c. the thirde parte of the sunne to witte of Christ which is the trewe sunne of rightuousenes For the Pelagians doctrine denied the grace of Christ with mans merite trode vnderfote the merite of Christ Whereby also the thirde parte that is to witte a great parte of the Moone namely the church is red to be smitten and darkened moreouer the thirde parte of starres I meane preachers and ministers wounded hath not taught with such light as became them For stories witnesse that this heresie hath sore infected diuerse partes of the worlde that euen Bisshoppes and learned menne haue followed this noysome errour At Palestine in the Easte was assembled a Sinode of Bisshoppes which droue Pelagius to recant They disputed also at Rome sharpely against the Pelagian doctrine and Counsels were assembled which condemned the same Ther were Sinodes assembled in Affrica and after much reasoning sentence was pronounced against Pelagius For many were dayly taken with this infection For the doctrine is pleasaunt whiche waunteth not euen at this daie his mainteyners and defenders For it semeth godly and for the study of vertue nedeful to affirme free wil and mans merite agayne it appereth to be licentiouse to attribute al thing to Gods grace He addeth Nother daye nor night shone with the third parte therof that nother the daie shone with the thirde parte thereof nother yet the night with his thirde parte For like as grace coulde not be fully perceiued by the doctrine of Pelagius no more coulde sinne And S. Austen in the .2 boke of originall sinne .23.24 chapt sayeth that the Christiane fayth consisteth properly in the cause of two men For by the one we were solde vnder sinne by the other redemed from sinne by the one throwē headlong into death but by the other deliuered vnto life c. And whilest al these thinges are spoken they are spoken to this ende that we might beware of those Heresies And hitherto haue we spoken of the foure trompes and greatest conflictes in the churche there remayne three trompettes which haue now a little preface set before them wherby the mindes of the hearers might be excited And S. Iohn sayeth howe he sawe an Aungell flying thorowe the middes of heauen and hearde him criyng wo wo Wo to the inhabiters of the earth wo to the inhabiters of the Earth and that for those thinges which should chaunce vnto men than when the other three trompettes should be blowen Therfore vnto euery trompet is Ioyned an wo. Whiche we expresse very well in dutche by owe owe owe. For the Grekes saye and S. Iohn wrote in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it signifieth verely that the times of the fourmer conflictes were sharpe but yet that suche as follow shal be a great deale sharper and crueller For I tolde you in an other place that this vocable wo compriseth the euilles bothe of this life present and also of the life to come aswell of body as of soule Therfore shall the times of Papistrie Mahometrie and of the last iudgement be most daingerouse Som read an Egle for an Angell The complutensian copie hath an Egle where we reade an Aungell fliyng thorow the middes of heauē perauenture because he founde it so in Aretas Yea and the cōmon translation commonly called S. Hieromes hath an Egle for an Aūgell And therfore Primasius readeth it so likewise which semeth to haue followed
the olde translation in all thinges But the Egle is swifte and of moste sharpe sight signifiyng the almightie knowledge of God and expedition vnspeakeable in doyng of thinges The fifte trompe The fifte trompet comprehendeth a moste cruell battell whiche the Pope stired vp in admitting errours into the world yea rather bringyng in settyng forth and defendyng them by his vngratiouse Locustes that eate vp all thinges He lasteth to the worldes ende Of whome he will agayne discourse more plentifully and more properly in the .13 and 14. chapter c. A starre falleth from heaueÌ„ into the Earth The Original of this euil is referred to the fal of a starre For a starre hath fallen from Heauen to the earth Starres as I shewed you in the beginnyng of this boke aboute the ende of the .1 chapt represente vnto vs the state of Ministers or Bisshoppes For as the starres shine in Heauen so Bisshoppes illumined with heauenly light ought to shine in the church aswell in doctrine as honeste lyfe And hitherto they stande in Heauen so long as they doe theyr duetie they fall to the Earth what time forgetting the heauenly conuersation and doctrine they thinke vpon earthly things speake and followe honoures pleasures and such like corruptions A little after will he cal him an Aungell whome now he calleth a starre Of the churche of Rome The Churche of Rome was notable and pure coÌ„mended also ones by the prayse of the Apostle The same had Bisshoppes that is to saye ministers of the church vnto the emperour Constantine about .32 for the most part very well learned moste holy yet men and moste gloriouse martirs of Christ Againe from the emperour Constantine vnto Gregory the great are accompted Bisshoppes or pastours of the church of Rome about .32 emonges whom there were not a few diligeÌ„t enough learned and godly but yet emoÌ„ges these were founde also whiche blinded with the euill of Ambition began more to incline to seke honours and gloriouse titles than the doctrine of Christ concernyng humilitie and simplicitie and the example of Christ and apostles hath permitted Christ fled when the people would haue chosen and made him king He sayed that kinges should reigne that Apostles and their successours should serue If kings therfore had offered them realmes and riches they should not haue receyued them What certen Bishoppes of Rome practised with the churches of Affricke and how they would haue ruled ouer them the stories doe plainely declare Notwithstanding there were founde emonges the latter Bishops as Pelagius and Gregory surnamed great which greuousely accused the Bishops of ConstaÌ„tinople for that thei went about to establish the church of Constantinople as chiefe of al others in the world and the Bishop thereof vniuersall Nother was Gregory asshamed to saye expressely that he is the vauntcurrour of Antichrist who so euer would couet the name or title of the vniuersal bishop But Boniface the .3 of that name moued nothing herwith required and obteyned of themperour Phocas no long time after the death of Gregory that the church of Rome might be called and taken for the chiefe and head of al churches Bishops of Rome a starte falleÌ„ froÌ„ heauen Wherby the Bishopes of Rome plucked out of heauen and caste to the earth vtterly began to cleaue vnto earthly thinges to care for earthly thinges yea euen to aspire to the empire and chiefe rule and gouernement Here haue you what starre fell from heauen to the Earth And to this starre he calleth him afterward the Aungel of the botomlesse pitte or Bishop I name one I vnderstande all of that state and succession in that seate was geuen the keye of the botomlesse pitte A keye is geuen to the starre or Aungel Christe verely kepeth the keye of Dauid as I shewed in the .2 chapt of this boke The same gaue to the Apostles the keyes of the kingedome of heauen power to open or to shut heaueÌ„ that is to wit the ministerie of preaching the Gospell wherby is shewed assuredly promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes and eternall life to beleuers and the reteyning of sinnes certaine damnation is threatened to the vnbeleuers No godly maÌ„ doubteth but that these keyes were geuen also vnto Bisshoppes of Rome agayne euery man knoweth that the latter popes would not vse theÌ„ lawfully but corrupting the Euangelicall veritie and infecting the lawefull ministerie haue gotten them counterfetted keyes Therfore is geuen to them of the Prince of darkenes the keye of the botomles pitte to witte corrupt and counterfet doctrine and not the Apostolical but apostaticall ministerie wherby as it were from hell set open they haue brought forth outrageouse errours and superstitions and vngodlines of all sortes The popes keyes And I suppose it hath chaunced not with out Gods prouidence that Bisshoppes of Rome are called Clauigers or keye bearers and weare keyes in their Armes But you shall not vnderstande them to be the keyes of the kingdome of heauen but of the botomlesse pitte rather sins he is a teacher of errours and of all abomination Authour moreouer of all warres and dissentions leadyng them euen vnto Hell God is a liuely fouÌ„tayne God is in dede the fountaine of perpetuall goodnes and of all veritie whiche opened in Christ by the Apostles in the preachyng of the Gospel refressheth with holesome water al that thirste for eternal saluation Of this fouÌ„taine Esaye maketh mention in the .55 chapt And Ieremie in the .2 chap. The Lorde also in the Gospel after Iohn in the .4 .7 chapt and in diuerse other places The botoÌ„lesse pitte Against this liuely fountaine of euerrunnyng waters is set the botomlesse pitte vnsearchable I saye by reason of the mallice of Sathan full of vngodlines abomination and aâ—â— kinde of liyng From hence blubbereth vp into the world by false teachers and ministers of Antichrist what errour and abomination so euer is in the world For Sathan the father of lies spreadeth abroade in the worlde by his instrumentes what darkenes so euer there is The botoÌ„les pitte is opened Therfore the starre or Aungel of the botomles pitte that is the Pope or Bishop of Rome openeth the bottomles pitte with a keye and by by ascendeth vp the smoke of the pitte For I haue spoken hitherto of the beginnyng of euill nowe shal follow of the proceding and setting forth of the same The Pope by his corrupt ministerie openeth Hel Smoke out of the botomlesse pitte and not Heauen Out of hell ascendeth or riseth a smoke Smoke in some places of the Scripture is a token of the presence and wrath and vengeauÌ„ce of God as where in the time of Esaye a smoke rose in the Temple of Salomon 3. boke of Kinges 8. chapt Esaye 6. In the .19 of Exod. We reade smoke ascended from the mouÌ„taine as out of a fornace You reade in the .18 psalm Smoke wente vp in the wrath of God fire burnte from before his face At
Helias cried out how long halte ye on both sides As though he should saye it is not lawful to part your hartes betwixt two Gods nother is it lawful to atttribute al thinges of life of saluation but vnto God alone The fellowship of the kingdom is in this case enuiouse in dede The Helianes shal crie if rightuousenes be of the lawe Christ died in vaine No man can serue two maisters Christ shall profit you nothing which seke saluation in the traditions of men Come ye vnto Christ he is the perfection of the faithfull in him we are complete And like as Helias greuousely accused Achab Iezabel and the Baalamites righte so shall the Helians most sharpely inueye against kinges and Bishoppes Idolaters and Antichristians Thus I saye Helias cometh againe hath commen and shal come before the iudgement Nother shal S. Iohn prophecie otherwise before the iudgement Before the iudgement Iohn came against antichrist He shal not retourne into the Earth in his body out of Heauen but the preachers indewed with the doctrine of S. Iohn shal renewe al his doctrine thei shal expounde such thinges whiche he hath lefte vnto the church written in his Gospell in his Epistles and in the Apocalipse This booke hath a while layne hidde contemned also of good and learned men yet preachyng the same that is conteyned and set forth in this boke but it shal be brought to light of others be set by as it is playne that in this our memorie is done of many And of al these thinges we doe clerely perceyue how Antichrist muste be impugned and slayne not with carnall Armures but with spirituall to witte by sincere doctrine framed after the example of Enoch Helie and Iohn and taken out of the holy scriptures Wherof we shal speake more fully in the .11 Briefly the doctrine of Iohn about the laste iudgement shal be renewed agayne and be knowen to the worlde in despite and agaynst theyr will And vnder the doctrine of Iohn we vnderstande the whole euangelical and Apostolical doctrine in the writing settyng forth wherof S. Iohn also imployde a singular trauell amongs the most excellent What thei must be with what qualiâ—ies furnisshed that preache against antichrist And in the meane season in the same vision is figured the whole maner of the faithfull and lawefull Preachers to be matched with Antichrist what thei ought to be with what qualities furnisshed First S. Iohn is called by a voyce spoken to him from heauen with a coÌ„maundement goe Therfore is Gods vocation chiefly necessary leest any maÌ„ should take vpon him this office with an euill affection Moses was called the prophetes and Apostles were called some in dede immediately from God not of men nother by men some of God also but yet by men and of men The apostles of Christ were not called of men boasting the lawfull succession from Caiaphas Annas colledge of priestes neuerthelesse had their vocation of Christ and approued their vocation in dede to wil by preachyng of the veritie Therefore albeit we cannot at this daye referre our vocation to the Pope and Bisshops braggyng of the lawful succession yet for asmuch as we are able to approue it in very dede and by the testimonies of Christ that our doctrine is Christes doctrine therfore that our ministerie is lawful we care not a whit for theyr opprobriouse and rayling words which crie that we be not called that we be not ordeyned by the Pope To the called is geueÌ„ a sure coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to take the boke of the haÌ„de of the Angel But to him that is called is geuen a sure coÌ„maundement to witte that he take the boke not euery boke but the booke open and that of the hande of the Aungel and agayne of the Aungel standyng vpon the sea lande That Angel is Christ the Lord Lord of the whole Earth of the Sea and al thinges conteyned therein He with his hande offereth to his ministers a boke open to witte the holy scripture and chiefly his sacred holy gospel wrapped with no darkenes nother closed but right manifest to theÌ„ that wil see For albeit that for thantiquitie of the tongue for the proprietie of speach for the figures rites places things stories out of memory some places maie appere somwhat harde what doeth this darken or obscure the misterie of fayth and saluation neuerthelesse most open plaine who vnderstandeth not what he should beleue what he should do how he should pray euen of the Articles of the faith of the .x. coÌ„maundementes and the lordes praier The some of faith and of doctrine is certaine plaine Esaye 29 2. Cor. 4. This boke therfore opened Christ offereth to his ministers And S. Iohn hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little boke not a boke For if ye compare the holy bible especially the gospel boke with other lawes bokes and especially the decrees and decretalles of the Pope the little boke of the holy gospel shal seme very smal Primasius expoundyng this place he semeth sayeth he to vnderstande the veritie of the lawe and prophetes manifested in Christ therfore he sayeth not now as before that he taketh the sealed but the open boke For Christ is the ende of the lawe for rightuousnes to al that beleue and so forth Therefore the lord Christ him selfe geueth vnto the sincere preachers none other preaching than his owne to witte the Euangelicall For he is the light and redemer of the worlde rightuousenes and life nother is there saluatioÌ„ in any other This preaching is not fetched nor takeÌ„ of others than of the handes of the Angel not of the handes of the Pope or Bishops Christ sayeth go forth into the whole worlde and preache the Gospel to euery creature teachyng them to kepe al thinges which I haue coÌ„maunded you Now is also required obedience of the ministers The obedience of the ministers that they obeye the coÌ„maundement of God and that they craue and receyue that which they are coÌ„maunded to axe and receyue In vayne doe some loke for a drawyng and working of saluatioÌ„ outwardely and with out then to be finisshed through the only inuisible operation of God Yf God will haue me blessed and iuste saye they let him worke in me what he wil. Moreouer they themselues are not careful how they should applie themselues to the grace of God workyng by grace Agaynst their vngodlines is it that we heare now howe S. Iohn applieth him self to the coÌ„maundementes of God not without grace For he goeth to the Aungell and sayeth geue me the boke For the Lord must be prayed we must reade diligently as S. Paul also coÌ„maundeth we muste learne and obeye the commaundementes of God The Lord denieth nothing to theÌ„ that are and not tary til God without vs do drawe vs. And the lord denieth nothing to them that are willing do are and are dilligent
finished both of the Citie distroyed and the people of God ouercome There were caried aboute in the triumph the holy vessels of the Temple and euen the God of the Iewes as vanquished and bounden was sene led into the Capitoll house to make his supplication to their great God Iupiter as it pleased them Whereupon we vnderstande that the name of God was no whit lesse outrageously blasphemed at that tyme than it was in olde time of the Palestines or Philistians what tyme they set the Arcke in the temple of their God Dagon lykewyse of Rapsake and Synnacherib moreouer of Balthazar Kyng of Babylon in the .5 chapter of Daniel But the offendours are founde out at the laste Secondely the Romaines blasphemed the Tabernacle of God That same oulde Tabernacle of the people of Israell was not onelye the offyce or place of religion and worshyppyng but also a token of Gods presence For God is nowe presente in the myddes of his Churche a fygure of whome the Tabernacle of witnesse represented But the Romaynes called the Christen church wycked foolysh seditiouse whorysh and detestable whych they also moste greuouselie ded persecute and sought to destroy by al meanes hereunto also they bent their whole power Finally they blasphemed also the heauenly dwellers Gods Sainctes ouerwhelmed with reproches the happie and blessed soules of Sainctes Propheies and Apostles whom thei called wicked seducers peace breakers blasphemers heretikes and sinnefull persons For at this time whilest S. Iohn wrote these things diuerse Apostles vnder the Romane Empire had nowe ben executed and slayne as plagues of the worlde yea their memorial and doctrine condemned But hereof you perceyue how displeasauntly God taketh it if any man raile vpon godly preachers and holy ministers of churches For the Lord taketh the reproche spoken as it were agaynst him selfe There remayne yet at this daye certen blasphemies of this sorte with Cornel. Tacitus in the .21 booke of Augustallus written agaynste Moses and the people of God Morouer God permitteth the beast that he should warre vpon the Sainctes and ouercome them The beaste maketh war with the sainctes For the Romane Empire vnto the time of Constantine the greate stired vp ten most greuouse persecutions against the church Wherof you maye reade Eusebius bisshop of Cesaria and Orosius in the history which he wrote to S. Austen And this place chiefly apperteyneth to the instruction and comforte of the churche For the Lord also in the Gospell prophecieth of the destenies of the church to the consolation and information of the godly as appereth in the .15 and .16 chapt of S. Iohn And how the Sainctes be ouercome I declared in the .11 chapt The Lord Iesus preserue his church Amen ¶ Of the power of the Romane Empire and who worshippe the beast and of the destruction of Rome and the Romane Empire The .lvij. Sermon ANd power was geuen him ouer all kinrede tongue and nation and al that dwel vpon the Earth worshypte hym whose names are not wrytten in the Booke of life of the lambe whiche was killed from the beginnyng of the world Yf any mā haue an eare let him heare He that leadeth into captiuitie shall goe into captiuitie he that killeth with a sword must be killed with the sworde Here is the patience and the fayth of Sainctes Of the power of the Rom. Empire The Apostle by the reuelation of Christe speaketh also of the power maiestie of the Romane Empire The Romane Empire was in dede of greatest power in the time of Octauius Augustus also in the time of Domitian his empire and in the reigne of Traiane also vnder Hadrian Aureliane Diocletian and Constantine The greater parte of the worlde inhabited obeied therunto as al Europe in a maner Asia Africke as both latin and Greke histories do testifie Howbeit herof the lord warneth vs that we should not curiousely search the counselles of God beyng inquisitiue whie God gaue so great power to the Romanes whom he knewe would abuse the same to the oppression of Christes Church for where he saieth that the power was geuen to Rome he stilleth and appeaseth all murmuringes For Empires be of God But he is most wise rightuouse and holy Where therfore he made the kingdomes of the world subiecte to Rome he did it wisely iustely and holily In that the Romanes corrupte Gods ordenaunce and committe themselues to be gouerned of the Deuill it cometh of euill Let our disputations here cease for the wise man sayeth also that wicked men and hipochrites reigne for the sinnes of the people And that he reherseth kinreddes tōgues and nations he doeth after the imitation of the Prophet Daniel which by such a phrase of speach is wonte to signifie a moste large and puissaunt Empire But what apperteyneth this to vs or what profit sayest thou cometh to vs herby that the Romane Empire is so far extended through out the worlde This verely we see howe this prophecie hath hitte euery thing rightly that wente before therefore is there lefte no place to doubte of the thinges that followe Let vs consider moreouer that moste puissaunt kingdomes which seme to men inuincible maye of God be disolued without any difficultie lette vs therefore learne to feare God and to walke in his commaundementes and to dispise these earthly thinges Now also he declareth more expressely who shall worship the beast Who worshippe the beaste for he sayed that men in the world should be taken with admiration of the beaste and shal worship the beast he now declareth the same and so placeth the word of worshipping that he maye vnderstāde it as wel of those that are present as also to come For he speaketh not only of men of his time but of al which rauished with the admiration of thempire and maiestie thereof shal eyther denye or contemne the fayth of Christ And he sayeth that al shal worship the beaste that dwell vpon Earth and leeste any man should referre it absolutely vnto al as though non of the trewe worshippers of God shoulde be any he annexeth whose names are not written in the boke of life of the lābe to wit the reprobates not the chosen the vnbeleuers I say which cōtemne the word of the gospel disdaigne to heare it and be rebelles to Christ Aretas the expositour they dwell vpon the earth sayeth he which are moued with no care of heauenly things nor of the glory that there is or geue themselues to earthly habitation and applie themselues to a beastly life according to the same Thomas of Aquine bringeth also a testimony out of the .17 of Ieremie They that departe from me shall be written in the Earth For they haue forsaken the veyne of liuely waters euen the lord him selfe Of the boke of life I haue spoken in the .3 and .5 chapt and wil speake of the same in the .19 and 20. chapt of the Apocalipse Hereunto he annexeth a notable thing after the maner of Apostles which
To them afterwarde they framed Idolles that is tokens and memorialles whiche might bryng those heauenly goddes into the memorie of the Earthly dwellers They builded for thē chapelles and churches they instituted priestes holy daies rites and Ceremonies These things are foūde in the bokes of the gentiles in our histories and also in their writinges which haue cōfuted the heythen Idolaters But in the popish kingdome at this day the names beyng only chaunged who can denie that the same culte the same religion naye very superstitiō is not renewed of these thinges I haue treated at large in my booke De origine erroris The Papistes teache that the Sainctes in heauen reigne with God and that to them are subiecte sickenesses artes limmes or membres cities and althinges and muste therfore be called vpon and worshipped Sainctes are expressed and represented by Images to these Images are erected Aultars and churches briefly it is done to them that was done to the Goddes and Idolles of the Heythen Who therefore vnderstandeth not nowe that Antichrist hath procured that the first beaste might be worshipped that is to witte mighte be of force agayne and that the olde Idolatrie and superstitiouse worshippyng might be renewed and frequented Who worship the first beaste vnder the seconde And as we haue red it to be sayed before and they worshipped him all that dwell in Earth whose names are not written in the booke of life of the Lābe so sayeth he also here plainely and he causeth the Earth and the inhabiters of the Earth that is they that seke regarde only earthly thinges to worshippe the firste beaste For all be not polluted with popish Idolatrie For hereunto apperteyneth the noble historie of Leo the thirde Emperour and Gregory the seconde and of other Popes through whose wickednes Idolatrie was agayne brought into the church which I wrote of long sins in my worke De origine erroris Nother with out a misterie is this hereunto annexed Whose deadly wounde is healed whose deadly plague was healed For he semeth to compare together the firste and seconde beaste and to shewe the lickenes of the same And I tolde you howe many menne at the firste were kepte still in the Romanes errours and Idolatrie for that the Goddes by Vespasians meanes were sayed to haue preserued the common welth whiche els with ciuile warres was as it were brought to ruine Finally we reade in stories that the Empire of Rome hath many times receiued deadly woundes but yet by and by through the wisedome and valeauntnes of some noble men the Goddes as they speake so willyng haue ben healed againe In that nōbre are rekened Lucius Septimius Seuerus Valerius Aurelianus C. Aurel. Val. Diocletian c. By whose lucky successe triumphes and victories to the Empire restored many haue ben moued to saye who seeth not that Rome shal be eternal and that the Romane religion is to the Goddes most acceptable and that the Emperours also and publicke weale is indued with a certen deitie and is to be honoured after the same sorte the kyngedome of the Pope or Antichrist hauing tried moste diuerse chaunces hath very ofte escaped out of desperate daungers Force and policie hath afflicted it and also the religion of Henry the .3 Emperour and of his sonne Henry the .4 Fridericke the first and second vexed the popes There were also other mightie Princes whiche inflicted mortall woundes to the See of Rome Agane there were Bishoppes of Rome which with singular craftes haue cured their woundes agayne The woūdes of Antichriste healed of the whiche sorte was Gregory the .7 Vrbane the .2 Paschalis the .2 Calixtus the .2 Alexander the .3 Innocentius the .3 Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 Clement the .4 .5 Boniface the .8 Iohn the .22 and diuerse others But was not that feate in greatest perill in times paste when three Popes were created at ones whereof one was resident at Rome the seconde went to Auignon in Fraunce and the thirde liued in Spayne But all these three putte downe by the power diligence authoritie and policie of the Emperour Sigismunde and the counsel of Constaūce that deadly wounde was fayre healed in Martin the .5 And this felicitie and restoryng the Popish kingedome perswadeth many effectually that poperie is of God and the popishe religiō to be most certen and trewe as that which hath so ofte ben of mightie princes assayled might in dede be shaken but neuer yet ouerthrowen The acclamation of all the Romishe is knowen the shippe of S. Peter is tossed in dede with stormes but can neuer be drouned But Daniel him self also hath prophecied that this shuld so come to passe saiyng and he shall prosper and shal doe what he will and shall kill the strong and holy people at his pleasure and guyle shal be directed in his hande Whiche thinges they doe not marke whiche are at this daye so much offended with the felicitie of that chayre of pestilence and the beaste therof Therfore like as the dayes of mourning and soden destruction came vpon olde Rome and vtterly destroied both the citie and Empire euen so shal we heare in the .17 and .18 chapt That Babilon shal haue her fatall destenies The Lorde Iesus confirme vs in the faith of Iesus Christe and deliuer vs from the guiles lucky successe and felicitie of that Romish Antichrist Amen ¶ Of the signes of Antichrist and Image of the beaste of him reysed The .lx. Sermon ANd he did great wonders so that he made fyre come downe from heauē into the yearth in the sight of men and deceaued them that dwelt on the earth by the meanes of those signes whiche he had power to do in the sight of the beaste saiyng to them that dwelte on the Earth that they should make an Image vnto the beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and did liue And he had power to geue a sprite vnto the image of the beaste and that the image of the beast should speake And should cause that as many as would not worshippe the Image of the beast should be killed He procedeth moste dilligently to describe Antichrist and his kingdome which so greatly impugneth the faith of Christ and afflicteth his church to the intent he mighte be knowen and eschewed of al men He sayeth nowe he shall do great wonders Of trewe miracles by the whiche he vnderstandeth miracles Wherof some be true and some false I call those trewe miracles which are done in dede and are not by any craftie iuggelyng countrefeted and the which allure mē to the veritie and set forth the veritie Of the which sorte out of doubte were the miracles of the Prophetes and Apostles holy Martirs and chiefly of Moses and Christe These do good vnto men hurte not nor emptye pore mens purses yea more they glorifie God and make the treweth to be beleued in drawyng men only vnto God as to the fountayne of all goodnes So Iohn testifieth of the lordes
excellent in all kinde of vertues and especially the seculars as they tearme them who hath muche misliked the tiranny and impietie of the Popes of Rome in so muche that they haue stoutely oftentimes withstande them Our age doubtles is muche bounde to this order or state that a good parte of the preachyng of the holy gospel is reformed the which both they with other princes of Germany moste worthie of praise do by Gods inspiration valiaūtly against the furies of Antichrist defende and mantayne The Lord increase in them in other godly Princes through the whole world his giftes and mercifully kepe and preserue thē But to returne to the prosis and order of the Historie certayne it is that immediately after Gregory the .5 the Deuill inuaded the see of Rome Nother could Platina dissemble this thing a writer of Popes liues knowen to all men See what he sayeth of Popes in the life of Syluester .3 which hath very fauourably spared his lordes and maisters and many times hath couered their abominable actes yet writyng of the successour of Gregory the .5 Siluester the .2 sayeth he before called Gilberte a Monke of Florey forsakyng his monasterie followed the Deuil vnto whom he gaue him self whole And by and by he addeth Gilbert moued with Ambition and a deuelish desire to rule through briberie gote firste the Archbisshopricke of Reyns after of Rauenna and after with greater suite the Deuill furtheryng him he obteyned to be pope yet vnder this cōdicion that after his death he should be the Deuilles wholy c. He that would knowe the full story and abridgement taken out of Antoninus The See of Rome vtterly corrupted Nauclerus and others lette him reade the .9 boke of Funccius Cronicles vnder the yere .998 Beno a Cardinall supposeth at this time to be fulfilled those thousande yeres after the which the Deuill breakyng lowse beganne agayne to rage in the worlde Wherof shall followe certen thinges in the .20 chapt of this booke Notwithstandyng I shall not refuse to gather here certen thinges out of this Benone Cardinall and briefly to recite them here for the declaration of our matter Therefore Beno in the life and actes of Hildebrande The mallice of the Popes vexyng the emperours called Gregory the .7 one Gerbertus which had infected the citie with sorcerie sayeth he after the thousand yeres fulfilled coming vp out of the botōlesse pitte of Gods permission was Pope 4. yeres and chaungyng his name was called Siluester the 2. And after Gilberte the yere .25 I suppose it should be red .32 And howe they reigned these yeres Stories testifie and that very euyl Theophilactus his schollar atchieued the seate violently called Benedict the .9 He had a dere frende and priuie to all his doynges one Gratiane Archeprieste of S. Iohn porte latin Vnto whome Hildebrande a Monke of Cluney forsakyng his abbeye did familiarely cleaue and became a familiar frende of his But Benedict fearyng him selfe solde his seate to Gratiane Maister of Hildebrande receiuyng of him fiue hondred thousande poūdes which promoted to the office was called Gregory the .6 Neuerthelesse they had shortly a thirde Pope Sabinus and he was called Siluester the .3 Themperour therefore Henry the .2 a godly man valeaunt wise and stoute goyng to Rome to pourge the church for as yet the Bisshoppes vsed not full authoritie compelled Benedicte or Theophilacte the Magician to flee cast Gregory in pryson and sent a waye Siluester to his olde Bisshoprike And he holdyng a Counsell placed the Bisshop of Bamberge whom he called Clement in the seate of whome also he receyued the crowne And he brought Gregory with his disciple Hildebrande with him into Germany In the meane time Benedict retournyng to Rome from flight vexeth Clement and with much inchauntynge infecteth the Citie and by letters receyued from Hildebrande out of Germany he learneth what is done in the Emperours court Gregory dieth there in prison and lefte Hildebrande his heire both of his false packyng and of his monie Clement dieth also Whom Damasus the .2 succedeth immediately but streight wayes poisoned by reason of the tumulte that was in the citie the Emperour sendeth Bruno Bisshoppe of Tully commen of the noble house of the Erles of Holst a worthy mā Here Beno annexeth in whose trayne through the ouer much sufferaūce of the Emperour Hildebrande was permitted to retourne by this permission to subuerte bothe the Bisshoprycke and Empire vnder pretence of religion And this Beno herein was a trewe prophet whiche sayeth thus also in the storie of Hildebrande and telling Bruno many things by the waie crepte into his fauour and as sone as he came to Rome obteyned of him that he was made one of the kepers of S. Peters Aultar And in a shorte time he filled his coffers And he also recōciled his olde Lord and maister Benedicte fayning repentaunce disceiptfully to Leo the .9 for so Bruno beyng made Pope was called and through the counsell of Benedicte otherwise called Theophilacte he armed Leo agaynst the Normannes and betrayed him vnto them The Germanes therefore slayne by treason scarsely the Pope all desolate escaped This sayeth Beno And certē it is that this Monke Hildebrande Gregory the .7 from that time forewarde aspired to gette the seate and in the meane time whilest it was gouerned of others he incensed and ruled the Popes as Leo the .9 Victour the .2 Stephen the .9 Benedicte the .10 Nicolas the .2 and Alexander the .2 But they smell of Hildebrandes stile that are set forth in the name of Leo Nicolas and Alexander But at the length he him self clome vp into the chayre in the whiche he so vsed him selfe that no man vnlesse he were starke blinde but might see that his deuelish gouernement hath requited most aboūdantly Henry the .4 the sonne of Henry the thirde his fathers cariyng of him into Germany And he beganne openly and impudently to take vpon him the power of the emperour Nother can it be tolde at fewe wordes in what detestable wise this beaste did afflicte bothe the Emperour and empire al the while he was Pope for the space of .12 whole yeres An Abridgement of that story hath Iohn Functius compiled in the .10 boke vnder the yere of our Lorde .1074 Diuerse opinions of Gregory the .7 I know that Platina and many Italian wryters yea and some Germanes also doe highly cōmende the religion and vertues of this Gregory the .7 by the whiche thyng the Popishe tiranny vnder the pretence of religion is wonderfully augmented and confirmed and many blynded Yet is it comen to passe agayne through the grace of God that men of graue authoritie religion and vertues haue fayre and wel plucked of the visure from this beaste Therefore haue Synodes and Counselles not to be cōtemned condemned this Gregory and first in dede the Coūsell of Mentz wherein were 19. famous Byshopes Than was assembled at Brixia a Synode of .30 Bisshoppes and of the moste
rules of Italy and deliuer them to the pope whiche he perfourmed in dede For he ouercame kinge Aistulphe toke from him the gouernement of Rauenna and deliuered it to the Bisshop of Rome Herein maye all men see The kings ouerthrowen the Pope him selfe is made a kīg vnlesse it be those which will see nothing how this contemptuouse Bishoppe and very smal horne hath at one pusshe ouerthrowen two hornes For he hath put themperour of Constantinople frō the gouernmēt of Italy and hath put downe the King of Lumbardy caused his people to be driuen out of Italy For a fewe yeres after the Pope by the force of Charlemaigne put downe Desiderius the last king of Lumbardy and distroied withall the whole people of the Lūbardes And thus starte vp the Pope became as it were king of olde Rome of the chiefe parte of Italy And now ar the beginnings of the kingdome laied but as yet he reigned not with full authoritie as is declared before Eberardus therfore Bisshoppe of Salisburge whose wordes I recited in the preface of this boke extendeth these things further But I suppose this our exposition to accorde with the prophet with the thinges times And the pope gaue to king Pipine for so great a donatiō a title as Platina sheweth in the life of Stephen the .2 that al kinges of Fraūce shuld be called moste Christen Afterwarde was the Image of the Empire bestowed vpon Charles whereof is spoken before And leest the Pope should seme to haue receiued nothing whilest king Pipine gaue him therarchate the stories reporte thus The Pope made a most mightie king thexarchate was diuided into two regiones in Pentapolis and Aemilia Pentapolis had fiue cities Rauenna Cesena Classe Forum liuij and Forum popilij In Aemilia were Bononie Rhezo Parma Placence and all the lādes that lie from the borders of the Placentines and Ticinians vnto Adria and frō Adria to Arimine c. But he that liste maye reade the Donation of Ludouicus pius in Volateranes Geographie where he nombreth the kynges of Fraunce We saye nothing yet of this that afterward he vsurped to him self power ouer kings and realmes finally ouer all churches and soules so that we must confesse that a more maruelouse prince neuer liued Thou hast here a briefe and compēdiouse story declaring how the Pope hauing hūbled ouerthrowē three kinges he him self began to be made a king But let vs now apply herunto the nōbre of the name of the beast The popes power augmēted both in spiritualties in temporallies to th ende it maye so be knowen to the whole world that there is no other Antichrist to be loked for than the bishop of Rome that is comē which in dede laied the foundatiō of his kingdom vnder thēperour Phocas did builde it vnder the kings of Fraūce and inlarged the same vnder themperours Henrickes Friderickes finally hath establisshed it vnder themperours followyng reigneth in our time and hath done certen ages already paste c. The supputation of .666 yeres must be rekened from the time wherin S. Iohn sawe the reuelation Ireneus sayeth It was sene no longe time sins but in a maner in our dayes about th ende of the reigne of Domitian And Eusebius in his chronicles saieth that it was in the yere of our lord .97 Therfore there remayne yet thre yeres to accomplish an hondreth yeres from the birth of our lord Adde therfore to an hōdreth yeres The fatall yere of our lord .763 these yeres of the nōbre of the name of the beast .666 substracte those three yeres of the first hondreth and thou shalt haue the yere of our Lord .763 whiche was the .13 yere or there aboutes of king Pipines reigne and the .7 of Pope Paul Notwithstandyng that there be wryters of stories and times which attribute to Paull but one yere c. Now muste we not loke only what thing happened in the very instaunt of the yere .763 but what chaūced in the nexte yeres fourmer and following Whereof I will recite a fewe thinges oute of the writers of stories and tymes Nauclerus in the .16 generat In the yeare of our Lord. Wōders Monsters 750 saieth he vnder Pope Zacharie and vnder themperour Constantine the .5 began the .26 generatiō in the which was made an alteration of the Kingdome of Fraunce an abolyshment of the Kyngs of Lumbardie and a translatiō of the Romane Empire from the Grekes These so greate alterations the wonders dyd happly pourtend which hapned at this tyme. In Mesopotamia the Earth roue a sunder by the space of two myles and a Mule was sayed to haue spoken with a mans voyce Ashes fel downe from heauen Ther were wonderful Earthquakes Crosses appered vpon mens garmēts These things wrote Nauclerus The lyke are red in the storie of Eutropius in the .22 boke vnder the yeare of Cōstantine the .6 moreouer in the Historicall glasse of Vincent in Fasciculo temporū In the yere of our Lord .751 Pipine is made King through the coūsell of Zachary the Pope Pipine the master of the Kyngs household oppressing his lord Hilderych king of Fraūce began to reigne and reigneth .18 yeres This writeth Aemilius in the .2 boke of kings of Fraūce And in the yere .755 Pipine entreth into Italie with an Armie vanquisheth the King of Lumbardes and geueth the whole gouernemente of Rauenna to S. Peter The exarchate is geuen to the Pope against the wil of the Emperour of Constantinople Vespergensis in chronicis You see howe in stead of the Emperour the Pope beginneth after a sort to reigne at Rome and in Italie the hornes be shaken of according to the prophecie Mathew Palmer in his chron vnder the yeare .756 the Romane Empire sayeth he reuolting a pace in the Easte The begynninges and preludies of the Empyre translated and the Emperour persecuting the Christians Idolaters he shoulde haue termed them Pope Stephen gaue to the kynges of Fraunce the Emperiall titles and dignities and cōfirmed Pipine and the successours of his stocke onely for their kyngs al others vtterly excluded and in the name of the people of Rome called hym Patricium Hitherto Palmer Ihon Functius in his Chron. In the yeare of our Lord .756 the rites and ceremonies of the church of Rome The Romish religion obtruted were caried into Fraunce first receiued In the yeare of our Lord .757 Paule is made Pope and immediately followeth that fatall yeare of our Lord .763 as the middle poinct betwixt the yere 750. .770 or .773 Wherein these thinges haue all together chaūced which both geue the name to Antichrist and whereof as euery thing els is knowen by his name so hath he also his name and is knowen In the yeare of our Lorde .768 Stephen the .3 helde a counsell at Rome in the church Laterane of the byshops of Fraūce of Italie Idolatry is confirmed and decreed that none
And in dede it were foloyshnes Babilon to expounde these thinges of the ould Babilon in Asia which was fallen long sins scarcely any token thereof beinge leste Rome we muste therefore vnderstande it of an other which is in her flowres and euen by a figuratiue speach we must vnderstande it of Rome Antonomasia For there is a greate Cozinnage as it were betwixte both Babilon was the first Monarchie Rome is the laste Babilon sore afflicted the people of God So doeth Rome greuouselye vexe the church of God Babylon burthened Israell wyth a greueouse captiuitie So Rome vexeth the church wyth more than a long captiuitie Babilon ouercame the people of God and burning the Citie of Hierusalem and destroieng the temple led away Israell captiue so Rome also hauing rased the citie of Hierusalē and subuerting the temple triumphed of Israell Babilon planted Idolatrie superstition and all abhomination auaunced maintained and set forth the same vnto al men but at the length when she woulde haue thought leest of it the people of God being sodeynely delyuered she was vtterly subuerted So is Rome also the mother nurse and reuyuer of all abominations in the church of the laste tyme wherein she shall perish at the last all those that beleue truly in Christe being delyuered And especiallie it is called great For howe greate and mightie the church of Rome is all we see and by experience knowe at this daye Nother am I the firste that vnderstand by Babilon Rome For many expositours reading the first Epistle of Saincte Peter in the end of the epistle do vnderstand by Babilon Rome Certes Oecumenius sayeth And here he calleth Babilon Rome for the excellencie and brightnesse of the Empire the which Rome obteined a long tyme sins But this the more auncient wryters expound more playnelie as Turtullian in his boke againste the Iewes which sayeth so Babilon with sainct Ihon beareth the fygure of the Citie of Rome therfore also great and proude in her kingdom and a murtherer of the saincts The same words in a maner he repeteth in the thirde booke against Marcion And no lesse playnely Saincte Hierome calleth Rome Babilon and that same Babilon wherof S. Ihon speaketh in the Apocalipse Read the epistle of Paula and Eustochium written to Marcella by the helpe of sainct Hierome Reade himself in the .11 questiō to Algasia Againe in the preface to the boke of Didymus of the holy ghoste to Pauliniane Also in the end of the .2 boke against Iouinian The same in the life of S. Marke Peter saith he in the first epistle vnder the name of Babilon doth figuratiuely signify Rome But S. Ihon wil expounde himselfe in the .17 chapter And we vnderstande that the Citie of Rome shall fall chiefly with all her vngodlynes And with the same also the Romish superstition and abomination through oute the worlde And the Aungell in dede sayeth she is fallen which is yet to fall And that by the propheticall maner of speaking Anadiplosis wherein that which shal assuredly come to passe is vttered as though it wer now done To signifie the certentie thereof that reduplication or iterating of the worde also apperteineth she is fallen she is fallen she is fallē she is fallē This is also repeated in the .18 chap. where it shal be shewed howe it is taken out of the Prophetes c. Notwithstanding both a desyre and Ioye also might seme here to be signified For such thinges as we haue longe and with a desyre loked for we receiue them nowe cumming and saie thou art come thou arte come at the laste longe loked for and nowe makest me glad For the sainctes with a great desyre loke and long for the distruction of that most wicked most vyle and most troublesome kyngdome of Antichriste The cause is shewed also of the destructiō of the commonwelth and church of Rome Why the Romyshe Church shoulde fal for that she hath caused all nations to drinke and hath made them dronken wyth wyne of wrath of her fornication And verelye the effecte of wyne in men is greateste Therefore doctrine is compared to it in the Prophetes Therefore Rome with her vncleane and corrupt opinions hath made all people dronken And it is called the wyne of the wrath For loke with whome God is angry he suffereth them to erre in the way of the Romish church For in asmoch as God hath reuealed the sincere doctrine of lyfe by his onely sonne and moste chosen Apostles and men receaue not the same God is iustely offended with them and geueth them ouer into a reprobate mynde that thei may followe shamefull errours As Saincte Paule also prophisied shuld come to passe in the .2 to the Thess 2. chapt This wyne is called moreouer the wyne of her fornication whereby she her selfe hauing firste played the harlot is become nowe also the Maistres of fornicatiō and as it wer bawde to al others This maner of speakyng is right well knowen euen oute of the Prophetes Rome ded not persiste in the doctryne of the Gospell and of the Apostles but inuented a newe and that contarry to the Gospel of the vycar of Christ in earth The deuilysh doctrin of Rome of the power of keyes of indulgences and pardons of iustification of works and merits of satisfactiōs cōfessions of worshipping of Images prayeng to saincts of celebrating masses and worshipping of the sacramēt of the aulter as thei terme it of monkery and vowes and such other innumerable This doctrine as Apostolicall auncient and chresten she drinketh of to all people and so plucketh them from Christ withdraweth them from the Gospell seduceth them from the oulde christianitie and destroyeth innumerable soules Therefore God powreth oute to her also of the cuppe of his wrath and bryngeth her also to destruction for euer He disswadeth all frō the fellowship of the Romysshe church And vpon this occasion he disswadeth all men from the felowship of the Romish church or papistrie that we haue nothing to do with the Romish religion vnlesse we will be part takers also of the euerlasting pūnishmēt He reasoneth therfore of the losse and punnishments and descrybeth greuouse and horrible paines yf happlie men might so be feared from that vngodlines The Angell therfore crieth and that with a loude voice Wherefore let al ecclesiasticall preachers learne that they must earnestly and tirribblie crye oute in this case that all flee the communion of the Romish or popish church I know doubtles what the common people beleue and saie that all shall be saued at the laste daye what religion so euer they be of and namelie yf any remaine an open papist But we can nother condemne nor absolue any man sette them in Heauen or cast them to Hell God liueth a rightouse iudge He alone knoweth who shal be saued or damned We ought therfore of right to credit his iudgements But where as he pronoūceth openly that the fauourers of the
.5 chapter And verely that same soden commyng of the Lorde exciteth the mindes of vs all and prouoketh to watch leeste we shuld at vnwares be oppressed He adioyneth also immediately a profit prepared for them that watche Happy sayeth he is that man that watcheth He addeth morouer how the godly should demeane themselues in watchyng Kepe thy garmâ—ntes that thou go not naked Howe they must kepe their garmentes that they be not defiled and take hede moreouer that they walke not naked leeste their filthines be espied Touchyng garmentes I haue spoken moste largely in an other place of this boke He kepeth his garmeÌ„tes that kepeth his life and conuersation vnspotted of worldely filthines He walketh not naked which putteth on Christ But his shame is sene that sinneth impudently But chiefly is their shame sene whose whoredomes aduoutries and fleshly lustes are knowen and open to the eyes of al menne And here is the state of them to be lamented that are called spirituall and rather in dede to be detested than to be described Blessed are they whose sinnes are couered and happy are they that haue learned to be ashamed Vnhappy are as many as caÌ„ not blushe but set such a face of the matter that they glory in their sinnes and wickednes The destructioÌ„ of the frogges After this he toucheth at few wordes the destruction both of the legates and also of them that are deceaued of the legates and suche as fight agaynst God and trewe religion for the mayneteyning of the Romisshe maiestie The legates in dede doe assemble menne of their faction vnto battel against the Godly but the lorde hath gathered the same into a place whiche is called in Hebrewe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche some interprete the distruction of the Riuer and some the armie of desolation But howe so euer that is the sense semeth easie they are in dede assembled of the legates that they mighte withstande or prohibite the destruction of the Riuer and ruine of Rome But the Lorde shall also assemble the selfe same that in the very same place and worke they maye be destroyed of the Lorde Which finally at the laste iudgement we beleue shall be accomplisshed To the Lord Christ our redemer and reuenger be prayse and glory Amen ¶ The seuenth Aungell powreth out his vialle The .lxxij. Sermon ANd the seueÌ„th Angel powreth out his Viall into the Ayre And there came a great voyce out of Heauen from the seate sayeng it is done And there folowed voyces thonderinges and lightnings and there was a great Earthquake suche as was not synce men were vpon the Earth so mightye an Earthquake and so great And the great Citie was diuided into thre partes And the cities of nations fell And great Babilon came in remeÌ„braunce before God to geue vnto her the cup of wyne of fearcenes of his wrath And euery I le fled awaye and Mountaynes were not founde And there fell a great haile as it had bene talentes out of Heauen vpon the men and the men blasphemed God because of the hayle for it is great and the plague of it was sore The seuenth and last cup poured out into the ayre The laste iudgement of God fygured by the seueÌ„th Angell signifieth the parturbation and alteration of all elementes and the horrible but yet iuste iudgemente of God and fynallye the ende of all thinges paynes euerlasting The thinges be inclosed wyth fyguratyue speaches taken for the moste parte out of the Prophetes and by a priuie comparison brought oute of the holy storie Which is done for this consideration that all thinges might be more full of Maiestie and that euery man shoulde more dilligentelie search for the sence of an excelleÌ„t matter which found ones he might kepe and retaine in perfecte memorie And what tyme the Ayre is moued Sore tempestes sondry and horrible tempestes arryse in the ayre And the Lorde Iesus in the gospell after Mathew testifieth that aboute the last comming of Christe the powers of heauen shall be moued And as soone as the cuppe was powred out into the ayer and a great tempest arrysen a voice sounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is done By the which voyce is signified An ende is at hande howe all thinges are at an end euen of the whole world moch more of wicked papistrie And this voice is heard out of the very temple of heauen and trone of God leest we should doubte any thing of the veritie and certentis of the sentence geuen and againe of the vertue and power of him that doeth pronounce it Therfore are they shamefullye disceaued so many as affirme the worlde to be euerlastinge and that they shal reigne alwayes vpon earth and inioy the pleasures therof A voyce from heauen out of the most holy temple of God and euen oute of the moste sincere trone of the Almightie speaketh that it is done For he speaketh of the time to come as though it were paste that we might as certenly knowe that all worldlie and popish thinges shoulde haue an ende as we vndoubtedly knowe the thinges to be done which are already past Let vs therfore watch and put no confidence in the thinges of this worlde which are moste deceiptful All thinges shal fal to decay and come to naught men onely and the blessed spirites remayning through the grace of God the vnhappie also remayning perpetually appointed to perpetuall punnishment by the iustice of God A fygure of Goddes iudgement And lyke as the holy Prophetes ded by fygures set forth the iudgemente of God to be sene of mennes eyes so nowe here the Lord Iesus by Saincte Ihon in a figuratiue speach shaddoweth the terrour of that horrible iudgemente For he sayeth howe ther shal be thonderinges voyces lightninges and thoÌ„derbolts an earthquake so terrible that the world hath neuer at any tyme felte the lyke For Saincte Peter also in the ende of his latter epistle reciteth terrible thinges of the laste day and burnyng of all worldlie thinges But the quaking and terrour of mennes myndes shal be yet a great deale more terrible than al these The godly are exempted frome cruell terrours The Lord in S. Mat. gospel Than shal wayle sayeth he all the kinreds of the earth For the vngodly whose coÌ„scieÌ„ces are wicked corrupt shall fele those terrours tourmeÌ„ts vnspekable The godly like as according to the saieÌ„g of our sauiour thei com not into iudgemeÌ„t so although that thei also by reason of the infirmitie of the flesh be some what astonied at the sodaine alteration of things and the terrible tearing and crashing of all elementes yet forasmoch as they haue knowen before that the same shulde come to passe and beleue the Sauiour sayeng your redemption draweth nere they gather vp their spirites and comfort themselues in Christ and reioyce in him comming to iudge or condemne the vngodly but to saue the godly And herein is alluded to sondry stories of the holy scriptures
harlot and for that cause was called an harlot Furthermore olde Rome had power to do these thinges She sâ—teth vpoÌ„ many watâ—rs for she sate vpon many waters that is had dominion rule ouer many people and sondry nations Ye alâ—o the kinges of the Earth haue coÌ„mitted whoredome with her whâ— lest they haue submitted themselues to the Romanes bonden themselues in leage The princes â—â—miâ—te whoredom and receyued of them superstitions and Idolatrie For the children of Israell were also sayed to haue committed whoredome wyth the Aegiptians for that they had ioyned amitie with them and were become fellowes in prophane religions And so newe Rome the Popes kingdome stretcheth farre and wide and the Kinges and Princes of the Earth committe whoredome with her Therefore doeth the worde of the Lorde calle it filthye whoredome whiche the Romisshe name an holy bonde and obedience There is added and they that dwell vpon Earth are made dronkeÌ„ For he signifieth that beyng infected with errours yea rather asotted cleane out of their wittes they haue ben madde in Idolatrie and yet rage in their superstitions like droÌ„kardes and can not for furie receaue the preaching of the gospel Touchyng this wine of fornication and whoredome and of that dronkennes I haue spoken in the .14 chap. And it is aptly spoken that dwellers vpoÌ„ Earth are made dronkeÌ„ not so much for that menne dwellyng vpon Earth are made dronken as for that earthly meÌ„ and choked with earthly desires shall become faithfull worshippers of the Romish See Thirdely he expoundeth the maner of the vision The maner of the vision thus I was caried awaye in sprete Wherfore with his body remayning in Patmos in spirite he sawe a womaÌ„ sittyng on a beast and distroyed with fire Such be many visioÌ„s and sightes in the prophetes And he noteth also the place wherein he sawe the beaste not in heauen nother in the temple or tabernacle or in a fruictful place The beast in the wildernesse but in the wildernesse Esaye calleth the gentiles and heythenes wildernesse And verely tholde Romanes and newe with their superstitions haue had no place in the church but are without the church God forbidde thaÌ„ that we should acknowledge the churche of Rome to be head of al faithful churches And at this daye many of them which are called most holy and most reuerent differ nothing from the gentiles their titles and hipocrisie only excepted Wherof is spoken before in the .11 chapt Fourthly and laste he exhibiteth this vision or tipe of olde and newe Rome and the ruine and destructioÌ„ of them both and with all describeth most dilligently the wickednes of eyther of them And first must the beaste be considered after the woman sittyng on the beaste The beaste representeth the figure of olde Rome the woman of the newe and of Poperie And the woman sitteth vpon the beast For the image of the beast hath succeded and hath placed her seate in olde Rome For Daniel also affirmeth that Antichrist shal pitche his seate or palace betwixte two Seas The beast is rose coloured to witte the Hadriatical Sea called commonly the goulfe of Venise and the Tyrrhene or Tuscane Sea And the beaste is rose coloured it is of a red and bright colour like Crimosine For Rome hath ben moste cruell and blouddy and swimmyng altogether in the bloud of al meÌ„ but especially of Christians How much bloud shed Marius Sylla Pompey Iulius and others after histories Plinie hath reported Rome hath with sworde fire distroyed the whole world The ten persecutions of Christians before the Empire of Constantine are most commonly knowen Howe the beaste was full of the names of blasphemie I shewed in the .13 chapt Rome abounded with chapelles and Idolles Dayly it blasphemed God Christe the gospell and rente the church a sonder Of the .7 heades and ten hornes is spoken also in the .13 chapt And certen thinges shall followe in this same chapter playne enough And thus muche hitherto of the olde beaste here followeth of the woman sittyng vpon the beast ¶ The same matter is yet still treated of and the vision is expounded The .lxxiiij. Sermon ANd the womaÌ„ was arayed in purple and rose colour decked with gold preciouse stone and pearles and had a cup of golde in her haÌ„d ful of abominations and filthinesse of hyr whoredome And in hyr forehead was a name written a misterie great Babilon the mother of whoredome and abominations of the Earth And I sawe the woman dronken with the bloud of Sainctes with the bloud of the witnesses of Iesu And when I sawe her I maruailed with a greate wonder And the Angel sayde vnto me wherefore maruailest thou I wil shewe thee the misterie of the woman and of the beaste that beareth her whiche hath seuen heades and ten hornes The beast that thou seest was and is not and shall ascende out of the botomlesse pitte and shal go into perditioÌ„ and they that dwel on the earth shal wonder whose names are not written in the booke of life from the beginnyng of the worlde when they beholde the beast that was and is not And here is a minde that hath wisedome He describeth excedingly well and liuely and setteth forth to be sene of the eyes of all men that same woman before named the great whore About th ende of the chapter he expouÌ„deth himselfe sayeth and the woman which thou sawest is the great citie The womaÌ„ is the greate citie lady of kinges great verely as she that beareth rule ouer the kinges of the Earth He meaneth therefore the very citie of Rome and euen the popish and Romish church and the pope himself with al his creatures and chapplaynes whiche make a great and strong citie rulyng ouer al kinges and princes of the Earth For who knoweth not that Rome the prelates of the church doe rule euen aboue magistrates and princes consider what is done in the courtes of kinges princes and by whose aduise and counselles the princes of the Earth are chiefly gouerned And in callyng papistrie a woman he alludeth to the .5 and .7 chapt of the Prouerbes of Salomon who also likeneth craftie disceiptful philosophie worldly wisedome to a faire woman full of sondry craftes and giles The apparell of the woman And now also he painteth out gallauntly and euideÌ„tly the apparell or clothing and very whorish behauiour of this woman She is furnisshed with no good qualities inwardely wherby she maye coÌ„mende her selfe to the world to her louers therfore she excelleth in outwarde deckyng of herselfe where she is inwardely full of all abominations for all the world like vnto the Phariseis and hipocrites whom the lord saieth are without liâ—e shinyng tumbes of marble but within replenisshed with all corruption and filthines and euen stinkyng And hereby is signified chiefly that the church of Rome and kingdome of Antichrist setteth forth it self altogether with worldly furniture to witte
thousandes naye millions of Martirs through the instigation meanes of the Bishop and churche of Rome haue ben executed with moste extreme and horrible punnisshmentes with in these sixe or fiue hondreth yeres histories make mention What hath ben done and what plentie of mans bloud hath benne shed euen within these .30 yeres whiche our memory doeth attayne to my harte grudgeth to recite Great is this crime also for the whiche Babilon is plagued of God by iuste and moste greuouse tourmentes And ful aptely is here mention made of Martirs that is of the witnesses of Iesu For they that coÌ„fesse the Euangelical doctrine of Christ to be the true absolute doctrine that christ is the only head of the church the only priest and Bisshop mediatour and facrifice and shal not ioyne with all in the meane time that the doctrine of the churche of Rome is also moste perfit to be had in like reuerence with the doctrine of the gospell that the Pope is head of the church militaunt and in earth the true vicar of Christ and pastour generall and that the Sametes in heauen praye for vs and that the masse is a trewe and real sacrifice for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead they are condemned for heretikes and Schismatikes with sworde and fire to be rooted out of the Earth And hitherto reacheth the misterie of the vision by horrible sightes set before our eyes wherein is liuely described both the olde Romane Empire and chiefly the Poperie of Rome with their sinnes and crimes heynouse and full of enormitie Hereafter shall followe an exposition of the vision to the whiche at the laste shall be annexed the punnishement to be taken of Antichriste and the whole Antichristiane Citie But in case ye shall applie all these thinges whiche are spoken of the woman to olde Rome I will not be agaynst it For there was also a religion at Rome whiche consisted in golde and preciouse things Olde Rome had a cuppe of false wisedome wherewith she made dronken and infected al nations She was therefore the mother of abominations and whoredomes as of whome the prouinces learned superstitions c. Howebeit these thinges peculiarly do concerne the Pope Notwithstandyng that olde Rome also was dronken with the bloud of Sainctes c. S. Iohn maruayleth at the sight of the â—east S. Iohn maruaileth excedingly when he saw the womaÌ„ For Daniel also maruailed till his harte almoste failed him when he sawe that Romish beast as appereth in the .7 chapt of Daniel All godly in a maner maruayle also at this daye when they see so great things grauÌ„ted or permitted of God to the church of Rome agaynst the pure sincerenes For the prelates of the church are fortunate victoriouse puissaunt and in sauour with al princes bryng to passe what so euer they imagine or liste Happy is he that is not in them offended Reade the .73 Psalme Howe good is God to Israell to them that be right in harte â—hâ—xposition of the vâ—sion c. The Aungell as chiefe minister vttereth the misterie to S. Iohn and the whole Churche that is to saye openeth the secrete and true meanynge of the vision by partes moste dilligently And he speaketh in dede of the whole bodie of the beaste notwithstanding that the beaste hath certen thinges peculier and likewise the whore yet the Angel himselfe sayeth I will shewe thee the misterie of the woman and of the beast that beareth her Neuerthelesse this same is also a darke speaking where in the beginning of the exposition he saieth the beast which thou saweste was and is not The Romane Empire was yet whylest Domitian ruled but it was no more such as it had ben before For from the first Monarch Iulius it was as it were by inheritauÌ„ce in the house of Caesars vntill Nero. For in him the beaste receaued a deadlie wounde but it was healed and dyuerse Emperours reigned not of any one familie The Empire therefore had ben in the power of one house before but after Nero it was not so Agayne the Romanes possessed the Empyre after Nero. From Nerua which is the .7 after Nero the Empire was deuolted to Traiane vnder whome it was puissaunt and strong Therfore it was and it was not Whereof S. Ihon himselfe will speake a litle after Moreouer the Stories testifie that the Empyre of Rome was extinguisshed and in his place sprang vp an other which is also called the Romane Empire whereof you may say moste truelie it was and is not For that oulde Romane Empire was the most ample and noblest Empire in the world but this newe nowe erected of the Pope is none such but rather an Image of the beaste as I sayed in the .13 chapt a shadowe and a dreame Therfore we doubt nothing but that in this vision is exhibited to vs a type both of the oulde and newe Empire but chieflye of Poperie And nowe he sheweth none other originall of the beaste The originall of the beaste but hellyshe and deuelysh For he sayeth howe he shall come vp oute of the bottomelesse pitte Whereof is spoken before All Empyres verely as witnesseth Daniell in the .2 chapter be of God But in case the gouernours be corrupted the begynnyng or original is referred to the Deuil not of the Empyre in dede but of the corruption Here is added moreouer what ende that vnhappy Empyre is lyke to haue at the last and goeth into perdition For it is cutte vp by the rootes in earth and addicte in an other worlde to payne euerlasting Who be the woorshippers of the beaste But lyke as he shewed in the thirtene chapt who shoulde wonder at that is should honour and worshippe the beaste so here he repeteth the same not the chosen children of God but earthly men and reprobates whose names are not written in the booke of lyfe Whereof we haue spoken before He annexeth an acclamation and here aduerbiallie is a mynd that hath wisedome The Lorde exciteth all the hearers to the dilligent consideration of these things leeste being disceaued we perish They be fooles that maruel at the beastes felicitie victories poÌ„pes maiestie riches and pleasures and submit theÌ„selues to him They be verely wyse that vnderstand the Empyre to be taken awaye and nowe that vnder the shaddowe of an Empyre lurketh Antichriste the Chylde of perdition and man of sinne to be eschewed of al the godlie For these are conuerted to Christe In whome they knowe that they haue all things of lyfe and saluation and to liue in him To him be prayse and glory ¶ The godly vision is yet more playnely declared The .lxxv. Sermon THE seuen heads are seuen mountaynes on which the woman sitteth they are also seuen Kinges Fyue are fallen and one is the other is not come WheÌ„ he cometh he must continue a space And the beaste that was and is not is euen the eight and is one of the seuen and shal go into destructioÌ„ And
as be thus sanctified the seconde death hath no place nor power And the firste death is the death of sinne therefore is the seconde death eternall damnation See what I haue spoken hereof before in the .2 chapt of this boke in the Epistle to the church of Smyrna Finally the faythfull are made the priestes of God and of Christ the electe I meane segregated notable excellent bothe of God and Christ moste derely beloued which in eternall life might offer eternal prayses to God It is repeted agayne and they shal raygne with him a thousande yeres And this signifieth that al Sainctes shal raigne with Christ for euer but chiefely the soules euen olso before the iudgement Primasius Bisshoppe of Vtica expoundyng this place it is not spoken sayeth he not only of Bisshoppes and Priestes but like as we cal al christes by reason of the mistical chrisme or oynctement so are all priestes for that they be membres of a Prieste of whom the Apostle S. Peter an holy people sayeth he a royall priesthood thus saieth he But this whole place of the bindyng and lowsing of the Deuill of the thousande yeres and of the firste resurrection and seconde death S. Austen hath wel and dilligently for his time and for so much as he coulde see discoursed at large in the .20 boke De ciuit dei I propounde these thinges of mine to be dilligētly considered of the faithful Let euery mā holde that which he shal thinke most consonaunt to the trewth To the lord our God be praise glory now and euermore Amen ¶ What shall be done when the thousande yeres are expired of the worlde deceaued of warre and greuous persecution of the godly and of the euerlasting payne of the wicked The .lxxxix. Sermon AND when the thousande yeares are expired Sathā shal be lowsed out of his pryson and shall go out to deceaue the people whiche are in the foure quarters of the Earth Gog and Magog to gather them together to battaile whose nombre is as the sande of the Sea And they wente vpon the playne of the earth and cōpassed the tentes of the sainctes aboute and the beloued citie And fire came downe from God out of heauē and deuoured them And the Deuil that deceaued thē was caste into a lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were and shal be tormented daye and night for euermore He declareth herby What shal be done after the thousāde yeres what shal happē after those thousande yeres And he sayeth chiefely two thinges that the deuill shal be lowsed out of his prison that he maye deceaue the people in the worlde and may assemble Gog and Magog vnto battaile To the which agayne he annexeth other two a moste cruell persecution of the church and payne of the wicked and euerlasting damnation of the deuil and his membres And the seducyng of the world must againe be expounded by the figure Sinecdoche Howe the worlde is deceaued agayne For the sense of the scripture will not permit vs to vnderstāde that there shuld be no godly lefte at that time For we beleue all that there is a church that an holy church shal be alwayes in the worlde vntil the iudgement And we haue hearde morouer in this boke how many thousandes are sealed that they should not perish And also that the dragon must be lowsed for a little season Like as therfore we reade in the gospel that Sathan is cast out and his kingdome taken frō him where neuerthelesse S. Peter warneth sayeth that the deuil goeth about like a roring Lion seketh whom he maye deuoure verely for that the greatest force of Sathan is for the faythful infringed by Christ that mightie champion and noble conquerour the Deuill not withstandyng goyng about and aspiryng agayne to the Empire and to be restored to his former place so at this present we vnderstande that Sathan lowsed after those thousande yeres raungeth now abroade more frely exerciseth greater authoritie seduceth more people in the worlde and ruleth further thā he hath raygned these thousande yeres yet so that there shal be neuerthelesse in the world a fellowshippe of Sainctes dispersed and vexed miserablely For immediately S. Iohn sayeth that the beloued citie of God is besieged of the enemies Therefore shal the church be in the middes of the enemies Wherefore al that same place muste be expounded not of the veritie religion wholy extinguisshed but of the more large ample power and seduction of sathan the old serpent The deuil cōmeth out of pryson Wherefore he sayeth that when the thousande yeres shal be expired the Deuill shall be lowsed out of that his prison whereinto through the power might of Christ or preachyng of the Apostles he had ben shutte For the chayne ones broken to witte the sincere doctrine and preachyng of the gospel corrupted and depraued he came out and to this ende he came out that he might deceaue the gētiles that is to saye al people and nations which are dwelling in the foure quarters or partes of the Earth I meane in the whole vniuersall worlde and to the ende he mighte allure Gog and Magog namely fierse men barbarouse worldly mocking and contemnyng the true religion addicte to robberies and geuen to euill thinges and regardyng only corruption and naughtines that he might drawe I saye suche men to vnrightuousenes and kepe them still in errours For such doeth Ezechiell signifie Gog and Magog to be But those whiche through the diuine grace be not such shal not be deceaued of Sathan but groūded on Christ shal perseuer in the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles and shall rightly worship Christ shall abhorre Antichrist and al naughtines in the world But that a deuelisshe deceauyng hath passed through the world farre and nere sins the thousande yeres expired What deceauynge shal be in the worlde after the thousāde yeres experience teacheth and Histories witnesses of times testifie For it is playne that duryng those thousande yeres there were famouse churches of Christe in the Easte whiche not withstandyng to haue ben distroyed within these fiue hondreth yeares we lament Therefore the wicked and abominable secte of Mahomet began sixe hondreth yeres after the birth of Christe and from that time forth was auaunced by the Saracenes but preuailed at the last after those thousande fatall yeres For howe great is the power of Turkes nowe in Affricke Asia and Europe no man is ignoraunt And Papistrie had his beginnyng and procedyng ouer soone but after a thousande yeres it was of full force For Bisshoppes of Rome through the abuse of excōmunicatyng haue oppressed euē most mightie Emperours Kinges For who knoweth not with what shameles boldenes the popes haue withstād both Kinges and Keysars Henries Fridderickes Lewysses and many other Princes whom their lewdenes hath vexed vanquished and ouercome After muche and greuouse contention the Popes extorted to themselues the consecratyng of Bishoppes Thei vsurped
perish they shall ryse agayne to the iudgement whole Aretas also Bishop of Cesaria perceiued this and sayed he reciteth these things to the intent he might declare what the finall and vniuersal resurrection shall be For where many beleuyng not that the same shall be do say that it is by no meanes possible to be in those bodies which haue ben long corrupted and broughte to that poincte that they be not at all this sermon nowe correcting this sayeth Lyke as the bodies when they were not began to be not by a certen chaūce or of themselues but of the four elements namely of Water Fyre Ayre and Earth So also beyng reasonably returned agayne into the same may be of the same cōposed againe c. And for a further declaratiō he addeth agayne Death and hel gaue vp them c. and death and hell gaue vp those which were in them dead For he vnderstādeth by death any kynd of death as though he shulde say death it selfe restoreth to the Iudge iudgement whom soeuer after what sort soeuer he hath dispatched Death therfore is fayned to be as it were a person which holdeth the dead in himselfe or in a prison And hel hath yet but a fewe bodies for some we read to haue gone down to hell quicke but the soules of the wicked The same retourne to their bodies that the whole man may be iudged body and soule Others by hell after the Hebrewe phrase vnderstande a sepulture or graue Agayne is repeted that the whole man shal be iudged body and soule after euery mannes workes Thus much hitheto of the resurrectiō of the dead Of euerlasting damnation wherof in our bokes els wher we haue treated more at large In the laste place followith of euerlastinge damnation and who be properly condemned And Hell sayeth he and death are cast in to the lake of fyre Whereof hath ben spoken before And Hell here signifieth not the place of pūnishmēt but those that are inhabiters of Helle to witte whose soules are yet deteined in hel or appointed thither Death also signifieth those that are deade in sinne and they which from the spirituall or tēporall death go straight way to death euerlasting Wherevpon is immediately annexed This is the second death by the which verely they that are dead to Christe are adicted to perpetual fyre and that lyue to Antichrist and the world Others expounde these thinges hereof that after the iudgemēt the Saincts shal nother be buried any more nor die Which S. Paule affirmeth also out of Osee in the firste to the Corinth the .15 chap. Aretas and Primasius make with vs. For Aretas saieth and he calleth death and hel those that haue cōmitted thinges worthie of punnishment as fulfilling the numbre of the second death And Primasius by these names sayeth he he signifieth the Deuil because he is authour of death and paynes in Hell and also the whole fellowship of Deuylles For this is the same that he spake more playnelye before by the way of preuēting and the Deuil which deceaued them was caste in to the lake of fyre and brimstone And that which he added there more obscurely sayeng and the beaste the false prophet here more playnely So much Primasius And who knoweth not that the membres muste followe the head all vngodly the Deuyll the head of all vngodlynes Whych ar not writtē in the boke of lyfe And moste euidētly he expresseth who properly at the iudgement are addicte to fyre euerlasting they that are nother written nor sound in the boke of lyfe Therefore shall the only faythfull in Christe in whome they are predestinated vnto lyfe euerlasting shall be saued All others of what religion so euer they be or what so euer kynd of lyfe they haue lyued be it neuer so strayte shall perish Others referre these words to such as are lefte a lyue at that daye For we beleue that the son of God shall iudge both the quicke and the dead Doubtles whether they be lyuing or whether they be dead certain it is that no man shall be saued in any other but in the fayth of Iesu Christe all the resydewe shall be damned And this is the finall end of the good and euill To Christe Iesu iudge of all and redemer of the faythfull be prayse and glory for euermore Amen ¶ That the worlde shall be renewed the Saincts glorified and made blessed and what that felicitie shall be and howe certeyne The XCj. Sermon AND I sawe a newe Heauen and a newe Earth The .21 chapter For the first Heauen and the first Earth were vanished away there was no more Sea AND I Ihon sawe that holy Citie newe Hierusalem come downe from God oute of Heauen prepared as a bryde garnished for her husband And I heard a great voice from the seat sayeng beholde the Tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them AND they shal be his people and God himselfe shall be with them and shal be their God And God shal wipe awai al teares from their eyes And there shall be no more death nother sorrowe nother shal ther be any more payne For the ould thinges are gone And he that sat vpon the seat saide behold I make al things newe And he saied vnto me wryte for these wordes are faythfull and true And he sayed vnto me it is done I admonished you aboute the begynning of the .15 The order chap. of this boke that the fifte parte of this worke began at the .15 chap. and treated of the iudgementes of God righteous and iuste And forasmuch as the iudgementes of God are of two sortes in this that he requyteth the euyll according to their wickednes and rewardeth the good with rewards I sayed howe this place consisted of two parts For first I sayed that S. Ihon most plentifully treated of torments to be inflicted to Antichrist and all vngodly secondly of rewardes especially in the end of the world to be imployde vpon al sainctes For ofte times haue we heard in this boke that the soules seperated from the body are immediatly after the corporall death taken vp in to lyfe euerlaking but that the felicitie of al most complete chaūceth to the faithfull in the ende of the worlde what time the bodies now raised againe receiue the rewards of glory euerlasting And this place is treated through oute al the .21 chap. beginning of the .22 cha And lyke as in the former parte he hath set hel in a maner wyde opē shewed the euerlasting torments as it were to be sene presently so in this later part he vnlocketh after a fort or openeth heauen it selfe that with the eyes of faith we shulde se what hope and glory abydeth for Sainctes And with all is most clerely expoūded the article of our faith ¶ I beleue lyfe euerlasting I beleue lyfe auerlasting And agayne for the more perspecuitie he declareth these things by a visiō Which others
life shal be opē on euery side And we beleue that there is no other waie to heauē no other porte or gate or any other dore or posterne to remaine than the only sole Christ Iesus our lord as he himself hath taught in Iohn the .10 .14 chapt But for asmuch as he hath appoincted Angels or prophetes Apostles also porters of heauen to whō he hath cōmitted the keyes of the kingdome of heauen these do bring the chosen and lette them into the heauenly countrie many gates verely are red to haue ben and be And for a further declaration is added that in euery gate was an Angel Twelue Angels in the gates in nōbre twelue And we haue hearde in the beginnyng of this boke that Angelles are gods ministers and pastours of churches sent of God for the saluation of mē I meane that thei might bring them by the worde of veritie and holy ministerie through fayth into life euerlastyng Morouer we reade how the soule of pore Lazarus diyng was caried by Angelles into the bosome of Abraham Whie than should we maruell that Angelles stande at the gates For by the true and only gate Christ they bring in the faithfull into the heauenly countrie And agayne for a further declaration is annexed In the gates are writtē the names of the childrē of Israell and in the gates were names written whiche are the names of the twelue tribes of the children of Israell For the Lord would signifie that he vsed the industrie of Patriarches and Prophetes of all tribes in openyng heauen vnto mē and againe that all the chosen of al tribes appertayne to the felloweship of felicitie We shal see therfore in heauē the Patriarches and Prophetes and all the Sainctes whiche before the cōmyng of Christ are written in the registers of the heauenly like as the Apostles also sawe Moses and Helias talking with Christ in the Mounte Wherfore not without great cause wrote the Apostle to the Hebrewes you are cōmen to the moūte Sion and to the citie of the liuing God to the celestiall Hierusalē and to the multitude of many thousande Angelles and vnto the congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen And the reste which is red in the .12 chapt The situation of the gates And he toucheth also the situation of the gates For he assigneth three vnto euery parte of the skie Nother doeth he this without consideration For our sauiour himselfe sayeth in the gospel that they shal come from the East and from the Weste and shal reste with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Aretas also searcheth here the misterie more dilligently and supposeth that no man shal enter in by these gates saue he whiche both acknowledgeth the eternal trinitie of God and also vnderstandeth the misterie of the crosse of Christ For he sayeth howe the twelue tribes are diuided by the Trinitie of the fourefolde figure of the worlde c. Wherupon Aquinas also who so euer are saued saieth he they are iustified by the fayth of the holy Trinitie publisshed in the foure quartes of the world by the Apostles preachyng The foundations of the Citie Now sheweth he also that the foundations of this citie are most sure and vnmouable For the walle of the Citie sayeth he hath twelue foundations Touchyng the foundation of the churche and our saluation haue spoken expressely Dauid in the Psalmes Esaye also in the .28 chapt our Lord and sauiour in sondry places of the Gospell Peter moreouer in the Actes and first epistle likewise the Apostle S. Paule whiche sayde any other foundation can not be layde thā that which is layde whiche is Christ Iesus 1. Corinth 3. Howe than are layde here twelue foundations doubtles Christ remayneth one and a sure foundation Howebeit in as muche as in placyng and reuealyng him the Lord hath vsed the ministerie of the twelue Apostles for this cause the citie is sayde to haue twelue foūdations Not that the Apostles are in dede the foūdations of the church and our saluatiō but in this that Christ that trewe foundation was by the twelue Apostles made knowen to the faithfull and as it were layde vnder whereupon the beleuers haue buylded themselues by the Apostles fayth Whereupon he sayeth pourposely in those twelue the names of the lambes twelue Apostles For the gospel also whiche is bothe in very dede and vnchaungeably Iesus Christes alone is called also of Iohn Matthew Marke Luke of Peter and Paule bicause it hath ben preached by them And we vnderstande hereby not only the church whiche was before the commyng of Christ of Patriarches and Prophetes beyng receyued into heauen to reioyce in God but also the church Apostolical I meane that al men in the whole world whiche haue beleued the Apostolicall doctrine shal liue with al the Sainctes in that heauenly countrie all the whiche we shall bothe see and with them also shall glorifie God for euermore Primasius Bisshop of Vtica dissenteth not much from this our exposition Whether thapostles be foundatiōs of the church expounding how the Apostles are called foūdatiōs For thus hath he lefte written where we know that the church hath one only foundation that is to saye Christe we ought not to be moued that here he sayeth she hath twelue For in Christ haue thapostles deserued to be the foūdations of the Churche of whome the Apostle an other foundation saieth he can not be layde besides that which is layde Christ Iesus In him are also the Apostles sayed to be light sins he sayeth vnto thē you are the light of the world where Christ alone is the true light which lighteth euery man commyng into this world Christ therefore is the light illuminyng and they the light illumined And after a fewe wordes the same Authour Here it behoueth sayeth he to acknoweledge the twelue Apostles to be foundatiōs yet called in the only foūdation Christ Iesu Hereunto apperteineth also that he hath not concealed the name of the Lambe The Apostles therfore be foundations but in one foūdation Iesu Christ And christ alone without the Apostles is rightly called the foundation but the Apostles without Christ could by no meanes be called the foundations of the churche These thinges Primasius Which Aretas Bisshop of Cesaria declareth more briefly and playnely and sayeth they are in dede called foundations for that thei haue layde the foundations of the christen faith and gates for that by them that is to witte by their preachyng there maye be founde nowe that maye bring them to the christen fayth Thus much he Doubtles the Apostle S. Paule in the .2 to the Ephes calleth Christe the foundation of Apostles and Prophetes whiche verely in preachyng they haue layde and to the whiche they haue leaned and by the which also they are saued To him be glory ¶ Yet agayne is described the seate of the euerlastyng countrie in heauen The XCiiij Sermon AND he that talked with me had
same he declareth by fiue partes of membres the walles Firste the walles are of Iaspar Let no man here forge to him self carnal thinges The Iaspar is grene The celestial Citie alwayes florisheth God his protection neuer fayleth 2. The citie it self that is to say the buildynges in the citie the palaces and houses are pure golde For al things be purefied in the eternall countrie There is no vncleanes Habitations no euil affectiōs there shal be no trouble or payne As the lord sayde also in the .19 chapt of Matth. Disputyng agaynst the Sadduceis Therfore like as golde is most tried and pure so shal the celestial habitation be most cleane Therfore must the bodies also that shal dwell in heauen be clarified or glorified He addeth that this golde most pure is not glasse but in brightnes doeth represent most pure and shinyng glasse For in heauen al thinges are clere There we shal be sene face to face There we shal moste perfitly know al thinges 3. Foundations And first he sayeth generally that the foundatiōs of the citie are beaultified with al maner of precious stones after particularly he reciteth by name the stones that are most excellent Doubtles nothing is more preciouse nothing more excellent than Christ the foundatiō of our saluatiō than thapostolical doctrine wherby we are induced to the knowledge of Christ of our saluatiō And he setteth in order .xii. stones to thintent we shuld vnderstand that there is not one precious stone alone placed for the foūdatiō but a rowe of one sorte in such a lēgth as the side is square so cōsequently likewise in al partes of the squadre For the first order therfore is placed a Iaspar stone that is to saye in the first place of the foūdatiō Iaspar stones are set in their ranke agayne in the next rowe vpon the Iaspars are laide Saphyres through out the whole space in such length as the foundation was so consequētly the other stones were couched and layde in order By all the which is signified that the foundation of our saluatiō is both most excellēt and sure Which we ought of right to set more bie thā by the price of al the Iewelles in the earth And there are founde men godly beneficiall which bestowyng or sellyng these earthly Iewelles according to the Apostles doctrine in the .1 to Timo. the .6 prepare for themselues a good foundation in an other world There are foūde fooles which are ouer much in loue with Iewelles many times in stead of precious stones that coste very much beyng polished thei bie glasse Ful worthie doubtles to be deceaued Verely precious stones haue their vse vertues nother were thei made of God in vaine But we must alwayes remembre that saying of the wise man al thinges are not mete for al men Precious stones 4 By the register of preciouse stones he semeth to haue alluded to the precious stones that were set in the attire of the high bishop in the .28 of Exod. Nother doubte I that S. Iohn toke these things partely out of the .54 of Esaye which place S. Hierome expoūding sendeth thē that desire to knowe more of stones to Epiphanius to the .37 boke of the Natur. Hist of Plinie Aretas in his commentaries applieth the twelue precious stones to the .12 Apostles of Christ There remaine moreouer the writynges of Bede vpon this place out of whō toke Thomas of Aquine such things as he hath in his cōmentaries vpon the Apocalipse I see not howe I can with any great fruicte tary longer in this treatise Wherfore I referre the curiouse reader to these Authours it is enough for me to haue shewed that by these costely Iewelles is signified the excellencie of the foundation of our helth and saluation The gates Morouer in the fourth place is declared the matter of the gates They were of one whole pearle euery of them whereof the price is excedyng greate The gate of heauen is Christ and the porters of heauen are Apostles as is declared before Therfore are the gates most preciouse and most strong In the .13 chap. of S. Mathewes gospel Christ himself and the saluation that is of him are compared to a Pearle which the marchaūt selling al that he hath byeth for himselfe thinking himselfe rich enough yf he may haue this Pearle 5. In the fift place is also described the Strete what it is Strete In the Cities here in Earth the stretes are many times myrie though otherwyse the cities be neuer so famouse noble Where they be notable they are paued with stone or bricke but the Strete of our Citie is paued with golde both cleane and bright For in heauen is founde no noysomenes no obscure darkenes All these thinges doubtles are spoken moste beaultifully but yet must far greater thinges be vnderstand and imagined and we muste indeuour with all our myght that the thinge which the tung of man can not vtter nor our mynde here for the greatnes excellencie conceaue we may at the length beholde the same in Heauen presentlie and may experience the same in those our glorified bodies throughe Iesus Christe our Lorde ¶ Furthermore yet is described the euerlasting countrie in Heauen The .xcv. Sermon AND I sawe no temple therin For the Lorde God almightie and the lambe is the temple of it and the Citie hath no nede of the Sunne nother of the Moone to lightē it For the brightnes of God doth lighten it and the lambe is the light therof And the people which are saued shal walke in the light of it the kinges of the earth shal bring their glory honour vnto it And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day For there shal be no night there And they shal bring the glory honour of the Gētiles to it And there shal enter into it none vncle an thing nother what soeuer worketh abomination or maketh lyes but they which are written in the lambes boke of life The Aposte procedeth in the descriptiō of the diuine or celestiall Citie to comfort and kepe the faithful in all temptations and afflictions Therfore in the seuenth place he discourseth of the temple The tēple For in famouse Cities ther is no smal cōsideration and prayse of churches This is manifeste by all writers of stories places and times What temple is than in heauen none at all For S. Iohn and I sawe saith he in the citie of God no temple This place repugneth not with those thinges which are in the .11 and .15 chapters of the temple in Heauen For the temple is there exhibited in a figure and vision not that there is in dede any temple in Heauen but that thus mighte be signified Gods iustice and certayne saluation promised in the Scriptures lyke as we haue in those places declared No temple in Heauen And what is the cause that there appeareth no temple in heauen The diuine reuelation aunswereth for
chapt sayeth for we be your glory as you shal be oures also in the daye of our Lorde Iesu And agayne in the .1 to the Thess the .2 chapt the same Apostle sayeth for what is our hope ioye or crowne of reioycyng are not you in the sight of our Lorde Iesu Christe at his commyng for you are our glory and ioye Ful wel therefore sayeth Aquinas S. Iohn speaketh after the maner of coÌ„querours which bryng their spoyles into Cities Therefore he fayneth that Princes preachers and parentes bryng with them into heauen such as they haue wonne whiche to them shal be an honour and glory These thinges alwayes let vs thinke vpon and do our duety inioyned vs of God which we perceyue in the euerlasting countrie to haue so great rewarde For it shal be the greatest glory that maye be to stande with so many wonne in the presence of the eternal God LaÌ„be and al sainctes Contrarywise the greatest shame to stande with so great a multitude of men lost and that loste through our faulte and negligence Reade what thinges are written in the .1 chapt of the boke of wisedome c. In the tenth place followeth the custody of the gates celestiall The gates are not shut in the daye Certenly in greate Cities there is greate and dilligent watching and wardynge hede taken to the gates that they be shutte and opened in dewe time and season But in heaueÌ„ there shall nede no such carefulnes The reason is The gates are not wonte to be shutte in the day but at night But in the euerlastyng countrie there is no night therfore are the gates neuer shutte There is doubtles no night but continual day There is no treason no Ambusshes or wayte laide no perils or daungers all thing in generall are safe peaceable quiet sicker and sure The same thinges are red also in Esaye but some thing in a diuerse sense Aretas here is a double vnderstandyng sayeth he for eyther he meaneth that there shal be peace and securitie and that so great that it shall not nede to kepe the citie by shuttyng of the gates Or els that there also the godly gates of the Apostolicall doctrine are open for all men vnto their learnyng which haue more perfection c. Certenly they shal nede no teachers nor guides which see al misteries now presently are brought into heauen it self The cleanes of the heauenly â—â—tie And especially cleanes in Cities is highly commended if there shewe or appere nothing that offendeth the sighte hearyng and smellyng which is lothsome to loke vpon and to be abhorred And in priuate houses the chiefe prayse is yf all thinges shyne and stande euery thing in order and lie not scattered and stinke Now therefore in the eleuenth place he sheweth that there shal be nothing in heauen that maye offende that is to saye which shall not be pleasaunt and delectable moste cleane and nete absolute and complete The same place also muste be referred to the personnes For it followeth saue they that are written in the lambes boke of life We vnderstande therfore how into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ shal not enter whoremongers Idolaters liars deceauers what so euer is vncleane and not purged with the bloud of the sonne of God through fayth This same the Apostle affirmeth in the .1 to the Corint the .5 and .6 chapt and to the Ephes the .5 chapt Dauid also demaundeth Lord who shal dwell in thy tabernucle or who shal reste in thy holy hille And aunswereth incontinently he that walketh without spotte and worketh rightuousnes and that which insueth in the .15 Psalm Finally here shal be fulfilled suche thinges as are written in the .23 chapt of Deuter. Touching theÌ„ which are prohibited to enter into the church Wherfore this place hath a secret doctrine and priuie admonishment instructyng vs that if we wil or couet to be heyres of the euerlasting couÌ„trie we should al applie our selues whilest we liue here in Earth to rightuousenes and Innocencie For it shal followe in the .22 chapt For without are dogges and inchaunters and whoremongers c. The Lord bryng vs by the waye of rightuousenes vnto life euerlastyng ¶ He continueth yet in describyng the blessed seates The .xcvi. Sermon AND he shewed me a pure riuer of water of life cleare as Chrystall The .22 chapt proceding out of the seate of God and of the Lambe In the middes of the strete of it of eyther side of the riuer was there wood of life whiche bare twelue maner of fruictes gaue fruicte euery moneth the leaues of the wood serued to heale the people withal And ther shal be nomore curse but the seate of God and the lambe shal be in it and his seruauntes shall serue him And they shal see his face and his name shal be in their foreheades And there shal be no night there and they nede no candle nor light of Sunne for the lorde God geueth them light and they shall raygne for euermore In the twelfth place is described of Iohn the pleasauntnes The pleasauntenes of the citie of God trymnes the plentuousenes and abouÌ„dance of foode in the Citie of God Riuers make cities pleasaunt and delectable Without fountaynes sprynges and holesome waters cities decaye and are scarsely worthy the names of Cities But in case they waunte victualles they are wholy loste Therefore this our heaueÌ„ly Citie excelleth and is most noble in al these thinges nother hath it vitayle only but geueth the same vnto vs with greate pleasure and finesse moste pleasaunt For trees in this Citie doe not only beare fruicte but geue also a pleasauÌ„tnes vnspeakable inestimable The riuer moreouer runneth through the middes of the stretes on the bankes of eyther side are trees moste beautiful to beholde bearing the fruictes of life And as I haue many times in this description intimated so I repete now the same againe that those things are not to be vnderstande after the letter as the Millenaries take them For the Lord talketh with vs and euen lispeth to the ende we might after the imbecillitie of our witte coÌ„ceaue these thinges Yf any shuld wisshe for earthly things I wene he could couet no greater thinges thaÌ„ be here described We shall thinke therefore if the Lorde coulde geue these earthly thinges yf he woulde whie can he not geue greater to the soules of the godly and bodies glorified yea the Lorde will that beyng withdrawen from the contemplation of earthly thinges we shoulde loke altogether for celestiall and diuine worthie of blessed soules and bodies clarified Whiche verely howe greate and what they shall be no tunge of manne can expresse to vs be it neuer so eloquente For the Lord hath prepared greater thinges for his seruauntes than here we can comprehende Therefore he bringeth forth here matterâ— moste ample that after a certen maner we mightie conceaue heauenly thinges muche more excellent than they be Therfore the sense and meanyng of all those
thinges whiche are spoken here of the riuer of life and wood of life by an amplification right excellent is none other but that the blessed in the heauenly countrie shall be quickened of God and preserued in that happie life with highe delectation for euermore And there is no doubte but the S. Iohn hath borrowed these thinges as he doeth all the reste sins he is the expositour of the Prophetes out of the Scriptures And therefore hath he alluded to Paradise whose description set forth in the seconde of Genesis doeth with this description of Heauen very well agree For there springeth also a riuer in Paradise whiche immediately is diuided into foure heades and watereth the garden of pleasure moste pleasauntly The very paradise of the faithfull is heaueÌ„ it selfe In the same Paradise is the wood that is the tree of life bryngyng forth liuely fruicte to the eaters as it is expounded of S. Austen in the .13 booke De ciuitate dei The .20 chapter But for the sinne of our firste parente we were caste out of that Paradise and Christe is come to the ende he mighte brynge vs agayne into Paradise that is to saye into high felicitie Now therefore that trewe paradise prepared for vs of Christe is shewed in heauen and is here described into this Paradise entred the Lorde after death and brought with him into the same also the faythfull thiefe to whome he sayed verely I saye vnto thee this daye shalte thou be with me in paradise Therefore ought we not here to forge to our selues the gardens of Aleinous in Earth or in the ayre aboue the globe of the Mone and reason of Paradise terrestriall Our Paradise is celestiall whiche is prepared for vs in heauen as S. Paule hath sayde in the thirde to the Philipp And Paradise is called a garden of pleasure as at this presente it is called a golden Citie or of preciouse stones verely by a trope on eyther side Hereunto apperteyneth also a place of Zacharie in the .14 chapter There is also an other place of Scripture in the .47 chapt of Ezechiel Whiche is this and translated or written out by S. Iohn into this place in a maner worde for worde by the riuer sayeth he on eyther side of it shall growe vp all maner trees that beare fruicte whose leaues shall not falle nor the fruictes fayle but euery moneth shal they bring forth newe fruictes For their waters flowe out of the sanctuarie and their fruictes shal be meate and their leaues medicinable And Ezechiel vnder a figure seeth that same blessed life and happie seates whiche S. Iohn at this present seeth by the shewyng of the Angell And eyther of them both seeth the happie seates after the same sorte vnder the like figure For there is one only blessednes common to al the faythfull of the whole world The Patriarches Prophetes Apostles and Martirs atchieue all one felicitie They see the Riuer on eyther side and the same runnyng out of the Sanctuarie or seate of God They see on eyther side the riuer trees planted that bryng forth the fruictes of life They bring forth fruictes euery moneth fresshe and newe and the leaues of eyther do heale I suppose the olde Poetes borrowed out of the Scriptures suche thinges as they wrote in verses concerning Ambrosia and Nectar the meate and drinke of the Goddes the meates drinkes of goddes That shorte verse of Martiall is knowen Ambrosia is the meate and Nectar drynke of Ioue And Grammarians deriue those vocables of immortalitie But our S. Iohn here reasonyng more elegantly better of these matters sayeth how the Aungel shewed him a riuer which he commendeth vnto him by such properties as water is wonte to be coÌ„mended of the purenes brightnes and clearenes He addeth a parable whiche geueth light to that he hath sayde and sayeth cleare as a christal After he addeth that this riuer is the riuer of the water of life to witte liuely water which preserueth the drinkers therof in life Finally he sheweth also the originall or springe head of this riuer deriuyng the same from the seate of God of the whiche seate or Trone I haue spoken in the .4 and .5 chapter of this booke And by all these thinges is signified nothing els but that life procedeth of God alone which he geueth to theÌ„ that serue him in that blessed countrie pure cleare bright moste tried and most perfit and altogether diuine Touchyng the liuely springes and fountaynes of waters we haue touched some what in the ende of the .7 chapt of this boke Marke againe that God the lambe are so ioyned together againe that no man vnlesse he be madde wil denie the sonne to be of the same substaunce with the father The vitaile of this citie Now followeth the victual of this diuine citie The meate in the couÌ„trie euerlastyng is the tree of life And it is the Hebrewe phrase the woode of life for the tree of life or liuely meate For there is added bearing fruicte And whether you vnderstande that S. Iohn sawe one only tree as also in paradise was one tree only or mo as in Ezechiel so that by the general word we maye vnderstande the particular kindes of trees it shal be all one The Situation of the tree he sheweth dilligently to be sette in the middes of the strete of the Citie and on eyther side the riuer whereby doubtles is gathered that there were many trees to witte on the bankes of the riuer that they maye sucke vp liuely iuyce out of the riuer which floweth froÌ„ the Trone And hereby I suppose is signified that the heauenly fode is common and free for all not locked vp or kepte for a fewe It is founde in the middes of the strete of the citie than doeth the meate stande opeÌ„ and is not hidde And it draweth a liuely force out of the riuer whiche springeth out of the seate For that heauenly life is 〈◊〉 God floweth to al his electe Moreouer it is also declared moste dilligently what maner of fruicte this shal be the tree of life sayeth he The fruicâ— doeth fructifie or bring forth fruicte twelue times in the yere so that euery moneth it beareth fruicte freshe and newe The first fruictes to men are deintie and they that doe coÌ„monly abhorre olde fruicte had rather haue newe Therefore in that blessed couÌ„trie of oures shal nothing be tediouse vnpleasaunt lothesome or in any wise to be reiected but all thinges shal be most pleasaunt most delicate or deintie fresh and delectable Nowe also he neglecteth not the leaues as Ezechiel did The leâ—ues sheweth some vse of the same They serue saieth he for a medicine to heale the people Not that ther shal be diseases or sores in that heaueÌ„ly couÌ„trie but that the blessed shal haue continual perpetual helth These people he calleth geÌ„tiles not that the geÌ„tiles are yet vncleane but for that thei were ones suche but nowe beyng
head with a lase Vndoubtedly in the heauenly countrie the glory of the children of God shal be wonderfull greate of those chiefely that haue confessed the name of Christ in earth for these the celestial father shal glorifie God lightneth the chosen In the sixte mēbre is repeted agayne which hath ones or twise ben spokē before that the electe in heauē are illumined with the glory diuine wherof hath ben spokē enough before In the last and seuenth membre comprisyng as it were all thinges of life and felicitie and vttering with one word they shal raygne They shal raigne sayeth he for euer more The lord Iesus graunt to vs his faithful that suche thinges as we haue now hearde plentifully of his mouth we may shortely experience in our soules and bodies and may crie with ioye to God the father most mercifull and to Iesu Christ the redemer most mightie and benigne and to the holy ghost the most swete comforter be prayse and glory for euer more Amen ¶ The conclusion of this worke wherein is established the autoritie of the same and the some collected briefely The XCvij Sermon AND he sayde vnto me these sayinges are faithfull and true And the lord God of the holy prophets sente his Angell to shew vnto his seruauntes the thinges whiche muste be shortely fulfilled Beholde I come shortely Happy is he that kepeth the saying of the prophecie of this booke I am Iohn which saw these things and I hearde them And whē I had hearde and sene I fel downe to worship before the fete of the Angel which shewed me these thinges And he saide vnto me see thou do it not For I am thy fellowe seruaunt and of thy bretherne the prophets and of them which kepe the sayinges of this boke Worship God The sixte last parte of this worke conteyneth the conclusion The conclusion of this worke which affirmeth the thinges which we haue heard to be diuine certayne and vndoubted for he collecteth the chiefest thinges moueth al men to faith study of godlines that in stedfaste hope we shuld loke for the iudge of al to come shortly and to iudge the quicke the dead And in goodly order this laste boke of the Canonical scripture finisheth the godly narration doctrine with the iudgement ende of all thinges The Apocalipse is the laste boke of the canonical bokes of the scripture For the holy Scripture beginneth at the firste originall of al thinges and continueth a narration vntill the ende of all thinges conteyning in it self the vniuersalitie of things and al such thinges as are requisite to be knowē of matters nedeful and profitable And al those thinges hath our good Lord geuen vs to be knowen in the holy scripture that is to say in the Canonical bokes For they be false harlottes that saye that al thinges which apperteyne to the true full godlines saluation of the faithful are not set forth in holy writinges and therefore to haue nede of traditions They in dede haue nede of those traditions which wil vtter their craftie wares we nede none which esteme al their wares not worth a gally halfpenny to be bought of any man For Esaye hath sufficiently diswaded vs from their disceauable craftie iuglinges in the .55 chapt And this conclusion conteyneth aboute .16 Articles Which we shal discusse in order Immediately after the beginning is set a graue asseueration That these thinges be true vndoubted that the thinges which he hath sayde or writtē hitherto are true sure certaine vndoubted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath in a maner the same sentēce also in the .19 chapt of this booke And he calleth faythful sayinges whiche are stable ratified stedfaste and vndoubted And the sentence is referred in the thinges whiche he hath spoken of the blessed life to the world to come leest we shuld be lefte in any doubtfulnes Agayne it is referred to the whole narration of this boke And this sentence semeth to be a clause of assertiō and confirmyng the certentie of the matter propounded as be those also in the prophets for the lord hath spoken againe thus sayeth the Lord of hoostes and that same moste vsed in the gospel verely verely I saye vnto you And that in the Epistles apostolical God is my witnes that I lie not And the goodnes of god doeth succour our infirmitie wherby many times we doubting of the veritie of Gods words do wauer confirmeth our hope with these as it were ankers Wherefore these must be dilligently beaten in vrged in the ecclesiastical doctrine Aretas expoundyng this place as the wōted maner of this holy Euangeliste is alwayes so is it here also For like as in his gospel in token of loyaltie he sayeth we know that his testimony is true so in this place also setting to his seale he sayeth these sayinges are faithful and trewe Hitherto he Therfore shal it be an vnworthie thing to doubt be it neuer so little of the thinges that are writtē in this boke and in other bokes of the canonical Scripture The Authour of this worke God of the holy Prophetes Secondly he repeteth who is the Authour of this worke and all these thinges are reuealed to him And verely there is none other Authour but the lorde God him selfe and that the God of the holy Prophetes The which hath a great efficacitie for he sheweth him not only to be one the same god of both Testamentes whiche by his spirite hath inspired the prophetes Apostles but also biddeth vs secretly to esteme the veritie certētie of this boke of the prophetical matters For if he coulde in olde time telle his people before of things to come vtter al thinges by the prophetes what maruell is it yf he nowe also perfourme the same by S. Iohn And if all those thinges came to passe which the prophetes did prophesie to come nother did there any word no nor one iote fal vnto the grounde which was not fulfilled there is no man also that wil doubt of the veritie of this boke yf at leest he cōsider that the same God which in times past was with the prophets is nowe also with blessed Ihon. The Prophets said howe the land of Chanaan shulde be deliuered in to the possession of the children of Israel it was deliuered The selfe same prophecied that the people of Israel shulde for their sinnes be cast out agayne of the same land in to Babilon thei were cast oute After thei prophecied againe that thei shulde be deliuered shuld repare the Citie to the which Christ wolde come which shuld redeme mankynd cal into the fellowship of life and blesse all nations They were deliuered they repared their Citie Christ came and redemed mankind and the gospel was preached through out the whole world What thyng than remayneth but that the church shuld be turmoiled Antichrist shuld come and raigne and that the true Christians and
he shulde wage battaile together and the Iudge come at the last vnto iudgement and reward euery one according to his doinges And this place proueth the diuinitie of Christ infalliblie Christe very God For what can be spoken more plainly than was saide The Lord God of holy Prophetes sent forth his Angel So in the first chapter is saide The reuelation of Iesu Christ which God gaue him And a little after he saieth I Iesus sent my Angel that he might testifie vnto you c. Herein therfore is shewed the vnitie of the substauÌ„ce diuine and destruction of persons And the maner of the reuelation is shewed Howe this booke was reuealed or repeted and collected rather he sent his Angell Christe therefore by his Angell sheweth all thinges to S. Ihon. For no man hath sene God at any time nother shal the Lorde come downe againe from heauen before the iudgement Wherfore this whole vision was exhibited and declared bi the Angel which was the messager of Christ the Lorde Wherefore all thinges are properly referred to Christ which sent the Angell But to whom ded he shew or reueale these thinges To his seruaunts For the coÌ„temners of God laugh at these thinges and take them for fables But God loueth his worshippers and warneth them of all thinges in due season 3. The some of this booke in two poincies Now he gathereth the some of such things as he hath treated hitherto The same ar chiefly coÌ„nteyned in two poincts For he sheweth hitherto what thinge must be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shorâ—â— For this boke conteineth the destinies of the church from the Apostles time to the worldes end Therfore he prophesied not a farre of but the thinges that began in the very time of S. Ihon. And yf they muste be done who shall resiste Not that I wyll establyshe the necessitie of the Stoyckes but that I acknowledge the mightie workyng of God after his prouidence and righteousnes After he addeth another membre Beholde I come quickely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this boke comprehendeth many things which concerne the iudgemeÌ„t it selfe and the last iudgement to the which I will come so swiftely and vnloked for that the wicked and light men shall loke for nothing lesse For the Lorde sayeth in the Gospell it shall be as in the dayes of Noe and Loth. And in the howre that you thinke not the sonne of man wyll come Item as the brightnesse cometh foorth of the Easte and shyneth in the Weste so shall be the comming of the sonne of man And therfore the Lorde sayeth nowe also at this present Beholde I comme quickely For sodaynely whyleste he seemeth in the meane tyme to doe an other thyng at vnwares he bryngeth in the Lorde speakyng and that a matter wonderfull as this particle Beholde importeth For S. Paule hath written also whileste they shall saie peace and securitie sodayne destruction shall come vpon them The coÌ„moditie of this booke 4. But what profit shall the seruauntes of God loke for of this boke In a short sentence he coÌ„priseth much and saieth happie is he that kepeth the woordes of the prophesie of this boke Felicitie blessednes is the fruict that is taken of this boke In this present worlde being lincked with Christe wâ— shall walke in the way of righteousnes and eschew the craftes of Antichriste and shall not fele the tourmeÌ„tes which arrise in the conscience of the corruption of religion depraued And when we depart hence we shal go straight to those blessed seates This is the highe blessednes and felicitie And let vs marke that it is not enough either to haue sene or heard or red this boke it muste nedes be kepte For we muste beware that it goeth not in at one eare and oute the other that we forget not the things that are told vs but that we rather frame our whole lyfe after the doctryne of this boke And he attributed to it the title of prophecie All the Scripture is called a prophecie as much as to say diuine But consyderyng howe this boke for the more parte therof sheweth things to come vnto the church it is rightly called a prophecie 5. He repeteth againe and beateth uâ— The writer of this boke Ihon which repeteth his name both his name and also that he is a witnes that sawe and heard who maie surely be credited And thus he wil get authoritie to this boke For it muste nedes be had in greate estimation that which was conceaued and written of the Apostle and EuaÌ„gelist S. Ihon. Many accompt a faulte in Iohn that he so dilligently expresseth his name But maruell it is that they obserue not the same also els where and of others not withoute prayse Ded not the selfe same Ihon repete and inculke the name of a Disciple in the story of the Gospell who shulde reprehend this I see not therfore what he hath offended herein But rather sins he foresaw in the spirite that many wold speake against this boke not withoute great cause and with much fruicte and also of extreme necessitie he importuned his name And the Apostle S. Paule also to the Galathians Beholde I Paule say vnto you sayeth he in ease ye be circumcised Christe shal profite you nothing The same also to moue affection inculketh his name to Philemon Aretas therefore very aptely expounding this place And this sayeth he a certen proprietie of speach in this Apostolicall soule For euen as he ded in the Gospell also where he sayth And he that sawe hath borne witnes and his testimonie is true the same doeth he in this place also testifieng that he was both an hearer and beholder of these things which are prophicied For hereby he winneth credit to the things which had ben sene Thus much he Others haue thought that not without cause S. Ihon hath in this boke repeted his name oftener than in his story for that men wil more hardlye beleue a prophecie speaking of things yet to come than a story which telleth of matters paste 6. In the sixte place he annexeth whie Ihon wolde worship the Angel agayne what chaunced to him agayne with the Angell reuealing vnto him these huge misteries A lyke story for all the worlde had we in the ninetene chapter where also we expounded the same where he that liste may see And yet the expositours demaund howe chauÌ„ceth it that agayne Ihon doeth the same that he did before and was prohibited of the Angel Thomas of Aquine weneth that S. Ihon being besydes himselfe by reason of the excellencie of visions dyd this as one astonied The glose before sayeth he the Angell forbadde that he should not worshippe him with Latria here he prohibiteth that he worshippe him not with Dulia But to me appereth preferring alwayes the better iudgemeÌ„t of others In S. Ihon to be shewed to all the godly howe great is the frailnes of man to fall vnlesse he be restrained and drawen backe by the mightie
church or to S. Ihon that eyther the church or S. Ihon shulde say And let him that heareth say come Aretas expouÌ„ding this place briefely and well by these wordes he insinuateth them saieth he which ar not yet assuÌ„pted to the flocke yet ready to heare godly matters and geue their dilligence to knowe the Lorde So much he And doubtelesse the desyre of the godlye is so greate that they couet that all creatures shoulde praye the Lorde to come vnto iudgement as many times we se in the Psalmes the godly to exhorte the Sun and Moone all creatures to praise and speake wel of the Lorde 12. The .12 place of the conclusion conteineth a most large promesse and comforte of Christe †And leâ— him that is a thyrste come For he promiseth agayne frankelie As thoughe he shulde saie I knowe what thinges the faithfull shall suffer vnder Antichrist what also and howe great crafte the same shall practise All thinges will he sell for money Heauen and Earth and those things also which are not in his power And he shal deceaue many and shal spoyle many And al the godly shall he vexe and oppresse with greuouse persecution Therfore yf I tary long and come not incontinently in asmuch as the wisshes of Sainctes couet the same you that loue and beleue in me flee Antichriste geue not your selues to be spoiled of him loke ye for me haue recourse vnto me He that is a thirst that is he that desyreth an heauenly gyfte or he that is in angwysh or tourmented with cares and sondry euilles let him come to me to me I say let him come I shall fyll him with good thinges delyuer from euyll and wyll comforte him and strengthen him with my spirite in al maner dauÌ„gers that he may paciently beare and ouercome all euylles And he semeth to haue borrowed these holsome wordes and most ful of consolation of the doctrine of Esaye which is in the .55 chapter and in the seuenth chap. of Ihon. Hereof are spoken certen thinges aboute the beginning of the .21 chapt Where we reâ—de â—he Lord to haue saide And to him that is a thirste wil I geue of the well of the water of life frely And he that wille But where he sayeth and he that will he meaneth not as many mistake him that it standeth in our will that we maye be saued For we knowe that the Apostle hath sayde it is not in the wille nor in the ruÌ„ning but in the mercy of God The Lord of his owne good wil saueth vs yet not withstanding he saueth not the vnwillyng but the willyng But he geueth vs that we maye will accordyng to that saying of thapostle it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to accomplish Primasius by no good giftes sayeth he goyng before he receyueth the water of life frely For what haste thou sayeth the Apostle that thou haste not receyued Therefore haue we receyued of God frely the wil of coÌ„myng also vnto whome we gaue nothing firste that we should be much lesse that we should of sinners be made rightuouse Thus sayeth he Not withstandyng it might seme to be such a maner of speakyng as is emonges the Germanes which is I make it free for al to come I doe clerely exclude no man I bid al come so and he that will that is to saye come al and receiue water c. To the lorde be glory ¶ Punnishment is decreed to the corrupters of this boke The lord sayeth that he wil certenly come to Iudgement The church wissheth for his commyng The Cj. Sermon I Testifie vnto euery man that heareth the words of the prophecie of this boke if any manne shall adde vnto these thinges God shal adde vnto him the plages that are written in this boke And if any man shal minish of the wordes of the booke of this Prophecie God shal take away his parte out of the boke of life and out of the holy citie and from the thinges which are written in this boke He which testifieth these thinges sayeth be it I come quickely Amen EueÌ„ so come lord Iesu The grace of our lorde Iesu Christe be with you al. Amen 13. In the .13 A penaltie for the contemners corrupters of this boke parte of this conclusion is decreed a paine for the contemners of this boke but especially for counterfetter or forgers which as D. Bibliander hath sayde full well godly dare attempte to corrupte or falsefie this godly instrumeÌ„t and holy charter of thempire and Bisshopricke of Christ by addyng any thing or takyng awaye or alteryng the trewe meanyng and sense thereof This place is taken out of the common vsage of men For Princes are wonte in th ende of their writynges to establishe the same agaynst deprauers by menacinges and threatenings Antichrist the Ape of our lord Christ about the ende of his Bulles addeth yf any man shall rasshely presume to go agaynst this our coÌ„maundement or malapertly to infringe the same let him knowe that he shal incurre the indignatioÌ„ of Almightie God and the blessed Apostles Peter and Paule and our high displeasure And likewise in keping of treasures and publicke things where dauÌ„ger is feared they set on writinges and sealyng with waxe For the whiche cause verely where the Lorde was not ignoraunt that there would be some which wold seke to oppresse and abolish this boke he sendeth it wel Armed to all posterities We reade in olde Authours that certen heretikes in the beginnyng of the church toke very muche vpon them in corruptyng of the scriptures yea and that some of them to haue reiected whole bokes of the holy Scripture And Tertullian imputeth the same vnto Marcion whiche also depraued holy bokes Howebeit through the goodnes of God it came to passe that we haue neuerthelesse receyued the holy bookes whole and vncorrupted Whiche thing S. Hierome sheweth playnely in his commentaries vpon Esaye the .3 booke And Erasmus of Roterodam in the Apologie of the newe TestameÌ„t and also in his Apologie agaynst Iames Latomus c. Howebeit the Lorde at this present doeth no newe thing Nothing to braddeâ—â— nothing to be minisshed whilest he commaundeth that nothing shoulde be added or taken awaye For ones or twise he commaunded by Moses Thou shalt adde nothing to my worde nother take froÌ„ it any thing And Salomon in the .30 of the Prouerbes coÌ„maundeth the same But many maruell and finde faulte that he hath threatened so many plages to the corrupters Whie than do not the same meÌ„ blame and reproue in S. Paule that he hath in one worde comprised as many plagues and displeasures as S. Ihon hath here recited where he sayde vnto the Galath Although I or an Angel from heauen shal preach vnto you a gospel other than this that we haue preached vnto you let him be an outcaste or accursed And the same wordes againe he doubleth repeteth Wherefore if they graunt that Paule hath herein so little
offended that he hath deserued prayse also let them leaue blamyng of those thinges whiche are here moste pourposely placed of our lord Iesu Christ him selfe by S. Ihon in their place time dewe Verely Anathema whiche worde S. Paule vsed is he that is cutte of from the felowship of al good men deuoued to extreme punnishement and euen subiecte to all the euilles bothe of this present life and the life to come Whiche thinge maye be gathered of Deuteronomie and other holy bokes Who adde who take â—waye And he addeth and taketh awaye not whiche vseth other diuerse and playner wordes in expoundyng a sentence of the reuelation but he that putteth in any thinge contrary to the true sense and variyng from those thinges which are here of the lord expressed or he that taketh awaye any thing obscureth or peruerteth which here the lord himself hath expresely signified Wherupon Thomas of Aquine he addeth to sayeth he which putteth to a lie he minissheth which taketh awaye any thing of that which is written therein or also in deniyng gayne sayeth the same Thus much he Therefore this addition and substraction consisteth not in wordes only but rather in sense For nother the prophetes in expoundynge the lawe at large are thought to haue added any thing to God his worde nother the Apostles preachyng the libertie of the gospel are saide to haue taken any thing away froÌ„ the lawe And to testifie To testifie is vnder the religion of a testimony to affirme any certen thing or with a protestation to vrge beate in any thing ernestly and eueÌ„ as it were to binde the hearer that he shuld certenly know that these thinges that are spokeÌ„ do haÌ„ge ouer him that God wil plage vnlesse he do obey Concernyng the paynes or plages which he threateneth at this present is spokeÌ„ in the .15 16. 17. and .18 chap. c. Likewise is declared before that might be here spoken of the boke of life and of the holy citie Moreouer he coÌ„prehendeth here also all good thinges in like maner whiche are promised in this boke to the godly and obedient seruauntes of God of al the whiche thinges the contemner falsifier and corrupter of this boke shal be depriued With how great euilles and dauÌ„gers than do they intangle themselues whiche would haue this boke vtterly suppressed and let that it shoulde not be expounded openly and come in to the handes of al meÌ„ agayne it is most certayne that they shall obteyne of God all maner of blessing so many as haue a good opinion and thinke deuoutely of this boke and wil set forth and commende vnto al men the thinges that are written in the same to the glory of God and saluation of the faithfull 14. In the fouretenth place is sealed Thus saieth he that testifieth these thinges and euen signed as it were with a subscription the authoritie of this boke For it followeth he sayeth that beareth witnes of these thinges or he that testifieth these thinges For in maner all the expositours suppose those to be Christes words as though he him selfe for a confirmation had putte to the same and sayde I Iesus haue propounded al these thinges and especially such as concerne the threatenynges agaynste the corrupter as a true witnes and the same to be vndoubted For Aquinas here sayeth he is brought in Christe affirmyng the foresayde menacyng and approuing al thinges that are written in this boke But I for my parte reseruyng the iudgementes of others safe suppose this to be the subscription of S. Iohn the writer of this boke For the Notaries Secretaries or chauncelers of Princes are wonte at the ende of the kinges or Emperours letters or writynges to subscribe their name And verely S. Iohn in the Historie of the Gospell hath obserued the same maner For in the .19 chapt he sayeth and he that sawe bare witnes and his testimony is trewe And at th ende of the Historie he subscribeth and signeth vnderneth with these wordes this is that disciple whiche beareth witnes of these thinges and wrote them and we knowe that his testimony is trewe For al the church knewe and confessed this In like maner he semeth at this presente to haue subscribed these thinges also in his owne name to haue sayed He that testifieth these thinges sayeth Christ cometh certeynely to Iudge 15. In the .15 place he bringeth in agayne the lorde Iesus himselfe speakyng and promising that he wil certenly come to iudgement verely to redeme and glorifie the godly and to punnishe the wicked Therefore with a great asseueration he sayeth euen so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 surely and doubtles I come quickely although I seme to tarye longe and to some not to come at al. Neuerthelesse yet moste certenly and in time doe I come as before also is sayde and declared And the same thing is repeted in maner with the same wordes oftener as a thinge most worthie to be marked and knowen He annexeth immediately the fayth and wisshe and great desire of S. Iohn and of the faythfull church or of any godly submittyng him selfe to the promesse and sayeng Amen euen so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to saye we acknoweledge it to be moste certayne and vndoubted that thou promisest that thou wilt come Therfore doe we loke for thee the Iudge of the quicke and the dead yea praye with our inwarde bowelles come lorde Iesu For els where also we praye dayly Thy kingedome come And al the godly with sighes vnspeakeable wish for the commyng of the Iudge for glory Whereof the Apostle treateth in the .8 chapter to the Romanes and we haue touched the same matter before The Apostles blessing In the laste place of the conclusion he wissheth after the Apostolicke maner the grace of our Lord Iesu Christe to all the hearers and readers of this boke S. Paule in the .2 Epistle to the Thess the .3 chapt Thus I wryte sayeth he in euery Epistle the grace of our lord Iesu Christe be with all you Amen He therefore here agreeth to him selfe as the Apostolicall sprete doeth euery where Grace comprehendeth the whole matter of the redemption and giftes of Christe He wissheth therefore to vs al the blessyng whiche we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord. Whereof moste plentifully and besiâ— hath discoâ—â—â—ed â—he vessel of election S. Paule in the .1 chap. to the Ephes◠〈◊〉 â—he lord Iesus whiche hath reuealed to vs these holy misteries write the same in our mindes and deliuer vs from Antichriste and from all euilles and kepe vs in the true faith and in his grace Vnto him be honour and glory prayse and thankes geuyng together with the father and the holy ghoste for euermore Amen Come Lorde Iesu our redemer and onlie Sauiour and gloryfie them that loke for thy commyng moste wisshed for that we maye gloryfie thee for euer Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VIVET TAMEN POST FVNERA VIRTVS ET SI MORS INDIES ACCELERAT ⧠IMPKINTED AT at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate beneath Saincte Martins Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis per Septennium These bokes are to be sold at his shoppe 〈◊〉 the gate
Peter by a vision as appereth in the actes Actes 10. And the Prophet Ioel sayd also howe the people of 〈◊〉 newe Testament should see visions And so doeth the blâ—sed Apostle S. Peter expounde the same place in the Aâ—â— of the Apostles speakyng of the people of the newe Tesâ—ment And our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell propounâ— and declared to the people the moste part of the misteries parables and in maner by fayned fables as they call thâ— And how much thinke you doe these visions types and â—gures of S. Iohn differ from the same This kynd of spâ—â— doth not darken matters but maketh them plaine And â—â—keth much for the efficacitie and perspicuitie and for the câ—firming of the memory For by this meane matters be 〈◊〉 only declared with wordes and heard with the eares 〈◊〉 are set forth also to be sene of the eies and after a sort be fiâ— in the memory The plaines of the scripture Many for this cause attribute much to paâ—ting But I suppose that I may much more rightli attribuâ— very much to this maner of speaking and teaching wherâ— the matter is vttered not by a coulored domme dead paâ—ting but as it were with a speaking liuely maner set foâ— to be sene of the eies Whiche is therfore propounded thâ— men myght rightly and exactly vnderstand the same Albâ— therfore that this whole boke in a maner consisteth of visioâ— and figures What shall be the expositioÌ„ of this boke Yet shall we in dede through the inspiration 〈◊〉 Gods grace shew in our exposition that all that same mâ—keth for the perspicuitie and plainenes and not for the obseâ—ring or darkening of most high and godly matters I wyâ— bring my exposition out of the very scriptures by coÌ„ferring ioyning therunto the rule of faith and charitie I will searche out the circumstaunces the thinges that follow go before I wil bring similitudes dissimilitudes I wil adde also ther vnto the experience of things the faith of histories Which maner of expounding the scriptures all interpretours haue always graunted to be sound true 1 Cor. 14 1 Tess 5 If better thinges shal be reuealed to others I wil gladly after the precept of the apostle geue place vnto my betters For I offer these my doings to be wayed of the godly vpon this conditioÌ„ that they shuld trie al things that which they shal find to be good to hold fast Secondly they obiect that aswel new men as olde How men of late days haue doubted of thauthoritie of this boke of no smal authoritie haue both doubted of this boke of the authour therof also haue contemned it as full of fables vnworthy to be rekened canonical Let those that so thinke geue me thesame libertie I desire them which they vsurpe tho theÌ„ selues and thinke it lawful For if the boke of the Apocalipse â—hould therfore seme worthy to be contemned for that some notable men both old new haue doubted of the authoritie â—herof Why may it not recouer his authoritie againe if I â—hew that the best doctours of the church both old new haue â—ad a right good opinion of this boke And here to thintent 〈◊〉 wold dissemble nothing at al I am not ignorant that doctor Martin Luther a man right notably learned D. Luther in his first ediâ—ion of the new Testament in dutch with a sharp preface set â—efore hath sticked this boke as it wer with a dagger Howe â—e it good wel learned meÌ„ were offended with him for this â—is iudgement which in the same found lack both of wit moâ—estie The same maÌ„ therfor waying al things more vprightâ—y diligeÌ„ly what time he corrected his dutch Bible c. My â—orshipful maister semeth also not to haue set very much by his boke to haue ascribed it not to Iohn the Apostle but to Iohn whoÌ„ thei called a diuine But herein there is no doubt but that he folowed plainly Erasmus of RoterdaÌ„ who is his annotations vpon the new TestameÌ„t In al the Greke copies â—aith he that I haue sene the title was not of Iohn thapostle â—ut of Iohn the diuine Erasmus addeth that amongest the Grekes certen old wryters men doubted of this authour whiche thing he declareth by the testimonies of Eusebius and Hierom of whose opinion shal be spoken streightways But the exempler or Spanishe coppie whiche is set foorth after the faith of the moste auncient and approued Grekes exhibiteth to vs suche a title of ths boke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Apocalipse of the holy Apostle and Euangelist S. Iohn Diuine For the auncient writers say how S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangeliste for his excellent wryting of the sonne of God was commonly called Diuine Wherof it followeth thaâ— this title doeth attribute and not take from S. Iohn this booke Certes Aretas was also a Greke Aucthour anâ— byshop of Cesaria Of the auncientes saieth he certen hauâ— plucked this Apocalipse from the tongue of that welbeloueâ— Iohn ascribing it to another but it is not so For that samâ— Gregory which as well as he is called a Diuine accomâ—teth this amongst those scriptures whiche vtterly want a suspicion of counterfeiting saying as the Apocalipse of Sâ— Iohn teacheth me And the same man a litle after But thâ— this boke was written by the mouth of the holy ghost S. Bâ—sil Cyril Papias and Hippolytus Hippolitus fathers of the church a mete men to be credited Thus saith he What shal we sayâ— that Erasmus confesseth that the consent of the worlde an authoritie of the churche to be of suche force with hym thâ— he dare not refuse this boke Let vs heare now the iudgement of that moste excellenâ— best man D. Ioh. Oecolampadius Oecolampadius the moste faithfull pâ—stour of the churche of Basill and excellently learned in 〈◊〉 prophetical and in al the Canonicall scriptures concerning this boke which he left vs written in the .xii. Chap. of theiâ—â—â—cond boke of his commentaries vpon Daniel But S. Ioâ— the Paraphraste or expositour of the Prophetes saith he 〈◊〉 how muche he doth attribute to this our authour whom maruel why certen with so rasshe a iudgement doe reiect as a dreamer and franticke and an vnprofitable wryterâ— the church Where neuerthelesse he propoundeth and setteâ— forth very many of the most secret hid things of the oldâ—â—â—stament and of the Prophetes But those great men do bâ—wray what a wening they haue of themselues Whose iuâ—gementes I would verely rather contemne as prophanâ— than I would cast away such a treasure I could here bringe forth goodly testimonies of other newe wryters but that I make haste to the iudgementes of the auncient fathers The eldest of all after the Apostles The iudgementes of thauncient doctours of the church of the Apocalypse Iustine whose wrytynges as yet remayne Iustine and Ireney the noble Martirs of Christ ascribe this boke to Iohn the Apostle For