as muche as they dyd performe and obey his wyll transgressinge the seconde commaundement of ymages and strange goddes which is eueÌ„ as muche as to serue the deuil This euil and wounde was healed longe before of the godlye Emperour Constantine and of the holy bysshoppes throughout the whole christendome and nowe this deuyll bringeth it againe into the churche vnder a pretence of holines out of yâ— which pretence did spring departinge from the faithe and decaye of loue as the Chronicles testifie What wonderfull tokens haue bene wrought in the papacie and to what ende Christ him selfe dyd prophecye longe agoe vnto his disciples and gaue them warning of them Vnto this seconde beaste muste ymages be made euen accordinge vnto the pleasure of the dragon and as the papacye wyll haue it without any respecte whether it be conformable vnto the worde of God or good and profitable for the conscience and soule of man or no. The texte ¶ And he had power to geue a sprete vnto the ymage of the beast and that the ymage of the beaste should speake and should cause that as many as woulde not worship yâ— ymage of the beaste shoulde be kylled And he made all bothe small and great riche and poore fre and bonde to receaue a marke in their right handes or in their forheades And that no man might by or sell saue he that had the marke or the name of the beaste other the nomber of his name Here is wysdome Let him that hath witte counte the nomber of the beaste â—or it is the nomber of a man and his nomber is syxe hundred three score and syxe This bringethe the dragon to passe to establyshe and confirme the worshipping of ymages whiche began to doe miracles and dyd speake to the great wonder of all men somtyme with the helpe of nicromancie the science of the deuyll by the whiche science many of them came vnto the papacye as their owne stories doe testyfie Out of this dothe it folowe afterwarde that whoso euer wyll not worship this ymage the same must dye euen as the papacye wyll haue it yet vntyll this daye And with parcialite geue them markes that is excommunicate them and dysherite them of their kyngdomes and heretages suche as wyll not worshyppe and honour their ymages Here must men speake warely and circumspectly that they dysplease no man that they maye enioye lyfe bodye estimacion and goodes quietly But goddes worde and wyll commaundeth otherwyse and is an other maner of wysdome God willeth that this beastes nomber and errour shoulde haue an ende Reken from the yeare of our Lorde a thousande v. hundreth and .xx. backewarde this nomber of .vi. hundreth .iii. score and .vi. yeares and looke what tyme it was thaÌ„ with the popes and the Emperours ¶ The .xiiii. Chapter The texte ¶ And I loked and lo a lambe stoode on the mount Sion and with him an hundred and xliiii thousande hauing his name and his fathers name written in their foreheades And I heard a voyce from heauen as the sounde of many waters and as the voyce of a great thounder And I hearde the voyce of harpers harping with their harpes HEre foloweth what rewarde they shall haue whiche folowe not this horned beast nor them that worship it The lambe vpon the mount Sion is our Sauiour Christ rulinge and gouerning in his holy christen churche and sorowing for his faithful elect This great nomber after the customable vse of the scripture sygnifieth the infinite and exceadinge great nomber of gods elect from the beginninge of the worlde vntil the ende therof vnknowen vnto the whole worlde Althoughe the nomber of the wicked and damned sorte be also a great nomber These electe are they whiche without feare shame or compulsion haue confessed knowledged honoured spred furth noysed abrode preached and taught the name of the heauenly father before all the worlde against all the spyte and resistinge of the deuyll of all his ministers and of the wicked worlde The texte ¶ And they song as it were a new song before the seate before the foure beastes and the elders no man coulde learne yâ— song but the hondred foure fourtye thousande whiche were redemed from the earth These are they whiche are not defiled with wemen for they are virgins These folow the lambe whither soeuer he goeth These were redemed from men beynge the first frutes vnto God and to the lambe and in their mouthes was founde no gyle For they are without spot before the trone of god This heauenly voice and moost pleasaunt musycke is the incessaunt continuall and endles prayse thankesgeuinge reioysinge mirthe and ioye of all faithfull and blissed in eternall blisse in the kingdome of God and of our lord and sauiour Iesus Christ For they syng a new song of a newe benifite grace and acte of God whiche hathe fulfylled in Christ in tyme conuenient and before ordeyned and appointed that thing whiche from the beginninge of the worlde was promised vnto all holy patriarkes and olde fathers and loked for of all people and nacions and beleued vpon vnto saluacion of the electe whiche are redemed with the deare pryce of the most precious heart bloude of Christ shed vpon the crosse in the earth These electe confessours and singers of laudes and prayses vnto God are they whiche are not defyled with earthly vnsemely pleasures of this worlde more delighting in fleshly lustes and filthines than in any right godly and christen loue of gods worde and heueÌ„ly vertues chast thoughtes or right godly doctrine and ceremonies in the exercyse wherof they shoulde haue suffred no maner of pleasure care or loue of any transitorye thing to haue hyndred them For this cannot be vnderstanded of any suche bodily chastitie or virginitie as religious parsons Monkes Nonnes Priestes Deacons suche other haue pretented falsely made their boast of vnto the world whiche hath be founde to be so rare and so groslye broken and negligeÌ„tly kept and so wonderfull seldome geuen of God vnto the vowers therof And thoughe it were kept yet was it not profitable and necessarye vnto the right christen and godly relygion and gods seruice of the Apostles whiche is onely praysed and commended in yâ— gospel and of S. Paule Would God there were lesse of suche wylde grosse and wanton chastitie and virginitie but lytle praysed of the most auncient holy fathers Oh that it wer lykewyse lesse extolled and estemed of the fathers of our time seyng it hath bene so great a blot vnto Christes true religion Here might muche be said and muche more be lamented our Lord graunt that it may sone be amended and redressed These holy frendes of God as Enoche Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Iudas Ioseph Dauid Moyses and Aaron These patriarkes and prophetes I saye yea and without doubt Peter and Paule with other infinite olde holy bysshops are also in this register withal the blissed elect and they are the most pleasaunt and acceptable frute
this matier chalengyng nothyng to hymselfe as his own gaue ouer the whole prayse and glorie to god only whome he by his sure and constant fayth both testified to be true of promise as whiche woulde deceyue no man lykewyse to be almightye as whoÌ„ he thoughte able to perfourme his promise were the same neuer somuche passyng all worldly strength This is the glorie wherwith god is chieflye delighted whiche nedeth no seruice of ours and therfore as the scripture sayeth it was reckened vnto hym for ryghteousnes The texte ¶ Neuerthelesse it is not wrytten for hym onelye that it was reckened to hym for ryghteousnes but also for vs to whom it shal be coumpted for ryghteousnes so that we beleue in hym that raised vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead whiche was deliuered for our synnes and was raised agyue for our iustification Nor is it to be supposed that this was wryten onely for Abrahams sake when it is sayd yâ— his faith was reckened vnto hym for righteousnes for yâ— scripture laboreth not so muche for the auauÌ„cemeÌ„t of AbrahaÌ„s glory only but rather to gyue vs which are of AbrahaÌ„s posteritie an example wherby al the world might vnderstande that as Abraham for his faythe 's sake without healpe or ayde of the lawe obteyned before god to be coumpted for righteouse so should none of vs by kepyng of the law only thynke to haue the same AbrahaÌ„ theÌ„ was called righteouse because he beleued god And surely entry haue we none to ryghteousnes vnles we lykewise beleue in the same god whiche to vs hath brought to passe in Iesus Christ oure lorde whome he raysed from death to lyfe euen that he promised to Abraham in the fygure of Isaac therby declaryng that the fayth of Abraham was no vayne fayth whiche beleued yâ— god was suche one as coulde geue lyfe euen to the deade call agayne suche thinges as are not as thoughe they were Let vs not therfore for our righteousnes and cleannes of lyfe thanke Moses but Christ whiche gaue hymselfe to death to the entent he would freely through fayth forgyue our synnes whiche also rose agayne from death to the entent we shoulde abstayne from deadly synne nor displease hym by committyng agayne suche thynges for which his pleasure was to dye He dyed I saye to kyll synne in vs and rose agayne from death to th entent that by hym fyrst dying to oure olde synnes so furthe with hym and by hym beyng brought and restored into a newe kynde of lyfe we may hereafter lyue vnto yâ— ryghteousnes which we haue through his goodnes receyued The .v. Chapiter The texte Because therfore yâ— we are iustified by fayth we are at peace with god through our lord Iesus Christe by whome also it chaunced vnto vs to be brought in through fayth vnto this grace wherin we stande reioyse in hope of the glorye of the chyldren of god Not that only but also we reioyse in tribulatioÌ„ knowyng yâ— tribulatioÌ„ bryngeth pacieÌ„ce pacience bringeth experience experience bringeth hope and hope maketh not ashamed for the loue of god is shed abrode in our heartes by the holy ghost whiche is geuen vnto vs. COnsyderyng that only syn causeth variaunce betwixt god and man now are we certeynly at peace with god because that of wicked synful people we are made ryghteous that neither by Moses law whiche rather encreased oure offeÌ„ces nor for our workes but as our father AbrahaÌ„ was for oure faythe 's sake reconciled vnto god yâ— father whose frende also through fayth Abraham became that neither through Moses but through the only sonne of god our lorde Iesus Christ which with his bloud washed away our offences by his death reconcilyng vs vnto god beyng before yâ— tyme displeased with vs so opened for vs an entrye yâ— we through lyke fayth without either the lawe or circumcision mighte be brought into this grace of god promysed by the ghospell In whiche fayth we stande stedfaste and not only stande with good wyll couragiouslye but also reioyce not only because we are at peace with god but also for that we are pute in sure hope that through oure stedfastnes of fayth we shal in tyme to come enioye the glorie of heauen Nor enuye we the Iewes through the glory of their circumcision and as we enuye them not so mislike we not our fayth the brynger furthe of suche plentifull fruicte nor yet repent we our glory with hope wherof we for this present tyme are aduaunced vnderpyght Whiche glorie albeit it be suche as cannot yet be seene and thoughe without sufferyng of aduersities and troubles we attayne not therunto yet eueÌ„ the same troubles in the meane season recken we a thyng to reioyce and glorye of as whiche we suffer both to our hyghe prayse are also suche as open vnto vs the gate to life euerlasting For this new example hath Christ both geueÌ„ vs by him also taught are we this excellent doctrine that by sufferyng of tribulatioÌ„s the vertue of pacience is strengthened and as the fyer tryeth golde so throughe pacience become we better tryed and proued both of god man Agayne the more tribulatioÌ„s we suffer the surer hope of rewarde stande we in Nor is it to be feared leste this hope mysse disapoynt vs of our belief make vs ashamed before yâ— wicked people because we haue eueÌ„ now therof in hande a moste sure pledge and earnest penye whiche is the meruaylous and vnspeakeable loue of god towarde vs not onlye externally shewed vnto vs but most pleÌ„tifully printed in our heartes in manier coÌ„pellyng vs to loue hym agayne wrought by the holy ghost in steade of the watryshe letter of the lawe gyuen vnto vs as a gage assuryng vs of his promise herafter surely to be perfourmed The texte For when we were yet weake accordyng to the tyme Christ dyed for vs which wer vngodlye Yet scarce wyl any man dye for a ryghteouse man Peraduenture for a good man durste a man dye But god setteth but his loue towarde vs seyng that whyle we were yet synners according to the tyme Christ dyed for vs Muche more then nowe we that are iustified by his bloude shal be saued from wrathe through hym For had not god of his great mercy singulerly loued and pitied vs. Iesus Christ his only sonne had neuer by the wyl of his father descended into earth nor haue taken oure mortall fleshe vpon hym and so haue dyed namely what tyme we were weake thrall and subiecte to beastlye desyres whiche were by the lawe more lyke to be prouoked than to be brydelâ—d and suppressed Bad yet as we then were he loued vs in hope of saluacion yea he loued vs beyng wycked people and deuilyshe ydolaters and so loued vs that for our sakes he wyllyngly suffered death whiche was the greatest euident and moste singuler poynt of loue that euer could be shewed Among men scarcely shal any man fynde
deade so manye in multitude as are starres of the skie and as the sand the which is bi the sea shore innumerable Moreouer his wyfe Sara when she had bothe an olde man to her husband and her selfe was so stricken with age that her matrice lacked natural strength to drawe mannes sede vnto it and retayne the same dyd neuerthelesse coÌ„ceyue and was deliuered of Isaac mistrusting the strength of nature but yet giuing credence vnto God who by an aungell promysed her a man chylde the nexte yeare She gaue no eare to nature reclaming and barking to the contrarie but onely had a sure belefe that God coulde not lye God promysed Abraham a posteritie equall in nombre to the starres and the sande of the sea shore and yet by the course of nature was there no hope of yssue at all That notwithstandyng he had no mystrust And therfore of this one olde man beyng barayne by reason of age there yssued a posteritie so many in numbre as are the starres of the sâ—ye and the sande in the sea shore For he loked for sonnes and nephewes not after the kynred of bloud but after the imitacion of faith wherby al we are the ofspring and posteritie of Abraham whiche do beleue the promises of the gospel Therfore not onely Abraham but also all his true posteritie were of suche constaunt fayth that very death bereaued not them therof The texte These all died according to faith when they had not receyued the promises but saw theÌ„ a far of and beleued them and saluted them and confessed that they were straungers and pilgremes on the yearth For they that say such thinges declare that they seke a couÌ„trey Also if they had bene myndeful of the countrey from wheÌ„ce they came out they had leasure to haue returned agayne but now they desire a better that is to saye an heauenly Wherefore God hymselfe is not a shamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a cytie For all these dyed when they as yet had not the promysses perfourmed but lawe them a farre of by fayth and beleued them and for greate desyre saluted them puttyng so lytle trust in this lande wherein no man maye lyue anye long space that they confessed them selfes straungers and pylgrymes not onely in Palestyne but in the whole worlde For oftetymes they call this lyfe a pilgrimage and straunge dwellyng And Dauid in the mystical Psalme confesseth himselfe to be a pylgryme on the lande as all his forefathers and elders were and yet reigned he in Palestine and builded there a citie And verely this countre y was compassed about with very narrowe lymites and a great parte thereof came not to the possession of the Hebrues the ofspryng successours of Abraham bycause they coulde not driue out the olde possessioners neyther dyd Moyses entre into the same but behelde and saluted if a farre of from a mountayne when he was aboute to passe out of the world and yet had he no mistrust of the promyses Therefore sence they confesse themselues to be pylgrymes they sufficiently declare that they desyre and long for a countrey What countrey seke they after vnto whom all this worlde is an exile and banishement They forsoke their countrey of Chaldey the whiche if they had so sore longed for it was not so farre of but that they myghte haue had conueniente recourse thider at pleasure Therfore they longed not for that but for an other couÌ„trey better then it wherin they myght liue for euer quite exempte and deliured from all greuous sorowes and paynes of this wretched worlde This was that heauenly countrey into the whiche God called them out from theyr owne for the loue wherof he wylled them so to lyue in this worlde as thoughe they were not therin And for this cause almyghtie God where he is the maker soueraigne Lorde of all men calleth himselfe speciallye the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob For he is properly the God of those that haue put their whole trust and all aydes of felicitie in him And vnto suche hath he prepared not an earthly but a celestiall citie in the whiche they reygne alwayes in blysse with him for whose sake they contemned all thynges The texte By faith Abraham offered by Isaac when he was proued and offered hym being his only begotten sonne in whom he had receiued the promisses And to hym it was sayd â—â— Isaac shall thy sede be called for he considered that God was hable to rayse hym up agayn from death Therefore receiued he hym also for an ensample of the resurreccy on By faith dyd Isaac blesse Iacob and Esau concernynge thynges to come Was not this also a notable exaumple of fayth in Abraham that when God tryeng howe vnfaynedly he trusted hym commaunded hym to offre vp in sacrifice his sonne Isaac where as he was hys onely sonne and he in whose name the posteritie was promysed for these were the wordes of the promyser Thy sede shall be called in Isaac yet he without further delaye dyd as he was coÌ„mauÌ„ded to do not reasonyng here with himselfe on this wise Of whom shal I haue posteritie if I sley hym in whom onely resteth all the hope of my posteritie But he consydered this in his mynde that God who made the promyse coulde not lye and that he was able yf it pleased hym to reyse his deade sonne the multiplier of his stocke euen from death And because he beleued the resurrection of the dead it was therfore gyuen him to bryng home his sonne againe with him beyng as it were restored to lyfe notwithstaÌ„dyng he was as much as in the father laye dead who euen then represented by a certayne figure the resurrection of Iesu Christe to come This was also a manyfest example of a mynde hauyng a great confidence in God that when Isaac saye on hys death bedde and had not as yet receyued the felicitie promysed of God yet was he bolde to promyse the same to Iacob and Esau his sonnes when he blessed theÌ„ both foreseyng both theyr lyues and the contrarie rewarde that eche of them shoulde haue So quycke of syght is faith that she seeth euen those thinges as present whiche are farre distant from the bodely senses The texte By faith Iacob when he was in dying blessed bothe the soÌ„nes of Ioseph and boâ—â—â— hymselfe toward the toppe of his scepter By faith Ioseph when he dyed remembred the departynge of the children of Israel and gaue commaundement of his bones It came of lyke faithe that Iacob at the hower of his death blessed all the sonnes of Ioseph not ignoraunt what was to come who crossynge hys armes layed his right hande vpon Ephraim beyng on his left syde and his lefte haÌ„de vpon Manasse standynge on hys ryghte syde nothynge doubtynge but that woulde come to passe which the holy ghost tolde him before shoulde happen But this faithfull olde man saw a greate deale farther what time he kyssinge the toppe of the sceptre
by an othe and to th entent also that we beeyng stablished in a sure belefe myght haue a strong consolacion in the aduersities of thys worlde we I saye that haue not sette our felicitie in the pleasures of thys presente lyfe but haue fled hytherto to obteyne the hope that is sette before vs in the worlde to come the whiche hope wee holde fast in the meane tyme in the stormes of this worlde as a stedfaste and sure ancre of the soule not fasteued in transitorye thynges but in heauen for that it stretcheth it selfe euen to those thynges that are wythin the vayle whereas no mutacion is but all thynges are stable and euerlastyng Thys is that in warde parte of the temple into the which Iesus Christe runnyng thyther before vs and shewing vs the way hath entred to make intercession for vs vnto the father who is made an hye priest for euer after the ordre as I sayde in the begynnyng of Melchisedech The vii Chapter The texte This Melchisedech kyng of Salem whiche beyng prieste of the moste hye God met Abraham as he returned agayne from the slaughter of the kinges and blessed hym to whoÌ„ also Abraham gaue tythes of al thynges fyrst is called by interpritacion kyng of righteousnes after that kyng of Salem that is to saye kyng of peace withoute father without mother without kynne and hathe neyther beginnyng of dayes ueyther yet ende of lyfe but is likened vnto the sonne of God and contynueth a priest for euer NOwe sens the processe of our wordes hath broughte vs agayne to the mencion of Melchisedech lette vs consider what a man he was by what reason he bare the fygure of our prieste For wee reade that this Melchisedech king of the Citie called Salem was au hye pryest of the most hye God the whiche Melchisedech mette Abraham in hys retourne from the slaughter of the three kynges and blessed hym for his valiaunte acte vnto whome Abraham also gaue tythes of all hys goodes Fyrste Melchisedech by verye interpretacion of name is called the kynge of ryghteousnesse then by the tytle of his kyngdome he is called kyng of Salem that is to saye kyng of peace who as it is said had neyther father nor mother nor pedigrew nor begynning of dayes nor end of lyfe But of hym it is spoken whiche verelye agreeth wyth the sonne of god that he contineweth a prieste for euer And so farfoorth eueryethyng agreeth derye well wyth our hye pryeste Christ who ordained the kyngdome of ryghtuousnesse who is the prynce of peace who as touchyng his deitye had neither father in earth nor mother whose pedigrew no manne is hable to declare who had neyther begynnyng nor shall haue ending whose priesthoode continueth for euer and purifyeth all that beleue in hym vnto the worldes ende Nowe let vs consider the dignitie of the same Melchisedech and ho we farre he excelled the pristes of Moses lawe Abraham so greate a patriarke dyd not onley vouchesafe to receyue blessyng of hym after he had sleyne the kynges but also gaue hym tythes of the syoyles The texte Consider what a man this was vnto whome also the patriarke Abraham gaue tithes of the spoyles And verelye those children of Leui whiche receyue thoffice of the priestes haue a commauÌ„dement to take according to the lawe tithes of the people that is to saye of theyr brethren yea thoughe they sprong out of the loynes of Abraham But he whose kinred is not counted among them receiued tithes of Abraham and blessed him that had the promises And no man denyeth but that he whiche is lesse receyueth blessyng of hym whiche is greater And here men that dye receiue tithes But there he receiueth tithes of whom it is witnessed that he liueth And to say the trueth Leuy himselfe also which vseth to receiue tithes payed tithes in Abraham For he was yet in the loynes of hys father when Melchisedech mette Abraham And the lawe of Moyses commaunded this that they whiche came of the linage of Leui shoulde succede in the ministracion of priesthoode and receiue tithes but of theyr brethren alonely that is to saye of the posteritie of Abraham neither doeth the auctoritie and dignitie of the Leuites stretch any further but Melchisedech where he was an alyaunt from the Iewishe nacion receyued tithes of Abraham the very auctour of the whole nacion and blessed him of whome according vnto Gods promise the nacion of the Iewes shoulde issue It is out of contouersie that the lesse receiueth blessing of the greater For whose blesseth doeth as it were allowe by hys autoritie that whiche is done Nowe thauctoritie to allowe is wont to remayne in the superiour and not in him that is eguall or inferioure And in the tribe of Leui they receiued tithes who were also mortall menne themselues and by whose death thesame auctoritie came vnto other But it is sayde of Melchisedech that he liueth and continueth for euer in the preeminence of perpetuall priesthood To conclude whereas thauctoritie to demaund tithes came from leuy the chiefe priest vnto other priestes yet in that that Abraham payed tythes to Melchisedech it semeth that Leuye also hymselfe was made bonde to paye tythes notwythstandyng that he was wonte to receyue the same of other Therefore as they are counted of lesse authoritie that paye tythes vnto Leuy so was Leuy inferioure vnto Melchisedech vnto whome he gaue tythes Some man wyll here saye howe gaue he tythes who was not yet borne at what tyme Melchisedech mette Abraham But forasmuche as the posteritie is in manoure counted to bee in the auctoure of the nacion therfore I sayed after this intelleccion that Leuy who came of Abraham gaue tithes vnto Melchisedech The texte If nowe therefore perfeccion came by the priesthood of the leuites for vnder that priesthood the people receyued the lawe what neded it furthermore that another priest shoulde ryle to bee called after the ordre of Melchisedech and not after the ordre of Aaron For yf the priesthood bee translated then of necessitie must the lawe be translated also For he of whome these thinges are spoken pertaineth vnto an other tribe of whom neuer man serued at the aultare For it is euidente that our Lorde sprong of the tribe of Iud a of which tribe spake Moses nothing concerning priesthod And it is yet a mere euideÌ„t thing it after the similitude of Melchisedech there arise an other priest which is not made after the lawe of the carnall commaundemente but after the power of the endeles lyfe For after this maner doth he testifie thou art a priest foreuer after the ordre of Melchisedeche Then the commaundemente that wente afore is dissanulled because of weakenes and vnprofitablenesse Yf so be that perfyte religion and holinesse dyd depende vpon the Lâ—â—iticall priesthood as it semeth vnto the Iewes because the lawe was geue vnder Aaron who was of the trybe of Leuy what needed then agayne another priest to rise who as it is writen in
vnto the lorde desierous of his mercye and grace and beloued of him from euerlastinge and ordeyned vnto his kingdome as ioyfull and desierous first frutes whiche men doe eate with a great lust desire and appetite with highe praise and thankes geuynge as it ought to be Their faithe is so acceptable and pleasant before God as it was geuen them of his plentifull grace that it beyng accompanyed with true loue and hope without the which it can not be decketh and hydeth all thâ—ir synnes howe many howe great and howe greuous so euer they were And vnto them all euyls and misfortunes euen their synnes also and all maner of thinges hapned and ended vnto the best As it hapned vnto Dauid Peter Paule and Marie Magdalene and vnto al holy sainctes and elect sanctified through the bloude of the innocent lambe Christ our sauiour For althoughe all men and all sainctes are synners before God yet for the lambes sake in whome they truste they are reputed without spot and blame before the iudgement seate of God The 〈◊〉 ¶ And I sawe another angell flye in the myddes of heauen hauinge the euerlastinge gospell to preache vnto them that syt and dwell on the earth and to all nacions kynredes and tonges and people saying with a loude voyce Feare God and geue honoure to him for the houre of his iudgement is come and worshyp him that made heauen and earth and the sea and fountaines of water And there folowed an other angell sayinge Babilon is fallen is fallen that great citie for she made all nacions drincke of the wyne of her fornicacion The true and faithfull preachers of the holy gospell are ofte called angels as they maye well be Of the whiche the kyng Christ sendeth manye in to the kingdome of heauen accordinge as the state of the worlde at dyuerse times requireth That the holy and sincere doctrine the gospell might sone and frutefully flye throughe the christen churche Whiche thing the wicked dragon doth sore haâ—e and is greuouslye dyspleased therwith and therfore he persecuteth it with muche falsehede and with great power throughe his ministers and deputies And yet notwithstanding the gospell of God remayneth euerlastinglye in his churche euen from the beginninge of the worlde vntyll the ende wherof no man in the worlde can excuse him selfe For the voyce and trueth therof is this bothe open and cleare that God onely is the lorde and that we must serue him in trueth and innocencye of lyfe and shewe all loue and trueth towarde our neighbour as the very naturall reason teacheth and all right and pure consciences lyghtned with gods worde do confesse And the loude voyce of the gospell soundeth thus Feare God as godly children doe their moost louynge father honour him onely for all grace and goodnes can come from none but from him onely and feare his iust and rightuous iudgement that it be not resisted against all wickednes vngodlines vngraciousnes And worship him onely with inuocacion that hath made heaueÌ„ and earth and al that is therin Against this gospell dothe the dragon euermore speake with his first borne and eldest sonne Antichristes whiche syns Caims tyme hath euer continued euen vntyll the aduersaries whiche at this tyme doe openly resist the manifest and open knowen trueth because they thincke and imagine that it wyll be an hinderauÌ„ce vnto their pompe pryde vngodly and abhominable lyuinge But this trueth and worde of God can not be hindered nor suppressed Soner and rather must all that fall and be destroyed whiche the dragon hath imagined and dyuised against this lambe the worde of God against this trueth and against all maner of right godlynes as well the Babilonicall confusion as all maner of wycked lawes and decrees and all maner of falsehede and tyrannye The holy gospell rightly vnderstande shall beate downe confounde and vtterly destroye that cursed and abhominable Babilon how mightye and strong so euer it hath bene for the great whoredome wherof she hath made all the worlde to drincke is nowe come to lyght and knowen The texte ¶ And the thirde angell folowed them saying with a loude voyce If any man worship the beast and his ymage and receaue his marke in his forheade or on his hande the same shall drincke the wyne of the wrathe of God whiche is powred in the cuppe of his wrath And he shal be punyshed in fire and brymstone before yâ— holy angels and before the lambe And the smoke of their tormente ascendeth vp euermore And they haue no rest daye nor night whiche worshyp the beast and his ymage and whosoeuer receaueth the print of his name Here is the pacience of sainctes Heare are they that kepe the commaundementes and the faith of Iesu Here foloweth the iudgement and sentence of God against all them whiche worship this beast of Antichrist resisting and withstandinge the gospell and enuye and hate the lambe and wil robbe him of his honour dewe vnto him and wyll dyffeate Christ of his kingdome whiche God the father hath geuen him that he shoulde be kynge of all kynges and also an euerlasting onely priest and immortall whome Antichrist with his .ii. hornes goeth aboute studieth to banysshe expell and ouerthrowe and to set him selfe vp in the temple of the christeÌ„ churche as thoughe Christ shoulde nothinge care for his churche but were absent and had forsaken it and had broken his promisse And as thoughe the gospell were in his I meane Antichristes power and in suche an hart as is rather possessed with a deuyll of pryde infydelitie and of abhominable presumpcion to condemne the holy gospel and to stablyshe and set vp al suche thinges as maye subuerte and ouerthrowe the gospell as ydolatreous and supersticious ymages to be honoured in the churche hethenishe ceremonies onely inuented for pompe couetousnes pleasure pastime and to bleare and deceaue the simple He geueth vnto his sworne champions his marke of supersticious orders wherwith he bewitcheth and inchanteth them wherof neyther S. Peter nor S. Paule neuer made mencion nor neuer knewe And besydes this he byndeth them with a wicked othe and a deuillyshe vowe against all godlynes and all to confirme and stablyshe his pompe and abhominable pryde against all heauenly and earthlye power institute and ordeyned of god without all maner of shame and feare Al they whiche consent vnto this damnable beast or eyther worship or maynteyne him they shall surely suffer the wrathe of God whiche is alreadye prepared in the Babilonicall cup powred out of God and redye at hande wherof they shall drincke not onely in the botomles pit of hell but also euen here in this worlde accordinge to the effecte and doctrine of gods worde and to the preachinge of the holy prophetes of Christ him selfe and of the apostles with as muche shame opprobry and destruccion as is possyble for them to haue in this worlde And yf their vnrepentant harte shall heape vnto them selues the treasure of yâ— wrath of God goyng forwarde in