For he is said to haue the seuen spirites of God that is to haue the seuen fourmed spirit whom he also powreth out vpon the faithful or els he is one only spirit and not seuen but seuen that is to witte his graces be many and diuerse as I declared in the first chapter for the same hath also in his right hand seuen starres to witte the whole multitude of all preachers and ministers keping and instructing theÌ„ And this beginning agreeth not amisse with this argument which he treateth in this Epistle For of the spirite of Christ is life Of the want of the spirit death Christ preserueth the ministers how angrie so euer meÌ„ ar in the churche with theÌ„ for accusing their wickednes Priuely therfore he warneth them to craue the spirite to norishe the lyfe spirituall And to trust in Christe which wil defende the ministers and auaunce them After the same that he testifieth in all other Epistles he repeateth here also I knowe thy workes Wherof I haue spoken before The Loâ—de is ignoraunt of nothyng that is done in the churche whiche is also the searcher of hartes And especially he blameth this in this Churche The sickenes of this church that she thought her selfe a lyue where she was dead He speaketh not of the corporall but of the spirituall lyfe and death For Christe lyueth by his spirite in his sainctes and faythfull and sheweth lyuely workes by them Lyke as the Lorde teacheth in the .vi. of Iohn and in many other places of the Gospel of S. Iohn The Apostle said also that he liued not now Galat. 2 1 Tim. 5 but that Christ liued in him The same Apostle said that wydowes liuing in waÌ„tones being aliue were dead They be dead therfore which haue not Christ liuing in theÌ„ by faith spirit Which haue not the vertue of Christ workyng in theÌ„ that is which bringeth not forth liuely workes Math. 8 For the Lord is red to haue said also in the Gospel Suffer the dead to bury their dead The Sardensians therfore had the name of men liuing that is to say they were called Christians spirituall regenerated and holy worshippers of God but they were dead to witte hipocrites in whome no spirite nor Christen life appered The fleshe the world and corruption as yet liued in theÌ„ But such churches displease Christ There be many suche at this day But whether doth Christ reiect them Verely he blameth such but not to confounde them for so the worlde blameth but that they should repent For he willeth not the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue And therfore consequently he prepareth a medicine for the disease A medicine prepared for the sicknes And first he prescribeth to the starres or Byshops what they should do in this case Then telleth he also the whole coÌ„gregation their dutie Wherof we learne howe like diseases of churches are to be holpen That beloÌ„geth to the Pastours that he commaunded them to watche verely ouer the flock And to confirme that remained of the flock not yet in dede lost but next vnto perdition vnlesse it be holpeÌ„ in time with sound and holsome doctrine He alluded doubtles to that cure and charge pastorall whiche the Lorde describeth in the xxxiiii chapt of Ezechiel The flock is confirmed by the word of God by the same it is retyred from death and preserued in lyfe c. The workes of that church not ful before God Now also he addeth the reason why he commaundeth to confirme the flocke least they slyde in to death For I haue not found thy workes full or perfit before God The Greke copie Complutensian and Aretas haue my God By workes he vnderstaÌ„deth al things that are done wordes works and the whole conuersation of men The workes doubles euen of Sainctes be euermore vnperfit if we haue respecte to humane imbecillitie For always so long as we lyue here the flesh fighteth against the spirite In so muche that Iob sayd how he feared all his workes and therfore fled to the clemeÌ„cie of the iudge Notwithstanding they be perfit and full in respect of Christ For he is our fulnes and in hym we are coÌ„plete Iohn 1. Ephes 1. Coloss the 12. And he maketh vs pertakers of his fulnes by faythe They of Sardis were destitute of trewe fayth wherfore euery worke of theirs muste nedes be vnperfit before God whiche alloweth nothinge but that is of the sonne and moste pure Therfore the Lorde coÌ„maundeth to teache faith diligently and beate it in that they maye bâ— made perfit in Christe This is the beste medicine for the deadly disease of Christes churche Here followeth the dutie of the people The true apostolike repentauÌ„ce how they may be healed by the apostolicall repentaunce Whereof the chiefe poincte is to remember the lordes wordes in what we haue hearde and receiued the same We are not commaunded to diuise newe formes of religion and repentaunce but we are sent to the olde tradition not of men but the which we haue in the Scriptures of Euangelistes and Apostles These I saye we oughte to remembre For throughe custome of sinning we forget Gods worde And truely the beginnyng of Peters repentaunce was to haue remembred the wordes of the Lorde Therfore such as will not be reproued and instructed by gods worde shall neuer come to or attayne the trewe repentaunce Furthermore it is necessarie that we kepe and reteyne the wordes of God that is the trewe doctrine of Christ leeste we forget it streight wayes or that we sette it in vayne contemplation and not in effectuall worke The doctrine of Christ must be kept and perfourmed in worke For in the laste place it followeth and repente Trew repentauÌ„ce consisteth in worke that in minde body we should tourne awaie from euil and tourne vnto God and do good beyng sorie for our wicked dedes paste this is the trewe Apostolicall repentaunce Vnto the whiche repentaunce nowe By threatninges he exhorteth to repentaunce after the diuine prophetical apostolical maner he draweth theÌ„ by the threatnings Whiche are in dede to be referred aswell to the ministers as to the people in the congregation Againe the Lord vseth parables whiche we reade that he vsed in S. Matth. 24. Where with the same he exhorteth to watchyng sobrietie Whiche place sins it is there expounded at large I nede not to vse many wordes aboute it here To the Lorde be prayse and thankes geuyng for euermore ¶ He alloweth and commendeth those that couet to liue godly in the Churche of Sardis exhorting them that they would so holde on and procede The .xvi. Sermon BVt thou haste a fewe names in Sardis whiche haue not defiled their garmentes And they shall walke with me in white for they are worthie He that ouercometh shall be clothed in white araye and I will not put out his name out of the boke of life And I will confesse his name before my Father
spake the Lord in the gospel when they shall saye sayeth he Christ is in the wildernes goe not forth c. And I doubte not but that some simple also at this day for this intent take vpon thē the monastical life but they shall finde also the same that S. Iohn here sayed they should proue and trie by experience Furthermore this place might seme that it should be expounded of the tokens which go before the last iudgement The place is to be expoūded of the laste iudgemēt and of the terrour of the wicked of whom the Lord preached in maner to the same effect in the .21 of Luke But of the laste iudgement shal be spoken more at large and in his place in the .11 and .19 Chapter of this boke and els where And as I do not discōmende that same exposition so seme there nowe to me the generall destenies of the church to be here set together in the which where the corrupte doctrine occupieth not the last place there should nothing be spoken herof in general wherof many thinges in particular shal be spoken in the 8. chapter and others followyng vnlesse this present place should after the same sorte be expounded as it is Furthermore those thinges that followe shall better be ioyned together which shall haue no place in the laste iudgement as the thing it selfe wil proue And the thinges that follow in the 7. Chapt. apperteyne to the exposition of the sixte seale or vnto the treatise thereof And three thinges chiefly it reciteth howe the Aungelles let the windes that they shoulde not blowe an innumerable company to be sealed in the middes of the corrupt doctrine which shuld not perish And what the state of them is which are departed out of this world eyther by martirdom or els beyng either vndefiled with the corruption so ful of enormitie or deliuered pourged from the same which are annexed because of cōsolation For this boke of Apocalipse is wōderful Euangelical most ful not only of prophecies but also of admonitions exhortations and most cōfortable consolations What winde is in the Scriptures First is to be expounded that whiche is spoken of the restreinte of the windes by the Aungels that they should not blowe Winde as also leauē in the scriptures is vsed both in good and euil parte For winde is called vaine and false doctrine and an hope conceyued of erroneouse doctrine As in Osee the .12 and the .5 and .22 of Ieremie So is leauen called the Pharisaicall doctrine and hipocrisie springyng thereof S. Paul in the .4 to the Ephes forbiddeth that we be not caried about with euery winde of doctrine And the holy ghost is shaddowed by winde in the .3 chapt of S. Iohn And in the 2. chapt of the Actes Winde is subtile it pearseth is felte and is not sene greate is the force thereof it doeth refrigerate it drieth gathereth clowdes whiche rayne and make the earth fertile Full rightly therfore by winde is signified the spirite of God and the sounde doctrine whiche is of the spirite of God Therfore is it one winde the spirit of God whiche inspireth and there be foure windes that is to witte many by the corners of Heauen and partes of the earth that is to wit preachers dispersed through out the whole world Therfore the doctrine of the Gospell inspired from all partes of the world bloweth or is preached so that ther be many windes yet all procedyng of one For there is one and the same spirite whiche speaketh by the ministers and geueth them sundry graces .1 Corinth 12. Briefly by the blaste of windes we vnderstand the free preachyng taken out of the holy Scriptures The preachyng of gods word is prohibited Secondely we muste knowe that there be both good and euil Aungels in the Scriptures Aungels as appered before are called ministers And there be good and euill ministers the good inspired of God and the good Aungell and the euil of the euil Aungell And the enemie of the trueth stireth vp men in al places of the world in the Courtes of Kinges in the places of Iudgement in Scholes in Colledges in Cities Townes and Villages whiche may let the free course of Gods worde Therefore the proclamations of Kinges and Bisshoppes flye to and froe are proclamed and set vp prohibiting the readyng of the Bible the preaching of the Gospell c. And to the intent to haue some pretence of their euill doyng they forge that the Bible is corrupte in a thousande places that heresie is learned and taught out of the same Therefore also they prohibite and condemne the Bible and the bokes of the Gospell of the vnworthines of the whiche thing it can not worthely enough be spokē before the church They do the same that in times paste Antiochus Epiphanes Dioclesian and other men of the same sorte are red to haue done The expositours of the Bible in times paste deserued excedyng great prayse nother was there any faythfull that sayed the holy boke to be corrupted for that al translations agreed not emonges themselues We liue therefore at this daye in a time most corrupt and most vnthankefull And the restrainte of reading holy Scripture is the foundation of the corrupte doctrine and of intanglyng the conscience and of dispayre that followeth on the same And by the Earth he vnderstandeth men dwellyng in Earth by the Sea and Iles men of Ilandes and that dwell on the Sea by trees men shadowed euery where in the Scripture by trees For vnlesse the windes blowe the trees florishe not neyther the earth waxeth grene The Prophet sayeth sende forth thy spirite and they shal be created and thou shalt renewe the face of the earth And excepte the worde of God be preached the mindes of men waxe not grene nother are the fruictes of good workes brought forth of men And therfore the Aungelles prohibiting winde are sayed to hurt as in dede there is nothing more pestilent nor perniciouse than the suppressing of the free preachyng of Gods worde The Lorde by his spirite renewe all partes of the worlde Amen ¶ The faithful are sealed to saluatiō which they obteyne by the grace of God in Christ Iesu The .xxxv. Sermon ANd I sawe an other Aungell ascēde from the rising of the sonne which had the seale of the liuing God and he cried with a lowde voyce to the foure Aungelles to whome power was geuen to hurte the earth and the See saying hurte not the earth nother the See nother the trees till we haue sealed the Seruauntes of our God in their forheades And I hearde the numbre of them which were sealed and there were sealed an C. and .xliiii. thousand of al the tribes of the Childrē of Israell Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Ruben were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Gad were sealed xii M. of the tribe of Asser were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Neptali were sealed .xii. M.
the spirit we be the kingdoÌ„ of God The which thing S. Paul handleth at large in the sixt chap. to the Romains Moreouer we be made kings that is free We be kinges by Christ that we should not serue the deuill thâ— flesh and the world according to that saying of Zacharie 〈◊〉 being deliuered from the handes of our enemies we mighâ— serue him without feare in holines and rightuousnes befoâ—â— hym al the daies of our life We be priests And Christe hath consecrated vâ— priestes with his spirite and bloud that we should offer vp tâ— God spirituall sacrifices our selues pure prayers and praâ—ses 1 Pet. 2 Ro. 12.15 Philip. 4. Hebr. 13 Exod. 19 and almosdedes For that these be spirituall oblationâ— Peter and Paul do testifie And these thinges toke S. Iohâ— out of Exodus For we of the Gentils that haue beleueâ— haue succeded in the place of the people of Israell reiectiâ— Christ through incredulitie And these thinges geue a lygâ—â— to that article of the Crede I beleue the holy catholick church the communion of sainctes For we be as many of vs as bâ—leue the fellowship of Gods people sanctified through Chrisâ— to the seruice of God Of whome be these thinges hitherto In the sixt place in the discriptioÌ„ of Christ he sheweth the glory and rule is dewe vnto God alone through Christ 〈◊〉 the churche for euermore The glory and kingdome is of God We geue glory vnto God whâ—â— we ascribe to his goodnes our saluation and all goodneâ— not to our own strength and merites We geue hym ruâ—â— when we acknowledge hym to be Lord head in the churcâ— workyng by hym selfe not by the sainctes in heauen to whâ— he hath graunted power Not by the Pope whom he haâ—â— constitute Vicar in earth The whole glory rule is Christs Seuenthly in the description followeth the commyng 〈◊〉 Christ vnto iudgemeÌ„t Christ will com to iudgement and the maner of his comming Fâ— as a cloude toke him vp from the eyes of the Apostles eâ— so shall he come in cloudes to iudge the quicke and the deaâ— The scripture witnessing And he addeth that the eyes of aâ— men shal se the iudge Math. 24 Act. 1 1 Tessa 4. euen of those which haue peased hym Wherof we gather two thinges first that the iudgemeÌ„t shaâ—be vniuersall Wherin men arrising shall se Christ with thâ—â— owne eies An other thing that Christ shall come to iudgâ—ment in the same fleshe Iob. 19 in the whiche he was wounded and sticked honge vpon the Crosse was buried and rose again This place is taken out of Zacharie and is cited also in S. Iohns Gospel zacha 13 Iohn 19 And it behoueth that his body be shewed to the whole world full of printes and markes that herof may be iudged the Godly and also the vngodly They that then haue beleued in such a redemer These that then haue reiected and contemned suche a one Of these we vnderstande that is added And they shall wayle for that in dede thei haue neglected their owne saluation Which the wise man discourseth at large Sap. 3.5 Moreouer lest any may should doubt of those thinges that are spoken of the iudgement and of the lamentation of the wycked as S. Peter said Thinges spoken of the iudgement are certain 2 Pet. 3 the contemners and mockers of the iudgement should be he addeth a kynde of a confirmation euen so Amen In them also is expouÌ„ded the article of the crede of Christ that shall iudge the quicke and the dead He concludeth this place with these wordes I am Alpha Omega that whiche followeth the beginning and end is omitted in some copies As though that interpretation of that same I am Alpha and Omega crept in out of the margent It is a prouerbe of S. Iohn the Apostle I am Alpha and Omega Heretickes as Basilides and Valentine were wonderfully delighted in letters But against those lettered Heretickes Iohn speaketh plainly by the mouth of Christ I am Alpha and Omega If any thing ought to be ascribed to letters I am al this whole that euerlasting vertue essence and eternitie For the sense is that God is the beginning and ende that is eternall vnspeakeable best and greatest Those things are repeted He that is which was c. Which were expouÌ„ded before There is added almightie For hereby is declared the vnitie and maiestie of God of whom the Trinitie was opened also before Hereby also the authoritie of this boke is confirmed the authour wherof is shewed to be that God eternal and almighty To whom be glory ¶ Of the Narration of this boke where also is discoursed of the place and tyme and of the authour of this Reuelation The fourth Sermon I Iohn your brother and companioÌ„ in tribulation and in the kingdoÌ„ patieÌ„ce which is in Iesu Christ was in the I le of Pathmos for the word of God testimony of Iesâ— Christe I was in the spirite on the Sonday and heard behind me a great voice as it haâ— bene of a trompe saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last That thou seeâ— wryte in a boke and send it to the congregations whiche are in Asia vnto Ephesus anâ— vnto Smyrna and vnto Pergamos Thyatire and vnto Sardis and vnto Philadeâ—phia and vnto Laodicia Narration The last place of the first sheweth vnto vs a brief narratiâ— wherin the Apostle S. Iohn declareth the tyme and place this Reuelation and by whose commaundement he wrouâ— sent the same to the seuen churches in Asia And againe now the third time is the name of Iohn reheaâ—sed He sawe vndoubtedly that there would be some which to the ende they might take away the vse and fruite of thâ— boke wold doubt of the authour Against whom he repetâ—â— and reiterateth his name so oft leest we should doubt lacâ— the great commoditie of so worthy a boke S. Iohn is the brother of the faithful He addeth to his name certen thinges whiche instructâ— touching the state of the Apostle and certen profitable maâ—ters First he calleth him self a brother namely of those sâ—â— churches and of al ours As where I haue admonished yoâ— that in the seuenth number are comprised all churches of 〈◊〉 times throughout the whole worlde We are all so many 〈◊〉 beleue the children of one heauenly father And therfore all spiritual brethren in Christ coinheriters with Christ heires of God Which thing S. Paul taught after Christ Rom. 8 Math. 23 And seing our dignitie is so great let vs ones be ashamed of our misdedes least our memory be put out of this moste noble and celestiall familie It is a shame the brother of Christ of S. Iohn all the Apostles should degenerate c. But why haue not they so instantly vrged this brotherhood as the Munkes haue beaten in their forged fraternities the Rosaries of the virgin Mary and of Sainctes Bycause that was fre
the deliueraunce of the good and punishement of the euill for the sworde is geuen to the magistrate as an authoritie to punishe the euill and defende the good Christ him self defendeth his and his aduersaries he heweth in pieces The sworde is the very worde of God most sharpe two edged and pearsing the very hartes for it animateth the godly and discourageth the wicked Christe therfore gouerneth his Churche as a Iudge and defendour moste rightfull and iuste whiche hath his sworde not in his handes but in his mouthe and with his spirite and worde comforteth and preserueth the faithful but feareth and woūdeth the vnbeleuers Full rightly therfore is this beginning applied to the cause that followeth touching the crosse of the faithfull And expulsing and fliyng the Nicolaitans For it is Christe by the vertue of whose worde these thinges are luckely brought to passe Moreouer the particular workes of this congregation followe In this church are som thīgs cōmended and some dispraised He prayseth in this Churche the singular constancie in faith and profession of the same in moste daungerous perilles temptations and persecutions And it semeth to be a playne rehersall and narration that the Lord knoweth what they suffer and howe greuously they be afflicted but prayse is mixed with al. And this cōmendation belongeth to an exhortation that the thing they did thei should perseuer to do He sayeth howe he is not ignoraunt where the church of Pergamos dwelleth euen there verely where Sathan hathe fixed his seate or throne That is to saye I knowe in what case thou arte in what daungers and with whome thou arte matched He sayeth not the church dwelleth where Sathās seats is I know that thou sittest in the seate of Sathan but I know that thou dwellest there where Sathan hath his seate Christe therfore is not ignoraunt of the labours sorowes and temptations of the faithfull And the knoweledge of Christe hath a certen peculiar thinge For Christ so knoweth the matters of the faithful that he is both touched with the same and hathe also a consideration or respecte of his seruauntes And we see howe Christ also placeth his throne there where the Deuill hathe his seate iust by At the length he thrusteth him out of his seate Pergamos the seate of Sathā And for two causes Pergamos semeth to be called the seate throne and kingdome of the deuill For first as Aretas hath admonished in superstition and worshippinge of Idolles it excelled all Asia whiche neuerthelesse was moste corrupte Pergamos was the most auncient and famouse citie of Asia or of Misia and Phrygia renomed by kinge Attalus Eumenus For the same was the Princelyke palace of kinge Attalus whiche came into the handes of the Romans by the legacie of kings who were most addicte to idolatrie Strabo speaketh muche herof in the 13. boke Moreouer this place was also as Plinie semeth to signifie in the 5. boke the 30. Chapt. moste noble and frequented by reason the liftenant or gouernour there inhabited who at the commaundement of the emperour Domitian persecuted the trewe faithe of Christ imprisonyng scourging and afflicting al that professed Christ By good reason therfore is Pergamos called the seate or Throne of the Deuill For he is a liar and the father of liyng and a murtherer from the beginnynge whiche the Lorde also testifieth in the 8. of Iohn For bycause therfore at Pergamos reigned heathennes liynge Idolatrie superstition the oppression and murther of good men it is rightly called the seate or throne of the deuill This appereth to be a sclaunder not to be dissembled or suffered For Rome semed to her selfe established for euer Rome the seate of sathan and the whiche the Goddes fauoured who had sent them victorye ouer moste greate nations and geuen the Empire of the whole worlde In the whiche citie iustice and religion mighte seme to be obserued And therfore that this seate of iustice and religion shoulde be called the seate of Sathan mighte be thought bothe blasphemie and treason But this doeth the onlye begotten sonne of God from the right hande of his father pronoūce against Rome agaynst Pergamos and agaynst all the confortes of Rome Who shall accuse him of temeritie of rasshenes or of bitter speakyng light persons are doubtlesse angry and very strōpettes will be offended in case they be called by their owne names and be called as they are in dede For suche is the glory of vertue that all men coueth the same euen the open enemies of vertue so that no man will seme to be voide of vertue and such is the corruption and darkenes of mans minde that he would be that he is not and wold not be that he is Therof cometh al this impatience in the whole world when a mattocke is called a mattocke and a figge a figge as the prouerbe is Is an harlot therfore no harlot because she will not be called an harlot yes verely is she an harlot and a shameful harlot and though she denye neuer so ofte that she is a whore yet is she an whore neuerthelesse and remayneth a whore So the seate or Throne of Sathan is at this daye Rome it selfe whiche will seme to be the seate of Christe and the seate Apostolical For the worke and instruction of the deuill therein aboundeth Finally al Cities Townes Where is the seate of the deuil places wherin veritie godlines religion and vertue are exiled wherin the preaching of Gods trueth and correctiō of most corrupte maners haue no place wherein filthines and vncleanes baudy songes and not spirituall Psalmes wherin crafte and disceipte surfetting murther aduoutrie oppressiō of good people and of godly religiō triūpheth be the seates of Sathan how so euer they be called the moste christen and catholicke cities and worshippers of the righte and christen saith This thing Iesus Christ the very sonne of God saieth crieth affirmeth repeteth and euen with a maiestie pronoūceth For by and by after the murther of Antipas he addeth where sathan dwelleth And these thinges are doubtles true whiche Christ sayeth and pronounceth in the Churche and most false be the thinges whiche this most sinful world here alledgeth against the wordes of Christ But this same the Lord highly cōmendeth that in so slipper vnfortunate a place they haue stande vprightly hitherto and coulde not be subdued in the verye seate of Sathan To dwell in the mids of a frowarde nation Ephes 5. Here we learne that it is lawefull as occasion shall serue to dwell in the middes of a frowarde nation yet so that we be not made conformable to thē in any wise either in maners or superstitiō And for as much as it is daūgerous to dwel amōgs the vngodly and as it were to touche pitch with our hādes Thou shalt nothing offende against the Lord if thou get thee to a safer place wherin is lesse daunger and more occasion of al godlines Yea rather when thou mayest cōueniently passe vnto suche
obeying How the word of bying is vsed For no man shall imagine that there is bargayning before God as there is with men As though the spiritual gifts of God mought be bought for money This is repugnaunt to the whole scripture and specially against the determination of S. Peter pronounced against Simon Magus But this our exposition the Prophet Esay Approueth in the .55 Chapter Where amongest other thinges come sayth he bye without mony and without price or exchaunge And by and by I◠hearing heare me incline your care c. Therfore the Romishe Chananite hath no hold hereof I meane the Pope that great marchaunt which selleth al thinges in the church euen those thinges which he hath not the greatest disceiuer in the worlde Hereunto is added moreouer that lyke as it is in Esay plainly expressed of whome suche graces or giftes are to be bought So Christ also here saith expressely I counsel thee to bie of me Behold he saith of me Not of the Pope of Monkes Freers or priestes For Christ alone hath the thinges whiche we may require He alone doth satisfie he alone graunteth those giftes And therfore he sayth in the Gospell of S. Iohn Let hym that hath honger or thirst come vnto me To me I say let him come Iohn the .iiii. vi and .vii And S. Peter sayth Lorde to whom shall we go Thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe As though he should say If we wyll lyue we can go to none other but vnto thee Thou arte the lyfe and fountaine of all goodnes Moreouer the vse and profit of this pure golde The vse fruicte of pure gold tried and moste purified I meane the word of Gods veritie and pure fayth is three sortes First that thou mayst be ryche Secondly that thou mayest bye thee apparell Thirdly that thou mayest bye the eye salue to heale the blyndnes of thine eyes For the worde of God and fayth in hym is the foundation of true pietie Without the worde and faith nothinge is sounde The first fruicte is welthe or riches to witte spiritual The true riches of the faithfull For the worde and faith is not a false imagination and a vayne dreame of thinges most excellent For he that beleueth the worde feleth ioye in his harte and inioyeth spirituall giftes And possessing Christ through faith possesseth all goodnes Wherupon also the Apostle in the first chapt of the first epistle to the Corinth sayd I geue thankes to my God alwayes for you for the grace of God that is geuē you in Christ Iesu because you ar in al thinges inriched by him in euery word and in al knowledge like as the testimony of Christ is cōfirmed in you In so muche that you are not destitute in any gift c. Let thē marke wel these things which thinke worldly goodes to be true riche These foles shal be iudged of the wisdom of God as it is manifest in the .12 cha of S. Luke And besides this they that are destitute of the light of God his worde and lack faith cā not vse rightly nor wel these earthly riches Therfore heauenly riches are the true riches The apparell of the faithfull The second fruict is the clothing comly apparel wherwith we are couered that our shameful nakednes should not appere Before their fal our parentes were naked but with out any shame or ignominie After the fal thei wer ashamed Because sinne bringeth shame and want of al good workes And an euill conuersation is a moste shameful nakednes With this were the Laodiceans infected But Christ whiche is learned by the word of truth and perceiued by true fayth is the white apparel of the faithfull their rightuousnes innocencie He couereth al our spottes he abholisheth our shamefull nakednes decketh vs with all kinde of vertues that we may appere honest and comly before God in holy conuersation For Christ is the wedding garment The Apostle counselleth vs to put on Christ that we be appareled with rightuousnes temperaunce and all goodnes The places be in the .13 to the Romaines Ephes 4. Colos 3. chapt Away here with the cowle of our Lady vnder the whiche gather for the moste part wicked and impenitent persones The most pure virgin couereth not suche Our ladies cowle she loueth rightuousnes and repentaunce Finally with this gold is bought an eie salue which is a medicine for the eies Sight is restored which Phisitions are wont to lay to sore and blere eies against blindnes The cōmaundement of the Lord saith Dauid is bright geuing light to the eies Faith also doth infourme rightly the iudgemēt of man that we may iudge holily of vertues vices The want of God his worde and of true faith bringeth in blindnes For all these thinges the Lord counselleth the Laodicians to seke for Gods word and beleue it verely For so it should come to passe that being inriched with al spiritual giftes thei might leade a pure conuersation in the church might possesse Christ and iudge rightly of al matters of saluation And in these thinges also consisteth true repentaūce In forgeuenes of sinnes and amendement of life c. But least they should say we heare these thynges in vain The Lord rebuketh chasteneth whome he loueth as they which haue heard before that we shall be spewed out of the Lordes mouth yea and are so sharpely shaken vp with bitter wordes sentences that we are constreined to dispair He preuenteth that same saith whom soeuer I loue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I rebuke and chastē The first word signifieth to accuse and reproue openly which is done with sharper wordes The latter is referred to discipline wherby children are kept in awe with the Palmer least they forget them selues through wantonnes The Lord therfore alluding to the words of Salomon in the .iii. Chap. signifieth that a sharpe rebuke or seuere chastening is not always a signe that God is angry but oftener a token that he is pleased and loueth vs. Therfor he saith first I rebuked you sharpely of loue and so sought your saluation Therfore it is now also an holsome signe if the preachers rebuke the church with sharpe wordes And again it is an vnlucky signe if a foxe tayle be stroken ouer faultes intollerable It is a token of loue also if a man suffer sondry mishappes Which thing the Apostle discourseth at large in the .xii. Chapt. to the Hebre. Vpon these thinges he inferreth the some of the matter zeale repentaunce sayth Where thou seest God so earnestly seke thy saluation I pray thee continue not always to be thus in a mammering nether hote nor cold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be zelouse take vnto thee a feruent zeale to followe and apprehend thy saluation For now he setteth the feruentnes of faith conceaued of the word and spirite of God against this newtralitie or warmnes After he addeth and repent in sorsaking thyne euill conuersation and being of Christ
Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Simeon were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Leui were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Isachar were sealed .xii. M. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Ioseph were sealed .xii. M. of the tribe of Beniamin were sealed .xii. M. After this I behelde and lo a great multitude whiche no man coulde numbre of all nations and people and tunges stode before the seate and before the Lambe clothed with lōg white garmentes and Palmes in theyr handes and cried with a lowde voice saying Saluatiō be ascribed to him that sitteth vpon the seate of our God and vnto the lambe And al the Aungels stode in the compasse of the seate and of the elders and of the foure beastes and fel doune before the seate on their faces and worshipped God saying Amē Blessing and glory wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euer more Amen We haue hearde bretherne the sixte seale beyng opened A pestilent matter shadowed by fearfull parables that the Sunne was made blacke the Moone blouddy the Starres to haue fallen from Heauen to the Earth and the reste that we haue rehersed by all the whiche was signified the corruption of doctrine A sorrowful and a feareful matter was shaddowed with moste sorrowful and most terrible parables We hearde how there followed in the worlde a most great tourmoile of thinges and with many a most greuouse dispaire and that the windes also were restreyned that they should not blowe But we haue experienced howe greate a griefe it is yea and distruction also to waunte the ayre or winde in so much that with out breathing and cooling men muste nedes wither and be quesomed and choked vp But with so great an euil are thei vexed which are destitute of the preachyng of Gods worde Some man here might saye Whether the whole worlde do peryshe in errours than the whole worlde perissheth in heresies in the Alcorane in Papistrie and other corruptions In what case thinke you than are our forefathers do you thinke they be al damned S. Iohn preuenteth these thinges and with a vision al together Euangelicall that is to wit with a cōsolation moste profitable sheweth that God hath an innumerable multitude of them whiche euen in the middes of those antichristian times or difficulties are made safe and that of the mere grace of God through the intercession of Iesu Christ of whom alone is saluation that is to saye whom alone they that are saued may thanke for their saluatiō We haue at this present what to aunswere to menne of a contrary faction alwayes obiectyng An argument of the example saluation of our elders eyther our Elders are damned altogether it were wicked to condemne all they be saued therefore But they haue not hearde of that our newe doctrine but kepte the olde in the olde therfore shall we also be saued To this we make aunswer that our elders were saued we graūt gladly beleue it also but we adde of the free grace of God as we shal by by more playnly vnderstāde and not by popish superstitiō neyther therfore shalt thou by the same be saued but thou muste also be saued by Christ if thou wilt be saued But rather seyng at this daye through the singular goodnes of God the gospel is preached and is preached euen to thee to the whiche thou shewest thy selfe a rebell thou declarest thy self to be none of the nūbre of gods children Ia. 8.15 which heare the worde of God with ioye and kepe it Neyther shalte thou haue any cloke or pretense wherwith to excuse thy sinne Yf thy forefathers had had the like oportunitie which thou neglectest good God what a space wold they haue runne afore thee Therfore thou both willing and witting speakest against God wilfully throwest thy selfe into distruction Dye therfore through thine owne faulte By the grace of god many ar saued at al times in the most corrupt religion Neither doeth this place only testifie very many to be saued by the grace of God from corruption in the true faith euen than what time in mans iudgement there appere none or very fewe to be faithfull and euen very fewe or none to be saued by reason of the exceading great corruption of euery time We haue also hearde and red in the .3 boke of kinges the .19 chapt that Helias complayning most greuously of the scarsetie of the faithfull vnderstode that God had reserued yet seuē thousand men which had not boughed theyr knees before Baal The lord therefore hath euermore his chosen whiche in the middes of destruction and perdition by grace through Christ are saued Chryste is authour of saluation And the Authour of this saluation and preseruatiō is first declared to be an Aungell ascendyng from the risyng of the sunne to witte the Lord Christ that sunne of rightuousenes rising vp in those most thicke antichristian darknes to those that seke God and lighting them the darkenes driuē away For Christ is the trewe light of al times lighting al so many as be illumined He geueth his people also preachers whiche by the worde maye defende Gods people that they be not distroyed with that comon distruction Of the Seal of the lyuing God For it is diligently expressed that this Aungel had a seale that not a seale only but the seale of God euen of the liuing God For Christ which is the Image of God vnsene that is to say the printe or expresse Image of his substaunce in whom we know as he him self sayeth vnto Philip the father hath a seale which is an instrument wherwith we seale such thinges as we wil haue sealed saued confirmed discerned from that which is counterfet kept safe against disceipte But the Lorde hath no suche seale as we haue in this world but so by a figure is called the spirit of god with whom he inspireth his faithful by whō he geueth also a liuely faith by the word of the liuing eternal God This seale therfore is the seale of the liuing God the spirite of life and liuely faith Ephesi 1 herof thapostle S. Paul speaking we also trust in Christ after the word of trueth hearde the gospell of your saluatiō wherin after ye beleued ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promesse c. These thinges are not diuided For faith is not without the worde nor both these without the holy ghost in the faithful For Christ worketh with mē by a lawfull ministerie by mē inspiring certen that maye teach admonish men vnto whō he geueth his faith spirit sealing theyr mindes Christ therfore doeth prohibite the ministers of Sathan that they in restraining letting the free preaching of Gods worde should not procede to hurte men before the mindes of the chosen be sealed that is to say teacheth how soeuer the veritie
is restreined and the preaching of the Gospell obscured yet that the mindes of many shal so be furnisshed with gods worde and with godly inspiration which may so liue and be of such efficacitie in them that seducing can either haue no place in thē or if it haue any at al can not abide or perseuer to the ende There be also two other places of the scripture Howe the auncients in tymes past were Sealed testifiyng that signets were geuen to men wherwith they were sealed were exempte or deliuered from the present euil neyther be they repugnaūt to this our seale of the liuing god In Exod. 12. the postes or dore chekes of the Israelites were springled with the bloud of the lābe The signe of it selfe should haue preuailed nothing vnlesse the vertu of God instituting a cōsecrating the signe with his word had tourned away thaungel distroyer neither hath the signe waunted faith beyng vsed of the holy mē of god For the godly receiueth not the ordenaūces of god wtout faith Therfore the same power of Christ preserued the Israelites frō distructiō which now kepeth the faithful frō the infectiō of Antichrist Ezechiel .9 one sealeth the foreheades of that faithful hauing the tipe of a scribe priest Verely Christ hath at al times defended his And he sealeth by imprintyng or writing this marke or letter Tau That marke signifieth that is to say the Law or direction or Rule For in whom so euer is ingrauen the law of God the word of God euen the rule of faith in the very hart he is safe sure from al euil The auncients in olde time called the rule of faith direction the very articles of the christen faith I beleue in God c. Ye see therfore how al those signes come in dede all to one poincte For thei be safe and sure from euil whom the spirite of God hath inspired and illumined with faithe by the worde This much of the seale Who be sealed Now let vs also consider who they are that be sealed We reade in Ezechiel passe through the citie of Ierusalē marke Tau in the foreheades of mē mourning and lamenting for al thabominatiōs done in the middes therof And here it is saied til we seale the seruaūts of our God Therfore are the seruaūts of god and they that are sory for abominable wickednes are sealed The contemners of God hogs dogs are neglected It is shewed moreouer in what part of thē they be sealed In what part of them they be sealed In time paste the bloud of the lambe was annoincted on the dore postes In Ezechiel Tau is marked in their foreheades Here also is imprinted the seale of the liuing God in the forheades of the faithful And the forehead representeth a tipe of the minde the chiefest and most excellent parte in man The spirite and faith is put into the mindes of the faithful Neuerthelesse the marke is aptly fixed to the forehead not to the hinder part of the head backe or shoulders For they that be lighted with the worde spirite and haue faith do cōfesse the same dissemble nothing and much lesse are ashamed but desire that their glory that is their faith might be knowen of al men We cal most notable things written in our forhead that is most manifest things wherof we be not ashamed Examples of such as are sealed with the seal of the lyuing god Yf we now applie these things to such as were done in old time and now also at this daie they wil bring a great light to them There were founde good men faythfull and fearynge God mourning or sorrowing and seruauntes of God And there be foūde at this day also in the middes of Mahometrie and Papistrie which expressely condemne and haue cōdemned this kinde of life openly confessing that the same is not the trewe waye of life that there is no more wicked kinde of men liuyng than be their priestes that they would not committe themselues and their saluation to them but rather to cōsecrate themselues wholy to God his mercy And others whiche haue spent a great parte of their life of a good zeale doubtles but not accordyng to knowledge in those trifles and superstitions when they are comen to the ende of their life they dispise al together yea and freely professing the veritie they condemne al those trifles and committe thēselues wholy to the christian faith estemyng nothing more excellent or surer than the rule of fayth which also they couet to heare recited to them as a trewe confession die in the same Al these hath the mercy of God sealed with the seale of the liuing God and deliuereth from al spotte of Antichrist and sathan from corruption and distruction through Iesus Christ our Lord. But leest we should gather in euery age only here one and there one A great nūbre are saued euen in the kyngdome of Antichrist the lorde him selfe nowe maketh here a great accompte and firste of the Iewes by euery tribe he gathereth twelue thousande and after by multiplication an hondreth fourtie and foure thousande and of the gentiles a multitude innumerable Wherfore in euery time and age innumerable obteyne saluation how muche so euer errour seducyng and distruction reigne and rule in the world These thinges doe highly cōmende God his mercy and comfort vs excedingly And where certen gather herof that there shal be yet in this world before the iudgemēt a Saturnical or golden age wherin these thinges should be fulfilled and that all menne should come to the kingdome of God it alludeth ouer much to the grosse errour of the Millenaries which is already expulsed out of the churche of God These thinges were fulfilled in olde time and are at this daye and shal be fulfilled likewise so longe as the worlde shal indure The kingdome of Sathan and of Antichrist shall continewe alwayes to the last iudgemēt and shal stil impugne the kingdom of Christ and seme euen to oppresse the same much lesse ought they to promise vs so great securitie When the sonne of man shall come saieth the sonne of man him self in the Gospel thinke you shal he finde any fayth vpon earth And agayne it shal be as in the dayes of Noe and Loth the wordes of the gospel are knowē as be also those of the blessed Apostels Peter and Paule 2. Pet. 3. 1. Thess 4. By the waie is reasoned of the restoring of Israel But suche as like not this our exposition or minde vrge briefly that the promesses of the prophetes for the restoring of Israel are not yet fulfilled but that according to the veritie of the eternall God they muste be fulfilled They suppose therfore yea and contende also that thee must a certayne or prefixed time remaine wherin al these thinges may be accōplished Hereunto I aunswer plainely that we shal shamefully erre with Papias Iustine Ireney Tertull. and Lactance and with those that are called
a whoremonger entreth not into the kingdome of God Ephes 5. Finally is set thefte with all his partes Thefte Wherof I spake ones in the exposition of the .x. coÌ„maundementes The Lord Iesus preserue vs from all defilyng of sinnes c. Amen ¶ Christ a strong Aungell is set agaynst Antichrist and is excellently described shinyng againe in the darkenes of the church with consolation The .xliij. Sermon ANd I sawe an other mightie angell come downe from Heauen The .10 chapter clothed with a clowde and the raynebowe vpoÌ„ his head and his face was as the Sunne and his fete as it were pillers of fire he had in his hand a little boke open and he put his right foote vpon the sea and his lefte foote on the Earth And cried with a lowde voyce as wheÌ„ a lion roareth And when he had cried seuen thonders spake theyr voices and when the seuen thonders had spoken theyr voyces I was about to write And I hearde a voice froÌ„ heaueÌ„ saiyng vnto me seale vp those things whiche the seuen thonders spake and write them not Hitherto haue we hearde many things of the most daungerouse conflictes against the christen pietie and veritie but nothing hath ben spoken of the defence and maynteiners of the trewe religion but rather the successe and wonderfull felicitie of the wicked hath ben preached especially in the fifte and sixte trompet to witte vnder Papistrie Mahometrie Therfore it might seme to many that the veritie it selfe was not only oppressed loste but also that the veritie of Gods promesses began to fainte decaie A greuouse teÌ„ptatioÌ„ in the felicitie of the AntichristiaÌ„s For the godly oppressed iniquitie triuÌ„pheth in al places the veritie being trodeÌ„ vnder fote liyng reigneth euery where Who therfore would not thinke that the thinges be in maner vaine which are spoken euery where of the rewardes of good men and punnishmeÌ„t of euill doubtles the children of Israell doubted of the fayth of Gods promesses when the terme of their captiuitie was extended only to three score and ten yeres What maruell is it than if the faithful at this daye also seyng the seruitude or bondage of Mahomet and the tiranny of the Pope or Antichrist hath continewed nowe many yeres beginne also to be tempted as also the Sainctes were tempted in olde time witnes Asaph Psalme .73 And verely ye shall haue at this daye which wil say perauenture this world shal be alwaies shal neuer haue ende papistrie shall reigne for euer the Mahometanes shal conquer for euer the godly shal be miserable for euer therfore it is better to frame theÌ„selues to the world we haue nowe loked for thy iudgement a long time yea our fathers D.CCC. and a thousande yeres since had thought the last day of the Lord had ben at hand but none ende appereth any where but all thinges are dayly renewed therefore shal the same face of the world be alwaies the courses of times dewly retourning Who therefore knoweth whether a rewarde be prepared for the godly or punnishmeÌ„t for the wicked For there chaunce farre other thinges vnto holy men than many loke for They loking for blessing life felicitie beholde they are ouerwhelmed with the curses of al menne caried to executioÌ„ and seme the most vnfortunate of all men He that cleaueth to the papistes Turkes and enemies of the Gospell goeth through luckely enough c. Therfore as euery where in this boke ioyfull thinges are mixed with sorrowfull so here also after moste greuouse battels of the .v. and .vi. trompet and moste stronge temptations he ioyneth a most ioyouse gospel for the consolation coÌ„firmation of the faithful leest they should any where doubte of the fidelitie of gods promesses or reuolte from the trewe religioÌ„ to the false therfore against Antichrist the blacke Aungell of the botomles pitte is set the bright or shining Angel of heaueÌ„ the lord Christ Here is gallauntly described is sayed to retourne vnto his the same sweareth solemnely that there shal be none other time but that in the .vii. trompet the very misterie of God should be fulfilled Moreouer the lorde Christ coÌ„maundeth S. Iohn to eate the open boke which Christ held in his hande to prophecie againe By al the which thinges to the coÌ„fort of al godly is signified that Christ shal retourne into the church out of the which he semed by his enemie and vicar to be cast out with great glory and power nother the hope and expectation of the faithful to be vaine how so euer the last daye of iudgement be differred into many ages and the godly fele of great aduersitie Finally that punnishment and rewarde is prepared of God and that this shal be geuen to the godly and that inflicted to the wicked For to the intent we might herof be most assured Christ taketh a solemne othe And sayeth it shal come to passe that the catholicke and christian veritie shall agayne come into the fielde and fighte valeauntly against the Antichristian and Mahometical doctrine Herof therfore shal we learne not to despeire in the loÌ„g persecutions of Antichrist and Mahomet We shall learne also howe to fight agaynst Antichrist and howe he muste be ouercomen not with warlicke but spiritual weapons These is not he able to match He whetteth one sworde on an other And hitherto in dede in these two last chapt hath ben spoken of the warres of heretikes and of the vngodly and of Antichrist the head of al euil hereafter shal follow of the contrary fight of the godly and maynteynaunce of Godlynes Before these is set a description of Christ most elegaunt A goodly descriptioÌ„ of Christ moste holesome and moste full of consolation declaryng his force in the ministerie by the ministers of the worde whoÌ„ he hath clothed with vertue from aboue by the weake things of this world ouercoÌ„meth and beateth together the stroÌ„gest things of this world and the which semed inuincible Christ king and Bisshop animateth al his faythfull with his spirite and word indifferently alwaies and euery where worketh many things by his vertue so that he is now felte of al meÌ„ to be coÌ„men againe vnto whoÌ„ he semed hitherto to haue absented him self some what to long And I doubt whether ther be in all the canonical bokes aâ—ter the prophecie of Esaye after the story of the Gospell and especially after the gospell of blessed S. Iohn any other boke which hath mo and more goodly descriptions of Christ than hath this boke They are disceyued and much abused which suppose a rare gospell to be preached in this boke But let vs see the descriptioÌ„ of Christ by partes Christ a mighty Angell We haue shewed in the .v. and .vi. trompe that Antichrist the Pope and Mahomet are stroÌ„g Now is set agaynst them a mightie Aungel the lord Christ him selfe an Angel in dede not in nature or dignitie For he toke not the nature of an Aungel but
disturbers sediciouse iniuriouse against God his saintes and agaynst al men Therfore they wisshe with all theyr hartes to be eased of this burthen The Lorde Iesus forgeue them this sinne ¶ The enterprises of Antichrist in wedyng out the preachers to be vayne howe great shall be the rewardes of Preachers and of the punnisshement of the wicked The .xlix. Sermon ANd after three daies and an halfe the spirite of life frō God entred into them And they stode vpon their fete and greate feare came vpon them that sawe them And they hearde a great voice from heauē saiyng vnto them come vp hither And they ascended vp into heauē in a clowde and their enemies sawe them And the same houre was there a great Earthquake the tenth parte of the citie fell and in the Earthquake were slayne names of mē seuen thousand and the remnaūt were feared and gaue glory to God of Heauen Hitherto hath he spoken of the wicked ioyes and gladnes of Antichrist and the vngodly men of the last age The ioyes of the wicked not to be long conceiued of the slaughter of the holy prophetes of god They wil thinke how they shal reigne for euer in those their errours superstitions and pleasures and suppose by theyr murtherynge to haue put to silence the preachyng of the gospel to them most displeasaunt But consequently the Lord sheweth that their hope is most vaine their attemptes to be frustrate and their ioyes shorte yea and quickely to be tourned into mourning miserie For first he declareth that the prophecie or preachyng shal be repared of God by newe prophetes and that to the greatest griefe and terrour of the Antichristians whiche loked for no such thing After he sheweth howe great rewardes are prepared and geuē to the preachers oppressed in this world and intreated with greate vilanie Finally he signifieth that the wicked shall not liue in continuall pleasure but that God will disturbe their ioyes bringyng miserie vpon them euen in this world Which although he beginne at the laste in this world to punnishe in an other worlde will more aboundantly augmente their tourmentes euerlastyng And all these thinges shall nede no greate exposition so that we marke dilligently what thinges haue ben done a fewe ages past and what be done also at this daye And al these thinges apperteyne to the consolation and comforte of Sainctes The prophecie shal be oft restored which semed extinguisshed First that the free preachyng of Gods word agaynst Antichrist shal be restored whiche semed to him selfe to haue ouercomen and oppressed all prophecie he declareth by these wordes and after three dayes and an halfe the spirite of life from God entred into them He signifieth by that nombre of dayes as I tolde you before a very shorte time as though he shoulde saye they shall not longe in ioye their false and blouddy pleasures For God shal reyse vp other Prophetes in the place of those that are dead And he speaketh as though God should reyse vp the selfe same prophetes whiche Antichrist had slayne and that he would obiecte them agayne to the wicked in their owne bodies Howbeit they shal be reised agayne in their bodies at the laste daye but nowe shall other preachers succede in the place of those that reste vnto whom God shall geue that spirite of his which he had geuen to the others that are dead Therefore he calleth this the spirite of life for as much as those which were slaine for the same doctrine seme as it were to haue liued agayne Verely for lickenes of doctrine Iohn Baptiste Helias and the prophet Ieremie semed to haue ben reuiued in Christ as is red in the .14 and .16 of Matth. And here is expressely saied that the same spirite did not procede of the Deuill or of men as it is sayed at this daye of many but of God For he with his spirite which is one inspireth his ministers and directeth the same by his worde that the latter wholy aunswer to the fourmer in doctrine and seuere rebukyng of sinnes c. For the liuely effecte of that spirite followeth and they stode vpon their fete that is to saye they liued againe Their doctrine semed ouerthrowen and troden vnder fote but Gods worde standeth agayne vpon his fete and runneth moste swiftely We saye in Dutche of suche as be restored to expounde the effecte that same also appertayneth that the Antichristians seyng other preachers succede in the roume of thē that were slaine beyng stricken with feare knowe not whether to tourne them By the waye therefore is signified that the course of the worde shall be fortunate and the whiche these menne can not stoppe by any meanes howe so euer they rage and murther All these thinges shall be better vnderstande by the Histories of later times and of suche thinges as are done yet at this daye And to the intente that omittyng the eldeste thinges I maye touche those of latter time the Bisshoppes of Rome had thought they had wonne the fielde in the counsell of Constaunce when they had burned Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage but within a shorte time after many godly and wel learned men sprange vp in Boheme and in other cuntries in whom those slayne appered to haue takē againe the spirite of life In Italy Laurence Valla taught to his greate prayse and also Hieronimus Sauanorela c. In Germany taught many godly men as in Fraunce also in Englande and other nations Thirtie yeres paste through the grace of God was brought a light into the world by Mirandula Reuchline Erasmus Luther Zwinglius Oecolāpadius Melanchthon and innumerable others in whom the spirite of life vttering it selfe after euery mans talente set forth the Scriptures detected the Romisshe wickednes and rebuked the vices of all states but especially of the clergie The Romish are affrayde of this spirite and fill the eares of themperour kinges with complainctes and accusations crie out that we should all with our bokes be distroyed burned Howebeit the power of God neuerthelesse maketh the prophetes to stāde on their fete and their preachyng to runne a pase howe so euer these rage in their furie persecute gods veritie preached through out the whole world To God be the prayse and glory In this cōsolatiō are mixed also rewardes prepared for the faithful ministers Great rewardes prepared for the godly ministers whō the Antichristians slaiyng do first excōmunicate that they maye sende them as it were boūden might as it were addicte thē to Deuils of thē to be tourmented with euerlastyng punnishmentes And hitherto haue all preachers bē thought which haue spokē agaynst the church of Rome haue suffered therfore at the Popes hāde to haue perisshed both body and soule their bodies I saye consumed with fire and their soules throwē downe into hell For they were condemned as heretikes and enemies of God and the church and euen as the plagues of mankinde so taken
iudges moreouer oppressours of the poore which afflicte widowes and the fatherles more ouer whiche in vsurie thefte disceiptefulnes extorsion and euill meanes are hurteful to all men and by their vnsatiable couetousenes brede a darth of al thinges Finally which by whoredome and aduoutrie defile breake holy matrimony Laste heretikes distroye the earth suche as infecte men with corrupte doctrine that dwell vpon the Earth into the which numbre come also seditiouse persons and traitours and other wicked men Perdition is not to abolish These shall the Lord distroye with euerlastyng perdition wherby they cease not to be that perish but become muche more miserable whilest they are vexed with tourmeÌ„tes that neuer shall haue ende Vnthriftes and prodigall persons are sayed to be loste yet in perisshyng thus they cease not to be but procede dayly to be more miserable which is perdition it selfe God openeth Heauen to his that they loke vp to him Furthermore S. Iohn doubteth this doctrine of the reâ—arde of the godly that whiche before he treated vnder the fourme of a thankeful prayse and a ioyouse triumphyng he propoundeth now consequeÌ„tly the same as it were to be sene with the eyes by a vision celestiall And gallauntly he endeth this vision with the opening of the Temple which he began with the opening of Heauen For the louing lorde openeth to his seruauntes heauen it selfe to be sene of the eyes of our minde to the ende we should no where doubte of the glory prepared for vs in Heauen nother should saie who hath sene those celestiall thinges that are promised vs For like as the blessed fathers the Prophetes and Apostles haue had very many visions of this sorte effectuall trewe and godly So maye euery one of vs with the eyes of our minde through trewe fayth loke into Heauen it selfe I knowe well that the worldely men passe nothing vpon such visions as of whom the Lord in the Gospell hath sayed the world can not receiue the spirite of trueth for that he seeth him not nother knoweth him Let not vs care for their contempt Let vs see therfore The temple of god open in heauen what is prepared for the seruauntes of God in an other worlde Firste S. Iohn sawe heauen open now in heauen it self he seeth also the very temple of god open to witte to all the godly By the Temple of God he vnderstandeth the secretes of God the inwarde priuie partes of Heauen whereinto he will receyue to the fruition of him selfe al beleuers But in that diuine temple of heaueÌ„ was sene the Arche of his Testamente Arcke in the Temple For God made a conuenaunte or leage with the faythful that he would be theyr God their fulnes and a most pleÌ„tiful Sea of al goodnes a most aboundaunt and moste sufficient plentie of all thinges The confirmation testimony and declaration wherof is the Arke of coÌ„uenaunte the very sonne of God in whome dwelleth all fulnes of deitie and in whom we be made perfit For he is the Arke in whom are layde vp al celestial treasours ful of grace and veritie This Arke of good thinges and of eternal felicitie appereth in heaueÌ„ For the sonne of God is in the throne of God The liberall and bountiful father celestial wil powre out this Arke vpon his children graunting to them through Christ his only sonne all heauenly giftes that we mighte be partakers of al Christes benefites euen to the deitie wherin he excelleth his bretherne Hereby it appereth howe Moses prepared the Arke after the example of the same whiche he sawe in Heauen and the figure whereof was the Arke of the conuenaunt c. Otherwise we shal heare in the .21 chapt of this boke that there is no temple in heauen c. These moste beautiful thinges to be sene and moste pleasaunt to be hearde the sonne of God hath set forth to be sene and hearde of vs. Consequently he addeth that punnishementes are prepared for the wicked and expouÌ„deth the same also diuersely and propouÌ„deth the same to be sene Hitherto were made in the worlde lighteninges And lightninges were made voices and thonderinges c. The holy ghost shining to the world and drawing through the doctrine of the veritie mouing and fearing but the madde worlde would not vnderstande no nor so muche as heare the maner and waye of saluatioÌ„ therfore the diuine iustice requireth that they should be talked with all in an other langage and therefore by the iuste iudgemente of God are made now lightenings c. And by this heape of wordes he signifieth the horrible punnishement that God will take of the wicked And he appereth to haue alluded to the burnyng of Sodome also to the wordes of the godly Prophet it shall raygne vpon sinners snares of fyre brimestone and spirite of tempeste in the .11 Psalm Therefore is this vision concluded as the story of S. Matthewes Gospell and these shall goe into euerlastyng punnishement and the iuste into life euerlastyng We haue in these eight laste chapters the thirde parte of this boke and an notable abridgement of the Ecclesiasticall storie froÌ„ the time of S. Iohn vnto the worldes ende wherwith we are instructed in the trewe fayth and are admonisshed of all perilles and traysons whereby the trewe fayth is assailed to the intent that beyng watcheful we maye beware of all corruption and craftie seducing and may be made safe To God be praise and glory ¶ The description of the churche and of the red Dragon fighting agaynst the Church The .lij. Sermon ANd there appered a great tokeÌ„ in Heauen a woman clothed with the sunne and the Moone vnder her fete vpoÌ„ her head a crowne of .xii. starres And she was with childe and cried trauailing in birth payned ready to be deliuered And there appered an other token in heaueÌ„ and beholde a great red Dragon hauing seueÌ„ heades .x. hornes and seuen crownes vpon his heades and his tayle drewe the thirde parte of starres of heauen cast them to the Earth And the dragon stode before the woman which was ready to be deliuered for to deuoure her childe as sone as it were borne And she brought forth a maÌ„childe which should rule all nations with a rodde of yron hyr sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his seate And the woman fled into wildernes where she had a place prepared of God that they shoulde fede her there a thousande two hondreth and .lx. dayes The fourth parte of this boke exhibiteth to vs the thirde vision which others that diuide the seconde into two The order dispositioÌ„ of thinges of this boke make the fourth The lord hath often times and much made mention in the seconde vision of the persecution and fight of the faythfull with Antichrist and wicked enemies of God especially in the .6.9 and .11 chapters He procedeth therefore nowe in the thirde vision and that aboundantly to discourse of the same conflicte and
deuiles workyng miracles to goe out to the kynges of the earth of the whole worlde to gather them to the battell of the great daye of God almightie Beholde I come as a thefe Happy is he that watcheth and kepeth his garmentes leeste he be founde naked and men see his filthines And he gathered them together in a place called in the hebrewe tunge Armageddon The sixte Aungell powreth out his viall on the great riuer of Euphrates â—he drying vp of Euphrates yâ— sixte plage th ende of this sheding is that the waie might be opened for the kynges of the Easte that is that Babilon might be taken This plague chiefly apperteyneth to Rome and the Romish church The speach hath an allegorie or a secret comparison and allusion vnto olde Babilon We reade in the .5 chapt of Daniel that Babilon was taken the same night wherein Balthazar king thereof had prepared a sumptuouse banket and loked for nothing lesse than for destruction Herodotus and Xenophon reporte howe the kinges of the Easte Darius Priscus who is also called Medus and Cyrus of Persia besieged the citie rounde aboute but where there was no hope to winne it Cyrus let out Euphrates by ditches so that the Army might wade ouer the riuer and so was the citie layde open and taken on the same side where it was fensed with the riuer Euphrates therfore fortified Babilon and brought vnto it many other coÌ„modities and pleasures Here therefore are signified by Euphrates richesse munition pleasures coÌ„modities tributes and customes which the romisshe churches call sacred or of the holy church These commodities and pleasures I saye are dimished of the kinges of the Easte of trewe christians whom the scripture calleth the Kinges and Priestes and deriued and putte to an other vse Wherefore the power of the Romane churche beginneth to decaye to the intent that at the length it maye be taken and abolisshed of the Lorde Christ him selfe Doubtles the trewe Christians vnderstaÌ„de Howe Euphrates is dried vp beleue and professe that Christ alone is the Sauiour nother that there is saluation in any other And that this is geuen freely that they be madde and committe Simonye and sacriledge whiche in this case practise and make marchandise Reade the .55 chap. of Esaye and the 8. of the Actes finally the .1 and .2 chapt of S. Paule to the Coloss Wherin most dilligently is declared illumined and set forth that by Christ alone we are absolued and in him alone haue al fulnes And what time the common people do heare this to witte that by those romish trifles fayres of pardons and other craftie iuggelinges they are disceaued and robbed of their substauÌ„ce they shutte by and by and make faste their chestes their purses their cellars and garners And so drieth vp the riuer of welth and pleasure it drieth vp also when the godly denie to geue other customes as tenthes palles firste fruictes and suche other like thinges So I saye is the waye prepared for the kinges of the Easte so beginneth Rome the seconde Babilon to be taken and come to naught It followeth furthermore Howe Antichrist behaueth him for the preseruyng of euphrates how Antichrist wil fight against the faythfull and godly labouring to drie vp Euphrates for the mayneteynaunce and increase of his kingdome where he might briefly haue saide he shal sende forth ambassadours vnto al kinges and princes to stire them vp agaynst the gospellers for the defence of the priuileges rightes reuenewes of the See of Rome he had rather moste dilligently describe those Ambassadours and shewe their destruction It forceth very muche to haue knowen the Popes legates For they are maruelouse pestilent to the churche of God for we haue not only experience of it at this daye but also by the reading of all stories that great euilles The description of the popes ambassadours called legate a latere and all calamities in a maner haue ben brought into the church and are also at this daye through the instigations of those legates I touched a little before what mischiefe Cardinal Iulian Cesarine the legate of Pope Eugenius wrought in Germany Boheme Pole and Hungary What is done in our time and hath ben done in our fathers memorie it were to longe to reherse Yf our elders had by the doctrine of Iesu Christ reuealed to the church by S. Iohn vnderstande knowen the nature of the Popes legates they might easely haue eschewed wherewith they haue vndiscretely intangled themselues and suffered greate losse hinderaunce I speake nothing here of Ambassadours and ambassades of kinges and coÌ„mon welthes vncorrupted First he sheweth dilligently the original of legates to the intent we might vnderstande Thoriginal of legates that they be led with a wicked sprete and that their vocation is not godly but deuillish He sheweth a threfolde originall where in very dede they maye al be reduced to one deuelish vnitie He saw sayeth Primasius expounding this place one spirite and for the nombre of the partes of one body he sayeth three that al the nombre of the wicked might be vttered to be led with one deuelishe sprete Therfore the first denne that the legates breake out of he calleth the dragons mouth Of the dragon is spoken in the .12 chap. nother is there any that vnderstaÌ„deth not that it signifieth the deuil him self They come forth therfore froÌ„ the deuil For al the affaires of their ambassade coÌ„sisteth in lies craftes practises finally in corruptyng the veritie and sincerenes of the gospell and also in factions and dissentions in slaughter and bloud And the deuil was from the begynning a liar and murtherer as the lorde him selfe sayeth in the .8 of Iohn And hitherto they be of the Dragons mouthe The selfe same arrise also out of the mouth of the beaste For they come furnisshed with the Popes authoritie legates laterall with full power Of the beaste I haue spoken in the .13 chapt finally they come out of the mouth of the false prophete The trewe prophet and pastour high and only of the church vniuersal is Christ the sonne of God Antichrist is that false prophet chiefe seducer of the whole world as is sayed in the .13 cha Therfore come the legates sente from the Pope which hath put into their mouthes wordes or instructioÌ„s or coÌ„missions that they should speake those thinges which are of false prophecie Three vncleane sprites Howbeit he expoundyng himselfe more playnely declareth of what sorte the legates shall be to witte three vncleane spretes An vncleane sprete is euery where in the scripture called the deuill or Sathan verely of naturr and effecte For as the spirite of God is called holy so this coÌ„trarywise vncleane For he him self is of nature or rather of his owne corruption and reuoltyng from God impure and authour to meÌ„ of all impuretie and vncleanes He signifieth therfore that those legates shal be men of a deuelish vncleanes And in dede if you laye
Romanes into a reprobate minde to do those thinges which God alloweth not And so are the wordes of God prophecied by the Prophets and Apostles on this wise fulfilled Doubtlesse they be the wordes of God and not of men which are red of this matter in Daniell and in all this booke of reuelation The woman is the great citie Finally the Angell expoundeth what is signified by the woman sitting on the beast to wit that great citie of Rome the head and Lady maistresse of the worlde and the Romish church Popery and power stretching oute her selfe and her Kyngdome ouer the Kinges of the Earth Of whom already hath bene spoken enough To God be glorie ¶ He sheweth that Rome shall assuredly fall and addeth the causes of her fall The .lxxvij. Sermon The .18 chapter AND after that I sawe an Angell come down from Heauen hauing greate power and the Earth was lightned with his brightnes and he cryed mightelye with a stronge voyce sayeng she is fallen she is fallen euen great Babilon and is become the habitation of Deuilles and the holde of all vncleane spirites a cage of vncleane and hateful birds for all nations haue dronken of the wyne of the wrath of her whoredome And the kyngs of the earth haue cōmitted fornication with her and her marchauntes are waxed rych of the aboundaunce of her pleasures He pourseweth through out al the .18 chap. the destructiō of olde and new Rome also of Heithennes and Antichristianisme that with a maruelouse plentie euidence of speach euen so that ye would thinke that you sawe al thing presently And he vseth also a most godly order The some of the .18 chapter For first the Angell declareth the destruction of Rome with moste apte wordes Secondly coūsel is geuen to the godly how to behaue themselues in so great daungers Than is added the maner of the desolation that like as Rome hath gredely and cruelly spoyled and destroyed other nations euen so it shal chaunce vnto her also After this a lamentation is made wherein the Princes and marchaūts do mourne for the ruine of Rome where they also resyte the richesse and pleasures of Rome Finally the Apostles and Prophetes reioyce at the moste iust iudgement of God Agayne the Angell of the Lord cast a milstone into the bottome of the sea that so the most certaine vnrecouerable and moste weightie destruction of Rome mighte be signified Wherunto agayne are anexed the causes of so great euilles and the same finished with the prayse and gratulation of all the heauenly dwellers And most luckely doeth he imitate the holy Prophetes of God wherof two in a maner after the same forte S. Ihon imitateth the prophetes do describe the destruction of old Babilon Esaye in the .13.14 .21 chap. And Ieremy in the .50 and .51 And Ezechiell the ouerthrowe of Tirus in the .26.27 and .28 chapt For as the lot and end of all the vngodly is lyke so doeth the canonicall Scripture in painting out their destruction right well agree with it selfe The Apostles moreouer The maiestye of the holy tung although they spake and wrote to the gentyles in greke yet altered they nothing of their naturall phrase of speakyng and euen constrayned straunge tungues to serue the holy and not the Hebrew to serue vnto heathen langages For speakyng greke they obserued the naturall phrase of the Hebrew speach as first diuine and holy And where they coulde speake all langages yet ded they neuer speake and write any foreyne langage so but that in the same the Hebrew phrase might be perceyued The curiositie of the readers in the translations of the Bible Let some therfore beware at this daie that thei be not to deintie cared and followe the puretie of the latine speach so that in expressing the same they fal not in the meane whyle from the simplicitie of the holye tongue and lose not a fewe misteries They that be not froward had rather frame themselues to the holy langage and learne the phrases therof than to subdue the same againste the heare to straunge tongues and cōpell it to serue our delicate eares Moreouer we haue already admonished oftentimes what is the end vse of this treatise concerning the iudgemēts or pūnishments of God For the veritie and iustice of God is cōfirmed the afflicted receiue comfort and the wicked and all Gods enemies are made affrayde c. The vngodly deride the oracles of god But when S. Ihon published these thinges and prophesied of the destruction of Babilon which al men at that time by reason of the late subuersion of Ierusalem and most greuouse captiuitie of the Iewes which had lately chaunced vnder Vespasian ded clerely vnderstand to signifie Rome For right so had Babilon in times past vexed the holy Citie and natiō as nowe had Vespasian the Romane The godly in dede beleued thē to be true that they shulde vndoubtedly come to passe The vngodly as dotages laughed them to scorne The same had their elders done For when the Prophetes also prophesied the subuersion of Niniue Babilon and most mightie Monarchies they semed to them to be mad Notwithstāding euen as they had saied so came it to passe Therfore the faithfull beleue the Oracles of God howe long so euer they be differred which are prophesied to come how vnpossible so euer they appeare vnto the worlde For to God speakyng and willing nothing is harde The Authour of this oracle And going about to shewe the subuersion of Rome he prepareth his hearers and winneth credit to the prophesie whileste before all thinges he sheweth the authour of the Oracle or prophesie the very Angell of God And verely he cōmendeth highly the same Angel to vs to the end we shuld doubt nothinge of the veritie of those thinges which he speaketh For he sayeth howe he came from Heauen Wherupon we gather those things that he bringeth to be diuine and celestial the same is saied to haue great power lest verely we shuld thinke those thinges to be vnpossible which he sayeth shall come to passe For yf the Angel Gods minister be of so great power what may we thinke the Lorde to be which sente the Angel One Angell before the walles of Hierusalem killed an hondreth fourescore and fiue thousande menne of warre One Aungell in a night slewe all the firste borne of Aegipt Therfore seyng the most mightie Angel prophecieth the destruction of olde newe Rome we nede not to doubte but that it shall vtterly perisshe Moreouer the Earth was lightened with the glory that is to saye with the brightenes or light of this Aungell For this prophecie is nother darke nother will it be hidde but chiefly and most clerely preachrd through out the world Wherefore the same Aungell crieth with all his force We muste preach frely clerely agaynste Antichrist and that with a greate voyce For it behoueth these oracles of God wherein is treated of
and fraternities of Sainctes vnlesse they had ben the Apostles of that great abominable Antichrist The testimony of Iesus Christe Moreouer the Angell him selfe expoundyng agayne his owne wordes sheweth what is the testimony of Iesu Christ For the testimony of Iesu is the sprete of Prophecie And the sprete signifieth reuelation or vnderstandynge and prophecie the propheticall and Apostolical doctrine And therefore the sense is the testimony of Iesu Christ is no other thing but the reuealyng of the doctrine of prophetes and Apostles in the minde of the godly through the holy ghost and fayth And therfore the Apostles in the gospel are called witnesses and the gospell a testimony And to testifie is to preach Of the whiche exposition such an argument maye be gathered the cause of thy worshippyng Iohn is doubtles that excellent reuelation and prophecie vnto thee by me reuealed But yf I should therefore seme worthie to be worshipped for that there is in me an excellent sprete of Prophecie by the like reason shalt thou worship al thy bretherne in whome is the same sprete of prophecie to witte the testimony of Iesu the true fayth But where thou seest and thy selfe art compelled to graunt the same to be very absurde I perceiue it to be absurde if thou shouldest worship an Angell The laste and strōgest reason Worship God whie he would not be worshipped is this worship God It is taken out of the authoritie and Lawe of God perpetuall and immutable reuealed in the .6 of Deuter. and repeted of our sauiour Christ in the .4 of Matth. if we would obeye the lawe of God al culte and worshipping and inuocation of Sainctes had ben long sins bannished and exiled out of the church Furthermore ther be other places also Angels are not to be worshypped nor called vpon which commende the ministeries and vertues of Angelles teachyng neuerthelesse to honour and call vpon God himself Reade the goodly Psalmes .34 and .91 And yf any man liste to haue also the consente of the fathers let him reade S. Austen sayeng that Angelles must nother be worshipped nor called vpō nother ought there sacrifice to be made vnto them nor churches erected The chiefe places be of the true religion the .55 chap. against Maximine an Arriane Bishop first boke leafe .77 De ciuit dei .8 boke laste chapt 10. chapt 16.19.20 To God be the glory ¶ The description of Christe the Iudge commyng to the laste iudgement The .lxxxv. Sermon AND I sawe heauen open and beholde a white horse and he that sat vpon him was called faithful true and in rightuousenes dyd he iudge and make battaile His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many crownes he had a name written that no man knewe but him selfe And he was clothed with a vesture dipte in bloud and his name is called the worde of God And the warriers which were in heauen followed him vpon white horses clothed with white and pure silke And out of his mouthe went a sharpe sworde that with it he should smite the heythen And he shall rule thē with a rod of yron and he trode the winefatte of the fearecenesse and the wrath of almightie God And hath on his vesture on his thighe a name written kynge of kinges and Lorde of Lordes Hitherto we haue hearde many thinges of the sondry pūnishementes of the vngodly Of the last iudgemēt and because it is manifeste that God taketh punnishment of the mischeuous and wicked at sondry times and diuersely but most fully and most seuerely in that same laste iudgement and from thence forth euermore and S. Iohn hath ones twise thryse begonne to treate of the laste iudgement as in the ende of the .11 and .14 chapt And yet hath euer differred suspended and reserued to an other place at the last thinkyng it time to set before al mens eyes a description chiefely necessarie at the length he taketh it in hande and nowe finissheth it vp as a matter of all other greateste He annexeth therefore to a plentifull treatise of the tourmentes of the vngodly a moste full and euident description of the iudge moste rightuous and greatest and of that laste iudgement and moste straite of all others wherein moste fully and seuerely the paynes shal be executed vpon al Antichristians and vngodly for euermore This place which is the fourth of this chapt and this treatise stretcheth vnto the .21 chapter The elocution is great smellyng of the propheticall maiestie and Apostolicall perspicuitie and efficacitie You shall finde not a fewe of this sorte in the prophetes especially in the .24.25.26 and .27 chapt of Esaye And verely this doctrine is very profitable and necessary to be learned and vnderstande moste dilligently of all and singular faythfull A profitable necessarie doctrine of the laste day of iudgemēt as the whiche with muche dilligence and moste plentifull abondaunce was set forth to this ende of the Prophetes and Apostles but chiefely of the Lorde Iesus Christe him selfe bothe in the Gospell and also in this moste godly reuelation For vnlesse thou be kepte in thy duetie for feare of the iudgement and Iudge to come it is no maruell though thou runneste madde and perisshe with this folishe and wicked worlde In the treatise of the laste iudgement is sene the ende of al menne life and death felicitie and miserie payne or tourment and vnspeakable and heauēly rewarde He that remembreth these thinges well abhorreth wickednes and walketh in holy feare before God And we haue learned of the doctrine of the Gospell That daye is knowen to no man that the same daye of the restoryng of all and oppression of the vngodly and also of all vngodlines is knowen to no mortall man but to the father alone and therefore to inquire of the houre and momente thereof to be most folishely done much more wickedly Notwithstandyng the good Lord hath shewed and signified tokens whiche when we shall see to be fulfilled and accomplished we might lifte vp our heades knowyng that our redemption draweth nere Beholde your redemption sayeth he not your tourment For he speaketh of the godly lokyng for their redemption frō heauen at the retourne of our sauiour and redemer our lord Christe whiche shal also inflicte to his enemies reuēgement as S. Paule sayeth in the .2 Thess the .1 Therfore let vs not here be curiouse which search for things vnsearchable but rather let vs watch and praye after the holesome precepte of our sauiour iudge and reuenger let vs haue our loynes gyrded and let lightes burne in our handes let vs loke for him stedfaste in faith and and soūde in holy hope Let vs rather take hede that the care of this world possesse not our hartes and beware of drōkennesse and surfettyng and that we be not of the nombre or cōuersation of them whiche in the dayes of Noe and Loth regarded worldely thinges only dispised heauenly laughed them to skorne