promises 9 And therfore are not their names written of the lamb in the booke of life which lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world Christ hath not alowed them by his word promise With the rightuous are they not regestred as members of one misticall body in hym In the similitude of hys death are they not grafted vnto hym as the braunches vnto the vine to be partners of his resurrection Their porcion is not in the lande of the lyuing with him They are none of those whom the father hath geuen hym to participate with hym in one spirit Predestinate they are not vnto life by hym nor so written vp in the foreknowledge of God Chosen they were not of the lord before the worlds constitution to be his vndefiled children in Christ. 10 He is the méeke lamb that was slaine He alone taketh away the sins of the world In hym only is the life for he is the life it self Yet is he the life of none other but of those that only beleue in him 11 In that he was killed from the worlds beginning is signified that he dyed for all them whiche were create to be saued and that his onely death is all their health raise and remedy by the promise of God For all they haue eaten of one spiritual meat and dronke of one spirituall rocke though it came in the fleshe longe after them He onely trode downe the head of the serpent Since the beginning hath he bene slaine in his membres also as manifest it is in rightuous Abell Hieremy Iohn Baptist such other like They that are not written of the lambe in the booke of life for the children of God are registred in the booke of death for the children of perdicioÌ„ reserued to eternal death for their infidelytie with the deuill his Angels 12 He that hath an eare sayeth the text let him take good héede He that hath an vnderstanding let hym be admonished by that which foloweth héere Or he that hath receiued the wisdome of the spirit let hym iudge hereof according vnto it Thus doth the holy ghost aduertise the faithfull to consider that whatsoeuer thinges are writteÌ„ they are writteÌ„ vnto our learning 13 He that leadeth into captiuity shall go into captiuyty And he that killeth with a sworde must with a sworde be slaine This warning geueth the lord take it if they lyst For he will haue his right iudgments known He that vexeth or aflicteth the iuste beléeuers in body by outward punishments he shall be aflicted in the spirit with an inwarde darknes or blindnes of the soule that he may be the more captiue to sinne and to sathan God wyll deliuer hym vp vnto a lewde mind and wyll geue him stronge delusion to beléeue all maner of lyes that he might be damned 14 He that killeth the poore innoceÌ„t for his faith with the yron sword or slaieth hym with any other torment with the sword of the spirit which is the Lords word shall he be both iudged condemned The word that I haue spoken saith Christ shall iudge them at the latter day And this is in manner all one with that was saide in the xi chapter afore If any maÌ„ wyl hurt them fyre shall procéede out of their mouthes and consume their enemies 15 Neuerthelesse to the christian is persecution necessary For héere in this lyfe is the pacience of the saints proued and their faith required Here was AbrahaÌ„ tempted Iob sore vexed and both they were founde Gods true faithfull seruants Here were the apostles contemned reioysinge that they were found worthy for christes sake to suffer rebuke The rightuous the lorde trieth as gold in the furnace He chasteneth euery seruant that he loueth and scourgeth euery son that he receiueth Onely is it faith that al the euils of this worlde by pacience ouercommeth so obtaineth the victory The fruit which riseth to eternal lyfe is peaceable sufferance in faith And that must be heare in this lyfe where as we are vnperfect to make vs perfect THE TEXT 1 And I beheld an other beast 2. comming vp out of the earth 3. and he had two horns lyke a lamb 4. and he spake as dyd the Dragon 5. and he dyd all that the firste beaste could do 6. in his presence 7. And he caused the earth and them which dwell therein 8. To worship the firste beaste vvhose deadly vvounde vvas healed 9. And he dyd great wonders 10. So that he made fyre come downe from heauen 11. In the sight of meÌ„ 12. And deceiued them that dwelt on the earth by the meanes of those signes which he had povver to doe in the sighte of the beast 13. Saying to them that dvvelt on the earth that they should make an image 14. Vnto the beast vvhich had the vvounde of a svvord and dyd liue The Paraphrase 1 And I behelde saieth S. Iohn in this secret reuelation of my Lord an other beast arising out of the earth A figure is this of al false prophets and vngoly preachers Beastly are they euermore vaine carnal and corrupt in their studies abhominable in the practisings of their wicked harts not séeking God but their belleyes not Christes glory but their owne pride and vaine glory 2 From the earth they aryse all geuen to erthly wisdome The only affectes of this worlde doth moue them to teach no good zeale of the truth Either are they tickled with ambition pricked with auarice or els stirred with mallice to inuei These are the common affects of the wicked This goinge vp haue they from wickednesse to wickednesse and shall haue still till the Lorde destroy them like as haue the iust beléeuers from vertue to vertue in the spirit till such time as they sée him face vnto face in the euerlasting Syon From the worlds beginning hath this beast risen vp in Cayne the first murtherer in the fleshlye Children of men in Cham the shamelesse childe of Noe in Ismael Esau in Iannes Iambres in Balaham Baals prophets in the Beniamits Bels chaplains in Phasur Semeias in Iudas Annas and Caiphas in Bariehu Diâ—trephes And now seÌ„s their time most of all in Mahometes doctoures and the popes queristers Yea stil they are aloft in their beastly beggerye will be till their mischif be finished Who séeth not now a daies that hath light in the spirit the malignite hipocrisy fraud craft deceit in certen fals prophets at pauls crosse in London in other places els 3 This beast had ii hornes like the lambe at a blush but all counterfet â— fals in very déede for he spake as did the dragon the hornes of Christ are his high kingdom in the world Only ariseth his Churche by faith in the glad tidinges and promises of god That word is the scepture of Christes power and the rod of right order wheras he reigneth None other strange sceptures are there neither tradicions nor customes Seuen hornes had Christ for
thee as a theefe 13. and thou shalt not knovve vvhat houre I vvill come vpon thee 14. Thou hast a fevv names in Sardis 15. vvhich haue not defyled their garmentes 16. and they shall vvalke vvith me in vvhite for they are vvorthie 17. Hee that ouercommeth shall bee clothed in vvhyte aray 18. and I vvill not put out his name out of the booke of lyfe 19. and I vvill confesse his name before my father and before his Angelles 20. Let him that hath eares heare vvhat the spirit sayeth vnto the coÌ„gregations THE PARAPHRASE 1 â—Hou shalte also so shortly as may conuenyently be sayeth the Lord to his peculyar seruaunt saint Iohn take paynes by an Epistle to admonishe the watche man or Curate of the chosen congregation of Sardis which though it bee of verie slender reputation before the eyes of the wyse riche and strong men of thys world yet is it precious in the sight of God for so muche as it was prysed bought redéemed by the greatest paiment that euer was eueÌ„ by the precious bloud of the vndefiled lambe and immaculate sonne of God Iesus Christ. Hee it was that laboured hungred thursted faynted accordyng to the weakenesse of the humayne nature finally suffred blasphemies curses scornes lyes persecutions rebukes with the most paynful death of his body at the latter to deliuer hir make hir attonement and restore hir agayne to the fauour of God 2 Fynde the meanes that she may know sayth the Lord Iesus that this is to hir the message of admonishment or warning from him which hath in his power to distribute at his pleasure the seuen spirits of God or the the vnyuersall gyftes of the holye ghost 3 And hath also in his right hande the vii starres which are the byshoppes or preachers of all congregacions with full authoritie power to hold them styll or to throw them forth to glorifie them if they be faythfull ministers of his worde or to damne theÌ„ for euer if they be deceiuable hipocrites and for lucre prefer theyr owne croked inuencions 4 Thou workest not so secretlye saith that Lord but I know thy déedes and perceiue wher about thou goest For vnto me all secretes are open cléere manifest When thou thinkest I doe not perceue than sée I thée most of all 5 Thou hast a name of lyfe an outward shew of vertue of goodnesse a shyning preteÌ„ce of much holinesse yet art thou before God a dead rotten Idol full of hipocrisie and falsehood Men thinke thée a godly creature yet art thou nothing lesse 6 Awake therefore quickly froÌ„ thy more then idle imaginacioÌ„s fickle sophismes and take vnto thée fayth and spirit Watch vpon thy cure and sée to theyr profit 7 Considre that thy wayes in the outwarde letter hath made my people weake faint and féeble left them at the very poynt of death Strengthen theÌ„ now a newe with that which is effectual strong sure lyuely true and necessary which is the sincere veritie and faith least thou peryshe with the wicked 8 For though thou hast the godlie gifte of prophesie with the grace of vnderstanding and iudgement yet haue I founde thy workes vngodly and thy doings vyle and abhominable before God my celestiall father For thou haste bene inwardly corrupt with auaryce and ambition like as was Balaam the deceiptful Prophet and wicked soothsayer 9 It becommeth the iudge to know afore what he shal iudge which hath caused me to searche out thy carnall and myserable wayes Call therfore vnto thy remembraunce howe thou by the singular gift of God haste receyued his word and heard his Gospel which is the kingdome of health at the verie mouth of his Apostles 10 And for so muche as thou haste not estemed it according to the worthinesse therof nor yet bene thankfull vnto God for such an heauenly gift but rather swynishly troden it vnder thy féete and currishly persecuted his faithfull seruauntes for it haue remorse in thy conscience and once agayne set sure hands vpon it embrace it holde it fast and faithfully beleue it repeÌ„t from the hart thy vngodly vsages past and from heÌ„cefoorth liue according vnto it 11 If thou wilt not doe so taking of me this gentle warning and watch as one vncertayne of the houre of death liuing as thou wouldest dye by and by 12 I shall as doeth the théefe in the nyght come vpon thée vnlooked for with death shall I distroy thée vnbewares so shall hell and damnation swalow thée vp for euer 13 And thou shalt neither know the day nor the houre the tyme nor the mynute that I will thus fiercely come vpon thée iustly suppresse thée accordyng to thy vngodly deseruings 14 And in spight of thy cruell hart yet are there a fewe new brethren and louers of the truth in the citie of Sardis though theyr number bée but small which are so déere vnto god that he hath regestred theyr names in the booke of lyfe 15 These hath for no painted speach glosing promisse suggestioÌ„ nor threatning ones soyled theyr garments with thy dyrtie ceremonies nor defyled theyr coÌ„uersacion with thy beggerly tradytions In the myddest of the wicked and froward generacion theyr hartes are towards me my word 16 Wherfore by promisse they shal walk with me in white their faults shal neuer be imputed vnto theÌ„ their sinnes shal be wyped cleane away I wil cléere them restore them to parpetual innocencie make them partakers with me in euerlasting felicitie glory For doubtlesse they are worthy for my will forsaking theyr owne will and leauinge the corrupt wayes of men to folow my sincere worde 17 He that after this sort ouercommeth perseuering in the faith therof to the latter ende of his lyfe shall be sure of these thrée benefits He shall be clothed with me in white apparel made innocent and pure incorruptible impassible and immortall 18 I will in no wyse put his name out of the booke of lyfe nor separate him from the predestinate number of them which shall be saued but associate him with the rightuous 19 And besides all this I will earnestly witnesse hym confesse hym and allow him by name before my heauenly father and all his company of Angelles for one of myne to haue the inheritaunce with mée 20 Let him that hath eares in no case be dull or slacke in hearing but diligently attende and marke what the spirite of God doeth héere vtter before the congregations to theyr singular warning and comfort THE TEXT 1. And vvryte vnto the Angell of the congregacion of Philadelphia 2. This sayeth he that is holie and true 3. vvhich hath the keye of Dauid 4. vvhich openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth no man openeth 5. I knovv thy vvorkes 6. Beholde I haue set before thee an open dore and no man can shut it 7. For thou hast â— little strength hast kept my
this had a very sharpe sting For death was towardes them that withstoode their ginnes Destruction of body and goods was euermore at hand 11 Yet was their powre only to hurt men for v. monthes space to harme them in this sencible lyfe deuided in fiue partes No power had they vpon the soules hence departed Then could they not hynder with all their censures black curses suspencions disgradings interdictions excommunications and all such terrible thunderbolts with Booke Bell and Candle Farther extended not their violence then vpon the poore bodies The soules were in Gods handes whose mercy is neuer farre of 12 A King they had ouer them which is the Angell of the bottomlesse pit for he is the head captayne of all the children of pride the master of errours and the father of lyes Néedes must the diuell be their king whiles his smoky doctrine hath nourished them fed them and set them foorth in their coulours Sure we are that they are straungers to God for the heauenly father neuer planted them Well such people such gouernour such swarm such stinking leader 13 The name of this their capitayne in the Hebrue tongue is Abadon and in the Gréeke tongue Apollyon and both signifieth a spightfull destroyer His nature is to persuade all euill to infect the minde to corrupt the hart to plucke away faith to make the soule blinde to robbe man of all goodnesse to seperate hym from God and to dampne hym with hym selfe for euer Wo is that wretched army that hath such a Capitaine and that forsaken multitude which hath such a king 14 One wo is past One cursed season of execrable blasphemy darknesse and deuilishnesse vnder the fift seale opening and the fyft trumpet blowing is at an ende But looke to it well for two other woes yet shall come after this vnder the sixt and vii as here after wyll appeare THE TEXT 1 And the sixt Angell blewe 2 And I hearde a voyce from the. 3. Foure corners of the golden Aulter which is before God 4 Saying to the sixt Angell which had the Trumpet 5. Lose the fowre Angelles which are bounde in the greate ryuer Euphrates 6. And the fowre Angels were losed 7. Whiche were prepared for an howre for a day for a month for a yeare 8. For to slea the thirde parte of men 9. And the number of horsemen of vvar vvere tvventy times ten thousand 10. And I hearde the number of them 11. And thus I savv the horses in a vison 12. And them that sate on them hauyng fyerye habbergions of a yalovv and brimstonie coloure The Paraphrase 1 Consequently the sixt Angell stoode forth and triumphantly blewe his Trumpet Constantly the sincere preachers of this present age hath taught Christ and hys veritie vnder this sixt seale openinge wherin they haue disclosed the detestable errours and shamefull abhomynacion of the other age afore 2 And as this Trumpet was blowen I harde saith saint Iohn a swéete voyce from the fowre corners of the golden Alter whiche is before the eyes of God Uppon him we offer when we trust only in hym and also when we liue according to true faith in hym restraining our olde Adam with his fleshly desyres 3 The fowre corners of this alter is the Gospell which he hath left by his Apostles in the fowre quarters of the vniuersall worlde The voyce is the ioyfull tidings or message therof And this signifieth Christ not onely to haue his church within the dominion of Rome vnder bondage but also in all other partes of the world in lybertie All these fowre corners hath but one voyce The Gospell euery where taught hath but one heauenly message of mercy and peace from God the father one glad tiding of health and saluation from Iesus Christe and one swéete smell of the grace of God and of victory in Christ from the holy ghost 4 And this one voyce commaunded the sixt Angell which had the Trumpet or the true faithfull preachers vnder the sixt seale openinge which had the administration of the word at the onely gift of God 5 To goe foorth and to lose the fowre Angelles which are bounde in the great riuer of Euphrates Many hath the Lord anoynted with his spirit in this age to preache delyueraunce to the captiue to open the pryson to theÌ„ that were in bondage and to declare the acceptable yeare of health By whose preaching he hath now vnthaâ—â—led the children of the dead and set them at libertie to preache his name in Syon and to worshippe him in Hierusalem Manye that afore were fettered with fantasies yoked with vnaduised vowes ouercharged with intollerable burthens amoÌ„g Byshoppes Priestes Monkes Chanons Fryers and Noones are now graciously delyuered and with a frée conscience confesseth the verytie of God 6 So that many among the fowre Angels or a great number of them that were sometime Antichristes Hypocrites Tyrauntes and murthers are now losened from Euphrates the great flood of wauering fantasies and of the sickle pleasures of this worlde For though they were sore bound in their conscience and lyfe yet wanted they there no wanton delightes to nourish and féederal fleshlinesse They lacked nothing that might maintaine their pompe vayne glory couetousnesse pryde glottony and lechery but they had it in abundance And though the nature of Gods worde be as of a key to open vnto them that beléeue and to speare vnto them that beléeue not yet is it fayde héere to open vnto both But yet in diuers respects For in the chosen sort it openeth to loue in the other it openeth to hate The one bringeth forth hony by it with the Bée the other venim with the spyder The one is made more méeke and gentle the other wareth more cruel and mad As Paule saith vnto some it is the sauer of life vnto lyfe and some againe it is that sauer of death vnto death For hard is that worde to the execrable Angelles 〈◊〉 children of Sathan callinge them from Euphrates They can in no wise abide it Yet were the fowre Angels loosoned froÌ„ thence and hath lost a great parte of theyr pleasures Since the Gospell came in the Antichristes hath lost the prophets of their Buls pardons confessions pryuy tythes ydol offerings purgatory masses bell christenings church hallowings with other loose endes The Hypocrits hath lost their more then princely habitations their monasteries couents hospitalles prebenâ—â—â—ies and chaunteries with their fat féeding warme couches for yll gotten good will home againe The tiraunts and murtherrers haue not now their pleasures in all poyntes as they had afore tyme what though their cruâ—ltie be stil as much as it was and rather more For the people is not now to their minde as then And as these Angels are losoned in this quarter of the world so shal they be in all then other quarters the Lorde appoyntinge theyr tymes One corner of the aulter hath geuen his
readeth they that hear the vvords of the prophecie keepe those things vvhich are vvritten therein 7. for the tyme is at hande The Paraphrase OF Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God this is the wonderfull reuelation concerning the diuers and doubtfull estate of the Christian church from the Apostles tyme to the latter ende of the world 2 Which reuelation with all iudgement and power God the euerlasting father hath wholly giuen vnto hym now takeÌ„ vp from the earth glorified and set aboue all the workes of hys handes 3 Euidently to declare yea to make manifest and knowne vnto hys true faythfull seruauntes beleuing in hys words and walking in his wayes the tokens signes marueils which must by hys vnchaungeable ordinaunce shortly in this latter tyme folow in effect without premonishment or warning taken of the wicked sort 4 And the sayd Iesus Christ sittyng on the right hande of the maiestie of God and being muche more excellent then the angels hath according to his former promise sent forth his spirit of truth most specially vnto his déerely beloued Apostle and peculyar dyscyple sainct Iohn the Euangelist not only to deduce him into all knowledge and veritie but also to manifest vnto him the secrete misteries of thinges to come 5 Which Iohn hath already as an earnest doer in his masters cause most constantly wytnessed his eternall godhead in the euerlasting worde against the Hebionites which denied him to com in the fleshe and hath faithfully affirmed his naturall manhode in all that he sawe being conuersaunt with him agaynste Carpocras and Cerinthus which blasphemed the same in the vtter confusion of all such Antichristes 6 Blessed is he saith Saint Ihon which after méeke prayer and godly meditacyon hauinge the gyfte of vnderstanding and grace of interpreting the scripturs doth sincerly faithfully without crafte or coloure publyshe declare the mistycall wordes of thys heauenly prophecye Blessed are they also which in a feruent faith hongeriÌ„g thristinge for the rightuousnes and with Simeon and Anna desirous of the glorye of God doth louingly heare and earnestly marke the wholsome words of the same sayd godly prophecye and that will deligently applye theÌ„ selues to obserue the rules and take the premonishementes of Godly doctrine ther in written 7 For the perelous dayes are come that the disceytfull swarme of Antichrist peruertinge the trueth shal bring the world into pernicious and dampnable errours And the Ieopardous time is at hande that the wrath of god shal be declared from Heauen vpon all vngodlynesse of these seducers that with hold his trueth in vnrightuousensse set hiâ— coÌ„maundementes at nought for their owne vile traditions The texte 1 Ihon vnto the seuen congregacions which are in Asia 2. Grace be vvith you 3. And peace from him wich is and which vvas and which is to come 4. from the seuen spirites which are present before his throne 5. and from Iesus Christe vvhich is a faythfull vvytnesse 6. and fyrst begotten of the dead 7. and prince ouer the kinges of the earthe 8. Vnto him that loued vs and vvashed vs from our sinnes in his ovvne bloud 9. and made vs kinges and Priestes vnto God his father 10. euen vnto him be glorye and dominion for euermore Amen The Paraphrase 1 Iohn the electe Apostle of Iesus Christ sendeth these greatinges to the vii churches or christian congregations which are in the land of Asia the lesse 2 Grace which is the mercy fauour and acceptacion of God be with you 3 And also peace which is the trauquilitie of conscience in them that beleue in Christ dwel euer among you from god the father euerlasting which is essencially in and of himselfe and which was before the constitucion of the world and which shall be after the worlde be finished for euer and euer without ende 4 The same grace and peace agayne be vnto you from God the holy Ghost here mencioned vnder the tytle of .vij. spirites for that he is manifolde and plentuous in gyftes 5 The thyrd tyme also the same said grace and peace be vnto you from the Lorde Iesus Christ the onely sonne of God which being the eternall veritie it selfe was in preaching his Gospell a wytnesse therof both faythful true and perfect and in no wyse could lye that ye should the rather beleue him 6 He was the fyrst of all men that euer were in this mortall nature or body of death recouering againe the fauour of God lost in Adam and that with victory ouer sinne hell deathe and the diuell ascended into Heauen and became in that fleshe glorifyed the sonne of God that ye should bée the bolder of him and the rather take him for your onely aduocate 7 He is also a mâ—ste mighty Lorde ouer the kinges rulers and magistrates of this worlde hauing now all power geuen him in heauen in earth with a wryting vpon his vesture that he is Kinge of Kinges and Lorde of Lords and that of his kingdome ther shall be no ende that the wicked tyrauntes should the rather feare least they féele him a terryble iudge at the latter day 8 For so much as he hath so intyrely loued vs as to be smytten and wouÌ„ded for our offencest and as to geue his lyfe for our wycked wretchednes yea for so much as he of most natural kyndenesse would be cruelly slayne to washe vs purifie vs and clense vs in his owne most innocent bloud from the moste cankred vylenesse of our sinnes to prouoke vs to loue him agayne 9 For so much also as he hath made vs a liuing kingedome to god through fayth in him and consecrate vs priestes to offer vp our bodies by a newe Christian life as a sacrifyce holy and acceptable vnto God his euerlastinge father 10 Unto him wyth the said father with the holy ghost be perpetual praise glorye power and dominyon for euermore Amen The text 1 Beholde he commeth with cloudes 2. and all eyes shall see him 3. and they also which pearsed him 4. And all kynredes of the earth shall vvayle 5. Euen so Amen 6. I am Alpha and Omega the beginninge and the ending sayth the Lorde almightie 7. vvhich is vvhich vvas and vvhich is to come The Paraphrase 1 Take hede for moste certayne it is though Christe in his fyrste comminge as a merciful sauiour apered here vpon earth poore simple ignominious yet shal he in his latter comminge appere in the cloudes of heauen with maiestie power and glorye accoÌ„panyed with the infinite hoste of angels as a rigorous iudge 2 And vpon him shall all eyes looke both man and angell shal behold him and stande before hys terrible iudgemente seate no creature good nor bad exempt 3 Yea thâ—se cruell tyrauntes also shal at that houre appeare befere him which did not only flée his moste innocente body but also
nor forsake hyr accustomed Idolatrie 10 Bée in certaintie therfore I wil cast hir into a bed or couch of carnall quietnesse She shal in this life haue peace in the flesh libertie in vngodlynesse obedyence of the world and power in darkenesse that shee shall swim in wanton pleasures and bath hir selfe in innocent bloud and to assist hir in the same she shall haue subiect vnto hir the scepter sweard aucthoritie and power of Prynces Lordes rulers and Magystrates that none so hardy vnder payne of death to check hir rebuke hir nor ones say against hir This pleasaunt sléeping bedde had the ten trybes of Israel vnder kinge Hieroboam Achas Sedechias and the other two vnder Iorā Ochosias and such lyke tyll they were raysed of their rest ledde captiue into Babylon Such a delectable resting cowch hath also the greater part of the world vnder Mahomet and the Romishe Pope and shal haue still til God roote them out destroy them with the breath of his mouth throw them into the fyre euerlasting 11 Let them beware therefore that as hir louers hath to doe with that execrable whore cōsenting to hir pestylent lawes and tradicions defending as godly ordinaunces laudable rytes decent orders ciuill pollycies honest vsages comely fashions holy ceremonies necessary customes and such lyke boinge in very déede most damnable supersticions 12 For them doubtlesse wil I throw into the anguish of a desperate cōscience here after this lyfe into the vnquietnesse of eternall dampnaciō The wicked shal haue peace neither here nor there Neither shall their worme dye nor theyr fyre go out vnlesse they decline from that wickednesse renounce theyr abhominacions and cōuert to the trueth whiles they are yet here liuing 13 And as touching hir supersticious children which frō their beginning hath euermore sucked out of hir venemous breastes all poyson and vngodlynesse forsaking yea and abhorring the swéete veyne of the liuinge waters then will I slay with death and condempnacion euerlasting prepared for the diuell and his angels 14 Yea and it shall then be euident and cléere to all cōgregacions in heauen vnder heauen which hath béen frō the beginning to their vtter shame and confusion that I am he frō whome nothing can be hyd They shal perceue also that I go so nigh them that I serch out the ground of the harte and try the verie reynes or inward affectes so that I knowe all theyr priuie sleightes and practises be they neuer so secrete 15 And ground you vpon this surelie I shall giue vnto euerie one of you true and false good and badde rightuous and vnrightuous accordyng to your doinges Rewardyng them with lyfe euerlasting that hath done the true workes of fayth and them with eternall dampnatiō that hath left them vndon to folow their owne inuentions THE TEXT 1. Vnto you I saye and vnto other of Thyatira as many as haue not this lerning and vvhich haue not known the deepnesse of Sathan as they say 2. I will put vpon you none other burthen 3. but that which ye haue alreadie 4. Holde fast till I come 5. And whosoeuer ouercommeth and kepeth my works vnto the end 6. to him wil I giue power ouer nations 7. and he shall rule them with a rodde of yron 8. and as the vesselles of a potter shal he break them to shiuers 9. Euen as I receiued of my father 10. so vvill I giue hym the morning starre 11. Let hym that hath eares heare vvhat the spirite sayeth to the congregations THE PARAPHRASE 1 And take this of my mouth sayth the Lord aforehande both vnto you which hath the doctryne of the spyrite and vnto other also of them that remayne at Thyatira that notable citie of the Macedonians so many as hath not groūded in them that godly learning of the truth but a trifling doctryne of theyr owne imaginations contrarie vnto it whereby they haue not perceyued the more then subtile craftes of that deceyuable sathan which euermore craftily cōpasseth to deuower what though their fantasticall brayns hath giuen them so to thinke standing much in their owne conceipt 2 My mynde is to yoke you with none other law nor to burthen you with none other traditiōs thē I haue alredy giuen you Neither with ceremonies rytes nor aūcient customs in the obseruaciō of dayes monthes times nor yeares in holy dayes fastings vigiles nor sabbates for they were but shadowes of thinges to come 3 Regard only that swéete yoke and that light burthen which ye haue receued of me Hold ye fast to the gospel of the kingdome of God so long as ye shal continue here And let the Pharysées leuen with olde wyues fables hipocrits dreames passe by 4 Let my godly ordinaunce suffise you Ad nothing vnto my woords of your owne braynes least I finde you false lyars when I shall come again to my latter iudgement and according to righteousnesse so condempne you 5 And whosoeuer is so earnestly faithfull in the word of God that he ouercōmeth ther by his own lustes and perfourmeth to the latter ende of his life the workes that are there commaūded to be done none other 6 To him will I geue power as to the sonne and heyre of god ouer nacions or sectes of the world diuers in opinion and fayth as ouer serpents scorpions adders and lyons 7 That he shall not onely ouercome them with the mighty yron rodde of the inuincible veritie 8 But also as the weake vessels of a potter or as most vayne fantasies confoūd their dreames destroy their imaginacions and bring their practises to nought prouing their tradicions to be most vyle draffe moste stinking dregges of sinn for so much as that which is not of faith is sinne 9 And this power he shall haue in no lesse efficacie and strength then I receued it of my heauenly father 10 And besydes all this I wil fréely geue him my selfe to reward which am the cléere morning starre shyninge lanterne of lyfe So that all shal be his that is myne My byrth my labours my lyfe my passion and death my resurreccion and ascenciō with all their fruites shall be his owne proper good 11 Let him that hath reason and discretiō set beastly fantasies apart and diligently note what the holie Ghost sayeth héere in this daungerous tyme to the deare congregations of God The third Chapiter THE TEXT 1 And vvryte vnto the Angel of the congregation of Sardis 2. This sayeth he that hath the seuen spirites of God 3. and the seuen starres 4. I knovv thy vvorkes 5. Thou hast a name that thou lyuest and thou arte dead 6. Wake and strength the thinges vvhich remayne 7. that are ready to dye 8. For I haue not found thy vvorks perfect before God 9. Remember therefore hovve thou hast receyued and hearde 10. and hold fast and repent 11. If thou shalt not vvatch 12. I vvil come on
though he had ben killed 13 which had seuen hornes 14 and seuen eyes which are the seuen spirits of God sent vnto all the worlde 15. And hee came and tooke the booke out of the right hand of him that sate vpon the seat The Paraphrase AFter the forsayde vysion I saw saieth saint Iohn in the right hande or mighty power and wyll of hym that sate on the throne with maiestye a wonderfull Booke in the which both man and Angell were desirous to looke This booke is Gods heauenly ordinance contayning not onely all that hath bene created of God visible and inuisible but also the vniuersall contents of the holy scripture This boke hath the mercifull Lorde prouided that men should know him partly by his creatures partly by his Scriptures This booke he hath in his right hand For heauen he measureth with his spanne and the whole world he comprehendeth vnder his three â—ingers In his hande or power is the vniuersal earth bothe hills valleyes At his onely wil pleasure is the sincere vnderstanding of the scriptures and true interpretacion of the same 2 This booke is written within without The world coÌ„tayneth creatures visible and inuisible powers open hidden that men in theÌ„ should reade and vnderstand that there is a liuing God and that they should acknowledge him and worship him as the Lorde and creator of all The holy scripture hath hir figure history hir mistery and veritie hir parable plaine doctrine her night and day her letter and sence her voyce and word her flesh and spirit her shadow and cleare light her death and lyfe her law and gospell her Moyses and Christ to bring all men also vnto the knowledge of God 3 But that Booke is surely sealed with seauen stronge seales from the fleshlye vnderstanding of man not hauinge the spirite of Christ that he can neither vse the creatures of God a right nor yet perceiue the Scriptures according to their true meanning Muche hath the doctours fantasied of these seuen claspes or spearynges of thys booke wythout the aucthoritie of Gods word calling theÌ„ all maner of obscurities darkenesses Where as in verie déed they are nothing els but the strong and vnuariable decrée or set diffinition of God before the constitucion of the world that none should be able to read rightly therin nor know the iust meaning therof without the spirit of his sonne and vnles it be méekly asked in faith And this one decrée of god so oft locketh vp these heaueÌ„ly secrets froÌ„ maÌ„ as it findeth hym carnall couetous wilfull blinde malicious proude and false with such other lyke The number of seuen doeth onely respect the opening of the seales in all ages For in euery age hath God opened the trueth vnto some Godly men by his spirite with Abell and Enoch with Noe and Sem with Abraham and Iob with Moyses and Samuel with Dauid and Helias with Hieremie and Daniel with Iohn Baptist Peter 4 And I sawe sayeth S. Iohn a strong Angell which betokeneth euerie faithful minister of gods word coueting all men to be taught of god and sending them only vnto Christ for they are the Angels of the Lorde of hostes Which Angell cryed with a loude voyce with an earnest zeale of the glorie of God and with a feruent desire of his neighbours health 5 Who is worthie to opeÌ„ this booke and to vndoo the claspes thereof As though he should say None but he alone Séeke him therfore that he may open it vnto you els are yée lyke alwayes to be blynde foolishe and vnlearned lyers before the Lord séeme ye neuer so wyse eloquent and well learned in the sight of men 6 And in déede no man was founde able to doe it neyther in heauen nor in earth nor vnder the earth yet was there a diligent search made many did attempt it The Angels that by apostasie fell from God when they were in heauen wrought maistryes about it And in the earth héere the Philosophers among the Gentiles the religious fathers amoÌ„g the Iewes the Pharisies and Scribes the lawyers and priests and amoÌ„g the Christians the false Apostles Antichrists the Sophisters and Papists the sectes and scoole doctors with all the worldly wyse hath craftily compassed the thing Yea the messeÌ„gers of Sathan whose dampnation is certayne subtily to perswade and fraudelently to deceiue the innocent soules haue also done their parte But what hath folowed After their vayne enterpryse they haue bene so astonyed at the maiestie or sight of the booke that neyther were they able to open it nor yet to looke thervpon So high were the mysteries thereof so vnserchable the iudgements so inuestigable the wayes therevnto 7 And I fell in sore wéeping sayth Sainct Iohn muche dolour was it to my heart to see that none was found worthie no creature able neyther Angell nor man good spirit nor diuil to open and to read the booke which is cléerely to know the will of God therein nor yet once to looke therevpon that is sincerely to perceyue the least veritie coÌ„tayned therin No creature vnderstanding could attayn vnto it All were ignorant all darke all blynde 8 And as I was thus mournyng one of the elders euen Iacob by name comforted mée with his prophecie of Iuda Esay Micheas Esdras bearing witnesse to the same 9 These with other ascertained me that he was the Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda which should ouercome the world haue the victorie ouer death and hell for in déed they with Abraham sawe it a farre of and much reioysed He is the strong inuincible Lyon that subdued the prince of this world tooke from him the pray and hathe deuyded the spoyle 10 He is the verie roote of Dauid the ground and originall cause of all godly promises made vnto him of deliuerance victorie and raygne and alone in him are they fulfilled Only hath he obtayned by his death resurrection and ascension to make open the hydden mysteries of thys booke or whole ordinaunce of God and to loose the seuen seales thereof or to take away the vniuersall impediments wherby the said booke could in no case be séene as is carnalitie ignorance darkenesse blindenesse wilfulnesse couetousnesse malice hypocrisie lyes with such lyke So was it afore speared by the decrée of God that none could reade in it till he remoued the vntowardnesse from their heartes 11 All this I beheld saieth S. Iohn and as I looked further I sawe that in the midst of the seate which is the vniuersall congregation of God of the foure beasts which are the constaunt ministers of his worde also in the middest of the auncient elders whych hath bene the sincere witnesses of hys veritie since the beginning 12 There stood a fayre méeke most innocent Lambe as though he had bene newly slain I knew that Christ was this Lambe for he was wounded for
are knowne to be the children of adoption or of the inherytaunce promised by grace 10 And the sayde Angell cryed with a lowde voyce he bouldlye and with an earnest spirit vttered the verytie fearing no worldy displeasure This voyce against the vnbeléeuing Antichristes was neuer more earnest than now in our time as wel in wrightings as in preachinges And further hath it gone by bookes wrytten then by wordes spoken and much more people conuerted 11 An earnest message from God was thys voyce to the sayde fowre Angels of hys wrath which were by his sufferaunce permitted cruelly to handle and to hurte hys people to their saluation and their owne damnation which people dwelled as well vpon the sea as vpon the land as well in the close Ilandes as in the open countrye 12 And the voice was this Sequestre your fiercenes for a time in no case presume after any cruell sorte to harme neither the earth nor the sea nor the growing trées Suffer the Gospell to haue his frée course stop not the passage of Gods worde let the winde of his verytie blowe without impediment Though some hartes be worldlye some conscinces wauering and some mindes barren and vnfruitfull yet may they repent and come to goodnes When the séede is sowen some falleth vpon the good earth bringeth foorth fruite in abundaunce Zacheus of a great extorcioner became a rightuous man Mathew of a Publycan a true Apostle and Paule of a fierce persecuter a gentle preacher 13 Cease therfore from with holding the swéet blast of the Scriptures till we haue sealed vp the chosen seruants of our eternall God in theyr foreheades or emprinted fayth in their hartes by his spirite which is the marke of saluation and tyll we haue tokened vp the whole number of them Thus to be marked vp for the seruants of God is not onely to beléeue after the minde of Ezechiel but also to lament the abhominatiō and bewayle the wickednesse that is done héere None are of that sorte vnlesse they sorrowfully mourne to se god blasphemed the name of Christ disdayned the trueth troden vnder foote and the perfect Christen church despoyled By the aforesayde Angell is not ment one Christen preacher alone but many for so much as it is héere sayde Till we haue sealed the seruants c. For after that one hath begun many doth continue it In that hath bene spoken afore is it manifest that wexe the tirants neuer so mad and persecute they neuer so sore to stoppe Gods worde of hys course yet canne they not so preuayle againste it but it commeth to them whome God hath appoynted to be marked vp for his They with all the deuils in hell cannot withholde it from them whom God hath prefixed to make vp his number And though that the Antichristes and murtherers thinketh them to be very few by reson of their wicked lawes cruel constitucions threatnings and terrible tormentes yet is their number infinite lyke as here doth folow THE TEXT 1 And I hearde the number of them which were sealed 2. And there were sealed an hundreth and xliiii M. of al the tribes of the Children of Israell 3. Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed xii M. 4. Of the tribe of Ruben were sealed .xii. M. 5. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed .xii. M. 6. Of the tribe of Asser were sealed .xii. M. 7. Of the tribe of Neptalim were sealed .xii. M. 8. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed tvvelue M. 9. Of the tribe of Symeon were sealed xii M. 10 Of the tribe of Leuy were sealed .xii. M. 11. Of the tribe of Isachar were sealed .xii. M. 12 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelue thousand 13. Of the tribe of Ioseph vvere sealed tvvelue thousande 14. Of the tride of Beniamin vvere sealead .xii. M. The Paraphrase 1 And I hearde sayeth Saincte Iohn the number of them rehearsed whiche were sealed with the sure token of faith and marked vp for the heauenly inheritours with Christ not for one countrye but for the whole world Fyrst were the Israelites named for so much as they were the peculiar nation whom God fyrst chose for his owne people Israell is mine eldest sonne sayeth the Lorde After them followed in course the Gentiles as the yonger Sonne that we shoulde thereby knowe that all people whiche feareth god and worketh rightuousnes is accepted vnto him 2 And there were sealed vnto the Lorde an hundred and xliij thousandes of all the tribes of the children of Israell to haue the lyfe euerlastinge of euery tribe twelue thousande persons 3 Of the chosen tribe of Iuda the fourth sonne of Iacob of whō christe descended were sealed vnto God .xii. thousand 4 Of the mighty stock of Ruben the first sonne of Iacob by Lia were marked vnto the Lord .xij. thousand 5 Of the happy kindred of Gad the vij sonne of Iacob by Zepha were tokened vnto life .xii. thousand 6 Of the blessed tribe of Asser the eight sonne of Iacob by Zepha were sealed vnto the heauenlye felowship xii thousand 7 Of the plentuous ofspring of Neptalim the vi sonne of Iacob by Bala were signed to be pertakers of ioy with christ .xii. thousande 8 Of the notable parage of Manasses the eldest sonne of Ioseph in the stede of Dan because of the ydolatrie were noted for the friendes of God twelue thousand 9 Of the humble tribe of Symeon the second sonne of Iacob by Lia were sealed to the heauens felicitie xii thousand 10 Of the sanctified successe of Leuy the thirde son of Iacob by Lia were marked vnto saluation twelue thousand 11 Of the pleasant posterytie of Isachar the .ix. sonne of Iacob by Lya were tokened to the ioyes euerlasting xii thousand 12 Of the famous tribe of Zabulon the .x. sonne of Iacob by Lya were sealed to the kingdom heauenly .xii. thousande 13 Of the rightuous stock of Iospeh the .xi. sonne of Iacob by Rachell were sanctified to Christes inheritaunce .xii. M. 14 Of the godly kindred of Beniamin the twelf sonne of Iacob by Rachel were elected vnto the eternall herytage twelue thousande This set number of twelue thousande for euery tribe of the Israelits betokeneth a notable multitude in euer kindred of them certenly appointed of God vnto saluation And it is not to be vnderstanded vpon them that are past but rather vpon them whom it shall please God to call in this latter age vnder the vi seale opening Whom Paule calleth the remnant which shal be saued according to the election of grace For lyke as by the fall of the Iewes Synagoge for vnthankfullye receauinge the veritie saluation then hapened vnto the Heathen so shal it now againe from their carnall church to the Iewes for the same god hath not thrust out his people but their conuersion shall be as is life from the dead Thys shall the carnall synagoge of Antychristes
vij hollow trumpettes the ministracion of his worde was vnto them committed They ran not foorth vnsent they spoke not vncommauÌ„ded They blew their trumpettes one after an other As the seales were opened the misteryes they declared as came to theyr course 6 And another Angell sayeth sainct Iohn of a much higher nature then these came forth yea euen the Angel of the couenauÌ„t that was so sore longed for came to hys holye Temple 7 He stood before the aulter he humbled him selfe hée became man hée tooke the shape of a seruaunt 8 He had in his hande a golden censer This Lorde Iesus Christ the soueraygne messenger of our saluacion tooke it vpon him alone to be our mediatour our aduocate before God and the onely attonemente for our sinnes 9 And much incense of odours was giuen vnto hym by the great fayth of Abraham Iohn Baptist and of all the sanctified number 10 That he shoulde offer vp vnto God so much of the prayers of all the faythfull beléeuers vpon the golden aulter or in his glorifyed nature as was right afore him 11 Which aulter is now before the throne of God He hath an euerlasting priesthood he is able to saue them that come vnto God by hym and lyueth â—mmortal standing on his right hand as one euer readie to make interpelâ—acion for vs. All they consented in â—ne that hée should be theyr generall â—ttourney consideryng he was their â—nely sauiour and redéemer 12 And the swéete smoke of the odorous incense which came of the wholsome and feâ—uent desires of them that had fayth ascended vp before God out of the Angels hande By his onely meryte was their fayth accepted and for his deaths sake their works pleased God 13 The sayd Angel tooke the censer he prepared his godlie spirite He filled it with fire of the aulter whych was his eternall charitie 14 And he cast it into the earth with poure he sent it downe in clouen fyerie tounges vpon hys Apostles of whose plentuous aboundauÌ„ce all wée haue receyued 15 And as it was come down there were noyses thunderings and fearefull lightnynges for it rebuked the world of sinne of rightuousnesse and of iudgement It reprooued the world of vnfaythfulnesse for contempnyng the light of Gods veritie It threatened it for supersticions hypocrisie and outwarde obseruacions And vtterly it condempned it for obstinacie of corrupte interpretacions â—6 There was also a terrible earthquake as it was comen into the world The vngodly rulers were mooued the ambicious prelates were vexed â—he couetous lawyers fretted the hypocrites and priestes waxed madde yea they are not yet quyeted to thys day They still lye prate they blaspheme and accuse they persecute and kill they hange burne and drowne their malice hath none ende â—7 And the sayd vij Angels sayeth Iohn which are the vniuersall preachers of Gods veritie hauyng theyr vij trumpettes or full aucthoritie giuen them of the Lord. â—8 Prepared them selues by power of the holy Ghost to execute their offices to blow ech one in his course THE TEXT 1 The first Angell blew 2. And there was made hayle and fyre vvhich vvere mingled vvith bloud 4. and they vvere cast into the earth 5. And the third part of the trees vvas brent 6. and all greene grasse vvas brent The Paraphrase 1 The first Angell first stoode foorth and blewe his Trumpet The Apostles after the first seale opening which was at the comming of the holy ghost went forward with the gospell and taught it the worlde ouer And when they had beléeued and throughly receiued the word which were predestinate of God to bée partakers of the glorie with Christ the residewe still blynd obstinate perseuered in theyr infidelitie and so perished 2 For vpon them came hayle fyre which were myngeled with bloude Their wickednesse ouer went them their stubborne stomakes sturred vp their furie their fiercenesse kindled euer more and more theyr madnesse made them blynde 3 And these they coupled alwais with crueltie murther For when Christes disciples had preached the Gospell the wicked sort of the Iewes and Gentiles in no case would beléeue it but their obstinacie so blinded them and their malice so inflamed them that they sought their death and procured the effusion of their blood Ouer all the Actes of the Apostles this is euident 4 And they were cast into the earth So occuppied their earthly hartes this wilfulnesse and anger with thirstynge of innocent bloude that all grace in them was extinguished and all goodnesse cleane consumed 5 The third part of the trées was brent and all the gréene grasse came to nought Though the chosen people were euer the lesser number and the wicked the much greater as in Zacharie yet are they not héere so noted for so much as in the sight of the Lord the infinite rable of infidels are nothing to the smal flock of faith Consider also that in Zacharias time the Iewes were the people of God which were nothing in comparison to the Gentiles But now are the Gentiles his people which euer excéeded them in number The thride part of the Trées wythered in their wickednesse were founde without fruit in the Gentiles 6 All the Iewes which somtime were the gréene grasse by the manyfolde gifts of God and by Christes comminge of them were then brent vp cleane True faith went from them and their owne malice blinded them Though this were veryfied of them onely which were at the first Seale openinge and the fyrste Trumpet blowinge yet doth it touche the bloodye Antechristes Hypocrites and vngodly rulers withstanding Gods word to this present day the poore Christians beinge gréene and bringinge foorth fruit in pacient sufferaunce THE TEXT 1 And the second Angell blevv 2 And as it were a great mountaine burning with fier 3 Was cast into the sea And the thirde parte of the sea turned to bloude 5 And the thirde parte of the creatures vvhich had lyfe dyed 6. And the thirde parte of the shippes vvere destroyed The Paraphrase 1 The seconde Angell blew his Trumpet at the seconde Seale opening which signifieth the preachers declaringe the secrete misteries of Gods verytie immediatly after the Apostles time 2 And as they were at the pleasure of the Lorde so doynge a monstrous thinge in manner of a great mountayne burninge with fier was cast into the sea A cruell sorte of false disciples and wicked brethren arose vp froÌ„ among them all earthly minded to couetusnesse puffed vp with pride and ambicion inflamed also with anger spight vengeaÌ„ce they boysterously entred in among the people so mutable and fickle as the sea which chaungeth with euery winde These are the mountaines that swell vp thinkinge much of themselues These are the rysing hylles that boast so much of their good workes of whose ouerthrow by Gods word both Esay and Iohn Baptist dyd prophesie Such fyery mountaines were
worke which coÌ„tayneth the first .x. Chapters are all these godlye maâ—ters of Sainct Iohns Reuelation in course comprehended Fyrst of all is the high legacie and message of the sayde Sainct Iohn vnto the .vij. congregacions of Aâ—ta in the first Chapter mencyoned Wherin they are also vnto vij golden Candelstickes compared and their preachers vnto vij shyning starres in the right hand of Christ. In the seconde and third Chapters are the sayd vij congregacions seuerally ech one by it selfe discribed and warned to the vniuersall premonishment of the whole Christian Church in the vij partes or clymates of the worlde Marke those three Chapters diligently and ye shall perceyue that the true Christian church is alone goâ—uerned by the preaching of gods word an only office of Christ commaunded and not by dead ceremonies coÌ„maunâ— by the Pope of whom there is no specialtie Consider howe those preachers throughout all this booke are compared vnto starres and Angels their coÌ„gregacions called the right spouse of Christ. The other be assembled vnto most filthie locustes bréeding of the smoke of the pit bottomles vnto hatefull byrdes foule spirites and diuils their church called the proude Sinagoge of Sathan and the most execrable whore of Babilon In the iiij Chapter is heauen made open and the secrets therof manifested vnto the christian beléeuer whom Iohn also representeth thys whole booke ouer For not only are the mysteries therof in the vniuersall church performed but also in the particular churches of nacions and in the pryuate consciences of men In the v.vj and vij Chapters the Lambe Christ openeth the vij seales of the booke of the most hidden mysteries of God for the vij ages of the christian church In the meane season are the true seruantes of God sealed vnto saluacioÌ„ solaced in their troubles and reléeued in their sorowes notwithstanding the great violence of the truthes aduersaries In the viij and ix Chapters the vij Angels blowe their trumpettes Signifying the preachers to shewe foorth their messages appoynted of God for the vij ages of the churche many wonderfull plages folowing in the people for their vnbeléeues sake they obstinately resisting it or els vnthankefully receiuing it In the tenth Chapter commeth the mightie Angell from heauen with a booke in his hand all open and Iohn deuoureth the same Which betokeneth the earnest preachers of this latter age of the church wherein the true seruauntes of God shall gréedily receiue and also digest the scriptures Take thys for a bréefe sum of all that is spoken in the other volum the residue shall follow hereafter in course In the mergent of that first parte or volume put I many allegacions both of the scriptures and doctors And there vnto was I first prouoked by this saying of Sainct Hierome in a certayne Epistle of his ad Paulinum monachum The Apocalips of Sainct Iohn sayeth he hath so many mysteries as it hath wordes or for euerie word a mysterie whither ye will I mynded also thereby my labours to ease the readers for search of the places and to signify vnto them that I dyd nothing therin without aucthoritie And vndoubtedly the gatheryng of those places was so laborious vnto me as the making of the commentarie which neuerthelesse I thought well bestowed for the comfort of my bretheren But two cruell enimyes haue my iust labours had in that behalfe of whome the one hath them falsifyed the other blasphéemed Which hath caused me to leaue theÌ„ out in all that héere foloweth The Printers are the fyrst whose headie hast negligence and couetousnesse commonly corrupteth all bookes These haue both dysplased them and also chaunged theyr numbers to the truthes derogacion what though they had at their hands ij learned correctours which tooke all paynes possible to preserue them The other is Momus or Zoylus yea rather one whiche playeth both partes vnder the cloake of a Christian This cruell carper and malicious quarreller leaueth no mans worke vnrebuked minister it neuer so much godlinesse But lyke as rust mothes maggottes cankers catterpyllers with other vyle vermyne corrupteth all that is to the vse of man so doeth this enimy to distroy both name and worke only for the auauncement of his owne precious person His working tooles are suche vnsauerie sophismes problemes eleÌ„ches corolaries quydities subtylties seconde intentions intrincycall moods wyth other prodygious sorceryes whom he sometime sucked out of hys mothers brestes the vniuersitie These hath he not yet all as vnsauerie morselles euometed for Christ diffyning rather with Aristotle than with Paul in his dayly disputations Of this ryall Rabi is Peter iudged a foole and Iohn an vnlearned Idiote Yet shall his reader finde small learning at his hande vnlesse he take an heape of barbarous tearmes and vnsowed togither sentences for matters of excelent learning But surely Iohn will one day come from Ephesus to visite this proude Diotrephes shew him of his arrogant brags to his dyspleasure vnlesse he leaue of in tyme. All Aristotles prouision shal not help hym Sathan vpon the pynnacle of the Temple neuer bestowed his alleged scripture more peruersely than thys Momus interpreted certayne of my allegacioÌ„s nor yet farther from their right vnderstanding But I forgiue it him with this forewarning for this time thoughe it bée not the fyrst lewde poynt that he hath playd in case that â—e so leaue his quareling My second allegation vpon the Preface .1 Cor. 6 is not set there to authorise the Apocalips as he most falsly and all contrary to my meaning hath interpreted it but affirmeth that the Christian beléeuers are Christs members which ought of necessitie by the holy ghostes appointment to heare and to read the wordes of the sayde Booke For I know that the epistle vnto the Corinthians was written of Paule ten yeares at the least before Saint Iohns Apocalips No lesse is he than a false Prophet that resisteth Ieremy rebuking Babilon for hir wickednes To much it were to answere his other quarellings and to tedious vnto the christian readers and therfore I passe them ouer least I shoulde be to plenteous in aunsweringe a foole according to hys foolishnesse Thus by these cruell handelynges of these two vngratious enemies haue I iust occasion to leaue out the allegations in the margent obseruing this wholsome counsell of Christ concerning such as they be Geue not that is holy vnto Dogs nor yet that is precious vnto swine For the one of his churlish nature teareth and deuoureth the other like a swine treadeth it vnder his filthy féete The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with thée euermore good christian Reader and with all theÌ„ that séeketh of the scriptures the sauing health in them conteined withoute quarelling Amen The second part of the Image of both Churches after the most wonderfull and heauenly reuelation of Saint Iohn the Euangelist c. Compiled by Iohn Bale The .xi. Chapter VNto Iohn was deliuered after that he had thus deuoured the booke a réede not vnlyke to the mete
time of Christes preaching or the time of the gospell preaching from Christes assencion to the latter ende of the world That is the very time of the féeding of his Church And not open is this féeding here but in secret in the wildernes among a sort vnknowne to the worlde hauinge the pouertie of the spirit without shaâ—ing anoynting or hypocrits apparrell And not onely hath the Lorde thus nourished hys people in this spirituall respecte but also in body When they haue bene greuously handled spoyled of their goodes imprisoned and exiled graciously hath he reléeued them and prouided for them both solace and comeforte at the handes of them whom they neuer saw afore So that the iust hath not felt himselfe forsaken nor his children séeking bread THE TEXT 1 And there was a great battayle in heauen 2. Michaell and his Angels 3 Fought with the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels 4. And preuayled not 5. Nether was their place found any more in heauen 6. And the great Dragon that olde serpent called the deuill and Sathanas 7. was cast out 8. Whiche deceiued all the worlde 9. And he vvas caste into the earth and his Angelles were cast out vvith hym also The Paraphrase 1 And there happened at that time sayeth sainct Iohn a great battayle in Heauen In the Churche is euermore variaunce and strife wtout ceasinge betwixt the spirite and the flesh the good and the bad the faithfull and the vnfaithfull None other is this battayle but a very contradiction a diuersity in fayth study opinion wyll and worke aboute the lawes or commaundements of God and also about the lawes and tradycions of men This battaile is waightie in cause multitude and continuance The cause thereof is Christe the Gospell faith rightuousnesse mans health Gods high honour and such other lyke on the one partie Upon the other party the cause is errour hipocrisie lyes Idolatrye auarice pryde cruelty fylthynesse with al such other So great is the multitude that none is founde out of it None is there but are in this army Eyther they are good or bad faithfull or vnfaithfull rightuous or vnrightuous The rightuous are of the host of Michaell the vnrightuous are vppon the dragons side Continued hath this battayle from the firste beginninge and so shall styll to the latter ende Yea though the dragon be bound or tyed vp vnder the seauenth seale opening that he rage not then as he hath done afore Yet shall the spirit of wickednes and a mind to do mischief raigne inwardly styl in his members for Sathan can be but a Sathan and a Diuill a Diuill 2 Michaell and his Angels fought valyauntly with the dragon Spirituall are they whiche hath done on Christ after the minde of Paule and spirituall is their armoure Theyr gyrding is verytie their brest plate rightuousnesse their shielde a sure faith their wepon the word of God their helmet the hope of health and for stedfastnesse of their féete their shooinge the gospel By interpretation is Michaell to say who is as God or who is like vnto god And he betokneth the constant minister sincere teachers of the Gospell The Angels of Michael are al they that in a sure faith coÌ„fesseth the eternall magnificeÌ„ce of God and that none is lyke vnto hym Contrarywise the Dragons Angels are the hipocrits lying prophets and erronius teachers 3 These fight with the Dragon and the Dragon and his Angelles with them For he that is not with Christe is against hym With the rituous is Michael For ministring spirits are the Angels ordained for the coÌ„fort of theÌ„ which shall be saued And coÌ„maunded they are to wait vpoÌ„ the faithfull to preserue and defend theÌ„ The wicked sort haue the Diuil and his chaplaines to fight for them the rightuous haue Michael and his Angels The wicked fighteth with errours lyes the rightuous with the only verity of God 4 As vengeable as fierce as they are yet preuaile they not neither is their place found any more in heaueÌ„ Faith hath the victory by the promise of god though the blinde world séeth it not OuercomeÌ„ ar the wicked wheÌ„ their enterprises taketh not clene ouerthrowne wheÌ„ theyr beggery is conteÌ„ned And neuer is the full victory gotten no more theÌ„ it was in christ til the tabernacle of this body be laid aside At that day is the crown gotteÌ„ whom the Lord hath layde vp for the rightuous And lyke as there is dayly fighting so is therin some daily victory Dayly ar the angels of darknes ouerthrown daily are they cast out of heaueÌ„ which is the true church Daily are they coÌ„demned by the worde of God iudged for rebels against the holy ghost whose sin is neuer forgeuen 5 No place haue they any more with the chosen no electioÌ„ nor acceptation afore god The more light they haue had the more they haue tasted of the truth now forsaking it rebelling against it with the diuill the farther they are froÌ„ god the more nigh vnto daÌ„nation Neuer beléeued he truely that so had receiued the word Let none think to be saued vnlesse he perseuereth to the ende 6 And the great Dragon or capâ—tayne of all the vnfaithfull sorte that olde croked Serpent which deceiued Adam is called the diuill or malycious accuser yea and also Sathan the most cruell aduersarye with all hys clyentes and spirituall adherentes are certayne and sure to be cast out 7 With the rightuous they shall haue no porcion for all their gloryous tytles With the godly shall not their names be registred for all their holy vnccions But with the prince of this worlde they shall be throwne foorth 8 For he by them and they by him hath deceiued all the world in lying tokens and wonders and in the operation of errours to the vtter dampnation of all them that consenteth to their wickednesse 9 And he was cast into the earth his Angels also were caste out with him which is not els but that they are reserued to eternall damnation For seruing the creature rather than the Lorde that made all God hath forsaken them and geuen them ouer to theyr owne shamefull lustes All grace and goodnesse hath he taken from them and in all darknesse hath he left them Nothinge is now behinde but hell fyre prepared for the diuill and hys Angelles The church thus fyrste bringinge forth Christ among the Iewes and so by their cruelty driuen out into the wild deserte of the Gentiles hath bene there fedde of God in percecution euer since and shall be styll tyll the tearme come out of the aforesayde thousande two hundreth and thrée score dayes whose end is in the Lords handes THE TEXT 1 And I heard a lowde voyce whiche said 2. In heauen is now made saluation and strength 3. And the kingdome become our Gods 4. And the power his Christes 5. For he is cast dovvne which accused them before God day and night 6. And they ouercame him by
to his charge committed and after that sort their mighty monarke also by the scriptures which thei haue afore this time denied worshippinge them for most holy saints which haue most presumptuously rebelled in that behalf But ouer the whorish church of theirs whom Christe neuer planted is sathan the onely head by the holy ghosts fore iudgements héere For to that beastly brood gaue the dragon his power his seat and his mighty aucthorytie God forbid therefore that any christian prince shoulde at their false suggestions admit so blasphemous a title The deuill saith Iob is the only head ouer all the children of pride That voice therfore may be blasphemous as comming from the mouth of the serpent if it be not taken good héede to 3 And power was geuen to the beaste to do these things for the space of xliâ— monthes which is the thrée yeares an halfe of Hilias the time times halfe time of Daniell and the M. two hundred lx daies of Iohn Not onely for this age of the church but also for all other ages and by other heades also hath the mouth of this beast vttered great things in blasphemy lies in hipocrisie wonders vnder a deceitful power But as coÌ„cerning this latter healed heade of the beast the time therof wil be short as herafter shal appeare in the xvii chap. 4 He opened his mouth saieth the text in reproues against god speking euill of his name of his tabernacle and of them that dwell in heauen This is in a manner all one with that was spoken afore in the xi chapter of the temple the aulter and of them that worship in the temple saue only that his name is héere for his temple In token that when his temple is blasphemed which is his coÌ„gregatioÌ„ his name is blasphemed by the same so is his tabernacle Iesus in whom bodyly dwelleth the fulnes of the Godhed so ar also they that dwel in heauen wherby is meÌ„t the true church from whom the angels are not secluded beiÌ„g their fellow seruaÌ„ts These dwellers be they that haue their conuersation in heauen vnder an vndefiled faith that séeke those thinges which are aboue not vpon earth that worship the father in spirit veritie the perseuereth true christians to the end Many entreth this heaueÌ„ of the Lord but all continueth not in it to the ende of their liues the more is the pitie 5 Power was also geuen vnto this beastly antichrist to make battel with the saints and to ouercome them CoÌ„tinually do they with violence vexe by their carnall policies auctority lawes the sincere witnesses or preachers of the Lorde sanctified of him throw faith in his holy word as were his apostles lyke as did the malitius clergy of the iewes yea thei did resist theÌ„ with their more theÌ„ tiraÌ„ous proclamatioÌ„s coÌ„missioÌ„s coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts with cruell Pharao Aman Antiochus to proue Christ in them the signe of coÌ„tradiction and stone of reproch They seeke héere the hunt there and neuer leaue raging til they haue closed theÌ„ vp in prisons 6 Yet are they not so contented tyl they haue ouercome them in the sight of the blinde world though not before God Either shall they be compelled shamefully to recant or if they persist in the veryty to suffer most painfull death By one way or other they must be ouercome to hold the people in errour The gardiner of winchester was not ashamed now of late as I hard it credibly reported to say vnto one that was accused of his malignant multitude when he was no leÌ„ger able to withstande the manifest truth Master SeitoÌ„ we know ye are lerned and plentuously endued with knowlege in the scriptures yet thiÌ„k not that ye shall ouercome vs. No no set your hart at rest and looke neuer to haue it sayd that ye haue ouercom the bishops for it shal not be so In déed it is trueth For neither Christe nor his Apostles did euer yet ouercome you Their victory ouer you is not in this world your kiÌ„gdom being here But be ye certen sure of it ye shal be ouercoÌ„ to your much more rebuke at the latter day when al wroÌ„gs iniuries shall be reueÌ„ged which is not farre of Your lordly estimatioÌ„ which may not be hindred here wil apeare there not very precious Yet doe ye well to hold vp a proude pecoks head as long as ye may Lose not an inche of your height hardly but with your gogle eyes looke vp like a man with a gard at your taile like a sort of tormentours in a play And with your lyinge iudgementes ouercome these beggerly vagabonds and burn them also rather then faile to fulfil the mesure of your holy fathers 7 And authority was geuen to this beast vpon euery kinred people tong and nacion For none these antchristes spare neither high nor low rich nor poore sick nor whole learned nor vnlearned But a iurisdiction they must haue ouer them though it be vsurped Once in the yeare must they haue them in confession to knowe which way they are bente That salue haue they gotten in agayne to heale vp their wounded head Be he natiue or be he straÌ„ger be he ruler or be he a commoner he must obey theÌ„ no remedy or els stande forth at the sessions with Christ among théeues Not in on regioÌ„ or wher as one maner of langage is vsed haue they this auctority but in euery land in euery shire in euery towne in euery famyly must they haue to do corruptiÌ„g euery mans faith 8 For al that dwel vpon earth must worship this beast They must agrée to the great things no remedy They must blaspheme god as they do But blessed be the Lorde none doth yâ— in their harts but they onely that dwel vpon the earth that haue their felicity here that séeketh the prosperitie of this world regardeth noÌ„e other life theÌ„ therin is The laÌ„bs of christs fold geueth héed to his voice thei regard his cal they folow his word they walâ—e in his light Thei séeke for no holines but only in hiÌ„ neither in water nor bread ashes nor palmes robes nor reliques masses nor anointings He is their only sufficient wisdom rightuousnes holynes redeÌ„ptioÌ„ His word is their liuing water the fode of their soules the lantarne that shal gyde theÌ„ and the life that wyll not faile them None other doctrine do they couet nor yet other precepts of liuing Though they be héere in the earth yet dwell thei not vpon it No continuing citie haue they here but they séeke vnto another of much more beauty pleasure not builded of meÌ„ And for that they are ready rather to render vp their liues then to renouÌ„ce the verity only they which dwel here doth worship the beast louing themselues better then god their flesh better then his trueth hauing their whole trust in the mangye merits dirty deseruings of these beastly hipocrites and nothing at all in his swéet
Babylon that great citie 3. For she made al nations drink of the vvine of her vvhordome The Paraphrase 1 And there folowed an other Angell saith S. Iohn which betokneth an other sort of preachers whose office is here appointed them of the holy Ghost to declare vnto the people the certenty of the fall of the aduoutrus cursed and malignant church of hipocrits here figured by wretched BabiloÌ„ For though al the true prophets and preachers haue but one worde of God in their mouth yet passeth it diuersly from them Unto each of theÌ„ is geuen a diuers vtteraunce of the spirit to edifie One is soft méeke gentle as was Dauid Iohn Peter an other is boysteous harde vehement as was Helias Esay Paule And all this worketh the selfe same one spirit This diuersitie of techers was neuer more plentuous in the world than now in our time figured here by these two angels Praysed be the Lord therefore 2 And the tenour or ground of this latter sort of preachers is this She is fallen she is fallen euen miserable Babylon the great citie of whoredom bicause she made all nacions to drink of the wrathful wyne of hir fornication So sure is it that the execrable church of Antichrist shal be ouerthrowen and vtterly destroyed as it wer now perfourmed in déede Nothinge shal be vnrooted out that the heauenly father hath not planted Sooner shall heauen earth perish than this promisse be vnfulfilled 3 For with the stinking whorishnes of hir supersticious worshippinges hath she poysoned all nacions peoples vnder heauen The great gouernours lerned lawiers of the world hathe she made in maner of beastly dronkerds wytlesse faythlesse and gracelesse by theyr prostibulous doctrine And this shal be declared more at large in the .xvij. cha folowing wheras she is more pleÌ„tuously described The texte 1 And the third Angell followed them 2. saying with a loude voyce 3. If any worship the beast and his Image 4. and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand 5. the same shall drinke of the wyne of the vvrath of god 6. vvhich is povvred in the cup of his vvrath 7 and he shall be punished in fyre brimstone 8. before the holy Angels 9. and before the Lambe The Paraphrase 1 The thyrd Angel also saith saint Iohn followed theÌ„ in the thyrd kinde of preaching of the same selfe message that in the mouth of two or thrée faithful witnesses all veritie might stand 2 And by this Angell are they signified that by the word of God stifly impugne theyr wicked lawes vngodly ordinaunces whose maner of earnest preaching is this 3 If any man worship the beast which is the great antichrist And his Image which are those gouernours that taketh vpon them his blasphemous titles names authoritie or defence If any man also receiue his mark in his forehead beléeuing theyr lawes to be a christen doctrine or haue the print of his seale vpoÌ„ his right hand which is to fashion his outward workes after the same The same man shall drinke of the wine of Gods wrath which are the dregs of the pure wyne poured in the cup of his high displeasure He shall taste of the euerlasting damnation that is reserued in the latter cursse or fearefull sentence of their moste terrible iudge To worship the beast and his Image is to accept them in conscience and in the outward obedience with ful consent of the hearte For that they blasphemously pretend without Gods authority As the Pope for Gods vicar or forgeuer of sinnes Mahomet for the greate Prophet of the Lord the rulers of the earth for the Popes elder or yonger sonnes for moste christian Kinges and defenders of the fayth of that holy church 4 To receiue the beastes marke in their forheads and hands is to agrée to such decrées traditious lawes constitucions actes proclamations as they vnder those titles haue made onely for theyr owne couetousnesse pomp and neither for the glory of god nor yet for the right maintenance of the christen common wealthe as I haue declared afore And also to be sworne to the same to subscribe to it to geue counsel or ayde to it to maintayn it by learning to minister in it to execute vnder it to accuse punish and put to death for it or to think it lawfull and godly with such lyke 5 These marked worshippers that tast of the cuppe of gods indignation of calamitie sorow wretchednesse in the dayes of theyr fal here after the last iudgement of vnspeakeable paines and most gréeuous torments in euerlasting fyre prepared for the diuell and his angels 6 The dregges that the Lord hath powred out sayth Dauid shall the wicked of the earth drynke Cleane coÌ„trary are these Angels to the horned ministers of antichrist For they maintaine the Popes errours these the onely verities of christ They labor for the glory of their pope these séeketh the only honor of god They prate that their holy Church shall continue thâ—se say it shall downe with shame They require worship to the beast and his Image these will report it blasphemous the reward therof damnation Marke in these two sortes the preachers of our time and iudge whiche are of god Against both beastes in Christes quarell shall these Angels contende Against the Pope and his bishops Mahomet and his doctours wyll these godlye ministers replye whom the Lorde hath sent in this latter age for that purpose condemniÌ„g by the scriptures their auctoryty iurisdiction power declaring also the plagues that wyl fall vpon them for witholding the truth of God in vnrightuousnes 7 For these Antichristes and their worshippers with so many as beareth their token shall be punished in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lamb. Fyre shal be kindled saith Moyses in the anger of the Lorde shall burne vnto the bottome of Hell Upon the vngodly sayeth Dauid shall he raine snares Fyre brimstone storme and tempest shall be their porcyon to drynke The vehement indignation and mighty iudgement of God shall light vpon them as vpon Sodome and Egipt and shall both deuoure them and consume them 8 And this shal be in the sighte of Aungels which are not onely the spirites of heaueÌ„ but also the church of the faythfull Yea the righteous shall reioyce when he séeth the destruction and shall washe his handes it the bloud of the wicked 9 In the presence of the lambe shal it be also For he is euermore with his flock shal be vnto the end of the world wherin he shal sit coÌ„dem theÌ„ The Texte 1 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore 2. And they haue no rest day nor night 3. vvhich worship the beaste and his Image 4. and vvhosoeuer receyueth the prynt of his name 5. here is the pacience of sayntes 6. Here are they that keepe the commaundements 7. and the fayth of Iesuâ— The Paraprhase 1 And the smoke of their
tormeÌ„t ascendeth vp euermore as the flame of a fornace with most horible stinke for a perpetual signe of their punishmeÌ„t like as it dyd froÌ„ Sodome Gomor when the Lorde ouerthrew them 2 So that they haue no rest neyther day nor night so mani as worship the beast his image receuiÌ„g the priÌ„t of his nam 3 Both in this lyfe are they cruciate with a troublous and doubtfull conscience and also after this life with vnspekeable paynes For neither shal their worm dye nor yet their fyre be queÌ„ched all flesh abhorring theÌ„ 4 Thus shal they be with the beast tormeÌ„ted which haue the spirite of the beast For like as al the faithful which hath ben from the beginning belongeth to one misticall body in Christe and shal be preserued by him so doeth the wicked perteine to one misticall Antichrist hauing al one spirit with him and so shall with him perish 5 Here is the pacience of the saynts In this life ar their troubles no plesure is for them in this world but hate rebukes slaunders lies persecutions and death of their bodyes Their life vpon earth is continuall affliction but gloryous is the fruite of their labours Manifold are the misfortunes of the rightuous but the Lord cleareth them of all 6 Here are they vexed that kepe the commaundements the fayth of Iesu Here are they had in derision that behaue theÌ„selues as the ministrs of god in much patieÌ„ce afflictioÌ„s néede anguish labour stryps imprisonment and such lyke 7 Here are they chastened of the LORDE with many sore storms that they should not be damned with this world Much haue they héere to suffer of enemies that onely cleueth to the word of god in life doctrine THE TEXT 1. And I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me 2. Write 3. Blessed are the dead which hereafter dye in the Lord 4 euen so saith the spirit that they may rest froÌ„ their labours 5. But their vvorkes shall follovve them The Paraphrase 1 And I heard a voyce from heaueÌ„ saith S. Iohn saying vnto me 2 Wryte with penne or marke suerly this sentence following for them that here suffer in the truthes quarell 3 Blessed are the dead or they which are already departed and that also shal heereafter depart in the Lorde This voyce from heauen are the infallible scriptures ascertaining the faith of Iohn of the swéete rest of the saintes in the hands of God And that their ende is not without honour as the vain sort supposeth but they are couÌ„ted among the dere children of God Let theÌ„ therefore that suffer in this age be earnestly sprited not feare the tormeÌ„ts of the enimies in Christes cause 4 For from hence forth the spirit saith that they rest froÌ„ their labours In a woÌ„derfull quietnesse dwel they by the very sentence of the holy Ghost shall neuer more féele of any woo God hath clean wiped away al tears froÌ„ their eyes all sorrowes paynes from their bodies the first daungers being â—ast Happy are they therefore and moste godly fortunate that are slaine for Christ bicause they wil not worship the beast his Image nor corrupt their faith with their wicked lawes but in a pure christian beleue departeth froÌ„ hence to the Lord. Theyr portion is in the land of the liuing and their lot among the holy ones 5 For certainly their works doth folow them The promised rewarde of God for constantly standing by the veritie for the fruites of their christian patience for other exercise of theyr fayth is euermore to their glory present with theÌ„ Not as deserued of theÌ„ but of Christe in whose fayth they wrought here for the promise sake that they should be gods heyres togither with Christ. The lyuely word also which they earnestly receyued héere and so rooted in their faith wil neuer suffer them to perishe nor to be hurte of the second death THE TEXT 1 And I looked and beholde 2. a vvhyte cloude 3. and vpon the cloude one sitting lyke vnto the sonne of man 4. hauyng on his head a golden crovvn 5. and in his hand a sharpe sickle The Paraphrase 1 I looked yet further saith S. Iohn and euidently before me appeared a whyte cloude which betokeneth the true ministers of Gods word Whom the holy ghost calleth clouds by Esay Dauid Peter Iudas For from theÌ„ falleth vpon the people the swéete droppes of his verities 2 White they are as milk for their faith in the word and for their christian conuersation not blotted with hipocrisie of meÌ„s corrupted customes 3 Upon this cloude was one sittyng lyke vnto the sonne of man whiche is verely Christ in his glorified maÌ„hood For euermore is he among hys true preachers gyuyng them suche vtteraunce and wisedome as all theyr enymies are not able to withstande Alwayes walketh he among the vij candelstickes which are his congregations as we had afore 4 He had vpon his heade a golden crowne in token of his eternall and vncorrupte kingdome and in hys hand a sharpe sickle which is the sharp iudgement or rightuousnesse of hys worde for there with shall hée reape his latter haruest According to hys worde and promyse shall hee iudge good and euill 5 This sickle receyued he of hys euerlasting father suche tyme as hée gaue ouer vnto hym hys vniuersall iudgements By the order of this vision should the preachers séeme in the last age of the church much to admonish the people of the latter day with the commyng of Christe agayne to iudge both the quicke and the deade as is in their créede or beléeue THE TEXT 1 And an other Angell came out of the temple 2. crying with a loude voyce to hym that satte on the cloude 3. Thrust in thy sikle and reape 4. for the tyme is come to reape 5. For the corne of the earth is rype 6. And he that satte on the cloude 7. thrust in his sickle on the earth 8. and the earth vvas reaped The Paraphrase 1 And an other Angell sayth sainct Iohn came out of the temple which is the congregation of fayth consecrated as an holy temple vnto God in the bloud of the vndefiled Lambe Iesus This Angell betokeneth those iust men that with Symeon and Anna the doughter of Phanuell in thys latter age are desirous of the glory of God and of the finall redemption of man from bodily corruption 2 These shal cry with a loude voice with a feruent spirite shall they call vnto Christ which sitteth vpon the cloude 3 And thys shall bée theyr saying Thrust in the sickle and reape Send foorth thy lyuing word And lyke as it hath created all things so let it now trye and iudge all things 4 For the tyme is at hand to reape For we are those vpon whoÌ„ the ends of the world are come 5 And doutlesse the corne of the earth is ripe the worlde is at the best that it wil be As it hath bene euer so is it stil altogether set vpon
mischief Let thy word therfore finish all as it hath begon all With the breath of thy mouth consume the great Antichriste the man of sinne the sonne of perdicion the aduersarye that hath exalted him selfe aboue God Powre out thy indignation vpon the kingdoms that wil neyther know thée worship thée nor alone call vpon thy name Thou haste called thy haruest the end of the world let it now finish al in déed Diuide the chaffe from the corn the wicked from the rightuous Gather the wheat into thy garner and burne the chaffe in vnquenchable fyer 6 And he that sat on the cloude thrust in his sickle on the earth and anon the earth was reaped 7 He hath sent hys mightie word so quick in operation as fyre Which shal not onely coÌ„sume the wicked generation of the beast but also reserue theÌ„ to eternall dampnation 8 The earth shal be cleared of them as of all other filthy corruptions and hell replenished with them to their perpetuall care THE TEXT 1 And an other Angell came out of the temple 2. vvhich is in heauen 3. hauing also a sharpe sickle The Paraphrase 1 And an other Angel saith S. Iohn came out of the temple which is in heauen or from the great number of Angels hauing also a sharpe sickle in his hande 2 This Angel betokeneth those heauenly spirites that the Lord shal send foorth to gather togyther hys chosen from the iiij wyndes whan his tokeÌ„ shall appeare in heauen These are the reapers of the Lordes harueste These are they that shall go foorth too gather all nations to seperate the goates from the Lambes the il from the good and shall caste them into a furnace of fire where as shal be waylyng and gnashing of téeth 3 And therefore is their sickle héere named sharpe None other is theyr sickle but this appointed office None other is their haruest but this gathering togither But these messengers shal not foorth til they haue commauÌ„dement And therefore saith Saynct Iohn consequently THE TEXT 1 And an other Angell came out from the aulter 2. vvhich had povver ouer fyre 3. and cryed vvith a loude crye vnto him that had the sharpe sickle and sayde 4. Thrust in thy sharpe sickle 5. and gather the clusters of the earth 6. for hir grapes are rype 7. And the Angel thrust in his sickle on the earth 8. and cut dovvn the grapes of the vineyard of the earth 9. and cast them into the great vvynefat of the wrath of God 10. And the vvynefat vvas troden vvithout the citie 11 and bloud came out of the fatte 12. euen vnto the horse bridles 13. by the space of a thousande and sixe hundred furlongs The Paraphrase 1 And an other Angell came out froÌ„ the aulter which had power ouer fire This is the Lord Iesus Christ whoÌ„ Malachias calleth the Angel of the couenaunt that was longed for Hée is the aulter of the rightuous by him are they a swéet sacrifice vnto God Els could they be but very abhomination Till the iudgement day shall he be an Aulter of meanes making to God the father for vs. But that day once come no longer shall he be an aulter or an aduocate but go clean from it He shall then become a iudge ouer al the world rewardyng euery one accordynge to their workes Hitherto hath he méekly sitten vpon the cloude and not cut with his sickle He hath had in his haÌ„d the iudgement and not iudged 2 But now hath he power ouer fyre By fire which is vnder his obedieÌ„ce as are all other creatures els shall he at that day iudge the vnyuersall worlde And more sharpe vehement quicke fierce mighty tirrible shall hys senteÌ„ce be to the wicked thaÌ„ is any fearful flaming or consuming wilde fire 3 For with a loude voyce shal he cry vnto him that hath the sharpe sickle An earnest charge coÌ„mandement shal he giue at the day to the ministers of his ire for to cast theÌ„ into exteriour darkenes after this sort here vttered in mistery 4 Thrust in thy sharpe sickle gather the cluster of the earthli vinyard for the grapes thereof are ripe 5 Execute the vengeaunce committed vnto you roote out this ranke riotous generatioÌ„ of the rauenous epicures 6 For now are their mischiefes at the full Now are they moste curious in their facions feadinges most couetous in their coÌ„passings most vaine in their studies most cruell in their doâ—inges For with theÌ„ shal it be saith Christ as it was in the daies of Noe and Loth. They shal builde and baÌ„ket ruffle and riote bye and sell and plant for their pleasures And sodainly as a snare shall that terrible day light vpoÌ„ theÌ„ vnbewares as did death on the couetous iourer 7 And the Angel saith S. Iohn thrust in his sickle on the earth he cutt downe the grapes of the vineyard of the earth and so did cast them into the great wyne fatte of the wrath of God 8 According to their commission they shall plage the earthly minded for here is the time past for the tyme coÌ„ming vsed for the certaintie of it With sodayne death shal they perce theÌ„ in this world that coÌ„temning Christs doctrine haue folowed the corse therof in al coÌ„cupiceÌ„ce 9 And finally they shal throwe them into the lake of misery the pit without water into the stinking dregges of hell wher as fyre and brimstone shal be rewarded to drinke For the vineyarde of the earth is the carnal sinagoge of hypocrites the grapes therof are the glorious glottons franke fedde porkelinges of the gredy gulfe eueÌ„ the enemies of Christes crosse whose God is their beally whose glory is their coÌ„fusion whose end is their daÌ„natioÌ„ for they are earthly minded This winefat of the wrath of God is none other then his great vengaunce to be powred vpoÌ„ the vnfaithful Or els hell prepared for the deuill his angels Great not onely for the innumerable multitud that it hath shal reciue but also in that it is insaciable 10 And this winefat was trodeÌ„ without the citie Nothing perteyneth it to the citie of whoÌ„ famous thing are spokeÌ„ which is the congregatioÌ„ of god nor yet to the good creatures of god No not vnto this world which shall at that dayâ— be tried purged by fyre But vnder the earth shal it be far without thys world secluded from the face of heaueÌ„ in filthy vnspeakeable darknesse 11 For bloud wil come out of thys fate euen vnto the horse bridles Wherin is expressed not only the terrour of the place but also of the paines therein contained For bloud shedding murther are things very horryble feareful to beholde containing in them depriuatioÌ„ of life which is most terrible of all The aboundance thereof betokeneth the greatnesse of the griefe in the sufferance of them The treading downe also signifieth that no raise towardes any reliefe is to be looked for of them that be there
thē or remoue thē By his rightfull iudgement at his only pleasure he hardeneth As the potter may he break thē or make them vessels of dishonor 6 In no wyse did this peruerted multitude repēt their wicked blasphemies to giue him glory for all their cōfessyons masse hearings pilgrimages satisfactions without number For they were not according to his prescription 7 After none other sort wil he be plea and glorified than he hath by his scriptures appointed Nothing lesse ar their fantasies than true repentance THE TEXT 1 And the fifte Angell powred out his vyall 2. vpon the seat of the beast 3. his kingdome vvaxed darke 4. And they gnevve theyr tongues for sorrovve 5. and blasphemed the God of heauen for sorovv and payn of their sores 6. and repented not of theyr deedes The Pharaphrase 1 In order succéedeth by the diuine ordinaūce the fifte Angel vnder the fifte seale opening powring out his vyal of Gods indignation vpon the seat of the beast After none other sorte than the Lorde had afore prediffined for mans vnfaithfulnesse sake was the proude beastly kingdome of the papacie the execrable reigne of Mahomet replenished with all filthy abhominations vnder the sunne For in the other age afore they did but créepe into the hartes of men through the glitterings of hypocrisie and dissimulate sanctitie 2 But here haue they obtayned the power seat and aucthoritie of the beaste and so gotten vnto them the myghtie Monarchies of the vniuersall worlde Here raigned they without checke in all vain glory hautinesse malice pryd murther hipocrisie superstitiō Idolatry and blasphemy of Gods name 3 And therfore their kingdomes as all one in diuillishenesse became all darke without the light of Gods veritie full of the stinking smoke of the bottomlesse pitte Than went the locusts abroad and filled the world with ignorance and blyndnesse 4 Euery where gnewe they theyr tōges for very sorow In detracting the veritie muche griefe they suffered in their desperate hartes their wormes not dying nor their fyre quenched the scorpiōs of the earth stinging them also 5 Spitefully they blasphemed the omnipotent Lord of heauen for very anguish dolour of their sores woūds For none other are the fruites of a desperate cōscience thā blasphemies of God as in Cain Iudas and such other lyke None other are the vtterances of an vnpenitent harte but heauy hatefull murmurings 6 And therefore it followeth that they repented them not of their déeds For in a cruciate or fearfully vexed conscyence can neuer dwel true repentāce So vnquietous alwayes is the foolishe desperate mynde as is the troubled raging sea A wicked harte is laden with sorrowes heaping sin vpon sin the Sinagoge of proude hipocrites hauing no health In the fifte seale opening and trumpet blowing is more of this mysterie declared which agréeth much with this vyall of God lyke as doeth the other with the other in their numbers though not in their figures The texte 1. And the sixt Angell poured out his viall 2. Vpon the great riuer of Euphrates 3. And the water dried vp 4. That the way of the Kings 5. Of the east should be prepared 6. And I saw three vncleane spirits like frogs 7. Come out of the mouth of the dragō 8. and out of the mouth of the beaste 9. And out of the mouth of the false prophet 10. For they are the spirits of deuilles 11. Workinge miracles to goe out 12 Vnto the kinges of the earth of the whole vvorld 13. to gather thē to the battel 14. Of the great day of god almightie 15. Beholde I come as a thiefe 16. Happy is he that vvatcheth 17. And kepeth his garments 18. Least he be found naked 19 And men see his filthynesse 20. And he gathered them together into a place 12 called in the Hebrue tonge Armagedon The Paraphrase 1 In course now followeth the sixte Angel of gods appointment vnder the sixt seal opening shedding out his ireful viall vpō the great riuer Euphrats a floud of the Assirians or of Babilon betokening in misterye the pleasaunt possessions and wauering delights of the Papisticall cleargye with suche lyke 2 Into all filthy desires of carnal and worldlye lustes gaue the Lorde their hartes ouer in the sixt age of the christian church for their vnbeléeues sake to doe those things which are vncumly and beastly So that all their study trauaile and labour sought to none other end but onely to abound in them Wholly were they geuen therevnto and nothing to the glory of God in all their practised obseruations 3 Yet were the waters therof in processe of time dryed vp Their wealthy pompes possessions pleasures their false feats once knowne are shal be clearely taken away from them For after Iesus Sirach the plant of sinne shall be rooted out in the proud Sinagog of the wicked 4 And all this shal be to prepare the way of the kinges from the spring of the sunne Neuer shall the gouerners walke in the waies of the Lorde nor rule according to Christes doctrine nor yet that doctrine be apert open til the waters be dryed vp not one drop remaining So long as the priests dwell in wanton delights vaine pleasures either are the princes childishe or els tyrannous according as their déeds require 5 Neuer are they kinges from the spring of the sunne or accordinge to Christs rule séeking Gods honour with Dauid and Iosias In England by the Gospell preaching haue many of these waters bene dryed vp in the suppression of monasteries priories couents fryers houses yet are not all things brought vnto Christes clere institution A sincere christē order can not yet beséene there And a great cause why For all is not yet dryed vp there The bishops reigne still in as much vaine gloryous pompe and with as manye Heithenish obseruacions as euer they dyd As cruelly harted and as bloudye mynded are they yet as euer they were afore no mischiefe vnsought to holde in the waters Mark how Winchester Durham York London and Lincolne woorketh with such other pleasantly disposed Euphratines But be of good comfort and pray in the meane time For the holy ghoste promiseth here they shall wither away with all that the heauenly father hath not plāted All that generation wyll the Lordes breath consume Now is the axe layde to the roote of the trée to hewe downe the vnfruitfull braunches the withered reserued to vnquenchable fyer God graunt the Princes at that daye more christenly to bestow the waters of Euphrates than they haue yet bene bestowed noe prouision made for the poore nor yet order set for the gospell preaching For great part of it is now turned to the vpholdings of dise playing maskinge and bankatinge yea I woulde I coulde not by iust occasions speake it bribing whoring and swearing the townes peoples and housshouldes miserablye decayed whiche wyll not one day be vnplaged vnlesse they repent 6 Furthermore I saw sayeth saint Iohn in the same self vision
ben one of theÌ„ my self And this is to this day a principal religion of the whorish Church called deuout pilgrymage or holy stations of prayer many greate pardons granted many false promises made to alure the people therevnto 9 But blessed be the Lord whose word in this age both admonished many as the Angell did Iohn and brought them also cleane from hir abhominatioÌ„s into a secret coÌ„sideration of the spirit vnknowen to the world there both to sée hir pride and also to vnderstand hir iudgement For it followeth in the text that the Angel coÌ„ueyed Iohn away into the wildernesse in the spirite 10 In mistery here the holye Ghost declared afore what the Lorde should worke in men hauing his grace at the latter dayes of the world Into the wildernesse flée they with Dauid which leauing the customed wayes of meÌ„ after the course of the scriptures séeke vp their Lord God in faith worshippyng him onely in spirite and in veritie THE TEXT 1 And I sawe a woman sit vpon 2. a rose coloured beast 3. full of names of blasphemy 4. vvhich had seuen heads and ten hornes 5. And the vvoman vvas arayed 6. in purple and rose eolour 7. decked vvith golde precious stone pearls 8. had a cup of golde in hyr hand 9. ful of abhominatioÌ„s 10. filthinesse of hir vvhordom 11. And in hir fotehead vvas a name vvritteÌ„ 12. A mistery 13. Great BabiloÌ„ the mother of vvhoredom abhominations of the earth 14. And I savv the vvife dronken vvith the bloud of saints vvith the bloude of the vvitnesses of Iesu. 15. And vvhen I savv hir 16. I vvondred vvith great meruayle The Pharaphrase 1 And I sawe saith Saint Iohn in mistery a woman for an whore at the first bloush semeth only a woman sitting vpon a rose coloured beast This beast is the great Antichrist that was spoken of afore or the beastly body of the diuil comprehending in him Popes Patriarkes Cardinalles Legaâ—es Bishops Doctours Abbotes Priors Pristes and Pardoners monks Chanons Friâ—rs Nuns so forth Temporall gouernours also as Emperors Kings Princes dukes Erles Lords Iustices Deputies Iudges Lawyers Maiers Bayliues Cunstables so forth leauing their owne dutied offyces as to minister rightly to serue their abhominacions 2 All rose coloured is this beast in token of tirannous murther blodshedding ouer those that will not agree to their diuillishnesse 3 Ful of blasphemous names is this beast also as your holines your grace your Lordeshippe your fatherhoode your mastership your reuereÌ„ce honor highnesse worship magnificence goodnesse Gods vicar spirituall syr ghostly father phisition of soules defender of faith head of the holy church and so foorth besides the names of theyr properties feates and pagents as procession bishopping anelyng purgatorie pylgrimage pardon masse mattens euensong placebo Candelmasse day Palm sunday Ash wednesday holy roode day S. Thomas day so forth 4 This beast had vij heads and ten hornes signifying his vniuersal crafts and suggestions to distroy the graces and giftes of the holy Ghost and also his falsely borrowed primacies tyrannous aucthorities to withstand the commaundements of God 5 Upon this beast sitteth a woman For what els auauÌ„ceth or beareth out this malignant muster in their copes crosses oyles myters robes relickes ceremonyes vygiles holy dayes blessings sensings and foolings but a waÌ„ton foolish and fantasticall religion a vayne glorious pompe and a shinyng pretence of holynesse in superstition callyng it theyr holy church Shée is sayd here to sit vpon this bloudy beast as to be stayed quieted and setled by them Marke what labours and paines that craftie and wyly Winchester taketh with Bonner Tonstall and other of his fashion as hyr own sworne souldyours to holde vp thys glorious whore in hyr olde estate of romishe religion Oh he grunteth and groneth he sweateth swelleth he fretteth and belleth he bloweth panteth calketh and canteth he sturreth neuer ceaseth to bring his matters to passe 6 In token that this hypocryticall church standeth in the murther of innocents this womaÌ„ is here gloriously apparelled in purple as giltie of theyr deathes which hath bene slayne and also in fresh scarlet as euermore fresh ready to coÌ„tinue in the same bloudshedding For if such tirrible slaughter wer not the true christiaÌ„ faith shuld increase to the great diminishmeÌ„t of hir glory 7 Shée is in lyke case florishingly decked with golde precious stone and pearles not onely in hyr manyfolde kynds of ornaments as in hyr copes corporasses chesibles tunicles stooles fannous and myters but also in mysterie of counterfeite godlinesse Many outward bragges maketh thys painted chuâ—ch of Christ of his Gospel and of his Apostles signified by the gold precious stone pearles which is but a glittering colour For nothing myndeth shée lesse than to followe them in conuersation of lyuing 8 Moreouer in hir hand which is hyr exteriour ministration shée hath a golden cup full of abhominations and filthinesse of hyr execrable whoredome This cup is the false religion that she dayly ministereth besides the chalice whoÌ„ hir marchaunts most dampnably abuseth And it contayneth all doctrine of diuils all beastly errours and lyes all deceiptfull power all glytteryng workes of hipocrites all crafty wisdoÌ„ of the flesh subtile practises of mans witte besides philosophy logick rhetorick and sophistry Yea all prodigious kynds of Idolatry fornicatioÌ„ sodometrie and wickednesse Outwardely it séemeth golde pretending the glory of God â—he holy name of Christ the sacred scryptures of the Byble perpetuall virginity of life and al are but counterfet colours shadows of hipocrisy in the outwarde letter and name 9 Ful of abhominacions is the drink of the excreable faith of that Romish religion receiued of other full of filthynes also for both retaineth the people therof innumerable kinds of Idol worsippinges vnder the title of Gods seruice and also their shauelinges of prodigeous beastlynes in lecherouse liuing vnder the colour of chastity Here were muche to be spoken of Sayncte Germayns euil sainct Sithes key sainct Uncombers otes maister Iohn shornes bote saint Gertrudes rattes saint Iobe for the pox saint Fyacre for ague saint apoline for toth ake sainct Graciane for lost thrift saint WalstoÌ„ for good haruest S. Cornelis for the foule euil al other saints els almost 10 Of the buggery boyes also among prelates pristes Gohstly fathers religious might much be sayde here were it not for infecting mens eies ears vnderstaÌ„dings For al these noiful nocuments are the holy frutes of the whordom of the holy whorish Chuche 11 In the forehead of this glittering whore which is hir outward shew is written a name expreslye declaring what she is By hir vngodly fruites is she knowen to the elect seruaÌ„ts of god hauing the light of the scriptures In their consiences appereth she none other than a pestiferous whore by the iudgements of the same 12 A very mistery is this shew to the infidels an hiddeÌ„ secret an vnknown
hath their hartes in his hand and iudgeth their thoughts Both may he giue them his spirite and also take it from them and of his enimyes hée shall make his footestoole He is the same â—â—one after Daniell that without any handes was cutte out of the mounte which breaketh the Iron the copper the earth the siluer and the Golde in péeces By whom are ment the vniuersall kingdomes of this world 12 Of this his victory are all they parteners with him which are vpon hys syde by fayth Most specially those true seruaunts of his which after they are called by grace and chosen by fayth perseuer still constant feruent faythfull and sure in hys veritie to the latter ende of theyr liues 13 Not only the Lambe therfore shal â—uercome the beast but they also after the doctrine of Paule that are called and chosen in him not falling from his truth for any temptation or grief but standing fast by it vnto the very death For those that the Lorde hath prefixed afore he hath called iustified and allowed These auanceth not them selues with the proude but méekly they submit theyr crownes referring all victory to the Lambe as men that could haue done nothing in yâ— behalf without him THE TEXT 1 And he said vnto me 2. The vvaters vvhich thou savvest vvhere the vvhore sitteth 3. are people and folke and nations and tongues 4. And the ten hornes vvhich thou savvest vpon the beast 5. are they vvhich shall hate the vvhore 6. and shall make hir desolate naked 7. and shall eate hyr flesh 8. and burn hyr vvith fyre 9. For God hath put in their harts to fulfill his vvill 10. and to doe vvith one coÌ„sent 11. for to giue hir kingdome vnto the beast 12. vntil the words of God be fulfilled 13. And the vvomaÌ„ vvhich thou savvest is the great citie 14. vvhich reigneth ouer the kingâ— of the earth The Paraphrase 1 And after thys long communicatioÌ„ sayth Sainct Iohn the afore sayd Angell sayde thus vnto me to make vp his tale with 2 The wauering waters which thou sawest héere now of late in misterye where as the Babilonish whore sitteth vpon the rose coloured beast are in signification all maner of peoples of the carnall nations and the supersticious folke of many sundry tongues 3 Not onely in one place of the worlde ruleth this wanton religion of Antychrist but in euery lande in euery dominion in euery company among all occupacions languages The foolysh multitude euery where being blynded by their subtile sorceryes and neyther hauing fayth nor yet the feare of God before theyr eyes as a raging flood the banckes broken downe runneth headlings into all blasphemy and diuillishnesse 4 Moreouer the a fore named ten hornes sayeth the Angell which thou by the wil of God beholdest here in spirite vpon the sayd beast of distructioÌ„ are those very persoÌ„s which also shal hate the whore Hir abhominations once knowne by the Gospel preaching they shall abhorre hir lawes dispise hyr authoritie coÌ„tempne hir customs They shal defeat hir of those lands possessions which now shée vniustly holdeth 5 They that afore were hir friends shal than be hir mortall enymies denying hir both tribute obedience seruice so leauing hir without all comfort Not only are these the temporal gouernours as the King of England the Kyng of Denmarke the Duke of Saxon the LaÌ„dgraue of Hesse and other Princes of Germany with such other as wil here after followe the same principles but also the Metropolitanes and bishops the Doctors and Prelates As are already Thomas Cranmere the Archebishop of Caunterbury Hermanus de Weda the Archbishop of Coleyn Godrick the Bishop of Hely Barlow the bishop of Sainct Dauids Byrde the Bishop of Chester Thurleby bishop of Westminster Hugh Latimer Nicolas Shaxton of late yeares Bishop of Worcester and Salisbury with such other lyke as will here after followe theyr trade Though they were afore the horns of the beast for defence of the whore yet are they now fallen from him more shall euery day to make hir desolate of honour and naked of rentes and possessyons 6 So shal they chase that Babilonish harlot Rome with their prechers that neyther shal they leaue hir couler nor yet bewty Consider what Iohn Reuclin Martin Luther Erasmus Ocolampadious Zwinglius Pomeran Bucer Capito Melanthon Grineus Caluinous Brencius Frances Lamberte Bullinger and such other hath don against hir alredy Likewise here in EinglaÌ„d Bilnee Tindale Frith Barnes Cromwel Couerdale Turner Gorge Ioy Rose Ridley Ward Becon and other els leauing her neither Reliques nor Robes sectes nor Shrynes Abbeyes nor Priores many more comming after them of the same sort These shal make her so desolat that no man shall in proses of tyme regard hir They shall leue hir so naked that all the worlde shall abhorre hyr that shal loke vpon hir Yea in the conclusion they shal eat hyr fleshe 7 Besides the taking away of hir carnall prophites and plesuers they shal confound hir fleshly vnderstanding of the scriptuers utterly consume the superfluous obseruacions of hir whorishe cerimonies 8 Finally with fyre shal they burne hir in bringing vnto nought al hir abhomynable rules customes and kindes of idolatry All these once plucked away by the euident worde of God no lenger shall this harlot appere For no lenger continueth the whore then the whoredom is in price Take away the rites and cerimonies the Iewels and ornaments the Images and lightes the Lordeshippes and fatherhodes the aulters and masses with the Bishops and Priestes and what is their holye whorishe church any more Not onely is this flesh eating and burÌ„ing declared now a daies in outwarde experimentes as in the rebellious Monkes and Priestes of Englande and in theÌ„ that arose there in the North specially in fryer Forest and Margarete Cheny which were for their church coÌ„sumed like as were Baales chaplayns at the broke of Cison by Helyas but also mistically in that is spoken of hir afore 9 For God hath saith the Angel al blindenesse secluded put it into the hartes of those and such other godlye meÌ„ by the infusioÌ„ of his spirit to fulfil his decréed wil pleasure in this behalf as vtterly to distroy the popish religioÌ„ or filthy abhominations of Antichrist 10 He hath giueÌ„ it theÌ„ moreouer to doe these thiÌ„gs to his glory throgh the agréement of faith that they haue in the vnitie of his godly truth to the abolishment of all sects false prophets coÌ„iurers of egipt 11 Finally by his grace he hath moued them through knowledge of his word to reÌ„der vp hir blasphemous kingdom whom sometime of ignorance they vsurped vnto the malignaunt beast again as the horns of his pestilent heads After this sorte did good Latimer Shaxton giue ouer their bishoppricks so haue diuers other godly men their promocions liuings as many more yet here after will doe 12 For as they haue begonne so shall they coÌ„tinue in diminishyng the
shal she appeare as the beautiful bride prepared to the spouse accompanyed with the wise maydens the vnwyse neither hauing oyle nor light for euer reiected THE TEXT 1 And he sayde vnto me 2. Write 3. Happye are they which are called vnto the Lambes supper 4. And he sayde vnto me 5. These are the true sayings of God 6. And I fell at his feete 7. To vvorship him 8. And he sayde vnto me 9. See thou doe it not 10. For I am thy fellovv seruant 11. And one of thy brethren 12. And of them that haue the testimonye of Iesus 13. Worship God 14. For the testimony of Iesus 15. is the spirit of prophesie The Commentarye 1 And the Angell sayth saint Iohn which shewed vnto me afore the fall of the great whore sayde at this present time vnto me 2 Seriouslye register this sentence followynge that it may remayne to their comforte whiche shall followe thée 3 After a most happye and fortunable sorte are they blessed whiche hauing the wedding garmente the pure fine raines afore named are graciously prdestinate called and accepted of the heauenly father vnto the euerlasting supper of the vndefiled Lamb Iesus Christ there to perticipat with him the eternall refection both of soule body Satisfied shall I be saieth Dauid without end when thy glory shal manyfestly appeare Not of corruptible meates and drinkes shal this supper be but of vncorruptible delightes and of pleasures that shall neuer fayle Nothing shal be there prophane voide or vncomely but al things pure clean true stedfast godly perfect TheÌ„ shal the méetinges be heauenly and the clippinges wtout deformity The bride shal at that day reioyce with hir euerlasting spouse and the daughters of Sion shal beholde the true Salomon in full glorye accompained with hys holye how shoulde of Angelles and Saintes 4 And the aforesaide Angell sayeth S. Iohn sayd thus vnto me 5 These words whiche I last tolde thée frinde Iohn are not mine but they are the true sayings of gods owâ— mouth So much the rather they are to be beleued as most certayne and sure that they are of hym whosâ— vniuersall language is the veâ—itie â—nfayned 9 As I heard the Angell speake thus vnto me saith saynt Iohn I fel down by and by at hiâ— fete flat vpon the grounde myndynge to haue worshypped hym So wonderfull wer the secretâ—â— of god whome he ther declared vnto me and the misteries so ioyful vnto my soule that in a maner I clearly forgote my selfe 7 〈◊〉 hand I was at the poynt to haue worshipped the messeÌ„ger for the Lord and the Angell for the Laâ—be otherwise thâ—â— did Abraham not of ignoraunce but of forgetfull reioysing 8 But in no wise would the Angell suffer me so to doe but gently he sayd thus vnto me 9 Se thou do no such homage vnto me a creture as peculiarly belongeth vnto god the creator of all So great is thy selfe and such as thou art I am so excellente a creature of God Trueth it is that I am the aungel of the Lorde and so are you also so many as beare witnes of the same veritie 10 And as concerninge myne owne persone I am but thy felowe seruaÌ„t For he that is â—hy god is also my god and he that is thy Lord and master is also mine Indifferently are we bothe created for his seruauntes and admitted for his messengers 11 Of thy bretheren am I one by creation 12 So am I also both a brother and felow of al them that haue the faithful testimonie of Iesus For like as they by his godly appointment are messengers thereof to the world so am I now vnto thée here for the same 13 worship not me therefore which am but a creature but worshippe thy Lord god for sending by me this message of health vnto thée Though Loth Iacob Iosue Gedion Tobias other fathers of the olde law gaue worship vnto the Angels whom God sente vnto them in message yet shalte thou not do so vnto me now considerynge that at thys tyme Gods sonne hath taken the nature of man hath raised it from death hath sette it vpon the fathers right hand and therin hath sent from thence the spirite of reconciliation vnto men By thys are ye become no longer in feriours vnto vs but equall with vs infauour and dignitye No loÌ„ger are ye strangers foreners but citizens of heauen and the very househould chyldren of God 14 And as for the testymony of Iesus Christ which both I vnto you you to the world haue to vtter it is the very sprit of prophisi on message of helth committed vnto vs both The true spirit of god it is that beareth witnes of Christ both in the law prophets for none can saye that Iesus is the lord but in the holy ghost and in that spirit do we nowe make mencion also of him This is the spirit of adoptioÌ„ wherby ye ackonwledge god for your deare father Thys spirit assertaineth your spirit that ye are become his children beleuing in hys name 15 And in this spirit do I admonishe thée Iohn by this presente ReuelatioÌ„ which is a Prophicy in thée al them that haue the same faith to acknowledge worshyp and confesse the sayde Iesus Christ as we do nowe for the onely Lord sauiour of the world Not only shalt thou be by the plaine manifestation of thys prophesye an Angel but also by an excellent prerogatiue of singuler grace aboue all thy felowes a Ppophete After the maner of this Angel dyd Paule Barnabas vtterlye refuse to haue honour geuen them of the people at Listra Peter would in no case suffer Cornelius the noble Centurion to worshype hym Contrarywise the Antichrist of Rome not onely suffereth but also commaundeth straightly such homage of honour euermore to be geuen to his holy fatherhood Yea he is not ashamed to coÌ„straine noble Emperours to kâ—sse hys filthy féete kings with cappe knée to holde hys steroppes and the greatest princes of the world to wayte vpon his Mule Great pardons hath he geuen to the worshyppinge of Idols and of olde rotten bones threatning most terrible death vnto them that would not at his commaundement do the same At Geneua was honorablye worshypped an Asses tayle and at Tholosa a young boyes shoo great in dulgences graunted vnto them both But let not him and his mitred Mahomets thinke easely to auoyde the indignation so God whan he shal call them to accountes wyth theyr craftye distincton of Latria Dulia and hyperdulia whom the scripture knoweth not Notwythstanding in this is not vtterly inhibited mutual reuerence betwixt man man for so much as Paul willeth the faithful to preueÌ„t eche other in honor geuing Necessary it is that they first honour God and then for his sake that they procecute their neighbours with such christen beneuolence as the comlines of humanity requireth The gospel neuer forbiddeth such politike maner as norisheth mutual frendship yet â—oth it not geue them
They fashioned thē selues to the example that was shewed thē in the mount 3 None other are these horses then their corruptible bodyes prepared to battail They which are of Christ doth mortifie the vices and lustes of theyr flesh they tame their carnall affectiōs Like perfect men they brydle their bodies to the obedience of the spirite So to become the true seruantes of rightuousnesse and no more to do seruice vnto sin White are these horses for the pure word of the Lord which gouerneth thē No meruaile though these myghtie souldyers foloweth the Lord cōsidering he is so oft in the scriptures called the lord of hosts A like similitude dyd the seruant of Helizens the Prophet behold in a vision throug Gods permission in Dotham 4 This army of the Lord here were appareled preciously with pure white silk or fine raynes betokening the pure innocensy which they haue in Christe theyr general captain Not carnal is this armour but euermore spirituall after the doctrine of S. Paule Though we walke in the flesh saith he yet do we not fight after a fleshly maner For the weapons of our warre are not carnal things but things mighty in God Bewtifull fayre is my welbeloued saith the eternall Salomon for hys soule pleaseth his Lord and is loued agayn of him His fauour his mercy is vpon his holy ones he hath a louing respect vnto his chosen number A notable singe of victory in the faithfull are also these white horses vestures for afore they ar called iustificacions of the saintes 5 And out of his Godly mouth sayth the Text proceded forth a two edged swerd which is the fearce iudgement of his mighty word By this effectual swerd are the faithfull beleuers woūded vnto life and the vnbeleuers to the death of dampnacion For vnto some it is the sauour of life and vnto some againe the sauour of death vnto death By this swerd also shal the dead braūches be cut from the vine and the corrupted members from the whole body The gotes shal be deuided from the lambes and the euil from the rightuous Oh how sharp fierce and tirrible wil this sentence of the lords indignaciō be at that day Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fyre Yet shall it be vnto the faithful a perpetuall power victory triumphe ouer their enymies 6 Ouer besides all this goeth that swerd frō his eternal mouth to the intēt he should therw t correct their Heathē or reform◠thē of their heathinish life So that if they wil not at the wholsome admonishmēts of his word repent and amend their olde conuersacion that than they should be condemned by the same for their wilful contempt If men wil not turne saith Dauid he shall whet his swerde against them He wil sharpen it as the lightening and aquite his enymies their wickedmes 7 This mighty Lord shal rule them with a strong rodde of yron which is the inuincible veritie This is the rod of right order the septure of the kingdome and the wand of power whom the Lord sent frō Sion to haue sway among our enymies So strong is this septure that it wil not bowe No place wil it geue to the contrary parte If they will not therewith be ordred he shall breke them in peces as the potter doth his pot in such maner as they neuer shal recouer agayne 8 The winefat of the great fiercenesse and sore displeasur of almighty God shal he tred downe with power More greuously shal they be opressed at this latter comming by his set sētence thā they wer afore at Hierusalē by Uespasianus and Titus The vineyarde of the Lord of hostes was the house of Israell This brought he out of Egipt by strong hande Thereof looked hée to haue had grapes and it brought hym foorth bryers and thistles Their vines were as the wilde vines of Sodome Bitter were their grapes as the poyson of Dragons and as the cruel gaul of Adders Therfore will he break the hedge and throw downe the wal that it may be troden vnder foote 9 Great anguishe shall bée vpon the earth in his fury and wrath vpō that people in his anger They shall fall on the edge of the swerd and be dispersed Both here shall they haue griefe and also in the world to come 10 This victorious horse man hath vpon his white vesture besprinckeled with bloud which is his innocent māhood crucified 11 And vpō his tender thigh whom some call his churche some his scriptures as flesh of his fleshe or spirite of his spirite this name of magnificence written 12 In both of them is it manifestlye expressed that he is both king of kinges and also Lorde of Lordes the great guide of right gouernours and that monarke of godly magistrates By kings is his generation discribed of Mathew in the posteritie of Dauid and of Luke by faithfull fathers vnto Adam which had the first promise of health Both doth the godly actes of his natural māhood and also the holy spirite whom he left here to the comfort of all true beléeuers declare that he is the eternall attourney of God his Apostles true seruaunts affyrming the same And these are his garmente and thigh By hys death is our nakednesse couered which are his misticall members Of his spirite is our strength which are the generation séeking the Lord of Iacob 13 Both hath he giuen hym of God the high seat of Dauid his father and also the vniuersall power in heauen and in earth as he by whom all things were first created For his power is an euerlasting power and his kingdome such as shall neuer perishe And all this is comprehended in that he is called the sonne of the highest and in that he alone hath immortalitie inhabyting the light that no man can attayne to whom be honour and euerlasting empire Amen In this vesture and thigh are his titles written as to hys onely behou e that no man shuld of presumption vsurpe them neither by supremite nor vycarage his church and posteritie acknowledging the same euermore THE TEXT 1 And I savve an Angell 2. stande in the sunne 3. and he cryed vvith a loude voyce 4. saying to all soules that flye by the middest vnder the heauen 5. Come and gather your selues togither 6. vnto the supper of the great God 7. that ye may eate the fleshe of kynges 8. of high captaine 9. the flesh of mightie men 10. and the flesh of horses 11. and of them that sit on them 12. and the flesh of all free men bondmen 13. both of small and great The Commentary 1 After this reuelation I sawe saith sainct Iohn a beautifull Angell betokening not onely the Apostles but all other faithfull ministers in the word els hauing the Apostles spirite 2 In the sunne stedfastly stoode thys Angell which signifieth Christ that cleare sunne of rightuousnesse the bright morning star in the middest of the cloude the expresse Image of God substance of his
offered them Such were Annas â— Caiphas with our execrated bishoppes suffragaÌ„es channons 〈◊〉 â—â—cars with all the priestes of the same wicked zeale 17 The vnpytefull murtherers are also the same bloude thursty prelates those Caines these boysterous Nemrothes that neuer will bâ—e satisfyed wyth the slaughter of innocâ—ntes No cruell Antichrist after Ihon Wyâ—leues tyme dyd so spyghtfully persecute the veryte of Christe in Englande as dyd Philyp Repyngedone made than of a false brother or pâ—riuired christan byshoppe of Lincolne The graunde captaine of thys madde muster is the proude byshop of Rome the preposterous vycar of the Lambe the vnworthy successour of Peter in that he hath not yet put vp his sword Of the same sorte also are all those cruell Princes and vnmercyfull magistrates that applyeth their auctorities powers and offyces vnto the same mescheife Such deceytfull rauenours and abhomynable bloude sheders the mercifull Lorde abhorreth euermore Of this number was Pharao herod wyth innumerable tiranntes since which to reherse in order were to long 18 The filtâ—â— whoremoÌ„gers are those holy spirituall Ammorites which hath consecrate themselues vnto Moloch in the fyre of fleshly concupiâ—â—ence For euer haue they for sworne godly marryage to make daily sacryfyce to the diuell in buggary and other carnall beastlynesse The most highly estemed vertue of that generation is to haue no wyues Neuer coÌ„maunded I such filthy vowes sayth the Lorde neither came it euer in my thought to make Iuda sinne with such abhominacion For the ofte breaking of their othe profession vowe it is no matter so long as they make the rekening amonge theÌ„selues Innumerable is the swarme of these lecherous locustes of Egipte euery where are their fruites séene all after Christes resurrection to saye that his desciples had stolen hym awaye by night 22 All these with such other execrable â—â—â—tes sayth the Lord vnto Iohn shall haue their iust porcion in the foule stinking lake yâ— horrybly fometh vpward with fylthy fyre and brymstone With the diuell and his angels shall they dwell for euer 23 Thus shal the wicked saith Dauid for neglectinge their Lord God be turned into hell with perpetuall confusion The fiery floud that shall go before the Iudge wyll swallow them vp cleane 24 And this is wythout fayle the second death or damnacion both of soule and body The perpetuall shame and reprofe as Daniel calleth it that shall neuer be recouered Not onely the abhominable homicides Idolatours and whoremongers shall haue this stinking reward but also the faynt harted hipocrits the vnfaythfull sorcerers and the execrable lyers with all theyr affinitie THE TEXT 1. And there came vnto mee 2. one of the seuen Angells 3. Which hath the seuen vyalles full of the seuen last plagues 4. And talked with me saying 5. Come hither I vvill shew thee the bryde the Lambes wyfe 6. And he caryed me away in the spirit to a great an high mouÌ„tayne 7. And he shewed me the great citie 8. holy Hierusalem 9. defending out of heauen froÌ„ GOD 10. hauing the brightnesse of GOD. 11. And 〈…〉 was lyke vnto a 〈◊〉 most 〈…〉 〈…〉 had vvalles 〈◊〉 high 〈…〉 had .xii. gates 15 and at the gates xii Angells 16. and names vvrytten 17. vvhich are the .xii. trybes of Israell 18. On the East part three gates On the North syde three gates 19. And tovvardâ— the 〈…〉 And on the West syde three gates 20. And the vvalle of the citie had .xii. foundacions 21. and in them the names of the Lambes .xii. Apostles The Commentarye 1 And as I was yet stil ioyously marueiling saith saint Iohn at this most friendlye communicatioÌ„ wonderfull mistery of the Lorde 2 There resorted vnto me very louingly one of the seauen angels mencioned héere afore which angels hath committed vnto them at the Lordes pleasure the seuen vials of his wrath contayning the seauen plagues of the world 3 None other are these Angels but the decréed purposes of God vttering his iudgements against cursed Babylon at their times appointed as we haue sufficiently declared in the xv xvi chapters afore One of theÌ„ sent the lord vnto Iohn to describe vnto him at large the glory of the new HierusaleÌ„ lyke as he did afore the confusion of Babilon For onely was this in spirite as here after foloweth 4 This angell saith he familiarlye communed with me This inspired purpose of God moued my harte my minde my witte reason vnderstanding and remembraunce with the other powers of soule to make mee pryuy of this secret mistery necessary to be knowne of the faithful 5 Come hither saith it spiritually vnto me leauinge at this time behinde thée all suche considerations as thou hast of nature CerteÌ„ly wil I manifest vnto thee to the singuler comfort of many other what the beutifull Bryde is which is the vndefiled spouse of the Lambe Iesus Christ. Thou shalt wel perceiue hir by the gifte of faith to be far different from the Rose coloured whore that thou séest afore Thou shalt know here hir estate beuty behauer and aparell For that maketh God open to his louers which he hideth vnto other in parables 6 Than toke he me vp in the spirite saith Iohn and so carried me cleane away into a mightye great and excéeding high mountaine The contemplation of this heauenly misterye so occupyed my minde that clearely was I taken from the remembraunce of all worldly fantasies thought my selfe rapt vp with Paule vnto the thirde heauen Sittinge solytarye alone as did Hieremie I was lift vp aboue my selfe With Enoch Helias I thought my selfe taken from the worlde so great was the mistery 7 Anone this spirituall messenger shewed me a great godly Citie I was in remembraunce of the true congregation of God compact together in the vnitie of one perfecte Christian faith And this was not the olde Hieruâ—alem builded longe ago of Melchisadech as testifieth Iosephus For that was full of sinne ignoraunce and blindnesse She slewe the Prophets and stoned them vnto death that were sent vnto hir She disdayned also to receiue hir owne Lorde whaÌ„ he came to hir of good loue 8 But this is al of an other sort perfit godly faithfull Yea this is aboue all estimatioÌ„ holy Not for the outwarde sacrifices which were but shadowes of thiÌ„gs to come but for the eternal redeÌ„tioÌ„ yâ— came through him which offerd him selfe vnto God the father without spot 9 Not made by mans hande was this holy HierusaleÌ„ nor yet after this maner building For it issued out of heaueÌ„ and so came downe from God the Father of light of whom only is all that is good and perfect Great is this citie not onely in that it is the possession of the great kinge of all but also in that it is highest in dignitie before him spred the world ouer 10 Glorious is it also blessed spirituall and heauenly hauing the inestimable brightnesse or wisdome of the omnipotent God hir light is the lambe Iesus Christe and
with Helias in the mount of Tarmoâ—us made an aulter in the Lords name The sure ground of these foundations was that Christ is the sone of the liuing God Upon this builded all they both in their preachyngs and writyngs All one with this was the faith of the Prophets which beléeued that he was the Lambe that shoulde take away the sinnes of the worlde For they inquired the way of saluation they serched for the sauinge health Wherin thy proue themselues the liuing stones of this spiritual building Thus vnto one sure grounde of faith extended the belues both of the Apostles and Prophetes Now are ye citizens with the saintes sayth Paule to the Ephesians builded vpoÌ„ the sure foundaâ—ion of yâ— Apostles prophetes Iesus Christ being the fast corner stone For this cause are the apostles put here before the prophets that we rediÌ„g thir profices shuld vnderstaÌ„d theÌ„ after yâ— apostle doctrin so deduce theÌ„ both vnto christ And for this consideration are they here called the Lambes Apostles that they haue in all their instructions and writings vttered nothinge but that they haue receiued of his wonderfull rich and plentuous habundance Besids all this not only are these twelue héere named to be taken for the xii foundations and none other For than should Paule be excluded which laboured more then all the rest So shuld Barnabas Silas Lucas Agabus Iudas the rightuous Iohn that was called Marcus with many other But so many godly ministers are of the sorte besids them as hath bene of the same faith spirit and doctrine For ye must consider that twelue is here a vniuersall number as in other places and betokneth all the whole felowshipp they be holden for the principals for that they were present with Christe The Text. 1 And he that talked vvith me 2. Had a golden rede 3. To measure the Citie vvith all 4. And the gates there of 5. And the vvall therof 6. And the citie vvas built fouresquare 7. And the length vvas as large as the bredthe of it 8. And he measured the Citie vvith the reede xii thousaÌ„d furlongs 9. And the length and the bredth 10. And the height of it vvere equall 11. And he measured the vvall therof an hundred and xliiii cubits 12. After the measure of man vvhich the Angell had The Commentary 1 And the Angell saieth sainte Iohn or set purpose of the Lord which commoned thus with mee in secrete mistery had a measure al of Golde in his hand in similitude of a Réede not all vnlyke vnto them that talked with Ezechiel and Zacharie in misterye also 2 And with this golden Réede which is the pure word of God dyd he take measure bothe of the Citie it selfe and of the twelue gates thereof and also of the great mightye wall of the same 3 The determinate purpose of the euerlastinge builder measureth all thinges concerning his church according to his vndefiled scriptures which are the right rule of faith and the rod of right order in his kingdome What so euer they be saieth both Paule and Dauid that liue according to this rule mercy and peace be vnto them as vpon the Israell of God Not onely is this measuring Réed precious in it selfe but also as golde in the furnace it is dayly tried a fresh through many troubelous aduersaries of them that hath vnfainedly set hands vpon it Diuersly measureth this Réede of the spirit in the citie in the gates in the wal For diuers are the gifts of the holy ghost in one congregation of the Lord vnto euery one is giuen a grace according to the mesure of faith Some hath he constitute apostles some prophets some euangelists some pastours teachers to the necessarye edification of Christes misticall body For here by the citie is ment the whole congregation of Gods elects perfectly ioyned together in one true beléeue 4 By the gates the godly preachers and counselers by whom Christ openeth vnto his kingdom 5 By the wall the mighty power which he hathe committed to the Angels or spirites of heauen to kepe theÌ„ to the godly princes and magistrates here to defend them and to other true ministers to hold them still in rightuousnesse All these must be measured They must be brought to the touchstone The scriptures must trye of what spirit they are If they agrée not to this measure they pertaine not to the citie of god But they are that salt vnsauery that is no better worth thaÌ„ to be throwne forth of men and those vnprofitable seruauntes whome the Lord shal cast into exteriour darknes 6 And as concerninge the fashion of this citie builded all foure square all foure sides therof being of like length and bredth 7 No lenger nor broder was it vpoÌ„ the east side than vpon the north syde nor vpon the south part than towards the west But equall it was euery way towards al quarters of the world And as it was in length bredth so was it in height Which signifieth not only the perpetual stabilitie or surenesse of the true christiaÌ„ faith the Lord euermore preseruing it but also the faithful beleuers of on quarter of the world are so hyly accepted vnto hiÌ„ as of another So largely doth he rewarde them of yâ— East that truly beléeueth in Christ as of any other quarters els and so highly doth he estéeme them So deere vnto him are those good Christians that dwell amonge the Sarizens Turkes and Iewes as are they which dwell in the middest of Christendome So precious that lie sick in the spittle house as they which pray in the temple Noe founde grace in the sight of God whan all the worlde els were wicked Loth was iudged rightuous in the midst of the filthy Sodomits And so are manye yet to this day among the Idolatrous and supersticyous papistes Still are there Lambes among wolues cleane wheat amonge tares and good fishes among euill Iob was a companion with the Dragons Estryches Esaye dwelt among il tonged people Ezechiell in the middest of a froward housholde Sayncte Paule commended the Philipyans in yâ— they shone among the peruerse generation as lights in the firmament Neuer is God any parciall accepter of persons but amonge all peoples he that in his feare worketh rightuousnesse is accepted vnto hym whatsoeuer he bée Thus are they in length bredth and heygth spirituall godly and heauenly through hys worde 8 Moreouer this Angell measured the cytie wyth the golden rode and it was in compasse .xii. thousande furlonges Which signifieth Christes kingdome to be so large euery way that it reacheth the whole earth ouer by his word and promis The sonde of the Apostels preachyng hath gone out into all landes and theyr doctryne into the endes of the world For .xii. euermore in the scriptures is an whole perfect number and a thousand a vniuersall summe as we haue here noted afore No maÌ„ ought in thys heauenly workâ— supersticiously to obserue the numbers but rather to séeke dilygently to
quiet shall hée lyghten them throughlye with his most glorious presence and with him shall they raigne for euer and euer in full felicitie and glory cōtinuing In this life beginneth the kingdome through fayth but there shall it be perfourmed in the perfecte sight of the godhead The proude raigne of tyrauntes is here but for a time the lesse it is to be feared The méeke raign of the rightuous continueth for euer the more it is to be sought for and desired The fruites that are here very harde and sower vnto them shall there bée inestimable swéete gentile beautiful perfecte and pleasaunt hauing theyr full rypenesse No neede shall it be thā to run by sea and lande for the wysedome power and glory of Christ for in that day shal they be with euery one present Here haue they but little pretie beames of the light very small drops of the water and a smel of the fruites a farre of Likelihoodes figures mysteries haue they only now of the beatitude to come But there shall they be sure to haue them in full sight tast and sauer and plentuously to be satisfied with them Scarse is it here in cōparison to that it shal be there as one droppe of water to the whole sea or as an hādful of sād is to the whole earth The texte 1 And he sayd vnto me 2. These sayings are faithfull and true 3. And the Lorde God 4. of the holy Prophets 5. sen◠his Angell to shev◠vnto his seruaunts 6. the things which shortly must be fulfilled 7. Beholde I come shortly 8. Happy is he that kepeth the saying 9. of the prophecie of this booke The Commentary 1 In the conclusion of these most wōderfull reuelations saith sainct Iohn the Angell that communed with mée all this time which was the very spirite of Christ sayde thus vnto me hys poore exyled seruaunt 2 It shall become no man to dispise these wordes nor to reiecte these sayings whome thou hast here séene and harde since the first beginning of thys reuelation For they are most faythfull and true sure and perfect shall without faile at their appoynted times in euery iote be fulfylled for the true churches commoditie and profit This is here spoken for the conseruation of the hygh mysteries of thys booke least any false Antichrist hereafter as many such hath bene in déede should cōdempne them depraue them and as of none aucthoritie reporte them As the most deare treasures of God therfore doth the holy Ghost here wrappe them vp togither to preserue them vnder hys power setteth vnto them the seale of hys owne witnesse that they should euermore be taken for his After this sort did the Prophets vse their prophecies concluding alwayes thus sayeth the Lorde of hostes So did the Lord his selfe whan he sayde Uerely verely I say vnto you we speake that we knowe My doctrine is not myne but his that sent mée Of my selfe I speak not the words that I vtter The father dwellyng in mée perfourmeth the workes I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true with suche other lyke Paule doth also name him selfe the Apostle of Iesus Christ. Not I commaunde this sayth he but the Lorde The gospell that I preache haue I learned of no man but by the shewing of Iesus Christ. The Lorde that is blessed for euer knoweth that I lye not and such like So is the ende of this booke as was the begynnyng sealed with many wonderfull strong sentences of the Lorde as his whole mynde perfect will and purposed decree concernyng hys church héere in earth 3 And the same Lorde God eternall sayeth Christ vnto Iohn which hath diuersly afore tyme spoken in the holy Prophets and fathers hath now laste of all sent the Angel of his euerlasting couenaunt by him to vtter the secrets of his mynde by whom he created the world Him hath he hither dyrected in these latter dayes of the world to shewe cléerely vnto his true seruauntes of whom thou arte in these dayes princypall those wonderfull things in mysterie which must within shorte space effectually come to passe and be fulfilled in déede As the manyfolde persecutions of his churche the prosperous raigne of the beast and his shorlings with the glorious rayse of the one and dampnable fall of the other That whan troublous crosses doe come they may be the more ioyfully taken cōsidering the tyme of them short the rewarde of their sufferaunce euerlasting 4 For none other cause is God héere called the Lord God of the Prophets but that they haue through his spirite truly beleued in him the same spirit declared his mynde and pleasure 5 In the beginning of this reuelation was this Angell sent vnto Iohn alone here is he sent also vnto his other seruauntes in token that the Lord in Iohn respecteth his congregation 6 The things that must shortly follow are his iudgements in rewarding the rightuous and condempning the reprobates For a thousande yeares are but as a day before him as the tyme that is in a maner past Let euery man take héede sayeth the Lorde leaste I come vpon him vnlooked for Let them watch in fayth and pray in spirite and veritie hauing theyr weddyng garmēts with the oyle of Christian loue in their lampes 7 For beholde whan I shall come eyther to the particular ende of anye man or to the latter iugdement I wil come sodainlye neyther the day nor yet the houre of my comming knowne afore least men as they are ill of nature should dryue of till that daye to liue according to faith Of this admonition may the faythfull sorte be glad being here in aduersitie consideryng their deliueraunce is at hande theyr crowne of immortalitie not farre of 8 Happy is that man whatsoeuer he be high or lowe rich or poore learned or vnlearned that obserueth in his cōuersation and lyfe the godly sayings contayned in the prophecie of thys present booke 9 Yea blessed is he that so receyueth the premonishments thereof that neyther false prophet can deceyue him nor yet any cruell Antichrist with terrour dryue him from the righte vnderstanding and followyng of Christes pure doctrine For neyther to dogges nor swine are they here lefte to be neglected or disdayned but vnto his faythful seruauntes to be reuerently followed and had in remembraunce The text 1 I am Iohn 2. which sawe these thinges 3. and haerde them 4. And vvhan I had hearde and seene them 5. I fell dovvne to vvorshippe before the feete of the Angell 6. vvhich shevved me these thinges 7. And he sayde vnto me 8. See thou doe it not 9. For I am thy fellovv seruaunt 10. and the felovv seruaunt of thy brethen the Prophetes 11. and of them vvhich keepe the sayinges of this booke 12. Worship God The Commentary 1 Consequently bicause ye shall not suppose this matter lyght sayth sainct Iohn as many thinketh that whiche hath not the testimony of men besides the aucthoritie of God I
Iohan Boanerges an earnest thunderer out of the gospell a stirrer vp mens hartes to the study of heauenly things Yea a man knowne not only to you Afianes but also the whole Christianitie for that Apostle whom Christ peculyarlye loued 2 Euen I am the same selfe Iohan which haue both heard these wonderfull things with myne eares and also haue séene them through the great goodnesse of my lord God with myne eyes for your singular commoditie and profite 3 None other matter doe I héere wryte vnto you at the commaundement of Iesus Christ for your healthe and saluation but such as I haue both heard and séene for the same beleue them if ye wil. In my other writings as are my gospell and my fyrst Epistle whervnto I neuer subscribed ye haue throughly beleued mée Giue no lesse credence now than vnto this whervnto I subscribe my name For so haue I done here that ye should the rather beleue it and receyue it as most wholesome doctrine of saluation After thys sort did Paule adde his name to hys sayings that they should be the more earnestly receyued 4 And as concerning my parte truly whan I had thus harde them séene them the wonderfull mysteryes of them so rauyshed my spirites that I in a maner clearely forgate my selfe 5 Yea I was so farre from my right remembraunce for the vehemency of them that I fell downe flatte to the grounde prostrate before the féete of the Angell mynding to giue vnto him the whole homage of my soule which is onely due vnto God that created my soule 6 And what though this Angel which had thus opened vnto me all these woÌ„derfull mysâ—eries afore where Iesus Christ him selfe as I thought him no lesse in déede yet sought I not to haue worshipped him in that similitude coÌ„sidering also the God will haue no part of his honour giuen to any other than vnto himselfe onely 7 Wherefore he charitably admonished me of it and sayd thus vnto me 8 In any wise beware thou doe no such homage vnto me which apere here to thée but a creature least therby thou offende the Lord god For daunger may be in such case though the intent bée godly if any part thereof shoulde remayn to the creature as thou knowest wel inough Nothing maiest thou worshippe that thy outwarde syght offreth vnto thée for in them hath fayth no place whych is a substaunce of things vnséene And God hath taught thée to worshipe him in no creatures neither in breade nor wyne man nor angell but in spirit and veritie onely muche lesse than to worshippe the selfe creatures or Idols in their stede whych is much worse 9 Though I be the sonne of God and sauiour of the world yet am I in this office but a creature and thy fellow seruaunt A sent messenger from God as thou art an opener of his godly minde and pleasure as thou art to sygnifie yâ— vnto thée which he wolde haue thée againe to signifie vnto his people 10 And in this point am I not onely thy companion or in this message ioyned fellowe with thée for so well is it my reuelation as thyne but also I am a lyke companion to thy former brethreÌ„ Ezechiell Daniell Zacary and such other which had the gyft of prophecie and were prophetes in déede as thou art now doing lyke office with them thus vttering gods mind in misteries 11 Yea farthermore I am a fellowe seruaunt likewise and a companioÌ„ togither of all theÌ„ yâ— with reuerence obserue the faithfull testymonies of this present booke or prophecy In token wherof I toke the shappe of a seruaunt I fulfylled the lawe and was conuersaÌ„t among men 12 So thou worshippe not me therefore but worship thy onely Lord god For alone shouldest thou seke him and loue him honour him and serue hym prayse hym and glorifie him None other gods shalt thou haue in my sight saith the eternall and omnipoteÌ„t Lord. Obserue the same rule in worshipping that I taught thée to obserue in prayer Remember I taught thée not to pray vnto me whome thou séest nor yet vnto any dead sainct whome thou séest not but vnto thy lorde God whom thou hast only in beleue saying our father which arte in heauen I tolde thée also that God was a spirite and that he would only be sought in spirite and in nothing that thou séest with thyne eyes Therefore worship God not mée Consider here good reader the vngodly vyolence of the papistes enforcing the simple multitude to worship a drye wafer cake to knele vnto it to holde vp their handes to make theyr prayers to it and to call it their God making them to beleue that it is gods commaundement they shoulde so doe Oh abhominable Antichristes Oh filthie Balaamites séeking your owne bellyes glory to your confusioÌ„ Way this place throughlye with the other scriptures be once ashamed of your beastly and blasphemous madnesse Ye will peraduenture say it is Christes body But truly that is all false For thereof is no mutuall perticipation where one eateth vp all No shewyng is there of the Lordes death til he come where all is done in a foren language and nothing vnderstanded Christ breathed not vpon the bread with hoo hée haue at all as you doe He only tooke it in his holy handes and gaue thankes vnto God The wordes of thankesgyuing he lefte not behinde him for you to â—unger with for he knew yée afore for subtile workers He kept not that bread to him selfe nor yet closed it vp in a boxe as you doe But he brake it and distributed it vnto other In lyke case the disciples did neyther worship it nor him at that season For if they had he would haue forbidden it them and haue taught the same self doctrine that he sheweth here vnto Iohan. Only did they take it eate it in his remeÌ„braunce and that was his institution And where as it is this vsed there is both his body and bloud receiued But otherwise not The breade that was lefte of this consecration or breaking which was so holy as the other was neyther housed nor churched boxed nor pixed but remayned there styll to the housholders to be eateÌ„ of whom soeuer lusted Neyther doth the diuinitie of your senteÌ„cioners as of Thomas of Aquine Dons Dorbel Guido Baconthorp and such other appoynt thervnto that kynde of honour that ye suffer the people to giue vnto it but a far meaner honour called Hiperdulia But you can wynke at such matters suffer both them and your selues to go to the diuell for worldly lucer Nothyng holdeth long with you neither christes doctryne nor your owne But that yée make now ye marre to morowe And that at one tyme is a lawe at an other tyme shal be none at al. Such are your wauering wonders The Text. 1 And he sayde vnto me 2. Seale not thy sayinges of the prophecy of this booke 3. For the tyme is at hande 4. He that doth euill let
conclusion compreheÌ„dyng his whole mynde in this reuelation concernyng the rightuous and vnrightuous Beléeue this necessarye doctryne sayth the Lorde Iesus christ for I which haue tolde it here vnto you am vnder the mistery of Alpha Omega the first and the last Greeke letters the originall beginning of all thinges and perfct ende of the same I am that mightie worde of god though I apere now in thys nature in whom he created all by whoÌ„ he shall perfourme finish al too the end they were created for 12 I am the first in that I am in one godhede equall with the Father and wyth the holy ghost I am also the last in that I shall so continue world with out ende I am he before whom there was neuer any god neyther shall ther be any after me I am onely the Lord for I am from euerlastinge In tâ—ken whereof I haue tolde you both things that are past and thinges yet to come Under this straunge Trope or similytude of Alpha and Omega which is a common Allegory vsed of the Gréekes is alwayes to bée vnderstanded the eternall diuinitie in Christes manhode Whych is here as are manye other thynges els ofte tymes repeated of none other purpose but as a most necessarye cause to bée had in remembraunce The text 1 Blessed are they that doe 2. hys coÌ„maundementes 3. that their power maye be in the tree of lyfe 4. and may enter in through the gates into the citie 5. For without are dogges 6. and inchaunters 7. and whoremongers 8. and murtherers 9. and idolators 10 and vvho soeuer loueth or maketh leasinges The Commentary 1 From henceforth doth the Lorde chaunge the maner of his speakynge representyng agayne the personage of an Angell or messenger Blessed are they sayth he or happy afore GOD that of a sincere fayth and Godly mynde doe dylygentlye obserue hys most iust coÌ„maundementes whych is a very washyng of their defyled garmentes in the bloude of the Lambe For perfectly pure innocent and cleane are they that walke faythfully accordyng to the preceptes of his heauenly doctryne Yea dooinge on the armoure of lyght they are very clearenesse in the Lorde and the shynynge bewty of the worlde 2 And as concernyng hys coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts gréeuous are they not but swéet pleasauÌ„t he setting hand to the fulfilling of theÌ„ which hath coÌ„mauÌ„ded theÌ„ he ministering hys Godly spirite may make of hym that was afore vnwylling a very willyng person lyke as he dyd of Saule whan he chaunged hym into a Paule He laying before their eyes the inestymable profite of the good thynges to come wyll cause them to forget these corruptible pleasures and alwaies to labour for them 3 Happy are they afore hande that shall mynde to doe these thinges that their power through a true beléeue may be in the trée of lyfe wherby they may worke them and so haue fruite of their labours For without that trée by whome is ment the souiour of the world they can doo nothing thervnto Without hys strength grace spirit doubtelesse they are al weake wretched and vnprofitable haue they neuer so many holy deseruings which faithfully desired is neuer denyed them as all the scriptures recordeth 4 Thys woulde bée sought therefore that they may thereby enter in peaceably wtout impedimeÌ„t through the clere gates of pearl afore meÌ„cioned in to the plesauÌ„te citie or the newly prepared Hierusalem By the which gates is none other signified here but he alone diuerslye opened by the Apostles doctryne He is the onely portall of rightuousnesse and the straight way vnto lyfe by whom they enter in from all quarters of the worlde None other would Dauid acknowledge in all hys godly prayses nor yet the Apostle Paule in his manyfolde exhortations Whatsoeuer they be that enter in by him be without perill euermore and shall haue the life euerlasting Thus is a true beleue in him and his worde with a iust following of the same a full doing of his commaundementes without any other traditions ordinauÌ„ces or ceremonies 5 And whilest this chosen flocke are thus entring into this citie the cruell dogges which barke against the veritie and teare the true seruauntes of God are still remayning without appeare they neuer so spirituall holy 6 So are the subtile sorcerers which with their holy charmes and inchauÌ„tments with their prophecies reuelations and false myracles both blynde the vnlearned gouernours and deceiue the prophane Idiotish multitude leading them both to the diuill 7 So are the consecrate whoremongers the defilers of all honestie and breakers of all godly ordinaunces as are in these dayes in the braggers out of Romish chastitie the bishops priests and religious vnder the title of vows mayntaynig Sodome and Gomorre 8 Lykewyse in the spightfull murtherers that of mallice and mischiefe flea the godly preachers and other poore innocent people for rebuking theyr corrupte customes are sequestred from theÌ„ce for euer 9 The supersticious Idolatours of all generations the moste execrable as masse mongers head bablers saint séekers Image lighters gadders to CoÌ„postell Rome Tryer Tholose with all their straunge worshippinges not commaunded of God shall haue no place there 10 Brieflye to conclude the whole what people so euer they are that delighteth in fables lyes and errours not regarding the right meaning of the scriptures or what holy hypocrites â—o euer they be that with famed sanctitie deceyuable wonders and false interpretations blemisheth the veritie of the Lorde for the vpholding of theyâ— pâ—yde lechery and lucre shall enioye no fréedome within this citie Bée yée sure of this sayth sainct Paule in dyuers places that no fornicatour nor vncleane person no couetous cloyneâ— deceiptfull hypocrite lyer for aduauntage filthy Idolatour malicious murtherer or such other like can haue any inheritaunce in the kingdom of Christ and God No porcion can they haue in the lande of the lyuing that hath bene partakers with aduouterers theues The Text. 1 Hesus haue sent myne Angell 2 to testifie vnto you these things in the congregatioÌ„ 3. I am the roote and generation of Dauid 4. and the bright morning starre 5. And the spirite and the bride say 6. Comely And let him that heareth say also 8. Come 9. And let hym that is a thyrst come 10. And let whosoeuer vvill take 11. freely of the vvater of lyfe The Commentary 1 Consequently if ye couer saith the Lord to know surely from wheÌ„ce thys doctrine doeth come and who is the chief authoritie thereof be you throughly ascertayned that I Iesus Christ the sonne of the liuing God haue directed foorth myne Angell which is the spirite of truth or the holy ghost whom I promised to witnesse here manifestly vnto you by my dere disciple Iohn these woÌ„derfull things hereafter to chaunce in the christian congregations 2 Thinke not that the contentes of this booke are either of Iohn or yet of any other man that euer was here lyuing for neyther hath he learned them of Prophet nor holy father but