Fraunce England Italy and of other Realmes or nations and generally to all the faithfull where soeuer they be abiding and lokyng for the coÌ„myng of Christe oure Lorde and Iudge THat this Apocalips was reueled of Iesus christ king of kinges and high Bishop our lord from the right hand of the Father and setforth by thapostolical spirite for the saluatioÌ„ of al faithfull chieflye of those that shall be in the latter dayes before the last iudgment both the matter it selfe whiche is treated right necessary to be knoweÌ„ holsom and excelleÌ„t proueth And also the simple maner meane wherby it is handled being euident and plaine declareth I will speake of ether briefly Collectyng those thinges only which seme to be more profitable and more necessary Iohn .xvi. The Lorde had sayd in the Gospell how he wold ascende into heauen and froÌ„ thence wold send to his Apostles the holy Gost the comforter which shulde leade them into all truth and shew them the thinges that ar to come And that which he sayd he wolde do in wordes the same verely hath he also perfourmed in dede aboundantly The holy Gost beyng sent to his Apostles which induced them into all truthe and opened to them the thinges that were to come especially to the Apostle and Euangelyst S. Iohn who receiued this ReuelatioÌ„ exibited to him of Christ from the ryght hand of the Father by the mistery of an AuÌ„gel in the holy Gost who also by Chryste his commaundement committed the same to wryting The summe and ende of the which wryting is this The summe ende of the Apocalipse That Christ Iesus our Lord wil neuer fayle hys churche in earth but will gouerne it with his spirite and worde through thecclesiasticall ministery But that the church it self whilest it remaineth in this worlde shall suffer many thinges and that for Chryst and the truthe of his Gospell professed And it openeth al and singular euils in a maner that the church shal suffer shewing how it must be exercised with common Calamities as warre plage famyne and suche other lyke What it shall priuately suffer of the false bretherne through heresies schismes and greuous and continuall stryfes contentions corruptions in the matter of religion Finally how terribly it shulde be vexed by the most cruell persecutions of tholde Romane Empire And laste by the wicked crafts extreme Tyranny of Antichrist Al the which thinges apperteyne to this ende that all the chosen being sufficiently warned before and prouided in all ages whilest this worlde shall indure may with true faith alone cleaue vnto Christ our redemer king and high prieste only and eternall and may purely and syncerely professe hym call vpon him in the innocencie of lyfe serue him and patiently attend after him commyng to Iudgemente and to delyuer and saue the godly But contrarywise that they dispise all superstitions and the worlde it selfe with those his sondrye religions felicities and pleasures and bewar of al vngodlines And chiefly that they flee Antichrist which shall com in th ende of the worlde vsurping to himselfe most vniustly the kingdom and Priesthod of Chryst and greuouslye persecuting the churche of Christ euen to the laste Iudgemente In the whiche at the laste he with all his adherentes shall be throwen downe hedlonge into Hell And. S. Iohn beginneth this holsome matter of Chryste hymselfe The fyrste Chapter of the Apocalips Lorde king and high Bishop whose wonderful and most goodly description after the Apostolicke maner he placeth in the very begynnyng as the foundation of the whole worke The same descriptioÌ„ dooeth so â—â—ately setfoorthe the Lorde that all the churche may easely know What thinges are treated in this boke in what order dispersed throughout the whole worlde in Chryst oure Lorde all thinges to be accomplished what so euer he had sayd before shulde be fulfilled in him namely that he shulde be exalted one to the ryghthand of his father into all celestiall glory power and maiestie there to be kinge of kinges of all other most mightye and the true and only hygh Byshop Sauiour gouernour Lorde and generall defendour of the Catholycke churche For blessed S. Iohn not only saw him such him selfe but also exhibiteth him such to be sene of vs all in thys hys wryting so godly by a most bryght and goodly vision And moreouer to thintent it myght be knowne to vs all in what sorte our Lord Iesus Chryst king and priest sitting or working in Heauen on the right hande of his Father is neuerthelesse in the middes of the catholycke church wherof he hath a faithfull care how louingly and fully he preserueth it in best order gouerneth it S. Iohn sheweth in this his vision that Christ walketh amonge the seuen golden candlestickes holdeth in his right hande seuen starres And streyghtway declareth what thing he vnderstandeth by the candelstickes and starres calling the candelstickes churches and the starres Aungels of the churches That is to witte Seuen churches Messagers ministers and pastours For the Lord chose vnto him selfe seuen famouse churches in Asia with whom he treateth nowe generally and compendiously vsing S. Iohn for hys interpretour which he doth perpetually in all churches throughoute the world and will neuer cease to do tyll the worldes ende For the seuenth number whiche is most vsed in this boke Chap. 2 and .3 and is the numbre of fulnes comprehendeth in it all churches Wherfore S. Iohn doeth so propounde moderate and temper all thynges that he treateth with these seuen churches that they may be applied vnto all the Churches that shal be in the worlde vntyl the worldes ende for theyr learnynge and edifiyng And for the same cause these seueÌ„ churches may be exaÌ„ples of all other churches For loke what thing then did please or displease the Lord in those seuen churches what tyme these thyngs wer reuealed the selfe same in all other churches shall please or displease him so long as the worlde shall laste And as he wolde haue those instructed and taught so wyl he that all and singular be instructed at all seasons Therefore in these seuen churches we haue examples of churches moste excellent in dede and of God derely beloued And agayne of moste corrupte meane also and finally mixed And in these al is shewed what is or shall be the disposition maners and vertues of all the churches in the whole world and of al tymes and seasons likewise the vices of them and remedies of the same Therfore the Lorde in these instructeth reproueth chideth threatneth exhorteth comforteth promiseth Wherfore in these we shall see as it were in a table set before vs what the true and ryght doctrine of the churche is And againe which is the false and the corrupt doctrine We shall heare and learne that the churche beloued of God must stande styll in the preachyng of the Gospell once receyued of the Apostles of oure Lord Iesus Chryst and muste loke for no new
to the .xxi. Chapter and disputeth of the moste iust iudgement of God against Babylon the whore of Babylon and the Antichristians finally against all wycked and impenitent persones The seuenth and last vision propoundeth to the eyes of all the faythfull the glory and blysse euerlastyngâ— of Sainctes And verely thys diuision of the woorke hath a great grace and affinite with the rest of the thynges which in this boke are all in a maner treated by the seuenth nuÌ„brâ— Let the reader followe whiche he wyll What profit is in the Apocalipse Nowe of these thynges euery man may perceyue the thys booke is altogether Apostolicall and exceadynge profitable to vs all especially whome the ende of the worldâ— hath ouertaken And this booke shall bee easier for vs fâ— that all thynges nowe are in a maner accomplyshed Daniell was thought to haue tolde of starke dreameâ— when before the Monarchies he prophecied the Monaâ—chies But after those thynges were accomplished whicâ— he prophecied he semed vnto many to haue compiled an hâ—story The selfe same I am sure thou wylt iudge also thys same boke of Saint Iohn A fewe profittes only of mâ—ny we shall recite First we haue in this booke a moste full discription Christ reignyng in glory our kyng I saye and Byshop And howe he gouerneth the Churche and is the Sauioâ— of all faythfull We haue also a moste gallaunte descriâ—tion of Christes Churche and howe the same maye be buâ—ded repared and maynteyned Than haue we a perfâ— description of Antichrist of his members and Synagogâ— of his counselles craftie deuises kyngdome crueltie aâ— destructions of the same From the whiche it byddeth 〈◊〉 beware Moreouer we haue an abrydgement of Historâ— from Christes tyme vnto the worldes ende Finally an absolute and certayne prophecie of thyngâ— to come that we neede not to haue the prophecies of Mâ—thodius Cyrill Merline Briget Nolhard certen triflers Furthermore we haue a great consolation and comfort of the churche in aduersitie whylest boeth we see thâ— Lambe to open the Seales and that all thynges are doâ— by Gods prouidence and that there is an ende of euylleâ— And that the churche shall bee euermore in dispitee of all thâ— Deuyls in hell Last we haue a moste plentifull and sure doâ—trine of the Iudge and last iudgement of paynes and of tâ—wardes All these thinges I say shal the treatise it selfe shewe plainly for our edefiyng through Iesus Christ our Lord. OF THE TITLE OF THE whole worke and exposition therof The second Sermon ☞ I said the whole boke was conteined in sixe partes Thre membres of the first part Now must we loke on the first part Which hath chiefly three members The title beginning and brief narration For this present we wyll only speake of the Title whiche is thus THe reuelatioÌ„ of Iesu Christ The first Chapter whiche God gaue vnto him for to shew vnto his seruauntes thinges whiche must shortly come to passe And he sent and shewed by his aungell vnto his seruaunt Iohn which bare recorde of the word af God and of the testimony of Iesus Christ and of all thinges that he sawe Happy is he that readeth and they that heare the wordes of the prophecie kepe those thinges which are written therin For the time is at hand This title is plentifull The title of the worke and vttereth all profitable circumstaunces that are to be declared in the beginnings of bokes First is set the Title or inscription of the whole worke that is the Apocalipse or reuelation of Iesus Christ whiche verely was opened or reuealed by Christ Iesus him selfe This title streightway proueth The reuelation of Iesu Christ that this worke is no mans inuention but a godly doctrine As that whiche was opened by our Lord kyng and priest Iesus Christ out of heauen from the right hand of the father executing there the office of the high Byshop as yet teaching vs profitable thinges and albeit it be called also the reuelatioÌ„ of Iohn yet is it chalenged to hym for none other cause than for that as scribe he wrote and set it forth FroÌ„ wheÌ„ce is that reuelation Againe it is yet more playnly declared from whence this Reuelation is Euen of God hym selfe For he saieth which God namely the Father gaue vnto hym to wytte to Christ For in the holy and blessed Trinitie there is a distinction of persones And albeit that all thinges of the father be the sonnes also And all thynges of the sonne the fathers lykewyse Yet the scripture mentioneth the father to geue vnto the Sonne and the Sonne to receyue of the Father Whiche thynge all the auncient wryters haue full Godly expounded to be done by the mistery of dispensation For the Sonne receyued somewhat of the Father as man whiche otherwyse as the very Sonne of God sayeth Father Iohn 17 glorifie thou me with the glory which I had with thee before this worlde was Moreouer the Sonne is the wysdome word and mouth of the Father by whome God in tymes paste and nowe spake and speaketh to the Fathers Prophetes Apostles and to the vniuersall churche The Father by dispensation gaue to his Sonne this office that he should be Byshop For no man hath sene God at any tyme The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the Father he hath reuealed vnto vs. Let vs knowe therfore this same to be a Reuelation Diuine whiche God the Father louynge mankynde hath reuealed by the only Byshop Christ vnto hys Churche And so it ioyneth together the Father and the Sonne that neuerthelesse the holy distinction of persones remayneth safe To what vse and to whom it is reuealed Nowe also is added to what ende God the Father hath reuealed or geuen the gyft of reuealing to wytte the office of priesthod to his Sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ to the intent verely that the same beyng reuealed he myght shewe it and as it were set it before the eyes of his seruauntes to wytte his worshippers and Christians which are called the seruauntes of God for theyr wyllyng obedience And as the seruaunt of a Lorde is a seruaunt and oweth to his Lord all that he hath or is worth So we owe vnto God our selues whole and all ours or els we be free and not bounde Here is also declared vnto whom this reuelation is opened Iohn 8 To all the seruauntes of God If therfore thou be glad to be called the seruaunt of God heare this boke and remember it And knowe that this boke is prepared for thee of God After he compryseth in fewe wordes What thinges are reuealed what Christe reuealed to Iohn thynges that must shortly come to passe The destenies therfore of the Churche are recited what good and euyll thynges shall happen to the Godly and lykewyse what punysshementes must be inflicted to the wicked And let no man gather of this woorde must necessitie as though God wrought not freely How good and euyll
worlde also is geuen vs a quiet cōscience and ioye vnspeakeable which they in deede fele that do in ioye the same They that haue not tasted therof can neuer beleue that it is so much as it is in dede Wherupon S. Paull sayed and the peace of God whiche passeth all vnderstanding c. suche mindes so affected our Sauiour Christ graunte vs. Amen ¶ The Epistle of Thyatirena is expounded wherin are sondry vertues commended and the vice of Iesabell reprehended The .xii. Sermon ANd vnto the Messenger of the cōgregatiō of Thiatira write This sayeth the sonne of God whiche hath his eyes like vnto a flāme of fire and his fete are like brasse I knowe thy workes thy loue seruice faith and thy patiēce and thy dedes which are mo at the last then at the first Notwithstāding I haue a fewe things against thee that thou sufferest that woman Iesabell whiche called her self a prophetisse to teache disceaue my seruaunts to make them cōmit fornication and to eate meates offered vp vnto Idolles The fourth epistle written to the Thyatirenians The argumēt of the fourthe epistle is more plentifull then the residue and with manifolde fruites replenished For it cōmendeth and praiseth in that churche excellent vertues and singular giftes not a fewe Streight wayes he reproueth in them that they suffer ouer gētly the Iezabelisme whiche he describeth what and howe filthie it is He threateneth them sore vnlesse with perfit repentaunce they amende theyr sinnes and wickednes Further more he warneth that they loke for no newe reuelations but that they perseuer abide in those which they had learned hitherto in the which they nowe are Hither also with most large promisses he allureth them finally cōmunicateth cōmendeth this doctrine to al churches And there is a wōderful likenes and correspondaunce in al epistles As the same may be sene also in al the bokes of the prophetes in the story of the euangelistes The scripture is in al thinges like agreable to it selfe in Paules epistles Wherof it maye easely be gathered that the doctrine of the vexitie is most absolute perfit and plaine and agreable to it selfe in al thinges In so muche that if al the writinges of all other Apostles and Prophetes did remaine we should haue had no more in those many and most plētuouse bokes then we now haue in the holy Bible God prouided wel for vs and for our infirmitie by this briefe waye Here be seuen Epistles set in the 2. Chapter but it is maruell to see howe like they be all teachinge in a maner all one thinge The vse of this epistle This fourth is chiefly profitable for those congregations whiche are sounde in the purenes of doctrine and are pure moreouer in holines of life but doe not with a feruent zeale enough persecute open heresies There be other fruictes and cōmodities whiche we shall speake of in order But like as in al other epistles that goo before first is set forth to whom the epistle is sent and from whom it cōmeth So also in this epistle Thyatirene both the superscription as they terme it The superscriptiō of this epistle the subscriptiō is expressely set It is sent to the Messenger of the church of Thyatira so to the whole churche as I haue tolde you before oftētimes And Thyatira is a noble and famouse citie of Lydia Thyatira in Asia on the riuer of Hermus where we reade that the woman was borne that solde purple whiche was conuerted to Christ by s Paull in the 16. of the Actes it was a populouse citie much frequēted so that it is no maruell though mē diuersly geuē vncleane curiouse heretikes did associate ioyne them selues to the churche of God The Geographers wryte many thinges of that famouse citie of Asia Thautour of the epistle And the author of thepistle is the Lord Christ him self the high king Bishop which vseth thapostle his pen or blessed s Iohn for his Scribe or Secretarie by whome he will haue those things published through out the whole world And he getteth the epistle authoritie whilest repeting certen mēbres of the former image descriptiō he sheweth him self in such sorte to be sene of the church to be viewed in faithe that they help the matter wōderfully He seeth here heresies the secrets of hartes and treadeth vnder his moste pure and cleane fete what so euer auaūceth it selfe against Gods glory veritie He calleth him selfe therfore the sonne of God Christe the sonne of God and man whome before we hearde to be the sonne of man He is therfore and remaineth both euen in glory aswel the sonne of God as mā In the diuine nature of the same substaunce with the father in the humane nature cōmunicating with vs in al things except sinne the other nature is not swallowed vp in glory but two distinct seueral natures without any permixtiō abide in one persone vndiuided which in dede be one Christ very God very mā to be worshipped world without end Herof we haue testimonies in the 1. of Luke in the 1. of Iohn the 1. chapt to the Romanes And whiche of the heretickes or persecutours wil make warre with the liuing sonne of God After he attributeth to him selfe eyes His eyes 〈◊〉 flamme of fire casting out fire and flamme For nothing escapeth the knowledge iudgement of Christe our Iudge he beholdeth the raynes and hartes Moreouer he lighteth some and some he cōmitteth to euerlasting fire therin to burne for euer Nowe then if anye doe imagine with them selues that they can hide heresies and malice in theyr hartes they are disceiued For in the eyes of Christ the darkenes it selfe is light also The same Lorde also hathe fete moste pourged and cleane he treadeth downe all vngodlines And where so euer he walketh with his shining feete of brasse he consumeth immediatly all heresies and corrupte life Therfore this prelate moste pure and moste fitte and apte to pourge finally beste furnisshed to boulte out the secrettes of hartes sheweth to the cōgregations these things that followe he himselfe walketh and is conuersaunt in the middes of the churche bothe Kinge and Prieste And like as he hath in all epistles testified that he knewe the workes of the same church euen so he repeteth here also to the intent we shoulde neuer admitte wicked securitie as though the almightie and alwitting God knewe not vs and al ours of the which matter I haue spoken sufficiētly before Now doeth he set forth gallaūtly euery worke of this congregation and cōmendeth fiue most notable giftes or brightest vertues Charitie 1 Firste Charitie whiche compriseth the loue of God and our neighbour wherby is broughte to passe that we preferre nothing in the world before God neither hurte our neighbour but rather heape vpon him all duties benefites This we owe to God and all our bretherne in the
restreining and punishing the wycked And the holy ghost where he is but one Seuen spirites for the seuenfolde that is all maner of grace and giftes manifold is here called as I may say Septenarie or of the seuenth numbre And from the seuen spirites sayth Iohn that is from that spirite whiche is indewed with the seuenfolde grace Those diuerse giftes are after a sorte declared of Esay in the .xi. Chapt. and els where in the scriptures He is sayd to be in the sight of the throne that is before the throne of God ioyned verely in gouernement with the father and the sonne For the throne is many tymes vsurped for the kingdom The holy ghost therfore is of the same glory power and maiestie with God Now is he commen to Christ The description of Christ whom by his properties he describeth moste aboundantly You know that Iesus is the proper name of Christ which Matthew expoundeth a Sauiour Christ is the surname of his office and dignitie as you would say annoynted that is byshop and kyng 1 First he calleth Christ our Lord a faithfull wytnes Christ a faithfull witnes and that out of the .xlix. and .l. chapter of Esay For he was sent of the father to the world out of heauen an Apostle whiche should testifie the wil of God what he wold haue done with men To witte that he would saue the worlde by his sonne Math. 18. 2 Petr. 3 Iohn 3 Math. 7.1 by faith in him which is obedient to the law of God For he must do the will of his father This Christ is a faithfull witnes that is sure constaunt and trewe Of whose doctrine no man ought to doubt No man hath seene God at any tyme The only begotten whiche is in the bosome of the father Math. 17. 2 Pet. 1 he hath reuealed This therfore is the byshop and catholick dâ—tour of the church Who so euer dissent from him are to 〈◊〉 eschewed Heare him saith the father Christ is the first fruits of theÌ„ that ryse 2 He is the first begotten of the dead For he died for oâ—â— sinnes verely and rose again from the dead was made tâ— first begotten of the dead Lorde conquerour of death Iâ— whom we se that we shall also ryse again in what sorte 〈◊〉 whom the first of the Corinth xv And like as in the first prâ—pertie he shaddoweth the humanitie of Christe wherin hâ— taught also his deitie in that he was the faithfull true â—â—tholique byshop and is yet at this day So in the second thâ— articles of our belefe concerning the death of Christ and hâ— resurrection are confirmed To these also may be added tâ— article of the resurrection of the dead Christ is Prince of kynges 3 Christ is prince ouer the kinges of the earth a monarâ— verely and Lord of all rulers Whiche hath taken a name â—boue all names the Lord of aungels and of all creatures 〈◊〉 whom al things be subiect As thapostle expouÌ„deth Colosâ— Philip. 2. And he doeth not abolishe lawes Magistratâ— which wil be king of kinges and Lord of lordes For if thaâ— wer no kings how shuld Christ be king of kings The moâ— sacred Emperours Constance Constantine Theodose anâ— Iustinian knew them selues to be clientes of Christ Thaâ— kingdom was Christes they to be subiectes These Chriâ—â— acknowledgeth for his by whoÌ„ he gouerneth those he haâ—â— redemed with his bloud They that proudly rule ouer the people boast theÌ„ selues to be lordes of althings acknowledâ—â— not Christ to be monarch ouer all be starke mad And herâ— are comprehended such thinges as we confesse in tharticles of our faith that Christ ascended into heauen sitteth on thâ— right hand of the father that is that he hath receiued high pâ—wer of al things in heauen and earth Ephe. 1. Act. 2. Christ loued vs. 4 Christ hath loued vs with incoÌ„parable loue For he hiâ— self saith greater loue hath no man than that a man shoulâ— leaue his life for his freÌ„des This loue the Apostle amplefietâ— in the fift to the Romains And it was exceading great loue 〈◊〉 moued Christ to come downe from heauen and be incarnaâ—â— and to redeme vs by his death With a free loue he loueâ— vs prouoked by no desert of ours For as this same Iohn in his Epistle canonicall speaketh the same of the father In this is charitie not that we haue loued God but that he hath loued vs sent his son a propiciation for our sinnes So is it to be vnderstaÌ„d of the son the he hath doth bear vs great good will not moued thereto through our loue wherewith we haue imbraced him And of the fre loue to mankinde he gaue him self vnto death washed vs froÌ„ our sinnes For streight waies is added by his bloud Christ washeth Where thre thinges seme of vs to be obserued First that Christ washeth purgeth purifieth or cleÌ„seth the faithful that most fully not partly He alluded to the washings of the law which he expouÌ„ded also For Dauid saith Pourge me with Hysope I shal be made cleane washe me I shal be whiter than snow The same phrase of speache repeteth Esay in the first chap. Micheas also sayth Miche 7. The Lord wil returne wil haue mercy on vs he wil treade vnder fete our iniquities And thou shalt throw into the depth of the Sea al their sinnes And the Lord saith Ezech. 36 I wil cast vpon you cleane waters and you shall be mundified from al your filthines The Lord Christ these thinges accomplishing washeth vs purgeth and clenseth throughly aswell from the falte as the paine He clenseth vs from our sinnes Christ washeth all synnes not from one but from al. The which thing is proued both by former testimonies again in the first second Epistle of S. Iohn Last the maner also of purifiyng is set forth by bloud For without the sheding of bloud no remission was made Therfore through the mediation of death and bloudsheding there was full remissioÌ„ of all sinnes obteined for the faithfull He washeth by bloud Hebr. 9 They that bring forth any other maner of forgeuenes of synnes ar iniurious to the death and bloud of the sonne of God And here we may se plainly set forth an article of the Apostolicall crede I beleue the forgeuenes of synnes In the fift place is shewed theffect of our redeÌ„ption purifiyng For Christ hath brought to passe Theffect of Christs redemptioÌ„ in the faithfull that as many of vs as beleue in the father by the son of God shuld be kinges prists to God to his father Aretas the copie of complute reade not kinges but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is kyngdome the which is not red amisse For we be the kingdoÌ„ of God for bicause God by his spirit not the flesh nor the worlde ought to reigne in vs And when we permitte the gouernment to
as they haue liued which liue no more But with the Grekes it is otherwise at the leeste wise in these wordes To our iudge most iuste most mightie and most rightuouse be prayse and glory for euer and euer Amen ¶ The thankes geuyng of the Elders is expounded the Temple is opened in heauen the arcke appereth and there were made lightenynges c. The .li. Sermon ANd the heythen were angrie and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they shoulde be iudged that thou shouldest geue rewarde vnto thy seruauntes the Prophetes and Sainctes and to them that feare thy name smal and great and shouldest distroye them which distroye the Earth And the Temple of God was opened in Heauen and there was sene in his tēple the Arche of his Testament there followed lightnings and voices and thonderinges earthquake and a great hayle I shewed you Of the last iudgemēt howe the Elders did so geue thankes vnto God for their saluation that withall they extolled Gods rightuousenes and excellēt veritie which he sheweth in his iudgement most rightuouse wherein he rewardeth the godly with iust rewardes and plageth the wicked with deserued punnishmentes And vnder this figure of speache they teach vs that both the iudgemēt shall assuredly come and that the same in al thinges shal be most holy and iuste Would God they would dilligently consider these thinges with thēselues which iudge them to talke of tryfles that make mention of that horryble and most dreadfull day of iudgement For we loke for thinges more terrible than any toung beit neuer so eloquent is able to expresse The tyme of wrath is come He rehearseth the wrath or tyranny of infidelles againste the faythfull cruelly and continually executed and so verely that God semed to many to be a blocke and nother coulde nor wolde be angrie But the iudgement ones made the elders extoll Gods veritie and say the wrath is come Doubtles the holy Prophetes of God haue alwayes threatned punishmentes testifieng that God is angrie both with the sinners and with sinnes but where the wrath of god appeared not immediately the Prophets appeared to feare men with vayne terrours and as it were make them affrayde of their shadowes but now say the elders the veritie hath appeared and the wrath of God is come And the wrath of God sheweth it selfe in the iuste vengeaunce of God The tyme of the dead is come Moreouer they extoll in that also the veritie and iustice of God for that the tyme of the dead is commen that they be iudged Hitherto whylest the worlde florished they semed to tel fables and grandames tales which spake of the resurrection of the dead and the lyfe to come For the resurrection of the dead was contemned of Philosophers and men of this worlde But the elders reioyce also that the same tyme is come and that the dead are reuiued that is that the bodies of the dead are rysen agayne and cummen to iudgement Whereof the Apostle speakynge we muste all sayth he appeare openly before the iudgement seate of God that euery one may receiue such things as are done by the body according as it hath done whether it be good or euyll .2 Corrinthi the .5 chapter God in the iudgement wel requyre the hyre Furthermore they moste highly commend Gods iustice and veritie when also they declare exactely howe God by his iust iudgement rendresh to euery one that is his He declareth therfore what he rewardeth whome he rewardeth First he payeth wages or hyre For rewarde is promysed of God vnto good workes For in the .13 of Ieremy the Lorde saith refrayne thy voice from weping for there is a reward for thy worke And the Lorde sayth also in the gospel be glad reioice for your reward is great in heauē And agayne the sonne of manne shal come in the glory of his father with his Angelles and than shall he render to euery one after his doinges So the Apostle sayed that euery one muste ryse in his owne body that euery one may receiue such thinges as are done by the body whether it be good or euill Whylest this world florisheth and the wicked reioice in their voluptuousnes and the godly are afflicted and afflicte themselues with continuall mortifieng the flessh iudgeth that these lose both labour and cost but the other to be very happie Which thing is also declared in the third fourth chapt of Malachie But at the laste iudgement it shall finally appeare that the godly haue not laboured in vaine nother that the wicked haue contemned God vnpunished and dispysed godlines For God rewardeth euery one after the qualitie of his worke the which he calleth wages Neuerthelesse the godly abuse not in the meane time this sayeng acknowledgeing it to be of fre mercie that they haue beleued and wroughte with good fayth that good worke of theirs therfore to be accepted of God because they be in Christ Whereof I haue written in the .3 boke the .10 chapt Of the grace of God iustifieng shewing that of reward desert cannot be proued Secondly thei declare to whome he geueth reward To whome rewarde is geuen I say to two sortes of men to good I mean euil Againe he raccompteth many kyndes of good men First he calleth these the seruaūts of god as thei that be subiecte to the empyre of god alone and obey him in al things By and by he nameth thē prophets techers of churches Of whose state mo things ar spoken in the .11 chap. These some to be more vnfortunate than any others in this world and ar accompted of many as great offēders which being taken out of that way all clearenes shuld seme to come againe Therfore be thei iustlie raccompted in the rigister of them which receiue a reward of the lord to wit in recōpence of their trauell Now into this accompte come also the saints that is to sai al godly which being sanctified through fayth with the spirit bloud of god haue lyued an holy life keping thēselues from al worldly pollutiō Moreouer in the godly reward nōbre of holy saincts are reckened such as fear the name of the lord that is thei that be very holy and religiouse in dede Finally leeste any man should thinke any of the faithfull excluded he addeth to small and greate that is to saye vnto men of al ages state and sexe c. The lorde distroyeth thē whiche distroyed the Earth After he cometh to the euill and addeth and shouldest distroy them that distroyed the earth These thinges seme borrowed of the prophetes with whom is much mention of the distroyers of the earth whom the lord should distroye at the length And vnder the name of distroyers S. Iohn vnderstandeth first Tirauntes Kinges and Princes that be persecutours of the church Also menne of warre and souldiours whiche by vniuste warres distroye all thinges with sworde and fire Secondely he vnderstandeth vniuste
firste miracle done in Cana of Galiley and sayeth This is the firste token that Iesus did at Cana in Galiley and shewed his glory and his disciples beleued on him This token was trewe and suspected of no iuggelyng it was a benefite bestowed vpoÌ„ pore folkes newely maried by the same God was glorified His disciples moued herewith and the sprite of God workyng also inwardely beleued on Christ So do all trewe miracles testifie Christ to be helthful and beneficiall therefore alone to be called vpon and worshipped So doe Iohn and Peter interprete the signes or miracle that their theÌ„selues wrought in the .3 of the Actes of Apostles And of such miracles we haue greate plentie in the Euangelicall Apostolicall Ecclesiasticall storie nother haue al those any other ende thaÌ„ that we must beleue in the sonne of God as which alone geueth life and al good thinges And false signes I calle those that are done through deuelishe crafte or inchauntement Of falsâ— signes or miracles or by the craftie iuggelyng and subtill sleight of wicked men as be those of witches and inchaunters such as the wise men of Pharao were and Symon Magus and those wherof mention is made in the .13 of Deuâ—ter Finally suche were the miracles of the Freres brent at Bernes in Swisserlande and greately it is to be feared leest such haue ben the most parte of the miracles of al Mounkes and Eremites Likewise those are called false also whiche although they be done in dede yet beare they witnes to a lie agaynste the trewth confirmyng the Pope to be head of the church that images are to be worshipped that we must pray vnto Sainctes and go a pilgrimage for religion yea rather for superstitions sake that we must worshippe a newe God liynge hidde vnder fourme of Bread and Wine that God muste be honoured with vowes and Monkish conuersatioÌ„ and yf there be any other thing of like sorte With suche disceauable signes are filled at this daye all Temples churches and chapelles These haue perswaded much euen wise men and do also at this daye Whiche thing the Lord prophecied should come to passe saiynge there shal arrise false Christes and false Prophetes and shal shewe great signes and wonders that euen if it were possible the elect should be brought into errour And S. Paule also the comyng of Antichriste sayeth he shal be after the workyng of Sathan with al power and signes and liyng wonders and the reste whiche is red in the .2 to the Thessal 2. And we knowe that many Bisshoppes of Rome haue wrought signes but that same is not so excellent but that the Bisshoppe of Rome hath confirmed what miracles so euer haue ben wrought in al ChristeÌ„dome and augemented the same with his bulles and indulgences Doubtles all had a contrary ende to the miracles of Christ and yet haue for they do not profite men but emptie their purses put men to sondry charges and leade them awaye from the faith of Christ to the faith of Antichrist confirming his religion superstitioÌ„ and doctrine Nother doeth he place these his miracles emongs the last of his argumentes what time the simplicitie of the gospell is impugned But if we be wise we will beware of them as of a most present pestilence He maketh fire to come down c heaueÌ„ And emonges his miracles the lord by S. Iohn reherseth that aboue all thinges he causeth fire to come downe to the Earth and that in the presence of meÌ„ And he semeth to haue alluded to the story of Helias wherof we reade in the .4 boke of Kinges the .1 chapt and whereof we mentioned in the .11 chapt We reade that it was no smal miracle in the Actes of the Apostles that al the laiyng on of thapostles handes the holy ghost was geuen Symon Magus also did couet the same grace but he was sore reiected of S. Peter the Apostle as we reade in the .8 chapt of the Actes of Apostles And here is to be obserued as also S. Austen hath admonished in the .15 boke de trinit the .26 chapt that thapostles gaue not the holy ghost for it is God alone that geueth the holy ghost therfore at the prayers of thapostles at the imposition of haÌ„des the holy ghost was geuen from heaueÌ„ Wherfore S. Iohn Baptiste saied how he baptised with water but that Christ shuld baptise with fire and with holy ghost And by fire is figured the holy ghost The Pope geueth grace But Antichrist the Pope shal make his boaste that he hauing power geuen him froÌ„ heauen graunteth the grace of the holy ghost Doubtles in the time of coÌ„secrating he saieth that he geueth the holy ghost So likewise in auricular coÌ„fessions absolutions they bragge that thei geue full absolutioÌ„ of sinnes which in dede is a great miracle Thei laie their haÌ„des vpon the sinner that confesseth and saye howe they absolue him from the payne and crime and that by the power receyued of that moste holy See of Rome Primasius expounding this place It is no maruell sayeth he though that beaste which fainedly vsurpeth to him selfe the name of the Lambe killed and yet liuyng doe fraudulently chalenge to him selfe also this gifte of the holy ghost colourably by ImitatioÌ„ and fayne a donation to his ministers as we remembre that Symon Magus coueted but coulde not obteyne Hitherto he There is an other fire also The Pope casteth a thoÌ„derbolt at his enemies which Antichrist calleth doune from heauen and casteth and throweth at his enemies to be reuenged on them to wit the darte and thonderbolte of cursing this was terrible to kinges princes people And these haue so much feared the thonderbolte of excoÌ„munication that they haue done graunted many thinges which otherwise no maÌ„ shuld haue gote of theÌ„ The story is knoweÌ„ of themperour Henry the .4 For Platina in the life of Gregory the .7 sheweth that this Emperour was excoÌ„municated by the Pope After he addeth these things of themperour he came spedely to Canosse where the bishop was with Mathilda and by and by laiyng a side his royal robes went bare foted to the gates of the citie and humbly required to be let in His entring denied he toke in good parte notwithstanding that the winter was sharpe and al was frosen harde Remaynyng thre daies in the suburbes of the Towne and continually crauing perdon at the length at request of Mathilda and the Erle of Sauoye the Abbot of Clunies he is absolued Fridericke Barbarouse that he mighte be reconciled to the Pope layed his necke vnder his fete to be troden on full manifeste are the iniuries done of this beaste to other kinges also and people I wil yet tel of one The Venetians besieged Farrare which payeth tribute to the Churche of Rome for the whiche cause they were excommunicated by Clement the .5 Therefore Fraunces Dandalus which was after created Duke wente into Fraunce where that time the Bisshop was
Emperour shal he haue Rome shal he haue Italie the oulde seat of the Empyre shal he haue Fraunce Spayne Hongarie Germanie For although Germanie be nowe taken for the seate of the Empyre yet hath shee her owne Princes her owne free Cities and the which inioye their Priuileges although they be called Emperiall Theodorycke of Niem a Germayne and a familiar friende of certen Popes which wrote also the lyues of certen Byshoppes of Rome which were last before the counsell of Constaunce in the thyrde booke the .xliii. chapt of his Stories Of what magnificēce sayeth he the Romaine Empyre is at the leestwyse openlye sene in Germanie For you shal haue there an Archbyshop or a Byshop which hath of yearely reuenewes twyse so much more The pouerty and barenes of the Romayne Empyre as the Kyng of Romaynes receyueth in all his dominions And agayne a temporall Prince that hath more landes than hath the Emperour And so forth Moreouer in the ould Empire ther was some mightie monarke which vsed full Aucthoritie and was honoured of all men as a God in Earth As Caius Domitian Dioclesian and others His Image representeth the Pope Byshoppe and Kynge and as it were a certeine God terristrial the greatest Monarke with fulnesse of power Furthermore Rome or the oulde beaste had a mooste honorable Senate So hath the Byshppe of Rome also a Princelyke Senate of prowde purpled Cardynalles For they bee in maner all Princes The booke of the Romayne gouernementes reciteth the Vicar or Lieutenaunte of the Diocesse of Asia a Diocesse in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a disposition administration dispēsation gouernemente or iurisdiction the Vycar of the Diocesse of Thracia and of Pontus So was there a noble man president of the gouernementes in Italie He had manye Diocesses vnder And no fewer had the Lieutenaunt of Fraunce And lyke as the Counte of Strasbourgh the Captayne generall of the soldiours at Spires and the General of the soldiours at Woormes ded acknowledge the Duke of Mentz a Proconsull So at this daye the Byshoppes of those Cities are subiectes to the Archebyshoppe of Mentz The Byshoppes therefore seme by the Popes ordinaunce to succede in the place of the Romayne gouernementes Certeinelie you shall see the moste parte of these Byshops called not onely moste reuerend fathers in Christe but also most Noble myghty Dukes and Princes of the Empyre And this is also manifeste that the Emperour of the oulde beaste had his legions the Romaine Egles or enseignes and moste expert and puissaunt Captaynes of warre But the high Bishop and kyng of Rome hath in that Imagerie Empyre obedient children kinges and Princes in Europe not to be dispised Tharmies and power of the Popes sworde whom he may cōmaunde yf nede requyre to stretch foorth the secular power For so thundreth Boniface the .8 in the firste boke de Maior Obedient doubtles sayeth he whosoeuer denieth the temporall sworde to be in the power of Peter he vnderstandeth a misse the worde of the Lorde sayeng put vp thy swoorde into thy sheath howe subtiilie and howe aptelie Therefore are both swords in the power of the church to wit both the spiritual and materiall sword but this must in dede be exercised for the church the other of the church The spirituall by the prieste the materiall by the hande of kinges and soldiours but at the will and patience of the high prieste c. The oulde beaste had his lawes written and published daylie in a maner newe Decretals The Popes therefore after the imitation of the emperiall lawes haue written decretalles and many tymes make newe lawes Yea moreouer they saie howe the voice precepts or cōmaundemēts of the pope are aswel to be receiued taken as the words of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God and Apostle S. Peter They adde moreouer these things also that we muste stand to the popes determinatiō That where the pope is there is the generall counsell Where the Pope is there is our common countrie He is compelled or reproued of no man althoughe he be called an heretike He hath all lawes in his breast or in the scroll of his breaste he may interprete or expound all thinges The same doth ratifie no sentence and it is in him alone to take away one mans right and geue it to an other He maie take awaye priuileges and at his wyll and pleasure not onely to chaūge bishops but also to depose the emperour himselfe and to declare no sentence of themperour All the world is the Popes diocesse and the pope is the ordinarie of al hauing fulnes of power aswell in spiritual matters as tēporall For he is Lord of Lordes and hath the righte of the King of Kinges ouer all subiects For he hath no pere and is all thinges and aboue all and it is necessarie to saluation to be vnder the byshop of Rome For ther is one consistorie or iudgement seat of God and of the Pope These thynges haue I taken oute of their owne books to witte of their Decretalles and gloses There is a boke of Antony Russell of Aretine of the power of the Pope and the emperour where in you may read innumerable things of the same sort But of these thinges which I haue noted hitherto I suppose it be made playne enough how the Pope which is here also called the false prophete hath sette vp the Image of the beaste Hereunto Ihon addeth an other thyng And he had power to geue a spirite to the Image of the beaste that the empyre thus establyshed and all thynges sette in order the beaste or false prophete doeth moue all that weighte and putteth lyfe into the Image so that it can speake to witte the same that the false prophete hath geuen it to speake For excepte the pope do confyrme the election of the Kyng of Romaines he shall not be thoughte worthie of the name of Emperour .22 quest .5 de forma in the glose thēperour sweareth to the pope as the Client to his Lord. The same maiste thou reade in the firste boke the .9 title de iure iurando in Clementinis Moreouer who seeth not how aswell the Emperour as other Princes are inuironed wyth a cōpanie of Byshoppes whych inspyre them what they shoulde speake or doe and howe they shoulde behaue themselues in all thinges For this cause are sent also the Legates that are called Legati a latere And it is not vnknowen that in all Princes counselles for the moste parte the spirituall haue the chiefe rule They be for the most parte Chancelours Secretaries Ambassadours and what not And their Pope King sayeth openlie howe he ought to iudge al men but to be iudged of no man Yea and his creatures also vsurpe the same vnto themselues Yf ther be any assemblee there the Byshop of Rome commonly ruleth by his spirite and gouerneth the chiefeste matters especiallye matters of religiō For vnlesse the decrees please the fathers
the .x. hornes which thou sawest ar .x. kings which haue not yet receyued the Kyngdome but shal receiue power as kings at one houre with the beaste These haue one mynde and shal geue their power and strength to the beast These shal fight with the lambe the lambe shall ouercome them For he is Lorde of all Lords and King of al Kings and they that are on his side ar called chosen and faithful The Angell expounder of misteries procedeth to declare to sainct Ihon the misterie of the beaste exhibited and of her iudgement that by partes And at this present vttereth thre thinges what is signified by seuen heades Whie he sayed of the beaste he was and is not and what the ten hornes do betoken He expoūdeth seuē heads two wayes first by seuen mountaynes vpon which the woman sitteth 7. Heades ar .7 hilles whom in the ende of the chapter he calleth the great Citie to witte great Rome which all surname Septicolle as standing vpon seuen mountaynes Moreouer the beaste hath seuen heades because be had many times seuen Kinges Whereof I spake also in the 13. chapt At this present he rekeneth so the seuen Kinges that there is no doubte but that it is Rome whereof he speaketh Which I suppose be the Lordes chief intent in these matters For he coulde not speake more expresselie vnlesse he should haue expressed the name of Rome also but the name of Babilon we hearde expressed before Fyue sayeth he are fallen to witte syns the deadlie wounde was geuen in the death of Nero in the space of .14 peares For immediatlie after Nero beganne Galba to reygne who beyng slayne Otto reigned which after he had kylled himselfe Vitellius succedeth which was also kylled of the Flauianes For after him Flauius Vespasiane was Emperour after whome Titus the beste Prince of all And these fyue fell with in .xiiii. yeares He addeth and one of those is that is to witte reigneth nowe verely the sixt in order Domitiane the son of Vespasiane and brother to Titus a moste vngraciouse man which persecuted the faithful and had cōdemned S. Ihon into exile An other sayeth S. Ihon is not yet cōmen namelie Cocceius Nerua For after he came to the Empire and lyued most vertuously and most righteouslye ordered the Empire he taried not long For when he had reigned one yeare thre monethes and nine daies he died And thus moch hytherto of the seuen Kynges and of the seuen heades of the beaste These thinges so certayne appertaine not so much to the expositiō of this place as to the consolatiō of the faithful which here may clerely perceaue how Empires consist in the hand and prouidēce of God almightie which knoweth his and hath a care of the godly although thei may seme by reason of their greuouse persicutions and cruel tourmentes to be of God neglected The beast was and is not Consequently he expoundeth wherfore he saied of the beast he was and is not verely for the eight king of Romanes Vlpius Traiane For he is the eight from the Empire wounded in Nero Traiane was of the seuen that is to say was adopted of Nerua the seuenth Emperour And hytherto the Romane Empire was gouerned firste in dede of Caesars after of the noblest Citizens of Rome But of this Traiane which succeded Nerua the writers of Histories say that he was the first straūger that ruled the Empire For he was a Spanyarde The Empire therfore was or hath ben in the handes of the Romanes nowe it is so nomore For a Spanyard succedeth so that the Empire nowe semeth that it might be called Romish Spanish And for as moch as Traiane persecuted Christ and his membres he also went into perdition And let no man thinke that this was the only and sole cawse wherfore S. Ihon sayed howe for Traiane it was sayed he was and is not For he hath pronounced expressely and he is the eight as though he shoulde signifie that there be other causes also for the which it was saied that the Romane Empire was and nowe is not whereof is spoken before Ten hornes are ten Kinges Hereafter foloweth also the exposition of the ten hornes And the same hornes are here resited which are spoken of in the seuenth of Daniel and in the .13 of the Apocalipse Nother is there any cause whie ye shulde superstitiously sticke to the tenth numbre For in the .14 of Num. the Lorde sayeth how he hath bene nowe tempted ten tymes of the Israelites for many tymes Here is signified therefore how the Romane Empire shall be dispersed into many Kingdomes For whether you saye kynges or kyngdomes the matter is all one Doubtelesse the Romane Empire beginning to fal to decay there sprang vp kynges in the East and Weste which inuaded the Romane Empire Persians Gothes Vandalles Lumbardes and I wote not what others at the last in Spayne Fraunce Hongarie I speake not of Affricke and Asia were founde diuerse kinges the Romane monarchie ceased Of these kinges the Angel warneth vs for diuerse causes These sayeth he haue not yet receyued the kingdome For whilest S. Iohn wrote the Apocalipse Domitiane ruled and the Romane Empire was yet mightie and stronge and so remayned stille certen ages When therfore dyd they receaue their kyngedome They receaue sayeth he power as kynges at one houre with the beaste namely the seconde For these thinges can not be vnderstande of the first and olde Romane Empire And Primasius expoūding this place admonisheth The kings receyne power with the beast that an houre here is taken for a time present Therfore at the same time the beast that newe Empire groweth vp and increaseth and the kynges receyue might and power For the decaye of the olde Empire was the strength of kinges and of the newe Popishe Empire And in dede themperour Phocas commaunded the church of Rome and the Bisshop therof to be head of churches Whiche gaue a certen beginnyng to the Popes dominion as also in the .13 chapter I haue recited which he obteyned at the lēgth more fully vnder king Pipine and other Princes of Fraunce and Germany but Nauclerus speakyng of the Empire of Phocas in the .21 Generation The enemies sayeth he of the Romane Empire by the slougthfulnes and cowardise of Emperours made stronger had taken awaye in the Weste countrie with the Ilandes Germany Fraunce Spayne Hungary Slauonie and a good parte of Italy and thereto a greate parte of Affricke and in the East partes Cacannus of Thracia King of Hunnes inuaded the Iberians Armenians Arabians Dardanes and the middle partes of Macedonie and Grece And the Persians in a maner possessed all Assiria the Sarracens destroyed Egipt fye for shame our strength hath so fayled vs through riot couetousenes and voluptuousenes that the Romane Empire stode than only in name Hitherto he The same thinges haue we discoursed more at large in the 13. chapter of this worke 2. Thess 2. And verely Daniel sheweth howe
emonges those ten hornes one other little horne should grow vp whiche shoulde strike of three and take their place and reigne wantonly crwelly and wickedly Wherefore the Popes Empire and those sondry kingdomes grewe vp in a maner aboute one and the same time The kings haue one minde He sheweth moreouer what maner of kingdomes those shal be and how they shal demeane thēselues towardes that latter beast namely towarde the church of Rome thei saieth he haue al 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one opinion they beleue al one thing be of the same religion He speaketh chiefly of the westerne kynges For they al receyue the decrees of the Bishoppe of Rome and honor them as most obedient childrē of the most sacred holy church of Rome They shal deliuer to the beaste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their authoritie or kyngedome For they submitte themselues to the See of Rome Yf the church of Rome haue nede of an Armie or force of armes the kinges sende their power gladly to hym which the most noble kingdome of Boheme felte about an hondreth yeres sins though it were to no great commoditie and beautifull triumphes of the inuaders Yea morouer they acknowledge thēselues to owe homage and feaultie to the moste holy and supreme Bishop in al the world Hereunto chiesly apperteyneth that which Augustin Stewchus in his boke against Laurence valla concernyng the donation of Constantine in the .94 Section hath written on this wise Gregory the .7 vnto Geusa king of Hungarie we suppose it is not vnknowen to thee sayeth he that the kingdome of Hungarie like as other most noble realmes also ought to be in the state of his owne libertie nother that it ought to be subiecte to any kyng of an other realme saue to the holy and vniuersall mother church of Rome which hath her subiectes not as seruauntes but as children Hereunto addeth Steuchus thou hearest with what gouernement the church ruleth that she maye interteyne her subiectes not as seruauntes but as childrē She putteth not kinges out of their possession but permitteth them to reigne as her sonnes who reignyng she reigneth her selfe also Neuerthelesse she will be knowen for Quene and Lady Quene Lady Thou hearest how al the moste noble realmes be subiecte to the Apostolical See Euen there he sheweth that the moste noble kingdomes of Spaine Fraūce England Denmarke Russelande Croatie Dalmatia Arragonie Sardinia Portugalle Bohemia Sweuia and Norwaye be subiecte tributaries to the church of Rome In the Section .97 He addeth moreouer although the kinges reigned and continued in possession yet are they wonte to acknowledge her as Quene and trewe Lady and gyuer of their kingdomes And in the Sect. 105. The old monumentes of all Popes are full of highe authoritie A mouth verely speaking great thinges whereby they haue with their Empires gouerned the whole worlde hauing the rule and order of al landes which power and authoritie that impudente praiser of the Romishe See is not asshamed to call omnipotent or almightie And doubtles we see at this daye great Ambassades sent to Rome by the westerne kinges newely elected crowned to the intent to kisse the Popes fete or too of Antichrist and to offer dewe obedience as they cal it Therefore did he calle them before not kinges absolutely but as kinges For they acknowledge a superiour and be euen as it were seruauntes or wardes of the seruaunt of seruauntes Of whome he hath made proper verses The vulgare people brought from farre ende of the worlde The seruaunt of seruauntes O Rome is now thy Lorde Hereunto the Apostle addeth a thing yet more greuouse The fight with the lambe These Kinges I meane the confederates of the Pope and obedient children of the Church of Rome indewed with the spirite of the beaste shall fight with the Lambe Whereby is signified the tiranny which kinges and princes and certen other states of the Romane Empire do practise long haue practised agaynst Christ his gospel Concerning the lambe we haue already spokē enough before Iohn Baptist poinctyng with his fingar to Christ sayeth beholde the lambe of God which taketh awaye the sinnes of the world Therfore shal the Romish princes fight not agaynste Christ himselfe for they will be christians but agaynst the Lambe that is the sanctification iustification and satisfaction of Christ For yf any man saye at this daye that the sonne of God is most holy by whome alone sinnes are forgeuen and we are sanctified and saye not also that the Bisshop of Rome is moste holy also whiche purgeth by pardons graunted but shall saye rather that perdons are playne disceiptfulnes and the Pope most vncleane of all he shal doubtles nother be takē for right catholicke nother shal he be spared for confessyng the lambe of God Yf any man shal confesse that iustification is only in the sonne of God alone and that men are iustified by fayth only and not also by our workes and merites he shal be caried to death or to prison nother shal the confession of the lambe of God preuayle him any thing Yf any man shal say that he is fully purged through the only oblation of Christe on the crosse as of a lambe without spotte and sacrificed frō the beginnyng neyther that he nedeth any popish Masses wherby the shauelynges boaste that they make a dayly offering for the sinnes of the quicke and dead whiche in dede is both false and blasphemouse he is streight wayes hurried to prison and from thence drawen to the stake and brente We can not denye but that this is true seyng there be at this daie innumerable exāples of Romishe kinges and princes in this behalfe We shall not nede therefore to fetche our exposition farre of how these kinges which wholy depēde of the Pope shal fight with the lambe I speake here nothinge of others which cleaue whole vnto Christ And therefore for a comforte is consequently annexed and the Lambe shall ouer come them The lābe shall ouercome thē For albeit that Popish kinges and Princes seme to ouercome the Sainctes whom they burne murther and distroye yet Christ liueth for euer the redemption of Christe florissheth As moste godly that good poete hath songe Christ liueth yet and shal do still His trewth eke shall remayne Whilst al that doeth this world fulfill Shall perish and be vayne Kinges perish kingdomes perish or be chaunged but the trewth is neuer chaunged Christ perisheth neuer He adioyneth a most strong reason for he is Lord of Lordes and king of kinges Therfore shal they be made a fote stole for the fete of the Lambe as many as shall striue agaynst him You see agayne whie S. Iohn sayed before they receiue power as kinges For all kinges are vnder Christ whiche excelleth all lordes in the worlde For to him is geuen power in Heauen and in earth Let vs therfore be of bold courage For the lord is Emperour and our
in that laste iudgement shal be caste out Dogges and the residewe whiche are recited in the register of the condeÌ„ned The vocable of Dogs is not alwayes taken in the holy Scriptures in the euill parte but yet for the moste parte Abner the Prince of kyng Saulles warres am I the head of a Dogge sayeth he to Isboseth whiche defende the house of Saull agaynste Iuda Signifiyng that he had incurred the displeasure of the tribe of Iuda for that he had reteined ten tribes yet in their duetie and vnder the dominion of the house of kinge Saule Els where as in the .15 of Matthewe the gentiles or heythen or estraunged from the people of God seme to be called Dogges As some at this daye call the Turkes namyng them Turkish do good that is to saye turkish infidelles Now also the prophet Esaye calleth the false Prophetes dogges shamelesse rauening vnsatiable not able to barke and defende the lords Shepefâ—lde or els vnwillyng and slepie After the same signification the Apostle sayeth to the Philippians beware of dogges beware of euill workers c. Moreouer in the holy Scriptures are called dogges angrie men fierse cruell contemners of godly thinges barkers at the trewth sclaunderers and persecuters thereof and blasphemers For in the .22 Psalme Dauid a figure of Christ the lorde crieth Dogges haue inuironned me rounde aboute the counsell of the malignaunt hath compassed me Whom he now calleth Dogges by and by he nameth malignaunt And when Semei cursed Dauid Abisai the sonne of Zaruia sayeth whie doeth this dogge that shall die curse my Lorde the kynge Math. 27. And the lorde in the Gospell forbiddeth to caste that is holy to dogges or pearles to Swine Finally they are called dogges these filthie men vncleane without repentaunce wallowyng themselues in the dungehill of sinne and wickednes For S. Peter calleth suche dogges retournyng to their vomite And the lord prohibiteth 2. Peter 2. that no man bring the price of a strompet or dogge into the Temple For euen therfore the Iewishe Priestes refused the price of bloud offered of Iudas Therefore vnder the name of dogges we vnderstande heythen or infidelles false Prophetes or deceauers cruell men blasphemers persecuters of the veritie cursed speakers contemners of the trewth vncleane and filthie c. And as for the membres that followe haue ben expouÌ„ded before to witte in the .9 chapt and about the beginnyng and in the ende of the .21 He loueth maketh lesinges chapt To a lie he addeth here he that loueth and maketh For many make them not opeÌ„ly but they loue fauour and auaunce them Many both loue and make them They loue a lesyng chiefely whiche mainteyne liyng learnyng and delighte therein But hereof moste purposely Primasius Bishoppe of Vtica to all these thinges sayeth he must be geuen not dilligence of expouÌ„ding but carefulnes of auoyding the euils The lord Iesus saue vs froÌ„ al euill AmeÌ„ ¶ Christ is shewed agayne to be Authour of this booke how great he is here Here is also declared the desire of the church wisshyng for the commyng of Christ and the liberall promesse of the Lorde The C. Sermon I Iesus sent mine Angell to testifie vnto you these thinges in the coÌ„gregations I am the rote and generatioÌ„ of Dauid and the bright mornyng Starre And the spirite and the bryde sayde come And lette him that heareth saye also come And let him that is a thirste come And let who so euer will take of the water of life free The Authour of this booke Christ The tenth place of this conclusion sheweth againe the authour of this worke to be Iesus Christ whiche is brought in here of S. Iohn speakyng to the intent the thing that is spoken maye haue the more authoritie and credit be geueÌ„ more easely of the Auditours to the whole worke Wherefore nothing is to be ascribed to S. Iohn but the writing of the worke that is to wit that he first saw al these thinges indited committed them to writing And the maner also of the reuelation is repeted Christ himselfe came not downe into the earth or into these lower partes but sent forth his Angel which from Christ in Christes name opened shewed these thinges to S. Iohn The ende also of the Angelles sendyng or reuelatioÌ„ is specified that he should testifie these thinges in congregations and to you al that are in the world vnto th ende of the world And we learne of those fewe wordes that credit muste be geuen to this boke as that which is propouÌ„ded of the very sonne of God by his Angel and Apostle and that in dede propounded to all that are in the church Agayne that Iesus Christ is very God the lord of Angelles as S. Paule also affirmeth in the .1 chap. to the Hebrewes Christ very God Of the which thing is spoken also before And these moste clere testimonies of the scripture ought to moue the faithful more thaÌ„ al the dotages of Seruetus the Spaniarde and Seruetanes playing the Arrians and Iewes Let vs obserue moreouer that Christe sente his Angell not to Iudge or to teache but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy writinges are AutheÌ„ticall that is to testifie Testimonies lawefully taken or committed to wryting and sealed it is not lawefull to speake agaynst For they are altogether taken for Authentical But all this boke was written by S. Iohn and is a witnes or the testimony of the Angell of God Therefore is it vnlawefull to doubte any thynge thereof And also ought to haue the same opinion of all other bookes of the olde and newe Testamente For the Prophetes and Apostles are called the witnesses of God and the Gospell and doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles the witnes or testimonie He is madde that thinketh not the Canonicall Scripture to be of it selfe Authenticall vnlesse it be first made authenticall by the approbation of the church and Counselles Moreouer we vnderstande that the doctrine of this whole boke belongeth not only to the seuen churches of Asia but to all dispersed through out the whole worlde and therefore to apperteyne chiefely and singularly vnto vs whiche liue at this daye at Zuricke or in Swycerlande Englande Fraunce or Germany Aretas Bisshoppe of Cesaria that he should testifie saieth he that is to saye that â—e should proteste not priuely nor obscurely but in the audience of all Churches dispersed in all the worlde that no man pretendynge wilfull ignoraunce shoulde remayne vncorrected And incontinently the Lord him selfe also sheweth and declareth Christe is the roote stocke of Dauid who and howe greate he is and what we faythfull haue layde vp in store in him And he vseth agayne parables and allusions for the more perspicuitie And firste he calleth him selfe the roote and generation of Dauid that is to saye a trewe and naturall man For we hearde before that he was very and naturall God And he cutteth of from al Heretikes deniyng and impugnyng the
A HVNDRED Sermons vpō the Apocalips of Iesu Christe reueiled in dede by Thangell of the Lorde but seen or receyued and written by thapostle and Euāgelist S. Iohn Compiled by the famous and godly learned man Henry Bullinger chief Pastor of the Congregation of Zuryk ¶ Newly set forth and allowed according to the order appoynted in the Quenes maiesties Iniuntions ¶ Th argument wurthines commoditie and vse of this worke thou shalt fynd in the Preface After which thou hast a most exact Table to leade thee into all the princypall matters conteyned therin Math. 17. ☞ This is my welbeloued sun in whom I take pleasure heare hym Anno. 1561 TO THE RIGHT HOnorable Syr Thomas Wentworth knight Lorde VVentworth Lorde Lifetenaunt of the Quenes Maiesties Countie of Suffolk c. Hys singular good Lorde and Master Iohn Daus his obedient Seruaunt wissheth health and peace in the Lorde with thincrease of honor and dignitye IF we waigh and consider aswell this present pece of Scripture intitled the Reuelatiō as also the whole body of the same Ryghte honorable and my singular Lorde we shall fynde that the trewe Churche of Chryst hath ben euer from the first creation of the world is now and still shall be to the consumation therof subiecte to greate aduersities persecutions and troubles out of the which notwithstanding the Lord when he seeth it good deliuereth and preserueth the same and suffereth her not to perysh Wherupon the Romish haue a trew saying that Peters ship may with billowes and waues of tempestuous stormes be ouer whelmed but can neuer be drowned which saying is doubtlesse most true although thei thē selues sayle not therein but rather seke to dround the same by ouerfraighting her with the heauy burthen of mens traditions For certēly the Shippe of Peter whiche is the figure of Chrystes Churche is in dede ofte tossed and tourmoyled with outragious stormes and tempestes but can neuer be drenched or swallowed vp of the same For Christ bothe Master and owner therof can and wyll for his mercy truthes sake appeace all rages at his pleasure Herin both the Papistes and Gospellers do agree But whether of them are the trewe Church◠thys matter is yet in controuersie hangeth before the Iudg which this present worke shall discerne and put out of all doubt And to enter a little into the matter as it were with a certen preamble the true Churche of Chryste is not called the stony temple wherin we assemble to heare Gods worde receyue the Sacramentes and to praye in for suche are builded with handes and with handes are destroyed a 〈…〉 nether yet is it called the congregation of certen Byshops of al nations assembled in a generall Counsell for they all though in the firste lawfull and godly counselles were many good men and excellent mēbers of Christes Church yet were they not the whole church which could not erre and the which had authoritie to make new Articles of the faith but the Church is called the whole societie of people that acknowledge the Gospell of Christe and beleue in him And this Churche not to be of one time only but of all tymes ages as Adam with Eue hys wife his sun Abel his familie was the church Noah with his familie was the churche Melchizedec with his familie was the Churche Abraham also with his familie Likewyse Isaac Iacob Dauid the Prophetes and Apostles with theyr Auditours that beleued in the Gospell of Christ were the churche and where soeuer at this daye the Gospel of Christ is receyued and beleued there is also the church of Christ which by a figuratiue speache may be aptly called the Ship of Peter or Arcke of Noe. Now let vs consider the state of the churche vnder Adam wherof the chiefest member was righteous Abel but him doth his brother Cain persecute for Religion and slayeth hym And this was the beginning of the tempest that arose a-against the Ship of Peter the beginning I meane of the persecution of the church which shal last to the worldes ende Lykewyse dyd the churche vnder Abraham suffer persecution by Ismaell vnder Isaac by Esau vnder Moses of Pharao vnder Eli the high Priest the Arke of the Lorde was taken by the Philistines and then it was thought that the church shulde haue quyte perished vnder Achab and wicked Iezabel the Churche was not onlye afflicted and sore oppressed but also in a maner extinguished where the Prophet Helias complayned that he was lefte alone Vnder Ieremie the Citie of Ierusalem was destroyed of the Babylonians and the churche was not lyke then to perish but rather vtterly lost already when Christ the head of the Churche was crutified it was iudged that the churche had then ben cleane destroied We had thought say they that he shoulde haue redemed Israell what tyme king Pharao with his host had inclosed the Israelites that is to witte the churche betwene the mountaines and the Red Sea it was lyke that the churche shulde haue perished but Moses prayed the Lorde miraculously deliuered them Againe the churche semed to be in extreme daunger when Sennacherib spoyled the kyngdome of Iuda and ment to destroy Ierusalem but througe the prayer of Ezechias the Kyng God sent his Angell and distroyed the host of the Assyrians The church semed to tende vnto ruine when Herod had killed Iames with the sweard and minded also Peter but the congregation contynewyng in prayer the Lorde sent his Angel to deliuer Peter And to be short in those ten greuous persecutions which followed immediatly after the Apostles time the church many times semed brought vnto vtter decay but alwayes when God saw it good it was reuiued and as it were refreshed agayne What shuld I recite the persecutions of the churche in the time of Athanasius wherin the Arrian Bishoppes so preuayled that the Emperour and his whole Armye so persecuted Athanasius that the good Bishop was fayne to lye hyd in an holle where he saw no sunne by the space of sixe yeares And who wold then haue thought that euer the trew churche of Christ shulde haue flourished agayne I nede not here to reherse the cruell persecutions of the church vnder the Romish antichrist which neuerthelesse haue ben and be yet styll most tyranicall and blouddye For that the same shall in this present worke more clerely appere then that I nede to make any discourse therof only I wolde shewe briefely as dothe my Author at large that Christes trewe churche is alwayes subiect to persecutions To thintent therfore to passe ouer many thynges vntouched and to come nerer our fathers memorye in the tyme of the Emperoure Sigismunde there was holden a counsell at Constaunce wherein the Bishops so conspired to extinguish Christes veritie that contrary to thauncient libertie of a free and general Counsel and cōtrary to the Emperours saufconduit they not only burned there Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage professours of Chrystes Gospell but decreed also that the bones of
theyr knees to Baall Al the which through his vnspeakable goodnes and mercy he hath saued from perdition and mercyfully clensed from all corruption And out of the seuenth seale Seuen trompets Chap. viii are brought consequently seuen trōpets by the which are denounced greuous conflicts of the faithful and infidels Yet before that these things are expounded Chryst is shewed before the Throne of God making intercession for vs. And to him are the faithful sent in their perils to craue helpe of him succour and deliueraunce And the Deuil master of lyes bloweth the one sente to his men Againe the holy spitite of God soundeth the trompet to the Sainctes They ioyne together in battell here the godly and vngodly the disciples of the pure and of the corrupt doctrine the soldiours of Chryst and of the Deuil Here are great daungers and the minds of the godly ar more greuously afflicted and tempted with peruerse doctrynes in the churche then with the cruel sworde of tyrantes and almaner of calamities Here are sondry heresies resited which impugne and corrupt the euangelical veritie And as by the seuen seales he vnderstode al maner of calamities by the iust iudgement of God powred out vpon the worlde so vnder the seuen trompets he comprehendeth al heresies in the world and pernitious opinions against thapostolical doctryne And sheweth that amonges those corrupte deprauations Mahometrie and Papistrie did moste excell He describeth the wanton and tedious clergie of the Pope Chap. ix whiche to men is euen intollerable vnder the kynde of grassehoppers And Lawrence Valla a man excellently learned though he was a Romane borne and that of a noble house Where the libertie mete for Christe was of him more estemed then so hard and monstrouse a bondage coulde not refrayne but inueyghed against the Popish clergie and said I verely yf I haue any fayth at all beleue nothing to be more hatefull neyther to God nor to other men then so greate a licentiousnes of the Clergie in temporall matters And no lesse euidently expresseth the Turkishe crueltie vnder the kind of terrible horses breathing out smoke and fyres By all the which thinges he setteth forth the church to be moste miserably afflicted and tormented vtterly after the same sorte that we see thē vexed at this day vnder the moste vnhappie papistrie mahometrie Againe yet lest any man shuld be in so great euils discouraged and shuld thinke that God The Gospel or consolation his promesses touching the endes of good and euill men were vayne also concerning the deliueraunce of the faithfull by the last iudgment Agayne after the disposition and maner Apostolicall he annexeth and setteth against all these perilles and calamities Chap. x. a most strong consolation For he bringeth forthe the Lorde Chryst hym selfe confirming by a solemne othe that doubtlesse an end of all these thynges shulde come And that God of hys iustice wyll assuredly render rewardes to the godly and punishment to the wicked Where he dissembleth not that Iohn himselfe shall prophecy again to write in thapostolicall spirite and doctryne to kynges nations and many people Moreouer he affirmeth manifestly that he wyll send in to the worlde Chap. xi teachers of the veritie and of certayne saluation which also most sharply shal rebuke the wickednes and wicked men of the moste corrupt last age shall preache Christ sincerly and accuse Antichrist most greuously These he shaddoweth by a figure of two excellent doctours Whom he saith for the libertie of preachinge and constancie of fayth shuld be most cruelly slayne of Antichrist But he addeth that these shall receyue of God most ample rewardes And that Antichrist shall laboure in vayne to suppresse by fyre and sworde the preaching of the Gospell for so muche as the Lorde shall oftentymes stire vp new preachers which shal lighten the truth obscured He addeth furthermore that many shal daily reuolt from Antichrists kingdom and that the same finally by the coming of the Iudge shal be vtterly brought to nought and he maketh no conclusion at this present in this place of the last iudgement of Christ but differreth thexposition or treatyng of that matter to an other place more cōuenient which he treateth in the .xix. and .xx. Chapters And these thinges hitherto hath he spoken generally of the perils calamities contentions troubles sectes and persecutions of the churche of Chryst whiche shal exercise it from the time of Chryst and his Apostles to the worlds end He annexeth consequently a singular or priuate and that a plentifull treatise of the most greuous conflictes and persecutions of the church For it behoueth chieflye the sainctes to haue knowne these thynges that in the veri perilles and afflictions they may remember this godly admonition and beare in minde that the Lorde hathe tolde before Chap. xii of the things that they now suffer who ruleth gouerneth al things finally who can and wil delyuer them from al these euyls when how and asmuche as he of his good wyll shall see it good Firste therfore he propoundeth agayne generally the partes of this conflicte or strife a woman clothed with the sunne crowned traueling which is a figure of the faithfull churche he setteth against her a most fierse and cruel enemie I say the great dragon Red with seuen heades c. A figure doubtles of that olde serpente the Deuill After are setforth theyr attempts nature force and conflictes or fyght Seuen heads of the Dragon And here again for a cōforte it is expressed the victory of Chryst the head and of the churche and members of the same Afterward the Lord by Iohn rehearseth seuerally in the vision the special instruments or members of the dragon by the which he assaulteth and moste cruelly vexeth Chap. xiii and werieth the church And these instrumentes are the beaste with seuen heades and ten hornes and the beast with two hornes that is thempire and false prophet and the image of thempire Seuen heads of the beast These thynges he painteth out after the Imutation of Daniell so liuely and as it is sayd with theyr owne colors in the .xiii. and .xvii. Chap that no man can chouse but fele and muche more perceyue of whom he speaketh verely of the olde Romane Empire and of Papistrie He calleth beastes after the imitation of Daniell cruell kyngdomes or empires And the thyng it selfe declareth that our very Lorde Iesus Chryst the head and king of all Sainctes suffered and was crucified vnder Ponce Pilate gouernour of Iuri but sent thither frō Rome and gouerning althinges in the name of Themperour Tiberius Agayne euery man knoweth that the first persecutiō against the Christians was styred vp by Nero Emperour of Rome The seconde by Flauius Domitian Emperour of Rome which intrapped also the Authour of this worke And after this we reade of eyght other persecutions or mo styred vp by the residew of Romane Emperours against the faithful spouse of Christ by the whiche she
knowen and that we might more easely flee Antichrist once knowne The nombre of the name of the beaste S. Iohn also addeth the nomber of the name of the beast 666 by the whiche we verely come to the name or knowledg of Antichrist For if we accōpt from the settyng forth of the Apocalips syxe hundreth threscore syxe yeres we shal come to the yeare of our Lord .763 To the same time I say wherin the Bishop of Rome forgettyng his humilitie simplicicitie pouertie and also his office and ministerie set his mynd to beare rule and receyued exceading great rewards of king Pipine and of other Princes and prepared him selfe away wherby afterward he climeth to the high dignitie of thempire Which thynge in the worke it selfe shall appere more playnely out of historyes And as he did once or twise before so now also S. Iohn after the Apostolicke maner comforteth the afflicted and faithfull Churche least haply in this distresse and continuall persecutions of Antichriste it shoulde falle Comforte Chap. xiiij and shoulde thinke that religion and the church were cleane forsaken He sheweth therfore howe cruelly so euer bothe the ten horned beaste and the two horned beaste do rage yet stondeth the lambe neuerthelesse in mounte Sion not as the Dragon in the sāde And that Christ hath in this wicked worlde polluted of Antichrist his chosen churche which he will moste faithfully preserue euermore and mainteyne he addeth that howe muche so euer the beast coueteth to haue the sacred and holye preachinge of the Gospell oppressed the Gospell shal neuerthelesse be preached and that clerely and that Babylon shall certenly falle and the churche of Christe be established He addeth moreouer for a comforte that the soules of Saints that at in daunger or suffer for Christe do assuredly and streightwaye flitte from this corporall death to eternall lyfe Agayne that the Lorde is ready to take vengeaunce of all his enemies to requyte them aboūdantly which he sheweth trymly by the parables of vintage haruest Of the rewards punishments of good euyll And these things handled on this wyse he procedeth to declare dilligently not the laste place of thys booke of thendes of good and euyll men of moste ample rewardes to be geuen to the worshyppers of Christe and of moste greuouse paines and tormentes to be inflicted to the adherentes of Antichrist Men of no smalle estimation sticke in these things doubtefull and the common people herin erre more than shamefully whilest for the present felicitie of the wicked and continuall miserie of the Godly they doubte whether paynes be appoynted for the wycked or so greate rewardes for the godly For euen for thys cause fewe kepe theyr standynge and more laugh at Chryste and hys woorde and imbrace the presente pleasures of thys present woorlde followynge the more happie and victoriouse parte Chap. xv Seuen vials Therfore blessed Saint Iohn not wythout cause the Lorde commaundinge him bestoweth very muche diligence in declaringe these thyngs exactely And firste after hys maner he bringeth foorthe seuen Aungels hauynge cuppes of the plages of God and thaungels come out of the temple signifienge the iudgements of God in punisshynge the wycked to be most ryghtuouse And the seuenth nombre comprehendeth agayne all maner and the most ful plages of God The Aungels powre out these vialles vpon the Antichristianes Chap. xvi the enemies of Gods woorde and the hard harted that can not repente For God moste rightuouse plageth the impenitēt woorlde with sondry tormentes reseruinge yet more greuouse then these to punishe them in the woorld to come Chap. xvij But especially he exhibiteth the iudgement that is to witte the punishement of the harlot in pourple I meane of the Pope and the beaste to be sene Firste he brought foorth an honeste and noble matrone to witte the very spouse of Chryste Nowe as it wer by opposition he setteth against her a proude whore that false newe start vp Romishe Churche who extollinge her selfe braggeth more of her outwarde apparell then of inwarde furniture And he affirmeth that she shall perish for her greate offences lyke as it is euident that tholde beaste was torne in pieces and burnt And that strompet that is called the whore of Babilō sitteth on the beaste For Rome is the seate of the same church that is called both the Romane and most holy church Wherby all men maye see that S. Iohn hath spoken so skylfully that he hath as it were pointed with the fingarre as they comonly saye whom he meaneth and of whō he speaketh doubtles thauncient wryters as I tolde you a little before vnderstoode by Babylon Rome it selfe But afterwarde he discourseth at length the destruction of Babylon wyth a maruelouse plentye of playne woordes as it were powringe out a certen fludde of eloquēce Chap. xviij and compendiously collectynge all amplifications and figures that beautifie the speache which are any where to be founde amonges the Prophets But by the way he placeth among these certen most pleasant thyngs of the mariage of the lambe Chap. xix and of the bryde preparynge her selfe to the mariage and of the certenty of the saluation of the godly and what maner a thinge that blessed felicity is Whiche finished he descendeth immediately to the same laste iudgement whiche I suppose is no where els in the whole scripture as it is here not only so described but also painted out with liuely couloures For here is described the persone of the Iudge comynge to Iudgement with his saints with greate power and gloryes There stonde against him the ranks of his enemies breathing most cruell thinges againste the Saints of God By and by succedeth the most terrible iudgement but yet most iuste For the false prophet is throwen downe into hell downe is the beaste throwen and down are cast all wycked and impenitent persons There is shewed here moreouer the iustice and equitie of thys vniuersall Iudgement in th ende of the worlde Chap. xx wherin is punishmēt taken of all persones of what nation religion degree or state sexe so euer they be that are sequestred and alienated from the true religion of Christe Where both the resurrection of the dead is touched and the processe of the whole iudgement is figured Herunto he annexeth a most ioyfull disputation of the blessed lyfe shewyng firste generally what it is and that it shall most certenlye be geuen to the faithfull by the which treatise most strongely is beaten downe the distruste or diffidence that is naturally greffed in vs. After pryuatly and plentifully vnder the Type or Image of a most beautifull Citie Chap. xxi xxij he shadoweth after a sorte the place palace of the blessed omitting vtterly nothing at all that is either ioyouse cōfortable delectable or preciouse which he affirmeth not to be in the court celestiall most aboundantly worlde without ende Notwithstāding we know well inough that touching the ioy
189 Chosen affiāsed to the lamb 563 Chosen people lyuely temple of God 305 Christians worldly 124 Christ described 21.124.162.32 283.577 Christ hath all power c. geuen him .161.165 is king of kings and Lord of lordes .522.581 is owner of all kyngdomes .338 sunne of god .87 God mā 87 very God 36.96.16.137.163 168.661.675 is very mā 162 163.42 his power .43 is a lāb 162.440 greter thē Aungels saints c. 163.177 Lord of angels .16 was slain from the beginnyng .382 figured by Aungels .356 by Eliachim .43 is head of the Churche .36 prelat of the Churche .47 an aultar 197.236 a mighty Angel .284 236. offreth vp our prayers sitting on the right hand of God 237. of the same substanse wyth the father coequall .41.42.668 670. is not authour of corrupting the treuth thogh he opē the sixt seal .205 cast out of the church by the Pope Mahomet shall return with glory .283 is not fought against but the lāb 521 author of thapocalyps .688 very God lord of angels .689 author of saluatiō .218 begottē in vs .350 no creature .125 our best apparil .108 king priest 35. trew .112 holy .111 a lyuely foūtain .252 word of God .579 most necessari to be known 159 Christ hath charge of seuē cādles 50.51 receiueth things of the father how .166 shal be subiect to the father .339 must be honored 449. is not al or sufficiēt to sum 210. is set forth in thapocalyps 9. hath the kei of Dauid .112 is the trew māna .84 fiedeth leadeth quikneth 232 receiueth power reineth .340 openeth the bouk 158. knoweth our wurks 64. nieds no vicar .35 hys beginninge .125 his cumming of ij sorts .223 his cūming to iudgemēt .24 his image setforth 33 his body suffred .268 hys humain body in one place .34 godhed euery wher 34 Church descrybed .350 is the citie of God .121 is both mother and doghter .366 is figured by the moon .207 bi a womā 348 is belouid of God .116 dwels when Satās seat is .73 shal be in the midst of troubles .305 hydeth it selfe .209 flyeth into wildernes .353 is emong the gentils .365 shal be alwaies in the world .183 hath alwaies in this lyfe that may be reprehendid .79 traueleth and bringeth forth ij wais .350 remoued whē 57. the garnishinge therof .510 glorye therof is to cum .648 chief enemies therof .347 hystory therof discoursid 183 Churche old of Rome distinguisshed 542 Church of Rome church of Rom c. 496 Churchs fallible notz peas and tranquility 194 Churchs how they wer gouerned at the beginning 387 Circes of Rome 512 Citie great or heuenly 648. c. Citye great diuyded into thre 501 Citye great is the romish church 510 Citye of God and name therof 121 Cityes greatest commendacion 650 Citizens of the kingdum of God who 109 Clamitat in celis vox sang c. 198 Cleannes fygured by fyre 266 Clergye compared to locuste 256. Clergie innumerable 255 Clergie authors of warres 260 Clermont counsel 613 Clothed in whyt what they be 229 Cloud in the script 285 Columnz erecting 120 Comfort excieding in thapocalips 12 Comfort in tribulacion 27 Committing of hordum in the script 507 Commocions 524 Commotions and theyr causes 206 Commodities of thapocalyps 12 Condemned are iustly condemned 589 Confessing of beleuerz bp Chryst 109 Cōfessing of trespas is beginning of repentaunse 56 Confusion of Romishe Religion 512 Congregacions how they may be kept 115 Consolacion of the faithfull 305. 306. Consolacion in affliction 62 Consolation in the Apocalyps 12 Consolation foloeth humility 40 Constancy 73 Constantin emperour abhorred Rome 383 Constitucions of man nied not 299 Constancie and continans figured by a square 655 Constantinoples destructyon 275 Constans in faith 113 Constitucions of men 69. 100 Contemners of the blessed lyfe 232 Contencion for tryfles oght not to be 29 Contracting of matrimony 563. Conuersacion is our garment 108 Copz and gorgious things in the church 510 Corn prospering or perishing cūmeth by God 190 Coronacion of a Pope 511 Corrupt doctryns hystorie 234 Couetous ryche men are poore 128 Couetousnes of the Romains 393 Could nor hoot 126 Coulor pale sign c. 190 Counsel can not iudge the Pope 406 Councels generall iiij 268 Counsel holsum 129 Counsel of Clermont 613 Counsels of God insearcheable 380 Counsels to condemn impuritye nied not 80 Countenanse of Christ 38 Cowl of our lady 132 Creaturs al submit thē to Christ 178 Creatures are not to be worshypped 175.177.678 Creatures of Gods beginnyng 125 Croun 183 Croun of lyfe what 69 Croun token of a kyngdum 349 Croun for honor glory victory 118.110 Crosse foloeth Godes worde 303 Crueltie of Rome 508 Crueltie of Antichrist 324 Crueltie of the Romainns 369 Crueltie figured by Lyons tieth 262 Crying for vengeaunse 198 Comfort in persecution 204.333 326 Comfort gospellyk 234 Comfort againste Antechryst 285 Cumming of Chryst of ij sorts 223 Curius inquirie of Gods iudgements 144 Curiositie in serching Gods coūsels repressed 380 Curiosity repelled by reurrense submission vnto God 152 Curs banished 670 Cursing of the Pope 399 D Damnacion eternall described 455 Damnacion euerlasting 628 Damnacion eternall for seducing 584 Damned are iustly damned 589 Damned parsons 641 Dauid is called Christ 357 Day last or end of the world 575 Death of ij sorts .605 spirituall 103 Death after this death 70 Death for trewthz sake 69 Death of Christ 22.172 Death geues vp the dead 627 Dead ryse again 626 Decay and spiedy ruin compared to sand 367 Decius Traianus 194 Decretals .404 decrees and decretalles 100 Defectyue reason 277 Defence figured by egles wings 364 Degrees of punishment 585 Decking of the church 510 Delais of returning to God 224 Delay of Gods help 118 Deliuerans in persecutiō 364. c Deniall of God 460 Denyall of Christ and hys gospel many wayes 76 Denyall of Christs name 114 Derth and famin 189 Descending of Christ from heuē 284. Desert of man 248 Deuill author of ill .185 a sclaunderer .356 vanquished 591 bound .596 cast out how 595 608. where he reygneth .362 his four names .359 c. wourshiped 279 Dioces 403. c Dioclecian 194 Dionysius Alexandrinus of the authoriti of thapocalyps 6 Dianaz temple 48 Disciplin 133 Diseaseas of churches howe they shold be holpen 104 Dispair of ill men what causeth 210.211.212 Dispair remoued 278 Disposition or order of thapocalyps 347 Disputacions clamorus 264 Dissemblers .541.66 Iewls warm 126 Dissentiō in the church no news 52 Distroyers of the earth of diuers sorts 344 Distroyer Popes name 265 Destruction of reames thrugh reuolting from trewe religion 271 Diuersitie of opinions 98 Diuinitie of Christ 64 13◠Do as ye would be doone vnto 383 Doctryn resembled by wynd by leuen 214 Doctryn holsum figured by air 253 Doctryn euangelicall shal be restored 297 Doctryn newe is not to be loukt for 118 Doctryn of Christ perpetual 99 Doctryn corrupted 205 Doctrin peruers figured bi smoke 253 Doctryn new 447
chiefly of Christ secondly of our whole faith redemption The third Sermon IOhn to the seuen coÌ„gregatioÌ„s Asia Grace be with you peaâ— from him whiche is and whicâ— was whiche is to come and 〈◊〉 the seuen spirites which are prâ—sent before his throne And froÌ„ Iesus Chriâ—â— which is a faithful witnes and first begotâ— of the dead And Lord ouer the kinges of tâ— earth Vnto hym that loued vs and wasshâ— vs from sinnes in his own bloud And maâ— vs kynges and priestes vnto God his fatheâ— be glory and dominion for euermore Ameâ— Behold he cometh with cloudes And al eyâ— shal se him And thei also which pearsed hiâ— al kinredes of the earth shal wayle ouer him Euen so AmeÌ„ I am Alpha Omega the beginning thending saith the Lord almightâ— which is which was which is to come The beginning or preface of the wâ—rke Another pece of the first part of this boke conteineth tâ— beginning or preface wherin is the Apostles salutation 〈◊〉 the whiche he discribeth first the whole mistery of Christ â—â—condly of our faith redemption For so were the Apostles wont in the beginning of their writinges to comprise a brief some of salutation Which thing in Paules Epistles is euery where to be sene By the same description he getteth the beneuolence and attentiuenes of al men The Apostles salutation or greting is nothing els What is the Apostles salutation but a blessing Blessing is an old accustomed order by the whiche the Patriarkes wished of God to their children al maner of good thinges both of body soul Which verely in Genesis is described at large And also the high priest had coÌ„maundement geuen to blesse the people As we reade in the sixt of NuÌ„bres especially he commaundeth to put his name vpon the people Therfore it is a supersticion to say God verely from whome euery good gifte descendeth froÌ„ aboue blesseth that is geueth good thinges but ministers or men wishe only And the Lord in dede in the lawe promiseth that he will grauÌ„t those thinges to the people whiche the high priestes shoulde wishe them Therfore nother wordes nor shauen crownes but the truth power of God geue the giftes We ought not therfore to doubt but that God wil grauÌ„t to vs also thapostolical blessing that being reconciled accepted of God we might haue peace And first S. IhoÌ„ repeteth his name left we shuld any thing doubt of thautour Iohn interpretour of Christ towardes the congregations whoÌ„ we see Christ to haue vsed as scribe interpretour vnto al coÌ„gregatioÌ„s But he repeteth not himself to be that seruauÌ„t of god witnesse or Apostle of Iesu Christ It sufficed to haue heard that at the first beginniÌ„g Therfore he teacheth theÌ„ modestie humilitie also which haue obteined great giftes Afterward he signifieth to whoÌ„ he wryteth to whoÌ„ this boke apperteineth to the seuen churches of Asia the names wherof he will vtter shortly after And Aretas bishop of Cesaria by the .vii. churches saith he by the .vii. nuÌ„bre he signified the multitude of churches that be in al places So also Primasius bish of Vtica in Affrick expouÌ„deth the .vii. nuÌ„ber Therfor this salutatioÌ„ this boke the whole doctrine of Iesu Christ writteÌ„ by s IhoÌ„ To whom this booke apperteineth apperteineth to the whole vniuersal church of Christ throughout al the world in all times ages WherupoÌ„ it beloÌ„geth to all vs also as many as be of vs in the church of Christ For albeit thepistles be intitled to the Romains Galath yet followeth it not therfore that they be not ours And he wryteth expressely to the churches of Asia not to tâ— churches of Hierusalem or Iewery that he might so shewâ— that the kingdome of Christ is comen also already to the gâ—tiles And as God from the beginning chose Israell in whiâ—he myght set forth a perfit example of the church and coÌ„mâ—wealth so froÌ„ the beginning of the new TestameÌ„t he chose thosâ— seuen churches of Asia which he might set forth to the whâ—â— Christen world But in case Rome had ben set in the first plaâ— amongest the churches as Ephesus is good God hoâ— much wold the Romish sort make of it for the estabishingâ— their supremacie The forme of the Apostles bessing And the maner of the Apostles saluting wysheth granâ— peace Grace is the fauour of the deitie and the reconcâ—ment wherby God the father for Christ his sake is madeâ— one with vs our sinnes pardoned we adopted for his chiâ—dren Therof arriseth the peace and tranquillitie of myndâ— and the desire of concorde with all men And here he sheweth aboundantly who geueth the churcâ— his blessing that is to witte grace reconcilement peaâ— God and God thre in persons the father the sonne and thâ— holy ghost one God in essence But here he discerneth thâ— persones very well From him that is to witte the fatheâ— And from the seueÌ„ spirites that is from the holy ghost And froâ— Iesu Christ this is the diuersitie of persons And the signification of the vnitie is when after the proprieties of persons dâ—clared The holy gost is placed in the middes he addeth I am Alpha omega c. And that the hoâ— ghost is set here in the middes it disordereth not the misteâ— of the Trinitie but appeareth to be an argument that he 〈◊〉 the spirite as well of the father as of the sonne and that hâ— procedeth from both As it is also proued by the wordes 〈◊〉 our lord the xiiii.xv and .xvi. of Iohn Here is also describeâ— the whole holsome mistery first of Christ than of the catholike faith and of our redemptioÌ„ so that herein you may findâ— the chiefest articles of the Apostles crede haue here a mosâ— goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ our Lord. Hereof al meÌ„ shall iudgâ— how truly some men say The father whiche is which was c. that this boke contrary to the â—â—stome of thapostles maketh litle mentioÌ„ of Christ of faith The father as fountain original of whom the son is ingendred is first described for that it is he whiche is which was and which is to come Those wordes toke Iohn out of Moyses in the .iii. and .xxxiiii. chap. of Exod. out of many testimonies of Esay And he saith nothing but that God the father is an eternall ensence which coÌ„sisteth by and of it self and is and geueth life to all and in all preserueth the same And that this essence is suche that it hath bene always with out beginning For this is it that he ioyneth to being or existing was He addeth and he that shall come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which shal be and shal remaine euen to the ende and to euerlastingnes without end The Grekes deriue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of running for that conning and running he medleth with all matters is euery where present bringing help to the godly or
in thys worlde to be sene as is profitable 1 Iohn 2 and as our infirmitie may perceiue But this same is not litle or nothing but great and large and moste full of spirituall pleasure I meane if we beholde these misteries of God with a faithfull eye and mynde desyrous of Godly matters And doubtles they be thynges certayn and true that here are reuealed vnto vs. For they be reuealed by the very sonne of God Let vs not wysh than to se more or desyre greater thinges than these are But take pleasure in those which Christ hath graunted vs. And let vs knowe for certentie that a wonderful benefite of God is geuen vs in this vision For who would not couet to se Christ in glory sitting on the ryght hand of the father Who desyreth not to knowe what our Sauiour doth in heauen And home being in heaueÌ„ is neuertheles present with his church in earth But this sacred and holy Image instructeth in all these poinctes all the faithfull of Christe moste fully Howebeit this Image of Christ is not to be set forth with colours synce that colours can not atteine to the maiestie therof but with the ecclesiasticall doctrine whiche hath the promesse of the spirite of Christe And is therfore more euident and only mete for the true expressing therof Let vs also prynt the same Image not vpon any dead table with colours that wyll peryshe and fade but in our hartes through the liuely spirite of God whiche may also kepe it in our myndes neuer to be â—wipt out And such thinges as are spoken in the seconde and third chap. Of this boke are deriued of this descriptionâ— Christ that the maiestie of the thing might inuite vs to a sâ—â—gular diligence The matter is very playne An aungell represeÌ„teth Christ First we are taught who it is whose Image is to vs exâ—â—bited Not the sonne of man him selfe in his own substaunâ—â— but lyke the sonne of man The sonne of man after the phrâ— of the Gospell is called Christ hym selfe very God and mâ— Here he shewed not hym selfe to be sene of Iohn in his ouâ— substaunce but in the fourme of an Aungell that representâ— Christ Whiche thyng is oftener then once founde in thâ— boke We shal therfore referre all these thinges vnto Chrisâ— not to the Aungell whiche is the minister of Christ in thâ— mistery And we shall see Christ in his owne substaunâ—â— what tyme our base body shall flitte from hence and beyâ— reysed from the dead shall be glorified In the meane tyâ— the soull from the death of the body tyll it ryse agayne shâ— clearely haue the fruition of the sight of Christ Wherein 〈◊〉 I sayd before shall be the chief ioye and felicitie We shâ— nowe therfore see Christ as it were in a glasse and so mucâ— as shall suffice vs. The Lorde open to vs the eyes of oâ—â— mynde Where Christ is abiding He telleth moreouer where he sawe Christ in the middâ— of seuen candelstickes By and by we shall perceiue that 〈◊〉 the candelstickes must be vnderstande the churches Chriâ—â— is than in the middes of the churche He sitteth verely onâ— ryght hand of the father and after the proprietie of this â—â—mane body he is but in one place and in no mo As S. Aâ—gustin declareth aboundauntly in the .lvii. Epistle to Dorâ—nus Yet for as muche as he is also very God he is lykewâ—â—â— in the myddes of the churche as he promised in the Gospâ—â— Whersoeuer two or three be gathered in my name Mat. 18.28 theâ— am in the myddes of them And agayne behold I am wâ—â—â— you vnto the worldes ende Therfore by his power diuiâ—â— Christ remayneth and worketh in the churche present aâ— not absent Leaue therfore to inquire what Christ doth 〈◊〉 the ryght hand of his father whether he sitte continually And he is verely in the myddes of the churches fyxed to 〈◊〉 place but shewyng hym selfe indifferently to all egall as helpefull For he neyther accepteth persones nor slepeâ— He is not paynted he is not Idle nothyng regardyng matters of the churche But is chiefly and only attentiue to the saluation of the same Suche a one he promysed him selfe to be in the .14.15 and .16 of Iohn And seyng Christ is in the myddes of the churche what Vicar moreouer shall he haue Shall he haue that ennemy whiche is directly against hym Christ hath no vicar 2 Tessa 2. For a Vicar is in steade of one absent But Christ is in the middell of the churche present not absent In the text followyng Christ is described moste plentifully many thynges are ascribed vnto him And is declared in what sort Christ is in the mids of the church And first indede is shewed what garment he hath on To wit both priestly princely By the which thing is figured what maner of one Christ is in heauen in earth To wit bishop and king intercessour mediatour sacrifice a moste perfit sanctification iustification a redemer and deliuerer of the faithful to his father euermore working the saluation of his faithfull As S. Paul teacheth Roma 8. Hebr. 7. Poderes Poderes is found amoÌ„gst the apparell of Aaron and it is a priestly garment Whereof S. Hierome writeth to Fabiola of the priestly garmeÌ„t The second vesture of linnen is a coate downe to the fote of double launde Which Iosephus calleth Bissina And it is called in Hebrew ketheneth in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This cleaueth iust to the body and is so narrowe and strayte sleued that there is no wryncle at al in the garment and came downe to the legges This was verely whyte and cleane Girdel or a belte For the Lorde Christ is an vndefiled Priest Hebre. 7. Neyther weareth he agayne a foule vesture as he did Zachar. 3. Nor a purple as in the .19 of Iohn But a bright one as he that hath obteyned a name aboue all names But his gyrdell or belte is worne of Souldiours and triumphaunt persones And it signifieth in Christ the dignitie roiall For Christ is king delyuerer and redemer of the faythfull His victory is ours He hath ouercome Sathan Helle synne and death But the belte or girdle of Christe is not set in the wonted place to wytte about the loynes For as Aretas hath also admonished ther ar no coÌ„cupiscences to be restrained in Christ Therefore is he not gyrded after the maner of synners but about the pappes or brestes to thintent we should vnderstande by the girding that he is kyng of kynges voydâ— of all affections Moste rightuous and holy in iudgements and gouernement But yet in the meane tyme furnyshed foâ— the defence of his church as we haue red it written in the 9â— Psalme The Lord hath put on strength girded hymself c. Christ might seme to haue girded him selfe not after the maner that priestes or kynges vse for that he hath obteyned 〈◊〉 more excellent priesthod and kyngdome induring for eueâ— To accomplishe
and v. chapter Therfore wold our Sauiour Christ oueâ—throwe that Throne of the deuill and set vp that his Thronâ— of rightuousnesse and holines Therefore goeth he firsâ— and chiefly to them of Asia that by their example the wholâ— worlde might be corrected and amended Ephesus And amonges other cities of Asia and Iouia Ephesuâ— was most famouse called in the olde time the lighte of Asiâ— And amonges the xii cities of Iouia accompted the princâ—pall The teÌ„ple of Diana Neyther was there any other richer or more beautifuâ— Church sene any where in Asia than the temple of Diana 〈◊〉 Ephesus It stode in the middes of the citie a great wondâ— of the Greke magnificence as writeth Plinie This tempâ— is sayed to haue ben two hundreth and twentie yeres in mâ—king of al Asia And set in a fenny ground that it should fele of no earth quakes nor opening of the earthe The length of â—t was ccccxxv foote the breadth .ccxx. It had pillers an hoÌ„dreth twentie and seuen dedicated of so many kinges Seke the reste oute of the epitome of the famouse D. Ioachim Vadiane The apostle S. Paul firste illumined this citie with the â—eame of the Gospel Whose epistle to the same citie remayneth and a plentifull story in the actes of the Apostles After Paull was executed Iohn went to Ephesus Actes 19. and from theÌ„ce preached to al Asia from theÌ„ce also was he brought to Rome â—o the emperour Domitian To Ephesus he retourned after his exile and there at length as the ecclesiasticall stories do testifie he slepte in the Lord. And before euery epistle muche more to that of the Ephesians is set a commaundement write This scripture is autheÌ„tike This coÌ„maundement geueth authoritie to the writynge so that we maye not axe whether this writing ought to be credited and whie it shuld â—e beleued For here is the expres coÌ„maundement of God â—nd the diuine authoritie whereof curiousely to inquire is â—hought not without cause vnlawfull Moses wrote by the â—ommaundement of God And by the same coÌ„maundement of God wrote also the prophetes and Apostles Whic than are not theyr wrytinges beleued to be Anthenticall Certes Iohn sayed truely and wittely he that knoweth God heaâ—eth vs he that is not of God heareth vs not .1 Iohn .5 Curiouse questioÌ„s cease where the minde of the godly or of any poore shepe knoweth the voice of his Lorde and Sheperde And let no man thinke that this epistle beyng written to one Aungel that is to a Bishop or pastour apperteineth nothing to the Churche For to the ende of the epistle is added an acclamation He that hath an eare let him heare what the spirite sayeth to the congregations Therefore the pastour is named but the Shepe are not excluded All degrees states in the church know what is sayd vnto them IgnorauÌ„ce saieth That which is writteÌ„ to the Romanes coÌ„cerneth me nothing Yet neuertheles it is intitled to the Aungel The argumeÌ„t of the epistle to the Ephes to the inteÌ„t they pastours may be admonished what the state of the Church is The argâ—ment of the firste epistle is thus Christ declareth that he ruleth ouer his church that he taketh charge and gouernement of the same Some thinge therin he prayseth and somewhat he blameth In the meane time he exhorteth to repentauÌ„ce threatening greuouse thinges and promising most ioyefull And also he applieth this epistle to al churches and coÌ„municateth it to all coÌ„gregations in the whole worâ—â— But the epistle is exhortatiue for it instructeth the churches exhorteth and directeth And first in dede he sheweth who he is from whome thâ— epistle procedeth that he may geue authoritie therunto anâ— maye declare also that he is the head of his churche the Bâ—shop Duke and gouernour That part is takeÌ„ of the imagâ— set forth in the firste chapter And followeth the propheticâ—â— maner of speaking This sayeth he whiche holdeth the seuâ—â— Starres in his righthaÌ„de For the Prophetes saye likewisâ— Thus sayeth the lorde God of Israell thus sayeth the lorâ— of hostes Thus sayeth the Lorde whiche brought thee out 〈◊〉 Aegipte c. And two especiall thinges he repeteth of the fâ—â—mer description Seuen starres in the righte hande of Christ wherby he wil be knowen and do vs to vâ—derstande howe he beyng Lord and Bishop ruleth and mâ—keth in his churche First he affirmeth that he holdeth in hâ—â— hand the seuen starres The hande is a token of working 〈◊〉 protection or deliuerauÌ„ce The starres we haue hearde to 〈◊〉 the ministers the ministerie of the woorde or the church Therfore Christ holdeth the ministerie in the church and 〈◊〉 ministers worketh the saluation of the faithfull After he â—â—firmeth that he walketh not slepyng or doyng nothing 〈◊〉 the middes of seuen golden candelstickes In the middes 〈◊〉 sayed to the ende we should vnderstand that he geueth hâ—â—selfe indifferently to al men and ruleth ouer al with like 〈◊〉 and gouernement To walke amongs the Candelstickes Fulwel wrote herof D. Fraunces lambeâ—â— What saieth he is to walke or to be in the middes of congâ—â—gations but to assiste them kepe instructe helpe them 〈◊〉 by al meanes to watche ouer them For the whiche cause 〈◊〉 saieth also in the last of S. Matth. Beholde I am with you â—â—waies vnto the worldes ende Hereof you haue a moste 〈◊〉 figure in the lawe wherin amonges other thinges whicâ— apperteined to the ministerie of the highe prieste he had 〈◊〉 charge of oyle and of seuen candels for those must he pourâ—â— and snafte and poure in oyle when it wanted So Chrisâ— the highe and true Bishop hath the charge of the seuen candelles that is to saie of al congregations and is careful that they wante not that oyle whiche is mentioned in the 44. Psalm He watcheth that they wante not the fire and light of the veritie Finally he snafteth and pourgeth by faithe what thinge so euer hath nede to be pourged in them Thus farre he Whiche thinges when they heare whiche make the Bisshop of Rome head of the churche It is maruell if by and by they vnderstande not theyr folly and madnes Here the lord addeth also that he knoweth the workes to witte all bothe good and euil aswell of the Bishop as of his Churche For the Lord knoweth al thinges and is head Bishop of the Catholicke or vniuersall Churche whiche also remembreth the thoughtes of al men in the world at one instaunte who seeth what is donne and what is not donne and what thinges are nedefull nothing escapeth him And suche in dede ought he to be that is head vniuersall of his Church And this senteÌ„ce is repeted I knowe thy workes in the beginninge of euery epistle And verely it is full of comforte when we heare that Christ knoweth all our doynges For we beleue also that he hath a faithfull care of all our matters Now this great Bishop coÌ„mendeth some thinges in this congregation of Ephesus For good workes in dede
vs to our errour darknes leaue vs to disceauable men c. This sense Aretas acknowledgeth who to remoue the church saith he is when it is lest bare and destitute of Gods grace by reasoÌ„ of the which nakednes it wauereth in doubtfull perplexitie and in stormes that are cast to her by wicked men And verely we se how at this day the churche of the Ephesians is remoued out of her place and no longer inioyetâ— the holsome doctrine of Christ nor that it standeth vpon thâ— holsome rocke Iesus Christâ— But is oppressed with the pesâ—â—ferous doctrine or rather madnes of Mahomet and lieth iâ— sorrowe vnder the fete of the Turkes We see at this day iâ— Germany more is the pititie many candelstickes remoued out of their place not without the great triumphe of SathaÌ„ and losse of soules Moreouer that same is also to be obserued in this threatening that without terrour he sayth I wil come to thee shortly For it is a Phrase of speache Foâ— we say also The Lord cometh to vs shortly I will come to thee by and by That is I wyl come to reuenge and punish and that perauenture soner thâ— thou lokest for Moste certenly when so euer I chaunce 〈◊〉 come I will take punishment of thee Let no man therfoâ—â— thinke to escape vnpunished in a life that can not repent RepeÌ„tauÌ„ce is thonly true amendement Again where the Lord repeteth except thou repent he plaiâ—ly testifieth that the bosome of Gods mercy clemency iâ— ready open if we do penaunce how soeuer we haue offended him before in the meane time we learne here openly mosâ— certainly that we can by no counselles or consultations 〈◊〉 no armies nor policies preuaile one whit on our perils â—â—les we repeÌ„t Therfore vnles we wil haue our churches to 〈◊〉 subuerted geuen ouer to be seduced distroied of the deuill 〈◊〉 his seducers let vs repeÌ„t in time receiue again the first loue Thou hast hated the dedes of the Nicolait Again he coÌ„mendeth the singuler vertu in this coÌ„gregatâ—â—â— especially for that thei haue hated the doings of the Nicolaitâ— which God him selfe also hateth Let vs here marke euerâ— word He saith not thou didst slie or eschewe and continâ—â— but thou hast hated The force of hatred is great mouing 〈◊〉 to persecute that thou hatest God hateth the dedes of the Niâ—olaitans Moreouer he saith not thou hast hated the Nicolaitaâ—â— but the workes of the Nicolaitans For we ought to hate tâ—â— persone of no man for it self but the vice in the man so the wâ—â— we shal forsake it we shuld loue the maÌ„ with al our hart Aâ—â— that must nedes be a great euil which God him self coÌ„fesseâ— that he hateth Here al congregations shal vnderstand that thâ— ought also to hate by al meanes the heresie abominatioÌ„ of the Nicolaitans Albeit that at this day the name be extingwished yet the heresie abomination of the Nicolaitans remaineth This Nicolas was of Antioche one of the seuen deacoÌ„s of whom mention is made in the .6 chap. of the Actes He is said to haue reuolted from the puritie of faith as Iudas did And where he was before a Gentile for it is said howe he was a Proselyte he retourned in certen thinges to gentilitie as a dog to his vomite The NicolaitaÌ„s be also Gnostici and consortes of Carpocrates filthie most wicked people ClemeÌ„s excuseth this Nicolas somwhat in Eusebius in the .3 boke 29 chap. of the Ecclesiastical history But that excuse semeth not sufficient or iust since all the auncientes with one mouth accuse the same and namely the very iudgemeÌ„t of God in this present and in the Epistles following Ireneus condemneth him of this same place in the first booke against the Valentinians chap. 27. c. Tertulian in th end of Heret prescrip toucheth here wittely the factes of the Nicolaitans and detesteth the same Neuertheles he expoundeth them not but passeth them ouer And I know not how wittely Epiphanius hath vttered and declared in order the wicked and abhominable actes neither to be thought nor told and most beastly filthines such as hath not bene heard of the heresie 25.26.27 31. c. Philastrius also and S. Austen haue touched the Nicolaitans either of them in their register of heresies Shamefastâ—es wil not suffer me to recite It is enough if we know that same which in the epistle to Pergamum the Lorde him selfe hath expounded calling the doctrine of Nicolaitans the doctrine of BalaaÌ„ the southsaier But who knoweth not what counsel he gaue to Balaac king of Moab of Madian and how he prostituted faire wenches to the yong men of Israel by whose acquaintaunce intised they both defiled theÌ„ selues with fornicatioÌ„ did eat also of meates offered vp to Idols being made partakers of Baalpeor Let him that wil reade Ioseâ—hus in the .iiii. boke of Antiquities cap. 6. And doubtles the â—acrifices of the Nicolaitans seme to differ nothing from the â—ecrettes of Priapus or Gerecinthia or the mother of Godâ—es and the nightly seruice of Bacchus Ireneus signifieth â—penly that the Carpocratites who ar called also Gnostici did not abhorre images but paincted and facioned to theÌ„ selueâ— the Images of Iesus and Paule with the Images of certiâ— Phylosophers And that the Image of Iesu as they talke was made expressely of Pilate who coÌ„maunded the face 〈◊〉 Iesus to be painted liuely c. But howsoeuer that was thâ— is certain that thactes of the Nicolaitans were euill reportâ— of for their fornications and adulteries And that the Nicolâ—â—tans absteined not from images nor from meates offred 〈◊〉 idolles 1 Cor. 8.9.10 FornicatioÌ„ Against the which errour S. Paul wrote also maâ—â— thynges Hereof let vs learne to abhorre and flie fornication aâ—â— neuer to thinke of restoring the Stewes or other places 〈◊〉 whoredom Fie for shame Let vs learne hereby to kepe hâ—â— virginitie syngle lyfe and lawfull mariages flie those dâ—â— the Nicolaitans Let vs learne hereby to kepe wel our selâ—â— from Idols idolatry and from all straunge kyndes of wâ—shippinges All those God hateth He that hath eares to heare let him heare And with an acclamation he pearseth the eares of al meâ— mouing al to attentiuenes and holy obedience And appliâ— also this doctrine to all tymes and to all congregationâ— the world He vsed his wonted speache repeted so ofte in tâ—â— Gospell He that hath eares to heare let him heare Not thâ—â— it is in our strength to heare and obey God For God prâ—pareth our eares and with his grace frameth and drawâ— our hartes And let them to whom the grace of God is gâ—â—ted beware least through their negligence vanitie and ligâ—â—nes they lose it not Let them shewe such dilligence as Gâ—â— in his worde requireth and prescribeth They that do thâ—â— haue eares to heare He sayth therfore take ye hede to whâ— God now speaketh and whose hartes nowe he styreth aâ—â— moueth
that you lose not this grace through your negligâ—â— be diligent attentife and circumspect styryng vp in yoâ— selues the gift of God The spirit speaketh these thinges Now also he prouoketh to dilligeÌ„ce by authoritie diuiâ—â— The spirite of God speaketh and reuealeth these things 〈◊〉 the spirite of men or of errour for God speaketh by his sâ—â—rite whiche is red to be the spirite both of the father and oâ— sonne Moreouer he applieth all and euery thing to all coâ—gregations where he sayth what the spirite saith to the coâ—gregations not to the congregation It is now than manifest and out of all controuersie These thiÌ„ges apperteine to all churches that those seuen churches do represent a figure of al churches throughout the whole world and that all they be instructed in those seuen Furthermore least any thyng shoulde wante to the iuste exhortation vnto repentaunce to faith and dilligence last he annexeth a moste ample promyse and vseth an allegoricall speache that it might haue the more grace with it A most ample promis To them that ouercome he promyseth to geue the fruict of the tree of lyfe planted in the paradise of God And alludeth to the .2 Chap. of Genesis And he translateth the sense from earthly thinges to celestiall The paradise Paradise of God by the which som vnderstande the church is that eurlasting blesse and felicitie wherof the Lorde spake to the thief saying This day shalt thou be with me in paradise Herein is the tree of lyfe Christ communicating to vs his eternal life Whiche we inioy and haue the fruition of whilest being conueied into heauen by hym and with hym we liue Finally this is that Ambrosia or Godly drinke which the heauenly father geueth vs to drinke But this great and wonderfull good chaunceth not to euery one but only to him that ouercometh For Adam had not ouercome but vanquished had died If we therfore shall ouercome the flesh the Deuil and the world and that through Christ we shal liue also in the world to come with Christ The complutention boke hath whiche is in the middes of â—he Paradise of my God And Aretas expoundeth it Of my God and â—ayth Let no man herewith be offended Al humble thinges â—gree to the dispensation of the incarnation whiche was made for our cause since that he himself in the Gospel saith 〈◊〉 ascende vnto my father and your father to my God and â—o your God c. And thus farre hetherto concerning the Epistle of Iesus Christ by Iohn to the Ephesians and what profit our churches also and euery of vs may receiue therof The Lorde lyghten the eyes of our mynde ¶ The second Epistle of Iesu Christ by Iohn to them of Smyrna is expounded And is an exhortatiâ—â— to patience and consolation in afflictions The .ix. Sermon ANd vnto the Aungel of the coÌ„grâ—gation of Smyrna wryte Thesâ— thinges sayth he that is first anâ— the last whiche was dead and iâ— aliue I know thy workes and tâ—â—bulations and pouertie but thou arte richâ— And I know the blasphemie of them which call them selues Iewes and are not but aâ— the congregation of Sathan Feare none 〈◊〉 those things which thou shalt suffer Beholâ— the Deuil shall cast some of you into prisoâ— to tempte you and you shall haue tribulatâ—â— ten daies Be faithfull vnto the death and 〈◊〉 will geue thee a crowne of lyfe Let him thâ— hath eares heare what the spirite saith to congregations he that ouercometh shall nâ— be hurt of the second death The argument of the seconde Epistle Iesus Christ from the right hand of the father throuâ— the ministerie of an aungell by the Apostle and Euangeâ— S. Iohn exhorteth the congregations of Smyrna than â—â—flicted with all kinde of euils for the worde of God vnto â—â—feraunce and comforteth the same sighing nowe vnder 〈◊〉 crosse promising great thinges to them that ouercome Aâ— verely ther can not of this maner and in this matter a beâ— or briefer exhortation and consolation be found For in 〈◊〉 wyse it is couched of the eternal wisdome of the father 〈◊〉 vnto all times A generall comfort exhortatioÌ„ to patience and to all that mourne vnder the crosse it 〈◊〉 right well agree For like as Christ at the right hande of 〈◊〉 father is the catholique or vniuersal Byshop so verely is 〈◊〉 doctrine generall which he him selfe also applieth to all câ—â—gregations in the ende of this Epistle and in others And sâ— he declareth that he loueth his churche and is present in the same by his power and ayde And verely it is to be marueled The congregatioÌ„ of Smyrna excellent that nothing is blamed in this churche since that some faulte is founde in maner with all others Therfore was the churche of Smyrna right excellent howbeit not without any spirite For the Lorde of his goodnes doth not impute vnto vs smal faultes of the which the Prophet speaketh who shall say my heart is cleane And from my hidde sinnes clense me so that there be a feruent desyre or zeale of Godlines in vs that we be voyde of great enormities First is shewed vnto whom this heauenly letter is sent Thepistle is written to the shepeheard to the flok to the Pastour of the churche of Smyrna and to the whole flocke For the captayne is sayd to haue soughten or fled or to haue taken peace when the whole armie together with him hath done this And the stories beare witnes that Policarpus was that same messenger or pastour of the church of Smyrna ordeined of the Apostles theÌ„ selues Policarpe namely of S. Iohn Byshop there and that he liued in the misterie of this congregation .lxxxvi. yeares For so many he accompteth hym selfe before the Lieftenaunt Herode what tyme he was brought to execution For in the fourth persecution of the churche Aurelius Antoninus and Aurelius Comodus being Emperoures he was taken and brought to the gouernour And at length for the open and sincere confessinge of Christ he was burnt He had this very muche in his mouth That nothing ought to be receiued for true vnlesse it were knowen to be set forth by the Apostles Ireneus affirmeth that when he was a childe he sawe this olde father a man of great yeares and reuereÌ„ce in the third boke and third chapt against heresies where he telleth many thinges of him besides As also doth Eusebius in the .iiii. boke of theccle history â—he .xiiii. and .xv. chapters And S. Hierom in the register of â—he famouse wryters of the Churche Eusebius in his Chroâ—icis noteth that he suffered Martyrdome in the yeare of â—ur Lorde a. C. ixx Whereby it appeareth that he was â—ade Byshop of Smyrna in the yeare of our Lorde .lxxxiiii. â—r there about For we sayd euen nowe that he had bene in that ministerie .lxxxvi. yeares And therfore had he bene Byshop of Smyrna many yeares before the setting forth of thâ— Apocalipse whiche was written in the
〈◊〉 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
includeth captiuitie We were prisoners and seruauntes of sinne of death and very bondeslaues of the deuil and hel And the sonne of God came and toke flesh and shed his bloud for so also is the maner of redemyng vs expressed of the elders and he hath wasshed vs from our sinnes and beyng purified he hath raunsomed vs from the power of death hel sinne and Sathan that nowe we be of God Therfore they saye expressely thou hast redemed vs to God We be therfore of God the deuil hath no more power ouer vs we are the freemen of Christ deliuered through his bloud 1. Peter 1. Hebrewes 9. And for asmuch as we be nowe of God to witte iustified frely by his grace through the bloud of Christ as the apostle sayeth also in the 3. chapt to the Romanes we ought to serue God verely in the newnes of spirite not the flesh and the deuill in the oldenes of the letter and of our fleshe Whiche the same Apostle discourseth more at large in the 6. to the Romanes Whome also he hath redemed they declare by the waye Who are redemed men verely of euery tribe c. In the which rehersal he doeth Imitate Daniel in the 7. chap. and signifieth an vniuersalitie For the lord hath died for al but that al are not made pertakers of this redemptiō it is through their owne faulte For the lord excludeth no man but him only whiche through his owne incredulitie and misbelefe excludeth him selfe Of redēption followeth an other effect of Christes death Righteousnes foloweth iustification and redemptiō for that it maketh men iustified to God kinges and priestes For they that be iustified worke rightuousnes I haue expounded this place concerning the priesthood and kingdom of Christians in the firste chapter where you maye haue it The Sainctes adde moreouer that they shal reygne vpon earth to wit through the vertue of Christ not corporally How sainctes raigne vpon earth as the Millenaries do imagine and the Turkes followyng the same imaginyng corporal thinges in this worlde and ioyes in Paradise terrestriall For the whole scripture promiseth better thinges Neither must the godly be so geuen to corporal thinges that they should hope for nothing aboue corporal matters The Sainctes speake here of the last iudgement wherin it shal appere to the whole world and to al that dwel vpon the earth that the Sainctes which some time semed to the world to haue ben wicked vngodly peacebreakers heretickes and parricides and for the same cause haue ben slaine be iust holy kinges and priestes of God So I saie they shal reigne vpō earth The which thing is declared more at large in the .iii. and .v. chapt of the boke of wisedome Let the Sainctes I saie consider these thinges when they be oppressed of the wicked for the veritie and rightuousnes through the permissiō of Christ gouernour of al in this world let them neuerthelesse glorifie the Lord God and praise him without ceasyng To him be glory for euer ¶ Here is described the commendation and Hymne sayed vnto Christ of the Aungels and al creatures c. The .xxix. Sermon ANd I behelde hearde the voyce of many Aungelles aboute the Throne about the beastes and the elders I hearde thousande thousandes saiyng with a lowde voice worthie is the lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And all creatures which are in heauen and on the earth and vnder the earth and in the Sea and all that are in them hearde I saiyng blessing honour glory and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the seate and to the lambe for euer more And the .iiii. beastes sayed Amen And the .xxiiii. Elders fell vpon their faces and worshipped him that liueth for euer more In the fourth place nowe come the Aungels of God also to the Elders and to the beastes The Aungels also prayse Christ I meane to the most excellent creatures of God and together with them prayse with an hymne God and the lambe doubtlesse for an example to vs that as I ofttimes saie and repete we might vnderstand what thing becometh vs also Of Aungels Dauid in .c.iiii. Psalm speaking emōgs other thinges which maketh sayeth he his Aungels spirites Of Aungels and his ministers a flame of fire He testifieth therefore that the Aungels were made or created of God By their substaunce he calleth them spirites by a parable a flame of fire which is pure bryght moste swifte pearsyng and burnyng Therfore after their sorte and meane the Aungelicall spirites be altogether suche whome by their office he calleth ministers Reade 24. sermon folowyng to witte of God and manne For S. Paull also to the Hebr. brynging this same place of Dauid be they not al sayeth he ministring spirites whiche are sent forth into ministerie for them which be heyres of Saluation verely vnderstandyng men These thinges teach vs to iudge rightly of Aungels and that no man should worshippe ministers or any be they neuer so excellent creatures for theyr godly giftes Nother in dede can the Aungels or Sainctes abide them selues to be worshipped Here doubtles they attribute all glory to God and to the Lambe to God three and one that all we should doe the like Here is also declared the place wherin the Aungelles were about the Throne about the beastes and about the Elders Therefore they garded al these places rounde about as it were a garde Daniel in times paste sawe thinges not muche vnlike these in the .7 chapt Certenly they stande like ministers and seruitours ready to do seruice Aungels are sayed also to be about the godly vpon earth to attende vpon the saluation and ministerie of men In the .34 Psalm Dauid singeth he beyng afflicted called vpon the lorde and the Lorde hearde him and from all his troubles he deliuered him The Aungel of the lord pitcheth his tentes about them which feare him the lord he deliuereth thē And not much vnlike things you maye reade in the .91 Psalm And thou shalt here note that those that be afflicted do cal vpō the lord and not the Aungels And that the lord doeth heare and deliuer and for the workyng therof vseth the ministerie of Aungels as his ministers And like as no man that is wel in his witte doeth reuerence cal vpon and worshippe the sonne for that God by the same geueth great benefites to men So no mā honoureth calleth vpon and worshippeth Aungels for that God vseth their ministerie in deliueryng of men The nūbre of Angels Now also he putteth the nōbre of Aungels but a certaine for an vncertayne thousande thousandes for innumerable He alludeth in the meane time to that saying of Daniel in the 7. chapt Thousande Thousandes serued hym and ten hondreth thousande assisted him Of a greate and innumerable armie we are woonte to esteme the power of kinges What than shall we thinke of the power of our God
horse on whom he that sate had a bowe bent and an Arrowe in it To him was geuen a crowne and he wēt forth conqueryng that he might ouercome This is the vision the exposition wherof is easie For the Lorde sayeth that he will declare the destenies of the church Horses Horses of sondry coulours are also brought forth of Zacharie in the .1 chapt And thei signifie the variable course and state of the people of Israel The white coulour is cōsecrated to Innocencie The course of Gods worde puritie victory and felicitie Therfore by the white horse is signified the lucky vtteraunce of Gods word or prosperous preaching of the Gospel For vpon the horse sitteth a horseman which guideth the horse hath a bowe Certenly Christ doeth prosper the course of the preachyng of the Gospell And the .45 Psalm doeth attribute to the same shaftes or Arrowes A bowe For he striketh his enemies far of and bringeth them into his subiection Briefly with the worde of his mouth he subdued to him self people and nations Esaye in the .49 bringing in Christ speakyng sayeth And he put my mouth as a sharpe sword the shadow of his hande couered me and he put me as a piked Arrow he hidde me in his queuer Through Christ therfore procedeth the preachyng of the word he geueth strength to the preaching he shaketh his bent bowe What force so euer the worde hath that same is whole dewe to the Horseman To the same is geuen a Crowne A crowne to witte a kingdom and all power of rulyng For Dauid propheciyng before sayed the Lord shall sende forth the rod of his power out of Sion to rule emonges thine enemies Moreouer there is geuen him a crowne that he maye crowne suche as serue him faithfully And it is a phrase of speakyng and he wente forth conqueryng that he might ouercome for that whiche is he that went forth is a conquerour and to this ende went forth that he mighte ouercome For it signifieth that Christ will auaunce the preachyng of his worde through out the worlde no manne beynge able to resiste and euen in dispite also of Hel gates For the worde of the Lord indureth for euer And this place teacheth That the church shal be alwaies and the preachinge of the word that the Church shal be alwayes in the world likewise alwayes the trueth preached though the enemies bowelles burste But if we reade ouer the story of the Churche we shal better vnderstande al thynges and shall perceyue that this Prognostication hath alwayes ben moste certayne Christe was ones through the ministerie of the worde shewed to the world by the Apostles and the matter proceded moste luckely howe muche some euer the most mightie of this worlde resisted the same The thing is wonderfull in case those fiue hondreth yeres be considered whiche immediately after the incarnation of our Lorde are accoumpted In them wente forth the conquerour that he might ouercome And ouercame in dede the whole world receyuyng Christ and worshippyng him Sins those yeres as before also certen sedes of errours began to be sowen abroade The Bisshoppes began to contende for the supremacie and who should be the vniuersall head of the Church in earth They began to reason of the vse of Images in the Church and broughte them into Churches in dede as also they called the Bisshoppe of Rome the supreme and generall head of the Churche in earth And mightie Princes and in a maner the whole state of learned menne conspired in these opinions but he hath vanquished which wente forth that he might vanquish He had in his church innumerable whiche bowed not their knees before this Baal A thousand yeres after the incarnation of Christ the Bishoppes began to prophanely to pollute the lordes supper and other vndefiled doctrines of faith but what I praye you did they preuayle by so many counsels determinations and indeuours most ernest he that went forth to ouercome hath ouercomē That white Horse hath stoutely inuaded to the saluation of many For how great battels in these last fiue hōdreth yeres the godly and learned mē haue susteyned against the Popes and Bisshoppes stories beare witnes At this daye also appereth through out the whole worlde howe luckely yet that white horse goeth forwarde which hath pearsed euen vntill our time The Gospel is beleued neither can that faith be extinguished with any waters or fires Thou makest exception that they were heretikes whiche resisted the bisshop and See of Rome in these .500 last yeres as Bertrame Iohn Scot surnamed Dunse Berengarius Arnoldus Brixianus Waldo Wicleffe and Husse Luther and Zwinglius and such other men of the same sorte moreouer certen of these were ouercomen also and put to death by the Pope I aunswer that as men they might erre in many thinges but in those thinges wherin with the Scripture they consente agaynst the See of Rome I affirme that they erred not but sayed the trueth Wherupon it is certaine that Christ ouercame by them What time Micheas Helias Zacharias Amos Ieremias and others preached by the worde of God agaynste Idols and worshippers of Idols they were also condemned for seditioufe and heretikes yea and certen of them were taken out of the waye but was the veritie vanquisshed Antichrist is saied that he shuld haue good fortune and that he should punish afflict the strong and the people of God but men beyng ministers may be oppressed the ministerie neuer decayeth S. Paull sayeth that he is bounden for the Gospels sake but the Gospel not to be boūden Therfore hath he ouercomen hitherto and shall ouercome still which went forth that he might conquer They stumble vpō this conquerour as at the stone of offence who so euer and what so euer they be whiche seke to interrupte the playne course of the Gospell Moreouer what time the seconde seale should be opened the seconde beast The secōd seale is opened to witte the Ore or Calfe exhorteth agayn S. Iohn to attentiuenes and that we should consider what is propoūded vnto vs. And now cometh forth the red horse whose coulour is somwhat like fire there sitteth also on him a rider to whom power is geuen to disturbe peace in earth and that menne should kill one an other For there is geuen him a great sword The red horse signifieth the state of warres Calamitie of warres ful of fire and bloud He that sitteth on this horse is Mars or rather the father of lies I meane the Deuil whiche was a murtherer from the beginnyng He gathereth to him the dregges of men to make ciuile commotions for the warres destruction firyng slaughter and desolation You see from whence the breakyng of peace is whych God hateth And we heare howe it is geuen him Marke geuen by the iuste iudgement of God to be permitted that troublyng al peace he should take it away and set menne together by the eares that one maye wounde and kil an other For so
And firste of all the sunne a planet most bright not only waxeth darke but blacke also And immediatly is added an Image or a parable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like an heery sacke which is wouen or made of heere 's or of bristels The sunne lighteth and geueth life to the worlde And thorowe Christ which is the life of the world we are illumined and quickened He casteth abroade from him the bright beames of the Euangelicall veritie And like as Christ is not darkened in him selfe so nother the veritie of the Gospell whiche of nature is with out pollution By reason of the blacke clowdes that ouer ride it the lighte of the Sunne waxeth black and is impeched and of the traditions of men and deprauing of the scripture arriseth darkenes and blackenes in matters of religion The Gospell of it selfe is bright and holeâ—ome Christ is lighte full redemption helth and life most perfit But when menne had rather seke of others doctrine life and saluation than of Christ and his holesome Gospell moste thicke and grosse darkenesse arrise in the mindes of those menne For there is establisshed an other doctrine rightuousenes intercession redemption saluation and life than that of Christ They that receyue that doctrine A sacke of heere seme to haue put on them a shirte of heere whiche pricketh burneth and vexeth continually For there is no reste quietnes securitie or spirituall pleasure and repaste of corrupte doctrine but only tediousenes Christ pure and sincerely receiued is to man a ioye vnspeakeable and a most bright and ioyefull light After is added that the whole moone not a parte only the moone is as bloud is become blouddy For an image is again annexed as bloud The moone receiueth light of the sunne is subiect to courses or chaunges whilest one while it increaseth an other while decreaseth and signifieth the church The church set vpon the rocke is not vnstable but by reason of the variable fortune is subiecte to moste diuerse chaunces For now the churche triumpheth streight wayes beyng oppressed she mourneth nowe she increaseth in nombre by and by she is diminished And the church is lighted of Christ But whilest the Sunne it selfe is darkened the moone can not chose but be most obscure Bloud Bloud in the scriptures betokeneth great wickednes chiefly Idolatry and false worshipping of God The Lord in the .17 of Leuit. sayeth that he will accompte straunge worshipping for bloud Therfore when faith and knowledge are darkened in Christes churche it can not be chosen but that bloud shal arrise in the vniuersal church that is to witte the corrupte worshipping of God which the Lorde estemeth as murther there must nedes innumerable sinnes and wickednes spring therof For the liuely doctrine of Christ beyng corrupted al thinges must of necessitie be most corrupte and swarme ful of superstitions and iniquities To these is added an other thinge whiche helpeth these thinges that are spoken starres fal from Heauen Starres fall from Heauen vnto the earth Daniel called starres preachers in the .12 chapt As also S. Peter .2 Peter .2 Therfore do the preachers of churches reuolte from the heauenly doctrine of Christ brought and reuealed from heauen and reducyng men to Heauen and keping them in heauenly conuersation And receyue earthly that is the doctrine of men By the which thing it commeth to passe that both the sunne is obscured and the moone is made blouddy Starres shine preachers should set forth to the whole world Christe the trewe light but this haue they neglected beynge addicte to their owne traditions To these is also added an Image The starres fel vpoÌ„ the yearth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the figge tree casteth of her figges beyng shaken of a vehemeÌ„t winde Here is signified the corruption of preachers and that a great numbre of them For the figge tree was made to bring forth swete fruictes so was the ministerie of the worde ordeined for the saluatioÌ„ of men Howbeit the figges did ripe Therfore they remayne grene or vntimely fruictes Wherby is signified that the preachers were not ripe in trewe knowledge of Christ and therfore to be shaken downe with euery winde of doctrine that bothe they haue admitted and set forth earthly things The plentie of false teachers is signified to come in that the vntimely figges fal downe in great plentie Of these thinges nowe followeth an other HeaueÌ„ vâ—nisheth awaye and Heauen went awaie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were fled out of mens sight and vanisshed awaye Agayne is added an Image or a similitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a scrolle folden vp or rolled together Heauen in the Gospell signifieth many times the kingdome of God Therefore the kingdom windeth vp it selfe in earth and the church doeth as it were hide her selfe not that at the last there should be no church at al for the churche shal be alwayes vnto the worldes ende but for as much as in the ende of the world the church shal lie hidde neyther shal it be thought to be the trewe churche which is the trewe churche in dede The letters wordes are not wipte out of the boke but are not sene yea rather are hidde when it is rolled vp It is manifest at this daie what S. Iohn ment by this parable For al in a maner iudge that newe starte vp Romish church to be the trewe church which in very dede is not the church of Christ and the church which is the spouse of Christ is iudged to be heretical therfore is the church wrapped vp and as rolled together The Lord vnfolde preserue the same AmeÌ„ ¶ The effecte of corrupte doctrine is expounded and that the Aungels let that the winde blowe not The .xxxiiij. Sermon ANd al mountaines and Iles were moued out of their places And the Kinges of the earth and the great men and the riche men and the chiefe Captaynes and the mightie men and euery bondeman and euery free man hidde themselues in dennes and in rockes of the hilles and sayed to the hilles and rockes fal vpon vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the seate and froÌ„ the wrath of the lambe for the great daie of his wrath is come And who can indure it Chapt. 7. And after this sawe I .iiii. Aungels stand on the foure corners of the earth holding the foure windes of the Earth that the windes should not blowe on the earth nother on the See nor on any tree Hilles and Iles are moued out of their place Now followeth the effect of the corrupte doctrine in men And hilles and Ilondes are moued out of their place wherin is also a respecte had to the earthquake as though by the earthquake thei were remoued from their place And mountains and Iles do betoken realmes nations and people so stedfast in faith that as mouÌ„taines and Iles be immouable are not shaken with the stormes of the Sea so these might seme to
corrupte that place and vtter it so as though it mente that the prieste should sacrifice the real body of Christ for the quicke and the dead But the holy Bisshop of Lions knew this filthie errour Away with them and their sophistrie whither they are worthie I haue spoke also befor something of the same matter And that it might clerely appere vnto all menne the smoke of the odours ascendeth that the prayers of the faythfull offered to God through Christ are pleasaunt and acceptable ther is added and the smoke of the odoures ascendeth that is to saie the prayers of the faithful were of God accepted Therfore let vs offer dilligently our prayers vnto God through Christ For he heareth vs and deliuereth vs from euill And the scripture many times calleth our prayers an acceptable sacrifice to God The plaâ—es are in Osee 14. in the .50 Psalme And in many other places In the .141 the prophet sayeth Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight the lifting vp of my handes an euenyng sacrifice Primasius expoundyng this place sayed how Christ is sayed to haue taken of the prayers of Sainctes For bycause through him the praiers of al maye come swetely vnto God Hebrew 13 Herof the Apostle by him we offer vp alwayes a sacrifice of prayse vnto God that is to saye the fruicte of lippes confessyng his name Agaynste praiyng of Sainctes Herby is coÌ„futed the opinion of them which suppose that the Sainctes in heauen be the intercessours of the faithfull which should coÌ„mende their prayers vnto God make the waye open to God For what nede haue they to procure to theÌ„selues other intercessours or aduocates what lacke finde they in Christ or whom maie they preferre or compare with Christ what shal we say that eueÌ„ at this present the odours are offered vp by the hande of the Aungel The celestial sainctes were present with the Lorde and were sene aboute the seate but which of them taking the censer and gathering the prayers of the faithfull offered them vnto God It tourned Ozias or Asarias the king to displeasure that he toke in hand the censer minding to sacrifice and to execute the priestes office the same would be worse for the heaueÌ„ly dwellers naye they should not remayne in Heauen in case they toke vpon them the office of the only Bisshoppe c. He filleth the censer with fire sendeth it into the Earth After this we haue heard that Christ filled the censer with fire taken from the Aultar and sent it downe into the Earth By the whiche narration he retourneth agayne to finish the exposition of the trompettes This fire is the grace of the holy ghoste That is put into the censer is taken of the Aultar is sent doune into Earth For Christe toke the fulnes of the spirite as S. Iohn sheweth in the â— and .3 chapt Christ is Aultar and censer Of the Aultar here is takeÌ„ fire For the holy ghoste is the spirite of the Father and of the Sonne Whom sayeth he I will sende you from my father Him he sente into earth vnder the shape of firie tounges he sendeth him also at this daye into the hartes of the faithfull that he maye inflame them This is the same fire which the Lord in the gospell of Luke sayeth Luke .12 that he will sende into the Earth and would that it should burne Moreouer the effecte of this fire followeth immediately For there were made thonderinges and voices and lightninges and Earthquake By the voices of the Gospell the woundes of sinners are healed and the hartes of men lighted by the illumination of the holy spirite c. Of the whiche thinges we haue spoken also in the .4 chapt and .24 SermoÌ„ Of the preaching of the Gospell as Haggeus also prophecied it should come to passe insewed a wonderfull commotion of all nations c Sathan also was stired whiche reysed vp his ministers through out the worlde agaynst holesome preachyng of the Gospell For there sprange vp sectes whome the mayneteyners of the veritie resisted fightynge with them Whereof nowe he wil reason at large The Lord geue grace that these thinges maye bothe be spoken and hearde with much fruicte ¶ Of the seuen Aungelles trompetters and of the trompettes and of the first .ii. and .iii. trompet The .xxxviij. Sermon ANd the seuen Aungels which had the seuen trompettes prepared themselues to blowe The firste Aungell blewe And there was made hayle and fire which were mingled with bloud and they were caste into the Earth and the thirde parte of trees was burnt and all grene grasse was breÌ„t And the second Aungell blewe and as it were a great Mountaine burnyng with fire was caste into the See the third part of the See tourned to bloud and the third parte of creatures whiche had life died and the thirde parte of Shippes were distroyed And the thirde Aungell blewe and there fell a great starre from Heauen burnyng as it were a cresset and it felle into the thirde parte of the Riuers and into the fountaines of waters and the name of the starre is called Worme wood and the thirde parte of the waters was tourned to Worm wood And many menne died of the waters because they were made bitter Our lord Iesus Christ hath kindeled in earth a bright and holesome fire which the Apostles and men Apostolical haue euery foote more and more inflamed But contrary wise sathan seketh to quenche this holesome fire not only to corrupte and depraue this doctrine of saluation but also to abolish it and ouerwhelme it with lies The meaner and maner herof is at this present described and euen paynted out gallauntly to none other ende but that the faithful beyng warned and fully taught might be wel ware of that pestilent infection For the scope or ende of this boke is to preserue the church safe and sounde from corruptions or at leest to repare the same beyng corrupted The seuen Aungelles stande in the sighte of God S. Iohn therefore sawe seuen Aungels stande in the sight of God To stande signifieth to minister and compriseth the faith and diligence of Ministers Seruauntes stande before kinges ready to do seruice and to execute al theyr commauÌ„dementes We reade in the .1 chapter of Iob. The sonnes of God came and stoode before the Lord and Sathan came also into the middes of them The blessed Aungelles are called the children or sonnes of God They come to doe seruice before God Sathan preaseth in emongs them forasmuch as he is also the minister of God for the executioÌ„ of those things whiche apperteyne to the wrath and indignation of God agaynst the wicked Al elementes be Gods ministers and finally al the creatures of god For he is the lord of Sabaoth the God of hostes whiche for the saluation and iudgement of men vseth wel and rightly all his creatures euery one accordyng to his nature and disposition For he vseth the ministerie of Aungels
these thinges for a declaration only but for confirmation also For by the oracles of the prophetes the faithful are comforted whose oracles sins they haue neuer failed in any thing nother shall they in the ende disceyue in such things as they had prophecied concernyng the last iudgement And againe we see how great is thautoritie of the auncient scripture and that the vse of it is excellēt in the church euangelicall wherin we see both Christ and his Apostles to confirme all theyr saiynges with prophetical scriptures and also to illumine set forth and declare or demonstrate The testimonies of the prophetes concernyng the last iudgement of the rewarde and punnishmēt of the godly and vngodly of the abolishyng of Antichrist of death and of al corruption are in the .110 Psalme in the .24.26.27 and .46 also in the .7.11 and .12 of Daniel in the .14 of Zacharie .3 and .4 of Malachie and also els where Thapostle hath cited Osee .1 Corinth 15. Therfore let vs lift vp our heades bretherne let vs watch and pray for because our redemption draweth nere Deliuer vs Christ from al euil Amen ¶ S. Iohn deuoureth the booke receyued at the Aungelles hande and prophecieth agayne to the gentiles nations and Kinges The .xlv. Sermon ANd the voice which I hearde frō Heauen spake vnto me agayne and sayed goe and take the little boke which is open in the hande of the Angel which standeth vpō the sea and vpon the earth and I wente vnto the Angel and saied vnto him geue me the litle boke And he sayed vnto me take it and eate it vp it shal make thy bealy bitter but it shal be in thy mouth as swete as hony And I toke the little boke out of the hande of the angel did eate it vp it was in my mouth as swete as hony as sone as I had eaten it my bealy was bitter And he sayed vnto me thou must prophecie againe vnto the heithē and tongues people and to many Kinges This is the .iii. comfort which in this .x. chap. is cōteined The apostolical doctrine is restored against Antichrist For vnder the persone of S. Iohn is shewed here that thapostolical euangelicall doctrine must be restored in the laste times before the iudgemēt against Antichrist Mahomet And he might briefly haue sayed The apostolital doctrine as it was preached of Iohn shal florish again but he had rather expresse the same by a goodly vision at the last to adde a plaine briefe expositiō of the visiō Which is thou must preach againe c. And those things al expositour do expoūde agreably Iohn preacheth agayne first in dede of the persone of Iohn which vnder the Emperour Nerua retourned into Asia from exile by the space of fiue yeres or ther about againe preached the gospel For he liued til the .3 or .4 yere of the reigne of themperour Traiane Secondly of al preachers before the laste iudgement indewed with the spirite and doctrine of S. Iohn and constantly professing Christ against Antichrist Primasius expounding this place the certaine meaning saieth he is directed to S. Iohn whiche must yet beyng deliuered from exile not only bring this reuelation to the knowledge of Christes church but also preach more depely the Gospell to people and nations to tongues and many kinges notwithstanding no man doubteth but that this voice agreeth also to the whole Churche which neuer ought to cease from preachyng c. Thus saieth he The ordinary glose expoundeth these wordes although this be vnderstande of the very person of S. Iohn yet euen herein is vnderstāde that the lord wil haue his church likewise instructed and taught by other preachers also This apperteineth to the consolatiō of the faithful which shal liue in the dayes of Antichrist the residewe Thomas of Aquine also In S. Iohn him self sayeth he other preachers are vnderstande whome the lord in the time of Antichrist will haue to preache instauntly to great small So much sayeth Thomas Before the iudgement cōmeth Enoch agaīst Antichrist Aretas Bisshop of Cesaria an expositour of this boke reciteth of this place of S. Iohn that the opinion of the cōmon people was that S. Iohn with Enoch and Elie shuld come againe into the world before the iudgemēt to wit corporally ernestly and constantly to preache against Antichrist The self same doeth Aretas repete with a more plentiful expositiō where in the .11 chapt He expoundeth the wordes of Iohn concernyng the two witnesses c. Certes where in the .44 of Ecclesi it is writtē that Enoch was trāslated that he might teache the heythen many haue expounded it as though he should corporally retourne that he might teach the gentiles against Antichrist where by the very translation made in times past he teacheth rather the gentiles that there is an other life prepared for the seruaūtes of God that the same is also dewe for the bodies sins that Enoch was translated both in body soule against the opiniō of Epicure and the madde world supposing none other life to remaine after this that the bodies do putrefie and neuer to rise agayne This Enoch semeth to come spiritually to that laste age for that the lorde him self prophecied that a like thing should come vnto it as chaunced before the deluge or flud of Noe. For like as many than beyng carelesse contemned the iudgementes of God nother feared they any perill or hoped for any better life so cometh it to passe also in the last age in the which Enoch constantly preacheth by them which establissh and maineteyne eternall life and the resurrection of bodies agaynst the Epicures Before the iudgement cōmeth Helias agaīst Antichrist Helias in the mounte Thabor appered in glory with our sauiour Christ vnto three chosen Apostles neyther is it to be thought that about the ende of the world he must be thruste out of the heauenly palace and agayne be subiecte to corruption and obiected to the cruell handes of Antichristians which might teare him in peces For like as in the time of our sauiour Christ Helias in vertu and spirite I meane S. Iohn baptiste went before Christ the Lord so also before the iudgement Helias shal preache in them againe which indued with the spirite and vertue of Helias shal cal awaye the mindes of al men from the worshippyng of creatures to the adoration of the eternal and only God Helias cried out howe longe do ye halte one bothe sides yf the Lord be God followe him yf Baal be God followe him And nowe shal the Helianes crie 3. of Kings 18. yf Christ be the perfection of the faythful what nede is there of mans inuentions and constitutions to worke a perfectiō Yf Christ be our iustification satisfaction purificatiō our only mediatour and redemer wherfore are these thinges attributed to mans merites whie are sainctes accōpted intercessours in heauen whie is saluation ascribed to many other stinking things
which is within the Temple caste out and mete it not for it is geuen vnto the gentiles and the holy citie shall they treade vnderfote .xlii. monethes The lord is yet in coÌ„forting and in describyng the hostile warre against Antichrist and sheweth that the churche shall not be forsaken in those Antichristians and turkish difficulties that the enemies shal neuer so quietly inioye althinges but that the churche shall haue also her champions or defenders which shal most valcauntly resist Christes aduersaries And those things are figuratiue The some of this sermon which are rehersed in the beginning of the chapt and seme to be taken out of the .40 chapt of Ezechiel As be those also which are spokeÌ„ in the .7 chap. of the faithful sealed out of the .9 chap. of the same prophet For he is commaunded to measure the temple and to cast out the inwarde quire wherof he sheweth the cause And he meaneth not the Temple of Hierusalem The teÌ„ple whiche laye in ruine nother should be repared after the prophecie of Daniel and Christ but the very church of God I meane the whole nombre of the chosen For S. Paule calleth the faythful the Temple of God liuely verely as also S. Peter .1 Peter .2 And .1 Corinth 3. And .2 Corinth 6. Aulter We haue sayed nowe ofte times that Christ is the only Aultar in the church and sacrifice for sinne and Priest and intercessour on the right hande of the father The worshippers Worshippers be they that worshippe God through Christ in spirite and veritie and serue him lawefully or with feare So many as be such that is who so euer cleaue vnto Christ the only peace maker of the faithful serue god truely by faith they be the very Temple of God the trewe church These hath S. Iohn measured To meaâ—â— the teÌ„ple c. that we should vnderstaÌ„de how the lord fixeth his minde to buylde vp the church not to distroye it For they that will buylde mete the platte wherupon the buildinges should be set as appeareth in the 40. of Ezech. Then was also the teÌ„ple destroyed of the Chaldeis as the church is now wasted by the Papistes Turkes But the Lorde promiseth by this measuring that he will repare the ruines of the churche of the merite of Christe and faithful worshippers moreouer he signifieth that the faithful in these troubles ar numbred before we heard they were sealed and sure whome no hostile power can hurt in al these difficulties For as the Aulter Christe is vndefyled and cannot be polluted or destroyed by any power of the Deuil So are the shepe of Christ knowen to God and perish not As also the same Lord Iesus Christ testifieth in the .10 of Iohn and the Apostle in the .2 Timothe 2. Briefely the faythfull of Christ be in the coÌ„munion of god and of all his good things in the care buildinge numbre and defence This is a moste assured consolation Howbeit where the Lorde in the gospell prophecied that the true faythful shoulde be excomunicated of the false teachers here also foresaw what shuld chaunce to the vngodly pastours of the false byshoppes he sayth verely that they apparteine nothing to the buildinge of God The quire with in muste be cast out but to be of God excommunicated to the intent the godly should not feare their censure and cursinge And here is the election of two sortes whereof the first is more allowed that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hall or quyre that is within cast out that is to saye declare theÌ„ that be in this quire to be cast out of God Verely the Antichristians wil be within the TeÌ„ple or inwarde partes of the temple the chiefest part of the church in so much that who so euer acknowledgeth not theÌ„ and follow them not in al thinges frame him selfe conformable to the churche of Rome is iudged to be an heretike The inwarde quire in the lawe was the statioÌ„ of priestes the place wherin they were when they should do sacrifice And whilest he sayeth the quire must be caste out he signifieth figuratiuely that the Antichristian priestes shal be throweÌ„ out For the place is set for the thing coÌ„teined therin And where he sayeth caste out This he sayeth those whome God hath shut out declare thou to be cast out For God doeth excommunicate man pronounceth executeth Gods iudgement The latter lection is of this sort the quire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is with out cast out So hath the Spanish copie And howe shal you caste out that which was with out before Therfore I like as I sayed the former reading But we reiect not this reading nother For the hall that is with out signifieth the Colledge or felowship not coÌ„municating with thonly aultar Christ or with the true church of Christ such as al this boke sheweth the Popes to be with al their familie Morouer the Phariseis priestes caste out him that was borne blynde What is to cast out Iohn the .9 that is to saie did excoÌ„municate him for the confession of Christ and the lord sayeth in the .15 of Iohn Yf any abyde not in me he is caste out as a braunche and whithereth Therfore whilest S. Iohn is commaunded here to caste out the Colledge of priestes he is verely coÌ„maunded to declare that those priestes were excoÌ„municated which wold be and seme the chiefe prelates of Christes church He is also forboden to mete this quire For bicause God will not edifie but distroye them nother haue them noÌ„bred emonges his For he hath reiected them Who thaÌ„ wil herafter care this much for the excoÌ„municatioÌ„ of them that are excoÌ„municated wicked popes haue excoÌ„municated Emperours noble men and godly discharging their subiectes of their fidelitie haue set them in their princes toppes The storie of Gregory the .2 is knowen against Leo Isauricus and of Gregory the .7 agaynsâ— Henry the .4 And of Innocence also agaynst Fredericke the .2 and of other Bishoppes against right good princes Doubtles the chiefe stringe of the popish tyranny hath ben excommunication which the Lord here lowseth Nother doeth the Lorde counceale The quire is geueÌ„ to the heatheÌ„ whie he pronounceth the priestes or inwarde quire excoÌ„municated for because it is geuen to the heathen Which phrase of speach is as much of force as if you should saie for as much as in the quire they playe not the priestes or faithful ministers but the gentiles which haue occupied this place But the gentiles are rightly shutte out of the fellowshippe of God and the church where the lord him self in the gospel saied if he heare not the church let him be vnto thee as an heythen publicane Vndoubtedly they that be not in the Temple or churche or els be in the inner quyre that is to saye which wil be accompted emongs the prelates of the church and yet hold not of Christ but are more
with out fruicte as beyng corrupted with the popish doctrine by force wil not be wise c. Finally they haue power to strike the Earth with euery plague so ofte as they wil. But they will not they strike the Earth with plagues excepte Gods worde by the whiche they beyng inspired and instructed are gouerned shall commaunde them For they wil do nothing wilfully they will not followe their affectioÌ„s but the worde of God Howebeit they are saide to strike the earth with plagues when out of Gods word thei threaten that God with plagues wil punnish the sinnes of meÌ„ Those plagues are recited in the .26 .28 of Deuter. Wherfore in case they threaten to impenitent persons warre pestilence famine sickenesses and other calamities God will sende them to such as are vncurable as the lord sayeth oft him selfe in Ieremie Agayne and on the contrary parte they shal in riche with all blessyng those that obeye gods word what time they shal shewe forth the Lordes blessing Thus muche hath he spoken hitherto concernyng the preachers of the Gospel which shal fight agaynst Antichrist in that last age before the iudgement and shal buylde vp the church confirme the beleuers Thou thy self shalt obserue in what preachers thou shalt perceyue these markes and the same shalt thou acknowledge for the lawefull prophetes of God And shalt acknowledge with all how great a benefite of God it is to haue trewe and faithfull preachers of Gods word The lord our God confirme al ministers of his worde in the settyng forth of his trueth to the worldes ende ¶ Of the cruell fight of Antichrist agaynst the Prophetes of God whome he ouercommeth and sleyeth and shamefully vseth them The .xlviij. Sermon ANd wheÌ„ they haue finished their testimony the beast that cam out of the botomles pitte shall make warre agaynst them and shall ouercome them kille them And their bodies shal lie in the stretes of the great citie which spiritually is called Sodome Aegipte where our lord is crucified And som of the people and kinreddes and toÌ„gues and of nations shall see their bodies three dayes and an halfe and shal not suffer theyr bodies to be put in graues And they that dwell vpon the Earth shall reioyce ouer them and be glad and shall sende giftes one to an other for these two Prophetes vexed theÌ„ that dwel on the earth We haue hearde of the coÌ„tinual preachyng of the preachers which shall obiecte themselues to Antichrist to his armie for christes veritie and the church of the faithfull that al the time that Antichrist shall exercise tiranny against the church consequently our lord Iesus Christ will teache vs by thapostle and Euangelist S. Iohn after what condition the sainctes shal fight and howe Antichrist shall incountre with them which also apperteyneth to consolation The persecution of Antichrist a necessarie admonition leest any maÌ„ should be discouraged with the felicitie of the Antichristians and calamities of the faithful He speaketh therfore expressely of the greuouse persecutioÌ„ of antichrist which hath now coÌ„tinued these many yeres I meane al that time wherin the bishop of Rome hath vsurped takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ him authoritie ouer al churches with some smal spaces of respite to breath in of the Lord permitted This persecutioÌ„ of Antichrist is more greuouse longer than euer was any eyther emongs thauncieÌ„t people of God or in the primitiue church Certenly for these fiue hoÌ„dreth yeres who so euer of what state or condition he were of began to speake neuer so little against the church of Rome he felte incoÌ„tineÌ„tly hatred imprisonement bannishment and death This do stories testifie which shewe also that persecutioÌ„ so much the more increased as the Bisshoppes themselues and theyr champions Monkes and freres were increased in nombre and power And the lord declareth most diligeÌ„tly when who of what estate where when with how great crueltie Antichrist shal playe the tiraunt against the faithful seruauntes of God He addeth immediatly that all his enterprises shall be vtterly vaine and how great shal be the rewardes of constaunte ministers and also the calamities of the Antichristians The testimony of Prophetes muste first be finished before the persecutioÌ„ come on And first in dede he admonisheth playnely what time persecution must be moued not before the testimony of the prophetes shal be finished I shewed you before that the testimonie is the sincere preaching of the gospel Aretas saieth what testimonie That he which shall be present is not Christ but a deceauer and a pestilent seducer c. And so great is the goodnes of God louing his church that he wil not suffer the preachers to be taken away till they haue finished their preachinge For the gospell must be openly preached to all men for saluation and deliueraunce from anguish craftes and disceiptes and from the seducers of Antichriste And they shall finish their ministery with sondry wrytinges and continual preachinges Thei shal finish I say when it shal please God For some preach and abide safe and sound many yeares beynge safe and sure from persecutions And others are immediatly apprehended cast in prison and slaine Thus are these things done as semeth to god good which must euer be credited what meane so euer he vseth to auaunce his glory further the helth of his church Here coÌ„meth to passe also as we reade oft times in the gospel that the lord was not takeÌ„ for asmuch as his houre was not comen Therfore shal a certaine houre also be appoincted of God to the preachers Before this houre they be safe sure though the deuill be neuer so madde tirauntes rage bloudsuckours and thenemies of faith laye in waite We maruel sometimes how the preachers of the gospel coulde preach in so great a coÌ„pany of wolues so long time that directly agaynst wolues Whie they were not by and by torne in peces God deâ—eÌ„deth his Prophetes vnto theyr houre The lorde God almightie hath kept which would first haue them throughly to finish the testimonie of the veritie He letted therfore their enemies and gaue strength to his seruauntes to preach To him shall we render thankes that many good preachers in times paste of late daies D. Luther and D. Zwinglius other faithful witnesses of God coulde in so wicked a worlde and in so great power of Antichrist execute their ministerie so many yeres in dispite of Hell gates Notwitstandyng that the Princes and Magistrates deserue also to be praysed for the lawefull defence shewed them yet should this haue ben none at all vnlesse the power of God would haue had it so And what time the faithful in the churche shall be sufficiently admonisshed so that such as will be wise Persecution cometh on and not of a set pourpose perish maye all escape the snares of Antichrist and liue in Christe immediately shall followe persecution For so soone as the Pope shall heare with his dregges
signified to vs vnder the tipe of Michaell We know by the scriptures as many of vs as be learned that Michael as also Gabriel be the names of good Angels of god Michael signifieth who as God And who I praye you is such as God but in whome thexpresse Image of the fathers substaunce which is the Image inuisible and worde of the father from the beginnyng I meane the very sonne of God Iesus Christ Michael in the .10 .12 chapt of Daniel is president protectour Patrone of the Iewish nation And it is plaine that the people of Israel had from the beginning non other tutour and patrone but Messias him selfe the blessed sede This appereth in the .7 of Esaye were we reade that the lord spared the people of Iuda and the princelicke Citie for Christ In an other place he sayeth moste openly I will defende that citie for my selfe and for my seruaunt Dauid And Dauid is called Christ in the .34 of Ezechiel Christ is therefore in very dede gouernour of his people whiche neuerthelesse in defendyng and deliueryng his vseth the ministerie of Angelles who also attribute nothing to themselues but all glory to God alone Morouer that excellent victory cā not with out offence of godlines be ascribed to Michael the archangel For so omitting our Messias Christ we should cōmende Angels being made worthie to be called Angelical rather than Christians In the lawe was written the sede of the womā shal breake the serpentes head But the lord neuer toke the nature of an Angel but the sede of Abraham and by sinne hath condemned sinne There shal followe anone in the songe Now is saluation and power c. And there is added for the Deuil is cast out And this saluatiō hath Christ alone accomplisshed wherfore it is necessary that Christ the conquerour of Sathan be signified by Michael And the Dragon fought hande to hande agaynst the lord The dragō his Angels fight not only matched with him in the deserte but also neuer ceased to tempte and assayle him so longe as he liued here on earth he stired vp also agaynst him the Phariseis Princes of the people kinges and the Romane gouernour and so at the laste brake the lordes heele This was the greatest fight of the Dragon The same Dragon inspireth now kinges and Princes wicked Priestes and cruel men his Angelles which maye warre vpon the churche And all these verely do persecute and vexe the churche in the power of the red Dragon Stories declare the same to be done before Christes time the same testifie and experiēce proueth the like to be done from the ascension of Christ into Heauen vnto this present daye and vnto the worldes ende Now is also declared with what lucke they fought with what lucke they sought on eyther side to witte most luckely concernyng Christ most vnluckely as touchyng the Deuill or red Dragon And in this fight as also in the songe immediately following is cōteined the whole fruicte of this disputatiō For herof al godly may learne that Sathan our enemie is vnarmed and that Christ in this conflict is on our syde as our Emperour captayne at all tymes by whome all the godly maie easely in all conflictes ouercome Therfore this matter of battel and victory is set by and by after the beginning of the moste daūgerouse battaile wyth Antichriste and Antichristians whych are the broode or tailes and scales of the serpent and champions of the Dragon for a comfort and consolation And the naturall order is here altered which treateth nothyng of the successe of the battaile til he hath set forth al the conflicte before But this battaile shall be continewed hereafter in the reste of the 12. and all the .13 chapter Christ ouer commeth and christianes ouercome also He declareth at thre wordes first the victorie of Chryste secondly of al christians The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they preuayled not they had no strength Doubtles the force of the deuyll is greate if God permitte and clerely greatest in consideration of the iuste iudgement of God as also appeareth in Iob that he is able to slake breake the strongest thinges But the Lorde sayth in the gospel Ihon .14 Math. 16 The Prince of this world came and against me he hath nothing Again in the gospel The gates of Hell shall not preuayle againg her the rocke I meane and secondly againste the church Although therfore the Deuyl make an horrible vprore and cruelly rage against Christ and his church yet is he without force For the vertue of Christe preuayleth The seconde parte is nother was theyr place any more founde in heauen which maner of speach signifieth no other thing than that the reprobate Angell is put from al dignitie glory power moreouer that he hath no more any place in the church or emonges the electe of God not that the deuil should not retourne or should not tempte or renewe warre but because he hath no place parmanent Herunto apperteyneth that the Lord so ofte repeateth in the Gospel and now the Prince of this worlde is caste oute in the .12.14 and .16 chapters of Sainct Ihon. Moreouer by other places of the Scripture it is manifeste that the Deuyll is shut out of heauen And it shall be easie for vs to shutte him oute which being cast out by the sonne of God hath no place in vs vnlesse we our selues geue place to him Which we shoulde not do the Lord admonisheth vs dilligently that we should watch The story is knowen in the .12 of Matth. of the Deuill pourposing to retourne and therfore toke vnto him seuen worse spirites But wherefore doest thou heare him whie doest thou obeye him whome thou seest shut out of Heauen Notwithstanding that herby is signified also that the Deuil was so fully vanquished of Christ that he was also driuen to forsake the place of the battayle For the thirde membre Sathan cast downe to the earth as it were expoundyng the seconde addeth and he was caste to the Earth For they that are throwen to the groūde are iudged to be ouercome Therfore a full victory and perfit conqueste is signified Howbeit he was ones most valeauntly throwen to the Earth Of our lord Iesus Christ in the misterie of our redemption and in the vertue of the same is dayly cast to the Earth of the faithfull And like as the Deuill hath no place permanent in heauen nor in the chosen so verely doeth he inhabite all earthly that is to saye menne sauouring the earth and contemnyng heauenly thinges Yea and we heare that his Angels are cast out with him For the Lord in the gospel of S. Iohn the .16 chapt sayeth In the world you haue afflictiō but be of good there I haue ouercome the worlde And S. Iohn in his Canonical epistle you are of God little children sayeth he 1. Iohn .4 2. Iohn .5 and you haue ouercome them for he is greater that
Prophecie of Daniel by the beaste vnderstandeth the Romane Empire and supposeth that therfore it is not called a Lion nor a Beare nor Libarde but a beaste that what crueltie some euer ye canne Imagine in beastes by the same ye maye vnderstande the Romanes doubtles in maners they haue shewed themselues beastes Mithridates the moste renoumed kynge of Pontus speakyng of the Romanes in the .xxxviii. booke of Iustine As they themselues reporte sayeth he that their founders were nurrisshed by suckyng of a Wolfe so haue all that people Wolues mindes neuer satisfised wyth bloud of rule and Riches Hongry and emptie And nowe howe filthy beastes many Romane Princes haue ben theyr owne wryters testifie chiefely Suetonius and others that haue written of the Emperours liues And that the people of Rome were also of beastely maners the .1 chapt of the Epistle to the Roma proueth You will saye I knowe well The good godly are excepted sins S. Iohn comprehendeth vnder this Image the whole body of the Romane Empire shal we cal Conustant Constantine Theodosius and other godly Emperours beastes I saye howe the Scriptures vse this maner of speakyng and by beastes in dede vnderstande Empires all though they calle not all those that dwell in those Empires beastes with out any difference therfore we vnderstande them exempted in all Empires that liue a life to God acceptable and know assuredly that nother Daniel nor S. Ihon woulde haue defiled with wordes suche innocent men and al prayse worthie Yea in all this treatise of the Empire and of Antichrist we excepte alwayes such men as are innocent and excelle in vertue Wherof we shal happely speake more hereafter And firste he sheweth the beginnyng of this Empire The original of the Empire A beaste commeth out of the Sea on the sande whereof standeth the Dragon and in the .17 chapt it is sayed howe the beaste came out of the botomlesse pitte Therefore the beginnynge hereof is referred to Sathan Notwithstandyng we muste here take dilligent hede that we take awaye nothing from the lorde our God the whiche he chalengeth to him self The Scripture in sondry places but chiefly by two moste excellent witnesses by Daniel in the .3 chapt and S. Paule in the .13 chapt to the Romaines hath set forth that kyngedomes and Empires are of the Lorde and that he setteth vp deposeth kinges There is no power sayeth thapostle Nowe the Rom. Empire is of God of the dragō but of God And hitherto in dede thapostles cōmaunde to obeye Princes and magistrates Howe is it than that we heare that the Romane Empire came out of the botōles pit sins the Apostle speaketh of the same doubtles the Romane Empire is not absolutely of the Deuil For God is the authour of Monarchies and preserueth realmes and policies geuing therunto certen faithful seruaūtes But sathan medleth with mens matters and corrupteth both kinges kingdomes and so long they be of the Deuil The Christianes in all politike matters obeyed Emperours but cōmaundyng Idolatrie they obeied them not 3. Kings 11 Certaine it is that God did institute the kingdome of Israell or of ten tribes by the prophet Ahiab yet neuerthelesse the lorde crieth out in an other prophet Amos. 8. they haue reigned in dede but not by me For the lord would haue had those kinges to haue framed al thinges after his word and to reigne in the feare of God and where they did not so but followyng the instigation of Sathan ordered al thinges after their owne luste they are rightly saied to reigne not of God but of the deuill Therfore haue the godly obeyed kinges but they obeyed them not cōmaundyng wicked thinges although they toke them for their kinges God had instituted the order of priestes not withstandyng Christe calleth the doynges of the same priestes the workes of darkenes And S. Peter sayeth we muste rather obeye God than men So verely the Romane Empire which was of God came also out of the Sea as Daniel sayeth also out of the troublesome world and euen out of Hell beyng made great through slaughter murther seditiō and treason For the people of Rome with the moste parte of Emperours regarded the Deuil and the world and not God The Rom. Empire of seuē heads And what the empire of Rome is at this daye he figureth now also it hath seuen heades ten hornes and euery horne had his crowne signifiyng verely that by hornes are signified kingedomes Nother doe we here bring in any newe or farre fetched exposition In the .17 chapt the Angel expoundeth him selfe and sayeth that by seuen heades are signified seuen mountaines or hilles and euen kinges also In Rome are accompted many hilles but there be seuen notable For there is mounte Palatine Capitoline Auentine Coelius Esquiline Viminalle and Quirinalle Propertius expoūding the same in one verse whiche I haue expressed in two sayeth Septem vrbs alta ingis toto quae praefidet orbe A citie set alofte on seuen hilles Whose people rule the world at theyr owne willes And therfore is called of the Grekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of seuē hilles And verely the citie is taken for the whole Empire So haue there ben also many kinges Emperours which are cōprised in the seuenth nōbre but yet is it certayne that the seuēth nombre of kinges also is exactely founde in the historie For at the beginning whē Rome was first builded there reigned seuē kinges in order Romulus Numa Tullus Hostilius Aucus Martius Tarquinius Priscus Seruius Tullius Tarquius Superbus who expulsed by reason that Lucrese was rauished of the kinges sonne they were ruled by confulles by ten men by Dictatours vnto the time of Iulius Caesar who first vsurped to him selfe againe a kynges crowne after whome reigned Antony Octauian called Augustus Tiberius Caius Claudius and Nero againe seuen In Nero thempire receiueth a plage From thence againe are accōpted seuen Ottho Galba Vitellius Vespasiane Titus Domitian Nerua From him was the Empire deuolued to Vlpius Traiane a Spaniarde Therefore the Romane Empire could not by plainer markes be expressed To this Empire also Daniel attributed ten hornes aswel for that it was collected of many kingedomes as also that it was disparsed agayne into many Wherof shal be spoken in the .17 chapt And it is a comon thing to the Scriptures by hornes to signifie kingedomes and power And to this kingdome the lord Iesus ascribeth open wickednes ye he calleth it blasphemouse For he addeth The Romane Empire blasphemouse and vpō his heades the name of blasphemie that is to saye what plasphemie so euer may at any time be any where diuised al that same shall be founde manifeste in this Empire and chiefely in the heades For yf ye beholde the hilles of Rome chiefly the Mounte Capitoline ye shall finde it called of Cicero the mansion place of the Gods verely for that it conteyned in a maner the Images of all the Goddes For on
they alledged for thēselues but that same rather which God iudgeth and the veritie of the thinge pronounceth and sayeth and they worshipped the Deuill or the Dragon So Paule in the .1 to the Corinth the .10 chapt The thinges sayeth he that the heythen offer vp they offer thē not to God but to Deuilles But this did the gētiles denie But God in this case passeth not vpon the iudgemētes and intentes and denialles of men but pronounceth after his owne iudgement In the .17 of Leuit. He sayeth yf ye offer vnto me oblations otherwise than I haue prescribed ye shal defile your selues with bloud Let now the massemōgyng priestes crie out till they be hoarse againe we offer to the Lorde God not to straunge Goddes yet shal the Lordes sentence stande moste trewe for euer that they transgresse with vnlaweful worshipping no lesse than if thei committed parricidie As also Esaye beareth witnes in .66 chapt The lord god alloweth the sincere obediēce which we shewe vnto his lawes he careth nothing for our inuentions good intentes Thus at this present he sheweth at fewe wordes as the thing is in dede that all idolaters worship the Deuill Yf we would at this daye esteme these things rightly we shuld not so contende as it were for life and landes aboute maineteyning of Images in the church The Lord Iesus light our hartes and mindes to see his trewth ¶ The beaste is worshipped and he blasphemeth the name of God and the Sainctes of God and finally maketh warre with the Sainctes The .lvj. Sermon ANd they worshipped the beaste sayyng who is like vnto the beaste who is able to warre wyth hym And there was geuen to him a mouthe to speake great thinges and blasphemies and power was geuen vnto him to do .xlii. Monethes And he opened his mouth vnto blasphemie against god to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen And it was geuen vnto him to make warre with the sainctes to ouercome thē The beaste is worshipped how He sayed that the world worshipped the dragon now he addeth that the same worshippeth the beast Howbeit seyng the beast is the empire some mā might maruel how the empire might be worshipped But we at fewe wordes say how they worshippe the empire which receyue the decrees rites and superstitiouse ordenaunces of thempire and of them depende whole And there were not a fewe at that time who in fauour of the Romane Empire denied the faith of christ and reuoltyng from the churche ioyned themselues in religion and sacrifices to the felloweship of the Empire They in very dede worshipped the beaste Moreouer that thing which is only dewe vnto one God the same did the Romanes attribute to their empire But who so euer ascribeth vnto any thing diuine properties doeth verely deifie and worshippe the same And the properties of god be these to haue no match or pere that he alone is greatest and best immortall eternal most mightie moste inuincible For so saye the Prophetes who is like vnto thee O God in heauen and in earth who is as thou who can resist God But the Romanes did attribute all these thinges to their Emperours and to their empire sayng as S. Iohn also reciteth who is like vnto Rome who is able to warre with it they called their Emperours Goddes best greatest most puissaunt and most inuincible Thempire it self they called eternal Ye may see these thinges yet in most auncient authors and coynes So many therfore as were not asshamed to attribute these thinges to the Romane Princes and kingdome are saied rightly to haue worshipped the beast And what other thing I praye you is done at this daye whilest for the fauour of Emperours Kinges Popes and their realmes the veritie is denied or wrasted after the affections of men These worship the beast also Nowe is geuen also the beaste a mouth speakinge greate thinges and blasphemies A mouth speakyng great thinges Of blasphemies we shall speake more anone But for asmuch as the Romane Empire obteyned greatest victories and helde most gallaunt and solemne triumphes it semeth to haue occasion geuē to boaste proudely of the victories to chalenge those thinges to themselues whiche were in dede wrought through the power of God And doubtlesse there do yet remayne the greatest and moste licentiouse bragges of the Romanes that they are conquerours and lordes of the world But such pride was greuously punnisshed in Nabuchodonozor the King Whereof you maye see in the .4 chapt of Daniel S. Peter affirmeth that God resisteth the proude and geueth grace to the humble God hateth the arrogant and taketh awaye their names frō the Earth And where some man might demaunde How long shal Rome be thus prowde◠But what ende shal there be of iniuries pride finally of intollerable arrogātie and blasphemies S. Iohn preuenteth and sayeth and power was geuen him to do that is to worke violence xlii monethes that is to saye so longe time as it semeth good to the Lorde whiche neuertheles although he would haue the time to be to vs vnknowen yet is knowē to him so that the godly maye promise themselues that this euill shall indure but a fewe monethes of this nombre haue I reasoned in the 11. chapt and .xlvi. Sermon And haue shewed in the former places that those nombres were equiualent to wit the thousande two hōdreth and three score dayes the .xlii. monethes the time two times and half a time God therfore admonisshyng vs as it were by a riddle will not haue vs curiousely to inquire after times which he hath kept in his own power it is sufficient to vs that he hath assigned all thinges in their luste limittes Now followeth a plētiful treatise of Romish blasphemies Of the blasphemies of old Rome First he sayeth by a trope he hath opened his mouth wherby he hath signified his boldenes and libertie yea licētiousenes of speakyng For we saye he would not ones open his mouth whē we signifie any mā that wil not speake frākely But the Romanes and companions of the Romish superstition blaspheme God thre manner of wayes For fyrste they blaspheme the holy name of God in this that they do prefer their false Gods and their superstitions to the true God to the true and most holy religion For where they ded admit in the citie of Rome the Gods of al nations and their religions the religion of the only God of Israell they vtterly refused for that they vnderstoode howe he wolde be worshipped alone and by non other rite than that which he himself had prescribed But they had rather reteyne wickedly those their many gods and their religion although most absurde than to commit themselues into the tuition of one and to reseaue a moderate simple religion Authour Aurel. August I raccoumpte not nowe the blasphemouse wordes of them vttered against the true God about that tyme chiefly when Vespasian and Titus triumphed after the Iewysh war
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
shall discourse more at large of the distruction of Rome in the .17 chap. Wherfore within the space of .136 yeares Rome came seuen tymes into straungers handes and was sacked most cruelly and fell on the edge of the sworde and was led into captiuitie Councell how the godly shall demeane theÌ„selues in so great euils which hath long stricken with the swoorde and led away all nations prisoners This was the iust iudgement of God And S. Ihon annexeth a doctrine howe the godly shulde behaue theÌ„selues in so greate troubles and aduersities Here that is to wit whilest the Romanes reigne and rage also in those blouddy and cruel alterations and destruction of the Romane Empire the Sainctes shall nede to haue patience or perseueraunce and fayth These two vertues shal kepe the faithfull that they perish not also Of patience the lord speaketh in S. Luke the .21 chapt In your patience shal you possesse your soules Of faith speaketh blessed Iohn and this is the victory that ouercometh the world euen your faith Impatience and incredulitie hath led away many into the deniyng of the faith to idolatrie and to al vngodlines So learne we also how to arme our selues in our dayes against all vngodlines The lord deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ Of an other beast which cometh vp out of the Earth that is to saye of Antichrist The .lviij. Sermon ANd I behelde an other beaâ—â— câ—â—â—â—â— vp out of the Earth and he had two hornes like a lambe and he spake as did the Dragon The Apostle S. Paule playnely testifieth What is th ende of this prophecie Rom. 15. such thinges as are written to be written for our learnyng that through the patience consolation of the scriptures we maye haue hope wherfore we must also applie therunto these things present For Christ the lord of all when he foresawe how greatly sathan should by his chosen membres the olde and newe Romane Empire afflicte the church would haue vs dilligently admonished of euery thing to the intent that al afflicted persones should hereof learne patience and conceaue comforte and hope and not be discouraged with the heauy burthen of euilles Like as he hath therfore diligently described the olde Romane Empire and shewed as it were pâ—yntyng with the fingar what mischief it should worke to the church admonisshed al to haue faith patience right so wil he from hence forth describe poperie or Antichristianisme in the which descriptioÌ„ he setteth forth before our eyes what so euer the sainctes shall suffer that beyng warned before they maye abide more manfully persecution and lesse yelde to mischauntes The secoÌ„d beaste cometh not forth tyll the first be taken awaye And in goodly order beginneth he to sette forth Antichrist after the Romane Empire torne and taken awaye For Daniel sayeth that a little and small horne shoulde arrise vp emonges the ten hornes and three of those hornes to poole downe plucke of and caste awaye and so to atteyne vnto greate power For he signifieth that the Romane Empire beyng diuided and brought now vnto decaie Antichrist shal arrise whiche should procure to himselfe a newe and countrefet Empire And S. Paule sayeth also that Christe shall not come vnto iudgement till Antichrist haue gone before and that he shall not come nother vnlesse this be firste taken awaye whiche hindereth and letteth that he can not come The whiche S. Hierome and other holy expositours do vnderstande of the Romane Empire 2. Thess 2. whiche muste be plucked vp and taken awaye and that then shall Antichrist arrise But the Maiestie of the Empire was distroyed aboute the yere of our Lorde .480 when Odacer inuaded Rome For from that time by the space of .300 yeres and more ther was no Emperour of the Weste after Augustulus And besides this vnder the Emperour Iustinian Rome was brente and layde waste of Totila Sins the whiche time the Bisshoppes of Rome haue begonne to loke a lofte and to thinke vpon a newe kingedome The secoÌ„d beaste of the Earth And therefore the Lorde sayeth that this beaste arriseth of the very earth The kyngedome of our lorde Iesus Christe cometh from heauen and bringeth to heauen Papistrie cometh nother of Christ nor of his doctrine but cometh out of the Earth that is to witte of euill meanes Ambition auarice treason and crueltie What ministers of the churche Christ ordeyned is easely perceyued by the Gospell of Iesu Christ That he forbadde them gouernement supremacie superiorite and maioritie as they terme it appereth of the .18 and .20 chapt of S. Matthew and .22 of Lukâ— Therefore do the Actes of Apostles and the doctrine of Peter testifie that Peter was a Minister and not Lorde of the Apostles muche lesse Prince of the citie or Empire of Rome For they lye lowde that saye howe Rome and Italy are the Patrimonie of S. Peter geuen him of the Lorde At the first the Apostles and Apostolicall men ministers of churches gouerned the churches equallye neyther ded one take vpon him more preheminence than an other Which thyng I am able to proue by many testimonies of auncient wryters yf nede requyred Aboute the counsell of Nice and a litle before that tyme when churches were greatly multiplied were ordeyned and custumably receyued Metropolitanes instituted in dede by a laudable but yet mannes ordinaunce that is to witte in a certen prouince or head citie was ordeyned a Byshop or Pastor which shoulde haue as it were theÌ„ ouersighte of the reste and shoulde serue for the calling of Synodes or assemblees Yet was it than dilligently prouided that he shoulde not be called Primate leeste any manne should thinke himselfe preferred before others in power but in order Nother was the Byshop of Rome at that tyme exalted aboue all others but there were dyuerse Metropolitanes whereof the byshop Rome was one The Niceyue counsell confyrmed that same custome and woulde haue it ratified Socrates in his ecclesiastical Historie the .5 boke the .8 chapt reciteth many Metropolitane churches in Asia S. Hierome to Euagrius and in an epistle to Titus sayeth playnely that in oulde tyme churches were gouerned by the common counsell of priestes or elders and that time Byshops and priestes were all one After by the custome of the church not of the veritie of the Lordes ordinauÌ„ce I rehearce Saincte Hieromes wordes Byshops were preferred before priestes yet muste they gouerne churches together And of that same custome Howe the Bisshop of rome came to his supremacie yea rather of the abuse of the custome Antichrist had his beginning For Boniface Bishop of Rome began fyrste to take vppon him dominion ouer the churches of Affricke But he was immediatelye repressed by the sixte Affricane couÌ„cell where at Sainte Austen is red also to haue bene After that began also the Byshop of CoÌ„stantinople to chalenge to himselfe the Supremacie for this cause chiefelie that Constantinople was than the courtelyke Palace and chiefe Citie of the Empyre Howe beit
to are perdon for that offence Lōg it was or euer he was admitted to come in the Popes sight At the last he was led with an yrō chaine aboute his necke to the Bisshoppes table lyke a Dogge and there fayne to lie vnder the table emongs the dogges so lōg til the wrath of Clement without all clemencie beyng ouer paste he put out that ignominie from his countrie And was therefore alwayes after called dogge of his owne countriemē for that he had layne like a dogge at the Popes table for to gette absolution This is written in Sabellicus in the ende of the .9 Aeneid the .7 boke The Pope in excommunicatinge vseth tapers or candelles of waxe burning which he throweth downe to the grounde from on highe that euen thereby we might perceyue that it is he that calleth downe the feareful fire from Heauen vpon men in earth And these thinges doeth the beast in the presence of men to wit with great confidence boldenes finally to make mē affrayde and to kepe them in awe For after the same kinde of speaking S. Paule commaundeth also to rebuke a great man offendyng before all men that others maye be affrayed 1. Timoth. 5. He disceaueth by signes Howbeit the Lord addeth the vse and effect of Antichristes wonders to th ende the church might iudge rightly of them and he deceaueth sayeth he the dwellers on the Earth by reason of the miracles c. He shall seduce by these signes or miracles to wit by that grace of the spirite whiche he faineth that he geueth and with those his excommunications wherwith he would seme to caste men downe into hell that dwell vpon Earth that is to saye more geuen to earthly than to heauenly thinges And he shall leade them from the fayth of Christ vnto his tromperies Therefore must we iudge of the tokens and doctrine of Antichrist for that they seduce men Leaue maruelyng therefore howe it hath chaunced that the Pope hath allured to his side so many menne of wisedome and learnyng You haue hearde already by what meanes this is done Therefore be not you alwayes fooles learne take hede and beleue Christe and his Gospell and cleaue thereunto Agayne he sayeth The beaste doeth miracles in the sight of the beaste that power is geuen to the beast verely by the iuste iudgement of God that according to thapostles saiyng they maye be iudged whiche had rather beleue lies than the veritie that he shoulde worke those miracles in the sight of the beaste What is it to worke miracles in the sight of the beaste but to do them in the presence of all men boldely and with out feare euen to feare disceaue the very beast Here therfore nowe we heare of two beastes The beaste that doeth the wonders and that later beaste in whose sight that other fourmer beaste doeth those signes In the .19 chapt Yea it shall followe hereafter that both the beaste and the false Prophet whiche doeth these miracles before the beaste by the whiche he also deceaued the beaste shall be caste bothe into fire euerlasting Who therfore is the former and the two horned beaste but the Pope the very same is the false prophet also And who is the beaste in whose sight the Pope worketh wonders but the Image of the beaste and therfore a beaste also in asmuch as thempire is reysed of the beaste and gouerned by the spirite of the beaste For it followeth that the beast setteth vp an Image of the beaste The beaste setteth vp an Image of the beast and that of the same beaste whiche had the wounde of a sworde and liueth that is to wit of that olde Romane Empire Now therfore is erected a new Romane Empire which neuerthelesse is not called playnely a beaste but the Image of the beast that is to saye an Empire in dede but the which cometh not so nere to the olde by as farre as an Image differeth from the true example For the olde Romane Empire is as it were an example whereof thempire set vp by the Romish Antichrist is only an Image representation shaddowe and as it were a dreame hauyng neuerthelesse some sumilitude of the same Howe the Image of the beaste was set vp I tolde before and shewed out of stories howe the olde Romane Empire was torne and rent in pieces taken quite awaye In times paste the one Emperour gouerned in the Easte at Constantinople the other in the Weste at Rome or at Rauenna But from Augustulus by the space of thre hondreth yeres and more there was no Emperour of the Weste And suche landes as were the Emperours were now possessed of others and the Empire was vtterly loste Therefore about the yere of our lorde eyght hondreth what time Charles the greate Kynge of Fraunce came to Rome vpon Christemas daye Leo the .3 of that name Bisshoppe of Rome setting the Crowne vpon Charles head made him Emperour all the people saiyng with a lowde voice to Charles the Emperour crowned of God be long life and victory These thinges are red in all stories especially in the .4 booke of Auentinus his Cronicles of Bourbonois The beaste sayeth to the inhabiters of the Earth that they shuld make an Image to the beast Agayne when this Empire semed to wauer and to slide and therefore lyke shortely to falle the Bisshoppe of Rome instituted seuen Princes Electours Some referre this ordenaunce to Gregory the .5 whiche was Pope when Otth◠was Emperour And some to Gregory the .10 whiche called Rafe of Abspurge to the Empire Whereof shal be more sayed anone But the Lorde by S. Iohn sayeth expressely howe the beast sayed to the inhabiters of the Earth that thei shuld make an Image of the beaste For the Popes haue by speakyng and not by fightyng as appereth in the stories of Bisshoppes of Rome especially of Leo the .3 erected a new Empire For by preachyng perswadyng and practysing they brought the Empire to Kinge Charles Certenly Platina in the life of Leo the .3 The Bisshop sayeth he minding to gratifie by some meane king Charles which had deserued right well of the churche in the churche of S. Peter after solemne seruice done by the voyces and prayers of the people of Rome with a lowde voyce declareth Charles Emperour and crowneth him c. But nowe we muste see more dilligentlie What is properlie the Image of the beaste wherefore the newelie erected empyre is called of the Pope the Image of the oulde beaste And here in dede myghte manye thynges be alledged but I shall recyte of many things onely a fewe Aboue all thinges it is called the Image both for that it is named the Empyre it selfe and wolde be taken for the oulde Empyre where it is in dede a name wythoute the thynge and a vayne tytle wythoute that aunciente power maiestie and glorie For vnlesse the Emperour haue the Kyngdome of his owne by inheritaunce what Kyngdome shal he haue by the name of
parte of the nobles of Germany of Italy There was also a Counsell assembled at Wormz where Kinge Henry beyng presente all the Germane Bishoppes excepte they of Saxonie deposed the Pope from his function The Epistles and fragmentes of these Coūselles are founde in the Cronicles of Verspergens -chiefly He is accused by these openly of all wickednes and vngodlines of Hypocrisie and crueltie We haue rehersed a little before what Cardinall Benno a wryter of his time hath committed to wrytinge There remayne also testimonies of Sigisbert an olde wryter concernynge this Pope Who so will maye reade the .5 booke of Auentinus from the .162 and so forth And also the preface of the .6 booke The same Authour in the .7 booke reportynge the wordes of Eberharde Bisshoppe of Salisburge had in the Counsell of Regenspurge Hildebrande sayeth he 170. yeres sins vnder pretence of religion layde firste the foundation of Antitichristes kingedome This wycked warre he him selfe firste beganne whiche by his successours is continewed hitherto Firste they haue excluded the Emperour from the Popes election and referred the same to the people and priestes of Rome After they also mocked thruste out they goe about now also to bring vs in subiection bondage to thintent thei might reigne alone And the things that follow But the thing it self declareth that there haue not liued many Popes more bolde and impudent than this whiche haue auaunced more highly the maiestie of the seate He excōmunicated themperour Henry the .4 and depriued him of the dignitie imperial moreouer he stired vp his subiectes agaynste hym and absolued the rebelles and traytours from their othe of fidelitie and he him selfe like a Monarke gaue the Crowne of the Empire vnto others at his pleasure The powre therefore and Treasoure of the Empire hath be so worne and wasted what wyth ciuile and what wyth foreyne warres that these many yeres nowe the kinges of Almaigne haue neyther ben able to recouer their force nor yet to resiste the most arrogaunt tiranny of Popes And thus at the laste the Pope is become a Monarch and Emperours Kinges and and Princes are made their Clientes and wardes When Gregory the .7 was dead there succeded .4 Mōkes of Hildebrandes secte and faction of his maners kankred nature as it were heires and sonnes that go nothing out of kinde Victor the .3 Vrbane the .2 Paschal the .2 And Gelasius the .2 Anno. 1119 Paschalis caused the sonne Henry the .5 oh wicked and detestable parricidie to warre agaynst the father that miserable Henry the .4 And shortely also Gelasius the .2 and Callistus the .2 do excōmunicate also Henry the .5 And cease not to vexe this prince also till they had wronge out of his hādes the gifte or electiō of Bisshopperickes The gifte of Bishoprikes takē frō themperours And that to the great and inestimable profit of the See of Rome and to the vnrecouerable losse of Germany c. These thinges are described more at large of Vrspergens in the Cronicle of the yere .1122 In the times followyng the audacitie power of Popes increasing hourely the Germane kinges haue resisted them stoutely enough but yet with small successe Where in the meane season we must remembre the wordes of the Lord vttered by Daniel saiyng and there shall arrise a Kinge of a shameles face and vnderstanding propositions his strēgth shall be fortfied but not in his owne force and it can not be beleued howe he wil distroye al thinges and he shal prosper and do c. the tirāny of Popes against emperours Anno. 1178 I wil touche therfore in fewe wordes what thinges in the times followyng Popes haue attempted agaynste kinges and boldely done for the establisshyng of their Empire and Monarchie Pope Alexander the .3 did excommunicate Fridericke the .1 called Barbarousse trode him vnder his fete And where the good Prince sayed how he sheweth this obedience to S. Peter the beaste exclamed settyng him selfe also before Peter and sayed both to me and to Peter and stamped on him Pope Innocentius the .3 coulde not abide much lesse allowe Philippe the sonne of Fridericke Anno. 1189 created Emperour but commaunded the electours to chouse an other I meane Ottho Duke of Saxon whome notwithstandyng shortely after he excommunicated also That proude beast sayed that he would take from Philippe the emperial crowne or lose his Apostolicke Miter Vnto this Innocent are ascribed those most proude wordes which are red in the decretal of Gregory the .9 de Elect. in the .6 title .34 chapt on this wise that the princes haue right and authoritie to chouse a king and afterwarde to auaūce him to be Emperour we acknowledge as we ought as to whome of righte and auncient custome it is knowē to appertayne especially sins that such right and authoritie came vnto them from the Apostolicall Seate which translated the Romane Empire frō the Grekes to the Germanes in the persone of greate Charles See howe thei vsurpe all power to themselues Howbeit the Princes must know agayne that the right and authoritie to examine the person chosen kyng and to be promoted to the empire belongeth vnto vs which do annoincte consecrate and crowne him c. The same in the first boke the .33 Titl de maior obedient Wryting to the Emperour Constantine So much diuersitie sayeth he as there is betwixte the sunne and the Mone so great a difference is there betwene Popes and Kinges in Gods name But the Emperour Fridericke the .2 Fridericke the .2 well langaged Nephewe to Barbarousse an excellent prince many Popes did excommunicate Honorius the .3 Gregory the .9 and Innocentius the .4 And in dede Gregory the .9 whilest Fridericke that excellent Prince made warre in Syria for religion with the Soldane inuaded and kept the prouinces of Fridericke An. 1227. 1228. 1247. There were most cruell warres and discordes betwixte the Popes and this Fridericke The same Innocentius the .4 excommunicateth Conrade the .4 of that name and Sonne of Fridericke the .2 and stireth vp the Prince of Thuringe agaynst him And when the Emperour Conrade was dead the Pope obteyned the good willes of the Neapolitanes to yelde themselues to the See of Rome Conrade had lefte a Sonne and heire Conradine and Manfrede his bastarde brother whiche would be called king of Sicilie Wherefore Pope Vrbane the fourth some haue Clement the .4 agaynste Manfrede sente for Charles brother to kinge Lewis the Frenche kynge Erle of Prouince and of Saunte to come with an Armie into Italy Anno. 1263 and called him King of both Sicilies Who ouercome and slewe Manfred at Beneuent receiued the kingdomes of Sicilie of the Pope to do him homage But Conradinus Duke of Swauelande accōpanied with Fridericke Duke of Austrich leadeth out of Germany a right wel furnished Armie into Italy against Charles for the recoueryng of his olde and fatherly kingdome But vanquisshed of Charles at the lake
condemned exiled excomunicated shut vp in prisons vexed with sondrie tourments at the length also cruelly slayne whosoeuer shall refuse to worshippe both the beaste and his Image The Lorde Iesus the true Kyng and Byshoppe of his church succour vs and restrayne the crueltie of the vngraciouse beaste Amen ¶ Of the marke and numbre of the name of the beaste The .lxj. Sermon ANd he made all both smal and great rych and poore free and bonde to receyue a marke in their ryghte handes or in their foreheads And that no man might by or sell saue hee that hath the marke or the name of the beaste eyther the numbre of his name Here is wisdome Let him that hath witte count the numbre of the beaste For it is the nuÌ„bre of a man and his nuÌ„bre is sixe hondreth threscore and sixe He annexeth the rest wherby Antichrist may be knowen and shunned And verely he maie chiefly be knowen of these thinges that folowe And he speaketh of the subiectes of Antichriste The subiects of Antichriste and of this newe Kynge and Byshoppe He wyll procure to hymselfe saieth he an infinite multitude of al kynd of men of al states and degrees For his Kyngdome shall be ample and large Therfore doth the Lord resite here certeine kynds and states of men And vnder the same vnderstandeth whatsoeuer is of the same state in the whole world The Romish Antichrist brought vnder his subiection smal and great rich and poore free to witte nobles and bond For we see that Emperours Kynges Dukes Marquesses Earles and Baronnes Realmes Countries Cities Patriarches Archbishops and Byshops Prelates Doctours Clarks and Laie men obey him also men of greatest power riches wisedom together with the poore people There is none such a kingdome so diuersly coÌ„pacte in the world no not emonges the Mahometistes And al these verely willingly are subiect to the seate yea thei haue perswaded with theÌ„selues that thei cannot wel liue that they cannot be saued vnlesse they be subiecte to the See of Rome The marke of Antichr And lyke as Princes discerne their subiects seruauntes by culloures and cognisaunces and the common people also their cattell by seueral brands and marks wherby thei may be knowen whose they are or whom they serue For euery man hath his cullours he white and blacke he red blewe an other white red some blacke yelow which they geue their soldiours seruauntes to weare thei professe thereby to be reteined to him or him And as they marke their horses with their brand and set their marks vpon household vessel So shall Antichriste doubtles haue also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit his marke whereby he may both bynde wen to him and so bouÌ„den shal marke that they may be discerned from others and by this meane maie weare the badge and as it were the cullours of their Lorde and Maister And he wyll geue his marke on the right hand or on their foreheades The mark in the right hand or foreheades Aretas and Primasius finally all expositours agreablie do expounde it the confession of the mouth and studie and operation of a good woorke We haue hearde verely howe Christe in the seuenth chapt ded imprinte on the foreheades of his seruaunts faith by effectual charitie And in very dede the signe of Gods children is fayth and loue that cometh of the same fayth So do the writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles testifie Neuerthelesse Christ hath also the externall marke of his seruauntes those holesome Sacramentes of the church Baptisme and the Lordes Supper Howebeit yf any be baptized at this day and be partaker of the Lords supper cal vpoÌ„ God the father with the Lordes praier and vtter his faith by a sincere coÌ„fession of thapostels Crede morouer confesse those to be good workes which are done in faith after the rule of the ten coÌ„maundementes and besides this doe shine in good workes shall he be taken for a true catholicke and right christen maÌ„ In olde fime doubtles al men would haue imbraced him for a Brother But what shuld he be at this daye in the Popes kingdome Thou shalt seme by al these things to haue confessed nothing at al of the true faith except thou plainely professe that thou beleuest after the faith tradition of the church of Rome that thou doest acknowledge those for good workes whiche the churche of Rome hath approued Vnlesse thou beleue professe on this wise in vaine shalt thou confesse al the fourmer matters No though thou saiest moreouer that thou beleuest the lawe the prophetes the gospel Apostles They will like thee a great deale better if thou sayest thou arte an obedient childe of the Apostolicall See and church of Rome than if thou shouldest saye that thou arte the childe of God a christen manne that thou puttest thy whole truste in the sonne of God whiche is the only saluation and rightuousenes Yea ye shall finde theÌ„ which wil by and by at these wordes crie out that they smell of heresie a minde infected with poyson I fayne nothing experience it selfe wil witnesse that I saye trewth And thus doeth the Pope marke his men both in the forehead righthande Thus are the Romishe whelpes discerned from other faythfull as it were by markes Besides this there is an other thing Al papistâ—s do plainely testifie that vnlesse a man be marked in the forehead with Chresme by the Bishoppes hande he is no christian how so euer he be baptised beleue in Christ Iesus Whereof it followeth that they attribute more to their confirmation annoincting of the Bishop than to the christen faith Reade the boke called Summa angelica in the title of confirmation This therefore is a sealyng of the Popisshe religion the Christen markes of Christ are sufficient The Pope also by an other waye imprinteth his marke in the righthande of meÌ„ by heâ—ting of vowes perfourming of othes as they terme it For they that make a vowe in entryng into any religion as they call it as it were by a stipulation made do binde themselues to the Pope and See of Rome Furthermore Antichrist the Pope by othes also to be perfourmed by the holdyng vp of the right hande doeth binde and bring in daunger to him Emperours Kinges Archbisshoppes Princes Bishoppes Doctours Vniuersities and all states They promesse that they will attempte nothing agaynst the church of Rome nor agaynst the high Bisshop thereof nor yet agaynst the priuileges and statutes of the See There remayne the maner of othes in the decrees and decretalles I touche these thinges briefly They see more that shutte not their eyes And al men beholde how the Pope hath set his marke on the righthand and forehead of men He forbiddeth that no man bée nor selle There followeth againe of the fierse crueltie and blouddy tiranny which Antichrist practiseth agaynst the Christians that is to saye agaynste them whiche will not receyue
I know rightwell that the proper names of great men haue ben sealed by prophecies and signified before as Iosias Cyrus Iesus But here thou canst gather no such thing but forceably and as it were agaynst the heere I vnderstande therefore by the nombre of the name of Antichrist or beaste the very accōpte wherby we come vnto his name And a name is a briefe definition or description of any thing whereby it is knowen of what sorte and maner it is Which thing in this our cause the nōbre supplieth whiche bringeth vs vnto those times which geue him his name whereof he taketh his name that is whiche times reueale vnto vs Antichrist spoken of before in the prophetes and shewe vs who and what he is or whō we should take for Antichrist euen him verely whiche hauing brought lowe three kinges he him selfe starteth vp of naught and to the distruction of the true religion beginneth to reigne And nowe he sheweth vs expressely this nombre nominall as I maye calle it The nōbre of .666 yeres is expounded and vocalle which maye leade vs vnto Antichriste that we maye knowe who it is and when we knowe him we maye beware of him and commaundeth vs to nombre the yeres sixe hondreth sixtie and sixe For so many importe these Greke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In expoundyng of the which nombre the expositours haue varied wonderfully I like best the exposition of the blessed Martir S. Ireney which perauenture an hondreth yeres after the setting forth of the Apocalipse wrote his boke against heresies saw some whiche hearde S. Iohn preach with S. Ireney maketh also Andreas the good bishop of Cesaria which with Aretas speaketh thus the perfit rekening iuste accompte of the nōbre as likewise other thinges which are written of the same Antichriste the oportunitie of time shall open Time shal reueale antichrist and very experience to suche as will watche dilligently For if it were necessary as some of the Doctours suppose that this name should be manifestly knowē he that sawe him would doubtles haue reuealed But the diuine grace allowed it not that the name of this pestiferous beaste should in this godly boke be rehersed Thus farre Andreas The exposition of Ireneus After the same sorte also the holy Martir of Christ Ireneus before Andreas lefte written in the .5 boke agaynst Heresies For aboute the ende of the booke it is surer sayeth he and with out daunger to abide and tary for the fulfillyng of the prophecie than to suspecte and gesse at euery name where as many names maye be founde hauing the foresayde nombre whereby notwithstanding the question is not aunswered Yet by and by he sayeth the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteineth the nōbre of .666 And very like it is to be true For this vocable hath a very kingdome For thei be latines that now raigne This sayeth he Antichriste shal be a latine as also Sibilla prophecied And doubtles this good doctour erred not one whit indued with the holy spirite of God For we see that the church of Rome is called the latin churche and the Pope the high Bisshop of the latin church We see al seruice in churches sayde in the latin tongue In Courtes al iudgementes of Bisshoppes the latin tōgue only vsed Moreouer no man shall serue in this churche excepte he be a latiniste What wil you saie that these latinistes cal the Hebrewe that is to wit the holy tongue by an opprobriouse name Iewish the Grece Church tongue heretical The Bibles in Greke and Hebrewe be of them suspected For they will haue the latin Bibles only to be authenticall and to be red of all men as authenticall But these thinges are better knowen than that I nede to admonisshe and recite them here with many wordes Neuertheles this holy mā Ireneus doeth not wholy affirme this his coniecture as moste certayne whiche notwithstandyng he sayed yet was moste probable and like to be trewe For he addeth notwithstandyng we will not be in hazarde herein for he recited also the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the royall or tirannicall name of Nimrod nother will we affirmatiuely pronounce that he shal haue this name knowing that in case it were requisite that his name shuld be manifestly preached at this present time it should doubtles haue ben vttered by him whiche had sene also the reuelation But this nombre of the name hath he shewed that we mighte beware of him when he cometh knowyng who he is And he concealed his name for that is not worthy to be preached of the holy ghost and so forth Neuerthelesse the same before this sheweth vs away A place of Daniel in the .7 chapt lighteth this place how to accompte those .666 yeres For thus he sayeth knowyng the sure nombre whiche is shewed vs of the Scripture that is to saye of .666 let the godly abide or loke for firste the diuisiō of the kingdome into ten afterwarde the same reigning and beginnyng to refourme their matters and to augment their kingedome he that cometh vpon the sodayne chalenge to him selfe a kingdome and shal put the foresayde kinges in feare hauyng a name conteyning the foresayde nombre to knowe him verely for the abomination of desolation This agayne sayeth he But who seeth not that the holy Martir sendeth vs to the prophecie of Daniel whiche in the .7 chapt sayeth howe the Romane Empire shall be diuided into many kingedomes how in the middes of those kinges shuld rise vp a litle horne whiche should ouerthrowe and abase three hornes and that the same shoulde beginne to reigne prowdely tirannically and wickedly agaynst bothe God and menne but chiefly to the faithfull intollerable Let vs see than how and when these thinges are fulfilled The Romane Empire falleth Where the Romane Empire had godly Emperours nother yet would wicked Rome bowe her styffe necke vnto Christ but alwaies most obstinately aspired to her olde and wonted Idolatrie which it coueted to haue restored and finally whē the fatal time was at hande wherin the lord most rightuouse thought to requite blouddy Rome he armed against her the Gothians Vandales and Germanes which subdued distroied the lady of the whole worlde and distroyed the whole Empire of the which matter seke more in the .57 Sermō and in the sermons followyng Many hornes or kinges arrise And it is euident by Histories that the Romane Empire the Gothians beginnyng to inuade it did slide prouinces reuolting in euery place and was seuered in many kingdome For to speake nothing of Asia and Affricke the Persians wasting that and this the Vandalles al Grece followed the Emperour of Constantinople and likewise other nations nere The Westegothes possessed all Spayne and the French mē of Franconie subdued Gaulles and Germany and the nations adioynyng to the same The Eastegothes and Lumbardes obteyned Italy Thus verely mere establisshed many kingdomes in steade of Rome reygned many
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
thursted for bloud drīke blud in so moch that being drowned in their owne blud vp to the chin thei may seme to bath them in their owne bloud And here we must remēbre the horses prepared to battaile of whō we spake in the .9 chap. shal be drowned in euerlasting tormēts Thus thus at the last wil the lord auenge himselfe vpon his enemies Let vs call vpon him and abyde patiently and valeauntly The Lorde graunte vs his grace ¶ The Angels of seuen plagues are brought forth Moreouer the triumph and prayse of Christes holye Maritrs is described The .lxvij. Sermon The .15 Chapter AND I saw an other signe in heauen great and wonderful Seuen Angels hauing the seuen laste plagues For in them is fulfylled the wrath of God And I sawe as it were a glassye sea mingled with fyer and them that had gottē victory of the beast and of his Image and of his marke and of the nombre of his name stand on the glassy Sea hauing the harpes of God and they sung the song of Moses the seruaunt of God and the song of the lambe sayeng great and maruelouse are thy works Lord God almightie iust and true are thy wayes thou King of Sainctee Who shal not fear O Lord and glorifie thy name For thou onely art holy for all gentiles shall come and worshippe before the for thy iudgementes are made manifeste The argument of the fifte parte Vpon occasion of harueste and vintage expounded in the laste parte of the fourmer vision is annexed the fifte parte of this godly worke which represēteth vnto vs the fourth visiō of this worke whiche some make the fifte The same is of the iudgemēts of God it hath two parts wherfore it might also be deuided into mo visiōs but we had rather vse fewer For first he discourseth most largely of the paynes or tourments prepared of God to be executed vpon Antichrist his membres and all the vngodlye here is treated of the iudgement of the whore of Babilon of the destinies and ruine of Rome and the church of Rome of the reioicing and song of saincts of the comming of the iudge vnto iudgement of the payne and euerlasting destruction of all wicked And these are intreated in the .15.16.17.18.19 and .20 chap. Than also he reasoneth most excellētly of the reward of saincts and of the euerlasting filicitie thorow out the whole .21 chap. and a good part of the .22 euery where is set open hel it selfe and heauen it selfe And is geuen vs in maner to loke in this fleshe mortall euen into very hell it self into the very palace of Heauen Nother shal you finde any where in all the Scriptures with a continual treatise so plenteouse a disputation of the iudgementes of God of the tormentes of the wicked of the felicitie and ioyes of the godly as in this presente And ful necessarie is this treatise especially in this our last and vngraciouse world A most plētiful dilligent treatise of the iudgemēts of God wherein men neglectyng the spirite of God are become like brute beastes altogether carnall regarde the flesh and wholy depende thereof Happy are al the victoriouse welthie honorable and gloriouse Antichristians miserable are the pore and dispised trewe christians and subiecte to the iniuries persecutions of al men Therfore do the carnall men esteme al thinges of the present fortune and crie it out that their religion and conuersation pleaseth God and the Christiās to displease The godly are here also greuously tempted as they were also in times past reade Psalm 73. and the .1 chapt of Abacucke The vngodly promise themselues that they shal reigne for euer at the length also they contēne the iudgementes of God nother thinke they that euer it wil come to passe that they shal be punnisshed The talke of punnishementes to be diuised of melancholicke persones and to be vttered of mallice and therfore they saye and thinke them not to be regarded but to be mery in this worlde Therefore it behoued the place of Gods iudgementes to be most largely and dilligently decided and to be set as it were before the eyes of the hearers to the ende al might rightly vnderstāde what should be assuredly the ende of good and euill But the punnishmētes of the vngodly are diuerse to witte of this life present and to come And the punnishmentes of this present life are almost innumerable and the tourmentes of the life to come are eternall and vnspeakeable and as there is no comparison betwixte the paincted and trewe fire so is there none betwixte the punnishementes of this present life and that to come But in case men would ernestly beleue that vnspeakeable ioyes and euerlastyng tormentes are prepared of God for good and euill doubtles al would sinne lesse serue God more dilligently But let vs see nowe what is the treatyse of S. Iohn concernyng the same The originall of the doctrine of the iudgementes of God First he sheweth the original of al things that follow not to be earthly but heauenly For he seeth an other token in heauen He saieth an other for that in the .12 chapt we heard that mention was made of an other certen signe And he calleth that a signe or token which signifieth an other thing and therefore not to be considered of it selfe but in asmuche as it bringeth into knoweledge an other certen thinge and that much greater thā it sheweth at the firste sight He calleth this signe that is to witte that same visiō great and maruelouse For the iudgementes of God are greatest and moste wonderful Whilest thei are executed the vngodly maruel which had thought such thinges should neuer haue comen to passe the godly also maruell at the great power of God his moste iuste rightuousnes and his ripenes and faythfulnes in deliuering and sauing his people Than he declareth what signe was shewed him in Heauen and by that celestiall vision he sawe seuen Angels hauyng in seuen cuppes plages That is he perseyued God prepared and furnisshed with power diuine wherewith he both might and would sende plages and condigne punnishementes aswell vpon Antichrist him selfe as vpon his membres and all the vngodly men in Earth for their wickednes committed agaynst God Seuen angelles seuē plages And as we haue many times warned you in this boke the seuēth nombre is the nōbre of fulnes Wherefore God hath ministers enough and enough by whose seruice he maye plague and distroye the vngodly And therefore seuen plagues are all maner of plagues Temporall plagues are aboundantly recited in the 26. of Leuit. and .28 of Deuter. Riche is the Lord and in euerlastyng plagues of most diuerse kindes also For the Scripture in certen places reherseth a gnawyng worme a fyre vnquenchable weping and gnasshing of teth outwarde darkenes and many other of like sorte But these seuen plagues he calleth the laste and immediately sheweth the reason for in them is the wrathe of God
fulfilled For on those laste and most corrupte ages the Lorde wil powre out his plague and that the plagues of his iuste wrath and shall powre them out most fully to the ende and shall execute his ful wrath against the vngodly for euermore Yet now he suspendeth a while that narration begonne of the Angelles masters of the plagues The ioyes triūphes of the godly and placeth or sendeth before the greate ioyes of the blessed Martirs triumphes songe of praise reioycynge and thankes geuynge And this Ioye is interlased here in the treatise of punnishementes for the consolation of the faithful that they should knowe themselues deliuered from punnishmentes And if it fortune whilest the wicked are punnisshed that any displeasure touch thē also as it can not be chosen but the wicked beyng plaged some discōmoditie must also arrise vnto the faithful that thei maye vnderstande yet that the daungers of the discōmodities must with the excellent aboūdaunce of ioyes be recompensed For hereby is signified how the godly reioyce whilest the lord executeth his iustice To be also the chaungeable course of thinges that those that haue ones wepte in the world should now be glad and ioyefull accordyng to the saiyng of our sauiour in the .16 of Iohn Morouer it behoued by the testimony of all Sainctes to be declared to the Sainctes that dwell in Earth that the iudgementes of God be rightouse and true whiche thing vnderstande questions and sondry mutininges agaynst God do cease First he seeth them which ouercame Antichrist and haue had nothing to doe with him as we saye in dutch for this I suppose be signified by that plentiful rehersal of certen membres the declaration wherof is setforth before in heauen not in some dortour or no where as some men gather He sawe I saye in heauen the blessed soules stande vpon a glassy See A glassy See mixed with fire mixed with fire And in an other place I haue tolde you that the See figureth the worlde by reason of the rage and vnstablenes therof Certenly Daniel so taketh in the .7 chapt And it is called glassy because of the frailetie and bricklenes For worldely thinges shine but they are soone broken Whereupon it is sayed that wordely things are as brickel as glasse whiche whilest they shine breake And not with out cause is fire mixed with worldely thinges For the Sainctes whilest they be conuersaunt in Earth fele alwayes in a maner the fire of affliction Whereof spake S. Peter 1. Pet. 4. And they stande vpon a glassy See mingled with fire For cōquerours treade vpon the worlde and vpon al the tourmentes mockeries of the world as triūphyng ouer all worldely thinges The Prophet in the .66 Psalm bringeth in the Sainctes singyng a ioyeful songe vnto God and emonges other things saiyng thou hast brought vs into snares thou hast layde tribulations vpon our backe thou haste set men in our neckes We haue passed through fire and water thou hast brought vs out into a place of reliefe Therefore do there followe alterations in an other world Wherfore Aretas expoūdyng this place the glassy See sayeth he semeth to intimace nothyng els than by the Sea verely the multitude and by the glasse the brightnes by fire the puretie of them which are worthie that blessed life And certenly the same wordes in diuerse respectes maye signifie diuerse thinges and make the sense agreable Hitherto we haue hearde that the sainctes are in heauen where they triumphe ouer the world vanquisshed but nowe we shal heare more clerely what they do in heauen and how they singe vnto the lord a songe of thankes prayses which fully agreeth with the Psalm 66. The harps of God And he attributeth to the blessed martirs harpes as he did to the Elders These he calleth of God as you would saye diuine and celestiall mete to set forth the prayses of God For a celestial Iubeley is signified whereof is spoken in the .5 chapt He addeth moreouer to expresse the musicke and they singe And declareth also the maner of their singyng The songe of Moses the lābe the songe of Moses the seruaunt of God and the songe of the Lambe Therfore this songe of the Sainctes is reioycyng ditty triumphaunt and of thankes geuyng For like as in times paste Marie with the cōpany of virgins Israeliticall at the appoinctement of Moses sange a songe when the Israelites were deliuered out of the bondage of Aegypte and Pharao was drowned in the red Sea with his whole armie whereof you maye reade more in the 14. and .15 chapt of Exod. So the blessed soules in Heauen prayse God whiche hath deliuered them from Sathan Antichrist and the worlde And the songe of the Lābe is the christiane thankes geuing by the which the vertue of Christ and his redemption is praysed of the Sainctes For like as the olde fathers after the eatyng of the Paschalle lambe made a iubiley gaue God thankes So the blessed Sainctes nowe infraunchised with the full libertie of the children of God geue thankes vnto Christ theyr deliuerer Finally reciteth the order and fourme of their songe Kinge of Sainctes God is highly commended herein which is called the Lord God almightie Kynge of Sainctes as for whome the Sainctes warre by whome also they be gouerned and whiche defendeth mayneteyneth and kepeth the Sainctes And he is called holy in whome is no spotte no iniquitie And before all thinges they prayse his workes whiche they call greate and maruelouse These are manifest in Heauen and in Earth They declare the power wisedome iustice of God Therefore they inferre by and by that the wayes that is the considerations of God which he followeth in gouerning and doyng of thinges be trewe and iuste For he disceaueth not he doeth no man wronge Therfore God is iuste in punnishing the Antichristiās and deliueryng his For although he seme to neglecte his yet kepeth he fayth to the godly as a kynge that neuer neglecteth his Now they alledge what it becometh all men in the Earth to do also it is reoson that al men feare thee and glorifie thee in all thinges nother to accuse and murmure at thy iudgementes There is added an other reason for he alone is holy without sinne and with out spotte None of all the creatures hath this Although many gentiles nowe cōtemne God yet shal they ones come and worship shal knowe their owne filthines and the holines and rightuousenes of God For the iustice and iudgement of God whiche are not yet reuealed and therefore are contemned shal be ones reuealed that all the godly of al natiōs may attribute glory to the rightuouse God These thinges verely prepare also the reader and hearer to the treatise nowe followynge concernynge the iudgementes of God and pūnishmentes of the vngodly The lord open the eyes of our mindes that we maye see these thinges with fruicte plentifull ¶ The seuen Angelles are described coming forth to execute the seuen
aboundauntly which neuerthelesse in the meane season persecute Christes church moste greuousely The Lorde sende peace And nowe where the godly might maruell ¶ God is righteouse in his iudgementes why God so suffereth the worlde to be shaken and tourmoyled with mutuall warres the Angelles preuent the marueling and complainte and shewe not onlie the cause but also praise the iustice of God in these iudgements And he bringeth in two Angels as mete and sufficient witnesses of this businesse Angels gouernoures of things The one he maketh ruler of waters the other speaking out of the aulter He semeth here in to followe Daniell which also in the tenth chapter sayeth that Angelles as gouernours were set to rule ouer Prouinces Not that God doeth not worke and gouerne al things in waters in all elements and Regions but for that he vseth the trauell of Angelles as his ministers But where the Papistes gather hereof that Sainctes rule ouer elements diseases limmes cities and euery part in man it is folish and superstitious and smelling of Idolatrie For the maner of Angelles and of blessed soules is cleane diuerse moreouer the Scripture attributeth vnto them farre other things than it doeth to these Thou shalt read nothing of the blessed soules as hauyng any thyng to do with men here in Earth in the whole Scripture But in sondry places of the Scriptures you shall reade that Angelles are set to be mens kepers and to serue them with dyuers ministeries Agayne ye read not that the godlie haue for this cause geuen any godly honour to the Angelles no we shall heare in this booke howe Saincte Ihon woulde haue worshipped an Angell but was prohibited of the Angell ones or twyse Chap. 19. and .21 Moreouer here the Angell rendreth a reason why the water is tourned into bloude and commendeth here in Gods iustice For turning his talke vnto God thou art inste sayeth he O Lord which arte and which wast c. He pronounceth him righteouse as he that will do no man any wrong and therefore calleth him also holy In the mean time he signifieth his euerlastingnes and that he geueth being vnto all thinges where he sayeth which arte and which waste c. Of this phrase of speache is spoken in the first chapter And the true righteousnes geueth to euery one his Therefore the Angell sayeth Therfore Lord thou arte righteouse and declareste thy righteousnes to the world in that thou hast geuen them bloude to drinke which haue shed the bloude of the Prophetes that is of preachers for preaching of the truth And not their bloud only but haue shed also the bloude of thy holy faythful I meane whom for the true professing of the faithe they haue vexed and at laste slayne Therfore are they worthie that they theÌ„selues shuld agayne drinke the bloude of them and theirs that is shulde fall by mutuall warres tumultes and slaughters verely before recited The Angel speketh oute of the aultâ—r These thinges are confirmed by an other Aungell which speaketh from th aulter and not without cause from the aulter For we heard before in the .6 chap. that vnder the aulter the soules of them that are killed crie out and say how long is it that thou auengest not our bloud on them c. Therfore nowe is the talke vttered out of the Aultar to the ende we should vnderstaÌ„de that God forgetteth not the bloud of his sainctes but reueÌ„geth it in iuste and dewe season Now here in also coÌ„mended as it were by the waye the omnipoteÌ„cie of God that the vngodly maye vnderstande howe in the time of affliction and vengeaunce there shal be no power able to resiste the almightie To him alone be glory Amen The .iiii. and .v. Angelles shed theyr vialles The .lxx. Sermon ANd the fourth Angell powred out his vialle on the Sunne power was geuen to him to vexe menne with heate of fire And the men raged in great heate and spake euill of the name of God whiche had power ouer those plagues and they repented not to geue him glory And the fifte Angell powred out his viall vpon the seate of the beast his kingedome waxed darke they gnewe their tungues for sorrowe and blasphemed the God of heauen for sorrowe payne of their sores and repented not of their dedes The godly esteme not their afflictioÌ„s sent by the iuste iudgement of God as the punnishmeÌ„tes of sinners The afflictions of the godly and vngodly but as exercises of the fayth how so euer they acknowledge themselues to be iustely afflicted for their sinnes committed yet here they commende neuerthelesse the grace of God conuertyng the punnishementes of sinners into the exercises of fayth To the vngodly punnisshementes are plagues whiche nother they can suffer patiently nor glorify God but rather blaspheme him suppose that they suffer vnworthely Therfore are the plages of god to theÌ„ most greuouse where neuerthelesse much more cruel things are for theÌ„ prepared to wit that they should suffer in an other worlde euerlastyng damnation Therefore the plagues of this worlde infliâ—â—ed to the vngodly are as it were certen preparatiues and preambles of more greuouse tourmentes Drought the iiii plage The fourth Angel poureth out his viall on the sunne and to the same was geuen power to plague men with heate or fire This plage do many expounde allegorically vnderstandyng by the sunne Christ exhilaratyng the consciences of the faithfull and the fame to be darkened in the mindes of men chosing rather the darkenes of Antichriste than the light of Christ and therefore do the consciences erryng and seduced with errour burne with sondry lustes desperations wherby they be driueÌ„ at the length to sondry blasphemies Which exposition as I do not vtterly reiecte so after my iudgemeÌ„t the sense shal be more playne yf we vnderstande the fourth plague to be an heate and great drought a barrennes of the Earth and scarsetie of Corne finally an intollerable thurste afflictyng both men and beastes and laste bredyng and ingeÌ„dring hoate diseases For so we haue red in the threatenings of the lawe I will geue an heauen of brasse and an earth of yron In the time of Helias for contemnyng and reiectyng the worde of the lord God plaged Israel with a sore drought as you maye see in the .3 boke of Kinges the .17 and .18 chap. Ieremie also describeth the like drought and heate in the .14 chapt Agayne the lorde defended Israell with a pillar of a cloude by the daye and a pillar of fire by night Moreouer we haue hearde heretofore in the Apocalipse the sunne shall not fal vpoÌ„ them nother any heate And iustely is this world plaged with burnyng heate as the which offendeth greuously burneth with sondry lustes and also by wicked proclamations prohibiteth the coulyng refressyng of Gods worde Theffecte of this plague is greate For the effecte of this plage followeth And meÌ„ sayeth he burned with great heate At the first
sayeth he beyng inflamed with a exceding great heate they were euen ragyng madde For we reade in stories that mē beyng afflicted with ouer much heate haue felte greuouse displeasures and tormentes bothe of body and minde Than he addeth that followeth of the fourmer membre the impatiēcie of the heate prouoked them to blaspheme God and euen him that had power ouer these plagues to witte for that hauyng full power so to do he will not deliuer them so vexed with burning heate Cōtrarywise the children of Israel in their tentes beyng stongen with serpentes inflamyng the whole body with the stinge Nume 22. did repente nother did they blaspheme God But comyng vnto Moses they sayed we haue sinned for we haue spokē against the Lord and agaynst thee Praye the lord that he will take awaie from vs these serpentes They blaspheme therfore the name of the lord so many as through vnpatientnes do murmure against the iudgementes of God nother wil acknowledge themselues to be rightly and iustely pūnished crauing perdon finally is added nother did they repente that they might geue glory to God c. For the lord plageth vs to the ende that beyng afflicted we should repente and geue God the glory confessing as I sayed before that we be punnished iustely Howe the godly vngodly behaue them selues in afflictiōs and ought with wepyng and waylyng to tourne to the lord strikyng vs. But these like Pharao nother acknoweledge theyr sinne nother praye vnto God nor yet are amended but many times ouercome thēselues in malliciousenes Hereof we learne the diuersitie betwixte the godly and vngodly and howe both vse themselues in afflictiōs For they geue glory vnto God and amende their life these geue not God the glory but become worse than themselues To geue God the glory is to geue place vnto God not to resiste but to acknoweledge their sinne and Gods rightuousenes and not this only but also the mercy of God and clemencie towardes the penitent and the same to require humbly The darknes of the romish see the .v. plague The fifte Aungell powreth his cuppe vpon the seate of the beaste That a seate or trone is vsed for a kingdome is more manifeste than that it nede to be proued by testimonies sins that S. Iohn himself doeth by by for a seate place a kingdome And also in times paste the maisters or rather ministers of churches taught sitting had their stoles chaires in holy assemblees That saiyng in the gospel is knowen In the chayre of Moses sitte the scribes and Phariseis c. It is knowē that in aūcient time ther were seates of Patriarches Hierusalem Antioche Rome Alexandria Constantinople and others and that the same are called Apostolicall seates forasmuch as the Apostles haue taught there And so is the Apostolicall seate vsed for the Apostolicall doctrine it selfe That seate erected and established at Rome by the Apostles and Apostolicke men the beast that is the Pope hath subuerted and in the place therof erected the seate of pestilēce which he dare neuerthelesse cal the seate of Christe Thapostolicall seate of Christ S. Peter and the seate of S. Peter Christe hath no more any seate in Earth saue that he dwelleth in the hartes of the faithfull church Otherwyse the trewe seate of Christ is the right hād of the father The trewe seate of Peter is heauen it selfe Rome is no longer his seate for the Apostolicall doctrine and Patriarchall chayre is destroyed and troden vnder fote in steade therof is an earthly Empire or kingedome set vp by the Pope Yea more he pourseweth the Apostolical seates by force of armes Nowe therefore God hauyng cōpassion vpon his poureth out his wrath and plague on the see of Rome illuminyng men with the light of the Gospel to the ende they might know and see the wickednes and abomination of the Romisshe See The which is a wonderfull benefite to them that be lighted and a greate griefe and tormente to the Romish sorte For theffecte of the plage followeth and his kyngdome was made darke This plague aunswereth to the .9 of Aegipte For like as thicke darkenes plaged the Aegyptians bright light reioyced the Israelites so were the Papistes tourmēted with shameful errours than shall it grieue them also to haue their errours detected and their glory obscured the faithful shall reioyce in the light of Christ For now beginneth and already hath begonne the maiestie of the seate and of him that sitteth therein to be obscured That which was ones called an holy seate is now of the godly learned called wicked Rome the whore of Babylon the mother of al fornications the denne of theues Sodome Aegipte the red harlot by reason of the pourple senate of Cardinalles which weare red and purple It is comonly sayed and truely the nerer Rome the further from Christe They call and that moste rightly the Cardinalles bishoppes and spiritual fathers the familie limmes of Antichrist men disceaued and disceauers with Symony and filthie lust moste corrupte Therfore the kingdome of the beast so he expoundeth the seate was made darke There is added furthermore howe the worshippers of the seate of the beaste haue and do behaue themselues Firste for payne and sorrowe indignation wrath and enuie they gnawe or bite their tunges which is the gesture of angry mē and that impotently angry I meane that burne infuriouse rage The furie of the papistes againste the gospellers It is a phrase of speach signifiyng howe they will rage with greate furie agaynst the trewth opened which they would haue vtterly hidde and oppressed Agayne they blaspheme the Lorde of heauen maker of al both for that he afflicteth them with botches and sondry plagues also for that he casteth a darknes vpon their kingdome For euen therfore the Romish cal the preachers of the gospel disceauers heretikes and the very doctrine of the gospel heresie But this reproche redoundeth to him which is authour of the same doctrine Finally thei do not repent them of their doynges of theyr Simony of their craftie iuggelyng sacrileges idolatrie and al vngodlines And the apostle sayeth howe euill men and disceauers will waxe worse and worse disceauing and beyng disceaued Therfore is it no maruel though you see the papistes at this daye with a stiffenecke to procede obstinately in their errours But the greatest plague is to be forsaken of God and stubbernely to mayneteyne their errours vngodlines and therin to perseuer The Lord deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ The sixte Angell shedeth his vialle The .lxxj. Sermon ANd the sixte Angell powreth out his vialle vpon the great riuer of Euphrates and the water dried vp that the waye of these kynges of the Easte shoulde be prepared And I sawe three vncleane spretes like frogges come out of the mouthe of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beaste and out of the mouthe of the false prophet For they are the spretes of the
required vengeaunce So we reade in the .51 of Ieremie that the sinnes of Babilon ascēded vp to the clowdes For S. Iohn in a maner euery where vseth the places of Scripture to the intent he mighte get his boke more authoritie although otherwise inspired of the holy ghost And in dede the olde Satyrical poetes as Horace Iuuenall and others wrote sore agaynst the sinnes and vices of old Rome There remayne also at this daye many sharpe writinges agaynst Rome and the Cardinalles and Prelates of the Romish churche and Pasquillis innumerable Pasquille at this daye is a Satyrical writer one in stead of many that as well at this daye as in times paste the sinnes of Rome crie vp vnto heauen it selfe Rewarde her as she hath rewarded you He procedeth after this to raccompte agayne the plagues and most certayne destruction of Rome whiche is the thirde place of this chapt where also is excedingly well described the most horrible and cruell maner of destructiō and subuersion thereof For God is brought in callyng on and exhorting the soldiours and the cōmissaries and executours of his iudgement vnto vengeaunce and that they should punnishe her moste extremely and spare her not but rewarde her moste aboundantly and mete vnto her by the same measure wherwith Rome hath measured to others For here taketh place that same of the Lorde and cōmon saying with all nations with the same measure wherewith you mete others shall mete vnto you agayne and there shall be geuen good measure pressed shaken and runnyng ouer Therfore seyng that Rome hath robbed the whole worlde and seduced the whole worlde rightly and by the iuste wrath of God was she spoiled and vtterly subuerted The which things did the Gotthes with great faith and dilligence so that we can not doubte also but that newe Rome and that See Apostaticall muste of her enemies whom the Lord hath prepared and of the Aungelles gatheryng the tares be plucked all to peces And what shal become of her in an other world we maye gather hereof that he beateth in so ofte that her euilles shal be doubled without mercy her payne also mourning and greuouse tormentes These thinges doubtles are greuouse and horrible Would God they might be perceyued of faythfull mindes And agayne this place is written out as it were worde for worde of the .50 chap. of Ieremie where you reade to this effecte be auenged on Babilon and as she did do ye vnto her Spoile and destroye sayeth the Lord and accōplish all that I haue cōmaunded thee Destroye her that nothing remaine Intrench rounde aboute that no man escape Rewarde her after her worke according to al thinges that she hath done do ye vnto her For she hath ben prowde agaynst the Lord and agaynst the holy one of Israel Thus sayed the lord in Ieremie Thou seest therefore where the lord hath borrowed his owne at this present Thou seest what euery citie or cōmon welth or man maye promise himselfe yf beyng inriched by the losse of others he liue voluptuousely proudly in this world For God is the same alwayes and his iudgementes are egall agaynst al vngodly And he hath meddled withal the causes of subuersion The vaine glory pride securitie of Rome crueltie couetousenes extorsions slaughters burninges wherwith Rome hath made desolate the whole world But he procedeth more expressely to recite other causes to witte pride glorying ond boastyng securitie riot pleasures and voluptuousenes For it followeth as muche as she hath glorified her selfe and liued wantonly c. And agayne for in her hart she sayeth I sitte a Queene c. He hath borrowed these thinges also out of the .47 of Esaye Where Babylon glorieth thus also and with so many wordes Rome in times past gloried her selfe to be Lady of the worlde and that she shuld be euerlastynge For they stāped in Siluer coynes of Rome eternall They had thought that the kingedomes should neuer haue ben plucked from her She thought therefore that she should neuer haue ben a widdowe And I doubte not but the Germanes borrowed of the Romanes that Germane worde Romen by the whiche they meane to boaste or bragge stoutely whiche semeth to haue ben peculiar and proper to the Romanes She was careles or insecuritie She had not thought to haue bē subuerted She saied I shal see no mournyng I will haue no mournyng chere I wil alwayes singe Gaudeamus The Romanistes at this daye also full brauely make their boaste that no Emperours no Kinges no people no heretikes and Schismatikes for so they terme the enemies of the Romisshe wickednes men godly and learned haue yet luckely assayled Rome That the enemies of the churche of Rome haue alwayes ben oppressed that she hath alwayes triumphed ouer her enemies these seuen or eyght hondreth yeres and more That the shippe of S. Peter maye be sore tourmoyled tossed and ouerwhelmed with Waues and billowes but can not be drowned and therefore that the See of Rome shal be perpetual quene and lady of al realmes and churches c. Rome shal perish vpō a sodayne But heare nowe the iudgement of God for as muche as she is prowde vayne gloriouse carelesse and wicked in one daye shal come her plagues Aretas noteth that by one daye is signified a sodayne destruction and that she shoulde than perish when she would haue thought leste And her plagues he reciteth in order death mournyng famine and fire And stories testifie that these thinges were by the Gotthes fulfilled accordingly in olde Rome whereof I haue spoken before Therfore we doubte nothyng at al but that newe Rome also shall by menne and by Gods Aungelles be torne a sonder and pluckte vp by the rotes And leest any manne should thinke this vnpossible for greate is the power and maiestie of eyther Rome in so muche that he that should haue sayed in S. Iohn his time Rome shall falle should haue semed to haue spoken a thynge as much impossible as if he had sayde the skye shall falle he annexeth incontinently for stronge is the Lorde God that shall iudge her Therefore lette vs not doubte of the falle of Papistrie For the Lorde is trewe iuste and almightie To whome be glorye for euer and euer Amen ¶ A doleful song or mourning and lamentation of Rome which the Princes and Marchaunts make for her The .lxxix. Sermon AND the Kynges of the earth shall be wepe her and wayle ouer her which haue committed fornication and liued wantonly with her when they shal se the smoke of her burning and shal stand a farre of for feare of her pūnishmēt saieng alas alas that great citie Babilon that mightye citie for at one howre is thy iudgement come And the marchauntes of the Earth shall wepe and wayle in themselues because no man wyll by their ware any more the ware of golde and siluer and of preciouse stone of pearle and silke and purple and skarlet and al thynen wood and all maner vesselles of Iuory
whome the lord executeth greatest affaires They take vpon them for the moste parte the shape of men and very oft appeare vnto men serue kepe and doe good vnto theÌ„ accordyngly as God vseth their ministerie Hebrew 1. For the Apostle speakyng of Angelles as I tolde you in the .29 Sermon be they not al sayeth he ministring spretes which are sent forth to serue for their sakes whiche shall be made heyres of saluation And these thinges doeth the Scripture make playne by sondry examples Genes 18.19 Three appered to Abraham in mans likenes whiche were Aungelles instructyng him two deliuered Loth him self out of the handes of the Sodomites and brought him out of the fire Genes 32. whole armies of Aungelles inuironne Iacob defendyng him agaynst the force and violence oâ— his brother Esawe Exod. 34. The Lorde sente his Angell before Moses and the children of Israell to leade them through the wildernes into the lande of promission 4. kings 6 4. kinges 19. Firie charettes compassed about Helizeus An Angel leuied the siege of Hierusalem slayeng an hondreth foure score and fiue thousande of the Assiryans Daniel hath Angelles familiar with him Likewise the fathers and other Prophetes An Aungell deliuereth Ioseph out of all care Math. 1.2 the same deliuereth the wise menne from the treason of Herode by and by he commaundeth to conueye awaye Christ into Aegipt Matth. 4.28 Angelles minister to Christ in white garmentes they testified that the Lorde was risen and ascended into heauen Actes 1.5.10 and .12 The same bryng the Apostles out of prison one of them deliuereth Peter out of Herodes prison An Angell is sent to Cornelius an Italian captayne Angelles many times talke with Paule Oftentimes they imploye great benefites vpon men They declare themselues through God to be of greate power And whileste menne obserue those thinges †Whie Iounwold haue worshipped the Angel they would worshippe Aungelles as euen at this present where the Apostle S. Iohn vnderstande that Christ him self by his Angell did open to him so great misteries for the profit of churches whilest he maruayled at his brightnes and godly giftes he would by and by haue worshipped this his Angell the bringer of misteries not that he intended or pourposed to reuolte from God and couered in stead of God to worshippe an Angell for nother is it lawefull ones to Imagine suche a wickednes of so greate an Apostle He woulde therefore haue worshipped and honored the Angell with Dulia as they terme it and as Thomas of Aquine expoundeth it not with Latria that is to saye to worshyppe and honour God as God but the Aungell somewhat lesse as an excellent messager of God Howebeit herein he offended to the ende that al menne should vnderstande that they sinne howe many so euer doe worshippe and honour Aungelles or excellent creatures with godly worshippe As all the worshippers of Sainctes doe at this daye in Papistrie Nother haue they any other shifte to colour their errour but that same distinction that God is worshipped and honoured with worship latrical and Sainctes and Angelles with worship dulical and the virgin Mary with honour hiperdulical and I wote not what thinges els which I am both ashamed and loth to reherse And it appereth that S. Iohn here was intangled with the same errour S. Iohn erreth whom otherwise we must nedes coÌ„fesse to haue sinned by Apostasie and would haue worshipped the Angell for God or with God Which are both two wicked and vnworthie such a manne But in ease he worshipped God and would neuerthelesse haue worshipped the Angel also what thing els did he than offende in the worshippe dulicall And verely God hath permitted so worthie a man to erre as he did also Peter and Thomas to the intent he mighte heale ouâ— infirmities that is to witte that by their errours we might learne to beleue more rightly and to honour God more purely For this present place teacheth openly and other like examples of errours that all the sayinges and doynges of Sainctes are not to be allowed without any differente For now here followeth the facte of an Angel most excellent that is to saye a godly confutatioÌ„ of the errour That noâ— Aâ—â—gellâ—s 〈◊〉 Sa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shâ—uld be worshipped First he sayeth not lightly do not as thou haste pourposed but greuousely condemning his facte he sayeth with a certen vehemencie see thou doest it not We haue a like phrase of speach here in Swicerlande what time signifiynge in any wise to be ware we saye Long vnd thu das nitte Loke thou doest it not Wherefore we haue learned by the testimonie of the angell that now nother Angels nor sainctes are to be worshipped For seyng the Lord himself sayeth of Sainctes thei shal be as the Angelles of God I see not whie they shoulde not match the Sainctes with Angels And we haue verely learned that they maye be worshipped nother with culte latrical nor dulical And to worship is with a minde to honour to fal at the fete to bowe downe and knele As I haue sayed els where After thangel sheweth reasons whie he ought not to worshippe for I am thy fellowe seruaunt He sayeth not seruauÌ„t but fellowe seruaunt to witte of the same office with thee vnder the same lord and maister For Angelles serue God after their maner and so doe menne serue God after theyr maner yet are all seruauntes and that the seruauntes of one maister And it is agaynste reason that one seruaunt should honour and worship and other of his fellowes beyng of the same state and creation It is therfore an vnworthie matter that the faithful should worship the Apostles Prophetes or Martirs muche lesse doeth it become them to honour their dead bones And leeste any man should saye how thangel in dede in respecte of the moste excellent Apostle S. Iohn confesseth himself to be his felowe seruaunt but that there is an other consideration to be had of other men which come not nere the dignitie of blessed Iohn therefore sins we be much inferiour we maie worship Angelles and Apostles our superiours The bretherne of Iohn and Christ he preuenteth and sayeth and of thy bretherne And who be the bretherne of the Apostle S. Iohn the Angel him selfe aunswereth and sayeth whiche haue the testimony of Iesu The testimony of Iesus is the gospell the very fayth fixed on the gospell comprehendyng with a faythfull minde Iesus Wherfore al the faithful of Christ be Iohns bretherne therefore is the Angel their fellowe seruaunt also And therefore none of the faithful ought to worship any Angel or Apostle the lorde him selfe also in the .12 of Matth. calleth all that obeye his worde or preachyng ChristeÌ„ fraternitie bretherne And here is dilligentely to be noted that by faith we are made the bretherne of Christ of Angelles and Apostles This shuld the Monkes and Freres haue beaten in and set forth and not the fraternitie of our Lady
the Lorde himselfe saieth in the gospel no man hath knowen the sonne but the father nother hath any man knowen the father saue the sonne and to whome the son hath pleased to reueale Besydes this we se here vnperfitly and the glory of the diuine maiestie is so great as euen nowe I sayed that mannes capacitie is vnable to conceyue such a glory No man therefore saue God alone knoweth his name 6. The vesture of our Iudge was sprinckled with bloude A blouddie garment Whereby is signified victory and slaughter of his enemies which shall anone be added aboute the ende of the chap. And he toke this note of our iudge out of the .63 chap. of Esay He alludeth to cōquerours returning from battayle whose garments armours are imbrewed with the blud of the slaine And betokeneth the iuste seueritie of the Iudge and greate slaughter of the enemies 7. The name of the iudge is nowe expressed The name of the iudge the worde of God which is vtterly vnknowen to the vngodly And the Iudge is called the worde of God For the son is the word and speach of God the expresse marke of the diuine substaūce in whome the father himselfe is expressed and of whome as of the worde the true messager of the hart we vnderstand the wyll and mynd of the father These holy wordes of the gospell are knowen In the begynnyng was the worde 1. Ihon. Hebre. and the worde was with God c. Therefore Christe the worde was made fleshe the Lorde God and Iudge of all 8. To the Iudge is added an Army not of Angels only The Army of the Iudge is whyte with whom he ofte repeted in the gospell that he wold come vnto iudgement but of al the faithful or saincts which at no time no not here ar sequestred from their head For first at the soūde of the trumpe blowē vp the Archangell the Sainctes arryse and the liuing also with the dead are chaūged and are taken vp to mete Christ in the Ayre Here here in the clowdes and bryghte Ayre appeare with Christe the happye and blessed victours By and by the vngodly ryse also and those that lyued at that day are chaunged with them that ryse agayne to payne and confusiō But they se the Saincts with Christe in heauen and in glory and fele incontinently vnspeakeable tourmentes They come to passe doubtlesse and are fulfilled which thinges are described it the .3 .5 chapt of Wysedome Saincte Ihon therfore sayeth that this Armie is in Heauen not in Earth He sayeth howe they followe Christe For the same sayed the Apostle also in the firste to the Thessalonians the .4 Moreouer he addeth that they wer clothed and appeared not naked and expresseth the kynde of garment They were clothed sayeth he in silke whyte and cleane For sainctes in Christe obtayne righteousenesse and glory are made cleane and are glorified Sanctifieng glorifieng And this sense hath Sainct Ihon himselfe a little before opened to vs sayeng silke is the iustifications of Sainctes 9. Oute of the Iudges mouth procedeth a two edged and sharpe sworde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A sworde oute of the iudges mouth which cutteth on eyther syde It is not sharpe on one syde and blunte on an other it cutteth on both sydes indifferently Whereby is signified a iust sentēce pronounced of Gods mouth againste the wicked For againste them the sentence of God is a sworde pearsing euen to their heartes Wherefore it is also called sharpt The iudgemente of our iudge is streighte and seuere but yet iuste and righteouse What that sworde is in the gospell is declared verely that heauy and immutable sentence get you hence in to fyre euerlasting Math. 25. Whereupon it foloweth in the words of the Euangelist that with the same he may stryke the heathen to witte that he may damne and put to perpetuall tourmentes all vnbeleuers ¶ He shall rule them with an Iron rod. 10. And he shall rule them with a rod of Iron By the same kynde of speach in a maner he sayeth the same that he sayde before For they that woulde not receyue or acknoweledge with repentaūce the staffe of instruction and discipline postorall shal fynde in iudgement and fele the Iron sceptre wherwith he shall breake them all to shyuers lyke potters vessell Nother shall any power resist or preuayle againste him And this maner of speaking is taken out of the Psalme .110 For Saincte Ihon vseth gladly the wordes of Scripture to the ende to make his booke more cōmendable or more pleasaūt and acceptable 11. He treadeth the wynefatte of the wyne of wrath c. Agayne he sayeth the same that he ded before He nedeth the winefa◠but by an other parable nowe vttered the same taken out of the scriptures to witte out of the .63 chapter of Esaye The effecte or some is he wyll powre out his wrath vpon the vngodly and punnyshe them moste extremely with his almightie hande whereunto all things geue place geuing their heads a blow See what is sayed here of in the .14 chapter of this boke 12. Againe is shewed the name of this iudge ¶ King of kings and Lorde of Lordes in the name is maiestie power of all others greatest He hath the name written on his garment and on his thigh By these is declared the true humanitie of Christe after the which he is exalted as the Apostle saieth in the second to the Philippians And to him is geuen a name which is aboue al names Here he is called King of Kinges and Lorde of Lords very God Lord monarke and iudge of all men For so do the other Apostles speake also in the .2 .17 of the Actes And there might seme in this name of the Iudge as it were a cawse to be shewed wherefore he is here appoincted Iudge ouer all Because he is Kyng and Lord of all To whome be glory for euer Amen ¶ The description of the iudgement wherin punnishment is taken of Antichristians and vngodly The .lxxxvi. Sermon AND I sawe an Angel stand in the Sunne and he cryed with a loude voyce sayeng to al the foules that fly by the mids vnder the heauen come gather your selues together vnto the supper of the great God that you may eate the flesh of Kyngs and of high captaynes and the flesh of mightie men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the fleshe of all free men and bonde men both of small and great And I saw the beast and the Kinges of the Earth and their warriours gathered together to wage battayle against him that sat on the horse and againste his soldiours And the beast was taken and with him that false prophete that wrought miracles before him with which he deceaued them that receyued the beastes marke and them that worshypped his Image These bothe were cast quicke in to a pond of fyre burnyng with brimstone and the
daies did occupie the Apostolical seate as thei terme it Reade the stories from Syluester the .2 and so forth Thou wilt saye than that aboute that time the Deuill brake lowse agayne and seduced the people especially by Popes Or beginne the supputation of the thousande yeres from that time wherein Paule beyng bounde for the Gospell at Rome testified that the gospell was preached through out the worlde That was aboute the yere of our Lorde .60 from thence accomptyng a thousande yeres thou shalte come to the yere of our Lorde 1060. when Nicholas the seconde was Pope vnder whom it is written that the veritie was diuersely tempted and corrupted and that Gregory the seuenth dyd than also by his craftes and enterprises trouble the whole world Or beginne the supputation from the destruction of Hierusalem what time the Iewes cast of the Gentiles in great nombre entred and were receyued into the place of the Iewes reiected whiche was the yere of our Lorde .73 and thou shalt atteyne to the yere of our Lorde .1073 euen to Pope Gregory the seuenth in the whiche time not a fewe Historiographers wryte that the Deuill him selfe raygned Doubtles neuer manne hurte godlines or more stoutely auaunced impietie than dyd this Gregory otherwyse called Hildebrande Of him I haue spoken before in the .13 chapt Where also I admonisshed you that Cardinall Benon dyd accompte those thousande yeres from the birth of the Lorde and concluded in Syluester the second It is euident therfore that the gospel hath had a notable place in the world nother hath ben quenched for the space of a thousande yeres that is to saye from the time of thapostles vntil the yere of our lord was rekened 1073. or there aboute What was done at that time after we shal heare when we shal come to that sayeng And when the thousande yeres shal be fulfilled c. Some man wil say I cannot see that the preaching of the Gospell hath continued in the worlde so long tyme to witte a thousande yeares For it appeareth by Histories that the doctrine of merites satisfactions and iustification of works ded incōtinently after the Apostles time lay their first soundations We knowe that the intercessions of Sainctes and the worshipping of relicques were defended of Saincte Hierome which departed out of this world the yeare of our Lordes incarnation .422 We knowe that the Bishop of Rome ded immediately after the death of Gregory the firste take vpon him to be head and catholique Pastor of the church vniuersall We knowe that aboute the same time to wit aboute the yeare of our Lordes incarnation .630 Mahomet seduced a great parte of the world We knowe that shortely after arrose that detestable contention about the hauing of Images in the churches of Christians We haue heard that S. Ihon hath assigned to Antichriste yeares .666 Fynally it is manifeste that the Deuyll hath by murther parricidie and all kynd of mischief raigned in the children of misbelefe Wherfore thou sayeste I see not howe the Deuyll hath ben bounden a thousande yeares and locked in chaynes Howe the deuyl hath ben boūden a thousand yeares I aunswere that the things which are alledged hitherto are true yet neuerthelesse to be true and so to remayne alwayes which S. Ihon by the reuelation of Iesu Christe hath affirmed that the Deuyll shoulde be shutte vp for a thousande yeares and remayne bounden tyll a thousande yeares were at an ende And the same we declare on this wyse The Lorde sayde in the Gospel Nowe is the iudgement of the world nowe shall the Prince of this world be caste out And where as it is not lawfull to doubt of the veritie of Christes wordes yet neuerthelesse is he not red to be so caste oute but that he hath ben of greate force in the worlde and hath bene called of the Apostles themselues the Prince of this worlde Howe than is he sayde to be cast oute and to tempte the godlie to raigne and to be caste oute of his Kyngdome He is cast out of the church and of the faithful Howe Sathan is cast oute yet vexeth the faythfull not that he cometh not againe and tempteth for alwayes he returneth and seketh to plucke backe the redemed but for that he possesseth no more the ful empire For Christ now liueth raineth in the church and Sainctes These as S. Austen saieth he assayleth from without he is cast oute of his auncient possession but he laboureth to recouer his olde habitatiō And thus was Sathan bounde and shutte vp for a thousand yeares as he that possessed not the faythfull of Christe through out the worlde nor ruled them at his pleasure and after his mallice although he hath tempted and vexed them So was the holy ghost denied to be geuen not that he was not in the world and in the Prophets but because he was neuer so plentifully powred oute vpon all fleshe as after the glorifienge of our Lorde Christe In the same sense we say that death and sinne are taken away from the faythfull and troden vnder fote As S. Paule therfore which in the first chapt to the Colloss saide that we are translated oute of the kyngdome of darkenes in to the kyngdome of light sayeth neuerthelesse to the Corinthians that the God of this world hath blynded the myndes of the vnfaythfull so S. Ihon at this presente sayeth howe the Deuyll is bounde and sealed by the space of a thousande yeares and the very same sayeth afterwarde the reste of the dead reuiued not til the thousand yeares should be fulfilled that is to say in al those thousand yeares beleued not which set more by the beast than they ded by Christe And they verely through their owne faulte and instigation of the Deuill beleued not and perished Therfore ded Sathan exercise his force in them Which to the faithful in dede is bounden and tyed faste but to the vnfaithfull free and ouer familier Lykewyse Hell is shut to the godly to the wicked open Wherefore also we confesse in the crede lyfe euerlasting and not death or damnation euerlasting For the faithfull haue no Hel or there is no Hell prepared for them but for the vngodlye For Christe hath broken Hell but for his faithfull to the vnfaythfull all thinges of hell are yet moste stronge and these haue Hell ¶ The power of the Deuyll by Christ broken Agayne the Deuyll is sayed to be bounden shutte vp and sealed for since the redemptiō of Christ his power hath not bene so great in the worlde as it was before Wherefore S. Ihon expoūdeth himselfe and sayeth that he shuld deceaue the people no more What is this more but that he shal not so seduce them from hence foorth as he hath done hitherto Therefore al be it in the meane whyle he shall deceaue some yet in those thousand yeares he hath not raigned so fully safely at large as he ded before and as it is permitted him after those thousand
yeares to rage Therfore these things ar spoken by a cōparison and not absolutely And the thing it selfe or experiēce teacheth that they are not to be vnderstand absolutely and after the bare lettre Although therfore that Sathan hath in these thousand yeares also blowen his poyson vpō many and hath troubled the world yet this is nothing in comparison of those thinges that haue followed after the thousand yeares euen vntill this day and shall followe hereafter vnto the worlds end In oulde time also he raigned fully emongs the Gentiles through Idolatry But a thousand yeares fell downe their temples and Idolles with all other instrumentes of vngodlynesse We reade truely Certen articles of religiō assayled howe there were in the Apostles time that affirmed that men are iustified by the lawe and workes Whereupon sprange vp the doctryne of satisfaction and merites But the same doctryne was confuted by the Apostle Saincte Paule aboue other Apostles Saincte Austen also and after him Bede moste constantlie haue defended the doctrine of grace and redemption by Christ The same continued safe by the space of a thousande whoale yeares But afterwarde Freres getting the vpper hande the doctryne of satisfaction and mannes merites ded preuayle whereupon was vtterly obscured the doctrine of Iesu Christe conserning the free remissiō of sinnes imputing of righteousnes Ther grewe vp an opinion with certen of Sainctes makyng intercession or prayeng in heauen for their worshyppers The relicques began to be worshipped ouer soone Neuerthelesse such as wer illumined claue fast to the onely intercessour Christ and honored not relicques But after those thousande fatal yeares many attributed more to Saincts than to the very holy one of Sainctes We see what is done at this day The writings of Monkes and Freres testifie how much the worshipping of creatures hath increased within these .iiii. hondreth yeres or there aboutes Who wyl deny that exceding many haue ben deceaued of Heretikes But who can gather thereby that the Gospell hath bene vtterlie loste that Sathan hath raigned fullye The Byshoppe of Rome hath ascended in to the toppe of Mounte Zion and will be called the head and Pastour generall of the whole catholique church Howbeit the Easte most constantlie resisted and so ded other partes of the world also At the lengthe after a thousande yeares he made his boaste most impudently that the fulnesse of power was geuen him which he got by hoke and croke and after vsurped the same Mahomet seduced many yet neuerthelesse the Patriarchall churches persisted and the Easte honoured Christ lykewise South and North so that the thousande yeares agayne had their lighte nother hath Sathan in these raged so much as he hath since those yeares were complete Doubtelesse since the Turkes begāne to rule and raigne al matters of religion grewe euery daye worse and worse And the warre into the Holy land ded very much hurte to religion and gaue greate courage to the Saracenes and vngodlye whereof I shall speake afterwardes And Images beganne to be sette vp in temples and to be defended But the Histories testifie that the same was done with greate difficultie and hardlie could the vse of them be obtayned all good men moste constantlie resisting And what time they were now admitted yet were not the Idolaters so starke mad as we se they are nowe and haue ben certen yeares paste Wherefore it is rightly sayed howe after a thousand yeares Sathan shulde be loosed from his chaynes which before also moued the vnbeleuers yet fynally rageth more furiously S. Ihon assigned to Antichrist a certen numbre of yeares to wit .666 Whereof we myghte vnderstande the name of Antichriste But therefore it foloweth not that the Deuyll was than quyte lowsed or the lyght of the Gospell vtterly extinguisshed For the Apostle in his time speakyng of him The misterie sayeth he of iniquitie nowe worketh Antichriste therefore hath his seedes he hath his beginnyng he hath his rysing vp his growyng and increaces But after a thousand yeares he went to worke moste impudently and most boldly which before also had vttered his maliciousnes but nowe moste venemously of al he speweth oute his poyson oppressing Kynges and all that speake neuer so little againste him We knowe moreouer that in these thousande yeares paste the Deuill hath raygned in many by murder periurie and innumerable and vnspeakeable euilles But if ye consider what hath ben done sins those thousande yeres and what is done at this daye you will saye those ages of the thousande yeres to haue ben Golden and Siluer worldes and oures nowe for these fiue hondreth yeres to be of brasse Iron leed The corruption of the last age and claye Lactantius in the seuenth booke of Instit the .15 chapter towardes the laste ende of the worlde sayeth he the state of worldly matters muste nedes be altered and iniquitie preuayling to incline to the worse so that these our times in the which iniquitie and mischiefe is growen to the highest degree yet in comparison of that vncurable euil maye be accompted fortunate and in maner Golden ages For iustice shall than ware so thinne vngodlines couetousenes wilfulnes and luste shall be so common that if there shal be than happly any good menne they shal be a praye to the wicked and euery where vexed of the vnrightuouse And euil menne only shall be welthie and the good tourmoyled in all vexation and miserie All righte shall be confounded and lawes shall perisshe Than shall no man haue any thinge saue that whiche is eyther euil gotten or euill kepte Goldenes and violence shal haue all There shal be no faith in men no peaxe no humanitie no shamefastnes no trewth And the remnaūt which are red there By all the whiche our dayes nowe seme to be paincted liuely But what is that whiche is annexed He muste be loused a little season that the Deuill must belowsed for a little season semeth this a little season whiche continueth nowe fiue hondreth yeres And this place we expoūde so as that same in the gospel vnlesse those dayes were shortened no fleshe should be saued For it is euidently by stories that nother the Deuil nor Antichriste hath inioyed that his kingedome longe quiet For euermore and in all ages haue sprong vp some holy and learned menne which beyng illumined and comforted or God like Enoch and Helie haue resisted the vngodly and vngodlines and haue maineteyned the true religion Wherby consciences afflicted of Antichrist haue receyued comforte God of his mercy so temperyng matters that the chosen shuld not despeyre into great temptations errours and darkenes Therefore both Sathan and the Pope could inioye these matters but a small season For immediately after the thousande yeres sprange vp the Waldois whiche constantly impugned the Pope and his vngodlines The lord hath reysed vp certen kinges emōges whom be the Friderickes Germane Emperours Lewis of the house of Bauier many others The Popes also haue ben at dissention emōges themselues
Easte and Weste And to the intente I may note somewhat hereof and may rehearse for those that be ignoraunte in stories it is playne that vnder that Chylde of pardition Pope Gregory the .7 there were many most famouse churches in the Easte and that Patriarchall churches yet safe but whileste this Pope aboue all others dealte wickedly againste Christ the son of God and his holy church lyke as we read in the time of Salomon that after he had reuolted many enemies arrose against him and that moste cruell so in the wicked and tyrannicall raigne of Gregory the seuenth In the tyme of pope gregory the .7 euyls begā to ouerflo Solymanne the Turke inuaded Antioch at the whyche time the Emperours of Grece are sayed to haue ben dispatched of the East countrie And the Turkes marching forewarde are sayde to haue inuaded and vexed first the straits or ports of the Caspiane hilles and the countrie of Armenia aboute the yeare of our Lorde .764 Whereof there is nowe no time to speake After Solyman succedeth Belchiaroke the Turkyshe Prince whome others call Belzet which also inuaded Grece it selfe the Emperours of Constantinople dispised Alexius which then was Emperour is sayd to haue demaunded aide of the westerne men against the Turks And also one Peter an Heremite whō certē Historiographers blame most greuouslie not without cause comming oute of the Easte and running through oute the Weste crieth Alarme Vrbane the seconde whome some call Turbane and disciple of Gregory the .7 calleth a great counsell at Cleremounte in Fraunce The counsell of Cleremounte wherin he propoundeth a question of the recouering of the holy lande and deliuering the Lordes sepulture oute of the hands of the Infidelles That counsell putteth me in remēbraunce of that which is described in the .8 booke of Kinges the .22 chapter vnder Achab and Iosaphat for the recouering of Ramoth Galaad oute of the hands of the Syrians For ther was in this also a deceauing spirit there were Achabbes there were Iosaphats and many other thinges lyke And to the intente not to make many wordes a iourney is decreed against the barbarous infideles of the East This was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1095 In the meane time Peter the Heremite bestirred him a pase and gathered certen thousandes which he leadeth through Hongarie in to Asia And immediately after followe the vnlucky captaines Folkemar and Gottschalke priestes which by the way distroying all with fyre and sworde are slaine The fyrste voiage into the holy lande At the last Godfrey and Baldwyne most noble Princes with certen excellent Captaynes and Noble warriours with an innumerable multitude of men trāsported into Asia which they say was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1096 And within .4 yeares space at the moste or thre they had taken by assault or surrēdrie the Cities of Nice Heraclea Tarsus Antioch and Hierusalem The Abbot of Vrspurge reporteth that there was so much bloude shed in the Citie of Hierusalem that in the very temple it selfe the horses stode vp to the knees in the blud of the slayne there The same man telleth of a notable battayle foughten at Askalon A notable battayle in the which aboute fiftene thousand footemen and fyue thousand horsemen of Christians ouerthrewe and discomfited Solimanne of Babilon furnisshed with an hondreth thousande horsemen and four hondreth thousand footemen and that there were slayne in that battaile aboue an hondreth thousād men And this iourney of Godfrey was the first emonges the woorthy voiages of Syria or Asia 2. After this voiage folowed others mo and that beste furnished For whilest the victorie and good lucke of them that went firste into the East was highlie extolled and commended through out the West William Prince and Duke of Poictiers beinge put in greate hope leadeth also about an hondreth thousand footemen in to the Easte countrie The yeare of our Lord was accompted .1101 But of so great a nombre scarcely one thousande are written to haue retourned home in safetie 3. After in the yeare of our Lorde .1147 through the exhortation of Barnarde Clareualle Lewis Kynge of Fraunce and Conrade Kyng of Germanie and Fredericke Prince of Swaland toke their iourney in to the Easte which led with them an Armie almoste innumerable but the same died in a maner all scarcely the Princes lefte on lyue 4. In the yeare of our Lorde .1189 what time the Citie of Hierusalem was taken by the Soldane King of Persia where the Christians had kept it onely about .89 yeares The Emperour Fredericke surnamed Barbarousse Philippe Kynge of Fraūce Richard Kyng of England and other Princes most puissaunte leuied an exceding greate Armie of Christen people to recouer the Citie and Holy lande and very luckelye transported their Armie in to Asia but after had moste euyll lucke For the Emperour Fredericke was drowned and the whole Armie as Vrspurgens testifieth died of the plague 5. The fifte and that famouse indede voiage in Syria made the moste mightie Kinges Philippe of Fraunce and Richard of Englande surnamed Coeur de Lion The same was done in the yeare of our Lord .1191 Howbeit they retourned withoute any woorthy exploicte done wauntinge not a fewe of their menne 6. And Palmerius a Cronographer Henry sayeth he the sonne of the Emperour Barbarousse sent an Armie in to Syria which retourneth agayne the nexte yeare The Christians therefore being destitute of ayde in Syria loste vtterly all the dominion that they had lefte He seaketh these things in the yere of our Lorde .1198 7 Agayne in the yere of our lord .1213 Pope Innocent the .3 of that name sendeth his letters publicke to al the faythful of Christ wherein he exhorteth them to take armour agaynste the infidelles whiche possessed the holy lande Innocente the .3 as did Vrbane the 2. ringeth a larme Yf any manne haue leasure and liste to reade the letters he shall finde them in the Chronic. of Vrspurg And not longe after in the yeare of our Lorde .1215 he holdeth a generall coūsel in Laterane wherein warre is decreed agaynst the Easterlinges And also Honorius the .3 aboute the yere of our Lord .1217 treateth and confirmeth the same thinge Whereupon many christen Princes mette at Accon whiche some time was called Ptolemais and made mortall warre vpon the Easterlynges Wherein they toke the noble citie Damiata Yet nother the ende nor fruicte aunswered so great enterprises and costes perilles and losses 8 Therefore Fridericke the .2 and Emperour moste excellent hopyng to doe some good marcheth also with an enge and well furnisshed armie into the Easte whiche they saye was done in the yeare of our Lorde .1234 In the meane season whilest he doeth valeauntly in the Easte the Bisshoppe of Rome Gregory the .9 of that name takyng an occasion I vse the wordes of Vrspurgens of the absence of the Emperour sente a greate armie into Apulia The pope setteth vpon themperour in the west whilest he warreth in
the Easte and toke awaye the landes of the Emperour Whiche was absent in the seruice of Christe whiche is moste wicked to be spoken and kepte them thus subdued to his owne vse and by no meanes wold suffer those whiche had taken the holy crosse that is to saye whiche should go a warfare to the Emperour to take shippyng or passage but letted them to his power aswel in Apulia as in Lumbardie And more such stuffe whiche they maye reade that haue leasure in the same Wherefore themperour constreyned his matters there lefte vnperfit to falle to a coÌ„position with the enemie retourned that he might recouer such thinges as the Pope had taken from him 9 And no longe time after to witte in the yere of our Lord 1248. Lewis Kinge of Fraunce with his bretherne Roberte and Charles and a moste puissaunt army sayleth into Syria where Robarte is slaine and Charles taken of the Soldane is hardely deliuered at the laste and with a fewe escapeth The same king Lewis of Fraunce in the yere of our Lord 1270. imbarketh himself with his three sonnes at Marselles to sayle into Affricke The plague light vpoÌ„ his Armie in the enemies lande wherwith both the father and the sonne died and the whole Armie receyued an excedyng great calamitie And agayne although they had but euill fauoured lucke in the warres against the Barbarians yet was it neuerthelesse treated agayne in the counsell of Lions vnder Gregory the .10 about the yere of our Lord .1273 of recouering the holy land But Palmerius in the yere of our Lorde .1291 Where many thousandes of the Christians sayeth he were slaine in Syria by the Saracenes al the reste for feare fled out of the countrie And the Chronicle of kinges of FrauÌ„ce Aemilius sayeth he made here an ende of the holy warre to witte in the yere of our Lord .1291 Ptolemais in the Easte beyng destroyed by the Soldane It is manifeste therefore that this Barbarous and gogical warre hath lasted aboute .195 yeares So longe time as I knowe no other warre in the world that euer was made with such obstinate mindes with so great armies and so muche shedyng of mans bloud We see in the meane time the tentes of sainctes and the citie of God beloued to witte the faithful church through out the world in the Easte especially and in the west also to be most greuousely afflicted and more than oppressed and destroyed a fewe smal remnauntes only remaynyng that not with out cause we maye perceiue that the lord sayed in the gospell but when the sonne of man shal come shal he finde any fayth in the Earth Here is a place of Daniell treated by the waye 11. chapt The moste holy and wise Prophet of God Daniel semeth to haue foresene and prophecied al those thinges as he did al the reste concernyng Antichrist which after he had spoken at large of the power of Antichrist worshippyng of the God Mayzim against the Apostles institution he adioyneth in the 11. chapt And in the time of the ende to witte the ende of the world and laste iudgement approachyng shal sette vpon him namely vpon Antichrist the king of the South and the king of the North shal fall vpoÌ„ him like a whirlewinde with charettes and horsemen with a strong and greate Nauie and shall inuade his realmes he shall ouerflowe with armies to witte innumerable and he shal passe through that is to saye he shal ouercome all like a conquerour doyng what he liste For we haue perceyued that the armies sent into the Easte by the counselles and motion of the Bisshop of Rome haue molested by Sea and lande the turkes and also the Soldane of Babilon Aegipte What will ye saye that Daniel poincting as it were with his fingar the war called holy addeth He shal come also into the chosen lande and inuade the lande of desire namely Iewrie whiche some time was called the chosen delectable and pleasaunt lande And many shal falle in the warre verely that shal be made for the recoueryng of the holy lande It followeth in Daniel these shal be deliuered out of his hande Aedom and Moab the Princes of the children of Ammon For those nations are not red to haue ben so destroyed as the reste were by the Saracenes and after by the Turkes for that they framed themselues to them in time Daniel annexeth and he shal laye his handes vpon realmes nother shal the laÌ„de of Aegipte escape For it is euident that the same also was possessed of the Soldanes princes of Babilon and of themperours of Turkes It followeth and he shal haue the rule of the treasures of golde and siluer and all the preciouse thinges of the Aegiptians By the whiche the prophet hath signified the inestimable treasures and richesse and excellent maiestie of the Soldanes and Turkish Emperours All the whiche thinges euen so as the Prophet hath sayde experience proueth to haue ben and as yet to be fulfilled The Prophet addeth finally the Libians and Aethiopians shal be in his iourneyes Which tholde traÌ„slatour hath tourned He shal passe also through Lybia and Aethiopia or as others haue traÌ„slated it they shal be in his waye And he meaneth that those regions shall be open to those Barbarous Soldanes and emperours of Turkes by leage vicinitie and amitie S. Hierome expounding this place when Aegipte sayeth he was taken those landes were also affrayde Wherfore he sayeth not that he toke them but passed through Lybia Aethiopia Whether sense of these so euer thou chousest tâ—ou shalt not erre as I thinke froÌ„ the trewth And Daniel addeth the brute from the Easte and froÌ„ the North shal trouble hiâ— in so much that he shall goe forth in a great furie to distroye and kill many The whiche S. Hierome sheweth muste be vnderstaÌ„de of Antichrist The Pope of Rome affirmeth that the seates Patriarchall are subiecte to him as Hierusalem Antioche and Alexandria and the holy laÌ„de to be his right And he heareth out of the East and out of the North that al those partes are possessed of the Soldanes and Emperours of Turkes he calleth therefore great counselles and decreeth warre against them He heareth moreouer that CoÌ„stantinople is taken that the Rhodes is wonne Dalmatia subdued Bulgarie and Hongarie vanquissed c. Agayne therefore he sommoneth couÌ„selles he armeth kinges he leadeth forth soldiours he moueth warre and decreeth that warre shall be made for the recouering of the holy laÌ„de and to roote out the Turkes So verely this Gogmagog warre is not yet ended or appeased at this daye Whereby it coÌ„meth to passe that an infinite multitude of men are slayne on eyther side Furthermore at the ende of this Prophecie the prophet sheweth and as it were with his fingar poincteth the palace or seate of Antichrist by Antiochus figured before leeste any manne should not know The seate palace of Antichrist where Antichrist were to be founde And he shall plante sayeth he or sixe the
the Lord God almightie and the lambe is the temple in that our heauenly coūtrie The vse of temples is this The Lord first instituting the tabernacle after the temple wold haue it testified that he wil be present in the middes of his people a father Lord and defender And therfore ar thei saied in the scriptures to come vnto the Lord which came either to the tabernacle or temple of the Lord. The temple moreouer was erected for preaching and praier and the externall seruice of God for receauing of the Sacramēts or offering vp of sacrifices But the Saincts in the heauēly coūtrie haue no nede of all these things Therfore thei nede no tēple Therfore is no temple sene in heauen For the Lord god nowe sheweth himself to them to be inioyed of the same the saincts ar now with him wherfore thei nede no tokē of his presēce We ar taught by doctrine what God is what is his wil and that we be saued by the lambe but now that we se god himselfe face to face and that saluatiō is cōmen by the lambe of God what nedeth there a temple in heauen By praier we require life and ioyes euerlasting now since these are happened to the electe what nedeth any house of prayer The Sainctes nowe withoute any temple offer vp eternall praises vnto God And seing that sacrifices and sacraments haue no further place in the euerlasting coūtrie I se not why there should be any temple in Heauen We rest and kepe in Heauen an euerlasting Sabboth This place moreouer proueth that Christ is very God coequall with the father as to whome he is ioyned inseperablie in all glory Nother is the Holy ghoste seperated from the father and the sonne which els where is saide to dwell in vs for the which cause we are called the temples both of God and of the Holy ghost of the Apostle in the first to the Corinth the .3 and the second Cor. 6. The eight place of this description is repeted of the lyght celestial The lyght of the citie God and that not without great cause yea and the same light is agayne cōmended in the .22 chap. For in buildinges there is nothing more excellent than light Otherwise without light all things are blynde Furthermore he sayeth not that the Sunne and Moone shulde be nomore but that the Citie of God shoulde not nede those lightes He sheweth the reason for the glory of God hath lightned it And the glory of God is the diuine celestial and vnspeakable brightnes of his vnapprochable light which he inhabiteth and according to his good pleasure cōmunicateth to the chosen The Lorde Christe which here is called the lambe for the misterie of redemption illumineth the blessed For by him we ar clarified and inioy that eternall moste beaultifull and celestial light S. Ihon hath borowed this place out of the .60 chap. of Esay where we read The Sunne shall not be there for the lighte of the daie And the brigtnesse of the Moone shall not shyne there but the Lord shall be to the thee a perpetuall light and thy God shall be thy brightnes Furthermore the seates of the blessed are thoughte to be fixed aboue the Sphere of the Sunne and Moone and also the brightnes of Saincts to excell farre the light of the Sunne and starres The same hath Esay testified also in the .24 and .30 chap. To God almightie and light eternall be praise and thankes geuing which hath prepared so great things for vs and geueth vs giftes such as no tung can exprsse He sheweth in places mo than one ¶ Who be Citizēs of this Citie who are partakers of that light or who be Citizens of this celestiall citie and what is the state of the Citizens All nations people saued are citizens of the eternal coūtrie Here ar two things to be noted First that the gentiles are made inheritours of glory and that without any choise For here excelleth not the Iewe nor the Greke nother Romane nor Barbarian Agayne yet not all without respect and confusely obteine euerlasting light but the saued only that is to sai whom Christ hath saued and redemed from sin the Deuil Antichrist and from the curse and the world And Christ saueth thelect and faithful They therfore shal in dede be partakers of the light These ar the citizens of the countrie euerlasting But what is their state and inhiritaunce Thei shal walke in the light of God the father the lambe that is to say they shall haue the fruition of the light and of God himselfe to their ioiful swetnes and fill For it is a figuratiue speach to walke in the light for that which is to inioy light Verely in the .88 Psalme is red with a figure not much vnlyke Lorde thei shall walke in the light of thy countenance And againe Thou shalt make knowen vnto me the fote path of lyfe the fulfilling of ioyes is in thy sight gladnes in thy right hand for euermore Kinges are in the courte of heauen But especially the places in heauen and in that Palace diuine are for Kings Kinges ar gouernours and captaines of the people as they be which are called Kynges and Princes gouernours Magistrates rulers aswel of the politique as ecclsiasticall gouernement Doctours maisters teachers Artificers and Parentes For their dutie is vertuouslye to gouerne their subiectes scollers or childrē to kepe them vnder awe or discipline to chastise and directe them to the dueties of life and all godlines This yf they do they shall haue a worthie place prepared in Heauen For Daniell saieth also in the .12 chapter But the teachers shall shine as the brightnes of the firmamēt and they that bring many to righteousnes as the starres euerlastingly O therefore O happie are you yf ye bringe many to execute the office of righteousnes But wo be to you Princes and teachers and maisters and Parentes yf herein you be negligent There is prepared for you in hell a place moste horrible and myserable as also Ezechiell hath testified But yf Kynges haue their place and the same right honourable in Heauen wherefore do the Anabiptistes teache naye whie doe they lie that a Christiane can not execute the office of a Magistrate For here are Kinges mentioned to be in heauē not only as men but as thei were kinges that is as they were good kynges and executed their office duely and not forsaking their place haue liued a priuate life For it followeth they shall brynge their glory and honour vnto it And what is that glory and what is the honour it followeth agayne and they shal bring the glory and honour of nations into it that is to saye they shal bryng into heauen with them the very nations their people and subiectes whō they haue holpen in trewe godlines and saluation in teachyng correctyng defendyng alluryng or drawyng c. And these be their glory and honour for S. Paule in the .2 to the Corinth the .1
king almightie immortall and inuincible He wil come shortely in the clowdes of thayre to iudge the quicke and the dead c. Moreouer victory is promised assuredly to vs that be seruauntes of Christe Called chosen faythfull And they that be with him or on his side called chosen and faithful We be chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were layde that we should beleue in him be saued the first to the Ephes Hereunto we be called by the preachyng of the gospel Reade the .2 to the Thess the .2 chapt And we ought to geue thankes vnto God for euer c Let vs holde faste these thinges be in the troubles of this world constant and without feare To God be glory ¶ Agayne this vision is more fully declared and the punnishment of the beast is shewed The .lxxvj. Sermon ANd he sayde vnto me the waters whiche thou sawest where the whore sitteth are people folke and natiōs and tunges And the tē hornes which thou sawest vpō the beast are they which shall hate the whore and shal make her desolate and naked shall eate her flesshe and burne her with fire For God hath put in their hartes to fulfill his will and to do with one consente for to geue her kingdome vnto the beast vntil the words of God be fulfilled And the woman whiche thou sawest is that great citie whiche reigneth ouer the kinges of the Earth The Angel sent of the lord Christ vttereth to Iohn and the whole world the misterie of the beast reuealed but especially her iudgement or punnishement for her heynouse crimes Which he wil pursewe also in the chapt followyng And nowe he expoundeth the signification of waters ouer the which the whore ruleth to witte the Romish power Waters signifie Waters vpon waters the whore sitteth kingdomes dispersed through out the world Which he expoundeth after his maner altogether propheticall as was also noted before by three vocables For in namyng people folke nations and tunges he comprehendeth as it were innumerable natiōs distincte with sondry langages and maners But where nothing is more mouable or vnconstaunt than waters and when they be ones stired vp more furiouse and outrageouse the cōmon folke or people are rightly compared to waters whiche are also for their vnstablenes called mouable or vnconstaunt and for their rage both furiouse and madde Cōmotiōs Therefore not without cause al wise men haue greuousely condemned seditions which we are wonte to calle tumultes or vprores as by the whiche are assembled many naughtie natures and occasion is geuen them to breake out at their luste and to hurte But seyng that so many natiōs were subiecte to the Romane Empire and haue erred neuerthelesse in the trewe fayth what shall it preuayle hereafter to reken vp many and sondry kingdomes which should consente in any religion as though the sincerenes veritie of religion should depende vpon a multitude of men agreyng in the same The iudgemente of God agaīst Rome Nowe followeth the iudgement of God agaynst blouddy Rome which is the chiefest thing in this vision the some of al is Rome shal be rent in pieces and burnt with fire as we hearde also in the .13 chapt like as she hath done to others so shal be done vnto her And these thinges are to be expoūded first of olde Rome and after of new and in the same must the wordes be firste considered than a conference of stories must be had out of the whiche the trewth of the prophecie maye appere Ten hornes signifie kynges which haue risen of the tearyng a sonder of the Romane Empire The hatred of ten hornes against the whore suche as were the kinges of Westgothes Eastgothes of Germaynes Frēchmen Lumbardes Hunnes Vandalles c. These nations serued ones the Romanes and toke their wages they fauoured them and to their owne losse brought their matters to passe no otherwise than as an erneste louer serueth some one harlot from whome he can by no meanes be withdrawen as whom he loueth moste feruently but at laste perceyuing her vntrewe dealyng he beginneth to hate the same most deadly So these nations and others beganne so to persecute the name of Romanes that they would haue no monumētes or fote steppes of them any where to abide or remayne All the prouinces of the Romanes were filled ful of Romane posies Images pillers tittles and writinges but in the same especially in Germany the borders therof how many I praye you of so great plentie remayne The cities wherein the Romanes had their garnisons ar vtterly destroied that scarsely there appere any fote steppes therof at this daye And like as an honeste man hauyng a whore to his wife a shameles strompet doeth not only hate but also forsaketh the same troubleth her tourneth her naked hauyng plucked from her al her wifely apparell and ornamentes Ezech. 16 Osee 2. for so God in his prophetes threateneth to doe vnto his people for their vnfaithfulnes so nations reuolted from the Romane Empire distroyed and impouerished the same spoyling the riches thereof which the Romanes had heaped together by the robberie of al nations They shal eate her flesh they spoyled euery where also the Romane prouinces And where it is sayed that those kinges shal deuoure the flesh of the beaste it is to be vnderstande of the maner of speakyng For so are we wonte to saye what time we signifie extreme crueltie and mallice without mercy therfore like as Rome hath ben moste cruell towardes all nations euen so shal al nations most cruelly teare her and finally shal burne her with fire Nowe let vs compare with these thinges the historie A story of the destruction burnyng of Rome and see how they were fulfilled in tholde Rome and maye be yet fulfilled in the newe And first we will speake of olde Rome after of newe And verely olde Rome grewe many yeres and practised robberies through out the whole worlde and distroyed the Sainctes of the most highest wherfore it was worthy that the punnishment thereof should extende and indure many yeres and so as it were by degrees to descende to the last burnyng and destruction thereof There be gathered the yeres of her punnishmentes about .136 in the whiche she beyng impenitent was vexed and tourmoyled with continual calamities slaughters and vexatiōs And herof I compiled an abridgement in the .57 Sermon of this worke the. 13. chapt And here I will repete a fewe thinges and will reherse certen other things more playnely and at large As the Lorde in punnishyng the Niniuites and Hierosolomitanes declared his longe sufferyng and clemēcie and also his streight iustice right so in procedyng slowely to distroye Rome he lefte them mercifully space to repente in which seyng thei refused to do he wasted and destroyed them terriblely as impenitent He gaue therfore to Rome excellent good Princes Constaunce Constantine Iouiane Valentinian Gratiane Theodose c. By whose
whilest many haue ben chosen and euery one of them wil be the vicar of Christ and so teare al that ecclesiasticall body of theirs with Schismes There rise vp agaynst these preachers erneste vehement Wycliffe Husse Hierome of Prage and diuerse others What is done at this day hath ben now these 30. yeres and more agaynst superstitions and idolatrie agaynst the Pope and al his clergie the Papistes themselues crie out and al partes of the world can testifie Therfore is the Deuill lowsed a little season The Lord Iesus treade him vnder our fete shortely ¶ What those thousande yeres shall be and of the certayne felicitie of soules after the death corporall and of the firste resurrection and seconde death The .lxxxviij. Sermon ANd I sawe seates and they that sate vpon thē and the iudgement was geuen vnto them and I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Iesu and for the word of God which had not worshipped the beaste nother his Image nother had taken his marke vpon their foreheades or in their hādes and they liued and raigned with Christ a thousande yeare but the other of the dead men liued not agayne vntill the thousande yeres were finisshed This is the first resurrection Blessed and holy is he that hath parte in the first resurrection On suche hath the seconde death no power but they shal be the priestes of God and of Christe and shal raigne with him a thousande yeres By these S. Iohn declareth him selfe Here is declared what those thousande yeres shall be expoundyng what those thousande yeres shal be Not suche doubtles as very many emongs whom are accompted also the Millenaries or Chiliastes do Imagine with themselues in the whiche they saye there should be tranquillitie vpō earth and in the which yeres the sainctes here in Earth shal raigne corporally with Christ in moste exquisite pleasures and ioyes For S. Iohn himselfe confuteth this opinion whilest he sheweth how the sainctes should be beheaded of the beaste and of his Image and that the others which remayne in death should not liue agayne or receyue the gospel of Christ It is manifest therefore that the beaste his Image shal be in those thousandes yeres It is euident that the Gospell of Christe shall by those thousande yeres so shine that Sathan shoulde be so strayte tied in chaynes that neuerthelesse all should not receyue the gospell nother shuld there be quiet tranquillitie but that the Sainctes for Christes veritie should suffer persecution of the beaste and that many shuld not beleue the gospel but rather withstande the same and perisshe Yet that the Deuill in the meane time shall not haue so great power as he hath obteyned sins the thousande yeres were finisshed nother that the gospel should in those thousande yeres be so darkened as it was after corrupted and depraued And he toucheth with all certen opinions righte notable and necessarie and openeth the same to witte what should be the state of them which eyther are killed for Christ or reiecte Antichrist verely for that their soules do not slepe til the iudgemēt but liue with Christ in heauen He treateth moreouer of the first resurrection and seconde death Thus vnto them that maruaile where the soules of the dead shal become and what they shal do immediately after the corporal death he aunswereth and so much as is requisite to know declareth The soules of thē that be beheaded Therefore S. Iohn seeth seates and those that sitte on them And who be those that sitte he addeth by an exposition and sayeth and the soules of them that are beheaded For by an exposition it is taken as though you should saye they that sat on the Heauenly seates were the soules of them that are beheaded Soules are not beheaded but bodies the soules remayne in their state and life Wherefore he sayeth the soules of them whose bodies were beheaded or slayne And here lette vs note that S. Iohn speaketh not of the bodies reassumpted chaūged or reysed againe at the last iudgement but of the soules deliuered from the bodies of the martirs For he speaketh of soules lowsed frō the bodies before the Iudgement accordynge as euery one in his time liueth here in this worlde and is called from hence by death For Aretas also Bishop of Cesarea expoundeth this of the soules of Martirs yet thinketh he not neuerthelesse that no man should be saued vnlesse he die by the tirauntes sworde For he addeth this moreouer or verely he nameth to be beheaded tropically which haue mortified their membres that are on Earth Hitherto he And we also haue shewed before that first and chiefly the holy martirs are rewarded with eternal life secondely all they that haue honoured God truely and haue done penaunce and crucified their flesh with al the concupiscences thereof Beheaded for Christ And he sayeth expressely that the sainctes were beheaded not for thefte murder and mischiefe as also Saincte Peter teacheth 1. Peter 4. But for the worde of God and testimony of Iesu Christ The word of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the very sonne of God our Sauiour and the testimony is that holesome gospell and the very preachyng and professyng of the same lyke as by the conference of Scriptures we haue declared before They are rekened moreouer emonges the Sainctes whiche haue not worshipped the beaste c. And suche are the Martirs beheaded or slayne for that they haue worshipped God but the beast and his Image would they not worship Howbeit al are not slaine that reiecte Antichrist and therfore particularly as a peculiar membre he rehersed thē also But what it is to worshippe the beaste and his Image and to receyue his marke c. I haue declared before at large in the .13 chapt Nowe lette vs see what their state is that shede their bloud for Christ and abhorre Antichrist with all his inchaūtmentes they liued sayeth he Of the state of soules after death before the iudgemēt to witte by fayth in this presente worlde As S. Paule sayde also I liue not I nowe but Christe liueth in me And of that same life followeth life euerlastyng in an other worlde Wherefore S. Iohn hath annexed and they raigned with Christe a thousande yeres to witte all that whole processe of time Not for that they raigned not liued with Christe afterwarde but for that their soules hitherto or to the iudgement haue not slept but haue liued rather in Heauen a blessed life The whiche also from the beginnyng he declareth by an other notation For he seeth a seate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set and the soules sitting in them And by a figuratiue speache he signifieth that certen seates and honourable places are prepared in heauē for the blessed soules as also the Lorde him self sayeth in the gospel In my fathers house are many mansions and nowe I goe to prepare you a place He calleth the seates thrones alludyng to the royall Trones of
kinges But of these celestial seates we must conceaue greater diuine and spiritual matters They sitte in thē not for that they doe nothing els but sitte on a cusshion but they raygne triumphe rest liue and haue fruitiō of the comforte ioye and glory euerlasting This I saye is the maner of the soules and spirites to sitte He addeth moreouer howe to those soules was geuen iudgement verely for that they ar exempted from iudgement and come not into iudgement euen as our sauiour sayeth but haue passed frō death to life It is also declared in an other place in what sense the saincts are sayed to sitte vpon the seates and iudge the world where it is manifeste in dede that all the iudgement of God is geuē to the sonne It is euident therfore by this vnfallible place of scripture that the soules of saincts slepe not after the death of the body vntill the laste iudgement but to liue in Heauen with Christe But at the iudgemente they shall retourne to their bodies reysed agayne and together with their bodies shal be receyued into blessed seates And this is the state of the faythfull From this hope lette vs neuer suffer ourselues to be withdrawen In my Decades I haue discoursed more at large of the soules separated from their bodies and haue shewed that they do not slepe A towle errour of Iohn the 22. pope And here I can not refrayne but must nedes set forth and recite that whiche D. Iohn Funceius a learned man dilligent and one that hath red much sheweth in the .10 booke of his Chronologie vnder the yere of our Lord .1332 in these wordes aboute this time the moste holy father Pope Iohn the .22 of that name felle into this heresie which also he professed opēly and taught that the soules sawe not God before the laste daye For so had his father taught him deceaued by the visions of Tantalus which were cōmonly caried abroade in writyng And Pope Iohn sent two preachers to Paris to witte a couple of Freres one of the order of preachers an other Minorite whiche might professe his errour there But one Thomas a preacher of Englande resisted the Pope stoutely whome the Pope committed to pryson And the Kinge of Fraūce called a Synode in his palace in the foreste Vitinian where all that were assembled subscribed agaynst the Pope Than the kinge sent Ambassadours to the Pope exhortyng him to recante his errour and that he would deliuer Thomas out of prison Which inlarged the prisonier and also as it is sayde following the admonitiōs of his frendes at the houre of death repented So much Funccius It is a shame therefore for some which at this day in so great light of the gospel dare renewe that moste folishe errour affirmyng that soules separated from their bodies lie snoring I know not in what dormitorie or dortour nother to fele any thing till at the daye of Iudgement they be ioyned agayne to their bodies and rife agayne The remnaunt of the dead liued not againe S. Iohn addeth and the remnaunt of the dead liued not agayne til the thousande yeres were accomplished Not that they liued afterwarde but that they reuiued neuer at all As the Scripture speaketh in an other place Michol Dauid his wise remayned barren vntill the daye of her death not that she had childe after her death But whom doeth he meane by the rēnaunt of the dead surely all we that descende of Adam are dead As S. Paul right wel declareth in the .5 chapt to the Romanes But we haue hearde how some through faith haue receyued Christe and so beyng quickened haue shed their bloud for Christ and would not worshippe the beast nor his Image Now is added to this membre but the remnaunt of the dead whiche are nother regenerated through fayth nor would bestowe their life for Christe but had rather worship the beast and his Image these I saye for their vnbeliefe liued not For without faith there is no trewe life in this worlde A double life double death We speake nothing here of the vital or naturall life And we saye that life is double or of two sortes to witte the one spiritual which is of faith and of the sprete of God and of Christ whiche is by fayth receyued and liueth in the hartes of his and his life in him For the Lorde him selfe sayeth he that eateth me he shal liue also for me Thother life is euerlasting to witte of an other world in the whiche we shal see God as he is and shall be as he is liuyng in God and with God for euermore Cōtrariwise death is of two sortes spiritual wherby wauntyng Christe and his sprete and voide of fayth we liue in sinne The Apostle speakyng of this death sayeth that a widdowe liuyng wauntonly beyng a liue is dead And the Lord also to the disciple that wold retourne home and burie his parētes sayeth suffer the dead to burie their dead There is also a death euerlastyng that is euerlastyng wretchednes and miserie whiche followeth the spiritual Yet see what we haue sayde of double death in the .3 chapt of this boke in expoundyng the Epistle to them of Sardis Wherefore S. Iohn here signifieth that there shall be many in these thousande yeres which shuld not receyue the gospel with a liuely faith and therfore should remayne in death as the Lorde sayde in the .8 of Iohn Therfore they erre shamefully which suppose that al nations in the whole vniuersal world shal come ones to an vnitie of fayth and most assured peace in this life And S. Iohn himself agayne expoundyng himself sayeth This is that firste resurrection Whiche I praye you by the which menne receyue Christ by the true fayth Of the firste resurrectiō and the seconde and rise from sinne in the newnes of life Of this thapostle speaketh muche in the .6 to the Romanes The same to the Ephes out of Esaye awake sayeth he that slepeth and rise from the dead christ shal shine vnto thee Therfore be they not pertakers of the first resurrection so many as nother acknowledge their sinnes nor be regenerated nother are quickened by fayth in Christ nor rise againe with Christ in the newnes of life The seconde resurrection is that vniuersall resurrection of al flesh wherein shall all menne arrise in dede but with vnlike state for the faithfull rise vnto life euerlastyng the vnfaythfull to death euerlastyng Whiche the Lord him selfe also hath repeted out of the .12 chapt of Daniel in Iohn the .5 chapt Theffecte of the first resurrectiō And he sheweth by occasion and after an Apostolicke maner a threfolde fruicte or effecte of the first resurrection First sayeth he blessed and holy is he which is pertaker of the first resurrection He is bleste sayeth he happy and heyre of celestiall and eternall life Holy that is to saye purified sanctified and iustified For fayth in Christe doeth sanctifie and make blessed Than in such